Tag Archives: Samnee

What’s Up?

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

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I may need some help carrying my bag out of the shop this week.

More Than Zero

  • Batman #0
  • Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #0
  • Suicide Squad #0: Not too sure how much longer I’m sticking with this.

Coo coo ca-choo, Mr. Robinson

  • The Shade #12: You will be missed.  A lot.

The Shade #12 Cover

Funny Business

  • Comedian #3: Dipped a bit after a stellar #1.  Hope it bounces back with a killer punchline.

Marvel Shrinky-Dinks

  • Winter Soldier #10: I’m still all twisted up after the last one.  Unwind me, dammit!  No!  What am I talking about?  Twist me some more!
  • Wolverine and the X-Men #16: Last one was a decent comeback after some terrible AvX tie-ins.

Fat Chance

  • Fatale #8: Brubaker’s baby, baby!  This cradle is most assuredly rockin’.

Soaring with Samnee

  • The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #2: The art was the highlight here–a very highlight.  In the stratosphere, even!

X-Oh Yeah!

  • X-O Manowar #5: Suits me just fine.
  • Harbinger #4: Quality, quality, quality.  Valiant’s got it in pspades.

Gee.  Is that it?  I’m gonna need a friggin’ hand truck.

How about you?  What’s gonna be in your bag tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

Sealed with a Kiss

01 Saturday Sep 2012

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My Microviews for the week of 8/29:

Excitement was high in some alternate–and assuredly opposite–comic reading universe.  Some humanoid out there was bristling as he slipped his books from his bag.  The skin on his hair was probably sitting down.

Here, in my page-turning reality, however, my stack read like a bottle of Xanax.  With a cap that gives you all sorts of crap.

Speaking of:

I was watching So You Think You Can Dance but I wanted to crack open a book–you know, to read something during commercials and the pre-dance packages.  Figured I’d go with something mindless.  Luckily I had picked up Justice League #12–for the kiss, of course.  Duh.  Why else would I return to this title?  I was reminded immediately of why I dumped it after issue #5: God Almighty!  It’s awful!  I won’t bother with Johns’ writing; I haven’t been following the story.  On the art side: Jim Lee has taken the most iconic characters in comicdom and turned them into languid lookalikes, into blah B-listers.  Oh, it’s painful to see them rendered so!  The layouts lack life, a spirit; they seem to stubbornly avoid inspiration, as if inspiration were illegal or something.  By the way: while thumbin’ through the book, I could’ve sworn the guy givin’ it to the League was Helspont.  Turns out it isn’t, but this guy’s just as compelling.  But what about super-hyped kiss?  To be fair, it’s a smart turn–an easy one at this point, but smart, nevertheless.  Ever hear of a slow burn?  Yeah, neither have these guys.  Hmm.  Felt a little forced, no?  Kind of like they had to shove it into #12 even if it didn’t fit too well?  Whatever.  This was a one-and-done return to Justice League for me.

I waited for a little quiet time before wading into Winter Soldier #9.  Boy, oh boy.  If it weren’t for the twist at the end, I would’ve thought Brubaker was mailing it in on his way out.  I mean, from the get-go, this one felt right out of the most recent run of Captain America, which has been unpatriotically poor–so much so that I ditched it, despite Cap’s being my all-time fave.  A really microview: James hangs out in front of a vid screen for a while then goes into action and then snaps the Black Widow out of her trance all too easily–“Nat!  It’s me!”  “Oh.  OK.”–and then TAH-wist!  Boy, oh boy!  I’ll be soldiering on, for sure.

I read The Flash Annual #1.  It was all right.  The story was fine.  My biggest gripe: I didn’t care for the kitchen sink approach to the art.  In fact, for five bucks, I feel kind of ripped off–especially since it wasn’t a one-shot annual, which I could’ve passed on.  Don’t get me wrong: the art was fine; but since I’m an issue-at-a-time Flash fan at this point, I’m practically Patrick Henry: Give me Manapul or give me a break!  No gripe here, though: the last page.  Who doesn’t love an army of pissed off gorillas?  Who doesn’t believe in Grodd?

Next up: Wolverine and the X-Men #15.  It starts off on a solid note, but then gets a bit too jokey for its own good down in Beast’s lab.  Iron Man, in particular, is insufferable.  But Aaron works it out with the Xavier/Quire thoughtdown and delivers a satisfying issue that ultimately doesn’t feel too overburdened by AvX.  Thank goodness.  Be honest: you welled up a little bit while rooting for Mortimer.  Don’t you go blaming it on sawdust, too, you big baby.

I closed out the week with X-O Manowar #4.

X-O Manowar #4 Cover

Solid book all the way around, with a huge draw at the end.  One thing worth noting: as I admired Aric’s aerobatics during his dogfight with the Italian air force, I couldn’t help but think of the beginning of The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1.  Anyone else?  Quick unsolicited comparison: Samnee’s work conveys more energy, more urgency than Nord’s.  Super unsolicited comparison with a twist of grudge: They both, however, have it over Lee.

Easily.

Undeniably.

Turning pages,

Scott

All Thumbs Up!

26 Sunday Aug 2012

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If there were a Like button at the bottom of my bag of books for the week, I would have clicked it.  Or maybe there was and I did—which may explain Matches Malone’s thumbs up on the cover of Batman Incorporated #3.

Or whatever.  I read Batman Incorporated first and sure as heck got the quirky I had wished for.  Oh, that Grant Morrison!  Ask and ye certainly shall receive.  But just because you receive it, it doesn’t always mean you’ll understand it–or that it’s understandable.  So, after the ominous opening–which could totally happen, by the way–Morrison strikes with Matches and had me happily sinking in quirksand through page 10.  My head never quite made it under, but that’s all right; at least I got to see the bad-ass birth of Redbird, who got all LL Cool J on Alfred after knocking the old butler out.  “Bring it,” indeed.

I moved on to The Flash #12.  Read through it quickly.  Boy, does Barry come off as a little red whiner.  Luckily, the Rogues are a fun bunch, and Manapul manages them very well; he avoids the muddiness that multiple villains could have brought to the flow of the book.  His art, too, is solid throughout with a couple of nifty layouts thrown in for good measure.  Overall, I liked it enough to forge ahead with the flashy one: I’ll pick up the annual and #0; and then we’ll see if it’s time to put the book back on the pull list.

Next up: Justice League Dark #12.  Houses of Mystery and Secrets!  Lemire and Janin housin’ it–making a magical book out of a wacky bunch of magical B-listers.  (OK, it’s true: I may be a bit biased here; after all–and I’m not afraid to admit it–I do have a comic crush on Zatanna.)  Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Revved it up with The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1.  I liked it plenty.  Story-wise, I love the vibe; Waid’s got it down, even where it’s so down its up and over the top.  The mystery?  It’s a bit wait-and-see, which pretty well means it is what it’s meant to be; but what I’ve already seen of Samnee?  Pow!  The first five pages are sky high!  And the splash goodbye, leaving me verily vexed?  Like Betty, I’m hangin’ on happily to Cliff, till the next.

Yeah, I read Dr. Manhattan #1.  What I thought while: Why am I still reading this?  After: “What’s inside the box?”  Nothing, you dumb blue bastard!  And then I bagged it and put it in a box.  Ugh.  Straczynski completely misses the mark, which, sadly, was expected.  He was unable to take apart this complex character and put him back together to any positive end even here at the beginning of his story.  There are a couple of moments–including the drawing of partners’ names in the context of the quantum universe–that are OK; but that’s it: OK.  We’re looking at fewer highs here than in JMS’s own inconsistent Nite Owl.  Hughes’s work seems to live down to the story he was given.  Not surprisingly, his best moment–on page 9–is finely built upon a finely-built coed.  Yeah, I read Dr. Manhattan #1.  What I’m thinking now: What won’t be inside my bag in a month’s time?  #2.

Next Wednesday can’t get here soon enough!

Turning pages,

Scott

What’s Up?

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Looks like I’ve fallen into a pattern: if my research is correct, I’m due for another short stack.  I guess it’s the result of my paring down my pull list and my limiting my off-list purchases; it’s my sticking to what I like and quitting what I don’t.  See: I used to hold out hope for a title when I didn’t like a particular issue or a particularly uninspiring arc.  I’d suffer–and spend–through crap only to end up with crap.  But I sit here today to type to you: no more, friends; no more!  Yes, I will try new things, but rest assured: if I’m buying a book on a regular basis, it’s a good one.

I’m always open to recommendations; in fact, I’m almost to the point where I’m desperate for them!  So if you’re reading something that you think is good, let me know.  I’ll give it a whirl, and then I’ll let you know what I think about it.

OK.  With that out of the way, here are the books I’m looking forward to scoring tomorrow:

The Dream Team

  • Rocketeer #1: Cargo of Doom: Waid and Samnee did a fantastic job goin’ all old school on DD, and, boom!, they’re right back to it with something seriously retro.  I couldn’t give a flying fandango about the Rocketeer; this purchase is all about the hands behind it.

Spooks and Crooks Do Rhyme

  • Justice League Dark #12: I’m under Lemire’s spell.  It compels me to buy anything with his name on it.  Apparently, it’s a difficult spell to master: it’s 22 pages long and it’s freakin’ good.  He’s pretty well got it down; and I’m down with JLD.
  • Super Crooks #4: It’s just Millar being Millar: a decent read clearly scripted for the big screen that isn’t overly concerned with punctuality.

Grant Me a Wish

  • Batman, Inc. #3: I so want this to be quirky, violent fun.  Like breakfast.

I’m Cranky.  I Have Cramps.  Must be JMS.

  • Dr. Manhattan #1: Maybe Nite Owl sucks because Straczynski has been putting all his energy into this one.  (I totally typed that with a straight face–but was cracking up on the inside.)

The Bottle Deposit Buy of the Week

  • Flash #12: I’ve got the whole series so far, but I’ve lost interest.  Why should I bother with this?  Well, Manapul’s art and layouts have stood out; and if they do during a flip-through, I may as well drop some quarters on the counter.

My Digital Mistress

  • Rachel Rising #10: Terry Moore is killing it, and I’m buying it–on Comixology.  I’ve been behind a month because I’ve been waiting for the price to come down before buying it.  I can’t wait anymore.  Really, really good.

That’s what I should find in my bag.  What about you?

What will be in your bag tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

Quite a Weak

17 Friday Aug 2012

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I just polished off my pile for the week.  Rounded out my reading with Daredevil #17, which left me a little underwhelmed.  Prior to reading it, I read a few tweets about it that spoke of the tweeters’ wading in tears.  Well, my eyes, if they welled up with anything,  welled up with bitter beads of disappointment as the back cover settled into its protective position.  I found myself losing interest in the Matt and Foggy backstory and longing for another DVR-ed episode of Franklin and Bash.  (I still have one more to get through before I’m all caught up.)  I’m generally a sucker for father-son stuff, but there was something missing here.  Something genuine, I suppose.  Whatever.  Plus, I wasn’t all that impressed with Allred’s work here.  I mean, it was fine and all; it capably continues the brilliant old-school vibe Waid’s embraced in his storytelling.  I don’t know.  Maybe following Samnee–especially so soon!–works against him here.  Doesn’t matter, really; I’m already looking ahead to the next arc.

Wouldn’t you know: Daredevil wasn’t the only letdown I didn’t anticipate.  Wonder Woman #12 kinda crapped out for me, mainly because of the unimpressive, uninspired transition from one perfectly fine mission statement—save Zola and her unborn baby from the power hungry old gods—to another, all too similar one: save Zola’s baby, yada, yada, new gods.  You know what?  I don’t care.  (Wow.  I can’t believe I just typed that.  A first for my experience with WW, which has been one of my faves since The New 52 kicked off a year ago.)  I’ll buy #13 and will reassess my relationship with the leggy Amazon—who, by the way, had an effective turn in Batwoman #12.

Oh, yeah!  There’s the transition I needed.

Batwoman #12 Cover

Batwoman #12 was–and I know this will shock some people–my favorite book of the week.  J.H. Williams III’s return to the art side is a triumphant one, with his stunning and unexpected layouts and his attention to detail.   I mean, come on: pages 6-7?  Williams III runs circles around his peers with this spread.  The conversation between Batwoman and the shards of Bloody Mary?  Smashing!  I even like the reason for dragging Diana into the storyline.  In fact, I’m excited about this title again–just like I was from the start of the series—and, brimming and bubbling, I’m definitely on board for #13.

I settled into The Shade #11 and got burned by the bad James Robinson.  I’ll admit: I enjoyed the first five pages.  The Beaumont sequence alone is worth celebrating as heroic and hilarious: the signature of this series right out of the chute.  However, the conversation between The Shade and the pharaohs and the explanation of where the pharaohs came from smacks of the convoluted confabulation of Robinson’s Earth 2. Irving’s art doesn’t do it for me, either.  It’s a bit too, I don’t know, artificial?  There’s something soulless about it, which can be blamed, I suppose, on the computerized aspect of it.  As much as I hate to say it, I really didn’t like this arc very much.  Worth noticing: the slip in quality of The Shade parallels Robinson’s involvement with Earth 2.  Coincidence?

The Valiant books were solid reads.  I like the blood and bullets of Bloodshot #2 and the cerebral happenings of Harbinger #3.  Quite a balance!  The former has already established a classic moment for the burgeoning reboot: Bloodshot’s literally having a cow.  Tasty!  The latter continues to impress in its exposition–except in a pivotal moment where Peter turns the tables on Daniel, shouting, “You chatty tool!”  Yikes!  That could be the silliest line I’ve read in a long time–well, at least since Earth 2 #3.

I fell for Fatale #7; but that’s no surprise: Brubaker’s been bringing his best to this book.

That leaves Rorschach #1.  Know what?  I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.  Azzarello’s story simply didn’t knock me out–and I left my chin out there for him and everything.  I think Crime says it best, really: “Dude, you don’t measure up to your myth.”  (That can apply to almost all of Before Watchmen at this point. Hmm.  I wonder if Alan Moore is finding some sort of joy in that.)  I can’t deny this, though: Bermejo’s art is stunning–from the cover to the final panel.  (By the way, I must address this point: I’ve never seen clothes so meticulously rendered.)  I will give Azzarello some credit: he handles sex better than any of the other BW writers thus far.  Unlike his colleagues, who seem to be clumsy virgins when it comes to carnality, he inserts it and it feels right.  You know?

On paper, this stack seemed like a can’t miss.  But that’s why we read the books, friends.  That’s why we read the books.

Turning pages,

Scott