I have read this week’s issue of Captain America #34. It’s pretty damn good. This “new” Cap is, as you might suspect, a fairly big deal in the sense of the advancement of the overall story Ed Brubaker is going for, but is not, in so much as who is in the suit. It does make for a great jumping on point for new readers. The story reminds me of old Mark Grenwauld written Cap issues from the eighties I read as a kid. I have harped on this for some time, it is the best superhero book on the market and you should be reading it.
So, The Messiah Complex is over as of X-Men #207. I felt the entire crossover was better then any x-over in recent memory. (Golly, do we have to go all the way back to Age of Apocalypse to find the last good one? Was that really that good?) It most certainly changed things, as several x-books are going in very different directions because of it.
Will these and other changes hold for longer then a year? No, but I think it accomplished what was needed, it shook things up. The x-books have been very stagnant and very stinky for the better part of three years (and we can probably go back much further then that.) They need to cut titles and get back to basics. This isn’t going to happen, but we can hope.
There is one specific thing about X-Men #207, though. Man, was Chris Bachalo’s art just horrible!?! What the hell?!? It was like pages weren’t even finished, or an inker just didn’t get them done, but still… come on. Chris, you are better then that! The entire Messiah Complex storyline looked pretty good, just not that last issue. However, if you remember back to the x-book crossover Inferno (check it out young ones, you’ll love it) it started with great Sylvestri art and ended with Al Milgram. That might have been worse.
At least we can say this for this major crossover. It didn’t have a bunch of extra stupid and expensive side books and it didn’t get out of the x-verse and into the rest of Marvel’s struggling crap (the typical reason you see crossovers, to try and save struggling side books.) I commend Marvel for this, MAYBE they will learn something and use it on their next big crossover. That or Bendis is a Skrull and since he has no influence over the x-books, that is the only reason it didn’t suck.
Monthly Archive for January, 2008
I really don’t have much for you this week. I’m a mess from two games in net last night and haven’t been this sore in months, but hey, I got my team a win so that’s something. Also, one of my customers scored on me. That should keep him coming in for books for a few more months.
Enough hockey talk, though I could go on for far more then any of you care to hear, I’m sure. Like… did you hear about poor Cindy Crosby?
I do have some movie news to mention, more like movie help. I have known Mike Woody for a long time. Of all the customers I have, I have known him longest. Mike has been reviewing film for much longer then that. Mike really knows his films and though I love to disagree with him, I take nothing away from his eye for good cinema. He has a blog that should help you find a good picture to go see (his top ten list is great.) Check it out at: www.woodyreviews.blogspot.com/
Did anyone see Cloverfield? If you did, please go to the website and make a post for me. I am intrigued by the idea, but feel I would need a barf bad at the handheld-ness of the filming quality. There are so many better films I haven’t seen and would like to I think I will skip it unless someone can present me with a really good idea. Granted, you can start now on all the superhero movie that are coming out too. Unless it’s Ironman (because of Robert Downey Jr., not Iron man) or Hellboy, you better have a damn strong argument.
On a side note to the Cloverfield thing, I guess the NEW JJ Abrams’ Star Trek teaser is out. I want to go on record as saying this is a TERRIBLE idea. Redoing or retro-coning The Original Star Trek? Are you insane? I usually don’t hope and pray (I’m not even a religious person) that a movie flops, but I hope this one tanks. Like Waterworld style of taking. I will not see it on general principle. I owe to much of my child hood (and nerdiness, wait, this could answer a lot of questions… nonetheless) to William Shatner to have his name shit on like this. He could still play Cap Kirk at 84 (or however old he is) and be better at it then whatever young turd they pulled out of the toilet of current young Fox/CW drama hell. Join me in pledging to NOT see this film.
Now actual comic news:
I usually don’t make much of exclusive deals as they are posturing from the big two against each other and usually make the artist or writer more money/security, which is a good thing. However, Jason Aaron signed a deal with Marvel last week. He is easily one of the best young writers the industry has seen in years. He currently writes Scalped and is set to start writing Wolverine and Ghost Rider. (Side Note – I don’t read either currently and will now that someone who knows how to write is on them.) Aaron is from KC and I hear from the several people who have met him, a hell of a good guy. The signing does not effect Scalped, which Aaron says will continue on for a long long time. It is good to see good people – from the Midwest – make it big.
And one more bit of ranting. As if the Star Trek tirade wasn’t enough. This time though, I’m going to let someone else do my ranting for me. Brian Hibbs runs Comix Experience in San Francisco for years and writes an online column monthly on Newsarama. This month he takes DC to task about the “brand name” Countdown. It is a very telling piece on why DC is failing badly under Dan Didio’s “tutelage.” Find it here:
www.newsarama.com/Tilting2_0/Tilting48.html
okay, okay… I’ll shut up. I started with nothing to write about, really.
I sat around thinking about what I would write about this week and could come up with nothing. Then it dawned on me that this is the time of year when all the year’s best “awards” and bull shit ceremonies are put on TV and a bunch of self important blow hards talk about how great they are.
Hey, I can do that.
So, I am going to present my top ten reading list. These are the books I look forward to each month. These are the books I would still want if I was marooned on a South Pacific island with only hot women feedi… wait, screw comics. I guess these are ones that make comics worthwhile in my eyes.
You will not find Countdown or any Countdown related books on it (hell, you won’t find any DC, screw you Didio.) You will find few mainstream superhero books not written by one person in perticular. You will find a goodly amount of Dark Horse and a couple Image books.
I also want to know your lists. After you read this, go on line to www.cupokryptonite.com and leave a comment pertaining to this post (the week of Jan. 14th.) I want to know what your top ten reads a month are.
So, here is my list.
10. Garth Ennis’s MAX Punisher
9. Daredevil and Iron Fist
I put them together as I feel the storytelling styles on them are so similar (hmmm, Brubaker tells good superhero stories? Maybe we will see another book he writes on this list.) Though the characters are different, they have a lot of similarities too. They are fighting books. Tough to make a good story revolve around a predictable ending fight, but they get it done. And hell, Iron Fist and DD just look cool. A true test of a superhero artist.
8. The Goon – Knife to the Eye! Hell, yeah! I have been reading this book since it was self published. Eric Powell is a crazy genius and has crafted an amazing world I have no desire to visit, but love taking a pictorial trip to each “month.” Ah, but now the book is coming out on a monthly basis (or so they say) so, more Goon is good. I have harped on this book for some time. If you aren’t reading it, rent a trade for less then the cost of a regular issue. You will love it. What do you want? Fine, I will guarantee the rental cost. Everyone who has read it loves it, though they are a little more twisted after going there.
7. Ex Machina – This book is so much better then Y The Last Man. It is smart, moves at a relatively good pace and is 100 times smarter. I look at our numbers on this and I ask why they are so low? This is some of the smartest writing in comics and some of the most amazing, painstakingly complex art. Every panel is photo referenced (not light bordered, there is a difference.) The story of a superhero who sees the folly in this pursuit of justice and runs for mayor (and wins) that’s where the book starts. A must read for the smart comic crowd.
6. Pax Romana – Only a single issue out and I have to put it up this high. Jonathan Hickman is a genius. He showed us he can write with Nightly News and now he shows us he can do it again in Pax. His art is so different and new, I just hope he keeps it to himself. This chronal crusade into ancient Rome should be a great ride and will probably (hell, it already has) made the Catholic Church look as good as the media was presented in Nightly News.
And not a Captain to be found in the book. I think it actually got better after they killed Cap last spring. Brubaker (that name again) mentioned in a letter column around issue 13, he had everything plotted out through issue 50. He’s on it for the long haul. This is the best mainstream superhero book being published.
This is my soap opera drama of the list. This book has more sappy love plots and tear filled over dramatic dialogue… but see, there are also zombies ever lurking in the background to keep from it getting to out of hand. You like a character driven plot? Read Walking Dead! You want it with superheroes, read Invincible! Both of these books are great and both by Robert Kirkman. You can throw Marvel Zombies and the rest of his Marvel work in the trash, but these two are really great stuff.
I don’t like to see non comic writers coming into our industry and thinking they can just write whatever they want, but Gerald Way from the musical group My Chemical Romance did it and did it better then anyone ever has. The art of the book, by Gabrial Ba’, is indicative of Mike Mignola (the best artist “working” in the industry today). The story is of a group of kids that grow up to become crime fighters, sort-of. That tiered old plot has been over used (by DC) so many times, I was unsure if I could handle another Teen Titans try. More dysfunctional then any “super” group on the shelf, this book nails it so well, I can not wait to read and re-read the next issue. I can only hope there is more to come after the six issue mini-seriesends next month.
I lumped them all together, as in any given month there is maybe one, but hopefully two or three Hellboy related books coming out. Just recently Lobster Johnson had a mini-series in conjunction with the BPRD series and a Hellboy book as well. I was in good comic heaven. Hellboy is one of my favorite comic characters of all time. Mike Mignola nailed it when he created this gruff, tough son of the devil. Manly dealing with some kind of folk lore or old school noir/pulp story telling, the books have only gotten better over the last half decade rather then falling apart. I do think a lot of the credit goes to Scott Allie, who is by far the industries best editor. It makes me wonder what all comics would be like if Dark Horse published them…
This book is so good I often wonder why it is not our number one selling comic. It so out distances every other book on the shelf in pure comic story telling… why are you not reading it? Basically, it’s the story of refuge fable characters from children’s stories and folk lore. Every single person I have convinced to read the trades have loved them. I just recently got my girlfriend to start read it and now asks on a near weekly basis “is a new Fables coming in?” I have to reassure her like a small child that good books don’t ship every week. The thing is, I look each week myself, hoping another issue, the first thing to read on the pile, will be in the boxes when we open them. Please do yourself a favor, go rent the trades and then get into this book. I thank Tyler for getting me into this comic. He kept hounding me until I finally relented and read them over a weekend. Now, a word of warning. You MUST read them in order. Bill Willingham has crafted such a great story, you need to read from the beginning. The story keeps getting better with each trade, but you have to start at the beginning. You will thank me.
First things first, I want to point out a new book on the racks, Pax Romana. This is the latest comic from the genius of Jonathan Hickman, the creator responsible for Nightly News, which was probably the best book of 2007. However, Pax is not for everyone. The art is a graphic designers dream project, but it’s not standard comic panel fare. The story is for everyone who loves a little sci-fi, politics and action mixed in a big pot and served hot. The synopsis of the first issue is in the distant future the Catholic Church develops (sort-of) time travel. What do they do with this amazing scientific break through… well, of course they go on a cronal crusade. However, that might not be were the book ends up as the ending of issue one suggests differently. I highly recommend it and if you haven’t read Nightly News, you need to pick up the trade which we also have in stock. Do yourself a favor and start a good series first thing in 2008.
I want to point out a movie to go rent. Shoot ‘em Up is out and you need to see it. I have two reasons for telling you to go get this movie. First, it’s awesome and second, my friend Ben David Grabinski worked on the film. So, I’m sure if you buy this disc, in some small way, you will make BDG some money.
Next on the plate this week, I’ve got a spoiler warning to state before you continue. If you have not read Amazing Spider-man #545 and care about the ending you will want to skip the next couple paragraphs. If you have read it or don’t care and want to hear the crazy comic guy go off on another shitty comic book, then listen up as I will take this opportunity to discuss that ending. I personally thought the book was written just fine. I’ve never had a problem with the way J. Michael Straczynski writes. His dialogue is well put together and is more often then not a good read. I think some of the things he has done on Amazing Spider-man have been a little to whiney or a bit too “big event” for me. At times it felt like he wanted to leave his stamp on the character so no one would be able to write after him, much like John Byrne has tryed to do on every book he has ever writen. Thing is, now we are learning more about why this has been the case.
The ending of issue #545 has Mephisto erase Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage. For some time Joe Quesada (who did do a great job on the art chores on this Amazing arc) has wanted a separation of some kind. He has said in so many words that it hinders the ability to write a good story with him tied down. Straczynski wrote a story that did this and set a new direction for the character. If you have read it, you may have had the same reaction I did “SO, Basically this erases the last thirty years of spider-man stories? This is shit.” It’s shit writing, and a shitty way out of what they felt was a tough corner.
Well, it goes further then that. In an interview with Newsarama, Straczynski tells his idea (that was changed by Quesada) for the ret-conning of Spider-man. It went to one point in Spidey’s past and changes it. This one change obliterates the marriage and all that came after it. The long and short of it is getting to Harry Osborne earlier in his drug problem. You can read more about it here: http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=141756
The article is very good and shows some fundamental flaws in Quesada’s thought process behind Marvel Comics and its future. It is very revealing.
I’ve mentioned my thoughts on what they have done. When you make changes, like killing characters or marring characters or taking masks off characters, you need to look further then the initial up swing in sales. I wonder if Marvel execs ever look up from their calculators. Well, I hope this one bites them in the ass.
It’s tough to write around a major plot turn. You want to bring back Hal Jordan. Opps, he’s dead and had gone evil, AH! why not make it so he was infected with a parasite. Not perfect, but it works. Makes you wonder why he needed to be killed off in the first place, but hey at least it was a good way to bring him back. Or in the case of Bucky, his return makes sense, probably less so for Jason Todd (Superboy punches the wall of space/time or some such nonsense.)
What I’m trying to say is when you write comics and you are in a corner, you need to be able, if you have any real talent, to write yourself out of it. The haphazard way Marvel has gone about this latest ret-coning of Spider-man shows weakness in writing and a true failure in editing. It also opens so many damn questions that I can’t even start. Like if you could bring back people, why didn’t he bring back Ben too? Or do the Avengers know, or not know? Is this like that crappy House of M thing? And is Peter the most selfish person on the planet or what? Aunt May or Captain America, really?
Make up your own mind, but in my opinion, this is a very bad thing made worse by knowing what we know about the true story behind the change. However, with Spider-man, I’m sure it will all be back to the way it was again in a matter of a few months. Comics… I love them, right?