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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 Wednesday, August 17, 2005
From COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1609:
"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full."
- Henry Alfred Kissinger
DC Comics is counting down to INFINITE CRISIS, which DC Vice-President/Editorial Dan Didio has described as "the be-all, end-all for the DC [Universe]." Following that world-changing and/or rib-tickling event, all DCU titles will leap forward one year in their respective continuities. For example, if Hero A and Hero A's Wife were to conceive a child during IC, then the child would be three months old in the first post-IC issue of Hero A's title.
As someone who has complained that DCU books are so unfriendly to new readers that they might as well have "No Outsiders Allowed" emblazoned on their covers, my first and admittedly snarky reaction to the news was: "Oh, good. Now DC will be confusing ALL of their readers, new and old alike!"
However, as a writer who loves challengers, the more I thought about this plan, the better I liked it. If DC editors and writers choose to take advantage of it, they will be in a position to put every reader on the same page. It will mean extreme attention to detail, such as actually naming characters in each issue, giving us a look at who the characters are and what they do, and putting them in an understandable context, but it could make for exciting comics that are also reader-friendly.
Whether through laziness or self-indulgence, too many editors and writers have been producing serialized comics which presuppose the customer has read all preceding issues of this or that title. It's time for them to get real. DC's "One Year Later" plan allows the publisher to intrigue readers who have read all those preceding DCU issues while making the comics more inviting to those of us who didn't read them or were driven away by the illogical twisting of once-beloved characters. It's not a clean slate, but it could well be clean enough to thrill us all anew.
On a related subject...
When I mentioned my liking for DC's "One Year Later" plan, an industry friend couldn't believe I was giving DC the benefit of the doubt. A while back, after assisting a DCU writer with something, the writer expressed amazement I had been so helpful considering my various disagreements with DC over this and that. Every so often, someone dismisses one of my less than favorable reviews of DC comic books with a curt, "Oh, Isabella hates DC." Amusingly, I've also had someone respond to a favorable review of a DC comic by telling me they saw right through my pathetic attempt to disguise my hatred of all things DC. Go figure.
I've no illusions any statement of my mine will be sufficient clarification for all, but, what the heck, let's get something on the record and give the naysayers something else to badger me about at some later date.
I have personal disagreements with DC on several matters, much as I might wish otherwise. Believe it or not, those disagreements have no bearing on what I do here.
Because no other comics publisher has been as good as DC about sending me review items. Because no other American comics publisher produces as much variety as does DC through its various imprints, not even the manga publishers. Because DC has some very talented writers and artists and, if I tried to deny that, you'd rightfully drag me from this column and toss me to the curb.
If I appear hard on DC, it's because it does so many things so well that it's frustrating and even maddening when it screws up on stuff it could easily get right. Don't you always expect more from the smartest kid in the class?
Marvel Comics may have landed the cover of this CBG, but, here in "Tony's Tips," in recognition of the support the column receives from Marvel's distinguished competition, it's all DC from start to finish this month with maybe a Wildstorm book or three tossed into the mix as well. Let's have at it.
******
TEEN TITANS GO! #18 [$2.25] derives from the Cartoon Network series which, in turn, is adapted from the DCU Teen Titans but not part of DCU continuity. I tend to be more forgiving of TV comics when it comes to introducing characters and such. I figure readers buying such comics are buying them because they're already familiar with the characters and concepts.
"When Chibis Attack" heralds the return of Larry, who is sort of the Bat-Mite of the TV Titans Universe. This other dimensional fellow has lost control of his magical powers due to his allergies with results like the Titans being transformed into two-dimensional versions of themselves...and an invasion by chiba versions of the heroes and their foes. Writer J. Torres does a good job explaining the concept of chiba - stunted versions of characters - for readers here, the expository dialogue following a hold-your-sides-hilarious take on the show's theme song. Penciller Todd Nauck and inker Lary Stucker (inks) provide art as lively as the story.
DCU fans will get most of the gags in this issue. TV Titans fans probably won't get the gag sequence just before the end of the issue. Overall, though, this is a solidly entertaining comic book that's friendly to readers and viewers alike. On our world-famous scale of disembodied columnist heads, TEEN TITANS GO! #18 earns a laudatory four Tonys.
******
DAY OF VENGEANCE is a six-issue series [$2.50 per issue] hyped as the tale which would redefine magic in the DCU prior to INFINITE CRISIS. It starts with the introduction of a new Eclipso who then proceeds to seduce a confused and host-less Spectre into trying to wipe out what the dark creature claims is the source of all evil on Earth: magic and those who wield it. By the middle of the opening issue, the body count is already up to nearly 700.
I'm all over the reviewing map on this. The Walter Simonson covers for the first two issues are sweet, but the human identity of the new Eclipso is way too obvious. Bill Willingham's scripting is excellent, but one of the members of the "super-team" formed to fight the out-of-control Spectre is never named. I had to surf the Internet - several websites on the Internet - to learn who she was, a character that's been around since the 1960s. I'm willing to cut DC some slack on its ongoing "no outsiders allowed" attitude in the hope we're seeing the last gasp of excessive and inbred continuity, but that's just sloppy writing.
I've a problem with the Spectre's portrayal as well, but it's a problem I've had with many of the character's past appearances as well. Forgive me for bringing religion into this, but, as someone who believes in a loving God, while reserving the right to figure out the nature of that loving God in my own heart and mind, I wince when the Spectre is shown to be every bit as monstrous as the worst of the evildoers he punishes. If someone wants to portray God as a supremely powerful malignant thug in a story, I can easily accept that. It's a story and writers should be allowed to follow their muses into as dark a territory as they like.
My problem with that portrayal of the Spectre is that he is a major player in the DCU. By default, that means the entire DCU has this malignant God-thug as its maker. At their core, super-heroes are about hope in our better natures. With this kind of Spectre in the picture, such better natures would be diametrically opposed to that of the baleful creator of the DCU.
Why would God make a creature like the Spectre who could turn or be turned to evil so easily? Put such a creature in the DCU and his darkness would necessarily set the tone for every title in the DCU. I'd have to suspend my belief in both God and logic to enjoy such comics and that's not a stretch I care to make.
Spiritual matters aside, DAY OF VENGEANCE has its entertaining and exciting moments. I actually had fun trying to figure out who various background characters were. How many points do I get for recognizing the daughter of Travis Morgan?
I got a kick from the unlikely heroes who take center stage in DOV: The Enchantress, Ragman, Nightmaster, Blue Devil, "Magic Babe Number Two," and...Detective Chimp! I loved the heroes' desperate and entirely realistic plan to stop the Spectre; no overconfidence there! The Spectre going fist-to-fist with one of the DCU's most legendary super-heroes is thrilling and I'm eager to see how long the hero can hold his own.
I also give high marks to the visuals: penciller Justiniano, inkers Walden Wong and Livesay, and colorist Chuck Chuckay. These are good looking comic books.
The flaws I perceive in these issues take their toll on their final score, but DAY OF VENGEANCE #1 and #2 still manage to earn a very respectable three Tonys each. But let's keep that between us, okay? If the Spectre learns I didn't give his book the top score, he'd likely take the one head I call my own.
******
If DAY OF VENGEANCE is setting the new parameters of magic in the DCU, THE RANN-THANAGAR WAR [$2.50 per issue] seems posed to do the same for alien worlds which have loomed large in the history of the Universe. In the first of its six issues, writer Dave Gibbons summarizes the tragic events of the recent Adam Strange mini-series and the further tragedy and destruction born of those events. It's shocking stuff. However, while I do appreciate being brought up to speed, the result is an issue that reads more like a summation than a story and characters who never quite come to life. The emotional punch of these events should be almost overwhelming, but the punch never lands.
Penciller Ivan Reis does his usual Neal Adams riff on his end of the art, which is ably embellished by inker Marc Campos. It's good stuff, but the overall look of the issue suffers from the too-intense John Kalisz coloring. When the computer hues obscures the action, then the colorist hasn't held up his corner of the story. The story's the thing and the pyrotechnics must always be applied in the service of the story.
I can't reveal anything substantial about this issue for fear of spoiling any reader's enjoyment of the Adam Strange mini-series. But I can let you know Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Adam Strange all see action with former Hawkwoman Shayera Thal and Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Kilowog making appearances as well. Look for the war to spread beyond Rann and Thanagar in subsequent issues.
Rating the issue was a tough call, but I couldn't get past the lack of emotion and the lackluster character portrayals. I believe the second issue will be better, but the best score I can award THE RANN-THANAGAR WAR #1 is a disappointing two Tonys.
******
VILLAINS UNITED [$2.50 per issue] is my favorite of the four series counting down to INFINITE CRISIS. It's a clever semi-remake of the 1960s SECRET SIX whose six desperate members are virtually the only DCU villains standing against the 200 villains united and commanded by Lex Luthor.
Written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and inker Wade von Grawbadger, VILLAINS UNITED has many of the elements I've complained about in past DCU titles, but entertains despite them. The immoral actions of the Justice League in IDENTITY CRISIS serve as a "recruiting" tool for Luthor's legion with the consequences of opposing his society of villains providing additional motivation. The new reader is immediately thrown into the deep end of the pool, with few clues as to the who and why of the "heroes" and villains populating the series. I have a tough time believing some of these villains would join Luthor and fear that, as in Batman's WAR GAMES event, their individual menace will be diminished by being part of such a multitudinous pack.
Of the six "heroes" gathered by the unseen Mockingbird - who himself/herself is likely one of their small number - my favorite is Catman, a minor foe of Batman and Green Arrow who's emerged from some unknown transforming event as a warrior to be reckoned with. Catman is in a bit of a spot at the end of the second issue, to put it mildly, and I find myself caring as much about what happens to him as I do many of the DCU heroes. I'm also intrigued by Ragdoll and Parademon, though I've avoided searching the Internet for info on them in the hope Simone will be providing that info before the conclusion of this six-issue series.
Even with the "DCU outsider" confusion and my disbelief as to why some villains act as they do, Simone's writing is first-rate in these issues. She's ably supported by Eaglesham, von Grawbadger, and colorist Sno-Cone.
VILLAINS UNITED #1 and #2 pick up three Tonys apiece, but they came maddeningly close to moving up a rating. I think subsequent issues could get there.
******
BATMAN: DARK DETECTIVE #1 [$2.99] reunites the legendary 1970s creative team of Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin for another run with Bruce Wayne's other self. Maybe this first of six issues didn't quite equal their past collaboration, but it's a breath of fresh airs for those of us who prefer the Batman sane and Bruce Wayne to be more than a disguise.
Silver St. Cloud, as memorable a romantic interest as any who have appeared in Batman comics, walks back into Wayne's life on the arm of gubernatorial candidate Evan Gregory and their bittersweet reunion is expertly played. Gregory seeks to break the old Rupert Thorne cartel forever and legitimize the Batman again.
It's all good until a new candidate throws his enormous purple hat into the race. The Joker's platform is a simple one: vote for him or he'll kill you. I'm not a big fan of the Joker - I believe he's outlived his insanely evil value to the DCU - but this is the freshest use of the character in many years.
Exceptional writing and art lift BATMAN: DARK DETECTIVE to the top of my personal DCU chart. This first issue earns the old gang the full five Tonys.
******
Howard Chaykin's CITY OF TOMORROW [Wildstorm; $2.99 per issue] is a hoot-and-a-half, an often nasty hoot-and-a-half, but a darkly fun ride nonetheless. The "city" is Columbia, a utopian community whose citizens are served by robots built to recreate a golden age of innocence that never truly existed. The "tomorrow" is a near-future America where terrorist attacks have allowed the government to amass and abuse great power with the overriding responsibility of covering its illegal tracks.
Protagonist Tucker Foyle is a ex-black ops agent, the "ex" by virtue of his being ordered "cleared" to cover some of those afore-mentioned tracks. His father created Columbia and that's where the inconveniently still alive Tucker returns, only to discover a virus has turned the city's mechanical workers into rival crime families: the Doppelgangsters and the Cosa Nanostra.
This is B-movie brilliance in comics form. Chaykin's writing is smart without taking itself too seriously. His art is grim when it needs to be, or lively, or bucolic, or deliciously sordid. His command of storytelling is as solid as ever...with CITY OF TOMORROW being more accessible than his admittedly classic AMERICAN FLAGG. It's a shame this little gem is being overlooked in the wake of the big events going on in the DCU.
CITY OF TOMORROW is yet another example of old school comics creators showing the new kids how it's done. I'm so impressed by the opening chapters of this six-issue series that I'm giving each of them the full five Tonys.
******
Desolation Jones is living dead in L.A. He's an officially dead ex-British secret agent who has relocated to the wackiest city in America and hires out as a private detective, but only on cases within the espionage community.
As with many of co-creator/writer Warren Ellis' protagonists, Jones is damaged. His drinking had left him unfit for traditional espionage service; his alternative service was to take part in the medical initiative called the "Desolation Test." He was its only survivor. We haven't learned everything the initiative did to him, but he doesn't sleep much, doesn't do well in direct sunlight, and isn't bothered by pain. He takes the jobs he takes because "intel eats people up and spits them out. Because no one else should end up like [him]. Because L.A. is a cage full of old wolves and people like [his current client] shouldn't suffer because of it." Jones may be damaged in many ways, but he still has a moral compass and that puts this reader in his corner.
DJ's current case has him trying to recover a porno film made by and starring Adolf Hitler. His client, a self-described "world-class sexual adventurer" whose escapades have left him with over 70 diseases and missing at least one key body part, hires Jones to get the tape back from the former U.S. Army intel agents who stole it. This title is suggested for mature readers only, but you probably figured that out for yourselves.
Hinting at further complications in the case, Jones meets the client's elder daughter - obsessed with being the favorite child - and learns of an estranged middle daughter. I suspect we'll meet the third child very soon.
DESOLATION JONES #1 [Wildstorm; $2.99] delivers a solid chunk of the story, great writing, and equally outstanding visuals from co-creator/artist J.H. Williams III and colorist Jose Villarrubia. To me, that makes this issue worth every penny of its cover price and the full five Tonys.
******
Your friendly neighborhood Tipster enjoys the cop stories and so didn't hesitate to check out MATADOR #1 [Wildstorm; $2.99], the first issue of a six-issue series by Brian Stelfreeze (story, art, and color) and Devin Grayson (story and script). MATADOR's title character is a serial killer widely dismissed as an urban legend by the Miami police. Cuban-born Lt. Isabel Cardona believes he's for real and that he's a contract killer. Her fellow officers and her superiors already dismiss her as a quota hire; this theory pushes her further out of the loop.
There is much goodness to be found here. Isabel is a terrific character and a scene with her family is heartwarming. Stelfreeze does equally well with the action shots and the human moments. The issue ends on a cool cliffhanger. I'm coming back for the second issue and I bet you'll want to as well.
Wildstorm is on a roll this month. MATADOR #1 picks up five Tonys for Stelfreeze and Grayson.
Would you like to see me give the full-column press to other comics publishers in future issues of CBG? Let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate you.
******
ADDENDUM
Sharp-eyed CBG readers who also read this online column might notice this version of my CBG #1609 column has a review that wasn't in the print version. For space reasons, my MATADOR review ended up appearing in CBG #1610. However, since what I present here is the "columnist's cut," you get the columns pretty much as I wrote them before my beloved CBG editors worked on them.
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TONY STUFF
Yesterday's TOT has only been up for a few hours as I wrap up today's installment and already I've received some TIP THE TIPSTER donations, some e-mailed moral support, and notes from readers who will be writing editors and publishers to let them know they stand ready and downright eager to plunk down their money for new comic books by yours truly. My thanks to all of you.
One concerned reader wondered if my dire financial situation would diminish my reviewing. It shouldn't...as long as creators, editors, and publishers keep sending me review copies. Indeed, I hope to do more LIGHTNING ROUND REVIEWS in future TOTs, the better to cover as many items as possible.
That's all for now. Please keep the donations, moral support, and notes to editors/publishers coming...and I'll keep bringing you this feature five days a week.
I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
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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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