Batman #7, 8, 13, 16, 17 (DC)
The first two issues are Steve Orlando writing, with plot suggestions from Tom King, chapters from "Night of the Monster Men," billed as the first crossover event of the Rebirth era. Caught up in the mess is Gotham Girl, helping make it relevant to King's run. #13 is the conclusion to King's "I am Suicide," which has been a breakthrough Batman story. It segued into a breakthrough Catwoman story, and then #s 16 and 17, the first two installments of "I am Bane," the conclusion of King's initial arc in the series, begun with "I am Gotham." This is the first time Bane has felt like Bane since "Knightfall." Actually, this is pretty much "Knightfall: Rebirth."
Catwoman: Election Night (DC) (2016)
Meredith Finch writes a parody of the 2016 election in the lead story. Penguin is cast as Trump, which is a slightly odd fit, given that Trump has never been outright been accused as a criminal, but the Clinton stand-in is cast as a murderer, so I guess it balances out. It's just surprising to see someone finally just admit that neither of these candidates was a pinnacle of humanity. Anyway, the backup feature is Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell reprising their Prez. I don't remember Russell leaning so heavily liberal in his ideology in the original mini-series so much as skewering the political process in general, but after reading some of his Flintstones it may merely be more obvious to me now.
Daredevil #14, 15, 16 (Marvel)
These are the first issues of Charles Soule's run on the title I've read. After his departure from DC, I feared Soule wouldn't get the visibly he deserved at Marvel, and with the news that he'd been tasked with the relatively thankless job of following a much-loved Mark Waid run, I figured I had to be right. But I'm not always right, and anyway, I was still curious as hell about what he was doing. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. These issues are great. I don't know or care what other readers think about them, but hopefully Marvel is paying attention and will elevate Soule further up the ladder later on.
Showing posts with label Ben Caldwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Caldwell. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2017
Friday, April 1, 2016
Reading Comics 182 "Making a commitment"
Yesterday I went to see Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (thought it was entertaining, loved it, respectively) and in between visited Heroes & Villains again. I wanted to order a copy of Omega Men #3 (the only one missing from my physical collection) and pick up the latest issue, #10. Then I put in reserves for the two remaining issues, and next week's Wonder Woman: Earth One from Grant Morrison. Omega Men, as anyone who's been reading this blog since last fall will know, has become my favorite recent comic, certainly favorite since Morrison's Annihilator which concluded early last year (and topped the last two annual QB50 lists). Things rarely work out this way for me (yet), but ideally I'd like to see Omega Men remembered in the same ranks as Alan Moore's Watchman as a seminal superhero comic. It's just that good. It changes everything. At least DC has rewarded writer Tom King with the plush assignment of Batman in the impending Rebirth era.
I walked away with a few other comics, and so I'll talk about that stuff:
Sam Wilson: Captain America #7 (Marvel)
Billed on the cover as celebrating Cap's 75th anniversary, this supersize issue features a pivotal moment in the "Standoff" crossover arc, for Steve Rogers, and a few extra stories from some acclaimed creators. The lead features Sam Wilson, who's been Captain America for the past year or so but is also familiar to fans as Falcon, as he enters Maria Hill's misguided supervillain reconstruction town. He teams up with Bucky, who still responds to the name of Winter Soldier these days. The writer is Nick Spencer, who made a splash with DC a handful of years ago but has otherwise been making his name with the Image series Morning Glories. (I'm surprised his name didn't already have a label here, because I was reading him in those early years, including the start of Glories, but I guess that was just before I started this blog.) Joss Whedon teams with superstar artist John Cassaday for a tale from Cap's WWII past, Tim Sale does a mostly wordless story concerning Cap's oft-overlooked parents, and Greg Rucka features Steve Rogers at the ballet, along with artist Mike Perkins, who worked on Ed Brubaker's Captain America, as well as Marvel's ambitious adaption of Stephen King's The Stand. Rucka and Perkins easily have the best work in the issue.
Omega Men #10 (DC)
King finally gets to the war the Omega Men have been plotting against the Citadel from the very start, and predictably, there's very little glory to be found, just mere survival. Kyle Rayner stumbled into the fight of his life, one that has nothing to do with Green Lanterns, and by the end of the issue he walks off into the distance, and his last words in the issue are, "No. No, I'm...I'm just another Omega Man." King's quote from William James (always one of my favorite features in this series) says, "Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events." It's not until this issue that the Omega Men have truly been allowed to do what they've been promising all along, to be the heroes in a great fight for freedom. What does it feel like to be a part of that? Although King has been featuring the secret origins of the team itself, the series has had Kyle at its core since the start. He doesn't revel in the results they've had so far. Not having a personal stake, it means something different to him, but it has become personal. That's King's genius.
Prez #6 (DC)
This is the final issue of the initial run. DC's promised to let Prez complete its twelve issue run, just as with Omega Men, but it'll take a little longer. Ben Caldwell has since started work at Marvel. I hope he'll be back to finish Prez, because Mark Russell's biting political satire is truly some of the best mainstream work I've seen in years, challenging what I believe, and I still love it. That's just one of the many things to love about it. I'm glad to have finally read the issue.
Superman/Batman #1 Special Edition (DC)
This was a freebie released in conjunction with Dawn of Justice, reprinting the debut issue of Jeph Loeb's modern World's Finest series. Loeb had become one of the most acclaimed writers in comics at the time, and this series continued his trademark psychological insight into superheroes he'd previously brought to works like Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman For All Seasons, plus the more contemporary Hush arc with Jim Lee, in which he helped shape the landscape of DC at that time. In this issue, President Luthor is still in office, one of the key developments that stretched from the dawn of the millennium to Infinite Crisis, characterization that reflects Lex's role in the later Geoff Johns Justice League and Zack Snyder's Dawn of Justice. There are far worse free comics out there...
I walked away with a few other comics, and so I'll talk about that stuff:
Sam Wilson: Captain America #7 (Marvel)
Billed on the cover as celebrating Cap's 75th anniversary, this supersize issue features a pivotal moment in the "Standoff" crossover arc, for Steve Rogers, and a few extra stories from some acclaimed creators. The lead features Sam Wilson, who's been Captain America for the past year or so but is also familiar to fans as Falcon, as he enters Maria Hill's misguided supervillain reconstruction town. He teams up with Bucky, who still responds to the name of Winter Soldier these days. The writer is Nick Spencer, who made a splash with DC a handful of years ago but has otherwise been making his name with the Image series Morning Glories. (I'm surprised his name didn't already have a label here, because I was reading him in those early years, including the start of Glories, but I guess that was just before I started this blog.) Joss Whedon teams with superstar artist John Cassaday for a tale from Cap's WWII past, Tim Sale does a mostly wordless story concerning Cap's oft-overlooked parents, and Greg Rucka features Steve Rogers at the ballet, along with artist Mike Perkins, who worked on Ed Brubaker's Captain America, as well as Marvel's ambitious adaption of Stephen King's The Stand. Rucka and Perkins easily have the best work in the issue.
Omega Men #10 (DC)
King finally gets to the war the Omega Men have been plotting against the Citadel from the very start, and predictably, there's very little glory to be found, just mere survival. Kyle Rayner stumbled into the fight of his life, one that has nothing to do with Green Lanterns, and by the end of the issue he walks off into the distance, and his last words in the issue are, "No. No, I'm...I'm just another Omega Man." King's quote from William James (always one of my favorite features in this series) says, "Truth happens to an idea. It becomes true, is made true by events." It's not until this issue that the Omega Men have truly been allowed to do what they've been promising all along, to be the heroes in a great fight for freedom. What does it feel like to be a part of that? Although King has been featuring the secret origins of the team itself, the series has had Kyle at its core since the start. He doesn't revel in the results they've had so far. Not having a personal stake, it means something different to him, but it has become personal. That's King's genius.
Prez #6 (DC)
This is the final issue of the initial run. DC's promised to let Prez complete its twelve issue run, just as with Omega Men, but it'll take a little longer. Ben Caldwell has since started work at Marvel. I hope he'll be back to finish Prez, because Mark Russell's biting political satire is truly some of the best mainstream work I've seen in years, challenging what I believe, and I still love it. That's just one of the many things to love about it. I'm glad to have finally read the issue.
Superman/Batman #1 Special Edition (DC)
This was a freebie released in conjunction with Dawn of Justice, reprinting the debut issue of Jeph Loeb's modern World's Finest series. Loeb had become one of the most acclaimed writers in comics at the time, and this series continued his trademark psychological insight into superheroes he'd previously brought to works like Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman For All Seasons, plus the more contemporary Hush arc with Jim Lee, in which he helped shape the landscape of DC at that time. In this issue, President Luthor is still in office, one of the key developments that stretched from the dawn of the millennium to Infinite Crisis, characterization that reflects Lex's role in the later Geoff Johns Justice League and Zack Snyder's Dawn of Justice. There are far worse free comics out there...
Monday, August 31, 2015
Countdown to QB50 2015: August
18 Days #2 (Graphic India)
- Notable creators: Grant Morrison (writer)
- This second issue jumps into the narrative of the superwar and features a show of respect from the good guys to the bad guys, some of whom turn out to be pretty okay, too.
- Definitely a welcome issue for the project.
ARCHIE #1 (Archie)
- Notable creators: Mark Waid (writer), Fiona Staples (artist)
- I saw that my local shop had it available, so I decided to have a look at this Archie reboot. The second issue was available at the time. In hindsight I probably should have just gotten both.
- Waid continues to look better than I've seen in him in years, after this and Strange Fruit.
- Staples (Saga) somehow manages to charm without all the gross-out elements. Imagine that!
BATMAN #43 (DC)
- Notable creators: Scott Snyder (writer)
- Commissioner Batman (I had another name the last time I talked about it, but I think I like this one better) continues.
- In much more interesting news, Superman stops by, and Alfred discusses how Bruce Wayne came back, and the unlikelihood, at this point, of resuming the crusade.
- Pivotal issue. Has nothing much to do with Commissioner Batman.
ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #3 (DC)
- Notable creators: Patrick Gleason (writer/artist)
- Damian's girlfriend, Nobody's daughter Maya, continues to prove to be excellent company for the errant Boy Wonder.
- Talia returns from the dead.
- Deathstroke shows up.
- Seriously, could this series be any better?
BLOODSHOT REBORN #5 (Valiant)
- Notable creators: Jeff Lemire (writer)
- Bloodsquirt, Bloodshot's irritating figment of nanite imagination, surprisingly does an excellent job of moving the story along.
- Like Wolverine before him, Bloodshot has a mysterious past. This issue he allows someone to read the file that explains who he used to be. Decides he doesn't want to know what it says.
- Marvel never did figure out how to make Wolverine's past life as interesting as his post-Weapon X days. This is probably a good decision.
CIVIL WAR #2, 3 (Marvel)
- Notable creators: Charles Soule (writer), Leinil Francis Yu (artist)
- I stand by the assertion I made previously that out of all the Secret Wars spin-offs/extensions of past arcs, Soule's Civil War is arguably the most significant.
- Yes, the war continued. No Captain America did not end up assassinated. Yes, Spider-Man still has problems stemming from his decisions. Infiltration is the name of the game on both sides,
- Then we discover a true game-changer, the presence of a character who did not previously make a Civil War impact: Black Panther.
Between Civil War and Star Wars: Lando, Soule was one of the August standouts, easily. That was four solid issues from both series for Soule. I used to dread his Marvel contract. Now I am really, really happy. He's doing excellent, relevant, subtle work with both series, and as far as I'm concerned significantly raised his profile. He's poised to become a major force.
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #13 (Dark Horse)
- Notable creators: Jerry Ordway (artist), Craig Rousseau (artist)
- This anthology title offers a number of stories, including the start of a new chapter in Ordway and Alex de Campi's Semiautomagic.
- My main interest, however, was for Rousseau and Rick Woodall's Kyrra: Alien Jungle Girl, which I got to see in print for the first time, after discovering it digitally from comiXology.
DESCENDER #6 (Image)
- Notable creators: Jeff Lemire (writer)
- Hey, there he is again! Lemire, along with Charles Soule and Paul Cornell, was a welcome repeat creator.
- Dr. Quon's full story is detailed, as we discover more about Descender itself while he relates exactly how he stole the awesome breakthroughs in robotics that made his name (and cost him an arm).
- And we meet another Tim!
DIRK GENTLY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY #3 (IDW)
- Notable creators: Chris Ryall (writer)
- Dirk begins to make actual progress in his investigation.
- (Somehow.)
DOCTOR WHO: FOUR DOCTORS #1, 2, 3 (Titan)
- Notable creators: Paul Cornell (writer)
- The four Doctors in question are David Tennant (Tenth Doctor), Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor) and Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor).
- Wait, did I say four? The fourth is John Hurt (War Doctor).
- There are also a bunch of companions running around. Fans will probably be able to identify them a lot better than I can.
- Even for someone who doesn't have too much experience with the Doctor(s), this is a fun read.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #3 (DC)
- Notable creators: Daniel H. Wilson (writer)
- Evil mastermind (and one-time Mr. Terrific) Terry Sloan is assassinated!
- Prime suspect: Superman!
- (The other one.)
FABLES #150/FABLES VOL. 22: FAREWELL (Vertigo)
- Notable creators: Bill Willingham (writer)
- The final issue comes in the form of a collection, with the kind of ending Peter Jackson gave his Lord of the Rings.
- As in, a lot of epilogues.
- A little hard for someone who didn't actually, y'know, read the series to fully appreciate, but it's also a heck of a novelty.
- I like novelties.
THE FUSE #13 (Image)
- Notable creators: Antony Johnston (writer), Justin Greenwood (artist)
- The series returns from hiatus for its "Perihelion" arc.
- "Perihelion" means the space station is at its closest to the sun.
- Which means everyone gets crazier than usual.
- Which means plenty of crime for Klem and Marlene to investigate. Yay!
GRAYSON #10 (DC)
- Notable creators: Tim Seeley (writer), Tom King (writer)
- Guest-stars Lex Luthor, erstwhile member of the Justice League and, oh, the guy who killed Dick Grayson during Forever Evil, which is the event that led to this innovative relaunch.
- Yeah, even if I've failed to read this series regularly, there's no chance I was going to miss that.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #43 (DC)
- Notable creators: Geoff Johns (writer)
- "Darkseid War" continues!
- The Mobius Chair won't tell Batman who the Anti-Monitor is. The reader knows Anti-Monitor is Mobius.
- Superman and Lex Luthor have some nice quality time together.
- Up next? Darkseid versus Anti-Monitor!
JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS: WONDER WOMAN, 1, 3 (DC)
- Notable creators: J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Bruce Timm (writer)
- To be clear, what I read here was the Wonder Woman one-shot, plus the first and third issues of the Gods and Monsters event itself.
- Wonder Woman emerges as the most likable of the alternate Big Three, and hailing from Jack Kirby's New Gods.
- This could be seen as Timm's version of the complicated Man of Steel reality where Superman isn't automatically accepted as a bright shining superhero.
MIND MGMT #36/NEW MGMT #1 (Dark Horse)
- Notable creators: Matt Kindt (writer/artist)
- This coda to the MIND MGMT saga reads like a blueprint to how to avoid the huge mess the series unraveled.
- And its lingering effects.
- With a big happy, completely unambiguous ending!
MS. MARVEL #17 (Marvel)
- Notable creators: G. Willow Wilson (writer)
- Ms. Marvel meets Captain Marvel!
- Not quite as awesome as the Wolverine team-up.
- (Would that even be possible?)
PREZ #3 (DC)
- Notable creators: Mark Russell (writer), Ben Caldwell
- Corndog Girl begins building her presidential cabinet!
- The blogger reaction to Prez I've read has been considerably less enthusiastic than mine has been.
- For me, this thing is an instant classic, a portrait of our current political cynicism in a satire of what it could lead to.
SPIDER-VERSE #4 (Marvel)
- Notable creators: Mike Costa (writer)
- Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, together again at last!
- Sort of!
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #2 (IDW)
- Notable creators: Mike Johnson (writer)
- Again, what could be a horrible gimmick continues to show considerable restraint.
- Uhura (Star Sapphire; best quote of the issue: "Spock! I need your help, not your analysis!)), Chekov (Blue Lantern), Gorn warrior (Red Lantern), Chang (Sinestro Corps), Romulan politican (Orange Lantern), and Bones (Indigo Tribe) are all inspired crossover choices.
- Sinestro shows up on the last page.
- Larfleeze is featured on the cover next issue.
- Seriously. Good fun!
STAR WARS #8 (Marvel)
- Notable creators: Jason Aaron (writer), Stuart Immonen (artist)
- Seriously, Immonen begins art duties on Star Wars, and you thought I wouldn't be there?
- The big story in this Marvel series is the appearance of Sana Solo, the apparent wife of Han Solo.
- Guess who vigorously denies that throughout this issue?
- Immonen is a perfect fit, by the way.
STAR WARS: LANDO #2, 3 (Marvel)
- Notable creators: Charles Soule (writer), Alex Maleev (artist)
- By the second issue, we may know why Lobot is considerably less animated in The Empire Strikes Back than Soule presents him here.
- The Emperor's Imperial Guard (the dudes in read) in action!
- Chanath Cha continues his efforts to prove he's as awesome a bounty hunter as Boba Fett.
- Lando discovers what the reader already knows: that Palpatine is steeped in Sith lore.
SUPERMAN #43 (DC)
- Notable creators: Gene Luen Yang (writer), John Romita, Jr. (artist)
- This is it! Lois Lane reveals Superman's secret identity to the world!
- She does it so that Hordr can no longer bribe Superman.
- It's a big, big moment, obviously.
- In this continuity, it makes perfect sense.
- Yang even makes a connection to Grant Morrison's Action Comics run.
- Where, you'll remember, Superman himself briefly "killed" Clark Kent.
- Probably will be endlessly debated. But we already had a tidy wedding in previous continuity. In this one, there are fewer certainties. This is a good thing. Allows the mythos to breathe.
- Notable creators: Paul Cornell (writer)
- Seeing this listed in Previews originally, I didn't know how much I should be interested in it. Besides Cornell...?
- But it reminds me that I have a considerable history at this point reading comics that involve rock n' roll: Night Trippers, the Brian Wilson issue of Hawkeye, Mysterious Strangers, Comeback, even a Prince comic...
- So this is kind of...destiny.
Cornell, meanwhile, more than earns being in the spotlight, between This Damned Band and Doctor Who: Four Doctors. And I'm happy to see so much material from him. From Captain Britain to Knight & Squire to Saucer Country to his Lex Luthor arc in Action Comics and even Demon Knights, Cornell carved out a considerable legacy for himself, and I always hoped he'd take his rightful place within the comics elite. But wide success always eluded him, and he became the opposite of the famed British Invasion, in that he went back home. Went all British. Returned to one of his true loves, the very British but expanding Doctor Who. I'm glad I've now had the opportunity to experience Cornell's Doctor interest first-hand, and to find something new from him, too. Welcome back!
THE UNWRITTEN: APOCALYPSE #12 (Vertigo)
- Notable creators: Mike Carey (writer)
- I finally had the chance to read the conclusion to Carey's Unwritten saga.
- To my mind, much more satisfying than Fables'.
- Fables, in part, by the way, circled around to an allusion to Harry Potter.
- Unwritten, meanwhile, was perhaps the most clever Harry allusion anyone's yet produced.
Four more months left in the year. Miller and Azarello will be launching The Dark Knight III in November. Gaiman's Sandman: Overture is ending. Morrison is launching Klaus. And I'm sure there are plenty of highlights yet remaining. This has been a pretty good year.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Reading Comics 170 "From 7/22/15 plus more"
Covered this edition: Grant Morrison's 18 Days #1, Cyborg #1, MIND MGMT #35, Prez #2, Superman: Doomed #2, and We Are Robin #2.
Grant Morrison's 18 Days #1 (Graphic India)
Back in 2010, Dynamite and Liquid Comics released what was intended to be a kind of graphic novel trailer for 18 Days, which became an online animated series. Now, that series is being adapted into a comic book. The original graphic novel was actually more like an elaborate series bible. And so this first issue covers familiar material, more setup than actual storytelling. The art is not exactly the lush work from the graphic novel, and that took some getting used to, but that's what the animated series looks like. I have no idea how long this will last, but I intend to read it for as long as it exists. This is Morrison's Morrison Version of the Indian epic Mahabharata, which might be described as The Iliad by way of The Lord of the Rings.
I'm reading this one on delay because I had to request the series from the local shop, and it took a while for it to come in. If I hadn't asked last week about its status, I still wouldn't have seen it yet, because the shipment came up damaged and the shop owner didn't want to sell it like that. Listen, I don't read comics, much less buy them, as investment potential. The best comics are some of the best things I read, period. For me, that's the best reason to read them.
Cyborg #1 (DC)
Incredibly, this is the first time Cyborg has ever had an ongoing series. He was originally introduced in Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans. Since the start of the New 52, he's been a member of the Justice League. Very wisely, this series seems to have been taken directly from the pages of Geoff Johns' work, written by David F. Walker and especially aided by the art of longtime DC standout Ivan Reis. Everything that isn't familiar, in the best possible way, sets up space robots who will likely further complicate Victor Stone's relationship with his new body. I think it was incredibly wise to wait this long to launch the series. Here I'm thinking of Mr. Terrific from the start of the New 52, which had to reinvent the wheel twice over. Not only did that series also star someone who had never had an ongoing series before, but far less track record and to that point only one context, as a member of Johns' Justice Society. And it was not only introducing a theoretically new version of the character, but in totally new context. It's no surprise that Mr. Terrific was one of the early failures. And so hopefully, doing everything exactly the opposite, Cyborg will be the success it deserves to be.
MIND MGMT#35 (Dark Horse)
Technically the end of the story, since as far as I know the next and final issue is an epilogue (apparently solicited as NEW MGMT #1), because this issue the good guys defeat the bad guys. Anyway, I guess what I really want to address is editor Brendan Wright, who spent every letters column I saw fawning over the series, saying how proud he was to be involved in it. I guess it was a pretty big deal for him (as outlined in how he presents his career). For a series that lasted three years, which would be a long-term failure for a lot of other companies if it hadn't been the creator who dictated its length (the series was originally commissioned at six issues, and was allowed to expand from there), this is the kind of reaction you'd normally expect from a Vertigo series like Y: The Last Man or Sandman. It is odd, because MIND MGMT in a lot of ways seems like it should have been published by Vertigo rather than Dark Horse. I have no idea how or why it happened this way. The advantage to having it Vertigo would have been to bring Matt Kindt into the DC fold. Except he's been doing exceptionally well in the Valiant fold. He's the rare talent who helps comics as a whole rather than merely himself or try and puff up his and/or a given company's chest (the way Image tends to do it, say). But I don't want to read about how special he is from the editor who probably will never be associated with something this good again. I want to hear from Kindt himself. Because in my experience, this is a novelty for Dark Horse. Which is why I'm confused about how it was published by them to begin with.
Prez #2 (DC)
Last time I believe I talked a lot about artist Ben Caldwell. I love that guy. Increasingly, I wonder if it's because his work reminds me of Jeff Smith. Either way, I need to stress that I love Prez for its storytelling, too, which means I need to stress Mark Russell's contribution a little more directly. I hadn't even made a label for him, so now there's that. Prez is such an oddity. There's nothing superhero about it at all. I have no idea why it's being published by DC and not under the Vertigo imprint. Ostensibly, it's because it's a new version of a classic DC concept. And because there are now a lot of series with superhero connections that are aiming for the youth vote, it's harder for Prez to stand out, especially when it seems like it's nothing more than the stupid gimmick the original was. This Prez is flat out great political and social satire. "Corndog Girl" is only elected president this issue, expressly because of all the shenanigans the arrogant official candidates were up to, and the compromises the electoral college (anyone still wondering what that's all about in the wake of the...2000 election might look here for an explanation).
And unfortunately, originally set to be a twelve-issue maxi-series, Prez was just shortened to six. As someone who absolutely loves what Prez is doing, I'm sad that it's been reduced like that, but at least that's not as bad as when The Great Ten, originally scheduled for, well, ten issues, was dropped to nine.
Superman: Doomed #2 (DC)
It's been hard to make me care about Superman comics in the New 52 era if it weren't being written by Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns. Every now and then I check in with what other people are doing. I was aware of the Doomed event, which was the New 52 version of Doomsday, which was actually a pretty interesting idea. This and the first issue are the bookends, and are now everything I've read from it. The writers this time are Greg Pak and Charles Soule, although it's Scott Lobdell who continues to be associated with the concept thanks to his new Doomed series (which does not feature Superman, but will, eventually, have Alpha Centurion in it, which is good enough for me). There are about a million artists involved in the issue, as well as Lois Lane in her most notable New 52 arc to date (in the least likely way imaginable, unless you're thinking of the Silver Age or Jimmy Olsen), plus Brainiac. And I read this issue trying to figure out how it related to Convergence, and for most of the issue, I thought not at all, until at the very end. And I don't know, maybe I'll have to do further research, but that ending makes it look like it might actually completely redefine Convergence.
But getting back to Doomsday, having the concept become something like a Venom parasite is probably better than what DC originally did with Doomsday in the aftermath of killing Superman. He ended up being a Kryptonian monster who reincarnates after each defeat, no longer able to be defeated that way again, and he and Superman fought again many other times (Dan Jurgens at one point tried his best to further his legacy solely in this way). While I haven't read the Doomed series itself yet, and generally I've been far more forgiving of Lobdell than fans tend to be, I'm glad this new vision exists even though I'm not immediately interested in delving into it myself.
We Are Robin #2 (DC)
Where you might have expected the second issue to have spent time with members of this Robin gang other than Duke Thomas...Nope, not so much. This is still the Duke Thomas show in all but name. I mean, other members are addressed, but they're not really featured. They exist. The issue begins to explore the mystery of who has been recruiting them. There's also teasing of the villain who will apparently kill one of them soon. Dead Robin. It's a thing. So it figures that We Are Robin will be waiting very little to reach its own Dead Robin story. All the better! Writer Lee Bermejo's covers continue to represent not at all the interior art, but I guess that's okay. I can learn to live with it.
Back in 2010, Dynamite and Liquid Comics released what was intended to be a kind of graphic novel trailer for 18 Days, which became an online animated series. Now, that series is being adapted into a comic book. The original graphic novel was actually more like an elaborate series bible. And so this first issue covers familiar material, more setup than actual storytelling. The art is not exactly the lush work from the graphic novel, and that took some getting used to, but that's what the animated series looks like. I have no idea how long this will last, but I intend to read it for as long as it exists. This is Morrison's Morrison Version of the Indian epic Mahabharata, which might be described as The Iliad by way of The Lord of the Rings.
I'm reading this one on delay because I had to request the series from the local shop, and it took a while for it to come in. If I hadn't asked last week about its status, I still wouldn't have seen it yet, because the shipment came up damaged and the shop owner didn't want to sell it like that. Listen, I don't read comics, much less buy them, as investment potential. The best comics are some of the best things I read, period. For me, that's the best reason to read them.
Incredibly, this is the first time Cyborg has ever had an ongoing series. He was originally introduced in Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans. Since the start of the New 52, he's been a member of the Justice League. Very wisely, this series seems to have been taken directly from the pages of Geoff Johns' work, written by David F. Walker and especially aided by the art of longtime DC standout Ivan Reis. Everything that isn't familiar, in the best possible way, sets up space robots who will likely further complicate Victor Stone's relationship with his new body. I think it was incredibly wise to wait this long to launch the series. Here I'm thinking of Mr. Terrific from the start of the New 52, which had to reinvent the wheel twice over. Not only did that series also star someone who had never had an ongoing series before, but far less track record and to that point only one context, as a member of Johns' Justice Society. And it was not only introducing a theoretically new version of the character, but in totally new context. It's no surprise that Mr. Terrific was one of the early failures. And so hopefully, doing everything exactly the opposite, Cyborg will be the success it deserves to be.
Technically the end of the story, since as far as I know the next and final issue is an epilogue (apparently solicited as NEW MGMT #1), because this issue the good guys defeat the bad guys. Anyway, I guess what I really want to address is editor Brendan Wright, who spent every letters column I saw fawning over the series, saying how proud he was to be involved in it. I guess it was a pretty big deal for him (as outlined in how he presents his career). For a series that lasted three years, which would be a long-term failure for a lot of other companies if it hadn't been the creator who dictated its length (the series was originally commissioned at six issues, and was allowed to expand from there), this is the kind of reaction you'd normally expect from a Vertigo series like Y: The Last Man or Sandman. It is odd, because MIND MGMT in a lot of ways seems like it should have been published by Vertigo rather than Dark Horse. I have no idea how or why it happened this way. The advantage to having it Vertigo would have been to bring Matt Kindt into the DC fold. Except he's been doing exceptionally well in the Valiant fold. He's the rare talent who helps comics as a whole rather than merely himself or try and puff up his and/or a given company's chest (the way Image tends to do it, say). But I don't want to read about how special he is from the editor who probably will never be associated with something this good again. I want to hear from Kindt himself. Because in my experience, this is a novelty for Dark Horse. Which is why I'm confused about how it was published by them to begin with.
Last time I believe I talked a lot about artist Ben Caldwell. I love that guy. Increasingly, I wonder if it's because his work reminds me of Jeff Smith. Either way, I need to stress that I love Prez for its storytelling, too, which means I need to stress Mark Russell's contribution a little more directly. I hadn't even made a label for him, so now there's that. Prez is such an oddity. There's nothing superhero about it at all. I have no idea why it's being published by DC and not under the Vertigo imprint. Ostensibly, it's because it's a new version of a classic DC concept. And because there are now a lot of series with superhero connections that are aiming for the youth vote, it's harder for Prez to stand out, especially when it seems like it's nothing more than the stupid gimmick the original was. This Prez is flat out great political and social satire. "Corndog Girl" is only elected president this issue, expressly because of all the shenanigans the arrogant official candidates were up to, and the compromises the electoral college (anyone still wondering what that's all about in the wake of the...2000 election might look here for an explanation).
And unfortunately, originally set to be a twelve-issue maxi-series, Prez was just shortened to six. As someone who absolutely loves what Prez is doing, I'm sad that it's been reduced like that, but at least that's not as bad as when The Great Ten, originally scheduled for, well, ten issues, was dropped to nine.
It's been hard to make me care about Superman comics in the New 52 era if it weren't being written by Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns. Every now and then I check in with what other people are doing. I was aware of the Doomed event, which was the New 52 version of Doomsday, which was actually a pretty interesting idea. This and the first issue are the bookends, and are now everything I've read from it. The writers this time are Greg Pak and Charles Soule, although it's Scott Lobdell who continues to be associated with the concept thanks to his new Doomed series (which does not feature Superman, but will, eventually, have Alpha Centurion in it, which is good enough for me). There are about a million artists involved in the issue, as well as Lois Lane in her most notable New 52 arc to date (in the least likely way imaginable, unless you're thinking of the Silver Age or Jimmy Olsen), plus Brainiac. And I read this issue trying to figure out how it related to Convergence, and for most of the issue, I thought not at all, until at the very end. And I don't know, maybe I'll have to do further research, but that ending makes it look like it might actually completely redefine Convergence.
But getting back to Doomsday, having the concept become something like a Venom parasite is probably better than what DC originally did with Doomsday in the aftermath of killing Superman. He ended up being a Kryptonian monster who reincarnates after each defeat, no longer able to be defeated that way again, and he and Superman fought again many other times (Dan Jurgens at one point tried his best to further his legacy solely in this way). While I haven't read the Doomed series itself yet, and generally I've been far more forgiving of Lobdell than fans tend to be, I'm glad this new vision exists even though I'm not immediately interested in delving into it myself.
Where you might have expected the second issue to have spent time with members of this Robin gang other than Duke Thomas...Nope, not so much. This is still the Duke Thomas show in all but name. I mean, other members are addressed, but they're not really featured. They exist. The issue begins to explore the mystery of who has been recruiting them. There's also teasing of the villain who will apparently kill one of them soon. Dead Robin. It's a thing. So it figures that We Are Robin will be waiting very little to reach its own Dead Robin story. All the better! Writer Lee Bermejo's covers continue to represent not at all the interior art, but I guess that's okay. I can learn to live with it.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Reading Comics 165 "Comics from 6/17/15"
Comics covered: Justice League of America #1, Martian Manhunter #1, MIND MGMT #34, Ms. Marvel #16, Prez #1, and Robin: Son of Batman #1.
Justice League of America #1 (DC)
That image can't help, for me, but evoke Mark Waid's The Kingdom, an attempt at a follow-up to the much more famous Kingdom Come. Killing off Superman en masse will always have visual impact...Anyway, the rest of Bryan Hitch's debut (he was exclusive over at Marvel for a decade starting in 2002, and has been making a slow return to the DC fold for a few years now) of the latest Justice League title makes it clear that this is not an in-continuity series (although since Convergence, "in-continuity" doesn't mean that much anymore), and as such can be recommended to anyone looking for their DC fix without too much commitment. The line-up is the same as the original from Geoff Johns' flagship. That's about it. Good, competent storytelling. Nothing wildly exceptional, but then, I guess that doesn't particularly matter.
Martian Manhunter #1 (DC)
I've been waiting for a decent Martian Manhunter story from the New 52 era. Thankfully, it arrived at the same time the unexpected ongoing series launched. This is a character ripe with potential because he's never a given for the publishing schedule, which means anytime DC trots him out (for a solo story), chances are good that a creative team came together to tell something decent. His only other ongoing series was somewhat of an exception for me (spinning out of Grant Morrison's JLA), featuring the creative team of John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake, who somehow made an alien character too alienating. And this is a character who thrives on that distinction. The later A.J. Lieberman mini-series was actually the first of the great Martian Manhunter material that I've had the fortune to read, and for me remains the high water mark for the character and his best presentation.
But that might change. The writer is Rob Williams, whom I've previously encountered in the unremarkable Classwar. Taking a cue from Ostrander, Morrison, and Lieberman, Williams has focused on how much is really known and/or set in stone in Martian Manhunter mythology, which again is perfect for exploring because while he's iconic his relatively scant publishing history makes him ideal for innovative storytelling (but less ideal for randomly killing, as Morrison discovered in the pages of Final Crisis).
The Eddy Barrows image I included, from the first page of the issue, features "Mr. Biscuits," whom I assume is actually Martian Manhunter. Again, more of what you can do with a character like this. The art, especially the depiction of Mr. Biscuits, is a major revelation for a reader like me only familiar with Barrows from the pages of Nightwing, where he was perfectly serviceable if not especially inspired. Which is to say, he's definitely inspired here, and is a real strength for the series, moreso than Mandrake was in the previous series (nothing against Tom Mandrake, but his art was the major hindrance of that run). Barrows can convey classic superhero and the rest of the range Williams requires.
It's that range that showcases everything right with this vision. It's pretty sensational, really, and that's without even mentioning the character Pearl, who is that rarest of superhero characters, someone from the Middle East who isn't at all what you'd expect, but rather a traditional superhero character introducing us to an all-new vision of the Middle East, at least as compared to...everything else you tend to see. She's the Catwoman of Arabia. Brilliant.
I look forward to future issues, eagerly.
MIND MGMT #34 (Dark Horse)
I mentioned with the previous issue that Matt Kindt had reached the heist portion of the series, where the plan is explained, and how he exhibited how this story is different because the plan won't go wrong because, well, that's what kind of series this is. This issue calls to mind Christopher Nolan's Inception. Which is basically a heist movie. So I guess this is to say, if you're wondering what kind of story MIND MGMT is, I guess you can say it's like a Christopher Nolan movie. For me, this counts as a considerable endorsement. I've been a Nolan fan since Memento. And now, hopefully, years from now I will be able to say I've been a Kindt fan since MIND MGMT.
Ms. Marvel #16 (Marvel)
For the past few issues, I've been wondering if I should continue reading this series, because more often than not I've found myself disappointed. Unlike a lot of other readers, I didn't start reading Ms. Marvel for its cultural uniqueness, but because the writer is G. Willow Wilson. I became a fan of Wilson through work (Air) I considered the best of all the comics I was reading over the course of two consecutive years (2009-2010). That comes with significant expectations for any future work. And when this one started, Wilson absolutely lived up to the hype I gave her. I read Wilson because of her ability to keep things interesting, on a number of levels. Lately those levels have dropped.
I mention all that because this is one of those issues that reminds me why I like Wilson. It's part of Marvel's Secret Wars event (hence "Last Days of..." printed over the logo). I've found that sometimes ongoing comics really can knock out of the park what can otherwise be a cumbersome mandatory tie-in for an "end of the world" story (during DC's The Final Night two decades ago, for instance, this happened, and that's one of the reasons I love that event so much). For Wilson, it seems to have been a fruitful chance to refocus, bring back some of the sharp observations that've been Ms. Marvel at its best, rather than the lukewarm ones that've been floating around lately.
So that was good to see.
Prez #1 (DC)
DC makes infrequent attempts to candor to the youth vote, as it were. The last time I found it particularly effective was Final Crisis Aftermatch: Dance (the Super Young Team mini-series). Prez is kind of like that, but I think it has a better shot at being noticed, so long as there's a willing audience out there. The creative end certainly does its part. In that above panel alone there's inspiration from Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and even Jeff Smith to be found, which is not bad company at all.
Writer Mark Russell seems to be pretty new, and he's certainly seized this opportunity. I will, however, be concentrating my praise on Ben Caldwell. I've been praising Ben since his exceptional Wonder Woman material from Wednesday Comics, which Prez evokes to a certain degree. I say "certain degree," because I think part of the reason I seem to be somewhat singular in my devotion to Ben and his Wonder Woman is that he took his creative freedom in that project to a perhaps excessive extreme. He's dialed in it here, but the work is still uniquely vivid, and that's what I love about him.
I think the big fear everyone had about Prez is that it would be more or less like the previous, decades-old version of this narrative, a precocious "kid president" (although as kid presidents go, you know about Kid President, right? he's awesome) that has no real creative value. That couldn't be further from the case. Another big post-Convergence winner right here.
Robin: Son of Batman #1 (DC)
Speaking of great art, here's Patrick Gleason in what's effectively a spin-off from Batman and Robin. I think most of us fans feared that divorced from Pete Tomasi, Gleason couldn't really pull off the same magic on his own. But as it turns out, he really, really can. After the massive detour caused by Grant Morrison's murder of Damian in the pages of Batman, Inc. and various other crossover events, it's perhaps best of all to see Robin back in the mode that made for truly excellent comics in Batman and Robin's earliest days. And for proof, there's even the return (of a sorts) of Nobody, a character the series thankfully picked up from one of Christopher Nolan's ideas in his Batman movies (even if his Henri Ducard ended up...not being Henri Ducard at all).
Given how DC likes to experiment with artists acting as their own writers, the results are always going to be interesting. One of the last times was Scott McDaniel in the pages of Static Shock, which was one of the more notorious failures of the early New 52 (alas, McDaniel's career still has yet to show any signs of recovering). As you can see earlier in this very column, one of the latest is Bryan Hitch. But I think Gleason makes a better case, possibly because he did have that lead time with Tomasi, but perhaps also because he has proven such an excellent match for Damian. There's no artist who has done the character better.
And now he's got a Man-Bat (don't call Goliath that, though!) as his new partner. And that's a story we will get to see unfold in future issues, which should be interesting, just one of many Gleason gets to work with, which is a very good thing, because this is a series that has earned a certain amount of autonomy, and as I've suggested, if there was anything wrong with Batman and Robin, it was that it had to earn the same distinction the hard way. But thank goodness. Because it seems Damian's adventures just keep getting better and better as a result!
Justice League of America #1 (DC)
That image can't help, for me, but evoke Mark Waid's The Kingdom, an attempt at a follow-up to the much more famous Kingdom Come. Killing off Superman en masse will always have visual impact...Anyway, the rest of Bryan Hitch's debut (he was exclusive over at Marvel for a decade starting in 2002, and has been making a slow return to the DC fold for a few years now) of the latest Justice League title makes it clear that this is not an in-continuity series (although since Convergence, "in-continuity" doesn't mean that much anymore), and as such can be recommended to anyone looking for their DC fix without too much commitment. The line-up is the same as the original from Geoff Johns' flagship. That's about it. Good, competent storytelling. Nothing wildly exceptional, but then, I guess that doesn't particularly matter.
Martian Manhunter #1 (DC)
I've been waiting for a decent Martian Manhunter story from the New 52 era. Thankfully, it arrived at the same time the unexpected ongoing series launched. This is a character ripe with potential because he's never a given for the publishing schedule, which means anytime DC trots him out (for a solo story), chances are good that a creative team came together to tell something decent. His only other ongoing series was somewhat of an exception for me (spinning out of Grant Morrison's JLA), featuring the creative team of John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake, who somehow made an alien character too alienating. And this is a character who thrives on that distinction. The later A.J. Lieberman mini-series was actually the first of the great Martian Manhunter material that I've had the fortune to read, and for me remains the high water mark for the character and his best presentation.
But that might change. The writer is Rob Williams, whom I've previously encountered in the unremarkable Classwar. Taking a cue from Ostrander, Morrison, and Lieberman, Williams has focused on how much is really known and/or set in stone in Martian Manhunter mythology, which again is perfect for exploring because while he's iconic his relatively scant publishing history makes him ideal for innovative storytelling (but less ideal for randomly killing, as Morrison discovered in the pages of Final Crisis).
The Eddy Barrows image I included, from the first page of the issue, features "Mr. Biscuits," whom I assume is actually Martian Manhunter. Again, more of what you can do with a character like this. The art, especially the depiction of Mr. Biscuits, is a major revelation for a reader like me only familiar with Barrows from the pages of Nightwing, where he was perfectly serviceable if not especially inspired. Which is to say, he's definitely inspired here, and is a real strength for the series, moreso than Mandrake was in the previous series (nothing against Tom Mandrake, but his art was the major hindrance of that run). Barrows can convey classic superhero and the rest of the range Williams requires.
It's that range that showcases everything right with this vision. It's pretty sensational, really, and that's without even mentioning the character Pearl, who is that rarest of superhero characters, someone from the Middle East who isn't at all what you'd expect, but rather a traditional superhero character introducing us to an all-new vision of the Middle East, at least as compared to...everything else you tend to see. She's the Catwoman of Arabia. Brilliant.
I look forward to future issues, eagerly.
MIND MGMT #34 (Dark Horse)
I mentioned with the previous issue that Matt Kindt had reached the heist portion of the series, where the plan is explained, and how he exhibited how this story is different because the plan won't go wrong because, well, that's what kind of series this is. This issue calls to mind Christopher Nolan's Inception. Which is basically a heist movie. So I guess this is to say, if you're wondering what kind of story MIND MGMT is, I guess you can say it's like a Christopher Nolan movie. For me, this counts as a considerable endorsement. I've been a Nolan fan since Memento. And now, hopefully, years from now I will be able to say I've been a Kindt fan since MIND MGMT.
Ms. Marvel #16 (Marvel)
For the past few issues, I've been wondering if I should continue reading this series, because more often than not I've found myself disappointed. Unlike a lot of other readers, I didn't start reading Ms. Marvel for its cultural uniqueness, but because the writer is G. Willow Wilson. I became a fan of Wilson through work (Air) I considered the best of all the comics I was reading over the course of two consecutive years (2009-2010). That comes with significant expectations for any future work. And when this one started, Wilson absolutely lived up to the hype I gave her. I read Wilson because of her ability to keep things interesting, on a number of levels. Lately those levels have dropped.
I mention all that because this is one of those issues that reminds me why I like Wilson. It's part of Marvel's Secret Wars event (hence "Last Days of..." printed over the logo). I've found that sometimes ongoing comics really can knock out of the park what can otherwise be a cumbersome mandatory tie-in for an "end of the world" story (during DC's The Final Night two decades ago, for instance, this happened, and that's one of the reasons I love that event so much). For Wilson, it seems to have been a fruitful chance to refocus, bring back some of the sharp observations that've been Ms. Marvel at its best, rather than the lukewarm ones that've been floating around lately.
So that was good to see.
Prez #1 (DC)
DC makes infrequent attempts to candor to the youth vote, as it were. The last time I found it particularly effective was Final Crisis Aftermatch: Dance (the Super Young Team mini-series). Prez is kind of like that, but I think it has a better shot at being noticed, so long as there's a willing audience out there. The creative end certainly does its part. In that above panel alone there's inspiration from Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and even Jeff Smith to be found, which is not bad company at all.
Writer Mark Russell seems to be pretty new, and he's certainly seized this opportunity. I will, however, be concentrating my praise on Ben Caldwell. I've been praising Ben since his exceptional Wonder Woman material from Wednesday Comics, which Prez evokes to a certain degree. I say "certain degree," because I think part of the reason I seem to be somewhat singular in my devotion to Ben and his Wonder Woman is that he took his creative freedom in that project to a perhaps excessive extreme. He's dialed in it here, but the work is still uniquely vivid, and that's what I love about him.
I think the big fear everyone had about Prez is that it would be more or less like the previous, decades-old version of this narrative, a precocious "kid president" (although as kid presidents go, you know about Kid President, right? he's awesome) that has no real creative value. That couldn't be further from the case. Another big post-Convergence winner right here.
Robin: Son of Batman #1 (DC)
Speaking of great art, here's Patrick Gleason in what's effectively a spin-off from Batman and Robin. I think most of us fans feared that divorced from Pete Tomasi, Gleason couldn't really pull off the same magic on his own. But as it turns out, he really, really can. After the massive detour caused by Grant Morrison's murder of Damian in the pages of Batman, Inc. and various other crossover events, it's perhaps best of all to see Robin back in the mode that made for truly excellent comics in Batman and Robin's earliest days. And for proof, there's even the return (of a sorts) of Nobody, a character the series thankfully picked up from one of Christopher Nolan's ideas in his Batman movies (even if his Henri Ducard ended up...not being Henri Ducard at all).
Given how DC likes to experiment with artists acting as their own writers, the results are always going to be interesting. One of the last times was Scott McDaniel in the pages of Static Shock, which was one of the more notorious failures of the early New 52 (alas, McDaniel's career still has yet to show any signs of recovering). As you can see earlier in this very column, one of the latest is Bryan Hitch. But I think Gleason makes a better case, possibly because he did have that lead time with Tomasi, but perhaps also because he has proven such an excellent match for Damian. There's no artist who has done the character better.
And now he's got a Man-Bat (don't call Goliath that, though!) as his new partner. And that's a story we will get to see unfold in future issues, which should be interesting, just one of many Gleason gets to work with, which is a very good thing, because this is a series that has earned a certain amount of autonomy, and as I've suggested, if there was anything wrong with Batman and Robin, it was that it had to earn the same distinction the hard way. But thank goodness. Because it seems Damian's adventures just keep getting better and better as a result!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Convergence: Infinity Inc. #1 (DC)
artist: Ben Caldwell
I'm not gonna lie: I was hugely interested in this particular Convergence spin-off for only one reason, and that's artist Ben Caldwell.
Simply put, I became a devoted fan of Caldwell's after his masterful Wonder Woman feature in Wednesday Comics. The panel I've included from Infinity Inc. is as close as this one gets.
Which is not to say, Ba! and darn you Ben Caldwell! but that clearly he didn't get to go the full Caldwell. "Full Caldwell" means some of the most interesting page layouts I've ever seen. But it's okay. It's enough to see more Caldwell art at all. I have no idea why, but this has proven to be incredibly scarce over the years.
So yeah, I leaped at Infinity Inc. to see it again.
The rest of the comic isn't too bad, though. The writer is Jerry Ordway, another impressive talent (with more pedigree and longer history) who doesn't seem to get enough work. The featured characters are the offspring of the Justice Society. Back in yon olden days I had randomly acquired an issue of the classic Infinity Inc. material, so I was familiar with the characters from their original context (Alan Scott's offspring, Jade and Obsidian, have the longest publishing history of the set). And it struck me, these guys make for excellent storytelling material. Grant Morrison's Multiversity issue The Just featured a different second generation entirely (as did Kingdom Come, and come to think of it Geoff Johns' JSA/Justice Society of America), but this is the original version. If I were DC, I would consider bringing them back on an ongoing basis.
And, you know, locking down Ben Caldwell. He'll be doing Prez after Convergence concludes. I will certainly have to take a look at that, too...
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Essential Reading: Wonder Woman
With the recent hubbub over the casting of Gal Gadot in the forthcoming Superman/Batman movie, superhero fans may be wondering what there might be to find in terms of Wonder Woman material. Since she has been one of DC's icons, equally important for comic books in general as a strong female, Wonder Woman has long held a position of prominence.
The problem has always been how to present her at the same level as Batman or Superman, and so creators have been struggling over that for decades, and the resulting material can sometimes be hard to penetrate. Batman is a human with vengeance and redemption writ large beneath his shadow. Superman is the ultimate immigrant. What role does Wonder Woman play? That's always been the problem. She's hard to identify, much less identify with. She comes from a more or less Greek tradition, although her Amazons and the Amazons the ancient Greeks mythologized are pretty much polar opposites (as far as artists love to depict any woman in comics), and as such a lot of her background material comes from a culture readers may know far better than Thor's Asgard, which makes Wonder Woman's adventures at once easily comprehensible and hard to interpret solely on her merits. Unlike Thor, Wonder Woman is a new creation, and she inhabits a landscape that tries to be contemporary while also depicting its own society.
From my own experiences, here are some stories that may help define Wonder Woman's legacy a little better:
"The Contest," Wonder Woman 0, 90-93 (1994)
As close as any iconic presentation of her classic origin story goes (because this is another area where creators have not been as keen to explore in comparison to the scores provided Batman and Superman), this is actually the reverse, with Wonder Woman returning to Themyscira, home of the Amazons, to discover that the world she left behind no longer welcomes her. Mom Hippolyta (famous from Hercules mythology as the prototypical Amazon; she's actually filled in as Wonder Woman on a few occasions) deems Princess Diana no longer worthy of holding the role as champion of their people, their ambassador to Man's World. Enter Artemis, who wins the role and temporarily replaces her. This is a lot like the event stories Superman and Batman and everyone else experienced in the 90s, but it has everything to say very directly about Wonder Woman herself. Diana did, for the record, continue adventuring, in one of a few instances where she adopted a new costume (like every other instance of this that decade, it looks very 90s), and even remained a member of the Justice League, the only member of the Big Three at that point to hold the distinction. And then she got the role back, of course.
Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman 195-226 (2003-2006)
To my mind the single greatest and most significant creator run in the character's history, and certainly one of the most involved, Greg Rucka embraces Wonder Woman's role as an ambassador and tosses her into some of her most dramatic adventures. At one point she's even temporarily blinded. This is also the period of Infinite Crisis, where she murders Maxwell Lord, perhaps the most daring superhero act of the new millennium, with the fictional effect that Superman's similar act in Man of Steel had on moviegoers this past summer.
Amazons Attack!, 1-6 (2007)
One of the effects of Wonder Woman murdering Max Lord was placing her at odds with the public, which led to all Amazons coming under siege. Rarely has she been at the center of her own event, and while this was a minor one it is still a noteworthy story, which ably demonstrates all the potential that the character and her world has always held.
Allan Heinberg and Jodi Picoult, Wonder Woman 1-10 (2006-2007)
Simultaneously lifting her presence and also helping to sabotage it was Wonder Woman's receiving a relaunch under the successive early arcs of Allan Heinberg and author Jodi Picoult. Both of them were reactions to and continuations of the Greg Rucka run, centering heavily on Diana as she struggles to find her way forward, with one of her signature villains, Circe (essentially Wonder Woman's Loki) providing plenty of problems along the way. To have both Heinberg and Picoult was fantastic, but they combined for ten issues, and although the continuity was there they were both gone in an instant, and so the momentum dissipated in a heartbeat. Great for anyone coming late to the party, however.
"The Circle," Wonder Woman 14-17 (2008)
I don't generally like Gail Simone, but this story is a wild exception. It's another look at Wonder Woman's origin, but in a way that adds to it, which is generally hard to do. Diana was famously created from clay, which makes perhaps sense by way of Greek mythology. The Amazons not named Hippolyta kind of had a problem with this, the daughter of privilege who ended up inheriting everything that Wonder Woman essentially is, so they formed a conspiracy that tried to thwart her. Kind of an Occupy Wall Street story before there was an Occupy Wall Street. A key story in broadening the scope of the character.
The Blue Amazon (2003)
Another thing Wonder Woman rarely gets are her own standalone graphic novels, much less stories that dare feature art that doesn't completely glamorize her. This is that, plus a way of exploring the archetypes involved in her relationships with Batman and Superman, which is another thing DC loves to do every now and then.
Ben Caldwell, Wednesday Comics 1-12 (2009)
One of the more interesting comic book experiments of the recent past was Wednesday Comics, which presents superhero adventures in serialized cartoon strip form. The best of these strips was Ben Caldwell's visually impressive take on Wonder Woman's origin, which plays like a classic Disney animated feature. Arguably the best Wonder Woman story in this lot.
Brian Azzarello, Wonder Woman (2011-present)
Azzarello has been creating a new standard for Wonder Woman comics, ably blending the mythological elements that others can sometimes misinterpret into her overall story, so that you have an indy comic featuring a mainstream character. This may yet prove to be the best of all the stories.
Geoff Johns, Justice League (2011-present)
While this series is very much about the Justice League, Johns spent a good deal of the early issues exploring the Wonder Woman: Secret Origin story, at least as far as her introduction to Man's World goes, with all the classic elements like Steve Trevor involved. I keep mentioning this, so I might as well do it again here.
(All cover images via Comic Book Database.)
The problem has always been how to present her at the same level as Batman or Superman, and so creators have been struggling over that for decades, and the resulting material can sometimes be hard to penetrate. Batman is a human with vengeance and redemption writ large beneath his shadow. Superman is the ultimate immigrant. What role does Wonder Woman play? That's always been the problem. She's hard to identify, much less identify with. She comes from a more or less Greek tradition, although her Amazons and the Amazons the ancient Greeks mythologized are pretty much polar opposites (as far as artists love to depict any woman in comics), and as such a lot of her background material comes from a culture readers may know far better than Thor's Asgard, which makes Wonder Woman's adventures at once easily comprehensible and hard to interpret solely on her merits. Unlike Thor, Wonder Woman is a new creation, and she inhabits a landscape that tries to be contemporary while also depicting its own society.
From my own experiences, here are some stories that may help define Wonder Woman's legacy a little better:
"The Contest," Wonder Woman 0, 90-93 (1994)
As close as any iconic presentation of her classic origin story goes (because this is another area where creators have not been as keen to explore in comparison to the scores provided Batman and Superman), this is actually the reverse, with Wonder Woman returning to Themyscira, home of the Amazons, to discover that the world she left behind no longer welcomes her. Mom Hippolyta (famous from Hercules mythology as the prototypical Amazon; she's actually filled in as Wonder Woman on a few occasions) deems Princess Diana no longer worthy of holding the role as champion of their people, their ambassador to Man's World. Enter Artemis, who wins the role and temporarily replaces her. This is a lot like the event stories Superman and Batman and everyone else experienced in the 90s, but it has everything to say very directly about Wonder Woman herself. Diana did, for the record, continue adventuring, in one of a few instances where she adopted a new costume (like every other instance of this that decade, it looks very 90s), and even remained a member of the Justice League, the only member of the Big Three at that point to hold the distinction. And then she got the role back, of course.
Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman 195-226 (2003-2006)
To my mind the single greatest and most significant creator run in the character's history, and certainly one of the most involved, Greg Rucka embraces Wonder Woman's role as an ambassador and tosses her into some of her most dramatic adventures. At one point she's even temporarily blinded. This is also the period of Infinite Crisis, where she murders Maxwell Lord, perhaps the most daring superhero act of the new millennium, with the fictional effect that Superman's similar act in Man of Steel had on moviegoers this past summer.
Amazons Attack!, 1-6 (2007)
One of the effects of Wonder Woman murdering Max Lord was placing her at odds with the public, which led to all Amazons coming under siege. Rarely has she been at the center of her own event, and while this was a minor one it is still a noteworthy story, which ably demonstrates all the potential that the character and her world has always held.
Allan Heinberg and Jodi Picoult, Wonder Woman 1-10 (2006-2007)
Simultaneously lifting her presence and also helping to sabotage it was Wonder Woman's receiving a relaunch under the successive early arcs of Allan Heinberg and author Jodi Picoult. Both of them were reactions to and continuations of the Greg Rucka run, centering heavily on Diana as she struggles to find her way forward, with one of her signature villains, Circe (essentially Wonder Woman's Loki) providing plenty of problems along the way. To have both Heinberg and Picoult was fantastic, but they combined for ten issues, and although the continuity was there they were both gone in an instant, and so the momentum dissipated in a heartbeat. Great for anyone coming late to the party, however.
"The Circle," Wonder Woman 14-17 (2008)
I don't generally like Gail Simone, but this story is a wild exception. It's another look at Wonder Woman's origin, but in a way that adds to it, which is generally hard to do. Diana was famously created from clay, which makes perhaps sense by way of Greek mythology. The Amazons not named Hippolyta kind of had a problem with this, the daughter of privilege who ended up inheriting everything that Wonder Woman essentially is, so they formed a conspiracy that tried to thwart her. Kind of an Occupy Wall Street story before there was an Occupy Wall Street. A key story in broadening the scope of the character.
The Blue Amazon (2003)
Another thing Wonder Woman rarely gets are her own standalone graphic novels, much less stories that dare feature art that doesn't completely glamorize her. This is that, plus a way of exploring the archetypes involved in her relationships with Batman and Superman, which is another thing DC loves to do every now and then.
Ben Caldwell, Wednesday Comics 1-12 (2009)
One of the more interesting comic book experiments of the recent past was Wednesday Comics, which presents superhero adventures in serialized cartoon strip form. The best of these strips was Ben Caldwell's visually impressive take on Wonder Woman's origin, which plays like a classic Disney animated feature. Arguably the best Wonder Woman story in this lot.
Brian Azzarello, Wonder Woman (2011-present)
Azzarello has been creating a new standard for Wonder Woman comics, ably blending the mythological elements that others can sometimes misinterpret into her overall story, so that you have an indy comic featuring a mainstream character. This may yet prove to be the best of all the stories.
Geoff Johns, Justice League (2011-present)
While this series is very much about the Justice League, Johns spent a good deal of the early issues exploring the Wonder Woman: Secret Origin story, at least as far as her introduction to Man's World goes, with all the classic elements like Steve Trevor involved. I keep mentioning this, so I might as well do it again here.
(All cover images via Comic Book Database.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)