Waited for Trade: More Birthday Goodness

by Matt


I am a sucker for trades. A couple of months ago I purchased some trades with some birthday money and I have noticed a trend my wife absolutely hates. Usually when I buy a batch of trades it leads to more trades. And sure enough, I splurged and bought a whole bunch more. With this batch, I reviewed Weapon Omega, Green Lantern: No Fear, Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, Annihilation Book 2, Kinetic and the highly anticipated (by yours truly) Captain Britain Omnibus.

I warned you before and I am going to warn you again, I am not the best reviewer. I struggle at describing what I think of a book in words, my fingers and mind are not always in sync. I will also try to avoid spoilers as much as possible. If you are looking for an in-depth review about a trade, this is probably not for you. At best you will get an honest review from someone who absolutely loves comics. As a reminder, I will use the Official Bad Genious Rating System(tm).

A = Astonishing, Truly Bad Genious
B = Brainy, Brilliant
C = Commonplace
D = Dunce, Dumb, Don't Buy
F = Freakin' Crap in a Hat

Are you like me? Do you buy trades and never read them for a very long time? I do this all the time. I will buy a trade and it will sit on my shelf for months before I pull it out and give it a read. So some of these trades were not recent purchases but from splurges past. If you click on the title, it will take you directly to its listing on Amazon where you can check out prices and more reviews.



Annihilation Book 2
I bought this book on the strength of the first Annihilation book, hoping that it would continue to raise the bar on Marvel Cosmic stories. It doesn't quite reach the bar set by the first volume but it was pretty close and still enjoyable to read. This volume covers the Silver Surfer, Super Skrull and Ronan characters and how they were affected by the Annihilation Wave. I am not a huge fan of any of these characters and I was surprised that the writers made me care about these characters that I normally don't give a flying fig for. The issues covering Ronan was the best part of the book. Simon Furman made Ronan and the choices he made very real and now I understand this character and I have gained more of an appreciation for him. The Silver Surfer issues were also great, I admit I didn't see where the Surfer was going in this and the decision he made was bittersweet. Griffin understood that this is what the Surfer needed to do. The Super Skrull issues were enjoyable but I felt was the weakest out of the bunch. Part of the problem was I am Skrulled-out with all the exposure the Skrulls have received lately and I felt that the art just didn't match up with the other two series. It is not that the art is bad per say, it just didn't match the feel that the other two had. It just seemed too cartoony.
Final Word and Grade: Probably the weakest of the 3 Annihilation books, but a very solid read. If you want to get to the heart of the Annihilation storyline, you could probably skip this volume and go right from the first to the third and final book. But if you want a lot of dressing with your turkey, I would recommend getting this. C+

Kinetic
I bought this trade awhile ago and it is one of those stories that has stayed with me since. I dig it out every so often and just glance through the pages but I end up reading it from cover to cover anyway. This is a story about this young man in high school who is extremely sick and is very unhappy. Then he gets powers that change all of it. What I really like about this book is that this was a very realistic look at what would really happen. The powers are an afterthought, it is how it changes him and his relationships, and this is what this trade is about. The writing is well done, the pacing just leaves the reader wanting more, the dialogue rings true and the art just exemplifies how Tom (the young man) is feeling. The art and coloring may put off some people but I thought for the most part it enhanced the story. The dull gray coloring choice for Tom and his mother is a perfect example of how Tom sees themselves. Dull and boring and dark. There are moments in this book that made me a little uncomfortable but I think that is why I like it so much.
Final Word and Grade: If you are looking for a different take on superheroes and powers, this is for you. If you enjoy teenage angst, this is for you as well. And for ten bucks you get the whole series! B+

Weapon Omega TPB
Now this was a lot of fun. Originally this was published in the short-lived Marvel Comics Presents and I skipped them because I had no interest in the other stories and was happy when Marvel was publishing all the Weapon Omega stories in one trade. As a lifelong Alpha Flight fan I was not very happy with the useless slaughter of the old Alpha Flight team, in particular the passing away of Guardian. Guardian was more about the power suit and one of the best looking costumes around than him being James Hudson. I hated the character of Michael Pointer when he first appeared and I hated the fact that a non-Canadian got to wear that costume. I was pleasantly surprised by this story though. The writer managed to change my mind about the character of Michael, I still am not a fan of how he came to be but I really liked what has been done to him in this book. He is a tragic character, he does not want these powers and he feels inadequate and is filled with guilt. By the end, he is more comfortable with his role of being Guardian. There were some nice twists and some great character moments with Michael and his other Omega teammates. The only thing that I didn't like was that the art was not completely drawn by Andrea Di Vito. Di Vito is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists and his rendition of Guardian was perfect. His soft pencils reflected how insecure Guardian was. Checchetto finished the last four parts of the book and his a pretty good artist in his own right but doesn't compare with Di Vito.
Final Word and Grade: I am sure this was overlooked by many Marvel fans but this should be picked up. If you like B-list characters and the Omega Flight series you will like this book. I went into it with no expectations and came out very satisfied. Great superhero stuff. B

Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
Very rarely do I find a sequel that works better than the original but this is one that does. I thought that the first Mouse Guard was charming. This isn't one of those books where the creator has an idea and just goes with it. This is a book that is extremely detailed and obviously planned way ahead. You can easily feel and see the passion that Petersen has for his concept, which definitely makes up for any small inadequacies. This volume continues the adventures of the mice from the first volume and moves the story of the Black Axe even further. There are some very nice moments in here, the battle with the owl, the journey through the ice and snow and my favorite, the Weasel labyrinth and the bats. Well-written and the art is almost flawless. Exquisite paints and colors really bring this world alive. And the conclusion left me wanting more.
Final Word and Grade: The first volume of Mouse Guard was fun and I was happy about the sequel when they announced it but this takes it up a notch. Now at the conclusion of this volume I am impatiently awaiting the next installment. The only drawback is that it is a fairly quick read. If you like Castle Waiting or Bone, I highly recommend getting this. A-

Green Lantern: No Fear
Green Lantern: Rebirth caught me by surprise as a fun read so I decided to try out more of GL's adventures. I was not disappointed by it but nothing really stood out either. There are a few things that I really liked, the rebuilding of Coast City, the small hints foreshadowing the Blackest Night but in particular I was impressed by the prelude by Darwyn Cooke. His story of Hal taking Kyle Rayner out for a ride in a jet while in flashback we see Hal's dad doing the same thing with Hal was a nice, quiet moment that showed readers what type of person Hal is. I originally thought Hal was a cocky jerk but this story showed me Hal's good side and it comes off more confident than cocky. The rest of the trade was good but nothing spectacular. The story at times did lose me a little because I have absolutely no familiarity with Green Lantern at all but that doesn't bug me as much as it might with some other readers who are trying this for the first time. I don't mind not knowing everything about the characters, if it intrigues me, I'll investigate it further. The change in art chores did seem to take some flow out, especially since the artists were not similar at all. All are good artists but it just seemed out of place. I will say that I think this was Simone Bianchi's best work.
Final Word and Grade: A little bit of a let down from the GL: Rebirth series and I expected a little more of a bang out of the gates. That is not to say that this was bad, it just wasn't strong. Still, it was enjoyable enough to get the next trade. C

Captain Britain Omnibus
I saved the best for last. Gosh, I could go on and on and gush about this book but I will try to control myself. This was on the top of my wish list for Marvel’s line of Omnibus and this didn't disappoint at all. Captain Britain is one of my favorite characters and this reprints some of his best appearances. This huge volume reprints a ton of his early stuff starting with Alan Moore's fantastic run. Alan's Mad Jim Jasper storyline is one of my favorite runs of all time with some great moments. Alan understands that Brian Braddock is not a perfect person and is weighed down by the heavy responsibility of being Captain Britain. He is flawed and says and does things that are not always in the right. I will never forget his second battle with the Fury (he dies in the first one!) and he and some other heroes barely escape with their lives. He asks what they should do with Captain UK (who had come from another dimension) and Saturnyne replies that she needs a place to stay and some clean clothes. Cap replies, "Why should she get special treatment? Everybody's wet." Saturnyne replies coldly, "Not wet like her. She's wet because she was very frightened. Grow up Captain." And did you know that Miracle Man was killed during this run?

The volume continues into Jamie Delano's run which I prefer over Alan Moore's run. This introduces Meggan and shows his memorable battles against Slaymaster and the evil Kaptain Britain, who tries to have his way with his sister Betsy. Betsy later becomes the new Captain Britain and fails and Brian is forced to come back and take the mantle once again. Delano's run is much underrated compared to Moore's run and is not even an afterthought but I see Delano's run as just as good, if not better. This volume also reprints New Mutants Annual #2 (Psylocke's first American appearance) and one of my favorite comics of all time, Uncanny X-Men Annual #11. The X-Men Annual is what introduced me to Alan Davis and to Captain Britain and I have been a huge fan ever since. Also reprinted is Captain America #305-306 which does not compare to the rest but is still fun to read. Even though Captain Britain seems like a wimp in these issues.

There is also a ton of bonus material. All the covers are reprinted, early sketches of Alan Davis designing the new Cap costume, a Short History of Britain, written By Alan Moore from the 70's, promo posters, bios, pin ups, never-before-reprinted short strips that accompanied the main story and ALL the bonus material from the earlier published trades and X-Men Archives, including those covers as well. Whew! That is a load of bonus stuff!
Final Word and Grade: Very biased grade here but this has to be my all-time favorite book. Anyone who enjoys Alan Davis or Captain Britain needs to pick up this book. Just as a warning, this does contain Alan Davis's earliest work and is not as polished as his art is today. It can be pretty rough at times but you might not notice as much as you will be enthralled by the story. A+


I still have loads of trades to read. Hopefully sometime soon I will be reviewing Annihilation Book 3, Batman/Grendel, Punisher Max Vol 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1, BOOM's Irredeemable and Guardians of the Galaxy: Earth Shall Overcome and The Power of Starhawk Hardcovers.
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Shout Outs! and Scream Ats!

by Matt


Welcome to another "Shout Out/Scream At!” column! where I take a look at what makes me a happy fanboy (Shout Outs!) and what frustrates me (Scream Ats!) about the comic industry. With this column I will be covering Captain Britain, DC's Blackest Night, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and DC's Human Target hitting the small screen.!

SHOUT OUT! Blackest Night
I have never collected Green Lantern. My first exposure to the character (and to the DC Universe) was Zero Hour and Grant Morrison's JLA. I have always been intrigued by the concept of Green Lantern but never made the move to try him out officially by reading his book. I was also a little dissatisfied with Final Crisis and was slowly losing my interest in the DC universe as a whole. I was not going to pick up the Blackest Night event but there were 3 things that made me want to at least check it out. First, the Martian Manhunter revealed as a Black Lantern. The Martian Manhunter is my favorite DC character and I was ticked that he was killed in Final Crisis (I was real happy with Final Crisis: Requiem) and I am really curious about where being a Black Lantern will take him. Second, I couldn't resist Blackest Night #0 since it was free and it had a great balance of new content and provided enough information for me to catch up with all the current Green Lantern news. And I have always liked Johns writing and Ivan Reis's artwork. And lastly, Mailordercomics had the first issue for only 99 cents so why not give it a read? I am hoping this event is great. I have dropped all DC books and I miss the DC Universe.

SCREAM AT! X-Men Origins: Wolverine
For the most part I enjoyed the film and I saw it a second time with my dad and it was much better with a second viewing. I am not the type to be picky about how the movie compares to the comic, so I didn't mind the changes that were made to some of the characters. What I didn't like, and still didn't like upon the second viewing was the death of Silver Fox. I just found it utterly unbelievable that Wolverine would have been fooled with her death. He has been around death by being involved in so many wars, I am sure he could smell it. And the blood Sabretooth poured on her? Wolverine would know if it was her blood or not, I don't think he could have been fooled so easily. It would have made Sabretooth all the more bad ass if he had really iced her the first time.

SHOUT OUT! Banshee in Wolverine movie!
Did you catch the small cameo of my favorite X-Man Banshee? You do remember that Banshee was the FIRST X-Man to be portrayed live action. Anyone remember that horrible Generation X pilot? This huge Banshee fan was so bored he fell asleep and missed most of the show!

SHOUT OUT! Human Target TV series
I loved, loved the last Human Target comic series produced by Vertigo. I highly recommend snagging the first Human Target miniseries to get a taste of what the Human Target is all about. The small clips of the show look a little hokey and I am hoping that Hollywood doesn't just make this a cliche action show. I hope that they stick close to the Vertigo series and really make the stories about the man (Christopher Chance) having difficulties with taking on multiple persona's. Either way, I am looking forward to the series and will certainly catch it when it hits the airwaves. You can see the video clips here.



SCREAM AT! Captain Britain Cancelled
Paul Cornell recently stated on his blog that Captain Britain and MI:13 has been canceled. BOOOO! This was perhaps the only Marvel title that I was enjoying consistently. I thought Cornell really understood the Captain Britain character, Cap has not been written like this since the old Ellis run on Excalibur. What really makes me scream about this cancellation is that I was certain (and I could be wrong) that Joe Quesada said he was raising the prices on more popular titles so that Marvel could continue to afford to put out less popular titles like this one. It feels like Marvel is taking their money and running. I would have gladly paid $3.99 for this book anyway and I am happy that Cornell got to end the book the way he wanted too.

SCREAM AT! Captain Britain Omnibus Rescheduled Again!
I am sure that with Marvel releasing this huge Omnibus they wanted to capitalize on both the success and buzz of the new Captain Britain series and name drop Alan Moore. Funny, (well, not really that funny) that the new Captain Britain series has just been canceled and this Omnibus has been moved from June 17th to a new shipping date of July 1st. This was supposed to have been released March 25th. Now I fear that Marvel might just cancel this book entirely!
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Shout Outs! and Scream Ats! IV

by Matt


I told you I would be back sooner than later! Welcome to my fourth “Shout Out/Scream At!” column! With this column I will be taking a look at what makes me a happy fanboy (Shout Outs!) and what frustrates me (Scream Ats!) within the comic industry. Today I will be covering Young Liars, Atomika, recent Marvel Omnibus hardcovers. Can I give a Scream At and a Shout Out for the same topic? How about two topics? Read on and find out!



SHOUT OUT! Cloak and Dagger part of Dark X-Men
I love Cloak and Dagger and I am happy that they are getting some recognition. I never have liked them as mutants but at least Marvel is doing something with them. Back in the 90's I remember that I hoped and hoped that they would be part of Cyclop's new team. Matt Fraction, in a recent interview said "Norman appeals to their sense of duty and offers to expunge their records and give them a fresh start if they join this team. He really appeals to their sense of wanting to help others and not wanting to run. He understands they're runaways above all else and offers them a home and fresh start." It does seem strange to me that they fought with Captain America in the Civil War so that they do not have to sign with the government and yet, they are signing with Norman Osborn. I wonder what changed?

SCREAM AT! No new Cloak and Dagger series
I am happy that Cloak and Dagger are coming back but what is happening with the Cloak And Dagger series by D’Orazio, Flores and Warren? This was announced ages ago and I was looking forward to it. Rich Johnston did report recently that "with Cloak and Dagger joining the X-books as regular team characters, that their mini-series, in the works for a year, has been shelved for 2009." BOOO! I think I would rather have Cloak and Dagger unassociated with the X-titles but I will take what little I can get.


SHOUT OUT! Atomika #8 FINALLY!
I about died when I saw this solicited in the recent Previews. I gave up on this series and I was glad that I kept this in my pull list at Mailordercomics. I will have to re-read the series, I remember liking it so I will for sure get this. Hopefully the remaining four issues will come out at a decent frequency.






SCREAM AT! Young Liars Canceled!
Dave Lapham announced the other day that his Vertigo crime series Young Liars has been canceled with issue #18, which comes out in August. I am totally bummed. Young Liars was one brainscrew after another. Just when you thought you knew what was going on, Dave changes gears and heads in another direction. Lapham does here what he does great in Stray Bullets. No matter how awful these characters are, no matter how shady or how stupid they are, I love them. I hope Vertigo allows him to tie up as many loose ends as he can. Hopefully he will return to Stray Bullets but I am not hold my breath since he took Young Liars so he can make ends meet. Thanks Dave for such a wonderful and twisted ride!


SHOUT OUT! X-Men Forever
I like Chris Claremont and I am still a fan of his work. I don't think his current work is as strong as his past but I still enjoy his work. I admit it, I liked a lot of X-Treme X-Men so I am thrilled that he is returning to the X-Men. I am more happy that he gets his own series that is not tied to any continuity. I have always wanted to see what he would do next with the X-men when he was first fired off the X-Men and now I have my chance. I am really looking forward to this, I am not looking for anything mind blowing, I am just prepared to have some fun reading it.

SCREAM AT! X-Men Forever
What I am not happy about with this new X-Men title is the price. I was going to pick up this title but with the $3.99 price I am passing. More than likely I will just wait for trade. Which makes me sad, if this book was priced at $2.99 I would not even hesitate. I will pick up one or two books at $3.99 but this is stretching my dollar a little too thin. This sucks.


SCREAM AT! Marvel's Late Omnibus's
I am a sucker for the Beyonder and I was pumped for the Secret Wars II Omnibus. I ordered it in October 2008 and it was supposed to come out 2/4/09. I don't have it. I ordered the Captain Britain Omnibus in November of 2008 and it was supposed to come out on March 25th. I don't have it either. Secret Wars II comes out in just a few weeks on (hopefully) May 13th and the Captain Britain Omnibus is supposed to come out on June 17th. I paid good money for these books and I want my Beyonder Jerry Curl now! What is taking Marvel so long to make them? I would assume that it would be easy to print 1 or 2 copies of the Secret Wars II Omnibus since I am sure I am one of the few who bought a copy. C'mon, Make Mine Marvel!

Don't get me wrong folks. I still love comics and I am very lucky that I can still afford to read them. Well, for the time being anyway!
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From Top to Bottom: Comic Book Robots

by Matt

Welcome to the 9th edition of the weekly "From Top to Bottom" column! Every week I will look at something within the comics industry and give you my opinion on what I think is the best and what I think ranks amongst the bottom-feeders.

Last week I took a look at the Top and Bottom of Comic Book Dads. This week, in my son's eager anticipation for WALL*E, I thought it would be fun to take a look at my Top 3 robots/androids in comics and those that are in words of Eric Cartman, "Lame."

Robots, androids (whatever you call them) have been in comics since the beginning and have changed considerably through the years. I didn't count robots that have already appeared in another form, like in a movie, so don't expect R2D2 and C3P0 in this list.


3) The Fury
The Fury is not a true robot, it is a cybiote, an amalgam of flesh and metal. This killing machine was created to kill superheroes and that is just what it did. It relentlessly stalked its prey and couldn't be stopped. The list of heroes it slaughtered included Captain Britain, Jackdaw, Miracle Man and a host of other British heroes. While it never spoke, Alan Moore made this true monster speak volumes by seeing the fear it gave to those it stalked.


2) Hourman
Hourman came from the 853rd century and was modeled on Rex Tyler's DNA, He served with both the JLA and was a member of the JSA for awhile. He currently is believed to have been destroyed by Extant during Zero Hour, he travelled back in time to replace the original Hourman. Even though he was only an android, he possessed many human traits. Hopefully we have not seen the last of him.


1) Machine Man
Machine Man has played a role (and ones that are completely different than each other) in 2 of my favorites series. He served as a new Watcher in the Earth X series and was integral in not only progressing the story but also helping provide the information needed to defeat the Celestial. He also appeared in NextWave and was a completely different character, drinking beer and calling humans "fleshy ones". I prefer the latter version.


There has been many more cool robots/cyborgs/androids, the following bottom choices are the bad side of robots. Not necessarily evil, just not really cool at all.

3) H.E.R.B.I.E.
Couldn't Mr. Fantastic create a better robot than this? Especially considering that Hank Pym created a killer robot (pun totally intended) in Ultron. Was he really a threat to the FF?








2) Nimrod
There are two big things that bug me about this robot. The first is its name, now I know why it was given that name, its name means 'might hunter' in the Bible, but c'mon, Nimrod? Are you really supposed to scared by something called Nimrod? Nimrod just doesn't intimidate or impress anyone. The other thing that bugged me is that he was pink. Now I will give Nimrod this, he did act scary and was very methodical and calculating in his early appearances in the X-Men but I cannot get past that he was pink. Think about it though, how scary is a big, pink robot named Nimrod? Not scary, just lame.


1) Danger
I admit that I liked her a smidgen more in the latter part of the Astonishing X-Men series than I did in her first appearances but I still think she is lame character. It was mostly because I felt like the X-Men have been in this situation before, only it was Cerebro that gained sentience and fought Professor X and the X-Men. I liked the idea behind it but the execution seemed forced and was resolved rather quickly.


So there you have it, I am sure some of you are screaming where is Ultron and the Vision? The Vision just was not a character that appealed to me and I will admit that I like the white-pasty version of him from years back. Ultron on the other hand only had one or two appearances that were cool, while the rest were lame. The Ultron in Daredevil and in Avengers West Coast (the Rose parade storyline, at least I think it was the Rose parade) essentially made the character weak. The Sentinels almost made the cool list merely on the fact that they just look spooky. But the Sentinel stories in X-Men: The Hidden Years and in the X-Men '96 annual just killed them and they almost made the Bottom list.

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General Reviews 5/15: X-Men, Britain and Melting Brains

by The General

Y'know, I can be a bad comic collector sometimes. I mean, I know that at this point in my life, I should be reading and supporting more independent publishers. Heck, I live right down the street from Fantagraphics new outlet store*, so really I have no excuse. Still, given my druthers, I drift away from the leafy green vegetables of the independent world, and gravitate towards the sugary goodness of Marvel's line of X-titles.

But, at the same time, I'm not even a good X-Men collector. I'm not a completist, nor do I possess an encyclopedic knowledge of all things X-Men. Heck, I generally can't remember what happened in the previous issue, and have to rely on Marvel's recap pages to even keep things straight in my head. And this is after about 20 years of collecting. I'm hopeless.

Still, I do enjoy a good batch of comics. And, with the the continuity-laden X-Men Legacy, a new Captain Britain title, the retro-popcorn of Clandestine and the out of control Casanova, it was a good week of comic reading for yours truly. Let's take a look at them, shall we...

X-Men Legacy #211 (Carey, Eaton and Peterson) - This title is trying to prove that I'm a hypocrite. My number one complaint about the DC universe stems from the fact that it's geared toward the hardcore fanboys, and is pretty much impenetrable to new and casual fans. Meanwhile, the exact same complaints can be leveraged against this title... and I lurve it. It literally drips with X-Men continuity, but I also find it massively compelling.

To prove how dependant this title is on X-history, even I don't know who the character is that Xavier meets with in this issue. Has he appeared in an X-title before? I'm pretty sure he must have, but I don't recognize him. Maybe he was introduced while I was in college and killing braincells faster than I could fill them with X-lore. Still, there's a lot of cool stuff in this issue: Juggernaut, the Hellfire Club, Xavier using his powers in an unconventional way, and the final page appearance of a favorite X-character that will probably have certain sectors of fanguys and gals squealing. A brainy B+ the whole way.

Captain Britain and the MI13 #1 (Cornell and Kirk) - We have a couple of British contributors to this blog, and I'll be interested to hear what they think about this title. If only because it appears to be two things the last two versions of Excalibur should have been but weren't: Good and British. I mean, what was the point of using the name Excalibur if the title was going to be about Xavier and Magneto goofing around in the ruins of Genosha? And, what was the point of having a British superteam if you were going to fill it with Americans? Injury or insult, you make the call!

Well, the Brits can breathe easy because Marvel has finally graced us with a British superteam which is actually *gasp* British. Well, not counting the Skrull. A lot of noise was made about the Wisdom mini-series last year, which isn't surprising since I didn't pick it up and I pretty much only pick up the bad X-mini-series. So, I'm glad to finally get check out Cornell's writing. The verdict: Um, good, I guess. Honestly, I wasn't blown away by it, but like Kirk's art, I thought it was solid and entertaining. Much like Young X-Men and X-Force, I'm not smitten with this new title, but I'll definitely be happy to tag along for the ride. It's been a while since I've seen either Captain Britain or Pete Wisdom written right, so that's enough for me... for now. A British B.

ClanDestine #4 (Davis and Farmer) - Speaking of Britain, it's ClanDestine! Actually, as near as I can tell, ClanDestine takes place in an alternate reality version of England. One that was frozen in time and space shortly after the release of Davis and Claremont's original Excalibur run. If fact, despite the appearance of the original Excalibur in the last couple of titles, this title seems to exist in its own little pocket world that doesn't have any relationship to anything else in the greater Marvel universe. Still, that's not entirely a bad thing, since it allows Alan Davis do what he does best: Be Alan Davis.

If this was an ongoing title, I think I'd start to be a little worried about its direction, or lack thereof. There's a lot going on here, but most of it comes off like a wild billiards shot: characters and plot elements bouncing off each other at random. And, unless all those elements end up in neat and tidy little pockets, it's going to wind up being an unsatisfying read. (Awkward metaphor much?) But, at this point, I'm going to just hold my breath and hope that Davis has everything figured out. Fingers crossed! A ClanDestine C+.

Casanova #14 (Fraction and Moon) - Wait, what?! Seriously, just when I think I've got a handle on this title, it does a 360 on me. Actually it's more than a 360, it's like a 482 or something. Reading this book is like watching Matt Fraction slowly lose his mind in the most entertaining fashion. I mean, let's set aside the actual plot of this issue for a second and just look at the creative gimmick that he hinges this issue on: The book is broken up into 14 chapters. Each chapter is named after and inspired by a song. Each song is, in turn, tied to something that happened to Matt during the writing of each of the 14 issues of Casanova. So, effectively, this issue is a miniature version of the last 14 issues. Did your brain just melt and slide out your ears? Mine did. But, that's OK, because I think it's lying in a pool on the floor with Faction's brain.

Artistically, I still haven't gelled with Moon's art in the same way I did with his brother, Gabriel Ba's, art. I think that part of my problem lies with the blue secondary color though, since I think that the illustrations have a neat brushy, Paul Pope quality to them. Also, I'm still not entirely sure whether the twist in this issue is clever or just a cop out. But really, I don't care too much, because even a lesser issue of Casanova ranks higher than the majority of what I read. A big, bad B+.

I should read more comics like this.

* Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery Read more!

Number Ones: Batman, Captain Britain, Fantastic Four

by Bill

They’re brand spankin’ new series and number one first issues! But are they any good? Worth spending money to buy and time to read?

Included in this round:


How good are these? Decent? Maybe even genius (er...I mean genious)? Read and find out...



• Batman #676 (DC Comics) – by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel

• Captain Britain and MI13 #1 (Marvel Comics) – by Paul Cornell
and Leonard Kirk

• Secret Invasion Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel Comics) – by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Barry Kitson

Batman #676 (DC Comics) – by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel

Not a number one, but it is the first part of DC Comics’ months-long campaign promoting Batman R.I.P. so worth the look to whether Part One delivers on the hype.

In general, yes. The issue is jammed with quiet character moments, subtle intrigues to likely serve in subsequent acts, and a few not at all subtle scenes establishing more immediate menace.

Part One also delivers substance for a complaint: readers having not read recent events in Batman will be lost at two points in this.

#1- who is the woman? She was introduced in a scene with no name mention. But as she knows Bruce Wayne is Batman and is in a deep kiss with him, presumably she’s a major character. It would have been nice to have had a name to work with.

As bit of a digression…sequential storytelling tends to penalize the uninitiated. For routine stories a brief recap might serve to remind and give some high-level orientation, and that minimally should suffice. For a major new story to launch and seemingly not care about new participants lacks vision and editorial responsibility. Readers have complained time and again DC Comics’ failures in making their stories accessible to new readers; sadly Batman R.I.P. part one continues this unfortunate trend.

#2- scene setting in the final sequence. Regular Batman readers *may* recognize the setting as Arkham, unfortunately this never confirmed. This is another example of DC penalizing the uninitiated. More egregious is the perspective of the scene: it starts with a omni-present perspective as if walking into the unconfirmed Arkham Asylum, but shifts to another persepctive without explanation to how the introductory could really exist. As conveyed, the opening sequence creates a false tension. Visually it is glorious, Daniel does some exceptional work with each page. Storywise it culminates in something of a cheat.

On the very positive, the Joker as presented is terrifying. Visually he is menacing and truly villainous. His dialogue and demeanor establishes he’s the Crown-Prince of insane. This Joker is unlike any Joker seen before, and worth the cost of this comic to see.

Aside from this terrifying portrayal of the Joker, the double page spread of the Black Glove and Danse Macabre (whomever these characters are – are they new? Recurring?) is a visual treat. Finally, the interaction between Robin and Alfred is brilliantly done. The conversation and tenor is pitch perfect for both characters. Well done.

“Well done” is nothing unusual for Grant Morrison. He sweats ideas. Every blink of his eye generates an idea. The man is a creative force. It is obvious even to one not having read Batman for a few years that Morrison is tapping into something primal with the character’s myth. Any criticism of a reader becoming lost among the story is more attributed to final touch editing than to failure of the story. With the forces in play, this Batman title demands full-time creative support to ensure the little details are not lost among the major. Hopefully subsequent issues will have the DC team bringing their A-game just as Morrison and Daniel and the creative team clearly have done.

As masterful as the storytelling is Tony Daniel’s artistry. Simply: he’s done fantastic work. Hopefully he will be able to maintain the regular schedule for the arc, since he’s really established the visual cue of the characters, notably the villains. Another hand may get the characters drawn well, but not necessarily portrayed correctly. Batman R.I.P. could be the storyline that catapults Daniel to the “next level” of acclaim in much the same manner as Perez (Judas Contract), Giffen (Great Darkness Saga), Quesada (Azrael), Adams (Longshot) among others handling key story-arcs. Nevertheless, it is one thing to write how terrifying the Joker or imposing the Danse Macabre is to be and quite another to deliver that to the page. For anyone who thought that Brian Bolland or Frank Miller portrayed the quintessential Joker, the final four pages of Batman #676 raises the bar.

This is a solid start even with the lack of information provided to new readers. It would have been astonishing if every reader coming aboard had an equal opportunity to understand the environment the story was working around.

$2.99. B+/Brilliant (A+/Astonishing for the art)


Captain Britain and MI13 #1 (Marvel Comics) – by Paul Cornell
and Leonard Kirk

So much was against Captain Britain and MI13 – a book stemming from Marvel’s Secret Invasion major event, a character having gone through multiple incarnations and book launches, a group of relative B-list heroes loosely banding under a (British) Government mandate – among several other hurdles to overcome.

Nevertheless, Captain Britain and MI13 quickly and effectively hits stride. Captain Britain indirectly acknowledged his prior roles and dismissed them without insult with his new intention as being Britain’s Captain America. It is a return to his roots not really seen since American readers were first introduced to the character in Marvel Team-Up. It is an honest and direct approach, easy to accept while returning character credibility. The more convoluted dimensions layered onto Captain Britain in the years since Team-Up offered entertainment but never seemed to adequately build from the foundation of English-myth and national hero. In but a few pages it seemed Captain Britain was finally home.

Equally impressive is the presentation of The Black Knight. The Knight commands some of the best dialogue exchanges with a touch of humor and a dose of self-depravation. More importantly, the character retains a nod to the legacy but a step toward new reign.

Paul Cornell manages these Captain Britain, The Black Knight and several other characters with capability, respect and innovation. It’s impressive to read and ultimately sense a consideration for characters. It will be interesting to learn what is in store with some of the other characters in MI13.

The big star of the book is Leonard Kirk. Kirk pours detail and attention to each panel, with pages loaded with depth and artistry. Kirk skimped on nothing, and even panels with no “all-out” action are loaded with “all-out” activity. Jesse Delperdang had to have gone nuts with what was presented, and no doubt relished the work and contributed to even more eye-dazzling detail. Kirk and Delperdang define what it means to be graphic artists.

The last page is an effective cliffhanger, and the teaser page for issue #2 very effective to entice readers’ return. Captain Britain and MI13 had everything to lose and be a mere footnote in the Secret Invasion mega-crossover. Fortunately and most surprisingly, issue #1 is a fantastic super hero adventure book, with much to look forward to.

$2.99. B+/Brilliant



Secret Invasion Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel Comics) – by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
and Barry Kitson

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is at his best when he’s allowed to write the Fantastic Four as a family, as more human than super-human or super-hero. His previous work in MK4 presented some of the most touching, human and entertaining scenes between the Family Four of any writer of the characters. As in MK4, Secret Invasion Fantastic Four contains similarly powerful and entertaining scenes.

Ben’s stating “I’m making Coq au Vin for Franklin and Val, Flamebrain, you want some?” followed by Johnny’s “Sue. Dinner. Ben. Cooking. Must. Stop.” is wondrously layered humor based on familiarity of the characters and their own familiarity to fans. Aguiire-Sacasa holds literate command over the Fantastic Four, most specifically for Ben and Johnny, so his return to the characters is welcome and entertaining.

Where Secret Invasion Fantastic Four doesn’t work so well is the involvement of that Secret Invasion and the Skrull conflict. The book is missing half the quartet, a noticeable absence. Aguirra-Sacasa is working with what Bendis left from the primary Secret Invasion series and although he does a capable job with these remnant pieces, the story nevertheless falters a bit while trying to tie into the event.

Kitson appears in step with Aguirra-Sacasa, with their best being the same Ben-Johnny character focused scenes. Every panel with Ben is a treat (both regards the story-scene and with how Kitson draws The Thing), while those with the Skrulls less effective or compelling. There is one exception: the last page. It’s not a shock ending, and in many respects was expected at some point due with the Secret Invasion premise, but having it revealed and out there allows for the story to continue without the distracting questions of “when will…?”

Overall, Secret Invasion Fantastic Four offers fans of the mega-crossover more substance on the Sue/Reed scenes from the Bendis/Yu Secret Invasion, gives fans of Aguirra-Sacasa’s Fantastic Four a refill dose, and provides for an entertaining setup for issue #2.

$2.99. Grade: B/Brainy

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