Recent Reviews: June 8 Releases

As you may or may not know, in addition to the tons of reviews I post here at the Back Issue Bin, I also write reviews of new comics over at CX Pulp.com. I thought I would start making it a habit to link BIB readers over to those other recent reviews on Tuesdays… y’know… when I remember. And have time. And feel like it.

Anyhoo, here are the comics released on June 8 that I’ve reviewed over at CX. These links (as well as all of my CX reviews) can be found right here on the archive page as well.

• Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #3
• Donald Duck #367
• Echo #30
• Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1
• Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog #1
• Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Tomar-Re #1
• Love and Capes: Ever After #5
• Morning Glories #10
• Space Warped #1
• Supergirl #64

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #7

September 10, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Space Cases (Universal Laws Part One)

She-Hulk gets yet another new job – in the depths of space!

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Juan Bobillo
Inks: Marcelo Sosa
Colors: Dave Kemp
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Marvel Comics

She-Hulk is offered another new gig this issue – sitting on an intergalactic court as a magistrate, under the gaze of the Living Tribunal!

This issue contains just about everything that makes this one of the most entertaining comics on the stands today. We delve into Shulkie’s role not as a superhero, but as an attorney. We advance the “Odd Couple” subplot revolving around our heroine and the would-be supervillain Southpaw, and the book is packed with cameos and nods to Marvel continuity. None of it is presented in an obstructive way, though, someone with no prior knowledge of the characters are given all the info they need to follow along. I’d be worried about the “new job” angle, but I really don’t expect it to last past this story arc. The stuff with She-Hulk at the superhuman law firm is just too good to sacrifice this soon into the title.

There is also a lot of comedy in this issue. Quieter character-based stuff, such as an early argument between She-Hulk and Southpaw, is balanced with goofier moments in She-Hulk’s court, like a segment where an allusion to a legendary court decision backfires.

Juan Bobillo returns to the artist’s seat this issue, which is a mixed blessing for me. He’s very good with our title character and a lot of the rest of the cast, but he struggles with certain characters. His rendition of the Watcher doesn’t really mesh with any version we’ve seen before, for instance, and his Beta Ray Bill is somewhat more bestial than he should be.

The cover loses a point for Irrelevant Cover Syndrome – the scene and, in fact, none of the characters except She-Hulk herself even appear in this issue. On the other hand, it makes up for it by including such wonderfully goofy and obscure characters. I can’t believe Forbush Man is actually on the cover of a comic book again.

This is a fantastic book, one of Marvel’s best these days. If you’re not reading it yet, you’ve got to give it a try. This is a perfectly accessible issue, one that new readers will be able to jump right on. There are nagging, frustrating rumors that this book is hovering around the fringe of the cancellation bubble. Read it. Love it. For heaven’s sake, save it.

Rating: 8/10

The Last Defenders #1

March 11, 2008

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Destiny Falls
Rating: T+

Nighthawk leads the new… or rather, the last Defenders!

Writers: Joe Casey & Keith Giffen
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Jim Muniz
Inks: Cam Smith
Colors: Antonio Fabela
Letters: Albert Deschesne
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: Steve McNiven
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Nighthawk has always been one of my favorite C-list Marvel characters, which perhaps is why he’s always been linked in my mind with the Defenders, a C-list team if ever there was one. Yeah, he’s not one of the founding four, but he’s often served as the heart of the team. Now, with the 50-state Initiative in gear, he convinces Tony Stark to resurrect the Defenders. Stark agrees, but with the caveat that he pick the team… and the membership definitely has room to grow.

I’m really tired of every Marvel book dripping with that subtext of “what’s Iron Man’s big scheme?”, but once you get past that, this is a fun issue. It’s got some whimsical moments without drifting into slapstick, and the inclusion of both She-Hulk and Colossus make a good deal of sense the way they’re presented here, and even the location of the team is a smart way to set things up. What’s more, there are hints in here that make it seem like Casey and Giffen are working to give the Defenders more prominent placement and a real place in the Marvel Universe, which is a good thing.

The art team does good work here too – Giffen, of course, is the king of layouts, and the rest of the crew manage to transfer the energy of his thumbnails into an energetic page.

It’s not great, not yet, but it’s good, and it’s got the potential to get even better.

Rating: 7/10

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #6

August 20, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Minor Complications (The Big Picture Part Two)

When a squad of shrunken supervillains stage a jailbreak on She-Hulk’s hand, will she and Yellowjacket be able to take them all on?

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Roland Paris
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I was amused by the announcement that a new Marvel Team-Up series in the works, since that title could just as easily serve every other issue of this title. Six issues in and we’ve already had guest-spots by Dr. Strange, the Thing, Spider-Man and now Yellowjacket.

I want to stress, though, that this is not a complaint. Far to the contrary, I think the device Dan Slott has found to allow She-Hulk to interact with virtually any character in the Marvel Universe is logical and devilishly clever, and used to its maximum potential in this issue. After paying a visit to a prison where supervillains are shrunk down to maximize space, She-Hulk is unaware that several of the villains have stowed away on her hand. When they cut loose in her law office, she and Yellowjacket, with the unlikely help of the Awesome Android, have to reign them in.

This issue brings back some of the trademark comedy that I thought last issue was lacking, particularly in use of the Android, or “Andy” to his friends. Including him in this series as an employee of the law office was a stroke of genius in the first place, and the chance to see him face off against his creator, the Mad Thinker was wonderfully done – so much, in fact, that he almost relegates She-Hulk to a supporting role in this issue. Slott does find time to play with her, though, first showing her revulsion at her boss essentially using her to keep his supervillain granddaughter out of jail, then showing how a number of factors come together to affect her.

Paul Pelletier is welcome to draw any comic in my pull folder any time he wants. I’ve been a fan since his days on Flash and through his tragically-short run on Negation. He’s really a wonderful superhero artist, managing to draw the most preposterous costumes or goofy sci-fi concepts and never making them seem hokey or hamfisted. He knows when to go for the visual gag and when to pull back and let the look on a character’s face tell the story. It all comes together. The only artwork criticism one could have for the book is the cover – a fine painting by Mike Mayhew of Shulkie smashing her own logo, and a helpful blurb informing us that Wizard named this title book of the month… none of which has anything to do with the story. Yep – it’s a case of Irrelevant Cover Syndrome.

In just six months, this has become a favorite title of mine. Any week it appears in my folder is a good one, and when I close an issue, I find I can’t wait for the next one.

Rating: 8/10

Somebody’s First Comic Book: Sensational She-Hulk #2

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: Attack of the Terrible Toad Men (or “Froggy Came Cavortin’”)

 

CREDITS:
Story & Pencils: John Byrne
Inking: Bob Wiacek
Lettering: John Workman
Coloring: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Publisher: Marvel Comics

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: A green girl called “She-Hulk?” And conveniently, the word balloon tells us she’s the Hulk’s cousin. She doesn’t seem to have his anger issues, though.

IMPRESSIONS: The She-Hulk is getting a loaner apartment from her friend Janet, who apparently is living out on the west coast now, which seems awfully nice of her. Meanwhile, a couple of truly bizarre-looking villains (including – no foolin’ – a girl called Ruby Thursday who has a red globe for her head) are plotting against her. Then she gets attacked by Frog Men and Mysterio, who is another bad guy with a funky thing on his head. There’s a theme here.

As this feature insists, this is a “first comic book” – but I can’t imagine standard comics are anything like this. Besides being wildly funny, the editor and writer have an argument via post-it notes about the action taking too long, and She-Hulk herself makes a few comments that make it very clear that she’s aware of the fact that she’s in a comic book. It’s a crazy, funky, fourth wall-breaking gag that carries throughout the issue and gives the comic a very unique, unusual flavor.

The villains are so strange, the writing is so funny, and the cliffhanger is so good that I really want to go out and get the next issue. This is a hellacool comic.

GRADE: A+

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #5

July 16, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: More Than a Handful (The Big Picture Part One)

When a two-bit supervillain gets thrown in jail, She-Hulk’s new boss takes a personal interest.

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Tom Simmons w/Don Hillsman
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Mayhew
Publisher: Marvel Comics

When the New Warriors bust a small-time supervillain named Southpaw, She-Hulk’s new boss takes a personal interest in the case. Meanwhile, Southpaw’s cellmate, the Mad Thinker, has found a way to set up a jailbreak, and she is instrumental in it.

I didn’t like this issue quite as much as the past few issues – Slott has toned down the comedy this issue, and as that was one of my favorite things about this title, I’m a little disappointed by that. Also, while I applaud this title for not blanching away from continuity the way most comics do these days, I’m afraid that the literal mob of supervillains, few of which get much exposition, may be a bit daunting to people not familiar with Marvel history.

On the other hand, Slott deserves credit for reminding us that the New Warriors haven’t just dropped off the face of the Earth, even if they just appear in a cameo this issue. Also, he has created the most original concept for a superhuman prison I’ve seen in… well… ever. It’s simple and ingenious. You do get the sense that the Thinker has figured out an escape route a bit too easily, but that’s his M.O. – he comes up with a brilliantly complicated plan, forgets to account for human error, and gets beaten at the last moment. I fully expect this to happen next issue.

Paul Pelletier steps into the penciller’s seat this issue, and it’s great to see his work. He’s one of the most underrated artists in comics and has been since his Flash days. We’re still missing three issues of Negation War, but that’s not really his fault, and he reminds us this issue exactly how good he is. He’s from a school of artists like Mark Bagley and Dan Jurgens – strong, energetic, but without the excessive detail that loads down a lot of artists and turns the art muddy and dark.

I really did enjoy this issue – I gave it a “good” rating, after all, but I miss the comedy. There’s still a few humorous moments in this issue, but no more than your average superhero comic, and this is not your average superhero comic. I hope to get a few more laughs next time around.

Rating: 7/10

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #4

May 18, 2004

Quick Rating: Friggin’ Great!
Title: Web of Lies

She-Hulk’s newest case? Spider-Man Vs. J. Jonah Jameson!

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Juan Bobillo
Inks: Marcelo Sosa
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Breevort
Cover Art: Adi Granov
Publisher: Marvel Comics

If I had any doubts left that I was into Dan Slott’s new She-Hulk series for the long haul, this issue removed them entirely. It’s smart, it’s funny, it tackles the issue from both sides, it is respectful of continuity but it’s perfectly accessible even for a brand new reader, and it’s one of the best done-in-one stories I’ve read all year.

Okay, I guess I’ll have to elaborate for those of you who didn’t rush out to grab this issue based just on that paragraph. She-Hulk’s co-worker Augustus Puglice, wanting to repay Spider-Man for saving his life once, finds the perfect way to say thank you: he’s filing suit against J. Jonah Jameson for years of defamation of character in the pages of the Daily Bugle.

I’m no lawyer, so I have no idea how accurate Slott’s depiction of a courtroom actually is, but I do know that accurate or not, it’s wildly entertaining. He’s got the classic Spider-Man one-liners down to a tee (if he ever gets a crack at the character’s own book, I will so be there) and he manages to pull out even the most obscure bits of continuity and present them in such a fashion that there is no way even the most comic-illiterate reader could be confused. (How many of you forgot that the first time Spider-Man publicly saved a life it was John Jameson?) In that way, the courtroom setting of this comic book is absolutely perfect to introduce new readers to the nuances of the Marvel universe.

Although every issue of the title has been a good standalone story, Slott has begun to work in some subplots, specifically a new romantic interest for the She-Hulk. While this doesn’t feel absolutely necessary, it doesn’t feel forced either, it flows very naturally from the story. While any single issue of the book can be read independent of the others, people who come back month after month will get a more complete picture.

Bobillo’s art rebounds this issue after being a little shaky last month (particularly in his interpretation of The Thing). His Spider-Man may be a little too skinny and spindly, but it’s not a huge problem and it’s a pretty good look for him. His male characters tend to look a little blocky and his women’s faces aren’t distinct enough, but his acting and fight choreography are very good and he’s well-matched to this title.

This is rapidly becoming a favorite title of mine. If you’re sick of books that disregard continuity and you’re looking for something a little more lighthearted for a change, this is the book to read.

Rating: 9/10

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #3

May 16, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Dead Certain

She-Hulk sets out to defend a murder suspect with the two best witnesses of all – her old buddy Ben Grimm, and the victim’s own ghost!

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Juan Bobillo
Inks: Marcelo Sosa
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Adi Granov
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Jennifer Walters seems to be settling in with her new job in superhuman law, joining as assistant defender in a case where the chief witness is the murder victim himself, his ghost summoned by Doctor Strange. The good doctor isn’t our only guest start, though – just as the She-Hulk’s last title featured an obligatory third issue guest appearance by Spider-Man, this issue guest-stars The Thing.

Ben Grimm’s appearance goes to point out several of the things that I’m quickly growing to love about this series. First of all, with our title character working in superhuman law, Dan Slott has an open door to bring in just about any guest star he wants without making it too big of a stretch for She-Hulk to run across him. Second, in an age where so many comic books seem to be running away from any sort of connectivity inn their titles, She-Hulk is immersed in it, using recent events from Mark Waid’s Fantastic Four run as case precedent for Jennifer in the courtroom.

Slott really does his homework with this title, but like all of us, he does get an answer wrong once in a while. One of the major points that the courtroom scene hinges on requires that everyone in the court recall the events of one of the big crossovers of the 90s. That’s all well and good, especially in a title like this, except that in the end of that particular crossover nearly everyone in the universe was made to forget that it ever happened, and none of the few people allowed to recall it were in the courtroom that day. Still, it’s a minor flaw and one that doesn’t detract from the story much.

Something that does detract a bit is the artwork. Bobillo and Sosa do a fine job for the most part, including a truly beautiful rendition of our title character, but they don’t have a very good handle on The Thing at all. His rocky form is ill-defined and his face is grossly half-formed, as though his head is somewhere between human and stone forms. With a character I like this much looking this off-model, I’ve got to take points off.

Still, this is a fun issue that proves that the “She-Hulk working as a superhero lawyer” idea isn’t a one-trick pony. There are plenty of opportunities for really original stories in this setting, and most of them will probably be able to keep a delicate balance between comedy and action like this issue does. Plus, although there are ongoing subplots like She-Hulk moving out of Avengers mansion and getting to know her co-workers, the format is like most TV shows, with a done-in-one main plot each issue making it pretty easy for new readers to jump in. If you’re looking for superheroes with a little twist, you should be reading She-Hulk.

Rating: 7/10

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #2

April 16, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Class Action Comics

The She-Hulk gets her first case at her new law firm. Her client? Danger Man!

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Juan Bobillo
Inks: Marcello Sosa
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Adi Granov
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In a highly entertaining done-in-one issue, Jennifer Walters tackles her first case at a new law firm that wants to employ her and not her world-famous alter ego, the She-Hulk. What she didn’t know when she took the job, though, is that the firm wants her to handle superhuman law, and her first client, “Danger Man,” wants to sue the Roxxon Corporation for making him “larger, stronger and more powerful.”

While the comedy in this issue isn’t in the vein of the She-Hulk’s previous series, Dan Slott has managed to maintain a “winking at the audience” feeling, with lots of inside jokes (for example, the law firm of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg and Holliway, established 1961) and tons of cameos from the likes of old villains and a certain master of the mystic arts. I didn’t expect this title to turn into a “workplace comedy,” but if this issue is any indication, that’s what we’re in for – a comedy about She-Hulk working at a law firm for superhumans. And frankly, I think that’s a very clever angle to take. Slott manages to work in all sorts of tidbits, from Jennifer invoking some of her cases with the Fantastic Four as case precedent and the fact that most Marvel Comic books, in the Marvel Universe, are legal documents admissible in any court of law. The solution to this first case has a sort of sweet touch, but doesn’t lose the comedy or the smarts that Slott brings to the table, and he actually manages to tell a whole story in just two issues (a trait most Marvel writers have lost).

Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa have a very interesting style, unusual for a superhero comic. Even though the action in this title is minimal and not as important as the human interaction, the style is much softer than one normally expects in a comic book. There are fewer hard lines and shades are achieved through Chris Chuckry’s coloring with minimal pencil and ink lines, especially in faces and body structure. It’s a style that suits the book very well, however, with the only complaint being that many of Bobillo’s faces tend to look alike, particularly with women (such as in a scene with Jen and the Scarlet Witch).

With all of the Avengers-related books under scrutiny as that franchise prepares to “reload,” this I a book I really hope makes the cut. Only two issues in I am already finding myself highly entertained and eager to see what wacky stuff Slott can come up with next.

Rating: 8/10

She-Hulk (2004 Series) #1

March 15, 2003

Quick Rating: Good
Title: The Girl From Gamma Gamma Gamma

When the She-Hulk’s hard-partying ways get out of hand, how do her fellow Avengers deal with it?

Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Juan Bobillo
Inks: Marcelo Sosa
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Adi Granov
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Although this first issue of the She-Hulk’s new ongoing series (her third go-around, by my count) doesn’t quite live up to the sheer enjoyment of John Byrne’s run, writer Dan Slott writes an amusing story about the classic good girl who, when she rebels, goes way overboard. The difference, of course, is that this particular good girl has gamma-irradiated muscles and green skin.

This issue is basically a quick character study of Slott’s She-Hulk, setting pieces in motion for the real story, which we get to in the last few pages. This is girl who hooks up with models, makes ten times as much work for Jarvis at Avengers Mansion and really behaves like she’s running away from herself because she doesn’t know who she is. This isn’t exactly an original story, even for She-Hulk, but Slott manages to inject a good bit of humor and satire into the story as he goes along, and that makes a somewhat rehashed message a lot easier to swallow.

This She-Hulk, surprisingly enough, not only has the ability to restore her human form of Jennifer Walters, but has been known to spontaneously switch back and forth in her sleep. This is a new development for the character, as previous incarnations (since her “savage” days, anyway) have kept her in the seven-foot-tall green form all the time. It’s not a big problem, though, since her more famous cousin has frequently gone through mutations between the Hulk and Bruce Banner and what triggered the transformations. Furthermore, giving her the ability to transform at will is not at all arbitrary, but suits the story that gets set up at the end perfectly.

Juan Bobillo, the penciller, is a new name to me, and I’m back-and-forth on his contributions to the title. He does action scenes very well, as evidenced by an outer space battle between the Avengers and Blizzard. The problem is, action is a scarce commodity in this book, which is set up more like an office comedy, and Bobillo’s style doesn’t work as well there. A lot of his “everyday” poses are awkward, his rendition of Captain America’s costume looks really hokey, and all of his “beautiful people,” male and female, have almost the same face with a microscopic nose and no chin.

This is a funny book that fans of the character will probably take to. The only problem is, it’s been so long since this character really got a spotlight (save for a recent Avengers story arc) that I worry there may not be enough She-Hulk fans to sustain the title. This is a book that will need to grab new readers in order to survive. I just hope it can do that.

Rating: 7/10