Wednesday Wrap-up

I've never bought any of these though. Hm, that's a topic to think about...

I can see why he keeps saying Wanted is "Watchmen for super villains", but it isn't, really, is it? Where are the Good Ideas That Will Be Cliches Of The Future? Not there, that's where.

It's a bit weird talking about comics in the open air like this, I'm really not used to it...

Agree with MJ's assessment of those titles (although Ult FF isn't nearly as good as #1 was), with X-Statix being little more than a rehash of Ringu (the "You know, that Japanese film that got remade" "What, the Seven Samurai?" line was a grebt one though).

The first issue of Wanted was very, very Watchmen based, this one is far less so. The training subplot was superb, as was how he finally deals with his girlfriend. :-)

Emma Frost #7 (?) The new plot arc is, at least, interesting. Emma's slowly coming to terms with being able to do stuff, and the scene where the maitre'd busts the waitress answers at least partly a problem I'd always had with telepathy powered heroes.

Two-Step #2 In what's becoming a mantra this week, not as good as the last one. Warren Ellis is crafting a decent enough po-mo stab at voyeur culture, but visual jokes seem not to be his forte at all, and it's difficult to see where he's going with it. Leave the jokes about strap-ons to Garth Ennis, he's far better at it.

Punisher #2 Talking of Garth, the second issue of his new Max rated Punisher is... erm... not very good. Or at least not as good as the final few Marvel Knights issues. Maybe it's just a weak story arc.

Hulk #something The last plot arc continues under a new name, as Bruce tries to leave Nadia, and Betty tries to get together with the Doc. I don't know where this is going at all at the moment. I kinda like that.

The Losers #something The second issue of the current plot sees some detail on the history of Max, and more development of the Losers as individuals. This is the best comic DC are producing at the moment, so question.

Catwoman #something And this is the second best. Slam's in hospital (but alive) and Selina's after the guy who put him there. Of course, Batman thinks this is a bad idea, but when has she let bad ideas stop her before?

Hellblazer #19something I like Mike Carey, but I haven't enjoyed a single issue of this he's done yet. Thankfully, my g/f buys this title and not me.

There's more that I can't remember, will do an add-on at some point.

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Also got Two-Step, mostly for my girlfriend since I'm getting kind of sick of his Transmet-type stuff. Planetary is still great though, and Red was cool. Haven't read Global Frequency or any of those.

Last week I got first of the new Lucifer storyline, and it was awesome. I picked up one of the last arc and couldn't get into it, same with Carey's Hellblazer (which I also wanted to like, and the art was horrible in addition).

NYX, I have the 1st two issues - the art is purty (as you have noted), and the story is OK. Better than I thought it would be, anyway (and that's damning by faint praise if anything is). Once again, I will pimp for The X-Axis, as Mr. Paul O'Brien (the site's proprietor) has reviews of all NYX issues released to date.

AND BUY THE GOON ALREADY! It's quite enjoyable, if you like that sort of thing, and given you are getting the Weird Tales mini, I imagine you're that sort of guy.

this week the only one I've bought was the latest issue of Loeb & Sale's "Hulk: Grey". It contimues to be entertaining, although like all those Marvel titles Loeb & Sale have done recently it's maybe a bit static. It definitely has made me interested in reading a bit more Hulk stuff (or seeing the film).

(what was up with the "my AFRICAN-AMERICAN boss" stuff?)

Powers #something - Why is this comic being relaunched, given it's often the best thing on the shelf...? Anyway, we find out in this one how Walker lost his powers, and just about get up to date. Expect the next issue (the final in Vol 1) to be astonishing. This is merely brilliant.

Flash #204 Wally, now aware he's the Flash again, tells Linda - undoing the previous plotline somewhat. We find out who's been posing as Cold, and what Cold does about it. Oh, and it looks like Zoom will be back quickly. Why haven't the post 200 issues been as good as the ones that preceded it? This title is starting to drift again, I'm afraid.

i-Candy - bought it on a whim and the first 3 or so were OK. The following ones less so, and the plot is crap, but I guess since there's only one more to go I might as well see how it ends up. It might make a nice trade for a teenage nephew, perhaps.

NYX - bought the first one, and the artwork was lovely. Missed the second one, and now have no inclination to pick up the third. I guess that says something about the standard of writing in #1...

The Goon - can only echo the comments above, there's no reason for anyone who might even consider buying a Hellboy book not to be buying this already.

Jordan: the african american boss, is because the protagonist is straight-up racist, but too weak to do anything about it. I suspect Wanted #2 will make things clearer :)

The dialogue is the main selling point - Bendis has a fantastic ear for how people who work in tense situations talk to and at each other - like Hemingway vs The West Wing.

The letter column is just a locker room, though. Typical example is someone writing a lengthy letter about how much they enjoy the series, and Bendis interjecting with "Yeah, that's what your mom said last night!" and other 12-year-old sentiments.

Bendis has wonderful, flowing dialogue, and conveys the frustrations the cops feel when Powers circumvent them fantastically. Also, the sense of loss of Walker, who can't help when Powers ex-girlfriends die because his are gone, and his ongoing dynamic with his partner Deanna, is worth the entrance fee alone.

The lettercol is little more than an interesting diversion, but since the demise of Aardvark Comment is probably the only 'working' lettercol in comics. Almost everything Bendis receives is commented on, even spam and hatemail.

Oh, and the Anarchy plot arc had a series of covers based on punk/new wave album sleeves. That's got to be worth anybody's money. :-)

Was the Salvation storyline the bit where Jesse Custer becomes a small town sheriff for 10 issues or whatever? Yeah, that was definitely a derailment. However, I read my girlfriend's collection of issues, so it didn't really bother me since it was spread out over the course of a night or two rather than the better part of a year.

Respectfully: no way! ;-)

I think that with how heavily BMB regulates his dialogue (e.g. stuttering and repetition), it's closer to "realism" than flow.

Perhaps he plays the "unsure speaker" card more than he should, but I think it's more a case where a LOT of the characters he handles (Foggy Nelson, Jessica Jones, Deanna Walker, teenage Spidey, teenage X-Men) are prone to offering their thoughts half-finished. And it's that "realism" that gives the dialogue its flow.

But there are some fantastic flowing sequences in Powers - the interrogation in the Supression Field during 'Who Killed Retro Girl' and the panicked confession of one of the supergroup during Supergroup are amongst the most text-heavy stuff he's written in any title, and work perfectly well.

There are an awful lot of silences and pauses in Alias though. :-)

I've only had time to read a couple of them, but Y definitely turned a corner with this issue. The BD/SM thing makes more sense than I thought it was going to, and it's the most sexually explicity by FAR. I don't know how much is supposed to be genuine backstory or just Yorick fucking with her, we'll see...I did enjoy it though.

It has been 6 weeks since my last comic purchase (not counting eBay schwag). I feel lost.

wasn't too impressed by any of 'em.
S/B started out really good and focused, but with each new issue becomes more stretched out and less compelling.
GL, I don't even know why I buy it. Habit, I guess.
Legion, I thought #25 would be a good jump on point and I'm semi-interested.
I think that GA is the probably the most consistenly interesting superhero comic I've read since coming back to comics after a dozen or so years. I'm glad they're collecting the earlier issues, it makes my life easier.

Which issues of GA does Sounds of Violence collect, BTW?

Sounds of Violence collects the Kevin Smith issues immediately proceeding the Quiver arc. The Onomatopoeia (sp???) story.

I've heard good things Judd Winick's GA, & have wanted to check it out - his Outsiders work is above-average super-hero shenanigans, which is all I really want, & his Caper mini is excellent work totally unlike his spandex stuff OR any of his funny indie work - but until I stop doing things like dragging my poor car through muffler-loving potholes, it'll have to wait.