What is a Short Pants Review? While we’d love to give full reviews to everything, there just isn’t enough time in the day. So we’ve come up with Short Pants (the name was given to us by Eye on Comics‘ Don MacPherson) as a way of providing capsule reviews from our varied review writers, giving quick hits and short capsule thoughts about various comics we’ve read recently.
This time out, Nick, David (D3) and Randy cover The Damned #3 of 5, X-Factor #14 The Escapists #6 of 6, 52 Week 32 of 52, Ex Machina #25, Justice League of America #4, New X-Men #33, Exiles Annual #1, DMZ #14, Stormwatch PHD #2 and Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #19.
David Martindale(D3) Read and Thought:
52 Week 32 of 52 (DC Comics):With a couple of short interruptions focusing on the teen titans holding tryouts and Adam Strange, Animal Man, Lobo, Starfire dealing with a cosmic menace, this issue deals mainly with Ralph Dibny trying to find a mystical way to be with his deceased wife once more. 52 generally maintains an acceptable level of quality, but on occasions, there are issues that rise above being merely average. Usually those issues, like this one, are better due to their tighter focus on a single plot thread. The Ralph Dibny/Fate thread is probably the strongest of the individual threads, and it appears to be the thread that may be used to tie all the rest together. Consistent above average writing and art on a weekly schedule has hooked me on this one, and I can’t wait for the answers!
New X-Men #33 (Marvel Comics): I picked up this issue on a lark since I had less reading material than usual for the week, and I was pleasantly surprised. The book does a pretty good job of being a teenie-bopper soap opera with superheroes. Actually, if I were to create it in a science lab, I would pour into a beaker: 3 parts X-Men, 1 part Saved by the Bell, 1 part The O.C., and 2 parts Buffy. You can’t expect high literature out of the title, but this issue was a lot of fun. It’s the first issue of a four part arc dealing with X-23 and Mercury, and despite being very far from being sold on X-23, I think I’ll be picking up the rest. Competent and fun art and writing make this book worth at least a flipping through.
DMZ #14 (Vertigo): Another great issue from Wood and Burchielli. Were a lesser writer to take the reader on Matty’s journey, he would have us seeing good guys and bad guys, but Brian Wood continues to excel at allowing the reader to both sympathize with and be appalled by the actions of rival factions. Despite torture and suicide bombing being featured in the issue, the real story here isn’t the invaders versus the freedom fighters or the forces of democracy versus the evil terrorists; this is a story of the people caught in the crossfire and how the conflict affects them on a personal level. It isn’t quite as good as the Body of a Journalist, but it’s still very good. The art ain’t half bad either.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
X-Factor #14 (Marvel): Without sounding too much like a fanboy, in respect to X-Factor, Peter David is on fire. It’s a hard book to classify, considering that in the 14 issues that have been published, not a lot has happened. Yes, there have been traces of action, intrigue and other story devices used, but what saves this book from the monotony that others fall into are the characters. They’re all interesting (yes, even Layla Miller, folks) and carry the weight of the book rather well. With this issue specifically, there are three things that can be attributed to why it was so good: Pablo Raimondi’s kick ass art, actual laugh out loud humor and the beginnings of a story that pits Madrox against the terrorist organization Hydra. All in all, a worthy read.
Exiles Annual #1 (Marvel): Well, when you’re hip-hopping through space and time on a daily basis, it only seems likely that you’d eventually run into yourself and have to fight them. This, in a nutshell, is what the Exiles Annual is all about. Tony Bedard offers up the same action heavy hilarity that has become such a staple for the ongoing series. The one difference with it, one that makes it an issue that’s worth checking out, is the art. It may flounder slightly towards the end, becoming a little muddled and simplistic, but 3/4 of the book is gorgeous. My one, very small, beef with the Exiles Annual is that it seems to rush to a conclusion where it could have used a few more pages and had a stronger ending. Still, if you’re an Exiles fan at all, or want an easy jumping on point to the series, you’ve found a book to pick up.
Stormwatch PHD #2 (Wildstorm): As limp as the Wildstorm relaunch has been, the first issue of Stormwatch PHD was one that was solid enough to make me come back for second helping. This train of thought turned out to be a mistake. This second issue falls flat on its face and simply lays there, unable to offer up anything that’s either interesting or at the very least, something that we haven’t already seen before. Nothing grab’s the reader’s attention, be it the bland art or the cookie-cutter action/mystery story, and it’s a shame. Gage proved to be a highly capable writer during his Deadshot mini-series, but here, not even his high talents can save this sinking ship called Stormwatch PHD.
Justice League of America #4 (DC): Well, we’re 4 issues into Justice League of America this time, and though we have a group of people that are starting to come together, we still don’t have an official Justice League of America team yet. I heard that happens in issue 7, but maybe it’ll happen sooner and we’ll all be surprised. With this issue in particular though, the mystery of who took Red Tornado’s body starts to unfold, and that in and of itself is something. It means that we’re getting somewhere finally, but with the lackluster artwork and the slow pace that we have to endure, it just isn’t satisfying enough. It’s also confusing as to how Vixen is still using her animal powers without her magical Tantu Totem. Maybe this new mystery will be explained in the next issue. Or maybe it will come to light in issue 12. With Meltzer, who knows?
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
The Damned #3 of 5 (Oni Press): Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt’s supernatural period mob story moves forward at a good clip, providing new twists on the central mystery, a terrific shootout sequence that makes good use of the unusual power of the protagonist and an explosive cliffhanger finale. The issue is chock full of familiar genre moments, including a card game, a P.I. talking to his snitch, an ambush and a mob hit, but they’re all tinged with the supernatural elements of the book, giving it a new spin and a fresh flavor. And Hurtt’s work captures both the period aspect and the supernatural aspect quite well, not to mention providing a fast-paced and exciting action sequence.
The Escapists #6 of 6 (Dark Horse): From the beginning, the question of this fantastic miniseries has been, can Vaughan and company give it a satisfying finish? The answer, in issue #6, is a resounding yes. I don’t want to give away too much about what happens, and that includes talking too much about the tonal shift that the issue takes, but I will say that the story of Denny, Case and Max ends in a way that is unexpected and yet perfectly in line with what we’ve seen of the characters so far. There are some great visual touches by Rolston, especially on the “tiny squares” visual irony on page 15, and Jason Alexander does a great job with Cassie’s story on pages 22-23. If you missed the miniseries, make sure and check out the trade next year… it was definitely one of the best minis of the year, and some of the best work done of all the talented creators involved.
Ex Machina #25 (Wildstorm): A standalone issue, which makes it a perfect jumping-on point if you’ve been hearing about the book but didn’t want to take the plunge on a full trade paperback. It won’t hurt that this is one of the strongest issues the book has had since its first issue, possibly the best issue in the run. A chance encounter leads Bradbury, Mayor Hundred’s head of security, to flashback through his life, from childhood to his days fighting crime alongside Hundred, and its an enlightening look at a character who has mostly filled the role of stalwart tough guy for this book. The capper, though, are the final three pages, which gives Bradbury a terrific badass moment and may have turned him into my favorite character in the book. Art, as always, is by Tony Harris, Tom Feister and JD Mettler, and as always, it looks amazing, photo-realistic and cartoony at the same time.
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #19 (Marvel): Last issue’s focus on the Invisible Woman joining SHIELD was a great one-off idea, only slightly better than this month’s issue, which features Mr. Fantastic facing off against Arcade. Writer Zeb Wells brings his usual off-kilter sense of humor and solid storytelling style to a re-invention of Arcade as an inventor and amusement park owner who turns to murder when Mr. Fantastic fixes his robots and makes them not funny anymore. Richards is portrayed as an absent-minded professor, remarkably intelligent but still a little clueless, and his almost accidental outwitting of the increasingly frustrated Arcade makes for great comedy. There’s also a nice lesson about feelings (hey, it’s an all-ages book!) and some terrific art by Kano and Alvaro Lopez. It’s a shame the regular Fantastic Four is so embroiled in Civil War, when the characters could be used for fun stories like this one.
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Great reviews. Specially liked the one on X-Factor 14, I agree on this being a great book. this is my favorite issue to date, I like how several storylines are picked up. There were hilarious moments, one particular touching one and overall very enjoyable. I only wish the book was longer, as Im always left yearning for more. Probably my favorite Peter David title ever.
yeah, I was somewhat dissapointed in JLA, again. Does anybody get the feeling that Meltzer is trying too hard to come up with a big story?
17 Dec 2006 at 9:36 pm
QuoteNick, I read the beginning of this latest X-Factor and really, really enjoyed it. I hopped out of it when it looked like Civil War was going to interfere. Can you give me an idea of what issues were messed upon by the Marvel cross over, if any? Or should a fan of the first issues continue with the series (I would do so with trades)?
17 Dec 2006 at 11:38 pm
QuoteTim:
Go ahead and pick up those CW X-Factor issues. I don’t believe the crossover slowed down the series. (They were issues 8 and 9, incidentally.)
Randy:
I took your advice and got Marvel Adventures Avengers #1 when it first came out, and I’m still reading that series. I guess I’ll have to give MAFF a try.
18 Dec 2006 at 12:04 am
QuoteTim, I’ll agree with Ebrahim Aldosary on this one. Issues 8 and 9 weren’t necessarily favorites of mine but they weren’t bad. This is a series that more people really should be reading. If you’ve missed out on some issues, the trades are the easiest way to go as Volume 2 (collecting 7-12) comes out in Feb., but if you can, head to your local comic shop and try out #’s 13 and 14…And then you’re hooked.
18 Dec 2006 at 12:09 am
QuoteFor me Escapists and Ex Machina were the best books I read last week. I can’t wait for the Escapists TPB. I didn’t get issues 2 and 3 and wanna see what I missed. I love Rolston’s artwork. This is just a really enjoyable series about comics and the making of them and the characters are all likeable and well written as always by BKV. I was a tad disappointed Case lost the red hair she looked so cute.
I have to rank that issue of Ex Machina right up there as well with any of other issues that have come out. Bradbury has always struck me as someone with a f’ed up past and reminds me a bit of Genocide from Sleeper. Really good week of comics overall with Spirit being really good as well. Waiting patiently for Wednesday the new Fables issue with Santa!
18 Dec 2006 at 12:15 am
QuoteYeah, the Civil War tie in issues weren’t too bad. I think Captain America and X-Factor were the only books to handle being tied in in a readable fashion.
18 Dec 2006 at 2:39 am
QuoteWow, I thought Stormwatch was a blast. Surprised to see such a negative review, and I’d encourage anyone even vaguely interested in the title to give it a look.
18 Dec 2006 at 10:17 am
QuoteJustice League of America in general has been pretty awful. It seems that Vixen needs the totem to control/limit her animal affinities. This may be a retcon.
The whole Green Lantern bungling Arsenal’s name just doesn’t wash. How can a guy who has to think fast to survive, not be able to recall a colleague’s codename?
Let’s start a petition drive to kill “Reddy” once and for all.
18 Dec 2006 at 12:59 pm
QuoteI’m really impressed with ‘the Damned’. I thought the idea was somewhat contrived at first, reminding me of ‘Cast a Deadly Spell’ (HBO original movie combining Lovecraft with the hard-boiled), but this is far superior and achieves more than it’s ‘high-concept’ underpinnings usually allow.
Between this and ‘Wasteland’, Oni has my full attention right now.
18 Dec 2006 at 1:31 pm
QuoteGabox82 said:
yeah, I was somewhat dissapointed in JLA, again. Does anybody get the feeling that Meltzer is trying too hard to come up with a big story?
I think that sentence can pretty much sum up Meltzer’s comics career, actually.
Ebrahim Aldosary said:
I took your advice and got Marvel Adventures Avengers #1 when it first came out, and I’m still reading that series. I guess I’ll have to give MAFF a try.
I should say that I’ve only read issues #18 and #19 of MAFF, and it does have regularly changing creative teams. So you might flip through a digest before picking it up. But from casual glances at past issues, I know the art has been good pretty much throughout.
Michael said:
Let’s start a petition drive to kill “Reddy” once and for all.
The nickname, or the character? I’m onboard the former, but I think the character is a good one. Actually, while I’m generally unimpressed with Meltzer’s Justice League thus far (I stopped reading as of issue #3), I will say that the one thing I do like is some of the more unusual choices for the roster. Vixen, Black Lightning, Red Tornado… I like seeing these guys on the team. I’m not buying the Arsenal instead of Green Arrow substitution (reads too much like the author’s hand, as opposed to a choice the characters would make), and not thrilled that he’s taken Black Canary away from Birds of Prey, for all intents and purposes… but I like Vixen, BL and Tornado on the team.
Murphy said:
I’m really impressed with ‘the Damned’. I thought the idea was somewhat contrived at first, reminding me of ‘Cast a Deadly Spell’ (HBO original movie combining Lovecraft with the hard-boiled), but this is far superior and achieves more than it’s ‘high-concept’ underpinnings usually allow.
Between this and ‘Wasteland’, Oni has my full attention right now.
Remind me, have you ever read Queen & Country? If not, you should definitely give those trades a look, it’s another great series from Oni. Oni also has a lot of cool horror one-off graphic novels… maybe I ought to loan you a few of those, see if any of them catch your interest.
18 Dec 2006 at 4:35 pm
QuoteI’m pretty sure it was revealed at one point that Vixen’s powers were within her and she just uses the totem as a focus, but I can’t remember where. I want to say towards the end of Ostrander’s Suicide Squad.
18 Dec 2006 at 5:57 pm
QuoteMay I make a request? Can one of you review Fables #56 on Wednesday and tell me if it has any spoilers for events in Fables #52-55 (which isn’t collected yet).
18 Dec 2006 at 10:21 pm
QuoteRandy - I’ve seen Queen & Country on the shelves, but never given it a look. What’s the hook on that one?
And I’d love to check out some of Oni’s one shot horror novels.
19 Dec 2006 at 7:45 am
QuoteI really misunderstood the Marvel Adventure line. I had thought it was new art and slightly updated storylines of the old Stan Lee runs of Spidey, Avengers and FF. Are they “new” stories, then? Are they truly all-ages? I have a 7-year-old who sees all my comics but only briefly as I whisk them out of view. Even the covers aren’t really safe any more for youngin’s. I get her the occasional Disney or Archie’s comic and show her the old Lee/Kirby books I have but have been sad that I can’t show her modern superhero books.
Would this Marvel Adventure Line do for her? Or is it still geared to a bit older, like 10 or 12 (at which point, I have to wonder if she will still be interested in comics at all)? It seems I might enjoy them based on these reviews. Hell, I seriously have missed fun ol’ timey superhero books. You know, the ones with superheroes doing super deeds to save the world and stuff. Civil War has dragged the entire Marvel Line through the mud and has no sense of fun or adventure. Crisis did the same for DC. Only the Annihiliation storyline, even with its overall dread, had fun and superheroic moments that made for cool comics.
Heck, that should be a podcast…Are Comics Fun Anymore??
That said, any other hints about the Marvel Adventure Line would be great.
19 Dec 2006 at 7:52 am
Quotefil, you have made the classic blunder of history- you got the Marvel Adventures line, which is all about great all ages fun with cool new stories and as much awesomeness as they can pack between two covers, and the Marvel Age line, which is about taking old Silver Age stories and giving them new, modern art so they appeal to today’s kids, confused.
Damn, that was a long sentence.
Anyway, Marvel Adventures = Good (and often better), Marvel Age = Not So Much.
Oh, and to echo an earlier poster, I also disagree with Nick’s take on Stormwatch PHD. The team is coming together, they plan a takedown of a villain which *almost* works, and Fahrenheit’s story is keeping me interested. It wasn’t the best issue ever, but it was far from bad. I must admit I’m not Doug Mahnke’s biggest fan, though.
19 Dec 2006 at 8:59 am
QuoteMurphy-
As far as Queen & Country goes, it’s definitely something you should check out. Here are a couple of Randy’s older reviews of it, before he got tired of reviewing it all the damn time:
http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/snapjudgments/092401/queenandcountry4.shtml
http://www.thefourthrail.com/reviews/snapjudgments/121701/queenandcountry5.shtml
19 Dec 2006 at 9:12 am
QuoteThanks, Dan, for clearing that up. But other than perpetuating the classic blunder of history (which I had thought was, “Don’t fight a land war in Asia” but what do I know), I was also wondering are they all-ages books that are truly all ages or more tween-teen age appropriate titles?
19 Dec 2006 at 12:48 pm
QuoteI thought the classic blunder of history was going up against a Sicilian when death is on the line. Anyway, The Marvel Adventures books are generally G, with occasional veers in PG territory, much like the Johnny DC line.
19 Dec 2006 at 1:35 pm
QuoteTim wrote:
May I make a request? Can one of you review Fables #56 on Wednesday and tell me if it has any spoilers for events in Fables #52-55 (which isn’t collected yet).
Probably won’t be in the Wednesday Number Ones, but remind us in the comments on the WNO thread and one of us can probably throw in an opinion on that.
Murphy wrote:
Randy - I’ve seen Queen & Country on the shelves, but never given it a look. What’s the hook on that one?
Basic premise: A female spy working for M.I.5 gets involved in various missions, and the pressure of “the life” leads her to a more and more self-destructive personal lifestyle. Very dark and realistic take on espionage, with a cast of rotating artists.
fil wrote:
I really misunderstood the Marvel Adventure line. I had thought it was new art and slightly updated storylines of the old Stan Lee runs of Spidey, Avengers and FF. Are they “new” stories, then? Are they truly all-ages?
Yes and yes. Marvel really botched their all-ages rollout with Marvel Age, and then didn’t distinguish clearly enough the difference with Marvel Adventures. I love them now, but it took me about a year to even notice them.
But at any rate, they’re truly all-ages, in the same vein as the Batman Animated series comics and that kind of thing. OK, maybe not *quite* as good as those, and they’re a little too single-issue focused to really keep a long-time readers’ attention, but they’re guaranteed to nab the attention of the 7-10 set, at least. And some of them, like the most recent Fantastic Four issues and the Parker-penned issues of Avengers, have been great reads.
These would *absolutely* be good for a 7-year-old girl who is expressing interest in comics. It kills me to hear that your 7-year-old expresses interest and you can’t show them to her, because it’s *exactly* what I fear every time I see another issue of the murderous, dark stuff that permeates big superhero projects like the new Justice League or Justice Society, Civil War and 52.
Heck, that should be a podcast…Are Comics Fun Anymore??
Don’t need a podcast for that one. Just one-line. Nope.
Well, OK, it’s not that bad. There are fun comics, they just don’t sell in the hundreds of thousands like the dark, angsty ones. And even the fun comics, like She-Hulk or Beyond or Superman Confidential, seem to have darker elements that creep in. But there are pure fun comics out there, like All-Star Superman, The Spirit and Godland, to name a few off the top of my head.
19 Dec 2006 at 6:41 pm
QuoteI think that the Marvel Adventures line is a good recommendation for a 7-year old, but I don’t think most of the mainstream comic book titles go much further than standard television fare that kids have access to like the Disney Channel, animated cartoons, or the O.C. Just from what was reviewed in this article 52, New X-Men, Exiles, and Justice League of America are all acceptable fare. Most mainstream comics don’t rise above a PG or PG-13 movie. or the equivalent television rating at most,so I don’t know why it would be difficult to find any fun comics for a 7-year old.
I would have to say yes comics are more fun, and more complex in the modern age. I do admit that some rare mainstream moments in comics have become too dark and gritty (Identity crisis, etc.), but for the most part comics retain a good deal of restraint, imagination, and realism that makes for exciting dramatic stories. The subject-matter is not more darker, sexual, or more violent than original fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel), children’s books (Goosebumps), television shows, animated movies, fantasy movie trilogies (lord of the rings, star wars) and most popularly the Harry Potter series.
I guess I can see how a comic reader can long for the simpler, brighter, and more optimistic eras in comic book history, especially if you have fond memories of those stories. But from my 20-something youth, I still remember intense, dark comic book stories from my youth that may be darker and more grittier than current titles, like the Venom arc, the Brood in X-men, X-force, Avengers, esp. Annual #10, Image books like Youngblood and Spawn, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Wolverine books with covers depicting heaps of dead bodies. This trend is nothing new in comic books. True, there are more tragic deaths now and moral instability in comic books, as meta-referenced in the recent Infinite Crisis series, but there is always a certain standard of heroism and moral rectitude that is maintained. You have to buck up though and not be so squeamish, because comics are just adapting to and reflecting the complicated culture of the 20th century modern world which we live in, with the War on Terror, popular shows like 24 and Grey’s Anatomy, barrages of information from Wikipedia, sensational human reality displayed on Youtube.com, and celebrity obsessions like Paris Hilton and Mel Gibson. Comics are not simple anymore, because we don’t live in simple times.
20 Dec 2006 at 3:59 am
QuoteThanks for all the info on the Marvel Adventures and Age lines. I am due to get my comics tomorrow so I will browse around the Adventure line and pick up a few for me and the daughter to read through.
Albert, you bring up an interesting point. We do tend to fall back on the comics we grew up on and as a late 30-something, Venom wasn’t even in the mind’s eye of his creators when I was reading comics.
I don’t mind “dark” or “moody” comics or somewhat intense storylines to a degree. We have read all the Potter books to our girl, even when she was 5 and 6. Well, not all of them. We stopped at the third because even they are getting a bit darker and intense than she is ready. As designed, of course, as Rowling is supposedly writing for the age of her characters, who are nearly adults by the last book.
And I also do agree that comics aren’t much different than mainstream television but I don’t let my daughter within 10 yards of mainstream television, as well as most mainstream comics. Which is too bad. I have to wonder if this effort to make comics more “adult” to appeal to their older audience isn’t hurting the up and coming readers. I know, it has been said before but it is sad when my daughter’s choices are a mere handful of comics and even then, I have a hard time taking her to the store for fear of having to explain what is on the covers of all the other comics. Ugh. Our shop is great and do a good job of keeping the young kid’s comics off to the side and they tend to have only the most tasteful and classic art on the walls (giant poster of New Frontier, those Alex Ross posters, t-shirts, Iron Man’s helmet, etc.) but still.
Anyway, thanks for the info. I will definitely give the Adventure line a look for her AND myself!
21 Dec 2006 at 4:31 pm
QuoteI’ve been reading you guys since your psycomic days, and I have to tell you that I don’t think you’ve ever gotten it as wrong as you have about JLA #4. This is currently the best team book DC puts out. I understand the art may not be to everyones tatse, but the plotting is solid and the dialogue spectacular. I stopped reading Superman/Batman after 2 issuse because I kept throwing the comic across the room yelling “people DONT TALK LIKE THAT”; something I’ve never had to do with JLA.
As for GL, he didn’t so much blow Roy’s code name as start to call him “Roy” in front of the bad guys and try to recover - perfectly belivavnle, IMHO.
26 Dec 2006 at 7:08 am
QuoteActually, Rob, while you may have been reading *me* since the Psycomic days, Nick hasn’t been doing reviews prior to Comic Pants. So I don’t think you can fairly say that *I’ve* gotten it wrong.
I mean, that would imply that I read the book, and I was so bored stiff by Justice League that I stopped reading at #3.
27 Dec 2006 at 4:41 pm
QuoteI flipped through JLA #5 today; my god, Rapey McRapesalot is such a DWEEB.
28 Dec 2006 at 1:46 pm
Quote