New Avengers

So, those of you who read my last New Avengers review better be ready for a change of pace, because this book certainly was.

This issue is the first disappointing issue for me. Usually the pacing on this book is great, but pretty much nothing happens in this issue. There is a lot of discussion (that goes no where), a fight that isn't really explained, and a frankly boring origin story for a character I haven't been made to care about quite yet.

I mean, I know Jonathan Hickman can't knock it out of the park every issue of everything he writes. That would be a totally unreasonable expectation. I just feel like I expect more from out of Marvel's rising star.

Oddly enough, this issue is practically the polar opposite of how the last issue was. The pacing is remarkably slow and it doesn't feel like the best the kind of writing that's best for writing a long story in the single-issue format.

If it weren't for the fact that I've seen Hickman juggle large casts before, I'd say maybe they've gotten away from him. It doesn't feel like every character gets a fair shake, but that could be too much to expect with such a large cast.

Not every member of the Illuminati deserves a monologue, I guess. Although, a Shakespearean version of the Avengers could be pretty entertaining. Or am I the only one who thinks that?

The art, however, has been totally fixed. Epting got rid of the silly little needless flourishes that really just detracted from the art last issue, and no one looks like a recovering alcoholic with burst blood vessels in their nose anymore, so that's nice.

Epting's art is technically good, but some of it feels a little hollow to me. Maybe it's just because so much of it focuses on a character that hasn't found a spot in my heart yet, but none of the emotions were driven home for me.

While he can certainly draw with the best of them, Epting didn't make me feel anything this issue. Although, that could be because there is nothing to feel. This whole issue is a little empty.

Now, anyone who has been reading this book, or almost anything Jonathan Hickman was written, knows it'll be better in the trade format. That's what makes books like this difficult to review. This issue might not be the best, but it doesn't detract from the run as a whole.

You also can't criticize something too much when nothing really happens. As Hickman gears up for Marvel's next big event, it seems like he's written the biggest non-event here.

The problem is, every novel has chapters that aren't the most exciting, but they're important. That's exactly what New Avengers #5 is.

This is the chapter that's kind of boring, but you'll be confused if you skip it. You can't make the story without the narrative equivalent of vegetables. So chomp on the Brussells sprouts, dear readers. Hopefully we get some dessert next issue.

http://comicsthegathering.com/review/tylerm/2139/new-avengers-5

Jupiter's Legacy might actually have a legacy of its own

When this book was announced, it was a real mixed bag of emotions for me. I was excited to see Frank Quitely on a book again but at the same time, the book was written by Mark Millar: one of the most hit and miss writers for me.

Would Jupiter’s Legacy be on the level of Superman: Red Son? Or would it be another The Unfunnies? As I opened the book, all I could do was hope that it was at least somewhere in between. I was not disappointed.

Millar is at his best when he’s trying to actually make a point, not when he’s trying to be outright shocking (or in some cases just plain offensive.) Jupiter’s Legacy isn’t exactly subtle about it’s point, but anyone who has read any Millar knows that subtlety isn’t his strong suit.

Surprisingly, it looks like Millar and I actually agree on something: people that are famous purely for being famous really just shouldn’t be. The main characters of Jupiter’s Legacy are exactly this kind of celebrity.

When your parents are the first superheroes in the world, it certainly goes to your head and it apparently makes you pretty unlikable. After one issue, there is a lack of any really likable protagonist. I certainly hope that’s the point or Millar makes one of the kids a protagonist I can get behind real soon.

Quitely’s art is as wonderful as usual. It’s definitely great to see him on interiors for the first time in about two years (unless you count the Playboy article on Grant Morrison, which you shouldn’t) but something is missing from his art this book.

Usually Quitely has a pretty wonderful page layout, but his design on Jupiter’s Legacy is kind of boring. Like Watchmen, each page is set up in a grid. Some panels might take up more than one spot on the grid, but it never breaks the grid.

I’m not sure if it was Millar or Quitely who wanted it that way, but I feel it detracts from the art. With Quitely’s unique style, seeing it constrained that way feels a bit hollow. The line work doesn’t feel any different than his work on WE3 or All-Star Superman, but the layout to me makes it feel a bit flat.

With the exception of one panel where a hero creates a “psychic painting,” where you get to take what is possibly a sneak peek at Quitely’s process, there isn’t anything in this book that gives me the same feelings when I see other art by him.

Don’t get me wrong, the art is still what I’d prefer over a lot of other artists working in the industry, it’s just a
shame that I know the art isn’t living up to its full potential.

I get the feeling that Jupiter’s Legacy is the kind of book where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each issue might not be the best thing on the shelves when it releases, but I’m sure the collection will find itself on a lot of best-of lists at the end of the year. Unless this book takes a turn for the Unfunnies side of Millar.

http://comicsthegathering.com/review/tylerm/2138/jupiters-legacy-1

Fallen by the wayside

As much as I love trying to blog regularly, I'm bad at it. I don't always have time to write whatever I want, especially since I started writing comic reviews for a website. I'll at least start linking those reviews here. Hopefully I'll have time to actually write some opinions.

Top 10 Comic Book Writers

I've always liked lists (watching High Fidelity at an impressionable age is probably what caused that) and for someone who reads a lot of comics it's always a great way to prioritize things. As a guy who tends to follow creative teams more than a character, I think it's important to know what writers to follow and who will make a good book. On a personal note, I feel doing that allows you to appreciate the medium of sequential art a lot more than reading a comic because you like Spider-Man or whoever. I'm guilty of that myself (I'm looking at you, almost every single X-Men title) but it doesn't let you appreciate the medium for what it is and what it can accomplish. So without further ado: the list!

10. Mark Waid

One word: Daredevil. I've always liked Waid to a certain extent, but his Daredevil run consistently makes it to the top of my reading pile every month, regardless of how far behind I am on everything else. If you're not reading Daredevil and you like comics, you're missing out.

9.  Matt Fraction

Fraction really only tops Waid here because on this list because he has a larger body of work that I enjoy. Casanova is some top-notch creator owned work and worth checking out. His work-for-hire stuff is pretty hit-or-miss (Immortal Iron Fist was fantastic and Invincible Iron Man was great but Mighty Thor was a bit lacking) but anyone who writes a team-up book between Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain deserves some respect.

8.  Kieron Gillen

Gillen's creator-owned series Phonogram is what really drew me to this guy, and I've never stopped liking his work. I was a little nervous to see him write a cape comic, but his Uncanny X-Men has never been disappointed, even though I'm really not too fond of some of the artists he's worked with on the book.

7.  Scott Snyder

Give Snyder a year or two, and I'm pretty sure he'll be higher on this list. I hardly ever see someone write so consistently good on both the creator-owned and work-for-hire fronts. Batman and Swamp Thing are easily my two favorite New 52 books, and American Vampire actually made me care about vampires again.

6.  Brian Azzarello

I have a confession to make: I have a soft spot for crime books, the mafia, and conspiracies. Azzarello's 100 Bullets delivers all of those things wonderfully. Azzarello may not be the best crime writer in the business, but  I'd say he's definitely high up there. I also really enjoy the way he has interpreted the Greek pantheon in Wonder Woman. It's always impressive to see someone make Wonder Woman a title that actually sells.

5.  Greg Rucka

Rucka is, for my money, the best crime writer working in comic books today. He's a perfect match for Punisher right now, and I'm incredibly excited to see Stumptown back on the shelves. The amount of love Rucka has for the private eye genre practically oozes off ever page of Stumptown. At my comic shop I always recommend Gotham Central to anyone. It's one of the few books I can suggest to people who only read cape books and people who don't read any cape books.

4.  Ed Brubaker

Brubaker is another excellent crime writer. Criminal, Incognito and Fatale are noir masterpieces. Noir in any media format is usually a pretty easy way to siphon money from my wallet and Brubaker doesn't disappoint. He's also pretty capable at writing for cape books, with his Captain America being a prime example. Captain America (Vol. 5) #25 should be required reading on how to write an issue with a twist in the age of the internet.

3.  Grant Morrison

Morrison is accused of doing a lot of drugs. Partly because he has, but mostly because he writes some of the most off the wall stories I've ever read. Morrison fills his books with these incredible concepts that, if you tried to explain them to someone, seem like they could interfere with the story, but they're what make it. With Morrison, the devil is in the details. He's a great writer, but sometimes his stories can get away from him (or at least seem like it) and when he does work-for-hire, it feels like he occasionally has too tight of a leash, but they're always worth checking out.

2.  Jonathan Hickman

Hickman has done the impossible: he made Reed Richards likable. He's Marvel's rising star right now, but still finds the time to churn out these innovative books at Image about time travel, alternative history, and spy dramas. It boggles my mind how far ahead he can plot his books, but at the same time it frustrates me. His plotting means I'll be buying Avengers for at least a couple of years, and seeing his plotting diagram for Fantastic Four made me feel inadequate is a write.

1.  Warren Ellis

Transmetropolitan is my favorite comic of all time, but that isn't what makes Ellis the top here. I have honestly never read anything by Ellis that I didn't like or thought got away from him at all. He has the most varied body of work I've ever encountered. If you can think of a genre, Ellis probably has at least one story in that genre and it's great. He wrote a novel just so his agent would stop pestering him to write one, thinking it would be too ridiculous to publish, but it was fantastic. Even when he's trying to not get published, he produces gold.

With writers covered, the next step is artists. That list should be up soon.

Marvel NOW! December solicits aren't doing quite as well.

The first wave of Marvel NOW! teasers really caught my eye, but so far this new set has not been doing its job. Not for me, at least.

The new Thunderbolts just looks boring to me. Daniel Way has never really been the best, and this new team looks simply awful. The only character I care about is Punisher, and he simply works better on his own.

Plus, the whole idea behind Thunderbolts is criminals in some sort of rehabilitation program, and none of these characters are really villains. Sure, they’re all somewhat on the cusp, but that’s not what this book should be. On a personal note, I’m pretty sick of Red Hulk, and doesn’t a general have better things to do than lead a squad made of a few anti-heroes?

Avengers Arena? Wow, another Battle Royale / Hunger Games but this time with children! Oh wait. Nevermind.

With the Superior teaser not fully explained, the only book that I’m even considering getting the first issue of is Cable and X-Force. In all honesty, it’s only because I like Dr. Nemesis so much (although I hate the redesign) and I’m somewhat fond of Colossus. I could not give a damn about Cable, regardless of how ’90s extreme he isn’t anymore.

Although writer Dennis Hopeless has said that he’s setting it up like a crime story, and I’ve always been a sucker any crime book. This book will get lots of love from me if Dr. Nemesis comes up with a wacky heist.

Action Comics #894

I know this isn't exactly timely per se, but.....deal with it:

For comic writers, working with another person's creation is generally the rule when working on any project, especially if you work for DC or Marvel. However, some of the more unique and memorable characters of a writer's work are not used as often by other writers, because they fear they cannot live up to such a high standard. Paul Cornell broke that mold in an excellently written issue of Action Comics.

Action Comics #894 is about Lex Luthor's encounter with Death, but this Death is not the grim man with a robe and a scythe that we're used to. Instead, we were treated with the Death from Neil Gaiman's acclaimed Sandman: a cheery, seemingly teenaged girl. Gaiman's Death is full of life in great contrast to the seemingly dreary role she plays.

Cornell writes for the issue format masterfully. This issue could easily stand alone, yet calls back to the previous issue and sets up the next one with enough anticipation to make a month seem like an eternity.

Most shocking is the ability to write Lex Luthor admitting that there are things beyond his control, and have it not seem entirely out of character. Luthor's encounter with Death seems to humanize him. Showing that death (and Death) can effect Luthor in the same way as anyone else takes him off the pedestal of “evil genius mastermind”. Of course, he does try to tackle the situation analytically, because he just wouldn't be Lex if he didn't.

Cornell's writing is complemented wonderfully by the art of Pete Wood. Wood's backgrounds weren't the best in this issue, mostly due to the setting. No matter how talented you are, you can't make a black plane of existence an interesting background. But no one looking at the facial expressions Wood drew could call his art lazy. Flipping through this issue, I was astounded by the great faces Luthor would make. Whether he was scared, furious, or ever so slightly backing down.

This issue, along with Cornell's whole run on Action Comics so far, is something I would recommend to any comic fan, and even people who don't usually read comics. Well written, well drawn, and incredibly interesting Action Comics #894 was well worth the 3.99 admission price.

Man, have I let this place go, or Whoops, I got a life.

Man, I remember being all gung ho about this thing, and I haven't done anything with it. Well, I think I'm going to try to do more comic reviews up in this thing. Seeing as how I sell comics, I should be able to talk about them, right?