POBB December 6, 2017

Pick of the Brown Bag

December 6, 2017

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag.  You’ve hit the right site if you want reviews of Astonishing X-Men, Batman, Doctor Who, Green Arrow, Green Lanterns, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jupiter Jet, Spirits of Vengeance, Red Sonja and Superman.  As always, you can find me on Twitter if you can’t make it through the entire works: #PickoftheBrownBag.

Jupiter Jet is a neat little riff on King of the Rocket Men, an influential serial and favorite MST3K experiment, that inspired such things as Captain Gravity, The Rocketeer and a reimagined adaptation of the chapter play Rocket Man by Chris Moeller.  

In this story our rocket pack wearing wonder is Jacky, one half owner of an engineering/repair shop situated circa the serial thirties.  In the opening act, we see her version of her sky thievery of a ne’er do-well, and then we see how it really happens.  Without detracting from the optimism inherent in the concept of sci-fi staple rocket packs, the writers, Jason Inman and Ashley Victoria Robinson, opt for a little realism.

You may be saying to yourself.  How can kids be allowed to run a business? Actually, a lot of fathers lost their lives in World War I, and to help working moms, kids often took odd jobs or the responsibility of actual labor.  Chuck and Jacky lost their father and mother in a different way, but they inherited the shop, and they keep it going, with the help of their Uncle Gabriel.

This is all the fascinating backdrop in the nature of the rocket pack.  Whereas the Rocketeer went out of the way to explain the terrestrial workings of the device and attributed the construction to Howard Hughes, Jupiter Jet appears to be going for the extraterrestrial.  When Jacky liberated some money from a crook in the opening gambit of the book, she also took something vital to an evil mastermind’s operations.  Herein lies the conflict.   

With the Aranas either dead or in custody, Red Sonja reunited with Holly and Spike.  They learned the elusive Professor Wallace, foremost scholar on the Hyborean peoples, actually followed their trail while they were following his.  How does a mild-mannered professor keep up with a She-Devil and her two feisty cohorts? Simple.  He's no mere professor.

It turns out that when Khulan Gath cast his spell of escape in the Meruvian village that Sonja attempted to save, Professor Wallace used Max’s natant magical abilities to widen the scope.  Time travel happens.  Wallace hasn’t been twiddling his thumbs ever since then.  He’s been preparing for Red Sonja’s return and Max’s rescue.  

Max who grew up in the present day, meeting Sonja as a police officer, fell back through time with Gath.  He’s trapped in the past.  Sonja luxuriates in the present.  She became accustomed to the hot baths whenever she likes, and quickly adapted to twentieth century technology.

From Red Sonja #7

Stellar Red Sonja writer Amy Chu injects some intriguing limits to magic.  I like that it’s not so much a breaking of physical laws than a blending.  In order for Professor Wallace to work his time travel spell, he needs the power of a fusion generator.  So, he takes the group to Livermore National Laboratory.  Yup, it’s a real place, and artist Carlos Gomez demonstrates that he not only illustrates a literally mouth watering Red Sonja, as well as affable bald heavy-set men, but bearded directors and cutting edge modern day technology.

That’s actually a dead-on accurate depiction of a magnetic fusion containment unit for a nuclear reactor.  Furthermore, Gomez demonstrates strong panel layouts that you wouldn’t expect to find in a simple sword and sorcery production.

Gomez places Holly in the forefront and uses foreshortening techniques to draw her prominence as she explains the Professor’s trickery with Harry Potter lingo.  In a sense, she breaks the fourth wall to wink at the reader, but not fully, for the explanation fits with the story.  So, she remains in the story but not facing the audience to deliver her aside.

When the professor employs the reactor, all hell breaks lose because Gath is itching to return to a world he can conquer.  Bad news for him, Sonja is waiting for him.  Gomez displays his consummate feeling for Sonja in battle, and during this melee, Chu once again surprises by instantly executing Sonja’s prowess with a sword.  Even for Chu’s and Gomez’s run of Red Sonja this is a superior issue.

Silver is the key to the happenings in Spirits of Vengeance.  It all started when an angel delivered a bullet to Johnny Blaze.  Demons masquerading as humans became very interested.  Blaze wasn’t and promptly introduced them to his alter-ego the Ghost Rider.

The Ghost Rider appears almost elemental rather than demonic through artist David Baldeon’s and colorist Andres Mossa's rendition.  That artistic latitude benefits the overall mood of the book.  This isn’t some dark philosophical pontification.  It’s a superhero book.  The heroes just happen to have ties to Hell, but the actual bad guys are far worse.  

Baldeon simply loves to draw monsters, and who can blame him when they look like that.  

Blaze sought out knowledge.  Thus contacting Damien Hellstrom.  Damien in turn sought out muscle in the form of Blade and his sister Satana.  Both latecomers prove to be instrumental in learning the reasons behind the shifts in power of an eternal war between demons and angels.

I love Victor Gischler's and Baldeon's Satana.  It's like she saw what others had in store for her, and decided to step over it all directly from Marvel Team-Up.  She's so humorous and friendly, a sort of occult Mrs. Peel, but that demeanor masks her power.  

Spirits of Vengeance is a blast.  It’s an exciting adult-oriented cartoon with a brilliant design and an easy-going stance on Christian mythology. 

The writer is saying.  Yeah, we all know the story about Judas, but what happened afterward? There’s the presence of physical artifacts to be addressed.  Of course, the reasoning falls apart when you think about it too hard, but such is the way with any alleged magic.  Gischler takes the basis of end-of-days urban folklore and fuses it to the Marvel Universe.  One of the demons for example mentions that he’s related to Surtur’s people in the realm of Musphelheim.  That demon also uses the analogy of automotive engineering to explain why the supernatural badassery the Big Bad desires cannot function without all the parts.  The interconnectivity combined with functionality carves out a very different exorcise.

Charles Soule concludes his first arc in Astonishing X-Men, unfortunately, the artwork Mike Del Mundo is such a distracting light show that you have to divorce yourself from the neon in order to figure out what’s going on.  In one sense, this story plays out how you expected.  The good guys win big time.  The shades of gray X-Men—Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Archangel, Psylocke, Mystique and Fantomex all grow a little brighter.  Soule executes the wins with skill and depth.  The cliffhanger however is something special and unexpected.

The Guardians of the Galaxy still ply their trade in the Nova Corps to suss out the corrupt Novas.  In previous issues, Gamora and Ant-Man found themselves besieged by virus plagued cadres of heavies.  Peter Quill and Rich Ryder, the original Man Called Nova, located an off the books Nova base.  

All through this new adventure, Rocket hunted for bad Novas on New Xandria, and he’s been gung-ho and successful in rooting out petty crime.  

You’ve got to wonder.  What game is Rocket playing?  Does the payday really motivate him, or is he out to take over the rackets?  The Guardians are after all heroes by default.  Mostly they’re con-artists and thieves who occasionally save the universe.  The argument against.  Rocket would have to stay to run the operation, and Rocket just isn't that kind of criminal.

This issue centers on Drax the Destroyer.  Drax hails from earth.  He’s a resurrected victim of Thanos who seeks revenge for his wife and daughter, who turns out not to be dead and becomes perennial bitch Moondragon.  Of late, Drax has taken up pacifism, but he’s just not that good at it.  When Drax investigates a telepathic cyborg, things go straight down hill for the Nova Corps quick to kill.  The audience however gets a big belly laugh.

As the story closes, a new player paws onto the stage, and  he's there for more faithful Guardians of the Galaxy fans.  Or maybe space Marvel fans.  I don't know the ins and outs of this fellow, but I understand his significance and comprehend the historical allusion.  That he personally defies the evil Groots growing all over the place suggests greater involvement and greater explanation in future issues.

Last issue, a weird red alien named Bolphunga smacked around the Lanterns, or tried to.  Jessica put in some good ones with the help of a green plasma fish.  So, that should give you and idea of Tim Seeley's mindset.  

In the end, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz discovered Bolphunga's challenges were actually cries for help.  Bolphunga made a deal with an exotic alien lawyer.  She would spring him from the Green Lantern Corps prison if he simply agreed to kill his aged father.  

There’s a lot of love between the two bickering beet facers.  Cruz and Baz weren't about to dismiss the story out of hand, but corroboration and investigation proved dicey.  In this issue of Green Lanterns the truth comes out.  Singularity Jain who sounds like she should be serving up drinks in a saloon from Full Moon's space western Oblivion arrives on earth and picks a fight with Baz and Cruz.

The amusing courtroom drama from the Lanterns details an odd alien incursion that’s powered unlimited, yet Jain likes the personal touch as well.  

Her use of her feet on Jessica is perfectly done.  It's a classic abuse of power, and there's an added purposeful creepiness in the bare skin.  She's trying to throw Jessica off her game using every iota of power and every wile she can.  Drawn like she should be a super-hero, sexual but completely amoral, Singularity Jain is a compelling co-creation by Seeley and artist Ronan Cliquet.

Writer Benjamin Percy takes Green Arrow out of his element and sticks him in a submarine with his resurrected mother Moira.

There’s nothing special about this issue of Green Arrow per se.  It’s just well written with one oddball idea.  Percy uses the concept for all its worth.  For example, he draws upon Oliver’s fear of water, something that I never would have really considered but makes so much sense.  The sea took Oliver’s ship.  His father.  It prevented him from escaping the island.  He probably gets real uncomfortable around Aquaman.

Oliver’s well-meaning yet risky scheme allows Percy to better characterize Dinah Lance as an intelligent independent thinker.  The Black Canary benefitted greatly from the new 52.  Green Arrow and Black Canary didn’t even know each other.  Instead, Duane Swierczynski reintroduced her as a founding member of the Birds of Prey.  She regained her Canary Cry, lost the victimization from Longbow Hunters, and drew upon a richer history as a member of Team 7.  The new 52 Black Canary is in fact a reinvention of the Golden Age Black Canary.  It’s a subtle difference, but she’s not the daughter of the original.  She's the original.  

Percy also develops a subplot into aninteresting straight-forward detective story.  Although I question why this Emily Pool isn’t the Thea Queen that she looks like, I still can enjoy what’s going on and see how it ties into Green Arrow.

The Green Arrow teamed up with individual members of the Justice League to fight the Ninth Circle.  Oliver’s indictment for murder created underlying friction.  Now, I can see what that’s all about.  This is much more engrossing than a stupid Diggle comment and his team-up with Merlyn the Bowman.

Batman.  Superman.  Lois Lane.  Catwoman.  I read this six times.  Just when you think Tom King can’t go beyond his normal level of great.  He gives you this.

The Batman-Superman pairing pertains to the major events in Batman’s life that King has been orchestrating throughout his run.  The seeds of this tale believe it or not started with “I am Gotham” where Batman is about to sacrifice his life for Gotham City.  He however meets two heroes who I originally thought were disguised Legionnaires.

The youths will impact on Batman’s life in extraordinary ways that will reintroduce major villains and draw Catwoman back into the mythology.  

King will deconstruct Batman with a scalpel that demonstrate the characterization possessed from day one.  He’ll then play with longtime lore until the reader arrives here.  

Not a single issue of King’s Batman should be missed, but many of the stories and issues like this one can be read alone.  The reader will benefit from a richer tapestry should she read the entirety.  It's not necessary.  If you just want to read a tale of the World's Finest team, this is for you.  If you want to see a rare team-up between Lois Lane and Catwoman, this is for you.

Artists Clay Mann, Seth Mann and Jordie Bellaire create stunning characters shaped in realism and a visual narrative that times out King’s beats perfectly.  A short mystery wraps around the interaction, and the culprit who I’ll reveal at the end of this post is a classic villain.

The story in Superman started with Geoff Johns’ Justice League.  A prophecy foretold the rising of a new leader for the planet of Apokolips after Darkseid died.  The Prophet described Superman to a tee, but Lex Luthor usurped the Man of Steel’s position, and things got complicated.  Whether or not Johns ever intended to resolve this issue is anybody’s guess, but Superman writer Peter J. Tomasi decided to do just that.  In the first part of the story, the Prophet and Ardora abduct Lex Luthor in the hopes of settling a civil war.  An actual one.

Lex Luthor in turn decides to come clean and helps the Hunger Dogs retrieve Superman.  Inadvertently picking up spares in the form of Jonathan Kent and Lois Lane.

Lois Lane moves from prisoner of Granny Goodness and the Female Furies to semi-trusted adoptee.  This plot twist is indicative of the restored Lois Lane, and her redress of insults is pretty much exactly what I said.  There’s no reason why Lois Lane can’t be a badass, a wife and a mom.

When Kalibak showed up, you knew things were going to move to brutal stupidity, and he pretty much accidentally destabilized the whole planet.  So, Superman to the rescue, but this just leaves one problem.  Who will rule Apokolips? The answer is surprising.  It makes perfect sense, but this decision institutes a definite change, an advancement in the DC Universe.  It’s almost a shame that Lex is in such a snit afterward that he threatens the Lex/Superman bromance, but he was knocked out a lot during this adventure.  Perhaps, he’s a bit concussed.

Superb first issue of Doctor Who by Richard Dinnick and Francesco Manna.  The story starts out classic.

Dinnick pin-points the prickliness of Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. 

The Doctor, Bill and Nardole investigate and uncover the survivors, who promptly leap to the wrong conclusion.

The Doctor of course quickly ingratiates himself.  The fact that they didn’t immediately kill him probably looked promising.

Meanwhile, Bill who appeared to escape discovers the echo of the Doctor’s past, catalyzed by a well meaning engineer.

The strengths of this new story are many.  Dinnick characterizes the Doctor, Bill and Nardole as if he had the actors in the room.  He also fleshes out the second tier characters which might comprise an alternate universe Firefly.  The rapid pacing is full of surprises.  When you think Dinnick is aiming for light and bouncy, he goes dramatic, and visa versa.  Finally, the reveal of the nemesis behind what’s happening on the ship is timed for suspense.  

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Doctor X is a 1950s Batman villain that debuted in Detective Comics #261. The mad doctor Simon Ecks duplicated his personality and transplanted it in an energy doppelgänger dubbed Double X.  This Hyde persona seemed to be the driving force for future appearances.  Ecks and Double X became synonymous temperament wise.

After attempting to kill Batman and failing, he went on to try to kill Batman and Superman in World’s Finest. Failing again and again.  Doctor X is also notable for choosing to wear a rooster’s comb on his cowl.  His reasoning is beyond me.  Perhaps he just likes roosters.