Comic book reviews for the week of January 19th in six sentences (or less)

BEST OF THE WEEK

SUPERIOR #4
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciller: Leinil Yu

I know, right? Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. Welcome to the continuing adventures of Mark Millar’s Superman analogue, Superior, and this week’s Six Sentences or Less... Best of the Week. In this issue Superior meets his Lois Lane counterpart, Maddie Knox, helps his friend out with the local bully and, oh yah, volunteers to help end the war in Afghanistan.

With that last point Millar is clearly riffing off some of the material he was exploring in ULTIMATES 2, namely if superheroes really existed would they feel or be compelled to enter into their country’s war efforts? This is hardly virgin territory. Take a look back at some of those World War II era comic books where your favourite DC heroes stepped up to take on the Axis armies. But after the Comic Code came along it was deemed that superheroes were destined to stop bank robbers and fight their way out of elaborate death traps. And so the motifs of the modern superhero were forged.

Having said that, I think the question of why mainstream superheroes don't fight in wars is one worth answering. Thorny and nuanced political motivations aside, surely its not that big a leap to go from stopping an alien invasion to routing out terrorist cells or fighting alongside soldiers. The basic principles at play are the same. There are people with weapons trying to inflict damage on other people and you need to put your life on the line to stop them. If superheroes existed in real life are we so naive to believe that they would be blind to the good they could do on behalf of their fellow countrymen during war? Patriotism doesn't vanish just because you can bench press a tank. Its hard to belive that the Justice League would go out and stop a genocidal alien conquerer but then draw the line at meddling with wars on Earth, because, you know, 'politics are scary.' Hell, even Superman isn't immune to call of home and hearth, fighting on behalf of Truth, Justice and the American Way.

Some comic books sidestep the issue of superheroes and war by portraying the government as corrupt or the soldiers bloodthirsty quasi-criminals, thus giving the hero a moral reason to remove themself from the fray.

Aside from the fact that war is bloody, graphic and fairly unheroic, if hyper-powered heroes actually did decide to wage war the whole thing would probably be over fairly quickly and it would beg the question 'what took you so damn long?' Periodically Superman does develop a god-complex and sets out to protect the entire world, but somehow events always transpire to show him that he’s better off sticking to his little corner of the globe.

No, better our funny books ignore the issue altogether and go back to giving us our four colour slug fests.

The great thing about Millar’s reinvention of Superman is that he’s not trapped into the traditional prudish trappings of the character. Superior can swear, threaten little kids with death and volunteer to go to war on behalf of his country and its all totally believe within the confines of the character.

Some bloggers like to talk about how today’s modern superhero comic books are violating the sanctity of their childhood. A sentiment that I see repeated frequently is that in the rush to make long established characters dark and edgy the core elements that define these characters are often abandoned. That’s only part of the story. In reality, writers were handcuffed for decades and the freedom to take characters to darker places was often was often denied them. So all that’s happening now is that the depths of these decades old characters are now finally being fully explored. Unfortunately that means portraying them in a fashion that readers are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with, hence the angry backlash.

What makes a character like Superior so great is that Millar is able to play around with all of Superman’s powers but bypass his restrictive mid-western upbringing and stupefying continuity. All things considered, given Millar’s history of extreme subject matter in his comic books, SUPERIOR is relatively tame. Sure there’s some swearing but what human being wouldn’t drop the F-bomb given the discovery that they have superpowers. And considering that DC is so anal retentive about their intellectual properties that they editorially mandated that an adult Clark Kent can't be shown sharing a beer with his father, its refreshing to see an adult version of the character that doesn’t treat its readers like they’ll be emotionally traumatized if their idol ever does something human.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #500
Writer: Matt Fraction
Penciller: Salvador Larocca & Frank D’armata

Marvel continues its proud tradition of renumbering their series with their latest issue of IRON MAN. I’m not an IRON MAN reader so I was grateful to see that this quincentennial issue was a (mostly) self contained story. The art was good, the writing passable. So I’ll probably check in again in another 500 issues. See you then.

Comic book reviews for the week of December 22nd in six sentences (or less)

Guts and gore and…unpleasant sexual situations in this week’s Six Sentences (or less). Just the kind of thing you really want to delve into right before the holidays. Ho ho ho and all that. So upsize your egg nog as we present you with the holiday edition of Toronto’s favourite comic book mini-reviews.

Batman Incorporated #2
Bruce Wayne throws down with the Japanese super-villian, Lord Death Man, on his first stop around the world recruiting potential new Batmen to fight crime under the Batman Inc. brand. Surprisingly its a completely straightforward issue, full of almost none of the ticks and tricks that Grant Morrison loves to employ. Instead Morrison appears to be riffing on the essential elements on some of the core Batman mythos, only eerily devoid of the dark bleakness that’s inhabited the character for years. We have glimpses into Bruce the master-detective, the Kyle\Wayne forbidden love angle and some of the good ol’ hand on hand Batman ultra-violence. From any other author I’d say this is a solid Batman story by the numbers, from Grant Morrison I need more.

DC Universe: Legacies #8
DC’s illustrated history of the world continues. This issue deals with one of the darkest chapters of comic publishing, we call it the mid 90s. That’s when DC tried to reboot, revamp and otherwise rethink the basic tenants behind many of their core characters. Superman got a new haircut, Batman got his back broken, Green Lantern became a bad guy and a lot of other characters got otherwise replaced or shuffled off into the sidelines. The grand experiment lasted a couple years before, almost without exception, every single one was returned to their roots and the embarrassing saga was swept under the rug to be jeered at mockingly by sarcastic fanboys for years to come. Len Wein does a good job synthesizing the events of the time period into a single issue, but the real treat is a back up story drawn by Frank Quitely about DC’s Kirby era creations. Quitely is my all time favourite penciller and he’s able to make even a mediocre story imminently readable. Throw Kirby characters at him and I start to suffer Pavlovian responses by drooling uncontrollably on the page.

Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1
Of all the new characters introduced by Geoff Johns as part of the zombie epic BLACKEST NIGHT I think Larfleeze is easily the most popular. Of course it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make that deduction, considering that Larfleeze is the only character in the entire DCU to get his own Christmas book. Which is pretty good for a guy who’s only claim to fame is being a supporting character in the GREEN LANTERN expanded universe. When Larfleeze first burst on the scene he was portrayed as an aloof alien with a dark, malicious streak. Since then, he’s undergone a slight personality shift and now he comes across as a mix between the Grinch and a spoiled child. Now Larfleeze is played more for comic relief rather than any kind of serious threat.

Anyway, in this issue Larfleeze goes on a rampage in search of Santa Claus after he determines the big guy has neglected to give him any of the Christmas presents he asked for. Which means it’s up to Green Lantern to help show Larfleeze the true meaning of Christmas.

I think Larfleeze is a fun character and it’s always been amusing to see his more anarchistic and irreverent side. But unfortunately, from a plot point of view, this is a pretty thin issue when you get right down to it. Writer Geoff Johns is clearly playing this whole thing just for laughs and by doing so he’s in danger of cementing Larfleeze as a one note character – more so than he already is. There’s a small pay off at the end, setting up a future story arc in GREEN LANTERN I’m sure, but its material that’s already been hinted at in other places. In the end, another good but not a great issue.

Invincible #76
While Invincible might not deal with material as explicit as Neonomicon it is, in its own way, just as stomach turning. Penciller Ryan Ottley seems to have developed a knack for breaking, mutilating and otherwise disfiguring the human body. I’ve never seen near as many graphic disembowelments as I have before I started reading this comic. Eye gouging, decapitation and exposed internal organs are the new norm in these pages. The reason why the violence is so notable is that, at times, Invincible has the air of an all ages family style comic book. Blame the bright colours and teenage protagonists I guess.

Neonomicon #3
I think its important to step outside of your comfort zone once in awhile. If you don’t expose yourself to new stories and new ideas you end up slowly constructing a very safe little box for you to inhabit, where nothing ever challenges you. I think comic book readers often lock themselves inside those little boxes. Too many people get hooked on the capes and tights genre and they never look back. And there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’ve found something that works for you, then by all means enjoy it. You’re under no obligation to try something else.
But having said all that, Neonomicon pushes my tolerance levels for ‘something different’ right into the red zone. If you can get past the surface story about the extended rape scene and digest some of the unsettling implications of what appears to be the lead character’s acceptance of those events then you might be able to enjoy the deeper story that writer Alan Moore is trying to tell. But, to be honest, I’m getting hung up on the subject matter and I can’t look very far beyond that.

Superior #3
Otherwise known as the Superman who swears. Writer Mark Millar continues to put his Superman-analogue through his origin story paces. There’s not much to the issue in the way of story. We’re introduced to a super-sexed Lois stand in and treated to a few standard rescue scenes. But Leinil Yu makes the whole thing look so good that its easy to forget you’re watching something you’ve seen a hundred times before.

New Comic Day - Buy List for December 22, 2010

Here’s a list of what I’m picking up at my LCS tomorrow. A big pull, looks like an early Christmas present to myself.

Batman Incorporated #2
DC Universe: Legacies #8
Green Lantern Corps #55
Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1
Hellblazer #274
Invincible #76
Justice League of America #52
Superior #3
Ultimate Comics Doom #1
Ultimate Comics Spiderman #151
Wonder Woman #605

Comic book reviews for the week of November 17th in six sentences (or less)

Once again its time for the GTA’s greatest (and shortest) comic book reviews.

Today’s reviews have been brought to you by the letter ‘E’ and the word Exposition. Because this week’s comics are just dripping with unnecessary and long winded backstory.

No best of the week I’m afraid. While I didn’t review any out and out stinkers this week I’m afraid nothing really stood out in a positive sense.

So without further ado lets get into the verbage.

Avengers #7
I know I said I wasn’t going to read this title anymore. Well I’m not made of stone people, get off my back. I admit, I was sufficiently intrigued by the thought of Rulk joining the Avengers to pick up this issue. There’s not much to this one. Brian Michael Bendis, should have just saved some time and sub-titled this story Exposition. Anyway, former depowered super-villain, The Hood, goes looking for the Infinity gems. He manages to find two of them before stumbling into Rulk. Unfortunately I’m not a Marvel guy so I know next to nothing about the Infinity gems. Only that they’re so dangerous that they’ve been split up to prevent any one person from wielding that much power.

Bendis pulls an old Geoff Johns trick to let you know just how bad ass the villain of the story is, by getting him to beat down on someone who’s already a pretty well established bad ass. JRJR makes some pretty-pretty pictures and in four weeks I’m going to have to ponder whether or not I have the strength to not buy issue #8. That’s the kind of dilemma you want to have.

Flash #6
I wonder how long it will take DC to renumber this title? Will they pick up Barry’s old numbering? Wally’s old numbering? Or just add everything together? It probably doesn’t say much for the review that I’m leading with a dilemma on numbering. Considering that all sorts of series from the Big Two have done this recently I really think its just a matter of time. Anyway, this issue wraps up the Dastardly Deaths of the Rouges plot. Future- Top is outed as a villain and Barry puts the beat down on him, saving Iris’s life in the process, naturally. Francis Manapul does some lovely art and Geoff John hints at future plot lines, including the Kubert drawn Flashpoint that we saw teased at the end of Rebirth.

Green Lantern #59
Someone at DC was earning their media cross promotion badge this week by making sure that this issue dropped at the same time the Green Lantern trailer was being released. My thoughts on the trailer? I was underwhelmed but cautiously optimistic. Right now I’m worried that tonally it seems akin to the IRON MAN franchise and I’d be much happier if GL staked out its own territory. But its much to early in the game to start worry about that stuff now.

In this ish Flash and Hal stand around and talk, a lot. Then the Indigo Tribe, with reformed serial killer the Black Hand in tow, show up and then there is slightly more talking. Thank God Doug Mahnke is such a gifted artist that’s he able to make even what is essentially 22 pages of talking heads look good. There was a new twist on the origins of the Indigo Tribe that I thought was very interesting. (I enjoy how Johns is rolling out the different limitations or powers of the various Corps. Its about more than making giant day-glo boxing gloves in a rainbow of colours.) Anyway its implied that the Tribe might be composed of murderers and villains who have had compassion bestowed upon them. And that without their rings they might just revert back to form. Just how far down the road is Johns planning his next mega event anyway?

For the casual fan I’m this issue suffered from a dearth of combat. But sometimes you’ve got to change the pace up a little and I think this story is meant to give the audience a bit of a breather.

Justice League of America #51
Is this what comics used to read like before CRISIS OF THE INFINITE EARTHS? A couple of momentum killing paragraphs inserted at the beginning of each issue to explain the science behind the Multiverse? I’m a reasonably proficient Multiverse individual and even I found my eyes glazing over at the pseudo-science explanation. In this issue the Crime Syndicate of Amerika has accidentally created Onslaught, sorry, the Omega Man in the hopes of returning Lex Luthor (and or Darkseid depending on who yer talking too) back to life. Things go awry, as things tend to do, and the end result is big bad meanie intent on killing everyone in sight. Just take a deep breath and enjoy Bags on the pencils wouldn’t you? There, doesn’t that feel better?

Superior #2
Well, we’re still stuck in exposition mode. A very slow burn, especially for Millar. He takes us through the paces, doing a standard kind of ‘getting to know what makes you and your powers tick plot.’ The Superman comparisons are still there. Only this time instead of having to rescue a failing airplane or space shuttle Millar decides to drop a whole space station from the heavens (rendered impressively by Leinil Yu). The casual swearing in the comic doesn’t bother me, mostly cause when I was the age of the kids in this comic I was using language a lot saltier than the F-bomb. Millar clearly knows that he’s limiting the number of potential buyers by making this an R-Rated comic, but he goes for it anyway. I always enjoy it when a writer or filmmaker goes for the throat and turns out an uncompromising product, regardless of what it means to the bottom line. It may not be a better product but at least they can’t be blamed for taking half measures.

Superman #705
Superman continues on his quest to moralize across America, one step at a time. This month the subject is abuse and why its bad; complete with Supes breaking the fourth wall and staring directly into the reader’s soul. It’s the same kind of preachy, over the top and slightly dull storytelling that has come to characterize this title under the pen of JMS. With JMS’s imminent departure it’ll be interesting to see if this title will continue to meander along the story wilderness or get a much needed shot of adrenaline to the arm. I think the last time Supes was this underexposed was the mid 90’s when he was officially dead. Remember when he used to hold down FIVE ongoing monthlies?

Confining Superman to a single title was never going to be a roaring success, especially given the subject matter the writer has chosen to write about.But, if I’m trying to put a positiver spin on things. At the very least I used to be able to look at it as a temporary time out, a chance to cleanse the palette and generate some demand to see more exposure for the character. But now that JMS has sworn off monthlies and can’t even be bothered to see the great experiment to a close, Grounded qualifies as an out and out failure. I’d like to say at least the art isn’t so bad, but even this issue is pencilled by two different people. So, hurray for inconsistency.

Comic book reviews for the week of October 13th in six sentences (or less)

Hey everyone, these are 24 hours late because we suffered a power failure last night (which feels like the modern equivalent to 'the dog ate my homework').

Best of the Week

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5

The current chapter of Grant Morrison’s Batman epic is drawing to a close. And even the most casual fan of either the writer, or the character he’s playing with, has to respect the lengths to which Morrison has gone to mine the lesser known aspects of the franchise and reconcile some of its more fantastic elements. Suddenly, everything is on the table, because it all happened. Every cockamamie Silver Age story that was wiped away by CRISIS OF INFINITE EARTHS with an embarrassing shrug actually took place. It’s like the Batman franchise has been rebooted on the sly and decades worth of stories are now relevant again, or at least deserve a chance to be re-examined in the wake of Morrison's stint.

Hellblazer: City of Demons #1

I’m not sure why the Hellblazer franchise decided to spin this story out into a miniseries, because right now there’s nothing taking place in these pages that can’t be handled in the main title. Is Vertigo sitting on a backlog of ‘blazer stories and wanting to see some return on their investment? Anyway, I would have passed on this if it wasn’t being pencilled by the fantastic Sean Murphy. You might remember him from his work on JOE THE BARBARIAN and Learning with Wolverine. There’s nothing here that you don’t see in a straight of ‘blazer story. John Constantine drinks, smokes, acts like a dick and is apparently still British. All good in my books, but I’m still curious to see what makes this story so special.

Knight and Squire #1

Combining Paul Cornell, the current writer of ACTION COMICS, with Knight and Squire, one of Grant Morrison’s great reinventions seems like a recipe for printing money. In reality it’s neither good nor bad, but just kind of...there. The writing is solid, the art passable but not spectacular and its full of British-y goodness. Surprisingly, it does nothing for me. The story deals with heroes and villains that gather to socialize once a month at a local pub, prevented from fighting each due to the influence of ‘truce magic.’ As you might expect, the truce is broken and chaos ensues. I’m willing to stick with the story for another issue, but this title will really have to up its game if it expects to keep me as a reader.

Green Lantern #58

One of things that impresses me about Geoff Johns is the man’s ability to stick with a title. In today’s comic book market, some writers can’t stay with a book longer than an arc or too. Yet Johns frequently manages to write on a title for years, a rarity in any age and practically unheard of today. With Doug Mahnke rocking the pencils and Johns continuing to pen the story he’s been working on for the last five years this title is consistently at the top of my pull list. This month we’re treated to the continuing adventures of the Rainbow Raiders. Johns is doing an admirable job portraying the disparate personalities that banded together after the events of THE BLACKEST NIGHT in a realistic and believe manner. (Well, as realistic as a group of aliens with multicoloured magic wishing rings can ever hope to be)

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors

Peter J. Tomasi might not be gracing the pages of the GREEN LANTERN CORPS anymore, but he’s not too far from the GL franchise thanks to his work on EMERALD WARRIORS. I get the impression that Johns uses the main GL title to tie the franchise into the DCU and move events forward. This leaves GLC and now EW to pick up some of the dangling plot threads and flesh out the larger world of the Corps. Its a system that works really well for all the titles involved. And Fernando Pasarin is just killing it on pencils. I’m not used to seeing art this great on a book that I consider to be part of the expanded DCU and not a core title.

Superman #703

I’m conflicted. On the one hand I respect what J. Michael Straczynski is attempting to do with the Superman franchise. He’s trying to approach the character in a fashion that he believes has never been done before. And I respect that. On the other hand, I’m not sure he’s been entirely successful in his aims. Let’s face it, when you have a publishing history as long as Superman does there aren’t very many unexplored angles. While readers may never have seen it in such an elongated form, the concept of a reflective Superman has been done before, many times over. Done properly in the course of a single issue it can be a powerful tool. Spread it across an entire story arc and it can border on tedious. This month, Superman continues in his mission to walk across America. He gets in a fight, wins it and everything looks pretty much the same as it has in his world for the last 70 years. I’m not willing to write JMS off yet. But at this point I’m look forward to his SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE book more so than I am his work on the main title.

Superior #1

Say what you will about Mark Millar, and the man certainly has his fair share of detractors, but the man knows how to make the most of what he has. If he’s not promoting himself, or his work, he’s name dropping his Hollywood connections or stepping outside his traditional box to try new things, like directing a film for pete’s sake. The man is a shameless huckster and the comic world is better for it. Whether you like or dislike his writing most people seem to have an opinion about it. Which means you’re probably reading what he puts out and that’s the point of the whole thing. Anyway, SUPERMA…I mean SUPREM…er…SUPERIOR #1 is a straight up origin tale with Superman like overtones. Most origin tales are limited by what they can do as they’re too busy checking off the obligatory narrative plot points. With any luck the second issue will allow Millar to start monkeying around with conventions of the genre.