Gotham City Sirens 16
There's an interesting story in here straining to get out. As a first chapter, this was one of the more disjointed bits of comics storytelling I've encountered. If we don't get explanations for why Zatanna felt the need to pop in on Selina while she was bathing to give her a warning that's as cryptic as could be, and therefore, unhelpful, or why Talia actually needs Oracle to learn where Selina is, especially since Talia is already on scene at the "trap" she says Selina is walking into... well, I can't wait, because nothing I can come up with makes any sense. The whole issue read like an excuse for a bunch of cameos. I hope chapter 2 is a better. A lot better, because I'm getting worried a fun book could quickly go down the tubes.
Green Arrow 4
More weirdness, with a brief visit from the Martian Manhunter. There's something so over the top about this book, but it is entertaining and intriguing, and the art is very nice to look at.
Supergirl 56
I read this last week, but forgot to post a review. Bizarros were never my favorites in the Superman books, but Gates is making me really enjoy the Supergirl version. He's really uh, fleshed out Bizarro SG as a full-fledged character and I like the Bizarro world. Much fun in this issue, with some real emotional bits.
Power Girl 16
The art is growing on me, though not nearly as expressive as Connor's version of PG. The story isn't bad, but there's something about the relationship between PG and Nicco, her techie who discovered her ID. I keep thinking this is shaping up as a lesser version of Manhunter and Dylan.
Mademoiselle Marie One-Shot
I love the character and the Bolland cover is lovely, so I picked this up today. The story was okay. Hardly must-read material, but a nice diversion. The art by Justiniano and Derenick on pencils and Mangum on inks was pleasing, but there was a bit of an annoyance, with a blonde female character reminding me, in too many panels, of Zinda, currently holding forth as one of the Birds of Prey. It was a distraction.r
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wildstorm No More
The announcements re: DC and Warners is not encouraging, with all but DC Comics moving to California and jobs being cut at DC, and now the news that Wildstorm will end in December. I shouldn't be surprised. Sooner or later, it seems that companies bought by other companies get phased out. Or they split. AOL Time Warner didn't work out, and then there's FedEx Kinko's which recently eradicated the Kinko's name to become FedEx Office. So even if DC uses many of the Wildstorm characters, presumably on their own Earth in the Multiverse, it's still the end of an imprint that was once a company that's now a casualty of a declining market for print comics.
I never read a lot of Wildstorm books. I'm mostly a Wildcats reader, having started with Wildcats 2.0, but I went and got the trades available for the earlier version and I love those characters. I'd like to think this will work out for the best, but I'm not hopeful. I fear all the changes at DC will benefit only my wallet as I end up with fewer comics I want to read. Unless I start looking at the smaller companies and non-mainstream titles. I'm not sure about that as my love for comics has been firmly grounded in the superhero variety, especially of the DCU, and I can't imagine getting into Marvel, though in the '70s, I did read a few Marvel titles.
Ah well, I guess nothing lasts forever. Hopefully, we'll know soon where things stand with DC.
I never read a lot of Wildstorm books. I'm mostly a Wildcats reader, having started with Wildcats 2.0, but I went and got the trades available for the earlier version and I love those characters. I'd like to think this will work out for the best, but I'm not hopeful. I fear all the changes at DC will benefit only my wallet as I end up with fewer comics I want to read. Unless I start looking at the smaller companies and non-mainstream titles. I'm not sure about that as my love for comics has been firmly grounded in the superhero variety, especially of the DCU, and I can't imagine getting into Marvel, though in the '70s, I did read a few Marvel titles.
Ah well, I guess nothing lasts forever. Hopefully, we'll know soon where things stand with DC.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Evils of Addiction
I admit it. I'm addicted to Roy Harper. I had to look at the new Titans issue. I hope someone's around to stop me from looking at the next one. Because it stinks mightily what they're doing to and with Roy. And so help me, I can't seem to stay away.
I just looked at the pages with Roy. He's indulging his addictions, for drugs, for Cheshire, for self-pity, and for playing hero even though he doesn't believe (at the moment) that he is a hero. And while all this crap is in character, it's in character for where Roy was 20 years ago.
I can imagine the discussion. Someone said: "Let's make Roy an addict. We never really got to write it. It was over and done in 2 issues of GL/GA, and while we got to mention it over the years, and have him tempted, and in the one-shot, even let him get high, we still didn't get to write him as a crime-fighting addict. So, how do we get him addicted again."
And someone answered: "Well, if he loses his daughter, that would drive him off the deep end."
And a third person said: "True, but what gets him to take that first hit?"
And someone, maybe the second person, says," That's easy. If he's hurt, he'll need a painkiller and with an addict, once they taste the high again, they'll be hooked."
And the first person said, "I've got it! We'll maim him. We'll have some baddie slice off his arm and then he'll have real pain and phantom pain, and then the baddie will kill his daughter."
And the third person said, "Perfect! Now that's a formula for success." Or what they consider success.
So now Roy is a dope using costumed crimefighter who keeps sleeping with his baby mama even though the kid is dead, and they can call the stories edgy or something, and Slade Wilson, the villain everyone loves to hate is in the middle of things with Cheshire trying to off him and using Roy to help because Roy's so full of self-hate right now and thinks he owes Chesh for getting their daughter killed. And the readers are expected to think this is good storytelling.
I'll tell you what it is. It's crap. And for me, it's 4-color crack and I need to stay away from it. I can stay away from Wonder Woman until she's Wonder-ful again, but I can't seem to stay away from Roy, even when he's unbearable. And that's not just DC's fault. It's on me, too. Because even though they gave Roy what should be the perfect reason to turn to dope, it was manipulative and lazy and all sorts of wrong. And I don't have even that good a reason to stay away from it.
Damn you, DC Comics!
I just looked at the pages with Roy. He's indulging his addictions, for drugs, for Cheshire, for self-pity, and for playing hero even though he doesn't believe (at the moment) that he is a hero. And while all this crap is in character, it's in character for where Roy was 20 years ago.
I can imagine the discussion. Someone said: "Let's make Roy an addict. We never really got to write it. It was over and done in 2 issues of GL/GA, and while we got to mention it over the years, and have him tempted, and in the one-shot, even let him get high, we still didn't get to write him as a crime-fighting addict. So, how do we get him addicted again."
And someone answered: "Well, if he loses his daughter, that would drive him off the deep end."
And a third person said: "True, but what gets him to take that first hit?"
And someone, maybe the second person, says," That's easy. If he's hurt, he'll need a painkiller and with an addict, once they taste the high again, they'll be hooked."
And the first person said, "I've got it! We'll maim him. We'll have some baddie slice off his arm and then he'll have real pain and phantom pain, and then the baddie will kill his daughter."
And the third person said, "Perfect! Now that's a formula for success." Or what they consider success.
So now Roy is a dope using costumed crimefighter who keeps sleeping with his baby mama even though the kid is dead, and they can call the stories edgy or something, and Slade Wilson, the villain everyone loves to hate is in the middle of things with Cheshire trying to off him and using Roy to help because Roy's so full of self-hate right now and thinks he owes Chesh for getting their daughter killed. And the readers are expected to think this is good storytelling.
I'll tell you what it is. It's crap. And for me, it's 4-color crack and I need to stay away from it. I can stay away from Wonder Woman until she's Wonder-ful again, but I can't seem to stay away from Roy, even when he's unbearable. And that's not just DC's fault. It's on me, too. Because even though they gave Roy what should be the perfect reason to turn to dope, it was manipulative and lazy and all sorts of wrong. And I don't have even that good a reason to stay away from it.
Damn you, DC Comics!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Whirlwind of Comics
Well, not really. We had a few tornadoes here in NYC on Thursday, though, and I had no cable service until Friday evening. No TV. No internet except via my phone and I hate typing on those tiny keys.
I did read a few comics.
I caught up with Gotham City Sirens, reading issues 14-15. Ivy really got played by the plant alien, but she came to her senses in time and seems to have a new ally, of sorts. This comic continues to be fun.
Birds of Prey 5
This continuation of the first arc was rather uneven and I don't just mean the disjointed art. Seriously, people, the art needs to be fixed. One solid art team throughout, same as before the cancellation. I did like the cover, however. I love the scenes of Babs with Savant and Creote. Emotional stuff there. And Zinda and Helena make for a fun team. But the White Canary stuff for Dinah is falling flat and seems both abrupt and out-of-character.
I did read a few comics.
I caught up with Gotham City Sirens, reading issues 14-15. Ivy really got played by the plant alien, but she came to her senses in time and seems to have a new ally, of sorts. This comic continues to be fun.
Birds of Prey 5
This continuation of the first arc was rather uneven and I don't just mean the disjointed art. Seriously, people, the art needs to be fixed. One solid art team throughout, same as before the cancellation. I did like the cover, however. I love the scenes of Babs with Savant and Creote. Emotional stuff there. And Zinda and Helena make for a fun team. But the White Canary stuff for Dinah is falling flat and seems both abrupt and out-of-character.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Stack Keeps Growing
There are now two, very large stacks of unread comics. These days, there are just too many other things competing for my attention, from actual books to FB games to lots of good stuff on TV year 'round.
But I did read a few things.
To my surprise, I'm enjoying Green Arrow. I read issues 2 and 3 and there was no drop-off of entertainment and intrigue. I have no idea what's really going on, but Krul is keeping things interesting. And I'm enjoying the peeks into Ollie's past. We all know the story of his becoming GA, but we really haven't seen much if anything about his childhood. The art by Neves and Cifuentes has been nicely realistic, keeping this possibly fantastical story grounded. Krul can write some wonderful character bits and his pacing is nice here, which makes me wonder wtf had gone so wrong with the Arsenal mini. I suppose what was done to Roy, from losing his arm and Lian's death to his taking up drugs again and becoming a jerk was editorially mandated. At least, I hope so. Because if it all came from Krul, it makes him an uneven writer. Hell, even if it was mandated, it was unevenly written. He might just be like Judd Winick. Great writing some characters, uneven or awful with others.
Gail Simone ratcheted Secret Six up a notch with issue 25. The two opposing teams and all the intrigue that results with their "cases," coupled with Blake's seeming breakdown, makes for compelling reading. And then throw in Lawton doing a good thing for Alice (even if his methods are questionable), and you've got one dandy of a comic.
I'd hoped Batgirl 14, guest-starring Supergirl and Dracula(!), would've been better. It was fun, mostly due to the dialogue and rapport established for Steph and Kara, but the story was lame, lame, lame, not at all worthy of such kick-ass hero gal pals. I'm also getting tired of starting a story in the middle of the action/story, then needing to backtrack. It's a cliche now. Sure, it can be an effective technique with a lot of impact, but it should be used judiciously and when it makes sense dramatically. For a silly little story like this, there was no good reason for it other than to try to make something small seem much bigger. In actuality, it set this reader up for disappointment. This book has been too good for such obvious manipulations and less than good storytelling. I would like to see Kara visit Steph again, in a story worthy of them both.
But I did read a few things.
To my surprise, I'm enjoying Green Arrow. I read issues 2 and 3 and there was no drop-off of entertainment and intrigue. I have no idea what's really going on, but Krul is keeping things interesting. And I'm enjoying the peeks into Ollie's past. We all know the story of his becoming GA, but we really haven't seen much if anything about his childhood. The art by Neves and Cifuentes has been nicely realistic, keeping this possibly fantastical story grounded. Krul can write some wonderful character bits and his pacing is nice here, which makes me wonder wtf had gone so wrong with the Arsenal mini. I suppose what was done to Roy, from losing his arm and Lian's death to his taking up drugs again and becoming a jerk was editorially mandated. At least, I hope so. Because if it all came from Krul, it makes him an uneven writer. Hell, even if it was mandated, it was unevenly written. He might just be like Judd Winick. Great writing some characters, uneven or awful with others.
Gail Simone ratcheted Secret Six up a notch with issue 25. The two opposing teams and all the intrigue that results with their "cases," coupled with Blake's seeming breakdown, makes for compelling reading. And then throw in Lawton doing a good thing for Alice (even if his methods are questionable), and you've got one dandy of a comic.
I'd hoped Batgirl 14, guest-starring Supergirl and Dracula(!), would've been better. It was fun, mostly due to the dialogue and rapport established for Steph and Kara, but the story was lame, lame, lame, not at all worthy of such kick-ass hero gal pals. I'm also getting tired of starting a story in the middle of the action/story, then needing to backtrack. It's a cliche now. Sure, it can be an effective technique with a lot of impact, but it should be used judiciously and when it makes sense dramatically. For a silly little story like this, there was no good reason for it other than to try to make something small seem much bigger. In actuality, it set this reader up for disappointment. This book has been too good for such obvious manipulations and less than good storytelling. I would like to see Kara visit Steph again, in a story worthy of them both.
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