Pick of the Brown Bag
January 29, 2020
by
Ray Tate
Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag a weekly comic book review column. For this excursion, I look at the latest issues of Count Crowley, Detective Comics Annual, Far Sector, Hawkeye Freefall, The Immortal Hulk, Thor and Vampirella and Red Sonja meet Betty and Veronica. If you haven't the time for the fuller reviews, pop on over to Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag. First up Protector.
In Protector, the apocalypse arrives in an unexpected way. The earth’s ecology hasn’t collapsed. The consequences of nuclear holocaust do not appear to manifest. Instead, imperialism and slavery resurfaced in broad society.
Protector opens with the introduction of the protagonist, a runaway slave named Mari.
Mari is a Yanqui. Yanqui is actually a variation of yankee favored by Latinos, and usually derogatory. So, that United States ultranationalism? Really didn't pan out.
During the Mari chase which includes excellent bolos use, she falls into a pit and discovers Pacific Rim.
Somehow, the robot or the suit, or whatever it is, makes friends with Mari. Naturally there will be hell to pay.
Protector is full of grim imagination courtesy of writers Simon Roy and Daniel Benson. Artyam Trakhanov and colorist Jason Wordie provide a consistently engrossing visual narrative filled with unique aesthetic art. The subject matter which seems more like an alternate history might even appeal to those like me who eschew the post apocalyptic genre.
Former ace reporter Jerri Butler is an alcoholic. When her condition scotches her final stab at journalism, her brother and the owner of the station gives Jerri one last straw to grasp. Because of Count Crowley’s sudden departure, the station needs a new horror movie host.
Right from the start this was a feminist book. Writer David Dastmalchian bestowed a traditionally male name to a woman. Thus, falling in the footsteps of Doctor Who and Marvel cinema.
Though Jerri didn’t actually choose to become a monster fighter, the werewolf doesn’t really give her a choice.
At first she dismisses it. Then she accepts the truth. Here be monsters. She investigates the original Count Crowley’s disappearance and uncovers a secret order that battles the monsters.
Unfortunately, it’s a literal old boy’s network.
A lot of Count Crowley tickles the funny bone, and this is frequently due to the caricatures artist Lukas Ketner creates. In the final issue in what I hope to be only the first miniseries, we discover that the real monster isn't the things that go bump in the night but misogyny. It's not funny at all.
This is why Jerri began drinking. It's why we instinctively took a liking to a lush. Jerri chose to drink, but the underlying impetus wasn't her fault. The trauma explains Jerri's dichotomy. On the one hand she's a natural at kicking the supernatural's ass. She's also aces in the research department. So, why does she get soused and engage in risky behavior?
In the conclusion, Jerri reclaims her dignity and faces a fantastic variant of the Frankenstein Monster.
Al Ewing reintroduced the Hulk as a horror protagonist within a setup similar to the Bixby/Ferrigno Incredible Hulk television series.
The straight up terror provided by the oldest Hulk incarnation, morphed into a body horror tale; simultaneously mixing Lovecraft multidimensional science fiction and military exploitation.
The Hulk overcame his enemies. He took over Shadowbase and started a movement to kill the world as we know it.
This vow threatened the worst offender in the Marvel Universe, Roxxon Industries. Roxxon reflects the repellent companies of the real world. Only in Marvel, it’s led by a Minotaur.
As Ewing evolved his run, he steeped The Immortal Hulk in the entire comic book’s history. Rick Jones, Betty Ross and Doc Samson are all in Team-Hulk. The Hulk’s various personalities like Joe Fixit manifested in unusual ways. The Hulk most recently fought an avatar of his arch foe The Abomination. Last issue the Immortal Hulk turned to Kaiju, that’s giant monsters like Godzilla for those not in the know.
It is here that we begin the latest issue. The Hulk is being digested by one of the monsters. Except he's not because with every bit of damage, he heals instantly, and this is the Hulk-No-Like-Monsters-Hulk-Smash version.
Basically a level issue of The Immortal Hulk. It's not a great issue like this series produces in a routine fashion. It’s a good issue that starts off with the renamed Alpha Flight playing cards on the casket of Walter Lankowski.
That may seem wtf, but it's actually nbd. No big deal. The idea is that anybody “belted by gamma rays” becomes immortal. Kill the character. Doc Samson, Betty Ross, whomever. It doesn’t matter. They’ll just come back and stay alive. The Hulk absorbed all of Walter Lankowski's gamma energy, or most of it, and they're just waiting for him to get over the fatal gunshot wound in his head.
Gamma Flight as they call themselves speeds to where the Hulk was last seen. The thing that comes out the most about Gamma Flight is that Puck is a bit less heroic than he was. Al Ewing treats him more evenly. In fact Titania, of all people, seems more heroic than Puck.
The Hulk is popular with The 99 Percent. Marvel’s superheroes for the most part intend to stay out of his way until he presents a clear and present threat. The 1 Percent selfishly want him destroyed. Gamma Flight thinks ethically he must be stopped. It’s not a clear cut bad guys versus good guys book. It’s more complex and realistic despite the presence of monsters.
Okay. So here's the spoiler free review of Thor. Writer Donny Cates recharges Thor without giving the hammer to somebody else. There's a lot to enjoy in this book, and Nic Klein's art is a major part of it. There you go. Now, for those who aren't afraid of spoilers, read on. If not, go to the review of Far Sector.
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Things changed after the War of the Realms. Jane Foster is no longer Thor. Thor is the King of Asgard. Loki the King of Jottenheim. Land of the Frost Giants. Sif takes the place of Heimdal, and Galactus fell to his death, killing the alien eternals of Asgard and destroying the rebuilt city. Thanks a lot, Donny Cates.
Galactus comes with a warning, and in this issue of Thor, we get to see it in action.
That's the Black Winter infecting another earth, one that will be familiar to any DC fan. It's here that I will object. Cates doesn't give the heroes of DC any credit.
I get that he's just playfully needling the Powers That Be at DC, but honestly, I didn't like it. He has them weeping and praying for their gods because they're useless against the Black Winter.
Sorry. No way.
Superman's last word would be "Lois" as he plunges into the heart of Black Winter to tear it out. Batman would just grin like Michael Keaton and charge against the Black Winter saving lives in the process.
The Flash would still be racing, trying to stop it, dying as he runs. Green Lantern John Stewart would gutturally scream and just blast it with everything he got. Hawkgirl of course....
Wonder Woman would steer the Invisible Jet into it with a shout of "Hola!" Supergirl would burn it with her heat vision until she dropped.
Batgirl would throw everything in her utility belt at the Black Winter and when that failed drive her motorcycle into it. I strongly object to Mary Wolfman's portrayal of Batgirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Batgirl doesn't give up.
Okay. So I digressed a lot there. There are certain things that cannot be ignored. DC's heroes are valid heroes. Marvel's heroes are valid heroes. And who the hell knows what the X-Men are. Let's leave it at that, shall we?
Galactus turned Thor into his herald. You'll note that Thor's all healed up and rejuvenated. So this new look isn't just cool cosmic. It plays into the arm and the eye, which Thor lost to something or other. Marvel's usually a stickler for explaining stuff. So, when Galactus takes back his power from Thor, he'll probably leave him healed up. Galactus isn't a dick. He is however hungry.
Al Ewing in The Ultimates, evolved Galactus into the the Life Bringer, but I guess the Powers That Be decided that we can't have this. We can't have Frankencastle either. So, Galactus is starving, but he's still the guy you want to call when the Black Winter shows up.
It's funny, but there's this love/hate thing happening in all the books featuring Galactus. The exception being The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created Galactus to be beyond good and evil. He fed on planets, yet he's not evil. He's part of the natural order and evolution of the universe. The Ultimates wanted to positively solve the problem of Galactus. So they completed his evolution. He furthermore didn't want return to his prior existence.
All of this makes sense, but lately, the writers are characterizing Galactus as just evil. Thor in fact refers to him as a parasite. Today, Galactus lacks the complexity of the past. He was evil in a recent Fantastic Four, and he's fairly evil here. He also seems to be extorting the universe. Feed me. Be my herald, or I won’t fight the Black Winter. That doesn't sit right with me.
Far Sector introduced Green Lantern Sojourner Mullein. She's a far from hip earth woman of color who leans omnisexual, which gives the book a mature flavor. Although, it's not dealt with in an explicit manner. instead, it adds to the drama and the comedy.
Unlike other Lanterns, Lantern Mullein patrols a single, artificial world created by the survivors of a savage war. The species willingly blocked their emotions because they believe their passions led them to bloody conflict.
On this world, Sojourner investigates a murder, the first in "Five Hundred Ish Years." This is the core of the series, and in the current issue of Far Sector Sojourner interviews a suspect.
The interview reveals some interesting facts. The head honchos representing each species still flirt with emotions, but Sojourner resists the envoy’s charm and sticks to the sci-fi noir of the hardboiled detective.
Outside of the murder investigation, Sojourner acclimates to the customs and expectations of the conglomerate.
Each mini plot pertains to police duties. This chapter presents a fascinating, historically laced moment of crowd control that also pertains to the matter at hand.
Vampirella and Red Sonja first came to Riverdale to investigate a murder that seemed to be the work of V's arch nemesis the Cult of Chaos.
In the process they befriended Riverdale habitués Betty Cooper and her best friend Veronica Lodge. Writer Amy Chu tied up this first arc with a satisfying and surprising conclusion. However, It was clear she wasn't finished.
She left behind tantalizing plot threads such as the curious photograph that's uncovered depicting V and Sonja with Betty and Veronica in the sixties. How this new story relates to that is anybody's guess, and the tale's first two chapters read like an original adventure whose only continuity is the camaraderie between the four women.
In the last issue, a mask murdered scientist Gautum Mukherjee before he could reach Betty and Veronica with a dread story.
The ladies go to Riverdale's resident genius Dilton for help, but the thumb drive is too encrypted for Dilton to break. He does however discover that Mukhaerjee's place of work Pulaski Pharma may be researching the ship that Vampirella originally commandeered. That catalyzes a visit.
In this issue of the quartet, Chu reveals the secret of Pulaski's longevity. Given the nature of the beast, I won't be spoiling it. Suffice to say Betty and Veronica are in deep trouble. In a way, the story reminds me of a Kolchak the Nightstalker episode. Not one dealing with vampires.
Peter Tomasi in Detective Comics focuses on Alfred's espionage past which flickers in and out of DC's continuity depending on the political climate. Originally, Alfred was just a rollypolly butler. He evolved like everything else.
The Bronze Age Alfred was a spy for the British government, fighting Nazis alongside the legendary Mademoiselle Marie, with whom he fathered a child named Julia. Post-Crisis, Alfred became a mere thespian. His World War II missions no longer fit with the relative rejuvenation. Now, Alfred's history features in the Cold War.
Alfred speaks to a woman named H who ages into Helen Mirren. She deduces Batman's secret identity and visits Bruce Wayne with a story about their mutual friend.
It seems that Alfred and she unwittingly worked with a Soviet double-agent. He's holed up in a duplicate American city in the Ukraine.
Supposedly, these facsimiles existed in the real world, but I'm not entirely convinced such alleged constructions are anything but apocryphal.
Nevertheless, this is a meaty, potent Batman story reminiscent of the Bronze Age Detective Comics introducing Julia Pennyworth.
Alfred's resuscitated spy craft is a charming addition. The return of Alfred's former lover and the ease of her tumbling Bruce's secret identity demonstrates the kind of acumen you expect from a Bond like MI-6 Agent.
Artist Sumit Kumar provides cinematic thrills appropriate for the subject, and his fluid take on Batman is a treat. The story furthermore features a vicious, severely obscure Batman foe to make things more interesting in terms of fisticuffs.
Hawkeye covers it all. Writer Matt Rosenberg begins the story with a fun rivalry between Clint Barton and Tony Stark.
Linda Carter, no, not that one, is the artist formerly known as the Night Nurse. She's now a doctor and Hawkeye's significant other. Hawkeye looks beaten up because last issue a guy wearing his Ronin outfit beat him up.
Hawkeye donated a large sum of money to the charity of a lively May Parker. So, you know Spider-Man cannot be far behind. He's almost de-aged to Tom Holland appearance.
Spidey soon encounters Ronin, and he seems to be the only hero in town to believe in scientific evidence. Ronin and Hawkeye cannot be in two places at once. Luke Cage on the other hand...
This hilarious Hawkeye book just gets wittier with every turn of the page, and the illustration by Otto Schmidt who first caught my eye on Nightwing before Dick went screwy in the head is absolutely gorgeous.
