Anatomy of a Comic: So You Wanna Write a Shitty Crossover Event.....

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Okay, so usually, if it comes down to the Big Two, I commonly prefer Marvel crossover events to DC's. Usually, even when they're not great, they're fun reads for the moment (absolutely excluding Age of Ultron). Original Sin is trying, but it's not succeeding. In fact, I will go as far as saying that it is indeed failing. Mike Deodato's artwork is probably the one prevailing awesome is this series, but as far as plot and marketing, I don't understand what this book is going for. It's been a very schizophrenic title thus far. Sometimes, it's a murder mystery....and then it's 28 pages of characters not liking each other....then it's The Secret History of the Secret History of Nick Fury. There's one more issue to go and I still don't understand the point of this book.

-The first problem with this week's issue? The cover:

Daredevil is on this cover....but Daredevil is NOT IN THIS BOOK! He's really not even very involved in the Original Sin event at all with the exception of the big scene where everyone's secrets get revealed or something. It's not even as if it's some kind of quirky "Deadpool Is On Every Cover This Month Because It's Quirky But It's Really Obnoxious" kind of thing. He's just on the cover....for some reason. In a crossover event, every single aspect of the cover (or, really any comic) should be symbolic of or selling you on something taking place IN the book.

-This issue spent a lot of time in flashbacks to tell us that The Orb, Exterminatrix and Dr. Midas are the bad guys in this book. This would be awesome....if we hadn't already known they were the bad guys in this book since the second issue. In fact, was their being in this book at all wasn't very exciting. I mean, Dr. Midas turning things to gold was kinda cool but other than that, these are NOT memorable characters by any stretch of the imagination. In a crossover title, even a shitty character should stick with you. With the right writer, even a stopped clock can be right twice a day. Take DC's Identity Crisis, for example.....

Dr. Light is, for the most part, a shitty villain (I can't possibly be the only person who thinks of Mega Man when I hear his name) and was largely a plot device to facilitate this faction of the Justice League crossing the line in dealing with him, but he's still memorable. He was set up properly without having to involve him in a tie-in somewhere else. His attack on Sue Dibny didn't exactly feel forced (though, to this day, I don't agree it should have gone that far). This is how you create a memorable moment for a bad guy in a big event even when your bad guy sucks.

-So, this big fight with Nick Fury....Aside from Thor, Falcon and Iron Man, should the Avengers be able to maneuver so well in zero gravity?

-Has anyone else noticed that Moon Knight isn't very....Moon Knight-ish? Don't get me wrong. I understand that big companies like Marvel aren't always some well oiled machine between creative talent so, yeah, I get that one hand doesn't usually know what the other hand's doing. But when you have such a memorable incarnation of Moon Knight as the one Warren Ellis has left us with (Brian Wood's got a hell of a challenge following him up), you usually want to incorporate at least SOME pieces of that version in a high profile crossover title.

Come on. Look at this boss!!!

Imagine this guy, Mr. Knight standing in the presence of all these heroes in an all while business suit taking cues from the vengeance god Khonshu (think Norman Osborn in Dark Avengers hearing "the Goblin"). Now, that would make for an interesting addition to this mix of this unlikely (if you don't consider that a lot of either have a movie or are going to have one) cast of characters. Speaking of which....

-This makes (correct me if I'm wrong) the fourth issue where at least half of this large cast is just standing around in a room not liking each other and not understanding what's going on although, in their defense, neither do I. You could have possibly gotten away with this when it was Nick Fury explaining that he's a Secret Guy Whose Secret Is That He Has Secrets, but come on. I mean, you've got guys like the world's best mass murderer (Punisher), space renegades (Gamora and Rocket Raccoon), a super spy type (Winter Soldier) and a guy whose specialty is shrinking small enough to remain out of sight. No way would they have a big fight with Nick Fury robots, be seen with Nick Fury who, for right now, looks like The Bad Guy, not help the Avengers.....and just stay at the scene of the fight, talking.

In a crossover event with a cast this big that affects the rest of your universe, it's okay to move around a little bit. DC's 52 was a good exercise in this point. Granted, I acknowledge that they had a LOT more issues to execute this with, but every aspect of the ongoing story had time to breathe and get its proper development. Much like Game of Thrones, the story was never in a hurry to get back to one thing or the other.

-Did Nick Fury say "goodbye" to Captain America and fly away with the Watcher's eyes just to go to the moonbase....which is basically a few miles from the goddamned space station? Where he knocked Thor (who, despite not having his hammer, is still really strong and pissed off) and the Hulk to? What the fucking fuck?

-It's the 7th issue in an 8 issue series and I'm still not sure what the point of any of this is. In a crossover event, your purpose should be laid out clearly early on. Hell, it should be the reason we pick up the first issue. Civil War...superheroes fighting over the morality of government oversight in superheroism. Secret Invasion....nobody trusts anyone during an alien invasion. Siege....deposing a villain who wants to be a dictator. Original Sin....umm....ummm.....

Of course, the point of this could very well also just stop at "Because It's Crossover Event Season" too. That's a possibility.

Stuff I Read This Week 6/25/14

My reviews for the week are now available on Black Nerd Problems for your enjoyment or to alleviate boredom during your work day. Unless you work at a sushi joint....then you should probably concentrate on not cooking your fingers on those hibachi grills. This week, I took a look at.....

Batman Eternal: Okay, so, I think last week's artwork went over a lot of people's head. And with a cash grab franchise like Batman, you probably don't want the visuals going over people's heads. Now, sometimes, it's okay for the writing to do so (I'm looking at you, Grant Morrison), but definitely not the pencils. Anyway, this week's episode (I call Eternal issues episodes because this is like my weekly Batman tv show) finally moved the "Jim Gordon, Murderer" story along with some delightful results. The point of any good "Trial of..." plotline should be for the prosecution to be so hardcore on your hero, it makes you squirm a little bit. The opening statement against Jim Gordon had absolutely no chill. The one thing I left out of my review is that maybe James Tynion tried just a little too hard to hammer home the point that Tim Drake is the detective among the sidekick family. We get it. He's Sherlock Holmes.

Batman: My editor said it better than I could in his description of my review when he said that Scott Snyder's Zero Year run is going to go down in the books as one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. Ever. Anyone else who does a Riddler story after Snyder has their work cut out for them. Months later, I still marvel at the fact that Edward Nygma hasn't been this deliciously diabolical in years. The best scene is seeing him face to face with Batman who has had to employ every one of his skills just to keep up with Nygma's scheming. I mean, he's been shot at, beaten and literally attacked by lions. I am on pins and needles waiting to see what else Snyder has in store for the finale.

All New Ghost Rider: Now, THAT is a delightfully wacky comic book. Felipe Smith makes no apologies for making an unbelievably ridiculous plotline. If professional wrestling had a James Cameron level budget for makeup and special effects, I suspect this is storyboard for what they would come up with.

Stuff I Read This Week 5/7/14

Iron Fist The Living Weapon #2: I'll be honest with you. I don't know if Marvel is going to really invest in keeping an Iron Fist title alive. Historically, despite decent sales, they haven't kept the series around for very long. I CAN tell you that if they do plan to really keep this series happening, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon stands a pretty good chance.

Issue #2 picks up almost directly after the first one in the immediate aftermath of the (I shit you not) robo-ninja attack on Danny Rand's apartment. As I mentioned in the last review for this title, readers who are used to a slightly more jovial Iron Fist might feel a little disoriented by this battle-worn, disengaged take on the character. A lot of the issue is centered around giving us a look at the magical city of K'un Lun where Danny Rand had to kill a dragon barehanded to acquire his kung-fu powers and become the Iron Fist (Did you hear me? I want to take a second and harp on that fact that HE HAD TO KILL A DRAGON to become a superhero!!!!). Sadly, Kung Fu Heaven's festivities are about to be interrupted by uninvited guests. We also get to see an equal amount of spotlight lent to the moments in Danny's childhood that inevitably lead to him becoming the Iron Fist. Kaare Andrews is clearly influenced by old martial arts films and brings several of those elements to the script with shrieking women, strong familial bonds and grand speeches driving the narrative. Visually, the book has yet to lose a step. There are certain panels that look like they could be stories from an old scroll. Andrews makes Danny's abilities really seem like something you'd have to kill an ancient dragon to obtain.

Bottom Line: Another strong offering from Kaare Andrews that'll keep new readers sated for next month. 8.5 out of 10

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #1-With all the Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters, Peter Parker returned to former glory in his own relaunched title, a Spider-Man 2099 title on the horizon....it's only appropriate that Miles Morales get a fresh coat of paint. Also, Marvel's Ultimate Universe is a lot like a 90's boy band. There's mostly B and C students talentwise and then there's one breakout star that makes it all profitable. So far, New Ultimates is the Joey Fatone (the "who the fuck is that" guy), Ultimate FF is JC Chasez (the "close but not really" one) and Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man is Justin Timberlake, the profitable one.

Despite the new title, there's not much particularly new about this book, really. However, that's not actually a bad thing. This has been the standout property of the Ultimate line for as long as its been around, so if there's nothing broken, there's no need to fix it. And Brian Michael Bendis sticks closely to this old adage. Things pretty much pick up where Ultimate Spider-Man #200 left off. Miles is still coping in the aftermath of Galactus' attack on Earth as well as his father's disappearance. Bendis handles this with his usual perfect blend of humor and real pathos. While most of the dialogue is as good as you would expect from a Bendis book, the interactions with his best friend, Ganke, are easily the strongest in this issue with a Mary Jane Watson run-in at a close second. The book really goes out of its way to hammer home that just because Ultimate Peter Parker is dead, that doesn't mean the problems and villains he left behind are all taken care of. Miles really struggles with the "What Would Peter Do?" predicament and it makes for a layered plot that doesn't chase away Parker fans, but still attracts new readers. And it's always nice that Marvel can manage to write a person of color without constantly hitting you over the head with the fact that he's a person of color (I'm looking at You, EveryoneAtDCWhoEverWroteCyborg).

Keeping David Marquez drawing this book is probably the best decision Marvel's made this year. This issue is probably some of the tightest work I've seen from him on this franchise. There's a clear sense of what's happening in every panel and you're never confused during action beats. And the way he conveys emotion is second to none.

Bottom Line: This is still the best Ultimate book without question. 9 out of 10

Stuff I Read This Week 4/30/14

Avengers #28: Avengers came off of having a really good run during and after Infinity. Jonathan Hickman's penchant for world building gave rise to some goddamn good superheroing in the past year. The latest story from the past few issues involving alternate universe Avengers coming into the 616 dimension has had some potential, but has also some weird pacing, making for a strange read. 

Fortunately, business starts to pick up again in this issue that mainly centers on Bruce Banner in an awkward sitdown with Tony Stark. This leads to some hard truths about the manner of the Avengers' new format as well as some of the threats the Illuminati has kept at bay from the shadows in Hickman's New Avengers series (which, by the way, has gotten so slow, I'm not sure it's actually moving anymore). This is awesome because a). it gets back to displaying the world building elements that Hickman does so well and b). because we get to see more of the cunning Bruce Banner that fans have really wanted to see over the years from Hulk lore. It's nice to see that his place in the Marvel Cineverse has inspired a more fleshed out presence from Green Goliath's more enlightened side. Salvador Larroca's pencils are as strong as they've ever been. He gives off a very clean, almost cinematic storyboard style that pulls off some truly engaging scenes. The look of Banner keeping his anger in check, holding back "the other guy" is compelling and ominous.

Bottom Line: Delightful art, coherent, nicely paced tie in to New Avengers....it's nice to see Hickman getting back on track. 8.5 out of 10

Silver Surfer #2: Dan Slott and Michael Allred got the new Silver Surfer off to a strong start. Slott borrows a lot from Doctor Who, but as any Whovian can tell you, there are certainly worse places to draw inspiration from. After all, while comics have the capacity to act as gospel and lead in parts of pop culture, they also have a history of, to their benefit, being very derivative as well. 

This issue picks up with the Surfer flying off under duress to combat the mysterious Never Queen that threatens the people of the Impericon. We gain some insight into exactly what makes our hero's foe such a threatening one. Meanwhile, Slott also gives us ample time with his accidental partner, Dawn Greenwood, displaying what makes her such an appropriate companion (see what I did there, Whovians?) for the Surfer. In many ways, she's reminiscent of Clara, the Doctor's latest traveling buddy. It's great to see a female character take herself out of the damsel in distress box for a change (looking at you, Laurel Lance from Arrow) and take charge of a situation. There's a page in particular where Slott teases readers with a few possibilities of things to come for this unconventional team-up of sorts. There is simply NOTHING complain about art-wise in this book. Some fans have complained about the more visually lighthearted it takes, but honestly, Marvel could use a little more of that. Dawn is portrayed in a way that's stylish but isn't oversexualized and the Surfer has very dynamic poses that jumps right out at you. 

Bottom Line: Another great installment that makes future adventures out to be very promising. Thus far, this is one of the best relaunches of the Marvel NOW initiative. 9.5 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week 4/23/14

Original Sin #0: Unless you're a Marvel reader who has been living under a rock (not the one Cliven Bundy's been under, I hope), you know that the Original Sin even is imminent. Not much is known about what kind of event we're in for, but if you've been paying attention to the advertisments...."SOMEONE" is going to die. I don't know that this is something that anyone asked for, per se, but Marvel won some points as far as events go after Infinity (which ALMOST made up for the Shyamalan-esque travesty that was Age of Ultron), so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Issue 0 is mainly a primer going into the main even that lets new readers get to know Uatu, the Watcher. Most of Mark Waid's story is told from the perspective of Sam Alexander (Nova) while Uatu himself is silent just as he is in Nova's solo series (you're really missing out if you aren't reading that, by the way). The book sees Sam searching for more insight about his new alien friend's purpose in the cosmic community. He actually ends up being the perfect character to lead the reader along this journey because of his gung-ho innocence. Having a main character who looks upon this sprawling universe with a wide eyed wonder gives it a much needed feeling of accessibility. Jim Cheung and Paco Medina co-penciled this issue which is usually sort of a hazard when artists differ in art style, but the dazzling ink work makes it less noticeable, making for a gorgeous book in addition to being well written. Though the story itself isn't necessarily groundbreaking here, the look of the issue definitely makes it worth the price of admission.

Bottom Line: Despite not having the most ambitious of plotlines, Mark Waid manages to bang out an engaging read that leaves us ready for the meat of Original Sin. 8 out of 10

Uncanny Avengers #19: It seems this book has started to pick up speed again. Who w It seems this book has started to pick up speed again. Who would have thought th ould have thought this book would make it's return to glory by doing something so revolutionary as actually making sense again? Rick Remender started this title so strong with the Avengers Unity Division taking on the Red Skull and then meandered off through time and space nonsensically until nobody knew or cared what was happening. Then, the series did something nobody expected that changed the game: it ended with the Unity Squad failing to save the Earth from ultimate destruction. 

This issue continues Alex Summers' fight to avenge the Earth while evading the ruling class mutants on Planet X. Kang and his recruits from all across time have joined the fray and it's probably one of the strongest points in the book. Usually, when comics deal with time travel, they seem to get bogged down in showing off alternative versions of known characters (which is ultimately to gauge what action figures the Big Two can hock). Rick Remender takes known alternate characters (Earth X May Parker, Doom 2099, Arno Stark, etc.) and makes them feel fresh and underrated instead of overused. Nobody ASKED for a Doom 2099/Blob fight, but we got one and it was pretty awesome. As far as villains go, Eimin seemed more engaging when she was a layered character who was being used by Kang. This story arc sees her become more of a typical, one dimensional villain. Meanwhile, Rememder is getting really good at writing Kang. His resolve to save the world so that HE can conquer it one day is a joy to read and his dickishness knows no chill. Daniel Acuna's artwork is spot on for this arc, really fleshing out this new world that's part Earth X/part Fifth Element.

Bottom Line: It is great to see this book finally getting its shit together again. 8 out of 10

Stuff I Read This Week 4/18/14

Thor, God of Thunder #21: Jason Aaron has Thor down almost to a science. So far, the God of Thunder series has been as suitably epic in scale as a series about a god could ever hope to deliver. It traverses time and space with the ease of your apartment building's elevator. The "Last Days of Midgard" story is one that has proven to be a perfect display of such scale.

This issue picks up where the last left off with Present Time Thor at odds with an evil conglomerate so intent on mining the Earth's resources until it dies, you would almost think Aaron had borrowed a villain directly from Captain Planet. This alone makes for interesting conflict, reminding our hero that not every villain is one that he can defeat with a swing of his hammer. It also gives us more of Thor's newfound (kinda) girlfriend, SHIELD agent Roz Solomon, who serves as a nice sidekick to teach the God of Thunder something about dealing with earthly ways like lawyers. It's funny as all hell, too. Then, there's my favorite part where, in the far future, Old Thor, ruler of Asgard gets into a fistfight....let me reiterate....a knockdown, drag-out street fight with GALACTUS!!!! It's pretty difficult to get more epic than that. I can practically hear the nerds five years from now in their "who would win" fights citing that time when Thor got into it with Galactus and lived (we think so far). Of course, none of this would leap off of the page the way it does if it weren't for Esad Ribic. With his sweeping sense of scope and his taste for detailed landscapes adds to the flavor of Aaron's tale of legends. In fact, each page has the kind of style one would think you might find in a sacred tome telling the myths of the Asgardian prince.

Bottom Line: Jason Aaron is telling some of the best stories in Thor's history. This issue is no different. 9 out of 10

Batman #30: Scott Snyder's run on Batman in the New 52 era has had some pretty impressive successes. The Zero Year saga in particular has been his best work on the series. We've seen a fun, swashbuckling take on the Bat-mythos that puts a fun spin on an endlessly retreaded origin. We see a wild-eyed Batman who shoots from the hip, curses and smiles from time to time. But the most notable highlight of this entire series has been the Riddler. 

The evolution of Edward Nygma is one that can only be seen to believed. Over the years, he's been a Woody Allen-esque sidekick to Catwoman, a world class thief and even a detective. Here in the latest issue going into the "Savage City" story, we see a maniacal mastermind who has been one step ahead of the Dark Knight Detective with Gotham completely under his thumb. This story thus far highlights three particularly interesting things. First, this is probably the MOST diabolical we've ever seen the Riddler, capitalizing on opportunities left behind by the various goings-on in the city. The second notable is that Snyder has become adept at making Jim Gordon almost a superhero in his own right and appropriately so. The point of Batman (most especially in the Dark Knight era of the character) is that he brings criminals down a peg so that the law can work for itself. In that context, there is pretty much no greater champion of good in Gotham than Gordon. He's the city's rock. Zero Year has been great at shining a spotlight on his heroics. And finally, the BEST thing is that in the era in which Batman is seen as an unfallible ubermensch of sorts, we see him dealing with failure. This is what it's like when The World's Greatest Detective isn't always in control, who doesn't go into battle with the upper hand on his foe. It's actually a very nice change of pace. At this point going into the perfection that Greg Capullo's artwork is almost an exercise in redundancy. His detailed layouts are great at depicting a defeated wasteland of a city.

Bottom Line: This is easily one the best books DC has to offer. If you're not reading it at this point, I don't know what else you're doing. 9 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week 4/11/14

Batman Eternal #1: The last time DC launched a weekly book surrounded by this much hype, we got 52 which yielded somewhat mixed results. So, apparently, they got the bright idea to try this again with a property that, at this point, can't lose (sales wise). Yes, that's right, folks. We have yet ANOTHER Batman book on our hands. Passing a weekly book on through the hands of various creative teams is always a dicey yet audacious venture. However, if the opening issue is any evidence of what we're going to see each week, the future looks promising. From the very first page which features a beautifully rendered yet strange portrait of Batman and his beloved Gotham, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV want us to know they're swinging for the fences here.

This book seeks to not only highlight the Caped Crusader, but the dynamic he has with the city he's sworn to protect, building a large sandbox universe almost akin to that seen in the Arkham video game series. With this in mind, the inaugural issue placed the spotlight on the Gotham City Police, no doubt riding the high of the recently announced Gotham television series currently in development. Snyder and Tynion give us a yin/yang approach through the primary players in this issue. We are first introduced to the obligatory new kid on the block, Jason Bard, a somewhat innocent transferred from Detroit to GCPD's Major Crimes division. If the idea here is to give us an outsider's sense of the gritty streets, this character seems well suited for the task thus far. On the other side of the coin, we are reintroduced to the blatantly crooked Major Forbes who slightly detracts from the tone of the book by being so obviously dickish, working to undermine Commissioner Gordon. He might as well twirl a mustache and "Bwahaha" right there in the panel. One of these characters forces the other into a very compromising position that sets the stage for the first story arc. Jason Fabok's art style is incredible and perfect for this book. One of the truly noteworthy accomplishments he achieves here is making Jim Gordon look like every bit the superhero Batman is. The panel where they run after a foe side by side as if they've done this for years (because they have) is awe inspiring.

Bottom Line: No, we DON'T need another Batman book, but if we have to have one, GODDAMN I'm glad it's this one. 9 out of 10.

Iron Fist The Living Weapon #1: You know what's been missing from Marvel NOW? A good kung-fu comic. Specifically, an Iron Fist comic. Once the announcement went out that Marvel entered into a deal with Netflix to produce an original series for the former Hero for Hire, we knew it was a matter of time before the Powers-That-Be bestowed us with more martial arts awesomeness. 

It opens up strong enough, but I'll confess it's a little difficult to resolve this version of Danny Rand with the lighthearted adventurer we've come to know from the past ten years or so. Kaare Andrews gives us some insight into a more sullen, somewhat broken shadow of a familiar hero who doesn't seem to like the things life is showing him. Feeling somewhat apart from his fellow man, he seems to crave aggression and violence rather than normal human connections. This serves as an interesting backdrop to what's historically been a really fun character. There's plenty to potential for us to see an example of what years and years of conflict can do to a man. Normally, this would feel dull but Andrews keeps it engaging. Aside from that, the narrative itself doesn't do anything different from what we've seen before. However, in this case, that isn't such a bad thing. The visual nuances to this book are another strong selling point. Andrews approaches this with all the visceral yet old school sensibilities of a Shaw Brothers film if Quentin Tarentino had dosed it with LSD. Every page seems to be drawn tailor made to convey the particular tone of that particular part of the narrative. This is definitely how kung fu fantasy should be done.

Bottom Line: Definitely one of the best, fresh feeling Marvel books to drop this month. 8.5 out of 10

Stuff I Read This Week 3/26

Silver Surfer #1: Whereas the Fantastic Four have always, for the most part, focused more on the scientific exploration aspect of Marvel superheroics, the Silver Surfer has commonly branched off into a more philosophical aspect of space discovery. Rather than seeking out conventional bad guys, Norrin Radd has always seen fit to explore the endless spaceways, pondering his metallic navel to solve the mysteries of the universe. The only trouble with that sort of formula is that eventually, it gets to be sort of somber. Fortunately Dan Slott and THE Michael Allred come together this week to add a new dimension to the Surfer mythology that slightly diverts from the norm.

Slott takes the Silver Surfer in a lighthearted, more whimsical direction reminiscent of Doctor Who. Here we see a good natured cosmic journeyman wading on his board throughout the uncharted shores of space, atoning for his time serving under planet eating Galactus. Slott clearly has a good, seemingly effortless time ushering the Surfer through miniature worlds and planets with neverending cityscapes that look like those mazes on the back of Highlights magazines. The former herald's intention always comes across clear without feeling like a downer. Despite his perpetual quest for redemption and guilt always lurking in the corner, the primary focus is always the bottomless well of inquisitiveness and joy for the universe's eclectic lifeforms that drove him away from his previous profession. The Doctor Who similarities continue with the introduction of small town dreamer Dawn Greenwood, who is somehow connected to our hero's journey. Allred is the perfect talent for Slott's vision that comes across less like Star Trek and more like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Going to from panel to panel feels like an laid back theme park ride, displaying one oddity after another.

Bottom Line: Dan Slott takes the Silver Surfer from brooding space hero to fun loving space wanderer with the same ease it takes Bruce Jenner to change faces. 9 out of 10.

All New Ghost Rider #1: Now, if ever there were a hero that needed a fresh start, it's Ghost Rider. Marvel has been desperate over the years to a). slap a new coat of paint on him that readers will actually go for and b). wash away the stink of the Nicolas Cage wasteland of suck that was the Ghost Rider films (when Idris Elba can't save your movies, it's time to reevaluate goals). They seem to keep rebooting this guy, but despite quality, nothing seems to stick. Now, it's a little early with this particular series for me to determine whether or not this one's going to go anywhere, but at least it's off to a good start.

In this issue, we meet our new protagonist Robbie Reyes, a hotheaded (see what I did there), working poor grease monkey who struggles to take care of his disabled little brother in a bad neighborhood. Apparently, he also moonlights as a street racer which leads to this new incarnation of the Rider rolling in what looks like Vin Diesel's trademark car from Fast and Furious. This origin offers up some semi-formulaic hero elements, but Felipe Smith manages to not hit us over the head with the usual exposition that would normally remind us that we've seen some of this before. Smith takes a very "show, don't tell" approach that is more than welcome here thanks to Tradd Moore's visuals. Here we see a striking anime style that wastes no time in coming across as refreshingly kinetic. Even when there's no action beats in place, every panel conveys a sense of motion and speed which feels appropriate for a book about a street racing Ghost Rider. The figures all have very clear, deliberate expressions that deliver intention, at times, without needing a word of dialogue. The highlight of this book, visually, was the Akira-esque drag race in the third act that left me reading it over again for details I might have missed.

Bottom Line: This book is definitely indicative of Marvel's drive towards new blood offering fresh takes on problematic titles. 8 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week 3/19 (Ladies First Edition)

X-Men #12: So, this title has spent a year benefiting from Brian Wood's "girl power" themed take on Marvel's mutants. They've done everything from alien possessed cyborgs and surrogate mothers to revamping Generation X characters (I did not think that shit was possible). And this current arc, in which the X-Gals take on Lady Deathstrike's newly formed "Sisterhood" has been shaping up quite nicely.

Too bad it didn't end on a very exciting note. Issue #12 features our heroines looking for a taste of retribution for Arkea's Sisterhood kicking their teeth in. I would have almost felt better if it had ended in a standard mutant slugfest, but (spoiler alert...I honestly don't even feel bad about this one, by the way) even that concluded with certain Sisterhood members just looking at each other and saying "Oh, fuck this. I'm out." If the villains were going to crumble, it would have been nice to at least see a failed attempt at teamwork or something. Alas, we got three underwhelming rounds of "Bad Guys unite....Kick the Good Guys' X-asses....Good Guys come back to kick Bad Guys' asses....The End."

The upside was mainly Kris Anka's divinely kinetic artwork. This book seems to play Musical Chairs dealing out its art duties, but Anka has certainly dealt some of the most awesome action panels of Wood's run thus far. Watching Monet pull a Sentry and cannonball through a building to take the Enchantress to the woodshed was a thing of beauty, worthy of and old school church shout.

Bottom Line: Much like Idris Elba in Ghost Rider....even top notch art can't save paint-by-numbers conclusion. 6 out of 10


Ms. Marvel #2: G. Willow Wilson is a godsend to comics for the work she's done thus far on this book. Introducing a brand new face to a well known superhero moniker is always a risky prospect. However, in adding a new layer to the legacy of Ms. Marvel, Wilson has brought a much needed dimension to the Marvel Universe.

This second issue manages to set two very special tones for the book going forward. The lion's share is dedicated to Kamala Khan exploring her newfound shapeshifting abilities with mixed success. What makes this origin slightly different is that it doesn't come across as polished as what we're used to. More often than not, when a hero discovers they have superpowers, it's usually not the toughest ordeal to learn how to use them because....well, we want to see them getting to the asskickery, right? Here we see our hero, via internal narrative, going through the inner workings of shapeshifting and testing herself in a fix-on-fail basis. (By the way, I want her "Embiggen" battle cry on a shirt.) However, depicting the discovery of Kamala's powers, Wilson also delves into the character's psyche. When she goes into "hero" mode, she almost becomes an avatar of what she envisions her heroic self as much like Neo's "digital self" being without plugs all over his body in The Matrix. But her hair turns blonde, her skin turns light. In other words, she becomes a white woman. But being "someone cool", as she perceives such things, turns out not to be an escapist fantasy. It's fucking scary.

Adrian Alphona's lighter color scheme works well for this book, making seem almost as if the whole thing is happening in Kamala's head when she uses her powers. Scenes where her transformations are incomplete and uncontrollable fit perfectly into the tone Wilson is conveying. The expressive faces and, at times, awkward stances are appropriate for what is, on many levels, less of a hero origin and more of a coming of age tale.

Bottom Line: This book is shaping up to be a master class in dealing with race and identity and everyone....every actual person who reads comics....should be reading this. 9.5 out of 10

DC vs. Marvel...Because It's Almost Required For Blogs Now

It used to be common practice that, for the sake of my reviews, I would try to pick up a equal amount of titles from the Big Two (or as close to it as possible because, let's face it, some books just suck no matter who published them) and a couple of fringe titles from IDW, Image, etc. Lately, in my weekly trip to the comic shop, I've noticed that my stack includes more Marvel and (gradually) less DC as time goes on. Why? I know I've been pretty rough on the New 52 reboot (there has GOT to be a statute of limitations on how long something can go on and still be called "New"), but there are some gems in the continuity that deserve consideration. So, what is it that could possibly annoy me so much about DC that I would grow so disinterested?

Oh, wait. I know. It's probably this.

Honestly....what the entire fuck, man? Don't get me wrong. Fold-out splash pages are not a new phenomenon in comics, but folding out/upward like this just feels (and reads) like a huge hassle. Also, you can't see it in this picture, but it's attached to what feels like glossy printer paper, suggesting that you can pull it off and use it as a poster if you're delicate enough. This isn't exactly a new occurrence in comics, either, but the problem comes when you've put dialogue on the page that is potentially a poster. Then it becomes tantamount to tearing a page out a book like Moby Dick or Interview with the Vampire, no matter how inconsequential the words on it are.

Then there's this.....

I shit you not...the WHOLE book was like this. This is, on no level whatsoever, fun or convenient to read. It's not just the fact that this particular issue was virtually unreadable plotwise. It's the fact that you have to hold it sideways like a toddler's board book. It doesn't add anything to the experience the the story itself offers. There isn't some grand pay off at the end to reading it this way. It's a "just because" solution to the DC problem when the REAL solution is "or we could just write a better book" which, in turn, creates The Other DC Problem: DC Comics is that guy you know that will do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING to lose weight except diet and exercise.

Then, I took a good look at the Marvel NOW initiative and how they're handling the concept of "soft reboots" where they don't necessarily start all over, but bring characters to a point where, ideally, anyone (walking in cold from the movie theater) can jump right in and find themselves a new favorite character or see what's new with an old one. While you can go back and read past story arc if you're feeling particularly scholarly, the idea is that you don't HAVE to. There's actually a "quiet as kept" genius to this. I mean, no matter how thorough your reboot of a title or universe is, it's inevitable that it's going to start to grow cobwebs after a certain amount of time. Therefore, you just bring in new creative teams from time to time and offer fresh eyes to an existing situation. You pull in new readers, take the existing audience's temperature to see what characters might do well on the big screen, and basically put out monthy/biweekly promotions for movies already in the pipeline. And you Haven't Completely Alienated Your Existing Fanbase Like DC.

And so, once again, Marvel wins the race while DC trips over their own shoelaces.

SIDENOTE: If you haven't picked up Marvel's Point One Special issue, find that immediately. The Silver Surfer trying to grow hair is worth the price of admission alone.