Y: The Last Man v10 - I usually take a little longer reading trades but I was too eager (this time) to wait. I finished off Y yesterday. The last few chapters (# 58 and 60 in particular) were hard for me to read. Such a downer. If Yorick was on a quest then I'm not sure what he was questing for cause he sure didn't get it. Everything seemed to fall apart for him at the end. In a sense he got his come uppance. What I mean by that is that he felt guilty about being the only man to survive and finally he paid for it, big time. That still doesn't answer my question about what he was questing for. At least I know how it ends now.
I'll probably reread this in a few years. I wonder how it will read, knowing how things turn out in the end. I may not remember all the details but I'm sure that I'll remember certain key facts.
---
I also went comic book shopping today. I went to Barbarian and picked up four books: two manga (Monster v16, Bleach v18), one DC (Camelot 3000), and one Marvel (Punisher: Circle of Blood). I asked them to order Powers v8 and She-Hulk v4 for me. I almost picked up Sleeper v1, but opted for Camelot 3000 instead.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Y: The Last Man
Y: The Last Man v10
* SPOILERS *
I read # 58 last night. Wow, that hurt. It felt like they ripped out my heart. At first I was numb and didn't know how to react. I think I might have half been expecting it to turn into one of those dream sequences. When it finally sank in I started crying. That went on for about 10 minutes. It really hurt.
It just feels wrong. She can't die. Not like that. I figured she wasn't going to make it out of the story alive but I didn't see it happening the way it did. I figured that her end would be more heroic.
The end to # 57 was bad enough but that was like a mosquito bite compared to what I am feeling now. The lack of words on the those last few pages made it that much more poignant. I'm half afraid to read any more. They just killed Superman.
Of course it wasn't just what happened or how it happened but also when it happened: just after the two of them admit to how they feel about one another. Who's to say how things would have worked out if she hadn't been killed, especially given the world they live in. Still, the fact that they finally laid their cards on the table was great even though it happened just before she got whacked. *sigh*
They probably won't reveal her real name (which she whisperd to him just before she was killed) but I'm okay with that. Some mysteries are better when they remain mysteries.
I've still got two chapters to go. I am afraid, very afraid, for how this will all end, especially given the cover to the last issue.
* SPOILERS *
I read # 58 last night. Wow, that hurt. It felt like they ripped out my heart. At first I was numb and didn't know how to react. I think I might have half been expecting it to turn into one of those dream sequences. When it finally sank in I started crying. That went on for about 10 minutes. It really hurt.
It just feels wrong. She can't die. Not like that. I figured she wasn't going to make it out of the story alive but I didn't see it happening the way it did. I figured that her end would be more heroic.
The end to # 57 was bad enough but that was like a mosquito bite compared to what I am feeling now. The lack of words on the those last few pages made it that much more poignant. I'm half afraid to read any more. They just killed Superman.
Of course it wasn't just what happened or how it happened but also when it happened: just after the two of them admit to how they feel about one another. Who's to say how things would have worked out if she hadn't been killed, especially given the world they live in. Still, the fact that they finally laid their cards on the table was great even though it happened just before she got whacked. *sigh*
They probably won't reveal her real name (which she whisperd to him just before she was killed) but I'm okay with that. Some mysteries are better when they remain mysteries.
I've still got two chapters to go. I am afraid, very afraid, for how this will all end, especially given the cover to the last issue.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Starman, Daredevil
I didn't realize that it had been four weeks since I last wrote here. I guess I've been busy with other stuff.
Starman Omnibus v1 - I've read the first six (# 0 - 5) of seventeen issues in this collection. I'm torn as to whether I like it or not. I'm not wild about the art. Its good but not great. It might grow on me over time but so far I'm not digging it. The action fight scenes are ok but they lack something. What I do like is the writing, especially the dialogue. The best parts, the parts that I enjoy the most seem to be the wordier scenes where either Jack Knight (the main character) is narrating or is talking to someone else.
For instance in issue # 0 I really like the page where Jack walks into his shop for the first time, just after his brother has been killed but before he finds out. Something about that page, the narration, the way the words are spaced into different word/thought blocks really spoke to me.
Another instance would be in issue # 5 when Jack meets his dead brother in a dream sequence. At first they fight and its just okay but then when David starts talking and Jack shuts up I found what David had to say to be incredibly moving. Possibly this is because he has the same first name as me but I think its more likely that it is because the way he moves from being adversarial to brotherly and protective of Jack added depth to his character tha I don't think was there before. It also kind of stunned me because I was thinking about how mediocre the story was up until then.
So, yes prior to reading #5 I was thinking that I probably wouldn't buy v2 but now I'm not so sure. Is it a great read? So far I would have to say no. It shows promise but I'm gonna need more than that. I think I'll have to wait a while longer (possibly until I've finished v1) before deciding if I am going to get v2.
Daredevil: The Devil Inside & Out v2 - This was good. There were parts that were a little slow but on the whole I liked it; not as much as v1 but I liked it. It read a bit like filler, what I mean is that it felt like Brubaker is setting something up that will happen in the next trade or two.
Funny thing about this series is the art of Michael Lark. I like it but I'm not sure why. It is kind of sketchy and not as finished or polished as much of the artwork that I like. It doesn't resemble the work of Joe Kubert but I think it has that in common with it. They both rough feel rough around the edges.
Daredevil in Europe was weird, very weird. He belongs in Hell's Kitchen, NYC. Maybe if he ventured beyond the borders of the big apple more often I wouldn't feel this way. Batman seems out of place when he leaves Gotham to fight Ras al Ghul in exotic locations around the world but I've at least gotten used to seeing him do so. I can't say the same for Daredevil.
The Foggy Nelson subplot seemed more in character for this book. Given that Daredevil gets most of the screen time in this series (and seems to work alone more often than not) it was good to see Brubaker devote an entire issue to a member of the supporting cast.
I really liked the last chapter. In some ways it seemed a bit too simple how Matt Murdock was able to return to his old life. But then seeing him go to Ryker's Island to confront the Kingpin and promise to help get him out of prison was really moving. The tension in that scene was palpable. Murdock didn't want to be there but he felt he owed a debt to the Vanessa Fisk to help her husband even though he knows that Fisk will come after him eventually.
Starman Omnibus v1 - I've read the first six (# 0 - 5) of seventeen issues in this collection. I'm torn as to whether I like it or not. I'm not wild about the art. Its good but not great. It might grow on me over time but so far I'm not digging it. The action fight scenes are ok but they lack something. What I do like is the writing, especially the dialogue. The best parts, the parts that I enjoy the most seem to be the wordier scenes where either Jack Knight (the main character) is narrating or is talking to someone else.
For instance in issue # 0 I really like the page where Jack walks into his shop for the first time, just after his brother has been killed but before he finds out. Something about that page, the narration, the way the words are spaced into different word/thought blocks really spoke to me.
Another instance would be in issue # 5 when Jack meets his dead brother in a dream sequence. At first they fight and its just okay but then when David starts talking and Jack shuts up I found what David had to say to be incredibly moving. Possibly this is because he has the same first name as me but I think its more likely that it is because the way he moves from being adversarial to brotherly and protective of Jack added depth to his character tha I don't think was there before. It also kind of stunned me because I was thinking about how mediocre the story was up until then.
So, yes prior to reading #5 I was thinking that I probably wouldn't buy v2 but now I'm not so sure. Is it a great read? So far I would have to say no. It shows promise but I'm gonna need more than that. I think I'll have to wait a while longer (possibly until I've finished v1) before deciding if I am going to get v2.
Daredevil: The Devil Inside & Out v2 - This was good. There were parts that were a little slow but on the whole I liked it; not as much as v1 but I liked it. It read a bit like filler, what I mean is that it felt like Brubaker is setting something up that will happen in the next trade or two.
Funny thing about this series is the art of Michael Lark. I like it but I'm not sure why. It is kind of sketchy and not as finished or polished as much of the artwork that I like. It doesn't resemble the work of Joe Kubert but I think it has that in common with it. They both rough feel rough around the edges.
Daredevil in Europe was weird, very weird. He belongs in Hell's Kitchen, NYC. Maybe if he ventured beyond the borders of the big apple more often I wouldn't feel this way. Batman seems out of place when he leaves Gotham to fight Ras al Ghul in exotic locations around the world but I've at least gotten used to seeing him do so. I can't say the same for Daredevil.
The Foggy Nelson subplot seemed more in character for this book. Given that Daredevil gets most of the screen time in this series (and seems to work alone more often than not) it was good to see Brubaker devote an entire issue to a member of the supporting cast.
I really liked the last chapter. In some ways it seemed a bit too simple how Matt Murdock was able to return to his old life. But then seeing him go to Ryker's Island to confront the Kingpin and promise to help get him out of prison was really moving. The tension in that scene was palpable. Murdock didn't want to be there but he felt he owed a debt to the Vanessa Fisk to help her husband even though he knows that Fisk will come after him eventually.
Friday, July 4, 2008
She-Hulk, Punisher, X-Men
*** SPOILERS ***
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Good but not great. I've written about it before. I enjoyed chapters 1, 2, and 5 . Chapters 3 and 4 I could have done without.
Chapter 3 - It was the 100th issue and was drawn by 50 different artists. It wasn't a regular issue, even though it was written that way. It was a collage, an homage, but not a single story. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
Chapter 4 - A follow up to House of M or some such other gigantic Marvel crossover event from years past. It was not drawn by Juan Bobillo, the regular artist.
Chapter 5 - Jen/She-Hulk brings the Two-Gun Kid with her when she returns to the present. This chapter is all about the TGK trying to fit in. What's cool about it is how it is isn't Jen (but Mallory Book) who sees the solution to TGK's dilemma. It's an interesting character moment, letting one of the supporting characters (instead of the She-Hulk) step forward (metaphorically speaking) and help TGK find his place in the 21st century.
I do plan to pick up the next volume of She-Hulk, which I think is the last one written by Dan Slott.
Punisher War Journal v1: Civil War - I had high hopes for this book and so far they have yet to be met. The first four issues collected in this volume all tie into a Marvel crossover.
Chapter 1 - Not a bad start although it was a little disjointed. I'm guessing that part of the story was told in another book. I like the artwork. The black and white version of chapter 1 (that is also included in this collection) makes it abundantly clear (to me at least) how talented Ariel Olivetti is.
Chapter 2 - This is where I really started to have problems with the book. I really don't like the idea of Frank Castle fighting alongside super-heroes. Frank should not be buddies with Captain America. They may see eye-to-eye on an issue or two but I don't like seeing the Punisher following Cap's lead. Thankfully it doesn't last. Castle returns to his tried and true methods before the issue is over, much to Cap's dismay.
Hopefully things will pick up in chapters 3 and 4.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus v1 - I'm almost there. I've read 95% of this collection: 38 of 40 issues. Its only taken me 6.5 months to get this far. I didn't care much for the Proteus storyline: X-Men # 125 - 128. I didn't think much of him as a villain. His powers were a little too vague.
X-Men # 129 introduces Kitty Pride. I'm not sure if I ever read it before. I did love the expressions on Peter/Colossus' face as he looks over Logan/Wolverine's shoulder as he is reading first Hustler and then Penthouse; priceless. I think this was also the first appearance of Emma Frost. I still can't get over the fact that she is now a member of the X-Men and Scott/Cyclops' lover. Just two more issues to go and then I'll probably have to wait a couple years or more for v2. Unfortunately the break is right at the beginning of the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Overall this has been a great purchase. I had read parts of this run of issues: # 94 - 131, but never read the whole run. It has given me a greater appreciation for what followed it and where the X-Men were coming from leading up to # 150, which is about where I began collecting the series back in the early 1980s.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Good but not great. I've written about it before. I enjoyed chapters 1, 2, and 5 . Chapters 3 and 4 I could have done without.
Chapter 3 - It was the 100th issue and was drawn by 50 different artists. It wasn't a regular issue, even though it was written that way. It was a collage, an homage, but not a single story. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
Chapter 4 - A follow up to House of M or some such other gigantic Marvel crossover event from years past. It was not drawn by Juan Bobillo, the regular artist.
Chapter 5 - Jen/She-Hulk brings the Two-Gun Kid with her when she returns to the present. This chapter is all about the TGK trying to fit in. What's cool about it is how it is isn't Jen (but Mallory Book) who sees the solution to TGK's dilemma. It's an interesting character moment, letting one of the supporting characters (instead of the She-Hulk) step forward (metaphorically speaking) and help TGK find his place in the 21st century.
I do plan to pick up the next volume of She-Hulk, which I think is the last one written by Dan Slott.
Punisher War Journal v1: Civil War - I had high hopes for this book and so far they have yet to be met. The first four issues collected in this volume all tie into a Marvel crossover.
Chapter 1 - Not a bad start although it was a little disjointed. I'm guessing that part of the story was told in another book. I like the artwork. The black and white version of chapter 1 (that is also included in this collection) makes it abundantly clear (to me at least) how talented Ariel Olivetti is.
Chapter 2 - This is where I really started to have problems with the book. I really don't like the idea of Frank Castle fighting alongside super-heroes. Frank should not be buddies with Captain America. They may see eye-to-eye on an issue or two but I don't like seeing the Punisher following Cap's lead. Thankfully it doesn't last. Castle returns to his tried and true methods before the issue is over, much to Cap's dismay.
Hopefully things will pick up in chapters 3 and 4.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus v1 - I'm almost there. I've read 95% of this collection: 38 of 40 issues. Its only taken me 6.5 months to get this far. I didn't care much for the Proteus storyline: X-Men # 125 - 128. I didn't think much of him as a villain. His powers were a little too vague.
X-Men # 129 introduces Kitty Pride. I'm not sure if I ever read it before. I did love the expressions on Peter/Colossus' face as he looks over Logan/Wolverine's shoulder as he is reading first Hustler and then Penthouse; priceless. I think this was also the first appearance of Emma Frost. I still can't get over the fact that she is now a member of the X-Men and Scott/Cyclops' lover. Just two more issues to go and then I'll probably have to wait a couple years or more for v2. Unfortunately the break is right at the beginning of the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Overall this has been a great purchase. I had read parts of this run of issues: # 94 - 131, but never read the whole run. It has given me a greater appreciation for what followed it and where the X-Men were coming from leading up to # 150, which is about where I began collecting the series back in the early 1980s.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
She-Hulk, Namor
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - The third chapter in this collection (issue # 100) didn't quite live up to what I hoped it would be. The multitude of artists that worked on the book made it a mess. The best parts were those drawn by the (at the time) current artist Juan Bobillo. For the most part the others caused the mood to change just a little too quickly and frequently. It was more montage (of She-Hulk's history, sorry but I can't get my self to call her Shulkie) than an actual story. There was a story buried in this issue but all the guest artists took away from it, IMHO. I found myself rushing to finish it just so that I could be over and done with it, unlike the second chapter which I reread because I liked it so much. Hopefully it will be back to business-as-usual with chapter 4.
Namor - I've started re-reading my collection of John Byrne's Namor. I am missing the last four issues of his initial run on the book (#1 -25) but I'm on the look out for them. I'm undecided as to how great or lame this series was. The ideas often trump the execution. Even the artwork isn't Byrne's best, but I've only read the first two issues so maybe I should give it a few more before I begin to render judgment.
Namor - I've started re-reading my collection of John Byrne's Namor. I am missing the last four issues of his initial run on the book (#1 -25) but I'm on the look out for them. I'm undecided as to how great or lame this series was. The ideas often trump the execution. Even the artwork isn't Byrne's best, but I've only read the first two issues so maybe I should give it a few more before I begin to render judgment.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
She-Hulk, Phoenix
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - I've only read the first two chapters. The artwork is growing on me; I'm learning to appreciate it. In particular I love how disheveled and geeky Jen looks while sitting at the breakfast table with John and Pug. Many of the other facial expressions are great too, especially on Jen or She-Hulk's face.
Dan Slott's writing is impressive. I love the humorous touches he puts in the story. If I had to pick one reason why I read this book I think it would be for the humor.
Phoenix v9: Strange Beings/Life - I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have some of the previous volumes. In particular, I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Tezuka uses different cultures in his stories; in this case the Incas of South America. I suppose he didn't expect that it would ever see publication outside of Japan or consider his depictions to be negative. I'm not sure that his depictions of other cultures are negative but they do rub me the wrong way; like he is taking the name (Inca, in this case) and then adding the characteristics he wants that culture to have. He seems to be creating a cultural identity for a non-Japanese culture that seems to me is more a creation of his imagination than it is based in fact. That bothers me.
Also maybe I've read a little too much Tezuka in the recent past and need to take a break, at least from Phoenix.
Dan Slott's writing is impressive. I love the humorous touches he puts in the story. If I had to pick one reason why I read this book I think it would be for the humor.
Phoenix v9: Strange Beings/Life - I'm not enjoying this one as much as I have some of the previous volumes. In particular, I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Tezuka uses different cultures in his stories; in this case the Incas of South America. I suppose he didn't expect that it would ever see publication outside of Japan or consider his depictions to be negative. I'm not sure that his depictions of other cultures are negative but they do rub me the wrong way; like he is taking the name (Inca, in this case) and then adding the characteristics he wants that culture to have. He seems to be creating a cultural identity for a non-Japanese culture that seems to me is more a creation of his imagination than it is based in fact. That bothers me.
Also maybe I've read a little too much Tezuka in the recent past and need to take a break, at least from Phoenix.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Nextwave v1, She-Hulk v3
Nextwave v1: This Is What They Want - and it is awesome. Finished reading it last night on the metro. I loved it and I want more, despite the fact that I thought the story lagged in chapters 2 and 3. I'm not sure why it lagged but I don't feel like going back to figure out why.
So I want more Nextwave. Hopefully v2 won't disappoint me like v2 of Young Avengers did. I thought the first six chapters of YA were really good and then it turned into an after school special in v2. Still can't figure that one out.
What worked in Nextwave v1 is the humor, the character interactions, the outrageous weapons, and the artwork (pencils, inks, and colors); or at least those are the things that come to mind most readily.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Only just started reading this today. The first chapter is fun. I'm not wild about the artwork but I like the writing and the artwork isn't dog-awful. I like the comic book jokes, especially the way they used the "waiting for the trade" line. So far not much else to report on. Its fun, its light, the artwork if so-so, I want to keep reading it. Hopefully the rest of the book will be just as fun, light, etc.
So I want more Nextwave. Hopefully v2 won't disappoint me like v2 of Young Avengers did. I thought the first six chapters of YA were really good and then it turned into an after school special in v2. Still can't figure that one out.
What worked in Nextwave v1 is the humor, the character interactions, the outrageous weapons, and the artwork (pencils, inks, and colors); or at least those are the things that come to mind most readily.
She-Hulk v3: Time Trials - Only just started reading this today. The first chapter is fun. I'm not wild about the artwork but I like the writing and the artwork isn't dog-awful. I like the comic book jokes, especially the way they used the "waiting for the trade" line. So far not much else to report on. Its fun, its light, the artwork if so-so, I want to keep reading it. Hopefully the rest of the book will be just as fun, light, etc.
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