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 …
LET'S DO THE TIME (HYPER)WARP AGAIN: The challenge of Star Wars in comics is complex. To introduce new things (under the watchful eye of Lucas' licensing ninjas) while still intriguing the longtime fan, giving characters depth and resonance while still trying to make everybody happy … it ain't easy. Even with successes like Shira Brie or Aurra Sing, there'll be clunkers like whoever that girl in Knight Errant was or Lilit Twoseas in Acts of War. Will Dawn of the Jedi succeed (like Agent of The Empire)? Or will it end up as forgotten as … it'll come to me …
That said, the directory — the skeleton of ideas — presented in the book were intriguing enough to buy (especially on a slow week, especially since I rarely look back). The execution? Let's check back in a few months and see what's what.
SPIDEY'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG: Peter Parker's not a sad sack for the first time in years, working at a place where he's free to be Spider-Man and makes money too. It's enlightening. Do I believe this validates the idiocy of One More Day? Hell no — as much as I like Peter's roommate and his now-ex Carlie, they didn't make the stories significantly better than they could have been if Peter was married to MJ. His dating could have been just as interesting if he was married (I've learned this first hand) and would have made for more complex, mature storytelling to fit the "allegedly" more mature demographic. Maybe the customers of the direct market would prefer wishful flings than the more nuanced realities of life. I dunno. I'll say the good things about Peter now have nothing to do with his relationships, unless the writers are saying they believe marriage breeds unhappiness. I know otherwise, again from first hand experience. As with all things, your mileage may vary.
OUTSMARTED: Given the brain power on deck, it's disturbing that X-Club isn't a smarter book. I think Kavita Rao is just too boring to stand next to Dr. Nemesis, and unless Jeffries is gonna be played like Gary on Alphas, he's kind of dull too. They haven't even invented their own teleporter, relying on an actual person to get them from place to place? How inelegant! The cast has too many drags on panel time when you could instead have Skype calls with Henry McCoy, team ups with Amadeus Cho or Valeria Richards or even Layla Miller. Better yet — Dr. Nemesis, Science Adventurer. That fixed it. In short, I expect bigger ideas from the biggest brains in mutantdom.
STATE OF (STATIC) SHOCK: We're not gonna talk about it. We're just not.
THAT'S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: Lots to do. Staying on the grind. Let's see if we can get another one of these tomorrow!
Playing (Music): "Be Alone" by Childish Gambino
[Source: Comic Book Resources]