Spider-Man: Lifeline #1
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artists: Steve Rude and Bob Wiacek
Published by Marvel Comics
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
See, I just don't pay attention. I thought from the retro-style artwork I'd seen in previews that this was some sort of period piece, but come to find out, it's as current as Mary Jane being dead and Arthur Stacy being a part of the supporting cast. Despite the nods to the disastrous Mackie/Byrne axis of Spidey continuity, this is a good read.
The disappointing part, of course, is not getting to see Steve Rude do three issues featuring Spidey's true love, Gwen Stacy. That would be a real treat, speaking as a Gwen fan from way back.
We do see Gwendy in flashbacks, in a terrific sequence that gives Rude a chance to really strut his stuff. It recalls John Romita Sr.'s beloved run on the character, but still has the grace and sheen that is the hallmark of everything rude touches.
Nicieza's story is a traditional Spider-Man tale, including many characters we haven't seen in a while, such as Hammerhead, and a return for a major supporting character on the last page that really is a welcome surprise. Nicieza gives us a plausible reason for this character's involvement in these events, and overall it promises for an engaging three issues.
Nicieza's never really been one of my favourite writers, but here he shows an understanding of how a Spider-Man story works, and his partnering with Rude for this storyline makes for a fun reading experience.
I know a lot of people have been enjoying Paul Jenkins on Peter Parker: Spider-Man, but I've consistently been put off by the constant reminders there of the lousy, wrongheaded direction Howard Mackie and John Byrne forced Spider-Man into after the brutally ham-handed, "Let's just end this," ending of the Clone Saga. While Lifeline takes place in that continuity, it does not depend upon it, and the lively script and gorgeous artwork make this, truly, the first Spider-Man story I've enjoyed in years.
The Defenders #2
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Writers: Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen
Artists: Erik Larsen and Klaus Janson
Published by Marvel Comics
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
I liked the first issue of this title, but there were enough people who complained about it online that I was a little nervous about its ability to secure and maintain an audience. If everyone who bought and wasn't won over by the first issue will check this one out, I think they'll change their minds. This is a great, fun read from beginning to end.
I assume Erik Larsen is still writing the Hulk's lines here, and I have to congratulate him for giving me my first laugh-out-loud moment of 2001. I won't spoil it for you, but it comes from the long, uneasy relationship between the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk. The best humour comes from character, and Busiek and Larsen are delivering that in spades here.
It's not all yocks, though -- we learn more about the curse that forces the Defenders together here, and longtime Defenders readers will enjoy the sequences with Nighthawk, Hellcat, and especially, Valkyrie.
I love Busiek and Larsen's characterizations of these folks and the various ways in which they interact. This is probably the best title Marvel has going for it right now other than The Avengers, and I sincerely hope it finds the audience it deserves. I know a lot of my enjoyment is the nostalgia factor; Busiek's encyclopedic knowledge of the Marvel Universe coupled with Larsen's Kirby-esque excesses are a terrific combination. It doesn't feel like a retread to me, though, but rather a tribute to the best Marvel had to offer at one time. I don't mean the original Defenders title, really, but rather the non-stop sense of fun and excitement that the best of the Silver Age had to offer.
It's not at the expense of new readers, though -- if Marvel can find a way to get this title into the hands of young readers, I have to think they'll be as won over as I am. This is a visually appealing, dynamic title that is a joy to read, and Marvel is to be congratulated for taking a chance on a non-team that everyone wrote off as yesterday's news a long, long time ago.
That includes me. There hasn't been a story featuring the Silver Surfer or Doctor Strange that I have enjoyed in at least a decade. That's changed now, much to my surprise and delight. Give The Defenders a chance. It's classic American superhero comics at its best.
The Monarchy #1
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Writer: Doselle Young
Artists: John McCrea and Garry Leach
Published by DC/Wildstorm
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
With DC/Wildstorm's best title, The Authority on hold until this summer, The Monarchy is sure to get a lot of attention it might not otherwise have garnered. Before the recent, forced hiatus of The Authority, I was certainly interested to see what this new title held in store; now, it's the default standard-bearer for the Authority axis, and as such, the repository for the hopes of many that this franchise hasn't been totally fucked up by recent events.
So, how does it hold up?
This series was previewed a couple of months back in The Authority, in an issue that presented more questions than it answered about the future of former Stormwatch Weatherman Jackson King and his new team. If you're expecting answers in this first issue, you're pretty much out of luck, although the questions are intriguing enough to keep me coming back next issue.
This will certainly feel like familiar territory for Authority readers, with the first page depicting "The Throne," a "shift-fortress," apparently related in some way to the Authority's Carrier, a trans-dimensional shiftship. We're presented with a Jackson King that leads "The Throne," but it's not clear if this is an alternate or future version of "our" Jackson.
There are plenty of alternate versions and homages here, coming at a time when the market is literally flooded with Authority knock-offs and tributes. From X-Man to Action Comics, this has been done to death lately. The only saving grace here is the genuine connection to the parent title, and my hope that Young and McCrea actually have something new to say about this new sub-genre of superhero comics. As it is, The Monarchy seems to be about policing the multiverse established in The Authority, but it remains to be seen if I'm right about that, and if so, if that's a concept that can support a series in the long run.
McCrea and Leach's artwork is excellent for the most part, although not as suitable to this sort of widescreen, cosmic storytelling as their predecessors, Bryan Hitch and Frank Quitely. Young's characterizations are fine, although these don't quite seem to be the same Jackson and Christine we got from Warren Ellis, in their Stormwatch glory days.
This isn't Stormwatch, though, and it isn't The Authority. For readers who miss those titles, though, right now this is all we have. Like it or not, Young and McCrea have inherited a weighty responsibility, and this first issue has me intrigued, but not yet entirely won over. I'm hopeful that as the series unfolds, we'll see a concrete vision and purpose come through that will make this worthwhile. There's nothing here to suggest that won't happen, but as I say, I'm not entirely convinced yet.
The Crusades: Urban Decree
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Writer: Steven T. Seagle
Artists: Kelley Jones and Jason Moore
Published by DC/Vertigo
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
Well, this one gets points for originality, I guess. There aren't many comics about a knight from the Crusades coming to the 21st Century and having a radio shock jock as a supporting character.
I wish the comic were as interesting as the premise, but it isn't. Radio shock jock Anton Marx is ridiculously over the top, with his "shock jock" personality "on" at all times, and Jones's depiction of the character as even more ridiculous, with virtually every shot featuring some bizarre contortion of Marx's face, as if he is some sort of radio demon. It's as if Seagle and Jones once heard about some outrageous radio host, and decided to make it all up from there. Given the fantastic element of the knight in the present day, it would greatly help if the title were otherwise grounded in some sense of reality. Marx is a ridiculous caricature, and greatly undermines the story.
Jones and Moore turn in some nice panels, but the Wrightson-esque moodiness of some panels is cancelled out by the ridiculous contortions of most of the characters faces, with an over-emphasis on gaping mouths, huge noses, and the like.
I do like the character of Venus, Marx's assistant/secret girlfriend, and the historic asides she seems to drift into occasionally are an interesting element. Additionally, the question of who this knight is and what he's doing in the 21st Century are intriguing. It's too bad virtually all the other characters in the book (gross shock-jock, slimy mobsters) are so stereotyped and ludicrous.
This is an intriguing-looking title judging by the cover, but on the inside, its creators don't quite seem to know if they want to create a gritty urban fantasy or a wacky parody of same. The art and writing seem to be working at cross-purposes, and if the regular title contains more of the same, I'm sorry to say I'll have to give this one a pass.
Weird Western Tales #1 (of 4)
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Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Published by DC/Vertigo
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
Westerns seem to be the new way for mainstream comics companies to prove "We're not just superheroes anymore!" Last week it was El Diablo, this week, DC resurrects its Weird Western Tales title (which I think once featured El Diablo, come to think of it). The trap, of course, is that the western characters almost invariably get turned into a type of superhero, making the entire exercise, well, kind of pointless. This issue isn't pointless, and in fact has some real appeal, without too much superheroic interference.
There are three pieces here, two standard comics tales and one illustrated text piece. Of the three, I liked the text piece the best. "Serial Hero" is written and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, and is a nifty little deconstruction of the American Lone Ranger mythos...not so much the mythos of the character, as of the actor that portrayed him on TV, Clayton Moore.
Gibbons crafts a tale of a washed-up TV actor who gets one last shot to be a hero, and who takes perhaps a little too much glee in the opportunity. It's a testament to the excellence of the piece that I was unable to skip over it -- the illustrations are excellent but few, but it's the writing that is the real attraction here. It's a small tale, but Gibbons tell it extraordinarily well, and finds a real voice in a usually-irrelevant form, the comics text piece.
Paul Pope's "Tall Tale," is the one story that nods to the superhero genre, but not in a way I can explain here without giving away the story's hook. Suffice to say, Pope creates a humourous twist to the "Young gun comes to town to challenge the old gunslinger," story, and the superheroic element is brief and eminently forgiveable. Additionally, the very nature of "tall tales," allows for some extraordinary elements, so the story is as traditional as it is deconstructive.
Finally, Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett turn in perhaps the most traditional western tale, "This Gun For Hire." As you might expect from this team, this is an entertaining piece, about a pioneer who discovers the need for and power of a gun in the old west. The story feels like a try-out for a regular feature, sort of a western 100 Bullets, and I wouldn't mind seeing this team expand on this concept.
I'm not sure if these creators will be back for the next three issues of this miniseries, but I'd more than welcome any or all of them. One way or the other, though, I look forward to seeing what the rest of the series holds in store.
Gen 13 #62
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Writer: Adam Warren
Artists: Ed Benes, Vince Russell, and Derek
Fridolfs
Published by DC/Wildstorm
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
This isn't a title I've ever cared much about. Like most of the early Image titles, I dismissed it as watered down Marvel with a slick coat of paint courtesy of Jim Lee and his hired squad of imitators.
I've occasionally picked up an issue based on the strength of some individual creators, including Warren Ellis, Walt and Louise Simonson, and Alan Davis. While I always enjoy seeing work from such creators, nothing about those issues, or any other Gen 13 I've ever read, made me want to pick it up more regularly.
While this is an entertaining little tale, the trend continues. It's an amusing diversion, nothing more.
The storytelling style is a little unusual, with the entire tale being told through visits to a drive-thru window of a fast food joint. Warren uses this gimmick to offer a little insight into the (vacuous) inner lives of the team. After many trips to the fast food joint, a situation develops, and the team goes into action.
It's all very tongue in cheek, but entertainingly written and well drawn. Thankfully, the hideous Warren cover gives way to the Gary Frank-like work of Benes on the inside. If you're a fan of this title, you'll surely get a kick out of this outing. If you've never read it before and need to waste 8 minutes, you'll also probably find it a good read.
It's fluff, but it's engaging fluff, and I suppose there are worse things you could say about a comic book.
Transmetropolitan #43
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Writer: Warren Ellis
Artists: Derek Robertson and Rodney Ramos
Published by DC/Vertigo
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
Not much happens in this issue, despite some explosive action throughout. For example, the first four (!) pages are dedicated to one of Spider's assistants getting out of bed (!!). While Robertson and Ramos do as good a job as ever of depicting this earth-shaking event, one is left thinking perhaps these pages could have had...more?
I hate to throw stones at this title, because it is generally excellent, and I trust Ellis implicitly to work through his lulls and bring Transmetropolitan back to its usual compelling, biting relevance. Not the sort of old-fashioned and perhaps superficial relevance of the O'Neil/Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrows, but the genuine social commentary that has been a hallmark of this title.
We get another reminder that Spider Is Not Well, and then on page five, a spree killer begins picking off the luckless bastards who inhabit The City. Spider, as he is wont to do, detects something Not Quite Right in the sequence of events, and he and his Filthy Assistants head into the vicinity of the shootings.
Robertson and Ramos are at their best when they are depicting the many facets of sleaze and humanity of The City, but here are called upon to depict such events as explosions, crashes and shootings. They do it well enough, I suppose, but as I say, I'm left thinking not much really happens here, and plenty of space (perhaps too much) is given over to the wordless chaos.
On the other hand, this is the beginning of a three-part story, and I'm sure there will be much more to the tale in the next two installments. Additionally, of course, this is merely one sub-story in an overall arc set to conclude in a couple of years or so. Perhaps when I look at this story in retrospect, as one chapter among many, I won't be so disappointed. But as single issues go, like I say, not much happens here.
Wildcats #20
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Writer: Joe Casey
Artists: Steve Dillon
Published by DC/Wildstorm
Note: Scheduled for release Wednesday, February 14th, 2001
Federal agents track Maul, while Grifter looks for love in all the wrong places.
This is a fairly quiet issue, excellently drawn by Dillon. Wildcats is another one of those titles that I enjoy only if the creators involved are able to rise above the fairly derivative nature of the concept. Dillon is an excellent penciler, so I wanted to see what he did here.
As expected, he turns in his usual excellent work, making me care much more than I normally would about such characters as Grifter and Maul. Thankfully, they spend most of the issue in their civilian identities, giving Dillon a chance to draw some real people. There are armies of Image artists that couldn't even begin to handle a story like this, and it's a treat to see.
If I have any complaints about Dillon, it's that his panels are all-too-often framed on a straight-ahead axis, with very little variety along any plane but the strictly vertical and horizontal. A perfect example of where this can hurt his work is the panel where Maul punches Grifter into a wall. There's a lack of power to the image that a little change of pace from his usual panel and page design could have overcome.
On the whole, though, this is an entertaining beginning to a two-part story, with evil government spooks hunting Maul and one of those agents perhaps having a secret that we're likely to learn next issue. Also, I liked the scenes of Grifter hitting on the blonde in the bar. We rarely see quiet, human moments like this in mainstream comics, and in the hands of an artist actually capable of drawing ordinary people, it's a joy to behold.