$oss' Pull-List Review 8-31-11

Last week I posted a strip poking fun at the critically acclaimed series Strangers in Paradise. I made this criticism without reading this book and it occurred to me that I was being unfair. So this past week I decided to pick up Strangers in Paradise: Vol.1 and give it a fair shot. 

This first book was written and penciled/inked by creator Terry Moore. To give you idea of what we are dealing with, this is a black and white book written in 1995. In the foreword it mentions that this is Moore’s first attempt at producing a comic. The art actually isn't bad at all. Moore draws very cute, cartoony girls. It makes me wonder what this book looks like today. The male characters are kind of generic and I had to laugh at David, who is clearly David from Rosanne. I read the character as if Johnny Galecki was playing him.

But not all is well in Paradise. The depiction of the women in this book is exactly the opposite of what I thought I’d find. Wasn't this suppose to be a realistic view of women and their relationships? The book reads like a parody. I've seen a lot of heartbroken girls. Never have I seen them storming into their ex’s house carrying a firearm. Or wrecking their car in the front lawn because they were SO devastated over a breakup. Or strip in the middle of the park to try and win back an old flame. I've read stories that take place on Oa that are more grounded in reality.

Once again, this story is over twenty years old so perhaps SiP is leaps and bounds better today. But if this is truly the gold standard of today’s romance books maybe I should write one. I might be a slightly sexist pig, but I’m fairly certain I can write more believable stories about women than this. -$

Summer Long Denial

The Green Lantern movie wasn't perfect. As I stated right after I saw it, Hal's CGI mask was distracting, Oa was too cartoony, and the smoke octopus Parallax was unacceptable. I still look at it as a fun, summer blockbuster and will pick it up once it is released on DVD.

Gint's opinion however has deteriorated over the past few months. While I enjoy Hal Jordan and his Corps, I don't have the close bond with him like my buddy does. I'm guessing it's similar to how I felt after seeing The Phantom Menace the first few times. As much as I told myself I liked it there was no shaking the feeling that it just wasn't a good film.-$

Gint's 8-25-11 Pull-List Review

Flashpoint tie-ins dominated this week's Pull-List. And now its over: the last week of stories from the old DCU. Get ready for brand new continuity next week folks.

You've got to be a bad book if you're finishing in Eighth Place during a week of mediocrity: 

Action Comics #904 

Another one bites the dust. And this one couldn't have bit any harder.

The entire Reign of the Doomsdays run has been atrocious. I've said it in this space before, its no wonder people don't like Superman with this schlock in his main titles. For as out-there as Grant Morrison is, I have high hopes for his take on the Man of Steel.

I would like to give credit where its due to Axel Giménez for some really good if not mind blowing artwork taking over for Kenneth Rocafort. Get this guy an inker and I would pick up a book of his.

Crawling into Seventh Place: 

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3 

Um... it had a cool cover?

Unfortunately that's about all I have to say about this book. The crux of this story, now that its finished, is apparently the relationship between Hal and Carol Ferris. But since the first two issues rushed through what these people really mean to each other, the emotional impact that this issue is supposed to have falls on deaf ears. Had the beginning of the story been as heartfelt and touching as the last three pages of this issue, this could have been a cool tie in.

Seriously though, really cool cover by J.G. Jones.

Sleeping its way into Sixth Place: 

Flashpoint: Project Superman #3 

Zzzzzzzzz... *snort* gah what? This book put me to sleep. I guess the point of this book was "look at the sad little guy Superman could have been had he been raised by the government." What started out as a potentially cool story really fizzled after issue #1.

The fight between Subject Zero and Kal is your basic, "I want more power, real power comes from the heart" type of same old-same old story. The issue ends with Kal getting righteously pissed and going to kick ass in Flashpoint #5. So that's something to look forward to.

With all the hype around Scott Snyder these days, I really expected something more.

Wrapping itself up in Fifth Place: 

Wonder Woman #614 

The Odyssey is over. For better or worse. And its really for the better. Whatever Brian Azzarello has in store for Wonder Woman in the DCnU, it can't be more torturous than what J. Michael Straczynski and (to a lesser extent) Phil Hester treated us to.

That's probably a little harsh. Odyssey had some high moments, but it was mostly mixed in with a lot of low moments that dragged and dragged. We were promised Don Kramer and were given a boatload of fill-ins for whatever reason.

This issue wraps up not only Odyssey but the Wonder Woman we know and love. And she gets a fairly touching, if not cheesy send off.

Unfortunately one of the positives of this story is that it wasn't very good, so it sets up some excitement for the reboot. I for one, though not a fan of Azzarello, am looking forward to it.

We also get some great breasts on the last page. Thanks Don Kramer/Lee Garbett.

A nice Fourth Place finish for:

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3 

This wasn't bad. And coming from these Flashpoint tie-ins, that's nearly glowing praise.

I shouldn't be all too surprised that I liked it because of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. They know how to write good comics. I think the weakness of the rest of the Flashpoint books has even poisoned the ones that might be OK. Like this one.

Most of the Flashpoint books have had questionable art. Christian Duce however really does a great job on this issue. So good that I didn't notice how good until I started writing this review. Normally there's some ass panel that pulls me out of the story, but not in this one. A very solid outing.

Also, what Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance has taught me is that Grifter might not be so bad. I won't be getting his solo book during the relaunch, but Abnett and Lanning really made him a credible character in this 3-issue run.

Racing into Third Place: 

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3 

Of all the Flashpoint titles, this was my favorite. It had consistent art, consistent writing and a cool story.

What impressed me most about this issue is Oliver Nome's art. The whole book is solid (besides some shitty fill-in pages by Scott Kolins) but its the first 6 pages where Nome really brings his A game. Those 6 pages can hang with any book's art out there. A couple pages fall off a little later on in the book, but Nome deserves more work.

Sterling Gates does a great job writing Bart Allen in this issue. I wish he was the guy writing the DCnU's Teen Titans, but he's not. He's on Hawk and Dove. And for as much as I like Gates, Hawk and Dove aren't nearly interesting enough characters to get me to pick up that title.

Peacing out in Second Place: 

Green Arrow #15 

I have a great idea. How about we start writing really good Green Arrow stories three issues before we reboot the entire universe?

That's pretty much what's been going on with Green Arrow at this point. Now I'm not sure what J.T. Krul has in mind for Oliver Queen in the DCnU, but James Patrick was doing a fantastic job. The art of Agustin Padilla wasn't spectacular, but Patrick's story was. I would love to keep reading about Ollie working with the U.S. Marshals and Agent Donovan. Good stuff that's ending too soon.

Teaming-Up in First Place:

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13 

Pete Tomasi: the master of Guy Gardner. A buddy at my local comic shop was hating on Guy Gardner. "Why would anyone make a book about Guy Gardner? He can't carry a book. He's one dimensional." True Guy Gardner doesn't have a whole lot of facets to his personality. But he doesn't need them. Especially in the capable hands of Pete Tomasi.

Emerald Warriors #13 is a one and done story about Guy and Batman teaming up to solve a mystery on a space station. Its a quick story that reads well and very smoothy.

I get hesitant when I hear fans talk about wanting more one and dones. I like me some continuity. Not all comics need to be self contained to their own books. This issue is a good example of when it works, but the law of averages dictates for every good one, we'll get 3 bad ones.

Panel of the Week 

 

Yeah, I know there's nothing for him to stand on in space, but that's a cool effect.

-Gint

The Fairer Sex

I can just imagine my mom reading this and rolling her eyes in disapproval.

I love strong female leads. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kitty Pryde and Sarah Connors are all favorites of mine. I guess I just don't see the allure of romance comics. Maybe in the interest of fairness I'll have to actually read Strangers in Paradise. -$

$oss' Pull-List Review 8-24-11

WE3 

Long regarded as one of Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely’s masterpieces, WE3 is the tale of a military experiment gone awry. The hype on this one was huge. I've heard it referred to as “Morrison's most accessible tale ever.” I acknowledge that Morrison can write phenomenal stories and Quitely is a fantastic artist, but can a book about former pets turned killing machines be that great? The short answer is an emphatic yes. 

The military has been quietly developing more efficient soldiers using animals as test subjects. Once a high ranking government official gets wind of this program he orders it shut down and Animal Weapon 3, or as they refer to themselves, WE3, decommissioned. Needless to say they escape and are set on their journey to go “Home”. 

Morrison is known for his strange, high concept work. This backfires on him from time to time. Stories like Final Crisis are so jam packed with minutia that the reader has no time to enjoy the ride. Everything is kept nice and simple here. The characters and their motivations are completely clear. There is nothing groundbreaking about this plot. The magic is in the presentation. Yes, the main characters are a talking rabbit, cat and dog. However there is never a doubt that these little guys are much more than pets. Even with limited and quirky dialogue like “? 1 Say 0?” & “Gud Dog,” each animal has a fully developed personality. For the record, the cat, “2” is a dick. Each chapter opens with a lost pet flyer for each of the animals. It was a small detail but I was fully invested in seeing how the journey was to unfold because of this. 

Frank Quitely’s art is truly amazing. I bought the collectors edition that has original sketches and detailed explanations of choice panels. It adds depth to an already amazing work of art. The depiction of the fight scenes between WE3 and their various enemies are packed with action and detail. This book is extremely graphic. There is never a doubt that these weapons of war are serious as hell. 

I’m glad I finally picked this Morrison/Quitely classic up. If you are in the mood for something off the beaten path of superheroes and zombies give the cute and cuddly assassins of WE3 a try.-$ 

Panel of the Week: WE3 making a break for it. 

Useless Knowledge

I'll admit that I have a very narrow area of expertise. I'm awful at math, a bad speller and can't change the oil in my car to save my life.  But if you need an obscure sports or comic/pop culture question answered then I'm your man. -$

Gint's 8-17-11 Pull-List Review

Last week while I was talking to the manager of my local comic shop I found out that while DC is clearly the #2 seller of comics behind Marvel, the gap between the two is roughly 5 to 2. For every 2 books DC sells, Marvel sells 5. That's a MUCH greater disparity than I thought. And I was also told that since the reboot was announced DC sales have plummeted even further. As a DC fan and supporter, this was hard to hear. More is riding on this reboot than I thought and it makes questions like, "why are books like Voodoo and OMAC part of this reboot," even more astounding.

Anyway, on to the reviews...

In a well-deserved Fifth Place:

Flashpoint: Abin Sur: The Green Lantern #3 

Well... this comic was a lesson in pointlessness. Absolutely nothing happens in this book that has any bearing on the Flashpoint story.

That's not entirely true. At the end Abin gets kicked out of the Corps and uses the remaining 1% of power in his ring (keep in mind 1% usually isn't even enough to generate a uniform) to stop Aquaman's Geo-Force Bomb and save Earth from exploding. A fairly key plot point, but since it happens in an ancillary book, not the main Flashpoint title, it comes off as something minor that happens off panel.

If the point of these Flashpoint books was to tell boring stories that don't impact anything, then this title succeeded.

It had the stink of "let's capitalize on the Green Lantern movie and do an Abin Sur book!" all over it.

Fourth Place:

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 

Unless you're getting the Lois Lane and Aquaman Flashpoint series, don't expect to get ANY kind of satisfying return for buying this series.

This hurts because I'm a huge fan of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. But the blame for a series with no resolution falls more so at the feet of the architects of Flashpoint, not the writers that had to write in certain parameters.

The most resolution we can hope for is that Wonder Woman's aunt and Aquaman's brother are the real culprits behind the Amazon/Atlantis war. Other than that? Who knows? The ends of the other stories are in other books.

Remember when Flashpoint was starting and DC said you didn't have to get all the books to know what was going on? Yeah, I remember that too.

Third Place:

Supergirl #67 

Another book bites the proverbial dust leading up to the reboot. And this is one that almost deserves it.

When Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle were writing this book it had direction. It had good writing, interesting characters, and an overall feeling of what a Supergirl book should be that it rarely has been. Since Gates and Igle have left the title its been a rudderless mess.

Supergirl, for as popular as the character should be, is one of those characters that creators just never know what to do with.

This story by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Crisscross was fine. Cute. But that's about it.This was easily the least artwork-offensive issue of Crisscross' 3-issue run.

Farewell, Supergirl. Good luck in the New 52.

A respectable Second Place:

Green Lantern Corps #63 

Written by Scott Kolins with art by Joe Prado, Kolins, Freddie Williams II and Daniel HDR, this issue is a nice little filler issue. Too many times over the last year or so I've talked about how I'd like to read some issues about the down-time between giant Universe-shaking stories. This issue, like War of the Green Lanters: Aftermath, covers that.

Kolins does a nice job with his art. He draws way better aliens that humans. The other artists were the class of the book though none of it was particularly outstanding.

The strength of this issue is Kolins' feel for the uneasy, almost volatile atmosphere on Oa after the Corps was taken over by Krona. With three separate stories, you get a look at how different Lanterns are dealing with their post-traumatic stress. As of right now I find Kolins to be a better writer than artist.

A First Place Farewell:

Superboy #11 

This was a good book. With another beautiful cover by Karl Kerschl.

I believe this story would have been more enjoyable with a different artist. Say, Francis Manapul. Jeff Lemire's story was cool, and I'd have loved to have seen how he would grow Simon Valentine and Lori Luthor. BUT, the reboot calls so we'll never know.

Besides a couple ups and downs Lemire wrote a cool story arc. Superboy wins with the help of his friends of course and there's a nice clean finish to the story. But the entire time I just couldn't get into a groove with Pier Gallo's art. But a nice arc none the less.

So another book down as the New 52 looms. Jeff Lemire's Superboy, we hardly new ye.

Panel of the Week:

This week there is no Panel of the Week. I thought about posting the best option available this week, but there really wasn't one. There were a couple well-done panels, but nothing deserving of Panel of the Week. My favorite artwork this week: the Superboy #11 cover. (see above)

-Gint

Ultimately Offensive

Miles Morales, the new Ultimate Spider-Man, is half black, half hispanic. That's all? Marvel really missed out on a serious opportunity to nail more demographics than just two.

-Gint

$oss' Pull-List Review 8-18-11

One book this week, but it was a good one:

Moon Knight #4

This was the best issue of the new series! I was thoroughly entertained when Echo called Avengers Mansion to ask A: How crazy Marc Spector is and B: if any of them had dated him. The whole book was filled with this kind of humor. Bendis must be taking his funny pills this month. Another highlight was the four way conversation Spector has with the different sides of his personality. These versions of Captain America, Wolverine and Spider -Man that are battling away in his head are hilarious. 

This is also Alex Maleev's best work on this run. The reader is treated to photo realistic super heroics at it's finest. This style is the perfect complment to Bendis' storytelling. My only critizsim is that they've done a similar story in the pages of Daredevil. Maybe it's my love for Moon Knight, but I prefer this story over their previous work. Both are well done, I'm just having more fun with Mr. Spector and his multipule personalties.

I always believe that the mark of a quality book is consistency. There is nothing worse than opening a book that was great last month and finding a fill-in artist and an uninteresting story in it's place. Moon Knight, with the aid of its wonderful creative team is an example of great comic storytelling. -$

Panel of the Week: This is why Spider-Man is the best.

Its Not For Everyone

I never understood the fashion of gold teeth, but then I've never had the finances to spend on such luxuries either.

-Gint

Gint's 8-10-11 Pull-List Review

This was a quick week. Two books compared to a couple weeks ago which turned out nine. This week we wrapped up a series and set up the New 52 of the other one.

Our runner-up: 
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2 

Two pages in and this issue has me sighing in disappointment. Ready for me to get way nerdy on you? Good. Here goes. Over a year ago in Green Lantern Corps, Lantern Vath Sarn, who's humanoid, got his legs burned off saving another Lantern. His partner Isamot Kol, who's a walking lizard, donated his legs to Vath so that Vath could walk again knowing that being lizard-like, his own legs would grow back. It was a VERY cool yet small piece of the Green Lantern mythos. So Vath, since then, has had lizard legs. Until this issue. Either Ransom Getty or Andy Smith (the pencillers) decided to not do their homework or just didn't care and gave him regular legs. The editors dropped this ball too. Its just a small thing, but this is what we nerds do. We like the details. We like continuity. Don't try to belittle us and gloss over that stuff. I'm looking at you DCnU 5-year timeline!

So back to the book. A real solid issue. Tony Bedard did nothing for me when he was writing Green Lantern Corps. But these Aftermath issues are good. He's able to touch on every character and what they're going through in the aftermath of all the war they've seen since the Sinestro Corps War. Each character, and there's a lot of familiar faces in here, gets enough time to relay to the reader where they're at in their own heads.

The art team of Getty and Smith do a quality if not outstanding job. What did impress me was the coloring. Our colorist Rain Beredo uses a really cool technique on high and lowlights that gives an interesting depth to the work.

As for the story. We're left with a hell of a cliffhanger as the Guardians look to be ready to attack Ganthet before the end. Guess we'll find out on the other side of the reboot.

Our winnah: 
Red Robin #26 

Like Secret Six last week, this is the final issue of Red Robin. 

This book took some time for me to get into. When Chris Yost (w) and Ramon Bachs (a) started this book Tim Drake was going through some crap and it felt like Yost just didn't get the character. Whether is it was on purpose or he just didn't understand Tim Drake, it really worked as a perfect contrast to Fabian Nicieza's Tim when he and artist Marcus To took over.

Nicieza and To have had an outstanding run. From issue #13 to #26, these guys have really made Red Robin a fun book that, for me anyhow, really stood on its own while surrounded by a slew of Batman related titles.

This last issue focuses on closing up the pre-DCnU Tim Drake story by focusing on him going after Captain Boomerang for killing his father. Its not a blow-you-away issue, but its the perfect finish for this run.

Many thanks to the creative teams on this book for giving me a Tim Drake outlet. 

Panel of the Week: 

There wasn't a whole lot to work with this week, but this panel of Lantern Morro is just cool. Maybe that has more to do with the character's design, but the artist hooked him up.

And as a bonus:

I think in lieu of all the race-talk we've been having, I find it funny (not in a haha way) that Kyle Rayner's choice of construct to help rebuild Oa is to have a handful of clearly African-American basketball players do the heavy lifting for him. Way to not be racist, Kyle.

-Gint

Lesson Learned

A lot of people love the Michael Bay Transformers movies. A lot of people that grew up with the cartoon love those movies. So much so that sometimes I feel like I'm in the minority for thinking they're utter garbage.

I send this warning out to Michael Bay: If I ever meet you, I'm going to kick you in the nuts. I mean it.

-Gint

$oss' Pull-List Review 8-10-11

Bomb Queen #1 

I'm all for outrageous and controversial comics but nothing has tried so hard to be these things as Bomb Queen. This book is bold and in your face. And pointless. There is no explanation for why Bomb Queen is so crazy. The lack of motive makes everything that happens in the story ring false. Image has built it's brand on books that push the envelope. They have always provided the highest quality of artwork to ride shotgun with their inconsistent storytelling. Not the case here. The art is awful. I'm shocked that this is considered professional-grade work. The sole reason I even read this book is the shining reviews it received. Did I read the same book? It takes a certain style of writer to pen a tale of outlandish superhero satire. Unfortunately Jimmie Robinson is not up to the task. 

Ultimate Fallout #4

This week I wanted to check out the all-new, all-diversified Ultimate Spider-Man. I don't recommend dropping into a book mid-arc like this, it's super confusing. The new Spidey, Miles Morales, battles some random villain and gets beat up pretty good. He has a similar sense of humor as his predecessor and the book reads like any other Spider-Man story. In short, he is written exactly like Peter Parker. It's disappointing that the whole point of switching out the old for the new was an attempt to refresh this title. It looks more and more like it was simply a publicity grab. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful job done by new USM artist Sara Pichelli. With a style reminiscent of Steve McNiven, Ms. Pichelli looks to be a super-star in the making. It's a shame she isn't receiving more praise.-$

Panel of The Week: The panel that set the internet on fire with debate.

Hos Before Lionel Richie

Sometimes you're forced to throw your buddy under the bus for love. In this case its the denial of Lionel Richie that stings. For your listening pleasure: "Say You, Say Me."

-Gint

Gint's 8-3-11 Pull-List Review

This week's book herald the last issue of Secret Six. The three other books reviewed this week pale in comparison to my grief over Secret Six's final issue.

In a lame-as-ever Fourth Place: 

Superman #714 

Not even my lamentation over this long running title's renumbering is enough to stop my sigh of relief when it DOES get renumbered and (hopefully) gets put on the right track.

We get our conclusion this month as to who the mystery woman was who was following Superman and causing him trouble on his walk across the country. And its weak. REAL weak. A school teacher essentially gets possessed by a Kryptonian sunstone which allows her to be the embodiment of Superman's doubt and depression while making him see things that aren't really there. I've read some wacky comics in my day but this is just too wacky.

Action Comics and Superman, when I've been reading them lately, have resulted in a chanting in my head through the whole issue... "RE-BOOT, RE-BOOT, RE-BOOT!"

Jamal Igle pencils a good book though and I hope he gets work on the other side of the relaunch.

In somewhat of a waste of Third Place: 

Superboy #10 

Its no wonder DC is behind Marvel in sales each month. Now, that's not entirely fair to say because you can't hit a homerun every issue. But as of right now, this entire issue could have been summed up in one sentence: "I, the evil Tannarak, have been trying to grow an army of soul-less dopplegangers since 45,000 B.C.!"

Instead we get a tales-of-the-ages of this bad guy. The only positive about this issue was the artwork. Three different artists chipped in and did a great job. Pete Woods, Cafu & Bit and Paulo Siqueira & Andrew Magnum all did a different era of Tannarak trying to build this army and all did a fantastic job. What's a shame is that regular series' artist Pier Gallo's work was the weakest of the four.

One more issue for Superboy before the reboot and its probably a good thing. There have been some really good parts of this book, and some really bad parts. But not enough good parts to make me sad that its getting rebooted.

In a solid yet non awe-inspiring Second Place:

Flashpoint #4 

Flashpoint #4 cranks things up pretty quick. So quick that it leaves me wondering how they're going to wrap up everything in one more issue.

Flash, Thomas Wayne and Cyborg get some help from the Shazam kids after Superman dips on them. They also get some help from wacky Element Woman who's kind of sexy but really weird. Wonder Woman and Aquaman finally start the war to end the world when our heroes intervene. Reverse-Flash finally shows himself, but it seems like there's a lot of loose ends to tie up for one more issue.

When the Shazam family is introduced in issue #1, I really wasn't too sure about them. But they get highlighted in this issue, and the concept could be pretty cool if done right.

Of the 4 Flashpoint issues, this is probably the weakest one so far. Here's to a big finish. A lot is apparently riding on it.

And going out in style in First Place:

Secret Six #36

Since the first issue of Secret Six (part 1 of a 6 part mini in July of '06) this has been, easily, one of the most consistently well drawn and written books by any publisher. The fact that it didn't star a Batman or a Green Lantern or even a Wolverine didn't help the book's sales. But it did help this book become more than a sum of all of its parts.

Cast off characters like Deadshot and Catman paired up with new creations like Scandal Savage and Jeannette allowed Gail Simone (who crafted this book from its beginnings in Villains United) the space needed to really dig into complex characters and show what real people with real superpowers would be like. OK. Maybe not everyone would be as vile as Ragdoll or Floyd Lawton, but most probably wouldn't be as pristine as Clark Kent or Peter Parker either.

This book allowed the reader to walk with these questionable characters down a path of gray morals and hard choices. To grow with them emotionally as you learn how each of them, who aren't all bad at heart, deal with heartbreaking situations. Stories were told that you're not able to tell with "top selling" characters. And this book was all the better for it.

This book is #1 this week, not because it was necessarily better than Flashpoint #4, but because of what it gave its readers through 42+ issues: a reason to read and become emotionally invested in comic books.

I would like to thank Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, J. Calafiore and all the other fine talent that made Secret Six the book to read for the last 5 years.

Much like its characters, Secret Six was always the underdog. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Panel of the Week:

The Secret Six (yes, there are eight of them) when faced against the Justice League, Justice Society, Teen Titans and various other heroes decide to go out the hard way.

-Gint

The Gambit Don't Make No TV Dinner

The title of this strip is in reference to the X-Men:Animated Series Christmas Special. My friend Joe paraphrases this all the time and it cracks me up every time. Here's the link for that:

http://youtu.be/eGVMS_WBzJw

What was it about Remy LeBeau that had fanboys fall head over heels in love with him? Was it his ability to make things turn pretty neon pink and explode? Could it have been that mumbo-jumbo Cajun dialect he speaks in? Or perhaps it's the kamikaze mission he is on to get some "suga" from Rouge? Regardless, I'll never understand the popularity of this idiotic character. If anyone out there is a fan of Gambit, weight in and let me know why you like him. -$

$oss' Pull-List Review 8-04-11

Four pretty solid titles this week:

FF #6-7
I missed picking up issue #6 last month so I lumped these two books together and read them at the same time. I'm not sure when FF turned into a Marvel space escapade but that's exactly what I got. I felt like a bait and switch had been pulled on me and I was pissed. But I did find good things about these two books.

Greg Tocchini's art is beautiful. He is well suited to illustrate all the wonders of the cosmos. There is a good balance between outer-worldly aliens and graceful human characters. The colors on this title are bright and vibrant. The panel's might as well have been oil paintings.

Alas, with all that said this was a space book. I just don't care for comics set in space. I'm sure the tale of Black Bolt and the prophecy that he would destroy the Kree Supremor is thrilling stuff, but two full issues of space adventures was more than I bargained for. Let's get back to Earth please.

Astonishing X-Men # 40

I hate these alternating storylines. One month it's monsters in Japan the next it's aliens in space. It's jarring to go back and forth like this.

We rejoin the group as they try and figure out a way to extract the alien larva from Agent Brand's body. Great anime-influenced pencils by Juan Bobillo here. The use of negative space in his panel layout is interesting and makes for a compelling read. I find myself enjoying this story more now that space oriented tale in Uncanny is over.

Unfortunately the stupid shipping schedule sabotages this story. Guess I'll have to wait until September to read the finale.

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker #1

While I didn't get the origin story I had hoped for in the pages of The Boys it looks like it can be found in this mini series. I'm glad Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson have reunited to explain the motives of the The Boys leader, Billy Butcher. I'm confused as to why this essential part of the mythos isn't part of the main title. It does explain’s why that book has been shitty for the past year.

In these pages we are introduced to his mother, brother and the crazed father that helped mold him into the character we now know. Ennis' clearly has a vision of who this character is and the dark past that motivates him. He paints a painfully vivid picture of a family torn apart by abuse. Little brother Lenny is especially sad, considering he is never mentioned in the other books I'm guessing there are bad things in store for him. This spin-off could be just what I needed to once again enjoy the exploits of Butcher and his Boys.

X-Men: Schism #2

I admit it, I love Frank Cho. I mean I love his work but I'm sure he's great guy as well. A major factor in my decision to get this series was his involvement. 

Writer Jason Aaron further explores the growing divide between the two leaders of the X-Men. This issue is mostly dialogue, which suits me just fine. Aaron’s use of varying speech patterns is excellent. Cho also deserves credit in adding extra shine with his portrayal Scott "Slim" Summers. I've never seen Cyclops drawn this thin, but it makes a lot of sense. I'm not sure why other artist's don't draw him this way.

My only real complaint is with the villains. I refuse to believe that this new version of the Hellfire Club is a genuine threat. "Why" you may ask? Because they are a bunch of little kids! If anyone can make me afraid of little girls in pink kitty cat shirts it will be Jason Aaron. -$

Panel of the Week: Words hurt Black Bolt...words hurt.