In 2021 I’d like to cross over the 1,000 comics review barrier, meaning reviews that I (Mike Clarke a.k.a. pghhead) contribute to the blog. That’s what this odyssey is about, beginning January 01, 2021. Wish me luck. . . .
# GOAL FOR NOVEMBER 10 . . . 861 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 862 comics documented
A nostalgic trip back into the glory days of comics magazines. I miss them. Insightful articles, previews of upcoming titles, current checklists. Sure, you can get this information today via several websites, but it’s create the same sense of wonder.
This black & white magazine also featured reprints of the Star Wars (Archie Goodwin & Al Williamson) and Star Hawks (Archie Goodwin & Gil Kane) daily comic strips, as well as an October 1981 Comics Checklist (Coming Distractions) which only covered DC (32 titles), Marvel (33 titles) and Charlton (10 titles).
“Exploring Ka-zar’s Brave New World” previewed the excitement surrounding another re-boot of the hero. “Spider-Man: The Ditko Days” covered in detail the four years that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko collaborated on the early days of Spider-Man.
In “Shackled By Success”, a critical article on Superman, writer David M. Singer concludes “Perhaps - - the ultimate heresy - - Superman is too big a character for DC to handle, since the company really seems to have no idea what to do with him. Superman is still Number One, but the lesson DC should have learned with Captain Marvel is clear. Comic books must allow for change or the readers will change their comic books.” FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#809 BARACK PANTHER one-shot (Antarctic Press, 2018)
I normally avoid comics featuring political figures from reality. That’s not why I read comics. But when I do pick up the occasional curiosity (usually fished out of a bargain bin) I approach with low expectations. This was a silly but fun one-time read.
Former president Barack Obama has a nightmare in which the new leader dismantles his legacy. He meets his father in Africa and transforms into The Barack Panther, protector of the innocent, the guardian of righteousness. Nuff said.
THREE STARS.
#810 CAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS #2 of 3 (Jack Kirby Comics, September 2000)
A short trip back into the legacy of Jack Kirby. Black and white Kirby art, reminiscent of his Fantastic Four days and inked by Mike Thibodeaux and Mike Royer.
I would love to see this in color, but you can’t have everything. Story and dialogue by Jeremy Kirby, the less said about that the better.
THREE STARS.
#811 - #821 ROYALS #1 - #11 (Marvel, June 2017-January 2018) The Inhumans in space! Even though I missed the final issue, I can guess at the ending since it’s hinted at/foreshadowed throughout the storyline. A better than average super-powered team book from the imaginative mind of Al Ewing featuring four different artists with similar styles.
There’s a second story set five thousand years in the future that opens each issue. Maximus the Mad in now ancient and alone, the last Inhuman, inhabiting the empty tower of wisdom and later meeting an also ancient and alone Ronan the Accuser.
The main story follows the events after Medusa destroys the Terrigen after learning how it was poisoning the mutant population. Marvel Boy tells the displaced rulers there is a secret buried in the remains of Hala, the Kree homeward, that will provide a way forward for the Inhuman race.
But things aren’t that simple. Medusa is dying. Future history tells of seven Inhumans going into space on the quest but only six returning.
There’s a lot going on here and I won’t attempt to uncover it all. Things involve Primagen, the Terrigen-like catalyst that made the Kree, a Skyspear advanced computer, and the Progenitors who allegedly birthed the Kree (seemingly unrelated to the Celestials and others, oh my). But they appear to be giant programmed robots like Sentinels, so there must be another . . . . . Oh, forget it. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
This story of the early days of the Inhumans, before Black Bolt became King and brother Maximus went totally mad, is a nice addition to the Inhumans canon. Christopher Priest does a commendable job of featuring all the prominent Inhumans and adding a few new wrinkles. I especially liked the inclusion of Elias, an Alpha Primitive with a thorough education who provides the transition between Attilan and
the training ground of New York City.
The backup stories featuring Lockjaw were especially funny and entertaining. Overall, a good read. I previously read this in September but liked it enough to give it a second reading. Maybe it’s because I just finished ROYALS, but I liked this even better this time. FOUR STARS.
The first time I read DUNE was during high school in the late 1960's. I read it again after college graduation. It remains a classic of science-fiction. This adaptation features a faithful approach to all the important elements of the novel, and an interesting and engaging visualization by the art team.
As the novel was divided into three parts, the graphic novel takes the same approach and covers the first part of the novel. This reminded me how slow and tedious it could be at times, although it's essential to the story to establish the background of the two conflicting interstellar feudal families.
The first part of both the original novel and this adaptation deal mainly with those conflicts, the politics, manipulation, deception and various schemes and very little about the planet Arrakis itself, the sandworms, and the Fremen. I recall my first introduction to the novel, reading the beginning chapters at a slow plod and then becoming fully immersed in the story once Part Two began. I'm expecting the same experience here, and look forward to Book Two in 2022. I may have the same reaction to the new film, which I'm also looking forward to.
I may even buy a new copy of the print edition. FOUR STARS.
Revisiting some of the last gasps of the first Valiant era, after they were purchased by Acclaim and started tweaking the characters to make them more video-game friendly.
Both issues feature some good journeyman scripts by John Ostrander, with some great pencils from Jackson Guice in #40. There’s a flashback revealing the Eternal Warrior is still the savage from his youth at the core of his being, when he battled for the thrills. In the present, Gilad eliminates a Central American black market body organ factory that breeds new material from captured women.
Issue #42 is a mission statement of sorts, this time coming from the memory of a civilian associate who fought alongside him and recalls missions in Vietnam and war-torn Groznia. “He was - - is - - the strangest man I have ever known. Born before recorded history. He has survived perhaps four millennia, fighting for what he deemed right - - an Eternal Warrior.”
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#836 DARTH VADER #21 (Marvel, August 2016) “Book IV, Part II: End of Games”
Of all the Darth Vader writers since Marvel took over Star Wars comics, Kieron Gillen is my favorite. He developed some cool storylines and introduced several new and intriguing characters including Doctor Aphra and Clyo the scientist/traitor.
Back in the Emperor’s good graces after the destruction of the Death Star, Vader is tased with the capture of Cylo, who proves to be elusive with a few tricks of his own. Also, the droids Triple-hero and Beetee are on the hunt to return the hiding Dr. Aphra back to Vader, who has plans for her.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
greatly admire Christopher Priest a.k.a. Priest’s body of work and have come to appreciate his trademark style of jump starts by inserting sometimes cleverly-titled pure black panels within the story when scenes change or flashback. However his use of them in this two-part “Four Rooms” seemed excessive to me, and served to keep pulling me out of the story.
Slade Wilson is finally captured, and gives up nothing except wisecracks during his interrogation by federal authorities. Frequent scene locations, flashbacks to Wilson’s early military days with future reveals. His children are grown and discovering their inherited abilities.
A tight enough story that left me mostly unsatisfied. Maybe I should have picked this up from Issue #1 for a better appreciation of what’s going down here. THREE STARS.
While I admire this ambitious attempt to infuse some literary fiction qualities into comics, it falls shy of attainting that high plateau because the story itself is too slow to unfold and overly wordy in many places. However, it's a noble effort and commendable that DC/Vertigo would publish this knowing that the audience would most likely be sparse. I'm also amazed that this 2003 work (I read it in the individual issues) was collected in a trade paperback 10 years later in 2013. While it's doubtful that it could find the proper audience in 2003, it's next to impossible now. In a word - - it's just too slow.
What kept me going was the chance to view some early art from Cliff Chiang, always worth a look or two. While this Creeper bears little resemblance to the Steve Ditko Creeper from DC's 1960's, it's both stylish and mysterious.
Hall's story makes a connection between the surrealistic art movement of the 1920's and rebellion against the French aristocratic society and their demeaning of not just perceived inferior art forms but also the lower classes, especially women. Twin sisters Judith and Madeline pursue their avocations, being art and playwriting. There's an affair with a married French police detective inspector as well as an abusive relationship with a spoiled aristocrat. At the root of Beware The Creeper is a tragic love story. Worth a look if you're a patient reader. THREE STARS.
Hard not to like what the creative team of Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo has done here, yet I’m feeling a bit indifferent towards this. I think it’s because out of all the Marvel characters, I don’t feel very close to Stephen Strange. (Funny, because he’s older than the others and closer to my age).
Strange tries to save magic from the science-based Empirikul, fights his way out of Hell pursued by Orb, Mister Misery, Baron Mood who only serve to weaken him further for his next opponent: Dormammu. Mister Misery, a monster made up of all of Doctor Strange’s own misery/pain/suffering, turns his attentions to Wong and takes over. In the final issue of Aaron’s run, Dr. Strange and new helper, Bronx librarian Zelma Stanton, find themselves in Weirdworld.
Dennis Hopeless takes over the writing as of Issue #21, and plunges Strange into the Secret Empire storyline, where he ends up partnering with Kingpin.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Batwoman is a character with a lot of potential. Disgraced by the military because of her sexual preferences. Failed relationships. Conflict between her way and Batman’s way. A dangerous sister in need of help. Other family squabbles.
I remember years back when writer Greg Rucka explored much of this and being impressed. You would think the creative team of Marguerite Bennett & James Tynion IV (and later just Bennett) could make something interesting of all that. They do touch on all of the above-mentioned areas, but this version of Batwoman just comes off as bland to me.
When it seems like there should be some real emotion and/or soul-searching there isn’t enough, and other times it’s a bit excessive and seems forced. I’m not going to re-cap the storylines here. It’s enough to say that this wasn’t for me. I’m pretty disappointed.
TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.
“Lone Wolf and Cub, the Baby Cart Assassin. The legend of Itto Ogami and his infant son, Daigoro, has many names. Once Ogami had been the Shogun’s official executioner, using his deft swordsmanship to end the lives of rebellious lords who defied the Shogun. His skills with the blade were legendary.
His wife and family brutally murdered, his exalted position ruined by treachery, Ogami took his newborn son in one hand and his executioner’s sword in the other and set out on a bloody path of vengeance across a nation of samurai.”
Inspiring stories from Kazuo Koike. Vivid black & white illustrations by Goseki Kohima that often use the white and dark areas of panels to great effect. This is manga that I can wrap my head around. First Comics Americanized the format with standard comic book size and left-to-right storytelling on the pages. Dark Horse Comics also collected these in trade paperback, which may be easier to find. FIVE STARS.
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