Dark Horse Presents (2011 Series) #2

July 1, 2011

Writers: Paul Chadwick, Robert Love, DavidWalker, Neal Adams, Carla Speed McNeil, Howard Chaykin, Michael T. Gilbert, Patrick Alexander, Chuck Brown, Richard Corben, David Chelsea
Art: Paul Chadwick, Robert Love, Neal Adams, Carla Speed McNeil, Howard Chaykin, Michael T. Gilbert, Patrick Alexander, Sanford Greene, Richard Corben, David Chelsea
Colors: Michelle Davies, Diego Simone, Moose Baumann, Jenn Manley Lee, Bill Mudron, Jesus Aburto, Tyson Hesse
Letterers: Thomas Mauer, Ken Bruzenak, Steve Dutro, Clem Robins
Cover: Neal Adams
Editor: Mike Richardson 
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

It’s the second installment for the resurrected Dark Horse Presents, and like the first issue (and, for that matter, most anthologies), it’s a mixed bag. Some of the stories are really very good, but others just die on the vine.

Paul Chadwick’s Concrete starts off the issue, and it’s one of the better tales. In Hawaii, Concrete and his team are hiking across a volcano, only to make a surprising discovery. Although the first issue’s story was very self-contained, this story seems to have elements that would lead to a longer storyline. All in all, I think that’s a good thing – anthologies seem to work best when there are serialized tales to bring the readers back, and while most of the stories in this comic fit that bill, this is the one that’s probably the most entertaining.

Robert Love and David Walker’s Number 13, which begins this issue, makes a strong case for itself as well. We begin with the story of a boy wandering a post-apocalyptic landscape, and it’s pretty standard for that genre at first, until we discover a secret the boy is carrying with him. It’s a nice beginning that raises a number of questions.

As last issue, it’s the most venerable comic creators that are turning in the least interesting work in this book. Neal Adams’ Blood continues with an origin story that attempts to tie the character into world history, but does it in a rather pedestrian way, and the characters in Howard Chaykin’s Marked Man are, frankly, despicable people. And not in a good way, not in a way that’s fun to read about – they’re just terrible human beings that I don’t want to spend my time on.

Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder comes back and helps out again, with a funny second installment that continues to explore the world of a former criminal that has turned into the world’s greatest courier. We also have Michael T. Gilbert classing up the joint with another fantastic Mr. Monster story. Here he’s parodying the Marvel giant monster comics of the 1950s, and both his parody and his style are spot-on. Patrick Alexander also gives us a wordless – but oddly charming – tale of The Wraith.

Rotten Apple is the second serial to begin in this issue. Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene present a different take not only on zombies, but on a lot of monster tropes. I really appreciate stories of this nature, and the execution here is strong.

We close things off with Richard Corben’s The Treasure – still weird – and David Chelsea’s Snow Angel, which goes from charming to actually interesting this issue. There seems to be more to this story than a simple child’s fantasy, and that makes for a stronger story.

All in all, this book has more good than bad, which is why I’ll keep getting it. But there are still some stories that just leave me entirely out in the cold.

Rating: 7/10

Wildguard: Insider #1

May 2, 2008

Wildguard: Insider #1 (Image Comics)
By Todd Nauck, Steven Sanchez & Justin Peterson

Man it’s been way too long since we got a Wildguard comic from Todd Nauck. For those who haven’t read any of the previous miniseries or specials, Wildguard is a superhero team assembled via reality show, voted in by viewers like American Idol. The difference between Wildguard and American Idol is that the Wildguard characters are actually interesting. this miniseries serves to reprint the webcomics Nauck posted online some time ago, but for fans who already read those strips, there’s new stuff too. The book opens with a solo tale of Red Rover, in which we see an interesting change for our hero. The webstrips presented here pick up right at the end of the first Wildguard series, with a publicity agent who thinks the new team is doomed and six heroes who have to get used to working together. What’s more, the big guns don’t really want much to do with them. To round out the book, we get two “Where Are They Now?” stories featuring heroes who didn’t make the cut, including a rather bleak story of Mover and Shaker and a far more lighthearted tale with Adhesor. The book is filled out with lots of profiles of the dozens of characters Nauck created for the title. This is a really nice introduction to one of the best new superhero concepts in recent years, as well as one of the least-appreciated.
Rating: 7/10

Batman #627

May 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Partners in Crime (As the Crow Flies Part Two)

The Penguin and the Scarecrow make their schemes as Batman tries to track them down.

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

Didn’t the last issue of Batman ship just two weeks ago? One hopes DC isn’t going to follow Marvel’s lead when it comes to double shipping or skewing release schedules – there’s enough of that going on already. But at least we get a solid issue of Batman this week.

Mobsters in Gotham City are going nuts, killing indiscriminately and usually ending up dead themselves, and the Batman wants to know why. The readers already know the answer, however – the whole thing is a plot concocted by the Penguin and the Scarecrow, who is forced into a subservient role even though it is his biochemical genius making the plan possible.

This is a pretty good study of the characters, showing how meek the Scarecrow really is when not amped up on his chemicals or his own self-importance. The Penguin also comes across as more brutal and dangerous than he has appeared in recent years, and quite the joke he frequently appears to be.

We’re also introduced to a new character this issue, the Scarecrow’s lab assistant, Linda Friitawa. Linda is a true albino, with pale skin, white hair and pink eyes – and a sensitivity to light that makes her as much a creature of the night as the Batman. She has an odd affection for the Scarecrow, something that promises to add a dimension to the old villain who sometimes feels like he has no stories left to tell. It’s a nice little twist that Winick adds, and one that is welcome.

Dustin Nguyen is a really good Batman artist. He and inker Richard Friend do a fine job casting the Dark Knight in the shadows, and bring out the grotesqueries of the Penguin and the spindly weirdness of the Scarecrow very well. The final monster that appears on the last few pages looks especially good, like something out of L. Frank Baum’s nightmares.

Winick is serving up a good old-fashioned Batman tale – nothing spectacular, nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining and a lot of fun. I’m enjoying this story arc, and I expect I’ll keep enjoying it through to the end.

Rating: 7/10