Comic Review 2008
Between my husband and I, our reading roles are pretty much set: Greg's the comic book reader, I'm the novel reader. We cross over from time to time, usually when one of us heckles the other into trying something that's supposed to be really good. But in the past couple of years, I've developed an interest in certain comic book series, and since I knew I'd be reading more individual issues this year, I decided to keep track.
Please note this is a mini-review of the issues I've read. Not each INDIVIDUAL issue, but rather, each series. I've dabbled in or completed 9 comic book series, and that doesn't include the graphic novels that I reviewed during the year. So, if you're interested, take a look at the comics that caught my eye this year, and why they're working or not working for this total non-expert comic book reader.
The Boys
Issues 14-23
Written by: Garth Ennis
Illustrated by: Darick Robertson
Status: On-Going Series
When I first started reading this, back before 2008, I was thrilled to pieces. Ennis had taken a cherished trope of culture and completely turned it inside out, stood it on its head, and started fucking with it. Kind of like he did with Preacher. But as the series wears on, it's coming more of regular series of shock value panels with less and less of a plot holding it together. Preacher had a solid, overall story-arc, one that drove to a definitive ending. The Boys, not so much. I can see where a plot's trying to take hold, but everything is so complex and convoluted that it's just not sticking in my head, and I'm forgetting stuff issue to issue. This might be a series better served reading back-to-back-to-back once it's complete, but right now, I've got issues 24 & 25 waiting on my desk and I've got no interest to keep going.
Kick Ass
Issues 1-4
Written by: Mark Millar
Illustrated by: John Romita, Jr.
Status: On-Going Series
This was certainly a surprise. It focuses on a geek, scrawny kid who's absolutely nothing but decides that he wants to be a superhero. He makes his own costume, practices sneaking around at night, but when he finally tries to save someone, he gets his ass handed to him. But the problem is, the bug's bitten, so when he finally recovers, he goes out again, and this time, someone uses their cell to film his fight and he becomes the most popular thing on YouTube. The problem with the popularity is that suddenly, people are paying attention, and that's not always such a good thing.
It's an enjoyable series, but looking back at my spreadsheet, I realize it feels like a while since issue four, which makes me wonder if we've missed a couple, and if that's the case, we'll have to correct it. There's something charming about the realism presented in this series, and how can you not root for such an unlikely hero?
Locke & Key
Issues 1-6
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
Status: On-Going Series
Locke & Key is what made me decide to give Hill's fiction a try. The first issue was a little difficult to follow because it's so full of story and history, but once I got to the second issue, everything smoothed out into a very compelling and very character-driven story which I was completely fascinated by. It's a ghost story, and while the first six issues are its own arc, there's definitely a second arc on the way, which thrills me to no end, because it's obvious there's so much story to tell. It's a great series so far, and one I highly recommend, especially to Joe Hill fans.
Mercy Thompson
Issue 1
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Illustrated by: Francis Tsai
Status: On-Going Mini-Series
So when I heard there was going to be a comic book spin-off for Briggs's Mercy Thompson books, I had to give it a shot. And now that I have, I'm not sure I want to continue. I think part of my problem is the art: I already have a picture of Mercy in my head thanks to the covers of the three books I've read, and the hourglass, pinched waist is not it. Then there's the fact that the story is a prequel of sorts and really, there's no tension for me. The beginning shows a naked Mercy getting chased by wolves, which is just stupid to me, because it seems to me that's pandering to the male readers, and frankly, anyone who's read the books knows that Mercy as a coyote is far faster than Mercy on two legs. So boo in that regard. The best part about the issue was showing Mercy as a baby coyote, which was just ten kinds of awesome.
Pax Romana
Issues 1-4
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: Jonathan Hickman
Status: Completed Mini-Series
After The Nightly News, Hickman moved to the top of my "must-read" comic book list, and this series definitely was rich in detail, premise, and fascination. It's a time travel story, but one of the most interesting ones I've ever read where a group of men and women, completely with military weaponry and technology, go back to Constantine's Rome in order to change history. It's got great tension, but the issues were released so far apart that I feel like I need to re-read the mini-series now that it's over. I think I'll enjoy the ending then a bit more, because as it stands, the ending's a bit of a let-down/punch-line that I don't find very funny. Still, the art and premise is fantastic, and that makes the time spent reading worth it.
Red Mass for Mars
Issue 1
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: Ryan Bodenheim
Status: On-Going Mini-Series
There's maybe 2 issues out right now, but rather reading the first issue, both Greg and I decided to simply wait, get the full mini-series, and read it as a whole. Because frankly, the first issue alone was so convoluted and confusing I really wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of it, and that's simply no fun.
Rising Stars
Issues 0-10 including issues 1/2 and Prelude
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Status: Completed Series (that I haven't finished)
I'd intended to finish this series before the year was over, but it's still sitting on my nightstand. I'm not entirely sure what my problem is. Part of it's because I know who survives and who doesn't (you learn that real fast), and part of it is that I think reading issues 0, 1/2, and the prelude unnecessarily took me out of the main story I needed to focus on, but I'll blame Greg for making me read those first. At any rate, this story of people, Specials, who get superpowers because they were in utero during a cataclysmic event should be more entertaining than it is. Greg promises me the end is worth it, so we'll have to wait and see. As it stands, I'm just really not that into it.
Transhuman
Issues 1-4
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: JM Ringuet
Status: Completed Mini-Series
Another one of Hickman's stories that really required you to pay attention from issue to issue, but for the most part, despite the time between issues, the story holds up really well. It's a tale of the two differing branches of post-human technology: biological and robotics. The story itself is fascinating, though you're never really sure where it's going, especially by the end, which is so surprising and funny it's worth reading the mini-series all over again. This is a punch-line that's funny, and definitely worth it.
Y The Last Man
Issues 1-60
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Status: Completed Series
Now this series is a gem. Greg's been after me to read this forever, so I finally broke down when he started re-reading the series himself. The premise is simple: an event occurs that simultaneously wipes out every mammal with the Y chromosome, save for one man and his pet Capuchin monkey. It's a dystopia, which I love; it's a human story, which I love; and it's a mystery, which I love. The entire series is focused on two main goals: figure out why Yorick and his pet Ampersand survived, and for Yorick to find his girlfriend Beth, who was in Australia when the plague hit. Then, of course, there's the standing question of what caused the plague in the first place.
One of the really cool things about this series is not just its readability and how easily one is able to keep track of and remember the cast, but also the human dynamics between the characters. Then there's the overall mystery of just what exactly caused the plague. No doubt, Vaughan gives us answers, but never definitely tell us which answer is IT. That sounds like it might be annoying, but by time you have all the candidates, it's pretty obvious just what the real truth is, and even if it isn't, the reader's allowed to select his/her own truth based on what theory entertains that reader the most. The end is bittersweet and heartbreaking, and it's one of the best comic book series I've read. Highly recommended.
And that's all, folks! I'll keep track of my 2009 comic reads, just because that also helps us figure out if we've missed an issue of something, so I might very well do this kind of review again next year!
Please note this is a mini-review of the issues I've read. Not each INDIVIDUAL issue, but rather, each series. I've dabbled in or completed 9 comic book series, and that doesn't include the graphic novels that I reviewed during the year. So, if you're interested, take a look at the comics that caught my eye this year, and why they're working or not working for this total non-expert comic book reader.
The Boys
Issues 14-23
Written by: Garth Ennis
Illustrated by: Darick Robertson
Status: On-Going Series
When I first started reading this, back before 2008, I was thrilled to pieces. Ennis had taken a cherished trope of culture and completely turned it inside out, stood it on its head, and started fucking with it. Kind of like he did with Preacher. But as the series wears on, it's coming more of regular series of shock value panels with less and less of a plot holding it together. Preacher had a solid, overall story-arc, one that drove to a definitive ending. The Boys, not so much. I can see where a plot's trying to take hold, but everything is so complex and convoluted that it's just not sticking in my head, and I'm forgetting stuff issue to issue. This might be a series better served reading back-to-back-to-back once it's complete, but right now, I've got issues 24 & 25 waiting on my desk and I've got no interest to keep going.
Kick Ass
Issues 1-4
Written by: Mark Millar
Illustrated by: John Romita, Jr.
Status: On-Going Series
This was certainly a surprise. It focuses on a geek, scrawny kid who's absolutely nothing but decides that he wants to be a superhero. He makes his own costume, practices sneaking around at night, but when he finally tries to save someone, he gets his ass handed to him. But the problem is, the bug's bitten, so when he finally recovers, he goes out again, and this time, someone uses their cell to film his fight and he becomes the most popular thing on YouTube. The problem with the popularity is that suddenly, people are paying attention, and that's not always such a good thing.
It's an enjoyable series, but looking back at my spreadsheet, I realize it feels like a while since issue four, which makes me wonder if we've missed a couple, and if that's the case, we'll have to correct it. There's something charming about the realism presented in this series, and how can you not root for such an unlikely hero?
Locke & Key
Issues 1-6
Written by: Joe Hill
Illustrated by: Gabriel Rodriguez
Status: On-Going Series
Locke & Key is what made me decide to give Hill's fiction a try. The first issue was a little difficult to follow because it's so full of story and history, but once I got to the second issue, everything smoothed out into a very compelling and very character-driven story which I was completely fascinated by. It's a ghost story, and while the first six issues are its own arc, there's definitely a second arc on the way, which thrills me to no end, because it's obvious there's so much story to tell. It's a great series so far, and one I highly recommend, especially to Joe Hill fans.
Mercy Thompson
Issue 1
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Illustrated by: Francis Tsai
Status: On-Going Mini-Series
So when I heard there was going to be a comic book spin-off for Briggs's Mercy Thompson books, I had to give it a shot. And now that I have, I'm not sure I want to continue. I think part of my problem is the art: I already have a picture of Mercy in my head thanks to the covers of the three books I've read, and the hourglass, pinched waist is not it. Then there's the fact that the story is a prequel of sorts and really, there's no tension for me. The beginning shows a naked Mercy getting chased by wolves, which is just stupid to me, because it seems to me that's pandering to the male readers, and frankly, anyone who's read the books knows that Mercy as a coyote is far faster than Mercy on two legs. So boo in that regard. The best part about the issue was showing Mercy as a baby coyote, which was just ten kinds of awesome.
Pax Romana
Issues 1-4
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: Jonathan Hickman
Status: Completed Mini-Series
After The Nightly News, Hickman moved to the top of my "must-read" comic book list, and this series definitely was rich in detail, premise, and fascination. It's a time travel story, but one of the most interesting ones I've ever read where a group of men and women, completely with military weaponry and technology, go back to Constantine's Rome in order to change history. It's got great tension, but the issues were released so far apart that I feel like I need to re-read the mini-series now that it's over. I think I'll enjoy the ending then a bit more, because as it stands, the ending's a bit of a let-down/punch-line that I don't find very funny. Still, the art and premise is fantastic, and that makes the time spent reading worth it.
Red Mass for Mars
Issue 1
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: Ryan Bodenheim
Status: On-Going Mini-Series
There's maybe 2 issues out right now, but rather reading the first issue, both Greg and I decided to simply wait, get the full mini-series, and read it as a whole. Because frankly, the first issue alone was so convoluted and confusing I really wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of it, and that's simply no fun.
Rising Stars
Issues 0-10 including issues 1/2 and Prelude
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Status: Completed Series (that I haven't finished)
I'd intended to finish this series before the year was over, but it's still sitting on my nightstand. I'm not entirely sure what my problem is. Part of it's because I know who survives and who doesn't (you learn that real fast), and part of it is that I think reading issues 0, 1/2, and the prelude unnecessarily took me out of the main story I needed to focus on, but I'll blame Greg for making me read those first. At any rate, this story of people, Specials, who get superpowers because they were in utero during a cataclysmic event should be more entertaining than it is. Greg promises me the end is worth it, so we'll have to wait and see. As it stands, I'm just really not that into it.
Transhuman
Issues 1-4
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by: JM Ringuet
Status: Completed Mini-Series
Another one of Hickman's stories that really required you to pay attention from issue to issue, but for the most part, despite the time between issues, the story holds up really well. It's a tale of the two differing branches of post-human technology: biological and robotics. The story itself is fascinating, though you're never really sure where it's going, especially by the end, which is so surprising and funny it's worth reading the mini-series all over again. This is a punch-line that's funny, and definitely worth it.
Y The Last Man
Issues 1-60
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Status: Completed Series
Now this series is a gem. Greg's been after me to read this forever, so I finally broke down when he started re-reading the series himself. The premise is simple: an event occurs that simultaneously wipes out every mammal with the Y chromosome, save for one man and his pet Capuchin monkey. It's a dystopia, which I love; it's a human story, which I love; and it's a mystery, which I love. The entire series is focused on two main goals: figure out why Yorick and his pet Ampersand survived, and for Yorick to find his girlfriend Beth, who was in Australia when the plague hit. Then, of course, there's the standing question of what caused the plague in the first place.
One of the really cool things about this series is not just its readability and how easily one is able to keep track of and remember the cast, but also the human dynamics between the characters. Then there's the overall mystery of just what exactly caused the plague. No doubt, Vaughan gives us answers, but never definitely tell us which answer is IT. That sounds like it might be annoying, but by time you have all the candidates, it's pretty obvious just what the real truth is, and even if it isn't, the reader's allowed to select his/her own truth based on what theory entertains that reader the most. The end is bittersweet and heartbreaking, and it's one of the best comic book series I've read. Highly recommended.
And that's all, folks! I'll keep track of my 2009 comic reads, just because that also helps us figure out if we've missed an issue of something, so I might very well do this kind of review again next year!