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Tag Archives: Darick Robertson

What’s Up?

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

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Ales Kot, Astro City, Ballistic, Batman, Black Mask, BOOM!, Breath of Bones, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Samnee, Cullen Bunn, Daredevil, Darick Robertson, Dark Horse, Dave Wachter, DC, Duane Swierczynski, East of West, Ed Brisson, Francesco Francavilla, Frazer Irving, Ghosted, Golem, Greg Capullo, Hawkeye, Helheim, Image, Indestructible Hulk, Jeff Stokely, Jim Lee, Joelle Jones, Jonathan Hickman, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Oni Press, Patrick Zircher, Quantum and Woody, Rachel Rising, Robert Venditti, Scott Snyder, Sheltered, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Steve Niles, Suicide Squad, Superman Unchained, Terry Moore, Uncanny X-Men, Valiant, Vertigo, X, X-O Monowar

Have I lost all control? You be the judge.

  • Breath of Bones: Tales of the Golem # 2 (Dark Horse): Really excited to see where this is headed. It’s a three-issue mini, so I’m expecting something big here–definitely some Nazi-knockin’ Golem action!
Breath of Bones #2

Breath of Bones #2

  • X #3 (Dark Horse): Nothing like a little light vigilante fare. Duane Swierczynski hasn’t given me a reason not to–yet.
  • Astro City #2 (DC/Vertigo): #1 was a lot of fun! Hope the narrator found me interesting/interested enough to continue the conversation.
Astro City #2

Astro City #2

  • Batman #22 (DC): At this point, I’m on fanboy autopilot. I haven’t been interested in anything Snyder’s done here since before the finale of The Court of Owls, for goodness sake. Oh, I’m just a fool living in the land of “just in case.”
  • Suicide Squad #22: Thank God for Ales Kot, who, in two issues, has made this title relevant again.
Suicide Squad #22

Suicide Squad #22

  • Superman Unchained #2 (DC): #1 was terrible, but I’m going to give it another issue before I give up on it. I mean, I did give Jupiter’s Legacy a second issue, didn’t I?
  • East of West #4 (Image): Yep, still on board–even if I’m not totally sold on it. That’s my giving Hickman–the mind behind the brilliant The Manhattan Projects–the time he deserves.
  • Ghosted #1 (Image): It’s an Image #1. Do I need another reason?
  • Sheltered #1 (Image): Sure, Comeback ultimately fizzled out. So what? Brisson’s got an interesting idea here–and it’s another Image #1, so…
Sheltered #1

Sheltered #1

  • Daredevil #28 (Marvel): Now that Waid’s worked his way through Bullseye, it looks like he and Samnee are going to play around a bit with a one-off that has “classic” written all over it.
Daredevil #28

Daredevil #28

  • Hawkeye #12 (Marvel): It’s going to rest right on top of #11 as I’m still waiting for Vol. 2.
  • Indestructible Hulk #10 (Marvel): #9 was a vast improvement over the unnecessary Thor arc. Let’s see where it goes.
  • Uncanny X-Men #8 (Marvel): Limbo’s in the rear-view mirror. Thank goodness! If I’m being fair, however, Bendis resolved the Majikal storyline well enough.
Uncanny X-Men #8

Uncanny X-Men #8

  • Ballistic #1 (Black Mask): If I see it, I’ll probably pick it up. Seeing Darick Robertson’s name attached to it doesn’t hurt.
Ballistic #1

Ballistic #1

  • Helheim #5 (Oni Press): It’s picking up–not that it needs to: I’m a fool for Cullen Bunn thanks to The Sixth Gun.
  • Quantum and Woody #1 (Valiant): Valiant has given me every reason to try everything it publishes–including this buddy book.
  • X-O Manowar #15 (Valiant): Planet Death resolved itself well. Now, it’s time to push the Eternal Warrior. That’s OK with me.
  • Rachel Rising #18 (Abstract Studios): We’ve celebrated Terry Moore’s horror masterpiece on a monthly basis. If you’re not reading this, you’re an idiot.
Rachel Rising #18

Rachel Rising #18

  • Six-Gun Gorilla #2 (BOOM!): #1 was GREAT. As a result, expectations are ridiculously high–especially considering the promise of the last page: “Howdy,” indeed!
Six-Gun Gorilla #2

Six-Gun Gorilla #2

That’s one serious list.

The irony? I came back to comics because I needed to reconnect with my favorite heroes–specifically Batman and Superman. Guess which books I’m least excited about.

Sad, innit?

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Back and Forth : Looking for Comics at the End of the World

17 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by dmainhart in Back and Forth

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American Horror Story, Apache Chief, China Mieville, Colder, comics, Crispin Glover, Darick Robertson, Dark Horse, David Lapham, DC Comics, DC Entertainment, Dial H, Glenn Fabry, Grant Morrison, H.P. Lovecraft, Happy, Image, Juan Ferreyra, Lewis Carroll, Lot 13, Modern Family, Paul Tobin, River's Edge, Steve Niles, Vertigo

Derek Mainhart: Greetings from America’s northeast, where we’re learning to believe in Mayan predictions! How bad has it gotten? We’ve gone two weeks without comics! So let’s play catch-up and dive, a la Scrooge McDuck, into this huge pile of books. Given the apocalyptic weather, I thought we’d start with:

Colder #1 – I was originally going to give this one a pass. I was unfamiliar with the creators and the cover was a real stomach-turner (though a well-done and highly effective one – see for yourself):

Colder #1 Cover

So thanks, Scott, for nudging me to pick it up.

Scott Carney: Just another example of my bloody good taste.

DM: Indeed. The story, by Paul Tobin, begins with an explosive set piece in a mental institution. Though it goes a long way toward establishing the horror of the book, I did find the writing a bit twee in this sequence, especially regarding the dialogue of the inmates (“I am the pretty colors!  I am a swirl of pretty colors!”)  That same tone, however, is perfectly employed once we are introduced to the villain (or is he?) of the piece, one Nimble Jack. An appealing trickster type, he suggests a Lewis Carroll character as re-imagined by H.P. Lovecraft. Or perhaps a co-mingling of the latter day Joker (you know, the scary one) with Mr. Mxyzptlk. In any case, I imagine him being played in the film version by Crispin Glover of twenty years ago.

SC: Yes!  Excellent call.  Definitely the Crispin Glover of River’s Edge, circa ’86.

DM: ’86?  Really?  Wow.  OK: the Crispin Glover of twenty-six years ago.  Alright back to Jack.  He’s not the main character of the story, but his actions and his personality drive it, as he pops in and out like some maleficent Cheshire Cat. As to the story, it revolves around the mystery of Declan Thomas and his ever decreasing body temperature. A former inmate of the aforementioned asylum, Declan is currently being cared for by Reece Talbot, a young doctor of some sort, and a bit of an odd duck herself. After the attention-grabbing beginning, the writing becomes more satisfyingly subtle. We get to know Reece through expository yet unforced dialogue, and she is a winning creature thus far. There is a nice combination of normalcy and menace that runs through the book; a hallmark of good horror. The same can be said of the art by Juan Ferreyra. It is clean, bright and uncluttered (unlike most horror art), and yet ever so lightly off. Having said that, I somewhat take issue with one sequence in the book. Early on, Reece is the victim of a mugging. I don’t mind the fact of the scene; given what happens earlier in the story, a mugging is rather tame. I object to the staging of it, which I’m assuming was the purview of Mr. Ferreyra. Violence against women is tough to take, and the close-up of Reece getting punched in the face–in the fourth panel of page 15–seems unnecessarily voyeuristic and exploitative, skirting the edge of playing it for laughs. It’s odd; I’m completely fine with inmates being burned alive in the initial sequence, but this stuck in my craw. It’s all a matter of how you choose to present it, I think. But this is a quibble. For the most part the excess promised by the cover is (thankfully as far as I’m concerned) never realized and we are instead presented with something else: a psychological horror story / mystery that is truly unpredictable. I’ll be back for the second issue.

SC: I liked it, too–mostly.  Particularly the beginning.  I kinda dig the fact that Colder  kicks off with patient pyrotechnics.  I like the loopy loquaciousness of the loonies as the flames lick a little love into ’em.  But, yeah, it gets better with the introduction of the fantastically famished Nimble Jack, who does a delicious dance of depravity, which, dialogue-wise, is conveyed in a confusingly satisfying manner somewhat reminiscent of China Mieville’s consistently top-of-the-pile Dial H.

DM: Yeah. More on Dial H later.

SC: I’m not surprised.  But, yeah, after Nimble Jack, more specifically after Reece meets up with the cop, the pace cuts to an almost intolerable crawl.  It gets considerably colder.  If I’m being honest, I didn’t believe their dialogue so much; I was kinda bored by it, actually.  It felt forced, like I was being fed exposition after filling up on fast-paced fun.  Even Jack couldn’t heat it up again: on page 22, his fire goes out in puffs of smoke when he can’t get a rise out of Declan.  And the end?  I thought it was at the same time completely expected and completely necessary.  So, if I’m doing the math properly, it’s good enough to keep me around for number two.

DM: Another intriguing new horror entry is Lot 13 #1, though the results are decidedly more mixed. This one did come with a high pedigree; Steve Nlles and Glenn Fabry are both proven masters of the genre. Like Colder, this one establishes its dread with a scene of horrors past. When we get to the present, however, something odd happens to the tone.  We are introduced to the Nelsons, who are about to move into a new home (always a bad idea in a horror story). They are presented as a typical American family; two cool yet responsible parents, a lovelorn, slightly goth teenage daughter and a couple of tweens, one of whom seems sensitive to things of a ghostly nature. The too-clever, knowing back-and-forth between the parents, as they balance the stress of moving while dealing with the kids,  seems artificial, like something out of a sitcom. Even the pacing of the story, where a beat (comic or horror) is set up and delivered on almost every page feels structured more for a television show (you could almost envision where the commercial breaks would go. A perhaps related digression – I wonder why this comic was designated under the new DC Entertainment brand instead of Vertigo which has traditionally been DC’s repository for supernatural fare?) As opposed to the unforced naturalism we see in Colder, here what we get is akin to a queasy mash-up of Modern Family and American Horror Story. Still Fabry’s art (like Ferreyra’s) imbues even the everyday with a disquieting air. The cliffhanger (remarkably similar to the one in Colder) and the strength of the creators’ reputations will at least bring me back for next issue.

Lot 13 #1 Cover

SC: I agree with your TV show comparison.  It’s perfect.  In a way, that’s what I liked about it.  In fact, after the grisly opening, which I really liked, I found that the appeal of the book came from its well-developed and deliberate dialogue.  Speaking of: what’s up with the poorly-costumed curse words (“f&$%ing” and “h&%$”)?  What purpose does it serve to half-heartedly hide them like that–especially when the sneak preview of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has the f-word in all its glory just three pages away from the final page of Lot 13?!  I want to know!  In fact, I demand an answer!

DM: Yeah I don’t get it either. I don’t have an answer for you.

SC: Well, f&$% you, then.

DM: Speaking of irritating use of invective: Happy! #2. The first issue, flawed as it was, at least held out the prospect of high-contrast hilarity to follow. Well here we are, two issues into a four issue mini-series, and that potential remains stultifyingly untapped. A Grant Morrison story usually bursts with innovation, pulses with energy. Here instead we get dreary, tired scenes of seedy environs, uninspired profanity, and lowlife violence.  Nick, the hero (?) escapes his would-be killers at a hospital by beating them to death. Nick uses Happy to cheat at poker and then beats everyone to death. A pervert in a Santa suit (yawn) is introduced, presumably so Nick will at some point beat him to death. The counterpoint to all this, I suppose, is the running commentary provided by the eponymous equine. The problem is, unhappily, that the imaginary talking horse isn’t nearly as funny as Morrison seems to think he is.

SC: Oof.  Yeah.  It was rough.  It’s like Morrison’s doing his best worst Garth Ennis impression.  For example: the poker game.  Ugh.  Under Morrison’s watch, LeDic (Obvious jokes? Check!) and his cronies around the table–who look like members of an Ennis-penned wack pack, for goodness sake–are as friggin’ flat as can be.  Are we supposed to accept that Morrison chose to keep these fellas, so full of potential hyperbole, under wraps for some good reason?  Wait.  Is that the reason?  To kill it with understatement?  No; come on: I mean, if you’re going to put a pot of water to flame, let it boil!  Am I wrong?  Christ!  Ennis would have that table humming with quirkiness.  Instead, it’s a flippin’ funeral.  If he’s making a statement about Ennis or about something else, I’m not hearing it.  Maybe, as is the case with Happy the Horse, only one person in the world can.

DM: Now for a truly inspired use of an imaginary horse, you need look no further that Dial H #6. China Mieville slows down this roller coaster of a comic for a “breather” issue as our hero, Nelson Jent, literally never leaves his living room. The reason? The super-hero alter-ego he’s “dialed-up” would be appalling to modern sensibilities. (David Lapham, uncredited on the cover, provides the pitch-perfect art.) This wickedly fun little issue serves a number of purposes. It nicely fills in some background information on the workings of the dial, as well the hitherto mysterious Manteau. It showcases an easy repartee between the two leads that humanizes their relationship. And it cleverly explores comics’ fraught history with racism and stereotype while using that discussion as a springboard toward broader issues of identity. And did I mention? It’s flat-out funny. I can’t think of another comic that will have you so gleefully looking up   scatalogical  definitions (interestingly, this is not the first use of “priapus” as a name of a comic book character). Now that’s how you do foul language! This single issue of two people talking in a room has more wit and invention than most comics can muster in a year. Book of the Week.

SC: Is it wrong that I read every bit of Nelson’s dialogue as “Eh-neeek-chock”?

DM: Nice!

SC: So, yeah: clearly, this is the Book of the Week.  In fact, it may be my favorite single issue of any book of the New 52.  I know it hasn’t been fashionable of late, especially in the political sphere, but I must insist: DC, please do the right thing; please send more jobs to China!

DM: Rimshot! And out.

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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In Scott’s Bag (11/7)

10 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Scott's Bag

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Action Comics, Batwoman, Bedlam, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Posehn, Butch Juice, China Mieville, Chris Samnee, Colder, Cully Hamner, Daredevil: End of Days, Darick Robertson, Dark Horse, Dave Lapham, David Mack, David Marquez, DC Comics, Deadpool, Dial H, Ed Brubaker, Fatale, Frazer Irving, Gerry Duggan, Grant Morrison, Happy, IDW, Image, J.H. Williams III, Jason Aaron, Jeff Lemire, Juan Ferreyra, Justice League Dark, Justin Jordan, Klaus Janson, Mark Waid, Marvel, Marvel NOW!, Mikel Janin, Nick Bradshaw, Nick Spencer, Patrick Zircher, Paul Tobin, Rags Morales, Riley Rossmo, Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, Sean Phillips, Shadowman, Sholly Fisch, Steve Pugh, Swamp Thing, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, Tony Moore, Ultimate Spider-Man, W. Haden Blackman, Winter Soldier, Wolverine and the X-Men, Yanick Paquette

Two of the biggest weeks in a while collided–as a result of Super Storm Sandy–and blew up into a Super Bag, which I call Candy, ’cause this haul is pretty sweet.

I’m going to keep it simple so I can get to reading.  I pray you’ll understand.

A Little Heavy Reading

  • Colder #1 (This book looks hot!  No, really: it starts off with a fire, for goodness sake.)
  • Winter Soldier #12
  • Ultimate Spider-Man #16.1 (What’s the point, Mr. Bendis?  I mean, really.)
  • Swamp Thing #14 (Flipped through.  Some far-out layouts.)
  • Swamp Thing Annual #1 (Bogged down by Swampy, but in a good way–I think.)
  • Animal Man #14
  • Dial H #6 (Very different look on the book thanks to Dave Lapham.  I wonder if I’ll be so free with my thanks after reading it.)
  • Deadpool #1 (Shh.  Don’t tell DerekNerd.)
  • Batwoman #13 (A reorder.  A beautiful reorder.)
  • Fatale #9
  • Bedlam #1 (Not high on Nick Spencer, but figured why not?  I’ve come to learn from some why they did not, from others why they shouldn’t’ve.  I’ve also read a Tweet or two celebrating it.  We’ll see.)
  • Happy #2 (There’s potential here: potential for really good or for really awful.  I’m not sure Grant Morrison’s allowed this book any middle ground.)
  • The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #3 (I don’t care what you’re holding.  This pair–Waid and Samnee–beats it.)
  • Wolverine and the X-Men #19 (The mutant of all the mutant books: it’s actually good.)
  • Action Comics #14 (Hoping for another perfect moment.  Not expecting.  Just hoping.)
  • Shadowman #1 (Are you down with the Zirch?  I am.)

Valiant Entertainment’s Shadowman #1

  • Daredevil: End of Days #2 (We’re still at the beginning of the End, so I guess it’s OK that I’m not too sure what’s going on.)
  • Justice League Dark Annual #1 (Oooh, Frankenstein!  Back in Jeff Lemire’s hands!  Now I really want to see how this war plays itself out!)
  • Action Comics Annual #1 (Oooh, Sholly Fisch.  Not Grant Morrison.  Yeah, looks like I used up all my exclamation points on the last entry.)

What did you get in your bag?

You know what?  You probably didn’t get anything in your bag.  Why?  Because I got it all.  By God, I got it all.

Turning pages–lots and lots of pages,

Scott

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What’s Up?

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Action Comics, Becky Cloonan, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Samnee, comics, Darick Robertson, DC Comics, Ed Brubaker, Fatale, Grant Morrison, Happy, Image, Jason Aaron, Jeff Lemire, Justice League Dark, Marco Rudy, Mark Waid, Mikel Janin, Nick Bradshaw, Scott Snyder, Sean Phillips, Swamp Thing, The Rocketeer, Ultimate Spider-Man, Winter Soldier, Wolverine and the X-Men

Plenty of tricks so far this week.  Here’s hoping for at least a few treats out of this bunch.

Once a Year

  • Action Comics Annual #1: No Grant Morrison???  I’m scared!
  • Justice League Dark Annual #1: Now here’s a book in the spirit of Halloween!
  • Swamp Thing Annual #1: I hope someone gets his or her head chomped off.  I like when that happens–in comics, anyway.  You know you do to.

Consolation Prize

  • Happy #2: Phew.  Making up for missing Morrison on Action.

The Horror!  The Horror!

  • Fatale #9: Killer series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Something to Marvel At

  • Ultimate Spider-Man #16.1: There’s literally nothing scarier than a Marvel .1 book.  Geez.
  • Winter Soldier #12: This is the winter of Brubaker’s Marvel content.
  • Wolverine and the X-Men #19: It’s nineteen issues in and I’m still surprised by how good it is month to month.  Now that AvX is over, this book should really shine–especially with the NOW! nonsense popping up around it.

Wolverine and the X-Men #19 Cover

Great Expectations

  • The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #3: Expected to see this a couple of weeks ago.  Here’s to hoping it hits the rack this week.  With their work on this series and on Daredevil, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have established themselves as the team to beat.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Back and Forth: Laborious Bastards

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in Back and Forth, Microviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Battlefields: Dear Billy, Battlefields: The Green Fields Beyond, Bob Burden, BOOM!, Caleb Monroe, Clerks, comics, Darick Robertson, Doop, Dynamite Entertainment, Fantasia, Flaming Carrot, Fury Max, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Grant Morrison, Happy, IDW, Jason Aaron, Jeff Lemire, Joe the Barbarian, John Constantine, John Layman, John McCrea, Justice League Dark, Kickstarter, Lee Garbett, Mark Waid, Mars Attacks, Mike Allred, Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan, Roger Rabbit, Steed and Mrs. Peel, Tex Avery, The New 52, Vertigo, Will Sliney, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-Force, X-Statix, Zatanna

Scott Carney: Looks like I’ve finally hit the wall.  Or the bag.  Or something.  I’m staring at the stack for the week (all used, one abused) and I’m struggling–struggling because not a single comic struck me enough to make me bleed words.  So let me cut myself…

Derek Mainhart: I feel your pain. I was really excited about this week’s books. Two Grant Morrison books? Lots o’ Allred art? Sign me up! And yet I’m similarly uninspired. I guess we need to start with the book that seemed to have the most potential to make me Happy….

SC: Maybe an allusion to Clerks will make you happy: Seventy-two?  Seventy-two?  Grant Morrison used the f-word or some form of the f-word seventy-two times!

DM: In a row?

SC: Well done.  Can you believe it, though?  That’s how many times an f-word flies off the pages of his effusively offensive, belatedly offbeat, and finally fun Happy #1.  From the first c-word, Morrison, a true super scribe–and pen-point sniper–in his own write, makes it clear that he’s happy to be writing a book for Image and that he’s, sadly, no Garth Ennis when it comes to four-wheelin’ it with four-letter words.  As a result, I really had no use for this book–this is until Happy the Horse reveals who he is and why he needs Sax, our prostrate protagonist.  That bit hooked me hard.  That’s right: I’m going to accept the fact that the explicit language is meant to exaggerate the dour song of experience of the X-rated adult world and to set up the bizarre yet greatly appreciated arrival of an–as far as we know–innocent child’s hyperbolically-cartoonish imaginary friend.  So, despite my initial doubt, I’m going to ride the crazy premise of a loyal My Little Pegasus and its looking to swoop in and save the day with a soiled sidekick; I’m going to trust in Morrison and am going to grab #2.

DM: Yeah, I had a similar reaction. Those first few pages read like a bad impression of Ennis (a true impresario of invective – see below). But I guess that’s the point: Morrison’s satirizing gritty, foulmouthed, hyper-violent crime stories. One of the goombahs even says “We can do this without all the (effin) language.” But the problem is that, in satirizing the dreary, grim and gritty milieu of many a mediocre comic (and movie for that matter), he has created a story that is, in fact, all of those things. Darick Robertson really sells the contrast well; he renders a world that is positively grimy to heighten his rendition of Happy, who looks like a Fantasia character designed by Tex Avery. Unfortunately, that stark visual contrast isn’t matched by the story. In order for the satire to really work, Happy needs to be utterly guileless, standing in counterpoint to the cynical drudgery that surrounds him (think Roger Rabbit). But Happy only looks ridiculous. He’s as wise to the sleaze as anyone; more so, in fact as he informs Nick of his own predicament, “You’re in a mob hospital, they took your weapons, sedated you and now they’ve sent a torture squad to screw some kinda password out of you.” So, no, I’m not buying into the whole hilarity of the situation. Even the conceit (protagonist-goes-on-quest-with-imaginary-friend-or-are-they..?) is something Morrison recently explored in the far superior (thus far) Joe the Barbarian. Sigh. Like you said, it’s Morrison. I’ll always give him the benefit of a doubt (and my 3 bucks for #2).

SC: While Morrison’s f-bombs seemed awkwardly wired, Ennis’s are timed to go off at just the right moment in Fury Max #6.  But that’s just Ennis playing to his–and the “one-eyed [a-hole’s]”–strength.  The expected explosion of expletives isn’t the only reason why this book wears its warning like a Medal of Honor, however; Goran Parlov goes for the gore with a crushing depiction of a head in a vise and with Fury’s straight-out-of-the-headlines mouthful of face.  (I can hear the creators cackling during the process of putting this scene together: “Yes, I’ll have el Cubano, please.”)  And how about poor Elgen?  This brave soul–this patriot–takes a knife to the nether regions, is tossed to the sharks, loses a couple of limbs, and welcomes a benevolent bullet from the coldly caring colonel.  It’s clear: War is hell; and Fury and Heatherly are left to sail the Styx together.  Overall, this issue carries a terrific and oft terrifying tune–though, and I think I’m being fair, this time, the Shirley Defabio scenes don’t necessarily reach the height of perfect harmony.  Hey, it’s gonna happen.  You know what shouldn’t happen?  I’ll tell you what shouldn’t happen: the biggest flaw I found stands defiantly on the last page–the very last page–of the book: #7 comes out on 12/5?  Really?  Really?  Bastards.

DM: Nobody writes war comics better the Ennis. Military history is obviously a passion of his and he captures it in all its awful glory. His Battlefields series from Dynamite is even better than this one. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment, Battlefields: The Green Fields Beyond, due out in November. If you like Fury, you could do worse than picking up a trade. They’re standalone stories and are a great display of Ennis’ true range (Dear Billy being my personal fave).  Don’t be a bastard. Check it out.

SC: Hmm.  Guess I’ll have to check that out.  Speaking of bastards: I love Jeff Lemire’s take on John Constantine.  (I love Lee Garbett’s take on Zatanna, as well; “Raeppa,” indeed.)  In Justice League Dark #0, the hellblazing S.O.B. is shown to be an insatiable magic whore with a heart–a heart probably plagued with plaque from all the cigarettes he sucks down over the course of the issue.  (Hmm.  I wonder if Zatanna could help him with that with a simple, “Euqalp eb enog!”  That little witch is a keeper, son!)  Story-wise, the book is split in two: there’s the well-developed and snappy slow burn of the first part, which ends with Nick Necro’s fully transparent flytrap of a phone call; and then there’s the rest, which lacks any heat at all, thanks, in part, to the aptly named Cold Flame.  But it’s OK; it’s all good: the darn thing’s a one and done; and next month, we get back down to business with “The War for the Books of Magic.”  Can’t wait for that.  Wait.  Why wait?  Why not try—this: “Htnom ylf yb!”

DM: I gotta disagree with you here. Constantine is a very singular sort of scoundrel. Ambivalent to the point of maddening. Distinct Liverpool accent. Deadpan, world-weary sarcasm. It’s not every writer that can nail the trenchant rhythms of his speech, or his enigmatically contrarian attitude. And, sadly, Lemire is not up to the task (though I commend him for not resorting to using “bollocks” every two panels). His rendition of Constantine has been serviceable within the team format of this book. But in a solo tale like this one, his flawed grasp of the character becomes glaring. A trench coat and a cigarette do not a bastard make. Yes, I realize this is the New 52 version of the character.  A good thing too. The Vertigo version would eat this guy alive.

SC: Something for Garth Ennis to explore in a new series: Constantine Max.

DM: I’m already looking forward to it!  But–and here’s another one you may not have picked up–a book that has no problem capturing the idiom of its lead characters is Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 (published by BOOM!). What is odd, initially confusing, and finally intriguing about the story (Caleb Monroe’s script working from Mark Waid’s plot with art by Will Sliney), is that it immediately takes those two beloved leads completely out of their comfort zone. A post-apocalyptic London, complete with irradiated mutant zombies? Hardly what we’d expect for our avatars of the swingin’ sixties. Indeed, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop (you know, hallucination, elaborate hoax, etc.), but apparently Waid and Monroe are sticking to their guns. Here (unlike in Happy) the study in contrasts works: no matter the mind-numbing horror they now face, our heroes imperturbably maintain their stiff upper lip and all that. End of the world? No excuse to lose one’s cool. Good show! (Sorry. I’ll stop.)

Another book making gleeful fun out out of the annihilation of mankind is Mars Attacks #4 (IDW). I do think writer John Layman makes a mistake in portraying the Martians as slightly  sympathetic. Still, each issue has been a scorched earth snapshot of the havoc those bloodthirsty, brain-exposed bastards are wreaking, rendered in equal parts comedy and gore by the always engaging John McCrea. The disparate snapshots seem to be coming together at the end of this issue. Not sure how I feel about that. But ancient Aztecs? Giant fleas? Buzzsaws to the noggin? High-octane hilarity.

But even that doesn’t come close to the near-sublime, spasmodic absurdity that is…Wolverine and the X-Men #17. Yes. That’s right. Wolverine and the X-Men. I’ve steered clear of the X-books for quite a while now. Their convoluted, insular story lines have rendered them seemingly impenetrable. But Mike Allred and Doop reunited for the first time since their glorious run on X-Force and X-Statix (written by Peter Milligan)? It was the kind of gift I didn’t realize I wanted until I saw it. Any reservations I may have had about deciphering labyrinthine layers of X-history were quickly dispelled on page 3 with the merciful announcement: “Previously – Lots of things happened, but don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Enjoy.” Reassured, I sat back, relaxed and did enjoy a true MIKE ALLRED COMIC. Certain writers, (Neil Gaiman, the previously mentioned Morrison and Ennis) seem to bring out the best in the artists they work with. Well Allred is one of the few artists who does that with writers. It’s as if they realize they need to up their game, channel their inner anarchist, and let it fly. And happily Jason Aaron (never a timid writer) is up for the challenge. The set-up: Wolverine hires Doop to protect the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning (which I guess is what it’s called now) from the myriad threats lurking, well, everywhere. His haphazard duties include, but are not limited to: ambushing a bowling league, seducing various members of a school board, and teaming up for an interdimensional adventure with the most unanticipatedly awesome guest star of the year, whose identity I won’t ruin. (Suffice it to say, my inner-geek had a heart attack.) Doop – truly an intrepid hero of the people. Really, the book this most resembles in its wondrous lunacy is Bob Burden’s legendary Flaming Carrot (check out his recently successful Kickstarter campaign for happy news on that front – http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/592668574/flaming-carrot-hardback-and-digital-comics). And that is rarefied air indeed. And so, at the end, I was left in a Doop-shaped pickle; was I wrong about my X-aversion? Did I need to start picking up this book? And then I turned to the Next Issue box featuring a Phoenix-enflamed Cyclops tie-in to the monstrosity that is AvX. Thus I find myself in the unique position of declaring: Book of the Week. I have no intention of picking up the next issue.

Wolverine and the X-Men #17 Cover

SC: I wouldn’t pick it up if I were you.  Thing is, I’m not; so, I’ll be picking it up as a loyal reader might be expected to–even with the seemingly never-ending AvX tie-in hanging over it like something you really don’t want hanging over something you like.  (I’ve already explained–in the previous Back and Forth–how I feel about that whole thing.)  Aaron’s sashayed around the silliness well enough; he’s even played it for a laugh or two–done particularly well in #16, with the focus on the snarky Kilgore kid.  And, you know, that’s what I’ve liked about this series: the “we’re superheroes, sure, but we’re not super serious” vibe.  This issue, however, seems waaaaay over the top–which is fine; I mean, it does focus on Doop, for God’s sake.  Thing is, it felt forced at times, like it had to be pushed and shoved–dragged, even–to the apex of wackiness.  Don’t get me wrong: I thought the Nazi bowling team was a strike; I laughed heartily at Doop’s daliances with members of both genders; and, oh, how I dug the cameo to which you referred.  I don’t know.  I don’t know why I didn’t fall into it as much as you did.  Maybe it’s because you’ve got the experience with the Allred/Doop tandem that I don’t have.  (Thanks for letting me borrow the X-Force trade, by the way.)  Maybe it’s because I’m a grumpy bastard who finds comfort in continuity.  Speaking of continuity: with all the stuff going down after AvX #12–with titles getting axed and added–I’m left wondering if Wolverine and the X-Men will be a thing of the past or if it’ll be a part of Now!  Now, speaking of Now!: I’m pretty sure you’ve got something to get off your chest about the Marvel revamp.  Care to share?

DM: Later.

SC: Bastard.

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