Superman Cast

Saw this Spinoff story over at CBR today - I don't know anything about Henry Cavill and this is the first photo I've seen of him, but sure he could be Supes. I'm glad they're avoiding actors who look too much like Christopher Reeve (casting Brandon Routh was silly in that regard). I also hope their focusing on actors who can, you know, act, as Brandon Routh was silly in that regard, too. That was mean.

Cavill reminds me a little bit of Matthew Bomer, and I was about to suggest that Bomer would make a righteous Superman when I read that he was Brett Ratner's first choice for Clark Kent back in the day. His Wikipedia photo (he's the one with the glasses) has me sold.

Detective Comics #873

Dick says to Alfie at the end of this one, he says, Lately it just feels like the city if getting meaner, wilder. Something is changing. Some nights I feel like I barely recognize it anymore.

It'd be a bit too dramatic of me to say that that entire sentiment could be applied to Snyder and Jock's current run on Detective - it's not that I barely recognize it anymore - but I do feel comfortable saying Gotham certainly feels meaner, wilder, changed.

Snyder is writing solid horror-mystery-thriller, and Jock is drawing his twisted balls off, although much credit should be given to David Baron's coloring. What's keeping the book from further elevation above the pack of monthly Bat titles are features I can only describe as anchors, 'cause that's how they feel to me.

The more obvious instances of mainstream conventions - the occasionally hokey dialogue, the continuity ties, the restrained page and panel layouts - they anchor Detective in comic book reality when I feel like it's poised to float off into a more free abyss of hallucinatory macabre. I don't need to hear Sorry folks, I'm afraid bidding on this item...just closed, I don't need to know The Dealer is hopped up on venom and some outdated version of Doc Langstrom's Man-Bat juice, and as much as I like Jock's art, I sense he's holding back, and I'd love to see him really bare his artistic fangs.

Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying Detective, and as of this month it's the only Bat title on my pull list (down from every Bat title). Maybe it's unreasonable to wish for something with more edge from a flagship mainstream title dancing to the beat of DC editorship.

But I do!

I Totally Disagree!

Just read this Sonia Harris post over at the CSBG blog and I object!

I can totally understand someone who doesn't like Deadpool MAX simply on account of its heinously excessive adult content, but that's not Harris' bone:

Please don’t misunderstand me; I’m not averse to reading comic books about sadism, rape or feces, (enjoyed both Hellblazer and Neonomicon recently, both of which were vaguely rapey and scatological at times.) Naturally I don’t seek out these revolting subject-matters (what do you think I am?) but I can enjoy a book about nearly anything. Unfortunately something about Deadpool MAX‘s really abysmal mismatching of talent made the stories seem desperate and sad, instead of amusing and outrageous (which is what I think they were going for.)

Instead, Harris takes issue specifically with the 'mismatching' of Lapham and Baker:

It makes no sense to me is to take a man who draws in an early Disney style and ask him to create art which works with these depressing stories. It is just a criminal waste of talent. This does not work. These are simplistic, heavy-handed, spiteful stories, combined with pointlessly cute drawings. It’s really disappointing to see two great comic book creators used so inappropriately and it makes no sense to me.

Commenters smarter than me said more in less space, but I feel like one of the things that makes Deadpool MAX so delightfully interesting and entertaining is precisely that mismatching of talent.  There's really nothing comedically revolutionary about the book; if anything, it follows a pretty basic, tried and true formula.  Put opposites together, funny shit ensues.  Tall and short, sad and happy, holy and profane, sane and insane, Itchy and Scratchy.  Lapham and Baker.  Funny shit.

Sexy Batman!

Saw this at Robot 6 this morning.  So delightful!  I think "Carwash" is my favorite.  If I were a Batman, I'd be a sexy Batman. Click to see the full sized strips at K. Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant.

Fantastic Four #587

So the dude at my LCS informs me that I was one of only two customers who came in for the early dose of this month's death issue.  I mean, this was at like 5 o'clock, more people probably came in after, whatever.  I've enjoyed Hickman's run so far, although my enthusiasm has waned lately as the event hype builds, and I feel like the narrative has been a bit too fractured.  Still worth the trip, I figured.

Eh.

Black bag packaging is way over the top.  It's really not even cute as an aw-shucks-I-miss-the-90s.  And to tell you the truth, a stack of black bagged comics alone on an otherwise naked new releases shelf is kind of sad looking.

The cover is okay.  Epting's art is nice, although the Sue/Namor storyline is kind of flat and forgettable, and Johnny's prune face is ridiculous.

Hickman's script is the weakest of his run. There are a couple of noteworthy moments.  Leech is cute.  Franklin gets to rock out.  But they're buried by the largely saccharine, hackneyed contrivances of the plot.  Johnny and Ben touch palm to rock.  Namor overcome by the magnificence of Sue.  Someone has to stay behind, then the last second switch. And, well, we don't see anyone actually die.

This creative crew is capable of something more original and substantive, proven by the string of very solid issues preceding this one. A death issue doesn't seem at all necessary.  Did Hickman push for it?  Did it come down from editors above?  Maybe I just haven't been paying attention.  Odd direction for Marvel's First Family.  I follow with great misgivings.

Bookhunter

Wow, Jason Shiga's Bookhunter is totally enthralling.

I mean, this is a book about a library cop, and Shiga plays the plot totally straight. There's no sort of intentional jokiness, no quippy banter, no slapstick physical comedy. But it's hilarious. The humor's in the bizarre juxtaposition of stone cold Agent Bay and his unflappable commitment, and the fact that he's, you know, a fucking library cop (Seinfeld fans are immediately picturing Mr. Bookman). Depicted in cutesy indy art. And he rides a bookmobile.

Shiga brings a mathematical precision to his page and panel layouts, but at the same time achieves an overwhelming kinetic energy in his sepia renderings. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but as the action reaches its climax, I swear the pencils and letters get just slightly chaotic, like Shiga is almost struggling to contain the crackling energy in his lines. He's such a strong visual storyteller, maintains such a thrilling pace, it almost doesn't matter about the actual script.

But the actual script is so so good.

Shiga writes with what seems to be a shockingly astute command of 70's surveillance, book construction, and library management. It's got the kind of verisimilitude every cop show out there would kill for (is it verisimilitude if it's actually real?). The dialogue is almost entirely limited to technical exchanges between specialists, but it's pretty mesmerizing. Agent Bay's detective work would dazzle Batman and his grit would wither Popeye Doyle.

If you have any doubts about just how serious this shit is, they should die with the book thief Bay gut shoots through the anus eleven pages and one panel deep.

Deadpool MAX #1

The most righteous series debut I've read in recent memory. Also the best single issue I've come across in awhile. And it's a Deadpool comic for fuck's sake, who'd've thunk it. I say that only because I'm immediately wary of characters who get the Wolverine treatment and appear in 80 titles a month, although I haven't actually read any Deadpool comics since his popularity blew up, I just assumed they were mostly pappy crap.

But Deadpool MAX #1 is really fucking good.

David Lapham's script is funny and deranged and certainly benefits from the MAX banner - I can't imagine the book being nearly this good if it were totally mainstream, and it makes me wonder how other popular characters might profit from the 'anything goes' treatment. Kyle Baker's art is revelatory. His Hammerhead-headbutts-Bruno-into-oblivion panel is shocking, and he brings a fluidity to chaos that is really appealing.

So yeah, Marvel's top title.

The Guild

Felicia Day is so hot right now. I stumbled upon The Guild web series only just recently, but all four seasons are delightful, particularly (or maybe exclusively) if you're a World of Warcraft gamer. This TPB collection of the 3-issue comic series from Dark Horse, written by Day with art from Jim Rugg, is a prequel to the show, so it totally stands on its own if you haven't seen the webisodes. But you should see the webisodes. And you should read the comic.

Day makes an easy transition from internet to comics. I mean, she wrote both, so I guess you'd expect that, but it's refreshing to see her bring the same narrative voice and characterization to another medium without any hiccups. I love Cyd's sassy repartee with her therapist, and the Knights of Good are, if anything, even more entertaining. Also we get pretty pictures of in-game questing, so there's that.

Rugg does a nice job on art - he switches between two different styles for real life and in-game scenes, and I especially like his line work on the real life stuff with Dan Jackson's coloring. The in-game art is an interesting combination of digital and sword & sorcery fantasy styling, which is totally fitting. I do like the interior illustrations by guest artists best, though. There are contributions from Cary Nord with Dave Stewart, Juan Ferreyra, Paul Lee, Jason Gonzalez, and Jon Adams. All righteous.

So yeah, time to quest.

Hear, hear!

Click to read
Jason Aaron's

The Year
I Stopped
Caring About
Alan Moore

Detective Comics #872

Well this one snuck up on me. I have absolutely no recollection of reading Detective #871, the beginning of the run by writer Scott Snyder and artist Jock, although I'm pretty sure I did in fact buy and read the thing. I mean that as no slight to the new creative team, it's just that the smorgasbord of Bat titles is ridiculously diluted and I have the mental capacity of a giant ground sloth.

This one is good, though, and I'm pretty sure I'll remember it come next month. To be honest, I don't like the first eleven pages. Jock's art is attractive throughout the book, but Snyder's script is a bit flaccid initially. It reads like police procedural gobbledygook, like Law & Order: SVU only without the personality.

Then page twelve settles and we arrive at the creepy fucking Mirror House auction. Snyder's script all of a sudden comes alive and Jock's art goes from attractive to delightfully deranged. The auctioneer's speech is wicked and the coloring by David Baron changes the tone entirely. And the splash on page 22 is ferocious.

But my favorite part of the issue is the second feature by Snyder and artist Francesco Francavilla. I love the taught dialogue between Barbara and Jim Gordon, and Francavilla's layouts are awesome, particularly all the closeups on Babs and Jim's eyeglasses. He's got some really delicate and emotive line work, and the washed out reds and purples are perfect.

Detective is definitely king of the Batcave.

Happy New Year to Me

Dear Blizzard,

Thank you for mapping out the next four years of my life.

Yours,

Matt