Archive for November, 2006
I’ve referred to my obvious Marvel bias before; for two and a half decades, the young upstart comic company had a far better cast of characters and stable of creators than their competitors at DC. Every now and then, however, the folks at the company formerly known as National would come along and produce something memorable (usually with talent on loan from Marvel). While flipping through my long boxes searching for fodder for another post, I stumbled across the single issue that rolls all the goodness DC was able to muster over two decades into a single package, the only DC comic anyone needs to own:
Justice League of America #200
Editor Roy Thomas delivers a dream team of creators producing a ginormous 72-page self-contained story commemorating the anniversary of Earth’s other mightiest heroes. Writer Gerry Conway pens an editorial in which he talks about JLA stories having a “cosmic scope”, and gives the reader just that with this issue. Back in the days before decompression, you set aside an evening to read a hefty book like this, and you got your $1.50 worth of story and then some. The story is structured like the earliest JLA comics, wherein individual characters would deal with aspects of a case in separate chapters before converging on the main threat at the end. Like all good anniversary issues, this story relates back to the origins of the super-team, when a group of meteors crashed to Earth, each hatching an alien menace which the super heroes united to defeat. As it happens, however, the aliens planted a post-hypnotic suggestion in the minds of those founding Leaguers, compelling them to gather the meteor fragments at a later date, when they would hatch “seed clones” of the original monsters and start the ruckus anew.
George Perez draws an origin/introduction and framing sequences between chapters, as new Leaguers split up to track down mind-controlled founding Leaguers who are searching for meteor fragments. As the chapters roll by, the reader is treated to an utterly amazing cast of classic artists (and one interesting newbie I almost saved for Dara’s MMGTA), many revisiting their classic characters.
The action starts with Pat Broderick, inked by Terry Austin, as the Martian Manhunter bursts in on one of my favorite DC characters, the original Firestorm. Apparently J’onn J’onzz has been away for a while, because Firestorm doesn’t recognize him.
The Aquaman/Red Tornado confrontation is drawn by Jim Aparo, who should have been given the Batman chapter, but this still works anyway. Recognizing that Arthur Curry’s super-swimming ability isn’t much help against the android elemental, The Phantom Stranger steps in to lend a hand. Apparently he knows that fate decrees an early victory for Aquaman in order for good to ultimately triumph, or something.
Dick Giordano shows us Zatanna getting her head handed to her by Wonder Woman, before Gil Kane gives us a jaw-dropping Green Lantern/Atom meeting. As an added bonus, each chapter has one of these pin-up pages, and all of them are worth the price of admission.
Next up: Hey, it’s Carmine Infantino again! Here’s how the Flash is supposed to be done, as he runs rings around the Elongated Man; I hope whoever’s on the new series is paying attention.
The chapter dealing with the Green Arrow & Black Canary/Batman showdown was a surprise to me; I didn’t realize this artist was even around back in 1982. My scan isn’t great, but I’ll leave you to guess who penciled & inked Oliver Queen’s humiliation and post the answer in the comments. I don’t think this one’s too hard.
Last but certainly not least, Joe Kubert himself comes along to show Hawkman getting bit*h slapped by Superman. These chapters all fill five pages, and this fight scene must have been the hardest to stretch out. Supes punches Katar Hol out of the atmosphere and straight into the Zeta Beam, providing us with an Adam Strange cameo at no additional cost.
Wow, that’s a lot of comic goodness. Are the last 22 pages ads? Nope, there’s a whole comic’s worth of story drawn by George Perez waiting at the end of all that. Having humbled their successors, the founders unite the fragments, witness the rebirth of their original foes, and get trounced themselves. The fifteen Leaguers all unite, then break into new groups to give their foes the thrashing they deserve. Here’s Firestorm, the Atom, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter fighting a giant stone monster and a big golden bird.
(That’s the Green lantern I remember. He’s got what would later be called “the greatest weapon in the universe” on his finger, and he’s using it to make a cannon to fire the Atom from. Gimme more of that—swatting foes with big green hammers or giant fists, or stone monsters with giant jackhammers. Bonus points to any comic that has him fighting the original Tattooed Man.)
I recently picked up the first issue of the new JLA and saw a few of these heroes standing around talking for 22 pages that were probably the first chapter of a six-part story. Having read a book like JLA 200, you’ve got to be kidding, right?
Marvel week continues. As Borat might say, “In my country, they would say last week’s page very difficult…not so much…this week.”
(click image to make the sexy crazy eyes)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006)
Check it: Spin Master GR8 TaT2 Maker, a toy tattoo gun for kids!
“This easy-to-use tattoo maker kit includes an electronic tattoo pen and funky stencils. Using soft, safe pulsating action, the tattoo pen creates realistic, washable designs with dramatic effects. “
(via boingboing)
Aaaaaaand the official press release:
FERRET PRESS SPONSORS FREE PRE-MID OHIO CON PARTY ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24
Columbus, OH – Fans and pros alike were disappointed at the news that the legendary pre-con party sponsored by local comic book store The Laughing Ogre was not planned for this year. But fear not, comic fans, as the mantle has been passed on to a new successor. Ferret Press, a Columbus-based publisher of small press comix, in association with the local writers/artists collective known as PANEL, will be sponsoring “Unmasked,” a pre-Mid Ohio Con party.
The free event will take place on Friday, November 24th, from 8 PM till midnight. The venue will be the oh-so-cool “Underground” at Barley’s Brewing Company, 467 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio (directly across from the convention center.) Comic book fans and pros alike are invited to come mingle, meet and greet, see and be seen, talk comics, and just have a good time.
“This is our hometown convention, and the pre-show parties have been a tradition,” said Dara Naraghi, Ferret Press publisher and PANEL co-founder. “We wanted to make sure we carried on the tradition in the fun, relaxed manner fans have come to expect. Plus, we’re always looking for an excuse to get together with friends and colleagues and drink a beer!”
Admission to the “Unmasked” party is absolutely free, but a donation box will be setup for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in hopes that attendees will contribute a small amount. In addition, the event will feature free appetizers, live music, free comic books, and other surprises. Barley’s will provide a cash bar, which will include a fine selection of their micro-brewed beers. “By the way, the Underground at Barley’s can accommodate around 150 people, but I’d still recommended that you drop by early because if past years are any indication, we just may have to turn people away if we reach capacity,” suggested Dara.
Columbus-based Ferret Press was founded in 2002 and is a publisher of fine small press comic books. It embraces the spirit of independent comics and self-publishing, and enjoys a close relationship with the writers and artists collaborative known as PANEL. For more information on “Unmasked,” as well as directions to Barley’s, please visit www.ferretpress.com
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I recently dropped a book, am on the verge of dropping another, and much to my surprise, have found an unlikely series that’s fresh and intriguing.
The Good: Aquaman – Sword of Atlantis
I’ve never been a huge Aquaman fan, though I’ve also never been one of the “haters.” I’ve always thought there’s a great deal of potential in stories set in a seldom used backdrop: the earth’s oceans. I mean, think of the possibilities. So when Kurt Busiek re-launched this title as part of DC’s “One Year Later” event, complete with a new hero and a mysterious stranger who could (or maybe not) be the original Aquaman, I wasn’t too interested.
Then I read an interview in which Busiek said that his approach to the book was going to be as an epic heroic fantasy, a la Lord of the Rings, set underwater. That hook got me to try the book, and I have to say it’s been a great ride so far. Unlike so many other annoyingly decompressed book these days (see below,) the story is dense, layered, and full of action, character building, and mystery. The characters are diverse and different, and Busiek plays them off each other very well. And although Jackson Guice’s art is a bit looser and sketchier than I prefer, it’s still very evocative, and he has a knack for presenting the grand-scale shots called for by the script.
It was recently revealed that both Busiek and Guice are moving off the book. However, the new team of fantasy novelist Tad Williams and artist Shawn McManus sounds like a fantastic replacement to me. I will admit that I haven’t read any of William’s novels, but I think his background of sword-and-sorecery epics will mesh in perfectly with Busiek’s fantasy take on this title. I definitely looking forward to this book each month.
The Bad: Hawkgirl
I tend to like the B and C-list characters more so than the big guns of the DC universe. I don’t know, there’s just something about characters who aren’t near-gods that I think allows for more storytelling opportunities. And as goofy as Hawkman’s costume (and convoluted history) is, he’s still one of my favorite characters. I’ve been reading this new series since its inception.
DC’s “One Year Later” approach to this book was to re-title it (from Hawkman,) and feature Kendra Saunders in the lead amidst the backdrop of the mystery of Hawkman’s disappearance. The creative team? Walt Simonson on writing duty, with Howard Chaykin on art. Needless to say, I was completely jazzed. Hell, I think it would have been just as cool to announce Chaykin on writing, with Simonson on art.
Man, what a complete and utter letdown. This book has become the poster child for decompressed storytelling. You can literally read an issue in less than 3 minutes, and despite the pretty pictures and funky layouts, nothing happens! Simonson has taken a “story” that at most should have been done in 2 issues, and stretched it across 8 or 9. What’s worse is that it’s so painfully unoriginal and boring. What a sad product coming from one of the industry’s legendary storytellers. Ugh.
I know I should have dropped this book by now, but I suppose its my one remaining “completist” vice. But if this dismal trend continues for a few more issues, the book’s getting the ax.
The Ugly: Manhunter
Another street-level, low-power DC hero that I seem to be drawn towards. As with Hawkman, the Manhunter character has had an insanely complex and confusing history, with many different iterations and interpretations. This newest series introduces a female LA district attorney in the role, as written by Marc Andreyko, with art by Jesús Saíz.
The series started out strong and developed a cult following. Andreyko managed to take a rather unlikeable character (chain-smoking, divorced, caustic Kate Spencer) and made her into someone you actually come to care for. I became one of the hardcore followers of the book, promoting it to others as a smart, solid read. Later in the series, he did an “origin” issue spotlighting the costume itself which I thought was very clever and a treat for longtime DC readers. (SPOILER, skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to know: it turns out the costume itself is a Darkstars uniform, the gauntlets came from Batman-replacement due Azrael, and the power staff is from former manhunter, Mark Shaw.)
But any goodwill and following that Andreyko had built, he began to squander away as the book fell victim to the dreaded decompression disease. Once again, simple storylines stretched out painfully across multiple issues, pages featuring basic talking heads scenes would feature a mere 3 panels with a combined total of 10 words of dialogue, and the action became less frequent and less exciting. The final storyline about some bible-quoting serial killer with a super powered razor blade killing women was insipid and pointless.
And then there was the art. Saíz was a competent, if not dazzling artist. But when he left to become part of DC’s various Infinte Crisis books, he was replaced by Javier Pina. Again, not a terrible artist, just spectacularly plain. If you need someone to illustrate a script and turn your word into pictures, Pina does a competent job. But if you need someone with a clear, personal style, or eye-catching renditions, or clever and innovatibe page layouts, look elsewhere.
Even though the book was recently “canceled” at issue #25, it’s been announced that due to critical and reader acclaim, DC will give it another 6 issues to build its audience back up. Unfortunately, I will no longer be on board.
Apparently not breaking news, but I just ran across it. Alan Moore will be appearing as himself in a future episode of The Simpsons.
“Though it is presently unknown when the episode will air, Moore has already recorded his lines at Lodge Studios in Abington Square, Northhampton. Moore features in a sub-plot involving a newer and “cooler” comic store opening in Springfield, one so cool that it manages to get the “Watchmen” writer to make a rare personal appearance in the shop, threatening directly the dominance of the Android’s Dungeon, the local comic store managed by the infamous Comic Book Guy.”
The Simpsons hasn’t been really funny or relevant for years now (with the exception of their Halloween specials,) but this episode I’m really looking forward to. The writers and producers are obviously huge comic book fans, and they do a great job of skewering the various idiosyncrasies of our little hobby.
Hey, good news for Craig: according to the Mid-Ohio-Con website, Herb Trimpe will indeed be attending the show:
“Several weeks ago our friend Herb Trimpe sadly notified us that he was not going to be able to attend our show, due to a personal obligation. Needless to say, Mr. Trimpe did not want to disappoint his fans, and continued to work to resolve the situation. To everyone’s delight, Herb Trimpe has just informed us that, barring severe weather conditions, he WILL be coming to Mid-Ohio-Con!”
… Ra’s al Ghul’s plot in “Batman Begins” was ridiculous.
First off, Ra’s runs this group of ninjas that apparently are in charge of destroying cities. Ninjas don’t destroy cities. Ninjas slip unnoticed into your compound, silence the enemy, and vanish without a trace. To destroy a city, you need Columbus, Ohio’s own Curtis LeMay.
Secondly, Ra’s’ initial plan to destroy Gotham City is to cause an economic depression. Let me get this straight: The city sucks, so we’re going to make it suckier? In what way does that destroy the city? It’s still there … just worse.
Thirdly, Ra’s’ second plan is to put a fear toxin in Gotham’s water supply. But the fear toxin doesn’t affect you when you drink it, just when you breathe it. WTF? So now he has to steal a microwave device to vaporize the water. Not since the days of Adam West has Batman faced a plot so needlessly convoluted.
And finally — How does the microwave bomb boil the water without affecting human beings? Humans are, like, 90 percent water, aren’t they?
So yeah, gimme the 1989 Tim Burton “Batman” any day. In that one, the Joker was just going to gas Gotham City and be done with it.