Justice Society of America (2007 Series) #42

September 6, 2010

Title: The Dark Things Part Four

Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Allen Passalaqua
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Mark Bagley
Editor: Mike Carlin
Publisher: DC Comics

As the Brightest Day crossover continues, the Guardians of the Universe have sent Kyle Rayner to Earth to take out Alan Scott by any means necessary – even killing him. Not that this will be all that easy, mind you. Alan has been possessed by the power of the Starheart, a power that’s spread out to encompass not only his children Jade and Obsidian, but nearly every magic or elemental powered metahuman on the planet.

James Robinson continues to bring in nice, quick moments for dozens of heroes in this series. Dr. Mid-Nite’s rescue of Starman is a great bit, as is the battle Alan Scott has against Power Girl and Supergirl at the same time (which should go to show you just how powerful the Starheart actually is.) This is the penultimate issue, where everything is building up for a big finale, and the buildup really works well.

Bagley’s art is still kind of back-and-forth for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I find he does a very good job depicting the younger heroes (he was a magnificent Spider-Man and New Warriors artist for many years, after all), but his elder heroes don’t look quite as good. On the plus side, he’s got a good technique for bringing in lots (and lots) of characters on to a single page, making for fight scenes that are exciting and really give the sense that the heroes are getting overwhelmed.

I’m kind of surprised by this book, it feels like Jade’s personal Brightest Day storyline is coming to a close sooner than expected. But then again, back in 52 we saw characters’ stories ending at different times as well. Ultimately, as long as the end is satisfying, that’s what’s important.

Rating: 7/10

Sandman Presents Thessaly: Witch For Hire #1

February 2, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: My Girl (or) Far Too Much About Snakes

Fetch the Ghost returns… with a new proposition for Thessaly.

Writer: Bill Willingham
Art: Shawn McManus
Colors: Pamela Rambo
Letters: Nick Napolitano
Editor: Mariah Huehner
Cover Art: Tara McPherson
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

Back in those bygone days before Fables, Bill Willingham wrote a four-issue miniseries called Sandman Presents the Thessaliad, a story starring a minor character from Neil Gaiman’s epic. He made her a star, though, and for the first time showed up on my radar. It was that miniseries that made me give Fables a shot when it premiered a few months later, and I haven’t regretted it.

This miniseries takes up some two years after the first one, with the witch Thessaly traveling the world, plagued by a series of demons and monsters she has to combat. It makes for a good comedy/action story, with a tinge of a romantic comedy when Fetch, the ghost who loves her, arrives. Readers don’t need to be familiar with the previous miniseries, or even the epic Sandman series, to enjoy this book.

Thessaly is a great character, one I’ve enjoyed even more under Willingham’s guidance than Gaiman’s. She’s one strong woman, unafraid of anything, and even if she’s not technically human she’s a great change from weak females that exist to go after men or show cleavage in comic books.

McManus does a wonderful job with the artwork in this comic, The monsters are gross and the battle scenes are choreographed wonderfully, not to mention that Thessaly herself is simply beautiful. (Of course, I have a thing for women in glasses, so your opinion may vary).

There seems to be a movement in Vertigo these days to get darker and grimier with each new title. This book goes in the opposite direction, taking a very light approach both with the artwork and the story. There’s definitely a danger here, but not one that you ever feel is beyond Thessaly’s ability to handle (no matter how mad she gets at Fetch in the process).

People who have been a little disappointed in Willingham’s work on Robin so far can read this book and see for certain that he’s still got it. It’s as pleasant and enjoyable as any issue of Fables, and that makes it ahead of 99 percent of the comic books published.

Rating: 8/10

Runaways (2005 Series) #25

April 1, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Dead-End Kids
Rating: T+

The Runaways run again – to New York!

Writer: Joss Whedon
Pencils: Michael Ryan
Inks: Rick Ketcham
Colors: Christina Strain
Letters: Randy Gentile
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover Art: Jo Chen
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It’s almost not even fair to try to review this issue. We’re just coming off a groundbreaking run by Brian K. Vaughan, and the incoming writer Joss Whedon has a strong reputation for telling solid stories himself (especially stories with young heroes), so in some respects, anything short of a home run will be viewed by some as a failure. Well, this issue isn’t a home run, but if you manage to filter out any biases or expectations, it’s at least a solid double – a good comic, but not a great one.

The Runaways have decided to head back to New York for a while, and in so doing, need a place to stay. The way they go about getting a place is rather suspect, however, and may put them in the sights of a surprise guest-star… and not in a good way.

The good first: Joss Whedon has a really strong grasp on these characters. They still feel like themselves, and he manages to drawn on both their own pasts and the history of the Marvel Universe to create his story. He also manages to break away from the too-slow pace he employs on Astonishing X-Men – there’s a lot that happens in this issue, and far from feeling rushed, it feels like a story should be paced.

On the other hand, the kids cut a deal with some unsavory characters here, and despite the justifications some of them use for it, I can’t help think that they simply wouldn’t do it, based on their history. It’s a nagging problem, but one that is difficult to escape.

Michael Ryan’s artwork is quite strong – a fine match for the characters – and Christina Strain’s colors are great. Fans of the series will be pretty satisfied about this issue – Whedon isn’t making any fundamental, unnecessary changes the way so many writers tend to do. He’s just running with the ball, and that’s as it should be.

Rating: 7/10