Grant Morrison's 18 Days #20 (Graphic India)
I love to keep tabs on it. Would love to read the whole thing sometime.
Atomic Robo: The Temple of Od #4 (IDW) (2016)
Still an absolute pleasure to read.
Avatarex #3 (Graphic India)
This was the best issue of Grant Morrison's other Graphic India project to date. Issues seem to be released sporadically.
Batman #20 (DC)
Best issue of Tom King's run so far, ties a lot of stuff together, including some further personal reflections he'd hadn't gotten to yet.
DK III: The Master Race #8 (DC)
Can't help but feel as if Frank Miller envisioned this as a career statement, his current role and how he remains as relevant as Batman. Also, the Amazons are truly Amazonian basically for the first time ever. Wonder Woman has really joined the trilogy.
The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #4 (DC)
To say that Captain Atom has had an interesting publishing history would be an understatement. Cary Bates returns from the past, too, to co-write a thoroughly considered story.
Green Lanterns #20 (DC)
Checking in. Still loving it. Still am hugely pleased that someone is finally getting Green Lantern(s) right again.
Ninjak #25 (Valiant)
Here's a character who always seems so important when I see him in other Valiant titles. Despite the fact that Matt Kindt has been writing his solo adventures, I hadn't read them until now. A mistake.
Providence #12 (Avatar)
The conclusion of Alan Moore's latest comics vision, an ode to Lovecraft and those obsessed with him.
WrestleMania 2017 Special (Boom!)
The recent Boom! launch of WWE comics has placed an emphasis on retelling stories originally presented in WWE programming itself. There's a good bit of that to be found here, and it's done excellently. Plus the New Day!
Superman #7, 20 (DC)
I had a look at an older issue because I'd heard Tomasi/Gleason were up to their old tricks of telling personal, standalone stories again. I thought it was drawn by Gleason, too, but it turns out to have been Jorge Jimenez, who is typically excellent. The latter issue is also the newest one, and once again features guest-stars from Tomasi/Gleason's last project, Batman and Robin. You guessed it, Batcow and, ah who am I kidding? Tomasi/Gleason continue to be master storytellers.
Old Man Logan #20 (Marvel)
Jeff Lemire will be taking a trip down memory line in his final issues, and this one's the setup. A good one.
Showing posts with label Atomic Robo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atomic Robo. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Reading Comics 187 "Catching up on Atomic Robo, Batman & Robin Eternal, Empress, Huck, Klaus, Nameless, Star Trek, and Tuki"
Free Comic Book Day this year was pretty good for me, and not just for the reasons I've already discussed, but because of the way I justified loitering to see how others were enjoying it at my local haunt: namely, by shopping.
There's a whole bookshelf of titles not published by DC or Marvel, or classified as mature reader material (in this place, that stuff is kept in glass cases by the register), which I haven't really explored before as it's chaotically managed. I spent half the time I browsed it trying to help bring about some order (yeah, I'm that kind of shopper). It was cool, too, because spending that time helped me think up stuff I should be thinking about. There were a couple of people there who stumbled on Chris Burnham's E for Extinction mini-series from Secret Wars, and they mistakenly identified Burnham as Frank Quitely. I corrected them, but it's an easy mistake to make. I mean, Grant Morrison worked with Burnham because he evokes Quitely. Eventually, this made me remember Nameless, and the fact that I never read its final issue, which was released late last year. But more on that later. Here's the stuff I found:
Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire #5 (IDW)
The conclusion of IDW's first Atomic Robo mini-series (the character was previously published by Red 5, who used to feature him in all its FCBD releases) features his gang of action scientists confronting the notion of science becoming too big for its britches, working for the greater good at the expense of good public relations. You know, the classic Bond Villain dilemma. I love that IDW allows the comic a letters page, in which I am constantly humbled by how much better other fans keep track of Atomic Robo's adventures.
Batman & Robin Eternal #26 (DC)
The conclusion of this half-year weekly was something I wanted to read despite not having read any issue of it since, ah, the first one. The late 2015 attempt at emphasizing the Robin legacy was a welcome one in my books, what with "Robin War" and this series that featured basically every Batman sidekick ever, including most of the ones from the New 52 (Duke Thomas is featured on the cover but absent from the interior, although he ended up playing a key role in Scott Snyder's final Batman arc). Harper Row/Bluebird seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of this story, even as she was easily, otherwise, Snyder's least-utilized creation except in the alternate Eternal adventures. Also featured are Stephanie Brown/Spoiler and Cassandra Cain, a much-loved one-time Batgirl who assumes the identity of the Orphan and thusly becoming the other big beneficiary of the series. Also in the spotlight: Dick Grayson, the first Robin, who also receives some nifty character work. It was nice seeing him, Jason, Tim, and Damian getting along, too, and the whole concept of what brings all of them together, the character of Mother, who provides an alternative to Batman, was a good one, too. So I can say this was a pretty worthwhile affair.
Empress #2 (Icon)
Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen's space opera of a distant past (kind of like Star Wars, or the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica) ramps up. It's hard not to find comparisons with Saga, but I can't help gush over Immonen's return to his more simplistic, evocative style, which for me is the obvious, easy draw of the series.
Huck #6 (Image)
The conclusion of Millar and Rafael Albuquerque's Superman analogy (akin to Tom de Haven's It's Superman! novel featuring a simple-minded Midwesterner) has his mother save the day, but Huck proving to be the kind of hero everyone wants Superman to be in the movies. (Although, folks, we did see that Superman, as portrayed by Christopher Reeve. Four times.)
Klaus #2, 3, 4 (Boom!)
I bugged the owner of the shop I was frequenting in Maine about this title, pronouncing it like "mouse" instead of "claws," Grant Morrison's Santa origin, but kind of drifted away from it after the break I took from being a full-time reader. (And by the way, I'm still on that break, and things may grow sparse here to reflect that, in the coming months.) Yet coming across the second, third, and fourth issues (the covers reflect that the mini-series expanded from six to seven issues somewhere along the line) had me back in the mood. This is very much a fairy tale, or even a superhero kind of story. You can be a fan of Frozen and find much to love about it. Morrison has written few romances, but this is one of them. More and more, I like it a lot.
Nameless #6 (Image)
Morrison's reunion with Burnham (after Batman Incorporated) baffled me as a kind of regression on Morrison's part, horror kind of for the sake of horror. He's not normally so one-dimensional. But I guess that was kind of the point, tapping back into his black magic bag to present a portrait of true human depravity. This will never be one of my favorite Morrison works, but at least I understand it a little better now.
Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War #6 (IDW)
The conclusion of this crossover proves once again that it was basically a love letter to the Geoff Johns era in the Green Lantern franchise, which is something I could totally embrace. It's also one of the more readable Star Trek comics I've read from IDW in recent years. After a spectacular start when it acquired the rights, IDW's efforts started to slide. This was set in the 2009 continuity, which worked well for the concept, including its use of Chang (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), who was unlikely to show up in this continuity otherwise.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #2 (IDW)
Taking a chance, I also snapped this up. Like a lot of IDW's Star Trek comics (including the above), it's written by Mike Johnson, but it's Johnson in excellent mode. While the parts largely borrowing directly from the 2009 film are fairly routine, the ones featuring new cadets are lively, showing what it's like to live in Star Trek, filled with insightful and amusing culture clash material. Honestly, I don't know why there hasn't been more stuff like this, whether from IDW, other comics publishers, or the ongoing series of Pocket Books novels. Also of note is artist Derek Charm, whose blog I have technically been following for years, and although I don't remember now how that started, it's nice to be able to say that I've now bought some of his work.
Tuki #4 (Cartoon)
This latest collection of material Jeff Smith previously serialized on the Internet features the main character and his quirky companions coming closer to facing their destiny: being the first humanoid to leave Africa. The weird ways the group interacts with one another, and Smith's vision of the world at that time continues to be fascinating. I was glad the shop had this. I'd caught another printed issue there, but didn't know if I'd ever see another. Well, now I know.
There's a whole bookshelf of titles not published by DC or Marvel, or classified as mature reader material (in this place, that stuff is kept in glass cases by the register), which I haven't really explored before as it's chaotically managed. I spent half the time I browsed it trying to help bring about some order (yeah, I'm that kind of shopper). It was cool, too, because spending that time helped me think up stuff I should be thinking about. There were a couple of people there who stumbled on Chris Burnham's E for Extinction mini-series from Secret Wars, and they mistakenly identified Burnham as Frank Quitely. I corrected them, but it's an easy mistake to make. I mean, Grant Morrison worked with Burnham because he evokes Quitely. Eventually, this made me remember Nameless, and the fact that I never read its final issue, which was released late last year. But more on that later. Here's the stuff I found:
Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire #5 (IDW)
The conclusion of IDW's first Atomic Robo mini-series (the character was previously published by Red 5, who used to feature him in all its FCBD releases) features his gang of action scientists confronting the notion of science becoming too big for its britches, working for the greater good at the expense of good public relations. You know, the classic Bond Villain dilemma. I love that IDW allows the comic a letters page, in which I am constantly humbled by how much better other fans keep track of Atomic Robo's adventures.
Batman & Robin Eternal #26 (DC)
The conclusion of this half-year weekly was something I wanted to read despite not having read any issue of it since, ah, the first one. The late 2015 attempt at emphasizing the Robin legacy was a welcome one in my books, what with "Robin War" and this series that featured basically every Batman sidekick ever, including most of the ones from the New 52 (Duke Thomas is featured on the cover but absent from the interior, although he ended up playing a key role in Scott Snyder's final Batman arc). Harper Row/Bluebird seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of this story, even as she was easily, otherwise, Snyder's least-utilized creation except in the alternate Eternal adventures. Also featured are Stephanie Brown/Spoiler and Cassandra Cain, a much-loved one-time Batgirl who assumes the identity of the Orphan and thusly becoming the other big beneficiary of the series. Also in the spotlight: Dick Grayson, the first Robin, who also receives some nifty character work. It was nice seeing him, Jason, Tim, and Damian getting along, too, and the whole concept of what brings all of them together, the character of Mother, who provides an alternative to Batman, was a good one, too. So I can say this was a pretty worthwhile affair.
Empress #2 (Icon)
Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen's space opera of a distant past (kind of like Star Wars, or the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica) ramps up. It's hard not to find comparisons with Saga, but I can't help gush over Immonen's return to his more simplistic, evocative style, which for me is the obvious, easy draw of the series.
Huck #6 (Image)
The conclusion of Millar and Rafael Albuquerque's Superman analogy (akin to Tom de Haven's It's Superman! novel featuring a simple-minded Midwesterner) has his mother save the day, but Huck proving to be the kind of hero everyone wants Superman to be in the movies. (Although, folks, we did see that Superman, as portrayed by Christopher Reeve. Four times.)
Klaus #2, 3, 4 (Boom!)
I bugged the owner of the shop I was frequenting in Maine about this title, pronouncing it like "mouse" instead of "claws," Grant Morrison's Santa origin, but kind of drifted away from it after the break I took from being a full-time reader. (And by the way, I'm still on that break, and things may grow sparse here to reflect that, in the coming months.) Yet coming across the second, third, and fourth issues (the covers reflect that the mini-series expanded from six to seven issues somewhere along the line) had me back in the mood. This is very much a fairy tale, or even a superhero kind of story. You can be a fan of Frozen and find much to love about it. Morrison has written few romances, but this is one of them. More and more, I like it a lot.
Nameless #6 (Image)
Morrison's reunion with Burnham (after Batman Incorporated) baffled me as a kind of regression on Morrison's part, horror kind of for the sake of horror. He's not normally so one-dimensional. But I guess that was kind of the point, tapping back into his black magic bag to present a portrait of true human depravity. This will never be one of my favorite Morrison works, but at least I understand it a little better now.
Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War #6 (IDW)
The conclusion of this crossover proves once again that it was basically a love letter to the Geoff Johns era in the Green Lantern franchise, which is something I could totally embrace. It's also one of the more readable Star Trek comics I've read from IDW in recent years. After a spectacular start when it acquired the rights, IDW's efforts started to slide. This was set in the 2009 continuity, which worked well for the concept, including its use of Chang (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), who was unlikely to show up in this continuity otherwise.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #2 (IDW)
Taking a chance, I also snapped this up. Like a lot of IDW's Star Trek comics (including the above), it's written by Mike Johnson, but it's Johnson in excellent mode. While the parts largely borrowing directly from the 2009 film are fairly routine, the ones featuring new cadets are lively, showing what it's like to live in Star Trek, filled with insightful and amusing culture clash material. Honestly, I don't know why there hasn't been more stuff like this, whether from IDW, other comics publishers, or the ongoing series of Pocket Books novels. Also of note is artist Derek Charm, whose blog I have technically been following for years, and although I don't remember now how that started, it's nice to be able to say that I've now bought some of his work.
Tuki #4 (Cartoon)
This latest collection of material Jeff Smith previously serialized on the Internet features the main character and his quirky companions coming closer to facing their destiny: being the first humanoid to leave Africa. The weird ways the group interacts with one another, and Smith's vision of the world at that time continues to be fascinating. I was glad the shop had this. I'd caught another printed issue there, but didn't know if I'd ever see another. Well, now I know.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Reading Comics 172 "A final week..."
It always sucks having to tell your local comics shop that you have to close your hold file. But that's what happened last Wednesday...
When I started this blog at the end of 2010, I was headed toward what I thought was the end of a very enjoyable period of reading comics that'd begun six years earlier. Instead, Flashpoint and the New 52 succeeded in sucking me back in. It's always a question of money. I walked away from comics in 1999 because I needed money for college. The intended 2011 break was because I was entering my worst financial period (and it just got worse and worse until finally...it got better). Now, it's because I will be entering a unique period of my life, dedicated to my sister and her baby. I don't know when I'll have comics money again. It's wise to walk away sooner rather than later, without that dangling period like I gave myself the last time, keeping the window open. The window is closed.
It sucks, in some ways, because I would love to read Dark Knight III in its individual installments. I would love to read Klaus from Grant Morrison. And there are other comics I won't have a chance to read, or haven't heard about yet, and...
So it's better to try and not think about that. This was a good year, a very good year, and it was one in which a lot of great stories ended. Which makes all this far more fitting than I could've imagined. If there has to be another moment to walk away, this is as good a moment as there can be.
All that being said, I made sure the last week was a good one, too.
18 DAYS #4 (Graphic India)
This issue is more or less an incredibly abbreviated version of the classic Bhagavad Gita, in which Arjuna and Krishna have an epic heart-to-heart. I've grown to appreciate how this Morrison project has opened up the Iliad of India. This is pretty much what I always hoped Shanower would've done with Age of Bronze (a project that is apparently indefinitely on hold). Shanower, left to his own devices, is far less interesting than the kind of liveliness he exhibited adapting Baum's material in Marvel's Oz series. Even if Morrison himself isn't writing 18 Days directly, his blueprint has proven invaluable, and the results have been continually and even increasingly impressive. I will try and keep tabs on this series, and hope to catch Morrison's other Graphic India project, Avatarex, at some point, too.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #2 (IDW)
The letters column humbles me as a fan of Robo. Clearly there are fans out there who are much more on top of Robo mythology...
BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL #1 (DC)
The debut of DC's lately weekly (scheduled for half a year) celebrates the Boy Wonder legacy, which as a long-time fan of Robin I'm very happy to see. There's also a "Robin War" crossover coming up, making this an excellent time for Robin fans in general. The story here seems to be clever even if at the same time a little clumsy, one of those "there's new information about the past that we're revealing now and it happens to be a deep, dark secret!" deals that's kind of trademark Snyder (see: Court of Owls, etc.). Dick Grayson is at the center of the action, both in flashback and in the present. Jason Todd and Tim Drake play support this issue, as does Harper Row, the apparent would-be Robin who instead became Bluebird. Stephanie Brown, who was Robin, will be part of the story. Left out so far is Damian Wayne (who will be a part of "Robin War"), as well as Duke Thomas (We Are Robin). The best part of this issue on the creative front is Tony Daniel returning to the Batman family.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #7 (Valiant)
I'm so, so glad I ended up catching up on The Valiant, because this follow-up has just been brilliant.
THE MISADVENTURES OF GRUMPY CAT (AND POKEY!) #1 (Dynamite)
Yeah. I read this. I love that an Internet star has finally managed to start branching out past their Internet roots. The meme of all memes has already become a Christmas movie, and now Grumpy Cat is a comic book star as well. This issue features three tales. In all of them Grumpy Cat is forced to be more than just, y'know, grumpy. Establishing a working fictional world turns out to be more entertaining than you might expect. I didn't previously have anymore interest in Grumpy Cat than the millions of casual Internet denizens who saw the endless memes, and theoretically this will be about as far as my experience will go, but I'm rooting for the idea. I'd love to see the Christmas movie at some point. Hopefully Grumpy has more staying power than poor Hoops & Yoyo, whose hilarious greeting cards seem to no longer be in stores, and whose own Christmas special joined the heaps and heaps of recent Christmas specials that apparently have no chance at all at becoming immortal in the same way as ones created half a century ago. But things can change, right?
HEROES: VENGEANCE #1 (Titan)
When Heroes debuted, I thought it was a horrible misfire. Ironically, I became a hopelessly devoted fan at the very same time everyone else walked away from it. So I'm glad Heroes Reborn is happening, and checking out this companion comic seemed like a good idea. It was. This issue, anyway, links superheroes with the masked stars of Mexican wrestling. One of the best things for fans of the original series who also happened to be comic book fans was the art of Tim Sale being featured in the visions of various characters, which I believe was later featured among the material DC published at that time. It's unlikely that Sale will pop up again. Or that Jack Black will show up and shout, "Nachooooo!"
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis finally writes Tony Stark. I don't know why this took so long to happen. I mean, I know this technically happened during the many years Bendis wrote Avengers comics, but to have Bendis write Stark directly is kind of one of those dream creative matches. As I've remarked before, the movies so many people love probably wouldn't exist without the tone Bendis set in the comics, and that's especially true of Iron Man. So that's exactly what you can expect here. The best part is that this means there's finally, finally a readable Iron Man comic. As far as I can tell, this has never happened before. I mean, not completely. It's just, Marvel has never attempted to capitalize on the character's momentum, never tried, even in the wake of the huge success of the movies, to make him a true headlining act. How to make this sound better? Bendis is finally writing a Doctor Doom worthy of his considerable reputation, too. Do you need anymore reason to read this one?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #2 (Marvel)
I appreciate the effort to make the Rebellion's victory less clear-cut, and the comparative restraint Marvel is showing in keeping the Empire around, but I think once again, the results are not exactly to my liking. I have all the faith in the world for The Force Awakens, but I guess I'm glad I won't be reading the rest of Shattered Empire. End of story.
STAR WARS: LANDO #5 (Marvel)
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the remarkable insight Charles Soule brought to Lando. So apparently I did end up missing an issue, but not so much of the storytelling. Poor Lobot ends up with his inevitable robotic lobotomy, but the logic of how and why it happens, and what it means to Mr. Calrissian, is flawless. This ended up being a true highlight of the year.
TELOS #1 (DC)
King and Pagulayan continue where they left off in Convergence, and I'm glad this happened. Telos is a second chance for DC to create a true star from the New 52 era after Pandora didn't quite pan out (I think they just waited too long to pull the trigger on her). To continue weaving Brainiac into the mythology is brilliant.
And...that's it, folks.
When I started this blog at the end of 2010, I was headed toward what I thought was the end of a very enjoyable period of reading comics that'd begun six years earlier. Instead, Flashpoint and the New 52 succeeded in sucking me back in. It's always a question of money. I walked away from comics in 1999 because I needed money for college. The intended 2011 break was because I was entering my worst financial period (and it just got worse and worse until finally...it got better). Now, it's because I will be entering a unique period of my life, dedicated to my sister and her baby. I don't know when I'll have comics money again. It's wise to walk away sooner rather than later, without that dangling period like I gave myself the last time, keeping the window open. The window is closed.
It sucks, in some ways, because I would love to read Dark Knight III in its individual installments. I would love to read Klaus from Grant Morrison. And there are other comics I won't have a chance to read, or haven't heard about yet, and...
So it's better to try and not think about that. This was a good year, a very good year, and it was one in which a lot of great stories ended. Which makes all this far more fitting than I could've imagined. If there has to be another moment to walk away, this is as good a moment as there can be.
All that being said, I made sure the last week was a good one, too.
18 DAYS #4 (Graphic India)
This issue is more or less an incredibly abbreviated version of the classic Bhagavad Gita, in which Arjuna and Krishna have an epic heart-to-heart. I've grown to appreciate how this Morrison project has opened up the Iliad of India. This is pretty much what I always hoped Shanower would've done with Age of Bronze (a project that is apparently indefinitely on hold). Shanower, left to his own devices, is far less interesting than the kind of liveliness he exhibited adapting Baum's material in Marvel's Oz series. Even if Morrison himself isn't writing 18 Days directly, his blueprint has proven invaluable, and the results have been continually and even increasingly impressive. I will try and keep tabs on this series, and hope to catch Morrison's other Graphic India project, Avatarex, at some point, too.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #2 (IDW)
The letters column humbles me as a fan of Robo. Clearly there are fans out there who are much more on top of Robo mythology...
BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL #1 (DC)
The debut of DC's lately weekly (scheduled for half a year) celebrates the Boy Wonder legacy, which as a long-time fan of Robin I'm very happy to see. There's also a "Robin War" crossover coming up, making this an excellent time for Robin fans in general. The story here seems to be clever even if at the same time a little clumsy, one of those "there's new information about the past that we're revealing now and it happens to be a deep, dark secret!" deals that's kind of trademark Snyder (see: Court of Owls, etc.). Dick Grayson is at the center of the action, both in flashback and in the present. Jason Todd and Tim Drake play support this issue, as does Harper Row, the apparent would-be Robin who instead became Bluebird. Stephanie Brown, who was Robin, will be part of the story. Left out so far is Damian Wayne (who will be a part of "Robin War"), as well as Duke Thomas (We Are Robin). The best part of this issue on the creative front is Tony Daniel returning to the Batman family.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #7 (Valiant)
I'm so, so glad I ended up catching up on The Valiant, because this follow-up has just been brilliant.
THE MISADVENTURES OF GRUMPY CAT (AND POKEY!) #1 (Dynamite)
Yeah. I read this. I love that an Internet star has finally managed to start branching out past their Internet roots. The meme of all memes has already become a Christmas movie, and now Grumpy Cat is a comic book star as well. This issue features three tales. In all of them Grumpy Cat is forced to be more than just, y'know, grumpy. Establishing a working fictional world turns out to be more entertaining than you might expect. I didn't previously have anymore interest in Grumpy Cat than the millions of casual Internet denizens who saw the endless memes, and theoretically this will be about as far as my experience will go, but I'm rooting for the idea. I'd love to see the Christmas movie at some point. Hopefully Grumpy has more staying power than poor Hoops & Yoyo, whose hilarious greeting cards seem to no longer be in stores, and whose own Christmas special joined the heaps and heaps of recent Christmas specials that apparently have no chance at all at becoming immortal in the same way as ones created half a century ago. But things can change, right?
HEROES: VENGEANCE #1 (Titan)
When Heroes debuted, I thought it was a horrible misfire. Ironically, I became a hopelessly devoted fan at the very same time everyone else walked away from it. So I'm glad Heroes Reborn is happening, and checking out this companion comic seemed like a good idea. It was. This issue, anyway, links superheroes with the masked stars of Mexican wrestling. One of the best things for fans of the original series who also happened to be comic book fans was the art of Tim Sale being featured in the visions of various characters, which I believe was later featured among the material DC published at that time. It's unlikely that Sale will pop up again. Or that Jack Black will show up and shout, "Nachooooo!"
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis finally writes Tony Stark. I don't know why this took so long to happen. I mean, I know this technically happened during the many years Bendis wrote Avengers comics, but to have Bendis write Stark directly is kind of one of those dream creative matches. As I've remarked before, the movies so many people love probably wouldn't exist without the tone Bendis set in the comics, and that's especially true of Iron Man. So that's exactly what you can expect here. The best part is that this means there's finally, finally a readable Iron Man comic. As far as I can tell, this has never happened before. I mean, not completely. It's just, Marvel has never attempted to capitalize on the character's momentum, never tried, even in the wake of the huge success of the movies, to make him a true headlining act. How to make this sound better? Bendis is finally writing a Doctor Doom worthy of his considerable reputation, too. Do you need anymore reason to read this one?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #2 (Marvel)
I appreciate the effort to make the Rebellion's victory less clear-cut, and the comparative restraint Marvel is showing in keeping the Empire around, but I think once again, the results are not exactly to my liking. I have all the faith in the world for The Force Awakens, but I guess I'm glad I won't be reading the rest of Shattered Empire. End of story.
STAR WARS: LANDO #5 (Marvel)
On the opposite side of the spectrum is the remarkable insight Charles Soule brought to Lando. So apparently I did end up missing an issue, but not so much of the storytelling. Poor Lobot ends up with his inevitable robotic lobotomy, but the logic of how and why it happens, and what it means to Mr. Calrissian, is flawless. This ended up being a true highlight of the year.
TELOS #1 (DC)
King and Pagulayan continue where they left off in Convergence, and I'm glad this happened. Telos is a second chance for DC to create a true star from the New 52 era after Pandora didn't quite pan out (I think they just waited too long to pull the trigger on her). To continue weaving Brainiac into the mythology is brilliant.
And...that's it, folks.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Countdown to QB50 2015: September
18 DAYS #3 (Graphic India)
In which I realize Grant Morrison will not actually be writing the series. But turns out not to drastically affect its quality.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #1 (IDW)
New home, same great storytelling. Very glad to see Clevinger and Wegener back in print.
BATMAN #44 (DC)
Snyder and Azzarello make for a potent combination. Out of current continuity, this flashback tale made the news thanks to its commentary on the spate of police shootings making news.
ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #4 (DC)
If Deathstroke (with all due apologies to Tony Daniel, etc.) were as awesome in his own comic as here is here, I'd read that, too. Reminds me how awesome it was to see him in The Shade, too.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #6 (Valiant)
In which Bloodshot realizes there's a bad guy who's also attempting to absorb all the stray nanites...
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, 2 (Marvel)
Seven years in the making, Loeb and Sale finally return to this latest collaboration. I'm ecstatic to see this happening. Curiously, the first issue reprints the long-ago zero issue, but after the contents of the new material.
CIVIL WAR #4 (Marvel)
Black Panther turns out to be a Skrull. And suddenly the follow-up to the original Civil War, Secret Invasion, seems less random. Yet another thing this reprise gets more right than the original. Thanks, Soule. Again.
DAREDEVIL #18 (Marvel)
I assumed all along that Waid was headed to a quasi-rehash of the classic Daredevil narative, and in this finale that's exactly what he does. The comic itself is not so bad, but then Waid writes in his going-away thoughts how this run has been his most creatively-rewarding to date. How he forgotten writing Wally West? Even if the style was more deliberate, I'd hold the best of that run to anything Waid has written in a regular superhero comic since...
DIRK GENTLEY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY #4 (IDW)
I've settled in to really enjoying the random pleasures of this experience. Viva Douglas Adams! Who makes a cameo this issue!
DOCTOR WHO: FOUR DOCTORS #4, 5 (Titan)
Cornell concludes the crossover epic. Eventually gets around to explaining why the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) wasn't included.
DOOMED #4 (DC)
The only objection I have to this series, as it turns out, is the poor choice in style for the lead's narrative captions. Otherwise, more solid material from Lobdell.
E FOR EXTINCTION #4 (Marvel)
The conclusion to this Secret Wars tie-in seems to be a comics version of X-Men: The Last Stand's final encounter between Wolverine and Jean Grey. Nice save, Burnham.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #4 (DC)
I love, love, love how this series has completely embraced the full potential of being its own continuity.
FIGHT CLUB 2 #5 (Dark Horse)
Finally had a look at this. That's about all I've got to say about that.
THE FUSE #14 (Image)
I'm settling in as a regular reader.
GRAYSON #11, 12, Annual #2 (DC)
Yeah, I've finally decided to read this series more regularly. It's just too darn good to continue overlooking.
GREEN LANTERN Annual #4 (DC)
Venditti promised, or someone promised, answers. But there are frustratingly few. Darn you, Venditti!
IMPERIUM #8 (Valiant)
Divinity, the guy from Divinity (no, seriously!) pops up in something other than Divinity. Although this is kind of more or less a rephrasing of Divinity except in an Imperium context...
JUSTICE LEAGUE #44 (DC)
Don't tell anyone else that Darkseid dies in this installment of "Darkseid War"!
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3, 4 (DC)
Don't tell anyone that I snuck back into this series because I realized all over again, this is supposed to be Legion of Super-Heroes territory. But Giffen/DeMatteis have managed to create yet another platform for their genius instead...
MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER #12 (Dynamite)
I caught up with this release from earlier in the year because it concludes a story I finally got around to seeing in its inception from a first issue I read in my comiXology account (don't tell anyone I'm still working away at that!). I don't think the muted impact (the first issue was better) is because I skipped, oh, ten issues. But it's still fun seeing Van Lente in something I actually wanted to read again.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER #4 (DC)
Through no real fault on my own, I missed the previous issue. But I still love this series.
MIRACLEMAN #1 (Marvel)
This new first issue marks the start of the reprints as they reach the Gaiman material, having concludedAlan Moore's The Original Writer's. Turns out to be very similar to Sandman, somehow...
MS. MARVEL #18 (Marvel)
Kamala's mother knew!
NAMELESS #5 (Image)
Morrison's weird comic (his latest weird comic) finally saw another issue published. Burnham shows restraint (for a change). Reads a lot like the first issue. Made me interested again.
THE NEW DEAL (Dark Horse)
See thoughts elsewhere.
PREZ #4 (DC)
The comics shop had a giant mix-up in its shipments that week. So I panicked and got a digital edition. I've had some fun digitally lately, but I'm not gonna tell you anything else. Then the shop got the print edition. And this becomes the latest comic where I have both, and don't mind. Just two issues left, alas.
SANDMAN: OVERTURE #6 (Vertigo)
All along I've been reading how this whole story leads back to Sandman #1. And that's exactly what happens. This was probably my favorite issue of the series. Sad to see it go. Very, very gorgeous work, Williams (III).
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #3 (DC)
Larfleeze on the cover...!
STAR WARS #9 (Marvel)
I thought they promised answers from Sana Solo this issue?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #1 (Marvel)
Takes place concurrently with the Battle of Endor (at least during this issue). Features Poe Dameron's parents. No idea who Poe Dameron is? Perhaps this prequel to The Force Awakens just isn't meant for you, son...
The, ah, misshipment issue prevented me from reading a new Star Wars: Lando...
STRINGERS #1 (Oni)
Guggenheim and Greenwood (Resurrection) started working on this years ago. Guggenheim and Greenwood, meet Loeb and Sale...
SUPERMAN #44 (DC)
As far as I'm concerned, some of the best Superman storytelling...ever.
THIS DAMNED BAND #2 (Dark Horse)
Cornell's second issue was good enough to helped the series get a foothold in the QB50 running.
WE ARE ROBIN #3, 4 (DC)
In the fine tradition of the original Robin ongoing being the best thing about Jean-Paul Valley's stint as Batman, Bermejo has turned this one into the best thing about the Commissioner Batman era. That second issue, which doesn't feature Duke, is the best one to date.
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #21 (DC)
My periodic sampling of this series continues. Superman is a dick. But he kind of has a reason to be.
In which I realize Grant Morrison will not actually be writing the series. But turns out not to drastically affect its quality.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #1 (IDW)
New home, same great storytelling. Very glad to see Clevinger and Wegener back in print.
BATMAN #44 (DC)
Snyder and Azzarello make for a potent combination. Out of current continuity, this flashback tale made the news thanks to its commentary on the spate of police shootings making news.
ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #4 (DC)
If Deathstroke (with all due apologies to Tony Daniel, etc.) were as awesome in his own comic as here is here, I'd read that, too. Reminds me how awesome it was to see him in The Shade, too.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #6 (Valiant)
In which Bloodshot realizes there's a bad guy who's also attempting to absorb all the stray nanites...
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, 2 (Marvel)
Seven years in the making, Loeb and Sale finally return to this latest collaboration. I'm ecstatic to see this happening. Curiously, the first issue reprints the long-ago zero issue, but after the contents of the new material.
CIVIL WAR #4 (Marvel)
Black Panther turns out to be a Skrull. And suddenly the follow-up to the original Civil War, Secret Invasion, seems less random. Yet another thing this reprise gets more right than the original. Thanks, Soule. Again.
DAREDEVIL #18 (Marvel)
I assumed all along that Waid was headed to a quasi-rehash of the classic Daredevil narative, and in this finale that's exactly what he does. The comic itself is not so bad, but then Waid writes in his going-away thoughts how this run has been his most creatively-rewarding to date. How he forgotten writing Wally West? Even if the style was more deliberate, I'd hold the best of that run to anything Waid has written in a regular superhero comic since...
DIRK GENTLEY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY #4 (IDW)
I've settled in to really enjoying the random pleasures of this experience. Viva Douglas Adams! Who makes a cameo this issue!
DOCTOR WHO: FOUR DOCTORS #4, 5 (Titan)
Cornell concludes the crossover epic. Eventually gets around to explaining why the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) wasn't included.
DOOMED #4 (DC)
The only objection I have to this series, as it turns out, is the poor choice in style for the lead's narrative captions. Otherwise, more solid material from Lobdell.
E FOR EXTINCTION #4 (Marvel)
The conclusion to this Secret Wars tie-in seems to be a comics version of X-Men: The Last Stand's final encounter between Wolverine and Jean Grey. Nice save, Burnham.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #4 (DC)
I love, love, love how this series has completely embraced the full potential of being its own continuity.
FIGHT CLUB 2 #5 (Dark Horse)
Finally had a look at this. That's about all I've got to say about that.
THE FUSE #14 (Image)
I'm settling in as a regular reader.
GRAYSON #11, 12, Annual #2 (DC)
Yeah, I've finally decided to read this series more regularly. It's just too darn good to continue overlooking.
GREEN LANTERN Annual #4 (DC)
Venditti promised, or someone promised, answers. But there are frustratingly few. Darn you, Venditti!
IMPERIUM #8 (Valiant)
Divinity, the guy from Divinity (no, seriously!) pops up in something other than Divinity. Although this is kind of more or less a rephrasing of Divinity except in an Imperium context...
JUSTICE LEAGUE #44 (DC)
Don't tell anyone else that Darkseid dies in this installment of "Darkseid War"!
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3, 4 (DC)
Don't tell anyone that I snuck back into this series because I realized all over again, this is supposed to be Legion of Super-Heroes territory. But Giffen/DeMatteis have managed to create yet another platform for their genius instead...
MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER #12 (Dynamite)
I caught up with this release from earlier in the year because it concludes a story I finally got around to seeing in its inception from a first issue I read in my comiXology account (don't tell anyone I'm still working away at that!). I don't think the muted impact (the first issue was better) is because I skipped, oh, ten issues. But it's still fun seeing Van Lente in something I actually wanted to read again.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER #4 (DC)
Through no real fault on my own, I missed the previous issue. But I still love this series.
MIRACLEMAN #1 (Marvel)
This new first issue marks the start of the reprints as they reach the Gaiman material, having concluded
MS. MARVEL #18 (Marvel)
Kamala's mother knew!
NAMELESS #5 (Image)
Morrison's weird comic (his latest weird comic) finally saw another issue published. Burnham shows restraint (for a change). Reads a lot like the first issue. Made me interested again.
THE NEW DEAL (Dark Horse)
See thoughts elsewhere.
PREZ #4 (DC)
The comics shop had a giant mix-up in its shipments that week. So I panicked and got a digital edition. I've had some fun digitally lately, but I'm not gonna tell you anything else. Then the shop got the print edition. And this becomes the latest comic where I have both, and don't mind. Just two issues left, alas.
SANDMAN: OVERTURE #6 (Vertigo)
All along I've been reading how this whole story leads back to Sandman #1. And that's exactly what happens. This was probably my favorite issue of the series. Sad to see it go. Very, very gorgeous work, Williams (III).
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #3 (DC)
Larfleeze on the cover...!
STAR WARS #9 (Marvel)
I thought they promised answers from Sana Solo this issue?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #1 (Marvel)
Takes place concurrently with the Battle of Endor (at least during this issue). Features Poe Dameron's parents. No idea who Poe Dameron is? Perhaps this prequel to The Force Awakens just isn't meant for you, son...
The, ah, misshipment issue prevented me from reading a new Star Wars: Lando...
STRINGERS #1 (Oni)
Guggenheim and Greenwood (Resurrection) started working on this years ago. Guggenheim and Greenwood, meet Loeb and Sale...
SUPERMAN #44 (DC)
As far as I'm concerned, some of the best Superman storytelling...ever.
THIS DAMNED BAND #2 (Dark Horse)
Cornell's second issue was good enough to helped the series get a foothold in the QB50 running.
WE ARE ROBIN #3, 4 (DC)
In the fine tradition of the original Robin ongoing being the best thing about Jean-Paul Valley's stint as Batman, Bermejo has turned this one into the best thing about the Commissioner Batman era. That second issue, which doesn't feature Duke, is the best one to date.
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #21 (DC)
My periodic sampling of this series continues. Superman is a dick. But he kind of has a reason to be.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Digitally Speaking...50
This column features an ongoing tour of material I've read from my comiXology account...
The Trial of Atomic Robo (Tesladyne)
From 2015.
For the first time since Red 5 has existed and participated in Free Comic Book Day, it didn't feature Atomic Robo in its release. No 2015 FCBD Robo. That may have something to do with the fact that creators Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener are migrating Robo to a new publishing platform, which is to say, he's becoming a webcomic. Apparently that's how Clevenger started out his career, and so that's where he's returning, and he's taking Robo with him. Trial is part of this transition, and as part of the festivities Doctor Dinosaur returns. Atomic Robo is one of many, many comics that heavily feature absurdist humor, and there's no character in its history that better features this instinct than Doctor Dinosaur. The title is somewhat misleading, since it's in fact a Doctor Dinosaur trial (which rapidly degenerates and is resolved in typical blunt Robo style). The whole thing explains the appeal of Atomic Robo in one of its more charming aspects, but doesn't necessarily translate the overall thrust of Clevenger's storytelling, which is not always so absurdist. Still, if you like your comics absurd, then Trial makes an excellent argument for joining the ranks of Robo's fans.
Descender #3 (Image)
From 2015.
The previous issue introduced emotional depth to the story, and so it was a matter of building on that for the follow-up, and not just the apparent death of the lead character...This issue manages to pull off such a difficult task by introducing new depth to the story itself, giving Tim a quest and even additional wrinkles to the existential matters inherent to Jeff Lemire's little robot. Descender isn't the first story to tackle the rights of artificial life, but it's doing so with uncommon nuance, which once again is down to not only Lemire's writing but Dustin Nguyen's art. Recently I became aware of the fact that the series launched to a sizable audience, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Fighting Stranger: Chapter Two (HicksVillain)
From 2013.
By the end of Chapter One, we learned somewhat unexpectedly that Stranger's day constantly repeats. Chapter Two explains how this is an entirely orchestrated spectacle, and how a few citizens of the city Stranger escapes each day band together to change Stranger's day, break the loop, and hopefully one day overcome the mutant overlords that keep them all oppressed. Fighting Stranger remains a pleasant discovery, filled with excellent storytelling and the occasional killer line, and this second installment enriches the whole thing even as the title character takes a backseat to help accomplish it. The movie Edge of Tomorrow, I'm told was something like this. If you were one of the people pleasantly surprised by that movie, you might enjoy Fighting Stranger as well. The story continues here.
Swamp Thing #40 (DC)
From 2015.
The final issue of the series and also Charles Soule's last work for DC (for however long that lasts; at least Marvel had the good sense to let him write the Lando comic in its Star Wars line), something I'd hoped to read in print, had the local shop order me a copy when it sold out on original release, still haven't seen, gave up waiting for, and so I bought it digitally...I hopped around Soule's run and was always playing catch-up anyway, so it's only appropriate that I'm a little late to the conclusion. Soule once again pulls off the unthinkable: imagine if Grant Morrison didn't go full meta in Animal Man and instead left it simply at Buddy Baker only realizing he was a fictional character. That's what Swamp Thing discovers when he hides in the pages of a book. By the end of the issue, he's seen reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is a novel about cyclical life that eventually ends. It's clear that Soule parted with Swamp Thing reluctantly, but he also recognizes that above all else he was part of a whole tradition, and that regardless of what happens in this issue, Swamp Thing's story continues. It's a fitting way to go, with far more grace than creators tend to exhibit, taking the ego out of the proceedings where it's far more common (even though this is usually pretty enjoyable to read) for the departing writer to weave some clever metaphor about why it's such a bittersweet if not outright bad development. I may lament DC's loss, but it's not as if Soule hasn't left a lot of great storytelling behind. That's a legacy, folks.
The Trial of Atomic Robo (Tesladyne)
From 2015.
For the first time since Red 5 has existed and participated in Free Comic Book Day, it didn't feature Atomic Robo in its release. No 2015 FCBD Robo. That may have something to do with the fact that creators Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener are migrating Robo to a new publishing platform, which is to say, he's becoming a webcomic. Apparently that's how Clevenger started out his career, and so that's where he's returning, and he's taking Robo with him. Trial is part of this transition, and as part of the festivities Doctor Dinosaur returns. Atomic Robo is one of many, many comics that heavily feature absurdist humor, and there's no character in its history that better features this instinct than Doctor Dinosaur. The title is somewhat misleading, since it's in fact a Doctor Dinosaur trial (which rapidly degenerates and is resolved in typical blunt Robo style). The whole thing explains the appeal of Atomic Robo in one of its more charming aspects, but doesn't necessarily translate the overall thrust of Clevenger's storytelling, which is not always so absurdist. Still, if you like your comics absurd, then Trial makes an excellent argument for joining the ranks of Robo's fans.
Descender #3 (Image)
From 2015.
The previous issue introduced emotional depth to the story, and so it was a matter of building on that for the follow-up, and not just the apparent death of the lead character...This issue manages to pull off such a difficult task by introducing new depth to the story itself, giving Tim a quest and even additional wrinkles to the existential matters inherent to Jeff Lemire's little robot. Descender isn't the first story to tackle the rights of artificial life, but it's doing so with uncommon nuance, which once again is down to not only Lemire's writing but Dustin Nguyen's art. Recently I became aware of the fact that the series launched to a sizable audience, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Fighting Stranger: Chapter Two (HicksVillain)
From 2013.
By the end of Chapter One, we learned somewhat unexpectedly that Stranger's day constantly repeats. Chapter Two explains how this is an entirely orchestrated spectacle, and how a few citizens of the city Stranger escapes each day band together to change Stranger's day, break the loop, and hopefully one day overcome the mutant overlords that keep them all oppressed. Fighting Stranger remains a pleasant discovery, filled with excellent storytelling and the occasional killer line, and this second installment enriches the whole thing even as the title character takes a backseat to help accomplish it. The movie Edge of Tomorrow, I'm told was something like this. If you were one of the people pleasantly surprised by that movie, you might enjoy Fighting Stranger as well. The story continues here.
Swamp Thing #40 (DC)
From 2015.
The final issue of the series and also Charles Soule's last work for DC (for however long that lasts; at least Marvel had the good sense to let him write the Lando comic in its Star Wars line), something I'd hoped to read in print, had the local shop order me a copy when it sold out on original release, still haven't seen, gave up waiting for, and so I bought it digitally...I hopped around Soule's run and was always playing catch-up anyway, so it's only appropriate that I'm a little late to the conclusion. Soule once again pulls off the unthinkable: imagine if Grant Morrison didn't go full meta in Animal Man and instead left it simply at Buddy Baker only realizing he was a fictional character. That's what Swamp Thing discovers when he hides in the pages of a book. By the end of the issue, he's seen reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is a novel about cyclical life that eventually ends. It's clear that Soule parted with Swamp Thing reluctantly, but he also recognizes that above all else he was part of a whole tradition, and that regardless of what happens in this issue, Swamp Thing's story continues. It's a fitting way to go, with far more grace than creators tend to exhibit, taking the ego out of the proceedings where it's far more common (even though this is usually pretty enjoyable to read) for the departing writer to weave some clever metaphor about why it's such a bittersweet if not outright bad development. I may lament DC's loss, but it's not as if Soule hasn't left a lot of great storytelling behind. That's a legacy, folks.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Reading Comics #140 "Bull Moose Bargains IV"
Atomic Robo: The Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur #1 (Red 5)
From 2013.
From 2014.
From 2013.
From 2013.
From 2013.
From 2014.
From 2013.
From 2013.
From 2013.
From 2014.
 |
| via Razorfine |
Hey, so I love Atomic Robo. The genius creation of Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener is, among other things, the perennial highlight of Free Comic Book Day, the headlining act of Red 5 Comics, and the indy answer to Hellboy. And Dr. Dinosaur is the best thing about Atomic Robo besides Atomic Robo himself. I missed this whole arc last year, so once again I have to give thanks to Bull Moose's new trend of importing random back issues into its dying comics spinning rack. Savage Sword opens in a pretty bleak scenario, with Robo having fallen out of public favor thanks to a trumped-up scandal, which adds valuable emotional context to his adventures. By the time Dr. Dinosaur shows up late in the issue, it gives the story an unexpected twist, which only an Atomic Robo comic could do with the spoiler in the name of the mini-series. Dr. Dinosaur is a character who breaks the fourth wall all over his dialogue ("It was I! Behold, the dramatic reveal!"), just a fun character who knocks all pretension out of what comics are supposed to be. This is exactly what fans are talking about when they ask for comics that younger readers can enjoy without be condescended to and not featuring some previously-established-in-another-medium properties. That being said, how about an Atomic Robo cartoon? A live action Robo might even be better!
Black Science #3 (Image)
 |
| via Image Comics |
Having finally cracked the Rick Remender egg in the pages of his Captain America comics, I've become more interested in exploring his other work. Black Science is a little like Sliders if it were done in the Fringe manner, a team of scientists who are able to cross between dimensions. It's pretty interesting stuff, and once again defies my previous impressions of Remender's work.
Green Arrow #26 (DC)
 |
| via IGN |
"The Outsiders War" is an arc I wanted to have a look at all year. It's another instance of DC repackaging a concept for the New 52 era. In other words, this is not the Outsiders as you remember it. This is a new vision that is tied directly into Green Arrow's mythology, concerning that all-important origin on the island (in a lot of ways, DC has finally realized that Oliver Queen has all along been a kind of Lost figure). The Outsiders this time are a whole network of clans that are like a human version of the spectrum of power rings introduced by Geoff Johns in Green Lantern. In the past it's been difficult to define what exactly makes Green Arrow special, and sometimes that answer has been making him a modern Robin Hood, and sometimes a very political, liberal figure, and even sometimes, his unique relationship with Black Canary. Finally, it seems, they've hit the nail on the head. A couple years into his New 52 tenure and several creative teams later, the archer is being handled by Jeff Lemire during this arc, and this is exactly what the comic needed to be as relevant as the popular Arrow TV series (the emphasis on the island is the greatest link between them). Great, great stuff. I will have to read the whole story at some point.
Imagine Agents #3 (Boom!)
 |
| via the Geek Girl Project |
I thought this looked pretty interesting, but it kind of degenerated into gibberish and so I guess I was wrong. It happens.
Katana #9 (DC)
 |
| via DC Wikia |
Along with Vibe this was one of the risky simultaneous launches along with Justice League of America last year, and it's another series I've long wanted to have a look at. It's very similar to Lemire's Green Arrow, actually. Unfortunately, there was only one more issue left in the series at this point.
Saga #18 (Image)
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| via Image Comics |
Okay, seriously, Fiona Staples does the best covers ever. Just look at that! Oh, and by the way, that's Lying Cat, who's able to tell when you're lying (as you may or may not have guessed). Saga is packed with these seemingly simplistic characters who are nonetheless dynamic figures, and always shifting around the story, which this most recent Bull Moose Bargains selection from the series helps fill in a few more of those gaps that cropped up from my erratic experience with Saga last year. There's a great moment in which Marko tricks Alana into flying, forced to happen thanks to Marko's reunion with Gwendolyn, who's trying save The Will, while Prince Robot IV is walking around desperately needing a reboot. Is this also The Brand's first appearance? The Brand is The Will's sister. A seriously awesome series.
Swamp Thing #26 (DC)
 |
| via Pick of the Brown Bag |
I wish I had been reading Charles Soule's Swamp Thing all along. It's the DC commitment he'll be finishing out next year before his exclusive contract with Marvel officially kicks in, and his work in the series has been seriously good, another case of a DC property with a mythology a creator has been able to lucratively crack. Much of what Soule has done has also been undermined by fans, though, because of the tie-ins the series has had with other comics in the post-Vertigo line. Batshit insane logic. Anyway, Alec Holland is no longer the avatar of the Green, which is to say he's no longer Swamp Thing. His role has been usurped by Seeder. There's a great sequence involving Animal Man, too (part of that post-Vertigo line). After the places Alan Moore took Swamp Thing and Grant Morrison took Animal Man, it seemed impossible to do relevant material with either character again that had nothing to do with that material. Proven wrong.
Thumbprint #2 (IDW)
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| via comiXology |
Joe Hill, in case you didn't know, is Stephen King's kid. He's also likely the reason King finally started actively dabbling in comics. Until Hill came along with Locke & Key in 2008, King's efforts were few and far between, and suddenly there were adaptations of The Stand and the Dark Tower series, the American Vampire stint (if you want to be technical, King started these efforts a year prior to Locke & Key's launch, but c'mon), and various other projects. This issue marks the first time I've read Hill, though he certainly seems to have established a reputable career all his own, in case there was any such fear on my part. Like his old man, some of Hill's comics are not by Hill himself, but are adaptions of his prose material. Thumbprint is one of those. It concerns a hardcase of a woman who was a soldier and now an investigator. I like this particular bit of narrative:
"Everyone has a story, a secret. That's what I want...the secrets. Most humans are terrible at keeping secrets. We're storytelling animals. It hurts to keep things inside and feels good to spill. The act of confession feels as right as breathing and as good as a kiss. If you can use your voice to tell your story, you must be alive. Only dead men are comfortable with silence."
Is there some King in Hill's literary voice? You bet. But I like what I've seen...
Trillium #5 (Vertigo)
 |
| via Weekly Comic Book Review |
Lemire is a heck of a talent, one I've started appreciating in 2014, thank goodness, and Trillium was his latest creator-owned opus that concluded earlier in the year. The nifty yet tricky first issue I've caught recently, the flip book that introduced the parallel narratives of the story, was adapted to even trickier heights in later issues, it seems, a flip book on every page. Helpfully, there's always instructions or at least an indication as to which side to read first, and of course it's not always the one you expect it to be. Maybe not the best way to read Trillium, though, in fits and starts. I'll have to catch up on this one later, too...
The Unwritten: Apocalypse #1 (Vertigo)
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| via Yuko Art |
Previously I may have suggested that Vertigo dumped The Unwritten at the worst possible moment, after its Fables crossover, just at the moment that readers (possibly including me) might have finally started paying attention. But it was relaunched, as it turned out, with a concluding mini-series. And. Holy. Crap. Mike Carey knocked this first issue out of the park. It's the kind of material I've been expecting from The Sandman Overture, just a creator completely letting loose with full-on narrative fantasy potential. Instantly became one of my favorite comic book memories of 2014. And now I'll have to read the rest of Unwritten...
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Atomic Robo: The Knights of the Golden Circle #2 (Red 5)
writer: Brian Clevinger
artist: Scott Wegener
Hey, so I love Atomic Robo. This is his ninth mini-series. Yeah! The only one I haven't caught at least one issue of is the previous one, Atomic Robo and the Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur, which sucks, because Dr. Dinosaur is easily the second best thing about Atomic Robo other than, of course, Nikola Tesla, I mean Atomic Robo!
artist: Scott Wegener
 |
| via comiXology |
The draw of this particular arc is, besides a Western gimmick (most of Robo's stories are centered on genre gimmicks, which is fine, because being an ageless artificial lifeform, he not only can be in pretty much any setting, but this is a concept that readily embraces the strange), is that it is, to my mind, the first time our hero has been in an actual life-threatening scenario.
Now, Robo's actually in the past. He's been thrust into the past. Just to make that clear. But he's been cut off from anyone or anything that can sustain his robotic body. If he's somehow damaged or runs out of power, that's it. One of the many, many Free Comic Book Day releases Red 5 has put out over the years (Robo is this publisher's bread and butter) hinted at dire possibilities once, but this is a departure from the usually lighthearted, brainy-but-in-a-fun-way adventures he and his fans have enjoyed in the past. Not a huge departure, because it's still a wonky idea, but in the world of Atomic Robo, that's an exceptionally, reliably good thing.
Because he's the star of a tiny publisher, Robo doesn't have near the exposure he deserves. Anywhere else he'd be a household (a geek household, anyway) name by now. He'd have a cartoon. Maybe even an extremely awesome movie! But here he is, the star of Red 5. This is his ninth mini-series, and he's at sixty issues, mini-series and FCBD releases considered, which is quite an achievement. He's becoming a legitimate icon, even if in a minor context. I'm proud to call myself a fan.
Because he's the star of a tiny publisher, Robo doesn't have near the exposure he deserves. Anywhere else he'd be a household (a geek household, anyway) name by now. He'd have a cartoon. Maybe even an extremely awesome movie! But here he is, the star of Red 5. This is his ninth mini-series, and he's at sixty issues, mini-series and FCBD releases considered, which is quite an achievement. He's becoming a legitimate icon, even if in a minor context. I'm proud to call myself a fan.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Reading Comics #124 "Reading FCBD 2014"
Atomic Robo (Red 5)
I'm on record for loving me Atomic Robo. Earlier this year I read every other FCBD offering featuring the most awesome Tesla-inspired fighting robot in comics (recapped here). In the eighth installment of this peculiar series, there is, alas, no Dr. Dinosaur (what's up with that?). Maybe it's because I just read all those, but this time it seems a bit been there done that. Although I still recommend Robo to any and everyone. Red 5's other samples aren't very inspiring, either. They be a small publisher for a reason, yo.
Bongo Free-for-All (Bongo)
Featuring nothing but the Simpsons (plus a weak nod to Futurama on the back cover that's actually nearly as much a nod to...Archie). The first tale features Bart and Milhouse trying to accidentally gain superpowers, like they do in comics. The one real result is Milhouse's hair becoming amazing. Then there's a Spy vs. Spy (a classic feature of Mad Magazine) featuring Itchy and Scratchy. Then there's a Mr. Burns story that has some fun with the idea of his being "the best boss in the world." Then back to Bart and Milhouse, imagining the behind-the-scenes of Krusty Burger. Then more superhero adventure-type things. Then a "Where's Waldo" feature with Ralph from Sergio Aragones! Simpsons comics are always good stuff!
(Help the CBLDF) Defend Comics (CBLDF)
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund helps you take comics more seriously than you every thought possible, and this handy special helps you understand exactly how! Highlight, for me, is an excerpt from Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's excellent Comic Book Comics (later reprinted as Comic Book History of Comics) featuring the (in)famous tale of Fredric Wertham, the man who declared war on the medium in the 1950s. Although since it takes up the bulk of the issue, this isn't such a difficult accomplishment. The other highlight features Sergio Aragones again, as well as Mark Evanier, Tom Luth, and Stan Sakai (a sequence originally featured in CBLDF Presents: Liberty Comics #1) in a series of examples of people being silly about comics (and not in a debating-who-would-win kind of manner).
The Dumbest Idea Ever! (Graphix)
Excerpted from a longer work, this is actually...kind of...a fictional account...of how this...thing...was created...in the first place. Not greatly impressed, but maybe the whole thing is better?
Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel)
This one is basically, with the title feature, a primer on the comic book version of the team (likely comparable to the movie version hitting theaters this summer) from Brian Michael Bendis. Not hugely inspiring, but I guess you don't expect a lot from something like this, especially since it doesn't even get the whole issue. The next segment belongs to Jim Starlin and Thanos, two names that historically have gone very well together, and is an excerpt from the Thanos: The Infinity Revelation graphic novel. Either it's not the greatest excerpt, or it's not the greatest pairing of these two. Hard to say. Then there's a silly Spider-Verse excerpt from Dan Slott. I just don't know what to make of Slott's overall vision for Spider-Man. This is how he chooses to follow-up Doctor Spider-Man? I know I'm not usually Marvel's biggest fan, but this was not a hugely inspiring FCBD offering.
The New 52: Futures End #0 (DC)
I haven't been reading the latest DC weekly series, but it's an undeniably good idea, making a whole bunch of characters who don't necessarily have viable homes in the current landscape suddenly relevant, headlined by Grifter and, especially with this special preview, Batman Beyond in his official continuity debut. I'm a DC guy, and it's always nice when there's full-issue new material from anyone for FCBD, so it's especially nice for new material for a major new project available. This is the way it's done.
Previews: What's @ Comic Shops (Diamond)
Ideally everyone who wasn't already familiar with reading comics as a hobby picked this one up. It's an excellent primer.
Project Black Sky (Dark Horse)
As part of Dark Horse's latest attempt at jump-starting a superhero franchise, this is possibly also its first ever major crossover event, featuring Captain Midnight and Brain Boy in starring roles (also involved are Ghost and X, both of whom have been part of past attempts). The writer is Fred Van Lente, who was a considerable favorite of mine back when he was working at Marvel but another of those creators who've been floating around looking for ideal context again. Captain Midnight, by the way, is a pastiche on Captain America. That's the hardest thing to overcome with this story. Otherwise probably a pretty smart gamble on Dark Horse's part.
The Rise of the Magi #0 (Top Cow)
I think this is an irredeemably terrible title for the project, but the actual comic isn't too bad, finally a Top Cow idea that doesn't have anything to do with the Artifacts concept cobbled together from characters like Witchblade and the Darkness (Think Tank is the other notable attempt for the publisher to break out of its bubble). As for what it is, Magi is a fantasy concept.
Rocket Raccoon #1 (Marvel)
It is what it is. Groot comes off best. Hey, did you know he's Groot???
Shigeru Mizuki's Showa: A History of Japan (Drawn & Quarterly)
Excerpted from a larger work, this was one of the best things I read from all my selections. This special features the best look at Japan during WWII from a sympathetic point of view since Letters from Iwo Jima. Anyone still trying to reconcile the country we know today with the one that attacked Pearl Harbor ought to consider having a look.
Steam Wars #1 (Antarctic Press)
The biggest pleasant surprise of the whole bunch, one I hesitated a great deal picking up because I feared it would be terrible. But it's awesome, it really is, a variant on Star Wars that completely nails it.
Teen Titans Go! #1 (DC)
Yes, DC and Marvel each get two selections, one for kid readers and one for whoever reads comics otherwise. Based on the cartoon that was actually brought back a few years ago, this was another highlight for me, unexpectedly written by Sholly Fisch of all people, the guy who was doing all those excellent backup features during Grant Morrison's run on Action Comics. Good fun.
The Tick (New England Comics)
Aside from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Tick is the most famous indy character in comics, having successfully (to a much more limited extent) completed the leap to television both in animated and live action (a series that starred Patrick Warburton). This latest FCBD offering details every previous release in the free series. In a just world, The Tick would be more famous. Good stuff.
Valiant Universe Handbook 2014 (Valiant)
Dry reading featuring bios for a set of characters who've had a thousand chances to catch on (they were among Dark Horse's previous superhero attempts, for instance). This was perhaps not the best way to go about FCBD, but it's at least a handy reference that can be looked through later. Just not right-now-kind-of-later.
Worlds of Aspen 2014 (Aspen)
Looks at new series Zoohunters and Damsels in Distress. Neither look like great, per say.
2000 AD (Rebellion)
One of the longest-running comics outlets is British and an anthology that's released every week (up to nearly two thousand issues!), known as the birthplace of Judge Dredd, who is coincidentally the star of the standout story from this special. The creator responsible is actually Chris Burnham, the artist who collaborated with Grant Morrison during the final run of both Batman Incorporated and Morrison's long Batman run as a whole. The last pleasant surprise, as I'd never really had an opportunity to fully appreciate Dredd before; Burnham's story did an excellent job explaining the character's appeal.
I'm on record for loving me Atomic Robo. Earlier this year I read every other FCBD offering featuring the most awesome Tesla-inspired fighting robot in comics (recapped here). In the eighth installment of this peculiar series, there is, alas, no Dr. Dinosaur (what's up with that?). Maybe it's because I just read all those, but this time it seems a bit been there done that. Although I still recommend Robo to any and everyone. Red 5's other samples aren't very inspiring, either. They be a small publisher for a reason, yo.
Bongo Free-for-All (Bongo)
Featuring nothing but the Simpsons (plus a weak nod to Futurama on the back cover that's actually nearly as much a nod to...Archie). The first tale features Bart and Milhouse trying to accidentally gain superpowers, like they do in comics. The one real result is Milhouse's hair becoming amazing. Then there's a Spy vs. Spy (a classic feature of Mad Magazine) featuring Itchy and Scratchy. Then there's a Mr. Burns story that has some fun with the idea of his being "the best boss in the world." Then back to Bart and Milhouse, imagining the behind-the-scenes of Krusty Burger. Then more superhero adventure-type things. Then a "Where's Waldo" feature with Ralph from Sergio Aragones! Simpsons comics are always good stuff!
(Help the CBLDF) Defend Comics (CBLDF)
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund helps you take comics more seriously than you every thought possible, and this handy special helps you understand exactly how! Highlight, for me, is an excerpt from Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's excellent Comic Book Comics (later reprinted as Comic Book History of Comics) featuring the (in)famous tale of Fredric Wertham, the man who declared war on the medium in the 1950s. Although since it takes up the bulk of the issue, this isn't such a difficult accomplishment. The other highlight features Sergio Aragones again, as well as Mark Evanier, Tom Luth, and Stan Sakai (a sequence originally featured in CBLDF Presents: Liberty Comics #1) in a series of examples of people being silly about comics (and not in a debating-who-would-win kind of manner).
The Dumbest Idea Ever! (Graphix)
Excerpted from a longer work, this is actually...kind of...a fictional account...of how this...thing...was created...in the first place. Not greatly impressed, but maybe the whole thing is better?
Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel)
This one is basically, with the title feature, a primer on the comic book version of the team (likely comparable to the movie version hitting theaters this summer) from Brian Michael Bendis. Not hugely inspiring, but I guess you don't expect a lot from something like this, especially since it doesn't even get the whole issue. The next segment belongs to Jim Starlin and Thanos, two names that historically have gone very well together, and is an excerpt from the Thanos: The Infinity Revelation graphic novel. Either it's not the greatest excerpt, or it's not the greatest pairing of these two. Hard to say. Then there's a silly Spider-Verse excerpt from Dan Slott. I just don't know what to make of Slott's overall vision for Spider-Man. This is how he chooses to follow-up Doctor Spider-Man? I know I'm not usually Marvel's biggest fan, but this was not a hugely inspiring FCBD offering.
The New 52: Futures End #0 (DC)
I haven't been reading the latest DC weekly series, but it's an undeniably good idea, making a whole bunch of characters who don't necessarily have viable homes in the current landscape suddenly relevant, headlined by Grifter and, especially with this special preview, Batman Beyond in his official continuity debut. I'm a DC guy, and it's always nice when there's full-issue new material from anyone for FCBD, so it's especially nice for new material for a major new project available. This is the way it's done.
Previews: What's @ Comic Shops (Diamond)
Ideally everyone who wasn't already familiar with reading comics as a hobby picked this one up. It's an excellent primer.
Project Black Sky (Dark Horse)
As part of Dark Horse's latest attempt at jump-starting a superhero franchise, this is possibly also its first ever major crossover event, featuring Captain Midnight and Brain Boy in starring roles (also involved are Ghost and X, both of whom have been part of past attempts). The writer is Fred Van Lente, who was a considerable favorite of mine back when he was working at Marvel but another of those creators who've been floating around looking for ideal context again. Captain Midnight, by the way, is a pastiche on Captain America. That's the hardest thing to overcome with this story. Otherwise probably a pretty smart gamble on Dark Horse's part.
The Rise of the Magi #0 (Top Cow)
I think this is an irredeemably terrible title for the project, but the actual comic isn't too bad, finally a Top Cow idea that doesn't have anything to do with the Artifacts concept cobbled together from characters like Witchblade and the Darkness (Think Tank is the other notable attempt for the publisher to break out of its bubble). As for what it is, Magi is a fantasy concept.
Rocket Raccoon #1 (Marvel)
It is what it is. Groot comes off best. Hey, did you know he's Groot???
Shigeru Mizuki's Showa: A History of Japan (Drawn & Quarterly)
Excerpted from a larger work, this was one of the best things I read from all my selections. This special features the best look at Japan during WWII from a sympathetic point of view since Letters from Iwo Jima. Anyone still trying to reconcile the country we know today with the one that attacked Pearl Harbor ought to consider having a look.
Steam Wars #1 (Antarctic Press)
The biggest pleasant surprise of the whole bunch, one I hesitated a great deal picking up because I feared it would be terrible. But it's awesome, it really is, a variant on Star Wars that completely nails it.
Teen Titans Go! #1 (DC)
Yes, DC and Marvel each get two selections, one for kid readers and one for whoever reads comics otherwise. Based on the cartoon that was actually brought back a few years ago, this was another highlight for me, unexpectedly written by Sholly Fisch of all people, the guy who was doing all those excellent backup features during Grant Morrison's run on Action Comics. Good fun.
The Tick (New England Comics)
Aside from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Tick is the most famous indy character in comics, having successfully (to a much more limited extent) completed the leap to television both in animated and live action (a series that starred Patrick Warburton). This latest FCBD offering details every previous release in the free series. In a just world, The Tick would be more famous. Good stuff.
Valiant Universe Handbook 2014 (Valiant)
Dry reading featuring bios for a set of characters who've had a thousand chances to catch on (they were among Dark Horse's previous superhero attempts, for instance). This was perhaps not the best way to go about FCBD, but it's at least a handy reference that can be looked through later. Just not right-now-kind-of-later.
Worlds of Aspen 2014 (Aspen)
Looks at new series Zoohunters and Damsels in Distress. Neither look like great, per say.
2000 AD (Rebellion)
One of the longest-running comics outlets is British and an anthology that's released every week (up to nearly two thousand issues!), known as the birthplace of Judge Dredd, who is coincidentally the star of the standout story from this special. The creator responsible is actually Chris Burnham, the artist who collaborated with Grant Morrison during the final run of both Batman Incorporated and Morrison's long Batman run as a whole. The last pleasant surprise, as I'd never really had an opportunity to fully appreciate Dredd before; Burnham's story did an excellent job explaining the character's appeal.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Digitally Speaking...#3: "Atomic Robo"
Atomic Robo #1 (Red 5)
From 2007. This is the very first Atomic Robo appearance. I fell in love with this guy immediately, and remain perpetually perplexed that everyone else hasn't either by now. I think it remains a problem of being published by an otherwise completely pointless comic book company. As far as I'm concerned, Robo is the Hellboy model improved, which I know is a kind of heresy among third tier comic book icons, but based on comparisons and execution of the concept, that can be my only conclusion. Hellboy and Robo are both fairly exceptional individuals who are nonetheless presented in situations not of their own making, where they are agents of some other entity. Hellboy is a member of the B.P.R.D. You know him from a couple of movies. His secret origin is not completely different from Spawn's, actually. Robo is a creation of Nikola Tesla, the great forgotten scientific genius. He (Robo) is entirely fictional, of course, but he's the rare effort to present scientific genius, much less Tesla (Jeff Smith's RASL is the other), credibly. I know, this is a comic book staple, especially in Marvel storytelling (which may explain why I am generally not a Marvel guy), but it's usually done so poorly.
The difference when Robo does it is that his adventures approach science the same way they approach everything else. And reading this debut over again, it's striking to realize that he's basically Superman. Seriously. Brian Clevinger, genius creator and writer of these adventures, should have been given all kinds of work once everyone discovered how great he was, and here and there he's been given opportunities, but mostly for Marvel (I guess it kind of figures) when it's DC that should be scooping him up, even if he's only given as a trial run a completely out of continuity tale of Superman. That should happen. The whole point of Robo is that he thoroughly outclasses all his opposition, and his stories are always still completely fun to read. It's the execution. Isn't the knock against Superman that he's too powerful to be a credible read? Robo has been proving that argument a joke since 2007.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2008
The genius of Red 5 is that it has been presenting Atomic Robo adventures on Free Comic Book Day since 2008. Even if you haven't somehow discovered Robo yet on your own, Red 5 is confident enough to keep giving you the free option, like clockwork, every year. You will enjoy Atomic Robo, damnit! And these freebies are no cheapies, either. They're just as awesome as the regular comics. This one, which once again exploits the great artwork of Robo stalwart Scott Wegener, also helps demonstrate another of Robo's unique characteristics, that he can be presented at any point in history after his creation, which is why the previous story is set during WWII and this one in 1961, and Robo himself doesn't change at all. He's still an agent of the US military, just as ambivalent about that now as then, but just as willing and capable of throwing himself into a crazy situation, which here involves another scientific genius who the Russians hid for years, who gets to deliver an epic speech that in many other hands would have been wordy-wordy-wordy but in Clevinger's play to all conventions and still works, just like everything else about Robo's adventures.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2009
Witness the hilarious debut of Dr. Dinosaur! In order for any character to truly become a classic, they need at least one more classic character next to them. That's Dr. Dinosaur, and this whole issue is dedicated to explaining how perfectly awesome he is, and how he helps explain the great appeal of Robo's adventures. And it was free! This story takes place in 1999, by the way.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2010
This one's comparatively lightweight, just a fun lark with "the least extinct birds" you'll ever meet, which has some fun with Robo as part of a team.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2011
This one's set in 2011 (and 2021), and features Robo attending a school science fair. But it gets better! Dr. Dinosaur better! And the best part isn't even Dr. Dinosaur, but rather gifted young Emma, who might be a great way to sell Atomic Robo to kids (or in this instance, give it away!) through her sheer enthusiasm, and of course love for Robo and how he tells her to wait until she's old enough to join him and then she does and then does. It's classic Robo. Also, if you like Doctor Who there's a good bit in this one for you!
Atomic Robo FCBD 2012
"Because I am the wizard of all spreadsheets!" Robo has a couple of unlikely allies in this one, including...Dr. Dinosaur! Until Dr. Dinosaur turns the tables! This one is written and drawn by Wegener. No discernible loss in awesomeness!
Atomic Robo FCBD 2013
This one rather ominously presents a real threat to Robo, another robot who is far less easy to beat than his other foes so far. (Although it should be noted that like the last issue, this one's set in 2010.) Some evil military types realize that because this robot was stopped not by Robo but by a weapon, can probably be used as a weapon against Robo, especially if there are more of them. Is Atomic Robo in trouble??? Perhaps only Free Comic Book Day 2014 (May 3!) will know for sure!!! (Although the preview doesn't suggest so.)
From 2007. This is the very first Atomic Robo appearance. I fell in love with this guy immediately, and remain perpetually perplexed that everyone else hasn't either by now. I think it remains a problem of being published by an otherwise completely pointless comic book company. As far as I'm concerned, Robo is the Hellboy model improved, which I know is a kind of heresy among third tier comic book icons, but based on comparisons and execution of the concept, that can be my only conclusion. Hellboy and Robo are both fairly exceptional individuals who are nonetheless presented in situations not of their own making, where they are agents of some other entity. Hellboy is a member of the B.P.R.D. You know him from a couple of movies. His secret origin is not completely different from Spawn's, actually. Robo is a creation of Nikola Tesla, the great forgotten scientific genius. He (Robo) is entirely fictional, of course, but he's the rare effort to present scientific genius, much less Tesla (Jeff Smith's RASL is the other), credibly. I know, this is a comic book staple, especially in Marvel storytelling (which may explain why I am generally not a Marvel guy), but it's usually done so poorly.
The difference when Robo does it is that his adventures approach science the same way they approach everything else. And reading this debut over again, it's striking to realize that he's basically Superman. Seriously. Brian Clevinger, genius creator and writer of these adventures, should have been given all kinds of work once everyone discovered how great he was, and here and there he's been given opportunities, but mostly for Marvel (I guess it kind of figures) when it's DC that should be scooping him up, even if he's only given as a trial run a completely out of continuity tale of Superman. That should happen. The whole point of Robo is that he thoroughly outclasses all his opposition, and his stories are always still completely fun to read. It's the execution. Isn't the knock against Superman that he's too powerful to be a credible read? Robo has been proving that argument a joke since 2007.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2008
The genius of Red 5 is that it has been presenting Atomic Robo adventures on Free Comic Book Day since 2008. Even if you haven't somehow discovered Robo yet on your own, Red 5 is confident enough to keep giving you the free option, like clockwork, every year. You will enjoy Atomic Robo, damnit! And these freebies are no cheapies, either. They're just as awesome as the regular comics. This one, which once again exploits the great artwork of Robo stalwart Scott Wegener, also helps demonstrate another of Robo's unique characteristics, that he can be presented at any point in history after his creation, which is why the previous story is set during WWII and this one in 1961, and Robo himself doesn't change at all. He's still an agent of the US military, just as ambivalent about that now as then, but just as willing and capable of throwing himself into a crazy situation, which here involves another scientific genius who the Russians hid for years, who gets to deliver an epic speech that in many other hands would have been wordy-wordy-wordy but in Clevinger's play to all conventions and still works, just like everything else about Robo's adventures.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2009
Witness the hilarious debut of Dr. Dinosaur! In order for any character to truly become a classic, they need at least one more classic character next to them. That's Dr. Dinosaur, and this whole issue is dedicated to explaining how perfectly awesome he is, and how he helps explain the great appeal of Robo's adventures. And it was free! This story takes place in 1999, by the way.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2010
This one's comparatively lightweight, just a fun lark with "the least extinct birds" you'll ever meet, which has some fun with Robo as part of a team.
Atomic Robo FCBD 2011
This one's set in 2011 (and 2021), and features Robo attending a school science fair. But it gets better! Dr. Dinosaur better! And the best part isn't even Dr. Dinosaur, but rather gifted young Emma, who might be a great way to sell Atomic Robo to kids (or in this instance, give it away!) through her sheer enthusiasm, and of course love for Robo and how he tells her to wait until she's old enough to join him and then she does and then does. It's classic Robo. Also, if you like Doctor Who there's a good bit in this one for you!
Atomic Robo FCBD 2012
"Because I am the wizard of all spreadsheets!" Robo has a couple of unlikely allies in this one, including...Dr. Dinosaur! Until Dr. Dinosaur turns the tables! This one is written and drawn by Wegener. No discernible loss in awesomeness!
Atomic Robo FCBD 2013
This one rather ominously presents a real threat to Robo, another robot who is far less easy to beat than his other foes so far. (Although it should be noted that like the last issue, this one's set in 2010.) Some evil military types realize that because this robot was stopped not by Robo but by a weapon, can probably be used as a weapon against Robo, especially if there are more of them. Is Atomic Robo in trouble??? Perhaps only Free Comic Book Day 2014 (May 3!) will know for sure!!! (Although the preview doesn't suggest so.)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Catching Up On Some Recent Comics
Action Comics #12 (DC)
Grant Morrison rounds out the first year of the New 52 Action Comics by pitting Superman against Captain Comet, one of DC's cosmic superheroes, in an epic showdown. Hey, it's the most relevant Comet's been in years!
Aquaman #11 (DC)
Geoff Johns continues the saga he may be only spending a little while longer on, if recent reports are to be believed. Still, if it's true, he's still done far more to make Aquaman a vital character than anyone in the dozens of attempts over the years. If nothing else, this will make an epic, massive collection, and be put right alongside Brightest Day, where Johns and Peter S. Tomasi previously worked on the character.
Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific #2 of 5 (Red 5)
A better issue than the previous one, filled with Brian Clevinger's trademark wit, and Robo's hapless reactions to the insanity around him.
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #5 (Red 5)
The latest issue of this anthology series is highlighted by Robo's confrontation with the man who killed Nikola Tesla (in this comics iteration), who was the creator of Atomic Robo (in the comics).
Batman: Earth One - Special Preview Edition (DC)
Yes, I bought and reviewed the full graphic novel last month, but I thought it'd be fun to see what it might feel like as a monthly-installment-sized edition. Yes, this only covers the first fifteen pages, but it really does have a different feel. There's a bonus preview of Scott Snyder's New 52, but the provided content is practically impenetrable, and certainly doesn't sell the Court of Owls concept, even though that's the name of the collection the preview is hawking.
Batman Incorporated #3 (DC)
The horrific shooting in Aurora, CO, delayed release of this book, though not necessarily shipments. Morrison brings back Matches Malone, Bruce Wayne's underworld alter ego, while we learn what's really going on with Damian, who has for now assumed the identity of Redbird (which was also the name of Tim Drake's Robin-mobile).
Batman and Robin #12 (DC)
Tomasi concludes his Terminus arc with a big bang, which is a little disappointing in that Terminus didn't quite receive enough time to develop as a villain. Long story short, the series was better earlier this year.
Before Watchmen: Comedian #2 of 6 (DC)
I read elsewhere that Edward Blake's introduction to Vietnam seemed a little generic. I guess I haven't saturated myself with enough Vietnam fiction, since I found it to be pretty fascinating. On the one hand, the Comedian considers this battlefield to be just another battlefield. On the other hand, this is a guy whose best friend was just assassinated. He has a right to be a little cynical, have an impulse to let loose a little. That's my perspective, anyway. Brian Azzarello also provides a fascinating insight into the possible origins of the emerging drug culture we still live in today, playing along the same notes as the second issue of Silk Spectre. (If you need a little perspective on it, Before Watchmen is an unlikely but certainly welcome forum.)
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4 (DC)
Whatever else I might have had to say about this issue is kind of overshadowed by the recent passing of comics legend Joe Kubert, who inked this series over son Andy's art. I'm not a historian of the craft, but I can certainly appreciate Kubert's huge legacy, and it's a shame that he had to die in the middle of his last great contribution. As I said in my thoughts for the first issue, Joe's inking made a definite impact on Andy's art in this book, one that spoke to the generational nature of the project. Where some people have only been able to view Before Watchman through the Alan Moore controversy, I've relished it as a chance to view comic books in their most pure and relevant form, something creators like Kurt Busiek and James Robinson have been trying to do ever since, well, Watchmen. Comics have, for better or worse, come to be defined by superheroes and legacies, and that's something Before Watchmen fully embraced, what the original stories were all about, in fact. And Joe Kubert had a huge role in developing that. Sorry to see you go.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 6 (DC)
The genius of Before Watchmen can also be explained this way: we're finally going to see Ozymandias and Comedian on equal terms. That's something the original stories surprisingly avoided. At the end of this particular issue, we begin to see a rectification.
Creator-Owned Heroes #1 (Image)
Image has slowly become the go-to home for every conceivable comic book project, and while the founders envisioned a forum to create superheroes that would contend with the popularity of the books they left behind, the projects that've come along over the past decade have redefined the company as a catch-all for creators who would otherwise look for a place in small presses. Which has in essence made Image a large small press. Sometimes a book like The Walking Dead can happen, but that's very much the exception to the rule. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, regular writing partners who regularly work for the Big Two, join forces with Steve Niles (best known for his horror efforts) in launching a new anthology format, almost magazine-like offering, working on dream projects. The problem is that the format short-changes those dreams. To be frank, the examples in this debut issue don't feel like they were worth the effort. But maybe they're better with commitment.
Demon Knights #12 (DC)
Paul Cornell may be writing this series for the trades. I think that's the best thing to say about it. I love Demon Knights, and I also wish it could be something more. It's a rolling, sometimes rollicking adventure, but every time it seems like we're finally getting somewhere...it's the end of the issue. So, Cornell may be writing for the trades. This is not a complaint.
Earth 2 #4 (DC)
James Robinson continues his chronicle of the alternate Justice Society, in which everything old is new again. This now includes Al Pratt, the original Atom, who in this version of events is a soldier in the world army that sprang up in response to the Apokolips apocalypse.
Green Lantern #11 (DC)
Black Hand puts together a creepy family reunion and Sinestro brings Hal Jordan to his own personal Batcave, allowing us our first glimpse of the next Green Lantern. Seriously, Geoff Johns could write this franchise forever.
National Comics: Eternity (DC)
The first of a series of one-shots reimagining various DC properties ("National Comics" is what the company was before it embraced the Detective in one of its flagship titles). Jeff Lemire sees Kid Eternity basically as a Ghost Whisperer. That's as much as there is to see here.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man #156.1 (Marvel)
I guess Marvel is releasing Point One issues of cancelled Spider-Man series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the web-slinger. This one is written by Roger Stern, a veteran I know best from 1990s Superman (but he's been around!).
RASL #15 (Cartoon)
The final issue of Jeff Smith's second comic book opus (his first being, of course, Bone), and finally an explanation for the title (an acronym for Romance at the Speed of Light, which was also the name of the third collection, and title of the eighth issue). Things've boiled down to Rob's need to destroy the journals of Nikola Tesla (yes, the same dude as the comics creator of Atomic Robo) in order to save the universe, lest they be used to destroy it (which in fairness to Rob is a process that was already started across several alternate realities). The big problem Rob gets to overcome in the finale is the revelation that Maya, the source of the eponymous tattoo and motivating factor in so many ways for Rob's journey throughout the series, is also his biggest threat. He's been running the whole time toward this moment. It's still disappointing that the series only lasted fifteen issues, but as Smith himself pointed out elsewhere, that still adds up to a lot of pages for any collection, and one way or another, this will sit proudly next to Bone on any discerning reader's shelf. Perhaps like Demon Knights, it will read better and last longer in the memory in trade format.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #11 (DC)
Again, I have to say how different this series is from just about anything else, not just because of the distinctive art from Kenneth Rocafort, but because of Scott Lobdell's writing, which moves along at its own pace, a little like Grant Morrison's. It is, then, any wonder that Lobdell and Rocafort have been tapped as the latest replacements in Superman? Perhaps this will solve two issues. This is a book that deserves to stand out, but it's also one that can be alienating (much like the heroes in the book themselves, who are all alienated), as has been proven since its launch last fall. Perhaps more a little more convention will help readers discover how awesome it is. This issue, by the way, features some familiar and unfamilar backstory for Koriand'r, better known as Stargirl. Apparently she has some Farscape in her.
Grant Morrison rounds out the first year of the New 52 Action Comics by pitting Superman against Captain Comet, one of DC's cosmic superheroes, in an epic showdown. Hey, it's the most relevant Comet's been in years!
Aquaman #11 (DC)
Geoff Johns continues the saga he may be only spending a little while longer on, if recent reports are to be believed. Still, if it's true, he's still done far more to make Aquaman a vital character than anyone in the dozens of attempts over the years. If nothing else, this will make an epic, massive collection, and be put right alongside Brightest Day, where Johns and Peter S. Tomasi previously worked on the character.
Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific #2 of 5 (Red 5)
A better issue than the previous one, filled with Brian Clevinger's trademark wit, and Robo's hapless reactions to the insanity around him.
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #5 (Red 5)
The latest issue of this anthology series is highlighted by Robo's confrontation with the man who killed Nikola Tesla (in this comics iteration), who was the creator of Atomic Robo (in the comics).
Batman: Earth One - Special Preview Edition (DC)
Yes, I bought and reviewed the full graphic novel last month, but I thought it'd be fun to see what it might feel like as a monthly-installment-sized edition. Yes, this only covers the first fifteen pages, but it really does have a different feel. There's a bonus preview of Scott Snyder's New 52, but the provided content is practically impenetrable, and certainly doesn't sell the Court of Owls concept, even though that's the name of the collection the preview is hawking.
Batman Incorporated #3 (DC)
The horrific shooting in Aurora, CO, delayed release of this book, though not necessarily shipments. Morrison brings back Matches Malone, Bruce Wayne's underworld alter ego, while we learn what's really going on with Damian, who has for now assumed the identity of Redbird (which was also the name of Tim Drake's Robin-mobile).
Batman and Robin #12 (DC)
Tomasi concludes his Terminus arc with a big bang, which is a little disappointing in that Terminus didn't quite receive enough time to develop as a villain. Long story short, the series was better earlier this year.
Before Watchmen: Comedian #2 of 6 (DC)
I read elsewhere that Edward Blake's introduction to Vietnam seemed a little generic. I guess I haven't saturated myself with enough Vietnam fiction, since I found it to be pretty fascinating. On the one hand, the Comedian considers this battlefield to be just another battlefield. On the other hand, this is a guy whose best friend was just assassinated. He has a right to be a little cynical, have an impulse to let loose a little. That's my perspective, anyway. Brian Azzarello also provides a fascinating insight into the possible origins of the emerging drug culture we still live in today, playing along the same notes as the second issue of Silk Spectre. (If you need a little perspective on it, Before Watchmen is an unlikely but certainly welcome forum.)
Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4 (DC)
Whatever else I might have had to say about this issue is kind of overshadowed by the recent passing of comics legend Joe Kubert, who inked this series over son Andy's art. I'm not a historian of the craft, but I can certainly appreciate Kubert's huge legacy, and it's a shame that he had to die in the middle of his last great contribution. As I said in my thoughts for the first issue, Joe's inking made a definite impact on Andy's art in this book, one that spoke to the generational nature of the project. Where some people have only been able to view Before Watchman through the Alan Moore controversy, I've relished it as a chance to view comic books in their most pure and relevant form, something creators like Kurt Busiek and James Robinson have been trying to do ever since, well, Watchmen. Comics have, for better or worse, come to be defined by superheroes and legacies, and that's something Before Watchmen fully embraced, what the original stories were all about, in fact. And Joe Kubert had a huge role in developing that. Sorry to see you go.
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 6 (DC)
The genius of Before Watchmen can also be explained this way: we're finally going to see Ozymandias and Comedian on equal terms. That's something the original stories surprisingly avoided. At the end of this particular issue, we begin to see a rectification.
Creator-Owned Heroes #1 (Image)
Image has slowly become the go-to home for every conceivable comic book project, and while the founders envisioned a forum to create superheroes that would contend with the popularity of the books they left behind, the projects that've come along over the past decade have redefined the company as a catch-all for creators who would otherwise look for a place in small presses. Which has in essence made Image a large small press. Sometimes a book like The Walking Dead can happen, but that's very much the exception to the rule. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, regular writing partners who regularly work for the Big Two, join forces with Steve Niles (best known for his horror efforts) in launching a new anthology format, almost magazine-like offering, working on dream projects. The problem is that the format short-changes those dreams. To be frank, the examples in this debut issue don't feel like they were worth the effort. But maybe they're better with commitment.
Demon Knights #12 (DC)
Paul Cornell may be writing this series for the trades. I think that's the best thing to say about it. I love Demon Knights, and I also wish it could be something more. It's a rolling, sometimes rollicking adventure, but every time it seems like we're finally getting somewhere...it's the end of the issue. So, Cornell may be writing for the trades. This is not a complaint.
Earth 2 #4 (DC)
James Robinson continues his chronicle of the alternate Justice Society, in which everything old is new again. This now includes Al Pratt, the original Atom, who in this version of events is a soldier in the world army that sprang up in response to the Apokolips apocalypse.
Green Lantern #11 (DC)
Black Hand puts together a creepy family reunion and Sinestro brings Hal Jordan to his own personal Batcave, allowing us our first glimpse of the next Green Lantern. Seriously, Geoff Johns could write this franchise forever.
National Comics: Eternity (DC)
The first of a series of one-shots reimagining various DC properties ("National Comics" is what the company was before it embraced the Detective in one of its flagship titles). Jeff Lemire sees Kid Eternity basically as a Ghost Whisperer. That's as much as there is to see here.
Peter Parker, Spider-Man #156.1 (Marvel)
I guess Marvel is releasing Point One issues of cancelled Spider-Man series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the web-slinger. This one is written by Roger Stern, a veteran I know best from 1990s Superman (but he's been around!).
RASL #15 (Cartoon)
The final issue of Jeff Smith's second comic book opus (his first being, of course, Bone), and finally an explanation for the title (an acronym for Romance at the Speed of Light, which was also the name of the third collection, and title of the eighth issue). Things've boiled down to Rob's need to destroy the journals of Nikola Tesla (yes, the same dude as the comics creator of Atomic Robo) in order to save the universe, lest they be used to destroy it (which in fairness to Rob is a process that was already started across several alternate realities). The big problem Rob gets to overcome in the finale is the revelation that Maya, the source of the eponymous tattoo and motivating factor in so many ways for Rob's journey throughout the series, is also his biggest threat. He's been running the whole time toward this moment. It's still disappointing that the series only lasted fifteen issues, but as Smith himself pointed out elsewhere, that still adds up to a lot of pages for any collection, and one way or another, this will sit proudly next to Bone on any discerning reader's shelf. Perhaps like Demon Knights, it will read better and last longer in the memory in trade format.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #11 (DC)
Again, I have to say how different this series is from just about anything else, not just because of the distinctive art from Kenneth Rocafort, but because of Scott Lobdell's writing, which moves along at its own pace, a little like Grant Morrison's. It is, then, any wonder that Lobdell and Rocafort have been tapped as the latest replacements in Superman? Perhaps this will solve two issues. This is a book that deserves to stand out, but it's also one that can be alienating (much like the heroes in the book themselves, who are all alienated), as has been proven since its launch last fall. Perhaps more a little more convention will help readers discover how awesome it is. This issue, by the way, features some familiar and unfamilar backstory for Koriand'r, better known as Stargirl. Apparently she has some Farscape in her.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Unbeatable Comics From Last Week
Here's a quick roundup of the comics I read last week:
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #4 (Red 5) is another fine entry in this anthology series, with a highlight of the continuing Bruce Lee serial, in which the late martial arts master admits recruiting Robo as a pupil because it's hard for a guy like Bruce to find a decent sparring partner.
Batman and Robin #11 (DC) sees Damian continue to work his way through past Robins by confronting Jason Todd (a rare appearance by the Red Hood outside of his own book) while the Terminus gang brands people with the bat symbol.
Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6 (DC) features the team coming together for the first time and probably sees Darwyn Cooke give more characterization to Silhouette than any previous appearance. (Perhaps more notable given that Before Watchmen collaborator J. Michael Straczynski did a version of the character in his own epic The Twelve.)
Charmed #22 (Zenescope) makes a little more sense than the last issue for readers who haven't exactly been following the series regularly, especially as concerns the return of Prue and her relationship to the Charmed Ones.
Demon Knights #11 (DC) moves the story along more than some issues, with a huge push from King Arthur and assist from the first appearance of Morgaine La Fey.
Peter Panzerfaust #5 (Image) moves the boys along to Paris, where they discover their Nazi troubles are far from over.
Saucer Country #5 (Vertigo) may be the best issue of the series so far, showcasing the cleverness of Arcadia as she kills two birds with one stone, learning more about what happened to her during a hypnotherapy session without letting on what she actually remembers to a duplicitous psychiatrist.
The Shade #10 of 12 (DC) demonstrates our antihero doing pretty much the same thing against the enemies who set Deathstroke against him in the first issue.
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #4 (Red 5) is another fine entry in this anthology series, with a highlight of the continuing Bruce Lee serial, in which the late martial arts master admits recruiting Robo as a pupil because it's hard for a guy like Bruce to find a decent sparring partner.
Batman and Robin #11 (DC) sees Damian continue to work his way through past Robins by confronting Jason Todd (a rare appearance by the Red Hood outside of his own book) while the Terminus gang brands people with the bat symbol.
Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6 (DC) features the team coming together for the first time and probably sees Darwyn Cooke give more characterization to Silhouette than any previous appearance. (Perhaps more notable given that Before Watchmen collaborator J. Michael Straczynski did a version of the character in his own epic The Twelve.)
Charmed #22 (Zenescope) makes a little more sense than the last issue for readers who haven't exactly been following the series regularly, especially as concerns the return of Prue and her relationship to the Charmed Ones.
Demon Knights #11 (DC) moves the story along more than some issues, with a huge push from King Arthur and assist from the first appearance of Morgaine La Fey.
Peter Panzerfaust #5 (Image) moves the boys along to Paris, where they discover their Nazi troubles are far from over.
Saucer Country #5 (Vertigo) may be the best issue of the series so far, showcasing the cleverness of Arcadia as she kills two birds with one stone, learning more about what happened to her during a hypnotherapy session without letting on what she actually remembers to a duplicitous psychiatrist.
The Shade #10 of 12 (DC) demonstrates our antihero doing pretty much the same thing against the enemies who set Deathstroke against him in the first issue.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Unbeatable Comics: Atomic Robo
Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific #1
writer: Brian Clevinger
artist: Scott Wegener
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #3
writer: Brian Clevinger
artist: Ryan Cody, Gurihiru, John Broglia, Christian Ward
Atomic Robo is one of the greatest comic book properties almost nobody knows about. I'm not saying that it's an obscure indy title with limited budget, distribution, and awareness. It's published by Red 5 Comics, and has been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Awards. Red 5 is probably several steps below wide recognition, but it's had some cult hits on its hands, including Zombies of Mass Destruction. Anyway, Atomic Robo is like Hellboy if Hellboy wasn't so Gothic.
Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener have been creating Atomic Robo comics since 2007, and I've tried my best to read each of the successive mini-series released along the way (as well as a series of Free Comic Book Day giveaways). Flying She-Devils of the Pacific is the seventh, and it proves beyond a doubt that this is not getting old anytime soon.
As with every Atomic Robo story, our hero stumbles into a sensational situation. This time it's a not-implausible scenario where all those weapons and stuff left behind by WWII troops in the Pacific have become subject to competing parties looking to exploit them. Robo runs into a band of, well, flying she-devils, American women who don't much care to return to their normal lives and have become pirates securing these weapons from more sinister forces looking to do evil with them. Although he's indestructible and a match for the scientific genius of those he's worked with over the decades, including creator Nikola Tesla, Robo is invariably depicted as baffled by just about everything, but game to play along, because one way or another he'll figure his way out and save the day. These are parodies of the traditional superhero archetype, but written smartly, using science in ways Mythbusters would appreciate, without knocking the reader over the head with it, perhaps more like Fringe, actually, if Walter Bishop's pet cow Bessie were a robot and did all his adventures for him.
The one thing Hellboy really has over Robo is a strong supporting cast, including the BPRD. Real Science Adventures seems to be an effort to expand on that, an anthology series with different artists working alongside Clevinger, some starring Robo and some that don't. The six-part "To Kill a Sparrow" doesn't, for instance, but it's recognizable as an Atomic Robo story all the same, set during WWII and featuring some adventurers looking to steal the Crown of Thorns back from the Nazis. The one-off "Tesla's Electric Sky Schooner" features Clevinger's version of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, if they were all real historic figures, and is done in manga style. The six-part "Leaping Metal Dragon" also continues this issue, with Robo attempting to learn from Bruce Lee, in ways Robo probably never considered. "Atomic Robo and the Electromatic Dream Machine" is the most surreal entry of the issue, stripping Clevinger's instincts to its most minimal approach, and is probably as good a summary of the Atomic Robo phenomenon as you'll get.
I'm always hoping Robo will get more fans, and the fact that he now has two books seems encouraging.
writer: Brian Clevinger
artist: Scott Wegener
Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #3
writer: Brian Clevinger
artist: Ryan Cody, Gurihiru, John Broglia, Christian Ward
Atomic Robo is one of the greatest comic book properties almost nobody knows about. I'm not saying that it's an obscure indy title with limited budget, distribution, and awareness. It's published by Red 5 Comics, and has been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Awards. Red 5 is probably several steps below wide recognition, but it's had some cult hits on its hands, including Zombies of Mass Destruction. Anyway, Atomic Robo is like Hellboy if Hellboy wasn't so Gothic.
Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener have been creating Atomic Robo comics since 2007, and I've tried my best to read each of the successive mini-series released along the way (as well as a series of Free Comic Book Day giveaways). Flying She-Devils of the Pacific is the seventh, and it proves beyond a doubt that this is not getting old anytime soon.
As with every Atomic Robo story, our hero stumbles into a sensational situation. This time it's a not-implausible scenario where all those weapons and stuff left behind by WWII troops in the Pacific have become subject to competing parties looking to exploit them. Robo runs into a band of, well, flying she-devils, American women who don't much care to return to their normal lives and have become pirates securing these weapons from more sinister forces looking to do evil with them. Although he's indestructible and a match for the scientific genius of those he's worked with over the decades, including creator Nikola Tesla, Robo is invariably depicted as baffled by just about everything, but game to play along, because one way or another he'll figure his way out and save the day. These are parodies of the traditional superhero archetype, but written smartly, using science in ways Mythbusters would appreciate, without knocking the reader over the head with it, perhaps more like Fringe, actually, if Walter Bishop's pet cow Bessie were a robot and did all his adventures for him.
The one thing Hellboy really has over Robo is a strong supporting cast, including the BPRD. Real Science Adventures seems to be an effort to expand on that, an anthology series with different artists working alongside Clevinger, some starring Robo and some that don't. The six-part "To Kill a Sparrow" doesn't, for instance, but it's recognizable as an Atomic Robo story all the same, set during WWII and featuring some adventurers looking to steal the Crown of Thorns back from the Nazis. The one-off "Tesla's Electric Sky Schooner" features Clevinger's version of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, if they were all real historic figures, and is done in manga style. The six-part "Leaping Metal Dragon" also continues this issue, with Robo attempting to learn from Bruce Lee, in ways Robo probably never considered. "Atomic Robo and the Electromatic Dream Machine" is the most surreal entry of the issue, stripping Clevinger's instincts to its most minimal approach, and is probably as good a summary of the Atomic Robo phenomenon as you'll get.
I'm always hoping Robo will get more fans, and the fact that he now has two books seems encouraging.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Many Happy Returns
ATOMIC ROBO PRESENTS REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES #2 (Red 5)
I haven’t read a new Atomic Robo adventure science Free
Comic Book Day. Excuse me, let me
clarify, FCBD 2011. I didn’t read this
year’s installment, because for the first time in five years, I missed
FCBD. Heroes & Dragons doesn’t
participate. I may ask them if they can
at least get me copies of the free comics I wanted (the annual Atomic Robo
offering, plus my regular dose of free DC).
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, I’ve just read Atomic Robo, which I’ve
enjoyed doing for four years, give or take, now. His adventures have been among the most
clever material I’ve ever read in a comic book, as if BONE had never gone into
deep fantasy, and remained lighthearted.
It’s primarily been the work of writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott
Wegener, but the distinctive appearance of the character has long inspired fan
art, and so it was only a matter of time before Wegener actually gave way to
other artists. REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES
is essentially an anthology title that accomplishes exactly that, Clevinger
delivering exactly the same kind of witty, sparse storytelling, and our first
chance to see variations on the basic style already well-established (there are
six paperback collections if you’d like to see for yourself). There are clear parallels between Robo and
Hellboy, but whereas Hellboy is involved in fairly steep mythology and
franchise at this point, Robo is still his trademark blissfully carefree self,
like the most pure form of what a comic book should be. In fact, if that’s how you want to consider
Atomic Robo, then I would encourage and endorse that view!
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #7 (Marvel)
At the start of the year, I rather pithily dismissed the
launch of this series, but now I get to benefit, so I’m going to quickly and
quietly reverse my position, if only for one issue. I’m a big fan of Stuart Immonen (and his frequent
collaborator and wife, Kathryn), but until this issue I haven’t seen the Marvel
version of Stuart Immonen compare favorably to the transcendent version I
enjoyed at DC at the end of the last millennium. I would go so far as to say that version of
Stuart Immonen as one of the best creators of his generation, both as writer
and artist. The Marvel version of Stuart
Immonen has tried a variety of ways to be the exact opposite of that Stuart
Immonen, and suffice it to say, I really don’t see the point. So it was with great pleasure that I saw this
issue, which features Spidey teaming up with She-Hulk in a throwback adventure
in so many ways. It’s at once an
argument that Stuart should do Peter Parker (he did Pete once before, in
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, but that was Bendis Spider-Man, not Immonen Spider-Man),
and that maybe he wouldn’t be such a bad fit for She-Hulk, either (and yes, I
acknowledge that Kathryn was the writer of this tale and not Stuart, but for
me, when Stuart’s art is the art I best associate with Stuart, the whole story
becomes associated with him). So,
Marvel, take note, or if you don’t, then at least let Stuart notice that at
least some of his fans are. This might
have been a random issue of a series that doesn’t really seem to have a
coherent point to it, but its significance is greater than you can imagine.
HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE (Marvel)
One of Marvel’s periodic attempts to chronicle its own
fictional history in a journalistic fashion, this comic is also evidence that
Marvel has produced many, many stories with a bare minimum of coherence, which
may be fun to read at the time, but don’t actually make up a history that
inspires a lot of confidence. This is
what people think of when they think of comic books, and maybe that helped THE
AVENGERS wildly succeed as a movie, but it’s not a lot to take seriously,
unless you don’t look very closely. A DC
version of this would read differently, is all I’m saying. I know that MARVELS managed to make this kind
of history lesson look remarkably impressive, and maybe the same thing could be
done today with the same effect, but to see how many times Marvel has changed
characters and attempted to kill them off, only to backpedal and still pretend
that every single story its ever told actually exists in continuity, well…to a
perpetual skeptic who can still appreciate the odd story, it just beggars the
mind. Fans really prefer, on general
majority, Marvel to DC? Maybe it’s because
Marvel does the cliché comic better than anyone, I don’t know. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but every
now and again, it’s probably worth living up to the hype instead of coasting on
reputation. Just saying…
JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 (DC)
Speaking of which, this is a book that many fans seem to
assume is doing exactly that, when it’s doing anything but. Geoff Johns has been building a coherent
story since the launch, and this is an issue that really rewards faith in that,
even if you haven’t always been, pardon me, a true believer. His angle has from the start been about the
world’s perception of the League which is why Steve Trevor is relevant as a
character for the first time in decades, and why a new villain named Graves
(for the moment?) may be the most significant new adversary for the team since
Prometheus, emerging first as an anonymous cheerleader who literally wrote the
book about the team, and then became embittered and disillusioned, an arc Mark
Waid tried to do in THE KINGDOM, but which here may actually work. The best comic book stories in this
millennium will always tell stories on at least two levels: 1) from the
ordinary perspective of the characters involved, and 2) from the greater perspective
of how that story relates to the world the characters live in, which more or
less means they work on objective and subjective levels. There are many ways to do this, and Geoff
Johns has perfected his, first with Green Lantern, and now with the Justice
League. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
NIGHTWING #9 (DC)
Random attacks by the Talons in “Night of the Owls”
continue, and for Nightwing, they’re surprisingly personal. Kyle Higgins continues to exploit his
opportunity to give the Grayson family line the same amount of depth writers
have been giving the Waynes for years, so that Dick Grayson is no longer just
the orphaned son of circus performers who served as a useful surrogate for
Bruce Wayne’s war on crime, but rather someone with a rich history of his
own. In fact, Scott Snyder seems to have
unwittingly ceded the most relevant part of his epic to his partner in crime. This issue reveals both the strengths and the
weaknesses in the concept of the Court of Owls, how random an opponent they
really are, and how convoluted it is to make them relevant in the way they’re
supposed to be. Higgins, though, makes
it work in surprising fashion, and it would do well for future Nightwing
writers to remember this issue. This is
a greater concern than you’d think, because most new Nightwing writers tend to
ignore what’s come before them (there are exceptions, but then if there weren’t,
there wouldn’t be a rule). What Higgins
is really doing here is establishing once and for all that Dick Grayson is a
viable character in his own right. I for
one hope that Higgins remains onboard for many years to come.
PETER PANZERFAUST #3 (Image)
I’ve been intrigued by this title ever since I learned of
its existence. This is the first issue I’ve
actually been able to read, but I’m still infinitely glad and gratified. Peter Pan as a cultural icon is fascinating,
the first time in pop entertainment where a child is held up as an ideal, even
if he’s a deeply flawed one, suggesting that youth and experience are not always
mutually exclusive in surprisingly profound ways. Of course, one of the distinctions in the
traditional story is Peter’s relationship with Wendy, and by sheer coincidence,
this issue of PETER PANZERFAUST, a vision of the character by Kurtis Wiebe that
recasts him into WWII, is the introduction of Wendy into the narrative. Sometimes luck really does work that
way. I don’t know how long this series
can last, but I’ll be a faithful reader for as long as possible.
SAUCER COUNTRY #3 (Vertigo)
Not surprisingly, this is going to be a series that deepens
its own mythology with every new issue, exploring and meditating on the same
themes as they unfold, one narrative and vision, which just so happens to be
pretty profound. What is the proper
relationship one should have with fringe experiences? Like the TV show FRINGE, SAUCER COUNTRY does
not have easy answers, but Paul Cornell wastes no time getting beyond that and
plunging deeply into his story. Maybe
things won’t happen very quickly, but they’ll be interesting.
THE SHADE #8 (DC)
I’m still shocked that most fans have skipped out on this
one, but pleased that DC saw fit to give James Robinson a full year to explore
one of the more fascinating elements of his late, critically acclaimed STARMAN
series, a reformed villain with a rich history and a thorny future, all of
which is intertwined in this story. I’ve
missed three issues since the last time I was able to get my hands on THE SHADE,
and you’ve got to know that ensuring I didn’t miss the rest of it was one of my
primary concerns in opening a box at Heroes & Dragons. So then, here we go
again.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
I'm Having My Own Flashpoint, Here!
Okay, so for the record, I am no longer technically reading comics, nor all that interested in regularly reading them.
Now, would somebody please remind me?
Oh, and damn Free Comic Book Day. The annual event that, well, hands out free comic books, was this past Saturday (and hopefully you knew that already), and as I have, well, annually, I paid homage to the event, visiting Escape Velocity in downtown Colorado Springs during a very small window before work that day. I got there early. I hoped the store might be open at 10, so yeah, I got there early, and after wasting a good chunk of time elsewhere (the main branch of the local library does in fact carry a good selection of my favorite authors, as it turns out!), still came back in time to be first in line (yay me!) and so I could say that I was the first patron to enjoy the day (oh the ironies of a “former” comic book nerd claiming such an honor!). Because I lingered at the entrance near the counter, however (collecting FEAR ITSELF #2), I was not the first to the free comics table, however (though big props to Mike and/or whoever else decided we could take three comics this year, rather than two, even though I was able to take as many as I wanted when I enjoyed FCBD at Newbury Comics in Burlington, MA years earlier).
This sentence has no parenthical phrase. I grabbed the usual suspects, a DC, Marvel, and Atomic Robo. I’ll talk more about my selections a bit later, but suffice it to say, that was pretty much the extent of my visit that day. I had made a small list of titles to make sure I wouldn’t forget from the regular racks, FEAR ITSELF being one of them, so I could finally take a look at Stuart Immonen’s work on the book, plus any new issues of BATMAN, INC. and, wildest of dreams, maybe a copy of ACTION COMICS #900 (y’know, the one where he “controversially” renounces US citizenship, but hopefully I will get to talk about this one later, when I actually have a copy). I made the list to limit myself, to make sure I hit the essentials, and yes, because I had very little time. I got out in about four minutes, which was considerably less time than my last visit (comics are just one of those things you can spend a good amount of time shopping). I felt pretty proud, only six comics in all, and three of them were free.
The problem is, I keep fretting that I’ve reacquired “the bug.” That I’ve fallen off the wagon. I’ve already made a commitment to go back when that second printing of ACTION #900 arrives. And I know I’ll have more time. And I really, really want to read the Flashpoint comics.
I’m not just talking about the event book itself. Actually, I’m less interested in FLASHPOINT itself than, say, FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR - THE GREEN LANTERN. Or FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD. Or FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS. Or FLASHPOINT: CANTERBURY CRICKET (I’m damn curious). You get the point. I was one of the fans who went gaga over Tangent Comics. And, to a lesser extent, Amalgam Comics. I’ve never gotten around to reading a lot of them, especially some of the really famous ones like SUPERMAN: RED SON, but Elseworlds. The thing is, as much as I like a good bit of continuity, I like “alternuity” a lot more. I like when familiar facts are played around with, especially when, like Flashpoint is promising, familiar facts are played around with cleverly, in ways that have unexpected resonance with the facts as we know them.
Did I mention that I really, really want to read Flashpoint? Desperately. I suspect that these comics were be collected, in much the same way that every single scrap of BLACKEST NIGHT was eventually collected into massive hardcovers. Financially, I care. But as a fan, I really, really don’t care. I want to read this stuff. Badly. It’s one of those, I’m-convinced-they’ll-become-some-of-my-favorite-comics things. I really am.
So I’m in a bad place right now. I also want to read those Green Lantern movie tie-ins. Most of the time, any comic that is created to cash in on a movie, unless they’re a straight adaptation, are a waste of time and money. These seem different. Not just because Green Lantern, as Geoff Johns and the filmmakers have realized, has a ton of storytelling potential. The characters, though familiar, have so much more to say than even five years of Johns-inspired expansion have been able to tell. And there’s so much passion. These, too, will undoubtedly be collected. But c’mon. A fan is a fan is a fan. And a fan wants to read RIGHT NOW. Sorry. Usually save the caps for comics titles. But you get what I mean. That’s what reading comics tends to do. It makes people crazy.
So, damn you Free Comic Book Day. And here are the comics that were a part of this breakdown:
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2011 - THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Marvel)
Dan Slott, so far as I can tell, has been doing, well, an amazing job with Spidey in “Big Time,” pushing all the work that was done during “Brand New Day” to the next level, and whereas that era was accomplished with multiple writers, Slott’s been going it alone, so I cannot give him enough props for that kind of accomplishment. This one’s basically a big advertisement for things that’ve been happening, and a tease for more things that will happen, but it’s a Spider-Man comic. A certain amount of the straight entertainment factor is to be expected. Also, really great to see Humberto Ramos, still riding high all these years after I enjoyed his work in IMPULSE. He’s the rare artist who doesn’t receive all the buzz and hype but who nonetheless maintains the steady awesome output and high profile assignments, year after year. I’m now dreaming of Ramos supplying the art for a Stuart Immonen-scripted adventure…
ATOMIC ROBO/FOSTER BROUSSARD/MOON GIRL (Red 5)
How many years has Robo been commanding Red 5’s Free Comic Book Day contributions now? It doesn’t matter. Not only is Robo the company’s biggest hit, he’s also still waiting to, well, actually hit, become a smash sensation, that is, explode, break out into the mainstream, the way Hellboy has, in other words, over at Dark Horse. And there’s no reason why Atomic Robo shouldn’t be huge. The work of Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener has been consistently awesome from the beginning, and as creators they’ve finally been noticed by their peers, winning work from the likes of Marvel, but like Fred Van Lente without Herc and/or Cho and/or Ryan Dunlavey, they just aren’t the same without Robo. Sure, this particular FCBD effort includes previews for some other books, but it’s all about Robo! Robo! Robo!
BATMAN, INC. #5 (DC)
Now, I don’t know if there were other issues I should have had the opportunity to read (but let’s be honest, reading five issues of this comic when I’ve “stopped reading comics” is already pretty awesome); I’m just glad that I finished another Grant Morrison arc. And unlike previous issues, this one’s clearly, as it proves the arc has all along without anyone realizing it, on par with the massive storytelling structure Grant brought to THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, the Black Glove saga, and other epics. We learn just how big the threat of Doctor Dedalus really is, as we meet even more heroes, including the Hood (who looks a lot like the current Azrael), how insanely complicated his mechanics are (and no one outplots Grant Morrison, except maybe Geoff Johns), and that there really are challenges for Bruce Wayne, even now. Who else writes Batman so that he can meet seemingly every challenge, but still be challenged, and so that it comes off convincingly? It’s the kind of comic book that mocks every single bad connotation outsiders have toward the industry, and that’s the way Grant’s been writing since his career began, why he still seems hungry, when all his contemporaries have either retired or all but retired. He has nothing left to prove. And yet he just keeps proving himself, challenging himself, and challenging comic books themselves. How does he do it? The man’s a true creative dynamo.
FEAR ITSELF #1 & 2 (Marvel)
Matt Fraction is one of Marvel’s so-called Architects, one of the writers it has identified as being not only integral to the company now, but for its future, yet FEAR ITSELF counts as his first event book. Among the books for which he is known is IRON MAN, where he’s helped to bridge the gap between the comics and movie versions of Tony Stark. This event seems like Fraction’s version of that same effort for Thor, so that fans who are intrigued by the new movie might have something to look at afterward. Those who may not be familiar with SIEGE might still be interested to read about Odin’s return to Asgard, or the plans of comparatively ordinary mortals in helping Thor to reclaim his place on Earth. The rest of the story involves the legacy of the Red Skull, and therefore Steve Rogers, and therefore the new Captain American movie. I figure FEAR ITSELF will more or less be the reason Rogers claims his familiar mantle. It both surprises me and doesn’t that James “Bucky” Barnes has still be been embraced as his successor. Batman, Inc. this is not. Stuart Immonen, of course, is on art for this book, and most of it, as has been the norm for his work with Marvel, by design, is not all that familiar to what I knew from his days at DC. There are tiny glimpses, not terribly flattering actually, of what I used to enjoy, but otherwise, it’s not all that distinctive. It’s competent, and Stuart’s obviously dependable, unlike a great many of those who came after him, and became popular and famous, but he’s capable of so much better. So I probably won’t be reading more of this book. I wasn’t all that intrigued or interested. I don’t really care about anything that I’ve read in the first two issues. And Mr. Immonen continues to disappoint me. But I guess he doesn’t need me to be a fan. He’s entrenched at Marvel, something of a stalwart on staff, and is doing indy work that fulfills him otherwise. I just wish I could believe that he was making a difference, at least in the way I believe he did at DC. Maybe it’s just me.
FCBD 2011 GREEN LANTERN/FLASHPOINT (DC)
For those who haven’t already picked up a copy of the SECRET ORIGIN trade (either before or after the movie cover edition with a few extras that readers of the regular GREEN LANTERN comic will find familiar, beyond the Ryan Reynolds intro), most of this book is another plug for that arc, Geoff Johns’ version of EMERALD DAWN, with liberal allusions to BLACKEST NIGHT tossed in, which is said to have done much to inspire the filmmakers who will soon fulfill many dreams (at the very least, mine). It wisely skips over the first chapter, which revolves more around Hal Jordan’s background, and instead gives us the revision of the familiar origin, with Abin Sur crashing his ship and bequeathing his ring to Hal. There’s also the preview for FLASHPOINT, as much a reminder of who Barry Allen is as a tease for the strange new world he will soon encounter. It’s exactly the kind of thing Free Comic Book Day should be doing, giving fans what they think they want, and so much more. The Spidey comic also includes a tease for FEAR ITSELF, but I wonder if new readers will care as much about that as they will for the free Green Lantern intro, or old readers as much will the FLASHPOINT intro. As a fan, I relished reading me some Dan Slott, and he’s a perfect writer for readers to read a typical Spider-Man comic, and this is a perfect era for vintage Spider-Man. But it’s perhaps better to give the old and new readers something a little more interesting than that.
But the beauty of Free Comic Book Day is that you can have both, and for nothing at all. I often wonder what the new readers really think, based on these samples. I’ve never been one for as long as I’ve enjoyed this holiday (even if I have to work on it). Maybe, if a year from now and I’ve actually been able to maintain this almost-complete-break, I might better experience what that novice is feeling right now.
Or maybe I already know.
Now, would somebody please remind me?
Oh, and damn Free Comic Book Day. The annual event that, well, hands out free comic books, was this past Saturday (and hopefully you knew that already), and as I have, well, annually, I paid homage to the event, visiting Escape Velocity in downtown Colorado Springs during a very small window before work that day. I got there early. I hoped the store might be open at 10, so yeah, I got there early, and after wasting a good chunk of time elsewhere (the main branch of the local library does in fact carry a good selection of my favorite authors, as it turns out!), still came back in time to be first in line (yay me!) and so I could say that I was the first patron to enjoy the day (oh the ironies of a “former” comic book nerd claiming such an honor!). Because I lingered at the entrance near the counter, however (collecting FEAR ITSELF #2), I was not the first to the free comics table, however (though big props to Mike and/or whoever else decided we could take three comics this year, rather than two, even though I was able to take as many as I wanted when I enjoyed FCBD at Newbury Comics in Burlington, MA years earlier).
This sentence has no parenthical phrase. I grabbed the usual suspects, a DC, Marvel, and Atomic Robo. I’ll talk more about my selections a bit later, but suffice it to say, that was pretty much the extent of my visit that day. I had made a small list of titles to make sure I wouldn’t forget from the regular racks, FEAR ITSELF being one of them, so I could finally take a look at Stuart Immonen’s work on the book, plus any new issues of BATMAN, INC. and, wildest of dreams, maybe a copy of ACTION COMICS #900 (y’know, the one where he “controversially” renounces US citizenship, but hopefully I will get to talk about this one later, when I actually have a copy). I made the list to limit myself, to make sure I hit the essentials, and yes, because I had very little time. I got out in about four minutes, which was considerably less time than my last visit (comics are just one of those things you can spend a good amount of time shopping). I felt pretty proud, only six comics in all, and three of them were free.
The problem is, I keep fretting that I’ve reacquired “the bug.” That I’ve fallen off the wagon. I’ve already made a commitment to go back when that second printing of ACTION #900 arrives. And I know I’ll have more time. And I really, really want to read the Flashpoint comics.
I’m not just talking about the event book itself. Actually, I’m less interested in FLASHPOINT itself than, say, FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR - THE GREEN LANTERN. Or FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD. Or FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS. Or FLASHPOINT: CANTERBURY CRICKET (I’m damn curious). You get the point. I was one of the fans who went gaga over Tangent Comics. And, to a lesser extent, Amalgam Comics. I’ve never gotten around to reading a lot of them, especially some of the really famous ones like SUPERMAN: RED SON, but Elseworlds. The thing is, as much as I like a good bit of continuity, I like “alternuity” a lot more. I like when familiar facts are played around with, especially when, like Flashpoint is promising, familiar facts are played around with cleverly, in ways that have unexpected resonance with the facts as we know them.
Did I mention that I really, really want to read Flashpoint? Desperately. I suspect that these comics were be collected, in much the same way that every single scrap of BLACKEST NIGHT was eventually collected into massive hardcovers. Financially, I care. But as a fan, I really, really don’t care. I want to read this stuff. Badly. It’s one of those, I’m-convinced-they’ll-become-some-of-my-favorite-comics things. I really am.
So I’m in a bad place right now. I also want to read those Green Lantern movie tie-ins. Most of the time, any comic that is created to cash in on a movie, unless they’re a straight adaptation, are a waste of time and money. These seem different. Not just because Green Lantern, as Geoff Johns and the filmmakers have realized, has a ton of storytelling potential. The characters, though familiar, have so much more to say than even five years of Johns-inspired expansion have been able to tell. And there’s so much passion. These, too, will undoubtedly be collected. But c’mon. A fan is a fan is a fan. And a fan wants to read RIGHT NOW. Sorry. Usually save the caps for comics titles. But you get what I mean. That’s what reading comics tends to do. It makes people crazy.
So, damn you Free Comic Book Day. And here are the comics that were a part of this breakdown:
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2011 - THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Marvel)
Dan Slott, so far as I can tell, has been doing, well, an amazing job with Spidey in “Big Time,” pushing all the work that was done during “Brand New Day” to the next level, and whereas that era was accomplished with multiple writers, Slott’s been going it alone, so I cannot give him enough props for that kind of accomplishment. This one’s basically a big advertisement for things that’ve been happening, and a tease for more things that will happen, but it’s a Spider-Man comic. A certain amount of the straight entertainment factor is to be expected. Also, really great to see Humberto Ramos, still riding high all these years after I enjoyed his work in IMPULSE. He’s the rare artist who doesn’t receive all the buzz and hype but who nonetheless maintains the steady awesome output and high profile assignments, year after year. I’m now dreaming of Ramos supplying the art for a Stuart Immonen-scripted adventure…
ATOMIC ROBO/FOSTER BROUSSARD/MOON GIRL (Red 5)
How many years has Robo been commanding Red 5’s Free Comic Book Day contributions now? It doesn’t matter. Not only is Robo the company’s biggest hit, he’s also still waiting to, well, actually hit, become a smash sensation, that is, explode, break out into the mainstream, the way Hellboy has, in other words, over at Dark Horse. And there’s no reason why Atomic Robo shouldn’t be huge. The work of Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener has been consistently awesome from the beginning, and as creators they’ve finally been noticed by their peers, winning work from the likes of Marvel, but like Fred Van Lente without Herc and/or Cho and/or Ryan Dunlavey, they just aren’t the same without Robo. Sure, this particular FCBD effort includes previews for some other books, but it’s all about Robo! Robo! Robo!
BATMAN, INC. #5 (DC)
Now, I don’t know if there were other issues I should have had the opportunity to read (but let’s be honest, reading five issues of this comic when I’ve “stopped reading comics” is already pretty awesome); I’m just glad that I finished another Grant Morrison arc. And unlike previous issues, this one’s clearly, as it proves the arc has all along without anyone realizing it, on par with the massive storytelling structure Grant brought to THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, the Black Glove saga, and other epics. We learn just how big the threat of Doctor Dedalus really is, as we meet even more heroes, including the Hood (who looks a lot like the current Azrael), how insanely complicated his mechanics are (and no one outplots Grant Morrison, except maybe Geoff Johns), and that there really are challenges for Bruce Wayne, even now. Who else writes Batman so that he can meet seemingly every challenge, but still be challenged, and so that it comes off convincingly? It’s the kind of comic book that mocks every single bad connotation outsiders have toward the industry, and that’s the way Grant’s been writing since his career began, why he still seems hungry, when all his contemporaries have either retired or all but retired. He has nothing left to prove. And yet he just keeps proving himself, challenging himself, and challenging comic books themselves. How does he do it? The man’s a true creative dynamo.
FEAR ITSELF #1 & 2 (Marvel)
Matt Fraction is one of Marvel’s so-called Architects, one of the writers it has identified as being not only integral to the company now, but for its future, yet FEAR ITSELF counts as his first event book. Among the books for which he is known is IRON MAN, where he’s helped to bridge the gap between the comics and movie versions of Tony Stark. This event seems like Fraction’s version of that same effort for Thor, so that fans who are intrigued by the new movie might have something to look at afterward. Those who may not be familiar with SIEGE might still be interested to read about Odin’s return to Asgard, or the plans of comparatively ordinary mortals in helping Thor to reclaim his place on Earth. The rest of the story involves the legacy of the Red Skull, and therefore Steve Rogers, and therefore the new Captain American movie. I figure FEAR ITSELF will more or less be the reason Rogers claims his familiar mantle. It both surprises me and doesn’t that James “Bucky” Barnes has still be been embraced as his successor. Batman, Inc. this is not. Stuart Immonen, of course, is on art for this book, and most of it, as has been the norm for his work with Marvel, by design, is not all that familiar to what I knew from his days at DC. There are tiny glimpses, not terribly flattering actually, of what I used to enjoy, but otherwise, it’s not all that distinctive. It’s competent, and Stuart’s obviously dependable, unlike a great many of those who came after him, and became popular and famous, but he’s capable of so much better. So I probably won’t be reading more of this book. I wasn’t all that intrigued or interested. I don’t really care about anything that I’ve read in the first two issues. And Mr. Immonen continues to disappoint me. But I guess he doesn’t need me to be a fan. He’s entrenched at Marvel, something of a stalwart on staff, and is doing indy work that fulfills him otherwise. I just wish I could believe that he was making a difference, at least in the way I believe he did at DC. Maybe it’s just me.
FCBD 2011 GREEN LANTERN/FLASHPOINT (DC)
For those who haven’t already picked up a copy of the SECRET ORIGIN trade (either before or after the movie cover edition with a few extras that readers of the regular GREEN LANTERN comic will find familiar, beyond the Ryan Reynolds intro), most of this book is another plug for that arc, Geoff Johns’ version of EMERALD DAWN, with liberal allusions to BLACKEST NIGHT tossed in, which is said to have done much to inspire the filmmakers who will soon fulfill many dreams (at the very least, mine). It wisely skips over the first chapter, which revolves more around Hal Jordan’s background, and instead gives us the revision of the familiar origin, with Abin Sur crashing his ship and bequeathing his ring to Hal. There’s also the preview for FLASHPOINT, as much a reminder of who Barry Allen is as a tease for the strange new world he will soon encounter. It’s exactly the kind of thing Free Comic Book Day should be doing, giving fans what they think they want, and so much more. The Spidey comic also includes a tease for FEAR ITSELF, but I wonder if new readers will care as much about that as they will for the free Green Lantern intro, or old readers as much will the FLASHPOINT intro. As a fan, I relished reading me some Dan Slott, and he’s a perfect writer for readers to read a typical Spider-Man comic, and this is a perfect era for vintage Spider-Man. But it’s perhaps better to give the old and new readers something a little more interesting than that.
But the beauty of Free Comic Book Day is that you can have both, and for nothing at all. I often wonder what the new readers really think, based on these samples. I’ve never been one for as long as I’ve enjoyed this holiday (even if I have to work on it). Maybe, if a year from now and I’ve actually been able to maintain this almost-complete-break, I might better experience what that novice is feeling right now.
Or maybe I already know.
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