Previously, on Eventually Clever…
…Steve read some comics:
- Astro City: The Dark Age Book Four – 2 more issues to go before we learn about the Silver Agent’s great time-travelling sacrifice, and see the brothers work out their family revenge. I’m looking forward to re-reading the entire run in a single sitting.
- Hellblazer: Dark Entries – Another format experiment – hardbound, pocket-sized B&W crime stories. Written by Ian Rankin. Like most Hellblazer (and Doctor Who, for that matter – thanks, Ramsay) stories, the setup is more satisfying than the conclusion.
- Incorruptible - The first issue was a slow start, but reading about the unravelling underworld is interesting. Too bad that Max Damage is so similar to Sleeper in terms of powers.
- Irredeemable - It’s interesting, but there has to be more to the Plutonian’s breakdown than simple ingratitude. I am curious about what secrets his unseen nemesis holds, though.
- Milestone Forever – This two-parter is supposed to explain how the Dakotaverse merged with the DCU, but doesn’t. Instead, it’s a chance to wrap up old plotlines for Blood Syndicate, Hardware and Static – though Icon’s tale is tantalizingly untold. Entirely worthwhile.
- The Unknown: Devil Made Flesh – I wonder if this is going to be a series of mini-series, like Fall of Cthulhu. If so, sign me up!
2009-in-Review: Comics
Welcome to my abbreviated media consumption recap for 2009!
TPBs
- 100 Bullets: Vol 13 – Oh, how weak the ending! Dizzy should show more backbone. Worst TPB of 2009
- Ex-Machina: Vol 7-8
- Powers: Vol 12
- Sandman Mystery Theatre: Vol 7
- Sleeper: Season 1 & 2 – Noir so thick you need a flashlight to read it. A solid foundation for Criminal and Incognito. Best TPB of 2009
- Walking Dead Omnibus 1
- Winter Men – This collection of underemployed Soviet super-soldiers kept me turning pages. The language and pacing was unlike anything else I’d read. Kudos. Surprise of 2009
Singles & Series
- Astro City: Astra Special 1-2
- Astro City: The Dark Age Book Three
- Caped
- Dead Run
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – This rating might be unfair, because the series isn’t finished and the experiment was noble, but a verbatim illustration of the novella doesn’t work for me at all. Worst Series of 2009 (tie)
- Fall of Cthulhu: Apocalypse
- Fall of Cthulhu: Nemesis – a terribly dull way to end the Fall of Cthulhu series. Worst Series of 2009 (tie)
- Incognito
- Incorruptible
- Irredeemable – This is the first book that I read, no matter how many others are in the pull list that week. It’s a little too short (put in backups instead of previews, at least), and it’s veering a little too close to Falling Down territory, but Mark Waid is doing a fantastic job of showing how to shatter the fragile ego of a superman. The trick will be making the supporting characters all the more interesting as the villain becomes unknowable. Best Series of 2009
- Mr. Stuffins
- Unknown
- Unthinkable
- Wednesday Comics – The writers and artists rose to the occasion to fill every inch of the newsheet with exciting, digestible comics entertainment. Not as kid-friendly as it should be (I’m looking at you, Batman and Wonder Woman), but still a delight. Surprise Series of 2009
Blogger Bankruptcy! Marvel Edition
I officially have more backlogged reviews than I will find time to write with my current workload. To clear the decks, in the spirit of the times, I declare blogger bankruptcy, where all the ordinary reviewing rules are abandoned. I promise this blog will be leaner, meaner and better fit to thrive in the future.
- Incognito #2-3 – The Super-Powered Relocation programme doesn’t do much good when you go out looking for trouble…and troubled groupies find you and drinking buddies blackmail you (let alone what happens when the imprisoned villain who thought you were dead comes after you). Thoroughly excellent, but published too infrequently.
- Powers TPB #12: The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time – Deana Pilgrim goes rogue, and uses her viral super-powers to take down a serial killer society. Walker would help her, but he has to arrest her…and Internal Affairs is watching him. The series gets better as the police procedural quotient increases.
- Spider-Man 2099 TPB #1 – Some of my favourite Spidey stories don’t feature Peter Parker; they feature the angry Miguel O’Hara, Alchemax scientist and self-centered jerk who becomes a hero in 2099. Kudos to Peter David for reinventing Spidey so successfully, and for giving the Tobey Maguire movies the special effects needed to make Spidey work.
- Wizard Spider-Man Masterpieces – My favourite Spidey stories that do feature Peter Parker are all from the late 80s, and most of them are here: Spidey vs. Juggernaught and Spidey vs Sin-Eater. The Venom stories are merely okay. I’d love to see a collection of the Hobgoblin plotline, though…and, of course, Spidey vs. Wolverine.
Blogger Bankruptcy! DC Edition
I officially have more backlogged reviews than I will find time to write with my current workload. To clear the decks, in the spirit of the times, I declare blogger bankruptcy, where all the ordinary reviewing rules are abandoned. I promise this blog will be leaner, meaner and better fit to thrive in the future.
- Astro City: The Dark Age Book 3 #1 – The brothers infiltrate the paramilitaries of the Astro City world in the 80s – Royal joins Pyramid (Hydra) and Charles joins E.A.G.L.E. (S.H.I.E.L.D.). Excellent, as always.
- Empire TPB – Dr. Doom (or something similar) takes over the world. This series follows his underlings as they try to understand the man behind the mask. A grim political tale.
- Justice League of America #29-31 – Not enough Milestone in my Milestone/JLA crossover. And, really, this isn’t a JLA that I care to read.
- Legion of Super-Heroes #50 – This is not the double-sized, Jim Shooter-penned conclusion I was promised. I’m looking forward to the rapid failure of the rebooted series, but the Shooter run was fine.
- Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil TPB – Great fun, thanks to Jeff Smith. Shazam should always be cartoony.
- Tangent: Superman’s Reign #11-12 – A disappointing conclusion. Tangent Superman was just another megalomaniac with a penchant for villanous team-ups. Dull.
Blogger Bankruptcy! Boom! Studios Edition
I officially have more backlogged reviews than I will find time to write with my current workload. To clear the decks, in the spirit of the times, I declare blogger bankruptcy, where all the ordinary reviewing rules are abandoned. I promise this blog will be leaner, meaner and better fit to thrive in the future.
- Caped #1 – A more self-consciously mocking version of Milestone’s Kobalt. A keener joins a secret society of sidekicks and works for a self-involved and unsuccessful vigilante. Fun.
- Cthulhu Tales #10-12 – Inventive variety. The highlight is a two-part coda to Fall of Cthulhu, where Connor gets his brain implanted in another body. The character should have survived longer.
- Fall of Cthulhu: Apocalypse #1-4 – Action-packed god on GOO warfare. Wraps up the series most satisfactorily. One problem: I’m okay with the Harlot being the prime manipulator, but not with the Harlot following orders from yet another higher power.
- Fall of Cthulhu: Nemesis #1 – Origin story of one of Nyarlathotep’s cronies…set in Atlantis.
- Galveston #1-4 – A trifle, with too many distracting art changes.
- Hexed #1-4 – A rip-snortin’ action series starring Lucifer from Fall of Cthulhu. Imagine John Constantine wayward daughter. One caveat – she doesn’t sound the least bit non-American for a Brazillian mystic thief.
- Irredeemable #1-2 – Imagine Superman crushed under the pressure of public mockery, and then turning against the world. Gripping.
- Last Reign: Kings of War #1-5 – The very worst thing I’ve read from Boom! Post-apocalyptic comics featuring medieval-style powered battlesuits should be so much better than this.
- Mr. Stuffins #1 – Teddy Ruxpin is re-programmed to be a secret agent…and he hates the foam pellet guns he finds in the toy department. Hilarious.
- Potter’s Field: Stone Cold – Good one-shot about corrupt cops and identity thieves.
- Unknown #1 – A mystic investigator, a death sentence and a super-science machine: looks like a winner to me!
- Unthinkable #1 – A disavowed member of a government catastrophe think-tank sees his worst imaginings acted out on the world stage. Kinda fits in with The Foundation.
- Zombie Tales #10-12 – Zombie races, zombie support groups, zombie nannies and zombie forensic technologies; these make for good short stories.
Listen to Wolverine
It’s that time of year again…
I’ll be taking the kids around to the downtown comic stores to pick up some freebies. It’s always interesting to see what they choose and how they ask (thank goodness the stores are kid-friendly and the clerks are patient).
After scanning the list of this year’s comics, my top choices are:
- DC Kids Mega Sampler
- Owly and Friends
- Fist of Justice
- Wolverine: Origin of an X-Man – Ben’s been very interested in Wolverine lately. There’s some very good (and very bad) material out there for him to enjoy
- Mini-Mate figure This would be awesome
- APE Cartoonapalooza
- Resurrection – a sci-fi tale that will probably encourage me to buy the newly issued TPB of the previous series.
- Green Lantern: Blackest Night #0 – I’m not impressed with what I’ve read about a Rainbow Force of power rings (like Kryptonite gone amok), but hey, it’s Hal Jordan. A free story can’t hurt.
I’ll report back this afternoon with the results of the collections. In the meantime, let me leave you with a few words from Hugh Jackman:
Bigger Numbers
Here’s an eBay treasure I wish I’d found – it’s the photocopied artwork for the unpublished third issue of Big Numbers, by Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz!
This series is legendary – dense, wonderful Moore plotting that proved so challenging for Sienkiwicz to draw that he quit after three issues, and his successor quit after the fourth.
The lucky bidder has scanned and posted the issue on Flickr. How cool is that?
I went through a bit of a Moore and Sienkiewicz completist binge back in my early eBay days, and Big Numbers #1-2 were the prize of my collection (I’ve since set my sights on the impossible Miracleman, and I’ve divested myself of Stray Toasters and Elektra: Assassin). And now, Big Numbers #3 is available for everyone to enjoy!
(Now, if anyone could scare up any scripts or pages for the 1963 Annual, I’d be eternally grateful…[grin])
Now I Can Honestly Say “I’m Buying These For My Son”
Boom! Studios, purveyors of fine Cthulhoid, suspense and zombie comics, have branched out into kids publishing with the Disney/Pixar and Muppet Show licenses with Boom! Kids.
The first series is The Incredibles, followed by Cars, with Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Toy Story and WALL-E coming down the pipeline. These are all Ben’s favourite movies, so I think these will be a bit hit.
He seemed awfully pleased with the first Issue of The Incredibles. I wonder if he’ll let me read it?
Any Club That Would Take Me for a Member
Last week, I was checking my referrer logs to see who was linking to my site, and I found a batch of incoming links from this post at the ValiantFANS forum. The post was was written in 2005 and referenced one of my own blog posts in August 2002.
This was pretty neat, in an Interweb-ego-gratifying way, so I posted a reply to the specifics of the post…
…earning 2 (and possibly 3) snarky responses from long-term forum posters: “GREAT 3rd post, esp. coming from a member of the boards that’s been here 3-1/2 years!”
With a welcome like that, I should go back more often!
The Bond Finale
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James Bond: Casino Royale Either the art or the reproductions are rougher in this volume of the earliest Bond strips. Bond wreaks havoc at the card table in Casino Royale and Moonraker. It’s as difficult to make baccarat and bridge suspenseful on the page as it is onscreen – I’m glad Daniel Craig played poker. |
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James Bond: Dr. No My very first exposure to James Bond – after the For Your Eyes Only movie poster – was this comic adaptation of Dr. No. The memory of Bond squeezing through the vertical pipes stayed vivid for years, and I was not disappointed on re-reading…but I can’t believe I forgot the giant octopus! |
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James Bond: The Spy Who Loved Me The Bond comic strip concludes the Fleming canon and then goes off in its own direction. The Spy Who Loved Me, unlike the novel, reads like two distinct tales, each of middling value. The Harpies is sci-fi lunacy equivalent to the Roger Moore movie era, except Bond is the straight-man. |