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Review: The Mystic Hands Of Doctor Strange #1

2010-03-12T22:00:00Z

The magazine-inspired cover to "The Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange" is a great indicator of what's inside this "super issue". Four black and white stories centered around Marvel's "Master of Magic", each with a distinctive flavor, yet altogether embracing the mysticism of the pulp days. Turns out it's four bucks well spent, a revealing approach to one of Marvel's coolest characters and the universe around him that's only slightly joking with its campy offer of "More Thrills".

]]> The Doctor's first bout is an empowered character piece wherein he faces off against a doctor of a different kind, a devil-dealing psychologist fully immersed in some seventies cult craziness. For an insignificant figure developed in 22 pages, the doctor's adversary manages to create a strong foil that forces Doctor Strange to not only display his magical prowess but question his morality; We're even able to glean something of his assistant Clea. Frazer Irving's artwork works clearly with the black-and-white presentation, though it looks as if it was originally intended for a colored print.

"Melancholia" is the most forgettable of the tales, as it also explores the moral extent of the doctor's powers, but on a more internal scale. It lacks a sense of implication, instead it offers an interesting tour of the Sanctum Sanctorum, andsome interesting yet muddled depictions of a tortured inner psyche. The story here is average and ineffectual.

Ted McKeever's "So This is How it Feels" manages to throw in some fun into an otherwise sober collection, despite the darker visual take. It offers a quick action fix, a simple battle against a misshapen beast, but with an ethereal zen-spitting hobo to offer philosophical repose amid the energy blasts. While this tale features the same weightlessness as the previous outing, it balances moral lessons with the mystical element to ensure that the story reaches its vapid conclusion in an engaging way.

The last installment is a prose piece, a short story that relies mostly on the doctor's introspection. While the previous tales used their writing to explore his observations and leave the mystical aspects for the artwork, Mike Carey's story works because of how it deals with its abstract matter. It's set in Stephen Strange's earlier outings onto the astral plane, with wording that captures his novice fascination with the occult. Instead of an all-powerful Sorcerer Supreme, the reader is treated to a scared and overpowered man who has to process, alongside us, just how these strange new beings could be. Any more than the two included sketches would have taken away from the vivid sense of loss found within the words.

Though the issue would've benefited from a greater sense of cohesion among the stories, it presents an homage to the older days through the variability found within. The stories immerse themselves in the Doctor Strange universe in different degrees; They make references to Nightmare and Dormammu; One requires Wang and Clea, another finds him alone in an alleyway. The issue as a single piece is an excellent introduction to the uninitiated, and appeals to all tastes at one point or another. Highly recommended.

Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #33

2010-03-11T14:10:17Z

The first of two expected Big Reveals have happened in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight: the identity of Twilight, the mysterious force organizing Buffy's enemies and assaulting the Scoobies wherever they go. I had my suspicions of who Twilight might be for months now and can't quite decide how I feel about who it turned out to be.

SPOILER WARNING: Hit the jump for frank discussion of details you might not want to know!

]]> OK, everybody who wants out is out, right?

I'm still not going to say the name of the person who turned out to be Twilight, for the sake of people who read via RSS, but I do want a chance to react. See, the thing is, I was right about the identity of Twilight and frankly that disappoints me; I identified them not through context or narrative but by going down the list of major known actors in the Buffyverse and eliminating anyone from whom we'd already heard. It was a process of elimination, not deduction, and that's not how stories like this should work.

Also, frankly, I am tired of this character. When will something in this show/book/etc. not be about them? I am totally hot for the actor who plays that character, sure - and actually more so now that he grew into his man face - but for the love of all the little fairies can the story just move on for once? I am ready for something new. The tremendous strength and joy of reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight has been the ways in which it expanded the story and its implications and took things to new locations and explored new relationships. That crossover with Fray? Only some of the best storytelling in comics last year. Give me more innovation, not some narrative Ouroboros endlessly consuming itself. Buffy's has always been a story about growing up (often too soon) and yet issue #33 fails to reflect that growing up includes letting go of the past.

Sigh.

I am also aware, honestly, that a part of my reaction is that I like that character or at least have always wanted to like that character and I don't want to accept that they are in any way responsible for the things that have been done to Buffy thus far in this comic. There have been real tragedies and losses, real pain and suffering, real deaths, and the revelation that this is all to "focus" Buffy and her forces landed on the page with an audible thud. I'm sorry, but it doesn't just fail to explain things, it doesn't make sense. What is this, the world's hardest philosophy class? Mr. Miyagi meets Dick Cheney? It seems woefully out of character and I expect that it's going to be undone - an imposter, etc. - or the book is going to have a hell of an expository load to carry over the rest of this arc.

Of course, we're still at least two issues from the end of the "Twilight" story, so maybe next issue will be one long explanation that reveals all, including some other Big Bad that makes more sense. I certainly hope so. I'm going to be reading it, that's for damned sure.

Now, the good stuff: the art is gorgeous in this book, as it has consistently been from the beginning. Worth reading just to see how well they capture the faces and identities and character of the characters in the art. The environments are all lush and alive, too, in a way a lot of comics fail at or forget to even try.

Also, the pep talk at the beginning? Classic Buffy, a perfect portrayal of the consistency of the relationships of the characters involved, an assessment I realize is at least partly at odds with my complaints above. Still, it's the little touches and textures like that which make this comic still unquestionably an iteration of this much-loved property instead of an abuse. Loved that scene, for all my haterade above, and I still find the means by which the villains hid their hideout to be so clever that I get a kick out of it every time it's mentioned.

At any rate, I'm looking forward to issue #34. This is still a very good comic, and my complaints often originate from the higher standard to which I hold it.

New Comic Wednesday - 03/10/10

2010-03-10T16:00:00Z

This week's fresh batch lacks in big-name releases, which leaves you with a great chance to catch up on some of the collected editions that also come out today.

In the cape department, you've got Batman & Robin #10, which kicks off the Batman vs. Robin arc; or the Justice League: Rise and Fall Special which puts a black stain on Green Arrow and hopefully washes out the bad taste that Cry for Justice left in your mouth. The Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange #1 offers you four black and white short stories in 48 pages, and Amazing Spider-Man #624 covers the new Vulture's origin story.

Dark Horse continues its Solomon Kane showcase in Solomon Kane: Death's Black Riders #3 (of 4), and Image kicks off a new arc in Elephantmen #24.

For a change of pace, Oni's releasing Ghost Projekt #1 (of 5), about an investigation on an abandoned Soviet research facility with a supernatural twist. Marvel has a two-parter Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way for you aspiring writers, and for those who just can't wait for the A-Team movie, there's IDW's A-Team: Shotgun Wedding #1, which is awesome just for featuring Hannibal on the cover with a bible and pistol to accessorize with his alb.

Looking for collected editions? Marvel collects Jason Aaron's run on Ghost Rider with Ghost Riders Heavens on Fire, while DC updates their greek pantheon in Greek Street Vol 1 Blood Calls For Blood. Hellboy: Vol 9 Wild Hunt contains the eight-issue miniseries followup to Darkness Calls along with pages from the artist's sketchbook. Either that or the Twilight graphic novel.

You can catch the full distribution list through Diamond.

The So-Called "Most Important" List

2010-03-09T18:35:00Z

Ranker.com writer Eric Diaz has been taking criticism since posting his recent entry titled "The 10 Most Important Gay Moments in Comic Book History". Tom Spurgeon, Dirk Deppey, and Chris Mautner have all taken issue with the list's pretension, which fails to acknowledge any comics outside of DC and Marvel, and even then, restricts itself to the superhero genre. Diaz defends that

If I had written this article for a comic book centric website, then I would have said "Top Ten Gay Moments in SUPER HERO Comic Book History" But for a larger audience, "Comic Book" still means "Super Hero."
...

This wasn't a list based on quality, otherwise the awful Rawhide Kid series or Alpha Flight's coming out issue wouldn't even be here. Those stories got headlines in the mainstream press. Stan Lee went on CNN to talk about their "gay cowboy" book. Rictor and Shatterstar were all over sites like Perez Hilton and similar ones.

Which is where he loses me. You could argue that the overtones between Batman and Robin caused a media frenzy when they were more prominent, but to argue that they're significant, or even mildly relevant to LGBT(QI) acceptance in comics simply can't be a honest statement. Doonesbury is a syndicated strip with an expansive readership, and exposed thousands of readers to heartfelt commentary in Andy's battle with AIDS, which, while we're discussing semantics, is much more of a "moment" than the haphazard pairings and character names that appear on the list. No one can blame Diaz for trying to expose his readers to these admittedly prominent, gay characters, but the article would've hugely benefited from additional, comprehensive research and more selective diction. What comics do you think would better fit the "Important Gay Moments" mantle?

Review: Batman & Robin #9

2010-03-08T18:17:07Z

I swear this isn't turning into the Grant Morrison Comics Blog, but if he's willing to do another photo shoot such as the one Rubber Justice linked in the Twitter feed, for real, I could start a Grant Morrison Comics Blog. I'd call it "The Sound of One Hand Fapping". I could go there.

Grant Morrison has talked repeatedly about his desire to incorporate all the crazy silver age stuff into the mainstream Batman storyline, to undo the retcons and reboots and alternate whatevers, and he's done a lot of that with the Batman R.I.P. story and now with Batman & Robin. More than that, though, more than just feeling around under the couch cushions of the Batman mythos to see if there's any crazy left in there, Morrison has taken that over-the-top aesthetic and elevated it from silly to sincere without feeling the need also to divorce it from the camp that for many of us is an essential component of what makes the property work.

Issue #9 of Grant Morrison's Batman & Robin is in a lot of ways not the strongest example of that effort, but it concludes the most recent story arc in admirable fashion and it surprised me by its remarkably literal, linear nature. Morrison doesn't do a lot of dallying around with one-liners and such in this issue, and we get to see three of the most direct examples of characterization we've seen to date.

]]> I'm just going to start off by saying, wow, the Batwoman-into-the-lazarus-pit thing was anticlimactic. It's not that I wanted it to be all crazy melodramatic, but did anyone really think there was some suspense as to Batwoman's "plan" from the end of issue #8? She's half-dead, there's a lazarus pit... it's simple math, is what I'm saying. I'm glad the comic at least acknowledged that, because I felt like that was a pretty remarkably weak cliffhanger when I read it in issue #8.

However, the rest of the issue is pretty spot-on. Morrison doesn't spare us a moment of pip-pip with Knight and Squire, two characters I sort of desperately wish would get their own book sometime, maybe a limited series, anything, and while I have been in love with the ridiculously thematic villains - like the evil chimney sweeps - I was glad Morrison held off on them until the end instead of trying to shoe-horn them into the middle of what is a genuinely tragic event: the resurrection of a great hero who then attacks all the people who loved him best. My own experience of mourning is that I have tended to have nightmares about just that kind of thing when someone close to me died, as do many people, and Morrison has again reached into the well of human mortality to pull out something really scary and saddening. It's fairly excruciating watching the faux Batman relive its life in a jumbled heap and it's another interesting take on the fractured mind of Bruce Wayne, a cracked-mirror reflection of the hero we know and assumedly in some ways at least a shout-out, if not a direct allusion, to the concept of Morrison's own repurposing of Zurr-En-Arrh.

The fight scene is pretty great, too, but I am, let me just say, pissed that Batwoman and Batman punching Zombie Batman at the same time, on the count of three, was just one frame on the page instead of a two-page spread. Sorry, folks, but that moment could be the selling point for a whole issue and it's practically a throw-away frame. The art overall is great, and I find myself warming to this artist more than I had expected, but that was shockingly short shrift to give such a notable instant in team-up history.

However, I don't think that's what this issue is about and neither does Morrison - and I think that's why that frame is so very minor. What this issue is about - in part - is the psychic strain Bruce Wayne suffered, the ways he could have turned out all wrong a hundred times over, all the things we know about the human who inhabited the suit.

The real focus of this issue, though, if you ask me, isn't even on that. After all, that ground has all been trampled flat by this point, in part by Morrison himself. No, I think the issue is really about reminding us that the three people who are the current heroes - Batwoman, Batman and Robin - are three different people with different agendas from one another and from any previous iterations there might have been of their identities. Batman is reminded that he used to be the wise-cracking adrenaline hound, whereas Bruce Wayne was the ultimate odds-making strategist. Robin is a calculating, competent and aloof child accustomed to having his way and for whom self-interest comes first, whereas Dick Grayson was gregarious and daring. Batwoman doesn't even know Bruce Wayne was Batman. Batwoman and Batman may have the thrill-seeker thing in common, sure, but the three of them couldn't be less like one another or less in tune in terms of their core motivations.

Getting to see them work together proved fun, yes, but more than that it also got to highlight the remaining chasms between their characters. Robin is clearly angry at what he sees as a situation that Batman both created and allowed to get out of control and I think his reaction is completely natural and, in fact, possibly the most human reaction we've seen him have. What a great twist on character development and another whorl in Morrison's signature on the series: many narratives would rely on a display of compassion or understanding to mark the appearance of humanity in a character, but in Robin it's pique shading into real anger.

That it's also got to it a whiff of the Batman's austere and unforgiving expectations of those around him is, for me, just the icing on the cake.

Review: X-Factor #200

2010-03-05T16:06:15Z

X-Factor #200, released in December but not winding up in my hands until a couple of weeks ago, saw the series re-numbered and a bit of a re-launch as the team moved to a disused funeral parlor in New York and took on an interesting case: the disappearance of The Invisible Girl.

This issue is months old, yes, but there was a lot to like in it - more of Strong Guy's struggle to synthesize his sincere friendship to Rictor with his unexpected difficulty accepting Rictor's relationship with Shatterstar, a story arc I'm finding more compelling the more I think about it and read about it. There's a great interview at CBR in which Peter David discusses what bothers Guido and why he constantly has to crack jokes at Rictor and Shatterstar's expense, saying:

"My feeling is that, as far as Guido is concerned, he grew up in one of those tough neighborhoods where no one was gay," the writer explained. "Which is to say that guys didn't cop to being gay because they'd get the crap kicked out of them. And sure, Guido is a liberal guy who's open minded, or at least likes to feel that he is. His attitude is that whatever some dudes do in the privacy of their bedroom is their own business. But now here's someone who he thought he knew, and it turns out he didn't know him as well as he thought, and now he's got a mental image of Shatterstar and Rictor going at it, and the whole thing just leaves him feeling kind of squeed about it. He doesn't hate them for it, but it's outside of his comfort level, and he's even frustrated by that because he didn't know it was a problem for him. So he feels guilty about feeling the way that he does, but he can't help how he feels. Consequently, he's dealing with it in a way that comes naturally for him: Making jokes about it."

There's also a great fight scene in which Strong Guy and The Thing go at it only to have Shatterstar step in and do his thing to great effect. It ends with an amusing and appropriate pop culture allusion that's both a callback to an earlier moment in the same issue and a perfect illustration of how Shatterstar's character is developing from tight-lipped emotionless Other to amusing and outgoing person. It reminded me of the transition my friends and I witnessed during college when one specific friend went in the course of a year from reserved, baritone-voiced dude bragging about the prestigious fraternity he was rushing to cracked-voice queen we came to call The Diva. Shatterstar isn't turning into a nelly queen but he is gaining an understanding of the theatricality of human relationships and adventure. He's becoming more comfortable with himself and exploring different ways of expressing himself, and I love that.

The main reason I want to pique your interest in a book published three months ago, though, is that the back of X-Factor #200 has detailed biographies of every member of the team. Every member of the team. If the story of Shatterstar and Rictor's kiss last year got you curious about X-Factor but you didn't think you could jump in at the mid-point in a book handled by many different writers and put through many different cast changes, ask your comics shop to order issue #200 for you. It will tell you everything you need to know to have some context. I'm going to be reading future issues of X-Factor with #200 close at hand just for reference material.

Peter David's "X-Factor": Earth Moving, Star Shattering [Comic Book Resources]

Review: Joe the Barbarian #2

2010-03-04T19:28:27Z

I've now read and re-read (and maybe re-re-read) Joe the Barbarian #2 and I am having trouble finding the right degree of hyperbole to express my enjoyment of it. No holds barred, this title is strongly recommended: beautiful art, great writing and a story that just breaks my heart. Grant Morrison, let's just move to DC and get married, okay?

Spoiler Alert: Hit the jump for more specific thoughts!

]]> As noted in the comments section of my review of issue #1, this is a story about a kid who's going into diabetic shock all by himself with no assistance readily at hand. As he attempts the perilous path from his attic bedroom to the kitchen, he has hallucinations and/or a vision of an epic journey he must make through a fantasy kingdom populated by the toys of his childhood, his pet rat and the faceless, malignant forces of an occupying power.

The thing is, this isn't a swashbuckling, back-slapping, high-fiving adventure that he's off having in la-la land while his body freaks out on him. The place he occupies when he's not perceiving his home and its environment is a terrifying place, dark and dangerous, filled with aggressive enemies, where even his real-world pet - transformed into a giant armored knight - is loathe to face the risks required of joining Joe in his travels. This is a dark and terrifying place, where faceless, flying blackguards chase Joe with the inexplicable goal of killing him and cities are being burned to the ground by giant Transformer-alikes. One of the first images of Joe the Barbarian #2 is one in which Captain Picard - missing a leg - surrenders his weapon to Joe because he doesn't have any faith left that he could defend the place where Joe has found himself. All the personified hope, imagination and pleasure of childhood is on the verge of resigning itself to defeat and waiting to die.

It's a perfect metaphor for becoming a teenager and finding out the world very well might just be one big room full of bastards.

The thing that most got me in this issue, though, was when the deposed king of the realm appeared to Joe and promised him that if he survived his journey he might one day hear his father's voice again. Anyone who's ever lost someone that close to them knows what it's like to wish for that one opportunity to hear them, speak to them, say goodbye, any kind of interaction at all. I kind of choked up at that. I wasn't ready for how deep into the core of human mortality Morrison is willing to take this story. I was fine while it was all a metaphor for growing up, the cynical wilt on the fringe of the blossom of youth, all that good stuff, but once it summoned up the list of people for whom I would cross a war zone to hear their voice one more time I had to set the book down and take a break.

When I was describing it to a friend who occasionally reads comics as well, he pointed out that the whole diabetic-shock-hallucination angle cuts out a lot of the typical fantasy endings, too. This isn't a story where the hero can die but the kingdom goes on, or everyone can learn a valuable lesson from failure. This kid, Joe, is either making it to the kitchen or he dies. We are constantly reminded of the literally vital importance of that goal as a frame or two here and there interrupts the story to show us that actually this person is very physically sick, dangerously so, and trying to save his own life. Even more horrifying, he knows that, and he's helpless, and we the reader are powerless to help him.

I really loved this issue and I love this book.

I've gone on long enough already, but I want to save the best for last: the art. Holy moly, people, this is art. This isn't illustration, this is art. This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in years, with extremely sharp visual design, image composition and execution. The fantasy world crowds in around the little windows into "reality" we get here and there in a claustrophobic, frightening way. Faces and body language are represented so well they speak better than the dialogue. I... well, frankly, I'm at a loss for words. When I sat down to write this - quite some time ago, as words keep failing me - I said to a friend that I was "trying to think of something substantive to say about Joe the Barbarian #2 other than OMG BUY BUY BUY." I don't know that I've accomplished that, so maybe I should just leave it there, but for real: if you like comics, give this book a try. I can see plenty of reasons why someone might not like it, taste is always subjective and valid for the person to whose taste it might or might not be, but this is one of the best comics I've read in years upon years.

And I still think it's secretly about shamanism.

The Spirit, Doc, Bats And Twitter Too!

2010-03-04T12:00:00Z

Geoff Johns and Jim Lee flexed their publicity muscles this Wednesday when they conducted an open twitter discussion on FIRST WAVE #1 by Brian Azzarello and Rags Morales.

In case you didn't hear the announcements from him, or him, or them, DC's new creative chief officer, along with its newest copublisher would be reading and replying in real time to the new release. Under the hashtag #DCReader, tweeters could share their thoughts as they flip through the pages and receive creative commentary from other readers, including Johns and Lee. The end result proved to be a mostly insightful forum that generally avoided all-too-common twitter trash, like a fast-moving Oprah's book club with an insane audience member rambling in the seats.

Highlights of the discussion follow, so you would do well to finish the issue before reading on.

]]> Fans were keen to point out design details in the art, prompting some revealing commentary from series artist Morales.

glunders Anyone else catch what the tombstone reads on the cover? "Here lies the mortal remains of the once fi[ne?] career of JG Jones"

lazzyfair Anyone else think Mr Sunlight looks like Alan Moore?
RagsMorales @lazzyfair
Yup...a mix between Alan and Rasputin...as per Brian Azzarello's wishes...

While Jim Lee gave his reading of the creative team's intentions

jimlee00 Nice job,Rags, of bringin in cartoony lookin side chars from Spirit in line w/ Doc Savage's world w/o losing their rubber-y look

jimlee00 I know Brian & its no error ChopChop is front ¢er on last panel. "You will believe a yellow man can be fly."

The consensus maintained that the Spirit was the breakout character of the story, in light of Bat-Man's much noted absence. Still others offered more light-hearted questions

Marc_Hammond: Anyone have a favorite moment for the issue?
jimlee00 Dudes opening up truck to find Spirit on the ground!

GeoffJohns0 Finding Spirit sleeping comfortably in an open grave.

Overall the experience was a fun and enlightening, topped off by a teaser left by Assistant Editor Chris Conroy.

dyfl Thanks for reading, everyone! Some teasers for #2: Spirit vs. a fighter jet. Colossi vs. his mom. And Doc vs the Blackhawks. RAWK.

Don't Call It A Comeback

2010-03-02T18:00:00Z

The internet was all atwitter last week with speculation about the cryptic "Stan's Back" ad campaign. Though it was no question that the distinctive signature belonged to the illustrious Stan Lee, it opened the podium to ask, "Back to what?"

Today BOOM! studios announced that the renowned Mr. Lee will "present" three new series, all superpower related, of course. BOOM!'s big man Mark Waid is writing one of these, and additional announcements on the other "A-list writers" will follow. The extent of Stan Lee's involvement isn't yet clarified, though it's likely he'll be listed as Creator. This seems to be a new trend for Lee, who last year collaborated with Hiroyuki Takei to produce the Ultimo Manga.

BOOM!'s as-of-yet unnamed series will hit stores later this year.

via [LA Times]

Review: The Tick #2

2010-03-01T15:32:30Z

I read the debut issue of this new The Tick book from New England Comics - a holiday-themed issue about a superhero Secret Santa party - and while I enjoyed it, and I thought some of the art was great and some of the zany creativity typical of The Tick was on display, to be honest I was kind of underwhelmed. It seemed to have all the right individual elements, yes, but I wasn't entirely convinced that the old magic still worked.

Two months passed, though, and when The Tick #2 landed in my bag I found myself surprised at my excitement to see it there. When I got around to cracking it open over brunch on Sunday, I laughed aloud at least four times. Issue #2 conjures up plenty of classic Tickery, full of puns, visual gags and allusions - including one joke that manages to be all three at once and which I simply refuse to spoil for you - and that's what The Tick is supposed to be. It also features a B story that suggests they are, in fact, building towards an overall narrative featuring a classic Tick villain, which would be pretty sweet.

The art in this book is also very strong. I think it's as good as if not better than the art for issue #1, much better than the art in "classic" Tick comics (and the show) and it's better than the art I've seen in some "serious" comics lately. I definitely appreciate the effort that's going into this new book, and I think it shows that the NEC folks are making full use of the extended time between issues.

When I said last week that I'd picked up X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back in hopes of something fluffy to cut the taste of metaplots, this is what I should have been reading instead. I really enjoyed this second issue and I can't wait to see what they produce in April. If you're a fan of comedy in general or The Tick in particular, pick it up.

Review: X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1

2010-02-26T01:43:26Z

I've now read through the first in this four-issue series and I have to say that it took its time appealing to me. I bought it mostly for novelty, read the first few pages thinking it had been a mistake, found myself intrigued and then fell in love with it. Yet again, the shadows around Utopia hold the most interesting stories and narrative opportunities.

Read on for more!

]]> Honestly, I picked this up because I was ready for something light and cottony to balance all the black lanterns and sieges on Asgard and mutant self-exile. However, as soon as I opened it I felt vaguely that it had been a mistake. I didn't know the characters well enough to get some of what I felt were probably jokes that could be recognized by someone with more context and the thought of a bouncy high school fairy (cough) wasn't doing it for me once confronted with one.

That changed, though, when I realized things had gotten all... trippy.

See, I like my high school melodramas and I like my tales of youthful discovery and adventure or whatever but to me everything tastes better when it's got a little surreality mixed in. I've never watched the rebooted 90210, for instance, but I've watched Twin Peaks all the way through probably a dozen times. I realized about a page and a half into this comic that I wasn't going to get very far if things didn't get weird pretty quick. Happily, that happened.

Now that I've read the comic, and knowing that it's only four issues long overall, the story itself seems fairly straight-forward but the comic's means of giving me the basic setup - giving me one fairly familiar narrative circumstance then revealing that to be a mirage in a way that serves as a clever play on one of the title character's own powers - would probably be enough to keep me reading as far as issue #2.

What really did it for me, though, was the appearance on the scene of Pixie's mother and her interaction with Nightcrawler. Seeing Nightcrawler have something to do, somewhere, is a serious plus for any comic, but the inclusion of a fabulous stone bitch in the mix is like a dog whistle for queens. Mommie Dearest with magic powers? Fierce. Their interaction also provides a little of that classic Marvel quip, a little wit to temper the apparent melodrama of what's going on with Pixie in the main storyline.

It's worth taking a moment to say that I really like the art, too: slightly cartoony and almost anime-ish in nature without being silly and fully capable of portraying both the larger than life nature of mutants and the humanity of their emotions and reactions. Popping colors are to be expected, and they do jump, but they never clash or jar.

So, well done for an introductory issue. I have some idea what's going on, it's not all screaming tweens with super powers and there's an interesting turning of the tables possibly going on.

Who Will Wield The Shield?

2010-02-25T19:00:00Z

Director Joe Johnston's wishlist is out for his upcoming Captain America flick. The stars are mostly television up-and-comers, which comes as no surprise after seeing Kenneth Branagh's virtually-unknown choice for Thor. Whoever gets chosen to play the blue-eyed Steve Rogers, it's also important that they keep some clearance for Marvel's other film projects, as they'll be expected to lead in the upcoming Avengers film and cameo in Avengers-affiliated movies. Be sure to leave your opinion in the poll and hit the jump to better know your options.

]]>

Chance Crawford
You read that right. Maybe he's taking a page out of Gossip Girl co-star's Blake Lively's book (Who'll be playing Carol Ferris in Green Lantern). He'll be starring in the upcoming Footloose remake as well, so who knows, he could just be trying to escape the Tiger Beat centerfold typecasting.

John Krasinski
Crawford and Jim-from-The-Office are the blog favorites, but most fans have expressed their qualms with his potential casting, either because he's too familiar from his sitcom role, or that he just doesn't meet the rugged-factor required for the Captain. Well, there's always a chance for Bucky in the sequel, Jim.

Scott Porter
The muscles and the Friday Night Lights work scream full-bodied..er, full-blooded American, but he's also got the nerd appeal by appearing on Caprica and admitting to collecting Heroclix.

Mike Vogel
Best known for his role in Cloverfield, his career has only yet begun as he's taking up more big-name movies like the soon-to-come She's Out of My League. Oh, and did I mention he's a former Levi's model?

Michael Cassidy
Likely considered for his minor role in Smallvile, you should really check out his work on the short gay film Dare if you're doubting his acting chops.

Patrick Flueger
Better known for his work on The 4400, I can't say i know this guy too well, so I'll just let the photo speak for itself.

Review: Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

2010-02-23T20:00:00Z

The DC animated universe has seen a revitalization as of late, with its direct-to-DVD movies featuring Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. They're all interesting takes on the capes, like revamps without that washed-out 'Secret Origins' feel, but ultimately they remind me of how much I miss the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. The show just had a big feel to it- powerful team-ups, interplanetary implications. And with 'Crisis on Two Earths', the weighty feel returns with a universe-shattering bang.

]]> An alternate-universe Lex Luthor kicks off the story, exposing us to the nefarious Crime Syndicate, composed of evil counterparts to the Justice League. He turns to Superman and pals for help in bringing order to his reality, and from then on, teamwork becomes a major theme of the tale, save for Batman who overcomes his renegade nature later on by calling in the likes of Aquaman and Firestorm, and his juxtaposed Owlman, who schemes for more large-scale destruction.

While the short film has a few spiritual similarities to the Justice League show, don't make the mistake of seeing this as its successor (it actually takes place before Unlimited in the canon); The PG-13 rating allows for a decent show of violence, occasional blood, and (gasp!) did The Flash just say 'crap'? In a kid's movie? No, this is a more mature Justice League, concerned with philosophy, Cold War politics, and funding for their space station. Yet, the film balances these conversations with fighting that hits hard and hits often. There are dozens of innovative fight sequences that aren't mindless beat-em-ups, they often progress the plot more than the wordy debates between them.

Sessions at the Justice League conference table still manage to be engaging, portrayed through dynamic camera angles and palpable tension between the team. The talented voice acting especially helps; James Woods headlines as Owlman and Josh Keaton's Flash is a quick-witted comic relief. Batman's lighter tones takes some getting used to, but ultimately serve the character well. My only gripes came from Ultraman and Power Ring's voices, who have taken their role in the Crime Syndicate to stereotypically meat-headed levels.

An opportunity arises to show off a larger section of the DCU, but for the most part, the focus is on the Crime Syndicate, with their underlings acting as fan-service references. Personally, I would've preferred to see more of Lobo in a Master's Hat than the inconsequential subplot involving the President, his daughter Rose, and Martian Manhunter. It's clearly an attempt to inject romance and politics into an action film, but the political debates are better treated by the heroes and villains than whatever military issues the story may try to make us believe, and Super Woman's salacious advances on Owlman and Batman would've sufficed. At first I was taken aback by Owlman's Nietzschean viewpoint, but it really helps to add depth to the story and illustrate what's really at risk.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, despite its minor flaws, gives us a superpowered story with everything it should need: hard-hitting collaborations, meditative moments, and some seriously good fun (Naked Lex Luthor, anyone?). It's on sale today, February 23rd; Consider it very recommended.

Review: Nation X: X-Factor

2010-02-22T13:00:00Z

Yes, this comic is like three months old, but I just got around to realizing that I had never set up a subscription to X-Factor at my local shop so a backlog of that comic is coming to me now.

This comic is just a one-shot, so I don't want to dither over it or get too deep into my usual philosophical quagmire, but I do have some pretty raw reactions to it. You can find them after the jump!

]]> First, I really, really love Peter David's writing. As far as I can tell he and Joss Whedon are the two people who are writing or have written X-books recently with anything like humanity and sympathy for the characters. Warren Ellis' work on Astonishing X-Men has left me completely cold - turned me off that book entirely, in fact - and Matt Fraction's Uncanny X-Men is something I keep wishing I liked more than I do, but I don't. On the other hand, X-Factor still seems to be about people who, in most cases, started out as people who later realized they were Homo sapiens superior. (No, the opportunity to say "homo superior" will never get old.) The relationships in this are pretty shallow, to be honest, but they're entertaining. As a one-shot - and as a way to point out a lot of what's wrong with the "Utopia" storyline's incessant pouting - it's just fine, though: we see a familiar set of characters go somewhere else, do something else, remember what they like most about their normal set and setting, and leave again. It's like a really good cross-over episode between two related TV shows: neither necessarily rocks the other's world, but everyone gets a break. It's also a nice way to break set between major X-Factor story arcs and it lets a lot of the characters just plain ol' stretch their legs and be themselves. The scenes of Jamie Madrox debating iterations of himself were pretty great. It also manages to include a pretty clever contribution to the Utopia metaplot, some flavorful foreshadowing and foreboding, just the kind of thing I think David is best at doing.

Second, the art in this book is just lousy. I hate to be like that, but it is. Sometimes the faces in this are great, and I'll give it that, but the rest of the time it's pretty lackluster. It's a little Hanna-Barbera, to be honest. I kept expecting Speed Buggy to buzz by at the water line.

The thing that's most interesting of all about this book, though - and about the X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back mini-series, issue #1 of which I'll be reviewing later this week - is the way the magnitude of the Utopia storyline creates opportunities for other writers to step in and tell some of the most potentially interesting stories in the shadows of the massive narrative edifice at which Matt Fraction toils day and night. This book wouldn't be possible without Utopia, a narrative that creates truly unique opportunities for characters to cross paths who otherwise never would, and at the same time it pokes fun at Utopia and at the over-the-top nature of X-books in general. There's a fascinating tension there, and I'm extremely glad to see Marvel unafraid to allow its writers that creative free reign. On the other hand, when the most interesting stories are the ones being told in the shadows of one's meta-plot, what does that say about the meta-plot?

Review: Blackest Night: Flash Mini-Series

2010-02-19T21:00:00Z

This Wednesday saw the conclusion to one of the last Blackest Night tie-ins, the three-part Blackest Night: Flash. Penned by the Blackest Night's creator Geoff Johns, how does this limited series stack up against the other concurrent event titles?

]]> Well, for a series so concerned with timing, this Flash mini mostly suffered from its uneven pacing; In the first issue alone, we're treated to an over-saturated cast and their problems; First comes the opening exposition required for the Blackest Night subplots, then we enter into a brief scuffle with the Reverse Flash that literally gets tossed aside, shortly followed by a run in with Black Lantern Solovar who's fought, apparently, by Barry's inner monologue until the events of Blackest Night proper call him elsewhere. Meanwhile, a subplot involving the Rouges timidly advances towards... not quite anything yet. While this is clearly an introductory issue, discrepancies arise in the follow-up. There's a considerable gap in action before the startup of the second issue, as the month between their release saw a change in both Barry and Bart Allen. Johns exceeds to some extent in justifying these changes in the Flash by considerate deconstruction of his character, though Bart's change receives no attention, despite his perfectly healthy involvement in the the preceding issue, causing some concern for when these issues will be collected in May. Naturally, Johns does best in his portrayal of the various involved characters and the foils he establishes during their combat. This issue prominently features the Rogues, and while some pairings prove to be more compelling than others, the author manages to include at least a few interesting vantages, especially in his ability to really demonstrate Captain Cold's utter lack of emotional attachment. As the third issue winds down, John's privilege as author and orchestrator of Blackest Night is truly demonstrated, to what may be considered an almost unfair degree. While other authors tackling the event spin-offs, like Tomasi and Robinson, have had to invent ways to temporarily suspend the black lanterns, having to wait on the end of the event to form a real conclusion, Johns has the full authority to kill the opposing army by any rules that he comes up with, leading to a random, unfulfilling end to the battle of the Flashes, and a Rogue resolution recycled from Tomasi's Blackest Night: Batman mini. The end result leads this series to become a practice in thematically linking the Flashes to the Rogue gallery, as the action between the pages passes with little apparent significance, though we get a hint of Brightest Day symbol that may play into the Flash revamp later.

Scott Kolins's pencilwork does little to help the mediocrity of the run, offering inconsistent portrayals that are sometimes loosely-drawn and other times forged with strict, straight lines, a hodgepodge as varied as the the multiple plots within the story, executed randomly so as to leave no dramatic impact on the storytelling process. Kolins's drawings are best suited to landscapes and uncluttered scenery, but suffers when the script calls for dynamic posing or intricate group shots. While there are a few redeeming aspects, the inclusive package of this series is unsatisfying, considering John's much stronger work on other parts of the Blackest Night canon.