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Oct. 28th, 2004 11:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dewinged.
I don't know what it is. Maybe it was just my mood, but while I had more to read this week, I didn't walk away from the comic stash with the same jazzed feeling I had last Wednesday. I mean, I wasn't quite angry with anything I read, but I didn't get much of an emotional reaction to the books. It was...'okay' is the best way I can explain it.
Flash #215: I was nearly drooling for this issue to hit the stands, after the ending of last issue. Now, to credit, this issue begins right where 214 left off, as an Identity Crisis tie-in. I'm not a fan of tie-ins, but the last issue gave new readers a rundown of what was going on, and why Barry wrote a letter to Wally. And while it was well done, and a good example of Best Intentions, I just felt a little empty after reading this. I think I wanted more out of it, especially after IC #5. I thought the bomb of who Owen real mother was going to be dropped on us, and we do not learn that little info-nugget in this issue. Perhaps Meltzer is saving it for Identity Crisis, or perhaps this is going to be something fans speculate on til the cows come home.
Also, it shows Barry Allen as a man. One who knows he is making a mistake, knowing his emotions are ruling his sense of right and wrong, and one who has the testicular fortitude to admit it, even in hindsight. Considering I came into DC continuity late, well after Barry's death (though I was rereading the Crisis TPB earlier this week), and knowing that Barry is a Sacred Cow. He Can Do No Wrong. Not so, here. And the fact that Wally takes responsibility for it is more than enough to keep me here. Also, I liked the idea of former villains going 'good' and not getting any flack from the heroes. Nice little show of cause and effect. :)
And what was Batman not telling Wally? I hope we get an answer.
G.I. Joe #35: Honestly? Not a bad action issue, with some advancement of the overall plot...but I didn't read a giant amount of the original Marvel Series, which this picked up off of when it was restarted by Dreamwave, and I feel lost, a lot. Some of the art was off, with swords switching the hand they were held in between consecutive panels, but it didn't suck too badly, but I came away with an 'eh, okay' feeling to what was going on. I'm gonna let this book go. I think...I've outgrown it, in some ways.
JLA #107: It's not Austen. This is always a good thing. Matter of fact, it's Kurt Busiek, who usually does a really good job with team books, probably one of the best jobs with them outside of Nicieza, Claremont, and Whedon. And the issue itself is pretty straightforward, with the usual new writer tactic of showing 'a day in the life' with J'onn and Flash doing routing Watchtower maintenance and getting some trouble. I'm trying to rationale this Flash with the slightly calmer one in the Flash main book, but the Martian Manhunter took his 'extra damned capable' pills that morning, and since I've seen a lot of other writers misuse him, this made me feel a little better. Right now, I'm sticking it out with this arc because of the last page, since maybe more of the full team in action will get me more geared up for this.
Strangers in Paradise #69: Despite the number of the issue, considering the subject matter, nothing of that sort happens in this issue. *innocent look* This advances the storyline a little in that glacial pace that we're used to from Terry Moore by this point, showcasing Casey, Francine, and Katchoo in some very amusing little vingettes in their lives. Casey's made me laugh the most, because of poor Cody. Francine's proved that parents existed before they had kid, and Marie's secret is just...so perfect for her character. Katchoo...well, the last page says a lot in few words, and I wonder if Moore is finally taking the 'lesbian ninja hooker mafia empire' aspect out of the book.
X-Men #163: One more issue of Austen after this one...and you know, I kinda like this arc. Pretty straightforward, in that 'I'm leaving the book, and taking my toys with me' aspect of it. Sammy is officially dead, and I feel kinda sad about that. I thought the character himself was alright, and one of the few things about Austen's much-maligned run that I thought was on the mark. (Odd, the message board I thought would be cheering Sammy's death expressed a lot of sadness, and even comforted one poster who was a big Sammy fan. The one I thought was more mature was cheering...while in another thread they were arguing /against/ thought balloons in comics. Proles.) But, some of what happened we see coming. Nocturne is not dead, she just made an error and Juggernaut told her to find help. Xorn is not dead (Dammit!), and Juggy was on the side of the angels...most of the time? Also, Northstar appears, heartily reminds Havok that he's not on an X-team, and pretty much 'pwns' Sabretooth, and there was a line that makes me think Jean-Paul will stick around, or do something to organize the liberation of Neverland from Weapon X. Bringing up his twin sister does that. I'm...almost wondering what will happen next.
I won't get into the Gambit thing. A telepath working as his 'eyes' was cool, but the visions...I'll chalk it up to telepathy from someone else and pray Milligan doesn't go anywhere else with this.
Excalibur #6: The first arc introduced the players, so this, the second part of three, kicks it into gear. The factions on Genosha are almost starting a war of their own, and Xavier's new team is finding their footing still. As for why no one recognizes Magneto? No bloody idea, and I don't really care so long as Claremont is writing him and the Magneto from Morrison's Planet X storyline was Not Really Him. Some new pirate-ish villains, raiders with trolls (and where did /they/ come from? Asgard?) working with Unus (One of Morrison's others much-ignored-by-fans mistakes), Shola breaking free and pounding Unus into the ground, as well as a semi-surprise ending by a character I was hoping they forgot.
And Freakshow kicking much ass. I can learn to enjoy that. :)
Authority: Revolution #1: Now, this is a case of Where Did It Go Wrong? Now, when Ellis started the Authority, I got this vibe from it. "We're heroes. We kick a lot of ass and kill and destroy, but only because we can cope with getting our hands dirty, and we're here to protect the planet from the Really Big Menaces." It was pretty straightforward. Then, Mark Millar-cursed-be-his-name, took over, and the Authority became 'We can do fuck-all we want because we can rationalize it,' This is what I refer to as Bullshit: If I wanted that mindset, I'd go back to college. Now, they conquered the US, and aere running things, and wow has this entire concept lost its way. Not. Happy.
Outsiders #17. Oookay. Now, I think it';s entirely possible for comics to be able to raise social issues and inform folks. It's entirely possible, when done right.
Note: When Done Right.
Now, the issue of child kidnapping and slavery rings...well, you should be horrified. I know I am. And they're guest-starring John Walsh of America's Most Wanted. I'm happy I'm old enough to realize why WInnick is doing this: I remember when the Adam Walsh story hit, and John Walsh's entire thing since then has been centered on two words. "Never Again." It's admirable, since I don't think he's doing the show and stuff for the money or fame. He just doesn't want others to go through the hell he did. Comics is merely another medium, because I wonder how aware folks are of shit like this.
But the last few pages where they explain Walsh...okay, when I was a younger kid they passed out comics in school, which were meant to inform little kids about kidnappers and drugs and all the other little fears. The last few pages /felt/ like that. And I usually defend Winick with his book. Not in the 'I'm right dammit' mindset I usually defent Teen Titans with, but a little of the 'What, you want to go back to the foil hats' mentality of 'considering what we had, I can stomach this.'
But Winick is way off base with stuff here. One thing I liked was Roy's talk with Lian. Having nieces and nephews around this age, that sequence was so on the mark it was hysterical. And hey, Grace got some actual depth.
But...oy.
1) Jade knowing Nightwing's real name. Anyone on that team save Roy knowing the name is off-base. Trust me, I did an online game where everyone on the Titans but my character knew Nightwing's real identity, and some of the players did not hesistate to OOCly lord that over me. So, I take it personally that Winick fucked that up.
2) While I like Jade as leader, and tough-as-nails and organized to boot...her little stance on what to do about the kidnapping/branding/slavery ring of 'It's not what we do.' is so, so SO out of character. Sure, there are police, and FBI, and you'd work with them, but Jade saying 'they don't do things like this' considering what happened to her TWIN brother Todd/Obsidian, and how badly that can fuck a person up, just rang false.
That's about it, there. Where is Winick going with this?
Green Lantern: Rebirth #1: You know, if you open up the first page you can almost hear thousands of H.E.A.T. members cheering in the background.
Okay, yeah, this is me being a bit sarcastic, as a Kyle Rayner fan. Never had anything against Hal, but since every character I do like gets crapped on by the general fandom, it's not going to keep going without a little backlash from me. I will shut up on that right now.
Whatever the case, Johns opens strongly, with a boatload of character moments that slowly start to re-establish the Green Lantern mythos (Carol thinking of rebuying Ferris Air, Hector Hammond in the wings, Black Hand...all we need is Sinestro to show up). But they show most of the GL cast: Hal, Kyle (briefly, grr), John, Alan, Jade, Ollie, and even a guest shot by Mia for a few panels. And...well, Hal handling the Spectre Force does not seem to be going too well (as shown in a recent JSA arc. Yay, continuity!) What I think is going on is this: Hal...or Parallax, is putting things back with everything he knew, the way it was. Guy...is in trouble, his body rejecting the Vuldarian DNA, Coast City is...sort-of there now...and it's only gonna get bigger. I want to see how this done.
Okay, I think that was it for the week, pelt with tomatoes at will.
I don't know what it is. Maybe it was just my mood, but while I had more to read this week, I didn't walk away from the comic stash with the same jazzed feeling I had last Wednesday. I mean, I wasn't quite angry with anything I read, but I didn't get much of an emotional reaction to the books. It was...'okay' is the best way I can explain it.
Flash #215: I was nearly drooling for this issue to hit the stands, after the ending of last issue. Now, to credit, this issue begins right where 214 left off, as an Identity Crisis tie-in. I'm not a fan of tie-ins, but the last issue gave new readers a rundown of what was going on, and why Barry wrote a letter to Wally. And while it was well done, and a good example of Best Intentions, I just felt a little empty after reading this. I think I wanted more out of it, especially after IC #5. I thought the bomb of who Owen real mother was going to be dropped on us, and we do not learn that little info-nugget in this issue. Perhaps Meltzer is saving it for Identity Crisis, or perhaps this is going to be something fans speculate on til the cows come home.
Also, it shows Barry Allen as a man. One who knows he is making a mistake, knowing his emotions are ruling his sense of right and wrong, and one who has the testicular fortitude to admit it, even in hindsight. Considering I came into DC continuity late, well after Barry's death (though I was rereading the Crisis TPB earlier this week), and knowing that Barry is a Sacred Cow. He Can Do No Wrong. Not so, here. And the fact that Wally takes responsibility for it is more than enough to keep me here. Also, I liked the idea of former villains going 'good' and not getting any flack from the heroes. Nice little show of cause and effect. :)
And what was Batman not telling Wally? I hope we get an answer.
G.I. Joe #35: Honestly? Not a bad action issue, with some advancement of the overall plot...but I didn't read a giant amount of the original Marvel Series, which this picked up off of when it was restarted by Dreamwave, and I feel lost, a lot. Some of the art was off, with swords switching the hand they were held in between consecutive panels, but it didn't suck too badly, but I came away with an 'eh, okay' feeling to what was going on. I'm gonna let this book go. I think...I've outgrown it, in some ways.
JLA #107: It's not Austen. This is always a good thing. Matter of fact, it's Kurt Busiek, who usually does a really good job with team books, probably one of the best jobs with them outside of Nicieza, Claremont, and Whedon. And the issue itself is pretty straightforward, with the usual new writer tactic of showing 'a day in the life' with J'onn and Flash doing routing Watchtower maintenance and getting some trouble. I'm trying to rationale this Flash with the slightly calmer one in the Flash main book, but the Martian Manhunter took his 'extra damned capable' pills that morning, and since I've seen a lot of other writers misuse him, this made me feel a little better. Right now, I'm sticking it out with this arc because of the last page, since maybe more of the full team in action will get me more geared up for this.
Strangers in Paradise #69: Despite the number of the issue, considering the subject matter, nothing of that sort happens in this issue. *innocent look* This advances the storyline a little in that glacial pace that we're used to from Terry Moore by this point, showcasing Casey, Francine, and Katchoo in some very amusing little vingettes in their lives. Casey's made me laugh the most, because of poor Cody. Francine's proved that parents existed before they had kid, and Marie's secret is just...so perfect for her character. Katchoo...well, the last page says a lot in few words, and I wonder if Moore is finally taking the 'lesbian ninja hooker mafia empire' aspect out of the book.
X-Men #163: One more issue of Austen after this one...and you know, I kinda like this arc. Pretty straightforward, in that 'I'm leaving the book, and taking my toys with me' aspect of it. Sammy is officially dead, and I feel kinda sad about that. I thought the character himself was alright, and one of the few things about Austen's much-maligned run that I thought was on the mark. (Odd, the message board I thought would be cheering Sammy's death expressed a lot of sadness, and even comforted one poster who was a big Sammy fan. The one I thought was more mature was cheering...while in another thread they were arguing /against/ thought balloons in comics. Proles.) But, some of what happened we see coming. Nocturne is not dead, she just made an error and Juggernaut told her to find help. Xorn is not dead (Dammit!), and Juggy was on the side of the angels...most of the time? Also, Northstar appears, heartily reminds Havok that he's not on an X-team, and pretty much 'pwns' Sabretooth, and there was a line that makes me think Jean-Paul will stick around, or do something to organize the liberation of Neverland from Weapon X. Bringing up his twin sister does that. I'm...almost wondering what will happen next.
I won't get into the Gambit thing. A telepath working as his 'eyes' was cool, but the visions...I'll chalk it up to telepathy from someone else and pray Milligan doesn't go anywhere else with this.
Excalibur #6: The first arc introduced the players, so this, the second part of three, kicks it into gear. The factions on Genosha are almost starting a war of their own, and Xavier's new team is finding their footing still. As for why no one recognizes Magneto? No bloody idea, and I don't really care so long as Claremont is writing him and the Magneto from Morrison's Planet X storyline was Not Really Him. Some new pirate-ish villains, raiders with trolls (and where did /they/ come from? Asgard?) working with Unus (One of Morrison's others much-ignored-by-fans mistakes), Shola breaking free and pounding Unus into the ground, as well as a semi-surprise ending by a character I was hoping they forgot.
And Freakshow kicking much ass. I can learn to enjoy that. :)
Authority: Revolution #1: Now, this is a case of Where Did It Go Wrong? Now, when Ellis started the Authority, I got this vibe from it. "We're heroes. We kick a lot of ass and kill and destroy, but only because we can cope with getting our hands dirty, and we're here to protect the planet from the Really Big Menaces." It was pretty straightforward. Then, Mark Millar-cursed-be-his-name, took over, and the Authority became 'We can do fuck-all we want because we can rationalize it,' This is what I refer to as Bullshit: If I wanted that mindset, I'd go back to college. Now, they conquered the US, and aere running things, and wow has this entire concept lost its way. Not. Happy.
Outsiders #17. Oookay. Now, I think it';s entirely possible for comics to be able to raise social issues and inform folks. It's entirely possible, when done right.
Note: When Done Right.
Now, the issue of child kidnapping and slavery rings...well, you should be horrified. I know I am. And they're guest-starring John Walsh of America's Most Wanted. I'm happy I'm old enough to realize why WInnick is doing this: I remember when the Adam Walsh story hit, and John Walsh's entire thing since then has been centered on two words. "Never Again." It's admirable, since I don't think he's doing the show and stuff for the money or fame. He just doesn't want others to go through the hell he did. Comics is merely another medium, because I wonder how aware folks are of shit like this.
But the last few pages where they explain Walsh...okay, when I was a younger kid they passed out comics in school, which were meant to inform little kids about kidnappers and drugs and all the other little fears. The last few pages /felt/ like that. And I usually defend Winick with his book. Not in the 'I'm right dammit' mindset I usually defent Teen Titans with, but a little of the 'What, you want to go back to the foil hats' mentality of 'considering what we had, I can stomach this.'
But Winick is way off base with stuff here. One thing I liked was Roy's talk with Lian. Having nieces and nephews around this age, that sequence was so on the mark it was hysterical. And hey, Grace got some actual depth.
But...oy.
1) Jade knowing Nightwing's real name. Anyone on that team save Roy knowing the name is off-base. Trust me, I did an online game where everyone on the Titans but my character knew Nightwing's real identity, and some of the players did not hesistate to OOCly lord that over me. So, I take it personally that Winick fucked that up.
2) While I like Jade as leader, and tough-as-nails and organized to boot...her little stance on what to do about the kidnapping/branding/slavery ring of 'It's not what we do.' is so, so SO out of character. Sure, there are police, and FBI, and you'd work with them, but Jade saying 'they don't do things like this' considering what happened to her TWIN brother Todd/Obsidian, and how badly that can fuck a person up, just rang false.
That's about it, there. Where is Winick going with this?
Green Lantern: Rebirth #1: You know, if you open up the first page you can almost hear thousands of H.E.A.T. members cheering in the background.
Okay, yeah, this is me being a bit sarcastic, as a Kyle Rayner fan. Never had anything against Hal, but since every character I do like gets crapped on by the general fandom, it's not going to keep going without a little backlash from me. I will shut up on that right now.
Whatever the case, Johns opens strongly, with a boatload of character moments that slowly start to re-establish the Green Lantern mythos (Carol thinking of rebuying Ferris Air, Hector Hammond in the wings, Black Hand...all we need is Sinestro to show up). But they show most of the GL cast: Hal, Kyle (briefly, grr), John, Alan, Jade, Ollie, and even a guest shot by Mia for a few panels. And...well, Hal handling the Spectre Force does not seem to be going too well (as shown in a recent JSA arc. Yay, continuity!) What I think is going on is this: Hal...or Parallax, is putting things back with everything he knew, the way it was. Guy...is in trouble, his body rejecting the Vuldarian DNA, Coast City is...sort-of there now...and it's only gonna get bigger. I want to see how this done.
Okay, I think that was it for the week, pelt with tomatoes at will.
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-28 03:54 pm (UTC)Astonishing #6 is out next week :)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-28 04:09 pm (UTC)And Avengers #503...which I'm more looking forward to to hear
Also, to note: Avengers #503 is delayed til next week. From what I heard, Wizard Magazine, out /this/ week, spoiled the surprise.
But I was right, anyways. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-28 06:05 pm (UTC)