Captain Comics Reviews for Feb. 1, 2017

Reviews for books shipping Feb. 1, 2017, including:

A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #12

• AQUAMAN #16

• ASSASSIN'S CREED: UPRISING #1

BATMAN #16

• FAITH #8

THE FLINTSTONES #8

GREEN LANTERN #16

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS #4

JUDGE DREDD: BRENDAN MCCARTHY COLLECTION

JUSTICE LEAGUE #14

• PLANETOID: PRAXIS #1

STAR TREK NEW VISIONS: SAM

SUPERMAN #16

VAMPIRELLA #0

WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT: THE CORPSE MAKERS #1 (OF 5)

YOU MIGHT BE AN ARTIST IF ...


Some  photo spoiler-1.gif involved. You are warned!

A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #12

Publisher: VALIANT COMICS

Written by RAFER ROBERTS

Art by MIKE NORTON

Cover A by KANO

Cover B by BRENT PEEPLES

Variant Cover by BROOKE ALLEN

$3.99 • 32 pgs. • T+ | FINAL ISSUE

The final smackdown!

Archer and Armstrong’s cross-country travels through the weird, the wild, and the downright wrong have all come down to this: One final showdown with their greatest enemies! As Ivan the Soviet scientist bear and his army of Florida Men unite with the One Percent to unleash the ultimate death trap, the Valiant Universe’s premier adventure duo are gonna need all the help they can get!

Who will live? Who will die? Will Gub Gub ever find true love? These answers and more will stand revealed as multiple Harvey Award-nominated writer Rafer Roberts (Harbinger Renegade) and Eisner Award-winning artist Mike Norton (Revival) bring Valiant’s critically acclaimed series to a whirlwind finale that will leave no man – or mackerel – behind!

I hate to see this book go -- so few comic books are actually "comic" -- but I can see why.

The art isn't the strongest, either with action or humor (see preview below). And while the story had lots of comic set-up, the follow-through wasn't always that interesting. For example, the subplot with the angry, demonic purse-maker sounds funny, but it went nowhere. Davey the Mackeral looks funny, but doesn't do anything funny (or interesting). And while the main story had some great elements, the last storyline took place in a circus among the freaks. A circus? Circus freaks? In the 21st century? Honest, hands up, anyone who is interested in circuses any more, either as plot elements or as weekend entertainment. Even Ringling Bros. has thrown in the towel.

For all that, A&A had a lot of memorable bits which I won't soon forget. It was a stroke of brilliance to turn Mary Maria, the cliched girl-left-behind, into a supervillain-wannabe who leads a crew of lethal kung fu nuns. Explaining Archer's abilities in a semi-plausible, New Age-y, but usefully self-expanding way made him Armstrong's equal instead of a sidekick. And it was brilliant to send A&A into Armstrong's "Bag of Holding" for an adventure, even if the follow-through wasn't quite as ingenious.

Adios A&A. Hope to see you back soon!

AQUAMAN #16

Publisher: DC COMICS

Written by DAN ABNETT

Art by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY

Cover by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY

Variant cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON

This issue will ship with two covers.

“WARHEAD” part one! “Deluge” is over, and now Aquaman and Mera lead the rebuilding of Amnesty Bay and other American cities drawn into the war with Atlantis. But Arthur’s tenure as a hero threatens to be short-lived when a new villain emerges from the rubble.

32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T

I had a lot to say about Aquaman two weeks ago; I won't revisit any of that. I will say the previous storyline deliberately set about not only re-establishing Aquaman in the minds of readers, but also on the page, where he is now a more respected and admired character. That was needful; ignoring how the Sea King had become a joke in the minds of many fans had to be addressed, and the more directly the better.

This issue starts a new storyline, with a few other new things, not all of which are all that great.

There are new artists this issue -- a common necessity on twice-monthly comics -- who have the odd propensity of making Aquaman really pretty. Not handsome, pretty. Maybe it's just me.

And I can't say I'm really thrilled with the new "Warhead" character, who seems a bit derivative.

Nevertheless, Aquaman is in a position to weather a mediocre issue or two. That's new, also.

ASSASSIN'S CREED: UPRISING #1

Publisher: TITAN COMICS

Writers: DAN WATTERS AND ALEX PAKNADEL

Artist: JOSÉ HOLDER

Cover A: ALEX RONALD

Cover B: SUNSETAGAIN

Cover C: JIMBO SALGADO

Cover D: J JOSÉ HOLDER

Cover E: DOUBLELEAF

FC • 32pp • $3.99

On Wednesday 1 February, Titan Comics are thrilled to release Assassin's Creed: Uprising #1 -- a brand-new ongoing comic series which will merge Titan's Assassin's Creed: Assassins and Templars comics into one brand-new, exhilarating ongoing comic to unite characters from across the Assassin’s Creed® mythos!

Written by scribes Dan Watters (Limbo) and Alex Paknadel (Arcadia) and illustrated by Assassin’s Creed® video game storyboard artist, José Holder (Deceivers), this new comic series will culminate a key storyline from the Assassin’s Creed® video games, kicking off with the Phoenix Project (featured in Assassin’s Creed® Unity, Assassin’s Creed® Rogue and Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate) -- a Templar plot to unlock the ancient secrets stored in the DNA of a precursor race.

Join us for this game-changing new chapter in the ongoing Assassin’s Creed saga! With the Phoenix Project nearing its completion, tensions are running high for both the Brotherhood and the Templar Order. A new world order is on the horizon and only Charlotte and her new allies have the knowledge and skill to save humanity from subjugation.

I confess I had set a pretty high bar for this book, possibly unfairly.

And that is this: I have never played an Assassin's Creed video game. I have never read any Assassin's Creed comic books. I didn't even watch the Assassin's Creed movie. The entirety of my knowledge of the franchise is limited to whatever I gleaned from the trailers for last December's movie. And that ain't much.

So the challenge I set was this: Can this new Assassin's Creed comic book -- which replaces all of Titan's previous Assassin's Creed titles and combines them into one -- both tell me all I need to know to enjoy this series, and give me an enjoyable story on top of that?

That's pretty demanding, I know, especially from a newbie. Not many Marvel or DC titles could hit that mark.

To its credit, Assassin's Creed: Uprising got halfway there. Because I think I understand what's going on.

Evidently there was once an assassin's group that, despite the unsavory nature of that word, worked for the betterment of the world. They could pass on skills from one assassin to another after death, and there are people today who can receive the cumulative knowledge of many assassins past. (How they would have the muscle strength, practiced reflexes and flexibility to execute any of these moves is not addressed. Hint: Most adults would hurt themselves badly doing a spin-kick the first time, even if they knew intellectually how to do it perfectly.) The problem is that the descendants have split into two groups that are, appropriately enough, at each other's throats.

In Uprising, a third group has arisen, that is attacking both sides. No doubt uneasy alliances and strange bedfellows will ensue. 

Did I get it right? I hope so, because that would give Assassin's Creed: Uprising #1 at least a 50 percent on my test. Which it will need, because I'm not going to award many points for this story, which I think I read in a G.I. Joe comic book in the 1980s, if not sooner. The execution is all right, but it is far too cliched and familiar to offer much in the way of thrills, especially with the pedestrian art.

Maybe Assassin's Creed: Uprising #2 will score better. I'll give it a chance -- after all, at least I'll understand the thing!

BATMAN #16

Publisher: DC COMICS

Written by TOM KING

Art and cover by DAVID FINCH

Variant cover by TIM SALE

This issue will ship with two covers.

“I Am Bane” part one! Bane is coming for Batman. Bruce must keep those he loves safe for five days in order to save Gotham Girl once and for all. But Bane will stop at nothing, and no one is safe.

32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T

King did a better job on the "Batman's Suicide Squad" story than I expected, even though the Batman/Catwoman stuff seemed a bit strained. Nevertheless, that story restored a lot of Bane's cachet as an A-list villain -- which King will immediately cash in with this storyline. Sounds good to me, and I'm aboard.

FAITH #8

Publisher: VALIANT COMICS

Written by JODY HOUSER

Art by JOE EISMA and MARGUERITE SAUVAGE

Cover A by KANO

Cover B by PHILIP TAN

Cover C by DAVID LAFUENTE

Variant Cover by JEN ST-ONGE

Variant Cover by COLLEEN COOVER

$3.99 • 32 pgs. • T+

Pain from the past!

From Hollywood’s darkest shadows, an old enemy rises to extract revenge on Faith! A superhero’s work is never done … and, now, one of Faith’s former adversaries has returned for a fateful rematch that will put the life of Los Angeles’ greatest hero into a tailspin. And when this familiar assailant finally shows their true face, will the high flying psiot have the strength to put them down for good?

Ready your spoiler alerts because rising star rising star Jody Houser (Mother Panic) and acclaimed artists Meghan Hetrick (Red Thorn) and Marguerite Sauvage (DC Comics Bombshells) are going to pull the curtain on Faith’s most shocking adventure yet with the surprise moment of the year!

I don't love this book, but I do like it quite a bit.

Mostly that has to do with Faith herself. She's a breath of fresh air in a world of angsty, self-loathing and teeth-clinching superheroes. She's a genuinely nice and cheerful person, who is pleasant to read about. And she's a geek, which guarantees a constant flow of remarks and references that hits right in the average reader's wheelhouse.

What's not to like? Well, the art is often rather drab, an oddity at a publisher that gives us the consistently gorgeous Ninjak, X-O Manowar and Bloodshot books. Faith's power is neither impressive nor particularly visual, so her villains can't be too powerful or her battles too exciting.

But Faith is a good book, and I enjoy it. It will never be Avengers -- but then, it won't ever try to be. Faith -- and Faith -- just isn't that pretentious.

THE FLINTSTONES #8

Publisher: DC COMICS

Written by MARK RUSSELL

Art by STEVE PUGH

Cover by CULLY HAMNER

Variant cover by HOWARD CHAYKIN

This issue will ship with two covers.

While Bedrock’s new mayor, Clod the Destroyer, goes to war against the Lizard People, Betty and Wilma decide to take a vacation in the country to visit something called a “farm.” With the women gone, Fred and Barney are left to face the greatest threat of all … their teenagers!

32 pg • FC • $3.99 U.S. • RATED T

Once I acclimated to the fact that this book has nothing to with The Flintstones cartoon except for some familiar names, I have begun to enjoy it for it is, not what the name implies. And this issue is exceptionally good at what The Flintstones comic book is.

And that is: A Swiftian satire of modern culture using cavemen and dinosaurs (itself a commentary).

And this issue in particular is just brilliant. The discussion of economics (which runs throughout the book) is alone worth the price of admission. As you can see below, it begins: "When you trick someone into participating in a small-scale fraud, it's called a 'scam.' But when the scam is so large that people have no choice but to participate, it's called 'economics.' " It just gets better from there.

Which is not to say that the humor is entirely restricted to the dismal science. There are lines like this:

Betty: "Where is Bamm Bamm?"

Barney: "He's alive. That's all you need to know."

Funny all by itself, but it also flows into and with one of the issue's overall themes, which is gender roles. What is needed from men to continue the human race  is here defined as "the impregnating women and the protection of children." Barney is obviously a terrible father, which aligns with what Fred is saying about how stupid it is for the men -- and it's only the men -- to vote to divert funding from the children's hospital to the military. "Why," he wants to know, "would we turn our backs on one of the only two things that make us biologically relevant?"

And, believe it or not, that also dovetails with an explanation of the creation and worldview of the leisure class, and a poignant lesson in the loss of female agency in Wilma's teenage years.

I'm not kidding. This is world-class writing, and it's ripe for academic study. Honest, it's that good.

GREEN LANTERNS #16

Publisher: DC COMICS

Written by SAM HUMPHRIES

Art by NEIL EDWARDS

Cover by JAMES HARREN

Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

This issue will ship with two covers.

“DARKEST KNIGHT” part one! It’s the Dark Knight/Emerald Knights team up you’ve been waiting for! Simon and Jessica travel to Gotham City to help Batman with a mystery even he can’t solve! People all across the city have been gripped with fear. Is it Scarecrow? Is it the Sinestro Corps? Can these Justice League teammates work together to solve the mystery?

32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T

I'm not crazy Neil Edwards' art. It looks like he's going for a David Finch look, but he's not quite there yet. (His positioning of Batman on the second page is just silly-looking. Is that a Bat-kabuki dancer?)

But hey -- it's the two rookie Green Lanterns teamed with DC's Most Awesome Character (tm). This should be good.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS #4

Publisher: ARCHIE COMICS

Script: MARGUERITE BENNETT, CAMERON DEORDIO

Art: AUDREY MOK, KELLY FITZPATRICK, JACK MORELLI

Cover: AUDREY MOK

Variant Covers: SANYA ANWAR, MICHAEL WALSH

32-page • FC • $3.99 U.S.

The Pussycats’ careers really start to take off as they head off to Rome for glitz and glamour! But what happens when a gang of diamond thieves bursts onto the scene? And will Josie and Alan M’s dynamic sparkle under the heat and pressure of life on the road? Or will Josie’s hard-as-diamonds ambition CUT THEM ALL TO RIBBONS?! Find out in Issue 4, “THREE CATS BY A FOUNTAIN.”

So check off this box: "Sex in an Archie comic book."

It's not exactly porn. There's a kiss, and then the characters wake up the next morning in the same bed. Your average Cialis commercial is naughtier than that.

But the fact of it is something of a milestone, so let's see this issue climb in price on eBay. And it further cements this book as the adult-iest of Archie Comics, probably even moreso than the horror line.

It's not just that the characters are modern in their views of dating and sex. (Which is to say: Hooking up isn't the big deal it used to be.) But the dialogue, too, is rife with double entendre and adult sensibility.

It also shoots by so fast you may want to read it more than once for various meanings. And then a third time, because sometimes the references are pretty obscure.

Or maybe they're just super-modern. I'll be the first to admit that any musical reference later than 1990 is probably something I'm going to have to Google. But some are also the reverse: I might have to brush up on my classics as well.

What does this mean cumulatively? Well, that Josie and the Pussycats isn't for everyone. It might not be for anyone. It's a quirky book.

And it's a smart book. I'd like to think that appeals to just about everyone at least a little bit. It does to me, and that's all I need.

But then, Crime and Punishment is my favorite book. I'm probably something of an acquired taste as well.

JUDGE DREDD: BRENDAN MCCARTHY COLLECTION (HC)

Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING

Writers: JOHN WAGNER, ALAN GRANT, AL EWING

Art/Cover: BRENDAN MCCARTHY

HC • PC • 200 pages • 9.25” x 12”

Ground-breaking artist Brendan McCarthy has been at the fore-front of independent comics since the early 1980s as well as the TV and film industry, including co-writing and designing Mad Max Fury Road. This oversized hardcover collection showcases all of his stories and covers for Judge Dredd including “Oz,” “The Day the Law Died,” “Dr. Panic,” “Atlantis” and more!

Judge Dredd always seemed to have the most interesting art on the other side of the pond, although -- to my eye -- not always the best.

My favorites, if this gives you any clue, are Carlos Ezquerra (who created the character's look) and, of course, Brian Bolland. I'm not as thrilled with the star of this book, Brendan McCarthy.

I appreciate the elaborate rendering and exquisite detail. But McCarthy draws Dredd like a 14-year-old boy wearing his daddy's hat. And some panels seem oddly amateurish, like the Herb Trimpe swipe in the top left panel of page three and the drinking pose in the top left panel of page four. It looks strangely like something I would have drawn when I was 14. 

But my taste is all in my mouth. If this your jam, here it is.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #14

Written by BRYAN HITCH

Art and cover by BRYAN HITCH and DANIEL HENRIQUES

Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

This issue will ship with two covers.

“REGROUP”! Broken, battered and pinned down by a new alien threat, the Justice League is forced to confront long-simmering tensions between teammates before they can save the world. Grievances are aired and secrets are revealed in this special issue written and drawn by Bryan Hitch.

32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T

This issue has been a long time coming, and my one complaint is that the trust issues in this new take on the League -- especially with alternate-earth Superman -- should have been dealt with more organically. Instead, we have a one-issue therapy session where a trapped League talks out their troubles instead of focusing on the more immediate problem of escaping and defeating the enemy.

But hey, I'll take what I can get, especially if it's this pretty. Sometimes Hitch's art strikes me as too posed or structured, but I can't deny that I enjoy his strong command of figures and rendering. And, needless to say, his Batman -- a character he worked on for years -- is especially impressive.

And the story, while a tad artificial in structure, has its strong points. The enemy uses a weapon that is a plausible -- and deadly -- threat to all the League members. (Not easy to do.) The story is done-in-one, which makes for a satisfying meal. (Enough with the endless crossovers!) When the League is in action, they are depicted as a very efficient, very practiced group. (Which I enjoy seeing.) And, honestly, we need to get past the "can we trust Superman" question and Jessica's I'm-not-worthy routine. (Both have gotten old.) 

It's not "The Darkseid War," but "Regroup" is a very small story told very well.

PLANETOID PRAXIS #1 (OF 6)

Publisher: IMAGE COMICS

Writer/Art/Cover: KEN GARING

32 PAGES • FC • T+ • $3.99

SERIES PREMIERE! PLANETOID PRAXIS is the long-anticipated sequel to the popular 2012 miniseries PLANETOID. The inhabitants of a distant planetoid have fought off their robot overlords and established a thriving settlement on the planetoid's mechanized surface. Now, years later, their de facto leader, Onica, must grapple with a new complication when their isolated way of life is threatened by the arrival of an unexpected visitor!

This is a sequel to Planetoid, a miniseries which came out several years ago that I didn't read. Nevertheless, I had no trouble figuring out what was going on, so points for heads-up writing.

Credit goes to the art, too, as there are a lot of panels (see preview below) without any dialogue at all. But again, I had no trouble following the story.

And, oh, isn't that art pretty? It's like "what if Moebius drew a story that made sense?" The book is worth reading twice just for that.

And the story does make sense. It doesn't really grab me yet; it's more apocalypse fiction than straight science fiction, as the protagonists are living in a kind of post-technology crapshow and are scared that Negan an oppressor race will find them. That's the starting point of this story, but we'll have to wait until next issue to see if the threat is real (or interesting).

PLANET OF THE APES/GREEN LANTERN #1

Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS

Writers: ROBBIE THOMPSON, JUSTIN JORDAN

Art: BARNABY BAGENDA

Cover: ETHAN VAN SCIVER

$3.99

BOOM! Studios and DC Comics are proud to bring together two classic properties in a historic crossover event.

When Taylor goes missing, Cornelius investigates and discovers an ancient ring, unlike anything the universe has ever seen.

As its power echoes through the stars, the Guardians of the Universe must reveal to their Lanterns a secret they had hoped would remain buried.

With the Green Lantern Corps, led by Hal Jordan, racing to get to the source of this power before Sinestro can get his hands on it, they will discover a truth that will change them forever on...THE PLANET OF THE APES.

I don't get review copies from BOOM!, so this isn't a review. But Star Trek/Planet of the Apes was a lot better than it had a right to be, so maybe this will be, too. I've posted the preview in hopes it can help you decide for yourselves.

STAR TREK NEW VISIONS: SAM

Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING

Writer/Photo-manipulation: JOHN BYRNE

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

James Kirk faces the greatest challenge of his life when his own brother is accused of murder!

I've enjoyed all the "New Visions" so far, but this one is especially clever.

Byrne sets this story long before the events of "Operation: Annihilate," when neural parasites kill many of the citizens of Deneva, including George Samuel Kirk, Captain Kirk's brother. So we get to meet "Sam," which I don't believe we have before. We also get Commodore Jose Mendez (Malachi Throne) from "The Menagerie" -- or rather, the real one, as the Mendez in that two-parter was an illusion.

Moreover, we get  Captain Koloth (William Campbell) and Korax (Michael Pataki), whom viewers met in "The Trouble with Tribbles." In that episode, it was referenced that Koloth and Kirk had met before, and the former carried a grudge. Now we know the details of that first meeting.

That's pretty clever. It also tidies up some Trek history with an eye to strict continuity. That's the kind of retcon I like.

But even better, Byrne tells a terrific story about two brothers who don't see the world through the same lens, but love each other just the same. It would be worth a read in any venue, and the Trek trappings and history are just a bonus.

SUPERMAN #16

Written by PETER J. TOMASI and PATRICK GLEASON

Art by DOUG MAHNKE, JORGE JIMENEZ and others

Cover by RYAN SOOK

Variant cover by ANDREW ROBINSON

This issue will ship with two covers.

“MULTIPLICITY” finale! Superman, New Super-Man and Justice Incarnate make their last stand against their multiverse-spanning foe, and the Man of Steel discovers another clue to the truth of his existence.

32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T

This issue brings to a close a storyline that's pretty much required reading.

It uses the concepts established by Grant Morrison in Multiversity, and connects to the uber-story in the background of DC Rebirth, the not-so-mysterious watchmen (ha ha!) manipulating events in the background. And it's well done, both story and art, adding bits to the whole without revealing too much.

If you are reading any DCs at all, you probably need to read "Multiplicity."

VAMPIRELLA #0

Publisher: DYNAMITE

VAMPIRELLA #0

Writer: PAUL CORNELL

Artist: JIMMY BROXTON

Cover A: PHILIP TAN

incentive cover: Joseph MICHAEL LINSNER sneak peek cover B, J. SCOTT CAMPBELL sneak peek cover C

FC • 32 pages • 25¢ • Teen+

Beginning a new and VERY different direction!  Vampirella was last spotted in 2016 doing what she does best — defending the world from threats both mystic and evil. She hasn’t been seen since.  Now, over a thousand years later, she’s poised to make her fateful return, but the world that awaits her is unlike anything she might expect — or want to defend! Written by acclaimed comics, novel and television writer Paul Cornell (This Damned Band, Doctor Who) and illustrated by the underrated Jimmy Broxton (Goldtiger, Knight & Squire), it’s the start of an adventure for Vampirella unlike any she’s had in her long and storied history. Don’t miss the train before it leaves the station!

I just finished the final volume of Dynamite's archival reprinting of the original Vampirella magazine, and to tell you the truth, often the Vampi stories were the least interesting in each volume. She just isn't intrinsically that interesting as a wannabe Hollywood actress occasionally tripping over things that go bump in the night or evil cultists, especially anchored by the various useless men in her posse. In her current book, much the same status quo prevails. The best Vampi stories, to my mind, are the ones that take the character completely out of her usual milquetoast milieu and let her go full-on Dracula against some larger threat.

Such appears to be the case here. If I'm interpreting this first issue correctly, the series is set in a dystopic future where three people -- the only ones we meet -- give their blood to resuscitate the dessicated Vampirella in some ancient, frozen tomb, in the hopes that she will deal with whatever awfulness has overtaken America and/or the world.

We don't know what that awfulness is yet, but I'm excited to find out. This is the kind of Vampirella I really like -- no useless boyfriends, no serial limitations, no clumsy efforts to address her preposterous origin, no sad thought balloons about lost Draculon. Just unrestrained vampire action, with the vampire as the good guy. Or rather, a rather curvaceous good girl.

Let's face it, Vampirella's appeal is pretty much that: sex & scares. And stories like this make the most of those charms.

WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT: THE CORPSE MAKERS #1 (OF 5)

Publisher: DYNAMITE

Writer/Art/Cover: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

Incentive cover: FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (“virgin” art)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+

A series of unexpected disappearances and deaths hit Central City.

Initially these cases seem purely unrelated: no apparent connection between the victims makes it easy for the police to just file them as runaways or natural deaths. But when someone close to Ebony White disappears, The Spirit is on the case!

From the mind of writer/artist & Eisner winner Francesco Francavilla, comes a thrilling tale of The Spirit that promises to tingle your spines.

Unlike most "Spirit" artists, Francavilla doesn't attempt an Eisner pastiche and instead employs his own rough-and-tumble style. I think it works, but it doesn't feel like The Spirit.

That's probably due to the story as well. The first issue is pretty much standard police procedural, without Eisner's touch of humanity. Again, I like it fine, but it doesn't much feel like The Spirit.

Read the preview below and see what you think. After all, your mileage could, and probably will, vary.

YOU MIGHT BE AN ARTIST IF… (HC)

Writer./Art/Cover: LAUREN PURJE

HC • BW • $19.99 • 144 pages • 5.82” x 8.26”

With a BFA, solo exhibitions, and work experience at a New York gallery, Lauren Purje has spent plenty of time in the art world … consider this her cry for help.

You Might Be An Artist If … collects several years of her comic strips about the ups and downs of life in the arts. Her wry and relatable sense of humor animates every page, tying together flights of fancy, bitter grumblings, motivational pep-talks, self-doubt, procrastination, and inspiration.

Capturing the moments that remind us why we take art seriously — but not TOO seriously — Purje’s comics are a perfect handbook for anyone living the creative life.

To tell you the truth, an artist writing/drawing about being an artist kinda bores me. (I am equally bored when rock singers sing about the difficulties of being a rock singer. Give me a break, Mr. twentysomething multimillionaire who work two weeks a year, has wall-to-wall groupies and worries not at all about the things the rest of us do, like money and employment. I'm looking at you, Bob Seger.) I quit on this book about a third of the way through, after the umpty-ump cartoon about what special snowflakes artists are. Yawn.

But I posted this anyway, because of the last cartoon in this preview. It's actually going for a different point, but it strikes a similar note to a theory I've had all my life about how the near-sighted gene not only survived being bred out, but became commonplace. I mean, you'd think near-sighted people would be the first to die in every war, and wouldn't be terribly successful in careers and marriage and whatnot. So why are there so many near-sighted people?

Here's my theory:

Whose DNA got passed on in caveman days? Sure, the top hunter probably had several "wives." But he would be away a lot and would sometimes get killed. Nope, the top impregnator was probably the guy whose eyes were so bad that he couldn't go on the hunt and all he could contribute was wall paintings. So he stayed at home, apparently doing magic, with all the women. ALL of them. He would be the only male in the village, for perhaps weeks at a time. With a cave full of etchings. And a lot of spare time.

So the hunters would return, to find all the women were knocked up. By the gods, says the artist. And being a shaman, he would know, right?

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  • Flintstones #8 - Wilma goes home to visit her mother, a guest at the school attempts to teach Economics, and the mayor of Bedrock wants new dinosaur armor.

    Hmm. Well, this is biting satire, but it's necessarily funny biting satire. The best part was Wilma reconnecting with her mother, but the economic lessons seemed really one-sided, even to my leftist philosophies. Plus, it just wasn't that funny.

    All New X-Men 1.mu - The Laura/X-23/Wolverine is called down to Louisiana by Gambit for help while the rest of the team goes to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. A monster falls out of the sky and attacks.

    This isn't bad, but the problem is that it takes far too long to get to any action. Sure the character stuff is okay, but this is a one-shot that's part of a crossover, and much of what goes on here could have been left out. However, once the action does finally start, things improve. Warning: if you haven't been keeping up with the X-Men, some of what you see may or may not make sense.

    Avengers #4 - Kang yammers for the entire issue of double-page spreads.

    Ick. I'm really surprised at this. In my opinion, it' s the same problem that Jonathan Hickman's run on Avenger s had--too much talking, not enough action  Actually, there really isn't any action in this issue. And while the art looks pretty, it's not really good for sequential storytelling. Also, did I mention that the entire issue is double-page spreads?

    Champions #5 - The team investigates a county full of intolerance "aided" by Gwenpool.

    Opinions are divided on the Gwenpool character. To some, she's a breath of fresh air, to others she's a one -note joke that outwore it's welcome long ago. Here, she's more the latter than the former. The script is reasonably intelligent otherwise, and ti's okay, but Gwenpool's presence isn't essential to the story, nor does it help.

    Hawkeye #3 - Kate escapes the angry mob chasing her, then locates Mikka.


    Not bad. Not great. Kate's interesting, and her supporting cast is okay. So far this title has been on the decent side.

    The Unstoppable Wasp #2 - Nadia begins assembling her lab of genius girls.

    This is charming. Really charming. There's a funny sequence at the beginning where Nadia is baffled by a land line telephone, plus a cameo by Moon Girl. It's bright and cheerful and doesn't take itself too seriously, so it's a lot of fun, if you like that sort of thing.

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