NOTE: The following is a first person editorial.Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I’ve done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to Komplicated and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Why talk about stuff at some other site? Oh, like you’ve never done any private projects when you’re at work! Sometimes things get profound, sometimes it’s gibberish, but it’s always about comics … let’s see what we get this week!
What? This week’s reviews …
DEAD AGAIN: The irony the second cancellation of a book about a man who can’t die is not lost on me. The Milestone Media-founded Xombi by John Rozum is, in essence, the distillation of possibility. It’s so great, in similar ways to how Casanova is great or All-Star Superman is great. The writer noted on his Facebook that there will be a Xombi collection under the Vertigo banner (which is a far better fit, truth be told, and where it might have thrived). It’s troubling that something this brilliant has a hard time finding an audience in the market, and in a way that’s an indictment of the market. Likewise, the idea that it couldn’t find a home in the company’s lineup is discouraging, but that may have more to do with my not liking the spandex-clad myopia of the marketplace as a whole. Gone too soon, but I wanna try and come up with an interview with the writer.
GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE: The cleverness of this month’s Batman, Incorporated was very crafty, trying to soften the blow of Oracle once again becoming Batgirl. It was also just plain thrilling, which I hadn’t expected. The series is often “good,” but this month it was “great” — even Comics Ink owner Steve LeClaire talked about how excited he was to get home and read it again. That’s good stuff!
THE DEEP END OF THE STENO POOL: Aspen’s Vince Hernandez is one of my favorite people in comics, which made it hard to “meh” his latest Executive Assistant issue, which was way lower on action and way higher on navel-gazing than anything that had gone before. The points where it was supposed to be like a break in didn’t convey the immediacy and suspense of that kind of situation, which is hard to do with art as static as we saw here. Overall, this was like a break to breathe, which is the death knell of an action-movie-styled comic. I think there may be too many similar characters (the assistants themselves) and the two most interesting clients (the rich widow, the arrogant heir to a criminal empire) don’t get enough panel time. It’s a hard balance to strike, so I respect that, I just really wanted this to be wow-ing me already.
SCATTERSHOT: Bullet point quick hits:
- Deadpool. WTH?
- The writing on Gravity in Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt made zero sense.
- I like the idea of the adventure-minded done-in-one stories for Guy Gardner in Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, but the stories need more “oomph.”
- The pivotal moment in Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance was done off panel and rushed by. Much like the events of the crossover. I defy you to ask any average fan about what happened to Lois in this crossover two years from now. Will not be remembered.
- Please make Star Wars comics more interesting. Please?
THAT’S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: Much to do getting ready for “The New Black,” Komplicated’s September “relaunch.” More to come about that in the next week.
Playing (Music): “Forgive Them Father” by Lauryn Hill
[Source: Comic Book Resources]
