Last one for 2005 - just got my books today, because the holiday delayed the shipping. Haven’t read them yet.
Batman #648: Finally! *Someone *takes the gloves off. Even though it won’t take. I actually like Black Mask now. I also like taht this is apparently a hostage situation (despite the fact that the apparent prisoner has already turned up alive and free in Infinite Crisis).
JLA Classified #15: A middling ending to an overall very weak story.
Superman/Batman #23: I think they may have lost me. There’s more plot threads here than in Infinite Crisis. The delays didn’t help.
Wonder Woman #224: I found the Infinite Crisis version of the event more moving actually. They should have spent more time setting up the retreat of Paradise Island, since they had the space. Also, the PDR looks better as a giant artillery piece rather than as a backpack.
The real star of the week was Fables TPB #. So that’s the adversary, huh? but I miss the wolf.
I actually bought comix today. She-Hulk #100 (which I’m not all the way through yet); & New Avengers #Frank-Cho-does-interiors-&-the-women-actually-don’t-all-have-the-same-face (whatever)–which is a bunch of talking heads, mostly Jennifer Connolly, I mean Jessica Drew, explaining why she’s super again. Oh well.
I see that my analysis on reading Infinite C. #2 (that they were turning Kal-L into the bad guy in a dual riff on Zero Hour & “DC Two Thousand” or whatever that was called) was only partly right.
The genocide of the Amazons continues. I’m susprised there are any left - Amazons are always cannon fodder in most big events, setting aside invasions by Darkseid, civil wars etc. They must have had a few hundred thousand of them before Diana went to Man’s World, and they’re probably down to seventeen by now.
New Books for 12-29-05:
Batbooks.:
BATMAN 648 - good dramatic issue, taken up mostly by a fight scene between the Black Mask and Jason Todd, blessed with good terse dialoge: I feel the Mask’s rage frustration (this storyline’s been draggin’ on for a while). Still this was definitely one of the better issues in the arc so far,… 6/10
ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN THE BOY WONDER 3 - The first, relatively controversy free issue so far, and again, a batbook taken up by a fight scene, and a return to form, when it comes to storytelling. The highpoints are Frank Miller’s new take on the Canary, a dangerously well trained fighting machine from Ireland that’s looking for a mentor and doesn’t care who she plows through to get to him (reminding me of the first beating Batman hands out in the Leob/Lee “Hush” storyline), and the introduction of a fairly pissed off Man of Steel. I find myself wondering if Miller took a page from the defunct Birds of Prey TV miniseries, an episode of which has Batman training the Black Canary (the mother of the younger version who was a regular on the program) in flashback, who then goes deep undercover in the mob, and later does the witness protection number (I think, I’m not certain I recall that last bit correctly). 6/10
CATWOMAN 50 Pfieffer and Woods’ “Backward Masking” is a promising start to what I hope to be one of the few decent “Identity Crisis” spinoffs I’ve seen yet (all the better because it doesn’t feel as forced as some of the other related storylines, a matter of storytelling style, if not much difference in substance - despite the damage it does to the central epremise of Brubaker’s great run on the book. (I do hope Selena ends up reaffirming her search for personal redemption. It’s the whole hook that got me started on this title, way back when Bru and Cooke took up the reigns from Balent & Company.) We’ll see. 7/10
Team Books:
X FACTOR 2 A satisfyingly dense second outing from David and Sook. PAD juggles the multiple personalities and storylines really well, in a way that recalls Brubaker and Rucka’s excellent (and sadly, soon to be defunct GOTHAM CENTRAL). I didn’t expect this approach, and I’m looking forward to how it develops here (though I’m utterly mystified at what Monet St. Croix adds to the team, I would’ve preferred to see a bit more of Strong Guy or Rahne Sinclair this issue, or the new mystery villains.)
JLA CLASSIFIED 15. I love Ellis’ take on Superman: confident in his abilities and values, comfortable with his heritage and uniqueness and a shade on the mean side in dealing with his foes. Much the same, with variations in personality, applies to the rest of his vision of the League. That said, I do need to think on this story: just hat is it about Ellis script (which in terms of bare bones plot, isn’t very much different at all from hundreds of other League stories that I would find utterly sleep inducing) that makes it so interesting? Is it his portrayal of the Martian Manhunter and Superman (which vary a bit from what we’re used to seeing these days)? 6/10
The Other Stuff**:
LOVELESS 3 Writin’ about X-Factor 2 I spoke of blessed density. Something similar characterizes Azzarello and Frusin’s third installment of Loveless. The complexity implied by the carpet-baggers offer to Cutter, the suspicion and hatred of the Union soldiers enforcing the North’s rule over the recently defeated South, the mystery of Cutter’s promise to his war-hardened wife, and the conversation between the two blackmen, neither blind, but one willing to hope, the other cynical and out for himself… all of it makes me think on the density of the delayed Wintermen title. I’m hoping this continues to get more and more complex, like Azz’s best work on 100 Bullets. Good issue overall. 7/10
SHE HULK 100 The better books so far this week intrigued as well as entertained. She Hulk 2 gets an extra point for simply being fun (though I kinda’ wish Bobillo illustrated the whole story… well, with any luck this means he’s ahead on upcoming issues. Good to see some older work by Buscema and John Byrne when they were at the height of their powers too. 8/10.
That’s it for the week,… Happy New Year folks!
How much of this issue did Morales illustrate (if any)?
Snerk.
Wonder Woman - winding down to its close - I have to agree, the Infinite Crisis version was better. At least we got to see the pantheon’s thoughts in this one, though.
JLA : Classified - I feel like I have escaped from Hell, myself. To be fair, I thought it ended on a better note than the crappy, slow arc so far; but it was also rather abrupt. I think this was a victim of paced-for-trade-itis.
Superman/Batman - The delay didn’t help, but I’m still up to speed. Our pair of culprits is… interesting, to say the least.
She-Hulk - Bwaha! Razorback’s tale - awesome. The two Marvel heroes hit with the ret-can. John Byrne in a cameo, ranting about continuity. I’m betting our rescued Avenger is… Mockingbird. That’s my theory, anyway.
X-Factor - Where have I seen Layla Miller before? Hmm.
Catwoman #49 and 50 - Picked up 49 just to get a better handle on the context for 50, since I don’t normally collect this title. Zee was being a little unusually straightforward, wasn’t she?
**
Exiles** - Huzzah! Longshot to the rescue. I don’t buy that his power should protect him from Proteus as it does here, but it’s nice to see him anyway.
**
All-Star Batman and Robin** Controversy free? When young Dick Grayson hears that Batman’s vehicle is called the ‘Batmobile’, he retorts ‘That is so queer.’ And apparently, Batman’s still in the same car chase as he started back in… issue one? early issue two? Well, I guess it is a long drive from Gotham back to Wayne Manor. Good thing they’re going to show us all of it - wouldn’t want to miss any of Frank Miller’s scintillating dialogue.
Let’s see - Lullaby #2, continues to amuse… Jingle Belle : The Fight Before Christmas; Spider-Man / Black Cat #5 of 6; What If? Featuring Thor… Ultimate FF;Young Avengers Special; New Avengers;and the Crisis on Multiple Earths TPB of “The Teamups”.
That’s out? Sweet…gonna hafta look for it.
Only new book I’ve read yet to comment on is S/B 23… ‘Interesting’ is one way to put it.
‘Bowman’s real identity kinda made sense…the other one was a big ol’ WTF moment.
New Books for 12-29-05 continued:
I agree with those who said that after the action in DD#79, Daredevil #80 was oddly a bit of a let down, it didn’t flow as well as last issues great fight scene, but then the creative team had to cram so many supporting cast members into the story. The interaction between the members of Matt Murdock’s supporting cast, Luke, Danny, Natasha, Elektra, Wilson (Fisk) Milla, Foggy, Ben the Nurse, was all true to character and pretty interesting.
I feel sorry for the Night Nurse. Hope she can find a new space soon.
Boy this is an involving title. Bendis’ best, really (the protagonist of Alias got a bit whiney at times).