2015年7月31日 星期五

Comic Book Interlude 2

Fatale: Book One



Ed Brubaker, writer of the "Captain America: Two Americas" discussed below, also wrote this noir comic for Image.  It's more H.P. Lovecraft than Sin City, and I'm looking forward to reading Book Two.  The art isn't flashy, but it does a good job of telling the story.

Daredevil by Mark Waid: Volume One



Great run of Daredevil comics by Mark Waid and various artists.  As of this telling, most of Hell's Kitchen knows that Matt Murdoch is Daredevil.  The story about DD stranded in the snow with a group of blind children is head and shoulders above the rest, but they're all good.

Justice League: Rise and Fall



After a couple of supervillains lay waste to Star City, both the Green and Red Arrows seek revenge.  The Green Arrow's story arc is a bit too similar to something that happened to the Flash in the 80s, while the Red Arrow's story is much better.  All in all it's not bad, but not great.  I couldn't help but think there were some real, human emotions here that could have been used to greater effect.

Moon Knight (TPB: #1-7)



Moon Knight, Marvel's answer to Batman, was so much less interesting before he went crazy.  Brian Michael Bendis has a lot of fun with this character, and the combination of his writing and Alex Maleev's art makes for a compelling comic book.  In this installment, Mark Spector attempts to track down L.A.'s newest crime lord.  I highly recommend it.

Flash Volume 3: Gorilla Warfare



The Flash squares off against Gorilla Grodd and a band of criminals.  The layouts are amazing, though the story is just average.  I really wish DC would do away with this "speed force" concept, but I suppose it's become an accepted part of the character.

Fear Itself



It's the Marvel Universe and it's the end of the world - again.  This time around Odin's brother has returned from wherever he was before, and Thor finds himself caught between his loyalty to his father and his love for his adopted world.  It's entirely predictable, but the art is great.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus - Volume 2



I'm having difficulty articulating just how weird and awesome this comic series is.  After leaving Marvel, Kirby went on to create DC's New Gods and their "Fourth World" in 1970.  This self-contained universe was shared between four titles - Mister Miracle, The New Gods, The Forever People, and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson.  It's a wild ride through some wonderfully strange characters and concepts, and lends credence to the idea that it was Kirby (and not Stan Lee) who made Marvel Comics the pop culture phenomenon that it continues to be.

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