Comics of the Week - Odd Couples

Seems like every week, I'm going to be writing about a Jonathan Hickman book. This week, it's FF #17, which continues the one shot stories he will be giving us in both Fantastic Four and FF until he is off the titles later this year. The epic story done, what we are getting now are stories focused on individual characters and relationships. While the last issue of Fantastic Four was a tearjerker, this issue of FF is a romp. Johnny Storm has moved in with Peter Parker and this is the ultimate Sci Fi Odd Couple right here. Pete just wants peace and a closet that doesn't lead to the Negative Zone. Johnny wants to party with Magical Horse People. There isn't a lot to say except that this was so much fun to read. And it's an aspect that Hickman has only hinted at in previous issues. There have been humorous moments throughout his run, but never a full on issue's worth of laughs. It just goes to show that there's still a lot Hickman can show us in the little that's left of his work with these characters, and in whatever he does next at Marvel and his creator owned work.

Speaking of guys I write about a lot, I haven't said much about Scott Snyder in a while. And it's not because his work hasn't been good. This month's American Vampire #26 just stands out to me because it seems almost like a fresh start for the series (not that it needed it). I'm not sure there's been an issue of this series that I haven't loved, but it seems like each story arc just gets stronger. Much like The Wire, we see characters we haven't heard from in a while pop up and become central to the story again, in unexpected ways. Different aspects of American history get intertwined with Vampire history, with one commenting on the other. In this story, race seems to the focus with a black vampire who hunts other vampires coming across what appears to be a new breed of werewolf/vampires terrorizing a southern town. As is usually the case with this series, and most of Snyder's work, this really can go anywhere at this point. It's never predictable, but always makes sense. His literary style continues to suck you in from page 1 of each issue. And, also as usual, Snyder teams with a stellar artist in Roger Cruz. I am not familiar with his work, but it fits in perfectly with what Snyder cooks up in this book. If you love vampires, real ones, you should be reading this. If you're tired of vampires, this is different, and you should be reading it. Just read it.

Comics of the Week - Tears from a Stone

I enjoyed Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly's Saucer Country #1 last month, enough to buy #2 this month. The premise of the book is basically that the governor of New Mexico, who is running for president, has been abducted by aliens sometime in the recent past, and has now realized there's a looming invasion. Along the way there's a whole lot of weirdness, including a guy who sees a tiny naked couple that talk to him. Where issue #1 intrigued me, #2 totally hooked me in. Rather than announce to the world that aliens are among us, Arcadia Alvarado confides in her campaign managers and sets out to become president so that she is in a better position to fight the aliens. She is not stupid enough to just tell the world she's been abducted by little green men. So the series seems to be setting up various elements into play. It's X-Files with some West Wing and some extra weirdness thrown in for good measure. This is going to be a fun series.

Although he wrapped up his epic story in Fantastic Four, Jonathan Hickman continues to deliver on these characters. This issue wasn't so much a wrap up as it was a checkpoint. The events of the past couple of years have altered the future timeline and here we see a part of what that means. Reed and his father travel forward 1000 years at a time, checking to see what the future holds for the First Family. What starts off as a cool view of the future, with flying cars and future versions of favorite characters, quickly turns into a tale of the life of Ben Grimm. It turns out that Ben is nearly immortal because he ages so much slower. By the time we last check in with him, this book uses a gimmick called "making you cry" that works really well. Hickman is known for big concepts, but time and time again he's demonstrated his mastery of character and emotion in this series. This issue was very moving and was ultimately about the friendship between Reed and Ben. I was never a big fan of these characters before I started reading Hickman's run, but now, they are probably my favorite characters in comics. At least the way he writes them. As much as I hate nostalgia, I think in 20 years, I'll be that old man talking about how great this run was. (I kind of am already, actually) And I don't think I'll be alone.

Comics of the Week - Not So Much

I wasn't blown away by anything this week. There were some solid books, but nothing that necessarily inspires me to write. That said, FF #16 works well as an epilogue and set up for the next Fantastic Four arc. I've read that Jonathan Hickman will be off both titles in October and I say "NOOOOO!!!!" What he seems to be setting up next seems just as great as what we've seen so far from him. But, we'll see who takes over next. Azzarello and Risso's Spaceman is a strange book. I think I want to like it more than I actually do. Ultimately, what I loved so much about the first issue, the language, is probably what I find troubling now. I just can't find a way into the story in a compelling way. Although, this issue was better than the last couple and I plan on finishing the whole miniseries, I'm just not sure where it's going and not in a good way.

Anyway, since there's not much to say about the comics I read, I'll instead talk about why I'm not going to read Avengers vs. X-Men. The short answer is I don't care. I'm just not too interested in these characters to begin with. I'm also not interested in big events anymore. But ultimately, I think the reason I am not reading it is because I'm tired of continuity. My approach to comics is that what "matters" is what I read. If I don't read it, then it doesn't "matter." Very simple. For example, I read two Batman books. Anything that happens in the other books, I don't care. From the looks of things, the Batman in the Justice League book is not the same as the Batman I read in Snyder's Batman or Tomasi's Batman and Robin. Does that upset me? No. Doesn't matter to me what happens in Justice League because I don't read it.

An event like AvX is basically about reinforcing continuity and making it seem like all the books should "matter." In other words, it's about selling books. It's about getting you to buy books you don't normally read. But then, once the event is over (and sometimes even during the event) you'll find that the continuity that the publisher is trying to reinforce, falls apart and just doesn't make sense. So, I say screw continuity. Let each book, each story, stand on its own. If they happen to cross over in a more organic way, that's fine, but you should still be able to pick and choose and still get a complete story. And while an event doesn't really take away your ability to pick and choose, I've seen enough of these now to know that, particularly with Marvel, the wrong choice of book means you really will miss key elements of the story. I'm not taking that gamble anymore.

Another reason I'm not reading it is because how often will Marvel's heroes get into these all out wars before the rest of the world decides it's had enough? Why does Marvel even need villains anymore?

Comics of the Week - There's Really Only One

For a few weeks in a row, now, I've been going on about Fantastic Four and the epic story Jonathan Hickman started telling a couple years ago. This week, Fantastic Four #603 concluded this story and the ending did not disappoint. Big action. Big ideas. And it all came together going back to the very beginning of this saga. What's left after all of this sets up a great status quo going forward. Hickman is off of Fantastic Four in October, I believe, so it will be interesting to see what's next.

Another arc that wrapped up was in Batman and Robin #7. One of the great things about the relaunch has been the tonal variety of the books. Yes, there are a lot of Batman books, but each one is slightly different in tone and you have a Batman for each taste. For me, it's been Scott Snyder's Batman, mainly, but Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin has been right up there as well. This first arc was a great re-introduction to Damian as we see him and Bruce adapt to being partners as well as father and son. The dynamic between Batman and Robin is skewed from what Bruce was used to in many ways, such as Damian possibly being a tiny bit of a psychopath. Patrick Gleason's art continues to impress me. He's not getting the same attention that Capullo is getting over on Batman, but this book looks just as good.

Then there's Saga. . . . I read this first, and I very nearly didn't bother reading anything else. I just sort of sat there, wondering why all comics couldn't be this good. Brian K. Vaughn may be the best writer in comics right now, if not, ever. And I don't think that's an overstatement. There is just something about his characters that can keep the most insane things grounded and the reader fully absorbed. Saga is like taking the craziest elements of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and maybe Dune, amping up the far out concepts, but then, somehow, making it all cohesive, relatable and completely plausible from page 1. I think he does this because regardless of the concepts, he's telling a story, first and foremost, and is concerned with the human element, even if the characters aren't human. He can somehow make you care about a character the minute you see them, because he chooses what your first impression is going to be so carefully, and then backs it up as the story moves forward. He's not re-inventing the wheel here, so it's ironic that that is what makes this such a breath of fresh air. You never get the sense that he's trying to blow your mind in any way. There's no pretension and the whole thing comes off as completely organic. It's like the author completely disappeared and this book is just happening. This is about as perfect a first issue as it can get. Everything is laid out, without tons of exposition. You never feel lost. And a big part of that is Fiona Staple's art. She clearly has the chops to be flashy if she wanted, but instead she gives us visual storytelling of the highest order, never showing off for the sake of showing off. Every line, every expression is there for a reason. The looks on faces tell stories of their own. And that's not to say the art isn't beautiful, because it is. But it's there to serve the story. This is a creative team that is clearly in sync here. Pick this up now! This book will save your life. . . . OK, that was over the top, but still, pick it up and read it in issues. I can tell it's going to be a great ride already.

Comic of the Week - Blinded Me With Science

Jonathan Hickman's new series at Image comics, The Manhattan Projects has a premise that, like most of Hickman's creator owned work, I could not resist. Between 1939 and 1946, the US ran the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bomb. In this book, that's just a cover for much more outlandish projects. The first issue gives us the recruitment of Robert Oppenheimer and reveals some troubling secrets about him, that I'm sure will relate to greater concepts in physics. Meanwhile, Albert Einstein is locked in a room, staring at some mysterious monolith when suddenly the Japanese attack with a teleportation bomb that. . . well, let me not spoil anything more. I can tell already that this book is going to bring in crazy mind blowing science, as is usual in Hickman's work in ways that will make it hard to determine just how much is actual science and how much is fiction. But it seems to be incorporating some big action and fun as well, judging from the first issue. He's already doing this over in Fantastic Four, so it will be interesting to see how he does it here. Nick Pitarra's art is sometimes reminiscent of Frank Quitely, which is a great thing. It works perfectly with the time period and the subject matter and I'm sure it will lend clarity to some of the bigger concepts. This series has great potential. I'm in.

Comics of the Week - Sci Fun

IDW's ongoing Star Trek series has been pretty solid so far. The stories have not been big blockbuster events, but rather just adventures of the crew, following the continuity from the JJ Abrams movie. We see that they've settled into the roles that are more less familiar from the original series, but with the changes the movie reboot introduced, as they explore space, the final frontier. Basically, this is the TV series, set in the JJ Abrams universe (with considerably less lens flare).They aren't big movie worthy stories, but they are enjoyable none the less. Mike Johnson has a good feel for the universe and has so far been sticking to some of the more character driven sci fi stories the original series was known for. I am interested in seeing if some of the bigger conflicts with the Klingons, Romulans, etc will be used in the series and what it will all mean in the context of the rebooted universe. The current issue wrapped up a two part story involving Kirk's brother, and the next issue promises "Vulcan's Revenge," so if you have any interest in Trek, the next one will be a great jumping on point.

Last week I wrote about Fantastic Four. This week, we get the other side of the story in FF #5. While there are some drawbacks to having two titles telling the same story, the overlap is minimal as we get a different focus in each book. The only real issue I find is that when reading FF, because I had already read Fantastic Four, I knew what would happen at the end of this book. There is an extra bit here that illuminates that shared final panel, but I kind of wish the books had shipped the same week to capitalize on the impact of it. These are minor nit picks, though, as I do find that the two titles work very well together. The story could have been told in one title, but then it would probably be much slower and I think the desperate pace we are experiencing now is a big part of what is making this so great. Hickman's character work is excellent here as well, with this book being more humorous than Fantastic Four. The kids of the Future Foundation are just pure fun and I hope when this story wraps up, they don't get lost in the shuffle.

Comic of the Week - Fantastic Four 603

Just in the past few days, I commented over on The Signal Watch's post about the Fantastic Four Season One graphic novel, recommending Hickman's run on the title(s) and then this week, Fantastic Four #603 comes out and totally backs up my recommendation. For the past couple of years, it's been building to this epic battle. And epic, although an overused term, is, if anything, and understatement here. Galactus versus Celestials. Vast fleets of starships. Inhumans, Kree and Annihilation waves, oh my. Time travel and interdimensional realities. And tying it all together, a family with character dynamics that are fun, real and relatable. A genius father with a time traveling genius father who both rely on a genius daughter/granddaughter to save the day. I'm being cryptic because I really feel this entire run should be read, going back to Fantastic Four #570, in order to really be appreciated. As I said, the story has been building, but the character work has been there from the start, and has only developed more as time has gone on. In this issue we clearly see how everything has been planned from the start and that nothing Hickman has set in motion was just a throwaway. He's been lucky to work with artists like Kitson, who keep the story flowing with every panel and can convey the subtle emotions of every character, but can also heighten the dramatic impact of cosmic events so huge they defy the imagination. For me, who never read Fantastic Four before Hickman and I'm still not really well versed in the Marvel U's cosmic mythology, putting all these elements together in not just a cohesive, but also compelling, way, is quite a feat. This is Science fiction with a capital S. It's also Family drama with a capital F. But, mainly, it's just good Storytelling. . . with a capital S.

Comics of the Week - The Feats of Strengh Edition

Heavy week for comics, quantity and quality. These aren't even all the books I really enjoyed.

As usual, here's my Scott Snyder praise. Batman #4 continues to build the mystery of the Court of Owls. Bruce's revelation that he's been investigating them since he was a boy makes perfect sense. Whether or not the conspiracy ties to his origin remains to be seen. Capullo gets better with each issue. That last page is gold. Not sure what else to say that I haven't said about every other thing Snyder has written, though. This guy is on another level.

This week, we had dueling Batmen, with Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes, the much anticipated continuation of his epic Batman story. coming out as well as Snyder's Batman. In the opening pages, there's a note letting us know this takes place before Flashpoint and the New DCU. We get to see Stephanie Brown back in action as Batgirl and Dick Grayson as Batman. All good. But, I feel like the time between that last we read and the reboot hurts the impact of anything revealed here. By the end of it, I am not sure I care enough. I'm not a continuity freak, but this is the type of story that would have ramifications on the characters. If it has no bearing on the current continuity, then I'm not sure what to do with it. On the flipside, because it's taken so long and it's a double size issue, I think it's over hyped. It's a fine story, but when we get the last reveal, I just didn't see the big deal. Had this played out in regular issues, I think it would have had better impact. None the less, it is what it is and at least we get to see where Morrison was going with this. I still look forward to the next installment.

Fantastic Four 601 was, as much as I hate the overuse of this word, epic. It was huge action and huge moments. Johnny Storm returns from the Negative Zone and the moments where his family realizes he's back were short, but just as powerful as the moments we saw when he died. This, like Morrison's Batman story, has been a long time building and it's clear that Hickman has planted seeds for everything we see from the start. Epting's art is, well, fantastic, as usual.

It was just last week that Uncanny X-Force ended the Dark Angel saga. This week, back again, picking up the pieces, Remender continues to deliver on a book that, apparently, will continue to be one of the best books published in 2012 as it was in 2011. I had one small, maybe-problem with last issue in that last bit when Angel comes back. This issue made it clear that having him be "alive" actually does not take anything away from the beauty, sadness and power of the scene with him and Betsy as he died. I also like that this issue is setting up new pieces for Wolverine and The X-Men. Fantomex has quickly become one of my favorite characters. As much I've enjoyed Wolverine develop as a character, I'm glad Remender let them argue naturally to the point that I feel Logan came off looking like a bit of an asshole. That's character depth. Also, this issue, Robbi Rodriguez on art, fitting in perfectly. His style seems a bit rougher than we've gotten in this series, but that fits thematically since, at this stage, the team is pretty much in shambles. I like it!!

Wonder Woman. Man. This is just good. It's really playing out like a Vertigo book. This is a characterization of Wonder Woman and the gods that I'm not sure I've ever seen, but is exactly right. Azzarello really shines here. I enjoyed 100 Bullets for it's twisting narrative which was appropriate to that story, but here he's letting the characters tell the story by just being. It's a much less complex narrative, so far, though I'm sure things are about to get crazy. Chiang's art is so elegant. I find myself staring at his Wonder Woman in admiration. He draws her like a real woman, who is also a warrior. She does not have giant boobs and a pencil thin waist. She feels real and sexy. I've said graceful in previous posts and that still comes to mind, but also, and obviously, powerful. 

Reboot This!

Well, I haven't finished reading all my books this week, but thought I should post something. Not much going on in the comics world this week though. . . .

I'm not going to blog about the DC rebooting thing (much)  I'll just say this. It's a business decision that is between DC and their accountants. Clearly, they have to do something to get new readers, which will be good for old readers in the long run, since no new readers would likely mean no new comics at some point in the not to distant future. As readers, all we are really in any position to judge is the comics themselves, the stories we read. To complain about that before we have even seen the stories is crazy. I don't read comics because I love the stories that were already told, years ago. If that were the case, I'd keep reading those same stories (which, in many ways, the industry has been serving up the same stories for a long time). I read comics because I enjoy the medium, and there are certain creators I follow. and yes, there are characters I like. But if those characters don't change, I will lose interest. In any case, I say to everyone afraid of change to chill out. Wait for the books then decide. And to those that are saying how the books coming out now don't matter, you're insane. Now is probably the best time to read them. Saying they don't matter now is like putting down a book you really enjoy because there's only 3 chapters left.

Anyway, this week's books. . . I'm still working on them so I don't know what my pick will be. But, I went back and started reading Jonathan Hickman's run on Fantastic Four, starting with #570. Wow. That's really good stuff. I was already enjoying the FF series, but what he was doing with the actual Fantastic Four series before the relaunch is epic. Hickman is most definitely one of the best writers working in comics in the last several years.

Comics of the Week

Morning Glories #9 went back and covered what happened to Jun during the events of the first issues when he snuck out of the dorm on his own, and uses this to give us his back story. There are twists throughout, and while none of them are necessarily shocking, the overall story is very well told. Nick Spencer has demonstrated that he knows when to drop pieces of the puzzle and use them to reveal character and depth. Joe Esima's art is masterful. The pages really do come alive. I would love to see this series in an animated version, using Esima's art. There really wasn't one moment in the book I could single out, as the whole issue was just very well put together. I highly recommend getting on board with this series from issue 1.

Detective Comics #876 starts a new story arc with a mystery. A killer whale carcass is found in the lobby of a bank one morning and Commisioner Gordon calls in Dick Grayson (not Batman) to help with the investigation. The story, I'm sure, will progress beautifully in the hands of Snyder as we continue to learn about Gordon's son and Dick's past. There are no complaints about the writing here. But this issue is about the art. Jock is a master. There's really no other way to say it. Turning a page to find this image made me stop and just stare for a bit.

My return to Marvel continues with FF#2. It turns out Hickman isn't all about high concept (Pax Romana, S.H.I.E.L.D.). Here, he demonstrates his ability to play with characters. It's a high compliment that I've never read Fantastic Four or really cared too much about them, but reading this series, it all still rings true. The chemistry of these characters is very clear, and makes me want to see more of their interactions, both negative and positive. Here, Doom has been brought in by one of Reed's children. The mission is to cure Doom, who apparently had suffered a great reduction in his brain (I believe this happened during the Fall of the Hulks storyline). Hickman and Epting manage to put you in the room for every moment, no matter how subtle. I don't know how they manage it, but I can hear the pauses in this exchange, even though there are no wordless panels in it.

Comic Moments of the Week

Grant Morrison. If you're familiar with his work, you know that is a complete sentence. Batman, Inc. #4 is a pretty good example of the roller coaster that it is to read a Morrison book. Tracing the history of the first Batwoman while also featuring the new Batwoman, it brings in elements from different eras in Batman history. This is exactly what Morrison set out to do with Batman a few years ago. His approach is that everything that we've ever seen of Batman has, in some way, actually happened, no matter how crazy or contradictory. The result is actually pretty interesting because when Morrison writes Batman, you don't know what to expect. It could be dark, campy and lately, sexy, but always, pretty batshit (pun intended) crazy. Overall, though, it's just plain fun. Even though this issue was a little confusing at times, which is to be expected from Morrison until you get whole picture, it still had great moments, like this flashback.

Also out is FF #1 by Jonathan Hickman, another writer who can be pretty heady (Pax Romana, Nightly News, S.H.I.E.L.D.). This is the relaunch of Fantastic Four, which ended last month with issue 588, after the death of The Human Torch. I don't normally read Marvel and I wasn't reading Fantastic Four, but I do like Hickman and figured this would be a good jumping on point. I enjoyed the issue a lot, but I'm not entirely sure it's a great jumping on point. Basically, Reed Richards now heads The Future Foundation, and there are a bunch of kids, human and alien running around in the building, doing high level science genius type things. Also, Reed's father, who was lost in time is back and living with them. S.H.I.E.L.D. features Reed's dad (as well as Tony Stark's) traveling through time so I wonder if this is a direct tie in to that book. I'm sure this would all make more sense if I had read previous issues. However, in the end, it doesn't matter all that much. The atmosphere and the characters are pretty clear. Spider-man is brought in to take the Torch's spot on the team and at the end of the book there is another surprise appearance of someone who will be joining the Foundation. I'll stick with this book for a while.