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Tag Archives: The Flash

What’s I&N Store (8/10)

10 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

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Action Comics, Aftershock, Alan Moore, Ales Kot, All-Star Batman, Avatar, Black Eyed Kids, Black Monday Murders, Black Panther, Cirque American, comics, Cullen Bunn, Dark Horse, DC, Deathstroke, Detective Comics, Empress, Garth Ennis, Grabriel Hernandez Walta, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Harrow County, horror, Image, James Robinson, Joelle Jones, Johnny Red, Jonathan Hickman, Marvel, NCBD, New Superman, Providence, Rebirth, Scarlet Witch, Superwoman, Symmetry, The Flash, The Vision, Titan Comics, Tom King, Tula Lotay, Tyler Crook, War Stories, Wonder Woman, zero

Lots of good stuff this week.  Pretty hero heavy thanks to Rebirth–and my complete rejection of the tenet of temperance.

  • Harrow County #15 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand Re: #14: Emmy’s mother’s heart everything-melting backstory frames a frightful “family” reunion, facilitated by an Old Scratchy Levi, whose serpentine smile has me thinking that at any moment his jaw’s gonna drop open and he’s going to swallow sweet little Emmy whole–and me with her!  Oh, maybe I’m just being paranoid.  No need to be; see: Cullen Bunn’s devilish dandy assures us safe passage–  Oh, come on!  Of course he does; that’s what smiling devilish dandies do!  Any reader knows there’s nothing safe about him.  Hell, there’s nothing safe about this issue or about this series.  Thanks to Tyler Crook’s ghostly gouache, every effing panel’s a gamble–like playing hopscotch in a field littered with landmines–and the bodies of hopscotchers come before.  That’s right, I&Nmates: welcome to Harrow effing County.

STL013660

  • Action Comics #961 (DC)
  • All-Star Batman #1 (DC)
  • Deathstroke: Rebirth #1 (DC)
  • Detective Comics #938 (DC)
  • The Flash #4 (DC)
  • Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3 (DC)
  • New Superman #2 (DC)
  • Superwoman #1 (DC)
  • Wonder Woman #4 (DC)
  • Black Monday Murders #1 (Image): Just I&N Class warfare à la Jonathan Hickman.  It’s arrived just in time!  Here’s a promise: a big world that reads small thanks to writing that’s tighter than a fat cat’s money belt.

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  • Symmetry #6 (Image)
  • Black Panther #5 (Marvel)
  • Empress #5 (Marvel)
  • Scarlet Witch #9 (Marvel): I&N Demand I’m happy to report that James Robinson’s tucked his junk away for his intriguing turn on Scarlet Witch.  This book’s been monthly magic!  OK, so we celebrated Robinson’s The Shade (DC)–feels like forever ago–and celehated just about everything else since then save for his full-of-hot Airboy, which was a balls-out blast to the past that sold me on Robinson’s page-bound prickish self, particularly as he hit some notes that recalled David Duchovny’s cock(un)sure Hank Moody in the hilariously depressing Californication.  What a Wanda-full world he’s created here–with the help a different artist for each effort in order to create an interconnected series of singular experiences, which reminds of Ales Kot’s groundbreaking-and-then-standing-over-the-broken-pieces-and-gloating Zero (Image).  Issue #8 found artist Tula Lotay delivering an appropriately hypnotic performance–one that helped to sell the all-important intimacy and to deliver the Ringmasterful twist.  This month: Joëlle Jones assumes art duties.  Something tells me the lady’s gonna kill it.

STL013398

  • The Vision #10 (Marvel): I&N Demand Later, this very reader, on this very blog, would write a review of The Vision and its creators that no one has written before–and it’d go viral, leaving dancing grooms and blustery moguls dancing and blustering in the datadust.  A blurb would be bounced about the Twitterverse enough to convince some eager editor to snatch it and put it in print somewhere Marvelous.  Then and only then would the world come to realize how integral Tom King’s vision and his voice have been to the evolution of the medium during this Vibranium Age for comics.  For now: on the strength of #9, and King and Walta’s playing us like a Wakandian piano, before diving into #10, don’t forget your flak jacket, your helmet, and, for obvious reasons, your safety glasses.  This could get ugly very quickly.

STL013431

  • Black Eyed Kids #5 (Aftershock)
  • Cirque American: Girl Over Paris #2 (Jet City Comics)
  • Johnny Red #8 (Titan)
  • Providence #10 (Avatar): I&N Demand Word wizard Alan Moore’s painstakingly finger-banging my brain.  I offer it up to him again.  There’s nothing like it on the shelf.  There can’t be anything like it on the shelf.

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  • War Stories #19 (Marvel): I&N Demand More war from Garth Ennis!  Goody, goody bomb drops!

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Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Disney Princesses #5 (Joe Books)

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Superhero Friday!

11 Saturday Oct 2014

Tags

Superhero Friday!, The CW, The Flash

A quick review of The CW’s The Flash, Superhero Friday! style:

The characterization was all thumbs--up!

The characterization was all thumbs–up!

Who are you wearing today?

Turning pages,

Scott

 

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Posted by ScottNerd | Filed under Superhero Friday!

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Superhero Friday!

01 Friday Aug 2014

Tags

Superhero Friday, The Flash

I told my wife I’d be back in a sec.

I was even faster than that.

May the Speed Force be with you!

May the Speed Force be with you!

Who are you wearing today?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Posted by ScottNerd | Filed under Superhero Friday!

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Top 5 Books of March

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in Top 5 Books of the Month

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Afterlife With Archie, Archie Comics, Brian Wood, Carmine Infantino, Dan Slott, Dark Horse, David Lapham, El Capitan, Epic, FF, Francesco Francavilla, Frank Miller, Garry Brown, Great Lakes Avengers, Greg Rucka, Image, Jack Kirby, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Madman, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Michael Lark, Mike Allred, Moebius, Parable, Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino, Ren & Stimpy, Robert Altman, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Silver Age, Silver Surfer, Sin City, Stan Lee, Stray Bullets, Stray Bullets: Killers, The Flash, The Massive

#5. Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel): I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mike Allred brings out the best in his writers. For most of his existence, the Silver Surfer has been a solemn, portentous presence in the Marvel universe. To be fair, this was written into Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s very concept of the character: he’s the herald of Galactus, destroyer of worlds, after all. If the Surfer showed up, your goose was cooked. Of course, in the end he sacrificed his freedom, not once but twice in order to avert disaster. The tragic nature of the character has been explored by writers ever since, from Steve Englehart to Jim Starlin and perhaps best exemplified in Stan Lee’s Epic return to the character in Parable (drawn with graceful panache by the legendary french artist Moebius). All well and good, but somehow left unexplored in all of this was what was originally suggested by Kirby’s truly rad character design: a genius amalgam of surf culture and space age sleekness (this was the ’60’s after all). Outside of Carmine Infantino’s design for The Flash, the look of the Surfer is simply the coolest representation of that bold, optimistic era. Space Opera meets Pop Art. A gnarly rider of the cosmic waves, he puts the Silver in Silver Age. So why’s he such a bummer all the time? Where’s the fun?

Enter Mike Allred. As many (but not enough) comics fans know, Allred’s seminal Madman was almost single-handedly putting the fun back in superhero comics back in the 1990’s. In an era defined by, dank, “gritty” violence (which somehow purported to be more “mature”) Madman harkened back to a time of limitless, zany possibility. That an “independent” comic had to remind the Big Two how it was done was sad commentary on comics of the era. Now, twenty years later, and “mainstream” (whatever that means) superheroes are finally catching up. And at Marvel, Allred is finding a fertile ground to play in. On the recently concluded FF, writer Matt Fraction wisely amped up the absurdity to take advantage of his artist’s manic sensibility. The result was one of Marvel’s most entertaining books in recent years. Call it the “Allred Effect” (please do, I’m accepting royalties).

Now, with writer Dan Slott, he’s taking on one of the big guns. And if the first issue’s any indication, we’re in for a grand ol’ time. Slott, no stranger to strangeness, what with his runs on Great Lakes Avengers and Ren & Stimpy, again wisely plays to his artist’s strengths, setting the story on a fantastical casino/resort/amusement park the size of a planet (seriously, dig the double-page spread). Slott stays true to the character however; indeed the comedy arises out of the contrast between the ever-serious Surfer and his increasingly ridiculous surroundings. In a similar vein, Slott highlights the bizarre bazaar even further by cleverly juxtaposing it with the quotidian goings-on at the quaintest little New England bed and breakfast you ever saw. And all of it rendered by Allred (with beautiful colors by his wife Laura) whose wild and wooly aesthetic, brimming with possibility, is the guiding principle for the book. This promises to be fun. (DM)

Silver Surfer 001 Mike Allred Cover

Silver Surfer #1

#4. The Massive #21 (Dark Horse): Oh, we’ve been waiting for this!  Boys and girls, Brian Wood has done it!  The patient poet, who tells a mighty fine tale in a most measured meter, has finally followed a spectacular second stanza–the most recent celebrated just last month in this very blog–with a worthy third that doesn’t simply satisfy–it electrifies!  Wood, ever the simmering salesman, at last has boiled over, has pulled the trigger at precisely the right moment, ending the arc by ending Arkady and, perhaps more significantly, the malignant matter of trust between the cancer-ridden Callum and his loyal Ninth Wave mate, Mag.  And, as a bookended bonus, Wood, with a little Bay City backstory at the beginning, teases even more about Mary, and, at the end, marries her mystery to that of The Massive and the Crash.  Garry Brown, busy now with Marvel’s Iron Patriot, delivers some of his best work on the series, evidenced emphatically by a final splash that reveals exactly what’s on Callum’s mind: the song that cinches it–that links the lady in question to the last day of the world as they knew it–and this last issue of The Massive as we know it.  That’s right: expectations have officially been rejiggered: Wood and Brown aren’t all slow boil, after all; if they need to, it’s quite clear: they can scald.  Can’t wait to see how this mystery, one of the more intriguing in comics today, plays out in the next arc: Sahara.  I can already feel the heat! (SC)

The Massive #21

#3. Lazarus #7 (Image): Looking for a lift?  Ain’t gonna find it here; I mean, just look at the cover:

Lazarus #7

Instead, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark segue smoothly into the next sequence of steps in the well-choreographed comparison between Forever Carlyle and Casey Solomon, joylessly juxtaposing the incomparable plights of Family and Waste.  The opening scene, paced patiently in order to deliver an emotional punch, is a trying training exercise that exposes the fledgling Forever’s fragility.  During the revealing conversation between Forever and her mentor, Marisol, Lark plays angles and eyes to perfection, amplifying the pain of innocence lost–of growing up Forever.  Casey, on the other hand, doesn’t have the luxury of training; she must master the moment when it arises–and in the “Badlands,” a moment “Kraks” the night and cruelly cuts down young Leigh, which leads to Casey’s first two “Kraks” at doing what needs be done–and she is masterful.  Yes, the storylines are solid: the terrorist threat still exists, and present-day Forever and Johanna work toward breaking Emma, the one suspect they have in custody, by offering to lift her from Waste to Serf; and the Barrets, whose hopes for the future have been slashed by a third, still have their sights set on Denver, which is where the all-important–and apparently well-attended–Lift Selection will take place.  But what makes this issue one of our selections is the impeccably employed parallelism, which brings a curious parity to a world where there seemingly is none. (SC)

#2. Afterlife With Archie #4 (Archie): “Please don’t…Don’t make me do this,” indeed. I’m crying right now. Crying!  All I did was open the damn book to refresh myself—you know, in order to piece together a proper review—and then “Ker-rasshhh!!!” I mean, I can’t even.  See: when Vegas—Archie’s fiercely loyal four-legged best friend—vaults through the window, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla are the ones sending shards of glass poisoned with flashback-fueled nostalgia into my heart, which bleeds freely during the succeeding sacrifice—a brilliant sequence amplified by the dutiful dog’s thoughts and his pleading eyes—and coaxes my eyes to commiserate in their own salty style. The creators push the pace and impose another emotional toll—paid in more tears!–as Archie must play the same role Vegas played for him as he protects his mother from his zombified father—a smashing sequence in its own right, highlighted by a fifteen-panel masterpiece: a puzzle comprised violently and lovingly of pieces from the present and the past. Even though Archie’s able to hit a regretful homerun, there’s clearly no rest for the weary–or the teary: Vegas is back, this time looking to make a meal of his master; and the only way to escape is to “Ker-rashhh!” an old car through the garage door.  Yeah, despite all of the tears it’s easy to see how it all comes together—into an exquisitely composed book well worth celebrating as one of the very best of the month. (SC)

Afterlife with Archie #4

#1. Stray Bullets: Killers #1 (El Capitan/Image): Picture it: 1995. The comics landscape was a far different place. Mutants were everywhere. Just slapping an “X” in front of a title ensured sales in the bajillions. DC was in between its endless Crises. Image was a far cry from what it is today, with top-selling titles like Spawn, and Witchblade. Scantily-clad women with tiny feet and permanent wedgies threw down with half-metal men who were always missing an eye against demonic bad guys that were all teeth and claws. And oh, the guns, guns, those giant guns, and blades with ridiculous hilts, and bikini armor and all manner of accessories ill-suited for an actual fight. And all of it drawn in a sleek, substance-less style that suggested the artist had never seen what an actual weapon or tooth or woman actually looked like.

Into this morass of hyperventilating adolescent fantasy quietly appeared the first issue of a little black and white self-published comic called Stray Bullets. It was written and drawn by a relative unknown named David Lapham who’d done some work for Valiant or something. Like the above examples, it was printed on paper, with a front and back cover and was held together by two staples. And there the similarities ended.

That’s not to say that the first issue wasn’t violent. It’s called Stray Bullets for a reason. But it dropped the reader into the quiet moments between the violence in a way that felt completely natural. This realism made the threat of violence, its inevitability, all the more terrifying. Set in the future year of 1997, the story traced the night where Everything Went Wrong; the night a quiet, easily overlooked nobody became a mass murderer. As the body count mounted, so did our sense of dread, as we recognized this all too plausible world as our own. An act of violence also haunted the second issue. Set twenty years prior (Lapham is constantly time-hopping in the series),  an 8 year old girl witnesses a murder and is robbed of her innocence utterly. She is Virginia Applejack, and she’s the closest thing the series had to a main character. After the character studies of the first two issues, the third introduced an expansive cast in a kinetic, beautifully orchestrated group scene that would’ve done Robert Altman proud. And then, just when you thought you had a handle on it, the sixth issue completely pulled the rug out from under you.

Part of the beauty of these stories was that Lapham designed each to be a complete experience unto itself and yet also pieces of a larger whole. Characters who were the focus of one story might drop into the background of another. A world was being created, one alley, trailer, sucker at a time.

Now, when it first appeared, the comic book that SB got most compared to was Sin City. But, other than an element of crime, Frank Miller’s stylized testosterone noir pastiche had nothing in common with Lapham’s slice-of-life-turned-on-its-head approach. The forced comparison occurred simply because there was nothing else in comics to compare it to. More than Miller’s .45 slug, SB was a cannon blast through the conventions of comics.  No, in order to find suitable comparisons, one had to look to film: Altman, Cassavetes, the Coen Brothers, film noir, etc. In fact, given the interconnected structure of smaller stories forming a larger tapestry, the contemporary work that provided the best correlation was perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. But whereas that masterpiece juggled three stories over the span of a couple of days, Lapham pulled off his magic trick for forty issues covering a couple of decades. And then, in 2005, he stopped. He started doing work for hire at the Big Two and elsewhere; presumably there were bills to be paid. And while he did some interesting work, none of it ever approached the scope and ambition of SB.

Fast forward nearly ten years. The comic book landscape is a much different place, offering a wider selection of genre, story and innovation than any time in its history. Creators have more freedom and opportunity now to pursue their own mad visions. And actually be paid for them. The time was finally ripe for SB to return. (I don’t know what stars had to align, but it is to Image Comics’ eternal credit that they played a part in it.) But then…foreboding. There’s always a danger in revisiting greatness. Considering how high he’d set the bar the first time around, could Lapham possibly regain his form? Did he still have that edge?

Well the results are in, and man, he hasn’t missed a beat. Killers #1 is everything a fan could ask for and more: sex, violence, secrets, betrayal. Like the story of Virginia Applejack, this issue involves a child who sees things he shouldn’t have, and the consequences thereof. The story structure, the beautiful, clear art, that sweet, sweet sense of dread, it’s all here. From the first panel, there’s no doubt you’re in the hands of a storytelling maestro. If you’ve read SB before, there are callbacks to the original series that enrich the story. If you haven’t, then this is a great jumping on point. But then every issue of SB is a great jumping on point; as I said, Lapham’s designed them that way.

People are calling this the return of the most acclaimed crime comic of all time. But SB is more than just a crime comic. It’s about safe, recognizable lives turned upside down by the awful world around them. Like all great art, it’s a mirror, albeit a shattered one. So instead of calling it a crime comic or restricting it to some other genre, I’ll simply say: it’s the return of the best comic ever. (DM)

Stray Bullets Killers #1

Stray Bullets: Killers #1

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Rachel Rising #24 (Abstract Studio): Here’s a little secret: the book we choose for The Biggest Dis is generally not the worst book we’ve read that month. Rather it is the book that failed, often spectacularly, to approach whatever expectations we had for it. Our expectations are nearly always attached to our experience with the creator(s) involved. So our BD is often directed at a title or creator that we hold in some regard.

We’ve been cheerleaders for Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising almost from the start. Indeed, we included it in our Top Ten Books of 2013. The story of competing, reawakening evils, threatening to consume the sleepy town of Manson and the dead girl caught in the middle, was a slow burn, alternating between between spare, atmospheric lyricism and spasmodic violence. Moore’s considerable chops were on display from the get go: engaging characters, an ear for gallows humor and the perfected art of the unannounced shock, often serving as a cliffhanger for the next issue. And of course, the unparalleled black and white artwork, each page a master’s class in composition, concision and storytelling. Everything clicked, resulting in the best horror comic on the market. For over twenty-three issues the tension inexorably built toward a showdown of biblical proportion.

How truly dispiriting then to read issue twenty-four. The putative climax to the story, it is such a rushed, slapdash affair as to scarcely seem part of the same series. Where we had drama, we now have farce. The interaction of the characters is forced and completely unconvincing. The threat turns out to have been not very threatening at all. And the moment of truth is so anticlimactic, it feels like a cheat.

I understand there may have been financial considerations at play. Moore has publicly discussed ending Rachel Rising due to poor sales. But that, at the risk of sounding mean-spirited, is not the concern of the readers who’ve been faithfully following the story for over two years. Whether or not he could continue in the long or even the short run, his audience, however small, deserved a better effort than this. And, as it turns out, he is continuing the series. A month ago I would’ve considered this cause for celebration. Whether or not I will follow him now is suddenly, and sadly, an open question. (DM)

rachel-rising-24

Rachel Rising #24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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Back and Forth: The Great Struggle

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in Back and Forth

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Batman Incorporated, Brian Buccellato, Challenge of the Super Friends, Connor Willumsen, Francis Manapul, Grant Morrison, Grodd, Jason Starr, Jeff Lemire, John Constantine, Justice League Dark, Mikel Janin, Nick Necro, Peter Milligan, Roland Boschi, The Flash, The New 52, Victor Drujiniu, Wolverine Max, Zatanna

Scott Carney: I know we talked about skipping last week’s uninspiring lot, but, as it turns, along with high winds, lots of rain, and destructive storm surge, Hurricane Sandy brought plenty of time with her–time enough for me to tear through the four books that made up my bag for the week of the 24th.

I’ll kick things off with The Flash #13.  It’s no mystery: I’ve been beating myself up over this title since issue #2; and I’ve made mention in previous posts that I’ve been one issue away from giving up on it–month after underwhelming month–but Francis Manapul keeps drawing me in with his beautiful artwork and with his sticking to a plum plan: the relatively expected rolling out of the Rogues.  And, yes, I’m a sucker for Grodd, going way back to The Challenge of the Super Friends cartoon in ’78, which explains why I’ve been on board through this issue.  Well, guess what.  I’m out.  That’s right: this chapter of the Speedster’s saga has finally pushed me off the treadmill.  In a tortoise shell: the artwork is literally sketchy and the storytelling is tedious.  I dare you to disagree.  In fact, I demand that you make a pledge: that you, too, will drop this exercise in mediocrity–as quickly as you can.

Derek Mainhart: Oh man, do we really have to review this week’s batch of disappointment? I admire your intrepidity. I also accept your dare: I still like the art. And the dismemberment didn’t do it for your innate sense of bloodlust? But I definitely agree that this is close to running on empty. Next issue’s promise of Grodd running around with the speed force will bring me back, as long as Manapul draws it. After that?…

SC: I’m also going to drop Batman Incorporated.  Sure, Grant Morrison lit my fire with Matches Malone in #3; and I liked his turn here at the beginning of #4.  But there’s a bit too much tying back to the original BI series–which I’m not familiar with–for me; and Morrison’s style, as a result, becomes more of a drag than a selling point.  So, going forward, I’m going to pass on this.  Sad, right?  I mean, how many Batman titles are there per month?  A thousand?  And only one–Snyder’s Batman–is worth reading.  A major disappointment, especially this far into the grand experiment.

Batman Incorporated #4 Cover

DM: I don’t blame you for dropping this, having come to it late. This book was a casualty of the New 52. However, as someone who’s read Morrison’s run from the beginning, I thought this issue wasn’t bad. I do hope this wasn’t the climactic battle between Batman Inc. and Leviathan however. If it was, it went by too quickly. Similarly underwhelming was the reveal of Wingman’s identity. I didn’t even realize it was a significant plot point until this issue (and I’ve been reading this!) This did have wall-to-wall action, pretty art and clever moments. I’m also genuinely in suspense over the fate of young Damien (I really hope he isn’t written out of the Bat-universe just because Morrison’s leaving. I’ve really grown to like the kid!) Is it great? No. But to the long-time fan it’s certainly worth reading. And considering the rest of the haul, Book of the Week.

SC: Did I mention experiments?  I picked up Wolverine Max #1.  Figured it was worth a try.  I was wrong.  Billed as “Wolverine as you’ve wanted to see him,” this book–and writer Jason Starr–embraces the Max designation by serving up the f-word, which is so totally Max; and by giving us a glimpse of Logan’s hairy rump, which is not exactly how I wanted to see him.  Ugh.  So awful.  Even page seven, which explicitly portrays a shark’s biting the head off of some unnamed woman in Wolverine’s arms as he floats in an unnamed body of water, didn’t do it for me.  And, you know: I’m one who enjoys a good noggin’ noshin’.  But this book is so bogged down with nonsense that I wanted to bite my own head off for having bought it.  And the double-barreled artist attack?  Oh, man.  It’s just so–  Know what?  Hey Mr. Fine!  Why not find an artist who can handle two different styles if that’s what you need on a book that relies so heavily on flashback scenes?  Want to see that done well?  How about J.H. Williams III on Batwoman?  Now that‘s how you do it.  Unfortunately, they did it this way; so it’s a one and done for me.

Speaking of the two-artist approach on WM #1:  I just found this, which may be of interest.  It’s a statement by Connor Willumsen–the artist on the flashbacks–about his future on the book.  I wonder what the “disrespect of agreement” was.

DM: So that’s three books you’re not picking up next month. Might I point out my recent column 5 Comics You Should Be Reading for worthwhile replacements? (Truly I am a shameless hussy)

One comic that won’t be making that list anytime soon is Justice League Dark. This book is just all over the place. A major fault: Jeff Lemire (whom I’m big fan of, check the record) just does not have a good grasp on John Constantine, the central character. No matter how many cigarettes he lights, he seems like too much of a boy scout. And so his relationship with the rest of the characters, and of the book itself doesn’t rig true. The villain, (the laughably named) Nick Necro is a lightweight if ever there was one. The slick (though admittedly nice) artwork is at odds with the dark, mystical tone the story is trying to attain, like Keanu Reeves trying to play a certain cynical, magical con artist. In short, this book has no voice. Having now gone through two able writers (Mr. Lemire and the book’s previous scribe, Peter Milligan) I’m beginning to suspect its greatest problem lies in its very concept. “Justice League” and “Dark” simply don’t go together.

SC: I have to say that I like what Jeff Lemire’s doing with this title, and I like Mikel Janin’s work–even if he only did the layouts for this issue.  (Victor Drujiniu’s finishes make it look like Janin did the job himself.)  I’m actually looking forward to the Annual to see how this all plays out–to see the smug Nick Necro (yeah, so what if it sounds like a porn name) get his inevitable comeuppance.

Not a good bagging average for that haul.  But, hey: there’s always next Wednesday.

Turning pages,

Scott and Derek

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In Scott’s Bag (10/24)

25 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Scott's Bag

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Tags

Batman Incorporated, Brian Buccellato, Chris Burnham, Connor Willumsen, Francis Manapul, Grant Morrison, Grodd, Jason Starr, Jeff Lemire, Justice League Dark, Mikel Janin, Roland Boschi, The Flash, Wolverine Max

My comics were held hostage over night, but I was able to liberate them with a kind word and a couple of bucks.

A Bag of One

  • Justice League Dark #13 (Jeff Lemire’s tweeting it up, and I’m eating it up.)

Justice League Dark #13 Cover

Pick My Knows

  • The Flash #13 (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m done with The Flash–after this issue.)
  • Batman Incorporated #4 (Keep putting off having it pulled.  Must be the dollop of doubt; I mean, where’s this thing headed?)
  • Wolverine Max #1 (Thumbed through.  Could be a one and done.)

Used a twenty; had enough left over for dinner.  Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.

What did you get in your bag?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s Up?

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Batman Incorporated, Brian Buccellato, Chris Burnham, comics, DC Comics, Francis Manapul, Grant Morrison, Jason Starr, Jeff Lemire, Justice League Dark, Marvel, Mikel Janin, The Flash, Wolverine Max

I’m almost embarrassed to reveal my list for the week.  Almost.

Gimme Morrison

  • Batman Incorporated #4: My wish has been granted!

It’s No Secret

  • Justice League Dark #13: Two houses, both alike in clandestineness…

Snikt Decision

  • Wolverine MAX #1: I’ve enjoyed Fury Max enough.  Maybe this is worth a try.

Grod Darn It!

  • The Flash #13: Haven’t missed an issue yet.  Been thinking about ditching for a few issues.  Might not be able to–with Grodd and all.

The Flash #13 Cover

It’s a pretty small week pour moi.  But we all know: it’s not the size of the stack; it’s the action under the covers.

Which books are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Sealed with a Kiss

01 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in Microviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Aaron, bag, comics, Jim Lee, Johns, Justice League, Manapul, Nord, Samnee, stack, The Flash, Winter Soldier, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-O Manowar

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

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In Scott’s Bag (8/29)

30 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Scott's Bag

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bag, comics, Justice League, The Flash, Wednesday, Winter Soldier, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-O Manowar

Nothing more, nothing less than what I expected:

Pull-List Pretties:

  • X-O Manowar #4

    X-O Manowar #4 Cover

  • Winter Soldier #9 (Better Ed than dead.)
  • Wolverine and the X-Men #15

Shelfugees:

  • The Flash Annual #1 (Yikes!  Five bucks.)
  • Justice League #12 (Yup, I’m a sucker.)

LittleNerd’s Pick of the Week:

  • Superman Family Adventures #4 (What happened to #3?  Something tells me that baby won’t notice.)

That pretty much looks like the order I’ll be hitting the stack, too.

Turning pages,

Scott

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