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The
Fanboy Planet Preview Spotlight 05/24/06
Page
1 -- Loaded Bible
Also on the
Shelves:
The American
Way #4: Every issue, John Ridley finds new ways for
things to go horribly wrong. And that's a good thing. This
book yanks the reader back and forth with surprises and
yet it also seems so beautifully sadly inevitable. Just
as the team reels from the revelation that its newest member
also happens to be a negro, the government tries to get
things back on track by releasing a serial killer for them
to recapture. Too bad they forgot that psychopaths just
don't play by the rules.
JSA Classified
#12: Can the immortal caveman Vandal Savage really be
dying? Probably not, but it's still making for a cool arc
by Stuart Moore and Paul Gulacy as the Golden Age Green
Lantern faces off against his literally oldest foe. One
has barely had time to mourn the death of his daughter;
one may be realizing that he mourns his children, too. The
cleverness of Moore's script is that who's who keeps shifting.
The Last
Christmas #1: Yes, Image must have unofficially declared
this "urinate on sacred cows week" in their editorial offices.
Brian Posehn oversees the plotting of this post-apocalyptic
Santa story, written and drawn by Rick Remender with finishes
by Hilary Barta. Right there, you should be hooked. The
first issue doesn't quite cover as much ground as I would
have liked, but it's funny and looks like it will fill five
issues much better than you would think.
Negative
Burn #1: An old anthology resurrects itself and wow
- what a return. Many critical favorites contribute interesting
and off-kilter pieces, so there's sure to be something in
here for everyone. That might sound like too much of a gamble,
but really, think of it as a surprising reward. Among my
favorites, Eric Powell contributes a great one-pager from
the point of view of his flu-ridden son.
The Sensational
Spider-Man #26: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Clayton Crain
team on a creepy story that brings out the worst in all
of Spider-Man's animal-related (totemistic?) foes …and friends.
The art fits the subject nicely, though Crain seems at his
weakest when rendering normal humans. Though Aguirre-Sacasa
hasn't yet written the thing that people will point to as
a masterpiece, he keeps finding cool ways into nifty story
ideas. When he does come across his killer idea, we're all
going to be utterly blown away.
Spider-Man
Loves Mary Jane #6: I've liked this book despite its
manga flavoring, and this issue brings that all into sharp
contrast. Sean McKeever tells the origin of Spider-Man from
Mary Jane's point of view, and after one page by regular
artist Takeshi Miyazawa, the book shifts to art by Valentine
DeLandro. Suddenly the gang looks like a realistic group
of teenagers, with the girls appearing slightly more mature
than the guys. They're still not adults, but it's better
than the look of little kids playing high school dress up.
McKeever also throws in a character named Jessica that just
might grow up to be Jessica Jones, a plot point that nobody
has picked up on since Bendis made it years ago in Marvel's
Alias.
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X-Factor
#7: Losing Ryan Sook hurt this book just a little bit,
but let's stress the just a little. Guest artist Ariel Olivetti
does a good job, but the art feels too clean and light for
the tone of the book. Luckily, Peter David's writing still
burns strongly, as Siryn deals with the news of her father's
death. Reactions throughout the team are varied and realistic;
it almost seems a shame to break away for the main ongoing
plot and the action that comes with it. Once again, David
gets into his characters' heads in a way few writers can
rival.
Sight Unseen:
Buckaroo
Banzai #1: Moonstone knew they didn't have to send me
a review copy. They're on to me. They knew I'd spend the
money on this.
Secret
Six #1: Featuring the characters we came to love last
year as Villains United, there's no doubt in my mind
that this Gail Simone-penned book will kick ass, take names
and yet not take sides. Damn that Catman.
X-Statix
Presents: Deadgirl #5: Gwen Stacy, Mockinbird and
U-Go Girl, all drawn by Mike Allred? Come on!
Hey, write to us and
let us know what you think, or talk about it on the
forums!
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