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 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 and Randy cover Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures #4 of 12, Daredevil #93, Ex Machina #26, Invincible #38, The Spirit #2, Transfomers Escalation #3 of 6, and Jack of Fables #7.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures #4 of 12 (Marvel): As a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton and the Anita Blake novels, I wanted this comic to be good. Alas, this series continues marching on to the steady and dull drum beat that it started with. Stacie Ritchie’s adaptation is still faithful to the source material and this issue itself tags the chapter’s high notes, mirroring those found in the original Guilty Pleasures novel. Still, what hurts things with the story is that with adaptations you tend to get a condensed entity, a clone that doesn’t quite hit the same emotional layers that should be explored. Of course what you do get are the normal identifiers, the eye-candy such as the violence, sex, blood, gore and the good old-fashioned vampire attacks. These are staples that can be found in any vampire story. Is the book’s passable writing the book’s biggest fault though? No, where this book effectively jumps the shark is with Brett Booth’s art. It’s a disconnect that distracts and what’s there is more of a static cartoon representation; flat characters that are wholeheartedly off putting instead of containing the vibrant life that the story deserves. This is a readable book but it isn’t enjoyable.
Ex Machina #26 (Wildstorm): Even after 26 issues, this hybrib that combines aspects of the political drama The West Wing and the standard super heroics of Superman, Brian K. Vaughan’s Ex Machina still knows how to grab the reader’s attention. After last issue’s awesome, centralized focus on security agent Rick Bradbury, this issue returns the story to Mayor Hunderd and his day to day political life. It also serves as a great jumping on point for people who have yet to catch on to one of the best books out on the stands today. What in particular makes this issue such a good one? There are many things, but how about: A new “bad guy”, a clever flashback, a batch of believable sociological ideas and one hell of a whopper of a cliffhanger ending. Like I said, these are just for starters, there are more. In fact, just based on Tony Harris’ sense of motion and his character designs for the new “bad guy” alone, this issue is one of the more enjoyable ones of the series. Read it, enjoy it and promptly get hooked.
Transformers: Escalation #3 (IDW): Robots in disguise. It’s one of the few staple slogans that have always rode side by side with the Transformers line in whatever guise it took. For IDW’s follow up to Transformers: Infiltration, the slogan is nowhere to be found. Odd, wouldn’t you say? Normally yes, but the absence of the slogan doesn’t mean that the the feeling behind it is lost. In fact, Simon Furman has transformed the idea and made it something that’s more prominently involved with the story instead of being a few words tacked on to the cover of a book. Because of that, this version of the Tranformers feels very much like a stealthy, Metal Gear Solid version and it’s an insanely brilliant direction to take the characters. That’s not to say that the book is bogged down with talking or that there isn’t any action to be found. This is still a book that stars giant robots duking it out with each other and what’s nice about it is that interlaced with the espionage theme, there’s still a plethora of action to be found as the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons heats up on the border of Brasnya. And as action goes, there’s some nice moments here and they’re all brought to life by E.J. Su’s solid art. Any fan of either the cartoon or the 80’s comic book series needs to give this series a look. Trust me, I’m not joking, this is a book that’s really that good.
The Spirit #2 (DC Comics): The Spirit’s sexy arch-nemesis, the lovely P’Gell, has returned to Central City with her eyes zeroed in on a member of an Arab royal family. The reason? It’s anyone’s guess but Denny Colt (The Spirit himself) knows for certain that no good can come from it. To be honest, before this new re-imagining of The Spirit began, I knew next to nothing about the world that Will Eisner’s had created. Yes, I was aware of the character and had even flipped through a collection or two over the years, but never did the concept or the character intrigue me. It’s possible that it was because that on the surface, the book can be seen as something vaguely similar to a goofy, less interesting Batman story. Maybe it’s because my tastes have changed so drastically in comics, or maybe it’s because this book is really THAT good. Either way, Darwyn Cooke has caught my attention, hook, line and sinker with his gorgeous art, his multi-layered self contained stories and with the glowing ability to cram so much into one issue and hit the right amount of each genre without overdoing it. All of that combined really cinches as to why The Spirit is such a slam dunk that is everything a comic book should be.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
Daredevil #93 (Marvel Comics): In many ways, this should have been the last issue of Bendis’ run, instead of the last issue of Brubaker’s second Daredevil arc. It ties up a lot of the loose ends, both plot-wise and thematically, and with the exception of one intriguing little cliffhanger at the end, basically puts a period on the “Daredevil outed” story that Bendis began way back in his early days of the book. And it’s a good issue, maybe one of the best that Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano have done so far. In classic noir style, Daredevil himself narrates much of the issue, letting Brubaker get the reader inside his head, an important choice given how much of the story revolves around what Daredevil thinks and feels about what he’s been going through, and how it resolves. There’s a lot to recommend, from little things like the new addition to Nelson & Murdock to a tearful reunion I never thought we’d see when Brubaker first took over this book, but the highlight is definitely the interaction between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk. In a convincing, dialogue-driven scene, Brubaker makes a status quo change between these two lifelong enemies that plays nicely off of the events with Vanessa Fisk in the last issue. A solid finale to a good Daredevil story.
Invincible #38 (Image Comics): Invincible is a book where my opinion wavers. Occasionally, Kirkman will hit on a storyline that just doesn’t grab me or runs a little long, like Mark’s extended fight against the Viltrumites, and I’ll start thinking I’m done, and then a good issue or two will come along and win me back. This is one of those “win me back” issues, which means it’s probably a good sampler issue for those considering sticking their toe in the waters to see if the book is for them. It’s a relatively plotless issue, moving forward about eight subplots rather than focusing on any story, which might make it unsatisfying if you’re not onboard for the big picture. But if you are, it’s clear that every scene in this book is leading to something, and most of them are pretty enjoyable on a standalone basis. The two-pager introducing the Lizard League (sort of a cross between Marvel’s Serpent Society and Hydra) is a lot of fun, and the two-pager checking on the Martian invasion force is also terrific, with fantastic artwork by Ryan Ottley really conveying the horror of the parasitic aliens controlling the alien forces. There are also a couple shockers, one involving the leader of the Coalition of Planets and the other one a last page cliffhanger that’s been brewing for a while. In short, there’s a lot of setup and not much payoff, but the setup is plenty entertaining for anyone feeling a superhero jones.
Jack of Fables #7 (DC/Vertigo): “Ah, I appear to be married. And where am I, exactly? Well, that makes sense. I’m in Vegas.” So begins the latest adventure of Jack, and my instant forgiveness of the weird fill-in in the middle of a story began in the last issue. It’s weird scheduling, but I forgot all about the delayed gratification of last issue’s cliffhanger and dove right into the story of Fables‘ non-resident scoundrel in the real Sin City. Another unusual Fable is introduced for Jack to take advantage of, and the “guy tries to beat the system in Vegas” story trope gets a fresh take with Jack’s particular brand of magical-influenced rapscallion nature. Throw in a very effective, bloody take on another well-known fairy tale character playing the role of the dangerous crime boss/casino owner and you’ve got a light, fun and thoroughly engaging tale.
Loading ...
Daredevil #93 is the end of Daredevil: Out, eh? Interesting. I was planning on getting the Brubaker trades, and that cinches it. It’s a backhanded compliment, I know, but it amazed me that Bendis’ “Out” was one, ~55 issue story. Almost all the plot in that mega-arc was a result of his outing. I can’t really imagine what it woulda been like to read it as singles. I prolly woulda gone batty.
05 Feb 2007 at 12:25 pm
QuoteI’ll second the positive reviews of Ex Machina, Jack of Fables, and Invincible.
I enjoyed Brubaker’s first Daredevil arc quite a bit, but the second one, while doing a nice job of wrapping up the long running plotlines, seemed a little disjointed at times.
The Spirit is one of those books that I want to like more than I do. While I enjoy the art, the writing seems pretty average to me so far.
05 Feb 2007 at 5:15 pm
QuoteLoved The Spirit, but I’m behind on Invincible and completely forgot about this week’s Daredevil. As for Bendis’ “mega-arc,” I agree that the first half (Bendis’ first issue to Daredevil #50) was great, but the second half was sometimes disjointed and meandering. Plus, the story arcs (the arcs within the mega-arc) could get pretty long.
05 Feb 2007 at 6:06 pm
QuoteDaredevil and Spirit are two of my favorite books at Marvel and DC, respectively. I was a big fan of Bendis’ run, and I was skeptical of how well Brubaker could pull off such a connected takeover, but I would venture to say it’s actually better than Bendis’ run (the second half of it, at least).
Invincible is another book on a long list of books I have yet to try out, so hopefully I can get around to that soon. Same with Jack of Fables - I’m a bit behind on Fables, and I didn’t wanna start Jack until I caught up.
And Ex Machina is always a delight - is it just me, or would BKV make a great fit for Black Panther?
05 Feb 2007 at 7:20 pm
QuoteAs much as BMB’s run on Daredevil meandered towards the end - “Golden Age” and “The Widow” were both pretty blah, though “Decalogue” was surprisingly good - you have to admire the long-form nature of the storyline. I can’t think of any other example in modern comics where 50+ issues have been spent exploring the ramifications of one concept.
And Kiel, Invincible is fantastic. Start at the beginning, avoid spoilers, and you’ll have a great time.
06 Feb 2007 at 8:33 am
QuoteI too was worried about Brubaker when he took over, but he’s done a bang up job following up Bendis’s character defining run. I wouldn’t rate his run as better than Bendis’s, which admittedly may have meandered some toward the second half, as some have mentioned, but overall it was a very powerful run.
Brubaker’s run has been good, very good even, but it hasn’t quite had the power and depth that carried most of Bendis’s run, though this last issue came close. Also as much as I love Lark’s art, I do find myself missing Maleev, who’s work had this scratchy, energy and flow that just blew me away, don’t get me wrong, Lark’s great, but his action scenes seem a little stiff and posed compared to Maleev’s, least to my eye. I also liked how Maleev drew the characters better, especially Murdock, Lark’s Murdock comes off looking like a bit of a geek to me at times.
06 Feb 2007 at 9:34 am
QuoteI dunno, I thought Maleev’s action scenes were a bit stiff compared to Lark’s, but Maleev definitely improved over time. I’ll agree that while Brubaker’s run is really good, I don’t think it’s quite reached the level of Bendis’ work at his peak… yet. I was reading the first two parts of “Hardcore” a few weeks back (they were the only two issues of the run I hadn’t read) and I was just blown away.
P.S. totally unrelated, but your kittens look awesome, Gray Pumpkin
06 Feb 2007 at 9:57 am
QuoteYour right Maleev did improve over time, and continues to do so; his work on the most recent issue of New Avengers was pretty impressive I thought.
You know I have heard others say they thought Lark’s action scenes flowed better than Maleev’s, guess it’s just a matter of opinion, but I don’t see it myself, Larks fight scene at the prison for example looked very stiff to me compared to say Maleev’s Electra & Daredevil vs. Bullseye from the end of Bendis’s run. But again so much of art is subjective.
And thanks the new kitties are a blast.
06 Feb 2007 at 10:17 am
QuoteI have to agree about “The Widow”. What I remember from reading that is my reaction of, “That’s it?” That made me look at my book shelf and the raw inches the Bendis Daredevil story and then wonder, “That’s it?”. Then I think about money and so on.. But that’s unfair to the majority of the story which I really like. But still.. the space that “Born Again” takes up versus “Out”.
I am needlessly conflicted about “The Spirit” #2. Liberal guilt. I don’t know anything about Eisner’s Spirit. My exposure is from everything Cooke. Show ▼
Ah well. I love the art. I really do. I love how Cooke renders and lights cloth. And faces.. great stuff.
06 Feb 2007 at 10:19 am
QuoteIn the old stories, P’Gell didn’t really have a motive - she had always been something of a black widow (though, in her first appearance, the husband she had killed was a Nazi, so she wasn’t all bad).
06 Feb 2007 at 10:46 am
QuoteLark’s action scenes are much better than Maleev’s stiff figures, but I still really prefer Maleev’s style more. Lark is good, but Maleev’s art had much more personality, I think.
And you’re right, while I think Brubaker’s stuff might be better crafted, Bendis had the more powerful stories. Which makes sense, given that Brubaker is expanding on what Bendis did.
06 Feb 2007 at 4:21 pm
QuoteThis is an interesting debate, because I’m surprised to see so many people enjoying Maleev over Lark, especially in terms of action sequences. I liked Maleev’s art, but I thought his action was exceptionally weak, often stiff and occasionally just a still panel while a full-on page of text described what happened in the fight.
I find Lark’s style to be easier to read, better at storytelling and just surface prettier. And while I’ll agree that Bendis laid down the foundation and had some good stories, I think he basically went off the rails about mid-story and left the whole thing with an unsatisfying finish, whereas Brubaker has done a better job tying up loose ends and telling a more complete story based on the premise.
So if we were voting, Bendis and Maleev would be sent out to duel man-eating sharks, while Brubaker and Lark got the hot tub full of supermodels.
That’s how they do it on Survivor, right? I haven’t watched in a while.
07 Feb 2007 at 8:09 pm
QuoteI think it’s a bit unfair to say he derailed mid-story, more like he lost steam towards the last third or so of the run, though there were still some powerful stories in that last third. And therein lies the difference to me, Bendis’s stories we’re big, he had big ideas, they were powerful, and he got to the heart of who Matt Murdock better than anyone since Miller, he aimed high and as result didn’t always hit the mark. Brubaker’s told some good solid stories, but he hasn’t gotten to the core of the character the way Bendis did and his ideas haven’t been as groundbreaking and character defining, yeah he’s tied up loose ends, and told perhaps a more cohesive story, but he’s still playing in Bendis’s sandbox, at least so far anyway.
As to the Maleev vs. Lark thing the answer is simple, Maleev is the better artist and anyone who think otherwise is just plain wonky.
07 Feb 2007 at 8:50 pm
QuoteSee, Maleev does action weaker (at least he did in DD…his Illuminati one-shot was pretty decent, action-wise), but I still prefer his style. Lark is just kinda…bland to me, even if he might be a better storyteller. Maleev just has a more attractive style.
See, the reason I might like Bendis’ run better was because he laid the foundation, while Brubaker is still building on that. And maybe that’s a good thing - last time Brubaker tried to create his own springboard, Bucky (!) came back, and Banshee died
07 Feb 2007 at 9:13 pm
Quote“I can’t think of any other example in modern comics where 50+ issues have been spent exploring the ramifications of one concept.”
SANDMAN. TRANSMETROPOLITAN. PREACHER. Y: THE LAST MAN.
To say nothing of CEREBUS, in which eleven-issue storylines were designated “short stories”. The longest storyline in that series was 59 issues, and that was just a storyline, not actually the series’ designation, which wavered toward the end and wasn’t established at the beginning, but could with fairness be said to be consistent for well over two hundred issues.
Getting off my high horse, though, a storyline like Bendis’s for a “Big Two” iconic character was definitely landmark, and I don’t think he’s getting as much credit for it as he should. There’s really not a lot to it that’s comparable. Sure, Superman’s died and Batman’s had his back broken, but we all knew this just meant Superman would come back and Batman would heal. I really enjoyed it, and while I’m almost totally out of the monthly comic-reading game now, I’m also thankful for its influence. The fragility and thus the excitement of the superhero secret identity’s restored, and it’s basically because of Bendis.
13 Feb 2007 at 2:29 am
Quote