A new feature! If I decide to keep it up, anyway! I give you...
Kevin's Top Five Comics Panels
For The Week of March 8, 2006
As it's proven for the first three issues, Fell contains Ellis at his best: a sharp protagonist that's tough while not falling to the writer's usual trappings and stories that remind you that the human element really is the most important thing when it comes to solving a crime. What I love about this panel from Fell #4 is that is sums up everything about that makes the character stand out from the miserable town he works in very neatly while letting you stare at some of that nice Templesmith art. Snowtown is a fucking evil place and Fell is battling not only the town's demons but the inertia of a police department that doesn't care. It's fascinating to see how far Fell's need to redeem himself and the burg will push the man and I'm very glad that it's doing some business. Shame about the Typical Ellis Female that ended up in the letter columns, embarrassing me a bit even if she's got a great...resume as a wine writer!
(The less said about the fact that Down's final issues seems like four crammed into one, very very uncomfortably, the better. Disappointing ending to a series I was really enjoying for what it was.)
This speaks a lot of wisdom about the Boston experience. That is all I'm going to say about this bit from Sky Ape: King Of Girls, a hilarious and value-tastic $4.95 special featuring America's favorite jetpacked ape.
That's right, pilgrim: The Bride Of Frankenstein shows up in the better of the two Seven Soldiers books put on this week and I may be a tiny bit in love with her, even if she's undead and has four arms and seems really mentally unstable. That's the power of The Morrison right there, my friends.
There's some really great moments spread through this issue of Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with a brilliant dogpiling of ideas that almost makes up for the strange transformation Mister Miracle managed, starting with being bad in the whole storytelling department - the first 3/4 of the comic was alternately interesting and near-unbearable with the last 5 or 6 pages pulling off a typical Mister Miracle escape from complete awfulness.
Much like the Fell panel displayed exactly why I enjoy the book so much, this panel sums up why I love the Fantastic Four as a concept, if rarely as an actual comic. Joe Casey's Fantastic Four: First Family is the rare grimming-up of an origin that actually works for me, and that's largely because of the strength of the characters as well as the fact that he's tapping some of the weirdness and magic that makes the group and its adventures work for me in its best moments. I didn't even mind the complete lack of action, as the dialogue seemed to be there for a purpose versus padding out a story to make sure we've got six issues instead of three for the collection.
FF: First Family serves as an interesting counterpoint to the first paperback collecting Brubaker's Captain America, which I finished over lunch and spent the next hour in a serious funk. Bucky as a badass secret superkiller in WWII may sound awesome to many, but it struck me as being kind of...silly. I mean, moreso than "Golly, Cap! Time to kick some Japanazi rear and show Tojohitler who's boss!" Some nice moments, lovely art, but the mordant tone put me off reading any more. Matt M: I should have listened to you. I apologize for being a buffoon.
For The Week of March 8, 2006
As it's proven for the first three issues, Fell contains Ellis at his best: a sharp protagonist that's tough while not falling to the writer's usual trappings and stories that remind you that the human element really is the most important thing when it comes to solving a crime. What I love about this panel from Fell #4 is that is sums up everything about that makes the character stand out from the miserable town he works in very neatly while letting you stare at some of that nice Templesmith art. Snowtown is a fucking evil place and Fell is battling not only the town's demons but the inertia of a police department that doesn't care. It's fascinating to see how far Fell's need to redeem himself and the burg will push the man and I'm very glad that it's doing some business. Shame about the Typical Ellis Female that ended up in the letter columns, embarrassing me a bit even if she's got a great...resume as a wine writer!(The less said about the fact that Down's final issues seems like four crammed into one, very very uncomfortably, the better. Disappointing ending to a series I was really enjoying for what it was.)
This speaks a lot of wisdom about the Boston experience. That is all I'm going to say about this bit from Sky Ape: King Of Girls, a hilarious and value-tastic $4.95 special featuring America's favorite jetpacked ape.That's right, pilgrim: The Bride Of Frankenstein shows up in the better of the two Seven Soldiers books put on this week and I may be a tiny bit in love with her, even if she's undead and has four arms and seems really mentally unstable. That's the power of The Morrison right there, my friends.There's some really great moments spread through this issue of Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with a brilliant dogpiling of ideas that almost makes up for the strange transformation Mister Miracle managed, starting with being bad in the whole storytelling department - the first 3/4 of the comic was alternately interesting and near-unbearable with the last 5 or 6 pages pulling off a typical Mister Miracle escape from complete awfulness.
Much like the Fell panel displayed exactly why I enjoy the book so much, this panel sums up why I love the Fantastic Four as a concept, if rarely as an actual comic. Joe Casey's Fantastic Four: First Family is the rare grimming-up of an origin that actually works for me, and that's largely because of the strength of the characters as well as the fact that he's tapping some of the weirdness and magic that makes the group and its adventures work for me in its best moments. I didn't even mind the complete lack of action, as the dialogue seemed to be there for a purpose versus padding out a story to make sure we've got six issues instead of three for the collection.FF: First Family serves as an interesting counterpoint to the first paperback collecting Brubaker's Captain America, which I finished over lunch and spent the next hour in a serious funk. Bucky as a badass secret superkiller in WWII may sound awesome to many, but it struck me as being kind of...silly. I mean, moreso than "Golly, Cap! Time to kick some Japanazi rear and show Tojohitler who's boss!" Some nice moments, lovely art, but the mordant tone put me off reading any more. Matt M: I should have listened to you. I apologize for being a buffoon.
