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Hey
Kids! Comics!
Alias
#17
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: Michael Gaydos
This
issue left me a little disturbed, mostly because we have perhaps
had more than enough of seeing Jessica get it from behind.
If you're not familiar with this quasi-superhero title, that
might come as a shock. But by now it's so blasé that I had
to wonder if we would learn a new reason that Scott Lang is
known as the Astonishing Ant-Man. (If it were Garth Ennis
writing the book, we probably would.)
At any
rate, Bendis and Gaydos further probe what happens to trademark-protecting
characters after their books get cancelled, and it looks to
be building to a darker fate than any recent John Byrne monstrosity
deserves, except maybe Lab Rats. J. Jonah Jameson also
appears, less enjoyable here as Bendis tries to prove that
the guy really is a bastard. Of course, Bendis is also too
good a writer to let it be quite that simple.
Jessica's
groupie Malcolm also reappears, perhaps to settle into a groove
as her teen sidekick. His presence also gives an interesting
view on the events of Daredevil. See? Subtle cross-overs
can be fun, as long as they don't overpower a book's events.
Rating:
Detective
Comics #777
writer: Ed Brubaker
artists: Tommy Castillo and Wade Von Grawbadger
Finally,
Brubaker brings back the reason we're reading about a guy
in a batsuit: archenemies. Though Batman does work well in
gritty crime dramas, this title has missed the denizens of
Arkham for a while.
A lowly
henchman poses as Killer Moth and dies for it. As to who the
killer is, well, that's why the book is called Detective,
but one thing we know for certain is that other old bad guys
know his identity. The Riddler in particular gets so nervous
he runs to The Penguin to warn him. Since Batman hasn't got
a clue, it may be up to the underworld to save their own.
What
doesn't hold water this issue comes in the back-up. Part two
of "Spore" still feels out of place in this book; as a story,
it's just an excuse for some weird art. Good thing Batman
manages to pull his Bat-anti-alienmicrobe-germ out his utility
belt.
Rating:
Doom Patrol
#15
writer: John Arcudi
artist: Tan Eng Huat
Tan Eng
Huat remains a dynamic artist with a unique style. His work
on this series has been good, but it's time to just hope that
he lands another job soon. Doom Patrol is going nowhere
fast.
Arcudi
has written this book into a corner, and just keeps circling
around it. Fifteen issues after it began, we know no more
about who these characters are than we did at the start. A
few aspects of their powers have become clearer, but that's
it. In a daring move, the team members find all their internal
conflicts to be too much, and break up. Though it holds the
promise of seeing them try to develop some semblance of private
lives, the move comes too late.
This
revival has followed the pattern of its previous incarnation:
go weird, and if that doesn't work, then bring back the original
team. If that doesn't work, go weird again. The only thing
left is cancellation.
Rating:
Exiles
#20
writer: Judd Winick
artists: Jim Calafiore and Jon Holdredge
At its
best, this series takes the dark side of famous Marvel plotlines,
and brings it to the fore. Thankfully, after a little foray
into the lame, Exiles (and Winick) is back to its best.
This
time around, the team lands on an Earth where the Legacy Virus
went ahead and became the plague it was always meant to be
a metaphor for. And just for good measure, Winick throws in
the potentially disgusting living dead merger of Doug Ramsey
and Warlock, following it through to its logical conclusion.
Add the two elements together, and you've got a real Marvel
Zombie movie.
On this
Earth, the Virus mutated when Warlock tried to save Doug,
creating a cyber-undead race that soon overran the planet.
Humans have been reduced to living in fortified enclaves,
their only method of secure communication being telepathy.
And of course, there just aren't that many actual telepaths
left.
The result
is a nicely creepy issue, perfectly complemented by the Calafiore
and Holdredge art. Much of it feels like George A. Romero
loose in the Marvel Universe, even though that's just cabling,
not intestines, dragging along the ground. Nice way around
the censors.
Rating:
Green
Arrow #19
writer: Brad Meltzer
artists: Phil Hester and Ande Parks
A little
caption points out that all this takes place before events
of "The Obsidian Age," in which Green Arrow essentially rejoins
the Justice League. Whether or not we actually need that caption,
it does point out that that story makes us kind of
question the necessity for this one.
Not that
Meltzer isn't doing a good job; he is. Ollie stays perfectly
in character, especially in a confrontation with Green Lantern.
At some points, he even betrays a little emotional growth.
But now that he's back, you have to wonder why he's gathering
up all these little mementos that he let lie during his first
life. They weren't important before, and really, Meltzer has
yet to make a compelling case for their being important now.
Still,
in Meltzer's hands Ollie remains roguish and likeable. Though
the writer has tabled Connor Hawke for now, he has done more
to rebuild the relationship between Green Arrow and Arsenal
than Kevin Smith cared to do, making them seem like the father
and son they probably would be.
Rating:
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