Wktf’s Reviews
Dracula vs. King Arthur #2
Silent Devil Productions
Written by: Adam & Christian Beranek
Drawn by: Chris Moreno
This very impressive series moves forward with another chilling entry. This creative team is just tearing it up here with a wonderful plot and story and some first rate supernatural art (you’ve got to check out this issue’s cover!). In the first issue we witnessed the parallels between the mortal Vlad Dracul and King Arthur’s lives, Dracula’s chilling meeting with Lucifer and how the ultimate deceiver seduced the Lord of Wallachia with the promise of power, glory and the ability to create a kingdom in his own image. We witnessed Lord Dracula’s devolution into a vampire and his journeying back to the days of Camelot, at Lucifer’s insistence, to destroy King Arthur whom Lucifer refers to as “a champion of God.” Lucifer has planted a dream in Arthur’s sleep causing Arthur to take a cadre of knights out of Camelot in search of the Holy Grail and, thus, leaving his Queen Guinevere with Lancelot, his most loyal knight, to protect her and his kingdom. Finally, also at Lucifer’s instruction, we witnessed Dracula’s vampiric rape of the Sorceress Morgana, Arthur’s enemy, as the first step in his effort to destroy Arthur.
But, regardless of Dracula’s arrival, all is not well in Camelot. Guinevere (feeling abandoned yet again by Arthur and his latest quest) and Lancelot have already exchanged furtive looks last issue. This issue picks up with a clandestine but romantic meeting between the two. Dracula’s minions are growing, though, and soon Guinevere is captured despite Lancelot’s best efforts. Merlin, a sort of Rastafarian witch doctor, sensing but not fully knowing the scope of the evil in Camelot, warns Lancelot not to pursue his Queen as he will leave Camelot unprotected and likely fail if he goes to the evil’s source. But, of course, things go badly from here. Where the ruthless Dracula took Morgana by force he now seduces Guinevere to his will through the same sly manipulations and persuasion, as well as his vampiric hypnotic powers, that Lucifer used on him. Guinevere gives herself to him and, as a result, soon thereafter Lancelot is turned as well. In the mean time Arthur is visiting with Bishops to learn of the Grail’s whereabouts and saying things like, “What good is a library if only the king can use it? I despise reading!” Lines like this and his insensitivity to his wife’s loneliness, which Dracula fully exploits, make Arthur seem like a true lout. In addition, Dracula absconds the sacred sword Excalibur from Arthur to use against Lancelot. Can this seemingly inept king truly be a match for the wily and powerful Dracula who has not only already stolen Arthur’s weapon but created undead soldiers out of his greatest enemy, his champion, his wife and much of his kingdom? I can’t wait to see what happens in issue #3!
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
A good week for me at the LCS, picked up the Chris Claremont Visionaries hardcover, we got some Howard Chaykin over in the Wildstorm section (City of Tomorrow), a double dose of Queen and Country, Tom Raney on Ultimate X-men annual #1 and my pick of the week, the new Warren Ellis series from DC, Jack Cross. I will say I’m a little peeved that the Dini/Ross oversized slipcase hardcover from DC collecting all of the tabloid editions they put out over the last few years was delayed yet AGAIN until next week, but I’ll get over it.
The OMAC Project #5
DC Comics
Written by: Greg Rucka
Drawn by: Jesus Saiz, Cliff Richards and Bob Wiacek
As far as all things OMAC are concerned, it has been a real sh$# storm. For those who haven’t been keeping up, I’m about to issue a big fat SPOILER WARNING, stop reading this review NOW if you don’t want things to be ruined. OMAC started out with the death of the Blue Beetle at the hands of Max Lord, zealot and all around crazy mofo in charge of Checkmate, a group that also includes Sasha Bordeaux (former bodyguard to Bruce Wayne, see the “Bruce Wayne, Fugitive” storyline for more details) amongst its members. Max also gets control of Bruce Wayne’s (Batman’s) uber satellite, and now knows everything about every hero on the planet. Then Superman goes crazy, and beats the snot out of Batman, and then gets his a$# beat by Wonder Woman, who finds out his mind is under Max’s complete control and the only way to break that control is to kill him. Wonder Woman then promptly breaks Max’s neck and the OMAC’s start going crazy, killing all Checkmate members and attacking various members of the Justice League, and that brings us to issue 5.
So issue five opens up with Batman’s satellite becoming “self-aware” and saying goodbye to its creator. Then we are put back into battle with the Justice League and also see some more executions within Checkmate. There is not much more I can say without spoiling everything. I will say that we finally learn (sorta) what these OMACs are all about, Sasha Bordeaux goes through some changes and at the end of this issue the sh$# really hits the fan. Anyway, for more on the aftermath of Wonder Woman’s actions, pick up The Adventures of Superman issue #643. Of all this new “Crisis” crap and “House of M” muckty muck, I gotta say OMAC has been a pleasant surprise, definitely a crossover worth picking up.
Jack Cross #1
DC Comics
Written by: Warren Ellis
Drawn by: Gary Erskine
Warren Ellis, my man. Clearly this guy has read a lot of Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and Elmore Leonard in his day and here we get his latest entry into the super-spy genre Jack Cross. Those of you who have picked up the Wildstorm Mini Series Red, Reload, The Global Frequency or the current mini series Desolation Jones are familiar with Ellis’s love of the spy genre. His spies aren’t stealthy James Bond types though, they are balls to the walls go for broke anti-heroes with slick “Elmore Leonard” style dialogue and some sort of world threat breathing down their necks, and oh yeah, always on a countdown timer. Jack Cross opens in that typical fashion, our hero and a group of black suited gentlemen go on a raid in a nondescript apartment, obliterate everyone inside with submachine guns, grab the “briefcase” and exit, blowing everything up behind them. Oh yeah, it’s on and it’s on like a muthafu$#er.
Then Ellis switches gears, our hero is walking on a beach in San Francisco holding hands with a hottie and talking about “political activism”. Hmph, what the hell kind of a$# kicker is this, talkin’ all this hippie nonsense? Anyway, said hottie needs to bring Jack back into the “fold”; apparently an operation has gone awry with the Department of Homeland Security and Jack Cross is needed. Following a domestic terrorist incident, a group of bad people got ahold of a suitcase nuclear device, and it appears an agent on the inside helped them with their getaway. The agent is now sitting in an interrogation room; apparently no one can make him talk. Two Million dollars, cart blanche from the National Security Council and the promise of being left alone for a few years brings Jack Cross is back into the fold. Oh yeah, that muthafu$#a be talkin’ now…
What follows is not your typical Homicide: Life on the Street “in the box” interrogation setting. Yeah, you may have seen people get broken down on TV and in the movies, it might even have been brutal, inventive, or witty, but trust me. You aint’ seen NUTHIN’ till you’ve seen Jack Cross break someone down. Oh yeah, Ellis has kicked the door in and I can’t wait for more of Jack Cross. Gary Erskine’s style suits the book very well, not over done with strict lines and a good use of color and shading. Definitely a moody book. As for what that mood is, you’ll have to pick it up and figure it out for yourself.
Ultimate X-men Annual #1
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian K. Vaughn
Drawn by: Tom Raney
Tom Raney: Is freakin’ AWESOME
Another week down, and another fantastic “Ultimate Annual” on the shelf. Ultimate X-men Annual #1 follow in the footsteps of The Ultimates Annual and Ultimate Spider-Man Annual (in fact, in the first couple pages there is a little reference to the events in Ultimate Spider-Man #1) and maintains the high standard of quality the entire “Ultimate” line has maintained thus far. Anyway, our issue starts out with the X-men working out in the danger room with Professor X watching from above, as always. Suddenly he receives a priority call from Nick Fury. It appears the Juggernaught has broken out of prison, and might have a bone to pick with Rogue, his former teammate in the “Brotherhood of Evil Mutants”. Yeah, Rogue turned states evidence against him and then went to chill at Xavier’s. Part of that deal was for her to remain in Xavier’s custody and he would act as her guardian, only that really didn’t work out as planned. Everyone’s favorite German Mutant twins Fernis (the offspring of Baron Von Strucker) tried to sink their hooks into Rogue but failed, but rather than go back to Xavier’s she hooked up with the dashing thief and former enemy turned love interest Gambit, and off she went to “find herself”.
Ultimate X-men Annual #1’s story soon gets underway and we find Gambit and Rogue breaking into the Vault at the Fernis casinos. It appears the Fernis siblings have purchased a magic gem from an arms dealer by the name of Black Tom Cassidy, and Rogue wants to steal it to piss them off and pay them back for some of the misery they caused her. Did I mention that magic gem was the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak (the gem that gives the regular Marvel U’s Juggernaught his power). In the Ultimate Universe it should be noted that the Juggernaught is already super strong, and not to surprise you folks, but he ends up mixing it up with Rogue and Gambit, and let’s just say Juggy becomes a new man once he inadvertently absorbs the gem’s powers. Oh yeah, most of this issue is a brawl, and we get a few moments of sensitivity and reflection, but mostly brawling, and of course a big surprise ending. A real big surprise actually, if you would ask me, in a million years I would have never guessed that’s the way things were headed.
Brian K. Vaughn did a great job of telling this story, and damn if Tom Raney’s pencil’s aren’t some of the best in the biz. In my opinion he is every bit the penciller Jim Lee or Mike Turner WISHES they could be. Ever since his amazing work on Wildstorm’s Stormwatch, to his fill in stuff on X-men, and then the Outsiders and now “Ultimate X-men” (and soon “Ultimate Secret War”) I have been completely taken aback with this guys talent, and I hope he stays with the Ultimate Universe for a long time. Anyway, pick this book up, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Trade Reviews
When you think of the most important comics creators of the late 1970s and most of the 1980s John Byrne must be one of the people who comes to mind. His work with Chris Claremont on X-Men propelled that title to superstardom, he is credited with putting the “family” back into the Fantastic Four with his “visionary” solo run on that book and, of course, he rebooted Superman and gave us a new Man of Steel for the modern age and the very one we know today. Back then he seemed to have achieved comic book rock star status that eluded other great creators, like George Perez (at the time). He also had some noteworthy, albeit less spectacular, runs on other big titles like The Avengers, West Coast Avengers, Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman and The Sensational She-Hulk.
But as I’ve read more about John Byrne, the person, over the years the less I liked him. At conventions he has been reported to have come across as arrogant and rude. His opinions and treatments of others including fans, who he seemed to have forgotten paid their hard-earned dough for his work, often were cruel and smacked of ignorance. But I’d never read or experienced any of this directly myself until recently when I picked up “Secrets in the Shadows,” the new tribute book to Gene Colan, one of my single most favorite comic book artists ever. Now, of course, just because I love Colan’s art doesn’t mean everyone has to. To me, his dramatic and cinematic style was so wonderful and unique, and his contributions on such characters as Daredevil, Iron Man, Sub-Mariner, Dr. Strange, Captain America, The Avengers and, of course, Dracula were legendary. But Byrne’s words for Colan were harsh: “…you don’t have to take incomprehensible stuff that Gene Colan produces because it’s tricky…Colan cheats. Colan just doesn’t bother to do it right…Why is he not doing it? Has he had a stroke? Have too many brain cells burned up?” No respect. No attempt to try to fathom a style he doesn’t understand (is Van Gough crap to Byrne, too?). Just harsh, cruel, hurtful words.
Sam Wilson Chiming in here, before wktf wraps it up. Aside from the aforementioned inane and insensitive comments he mentioned, Byrne also has said things like (I’m paraphrasing mind you) “Why are black people offended by the word ‘ni$#er’?”, and has also expressed offense at minority actors playing “white” characters in movies (Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin and Jessica Alba as Sue Storm). What I ask is this, is Byrne really a racist a$# clown, or is he a broken hack creator whose heyday was 20 years ago, and he’s desperately calling for attention like a little baby, substituting crying with inflammatory and despicable comments? I don’t know, and either way, as far as a person goes he’s pretty much a di$# and if I saw him walking on one side of the street I would cross and stay away from him. Now back to wktf for some final words of wisdom.
Still, as I learned in college when studying American poet Ezra Pound (reported by our professor to have been an anti-Semitic Nazi sympathizer) sometimes you have to separate the art from the artist. So, it’s in this spirit that we make this week’s trade reviews a Byrne-fest. But, damn, John, it’s a safe bet you’ll never be invited to my house for dinner. The manners and respect I try to teach my kids would be out the window after an evening with you. I was a big fan of your for years but now just think of you as a class-A ass clown.
Wktf’s Review
The Sensational She-Hulk tpb
Marvel Comics
Writer/Artist: John Byrne
After Byrne’s run on Superman, following his ground breaking run on the FF, John Byrne tackled the character he brought back from near obscurity in the pages of the FF: the no longer Savage but now Sensational She-Hulk. And, damn, she looked great in the FF and she looked even better in her revived solo book! Byrne also was doing some stuff in this new series that was pretty unique at the time. For one, he broke down that “fourth wall” in comics that separated the reader from the story. In fact, Jen actually knew she not only was a character in a comic book but also conversed not only directly with the reader but also with Byrne himself. Here’s a great line from her second issue: “What…?? TOAD MEN, Bryrne?? TOAD MEN? I thought the cover was just a gag! I was all set for the Kree or the Skrulls…or even the crummy Kryloreans! But you stick me with the TOAD MEN?” Jen is, of course, referring to the funny little creatures from the second issue of the earliest Stan/Jack Hulk comics who made an appearance now in her book. He also brought back Weezie Mason, an aged version of Timely (early Marvel) Comics’ Blonde Phantom who, literally, helps Jen navigate from one comic panel to another. In fact, when an angered Jen tries coming through the page to get at Byrne, Weezie grabs her and says “Control yourself! We’re inked and colored! Printed! There’s a reader out there now!”
This book collects the first eight issues of the second volume of Shulkie’s book, after which Byrne left the title until his return to it some 22 issues later. There are plenty of guest stars, including Spider-Man and Mr. Fantastic. There are some romantic dream sequences when she fantasizes about Hercules. There are wacky villains like the Ringmaster, the Stilt Man and Xemnu, The Titan. There’s even a Lex Luthor look alike! But mostly this book is all She-Hulk, whether in all-out action or modeling the latest fashion, all the time. Plus you get to see her a lot in her underwear. It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s light hearted. And it’s different enough to really work. It definitely goes further off center than Dan Slott’s off-beat treatment of her last year. So, if you’re looking for a really fun read that’s not burdened by any obligatory sense of comic book angst, a book that’s also plotted, scripted and drawn really well, well, here’s your book. Unfortunately, it’s long out of print. I found mine on
www.bn.com a few years back. It retailed originally for $12.95 but who knows what you’ll pay for it now. Check the online comics stores, bookstores and eBay. If you find it you should buy it. You’ll be glad you did.
Sam Wilson’s Review
Avengers West Coast: Vision Quest
Marvel Comics
Written by: John Byrne
Drawn by: John Byrne
“Vision Quest” is being touted by the big wigs at Marvel as the precursor to “House of M” and that whole “Avengers Disassembled” thing, you know, where the Scarlet Witch lost it and her actions resulted in the deaths of Hawkeye, Jack of Hearts, the Vision, and Ant Man (Scott Lang) and the “disassembly of the Avengers”. Before all of that craziness there was another time when the Scarlet Witch lost her marbles, and it happened under the direction of John Byrne. Avengers West Coast was a floundering series that needed a series injection of, well, something, so Marvel gave it over to ‘80’s legend John Byrne, whose run on the Fantastic Four had much critical praise (yeah, some people might remember him as the artist on a little known Marvel Comic The Uncanny X-men). Anyway, before the Vision and the Scarlet Witch hooked up with the “Avengers West Coast” the Vision came under control of this evil computer named ISAAC, from Titan, and tried to take control of the world’s computer systems. In fact, it was originally the Vision’s idea (birthed with mal intent, more or less) to start a “West Coast” division of the Avengers to expand his power base. Obviously good triumphed over evil and the Vision regained control of his senses and all was good in the world and hey, there was a new team of Avengers formed out of the deal. Of course doing a little thing like taking control of the world’s computer systems doesn’t go without consequences.
A few years after the ISAAC incident, the Vision and the Scarlet Witch and their two sons move to the West coast to help beef up the team after a few of their key members split. Wait, yeah, I said two sons. Right, I know the Vision is a “synthetic humanoid”, but hey, the Scarlet Witch worked her “chaos magic” and thus two sons were born (man, if I didn’t know where babies came from reading something like that would fu$# me up). Yeah, this marriage sounds stable as hell, doesn’t it? Did I mention their wedding was officiated by Imortus, aka Rama Tut, aka Kang the Conqueror? Yeah, that Kang, one of the Avengers greatest enemies. So the Vision and Scarlet Witch’s wedding was more screwed up than a dyslexic white house accountant and they had a couple of kids created by chaos Viagra. Going back to the Avengers West compound, strange things start happening: the kids (Thomas and Williams) start disappearing, and then suddenly repapering as if nothing had happened. Ultron attacks, but it’s not really Ultron, his defeat comes way to easy. Then the unthinkable happens, in the midst of the Avengers battle with Ultron the Vision goes missing, well not only missing but every trace of him in the Avengers records have also been erased, as if he had never existed in the first place.
So the Avengers figure out that someone had to have worked them from the inside because of their tight security; that is the only way anyone could have gotten to the Vision. All this, and the twins are still disappearing, Tigra is loosing control of her animal instincts, and the Scarlet Witch is growing increasingly more paranoid and defensive, even more so once we find out why the Vision was taken. Oh yeah, and the Avengers have to deal with a member forced onto them by the US Government (USA Agent, aka John Walker, aka the man who replaced Captain America for a little bit and then went completely psycho after his parents were killed by terrorists and starting killing people left and right in a berserker rage) and the after affects of the Vision’s kidnapping. It turns out it wasn’t any particular “bad guy” who snatched him, and the affects of said kidnapping affected the Vision, the Scarlet Witch, and their two sons forever.
The Vision being kidnapped leads to a breakdown of sorts for Wanda (aka the Scarlet Witch). When the Vision is put back together, he is without emotion, the “base” for his emotions was previously provided by Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man), though not by his choice. This time around Simon opts not to give up his brain patterns to the Vision, which infuriates Wanda and of course pushes here even further away from the Avengers and into the realm of a mental breakdown. Adding to Wanda’s anguish is the new discovery that the Vision is not a retooling of the ‘40’s Human Torch android, rather he is his own entity. This leads into a story where a group that wants to use her particular mutant power to their evil ends kidnaps the Scarlet Witch. I gotta say this though, the whole Wanda getting kidnapped thing, and the people who do it, well, LAME DUMB LAME STUPID. I mean, seriously, what the fu$% drug was Byrne on when he came up with that sh$# ? We also get guest appearances by the She-Hulk, Captain America, the original Human Torch and the first appearance of the Great Lakes Avengers (whoopee). Yeah, things do kinda fall apart toward the end but up until those last few issues you have a really good story and it’s almost painful to watch the cumulative effect of Wanda Maximoff’s life falling down around her.
So this tpb is readily in print and available for $24.99, or you can check out the original issues, Avengers West Coast issue #’s 42 -50. Honestly there was so much going on in this tpb I could’ve written a couple of pages of review, without giving spoilers. Yeah, it’s dense and a good read, but kinda falls off a little at the end. Nonetheless, a great story and if you were a fan of Avengers Disassembled check this tpb out.
(and bring bat_collector with you, we gotta get him out more)(yeah, I know, I'm being mature, but I feel I have to in light of all the recent a$# clownery).
