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 covers Ex Machina #33, Angel After the Fall #2, Captain America #33, Daredevil #103, Umbrella Academy #4 of 6, New Warriors #7, and G.I. Joe America’s Elite #30.

Nick Budd Read and Thought:

G.I. Joe: America’s Elite #30
Writer: Mark Powers
Artist: Mike Bear
Company: Devil’s Due Publishing

Put plain and simple, it’s relatively easy to write anything that bears the G.I. Joe brand off. It’s a toy line that spawned a comic, a licensed entity plagued by sub-par writing and art. And sure, even though the original Marvel run of the book holds a special place in my personal library of comic book history, I don’t think I would argue too much for someone saying that it was at times a little weak. Still, Hama was able to instill a nice balance of action adventure and soap opera that nine times out of ten, made for a comic that was worth reading. It seems that Mark Powers has the same special power with regards to the new America’s Elite title. The book isn’t perfect, it still has some corny dialogue and some of the odder 90’s era characters that look out of place, but the core story that he’s getting at, one that feels very much like a superhero versus super villain story, which G.I. Joe should, is one that’s extremely approachable to readers. With this sixth part of the World War 3 mini-series, it seems that Cobra has gone farther than they ever have before and are on the verge of that famed GLOBAL DOMINATION that they always boast about, which has painted the Joe teams that are spread out over the world into a very small and dark corner. The simplicity of that setup, the spot on characterizations, the smooth and well planned action sequences, and the nice, at his best, Linel Francis Yu-like art by Mike Bear have all made this book something that for me, hasn’t happened in awhile, which is that it’s a G.I. Joe book that’s worth reading.

Ex Machina #33
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Tony Harris
Company: Wildstorm

Is Ex Machina the strongest book in writer Brian K. Vaughan’s ever growing arsenal of cool? The answer to that question is debatable as he’s got a nice stack of books that people just can’t seem to get enough of. What isn’t debatable is that this current arc, one where Mayor Mitchell Hundred faces off with none other than the Pope (no, I’m not joking), is one of those unforgettable stories that is chock-full of compelling storytelling and ingenious concepts that immediately tickle the mind. This, the concluding issue of the storyline, pits religion versus politics versus technology, and the outcome is just as unusual as the West Wing meets supehero amalgamation that this book produces. As for the art, Tony Harris has always been a favorite, but over the course of this book he’s certainly refined his photo-realistic style, adding nuances and heavier inks to it. Every once in awhile it might feel a little static, mainly the character’s faces, but for the most part Harris’ storytelling abilities are top notch and the way that he’s able to convey the emotional resonance of the story is astonishing. There’s a scene specifically in this one, one where…Well, giving it away would cheat some of the fun out of seeing it, but let’s just say that it’s something that could easily have come out of an Alan Moore book…And it’s jaw-dropping. All in all, if you’re a BKV fan and you aren’t reading this book yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s that good.

Captain America #33
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Company: Marvel Comics

Ah, the wonders of Captain America and the always entertaining scripts put forth by Ed Brubaker. A couple of years ago, if someone told me that I would be waiting with bated breath for every issue of this book to come out, I’m sure I would have scoffed at them and told them that they were insane. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, an issue to come out that doesn’t really do anything for me or hold some sort of genius story element, but it seems that shoe is permanently glued to the ceiling, because with this issue, this book might have hit an all-time high. I can’t say too much about the actual story that takes place in this issue, mainly due to the fact that in the grand scheme of things there are some VERY big goings on in this one, but what I can say is that there is a lot to enjoy here. At the top of the list is action. Yeah, yeah, that should come as no big surprise but this is action that you can really sink your teeth into as Iron Man and Winter Soldier got at it. As a smaller, more out of left field tidbit, comes a very cool sequence involving someone’s arm. Who’s am I talking about? Not going to say, but what is cool about the sequence is that it is definitely not your typical Brubaker scene. There’s a lot more classic comic book feel to it than the normal noir/spy vibe that he brings, and it was nice to see that sort of thing in his writing cache. As for the art, well it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that Steve Epting can draw extremely well. Action is his bread and butter, and he gets a nice stockpile of it to run hog wild with. What’s different this go around though is the addition of Butch Guice on inks. It’s a nice change. Guice’s work is definitely visible over Epting’s linework, and the darker, more heavier strokes bring a much more vivid amount of energy to the foreground. Really, a great issue that furthers the story and amps things up. Not too shabby at all.

Angel: After the Fall #2
Writers: Joss Whedon & David Lynch
Artist: Franco Urru
Company: IDW Publishing

My initial thoughts on what essentially is the sixth season of Angel were a bit mixed. I enjoyed the notion of bringing L.A. into Hell. It was something that made perfect sense, could never be done to the degree of success that the fans would have wanted on television, and added a nice twist for the characters to deal with. It was also just cool to see these characters again. There was sort of the same feeling I had with the first couple of issues of the Buffy comic, as it reminded me just how layered and interesting these characters, when written well, could be. Still, not all was golden, as there were also a few detractors to deal with, mainly the heavily inked and often muddied art by Urru and Jensen. Yes, this look might be done in some service of the story, adding to the overall dark and foreboding nature of the story, and yet it’s still slightly off-putting to the eye. Also, where there were several shock reveals in the first issue, which were okay, there were several more in this one too. I can see how laying a big shocking ending at the first one works, as it brings people back for the next issue, but to do it a second time without actually furthering the story feels rather repetitive and leads to a story that just meanders. I hate to keep comparing this to the current Buffy comic but in the first two issues of it, the big bad of the “season” was alluded to while at the same time the introductions to the characters and the new setting they found themselves in were done. With Angel, while there are things brewing, we’re still very much in the setup stage of things. Still, it’s only two issues in, and while it might be too early to throw a white flag of surrender down on the battlefield, there’s an awful lot of hurdles for this series to overcome to get back on track.

New Warriors #7
Writer: Kevin Grevioux
Artist: Jon Malin
Company: Marvel Comics

The first few issues of the newest incarnation of the New Warriors were a treat. The concept was solid, Grevioux’s story drummed along to its own interesting beat, and Paco Medina’s art had just the right energized look for what can only be described as classic superheroics at one of their recent higher points. Then, without warning, the last couple of issues took a steep decline. The reveal of who Night Thrasher was didn’t have the knock you on your ass resonance that one would have hoped for. With this issue, we have the team spending some down time with one another, which is basically them bickering with one another, mourning the loss of one of their teammates, and general blah-ness. Things just seem to be moving too slowly here. The scenes that made the book in the earlier issues, seeing these “new” superheroes take on actual villains, have all but disappeared and the newness of the book and its appeal is slowly drying up. The other thing that I’m missing is Medina’s art. Malin’s work just isn’t as strong, with his more elongated anatomy of the characters and less than exciting action sets. I’m hoping that with the next issue or two, Grevioux’s story gets back on track, as I think this book has a lot to offer. Right now though, it’s a little on the boring side.

Daredevil #103
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark
Company: Marvel Comics

This issue, if not this book as a whole lately, oddly makes me think of the title of that Stealers Wheel song, Stuck in the Middle with You. Okay, start those head scratching engines, people, and bare with me for a minute. There’s no doubt in my mind that Brubaker is a top writer and craftsman. He’s proved it time and time again with Captain America, Sleeper, Criminal and countless other things, but with Daredevil, I can’t quite decide if I’m liking the overall feel of what he’s bringing to the table or if I’m not. The main issue that takes precedence over everything else is that for the most part, Brubaker’s Daredevil is the same as Bendis’ Daredevil, as poor Matt Murdock is constantly on his toes, stuck in some situation where bad things are continually happening to him, and he can never seem to catch a break. This worked for Frank Miller but it feels, these days at least, a little overdone. Also, the story with Milla is almost too dark, just as the previous Gladiator one was. I’d like to see the return of a more fun action/adventure feel to the book rather than just a glimpse here and there of Matt taking to the streets to clean Hell’s Kitchen up (though we do see a cool scene that is sort of like that in this issue). Action is the bread and butter of Daredevil, and this whole Mr. Fear storyline just doesn’t seem to fit the bill. Still, there were some action bits to enjoy, another cool Wrecking Crew meets The Enforcers battle that is drawn smoothly by Lark. And yet, even with that I’m still stuck in the middle with the book. It’s nowhere near awful, far from it in fact, it just is starting to lose a little steam as the story simmers slowly along.

The Umbrella Academy #4 of 6
Writer: Gerard Way
Artist: Gabriel Ba
Company: Dark Horse Comics

Before talking about the story, which is moderately odd and sometimes seemingly nonsensical, let’s talk about Gabriel Ba’s artwork, which at times is like an explosion of awesome for the eyes. Like Guy Davis and Mike Mignola, Ba’s approach to art is a very intricate thing, a certain style that carries a distinct look and a keen eye for the form and shape of things. In this issue, there are some definite stand out moments, namely several splash pages that depict one of the Umbrella Academy members being transformed. Ba’s art paired with Dave Stewart’s luscious and eye-popping colors makes for one heck of a finished project. But enough about the art, onto the story. There is a feeling that too much is going on in this book, much of it not making a whole heck of a lot of sense. Yet, with this block of story, that doesn’t seem to be the case as several plot threads have started to come to a head and a real threat, that carries with it the promise to bring about the end of the world, emerges as the big bad. Still, this is, at its heart, a fun little character study who’s focus just happens to be on a dysfunctional family that are superheroes. The characters that Way has come up with are an interesting group, all with their own personalities, which is good, but they all have something to bring to the table. That, in a nutshell, may be this book’s strongest point, because the characters are essentially what bring people back to the story time and time again. If they weren’t as fleshed out or as intriguing as they are, this book wouldn’t have the same pull. In truth, this story might read better in trade, but Way and Ba are doing a pretty darn good job with this so far and count me as one of the people that would like to see The Umbrella Academy adopt the same sort of schedule that Hellboy and B.P.R.D. have done, as these characters seem to have a lot more story to tell.

A handful of these are advance reviews. New Warriors #7, Daredevil #103, and Captain America #33 all hit stands 12/28/07