POBB: July 8, 2015

Pick of the Brown Bag

July 8, 2015

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag.  In this blog, I review the week's comic books: the good, the bad and the ugly.  Compliments and criticism are welcomed.  The comic books this week are Batman/Superman, Earth 2 Society, Justice League United, Red Hood and Arsenal, Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Starfire and Vampirella and the Army and Darkness.

Congratulations, ladies.  You're awesome!

Every once and awhile during the nineties DC and Marvel would kill off a hero, metaphorically and/or literally and stick a more violent less interesting replacement in the suit.   

Sometimes they would add insult to injury and replace the suit; usually something with arm and leg pouch bands.

Around this time an independent would remember that superheroes were supposed to be fun.  They would put together a beautifully designed champion who saves lives and solves crime rather than bloodying hyper-murdering super-villains in what appears to be an unstoppable wave of evil.  They would have her ply her trade in a well thought out but brisk story and do so with elegant cuteness.  You would instantly fall in love with that book because it was giving you exactly what you're looking for.  Alas there would be two issues and then a third in five years with a fourth in the next twenty.  I don't begrudge the time limit.  Usually the people who did this had day jobs, and there was no Kickstarter.

Starfire resembles such an independent.  It's as good as any protest against the grim and gritty.  The difference is that Starfire's being published by DC, has a consistent publishing schedule and focuses on a character that's been around since pre-Crisis.  

Oh, and we're not really in another Dark Age of comics.  Sure a couple characters are "dead," but they're not either, and DC isn't suggesting otherwise.  One can argue that the new new Batman fits the replacement category above, but nobody in his right mind thinks Bat Bunny will last long.

A hurricane storms through Key West, and Starfire jets around the isle saving lives while being cute and funny. 

Not to worry.  Kori's all right.  The Tamaran alien while not as invulnerable as Supergirl or Power Girl is still pretty tough.  After shaking off the impact, Kori soon runs into her new friend Stella Gomez, Sheriff of the island city.

The Sheriff's use of a tank may seem convenient, but thanks to a law passed in 1997 police are allowed to buy military equipment.  So, it's not unusual that a Sheriff has a tank in paradise.  The presence of the tank is an example of writers Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti contrasting Starfire's dazzle in a realistic setting.  Kori also promises to wreck it in an amusing scene; thus once again showing just how powerful she is.

With Bertie the Parrot rescued, Starfire must now race to Stella's brother, who may be a hero, or may have a death wish since he lost his wife.  

Meanwhile, something took advantage of the storm and surfaced from a sink hole.  This incursion sets up the next issue.  Yeah, Starfire is pretty much everything I'm looking for.

Batman/Superman seems to recapitulate the nineties.  Big clunky robot bat suit? Check.  Bad Superman haircut? Double-check, but there's a difference.  Nobody thinks the power-cut Superman with the exposed secret identity and bad hairdo will last long.  As mentioned above, neither will Bat Bunny, even if it is...

Spoiler Ahoy!

...Jim Gordon in the suit.  The fact is that Jim Gordon makes for a lousy Batman.  He's too by the book, and Batman needs to be an outlaw.  Superman on the other hand is still Superman.

The Man of Steel makes an extraordinary effort to work with Bat Bunny, and they have a good reason to bury the hatchet.

Naturally it doesn't work out.  Superman actually takes the role of investigator.  Whereas Bat Bunny assumes the bruiser function.  Ultimately, Superman breaks from the partnership because Bat Bunny is too reminiscent of the way he was perceived.

This isn't a great issue of Batman/Superman because of Bat Bunny, but it's better written than it's type.

Red Hood and Arsenal on the other hand is fantastic.  I know.  I'm as surprised as you are.  The cover depicts Red Hood and Arsenal fighting mimes under the banner "Silent But Deadly!"  That should clue you in that this book should be considered nothing more than bwa-ha-ha-ha funny, and people, it is.

Roy Harper's sobriety and firepower are the only things writer Scott Lobdell takes seriously.  The story kicks off with Jason Todd becoming Roy's roommate and partner again.  He discovers that Roy already spent the check that Washington Fixer Tara Battleworth cut them.

From there, Battleworth gives Jason and Roy a tryout in Paris.  All they need do is retrieve a thumb drive from an unfriendly scientist formerly of S.H.A.D.E.  That's no big deal, but this is where the book diverges from other would-be spy series.  Jason has a personal mission, and Roy digs it.

Many terrorists are killed or beaten to a pulp in two hilarious video game styled spreads courtesy of Howard Porter and Hi-Fi.  There's no real rational when this happens.  It's just a massive waving of creative license.  Lobdell and Porter also make good on the mimes.

 You thought the mimes were just a cover gag, didn't you?

When the story concludes, Lobdell demonstrates that Jason and Roy aren't the rubes they appear to be.  They don't trust Battleworth or forces inside the government.  So they pull a clever tactic, while getting paid for the betrayal.

Red Hood and Arsenal is full of laughs.  The characters read as consistent and true, while still being the source for numerous gags, and this is the only book I've read where getting shot in the shoulder actually incapacitates.  You don't shrug that off.

Jeff Parker turns Justice League United into Justice League Task Force.  Task Force was originally a means to mix and match superheroes not necessarily tied into the League for a specific mission.  It was run basically by the CIA and mostly negligible, save for a few stories.

We'll see how long a revisit of the format lasts.  It's not entirely similar.  Writer Parker turns Adam Strange into the Watcher.  This however might be too different to stick, and I'm not entirely wild about the idea either.  It might be fun for awhile, but not as a long standing plot device.

Better is Parker using the current United Team as Justice League contacts.  Parker constructs his first band out of Poison Ivy, formerly of the Birds of Prey.  So, she does at least have some experience working with others.

Batgirl Cameos for Two Pages

She might be more inclined to cooperate given the presence of Swamp Thing, previously a member of Justice League Dark.

Filling out the ranks, we have fan favorite Mera, and Jason Blood, who could be Parker's callback to Cosmic Odyssey, still one of the best post-Crisis adventures.  In the genuine mini-series--only four issues--Superman gathers Eagles that include Jason Blood.

Justice League United forms this task force to combat a particularly odd menace, that you might see in The Doom Patrol, were this the Silver Age.  

Justice League United is very plot-driven, but Parker does include some personality in the Star-Spangled Kid's scenario and he seems to really like writing Jason Blood, as an arch occult investigator, similar to how Jack Kirby conceived his creation.  Poison Ivy's best moment comes in her brief encounter with Batgirl, but the rest is readable.  However, fans will miss the double-act of Animal Man and Green Arrow.

The Earth 2 Society reveals why an exoskeleton powered Batman hunts down Terry Sloan; no it's not just a good idea.  Sloan and the rest of the survivors of earth 2 are attacked from within.  So Sloan decides the logical course of action is to crash all the ships that he and the World Army oversee and sort out the pieces later.   That's not however the most interesting thing about Earth 2 Society.  This is.

That's right.  Batman created the ultimate contingency plan, a terraforming device with Kryptonian and Amazon input and technology.  That's how good Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are.  Even after their deaths they wanted to protect humanity and the planet.

Best written Mary Jane ever.  "With great power, comes great responsibility."  Mary Jane and Peter Parker never split.  They married and had the adorable Annie, depicted in the heart-to-heart.  Annie inherited her father's powers, and that's a bad thing because Regent is in charge.

Regent is a superpower vampire, and he has become Spider-Man's number one bug bear because almost every Spider-Man foe is just a punk with a gadget.  So, Spider-Man's rogues' gallery voluntarily serve the Regent.  The Parkers have done their best to shield their daughter from Regent's senses.

But it's just not meant to be.  Despite Pete's best efforts, Annie shorts out the power inhibitors he created.  Again, Spider-Man is really, really smart.  People tend to forget this, but in "Renew Your Vows" we get the ultimate Spider-Man, who is not hampered by his marriage or fatherhood.  It fuels him.

The Amazing Spider-Man.

Lastly, Vampirella and the Army of Darkness is pretty disappointing.  The story takes place within the film Bruce Campbell and the Army of Darkness (Evil Dead III).  This is the film where Ash finds himself in the medieval times fighting the Deadites.  The jokes wear thin as does his attempts to bed Sheila.  

I recently revisited Army of Darkness.  Ash is a lot less crass than he's portrayed in the comic books, and he has genuine feelings for the comely maiden.

Vampirella arrives, but the book doesn't get better since she's either not really here, and we're only seeing a creature with her aspect, or she's behaving contrary to her traditional, altruistic characterization.  That could be due to The Necronomicon's influence, but honestly it doesn't matter.  The end result is no fun.

POBB: July 1, 2015

Pick of the Brown Bag

July 1, 2015

by

Ray Tate

It’s the Pick of the Brown Bag.  On time and ready to go.  This week I peruse Angel and Faith, Barb Wire, Battleworld: A vs. X, Damocles, Doctor Who, Futurama Comics, Groot, Onyx, Scooby-Doo Team-Up and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

Humor is the watchword this week.  There are only three exceptions.  Onyx is a straight up adventure.  Angel and Faith, though not without comedy, recapitulates its horror roots, and new book Damocles is pure drama, but all the others are laugh out loud funny.  That includes the welcome return of Barb Wire.

About twenty years ago Dark Horse, known for its horror and indie styled comic books, dipped its toe in the super hero field.  They ended up with a pretty good group that included Ghost, X, King Tiger, The Machine and Barb Wire.

Barbara Kopetski, nicknamed Barb Wire, was a modern bounty hunter/bar owner.  Of the Dark Horse superhero community, Barb Wire was the most realistic.  She lacked super powers, had a license to hunt criminals and did so for altruism and profit.  In terms of design she was also down to earth.  A blonde beauty, yes, but she was no zaftig Wonder Woman.  Pamela Anderson in my opinion was miscast as Barb Wire.  

Better choices would have been Laura Dern or Ali Larter.

Barb Wire hasn't changed that much.  Neither has her stomping grounds Steel Harbor, one of the better named settings in comics.

As you can see her wardrobe is now a little less neon, a signature of the nineties, and that adds even more realism to the proceedings.  Of course, it also helps when you have excellent artists Pat Oliffe, Tom Nguyen, Gabe Eltaeb and co-creator Chris Warner on the bridge of the flagship.

The biggest change I can see is that Barb expanded her bar the Hammerhead into a nightclub, and now, she's being filmed like real-world bounty hunter Dog.  This change actually lies at the center of the plot.

The story in general breathes quite a bit.  Warner lets you get to know the characters and the status quo before introducing a catalyst for action.  So, we go from Barb taking out some opener riffraff, to the filming, to the club and to her brother Charlie, a moment that demonstrates where the book's heart lies.

Barb Wire is essentially a depiction of the every day mess that is Barbara Kopetski's life, but done with a light touch so that you laugh with the absurdity.

For example, old enemies and allies Mace Blitzkrieg and Hunter of the Wolf Pack, begin a measuring contest but instead having it out.  They display a wisdom won from years of survival.

Things just get worse from there for Barb.  Your basic demigod Wyvern Stormblud, terrific name, busts up the club and earns a bounty-tag that Barb wants nothing to do with.  We'll see how long that lasts because the Hammerhead's landlord is hoping to sell, and Barb doesn't have the cash to buy.

Angel and Faith spotlights Faith while Angel crossovers to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Writer Victor Gischler has a wonderful grasp of Faith's characterization, and artist Will Conrad further displays that persona through superb depictions of actress Eliza Dushku's facial expressions and body language.

The plot emphasizes the vampire slayer aspect of both series.  Seems there have been some unexplained murders in Inspector Brandt's bailiwick, and he asks Faith to do some investigating.

With Fred as her sidekick, Faith explores a club called the Bronze Age.  The Bronze was the hip spot in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and also a lightning rod for vampires looking for prey.  I wonder if Gischler is suggesting that Bronze management welcomes the fanged, or if this is merely an unrelated shout out to the fans?

The club-hop leads to an awesome dusting and Faith following clues to an English public school under the guise of Miss Lehane, substitute gym teacher.  As you may have gathered, Faith isn't exactly Gabe Kaplan.

The dialogue in the scene is just perfect.  You can just imagine Eliza Dushku speaking--especially the Kumbaya, part.

Damocles is an oversized comic book album from Cinebooks.  It's new to America with a fresh translation from Mark Bence.   It originates from France and scripted by Callede from the late 2000s.

Damocles is a body guard service created by a victim of kidnapping, which are on the rise, according to the story.

The kidnappers in Damocles are not just after money, which means the now prevalent kidnaping and ransom insurance that can settle such abductions does not apply.  They're seeking the impossible from their targets.

There's no reason why Damocles couldn't have been an engrossing prose detective novel.  The scant science fiction of beyond state of the art body armor and a vitamin cocktail called Blitz are the only elements that lean toward comic books.

The artwork by Alain Henriet and colorist Usagi though certainly doesn't hurt the eyes.  The renderings stabilizes Damocles authenticity and enhance the character conflict.  So, maybe we should just thank Callede for allowing the inclusion of very, pretty pictures.

Ellie, Sean, Raj and Walt are the focus, and they are primarily sublime in terms of characterization.  Walt is just a little cynical.  Ellie is wry.  Raj over sensitive because he's a new guy and a minority, and Sean appears to be messy.  This may also be a reason for Callede turning to comic books.  An artist can express the nuances of emotion.  It's difficult to duplicate the artistic feat in mere descriptive words. 

Scooby-Doo meets Secret Squirrel in another perfect team-up by Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela.  The ghost of an old King threatens to scotch a peace treaty.

The International Sneaky Service call in Scooby and the gang to bust this ghost, but global politics aren't the kids' scene.  For that they need Secret Squirrel.

The jokes come fast and always deliver an intelligent punchline.  Velma and Secret have great chemistry as she continuously doubts Secret's surprisingly effective methods.  

As you can see from the above moment, Dario Brizuela goes medieval on Scooby and Shaggy as they experience near continuous fright.  They are just super-expressive throughout the tale.

The shark tank trap serves double-purpose.  One, it of course is designed to scare the living daylights out of you.  Two, it's a clue to the ghost's true purpose, a clever piece of reasoning foreshadowed early in the adventure.  

Seldom to I get such an easy segue.

Many people--especially those who own bird feeders--believe squirrels to be works of satan.   

I've always liked squirrels.  Perhaps it's because I know that birds are merely evolved small dinosaurs and would happily dine on human liver if they could.  

As it turns out the Norse also thought squirrels were evil, and they immortalized this hate into myth.

The Wikipedia entry in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is absolutely true.  That is.  Ratatoskr is an actual Norse myth and the demon is this week's suitable menace.

I have to admit.  I thought the last issue of Squirrel Girl was lame.   A Girl-Squirrel counterpart struck me as silly as Bat-Mite, and the whole imp tradition of Silver Age DC comics.  It turns out that the Girl-Squirrel is Ratatoskr.  She's been traveling around the city perhaps the world to whisper sweet strife in the ears of sleeping humans; thus creating chaos.

Squirrel Girl in her everyday guise as college student Doreen Green quickly gets wise to the trouble furry afoot when a fight breaks out in her computing course.

This necessitates a trip to Avengers Tower, but she's too late. Ratatoskr infected the Avengers with her magical words.  The moment allows writer Ryan North and cartoonist Erica Henderson the opportunity to demonstrate that Squirrel Girl is indeed unbeatable, and like Dazzler, ridiculously powerful.

With the Avengers down, Squirrel Girl speed dials Thor.   Squirrel Girl knows Thor apparently.  Why not? She debuted fighting Dr. Doom.  Thor of course is now known as Odinson, and he and the new Thor are currently trying to calm a tastes-great-less-filling situation at the local breakfast hole.

Thor, Odinson and Squirrel Girl combine forces.  The away teams split.  Squirrel Girl, Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boy--yes, I know--confront Girl-Squirrel and force her to reveal herself, but it doesn't go like Rumplestiltskin.  She just becomes bigger and meaner, promising a unbeatable cliffhanger.

When last we saw Groot, he found himself drifting in space, thanks to some heroism from Rocket Raccoon and the petty whims of a bounty hunter.  This issue Groot reflects how his friendship with Rocket came to be.

So damn sweet that you can sprinkle it on your waffles and/or pancakes.  Screw you, French Toast.

Rom was a crappy toy with no flexibility.  It was made of cheap plastic prone to breakage, sported dim lights and bad sound.  Novelty was its only notability.  Rom was the first toy board game company Parker Brothers ever made.

Normally, I'd say that it never should have been.  Rom however spawned one of the best comic book series ever made.  

Created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema with zero input from Parker Brothers, Rom introduced an eponymous Space Knight who arrived on earth to eliminate the scourge of the shape-shifting Dire Wraiths.  

Rom tapped into The Invasion of The Body Snatchers zeitgeist and the nobility of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.  Rom had everything: action, suspense, surprise, villainy, heroism and romance.  Rom also soon enveloped the Marvel Universe.  Rom for example forever changed Rogue with a single kiss, and that version of Rogue has been a staple in the Marvel Universe ever since.

From Rom #32

C0-creator of Onyx Chris Ryall admits to his love of Rom in the afterword, and it shows.  Not just in the tale but also the quality.  Art and story offer an attractive enticement for the reader, and it's important to understand that even though Onyx pays tribute to Rom, it's also it's own thing.

The armored Onyx is a hunter of a body-morphing plague that ravaged her planet.  She's willing to do whatever it takes to stop the spread.  

Mistrusted at first, she, yes, she's a she, soon falls under the category of temporarily useful.  That's where the Rom comparison ends.

Whereas Rom took place mostly in small town America, Onyx occurs in the future where humankind evolved farther.  The cast is mostly military, and the Native American is a telepath.

Although aliens are a new idea for the soldiers, it's not actually a shock because technology and humanity has developed to the point where they're expecting to meet somebody from the stars.

Because of this change in the setting, Onyx offers a different experience than Rom.  Rom had to deal with human distrust for about fifteen issues, and then he had to deal with humans trusting him too much.  Whereas a lot of comic books exacerbate simple plots from the past, Onyx cuts to the chase and in a stylish way.

Doctor Who's latest looked like another good jumping-on point, and I suspected now that Peter Capaldi had a season and a Christmas special under his belt, writer Robbie Morrison would have more material to work with in terms of characterization, and I was right.

That line is absolutely brilliant.  Clara discovered in that drawer a pair of tickets to a show.  So the Doctor sets the co-ordinates to 1960s Las Vegas.  

The Doctor breaks the bank on Clara's behalf, totally wrecking typical time/space taboos.

There's an unwritten rule that lotteries and investments are verboten for time travelers.  Indeed, the Doctor allegedly cannot interfere at a fixed point in history.  Although he has done so on two occasions; once with terrible consequences, the other with personal and historical benefit.  

Apparently, one night of economic revelry is just peachy.  The Doctor doesn't see his streak as anything but a mathematical exercise and answering a challenge from milady.  

Remember, the Doctor stole the TARDIS.  He was a thief and a criminal amongst his people.  The Time Lords captured him and imprisoned him on earth.  They also prevented him from using the TARDIS except when they sent him on a life threatening mission.  The flamboyant disregard of civilization's protocols fits the Doctor's characterization as a renegade.  Of course there were worse than he.

The above scene is from the wraparound, which ties into an alien landing that interrupts a mob-style execution scheduled in 1960s Las Vegas.  

Morrison knows his Doctor Who, old and new.  Rassilon, the Time Lord that the Doctor speaks of is known as a high gamesman and a crafty devil.  He was the Time Lords' own Henry the Eighth without all the headless wives.  At first portrayed as altruistic as all the Time Lords, Rassilon in "The Five Doctors" showed his true colors, and if ever you needed to be convinced, Rassilon returns alive and dangerous in "The  End of Time."

Goofing off on the job, Bender's lackadaisical behavior lands the Planet Express ship into the path of a black hole.  

Bad enough, but in the future there's a new species of hole, and it's filled with hilarious threats to life and limb.  Fortunately, Professor Farnsworth is aboard to save the day.

The Professor's solution wackily supports the thinking of Isaac Asimov.  In that, the main reason that you cannot shrink things ala Fantastic Voyage is because of Planck's Constant.  

Asimov utilized that precise method for his sequel to Fantastic Voyage.  The Professor's method may seem to smack around the Square-Cube Law, which precludes the giant ants of Them! but in fact the Professor's gigantisizing of Bender works because there is no gravity in free space, and his surface area isn't a breathing area.  Therefore, he cannot collapse under his own weight or suffocate.  It's really quite clever when you think about it.

So the book's lion's share gathers the jokes associated with Fry, Amy, Zoidberg and the Professor traveling inside of Bender.  Writer Ian Boothby scores some really good background gags that originate out of Bender's kleptomania, and he also gains comedic impetus from giant robot and science fiction encounters.

The main conflict arises from the introduction of a virus, contracted by Bender form a wayward encounter.  Here's the key of Futurama worth.  In addition to being loaded with humor, Futurama's also filled with consistent characterization and solves problems dramatically.  The seriousness of the situation enhances the humor.  The comedy spotlights the drama.

Last but not least, you don't want to pass up the dodgeball tournament in Battleworld.  

I would say that it's a contest of champions, but it's the Lil Avengers vs. Lil X-Men in painful strikes, jet propelled hot potatoes and childish thirst for vengeance that must be experienced.  I'd say wait for the trade, but there's a good chance that the trade will be manga-sized, and in this instance the bigger the better.