|
Samurai Vato
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: presiding over planet beyotch...
Posts: 5,347
|
wktf and Sam Wilson's Comic Reviews 6/15/05
Well, another slow week. The biggest new release is Wildstorm and J. Scott Campbell’s Wildsiderz #0. And let me tell you, for $1.99 you get a typical whole lot of nothing. In true Wildstorm, Top Cow fashion Wildsiderz #0 contains no story, just some insider data, character profiles, and a lot of other useless junk that is probably posted up online somewhere. Save your money, wait for issue one. On the positive, we do have a 25 cent brand new direction G.I. Joe comic (YO JOE!!), and more hotness and “Crisis” problems in Birds of Prey #83, my pick of the week. We are also going to try a little something different this week, wktf reviews Stormbreaker, and I’m going to add on my own comments after his. We are both huge fans of Beta Ray Bill, and with this new direction he’s heading in we felt it was important we both weigh in with our thoughts. That being said, on to the reviews!
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
G.I. Joe, America’s Elite #0
Devil’s Due Publishing (DDP)
Written by: Joe Casey
Drawn by: Stefano Caselli
Ahh, 1982. One year before we found out who Luke’s father was, two years into “voodoo economics”, and yes, the rebirth of G.I. Joe, this time as “A Real American Hero”. In a really cool three and three-quarter inch sized action figure, G.I. Joe’s, in my humble seven year old opinion, blew Star Wars off the shelves. They were new, different, had cool package art, and their vehicles even came with figures. To help get this toy line off the ground, Hasbro had a deal with Marvel Comics to produce G.I. Joe comics. In fact, not only did the writer of G.I. Joe Larry Hamma take care of the comics, he came up with character concepts for the entire Joe universe (remember those file card that came on the backs of all the figures packaging? Mr. Hamma wrote them all). For the first time, a comic and a toy line coexisted, each feeding off the other, and yo, it was pretty cool.
In the ‘80’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero lasted 155 issues and was published by Marvel Comics. You would see some pretty nifty covers in the early days done my Mike Zeck. Most Joe’s were Vietnam vets, and there was always some secret ninja stuff going on. You had great characters like Snake-Eyes, he was mute because of some combat injury, so he was kinda an outcast. That alone made him the coolest. Yet Hamma upped the ante and made him a ninja with a way cool tattoo as well (man, you can’t tell me some of you out there didn’t live and breath Snake-Eyes’s coolness back in the day). His mortal enemy/brother in arms was Storm Shadow, another way cool ninja dude with a tattoo. Hamma’s Joe Universe had complicated and diverse characters, pretty heavy for something aimed at kids. Now flash forward to the 21st century: ‘80’s kids, like myself, are out of college and making money and we want some of our childhood back. There is a resurgence in interest for‘80’s cartoons, Voltron, Thundercat’s, Transformers, and yes, eventually G.I. Joe. This time comic publishing is taken over by fledging company Devil’s Due, which started out as part of Image, but struck out on its own. All our old Joe’s were back, as was their arch-rivals Cobra, but it all seemed dated. In this day and age of independent terrorist cells, drug cartels sponsoring terrorists, the Shining Path, Hamas, Al Queda, the IRA and Neo Nazis (I could go on but I won’t) the concept of one major terrorist group causing all the worlds ills didn’t really fly anymore. So the powers that be decided to kill to off a bunch of Cobra’s, a major G.I. Joe character, and restart the whole concept as a small, counter-terrorist team fighting those who bode ill will towards the US.
The present state of the Joe team in America’s Elite is pretty messed. Hawk is still in a wheelchair, going a little crazy. The team now consists of Snake-Eyes, Duke, Flint (who is mourning a heavy loss), Shipwreck, Roadblock, Stalker, Scarlet, a creepier Storm Shadow, and Joeseph Colton (the original G.I. Joe). General Colton is the new man in charge (all these major changes took place in the last few issues of the previous DDP series). The new series opens with an explosion ripping through downtown Chicago, casualties in the possible thousands. A satellite decided to take a dive, but was it intentional, or just a horrible accident? Enter the Joe team. Hawk, being a little nuts, is convinced it’s Cobra up to their old tricks. Duke isn’t so convinced, and he thinks there might be a new enemy emerging. So the tone is set.
Yeah, I’ll admit. I picked up the first Devil’s Due series. It was okay, but never rose passed mediocre. It never reached the same level of coolness as the original Marvel, just a cheap facsimile. This new series is no better, it just seems DDP is trying to get all the blood from that ‘80’s nostalgia stone it can before the fans move on. I mean seriously, these characters are all Vietnam vets, that’s one of the things that made them cool. They would all be pushing 60 by now. It’s time to let the Joe team retire with some dignity. If you want some good G.I. Joe stories, Marvel has re-released its old series in tpb form, there are eight of them reprinting the first 80 issues or so. That should be enough to give you your nostalgia fix. Picking up this series is like watching the last Tyson fight, a concept way past it’s prime is an ugly thing.
Birds of Prey #83
DC Comics
Written by: Gail Simone
Drawn by: Joe Bennet
Huntress: Still a hottie
For those of you who missed my last Birds of Prey review, I’ll give you a quick recap. The Birds consist of Oracle, Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk and sometime minion savant. Oracle, aka Barbara Gordon, aka the original Batgirl found a new way to fight crime as an uber hacker/information goddess. She helped the JLA and the Bat-crew from time to time, and then decided to strike out on her own with her own operatives. They used to be located out of Gotham City, but due to the recent events of the “Gang War” crossover, abandoned their base of operations for a more mobile one (a really cool air force one type jet). Currently, Black Canary is slumming it with Wildcat in Singapore trying to take out a big time drug smuggler. Huntress is back in Gotham taking out the mob (she was a mobster’s daughter, and her family was taken out in a mob war). Oh yeah, and a little while ago Oracle was infected with a virus that seems to have come from Braniac.
So the current issue boasts an “OMAC Project Tie-In” logo on the cover. Indeed, Barbara Gordon is using a dozen hijacked Lexcorp satellites to search for the missing Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle (see the “OMAC Project” and other “Infinite Crisis” tie-ins for more on that). Suddenly, she goes cold, but is still typing. Lady Blackhawk decides it’s time to get Oracle some medical assistance so she rounds up Black Canary and Wildcat and gets them the fu$# out of dodge. Oh yeah, and Huntress is back in Gotham, with more clothing, setting up the mob and kicking butt.
Anyway, if you’re keeping up with the “Crisis” stuff you may want to pick up this issue, but seriously, it’s an awesome book. If anyone saw the Justice League Unlimited episode a couple of weeks ago with Huntress, Question, Black Canary and Green Arrow, Gail Simone wrote it. Yeah, her comics are that good too. Buy this book. There are several tpb’s out, or just pick up the newest issue, I can’t endorse this book enough.
Wktf’s Reviews
Batman: Dark Detective #4 (of 6)
DC Comics
Written by: Steve Englehart
Drawn by: Marshall Rogers & Terry Austin
Editor Eternally Emeritus: Julius Schwartz
Well, after three issues of posting a 1970s Bat-logo on the cover and a 1940s logo on the splash page, this issue sports a 1980s logo on the splash page. Regardless, this title continues to sport a retro feel that is refreshing and this issue, in particular, offers the finest chapter in this already stellar mini series.
Last issue Bruce and Silver St. Cloud, former lovers from the famed 1970s Detective Comics run by this equally famed creative team, suffered through the Scarecrow’s fear gas only to fall into each others’ arms, and Bruce’s bed, at the story’s end while the Joker, Two-Face, and the Scarecrow were still on the loose in Gotham. With this issue we discover that Scarecrow’s gas had a time released second kicker designed to drive The Batman into his deepest fear and leave him broken. The Scarecrow is savoring a glass of wine and speaking into a tape recorder as Batman re-suffers a child hood trauma that came shortly after his parents’ murder. While Scarecrow delights from afar in what he assumes will be The Batman’s final agony he cannot know that Batman has prepared himself for this attack. In fact, we learn some interesting details into Batman’s origin that showed his strength and resolve as a child, the same strength that helps him muscle through this attack.
This is a spellbinding story of triumph, which quickly turns on our players. Yes, Batman now is ready to strike fear into the Scarecrow’s heart. But Silver, who’s decided to leave her fiancée for Bruce, and bravely confronts Evan with this news, suddenly finds herself in mortal danger from Evan’s political opponent and Batman’s most deadly foe, The Joker. Englehart and Rogers have guided us through a harrowing psychological Batman trauma only to serve us up a situation that may rob Bruce and Silver of the happiness for which they long and richly deserve. Last issue I was wondering if this would be treated as an Elseworlds type story, with Bruce and Silver finding improbable happiness. Now it appears it may not be after all, as much as I’d like the opposite to be true.
Wolverine #29
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: John Romita, Jr. & Klaus Jansen
Every issue since this creative team has been at the wheel has been my pick of the week. This one is, too. Man! This may be the most kick-ass comic book out there today! Snap shot recap: Wolverine’s attempted rescue of a little Japanese boy got both him and the boy killed, Wolvie resurrected by the Hand-Hydra-Dawn of the White Light triumvirate as their mind-controlled killer zombie agent of destruction and set loose against the Marvel super community. He killed Northstar (among others) and abducted inventions of Reed Richard which are about to be weaponized to cause the End of All Things. Wolverine is rescued and reprogrammed but Elektra, helping SHIELD in his rescue, is killed and resurrected to lead an evil zombie army to help the Hand achieve their 4 billion year old mission, which we learn in this issue: Dishonor God by destroying what He’s made.
Wolverine crashes the Hand’s headquarters riding a reprogrammed Sentinel like a bucking bronco. Ultimately, the Sentinel is brought down and Wolverine must face Elektra in what must be one of the most unexpectedly surprising and gruesomely bloody plot twists in years. Honesty, folks, I just didn’t see this one coming. But, hell, it makes great sense even as the horror of this event, which dawns on Wolverine after all the blood’s been splattered, is laid bare as well. It seems like this story arc could end next issue; however, I’m delighted to report that we’ve got two more issues to go for us to see both justice and vengeance taken to the Gorgon, our primary villain of this and the prior arc, for the death of that little Japanese boy! Bring ‘em on, team!!
Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #6 (of 6)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mike Oeming & Dan Berman
Drawn by: Andrea Divito
For me, this issue started really promisingly with Galactus’ arriving to consume the planet of the Korbinites, Beta Ray Bill’s people, and Bill there to defend them. But then we got side tracked into Bill’s battle with Galactus’ new herald, a being so lame I honestly can’t even remember its name, some sub plot involving Beta Ray’s predecessor, Alpha Ray (a semi-mindless automaton) and some all-powerful space demoness named Asteroth whom Bill and Big G’s herald are battling to save a “meta-orb” containing the life forces of the remaining Korbinites. At the end of the 5th issue, Bill was in pitched battle with Asteroth who was recreated in a demon version of Bill, calling herself Omega Ray, and Bill was furiously pummeling this creature with his Asgardian hammer, Stormbreaker.
Well, okay, flash forward to this final issue and we’ve completely left the galactic and mystic planes of the prior issues and found ourselves inexplicably in lower Manhattan. Not only in New York, but in the middle of some battle between Spider-Man and some super powered villain called The Boar (yes, he’s a monstrous super pig). Bill is speaking in oddly colloquial English and The Boar is speaking street slang (referring to his “pimpin’ ride” and how he’s “gonna open up a can o’ crunk on yo’ ass - - for shizzle!”). Uhh…I dunno, this street slang seems oddly forced and kind of wrong. Just doesn’t work for me. And in a surprising and familiar way (familiar to even the most remote Thor fans) Beta Ray teams up with Spidey to take this loser down. And it seems, at the end of this issue, that Beta Ray has now become our planet’s newest hammer wielding Earth bound hero.
There are some elements to this issue that really work for me. Bill is destroyed, dismembered and dying from his battle with Omega Ray and, yet, as he’s about to close his eyes forever a mysterious spirit grants him a new opportunity for life. Also, we discover that the Korbinites’ life forces are saved by this same spirit that saved Bill. So, there is some redemption in this issue for Bill and his people that is welcome for this noble character. Also, I appreciate the opening battle’s taking on Yancy Street, Spider-Man making a Marvel tongue-in-cheek reference to “Identity Crises,” and the fact that Bill’s new alter ego seems to be named in tribute to Walt Simonson. That said, aren’t we done with the Earth-bound dual identity thing for our Asgardian heroes? Simonson got rid of it only to have Tom DeFalco bring it back and then Dan Jurgens bring it back again, and now this? And who is this mysterious spirit that saves Bill and his people? Why isn’t he identified? Is it Odin’s spirit, whom we saw in “Thor Disassembled,” or is it the spirit of Thor who possessed the Odinpower at his passing? And now we have Bill as our Asgardian hero on Earth? He’s a better Thor substitute than Thunderstrike, for sure, but Bill’s home isn’t Earth. I know with Asgard destroyed he doesn’t have many places to go, but this feels somehow shallow for him. And finally, the street trash talk just seemed a little bizarre and, again, forced. Anyway, I’m spending a lot of time writing about a story that, despite some strong redeeming qualities, just doesn’t work for me, so I’ll call it a day with that.
And now, Sam Wilson’s comments on Stormbreaker:
Yup, not to shock everyone, but I agree with wktf. I liked Bills cape yo, I don't understand why they even had to make him human. They ignore our brother for years, now they mess with him? So being an alien is the same as being a black homeless veteran? Why couldn't they just have him join the Avengers, or hang out in space with the Silver Surfer? This attempt to humanize seems like a cheap ploy to attract new readers, not to make a honest attempt at good storytelling. Bhah. Oh yeah, and the pseudo ebonics the pig was spouting was messed, and almost offensive, but mainly just ridiculous. To me, Beta Ray Bill will always be the cool cat Simonson introduced, and I won't let this dribble cloud my memory. Besides, it'll soon be written out of continuity...
Batman Begins The Movie
Produced by: Warner Brothers
This review is short and sweet: What a great movie! Lots of Batman: Year One references that really come off great here as well, most notably the bat swarm attracting sonar device in Batman’s boot heel that he employs when trapped in a building by the police. Love that we see Jim Gordon as a sergeant and then promoted to lieutenant by the end and, of course, the very ending that harkens to the Year One ending and hints at a promising sequel.
Seriously, go see it! Like you haven’t already, right?
Classic Trade Reviews
The Fantastic Four movie is one month away, Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo recently ended their historic run on the Fantastic Four title (possibly the best effort since Byrne) and JMS has taken over the title, much to these writers’ chagrin. We felt it was timely (pun absolutely intended) to take a look at some trades containing classic FF stories, especially to cleanse our palates from JMS’ first FF issue. It’s Clobberin’ Time!
Wktf’s Review
The Best of the Fantastic Four, Volume 1 HC
Marvel Comics
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Spirit of Adventure: Courtesy of Stan and Jack!
Marvel published this oversized HC a few weeks back. It’s a thing of beauty! It spans the FF’s earliest days and most classic episodes all the way to their most current. It demonstrates everything that makes the FF unique (in the past and by today’s standards) and great: family, humor, pathos and high adventure! If any criticism can be rendered toward this volume, and I’d have a hard time with anyone finding this a fault, it focuses too heavily on The Thing, with some supporting stories about Mr. Fantastic, while leaving Johnny and Sue as supporting characters in their own book. But, then, this also is volume one and I have some thoughts about what Marvel might consider including in future volumes (if anyone from Marvel is reading this review, that is).
Apologies for laundry list but you should know what’s in this anthology. This book contains Stan/Jack efforts in FF #1 (natch!), the expanded Origin of Dr. Doom from FF Annual #2, the two part Dr. Doom story from FF #s 39 and 40 featuring Daredevil, the hailed “This Man…This Monster!” tale from FF #51, the FF’s battle against nearly all their foes in android-form from FF #100, the much weaker Archie Goodwin/John Buscema “The Alien, The Ally, and…Armageddon!!” from FF #116, the wonderful 1976 Impossible Man story from FF #176 that careens through the Marvel bullpen by Roy Thomas and George Perez, John Byrne’s Marvel Two-In-One #50 where the Thing meets and battles his earlier self, as well as Byrne’s FF #236 & 267 that feature Doom and Dr. Octopus, respectively, Barry Windsor-Smith’s wonderfully comedic “April Fool!” from Marvel Fanfare #15 where the Torch one-ups The Thing several times over, the touching “Remembrance of Things Past” from FF vol. 3 #50 by Karl Kesel and Stuart Immonen where The Thing makes a return visit to Yancy Street and we learn the truth about Ben’s religious origins, Waid/Ringo’s first issue together where we first are introduced to the term “Imaginaut” and, finally, the Reed solo story from MK4 #4.
As mentioned most of these stories primarily focus on The Thing, and with BWS’ story I may have found my new second favorite Thing artist after King Kirby, replacing Mr. Byrne. His rendition of Ben is perfect! In no less than three of these stories Ben becomes human only to return to his rocky self, for the most part against his will and at Reed’s insistence, to help the team overcome adversity…two of those times being against Dr. Doom. “This Man…This Monster!”, of course, digs deep into Ben’s pain and what makes him a hero, and the Marvel Fanfare, MTIO and Yancy Street stories give us more color (both humorous and serious) around Ben’s character. Reed shines in FF #267, when he must bring Dr. Octopus back to sanity to help his radiation-poisoned wife and dying unborn baby, in FF #60 where we get a taste of Reed’s guilt over what he’s done to his family, and in MK4 #4 where we see Reed wrestle with a different kind of guilt and pain.
For the next volume I’d love to see the John Byrne story where the Psycho Man tortures the Invisible Girl who, after the ordeal, changes her code name to Invisible Woman and the Gerry Conway/Ross Andru story where Johnny goes to Attilan to discover Crystal’s fallen in love with Quicksilver. I’d also like to see the two part Stan/Jack FF #s 25/26 where the Thing battles the Hulk and the Avengers guest star, as well as FF #55 with a total knock-down drag-out fight between The Thing and the Silver Surfer. You can’t get too much of The Thing! Anyway, if you’re an FF lover you really should pick this first volume up. At nearly $30 it doesn’t come too cheap but it’s just great fun that hits on all cylinders and every story (well, again, with the exception of the Goodwin/Buscema issue) is a winner! I’m now off to start my copy of Fantastic Four Visionaries: George Perez. Happy reading!
Sam Wilson’s Review
Fantastic Four Visionaries vol. 3
Marvel Comics
Written by: John Byrne
Drawn by: John Byrne
When I was a wee lad I remember being in my dad’s office, my mom would dump me off there when she got sick of me. He had a copy of the Fantastic Four in his waiting room. It was one of those giveaways, like, the “Fantastic Four help you say no to drugs” or something like that. My dad would read it to me sometimes. When I was much older, he would ask, “remember when I would read to you about Mr. Fantastic, and the Thing?” I would always say, “yeah dad, I still read about them”. Yo, so the FF and me go way back, yeah, yeah, I had a childhood once. We all did, and comics were a part of that childhood, or we all wouldn’t be reading them now. Anyway, when I first started collecting seriously, John Byrne was on the FF. The thing that jumped out most at me on Byrne’s run was the sense of family. Reed and Sue were parents, and loved their son. Johnny was a total player, he was young and handsome and liked the ladies, and the ladies liked him. Ben Grimm was big and mean with a heart of gold. The general public feared him, but he was quite possibly the most heroic and loyal of them all, therefore making him the most tragic (I identified most with the every lovin’, blue eyed thing of course). This third volume in the Fantastic Four Visionaries series contains an excellent sample of Byrne’s stories that best represent his work with these characters: Fantastic Four issues 251-257, Avengers # 233 and The Thing #2.
In this tpb we are taken to the negative zone where the FF get involved in a few “Star Trek the Next Generation” type adventures, and have to make some hard, morality and science based decisions. Meanwhile, back on Earth Ben Grimm’s girl, Alicia Masters, is left to care for young Franklin Richards (Reed and Sue’s daughter for those who don’t know). Of course it is during this trip to the Negative the FF’s fearsome negative zone nemesis Annihilus, decides to take advantage of the team’s absence. Oh yeah, since he has lost his immortality, he decides he’s gonna destroy both our universe and the negative zone (yo, seriously, the dude’s name is “Annihilus”, it’s kinda his thing, what did you think he was gonna do, take up knitting and make a tea kettle cozy or something?). This scheme is so grand the Avengers gotta get involved. Oh yeah, we also get Galactus messing with the Skrulls, some backstory action with Johnny Storm’s love life, and one of the most personal and touching “Thing” stories I have ever read.
So, if anyone has read any of John Byrne’s recent writings, you would see he’s a total hack now. Yeah, and as a person the guy is a total di$# too. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s done some of the most character defining work in the modern comics era, and his work on the FF is no exception. The Fantastic Four Visionaries volume three is in print and available for $24.99 USD. If you’re looking for some classic FF reading before the big movie hits, check this out. Check out the first two volumes as well, I guarantee, you are in for some great stories.
Last edited by Sam Wilson; 06-16-2005 at 11:04 PM.
|
