Batman: Master of the Future (DC)
from 1991
Master of the Future is a sequel to Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, a Victorian Age tale that has stood the test of time from the Elseworlds era, the unofficial multiverse that existed between Crisis On Infinite Earths and its sequel, Infinite Crisis. Gaslight was part of the 1989 barrage (along with Batman, the movie, and Arkham Asylum, the Grant Morrison tale). Like Master it's written by Brian Augustyn, who otherwise is best known as editor of Mark Waid's Flash, and the first guy who tried succeeding Waid in that series. Gaslight was one of Mike Mignola's DC projects (other notable examples: Cosmic Odyssey and the covers from "A Death in the Family"). The artist for Master is Eduardo Barreto (other notable works: Martian Manhunter: American Secrets and Superman: Under A Yellow Sun, like Master both prestige format projects). There's a DC animated film based on Gaslight in production at the moment. Master, as I've never actually read Gaslight, doesn't particularly read as terribly noteworthy. I don't know if it reads better as a sequel. But it's still interesting, having finally read something Gaslight related.
The Flash: Our Worlds At War (DC)
from 2001
Our Worlds At War was at the time intended to be a next-level Crisis event, redefining the concept in a modern, literate manner. Lead writer was Jeph Loeb, in-between Batman: The Long Halloween and the one-two punch of "Hush" and Superman/Batman, the three major works that still define his legacy (Marvel fans seem to remember him only for his later Ultimatum, which is a huge shame). But the concept was overshadowed by the coincidental real-life catastrophe that was 9/11, which occurred in Our Worlds' aftermath. The comic ended up looking like just another of the unfortunate reminders of that day. But it's always fascinated me, as I wasn't reading comics at the time. A couple years ago I read an omnibus of the event, so finally got caught up. I forget if it was in that or a Geoff Johns Flash omnibus where I've read this particular extract previously. I don't think it's a great way to sample Johns except to see Cyborg pop up in another of his stories; later, Johns had him join the New 52 Justice League as a founding member, which is how he shows up in the upcoming movie, too. The dramatic heft of the story, actually, belongs to the New God known as the Black Racer, who is best known as the guy who inexplicably skis everywhere. But he's got a great, emotional story, being tied to a human trapped in a hospital bed. I'm not sure if Johns used him again in his "Darkseid War," but not as I remember or have read (haven't read that whole story yet, either).
Justice League of America #58 (DC)
from August 2011
This is from the Brad Meltzer relaunch era, but once James Robinson, post-Cry for Justice, had taken over, in its final days before the New 52. Robinson had cobbled together his own League, including Congo Bill, whom he doesn't seem to have made relevant again (six years later and no additional Congo Bill, right?), but basically another B-League, which has always been curious to see even considered again post-JLA. But Robinson certainly seems to have also used the opportunity to subtly promote his best-known work, the 90s Starman, although not with lead character Jack Knight (alas). The Starman here is the blue alien, whom a letter writer (this is the brief era in which DC brought them back!) celebrates for helping make gays visible. And also the Shade, who is somewhat absurdly praised as being basically the most powerful dude around. But Robinson would later produce The Shade, a fascinating maxi-series during the New 52 that curiously never really got much love (fickle fans!). I'd always wanted to sample this work, as Saint Walker, the Blue Lantern, is also a member of the team. And on the cover? Seven Soldiers of Victory's Bulleteer! But...not so much in the issue. But Zauriel is! Also funny to see all the Green Lantern movie hype in the issue. And...! Josh Williamson writing a Subway comic ad insert! After an...unfortunate formative interlude with Dark Horse where I may have questioned his ability to produce distinctive comics, he's now become one of my favorite writers of The Flash...
Justice League of America #3 (DC)
from June 2013
...This incarnation of the title started off with a bang (it's the Justice League's opposite number!), and was even written, in the beginning, by Geoff Johns, who of course was also writing the New 52's Justice League at the time. (Yet another iteration of the title launched in the Rebirth era, where it looks like the curse may have finally broken; fingers crossed!) Anyway, so aside from reading another Johns issue (I had only read the first, previously, the one with covers for every state in the United States), I was eager to read it mostly for Vibe, who was hyped with his own ongoing series simultaneously launched with it. Vibe was previously known as a joke from the Justice League Detroit era. Thanks to this revival, he gained a third chance at relevance, where as far as I'm concerned he's earned it, in the second TV Flash series, where I think he may actually be the best character, aside from maybe the many incarnations of Harrison Wells. Anyway, the art is by David Finch, who was brought in by DC with little clue, at first with what to do with him, so he was given his own New 52 series, at first, Batman: The Dark Knight. Eventually, he did Forever Evil with Johns, Wonder Woman with his wife, and finally Tom King's Rebirth Batman. Where, I think, the signing finally really paid off.
Superman Special #2 (DC)
from 1984
From classic creators Cary Bates (a legend at DC in the '70s) and Gil Kane (a classic Green Lantern artist), this one features Brainiac tricking an alien civilization into thinking Superman is the bad guy. It's the kind of storytelling that feels quaint today, but served as the backbone of comics for decades. Which is kind of way a lot of fans still have a problem with how comics read today. They lament the British explosion in the same breath they celebrate it, without really realizing it. Alan Moore was credited with making superheroes perhaps too mature, but he and his cohorts were really guilty of one thing and one thing only: making this stuff permanently more sophisticated. Fans still want to argue this alienated the inherent juvenile audience of the medium. But, again, comics were never actually intended for kids. Funny joke in hindsight, Wertham. You convinced the fans...
It's worth noting that these comics are the first ones I bought as, once again, a resident of Florida, this time on an ongoing basis. I was last here two years ago. I haven't actually visited a comics shop yet. These came from a kind of vendor shop at a mall.
Showing posts with label David Finch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Finch. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Monday, February 2, 2015
Reading Comics 151 "Wonder Woman"
 |
| via DC Comics |
In the pages of Superman/Wonder Woman, Peter Tomasi is acknowledging that the Amazon was indeed a crucial element of Kingdom Come, which can sometimes be overlooked. You may have heard that Magog, who was once called Mark Waid and Alex Ross's answer to Marvel's Cable, has made his New 52 debut.
Tomasi has introduced a revelation concerning the character. Even if he started as Cable, he always had the potential, equally, to be that character who bridges the gap between Superman and Wonder Woman. That was always in the design, too. Perhaps now, that's all you'll see?
The commentators I've read have been less than impressed with Tomasi and Doug Mahnke's run so far, and they were even less impressed with seeing Magog enter the picture. For me, both continue to excel. Tomasi borrows elements of the classic Magog origin as Waid outlined it in The Kingdom but updates it for the all-important starting point of the New 52, the opening arc of Justice League. Skeptics wonder why the young David Reid would fixate on Superman and Wonder Woman when clearly there were many other future Leaguers involved, but Superman is always the most prominent hero, and Wonder Woman in this continuity was making her spectacular debut in Man's World.
 |
| via DC Comics |
The commentators I've read have been less than impressed with Tomasi and Doug Mahnke's run so far, and they were even less impressed with seeing Magog enter the picture. For me, both continue to excel. Tomasi borrows elements of the classic Magog origin as Waid outlined it in The Kingdom but updates it for the all-important starting point of the New 52, the opening arc of Justice League. Skeptics wonder why the young David Reid would fixate on Superman and Wonder Woman when clearly there were many other future Leaguers involved, but Superman is always the most prominent hero, and Wonder Woman in this continuity was making her spectacular debut in Man's World.
So much for that.
In Wonder Woman, the Finches have been receiving an equally dubious response, for the most part, but the critics are warming a little.
It probably doesn't hurt that they're starting to make it their own, and joining the company-wide re-introduction of long-absent characters. In this instance, Donna Troy. The former Wonder Girl has been brought in to replace Diana as ruler of the Amazons. Diana, meanwhile, is struggling with the idea of being the God of War, the biggest ripple of the Azzarello years. It was noted early on that Meredith Finch didn't seem completely familiar with how the outgoing writer ended things, but as brilliant as Brian Azzarello was, he also stuck Wonder Woman into a pocket. Finch and husband David Finch are expanding it. Batman and Superman appear in the issue just as if this were right alongside Justice League and Superman/Wonder Woman, which of course it is. David Finch as always does excellent work, the opposite in style of outgoing Cliff Chiang. Meredith, new to the game, proves surprisingly adept.
All this and Gal Gadot as the first film version of Wonder Woman, coming up next year...
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Digitally Speaking...#5 "Batman"
Batman #13 (DC)
From 2012. This is Scott Snyder's introduction to the "Death of the Family" arc. And surprise to say, but it's kind of shockingly bad. Not bad as in it's written or drawn poorly, but conceptually it's so poorly executed that it's surprising something like this would be the start of a major story arc for a major character in a major company. Internet critics say that sort of thing all the time. I was following a blogger who trashed just about every issue of AvX that way, and that was an event written by Marvel's top creators. I've ragged on Snyder in the past. I know he's supposed to be the best Batman writer in years. I even recently came to his defense in terms of the conclusion to this very arc and what he might have planned for some grand greater scheme. But in terms at least of this issue, out of all the "Death of the Family" issues I've read, it's easily the worst.
It begins randomly, Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock talking about omens, and then the next page taking all the steam out of the conversation, and then transitioning to Gordon's smoking habit, and then the Joker randomly appears, and then Batman arrives, and then we have a recap of an apparently aborted story Tony Daniel began at the start of the New 52 in the pages of Detective Comics, the one that got the Joker's face peeled off in the first place. Snyder never really convincingly explains any of that, but it's okay, because it's the creepy Joker. Then the Joker becomes all methodical, copying the events of the first time he ever struck Gotham, which becomes a pastiche on how the character operates in Tim Burton's Batman. And finally we reach the Joker and Batman, and the real story is teased.
Honestly, I have no idea why Snyder had to be so obtuse about it. Damian mocks the whole thing right from the start. Maybe that's why Grant Morrison realized he had to go, because he's a barometer. Unlike how Snyder attempts to present Joker, it's really Damian who cuts every situation down to what it really is. So it's no wonder that the best "Death of the Family" issue came from Batman and Robin.
It's certainly not this issue. Definitely not. I have no idea what Snyder was thinking. He's not really that bad a writer. To start a major arc like this, though...When Kyle Higgins started at DC, he was paired with Snyder for the Gates of Gotham mini-series. But now I'm thinking it's Snyder who needs a co-writer. There's no great shame in this. Geoff Johns had co-writers, too. Snyder had one when American Vampire began (some dude named Stephen King). He needs someone to help formulate stories better. He's apparently reached the point where editors can't approach him that way (although the buzz in Negative DC Talk is that all the writers who've abruptly departed the New 52 have done so because of meddling editors), but seriously, reading this issue alone? Any objective analysis begs for Snyder to get a little help.
That's all he needs really. He has a lot of good instincts. He also has a lot of bad ones. Comics are ripe with this kind of talent. Ed Brubaker, for example. Brian Michael Bendis. Even Mark Waid. Fans like to lump Morrison in with them, Johns too. I put Brubaker in with that lot because the best and really only good stuff he did with Captain America involved the Winter Soldier arc. He got his reward with a whole movie based on that work. Bendis is an undeniable talent, but he suffers from an acute case of verbal diarrhea that constantly gets in the way of telling real, actual stories (then again, sometimes maybe that's the point). Waid is his own worst enemy. He's literally a comics savant, but all his best instincts are usually stymied by his nervous need to rebel. I don't include Morrison or Johns because it's really a matter of creative differences. Whereas with Snyder, he can't formulate a story completely. At a certain point, he just throws out whatever he's got. He's at a point in his career where most people don't care. But in the long run, it'll absolutely matter.
And this issue is proof of that.
Batman 101
This compilation is a primer comiXology has that at once serves to provide a checklist for a few noteworthy stories from throughout Batman's publication history, as well as provide previews for all the original New 52 series (plus some vintage covers to round out the set). As far as the preview pages go, they certainly illuminate the original worth of those series. Scott Snyder's Batman starts out as promising as most Scott Snyder series. He's usually good at setting a mood (the above example notwithstanding). He also helps set the tone for most of the other entries, dominated as they are by caption narration (which as a rule I love in comics). Tony Daniel's Detective Comics comes off extremely well. At the time, Tony was more or less being demoted. After serving as artist during pivotal Grant Morrison issues, he'd become primary writer/artist on Batman. When the New 52 began, he was shifted to the secondary Batman title. I'd hoped he'd stick around for a while, but he was one of the earliest disappointments in that regard. Since being booted from Detective Comics, he's bounced from Superman to Justice League to Superman/Wonder Woman. I'd prefer the guy have some permanent home. There's also Peter Tomasi's Batman and Robin, which kicks off a more visual story (which is only fitting, given he's working with ideal collaborator Patrick Gleason). If these few pages intrigue you, know that there's much more interesting material that follows. David Finch's Batman: The Dark Knight, a title I never had much faith in, reads about as well as any other in these opening pages. I guess this one's my bad. Kyle Higgins' Nightwing doesn't come off as well as it could. I read a lot of the early issues, and it was pretty good stuff, but here it's surprisingly incoherent. (Maybe Snyder and Higgins ought to stick together more often?) Gail Simone's Batgirl might presumably be in the same ballpark as Tomasi's relatively feet-first introduction, but as I have far less faith in Simone than Tomasi, I never found out where she went with it. Judd Winick's Catwoman is a highlight, but then Winick is far better than most fans care to admit. Which might explain why his role was so tiny in the New 52, because the stupid fans never admitted as awesome he is. The only real quibble here is why Catwoman has by default become Sexy Catwoman for the past twenty years. I mean, I know there was the Jim Balent era in the '90s, but then by default every female character in the '90s was presented that way. It was more the inexplicable fetish version from the early '00s that decided because she wears latex Catwoman must be Sexy Catwoman, her zipper apparently never able to find the top of her costume (and more often than not, finding it incredibly easy to find the bottom). Winick is also responsible for the similarly impressive Batwing. This incredibly long paragraph ends by wondering why the hell J.H. Williams' long-anticipated Batwoman ended up becoming one of the earliest lost titles of the New 52. Seriously. Sure, it's still being published (and now written by Manhunter mystic Marc Andreyko), but you'd hardly know it. What's up with that? It's enough to make me have to read it myself. And people, I can't read everything I want to anymore. I learned the hard way. But it looks like I'll have to make another exception...
Batman: Black & White - A Black and White World (DC)
From 1996. This is an excerpt from Batman: Black & White #2, from an innovative anthology series DC recently revived. "A Black and White World" is written by Neil Gaiman, which pretty much by default makes in the best story featured in today's column. The story more than earns the distinction, and in classic Gaiman fashion, deconstructing the world of Batman so that he and the Joker are filming their own roles in a movie straight out of a comic book script (or perhaps are simply aware that they are characters in a comic book). The funny thing is, Grant Morrison has had them participate in similar conversations, so it wouldn't be so much of a stretch to assume that between encounters, Batman really does visit Joker at Arkham Asylum and they talk exactly like this, the Joker especially, just as if it's all a game. It's enough to wish Gaiman would write more Batman (he also wrote "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", a coda to Morrison's "Batman R.I.P." arc), and especially more Joker. This few pages is more insightful to the dynamic between the two than everything Snyder did in "Death of the Family" (besides my supposition as to his ultimate, as-yet-unrevealed purpose), especially in the above opening issue. But that's Neil Gaiman for you.
From 2012. This is Scott Snyder's introduction to the "Death of the Family" arc. And surprise to say, but it's kind of shockingly bad. Not bad as in it's written or drawn poorly, but conceptually it's so poorly executed that it's surprising something like this would be the start of a major story arc for a major character in a major company. Internet critics say that sort of thing all the time. I was following a blogger who trashed just about every issue of AvX that way, and that was an event written by Marvel's top creators. I've ragged on Snyder in the past. I know he's supposed to be the best Batman writer in years. I even recently came to his defense in terms of the conclusion to this very arc and what he might have planned for some grand greater scheme. But in terms at least of this issue, out of all the "Death of the Family" issues I've read, it's easily the worst.
It begins randomly, Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock talking about omens, and then the next page taking all the steam out of the conversation, and then transitioning to Gordon's smoking habit, and then the Joker randomly appears, and then Batman arrives, and then we have a recap of an apparently aborted story Tony Daniel began at the start of the New 52 in the pages of Detective Comics, the one that got the Joker's face peeled off in the first place. Snyder never really convincingly explains any of that, but it's okay, because it's the creepy Joker. Then the Joker becomes all methodical, copying the events of the first time he ever struck Gotham, which becomes a pastiche on how the character operates in Tim Burton's Batman. And finally we reach the Joker and Batman, and the real story is teased.
Honestly, I have no idea why Snyder had to be so obtuse about it. Damian mocks the whole thing right from the start. Maybe that's why Grant Morrison realized he had to go, because he's a barometer. Unlike how Snyder attempts to present Joker, it's really Damian who cuts every situation down to what it really is. So it's no wonder that the best "Death of the Family" issue came from Batman and Robin.
It's certainly not this issue. Definitely not. I have no idea what Snyder was thinking. He's not really that bad a writer. To start a major arc like this, though...When Kyle Higgins started at DC, he was paired with Snyder for the Gates of Gotham mini-series. But now I'm thinking it's Snyder who needs a co-writer. There's no great shame in this. Geoff Johns had co-writers, too. Snyder had one when American Vampire began (some dude named Stephen King). He needs someone to help formulate stories better. He's apparently reached the point where editors can't approach him that way (although the buzz in Negative DC Talk is that all the writers who've abruptly departed the New 52 have done so because of meddling editors), but seriously, reading this issue alone? Any objective analysis begs for Snyder to get a little help.
That's all he needs really. He has a lot of good instincts. He also has a lot of bad ones. Comics are ripe with this kind of talent. Ed Brubaker, for example. Brian Michael Bendis. Even Mark Waid. Fans like to lump Morrison in with them, Johns too. I put Brubaker in with that lot because the best and really only good stuff he did with Captain America involved the Winter Soldier arc. He got his reward with a whole movie based on that work. Bendis is an undeniable talent, but he suffers from an acute case of verbal diarrhea that constantly gets in the way of telling real, actual stories (then again, sometimes maybe that's the point). Waid is his own worst enemy. He's literally a comics savant, but all his best instincts are usually stymied by his nervous need to rebel. I don't include Morrison or Johns because it's really a matter of creative differences. Whereas with Snyder, he can't formulate a story completely. At a certain point, he just throws out whatever he's got. He's at a point in his career where most people don't care. But in the long run, it'll absolutely matter.
And this issue is proof of that.
Batman 101
This compilation is a primer comiXology has that at once serves to provide a checklist for a few noteworthy stories from throughout Batman's publication history, as well as provide previews for all the original New 52 series (plus some vintage covers to round out the set). As far as the preview pages go, they certainly illuminate the original worth of those series. Scott Snyder's Batman starts out as promising as most Scott Snyder series. He's usually good at setting a mood (the above example notwithstanding). He also helps set the tone for most of the other entries, dominated as they are by caption narration (which as a rule I love in comics). Tony Daniel's Detective Comics comes off extremely well. At the time, Tony was more or less being demoted. After serving as artist during pivotal Grant Morrison issues, he'd become primary writer/artist on Batman. When the New 52 began, he was shifted to the secondary Batman title. I'd hoped he'd stick around for a while, but he was one of the earliest disappointments in that regard. Since being booted from Detective Comics, he's bounced from Superman to Justice League to Superman/Wonder Woman. I'd prefer the guy have some permanent home. There's also Peter Tomasi's Batman and Robin, which kicks off a more visual story (which is only fitting, given he's working with ideal collaborator Patrick Gleason). If these few pages intrigue you, know that there's much more interesting material that follows. David Finch's Batman: The Dark Knight, a title I never had much faith in, reads about as well as any other in these opening pages. I guess this one's my bad. Kyle Higgins' Nightwing doesn't come off as well as it could. I read a lot of the early issues, and it was pretty good stuff, but here it's surprisingly incoherent. (Maybe Snyder and Higgins ought to stick together more often?) Gail Simone's Batgirl might presumably be in the same ballpark as Tomasi's relatively feet-first introduction, but as I have far less faith in Simone than Tomasi, I never found out where she went with it. Judd Winick's Catwoman is a highlight, but then Winick is far better than most fans care to admit. Which might explain why his role was so tiny in the New 52, because the stupid fans never admitted as awesome he is. The only real quibble here is why Catwoman has by default become Sexy Catwoman for the past twenty years. I mean, I know there was the Jim Balent era in the '90s, but then by default every female character in the '90s was presented that way. It was more the inexplicable fetish version from the early '00s that decided because she wears latex Catwoman must be Sexy Catwoman, her zipper apparently never able to find the top of her costume (and more often than not, finding it incredibly easy to find the bottom). Winick is also responsible for the similarly impressive Batwing. This incredibly long paragraph ends by wondering why the hell J.H. Williams' long-anticipated Batwoman ended up becoming one of the earliest lost titles of the New 52. Seriously. Sure, it's still being published (and now written by Manhunter mystic Marc Andreyko), but you'd hardly know it. What's up with that? It's enough to make me have to read it myself. And people, I can't read everything I want to anymore. I learned the hard way. But it looks like I'll have to make another exception...
Batman: Black & White - A Black and White World (DC)
From 1996. This is an excerpt from Batman: Black & White #2, from an innovative anthology series DC recently revived. "A Black and White World" is written by Neil Gaiman, which pretty much by default makes in the best story featured in today's column. The story more than earns the distinction, and in classic Gaiman fashion, deconstructing the world of Batman so that he and the Joker are filming their own roles in a movie straight out of a comic book script (or perhaps are simply aware that they are characters in a comic book). The funny thing is, Grant Morrison has had them participate in similar conversations, so it wouldn't be so much of a stretch to assume that between encounters, Batman really does visit Joker at Arkham Asylum and they talk exactly like this, the Joker especially, just as if it's all a game. It's enough to wish Gaiman would write more Batman (he also wrote "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", a coda to Morrison's "Batman R.I.P." arc), and especially more Joker. This few pages is more insightful to the dynamic between the two than everything Snyder did in "Death of the Family" (besides my supposition as to his ultimate, as-yet-unrevealed purpose), especially in the above opening issue. But that's Neil Gaiman for you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)