Comic Reviews for 11-28-2008
A feast of double-staple-bound, sequential art lays before me. It’s Thanksgiving and, to be as cliched as possible, I am thankful for comic books. Lame. But this week’s line-up delivers in a big way.
The Umbrella Academy #1 vol.2
Superman #682
Hulk #8
Batman #681 – the conclusion of RIP
The Umbrella Academy #1 Vol.2
Gerard Way — Words
Gabriel Ba — Art
Let’s get the ball rolling on a semi-Indy book: The Umbrella Academy. I hadn’t read any of the previous UA titles but I figured #1 vol. 2 would at least be a fresh start. UA opens up with a well paced run down of the who, what, why, where, and how of the series. Enough back story was given that I felt adequately brought up to speed. It’s the story of a scientist who puts together a wack-tastic super team of kids. The book, after giving you the back story (via narrative thought bubbles of the now dead scientist), opens up some time in the future. The kids, now adults, have all split up. Their final battle pitted them against one of their own siblings (as seen in Umbrella Academy vol. 1 – Ed.).
UA is reminiscent of about fifteen different properties but stays original enough that it doesn’t feel like it’s copying. The art and character design is a mash up of Dexter’s laboratory or the Original Clone Wars cartoon mixed with Mike Mignola. The action is well paced and the writing is solid. The closing fight scene is pretty dang awesome as well. I liked this first issue enough to possibly pick up the trade of vol.1.
What happens when you save the last bastion of humanity from the dead planet of Krypton? It acts a super powered, totalitarian fool. Kandor, the bottled city of Krypton, is unleashed and there is one huge problem: There is a whole city of Supermen making their own rules. Geof Johns has established a truly engaging world for the once super-boring Superman and Robinson’s writing is excellent. He’s taken what could have become a corny golden age romp and turned it into a life or death ticking time bomb. For the first time in a long time I don’t know if Superman can win, help, or find a way to make peace. Pick this title up and if you haven’t been reading Action Comics you best grab the last 7 of them as well.
Hulk #8
Jeph Loeb — Words
Art Adams and Frank Cho — Art
Joe Fixxit busting heads in Las Vegas! I just wet my pants. Wendigos, Moonknight, Ms. Marvel and The Sentry causing massive amounts of property damage! This is the Hulk. The whole duality-of-man-bit is neat but I love senseless Hulk outs. I love big, pop corn fight scenes. I love random Hulk team-ups — oh, and uber dynamic Art Adams art. The first half of issue number 8 is sick and delivers on that action packed, summer blockbuster level.
Sad to say the second half of issue #8 can’t keep up the pace. No, in fact it exceeds it. Red Hulk is the motherfarkin’ shit. He’s mean. He’s calculating. He made Thor look like a chump. He’s my hero.
She Hulk, looking for some pay back, gets her girlie’s together and they plan on taking out the “Rulk”. Too bad for them he considers the fight foreplay.
Man, what could make this book any better? Oh, I don’t know?… maybe She Hulk and her Lady Liberators drawn by Frank Cho. Thank the full figured, curvaceous “God of nerds who can draw women hot.”
Batman #681
Grant Morrison — Words
Tony Daniel — Art
Zur En Arrh! Finally this head scratcher comes to a riveting finish… sorta. We were promised the demise and restructuring of Batman. We were promised one of the most inventive and original Bat stories ever. We were promised a new direction. Instead we got a cadre of unidentifiable villains. Instead we got the Batman of Zur En Arrh. Instead we got a bunch of twist and turns that confused more than they intrigued.
Batman RIP was just another Bat story. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t good. Just another adventure. This final issue tied everything together and it did it as simply and conveniently as possible. The Black Hand weren’t very menacing. The Joker had to be brought in to ad some stakes. Jezzibell Jet was a joke.
Batman Zur En Arrh (SPOILER ALERT), who’s origins in comic book history stem from the golden age, was a back-up mind state created by Wayne in case he was psychologically attacked. What? Are you kidding me? That nonsense red, yellow, and purple Batman was some kind of defense mechanism? I guess that’s clever.
The story as a whole was a convoluted mess. Morrison wasn’t developing twists and turns. He was simply omitting comprehensible pieces of the story. Most readers were lost and rightfully so: how can you solve the mystery when you don’t know what mystery to solve?
I’m sorry, but this leaves Batman right where he was. Robin’s still Robin. Nightwing’s still Nightwing. Things were shaken up but nothing Batfans aren’t used to. This issue judged alone works really well and it did save this story arc. Batman crawled his way out of a shallow grave (literally) and saved the day. I had such high hopes for Morrison’s run and I’ve just been disappointed. The RIP arc overall only tarnished Grant Morrison’s reputation in my eyes.
I can’t give a pick of the week because there were too many strong titles. Sorry for leaving out Captain America. I read that in trade because I was too far behind. I’m sure it ruled so buy that rag too. The new JLA, penned by Robinson and drawn/colored by this new Argentinian artist, looks very interesting. The team is led by Green Lantern. They also have a giant gorilla and Batwoman.
Until next week; I’ll be burying myself alive, in my bat suit, and trying to escape.
-Nick Gregorio
