Chew: Taster's Choice

What would you do if chicken was illegal? And I don't mean like "jay walking" illegal, I'm talking "black tar heroin" illegal? That's the scenario presented in John Layman and Rob Guillory's quirky book, Chew: Taster's Choice.

An outbreak of bird flu that killed 23 million Americans has resulted in chicken and all other bird meats to be deemed illegal. Of course folks can’t just stop cold turkey and logically this creates a whole underground culture of KFC speak-easy's and shady back alley Chick-fil-A dealings. The story revolves around Tony Chu, a Philadelphia police officer who also is a Cibopath (a cibopath can take a bite from anything and get a psychic sensation of what has happened to that object). After a routine chicken bust goes off the tracks, his partner is left horribly injured and hospitalized while Tony's cibopath abilities are exposed and the United States government takes notice. Chu is recruited by the FDA, now the highest level of federal law enforcement, and placed on a task force responsible for bringing down the most notorious offenders of bird meat violations.

When bringing a new comic universe to life an interesting plot is paramount to creating a loyal following, and Chew passes this test with flying colors. John Layman does an awesome job mixing the bizarre elements of the story along with the believable. You bet your sweet ass that if 23 million Americans died of bird flu the Fed’s wouldn’t hesitate to ship you to Rikers Island for that McChicken sandwich you had for dinner.

Rob Guillory's exaggerated illustration's fit the overall tone of the story perfectly. I'd also like to point out that Guillory is working double duty on this title by doing his own colors. The color work is exceptional and actually outshines the line art. Mood and emotion are highlighted perfectly with his use of the digital palette.

If there is a complaint about Chew it's the main character. I'm not sure if it’s the small sample or if the circumstances surrounding him are so exotic, but Tony Chu comes off as not only bland, but unlikable. Through the first trade I really had no emotional attachment to him, I was simply fascinated by the plot and curious to see where this black market chicken rollercoaster would take me. I have faith that as the tale unfolds we will get more details into Chu and see him in a more flattering light.

I had a blast reading this odd yet enjoyable story and can’t wait to see the further adventures of Mr. Chu.

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Gint's Pull-List Review 2-23-11

After a couple weeks of big takes, 2-23-11 brings us only two books. And two mediocre ones at that.

This weeks’ loser:

Action Comics #898

So apparently, Pete Woods has no idea what Larfleeze looks like. It just took me 6.96 seconds to Google Image Larfleeze. Is that too long for Pete Woods? And shame on Wil Moss and Matt Idelson (associate editor and editor respectively) for letting it pass.

But credit where its due, I enjoy Woods’ rough Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor.

Besides that, this story just keeps dragging on. This could have been wrapped up issues ago. Maybe its one of those stories that reads better in one sitting? I’m going to hope so.

And this weeks winner by default:
Green Arrow #9

First the positives: sweet cover by Rodolfo Migliari. He’s really been hooking up the covers for this series. And 5 pages-in the art team does a damn fine job on a close up of Etrigan.

But unfortunately, nothing is popping for this book. Diogenes Neves’ art has inspired moments and it has some real boners.

As for the story, much like Action Comics, its dragging. By issue #9 we should know more about the forest and Galahad and what exactly the Queen is up to since she’s been forgotten the last couple issues.

Still, I like J.T. Krul and Neves. I expect better once the story gets closer to the finish line.

-Gint

1-9-11 Burritos Before Bedtime

While I've been aware of Calvin & Hobbes my entire life, I never devoted a lot of attention to it. Since I've been dedicating a fair amount of time to the comic field, I thought I owed it to myself and the art form in general to check it out.

I borrowed $oss' complete hardback collection and ate it up. Bill Watterson created a fantastic world. The snowman and wagon/sled strips spoke to me most.

If you haven't really looked into Calvin & Hobbes yet, do yourself a favor and get a couple collections. They're absolutely worth it.

-Gint

01-08-11 One Man's Opinion

I enjoy reading "Best of" lists. I'm a sucker for Top 10's and countdowns. When the year-in-review lists hit the internet in early December I spend hours scanning through each one, praising those that agree with me and ridiculing the rest.

Grant Morrison's Batman & Robin seemed to receive more than it's fair share of awards in 2010. It seemed, in IGN's eyes, everything Morrison touched this past year turned to gold, even if what he touched was himself.

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Gint's Pull-List 2-16-11

Six books on the pull-list for 2-16-11. Its been quite a few weeks since I’ve had such a big take. Lets see how they did.

Last, in 6th place:

Wonder Woman #607

Hmm. Wonder Woman. If I could effectively do it in this space I’d throw a text tantrum about how much I loved the Simone/Lopresti run only to have DC callously rip it away from me to appease J. Michael Straczynski or some thing like that.

To be fair, there are things I liked about this issue. Don Kramer’s art is one, minotaurs are the other. That’s about where it ends.

The additions of Artemis, Cheetah and Giganta are a nice touch, but they just make me miss real Wonder Woman stories.

I’m hoping the story wraps up better than its been going so far. As of issue #607, its just another bland step in the slow trek to its conclusion.

The best part of the book? The War of the Green Lanterns preview in the back.

In 5th place:

Green Lantern Corps #57

You know what’s awesome? When a character featured on the cover of a comic book actually has something to do with the story on the inside. I like Firestorm quite a bit. So to see on the cover that he was going to be paired up with my favorite space police, I was excited. Then I was let down when after the first couple pages of exposition of why he’s there, he really has no impact on the rest of the story.

So aside from Firestorm’s underused cameo, Tony Bedard did a good job wrapping up The Weaponer storyline. Where he’s really strong is writing Sinestro. He writes him as a badass which is what I expect from the character these days.

Overall it was a good story. And I’m going to assume the Weaponer will have some kind of role in War of the Green Lanterns. But when I get down to thinking about it, these felt like 2 filler arcs that we really didn’t need while leading up to War.

Peter Tomasi set the bar for Green Lantern Corps. Bedard and Co. are going to have to work a little harder to meet it.

Our 4th place finish:

Supergirl #61

I’m pretty sure James Peaty will be around as writer for a few issues after the quick entrance/exit of Nick Spencer. I’m not sure how the writing duties broke down between the two of them, but with just Peaty on the issue it stayed strong and flowed unimpeded from the previous issue.

Every time I see Damian Wayne, I’m unhappy. But oddly enough, I’ve kind of enjoyed his appearances when he’s written by someone other than Grant Morrison. Peaty plays Damian and Supergirl off each other well and I’m hoping he’ll be back for the next issue.

Bernard Chang stayed strong on art and continues the real-world Supergirl style that Sterling Gates did for so long.

A very solid issue if not a blow-you-away issue.

Finishing in 3rd:

Doom Patrol #19

There’s really something to be said in the comics industry for a creative team really investing their talents on a book for an extended period of time. And there’s even more to be said when that investment becomes a consistently good book month in and month out.

Granted, Doom Patrol is only on issue #19, so its not like they pulled a Bendis/Bagley on Ultimate Spider-Man, but in the world of artists and writers bouncing around (see Nick Spencer’s one issue run on Supergirl) its nice to be able to count on a consistently good comic book.

The Doom Patrol/Secret Six crossover brought together two of the most entertaining writers in the business: Gail Simone and Keith Giffen. You really get a sense that they had a really good time working together to write this story and it comes through in the story.

The two-part Suicide Roulette arc is just a fun comic book story. No special circumstances, no deaths or guest appearances, its just a good story. The reason we read comics.

Giffen and Simone make these misfit teams so likeable, more people should be giving these titles a chance. $oss gets tired of me hyping these books, but if you’re not getting Secret Six and Doom Patrol, you should try them out for an arc.

In 2nd place (I had this book projected for 1st!):

Green Lantern #62

A Geoff Johns’ penned Green Lantern issue is never disappointing. But the New Guardians arc has felt a little slow. Its taken a little too long to get to some meat and potatoes which is looking like Hal Jordan’s mental health according to this issue and the War of the Green Lanterns preview in this week's books.

Despite the slow story up to this point we get some real good character moments this issue. Some good one-liners from Hal and some good Hal/Bruce Wayne back and forth.

Doug Mahnke, along with some good dialogue makes Krona crazy, and creepy as hell. This is a great set-up issue for what’s coming in future stories.

And a beautiful cover by Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes with Randy Mayor.

And without rival, our 1st place finish:

Brightest Day #20

Gary Frank cover!

Before I get into this issue I want to rain praise upon the work of Gary Frank. I am really glad to have him working in the DC Universe. His work on the forthcoming Batman: Earth One graphic novel is sure to be outstanding. I can only hope that when that project is over, he’ll get back on a DC monthly. Keep up the outstanding work, Mr. Frank.

So, Brightest Day #20. Fuck. What a damn good comic book. Now, I’ve been around enough to know that an Aquaman ongoing just isn’t going to last. But if it were, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis would be the ones to make it happen.

Johns writes him heroic, and Reis draws him iconic. They’ve made Mera her own intriguing character. And this storyline has been the engine powering Brightest Day.

From Black Manta to the new Aquagirl, each character has depth and purpose. Reis’s art makes me want to pour over every page and take in each detail.

Brightest Day is really ramping up for the home stretch.

-Gint

12-27-10 Daydreaming

For the record I don't hate Grant Morrison. I think he has the ability to produce fine comic stories when he wants to. All-Star Superman is the perfect example of this. But more often than not his writing is confusing just for confusion's sake. Its like his own inside joke to write the most convoluted stories possible and watch comic critics across the globe praise his innovative use of talking house pets.
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Fantastic Four: The Master of Doom

Fantastic Four: The Master of Doom combines the final three story arcs of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's run on this classic Marvel title. As a fan of the duo's work on The Ultimates I was optimistic that this book would be nothing short of exceptional. A rocky start filled with shipping delays and silly character choices (giant, Robo-Captain America, come on) tempered my initial enthusiasm, so I had hoped that Millar and Hitch would hit their stride with the stories contained within this trade.


The first chapter, "Death of the Invisible Woman" featured a future version of Sue Storm traveling back to present day to aid the FF in stopping Dr. Doom's latest plot for, you guessed it, world domination.


The second and weakest of the arcs told a tale of the Richards family traveling to Scotland to visit Reed's cousin. More of a tale about the Richards children than anything else, this one just didn't have much for me as a reader.

The finale, "Doom’s Master", involves the being who trained Victor in the black arts returning to Latveria to have a little talk about the Fantastic Four and what is taking Doom so damn long to defeat them. Each arc is written in the "wide-screen" format that Millar loves to tell stories in. This theatrical style of storytelling is the perfect compliment for a team of super hero's who travel through different dimensions and battle intergalactic beings on a regular basis.


Bryan Hitch's work on regular books over the years has become a real issue with me. Similar to his run on The Ultimates, the art in Fantastic Four started off stellar, loads of details, realistic facial expressions, and the best city-scape's in the business. As his run on this title drew to a close the art started to get lazier and less impressive. The final 15 pages are mostly fill-in artists with a few Hitch pages scattered in. I have a major problem with this. It's a form of bait-and-switch. It's like going to see a Ben Affleck movie and half way through replacing him with Casey Affleck.


This was an enjoyable trade overall, however the lack of in execution in the final act of the book really left me feeling as if Millar and Hitch got tired of this book and simply gave up.
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6-8-10 Nerdese

We've all been in this situation. At home, the bar, work, doesn't matter. You're grooving on some nerd shit and some unassuming party says, "Hey, what are you guys talking about." Then you and your fellow nerd friends give each other the "should we really tell them" look. Someone agrees to be honest about a lightsaber cross-section or why the Iron Man armor is affected by Marvel zombies and boom... you're a murderer.

-Gint

Gint's Pull-List Review 2-9-11

After a few light weeks, 2-9-11 offers up five books on the pull-list.

In 5th place, and rightfully so:

DCU Legacies #9

This book has been like slow torture. Maybe I set up myself up for disappointment expecting this to be anywhere near as good as Marvels. Its not. And being a DC fan burns my ass even more because DC couldn’t put together something close to what Marvel did in this regard.

Quick review: more corny dialogue, more rehashing old stories without making them fresh from a different light.

The only saving grace this issue had was the art of Jesus Saiz. DC should seriously consider getting this guy on a high-profile monthly. His work on Brave & the Bold was exceptional and he brought the same here.

The backup feature offered more disappointment with eight pages of scribble and wordy dialogue.

Lets save everyone some cash and wrap this story up next issue. Thanks.

In 4th with a surprising effort: 

Superman #708

Oh Superman. What do we have to do to get you a consistently good writer and artist?

Actually, after the crazy Fortress of Solidarity crap, this issue turned out to be pretty solid. Seems like we’re finally getting to the meat and potatoes of what was a rudderless story. (Sorry, JMS.)

The second half gave us a story that actually felt like a Superman story. And the addition of the new Wonder Woman at the end was the first time I was interested in this new direction of the character.

AND (more praise?) I wasn’t appalled at Eddy Barrows art! Part of it may have been due to some Jim Lee/Ed Benes similarities, but regardless, nothing pulled me out of the story.

Could be my expectations were just super low, but this was a solid issue.

 

Our 3rd place finish:

Red Robin #20

Red Robin is always a book I know I can count on for some good solid artwork. I feel like I’ve been giving DC’s stable of artists a hard time lately, so lets give a little positive credit where its due: Marcus To can hook up a book.

His work is always clean and clear. And he’s good at the little stuff like where Robin’s costume is ripped from panel to panel. $oss would call that nitpicky. I may start wearing that accusation as a badge of honor.

I’ve heard some Fabian Nicieza-hate from when he was at Marvel, but all he’s done for me at DC has been deliver a consisten on-character story. He’s taken Adam Beechen’s characterization of Tim Drake and not only nailed it, but built upon his growth as Red Robin. He’s really brought this character into his own after my initial fear when the Red Robin title started.


Always quality in 2nd place:

The Flash #9

While I’m thrilled to have Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul paired up on a monthly, everytime I open this book I’m reminded of how awesome a longer series on Adventure Comics would have been. But I digress…

This is essentially the opening issue of Flashpoint, so we get a lot of setup. Who’s the guy on the bike? Who’s Elongated Kid? Why’s Barry STILL mopey and not enjoying being alive again?

Aside from Barry’s boo-hoo attitude, this was a solid issue. Flashpoint hasn’t really grabbed my full interest yet, but this issue goes a long way toward getting me interested.


And our 1st place finisher:

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #7

I always feel like a homer when I pick a Green Lantern book number 1. But god damnit, this is a damn good book.

There are few things Guy Gardener does better than getting pissed off and kicking ass, and we get a whole issue of that here.

Fernando Pasarin hooks up the art properly illustrating a fair amount of gruesome things. Due to his art and Peter Tomasi’s writing, this is the book that feels more like the continuation of Green Lantern Corps after Blackest Night then the actual Green Lantern Corps title does.

While I never liked the name Sodam Yat, I imagine you’re going to find a lot of dumb names across the universe.

Bottom line: another solid performance from the Emerald Warriors team.

X-Men: First Class - Official Trailer

After the massacre that was X-Men: The Last Stand and a below average showing from Wolverine, it appears that we may finally get another quality X-Men movie. This trailer looks very promising, of course, so was the trailer for The Phantom Menace.

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04-03-10 The Uncanny Men of Steel

This strip is a prime example of how a joke can change drastically over the years.

"The Uncanny Men of Steel" was written in April of 2008. Word for word the joke for this strip was never altered. The original intent was to poke fun at the famous description of Wolverine that he is "the best at what he does, even though what he does isn't very nice". I laugh out loud every time that this actually appears in print. Innocent enough joke, right?

By the time this strip finally was brought to life Ben Roethlisberger had not one but TWO women accuse him of improper sexual conduct. Needless to say, the punchline has a much darker tone.

Gint's Pull-List Review 2-2-11

The first week of February, 2011 brought us a nice trio of books. Consistent artwork, consistently good writing. Solid week.

In 1st Place:
Secret Six #30

I love this book. Loved this team of gray-area bad guys since they debuted in Villains United. Gail Simone just has a feel for these characters. She knows them. She makes them real. Some of the most colorful characters in the DCU.

This week began the first issue of a two issue arc with the Doom Patrol. Gail Simone knows how to write B-list characters and makes this the perfect team-up of some of the most unique characters DC has to offer.

Jim Calafiore's artwork isn't quite Nicola Scott's, and it was an adjustment when the changeover happened, but he and Simone seem to really be finding their niche with each other making Secret Six their own book.


2nd Place goes to:
Brightest Day #19

If Simone is the master of the B-list characters, Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are the masters of the A-list.

If you want a fantastic Aquaman story, this is the team to do it. Along with Ivan Reis on art, this could easily catapult to a regular Aquaman series. Unfortunately, if that happened there would undoubtedly be a creative team change who wouldn't be able to swing these characters as deftly as Johns and Tomasi.

While my initial reaction to the ending cliffhanger was that it was cliched, I'll hold my final opinion until I see where Johns and Tomasi take it.

Strong book this week, gentlemen. Well done.


And coming in 3rd:
Superboy #4

This is a pretty good book. It was going to be hard to live up to Geoff Johns' and Francis Manapul's brief run on Adventure Comics but Jeff Lemire is doing a good job. He feels the characters, he feels Smallville, and he brings Superboy to life like he should be: quiet, thoughtful and determined to be the best hero he can be.

What's holding this book back is the artwork. Pier Gallo's art isn't bad, but it leaves you wanting more. It never feels very rural to me.

The bigger problem is the coloring. I understand there's a certain amount of realism trying to be obtained by adding a little color in the character's corneas, but its too much. The red tint makes everyone look like they've been hitting the doob. Pull it back a little, fellas. You can do it!

-Gint