Comic Review Round-Up!
Re: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #12
I always liked Drew Goddard episodes of Buffy, and his first issue reminds me why. His sense of humor intermixed with strong character development points and solid storytelling make for as good a read as it does viewing. This issue has a lot of controversy revolving around it (read it or at least log on to Newsarama to find out why), and I’m not sure if I agree with the story direction, but Goddard plays it well in the story. It does make sense in context of the story, both with the extended cast and the nature of Buffy’s life now, but it still doesn’t quite play to the Buffy of previous seasons. I know we’re trying to play up Buffy’s moral grayness, but…
But I really don’t know.
Nonetheless, I’m enjoying the ride with the new book. Having seen the plans for creators on the upcoming issues, I can’t help but stay excited. The best writers from the show mixed with some of the best writers in comics. All with the great art of the always excellent Georges Jeanty. Keep up the great work, and here’s already hoping for season 9!
*****
Re: Cable #1
So I picked this one up to see what new comic writer, excellent crime writer, and guy with a harder to spell last name than me, Duane Swierczynski had to offer. I read his novel The Blonde a couple months back, and found it excellent, and I’ve been a Cable fan since the runs of Joe Casey and especially Robert Weinberg. Unfortunately Swierczynski’s novelist-turned-comic writer take on the character pales in comparison to Weinberg’s. We instead get a generic manga-style, fallen society where Cable is fighting to protect an infant (who apparently played an important role in The Messiah Complex, yet another crossover I didn’t read) and finds himself hunted by the newly cyborg-armed equipped Bishop. Why Bishop is suddenly an evil bastard apparently was covered in Messiah Complex as well. All in all not much here to make me want to come back for more, and not much to sell itself as a quality title. This book makes me long for the return of Fabian Nicieza’s Cable Deadpool, while also making me wonder whether or not this is a sign of X-books to come. Let’s hope not.
*****
Re: Casanova #12
After last issues well-written dense character piece, issue 12 moves on to a well-written action packed story where Zephyr goes crazy on her enemies. Good stuff as always from Matt Fraction and Fabio Moon. I highly recommend this series. More story for your buck by far at $1.99. So why aren’t you buying it already?
*****
Re: DC Special: Raven #1
I feel embarrassed for buying this after seeing “Finally in her own emo series!” on the cover. I mean, seriously, who at DC thought that was good marketing. Find that person and immediately fire him.
Going past the cover, I have to say the issue itself was rather disappointing. Marv plays Raven well (I don’t think anyone can write her the way he does), but the story is hampered by overly manga-oriented art by Damion Scott (who did good stuff on Batgirl, but this falls far short of that) and a plot that seems ripped from the aforementioned Buffy the Vampire Slayer circa season 3.
DC seems to want to anger me with their use of the classic New Titans though, so this shouldn’t surprise me, I suppose. The Titans book looks like a thoroughly bad idea already, especially in someone as so-so as Judd Winick’s hand. Anyway, back to Raven, I pre-ordered issue two so this book has one more shot to woo me. If not…I’m pretty sure this one will go the way of the dodo. It disappoints me, but DC has been doing a lot of that of late.
*****
Re: Dynamo 5 #11
Dynamo 5 closes on the year mark, and sadly I see the series weakening with every issue. Coupled with the fact that this issue and last I paid $2.99 and now $3.50 for twenty pages of story irks me. And yeah, I don’t count the preview pieces of other Jay Faerber books to those page counts. While Mahmud Asrar continues to improve on the art side every issue, Faerber seems to be floundering with what direction to take these characters in. I don’t really feel any movement happening in this book at all. We just seem to be going from one super-fight to another with little rhyme or reason. Sure we’re introducing the characters’ families and all, but to what purpose? I’m really not sure why I should even care about Slingshot’s father or why he’s suddenly in trouble from other super-humans. I love Noble Causes and I know Jay’s a good writer, but I’m not seeing it here. Hopefully the new Noble and Gemini will be as solid as they look, and I hope Dynamo 5 can find its way back to being as good a book as it was an initial concept. Otherwise, I am left wondering if the book would have been better left as a limited series.
*****
Re: Echo #1
After taking a look at Jeff Smith’s RASL last week I am happy to see Echo come from one of his fellow mid-90’s indy comic creators. I got to say that I love seeing new books from Terry Moore, Smith, and Dave Sim all coming within a month or so of each other. Perhaps with them at the helm we can see a return to an independent push in the marketplace. With Diamond as the sole distributor that’s doubtful, but it’s a nice dream isn’t it?
Anyway, Echo took me as a surprise. It just felt weird to see Terry producing science fiction suddenly, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed his art as always, and Julie seems like an interesting new lead. The fact that she looks like a cross between Francine and Katchoo doesn’t hurt her appeal much either. I have no damn clue what these suits are, what the goo means, and where this book is going, but I have a feeling it will be a fun ride. I’ll still miss Strangers in Paradise, but hopefully Echo will fill the gap somewhat. Oh and as much as I hated them back in the 90’s the return of the shiny cover was fun as well.
Good stuff, Terry. I can’t wait for more, and I’m seriously primed to see Runaways and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane as well.
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