Eye on Comics

So, Stan Lee’s back. Honestly, I wasn’t aware he’d ever left.

Boom! Studios, a steadily growing comics publisher that really gained a head of steam when it named influential comics writer Mark Waid as its editor-in-chief a while back, announced Tuesday it had struck a deal with Pow! Entertainment (Stan Lee’s latest media venture) to produce three new super-hero titles. The announcement comes on the heels of a semi-mysterious ad campaign in February that boldly but vaguely exclaimed that “Stan’s Back!” with simple, minimalist ads online and in print. Since the ads incorporated part of Stan Lee’s recognizable autograph, it was clear he was involved somehow. To what extent wasn’t clear.

Even with that little bit of information, I have to admit I wasn’t all that interested. I truly appreciate all that Stan Lee did for the art and business of comics. He and his artistic collaborators transformed the super-hero genre and the reach of the medium in the 1960s to such a vast extent that it can never really be measured. That being said, I have no interest in reading new comics penned by Stan Lee. The bombastic style that made him such a dominant personality decades ago just isn’t as effective today. Furthermore, we’ve seen Lee’s newer ideas in recent years. It’s not like he’s been sitting by idly since going into semi-retirement years ago. There was DC’s Just Imagine… line of expensive but clunky comics a few years ago, and who can forget his collaboration with Pamela Anderson in the realm of animation, Stripperella. Read the rest of this entry »

Blackest Night #7
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Oclair Albert & Joe Prado
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Cover artists: Reis & Albert/Rodolfo Migliari (variant)
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US

Geoff Johns must’ve been really pleased when he saw Avatar or a little bit miffed (I’m assuming he saw it; given the box-office numbers on the flick, our entire species must’ve seen it). A central plot point and the main theme of the movie are reflected in the climactic revelation of this penultimate issue of Blackest Night. While not necessarily predictable, there’s definitely a certain logic to the plotting leading up to the reveal that keeps it from having that “wow” factor. Fortunately, the action that fills the scenes before that big moment makes for a thoroughly entertaining read. While many of the Blackest Night spinoffs/tie-ins have left something to be desired, the core event title has featured solid, fun super-hero storytelling. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a new era over at DC Comics, or should I say DC Entertainment, with last week’s announcement of its new lineup of executives who will guide the comics publisher into the second decade of the 21st century. But while there’s an atmosphere of renewed energy and drive at DC, I noticed that in some other information it released last week, the publisher appears to be on the cusp of repeating the same mistake it made last year when it came to the collection edition of a crossover event.

Along with its advance solicitation information for its May comics and other products, DC also released some information about collected editions slated for release later this summer. Most notable among those listings were the seven — count ‘em, seven — hardcover collected editions of DC’s popular Blackest Night comics. The Blackest Night hardcover is priced at $29.99 US, while the other six books ring in at $24.99 US. The first three are slated for release July 7, while two each will reach stores July 14 and 21.

To my surprise, the Blackest Night hardcover collects only Blackest Night #s 0-8 inclusive. That would seem to be logical, but those such as myself who’ve been following the event know that there are key developments in the story that take place in other titles. Green Lantern and the Atom & Hawkman one-shot come to mind. What’s worse is that DC’s own solicitation information for these hardcover collections acknowledges that shortcoming. Read the rest of this entry »

Chase Variant One Shot (Is All I Need) one-shot (Image Comics)
by Rich Johnston, Saverio Tenuta & Bagwell

I decided to pick up this comic book because I like Rich Johnston’s online musings about the comic-book industry and some of his past efforts have been amusing. I expected a comic that embraced satire, that spoofed the Kewl comics of the 1990s (many of which were published by the same company that published this comic, oddly enough). To my surprise, I didn’t find what I expected, but I did find an intelligently constructed story about hobbies and escapist fiction. This comic is made up of three shorter stories featuring the title heroine — a genetically engineered assassin — in battle with various threats, but connecting all three is a parallel story running under (literally) all of them, featuring two guys playing a collectible-card game. Now, incorporating a CCG into a comic-book story seems a little behind the times — such games peaked a decade or so ago — but I really enjoy the dual approach to the storytelling. Ultimately, I think Johnston’s point about such Kewl comics characters and stories is that they’re random and a bit pointless, but they can also serve as a fun diversion.

Two artists contribute line art to this book. Saverio Tenuta’s style is a more conventional pencil/ink approach, reminiscent of Todd (Spawn) McFarlane’s work. He captures the over-the-top intensity that serves to define characters such as Chase Variant. Bagwell’s painted (or at least it looks painted) art brings an even darker, slightly more realistic tone to bear, but the shift actually works in the context of the story. From start to finish, having jumped from one story to another, the title character becomes more and more aware of the illogical nature of what’s happening. Both artists bring consistency to the book by following Johnston’s structure closely. The white space along the bottom panel of each page (no doubt at Johnston’s direction) strings everything together nicely. 7/10 Read the rest of this entry »

When I read Captain America #602 a couple of weeks ago, I appreciated the real-world political and social elements that writer Ed Brubaker incorporated into the story. By including the Tea Party movement (or an analogy of it), Brubaker’s script becomes all the more relevant and interesting. Mind you, as much as I enjoyed seeing such poignant and thought-provoking elements in the super-hero story, I was much more disappointed when Brubaker and Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada apologized for that content, claiming it was unintentional and explaining it away as a lettering gaffe. I’m at a loss as to why they were quick to cow-tow to a political movement that probably boasted very few members that are also Marvel readers, and I was thoroughly disappointed that Marvel plans to alter select elements from Cap #602 for eventual collected editions.

So the Tea Party folks saw everything from insults to conspiracies. Marvel apparently saw a PR problem. And I saw much ado about nothing, not to mention corporate interests usurping the integrity of art.

Fortunately, the folks at comics publisher Boom! Studios saw something else: an opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths 2-Disc Digital Copy Special Edition DVD
Main movie
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Voice Actors: William Baldwin, Mark Harmon, Chris Noth, Gina Torres, James Woods, Jonathan Adams, Brian Bloom, Bruce Davison, Josh Keaton, Vanessa Marshall, Nolan North, Freddi Rogers & James Patrick Stuart
Directors: Sam Lui & Lauren Montgomery

“DC Showcase – The Spectre”
Writer: Steve Niles
Voice Actors: Gary Cole, Alyssa Milano, Jeff Bennett, Rob Paulsen & Jon Polito
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos

Producer: Warner Bros. Animation/Warner Premiere Home Video
Rating: PG-13

Crisis: Writer Dwayne McDuffie takes classic and cherished concepts from DC’s history — in this case, infinite alternate dimensions and the Justice League’s first encounter with their evil counterparts, the Crime Syndicate — and updates them. For longtime super-hero comics fans such as myself, there are a lot of familiar elements that will delight but there’s so much new going on here that the story avoids predictability and has a real sense of excitement and tension to it. Furthermore, one needn’t be familiar with the source material in any way to enjoy the plot and action. Of the various DC Universe animated movies that have been released thus far, I’d have to say this is my favorite of the bunch. Read the rest of this entry »

The Road to God Knows… original graphic novel
Writer/Artist/Cover artist: Von Allan
Publisher: Von Allan Studio
Price: $12.95

When it comes to the slice-of-life genre in comics, there’s a rich vein of storytelling strength to be found in independent and self-published works. Often, writers and artists starting out in the medium wisely stick with what they know rather than delve into fantasy or action stories. Von Allan is one such creator, who offers up a period piece about an awkward teenage girl who’s lost in her own life. Marie’s struggle to find herself or any happiness in difficult and painful circumstances is normally the kind of story I love to see from indy creators, but the plotting here is incredibly slow. Furthermore, the conflicts don’t seem to go anywhere.

There’s certainly a heartfelt tone to the writing, and as a Canadian, it was fun to see cultural elements unique to the Great White North incorporated into the script. Ultimately, though, I think the creator would have benefitted from some strong editing and guidance. Furthermore, while it’s easy to see that Von Allan has strived to establish a realistic look in the artwork, he needs to work on perspective and anatomy. Read the rest of this entry »

So Gareb Shamus has announced his latest comic-convention acquisition with the addition of Cleveland Comic Con to his roster of Wizard World events, bringing it to a total of 11. Shamus continued his strategy of scooping up a smaller convention from the owner/s and keeping him/them on as a consultant or show-runner. This time around, he bought the North Coast Comic Con from Roger Priebe, who will advise Shamus’s people and consult on the convention.

In the official news release, Priebe said, “This partnership is a win-win for everyone; the fans, the industry and the locals. I see nothing but good things ahead.”

Well, he’s not looking hard enough. Read the rest of this entry »

Astro City: The Dark Age, Book Four #1 (DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions)
by Kurt Busiek & Brent E. Anderson

First of all… wow, what a cover. This is one of Alex Ross’s most striking covers and character designs, not only for Astro City comics. The greenery and the intensity of the stare really allow this book to stand out when racked along with other recent comics release. This elemental force of nature, the Green Man, doesn’t play a pivotal role in the plot, but he serves to send a strong thematic message to the main characters. It’s good that this has just an attractive and effective cover, because the subtitle — The Dark Age, Book Four — isn’t the most alluring one I’ve seen. The Book Four part is basically a cue for new readers to avoid this comic book, and that’s too bad, because Busiek’s script is thoroughly accessible despite the fact that this is the umpteenth issue in an ongoing story arc. The Williams brothers have really transformed into well-supplied and armed rogues who ignore everything else going on around them in pursuit of the man who killed their parents. Busiek really drives home how anger and thirst for revenge have tainted these two men, and their prey’s desperation and fear also sells the story effectively as well.

Anderson’s art is obviously a lot rougher in tone than the polished, photorealistic images that Alex Ross provides for the covers, but that grittier look works well with the larger theme of the story. The Dark Age is about a period in American history that wounded the country’s ideals, that robbed a proud nation of its innocence. That’s reflected in the sketchier leanings in Anderson’s approach to the characters and action. He handles the Green Man adeptly as well, albeit in a different way than Ross did for the cover. He captures the immensity of the character’s presence nicely, further reinforcing the thematic importance of that scene. 8/10 Read the rest of this entry »

Ultimate X #1
“Chapter One: His Father’s Son”
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: Arthur Adams
Digital inks & colors: Aspen MLT
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99 US

I only made two issues into Jeph Loeb’s last foray into Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, Ultimatum, before the excesses of the plotting turned me off, and I dropped Hulk a few months, though I did enjoy some of Loeb’s Red Hulk storylines over the course of its first year. So some might wonder why I’m back for another dose of Loeb after his other recent disappointments (albeit strong-selling ones). Well, artist Arthur Adams draws some pretty pictures at times, and I did like the prospect of a new character (rather than a retooled one) being featured in a new Ultimate title. The good news is that this is much better than Ultimatum, as it boasts a more character-driven tone. Furthermore, I like how Loeb and Marvel have taken the notion of mutants an analogy for racism in society to an extreme, albeit in a logical way given the events of Ultimatum. The bad news, though, is that the potential in the plot is overshadowed by the bombastic, ridiculously outdated quality of the opening scene and the central character’s impossibly easy acceptance of the weirdness that’s erupted in his life. Read the rest of this entry »

In recent weeks, it seemed as though every other Marvel periodical I picked up featured an appearance by the original Captain America, back from the dead as a result of the events of Captain America: Reborn #6. It was a bit irksome, though, as the comic that ended with the character’s resurrection hadn’t been released. Other Captain America-related titles would turn up in my account at the local comic shop, so I started setting them aside until I could read them in the order in which they were intended.

Well, Reborn #6 finally landed last week, so I sat down to peruse a trio of comics featuring the title character all at once. Read the rest of this entry »

Wonder Woman #40
“A Murder of Crows, Part One: Hit the Ground Running”
Writer: Gail Simone
Pencils/Cover artist: Aaron Lopresti
Inks: Matt Ryan
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Travis Lanham
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99 US

I lost touch with this series a few issues ago, as I grew a bit bored with the Genocide/”Rise of the Olympian” storylines last year. However, I’m generally a big fan of Gail Simone’s writing, and when I saw that this issue (a) featured the beginning of a new story arc and (b) featured the creepy visual on the cover of a quintet of evil kids, I decided to revisit the adventures of the best-known super-heroine. The introduction of new antagonist (and the absence of the previous ones) has renewed my interest in the book. I really enjoyed the darker elements that contribute to the conflicts in this issue, but the strength of those elements comes as no surprise, as Simone has proven she handles the dark stuff adeptly over in Secret Six. But the writer balance the ugly side of human emotion with a heart-warming scene between two friends that really gets to the heart of the title characters dichotomous nature as being representative of both war and love. Read the rest of this entry »

While comics fans, professionals and journalists were discussing and gushing extensively this week about the unveiling of Apple’s iPad, there were other announcements that had to do with comics that are actually being made rather than those that could be made or digitally distributed. Among the industry news items of the week was Boom! Studios’ announcement that it will publish a comic book in April in partnership with movie star Samuel L. Jackson.

Jackson is teaming with Eric Calderon (a writer/producer with whom he worked on the animated Afro Samurai TV series) to present Cold Space, which Boom! describes as “a hard-boiled sci-fi action-adventure” and suggests it’s “sure to be the most talked-about comic of the spring.”

In regards to the latter claim: no, I don’t think so. Read the rest of this entry »

The Atom & Hawkman #46 (DC Comics)
by Geoff Johns, Ryan Sook & Fernando Pasarin

Of the eight Blackest Night tie-ins in “resurrected” comic-book titles that DC published this month, this is the only one that’s actually integral to the larger plot of the event, but since this was penned by Blackest Night writer Geoff Johns, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Still, there should’ve been more of a cue to Blackest Night readers that they might not want to skip this tie-in. Despite the title, the focus is clearly on the Atom and his backstory. Johns shows some affection and respect for the character here, and judging from the prominent role he’s played in the event, it’s possible DC is trying to boost his profile in its stable of super-hero characters. Johns provides an accessible script (at least as far as the Atom’s background is concerned), and his take on Ray Palmer as someone who hides from the world is an interesting one. Still, I wasn’t all that interested in the larger role that the dead Jean Loring plays here. Hopefully, this will be the last we see of the character. Johns does advance the plot of the larger event somewhat by revealing a lot more about the Indigo Tribe and their powers. Of course, the revelation that the Indigo “Lanterns” can manifest the power and light of any other Lantern Corps left me wondering why they need the other Lanterns to help in this crisis.

As has been the case with a couple of the other “resurrected” comics DC issued this month, the publisher pulls a fast one on readers and retailers alike when it comes to the content. This was solicited as being illustrated by Ryan Sook, whose work on his last project (Wednesday Comics) was much celebrated. While Sook does provide some of the visuals in this issue, he’s joined fellow artist Fernando Pasarin, who provides linework for latter pages in the book in his competent but unremarkable style. Furthermore, Sook’s work here is far more conventional in tone than we’re accustomed to seeing from him. Still, I did like his take on Indigo 1 as well as multiple incarnations of the Black Lantern Hawks. 6/10 Read the rest of this entry »

There’s no denying that the world of comic books — from the audience to the retail sector to those who create them and work in the industry — is dominated by men. For years, many of both genders have wondered how to attract more women to the medium, both as readers and creators. Canadian comics retailer Calum Johnston has considered the issue as well, and his Halifax, Nova Scotia, store is trying something this week to give girls and women a chance to comfortably explore its wares and ask about comics.

Strange Adventures in Halifax will host its first-ever Ladies Night on Thursday, Jan. 28. Owner Calum Johnston said it’s a chance for women who are interested in comics but might have felt intimidated or awkward about venturing into a comic-book shop, but it’s also an event for fangirls to gush about comics without guys. Johnston said there won’t even be any male staff members at the event. Read the rest of this entry »