Comics: DC One Year Later
Detective Comics: One Year Later - wow! Now this is Batman! James Robinson has been one of my favorite writers since I read his classic work The Golden Age, and he comes in and lends a touch of class and a classical mentality to part one of an eight part story, as the Batman mytos jump forward by one year. A number of great moments scattered throughout, the return of a number of much-missed supporting characters (Gordon! Bullock! Ivy! Dent!), and most of all - a return to a Batman who is a dark and grim hero, but NOT a through and through asshole as he's been portrayed in recent years. Kudos to Robinson, and great art by Leonard Kirk. My grade: A
Outsiders: One Year Later: ugh! Judd Winnick, former Real World Cast member and current go-to DC writer, is often wildly inconsistent and very annoying in his preachy writing and lame characterizations. Here we get both, and though longtime characters like Nightwing should feel familiar, here they just feel .. wrong. My grade: C
JSA: One Year Later - Paul Levitz, current DC head honcho, is a legend for his 1970's work on the Legion. But he hasn't written in years, and it shows on his latest JSA, which has a simplistic, dated feel that actually reads like it was written sometime in the 70's. Nice art by Identity Crisis' Rags Morales, and it' nice to see that the JSA has been largely un-messed with One Year Later, but this issue really made me hope that regular writer Geoff Johns returns ASAP. My grade:
Blood of the Demon: One Year Later: This overlooked gem is a great little horror comic, with spectacular artwork by comics legend John Bryne. Now many people, myself include, are wary of Bryne these days, as his writing and art over say, the last decade or so, has been, to put it mildly, pretty bad. His writing has become bland and uninspired, and his art has become loose, sketchy, and inconsistent. But wait, here, Bryne seems to be really having fun for the first time in years. His art is reinvigorated, and to put it simply, it is beautiful. And his writing is old school and over the top, sure, but in a horror comic like this, it actually works really well. Plus, the scripting is actually by rising star Will Pfeifer, so the dialogue is sharp and funny and engrossing. Most of all, this is a damn fun comic that is just totally over the top, ultra-violent, and a throwback to the kind of stuff that they just don't make anymore. The One Year Later story is actually a lot of fun as well. So for those who have given up on John Bryne, take a look at the Demon. My grade: A -
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis: One Year Later - yes, I said Aquaman. Look, I admit that Aquaman is goofy as hell, but look at who is making this comic! It's written by one of the great writers working today, Kurt Busiek, and drawn by Butch Guice, who is one of the premiere talents out there right now. So here we have a totally new take on Aquaman - a kind of underwater sword and sorcery epic that sees a new lead character (who he is part of the big mystery), thrown into an epic quest aided by a guy with tentacles for a beard and a huge beast who is a walking, talking shark! While the overly vague and mysterious opening was a little frustrating, it should be fun to see it all unraveled in future issues. Pretty damn cool, and thanks to the tight writing by Busiek and the spectacular art by one of my favorites, Guice, I am willing to see where this is going and not write it off as yet another attempt to revitalize a hopelessly silly character. Yes, they did it - they made Aquaman cool. Well, at least for now. My grade: B+
And yes, by reviewing an issue of an Aquaman comic book I have now sunk to the ninth circle of nerdiness, and I must sign off before I start reviewing unopened Battlestar Galactica action figures or give my two cents on the greatest Green Lanterns ever.
Outsiders: One Year Later: ugh! Judd Winnick, former Real World Cast member and current go-to DC writer, is often wildly inconsistent and very annoying in his preachy writing and lame characterizations. Here we get both, and though longtime characters like Nightwing should feel familiar, here they just feel .. wrong. My grade: C
JSA: One Year Later - Paul Levitz, current DC head honcho, is a legend for his 1970's work on the Legion. But he hasn't written in years, and it shows on his latest JSA, which has a simplistic, dated feel that actually reads like it was written sometime in the 70's. Nice art by Identity Crisis' Rags Morales, and it' nice to see that the JSA has been largely un-messed with One Year Later, but this issue really made me hope that regular writer Geoff Johns returns ASAP. My grade:
Blood of the Demon: One Year Later: This overlooked gem is a great little horror comic, with spectacular artwork by comics legend John Bryne. Now many people, myself include, are wary of Bryne these days, as his writing and art over say, the last decade or so, has been, to put it mildly, pretty bad. His writing has become bland and uninspired, and his art has become loose, sketchy, and inconsistent. But wait, here, Bryne seems to be really having fun for the first time in years. His art is reinvigorated, and to put it simply, it is beautiful. And his writing is old school and over the top, sure, but in a horror comic like this, it actually works really well. Plus, the scripting is actually by rising star Will Pfeifer, so the dialogue is sharp and funny and engrossing. Most of all, this is a damn fun comic that is just totally over the top, ultra-violent, and a throwback to the kind of stuff that they just don't make anymore. The One Year Later story is actually a lot of fun as well. So for those who have given up on John Bryne, take a look at the Demon. My grade: A -
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis: One Year Later - yes, I said Aquaman. Look, I admit that Aquaman is goofy as hell, but look at who is making this comic! It's written by one of the great writers working today, Kurt Busiek, and drawn by Butch Guice, who is one of the premiere talents out there right now. So here we have a totally new take on Aquaman - a kind of underwater sword and sorcery epic that sees a new lead character (who he is part of the big mystery), thrown into an epic quest aided by a guy with tentacles for a beard and a huge beast who is a walking, talking shark! While the overly vague and mysterious opening was a little frustrating, it should be fun to see it all unraveled in future issues. Pretty damn cool, and thanks to the tight writing by Busiek and the spectacular art by one of my favorites, Guice, I am willing to see where this is going and not write it off as yet another attempt to revitalize a hopelessly silly character. Yes, they did it - they made Aquaman cool. Well, at least for now. My grade: B+
And yes, by reviewing an issue of an Aquaman comic book I have now sunk to the ninth circle of nerdiness, and I must sign off before I start reviewing unopened Battlestar Galactica action figures or give my two cents on the greatest Green Lanterns ever.
posted by Danny B at 11:36 PM
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