Comics for Feb 8, First Looks Feb 15

[dvandom]

                    Dave's Unspoilt Capsules and Awards
         The Week's Picks and Pans, plus Awards of Dubious Merit

Standard Disclaimers: Please set appropriate followups.  Recommendation does
not factor in price.  Not all books will have arrived in your area this week.
Everyone's got the Ick this week at work.  Rants, Capsules can be found on my 
             homepage, http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/Rants 

First Looks:
     Every so often, I'll have the time (either while waiting for comics to
be sorted on Wednesday, or over the weekend) to pull out my PDA and type up
reviews of the stuff I read out of the First Looks pile.  Books I end up
buying will be moved down to the Capsules section on Wednesdays.  If I don't
give it a recommendation, I'm probably not buying it.
     If I read the First Looks on Wednesday, I won't include them in the next
week's review.  But if I don't get around to them until the weekend, I'll
include them in the next regular post.

February 15, 2006:

     Justice #4: DC - Exposition interlaced with your basic "villains ambush
the heroes" schtick.  Ross and Braithwaite's art is decent, but the story
(aside from some Superfriends nostalgia factor) is unremarkable.
$3.50/$4.75Cn
     Sentinel Squad O*N*E #2 (of 5): Marvel - Pretty standard "misfit team
has to learn to come together" story as far as I can tell.  The writing is a
bit heavy-handed, and Lopresti's art is serviceable.  It doesn't suck, but
neither am I inspired to go back and read #1.  $2.99/$4.25Cn
     Spider-Woman Origin #3 (of 5): Marvel - Ah, more Bendisian retconning.
The art is good as long as you don't look too hard at the faces, which are
minimalist in a way I don't think particularly works.  There's some good
dialogue, as you'd expect from Bendis.  And, of course, pointless continuity
problems, as you'd also expect from Bendis.  Feh.  $2.99/$4.25Cn
     New Mangaverse #2 (of 5): Marvel - Eh.  Some good bits, and the T&A
isn't as blatant as last issue, but there's just not a lot of "there" there
either.  $2.99/$4.25Cn
     She-Hulk v2 #5: Marvel - Given the nature of this title, I'm not
surprised in general to see a new love triangle develop.  However, this
particular one was a bit of a surprise.  :)  Recommended.  $2.99/$4.25Cn

Capsules:
     Short, relatively spoiler-free reviews of books I actually bring home
(as opposed to reading in preview form in the shop or online).  If I get a
book late due to distributor foulups or whatever, I'll put it in the Missing
section.

     This week, a lot of DC titles end with a spread of multiple images
throughout time of a character or place from the book, with To Be Continued
In Infinite Crisis.  Whee.

     JLA #125: DC - Final issue.  If this had been the climax of a two issue
arc, it would have worked okay.  But it does NOT justify the long buildup it
got.  Neutral.  $2.50/$3.50Cn
     Green Arrow #59: DC - Final issue before the One Year Gag.  More pre-gap
"We're gonna destroy and kill and maim and not worry about it because we can
brush it under the carpet and leave it until later to fix or explain".  Ehn.
This sort of bigscreen explosion stuff might be more impressive if it wasn't
happening in every other DC book.  Mildly recommended.  $2.50/$3.50Cn
     Teen Titans #32: DC - Actually NOT another last-before-gap issue,
there's at least one more to go.  This one, however, is essentially Infinite
Crisis #4 told from a different angle, plus a few scenes that resolve the
whole Byrne Doom Patrol fiasco while there's still plotdevicium energy
floating around.  Oh, and the cover credit is wrong, Nauck draws this issue,
a nice return to characters he drew for years in Young Justice.  Mildly
recommended (unless you didn't buy IC #4, in which case Recommended.  Sheesh,
this is like a toy recolor.).  $2.50/$3.50Cn
     JSA #82: DC - Last before gap, but without the "incarnations" final
panel.  Actually a nice little interlude, telling a story of Earth-2 that is
apparently also foreshadowing for the first One Year Later arc.  Also notable
because of the guest creative team: Paul Levitz, George Perez and Bob Wiacek,
who spend a goodly chunk of the issue in 40s emulation mode.  Recommended.
$2.50/$3.50Cn 
     Exalted #3: Udon - The main story is largely info gathering, angst and a
short fight scene to introduce the Real Threat.  There's a more substantial
Exalted backup this time out, going into the origins of one of the Circle
(albeit in a rather narraty way).  There's also several pages of interviews
with a couple of the people who did Exalted 2nd Edition, but I didn't go
against my usual habit of not reading interviews.  Decent issue,
recommended.  $3.49
     Cable & Deadpool #25: Marvel - Zircher does a scary Liefeld imitation on
the cover.  Deadpool doesn't really do much this issue, it's more Cable &
Captain America, and a lot of philosophical interaction (and some obligatory
fight scenes).  It's interesting to see Nicieza build up what amounts to a
shadow continuty at Marvel...working around Bendis, but not really being
acknowledged by Bendis.  And also, in a way, letting a reader get a complete
setting without having to read anything Bendis does.  Recommended.
$2.99/$4.25Cn 
     Ares #2 (of 5): Marvel - The first issue introduced the protagonist, now
we get to see the antagonist, or at least the face it is choosing to present
to the world right now.  The writing gets a little overblown at times, but
that befits tales of the gods, eh?  Recommended.  $2.99/$4.25 (Parental
advisory, probably for some of the gore, given that there's no sex and the
curses are all &*$! stuff.)
     Ultimate Extinction #2 (of 6): Marvel - Pretty bad cover.  The interior
is more of the same from #1...the main heroes talk and look at monitors and
simulations and go on about how screwed the world is, while Misty Knight
continues to get in over her head.  Very mildly recommended.  $2.99/$4.25Cn
     New Thunderbolts #18: Marvel - Cover kinda works against the story.  The
narration gimmick is a little forced, although it does do a good job of
acting on the principle that every issue is someone's first.  If you came
into this book knowing nothing about the characters, you'd end it with at
least a basic understanding of each.  Recommended largely on the strength of
this use of unfashionable good practices.  $2.99/$4.25Cn
     Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook: Marvel - High Concept of this is
OHOTMU as if it were compiled in late December 1969.  It's not comprehensive:
even in 1969 there was too much in the Marvel Universe to fit into 64 page (I
guess, no page numbers) book.  But it covers a lot, mainly by giving most
characters only a half page (several get full pages, while the Avengers, FF,
Spider-Man and X-Men get two page entries).  There's also a two page "later
information" section at the end, that talks about later appearances,
retconned in stuff that wasn't established by 1969, etc.  I've only had time
to skim it so far, but it looks good.  Strongly recommended.  $4.99/$7.00Cn
     Invincible #28: Image - Main story is mostly about a single point, but
it drives that point home well.  The Capes backup isn't about anything in
particular, just more slice of life with only hints of a plot.  Recommended.
$2.99/$3.50Cn 
     Transformers: Infiltration #2: IDW - In case this one gets published in
the lettercol like my review of #0 did, I should state here that this is part
of a review column.  :)  That aside, this issue continues the Marvel comic
tradition that Ratchet may be a medic, but he's a COMBAT medic.  He's sneaky,
has a good tactical sense, and packs just enough punch to give his plans a
chance to work.  His internal narration is a bit purple, though.  The
photoshopped in faction symbols are still awkward and look like they were put
on at the last minute by the editor rather than being any result of E.J. Su's
efforts.  Speaking of Su's art, it continues to have a raw feel to it that
reminds me of Neal Adams's stuff without actually LOOKING like Adams's art,
if that makes any sense.  It's especially strong on the scenery and the
vehicles, throttling back a lot on the humans and robots.  If Raiz's cover to
#0 had an 80s New U feel to it, I think Su's interiors almost feel like 70s
black and white explosion.  There's also a two page inked preview of #3
(which is mostly robots, so I can't tell if the 70s feel I'm getting off the
finished art is all Su, or is partly colorist Rauch), and three more pages of
the upcoming Beast Wars comic.  Figueroa's organics are perhaps a touch too
organic for my taste (in my mind's eye, the more plasticky CG look of the BW
cartoon is 'correct'), but I like how he included the manga-version's
tendency for beast heads to sometimes have minds of their own (i.e. Seasaurus
looks around from Magmatron's shoulder).  And in case anyone's curious, I got
cover C.  If you're gonna be 70s retro, go all the way and have speech
bubbles on a cover, dude.  Recommended.  $2.99
     Keif Llama Xenotech V2.4: Aeon - Counting the second story as an
epilogue to the first, this is another issue with a full length tale rather
than a collection of shorts.  I think I prefer the shorts, as the concept of
this longer story is perhaps a little stretched out.  Still, it's good.
Recommended.  $2.95/$4.25Cn

Gone Missing:
     Stuff that came out some places this week and that I wanted to buy, but
couldn't find for whatever reason, so people don't have to email me asking
"Why didn't you review X?"  (If it's neither here nor in the section above,
though, feel free to ask, I might have forgotten about it!)

     Current list as of 2/8:

     Bone Sharps, Cowboys and Thunder Lizards GN, Exalted #1, Keif Llama
V2.1, Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire TPB, PS238 #14.

Awards:

Best Book: Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook

"Beginning And Ending On Arcs That Make Me Not Want To Buy The Book, At
     Least There Is Symmetry" Award to JLA #125

"Zatanna's Gonna Be Busy" Award to Green Arrow #59

"Is It Wrong Of Me To Think Raven's Leg On The Cover Looks Kinda Like
     Batman?" Award to Teen Titans #32

"Storytelling Shorthand" Award to JSA #82

"Good Sneaking, Men!" Award to Exalted #3

"Now He Just Needs To Buy Off The IIF Limitation" Award to Cable & Deadpool
     #25

"Oni The Lonely" Award to Ares #2 (of 5)

"Ellis Must REALLY Like Misty Knight" Award to Ultimate Extinction #2 (of 6)

"For Fabian, It's About Writing Captions" Award to New Thunderbolts #18

"Scarily, I Actually Remembered Zota" Award to Marvel Legacy: The 1960s
     Handbook 

"See, This Is Why People Have Danger Rooms" Award to Invincible #28

"Starscream's Been To Spencer Gifts" Award to Transformers: Infiltration #2

"I Think There Might Be Some Political Message In Here, But It's So Gosh-
     Darned SUBTLE" Award to Keif Llama Xenotech V2.4

   Dave Van Domelen, "Around me, TRIPHAMMER hearts work overtime as blood drains from surface capillaries. Throats parch, muscles SPASM and LOCK. Exposed to the harsh REALITY that shapes and defines my life, even the most OPEN human mind takes shocked, stuttering refuge." - Ratchet, Transformers: Infiltration #2

Aside: The editor of Transformers: Infiltration is clearly waiting by the computer tonight for reviews and letters, I sent in a copy of my TF:I capsule and had a reply before I even finished posting this to Usenet. :)

Comments

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Yes, I got it. However, it arrived in the middle of Hell Month (okay, it's not that bad, but I was lacking in spare energy for reviewing backissues) and I've only skimmed the issues. Then they got set aside for Later, and like so many things, Later didn't come (insert lewd riposte here). I'll try to remember to get to it this weekend.