MORE COMIC REVIEWS for 4-11-07
Fell #8 (image)
This serves up single-issue mystery stories as dark as you like it, and it's quite often emotionally poignant, too. In a depressing, nihilistic sort of way. It's also the cheapest comic on the racks, by at least a dollar these days. That's because each issue is only sixteen pages long, but since its all done in old-school nine-panel grid, the storytelling is much more dense than almost every other modern comic.
I don't think Ben Templesmith is the greatest artist, but so far he's only worked on comics that his style works well for, and I have liked almost all of them despite my thinking that he's a lazy artist. I've also liked almost every Warren Ellis comic, too, except only a few where I hated the art. This comic is pretty much a sure bet, to me.
This was my favorite issue yet. Snowtown is one f-ed up city. This iss is almost all laid out as a long series of photos with comments, only breaking back into the panels for the last few pages.
Short review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(Ellis/ Templesmith)
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1 (image)
Actually a pretty entertaining comic. If you are a big fan of sword-n-sorcery, check it out; If you're not, there are better examples to read first.
This title has competent writing; story is nothing super-original, but it's still pretty good; dialogue was decent enough to not ruin the comic. The art is strong in some ways, weak in others. The detail level is high, with fully realized backgrounds and characters, but faces and spacial relationships are not great. This is the guy who drew Spawn: the Dark Ages.
Short review: s'ok.
Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing (marvel)
Just the short review: meh.
(main- Huston/ Jansen)(backup- McKeever)
Newuniversal #5 (marvel)
It's really starting to get great. As Planetary is ending any time now, I think this book can really fill that gap for fans, and at this rate it's coming out like six times faster, if I did that math right. This is Ellis' next high-concept sci-fi comic. Salvador Larocca is no John Cassaday, but his low-detail but realistic pencils combined with the painted-looking coloring make a pretty good finished artwork. It took me til issue 3, but I am way into this book. I totally cut-n-pasted this whole review from last issue.
Short review: Great
(Ellis/ Larocca)
Punisher War Journal #6 (marvel)
This comic is growing on me, but I have a hard time getting really into any painted comic. I have been reading this title to keep up on Civil War happenings, and if you want to stay way up on marvel continuity I would definitely recommend this title.
As I said about the art, I almost never like painted comics. This artist is actually quite good, it's just the style I don't like. I do really like this writer, however. He's done relatively few titles that I know of, but the Five Fists of Science was just great, and the Immortal Iron fist is currently one of my faves. Therefore I am confident that the story will continue to pan out well, and I've been pretty entertained so far, so I guess I've no real reason not to like it.
This issue, we see more directly how Frank gets into that silly Cap costume. It's on the cover next time.
Short review: Pretty Good.
(Fraction/ Olivetti)
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #1 (marvel)
I absolutely loved this comic. It was just super fun to read. I had at least three out-loud-laughs, and the whole story felt very silver-age, which I mean as a good thing. The turn-off for some people will be it's total kid-friendliness.
This writer, Jeff Parker, did Agents of Atlas, probably the best mini-series I read in the last few years. It made me say "damn, this is great! who's writing this?" I did that again now with Spidey/ FF before realizing it was the same person. Art is by Mike Weiringo, and it's mighty, mighty fine.
Short review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Teen Titans #45 (dc)
Lately I've been saying to myself: Titans is looking pretty good again lately, gonna have to jump back in and check it out. Welp, I was pretty disappointed in this conclusion to the 3-part Titans East story arc that has been selling out at my store. Johns isn't writing this, but the storyline is his idea, so his name is on the cover. The actual script is pretty poor; gotta love how every team member and villain's names are inserted, sometimes awkwardly, into the dialogue. Also, Tony Daniel is on covers only, not on the interior art here, and that's too bad because he's finally getting good.
short review: not great.
Thunderbolts #113 (mavel)
The plot thickens again this issue, and suddenly the T-Bolts have one of the most intelligent super books out there. Ellis' pacing is such that he's thinking about how the trade will read, so this issue is all character development, again. With a lineup like this, you might expect more action. I've already said twice this entry that I like this writer, and the art suits a dark super-book nicely. You don't have to be familiar with the team to jump in, it is a mostly all-new cast and a definitely all-new creative team starting with #110. Plus this title has never been near this good so don't bother catching up.
Short Review: Great.
(Ellis/ Deodato)
Wonder Woman #7 (dc)
This is the first time I know of that Wonder Woman has been written by a woman. I hope I'm wrong there, someone please correct me. I was seriously let down by the conclusion of this comic's first story arc, but luckily they replaced that chump tv writer with Jodi Picoult. This is her second issue. Nope, never heard of her, either.
For this issue, writing and art were both average-to-good. Dodsons are on the covers, only now. At least the damn thing is coming out on time, they've even caught up some with two issues last month. If I were a huge Wonder Woman fan, I'd probably think this is a pretty good run.
Short review: not crap.
done.
Fell #8 (image)
This serves up single-issue mystery stories as dark as you like it, and it's quite often emotionally poignant, too. In a depressing, nihilistic sort of way. It's also the cheapest comic on the racks, by at least a dollar these days. That's because each issue is only sixteen pages long, but since its all done in old-school nine-panel grid, the storytelling is much more dense than almost every other modern comic.
I don't think Ben Templesmith is the greatest artist, but so far he's only worked on comics that his style works well for, and I have liked almost all of them despite my thinking that he's a lazy artist. I've also liked almost every Warren Ellis comic, too, except only a few where I hated the art. This comic is pretty much a sure bet, to me.
This was my favorite issue yet. Snowtown is one f-ed up city. This iss is almost all laid out as a long series of photos with comments, only breaking back into the panels for the last few pages.
Short review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(Ellis/ Templesmith)
Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer #1 (image)
Actually a pretty entertaining comic. If you are a big fan of sword-n-sorcery, check it out; If you're not, there are better examples to read first.
This title has competent writing; story is nothing super-original, but it's still pretty good; dialogue was decent enough to not ruin the comic. The art is strong in some ways, weak in others. The detail level is high, with fully realized backgrounds and characters, but faces and spacial relationships are not great. This is the guy who drew Spawn: the Dark Ages.
Short review: s'ok.
Legion of Monsters: Man-Thing (marvel)
Just the short review: meh.
(main- Huston/ Jansen)(backup- McKeever)
Newuniversal #5 (marvel)
It's really starting to get great. As Planetary is ending any time now, I think this book can really fill that gap for fans, and at this rate it's coming out like six times faster, if I did that math right. This is Ellis' next high-concept sci-fi comic. Salvador Larocca is no John Cassaday, but his low-detail but realistic pencils combined with the painted-looking coloring make a pretty good finished artwork. It took me til issue 3, but I am way into this book. I totally cut-n-pasted this whole review from last issue.
Short review: Great
(Ellis/ Larocca)
Punisher War Journal #6 (marvel)
This comic is growing on me, but I have a hard time getting really into any painted comic. I have been reading this title to keep up on Civil War happenings, and if you want to stay way up on marvel continuity I would definitely recommend this title.
As I said about the art, I almost never like painted comics. This artist is actually quite good, it's just the style I don't like. I do really like this writer, however. He's done relatively few titles that I know of, but the Five Fists of Science was just great, and the Immortal Iron fist is currently one of my faves. Therefore I am confident that the story will continue to pan out well, and I've been pretty entertained so far, so I guess I've no real reason not to like it.
This issue, we see more directly how Frank gets into that silly Cap costume. It's on the cover next time.
Short review: Pretty Good.
(Fraction/ Olivetti)
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #1 (marvel)
I absolutely loved this comic. It was just super fun to read. I had at least three out-loud-laughs, and the whole story felt very silver-age, which I mean as a good thing. The turn-off for some people will be it's total kid-friendliness.
This writer, Jeff Parker, did Agents of Atlas, probably the best mini-series I read in the last few years. It made me say "damn, this is great! who's writing this?" I did that again now with Spidey/ FF before realizing it was the same person. Art is by Mike Weiringo, and it's mighty, mighty fine.
Short review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Teen Titans #45 (dc)
Lately I've been saying to myself: Titans is looking pretty good again lately, gonna have to jump back in and check it out. Welp, I was pretty disappointed in this conclusion to the 3-part Titans East story arc that has been selling out at my store. Johns isn't writing this, but the storyline is his idea, so his name is on the cover. The actual script is pretty poor; gotta love how every team member and villain's names are inserted, sometimes awkwardly, into the dialogue. Also, Tony Daniel is on covers only, not on the interior art here, and that's too bad because he's finally getting good.
short review: not great.
Thunderbolts #113 (mavel)
The plot thickens again this issue, and suddenly the T-Bolts have one of the most intelligent super books out there. Ellis' pacing is such that he's thinking about how the trade will read, so this issue is all character development, again. With a lineup like this, you might expect more action. I've already said twice this entry that I like this writer, and the art suits a dark super-book nicely. You don't have to be familiar with the team to jump in, it is a mostly all-new cast and a definitely all-new creative team starting with #110. Plus this title has never been near this good so don't bother catching up.
Short Review: Great.
(Ellis/ Deodato)
Wonder Woman #7 (dc)
This is the first time I know of that Wonder Woman has been written by a woman. I hope I'm wrong there, someone please correct me. I was seriously let down by the conclusion of this comic's first story arc, but luckily they replaced that chump tv writer with Jodi Picoult. This is her second issue. Nope, never heard of her, either.
For this issue, writing and art were both average-to-good. Dodsons are on the covers, only now. At least the damn thing is coming out on time, they've even caught up some with two issues last month. If I were a huge Wonder Woman fan, I'd probably think this is a pretty good run.
Short review: not crap.
done.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
baci:
This week's Invincible kicked my ass. I can't get enough of that comic. Thanks for making me read it by ripping the shrink wrap from our in store copy and physically placing it infront of me on top of the other thing I was reading that moment. You're the best - my sweetie.
noisemx:
Of these books, I only read Fell and I agree with you that it is a great book and everyone should pick it up. Quality stories from a modern comic legend Warren Ellis, art by the stylized but great Ben Templesmith, and a cover price that should allow everyone to pick it up! I am only up to seven as eight has not yet arrived...waiting is the worst part about ordering your comics from a mailorder discount distributer.