52 #16

August 23, 2006

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Uhebbuki & The Origin of Black Adam

The Marvels unite at last, as Renee and the Question chase a tragedy in the making.

Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Ruy Jose
Origin of Black Adam Art: J.G. Jones
Colors: David Baron & Alex Sinclair
Letters: Pat Brosseau & Nick J. Napolitano
Editor: Stephen Wacker & Harvey Richards
Cover Art: J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics

I suppose I shouldn’t be, but I’m pretty surprised that the Black Adam storyline of 52 has honestly turned into my favorite in the series – and this issue is a big one. Adam and Isis are planning a very special event with some very special guests – the Captain Marvel family. Billy is (apparently) feeling better since the last time we saw him, and Isis is acclimating nicely to her role in Khandaq. In fact, her very presence seems to be changing Adam for the better.

As their ceremony begins, though, Renee and the Question – fresh out of Black Adam’s prison — undertake a frantic chase of their own. The search that brought them to Khandaq in the first place has led them to a bomber, and if they can’t find it soon, the ceremony may well turn into a bloodbath.

This issue is a fantastic mix of these two related but separate stories. The writers shift seamlessly from the more quiet, tranquil story of Adam and Isis to the fast-paced search sequences. We also get a brief glimpse at one of the other ongoing storylines, one that’s been somewhat arrested lately, but this issue things really take off. I’m expecting it to really go places soon.

Joe Bennett’s artwork (over Keith Giffen’s breakdowns, of course), is just fine. There were a few scenes with such facial expressions (particularly on Mary Marvel) that I had to check to make sure Kevin Maguire wasn’t handling the issue. The issue is broken and choreographed very well, and Bennett has a nice, light touch on the faces that works very well.

To go with the lead story, this issue’s origin backup is Black Adam himself, with art by cover artist J.G. Jones. Like all of the “origin” back-ups, Mark Waid has done a really good job of distilling the character’s basics down to two pages, with a handy recommended reading list at the end for new fans who want to check in on his major storylines.

The best issue of 52 yet? Well, that’s arguable. But this is definitely in the running for my personal favorite.

Rating: 9/10

Hawkeye (2003 Series) #8

June 11, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Caviar Daze (A Little Murder Part Two)

Hawkeye wants to save the world from a chemical arsenal… but he’ll have to go through the Black Widow to do it.

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Tang Animation and Coloring
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Well, it wasn’t a bad run, but with this issue Hawkeye’s latest effort at a solo series rides off into the sunset. It’s shame, because the first story arc wasn’t that bad and this one was rather good, but Marvel just doesn’t seem to have the patience to allow a title to build up an audience anymore.

Tracing a clue he got last issue, Hawkeye tracks down the killer of a Russian immigrant, then follows even more clues to the Soviet Union, where he finds the simple grocer he’s out to avenge may not be so innocent himself. A stockpile of nasty weapons awaits him, and what’s more, so does his old flame, the Black Widow.

Nicieza choice of superweapon is eerily prescient, considering recent real-world events, but his villain is a rather clichéd man-machine gun-toting hybrid. Still, this book should be the Marvel Universe equivalent of an action movie, and taken on that level it delivers. It’s got everything you need – elaborate set pieces, lots of gunplay, stuff blowing up, a hot woman in black leather and a good bit of sexual tension. Is it brilliant comic book storytelling? No. But it’s fun, and that’s what Nicieza was going for, after all.

Joe Bennett’s artwork on this story arc is a far cry better than the artist for the first six issues. He has a good handle on Hawkeye – even a scene where an injury forces him to shoot his arrows one-handed – and his Black Widow looks particularly good – sensual, but athletic instead of comically over-endowed. His faces tend to look alike, however, even the men and women, and he needs to work on distinguishing characters from one another.

It wasn’t a great one, not one that will go down in the history of Marvel Comics, or even really in the history of Hawkeye, but it was a decent run, and one that deserved a better shot. I suppose all we fans of Clint Barton can do now is hope Nicieza gets another shot at him in a revived Thunderbolts title.

Rating: 7/10

Hawkeye (2003 Series) #7

April 23, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Proletariat Knights (A Little Murder Part One)

Hawkeye throws down with the Russian mob and runs across an old acquaintance.

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Kickstart
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Scott Kolins
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It’s really sad that there’s only one issue left in this title, because it really feels like it’s finally hitting its stride in this issue. Hawkeye heads out to track down a man associated with the Russian mafia. Along the way he runs across some very interesting old friends and one nasty new enemy.

Nicieza, as always, displays his love and knowledge of our title character. Hawkeye and, in a brief training sequence, Captain America, are your classic tough-guy heroes who rely on skill and guts rather than superpowers, but he manages to keep them distinct nonetheless. The villain introduced in this issue is sadly high on ordinance and low on originality, it’s like a 90s villain crawled out of the wreckage of an old Rob Liefeld comic to wreak havoc.

I’ve heard Joe Bennett’s name a lot lately, but this is the first time I can recall seeing any of his artwork. I’m mostly impressed. He has a very good rendition of Hawkeye, with a sort of raised mask like we got in the Batman movies, and it’s a look that works well for the character. He also draws beautiful female characters, reminiscent of a Milo Manara graphic novel. Add some nice high-action scenes and you have a solid comic visually.

I’m a huge fan of the character, and I think this series could have taken off if given a chance to build an audience. Unfortunately, Marvel doesn’t particularly operate that way any more, and only books with Xes or Spiders are given time to build an audience. This is one of the classic characters, though, and hopefully he’ll find a new home if a new Thunderbolts series finally comes through.

Rating: 7/10

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1

January 26, 2008

Writers: Joss Whedon, Christopher Golden, Dan Brereton, Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza & Paul Lee
Art: Eric Powell, Joe Bennett, Cliff Richards, Paul Lee
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

My girlfriend and friends just recently began inducting me into the Cult of Buffy, and I’ve been making my way through the TV show slowly. But as I can’t seem to restrict my fandom to just one medium, I’ve also been getting into the Buffy comic books from Dark Horse. The Buffy Omnibus series will eventually reprint all of Dark Horse’s Pre-Season 8 Buffy comics in thick, relatively cheap paperbacks. The stories, it should be noted, are collected in chronological order, not in the order that they were published.

This first volume collects all of the pre-TV show exploits the comic produced, and while there aren’t many, the ones they give us are pretty good. After a so-so Spike and Drusilla short story, the volume begins in earnest with The Origin. The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, starring Kristy Swanson, was really very much a butchery of the script that Joss Whedon wrote. In this story, Christopher Golden took the original, pre-butchered script and massaged it into a strong storyline that brings Buffy’s first adventure more in line with the version of the character we watched on television. Next up is Viva Las Buffy, which takes place right as the movie ends. Buffy and her boyfriend, Pike, run off to Las Vegas together, only to discover that the lifestyle of the slayer will follow her anywhere. There’s a short story featuring Dawn (which was apparently pretty controversial, considering the characters origins… the controversy wasn’t in the story itself, but in the fact that the story existed), and the book closes with Slayer, Interrupted, in which Buffy comes home only to find herself tossed in a mental ward. Las Buffy and Slayer, Interrupted also both feature a subplot with Rupert Giles, the man destined to become Buffy’s Watcher, on his quest to do so.

Although I’ve been told many of the Buffy comics varied wildly in quality, these first few comics (again, chronologically – they were actually produced pretty near the end of the run) are actually pretty good. It’s nice to have a more solid origin story for Buffy, and nice to see more of the circumstances that ultimately led her to Sunnydale. While this is by no means required reading, even for die-hard fans of the show, for folks looking for a little extra to satiate their Buffy cravings, this is a pretty good book.

Rating: 7/10

52 #25

October 26, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Liminal Times

Halloween in the One Year Gap!

Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid
Layouts: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett, Dale Eaglesham, Phil Jimenez, Patrick Oliffe, George Perez
Inks: Ruy Jose, Art Thibert, Andy Lanning, Drew Geraci
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Steven Wacker
Cover Art: J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics

Like every issue of 52 thus far, there’s a ton of stuff going on, and it’s all to the good. In Gotham City, Bruno “Ugly” Mannheim is cementing Intergang’s hold on the city with a crime summit. The demonic Sabbac attacks Boston, sending both Marvel families into action, Ralph Dibney encounters an old Justice League foe in a very unforgiving environment, the new Infinity, Inc. heads out against some veteran villains, Alan Scott makes Mr. Terrific an intriguing offer (GASP) and on Oolong Island, Will Magnus learns more about why he’s been brought there.

This is an issue where the “realtime” gimmick of 52 really works to the book’s advantage – showing the Marvels’ first meeting with their “Black Marvel” counterparts in the middle of a crowded riot of trick-or-treaters was a nice touch. The Ralph Dibney scenes, however, really stole the book. With a dash of DC history (and some beautiful artwork), Ralph descends into the depths of Hell.

What really amazes me about this title is how it’s possible, week to week, to keep track of all the various storylines. It’s clear that 52 now features far more than the originally-advertised six stories, but even with the half-dozen intersecting plots here, there’s no trouble telling who’s doing what, where, and with whom. You don’t need a scorecard for this. Maybe it would be hard if I was waiting month to month for each chapter, but for a one-month gap, there’s no trouble at all.

The artwork is a bit more troublesome to me. It took 25 chapters, but we finally hit something of a “jam” issue, with multiple art teams handling different aspects of the story. For this issue, it worked pretty well – Jimenez on the Ralph scenes, Oliffe on Infinity, Inc. and Mr. Terrific… each segment had its own distinct flavor, and I was okay with that. I don’t know if I’d like every issue to be that way, however. Although I suppose ultimately, once the series is read as a whole, it will have that feeling regardless.

For this week’s origin story, Mark Waid tackles Nightwing, with art by George Perez. Like all the origin stories, it’s a nice, two-page capsule of the character. Unlike most other origin stories, though, we also get something of a glimpse into the future of the regular series. Not the far future, but we do see a little further than the most recent issue of Nightwing brought us, and that’s quite interesting.

All in all, Halloween in the one-year gap turned out pretty well.

Rating: 8/10

52 #6

June 14, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: China Syndrome

The Green Lanterns meet the protectors of China, and Booster Gold seeks out a fellow time-traveler.

Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Dan Jurgens
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett, Dan Jurgens
Inks: Ruy Jose, Andy Lanning
Colors: Alex Sinclair, Guy Major & Jeromy Cox
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Editors: Stephen Wacker, Eddie Berganza & Jeanine Schaeffer
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

When the Green Lanterns pursue their old enemy Evilstar into China, a group of eastern superheroes face off against them, standing side-by-side with Black Adam. Meanwhile, Booster Gold tracks down the lost Rip Hunter, master of time, and sets out to get some answers about his own twisted perceptions.

After last issue’s knockout punch, this issue is slightly subdued. The bulk of the issue is the Black Adam/Green Lantern story, which is notable for introducing the Great Ten, but more importantly, begins to establish the new political landscape of the DC Universe. We begin to see how different nations react to the superhero community and where the alliances lie. As for the new heroes themselves, you can feel Grant Morrison’s fingerprints all over them – with some really bizarre powers and unusual names that reflect their culture of origin. Names like “August General in Iron” and “Mother of Champions” are no doubt literal translations of names that sound better if you speak Chinese, which ads a touch of realism.

The Booster Gold story is more intriguing, at least to a hardcore DC fan. He uncovers something pretty disturbing this issue that, like last issue’s revelations, has the feel of laying groundwork for the series as a whole. The visit to Rip Hunter’s lair is a particular treat – the two-page spread in this issue is full of clues and Easter Eggs that no doubt have the longtime DC reader salivating in anticipation. Will all of these tidbits come to fruition? Probably not, but man, it’s going to be a lot of fun to speculate.

I’m sorry to say that the “History of the DC Universe” series, chapter five of which is included this issue, remains the weak point for 52. Unlike the original series (which followed up the original Crisis on Infinite Earths), this series so far has been little more than a learned by rote recitation of DC history as we already knew it, not really shedding any new light on how the “new” Earth’s history was pieced together. For longtime fans, it’s redundant. If the intent, on the other hand, is to help new readers find a gateway into the universe, the chapters are too short and don’t give enough information.

I hate to say it, but I’ll be glad when the “History” series will end and be replaced by the two-page origin stories we’ve been promised. 52 has been a fantastic read in the first six weeks, but the back-up has failed to live up to the immensely satisfying main content.

Rating: 8/10

52 #2

May 17, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Looking Back at Tomorrow

A new question for Booster, a new path for Renee and a new mystery for Ralph!

Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid & Dan Jurgens
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett & Dan Jurgens
Inks: Jack Jadson & Art Thibert
Colors: Alex Sinclair, Guy Major & Jeromy Cox
Letters: Travis Lanham & Nick J. Napolitano
Editors: Stephen Wacker, Eddie Berganza, Ivan Cohen & Jeanine Schaefer
Cover Art: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comics

After a first issue that was, by necessity, mostly set-up, this issue the story of 52 really begins in earnest. Booster Gold seeks help to help repair Skeets, his robot from the future whose records of the present seem to be faulty. Renee Montoya, even as she spirals further downward, is given a new purpose. And someone has left a mystery for Ralph Dibney, the former Elongated Man.

Although Booster gets the cover, Ralph gets the meatiest story this week. Starting at the grave of his wife (slain in the book that launched a thousand issues, Identity Crisis), Ralph finds a clue to a new mystery. Any fears that this book would just be a year-long epilogue to Infinite Crisis should be allayed – although it’s clearly built on that foundation, the stories that begin this issue really are independent. They aren’t just tying up loose ends, they’re unraveling threads and weaving something new.

It’s clear this issue that the six “stars” of this title won’t be equal in every issue – two of the six don’t even appear this week – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Not every character appears in every episode of an ensemble television show either, and with only seven days between issues it’s not like fans are going to have to wait another month for their Steel fix. As long as each of them has their moments in the sun, their storylines, it’s not too big a burden if they fall by the wayside for one issue.

I’m intrigued by the story, but Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson could use some tightening up. Keith Giffen’s layouts are fine (and for longtime fans it’s clearly his work), but the characters look a bit stiff at times. It even took me a second look to realize I was seeing Ralph Dibney’s infamous nose-wiggle that shows he’s on the trail of a mystery.

This issue also begins the ten-part “History of the DC Universe” by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert, and it’s a little on the light side. With only four pages in the first installment, you don’t expect it to go too far, but you also don’t expect the first two pages to be spent on Donna Troy trying to decide if she even wants to hear the history. We know she’s going to, after all. Like last issue, this is a necessary introduction and I expect the story to get better now that they can get to the meat.

All in all this is a solid issue, and the few problems I had are things that will be naturally addressed as this unique project continues its rotation. With two down and fifty to go, this definitely feels like a worthwhile project for me.

Rating: 8/10