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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 6, 2008
Though I suspect many of my readers would prefer I write about DC and maybe Marvel super-heroes to the exclusion of all others, I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't venture frequently beyond those titans. Of course, this raises another question: do I then offer handicaps to those publishers whose resources are far less than those of the industry leaders?
I admire Bill Black and his AC Comics. They have managed to keep going when the vast majority of small publishers from the past two decades are no more. Yet, as I have often stated, I write reviews for the comics buyers and not the comics makers. It is a mission statement demanding I call them as I see them, no matter how much I might admire the subjects of my reviews.
Best of the West #65 is a 44-page, approximately 6-inch by 10-inch, black-and-white comic reprinting western comics stories from the 1950s. At $6.95, and, in the case of this particular edition, featuring as it does tales that are far from spectacular, I think it's pricey. If you're an avid fan of the genre, eager to read these vintage comics, you might disagree with my assessment. Which is okay. I write reviews, not commandments.
There are six short reprints: the Durango Kid, the Haunted Horseman (the original Ghost Rider with a different name), Monte Hall, the Whip, Annie Oakley, and Red Mask. From a strict story standpoint, they don't have much going for them. Most of them rely on western cliches, much as their heroes rely on sheer dumb luck to save them from dire fates and overwhelming odds.
The most interesting tales are those starring the Haunted Horseman and Annie Oakley. The former has two concurrent plots: the greedy land-grabber trying to drive a pretty young woman from her ranch and a haunted mine that murders all seeking to uncover its secrets. It could have benefitted from a few more pages.
The Annie Oakley story has a pretty neat gimmick: an outlaw posting a ten grand "dead or alive" reward for the tale's heroine. Again, a few more pages would have allowed for more suspense. Some tales from this era work very well in their relatively small page counts. Others seem like they are missing scenes or simply rushed.
There are spiffy artists represented in this issue: Joe Certa, Dick Ayers, Ross Andru, and Frank Bolle. Sadly, the reproduction of their work leaves something to be desired. On the one hand, I realize how much work goes into preparing these stories for black-and-white reprinting. On the other hand, the comics buyer has to decide if he or she can overlook this shortcoming.
I wish there were more comic books like BEST OF THE WEST being published today. But I don't believe this one delivers sufficient quality for its price. It gets a disappointing two Tonys.
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DAMAGE CONTROL
World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control #1 [Marvel; $2.99] is a delight. I suspect I overuse "delight" in reviewing comics, but I can't think of a better word to describe the pleasure I got from reading this first of three issues by co-creator and writer Dwayne McDuffie with artist Salva Espin.
This issue opens shortly after World War Hulk. Damage Control is a construction (and rescue) company specializing in cleaning up after battles between super-heroes and super-villains. Tony Stark, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is meeting with Ann-Marie Hoag, owner of Damage Control, and Albert Cleary, chief financial office, to get their estimate on what it will cost to set New York to rights. It's a really big number.
McDuffie's dialogue is sharp throughout this scene and every scene that follows. It's better than almost all the writing you hear on television and in movies. I especially loved that he does not shy away from political and social controversy, as when Cleary takes shots at Halliburton and the cost of Bush's war in Iraq. But my delight does not stem merely from my agreement with those views. Every character in this comic book comes across as an individual, even to the prison guard that exchanges "pleasantries" with account executive John Porter during the release from custody of a former DC employee. We see some of the personal lives of some characters and the workplace relationship of the others. Though we don't get the entire back stories of all the characters - the Marvel Universe is a big place - we get enough to enjoy the story unfolding before us. For everything else, there's Wikipedia...not that you have to go there to enjoy this issue.
There are tights but no fights in this first issue. Damage Control makes use of superhuman employees and volunteers in doing its work. And, just when you think even the most anal of government officials would recognize the necessity of what the company does and how it does it, McDuffie and Espin hit the readers with a cliffhanger that indicates things are about to go very bad. It's the kind of ending that would normally make me groan, but I'm confident McDuffie will surprise me when I read the next issue in what I already think is too short of a series.
World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control #1 combined some of the best writing in comics with solid visual storytelling. It receives the full five out of five Tonys.
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KAIJU IN THE COMICS
They're big...and they're terrible. Giant monsters have taken over Comics in the Comics this week. In yesterday's TOT, we brought you the first half of a Cloverfield parody that ran in Tim Rickard's Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! from February 4 through February 13.
Here's the rest of those strips:
More Kaiju in the Comics tomorrow.
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TONY POLLS
Every Tuesday, I post new Tony Polls questions for your balloting entertainment. This week, I'm asking you to weigh in on Free Comic Book Day and the Iron Man movie. You can cast your votes at:
www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony/poll
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
Tony Isabella
<< 05/05/2008 | 05/06/2008 | 05/07/2008 >>
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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Medina, OH 44256
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