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Reviews and commentary by Tony Isabella
"America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist"
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TONY'S ONLINE TIPS
for Tuesday, May 3, 2005
WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES #656 [Gemstone; $6.95] brings the first of the rewrites I've done for the publisher: Mickey Mouse and Goofy in "Volcano Villains!" The original story was written by Paul Halas with art by Miguel Fernandez Martinez.
I'm credited with "dialogue," but I think "script-doctor" or maybe "script-renovator" might be closer to what I do. I'm given an English translation of a foreign-language story and, within its already-placed and sized speech balloons and captions, I do what I do. I add a joke here and a character bit there. I give the story more of an American feel. If, at the end of the job, I've made the story a little more enjoyable for its new audience, I'm happy, but the real credit should go to the original writer.
I don't review comics - even anthology comics - on which I've worked, but I don't mind plugging them. Besides the Mickey Mouse story, this issue features...
Donald Duck in "Cruisin' For a Bruisin'" by William Van Horn;
April, May, and June in "Die-Hard Fans" by Pat & Carol McGreal and artist Ignasi Calvet Esteban;
Big Bad Wolf in "Turnabout Time" by an unknown writer and Gil Turner, reprinted from WDC&S #193 (October, 1956);
Grandma Duck in "Ferdy" by Halas and artist Nunez;
Horace Horacecollar in "Blockheads" by Sarah Kinney and artist Jaspen Lund Madsen; and,
Donald Duck in "Star-Struck Duck" by writers J. Antrobus and D. Angus with artist Vicar.
If anyone wants to write a guest review of this comic for TOT, I'd definitely consider it. Just e-mail me first to make sure no one else has dibs on it.
Let's see what else I have for you today.
******
BIRDS OF PREY
Gail Simone's BIRDS OF PREY is a frequently-requested review from my readers, so I sat down with issues #76-80 [DC: $2.50 each] and the entire "Hero Hunters" storyline. I think this review calls for my good/bad/ugly mode.
The good: Gail Simone is a terrific writer. I tell you this up front so you don't mistake my hopefully constructive criticism for my disliking her work. She's a terrific writer and, especially at DC, you could do a whole lot worse.
The great: I love Simone's handling of Barbara Gordon and the Black Canary. Both are fiercely loyal to and protective of their friends, though Babs has picked up a few character flaws from the Batman. Both are compassionate, even towards some of their foes. Both are capable, intelligent, and strong women on their own terms without embracing the new "strong woman" cliche seen in many other super-hero comics.
The great: The Huntress. I salute Simone for her even better handling of this hero. In a way, "Hero Hunters" is the Huntress' story and where it took her was nothing short of amazing. Look for me to write more about her in a near-future TOT.
The so-so: Jason Pearson's covers for BOP #76 and #77 were too shadowy for my tastes. The former is an interesting idea which the colorist didn't quite pull off, but the latter is way too murky to be effective. Ryan Sook's cover for BOP #78 was much better, even though the "reaper about to strike" image is a bit we've seen many times before.
The mostly good: I like the BOP plan of tracking down violent vigilantes and taking them down. They could have started with the currently insane Batman - though Simone does write him better than most during a brief guest appearance - but I'm mostly okay with the vigilante selection we got. The qualifier comes from all three of the vigilantes being women and from the BOP mission statement being unclear until the last of the five issues. Yes, their mission was fairly-if-not-initially-obvious, but I don't think it necessarily would have been obvious to someone who hasn't read thousands of super-hero comics.
The bad: Might as well get this out of the way early. While Simone is by no means as guilty as other DC writers, there is still a feeling outsiders aren't welcome in the DCU. Too many DCU comics read as if we are expected to know everything that has happened or is happening in the DCU. If you show a mechanical gizmo on Barbara Gordon's back, tell me *something* about what it is, what it does, and maybe even how it got there. Simone is a good enough writer to work exposition into her scripts smoothly and, when she fails to give such needed information, her editors need to catch the lapse. Clarity is a good thing.
The great: Black Alice. The troubled young vigilante of issue #76's "Teenage Wasteland" is a great character. I'm being somewhat inconsistent here because understanding her powers - borrowing the magic of others - does rely on the reader knowing something about other DCU characters, though Simone does name two of the characters whose powers Alice uses and describes how the teen uses the powers of one of them. But the story was a good one and left me hoping we see Black Alice again. I think she has potential.
The great: Dick "Nightwing" Grayson leaving a heartfelt voice message for Bars and her leaving a message for him. It was sappy and sad and I liked it a lot.
The good: The Joe Prado layouts for issue #76 did a good job telling the story and the Ed Benes finishes completed the visuals nicely. The coloring was also well done.
The good: There was much fun to be had from the "Harvest: two-parter in BOP #77 and #78. The creepy villain. The barroom brawl. The villain's methods and motives. The sins of omission which can be laid at the feet of the lawman and townspeople in the area where Harvest operates. The B-movie ending.
The so-so: Guest penciller Tom Derenick's art wasn't up to his usual quality. Maybe he was rushed, maybe inker Bob Petrecca isn't a good match for him. I've liked the previous work of both, but I didn't care for it in these issues.
The bad: The Ed Benes cover for BOP #79 is the stuff of "Porn Lite" stroke books. All the desperate fanboy drooling and none of the actual nudity. It's not entirely his fault - Lord knows that dozens of DC editors apparently have no problem with super-heroines in fetish wear - but I think Canary and the Huntress deserve a tad more respect. Keep the costumes if you must, but pose the heroines less provocatively.
The okay: I didn't include the Thorn in the above rant because she's insane and her look is reflective of that.
The okay: The Ed Benes cover for BOP #80 was an improvement. Still a little crotch-centric, but an improvement.
The good: There was likewise much goodness to be found in the Thorn two-parter. Black Canary's chat with the Batman. The Birds planning their next moves. The flashbacks showing key moments in the lives of Barbara and the Canary. The 100 setting up Thorn, the Birds putting it all together, and the satisfying resolution of the case. I would've liked more background on the Thorn, but its lack didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story. Much.
The great: The BOP's post-mission conference and the attendant fallout between Barbara and the Huntress. Because I've cheated and read the next issue as well, I can tell you there are some serious repercussions and they have me eager to see where Simone takes the characters from here. This is gripping material...and I don't mean that in a "Porn Lite" kind of way.
The big finish? BIRDS OF PREY #76-80 pick up a laudable four out of five Tonys. If you're not already reading this series, you should be.
******
ANNOYANCE NO MORE
Doing a little mental maintenance on the legend that is me, I seek to conquer my annoyance at one of life's little irritants each month. I'm starting small.
All three of the newspapers which arrive at Casa Isabella each morning now have small post-it-note advertisements affixed to their front pages. In order to read any paper's lead story, one must pay enough attention to the ads to remove them. This was but a split-second task, but it always elicited a grimace and inward curse from me. No more.
Now, as I perform this task, I remind myself that the two-bits or thereabouts I pay for the papers doesn't remotely cover the cost of producing them. It's the money they make from selling ads, even those affixed to their front pages, that makes it possible for the papers to continue publication.
I seldom read any ads in or on the newspapers, so the least I can do is accept them with good grace. They pay for the parts of the papers I find enjoyable or informative. This newly-developed grace may be no more than a baby step on the road to enlightenment, but who needs to start one's day with a frown?
******
TONY POLLS
It's Tuesday and, thanks to my good friend JON KNUTSON, we'll have new TONY POLLS questions today. I'm doing a little tweaking on them, but it looks like the questions will be:
Which recent comics event has annoyed you the most?
Which DC Comics title would you most like to see revived as an ongoing series?
Which Marvel Comics title would you most like to see revived as an ongoing series?
Which non-Marvel/non-DC comic book would you most like to see revived as an ongoing series?
The questions will be posted sometime today. Heck, they may be already be posted as you read these words. Once they're posted, you can vote on them here:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
My thanks to Jon for the timely assist.
******
WANTED! MORE READERS LIKE...
...our pal JON KNUTSON and his super dog, KRYPTO! You can't see it in this shot, but that cute little fellow - and I'm talking about Krypto here - has a collar with an "S" shield attached to it. We are all sons of Superman!
Jon will be joining the World Famous Comics cast of creators very soon. He'll be covering a very special beat here and I know you're gonna enjoy what he has in store for you.
Thanks to Jon, Krypto, and the rest of you for spending part of your day with me.
I'll be back soon with more stuff!
Tony Isabella
<< 05/02/2005 | 05/03/2005 | 05/04/2005 >>
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THE "TONY" SCALE
ZERO: Burn your money before buying any comic receiving this rating. It doesn't *necessarily* mean there's absolutely nothing of value here - though it *could* - but whatever value it might possess shrinks into insignificance before its overall awfulness.
ONE: Buy something else. Maybe I found something which wasn't completely dreadful in the item, but not enough for me to recommend it when there are better comics available. I only want what's best for you, my children.
TWO: Basic judgment call. I found some value, but not enough to recommend it. My review should give you enough info to decide if you want to take a chance on it. Are you feeling lucky today, punk? Well, are you?
THREE: This denotes something I find perfectly respectable. There are better books out there, but I wouldn't regret buying this item. Based on my review, you should be able to determine if it's of interest to you. Let the Force guide you.
FOUR: I recommend anything earning this rating. Unless you don't like the genre, subject matter, or past work of the creators, I believe you'll enjoy this item. Isn't it uncanny how I can look right into your soul that way?
FIVE: Anything getting this rating is among the best comicdom has to offer. You should buy/read this, even if the genre/subject matter doesn't appeal to you. It's for your own good. Me, I live for comics and books this good...but not in a pathetic "Comic-Book Guy" sort of way.
Please send material you would like me to review to:
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