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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 Friday, July 4, 2008
Reviewing Vincent Bugliosi's The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder [Vanguard Press; $26.95] may strike some as an odd choice for the lead of a column that's posting on Independence Day, but, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was the right choice.
On this day in 1776, our forefathers declared our nation's independence from Great Britain. The freedoms they sought that day were further expressed and enshrined in our Constitution...and no presidential administration in history has proved itself a bigger threat to our freedoms and our Constitution than that of George W. Bush. So, as we celebrate our independence and freedoms today, we need to be conscious that maintaining them requires our strong and vigilant commitment to the rule of law.
Bugliosi didn't need to convince me that Bush is a criminal. The evidence of that is both obvious and overwhelming. But, having seen Congress fail in its obligations to impeach this President, I did need to be convinced that our laws might allow other remedies to his crimes, that our laws might offer a means whereby Bush could be brought to justice.
Bugliosi does just that. Though his tone of his book is often insufferably arrogant and self-congratulatory, he absolutely makes his case that Bush could and should be prosecuted for murder by way of his premeditated deceit in leading this country to a war in Iraq that resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 American soldiers and the grievous life-changing injuries and traumas of tens of thousands more. Indeed, he even makes the case that, should Bush be charged in states allowing the death penalty, the President could face the ultimate penalty for his crimes.
This book is one of the most important books ever written on George Bush and his administration. In laying out his case and his evidence, Bugliosi does not spare Bush's co-conspirators. He also doesn't spare those who should have been calling for justice: the Congress, the media, the pundits, and the American people. We all must share blame for Bush's seeming immunity from the justice that he so surely deserves.
Even Bush detractors appear shocked by the very notion that he could or should be prosecuted for murder. But, if our freedoms are to have any meaning, if they are to endure, this president must be brought to justice.
The Prosecution of George W. Bush earns the full five out of five Tonys.
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ADDENDUM
This week's Tony Polls questions were inspired by the Bugliosi book, but I'm afraid you can't vote on them. I took them down after they'd been hopelessly corrupted by obvious "ballot-box stuffing." Inspired by their leaders, it appears Bush and McBush supporters are compelled to cheat and, in effect, lie even when it comes to something as small as these polls. In this case, it was done in such a clumsy manner that there could be no doubt what was going on. However, since this is my column, I get to weigh in on my poll questions even if most of you were denied that opportunity by the Bush/McBush rodents.
Yes, I feel Bush should have been impeached. His high crimes and misdemeanors are a matter of public record. I blame Congress for failing to fulfill its responsibility. I blame the news media and commentators for failing to report adequately and forcefully on Bush's wrongdoings. And I blame all of us who did not raise their voices loudly against this criminal and demand Congress take swift and sure action against him.
Yes, I feel Bush can and should be prosecuted for murder. One of the most startling revelations in Bugliosi's book is that Bush could be prosecuted in any state of the union...and another is that such a prosecution could be successful.
If found guilty, should Bush receive the death penalty? The irony of the former executioner governor of Texas facing that fate is not lost on me, but, in this world, if you're against the death penalty, you can't make an exception even for a mass murderer like Bush. In comics, on the other hand, they'd pin a medal on anyone who took out the Joker for good. No prison can hold him and, every time he escapes, he murders innocent people. It's unbelievable to me that the Joker hasn't already been "killed while attempting to assault a police officer" and I guarantee that police officer would not be brought up on charges.
But I digress.
In the last of our curtailed poll questions, I vote for Barack Obama for President. What respect I once held for John McCain has vanished due to his utter lack of vision, his pandering to the very worst elements of the right, and his hypocrisy and lies during the first weeks of the general election. McCain is manifestly unfit to be our next President.
New non-political Tony Polls questions will be posted next Tuesday. Suggestions are always welcome.
******
AMERICA'S GREATEST COMICS
From my boxes of unread comic books - and they are legion - comes America's Greatest Comics #6 [AC Comics; $6.95], a "special weird fantasy issue" from 2003 featuring tales drawn by some of the best artists of the 1950s. What makes this issue stand out is that so many of the reprinted stories are extremely well-written. The contents:
"The Man Who Saw Tomorrow" - art by Steve Ditko - first appeared in Charlton's Unusual Tales #7. The title of the 1957 story describes its protagonist and its six pages nicely portrays the pitfalls of his amazing powers.
From Marvel's Astonishing #14 [June, 1952], "Silence" by Don Rico and Dick Ayers eschews words to deliver a suspenseful tale of a man alone, desperately seeking other human beings.
The Marvel comics of the 1950s provided publisher Bill Black with four of the issue's other tales. "He Was Nobody" [Journey into Unknown Worlds #51] - drawn by Wally Wood - takes place in a small town on the verge of destruction. The Jack Kirby-drawn "Afraid to Dream" is from Astonishing #51 [December, 1956]. The twist ending of the Reed Crandall-illustrated "When the City Trembled" [Journey into Unknown Worlds #50] brought a smile to my face, as did "The Night of May 10th" from Astonishing #58 and with appropriately moody art by Bill Everett.
"The Girl Who Walked On Water" is a wonderful Joe Simon/Jack Kirby collaboration from Black Magic #11 [April, 1952]. It stands out even among so many other well-written stories.
"The Doomed Patrol" is a Korean War adventure that doesn't even remotely fit the issue's theme, but is still an exciting and occasionally comical tale of an infantry man forever feuding with the Navy. Drawn by Bob Powell, it first appeared in ME's The American Air Forces #7 [August, 1957].
The issue wraps with "The Ghost Gallery," a Jack Kamen-drawn tale from Fiction House's Jumbo Comics. It's the least of the stories in this issue, but it's still neat from a historical perspective.
America's Greatest Comics #6 is an outstanding issue, combining, as it does, great writing and great art. It earns an impressive four out of five Tonys.
So, you might be asking yourself, why would I review a five-year-old comic book? Because AC Comics is still selling this issue and hundreds of other gems from its decades of publishing in its online store. Which you can visit by going here:
www.accomics.com
******
DC CHALLENGE: TAKE ONE
The following DC reviews were posted at the Comics Buyer's Guide site at the onset of my first attempt to read a month's worth of DC product in a month and review it all. It explains the "rules" of my DC Challenge and, since those rules also apply to my current (second) attempt to accomplish this lofty goal, I'm running both the explanation and the reviews as they appeared in my forum at the CBG site on Monday, May 26.
Here we go...
I received a large box of recent DC Comics publications, roughly a month's worth of DC titles and titles from their various imprints. There were a little over 100 items in the box and, for reasons I can't understand, I decided I would read every last one of them over the next 30 days. If only Morgan Spurlock were here to film this mad adventure.
Here are the "rules" for this endeavor. I must read three or four comics or books every day. I'll review some of them here, some of them in my "Tony's Online Tips" columns, and some of the trades in my "Tony's Tips" columns for CBG itself.
I will not read earlier issues of the titles to figure out what has gone before. If I can't figure out enough of what has gone before to understand what I'm reading, I'll let you know that and deduct "points" accordingly. Because at three bucks an issue, the editors and readers should make certain even the newest reader knows what's going in that issue. If I've already reviewed an issue from the box online, I'll either reprint the review or direct you to where you can read it.
We begin.
100 Bullets #89 [Vertigo; $2.99] has a very nice cover by Dave Johnson with truly exceptional interior art and coloring by Eduardo Risso and Patricia Mulvihill. Unfortunately, the story itself is largely incomprehensible. Brian Azzarello might be, as they say, "writing for the trade," but that doesn't relieve him of his obligation to provide enough back story to allow a new reader to follow what he's paid three bucks for.
100 Bullets #89 earns a pathetic one out of five Tonys. Even the terrific work of Risso and Mulvihill couldn't rescue the inadequate writing.
Action Comics #863 [DC; $2.99] wraps up the six-issue "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" story. Here's what I said about this comic when I reviewed it and the previous issue in the April 24 edition of "Tony's Online Tips":
Geoff Johns wraps up his six-issue "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" arc in Action Comics #862 and #863 [DC; $2.99 each]. His first-rate writing combines with equally top-notch art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal for an exciting, heartwarming finale. Johns' Man of Steel is inspirational and his handling of the Legion members - all of them - is right on the money as the heroes battle to save Superman's adopted planet and its citizens from uber-bigot Earth-Man, his super-lackeys, the threat of annihilation from outer space, and even their own demons. The earlier issues of the story were somewhat confusing, but Johns finished strong. He, Frank, and their collaborators earn the full five Tonys.
The All-New Atom #22 [DC; $2.99] is the second chapter of a story, but writer Rick Remender gives the readers everything necessary to follow the action without slowing it down. There's a real sense of urgency to Ryan Choi's battle with a creature born from his own blood, but also a real sense of loss for the death of one supporting character last issue and others this issue. Pat Olliffe (pencils), John Stanisci (inks), and Alex Bleyaert (colors) all do nice jobs on the visuals, as well. This is a solid super-hero comic book and it earns four out of five Tonys.
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BLOGGY BITS
Things are going be more than a little crazy around here for the next two months. While I'm writing my new book on comics, our wondrous web-wizard Justin, who just got back from Wizard World in Chicago, is working on his sketch-card gigs and preparing to attend San Diego's Comic-Con International. We'll do our best to post new TOTs every Monday through Friday, but we'll likely miss a few days here and there.
On a related note...
This remains a reader-sponsored feature, made possible through your "Tip The Tipster" donations. Your donations have paid for the next eight columns, but, after that, there won't be any new columns until we receive additional donations. If you'd like to contribute and keep TOT running, click on the "Tip The Tipster" link you'll find elsewhere on this page.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me. I'll be back on Monday 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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Medina, OH 44256
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