This Week on the Comic Racks

[TheRaySays]

Here are the...

Comics Releases for August 11, 2004:

Identity Crisis #3 of 7

Publisher: DC

Writer: Brad Meltzer

Penciller: Rags Morales

$3.95

To quote the mighty StrongBad... "This is what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Thus far, I had been sharing TGC's hatred of Brad Meltzer's ham-handed "mystery," but he may have won me over in this incredible issue.

To bring those out of the loop up to speed, Meltzer's a best-selling novelist who made his comics debut picking up Green Arrow after the departure of everyone's favorite silent filmmaker Kevin Smith. Identity Crisis is his attempt at a big buzz murder mystery starring a bunch of major players in the DC Universe.

Now, the first two issues left me cold and in a quandary. The murder in question, of third-rate hero The Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibny, made most casual fans go "Who?" and most old-timers go "Why?" Add onto that the heavily implied crime of rape that purportedly predated her murder by more than a few years, and we're almost in DC Vertigo Mature Readers Only territory. I know I certainly wouldn't be able to sell this series to a kid and keep a clear conscience.

All that aside, it looked like we were heading for an overly sensationalized and unnecessarily brutal take on the dangers of secret identities. It's a tired premise, although I must admit to never having seen it handled in this way.

Well, with the third issue of this mini-series, Meltzer goes right for the throat with a 12-page dismantling of over a half dozen of the Justice League's more solid midcarders, including Atom, Flash, and Green Arrow at the hands of Teen Titans nemesis Deathstroke. I have to confess that I'm a big fan of seeing heroes get their asses handed to them in new and imaginative ways, and neither Meltzer nor Rags drop the ball on this one. Great, great stuff.

But a cool fight is one thing. What about the overall story arc? Well, it gets very interesting with a startling confession that makes sense of an old Justice League tale that had implications that obviously no one but Meltzer ever seriously considered. Not only does Meltzer consider it, he resolves it, but in a fashion that clearly forms the crux of the entire mini-series.

Add to that some brief two-page teasers that show such easily dismissed characters as Captain Boomerang, Robin, and Jimmy Olsen in interesting roles, and then finish it off with another possible murder (I say possible because just like with the old movie serials, a death in the last page of an issue isn't a sure thing until you see the next issue), and you've got a good, solid, entertaining read.

Now, I'm still not happy with the way Meltzer opened this series, and I may never be, but if the rest continues in the vein of this issue, he might end up with a mini-series that does far more right than it does wrong. Right now, I wholeheartedly recommend this issue, especially to more mature fans of either the Justice League or Teen Titans, but the jury's still out on Identity Crisis as a whole. I guess I'll reconvene in thirty days.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Soulfire #1

Publisher: Aspen

Storyteller: Jeph Loeb (supposedly)

Art: Michael Turner

$2.99

This one's almost exactly a year late, but Mike Turner's been keeping busy with various covers and projects for DC, and it's only natural that he backburner his creator-owned title. In fact, the cover proudly boasts that Soulfire is by the same creative team behind the wildly successful Batman/Superman. I'm sure that's a recent addition since this was originally solicited for order long before that, but whatever helps sell a book is fine by me.

So, is it worth the wait? In a word: No. In two words: Hell no. In three words: No Fu... Okay, you get the idea. Now, don't get me wrong. I didn't absolutely hate this book, but so much is done wrong, it's hard to get jazzed about what's done right, but I'll try to start on a positive note.

The Michael Turner art is pretty.

Now, some might call it gorgeous, but I'm a picky bitch, so "pretty" is about as far as I'm willing to go. And if you're buying a book by the artist behind Fathom, "pretty" is pretty much what you should expect.

Then it gets tough. The story, as it is, is flaccid and derivative. We start with a straight up rip-off of the movie Reign of Fire, which serves to just set up an extended sequence with a dragon laying waste to future San Francisco which just serves to set up our mysterious pretty chick which just serves to... may Ray very bored.

To say this debut issue is heavily padded would be a disservice to padding. We're talking 2 double-page spreads and 2 splash pages out of only a 22-page book. That doesn't leave a lot of room for character development or foreshadowing, so why bother, right?

No, instead, our creative team chooses to devote 4 full pages to a hologram arcade for no very good reason than to give Michael Turner various weird settings to draw (including a shootout in virtual Deadwood, which at least had a character gunslinging a pair of revolvers with the appropriate twelve bullets). If Turner's already bored with his creation and has to resort to this sort of crap to fill the book, this project's in deep trouble out of the gate.

Then we get to the editing, which I don't normally bother to comment on because by its very nature, editing should be a transparent affair. It's meant to keep things like word balloons that are missing words or misspellings or bad punctuation out of the book. At least in theory, a theory NOT in practice here. I'd love to find out what, actually, the editor DID catch.

I think that about covers it. If you absolutely, positively have to have more Michael Turner art, by all means drop another $3 on this issue. Hell, treat yourself and pretend it's the early 1990s by buying all 6 variant covers (same interior content) for $40 or so, because you know in fifty years this book'll be worth a small fortune.

Not so offensive to be worth major heel heat, but nothing to go crazy about either.

The literary equivalent of 1 Val Venis.

Iron Man #87

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Mark Ricketts

Penciler: Tony Harris

$2.99

Well, #86 was the "Avengers Disassembled" follow-up to Avengers #500, and this continues "The Singularity," the story begun there. The gist is that Iron Man, Tony Stark to his friends and colleagues has been appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense and just loses it on the Latverian ambassador at the U.N. (the events of Avengers #500), calling him everything but an asshat, and resulting in speculation that he's fallen back ON the wagon and is now under congressional investigation.

Last issue left us on a cliffhanger, when what appears to be Iron Man lets loose and smokes the entire board of directors of his own Stark Enterprises, almost killing Tony Stark's best friends in the whole wide world Hap Hogan and Pepper Potts (man, are *those* names dated...).

Well, this issue, we get some backstory in the form of a series of flashbacks that detail the relationships between Tony and his ex-girlfriend (Japanese corporate bad girl and Paris Hilton wannabe Rumiko) and evil competitor Clarence Ward (who got caught selling WMDs to the Iraqis, if you call giant cricket robots WMDs...).

Then it's on to this issue's big cliffhanger swerve, which is confusing but cool, in the sort of way that makes me want to read the next issue. Score one for Mark Ricketts.

The art is kinda bland but serviceable, and while the face on characters are very expressive, they're sometimes a bit melodramatic. A prime example is Pepper Potts who looks emotionally wrecked in a scene that's actually played for cheap laughs.

I liked this one enough to check out the next, and that's really a triumph for Iron Man these days.

:thumbsup:

See ya next week!

Edited August 18, 2004 by TheRaySays

[K]

Ray! Comic Questions!

I'm still new to this so I have some questions, not related to this thread but Private Messages make me nervous.

How many Ultimate X-Men Hardcovers are there so far..

How many Ultimate Spiderman Hardcovers are there so far..

What other Ultimate series are there?

[MalaCloudy Black]

I can answer at least one of your questions, Keith.

There is Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, and The Ultimates - as far as *I* know. There may be more

[TheRaySays]

How many Ultimate X-Men Hardcovers are there so far..

How many Ultimate Spiderman Hardcovers are there so far..

What other Ultimate series are there?

←

Edited August 12, 2004 by TheRaySays

[GoGo Yubari]

Oh, I can't believe I haven't done this; people, buy Plastic Man #8. It's the funniest comic book I've read in ages.

Proof:

"Some supervillain is screwing up the continuity of Our Universe! Martian Manhunter would never beat Flash in a sack race!"

And if you really need more...

"Hate to say it, Luke, but in order to save your mother, Abraham Lincoln must die!"

Every time someone new buys Plastic Man, an angel gets its wings. So do so. GoGo commands it.

[K]

How many Ultimate X-Men Hardcovers are there so far..

How many Ultimate Spiderman Hardcovers are there so far..

What other Ultimate series are there?

←

There are 4 Ultimate Spider-Man Hardcovers and 3 Ultimate X-Men Hardcovers to the best of my knowledge.

In addition to Ultimates (also available in Hardcover), there are:

Ultimate Adventures (not collected, with Hawk-Owl? WTF?)

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra (collected in a TPB)

Ultimate Marvel Team-Up (collected in 3 TPBs or 1 Hardcover)

Hopefully I'm not forgetting any. :thumbsup:

←

Thanks RayRay. Next time I get some money, straight down to CalamityComics (L)

[Herr Matzat]

you can only have to few ultimate in your life !

[TheRaySays]

Okay, GoGo. I'm going to check me out some Plastic Man on your recommendation. :thumbsup:

Oh, and I edited my post above to include some Ultimate mini-series that I had forgotten. ("Bad Ray! Bad!" )

[CKN]

There is also:

Ultimate Elektra 5 Issue Mini - Series coming out soon.

[TheRaySays]

Okay, I posted two more reviews for last week, Soulfire #1 and Iron Man #87, so scroll up and check them out.

Here's the list of stuff that's on the racks this week:

Adventures of Superman #631 (DC)

Alpha Flight #6 (Marvel)

Astro City Special #1 (DC - Wildstorm)

Batgirl #55 (DC)

Batman Adventures #17 (DC)

Batman: Gotham Knights #56 (DC)

Birds of Prey #72 (DC)

Books of Magick: Life During Wartime #2 (DC - Vertigo)

Cable & Deadpool #6 (Marvel)

Cosmic Guard #1 (DDP)

CVO: Human Touch #1 (IDW)

Daredevil #63 (Marvel - Marvel Knights)

Dark Minds: Macropolis #4 (DW)

DC Comics Presents The Atom (DC)

DC Comics Presents Superman (DC)

Doctor Spectrum #1 (Marvel - MAX)

Exiles #51 (Marvel)

Ex Machina #3 (DC - Wildstorm)

Fantastic Four #517 (Marvel)

G.I. Joe #33 (DDP)

Hawkman #31 (DC)

Human Target #13 (DC - Vertigo)

I Am Legion Book One (DC - Humanoids)

Invaders #1 (Marvel)

JSA: Strange Adventures #1 (DC)

Loki #3 (Marvel)

Manhunter #1 (DC)

Man-Thing #2 (Marvel - Marvel Knights)

Mary Jane #3 (Marvel)

Moth #4 (Dark Horse)

New X-Men: Academy X #4 (Marvel)

Olympus Heights #2 (IDW)

Powerpuff Girls #53 (DC - Cartoon Network)

Robin #129 (DC)

Rogue #2 (Marvel)

She-Hulk #6 (Marvel)

Singularity 7 #2 (IDW)

Spider-Man: Marvel Age #10 (Marvel)

Starjammers #3 (Marvel)

Ultimate Spider-Man #64 (Marvel)

Ultra #1 (Image)

Voltron #8 (DDP)

Weapon X #27 (Marvel)

Witchblade #78 (Image - Top Cow)

Wolverine #18 (Marvel - Marvel Knights)

X-Men #160 (Marvel)

X-Men: The End Book One #2 (Marvel)

Any requests, I'll do my best to oblige. I'm probably going to read Batman: Gotham Knights, since that's part 4 of War Games and parts 2 and 3 were bagged as part of the Sky Captain and the World of My Sphincter ad campaign so I couldn't read them.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Cable & Deadpool #6 (Marvel)

Review please, kthxbaaaaaaai.

[TheRaySays]

Here are the...

Comics Releases for August 18, 2004:

Cable & Deadpool #6

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

Penciller: Patrick Zircher

$2.99

Okay, so I likes the Deadpool, but I hates the Cable forever. That's really the only reason I've avoided this series, but what Cloudy wants, Cloudy gets, so I'll give this issue a try.

I'm daunted at first that this is Part 6 of "If Looks Could Kill," so the odds are pretty good that'll I'll be completely and utterly lost. Thankfully, we open with a "Previously" page that recaps the story thus far, and in a pleasantly funny and sarcastic manner, even using the word "sumbeech." Cool.

The skinny is that some nutjob named Anton Kruch and his One World Church have come upon a virus that'll turn everyone the same color in a crazy effort to eliminate racial differences. Okaaaaaay...

The obvious side storyline involves the disfigured Deadpool wanting to use the virus to change his scarred face. Cable and the villainous Lightmaster get infected as well, so Cable telekinetically destroys Lightmaster, bathing the entire planet in an infectious glow that turns everyone on earth bright pink and strangely isn't mentioned in any other Marvel comic.

But that's explained easily enough by the events of the issue, which have Cable sacrificing Deadpool to appease his own need to be a martyr, a metaphor that just gets hammered home when the last page promises "The Passion of the Cable Begins" next issue. Bleh.

The art is gorgeous, with some nice use of shadow and lighting effects, but the storyline is convoluted and clunky. Like Grant Morrison on New X-Men, Fabian Nicieza has big ideas, but it just doesn't seem like he has the tools to turn them into compelling stories. In the end, Cable gives us some sci-fi mumbo-jumbo and it's on to the next big showdown.

I guess I'd recommend this to die-hard fans of Cable and 'Pool, but I probably shouldn't have to. If they're die-hard, they're already getting it. To anyone else, even a Deadpool mark like myself, it's an easily ignored pass. I might check in later if a cover intrigues me (like Taskmaster showing up, hint-hint Marvel...), but it's not something I'll go out of my way to read again.

:ohwell:

Soon... Batman: Gotham Knights #56...

[Mysterio2000X]

Quite honestly, the only comic right now that I am interested in following at all are the Spawn comics. Spawn kicks ass ^_^

[Heel Turn]

Avengers #500

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Penciler: David Finch

$3.50

←

Edited August 19, 2004 by Heel Turn

[GoGo Yubari]

*AVENGERS DE LOS SPOILERS 2004*

I like Bendis in Ultimate Spider-Man and from what I read of Powers, I like that too. But his Avengers lineup is terrible. It irks the hell out of me and I'm not even a big Avengers fan. Wolverine has no place whatsoever on the team (no matter WHAT Cloudy says), and I don't mind Spidey as a RESERVE Avenger, but he doesn't exactly seem like a team character to me. To me it seems like Spidey and Luke Cage are both in because Bendis loves the characters.

What annoys me the most about the whole thing was that Bendis more or less lied when he said he wouldn't be JLAing the Avengers.

Edited August 19, 2004 by GoGo Yubari

[Herr Matzat]

I actualy don´t like Ultimate Spider-Man that much, i finished reading the first 42 Issues and will get everything up to the newest someday within the next 14 days and there is some stuff i just hate.

The main Characters are MJ (who is a major slut and way to close to peter way to fast), Gwen, Peter and Aunt May, you basicly only have thes 4, all other People just walk in for their saga and than walk out again (like the Venom stuff were the guy jut pops up and after venom was beaten is goon again, ore harry walks in and out with the biggest bullshit goblin ever - not that that hase to be a bad thing wen it´s don right with the right persons, but in this series it happens with everyone in every line and that just sucks) - i realy miss the soap deepnes from the Original series in this one were you always had a million characters somewhat around (like harry with his drugs, Jameson and so one) . . . it´s kinda funny becaus USM is based a lot more around soap yet it has way less Characters.

After all the Hype i expected a lot more, my comic dealer was the only one that warned me about this (he said the first thing he liked was the carnage run that is going on now), but he also said he likes the ultimate X-men fare better so i might get a few TPB at the end of september ore so to check that one out. USM at least stais a good investment, that stuff will only get more and more worthy so i am not pissed that i payed monney on original books (i got everything exept 1-2, 4-7 as original NM Comic book) i am just pissed because the storys arrent just annyweare near what i expected.

Clonesaga = the ultra suck

[GhostMachine]

*Skip this post, if you haven't already heard who the new members are going to be after this storyline is over and don't what to know yet, because I'm posting spoilers here!*

I sort of agree with Heel Turn about the Avengers. I am not in favor of the new line-up, because, quite frankly, Wolverine doesn't belong anywhere near the Avengers, and Jessica Drew sucks. There's no point in having a female rip-off of Spider-Man on the same team as the real deal, and Luke Cage has the detective angle covered, so she's easily replaced.

Bendis said she's on the roster because she's one of his favorite characters. And rumor is, Wolverine either won't be a long term member, or at least won't be going on every mission. (Ie, they're using him to boost sales)

I want Spider-Woman and Wolverine off the roster. (Besides, iirc, Jessica Drew lost her powers. How are they going to explain her regaining them?) When Bendis leaves the book, I hope Spider-Woman either loses her powers or gets killed off.

However, I have to disagree about Spider-Man being on the team. Ever since he joined as a reservist back in #235-236, I've wanted to see him on the active roster, instead of just being used for quick sales boosts and stories where everyone who has ever been an Avenger and isn't currently taking a dirt nap is brought in.

Spidey has proven he can be a team player. Plus, he can take Hank Pym's place as the team's scientist and Hawkeye's as the lighthearted guy on the roster.

Besides, the interaction between Spider-Man and Captain America and Spider-Man and Wolverine will be interesting, if you've ever read any stories where they've teamed up before.

I'm not too sure that putting Sentry on the team is a good idea, either, because he was meant to be a parody of Superman. I'll have to reserve judgement, but I'd rather have seen an already established character or a completely brand new taking up that roster slot instead. She Hulk would have been a good choice, I think.

One thing I find disturbing: Word is that the Iron Man on the team may not be Tony Stark. I sure as hell hope it isn't Jim Rhodes, as there's no reason I can see Rhodey ever becoming Iron Man again. I hope its one of two swerves: either Tony's ex-girlfriend Bethany Cabe in the armor (don't laugh; she wore the post Silver Centurion armor in #300, when Tony called in a bunch of his friends to armor up and help him take down Ultimo), so its really an Iron Woman; or a more advanced LMD (Life Model Decoy - basically a robot duplicate developed by Stark for S.H.I.E.L.D. to use - in the past Tony has used an LMD that could switch from Stark to Iron Man on a couple of occasions). Or maybe Clayton Wilson, aka the former villain Force, who reformed and is ally of Tony's.

*Spoilers over*

(Just be glad that Austen won't be writing the book anymore. Jan and Clint romantically involved?! Yeah, right! The man doesn't know the meaning of the word continuity, and apparently never bothers to research characters' pasts when he writes an established title)

Edited August 19, 2004 by GhostMachine

[TheRaySays]

Good to see that overreactions aren't just limited to The Ring.

Seriously, Heel Turn, you quote the information from Avengers #500 and then go on a rant about material not remotely included in that issue. Now, I'm probably going to absolutely loathe Wolverine and Spider-Man on the team, and just re-read the first year of the Busiek/Perez run last night (great stuff), so I'll probably end up on the same page as you, but I'm limiting my reviews to specific issues. Let's wait for #501 to arrive before we take a massive dump on it.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Besides, the interaction between Spider-Man and Captain America and Spider-Man and Wolverine will be interesting, if you've ever read any stories where they've teamed up before.

I read a review of a Wolverine/spidey comic..that ends with, get this, Aunt May questioning Wolverine and Spidey on what happened. It basically has Spidey and Wolverine recounting the events that happened while sitting in a darkened room with some "mysterious person" asking them questions...and it turns out to be Aunt May asking Peter and Logan about what happened to them while serving them food.

[DMN in the House]

We need more War Machine. Thats all I got to say.