Note that many reviews are dark and full of
ACTION COMICS #958
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by MIKEL JANIN
Variant cover by RYAN SOOK
32 pg • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
NOW SHIPPING TWICE MONTHLY!
This issue will ship with two covers.
“PATH TO DOOM” Chapter Two
Luthor and Superman must put aside their differences and face the common threat of Doomsday, as Jimmy Olsen and the Planet staff try to uncover the truth: who is the man claiming to be Clark Kent?
THEY SAID IT: “Superman is synonymous with the word ‘superhero’,” says artist Patrick Zircher. “He’s the greatest. Drawing ACTION COMICS fills me with a passion to make great comics.”
I don't have much to add here from my review of the Rebirth issue two weeks ago.
All the plotlines advance incrementally, while the bulk of the issue is Superman and Luthor vs. Doomsday. Given how many plotlines there are, and all the back-from-the-dead characters begging explanation, and the mysterious Mr. Oz watching everything, this is one of the most populated and unpredictable Action Comics in memory. That is a very, very good thing.
While Jurgens is only doing the writing, Zircher's art has such a Jurgens vibe I wonder if the latter is doing layouts. And the inks remind me a bit of Ernie Chan, so the art feels very familiar and comfortable.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
ACTION MAN #1
Publisher: IDW PUBLISHING
Writer: JOHN BARBER
Art: PAOLO VILLANELLI
Cover: CHRIS EVENHUIS
Theme Variant: PAOLO VILLANELLI
Action Figure Variant: PHOTO
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
ACTION MAN IS DEAD—LONG LIVE ACTION MAN! He’s the world’s greatest special agent … until he dies saving the planet, with all the world’s eyes on him. Now his young protégé has to step into the role—whether he’s ready or not!
• As seen in Rom #0 Free Comic Book Day!
• From the writer of Transformers and the artist of Snake Eyes!
• An all-new take on the ultimate British special agent!
• When the U.S.A. had G.I. Joe—the U.K. had Action Man!
• In the spirit of James Bond, John Steed and Kingsman—Action Man is here!
• Variant cover by Andrew Currie!
This was OK.
Evidently England had its own G.I. Joe action figure, and it was called Action Man. Since IDW already publishes G.I. Joe (and Transformers and ROM), I guess it was only a matter of time before this action figure got its own book.
Only (SPOILER!) Action Man gets offed fairly early on. The series focuses instead on his replacement, who isn't nearly as good -- which he knows, and everyone else on his team knows. Bummer.
So that's a fairly good hook, if you like young-hero-learns-the-ropes books. (I'm a bit tired of them, but I'm a jaded old man.) Still, in this particular scenario, I don't think they explain adequately why this sad sack is the new Action Man, instead of another character, who seems the more logical choice. Maybe that will become clear, or maybe it's just generic Peter Parker stuff that nobody thinks needs an explanation.
As for the art, it's simple and clean. It could stand a little more flash, but like the story, it's adequate.
I'll give this another issue to show me something, but so far it's pretty standard fare.
AQUAMAN #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art and cover by BRAD WALKER and DREW HENNESSEY
Variant cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
NOW SHIPPING TWICE MONTHLY!
This issue will ship with two covers.
“THE DROWNING” Chapter One
Black Manta returns, and as Aquaman attempts to broker lasting peace between Atlantis and the surface world, his greatest foe engineers a plan to destroy everything and everyone the undersea hero loves.
THEY SAID IT: “I’m excited to draw a vast undersea world with all the visual flourishes of fantasy and science fiction that it affords,” says artist Brad Walker. “I’ve done so much work in outer space-based comics, and I love the freedom that allows.”
When reviewing Rebirth: Aquaman, I mentioned that the Spindrift Station -- Atlantis' embassy on land -- would be a springboard for stories, as a lot of people would have good reason to attack it. Little did I know it would happen so fast!
Last issue's villain is the culprit, and it's pretty dramatic. Abnett constructs his story well, letting you get to know at least one supporting-character-to-be well enough to care for her safety, just as everything goes wrong. Well done, and I hope to see more of Lt. Joanne Stubbs, Royal Navy. Assuming she doesn't die. (And points to Abnett for not using the standard American, going instead for a surface-navy character from the world's oldest and most famous navy.)
Rucka's dialogue is spot on, as well. I enjoy the easy bond between Aquaman and Mera -- Can we please avoid the now-cliche story where they become enemies? Thank you in advance -- and Mera's dialogue with other characters feels easy and spontaneous, too. Well done.
I found the Walker/Hennessey art a bit fussy in the static scenes, and this from a guy who likes good rendering. But it shifted into high gear in the action scenes, and my heart leaped into my throat a couple of times. In an Aquaman book!
ARCHIE #9
Script: MARK WAID
Art: VERONICA FISH, ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ, JEN VAUGHN, JACK MORELLI
Cover A: VERONICA FISH
Cover B: KHARY RANDOLPH
Cover C: Andrew Robinson
32-page • full color comic • $3.99 U.S.
Archie is forever barred from Lodge Manor! Now Veronica has to live in Archie’s world if she wants to see him—and she’s turning the whole Andrews family upside-down!
As I may have mentioned, I think Mark Waid is killing it on this title.
In this one issue, he goes back and forth from laugh-out-loud humor to heart-tugging poignance. I not only find these people funny, I like them. I'm interested in them. I want them to be happy, but snicker just the same at their foibles. That's quite a trick for 75-year-old characters, but Waid pulls it off.
None of which would work quite as well without the sure-footed artwork of Veronica Fish. Her lines are clean like Samm Schwartz, and she's skilled with expressions like Harry Lucey, but there's no doubt that she's a modern artist with all the skill sets of the modern world. Fish carries a lot of the narrative/humor load, and does it well.
Even if it does sound like she made up her name for this gig! :)
CREEPY COMICS #24
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writers: PETER BAGGE, DAN BRAUN, RHIANNON RASMUSSEN-SILVERSTEIN
Art: RICHARD CORBEN, RICARDO CABRAL, PETER BAGGE, TONY GUARALDI-BROWN(A), GLENN FABRY and others
Cover: RYAN BROWN
B&W • 40 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing
Final Issue!
Before Uncle Creepy goes into hibernation, we’re bringing Richard Corben back to the pages of Creepy! Regular contributor Dan Braun will collaborate with Corben on an all-new story, writer Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein joins forces with Portuguese artist Ricardo Cabral, and Peter Bagge revisits the Creepy Family Tree! Tony Guaraldi-Brown delivers a killer Monster Gallery piece, Glenn Fabry provides a disturbing color pinup, and more surprises fill this final foray into fright!
As I mentioned in the 6/22 Guide, this is the last issue, and I mourn the book's passing even though I only discovered it a few issues ago. It's a testament to how hard it is to publish an anthology these days that one this good couldn't make it.
This issue is a mix of new and old, and since I haven't (yet) read the entire runs of Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella, I don't know for sure which is which. That's no knock, as all of it clears a pretty high bar.
Well, except for the two Peter Bagge stories. I recognize he has his fans, but I dislike Bagge's artwork so intensely that, as I've said before, I consider his pages a waste of space.
But beyond that, we've got great work by Richard Corben, Tom Sutton and Pat Boyette. Since the latter two are deceased, I must assume their pages here are reprints. The Corben story is the best of the issue, so it might be new -- but he's been good for a very long time, so I dunno.
The lead story, by Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein and Ricardo Cabral, is almost certainly new, since I don't recognize either of those names. It's not strictly a horror story, but more of a thumb-sucker, and I had to read the ending a couple of times to understand it. But while it wasn't electrifying, I still appreciated the attempt at doing something a little off-beat, and the art was up to level set by the others, if a bit on the scritchy-scratchy side.
Ah, well. Adios, Creepy. Again.
DEPT. H #3
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer/Art/Cover: MATT KINDT
Colors: SHARLENE KINDT
FC • 28 pages • $3.99 • Ongoing
Matt Kindt’s survival sci-fi series continues!
After being stranded on the ocean floor, Mia is brought back to headquarters and leads a rescue party to bring back her missing brother. As the investigations into his disappearance and the station’s destroyed antenna continue, a terrible virus emerges and wreaks havoc on the crew.
“This is flat out fantastic. Classic Matt Kindt—mesmerizing, strange, soulful.”—Junot Díaz (Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)
I'm thoroughly hooked on this story, although I still don't care at all for Kindt's art. That should tell you how much I'm enjoying the story.
It's a locked-room murder mystery, and Kindt promises to play fair with the reader, so I won't spoil a thing -- read the book, and find your own clues.
DETECTIVE COMICS #935
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
NOW SHIPPING TWICE MONTHLY!
This issue will ship with two covers.
“RISE OF THE BATMEN” Chapter Two
Batman and team find themselves in the crosshairs as the villain they’ve begun hunting turns the tables on them. Batman and Batwoman have the skills to survive, but do their young teammates? Is this where hero training ends in tragedy?
THEY SAID IT: “The ideas are boiling inside my brain,” boasts artist Eddy Barrows. “James and I intend to elevate Batman to a whole new level, with amazing and exciting stories and artwork. To sum it up in one sentence—it’s going to be epic!”
Like with Action Comics, the secondary Batman title is heavily populated with the lead character's extended family. That gives Tinion a lot of characters to work with, and he works them. It's fun -- certainly a lot more fun than a Bat-title with just the one Bat-guy staring at things and going "hh" or "tt". Never knew what those meant anyhow.
THE FLASH #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by KARL KERSCHL
Variant cover by DAVE JOHNSON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
NOW SHIPPING TWICE MONTHLY!
This issue will ship with two covers.
“LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE” Chapter One
A new storm brews over Central City and disproves the old adage about lightning never, well…you know. Just as Barry begins to feel overwhelmed fighting crime, a new speedster debuts—but just where did this amazing new friend come from?
FLASH FACT: “2016 is the 60th anniversary of Barry Allen becoming The Flash, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it,” says writer Joshua Williamson. “‘The Return of Barry Allen’ in FLASH #79 [1993] is one of my favorite comics of all time. It’s where I became a Flash fan for life.”
Flash: Rebirth was one of the best, if not the best, Rebirth titles. This issue is still good, but takes a turn from all that. (Apparently, Wally is going to carry the load on finding Dr. Manhattan over in Titans, as I half-expected.) So this is essentially a new story, untethered from the previous issue.
Kinda disappointing for that, but still good for all the art/story reasons mentioned two weeks ago.
JAMES BOND #7
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: WARREN ELLIS
Art: JASON MASTERS
Cover: DOM REARDON
32 pages • Teen + • $3.99
After World War Two, army intelligence groups created ghost cells called "stay-behinds" across Europe in the event of a Warsaw Pact surge. "EIDOLON" is the story of a SPECTRE stay-behind structure -- ghost cells of SPECTRE loyalists acting as sleepers until the time is right for a SPECTRE reformation and resurgence. The time is now.
This is the second story in the series -- the first, VARGR, is out in trade this week -- and with two opening scenes to compare, I can see that Ellis is mirroring the movies a bit by having Bond in a life-or-death struggle at the very beginning that may or may not have anything to do with the rest of the story. It's obviously a solid way to start a Bond adventure, since the movies have been using that gambit since the 1960s. And the comics have the benefit of Warren Ellis, so the scenario and combat remain in the realm of the plausible.
In fact, all of Ellis' Bond is firmly set in the realm of real-world possibility. That ratchets down the fantastic for which Ellis is so well known, but it makes for a realistic espionage story. Well, aside from Bond's invincibility, but hey, it's a James Bond story.
As noted, this is the first issue of a new story, so it's too soon to say much about it. I'll only go on record as liking Ellis' take on 007 -- sardonic and witty, grim in battle -- and let you discover this book for yourself.
LARA CROFT AND THE FROZEN OMEN (TPB)
Publisher: DARK HORSE
Writer: CORINNA BECHKO
Pencils: RANDY GREEN, CARMEN CARNERO
Inks: ANDY OWENS
Colors: MICHAEL ATIYEH
Cover: JEAN-SEBASTIEN ROSSBACH
FC • 120 pages • $19.99 • TPB • 7” x 10”
It’s up to Lara Croft and Carter Bell to stop a group of cultists from causing worldwide cataclysmic devastation! Ancient ivory artifacts hold the key to both salvation and destruction, and these rivals turned friends must recover them before the cultists in a race against time! Lara’s newest quest is filled with incredible action, dual pistols, and high-spirited adventure in the same universe as the Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris games! Collecting issues #1–5 of Lara Croft and the Frozen Omen by Corinna Bechko!
A great entry point for new readers!
Speaking of invincibility, I liked the first issue of this series precisely because it described (and limited) Lara Croft's above-average abilities. That had the effect of raising the dramatic bar during her fights, since you knew she wasn't invincible. But, as I've said before, by the second issue she was doing Batman-level feats effortlessly, and my interest waned. (It takes a lot of suspension of disbelief to accept even Batman, who is 200 pounds of solid muscle and has been training since he was 8 years old. I can't muster the same SOD for a 105-pound, twentysomething girl who has been training for, like, 10 minutes.)
So I read the rest of it out of professional duty. And it was all right. But I've already forgotten the ending, so that's my review.
MYTHIC (TPB)
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer: PHIL HESTER
Art/Cover: JOHN McCREA
200 PAGES • FC • M • $16.99
“MYTHIC is a joy to read.” — Rick Remender (LOW, TOKYO GHOST)
Eisner-nominated writer Phil Hester (Green Arrow, INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE) teams up with Eisner-winning artist John McCrea (Hitman, The Boys) for the fascinating folkloric fantasy MYTHIC TPB, which collects issues #1-8.
Science is a lie, an opiate for the masses. The truth is, magic makes the world go ‘round. And when magic breaks, MYTHIC fixes it. Apache shaman Waterson, Greek immortal Cassandra, and cell phone salesman Nate Jayadarma are tasked with keeping the gears of the supernatural world turning—and you from ever knowing about it.
PRAISE FOR MYTHIC:
“A refreshing dip into the supernatural side of the indie scene.” — Bloody Disgusting
"Mythic is a joy to read. Come and witness the unbridled imagination of two of the best creators in comics. Or don't. I'm not the boss of you. But you should." — Rick Remender (LOW, TOKYO GHOST)
“A rip-roaring adventure to a world full of magic ... and it’s not just good. It’s great.” — Comics Alliance
“I love what these guys do separately and love them even more together.” — Mark Millar (HUCK, JUPITER’S LEGACY)
“Something quite wonderful; one of the most auspicious debuts of the year.” — Nerdspan
"Mix mirth and magic and the result is truly Mythic!” — Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Kingsman: The Secret Service)
This was a cute take on the "how the world really works" genre of magic stories. Both art and story are very professional and well-executed, and it's clearly meant to become an ongoing thing. But I'm not sure I'll be along for the ride.
Here's why:
1) The premise is that myths and legends are really how the world works, and we've invented science to give us the illusion of control and/or understanding. OK, fine. But Hester takes that to the logical conclusion, in that rationality and skepticism are not just wrong, but lead characters to do evil. Sorry, that hits me where I live. Belief in the supernatural -- specifically radical, exclusionary religious belief -- has killed millions more people than science, which isn't a belief at all and hasn't killed anyone I know of. I'm definitely on the Scully side of the equation, and I resent rationality being savaged.
2) Despite all the millions of myths and legends available, Hester drags in the Norse ones we're all familiar with from Thor. C'mon, give us something new!
3) Actually, he does give us a lot of new. But he kills off most of that new, and therefore most of the interesting characters, to give us as the protagonist of future stories the -- you guessed it -- young-hero-learning-the-ropes. Gah! I was really enjoying Child of Water and Ashar the giant baby!
So, yes, I enjoyed Mythic Volume 1. And I'll likely be along for future volumes, despite my protestations. But just let me establish for the record that I'm ready for some stories that don't involve a Peter Parker character.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
PENNY DREADFUL #1 (Second Print)
Publisher: TITAN COMICS
Writer: KRYSTY WILSON-CAIRNS
Artist: LOUIE DE MATINIS
Cover: ABIGAIL LARSON
FC • 32PP • $3.99
The hit TV series is presented in comics for the first time! This prequel reveals the terrifying events that led Vanessa to try and find her missing childhood friend, Mina Harker, and exposes the true nature of the vampiric monsters infesting Victorian London. Beautifully realized by Louie De Martinis, and written by the scriptwriters of the hit show!
I don't know how I failed to read this when it first came out, but I'm glad Titan gave me a second chance. This is superlative work.
I've used this forum to complain about "scritchy-scratchy" art before. De Matins does, in fact, use a lot of fine linework and leans often on suggestiveness or impressionism to get an image or emotional beat across. He even leans on color quite a bit to flesh out the image, instead of just drawing it in the traditional Adams/Lee "photo-realism" style. I've complained about that, too.
But De Matins uses this technique correctly. In fact, he uses it masterfully. Yes, occasionally I lose track of what's going on, especially during action sequences, but that's true here less than on your average DC or Marvel funnybook. In addition, De Matins captures the likeness of the actors from the TV show convincingly -- especially series star Eva Green, and its best-known actor, Timothy Dalton. It's just terrific work. And given how much this book depends on Gothic mood, the art fits the story perfectly.
Speaking of the story, it's a rouser, buttressed by the use of names we're all familiar with from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Given how much Stoker left unsaid at the end of Dracula, it's clearly a great temptation to lift some of those characters and plotlines and carry them forward -- even Alan Moore did so, with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. So it's been done before, and done well. But Wilson-Cairns easily clears the bar set by Moore, and that's saying something.
I hear that the TV show has come to an end. I don't have Showtime, so I never got to see it. But, hey, this is an awesome comic book, which needn't ever come to an end. So I haven't missed a thing!
RED SONJA VOL 3 #6
Publisher: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art: ANEKE
Cover A: MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
32 pages • Teen + • $3.99
In the second of our two-part finale, the Hyrkanian forces clashes, sister against brother, in bloody civil war for the Falcon Throne. Revelations, explosions, betrayals, and triumph await as the soul of Hyrkania -- and Sonja herself -- hang in the balance.
The first storyline comes to an end in a way that was entirely predictable from the first issue or so. Still, there were some clever bits along the way that livened it up, like the new ruler of Hyrkania wanting a Sonja so badly that he trained various redheads to fake the job. (Spoiler, the real Sonja kills them all. Oh, you figured that would happen? Yeah, me too.) But hey, it's the journey, not the destination, and I enjoyed the trip.
I might have been more enthusiastic if I cared for the art. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good. It was somewhere in between -- clear and well paced, but without the gritty rendering a barbarian tale needs to put you in the time and place.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SHE WOLF #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writer/Art/Cover: RICH TOMMASO
24 PAGES • FC • M • $3.99
SHE WOLF, by fan-favorite cartoonist Rich Tommaso (DARK CORRIDOR) will lead the pack this June with a chilling, fever-dream mystery that will keep fans hooked from page one.
A surreal exploration in horror, SHE WOLF follows a teenage girl who believes she's been bitten by a savage werewolf. Soon after, she begins to experience feverish nightmares that seamlessly bleed into her everyday reality.
"This is the most surreal thing I've ever written—a horror tale about a teenage werewolf who uses witchcraft to become a higher level of demon," said Tommaso. "The backdrop is Sparta, New Jersey—where I grew up during the wild '80s. As strange as this story is, the tiny parts that ARE autobiographical are more vivid blended into this mysterious world than some of the 100% straight-auto-bio comics I've done in the past."
This is the second teen-girl werewolf story to come out in the last few weeks. That doesn't necessarily make it bad or redundant, but it does remove the one element -- originality -- that might induce me to stick around.
As it is, I found the story relatively predictable and the artwork cartoony and not to my taste. Pass.
FIRST ISSUE ALERT
SUPER HUMAN RESOURCES #1
Publisher: ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT
Writer: KEN MARCUS
Artist: ARMANDO ZANKER
Cover: JUSTIN BLEEP
Variant: GABRIEL HARDMAN
32 pgs.• T • FC • $3.99 (reg.)/$4.99 (var.)
“This is the comic you never knew you were waiting to read.” – Comic Book Resources
The sequel to the sold-out, indie hit is finally here. Welcome back to the HR department of the world’s greatest super team. Super Crises International has been infiltrated by sinister forces. And by sinister forces, we mean stupidity. Lots of stupidity. Cover by Justin Bleep. Variant by Gabriel Hardman (Hulk, Agents of Atlas, Invisible Republic.)
Maybe I'm just cranky, but this didn't do much for me either.
The premise is following a temp worker in a human resources department for a support firm for superheroes. So you have the expected jokes contrasting the mundanity of the temp's job -- forms to fill out, Secret Santa, etc. -- with the superheroic world of evil twins, computer conquerors, zombies and the like. Well, expected by me, anyway. It's the sort of thing I would have written in high school and patted myself on the back for my cleverness.
Maybe it's the art. It's cartoony -- very cartoony, and very stylized, for a look that I don't care for.
But, as I say, I'm probably just old and cranky. Well, old for sure. You might find Super Human Resources hilarious, so take a look and tell me how wrong I am.
WONDER WOMAN #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by GREG RUCKA
Art and cover by LIAM SHARP
Variant cover by FRANK CHO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
NOW SHIPPING TWICE MONTHLY!
This issue will ship with two covers.
“THE LIES” Chapter One
Why has the Lasso of Truth stopped working for the Amazon Princess? Start down the rabbit hole as dark secrets from Wonder Woman’s past unravel her present!
THEY SAID IT: “Drawing Wonder Woman isn’t just drawing a comic, it’s drawing an icon—the most famous and recognizable female superhero in the world,” exclaims artist Liam Sharp. “To get to draw her in her 75th year, with a new storyline scribed by no less than Greg Rucka, makes this without a doubt the most important drawing gig of my 30 years in comics.”
This book continues directly from the last issue, which I raved about already. The narrative doesn't advance very much, but Rucka gives us lots of atmosphere and feels to acclimate with our princess.
Or maybe it's Liam Sharp that does it. Hand to Zeus, this is some of the best Wonder Woman art I've ever seen. Of course, I'm not a big George Perez fan, so take that into account when adjudging my tastes as compared to yours. But I don't see how anyone can discount Sharp's work. It's lush, it's gorgeous, and Diana is very attractive without being fan service. This is my kinda Wonder Woman -- a book so beautiful it's practically a period piece.
Oh, and an old villain returns in an unexpected way. I enjoyed this book a lot more than I should for one where not much happens!
Replies
Man, Creepy has art by Richard Corben? I need to head back to the shop and pick that baby up.
JAMES BOND: I enjoyed VARGR a great deal, but it reads better in a single sitting than it does in monthly installments. (I read #1-5 as they were released, then #1-6 together when #6 was released.) Consequently, I have decided to tradewait this series, and I definitely plan to buy the EIDOLON tpb.
I bought Archie #9 and Flash #1 this week but haven't read them yet. I'll be back after I do.
Keep these reviews/reactions coming. I don't have anything to say about the other comics this week, but I do read all your reviews, whether I buy the comic or not.
Just to pick nits, who is writing Aquaman?
Dan Abnett
David Warren said:
Just in case you didn't catch Dave's point: Abnett is listed in the credits you give at the top of your Aquaman review. but in the body of the review, you're talking about Rucka.
(And reading further down, I see you've done the same thing with Matt Kindt/Jeff Lemire in the Dept. H review.)
I picked up most of the Rebirth issues -- all but Aquaman -- and I liked 'em, too. I thought Flash did a great job of branching out into it's own story, and I really enjoy the art. Detective Comics was my second favorite of the bunch, followed by Action, followed by Wonder Woman -- still good, but felt mostly like setup. Rucka's writing is very measured, and boy, does he love an Ops room. But I think the story has great backbone to it -- - I just wish we didn't have to wait a month to get chapter 2, as the next issue is the Year One story with Nicole Scott art.
I actually didn't get that point, so thanks for pointing it out!
Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said:
ARCHIE #9: I agree with everything you said about Mark Waid. (I never thought I’d actually follow Archie.) I’m coming around to Veronica Fish’s style (which I initially found disappointing in comparison to that of the initial artist on the revamp).
FLASH #1: This is very much like the TV show. I think it’s closer in tone and style than even the actual TV show comic book adaptation. I normally wouldn’t care for that “tail-wagging-the-dog” approach, I happen to like the TV show so I won’t complain too vociferously.
I hadn't considered the TV show's influence in tone. Good insight.
And, yeah, it's weird to read Archie again after (painfully does math in head) 42 years since I last read it regularly.