Invincible Returns #1

April 10, 2010

Invincible Returns #1 (Image Comics)
By Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker & David Finch

With Invincible getting ready to head into space to fight the Viltrumite War, Kirkman gives us this one-shot to get all the pieces in place. The book does an excellent job of recapping the series to date, advancing all the main characters, and giving us a big revelation about Atom Eve. Very often, a book that’s intended as a good “jumping-on point” is just recap or just setting the stage without giving you anything for the devoted reader that’s been with the title for years. This is one of the exceptions, this is a book that genuinely will work for the reader, no matter if it’s the first issue of Invincible you’ve ever read or the seventy-first. Also, as you may have gauged from the cover, this issue features the return of Invincible’s original costume. I couldn’t be happier about that. The blue-and-blacks weren’t bad, but I always felt like it was missing something. That splash of yellow really makes the costume stand out, makes it look like a classic uniform. If you’ve never read Invincible before and you’ve always wondered what the fuss was about, this is the issue to get.
Rating: 4.5/5

Best of DC #43

April 30, 2011

Title: Funny Stuff

Featuring the work of: Sheldon Mayer and others
Cover: Sheldon Mayer
Editor: Nicola Cuti              
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s another classic collection of DC’s funny animal comics. I picked up a few of these recently, and they’ve turned out to be just as goofy and fun as I remember. This book kicks off with a Peter Porkchops story, wherein Peter and his nemesis, Wolfie, accidentally throw themselves back in time to ancient Rome. Flippity and Flop is next, with a kind of standard cat vs. dog scenario. Three Mousketeers, one of my favorites, shows the tiny warriors kicking out Minus (again), only to get shown up as he gets his hands on his own sailing ship. Doodles Duck once again deals with a nephew trying to outsmart him, while Goofy Goose contributes a magic act to the proceedings. J. Rufus Lion gets into a con game with some birdseed, and Nutsy Squirrel finds himself attempting to ward off an alien invasion. Doodles returns for round two, this time with a hippopotamus in tow, and Peter Panda goes on an unexpected trip under the sea. Dizzy Dog has to deal with a genie, while Dodo and the Frog give us their own twist on Gulliver’s Travels. Bo Bunny goes fishing, the Raccoon Kids go to the circus, and both Dizzy and the Three Mousketeers come back for a second go-round.

None of this stuff is life-changing, but these kinds of stories were never intended to be. Stuff like the Three Mousketeers, Dodo and the Frog, and Doodles Duck were – and still are – silly diversions that put a smile on my face and keep me entertained throughout the entirety of the book. If you can’t appreciate that, you’re doing something wrong.

Rating: 8/10

Moon Knight (2006) #10

May 15, 2007

Quick Rating: Meh
Title: Midnight Sun Chapter Four: His Lord’s Banner
Rating: Parental Advisory

After the same prey, the Punisher faces Moon Knight.

Writer: Charlie Huston
Art: Mico Suayan
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letters: Rus Wooton
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover Art: David Finch
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Although last issue’s cover really should have been on this issue (and vice versa), make no mistake, this month Moon Knight faces down the Punisher. While Frank stands there and shoots and people, Moon Knight stands there and ponders the ways in which he is different from the Punisher. No, seriously.

After a fairly superfluous guest appearance, including some dialogue that makes it clear this story is still a Civil War-period tale, Moon Knight takes off to hunt down a man whose unique ability will come in handy. This character (hard to call him a “villain”, but I’m not sure what else) is easily the most interesting part of the issue. It’s not an unheard of technique – in fact, there’s a fairly similar character over in Fables right now – but it’s an intriguing one that can work really well in this sort of hardcore superhero story .

Mico Suayan takes over for David Finch on the art, and his style is pretty good. It’s a little less polished than Finch, but otherwise quite similar.

A big theme of this book is the fact that the title character doesn’t really have much of an identity. He’s several personalities vying for dominance in one body. While that can – and has – been used to great effect, here it just creates a distance from the main character that makes the book feel less than relevant.

Rating: 4/10