When billionaire Largo Winch’s best friend, Simon, is framed for murder and sentenced to hang in Myanmar, it’s just the first move in a deadly game that will pit Largo against a corrupt C.I.A. agent, a power hungry Burmese general, the U.S. government, and the jungle.

The fourth volume of Largo Winch, which contains both parts of “The Hour of the Tiger” storyline, mixes real world politics, charismatic heroes, and action to create a highly entertaining and intelligent adventure. Writer Jean van Hamme never lets the politics overbalance the emotional moments--nor the action scenes take over the plot. All the elements work together to create a satisfying whole.

One of the main draws of the series is the character of Largo. Right from his first scene, when we see him climbing a snow covered mountain to enjoy a picnic with his lovely guide, we get the sense that this is a man who enjoys life and overcoming obstacles. The latter is especially important given that Simon is being held in “an impenetrable fortress in a barren mountain a hundred miles from civilization.”

While Largo is extremely competent, he’s not a superman. He has to work to achieve his goal. Readers know he’s going to win, but Van Hamme doesn’t make it easy on him. I particularly like the fact that he shows Largo first trying to go through approved, official channels. Van Hamme appears to be making the subtle point that it’s not the law that fails, but the moral failings of the people responsible for upholding the law that’s the problem.

There are several standout scenes in the book. They’re standout because they show Largo’s character and because they’re prime examples of script and art working together.

In one, Largo, while looking for a way to rescue Simon, is taken to a temple at night to meet a Chinese Taoist monk. The entire scene plays out over five pages, but one page in particular caught my attention. All it shows is the monk and Largo talking . . . and talking.

It really is a talking-head scene; yet, artist Philippe Francq structures it so there is a sense of movement. All the dialog balloons run down the middle of the page, making for a wall of black and white between the two men, which is something of an ironic comment in itself. Nothing is every black and white in a Largo Winch story.

The reader starts in the upper left hand corner, with the balloon that’s slightly above and to the right of the headshot of Largo. Following the line, the eye drops to the monk’s dialog, which leads to a headshot of him. These headshots are insets placed over a larger drawing of Largo and the monk sitting in the temple. The next “row” (for lack of a better term) pulls out to show the larger drawing--again with the layout of the word balloons leading the eye naturally back and forth. Then it’s back to insets of close-ups, which strengthens the scene because now the discussion is becoming more personal. The pair has reached the heart of the matter. The monk is actually a member of the Triad and if Largo uses the Triad’s resources to rescue his friend, he’ll have to deal with the consequences:

One day, in six months, in 10 years, maybe in 40 years, a man of my race will come to find you and will remind you of the Three Eyes of the Tao Guardians. That day, wherever you maybe, whatever you’ve become, you’ll have to obey that man. Blindly and without asking questions. Our help comes at that price, Mr. Winch. What will you decide?

The scene continues on to the next page with a close-up of Largo followed by a close-up of the monk, each in their separate panels. After all of the dialog, it comes down to one silent moment of decision and Francq captures it beautifully.

In another scene, a beautiful rebel--it’s a Largo Winch book, so Of course there’s going to be a beautiful woman--helps an injured Largo bathe in a pool beneath a series of waterfalls. Against this beautiful backdrop she says to him, “What you did was so extraordinary. I . . . I don’t know how to thank you . . . I still have never known a man. But if you want me, I’ll be yours.”

Again, dialog is followed by silent panels featuring extreme close-ups on the protagonists’ eyes. These silent moments sell what’s come before as you can see what they’re thinking.

(Not to spoil it for you, but Largo is a gentleman.)

While I’ve focused on the more dialog-heavy scenes, there’s nothing wanting in Francq’s rendition of action. The storming of the prison is everything an old Airwolf fan could want.

Largo Winch: The Hour of the Tiger offers readers compelling characters, beautiful art, an interesting story, and plenty of action. It’s definitely worth checking out.

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Fill-in issues are often thought to be a necessary evil of an ongoing comic series. There will always be times when, due to illness or unexpected disaster or any other reason, the regular writer/artist team simply can’t make the deadline. In those cases you generally have a few “stock” stories that you slip in-between the current continuous comic and have the story pick up again the following month.

Ongoing Conan writer Timothy Truman had a different take on these fill-in issues. Rather than seeing them as an interruption of the ongoing story, as though they were somehow “lesser” than the regular issues, he decided to take the opportunity to tell some of Conan’s out-of-current-timeline adventures when he was King Conan of Aquilonia. Truman also decided to keep the tone of the current Dark Horse Conan series, expanding on original Robert E. Howard stories rather than creating entirely new ones. Truman’s take on this was to ask “And then what happened?” after the closing pages of some of Howard’s best Conan adventures.

Which brings us to Conan: The Spear and Other Stories. Ostensibly a collection of fill-in issues, specifically issues #35, #36 and #40 of the Dark Horse Conan series, issue #15 of the Dark Horse Conan the Cimmerian series, and the Conan short from the Free Comic Book Day 2006 Special, together those issues actually form a linked story connecting Conan with the Prince and Wazier as debuted in the first Dark Horse Conan comic series. Keeping with this theme of linkage, the sharp-eyed Howard reader will see appearances from no less than King Kull of Atlantis, Brule the Spear-Slayer and Bran Mak Morn.

The stories begin in a tower, with a wizard, who has heard a prophecy that he misinterpreted. This brings him into contact with Conan, king of Aquilonia, who takes up a very old and special spear to bring the wizard down. The Spear is sort of an appetizer of things to come. From there, we are taken into the royal chamber right after the closing pages of the very first Conan story, The Phoenix on the Sword. The minstrel Rinaldo has been slain, Thoth-Amon fled, and the Picts are massing on the boarder. The two following stories, They Shall be Lords Again and Silent to the Sea complete the Pict saga as well as reunite Conan with the mysterious spear. Next, Two Wizards and a Funeral, is a somewhat humorous take on one of the strangest scenes in Howard’s writing. At the end of The Scarlet Citadel, the wizard Tsotha-Lanti’s body is chasing his own severed head across the desert which has been carried away by a huge bird. Howard leaves it there, but Truman wonders what if this bodiless Tsotha-Lanti happened to run into Thoth-Amon freshly fled from The Phoenix on the Sword, and what the two of them could get into together. Finally, in The Sorrow of Akivasha, the story is told of the lonely vampire Akivasha from “The Hour of the Dragon,” and what became of her after Conan’s brief intrusion into her immortal life. This story, and the connection to the Prince and the Wazier, is a reminder to readers that there are those in Howard’s world who do not die but instead pass through the ages.

I have been reading Robert E. Howard for decades, since Elementary school, and so I loved seeing Truman’s takes on what happened after the last page was turned on these famous stories. Bringing in King Kull, Bran Mak Morn, the serpent people and all those other touches really sold these stories on being firmly set in Conan’s world, and were by no means interruptions from the main story. If you aren’t as familiar with Howard’s original stories (and if you aren’t, you really should be. They are incredible works of fiction), then some of the references might be lost on you, and the stories might seem incomplete. Trust me that they are not.

The art in Conan: The Spear and Other Stories is admirable, and Paul Lee does a firm, lean Conan without a lot of whistles and bells. It is nice to have a single artist doing all the fill-in issues, as it gives a sense of continuity. Dave Steward (who should probably be declared a Living National Treasure, then chained to a desk and forced to color every Dark Horse comic issued, because he is just that amazing.) provides the colors for the majority of issues. Only the final story, The Sorrow of Akivasha is colored by Paul Lee and shows what a difference a colorist can make. (Remember that folks. That last story has the same artist, just a different colorist. Go ahead and be amazed). Lee coloring his own stuff gives the story a John Bolton feel, which was lovely and reminded me how long it has been since I have seen a John Bolton comic.

This collected edition comes with a nice Afterword, featuring not only Paul Lee sketches but also Truman’s thoughts on the fill-in issue and his approach to this collection. Dark Horse really goes out of its way to put extra goodies in the collected editions, and I enjoyed this section as well.

If you are a fan of Dark Horse’s Conan series (and honestly, how could you not be?) then Conan: The Spear and Other Stories is going to be a welcome addition to your library.

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A few weeks ago I friended Kim Deitch on Facebook. If you're not familiar with Deitch's work, you're missing out on a real special experience. Deitch is a living legend, a contemporary of artists like Robert Crumb and Spain Rodriguez who worked on classic '60s magazines like The East Village Other

Deitch welcomed me to his circle of virtual friends, and mentioned to me that his book Pictorama has one of his favorite stories he's ever produced. He told me that "I think my long story in that one, 'The Sunshine Girl,' is my best story so far." That's a high compliment from a man who's produced such terrific comics as A Shroud for Waldo and Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

But I think Deitch was right in his praise of his story. "The Sunshine Girl" is a fantastic and almost bewitching tale of a young brother and sister on the hunt for a very rare bottle cap. There are three elements of this tale that really make it special.

First of all, there's a pervasive feeling of sweetness to this story. The two children at the center of the tale, Eleanor and Sid Whaley, are happy and appealing kids, on a quest to find the truth of their father's obsessions. The Whaley kids really seem to inhabit their lives in a full way, living experiences that reflect an inner thoughtfulness that most kids just don't have – though the thoughtfulness seems realistic rather than cloying. When they meet and relate to adults, these children reflect their complexity and intelligence. Those qualities make their adventure seem more compelling.

The second key element of this story is in how it feels like a real high adventure. "The Sunshine Girl" includes pirates, stolen treasure, crazy men, religious visions, and a great exploration of a world that doesn't quite exist – though wouldn't things be better if that world did exist?

Which leads to the third wonderful element of this story, its parable-like feeling. The Whaley children follow in their father's footsteps in this story as collectors of bottle caps. Much of their story takes place at one of the first bottle cap conventions, in a ramshackle old hotel in New York City. It's impossible not to see a parallel between the world of comics and the early world of comics, which gives this story a great feeling of fandom winsomeness. Few longtime comics fans wouldn't relish the daydream of traveling back in time to experience the early days of comics fandom, and Deitch clearly sees that element of nostalgia as being key to the success of his story.

This story, like all five tales in this book, is an interesting mix of text and story, much like EC Comics' old "Picto-Fiction." Each piece has its own balance of art and story. "The Sunshine Girl" has a pretty even mix of words and pictures while others, such as "The Golem," the second story in the book, are more like illustrated text stories.

"The Golem" is written by Seth Kallen Deitch and illustrated by Simon Deitch. It's a bit less kinetic than "The Sunshine Girl", but it was an involving and intriguing story about a Golem being created in the Middle Ages. I enjoyed the kind of archaic feel of the story and the love at the heart of the female central character.

I liked "Unlikely Yours", written by Seth and illustrated by Kim, a bit more than "The Golem". The story is quite outlandish, featuring intelligent rats flying in blimps and swinging swords like Zorro. It's a really wacky story, easily the silliest one in the book, and I loved the heck out of it. It's crazily unpredictable, and Kim's art helps bring the story vividly to life.

"Children of Aruf", a solo story by Seth, is a clever little story about what would happen if dogs could talk. It's obvious that Seth loves our four-legged friends, with all the sweet and telling details that he includes in his story. It's especially clever how Seth uses fake Biblical quotes to provide a context for the story. This little story got under my skin a bit and I found myself wondering what the world would be like if all dogs could talk.

The last story, "The Cop on the Beat, the Man on the Moon and Me", by Kim, is an interesting and compelling remembrance of some people that Kim knew in the '60s. The story has a nice sort of object lesson at its heart: don't take people for granted because you never know what kind of hidden talents they have. I especially liked the female crush object that kind of inadvertently betrays Kim in this story; she seemed very realistic in her kind of oblivious ignoring of Kim's passion for her.

This book is quite unique and quite fun. It's a mix between a short-story collection and a comics anthology. Whatever category the book goes into, it's a sweet, fun and interesting book.

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EDITOR's NOTE: CLiNT #1 goes on sale in the United Kingdom on September 2. It will be available later to readers in the United States.

Dave Wallace:
Kelvin Green:

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Dave Wallace:

CLiNT is the new brainchild of one of comics’ most high-profile creators, Mark Millar. It’s a monthly comics anthology that fills the majority of its 100 pages with the likes of Millar’s “Kick-Ass 2” and “Nemesis,” British chat-show host Jonathan Ross’s “Turf,” and a new series by Scottish stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle called “Rex Royd”--though you wouldn’t know that from looking at the cover.

CLiNT #1 does its best to disguise itself as a glossy, feature-led magazine for the teen-to-young-adult age range, featuring a cover that spotlights the actors from the Kick-Ass movie adaptation along with the bearded Boyle. References to the comics related content are printed in smaller type than the celebrity names and the cover features only a couple of small images from the comics themselves (along with a mock warning that the issue “contains comics” in the upper-right-hand corner). I guess that’s forgivable, given that Millar is probably trying to attract an audience that might not think of themselves as comics readers, but I do wonder whether the people who buy the magazine on the strength of the cover will be disappointed when they realize that most of it is made up of comics.

However, you shouldn’t judge a magazine by its cover, which is after all more of a marketing exercise than anything else. The contents of the magazine are what I’m reviewing and to give the publication credit, the sheer volume of content you get for £3.99 (just over $6) is actually pretty impressive, amounting to two-and-a-half issues of a regular American comic book as well as a couple of shorter stories.

Turf #1 and Nemesis #1 are both included in full, and most people reading this will probably already know what they think of those months old books (for me, “Turf” is far and away the best thing in the issue, but “Nemesis” is a worthy inclusion too). But the real star of the show, for comics readers, at least, is the debut of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s sequel to their Kick-Ass series. We only get the first eight pages of Kick-Ass 2 #1 here (which means that the story gets chopped off at a rather anticlimactic point), but it’s enough to get the impression that the tone and style of the book hasn’t changed much since the first series, which I guess will come as good news to those who loved that book.

Along with that, we get the first installment of Frankie Boyle’s Rex Royd series, illustrated by Michael Dowling. Whilst it features some interesting ideas that play out like a mixture of DC’s Human Target and Grant Morrison’s Invisibles, filtered through a bad Garth Ennis impersonation (complete with gratuitous references to anal sex and a blowjob scene that’s apparently a total non sequitur), it features the kind of flaws in storytelling that you’d probably expect from such an unproven talent. Dialogue and captions sometimes provide too much information and sometimes far too little, the lettering choices encourage some captions and word balloons to be read in the wrong order, and during the scenes that are meant to be carried by the artwork alone it often isn’t clear exactly what’s happening. Whilst it could improve in future issues, it isn’t off to a great start here.

The final offering is a short three page story by new talent Manuel Bracchi, recruited by Millar himself through his Millarworld messageboard. Whilst the story is fairly simple and forgettable, it’s great to see Millar actively seeking out new talent (when he could easily rest on his laurels and fall back on contributions from celebrity pals and work associates), and I’m sure that anyone hoping to break into the comics industry will be keen to apply to have their work seen in this section of the magazine.

The remainder of the issue is filled with sub-FHM features on such stimulating subjects as the guy who dubs Tom Cruise movies in China, “Princesses with Balls”, a fairly bland interview with stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr, a downright odd and unfunny interview with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and a diary of a cannabis user that purports to be written by a celebrity, but feels like it was written by a 13-year-old boy who’s imagining what it might be like to smoke weed. Dodgem Logic this ain’t. Oh, and there are loads of adverts and promotional items pushing the new Kick-Ass DVD, too. I wonder what the connection might be there.

There’s occasionally the sense that the magazine has been a little cobbled together. Not only are the features a little unfocused, but there are also a couple of sloppy production errors, such as a “top 5” list of TV villains that has clearly been run in the wrong order (from 1 to 5 rather than from 5 to 1), an error that wouldn’t have been noticeable if the text of the very first item hadn’t continued straight on from something that’s said at the end of item #2, thus referring to something that the reader hasn’t even read yet.

Unfortunately, some actively objectionable elements creep in to the magazine, too. A humorous reference to the domestic abuse suffered by pop star Rihanna in the Kick-Ass strip is so unpleasantly misjudged as to be bordering on misogynistic. And the double-page spread filled with images of ten “hot TV mums”, the full-page image of a clothed woman in an ungainly porn-star pose, and the gratuitous feature about Charles Manson’s murderous desires (along with some glib allusions to his crimes--yes, that’s jokey references to actual murders that took place) don’t help to dispel the image that CLiNT is nothing more than a boys’ club for hormonal teenagers and emotionally stunted adult males.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s laudable that Mark Millar would try and use his clout to experiment with a new format capable of reaching a wider audience than most comics (thanks in no small part to his having struck a deal for the magazine to be stocked by a very large British chain of newsagents, amongst other retail outlets). I just think it’s a shame that he’s reinforcing the stereotype that most people have of comics readers by filling the magazine with lowest-common-denominator teenage-boy material, rather than showing people that comics can offer a lot more than bloodthirsty violence, casual sexism, and naughty swearwords. Although to give it credit, “Turf” doesn’t fall into this category, and might offer the magazine at least some chance of redemption.

If anything, CLiNT seems to be more about reinforcing the “Mark Millar” brand in the public consciousness more than anything else, and in that sense it’s a great success. I’m just not sure that the mainstream success that Millar has achieved through the likes of Kick-Ass and Wanted has encouraged him to pursue the kind of creative avenues that I personally find satisfying. So, whilst I don’t begrudge him one iota of his hard-earned success, I think I might have to face the fact that he’s not really producing material that’s aimed at the likes of me any more. Let’s just hope that the UK’s heaving population of teenage males are more than happy to fill the gap that’s left by those readers that he’s leaving behind.

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Kelvin Green

Long-time readers will know that I have little love for Mark Millar. He dragged himself up to being a fairly strong writer circa 1999-2000, but since then it's been all empty bluster and superficial shock tactics as he swaggers around the comics world like some kind of rock star rather than a ginger bloke from Coatbridge.

On the other hand, this swagger brings with it a rampant enthusiasm for comics, and one that appears utterly genuine--even if some of the things he actually says on the subject are rather less so. If someone is going to try to rejuvenate the moribund boys' comics anthology, then it should be someone with this almost berserker level of energy; much as I tend to dislike his comics, I can't think of many better personalities to have as figurehead for a project such as CLiNT.

All that said, the magazine is a bit coy about the "c" word.* There's a "Warning! Contains Comics!" graphic on the cover, which I'm sure is supposed to be a warning in the sense of "comics are so awesome they'll blow your mind," but it has an air of "comics are a bit sad" to it, too--particularly when the cover only has two very tiny comic images on it, lost amongst the photographs of minor celebrities and the Kick-Ass movie cast.

Furthermore, in his editorial, Millar refers to Kick-Ass 2 as the "sequel to our little hit movie," which is I suppose is good marketing. Still, it seems as if everyone's rather terrified of mentioning comics lest something horrible happen.

However, what do I know? I already like the medium.

No, it’s more than that.

I am aware that the medium exists, and this magazine is very deliberately aimed at a younger, more distant audience that I don’t fall into, so there may be some wisdom in putting comedian Frankie Boyle on the cover alongside the stars of one of the year's most popular films. What looks to me like embarrassed self-loathing could very well be the right approach to take with today's yoof. Innit.

So, are the comics any good?

Jonathan Ross's Turf received a lot of press when released a few months ago by Image, and it's an interesting high concept: cops versus gangsters versus vampires versus aliens. It's the kind of thing you can get away with in a creator-owned comic--as is excessive verbosity apparently. My gosh, this thing needs an editor! A proper red pen editor, not a celebrity figurehead like Millar.

Tommy Lee Edwards's art is attractive, rough-edged stuff, with a textured look reminiscent of Frazer Irving's art, only without the latter's dayglo tendencies. I only wish we could see more of it past the massive speech balloons that lurch across the pages like distended oxen.

Now, it's fair to say that the font is perhaps a touch too big, but even so, when you have characters peering over the balloons in order to appear in the panel at all, it gets a bit silly. It would no doubt have been too expensive to do so, but given the larger page dimensions here, re-lettering the story might not have been a bad idea.

Millar himself provides a couple of stories, and it's good to see that he's putting his money where his mouth is . . . as it were; it might have been better if they weren't reprints,** but you can't have everything.

We get only a handful of pages from “Kick-Ass 2,” and it's more of the same: strong art from the peerless John Romita Jr, juvenile "edgy" nonsense in the script, and the barest hints that Millar might just have more strings to his bow if he could stop showboating and focus instead on writing proper characters and relationships.

Points off, too, for a dodgy Rihanna joke; Kick-Ass is a vigilante, and yet he's making jokes about domestic abuse? Really, Mark?

“Nemesis,” Millar's Fantômas homage, is similarly hobbled by the writer's trademarked lack of subtlety. It's a decent enough pastiche, but the swearing is just silly and unnecessary, and not really in keeping with the apparent fastidiousness of the character. Steve McNiven provides art, and while it's blissfully free of the sickly rubberiness of his Marvel work, I see that McNiven hasn't yet expanded his repertoire of storytelling techniques.

If you like lots of Dutch angles, page-wide panels, and the ever-popular up-the-nostril shot, then there's much to enjoy here. On the other hand, if you have any fondness for decent comics storytelling, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

To be fair, there's something quite attractive about the fine linework used here, somewhat reminsicent of Andy Clarke's art, but why does everyone have such dead eyes?

I have no idea what to make of Frankie Boyle's “Rex Boyd.” Michael Dowling's art is okay--showing a clear influence from the likes of Mike Mignola and Dom Reardon, albeit still a little rough around the edges--but the writing is . . . er, difficult. I can see what the story is about in a very general sense, and it's a solid-if-unexciting concept, but the script is full of non sequiturs, and there are entire sections that make very little sense--to the extent that I can't tell if they're flashbacks, a conterminous story, or something else entirely. It's disjointed and chaotic and, as a result, I really have no idea if it's any good or not--though I'm leaning towards "not."

Finally, there's a short piece reminiscent of 2000AD's "Future Shock" vignettes, only nowhere near as good, and that's your lot.

With two stories about supervillain genii,*** and two stories by Millar, it's not exactly an eclectic mix, and “Turf”, for all its problems, stands out as the best of the comics. There are some text articles, most of which are superficial bumf--though there is a piece that appears to be attempting to make light of the Charles Manson slayings, and an interview with alleged "comedian" Jimmy Carr, which might be very good, but I admit I didn't read it because, by the Power of Greyskull, I can't stand the talentless potato-faced gimboid.

I want to throw my support behind CliNT. Much as I dislike Millar's writing, I do think his heart is in the right place, and there's certainly room on the shelves for a rival to the survivor's monopoly of 2000AD, but I'm not sure this book offers anything significantly different to the Judge Dredd Magazine (despite Millar's offhand dismissal of that title), though CLiNT has less scifi geekery and quite a bit more Loaded-style look-at-the-tits-on-that superficiality.

I can't help but feel that they're pitching this comic book too low. Yes, teenage boys do tend to be quasi-Neanderthal lumps of useless hormones, but reaching out to them through swearing and violence just seems a bit lazy. Then again, sitting right in the middle, wallowing in a veritable Roget of extravagant logorrhea, is “Turf,” which would suggest that there exists somewhere an audience for both wordy alternate-history comics and photo articles on "Hot TV Mums"--that, or someone at CLiNT thinks there is.

Either way, CLiNT is not for me.


* Not that one, certainly not with Millar and the ever-controversial Frankie Boyle involved. No, I mean "comics," obviously.

** Technically, yes, Kick-Ass 2 is appearing here first, but let's not pretend Marvel haven't had it for a while.

*** Again, I'm assuming that's what “Rex Boyd” is about. Answers on a postcard, please.

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EDITOR's NOTE: Last Days of American Crime #3 will be in stores September 1st.

The heist story has to be one of the trickiest genres to write in. A couple of things have to happen, otherwise the audience will be disappointed, but at the same time if you don’t give the tropes some kind of twist (or multiple twists) then the audience feels let down. Here, then, is the final issue of Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s Last Days of American Crime which hits all the right beats but, unfortunately, limps across the finish line.

If you’ll recall from earlier reviews the book criss-crosses a big heist during the last days before the American government institutes a signal which will make it impossible for the average citizen to commit crime. The big deadline for the broadcast provides the backdrop for all of the action, particularly with most of the country falling into a last gasp of chaos before their inhibitions are hardwired in by the state. I found myself throughout the three issues of the series fascinated by some of the questions posed by the impending broadcast: would it prevent a person from doing something they knew was illegal? What if they didn’t know something was illegal and did it anyway? What function would the police force serve? What was to stop a mass armed exodus across the borders into Mexico and Canada?

But never mind that. Rory is a broken-down, old criminal who teams up with bombshell Shelby and sociopathic hacker Kevin to make one last big score before anything can stop them. This issue sees them making that big score. True to the form of the genre it goes how it goes. There are double and triple crosses, lies and new motivations brought to light. We learn that the signal might affect some people differently than others. This last bit is interesting, but I don’t buy that the crazed scientists behind the broadcast wouldn’t have thought of it.

The actual mechanics of the heist are pretty clever and interesting, and Rory’s ultimate means of getting away with the money is well-thought out. It’s just that, I don’t know, by the time the ending arrived I was sort of worn out on the story. Perhaps it has to do with the protracted way the story was released (the last issue came out in April), or the actual length of the story, which took time for detours and complications that didn’t really seem to impact the main story in any real way (especially Kevin’s visit to his father last issue). As a result, the book feels slighter than it should . Which is a shame because it’s got a hell of a premise.
 
If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of Charles Webb's work at his blog Monster In Your Veins.

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EDITOR's NOTE: Mata Hari #1 will be in stores September 1st.

Plot: Mata Hari was the controversial superstar dancer of her day, performing her exotic routines for only the most exclusive audiences. Writer Rich Wilkes imagines what could have caused the illustrious performer to become a spy.

Comments: One look at the cover and you may think that this book is all about sex. Well, you’d be wrong. It’s not all about sex. In fact, Radical Publishing’s preview of the upcoming Mata Hari graphic novel has surprising depth, mixing history with fiction to create an intriguing tale.

The history of the actual events surrounding the femme fatale leaves plenty to the imagination. In a supplemental essay in the back of this preview issue, writer Rich Wilkes discusses how the trial records of Mata Hari were sealed for 100 years. Since Mata Hari was accused and convicted of espionage and treason in 1917, we still do not know the particulars of the case. The narrator of the story compares the scandal of the dancer’s execution to the unimaginable scenario of Elvis Presley being revealed as a spy and shot by a firing squad.

Early on, the story is narration heavy as Wilkes sets the stage for his story. Artist Roy Allan Martinez beautifully helps him avoid large, plain text boxes by illustrating the writer’s commentary with a set of collages. One particularly powerful image features Mata Hari seducing an important Army commander in the foreground while soldiers march off a cliff and into a hand-cranked meat grinder in the background. Martinez shows deft skill as he depicts both the sexual grace of Mata Hari’s performances and the harsh realities of war.

My only small complaint with this issue is that the storytelling is a little murky in the first couple of pages. This story is apparently told by a woman remembering a case that she was involved in when she was much younger. In that case, another person thinks back to how all of these events began. While the beginning of the story has plenty of beautiful images to draw the reader’s eye through the layers of memory, the setup feels needlessly cumbersome. Once the narration settles into the events of the main story, the reader is able to emotionally connect to a set of characters and the context of their history.

Final Word: Mata Hari is a sexy story filled with historical significance and gorgeous artwork, and it’s only a buck! Go check it out.

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Any writer working under the Punisher MAX banner has large shoes to fill. So far none have been able to equal the grim and powerful stories Garth Ennis told in his 60 issue run. This problem does not really apply to this comic since Milligan has not really written a Punisher story, but a story where the character periodically makes an appearance with a hail of gunfire.

The actual plot is one that has been done many times before--an average Joe runs into a femme fatale and enters a world of brutal violence that he is not equipped to deal with. Nothing too revolutionary, the set-up has proven successful for a number of noir films. Internal dialogue is crucial for this type of tale and despite a few platitudes Milligan succeeds in effectively communicating the protagonist’s development. He also gives depth to the femme fatale, making her more than just the duplicitous female. The reason for her deception is understandable, though not condonable.

The artwork for this one-shot is done by Ryp who excels in drawing explicit violence and attractive women. Being a MAX comic, there is an expectation of ludicrous amounts of bloodshed and Ryp does not disappoint. When characters are shot their wounds spew blood and mystery red chunks that splatter all over the place--this one-shot earned its mature rating. The girl who hooks up with Joe Bonner is exquisitely drawn, her red outfit and the curves it covers is a real eye catcher. Ryp carefully positions her in each panel to make the most of her figure, he also throws in couple shots of her derrière for good measure. My only art complaint was that the protagonist seemed to get balder as the story progressed.

My biggest gripe with this comic was the lack of Punisher. The titular character’s appearances are few and far between. The same story could have been told without his inclusion and nothing would be lost. One reason why Ennis’ Punisher stories are hailed is because he not only portrayed the vigilante as an unstoppable killing machine but also gave the reader a window into the man’s mind. The internal monologue helped us to understand his motivation and at times even agree that his methods were necessary. Here, there is no such thing. Here, the Punisher just kills.

Punisher MAX: Happy Endings is a good noir tale, but if you are after a Punisher comic there are other issues that are a better showcase for the character. If that doesn't faze you then I say, check it out.

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Conceptually, I think this comic is perfect. Rip Hunter and Booster Gold (plus Superman and Green Lantern) get lost in the timestream, end up in parallel dimensions, have entirely-avoidable misunderstandings, and fight Claw the Unconquered and Amethyst. That’s exactly the type of stuff that would be happening between the panels of a Grant Morrison comic. Which is literally what this is--the gutter space in Morrison’s The Return of Bruce Wayne mini-series.

That sounds disparaging, but I mean it as a compliment. Morrison’s superhero work is chock full of references to cool side adventures that sound like they would be happening in another comic, but aren’t. Stuff like “Metamorpho and WildCAT team up against Ocean Master, but a mind-virus wipes their memories and they become a traveling circus act.” The guy clearly loves coming up with crazy, fun ideas like that, but being who he is, he’d probably get bored taking something so straightforward past the conceptual stage. Dan Jurgens, on the other hand, specializes in straightforward, non-ironic superhero fun. If anyone’s worthy of fleshing out a throwaway Morrison idea, that’s Mr. Jurgens. There are like 200 great Dan Jurgens comics in Final Crisis alone.

The problem here is that, even if you remember to turn off your brain before reading this comic, there’s still stuff you’ll find hard to swallow. Claw the Unconquered has rarely been this dumb. He tries to kill Rip Hunter after confusing him with a wizard on account of his strange garb. “I hate wizards,” he says. The poor guy nearly loses it when Skeets shows up. “An iron bird? That talks?” The worst part is that Superman and Green Lantern are just as clueless. Last issue we went over the old, “Don’t save people while traveling in time or you could destroy the universe” thing (a recurring plot point in Jurgens’ recent Booster Gold run) but when GL and Supes see some muscular aliens cruising around in Fantasticars and blasting people, they still get involved. It’s not that they don’t remember what Rip Hunter warned them about, it’s just that Rip isn’t around, so they think they can get away with it. Because they’re dumb.

Another big problem is that Jurgens’ dialogue is about 90% exposition. The evil Black Beetle reminds Per Degaton that he pulled him from a specific moment in time, “When you were a time traveling Nazi.” Because, you know, Per might not know that he is currently a time traveling Nazi. To which Black Beetle responds, “You’re here because you want the same thing as me--complete mastery over time.” “Yes,” Silver Age Despero says, “Time travel isn’t enough. I want to dominate.” They all nod in agreement. It’s a wonder these people get anything done.

I’ve always been a big fan of Mr. Jurgens (in fact, his '90s Superman work is what got me into comics), but I think even those early, awkward issues of Booster Gold were more sophisticated than this. With this mini-series, the man appears to be slowly de-evolving into a He-Man writer. Which is a damn shame, because an ongoing Time Masters series would’ve been be pretty cool.

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“Family Matters” (part 2)

Sonic and the Arctic Freedom Fighters take on an army of zombie walruses and Akhlut the cybernetic killer whale! Meanwhile Rotor and the time-traveling Silver come to an understanding.

There's lots of action above and below the ice in this slam-bang finale to "Family Matters." Writer Ian Flynn gives each character a chance to show their stuff, whether it's the penguin Flip nonchalantly swimming circles around an orca declaring, "The only threatening thing about you guys is your name," Selia flirtatiously taunting, "I am, how you say, prone and defenseless," or Sonic confronted with "Mrs. Walrus! Er…Rotor's Mom! Lady! I'm Rotor's best friend! Too good looking to get pummeled!" Flynn does a fabulous job of combining exposition, humor, and character bits while moving the story along.

The Arctic Freedom Fighter that I now want to have a series is Erma the Ermine. She appears in seven panels, speaks in three, and just totally sets herself up as a tough, no-nonsense lady who can turn invisible at will. How cool is that! Plus she also has one of my favorite lines: "If we're done being all snuggly-friendly, can we make our move?"

Super-villain Akhlut, and that's what he is, a souped-up super-villain, comes across as a mash-up of Dr. Doom, Doc Octopus, and Namor. He loves to monolog. Granted, Flynn has to give him that characteristic to get exposition in, but from the way Akhlut's written, you get the feeling that if he were real he'd get up in the morning testing his speeches as he sets about conquering the undersea realm. He also likes to play with his prey, which gives artist Steven Butler and inker Terry Austin a chance to do some nice action bits as Akhlut flips the Freedom Fighters around. His style of attack constantly changes, giving each panel's visuals a real snap. Of course, he could just lie on the page and still look cool. After all, he's a cybernetic killer whale with really big teeth.

Rotor and Silver also have some good moments. They go from adversaries to an almost Master-Student relationship over the course of the chapter. Rotor's strength, determination, and wisdom are fully displayed. You can understand why he's a valued member of the Acorn Council.

Possibly the best moment in the issue - possibly the best moment in the last several issues - is the book's final panel, where Silver's master is revealed. I never saw it coming, yet it makes perfect sense, and sets up intriguing future store possibilities.

Actually, the back-up feature "Future Tense, Part Two" has more to love than just the big reveal. Upon Silver's return to his time, we get to meet the absent-minded Guardian who's helping him research the past to find the traitor in the Freedom Fighters. I like the Guardian. He's a little confused, but not stupid, and snarky in a fun way. Flynn also tosses in some neat bits about Silver's time traveling abilities and how they're affecting the future.

After Steven Butler's detailed backgrounds, over-lapping panels, and very active pages, it's almost jarring to see Jamal Peppers' very sparse, more grid-dictated layouts. That artistic contrast is very important to the story. In Sonic's time, there's a feeling of hope. The characters are still fighting the good fight. In Silver's time, the fight's over and lost. The art emphasizes this in such a way young readers can pick-up on it, even if they can't articulate it.

Matt Herms' and Ray Dillon's colors also show the difference in times. In the main story, Herms uses a lot of blue, grey, periwinkle, and white for the backgrounds. When put together with the characters' primary colors even shades that seem like they should be dark have a brightness to them. In Dillon's portion of the book, the twilight shades of yellow, orange, purple, and brown are on display. The relative emptiness of the panels and lack of contrasting colors creates a more subdued look. It's beautiful work on both men's parts.

The second part of "Family Matters" finishes the story in style and sets up some exciting future narrative possibilities. Fans of smart superhero comics won't want to miss it.

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"Of G-Strings and Galaxies"

Abducted by aliens loyal to a familiar looking reptilian dictator--no, not Cheney--Jane Wiedlin awakens on an extraterrestrial examination table and discovers a metallic shell grows over her left limb. Can things possibly get worse? You betcha.

Wiedlin and Morrison combine forces for a kitschy cool scifi pulp filled with sex, nanites and rock and roll. Again, I don't know where the writers begin and end. I don't know who wrote what, but I'm guessing Wiedlin had to at least sign off on the things that happen to her comic book avatar.

After an altercation in a forced concert, Jane ends up in the dungeon, and the singer/songwriter doesn't skimp on abusing her character. Bettie Page lookalikes bring out the whips and a weird looking robot enters the abbatoir to induce even more pain.

Let me just point out that you're not supposed to be taking this seriously. That's why Jeff Moy is a perfect fit for the book. The Legion of Super-Heroes artist is known for his light, humorous touch. So although on the surface, there's a ball-gag in Jane's mouth, the Bettie Page Twins are serious about their work, the after effects of Jane's torture amount to old-fashioned cross-hatchery on strategic exposures of her skin. Really. Don't take this too seriously. Lady Robotika is meant to be a outrageous-anything-goes-science-fiction, and it succeeds beautifully.

Even the scene in which one of Jane's band trades sexual favors with the dictator for her life should be enjoyed. Her name is T'antra. Come on. She had to end up in somebody's bed. What's surprising is that the creative team don't simply use her as a throwaway gag. Instead, they make her an important figure in the story by having her lead the reader to a most awesome cliffhanger sporting a beloved sci-fi trope.

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"The Princess Principle"

The Princess Precious people promote a costume contest. The prize is a precious pony. This catalyzes a conflict in Lisa Simpson. On the one hand, she's against corporate sponsored stereotypes for girls. On the other hand, the prize is a pony. Let the games begin.

Carol Lay's ingenious story at once addresses the Simpsons as a family unit, the inherent comedy in blood thirsty little girls and the corruption of the normally goody-two-shoes Lisa. The clever tale is also a comedic, cartoon marvel.

Lisa's hunt for the perfect fashion takes her to the Android Dungeon where Lay makes hilarious use of the Comic Book Guy, remembers the continuity of Malibu Stacy and involves Bart Simpson.

I must admit to being blown over by Lay's employ of Bart. I never would have thought of a reason for his entering the contest other than foiling Lisa, but Lay orchestrates a deeper rationale that's absurd and within Bart's character.

When the contestants begin their designs, Marge and Homer take an interest. Lay replicates in voice and illustration Marge's complete faith in her daughter and Homer's enjoyment of Bart's devious imagination. This creativity is also reflected in Bart's astounding interpretation of a gown that looks like something Michael Myers would wear in a bad Halloween sequel.

The costume carnage necessitates media coverage. Kent Brockman and Arnie Pie, the Pie in the Sky, are on hand for the gory details. At this point, Lay enjoys the opportunity for numerous pain-influenced wild takes.

We see that greed is the root of all evil. The Princess people paid the school district to instigate the contest. Lay introduces another Simpsonized character to the mix, a pink suited smoothie that nearly clashes with Springfield Elementary's purple walls. A tip of the fedora to colorist Alan Hellard who blends the colors beautifully and keeps the eye-beating green outfits toward the gutters of the panels.

Lay's story is a superb battle between Lisa and Bart. Her art neatly imitates the style of the show, and she has an able assit in Alan Hellard and Karen Bates with her onomotopaiea sound effects.

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Superman / Batman has become such a stupid, gimmicky comic. I mean, it was stupid and gimmicky when Loeb and McGuinness were doing it, but at least they were good at it. That, my friends, was empty entertainment at its best. The issues that came out after Loeb and McGuinness, however, were just abysmal. I haven’t even touched the book since then and everything I’ve read about it (like when they turned an issue into a tie-in for a 9 year old crossover without telling the writer) has made me glad I haven’t.

So I was a little surprised when I saw that the cover for the 75th issue was done by Frank Quitely, someone not usually associated with stupid and gimmicky things. Then I noticed some of the talent lined up for this issue: Jill Thompson? Adam Hughes? Azzarello and Bermejo? Sign me up! (It turns out that Thompson and Hughes only contribute with pin-ups. Should’ve seen that coming.)

The issue opens with a 25 page story by Paul Levitz and Jerry Ordway, who still draws Batman’s cowl like in the Tim Burton movies (God bless his soul). The plot involves Lex Luthor creating a Kryptonite-powered clone of himself that is programmed to wake up 1000 years in the future, steal a time machine from the Legion of Superheroes, and travel back in time to kill Superman in the present. And then travel back some more to kill him again in the past. It makes no sense if you think about it, but to be honest I didn’t think about it while reading the story, which means Paul Levitz has done his job well. Superboy and Batman are in it.

The rest of the issue is devoted to two-pagers by different creative teams, most of which feel like rejects from Wednesday Comics. Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen (the team behind Vertigo’s It’s a bird…) do a story about why they don’t wanna do a story for Superman / Batman. “No one cares about that stuff, do they?” Seagle asks. Meanwhile, Duncan Roleau tries to settle the age-old question: Who’s better, Krypto the Super-Dog or Ace the Bat-Hound? Shockingly, they tie.

David Finch draws and writes a story about Superman (Conner Kent) and Batman (Damian Wayne) meeting on the anniversary of their predecessors’ death. Apparently they died on the same day and were buried together, which is pre-tty suspicious, if you ask me. Most of these stories –scratch that, ALL of them- are trying to be cute, but only the most unlikely one succeeds: Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s sublime tribute to Calvin & Hobbes, starring Lex Luthor and the Joker. Those two pages account for at least 3 of the 3 ½ bullets I’m giving this comic. It’s not just Bermejo’s spot-on impression of Bill Watterson’s style; it’s also the fact that Azzarello manages to provide more insight into the psychology of Luthor and the Joker in a gag strip than most writers have done in five tradepaperbacks.

So, is it worth it to buy this entire issue for that one strip? Yes. But you can also find it in Google, you know.

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For all his limited screen time, Boba Fett has become one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe. The aura of menace and mystery he gave off in the films has captured the eye of many fans, and even though Lucas sapped some of that ambiguity with an origin in the prequels, Boba’s popularity has sustained.

While most Star Wars comics from Dark Horse center around expanded universe characters, Star Wars: Blood Ties #1 is a comic meant to satisfy fans of the Fett family. It begins with Boba in what appears to be a tight spot, but his internal monologue informs us this is far from the worst he has faced. The story then flashes back to when he was a boy still under the tutelage of his father Jango. After a baptism by fire, Count Dooku contacts them for an assassination, Jango takes the job without hesitation. The revelation of just who he has been hired to eliminate offers a plethora of interesting ideas this comic could pursue. Whatever happens, it promises to be more than just pure action with the Fetts.

Any fan of the intergalactic bounty hunter should definitely pick up this comic. Taylor has laid the seeds for a great story, whether he follows up on this promise in later issues is anybody’s guess. For now, it makes a good comic. By expanding on Boba Fett’s training as a child we gain a greater understanding why he is so feared as a man. It is a coming of age tale for the deadliest man in the universe.

Scalf did an amazing job illustrating the earlier comic Star Wars: Purge – The Hidden Blade, and does an equally admirable job here. The best of which are aliens like the Balyeg young Boba fights early on. The characters all look like their film counterparts, but their facial expressions are questionable on certain panels. At times Scalf seems more preoccupied with properly capturing the looks of the actors than communicating what the characters are feeling. Still, the artwork looks beautiful.

I am always wary of a comic based off of movie or television show, they usually fall way short of their source material. However, Dark Horse has had a great track record with their Star Wars comics and Blood Ties is a very good showcase for Boba and Jango Fett. I say, buy it.

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A secret Amazonian temple is under siege, and Wonder Woman may not be strong enough to save it.

Ross Haralson:
Karyn Pinter:
Shawn Hill:

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Ross Haralson:

The “All-New” era of Wonder Woman easily hits its stride with this issue as J. Michael Straczynski delivers a strong story that suffers only from a moderate imbalance of narrative-building and action (in favor of the latter). Many questions still remain regarding the exact nature of the transformation that Diana (as well as history itself) has undergone, including how or even if this particular incarnation of the character exists within standard DCU continuity, but these issues can and should be set aside in favor of enjoying Straczynski’s refreshingly unique take on one of comics’ oldest properties.

During last issue (#601) Diana visited an oracle and learned firsthand the details of Themyscira’s destruction and the death of her mother; during the final moments of battle Diana herself was sent away to be raised in safety and anonymity, and a resultantly isolated and confused character was that which we met at the start of this run. Heeding the oracle’s advice to seek out a small group of Amazonians holed up in a forgotten temple to Aphrodite.

The action scenes that open the current issue quickly establish for the reader that the iconic bullet-swatting Wonder Woman archetype has in no way been buried by this fledgling reboot. In fact, the savagery evidenced/implied within these pages shows a clear return to the neck snapping, take-no-prisoners attitude that many feel best suits the character. While fellow trinitarians Superman and Batman might debate the inherent good or evil nature of men, respectively, they agree upon issues regarding the absolute sanctity of life almost to the point of fault; it is good to see that Diana, even in the potentially isolated context of this run, will continue to balance her peers with a willingness to respond appropriately to her murderous aggressors.

The knowledge that Diana gains from her conversations with the wounded priestess Alera and goddess Aphrodite further establish the differences that exist between the previous origin and world of Wonder Woman and that which exists now. It is interesting to note the number of biblical parallels that Straczynski is systematically building into the story: Diana is sent away as an infant much like the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible’s Moses, and then by the issue’s conclusion sends her people - with whom she has finally been reunited after being raised apart from her heritage – into the deserts where they will seemingly be hunted for the duration of their flight.

Also of note is the fact that some characters – the oracle from last issue, and perhaps Aphrodite here – seem to acknowledge that the Amazonians’ tribulations are not normative to the fabric of reality and that there seems to be some purpose to the seeming realignment of history. This detail should be encouraging for those upset by the liberties Straczynski has taken as it suggests that this story is not meant as a firm “retcon” (e.g. Marvel’s Brand New Day). There seems to be a reason that DC didn’t reserve Straczynski’s pitch for a future “Earth One” graphic novel, and while it may be some time before the reader is given clarity on this issue it would be a mistake to let one’s likely unfounded reservations prevent them from reading this title.

Hopefully sooner than later, however, future installments of this story will focus a little less on action sequences and more on advancing the compelling-yet-subdued narrative. One of the Amazonians suggests toward this issue’s conclusion that “there is always birth in blood,” and given we’ve seen much violence throughout the course of these first chapters it certainly doesn’t seem poor form to request a little more depth moving forward.

The art, meanwhile, is nothing if not competent and in most instances beautiful. While it is a shame that Don Kramer cannot provide pencils for the entire book, as he is undoubtedly the superior penciler, Eduardo Pansica does a fine job of maintaining a consistent stylistic presentation. It is unfortunately quite noticeable that three separate inkers worked on this issue as well, but given the presence of two pencilers this is probably a necessity and certainly not anything the detracts from the book’s overall quality; this is probably due far more to Alex Sinclair’s fantastic colors, however, than any unified effort on the part of the inkers.

Few, if any legitimate complaints might be leveled against the current creative direction of Wonder Woman. The script is as engaging as it is mysterious and the art team provides striking visuals from beginning to end; there’s simply no excuse to spend your comic book money elsewhere.

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Karyn Pinter:

The all new Wonder Woman finally comes face to face with the Amazons she’s destined to save, and with the threat that endangers all their lives.

Welcome to the action hour of Wonder Woman. Things get messy, both literally and figuratively, as bullets, blood, and fire fly through the air in the latest issue. Wonder Woman has finally found a group of Amazons, who more or less look like a sorority having a toga party, and they are holed up in a razed temple of Aphrodite. There are moments of growth and development for the Amazonian princess, where she questions the motives of the gods and takes up her mantel as Champion, but what this issue is really about is the number of action poses in which Wonder Woman can be drawn.

I guess there’s a bit of a blessing and a little bit of a curse in this issue. Blessing, because it’s the most going on in a Wonder Woman comic in a long time; a curse because the “plot” doesn’t quite make the grade and acts like a cheap mask. There is a scene where Diana questions the goddess Aphrodite about why she denies the Amazons help and this acts as the set up or ignition for all the action. Apparently, this is all about getting Diana to own up to who she truly is and force her to become a leader, but it seemed a bit hollow. I wasn’t convinced that this was a life changing pep talk. We all know that Diana will stand up and fight for her people. That’s a given, but what we really need is re-convincing. We the readers need to think, just for the slightest second, that maybe things aren’t going to happen the way we think they will. Where’s our moment of doubt? With this being the “all new” Wonder Woman, there is room for doubt, and as false as that doubt may be, we need it to connect to the character. Diana must doubt herself and rise above it, and we should be right there with her, as her ally. Instead of feeling emotionally invested in the character, I felt like a bystander. I would have liked to have seen more of a reluctant hero, because the call to action wasn’t convincing enough. After Diana knows that the Amazons can escape, she goes about kicking the snot out of the men who are attacking the temple in a few pages of flashy action panels. Maybe this is where my problem with the story is truly rooted. The battle scenes seemed to be more of the focus than the character development--like it was all a distraction, with one hand distracting us while the other picked our pockets.

Second issue out and I’m already not impressed. That’s not a good sign, but then again this could just be a fluke. I do have faith in Straczynski’s skills, but I think this issue was all flash and weak build up. Not that it’s bad to have a good hardcore action issue; it just shouldn’t be when you’re trying to get the audience comfortable with the changes made to a classic character.

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Shawn Hill

This is a disappointing second issue of the new regime. There are some interesting components to the story and the art, but failings in both areas as well. Art-wise, having fill-in artists for only Kramer’s second full issue on the title is disappointing; he has fully embraced Diana’s new look, but the variable pages of art undermine any attempt to become familiar with the entirely new cast of Amazons (many of them un-named) who are rather integral to the plot of the issue.

And what’s up with these Amazons, anyway? Unable to retreat because of their injured Priestess Alera, the survivors need Diana’s help just to survive the impending night of siege. The dire predicament offers several characters time to reflect on the nature of their trials and their goddesses, especially Diana who has a real crisis of faith. Or seems to, for if she’s really talking to Aphrodite “in her heart,” then she has empirical evidence of their existence. And if she isn’t, is she’s just ruminating as the text boxes indicate, then this truly is a different Diana to any we’ve seen before.

I have the feeling this sequence is supposed to be profound. Or maybe it’s a clue, to the predicament of the gods and how that has led to this change in the fates of the Amazons. The ambiguity, rather than adding layers of meaning, just confuses. Especially as the end result seems to be all about annealing Diana in the fires of battle, as a true warrior. Which is redundant, because we last realized that when Max Lord was executed.

Diana gives the soldiers hell, and they return the favor, but I’m also not sure about the contrast between the military running commentary and the Amazons’ show of faith and caring in the face of doom. I kept waiting for her to end it all by picking up a tank and battering their enemies down. You mean she can’t right now? It just seems way too arbitrary.

And how do Amazons have an old woman amongst their sisterhood? You mean these aren’t immortal? There’s a hint or two that these Amazons are just human believers who heard about a hidden temple and then invoked it as part of their faith. But it’s another unresolved ambiguity in the mythos that obscures rather than clarifies. There are some issues in this story worth exploring, but they remain difficult to discern.

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This concluding issue of Warren Ellis’s Astonishing X-Men run with Phil Jimenez is a lot better than I expected it to be, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I was concerned that the long waits between the previous issues of the book (including the almost two month wait between issue #34 and this chapter) would make for a disjointed story that was difficult to get to grips with as it approached its conclusion. Luckily, however, this issue largely comprises one long action sequence, capped with an intriguing verbal showdown between the X-Men and their enemy that doesn’t require readers to remember too much about the previous issues in order to be appreciated.

Secondly, the action that Ellis and Jimenez provide is exciting, imaginative and energetic. It’s fairly conventional superhero stuff, but it’s handled well, feeling like a slick well-made movie version of the X-Men complete with witty one-liners and outlandish stunts. Jimenez’s breakdowns are never less than absolutely clear and consistently choreographed, whilst Andy Lanning’s finishes give proceedings a crisp edge that lends the characters, their spaceship and their environment a real sense of weight and form, making it even easier to understand exactly what’s going on at all times.

Ellis’s contribution to the action scenes goes beyond simply dreaming up dangerous situations for the X-Men to escape, too. I love the way that the writer has Cyclops coordinate the team so that his apparently suicidal attempt to pilot his way out of trouble actually works, showing real leadership as he controls every aspect of the flight plan (including ordering Emma Frost not to turn into her diamond form so as not to change weight and upset the balance of the ship, a particularly smart touch).

Talking of Emma Frost, she’s just one of the characters that benefits from Ellis’s keen ear for characterful dialogue here. Unlike the version of the character we’ve seen in Ellis’s parallel series, Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis, this version of Emma isn’t played for cheap and shallow laughs, instead retaining the same clipped coolness that we saw in Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon’s takes on the character. The rest of the team is equally well-sketched, whether it’s Beast’s laconic jokes in the face of danger, Wolverine’s humorously direct approach to dealing with the issue’s villain, or Cyclops’s gentle frustration at having to wrangle such a team of misfits.

But perhaps the best moments of the story come towards the end of the issue, when the big confrontation between the X-Men and their foe forces the audience to consider whether our heroes are really the misfits that they always purport to be. Ellis provides a surprisingly simple motivation for the issue’s villain here and it’s one that can’t help but make the character feel slightly sympathetic despite his cruel urges. It’s pleasing, then, to see the writer come up with the perfect solution for how to deal with the villain, addressing his prejudices by having the X-Men defuse his threat not by using their mutant powers to be better fighters or quicker thinkers, but by simply being more compassionate and humane than he could have imagined.

It’s in these moments that we see Ellis recapture some of the subversive spirit and energy of his Authority work, as well as the more progressive and forward thinking side to the characters that we saw throughout Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run. In doing so, Ellis turns what I had expected to be a run-of-the-mill superhero title into something a little more thought provoking and intelligent than most books on the shelves, but one that’s still just as entertaining as far as the more basic building blocks of superhero comics are concerned.

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For those just joining the picture, the Torino Crime Family offered a two million dollar bounty on Spider-Man's head. The bounty seemed to be good as gone when Bullseye claimed dibs, but the heroic sacrifice of Flapper the owl gave Spidey the breathing room to overcome the deadly assassin. Now, Spidey lies beaten and exhausted.

How do you top a genuinely shocking death and a deadly battle against Marvel's top assassin? I don't think you can, but this follow-up issue comes very close to being the previous chapter's equal. It easily earns five bullets. There's no doubt about that.

Tobin shifts narrative focus from Spider-Man to a Torino enforcer named Flip. He presents Flip's home life as blissful. Flip has a dog, amusingly named Rockford, and a wife he loves. She in turn loves him, but every day of the week, Flip must lie to her. He tells her that they are living on his inheritance and he is looking for a job.

Flip's dog named after the famed P.I. and the fact that lying to his wife eats at Flip's conscience gives the audience insight into Flip's character. Still, you wonder exactly why Tobin happens to be spotlighting this individual. Fascinating though he may be, he's no Spider-Man, and this isn't a pulp novel.

Spider-Man spends very little time in his own magazine. He's too busy fading in and out of consciousness. Tobin's story, however, revolves around Spidey, and that grants him even greater presence. In addition, when the badly pummeled Spidey nevertheless protects the body of Flapper, you know what kind of man Peter Parker is.

Tobin next turns his attention to Chat, Sophia Sandoval, Spidey's girlfriend. Chat is a mutant who has the ability to communicate with animals. She works for the Blonde Phantom. The Blonde Phantom makes a kick-ass cameo in a quid pro quo moment involving squirrels and purloined letters. During his runs in the Marvel Adventures titles, Tobin transformed the Blonde Phantom into Marvel's answer to Honey West, albeit a G-Rated gal.

By the end of the book, most of these characters will come together and decide the fate of Spider-Man. Regular artist Matteo Lolli, however, isn't on hand to aid in the decision making process. Fortunately, Marvel chose Roberto Di Salvo for the substitute.

Di Salvo's artwork is attractive and even more stylized than that of Matteo Lolli's. His designs lean more to the cartoony and that benefits Tobin's story. You cannot tell just by looking at the characters who will turn out to be the good guy or the bad guy.

Di Salvo captures Chat's desperation as she hunts for Peter, and Di Salvo is no mean animal artist. Di Salvo's Spider-Man appears to be a skinny mess. Reasonable given that Spidey just went toe-to-toe against Bullseye. The change in modeling furthermore generates vulnerability and lends to the idea that there are consequences when accepting responsbility.

Sotocolor must also be commended. The scenes in which Spidey tries to "walk it off" bear a distinctive fuzzy hue that symbolizes his weakened state. Sotocolor in general enhances Di Salvo's illustration. Observe the fight scene with Blonde Phantom. The shadow and light form the folds of her signature red dress and embody a greater depth when creating the curvature of physiques.

Simply put Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man book being published. The guest artist bestows as much care to his finished work as the regular talent. Paul Tobin's tale does something few comic books do nowadays--rather than revel in the worst inhumanity, this story celebrates the best traits of it.

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“The Light at the End”

When it was revealed that the X-Men would take on the legendary vampire Dracula, a shudder ran through my spine. It was a primal fear that could only lend my thinking to one worrisome thought--my beloved X-Men were going to be destroyed! Not by the vampires that were going to be brought into the fold but rather destroyed by the subject matter as it was a seemingly apparent riff on the head-scratching success of the Twilight series. Writer Victor Gischler was given a brand spanking new X-Men title and the mutants’ world seemed topsy-turvy from their perspective and the readers’ as well. Things didn’t look like they were going to bode well on either front. Yet can the creators find some way to make this thing work in their favor?

This Blade one-shot was a really decent issue and the shocked the hell out of me. I was totally expecting to get a few pages in and throw my hands up in frustration but much to my chagrin I actually enjoyed this with one exception, but I’ll save that for later.

This one-shot takes a deeper look into the hero Blade and the threatening power play by the vampire sects, who after the death of Dracula have been brought together under one collective umbrella by none other than Xarus, the second son of Drac. Xarus has somehow convinced the different factions to put aside their differences and work to attain the larger goal, world domination. But these aren’t your grandparents vampires, these bad boys are armed to the teeth with new tech that presents them in a new light.

The vamps are attacking vampire hunters and eliminating them. When Blade gets involved he gathers up 11 other hunters and they go out to hunt their sworn enemy. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they are in way over their heads though. The hunters set a plan and it backfires on them when they learn that these vampires aren’t affected by sunlight thanks in part to some light-bending technology they have acquired. It doesn’t take long for the vampires to kill the slayers who are shocked and awed by this revelation. It was a gruesome display of violence as we witness the annihilation of Blade’s allies, including the uber-cool Dolly and Claudia. Of course, only Blade gets away and in doing so learns the true intent of Xarus and his minions--to assimilate the mutants into their ranks. The story closes with Blade in San Francisco waiting to make his move.

This was a very cool and fun story. Swierczynski really put forth a good script and made me believe that this whole vampire debacle may actually hold some promise. However, the art by Tim Green was just not my cup of tea. His style simply makes me eyes hurt, in this issue at least. The inking was odd in that some panels it was a thin layer and was aesthetically pleasant and then a page later it was thick and glaring. His character models are merely static and provide no sense of depth or motion. They seem like someone just stuck stickers onto a static background. Colorist Nathan Fairbairn didn’t help matters any by providing a washed out look to the already awkward pencils and inks. In all honesty, it ruined a very good, strong story by Duane Swierczynski.

If you can get past the artwork on this book you will find a darn good little story. It gave me a glimmer of hope that this whole Curse of the Mutants may not end up being half bad.

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Infinity Gauntlet was one of the first comic books I ever read. Ever! For years, it was the standard by which I judged all other books. It was the first time I’d seen heroes like the Avengers and the X-Men. (They were being horribly killed, but still.) And it forever cemented Thanos as one of the greatest villains ever written. So I expect a lot from this alternate re-telling of the story. My verdict--it’s OK.

It’s pretty clear from the bulbous artwork and light humor that this is not the normal Marvel Universe. This is the more kid friendly Marvel Adventures line. Just like before, Thanos has used the Infinity Gauntlet to kill one-half of all sentient life in the universe. A team is assembled from the surviving heroes to investigate the source of an energy wave they believe is responsible for the deaths. Dr. Doom also joins them, over many objections.

This comic has about an equal number of good and bad points. It’s not explained where Thanos got the Infinity Gauntlet or why he decided to kill billions of people. In the original story, it was part of a larger plan to appease Death. Hopefully we’ll get some exposition in a later issue. The final page revealing the heroes’ transport wasn’t drawn very well. The ship is shown from a distance hovering outside the Baxter Building. I’d have preferred a closer view of the ship so it looks larger and more impressive. Finally, Spider-Man keeps talking like an over-excited teenager. I know this book is for kids and Spidey is technically younger than most of the other heroes, but he’s generally more mature in situations like this.

On the other hand, we get some of the best villain dialogue I’ve ever read. Thanos’ proclamations of his divinity, to no one in particular, are completely in character. But it’s Dr. Doom who steals the show. Doom arrives by blowing up a wall and declaring, “Behold the grim visage of Dr. Doom!” After the inevitable fight, Doom says this wasn’t an attack. “That is how Doom enters a room. How do you do it?” “Through the door,” replies Spider-Man. “The door? Like a peasant?” Dr. Doom crashes through walls because he’s too good for doors! I’m laughing right now! Not only does he destroy something entering the room, he demands people look at him. If this was a movie, his armor would play theme music! The best depictions of Dr. Doom show him being so pompous and destructive he’s both ridiculous and awesome.

Finally, we get the unexpected guest appearance from infamous '80s character, U.S. Archer from US 1. For those of you born after 1990, US 1 was a series about Archer, a truck driver with a brain implant that could pick up CB Radio and a truck with more gimmicks than the Batmobile. The series ended with Archer becoming a long-haul trucker in outer space. Yep. Space trucker. God I love comics.

Ultimately, this comic is a fun retelling of a classic Marvel story. If you take it too seriously, it doesn’t hold up. But it is entertaining enough to follow the whole story. I’m curious to see a confrontation between Thanos and Doom. Two would-be conquerors demanding the other bow down before him. It’s gonna be great.

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“One Moment In Time” (part 3: Something Borrowed)

Oh boy this was a doozy of an issue and not in a particularly good manner of speaking either. While I enjoyed the opening of this four part story there have been some consistent qualms that I have had with this whole idea in general. Without too much revision my concerns basically boil down to this--how will this effect the current quality of Amazing Spider-Man? Is this really a need to know story at this particular moment in time? And, finally, does “One Moment In Time” have enough to offer the title and substantially enhance what has been going on ever since “Brand New Day” or will it end up coming off as an unwanted side effect?

If this issue is any indication it is definitely going to fall short in all of those categories. The biggest obstacle that this storyline suffers from is the unsteady writing of Joe Quesada. Granted his forte is art and running the ship so I can’t really crucify the man for the story, which isn’t all bad. Unfortunately, though the story is still what it is and it could have said Shakespeare on the cover and it wouldn’t have made it any easier to read whatsoever. The structure of the book is awkward in its details. Let’s take a look at a couple of moments in this book that highlight storytelling snafus.

Peter and MJ are in the hospital where the doctor informs Peter that it was his love that saved May. Current medical science was beyond saving the fragile old bag but her nephews love did the trick? OK, so from there we have Pete falling asleep and MJ receiving a call from her Aunt Anna, who hears something in her yard which startles her. In the background we see a masked individual pressed to the side of Anna’s home. Fast forward 24 minutes and MJ arrives to hear the masked man hovering over the unconscious body of Anna and holding a verbose conversation, whose only purpose is stalling time for the dramatic rescue by MJ. 24 minutes and this guy is having a freaking therapy session with the unconscious Anna? So of course he chases MJ, who has now somehow gone from model/actress to world class athlete with parkour skills that are unrivaled, as she effortlessly vaults fences. This leads to the fact that although the fence MJ jumps has a “Beware of Dogs” sign on it only one dog maliciously latches on to her leg as the second dog conveniently waits for her pursuer to arrive before making its presence known in the form of a timely save benefiting Mary Jane. Is this is just a series of fortunate events for our red-headed bombshell or are there greater forces at work here?

Speaking of bombshell, Joe Q's MJ looks more like a squat and stubby woman than a supermodel of the highest order. This is a shame especially in comparison to the lovely Paolo Rivera art. Luckily Joe Q only has a couple of pages here and this is coming from a guy who generally enjoys his artwork.

This third issue of the “One Moment In Time” story was a disappointment on many levels. Mainly it failed to propel the story forward and instead relied on the redundancy of what we have already witnessed in previous issues. The silver lining is that here were a couple of interesting reveals here that on the surface may not be overly shocking but should pay off as it is shown that the Kingpin is the man responsible for sending Eddie (the thug from Amazing Spider-Man #638) after MJ and her family. Remember in the “Back In Black” storyline (if I am not mistaken) the Kingpin was on the receiving end of a black clad Spidey ass whooping in prison. Now old Fisk isn’t one to forgive and forget, but just what is the endgame here? Also, Peter goes to Dr. Strange and asks for the genie (unmasking) to be put back in the bottle. This leads to Strange holding a secret court with none other than Reed Richards and Tony Stark as to the possibilities.

Honestly, this was a waste of an issue outside of the Kingpin and Dr. Strange. The rest was a mere re-threading of what has come before. My concern now is how are Joe Q & company going to wrap this up into a cohesive tale with one issue left? I don’t think that there is ample time to answer the questions that need to be answered. Perhaps the final issue will be a straight to the point affair but judging by the previous issues that doesn’t seem plausible. Just get this over with, hope it is in someway salvageable, and get Dan Slott on ASAP!

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