wktf and Sam Wilson's Comic Reviews, 8/24/05

[Sam Wilson]

Originally Posted by wktf

I think every one of the Simonson Thor books was a home run. Same with Miller/Janson's DD and Byrne's FF. Knowing b_c didn't like the Galactus story or your feelings about when Sue and Johnny switched powers, I think Waid/Ringo were great on every issue. For that matter, Waid/Garney's Cap, Englehart/Buscema's Cap, Duffy/Jr JR on DD, Potts/Lee on Punisher, Michelinie/Romita Jr's Iron Man, Millar/Romita Jr's Wolverine, Lee/Kirby's FF and Thor, and Lee/Ditko's Spider-Man were all consistently great. Just IMHO.

Damn brother. And that's about that. Nuff Freakin' said yo. I guess I'll add a few more: Byrne/Claremont on X-men, JR Jr/Claremont X-men, Perez/Busiek Avengers, Perez/Stern Avegers, Of course Miller/Mazzuchelli on DD and Batman, David/Keowon on Hulk, or David/Frank. Damn brother. I'm gonna get weepy eyed in my reminising (boy my spelling sucks today).

Like you've said before too, I remember back to the days picking up those cats books off the shelf, and then waiting every freakin' month for the next issue. Damn man. I remember waiting for the issues of Vision Quest back in the day, and being all shocked and everything when John Walker showed up, especially after his "death" in Captain America...

[Justin]

Sam i have to ask man.. what was the twist at the end of Ultimate X-men?

[Sam Wilson]

Originally Posted by Justin

Sam i have to ask man.. what was the twist at the end of Ultimate X-men?

I'm sending you a PM.

[wktf]

Originally Posted by Sam Wilson

Damn brother. And that's about that. Nuff Freakin' said yo. I guess I'll add a few more: Byrne/Claremont on X-men, JR Jr/Claremont X-men, Perez/Busiek Avengers, Perez/Stern Avegers, Of course Miller/Mazzuchelli on DD and Batman, David/Keowon on Hulk, or David/Frank. Damn brother. I'm gonna get weepy eyed in my reminising (boy my spelling sucks today).

Like you've said before too, I remember back to the days picking up those cats books off the shelf, and then waiting every freakin' month for the next issue. Damn man. I remember waiting for the issues of Vision Quest back in the day, and being all shocked and everything when John Walker showed up, especially after his "death" in Captain America...

I agree with all those and should add Stern/Buscema/Palmer on Avengers as well as Wolfman/Colan/Palmer on Tomb of Dracula. Miller/Mazzuchelli on DD was every bit as killer as Miller/Jansen was.

[Sam Wilson]

Originally Posted by wktf

I agree with all those and should add Stern/Buscema/Palmer on Avengers as well as Wolfman/Colan/Palmer on Tomb of Dracula. Miller/Mazzuchelli on DD was every bit as killer as Miller/Jansen was.

wk, dana, who was the best creative team on Thor? Your expert opinions are needed.

Being a child of the '80's, of course I'm going with Simonson on story and art...

[wktf]

Originally Posted by Sam Wilson

wk, dana, who was the best creative team on Thor? Your expert opinions are needed.

Being a child of the '80's, of course I'm going with Simonson on story and art...

I think Dana and I differ on this one. Dana likely will say Simonson and I absolutely love Walt's work on Thor. It's a level of work that is truly great and inspired and a body of work I personally treasure.

But for me, despite the horrendous inking by Vince Colletta, the Lee/Kirby Thor run that kicks in after the first several issues represents a level of wonder and wonderment that has never been exceeded. I think Walt took this and built on it (and he belongs right up there with them, in my opinion, believe it or not coming from such a die hard Kirby fan) as he himself has said in interviews, but for sheer comic reading joy and thrills Lee/Kirby is the team for me.

[Sam Wilson]

okay folks, wktf has some quick reviews for us now, sorry I couldn't add them to the main review post (too much space I think), but Check 'em out!

Wktf’s Supplemental Reviews

These reviews will be a bit truncated as I’m writing them while in the office. My apologies that these are late this week but many thanks to those whose thoughts have gone out to my wife and family during this trying period. My pick of the week is Dracula vs. King Arthur the review for which, fortunately, I was able to submit to my partner in crime for posting with his review plus our Byrne tpb reviews.

Wolverine #31
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: John Romita, Jr

“Agent of SHIELD” wraps up in the same way this creative team has handled this entire two arc 12 issue story line: explosively! How could Wolverine defeat the uber mutant who’s defeated him multiple times already? I was asking myself this question before reading this issue because taking Gorgon down in a straight, albeit ultra violent man-to-man fight simply wouldn’t have been credible at this point. My thanks to Millar and Romita/Janson for continuing to delight this fan and delivering a no holds barred battle that ends in the most creatively satisfying way it possibly could have ended.

Pretty humorous that Fury, at the end, says Wolverine owes him after the feral mutant’s last second rescue pulled Fury’s fat out of the fire. Also, I loved Romita’s rendering of the final Wolverine/Gorgon scene. I tell ya, it looked like Frank Miller’s Dark Knight took over Wolverine. The story ends as it began, with the parents of the dead child. There’s beautiful symmetry here. And this is the best Wolverine has been, ever. This creative team will be sorely missed.

Daredevil # 76
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Alex Maleev

Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! The malaise into which this series has fallen is gone! Hooray! Bendis and Maleev give us the opening salvo to their final arc that promises one helluva of a great DD story. The focus is primarily on Ben Urich and secondarily on Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime. We relive Urich’s near death at Elektra’s sai as he comes to Leavenworth Prison at the Kingpin’s request for an interview. His terror mounts as he goes to face the man who’s orders nearly had him killed. And the Kingpin exercises the talent that makes him one of the single most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe. Not his size and strength. Not his reach and resources. His wile and cunning. Ben, wearing a wire, having his conversation monitored, is trapped in a conversation he can’t get out of when Fisk offers to turn over all the information about his reign in exchange for his freedom. And part of that information is his knowledge that Matt Murdock is Daredevil.

Has DD been outed already? Sure, but this issue shows the public has lost sight of this thanks to the lack of proof and Matt’s persistent denial, has accepted DD as their favorite hero and that Matt’s life now has taken a turn for the better. Who’s kidding who, right? Matt is about to be betrayed by one of his closest friends who’s in a position, because his conversation wit Fisk is being monitored by the Feds, where he can make no other choice but to betray him. And, in addition, one of the estranged loves of his life literally walks through his front door. This creative team shows with this issue that they’ve still got it, and I’m back on board for the ride!

Adventures of Superman #643
DC Comics
Written by: Greg Rucka
Drawn by: Various Artists

The “Sacrifice” story arc continues here. I say continues because this issue really has no clean beginning and no clean end. And that’s exactly how it should be. The premise is how the big DC triumvirate of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman come to terms with each other for the confluence of actions each has committed that’s led them to this point. Superman is stunned and horrified that Wonder Woman, his dearest friend as he stated in this issue, cold bloodedly snapped Max Lord’s neck. Batman is angry that Superman and Superboy became the pawns of Lord and Luthor and, as a result, he was almost killed. Superman is disgusted that Batman’s paranoia led to the creation of the Brother Satelitte and the OMAC agents. And none of the three are able to reconcile their feelings of anger and anguish toward each other.

The focus of the story, of course, is Superman. This is his book after all. He finds solace in the arms of his wife. There is a point in this story when Wonder Woman, Batman and even Lois have saddened expressions on their faces but only when they are looking away from Superman. Everyone seems to know that the bond among the three of them has been permanently changed. Not broken necessarily. But things are different now. Kudos to Mr. Rucka for not bringing this issue to any real resolution but creating a series of moments that should allow their relationship to evolve or devolve further as relationships do in real life.

[wktf]

Thanks for posting Sam! Well, folks, any more comments on Adventures of Superman, Wolverine (beyond b_c's reviews) or Daredevil?

[Dan McFan]

Originally Posted by wktf

I think Dana and I differ on this one. Dana likely will say Simonson and I absolutely love Walt's work on Thor. It's a level of work that is truly great and inspired and a body of work I personally treasure.

But for me, despite the horrendous inking by Vince Colletta, the Lee/Kirby Thor run that kicks in after the first several issues represents a level of wonder and wonderment that has never been exceeded. I think Walt took this and built on it (and he belongs right up there with them, in my opinion, believe it or not coming from such a die hard Kirby fan) as he himself has said in interviews, but for sheer comic reading joy and thrills Lee/Kirby is the team for me.

My opinion differs from yours. NOBODY inked Kirby better than Vince Colletta, especially on THOR and Asgard.

[wktf]

Originally Posted by Dan McFan

My opinion differs from yours. NOBODY inked Kirby better than Vince Colletta, especially on THOR and Asgard.

Wow. First of all, a thread returns from the dead.

Second, there's a reason the Marvel bullpen called him Vince "the hack" Colletta. He took short cut after short cut on Kirby's pencils. Seriously, if you read The Jack Kirby Collector you can find before and after Kirby/Colletta work and your opinion will never be the same again. His scratchy, thin embellishments were just a travesty.

You want to see some serious Kirby inking? Just look to Joe Sinnott on his FF or Captain America, Chic Stone or Frank Giacoia on Cap and Thor (called Frankie Ray in Journey Into Mystery) or even Kirby's wife, Roz. There's some real inking, not the drek Vinnie the Hack gave us!