Comics of the Week

One good thing about the DC reboot is that, at least this week, it was a great week for comics. That's not to say everything was a winner, but it was interesting and varied with a good chance that something would stick. Fresh takes and good set ups.

The thing about Grant Morrison is that while he can go to really trippy, surreal and nearly impossible to understand places, he can also get to the heart of what makes a character tick in a mythological sense. With Action Comics #1, he is going to the roots of Superman and doing what no one has been able to do in who knows how long now. For years I've heard (and often said) that Superman was irrelevant, too powerful, outdated, boring, etc. Something had to be done to make the character interesting again. Many attempts have been made to make him hip and relevant, but they all just tried to modernize him and mostly missed the point entirely. Morrison goes back to the forgotten roots here, giving us a Superman on the streets, without all his god-like powers yet, living on the edge in a world that fears him. From the pieced together costume to the attitude, I think this is the right way to develop the character into something that can once again be a character we can relate to. As expected, this is one of my favorite #1's and I will definitely be reading this each month.

Speaking of Morrison, his run on Animal Man in the 80's is a prime example of how a creator can take a character you normally may not be interested in and hook you. But now it's Jeff Lemire's turn and he not only brings it, he brings it to another level. This was easily my favorite of the #1's this week, and as the internets can attest, I'm not alone. Lemire is one of the best writers working today and this is a perfect example of what he does. It's a superhero story, it's a family drama, it's a horror tale, it's all of that and more. Right from the opening prose section that gives us a background on the character in a way that doesn't feel forced, it's clear Lemire is bringing a little piece of the meta aspects of Morrison's run, but making it his own. By the last page, it's something else entirely that had me say out loud "Yeah, I'm in." The art by Travel Forman is also a standout. It's clean and odd and beautiful. It makes you uneasy and captivates you all at once, which is perfect for this material. I almost didn't pick this up, because although I like Lemire, I'm not a huge Animal Man guy, but now, I can't wait for the next issue.

When the reboot titles and creative teams were announced, my biggest disappointment was probably that Scott Snyder was off Detective Comics and moved to Batman. As I've said, his run on Detective is legendary already. Instead, we get Tony Daniels, writing and drawing Detective Comics and based on his work on the Batman title before the reboot, I was not excited. I have to say, this issue was better than that. His art was never the issue, and here it is good as always, if not better. It's clear, however, that he either is getting better at the storytelling or his editors have stepped up to address some of the previous problems. The story itself is a basic Joker vs. Batman affair, with the Joker in his serial killer persona. That's all well and good. The last image is what is apparently setting something up that really could be interesting even if we have no idea at this point what it could be. Overall, though, this issue is definitely geared for the new reader. Some of the dialogue, for those of us who know Batman and have read him for years, comes off a little hokey. To someone who's never read Batman, though, I could see it working. I can't fault Daniels for that, but this may not be my Batman book. Still, I want to see where he's going with the Joker here.

Here's a book I only read because of the creator, and almost didn't. Scott Snyder's Swamp Thing may or may not hook me on the character, but that doesn't mean I won't be reading this book. At this point, if Snyder publishes a grocery list, I will consider reading it. I can't even really put my finger on exactly what makes his work excellent, but I think it's a combination of elements. Some writers you can say they are really good at this one thing, whether it's overall emotion, character, a specific genre, action, etc. With Snyder, it's a complete package type of thing that just stands out somehow. His work is somehow character driven and plot driven at the same time. It's brimming with mood and emotion and things happen organically. It doesn't hurt that he's paired with great artists who can tell a visual story with all the elements, like Yanick Paquette does in this issue. Like Animal Man, this is a horror story, but it is more than that. The word is that this will actually cross over with Animal Man and the idea of Lemire and Snyder working together on a big story boggles my mind. I'm on board with this.

Comics of the Week

The final issues of four Batman books came out this week. Each ended in its own way, and not necessarily for the best. Although there are still two more weeks to go until the DC reboot, this week felt like the last week to me, as the books left to end have not been my favorites.

Batgirl #26 was going to be difficult, no matter how you cut it. The character has the most uncertain future in the new reboot. Stephanie Brown will not be Batgirl in September, and we really don't even know if she'll be at all. I get the sense that Bryan Q. Miller had big plans for this book and the reboot decision really threw him off the rails. The previous issue was a lot of fun and seemed to be building towards a climax, but it was clear going into this issue that it was a climax that would have been nearly impossible to pull off in one issue. Instead, we have a story that reaches more of a stop than an end. I can't really say I blame Miller for the sentimental and somewhat meta touches at the end, though I'm not sure they came off too well. I sincerely hope he is given a chance in the coming months, to write another big book for DC, because some of the best books in the past two years were Batgirl issues.

Batman and Robin, as a series, has gone through several changes. It started with Grant Morrison on a very high note, bringing a freshness to the concept that was much needed. The character of Damian, in particular, was developed into one of the more interesting characters in the DCU, mostly in this title. Even as creative teams changed, the book always maintained a certain energy, thanks to the relationship between Dick and Damian. This relationship is what I will miss most in the new DCU. This issue, by David Hine and Geg Tocchini was interesting. Rather than giving us an ending, it's just another story, and a crazy one at that. What I think they managed to do was to subtly give a nod to the surreality of Morrison that was somehow all their own. The art didn't work in a few places and there could have been more focus on the Dick and Damien relationship, but I think just telling another story was a bold choice to take with this book.

Tim Drake is a badass. Throughout this series that's never been in doubt. As a whole, the series had it's ups and downs, but was always solid even during the few issues that weren't terribly exciting. Fabien Nicieza made a different choice than Miller and Hine in ending this series. He didn't go with sentiment and also didn't go with just another story. This story was not just a regular adventure for Red Robin. This was about a moment of truth for him and one that ends on an ambiguous note. At the end of this issue, reboot or not, Tim has a lot of decisions to make about what kind of man he is going to be, what kind of hero. He needs to decide what the balance is between vengeance and justice. He's always been the Robin that was most like Bruce but here he shows he is his own man or is at least on the verge of being his own man. It would have been interesting to see where Nicieza would have gone next with this character. I will miss this book.

I ran out of great things to say about Scott Snyder, Jock and Francisco Francavilla on Detective Comics several issues back. I repeat that this will be considered one of the greatest comic runs in history for years to come. This issue was no exception, ending the story just as strong as it started, if not stronger. Ending a title that has been around for 70 years on such a high note is a huge accomplishment. The tension that had been built throughout the run was not squandered by rushing the ending, which is a common problem. Snyder has proven himself to be a master storyteller, start to finish, with this. He took his time in all the right places and delivered a surprising and satisfying ending to both the stories of James Gordon and Dick Grayson.The art on this issue featured both Jock and Francavilla, in a seamless interaction of styles. This is an incredibly rare thing. In most cases, two artists working on one book, even when both are brilliant, can be jarring. At the end of the day, I don't really care who did what, because they are both masters and the results speak for themselves. It will be interesting to see Snyder on Batman in September, writing Bruce Wayne.

Comics of the Week

Boy, what a let down. Detective Comics 880, by Scott Snyder and Jock missed every chance it had at being a great comic.  Here we have the next escalation in the ever increasing tension of the story of James Gordon's son, which, last issue, hinted at crossing over with what could be the creepiest Joker in recent memory. Well, here, the ball is dropped. The art, it just, insists on itself. Just look at that cover. It says it all. The writing . . . I can't do it. This was AWESOME, from the cover to the last panel! I just can't figure out a way to write about just how fantastic it is anymore. Every issue in this run has been better than the previous one, tightening the tension to almost unbearable levels. The revelations in this issue amp up the creep factor and instead of releasing the tension, it just takes it further. This run will go down as being among the classic runs in any comic, not to mention one of the best Batman runs ever.

Cobra #3 is the closest the relaunched IDW books have gotten to what they had going before they killed Cobra Commander. Mike Costa shows us just how powerful Tomax is. He knows he won't be the new Commander, but I'm not sure it matters to him. He only cares about vengeance at this point and he certainly has the means to take down G.I. Joe with or without Cobra. He's cool and calculating, but underneath that is the pain of losing his brother. It will be interesting to see if he winds up at odds with Cobra. As it was before the relaunch, this title is the best of the Joe books.









In X-Men Schism #2 the mutants continue to stand firm against the increasing distrust from the rest of the world. Scott is making some very Magneto-like choices, while Wolverine is showing his softer side here. I like this reversal quite a bit. What holds it all together is the obvious respect the two characters have for each other. This would be a run of the mill event if not for the deep character and relationship work going on here. Jason Aaron writes a great Wolverine, but here we see he can write Scott just as well. The art in this book, by Frank Cho, is just gorgeous. The lines may be clean, but the details are many in each facial expression. Cho's Wolverine, in particular, is a story in itself. Much like Trick Daddy, Logan loves the kids.

Comic of the Week

It's hard to come up with more good things to say about Scott Snyder's work on Detective Comics, but I'm going to have to try. In issue #879 there is no Batman, there are no costumes. What there is, is Jim Gordon getting answers no father, much less one who's a cop, wants, but must get about his son. This moves along at a surprisingly quick pace for a talky issue, intercut with some creepy Joker scenes. Is Jim Jr. as bad as the Joker? The connection drawn between them is clear, with Jr.planning on "sharing" his psychopathy with Gotham's babies. Francavilla's art is once again on point here, creating the ominous mood.

This is not really a cop story, though. It's ultimately a family drama, and a dark one at that. The parallel cutting between the Gordon story and the scenes of the Joker in Arkham are handled with precision. Whether or not Jim Jr. is actually working with the Joker or not is irrelevant at this point. The point is they are connected in spirit. So, as Jim Sr. rushes to stop his son, we get the Joker's narration over what I think is the best page in the book. A page that perfectly captures the tension between father and cop, innocence and loss, expectations and hopes.

Tension is the word for this entire issue, if not the entire Jim Gordon story that has been unfolding for several issues now. It would be interesting to see all the bits and pieces of this story, which started as a back up and has had threads pop up in mostly Batman centered issues, be collected in one trade, to be read uninterrupted by other plots. As it is, Snyder and Francavilla manage to keep the mood going, issue by issue, piece by piece, so that each one works on it's own, while still building on the previous pieces. By the time we get to the last page of this issue, with a reveal that was set up back in the brilliant issue 875, we're right there with Jim Gordon, nauseated at the confirmation of all his suspicions.

I've been lamenting the loss of Dick Grayson as Batman come September, and particularly Snyder's take on the character. But now, my concern is whether or not Snyder will be able to tell stories like this in the Batman title. I think his versatility as a writer would be better served if he were left on Detective where he could conceivably tell Batman stories without Batman from time to time. Either way, I'll be reading any Batman related work he does. There's just nobody else doing it better.

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.

Damn Good Comics - Detective Comics 875

Where this months Walking Dead was a perfect example of how to do elements of a long form comic book story by establishing tone and character over time, Detective Comics #875 was a perfect self contained story that, although it refers to previous issues, stands on it's own and is just perfectly crafted.

This was a Commissioner Gordon issue, focusing on his son. I urge you to go read this issue if you haven't. I don't want to get  into details here, because I'd rather you read it for yourself, but the structure of the story, the way it unfolds, is just perfect. Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla have outdone themselves here by creating something that could easily be a film all on it's own. It's  noir, it's psychological, it's hard boiled, it's a mystery. But above all, it's a story well told, through words and art in perfect harmony.