Comic Books: July 2006 Archives

I'm waxing nostalgic over the Silver Surfer, no doubt because he's a major player in Marvel's Annihilation cosmic soap drama. (Did you know that Norrin Radd willingly signed up to be Galactus' herald again?) Back in the 70s and 80s, all Marvel Zombies yearned and cried for the Surfer to have his own series. His appearances were restricted to a few select titles, very sparingly each year. Stan Lee reserved the character as his most prized co-creation. John Byrne, who was in the middle of his historic Fantastic Four run, enticed Stan to script a one-shot special titled "Escape to Terror!" (in Silver Surfer Volume 2 Number 1). Byrne plotted the story and pencilled, while Tom Palmer provided the inks and colors.

I loved this story and the way it was executed, in the Mighty Marvel Manner with exclamation points at the end of each sentence!!! Byrne's page layout evokes the great storytelling of both Jack Kirby (in the first half) and John Buscema (in the second half featuring Mephisto). I remember reading an interview with John Byrne where he was asked what inker he would like to work with and he replied, "Tom Palmer". Looking at Palmer's work over the pencils of Gene Colan and Neal Adams (one of Byrne's idols), it's easy to see why. This was their first occassion to work together and it was magical. Palmer's inks, combined with his coloring skills, really made the art exceptional, although the printing at the time did not do full justice.

After being trapped on Earth for years, Norrin Radd finally escapes (with the help of Reed Richards) the barrier that Galactus erected back in Fantastic Four #50. The Surfer's first voyage takes him back to where it all began--his home planet, Zenn-La--as well as his love, Shalla Bal. He returns home to find it a barren wasteland. When the Surfer betrayed Galactus, the deal he made to protect Zenn-La was null and void. Even worse than being villified by an entire planet of refugees, the Surfer discovers that Shalla Bal is not among the survivors. She's actually back on Earth, working as a slave girl for Doctor Doom back in Latveria.

This double-sized book really had all of the classic Silver Surfer elements from the 60s in one neat little package: Galactus, Zenn-La, Shalla Bal, Mephisto, and even Doctor Doom (he was present only in flashbacks, although the Surfer did invade his castle). The ending was perfect, even if everything got reset to the Silver Surfer being imprisoned on Earth once again, it was a noble sacrifice to save Shalla Bal along with his homeworld. The last page features such a fine Silver Surfer pose that I wish it had been made a poster. And even though it's corny as hell, I think this dialogue here is some of the best stuff Stan Lee ever wrote:

Nuff said.

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Wow. This six issue story arc is one of Marvel's Greatest Comics. It ends as strongly as it began, with a gut punch on the very last page. The revelation of Iron Fist as the second Daredevil (patrolling Hell's Kitchen and fighting in the Civil War) doesn't compare to the last big secret that Brubaker has been keeping. There's another huge mystery spilling into the next arc that will send DD travelling to Europe. I love all the elements here, Brubaker keeps surprising me, even with the scene where Matt finally busts out of Ryker's with the Punisher's help. "I never thought I'd say these words...but thanks, Frank." Even the afterword on the letters page is wonderful--I never knew that Brubaker was such an Iron Fist fan! Don't click on the link below, where Brubaker discusses this issue's events, until you've finally read Daredevil 87.

Let's get the party started, because Mike Murdock is back after 30 years, baby! Nuff said.

External Link:
Ed Brubaker discusses Daredevil 87 (Newsarama)

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The idea to talk comicdom's finest and slowest artists into illustrating two-page origin tales in DC's weekly 52 series is a brilliant idea. Having Adam Hughes draw this dynamic view of Wonder Woman flying through the sky and nearly spilling out of her décolletage really puts a yin in man's yang. Is it worth $2.50? I think so. Something worthwhile actually happens in this issue. Black Adam has seen the light in Adrianna Tomaz (the woman who spit in his face a couple chapters ago) and has decided to turn her into the modern incarnation of Isis. The only barrier is, he needs Shazam's approval, and the old wizard has been replaced by Billy Batson. Billy's been driven batty by the Seven Sins in his head, especially that demon called Lust. Adrianna does become Isis, but we'll have to wait to see if power corrupts as Adam mentioned--the look on Isis' face on the last page suggests that it does.

Meanwhile, we have to dream about All Star Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes. Panel after panel of silicone breasts, perfect glutes, and powerful thighs. Better than any issue of Playboy! Nuff said.

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I've been browsing the videos on YouTube, looking for Comic Con 2006 stuff, and stumbled upon this cool interview with Gary Friedrich, the original writer on Ghost Rider when it debuted in the 1970s. It's a substantial piece that lasts just over 9 minutes and covers many topics. Friedrich doesn't really care for Cage as Johnny Blaze, nor does he put much stock in the director of Daredevil. Beyond the Ghost Rider, Friedrich goes over the early Marvel Bullpen days. Nuff said.

The boys are lettin' me sit in the review chair this week. Let's giddyup and see what's worth readin!

52 Week 10: Slow as molasses. Thought you said it was gonna pick up by now, Mr. Rucka? Look at what happens to Metropolis in one day over in Superman 654--it gets attacked a half dozen times in one day by super-villains! 52 seems like Days of Our Lives at this point. The only thing I'm stickin' around for now is the lesbian Batwoman. If there's one element that can improve any story, it's gotta be lesbians.

American Virgin 5: Adam doesn't lose his cherry this issue. Is this gonna wind up bein' 70 issues of blueballs? I think this book needs some lesbians!

Firestorm the Nucular Man 27: Now here's a feller who can tell a solid story, Mr. Stuart Moore. The whole Jason-Martin-Lorraine triangle gets resolved faster than Trigger got stuffed and mounted. Which is pretty shocking, considering that Stein was dead at the end of the previous issue! Too bad we didn't learn more about that Pupil dude, he's downright creepy. There's a lot more to come; old-timers who remember Firestorm Vol. 1 will get a mule-kick out of the last page. I don't really cotton to this Gehenna gal. She's cute as a button and all that, but ain't she too young for Jason? Wikipedia says she's a five year old gal in a teenager body! If that was you or me, pardners, we'd be locked up in the hothouse.

Superman 654: It's a day in the life of Clark Kent as he juggles his various roles (husband, reporter, superhero) on a special anniversary that he shares with Lois. The first person narration reminds me of that Samaritan tale that Mr. Busiek wrote over in Astro City. As you young fellers say, this here story is "hella" dandy, and so is the artwork by Mr. Carlos Pacheco. Lots of threads are strewn about for future chapters, though I'm scratchin' my head over Lana Lang takin over Lexcorp. How come Lana ain't a skinny young Asian chick? Just kiddin', pardners, though my chief advisor, Joe Bob, does prefer Kristin Kreuk over Kate Bosworth, though not necessarily over Erica Durance! Where the hell did those links come from? Joe Bob, if you keep lookin at them gals, you'll be in the hothouse!

Ten-four, that's another week in the life of DC Comics! Nuff said.

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The good ol' boys and I have been threating to deliver unto you titanic true believers a gallery of Gil Kane's finest Marvel Comics covers! Well, after spendin' an afternoon drinkin' Miller beer and hauling out the ol' long boxes, we've finally done it! Anyone who grew up during the days of bellbottoms and hippies can recall going to the newsstands and seeing those great covers by Mr. Kane. He did hundreds if not thousands of covers. We've selected the cream from the crop: Warlcok, Beast, Iron Man, Conan, Iron Fist, the ever-lovin' Two-Gun Kid and many more are awaitin' your viewin' pleasure. Pop open a cold one and check 'em out, pardners! Nuff said.

The Gil Kane Marvel Comics Cover Gallery

Back when I was a wee lad reading Detective Comics, there were actually mysteries that had to be solved each issue. In later years, the title was forgotten and it just became an expansion title for Batman's ongoing adventures. Paul Dini's determined to bring back the mystery in his first issue as Detective's regular writer, with "The Beautiful People". There's a socialite kidnapper in Gotham City, and it isn't a member of Arkham Asylum for a change. Batman does something quite unusual in this issue--he actual spends time as Bruce Wayne in order to capture the crook! It's a decent mystery with red herrings aplomb. JH Williams' artwork is very interesting, especially combined wit John Kalisz' color work. Robin enters the story at the appropriate moment.

Speaking of which, I have to say that the new Batman-Robin dynamic is really cool. I liked the recently concluded James Robinson arc that had Bruce Wayne deciding to adopt Tim Drake. Maybe Infinite Crisis was worth it, since the de-assholefication has stuck. Nuff said.

Grant Morrison's fingerprints are all over the All New Atom. And this Morrison is channelling Kirby at his craziest, as you can tell by the opening scene. A floating head is talking in broken English:

We have warning you. We have kill any sentient who is not cooperate. You have been warning by us. Death or Submission. Death or Submission.

You have to give Gail Simone credit for implementing such a wonderful premise, but I wonder who came up with the dialog in this scene? The first issue of the new Atom starts off slowly, introducing us to Dr. Ryan Choi, who was a correspondant of Ray Palmer. Choi finds a mysterious microscopic message that leads him to Palmer's size changing belt. After an initial micro-romp in his study, narrowly avoiding a rat, Choi dissects the belt's properties with fellow scientists. Meanwhile a pack of sentient dogs are waiting to kill Choi and conquer the Justice League. Byrne has fun drawing larger than life objects. This could be a romp if the concepts are further developed as time goes on. Nuff said.

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Beyond! by Dwayne McDuffie and Scott Kolins hit me like a freight train in the dead of night. Having no idea of the premise, it's a delightful read, following a rookie superhero called Gravity (who has appeared in Marvel Team-Up and his own mini-series) getting suckered into an arena\spaceship similiar to the one in the first Secret Wars. Actually, the best part is the opening sequence where we see Gravity about to get physical with his girlfriend--I think I'd rather stay with her than go off into outer space. The narrative is cleverly written and the premise is intriguing. Gravity finds himself hurtling towards an alien planet with Spider-Man, Venom, Kraven the Hunter 2, Hank Pym, the Wasp, Firebird, and Medusa. Are they supposed to fight each other to the death or some other group? Time will tell, but one of the major players gets taken out early--even though he can't stay dead past this series. Hopefully the remaining three issues will live up to the promise of the debut issue. Nuff said.

External Link:
Beyond! Newsarama Article

Undaunted by Evil Robby's Review, I went to see Superman Returns last night in glorious IMAX 3D. I just couldn't pass up seeing a major superhero flick in the movie theater, and I was glad I did. It doesn't eclipse my all-time favorite superhero movie (Spider-Man 2), and many of Robby's complaints are valid, but it's still worth seeing for a number of reasons.

This is the first movie which really captures the mythic and iconic Superman. The fantastic flying sequences and special effects, combined with the brilliant score by John Ottman, deliver an almost-Wagnerian experience. The cinematography was brilliantly executed. During the scenes where Superman is briefly in space, I almost felt like Kubrick was behind the camera. I was glad I saw on it on the big screen, although the 3D portion was only 20 minutes, it was very well done. At the conclusion of the film, where Superman flies around the Earth, I almost felt like he was right in front of me. Superman doesn't talk very much, but as a god-like figure, I felt it was appropriate. Superman's behavior reminded me of the super-dudes in Powers, who don't relate to normal people that well. Everyone's talked about the Christ imagery, but what about Atlas? Superman strikes an Atlas pose during the Space Shuttle scene and at the end when he carries the big rock. Both scenes only work if you subscribe to John Byrne's theory about Superman's telekinetic power holding large structures intact as he lifts them.

Sure, there are a lot of things you can nitpick. Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane seems too young; if Superman fucked her five years ago, it would have been statutory rape. The first Superman movie is too slavishly followed. It was unfortunate that Bryan Singer chose to use Donner's version of Luthor (although a bit smarter and more deadly), instead of the Byrne/Wolfman version. I think it would have been great for Superman to come home and find that Luthor is a businessman tycoon who rules Metropolis. The superkid is a nice subplot, but I doubt many moviegoers remember that Superman had sex with Lois back in Superman II.

I hope this movie makes enough money that Singer can make a sequel and improve on these defects. The general public still has the notion that Luthor is Superman's only enemy. If there was one villain I could cherry pick for the next film, it would be Brainiac-the Bruce Timm version that escaped from Krypton. Nuff said.

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How's this for timing? I list my top ten comics that I'm anticipating, and several of them appear on the shelves two days later! Uncanny X-Men 475 by Brubaker and Billy Tan was on the top of my must-read pile today. It lives up to my expectations, even though it's all setup for the story yet to come. Professor X, now powerless due to the House of M event, assembles a team of second-tier X-Men characters to pursue Vulcan (the third Summers brother from X-Men Deadly Genesis). Vulcan's making a bee-line for Shiar Empire and Charley wants to intercept before he turns Lilandra's homeworld into a nuclear wasteland. The scenes of Xavier talking his various team members into going is intercut with scenes of Polaris being hunted by an angry anti-Apocalypse mob. Dunno why, as I haven't followed these characters in years, but I have to assume Polaris was allied with Apocalypse and recently broke free.

Brubaker has made an intelligent choice with his cast, picking members that have lots of untapped potential. Polaris and Havok are two prime examples. I've loved these characters since they were introduced in the 60s. Who wouldn't fall for Polaris after seeing Steranko's great cover to X-Men 50? Havok (Alex Summers) exploded onto the mutant scene in X-Men 58, but always langered in the shadow of his older brother. I've always loved that idea of his power, building and building like supressed rage, eclipsing the boundries of his costume. No one since Neal Adams has dared to make that costume work effectively--Billy Tan seems to stick with the most recent version. I think this story is the perfect vehicle to make Alex a fully realized character, especially since he will have to confront Vulcan.

There's lots of promise in the opening chapter of The Rise and Fall of the Shiar Empire. I don't know that it will have the broad-based appeal of Whedon's Astonishing run. Recent comics fans will probably dig the action, but old-timers can get a kick out of the various characters and subplots. Rachel Summers was an exciting character in the years that followed Jean Grey's first death, as a major character in Claremont's Excalibur, but seemed to move to the background after Jean Grey's resurrection. In this story, Rachel has the most to lose by going into space, since the Shiar have branded her with a deathmark. Warpath at first seems like an easy replacement for Wolverine, but I'm so tired of that Canuck, and I'm glad to see someone new. Warpath's super-speed, super-strength powers, and weapons--gotta love those Vibranium blades--make him a one-man army. This could be the time for both Rachel Summers and James Proudstar to go beyond their clone-roots (Rachel was based on mother Jean, James was based on brother John from X-Men 94/95) into more interesting characters. Let's hope the rest of Brubaker's story fulfills the promise of the first chapter. Nuff said.

External Link:
Ed Brubaker Marvel Podcast on Uncanny X-Men
Ed Brubaker Interview on Uncanny X-Men

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There are a number of promising titles slated for the second half of this year. I've got high expectations that they will force my top ten list into a top twenty by the time they all appear at the comic shops:

Justice League of America (DC) by Brad Meltzer and Ed Benes
Batman (DC) by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert
Detective Comics (DC) by Paul Dini and JH Williams
Action Comics (DC) by Geoff Johns and Adam Kubert
Wildcats (DC) by Grant Morrison and Jim Lee
The Authority (Wildstorm) by Grant Morrison and Gene Ha
X-Men (Marvel) by Mike Carey and Chris Bachalo
Uncanny X-Men (Marvel) by Ed Brubaker and Billy Tan
Criminal (Marvel/ICON) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
The Atom (DC) by Gail Simone and John Byrne

Three of these titles are by Grant Morrison--four, if you count the fact that he developed the premise for the all-new Atom. I think Morrison is gonna knock Batman out of the park--bringing up the plot points from Son of the Demon is a stroke of genius. I'd nervous but hopeful that Morrison can revive both the Wildcats and the Authority; both properties seem a bit radioactive to me. Jim Lee's artwork will no doubt be impressive and Ha's work on the Authority should be interesting.

I can't believe two X-Men titles are on my list, but I was impressed by Ed Brubaker's work on X-Men Deadly Genesis. Various interviews on the subject indicate that he's got a great plan for his X-team, especially that he's ready to shine some love on Havok and Polaris. Mike Carey has been long overdue for a mainstream superhero hit--I'm hoping his English sensibilities will take his X-Team in new territory.

The rest of the DCU books are no-brainers. Meltzer's gonna bring the big three back into JLA and I'm betting he brings back his favorite "team within a team" section with Zatanna, Black Canary, etc. Just for the sake of fishnets. Action Comics with a Kubert on the artwork couldn't be anything but dynamic. The All-New Atom has such a great pedigree that I don't even care about Ray Palmer.

Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips? It's like James Ellroy writing a comic book crime series. Nuff said.

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Aside from my snotty remarks about Civil War, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Infinite Crisis, there are some comics that I actually enjoy reading. Here's my top ten list for 2006, the comics that I can't live without:

1. The Ultimates (Marvel)
2. All-Star Superman (DC)
3. Daredevil (Marvel)
4. Powers (Marvel/ICON)
5. Runaways (Marvel)
6. Captain America (Marvel)
7. Astonishing X-Men (Marvel)
8. Birds of Prey (DC)
9. Nextwave (Marvel)
10. She-Hulk (Marvel)

Here's the shocking news: eight of out ten on my list are from Marvel! Quesada must be doing something right. I think if I compiled a top ten one year ago, there would be more DC titles when Johns was writing JSA and The Flash. Young Avengers almost made the list (just for bringing back the Vision and having Mar-Vell being the father of the Skrull kid), but it's going on hiatus. The Eternals could have made the list, but it's a mini-series, but god I love that artwork by John Romita Jr. Ultimate Iron Man was also a mini, but I can't wait for the sequel, whenever Card gets around to finishing it. There's a lot of material I have in my to-read pile (Fell, Manhunter, Ex Machina, Invincible, Walking Dead, etc) which could potentially bump something off the list. Drop me a line if you know of anything I should be reading. Nuff said.

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Unless Civil War does turn out to have a mind-warping villain behind the whole enchilada (such as Hate-Monger), one thing is for certain: most of the heroes in the Marvel Universe will never be the same. For a lot of them, it means they will no longer be the same set of heroes that grew up in the counter-culture of the 60s and the 70s. Instead, they've joined the Neo-Cons in the Republican Party. Witness Straczynski's recent comments about how he views Reed Richards:

...when asked about Reed Richards' motivation for joining the pro-registration side in Civil War, Straczynski said that in an upcoming issue, he has Peter Parker ask Reed that very question. As Straczynski related, Reed tells Peter about his uncle, who was a writer and creator, and was caught up in a McCarthy-esque witch hunt, and as a result, was jailed and saw his career destroyed. When Peter expresses his feelings of how horrible that must have been for Reed's uncle, Mr. Fantastic says it was, but the law is the law is the law, and his uncle was wrong for not cooperating with the government - a stance by Reed which Peter finds unsettling.

Wow. This ain't the same dude I grew up reading. I remember when Reed Richards stole rocket ships from NASA and helped Bruce Banner evade federal strike teams. A few years ago Richards even defied the US government and S.H.I.E.L.D. by invading Latveria and taking control of the country while Doom was in another dimension (during Mark Waid's run).

Straczynski and the current Marvel Bullpen obviously don't share my history of Tony Stark. Stark became one of the greatest anti-authority figures when he had Stark Industries pull out of weapons manufacturing during the Vietnam War. When he discovered that S.H.I.E.L.D. and other agencies had stolen his Iron Man technology, Stark attacked them mercilessly during the Armor Wars. Suddenly overnight, Stark not only agrees with the government (because they are aligned with his futuristic projections), but he becomes their lapdog to the point where he's hunting down Captain America? I don't grok it unless he's being mind-controlled.

We also see Stark making a deal with Titanium Man in Amazing Spider-Man 531 to manipulate both Congress and Peter Parker. I have some suspicion about Stark confronting Logan in Wolverine #43 during the hunt for Nitro--clearly, he wants Logan to drop out. He almost seems afraid of Logan--the best he is at what he does--finding the villain. Later, after a pretty cool fight (where Logan becomes a skeleton), we see Nitro calling his mysterious benefactor on a cell phone, arranging for transport to another hiding place. I suspect that Stark is the one behind Nitro's school-bus accident and his escape. I hope this is wrong. If it isn't, I'm having a sense of deja-vu over the Avengers Vol. 1 story "The Crossing" where Stark became evil and actually killed a few associates. It took a couple of years for this to get undone during the "Heroes Reborn" event.

No matter what happens, Iron Man is the character that Joe Quesada understands the least. He has a perfect blueprint for Iron Man stories--it can be seen in the work of Micheline/Layton, Busiek/Chen, and even in the recent mini-series by Joe Casey, Iron Man: Inevitable. Warren Ellis' Extremis story pointed the character in a new direction with lots of potential. Why is it all being thrown away? I have to think that Quesada is just baffled by Tony Stark--witness his own attempt at writing Iron Man when he tried a very tired storyline--having Stark's armor develop artificial intelligence and rebelling against his creator. Quesada said the current Iron Man story is the new defining moment for the character, replacing the Micheline/Layton "Demon In A Bottle" arc. I don't think so. It's one thing to take an established character and give them new personal problems, rather them making them commit actions that violate their character. I found this user comment from Stephen, on my Spider-Man No More post very insightful:

I think the test of whether or not a person can write comics well is not what they do if they completely ignore all the traditions of the character and create their own thing, its whether or nor they can still write something interesting that when they adhere to the traditions. Anybody can take a wrecking ball to a popular character (Miller's All Star Batman, Stracynski's Spidey stunt)and call it "creativity." Let's see them try to write within the confines of what's been established like the rest of the writers out there and then see how creative they are.

How true. Alan Moore deconstructred the superhero mythology in Miracleman and Watchmen, two franchises he had direct control over. Yet when it came to writing Superman in "For The Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow", Moore adhered to the concept of the character and the rules of his universe. And it didn't seem old fashioned or square, but the coolest thing in the world. Marvel heroes need change, I agree, and it's cool to see them fight each other again--but do they need to violate 40 years of character in order to do that? Nuff said.

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Evil Robby is back with a vengeance, skewering Superman Returns! He must be dialing H-O-R-R-O-R instead of H-E-R-O as Robby did in DC Comics Presents #44 when he teamed up with Superman. I was all psyched to go see Superman Returns in IMAX 3D today, but this review makes me think I should wait for the DVD. Nuff said.

External Link:
Evil Robby Reviews Superman Returns

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I was highly disappointed by the new Flash #1. The writing was clumsy as well as the artwork. I didn't quite grok that Bart getting "the Illyana treatment" (instantly aged into a young adult) was a permanent change. I didn't initially review Flash #1 because I had hoped that Wally would turn up as the Flash later on in the arc. Sad to say, this is not longer the case, as Didio explained at Heroes Con:

Responding to a question about the Flash and Bart Allen becoming the new Flash as a result of Infinite Crisis, Didio said that he felt a change was needed with the character as he stood because, as he said, there was something very generic about the Flash. Themes were repeating, he said, and he wanted to bring a new generational aspect to the forefront again. In noting that Bart is the Flash for this new generation of the DCU, Didio added that Wally West is gone, but not forgotten.

I can't see anything generic about Wally West as the Flash. He had a great run under Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Geoff Johns. He discovered the Speed Force and became the only man to merge with it and come back to reality. I suspect the real problem was the one writers faced back in 1986: the Flash is powerful that they cannot come up with threats deadly enough to threaten him. Witness the awful last arc by Joey Cavaleri that closed out the Flash's second volume.

Didio must think he's going to pull off the same trick as DC did in the 80s with Wally appearing in Flash #1. There are some parallels--Wally wasn't a very likeable character in the first two or three dozen issues. He took money to deliver a heart to the West Coast and slept with every bimbo in sight. As the series went on, Wally became a better person and a more reliable hero. I think we stuck with Wally as readers, because we had a two decade history with him. We had already invested a certain amount of time, from Wally as a teenager in the Flash to a college student in Titans. Bart has had only a decade or less. I could actually see sticking with Bart if they hadn't made him into a sucky dude drinking in pubs. It might have been better to have him learn how to control his Impulse-nature into something more mature. The big question is whether this new Flash will lure in any new readers than Wally West. Nuff said.

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