Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies and More…
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 70’s. 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: 7
This months 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 70’s (that’s the decade not her age) although his depiction of Iron Man is first rate. Grade: B
Aquaman, 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 & 2
J. 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 Clay
The 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: B
Elephantmen 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: C
Friendly 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.
