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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 Monday, August 1, 2005
Let's start the month off with LIGHTNING ROUND REVIEWS. These are quick looks at comics and magazines whose earlier issues I've reviewed in this column. The aim is to cover each of these issues in a hundred words or so.
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2000 AD #1420-1424 [Rebellion; $3.75 each]:
The legendary British weekly soldiers on, even if I'm several months behind in reading it. These issues were dated January 5 to February 2, 2005.
Judge Dredd deals with the aftermath of terrorists detonating nuclear devices in Mega-City-One, killing millions. The episodes are good, but not particularly outstanding, save "Visiting Hour" by Gordon Rennie and Anthony Williams in Prog #1423. That one focuses on Dredd's niece Vienna whose life is in frequent upheaval due to her stone-jawed uncle. As the relationship humanizes Dredd without weakening him, I hope it continues.
Also running in these issues...
"Second City Blues" is futuristic sports action by Kek-W and Warren Pleese. The sport is slamboarding, which is basketball on flying skateboards and played with a vicious alien ball that can awake and turn on whoever is holding it. The characters have some appeal and the series is entertaining.
"Slaine" is Celtic sword-and-sorcery by writer Pat Mills and artist Clint Langley. It's well-done, but simply not to my tastes. I'll probably skip reading it from here on.
"Caballistics, Inc" is largely a Hellblazer/Hellboy derivative by Rennie and artist Dom Reardon. It's readable, but does a very poor job of introducing and reintroducing characters and concepts. A little exposition never hurt anyone.
"Nikolai Dante" by Robbie Morrison and John Burns is an always delightful mix of science fiction and swashbuckling with pirates and Russian intrigue all over the place. Great art, great writing, and a hero who is dashing and mostly honorable. I love it.
On our usual scale of zero to five, 2000 AD #1420-1424 earn three Tonys per issue.
2000 AD #1420-1423: 32 pages each, color/black-and-white.
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ALTER EGO #50 [TwoMorrows; $5.95]:
This amazing issue celebrates the 40-years-and-counting career of editor Roy Thomas from his abortive week as an assistant editor to DC's Mort Weisinger to his far more productive time at Marvel in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Roy's middle and later careers are represented only by a checklist of his work, but there was still a great deal to discuss in the extensive interview conducted by Jim Amash. Thomas was there at a key period in Marvel history and his first-hand accounts and insights are enough to earn this issue the full five out of five Tonys.
ALTER EGO #50: 108 pages, black-and-white.
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COMICS REVUE #221-222 [Manuscript Press; $6.95 each]
This is another title with which I'm trying to catch up, but its assortment of classic comic strips remains timeless. MODESTY BLAISE by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway is my favorite feature, but I get a huge kick out of the terrific dialogue and occasionally humorous plots of Milton Caniff's STEVE CANYON from the mid-1960s. The line-up also includes Russ Manning's full-color TARZAN Sundays, GASOLINE ALLEY, FLASH GORDON, KRAZY KAT, LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE, THE PHANTOM, ALLEY OOP, TARZAN dailies by Dan Barry and Rob Thompson, BUZ SAWYER, and CASEY RUGGLES. This cherished magazine earns five Tonys every time out.
COMICS REVUE #221-222: 68 pages each, black-and-white.
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COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS #1 [DC; $1]:
My pal Julio Diaz told me THE OMAC PROJECT #1 would have made more sense to me if I'd read this book and he was right...and that still doesn't excuse the poor "No Outsiders Allowed" writing of TOP #1 nor change my low opinion of it. But it's worth mention prior to my review of COUNTDOWN.
Writers Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Judd Winick do treat Blue Beetle and Booster Gold with respect in this one-shot special. But this respect comes at the expense of making virtually every hero in the issue act like a "richard." Wonder Woman is the only exception and even she gets some behind-her-back disrespect. My big question is: if the Beetle - could be written this interestingly, why wasn't it done *before* he took a bullet to the head?
On its own, regardless of the events surrounding it, COUNTDOWN is a gripping tragedy with good to excellent art. I give it four Tonys.
COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS #1: 84 pages, color.
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DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #330 [Gemstone; $2.95]
"Amusing" is how I can best describe this issue. Carl Barks' "Rival Boatmen" is an entertaining "Donald versus the nephews and himself" tale from 1944. Writers Pat and Carol McGreal team with artist Noel Van Horn for a Mickey Mouse misadventure - "The Mouse Who Knew Too Much" - in which our hero tries to fill in for a mind-reading swami with surprising results. Grandma Duck also appears in a one-page gag by writers Pat and Shelly Block and artist Jose Maria Manrique. All amusing efforts.
The only disappointment is Gail Renard's "The Pauper and the Pauper," another Donald Duck story. The story is too short - just 7 pages - for its decent premise and the title gives away the main complication. Would that Renard and artist Manrique had had three times as many pages to work with. Let's give this one a perfectly respectable three Tonys.
DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #330: 36 pages, color.
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HOUSE OF M #1-2 [Marvel; $2.99 each]:
Marvel's big summer event is off to a good start. Title-page recaps of recent issues of UNCANNY X-MEN and THE AVENGERS make it relatively simple for even a lapsed Marvel reader to get into the story. Alas, I'm afraid newcomers will be hopelessly lost. That's the curse of the big event.
Briefly, the Scarlet Witch is insane, having used her reality- altering powers to destroy the (old) Avengers. Fearful that she'll again lose control, the Avengers and X-Men are considering what to do with her - including some lethal options - when the Witch goes and remakes the world into one in which the mutants rule and homo sapiens drool. But it's far from being a trouble-free paradise, even for those now on top.
Brian Michael Bendis is weaving an intriguing story here, but my ultimate opinion of his tale will rest with what kind of payoff it delivers, how well the payoff is presented, and, of course, what the long-term consequences for the Marvel Universe will be. When a writer is playing with stakes this high, he must deliver a truly memorable finish.
Exceptional visuals are provided by penciller Olivier Coipel, inker Tim Townsend, and colorist Frank D'Armata. I've giving each of these issues four Tonys, but those grades could be "upgraded" if the eight-issue series ends as well as I hope it does.
HOUSE OF M #1-2: 36 pages, color.
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SECRETS OF THE HOUSE OF M [Marvel; $3.99]
Writer Mike Raicht delivers the afore-mentioned secrets in a well-designed overview of major characters and events in the HOUSE OF M. Adding fun to the issue are two special features. The first is an interview with the "M" versions of Hank McCoy, Hank Pym, and Otto Octavius and the second is a brochure advertising around-the-world-in-10-hours teleportation tours of the historical monuments of Mutantdom. I laughed out loud at the description of a visit to Queen Ororo's palace.
The downside to this one-shot is that it might give away too much and spoil upcoming issues of HOUSE OF M. My suggestion: dip into it sparingly and enjoy it fully after the mini-series has been completed. I give it four Tonys.
SECRETS OF THE HOUSE OF M: 52 pages, color
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MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #16 [Marvel; $2.99]:
I'm still digging Reggie Hudlin's "Wild Blue Yonder" in this, its fourth of six chapters. The high points this time out are the truly surprising fate of the Absorbing Man, our man Spidey being smart enough to take the mystery of new super-hero Ethan Edwards to Reed Richards, and the not-completely-surprising-to-me reveal of Ethan's true background at the end of the issue. However, the main reason the reveal wasn't completely surprising to me was because I did something like it back in the 1970s. Don't mistake that for a slam on this storyline because I really like what Hudlin has been doing here. With kudos to artists Billy Tan and Mark Buckingham, this issue earns four Tonys.
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #16: 36 pages, color.
Look for more "Lightning Round Reviews" soon.
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TONY POLLS REMINDER
Today is your last day to cast your votes in our current TONY POLLS. We're asking you to pick the villain(s) you'd most like to see appear in a sequel to the FANTASTIC FOUR movie, as well as give the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to three new Marvel Comics titles: NEW AVENGERS, NEW THUNDERBOLTS, and YOUNG AVENGERS. You can visit our online ballot box at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
That's a wrap for today's edition of TOT. Thanks for spending part of your day with me.
I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 07/29/2005 | 08/01/2005 | 08/02/2005 >>
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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.
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