POBB May 22, 2019

Pick of the Brown Bag

May 22, 2019

by

Ray Tate

The Pick of the Brown Bag begins anew with reviews of Batgirl, Detective Comics, Iron Man, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Scooby-Doo Team-Up and the Unstoppable Wasp.  As usual, should you lack the time or patience with the thick and meaty reviews, you can always get the low-down on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag.

In Sholly Fisch's and Dario Brizuela's latest Scooby-Doo Team-Up, Freddie, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby receive a summons from Flash.  The Gang joined forces with the Flash on several occasions, sometimes alone and sometimes with the Justice League.  

Scooby-Doo Team-Up exists in its own continuity.  Tom King is unlikely to mention Batman partnering with Mystery Inc.  Although, you never know.  Certainly, it's in Peter Tomasi's wheelhouse.  

Because of Scooby-Doo Team-Up's stand-alone nature, Fisch can always start from scratch.  He never chooses to do so, and the internal consistency helps strengthen the storytelling.  The Flash by the way is with the League in another galaxy.  The call a ruse.  

The Flash Rogues generally speaking are only interested in the money.  If they threaten anybody, they do so with the knowledge that the Flash will speed to the hapless' rescue.  Thus cementing civilian use as effective distractions.  Make no mistake.  

They are still bad guys and gals.  However, because the Flash Rogues are just greedy bank robbers and not truly evil, they are willing to on occasion throw their lot in with the Flash or seek out help from his compatriots when necessary.  In this case, Scooby and the Gang.   

The Top is a classic Silver Age Flash foe and a former Rogue.  The Top died during the Bronze Age, a rare occurrence.  Fisch accurately describes the death of the Top, minus Golden Glider psychopathically blaming the Flash for the demise.

Brizuela designs the Rogues with some edge to them, using sharp angles for their faces and sneers for expressions.  Including as you see Golden Glider.  

Golden Glider is Captain Cold's sister Lisa Snart.  If you’re wondering about Golden Glider's Glitter Gun from The Flash, that's all television series invention.  

In the comics, Glider is a figure skater, trained by the Top.  This as well Fisch acknowledges.  She turned criminal when the Top died, but with a different set of gimmicks.

In the end, the Golden Glider’s relationship with the Top and her unusual skill-set proves key to the real villain’s defeat.  Ah, yes.  Spoiler Ahoy.  The Top isn't really haunting the Rouges.  

Before the unmasking happens, our sleuths offer and strike out suspects.  They unfortunately inspire the Rogues to pull off a super-heist as bait for the Top's manifestation.

I am totally tickled that the Rogues refer to Mystery Inc. by name or as "you kids."  It's actually quite plausible that the Rogues would behave in such a civil manner.  

Once at the scene of the crime, things get even more interesting.  Shaggy proves to be an asset.  We get some more characteristic Rogue behavior, with Captain Boomerang adding some comedy, and a timely rescue from some surprise guest-stars. 

Batgirl in one sense is lovingly nostalgic.  The Terrible Trio haunt Gotham City with the same masks but different faces beneath.  Indeed, originally these villains arrived in the fifties as scientists specific to their chosen element: air, water, earth.  Nowadays, they're greedy psychopaths.  Though don't confuse them with the Flash Rogues.

Despite Vulture’s warning to keep out of Batgirl’s way, in fact out of the way of all of the Batman Family, last issue Fox lures Batgirl into a mystery and a trap.

The smart thing of course would be to kill her on the spot.  Fox however wants to prove a point.  So, he sets up Batgirl in an escape proof chamber, filling with water, as a stage show for the opening of The Den.

This kind of death trap used to be the pride of comic book writing.  Nowadays, seldom do writers actually construct a death trap for the character.  It's after all more realistic to describe a no-win situation for the protagonist or frame a consequence of the fight to prove a hero's potential downfall.  

Rarely do we see a villain stop himself from delivering the final blow and deciding, "No.  I'm going to stick her in a straight-jacket upside down in an impenetrable tube filling with water."  This is an honest to goodness death trap, and it's a beauty based on Houdini.

Of course this whole thing could have failed without the proper art team enhancing the drama.  Fortunately we have Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund and Jose Marazan Jr. and colorist Jordie Bellaire combining with Mairghread Scott's honest Batgirl narration.  Together they convince the reader that this is the moment that Babs can die.

Scott like Alan Burnett and Michael Reaves imbue the Terrible Trio with a nuance of perversion and sickness.  In Batman: the Animated Series, the Terrible Trio are rich dilettantes, committing crimes for kicks.  They corner an acquaintance, Rebecca, when she discovers the truth and they decide to kill her.  The Shark's off hand comment about dying with out clothing is particularly nasty and in that vein of seemingly normal individuals putting on masks and turning out worse than Gotham City's usual suspects.

Of course Batgirl escapes, but not before she uses every trick in her utility belt, every muscle in her body to no avail.  In the end, she takes a page from Batman and cheats.

Batman #295

Thus endeth the lesson until Shark pulls a fast one outside of the Golden Age and forces Batgirl to conduct another knock-down, drag-out fight.  This is all on the artists, who remind the reader of Batgirl’s martial arts mastery.  

Scott juxtaposes the battle to the death with a hostile take-over of Barbara Gordon’s clean energy company.  The British buyers force Babs’ partner Alyssa into an ethical corner and reveal a connection between Barbara and a Batman villain. This may come as a shock for Alyssa, but not to any Batgirl fan.  I’ll give you a hint.  It’s not Catwoman.  Batgirl and Catwoman loathe each other.

This issue of Detective Comics dishes the origin of Peter Tomasi’s and Brad Walker’s Arkham Knight.  The origin is elegant and answers every question posed in previous chapters.  

Who is the Arkham Knight? What is the meaning of the Knight’s name?  Why does the Knight hate Batman? 

Why does the Arkham Knight work with Arkham Inmates? Why does the Knight save police officers caught in the crossfire?

New character Ingrid Karlsson is not the Arkham Knight.  Karlsson though is connected to the Arkham Knight.  

Ingrid is a medical doctor responsible for the care of the Arkham inmates.  The inmates—yes, even the Joker—trust her because of her dedication and honesty.

Arkham Knight’s trigger occurs when a riot breaks out in the Asylum.  The usual suspects however are not the cause.

What happens next is a remarkable story of madness and one man’s foolishness, perhaps animosity, toward Batman that helps shape the Knight’s skewered viewpoint.

In the present day, the Knight employs the Arkham inmates to fruit the plan.  This includes a surprise villain from another title, but associated with Gotham City.

The Arkham Knight story is fascinating and entertaining.  It’s a straight up mystery with a satisfying reveal and explanation.  The Arkham Knight is truly insane, but not in a crazy, comic book character kind of way. 

In the real world, the Arkham Knight is certifiable. The grand delusions the Knight harbors for Gotham City lack the egotism of Bond-type villainy.  The Knight bears no criminal nor evil intent.  Instead, the Knight fosters a distinctive worldview that’s far off tangent from any recognizable sphere. 

Oh, for pity’s sake.  What the hell’s up with Iron Man’s covers! The imagery makes little sense—I can’t even tell what that is—and lacks any bearing to the tone of the book.  Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.

Writer Dan Slott recapitulates everything he introduced and reintroduced in his ten issue run.  This is why the conclusion feels particularly deep. 

Slott’s Iron Man began with old Iron Man foe the Controller living up to his name through stalwart head of security Bethany Cabe becoming an unwitting mole at Stark Enterprises.  

Around the same time, Tony Stark unveils a virtual reality platform that sweeps the world.  The Controller however digs in and via manipulating internet trolls succeeds in vampirizing the mental energy of users.  The result is this fellow.

Stark enters the eScape and discovers his parents alive, not well and twisted.  Stark frees himself from their ideal of him, restores the eScape, rescues his birth mother Amanda and finds himself out of power and dying within his armor.

While the Controller undertook a personal stake in the eScape, Slott debuted a business rival in Sunset Bain who recruited Tony’s brother Arno Stark as her idea man.

Safe, Tony immediately begins to work on the problem.  That naturally manifests in a new suit of armor.

The ridding of the Controller should feel anti-climactic.  Like the popping of a big balloon, yet thanks to Valerio Schiti it’s anything but.  Slott furthermore adds commentary and creates a sneaky bit of comedy with Stark depriving Sunset of even a Pyrrhic victory.

Iron Man and the Wasp are an item, and the Wasp leads the attack on the Controller.  Fortunately, the Champions show up for backup.

This makes sense since the Unstoppable Wasp Nadia Van Dyne is the original Wasp’s stepdaughter.  I mention this for Wasp Nadia completists.

Jeremy Whitley's Unstoppable Wasp seems straight forward but surprises on a number of levels.  One of those levels I will spoil, but it’s a small spoiler that you’ve probably already concluded anyway.  Last splendidly Tigra-filled issue ended with Nadia’s previously though dead mother contacting her.  Now, you must have thought like I did.  It’s a trap.

What surprised me is that writer Jeremy Whitley didn’t go the old, Nadia betrayed by her emotions walks into a trap routine.  Instead, between issues, she asked for help from Bobbi Morse alias Mockingbird, and Bobbi’s plus one at Nadia's birthday party, Winter Soldier.

What’s weird is the Red Room is expecting them, which begs the question how did they know?  It’s certainly possible there’s a mole among Nadia’s group.  On the other hand perhaps electronic surveillance is the answer.  Alternatively, Nadia’s party may have attracted media attention.  The Mother of Red Room could have spotted Winter Soldier or learned of his appearance and made some clever deductions.

While Bobbi and Bucky do a Bond in Siberia, Nadia prepares for hosting the first GIRL Expo.  GIRL for those not in the know is Nadia’s think tank of girl scientists.

Despite being issue eight of a two volume series, this chapter is actually a pretty good jump-on point for those who haven’t yet experienced the femme positive adventures.  Whitley introduces the ladies of GIRL with narrative asides and exemplars of their brilliance.

The subplot involving the Red Room plunges you into Nadia’s background.  Let me just say.  I am not a fan of the Red Room themes in Black Widow comics.  Call it familiarity breeding contempt.  I will give the Unstoppable Wasp team this.  Whitley expands on the Red Room motif while also returning to the theme of AIM attempting to steal GIRL’s inventions and perhaps combining the two. 

Miles Morales Spider-Man is interested in stopping Tombstone from taking over a chunk of his neighborhood.  In the process of stopping the power grab, he encounters the new hero Starling.

Not to be confused with one of the original Birds of Prey conceived by Duane Swierczynski.  Miles is down with Starling for a number of reasons, many of them obvious.  There's a big no-go as far as he’s concerned.  She’s just too rough.

As the story progresses, Starling reveals much of her history, and it’s interesting stuff that surpasses her motive for hunting Tombstone; this storytellers Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garron wisely downplay.

In addition to Starling's history, the kinetic art of Javier Garron, the popping colors of David Curiel, the crafters entice with a fascinating problem for Miles Morales that spans his entire life and not just his costumed self.

It's funny.  The Flash's spectacular season finale just dealt with the secret identity issue in a mature way.  I don't know how long Miles and Barbara were dating, but maybe she deserved to know if the relationship were serious.  Starling on the other hand just met Spidey, and it's difficult for me to think he would tell her.  The fact that he's tempted indicates just how dangerously smitten he is with the new protagonist.

POBB January 4, 2017

Pick of the Brown Bag

January 4, 2017

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the first POBB of 2017.  This week I review Aquaman, Batman, Big Trouble in Little China/Escape from New York, Hawkeye, Superman and Wynonna Earp: Legends.  First however I look at a new book from Marvel Comics…

The Unstoppable Wasp is the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya Pym.  Ant-Man first married a Soviet scientist before tying the knot with Janet Van Dyne.  It turns out that the first marriage isn’t a retro-plant.  Maria’s brief history is outlined in The Handbook of the Marvel Universe.  Look under Yellowjacket.  If you haven’t the1980s series, don’t worry.  Talented writer Jeremy Whitley and phenomenal artist Elsa Charretier summarize the Russian/Pym connection on one page.

Our story however begins in Manhattan where Nadia Pym, the Wasp, hangs out with her best friend Ms. Marvel and finds the local pastry shop particularly inviting.  The scene hints at why Nadia’s called unstoppable.  It turns out that this isn’t a modifier of power but of will.  Nadia is one of the most confident characters in Marvel’s history.  Even topping Squirrel Girl.  

Nadia’s positivity becomes apparent when she applies for U.S. Citizenship.  Legally speaking she already is a citizen of the United States.  Unfortunately, she has no proof.  Before the process can begin Monica Rappaccini unleashes a giant robot on the city.

The narration peels back a running gag of edutainment.  "Nadia’s Neat Science Facts" asides are simply wonderful.  Back in the day, editors would sometimes include footnotes with such things listed, but this is actually better.  Fresh thanks to Nadia’s voice.  Nostalgic for reasons mentioned.  Above all informative.

The Unstoppable Wasp, Ms. Marvel and Mockingbird team-up to kibosh Monica and her robot.  Whitley tunes in Adrianne Palicki’s Mockingbird from Agents of SHIELD and combines the personality with the experience of the character.  The generation gap sparks quite a few beats of humor and contrasts with the Wasp’s optimism and energy.

Nadia and Ms. Marvel take down the robot using what else…science and a little razzle-dazzle.

When the smoke clears, the girls and Mockingbird refuel and celebrate.  That’s when we learn that Whitley isn’t ridiculing the old guard.  He’s honoring the heroes that came before The Unstoppable Wasp.  Nadia knows who Bobbi Morse is and so do I.  I can say without a doubt that every iota of history Nadia spouts is accurate.  This is likely the best I’ve seen of Mockingbird, even better than Jim McCann’s and David Lopez's Hawkeye & Mockingbird.  She's not even the star, but to Nadia, she is.

Hawkeye’s second issue ups the ante from sexual harassment internet trolls to major cult activity.  The story begins with Kate Bishop’s harsh lesson about law and order versus justice.

In the real world private investigators must obey the law.  They’re not vigilantes.  They’re licensed in each state for a reason.  So that they can be held accountable for their actions.  It’s a two-way streak however.  The law protects them as well.  Bishop is unlicensed and she should count herself even luckier that Detective Rivera didn’t arrest her or report her to the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

So far writer Kelly Thompson with only two issues in has done a great job straddling the real world with the superhero world.  Cops like Rivera only tolerate superheroes.  They’re wild cards.  Private investigators are known quantities.  When Kate pulls out the bow, she’s Hawkeye.

Complimenting the duality of her identity without turning it secret, Thompson escalates the threat level so that while the private investigator follows the leads, it’s ultimately Hawkeye that’s going to solve the crime.  There’s a lot of meat to the story that I’m glossing over; from romance complicating the case to coincidences that may not be given the nature of this particular cult.  All of these elements offer clues to the detective story.  They’ll of course not be spoilt here.

Leonardo Romero and colorist Jordie Bellaire’s artwork is blatantly good.  Romero imbues vital personality to Kate and smooth action to her every move.  Bellaire accents the emotion in scenes with hues that mimic cinematography and camera filters.  The result is the look and feel of a slick 1970s film.

Wynonna Earp always had a great concept and was always entertaining.  Wynonna is the legacy of historical legend Wyatt Earp.  She was a badass nineties girl facing the things that go bump in the night with Peacemakers.  The television show however possesses more depth.  It’s a production.  If a television series doesn’t surpass a literally two dimensional medium, something is very wrong.

In previous volumes and specials, Wynonna Earp is already a seasoned U.S. Marshall for a Special Division of that government service.  Smith renames the sector the Black Badges in Yeti Wars.  After that, Smith’s tin star ascended.  Smith reworked Wynonna Earp in the comic books for IDW while the television series paralleled another universe for the character.

Now comes Legends.  Here, with Doc Holliday portrayer Tim Rozon, Smith draws Wynonna even closer to the television series and connects her to her older incarnation.  At the same time, Smith expands his writing to demonstrate that British writers aren’t the only sort that can characterize immortals.

Peacemaker’s glow is central to the television series.  Wynonna learned about the attribute in episode one.  In the comic book series, Smith didn’t give Wynonna’s weapons any speciality.  That changes with this issue, but the overall difference in tone of the book far outstrips the cosmetic. 

Smith and Rozon open Legends with Wynonna’s amusing Instagram summary of the story so far.  Informative and funny, the feed also bears Wynonna’s distinctive personality.  In addition it shows that Legends isn’t so much a spin-off series of the comic book but an elegantly forwarded next chapter.

Wynonna, Valdez and Doc currently hunt the immortal and crazed gunman Boone Helm.  They’re not the only ones trying to track down the serial killer.  

Wynonna more often the firecracker in a pool of kerosene is the voice of reason amidst the pack.  That’s because she’s not an immortal like her comrades.  Wynonna’s level-headedness and her willingness to follow the Black Badge protocols distinguishes this series from her previous IDW debut.

Everybody else wants to kill Helm, and I’m sure Wynonna wishes to see him dead as well, but she does something remarkable and follows the rules.

Helm is a strange piece of work, and he’s one of the more complex characters from Smith’s Big Book of Western Scum.  This is where it looks as though Smith and Rozon attempt to compete against the U.K.  Giving an immortal grindhouse monster a philosophical perspective and prettified dialogue. 

As the story progresses, the plotting becomes even sharper.  Multiple twists create impediments for the Black Badges and the Pinkertons until finally a cliffhanger sets the stage for the next Legends series this time co-written by Wynonna Earp portrayer Melanie Scrofano.

Even I couldn’t predict the longevity of Big Trouble in Little Trouble/Escape from New York.  I mean, yes, great concept for a few issues, but six is pushing it.  Still, writer Greg Pak comes up with some pretty impressive extenders.  First of all, David Lo Pan killed in BTLT haunts Jack Burton and seeks revenge.  He does this on Snake Plissken’s ENY world, and already, he reveals an ace up his sleeve.

Or several.  Pak doesn’t pull this twist from his nether regions.  He foreshadowed the eventuality by introducing the witty idea that Jack Burton and Snake are both alternate versions of each other.

Jack of course is the average Joe trucker with the added advantage of dumb luck.  Jack decided the best way to help was to infiltrate the Plisskens and find out what’s what.  This leads to a conflict amidst the survivors of Snake’s damaged world.

It turns out that Snake as he was in ENY isn’t quite the terror that his mirrors are.  Snake is in fact closer to Jack and has a sense of decency even if he doesn’t like to admit it.  He’s not really an anti-hero.  Just a pragmatist that’s forced into being the protagonist.

Pak increases the tension by turning ENY’s Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) into a devil’s advocate, heavy on the devil.  So, you don’t quite know how Snake’s foray is going to turn out.  You know that he’s not going to kill Jack Burton.  He could blow Jack’s cover, or try to kill him.

Daniel Bayliss and colorist Triona Farrel accompany Pak on this wild ride.  The art is just perfect for the subject matter.  Bayliss turns Jack and Snake into caricatures of Kurt Russell in his prime.  They’re big, larger than life chins, with a cartoony expressiveness that mimics the actor’s sense of humor in the portrayals.  Farrell’s colors vibrantly and uniquely paint an apocalyptic world.

As you know, modern era Superman died.  A Superman from another universe took his place.  I haven’t been a fan.  On the flip side, Peter Tomasi’s writing of that particular version of the character easily eclipses the writing of the avatar elsewhere.  He at least sounds like a version of Superman.  So if I must read about this other dimensional Kryptonian, and sometimes to keep track of changes in the DC Universe I must, I’d rather do it here, where Tomasi’s writing.

The story begins with Superman encountering the Russian Red Son Superman.  It turns out a group of creatures called the Gatherers are stalking the Supermen of the Multiverse on behalf of unknown parties.

See what I mean about Peter Tomasi’s treatment of the character? No.  This isn’t exactly the Superman I know and love, but he’s saving lives and taking names.  Give him his due.  He’s a Superman.  The strange thing about this whole scheme is that the Gatherers are particular about which Supermen they need to retrieve.

“Inconsequential.”  Dude, that’s harsh.  I mean I don’t like the Superman from another universe, but that is harsh.  Things get trippier during another arrival.

That’s essentially President Obama as Superman.  Grant Morrison introduced him in Final Crisis.  The other characters arise from Morrison’s Multiversity, Mary Marvel being the exception. Although her earth designation is Morrison’s idea.

The League hunt the Gatherers and the Gatherers hunt the Supermen.  It’s a circle of predator vs prey with the universe hanging in the balance.  As the story continues, we see the Gatherers in all their weird glory.

So, yeah.  Not a fan of Superman from another Universe, but I didn’t express a single emotion about the Chinese Superman that started flying around.  Until now.  Nobody deserves what the Gatherers dish out.  It’s tar nasty, and I’m not even sure what it does.  

During “I am Suicide” readers discovered that Rebirth altered Catwoman’s history.  She still knew Batman and Bruce Wayne are one in the same, but her benign record of crime darkened.  Batman nevertheless needed her on his team to snatch the Psycho-Pirate from Bane’s hands.  He furthermore intended to help her.  In this issue of Batman, stellar Batman writer Tom King reveals the nature Batman’s deal with Amanda Waller regarding Catwoman.  It’s a good one.  The issue also details Catwoman’s last night of freedom.

During the modern era of comics, the writers and artists of Catwoman and Batman dealt with their relationship in mature terms.  They portrayed them as adults with a case of severe love.  The quaint idea that Batman couldn’t possibly consummate that love with a thief no longer made any sense.  In addition to sex, Batman and Catwoman helped each other emotionally when the other suffered.

Because of the opportunity presented by Rebirth King reexamines their relationship.  There’s a sweet, sadness to it.  An underlying doom that was never there as well as innocence.  It’s really rather beautiful.

The most surprising thing about this week’s Aquaman is that Phil Briones’ artwork actually manages to outdo Dan Abnett’s writing.  Briones introduces the Aquamarines, chimeric American soldiers, not Abnett.  We don’t actually care about who they are.  Their look however is amazing.

In Atlantis, Aquaman reveals some disturbing news for ally Joanna Stubbs, and while Abnett adds humor to the scene with his dialogue, it’s Briones that conveys the awkwardness.

When the Aquamarines attack, it’s a horrible thing.  Atlanteans die left and right for crimes that they never took part in.  They heroically sacrifice themselves for their King, and when Aquaman finally meets the Aquamarines it’s an impressive sight.  

Kudos also for inker Gale Eltaeb's enhancement of Aquaman’s anger.  It just gets more awesome: a Mera splash page that must be owned, another moment where Aquaman’s rage boils the water.  Aquaman isn’t just one of the best written of DC’s books.  It’s also the place for consistently great art.