Pick of the Brown Bag

February 6, 2013

by 

Ray Tate

This week Animal Man, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Batwing, Detective Comics, Doctor Who, Earth 2, The Fearless Defenders, Human Bomb, Prophecy, Smallville, Swamp Thing and World's Finest are the picks of the brown bag.

After reading the premiere issue, I dismissed Fear Itself as yet another Big Stupid Event with main players acting out of character to serve the plot.  The tie-in mini-series however were another matter.  

In The Deep Stephen Strange put together a team of Defenders consisting of Namor, Silver Surfer, She-Hulk and new-character Loa.  I liked what I had read.  Writer Cullen Bunn didn't pollute The Deep with talking heads and deconstructionist dross.  He also committed no character assault.  

Bunn wrote scenes where the usually whiney Silver Surfer grew a set and smacked monsters with his surfboard and where She-Hulk, not red or blue, but She-Hulk, pitched a fastball special that launched Loa against traditional Little Bad Attuma.

When Matt Fraction's Defenders came out with a different roster, I wasn't impressed.  First, Cullen Bunn wasn't writing, and second, I didn't want that team.  I wanted the team from The Deep.

After The Deep, Bunn produced The Fearless focusing on another Defender Valkyrie.  Once again, this series was terrific, and you had to wonder if Marvel were willfully being blind.  Did they not see that Bunn wanted to write a Defenders ongoing series?  Finally, somebody started paying attention.

Bunn brings his sensibilities to the latest incarnation of the Defenders, and just as a reminder from whence his fame surfaced, Bunn adds Fearless to the title.  He should have called it Fantastic Defenders, but that would lead to misconceptions.

The story opens with a portent for Valkyrie followed by an attempted theft of Viking artifacts investigated by Misty Knight.  Bunn then introduces a new archaeologist character Dr. Annabelle Riggs.  

A song emitted from one of the relics Misty rescued causes supernatural mayhem but also calls Valkyrie for a timely rescue.

Fearless Defenders reads like a grindhouse film blended with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.  Valkyrie and the consequences of the viking artifacts bring the fantastic elements to the table.  Although even she gets down and dirty with swordplay wielded against an echo from the Shaw Brothers/Hammer cult classic The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires.

Misty Knight's fight against the thieving mercenaries on the ship allows artist Will Sliney to ply his martial arts illustrative chops, and the whole sequence mashes together the deadliest female fighter in cinema Angela Mao with Pam Grier's urban vigilante characters, like Coffy.  Ultimately, Misty's roots.

The back-to-back fighting is a classic image from chop-sockey pictures, and the short-hand dialogue crackling from Bunn's imagination emulates the terse speech from the heroes of 42nd Street.  Finally, as if you needed another reason to buy Fearless Defenders, Bunn and Siley as well as colorist Victoria Gandini seal their work with a kiss.

The Doctor traditionally has bad luck when it comes to luxury starliners.  The space yacht to the Doctor is like the Orient Express to Hercule Poirot.  Think I'm kidding? The fourth Doctor destroyed a drug smuggling ring on The Empress.  After deducing the murder of admiring private investigator Hallet, the sixth Doctor saved the human race from the Vervoids secreted aboard The Hyperion 3, and the tradition continued in his later incarnations with such memorable vessels as The Titanic.

The Doctor absconds with Rory and Amy to a starship bubbling with intrigue. Writer Andy Diggle brings back a welcome guest star from series and a finds a means to introduce her to even more of the Doctor's world, through another dip in the continuity pool.  

Our heroine's goal as always appears to be larceny, but a subplot of slave races planning revolt may factor into her motive.  Each luxury setting in Doctor Who frequently mimics Star Trek's command structure and mirrors the episode "Journey to Babel" in which Captain Kirk must host a group of diplomats aboard The Enterprise.  However, Doctor Who always introduces key differences.

Diggle characterizes the Captain of the vessel as a vainglorious sphincter who loves the slaving nature of his glorious empire, not the Great and Bountiful one the Doctor continuously gushes over.  Definitely not Kirk, and not even Zapp Brannigan from Futurama.  He's the kind of character the Doctor loathes, and I look forward to watching the Time Lord hand him his buttocks.

Artists Josh Adams, Mike Deering, Charlie Kirchoff bring the cast to life while keeping things hopping.  Their depiction of the guest star particularly stands out as does the quiet scene where the Doctor explains to Amy who the mystery woman really is.

Bryan Q Miller offers a meaty issue of Smallville.  In addition to handling the monster-of-the-week elements, in which shadow beings living in a speed limbo stalk the Fastest Man Alive Bart Allen, Miller strikes a key chord in the developing thread of Tess Mercer, Lex's "dead" sister, haunting the bald billionaire.  He also returns to the idea of alternate universe Chloe crashing in a Kansas cornfield.

I placed "dead" in quotes because Lex stabbed Tess with a Kryptonian crystal, and that just may have saved her life.  Mind you, she'll need a new body since her original one was buried or immolated.  Still investigative reporter Lois Lane comes ever closer to the truth.  

The girl's obsessed with brining Luthor down, and it's personal.  Lex coated Superman with a substance that lets him detect the Man of Steel wherever he may be.  That keeps her perpetual fiancee out of reach.  There's nothing worse than a frustrated Lois Lane, and you can imagine Erica Durance achieving such a buzz-saw on the loose performance.

Meanwhile already married couple Chloe and Ollie banter about their baby and how neither have told anybody about their quiver of joy.  I like this scene for a lot of reasons.  One, the dialogue doesn't bore you.  Miller mimics the delivery of the actors.  Two, I like how the duo pass the time while they talk.  Three, the affection between the couple is remarkably evident in the artwork by Jorge Jiminez and  Carrie Strachan, and four, it's all subtly done.

Later in the book Chloe provides the channel in which Dr. Emil Hamilton, liaison to the Justice League, tunes in on the parallel incarnation's thoughts.  Miller sells this bit of science fiction.  He convinces you that it should work, and he uses it for a stirring cliffhanger.  Chloe doesn't see an innocuous other earth.  She sees death right off the bat.

Earth 2 soon overcomes the clunky exposition shared in the opening scene by new Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders and Khalid Ben-Hassin the new Dr. Fate.  Nicola Scott, inker Trevor Scott and colorist Alex Sinclair defy the dry humping dialogue.  However, during the conversation, we do at least learn that Kendra's wings are part of her and not just a harness she dons.  Yes! 

Things pick up when Khalid teleports to find the young Flash Jay Garrick checking in with his mom.  I like how writer James Robinson drops the pretense of secret identity for the loved one.  This avoids a lot of silliness and ramps up the action for an exciting encounter with government troops led by new 52 Sandman Wesley Dodds.  I should point out that although the names sound familiar, these "Wonders" are new.  For instance, Kendra shares the name of the post-Crisis JSA's Hawkgirl, but our Kendra carries none of the other avatar's angst, nor exhibits inexperience.  Our Kendra furthermore like the Silve Age police woman happens to be a weapons expert.

World's Finest amps the dynamism in the Huntress' and Power Girl's stay on earth one.  Writer Paul Levitz opens the book with a Haiku.  Oh, no.  I mean Haakou.

Levitz reveals the origins of the radiation eating monster that vexed Helena and Karen in their premiere issue.  It turns out that Apokolips had nothing to do with this creature's involvement.

The strike team believe that their task will be a milk run, but little do they know that Batman's and Catwoman's daughter recuperates in the sickbay.  George Perez makes a one-armed bona fide Huntress more dangerous than the two-armed generic model that DC kept forgetting to kill in Big Stupid Events.

Perez is still rushing through the artwork, but cosmos be damned if rushed Perez isn't a million times better than most.  What could have been a by-the-numbers mercenary squad benefits from Perez's molded armor and distinctive features that Huntress quickly messes up in nasty ways.  

As we see in a flashback energetically illustrated by Cafu, Power Girl acts as the conscience of the duo.  This differs from the original Kryptonian who really didn't at all care for humanity and resented her cousin when telling her to hold back.

The conclusion to Prophecy surprised the heck out of me.  As it turns out the most important players in this sensational under the radar crossover is in fact Red Sonja and believe it or not Alan Quatermain.

Red Sonja's hatred of Kulan Gath, expressed palpably in her lovely countenance by Walter Geovani and Adriano Lucus, proves to be vital to the event, and her acumen and experience in time travel feeds her with the insight to prevent the apocalypse begun by the sorcerer.  

Then, Quatermain having stolen the dagger in the second place, catalyzing Sherlock Holmes' involvement in the affair, atones for his crime by hampering the ultimate n'er do well from using the dagger to potentially recreate Gath's wave of destruction.

Perhaps the most surprising of all is that this humble and unhyped mini-series actually has consequences for the main characters. Prophecy is easily one of the finest licensed property crossovers in the last two decades.  It compares favorably to neoclassic DC/Dark Horse team-ups such as Batman vs. Predator and Superman vs. Aliens.

Prophecy was always a Red Sonja and company story.  Swamp Thing/Animal Man was always a Batman and company story.  The difference is that Batman as we know him never appears, and I wouldn't be surprised if Scott Snyder was inspired by the near Holmes bereft The Hound of Baskervilles. 

You can almost envision Bruce working behind the scenes, while still fighting normal crime, as Arcane makes his move and the Rot invades the planet.  He searches for Swamp Thing and Animal Man and notes their absence.  He calculates for their return.  He starts building the Bat mecha that will save the world, while probably still partaking in Justice League missions.  He inoculates Barbara with an antidote mixed with the Langstrom formula before he succumbs.  He relays a detailed plan on video feed and then laughs like his idol the Shadow because Batman has already beaten Arcane, and the dumb ass doesn't even know it.

I've happy to say that I predicted most everything Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire had up their sleeves--including the metamorphosis of Batgirl into a She-Bat, but I can't take credit for forecasting the giant reset button at the end.  We all kind of knew that this would happen.  However, the exact means does come as a surprise, and even I, so in tune with what Snyder and Lemire were doing could not foresee all the little twists in store. So, although Prophecy is the better of these three somewhat similar-themed titles, Swamp Thing and Animal Man still have a lot to offer the reader.  

Frankenstein gains some remarkable power in Animal Man.  Black Orchid kicks a lot of rotting ass.  Swamp Thing uses a Batman staple to gain strength and stamina.  There's this moment…

Swampy and Buddy really do go beyond the call of duty in this story, and Arcane is sicky, sick, sick, sick.  

The way in which Buddy taps into the Red, the animal kingdom, is unexpected, clever yet foreshadowed.  The death of one hero recalls the sacrifice of Anya in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  The use of the rot-infested Cyborg is a keeper.  As is this awesome crossover.  

Created by the founder of DC Comics Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson and Superman's sires Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, Slam Bradley, believe it or not, debuted in the very first issue of Detective Comics.

Slam started as a private eye in the vein of Mike Hammer and Sam Spade.  His place in history however would soon be usurped by a colorful wave of characters and one really dark one ushered in by his originators' Man of Steel.  

Slam flickered back into the Bronze Age one or twice before making a bigger splash in the post-Crisis.  He briefly returned as a police detective to the Superman titles during the Byrne/Stern era but soon returned to his roots as a gumshoe when Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke reintroduced him in the modern Detective Comics.  In that chapterplay, he investigates the apparent death of Selina Kyle.  He of course would next become her partner in non-crime, in the justifiably lauded series Catwoman.

While Slam technically still hasn't shuffled into the New 52, we have this splendid issue of Legends of the Dark Knight to sate us while we wait.  Josh Fialkov portrays Slam as an aging, unlucky detective.  Artists Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur toughen the old crime fighter as if he were a piece of human beef jerky.  

Slam butters his bread by taking photos of cheating husbands and wives.  He tries to keep away from the big cases and sees himself as a little fish in a big pond filled with capes, cowls and freaks.

While on a case for a paying client, Slam witnesses a brutal murder, and though he leaves evidence behind for the cops, he finds himself under the Bat-Signal.  Gotham PD and Batman believe him to be a killer, and things just get much worse from there.

Part of the fun is seeing how the costumed world kicks the crap out of Bradley, but he steadfastly won't fall down.  In the end Batman reassesses the evidence and knows that Slam's been framed.  This leads to a terrific team-up between Dark Knight and Down-on-his-Luck Dick.  Here's hoping when the Powers That Be reintroduce Slam into the new 52, it's as good as his return in Legends of the Dark Knight.

Fairplay mystery is the theme of this week's Detective Comics.  While the story is still ostensibly related to "Death of the Family," it's more of a singular entity.  Batman deduces the identity of the new villain and alleged Joker aficionado The Merry Maker.

You'll notice that this stylish character bears no resemblance to the Joker, and that's a clue.  It's not the only one.  Clues lie in plain sight for the budding detective or mystery buff to find.  All you must do is observe the facts of the case and thread the needle.

Cerebral moments take the center stage in Detective Comics, but Jason Fabok still demonstrates Batman's skill as a martial artist.  He and writer John Layman indicate Batman's sense of humor through the utilization of the latest Waynetech.  There's plenty of daring on display as well as Batman's vigilante elements.  Although Detective Comics has, let's be honest, shall we, absolutely nothing to do with the Joker and "Death of the Family" it's still well-worth your time.

By now you probably know that Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray will be taking over the reins of Batwing.  What this entails is anybody's guess.  Most believe Gray and Palmiotti will be introducing a new Batwing.  I'm not so sure about that.  However, writer Fabian Nicieza certainly adds fuel to that fire.

Last issue David Zavimbe arrested Ancil Marquesbury for murder.  Ancil is the son of a rich, white industrialist.  Doing the right thing earned David a scarlet letter.  

His colleagues on the already corrupt police force shun him.  Hell, they tried to kill he and the young witness last issue.  His former friend Kia, who is the most sterling of the pack of badged thieves, also won't give him the time of day.  

In addition to the personal cold shoulder, Nicieza goes after the Batwing persona.  An armored assassin clips Batwing's namesakes.  The bad guys attack the Haven, Batwing's headquarters.  Another mercenary with a familiar face appears to have given up fighting the good fight, and ends up turning a gun on David.  

Yeah, it would be difficult to find some more symptoms of going down in flames, and if this were DC's plans for the fledgling Batman Family member, it would explain why Judd Winnick left the book.  Well at least Fabrizio Fiorentino and Peter Pantazis make it a pretty Hindenburg.

I will probably at least try the new Batwing even if the title character is a new man.  Normally I wouldn't.  I'm fundamentally opposed to scorched earth policies, and I genuinely thought Batwing was pretty darn resonant in his own right.  However, Palmiotti and Gray were responsible for bucking up my spirits in the darkest days of the DCU.  

Power Girl was the last thing I bought from the old DC, and I left when the PGA left.  A being Amanda Conner.  That was good in a way.  Michael Straczynski with the devastating stroke of the single worst comic book issue of all time forced my decision to conduct a total boycott.  I would have hated to drop Power Girl.

I thought the boycott would last forever, but Batgirl walks again.  So long as she walks, I make mine DC.  Batwing was a personal favorite.  I don't know what's going to happen, but the animosity I harbored for DC Comics long since passed.  I also owe Palmiotti and Gray.  That said, I will always be objective.

The Human Bomb isn't without entertainment value.  Jerry Ordway creates some unusual imagery with a slew of red "androids."  The new Bomb's ethical backbone is winning, but ultimately, this issue lacks the focus of the startling premiere, and the characters jump around too many settings.  Although I appreciate compressed storytelling as opposed to padded dreck, this story really needed some breathing room.  Still, the next chapter looks promising.

Pick of the Brown Bag

January 23, 2013

by 

Ray Tate

It's another bonanza of reviews from the Pick of the Brown Bag.  This week we check out two new Dark Horse titles: The Answer and The Black Beetle.  We'll also be sussing out old favorites like Bionic Woman, Birds of Prey, Justice League, Nightwing, Prophecy, Supergirl, Sword and Sorcery with Amethyst, Wonder Woman and Young Justice.

In Justice League, Ocean Master's forces rise from the water in number and exemplify the difference in the new 52 status quo.  This kind of loyal army would have never been at the human Ocean Master's disposal.  At best, he could have mustered a gang of scuba diving mercenaries, but he usually attacked as a lone sea wolf.  In the new 52 however the Atlanteans find Aquaman lacking, specifically the human half.

The Atlanteans have a point.  Not about hybrid heroes, but regarding Aquaman's skills as a leader.  The surface world did not launch the missiles at Atlantis.  They did however come from the surface, and Ocean Master responds logically to what appears to be an unprovoked assault.  This is not a pre-emptive strike.  

Aquaman's belief that he can broker a peace is sadly misguided.  Ocean Master may listen to reason but only once captured.  By fighting against the League, Arthur splits the team and mitigates their ability to work together as a fighting unit.

Writer Geoff Johns gives each League member a chance to shine, and the art team of Ivan Reis, Joe Prado and Rod Reis grant visual validity to all.  Batman instigates a classic, sneaky move.  Wonder Woman attacks hordes of Atlantean warriors, and Superman lives up to his name with a feat echoing one that impressed me on Smallville.  Even Cyborg gains a little bit more respect; although he still mainly functions as a Boom Tube escort.  Johns also cannot resist the urge to include a revamp.  With the cameo, he reverses another long-standing death of a female character.  Good for him.

Wonder Woman's team up with Orion continues to be an enjoyable experience.  The new 52 Orion is yet again a different animal than the post-Crisis and pre-Crisis version.  This Orion goes to earth in order to relax, not to brood.

Milan a god from an undisclosed pantheon that sees all calls the battle between Diana and Orion a draw.  Wonder Woman is only too happy to sheath her swords, which magically arise from her bracelets thanks to Hephaestus.

We discover the identity of Hermes' aide-de-baby snatch, but the mystery man in the arctic wastelands remains so even though bets are in favor of his being Heracles.

All of these goings-on in a meaty issue of Wonder Woman get grand treatment by Cliff Chiang and colorist Matthew Wilson.  The creative team furthermore inject a certain sprightliness to the reappearance of Hera's family tree.  In fact, the personae, the body language and the timing bring to mind Uncle Arthur's and Serena's welcome manifestations in Bewitched.

Nightwing and Supergirl I'm sorry to say are completely disposable.  Of the two books, only Nightwing advances the crossover story but not in an unexpected way.  Basically, the Joker just waylays Dick and ushers him to the Batman Family banquet in preparation for the next issue of Batman.  

It's clear from the dialogue that the Joker does not know Dick's secret identity.  He has only guessed that Nightwing was a former circus performer.  Given the vast number that have come and gone at Haley's, including by the way Boston Brand, there is no way he could have determined Nightwing is in fact Dick Grayson.  Plus, the Joker's nuts.  Rationality in his thoughts is fleeting on a bad day.  

Thanks to Eddy Barrows the issue of Nightwing is a gorgeous place holder.  Barrows seems naturally drawn to Dick's acrobatic routine.  Barrows'  sense of realism, enhanced by Eber Ferreira's tactile inking and Rod Reis' spectral shades, imbues an eerier quality to the nightmarish Joker scheme.

Supergirl on the other hand takes the plot to "H'el on Earth" nowhere.  The Flash breaches the Fortress and battles the Girl of Steel.  The narration is the only element of interest, besides of course Mahmud Asrar's splendid artwork.  

Supergirl is amazed at the Flash's speed and thinks he may be faster than Superman, thus adding to the much debated historical comic book conundrum.  In my opinion the Flash is the Fastest Man Alive.

The battle carries over to Superman's alien zoo, and that allows Asrar to create Wayne Barlow inspired creatures of all sorts.  We also meet an old friend before H'el shows up to vanquish the Flash and begin his plans for earth's annihilation and a misguided time travel mission.  Which is exactly where we started from.

Trained from childhood to follow the Court of Owls' lethal commands, The Talons are nigh unstoppable immortal assassins.  The Court sent a Talon to deal with each member of the Batman Family.  Gail Simone created the only sympathetic Talon amongst the psychotics.

Batgirl defeated the Talon sent to kill her.  That same Talon later saved her life, indicating an individualism that could not be extinguished by the Court's brainwashing techniques.  After these events, Batgirl's Talon became targeted for assassination.  

Though this Talon happens to be mute, the Court intended to silence her before she divulged their secrets to authorities.  Batgirl and Catwoman intervened.  Conflict arose in what to do with the Talon.  Catwoman refused to let her go back to jail.  Concerned over the Talon's safety, Batgirl agreed and decided to find a place for her in the Birds of Prey.

Writer Duane Swierzynski cleverly dubs the Talon Strix, which is the genus for owls.  Strix immediately acts as a contentious presence. 

Black Canary and Starling, who with Batgirl form the core of the team, seriously doubt Batgirl's sanity and jump to the conclusion that she might be mind-controlled.  This is an example of Swierzynski immersing himself in the lore of comic books.  Although the new 52 has featured thankfully little mind-control, it's a staple trope in comics, and a consideration for heroes when any one of them acts strangely.  Compare this to nobody figuring out that Spidey isn't in his right mind.

In terms of pure characterization, Black Canary exhibits a different concern.  In the post-Crisis, Barbara Gordon formed the Birds of Prey to be her legs.  In the new 52, the Black Canary established the team, in a bid to overthrow the Penguin and defeat Basilisk, a surreptitious arms dealer that's been skulking around this new universe throughout the Batman Family titles.  Black Canary reacts as a normal person might.  Flinching at the idea of Batgirl challenging her leadership.  That's an example of Swierzynski's pure characterization, free from the filter of comic books.  This kind of reaction could of occurred in any work.

Before anybody can act, Swierzynski throws a Condor in the works.  Now this is where Swierzynski exhibits a real understanding of each character.  Rather than immediately throw in with him and attack Strix.  Each character behaves according to her personality.  That generates immense fun and unexpected treats that allow artist Romano Molenaar to demonstrate his illustrative acrobatics, perfect sense of timing and deadpan delivery of comedy.  Later in the book, Molenaar will display an impressive rendering raw power to the panels.

Birds of Prey could have been just another change of the guard.  You know the type.  The roster adds and subtracts players, and there's some generic threat that lets them test their worth for the team.  Swierzysnki through evolves characteristic comedy through dialogue and excitement via personality clashes.  Molenaar, backed by Vincente Cifuentes' inking expertise and Chris Sotomayor's rich night colors turns the Birds of Prey into a vision of action-packed loveliness.

Batgirl fans definitely need to pick up Young Justice.  Trapped under Brainiac's force dome, Batgirl must face a Superboy bizarro clone, known as Match.

The Dynamic Daredoll smartly defeats her foe with tumbling, a plausible stock from her utility belt and sleight of cape.  It's an awesome Batgirl moment in an otherwise long, drawn out Brainiac story.

Reading Paul Tobin's Bionic Woman makes me hate Keith Champagne's Bionic Man vs. Bionic Woman even more.  Mr. Tobin gets everything right that Champagne got horribly, irrevocably wrong.

Jaime isn't disguised as a stripper.  In fact, she's not disguised at all.  In a smart suit, she visits her friend Nora, who was thrown off a roof in the penultimate chapter of the first recommended storyarc.  Both Nora and Jaime sparkle with personality, but Tobin clearly sets them up as opposites.  Whereas Nora is aggressive, impetuous and searching for a laugh, Jaime is restrained, rational and leaning toward dry wit.

Jaime meets Steve Austin, and Steve actually seems like a person rather than a block of wood.  Their non-date goes well, and the panels by Juan Antonio Ramirez neatly fold a span of time highlighted by a gamut of expression from both bionic humans. 

Tobin had already planted the seeds for the gist of his tale on the first page, but he does something beyond merely presenting this classic adversary of the Bionic Woman.  In addition to the surprises from Jaime's nemesis, Tobin ties-in a mercenary squad just aching to be on the receiving end of Jaime's power.  This lets Ramirez strut his bionic action chops, and he doesn't leave the reader wanting.

In Ron Marz's Prophecy Red Sonja deals with Dracula's kiss as Kulan Gath brings the world down to its figurative knees.  Not much to say about this book.

Yeah, that about sums it up.  The bizarre team-up of licensed properties hasn't disappointed from issue one on.  The conclusion to this book would have to seriously fizzle in order to leave a bad taste in my mouth, and I don't think that's going to happen.  Especially with this penultimate issue's awesome cliffhanger.

Christy Marx creates a remarkable stand-alone story in Sword and Sorcery.  When last we left Amethyst, she was fighting alongside of Justice League Dark.  This issue the defacto leader of the team John Constantine, uses the House of Mystery to transport Amethyst to Chicago.  The reason is delightfully normal, fitting a teenager of Amethyst's age.

Constantine by telling her the facts pulls off a smooth con that allows him to keep the gem that opens a portal to Nilla, Gemworld ala Themyscria, and puts her in his debt.  To be fair, Constantine acts much more like a hero these days.  He's a Leaguer for crying out loud.

While Amethyst indulges her earth favorite, a crazy Republican sorceress decides to snatch the princess in order to steal her power.  Oh, you may argue that the sorceress bears no party affiliation, but I beg to differer.  Rich layabout believes she's entitled to steal somebody's power and freedom while demonstrating poor research skills screams Republican to me.  

In any case, bitch witch gives subbing artist Travis Moore the opportunity to display a feel for the star, dynamism, supernatural tomfoolery and a little comedy on the way.

The Black Beetle is obviously derivative of the pulps.  Francesco Francavilla's champion is not as unique as the Shadow or the Spider, nor the Green Hornet.  The writer/artist basically checks off a list of pulp necessities for a hero to possess but doesn't do anything original with these traditions.  Of course, I'm not sure that Francavilla really wanted to do anything more than send a love letter to all of those mysterious, masked heroes of yore.

The Beetle is visually striking.  Francavilla's stunning illustration recalls such greats as Toth, Jordi Bernet and Kubert.  For once Francavilla's predilection toward oranges and reds works in his favor.  This all results in The Black Beetle being Francavilla's narrative sketchbook.  That's not a bad thing to add to your collection. 

Mike Norton's Answer reads more like a question.  How much love do Dennis Hopeless and Mike Norton have for Robocop?

The Answer uses a pump action shotgun to shoot a perp's ghoulies through the skirt of a hostage.  Just like Robocop.  Robocop however uses a futuristic gun with precision ammo and a tracking system that allows him to pinpoint the woman's flesh to hit the man behind her.  I'm pretty certain that even an expert marksman would have difficulty performing the same feat with ordinary ammo and no tracking system.

The Answer karate chops one of the hoods.  His dropped lighter sets the gas station/convenience store on fire, and it promptly blows up.  Just like in Robocop.  There the thug drops a cigarette in the spilled gasoline on purpose to destroy Robocop.  He just ends up looking silly when Murphy hands him his ass.

Most people will say Devin, the librarian protagonist/catalyst, is a copy of Barbara Gordon, but actually Devin is the best part about The Answer, and she doesn't reflect Barbara Gordon at all personality wise.  Rather this obsessive puzzle solver is an original creation with an authentic voice.  She was possibly inspired by Barbara Gordon, who was the role model for librarians everywhere.  Behind the mousy exterior beat the heart of Batgirl.

Devin is no Batgirl, and her weakness for enigmas lands her into trouble and an encounter with the Answer, who isn't a horrible creation but like Francavilla's Black Beetle more visually powerful than deep.  He's an archetype of the urban vigilante, but I've seen far worse, and Norton's artwork is quite appealing.  He also carries the illustrated narrative well.  Good for anybody with disposable cash, or wait for the trade.

Pick of the Brown Bag

November 27, 2012

by 

Ray Tate

The Pick of the Brown Bag saddles up for A+X, All-Star Western with Jonah Hex, Aquaman, Bart Simpson Comics, Batman: Dark Knight, Batman Beyond Unlimited, Flash, Justice League Dark, Lookouts, Masks, Prophecy, Superman and the return of The Witchdoctor: Mal Practice.

When last we left Ben McCool's Lookouts, their hot-headed member Dore had just kiboshed their chances of playing by Troll rules to cross a bridge.  The Master Ranger believed the Troll to be a perfect training wheel for the much deadlier Sphinx, it's riddles demonstrating greater complexity.

This issue's goals split into two.  In the present day, the Lookouts return to face the Troll with a clever riddle of their own.

In the past, McCool spotlights Voel's wild-child life, and the artists' rendering of wolves and future Lookout recall the Chuck Jones made for television Rudyard Kipling specials.

Though the illustrators render the wolves as fantastic cartoons, the drama still issues throughout the panels as death, betrayal, love and honor frame the four-legged characters.

In Ron Marz's Prophecy, another literary figure appears in Victorian times to abscond with the Obsidian dagger that will eventually fall into Kulan Gath's shriveled hand.  This player is an unexpected and smart addition to the burgeoning cast.  

Who Is This Man?

Sherlock Holmes could not have deduced a factor so random, yet the periods of the two foes agree. The explanation as to how our mystery guest involved himself neatly results from cleverly concealed foreshadowing from last issue. His characteristic sense of unbridled hedonism impels his actions, and when you think about it, he's the antithesis of Holmes, arch-maven of logic and order.

Jumping ahead to the present day, our odd team of protagonists--Ash, Athena, Dracula, Eva, Pantha, Red Sonja, Vampirella and Herbert West--face the evil gods resurrected by Gath.  Needless to say they acquit themselves easily, but one of the gathering surprisingly falls. 

  

Walter Geovani and colorist Adriano Lucus beautifully visualize the dancers in the fantastique noir, and in the previous time frame, Geovani designs a particularly fitting Sherlock Holmes.  Recommended for fans of unusual crossovers and readers of classic literature.

Amalgamation appears to be Dynamite's middle name.  The Powers That Be also kickoff another crossover.  In Masks, The Shadow, Green Hornet and the Spider combine forces to fight tyranny in America.  Criminals have taken over politics, bending the law into a pretzel.  When the law fails, only the bringers of justice can prevail for the common man and woman.  I have to admit that I had a lot of doubts about Masks, but these were alleviated upon reading.  My trepidations concerned the Shadow.  

I first encountered the Shadow in Batman.  Batman suffered a sort of nervous breakdown in which gunfire triggered post traumatic stress, before such a phrase was coined.  The gunfire reminded him of the murder of his parents.  The reaction incapacitated him.  The Shadow stepped in to aid the Dark Knight, whom he considered his rightful successor, and even offered him the gift of twin .45 pistols at the end of the case.  Well, I went right to the library after that.  Who was this Shadow?

After the trip, I knew the gist.  The Shadow originated in radio, and he wasn't like the comic book character.  In the radio show, the Shadow could become invisible through the ability "to cloud men's minds," and had this crazy catch phrase: "Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men?  The Shadow Knows.  Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!"  The invisible Shadow didn't send me.

Maybe a couple of months later, I picked up a paperback reprinting a Shadow adventure, The Black Master by Maxwell Grant.  The character in the paperback reflected the comic book character that helped Batman.  

It would take me a year to discover that Maxwell Grant was only a house name, and that the true author of the Shadow's adventures was a magician named Walter B. Gibson.  Legend has it that Gibson was so prolific a writer that he typed until his fingers bled.  Given the volume of Shadow mysteries Gibson produced, I still can believe it.  

I like to consider myself a Shadow connoisseur.  I realize there are as many different versions of the Shadow as there are Batman, but for my money, you can get the look right, but if you miss the personality, you've got nothing.  

The Shadow of the pulps was human.  He was one of the most lethal humans ever to skulk, but still human.  Gibson's Shadow relied on no supernatural powers.  Gibson made him a magician.  He hypnotized people with the Girasol blazing on his finger.  He picked locks and scaled walls with suction cups, a trick Batman would use.  Facilitated by a black cloak and slouch hat, the Shadow used pattern recognition to disappear and reappear, and he fought crime not through invisibility but by blasting big holes through criminals.  

Something else Gibson strived to convey.  Though often implacable and unreadable, the Shadow could feel complex human emotions like empathy.  He expressed unswerving loyalty to his agents and valued their contributions to his crusade.  He might risk their lives.  He might even sacrifice their lives, not that such a thing happens in the adventures, but he never does so wantonly.  That's where I think Howard Chaykin and Garth Ennis missed the point.  They see the Shadow as a bastard, which is easy to write.  It is my firm belief that the Shadow wasn't a bastard at all but a champion, and that makes him harder to write.  He's a hero, but not by clearcut conventional standards.

With Masks I'm happy to say that Chris Roberson and Alex Ross go old school.  The flesh and blood Shadow battles Kato as he and his boss mistake the Shadow for a mobster's enforcer.  The Shadow exhibits no such misconceptions.  He knows that the Green Hornet's parasitic pursuit for a piece of the action is only a pretense. 

Deducing the Hornet's secret identity is almost a parlor trick for the Shadow.  In fact, the Shadow welcomes the Green Hornet to the Cobalt Club.  He almost expresses a kind of admiration that somebody would independently take up his fight, and throughout the book, the Shadow takes on the role of educator.  As he did with Batman.

Criminals nationwide come to New York to join the so-called Justice Party that infiltrates government from the ground up, and that turns the Hornet's insides.  He believes in the law as well as justice, but now he faces something that he could have never imagined.  The Shadow on the other hand appeared to be preparing for this scale all along. That's the kind of intellect and human nuance I expect from the granddaddy of all the dark heroes, and that's why Masks earns my highest recommendations.

In All-Star Western, Jonah Hex and Tullulah Black hunt down Dr. Jekyll's formula last seen turning circus folk into stark raving madmen.  The Barbary Ghost searches for something more valuable, her mother in Gotham City's Chinatown.

On the surface, this issue of All-Star Western is average, and by average, I mean extraordinarily good.  Make no mistake.  Writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray set the bar high, and they keep reaching the top issue after issue.

Their partner, artist Moritat, rips through the panels and sometimes double-page spreads.  It's as if he were hooked up to a device that fed him images from the films of Sergio Corbucci and the Shaw Brothers directly into his brain.  

Moritat's display of action is quick, ferocious and breathtaking, but All-Star Western isn't solely about swordplay and shoot-em ups.  As we close this chapter of literary mashup, horror awaits the reader.  Before the gruesome conclusion occurs however, the moment below will make you giggle.

I have no idea what the hell's going on.  Is Tullulah Black bisexual?  Is she giddy with the prospect of leaving Gotham City, a city that Hex and she hate with equal passion, and just funning?  Is she merely enjoying something soft and warm that's handy? Perhaps the answer lies in the midst of all three possibilities.  Whatever the rationale, it's the perfect capper to her involvement in the story, and the Barbary Ghost's priceless expression merely doubles the comedic impetus.

In the backup feature, Gray and Palmiotti go beyond history text books to uncover solid research about post-Colonial America.  The hero here is Tomahawk, but a decidedly different incarnation of Tomahawk than the old comic books fostered.

There are two views to most wars.  The Native Americans were defending their land and way of life from white invaders.  Primitive Americans often considered the Natives no more than ignorant savages.  Some of the Founding Fathers saw Natives as obstacles to overcome.  The British viewed them as allies of convenience.  Gray and Palmiotti with lank designs by Phil Winslade cover the gamut of opinion in these back-up adventures.

To be fair, DC once published comics featuring Native American heroes such as Strong Bow and Pow-Wow Smith, but calling a white character Tomahawk could be construed as insulting to an entire culture.  Gray and Palmiotti restore the name to a more suitable champion.  

This issue of Batman Dark Knight is simply put horror/adventure at its finest.  The Scarecrow has been abducting the children of Gotham City to conduct the same psychological experiments his father conducted on him, but his aims are far more lofty and insane.

First, the Scarecrow seeks to use the children's pheromones found in their fear-induced sweat to perfect his toxins.  Second, Jonathan Crane seeks to make these children stronger, in the sick way his father made him "stronger."

Batman deduces his scheme, but the Scarecrow accounts for this contingency.  He captures the Dark Knight and uses him as a guinea pig.  What he cannot predict is how the toxified Batman reacts.  

Batman instigates one of the most horrific countermoves against a foe I have ever seen, and I've been reading Batman since I was about ten years old.  I mean, back in the day, the Golden Age Bat-Man, who had a penchant for snapping the necks of his enemies would have been shocked at what his future incarnation does in Batman Dark Knight.

Artist David Finch perfectly times the scene for the greatest impact.  He executes the moment flawlessly, and he makes Batman meaner-looking than ever before.

That said.  This chapter of what can be described as an unsung masterpiece, deserving of a Bram Stoker Award, is also strangely uplifting.  As the Scarecrow's plans go to blazes, the Scarecrow's last act--he cannot believe he will survive--is one of heroism.  He's suffering from tremendous pain, but he goes beyond the agony that Batman inflicted and behaves nobly.  It's a bizarre moment in which you actually root for the Scarecrow yet not empathizing with the lunatic in any way.

Batman furthermore exhibits extraordinary humanity when he finds himself in need of rescue.  The Scarecrow not only mentally abused the Dark Knight but also physically damaged him during his escape.  The blood loss weakens Batman, and Hurrwitz and Finch convince you that he could have died ignominiously if not for the timely intervention of one of the Batman Family.  I don't like this particular member, but the character gains remarkable resonance in his scenes with Batman.

Despite ushering the reader on this emotional roller-coaster, Hurrwitz and Finch still aren't finished.  While this story has a beginning, middle and end for the chapter.  The tale restarts with the fruition of the Scarecrow's plans for Gotham City, again exploiting an arch-enabler of crime thus reinforcing the idea that this new 52 version of a classic Batman foe is no mere grotesque.

This is one of the best issues of Batman Beyond that I have read.  The grim doomsday of the earth appeared to be a sure thing, but Bruce Wayne had an ace up his sleeve that nobody expected.  If you haven't read the last issue, just take my word for it and go to the next review.  This is a must purchase.  For everybody else, skip below the spoiler space.

Bruce used the ashes of Jason Blood and his successor Batman Terry McGuiness to host Etrigan.  Merlin called the Demon to prevent the fall of Camelot.  Terry unwittingly invoked the Demon to save the earth from the giant snake god worshipped by Kobra, the cult headed by the extremely formidable Kali Yuga.

Batman villain Spellbinder ensorcelled Atom predecessor Micron, and he still seems to under the cult's spell, but the whole of Kobra's plans fall apart through the actions of the Justice League, Bruce Wayne and the heroic sacrifice of a character, beloved by many comic book readers.

While the past issues have been the harbingers of doom, this issue represents an optimistic uptick.  Though one cast member dies, another resurfaces in a superbly staged moment by Derek Fridolfs, and a surprise guest star closes the book on a note that rings with friendship and warmth.

Who is this Woman?

In the second tale, Norm Breyfogle, known more as an action-artist, eerily depicts writer Adam Beechen's nihilistic psychopath, and as the Jokerz run rampant, Batman and Catwoman Beyond team up with older members of the Batman Family to bandage Gotham's wounds.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne demonstrates that he may be old, he may be hospitalized, and he may have voluntarily relinquished his identity to Terry, but he's still the Batman. 

A+X was pitiful.  On the surface I'm sure an Avengers/X-Men team-up book seemed like a good idea, and honestly, I'm not against the concept.  The problem lies in Chris Bacchalo's and Peter David's writing, and in the latter's case, it's not the actual technique that I'm complaining about.

Bachhalo's artwork is scrumptious as always, but sometimes you cannot tell what's going on when Rogue or Black Widow smacks down the Sentinel.  

For example, is Rogue using the remains of the Black Widow's car to squash robot.  That would make the most sense, but you cannot ascertain the possibility from the visual.

I never actually considered Bacchalo a babe artist, but it's very clear from this story that he is.

Must be a Little Nippy 

Of course, I like well done cheesecake.  I like Rogue and Black Widow, and Rogue and Black Widow cheesecake should be a boon.  It sort of is, but that's all this book is about.  Bacchalo's tale is so fluffy that it very well could float away and dissipate on the wind.  

AIM wants to steal a device made by a pair of students who intended to sell their creation to the defense department.  So, why aren't we seeing Black Widow and Rogue taking out bee-keepers?  I'm guessing because Bacchalo felt he had to justify the presence of an X-Man in an Avengers book.  What goes with X-Men? Sentinels.

Why would AIM use Sentinels to steal a gizmo?  Sentinels have one purpose, to kill mutants, and as I recall, they were a lot tougher than the bargain basement Dalek that AIM uses.  Wolverine could Ginsu a Sentinel, but Cyclops had to get rid of them by convincing them that the source of all mutation is the sun--kind of true.  They were that tough.  Only the Scarlet Witch with her probability affecting powers could damage these robots.  How times change.  Now, ordinary ammo can penetrate their armor.  

Guns on a Sentinel? Please.  That's just ridiculous.  Armor piercing rounds shouldn't be able to penetrate the Sentinel's carcass.  

In the second short, Peter David mimics Robert Downey Jr. in his presentation of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man.  However, his idea for Kitty Pryde is just awful.  Oh, he characterizes her well, but he takes advantage of a rotten recent happening.  Kitty was apparently impregnated by the Brood, again! 

Now, the story itself could have been a cute idea.  Except, you just know some other writer is going to take advantage of the continuity David just added.  Now, Kitty is going to always be just on the edge of giving "birth" to more Brood, and cosmos help us if its a different body fluid.  

On the other hand, I really like Mike Del Mundo's artwork.  It's a unique find in a comic book.  Like fashion art but given a little more liveliness.  Nice color choices as well.

Has Aquaman snapped? Is Aquaman the Ocean Master? It's an unworkable idea, but it would explain much of the confusion.  

Why do we never see the Ocean Master's face nor any of his Atlantean subjects except a silhouetted woman?  Could all this be in Aquaman's head?

What upset Vulko so much? How does the individual with the scepter know where Aquaman sealed the Piranha Men from the first storyarc?  It makes sense if Aquaman in fact freed them from containment?

Aquaman certainly wouldn't be the first hero to experience a nervous breakdown.  In The Untold Legend of Batman, an injury triggered Batman's psychotic break.  Superman's execution of Kryptonian criminals in a pocket universe split his psyche into the vigilante known as Gangbuster.  Wonder Woman lost it when Steve Trevor died a second time.  So, maybe it's Aquaman's submerged guilt over defending a surface world that hates he and his kind that fractured his mind into the Ocean Master.  Time will tell.

Scott Lobdell has only just started his run on Superman, but he's shaping the character for the new 52 more so than his predecessors.  He demonstrates what makes this new incarnation different from the post-Crisis and pre-Crisis versions.  He also defines Superman's character in a pivotal scene.

This is another occasion where I read a book and I said to myself, "That's not Superman."  It turns out I was right.  That's H'el.  The alleged Kryptonian beating Superman on the cover.  Bonus? Superman deduces H'el's plan.

Kara's and Kal-El's relationship is much more flinty in this universe.  Supergirl isn't like Superman.  She doesn't like humanity all that much.  She's a Kryptonian, proud and true.  Superman in turn is flummoxed by his girl cousin, who causes him no end of trouble.

All through the book, Lobdell and artist Kenneth Rocafort carefully establish that Superman and Supergirl get along like oil and water, but Superman is good-natured about it.  He sees her as a pest because of the cultural difference between them.  Her opinion on his secret identity is particularly hilarious.  Easily the best issue of Superman so far.

The Flash is good, but compared to the last chapters, it's just not spectacular.  This is probably because it's too connected to the next issue.  This is all setup you see.  The relationship between Barry and Patty advances.  The new 52 Solovar manifest.  Gorilla Grodd and the Flash have a hellacious fight, and the Rogues battle on.  The focus turns away briefly to David West's search for his sister Iris West, lost in Speed Force limbo, and that I think was a misstep in an already scattered issue.  As usual though the art is stunning.

Justice League Dark is a clear inventory issue, but it does have the solid layouts of Graham Nolan, one of the more recent Phantom artists and current artist for Rex Morgan M.D.  Graham Nolan having anything to do with Black Orchid almost erases any objectivity I claim to have.

However, it's a decent story with Frankenstein, Black Orchid and Amethyst--admit it, that's a team you never would have imagined--touring the House of Mystery and running into all sorts of trouble, not to mention John Constantine's secret spying on all the heroes.  This observation reveals some interesting secrets behind the petals of the Orchid, or does it?  Writer Jeff Lemire isn't admitting to anything in this fun stand-alone.

Vincent Morrow, the Witchdoctor, gets lucky, but his date becomes a little possessive.  The dangerous red head as illustrated by Lukas Ketner Andy Troy is an exotic trap that any man or woman, inclined, would fall for.

The aftermath of the date however takes an outré turn, and Morrow is canny enough to know he's been had.  However, his associate Penny Dreadful is less than enthused until she gets a whiff of what exactly inveigled the Witchdoctor.

What appears to be a humorous one-off extrapolates into a devious plot by an unseen mastermind.  As expected, Brandon Siefert's story is a comedic, weird tale engrossing in scope and focus.  Siefert exhibits a love of monsters, and his imagination as interpreted by Ketner and Troy fruits remarkable creations.  I'm already intrigued.

The Xmas issue of Futurama was weak, but Bart Simpson Comics more than atones for the lackluster showing.  In "Good Cop, Bart Cop," writer Ian Boothby pairs Bart and Ralph Wiggum as duly deputized Kid Cops, attacking juvenile crime with a rare gusto.

   

The tale naturally fosters a lot of heart, with The Chief's unconditional love for his son and Bart's humanity toward Ralph.  These moments could have been schmaltzy in lesser hands, but Boothby through comedy accents genuine feeling in the characters.  

Artist John Delaney, with emphasis provided by inker Andrew Pepoy, captures the unique bond between Bart and Ralph and keeps the escapades action-packed for a faithful adherence to cop show conventions.

Pepoy and superb colorist Nathan Hamill return for the second tale. "For a Limited Time Only" by John Jackson Miller concocts an inspired fancy that mimics the convoluted nature of the television series.  

The story starts off with well-known staple of comic book stores that segues naturally to a coupon obsession spurred on by James Lloyd's Burt Convy flourished Larry H. Lawyer, one of the more obscure characters from The Simpsons episode "Pray Anything."  In any case, two stories.  Big laughs.