Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: comic books

Comic Comments – Fury Goes To Cuba

When we last visted Fury Max – Nick was in Vietnam just as American were getting involved on the French side of Indochina. That mission was a good read with great historical grounding. The mission wasn’t successful except it got Fury an assignment he liked better for helping out Congressman Pug McCuskey. The bad news is – it has to do with Cuba, Cuban nationals, and the Kennedy White House.

Now for the ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

First a very satisfied nod to the creative team: Garth Ennis, Writer – Goran Parlov, Artist – Lee Loughridge, Colors – Rob Steen, Lettering – Manny Mederos, Production – Sebastian Girner & Nick Lowe, Editors on Issue #4 – Nick Lowe, editor on Issue #5 & 6 – Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

The bright side of the previously failed Indochina mission was Pug’s secretary Shirley. She and Fury struck up a friendship with benefits. That was early 1954, after a flash Nick today dictating his memoirs while his call girls take a rest between sessions we are taken to 1961. Fury is training Cuban Nationals in Central America. At least until the soon to be Senator Pug calls him for another off the books job.

But in this one – it appears Shirley wants more than quarterly visits. In the middle of one of Nick’s visits she announces she’s marrying Pug. She doesn’t want to go back to the South Side of Chicago she wants the good life. If Nick will stay and give it to her she’ll reconsider – but no that’s not Nick.

He and his side kick Hatherly’s reward for training the Nationals as best they can – an off the books assignment from Pug and the leaders of the Nationals – Kill Castro. They get a gung-ho radioman and set out on their mission in the middle of the Bay of Pigs event. You can guess how it turns out. What you can’t guess is just how low Pug will sink and how he’ll put his new wife in danger doing it.

I like the story except for the end. It’s not that the mission fails (sorry I don’t consider that a spoiler basic knowledge of American history tells you that) I just didn’t get what Fury did or why. I’ve always gotten Fury’s thought process. Sure it’s screwed up at times, at times I DO NOT agree with it, at times it’s so clouded by testosterone that it reeks. His final decision in this arc just didn’t make sense for the character. Maybe it’ll be a plot device we’ll see develop later but as it stands – it’s out of character to me.

Though I have to say I’m loving this title. It’s historically accurate, great writing, and the art is fantastic. It all comes together to give me a comic I want. Yes Fury is a man’s man but that’s the appeal kinda like Bond with a more rugged edge and dirtier finish. That I enjoy. We are getting to see Pug, Hatherly, and Shirley develop into full characters not just cut-outs of spy novel characters. I can’t wait for the next arc to complete. I’m hoping this team stays for many issues to come.

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January 15, 2013
Comic Comments – Fury To the Max

Let’s start by being clear – Max comics are for adults. What makes them different from say regular Marvel? They drop the f-bomb and other curse words. People smoke – something forbidden now even for the healing factor crowd in the main titles. There’s nudity – no just right shadows or things in the foreground. They have sex, they depict some sex scenes, and yes they talk about sex. The fighting in some titles is more graphic, more blood and gore. When a guy gets punched it’s not just spittle that’s gonna fly. Still with all of that you’ll see and experience more extremes in an R movie than in a Marvel Max comic. It’s more than their general comics but not as much as an R movie. Got it? So if seeing women’s breasts or the f-word in type or blood fly in a fight – these titles aren’t for you.

That said they are for the rough and tumble character of Nick Fury! I like this take on him. He’s free to be what his character is set up to be in the regular line. I don’t seem him not cursing, not bedding the women, and not spoiling for a good fight when he can get one. He doesn’t mince words, says what he thinks but as a good soldier eventually follows orders even if he thinks it could be to his death. In this series he’s telling about his career post WWII in all it’s unvarnished truth. The first arc deals with Fury’s first days in French IndoChina as it’s moving toward what would become the Vietnam War. He’s the perfect character to use the Max setting to tell his tales.

First a very satisfied nod to the creative team: Garth Ennis, Writer – Goran Parlov, Artist – Lee Loughridge, Colors – Rob Steen, Lettering – Manny Mederos, Production – Sebastian Girner & Nick Lowe, Editors – Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

Now for the ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

This arc takes place in early 1954. We meet a politician Congressman Pug MCCuskey who thinks if Indochina falls to the communists then all of Southeast Asia will fall and he’s an anti-commie man second only to Joe McCarthy. Next we meet Agent Hatherly who will be Nick’s side kick through this. He’s a new CIA agent assigned to the the embassy where Nick’s the field operative, or so they say. Finally we meet the fiery and fiesty Shirley DeFabio secretary to Pug and becomes lover to Nick. The main cast is set. The task is for Nick and Hatherly to evaluate a French Foreign Legion post as allies to help assess it and improve security. What they find there disturbs them – for Nick it’s the indefensible position, under trained men, and lack of supplies that worry him the most. For Hatherly it’s the Nazi that admits to killing Jews serving as an ally to the US and going unpunished.

The story is a nutshell of politics in Indochina at the time. Nick comes at it as a pragmatic fighter while Hatherly gives us the idealistic fighter’s take. Both wind up taking a beating as Vietnam rises to overthrow the French colonials. The story is told with the rough edge of a fighter giving a true to the character voice for Fury. We all know how this is going to turn out in the end. Vietnam isn’t a good chapter but it is one every student of history shouldn’t over look or forget. Here we watch as the two polar opposites confront the issues as they were in ’54. New type of war differing from the one we’d just won. They struggle to make their ideas of war fit with the situation, colonialism is dying and our former ally Russia is now our enemy. Does that mean we should take former Nazis as our allies to defeat them? Just as in real life there are no clear cut answers. In the end the characters are wrong, all of them and glad to get out with their lives. Yet we who possess the benefit of hindsight know this isn’t the end of Vietnam for our warrior.

Miss DeFabio is all Nick could want in a woman. She’s a fighter, nay a brawler! She’s beautiful and sexy. She likes sex and has no qualms about that. She’s pragmatic and honest. She’ll help him out under the table if she sees it as the right thing to do. (Like warning him about Hathaway going off the reservation after the Nazi). She uses her influence to help Nick and her legs to pull him in closer, all for the better enjoyment of both of them.

Another issue that’s always bother me about Fury is that he heals and doesn’t age. He addresses that right up front just stating it as fact. I’ve come to think over the years that our Fury is a mutant, with somewhat of a healing factor. It would explain a lot and maybe the term didn’t apply to him back in the day and he just skirted the whole issue by not having a SUPER power. I dunno but just like I stick my fingers in my ears and LA-LA-LA-LA away aliens and magic, I’ll do the same and make Fury a low level mutant.

In the end the story was the best Nick Fury story I’ve read in some time. Considering he’s in my top five favorite Marvel characters I was pleased to see him comfortably sitting in his own title, telling his own story, his own way. It’s most enjoyable and I’m hoping this team has a long long run with Fury Max.

Now after such praise for the story how can the art live up to it? Well I dunno how but it does! The style of the covers shows the influence of the age the story is set. The art is excellent for the story. It picks up the details of the age, dial phones with receivers that are somewhat pointed at the top, the fashion isn’t perfect but carries the flavor of the age with a modern flare. It is made to appeal to today’s audience with a feel of the era in which it sits. The good guys and gals are lovely even in the nude – remember this is Max. The bad guys or generalized characters are given traits to make them memorable. It all fits with the flashes to Fury today in his bathrobe dictating his memories. A great success in supporting a strong script.

After this misadventure in Indochina the next arc moves forward to 1962 and Cuba, or Cuber as JFK called it. You know our hero Nick Fury wasn’t on the sidelines for that one.

***Warning MATURE content below that is also somewhat spoilery for the story***

***Warning MATURE content below that is also somewhat spoilery for the story***

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January 11, 2013
Comic Comment – The Fate of The King of Wolves

Keeping true to form of long arc followed by a short one, Fables issues 122 & 123 comprise a mini arc entitled The Destiny Game. The last time we visited the Fables title the Cubs In Toyland arc had just completed. The last few stories involving Bigby and Snow’s cubs have centered on the San Diego 2009 Comic Con One Page Fables predecitions. We’ve seen Winter become the North Wind, Therese did an evil thing, Darien died to stop her. Though she could be the pauper too – because now she is one. Ghost killed people before s/he learned that was wrong, except no one died to stop Ghost that I can remember. This two story arc is concerned with Ambrose as an adult, we see his fate. We also learn how Bigby and his cubs came to have their designated fates. Another excellent story with fantastic art brought to us by the team at Fables.

The second story of the issue continues to follow Bifkin’s adventures in Oz. It moves to the title story in the next issue. Bifkin’s revolution continues and now he’s found himself the leader of a great nation. Faced with the same issues as George Washington, offered a kingship, needing to lead but wanting to retire to his beloved library Bifkin has some hefty choices to make and ideas to implement.

First the legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now for the creative team on this arc first story entitled The Destiny Game: Written and Created by Bill Willingham – Guest art by Gene Ha – guest colors by Art Lyon – letters by Todd Klien – Special Thanks to Zander Cannon – Issue 123 also included Andrew Pepoy in the Special Thanks – Assistant editor Gregory Lockard – Editor Shelly Bond

The creative team for the A Revolution in Oz: Bill Willingham, Writer/Creator – Shawn McManus, Artist – Todd Klein, Letters – Gregory Lockard, Assistant Editor – Shelly Bond, Editor.

It seems every time I comment on Fables it becomes a love letter to them for doing what I dream comics can do. Last commentary on Fables I mentioned how they evoke my childhood love for Classics Illustrated. This arc pulls on that more with the adult Ambrose being the author/narrator of the tale. The illustrations are the same fine quality as those beloved comics from long ago. The structure of the tale reminds me of many of the classics. I was entranced at the first and not disappointed by the story or the art.

Ambrose explains how Bigby got the fate of marrying his beloved Snow and having seven pups with the destines of “to become Gods and Monsters that lay waste to worlds.” Whose fates were later refined by Ozma’s one page prediction from SDCC 2009.

Here in the story Bigby prefers his wolf form and rules the forest. He longs to kill his father. He runs into the green skinned woman that doles out fates. Upon chasing her he makes a deal to hear his fate. It is one of death in three days. He goes to mourn his fate in his forest.

There he meets a familar background character – the turtle wearing the teacup world on her back. She’s a vain queen whose fate was to become this turtle and warn others. She explains that the green skinned lady doesn’t read fates, she assigns them! She’s the messenger for the 3 fates.

Here we see the Fates give their messenger 7 important fates. The same number of children Bigby later has. Is it coincidence? Are the important fates the children that are to become Gods and Monsters? The story doesn’t answer these questions. We are left to ponder and draw our own conclusions.

Just how Bigby gets the fate of Snow and his cubs instead of death in three days is answered. Also how Ambrose knows this story when even Bigby doesn’t know the fate he’s given in full is also answered. It worth the read to see how the simple tale sheds new light on the fates that have unfurled in the last few Fables arcs.

Finally we are left to ponder this part of Bigby’s fate “You’ll outlive all your children but only after you’ve died seven times.” Any guesses on how THAT is going to come into play? I see fodder for Willingham to build many more excellent arcs around the Wolf family.

The Revolution in Oz story is just a few pages in each each issue. Here we see the the final defeat of the current Emperor. It pays to have an animated hanging rope on your side. The Toms of the Emperor are fleeing leaving Bifkin’s revolutionaries in power. So now what? That’s why the story takes the title role in the next issue as I said.

*****Page Scans**** Warning****Maybe Considered Spoilery********

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January 9, 2013
Comic Comment – Too Much Magic for Me In Wolverine Annual

For those not into comics I introduced the concept of the Annual back with the Uncanny X-Men’s 2012 Annual. I’ve been avoiding the Wolverine Annual double issue entitled Clandestine due to the cover. It has the wacky faux Ancient Egyptian look to the cover. After studying Egyptian hieroglyphs some I just can’t tolerate the ‘Hollywood’ image of it, so built on horrid misunderstandings. Take that and couple it with my severe dislike of magic or aliens in my X-Men and you can imagine my severe disappointment that this year’s annual double issue was based on a blending of both. Yeah, to say I didn’t like it is putting it mildly. Disgusted dislike coupled with taking offense for a now dead for centuries religion/people might get to the heart of my thoughts.

Now for the every present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Giving credit where credit is due – Alan Davis, Writer & Penciler – Mark Farmer, Inker – Javier Rodriguez, Colorist – VC’s Clayton Cowles, Letterer – Davis, Farmer, & Rodriguez, Cover Art – John Denning & Jake Thomas, Assistant Editors – Lauren Sankovitch, Associate Editor – Tom Brevoort, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

This annual ties into Daredevil Annual this year. Clandestine opens with a dream memory of Logan/James. As he falls asleep (btw he has a HUGE tv in room perks of being the headmaster I’d guess) there’s a news report about a about a museum fire stopping the plastoid robots murderous rampage. This is noted to have taken place in Daredevil’s issue.

We are then introduced (or reintroduced) to the Destine family. They are descended from Adan Destine (who James knew long ago) and his djinn lover Elalyth. I don’t know much about the Destine family and tend to ignore them. They are too magical for me. In this issue they consist of two kids that want to be superheroes with their powers, a blue furry man with red hair that turns to fire when he’s angry (looks a lot like our beloved Dr. Hank McCoy) some silver woman, a floating computer geek, and a lovely raven haired beauty that used to be one of Logan’s many flings.

It seems that a deceased family member has something to do with the plastoid robot attack on the burning museum. James being Logan, near by, and a family friend gets called into the fray. Except it’s under false pretenses, which seems to be the modus operendi for this family. Then again they are all siblings and half djinn. Dr. Strange shows up because of all the hoo-doo going on set off his alarm bells.

There’s much angsting, magical morphing, magic tripping, magic and regular fighting. Then at one point canopic jars turn into monsters which Logan battles – thus the tacky cover. In the end Logan the new man, protects the kids and makes a noble sacrifice to do it. Then he doesn’t want the kids to see him as heals from the massive damage he took, another sign of growth and caring in the man. He does show some of his headmaster self in doing a mini-Loganesque-lecture to the family about false pretenses being appearing to be the easiest solutions but causing the greatest damage. I mean look at the burned out museum and lost antiquities, the dead brother, those killed by the plastiods, and his own damage. The lessons are good but really made me want to fall back on “knowing is half the battle. GO JOE!” at the end.

Also my stomach turned at how abused the Ancient Egyptian was in this. It’s a personal peeve of mine. In cases like this I just roll my eyes and think “Hollywood!” disdainfully. However the Egyptians left written explanations of what they thought, meant, did, wanted, dreamed about, wished for… I studied hieroglyphs because I felt if a people wrote all over stuff they were a people who wanted to be understood. Our knowledge and understanding of them grows exponentially each year as more and more is translated. We are way past Budge’s bad translations, Victorian moral influence filtered by his mastery of Sumerian first. However as was lamented in StarGate by Dr. Jackson the Egyptologist “You guys are still relying on Budge!” as he erases their bad attempt at translation. I find it frustrating that an ancient peoples who we can know so much about from their own words are so misunderstood and misrepresented. As a writer who attempts to be understood through the written word my heart goes out to them, fellow writers of thousands of years ago.

Now for the art – I did enjoy that. It’s very strong art with origins in the old comics I used to read. No wacky 80s influence of hair flowing every where and odd shaped “fit” people. Sure the people are fit and better than average but that’s what comics do make take the normal and teak it to be a bit more – lovely, grotesque, fit or whatever. This art does that. Can’t complain as a Wolvie fangurl for his nude sleeping scene nor do I take task for the overly endowed women. All are within range for me in comics, not too extreme. As for the coloring there were a few times things looked a bit too ‘shiny’ or over highlighted for me. That’s just being picky, and it wasn’t something that bothered me or kicked me out of the story. So Cudos for the art team if only you’d had a decent story to illustrate.

You know what’s next – a few scans that may be spoilery so you’ve been warned

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January 3, 2013
Comic Comments – Finally A Honeymoon!

In the last arc of Uncanny X-Men Kyle and Jean-Paul were married. Then Wolverine exploded at their reception at the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning and their honeymoon got postponed. (I’ve heard exploding Wolverines will do that.) So the 2012 Annual of this title’s first story Welcome To The Family covers the delayed honeymoon – that’s even further delayed. No Wolvie didn’t explode again, thank goodness! That’s a mess to clean up and heal from!

The second story is a reprint of Alpha Flight issue #106. This is the issue is entitled The Walking Wounded where Jean-Paul Beaubier comes out to the world. He loses his adopted daughter to AIDS, she was found in a trash can as an infant. He feels he can live in hiding no more and must come out to bring open the discussion of the AIDS epidemic at the time. This was set in the 80s.

The legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now the credit for Welcome to the Family: Christos Gage, Writer – David Baldeon, Penciler – Jordi Tarragona, Inker – Veronica Gandi, Colorist – Chris Elipoulos, Letterer 0 David WIlliams & Jay David Ramos, Cover – Daniel Ketchum, Editor – Nick Lowe, X-Men Group Editor – Azel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

Credits for the Walking Wounded story are as follows: Scott Lobdell, Words – Mark Pacella, Pencils – Janice Chiang, Letters – Bobbie Chase, Edits – Tom DeFalco, Editor In Chief.

The first story is Welcome to the Family of how Kyle’s and Jean-Paul’s honeymoon is interrupted by the team. There is a threat to all non-mutant loved ones of the team. Northstar is the only one with enough speed to reach all of them and warn/take them to safety. He does want to go but Kyle says – go the team will be enough to protect me here and they’re family! So Kyle is left in his honeymoon suite with the team. He tries to get to know each one individually. As he has a conversation with each he gets relationship advice of course. None of it sounds promising as each has a heartbreaking story of loss of a loved one.

I felt for Kyle in this issue. Having been a Navy wife for going on 28 years I know what it’s like to have a spouse that must leave to harms way when duty calls. Yes when we were starting out I got a lot of advice. I faced the highest divorce rate in the services at the time – submarine wives (back then only men were on subs that’s changing). As I read the issue I reflected on the advice and stories I was told. What helped the most oddly paralleled what Logan tells Kyle in the end. Strength holds you together because you know you are better and stronger together than you could ever be apart, because your love for each other is strong enough to flex and not break, because you are strong enough to be on your own when you have to be and strong enough to lean on the other when they are there. Yeah that’s strength to take the risk of loss because the moments together are worth it. In the end Kyle has to find his own way to cope with Northstar’s X-Family and their world saving needs. Just like all military spouses every day have to do the same.

As for the art of this story – it was okay. I found the colors a bit too glowy for my taste, too bright or primary not blended or muted enough. Also the heavy outline of each character gave them cartoony looks at times. I didn’t care for that effect. Though I like the depiction of Logan more as a short powerhouse almost barrel chested than the more Hugh Jackman look he gets at times. (not that I object to Hugh playing Logan in the least! I don’t but it’s nice to see him portrayed as the powerful runt from time to time). Over all it did nicely.

The second story struck me as somewhat of a cop out for an Annual. I like it when they are one long stand-alone story or two new stories that are asides supporting the title’s continuum. I get that this coming-out issue was an important one for the star characters of the story – Marvel’s first married gay couple. But really there was an era there that was horrid in art – it was called the 80s. Time has not been kind to it as it has say the comics of the 50s, 60s, or even 70s. Instead I think as time goes on it becomes more atrocious to me. I’ve read the issue years ago and this time I couldn’t make it deeper than a quick scan due to the art. OMG! I just couldn’t stomach it. I began to think of what I could say good about it – at least there were any ties going back and curling up like greyhound tails that have to poop. Oh and at least I could follow the story with the images, though it wasn’t pleasant.

So that’s this year’s annual Kyle meets the family and comes to terms with Jean-Paul’s 24 hour, 7 day a week, on-call job.

****You know what’s next SPOILER SCANS***You’ve BEEN WARNED**** LOOK AWAY IF YOU MUST*****

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December 26, 2012
Comic Comments – A Wedding, An Explosion, A Betrayal

I’ve not gotten an X-Men title in so long. I’m Wolverine centric as you know. I figured keeping up with his titles was enough. I caught on to what the team was doing with previews, the sucking cross-title arcs, and various comic books discussion sites. However I have to say the preview of issue 53 brought me into this title. The scene where Logan is in the infirmary healing and the team is rallying around to figure out what happened to him – sucked me in. Remy was portrayed as I like him. Beast was as brilliant and hug-able as ever. The team’s concern for Northstar to go join his husband and they’d take care of this was touching. Oh and the banter between Remy, Bobby, and Jean-Paul made this fangurl’s heart melt. So I had to go back to the start of this arc and put Astonishing X-Men on my pull list. The arc turned out to be a long one of seven issues covering issues 50 through 56. Still I’m glad I got it and hope to see the team spirit hold up through the upcoming issues as it did in this one.

The wrap around wedding cover.

The required US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Credit to the creative team that brought us this arc: Marjorie Liu, Writer – Mike Perkins, Artist Issues 50 & 53-56, Penciler Issue 51, Artist with Gabriel Hernandez Walta on Issue 52 – Andy Troy, Colorist Issue 50 & Colorist with Jim Charalampidis and Rachelle Rosenberg on issue 51, Jay David Ramos, Colorist Issues 53-55, Colorist with Cris Peter in Issue 52, Colorist with Andres Mossa in Issue 56 – VC’s Joe Caramagna, Letterer Issue 50, 52-54, & 56, Letterer with VC’s Cory Petit & Cowles on Issue 51 – VC’s Cory Petit, Letterer Issue 55 – Dustin Weaver & Rachelle Rosenberg, Cover Issues 50 – 53, Phil Noto, Covers Issues 54 – 56, John Cassady & Lara Martin, Varient Cover for Issue 50, Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor Issues 50 -53, Jennifer M. Smith, Assistant Editor Issues 53 – 56, Jeanine Schaefer, Editor – Nick Lowe, X-Men Group Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alaen Fine, Executive Producer.

This arc covers Jean Paul Beaulier’s marriage to his long time boyfriend Kyle Jinadu. I never really enjoy Marvel weddings because they remind me of Barbie weddings. The big fancy things that are more show that substance. For once I’d like a Marvel headline couple in love to elope! Really, I’m not a fan of big ceremonies in general. What counts isn’t the day but what you do as a couple in the days that make the decades to follow. I often feel these weddings are what fanboys THINK fangurls want. Even though this arc was written by a woman it still falls into that cheesy fantasy princess wedding feel with two princes instead.

This arc centers on the character and X-Man member Xi’an Coy Manh codename Karma. I don’t know her really. She’s one of the many peripheral characters to my interests. I am aware of them and know their names but not much else. Apparently she has a step sister who was depowered after M-Day and shunned by their father years ago. This chick carries one MEAN grudge. Being an international arms dealer makes her more than able to act out her vengeance. She uses cutting technology to turn Logan into a bomb at the wedding reception and later take control of the X-Men’s bodies. Heck she even makes an X-Men themed team of her own using technology. The battle is on – mutant trained fighters against technology! It’s a good story with a team that’s working together not fighting among themselves. They support each other in their personal as well as professional lives. THIS is the team work I want to see when I come to an X-Man comic. Cudos to the creative team.

As for the artwork – I like the covers. I especially love the concept of issue #55. Just one nitpicking thing on Issue 50 what the heck has made Logan’s mask grow HUGE wings? What? Also a few panels at the reception get Greg Land-ish (he’s know for tracing photos and porn faces). Other than that it’s good solid comic art. I like that it isn’t over stylized but yet has just enough of the comic book better than real life feel – people are pretty or unique in a more striking way that real life. The drama is a bit heightened that in real life, yet very much real like Logan’s flirting with former friend with benefits now just friend Ororo. That scene plays nicely as do the anguish scenes for Karma and the action scenes for the team. I would be happy with this team for any superhero comic.

Overall this was a strong arc about a character I didn’t know but came to care about. The ability to do that in seven issues puts Astonishing X-Men firmly on my pull list for some time to come.

*** YOU KNOW WHAT IS NEXT SPOILERY SCANS DON’T LOOK ETHEL LESS YOU BE SPOILED**** (more…)

December 20, 2012
Comic Comments – Something’s Gotta Give

I get a lot of comics. Well at least it seems that way each month when the box arrives and I look at the bill. So I have to keep my list down to 25 or less titles. There are times something has to give to get a new title. That is what happened to Dark Shadows Vampirella. I got the title because the pairing struck me as amusing but after three issues the joke wore thin and better reviewed titles like Think Tank were coming available. So the ax fell on DSV. If funds were unlimited I’d keep it, but alas they are not and the magic number of 25 must be maintained even if it means staking Vampirella and Barnabas through the heart.

First the legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now to give credit to the creative team – Marc Andreyko, Writer – Patrick Berkenkotter, Illustrator Issues 1 & 2 – Jose Malaga, Illustrator Issue 3, Thiago Ribeiro, Colorist – Troy Peteri, Letterer – Covers by Fabiano Neves – and Special Thanks to Jim Pierson.

The story centers on a vampire killing in NYC. Barnabas has vowed as part of his penitence for the years of killing he did before he gained control of his powers to watch over his victims’ families protecting their descendants. Vampirella is put on the case by her just started wearing drag detective friend. Well I really don’t think it’s a drag queen detective but from the art it appears that way.

We eventually get the meeting of the two heroic Vamps. Holding to comic book tradition they have to fight first then team-up. I thought great we got the fanboy ‘what if Barnabas and Vamp fought who’d win’ battle out of the way but no, oh no I couldn’t be so lucky. The whole story is follow the comic book crossover book of cliches. The sidekicks like each other and mock their respective partners. For me the joke of the liberated vampire woman and the Victorian vampire man team up wore thin before the third issue.

Sure like I said if funds were no problem I’d hold on for the few laughs an issue offers, sometimes it’s fun to mock the cliches by OVER doing them with the sidekicks. But alas this is not to be. When a culling had to happen to let in better written titles, this was the weakest on the list.

As for the art – I prefer Berkenkotter’s style for Dark Shadows, it’s more the line intensive old comic style. It’s a great style except for the unfortunate depiction of the female/drag wannabe queen detective. Still over all I prefer his style for this tale over Malaga’s more modern superhero style. I think the tale of an ancient evil vampire fighting two well established vampires deserves a more classic treatment. No disrespect to Malaga’s art I just think I’d enjoy him more on a superhero tale. I will say he can do excellent comic nudes…

The covers are okay. I can’t say I’m swept off my feet by them. Vampirella broke her back for issue one so she could give us a T&A ‘Kay’s Open Heart’ pose. Really living backs can’t don that I don’t think the undead that aren’t zombies can either. If a zombie did it I’d suspect it couldn’t stand, due to becoming a paraplegic from the broken spine. As for the other two covers, I like them. They are nice. Just not WOWZERS for me.

So alas poor Dark Shadows Vampirella I knew them, Horatio: a couple of infinite jest, of most excellent cliched fantasy. (with my deepest apologies to the Bard)

You know what’s next ***POSSIBLE SPIOLERY SCANS***** (more…)

December 18, 2012
Comic Comments without a Comic

Fear Itself – Wolverine, Issue 3. Writer Seth Peck, Penciller: Roland Boschi, John Lucas, Colorist: Dan Brown Letterer: Jared Fletcher Orig. Published: by Marvel on September 07, 2011

I started doing Comic Comments just to share my thoughts about a comic with other comic readers. Kinda like chatting about a movie at a fast food joint after seeing it. Not a true review of the comic but more just commenting on it from my reading. If it’s working or not is hard to tell because I don’t get many comments back (apparently I’m sitting alone at a table chatting about the comic I just read) and very few e-mails. However it’s new and my inner voice says, keep your head down keep doing the column for a year THEN start to evaluate it.

Like all writing it’s developing organically, creating its own form just like characters and stories do as you work on them. The number of scanned pages has dropped. The legal statement has to be done. The shape has taken on a formula for now of intro, legal, creative team, discussion, few scans with comments. Seems to work for me right now but I’m running into some trouble defining just what I want the discussion to be.

I’m leaning more toward a review. I’ve been looking about at comic reviews and find there are basically three types – summary, cheerleader, critic.

The summary one retells the story of what happened in the comic. This is an easy one to fall into for me. It’s the sharing of my love for this style of storytelling that inspired the whole column to begin with. I want to share what’s going on with the title! However, a commentary or review isn’t about retelling the story. It’s to discuss the story with those who have read it or inspire someone to read it and then discuss.

The cheerleader one goes against my basic kvetching nature. Also if every comic book you read is yippeee-skipee wonderful great. I have to wonder about you more than the books. Trust me, comic book fans love to complain. If you are all rainbows, sparkles, and unicorns something’s up. I’ve come to the conclusion they are brownnosers. Why? maybe freebies from the big publishers, maybe promoting a friend’s indy, maybe just too Mary Sue to say what they really think, maybe secretly it’s the creative team doing the review (has happened in novels). I don’t know, but if all your articles on comics are rosy then I’m suspicious.

There there’s the critic or overly critical or a troll or just plain bitchy. This is the flip side of the cheerleader. Doesn’t matter what the title does it stinks. Sure there are occasional books that just plain stink even more rarely a whole title that stinks. These are few and far between. Publishers don’t invest money in actually printing if it is crap. Usually the art or the story will be a bright point in a book, sometimes it’s a matter of taste of if it went well. I can appreciate something that’s not my taste but well done for the genre it is. For example I’m not into Anime but I can tell great Anime when I see it – it’s just not my bag.

I try to strike a balance in my comments not reveal too much, not be overly approving or overly critical. I know I don’t always succeed. Sometimes I do. I’m not sure where the column is going, more toward review, summary, critique, or fangurling. I think it’ll waffle for a while longer while I find my Comic Comments voice. The one thing I do know is I’ll keep doing it. I enjoy it. It’s a labor of love. I don’t have anyone here in real life to share this interest with so I reach out here and occasionally get nods and emails from other comic book readers. Maybe I might even interest someone in picking up a comic now and again to look at it with a different eye than before. Heck if I can do that I think it makes it all worth while.

Next time I promise I’ll be back with a comic in tow to share. However if you can offer any input on how you see this thing going and what you as a reader want to see it do I’d love to hear it. Like Logan says your choice! Until next time peeps.

December 14, 2012
Comic Comments – Back On The WXM Rollercoaster

If you are keeping track you know I didn’t like the last issue of Wolverine and the X-Men because it was like the Holy Roman Empire (which was neither holy nor Roman nor an Empire). However I loved the issue before that. Well we are back up again. I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. Though it seems just dropped in the middle of things. It’s not got an AvX Interruptus connection like the last few issues or the one that follows. I think they just had a finished issue and stuck it in here for some reason only the Marvel Star Chamber comprehends. However, thank goodness they did. I needed it- a silliness break. This issue is why Doop is the receptionist at the school when very few understand what he says.

Credit where credit is due – Jason Aaron, Writer – Michale Allred, Artist – Laura Allred, Colorist – VC’s Clayton Cowles, Letterer – Michael & Laura Allred, Cover Artists – Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor – Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor – Nick Lowe, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Okay this stand alone issue is just fun. The summary of story to this point says it all for how to take this issue “Lots of things happened, but don’t worry your pretty little head about it. ENJOY!” Yep that sums up the who why Doop is on the staff of JGS.

Despite Logan saying in the Just Another Day in Westchester that he didn’t want any secrets from his staff. Well, he’s got one – why he hired Doop. They are asked to just trust him on it. As Doop doesn’t seem to do any thing – get in their way or cause trouble – the staff accepts this. We see the real reason and just the lengths Logan had to go to to get the little green guy behind the reception desk.

Just so you know, I still hold fast to my rule no aliens in my X-Men. I stick my fingers in my ears and go la-la-la-la-la then Doop becomes just another mutant. True he’s an odd mutant that speaks his own Doop language that few understand. BUT in my book just like Warbird and Kid Gladiator – he’s another mutant. We see Doop is a man about town and does get around the Marvel Universe more than any one else. Then again it’s kinda what he was hired to do… sorta.

The story is light, it’s fun, and it makes me laugh. That’s good on occasion given the heavy results of AvX that will be hitting the school. It is school centric and involves staff of the school. So I’ve got all I need when it comes to story.

The art is fun and fits the issue. It’s cartoony but that suits the silliness of the issue. I don’t know why Logan’s hair is purple black instead of the traditional blue-black but I consider it’s one of Doop’s employment conditions and move on. Over all I found enjoyable and supporting the story at hand. Which is what comic art is supposed to do!

*** More Scans this time That Could Be Spoilery***YOU ARE WARNED********

When Logan goes to hire Doop, Doop refuses to take the job. Logan swears he’s not leaving until Doop agrees. This leads to funny pages where Doop is trying to get Logan to leave by sitting up silly job conditions. This page is the start of that.

Just two questions come to mind from this scene – first off what are my dear Bamfs doing? Second why did the whole senior staff sit on the same side of the table. Did they think they were having dinner while being in a sit-com?

Sometimes you just don’t want to know Logan, really you don’t.

Okay I’m not sure which couple is stranger – Husk and Toad or Doop and Warbird – Xavier warned Logan before the school officially opened about fraternizing among the staff. Also just who do you think Logan was with in the old Danger Room? hmmm? been referenced in several issues that he was with an X-Woman in the danger room… bet it was Ororo.

Until next peeps.

December 7, 2012
Comic Comments – An Issue I Don’t Care About

From loving last issue to hating this one. For all the reasons I praised the last I’ll criticize this one. It has nothing, nothing at all to do with the Jean Greay School for Higher Learning. It’s all about the stupid concept of 11 years olds being the HellFire Club. Nope don’t like it at all don’t care about how they came to be, don’t even want to acknowledge they exist if I can help it. Then to top off the totally irrelevant story line is the very style of art I don’t like. I think you get the gist of how this is going to go after the legal stuff and credits are out of the way.

Next we need to get the legal statement out of the way – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

The credits are as follows. Jason Aaron, Writer – Chris Bachalo, Penciler and Colorist – Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey, Inkers – Chris Eliopoulos, Letterer, Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend, Cover – Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor – Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor – Nick Lowe, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckely, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

Okay you get that my first issue with this The Fires of hell A-Glowing story is it has NOTHING to do with the reason for the title – the school. That’s pretty simple really.

Next I have issues with a Hell-Fire Club that is made up of children no matter how precocious they are in killing or anything else. First off the real Hell-Fire Club isn’t for children at all. It did lead to the Phoenix Society all tied into the inspiration for the original use of these names in the Marvel story that spawned all the knock-offs and repeats we have gotten over the years in the Marvel titles. The Hell-Fire Club NYC was NSFW (not safe for work) and into BSDM. That’s why in the Marvel comics back in the day you saw the women in corsets with whips. So 11 year olds taking ove the club – don’t buy it for a second.

Next I don’t really care about any of these characters, where they are or what they have been through. I don’t care about how they got to be the club or how Kade became the leader. If they enroll in JGS as real student I’ll be somewhat interested. Until that day go away kids you annoy me.

As of the art, I do not like Bachalo’s style at all. However either I’m developing a tolerance factor of he’s toning down his extremes. He still likes pointy feet as much as Liefield likes tiny feet and pouches on belts. Bachalo has a tendancy to make the angle from the ground or low looking up. I don’t know if he’s Danny Devito short or what. As a photographer I know this is an unflattering angle to anyone. It broadens the facial features and stress the chin which isn’t a favorable facial feature. Might explain Bacchalo’s penchant for extreme chins and mouths though. I just don’t like it. I guess that’s why I’m relieved when any other artist takes an issue in the title. Except Liefield please no not Liefield… he might be a great guy (as Bachalo might be) but neither is to my taste in comic book art.

So I went from cudos to why did they waste an issue on that?!? Wonder what the next issue will bring. Well best to go up from the bottoming out don’t you think?

***SPOILER INTERIOR SCAN***WARNING***POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO CARE*****************************************************************

No he didn’t sent him to Logan’s school. You know if Scott had killed this stupid kiddie Hellfire Club it’s almost made AvX Interruptus worth it for me. Just to get rid of this annoying group.

Like I said I didn’t like it. Said that in enough ways to put the issue in the file box and never read it again. Time to move on, Until next time…

December 5, 2012