I suppose a lot of the furor has died down about "One More Day" reboot stunt, and it's just as well- soon, another controversy of this sort will pop up, and people need to recharge their outrage batteries. But I've been thinking about this, and the whole nature of comics that are and aren't beholden to the sort of continuity that we're accustomed to now, not to mention the cyclical nature of comics in general, and I thought perhaps it might be of some small value to somebody to write them down. So, here those thoughts be, and bear in mind my opinions and reflections are made without actually having read the issue in question, relying instead on what I've read all around the 'Net. And be warned that this is gonna ramble like a ramblin' thing listening to the Allman Brothers that loves to ramble.

Let's call a spade a spade; that was as clumsy and contrived a reboot as you would ever want to see. I mean, honestly- is that Faustian scenario the best they could come up with? Surely there were other more down-to-earth scenarios that they could have cooked up without resorting to Stan Lee's spandex Lucifer, who worked very well, once, back in the day when the Comics Code Authority wouldn't let him use the "real" Satan- in a story set up to demonstrate how Christlike Stan's Silver Surfer was. What better way than to give Surfy his very own tempter? Mephisto/Satan was given a presence, depth and reason to be by Lee and John Buscema in that long-ago Silver Surfer #3, and as it turns out should probably have never been used again. Trying to make him into the standard issue Marvel Comics archfoe just has never worked, because pitting him against the Fantastic Four or X-Men, outside the context of the re-enactment of the Temptations of Christ that Surfer #3 essentially was, robs the character of his menace and mystery, and makes him look just like another spandex badguy buffoon, one of a rotating "fight of the month" group of supervillians for whatever hero. It cheapens the character. He might as well be Baron Mordo, or the Red Skull, the Purple Man, or the frigging Porcupine.

Of course, the creative braintrust felt that the only way to achieve this reboot was through supernatural means, since as all Dr. Strange fans know, it's the easiest way to do anything that requires a complete do-over with no possible chance of referral to times past. Well, that, or the jerry-rigged comic-book sci-fi employed in Zero Hour.

Apparently, the main reason why this was done is why many are up in arms- the mercenary, insensitive rationale behind it: "...marriage ages the characters, making them less appealing to young readers, and lessens the dramatic, "soap opera" possibilities" (Quoted from Wikipedia). Whether this is or isn't true is debatable- I can't believe that there are hordes of readers, kids or adults, out there that haven't been picking up any Spidey titles because he's not single. That's kinda insulting to kids' intelligence, seems to me. It's not like Pete and MJ have been portrayed as Ward and June Cleaver...

On the other hand, I'm not convinced that marrying them was the smartest thing to do in the first place- it's the classic sign of clutching at straws to come up with novel story ideas in order to keep publishing exploits of exhausted characters that have been in existence for decades. If your character is established as a harried, down-on-his-luck but plucky and likable everyguy, it's not especially believable or even appropriate in terms of ongoing story that he would have a longtime girlfriend that's a fashion model/actress, let alone marry her. But it's a wish-fulfillment not only for longtime readers (who say "Gosh, let Pete have something good happen to him for once..."), but also by those who wish they could have such a girlfriend/wife/partner.

That's the problem with practicing the kind of ongoing continuity that most mainstream superhero comics providers have been striving to provide since Uncas Stan and Jack & Co. helped popularize the concept of a shared experience aka "Universe", in which all the superguys and their archfoes inhabited the same planet, indeed city, and were aware of and in a lot of cases friends (or at least allies with) the others. DC/National had done this already with their Justice Society stories, but it wasn't quite the same- you never really got the feeling that the Atom and Dr. Mid-Nite, for example, would ever hang out together or even appear in each other's comics. They were like Venn diagrams, overlapping only in the pages of All-Star Comics and nowhere else. But Marvel did it differently, and this provided many exciting stories in which Daredevil could join forces with Spidey, for example, or Iron Man, in the pages of The Avengers, could send a holographic emergency transmission to Professor Xavier and his X-Men, and both would be aware of the other. Even as a little kid, this sort of thing was cooler than cool, and opened up a world in which Captain America could be enjoyed as a solo star, but also could be buds with Nick Fury and interact in an adventure with him.

Of course, continuity not only meant interaction between books and their characters but interaction between the characters themselves- once the initial premises were established, Stan, Roy Thomas, and others spent the next four or five years just going from there. That said, the really early tales weren't quite so interrelated in linear time, even though Spidey did try to get a job with the FF and fought Doc Doom, the FF and Avengers teamed up to apprehend the Hulk, etc. At some point, a linear sort of timeline began to develop in all Marvel books, spurred in part by continued stories such as those in Fantastic Four in which events that happened in the previous issue would not only be referenced, but sometimes also have a direct bearing on what happened in the current issue...and that opened up another can of worms.

DC? They really didn't try to do this sort of thing very much at all until the mid-late 1970's. Most DC stores were self-contained, with character awareness and interaction (and even the occasional cross-comic guest appearance) but the tales were mostly one-and-done single events, and had little or no bearing on the next issue, unless perhaps a character would mention meeting or battling another. Very neat.

Now, linear and interrelated continuity was a fresh, new, wonderful thing when it fully came into flower in the late 60's- it gave an air of things having weight and consequence, as when Scott Summers' brother Alex was introduced, his powers discovered, they fought the Sentinels, then, seeking help for his out-of-control abilities accidentally get him mixed up with the power-draining Sauron, all in the space of four or five issues.

But there was one problem- time marches on. And after a while, when it became apparent that years and years had gone by in Marvels pseudo-real time, it was pretty much unreasonable to keep characters in the status quo. Since I started with Spidey, I'll use Peter Parker as an example: He started as a harried adolescent high school science nerd, but he couldn't stay that way longer than 2-3 years (assuming he was a high school, oh, sophomore when he received his fateful spider bite), so they began to tinker. Sent him to college, had him move out from Aunt May's, hook up with Gwen Stacy then Mary Jane Watson. Gave him a full-time job with the Bugle. And that got Pete through another decade and a half, but then another problem reared its ugly head: entropy. As the Entropic Cult in Man-Thing chanted, "Entropy, entropy, all winds down." You can only show Spidey fighting Kraven or Electro or the Shocker so many times before, frankly, you run out of new, fresh scenarios in which to put them in, and each new issue brings more by-the-numbers superhero battles and outlandish, contrived developments with the characters and their relationships. Stan and Jack didn't help matters when they had Sue Storm give birth in that Fantastic Four annual; while it was a great story in and of itself, afterwards they were stuck with a character that either had to grow up in "real" time as his parents and uncles aged as well, or suddenly revert to the one-and-done, no-continuity stories of the early days. They chose the former, and Franklin Richards has since become one of the most convoluted and pointless in a long line of pointless and convoluted Marvel characters, only working well within those fairly recent Calvin and Hobbes-style solo stories, which I assume takes place out of what passes for continuity with Marvel these days.

And so, as DC found out first by the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths and then, when that didn't take, Zero Hour, things get so distended that the only recourse when publishing characters that have been around for four decades is to declare a do-over. So far, Marvel has only really tried to do it once, with the whole "Heroes Reborn" thing, even relaunching titles with #1 issues all around, and reaction was so bad that they eventually recanted and quietly rebooted again. Subsequent reboots have been more low-key, a la the cancellation of Daredevil's ongoing, which was up in the 400s by the time writers got so desperate for ideas that they had tricked him out in body armor. When he was relaunched with the Marvel Knights imprint, the basic story details remained the same but there was rarely the feeling that this DD was the same DD which once assumed the identity of Mike Murdock and battled the Matador in tales done by Stan and Bill Everett and Wally Wood.

This is what Quesada and Co. are trying to do with Spidey here- it's a do-over, but a qualified one- sure, Pete has no memory of being married to MJ and vice versa, Harry Osborne is back, etc.- but I wonder how much of the last 40 years will be referenced? Is Venom/Carnage/Black Cat/blah blah blah still a part of Spidey's world? Will we get new versions? In short, will the writers now have free hand to recycle the same crap that's been recycled for decades? Guess we'll see. I know none of this is any consolation to the fan who only began reading comics at about the time Pete and MJ got married- this is "their" Spider-Man, they like it that way, and see no reason why it can't continue that way indefinitely. Part of this may also be a desire to sync Spidey comics with the movies, in which the two are not yet man and wife.

"So what are you trying to say, Dave?" I hear you asking, along with "Do you really think I don't know all this?" I don't really know. I'm just articulating thoughts here. I don't have a solution. You can't really go back to one-and-done in mainstream superhero comics completely, because you're robbing yourself of the opportunity to really enhance your story- plus readers today, or at least mainstream superhero comics readers today, are conditioned to enjoy and expect a "real-time", linear ongoing narrative with events that overlap the next and impact subsequent stories.

Continuity is a double-edged sword- it can really enhance not only superhero comics, but other kinds of stories as well. It's only the passage of time that makes this element unwieldy. And Marvel/DC have this problem- as long as people seem to want to read, or are still aware, of iconic characters like Batman or Spider-Man, then they'll feel the need to continue to publish periodicals with the adventures of same. It's also a fine line to walk- writers want, in most cases, to depict events that have lasting impact and make changes, but you can only change iconic characters so much before you risk confusion among those not familiar with the ebb and flow of comics stories. I think it will be interesting, though, to see what effect, if any, this constant upheaval and change (especially DC's apparent insatiable desire to screw around with their characters) will have on comics- how many times can the Big Two rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic before people say to hell with it and get off the boat?

ETA: One other thing that I meant to add and forgot in my posting mania the other day was that perhaps Spidey fans should at least give Joe Q and co. a chance to see what they can do. They might be surprised. But then again, if they hate it and just can't face life without Pete and MJ hooked up, well, they have their back issues and can make their displeasure known by dropping the book.

Whee! Just went nuts and placed a honkin' big Amazon.com order, using Christmas gift money! And in the interest of maintaining a fairly regular posting schedule, I thought I'd share:

Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America by Jonathan Gould
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Vol. 1
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Vol. 2
Adam Warren's Empowered Vol. 1
Adam Warren's Empowered Vol. 2
The Venture Bros. - Season Two DVD
"I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks" TPB
Under the Blacklight - Rilo Kiley
Children Running Through - Patty Griffin

The last two were bought from Amazon Associates. $182, baby!

Of course, there are two more Kirby Omnibi out or coming soon, and I won't be getting them anytime soon, but I just had a hankerin' to reread those early Fourth World sagas and figured this was the best way to do it. That Beatles book is supposed to be really good; hope it's not as depressing as the last few Fabs-related tomes I've read. I've wanted those Adam Warren books for some time now as well, and have seen plenty of online samples so it looks real good- even though I wish it was inked. The Rilo Kiley and Patty Griffin CDs are releases I should have picked up ages ago. Couldn't not get that Venture Bros. set, since I've had such a blast with the first one. Damn, I hope season 3 starts soon!

But uf cuss I'll review the comics-related stuff ASAP.

This is how the food chain works in the Comics Blogosphere: even though I am beneath Dirk Deppey's notice as a reviewer and year-end best-of list-maker, he's so darn good at the link compiling thing that I still, once in a while, check out Journalista and usually always find something interesting, which further justifies his existence and further demeans mine. Anyway, also interesting to me is his new 50 (well, 52) Excellent Comics from 2007: One Reader's Recommendations list, which cites several things that either I hadn't seen in '07, or didn't think to cite because they're still (despite the existence of collected paper volumes, of which I'm aware but am seldom engaged to purchase) webcomics in my mind. I was glad to see efforts such as Chris Onstad's surreal and hysterically funny ACHEWOOD (don't forget each character's infrequently updated blogs), John Allison's droll SCARY-GO-ROUND (which I've been reading since it was BOBBINS), Tatsuya Ishida's imaginative and too-smart-for-American-funnypapers SINFEST, and Nick Gurewitch's indescribable PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP among the listed. They're all excellent. I'm also beginning to think that I should break down and purchase I SHALL DESTROY ALL CIVILIZED PLANETS as well- I've enjoyed seeing Fletcher Hanks' brilliantly deranged comics here and there on the Internet, and it looks like a blast. Paul Pope's PULPHOPE unsurprisingly looks great. I usually always love Pope's work, and I'm sure this will be no exception- but given a choice between eating and gas money to get to work and Paul Pope hardcovers, well, the books don't taste very good (even when you cover them with ketchup) and when I tried to stuff paper into my gas tank I didn't get anywhere except towed to the garage. Also, while I'm just not much of a fan of the Manga- although there have been works I've enjoyed so I guess I'm not completely unhip- the art example on that DRIFTING CLASSROOM citation looks very good, but ye gods- eight volumes (to date) at ten bills each? Yow! I'm also thinking that I wish I'd picked up on Warren Ellis' historical saga CRECY- since it's a one-shot perhaps I'll run across a copy soon. Perhaps then I can stop hearing Patsy Cline sing the title in my head. Speaking of books I hope get issued as a trade, there's also Atomic Robo (not on Deppey's list)- it looks good, but the first issue is already going for a lot of smack on the eBay, and I want all of 'em if I'm gonna get them. Guess I'm just too cheap to be a real comics connoisseur.

But I digress.

Anyway, getting back to webcomics, there are a few others that I read on a fairly regular basis, and get a kick out of- many of which I'm sure are very familiar to you, my discerning readers- and they are as follows:

THE NON-ADVENTURES OF WONDERELLA, by Justin Pierce, is a off-the-wall Wonder Woman rip that usually updates on Saturdays, but lately Pierce has been posting character sketches on weekdays. Not every strip is a hit, but he is very funny when he does hit, which is more often than not.

PULP SUNDAY, by Francesco Francavilla, which I linked to a few days ago, isn't a webcomic per se but does feature ongoing strips most of the time, and they're excellent.

BOLD RILEY by Leia Weathington and Konstantin Pogorelov- a bit overdue for various reasons, but this legend-framed tale of a warrior woman, usually published in volumes (each with different titles), is outstanding.

Of course, R. Stevens' DIESEL SWEETIES, appearing in your local newspaper by now hopefully (not in mine, I'm afraid) is always witty and clever.

Jess Fink's CHESTER 5000 XYV, which reminds me a little of Jane Austen if she wrote steampunk porn. It's, in the parlance, NSFW.

OCTOPUS PIE by Meredith Gran, another slice-of-life with oddball touches and involving young trendy NYCNY types, which of course I have very little in common with but I can always enjoy tales well told, especially when done with Gran's deliciously loopy, swoopy linework.

Danielle Corsetto's GIRLS WITH SLINGSHOTS, which could actually be described the same way as Octopus Pie but they're really coming from different places. Corsetto scripts and cartooning is accomplished and witty, and the characters are very likable, sexy even. Well, maybe not the talking Scotch cactus. I wish Danielle would fix her RSS feed so I could subscribe...

JOHNNY CROSSBONES is by Middle Man artist Les McClane, and it's an enjoyable Tintin-esque adventure strip which features a protagonist with what HAS to be the world's smelliest mask because he never takes it off ever.

Raina Telgemeier's SMILE, which always brings the same to my face when it's not reminding me of personal dental nightmare scenarios, which if I had any sort of work ethic I'd draw up and submit to her as a fill-in strip if she'd have it.

Finally, but not lastly, there's Jason Little's engaging BEE, which is about the impetuous title character, a young (supposedly teenage, but she's not drawn that way) lady who seems to have a knack for getting into trouble. It's also quite often NSFW.

OK, that's all I can think of. I hope if you're not reading any of these already, and you should be, that you'll check some of them out and even better, enjoy!

Credit where credit is due dept: the pic at above left is from the Scary-Go-Round strip that was posted on my birthday last year.

ETA 1/12: I was under the impression that the Hanks book was a hardcover, and now that I've been informed that's not the case (thanks, ADD!), I have ordered it this very day.

Yeah, I know Christmas was two weeks ago, but I spotted this great illo by one of my favorite Playboy cartoonists, Doug Sneyd, and wanted to share. It's part of an ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive blog post which features a goodly amount of Sneyd Playboy one-pagers, and you can go here to viddy it, o my droogies. Oh, and it's NSFW. You've been warned.

Gonna get all metapostical for just a minute...

Thanks to a couple of most appreciated links, I had as many hits today as I've had in ages, maybe ever, and for that I am grateful.

But one thing I'm not is prepared- at the moment! I've gotta assume most of these hits are from people who've not visited here for a long time, if ever, and I should probably post some sort of insightful analysis or fascinating series overview, or even something about movies and/or music like I useta back in the day...and right now, I got nothin'. Happens like that sometimes, I guess.

But fear not, I am back from my break which turned out to be longer than any I've ever taken before, if shorter than I intended, and I hope to be able to provide a few interesting things to read before they pry my laptop from my cold, dead hands, which is apparently the only thing that's gonna stop me blogging anytime soon, so deep is my jones (if you'll excuse the expression).

So...what else?

If I've linked to you in the past, but you don't see your link in the section at right, please bear with; when I changed the template none of my links were preserved, and I'm having to replace them one at a time. I'm also taking the opportunity to check and see how many are still current, and that takes a little time. It's odd and a more than a bit sad how many links I'm finding that were to people who I "befriended" back in, say, 2003 but haven't visited, or heard from, in years- I'm tending to not relink them, because in some cases they no longer link to me, and in other cases it seems kinda pointless. I guess that's the way the blogging thing goes. I'm still planning on keeping the music, political, etc. links separate, but it's gonna take a little while to get to them. Heck, for all I know nobody clicks on those things anyway- I've seen posts about how many bloggers are leaving links off altogether, just to make their pages less cluttered. Speaking of which, I still don't know if I'm going to bring back the picture links I had on the old blog; it just looked like too much "flair" to me.

I'm also quite peturbed at my sometimes image host, Imageshack. Of course, I've posted a metric ton of pictures on this blog since 2002, and I've been through three hosts to do so, counting my first one- the name I don't remember, but when they went to a pay service, I bailed, and there are several pics from approximately 2004 I still haven't replaced as a cursory glance at my archives will bear out. I now alternate between Imageshack and Blogger's own Picasa, favoring Picasa because it seems less likely that I'll encounter the problem that's vexing me with the former- missing images! Apparently IS's system must be unstable or something because every so often, unexpectedly, I'll click on a link to an older page and the image will be gone, replaced by a tiny empty box. This is incredibly annoying, and emails to their support are greeted with incredulility, if not skepticism. Many of these images are from posts I'm proud of, such as the overview I did on Spawn of Frankenstein. Don't know what else to do about it, though, except rescan them, and who the hell's got time for that! So if you check out a page via Google search or something, and the pic isn't there, well, it must be the Imageshack Image Thief and I'm sorry.

OK, I guess this is enough for now, just wanted to let those who are interested know what's going on with this blog. More will be coming soon, this I do affirm.

Portrait of Mike Kaluta, by Donato Giancola. Found via the Kaluta Yahoo! Group.

CONFESSIONS OF A SPINNER RACK JUNKIE.



It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over

Yes, once more, against all odds, here is another Spinner Rack Junkie- that more-or-less ongoing feature in which I write "too short to be real" reviews of various works of sequential fiction that I have perused in the interval since the last time I inflicted said "too short to be real" reviews upon one and all, or to be specific, the period from approximately 25 December to 6 January, some of which may even still be on sale at finer comics selling establishments worldwide if you're lucky. Or not, as the case may be.

THE BLACK DIAMOND #6: Far be it from me to be excessively critical of a comic with such excellent taste in pull-quotes, but I do have a few things I'd like to mention. I was delighted to note that even though I didn't read #'s 3 and 5, I had no trouble understanding this issue's ending, and it was a satisfying one- even though the whole "'deuce' ex machina" thing was a little frustrating, because I sure would have liked to have known what happened next. You know how I am about ambiguity. Larry Young's expository dialogue in the first few pages was breezy and well done. I also thought the self-aware placement of Young's script directions was a great touch, and in some odd way reinforced the stated intent of the series to evoke 70's drive-in road pictures. The juxtaposition reminded me a bit of the real-world-reveals of, say, Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie or even Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. That said, I think Larry's biggest mistake on this entire series was to hitch his wagon to artist Jon Proctor; while he does have some design chops, too often his figure and vehicle renditions look too obviously lightboxed, and not very well- what's happening with Kate's nose on page 1 and 5, to name one example- his coloring is often unnecessarily garish and monotonous, little pop-art touches like the first panel of page 7 are left-field and seem to serve no discernible purpose, and I seriously doubt if he's even seen the "great helicopter shot at the end of Easy Rider". The art (well, that, and my disbelief that people would be willing to put up with having cars fall on their heads) was the main thing that kept me from enjoying this series as much as I probably should have, and I hope that if Young is able to continue the series, he finds a more sympathetic and talented collaborator. In fact, I'd suggest that he look no further than some of the back feature artists; this issue's, by Filip Sablik, was especially good despite some more garish, ugly coloring. B-

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #9: Waid and Perez continue to sprinkle superheroes like confetti on our heads at a New Year's party. It's quite overwhelming sometimes, especially since Perez' art is virtually synonymous with overwrought clutter and chaos, but the sum is so pro-adventure and pro-fun that it's hard not to like it in spite of itself. I would imagine Kurt Busiek is jealous. B+

CATWOMAN #74: It's regrettable that someone in editorial felt like they had to sex up Adam Hughes' already great cover, to which Hughes responded by making Selina look like Audrey Hepburn with big tits...but really, that doesn't matter to the great unwashed out there...the ones who buy the book anyway. The interior is the important thing, and it's solid as usual, if a bit contrived- all the better to shoehorn in a licensed property that just doesn't belong in the latest 52/Countdown/et cetera-type company-wide profit-taker. I was a lot more interested in seeing Selina settle up with "The Thief" than I am in finding out how she copes with being on another planet with The Joker and King Croc. B+

DAREDEVIL #103: Like sands through the hourglass, these are the days of Matt Murdock's life. Actually, this time around there's a bit more of DD bouncing around and beating up thugs, and even threatening to go all QT on the Ox. It works, because Brubaker is good, but I'm not really enjoying it much. A-

HELLBLAZER #238, 239: Gotta own up to an oversight here- I was in such a rush to complete the last SRJ that I forgot to mention how much I liked #238; as drawn by Dan Zezelj, it pitted Constantine (being manipulated, as it turns out, by heretofore mostly benign spirit-of-London character Map) against the personifications of some urban legends in another dimension on the other side of a bridge, trying to rescue some unfortunate journalist types who unknowingly crossed over. Nicely done suspenser, giving John the chance to be a good guy as well as a bad-ass for once, and the urban legends thing reminded me of the halcyon Grant Morrison Doom Patrol early-Vertigo days. Nice job all around. In #239, Leo Manco is back in the first part of what would seem to be a multi-issue saga that involves some horrible African magical menace, and the sacrifice of one man to get a warning to John in England. Again, nicely done, if a little gratuitously gory, and bodes well for the rest of the story arc. #238: A-; #239: B+

IMMORTAL IRON FIST #11: Everything seems to be coming to a head very soon as the tournament continues, Hydra gets closer to crashing the competition, and Danny reunites with Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, who have been searching for him. The flashback tale this time is just as rousing, featuring the tale of Davos, the "Steel Phoenix"'s first encounter with Shou-Lao the undying big-ass dragon, and featuring the art of none other than Kano, whose art was a big reason to pick up the early issues of DC's H-E-R-O, and whose work I haven't seen since a short stint on the much-missed Gotham Central (Thanks, Dan!). Lotta bang for your bucks with this title. A-

IRON MAN: ENTER THE MANDARIN #4: I suppose this series, if anybody was paying attention to it in light of the current ongoing dreary Marvel line-wide "event", is the vindication of Tony Stark and his armored alter-ego. This is a cool, rico suave Stark, confident and capable and yet not a bastard, like he useta be back in the day. This issue introduces more early 60's spy-movie stuff into the mix, as well as a nifty digression involving the Crimson Dynamo, another early villain, and I'm finding this a very good read. It's also great to look at thanks to Eric Canete's art; he has a great sense of dynamics and pacing. A-

WASTELAND BOOK 02: SHADES OF GOD: I don't really have much to add from when I reviewed the first trade; There's still nothing happening here that will be new or fresh to you if you've read any post-apocalyptic fiction at all, and it's still weird to read the characters dropping f-bombs and otherwise cursing like real people do, except they substitute "sun" for "God", as in "sun-damned". There's also (with me, anyway) a real problem with such a large cast of characters, and keeping them straight; artist Chris Mitten really doesn't help much in this case. All his women look the same, with only darker wash tones used for hair, and his men are mostly distinguishable by whether or not they have stylin' razor-cuts or long hair and beards. Also, there just isn't enough contrast in his black-and-white art; too often we're given entire pages of nothing but scratchy thin linework, only broken up by wash tones no darker than perhaps 40 percent black. In spite of all this, and even though I think I know what the big reveal's gonna be when the two main characters get where they're going, I remain won over by its ambitions (secondhand as they may be) and interested enough to keep buying the trades. C+


NOTES: Boy, I was dealin' out the A's and B's this time, wasn't I?

DCBS seems to be sending me my comics weekly these days, so I had hoped to include NORTHLANDERS #2, OMEGA #4 and LOBSTER JOHSON #5 here, but thanks to the holidays I didn't get 'em on Friday so it will be next time. I also keep meaning to finish SUPER SPY and LUCHA LIBRE #2, and perhaps I will by the next column. Sayonara!

Doesn't this screencap from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer look just like something Kirby would have drawn, say, in the late 60's in a scene in which the FF might have visited some sort of disco while on a night on the town?

Well it does to me.

Cap taken from the film_stills LJ community, in which I've been known to post myself upon occasion.

JOHNNY B HEART THE MOVIES: 2007



In the past, I've done "best of" lists about movies, music, etc., but the last couple of years I've kinda let that go by the wayside as I haven't really been spending a lot of money to catch current films when they are released; it's more common for me to see a film on DVD than in theatres. But yesterday I was looking around on Wikipedia for something, and happened across a "2007 in movies" page, and was surprised to note that I have, as it turns out, seen several films that came out in the previous year- mostly on DVD, but I've seen them just the same. And I thought I'd share my impressions with you.

Code Name: The Cleaner: Good one to start on, huh- these are in chronological order, so that's the way the ball bounces. Sat and watched this on cable one afternoon when there was nothing else on and I was too lazy to turn off the TV and do something. It's just a silly, stupid contrived spy-movie vehicle for comic actor Cedric the Entertainer, who really is very good in supporting roles but just isn't leading man material. Lucy Liu provides eye candy, but it's not enough.

Alpha Dog: Bleak treatment of what is supposed to be a true story, mostly notable for the fine turn done by Justin Timberlake as a conflicted teen who ends up as accomplice in murder. I got caught up in it, but I don't really have any desire to see it again ever. I watched it with my son, who was visiting, and I thanked him for not turning out like these kids did...

Smokin' Aces: This was hugely entertaining for a while, but got too clever for its own good in the last 30 minutes or so with a headache-inducing conclusion. Still, lots to like, mostly a good cast in offbeat roles. If they ever do a 100 Bullets movie, I hope it looks like this.

Zodiac: Outstanding film, a tad long perhaps but wonderfully acted and completely involving until the unresolved ending, which is frustrating, but hey- they didn't solve the real case on which this is based either so whaddaya expect? Shame on the moviegoing public for not making this a bigger hit. Guess it was that ending.

Grindhouse: Death Proof: I still haven't seen Planet Terror, so the jury is still out on Grindhouse as a whole, but I thought this was awfully pointless and self-indulgent. The wild-ass ending redeems it somewhat, but QT, I think, forgot that setting out to make a grindhouse classic on purpose is something that the Andy Milligans and H.G. Lewises of the world never did...and I would think he'd know better than that.

Spider-Man 3: Too much soap opera, too many villains. They could have made a good movie with the Sandman (and really, the Sandman parts work best) or Venom, but having them both together and icing it with that weepy, tiresome Peter Loves Mary Jane subplot just made for an overlong, noisy, crowded film that was nowhere near as much fun as its predecessors. I know it's contrary to the Way of the American Blockbuster Movie, but sometimes less really is more.

Shrek the Third: Many slagged this one as unnecessary, but really, even though it was kinda by-the-numbers (especially at the end) I enjoyed it as much as 2, and it wasn't a whole lot worse than the first one either, for that matter. It's no landmark of cinema, but it was mostly clever, entertaining and didn't seem to go on forever. Could have been a whole lot worse.

Knocked Up: Now THIS one took me by surprise in a good way- I was expecting a dumb smirkfest, but it's really quite perceptive, with very good performances by the leads and naturalistic dialogue. Of course, there's a fair share of fratboy and geek humor, but it's never mean spirited. I didn't think I'd like this one when a friend loaned it to me, but damned if it might not be one of the best films I saw this past year.

Ocean's Thirteen: If you like the Ocean's films, and I have so far, then you'll probably like this too- Clooney and Co. have a great rapport onscreen. But the payoff in this one was a little too routine for my tastes and that was a letdown.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: I could sit and nitpick this, like I'm sure most of you reading this, but at the end of the day I came away liking this OK, better than Spider-Man 3, anyway. I think, all things considered, the Four are well cast, and they play off each other well. I still have some reservations about Jessica Alba as Sue- she just looks too much like your garden variety bimbo. I say this as someone who grew up with Lee and Kirby's Invisible Girl- her portrayal may play better to non-initiates and those whose memory of the FF in comics doesn't go back much farther than Byrne. Anyway- I thought Doom was more of a credible menace, liked the CGI Silver Surfer even though I never heard Larry Fishburne's voice in my head for all these years when I've read Silver Surfer comics, and even kinda liked Unca Stan's obligatory cameo. I wonder if Unca Jack would have made an appearance in one of these if he'd lived. The big reveal of Galactus was a ripoff. Altogether not a great flick, but no disaster either, and it went down smooth.

Transformers: This one surprised me a little, too. I was prepared to ignore it completely (Transformers, the 80's toys and cartoons, were more my son's thing) until a chance viewing, walking by the electronics department of Walmart, of the scene in the desert in which the Army or Marines or somebody battles this huge robotic scorpion- it was a blast, and I thought that this might be a good, turn-your-brain-off action flick, and maybe I should Netflix it- which I did, and I was right...that's exactly what it is. Fortunately, the script didn't ignore the humans too much and benefited from some good turns by some experienced scene chewers like John Tuturro (of all people). Not bad, for what it is.

Stardust: I've always blown hot and cold over the work of Neil Gaiman- while his work in general isn't exactly innovative, and his writing voice is precious and mannered, he excels at seizing upon a central idea or theme- Underground cities in London, a family of demigods that represent human nature- and then expanding these central ideas brilliantly. When Stardust the 4-issue limited series came out, it was after he had finished up his mostly outstanding Sandman series, and I was curious about how he would follow it up. Frankly, the first issue bored me. As a result, I didn't buy the next three and was mostly unfamiliar with everything but the basic premise, and I think that helped me enjoy this as much as I did, which was quite a bit actually. It's an imaginatively presented, sweeping adventure with a little humor, not excessive but enough to keep it light (even though it sometimes veers too close to Princess Bride territory), and an appealing cast, although Claire Danes, though attractive, is a little too lumpish to be a really entrancing ethereal starperson. If Terry Gilliam had had half the budget and studio interference that Matthew Vaughn was given, Brothers Grimm would have been a masterpiece, so I guess we've come that far at least.

Across the Universe: I love the visual innovation of director Julie Taymor, and of course you all know how much I revere the music of the Beatles, so someone was gonna have to try really hard to get me to dislike this. But sometimes great expectations can lead to bitter disappointment- fortunately, that was not the case. While the script was kinda cliched and obvious, the visuals and imaginative staging and from time to time some of the vocal performances even transcended it. So far, this is my favorite film of last year.

No Country For Old Men: Then again, sometimes great expectations actually do end up leading to colossal disappointment. Sadly, that was the case here. For a good 120 minutes or so, I was excited by the best Coen Bros. flick I've seen since O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Dialogue was outstanding, performances were great, and the direction was excellent. Atmosphere, marvelous. Some of the scenes were Hitchcockian in the tension they delivered. I was absolutely caught up in the cat-and-mouse game between Llewellyn Moss and Chigur, and was anticipating the resolution...

...and beware of spoilers here, those who may be reading and haven't seen it...

...which never came.

Like an ADD-stricken kid, the Coens suddenly dropped it and walked away! We were set up for what surely was going to be the final confrontation in the El Paso hotel. But suddenly, we get Tommy Lee Jones arriving too late at the scene of a shootout which forced us to assume that it hadn't gone well, and shifted the focus to Jones' conflicted and ineffectual character. By not giving us some sort of resolution to what had been established as the backbone of the film, I felt as if a bait-and-switch had been pulled on me, and the longer I sat there the madder I got.

I don't know. The more I think about it, the more I think the theatre must have left out a reel or something. I almost turned to the other five people in there with me and asked them if they felt the same way I did about it. I haven't seen this brought up in any of the reviews or blog posts I've read, either- and I'm 99.9% sure I didn't nod off or something, so I'm just confused and saddened.

I get that the Coens were all about setting up Chigur as some sort of inhuman monster, and thematically dealing with choices we all have to make and the inevitability of death and probably a dozen other things that those more perceptive than I have picked up on...but all I know is that they really fucked up what I thought was, as I said, the backbone of the film, and I just can't wrap my head around that.

I think I'll have to sit down and watch it again when it comes out on DVD, and see if I perceive it any differently. I'm not optimistic. As compromised and bad as The Ladykillers was, at least they followed up on what they promised.



And that's my look at the films of 2007 that I've seen, so far. I'll be getting Eastern Promises today or tomorrow, and I might add it if I get the chance.

From all of me to all of you, happy 2008. And be safe tonight.


New Year's resolution: blog more here.

Best Comics of 2007.

2008 is almost here, so I figure it's time to make with the

BACARDI SHOW BEST OF 2007 IN COMICS,
GRAPHIC NOVELS, ET CETERA!

Now, let me preface this as I always do...This is by no means a list which claims to be the absolute best of the past year, will brook no dissension, et cetera. There are many, many fine, outstanding, revelatory comics and graphic novels that I've read volumes about on other comics blogs- you know, the ones that get linked to by Dirk Deppey- that I simply have not read due to not being on a particular comp list and/or lack of funds and/or not knowing anybody that has a copy I could borrow. So this is a highly personal, idiosyncratic list which is by no means complete, but is the best I can do under the circumstances. I shall continue what has become my annual tradition, namely citing 10 best plus 2. Just because. Rather than divide my nominations into graphic novels, limited series, ongoings, etc., creating sets and subsets and making this more of a chore than it needs to be, I'll just lump 'em all together and let God sort 'em out, m'kay?

Maestro, if you please:


ABRAXAS AND THE EARTHMAN (Rick Veitch, King Hell): As imaginative and clever in 2007 as it was in 1981.

BLACK METAL V1 (Rick Spears, Chuck B.B.; Oni Press): Left-field surprise which I found completely enjoyable.

COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE FIRE THIEF's TALE (Ted Naifeh, Oni Press): It's been too long since Naifeh revisited Courtney, fortunately it didn't disappoint.

CRIMINAL (Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips; Marvel/Icon): Brubaker and Phillips continue to make excellence look easy.

FABLES (Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steven Leialoha, various; DC/Vertigo): Fables has had an exceptionally solid year, with the current ongoing storyline ranking among the best in the series yet. How many series, 70-plus issues in, can make that claim?

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST (Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, David Aja, various; Marvel): Good old-fashioned pulpy fun and martial arts action, with a high-quality blend of backup artists.

JLA/HITMAN (Garth Ennis, John McCrea; DC): Like I said the other day- this was the best series DC put out in, well, let's just say a long time. I liked Ennis' Superman more here than in the entire Morrison run of All-Star Superman, and as much as Supes' previous appearance in the Hitman world, unsurprisingly. Isn't it funny (strange, and ha-ha) how hardassed cynic Ennis can write one of the most upfront and heroic characters in modern fiction so well? A textbook display of how to have superhero characters interact and relate to each other, as well as a bittersweet valentine to those of us who loved Tommy Monaghan back in the day. I hope they collect this in one volume soon, I just might buy it again.

KANE VOL. 6: PARTNERS (Paul Grist, Image): While I'm sure many of you have already read the stories re-presented here, I hadn't, and to me this represents Paul Grist at the top of his game, which is saying something to me.

THE LAST SANE COWBOY AND OTHER STORIES (Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, AiT/PlanetLar): Absolutely inspired surrealist lunacy, the likes of which you just don't see all that often.

NAT TURNER: REVOLUTION BOOK 2 (Kyle Baker): Unforgettable conclusion to this historical saga, with some of Baker's best, and most committed, art in at least a decade.

SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 4: SCOTT PILGRIM GETS IT TOGETHER (Bryan Lee O'Malley; Oni): Still clever, fresh and fun.

SHAZAM VS. THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL (Jeff Smith, DC): It takes a certain kind of writer and artist to capture the openhearted, benign vibe of the best Captain Marvel comics of the 40's, and DC was fortunate to find both in one person in Smith. Faltered a bit when Smith tried to shoehorn in commentary on current politics, but it never broke stride.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Catwoman, Dr. Strange: The Oath, Dr. Thirteen: Architecture and Morality, NextWave: Agents of H.A.T.E., Delphine #2, Meat Cake, All-Star Superman, Hawaiian Dick #1, Love and Rockets Vol.2, Powers, Jack Staff, Will Eisner's The Spirit, Superf*ckers, Hellboy: Darkness Calls, Batman #'s 667-669, Omega the Unknown #'s 1-3, The Brave and the Bold, Re-Gifters, 100 Bullets, Daredevil, Casanova, the short backing features by Colleen Coover and Jeff Parker in X-Men: First Class.

Wow.

Found via Scott Cederlund's Secret of the Wednesday's Haul blog: the art blog of one Francesco Francavilla, named Pulp Sunday.

He specializes in illustrating adventures of pulp heroes such as the Shadow, as you'll see if you click on the link. Scott compares his work to such luminaries as Alfredo Alcala and Steve Bissette, valid enough, especially in the blackspotting area...but I don't think his inkline is as blocky as Alcala's was, or as loose as Bissette's pencil work. To me, it looks a lot like the inkwash efforts Gene Colan turned in for Warren in the 60's- those things were beautiful- and I'm also reminded a lot of David Mazzuchelli's 80's work via Batman: Year 1. I'm also reminded a little of former DC Shadow artist Eduardo Barretto, except Francavilla's art is much more dynamic and less fussy.

I like it a lot, and boy would I like to read more Shadow comics by this guy. And I hope someday he gets interested in the Avenger as well...

CONFESSIONS OF A SPINNER RACK JUNKIE: THE GARGANTUAN MONSTER HEAD-CRUSHING YEAR-END REVIEW BLOWOUT EPISODE!!!

Well, here we go again. This is going to be my big 2007 catch-up review post, in which I write a line or two about the comics I've read since the last time I reviewed comics sometime back in October. Some of these, I'll have more to say than others; if you want in-depth insight go read Jog. Does this mean I'll be doing this on a regular basis again? Probably maybe definitely. Either way, remember, I never said I was going away forever- I just wanted to take a break, and I have. Also coming before the end of the year, a best of 2007 list- nobody does THOSE, now do they? Anyway, without any further ado...

100 BULLETS #86: The Standard Review: Another well-done issue what will engage the already engaged, baffle the uninitiated, and even baffle the initiated upon occasion. I think I'll just cut and paste this review for the next 14 issues. A-

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #9 Generally, the quality level of A-SS has been high, but occasionally Grant and Frank have dropped a stinker on us, and none so pungent as this puzzling episode, which seems to be missing pages in the middle- otherwise how to explain the abrupt and offputting shift in the central concept and the hasty resolution? And while I think Quitely is one of the best there is these days, and laud his intent to draw realistic superhero costumes, is it necessary to draw Supes' costume so baggy and ill-fitting? Better than just looking like lines drawn on paper, but he looks so sad-sack that the effect is amusing rather than inspiring, and I still think Supes oughtta be a little inspiring, call me old-fashioned. Frank, get thee to a Gray Morrow art book forthwith. He's someone who knew how to draw realistic superpeople. C+

AMERICAN VIRGIN #20, 21: Figures- just as this gets interesting, it gets canceled. Despite still dancing all around a real defining point for the series as a whole, it's been rewarding on a "what happens to whom and why" basis for those of us who have been along since the beginning, and I would imagine puzzling to those who haven't. One thing remains constantly good, and that's Becky Cloonan's art, nicely inked for the last few issues by Jim Rugg. B+

THE ATHEIST #4 Remember this? Don't blame you if you don't- it's only been about a year and eight months since #3 came out. Guess artist John McCrea (no doubt burdened with higher profile and better paying gigs) was the reason for the delay because this concluding issue has a different (not bad, better than McCrea in places) illustrator on board, and against all odds is gripping and solid. Writer Phil Hester is to be commended for remaining true to his character- we knew had the potential to be as matter of fact hardcore as this issue's resolution necessitates, and he does not disappoint, making him all the more interesting because of it. I, for one, hope to see further stories...but I won't hold my breath. A-

BAT LASH #1: OK, so original co-plotter Sergio Aragones is supposed to be somewhere on board. Perhaps he made a suggestion or two in regards to plot, but if his genial touch is evident anywhere else in this umpteenth wrongheaded attempt to show modern audiences that this Bat Lash character a small group of people loved back in the 60's (myself included) is pretty cool and worthy of wider-spread attention, I don't see it. This is bland, by-the-numbers cowboy stuff, and this Brandvold guy, supposedly some sort of hot-shit western novel writer, brings absolutely none of the wit and panache that Dennis O'Neil did to the character- and it sports some of the most godawful attempts to write Old West slang I've ever read. I mean "Sure as tequila on a bean-eater's breath" and "They ain't gonna know whether to build him a wooden overcoat or toss him into a stew pot" - is he kidding me? And of course, how could we do without that new DC tradition, a potential rape cliffhanger? We've all come so far, haven't we? On art, God bless John Severin- he still has the mojo after all these years, and this looks fine, but his stiff, dry style isn't exactly conducive to bringing out the best in the lackluster script. One reason why Bat was so good in those meager nine issues was the lively, playful art of Nick Cardy, at that's almost a 180 degree shift from Severin. This is not a promising start. In fact, it's quite depressing, something a Bat Lash comic shouldn't be. C-

BIFF BAM POW #1: I wanted to like this a lot more than I did- Evan Dorkin has really become a reliably good storyteller, and the lead character and her world was fun, but there's just something unexciting about the concept itself, or unexciting to me anyway. A misfire, but a mildly entertaining one, and I will always take a chance on a Dorkin (especially in tandem with Sara) project, because odds are that I won't be disappointed. B

B.P.R.D.: KILLING GROUND #3, 4, 5: Speaking of reliable franchises, the whole B.P.R.D. arm of the Hellboy saga rolls right on with this particularly frenzied and bloody chapter, which ended somewhat ambiguously but not disappointingly so. I'm sure they'll get back to it. Oh, and Guy Davis is still a genius, did you know? A-

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #7, 8: The Supergirl/Power Girl teamup was tasty, like cotton candy, and just about as substantial. The Flash/Metamorpho/Doom Patrol teamup was dragged down by the curious decision to rewrite the DP as the Addams Family, but it moved along at a decent clip, so it was fine. Waid writes his ass off, Perez provides his usual claustrophobic, but well-crafted, art job. This comic manages to curious trick of being absolutely inessential, but yet somehow infinitely more enjoyable than the rank and file DC book these days. Just how long they get to walk that tightrope is anybody's guess. B+

CASANOVA #10, 11: Remains clever and inchoate in damn near equal measures. The enthusiasm of the creators is infectious, but too often this just noodles along like a mid-70's Steve Howe eight minute guitar solo, something that I doubt, very strongly, is what Fraction has in mind. B+

CATWOMAN #72, 73: It speaks to DC's collective creative bankruptcy, not to mention the myopia of the Great Unwashed of Fandom, that this title remains (disheartening, but logical, character developments aside) one of DC's very best, but most anonymous and disappointing sales-wise, superhero titles. How much longer can this go on? A-

COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE FIRE THIEF'S TALE: It's been too long since we've had a new Courtney story, and it picks up right where the last one left off, with Miss Crumrin and her Uncle Aloysius traveling together. In this story, they end up getting involved with Romanian gypsies and werewolves, and a somewhat novel and definitely dramatic lover's triangle. Great little character moments abound, and the easy resolution option is not taken, which makes this another outstanding chapter in this series. I've been enjoying other Naifeh's other projects such as Death, Jr., written by Gary Whitta, and his own Barrie-oque fantasy Polly and the Pirates, but it's on Courtney that his talents shine most brightly. One odd thing about Naifeh's otherwise evocative and nicely inked art: are you familiar with the method by which many cartoonists check their art- by holding it up to the light backwards, enabling the artist to see anatomy and perspective mistakes better? When one does this, even though these things may be correct, the figures themselves look oddly slanted when reversed. Naifeh's work often looks like that to me, even when viewed from the front. Pardon my digression. A

CRIMINAL #10: Criminal remains a solid, mature, thoughtful work by two creators at the top of their game, and the latest arc was no exception as this issue's resolution was as satisfying as it was resonant, in keeping with the characters and their backgrounds. Sometimes I wish it was a little less staid and resolutely ordinary (sometimes excellence in craftsmanship only goes so far), something I could say about the whole Noir genre, in prose, film or comics...but that's just the contrarian in me. A

DAREDEVIL #101, 102, DAREDEVIL ANNUAL #1: The misery parade continues for ol' Hornhead, and although the dramatics are well done it's becoming a drag to read. As a kid whose early collection included V1 #6, as well as the Marvel Tales reprint of this, I like what Ed's doing with Mr. Fear, and I was happy to see the Enforcers return too. As it has for most of Brubaker and Lark/Gaudiano's tenure, this remains a solid A-. But the hobgoblins of consistency are beginning to make themselves known.

DMZ #24, 25: The last couple of issues have seen Brian Wood spending (marking?) time with single-story examinations of some of the peripheral players in the saga as a whole. Regular artist Burchielli is on board for #24's look at terrorist pawn Amina, and his style gets looser and looser. Some good dramatics get it over. #25 features Danijel Zezelj, last seen on the AWOL Desolation Jones, and his stark, sketchy, expressionistic style makes its tale of the Godfatheresque "Ghost Protector of Chinatown", merely named "Wilson" very compelling. 25 issues in, the time seems to be right for this sort of horizon-broadening, but it also unfortunately causes my admittedly tentative interest to wander a bit. Those who may be harder of core about this series won't understand what I'm talking about. B+

DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #3: OK as far as it goes, but despite an occasional clever quip this reads like Ellis on autopilot. I don't care for the art at all- it's too stiff and clumsy. Unfortunately, finding a distinctive and sympathetic collaborator isn't high on Ellis' priority list; when paired with a Williams or Cassaday, he's often magic. When paired with lesser talents, he becomes quite ordinary, no matter how many "mad ideas" he borrows from Metafilter or Boing Boing. C+

FABLES #66, 67, 68: Fables continues to be one of the more enjoyable reads out there, and now that I've gotten used to the art, which is impeccably designed but bland in style, it has become one of the few books I look forward to reading. The latest storyline, in which former Mundy world janitor "Flycatcher" (the Frog Prince, get it) goes into the enemy kingdom via the Land of the Dead and becomes a major irritant to the enemy has been one of the best arcs yet. A-

FAKER #4, 5: As I said last time, this would have been better served as part of an SF anthology title- as is, Carey and (most dismayingly) Jock seem to be sleepwalking and the concept is derivative and blah. Barring a bravura finish, this has been a disappointment. C+

GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #6: I suspect this meant more to old diehard Losers fans than the aficionados of 52 and the like. Despite borrowing a little too much from James Bond movies, this wasn't bad overall and had me liking a character I've been mostly indifferent to for 40 plus years. B+

GLISTER #2: This one's a little more imaginative than issue #1 and a tad less fey and cutesy, but it's still awfully precious and Watson's newish scratchy-line art style just doesn't satisfy my eye like it oughtta. If you like cutesy-poo stories about precocious kids, illustrated in faux-1950's children's book fashion but by someone who apparently needs to clean out his nibs and brushes, then by all means have at it. B-

HATE ANNUAL #7: Bagge's decision to have Buddy Bradley dress up like some demented 1960's Saturday morning local TV kiddie show host remains a puzzler and smacks of goofy-for-goofy's sake and therefore grates, but the lead story is the best Buddy tale I've read in a long time. Bat Boy loses something, to me anyway, when I don't read it while waiting in line at the grocery store, and the other reruns of his work in other venues doesn't leave much of an impression. 1994 seems like a million years ago, doesn't it? B-

HAWAIIAN DICK: SCREAMING BLACK THUNDER #1: New artist Scott (Northwest Passage) Chantler comes on board in the latest iteration of what has to be the absolute best private eye-set-in-Hawaii series in the history of comics, and he acquits himself very well in the first chapter, which involves the clever idea (not necessarily original, mind you, but in this setting...) of ghosts of WWII Japanese aviators that are apparently haunting a group of aerial daredevils that Byrd has befriended. Original artist Steven Griffin contributes art to a nifty backup story featuring Girl Friday Kahami. So far so good. A-

HIGHWAYMEN #5: The poster child for the fucked-up comics climate these days ended on a fairly high note, and was resolved in fine fashion. Don't know what could have made this more noteworthy; a different artist, with a more dynamic, less derivative style might have helped, at least on the covers anyway...oh well. I'd like to see more, but I won't stand on one leg waiting. B

HELLBLAZER #237, 238: Diggle made a misstep in #237, giving us something which never fails to irritate your humble scribe: The resolution that isn't, not yet. Still, I like the villains the Diggle's cooked up to plague our John, and he still is doing a wonderful job of keeping him in character. But none of this is especially gripping reading, and I can't exactly say why. Guess it's just me. B+

HELLBOY: DARKNESS CALLS #6: Storywise, this is pretty standard Mignola Hellboy stuff, full of gnomes and witches and fairies and big pighead monsters, all standing around calmly and making terse pronouncements. In fact, my biggest quibble with this otherwise outstanding miniseries is that there was a definite air of seen-this-hit-that throughout. Saving grace: getting Duncan Fregredo to do the art chores- he remained true to the whole established Hellboy ethos throughout, while deftly working in his usual dynamic perspective and anatomy. In the hands of lesser talents, this could have been a disaster. A-

IRON MAN: ENTER THE MANDARIN #3: You know, this is a stylish and damn smart little series- Casey's script doesn't betray how padded it is, thanks to some nifty character work that makes someone who remembers back in the day, before Civil Wars and Bob Layton and even George Tuska, happy. Star of the show here, though, is the dynamic Eric Canete art; it's no looser than it needs to be and really makes the script sing. A-

JLA/HITMAN #2: This and #1 are the best frigging superhero books released by DC in 2007. Or 2006 and 2005, for that matter. From Garth Ennis, oh the irony. What next? A+

JONAH HEX #24, 25: #24 is a freewheeling and lively, but awkwardly constructed and ultimately unsatisfying, Halloween tale that features Bat Lash and El Diablo running afoul of a witch who manages to channel the demonic side of the latter. The art, by one David Michael Beck, is stiff and awkward with an ugly grainy look. #25 unintentionally reminded me of the old song "A Boy Named Sue" as a senior-aged Jonah encounters his estranged son. It's nicely drawn by reliable old pro Russ Heath, whose work always makes me sit up and notice. Heath has lost a little of his dexterity, it seems, but none of his skill. #24: B-; #25: B+

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST #10: This remains fun in the way that Daredevil apparently can't be, and coherent in the way Casanova apparently doesn't want to be, and must be considered one of the best-ever Pulp/Comics blends ever. Even the rotating backup artists enhance rather than frustrate, and that's a rarity indeed. A.

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: THE BLACK DOSSIER: It's as if Moore thought to himself, "Self, if they thought creating an entire comics line out of scratch and writing each and every title was a titanic act of hubris, then following it up with the metaphysicalities of the final issues of Promethea was more of the same, just wait until I show them how well versed I am in the classics, and how I can bend and twist them to my every whim! Bwah ha ha!" Which is, of course, kinda overstating it a bit but really, this is not just gilding the lily, but it's encrusting the fucker with diamonds and rubies and placing it on display at the Louvre. Loved the first two Gentlemen series, really I did, it reinforced that which did not really need reinforcing: Messire Alan Moore is a clever fella and an imaginative writer. The scene in the final issue, in which the previously reprehensible Mr. Hyde resignedly, yet aggressively, goes primeval on Martian asses, is one of the most appropriate finales I've ever read in a comic book. But Moore isn't really trying to tell much of a story here, and on that score he succeeds- the underlying storyline in this is pretty good for the most part, with smirking takes on James Bond and some clever cameos- I was especially gratified, Avengers (and no, I don't mean Marvel Comics) fan that I am, to see Emma Peel worked into the mix. But the problem is yet another non-resolution resolution; Moore is content to have his protagonists escape into some sort of convoluted Never-Never Land, presumably to be seen again at some point in the future but a little annoying when considering how much the faithful punters have gone through to experience the latest from the Guru himself. Not quite good-faith bargaining. Of course, admirers will counter with the argument that all the peripheral stuff, all the homages and pastiches of Tijuana Bibles, the overlong and overwrought saga of Orlando, and (the especially ghastly) Kerouac/Ginsburg section and such is of such high quality and therefore an enhancement of the complete package...and while I agree to a point, like I said, much of the text pieces are a real slog to get through (I don't think I'll ever be able to read the aforementioned Ginsburg "homage" in this lifetime), and the Kevin O'Neill art is only effective on this stuff up to a point. And at this point I'll give it up to Mr. O'Neill; frankly, I don't find his art style pleasing, never have, but I completely admire his dedication and craft and storytelling chops. So, to sum, as always I'm as put off by yet admiring of, in equal measures, Moore's apparent need to remind us these days how well-read and esoteric he is and salute Mr. O'Neill for making it all work as well it does. I don't think this is a success by any means, but neither do I wish I had my money back, and I guess that makes this a qualified success. But it won't make my best of 2007 list. B

LOBSTER JOHNSON: THE IRON PROMETHEUS #2, 3, 4: I love Hellboy and the assorted spinoffs, but Lobster Johnson, that Pulp magazine pastiche, has never seemed all that clever or even necessary- it's as if Mike wanted to do a Pulp hero a la the Shadow, Doc Savage, or the Avenger so bad that he couldn't help himself- he just had to drop Johnson in the middle of his most popular book, no matter how incongruous he was. And this miniseries has defied my every attempt to warm up to it- it's decently illustrated by Jason Armstrong, channeling Guy Davis for all he's worth- but the story is just to cluttered and haphazardly constructed, and just plain old doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe it will all be tied up in #5 to my satisfaction, who knows. Not holding my breath. C+

MEAT CAKE #16: That Dame Darcy, she's a national treasure, the horny Grandma Moses of her g-g-generation. A-

METAL MEN #3, 4: This looks bright and shiny in its mangaesque pretensions, but it is simply too muddled and overscripted for me to stay interested, so I intend to drop it after #5, my next pre-ordered issue. I like that new Copper robot, though. C+

MIDDLEMAN VOL 3: THE THIRD VOLUME INESCAPABILITY: Threatens to drown in a deluge of jokey, hamfisted pop-culture references, but the characterization and a couple of nifty twists save the day. And of course, artist Les McLaine makes it all look great with his deft style. This still has a ways to go before wearing out its welcome, but I sure didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the previous two miniseries. B+

NORTHLANDERS #1: Even though the dialogue is nowhere near as hightoned, and there are echoes of Hamlet and dare I say The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent contained therein, this postmodern Viking saga seems to be trying to do for the Norsemen what Deadwood did for cowboys (and thugs, whores and politicians), which is to say elevate the genre (if that's what it is) above the cliche and make something out of it that today's twentysomethings can read and not smirk as they do so. It certainly helps that (yet another- what, do they genetically breed new artists these days?) newcomer Davide Gianfelice is able to illustrate the mud, the blood and the mead with style, even though I wish it was a bit less fussy and a little more propulsive. Of course, it's way too early to make a definitive judgment about how good this may or may not be- much will hinge, I do believe, on how much charisma and reader identification Wood can wring out of his lead- and right now, he comes across as hard to like, not the first impression I'd think he wants. Anyway, we shall see what we will see. A-

OMEGA THE UNKNOWN #3: I don't know if anybody's paying attention, but this has become, against all odds, a very interesting read. Having not read the original (as I said when reviewing this months ago), I'm not sure how much this is deviating from the Gerber version by now, but I like the dry tone and real-scanning dialogue, aided by Faryl Dalrymple's deadpan anti-Kirby Marvel House Style art. It's not very often that a revisiting of an older comic series surpasses the original, but we just might have a winner here. Stay tuned. A-

POWERS #26, 27: The book that Bendis seems to care about suffers a little from his deliberate approach, but when things do happen, they have weight and resonance and goose the story further on. After all this time, I still care about Deena and Christian and what's going to happen to them, and therefore I keep reading. The art definitely helps- Oeming's streamlined style sometimes gets away from him and chaos ensues, but in terms of mood and expression, he is first rate. A-

THE RIDE: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL; Murky and unpleasant ripoff of both Tarantino and John Carpenter (or Tobe Hooper, even). The Ride series so far has been a guilty pleasure, but this just made me feel guilty for spending good money on it. C

SCOTT PILGRIM VOL 4: SCOTT PILGRIM GETS IT TOGETHER: By now, I'd imagine most people have made up their mind about the Scott Pilgrim series- I'm far from the target demographic, I would think, but I've always had a soft spot for imaginative, fun comics that have that certain je'nais se quis and as far as I'm concerned Scott certainly fills that bill. O'Malley's unusual art style is very expressive and easy on the eyes, and I believe he's really improving as a storyteller as well, really coming into his own. I wish that Scott's circle of friends could convince me of why they continue to hang out together, and I wish Scott wasn't such a clueless dumbass as much as he seems to be, but those are minor quibbles and Scott Pilgrim remains a must-read as far as I'm concerned. A

SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST #3, 4: This should have been good, in a trash-cinema kinda way, but it was just dull, silly, and felt padded-out. The Daughters of the Dragon team of Graymiotti and Khari Evans (some really dodgy anatomy this time, Khari, especially on Shanna) proved once more that lightning rarely strikes twice. C-

UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2, 3: There's just no charm or excitement here, like most of DC's offerings these days, but it's hard to say what the problem is exactly. It uses Grant's 7 Soldiers: Spawn of Frankenstein concept as its springboard, just like the previous series, and that's far from the worst idea they could use; but with the exception of Uncle Sam, nobody is half as interesting as they were before. Perhaps it's just as simple as the artist change; Renato Arlem's sloppy cut-and-pasting isn't as easy on the eye as Daniel Acuna's airbrushed sheen. The first series (which I liked, overall) rambled, climaxed too many times, and really could have stood to have been six issues instead of eight, but this one just seems too deliberately paced and unfocused somehow, as if they're literally making it up as they go along...and my patience wears thin quickly these days so I think I will just stop here before anymore time and money are spent. C

WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT #11: The grande finale of issue #9, which read a little better- nothing about this issue (why was the totally irrelevant #10 sandwiched in between? Deadline issues?) works very well at all. The straight-up horror elements clash incongruously with the cotton-candy Timm-inspired cartoonishness of Cooke's style, the out-of-nowhere Ellen Dolan ex-boyfriend plot resolver seems random and arbitrary, as well as a sop thrown to gay readers; and why exactly did Ebony drive his cab off the bridge? Eisner and his collaborators, while never averse to the occasional fantastical tale, never bothered with grim goings-on like this, and once more he's proven correct in his (and their) convictions. Of course, it's all gorgeously illustrated, and often that's enough for me, but not even the art can make this palatable. C+

WORLD OF WARCRAFT #1: I'm probably the least qualified person to judge how successful this is at what it's intended to do- in essence, pique the potential reading interest of the legion of World of Warcraft gamers. All I know about WoW is that my son spends a lot of time playing it, and if he lived at home I would have solicited his opinion. There's first-class talent involved; Walt Simonson is the writer, and while he's never been the writer that he is the illustrator he has a no-frills, solid style. Sandra Hope is an experienced inker, whose specialty is inking the pseudomanga stylings of the likes of Humberto Ramos, and new-to-me penciller Ludo Lullabi (say what now?) is right in that stylistic ballpark. Despite the talent involved, it struck me, after I read it, as generic Tolkienesque swords vs. big ugly Orcish creatures and unknown/undetermined sorcery type stuff, the likes of which we've all read before and got tired of at about the same time we bacame of legal drinking age. But this may be an advantage to the gamer who picks this up out of curiosity and is gratified to see that it remains faithful to the subject matter. So all I can do is shrug my shoulders and tell you I've seen worse, and I've seen better, and make up your own mind- it won't burn you if you attempt to pick it up and read it. C+

OK, that is all for now. Thanks for your patience, and comments are always welcome. Tell your friends! "Oh crap, he's doing it again..."

Coming in the next couple of days, my TOP 12 of 2007, and I'll include LUCHA LIBRE 2 and SUPER SPY in my next Spinner Rack Junkie, up in the next two weeks!

From all of me to all of you:

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Hanukkah!
Feliz Navidad!
Merii Kurisumasu!
Joyeux Noel!
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Mele Kalikimaka!

Happy Krimble!


Even though it's not particularly festive, especially with the Hate-Monger's ugly mug featured so prominently, I've always liked that clever S.H.I.E.L.D. cover from the post-Steranko Frank Springer run. Besides, what with all the people posting Christmas-themed comics covers these days, I figure they've all been used anyway.

I still have about 8 reviews to add to the Monster Spinner Rack Junkie post, and will be doing so soon. So if you see it back at the top of the page, skim down, they'll be in there, just like the dozen or so new ones I've put in there over the past week!

Anyways-

Peace on Earth to all y'all.

Today is the 27th anniversary of the senseless and maddening murder of John Lennon.

Yasurakani nemure, John.

Imonna getsum comeeks today.

Assuming DHL does their part, here's my bi-weekly haul:

POWERS #27
SPIRIT #11
CATWOMAN #73
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #8
HELLBLAZER #238
HAWAIIAN DICK #1
UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #3
AMERICAN VIRGIN #21
FAKER #5
CASANOVA #11
DAREDEVIL #102


And that's it! Really, the only one I'm looking forward to much at all is the new Hawaiian Dick miniseries- Clay Moore and Scott (Northwest Passage) Chantler, two great tastes that should taste great together. Or something like that.

Anyways, I'd say I'm going to review them here, but I probably won't. I am considering doing a big monster head-crushing year-end review spectacular edition of Confessions of a Spinner Rack Junkie, in which I just lump a whole buncha books together with a general statement about if I liked 'em or not, then a day or so later put up a best of 2007. Then maybe get back into the review saddle in full force in 2008. Maybe.

I should post that Nilsson song, "Maybe" here.

Anyway, that's my haul. Actually, I haven't completely finished my shipment of two weeks ago, especially if you consider the overwrought League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier with its endless text pieces and diversions. For what it's worth, I have read the main story and certain passages of the rest. I don't think I'll ever read it cover to cover; that imitation Kerouac/Ginsburg section is frightening. If I was going to review it anytime soon, I'd say that Moore has finally completed the journey straight up his own ass that he began when he took the wheel of Promethea, made a hard left, and drove it straight through the Obfuscated Metaphysical Desert. But I'm not.

My favorite in the big Wonder Woman redesign contest that the Project: Rooftop guys held recently, by Jemma Salume. It just looks more practical for fighting evil and stuff. It's not necessarily my favorite illustration; that would be this one:



By Ming Doyle, whose work I've been following via her blog for a little while now. She's güd, as We3 wüd say.

The winning submission is a lively design, but the big shoulder pad looking thingies seem like they'd be hell of uncomfortable and annoying.

If you haven't seen it and the others already, go here.

From the LP Cover Lover blog- a Miles Davis album cover with art by the great Don Martin! There's another right here!

Hey! This blogging stuff is contagious!

Anyway, I wanted to share this image, which was set to be the cover to Dark Horse's Starstruck: The Expanded Universe #5- which of course never saw print. It is of course by Mike Kaluta, who graciously sent it to me when I couldn't see it at the Kaluta Yahoo! Group, which you should all belong to.

He also stated in a post to the community (which he often does) that he and Elaine Lee are still interested in bringing Starstruck to a satisfactory conclusion someday, but haven't been able to find a publisher that would agree to publish/republish it the way they want it (i.e., in color).

Looking at DC's solicitations for March, I noticed, much to my surprise, that SHOWCASE PRESENTS: PHANTOM STRANGER VOL. 2 was among the solicited. Having enjoyed the first one, especially the stories early in the run that I hadn't owned and read, I am happy to see it.

This one will start off with a bang- issues 22-24, by Len Wein (still PS' best writer) and Jim Aparo, are the concluding chapters of their Dark Circle saga, and are probably the Stranger's finest published hour. #25 is by Wein and Aparo too, but is just a mystery story that smacks of inventory, and marks their final issue. #26, which you might recall from my Spawn of Frankenstein post series, (Imageshack seems to have lost a couple of the scans, which annoys me no end) was the big grande finale for that era. After that, a whole new writer and artist came on board- the late Arnold Drake and unknown Filipino Gerry Talaoc, and that ushered in a long period in which for all practical purposes the Stranger became another Cain & Abel-style horror host, introducing, and even once in a while participating in a passive fashion in, stories which pretty much seemed to be recycled House of Mystery/Secrets fare. It was during this period that I first discovered the character and the book, at a drugstore in nearby Cave City. I still vaguely recall the day- I was scanning the racks, looking for something different, and noticed the cover to #31; why this caught my eye I can't say, especially when I had failed to notice other issues of the Stranger in the past. Regardless, I bought it, read it, and liked it enough to get #32 (the contents of which I don't remember to this day) and more importantly I got interested in the pre-#31 run, which was not easy to find in those pre-comics shop and internet days, believe you me. By #33, fan reaction to the new Rod Serling Stranger was pretty much uniformly hostile- if the letters pages were any indication- so they gradually began to make PS more of an active participant in the stories, even having guest stars such as Deadman pop up. Eventually, David Michelinie and a young turk named Paul Levitz ended up writing the book, even attempting to create an ongoing continuity of sorts with a recurring villain, something which the book hadn't had since Tannarak and Tala- before it finally got canned with issue #41. It was the first time in a few years that I had had a comic that I regularly bought and liked get cancelled, the previous instance being the Adams/Thomas X-Men in the late 60's. Kinda messed with me at the time, but I soon grew to get used to it.

Besides, PS kept popping up in titles like Justice League; this volume also features the Stranger's not-bad first appearance in issue #103- I was buying Justice League at the time and it was written by Len Wein, so it was triply cool. Also included are two Brave and the Bold appearances, only one of which (#98) I've read, and a late 70's House of Secrets, which seemed to be a testing-of-the-waters for a PS comeback, but apparently it didn't impress. While the art was by Gerry Talaoc, the script was by Gerry Conway, who was utterly mediocre on his previous stint on the character. I used to have this one, but don't anymore and couldn't tell you what it was about to save my life.

So, anyway, SHOWCASE PRESENTS: PHANTOM STRANGER VOL. 2. Supposedly coming out in March. I'm geeked for it.

And yeah, I know- this is a comics post. Am I already coming out of retirement? Stay tuned.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well hello there!

Looks kinda different around here, doesn't it?

I'm not quite ready to resume operations here yet, but I was bored with the way it looked so I decided it was time to make a change, as I mentioned I might in my "goodbye post" below.

I'll probably replace the links before too long. I'm also thinking I'll put up a "Best of 2007" in comics list sometime before the end of the year. After that? Who knows.

Anyway, cheers, ta for now, keep watching the skies, and don't forget the LJ!