Wednesday, July 30, 2008
DARK KNIGHT
Things I Liked: Heath Ledger's Joker. In fact, everything about the Joker. Wasn't sure I would like this anarcho-punk incarnation, but it turned out to be great. The fact that they did NOT show Joker's origin, and that Joker's own explanation for his scars keep changing a la The Killing Joke. The fact that Joker survived the movie. Gary Oldman's James Gordon. Absolutely perfect. Referring to the original 1989 Bat-suit that famously did not allow Michael Keaton to move his head. The cameo by Senator Pat Leahy. Keeping the same Bat-mobile. Referencing the 1970's "Batcave" hidden beneath Bruce Wayne's penthouse. Batman willing to take on the general public's hatred.
Things I Did Not Like: The damn thing was so dark (I mean lighting-wise) at times you couldn't tell what was going on. The fight scenes were claustrophobically-shot; how can you tell Batman is the world's greatest fighter when all you ever see is a blurry close-up of his elbow? The sound editing; loud and awful. Dialogue was drowned out at times, particularly during Gordon's closing exposition. Harvey Dent; pretty much everything about him. We never learned enough about him to care or understand why he went insane or why he was so great Batman would seriously consider retiring in favor of him. Dent's portrayal in The Long Halloween was much better. In fact, his entire sub-plot felt tacked-on and unnecessary and his death pointless. The music; utterly forgettable. Production values on Gotham City. While I don't miss the homo-erotic Stalinism of Joel Schumacher's Gotham, there was something to be said for Tim Burton's gothic mega-city. Gotham City should be virtually a character in and of itself. The city should reflect the corruption within it and I hardly recall even seeing graffiti. Nolan's Gotham either looked too much like Chicago (where it was shot) or too generic (particularly the hospital). Christian Bale's Bat-Voice. It's become so dark and raspy as to be unintelligible, more like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade.
Overall? Frankly? It was kind of meh. Hate to admit it, but yeah.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Hancock
Great movie. Really great movie. I loved the concept of an essentially homeless alcoholic superhero utterly despised by the city he protects. Will Smith does a superb job of conveying the character's essential loneliness and surly alienation from society. Jason Bateman is understated and convincing as the earnest, PR sidekick who takes it on himself to rehabilitate Hancock against his will. Charlize Theron plays Mary, Bateman's disproportionately hot wife. The plot is more or less an origin story for Hancock and does an intriguing job of speculating on how superheroes might actually be perceived in the real world. Hancock also shows that the powers don't make the hero; his are relatively generic (flight, invulnerability, super-strength) but we don't mind because the character who wields them is complex, interesting, and (eventually) sympathetic. There is a mild plot twist at the end that most fanboys will spot coming, but it's still interesting and advances the plot without being annoying. Highly recommended.Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Incredible Hulk
Subtitled "The Apology," this version completes ignores Ang Lee's widely-panned previous effort and actually pays homage to the old TV series, from cameos by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, to the classic "Banner hitchhiking" piano music, to the Hulk-making gadgetry. The plotting is tight and rather simplistic, with three increasingly-spectacular set-piece battles. Edward Norton channels some of his old "Fight Club" angst as the isolated, lonely and perpetually-fearful Banner. Liv Tyler is, well, Liv Tyler: enormous eyes, pouting lips, and almost no acting ability beyond a breathy little-girl voice. I particularly enjoyed the intertwining of Marvel history throughout the movie, including references to the Captain America mythos (in this respect, it's more like the Ultimate Universe). The CGI Hulk, however, was a little disappointing; it didn't seem nearly as realistic or emotive as, say, Gollum in LOTR. Overall, a very good effort, though not as incredible as Iron Man.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
*HERE BE SPOILERS*
Spectacularly mediocre final installment of a series that has been going steadily downhill since Raiders of the Lost Ark. The franchise feels old and worn-out, not unlike Harrison Ford who seemingly can scarcely contain his boredom. The plot, such as it is, is molecule-thin, even by Indiana Jones standards, and riddled with holes, dead-ends and sheer silliness. Showing a hero facing old age is good idea, but other than one or two references to his age, Indy is exactly the same superhero he was in 1937, though he seems to have lost all common sense when it comes to reading his friends. He gets caught in a nuclear blast, tossed ten miles in a refrigerator that slams into the Earth at high speed and is able to get up and dust himself off! Which brings up another point: the stunts have gone WAY beyond thrilling and deep into ludicrous territory. The villains here (the godless Commies) are completely indistinguishable from the Nazis in the previous films, save only for the accents and the uniforms. And the last quarter is cringe-inducingly racist (not that the previous three installments were exactly enlightened), with Indians portrayed as screeching naked savages (and, apparently, some kind of ninja) and far too stupid to have invented anything on their own, instead being dependent on the "benevolent" von Daniken-ite aliens to instruct them. Overall, a disappointing end to an era.
Spectacularly mediocre final installment of a series that has been going steadily downhill since Raiders of the Lost Ark. The franchise feels old and worn-out, not unlike Harrison Ford who seemingly can scarcely contain his boredom. The plot, such as it is, is molecule-thin, even by Indiana Jones standards, and riddled with holes, dead-ends and sheer silliness. Showing a hero facing old age is good idea, but other than one or two references to his age, Indy is exactly the same superhero he was in 1937, though he seems to have lost all common sense when it comes to reading his friends. He gets caught in a nuclear blast, tossed ten miles in a refrigerator that slams into the Earth at high speed and is able to get up and dust himself off! Which brings up another point: the stunts have gone WAY beyond thrilling and deep into ludicrous territory. The villains here (the godless Commies) are completely indistinguishable from the Nazis in the previous films, save only for the accents and the uniforms. And the last quarter is cringe-inducingly racist (not that the previous three installments were exactly enlightened), with Indians portrayed as screeching naked savages (and, apparently, some kind of ninja) and far too stupid to have invented anything on their own, instead being dependent on the "benevolent" von Daniken-ite aliens to instruct them. Overall, a disappointing end to an era.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Speed Racer
Emphasis on "Speed." An insane combination of Rollerball (the crappy original, not the crappy remake), Death Race 2000 and some kind of neon-fueled acid trip involving lots and lots of Hotwheels track. Presented with a deafening sound and explosive visual intensity designed to induce seizures in Japanese schoolchildren. Edited and directed by a hyperkinetic ADHD Asperger's Syndrome five-year-old. On crack. And bizarrely enough, the movie is actually LESS violent than the original cartoon series thanks to Plot Device Super Balls that eject the drivers when their vehicles unconvincingly explode (perhaps due to the Treknobabble matter/anti-matter drives that run them) into a billion white hot fragments.Recent Comics I Have Read
Mighty Avengers #13: Shorter Bendis: "This'll show you all for not reading Secret Wars!"
New Avengers #40: Yeah, it's Battlestar Galactica.
Avengers/Invaders #1: Hmmm, okay. Not sure about this. Art okay, like seeing the actual Captain America back. Have to assume this is some weird hiccup of continuity seeing as how Cap never "remembered" any of this.
Batman #675: Bad art. Jezebel Jet is annoying and pointless. Plus, the eye-finger guys from 52.
Captain America #37: Red Skull is well-presented, as was the Hawkeye vs. Bucky America confrontation.
DC Universe 0: It was free. And worth every penny.
Detective Comics #844: The cartoonish artwork goes well with Dini's writing. Nice, creepy origin for the new Ventriloquist. I still liked the Goth look for Zatanna better.
Infinity, Inc. #9: Mediocre art, reads sort of like an X-Men for DC. How old is Mercy supposed to be?
Iron Man Viva Las Vegas #1: Jon Favreau makes his own continuity, which is cool with me. Liked the artwork, fairly snappy dialogue. Not sure how Tony Stark pulled off the whole bathroom change thing and still kept his secret identity, though.
Justice League of America #20: Another team-up, this time Flash and Wonder Woman. Pretty well-handled, nice art and good dialogue for Flash. This may be part of the set-up to retire Wally and reinstate Barry Allen, desecrating the last grave in the superhero universal cemetery. Heaven forbid that any meaningful death ever be allowed to keep its meaning.
Ms. Marvel #26: Agent Sum is more interesting and Machine Man way more creepy than I originally thought. Paranoia strikes deep.
Noble Causes #32: Picks up five years later. Artwork is vastly improved and the new characters are intriguing, though I missed Liz Donnelly.
Powers Annual #1: Sigh, more of the super-apes. And with fur thong bikinis.
Secret Invasion #2: Okay, this is WAY more interesting than the interminable exposition in the Avengers. Bendis is doing a good job of stretching out the suspense over who is really a Skrull.
Amazing Spider-Man #558: My first BND issue and it was intensely adequate. Given that the whole BND shtick was to bring back the "glory days," it's pretty disappointing that this storyline doesn't even remotely approach Roger Stern's run. Creaky dialogue, silly plot. And Peter Parker living with his aunt in his late 'twenties doesn't make him an Everyman, it makes him pathetic.
Superman/Batman #47: Return of a concept from Generations and JLU that really makes sense when you think about it, even without Luthor as President.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #8: Black Condor has been leeched of all originality and reduced to a New Age-spouting, Tarzan-talking stereotype. Very sad.
Wonder Woman #19: Simone continues to grow into the role, developing an interesting take on the main character. Artwork slipping, though.
New Avengers #40: Yeah, it's Battlestar Galactica.
Avengers/Invaders #1: Hmmm, okay. Not sure about this. Art okay, like seeing the actual Captain America back. Have to assume this is some weird hiccup of continuity seeing as how Cap never "remembered" any of this.
Batman #675: Bad art. Jezebel Jet is annoying and pointless. Plus, the eye-finger guys from 52.
Captain America #37: Red Skull is well-presented, as was the Hawkeye vs. Bucky America confrontation.
DC Universe 0: It was free. And worth every penny.
Detective Comics #844: The cartoonish artwork goes well with Dini's writing. Nice, creepy origin for the new Ventriloquist. I still liked the Goth look for Zatanna better.
Infinity, Inc. #9: Mediocre art, reads sort of like an X-Men for DC. How old is Mercy supposed to be?
Iron Man Viva Las Vegas #1: Jon Favreau makes his own continuity, which is cool with me. Liked the artwork, fairly snappy dialogue. Not sure how Tony Stark pulled off the whole bathroom change thing and still kept his secret identity, though.
Justice League of America #20: Another team-up, this time Flash and Wonder Woman. Pretty well-handled, nice art and good dialogue for Flash. This may be part of the set-up to retire Wally and reinstate Barry Allen, desecrating the last grave in the superhero universal cemetery. Heaven forbid that any meaningful death ever be allowed to keep its meaning.
Ms. Marvel #26: Agent Sum is more interesting and Machine Man way more creepy than I originally thought. Paranoia strikes deep.
Noble Causes #32: Picks up five years later. Artwork is vastly improved and the new characters are intriguing, though I missed Liz Donnelly.
Powers Annual #1: Sigh, more of the super-apes. And with fur thong bikinis.
Secret Invasion #2: Okay, this is WAY more interesting than the interminable exposition in the Avengers. Bendis is doing a good job of stretching out the suspense over who is really a Skrull.
Amazing Spider-Man #558: My first BND issue and it was intensely adequate. Given that the whole BND shtick was to bring back the "glory days," it's pretty disappointing that this storyline doesn't even remotely approach Roger Stern's run. Creaky dialogue, silly plot. And Peter Parker living with his aunt in his late 'twenties doesn't make him an Everyman, it makes him pathetic.
Superman/Batman #47: Return of a concept from Generations and JLU that really makes sense when you think about it, even without Luthor as President.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #8: Black Condor has been leeched of all originality and reduced to a New Age-spouting, Tarzan-talking stereotype. Very sad.
Wonder Woman #19: Simone continues to grow into the role, developing an interesting take on the main character. Artwork slipping, though.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
IRON MAN
Absolutely great flick, one of the best superhero movies of all times. This is the kind of movie Superman Returns might have been, had Bryan Singer not been so obsessive/compulsive about remaking Superman: The Movie. Beginning with the inspired casting (some might say typecasting) of Robert Downey, Jr. as a rich, shallow, self-absorbed, substance-abusing womanizer, to Gwyneth Paltrow's wonderfully understated performance as Pepper Potts, to the smooth-without-being-overwhelming CGI, it's really hard to find fault with anything in the production. Iron Man's Cold War roots are skillfully updated, transferring his origin from Vietnam to Afghanistan and remaking his arch-nemesis the Mandarin (who was, let's face it, a pretty crude Fu Manchu stereotype in the comics) into a warlord with a Genghis Khan fetish. Obadiah Stane, a villain from the Denny O'Neil run in the 1980's, is played by Jeff Bridges, who resists the urge to chew scenery and delivers such an excellent performance, I really didn't even mind the cliched "villain who has it all together throughout the film only to lose it spectacularly at the last minute" ending. Director Jon Favreau (who also appears in a couple of scenes as Happy Hogan) takes his time with the pacing, making sure the audience gets to know Tony Stark long before he ever gets strapped into his metal union suit. The dialogue is snappy, the set-piece fight scenes are great, and Downey makes us believe that a man can become a reluctant hero after a personal epiphany. Highly recommended.Labels: Movies, Reviews, Superheroes
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Mighty Avengers #11: Well, so much for what I said about Dr. Doom being well-presented. What clumsy, stilted dialogue! Maybe he's really a Skrull...
New Avengers #39: Okay, the Skrulls have infiltrated the world but the Super Skrull does such a crappy job as Daredevil that D-Lister Echo can see right through it?
Captain America #36: Bucky America continues to thrill and annoy. I thought I could handle Cap with a gun, but now maybe not so much. He had to shoot a non-powered teenage girl in the back? I did like the fact that the crowd refused to listen to Bucky America.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #7: Cheap joke at the beginning and a ripoff from X-Files. I'm back and forth on the flat cartoonish Chiang artwork, though I do appreciate that Speedy still has the physique of an actual teenage girl. The "interrogation" scene was entertaining.
Invincible #49: Big superheroic throwdown against Doctor Seismic. Mark learns the hard way that he can't even trust the government; after finding out his Dad was actually a murderous alien bent on world conquest, he has to be developing a complex.
Justice League: The New Frontier #1: Absolutely wonderful. The Batman vs. Superman fight (a great DKR homage) alone is worth the cover price. "I waste a bit of rubber on him and get clear just as the missile detonates." Backup features are great, too. Really makes me want the TPB and the DVD.
Justice Society of America #14: The cover seems unrelated to the story inside, a pretty good battle with Gog. The sheer size of this team may be getting problematic, however, given that none of them have their own titles. Hard to really stand out in a crowd this big.
Ms. Marvel #25: Another retro-style flashback which I enjoyed, right down to the Buscema-esque art and editorial footnotes. More behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Remains a solid book.
Secret Invasion #1: Surprisingly good, though with a very distinct Battlestar Galactica flavor. "He loves you," was I think what put me in mind of the religious zealot Cylons. I'm genuinely intrigued and looking forward to seeing how far this all goes.
Titans #1: Nice round-up issue, plus Starfire cheesecake. Nice to see the old team I remember from the great days of Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #7: Good alien invasion story, even though I hate alien invasion stories for the most part. Also, a little unsure of the continuity here; are there just no other superheroes on Earth besides the Freedom Fighters?
New Avengers #39: Okay, the Skrulls have infiltrated the world but the Super Skrull does such a crappy job as Daredevil that D-Lister Echo can see right through it?
Captain America #36: Bucky America continues to thrill and annoy. I thought I could handle Cap with a gun, but now maybe not so much. He had to shoot a non-powered teenage girl in the back? I did like the fact that the crowd refused to listen to Bucky America.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #7: Cheap joke at the beginning and a ripoff from X-Files. I'm back and forth on the flat cartoonish Chiang artwork, though I do appreciate that Speedy still has the physique of an actual teenage girl. The "interrogation" scene was entertaining.
Invincible #49: Big superheroic throwdown against Doctor Seismic. Mark learns the hard way that he can't even trust the government; after finding out his Dad was actually a murderous alien bent on world conquest, he has to be developing a complex.
Justice League: The New Frontier #1: Absolutely wonderful. The Batman vs. Superman fight (a great DKR homage) alone is worth the cover price. "I waste a bit of rubber on him and get clear just as the missile detonates." Backup features are great, too. Really makes me want the TPB and the DVD.
Justice Society of America #14: The cover seems unrelated to the story inside, a pretty good battle with Gog. The sheer size of this team may be getting problematic, however, given that none of them have their own titles. Hard to really stand out in a crowd this big.
Ms. Marvel #25: Another retro-style flashback which I enjoyed, right down to the Buscema-esque art and editorial footnotes. More behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Remains a solid book.
Secret Invasion #1: Surprisingly good, though with a very distinct Battlestar Galactica flavor. "He loves you," was I think what put me in mind of the religious zealot Cylons. I'm genuinely intrigued and looking forward to seeing how far this all goes.
Titans #1: Nice round-up issue, plus Starfire cheesecake. Nice to see the old team I remember from the great days of Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #7: Good alien invasion story, even though I hate alien invasion stories for the most part. Also, a little unsure of the continuity here; are there just no other superheroes on Earth besides the Freedom Fighters?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Mighty Avengers #10: The time travel saga continues, with the clever conceit that the flashback pages look like a Marvel comic from 20-30 years ago, including the slogans along the bottom gutter. Dr. Doom is well-presented ("A lot more people hate you than hate me"). Plus the thought balloons are WAY less annoying now.
Birds of Prey #115: Art is good. Zinda is good. Huntress is always good. Black Alice I could do without, as her powers seem ludicrous (she absorbs people's clothing, too?) Still not up to Simonian levels, but making progress.
The Last Defenders #1: A nice turn on the (ludicrous) Initiative concept as the new Defenders are assigned to...New Jersey? Artwork is okay, though Blazing Skull apparently needs to try Adkins. I liked the portrayal of Kyle Richmond as conflicted and self-doubting. Very Marvel, that.
Detective Comics #842: Well, that was kind of a letdown. Is that really all the Magic Armor of Doom does? Give you 'roid rage? As part of some supehero version of The DaVinci Code? Artwork decent, coloring GREAT.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #6: I think Judd Winick has captured the interplay between Canary and Arrow very well. They behave like, well, old friends/lovers, as it should be. Good art, especially with Dinah having an athletic build and realistic boobs as opposed to implanted basketballs,. I thought Mia snoozing in the front seat of the van while "mom" and "dad" talked was unexpectedly sweet.
Powers #28: Ugh. Why does Deena have to have powers? Can I whine about this some more? At least Christian stays out of that ludicrous Milennium Guard get-up. I can only hope this arc ends with Pilgrim losing her power to fry people through their eyeballs.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #5 & 6: Superheroes as bad dads is becoming a cliche, but it's well-presented here, even if we have to again swallow the idea that Golden Age heroes have 20-something children. Art is good, rather Chaykin-esque actually. The REALLY gross potential side-effects of shrinking. And Red Bee is presented WAY better as an insect queen villain that that silliness over in Superman.
Wonder Woman #18: Simone is hitting her stride here. The courting rituals were wonderful. Etta Candy: "woo fuckin' woo" = priceless. Artwork was...okay, I guess, though it appears Bernard Chang is convinced Sarah Michelle Gellar should play the lead in the Wonder Woman movie.
Birds of Prey #115: Art is good. Zinda is good. Huntress is always good. Black Alice I could do without, as her powers seem ludicrous (she absorbs people's clothing, too?) Still not up to Simonian levels, but making progress.
The Last Defenders #1: A nice turn on the (ludicrous) Initiative concept as the new Defenders are assigned to...New Jersey? Artwork is okay, though Blazing Skull apparently needs to try Adkins. I liked the portrayal of Kyle Richmond as conflicted and self-doubting. Very Marvel, that.
Detective Comics #842: Well, that was kind of a letdown. Is that really all the Magic Armor of Doom does? Give you 'roid rage? As part of some supehero version of The DaVinci Code? Artwork decent, coloring GREAT.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #6: I think Judd Winick has captured the interplay between Canary and Arrow very well. They behave like, well, old friends/lovers, as it should be. Good art, especially with Dinah having an athletic build and realistic boobs as opposed to implanted basketballs,. I thought Mia snoozing in the front seat of the van while "mom" and "dad" talked was unexpectedly sweet.
Powers #28: Ugh. Why does Deena have to have powers? Can I whine about this some more? At least Christian stays out of that ludicrous Milennium Guard get-up. I can only hope this arc ends with Pilgrim losing her power to fry people through their eyeballs.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #5 & 6: Superheroes as bad dads is becoming a cliche, but it's well-presented here, even if we have to again swallow the idea that Golden Age heroes have 20-something children. Art is good, rather Chaykin-esque actually. The REALLY gross potential side-effects of shrinking. And Red Bee is presented WAY better as an insect queen villain that that silliness over in Superman.
Wonder Woman #18: Simone is hitting her stride here. The courting rituals were wonderful. Etta Candy: "woo fuckin' woo" = priceless. Artwork was...okay, I guess, though it appears Bernard Chang is convinced Sarah Michelle Gellar should play the lead in the Wonder Woman movie.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Giant-Size Avengers #1: Several short, silly insubstantial stories with artwork ranging from good to dubious, plus two flashbacks--one a classic, the other silly.
Batman#674: Conclusion of the 3rd Man arc. And more Superboy fist/Super Worm powered retconning to further rob Jason Todd's death of any meaning.
Captain America #35: My annoyance at Bucky America is slightly offset by an intriguing and convoluted plot by the Red Skull. Why is the Guice and Perkins art so dark, though?
Invincible #48: A Mole-Man-esque villain captures every hero in the world. More on the Invincible/Atom Eve relationship.
Justice Society of America #13: Pretty good art, including some Alex Ross inserts. The Gog storyline is intriguing.
Teen Titans #56: I like the fact that these Titans are presented as real teenagers, apt to stupidity and bone-headed stunts. In this issue, Kid Devil, the nerd of superhero-dom, stars as a "walking teen cliche."
Wonder Woman #17: Wonder Woman defeats a secret cabal of Amazonian fundamentalists. Artwork a little weak at points and Simone's writing is a tad...off, maybe? Stiff? Just doesn't have the sparkle of Birds of Prey. Probably just needs a little more time.
Batman#674: Conclusion of the 3rd Man arc. And more Superboy fist/Super Worm powered retconning to further rob Jason Todd's death of any meaning.
Captain America #35: My annoyance at Bucky America is slightly offset by an intriguing and convoluted plot by the Red Skull. Why is the Guice and Perkins art so dark, though?
Invincible #48: A Mole-Man-esque villain captures every hero in the world. More on the Invincible/Atom Eve relationship.
Justice Society of America #13: Pretty good art, including some Alex Ross inserts. The Gog storyline is intriguing.
Teen Titans #56: I like the fact that these Titans are presented as real teenagers, apt to stupidity and bone-headed stunts. In this issue, Kid Devil, the nerd of superhero-dom, stars as a "walking teen cliche."
Wonder Woman #17: Wonder Woman defeats a secret cabal of Amazonian fundamentalists. Artwork a little weak at points and Simone's writing is a tad...off, maybe? Stiff? Just doesn't have the sparkle of Birds of Prey. Probably just needs a little more time.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Mighty Avengers #9: Three!,(count 'em!) three double-truck splash-pages of the Avengers going all shock and awe on Doombots. I actually preferred the Djurdjevic painted artwork in the first three pages, with the skull-like helmet on Doom. And now maybe Iron Man will finally discover the shocking secret of whatever happened to the Silver Age?
New Avengers #38: Takes place right after the Annual, and I still don't get Jessica Jones. Her actions seem way out of character. Are they supposed to? Is this designed to make us paranoid about who might be a Skrull? Damn you, Bendis!
New Avengers Annual #2: Good art, a brutal battle, a human side to Ms. Marvel. A reminder of why magic is scary.
Captain America #34: Eh, sigh. I can only hope now that Jason Todd becomes the new Batman.
Detective Comics #841: Neat, funky art by Nguyen, typically excellent story by Dini. One nitpick: I realize Batman is the World's Greatest Detective, but can he REALLY recognize every "small-time grifter and part-time 'escort'" at a glance?
Green Arrow & Black Canary #5: Nice retcon of Green Arrow and Connor's origins together. Was Connor always bi-racial? Or is it just that artists really don't know how to do bi-racial?
Justice League of America #18: Still not a fan of the Benes art; frankly I preferred Jon Boy Meyers' cartoony work on the Red Tornado back-up. And how exactly is the Hall of Justice an embassy? Is that some kind of holdover from the Keith Giffen run? Gitmo in space is a nice touch, though.
Justice Society of America #12: I like the idea of the original Amazing-Man retconned as a Civil Rights icon, but Markus Clay's getup is ludicrous. Is anyone supposed to take him seriously in that pseudo-Dashiki number? Quick, the Blockade Boy signal!
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #4: Red Bee has been reading Superman, it appears. Also, is it just me or does Darrell Dane look like George H.W. Bush (at least in the first few pages)? And Robbins looks like some kind of combination of Tony Stark and Clark Gable. And how many secret government super-teams are there?
P.S. Thanks for the link, Fangirls!
New Avengers #38: Takes place right after the Annual, and I still don't get Jessica Jones. Her actions seem way out of character. Are they supposed to? Is this designed to make us paranoid about who might be a Skrull? Damn you, Bendis!
New Avengers Annual #2: Good art, a brutal battle, a human side to Ms. Marvel. A reminder of why magic is scary.
Captain America #34: Eh, sigh. I can only hope now that Jason Todd becomes the new Batman.
Detective Comics #841: Neat, funky art by Nguyen, typically excellent story by Dini. One nitpick: I realize Batman is the World's Greatest Detective, but can he REALLY recognize every "small-time grifter and part-time 'escort'" at a glance?
Green Arrow & Black Canary #5: Nice retcon of Green Arrow and Connor's origins together. Was Connor always bi-racial? Or is it just that artists really don't know how to do bi-racial?
Justice League of America #18: Still not a fan of the Benes art; frankly I preferred Jon Boy Meyers' cartoony work on the Red Tornado back-up. And how exactly is the Hall of Justice an embassy? Is that some kind of holdover from the Keith Giffen run? Gitmo in space is a nice touch, though.
Justice Society of America #12: I like the idea of the original Amazing-Man retconned as a Civil Rights icon, but Markus Clay's getup is ludicrous. Is anyone supposed to take him seriously in that pseudo-Dashiki number? Quick, the Blockade Boy signal!
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #4: Red Bee has been reading Superman, it appears. Also, is it just me or does Darrell Dane look like George H.W. Bush (at least in the first few pages)? And Robbins looks like some kind of combination of Tony Stark and Clark Gable. And how many secret government super-teams are there?
P.S. Thanks for the link, Fangirls!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Game of Thrones
As with many things, I am coming late to this series. Nevertheless, I came away extremely impressed by this tightly written epic of civil war, politics and (a little) magic.
Though set in the sort of generic Middle Ages familiar to most fantasy readers, Martin avoids many of the more annoying cliches. For one thing, magic is subtle and blessedly rare, and human beings (and there are only humans so far, though other races are hinted at) are far more evil than any demon lord in their lust for power and control. Villains are not all the very embodiment of everything wicked and heroes are not perfection personified. There is no long lost boy heir to the throne (at least so far) and the lawful king is a brutal, spoiled brat. There is actually quite a bit of cruelty here, some of it involving children, but the worst of it occurs "off screen" and is only referred to in the past tense. The novel's structure is divided into viewpoint chapters from each of the major characters, which provides a nice Kurosawa-like feel. On the negative side, there are many, many characters to keep track of and some of the descriptions venture close to purple, but on the whole it is smartly written and a decent page-turner. Game exists to introduce us to the major players and factions and the world itself, and set the stage for a brutal civil war that will likely consume the rest of the entries in this projected seven-volume series, A Song of Ice and Fire. I liked it enough to buy the second volume in the series, A Clash of Kings, before I had even finished this one. Recommended.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Abbreviated edition. Just a couple of titles I picked up at the local Corporate McBookmart.
Justice League of America #17: Art was okay. Writing pretty good. I like the developing relationship between Hawkgirl and Red Arrow. The "Gitmo-ing" of supervillains is a nice touch. Not sure why the backup feature was a backup feature nor why NO ONE can be bothered to correctly illustrate the proper way to hold and fire a bow and arrow.
Superman #672: Super kid? Not much for the art. Nice to know that even alien spider-queens from beyond the stars insist on nine-inch hooker heels. And just how many arms does she have? Seems to go from two to three to four depending on the panel. And the mouth thing is just gross on a Freudian level.
Teen Titans #55: I liked it. Art was good, teenaged girls looked like teenaged girls as opposed to pornstars in zero gravity. And teenagers acted like, well, teenagers--impulsive, whiny, overly emo. Robin has control issues? Whodathunk?
Wonder Woman #16: Now Wonder Woman knows how to hold a bow! And she also apparently now knows not to wear a thong into battle. Simone's writing is great. "How frightful you are, in your little black boots," and "Hmm. Kipling. Not my favorite." You can never go wrong with WW leading an army of super-apes against Nazis.
Astonishing X-Men #24: I like Joss Whedon, but I had no frackin' clue what was going on here. Seriously. Completely and utterly lost. Plus it's the whole "space saga" thing apparently. I guess this is one of those books I'm going to have to read for a year to get up to speed. Not sure it interests me that much, though.
Justice League of America #17: Art was okay. Writing pretty good. I like the developing relationship between Hawkgirl and Red Arrow. The "Gitmo-ing" of supervillains is a nice touch. Not sure why the backup feature was a backup feature nor why NO ONE can be bothered to correctly illustrate the proper way to hold and fire a bow and arrow.
Superman #672: Super kid? Not much for the art. Nice to know that even alien spider-queens from beyond the stars insist on nine-inch hooker heels. And just how many arms does she have? Seems to go from two to three to four depending on the panel. And the mouth thing is just gross on a Freudian level.
Teen Titans #55: I liked it. Art was good, teenaged girls looked like teenaged girls as opposed to pornstars in zero gravity. And teenagers acted like, well, teenagers--impulsive, whiny, overly emo. Robin has control issues? Whodathunk?
Wonder Woman #16: Now Wonder Woman knows how to hold a bow! And she also apparently now knows not to wear a thong into battle. Simone's writing is great. "How frightful you are, in your little black boots," and "Hmm. Kipling. Not my favorite." You can never go wrong with WW leading an army of super-apes against Nazis.
Astonishing X-Men #24: I like Joss Whedon, but I had no frackin' clue what was going on here. Seriously. Completely and utterly lost. Plus it's the whole "space saga" thing apparently. I guess this is one of those books I'm going to have to read for a year to get up to speed. Not sure it interests me that much, though.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Recent Comics I Have Read
Mighty Avengers #7: Not so sure about the Bagley artwork and Tony Stark appears to have shaved off his beard in between panels from last issue. More Skrull paranoia. Too bad Stark isn't a Skrull, as opposed to just a suddenly megalomaniacal fascist willing to stab his best friends in the back.
New Avengers #37: The Hood is turning out to be a very interesting villain who puts me in mind of Sidewinder from the Serpent Society, a villain who thinks outside the box. Yu's artwork is not growing on me.
Batman #672: Morrison's writing is as good as ever, though I find the character of Jezebel Jet boring. Artwork is...radically adequate. I did like the idea of Vicki Vale on Gotham's version of "The View."
Birds of Prey #113: Oracle has to suddenly be portrayed as wildly out-of-character incompetent just so Superman can come and lecture her? And if this had to be done, wouldn't the Batman have been a better choice? And that lame Transformer knock-off was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.
Detective Comics #839: Hate the "Bat Crusader" costume, rather indifferent to Ra's Al Ghul who is now apparently Asian despite his previous origin as Arabic/Persian. I can't get past Damien's ludicrous name enough to take the character seriously.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #49: Good if cartoony artwork, crisp writing. The Ultimate Crimson Dynamo and pals seem like a pretty blatant ripoff of DC's Rocket Red. Who would've thought Red Ghost and the Super Apes could be made even remotely cool? Still not sure what the point of the Ultimate Universe is though.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #4: This is a stupid death. Stupid and pointless and a needless elimination of part of the legacy feel that made the Arrow Family interesting. On the other hand, I could also see it as a painful lesson that this is a rough, dangerous job, something Ollie knows better than most. Artwork kind of cartoony for me, but at least Speedy is given the body of a teenage girl as opposed to an adult porn star in zero gravity.
Invincible #47: Can't say enough good about this series. The supporting cast is fascinating and makes you wish they had their own titles. Even the silly Viltrumites, a race of alien supermen all equipped with 70's porn star moustaches are interesting.
Justice League of America #16: Artwork WAY too Liefieldian for me. Black Canary has a three inch waist and Red Arrow has an upper left thigh the size of a small continent. And why does John Stewart intermittently have the body of the Incredible Hulk? Story is interesting, though, and Black Canary gets to actually lead.
Justice Society of America #11: More alternate universe hi-jinks. Artwork kind of stiff, but I appreciated the fact that Power Girl and Wonder Woman both had the sort of musculature you would expect and Jay Garrick and Alan Scott look a little closer to their real ages. Speaking of which, when did Alan Scott go back to being Green Lantern as opposed to Sentinel and regrow his eye? Did I miss something?
Ms. Marvel #23: I continue to like this series. Ms. Marvel is smart, intelligent and tough, yet still prone to vulnerabilities like worrying about a relationship (whatever happened to that guy who owned the restaurant?). This is an intriguing story arc apparently aimed at integrating the many different heroes Carol Danvers has been over the years, which is enough to make me overlook the fact that it's full of the kind of silly alien stuff I usually can't stand.
Ultimate Power #9: The light table art is better here but still annoying. And when the heck is this supposed to take place? The ending was kind of lame, given that the hook for the whole story turns out to be a red herring.
New Avengers #37: The Hood is turning out to be a very interesting villain who puts me in mind of Sidewinder from the Serpent Society, a villain who thinks outside the box. Yu's artwork is not growing on me.
Batman #672: Morrison's writing is as good as ever, though I find the character of Jezebel Jet boring. Artwork is...radically adequate. I did like the idea of Vicki Vale on Gotham's version of "The View."
Birds of Prey #113: Oracle has to suddenly be portrayed as wildly out-of-character incompetent just so Superman can come and lecture her? And if this had to be done, wouldn't the Batman have been a better choice? And that lame Transformer knock-off was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.
Detective Comics #839: Hate the "Bat Crusader" costume, rather indifferent to Ra's Al Ghul who is now apparently Asian despite his previous origin as Arabic/Persian. I can't get past Damien's ludicrous name enough to take the character seriously.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #49: Good if cartoony artwork, crisp writing. The Ultimate Crimson Dynamo and pals seem like a pretty blatant ripoff of DC's Rocket Red. Who would've thought Red Ghost and the Super Apes could be made even remotely cool? Still not sure what the point of the Ultimate Universe is though.
Green Arrow & Black Canary #4: This is a stupid death. Stupid and pointless and a needless elimination of part of the legacy feel that made the Arrow Family interesting. On the other hand, I could also see it as a painful lesson that this is a rough, dangerous job, something Ollie knows better than most. Artwork kind of cartoony for me, but at least Speedy is given the body of a teenage girl as opposed to an adult porn star in zero gravity.
Invincible #47: Can't say enough good about this series. The supporting cast is fascinating and makes you wish they had their own titles. Even the silly Viltrumites, a race of alien supermen all equipped with 70's porn star moustaches are interesting.
Justice League of America #16: Artwork WAY too Liefieldian for me. Black Canary has a three inch waist and Red Arrow has an upper left thigh the size of a small continent. And why does John Stewart intermittently have the body of the Incredible Hulk? Story is interesting, though, and Black Canary gets to actually lead.
Justice Society of America #11: More alternate universe hi-jinks. Artwork kind of stiff, but I appreciated the fact that Power Girl and Wonder Woman both had the sort of musculature you would expect and Jay Garrick and Alan Scott look a little closer to their real ages. Speaking of which, when did Alan Scott go back to being Green Lantern as opposed to Sentinel and regrow his eye? Did I miss something?
Ms. Marvel #23: I continue to like this series. Ms. Marvel is smart, intelligent and tough, yet still prone to vulnerabilities like worrying about a relationship (whatever happened to that guy who owned the restaurant?). This is an intriguing story arc apparently aimed at integrating the many different heroes Carol Danvers has been over the years, which is enough to make me overlook the fact that it's full of the kind of silly alien stuff I usually can't stand.
Ultimate Power #9: The light table art is better here but still annoying. And when the heck is this supposed to take place? The ending was kind of lame, given that the hook for the whole story turns out to be a red herring.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Recent Comics I Have Read
Amazons Attack #6: Meh. As God is my witness, I have no idea what the bad guy's secret plan was supposed to be here. Also, the whole Hippolyta with her sword at Diana's throat thing kinda loses it's dramatic appeal after the second or third time around.
New Avengers #34: The real benefits of regeneration. Dr. Strange gets his freak on. Echo gets an eyeful. Group therapy, Dr. Strange style.
Batman #667-668: A clever twist on the hoary old Agatha Christie plot making good use of D-List heroes from the Silver Age. Not much of a fan of the J.H. Williams, III art.
Black Canary Wedding Planner #1: Mediocre artwork, fairly good writing. DC is really milking this thing for all it's worth.
Captain America #30: duhn, duhn DUUUHHHHH!!!! Oh, and (sigh) Cyber-Bucky.
Catwoman #71: More mediocre art, though an interesting concept. Helena would make a much better Bat-baby than (shudder) Damien.
Detective Comics #836: Gross, badly written, overly-narrated and badly-drawn Scarecrow arc lurches to a close.
Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Special #1: I love Amanda Conner's artwork, particularly her wonderfully expressive faces, an area frequently overlooked in comic book art. The look of affectionate bemusement on Wonder Woman's face at Superman's cornfed cosmic naivete did more to establish WW's character and personality than all of Amazons Attack and most of her current book. My only complaint? Ollie's facial hair looks way more redneck than Robin Hood. Oh, and the ending. The ending is moronic on so many levels.
Justice League of America Wedding Special #1: I can only hope they'll be a Darkseid Wedding Special soon. Joker shouldn't be on supervillain teams; he should be the supervillain other villains have nothing to do with and are secretly afraid of. And Luthor looks ridiculous and decidedly un-intimidating in that armor get-up.
Justice Society of America #9: Art still bad, story okay, but the continuity has been screwed up so much lately, do we really need to get into alternate realities?
Noble Causes #31: Vastly improved artwork, good sudsy story with a clever twist.
Ultimate Power #7: More bizarre light-table art, but the story is getting better. Oh, and Thor spits on your gods.
Welcome to Tranquility #9-10: I didn't realize this was going to be an actual series instead of just a mini-series. Gail Simone's writing is as good as ever, with clever twists on classic comic book genres and tropes. The cartoony art takes some getting used to, but it fits in.
Wonder Woman #12: WW continues to be badly served by DC, remaining a dull, boring character without any sort of spark of personality, motivation or appeal. Even here, in her own comic, she's pushed to the sidelines by the supporting cast. Someone really needs to do a serious revamp of WW, someone who actually cares about the character, or by the time the movie finally rolls around, no one will give a flip.
New Avengers #34: The real benefits of regeneration. Dr. Strange gets his freak on. Echo gets an eyeful. Group therapy, Dr. Strange style.
Batman #667-668: A clever twist on the hoary old Agatha Christie plot making good use of D-List heroes from the Silver Age. Not much of a fan of the J.H. Williams, III art.
Black Canary Wedding Planner #1: Mediocre artwork, fairly good writing. DC is really milking this thing for all it's worth.
Captain America #30: duhn, duhn DUUUHHHHH!!!! Oh, and (sigh) Cyber-Bucky.
Catwoman #71: More mediocre art, though an interesting concept. Helena would make a much better Bat-baby than (shudder) Damien.
Detective Comics #836: Gross, badly written, overly-narrated and badly-drawn Scarecrow arc lurches to a close.
Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Special #1: I love Amanda Conner's artwork, particularly her wonderfully expressive faces, an area frequently overlooked in comic book art. The look of affectionate bemusement on Wonder Woman's face at Superman's cornfed cosmic naivete did more to establish WW's character and personality than all of Amazons Attack and most of her current book. My only complaint? Ollie's facial hair looks way more redneck than Robin Hood. Oh, and the ending. The ending is moronic on so many levels.
Justice League of America Wedding Special #1: I can only hope they'll be a Darkseid Wedding Special soon. Joker shouldn't be on supervillain teams; he should be the supervillain other villains have nothing to do with and are secretly afraid of. And Luthor looks ridiculous and decidedly un-intimidating in that armor get-up.
Justice Society of America #9: Art still bad, story okay, but the continuity has been screwed up so much lately, do we really need to get into alternate realities?
Noble Causes #31: Vastly improved artwork, good sudsy story with a clever twist.
Ultimate Power #7: More bizarre light-table art, but the story is getting better. Oh, and Thor spits on your gods.
Welcome to Tranquility #9-10: I didn't realize this was going to be an actual series instead of just a mini-series. Gail Simone's writing is as good as ever, with clever twists on classic comic book genres and tropes. The cartoony art takes some getting used to, but it fits in.
Wonder Woman #12: WW continues to be badly served by DC, remaining a dull, boring character without any sort of spark of personality, motivation or appeal. Even here, in her own comic, she's pushed to the sidelines by the supporting cast. Someone really needs to do a serious revamp of WW, someone who actually cares about the character, or by the time the movie finally rolls around, no one will give a flip.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman
Soon I Will Be Invincible, by Austin Grossman. Meh. I picked this up thinking it might be some funky, post-modernist take on superheroes (the way "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" might have been if its creators hadn't been completely cowardly). But, no, it's really just a novelized version of a fairly standard superhero plot, revolving around a veteran villain (Dr. Impossible) and a rooky hero (Fatale). Their origins, the plot, and the "shocking revelation" at the end are all fairly pedestrian and really wouldn't warrant much of a mention in any comic book currently published. Austin Grossman's writing itself is good (he wears his fanboy status on his sleeve), and there are a tantalizingly few glimpses of social commentary or relevance, but not enough to drag the thing out of mediocrity.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Recent Comics I Have Read
Amazons Attack #5: A character I know next to nothing about turns out to have a twist in her background that means nothing to me. Not sure if this development is due to Superboy's fist or the giant reality-eating worm.
The Mighty Avengers #4: Ares riding one suit of Iron Man armor and steering it with a sword impaled through the helmet while blasting away with the bootjets of the severed torso of another set of armor = priceless.
New Avengers #33: Scrub villains made moderately cool. Luke Cage slowly going insane.
Batman #666: Oh noes! A grim 'n' gritty future Batman what kills!
Birds of Prey #109: Yes, I know there were some pretty glaring continuity errors in this, but I still thought this first post-Simone issue was somewhat Simone-esque.
Detective Comics #835: Ugh. Gross, badly written, bad art.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #45: Nice re-imagined use of Silver Surfer and Psycho-Man. I wonder if they turn out to be in the Ultimate Microverse? However, isn't the whole "Mr. Fantastic endangers the world" plot device getting a little old?
Invincible #45: More smartly-written personal and professional drama for Mark. I miss when Spider-Man used to be this good.
Justice League of America #12: I like the classic logo and the Silver Age flashback art, and the fact that Lian has an Arrowette costume. I like that Black Canary plays the harmonica (tho' I bet this is a little detail that was just retconned for this issue), and that she thinks of Red Arrow as "my boy." Meltzer continues to surprise me.
Justice Society of America #8: Why is there no Silver Age anymore? Why are we pretending that Golden Age heroes of the 40's have kids in their 20's? As long as we have Superboy's fist and that worm guy's mouth as retcon tools, couldn't we say that Hourman and Liberty Belle are the grandkids of the originals? That makes more sense that pretending that superheroes vanished after WWII and didn't reappear until the standard "ten years ago." And does no one have a secret identity anymore?
Ms. Marvel #18: One of the things I liked best about NEXTWave was it's wacky surly version of Machine Man, so it's nice to see him again. Puppet Master has always been a seriously creepy disturbing supervillain concept and this storyline reflects it. It may be skating towards the edge of exploitation, however. We'll have to see.
Powers #25: Eh. It's getting harder and harder to enjoy this series now that it's basic concept (non-powered cops investigating super-powered crime) has been chucked out the window. The Powers addiction plague is a nice idea, but every glimpse of the Millennium Guard costume makes me want to hurl.
Ultimate Power #6: More big superhero battles among light-table rendered supermodels in assorted porno poses. Scarlet Witch, in particular, is rendered in an almost Liefield-ian grotesque out of proportion shot on page 10. Seriously, is her left arm withered like Kaiser Wilhelm? Why is her belly button an off-center slit? Why is her right leg a pipe-cleaner and her right boob twice as big as her left? If I wanted art this bad, I'd just trace pictures out of Playboy myself.
Wonder Woman #11: More of the hideously-convoluted Amazons Attack plot. J. Torres seems to be capturing WW's voice and personality well, a hero who is a pious pagan, yet would berate the gods when she thought they had it coming.
The Mighty Avengers #4: Ares riding one suit of Iron Man armor and steering it with a sword impaled through the helmet while blasting away with the bootjets of the severed torso of another set of armor = priceless.
New Avengers #33: Scrub villains made moderately cool. Luke Cage slowly going insane.
Batman #666: Oh noes! A grim 'n' gritty future Batman what kills!
Birds of Prey #109: Yes, I know there were some pretty glaring continuity errors in this, but I still thought this first post-Simone issue was somewhat Simone-esque.
Detective Comics #835: Ugh. Gross, badly written, bad art.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #45: Nice re-imagined use of Silver Surfer and Psycho-Man. I wonder if they turn out to be in the Ultimate Microverse? However, isn't the whole "Mr. Fantastic endangers the world" plot device getting a little old?
Invincible #45: More smartly-written personal and professional drama for Mark. I miss when Spider-Man used to be this good.
Justice League of America #12: I like the classic logo and the Silver Age flashback art, and the fact that Lian has an Arrowette costume. I like that Black Canary plays the harmonica (tho' I bet this is a little detail that was just retconned for this issue), and that she thinks of Red Arrow as "my boy." Meltzer continues to surprise me.
Justice Society of America #8: Why is there no Silver Age anymore? Why are we pretending that Golden Age heroes of the 40's have kids in their 20's? As long as we have Superboy's fist and that worm guy's mouth as retcon tools, couldn't we say that Hourman and Liberty Belle are the grandkids of the originals? That makes more sense that pretending that superheroes vanished after WWII and didn't reappear until the standard "ten years ago." And does no one have a secret identity anymore?
Ms. Marvel #18: One of the things I liked best about NEXTWave was it's wacky surly version of Machine Man, so it's nice to see him again. Puppet Master has always been a seriously creepy disturbing supervillain concept and this storyline reflects it. It may be skating towards the edge of exploitation, however. We'll have to see.
Powers #25: Eh. It's getting harder and harder to enjoy this series now that it's basic concept (non-powered cops investigating super-powered crime) has been chucked out the window. The Powers addiction plague is a nice idea, but every glimpse of the Millennium Guard costume makes me want to hurl.
Ultimate Power #6: More big superhero battles among light-table rendered supermodels in assorted porno poses. Scarlet Witch, in particular, is rendered in an almost Liefield-ian grotesque out of proportion shot on page 10. Seriously, is her left arm withered like Kaiser Wilhelm? Why is her belly button an off-center slit? Why is her right leg a pipe-cleaner and her right boob twice as big as her left? If I wanted art this bad, I'd just trace pictures out of Playboy myself.
Wonder Woman #11: More of the hideously-convoluted Amazons Attack plot. J. Torres seems to be capturing WW's voice and personality well, a hero who is a pious pagan, yet would berate the gods when she thought they had it coming.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. This was my first foray into Gaiman's work and I was spectacularly impressed. The conceit of the novel is that the Old Gods of Europe, Arabia, India and so forth followed their immigrant followers to the New World, but as the immigrants became Americanized and gave up the old ways, the Gods became weaker and weaker, eventually living like mortals as taxi cab drivers, funeral home operators, prostitutes and grifters. The New American Gods are composed of things the general public now "worships" (Media, Technology, Television, Money, the Interstate Highway System) and they are ready to finally knock off the shabby Old Gods and claim control of the spiritual realm that exists parallel to reality. The story follows Shadow, a recently-released prison inmate whose attempts to reconnect to his old life are detoured when he meets the (not really that mysterious) Mr. Wednesday. The writing is good, the descriptions tight and eloquent and the pacing good. My only complaints are that the ending felt rushed and was a bit of a letdown. If you spend 500 pages setting up a Ragnarok-like Battle of the Gods, it had better be pretty spectacular and this one wasn't. Also, for a writer who clearly researched his gods, he made some spectacular goofs regarding the book's Cherokee character (one who was built up, then rather haphazardly discarded); there are no reservations, Cherokee or otherwise, in Oklahoma (unless you count the subterranean Osage Reservation). Overall, though, a great read and one that encourages me to pick up more of Gaiman's work.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Recent Comics I Have Read
Amazons Attack #4: Okay, I can't really decide if I like this or not. Started out strong, with fairly good (if overly bright) artwork, but now the storyline has become a muddled, Marvel-style "crossover event" where it's impossible to keep the action straight without buying 10 other books per month, and I'm not willing to do that.
New Avengers #32: Still not sold on Yu's artwork, though I remain a fan of Bendis' snappy dialogue. I always thought the Skrulls were fairly stupid as far as Evil Alien Invaders go, though this plot is more in keeping with their distant cousins twice removed, the Dire Wraiths of Rom fame.
Birds of Prey #108: Good artwork, good story, though the ending was a trifle schmaltzy and deus ex heroine. The "old rival from the past that we've never heard of now coming back into our life" bit? Tha's old, man.
Detective Comics #834: The unsatisfying end to an unsatisfying Zatanna team-up (and why is her hat suddenly way too small for her?)
Green Arrow Year One #1: Eh, I suppose it was inevitable that GA's origin would have to get updated, but I will miss him as a cranky, aging hippy ("Goddam fascist sons of bitches!"). Definitely NOT a fan of the "Jock" art.
Invincible #43: Nice "between adventures" story centered on Mark deciding that college maybe isn't really worth the hassle, and the Immortal having a crisis.
Justice League of America #11: What could have been a nice, self-contained story focused on two of the members without their own books (Vixen and Red Arrow) and what it must be like for heroes who can't fly through the Sun is spoiled by having Vixen (previously established as a tough, smart hero on her own) turn into a crybaby on the edge of a nervous breakdown. If Meltzer is going to put Vixen through a personal crisis, could we at least have some lead up to it?
Justice Society of America #7: The new Commander/Citizen Steel is basically rather callously manipulated into a new heroic identity by the JSA. I did really like Superman chowing down on sloppy joes and one of those tiny little cardboard cartoons of milk you get in elementary school, however. Also, the Tau of Wildcat: "Fists are nature's problem solvers." And Power Girl is shaping up to be a pretty good leader.
Ms. Marvel #17: I continue to really like this book. Good wrap-up to the AIM/Modok story arc. The plotting is good, dialogue is crisp, and the artwork is very good, even if Carol Danvers looks to be barely old enough to drink.
New Avengers #32: Still not sold on Yu's artwork, though I remain a fan of Bendis' snappy dialogue. I always thought the Skrulls were fairly stupid as far as Evil Alien Invaders go, though this plot is more in keeping with their distant cousins twice removed, the Dire Wraiths of Rom fame.
Birds of Prey #108: Good artwork, good story, though the ending was a trifle schmaltzy and deus ex heroine. The "old rival from the past that we've never heard of now coming back into our life" bit? Tha's old, man.
Detective Comics #834: The unsatisfying end to an unsatisfying Zatanna team-up (and why is her hat suddenly way too small for her?)
Green Arrow Year One #1: Eh, I suppose it was inevitable that GA's origin would have to get updated, but I will miss him as a cranky, aging hippy ("Goddam fascist sons of bitches!"). Definitely NOT a fan of the "Jock" art.
Invincible #43: Nice "between adventures" story centered on Mark deciding that college maybe isn't really worth the hassle, and the Immortal having a crisis.
Justice League of America #11: What could have been a nice, self-contained story focused on two of the members without their own books (Vixen and Red Arrow) and what it must be like for heroes who can't fly through the Sun is spoiled by having Vixen (previously established as a tough, smart hero on her own) turn into a crybaby on the edge of a nervous breakdown. If Meltzer is going to put Vixen through a personal crisis, could we at least have some lead up to it?
Justice Society of America #7: The new Commander/Citizen Steel is basically rather callously manipulated into a new heroic identity by the JSA. I did really like Superman chowing down on sloppy joes and one of those tiny little cardboard cartoons of milk you get in elementary school, however. Also, the Tau of Wildcat: "Fists are nature's problem solvers." And Power Girl is shaping up to be a pretty good leader.
Ms. Marvel #17: I continue to really like this book. Good wrap-up to the AIM/Modok story arc. The plotting is good, dialogue is crisp, and the artwork is very good, even if Carol Danvers looks to be barely old enough to drink.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Transformers
Transformers. Surprisingly good, actually. Part by-the-numbers action flick, part Army recruiting film. Shia LaBeouf channels John Cusack (he even looks like him about twenty years ago). Jon Voight channels Donald Rumsfeld. Rachel Taylor is the obligatory, impossibly-hot computer hacker genius, with Anthony Anderson as her comic-relief sidekick in sequences that have a distinct Independence Day feel to them. Megan Fox is the obligatory ultra-hot love interest who obligatorily has more to her than meets the eye. Josh Duhamel is the male supermodel who seems to have accidentally wandered into the Army. Well-paced, though I actually preferred the lead-up in the first part. Excellent, though claustrophobic, battle scenes. Almost enough to make adults forget it's based on a crappy cartoon show based on cheesy toys.
