Yes! Just...I mean...yes!

Take notes, Brian Singer: this is how you handle a superhero franchise.

Spider-Man 3 looks awesome, the fan-boy in me in squealing like a Beatlemaniac. I'm glad they're going with the black suit story, and I think Topher Grace is the perfect 'bad twin' to Tobey Maguire.
After the jaw-dropping brilliance of #2, I trust Raimi to the ends of the earth with Spidey, and I think he may be able to pull out an interesting Venom.
I can't wait.

Gill throws a Frosty gauntlet

In his comment to my review of Astonishing X-Men #15, Matt "you down with SPP?" Gill said the following:

"We have an entire page devoted to Emma Frost forcing her tears. Stan Lee could have gotten the same thing across in one alliterative caption."

First of all, I agree with Matt that the scene is dull and that information could be conveyed either more simply, or more dynamically by any number of comic writers.
However, I think that Matt is perhaps forgetting Mr. Lee's long winded nature.
One panel? I'm sure he'd devote at least half a page to Emma's internal struggle, something the more 'subtle' Whedon has only hinted at.

So! What's that caption, dear reader? What would Stan the Man put in Emma's beautiful, wicked head? Extra points for alliteration, per Matt's suggestion.


The challenge is before you, now bring it!

New Comic Reviews:Eternals, Astonishing X-Men, All-Star Superman

First off, a quick word about my selections this week.

I had intended to pick up copies of All-Star Superman #4, Astonishing X-Men #15, and the re-launch of The Flash. I even checked out Flash artist Ken Lashley on the Gallery of Comic Art, just to see what I could expect. I liked what I saw, and actually got a little excited about picking up the book.
Then I saw what they did to his art.
Flash #1 is without a doubt one of the ugliest comics I've ever seen (and I own a few Rob Liefeld books). I don't blame Lashley at all. Here's an example of his uninked work:

Not flawless, but kind of dynamic. Certainly not the screaming mess that it turned out to be. Coloring, since it all went digital, is a hit or miss proposition in comics these days. When done well (Jamie Grant, for instance in All-Star Superman), it can really propel a book's art into another realm of realism or fantasy. But when done this poorly, it can ruin a book completely. I'm not the only person that left Flash on the shelves because of it.

ETERNALS #1

This is what I bought with the money I'd planned to spend on Flash, and I think I made the right choice. I'm not familiar with Neil Gaiman much beyond 1602 (which is just ok), I never read Sandman or any of the other billion things he's written on his way toward becoming one of the most respected names in the business. So I picked up Eternals not because of his contributions, but because even on a cursory flip-thru read in the store, I was impressed with John Romita Jr.'s artwork. The Eternals are a Jack "King" Kirby creation, which was quite obvious even as I cracked the book open in the middle. You can tell a Kirby character immediately, even through another artist's vision. One thing I'll love forever about the King was that he was a cigar chomping New Yorker who created a pantheon of space age gods and goddesses. Here was a guy that appreciated how deeply the thread of mythology runs in our lives, and used it to create some of the most memorable characters in comics history, side by side with Stan Lee. But I'd never heard of The Eternals, which was Kirby doing for Marvel upon his return what he'd done at DC with the New Gods. Wikipedia tells me it ran for what looks like two years under The King's hand, starting in 1976, then popped up sporadically through the decades.

This version of The Eternals, anyway, is off to a good start. Gaiman has a good grip on Kirby's world, distilling a lot of information (and I mean a lot) but making it all fairly digestible. Again, not being a long term reader of the Eternals, I don't know if they were always trapped in these modern day lives, having forgotten their true identities as immortals. If not, this move by Gaiman is more than a little similar to Grant Morrison's treatment of DC's Kirby crew, the New Gods, over in the Mister Miracle mini. Though when it comes right down to it, that may be the only way to introduce these kind of characters in a modern context.

Regardless, this is a good issue, and the art is stunning in places. I can't quite tell if it's Romita's pencils I'm responding to, or if if Danny Miki's inking, but the whole operation strikes that balance between Kirby homage and something brand new. If Romita Jr. still resides under the shadow of Kirby and his father, it's no great knock against him, as practically every comic artist since those two has been aping one of them. This is a book with energy and life. I'm not sure I could see this world existing past the six-issue mini Gaiman's planned, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if it did.

ETERNALS #1: B


ASTONISHING X-MEN #15

As anyone who saw Serenity (and is being totally honest with themselves) knows, Joss Whedon has a tendency to spin his wheels a bit. His storylines are set up like a sitcom, set-up:punchline, set-up:punchline, drama, set-up:punchline, climax. Which is all well and good when you're on the punchline or the drama or the climax. But when he's setting up, sometimes your patience wanders. This issue seems rushed is what I mean. Everything, right down to John Cassaday's art, feels like we're just doing this to get to there. On whatever end, also, whether it's Cassaday or Whedon's fault, this is a poorly "directed" issue as well, in that scenes begin before we need them to and end before we need them to. This is disorienting, when we've got several strands of story to follow: Emma's turn, Scott's coma, Kitty sinking down to the abyss, the X-kids and their dire predictions, Wolvie and Beast's fight, the rise of Hellfire, the return of Danger (the sentient Danger Room from Whedon's last Astonishing arc which will interesting, but poorly executed), and the imminent peril of Breakworld.
Whedon's X-Universe is bursting at the seams, and it doesn't always seem like he has it under control.

There are fun moments as well, who doesn't love seeing Logan making paper dolls?
And the last page in the book is a nice reference back to Claremont and Byrne's Dark Phoenix/ Hellfire run. Again, though, Whedon's cramming this whole 'Kitty Pryde as potential badass' thing down our throats. Buffy she will never be, Joss. I half expected her, as she turned to 'camera' to be saying, "Do you know who I am? I'm Shadowcat, bitch."

Get it together, guys.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #15: B-


ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #4

Thankfully, some things in this world you can count on. All-Star Superman delivers, issue after glorious issue.

This time, our focus is on Jimmy Olsen (Superman's Best Friend, as the silver age title told us); here transformed from naive, freckled sidekick to ultra-modern, metrosexual adventurer. Everything about Jimmy, his hair, his apartment, his luscious gal-pal, seem like a culmination of what people in the 60's thought people would be like in the new millennium.

To contrast specifically to Astonishing X-Men, here we have an issue that deviates from the central storyline of Superman's seemingly unavoidable death and doesn't feel like mere filler, but an expanding of the universe (wanna bet Krypto gets his own issue somewhere down the line?). Superman appears in the issue, but only as a Super-foil for Jimmy's adventures. While running Leo Quintim's P.R.O.J.E.C.T. for a day, Jimmy stumbles across Black Kryptonite which, they soon discover, turns Superman evil.
I love the way the effects are revealed, with Superman carving his symbol into the desk like a truculent teenager in detention:Evil Superman was the kind of thing that happened every other week in the silver-age, and everything about the fight is exciting. To go back to what I said above, just look at what Jamie Grant adds to these scenes with his coloring: One thing I'm loving about Quitely's layouts in this series is that even though he doesn't deviate from the standard 'block' format panels, his pages feel expansive, unlimited, because of the composition within the panels, a valuable lesson for most modern comic artists. Instead of trying to make the page look dynamic with jagged and ugly panels and exaggerated musculature, just learn solid anatomy and motion, fellas. What you end up with is so much more elegant.
Grant is unloading every silver-age fantasy he ever had into this series. This another title bursting at the seams, but Grant is able to make it all run smoothly. He knew going in exactly what he wanted this book to be, and his vision is being carried out phenomenally by his collaborators. As usual, this is the best book on the stands right now.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #4: A

Even tho it don't make no...sense!

We have our winner, and it's regular reader/commenter Jason Carlin aka the2scoops, who runs his own excellent blog as has fabulous taste in music.

Jason, hit me with your address at geekusablog@yahoo.com and you'll receive the prize which is...(drumroll)...



A barely read copy of Green Lantern #10 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Yes, this lovely issue is the only thing to receieve a failing grade (to find the review, scroll to the very bottom of the page) in the short history of this site.
Seriously, scoops, I want this the hell out of my house.

But, actually seriously, thanks for being a regular, 2 scoops and anyone else paying attention in the bloggosphere.

Between my new job and an upcoming move my posts will probably be a little less frequent in the next month or so (I have no idea if I'm gonna get those Sequart columns in on my already irregular twice a month schedule), and I look forward to having the time to really expound on all that is glorious and geeky soon.
It's a hell of a thing buying a copy of All-Star Superman or Astonishing X-Men when you're saving up for a deposit and first month's rent. So if I don't review those books for a month, you know why.

BB

Comic Book Meme Episode III

Part One here
Part Two here
Part Three below...


CAPTAIN AMERICA
Writer & Artist: Frank Miller

It's perfect, isn't it?
Just imagine what gloriously sacrilegious things Miller could do with Ol' Cap. I'm picturing a very Dark Knight Strikes Again type book, a bitingly funny mix of politics and supervillains.
Imagine Miller taking on Red Skull!
Get Marvel on the phone, this is brilliance...


HAWKMAN
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jim Lee

If there's one thing Geoff Johns is good at, it's straightening out tangled continuity, and no character right now features a more intricate and pointless history than Carter or Katar or whatever in the hell he's called right now. But I have a weak spot for the Hawk, so I'd have faith in Geoff to bring him back to Kubert-era glory.
I put Jim Lee on this title 'cause he can draw bare chested barbarians and big-chested valkyries like nobody's business.
Besides, he sells, sells, sells.


JLA
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Carlos Pacheco
Darwyn Cooke is the obvious choice here, and he's brilliant, but Brubaker's great at combining old characters with modern surroundings (see the resurrection of Bucky over in Captain America).
Pacheco is one of the underrated talents in comics today, when he's solidly inked, he represents the best the current era of comics has to offer. Never showy, always strong.

Roster: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, The Atom, Hawkgirl, Hourman, Booster Gold


THE AVENGERS
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Cameron Stewart

Cameron Stewart's bound to burst into stardom at any moment, why not give him a boost towards that by putting him on a classic title with a classic roster?
Cap and Iron Man are gimmes, and I miss Thor in the Marvel U, let's make him work again. Hawkeye returns from the dead, Black Widow hangs around for a little Iron Curtain sex appeal, and we'll keep the Spider-people from New Avengers but kick out Wolvie and Luke Cage.
Peter David is the ideal collaborator for Stewart, this would be another fun book.

Roster: Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Panther, Black Widow


SEVEN SOLDIERS
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Jaime Hernandez

Oh yeah. I think that Jaime could do an amazing superhero comic, and I think that given the schizophrenic nature of the Seven Soldiers and the varying artistic styles throughout the minis that Jaime is one of the few artists capable of bringing them together in a way that truly works.
I think working with Jaime would be great for Grant, also. I really would love to see what these guys would push each other towards.

Comic Creator Meme Part Two Contest Update

Part One here. Now to continue:



FANTASTIC FOUR
Writer: Tom Peyer
Artist: Rags Morales

These guys must be brought back together, and I think they'd do well on Marvel's First Family. Peyer was always great at using sentimentality without getting too saccharine, and would have an absolute blast with the self-pitying Ben Grimm.
Morales would be a natural for Mr. Fantastic, after the great job he did with Elongated Man over in Identity Crisis. Since the Richards are probably about to be split up in Civil War, this is the perfect team to being them back together.


THE FLASH
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Mike Wieringo

Ringo's done Flash before, but he's matured since then, and between his kinetic art and Millar's wicked sense of humor, they could make this book the most fun of any on our imaginary roster.


DAREDEVIL
Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Moebius

I considered making this a silent book with Moebius on art, since a concept as goofy as a blind superhero is perfect sci-fi artist territory. Also, Moebius is brilliant with shade and texture, and could make the back alleys of Hell's Kitchen alive with danger.
I put Vaughn on this book because I think he deserves work, frankly, and I think he could do a wonderful job with Matt Murdock, a character not unlike the central figure of Ex Machina in his guarded nature.


GREEN LANTERN
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: J.H. Williams III

This book would cover all members of the Green Lantern Corps, and I'm sure Alan Moore could do amazing things with the physics of the Lanterns, and the nature of their powers.
Williams does his best, most far-reaching work with Moore, and I think they could turn this book into the next Swamp Thing, mysterious and cosmic.


THE INCREDIBLE HULK
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely


I want to see these guys take on the Hulk for the very reason that they've made Superman soar: the Hulk, as is, is boring. Not with this team on board.
While Grant's delving into the intense dual psychology of Banner/Hulk, Frank gives Hulk the wide open spaces he needs to express his boundless rage.
With Quitely's gift of emotion and Grant's brilliant prose, this could be the Hulk project that Ang Lee was trying to accomplish. I have no doubt this would be the best book of the 15.


That's it for the meme post today. Look for the thrilling conclusion soon. Will I put R. Crumb on Birds of Prey? Hup!
In contest news: Reading's off the clock, and our next candidate is from Ontario, Canada, and was referred by good old Site Meter. 2scoops, is that you?
2 days to write, buddy.

Wherein I join a comic book meme already in progress...

Hypothetical situation: Due to diminished readership and rising paper costs, it has been decided only fifteen comic titles will be published from this day forward. You have been charged with the decisions of which titles shall be printed and what creative teams will be assigned to them.

Artists may only draw one title; writers may script up to four (unless the writer is also the artist, in which case he's limited to one). Also, while it would be awesome to have Art Adams drawing a monthly NFL SuperPro book or Alex Ross painting the further adventures of the TRS-80 Computer Whiz Kids, we all know that's not going to happen, though feel free to use them for a few issues a year as fill-in artists or to take advantage of other such loopholes.

You may also set a creative direction, tone, or other details if you see fit (i.e. choose the Avengers or JLA members who would appear should you decide to have those titles make the final cut).

This comes from a meme thread posted on Ye Olde Comick Booke Blogge several months ago. I just now saw it, and will weigh in with my choices, five at a time. So!

SUPERMAN

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Phil Jimenez

Since people are just going to insist on keeping Superman going, why not throw big daddy Grant Morrison on it, and see if he can bring the kind of off-the-wall fun to the title that he's bringing to All-Star. No one's had a better take on the Man of Steel in almost 70 years. While I'm at it, I'm going to reunite Grant with his artist through the bulk of his Volume 2 of the Invisibles, Phil Jimenez. Phil did a good job with the various Super-people of Infinite Crisis, but we'll get a better inker on him this time.

BATMAN

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Joe Kubert

For the all-time best DC character, we're giving you the all-time best DC artist: big Joe Kubert, whose two sons are tragically unemployed in this alternate universe. Thinking about it now, I'm surprised that they never tried Kubert on the mean streets of Gotham. We'll fix that. And for writer, why not bring Alan Moore, who's written some excellent Batman stories through the years and has the darkness that the title requires.

SPIDER-MAN

Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: John Cassaday

Mark isn't here because I think he did a particularly good job the last time he took on Spidey, but because I think that he can do better. With Cassaday as a partner, I think his imagination would be unlimited. What I like about putting Cassaday on this title is he brings a weight to his art, a realism that would work well with Millar, since Mark never really gets spacey.


X-MEN

Writer: Peter David
Artist: Steve Mc Niven

McNiven is good with teams, and David has the ability to keep things fun, and both would suit the X-Men well. The roster is: Cyclops, Wolverine, Phoenix (Rachel or Jean, writer's choice), Shadowcat, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Iceman. Emma Frost and Magneto are both evil, as is Quicksilver. Also: we're killing Professor X off right away.

WONDER WOMAN
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: Ryan Sook

Whedon's great with women that kick ass and take names, and Sook is maybe the most dynamic artist working today. I think having a partner with those capabilities would open up new worlds for Joss. Also in this alternate universe, Ryan Sook would be capable of bringing a book in on time every month.


Ok, dear readers: it's your turn. You don't have to pick fifteen, you don't have to agree with my choices (except for Kubert on Batman, I mean come on).
If you want to put Chris Ware on The Flash (think about it, the most static artist teamed up with the most fluid character.), that's totally cool with me.
Comment away.

Spidey Column, Hard Luck for Italy

Not only does Italy have to suffer the indignation of a tie with the United States in the World Cup, but the three days are up and my Italian visitor has not e-mailed me to claim this fershlugginer No-Prize. So we move on.

Our next potential winner comes from the UK (Oi!), specifically The University of Reading. He or she was referred by Matt Gill's The Silent Penultimate Panel Watch. You've got two days, Reading. I hope to hear from you at geekusablog@yahoo.com

Also, another Sunday edition of the Black Hole is up over at Sequart.com.
Today, the first in a four part series examining the recent "Spider-Man: The Other" cross-over that, to use a Phil Hendrie quote, went down like a freaking Piper Cub. See where it went wrong here:

The Other: Part One

Spider-Man Unmasked:Marvel's Civil War #2

Let's not waste any time here:

Every one of these blockbuster events promises to shake its respective universe to its very core. Usually that means a minor character is bumped off, a team or two splits up, but the status quo is held intact. But this.

Peter Parker is defined by his outsider status. Keeping his secret identity is central to everything he holds dear in his life. How many times did they play the 'Oh no, someone's going to learn Peter's secret and that puts ______ (Aunt May, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, etc.) in grave danger!' card back when people actually read Spider-Man comics?

Do I think they should have done it? Absolutely not. Do I think it's in Peter's best interests? Oh hell no it's not. Do I think it works?

Yes.

It works, it's brilliant, I actually love it. Even though I hate it, I love it. Even though I think someone very close to Peter is dead, rotting meat now, I love it. Even though this would appear to put Pete in Tony's camp, I love it.
Because it takes guts. Because it's something real. Because it represents a genuinely life-changing moment for one of our most beloved comic book icons.
Make no mistake about it: I love this move.

And I love this book. In my review of Civil War #1, I said I hope that this book would finally give the company a solid identity for the first time in the remarkably scattershot Joe Quesada era. It's living up to that promise for me.

I'm completely gripped by the action scenes. Here's where Steve McNiven really excels. Take the scene where Patriot of the Young Avengers is chased by S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters:It's an extremely cinematic scene, but at the same time it works in the language of comics, something that many other artists can't seem to get the hang of. Especially that second panel above, with Patriot leaping from building to building: you feel the silence, you feel time slow down for the terrified young man. This book is Steve McNiven's coming out party.

And I like Mark Millar's writing, and his dialogue especially. He creates scenes that feel real but-again-still belong to the world of comics.
He's great with Tony Stark's confusion, just like he was with Captain America's last issue. If there's a glaring weakness to this book so far, it's that Millar and the editorial crew are so clearly on Cap's side. But that makes the plight of Tony Stark all the more compelling as he's swept along by his own self-doubt into battle against his brothers.

I love the sad moments with Sue and Reed in the Fantastic Four's headquarters as well. This is what you always figured their marriage was like: Sue, neglected and pining for attention, and Reed completely absorbed with his equations and gadgets. The only time he takes any notice of her is when she reaches for his disk marked '42' (is Millar giving a nod here to Hitchhiker's Guide?) and Reed grabs her wrist (not her hand, her wrist) and says "I'm sorry Susan. But I'm afraid that's classified information."

There's a lot of internet fuss about Joey Q bitching about how writing for married couples is boring, and perhaps the unmasking and Reed's coldness are calculated to split both super-marriages up. I think Joe's interview was a great big red herring, and if not it ultimately says more about his own personal issues than anything else. Pete, Reed, Mary Jane, and Sue function perfectly as married folk. If your writers are having trouble with that, get better writers. If you don't like marriage, Quesada, get counseling and leave Spidey alone.

But regardless of that kind of wild speculation, whether or not Reed and Sue are torn apart by this crisis, we're only two issues in and we've gotten something as big as the Spidey reveal. Who lives? Who dies? Who can guess after this?

For the first time in years, I'm proud as hell to say: Make Mine Marvel.

CIVIL WAR #2: A

We Have a Winner

Earlier today, we reached visitor 1,000 on GEEK U.S.A., and as promised that person will receive a lovely prize.

But first, I want to thank Mr. Tom "Superfrankenstein" Peyer, writer of the brilliant Hourman for linking to my review from the main page of his site. I've gotten more hits in the last two days than I usually get in a week. Namaste, brother.

Ok, so the winner is from Italy: Milano, Italy to be specific, and reached the site from a Google search for Super Skrull reviews.

As stated in the rules, he or she has three days to write me at geekusablog@yahoo.com

If not, we move on down the road.

Am I legally required to blog about this?

It seems that everybody and their mother (but not mine, she's too Catholic) is sounding off about this lesbian Batwoman nonsense.
Apparently, it's major world news, as well ( There are wars still going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, right? I'm just checking).

Ok, so how do I feel about Lesbat?
Well, when I initially heard they were bringing back Batwoman as a lesbian I thought, Great: That must be Rene Montoya! And only a week after I asked someone at DC to make her a superhero "like, now".
No such luck, instead we've got Kathy Kane, who every major news outlet insists on referring to as a "buxom lipstick lesbian". What's the matter, DiDio? Don't have the cojones to put a raging bull dyke under the cowl?

They've got a regular Castro District going on over there in Gotham City, man. I'm waiting for Gay Vito and Johnny Cakes to come strolling along hand in hand.

It's all about sales, and that's fine. Same thing years and years ago when Northstar came bursting out of the closet. It got a lot of mainstream press, and that's the whole point.
Infinite Crisis was big, but didn't make the dent outside of the comics world the way DC probably hoped it would (try explaining why three Supermen are fighting each other to a lay person. Try it). But now DC is getting some serious coverage and gets to look progressive, or even cool.

Also, I don't like the costume. Red on black is an ineffective choice, especially since Batgirl and her classic blue and gray is so ingrained in people's minds.
Since DC's best writers and artists are wrapped up with other things, expect this whole Batwoman experiment to go down in flames, and quick.

The First Official GEEK U.S.A. No-Prize

We are rapidly approaching our 1,000th visitor here at GEEK U.S.A., and it took only four ever-lovin' months to do it. But since I do have regular readers (you're quiet but you're out there, hello people), I thought it only fair to thank them.

Anyway: for that lucky visitor we have quite a surprise planned. In the tradition of the eternal blowhard Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, we will be sending the first Official Geek U.S.A. No-Prize. What is it? Maybe it's candy. Maybe it's wine. Maybe it's a comic book that I really don't want anymore. Perhaps it's a handsome plaque.


Sometime next week, we'll all know the answer. I will mention that family members are ineligible (sorry Uncle Fester). I'll know who the winner is by checking my Site Meter reports, I'll post the general location when the magic number is reached, and the winner will have three days to e-mail me at geekusablog@yahoo.com, if they fail to do so we'll move on down the line to visitor 1,001 and so on.

Excelsior!

PS: That is indeed a young Billy Black in the photo, Los Angeles, circa 1983. I've been a geek for a very, very long time, kids.

New Comic Reviews:X-Factor, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Ion, Wonder Woman

X-FACTOR #7

Musical artists continues over at X-Factor, with Denis Calero yielding to Ariel Olivetti for issue 7. Calero will be back, but someone at the top over at Marvel needs to decide on a permanent artist, like now. For the first time, the lack of a steady hand has really, really hurt the book.
The problem with this issue is that Olivetti doesn't appear to have any clear style to speak of. At different times he appears to be attempting to channel Rags Morales, Terry Dodson, Frank Cho, former X-Factor artist Ryan Sook, or a hundred other current pencillers par-excellence. But he fails. Let me tell you something about our man Peter David:he needs to work with talented artists because he is wordy as fuck, and in the hands of amateurs his pages can be stilted and boring. That, unfortunately, is what we've got going on here.
There is a nice story here, as Syrin deals (or doesn't deal) with her father's death. There is the all-important continuation of the Singularity storyline.
But the composition of the issue is so dreadfully boring that the words have no time to sink in. Needless to say, Olivetti does not have my vote as full-time penciller. I have a newfound appreciation for Calero. He may have been imprecise, and at times ugly, but he was never this boring, a far greater sin.

Next time in X-Factor, Civil War comes to Mutant Town, and the great Ryan Sook returns for one issue.
Say, Jamie, do you think maybe Ryan can put aside whatever personal issues he's got going on, come onto the title again and make this the classic X-book it always should have been?Yeah, that's what I thought.

X-FACTOR #7: C+


FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #9

I know that saying a Peter David comic is self-indulgent is like saying John Wayne Gacy had a thing for clowns: a massive understatement.
But no other words come to mind to describe the messy, pointless ninth issue of Friendly Neighborhood, a title that started out strong, but is treading water right now. All the expository hoop-a-joop in the world isn't gonna make this storyline any more plausible or any more interesting. The revelation that The 'Hobgoblin of 2211' is the daughter of that timeline's Spidey is a great big who cares, and the costume they give to that Spidey is so ridiculous as to be distracting to what is, ostensibly, a dramatic story.
There's some lovely art here; Mike Weiringo brings his A-Game as usual, but this issue is dead from page one, and our own Spidey doesn't make his first appearance until the very end of the book, and then mainly used as a kind of un-funny comic relief. One of the things I like best about David, his corniness, derails here.
Fonzie is circling the shark, baby, and he looks ready to jump.

FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #9: D-


ION #1


This book is over a month old now, but I had made a note to check it out when I had spare time (and money), and when I did I was pleasantly surprised.
Kyle Rayner is my favorite of the many Green Lanterns. Yes, Hal is the classic, John Stewart is the moral center, and Killowog would look great on a Burger King glass; but Kyle stands out for me. I especially enjoyed Geoff John's treatment of him in Green Lantern:Rebirth. I like the concept of Kyle being the strongest Lantern because he is the only one to know fear. He's the Frodo of the DCU.

In the fall out of the Rann-Thanagar War, Kyle is now Ion, but we (and Kyle) are not exactly sure what that means yet. What we do see is that Kyle's self-doubt makes him eternally, violently unstable. And with great power comes, well, the ability to wipe out entire galaxies. Ion, it seems, is the DCU's Dark Phoenix.
What is causing this instability? And why doesn't Kyle remember any of it? Writer Ron Marz isn't tipping his hand yet. What I really loved about this issue, though, was the impressionistic, sketch-like art work of Greg Tocchini. His work in this issue reminded me of those 70's life-drawing instruction books, and I mean that as high praise. All the more appropriate because Kyle is an artist, the style of the book mirrors the unpredictability of its central character.This book was far better than I'd hoped it would be.

ION #1: B+


WONDER WOMAN #1

When 52 was first announced and the news came out that DC's Holy Trinity, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were going to be leaving the scene for a full year, it was speculated that their respective partners or former partners: Conner Kent, either Dick Grayson or Tim Drake, and Donna Troy were going to step in and fill their shoes.
I thought this was a great idea, it seemed like the perfect way to breathe a little more life into both sets of characters, young and old.
Conner's death in Infinite Crisis slammed the door on that fascinating concept, but look:Donna Troy does get to play at being Wonder Woman for awhile. And, thanks to Terry and Rachel Dodson, she looks perfectly adorable while she does it. Yes, the Dodsons are known for their gorgeous women, but they (unlike, say, Frank Cho) understand how to make a comic page feel vibrant, not just scandalous.
I don't know a damn thing, really, about Wonder Woman's history. In fact, this is the very first Wonder Woman comic that I have ever picked up and read, cover to back, in my life.
But this is good: a fine re-launch and an inviting introduction to her world.
I was skeptical about Allan Heinberg's ability to write an engaging comic, since I'd not read Young Avengers and I absolutely loathe Sex in the City, but he has a great deal of fun with a sixty-year old concept that never really got off the ground (invisible plane, my ass).
Moreover, the art and the writing are so complementary that it feels like this creative team has been together for years, not that this is their first issue. Heinberg has found a way to make Wonder Woman interesting without breaking anybody's neck, and that's no small feat.

WONDER WOMAN #1: A

Top 10 Comics since 19794. Hourman #7: The Human League

DC Comics
October 1999
Writer: Tom Peyer
Penciller: Rags Morales
Inker: David Meikis






Hourman didn't last long: it ran for only two years, and has yet to be collected in trade paperback form. It's the quintessential modern cult classic. What made Hourman work was the team-up of two of comic's most expressive creators, Tom Peyer and Rags Morales.
I have gone on at length before about the high esteem I hold Morales in, but to hit on it again, briefly: no one in comics is better with emotion, and his facial expressions bring a whole different level of 'performance' to his characters than most other artists in comics today. In Hourman especially, though, Rags is having a blast. Big, bold layouts. Figures flying though panels and out of windows. Hourman was a playground for Rags, a showcase for his playful nature.
Same can be said for Peyer's writing on the series. Few series have ever been as unpredictable as Hourman was, literally anything could and did happen. Hourman, essentially, was a Pinnochio story where the puppet stayed a puppet. Tagging along beside him, playing Jiminy Cricket, was Snapper Carr, disgraced former JLA groupie.
Peyer also brought with him great pathos and understanding of what it is to be human: a never ending struggle between wants and needs. It is that sense of eternal longing that makes The Human League so special.

Amazo, an android with the ability to absorb the powers of any superhero he faces, now has the ability to literally steal the humanity from his victims and leave them, in Snapper's words, "humming like a refrigerator." He has already done this to the entire JLA, who are now dispassionate robots.
Amazo is handling his newfound humanity with the grace and subtlety of any newborn: He's a mewling, puking mess; grabbing every sensory distraction near him.Amazo is a bull in a china shop, a being of unlimited power who cannot cope with his newfound emotions. Overriding, though, is his guilt and shame. But when he can't deal with the shame, he rages. Peyer makes you believe his transformation not because of the wrath or because of the shame, but because Amazo experiences them simultaneously.

The JLA, now androids, show up to stop him, and he throws a crew man into he ocean to distract them. "He presumes that endangering an innocent will divert our attention," says android Superman, "His presumption is inaccurate."
It is Amazo himself that saves the man, screaming in anguish, "What have I done?", and diving into the ocean after him. "It's human to regret one's actions," Amazo tells the confused JLAndriods, "I feel great compassion for this man--but I still have none for you." With that he snares them in a net and drags them below the water. He takes him to his lair, where he bombards their circuitry with self-contradicting stimuli: Baby Hitler, planes dropping flowers instead of bombs. "A terrible way to go, I know, but if you want a job done cruelly, give it to a human!" says Amazo.

Meanwhile, Hourman is having a crisis of faith. Snapper, his "humanity coach", has been turned into an android, not even phased by the fact that his poor little kitty Starro has been knocked out by Amazo's attack in the previous issue. It's finally by accepting his unhumanity that he succeeds, using a modem signal to locate the JLA, and souping himself up into a battle tank to take out Amazo."You can add options and extras until you're big as the moon, but you'll never match my complexity! I have feeling ! Free will!" screams Amazo, charging towards Hourman. With a giant WHONK, Hourman knocks him out.
His humanity restored, Snapper asks Hourman if what Amazo said about him not being human bothers him.
The issue ends with Hourman speeding off to his next breathless adventure, and the series ultimately ended that way.
When Hourman 'unmakes' Amazo, it is in one way his first act of compassion. Not just to bring back the JLA and his friends, but to ease Amazo's own suffering. It is that same compassion that sends him into battle with Amazo at series' end; this time overtly to save him from himself.
Hourman's book was a joy, a touch of Silver-Age goodness with a modern twist. That sense of fun and adventure is rarely seen in comics anymore, and when it is it should be celebrated.

Where we are, guys: LOST Season Two in review

LOST took some major risks this season. It is a testament to the strength of the writing on the show that almost all of those risks succeeded.
To begin with, they answered the question that dominated last season and the following summer: what's in the hatch. Well, Desmond's in the hatch. But who is Desmond and why is he there? That question lingered until the finale, which set the stage for a whole new show next season. We know the world is still out there, but will Penny find her man? And will he still be alive for her?
This was a deeper,richer season than the first. The writers played with show constructs like the flashbacks and redemption story lines. The Dharma Initiative is a fun addition, an all-powerful corporation with unknown agendas. Having Dharma at once grounds the show further in reality, and allows for more sci-fi foolishness.
We had the saga of the fake 'Henry Gale', Ana-Lucia and Shannon lived up to the horror movie tradition of dying after sex, and we got just a little more of the Monster that eviscerated the pilot last season. But what a scene.
That's the thing about this show: it takes a long time for story threads to be fleshed out but, man, when they are...

Let's take a look at where we are now, two seasons into the best show on television.

JACKJack is the guy that got on everyone's nerves this season. His main problem seems to be that whereas last season he was the go-to-guy on the island, this year he wasn't so much. Everyone seemed to be contradicting him, and with good reason. The good doctor is clearly losing it: running off half cocked into the woods after Desmond and then Michael isn't going to help his rep in the camp any. Though he made peace with John towards the end of the year, I'm certain that if Locke survives the hatch explosion, the old rivalry will flare up again. What do The Others want with jack? Why is he on the list? Is it merely another good people, bad people list? Jack seems to be a saint, even in his 'hey honey I just made out with a smokin' hot Italian chick, what do you mean you're leaving me?' flashbacks. But there's still a lot we don't know about Jack's past. Is he one of the 'bad' people after all?
I like Jack, and I like Matthew Fox as Jack. He's a centering presence on the show, he's our main character and our eyes on the island, from the very beginning. But his profile needs to be restored in Season Three.

LOCKE"I was wrong."
Locke is always wrong. John's ''pathetic struggle through life" (as he called it) just keeps on getting more pathetic. If last season was about his renewed confidence, this season was about that confidence shattering. John was not quite the mysterious jungle man he was a year ago, either. Part of that is the flashbacks. The more we know of Johnny Locke, the more he seems like some schmo from a box company playing a real-life version of Pitfall. If John survives in Season Three (and he has to: if LOST stopped right now, John Locke would be its greatest contribution to pop culture), he will have lost his stature and will be even more desperate that this year. Or he could be embittered. Locke's arc is to go evil, I guarantee it. Season Three is the start of that, I hope.


SAWYERAfter the cuddly, lovable Sawyer we'd been saddled with since the raft explosion, the bad-ass wild card's return in The Long Con was a breath of fresh air. We saw just how his mind works, and what he's capable of getting people to do. Aside from holding the guns and drilling Ana-Lucia, though, Sawyer was relegated mostly to one-liner dispenser for the bulk of the season, even though he invited himself along on most of the expeditions. He'll be in the thick of things next year, though.
Put money on it: big reveal in Season Three or Four: Zeke is the "real Sawyer".

SAYIDTalk about disappearing. Sayid, aside from torturing Henry Gale, did jack -all this year. He lost Shannon, but that was never a believable romance. Had Ana-Lucia survived, that would have been more intriguing a pair.
Naveen Andrews is a magnetic presence, and Sayid is a good character, but he needs more screen time; with Jack taken away does he become the leader of the castaways now?


MICHAELThe defining moment of the series so far. The biggest shocker, no kidding. The moment where the writers stepped forward and said: no one is safe.
Yes, Michael was heading down a desperate path all year. But this? If anything, I thought he'd get himself and his boy both killed by the Others. But the Others aren't so mysterious after all. They kept their bargain, and Michael and Walt are gone...but forever? Walt, sure. But Lando will be back to save his friends (it was significant that he called them "friends", by the way, and thinking of them in that way will make it all the harder for Mike to stay away).
That would be the ultimate test of the redemption storylines: if they can redeem Michael, they can redeem anyone.

KATEWhat did Kate do this season?
She hallucinated a horse, but no wait: that was real. Umm, let's see...she got captured at the end. That's something, right?
Didn't give Evangeline Lilly a whole lot this season, that's for sure (we didn't even get any gratuitous Kate cheesecake, what gives?), she tagged along on a few missions, got "caught in a net" with the good doctor, and we found out who she killed and why. But again she, like Sawyer, needs to have a bit more to do next year.

CHARLIECharlie went evil, and back again, in and out of crush with Claire. He knocked out Sun on Sawyer's behalf to get back at Locke, who pounded him into the surf the episode before. We saw the depths of Charlie's addiction, and the heights of his promise: he finally got rid of those Mary statues.
Dom Monaghan has always struck me as a actor who over thinks his roles. His Charlie is no exception: the creepy sith voice, the twitchy withdrawals. But it''s to Dom's credit that Charlie, as annoying as he can be, remains likeable. Charlie is one of the many characters that slipped in and out of our focus this season. He basically just hung out in the background until Eko forced him into jungle adventuring, and he was the only witness to Eko's stare down of Smokey Smoke Monster.
But here's one big problem with the finale: Charlie and Claire's kiss was nice, but shouldn't he be more concerned about Eko and the hatch?

CLAIRELost that baby weight super fast, huh? They may not give Emilie de Ravin a lot on this show, and that's usually a good thing. Claire's adorable, but Season One's flashback episode was boring, and so I was surprised that they had fun with her flashback this time around; giving Claire the first on-island flashback was brilliant. Making her a doped up mess, therefore throwing that flashback into doubt for the first time, was even better.
I also loved Rousseau's warning, that Claire should be prepared to kill her baby if it comes to that.

SUN & JINSeason Two was bookended by the exclamations: "UDDERS!", and "BOAT!" When Jin manages the former, we're two hours into the second season, when Sun yells the latter, we've only got two left.
I don't think the writers knew what to do with these guys this season. Once Jin and Sun were reunited, we didn't hear much from them. They became camp scenery, getting an occasional thumbs-up from Hurley but otherwise just fishing and doing laundry.
We did learn Sun is pregnant, and it may not (probably is not) Jin's kid. Did the island heal Jin? I guess that's a possibility; but clearly Sun had an affair with the dapper bald gentleman from Korea, or she wouldn't be so nervous.
Here's a big question for season three: will Jin ever find out that, besides bugging him with Kinks songs, Charlie's been beating his wife and dragging her through the jungle?

EKOEveryone's favorite new bad-ass. Eko could straddle that line of the stereotypical 'mystical black man' figure, but as with the other stereotypes on the island (redneck, brit rocker, noble arab) they've fleshed him out very well in his flashbacks. Eko was a bad, bad man. Now he's trying to be good, but some of his former life bleeds through (for instance, head butting John to get him to lead him to the question mark).
Eko will survive. You can't set up a character that brilliantly then walk away from him in Season Three. And besides, the way that he plays off of Locke seemed, and is important in the grand scheme of the show. Plus, Eko shows the kind of bold, faithful leadership that the panicky Jack and the shaky Locke have none of. The island residents need him more than they know.

HURLEYPoor, poor Hurley.
At times irrational, at times insane, at times violent (just ask Sawyer), but more than anything, life gave Hurley one great reward, and then took her away from him.
What I love about Hurley is that they keep him consistent. He didn't charge Michael after he confessed: he looked destroyed, weakened. His voice cracked on Libby's name. Hurley is our innocent, but Season Three could be the time he's forced to grow up.

ROSE & BERNARDOh, these guys killed me. What's wrong with me that I almost cried when we found out that the schlubby white dude in the other hatch was indeed the husband that Rose just knew was alive somewhere on the island.
Ok, so they didn't have much to do in the larger scheme (they're not even 'official' cast members yet), but they make me smile, and that's enough.

DESMONDMaybe it's the Scottish accent, but Desmond cracks me up. My favorite moment of the finale was his exasperated "dammit" after his gun runs out of ammo on the boat, at the very beginning.
The only problem is since Desmond represents hope and meaning and connection (for Jack, and Locke, and all the survivors in the form of Penny and rescue), he is a symbol. And symbolic characters have a way of being the only characters to not survive things like giant electromagnetic explosions.
I'm just saying.

'HENRY GALE'Love that Michael Emerson: but is Henry truly evil? He seems to be playing him that way. There are shades of doubt, though. My guess is Season Three will be a lot about the Others and Dharma, and we'll probably get a Henry flashback by the end of the season.

ANA LUCIA: R.I.P.I'll miss Ana, and not just for her low-riding jeans and devastating swagger. She was the female Sawyer, so it made sense that for all the puppy dog eyes she was making towards Jack, she jumped James Ford at the first opportunity.
Ana had two flashback episodes, both were brilliant and changed the direction of the show. Michelle Rodriguez has one hell of an agent, let's say that. Too bad she can't stay out of county lock-up long enough to enjoy it.

LIBBY: R.I.P.Libby did nothing but die and not tell anyone who shot her. Lucky for her, Michael was dying to tell them.
Really: what did Libby do, besides be crazy and get shot? I guess she gave Desmond a boat as well. Anyway, kids, the Disney corporation would like you to know: their employees do not drink and drive.

SHANNON: R.I.P.The best thing Shannon ever did for the show was to take one in the chest.
Shannon was universally abhorred, and now she's gone. But she gave Season Two the kick start it needed, and it made Sayid into the first of Season Two's wild cards.
Now that she's gone, do we miss anything about Shannon? No, except the way that she played off of Boone, and without Boone she had little to do.
Shannon was a sacrifice that the island (or ABC anyway) demanded.


EPISODE GRADES

Man of Science, Man of FaithIntroduced Desmond and the hatch. It was disorienting, but brilliantly done.
A+

AdriftOverlong stretches with Michael and Sawyer on the raft slow down an otherwise fine episode. One hell of a cliffhanger, though.
C+

OrientationThe button and Dharma are introduced. Desmond runs off into the jungle, and Terry O'Quinn excels.
A

Everybody Hates HugoA hard shift down to a Hurley flashback. Awkwardly written and directed.
B-

...And FoundThe least engorssing of the Sun & Jin flashbacks, essentially their meet-cute.
B-

AbandonedShannon gets a wretchedly boring flashback, and whines in Sayid's arms, but at least she dies. Also, Walt is back and creepy.
C

The Other 48 DaysThe crash of flight 815 from the other side of the island. The first time that Ana-Lucia and Eko stepped up to be characters with real depth.
B+

CollisionThe best episode of LOST so far, Ana-Lucia and Jack's meeting in the jungle with its haunting memories of a life lost forever, made me a Javi fan for life.
A+

What Kate DidRushed and silly. Seemed to need to find a place to fit in a Kate flashback in a season that she did very little in.
B-

The 23rd PsalmEko stares down the smoke monster. Truly, he is the shit. By the way: Charlie really, really likes heroin.
A

The Hunting PartyJack makes pointless threats in the woods. 'Light 'em up!'
A-

Fire + WaterCharlie still likes heroin, Locke beats the shit out of him. Diaper commercial the stupidest thing ever on the show.
A-

The Long ConSawyer gets evil again, Charlie goes to the dark side.
A

One of ThemHenry Gale is introduced, but the Sayid flashback does not advance the story much. Also, Naveen's performance falls flat.
B-

Maternity LeaveThe flashbacks are thrown forever into doubt with Claire's' drug-addled memories of Ethan and the other hatch.
A-

The Whole TruthSun is a slut, Henry is a liar.
A+

LockdownWe see the map, and John gains a new obsession.
A+

DaveIt's all a dreeeaaam.
B+

S.O.S.Rose is healed by the island, Michael returns.
B-

Two for the RoadMichael shoots Ana-Lucia and Libby.
A+

?Eko and John find the viewing station, and Libby's final word is "Michael."
A+

Three MinutesMichael and Walt are reunited
B-

Live Together,Die AloneDesmond blows the hatch, the big three are kidnapped, the world still exists outside of the island!
A

LOST Season Two: B+