Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

A Month In Comics: Buffy, Stephen King, and the Antichrist

Ian Woolstencroft — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:45:20 EDT

Forthcoming titles: The Highwaymen sounds like a great idea for a Hollywood buddy movie, albeit a geriatric one. Able “Speed” Monroe and Alistair McQueen were the ultimate couriers and they’re coming out of retirement for one last job, transporting a top secret package for a dead President. Writers Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman team with artist Lee Garbett to bring this one to life. I’d love to see Sidney Poitier and Clint Eastwood in the inevitable film version. Coming from Wildstorm June 20. Anticipation factor: 7The Weapon is another title that sounds like it would make a great film. A high tech invention, evil assassins and an ancient mystical martial art – this sounds perfect for Jet Li! Fred van Lente and Scott Koblish bring us this four issue actionfest. Coming from Platinum Studios in June. Anticipation factor: 7Black Summer is a new series from my current favourite comic writer Warren Ellis. Here Warren once again turns his fevered imagination to the superhero genre but this promises a more explicit take than the usual Marvel/DC fare. Art is by Juan Jose Ryp. The eight issue series from Avatar starts in August but watch out for issue 0 before that. Anticipation factor: 8Sheena Queen of the Jungle gets reinvented for the modern age by Robert Rodi and Matt Merhoff from a concept by Die Hard scriptwriter Stephen E. de Souza. Coming in June from Devil’s Due. Anticipation factor: 7Tales from the Crypt is back! I’m not sure whether to be excited or disgusted but either way the bi-monthly series promises two stories each issue in the Crypt tradition. Coming from Papercutz in June. Anticipation factor: 6Crécy could be looked on as an attempt to cash in on the success of 300 as it deals with another epic historical battle between vastly mismatched forces but with Warren Ellis (yes him again!) writing it will almost certainly be much more than that. Anyway you can keep your Greeks and Persians this is the English sticking it to the French! Art is from Raulo Caceres. An Avatar graphic novel coming in June. Anticipation factor: 9Doktor Sleepless is another new series from the prolific Ellis (does the man never sleep!), this time he’s joined by artist Ivan Rodriguez. I don’t know much about this, although I have seen the script for page one and it sound like it will be something pretty wild with Ellis in full unfettered mode. Coming from Avatar in July. Anticipation factor: 8Avengers Classic promises to do for the Avengers what Classic X-Men did for that team, namely not just reprinting the original stories but also expanding on them with an all new back-up tales. As well as the Lee and Kirby original Avengers story this first issue also features tales by Dwayne McDuffie with Mike Oeming and artist Kevin Maguire teamed with none other than Stan “The Man” Lee! Coming from Marvel June13. Anticipation factor: 7Daredevil: Battlin’ Jack Murdock offers a new take on the pre-Daredevil Matt Murdock, as it’s told in the first person by his boxer father. Written by Zeb Wells with bruising visuals from Carmine Di Giandomenico. Coming from Marvel June 6. Anticipation factor: 7World War Hulk finally sees old Greenskin return to earth and to say he’s not happy would be the understatement of the year. Hulk writer Greg Pak teams with superstar artist John Romita Jr. for this five issue limited series while the equally talented Gary Frank takes over art duties on Incredible Hulk. Coming from Marvel June 13. Anticipation factor: 8This month’s reading:Action Comics 846The Geoff Johns/Richard Donner writing team continue their tale, and it feels more like a sequel to Donner’s film(s) than a piece of the DC Universe. Still that’s not necessarily a bad thing and with Adam Kubert providing some spectacular visuals as General Zod not only unleashes the inhabitants of the Phantom Zone but traps Clark inside for good measure, this is shaping up to be one of the best Superman stories for some time. Grade: BAfter The Cape 1The idea of an alcoholic superhero is a good one but creator/writer Howard Wong lacks the experience to fully do it justice. Marco Rudy’s art at times recalls Frank Miller’s Sin City but at others looks quite amateurish. I had high hopes for this but Marvel covered similar ground much better in Iron Man years ago. Grade:CThe Authority 2This is another title that I had high hopes for having been a big fan of the Warren Ellis/Mark Millar era. After what seems an age the second issue finally arrives and at least it features The Authority, even if much of the story is taken up with exposition. Next issue promises Midnighter cutting loose so I’ll be back for that, I just hope the wait won’t be as long. Grade: C+Batman Confidential 2 & 3 There’s nothing new or fresh here just the same old obsessive Batman. Andy Diggle may think pitting the Dark Knight against Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor adds something we haven’t seen before but his handling of the characters is far too pedestrian. I used to love Whilce Portacio’s artwork but there’s barely a glimpse of his old greatness here. Grade: CThe Brave and the Bold 1 & 2Issue 1 of DC’s reborn team-up title has Batman and the Green Lantern dealing with an extraterrestrial threat. It’s a fun read but very much a nostalgia trip and not something I’d care to buy on a regular basis, even with the awesome art of George Pérez. Thankfully issue 2 has an altogether fresher feel as Green Lantern is paired with Supergirl. There are some sparkling exchanges between the two and writer Mark Waid is clearly having a ball here. He also makes good use of the frequently neglected thought bubble, case in point: Green Lantern on Supergirl “You have food in the refrigerator older than her, Hal. Who are you Ollie?” Next issue features Batman and Blue Beetle, fingers crossed it keeps the same wit and energy. Grade: B+Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight 1Part one of "The Long Way Home" is somewhat less than I’d hoped for. It fails to really capture the fun and energy of the series and instead makes you realise that Buffy was far more than just Joss Whedon. It was a great cast who perfectly embodied their characters, it was first rate stunt men/women giving us some of the best fight scenes we’d ever seen on a weekly TV show and it was special effects guys working with limited money to create unusual villains. With the budget not a consideration in the comics medium we get a BIGGER story here than we’ve seen before but in the end instead of filling the void it just makes me miss the show even more. Grade: C+Chronicles of Wormwood 1 & 2A book guaranteed to offend both Christians and Satanists, Garth Ennis vision of the Antichrist is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Wickedly funny and extremely explicit in both words and pictures, this is the story of Danny Wormwood. He’s the son of the devil but he’s not interested in starting Armageddon, he’d rather run a cable TV channel. Trust me, until you’ve seen this you can’t possibly imagine just how crazy it is. You’ll be shocked but in a good way. Grade: BCity of Others 1Steve Niles latest creation, Stosh “Blud” Bludowski, is a hitman without a conscience, without any of the normal restraints that hold us humans back. Usually it’s the writer who gets his name first on the cover, so it says something about the legendary status of artist Bernie Wrightson that even paired with the hottest horror comic writer on the planet, it’s his name that gets top billing. City of Others is good gory fun, an action packed rollercoaster ride full of brutal violence and dismembered body parts. There’s also a healthy dose of mystery that leaves the reader wanting to find out more. Grade: BCivil War: The Initiative 1This is a showcase title, geared to push some new and some retooled series - Omega Flight, The Thunderbolts and The Mighty Avengers. Thanks to writers Brian Bendis and Warren Ellis and artist Marc Silvestri it does its job exceedingly well,with Ellis Thunderbolts section the standout. The book also has a striking cover by Silvestri featuring Iron Man holding an American flag and Captain America’s battle scared shield. Grade: B-Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born 1 & 2This is a beautiful looking comic, in fact I’d go so far as to say it’s the most visually stunning book currently on the stands. The pairing of artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove is a match made in heaven. The story ain’t bad either, based on the epic Stephen King series of books and adapted by Robin Furth (plot) and Peter David (script) it tells the origin of Roland the Gunslinger. An epic tale with the talent to match. Grade: B+Deathblow 3 & 4Of Wildstorm’s reboots this is probably the best, but that not to say it couldn’t be better. It’s taking its time getting anywhere, a common complaint with so many modern comics, but at least things are starting to pick up. The final scene in issue 4 showing Michael “Deathblow” Cray’s “kids” tooled up and ready to take on daddy has me anticipating lots of very un-PC action in the next issue. Grade: B-Doomed 4Featuring the usual adaptations of horror greats like Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson and David J. Schow this may be the final issue of IDW’s horror anthology magazine. The stand out, as usual, is Ashley Wood’s adaptation and this time he turns his attention to Matheson’s "Legion of Plotters", with the artist’s scratchy style perfectly complimenting the story of mental breakdown and murder. I hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Doomed but if it is at least we’ve had four damn fine issues. Grade: BDrain 2 I really enjoyed the first issue of Image’s new vampire series but this second instalment fails to live up to it. Full of lesbian vampire sex, actually that should be busty lesbian vampire sex, this is clearly aiming to titillate the teenage male audience and that’s fine if you’re a teenager but for someone who passed puberty in the last century it’s all a bit pointless. If I want busty lesbian vampires I’ll just watch a 70’s Hammer film. Grade: C-Fantastic Four 543The FF are 45 years old but they certainly don’t show their age, particularly on the cover where Sue Richards looks like she’s barely in her 20’s. She’s also wearing an FF uniform that looks to be made of PVC something I hope they carry over to the next Fantastic Four film. As for the inside…well they break the team up with Reed and Sue taking a leave of absence to sort their marriage out. Enter the Black Panther and Storm to take there place and exit one reader. Regular readers of this column will know of my disenchantment with the current state of the King of Wakanda and his inclusion in this title does not bode well and when coupled with the departure of artist Mike McKone, leaves me with little interest in continuing to read it. Grade: C+Fell 7Not buying Fell yet? Why not? It’s ridiculously cheap compared to most of today’s comics, only $1.99. It also packs more story into a single issue than you’ll find in three mainstream books (or a years worth if you’re talking about Wildstorm). And it’s written by the insidiously talented Warren Ellis and illustrated by that Picasso of comics, Ben Templesmith. Each issue tells a self contained tale of Richard Fell a police detective in Snowtown, the sort of place that makes a room in Hell look like an attractive property investment. So the next time you visit your local comics store, approach the counter and say these three words – Buy, Fell , Please. You won’t regret it. Grade: B+This is the final Month in Comics round-up but don’t worry (you were worried right?) Ian’s Cornucopia of Comics will live on. The Forthcoming Titles section will still appear every month and the reviews will (hopefully) appear on a more frequent basis.

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man's Uncle Ben meant when he said 'With great power comes great responsibility.'

A Month In Comics: A Couple of Major Characters Bite the Big One

Ian Woolstencroft — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 04:40:14 EDT

Forthcoming titles:Gutsville is the bizarre tale of the decedents of an ocean liner swallowed by a mysterious creature. They live inside the monster and one of them wants out. Simon Spurrier teams up with talented artist Frazer Irving to bring us what must be the strangest story of the year so far. Gutsville is published by Image on 30th May. Anticipation factor: 7Strange Embrace comes to Image comics in digitally re-mastered form with colours by Rob Steen and lettering by Comicraft ensuring David Hine’s dark tale of sexual desire, obsession and damnation looks better than ever before. Issue 1 is out on May 16th. Anticipation factor: 7Ward of the State is about an assassination business, the twist is the ringleader is a foster mother and the assassins are the kids she’s put in charge of. This three issue series is written by Christopher Long with art from Chee. Published 2nd May. Anticipation factor: 8Warlash: Zombie Mutant Genesis is the opening shot of a three part series from Frank Forte. Set in Pittsburgh (the spiritual home of zombies) and featuring mad scientists and genetically engineered warriors plus lots of the undead this promises to be great fun. Coming in March from Asylum Press. Anticipation factor: 7Painkiller Jane gets a new comic series from Dynamite. The comics character will shortly be seen in a new Sci Fi Channel series and this re-launch must be hoping to capitalise on that. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Lee Moder this should be out in May. Anticipation factor: 6Legion of Monsters: Morbius is another one-shot featuring some of Marvel’s horror characters. As well as a tale of the Living Vampire by Brendan Cahill and Michael Gaydos we also get a Dracula story by C.B. Cebulski and David Finch. In stores 30th May. Anticipation factor: 8Marvel Zombies: Dead Days is a prequel to the mega hit Marvel Zombies and is once again written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Sean Phillips. See how it all began on the 9th May. Anticipation factor: 9This month’s reading:The Amazing Spider-Man 537 & 538The Civil War reaches its climax and Spider-Man’s world changes forever as someone close to him dies. Well I’m assuming Aunt May dies, we only see her shot at the end of issue 538 but it would explain why he goes back to the black costume. Garney’s art improves with the larger panels suiting his style, while Straczynski’s script is spot on. There have been rumours JMS is to leave this title and perhaps the time is right as, after several years as the best of the Spider-Man titles, it’s now lost that top spot, at least for this reader. “What to?” you ask, keep reading and all will be revealed. Grade: BBlack Panther 24 & 25The Black Panther sniffs out a traitor in the resistance movements ranks (although the revelation is saved for Civil War) while Storm goes to see her Grandparents in issue 24. Number 25 spotlights a confrontation between Storm and the clone/robot/what ever the hell it is of Thor that takes place during the final Civil War confrontation. The artwork is average at best but at least the writing improves. Hudlin still can’t resist having all the Black heroes winning there respective confrontations though (Storm Vs Thor, Luke Cage Vs Doc Samson, Falcon Vs Nighthawk). Am I the only one who finds this comic racist? Grade: CBlade 5SHIELD send Blade after Wolverine in what is a throwaway story with a resolution that comes as no surprise. Perhaps the most pointless Civil War crossover of them all. Grade C Captain America 25Cap is dead! Or is he? This is after all just part one of "The Death of the Dream". Dead or not this is still a great read and features a truly shocking climax. Ed Brubaker gives us three different perspectives on the man who is a living symbol of his country, and through them we see him as a man not a icon. Ex-partners Bucky and Falcon and Cap's lover SHIELD agent Sharon Carter offer different perspectives on the hero. Steve Epting shows yet again that you don't need flashy panel layouts to be a great comic book artist, you just need talent and he has it in spades. Even if he is dead I'll be back for the next issue. Grade: B+ Civil War 6 & 7The final two issues of the series bring some memorable moments but the conclusion left me strangely unsatisfied. In issue 6 Cap beats Punisher senseless after he guns two criminals in cold blood but it's the conclusion of the scrap that makes it stand out. Frank Castle refuses to defend himself, unwilling to raise a hand against the living symbol of America. It's a deeply moving exchange with Millar showing a grasp of both these iconic characters. The best moments in the finale, an all out action issue, are Hercules taking down the replica of his friend Thor and the Captain America realising the destruction the conflict has caused surrendering. So why am I unsatisfied? Well the good guy didn't win but that is so often the reality of war. It may not have been the ending I wanted but it was the right ending for the story. Of course we now have to suffer that self-righteous prick Tony Stark as head of SHIELD but that's a small price to pay for such a cracking story. Grade: B+Fantastic Four 542Some nice dialogue between Reed and Johnny is the highlight of this issue as The Human Torch tries to reconcile Reed and Sue’s marriage. I could have done without Johnny and Ben’s reunion in France though. Dwayne McDuffie is a good writer and Mike McKone is really making the title his own but I’m not sure the current direction will be good for the title. Grade: B-Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 16 & 17In 16 the Vulture storyline comes to a close with an unexpected climax. It seems that Peter David has at last hit his stride with this title and he deserves a pat on the back for the return of Betty Brant. It’s also welcome that we have a good artist on the title (for this story at least) and Scot Eaton does a terrific job, I just wish he’d stayed. With 17 the "Back in Black" storyline begins as Peter Parker gets asked for help from Sandman. Call me cynical but the black costume is in the new Spidey film as is Sandman and I don’t believe in coincidences. David does his best, creating what promises to be an engaging murder mystery but all his effort is scuppered by some frankly awful art by Todd Nauk, imagine a bad Eric Larsen imitator and you’ll get the idea. So no this isn’t the comic that’s taken the crown of best Spider-Man title. Grade: C+Frontline 9 & 10Paul Jenkins neatly ties up the plot threads as the title nears its end. Two of the stories lead into Thunderbolts with one introducing Penance who is a major player in that title. While it’s definitely come second to the main Civil War book this has been a fun ride and I’m looking forward to the final issue which promises some startling revelations. Grade: BGhost Rider 8The first part of a Civil War tie-in that pits flaming skull against flaming pumpkin as Ghost Rider goes up against Jack O'Lantern. The link to Civil War is slim and the tale could easily have been told without reference to that series. The team of Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira do a nice enough job on the art but this feels inconsequential and it's hard to imagine any lasting repercussions from the story. The Incredible Hulk 99 -103"Planet Hulk" reaches its conclusion with these issues and much as I’ve enjoyed it I think it’s gone on for a little too long. Issue 100 gives us a glimpse of what’s been happening on Earth and events that will lead to his return, in a bonus story written by regular scripter Greg Pak with art from the amazing Gary Frank. With Frank taking on art duties with issue 104 the best may still be to come from Pak’s stint on the book. Grade: B-Iron Man 13 & 14In his own title we get a more human side to the Iron Avenger, as Tony Stark wrestles with his conscience. Try as they might though writers Daniel and Charles Knauf can’t make me like the guy. Patrick Zircher’s pencils are good both in the action scenes and the quieter character moments,his panels having a nice cinematic flow to them. Grade: BNew Avengers 24 -27Bendis is the best Avengers writer for years, really taking you inside the characters heads yet not skimping on the action. Issue 24 has The Sentry trying to avoid the Civil War on Earth by hiding on the moon where he encounters The Inhumans. It’s hard not to feel sorry for the hero, he’s only just got his sanity back when his world is turned upside down with friend battling friend and it’s no wonder he tries to get away from it all. Iron Man faces a disgruntled employee in 25, a man who disables his armour and threatens to blow up Avengers Tower. It’s a great piece of storytelling but once again won’t win Tony Stark and fans. The real gem in these four issues is issue 26 in which Bendis gives a character he’s killed and resurrected a couple of times in recent years a little piece. Hawkeye comes face to face with Scarlet Witch, the woman who "killed" him and the confrontation is as unexpected as it is beautiful. Hawkeye has been a favourite character of mine since his introduction and while I hope this isn’t the last we see of him it’s nice to have someone written out on a happy note for a change.The mysterious Ronin is at the centre of 27 and while the issue has lots of action it falls apart at the end with some duff repartee between the team, Iron Fist is especially badly written. Still it’s not often Bendis drops the ball and it’s more than made up for by Leinil Yu amazing art. Few pencilers can come close to Yu when it comes to depicting kinetic action sequences and he’s excels himself here. Grade: B+The Sensational Spider-Man 28 – 35Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has taken what was a decent enough title and turned it into the best Spidey book currently on the shelves. Packed with villains, these eight issues alone contain Doctor Octopus, Electro, The Chameleon, The Scarecrow, Will-O’-The-Wisp, Swarm, Molten Man and Rhino, yet managing to be even more character driven than Amazing Spider-Man. Within these pages we see a side of both Mary Jane and Aunt May that we’ve never seen before, at times unflattering yet showing there failings just makes them more human and ultimately someone we can sympathise with. On top of Aguirre-Sacasa’s deft handling of the books star and supporting cast there is some first rate art. There styles may be very different but Angel Medina, Sean Chen and Clayton Crain have all done some of there finest work here with each perfectly suited to the story they illustrated. One of Marvel’s best books and a title every Spider-Man fan should be buying. Grade: A-She-Hulk 8, 15, 16The first issue here is a Civil War crossover that ends with a proposal as John Jameson asks She-Hulk to marry him. It's nice to see Paul Smith's art although it's far from his best work. With issues 15 and 16 the "Planet without a Hulk" arc kicks in as She-Hulk is recruited by SHIELD to deal with the short of threat the absent Hulk used to handle. Artist Rick Burchett has potential with some clean line work that's reminiscent of Paul Smith. One word really sums this title up - fluff. Not every comic can be a dark brooding masterpiece though and this provided a pleasant change. Far from essential but definitely fun. Thunderbolts 103 – 105, 110 & 111The first three issues here feature the old team written by Fabian Nicieza. It’s a good Civil War crossover but ultimately nothing special. In fact the title looks and reads like a 90’s comic. With issue 110 the new creative team of Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato Jr. arrive and the book suddenly becomes essential reading. Regular readers of this column will know I’m a big fan of Ellis and it’s impossible to think of a writer better suited to this unusual team book. The group was made up of villains before but now we get such "A List" bad guys as Green Goblin, Venom and Bullseye. There’s plenty of action in 111 but the best scenes are the ones where Norman Osborn interviews the individual members of the team. Deodato shows us everything we need to know in these scenes from body language and facial expression with artist and writer in perfect symmetry. Bullseye even gets a wonderful flashback to Miller era Daredevil and it’s that kind of dark, brooding atmosphere the comic evokes. If Civil War had given us nothing else it would have been worth it for this series alone. A must have. Grade: A-Wolverine 42 – 50 The first seven issues here are a Civil War tie-in the has the hairy X-Man/Avenger hunting the man responsible for the whole Civil War – Nitro. Marc Guggenheim’s story doesn’t stop there though as Wolverine follows the trail back to Damage Control Inc and finds corporate greed lies at the end of the road. Guggenheim has some nice ideas which I’d like to have seen expanded on but sadly they are not explored to there fullest potential. Still this is a damn fine story and Humberto Ramos’ heavily stylised art (sort of manga meets Sam Keith) is great, really bringing out the humour. Issue 49 is a special Christmas story that pays homage to (or rips off) Die Hard as Wolverine finds himself trapped in a department store with a terrorist gang. It’s a fun piece of fluff but nothing more. With the 50th issue the new creative team of Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi arrives and a story that promises to reveal the ties between Wolvie and Sabertooth begins. The action is violent and bloody as the two go head to head in a tale that has the potential to be among the characters best. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it delivers. Grade: BNext month - Stephen King's The Dark Tower, Brave and the Bold, City of Others plus lots more.

A Month In Comics: League or Society it's Still Justice in America

Ian Woolstencroft — Fri, 9 Feb 2007 01:44:02 EST

Forthcoming titles:Doctor Fate gets a new ongoing title by legendary comic creators Steve Gerber and Paul Gulacy that spins out of The Helmet of Fate mini series. Gerber or Gulacy alone would be enough to get my attention but together this becomes an essential purchase. On sale April 18. Anticipation factor: 8Madman Atomic Comics marks the return of Mike Allred’s creation and it starts with what could be the end of the Madman universe! Then again this being issue 1 it probably won’t be. On sale April 4. Anticipation factor: 7Final Girl sees David Hutchinson bring the slasher film to comics as a group of young girls find themselves in a town under siege by killers. Not just any killers but Freddy/Jason won’t stay dead even when you shoot/stab/cut them into little pieces style killers. And to add to the fun you get to vote online to decide who will survive. On sale April. Anticipation factor: 7Nova gets a new ongoing series in the wake of Annihilation and while that title failed to impress I’ll be picking this up as I have fond memories of the original series. Here’s hoping that writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and artist Sean Chen can recapture the spirit of that title. On sale April 11. Anticipation factor: 7Runaways 25 sees a new creative team take over the title. Joss Whedon and Michael Ryan will take the group in a new direction both figuratively and literally as they head for New York. On sale April 4. Anticipation factor: 8Justice League of America 8/Justice Society of America 5 begin a five part crossover between DC’s two big new team titles. These should be bursting at the staples with classic DC characters as the two creative teams (Brad Melzer & Ed Benes/Geoff Johns & Dale Eaglesham) join forces . On sale April 4 (JLA) and April 25 (JSA). Anticipation factor: 8Alan Moore: Wild Worlds sees one of the biggest names in comics working on some of Wildstorms biggest characters. Featuring WildCats Vs Spawn plus Deathblow, Majestic, Voodoo and lots more in this 320 page title. On sale May 30. Anticipation factor: 8This month's reading:‘68It was bad enough being in America when the dead started rising in George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, how much worse would it have been in Viet Nam? That’s the premise behind this new Image one-shot but 25 pages just isn’t enough time to fully explore the idea. Characters assume that the dead are rising everywhere without any real reason to in order to propel the story along. Writer Mark Kidwell is clearly a fan of Romero’s classic and with more time, maybe a four issue series, he would have been able to turn the soldiers into real people that the reader could care about. As it is they die every other page and we don’t give a damn, it leaves you wondering if everything was built backwards from the final in-joke reference to Night of the Living Dead. Nat Jones art is good with some nice gruesome deaths. Jones is a horror comics regular and also a fan of Romero’s work (you’ll fine a painting of Bub from Day of the Dead on his My Space page) and it’s this love of the genre that really comes through. Grade: C+Black Panther 23Reginald Hudlin treats us to a pointless fight between the Panther and Captain America and more black guys are good white guys are evil silliness. The perfect example is pages 3 and 4; on page 3 we see T’Challa at Bill (Goliath) Foster’s funeral with his grieving family while on page 4 we get a look at some white politicians who are mostly stereotypical bigots. I used to like the Black Panther as a character but Hudlin is really turning me off. Koi Turnbull‘s art depicts T’Challa as less lithe cat and more big ape. He’s supposed to move with feline grace but here he has more in common with the Hulk. Grade: C-Crossing Midnight 1&2This comes across as a sort of an adult Japanese Narnia, with talking dragons instead of lions. The two main characters, brother and sister twins, are engaging and it’s nice to have the female as the more strong willed of the two. Mike Carey clearly knows a thing or two about Japanese life and mythology and that gives the story an authentic feel. Jim Fern’s clean line work is beautifully inked by Rob Hunter in issue 1 and Mark Pennington in 2. Fern’s particularly good at faces, capturing the character with a minimum amount of work and rendering them instantly recognisable. Grade: BGen 13 1-3This starts out great, with a bunch of teens being experimented on by an evil organisation, but blows all the good work in issue 3 with some of the most ridiculous villains ever to appear in a comic. I’m not a huge fan of Gail Simone but she managed to get me interested in this dysfunctional group of kids as they get to know each other and make a break for freedom. Talent Caldwell’s heavily stylised art was also a pleasure, part mainstream superhero comic part manga it gives the book a unique look. Then the villains arrive and all the good work goes out the window. Even Caldwell’s pencils take a downward turn, it’s like he knows he’s created something awful and would rather be somewhere else. I know how he feels, I’d rather be reading something else. Grade: C+The Immortal Iron Fist 1&2It may be a little early to call this the best martial arts comic since the Paul Gulacy/Doug Moench run on Shang Chi: Master of Kung Fu but what the hell, I’m going to do it anyway. Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have crafted a tale that encompasses the history of Iron Fist, not just the current Danny Rand incarnation but right back to the beginning with the opening pages of issue 1 set in 1227 A.D. As well as two writers the book also has more than one artist with each working on the Iron Fist of a different era. Travel Foreman and Derek Fridolfs depict the ancient Iron Fist’s (1227 A.D. in No1 and 1545 A.D. in No2) and there work fits the period perfectly. Issue 2 also has the World War One Iron Fist as drawn by the legendary John Severin. But it’s David Aja whose work dominates. Dark, moody with some jaw dropping kinetic action scenes Aja is a legend in the making. This is so good I can even forgive it the cheesy Mechagorgon villain. Grade: A-Impaler 1&2This is another title with some exceptional dark atmospheric artwork, this time from Nick Postic and Nick Marinkovich. As you might guess from the title this features Dracula, the surprise here though is that he’s on the side of the angels. Vampires arrive in New York via ship in a scene reminiscent of Stoker’s Dracula but these aren’t your regular vampires, they can turn into shadows and the usual weapons won’t work on them. This is William Harms brainchild and it’s clearly something he’s passionate about, with each issue featuring added content much like the extra features on a DVD. Image seems to be the home of good vampire stories at the moment with this and last months Drain and I’m looking forward to more bloody action from both titles in the future. Grade: B+Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of WarThis one-shot has the feel of a fill in story. While Cap and Iron Man do meet up, most of the issue has them reminiscing about the past with a lot of Marvel history crammed into just 38 pages. Everything from Tony Stark’s alcoholism to Captain America becoming a cop is covered although my personal favourite Iron Man/Cap scene (Avengers 170 in case you were wondering) isn’t mentioned. The fact that Marvel hasn’t put any of its heavy hitters on the book adds to the feeling that this is just treading water for the delayed Civil War title. Writer of the recent Union Jack limited series Christos N. Gage seems to have been tasked with cramming too much into a single issue and while some of the exchanges work many just don’t ring true. Jeremy Haun’s art is so full of flashbacks it puts you in mind of a TV show that has run over budget, forced to come up with a contrived story made up of clips from previous episodes. Grade: CJustice League of America 0-5This title doesn’t so much dip a toe in DC Universe continuity as wallow in it like a hippo in a mud pool. Yet it doesn’t alienate the uninitiated, instead it adds depth to the characters and their relationships and a richness to the storytelling not found in many monthly comics. Best selling novelist Brad Meltzer clearly has an understanding of the team dynamic with some well written scenes between the three cornerstones of the group, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Favourite bit – the scene where Arsenal tries to beat his dad, Green Arrow’s distance record with Green Lantern creating the target. It’s a moment that shows how you use the history of your characters to make them more human. As well as a first rate writer this title also boasts one of the best artists currently working in comics, Ed Benes. This is an epic series and the Brazilian penciller is the perfect choice, he does BIG stories that still have room for small intimate moments. Grade: B+Justice Society of America 1&2In much the same way as JLA this uses DC history to it’s advantage but while the League features many of DC’s best loved characters this series uses some less well known names. Mr. Terrific, Hourman and Liberty Belle may never have had a movie franchise or TV series but writer Geoff Johns doesn’t let his less that stellar cast stop him creating a team book that can hold its head up high among the likes of The New Avengers and the aforementioned JLA. In lesser hands a character like Mr. America might have come across as dated but it speaks wonders for Johns mastery that when America makes his dramatic entrance to JSA HQ at the end of issue 1 I was praying this wouldn’t be the last we’d see of the apparently dead hero. It’s nice to see that DC haven’t skimped on the art, with Dale Eaglesham’s work a match for Ed Benes’ on the League. For a self-confessed Marvel fanboy like me to be singing the praises of not one but two DC team books should give you some idea of just how good these two titles are. Grade: B+Next month I’ll be checking out recent issues from Marvel’s big guns – Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man and The New Avengers.

A Month In Comics: Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies and More

Ian Woolstencroft — Thu, 4 Jan 2007 06:59:21 EST

After missing December the monthly comics round-up returns with a bumper New Year edition!Forthcoming titles:Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night promises to bring back memories of Marvel’s horror heyday in the '70s. Not only do we get a new story featuring Jack Russel, the furry beast of the title but also a new Monster of Frankenstein tale as well. Werewolf by Night is by Mike (X-Men) Carey and Greg (Ultimate Power) Land while Big Frankie is written and drawn by Skottie Young. Out February with more Legion of Monsters one-shot titles to follow. Anticipation factor: 9 Amazing Spider-Man 539 starts a thread that runs through all the Spider-Man titles – “Back in Black”. If you don’t get the significance of that title then you’re either not a Spidey fan or you’ve been trapped in a block of ice in the Arctic for the last few decades. The return of the black costume is obviously designed to tie-in with the release of Spider-Man 3 next summer. Here’s hoping the regular Amazing team of Straczynski and Garney will provide something more than just an empty cash in on the new movie. The fun starts at the end of February. Anticipation factor: 8 Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness sees Evil Dead’s Ash travel to the Marvel Zombies universe just as the zombie outbreak kicks off. Written by John Layman with art from Fabiano Neves and June Chung and wickedly amusing tributes to classic Marvel covers from Arthur Suydam. On sale early March. Anticipation factor: 7 Half Dead was originally to have come from Speakeasy but after the demise of that company it moved to Dabel and will now be published as a Marvel/Dabel title in early March 2007. This sounds like Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita with added vampires. Our heroine, Romany first gets turned into a vamp and then recruited into PASA (the Bureau of ParaHuman and Supernatural Affairs) and their war on vampire terrorists. From the creative team of Barb Lien-Cooper, Park Cooper (writers) and Jimmy Bott (pencils). Anticipation factor: 7 City of Others teams Steve Niles with Bernie Wrightson (yes BERNIE WRIGHTSON!) in the tale of Stosh Bludowski a remorseless killer who may not even be human. The prolific Niles seems to have about ten books out every month but what makes this one special is the presence of one of the most influential comic artists ever, particularly in the horror genre, Bernie Wrightson. This four issue limited series starts on the 28th February 2007. Anticipation factor: 8 Brave and the Bold, DC’s team-up title, returns with George Pérez and Bod Wiacek illustrating Mark Waid’s tale of Batman and Green Lantern that takes the heroes to the planet of Ventura in search of possibly the most powerful weapon in the DC Universe. In stores February 2007. Anticipation factor: 7 Sam Noir: Ronin Holiday sees the Samurai Detective taking some well deserved R&R but you just know it won’t last. More black and white samurai action from Eric Anderson and Manny Trembley in this three issue mini starting early February 2007. Anticipation factor: 7 Nexus returns next summer after co-creators Mike Baron and Steve Rude finally agreed on the direction the series should take. Nexus, an intergalactic vigilante, is one of the most successful independent superhero creations ever and it’s great to have him back. Next year promises to be the year of Steve “the Dude” Rude as he has several other exciting projects in the pipeline all from his new Rude Dude Productions company. Anticipation factor: 9 Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a must for anyone who wondered what happened after the end of the TV series. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon this is effectively season eight but without the restrictions of a TV budget. Art is by Georges Jeanty and issue one of this miniseries hits the shelves in March. Anticipation factor: 7 Grifter & Midnighter puts two of the Wildstorm Universes meanest hombres head to head. Expect violent action from Chuck Dixon and Ryan Benjamin in a six issue miniseries that starts March. Anticipation factor: 6 Dynamo 5 is a new team book from Image but with a difference. When philandering hero Captain Dynamo dies his widow tracks down his five illegitimate offspring who each have inherited one of the dead hero’s powers but can they work as a team? Writer Jay Faerber and artist Mahmud Asrar are the creators behind this ongoing series that kicks off in early March. Anticipation factor: 6 After the Cape promises to be a dark take on the superhero theme. This story of a once respected hero who’s drinking problem causes his life to take a downward turn promises to be a serious look at the life of a costumed vigilante. Howard Wong and Marco Rudy are the creators behind this one and the only thing black and white here should be the artwork. Anticipation factor: 7This month's reading: The Amazing Spider-Man 536 The promised free-for-all with Iron Man sadly doesn’t come to pass (the confrontation’s over in just four pages) and the rest of the issue deals with Peter Parker and family finding a place to hide from the Armoured Avenger and the government authorities. Straczynski’s script is up to his usual high standard and there’s plenty of humour, most of it at the expense of Aunt May, a character JMS excels at writing. Unfortunately the same can’t by said of artist Ron Garney whose May Parker is still firmly stuck in the '70s (that’s the decade not her age) although his depiction of Iron Man is first rate. Grade: BAquaman, Sword of Atlantis 45-47 After stating last month that I felt revelations about Arthur Curry/Aquaman were just around the corner comes the news that writer Kurt Busiek is leaving the book with issue 49. Five issues may seem like enough to tie-up all the loose ends but issue 45 takes us little closer to the truth and issues 46 and 47 are a two-part fill in story. The fill in tale is a passable murder mystery but it sadly lacks the awesome artwork of Butch Guice. Guest artist Phil Winslade does a decent job but my patience has run out with this title and Mr Busiek meandering storyline. Grade: C Action Comics 844 & 845 Superman gets a ‘son’ as another spaceship arrives from Krypton with a child inside. This is a far better super-powered kid story than that told in the Superman Returns film but then given the talent involved that’s hardly surprising. Regular Action Comics writer Geoff Johns is joined by Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner for what could (should?) have been Superman 3 had Donner not fallen out with the Salkind’s. Brought to life by Adam Kubert this promises to be one of the best Superman adventures for some time, full of action but with enough emotional depth to make you care about the characters. Grade: B+ The Authority 1 A downed submarine is just the start of Grant Morrison’s rebirth of one of Wildstorm’s biggest successes. Will it reach the highs of the Warren Ellis/ Mark Millar run on the title? Only time will tell but he does enough here to leave you wanting to know what happens next. Gene Ha’s art has a real world look to it that’s not often seen in the superhero genre and it makes a refreshing change. Grade: B Batman Confidential 1 This starts off in fine form with Batman arriving to late to stop a vicious killer from murdering a woman in her apartment but he does manage to save her child. Sadly, after a wonderfully dark and action packed opening the story looses its way getting bogged down with company rivalries as Bruce Wayne finds himself competing for a government contract with Superman’s favourite villain Lex Luthor. Whilce Portacio’s art starts off on a high but gradually deteriorates, his reliance of black round the eyes to show who the villains are or how obsessed Batman is gets overused, with Luthor’s black eyes making his face almost skull like. The robot that arrives at the climax is hardly going to be pushing for a place in the 100 greatest comic villains list either but hopefully things will pick up next issue. Grade: C+ Blackgas 2 1 Warren Ellis’ zombie tale returns for a second series picking things up right where the first left off with our heroine, Soo making her escape from the island only to find that the threat has spread to the mainland. This a gory, non-stop thrill ride with some nice art from Max Fiumara and the always reliable Ellis at the helm. This may not be the deepest story he’s ever told but its fun and far better than Avatar’s other zombie series, Escape of the Living Dead. Grade: B Black Panther 22 T’Challa and Storm head to America on a diplomatic mission and soon find themselves embroiled in the ongoing Civil War. Mauel Garcia’s pencils are little more than adequate and Reginald Hudlin’s script is as heavy handed as ever. While he’s clearly striving to make some kind of racial comment he instead succeeds in creating the comic book equivalent of a 70’s Blacksploitation flick. Grade: C Blade 2-4 Issue 2 features a guest appearance by Doctor Doom as Blade is sent into the past to save the life of Doom’s mother, 3 has Blade arrested for murder before escaping and going on the run and 4 pits him against a demon possessed Santa in the small Pennsylvania town where he’s been hiding. Chaykin’s art gets better with each issue as do Guggenheim’s scripts, with a little more revealed about Blade’s past each month. Marc Djurdjevic gorgeous covers remain the best thing about the book though. Grade: C+Bullet Points 1 & 2J. Michael Straczynski reinvents the Marvel Universe and lets us see what might have happened if Steve Rogers had never received the super-soldier serum and Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben had died during the war. In this skewed timeline Rogers becomes the test subject for a different government project and goes on to become Iron Man. Peter Parker without the firm guidance of his Uncle, becomes a rebellious teen and finds himself in the wrong place and the wrong time during a Gamma bomb test. Straczynski takes a few liberties with Marvel history in order to make things fit this altered universe but it’s easy to forgive when the story is this entertaining. Tommy Lee Edwards art is, for the most part, excellent although he seems to have a problem with scale as both Iron Man and the Hulk seem far larger than they should. Next issue promises Reed Richards agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Grade: B Captain America 23 & 24 These two issues are the cream of the crop when it comes to Civil War tie-ins. Mike Perkins panel layout may not be the most exciting around but he fills those panels with some of the finest art seen in an ongoing monthly title. Ed Brubaker’s weaves a dark tale of espionage that recalls the title characters finest hour at the hands of Lee and Steranko. Grade: B+ City Of Heroes 16 There’s a saying “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.” So I won’t. Grade: D Civil War 5 This issue sees two new recruits to the resistance side – Spider-Man and The Punisher, with the later coming to the rescue of the former. It’s another amazingly crafted piece of work from Millar and McNiven that justifies its place as the top selling comic at the moment. Once again it provides the most memorable scene of the month, this time it’s at the end as a captured Daredevil hands Tony Stark a silver dollar with the words “Guess that’s thirty-one pieces of silver you’ve got now, huh? Sleep well Judas.” Grade: B+ Civil War: Choosing Sides This is a one-shot that uses Civil War to spotlight some of Marvel’s new and upcoming titles with varying degrees of success. Things get off to a good start as Venom gets recruited to the Thunderbolts in an eight page story that continues in Thunderbolts 110. Leinil Yu is one of the hottest artists in modern comics and you can see why in this brilliantly rendered short story. He may not be setting the world alight with Blade but Marc Guggenheim does a commendable job here, raising a smile without diminishing the menace of Venom. The Irredeemable Ant-Man is a different kind of hero more interested in scoring with the ladies than putting himself in harms way to save someone. He’s something of a conscientious objector in the Civil War and this story shows him watching a major confrontation from the sidelines. Bringing a touch of light relief to the war this is a good showcase for the ongoing title. Iron Fist’s tale is the books highlight. Brubaker and Fracton take the recent Daredevil regular and give him a warm up for his own comic. David Aja’s art is dark, stylish and fluid, a star in the making. U.S. Agent will shortly be seen in Omega Flight and if you want to know why he’s joining the Canadian super-team the answers here. It’s by far the least promising of the titles being promoted and won’t inspire me to pick up what looks likely to be a lacklustre comic.The original Howard The Duck as written by Steve Gerber was an essential purchase in the 70’s but the characters come a long way since then. Sadly that journeys all been downhill and the less said about his appearance here the better. The same is also true of Marvel’s embarrassing collaboration with the Guiding Light TV soap that closes the comic. Bad art, bad story, bad idea. Grade: C+ Criminal Macabre: Feat Of ClayThe prolific Steve Niles brings us a one-shot warm up for the Criminal Macabre: Two Red Eyes mini series. Perennially down on his luck occult detective Cal McDonald tangles with a Golem and finds it’s hard to kill a mindless creature made of clay. Gory fun, this has its moments and it’s helped by Kyle Hotz art that recalls the legendary EC Comics horror titles. Grade: B Criminal Macabre: Two Red Eyes 1 In the first five pages Cal McDonald is beaten so badly he’s hospitalised and things go downhill from there. It’s not all bad news though as his ex-girlfriend Sabrina returns although I wouldn’t place a bet on her living to see the end of this mini series. If blood and guts (and a sense of humour) are your thing then this is the comic for you. Tim Bradstreet’s cover (featuring a rendition of Steve Niles actor pal Tom Jane as Cal) is guaranteed to catch the eye. Grade: B Deathblow 1 & 2 This used to be my favourite Wildstorm title. Jim Lee did some of his best work on it, taking inspiration from Frank Miller’s Sin City but not aping it. Now it looks like any other comic albeit a well drawn one thanks to Carlos D’Anda. Brian Azzarello brings echoes of The Manchurian Candidate to the life of Michael Cray aka Deathblow. Sadly no Angela Lansbury, but we do get a talking dog instead. Grade: B Desolation Jones 7 & 8 Michael Jones returns and this time it’s much more personal than Hitler porn. The first story in this series was a delightfully warped take on The Big Sleep that could only have come from the fevered mind of Warren Ellis. The first two issues of this second storyline however are even better as Mr Jones past comes back to haunt him when an old acquaintance is murdered. L.A. never looked seedier thanks to the renderings of Daniel Zezelj who breaths life into such oddball characters as movie producer Evers Chance. Just how does legendary SF author Philip K. Dick fit into this? I can’t wait to find out! Grade: A- Doomed 1-3 I only discovered IDW’s black and white horror anthology with issue 3 and I enjoyed it so much I quickly tracked down the first two books as well. Clearly inspired by the old Warren Eerie magazine from the 60’s and 70’s this presents several classic horror short stories adapted for the comic medium by such top creators as Ashley Wood. High points of the first three volumes are "Cuts" by F. Paul Wilson (from his own short story) with art by Ted McKeever, David J. Schow’s "Bagged" adapted by Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood and "Children of Noah" by Scott Tipton and Nat Jones based on the Richard Matheson tale. Sadly the recently published issue 4 may be the last unless sales take an upturn. The save Doomed campaign starts here, so if you’re a horror fan rush out and buy this now! Grade: B+ Drain 1 Take Marvel’s Blade, make him Japanese instead of a African American, give him a sex change and add a few hundred years to his age and you’ve got ninja vampire Chinatsu, the lead character in Image Comics’ Drain. This opening issue delivers plenty of bloody action and Chinatsu has lots of potential for development, with several centuries of history to explore. Japanese artist Sana Takeda gives the story a manga look and clearly enjoys drawing sexy female vampires. I’ll certainly be coming back for more. Grade: BElephantmen 0, 4 & 5 This gets better every issue. In 4 we’re introduced to Tusk an Elephantman driven mad by there creator as an example to the others. It’s a story that shows the Elephantmen to be more human than most humans. Issue 0 is a reprint of the original Elephantmen origin story, Unnatural Selection that leads straight into issue 5 as the bigger story starts to develop. Grade: B+ Fantastic Four 541 The Thing heads to France to avoid the Civil War raging in America and encounters France’s greatest superheroes who have a familiar look to them. Straczynski last issue as writer is a non-stop joke with pastiches of several DC heroes and France’s answer to the Mole Man. It’s a shame he’s leaving as he was really starting to hit his stride, only time will tell if new writer Dwayne McDuffie can fill the void. Grade: B Fantastic Four: The End 1 & 2 Alan Davis is a fantastic (pardon the pun) artist and this is some of his best work, as a writer however he’s not in the same league. Here he kills both of Reed and Sue’s children in the first few pages but it lacks any real emotional impact and feels rushed. Thankfully things pick up and in a neat switch it's Ben Grimm aka The Thing who's living the perfect family life in this future world. Davis’ seems to be aiming for the fun feel of the old Lee/Kirby years and he’s at least partly successful. Here’s hoping this continues to get better with each issue. Grade: B Frontline 7 & 8 Paul Jenkins is doing a commendable job on this Civil War series, managing a balancing act with all three stories that keeps the reader hooked without giving too much away. Sleeper cells, assassination attempts and Government sanctioned supervillains it’s all here. Grade: B Friday The 13th 1 Wildstorm’s first issue of the long running movie series spin off is a less than captivating affair. Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti try hard but spinning a comic series off a movie franchise that had little in the way of story is an almost impossible task. This has much in common with the second film in the series and as such has a “seen if all before” feel to it, the only real addition being that Crystal Lake is cursed and that Jason wasn’t the only kid to drown there. Grade: CFriendly Neighbourhood 14 & 15 When I discovered that Peter David was the writer on this series I had high hopes for it but it’s only now starting to reach the heights I expected. Not only do we get the return of vintage villain The Vulture but also a couple of Peter Parker’s ex-girlfriends, Deb Whitman and Betty Brant. Brant is far from the weak secretary of yesteryear, she’s now a reporter for the Bugle and when confronted by The Vulture rather than cowering in terror pulls a gun out of her handbag. Penciler Scot Eaton is a welcome improvement on previous artists and I’m hoping he’s not just onboard for the current storyline. Grade: B That's all for this time. Next month I'll be giving my thoughts on the new Justice League of America and lots more.

A Month In Comics: From Iron Man to Elephantmen

Ian Woolstencroft — Mon, 6 Nov 2006 22:23:34 EST

Forthcoming titles:My recommendations for your comic shopping list. Criminal Macabre: Two Red Eyes continues the adventures of Steve Niles’ hard-boiled detective Cal McDonald. This time he’s up against Nosferatu. Kyle Hotz provides the pictures. Available December from Dark Horse. Anticipation factor: 7Batman Confidential is the latest title for everyone’s favourite Dark Knight. From the couple of pages I’ve seen this is looking dark and violent and that’s just how I like my Batman. Story by Andy Diggle and art from Whilce Portacio. On sale December. Anticipation factor: 8The Helmet of Fate: Ibis The Invincible is a very clunky title but hopefully top fantasy author Tad Williams’ script won’t be. This five issue series leads in the new Dr Fate 1 and is due late January. Phil Winslade provides the artwork. Anticipation factor: 6Scalped has a unique combination of modern Native American life and mob violence. Jason Aaron and R.M. Guéra combine talents to bring this one to life. This is due early January from Vertigo. Anticipation factor: 7Spawn/Batman: Inner Demons is a 56-page one-shot coming in time for Christmas. Written and illustrated by Todd McFarlane, this has the two heroes fighting each other's greatest villains. Anticipation factor: 7’68 combines zombies and the Viet Nam War. Expect buckets of blood from Mark Kidwell and Nat Jones in early January. Anticipation factor: 7Pieces For Mom: A Tale of the Undead is another zombie one-shot from Image. This looks to be a distinctly original take on the zombie theme. Two boys have to survive in a world overrun by the undead… and find food for their zombie mom. Expect lots of gruesome detail from Steve Niles and Andrew Ritchie. Out mid-January. Anticipation factor: 8Angry Christ Comics is a must for fans of Joseph Michael Linsner’s work. This is a trade paperback collecting some of the legendary artist's early work from Cry For Dawn. Out mid-December. Anticipation factor: 7Ultimate Vision is a five-issue mini-series that continues the titular characters' adventures from the Ultimate Extinction series. The script is by Mike Carey with Brandon Peterson providing some nice visuals. Out December. Anticipation factor: 7 Spider-Man: Reign looks to have a heavy Frank Miller influence but that’s no bad thing. It’s a Spider-Man riff on Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns series - this is a violent tale of the web-swinger's future. Story and Milleresque art by Kaare Andrews. The first of this four-issue series is out in December. Anticipation factor: 8Winter Soldier: Winter Kills sees writer Ed Brubaker continue the story of James Buchanan Barnes from the pages of Captain America. Art by the underrated Lee Weeks. A Civil War tie-in, this one-shot is available December. Anticipation factor: 7 X-23: Target X will be worth buying for the art alone. This beautiful and violent tale is brought to life by Mike Choi. If the story by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost is half as good as the art, this will be a great way to end the year. Out December. Anticipation factor: 7Squadron Supreme: Hyperion Vs. Nighthawk is a five-issue limited series written by Marc Guggenheim. What really has me excited about this one is the presence of legendary artist Paul Gulacy. If the cover to issue one is anything to go by, this one is going to be a real bruising encounter. Available January. Anticipation factor: 9Thunderbolts 110 marks a big change both for the group and the creative team behind it. Warren Ellis gives us “Faith in Monsters” with pencils by Mike Deodato. Following on from events in Civil War, this will be out in January. Anticipation factor: 9This month's reading:The Amazing Spider-Man 535If there was a hero I’d have picked to switch sides in the Civil War, it would have been Spider-Man, and this issue he does just that. Now all he has to do is get out of Avenger's Tower and that may not be easy; next month promises a free-for-all with Iron Man. Garney’s art is still lacking in detail but writer Straczynski’s on fine form. We get a scene towards the end of the book from Peter Parker’s perspective and in this month’s FF (also scripted by Straczynski) we see it from a different view; it’s a nice idea and very well handled. Grade: BAquaman 44Butch Guice’s art continues to be the highlight of this book but the story is picking up a little more pace and I think the mystery surrounding Arthur Curry may soon be revealed. Grade: B-Blade 1 This was a disappointment. As with his recent work on The New Avengers, Chaykin’s art is great in the action scenes but looks stiff when the characters aren’t trying to kill each other. Spider-Man’s guest spot amounts to just two pages while the central story concerning a vampire unit within S.H.I.E.L.D. fails to impress. Only the flashback pages revealing hitherto unknown secrets of Blade’s origin really work, although even this seems derivative of Miller’s Daredevil, with a Stick-like character introduced. Great cover though. Grade: CCable & Deadpool 32 The third Civil War crossover issue concludes with the two friends on opposite sides and nothing here suggests they’ll be reunited anytime soon. Fabian Nicienza did a good job of adding some humour to the Civil War in the previous two issues but here, particularly with Cable’s confrontation with the President, he’s far too heavy handed. Staz Johnson’s pencils are once again unexceptional but adequate. Grade: C Captain America 22 Centred on Sharon Carter and barely featuring Cap at all, this is one of the best of the Civil War crossovers. Sharon’s torn between her loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and her love for Steve Rogers although the shocking revelation at the end puts that love in question. Ed Brubaker's script shows you don’t need action to make a book a page-turner and Mike Perkins' dark brooding artwork is the perfect accompaniment. One of Perkins' strengths is capturing the emotion in a face to such an extent you don’t even need words to know what a character’s feeling. Grade: B+ City of Heroes 15 A comic that has less and less to keep me reading, I don’t even play the game at the moment. Simplistic in both story and art, it’s living on borrowed time. Grade: D Civil War 4 Simply awesome, all superhero comics should be this good. Thor returns or does he? One has to question the sanity of Tony Stark and Reed Richards after the developments this issue. The war takes its biggest casualty so far as a hero who’s been around since the '70s bites the big one and Susan Richards shows what a strong character she can be in the right hands. Cap steals the show though and gets the best line of the month. Going toe to toe with Iron Man, he’s broken and bloody, but when Iron Man asks him to give up he responds – “You really think I’m going down to some pampered punk like you?” The line speaks volumes about the relationship of these two men. While they may once have appeared friends, there’s always been a friction between them and now it’s out in the open. Steve McNiven's art gets better with each issue. Grade: A Criminal 1 Ed Brubaker’s new series is, as the title would suggest, a crime story with no Spandex in sight. It’s a good read but I can’t help feeling that it’s not best suited to the monthly comic format and I may wait for the inevitable collection. Nice art from Sean Philips captures the tone nicely. Grade: B Elephantmen 1-3 My big discovery this month: I bought the first issue on a whim and quickly picked up the rest. Set in a future where genetic manipulation has been used to create human/animal hybrids, this is science fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is all the more enjoyable for reveling in its pulp origins. Imagine SF noir with a Philip Marlowe-type lead who looks like a hippo and you’re halfway there. Richard Starkings stories are deceptively simple and Moritat the perfect choice to bring them to life. I’ll be looking into the previous exploits of Hieronymous Flask and the denizens of Mystery City soon. Grade: A- Escape of the Living Dead: Fearbook 1 With story and art by Mike Wolfer, this sets the scene for the Escape of the Living Dead: Airborne title. Graphically violent, as you’d expect from a zombie book, Wolfer’s art is pretty good and it’s used to tell most of the story as there’s little dialogue. Grade: C+ Escape of the Living Dead: Airborne 1 This time it’s Dheeraj Verma on art duties and it’s a decent job; it’s only the story that lets it down. John Russo may have co-written Night of the Living Dead with George Romero but on this evidence, it was Romero who had all the good ideas. Uninvolving and just plain dull, no amount of gore can save it. Pick up Warren Ellis’ Blackgas for a much better zombie fix. Grade: C- Fantastic Four 540 Mostly just Reed and Sue, this issue, as the Civil War leads to a separation of Marvel’s golden couple. The biggest plus of having Straczynski on this title is his ability to write strong female characters and he’s made the Invisible Woman my favourite member of the team. Mike McKone’s art is again first class. The scene that mirrors the one in Amazing Spider-Man looks far better here with more detail, not just in the backgrounds but also in the protagonist’s faces. Grade: B+ Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man 12 & 13 Peter David concludes his Mysterio storyline and while it lacks some of his usual magic it does leave enough intriguing hints about the future to keep you reading. Todd Nauck’s art isn’t going to be the comic’s big selling point, but he does an okay job. There’s definitely room for improvement all round. Grade: C+ Frontline 6 While this is the poorer of the two main Civil War limited series it’s still a damn good read. The main story gives us Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich’s on-the-spot account of the events of Civil War 4. Art on all three tales is good and writer Paul Jenkins manages to keep them moving along nicely. Grade: B Heroes for Hire 2 An improvement on the first issue but this still feels like a light-hearted book trying to be serious. There’s none of the sparkle the writers brought to the Daughters of the Dragon series. On the positive side the art is getting better but not good enough to keep me buying this beyond the Civil War tie-in issues. Grade: C The Incredible Hulk 86-98 I’ve finally caught up on this title. Issues 86 and 87 concluded Peter David’s short return to the book. David didn’t really do much with the character this time round and I’m not too disappointed that he moved on to X Factor. Daniel Way took over with 88 and his first story “Peace in Our Time” marked a change in direction. Told over four issues, it sees the Hulk enlisted by Nick Fury to deal with a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. experimental satellite. It’s a good story with some great art from Keu Cha but it’s the way the story ends that really grabs the attention. A group of major heroes (including Tony Stark, Reed Richards, and Stephen Strange) decide that the only way for the planet to be truly safe from the Hulk is if he’s sent to a distant uninhabited planet. This leads into the current “Planet Hulk” storyline with the spacecraft going off course due to the understandably unhappy Hulk’s thrashing about and it crashes on a world that’s anything but uninhabited. From there it’s Spartacus with aliens and the Hulk gets to be Kirk Douglas. Seven issues in and there’s no sign of a return to earth. With a story this entertaining, I’m in no hurry for one. Grade: B+ Giant Size Hulk 1 Three stories of ol’ greenskin are presented here, two from Peter David and one from current Hulk scribe Greg Pak. The first of David’s tales features a clash with the Champions. It feels like something that’s been sitting in someone’s drawer for a few years (the Champions don’t even exist anymore) and hardly ranks as one of Peter David’s finest moments. It passes the time pleasantly enough though. Much better is Greg Pak’s “Banner War.” It’s a “Planet Hulk” story with a difference – it all takes place inside the Hulk’s subconscious as Banner fights for control. It’s a nice if unessential, addition to the regular titles ongoing storyline. The best is saved for last – a reprint of the Peter David and Dale Keown classic “Hulk: The End. Imagine I Am Legend with The Hulk/Bruce Banner as the last living “man” on earth and mutated cockroaches instead of vampires. Told from Banner’s perspective, the writer takes you inside the mind of one of Marvel’s most complex characters. It ranks as one of the best Hulk stories ever and a career highpoint for both the creators.Grade: B+ The Innocents 1 Another title I bought on a whim but this one wasn’t as rewarding as Elephantmen. The cover featuring a sexy lady with a skateboard and samurai sword was what got my attention, I should have remembered the old adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Uninteresting characters and a dull story, this is one comic that won’t be in my next “This Months Reading” list. Grade: C- The Invincible Iron Man 1-12 With the six part “Extremis” Warren Ellis shows he can write a major superhero comic as well as anyone. He manages to retell and update the armoured Avenger’s origin while also taking the character in a new and exciting direction. It’s a story that permanently changes the Tony Stark character and makes him very much Iron Man inside and out. This would have made the perfect Iron Man movie. The painted illustrations by Adi Granov are nothing short of breathtaking and make him the definitive Iron Man artist. If you missed this in the monthly comic, it’s available in a collected edition. Picking up where Warren left off Carnivale’s Daniel Knauf (with son Charles) take the character down the road that will lead to Civil War as Stark’s armour (with him inside) is used to assassinate several people from his past. This leaves Stark with the dilemma of proving he was used as the instrument for someone else’s revenge. Patrick Zircher’s pencils would normally be something to shout about but Adi Granov is a hard act to follow. It’s not as good as “Extremis” but then few comics are but it’s still well worth a look. Comics seem to be the place to be for film and TV writers at the moment, no doubt hoping that the recent success of comic characters to movies will flow both ways. Grade: B+ Jack Cross 1-4 More from Warren Ellis, this time with one of his own creations, Jack Cross is brought in by Homeland Security to find a mysterious stolen weapon. His methods are unorthodox (not to mention brutal) but he gets results. Surprisingly this is a straight DC title; it’s the sort of thing you’d usually expect Vertigo to publish. While Warren doesn’t shy away from making political statements (he’s clearly anti-Homeland Security) he never allows it to overshadow what is a well-paced little thriller with a few surprises up its sleeve. Gary Erskine’s art is very cinematic; it’s like reading a movie. Grade: B Loveless 1 I’ve had this hanging around for a while but only just got around to reading it. I wish I’d done it sooner as now I’m going to have to try and track down the back issues (or buy the collected version) of this excellent take on the western. Clearly drawing inspiration from Clint Eastwood and the films of Sergio Leone, this still has enough originality to make it a compulsive read. Marcelo Frusin is the real discovery with some superbly stylish work that gives the book a unique look. Grade: B+ New Avengers 23 This month concentrates on Spider-Woman and writer Brian Michael Bendis really puts her through the wringer. Whose side will she end up on in the Civil War? The emotional final page brings the answer and shows that even superheroes are sometimes all too human. Oliver Colpel’s work here is excellent, not only for the art itself but also the exciting panel layout that adds a real sense of urgency to the action scenes. Grade: A That's it for this month!

A Month In Comics: What's Hot And What's Coming

Ian Woolstencroft — Tue, 3 Oct 2006 10:43:56 EDT

Forthcoming TitleA round-up of some of the future comic releases to get excited about.First up some Marvel titles, and big things are in the works from J. Michael Straczynski at Marvel with three new titles on the horizon: Silver Surfer: Requiem teams him with artist Esad Ribic and is due out early next year. From the title, this sounds like a future tale featuring the end of the galactic beach bum. Anticipation factor: 7Bullet Points is an alternate history limited series that follows the repercussions of two deaths during WWII, Peter Parker will become The Hulk, Steve Rodgers Iron Man and Reed Richards the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Art on this one is by Tommy Lee Edwards. Due later this year. Anticipation factor: 8Ultimate Power will see Straczynski's Squadron Supreme crossover to the Ultimate universe. This will be a nine issue series featuring three writers, Brian Michael Bendis, J.M.S. and Jeph Leob, with each doing three issues. Ultimate FF's Greg Land gets to do the pretty pictures on this one. With the possibility that not all the heroes will return to their respective worlds this could have major repercussions on the regular titles. The first issue is due to ship late this month. Anticipation factor: 9newuniversal is the rebirth of Marvel's less than successful New Universe from the 80's. Obviously hoping for similar success to the Ultimate universe phenomenon Marvel have put two top creators on the book. Warren Ellis is one of the biggest names in comics with the ability to turn his hand to any kind of story. Just check out Fell if you don't believe me (in fact, check it out even if you do.) With the first eight pages of Salvador Larroca's art available at Marvel.com for those who want a sneak peak it's fair to say this one is going to look awesome. Due before the end of the year.Anticipation factor: 10White Tiger is being written by hot children's fantasy writer Tamara Pierce, who specialises in strong female characters. She's joined by French artist Phil Briones on pencils and David Mack will provide painted covers. Due November. Anticipation factor: 7Criminal is Ed Brubaker's new series for Marvel's Icon imprint. Described as a comic that non-comic readers can enjoy this teams Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil) with the artist he worked with on Sleeper, Sean Philips (Marvel Zombies ) for tales of robbery, murder and more. Due in October. Anticipation factor: 7Ultimates Vol's 3 & 4 from Jeph Loeb, have a lot to live up to following in the footsteps of Mark Millar and Brian Hitch. Leob is far more a traditional superhero scribe so this should see some move away from the more overtly political work of Millar but I'm not sure that's a good thing. At least the art from Joe Madureira (3) and Ed McGunness (4) should be good. No dates yet. Anticipation factor: 7Wolverine is also going to have his destiny controlled by Jeph Loeb at least for six issues from 50-55. The story arc will see the return of Sabertooth and Loeb has promised to clear up some of the mystery surrounding the two characters relationship. Simone Bianchi will be the artist and both creators may stay on beyond the initial six issues. Issue 50 is due in January. Anticipation factor: 6The Mighty Avengers will be a sister title to The New Avengers from the same writer, the prolific Mr Bendis, but with a different team that will be born from the current Civil War series. The only news of who will be in the team has come from series artist Frank Cho, who's hinted that Wonder Man will make a return. The title is expected to debut in early 2007. Anticipation factor: 8Fantastic Four: The End tells the tale of the superteam's final days and is both written and illustrated by Alan Davis. Needless to say Doctor Doom will make an appearance. Due in November. Anticipation factor: 7Wisdom is a spin-off from New Excalibur and features the exploits of Pete Wisdom and MI 13. With a story by Doctor Who's Paul Cornell this is definitely one to get excited about. Trevor Hairsine will be drawing homicidal fairies and more British set weirdness. Coming in November. Anticipation factor: 8The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born will see Peter David writing the scripts from Stephen King's plot with superstar Jae Lee on art duties. This is the first of several planned mini-series. Expect this around February. Anticipation factor: 9Wonder Man gets a limited series from the prolific Peter David and Andrew Currie. This sounds like it will be much lighter in tone than Simon Williams current appearance in Frontline and there will be guest appearances from Ms Marvel and Beast. Due December. Anticipation factor: 7Iron Fist receives his own title that will take him back to his roots. Matt Fraction and David Aja reveal the secret history of the character. Released November. Anticipation factor: 8New Avengers: Illuminati is a five issue series that will explore how the secret cabal has affected the history of the Marvel universe. New Avengers Brian Michael Bendis works with artist Jim Cheung on this one and we can no doubt expect some shocking revelations. Anticipation factor: 8Stan Lee Meets… is a series of one off titles celebrating Mr Lee's 65 years with Marvel. He'll be 'meeting' Spider-Man, The Thing, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer. Each title will contain three tales, an original Lee story with big name artists Oliver Coipel, Lee Weeks, Salvador Larroca, Alan Davis and Mike Wieringo lined up to illustrate them, a classic Lee story and the third will be a new story from top creators paying tribute to the man who started it all. The first (Spider-Man) is out now. Anticipation factor: 7Not much from DC has me waiting with bated breath with only Frank Miller's Holy Terror, Batman! really piquing my interest. Touted by Miller as a piece of propaganda in much the same way as the comics of WWII, it pits Batman against Osama and Al Qaeda after a terrorist attack on Gotham. This will be nothing if not controversial when (or should that be if?) it sees the light of day. Anticipation factor: 7Horror has a new home or at least several horror icons do and it's Wildstorm. A Nightmare on Elm Street starts the ball rolling in October from Chuck Dixon and Kevin West. Anticipation factor: 6The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is up next with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with the severed limbs rendered by Wesley Craig. Anticipation factor: 6Friday the 13th kicks off the new year in gory style thanks to Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and an as yet unnamed artist. Anticipation factor: 6Wildstorm are also relaunching a number of titles under the new Worldstorm brand starting in September.The Authority by Grant Morrison and Gene Ha Anticipation factor: 6Deathblow from Brian Azzarello and Carlos D'Anda. Anticipation factor: 6Gen13 - Gail (The All New Atom ) Simone and Talent (hopefully not in name only) Caldwell. Anticipation factor: 5Stormwatch - Christos Gage and Doug Mahnke. Anticipation factor: 6Wildcats from Grant Morrison and Wildstorm top man Jim Lee. Anticipation factor: 7Also on the horizon is a solo title for Midnighter, the 'gay Batman' from The Authority to be written by Garth Ennis with art by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Ennis has gone on record as saying there will be no guest appearances, particularly from Apollo (if Midnighter's the gay Batman then he's the gay Superman), Midnighter's other half, describing him as a 'boring blond twat.' Anticipation factor: 6As everyone knows zombies are cool but, after Marvel Zombies, they're also hot. There are several zombie titles due to be unearthed soon.War of the Undead by Bryan Johnson and Walt Flanagan will be a three issue series from IDW. From the title it sounds like it may be similarly themed to the film Underworld but with zombies in place of werewolves but that's pure speculation on my part. Anticipation factor: 6Zombies: Eclipse of the Undead should be out in November again from IDW. El Torres is the writer and he's paired with artist Yair Herrera . Anticipation factor: 6Zombies vs. Robots could be fun or it could be nuts. Or both. The third of IDW's zombie titles this one is due in October from Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. Anticipation factor: 6Zombie is Marvel's attempt to jump on the bandwagon it created. There's no relation between this and Marvel Zombies (although a sequel to that series is promised) with this being more of a traditional zombie tale. Coming from the MAX imprint this should be a pretty violent tale from Mike Raicht and Kyle Hotz.The first issue is on the racks now. Anticipation factor: 7Zombee is a new Image title that sounds like zombies vs. Samurai and is set in feudal Japan. It's a 96-page black and white one-shot by Miles Gunter and Victor Santos and is out in October. Anticipation factor: 8Drain, with a female ninja vampire as the lead character, comes from Image by way of C.B. Cebulski and Sana Takeda in November. Anticipation factor: 7As a long-time Edgar Rice Burroughs fan I'm eagerly awaiting IDW's A Princess of Mars from the creative team of Dan Taylor and Ted McKeever. McKeever is certainly a leftfield choice for the art but it will definitely have a unique look. Hopefully this will get enough readers to warrant more adaptations of the Mars series of novels. Anticipation factor: 7Vangard Productions are releasing a couple of calendars for 2007 that will get older (veteran?) comic fans (like me!) excited, one from comic titan Steranko (he used to have Jim in front of it but like Madonna he's now so famous he now only needs one name) and the other from the equally awesome Neil Adams. One for work and one for home perhaps?This Month's ReadingThe All New Atom 2 & 3John Byrne's art looks the best it has for years, perhaps because he's concentrating on that and leaving the story to someone else. Gail Simone is that someone else and does a fair job, creating a superhero tale with 50's SF undertones that go beyond the obvious (The Incredible Shrinking Man) to encompass an alien invasion plot as well. I'm not sure the quotes from famous scientists every couple of pages works though. The series also features some lovely painted covers by Ariel Olivetti.The Amazing Spider-Man 533 & 534Heavily tied to Marvel's current multi-part Civil War series these issues feature the aftermath of Peter Parker revealing to the world he's Spider-Man. Spidey is currently pro the government Superhero Registration Act that requires all superheroes to register but if there is one hero I'm expecting to switch sides before the war is over it's him. These two issues culminate in a terrific confrontation between Spider-Man and Captain America, and it's clear Peter isn't happy about having to fight the living legend. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski has been writing this title for several years now and has a perfect grasp of all the main characters. Sadly, Ron Garney's artwork is a disappointment, not up to the standard set by previous J.M.S. collaborators notably John Romita Jr. and Mike Deodato Jr.Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 43Given a change of direction after the recent DC 'Crisis' series this title now seems, pardon the pun, to be treading water. Kurt Busiek either has no idea where he's going with the new Arthur Curry/Aquaman or if he does, he's in no hurry to get there. Thankfully Butch Guice's art makes up for the meandering story. It looks incredible due in no small part to the living legend that is inker Tony DeZuniga.Black Panther 18Not a title I usually pick up, not since John Romita Jr's departure after the first story arc anyway, but it's a Civil War crossover title so I took the plunge. It's T'Challa's wedding day and his bride to be is non other than the X-Men's Storm. Hollywood writer/director Reginald Hudlin presents us with one of the most uneventful Marvel weddings ever. The cover shows Iron Man and Captain America, the leaders of the opposing sides in the current war, but they only appear for a couple of pages and are there purely as a marketing ploy to get Civil War readers to buy the book and in my case at least, it worked. Scot Eaton's pencils are competent but uninspired even with the help of another legendary inker, this time Klaus Janson.Blood of the Demon 16 & 17The final two issues of this series manage to tie up all the loose ends even if it does feel somewhat rushed. And rushed is a good word to describe John Byrne's pencils, it looks like he wanted to be done with it and concentrate on The All New Atom instead. Will Pfeifer's script from Byrne's plot feels dated; it's almost like an 80s comic book with added blood and gore.Cable & Deadpool 30 & 31Another Civil War crossover but this one is a lot of fun as Deadpool signs up with the government to track down outlaw heroes and finds himself in over his head. Fabian Nicieza's writing makes the most of Deadpool's humour and it's nice to read a comic that doesn't take itself too seriously for a change. Staz Johnson is another one of Marvel's average artists, more than capable of telling a tale but lacking that certain something.City of Heroes 14The problem with this series is it's just too simple, there's no expanding of the characters from the NCSoft RPG game, no fleshing them out into believable people. It's just superhero fights bad guy month after month and it's getting boring. David Wohl needs to come up with a new direction or I doubt this will continue much longer. Ronan Cliquet's pencils seem okay but it looks like they're being inked using a marker pen; there's almost no detail.Civil War 3Who says politics and mainstream comics shouldn't mix? It's nice to see a major company like Marvel doing something that resonates with the world outside. There are elements of Bush's 'war on terror' here particularly the Homeland Security Act and it's come under fire from some quarters for it's perceived anti-government stance. Politicians are portrayed as self-serving individuals with their own agenda and the main hero on the government's side (Iron Man) is much the same, while the super patriotic Captain America leads the anti-registration heroes, so in some ways you can see their point. Yet if you look at it from another perspective, I think you see a different message. All the hyper-intelligent superheroes (Mr Fantastic, Yellowjacket, Iron Man) are on the government's side, all those who fight more from a gut level sense of right and wrong (Daredevil, Captain America) are against the Act. Looked at this way it can be seen as a battle between America's heart and it's head and the shocking climax to this issue could tip the balance either way. Mark Millar knows how to write BIG superhero action (he did it on The Ultimates ) while not losing site of the human element. In a world filled with average comic artists Steve McNiven is a breath of fresh air, his incredibly detailed work is breathtaking.Daughters of the Dragon 6The final issue of this mini series is a non-stop actionfest but still with the series trademark tongue-in-cheek sense of fun. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmotti have done a good enough job on this to get a well-deserved regular series (Heroes for Hire .) Khari Evans art is hyper-stylised and fits the book's retro kung-fu/blacksploitation action extremely well.Eternals 2 & 3Two of comicdoms heavy hitters, Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr. take a stab at updating the old Jack Kirby cosmic heroes. Set on the fringes of the Superhero Registration Act with the Eternals living as normal humans, having no memory of who they really are and what powers they possess. With issue three, the series really starts to hit it's stride as we learn of a rebel Celestial (the beings who manipulated life on earth and created the Eternals) buried deep in the earth. Gaiman seems to be enjoying himself playing with Marvel's toys (Iron Man makes a guest appearance) and handles the biblical allusions (the rebel Celestial clearly represents Satan) expertly. I've watched John Romita Jr. grow as an artist from his early days on Iron Man through his work on Spider-Man and Daredevil, discovering his own unique style along the way. His work is now instantly recognisable, something few artists can claim these days. He's one of the artists whose name on a book will get me to buy it and his work here is up to his usual high standard.The Exterminators 7 & 8This series about the employees of the pest extermination company Bug Bee Gone started out great but after the initial six issue story arc (now collected as The Exterminators: Bug Brothers ) it seems to have lost its way. There is far too much time spent on the main character's love life and not enough on the gross but blackly comic exploits of the freaky workers. Issue eight lacks even the pleasure of Tony Moore's wonderful pencils with fill in artist Chris Samnee not in the same league.Fantastic Four 539J.M. Straczynski now has control of another of Marvel's biggest titles and what's he doing with it? Pulling the team apart. Well, it's not all his fault, most of the blame falls to the government and the Superhero Registration Act. Reed Richards is on one side, his wife Sue on the other with Ben Grimm in the middle while Johnny Storm lies in a coma. This issue we see a couple of vintage FF villains, The Puppet Master and The Thinker, try and take advantage of the war going on between the heroes. The art is almost as good as Straczynski's witty script thanks to sterling work from Mike McKone.Fell 6One of the best (and cheapest) books around at the moment. Warren Ellis turns his hand to a spot of detective writing and graces us with Detective Fell and his exploits in Snowtown, a place that's like the worst neighbourhood in the worst city you can imagine. Only worse. Each issue tells a separate self-contained tale usually drawn from real life events. Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night ) captures the seediness of the place brilliantly, to such an extent that you feel like you need a shower after reading. Frontline 4 & 5A spin-off limited series from Civil War that features three stories. The first parallels two journalists from different newspapers each with a different take on the war. Story two shows what happened to Speedball after the disaster that led to the new goverment Act. The tale that most alludes to the 'war on terror' is "Sleeper Cell" with a hidden agent of the Sub Mariner being activated. The art on all three tales is up to scratch and Paul Jenkins gives you just enough of each story to keep you hooked. The last few pages each issue illustrate how the civil war parallels events in real world history, here we get Vietnam and the American Civil War. Some of these work, some don't, but as they only run to five pages it's no big deal when they don't.Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man 10 & 11Comic writer extraordinaire Peter David gives us a futuristic Green Goblin (10) and the return of Mysterio (11.) David's gift for snappy dialogue is on display, particularly in the scene where Peter meets with the school principle to resign as teacher due to the publicity his un-masking has generated. On the art front, Mike Wieringo does a passable job and at least does a good Aunt May, far better than Ron Garney's version in Amazing where she looks the same as she did in the 70s.Heroes for Hire 1After the Daughters of the Dragon limited series I had high hopes for this but it's turned out to be a major letdown. Perhaps it's because of the tie-in with Civil War or it could be the increased cast. Whatever it is the sparkle has gone. It's also annoying that Iron Fist has been replaced with Shang-Chi with hardly any explanation why. Marvel have other plans for the slipper wearing kung-fu superhero (see the forthcoming titles section above). Billy Tucci is the new artist and his work is ok if a little cluttered at times. Another veteran inker makes an appearance - Tom Palmer has always been a favourite of mine and he does a good job with what he has to work with.The Incredible Hulk 78-85I'm currently working my way through a backlog of this title in the hopes of getting up to date before issue one hundred. These were all written by Peter David who, for me, is the best Hulk writer since Stan 'The Man' Lee. This is his second run on the title but sadly this time he only stayed for a year or so. Lee Weeks does the art for 78-81, the "Tempest Fugit" storyline and does a stonking job also providing the covers. I particularly liked the Frazetta inspired 81. Jae Lee does some truly atmospheric work for David's lovely ghost story set in London in issue 82. And 83-85 feature a bald Hulk for the "House of M" as depicted by Jorge Lucas.The New Avengers 20-22Issue 20 is the conclusion to the storyline that returns Magneto to earth by Brian Bendis and Mike Deodato Jr. Deodato provides some good old fashioned epic superhero battles. 21 and 22 sees the Civil War storyline reach The Avengers; each issue spotlights a different character. First up Bendis takes us inside the head of Cap, a man torn by what he believes is right and what his government wants. Comic old boy Howard Chaykin is on art duties and does a great job on the action scenes but doesn't seem to know what to do when the characters aren't beating hell out of each other. I've never really been a Luke Cage fan but with issue 22 Mr Bendis has won me over. Luke is another man torn this time by what he believes in and the safety of his family (Luke's a dad now in case you didn't know.) The dark brooding work of Leinil Yu is perfect for the dark brooding Cage. Next issue Spider-Woman!Finally a quick word about a few new titles I've picked up but only had a quick flick through so far.Mystery in Space has Jim Starlin doing what he does best - epic outer space adventure and newcomer Shane Davis' art had me drooling (that's probably why the store made me buy it.) Rush City 2 looked so good I picked up the first issue as well, just hope the story matches the art.Wetworks by Mike Carey and series creator Whilce Portacio starts the Worldstorm ball rolling so that should be interesting.Union Jack gets his own limited series after a successful guest spot in Captain America. With the team of Christios Gage and Mike Perkins promising to carry on where Cap left off taking the hero away from hunting vampires to the more real threat of terrorists.Blade is a new ongoing series featuring the vampire slayer. With the TV series currently airing this is the perfect time for a new Blade series and with a first issue that will feature both Dracula and a vampire Spider-Man this could be hot. Marc Guggenheim teams with artist Howard Chaykin and the first issue features a breathtaking cover from Marko Djurdjevic.Finally Samurai Detective combines samurai action with a hard boiled detective story and being a bit of a nut for samurai action I couldn't resist particularly as the lead character reminds me of Edward G. Robinson. Edward G. the samurai, how could I resist. Sorry, I'm drooling again.