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Hey
Kids! Comics!
Alias
#16
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: Michael Gaydos
Bendis
just loves using this book to poke around in the obscure.
First we get Ant-Man. Now he strongly implies that Jessica
spent some time kanoodling with SHIELD Agent Clay Quartermain.
And during that implication, Bendis also makes the supposedly
good government agency more than a little disturbing.
The revelation
gets forced by a nice dig at fandom. One night Jessica comes
home to find her apartment broken into by Mattie, the most
recent Spider-Woman. (The third, as Quartermain comment, for
those keeping score.) Apparently, Mattie has confused Jessica
for Jessica Drew, the first Spider-Woman, and hoped she could
turn to her for help. Clearly not. It's a nice dig because
for months the rumormill was absolutely positive that Alias
would be about a de-powered Jessica Drew before the series
actually appeared.
A few
of us conspiracy-minded buffs might think that was once the
truth. After all, we're still smarting from Captain Atom not
being Monarch just because the news leaked early.
Rating:
Amazing
Spider-Man #46 (487)
writer: J. Michael Straczynski
artists: John Romita, Jr. and Scott Hanna
For all
its faults, at least this book has the best covers on the
stands, this month's by Frank Cho (who will do a full Marvel
book with the upcoming Shanna The She-Devil. Start
drooling now.)
Ah, who
am I kidding? This book doesn't have any faults. JMS brings
back a minor point from a couple of issues back to play a
big part. Remember that this writer never, ever lets anything
go to waste. It's not a cliché to say that Peter really does
face his deadliest foe ever. Spinning off the concept of the
spider-totem, he has to confront what would be his natural
predator in the wild.
Realizing
that a slugfest wouldn't be the most fun, this enemy takes
a new tack that is both clever and promises some very believable
headaches for Spider-Man's future.
Rating:
Detective
Comics #776
writer: Paul Bolles
artists: William Rosado and Bob Wiacek
With
a new look on its cover, this issue purports to be going back
to what it does best: be about detecting. Unfortunately, writer
Paul Bolles provides very little in the way of a mystery.
The trick comes in it being a flashback once we see a bleeding
and unconscious Batman, but that really is just a trick. The
rest of the story feels very much like we've seen it before.
In the
back-up by J.C. and Michel Gagne, I'll grant we get something
new. "Spore" is pretty much what it says it is: an alien spore
coming to Earth. Though it has a grotesque and gripping final
page (to be continued), the story doesn't fit in this book.
Slam Bradley or The Elongated Man, they belong here. The return
to form needs to be thought out a little more by the editors.
Rating:
Doom
Patrol #14
writer: John Arcudi
artist: Seth Fisher
This
blast to the past gives some nice perspective to the original
series. Odd and groundbreaking for its time, the original
Doom Patrol actually had it pretty good. It isn't just that
everybody's laughing at The Brotherhood of Evil. Fisher also
draws the book with a quaintness that makes it just fun for
a little while.
Arcudi
provides a touch of pathos, as Ava, the girl with a demon
something inside, prefers being Elasti-Girl (or, as she renames
her, Elasti-Lass) to being herself. One of the least believable
elements of the old series was that Rita Farr felt she had
to give up her acting career for no other reason than she
could change size. In his artwork, Fisher hints at a better
reason: Rita is starting to age out of the ingénue role. Subtle,
and ironic that Elasti-Girl didn't have a complexion to match.
Rating:
Exiles
#19
writer: Judd Winick
artists: Mike McKone and Jon Holdredge
And so
"So Lame" concludes. Despite a little (very little) drop more
detail on the Exiles' actual mission, this arc kind of betrays
what the book is ostensibly about. Still, every title needs
an occasional change of pace, and giving Mimic center stage
and his own talkshow is certainly that. But the actual action
goes nowhere, especially where Longshot is concerned.
If Winick's
aim was to prove how lame Longshot was as a character, he
succeeded. Sort of, because that plotline just stops without
ever making sense. How could Dazzler have run off with the
guy? But for the purposes of story, it's a lot of build-up,
pushing Mimic to the edge, but Winick leaves himself no other
choice but a deus ex machina ending. So Lame, so what?
At least next issue it's back to the What If premise.
Rating:
3.5
Green
Arrow #18
writer: Brad Meltzer
artists: Phil Hester and Ande Parks
Every
now and then, you just need to see your hero fight against
the odds. Meltzer delivers the goods on this one, as Oliver
should clearly be outclassed by Solomon Grundy. Certainly,
he should be able to outwit the vegetable man, but sometimes
brute strength has its uses.
This
knock-down drag-out also affords Meltzer a chance to really
go over his take on Ollie's personality. What's really important
to him? More importantly, who? And with one deft finishing
move, we also gain an appreciation for Green Arrow's physical
strength, an aspect easily overlooked when dismissing him
as a non-powered hero. (Unless you believe his marksmanship
skill is a meta ability.)
If this
story has a weakness at all, it's that for some reason it
raised my saplust. Green Arrow should have gone ahead and
beheaded Grundy. Anyone? Anyone?
Rating:
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