Awesome Cover Friday: Thanksgiving!

Since people have been wandering around blabbing about what they're thankful for lately I thought I'd get in on the act. Here are some comic book things I am thankful for and the awesome covers to go with them.

The Authority #12

I am thankful for the alignment of planets that brought Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, and Laura DePuy together for the first twelve issues of The Authority. I can't imagine that story being told without any of those four people being involved.


Astonishing X-Men #2

I'm thankful for Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men. I'm doubly thankful that John Cassaday is drawing it. Sure, it's been slow but each issue has been worth the wait. Whedon didn't come in like the Pro from Dover and assume that he knew everything about Comics. He worked hard and came up with an awesome story. This latest issue had two "holy crap" moments in it that I'm still smiling about.


Immortal Iron Fist #4

Speaking of awesome creative teams, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and David Aja are doing magical things with Immortal Iron Fist. For example, they are sticking to a reasonable release schedule. I kid, I kid. This incarnation of Iron Fist is my favorite comic currently on the stands. Check it out if you haven't already.


The OHOTMU Gadget Issue

I am thankful for the existence of the old-school Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, especially the final issue which was all about the equipment used by the various super-beings of the MU. This thing had cutaway pictures of Avengers Mansion along with specs for Stilt Man's stilts, Wizard's gadgets, and Nomad's discs. Who knew depleted uranium was so useful? The OHOTMU is available as a three-volume Essentials collection. It contains both versions from the '80s and it's awesome.

Finally, I am eternally thankful for the Grand Comic Book Database. Throw 'em some money this holiday season.

StormWatch: Post Human Division #9 - Wildstorm (2007)

This is the first issue of this comic that I have been disappointed in. The lead-up to this issue was very good but the payoff wasn't there. Issue #8 set up a murder mystery (or, more accurately, an attempted-murder mystery) which is resolved here in issue #9. The previous issue was an excellent look at the differences between the PHD team and Stormwatch Prime. It highlights all of the ways that the (mostly) non-powered PHD people can hold their own against the powerhouses of Prime.

I can't talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the story without blowing the end of #8. I will not reveal the identity of the murderer, however.

So if you don't want to know who the victim is read no further.







Jackson King, Stormwatch's director, has been shot in the head with a high-powered laser. Officer Doran goes into super-investigative mode and interrogates each of the suspects. The problem is, that's all that happens in this issue:

1. Talk about who the next suspect is.
2. Meet with the suspect.
3. Wait while the suspect acts indignant about the questioning.
4. Cross suspect off the list.
5. Lather
6. Rinse
7. Repeat

Each of the questioning scenes is featured in its entirety without adding anything to the story or providing any clues to the reader. We don't learn anything about any of the characters that didn't come up during the previous issue. There was a really cool moment with the new Weatherman but that was the only one that wasn't repetitive. It might have all been worth it if the attacker's motivation had been at all cool but it felt tacked on and out of character. To top it off, the final scene took all the wind out of the story's sails.

Christos Gage's writing and Doug Mahnke's art got this series off to a great start and Andy Smith's pencils on the last couple of issues continue the excellence. Next issue they will go back to doing PHD-only stuff and I think things will be back on track for this excellent series.

A Mess O' Reviews

World War Hulk #1 - Marvel (2007)

Lot's of smashing. Lots of yelling. Hulk vs. Black Bolt followed by Hulk vs. Iron Man. If you came here for explosions and fighting you're in the right place. Hulk's Warbound are cool. I'm already tired of Amadeus Cho. This one stays in my hold box.

Incredible Hulk #107 & Invincible Iron Man #19 - Marvel (2007)



I'm listing these together because they're effectively the SAME DAMN COMIC! Of the two, the Hulk issue has more story in it. The Iron Man issue tries to make Tony seem heroic again but it's too little too late. They're gonna have to reboot the entire character to make him something I want to read again. Too bad the Ultimate version isn't any better. Anyway, I'll pick up the next issue of Hulk but if it's just going to show us stuff that happened in WWH I'll save my money.

The Brave and the Bold #4 - DC (2007)



I was actually surprised to discover that this series is only up to issue 4. The first three issues had so much story crammed into them that I figured we were up to at least #6. The interactions between Supergirl and Lobo are worth the price of admission. We learn more about the maguffin everyone's chasing and we are left with a hell of a setup for next issue's Legion of Super-Heroes appearance. Also, George Pérez drawing Lobo! Out-freaking-standing! This is what I read comics for.

Black Summer #0 - Avatar (2007)



Warren Ellis has come up with a very good story about a superhero who kills the president and then says, "I've got fucking superpowers. Come and get me." The characters are good and the story is off to a great start. Unfortunately, I can't stand Juan Jose Ryp's art. There's no depth to it and there are these distracting, squiggly lines everywhere. I'll flip through issue #1 when it comes out but Ryp's art is what kept me from reading past the second issue of Wolfskin.

Dynamo 5 #4 - Image (2007)



This comic is about five people who discover that their real father is a superhero who just died. This makes for a bummer of a Fathers Day. The characters with adoptive fathers have just as awkward a time as the ones who grew up in orphanages. Jay Faerber and Mahmud A. Asrar turn in another excellent issue. This one is low key and well told.

Stormwatch Post Human Division #8 - Wildstorm (2007)



This one's another low-key issue. The PHD crew get some downtime in the form of a visit to Skywatch. The exposition is well done which makes this issue a good jumping-on point if you haven't read any of the previous issues. The character interactions are fun to read and each character gets a chance to shine. The PHD team are a bunch of badasses and this issue shows us why along with delving further into Stormwatch history. Also, the cliffhanger at the end has me waiting breathlessly for issue #9.

The Tick's 20th Anniversary Special Edition - New England Comics Press (2007)



The various installments in this Tick lovefest range from hilarious to incomprehensible. This is to be expected when over 30 creators are involved in a project. There are more hits than misses, though. If you are a fan of The Tick in any of his incarnations, check this out. The sweet cover by Simon Bisley is worth the price.

Stormwatch: Post Human Division #4 - Wildstorm (2007)

I really liked Warren Ellis's run on Stormwatch. Apparently, Christos Gage did too. This issue of Stormwatch: PHD makes several references to that era. It even has a "ladies' night out" scene reminiscent of one of Ellis's own. This is not to say that Gage is aping Ellis; he has made Stormwatch his own. The collection of characters looks kind of like "Sidekick Squad meets the Legion of Substitute Heroes" but each of them kicks ass in his or her own way. Their abilities are cool as are their personalities. There's the usual couple of ex-bad guys to keep things interesting but the nominal good guys are just as messed up.

Given that we're only two or three months away from issue #6 there may be a trade out soon but this book reads quite well as individual issues. Each one has been fairly self-contained with the occasional reference to earlier issues.

Doug Mahnke's art is squiggly and weird-looking and it works beautifully with this book. He really plays up the weirdness factor of non-powered guys fighting super villains. Also, there's a short scene between Jackson King and the leader of the PHD which I'm still laughing about and it's largely due to Mahnke's art.

My favorite part of this comic is how non-freaked-out the members of this team are when faced with something like the guy on the cover up there. Their lack of powers is more than made up for by their experience. If you like to see well-rounded characters kick ass, this may be the book for you.

Two more miniseries I'm giving up on.

Albion #2 - Wildstorm (2005)



The first issue of Albion showed promise. I liked the art a lot and I was intrigued by the two main characters. However, the big reveal at the end of the issue left me flat. I got the idea I was supposed to know who the figures were. OK, I recognized the Cyberman but the other two?

Albion #2 knocked down the good will that #1 had built up. The interactions between the two main characters became shrill and the number of references to things I didn't recognize increased dramatically. Also, the frequent cuts to the "Prison of fucked-up wankers" were frustrating. The worst thing about the second issue was the obtuseness of the storytelling. Grant Morrison's stuff is wacked-out and nonsensical but it holds together. Leah Moore and John Rippion are going in so many directions with this that I can't follow whatever threads may be there.

Maybe there'll be an annotated trade.

The covers by Dave Gibbons (see above) are very nice and George Freeman is a spectacular inker but they aren't enough to keep me coming back.


1602 New World - Marvel (2005)



I thought 1602, the first miniseries by Neil Gaiman was just OK.

This sequel makes its predecessor look like Death: The High Cost of Living. New World is a jumbled mess that made me stop caring about characters that Gaiman started off as sympathetic.

The Jiminez interview mentioned in my previous post helped explain the uneven quality of the Donna Troy miniseries. In a similar vein, I have run across a transcript of the meeting between Greg Pak, the writer and Greg Tocchini, the artist, where they came up with the first issue:

Pak: So, the Hulk's in the New World and there are dinosaurs. He's gonna fight 'em!

Tocchini: Right. Dinosaurs.

Pak: I mean a lot of dinosaurs.

Tocchini: Sure, man, I can do that.

Pak: I don't think you follow me. You're not grasping the magnitude of the dinosaurage we're gonna have in this issue. It's gonna be a fuckin' Where's Waldo of dinosaurs. I want herds of 'em in each panel.

Tocchini: Each panel? Even the ones where people are indoors.

Pak: Yes.

Tocchini: Well, all right. You're the writer.

Pak: I like dinosaurs!

Seriously, there are pages and pages of big lizards followed by more pages of lizards. I like dinosaurs but a man can only take so much.

There are a couple of neat moments in this book but not enough to offset the lack of pacing and interesting story. I'm not even going to check out the trade on this one.