My Weekly Pull
That's comic reviews you filthy minded lot! :P
Hopefully I'll be of a mind to make this an ongoing weekly item on this journal. I love good comics, and abhor bad ones. I intend to have my say about both kinds.
Currently I'm collecting about 90% of DC Comics output, a nice variety of independant publishers titles and virtually nothing from Marvel outside of their collected "Ultimate" universe titles and the Garth Ennis Punisher Max series.
There's a reason for that.
Anyway, here's my reviews for two DC titles that were released over the past two weeks. It may be that i'll end up doing more than one of these updates per week. Also, the length of review for each comic will vary week to week - all depends what mood I'm in :)
Trinity #1
By Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel
(Released 4th June '08 DC Comics)
An excellent first issue for DC's newest weekly series.
Focusing on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (the Trinity of the title) the story is a brilliant jumping-on point for everyone. Whether you have followed the adventures of these three archetype heroes for years or are new to the world of comics, you will not be disappointed nor confused. The scene opens with an entity in space screaming "Let Me Out!". This leads to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman meeting up, in their public persona's, to discuss this event which they have all experienced in dreams. It's not just in their own interpretations of the dream that we get insight into their very different attitudes and personalities.
Kurt Busiek absolutely nails the personality and character of Clark, Bruce and Diana in the scene where they order drinks and food at an outdoor café. That one scene tells you more about these remarkable individuals than some writers have tried in years of past stories. Mark Bagley, known for his brilliant work on Ultimate Spider-Man, doesn't let down on the artwork either, providing crisp fresh uncluttered visuals.
The secondary story, written by Nicieza with art from a rotating group of artists, has a decidedly different tone. Focusing on the formation of a villainous trinity, the action begins in Castle Branek (Transylvania) where Morgaine Le Fey is approached by Enigma (a new persona for an as yet unrevealed old villain - though not The Riddler as first impressions seem to indicate). The dream that plagued the heroic Trinity has also been experienced by these villains, leading them to search for a third member of their own trinity. During this search they experience visions of possible future events involving Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. My personal favourite was Green Arrow and Speedy deciding to protect Gotham after the disappearance of Batman and Robin, only to be confronted by Ragman and Tatters and pretty much told to "nob off!" (At least, that's what Ragman said in *my* comic!!!) ;)
Trinity is a self contained story that absolutely will not cross-over into any of the monthly DC titles, meaning you can read and enjoy it as it's own entity. The series will run for 52 issues over the course of a year - nothing special for fans of British weekly comics, but a big deal for American publishers.
Interestingly, Trinity is DC's third weekly series to date, after 52 and Countdown.
It is also the third DC comic series to have the title "Trinity" after the Green Lantern/Darkstars/L.E.G.I.O.N. crossover in 1993 and Matt Wagner's "Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman: Trinity" miniseries of 2005.
Trinity #2 was released this week (and will continue to be released every week for the next year!)
Final Crisis #1
By Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones
(Released 28th May '08 DC Comics)
(Variant Cover)
Comic book writing god, musician, playwright and practising chaos magician Grant Morrison kicks off DC Comics big summer event in style. Final Crisis opens with Anthro, a cave-boy, being visited by Metron, an otherworldly 'god' of knowledge. Metron gifts Anthro with fire, and as seen later, the required knowledge for it's creation and use. Anthro uses this newly discovered element to protect his tribe from a vicious attack by a rival tribe. The scene closes with Anthro standing triumphant on a hill, looking down at the flames around him - the first "superhero" of the DC Universe is born!
Jumping to present day Metropolis we are introduced to Dan Turpin, a retired member of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, who is investigating the disappearance of 6 special children. What/who he discovers in a pile of rubbish at some docks leads to a bigger mystery that soon involves all the major players in the DC Universe, both hero and villain. The exposition in this first issue sets up the story wonderfully, and introduces the characters clearly - giving all the information we need at this point in time. Despite claims elsewhere, Final Crisis #1 is very accessible to new readers. Familiar characters like Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor really need no introduction though.
Grant's writing is superb, at times hilarious - like in the scene of the Justice League breaking up a mass super-villain protest march against vigilante violence, at others shocking - the swift and brutal execution of a long standing DC hero being a prime example. Final Crisis has been subtitled "The Day Evil Won", and this execution is the first step in the war to come.
Characterisation is spot on also. Grant's been writing DC characters for long enough to really understand what makes them tick. I find it bemusing that some American fans have criticised his portrayal of Scottish villain Mirror Master - Grant is a Scot himself, yet an idiot minority thinks he doesn't know how to write a Scottish villain?!?! Dr. Light is skin-crawling creepy, and one comment he makes in particular gives a major hint as to why most other villains hate him (You don't have to know his history to guess why). Lex Luthor is typically full of his own self-importance, disagreeing with anyone who has a good idea that he didn't think of. The heroes are also superbly written. Dan Turpin very much provides our "man on the street" perspective to all the super-human events unfolding throughout. Black Canary's reaction to the super-villain protest march is great, as is Green Arrow's heated reaction upon hearing of the earlier hero execution.
Everyone who knows Grant's style of writing will see that he is seeding hints to what is occurring and what is to come from the outset. That isn't to say that you *have* to be familiar with his style of writing to enjoy Final Crisis. Even if it's the first comic book you've ever read, you won't miss out a thing. For those who are fans of Morrison's work, you'll be re-reading the issue (and no doubt the others to come) finding all kinds of numerological, symbolic and sigil based "Easter eggs". Don't worry if you don't pick up on them though, they aren't essential to understanding and enjoying the story. By the end of the first issue you will realise that everything is there for a reason, and nothing is just "filler" - the Anthro-Metron exchange isn't there just to look pretty (even though it does!) ;)
Speaking of looking pretty, J. G. Jones, who provided awesome covers for the weekly 52 series, fills the book with absolutely gorgeous art. Whether it's his character designs or background renditions, everything has a wonderful depth and style to it. Having read the issue many times now over the past two weeks, I still find myself studying the art, and finding previously missed details.
Having picked up the Final Crisis Sketch Book, I cannot wait for upcoming issues in which we are introduced to Japan's "Super Young Team" with their leader "Most Excellent SuperBat" :D The character designs for these brand new heroes look awesome. Here's hoping they get a chance to interact with their idols.
Being an "Event" book in the comics scene, it usually means dozens and dozens of ultimately pointless tie-ins with the regular monthly comic books. Most of these "essential" tie-ins normally amount to about one panel referencing the main event. With Final Crisis, DC decided to keep it self-contained for the most part.
What this means is you won't see the event interfering with the regular DC monthly comic books. The effects of the event will be reflected after it's over, but you won't have to buy into it to understand why. If you also choose not to buy into the Final Crisis event, you can still enjoy your monthly DC titles with no interruption :)
Along with the 7 issues that make up the core story, DC are releasing a small number of specific mini-series and one-shot comics that reflect what's occurring in the wider DC Universe while the Final Crisis is underway. Again, you won't have to buy them all to understand and enjoy the main story.
Final Crisis is released over 8 months, there's a natural story break between issue 3 and 4. With the 7 core issues, plus the related miniseries and one-shots, the comic total of the Final Crisis event is about 30 issues. The complete list of Final Crisis titles released over the next 8 months are:
Final Crisis
Final Crisis: Requiem
Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge
DC Universe: Last Will and Testament
Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds
Final Crisis: Revelation
Final Crisis: Submit
Final Crisis: Resist
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond
Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns
Think that's a lot?
In comparison, Marvel's "Secret Invasion" event - released over a similar 8 month period (and essentially a retread of all the Skrull infiltration stories they've ever done since the early days of the Fantastic Four comic) has somewhere around 100 tie-in issues across all their major comics, and additional miniseries, before the story is over. In fact, for August '08 alone the Secret Invasion comic check-list has 20 "essential reading" tie-in comics, that's two-thirds of the entirety of Final Crisis! O_o
No thanks Marvel!
So, whether you want a fantastic superhero Armageddon of a story, which involves virtually every single DC Universe character, that writer Grant Morrison has called "The 'Lord of the Rings of the DC Universe'", or a self-contained epic that can be used as an introduction to the DCU, then Final Crisis is definitely for you.
Final Crisis #2 is released 25th June
**These words are my own - use your own, don't steal mine!**
Hopefully I'll be of a mind to make this an ongoing weekly item on this journal. I love good comics, and abhor bad ones. I intend to have my say about both kinds.
Currently I'm collecting about 90% of DC Comics output, a nice variety of independant publishers titles and virtually nothing from Marvel outside of their collected "Ultimate" universe titles and the Garth Ennis Punisher Max series.
There's a reason for that.
Anyway, here's my reviews for two DC titles that were released over the past two weeks. It may be that i'll end up doing more than one of these updates per week. Also, the length of review for each comic will vary week to week - all depends what mood I'm in :)
Trinity #1
By Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel
(Released 4th June '08 DC Comics)
An excellent first issue for DC's newest weekly series.
Focusing on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (the Trinity of the title) the story is a brilliant jumping-on point for everyone. Whether you have followed the adventures of these three archetype heroes for years or are new to the world of comics, you will not be disappointed nor confused. The scene opens with an entity in space screaming "Let Me Out!". This leads to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman meeting up, in their public persona's, to discuss this event which they have all experienced in dreams. It's not just in their own interpretations of the dream that we get insight into their very different attitudes and personalities.
Kurt Busiek absolutely nails the personality and character of Clark, Bruce and Diana in the scene where they order drinks and food at an outdoor café. That one scene tells you more about these remarkable individuals than some writers have tried in years of past stories. Mark Bagley, known for his brilliant work on Ultimate Spider-Man, doesn't let down on the artwork either, providing crisp fresh uncluttered visuals.
The secondary story, written by Nicieza with art from a rotating group of artists, has a decidedly different tone. Focusing on the formation of a villainous trinity, the action begins in Castle Branek (Transylvania) where Morgaine Le Fey is approached by Enigma (a new persona for an as yet unrevealed old villain - though not The Riddler as first impressions seem to indicate). The dream that plagued the heroic Trinity has also been experienced by these villains, leading them to search for a third member of their own trinity. During this search they experience visions of possible future events involving Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. My personal favourite was Green Arrow and Speedy deciding to protect Gotham after the disappearance of Batman and Robin, only to be confronted by Ragman and Tatters and pretty much told to "nob off!" (At least, that's what Ragman said in *my* comic!!!) ;)
Trinity is a self contained story that absolutely will not cross-over into any of the monthly DC titles, meaning you can read and enjoy it as it's own entity. The series will run for 52 issues over the course of a year - nothing special for fans of British weekly comics, but a big deal for American publishers.
Interestingly, Trinity is DC's third weekly series to date, after 52 and Countdown.
It is also the third DC comic series to have the title "Trinity" after the Green Lantern/Darkstars/L.E.G.I.O.N. crossover in 1993 and Matt Wagner's "Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman: Trinity" miniseries of 2005.
Trinity #2 was released this week (and will continue to be released every week for the next year!)
Final Crisis #1
By Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones
(Released 28th May '08 DC Comics)
(Variant Cover)
Comic book writing god, musician, playwright and practising chaos magician Grant Morrison kicks off DC Comics big summer event in style. Final Crisis opens with Anthro, a cave-boy, being visited by Metron, an otherworldly 'god' of knowledge. Metron gifts Anthro with fire, and as seen later, the required knowledge for it's creation and use. Anthro uses this newly discovered element to protect his tribe from a vicious attack by a rival tribe. The scene closes with Anthro standing triumphant on a hill, looking down at the flames around him - the first "superhero" of the DC Universe is born!
Jumping to present day Metropolis we are introduced to Dan Turpin, a retired member of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit, who is investigating the disappearance of 6 special children. What/who he discovers in a pile of rubbish at some docks leads to a bigger mystery that soon involves all the major players in the DC Universe, both hero and villain. The exposition in this first issue sets up the story wonderfully, and introduces the characters clearly - giving all the information we need at this point in time. Despite claims elsewhere, Final Crisis #1 is very accessible to new readers. Familiar characters like Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor really need no introduction though.
Grant's writing is superb, at times hilarious - like in the scene of the Justice League breaking up a mass super-villain protest march against vigilante violence, at others shocking - the swift and brutal execution of a long standing DC hero being a prime example. Final Crisis has been subtitled "The Day Evil Won", and this execution is the first step in the war to come.
Characterisation is spot on also. Grant's been writing DC characters for long enough to really understand what makes them tick. I find it bemusing that some American fans have criticised his portrayal of Scottish villain Mirror Master - Grant is a Scot himself, yet an idiot minority thinks he doesn't know how to write a Scottish villain?!?! Dr. Light is skin-crawling creepy, and one comment he makes in particular gives a major hint as to why most other villains hate him (You don't have to know his history to guess why). Lex Luthor is typically full of his own self-importance, disagreeing with anyone who has a good idea that he didn't think of. The heroes are also superbly written. Dan Turpin very much provides our "man on the street" perspective to all the super-human events unfolding throughout. Black Canary's reaction to the super-villain protest march is great, as is Green Arrow's heated reaction upon hearing of the earlier hero execution.
Everyone who knows Grant's style of writing will see that he is seeding hints to what is occurring and what is to come from the outset. That isn't to say that you *have* to be familiar with his style of writing to enjoy Final Crisis. Even if it's the first comic book you've ever read, you won't miss out a thing. For those who are fans of Morrison's work, you'll be re-reading the issue (and no doubt the others to come) finding all kinds of numerological, symbolic and sigil based "Easter eggs". Don't worry if you don't pick up on them though, they aren't essential to understanding and enjoying the story. By the end of the first issue you will realise that everything is there for a reason, and nothing is just "filler" - the Anthro-Metron exchange isn't there just to look pretty (even though it does!) ;)
Speaking of looking pretty, J. G. Jones, who provided awesome covers for the weekly 52 series, fills the book with absolutely gorgeous art. Whether it's his character designs or background renditions, everything has a wonderful depth and style to it. Having read the issue many times now over the past two weeks, I still find myself studying the art, and finding previously missed details.
Having picked up the Final Crisis Sketch Book, I cannot wait for upcoming issues in which we are introduced to Japan's "Super Young Team" with their leader "Most Excellent SuperBat" :D The character designs for these brand new heroes look awesome. Here's hoping they get a chance to interact with their idols.
Being an "Event" book in the comics scene, it usually means dozens and dozens of ultimately pointless tie-ins with the regular monthly comic books. Most of these "essential" tie-ins normally amount to about one panel referencing the main event. With Final Crisis, DC decided to keep it self-contained for the most part.
What this means is you won't see the event interfering with the regular DC monthly comic books. The effects of the event will be reflected after it's over, but you won't have to buy into it to understand why. If you also choose not to buy into the Final Crisis event, you can still enjoy your monthly DC titles with no interruption :)
Along with the 7 issues that make up the core story, DC are releasing a small number of specific mini-series and one-shot comics that reflect what's occurring in the wider DC Universe while the Final Crisis is underway. Again, you won't have to buy them all to understand and enjoy the main story.
Final Crisis is released over 8 months, there's a natural story break between issue 3 and 4. With the 7 core issues, plus the related miniseries and one-shots, the comic total of the Final Crisis event is about 30 issues. The complete list of Final Crisis titles released over the next 8 months are:
Final Crisis
Final Crisis: Requiem
Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge
DC Universe: Last Will and Testament
Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds
Final Crisis: Revelation
Final Crisis: Submit
Final Crisis: Resist
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond
Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns
Think that's a lot?
In comparison, Marvel's "Secret Invasion" event - released over a similar 8 month period (and essentially a retread of all the Skrull infiltration stories they've ever done since the early days of the Fantastic Four comic) has somewhere around 100 tie-in issues across all their major comics, and additional miniseries, before the story is over. In fact, for August '08 alone the Secret Invasion comic check-list has 20 "essential reading" tie-in comics, that's two-thirds of the entirety of Final Crisis! O_o
No thanks Marvel!
So, whether you want a fantastic superhero Armageddon of a story, which involves virtually every single DC Universe character, that writer Grant Morrison has called "The 'Lord of the Rings of the DC Universe'", or a self-contained epic that can be used as an introduction to the DCU, then Final Crisis is definitely for you.
Final Crisis #2 is released 25th June
**These words are my own - use your own, don't steal mine!**