Checkmate # 20
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson
Published by DC Comics
Greg Rucka has, for what it's worth, put all his chips down. Checkmate is a comic that's written for people who want to buy it on a regular basis, in pamphlet or trade--DC will probably keep throwing that "New Storyline!" tag on the book every time it rolls up on a "Part One," but make no mistake--Checkmate is officially a comic book with no interest in new readers. If you haven't been hanging out for a while, than the random twists and turns (that are only random if you haven't been keeping score) will seem off-putting and out of place, if you aren't paying attention to the opening intro boxes that showcase the cosmetic differences of it's non-costumed characters, than it's somewhat far-fetched to think you're going to enjoy this book. Tolerate it, read it--maybe so. Enjoy it? Not so much. It's too bad that it operates that way, but it's unlikely that Rucka's espionage exploration of the DC governments take on spandex could work with a smaller cast. (If the United Nations, like, the real one, is going to be a character, that already necessitates a pretty large group of people to read about.) Art wise, Bennett and Jadson are a pretty good fit--they don't up the goofball factor of superheroes the way the Checkmate/Outsiders cross-over did, but that also means that Checkmate is never going to be a book anybody buys for the art. It's economic stuff, designed, seemingly, to mute the overblown explosiveness that ruins so many books.
And yes, it's still really, really good. Not as good as Queen & Country, but on par with Gotham Central.
And yes, it's still probably headed for cancellation.
Dark Sector Zero
Written by David Wohl
Art by Bill Sienkiewicz
Published by Top Cow
Probably one of the most attractive advertisements to have been published since that John Romita dental care Spiderman issue from the...70's? Early 80's? Designed to stoke the enjoyment in the fifteen or so comics readers who don't already play video games, this is pretty much exactly what the product was described as when it was first brought to the table. Get somebody to write a short prelude to a video game with some requisite heavy-handed video game dialog, give it to some artist, put it in stores, and watch the video game money roll in. Doesn't really make any sense, from an business standpoint. If there's one industry that isn't suffering from any economic downturn, besides the military complex, it's video games. Why throw this bone to comics shops? There's nowhere near enough comics buyers who are willing to experiment with anything non-Marvel and non-DC for this thing to have any notable increase in video game sales. Either way, what's been produced and sold is even weirder--Sienkiewicz style of art is one of those that pretty much demands the use of the term "unique," whereas the actual game this comic promotes looks pretty much the same as any of those Bloodrayne/Devil Crying shit. For the majority of the book, it features full page drawings of intricate pieces of propaganda style artwork, often featuring scientists with Freudian faces or full on military regalia. It's indescribably interesting to look at, a complete bore to read, and doesn't stoke any excitement for the upcoming game at all. One of the oddest mainstream comics of the year, and only for one good (Sienkiewicz) reason.
Batman: Confidential # 11
Written by Michael Green
Art by Denys Cowan & John Floyd
Published by DC Comics
As if last months "Batman hired assassins to murder the man-who-will-be-Joker" weren't still irritating the Bat-fan contingency, rumor has it that, for the 9,000th time, Bruce Wayne may end up dead before this time next year. On top of that, Michael Green's latest issue of Batman: Confidential hits the stands and it's revealed that, following the creation of the Joker, ole Bats took a little break watching his coma girlfriend drool while ole Paleface was running around Gotham killing, literally, hundreds of innocent people. Again, it's a bit of an industry surprise-fest, as it's now been announced that DC is canceling this title (basically because nobody wanted to read this specific kind of piss-on-your-Superfriends stories) yet DC is still pushing this nasty bastard out. Besides the whining angsty-mess that is this comics version of Batman, the Joker's behavior is the model of the sort of shitty, half-assed Hannibal Lecter the character has become. Neither compelling, sexy, or even scary, the current Joker is just gross and boring--and it doesn't help that Denys Cowan's art seems to have veered totally away into the realm of Make Everything And Everybody As Ugly As Fucking Possible.
Grendel: Behold the Devil #1
By Matt Wagner
Published by Dark Horse Comics
It's not really that cool to treat comics like rap music, and call people sell-outs. After all, whereas musicians can pull a Fugazi or Godspeed and control their own destiny, there's no money to be made in comic books unless you're jacking at the top of the pile. Sometimes you can go the sort-of-classy route, like Darwyn Cooke's Criterion Collection art, or Adrian Tomine's New Yorker covers. Other times, you have to pull a Wagner, and go back to the version of a character that you pretty much have spent your entire career trying to put to bed. Nobody's ever been as sold on the futuristic Pope Grendel, or the dreadlocked lesbian Grendel as they were on this, the Hunter Rose pretty-much-Batman-as-assassin Grendel. So here we are, 2007, and Wagner is earning some boat money. Looking at this as anything else, believing that it's "a story that must now be told" isn't just bullshit, it's fanbody fakery trying to disguise another nostalgic wankfest. It looks good, and Wagner's a better writer than he was twenty years ago, but it's a soft-cock fuck in a warm pond. Bling fucking blong to that.
Detective Comics # 838
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Ryan Benjamin & Saleem Crawford
Published by DC Comics
Ryan Benjamin is a hellacious go for broke talent when it comes to drawing mountains and snow, but he draws human beings like He-man action figures. Again, for the 4th time, this is another chapter in the Ra's Al Ghul Batman cross-over, and for what it is, it's tolerable. Some of the imaginative work that's been going on in the main Batman title bleeds into this, but it does seem that even Grant Morrison is going to end up suffering the blanket blandness that dismantles any excitement that these things have. Paul Dini must've believed people were reeling from the non-stop excitement of fighting in the last two parts, as he tones it down a notch for some talking and some squawking. (Not that those issues were that exciting, but it's likely that Dini, currently shepherding the thing they call Countdown, has lost all ability to gauge what people might want to read. One imagines a beard-stroking Paul saying "A super-hero fighting ninjas? I'm sure it's never been done. Give it to Don Kramer, he's got the dynamic talent required.") The last page, where Ra's Al Ghul exhorts Batman to choose between Damian and Robin, is actually somewhat of a relief--it's the type of embrace-the-70's Batman story that Grant Morrison has been so ennamoured with, and it's glaringly contrasted with a book that's been mired in trivialities for a while now. It's not the least bit believable for a cliffhanger, but neither were all those Neal Adams covers that said "Tonight a Batman DIES!"
Hellblazer # 238
Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Danijel Zezelj
Published by Vertigo/DC Comics
Ignore the cover--excepting Constantine's complaint about London's smoking ban, this issue doesn't pay much attention to John's delightfully antagonistic habit. That's probably for the best--it's asking a little too much of longtime Hellblazer readers to believe that, of all people, John wouldn't know which bars happen to ignore England's attack on tobacco. This is another quality Diggle story, and the second comic this month that's shown why Danijel Zezelj is the best new artist that Vertigo's had in a while. After cutting his teeth on Loveless, hanging at the DMZ, Zezelj takes his time drawing the best looking Constantine this side of the always exceptional covers. Whether he's staying or not is a question for comics sites that do research, but if he is, than Hellblazer readers should be two shades of excited. On top of that, somebody fools the main character for the second time in as many months, and, just like last time, it only serves to make the comic better to have it's protagonist keep losing. No, it doesn't have any spandex, and yes, it's the best thing DC put out this week. Go figure.
The Spirit # 11
Written by Darwyn Cooke
Art by Darwyn Cooke & J. Bone
Published by DC Comics
This is the first time the Spirit has attempted a multi-part storyline, and it's been somewhat of a disappointment. After the exciting debut of this series, it's become something of a bore--yes, all the pieces are there that make for a good read, Darwyn Cooke is, no matter what he does, an intelligent storyteller with a clear mastery over his esteemable talent. Maybe it's the character, maybe it's the cheeseball zombie apocalpyse, but besides the fact that it looks good, this is a comic that's running out of reasons to exist: it still looks better than Eisner's Spirit, but it certainly isn't as entertaining or original. It's just really good looking fan fiction from a guy who's already got one foot out the door. Why is that worth anyone's time? If guys like Brubaker and Morrison can work out some original and new ideas for what to do with characters as archaic as Superman as Captain America, Cooke can certainly do something with a character that has a far less vocal fanbase. He clearly doesn't lack the balls, if his recent Comics Journal interview is any indication. Surprisingly, this reader is glad he's leaving the book--maybe things will be different under the hands of Sergio Aragones.
Captain America # 32
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Steve Epting & Butch Guice
Published by Marvel Comics
Another chapter in Ed Brubaker's longform shaggy dog story that is "Who's taking over for Captain America?" Everybody knows that, whether it's next wednesday or 09, the answer is going to be "Captain America, eventually," but that doesn't seem to be lessening Brubaker's desire to play the feint out. Happily, Epting's linework wasn't ruined by Butch Guice, an artist best known for confusing this reader as to why anyone likes him, and so, once again, there's another decent issue of Captain America on the stands. After spending some hours with the monster-sized Brubaker Omnibus, it's brutally clear how much better these stories read in the collected format, but it's going to be another two years before they have enough material for volume two, so pamphlet's will have to do. The main thing learned in this issue was all reinforcement for stuff that everybody already knew: all of the Dead Captain's friends operate at a Jack Bauer level of bad-assery, and the Falcon is way cooler than Luke Cage or Black Lightning will ever be. Also, someone should write some kind of essay about the extensive comic tradition of people never suffering any lasting damage when they fall off buildings or out of airplanes. If it hasn't been mentioned before, it happens a lot.
Incredible Hulk # 111
Written by Greg Pak & Jeff Parker
Art by Leonard Kirk
Published by Marvel Comics
Well, that was a real piece of shit. Case in point, for disappointed World War Hulk readers--pick up the latest issue of Hulk's main title, and you'll realize that as dumb as WWH was, it was nowhere near as bad as it could be. An obnoxious teenager teams up with a flying Mermaid-type-woman-sea thing, Hercules and, for no discernible reason, an X-men on vacation, and they fight a giant robot. This is the kind of worthless trash that makes the entire thing that is reading comics seem like a hobby that's not worth having. Who is something like this written for? What's wrong with that person, that they want to read this? Are they just stupid, the way people who think Kirk Cameron was a good actor are stupid? Are they freaks, like the 2 Women 1 Cup women are? Or are they just tired, old men holding out with the crazy, sad idea that someday these things are going to make them feel the way they did the first time they saw something drawn by Kirby, or Ditko, or Romita? What's the deal?
The Boys # 12
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Darick Robertson
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
Sometimes you have to go looking to find out why people don't enjoy this comic--up until about 20 minutes ago, the only complaint that had registered with this reader about why The Boys is so "awful" was because it's "disrespectful." Those type of reviews were always good for a laugh, as there seems to be no tolerance in comics for writers who refuse to take spandex seriously. It's a sad place, that place where satire lands with a thud. However, it's been brought to the Factual's attention that another part of the comic is part and parcel of what people find offensive: the N-word. You know, because a comic that doesn't have respect for common decency, contains graphic violence, sex and language, satirizes every aspect of mainstream comics including dead creators, ridicules American shame regarding hetero-,homo-, and ear canal sex, should somehow know better than to use a racial epithet. Cut a guys face off, put it on a pizza, but God forbid you drop an n-bomb. That's Across The Line.
Countdown Presents: The Search For Ray Palmer Gotham By Gaslight # 1
Written by Brian Augustyn
Art by Greg Tocchini, Jesse Delperdang, Derek Fridoffs & Paul Neary
Published by DC Comics
The first of this series that this reader has had the distinct displeasure to read, this is one of those comics that dances on the edge of outright cruelty to the buyer. Safely put, it's not a story that Brian Augstyn, or any comics writer, could've wanted to tell, nor could any of the artists been excited to work on. A completely mercenary attempt by DC to capitalize on the crazed fanboy market that's proven itself more than willing to throw money after the Countdown series, the actual story is non-existent--it's as simple as it's advertised. Some super-heroes are following another super-hero through alternate realities, and this was the issue where they ended up in an old Mike Mignola Batman story. That's all. There's a fight, and then they move on. Nothing that has to do with any larger story occurs, nothing happens that's at all interesting, and it ends only with the promise that these same characters will continue the journey somewhere else. If any DC comic book, short of Countdown, has been this devoid of anything beyond the economic exchange that purchasers went through to obtain it, then it hasn't crossed this desk before. Pedestrian, insulting, stupid work.
-Tucker Stone, 2007
Nina Miller's initial foray into comics handles this weeks issue of Powers, right above this review. Using this link to get there makes you the laziest person on the interweb.
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