Kevin Reviews His Weekly Singles #10

1985 #1
Continuing my tradition of buying the first issue of a Millar-written miniseries because of the artist! Tommy Lee Edwards does a fantastic job here, but Millar’s reliance on high concept and increasingly tin ear for dialogue combines with some painful attempts to write in the “real world” of comics fandom circa 1985 (hamfisted Gary Groth references? really?) to make a comic that feels like the very worst kind of Fan Fiction, the $3.99 equivalent of Young Mark Millar Joins The Avengers.

All-Star Superman #11
The cover moment doesn’t occur until the last page, but the issue builds to it splendidly. As always, there’s no shortage of things to point out as positives (Lex Luthor’s plan unfolding, Superman talking to his robots about taking care of the zoo while he’s gone, Solaris) and very, very few negatives (the Vampirates ad on the back makes me want to start rounding up submissions editors at the major publishers and chop off fingers.) I’m not looking forward to seeing the final Morrison/Quitely issue of this, even if I’m fanboyishly eager to see how it all plays out.

Angry Youth Comix #14
In thirty years, when Johnny Ryan is being handed a lifetime achievement award at the Eisners for kicking comics in the balls when it needed it the most, I’m going to lean back, sip my whiskey, and say “I told you fuckers so.”

Batman #677
When this is collected, I’d very much appreciate it if this arc were redrawn completely by an artist who understands the basics of comics storytelling so I can enjoy Grant Morrison Writing Batman the way it was meant to be enjoyed: free of really, really crappy art.

Blue Beetle #27
Will Pfeifer (who’s heralded as a guest writer here versus being treated as the “real” writer for this first post-Rogers arc – a significant-seeming difference, at least in my mind) comports himself well enough, even if the end product lacks the zip that Rogers made a hallmark of the title. David Baldeón and Steve Bird’s art, much like the script, resembles the previous version of the title while still feeling a bit hollow. I think this may be an example of something being overpolished by editorial – it’s tentative and overcomfortable where it is versus offering any surprises. Harmless, but nothing I’d spend $2.99 a month on.

Daredevil #107
Boy, you know what’d be nice? (I mean, besides Matt Murdock having, say, three or four hours of genuine happiness in his own comic.) A Brubaker/Rucka Dakota North miniseries.

Just putting that out there.

Final Crisis #1
One of the things I love most about Morrison (and addressed nicely by Andrew) is his willingness to treat comics like “regular” fiction, giving the reader a sense of discovery that goes beyond turning over the final card and revealing the Joker’s face on it. There’s moments in Final Crisis that harken back to my favorite science fiction author, Iain M. Banks – huge, strange, wonderful things happen and there’s no attempt to explain it all up front, instead engaging the reader and giving them the chance to figure out how things work. It requires a lot of faith on the audience’s part, something most superhero comics writers (perhaps justifiably) are unable to muster and I’m not sure if Morrison and the intended audience are going to be on the same page in that regard.

It’s predictably lovely, with J.G. Jones working hard to ensure that superhero comics look better than movies on paper. There’s creative layouts that are easy to follow, nicely-handled characters and expressions, and no shortage of bigness. Final Crisis, like Morrison’s All-Star Superman, promises to show that superhero comics can exploit their eccentricities and foibles instead of being covering them up and acting like they opened the cabinet door in their own face one too many times.

Speak of the Devil #6
Wow. I frequently talk about how much I want at least one character in a piece to be likeable or sympathetic, but Gilbert Hernandez is skilled enough a creator that watching the action unfold is pleasure enough on its own. It’s not for everyone, but those that can appreciate supremely black humor with no dearth of bent eroticism should look for the collected edition when it becomes available.