BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS #2

Fucking great cover by Jae Lee, right? The only problem is that it doesn't exactly have anything to do with what's inside this issue. There are a group of Asian women in their underwear and wearing surgical face masks while they cut up cocaine in this issue...but they're not in full Dominatrix outfits or have gas-masks and they certainly don't have power over Ozymandias. Perhaps this cover has something to do with what happened in #1, which I read (both written by Len Wein, who edited the original Watchmen series), but vaguely remember. I guess that's not a good thing if I don't remember #1 which came out a few weeks ago. & while I haven't given up on Before Watchmen, at this juncture the art has been a lot better than the writing. So admire this awesome cover and don't even bother opening up the book.
*1/2 (out of ****)

BATMAN: EARTH ONE

So there's a new DC series called Earth 2...and it takes place in a parallel universe where Superman and Batman are dead. This book, and last year's Superman: Earth One, take place in a different parallel universe. So what the fuck is the regular DC universe called? Earth Zero? Earth Three? So there's that mild annoyance. The other annoyance is...Gary Frank drew this and Geoff Johns wrote it...and that's a superstar team. They did a great storyline about Braniac in Action Comics a few years back. I'd rather see them doing a Batman story in a regular, monthly book than this, which is a long, hardcover graphic novel. I'm guessing DC makes more cash selling hardcovers. So it's all about money, eh? This particular book is readable, it's enjoyable, but nothing outstanding. It's more or less an origin tale with various differences; The Penguin is just a corrupt mayor. Two Face is just a fresh-faced, Hollywood-style rookie cop. It's light and forgettable. **1/2

THE WALKING DEAD #100

This book came out on July 11th. On July 20th at around 12:30 AM a 24 year old psycho shot up a movie theater that was screening the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. 12 people died, around 50 were injured, and it brought back the conversation about violence in the media. I suppose you can argue that if movies, video games, books, and TV shows didn't have a plethora of violence in them then perhaps things like this wouldn't happen. Violence in movies and video games and TV shows and books and comic books is never going away...so we never will know their effect, will we? Granted, there's a lot of violence in the Bible and Greek myths and Shakespeare and those are old...right? But there is a difference between those and video games like Max Payne 3 that came out in May that features you practically shooting and killing everyone in Brazil. The Walking Dead is, obviously, violent...and this issue in particular is brutal. Quite basically, the new bad guy shows up and uses a barbed wire baseball bat to bludgeon Glenn to death. That's the entire book. And it's shocking and sick and it doesn't happen off panel, it's right there for all to see. After the movie theater shooting...should I pause and ponder why I'm reading and entertained by this? Why I can't wait to see Rick's obviously brutal and bloody revenge? Am I fucked up, warped in the head to love a book that is barbaric and wrong and might be a part of the problem? Or are psycho's just psychotic? They'd do it no matter what? Who cares? I guess it says something that this book will probably end up being the best-selling comic book of the year, that it came out amidst the San Diego Comic Con and was the buzzed about book there. If you remember post-Columbine they blamed the video game Doom and violence in the movies and everything they're probably going to blame now. Did anything change after Columbine? Apparently not. Movies are still blood-soaked affairs while sex in movies and porn is usually looked down upon. The movie theater killer lived 15 miles from Columbine and still ordered his ammunition online and didn't have a problem buying a gas mask and a bullet proof vest and guns that are not meant to kill animals. I'm not going to stop reading violent comic books and what does that say about me? Is it too late? Have I lived too long with this constant flow of violent images to be desensitized? It will be curious to see how comic books are affected. DC already postponed this week's Batman: Incorporated #3 because of something mysterious within its pages. I doubt anything will change, and maybe that's a shame.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY #3 : 2009

I suppose it's fitting that Alan Moore has a new book out amidst the Before Watchmen event DC is putting out. Apparently, DC told Alan Moore that if he came back to write a new Watchmen book that they would give him back the rights to it. Either Alan Moore is a cantankerous old man or he's the world's last great, true artist. I think he's a bit of both...and while his latest book, the final part in the third part of the LOEG series, is mostly mediocre, it's still very readable and enjoyable albeit very, very sad. Harry Potter and Mary Poppins show up in this book (sort of), and Alan Quartermain and the Anti-Christ perish...so if you're looking for "big" happenings, I suppose you'll find them here. Kevin O'Neill's artwork is sloppy in parts but really, that's how he draws, and I've grown to like his work for this series as he's been there since day one (the gorgeous colors certainly help). I have said that the second part of this epic, the one with martians attacking London and Mr. Hyde raping the Invisible Man, was the best thing Alan Moore has ever written. Most would say Swamp Thing or Watchmen...but I love his characterization of Mina and the adventure of it all. The problem with the 2.5 book, The Black Dossier, and this 3rd part, is that a lot of the best characters are gone (namely...Dr. Jeckyl and the Invisible Man) AND the books have veered into LSD territory. But even when Moore is writing a book not as good as his masterpieces they're still intriguing, still entertaining, filled with special things, and odd but interesting. And hell, it's a lot better than Before Watchmen. **1/2

BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN #1

If you didn't know (and, really, why are you reading a comic book blog if you didn't?), Watchmen came out in 1985. So here we are twenty-seven years later and we're finally getting more Watchmen. It's a long story of why, but the new DC publisher, Dan Didio, is going balls to the wall trying to improve sales. He made a big marketing gimmick out of pricing most of the books at $2.99, he re-introduced letter columns (they're gone already), and he re-numbered every book #1 last September and re-booted most aspects of the DC universe. Six new Watchmen prequel books are his latest salvo...and the controversy is astounding. I say...who cares? If you don't like Alan Moore's book being tampered with than don't read it. I think this is good for comics as it's something to talk about. The problem is that so far the books suck. Hard. This is the third book, a six-parter written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by JG Jones. It's about, obviously, The Comedian, a super-hero bad-ass that killed JFK in the original but here didn't. What? I'm confounded. Some say that Alan Moore has used other characters in his books (Moriarty, Alice in Wonderland, Jeckyl & Hyde, etc.) so why is he pissed someone is using his characters? & sure, wasn't Watchmen like 50% flashbacks anyway? Is there a point to have prequels? The art in this book is good but the writing and story are dull. Perhaps it'll go somewhere. I doubt it. * (out of ****)

BATMAN INCORPORATED #1

There are now, in the "new" DC, five monthly Batman books. Is that a bad thing? Not really. Batman is their best character. Superman only has two monthly books and they're both not so great. There's also a monthly Catwoman title and a Nightwing title...so technically there are seven Batman books. Why not give Joker a monthly, already?

This, Batman Incorporated #1, is the continuation of Grant Morrison's old Batman, Inc. book. Apparently it's set in the old, forgotten DC universe. It's not as weird as most Morrison books, which is good, and the art by Chris Burnham looks a lot like Frank Quitely, which is also good.

The story now has Talia Al Ghoul putting a bounty on her son, Robin, and some schlub with a goat mask takes him out. Cliffhanger!

I suppose it's saying something about the "new" DC that this is probably the second best Batman book. The best being Batman & Robin, which has heart and had a terrific seven issue storyline that finished up last month featuring Nobody.

*** (out of ****)

Short Reviews 5-2-12

30 DAYS OF NIGHT #7:

The great art of Sam Keith is gone but the story is better; a bad group of vampires descend on L.A. to seemingly take over the world. It's bloody, it's good, albeit nothing special. **1/2 (out of ****)







SPIDER #1:

This was a pulp hero from the 40's. The twist? He kills! Pretty sick stuff here, including a zombie kid that has a bomb collar go off. I liked it. What does that say about me? ***







X-O MANOWAR #1:

Really dull and mostly idiotic. I miss Valiant but perhaps I'm mixing up nostalgia with actual quality. *






 AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #3:

The best issue so far. Brubaker writes it. This book is still way too slow (it's 12 issues...Jesus Christ!). Just infect someone already, Phoenix force. **1/2






ANIMAL MAN #9:

The fans love this. Not sure why. It's depressing and weird. *








 SWAMP THING #9:

The fans also love this. The art is interesting. I'm already sick of The Rot and this storyline. The villain Arcane comes back at the end. I don't even know who that is. **






EARTH 2 #1:

It made no sense to me but I liked it. It's fun, entertaining. The final page is way too silly, though. I guess this is like the Ultimate universe that Marvel has. James Robinson is a fantastic writer, though. Good start. ***








DAREDEVIL #12:

Fluff and slight but a fun issue. Good art by Chris Samnee. **1/2









ACTION COMICS #9:

The best issue yet. Grant Morrison is finally getting bizarre. **1/2








ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #10:

Most of this issue has Miles and his uncle talking...but it's engrossing. **1/2










SUPREME #64:

No more Alan Moore so it's obviously a drop-off. I like the premise, though; an evil Supreme has been unleashed. **1/2







DETECTIVE COMICS #9:

Awful. This is a Night of the Owls cross-over and it feels totally forced. I used to like Tony Daniel. What happened? 1/2*








WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN: ALPHA & OMEGA #5:

This book went on way too long...and what, really, was the point? *









AGE OF APOCALYPSE #3:

Too dark and drab and not exciting or interesting at all. I can't fathom anyone actually enjoying this book. 1/2*








BOYS #66:

This book has really dropped off, although it hasn't been good since, like, issue #6. *