Bill Loebs's Journey is a true masterwork--a classic and unique work of insight and brilliance, filled with extraordinary scenes, intriguing characters, and spectacular storytelling.

Hyperbole? Perhaps.

However, this is an extraordinary comic book. And it's great to see this series collected in a convenient "Essential"/"Showcase" edition.

Journey tells the tale of Joshua "Wolverine" MacAllistaire, a frontier woodsman in the Michigan wilderness in the early part of the 19th century. You might think a comic based on such a concept would be a bit dull, but this is actually an extremely lively series.

For instance, chapter one tells the story of MacAllistaire being chased by a bear. The chase takes 14 pages--and they are spine-tingling. The story alternates spectacular storytelling with a fascinating interior monologue by the frontiersman. It's a real tour de force that displays a real command of the comics form.

Loebs uses stunning page layouts to emphasize the scenes in the story--none more stunning than the amazing tableau on page 23 when MacAllistaire escapes the bear. (sorry for the spoiler, folks, but the book is about Old Joss, after all.)

After the brilliance of that first chapter, it's hard to not get hooked into the comic. One way Loebs sucks readers in is by gradually revealing MacAllistaire's character in interesting and surprising ways. As the book progresses, we not only see Old Joss's amazing survival skills but also his love of poetry, his loyalty to friends, and his complex take on relations with Native Americans.

I found myself also really excited by Loebs's amazing page layouts throughout the volume. Page after page, scene after scene, Loebs delivers moments that are completely unique. Opening this book to nearly any page reveals a stunningly original storytelling style.

See page 170, for instance, for a shocking scene of a man stuck in ice. Or look at page 203 and see how beautifully Loebs manages the scene between MacAllistaire and Sparrow Dark. Or read page 283 and notice how wonderfully Loebs delivers a very simple scene.

It's stunning how often Loebs delivers perfectly-realized moments.

The idiosyncratic linework of the illustrations is also quite intriguing in this book. Loebs is very highly influenced by the great Will Eisner--which certainly helps explain why his storytelling is so distinctive. However, beyond influence there are also scenes where Loebs seems to actually be channeling Eisner. His art has a charm, richness, and emphasis on facial gestures that is so often associated with Eisner. Most every line seems well thought out; all are placed on the page for specific reasons.

Yet the biggest surprise in reading this book comes from how the plot progresses. This "phonebook" edition collects 14 issues of the original series, and it's intriguing how thoughtfully Loebs builds his story through the run. The early chapters begin the story of Native American unrest that builds to an intense conclusion later in the series. The story progression displays a magisterial command of the art form, and a very nice payoff for patient readers.

However, there are a few missteps, too. For instance, the book goes into odd tangents with a crossover involving Neil the Horse and normalman--who were also published by Aardvark-Vanheim at the time. There's also an inexplicable anthropomorphic sci-fi story in the middle of the Native American drama. Nevertheless, by the time those scenes appear, Loebs has earned a lot of credit from readers.

Journey is a lost classic of the 80s. In a perfect world, this series would have been a smash hit rather than a critical darling. Yet critical darling it is. The series has lost none of its brilliance in the intervening years; in fact, time has only done it favors.

Journey is a masterpiece.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

After ten volumes of spiritual, political, literary, and comedic exploration--as well as bending every rule of comic book form--Cerebus finally gets to sit down and have a nice glass of scotch. Well, a bucket of scotch, actually.

After being shown the truth of the universe and, more precisely, the truth about himself, Cerebus: Guys takes its main character on the road of self-exploration. Faced with the realization that his life is the bread and he is the baker, Cerebus must learn to make himself happy . . . without destroying his liver.

The setting of Guys is a dank little tavern beside the massive Wall of Tsi. Only briefly does Sim allow the reader to escape the swelling air of testosterone and regret of rough liquor and equally loutish regulars--and these customers are indeed “regulars” of Cerebus: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the former barbarians Boobah and Bear from Church and State, Mrs. Thatcher from Jaka’s Story, and Joanne from Minds. The remaining cast is made up of Sim’s usual caricature plays on celebrities and famous characters--such as Norman Mailer, bartenders Richard George and Harrison Starkey (a mixture of Ringo Starr and George Harrison from the Beatles), and Marty Feldman’s Igor from Young Frankenstein.

Sim’s narrative revolves around these characters, briefly engaging the reader with snippets of a story here and a joke there in creating the mosaic ambiance of a lively bar. The major theme, however, is Cerebus’s quest for stability.

Much of the book is focused on Cerebus’s relationship with Bear, who represents both manhood and an acceptable level of contentment. Yet, their friendship is constantly halted by Cerebus’s immature attachment to power. As the two play a game of Five Bar Gate--a mixture of field hockey, tennis, and cricket--Bear becomes enraged by the aardvark’s pettiness. In a winding speech that outlines Cerebus’s selfishness and childish need for control, Bear summarizes the aardvark’s action as a result of Bear “winning.”

The assumption that Cerebus’s problems are a result of a single game’s outcome is obviously asinine; yet, Bear’s summary does point to a major flaw in Cerebus’s character: His inability to let go of supremacy. By concerning himself with stealing any game point he can, Cerebus not only misses the joy of gamesmanship, but also alienates whoever is around him.

Honestly, Cerebus is pretty pathetic in this book. He’s a filthy drunk who can barely make a connection to the people around him. When he does, he ends up pushing them away with his recalcitrant behavior.

Bear doesn’t set out to mold Cerebus in any way, but their friendship inevitably leads the aardvark to mimic his friend’s persona--i.e., adopting Bear’s placidity and . . . wattayacall . . . verbal ticks. Although this adoption of Bear’s mannerisms helps the aardvark become stable, it leads to a host of other personal issues.

The character study is a refreshing change from the heavy theological bent of the previous four volumes. It allows the reader to become more intimate with Cerebus. Sim’s characterization isn’t pretty--especially when Cerebus fights his homoerotic attraction for Bear by maligning himself as a “Faggot!” Yet, the character’s struggle to love himself is genuine and not depicted with the usual mainstream saccharine drivel. It’s cruel and painful, but makes for powerful literature.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

“Mothers and Daughters Part 4”

The tenth volume of Dave Sim’s epic finds Cerebus floating in space, holding on to an arm of the papal throne. Beside him is his worst enemy, Cirin, clutching onto the other arm as much for the sake of owning the throne as holding on for her own life. Surrounded by the vastness of the galaxy, these two arrogant aardvarks must face the one thing that blocks their Ascension: the Truth.

“An uncomfortable truth is always preferable to a comfortable lie,” explains Dave Sim speaking to Cerebus inside the three-foot-tall earth-pig’s head. The dominant theme of this book, as well as the entire “Mothers and Daughters” arc, is the necessity and validity of truth and its consequences. This examination is delineated in two concepts: Cerebus’s belief that Jaka will make him happy and Cirin’s denial of who she is exactly.

Cerebus’s relationship with Jaka is problematic. When they met, he was a cuddly and charismatic fur ball. In actuality, this persona was the effect of a “spell” that made him affectionate, loving, and nothing like himself. Yet, the fact anyone could love him remained with Cerebus. Every so often, he and Jaka would meet and try vainly to rekindle that passion. He even continued to push himself on her despite the fact that she had a husband. Cerebus equates Jaka with happiness (i.e. being married to her, being with her, et cetera).

Yet, this equation is the same problem that Cerebus has invariably had with everything he’s viewed as contentment. From prime minister to pope, power and control has not given him the happiness and worry-free life he’s wanted. It’s only brought on more pain and more discomfort, which results in an even greater a desire for contentment. Being with Jaka is just another role for him to play in his quest for happiness.

Now, through authorial intrusion, Dave Sim steps in to try to help his little aardvark. Arguably, this is the most charming moment in the series as Sim takes Cerebus on “A Christmas Carol”-like journey through Cerebus’s past, present, and possible future. Cerebus becomes so disgusted with his own possible actions that he begs Sim at one point to not allow him to hit Jaka ever again.

The bottom line is that Jaka will not make Cerebus happy. he has to realize that the acquisition of power (in this case possessing Jaka) is not happiness. He has to take responsibility for his own happiness and not look to someone else for it.

Sim uses some classic comic book motifs to get his point across to Cerebus. At one point, he presents a close-up of Cerebus’s eye, which he explains is “an archetype of extreme brutality and establishing its perpetrator as an individual devoid of the basics of human empathy.” The image becomes more intensified when he brings in the classic “injury to eye” motif with a scalpel and a syringe brought in to alleviate a bump under Cerebus’s eye.

Sim’s argument for change is visually orchestrated by the focus on the eye; the effect leaves the reader squeamish and actually quite hesitant for Sim to remove the growth on Cerebus’ eyelid. By taking this approach, Sim allows the emotions felt by the character’s personal state to be felt by the reader through the visual metaphor. Despite being already ten volumes into the Cerebus , you can’t help feeling closer to the character in this moment.

As for Cirin, her journey deals more with denial and how the desire for power has literally made her into someone else. Without giving away the big reveal, Cirin chose power at the cost of the truth, and she has effectively lost sight of what is real and what are the lies that she has created for herself. She refuses to believe Sim’s explanation of the truth--even trying to change the author’s words in her favor. As Cirin changes her history in order to validate her desire for power, her struggle obviously falls into the theme of anti-feminism and leftist politics,.

In the past, when I was an active member in a communist group, I remember many occasions in which I would question a certain comrade’s stance on a given issue. That fellow member’s answer resulted in a retelling and reevaluation of a historical fact that demonized him. I’m not saying that the person was lying, but his political views relied on a history that differed from the one I had known. Similarly, I see Cirin’s reshaping of her past as a parallel to the reliance that leftist politics (which includes feminism) has on relatively unknown, vindicating histories.

The conclusion of Cerebus: Minds is far stronger and more amicable in terms of spirituality than the 1000-page-plus Church and State, which ended with a convoluted and somber explanation of the universe. Here the reader sees Cerebus choosing to do the right thing: taking responsibility for his actions.

The maturation of the character is poignant and invigorating. Minds is an intimate journey of discovering what happiness is and learning that first is step is doosey.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Astonishing X-Men #27 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

With a strange mystery brewing on the edges of the X-Universe, the X-Men must turn to S.W.O.R.D. to determine what new toy they have found. Both of their subjects of interest are dead, with only a vial of blood and the mysterious Ghost Box to answer their many questions about what has been happening in San Francisco. (With small-ads like that I could write summaries for Marvel!)

Honestly, this book kept me engaged with the mystery throughout the issue. Warren Ellis does a good job of delivering enough storyline to keep you interested while also delivering some fun characterizations that pull you out to remind you that there is more going on in the X-Men than just this one storyline.

Clearly, Ellis has a fondness for three of the big names: Cyclops, Wolverine and Beast. He knows exactly how to write them, and it reminds me of some of the old stories I used to read as a kid. They jab at one another, and carry on like old buddies. This gets played a little much at times, which detracts from the story a little; however, I would rather have too much of the comraderie than ignore the past entirely. Ellis even has some fun reminiscing about the X-Men's simpler times and points out to the reader how much more complicated the world is for our merry mutants.

Ellis also seems fond of Agent Brand, with the animosity between her and Emma still present. The pointed commentary about the Beast and Brand relationship is a good one, and could be a metaphor for any number of topics regarding sexuality that are regularly taboo in mainstream comics. However, even though I am rather liberal about the contents of my comics, I felt that the "Oh they are having sex" card was played a few too many times in this book. My feeling is mentioning it once would be sufficient to make the point if done correctly.

The story evolves naturally, and I am tentative to reveal too much about it, as I think that some of the power of the story is that you really do not have a clue what is going on, but you are piecing it together as a reader. It almost feels like you are one of the X-Men in the room. It feels like the reader is the unspoken team member who is along for the ride. That is my favourite type of team book storytelling style. There is a major leap of logic near the end of the book that I did not quite follow after even the second reading, so I am unsure if I am missing something in the book, or it will be covered in future issues. The conclusions that Beast draws at the end of the book seem kind of like a big leap from fact to deduction.

The art is really hit and miss. I actually like a lot of Bianchi's style, but my feeling is that he needs more time to truly deliver it. There are moments where it is hard to tell the difference between Emma and Storm. Armor was all but unrecognizable throughout most of the book. There are some serious size problems, with Beast ranging from being shorter than Cyclops to being quite a bit taller. Further perspective problems can be seen with Wolverine's claws being well over a foot long. In fact, looking at it now, the only character that is consistently drawn is Wolverine.

With this being said, there are some amazing panels in this book. The "secret area" in China is gorgeous, and makes me want to have an oversized print of it. Kudos to Bianchi and his team for producing a great effect.

This book is solid, but not outstanding. I am interested to see where the story goes.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Moon Knight #23 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

"The Death of Marc Spector: Part Three"

This issue picks up what seems like at least a week after last issue. If you remember, last issue Venom attacked Marc Spector, and Spector barely made it to one of his safe houses before passing out. The final page reveals a stash of Spector's Moon Knight gear. This issue opens with an irate Norman Osborn, upset that his team of Thunderbolts has been unable to apprehend Moon Knight. Benson does a decent job capturing the bizarre and psychotic nature of Osborn, something we see a lot of throughout the Marvel books right now. The heavier focus on Osborn as opposed to the other Thunderbolts offers up a unique perspective in regards to the hunt for Moon Knight. This is because the previous four issues of this series before this arc focused on Tony Stark and his own frustrations with trying to track down Moon Knight. It also says a great deal about Moon Knight himself. He's a former mercenary, former C.I.A. black ops man, a master of disguise and now an unregistered superhero. Taking a beating and avoiding capture is what Marc Spector does best, even when he wears a white costume.

With Osborn's frustrations over his team's lack of results, he recruits the newest villain to the mix. Remember the guy who had the half moon carved into his forehead, the one the Profile let out of prison? He's back, and he and his gang have been recruited by Osborn to find Moon Knight. I'm not sure if Benson and company have decided on a code name for the character whose "civilian name" is Oliver Finn, but Hooligan seems to fit the best, so that's what I'll call him. I really like the fact that Osborn recruits Hooligan to help the Thunderbolts. This book has also had an underlying theme of "personal effects" that each character has on others. In this particular case, the Hooligan has a vendetta against Moon Knight, and this makes him almost more dangerous than the Thunderbolts who are more or less just on a routine mission.

When Benson gets to the scene featuring a recovering Marc Spector, things get edgy, dark and psychological, three major elements that make this book so fantastic. We're treated to Marc injecting himself with pain killers, an idea that I've mentioned that I think is brilliant, especially for a hero with no super powers. But beyond that, Benson brings Khonshu back into the mix when Spector pleads for his help. When Khonshu appears, he and Spector have a heated argument where Benson plants seeds for the future of the title beyond this arc. There is a fantastic revelation that is sure to get any reader's imagination going and really brings Benson's transition into comics full circle. I won't spoil anything, but if you think Spector's got it rough now, I have a feeling things are going to get a little wilder. Personally, I think Khonshu's words involve someone very close to Spector.

Speaking of people close to Spector, the action of this issue picks up when Hooligan and his gang attack Frenchie's restaurant and send Frenchie's boyfriend, Rob, to the ICU at the hospital. Benson has kept a great deal of focus on the personal tolls that Spector and Frenchie's former life take on the much calmer life enjoyed by Frenchie. Because Rob and Frenchie are gay, Frenchie assumes that it was a hate crime, even though a police officer tells Frenchie it was a statement of retaliation.

This of course leads to a very emotional sequence with Frenchie that ends with him going to Crawley and finding out where Hooligan is located. This is a major plot point because Frenchie, who has tried very hard to put his past and Moon Knight behind him, is embracing the very thing he opposes and is becoming just like Moon Knight.

Speaking of our hero, he finally shows up in full Moon Knight gear when Frenchie is attacking Hooligan and his gang. It's a quick action sequence, but there is something that gets the pulse pounding when Moon Knight unleashes. Moments like these make me wonder who really would win in a fight, Moon Knight or Batman. I'd honestly consider Moon Knight because he is not afraid to take that extra step to ensure justice or victory. The sequence and issue ends with a wild cliffhanger that makes me super-excited for the next issue because I think the action and fighting is going to be insane, no pun intended.

As the series has progressed, Texiera's artwork has become more hit and miss in my opinion. It's still fairly solid, and I love the way he portrays Moon Knight, but there are some moments of freaky anatomy and inconsistency. It's interesting because his Spector and Marlene always look the same, but Frenchie's features vary and so has Tex's portrayal of Norman Osborn. He does a good job capturing the action, but there are some moments of freaky looking anatomy. All in all, I'm still a fan of Tex's work, and I think he's done a great job on this series; I'm just being nit-picky.

Benson gives yet another solid issue of Moon Knight and uses this issue to progress the characters familiar to this title rather than focus solely on the Thunderbolts. This is both a good and bad thing because many readers will yearn for more of the Thunderbolts while at the same time being treated to a solid issue featuring Moon Knight's supporting cast and introducing a cool new villain. Benson also plants the seeds for possible future story-arcs in a brilliant fashion and the intensity of this title increases, not only because of the coming fight with Bullseye, but also because of what Benson seems to have in store.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Captain Britain and MI:13 #6 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

"Hell Comes to Birmingham: Part One"

Issue #6 of Captain Britain and MI:13 sees the team dispatched to Birmingham, UK (as opposed to the one in Alabama) to tackle a magical disturbance that has turned some of the city's inhabitants into mindless zombies. How anyone could tell the difference isn't made clear, but either way, it's up to Captain Britain and his team to address the cause of the problem.

It's a fairly straightforward story that features a slightly underwhelming concept for its central villain once he's revealed, but Cornell adds enough interesting wrinkles that this issue is still an enjoyable read. As usual, the plot itself is used as a mere skeleton upon which the writer can hang the flesh of characterisation, comedy, and imaginative ideas. We get a chance to see exactly what Faiza's powers can do, and it's a refreshingly constructive talent, rather than the kind of destructive power that is usually wielded by superhero characters. We see Faiza's relationship with the Black Knight continue to gradually develop in a satisfyingly unforced and natural manner. We see some smart, decisive leadership from Pete Wisdom, who as a character is really growing into his new role as the head of MI:13. We witness further conflict between the vampiric Spitfire and the single-minded vampire-hunter, Blade, spinning out of their confrontation at the end of last issue. And, finally, we're treated to the welcome return of Captain Midlands, a character who seems less buffoonish here than he did in the pages of Wisdom, grounding Captain Britain's mission with a genuine, almost noble sense of humanity and social conscience.

Leonard Kirk's art keeps things interesting, with plenty of action scenes that give him a chance to produce some dynamic visuals. Most impressive, though, is his surreal design for the villain, Plokta (doubtless a deliberate allusion by Cornell, whether it's to the computing acronym or to the Sci-Fi fanzine of the same name). The way that the character is depicted by Kirk makes him feel reminiscent of the kind of villains that Steve Ditko used to draw for Dr. Strange, or the adversaries that Grant Morrison used to feature in his Doom Patrol series, and it ensures that the character is more interesting on a visual level than he is on a conceptual one. There are also plenty of little touches of detail that make Kirk's panels a pleasure to read, whether it's the inclusion of a Captain Britain action figure in the hands of a small boy playing with his Spider-Man toys, or the authenticity of the British police uniforms that he has used as reference for the officers who appear at the start of the issue.

As a Birmingham resident myself, I was slightly disappointed to see the action of the issue confined to a single housing estate in the city (which might as well be anywhere, for the purposes of the plot). Kirk isn't given the opportunity to show any establishing shots of the city, which seems a shame considering how infrequently we get to see English locales other than London in American superhero books. Then again, the plot provides no real reason to explore the city, so maybe it's best that Cornell chose to put the needs of his story above the opportunity to throw in a few cameo appearances from the city's landmarks. It's possible that future issues will widen the scope a little, but for the moment, it looks as though those British readers eager to see Birmingham brought to the pages of this book in all its (*ahem*) glory will have to wait.

The final pages of the issue provide a development that wasn't immediately clear to me, because it concerns a character from Captain Britain's past that hasn't appeared before under Cornell's pen. As someone who has only really been following Brian Braddock's adventures since this title launched, that meant that the conclusion of the issue didn't mean a huge amount at first glance. Despite this, I was able to put things together for myself thanks to the clear context of the scene (and there's always wikipedia if you're really stuck), and it makes for a decent cliffhanger that feels oddly reminiscent of the choice faced by Spider-Man during the recent "One More Day" storyline. After the previous arc's memorable gag at the expense of House of M, I'm starting to wonder whether Cornell is planning a gentle dig at some of Marvel's other recent big events, too.

When deciding on my rating for this issue, I couldn't decide whether to award it 3.5 or 4 bullets. In the end, I plumped for 4 bullets, because although it doesn't quite reach the giddy heights of some of the previous issues, it provides some compelling moments of characterisation, establishes a pretty strong basis for the arc as a whole, and features a high standard of art throughout. And the excitement of seeing Hodge Hill - an area of the city that's just a few miles away from my home - in the pages of a Marvel superhero title is enough to earn it a little extra goodwill for the moment.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Uncanny X-Men #503 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

A night on the town. Two friends and a car. Kinky leather outfits. Oh, and a very morbid telepath on the loose. Sounds like good times.

The X-Men have not had it easy since moving to San Francisco. Aside from dealing with anti-mutant hate crimes and the High Evolutionary, Pixie was brutally attacked by the Hellfire Club, which is now under the control of someone called the Red Queen. After closing in on the Club's headquarters, they found themselves on the defensive against Emma Frost's ex-teammate Empath, who has somehow gained a massive power boost.

The plot itself is straightforward, but not in a bad way. Some of the younger X-Men go out to a bar and discuss life. Meanwhile, Empath is on the run, and the X-Men are chasing him down. Yet Fraction and Brubaker manage to turn the chase into an example of how dangerous a telepath can be. Empath's mental attacks are disturbingly manipulative and surprisingly effective. I was expecting it to be a quick hunt, but it turned into a unique plot. The plot, however, quickly comes to an anticlimax. Instead of a great showdown, the main storyline ends in a predictable, boring, and slightly cliché way. That said, the issue does end in a pretty surprising manner that definitely caught my interest, and involved some pretty smart metafiction through song lyrics.

The main problem though, is the dialogue. Instead of flowing smoothly and sounding natural, it comes across as an almost forced attempt at sounding "hip." It works somewhat with Cannonball and the other younger characters, but when Pixie says "I'm strong. I'm dark. I'm goth as hell!" it just comes across as laughable. It also manages to undercut the mood of a scene. Case in point, the Wolverine/Nightcrawler banter while chasing Empath. Great interaction between the two, but when put in the context of Empath's disturbing rampage through San Francisco, it just kills the tone.

Where the dialogue and plot sometimes fail, the art definitely makes up for it. Greg Land gets some flak, but I am fan of his art. The characters come off as well proportioned and heavily detailed, and the action scenes have a strong sense of motion. It is realistic, and it works. Plus, the art manages to fit the tone of the scenes perfectly, from the awkward humor of the opening scene to the haunting atmosphere of Empath's attacks. Ponsor's colors only accentuate this and are extremely vivid.

I used to stay away from the X-books due to confusion and fear of their long continuity. I only recently picked up Uncanny X-Men, yet Brubaker, Fraction, and Land have managed to really capture my interest and have crafted an accessible book. This issue alone has its flaws, but the overall arc, especially the revelation on the last page, is enthralling.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Mighty Avengers #19 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

What a complete waste of time and effort. The only thing that happens in this issue that we haven't already seen in numerous other places is Captain Skrull-Vell fights two super Skrulls: one with the powers of The Champions, and the other with the powers of Power Pack.

Seriously. The Champions and Power Pack.

And they put up a good fight. So good, in fact, that a large portion of the comic is devoted to it.

The rest of the book covers, and contradicts, Marvel Boy's appearance in the Who Do You Trust? special from a few months ago. No Skrulls or murder of the warden in Bendis' version. Marvel Boy just looks bored when the Stark Tech goes down, so he flies off.

The rest of the issue is Captain Skrull-Vell arguing with himself, fighting the Champions and Power Pack Skrulls, attacking the Skrull fleet, which we saw in Secret Invasion #5, and then his fall to earth into the waiting arms of a confused Marvel Boy, which we saw in Secret Invasion #6.

The End.

I shit thee not.

I'll give it a bullet for Koi Pham's art, but only one bullet, because it's really not anywhere near as good as his work on Incredible Hercules was. I'd go into more detail but why bother? It's just stuff that other artists have already drawn, anyway.

There's really just no excuse for this. An entire issue wasted. And we don't even get any real insight or twists on what we've seen before. Nothing. Except for the Champions and Power Pack Skrulls.

Here's what the Marvel ad copy said about this issue: "Before the Skrulls invaded the human race, they battled the noble Kree in a bloodwar that has lasted centuries. And in this special Secret Invasion tie-in, the lives of two of the most famous Kree, Captain Mar-Vell and Marvel Boy, will alter the events of the Invasion forever. This special issue will have very serious consequences for the future of Mighty Avengers."

You could have fooled me. Skrull-Vell already did everything in other books and Marvel Boy does nothing.

Nothing.

I'm only finishing this Secret Invasion storyline because I am mentally ill. There's no reason anyone else should waste their money on this.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Ghost Rider #28 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

"Last Stand of the Spirits of Vengeance"

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ghost Rider has slowed down a little this month. Sure, we are introduced to the Tibetan Ghost Rider, The Guru Dragpo, The Wrath of the Four Heavens, The Blood Drinker. Sure, The Guru Dragpo is confronted and battles Danny Ketch (mostly off-panel, though). Sure, we get some creepy sexual tension between Johnny Blaze and the new Caretaker (Sister Sara, the Kung Fu Nun). Sure, we get the long-awaited reunion between cursed brothers, Johnny and Danny.

And yet, it all seems muted when compared to what has come before.

This is not a bad thing, though. This is the calm before the storm. The final page of this issue is almost pouring smoke and bursting into flames in my hands (well, my computer screen - but it'll happen on Wednesday).

Tan Eng Huat is doing the best work of his career on this comic. I was under the impression that he and Roland Boschi were trading off arcs, but I haven't heard anything about Boschi's return. That's too bad, and I hope he comes back. His interpretation of Ghost Rider was hulking and brutal. Huat's is very different, but just as vivid and exciting.

Huat and Villarrubia work together to make the art shimmer. The subtleties in shading and the energetic exaggerations work together to make this a beautiful and distinctive book. And when you combine this one-of-a-kind look with Aaron's take-no-prisoners writing gusto, there's just no reason not to be reading this.

I don't care if you don't like the character, Ghost Rider. I didn't either. Yes, the movie was horrible. Doesn't matter. In fact, I've heard rumors of another Ghost Rider movie possibly on the horizon. Let me just say this. NO. Don't waste my time with that crap.

Unless they are going to bring Aaron on board at least as a consultant (like the Iron Man crew just did with Matt Fraction), just don't bother. Hell, adapt Aaron's first storyline with the gun-toting, devil worshiping nurses, the haunted highway, the cannibal, and the boy who'd seen that the angels were preparing for was in Heaven, and make me an extremely happy fan.

Anyway, back to this issue. This is the deep breath before a volley of punches, explosions, and bursts of blue and yellow flames take center stage next month. Plus, as an added bonus, also included in this issue is the history of Danny Ketch in prose, accompanied by art from Ghost Rider in the 90s. Prepare for ponytails, heavy inks, and some really impressive, dramatic shots of Ghost Rider doing Ghost Ridery things.

It makes a solidly 3.5 bullet comic into a 4 bullet comic, for me. You see, I avoided all things Ghost Rider through the nineties. Before that, really. The only thing that made me pick this up was Jason Aaron's name, and he has yet to disappoint. There's been some shuffling lately, and Ghost Rider has moved up and become one of the most interesting and exciting things Marvel is publishing. If you're tired of invasions and dreary negativity, check this out.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Editor's Note: Ultimate Origins #5 arrives in stores tomorrow, October 15.

Years ago...

Marvel's solicitation for this book is baffling: "It all comes together in this climactic issue as we follow the twisted paths of Bruce Banner and Nick Fury as they approach their destinies." So that's it? Seriously? Glowing kid and then... nothing? Well, not exactly nothing, there's Ultimatum beginning in November, so I guess that Glowing Kid will get some face time over there. If you're a Hulk/Banner fan, however, wait you must as neither the dweeb nor the monster are so much as mentioned in this chapter. Which is fine, he had his big moment last month, but the ad copy sets you up for a payoff that never comes. Baffling.

Eighteen years ago in San Francisco, Erik Lensherr introduced himself to Charles Xavier, demonstrated his ability, and stymied them both as to why Xavier couldn't read his thoughts. Sixteen years ago the pair returned to the Savage Land where Lensherr introduced Xavier to a cave full of mutants to whom he referred as their "brotherhood" and, using a blueprint telepathically given him by Xavier, magnetically built the first the Savage Land structure.

Then, "years ago" in the Savage Land, Xavier is impaled through the back as he attempts to flee, apparently alone, from Magneto. Old buckethead was a tad miffed at his old pal for breaking into his home and attempting a psychic makeover: "Using his powers to get inside my head. Attacking me in my own home." Though we've been explicitly told that Xavier can't read Lensherr...

Funny story. I missed The Ultimates in their early goings, including various tie-ins and spin-offs such as Ultimate Six (the Spidey crossover) and Ultimate War (the X-men crossover). So, when Georgetown got a comic shop several years ago, one of the first things I snapped up was issue #5 of Marvel Must Haves, which included the first chapter of Ultimate War and issue #26 of Ultimate X-Men (and, yes, I'm beginning to suffer a recurrence of "Ultimate Repetition Fatigue Syndrome"). That particular issue of UXM featured the return of Magneto after having been mind-wiped by Charles on the one hand and officially declared dead on the other. Based on that story, "6 years ago" Charles and Erik had established a mutant school/sanctuary in San Francisco (where Wanda and Pietro were pre-adolescent), and "5 years ago" Erik introduced Charles to the Savage Land and spelled out his dream of a global mutant empire. "4 Years Ago" Magneto had completed his modern city in the jungle, and "five months later" debuted the bucket which he claimed "blocks out nosy, telepathic minds." "Three years ago" Charles and a band of followers attacked Magneto in his home. As they fled into the jungle, Magneto impaled Charles from behind with a metal spike.

So there you have it. Everyone who has vociferously denied any real contradiction between Ultimate Origins and established Ultimate continuity are now having their noses rubbed in it.

The "Watcher" totem at Project Pegasus, using Sue as a conduit, identifies itself and what its deal is (to watch, 'natch!). It warns of the coming storm and, like its 616 counterpart, decides to help humanity. Instead of throwing up smokescreens to confound the herald of Galactus (and since we've already done the Ultimate Gah-Lak-Tus bit), this watcher (helpfully named "Uatu") chooses a herald of its own, introducing the Ultimateverse to a very old Marvel character writ young. I'm not going to identify them, but consider the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree's intervention in the original Kree-Skrull war for a hint.

If Erik Lensherr believed that killing his own parents and freeing James Howlett "years ago" resulted in the end of the Weapon X program (and the creation of all mutants - those whacky Canadians!) he badly miscalulated. Following Our Logan, Nick Fury leads a team to the vast Weapon X bunker and discovers a new world of horror. He isn't terribly sympathetic to the pleas and justifications of the project director before bringing the house down, and liberating one (and only one) of the experimentees in the process. Logan sort of disappears into the background after his introduction which is several kinds of peculiar; you'd think that he would've been highly motivated to have performed the coup de grace on the administrator before Fury got a chance to cock his rifle, but there it is.

Despite internal lapses of logic and gleefully wagging his man parts in the face of established continuity, Bendis succeeds in putting together (for me) the most compelling chapter of the series so far (just in time for it to conclude). I'm not entirely certain why that is, mind you, though another full dose of Butch Guice's gorgeous pages definitely informs my opinion. Some illustrators get stuck in a rut, some regress, but very few measurably improve with the years once they've established their professional credentials, making Guice something of a pioneer in this respect. Justin Ponsor could, and probably should, give some other colourists a few lessons, too. Here is an artist who appreciates mood and depth and what appeals to the human eye rather than simply showing off how many different tones can be crammed into a single panel. Even if you're on the fence about the story, the series is so visually stunning as to demand your full attention. Those lapses I mentioned, however, can't help but knock the score down a notch, even as Guice and Ponsor ratchet it back up a bit.

There's nought left to do but wait to see what Jeph Loeb has planned for the not-quite-end of the Ultimate universe. Good luck with that.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

"The Seventh Level"

Originally, Emil Blonsky was a Soviet spy planted in General Thunderbolt Ross' territory. There he purposely exposed himself to gamma radiation and transformed into the Hulk's opposite number. The Abomination was a match for the Hulk's strength and still possessed Blonsky's intelligence. Despite these attributes, the Abomination failed to usurp the Leader's position as the Hulk's arch-nemesis.

Peter David changes very little in the Abomination's origin, but his updates are sensible streamlines. Obviously, Blonsky can no longer be a spy for the Soviet Union, since that body no longer exists. David instead makes him a Russian freelancer with an interesting grudge that explains the change in setting, from military base to a nuclear plant. The change gives Blonsky a deeper motivation for his actions and makes him more dangerous. Whereas the original Blonsky was simply doing his duty, this one is insane.

Gil Kane drew the original tale. His dynamic art emphasized Stan Lee's overtly serious story. While Juan Santacruz, great to see his art again, and Norberto Fernandez instill drama, they also lighten the mood with a slightly cartoony look. The fight between the Hulk and the Abomination is over the top and somewhat slapstick. These are not complaints. Rather, the artists maintain the mood of an all-ages story that's supposed to percolate with wit and some visual gags.

The Marvel Adventures Hulk is a shade more intelligent and fun-loving than the traditional Hulk of the '70s. David takes advantage of the clean slate afforded by the Marvel Adventures line to infuse the tale with even more humor. The Hulk's dialogue is frequently hilarious.

The conclusion to "The Seventh Level" acts to distinguish Marvel Adventures Hulk from the more familiar incarnations. Whereas the Hulk has traditionally always been thought of as a rampaging monster by all but his closest allies, this version of the Hulk raises some doubts in the general public and authorities. Ross appears to still be Lieutenant Gerard to the Hulk's Richard Kimble, but witnesses recognize that the Hulk fought off another monster and saved the populace from falling victim to a nuclear disaster.

While I don't believe all of the Marvel Adventures line shares the same continuity, these changes in attitude toward the Hulk could be used to explain how he becomes accepted by the public and officials as an Avenger in good standing. It's a nice touch that's also translated in the artwork. Tom Grummett's Hulk on the cover is more traditional than the version seen inside. Santacruz and Fernandez make the Hulk more heroic looking, and Angel Marin chooses a vibrant green for the Hulk that evokes nature rather than grotesque horror. Compare it to the reptilian hide of the Abomination.

The subtle changes in Marvel Adventures Hulk produce broader consequences. The story pays tribute to the original, but it's originality smoothly unites with the artwork to make the Hulk a hero instead of a monster.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Plot: To get her man back (and the leader of her people), Medusa strikes a bargain with an old enemy. But will Blackagar Boltagon survive to witness his rescue?

Comments: I don't know much about Pokaski, but I'm sensing some novice writer ticks in this issue. Things were going so well with a surprisingly kick ass royal family, with Medusa and Crystal taking names and Gorgon and Karnak wiping out every last Skrull on the moon. They quickly commandeered an enemy ship and headed off into space. Even running to Ronan the Accuser for aid isn’t the worst idea ever.

But things suddenly veer widely off course after he shows up, as the tasks they need to fulfill for Ronan are a complex set of three Macguffins in unconnected locations around the universe. Is the third of four issues really the place to split up the just assembled strike team? Medusa and Crystal go back to Earth, to a compound established by Thundra. Gorgon and Karnak are suddenly on Rigel 3, fighting robots. While Triton conveniently finds his mission statement on an all water planet. Yes, Pokaski does the work needed to have an upgraded Lockjaw do all these unlikely sub-space maneuvers, but it’s all a horrible rush in the last four pages, none of it having much to do with Medusa avenging her man or the unlikely spectre of Crystal having to marry Ronan.

Let’s face it, the Inhumans have had a bit of a spotty career over the past 40 years. Sometimes they’ve lucked out with great art and writing (their inception in the first 100 of the FF, the now-classic Jenkins/Lee series), sometimes they’ve had decent art only (the 1970s series, the Ladronn series, Silent War), sometimes bearable writing and so-so art (a lot of their guest-spots, the Nocenti/Blevins trade) and a lot of the time more work has been spent getting them off-stage (Byrne’s FF) than keeping them in the spotlight.

This one may have fallen into the great art only category. Raney’s doing excellent work here. He and Hanna are seasoned pros, and it shows in the clarity of their storytelling. While he’s not really a quirky enough artist for the weirdness of the Inhumans, he has fun with Medusa’s mounds of hair and Crystal’s always been the most human of the group, anyway. Good thing, since the two sisters are the main players in this story.

Though the Skrull machinations are the best part of the book, isn’t it familiar that Blackbolt is again captured and being tortured to use as a weapon? You’d think he’d just slice out his vocal cords at this point and be done with it. The situations the heroes find themselves in are transparently simple, and the stock team book formula creaks under the strain.

The dialogue is still clever, though, with a few very wry jokes and a real sense of family for the over-burdened and sometimes dysfunctional Royals. I’m not sure what I’m hoping for the conclusion of this series: surprises rather than stock plot devices? Yes, that would be nice. Hopefully the narrative freshness of the first two Skrull-heavy issues can be recaptured.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

"Prisoners of War"

The Invaders are still stuck in the alternate Marvel Universe. Here Iron Man waged a Civil War among heroes. Register with the government, reveal your secret identity to big brother, enlist in a super-hero army, expose your loved ones to danger, or Iron Man and his forces, which ironically refer to themselves as Avengers, will hunt you down and throw you into the light. To the Invaders it appears that the Nazis have won, and they're not too far off from the correct answer. Instinctively, they know that this world is wrong. Don't we all?

The snappy plot exposes the Marvel Universe as it stands for what it is, a totalitarian regime, and the conflict between villains and heroes arises from a schism in philosophies. Iron Man and his cronies believe absolute power must be wielded to force order. Spidey and his friends put their faith in freedom and free will. The dialogue rings true for the whole cast, even the perverted Avengers. Although their true selves are heroes, these mirror images act how you imagine the Spock-beards would act.

Turn to the first page, and something presents itself that will immediately give you the giggles. Captain America is referred to as Captain America, but the alternate universe adult Bucky who donned the stars and stripes is referred to as "New Captain America." That's a lot like New Coke.

Go deeper into the story, and you'll be treated to Namor beating the crap out of Sentry. I remember when I first encountered Sentry and asking the question "Who hell is this poser, and what is he doing in my comic book?" Ross and Krueger come up with a whacky idea to exploit Wolverine's mutant, healing factor, and Krueger's dialogue for Spider-Man is descriptive of the character. He's intelligent and witty, and my, oh my, does he get on his fellow resistance fighters' nerves. The resistance fighters also refer to themselves as Avengers by the way.

All of this is good, but the Human Torch makes the issue ignite. Krueger's and Ross' remarkable insight into the mind of the Torch sent shivers up my spine. This is writing. This is taking a two-dimensional character with an unrealistic super power and giving him the substance of a character from a novel. Avengers vs. Invaders is fun, but it isn't "just a comic book." The imagery in the scenes depicting the Torch's thoughts are chilling. These are the black and white nightmares of photographs and film forever recording the greatest evil of history contrasted by the fiery colors of imagined optimism.

In the context of the story, the evocations deepen the Torch's character, give his android soul more humanity than a human and resonate because of the Torch's experiences against the Nazi war machine. Symbolically the scenes craft the very reason why super-heroes still dominate our psyches. The super-hero represents a beacon into a better world. He sees injustice and says no. He sees evil and says no. It does matter from where that evil comes, he says no.

The Torch boards the SHIELD Hellicarrier. He faces down Iron Man's dilettante Ms. Marvel, and there's no doubt in your mind that he can not only burn through her but all her little minions. The Torch is angry because the atrocities of World War II repeat in this alternate universe. The scenes are so sublime. He picks up a broken LMD arm. He studies the number on the arm, and the comparison is undeniable.

The anti-personification of the LMDs is at once a reminder to history, a science fiction warning and yet another symptom of the corruption of the Marvel Universe now dominated by Iron Man. The Iron Man of old would have recognized the LMDs sentience and their rights. The Iron Man of old was a teammate of the Vision as well as Jocasta. He even rescued Jocosta's intelligence by installing her in a computer system, offering as well to build her a new body. This version of Iron Man is devoid of such empathy and intelligence.

At first, you're carried along through Avengers vs. Invaders by the shear whimsy of the dialogue, the little things in the plot and the enjoyable distortions of well known heroes, but once you encounter the Torch's ponderings on his true nature and the Holocaust, the mood shifts, the heroism skyrockets and the idea that this book is just a really good ripping yarn fades. The story's much more than that.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Crossed is not a zombie book. People keep saying it's a zombie book, but they're wrong. This is a plague story along the lines of George Romero's The Crazies or Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What's the difference, you ask? I'll tell you.

When George Romero invented the contemporary zombie, he did something special. Before 1968's Night of the Living Dead, the zombie in film and literature was essentially a metaphor for slavery and racial anxieties. The zombie was almost always the undead slave of a master and used for manual labor or the settling of grudges, etc.

Romero took the idea of the walking dead and added a touch of the vampire and unwittingly created what is perhaps the most socially relevant metaphorical monster of the 20th Century. The cannibalistic zombie carries with it subtexts of existential anxieties about the inescapability of death, clearly, but they also represent, and provide a scenario for the exploration of the loss if individualism in a capitalist, consumerist society.

The plague story is a subtly different beast. It maintains many of the same narrative structures and existential story elements, particularly the breaking down of society and the formulation of new communities in order to provide defense and survive at least a little while longer. However, the killers in plague stories represent something different.

Romero again initiated this trope with 1973's The Crazies, about an outbreak of infectious homicidal madness. It's a classic that doesn't hold up as well as NOtLD, but is still worth seeing. 2002's 28 Days Later was essentially an updating of Romero's ideas, transplanted to England. When Boyle called the plague "Rage" he made plain the metaphorical power of the infected.

The infected weren't necessarily symbolic of the inescapability of death (although, of course, they kill violently) and loss of identity, but instead represented violence and brutality, abstracted and removed from ideological constraints and motivations, as well as a pack-like new social organization. The infected actualized violence for violence's sake, somehow recognizing instinctively others who were infected and banding together to hunt down and brutally murder anyone who was clean or innocent. They aren't consumers. They are rabid pack animals. They don't care if they kill you, so long as they devastate you physically and psychologically, and express their rage.

There's a thematic reason why our hero, in order to save the others, becomes a killing machine. That violence is inside of us all, just waiting for a reason to be let out. Without structure, without morality, violence is bestial. With structure, with morality, violence is still bestial, but can serve a "noble" purpose.

But ultimately, in both The Crazies and 28 Days Later, the mindlessness of the infected allows them to be seen more like forces of nature, which is one of the main reasons that people mistake these films for variations of the zombie motif.

Which leads me, finally, to Garth Ennis' new comic Crossed.

The infected in this story are not the walking dead, so don't call them zombies. They are the rage-infected people of 28 Days Later taken to a very different, much darker place. These aren't mindless, animalistic acts of violence. These are planned acts of brutality and sadistic abuse. These infected take pleasure in torture and rape and, ultimately, murder. They work together to hunt down anyone not infected (and therefore not marked with the cross "rash" across their faces), and then take great joy in doing savage things to them until their victims are either dead or infected themselves.

This is the point that really sets this apart from the other plague narratives I've mentioned. The infected here aren't amoral forces of nature. In Crossed the most excessive sadistic impulses are consciously acted upon by the infected. They use tools, make plans, and revel in their actions. They are completely and enthusiastically immoral, lacking any type of restraint, thanks to their infection. The behaviors and characterizations of the infected actually share some similarities with the infected in Warren Ellis' Blackgas, if you read that.

This story is planned as a nine issue series (plus the 0 issue from a month or so ago), following a group of survivors as they try to keep ahead of the infected and stay alive. At the moment, even they don't know what they're trying to stay alive for, and it is pretty bleak. The main thrust of this issue is our main characters sitting around in a cave trying to make sense of what's going on, broken up by bursts of some of the most graphic, brutality I've seen in a comic (that didn't have Warren Ellis' or Alan Moore's name on it).

This is not for everyone. The sexual violence alone will put off a lot of readers, in part thanks to the disturbingly detailed artwork of Jacen Burrows. This is ostensibly the best work I've seen by Burrows yet. So when you finally get to the two-page spread of scalping, rape, mutilation, murder, and joyous masturbation, it could make even the most jaded reader take a moment before going on.

The infection is spread by contact, I believe, so the dialogue on this page, while at first seeming a bit absurd and humorous, is, at the same time, disturbing and devastating. These are the stakes that these characters are playing with. Get away to live another day, or fall behind and be tortured and raped to death. Or sometimes, not to death, which is worse. It's that simple.

And there is no real hope in sight.

But it's fascinating, horrific, and tense as hell. I highly recommend this, if you have a high tolerance for violence of all stripes. Ennis' characterizations are subtle in this first issue, but the core relationships look promising. This has the potential to be one of Ennis' best works.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

“A Star in Heavens" (part 2: Personal Effects)

Plot: Diana brought bodyguards along before going Hollywood, but no one was prepared for the dominatrix behind the invitation: the Queen of Fables.

Comments: When’s the last time you were disappointed at a story not taking long enough? While I thought this was the new ongoing arc, it turns out to be only an interlude between the lugubrious sword and sorcery arc of mid-year and the impending war with the Manazons, or whatever they’re calling them. I have my doubts about the fate of subtlety in the face of such an obvious battle of the sexes. I mean, Machizmo and Thundra ended up as a punch line in the old She-Hulk comic already. Well, Machizmo did anyway. But maybe Simone has something new in mind.

She certainly did in this Hollywood diversion, which reads as a warning to any and all impending Hollywood adaptations of the property in question. Simone pulled out the satirical stops with ill-conceived retellings of Paradise Island adventures and Diana’s conception in the first scene, and she does it again this issue with a horrid take on Steve Trevor’s parachute drop there. It’s very amusing to read Diana’s own commentary on events that diverge from the truth in ways that make her sick. In fact, Diana’s inner monologue may be the best part of this tale, as we get to see how Diana feels about the diversity of reactions she enjoys at nearly every stage. She knows she’s a polarizing figure. That’s the kind of nuanced writing I expected Simone to bring when she took on this title.

Bernard Chang does an excellent job with the art; he’s a bit of a rosier, brighter Michael Gaydos, actually. Diana’s dark Greek locks under his solid black inks contrast so wonderfully with her pale skin, flowing in thick curls from page to page. An appropriate emphasis for a story where the villainess mistakes her for Snow White. Chang also does a fair gloss on all the wicked witches of Disney myths especially, not duplicating but evoking the femme fatale in a very impressive design for the Black Empress. She suffers a final fate not unlike that which befell the foe of Prince Phillip in a classic tale, far too soon.

This little aside into La La Land has been well-considered and smart. While serving as an idol for young girls, Diana also acts as a shoulder to cry on for an alcoholic lawyer, and is more than capable of asking this pertinent question: “Why is it that people feel a belief in women equals a hatred of men?” Diana is clearly more complex than such claptrap as a Hollywood high concept insult to her legacy, and Simone’s seems to feel it’s better her movie stay in turnaround until they get it right.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

It’s hard to gauge a book that’s only ten pages long (it’s a preview, not a full length comic). It appears that Remender is blending the grounded style of Vertigo’s military books with the grandiose nature of its parent company DC’s superhero books. The publisher, DDP, sells it as a cross with Operation: Impossible, Band of Brothers and James Bond. In other words, fans of Marvel or Wildstorm would like this.

A group of mercenaries bust into a South American mansion being protected by a different group of mercenaries in the book. The conflicts between the people and dialogue are what keep this grounded in reality. A government official hires one group of mercs and the other group is hired by a drug cartel – so it’s not GI Joe versus Cobra like DDP’s prior military/espionage titles. Because the tactics they use are somewhat implausible and the imagery is just this side of the aforementioned GI Joe it isn’t as reality driven as some books out there. But they point it out in the dialogue and talk more like real people. After the heroine busts out of some bushes half naked, screaming for help, and then taking out a group of guards with Bullseye style knife throwing, she says to her leader, “There are a dozen ways to have done this that left me wholly dressed.”

There are times where the dialogue is less believable. In one scene a couple guards on a deck are gassed from beneath the floorboards. Something perfectly believable, but then the guy who did the gassing stands next to them as they’re choking to death so that he can say to the guards, “Fast actin’ stuff, ain’t it? My ol’ dad’s recipe.” Useful exposition, but it kinda breaks the suspension of disbelief.

Dusk is the name of the half naked heroine earlier mentioned. With the swords, knives, cleavage, and guns she reminds me of Elektra, but for most of the story she wears more clothes then Elektra. She clearly doesn’t like the guys she’s working with, which is just as well because they betray her by the end. Since it’s only a preview, the story ends there.

In the additional promotional pages following it shows that Dusk escapes after the cliffhanger ending and apparently joins up with a group that will later fight the guys who betrayed her. Apparently she gets a hold of a motorcycle or two at some point, based on some cover art sketches also shown in the book. I didn’t care too much about that stuff.

One of the interesting bonus features were the original page layouts sketched by Penick complete with notes. People who aren’t interested in writing or drawing comics could probably care less. But for me, seeing a step in the process is as valuable as the entertainment from the story itself.

Though I didn’t give this a lot of bullets, keep in mind that this is a 99 cent promotional preview. If a 99 cent, ten-page-story, preview of Watchmen were ever sold, I couldn’t look at our site’s standards and say it was worth more then 3.5 bullets. So I’m looking forward to full issues of this but I’m not holding my breath.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

Some may be surprised to see such a fluctuation in ratings. I've been handing out two silver bullets to previous issues on a regular basis, but with this issue Matthews rapidly changes the pace and hopefully turns things around.

The Ranger and Tonto investigate a serial killer stalking the women of the Old West. The pair begin to brand their legend to the minds of the innocent, and the Ranger's inspiration protects young Dan Reid from his fear.

Matthews constructs a subtle fair-play mystery. The clues, expertly planted by Cariello, are everywhere to be seen by the observant reader. I'll give you a hint. The choice of focus in each panel is purposeful.

By the end of the book, the Ranger and Tonto waste no time, for a change. They mount up and head off into the next chapter to extract the killer from the populace.

Apart from the mystery, Matthews further characterizes the heroism of the Lone Ranger. The scene where the Ranger visits a little girl who survives her mother's death is sweet. The simplicity of the Ranger's promise as well as his treatment of the little girl at once charms, feeds the somber mood and instills hope.

I was getting ready to drop The Lone Ranger from my subscription list if Brett Matthews continued his decompressive padding. This far more compact issue looks to usher in a promising change.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

"Booster"

I am no fan of Booster Gold. He's the most generic lackwit ever created. The character only existed for one reason: to be Blue Beetle's double-act partner in the Giffin/DeMatteis run of Justice League. Booster Gold's usefulness ended when the powers that be at DC instigated the surge against fun by having former comedy relief Maxwell Lord shoot Blue Beetle in the head.

The reemergence of Booster Gold in comic books leaves me dumbfounded. The character doesn't merit a volume one let alone a volume two, and he is without a doubt the most ineffectual time traveler in the history of all media.

When I saw Booster Gold on the cover of Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century I was repulsed. Clearly J. Torres was pandering to this inexplicable Booster Gold renaissance, but after reading the story, I'm willing to concede that the issue is to quote the late, great Douglas Adams, mostly harmless.

Torres comports the somewhat mercenary hero with enough affability that I can comfortably ignore him as stunt casting. A story didn't need to be built around Booster Gold, but it's not the worst thing I've read. Booster Gold doesn't really impress, but he doesn't embarrass. He has little impact, and that's perfectly fine with me.

Outside of Booster Gold's guest role, Torres concocts a peppy Legion story that benefits from excellent versions of the heroes. I particularly enjoyed Triplicate Girl's display of martial arts, beautifully choreographed by Alex Serra, as well as her commentary regarding Booster Gold's willpower. Brainiac Five's understanding of the time/space continuum suits his intellect, and Superman comes out of the book savvier than usually portrayed.

The issue introduces one of my favorite Legionnaires to this incarnation of the team. Serra bestows to Dawnstar a decidedly Native American ethnicity that adds further diversify to the group and grants her striking beauty within the context of the animated model. The presence of John Stanisci affects the inking positively. For instance, his subtle addition of lines around the eyes of the Legionnaires on the splash page showcasing Booster Gold enhances the emotions evoked and the actual lighting effects. The entire art team, including Heroic Age, deserve credit for the impressive two page time tunnel backdrop depicting an encapsulated history of the Legion.

Booster Gold is prominent in this issue of Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century. Torres' story doesn't make me feel any warmer toward the character, but even readers such as me who loathe Booster Gold will still enjoy Torres' latest foray into the future.

---

What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!

---

DC Comics

"Braniac: Conclusion"

Dave Wallace:

Thom Young:

Dave Wallace I get the feeling that I'm somehow missing something with Geoff Johns’ and Gary Frank's Action Comics. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that it's a bad comic. I'd go so far as to say that it's generally an above-average book, particularly where the artwork is concerned. But I can't recognise the greatness that so many others have seen in this "Brainiac" arc.

At best, there are glimmers of great ideas in Johns' writing, such as the scene in which Superman gently inspires Supergirl with the courage to do what she needs to do in order to stop Brainiac from destroying the Earth, or his depiction of Brainiac as a clean-freak who can’t cope with his exposure to the contaminants of Earth. However, they take a back seat to an otherwise generic and by-numbers conclusion to the “Brainiac” storyline.

Johns has often been criticised for clunky dialogue, and for his tendency to opt for emotional resonance at the expense of plots that make logical sense. Unfortunately, both of those flaws are evident here.

The dialogue often feels a little stilted--especially the exchanges between Superman and Brainiac--and there are a couple of very cheesy moments that cheapen the story. I don’t mind occasional moments of cheesiness--after all, I’m still reading superhero comics after all these years--but I do mind them when they come at the expense of consistent plotting or characterization.

Here, we have Superman beat Brainiac with brute strength (when previous issues have established that Brainiac is more than his physical equal). And, later in the book, we have Superman’s sarcastic quip of “Welcome to Earth,” coupled with a kick to Brainiac’s head--literally kicking his enemy whilst he’s down, which just didn’t ring true for the character.

Thom Young: I agree. The plot details are a bit trite, but nothing stands out as exceedingly bad. Too, some of the dialog is overly melodramatic--particularly in the scenes in which Brainiac and Superman are fighting--but nothing stands out as extraordinarily bad dialog.

Overall, Action Comics #870 is just a typical superhero comic book that has a “startling conclusion” that was actually spoiled in the mainstream news media (undoubtedly due to a DC Comics press release to mainstream outlets) just before the issue went on sale.

Fortunately, it does have some really nice illustrations by Gary Frank. His work on this issue seems to be slightly less “textured” than his work in other recent issues has been--which means the “odd facial expressions” that some readers have mentioned don’t show up here as much.

Dave Wallace: Yes, Gary Frank's artwork stands out as one of the major strengths of the title. Although it’s interesting that you note a slight difference in “texture.” I also noted one or two places where the inking seems inconsistent. This issue was inked by two artists, rather than by Jon Sibal alone, which is probably the cause of the differences (which are particularly notable in the last few pages of the book).

Thom Young: Ah, I wasn’t even paying attention to the inking. I was just noticing that Frank doesn’t seem to be as intent here as he was in the earlier issues of this arc in trying to achieve verisimilitudinous textures in the clothing and facial expressions. Perhaps that’s the result of the inking, but I thought it was just in Frank realizing that Johns’s writing isn’t suited for that level of textured details in the illustrations.

Dave Wallace: That could be the case, as there’s definitely a general sense that Frank’s work here is a little flatter than usual. It could be an intentional stylistic choice, I guess -- but it seems odd for an artist to make that switch halfway through a story arc. I wonder whether the artwork was slightly rushed, in order to prepare the book in time to set up the big “New Krypton” crossover for the Superman titles that this conclusion lays the groundwork for.

That said, aside from the occasional inconsistency with the inking and textures, Frank’s visuals are very strong, giving each character a real sense of substance and consistency, and conveying the intense emotions of Johns’ script effectively. His storytelling is clear, and there are a couple of standout single panels of action--such as the dynamic shot of Superman streaking towards Smallville with his hair plastered down over his face.

Brad Anderson’s colours are also solid, maintaining a certain consistency with Dave McCaig’s previous work on the book with his occasional use of fairly pale, almost washed-out hues, but utilising more vivid, primary colours when the scene demands it.

I’m still not in love with Frank’s redesign of Brainiac. However, aside from that (and the inking problems I mentioned), the book’s artwork is generally pretty good.

After the Brainiac plot is wrapped up, Johns bring us a final development involving Pa Kent that strives for poignancy, but unfortunately falls flat.

Thom Young: Yes, the event most of us knew was coming finally arrived at the conclusion of this issue. In the second issue of this “Brainiac” arc (Action Comics #867), there was a scene between Clark and Pa Kent in the barn that bordered on sappiness. Then, last issue, there was the scene on the cover that showed Clark and Pa drinking root beer on the Kent farm while Ma and Lois look on from the porch in the background.

(At least on the original cover of the issue Clark and Pa were drinking root beer. You may have heard about that issue having been recalled, pulped, and re-printed with a revised cover that showed them drinking the generic “SODA POP” instead of “ROOT BEER”--because, of course, Superman is too wholesome to drink “root beer.”

Ginger ale would have also been out of the question, but perhaps they could have sipped on a couple of bottles of sarsaparilla.)

The problem with that cover on Action Comics #869 is that there was no such scene in the actual issue--not even as a flashback. Superman spent the entire issue inside Brainiac’s spaceship. I expected there to be a flashback of good times on the Kent farm drinking sarsaparilla with Pa as Superman’s life flashed before his eye. Instead, the only “father” in the issue turned out to be Supergirl’s pa--Zor-El in the Bottle City of Kandor, whom Superman briefly mistook for his own father (as opposed to his own “pa”), Jor-El.

See? There’s a motif here.

Pa Kent on the cover drinking sarsaparilla with his adopted son, Superman inside momentarily believing that he hears his dead father from Krypton, and Supergirl’s believed-dead-father from Krypton discovered to be living in a bottle (with his wife, but the mothers aren’t a major part of the motif). It’s all fitting into place as we realize that last issue’s cover was purely symbolic but also a way of leading us into this current issue.

As it turns out, this current issue also has a symbolic cover. It depicts a scene that doesn’t appear in the story either--Clark and Lois dressed in mourning clothes on a late fall or early winter evening as the sun sets behind them in the west and Clark pulls open his shirt to reveal that Superman was powerless to prevent the death that he and his wife are mourning.

Inside, of course, we get more of the motif as Superman almost tells Supergirl that her father, Zor-El, is alive. However, Brainiac interrupts him before he can complete his sentence: “Yes, Kara, and your fath--” (page 7 panel 4).

Ah, Kara’s father is alive, but by the end of the issue, someone’s pa isn’t alive--an event that was prophesied in Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America #0 twenty-seven months ago. At some point now, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince should be showing up at the Kent farm to console Ma while Clark fills in the secret tunnel that led from his boyhood bedroom to some nearby woods.

He used to use it to leave the Kent farm as Superboy without being seen by . . . well, by the cows on the Kent farm, I guess. I enjoy these nostalgic nods to the comic book stories of my youth when a teenage Clark would fly through his secret tunnel so that people wouldn’t spy Superboy leaving the Kent farm.

Dave Wallace: Talking of that scene from Justice League of America #0, I was also reminded of a scene from another Meltzer-penned comic--but, instead, it’s one that seems to contradict the events of this issue.

The recent DC Universe: Last Will and Testament (which is meant to take place on the eve of “The Day Evil Won” during Final Crisis) features a scene with Clark and his Pa having a chat. However, as I understood it, all current DCU books (including this arc of Action Comics) are taking place prior to Final Crisis until the event is over.

This apparent contradiction made me wonder whether Pa Kent could perhaps still be alive after this issue. Or maybe that scene in Last Will and Testament was meant to be a “ghost,” or just an imaginary conversation. Then again, it could just be an editorial mistake or a continuity glitch that I should just try not to think about.

It's not the kind of thing that really detracts from the book, for me (it's an outside element that was probably beyond Geoff Johns' control), but I'd be interested to know if any explanation will be given for the apparent discrepancy--or if it's a hint that Pa Kent isn't as dead as he appears.

Thom Young I didn’t read Last Will and Testament, but you’re right--Morrison specifically said in an interview with Dan Phillips at www.ign.com:

Pretty much every storyline that's currently running in a DC book is happening before Final Crisis, because the events of Final Crisis are so big, that we didn't want to see its influence destabilizing major stories already running in the other comics. The whole story of Final Crisis is in that one book and its few tie-ins, and then when Final Crisis ends, the entire range of DC books will be dealing with the aftermath. So if you look at it that way, everything that you're reading that comes out during Final Crisis tends to be happening the week before the story takes place.

Of course, this “Brainiac” arc in Action Comics is not being billed as a Final Crisis tie-in, but Last Will and Testament is a Final Crisis tie-in.

In other words, it’s an editorial/continuity glitch as I’m pretty certain that Pa Kent is supposed to be officially dead now. However, I’ve long preferred the original continuity that had Ma and Pa Kent both dying of a rare tropical disease (for which there was no treatment) after a trip to the Caribbean to celebrate Clark’s high school graduation.

Instead, of course, we are given this current issue’s nostalgic nod to the first Richard Donner Superman film and “Reckoning”--the fifth season episode of Smallville in which Pa Kent died of a heart attack. That’s okay, though, since we are dealing with the revised continuity that John Byrne introduced in which Ma and Pa Kent didn’t die from a rare Caribbean disease.

Yet, in keeping with the nostalgia and the father motif, I’m surprised that we didn’t see a young Vril Dox in Brainiac’s spaceship. Seeing Brainiac as a father to the Coluan boy would have probably prompted me to raise the bullet score I gave this issue. As it turns out, the threat posed by Brainiac in this issue seems to be nothing more than the vehicle that drives us to the “startling conclusion” that this story arc has been telegraphing almost from the start.

Dave Wallace: It’s interesting that you mention so many previous examples of Pa Kent dying, because I think that the fact that this development has happened so many times in alternate continuities makes it feel particularly uninspired here. Not only have we seen this moment several times before in various incarnations of the Superman story--including a recent issue of All-Star Superman, which handled the development far more effectively--but it's given very little time here to make an impact, tagged on to the end of the story almost as an afterthought.

Although it sets up an interesting guilt complex for Superman--who was distracted by personal, Kryptonian interests at a crucial moment (although I don't really understand why his super-hearing only kicked in at the convenient point that it did)--it doesn't really bring anything to this story. As a result, the issue--and the arc as a whole--ends abruptly, feeling as though the story has been cut off mid-flow.

Thom Young: Yeah, I agree--and the many deaths of Pa Kent over the years has lessened the impact of this story for me (even if this event had not been telegraphed almost from the start of this arc). Yet, I suppose the event might have resonance for newer readers who might only know of Pa Kent’s death on Smallville and might have been wondering about the continuity glitch between the TV series and the comic books.

However, even though I knew the death of Pa Kent was imminent, this event does seem to just be tacked onto the issue rather than feeling like it was a natural story point within this arc--and this “Brainiac” story concluded with and ending that seems anti-climactic, partly due to Pa Kent’s death taking over the ending and partly due to the way we were hurried through the defeat of Brainiac and his plot to destroy the solar system.

It’s not that the Brainiac threat isn’t given much space--several pages are devoted to it. However, the threat is handled far too easily considering how significant this “first meeting with the true Brainiac” was supposed to be within the current version of the Superman mythos.

Superman breaks out of the techno-cocoon (or whatever you want to call it) after seeing Lois trapped in the Bottle City of Metropolis while she is telling him through the glass how much she “lov--” (Brainiac keeps interrupting people before they can complete their sentences). However, Superman knows that Lois was going to say, “Please know how much I love seeing you break out of techno-cocoons and punching bad guys in the face.”

And so he does just that--fired by his wife’s desire to see it happen.

Dave Wallace: Again, I thought that that was a very cheesy scene. The cliché of Lois Lane’s declaration of love empowering Superman to overcome Brainiac’s restraints felt like Johns taking an easy way out of the corner that he had painted himself into by establishing that Braniac is Superman's physical equal.

Thom Young: Exactly, and suddenly this “first appearance of the true Brainiac ends up not being as significant as it was supposed to be. Johns simply returned the character to being a biological Coluan who used technology--as he was in the first Brainiac story fifty years ago in Action Comics #242. However, that “biological Brainiac” is not really the “classic Brainiac,” and the entire concept of the first meeting with the “true Brainiac” did not play out as the classic story that it should have been.

Dave Wallace: Yeah, there’s definitely a sense that this is an anti-climax for what had been built up as such a significant story. Personally, I had hoped that, after establishing that Brainiac was a physical match for Superman, Johns might have his hero use his intelligence to beat his rival, rather than a simple punch in the nose or kick to the head. Maybe I've been spoiled by Grant Morrison's superior take on the character in the pages of All-Star Superman, but this finale felt as though it reduced Superman to a dumb brute for the purposes of a quick, easy wrap-up to the conflict between Superman and Brainiac, when a more cerebral and peaceful route may have been more satisfying.

Thom Young: Of course, the other part of Brainiac’s threat is handled by Supergirl as she pursues the “solar-aggressor” missile that Brainiac fired at the sun at the end of issue #869. He said then that it would take “less than fifty-seven minutes” for it to reach the sun.

(Apparently, the solar-aggressor would then cause the sun to become a red giant and incinerate the Earth as it expands out beyond one astronomical unit, or Earth’s orbit. At least that’s what I inferred from the information we were given since Geoff Johns doesn’t actually have Brainiac explain what his solar-aggressor missile will do.

However, Superman later tells Supergirl that it will cause the sun to become a supernova, which our sun should not be able to do--so I’ll just go with my red giant inference since our sun could do that if the missile somehow affected the sun’s composition and changed the nature of the nuclear reaction from one of hydrogen fusion to helium fusion. Plus, the development of the sun into a red giant would kill any Kryptonians on the planet when the Earth is incinerated. This type of explanation is what was needed--and more--in the “Legion of Super-Heroes” arc that Johns wrote for Action Comics last year.)

Anyway, for Brainiac’s missile to reach the sun in “less than fifty-seven minutes,” it means it would have to travel at about 0.15 lightspeed (one-seventh the speed of light, approximately). By my stopwatch (yes, I actually used one), the missile has about a three-and-a-half-minute head start on Supergirl--which means it has traveled more than 19.5 million miles by the time Supergirl takes off after it. Thus, Supergirl is going to have to travel almost one-sixth the speed of light to catch the missile.

And she does it! With about a minute to spare!

Of course, since she’s a super-powered Kryptonian, I don’t have a problem with Supergirl being able to travel this fast--but the whole thing was handled in such a clichéd fashion.

Dave Wallace: Again, I think it’s an example of Johns opting to focus on the more emotional elements of the story first and foremost, and giving slightly less regard to internal logic (just like Superman’s super-hearing kicking in at the exact moment that he’s too late to save his Pa).

As I finished reading this issue, I found myself wondering whether the end of this arc was substantially rewritten to set up the “New Krypton” crossover. It would make a lot more dramatic sense for the development with Pa Kent to occur during Superman's fight with Brainiac, rather than after Brainiac had been defeated. Johns could even have had Superman make the difficult choice between sending Supergirl to save the planet, or to help his father.

Instead, Johns has Superman pursue a personal agenda involving Kandor, which distracts him to such an extent that he can’t hear what’s happening to his father until it’s too late. It feels like a contrivance for the purposes of good drama, and one that exists as much to set up the next big Superman event as to give this arc a solid conclusion--and it makes the final pages feel hollow, rather than giving them the impact that they deserve.

Thom Young: Rather than “good drama,” I’d call it bad melodrama--or