Disney-Pixar/Muppets Presents Cars #1

June 10, 2011

Title: Rally Race

Writers: Alan J. Porter & Mark Cooper
Art: Allen Gladfelter, Magic Eye Studios & Travis Hill
Colorist: Digikore Studios & Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Deron Bennett & Troy Peteri
Cover: Allen Gladfelter
Publisher: Marvel Comics/Disney Comics

Okay, to start with, yes. That is the actual name of this magazine, as listed in the indicia. Go figure. Anyway, this magazine-sized comic book reprints the first four issues of the Boom! Studios Cars run, the “Rally Race” storyline. In this tale, an encounter with a young car with a bum wheel gives Lightning McQueen the idea to start up an invitational charity race to benefit young cars in need. Against his better judgment, he winds up inviting his rival, Chick Hicks, to join in the fun, and the race begins.

There’s actually surprisingly little racing in this book, considering the topic. The first issue is the end of the previous circuit and set-up for starting the invitational, chapter two is preparing for the invitational, chapter three is the first leg of the race and chapter four is the final leg. All of these segments are broken through with flashbacks and backstory on some of the different cars, particularly Doc Hudson and Chick himself. It’s the backstory segments that work the best. While the first Cars movie gave us a wealth of information on Lightning, most of the other Cars were still blank slates, except for what we saw on screen. We knew that Doc used to be a racer, but this story fills us in on what his racing days were like and how he ended them. Chick Hicks is kind of a jerk, here we learn what caused that level of jerkitude, and we even find a little redemption for the character in the process. It’s all golden stuff.

Allen Gladfelter, who gave us the cover and two of the four chapters, is the Cars artist. Few others can depict the characters with such emotion and energy, and pull off racing scenes that are just as impressive on the comic book page as they would be in animation. The other two chapters aren’t bad, mind you, not at all, but they aren’t quite up there either.

I enjoyed this story the first time it was presented, and putting it out in this inexpensive magazine prior to the release of the new movie is probably a smart move for Marvel.

Rating: 8/10

Teddy Scares #1

June 1, 2007

Teddy Scares #1 (Ape Entertainment)
By Jim Hankins, Ben Roman, Christine Larsen, Rolando Mallada & Drew Rausch

The creepiest toy line since Madballs graduates into its own comic book series. The Teddy Scares are children’s toys that were lost, abused and abandoned, winding up residing in the same junkyard. The four short stories in this volume manage to give each of the five bears a pretty good spotlight, from the dimwitted cyclopean Abnormal Cyrus to the poet and narrator Edwin. Most of the stories are pretty funny, too — the sort of macabre humor that works so well in books like Haunted Mansion and Wolff and Byrd… but there’s a bit of drama here as well. Redmond Gore’s story is both tragic and chilling, showing this property to have a bit more depth than the premise would indicate. This isn’t a kids’ comic, and it’s not for someone who can’t take a joke about their childhood treasures, but if you like to see wholesome things shown through a rather horiffic prism, this is a book you’ll quite enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

Batman #626

April 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Visions (As the Crow Flies)

One of the lords of Gotham’s underworld goes nuts – can Batman figure out why?

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Richard Friend
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: Matt Wagner
Publisher: DC Comics

In the interests of full disclosure, I suppose I should mention that I’m predisposed towards enjoying this issue for two reasons – one, I didn’t care for Brian Azzarello’s “Broken City” arc, and two, Judd Winick appears to be using one of my favorite Batman villains in his run. So keep that in mind when I tell you that I thought this was a rather enjoyable issue. Thomas Alliaotto, alias Big Tommy A, one of the seemingly endless ganglords that calls Gotham City home, goes nuts before this issue even opens, pulling a gun and opening fire on what he sees as a room full of demons. Batman discovers him to be amped up on some sort of hallucinogenic drug, massively powerful and incredibly dangerous. (This info, given to us in the first few pages, is probably enough for most Bat-fans to figure out the last-page villain. If that isn’t, the fact that he’s on the cover of an issue a couple of months from now that’s already been solicited all over the internet should be).

Even though the identity of the villain isn’t new, his old tricks are amplified and altered in this issue. That’s not exactly anything new, but the way it’s played up is pretty original. Winick has shown a surprising talent for a good crime drama in his Caper series, and some of that skill definitely shows in this issue. He also does a good job with the supporting cast, including a great sequence with Alfred and a disguised Robin that’s slightly ironic considering upcoming events in that character’s own title.

Dustin Nguyen and Richard Friend do a fine job on the art chores, with a very classical-looking Batman as he leaps out of the shadows and a beautiful job on the architecture of the city. For lighter scenes the colors of Alex Sinclair sell the book, giving us a Batman that exists in shades of gray. It’s a look that really works for this title.

Given my disappointment in the last few months of the book, it’s probably inevitable that I would enjoy this story considerably more. I honestly don’t think it’s just me, though, I think this is a good, solid, old-school Batman story. Check it out yourself and see if you agree.

Rating: 8/10