The Boys # 4; Heroes for Hire 1 and 3; Supergirl Power

The Boys #4
Garth Ennis Darick Robertson
We come right to the cusp of having something happen in The Boys in issue four. Think about this, The Boys is like...20 pages, right? So 4 issues in, is 80 pages of book. And we're 80 pages in and we're still just building anticipation to seeing the Boys work. And we still know next to nothing about 80 percent of the group. So that's the downside. But again, it's Garth Ennis, he's said this is going to be a long run, so we begrudge him that.

The upside is there is lots and lots of disgusting disgusting sex. Orgies, rape, violence--and jokes about all of it. Nothing as ghastly as the worst of the preacher, but still lots of "I can't believe they let them put that in bookshelves" moments. With probably the most disgusting for me being the whore house for superheroes, where The Butcher is talking about how the prostitutes have trouble keeping up with the superpowered fuck jobs. Ennis is doing a good job of painting a dark disgusting world in need of a bit of a cleaning off.

But seriously. I'm waiting for the redeeming moment, and it's not happening. I mean, if say Ennis has lost his touch, or isn't as committed to this book as he said...this could be a disaster.

Also the dialouge seems disjointed for Ennis. I feel like I'm caught between accents a lot of times in this book. But that's to be expected with a book that has such a mix of white people from diffrent places.

Honestly after reading The Boys, I needed a book like Heroes for Hire.

Heroes for Hire
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti--Francis Portela and Billy Tucci

Heroes for Hire is a women dominated, women led, group of b-listers, operating in the seems of Civil War. I missed issue two, so it will take more issues to get a real feel of the book, but honestly I sort of like what I've read by Palmiotti and Gray. My main concern with this book is it falling into a kind of Charlie's Angels type of situation. So far all of the women characters in the book are being presented pretty strongly, which is good. But I'm still not sure what kind of book this is going to turn into.

I kind of want more humor. There's some nice bits in the first issue, that are kind of gone by the third. There is also a problem that many of the female characters seem to sound kind of alike. They seem like the same character drawn with diffrent colors, and so I'll be looking for greater differentiation there.

On the whole though it's not a must must read yet. I'm going to keep reading it just because it is a nice little change of pace, even though it is within the tight wearing community.

Oh yeah this book also kind of shows how poor the pool is for female characters in the comic book world. I honestly think DC does a little better job with female characters, but not by much. Though that's to be expected from the genre. It is very testerone driven. It just seems like there's a lot of duplication and confusion of ideas of what to do with female characters. And obviously I'm not the first person to say it.

That said. I am a SuperGirl fan. I'm going to be catching up on her next, so hopefully that goes well. I saw part of that movie with Helen Slater when I was a kid, and I know now it is basically a bad movie, but when I saw it as a kid, I was like damn she's cool(the part I have burned into my brain is when she kicks the trucker guy's ass in the parking lot). She's been impossible to follow in comics though, so I'm really only now revisting her. But honestly I probably like her even more than Wonder Woman. Someone should make a new Supergirl movie.

Supergirl Power
Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchhill

YES! This is what I'm talking about. Supergirl. Happy dance time. Jeph Loeb hits it out of the ballpark. The book is self-deprecating and campy in all the right spots. It's aware of the poor history of female comic book characters(Actually thinking more on this, X-Men has always had strong female characters) and it uses that awareness with great precision.

The story is basically about Kara Zor-El the new Supergirl figuring out who she is and basically going from place to place in the DCU getting attacked. The first person narrative is a lot of fun, though not flawless, it is enjoyable. Moments like when she and Stargirl watch the JSA fight while having a casual discussion are just plain sublime. This is just a character I really love, and I feel like Jeph Loeb does as well.

I think part of the reason why Supergirl works and Superman doesn't is because Supergirl isn't perfect, she has a temper, she does make mistakes, she's more human than Superman.

On an unrelated note, I don't like Power Girl. Never have. Never will.

Anyways. Back on topic.

Supergirl: Neato.

Other Side, Dr. Strange, Boys, Planet Hulk

The Other Side #1
Jason Aaron-Cameron Stewart
This is it. This right here. This is it. If you were looking for your hard as nails, gothic horror, crazy, told from both sides, timely political piece--Vietnam War comic--then this friends, this is your bag of tricks.
The writer of this amazing series Jason Aaron is going to be huge. It's best to just know that now. He can handle his vulgarity on the level of Ennis and Ellis. He's got an ear for humor. He can switch tones--the guy just flat out has skills. This book is beyond goodness.
The other star of the book is artist Cameron Stewart who is able to slip between the horror and the mundane very easily. He accentuates everything Aaron tries to do, which is how it should work. Things like this are why the word synergy was invented.
If you want a brief synopsis of this book, it's about the Vietnam War, following an american soldier from start to I suppose finish, and a Vietnamese soldier. By choosing to tell both stories it really gets at the main problems we had in Vietnam so much more clearly than many of the works of fiction out there on the topic. And it's so obvious a conciet, one wonders why it wasn't done to this degree before. The book is also full of ghosts and gore--it has this psychedlic horror film quality that can't be escaped, and I'm looking forward to more and more fluctations of the reality of the book.
Tremendous book that is worth picking up now, and then buying again when it comes out in trade.

Dr. Strange # 1
Brian K. Vaughn-Marcos Martin
The other great book of the month is Brian K. Vaughn's Dr. Strange book. Dr. Strange has never been a huge favorite character of mine. Honestly he just kind of shows up and then leaves in a lot of books, I really didn't know that much about him. I knew OF him. Knew he was one of the power houses of the marvel universe, but it feels like his story has never really been told. And in Vaughn we have the perfect voice to tell it.

The humor in this book is fantastic. Yes Vaughn does lay the seeds for a real pathos to Stephen Strange, but it's the witty banter between the supporting characters and Strange that make the book. Strange plays a really great straight man and Vaughn seems to know this. It's not to say this is a comedy book, but you laugh while reading it. Vaughn has made Strange into an immenietly likeable character and he already is very believeable. It's really a neat little book to get into, and I really do hope that Vaughn stays with it for awhile, as I think once he leaves this character is going to die. I don't think there's anyone in the comic's world who could write Dr. Strange this well....well actually, thinking on it, Jason Aaron might be able to do it...that would be an interesting book...(note to self, send note to Marvel).

The Boys # 3
Garth Ennis-Darick Robertson
I'm begining to think this would be a good book to read in trades. It is taking all parts of forever to get going. Issue three is more of the same from issue two. More blabber about all the bad things the Boys are going to do, a lot of standing around looking menacing--and not a whole lot of doing. I think this might play out better in the pace of a trade. As a monthly the only thing that gets you through are the crude sex and violence jokes. Ennis has yet to really show his hand as to what he might be up to.
We've yet to get the notion that we're a part of a larger more important story and that this isn't just going to be some episodic joke of the month thing. I trust Ennis, but it is certainly possible that the man has lost some of the great romanticism from his early work that made him so great. Preacher wasn't great because of the gore and over the top humor, that was good, but it was the underlying theme of friendship that pulled that book through. I guess I can see that potential with Mother's Milk, but it's tough. Issue 4 will give us the first taste of The Boys doing their business I think, so this story should be off and rocking soon.

Incredible Hulk # 99
Greg Pak-Aaron Lopresti
HULK SMASH!
HULK RIP OFF SPARTACUS AND GLADIATOR POORLY!
HULK DIALOUGE INCONSISTENT!

I wish I could stop reading this title, but somehow I like it. I want to see how it ends. Kudos to Pak for creating a what is on the surface a very mediocre book, but is impossible to put down once you've started the series.

Eternals # 4; Cable/Deadpool 32; Civil War: Frontline #5, 6

Eternals #4 of 6
by Neil Gaiman, John Romita Jr.
I'd love to summarize this book for you. I really would. Give you a feel of just what it's about. But honestly, my brain hurts just trying to think my way through all the crazy jargon. The book is based on Jack Kirby's work by the same name, which I haven't read, but would now like to. At its core the story is basically about some super-powered godheads that had forgotten who they were, now starting to remember bit by bit. Four issues in, and not a whole mess of a lot has happened. The coolest thing that has taken place could have gone down, hell has gone down, in a Flash book.

On the whole, this whole "I forgot who I am" "oh yeah I'm one of the most powerful beings in the universe" trend is kind of annoying. Whatever happened to Spider bites and radioactive waste? Forgetting your powers is lame. Powers aren’t like keys.

The characters in and of themselves are interesting, but we're moving at a snails pace here. There's two issues left, and there's still not a clearly defined conflict here. There's this Russian-like government takeover happening in one of the side stories, I guess, but blegh, even the font they use for the dialogue is boring.

I am being patient though. It's not like Neil Gaiman doesn't know how to tell a story. But frankly, if Gaiman's name weren't on the cover I would have given up at issue two.

The real star of the book is John Romita Jr. I just love to look at this book. Where Neil's story and dialogue are kind of boring and stuck in the mud, JRJR is handling his business. I'd almost recommend getting it just for his sake.

Honestly this is a book for the trade paperback collection. It really doesn't do much as a monthly, there are better things you could be doing, and the story will probably be more enjoyable to read as a big chunk then in a lot of little pieces. So I say...wait for it.

Cable/Deadpool # 32
This is a book that you don't wait for trade to pick up. Hell even if it came out, buying the trade just seems silly. Cable/Deadpool for me is something of a guilty pleasure. It's really not good enough to rave about, but it scratches a nice itch. Deadpool makes me giggle, and he looks cool. I like Cable's god complex, so long as Deadpool is there to challenge him.

It's really not a book you need constant updates on because issue 31 is a lot like issue 32. It's the same sort of situations. Same sort of jokes. But it's the kind of same I like. Like once when I was little my mom used to make these triple decker sandwiches for my lunch, and though it was the same thing day in and day out, I was happy to eat it for a good two years in 3rd and 4th grade. Cable/Deadpool is like that.

I'd probably get tired of it in a trade paperback, but spread out over a month, it's just a nice non-serious book, even if it is Civil War related. In fact the attempts at being serious in issue 32, don't reaaaally work. But I like them, because they are cute.

Civil War Frontline #5, #6
Have to admit up front, don't keep up with Frontline that well. I think I read #2 before this or something. It's a very uneven book. The sleeper cell section I hate. Embedded is sometimes interesting. And the other story, I don't like Speedball, so that's kind of out the window. But I guess at the end of the day what we end up with here, is a book that is greater than the sum of it's parts. If it devoted the entire book to any of these sections, it would get tedious. But since it breaks it up, it's kind of manageable.

I don't think much in this book has to be known to enjoy the regular Civil War book.

And every book ends with some sort of re-contextualization of Civil War into a historical event of the month. All with a nice poem or something over the top. Spiffy. Issues Five and Six used the Civil War, and World War II. And I believe one of the issues I read used the holocaust. And okay...the main thing to note is that these sections suck. There's no way around it. They are a bore to read. They are pretentious as all get-out. And frankly, they are even more than a little offensive—both to the events themselves, and comic books by reflection. It seems like you are either making light of the historical atrocity by comparing it to some men in tights, or you are making fun of the heroes we all love by putting them next to some real world atrocities. Either point is bothersome, and the fact that I think of both while I'm reading the book makes it especially painful.

The strange thing is, the stories I've read about heroes like Wolverine or Captain America in an actual historical setting, dealing with these same events, when they are more couched into the period they are being depicted--doesn't bother me, and in fact it works marvelously (no pun intended). I think the reason why this fails so badly is because there are three elements to all of them: whatever jackrabbit poem is put over the top of the section, the historical event, and the superhero event. And it seems that never shall the three meet. Also it is all very heavy handed. Perhaps if it were done a little more subtly, it might work. But then again, subtlety has never been Paul Jenkins strong point. If ever there were a hit and miss writer it would be him. It seems he only knows one style, and it fails except for those few times when everything happens to match up and it's beautiful. Well right now it's failing. Badly. I'd rather those three pages be used to advertise sea monkeys or something.

So yeah. Civil War Frontline: meh.

Pride of Baghdad

By Brian K. Vaughn, Niko Henrichon

Pride of Baghdad is a straight to graphic novel book based on the true story of a quartet of lions who escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombing of the city in April of 2003, written by the can-do-no-wrong letters of Brian K. Vaughn(Runaways, Y: The Last Man, Deus Ex Machina), and expertly drawn by Niko Henrichon, whose work I don’t think I’m familiar with.

The book essentially puts under the microscope the whole notion of giving a people it’s freedom at the barrel of a gun. A talking point for the campaign this book ain’t. Pride of Baghdad is always working on several levels like all good allegories, and when it succeeds, it succeeds like a ice block gut shot blowing out the spine—it’s a book that while relatively short, keeps you constantly thinking, grounding every event back into the wider context the book is asking us to—that the conclusion sneaks up on you. And it’s conclusion is so good that it is the primary reason why this book will probably be regarded as one of the most important graphic novels in recent times.

Really this is a no-brainer, and I question why I’m even bothering to review this book. This should be a two word reviews: Go buy.

I think all ages can appreciate this book. It has a timeless quality, that while it is pretty specific to the Iraq War on the surface, it is also, at the end of the day, about issues which will come up, especially with guys like George Bush and Saddam Hussein running around(sadly people like that are also timeless).

At the end of the day, as the Lion Noor rightly quotes, “Freedom can’t be given, only earned”. As the world begins to question more and more the worth of the “liberation” of the Iraqi people, Brian K. Vaughn’s log on the fire, is more than welcome in these quarters, and I would suppose anyone with half a heart would at least be somewhat swayed by the contents of this book.

Oh and the turtle’s speech in the first half of the book, could be easily cribbed out of a Cormac McCarthy novel, it’s that good.

Go buy.

Batman 655, 656, 657

Batman 655, 656, 657
by Grant Morrison, Joe Kubert

Senor Morrison. Opens up with Batman right in the thick of it. Batman pulls out a gun(huh? Wha? Wait a minute) and shoots Joker in the face. It's so surreal that you almost expect it to be a dream. And then when Batman tosses the body into the garbage...Well we know we're dealing with a Grant Morrison book.

The art isn't as good as some of the more stylized takes on Batman that I've seen. But it's passable. The writing is not as strong as some of Morrison's other work. We're missing a certain grit here. I feel like I should be disturbed by Gordon when he's gone nuts, but it's just kinda "meh". Morrison can do loony-bin better.Tim Drake is annoying. I can't pin it down precisely, but his dialogue is so whiny.However the interactions between Bruce Wayne and Alfred are very good. More Alfred this book needs!Anyways.

I'll probably try and follow it because it's Morrison we're talking about here, and right now I think he's just getting things started, the real fun should be a couple issues down the line. Though the next issue's cover has Batman fighting Ninja, Were-Bats on the cover. Which honestly....is promising.

And then I read 656. Woo za. This is the book I imagined when I saw Morrison's name on the cover. The bulk of the book is just Batman fighting the aforementioned Ninja Were-Bats(A brilliant combination by the way) but probably the best words for it are: And HOW. The fight takes place in a comic book art exhibit, so there are constant intertextual moments of brilliance between the fight as it is happening and the classic comic book panels presented in the background. The entire thing is delariously delicious, and I reccomend it to children of all ages.

To add further spice to this dish Morrison takes the age old Batman staple of the gritty first person narrative during a fight, and takes it to absurd new heights. The metaphors he has Batman using to describe Ninja Were-Bats weilding katanas are surreal.

All the while Frank Quietly's art just sings across the page in concert. Every note is hit, it's an amazing symphony of the absurd.

All of these things lead up to a dramatic conclusion, which could have a major effect on where the character goes from here...

That conclusion is primarily what 657 deals with. So to say, Batman is a daddy, and his son is an assassin trained psychotic arrogant snarky jerk of a bastard--which kind of erases any doubt as to whether or not Batman is the real father. The boy named Damien(appropriatly) begins to put his wrecking ball to Wayne Mansion, Alfred, and Robin.

657 slows back down to 655 speed, but because of the explosive tastes of 656, the break is perfect. This is a book to be making the effort to check out. Besides having important cannonical things happening, it's also just a barrell of fun. This is the kind of book that you read on a Monday and it feels like a Friday.

As a side note, I absolutely love this kind of Batman story that we're getting right now. This Talia, Ras, Son of Demon type story has been missing from Batman for awhile it feels like, and rather unexpectedly, I'm REALLY enjoying it. I'm actually now hoping the movie goes down this kind of supernatural bend. It's a lot of fun.