The Walking Dead #62

June 19, 2009

The Walking Dead #62 (Image Comics)
By Robert Kirkman & Charlie Adlard

Robert Kirkman isn’t the sort to do the standard “part X of Y” storylines, but currently he’s got two of them running — one in Invincible and a second beginning here. In part one of “Fear the Hunters,” tensions between Rick and Dale finally reach a breaking point, Michonne confides in Rick, and Carl shows yet again just how hard and cold he’s become in this world. It’s Carl’s transformation, more than anything else, that really makes the current status quo in this book intriguing. Looking back at the scared, innocent child he was at the beginning of the series (a little over a year ago, I think, in comic book time), it’s absolutely astonishing just how much he’s changed. He’s got a child’s body, but his mind and spirit are no longer even remotely childlike. It’s a heartbreaking transformation, but at the same time, it may well be a necessary one. The title of this arc, though, would seem to refer to the strangers in the woods who have been stalking our group of survivors. This issue they make their move. It’s nice to throw in some mystery here as well. The zombies make for a good source of action, but little ambiguity. They are what they are. A group of hunting humans, however… that’s something new. Very strong issue, and I’m very anxious to see what’s coming next.
Rating: 8/10

The Flash (1987 Series) #208

March 30, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Red Carpet

Three generations of the Flash take on an army of Rogues on the streets of Keystone City.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Howard Porter
Inks: Livesay
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: DC Comics

At the end of last issue, the Flash Parade was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a mob of the Scarlet Speedster’s nastier foes. He isn’t alone in facing off against them, though – Jay Garrick, the original Flash, and Bart Allen, Kid Flash, storm onto the scene to help the current titleholder of the legacy they all share. The problem is, Wally West hasn’t seen either of them since the Spectre blanked the memory of his identity from the minds of the entire planet, and he doesn’t quite know what to expect.

It really helps that Geoff Johns is currently the one and only man responsible for safeguarding the legacy of the Flash (with Jay Garrick in JSA and Bart Allen in Teen Titans – only XS of the Legion of Super-Heroes falls under another writer’s pen, and she hasn’t fully embraced the Lightning yet). This issue accentuates that legacy and shows why the Flash has the greatest legacy in comics – from the comments of a few guards at Iron Heights about what the Flashes mean to the twin cities to the re-opening of the Flash Museum, this story shows you who the Flashes are and why they are important.

Johns does not gloss over the repercussions of the Spectre’s actions either – Wally’s painful admission that his wife has left him, his sorrow at the knowledge that people know longer know and proclaim Barry Allen as a hero, and a long-delayed confrontation with his teammates in the Justice League remind us that these things do not happen in a vacuum, that there will be consequences. Next issue promises to give us even more of them.

Howard Porter does a fine job with this issue, showcasing all of our Flashes, all of the villains and the high-speed action with great skill. It’s also nice that the man who redefined the Justice League during Grant Morrison’s run on the title gets to return to the characters here, with a beautiful double-page spread of the team.

People who are already reading this title know it’s one of the best superhero comics on the market right now. People who aren’t reading any superhero book with Geoff Johns’s name in the credit box… well… what are you thinking, man?

Rating: 9/10

TransFormers: Generation One (2004 Series) #3

March 27, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Skyfire

Jetfire returns to the Autobots just in time to face off against Sunstorm.

Writer: Brad Mick
Pencils: Don Figueroa
Inks: Elaine To
Colors: Espen Grundetjern & Rob Ruffolo
Letters: Ben Lee
Cover Art: Don Figueroa
Publisher: Dreamwave

Brad Mick is marking the 20th anniversary of the TransFormers franchise in style – with the return of Jetfire, one of the most popular Generation One characters, and the introduction of Sunstorm, the best new character in the Generation One line in probably at least a decade.

Last issue Sunstorm, Starscream’s nastier brother, appeared to wrest control of the Decepticons away from his brother. This issue Jetfire returns to do battle with the would-be leader and strikes an uneasy alliance with Starscream.

In addition to the new character and old returning character, we get to play with some of the regular cast as well. We see how little Bumblebee functions as a leader in Optimus Prime’s absence, and also how some of the other Autobots resent taking their commands from one so small. If Mick’s writing has any fault, it’s that it still seems overly wordy, overly expository. So much of the story depends on knowledge of a continuity that is, to a large degree, a piecemeal creating, blending elements of the cartoon show and the old Marvel comic as is convenient and leaving the reader, even a longtime reader, unsure of exactly what parts are still valid. The result is tons of word balloons that exist to bring everybody up to speed but, tragically, may cost them impatient readers in the process.

The artwork, by Figueroa and To, continues to impress. The TransFormers are great-looking characters to begin with, but not everybody can draw giant robots and make them look cool (in too many artists’ hands, they just look sort of silly). There’s a lot of action in this issue, and the battle scenes really stand out powerfully. The coloring team deserves credit here as well, keeping the action from looking muddy and helping Sunstorm and Starscream, identical except for their color scheme, stand out from one another individually.

The reliance on TransFormers minutia hurts this title, but it’s something die-hard fans will be able to get through. If you’re willing to go through all that stuff, it’s a fun read and one of the best-looking comic books on the racks.

Rating: 7/10