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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, September 28, 2005
Football doesn't hold much appeal for me, though I do watch an occasional Ohio State University game with my son Eddie. But when I saw a portion of the above cover in THE GOLDEN AGE OF DC COMICS: 365 DAYS [Abrams, $29.95], I had to share with you the spectacle of Captain Marvel Jr. playing football against Axis leaders Hitler, Tojo, and Mussolini. That's the kind of wacky scenario that puts the gleam on the Golden Age of Comics.
This cover for CAPTAIN MARVEL, JR. #13 [November 1, 1943] was drawn by the legendary Mac Raboy. The editor was more than likely Rod Reed. The GRAND COMICS DATABASE [www.comics.org] lists these contents and one credit for the issue:
"Captain Marvel, Jr. Goes to School," a 12-page story written by Otto Binder;
Captain Marvel, Jr. in "The Case of the Missing Briefcase," also 12 pages;
Demlins, a two-page gag strip;
Captain Marvel, Jr. in "The Mirage Projector of Crime," a 13-page story;
"King of the Rhubarbs," a two-page text story; and,
Captain Marvel, Jr. in "The Case of the Poison Press," a 10-page story. That adds up to a good deal for a 10-cent comic book, but, alas, you'd have to pay much more for it today. The OFFICIAL OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE pegs a near-mint condition copy of the issue at $1275.
Looking at this cover, I have to ask: did Hitler and his evil buddies ever engage in other football games or other sports on the covers of World War II-era comic books? Because, if they did, I'd sure like to see those covers as well.
Let's see what else I have for you today.
******
2000 AD
First and foremost, Judge Dredd is what I consider when I read and review a run of 2000 AD. Today, I'm looking at Prog #1441-1452 [June 1-August 17, 2005]. The U.S. price of the British weekly has gone up to $4.10, so I think it's fair to expect better and/or more from the magazine.
These issues featured prime Dredd tales, starting with the 10-part "Blood Trails." Written by Gordon Rennie with art by Andrew Currie, it had Dredd hunting down Total War terrorist sympathizers while an old foe hatched his own plot against Dredd and Mega-City-One. Adding to the drama was the unwitting involvement of Dredd's niece Vienna, perhaps the one person to whom Dredd feels an actual emotional attachment.
"Blood Trails" was followed by John Wagner's two-part "Caught in the Act." With terrific art by Phil Winslade, it was the latest of what I call "Judge procedurals," tales which show how Dredd and his fellow Judges operate and the often terrifying power they wield in the performance of their duties.
In 2000 AD #1452, Gordon Rennie's "Matters of Life and Death" ties up some loose ends from "Blood Trails." It's a solid one-off story with fine art by Carlos Ezquerra. Dredd-wise, this run was top-notch.
Sadly, things go downhill dramatically once you get past the Dredd stories. The latest adventure of "The V.C.s" (space marines) concluded in #1441 and it was a good serial. But most of the mag's other back-ups left me cold. They were either too far removed from a relatable humanity (Slaine, Shakara, Avatar II, Leatherjack) to interest me or simply not very good (Sinister Dexter, Caballistics, Inc.). It's hard for me to justify paying four bucks for a less-than-issue-length Dredd story.
The few bright spots among the back-up features were stories that were more down-to-Earth. Savage - the tale of an ordinary man who becomes an extraordinary freedom fighter after his family dies in a "Volgan" conquest of England - returned in #1450 in a serial by Pat Mills and Charlie Adlard. Robo-Hunter Samantha Slade kicked off her newest case in the same issue, courtesy of Alan Grant and Ian Gibson. One week later, we got the first chapter of "Breathing Spaces" - a disgraced Judge gets a new posting on the Moon - by Rob Williams and Peter Doherty. Your mileage may vary, but I like my sci-fi to have that human touch. When a series goes too far out, it loses me.
By the numbers, here's how I rate this run...
2000 AD #1441: two Tonys.
2000 AD #1442-1449: one Tony each.
2000 AD #1450: three Tonys.
2000 AD #1451-1452: four Tonys each.
******
ADAM STRANGE
I finally read ADAM STRANGE [DC; $2.95 per issue] and there's much to commend in the eight-issue series by writer Andy Diggle and artist Pascal Ferry. Diggle gives us a two-fisted version of this DC icon, but doesn't short-change the character's amazing deductive and strategic skills. Though I could've lived without even the one scene of Adam getting drunk in a seedy bar - an extreme reaction to learning all he holds dear is gone is understandable, but the drunk bit is just so damn trite - it's so brief I suspect it was a sop to DC's editorial dark lords.
"Planet Heist" is a thrilling serial. As Strange prepares to join his wife and child and live on Rann full time, the planet and its entire system up and goes bye-bye, seemingly the result of one of its suns going nova. Adam doesn't buy it and risks his life to prove something else is going on. The story is like a big screen version of Adam's 1960s adventurers. It has surprises and big-ass explosions, heroic allies and nasty villains and, for good measure, intergalactic political intrigue. Pascal Ferry's art is as good as Diggle's writing and, though Dave McCaig's coloring often draws too much attention to itself, the series looks terrific from start to finish. High marks all around.
I do have one minor quibble and it's that ADAM STRANGE doesn't have a completely satisfactory conclusion. What it has is a cliff-hanger setting up THE RANN-THANAGAR WAR. This wouldn't have bugged me if ADAM had been an ongoing series - then it would've just been the lead-in to the title's next story arc - but here it feels like a cheap marketing scheme and that's a disservice to the quality of Diggle and Ferry's work.
ADAM STRANGE #1-8 earn an average four Tonys each. The mini-series has been collected into a trade paperback with a cover price of $19.99. Consider it recommended.
******
THE BAKERS
About once a month, someone writes me to tell me they aren't buying comic books any more or that they plan to stop buying comic books real soon now. When the reason given is a lack of money, I commiserate with them as best I can and direct them to their local libraries where, God willing, they have librarians savvy enough to include comics on their shelves. When the reason given is "there's nothing good out there," I give a silent scream of frustration and try to explain to them that...
...THEY AIN'T LOOKING HARD ENOUGH!
We are blessed to live in an age when, among other comic-book delights, we can usually count on getting a new comic book by Kyle Baker almost every month. This month, it was THE BAKERS #1 [Kyle Baker Publishing; $3], a 52-page, black-and-white, mostly told in pantomime anthology of hilarious material.
I literally roared with laughter at "Giant Step," the eight-page story that leads off the issue. Then I brought it to my wife, made her stop watching whatever sitcom or home improvement show she was watching on the TV, and made her read it. She didn't roar with laughter because she is not an uncouth lout like her husband, but she did smile and utter lady-like giggles. This one is worthy of award nomination and maybe even a win.
THE BAKERS #1 also features the epic 32-page "The Mall" and a quartet of shorter tales. All are very funny, but I could see "The Mall" as a big-screen screwball comedy.
I gush because I love.
THE BAKERS #1 picks up the full five Tonys.
******
COMICS IN THE COMICS
This is John Deering's STRANGE BREW panel for August 23, 2005. I enjoy Deering's work and happily direct you to...
www.comics.com/creators/strangebrew
...where you can read it every day.
******
TONY POLLS
Earlier this month, TONY POLLS visitors were asked to weigh in on five JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED questions. Here be the results of their voting...
How often do you watch JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED?
I never miss an episode.....60.71%
I occasionally watch the show.....22.86%
I never watch the show.....16.43%
Count me in with the majority here. The only time I miss an episode is when something goes wrong with my VCR and, whenever this happens, I keep checking the TV listings for a rerun.
Which of the seven core Justice League Unlimited members is your favorite?
BATMAN.....31.03%
Flash.....15.86%
Hawkgirl.....14.48%
J'onn J'onzz.....14.48%
Superman.....11.03%
Green Lantern.....8.28%
Wonder Woman.....4.83%
I voted for BATMAN because the Cartoon Network version of the character isn't a dick.
Which supporting member is your favorite?
QUESTION.....28.06%
Green Arrow.....14.39%
Atom.....6.47%
Mister Miracle.....6.47%
Supergirl.....6.47%
Zatanna.....6.47%
Black Canary.....5.04%
Captain Marvel.....5.04%
Wildcat.....4.32%
Huntress.....2.88%
Metamorpho.....2.88%
Doctor Fate.....2.16%
Aquaman.....1.44%
Big Barda.....1.44%
Booster Gold.....1.44%
Vigilante.....1.44%
Vixen.....1.44%
Captain Atom.....0.72%
Elongated Man.....0.72%
Hawk and Dove.....0.72%
Have I been transported to an alternate reality where I'm in the majority? I voted for THE QUESTION, perhaps the edgiest hero ever to appear in a DC super-heroes cartoon.
Which was your favorite fourth-season episode?
QUESTION AUTHORITY.....24.11%
Divided We Fall.....19.64%
Epilogue.....16.96%
The Cat and the Canary.....10.71%
Task Force X.....8.93%
Double Date.....8.04%
Clash.....4.46%
Panic in the Sky.....3.57%
Hunter's Moon.....1.79%
The Ties That Bind.....0.89%
Flashpoint.....0.89%
The Doomsday Sanction.....0%
The Balance.....0%
This was a tough call for me. I narrowed it down to DIVIDED WE FALL, Question Authority, Epilogue, and Double Date. What gave DIVIDED my vote was the star role for the Flash.
How often do you buy or read the JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED comic book?
I never miss an issue.....19.71%
I read it occasionally.....21.90%
I never read it.....58.39%
I didn't vote on this question. I have all the issues and I fully intend to read them real soon now, but I haven't read any of them yet. Bombard me with e-mails asking me to review them; I'll get to them much sooner that way.
This week's TONY POLLS questions concern an area of comic-book publishing that used to be a mainstay of the industry. I speak of comic books based on live action TV programs. We're asking you to vote for the shows you'd most like to see adapted to comic books in the categories of genre (horror & sci-fi), crime, drama, returning sitcoms, and new sitcoms. These questions will remain active until sometime after midnight on Monday, October 3, and you can cast your votes at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
New questions will be posted on October 4.
That's a wrap for now. Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 09/27/2005 | 09/28/2005 | 09/29/2005 >>
Discuss this column with me at my Message Board. Also, read Heroes and Villains: Real and Imagined.
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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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840 Damon Drive
Medina, OH 44256
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