Another decent-sized week with three of the comics I got being reviewed for CBR (ones I would have bought anyway) and six left over to be briefly discussed here. Also, as a bonus this week, I'm including what my girlfriend Michelle thinks of each issue's cover (all semi-quoted/paraphrased). Why? Because her comments amuse me. I may do this every week... who knows, we'll see.
The Boys #40: Darick Robertson's art is subdued in this issue. A little flat and less detailed... it actually reminds me a bit of the John McCrea/Keith Burns stuff we've seen in the title. A byproduct of Robertson's busy schedule or a conscious effort to bridge the gap? I'm betting the former, but the latter is a somewhat positive side-effect. With this issue beginning the 'Legion of Super-Heroes' parody arc, I kind of hope Tim decides to do a new edition of his essay books in the future, so I can do an essay about Legion parodies, focusing on this and that Marshall Law one. Butcher's reaction to Hughie and Annie's relationship isn't what I expected... and just shows how sad his life has been. Of course he'd think Hughie is working for the other side -- it's what he's been taught to expect when something like this happens. Damn. This arc looks like a possible game-changer with it being very similar to "We Gotta Go Now" in many ways. [***1/2]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "Okay, that's a little too graphic for me. Yeah, I can't tell if he's screaming at the heart or wanting to eat it?"
Demo #2: I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. Reminded me of a short film in a way that other Demo issues haven't as much for me. Very minimalist and suggestive. The ending left me with a few questions, but not in a bad way. I like Becky Cloonan's art a lot when she goes for the heavier, blockier style that's a little more impressionistic, less detailed oriented. [****1/2]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "Is he supposed to be a person or a vampire? It looks very animated, hair swooshing, shirt wrinkled because he's hunched over, I like the way it's drawn a lot. It looks alive even though he doesn't look alive."
The Great Ten #5: A really lacklustre issue. The focus on August General in Iron doesn't illuminate him as much as previous issues have shed light on other members of the group. This is a very explanation-heavy issue and not Scott McDaniel's strongest work of the series. It's very muddled and less polished than previous issues. An obvious turning point, but not compelling or engaging. [**]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "I don't like it at all, because the colours look really bland. It looks like it's on newspaper. Not very alluring."
Greek Street #9: This issue really had me interested throughout. I don't know why. It seems like things were happening more in this issue, that every scene mattered and was pushing the story forward. I'm not sure how well things work on the macro, but everything in this issue was gripping and well executed. Is this book finally hitting its stride? Davide Gianfelice's art continues to get better -- stronger and bolder. His line work is clearer and more concise, his images pop off the page. I wish the colouring wasn't so dreary, but that's Vertigo for you. [****]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "I don't even know what the hell is going on here."
Nemesis: The Imposters #1: Weird and trippy, but a little disappointing. No real sense of the GPA in this issue, but the transition in the middle of the issue was done quite well. The use of the Joker is intriguing. Cliff Richards has really upped his game. The art is very fluid and, almost, dreamlike, a big improvement over his work on Escape. [***]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "Oh. That just kind of makes me a little nauseous. I think because it looks really real. Except the bomb doesn't look real. Yeah, it looks kind of silly with the bomb there."
Ultimate Comics Avengers #5: A couple of writing tics annoyed me. On facing pages, the Wasp says "...that was kinda me" and the Red Skull says "That would be me" and that just bothers me... it doesn't feel right or what a good writer would do. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard action comic. The stuff with the French made me roll my eyes. Carlos Pacheco's art is always a little problematic for me as he veers betwee gorgeous, fantastic images and generic, bland bullshit. Curious to see how this ends and looking forward to the next series with Leinil Francis Yu on art. [***]
Michelle's thoughts on the cover: "This is just a bland cover. It's not really telling a story of anything. It's just good against evil... and boring at the same time."
Plus, here are Michelle's thoughts on the covers of the other three books I got this week...
First Wave #1: "It looks like another newsprinty one. There's a lot of really good details in, but they should have used more colour, because the normal guy (Brass) looks like Batman. They just blend into the background."
Sparta U.S.A. #1: "Same as First Wave minus newsprinty..." (The printed cover's colours aren't as distinct and differentiated, it does look messier and more muddled than the online version.)
Detective Comics #862: "Whoah! Batwoman Detective Comics? This is a cover that would make me want to open it up and look inside. Yeah, that's weird. I like it!"
Later
A Tribute to artist Mark “Doc” Bright
1 hour ago
