INVINCIBLE #101

I never stopped collecting/reading comic books...but there was a lull about five/ten years ago where I was a little oblivious as to what was going on. I always read Savage Dragon so I was in comic book stores and occasionally buying books...but when Brian Bendis was so popular he was name-checked on The OC I was a little unaware of what was going on. When I got back into the realm I heard/read a ton about The Walking Dead so I picked up #48 and enjoyed it and have read it ever since. I liked Kirkman so I picked up a copy of Invincible and it was okay but I felt totally lost so I picked up all the trades and got caught up. At a certain point I stopped reading Invincible for the sole reason that the library never got the latest trade paperback. With #100 looming I decided to get caught up so I read the "Viltrumite War" and the Dinosaurus saga and I just picked up #101 so I think I'll be reading this monthly from now on. It's about half as good as The Walking Dead...but I do enjoy horror books and zombies more so there is that caveat. As a superhero book, Invincible is good, not great. It's certainly colorful. Kirkman has a knack for a last page cliffhanger/reveal that's cool. In this issue we find out that Mark and his girlfriend will be keeping their child (she had an abortion previously). Mark's dad, Omni-Man, has been exiled on the moon. & Robot and crew are working hard to put the world back together. It's not the world's greatest comic book, but just the fact that it's #101 and it's only had one writer and two artists somehow makes it sweeter. I look forward to another one-hundred issues. **1/2

Short Reviews for Wednesday, March 13th, 2012

AGE OF ULTRON #2: Sure this "event" is a rip-off of The Terminator and probably a ton of other things but if you're gonna rip-off something at least rip-off something good. So Ultron, a robot, has taken over the world and is killing all the humans. Spider-Man and Captain America and Thor and a few others are left and struggling to survive in a destroyed New York City. Brian Bendis is writing and Bryan Hitch is drawing it. Last week's #1 had a foil embossed die-cut cover (or whatever it's called...it took me back to the early 90's). Very entertaining, although I don't like that this event is happening outside of all of the regular books. Hitch's artwork is good in spots, and #1 was better...but it's the best event I've read from Marvel in awhile. **1/2

CROSSED: BADLANDS #25: Garth Ennis is back writing an arc. Of course he has to add a gratuitous, gross-out scene for no real reason (it involves anal fisting...if you wondered). Outside of that, it's a pretty good issue that does a nice job setting up an intriguing story. Crossed has always been hit or miss. Ennis' stories have been better than David Lapham's. This series, Crossed: Badlands, had a stand-out with Jamie Delano's tale that took place in Florida. But even that devolved into a mess. The one problem with this particular issue is the art. Raulo Caceres is just not very good. But he's okay drawing the dark shit Ennis comes up with...so I guess it's good they found some unlucky soul to do it. **1/2

BATMAN #18: No more Joker. No more Greg Capullo. So...yeah, most expected a waste of an issue. It does seem to cement a new Robin, but it isn't all that compelling. **

THE WALKING DEAD #108: This issue introduces a new hero, a dread-locked black dude that owns a tiger. The current Negan storyline is the best thing to happen to this book since pre-#50, when the book was awesome. So it's another interesting chapter. ***

UNCANNY X-MEN #1

I'll admit: I've never been the biggest X-Men fan. The movies were okay, but I wasn't alive or reading comics when some of the bigger storylines occurred like "The Dark Phoenix Saga" or "Days of Future Past." I read Jim Lee's run in the early 90's and have sampled it here and there. This current run by Bendis which also includes All-New X-Men is pretty good stuff, albeit nothing revolutionary or awe-inspiring. It's fun, that's about it. This book is about the semi-evil X-Men: Cyclops and Emma Frost and Magneto and their new group. They're going around the world recruiting new mutants. Cyclops' power is awry. & Magento is secretly trying to take down Cyclops. The script by Bendis is crisp and entertaining. The art by Chris Bachalo is terrific. It's a good start. ***

Short Reviews for Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

YOUNG AVENGERS #1: Well the fanboys on the internet are in an orgiastic frenzy over this. Will that translate to sales? Probably not (go ask Journey into Mystery). The fact that this book is, so far, awful certainly won't help. Granted, it's only one issue. Perhaps it's setting up awesome things to come. Writer Keiron Gillen doesn't seem to understand that you have to hook people early. A #1 issue should blow your mind and make you salivate for #2. This book is just...boring. It's also fucking confusing as hell. It feels like this is issue #12 or something. There's barely an introduction to anyone. I have no clue who these people are besides Kid Loki and Hawkeye's girl friend. Very terrible stuff. -No Stars-







HELLBLAZER #299: The end is neigh. I'm sad...but honestly this book has been merely standard lately save for the awesome Simon Bisley covers. In March it starts as Constantine #1 with a new creative team and no curse words or nudity. This issue is typical; John dies but doesn't. There's a demon. It's #299...don't expect different shit now. **1/2
















CHEW #31: So this is the start of the second half of this book. I guess it's stopping at #60 for no real reason. This book could either be better as a monthly forever book or one that stopped at #12. I'm not sure because it has gotten a little stale but it is still amusing and fun. Tony's sister was dismembered and murdered in #30 so this is the funeral. Plus we have the boys working on a case involving deadly energy drinks. With a funeral you'd expect this book to at least show some emotion and swerve a bit but it's all one note fluff. For a book to go sixty issues it really needs to produce more than comedy hijinks. **










HELL YEAH #6: This book is bizarre. It plays with parallel universes and super-heroes but hasn't quite hit the perfect note yet. It also makes no sense. There is a topless hottie in it. Go Image! **












JUSTICE LEAGUE #16: This is "Throne of Atlantis" part three. The army of Atlantis attacks the United States. The art is good (Ivan Reiss) and it's typical group super-hero stuff. I never thought these mega-group books worked for one reason or another. Maybe in the 60's when dumb action was what worked they were good. And it's only #16 and Jim Lee is already gone. DC, you suck. **1/2

Best Book of 2012: SAGA Best Issue of 2012: SAGA #1

It was the year of Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staple's Saga. Sorry if you're tired of hearing about it...but it was the best book of the year and the first issue was the best issue of the year. It was well written and beautifully drawn but the reason that it was superior to everything else was the fact that it delivered on the hype. A new Vaughn book is rare; this one is already right up there with his best, Y: the Last Man. I suppose it's because it has everything; action and romance, weirdness and emotion, great heroes and great villains, and even a great letter column. The first issue had people with TV's for heads having sex and an alligator butler...also one hell of a last page. This was just epic and sublime at the very same time. This is why we read comics.

Best Cover of 2012: BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS #2

 

If you happened to see this in a comic book store on the rack or saw it online then you were curious. It got you interested. It's dynamic and draws you in. That's what a good cover should do. I guess the only problem is that this doesn't happen in the issue.

Best Writer of 2012: BRIAN K. VAUGHN "SAGA"

I'm not sure if he ever gave a reason to return to writing comic books. Perhaps his time in Hollywood wasn't as dynamic as he hoped (currently he's adapting Stephen King's Under the Dome for Showtime...not the greatest assignment, is it?), or maybe he really does love writing comic books. Either way, Brian K. Vaughn came back with Saga, his first book since the mediocre Ex-Machina. Saga is a return to form. It's funny, it's weird, it's compelling, it's beautiful. Sure, Marko is more or less Yorrick, and sure, it's more or less Y: the Last Man in Space, but why change a working formula? The characters, the story, the dialogue...it's all so perfect. Even the letters column is a treat. He's already one of the best writers in the history of comic books. If you don't believe me, try an issue of Saga and be blown away.