Hope your Easter celebrations went well. As for me, I read and reviewed five whole comics in two days, and amazingly didn’t lose any of the fun. However, I was planning to have this all done so I could enjoy my vacation (in between all the not-as-fun projects I haven’t had time to get done) and not have to worry about it. Guess what?
Spoiler-free at ComiXology. Spoilerific follows:
Supergirl: Cosmic Adv. in the 8th Grade #5 (of 6)
PUBLISHER: DC Comics [June 2009]
WRITER: Landry Q. Walker
ARTIST: Eric Jones
LETTERER: Pat Brosseau
COLORING: Joey Mason
EDITORS: Jann Jones and Elisabeth V. Gehrlein
ASSIST. EDITOR: Simona Martore
Graduation day should be good news for Linda Lee, alias Kara Zor-El. However, everything goes downhill just as soon as her double from an alternate time-line drops by with her flying horse. (That never ends well.) “Supragirl” and Supergirl must team up to keep a major calamity from happening, which starts with Belinda being given the ability to turn people into Bizarro minions, given to her by the principal. Then Lena Thorul regains her memory of Linda’s true identity, creates her own brainwashed army, and frees Lex Luthor, her brother (shock? Maybe if your 5) from prison and captures Superman. Streaky also gets involved as the principal is revealed to be…Mxypltlik? Kind of looks like him.
What they got right: Everything. Seriously, just…everything! Most if not all the secrets are revealed here, Belinda and Lena go over the edge, Supergirl teams with her Legion of Super Heroes counterpart from another timeline (ah, when time travel was fun), Bizarro minions, brainwashed minions, more Superman and Lex…WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?
What they got wrong: Still insisting this is a mini-series, although Lena’s reminding us about summer vacation and 9th grade does give me hope.
Recommendation: Please don’t let me down, Johnny DC. Let’s make Cosmic Adventures on Summer Vacation and Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade a reality!
Transformers: Defiance #4 (FINAL ISSUE)
PUBLISHER: IDW [April 2009]
WRITER/LETTERER: Chris Mowry
PENCILERS: Dan Khanna & Andrew Griffith
INKERS: Andrew Griffith & John Wycough
COLORISTS: Josh Perez
EDITORS: Andy Schmidt & Denton J. Tipton
Optimus Prime has formed a resistance movement, the Autobots, to counter Megatron’s new “Decepticon” forces. Megatron’s mysterious master has ordered the construction of a spaceship dubbed Nemesis to find a mysterious object that compliments the All-Spark. (To say any more would spoil the movie, as some of us are sure certain revelations here are spoilers for the next movie.) The rest we already know, as the Autobots launch the All-Spark to keep it out of Megatron’s hands, he follows it, and the rest of the first movie and prequels happen, except for a quick meeting between Megatron and his master (again, possible movie spoiler there).
What they got right: First may I say it’s about time they found artists whose styles compliment each other rather than clash and take you out of the story. (As noted in my reviews of last month’s All Hail Megatron and Maximum Dinobots issues.) Like the other Revenge of the Fallen prequel, Alliance, this appears to properly set-up the upcoming movie, although how well I won’t be able to say until the movie itself comes out in June.
What they got wrong: If certain things are indeed spoilers for certain revelations for the upcoming movie, that will be a shame, although my crew, who don’t read Transformers comics, will be all surprised. I understand the requirement for the narrative, but between this and the fact that the adaptation of the second movie will all be published before the movie comes out, it’s kind of bothersome.
Recommendation: Pick it up, but don’t read it until after you’ve seen the movie.
Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #50
PUBLISHER: Marvel [June 2009]
WRITER: Marc Sumerak
PENCILER: Sandford Greene
INKER: Nathan Massengill
COLORIST: A. Street
LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
PRODUCTION: Tom V.C.
COVER ARTIST: Patrick Scherberger
CONSULTING: Ralph Macchio
EDITOR: Nathan Cosby
It’s Peter Parker’s 16th birthday, but there’s not much to say about it. He wins a contest for a free birthday celebration (Yay!) at a superhero-themed restaurant that everybody’s too busy to show up for (boo). Then the new Sinister Six show up and give Spider-Man a present (yay)…no, wait that’s a beat down (boo). So he takes them down and give the police a supercriminal present (yay), and ends up at his empty house (awwww), except it’s not empty, but has all his friends (and JJ and Flash) to wish him a happy birthday (are we at “yay” again?). There also a back-story involving Peter having a nightmare, but the less said about that the better.
What they got right: It’s a typical milestone comic. Bring back all the popular foes to give the hero a hassle during some big occasion.
What they got wrong: It’s a typical milestone comic. Bring back all the popular foes to give the hero a hassle during some big occasion. Additionally, Peter gets his “loser” depiction which to me (but apparently most Spider-Writers is) isn’t what Spidey is all about, even as Peter. You actually feel sorry for him for no good reason. Ok, so the contest he wins is at a lame Chuck E. Cheese wannabe eatery, but not six people could be willing to spend the day with him while everyone else sets up one birthday cake in his kitchen? Really? This is why I hate the surprise party trope. It’s always the same story: character’s friends want to surprise him, so they pretend to forget the day entirely, or pretend to be too busy to care, so they can set up the party without him/her knowing. Character feels like nobody cares, and in his/her dispair becomes easy prey for the bad guys, but friends end up proving their friendship somehow, and everyone has fun at the party. I’m getting tired of it. Also the nightmare story wants to be cute with it’s little rhyming bit, but it just fails to impress me, and I can still read a Dr. Seuss story like it’s another book and not a “kids book”.
Recommendation: Maybe I’m just spoiled by the other MA titles I read, but Spidey doesn’t even live up on his own 50th issue special. More for an MA:Spidey completist.
Transformers Spotlight: Drift
PUBLISHER: IDW [April 2009]
WRITER: Shane McCarthy
ARTIST: Casey Coller
COLORIST: Joana Lafuente
LETTERER: Chris Mowry
EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton
On a space station, mercenaries are given a payoff for giving the location of an approaching Decepticon ship. The buyer is Drift, a former Decepticon looking to redeem himself. He is off to rescue a group of captured Autobots, but so is Kup and his forces–and Kup’s team lacks in stealth. The ships commander is Drift’s former leader, and Drift hands the Decepticon a major defeat. With the Autobots rescued, Kup offers Drift a chance to join the Autobots under his leadership and the warrior agrees.
What they got right: This is Shane McCarthy’s “baby”, so he had better get it right to make us like this guy. Luckily, he pulls it off. Drift is a warrior of honor in the Dinobot mold (Beast Wars version), but less hot headed. I want to say this is a “redemptive samurai” story in the Kurosawa style, but since all I’ve seen are stories based on his movies, it’s a mere guess on my part. Still, it’s believable, the story is well paced and the art is great. Also, we get some clue as to why Kup isn’t still a drooling coma patient, per his own Spotlight series, something McCarthy’s All Hail Megatron has not given us as of late.
What they got wrong: I still say that will all the G1 figures that NEVER saw characterization, but the toy has at least a cult following of fans, there had to be somebody that McCarthy could have used instead of making his own. Drift really isn’t needed in the G1 TFU, and ends up almost like a fanfic character, albeit a decent one.
Recommendation: McCarthy succeeds in making his character work, even if he isn’t exactly needed. A good story, and one worth reading.
And now, two comics that have been sitting in my pull folder since my back went wack and messed up my collection.
The Incredibles: Family Matters #1 (of 4)
PUBLISHER: Boom Studios/Boom Kids [March 2009]
WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Marcio Takara
COLORIST: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERER: Jose Macasocal, Jr.
EDITOR: Paul Morrisey
COVER ARTISTS: Michael Avon Deming (a-d) and Mike Mignola (e)
COVER COLORIST: Mick Filardi (a-d)
After a battle with Futur1on, Mr. Incredible is becoming rather irritable with his team/family, but there’s a deeper issue. He ends up leaving a barbecue with the neighbors when Dash realizes the robot may have left one of his trademark “devolution bombs” activated and ready to go off. He later confides to Frozone that he seems to be losing his powers.
What they got right: Mark Waid doesn’t usually write my kind of stories, but here he does start off rather well. He actually seems to have watched the movie (which I love, by the way) before writing this story. I’m hoping the character don’t devolve themselves into something resembling the beginning of the movie rather than the end of it. The art invokes the likenesses of the CG character models, but isn’t trying to be a 2-D translation of the 3-D characters. Instead, Takara remembers he’s drawing a 2-D comic book and the art is all the better for it. I’m also curious to see what role, if any, the Parr family’s new neighbors play into the story.
What they got wrong: Let me see if I have this straight. You have four covers that, when place together, form one big piece of artwork. Not a bad idea for a miniseries or story arc. You also have a four issue miniseries. Good. SO WHY THE BLOODY HECK DID THEY DECIDE TO MAKE ALL FOUR COVERS VARIANTS OF THE SAME ISSUE…IN A KID-TARGETED SERIES! This is just all kinds of stupid! Then you have the Mike Mignola-penned fifth cover off somewhere as well. This is just stupidity at it’s finest, and Boom Kids gets major points off for it!
Recommendation: A good start to both the series and the new kid-friendly line. Worth picking up.
The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #1
PUBLISHER: Moonstone [2009 no month ever given by Moonstone]
WRITER: Mike Bullock
STORY CONSULTANT: David Michelinie
PENCILER: Silvestry Szilagyi
INKER: Sergio Mulko
COLORIST: Bob Pedroza
LETTERER: Josh Aitken
EDITOR: Joe Gentile
COVER ARTISTS: Joe Corroney (a), Vivek Goel(b), Sy Barry(c, with Art Lyon on colors, black and white version of c used for cover d)
In Iran, a terrorist group is formed, supposedly to take on Iran. However, their first move is on a pleasure ship headed to Kenya. That’s foiled by the Phantom, who is on his way to see his wife and an old friend of the family, Dr. Axel. However, “the Cleansing” people have already taken over a UN ship and the cruise ship’s crew, and a combination suicide bombing and blowing up the ship cause a panic on the dock, and may have killed Kit!
What they got right: Mike Bullock starts off with a bang (literally), as always. With him involved, and former Iron Man scribe David Michelinie involved, the new direction is sure to be in good hands. The same art team is here as well, and it’s still a good as always. As a bonus, we get a cover by former Phantom strip artist Sy Barry, long since retired. Plus there’s a “Behind the Mask” feature on him by Moonstone’s other consultant, Ed Rhoades.
What they got wrong: Variant covers? Again with the variant covers! Not usually a Moonstone thing, so why here? You have a cover by a legendary series artist. Do you really need the other two, much less a color-less variant? Really?
Recommendation: A good choice for any fan of the Ghost Who Walks. This is a team that knows what it’s doing by experience, and Micheline’s addition can only be a good thing, even with the “darker” direction they’ve planned for the series. I’m looking forward to it.
Best Scene(s) Of The Week
Supergirl: Cosmic Adv. in the 8th Grade #5
That's right! I couldn't choose just one!
First time I ever made an animation like this. (I did make one with a blinking character and some TARDIS animations, though.) I also blame this in part for not getting this done Saturday night. I hope to have the next review on Sunday as usual, but that depends on how the vacation week goes. I still have two more days to cover so I can enjoy the rest of the week.
BW Media Spotlight 