The Monolith #2

February 28, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Down in a Hole (Heart of Stone Part Two)

Princeton wants Alice and Tilt – and more secrets of the past are unearthed.

Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Phil Winslade
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Phil Winslade
Publisher: DC Comics

Last issue Alice Cohen inherited the dusty old home of her grandmother only to learn that a creature, a powerful Golem, was walled up in the basement. This issue, she reads more of her grandmother’s diary, unearthing more of this fantastic creature’s origin. What she doesn’t know is that her drug dealer Princeton is after her and her best friend, Tilt, and he’s not coming for a friendly visit.

This is a good issue, but not as good as last month’s premiere. We open up with some scenes from the early career of the Monolith, which lets us know how his life really began, but doesn’t give us a tremendous amount of insight. The same goes for the present-day sequences. Last issue the thugs from Alice’s past resolved to go after her, and this issue they do so. It advances the plot, but not as much as one would like, and it’s hard to resist the temptation to compare this to the “decompressed” storytelling we see in books like Ultimate Spider-Man.

The characters are very interesting — Alice is by no means a standard protagonist for a superhero title, and the existence of the creature has the potential to make the most original superhero comic book in a very long time. It just feels like it’s taking us quite some time to get there, and I hope that the book manages to hold its readers long enough to reach the payoff.

Phil Winslade is great for this book. Alice has a look unlike pretty much any other character in comics, although if she doesn’t change those distinctive clothes of hers pretty soon they’re going to get kind of ripe. Visually, every scene works well, from the Golem’s eyes glowing in the shadows to Alice getting sick in the kitchen as she suffers withdrawl symptoms.

It’s also a brave choice to make our star a junkie going through withdrawl. While that’s not even a little unique in fiction, or even in comic books, it gives this book a real feel of someone who’s at the end of her rope, struggling to pull things together, and finding a giant man made of clay inhabited by the soul of her dead grandmother’s lover walled up in her basement doesn’t make things easier on her.

This is really an unusual title for DC Comics, and it’s one I find I’m quite interested in. It’ll be interesting to see if it can keep its momentum going.

Rating: 7/10

[2012 Note: The book did, most certainly, find its stride, and although it only lasted 12 issues, it’s one of those books that has gone down as an under appreciated classic. Image Comics is producing a hardcover of the first four issues, currently available for preorder. Go. Preorder it.]

Catwoman (2002 Series) #34

August 22, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Cold Hard Facts (War Games Act One Part Seven)

The Gang War threatens to engulf Gotham’s East End… and Catwoman’s not going to let that happen.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics

“War Games” continues to impress with this issue, a major one in the storyline that again succeeds in telling part of the overall whole without losing the individual feel of the title. When the Gang War spreads to Gotham City’s East End, Catwoman’s area of town, she takes it upon herself to put the soldiers down before any innocent people get hurt. You see a lot of Catwoman’s methods in this issue, including a more brutal handling of some of the mobsters than Batman would likely approve of, plus a rundown of the rules by which she runs her section of town.

There are two more major sequences in the book – Catwoman speaks to Leslie Thompkins, the doctor who took Bruce Wayne in after his parents were murdered, and is astonished to find she blames herself for the violence engulfing the city. Leslie isn’t the only one carrying around culpability, though, and the end of this issue answers some of the major questions that have been shadowing this storyline since day one.

Gulacy’s artwork is in top form this issue, including a great car chase/shootout scene at the very beginning that works very well to show how tough a contender Catwoman really is. He does have some problems with scenes of Catwoman and an unexpected companion at the end once the two of them are out of their masks – he does a very good job of them in costume, posing, choreographing, but once the masks are off the faces are a bit too angular, too pointed, and don’t look quite natural.

Overall, a fine issue, and an important one. If you’re getting all of the War Games chapters, this issue will be waiting for you anyway. If you’re only planning to get some of the crossovers, though, rest assured, you need this issue. With the exception of last week’s Robin, it’s the biggest one yet.

Rating: 8/10

Batman: Gotham Knights #54

May 12, 1004

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Pushback Book Five

Green Arrow joins the hunt for Prometheus.

Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo & Javier Pina
Inks: Francis Portela & Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Lee Bermejo
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s interesting that the most frequent criticism of Lieberman’s writing on this title is that he doesn’t have a very good handle on The Joker, then he turns out an issue like this, which is basically a retelling of the Joker’s origin according to Alan Moore. The Joker has spent 12 years trying to find the man who murdered his wife, and now that the information is at his fingertips, he pauses to reflect on how he got where he is.

Which is really where the problem comes in – the Joker is simply not a reflective character. He’s never been the sort to pontificate about the past – he’s about the now, the chaos, the turmoil he can create in the present. Past and future have never help much import for him. If finding his wife’s murderer is so important to him, why has he spent the past twelve years creating smiling fish and trapping Batman in enormous jack-in-the-boxes? Reading the issue the way it’s written paints the Joker’s entire career up to this point is the comic book equivalent of O.J. looking for the real killers.

Again, I really like Barrionuevo’s artwork on this title – he does a great Batman and Robin and has a good handle on the villains, who are really the stars of the piece. He shares penciling duties with Javier Pina this issue, but their styles are either very similar or Pina has adapted his style to mesh with Barrionuevo’s, because the transitions are seamless. I really can’t tell where one artist departs and the other comes in.

Lieberman’s initial Gotham Knights arc has been pretty much average throughout. He’s got skill at certain things, but has chosen to focus this storyline on things he’s just not as good at. Hopefully after “Pushback” concludes next issue, he’ll shift the focus of the book back to the Batman family, because I think that will be his best chance to really shine.

Rating: 6/10

The Last Resort #1

July 18, 2009

The Last Resort #1 (IDW Publishing)
By Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Giancarlo Caracuzzo, Amanda Conner

One could easily make the argument that we’re inundated with zombie comics these days, but as long as we’re getting a good one, I really don’t mind. The first issue of The Last Resort is a pretty good one. It reads very much like the first act of a movie. There’s an opening scene where someone clearly infected with a zombie virus washes up on the shores of a tropical resort, then we switch to New York City, where a fairly large cast of characters — most of whom have no relation to one another — are preparing to board a plane to that same resort. The issue is mostly about establishing these various people and getting them there in time for the big cliffhanger ending. As such, the zombie action is fairly limited in this first issue, but there’s a lot of good comedy and character development, as well as a pretty big shocker at the end. Giancarlo Caracuzzo handles the art here, and it’s pretty good. His line work is fine, although the color palette is a little more muted than the tone would seem to indicate is proper. Still, if you like zombie comics, this is one worth checking out. If you feel burned out on them, take look anyway, because this is different enough to be worth your time.
Rating: 8/10

Catwoman (2002 Series) #30

April 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: End of the Line

No more teasing – Catwoman and Zeiss go for blood!

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s been some time since Zeiss carved up Catwoman’s pal Slam Bradley, and Ed Brubaker has been dancing around the inevitable confrontation between the two characters ever since. Things finally come to a head in this issue in what amounts to almost a full-length fight scene, with the two of them tearing through Gotham City as they try to tear each other apart.

The book isn’t 100 percent action, though, as the fight scenes are punctuated by flashback sequences to the origin of the brutal killer Zeiss. Brubaker deserves credit here for recognizing something that not enough writers understand – if you need to give us some background information, a flashback sequence is always preferable to stilted expository dialogue that lurches us out of the scene.

Interestingly, last issue I was starting to get the feeling that this story arc was dragging on too long and hoping that this would be the conclusion. Instead, Brubaker sends us on a roller coaster to a last-page cliffhanger that has me anxious for the next issue.

While I can understand that Paul Gulacy’s artwork isn’t everyone’s favorite, I think he does a solid job on this title. There’s a lot of action in this issue, and more than a little blood. Gulacy does a fine job portraying each panel in mid-punch or halfway through a backflip. Close-ups of Zeiss with his freaky goggles are nice and creepy. The art isn’t perfect – the faces of some of the supporting characters look a little tacked-on and it took me a few panels to recognize Joe, one of Catwoman’s “agents,” in the nighttime colors of the scene. Overall, though, it’s a good looking comic.

This book walks a thin edge – part superhero, part action, part crime drama. Fortunately, these are all genres that Ed Brubaker handles very well. I didn’t jump onto the book at the same time he did, I’ve only been with it for six months or so, but they’ve been six solidly entertaining months. This is the most this title has had me anticipating the next issue yet, and that’s saying something.

Rating: 7/10

JSA Classified #12

May 22, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: The Fall and Rise of Vandal Savage Part Three

It’s Vandal Savage versus Green Lantern – for the last time?

Writer: Stuart Moore
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: I.L.L.
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy
Publisher: DC Comics

In a way, I’ve been slightly disappointed in this series. One of the cool things about JLA Classified is that the creative teams have permission to go to any era of the Justice League, but in JSA Classified, the book is rooted in current continuity. For the world’s first superhero team, that just seems like a wasted opportunity. On the other hand the current arc, featuring a dying Vandal Savage plotting revenge against his greatest foe, the Golden Age Green Lantern, has been a pretty darn good one.

Savage, dying, remembers a fateful encounter with own daughter as Alan – who recently lost his own child – races to confront the villain with an old friend. Savage, however, has been around for millions of years, and even as he faces his final, imminent death, he’s got something up his sleeve.

Moore has done a pretty good job with this arc. I’m a big fan of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern for those embroiled in the endless Hal/Kyle debate, and it’s nice to see him get something of a spotlight. However, he’s still technically the antagonist this issue, as the focus is squarely on Vandal Savage, one of the most interesting villains in the DCU. Part of me doesn’t believe they’ll actually kill him off, but then, they haven’t even finished counting the bodies from Infinite Crisis yet, so what would one more be?

Moore’s story is fine, but I’m slightly disappointed in Paul Gulacy’s artwork. He doesn’t quite have the right sensibilities for the sci-fi and magical aspects of the two lead characters – the panels look somewhat awkward, and the revelation of a monster towards the end isn’t as grotesque as it should be – the creature winds up looking like a cross between X-Statix’s Doop and Mr. Potato Head.

Overall, this has been a solid arc weighed down by less-then-stellar artwork. Gulacy, to my liking, is better suited for street-level characters like his run on Catwoman.

Rating: 7/10

Jonah Hex (2006 Series) #8

June 5, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Never Turn a Blind Eye

An old acquaintance turns to Hex for help… but who really needs the protection?

Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Pencils: Dylan Teague & Val Semeiks
Inks: Dylan Teague & Dan Green
Colors: Rob Schwager
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Stephen Wacker & Michael Siglain
Cover Art: David Michael Beck
Publisher: DC Comics

As Jonah Hex wraps up another bounty hunting job, an old acquaintance turns to him for help –
protection from a mob of killers that have butchered the rest of his party and are chasing him down. And Hex, being the man of honor that he is, wants nothing to do with it… but will his conscience inevitably force his hand?

Last issue of Jonah Hex was a bit of a letdown – not because it was bad (it certainly wasn’t), but because it was a bit more run-of-the-mill than I want from this title. For a large part of this issue, I was afraid it would suffer the same fate, but Palmiotti and Gray pull out a fantastic ending that saves it from being just another showdown. It’s also another done-in-one story, which every issue of this title has been so far, and that’s a welcome change from the overextended arcs of most comics.

The art team shifts halfway through this issue – Dylan Teague gives way to Val Semeiks and Dan Green, but the change is very subtle – I never even knew there had been a change in art team until I read the credits on the last page. The book looks very good, and Schwager’s colors give a nice added dimension to the pages. We also get a knockout cover by David Michael Beck which – lemme tell you – looks even better in full color than in the black and white preview we have for the review.

Basically, this is another great issue, and as it’s a standalone issue, you’ve got no excuse not to read it – jump right in anytime.

Rating: 8/10

Jonah Hex #61

February 26, 2011

Title: Honeymoon Bullets

Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Jordi Bernet
Colorist: Rob Schwager
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Jordi Bernet
Editor: Will Moss
Publisher: DC Comics

On his Honeymoon with Mei Ling, Hex runs afoul of a group of drunks who cast some unkind words in the direction of his bride. Fortunately, she doesn’t really need his help to take care of herself. No, you didn’t miss an issue. The nature of this title – short, usually one-in-one stories – allows Gray and Palmiotti to leap around the timeline of Jonah Hex’s life pretty much at will, and there was a time in the original series when he was married. Consider this a “lost tale.” Mei Ling is a fun character – she’s a small bright spot in Hex’s overwhelmingly gloomy and depressing life, and that makes for a nice contrast for the character. Oh, how I wish they’d put her in the movie instead of Megan Fox’s painful Tallulah Black impersonation. The interaction between Hex and Mei is nice too – you can tell that she actually changes him a little bit, bringing his spirits higher, making him happier. Shame it can’t last, of course. Jordi Bernet, as always, has the perfect style for this book – dynamic, full of action, and old school to boot. This is one of those books that is just incredibly entertaining month in and month out – even if only a small number of readers know about it.

Rating: 8/10

Power Girl (2009 Series) #1

May 9, 2009

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: A New Beginning

Power Girl flies solo!

Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Amanda Conner
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: John J. Hill
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover Art: Adam Hughes (Cover A); Amanda Conner (Cover B)
Publisher: DC Comics

Few characters have had as tumultuous time out of DC’s recent rash of Crises than Power Girl. She finally uncovered the truth about her origins – that she was, in fact, Kara Zor-El of Earth-2. She finally got back home to Earth-2 only to find that yet another version of Kara had replaced her there. Oh, and sometime in the interim, she became the leader of the Justice Society of America. Now, having finally established the identity of Power Girl, our heroine decides it’s time to go back and reestablish her civilian identity, Karen Starr. It’s hard to get a philanthropic research organization off the ground, however, when you’ve got to drop everything and save Manhattan Island from an invasion of gigantic homicidal robots.

This first issue really lays out the challenge of this series very well. Between Infinite Crisis and Justice Society of America, Power Girl as a hero has finally been firmly established in the DC Universe as the top-level heroine that she should be. But right now, she only exists as a superheroine. It’s up to Palmiotti and Gray to tell us who Karen Starr, the woman behind the spandex, really is. This issue sets up a lot of stuff, but before we get too deep, the action begins.

There’s a lot of really great action, and Amanda Conner was born to draw this comic book. Her Power Girl looks fantastic, and Paul Mounts colors compliment the line art flawlessly. The fight scenes are bold and dynamic, and the design of the evil invaders is great – freaky and unearthly. Everything bubbles up to a really solid cliffhanger.

My only real problem with the issue is that there isn’t quite enough of the character stuff. Sure, this is the first issue and we want to start with a bang. It’s exciting, and it’s fun, and those are two things Power Girl needs to have in high quantities. I still feel like we needed a bit more of a foundation, though. Hopefully, future issues will address this – it really does seem like the writers have it thought out and have planned the personal life stuff. We just didn’t get enough of it here.

Still, though, for what we get it’s a really fun, exciting first issue. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a nice, long run. Power Girl deserves no less.

Rating: 8/10

28 Days Later: The Aftermath TPB

April 19, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good

The birth of a plague, and the destruction of a world, unfold in the bridge between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later.

Writer: Steve Niles
Stage 1 Art: Dennis Calero
Stage 2 Art: Diego Olmos & Ken Branch
Stage 3 Art: Nat Jones
Stage 4 Art: Dennis Calero
Colors: Dennis Calero
Letters: Dan Nakrosis
Book Design: Symon Chow
Editors: Jimmy Palmiotti & R. Eric Lieb
Cover Art: Tim Bradstreet
Publisher: Fox Atomic Comics

A few years ago, Trainspotting director Danny Boyle hit the scene with a low-budget, pseudo-zombie flick called 28 Days Later. The surprise hit has turned into a veritable franchise, with the second film 28 Weeks Later set to premiere this summer. Now, the new film studio’s new multimedia arm, Fox Atomic, is launching their comic book line with an original graphic novel bridging the two films.

Steve Niles, who has some experience in the horror genre, has been tapped to set up this story, and he’s done a good job. Niles gives us four separate, but linked stories, beginning with the tale of the scientists who developed the Rage virus in the first place. While there isn’t anything particularly surprising in this story, it’s a really solid set-up and fills in a lot of blanks. Stage 2 takes place during the first days of the outbreak, and is a more personal take on the situation. Here Niles focuses on a single family, one of the first to encounter the Rage virus as it is unleashed, and shows how they deal with the hell that has descended upon them. This is as much a tragedy as it is a horror story, and it works very well.

Stage 3 is the oddest and, perhaps because of that, the best story in the book. Twenty-nine days after the outbreak, a single sharpshooter has decided to make London his own, taking out the infected and fighting a solitary war. When someone else has the same idea, though, he doesn’t take it very well. This is completely unlike most zombie stories you’ve read, a totally different perspective on how a survivor’s mind may become warped.

The last chapter takes place even further out from the outbreak, as characters from previous chapters find themselves in a government quarantine camp – but the question is, why are they there?

Three different art teams handle the four different stages as well. Dennis Callero handles the first and last stages (as well as coloring the entire volume) and has a pretty traditional horror style. Diego Olmos and Ken Branch is more of a standard comic book look, which works for chapter two, and Nat Jones’s scattershot designs in stage three are perfect for that chapter. The book is wrapped in a Tim Bradstreet cover, although this book doesn’t really showcase his talents. Really, all that was required of him was a skyline, over which was superimposed the movie logo. It’s a good cover, but Bradstreet is so good with characters it almost seems a waste.

In addition to telling some intriguing stories (which this book does), the volume is also intended to act as a segue into 28 Weeks Later. There are clearly elements in the book that could easily be picked up on in the next film, but which ones and how well they are used can’t really be told until the movie is released. Taken on its own, the book is a very entertaining horror story, a good expansion of the world introduced in the first movie, and a nice launch property for Fox Atomic Comics.

Rating: 8/10