Day 58: Four-Color Funnybooks for 04-02-08
Solid week, including the kick-off for Marvel’s big event book for the year. I really want it to be good, because after DC’s Infinite Crisis and Marvel’s Civil War I’m getting a little of the ‘Event Fatigue’ due to late shipping and underwhelming story arcs. Thankfully World War Hulk and Sinestro Corps War were good, but both of those books were fairly self-contained and short. These next two could be good, but they’re going to be long, and Marvel’s Secret Invasion will cost fans over one hundred dollars alone just through July for the eight month event.
The Boys #17 - This issue starts to get everything into place for another violent and gory showdown. We also get a hint of Mother’s Milk past, which was a long time coming considering this is issue 17. It’s more of the same, but hell, I bought a shitload of Punisher trades, so it’s not like I’m surprised that there’s a formula. As for the ending: I have never been more emotionally invested in a small rodent’s well being than with this series. It’s a solid, if not a little cynical, series. You just have to ask yourself: do you like Ennis? Buy this title. Do you not like Ennis? This won’t change your mind.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #13 - Man, can Drew Goddard write this thing full time? Don’t get me wrong, I still want Whedon’s input, but two issues in and this is already the book’s strongest arc. It has a great premise, is exciting, everyone sounds like their TV counterparts, and is laugh out loud funny in several places. The Faith issue, the second strongest arc was great, but this is great, and stars all our old favorite Scoobies from the show.
George Jeanty’s art is looking a lot sharper and it might be due to Andy Owens’ inks or Michelle Madsen’s colors. The earlier issues, the first four especially, made everyone look shiny. And not Firefly “shiny,” more like everyone’s oily or greasy shiny, but rejoice, that’s all gone now. While Jeanty’s pencils aren’t getting every character looking exactly like their respective actor/actress, the character renditions are getting a lot more consistent, so there’s no more of one panel looks just like Andrew, and the next looking nothing like the actor, rather he’s finally settling into his own style. I highly recommend this book for Buffy fans. Newcomers probably won’t care because the issue doesn’t really make allowances for people not already familiar with the Buffyverse.
Kick-Ass #2 - I still don’t care about this kid. Maybe Millar is depending on us to fill in the holes for the character since he’s apparently your average comic book reading social retard. Romita Jr. is knocking the art out of the park, especially the fight at the end of the issue. It’s savage and bloody, without being confusing, and you can actually sense the momentum shifting.
The thing about this book is if it weren’t being written by a name as big as Millar, it would never have come out like this. The ‘hook’ seems to always be on the horizon, and when (or if) we ever get there we might find the book’s heart. The only other comic I can think of that took it’s time getting to what the whole thing was actually about was Invincible but that was a joy to read even before the twist; this is kind of a slog. Not recommended if you’re not already a Millar fan. I like the guy so I’ll give him another chance, and once again, the art rocks.
Secret Invasion #1 - Bendis’ dialogue is either getting better (in my eyes), or it’s bothering me less (which probably means the same thing, doesn’t it?). Actually his use of time, pages, and panels, is very economic in this issue so the big joke of all his characters talking like the following bit, doesn’t take place in the comic (well maybe once):
“Bendis?”
“Bendis.”
“Really?”
“Bendis, Bendis.
“So…Bendis?”
“Bendis.”
“Hmmmm.”
Artist Leniel Yu needs to keep Mark Morales and Laura Martin on his stuff at all times, because his talent really shines through here. The lines are clean; the action is clear, and it is entirely because he’s not inking his own stuff anymore. The scratchiness of his recent stuff is gone because he’s no longer cross-hatching everything on the page into oblivion. The book is kind of required reading for keeping up with the Marvel Universe, though some of the best titles, Daredevil, Captain America, Nova, and Iron Fist aren’t participating, so you don’t have to avoid Marvel comic books for the next eight months.
So, what did you read this week?
Matt