Irredeemable #37

June 5, 2012

Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Diego Barreto
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Colors: Nolan Woodard
Cover Art: Matteo Scalera
Editor: Matt Gagnon & Shannon Watters
Publisher: Boom! Studios

The Plutonian’s rampage has come to this. The governments of the world, in an effort to stop him, have unleashed a radioactive cloud that could kill a third of the people on the planet, maybe more, and only Mallus knows how to stop it… a procedure that will take everything the Plutonian has. If this is the end for the fallen hero, is it possible he could somehow find redemption?

Despite the title of this series, this final issue really does drive home the point of the story. The Plutonian has fallen about as far as any comic book superhero ever has. In this issue, as it appears the only way to save the world will cost him his life, the question is raised: is that enough? After all, if it wasn’t for him the world would never have been in jeopardy in the first place? Mark Waid floats these questions out in front of us, but doesn’t supply us with any answers. Perhaps the best thing about this book – which was very good throughout its run – is the way the finale leaves things slightly open, the way the readers will be able to debate for some time whether or not Plutonian finds redemption in the last few pages.

And let’s talk about the last few pages for a moment. Without spoiling anything, Waid takes a very unexpected turn right at the end, spinning this story into the realm of metafiction, and showing that whatever very public issues Waid may have with the people currently running DC Comics, his love for the DC characters seems to continue unabated. It makes for a strangely sweet sentiment, right at the end, and it’s very welcome.

Diego Barreto finishes up this series in style – the tragic, final moments of our heroes and villains alike comes across with real power and drama, and the final panel is just magnificent. It’s a relatively simple image, but striking in its iconic nature, and something that will stay with the reader for a long time.

This finale really wasn’t what I expected, but that’s not at all a complaint. I really enjoyed the end of this series, and it’s nice to come across an ending that justifies the journey.

Rating: 8/10

Peanuts (2011 Series) #2

February 18, 2012

Title: Snowball’s Chance and other stories

Writers: Justin Thompson, Vicki Scott, Shane Houghton, Charles M. Schulz
Art: Justin Thompson, Vickie Scott, Paige Braddock, Bob Scott, Matt Whitlock, Charles M. Schulz
Colors: Paige Braddock, Alexis E. Fajardo, Lisa Moore
Cover Art: Vicki Scott
Editor: Matt Gagnon
Publisher: Boom! Studios/kaboom!

Lucy Van Pelt is planning the ultimate winter vendetta – a barrage of snowballs – and Charlie Brown turns up as the perfect victim. But Lucy’s plan is dependent on her ability to throw, and fans of Charlie Brown’s baseball team can tell you, that isn’t her strong suit.

Justin Thompson’s “Snowball’s Chance” is just the first story in this collection, but it’s not bad. For a moment, it feels as though he may be drifting a little too far away from the usual Peanuts formula (important in that it would betray the characters themselves), but he redeems himself in an entertaining way in the end. Vicki Scott’s “Avalanche” is next, a mostly-wordless story about Charlie Brown’s attempt to feed Snoopy. “Heart Attack,” meanwhile, is a charming little story about Charlie Brown’s effort to create a Valentine’s Day card worthy of the Little Red-Haired Girl… a quest that’s doomed to failure. Finally, we have “Umbrella Fella,” a story of the Van Pelt siblings and their efforts to stay dry on a particularly rainy day.

Combined with a few classic Peanuts comics by Charles Schulz himself, this book is finding its voice as a place for stories that, although short, are basically extended versions of the sort of thing Schulz himself would do in the newspaper strip. There’s no epic tales of the Peanuts gang traveling the world, no ill-fated attempts to make them superheroes, no long-term story arcs about Charlie Brown’s neverending quest for love. We get brief tales with funny climaxes and mini-climaxes throughout, for a mixture of original Peanuts material and new stuff that fits in with the classics rather well. While I do wish that there was a bit more unity among the stories – not that I want longer stories, I just wish there was some sort of connectivity that explains why these particular tales are grouped together – I think kaboom! has found its niche with the Peanuts crew, and I’m ready to simply enjoy the stories they bring to us.

Rating: 7/10

Incorruptible #20

August 28, 2011

Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Marcio Takara
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Garry Brown
Editor: Matt Gagnon
Publisher: Boom! Studios

Max Damage has been captured by Coalville’s newest true villain. Alana and Safeword, meanwhile, seek out the help of Armadale – only to find he’s fallen himself in recent days. As Max struggles to free himself, Alana struggles to cope with the shocking secret Armadale reveals to her.

Both storylines in this issue hinge in large part on the worst crime Max committed in those days before he reformed. Bellamy, the man who’s torturing him, seems to have an interesting perspective on Max’s psyche, and while the man may be evil as anything, it’s hard to argue with his analysis of our would-be hero. The scars Max is left with this issue are deep and may be lasting. How do you come back from something like this? In a book like this, is that even possible? Very much to his credit, Mark Waid wastes no time trying to answer such unanswerable questions. He’s crafted a dark world, and he’s having a good time picking apart the characters even as he explores how dark the world can get. Marcio Takara tells the story well, putting some real horror on the character’s faces, and getting gruesome when necessary. Not too gruesome, fortunately, but just enough to get the point across. It’s appropriate that Garry Brown’s cover for this issue is pretty much just a puddle of blood with Max’s reflection in it – the issue is bloody enough to warrant it.

Harsh issue, but it’s a good one.

Rating: 8/10

Elric: The Balance Lost Free Comic Book Day Edition

August 2, 2011

Title: The Balance Lost

Writer: Chris Roberson
Art: Francesco Biagini
Colorist: Stephen Downer
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Erik Jones
Editor: Matt Gagnon
Publisher: Boom! Studios

I’ve heard of Michael Moorcock’s Elric over the years, but I haven’t had too much exposure to him, either in comics or in novels. When this issue was released on Free Comic Book Day, I very much wanted to give it a chance, since the concepts I’d heard intrigued me. And there is some intriguing stuff here. We’re introduced to Elric, the warrior and possessor of Stormbringer. The cursed sword seems to drive him, drinking in the death of his enemies to propel him forward. It’s well-done, I can tell this, but the sword-and-sorcery genre simply isn’t one that really appeals strongly to me. I’m more interested in the multiverse stuff, which this issue does introduce in a few intriguing full-page spreads. The way that we see it, though, I get the impression that the multiverse elements are here more as a bone to throw to longtime fans, and not necessarily something that will be followed up on in the regular Balance Lost series. Still, Roberson is a very strong writer, and I’m impressed by Francesco Biagini’s artwork. While I don’t really feel compelled to read this series, I may take another look when the collected edition is released.

Rating: 7/10