The holiday season, the major companies' recent emphasis on trade paperbacks, and a devilish sale at one of the local stores have left me inundated with comics, including the O'Neil/Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow collections, the second Kirby Jimmy Olsen volume, the first "season" of Sleeper, and a heap of back issues.
That's a lot of material for a regular monthly comic to cut through, but the past couple of weeks have seen some surprisingly good releases. Here are a few of the comics that have consistently been rising to the top of the pile...
Sleeper: I am absolutely the last person in the comics blogosphere to jump on this bandwagon so I doubt my plug will have any effect, but you never know.
Last September my pull list seemed unusually low, so I picked up the third issue of the second series. It was the worst possible starting point for a new reader, but something in the protagonist's dilemma hooked me - former undercover agent Holden Carver is a savvy guy, but he's being used as a pawn by two master manipulators, and he's looking for ways to change the rules of the game. Ed Brubaker is willing to let his characters be smart, but he never makes any of them infallible (with the possible exception of Tao, and therein lies a lot of the comic's suspense). This series is a great reminder that compelling writing (and easy availability of trades and back issues) will lead readers to seek out earlier chapters and piece the story together as they go along. You're probably better off beginning with the first trade and proceeding from there, though.
The Question: No bandwagons here! The only correct stance for the self-conscious comics pundit is to bemoan the betrayal of Steve Ditko, whose artistic-vision-cum-political-lunacy must be respected at all costs, but such public handwringing over whether this is the "real" Question overlooks the fact that this miniseries is actually pretty interesting.
The Question's narration is completely over-the-top, of course, and I could easily do without it. (Isn't it interesting, though, that bad Allen Ginsberg imitations tend to sound like bad Alan Moore imitations and vice versa? I noticed the same thing with Morrison's Adam Strange story last summer.) His new ability to perceive or enter some kind of spirit-plane seemed similarly egregious at first, but the latest issue's exposition about chi suggests this will be an integral part of the plot.
I have to admit, I very nearly bailed on this one after the overwrought first issue, but I'm glad I stuck around. The art by Tommy Lee Edwards is gorgeous, and Rick Veitch offers an unusual worm's-eye (or lower) view of Metropolis, the best Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen in years, and a fun gang of criminals in the Subterraneans, who avoid Superman's panoptic gaze by sticking to the city's subways, sewer pipes, and bathrooms. The conceit plays well to Veitch's longstanding obsession with the scatological; while it could overwhelm his stories back in the Maximortal days, Veitch has recently learned to restrain it and make it work for him. Now I actually kind of like seeing this theme return in his work, like spotting an old friend who's lost weight. And then tells you about it in precise gastronomic detail.
Deadshot: This is the kind of comic everybody thinks Brian Michael Bendis writes: you know, a good one. Comics newcomer (and TV writer, apparently) Christos N. Gage spins a genuinely noirish yarn, one in which all of the characters are implicated in the general moral decay. (I hope the hotel manager turns out to have some sort of hidden vice or betrayal, as he otherwise threatens to become too sidekicky.)
My only qualm is that the art by Steven Cummings doesn't seem quite right: too bright for a moody crime story, not polished enough for something set in a superhero universe. The Zeck/Ordway team doing the covers would be perfect for the latter, but this series probably needs the former. I doubt a five-issue miniseries about a former Suicide Squad villain is going anywhere in this market, but I'd love to see this continue.
Adam Strange: This one too. Once again, last guy on the bandwagon, but Andy Diggle and Pascal Ferry are doing a terrific job with this miniseries. Adam Strange has always been one of my favorite characters, but he only seems to work in small doses; Alan Moore wrung about the maximum amount pathos out of him in that two-parter back in '86, and what do you do after that? Diggle's great idea is to combine the heart of a '40s serial with ultramodern art and surface trappings. The story has now shifted into a mode where it's frantically incorporating all of DC's other science fiction properties (the Thanagarians, the LEGION, the Omega Men), at such a pace that I wish he'd save something for the sequel - but mostly, I hope there'll be a sequel.
The Human Target: I usually enjoy the Cliff Chiang issues a lot more than the Javier Pulido ones; the latest issue is a terrific little standalone story with Cameron Stewart art. Just when Christopher Chance was in danger of settling into some kind of healthy life, Peter Milligan pulls him back into the psychologically murky territory of the miniseries and the earlier issues of this run - and his paramour is right there with him. Good stuff.
The Losers: Andy Diggle scores again with his action-caper series. The Losers just wrapped up an excellent arc that explained the characters' origins, and while none of the final twists or revelations were that surprising, they've been so carefully hinted at from the beginning of the series that everything clicks into place with a comforting precision; it's time to go read some back issues now. This is also the first arc that doesn't end in a disappointing, prolonged, and sloppy Bruckheimer-esque finale, so bonus points for that.
Captain America: Let's face it, we all know there's no way Ed Brubaker's brazen demolition of the status quo is going to last - Morrison's X-Men taught us that - but it's probably going to be fun while it lasts. The second issue doesn't push quite as far into new territory as the first, as it's mostly concerned with all the characters wrapped up in that old status quo and how they react when a key piece, perhaps the critical piece, is taken out. I suppose this series could settle into a new rut that's essentially identical to the old - a Captain America villain with a Cosmic Cube is not exactly novel - but for now I have faith in Brubaker and I'd like to see where he takes this.
So there you have it. Seven intriguing series, mostly featuring minor characters or marginal genres. For all that the Big Two are turning incredibly cautious and boring with their major properties, there's some great storytelling happening on the fringes.
Posted by Marc at January 6, 2005 11:47 PM
Ah, that second Jimmy Olsen collection. It has a narrative caption in it that I savor as one of the stupidest of all time. Paraphrased:
"Meanwhile, on New Genesis, Superman finds himself at loggerheads with super-beings -- a situation he has rarely faced!"
If you say so, Jack.
It was a rare event, David! It was! It only happened 12 to 24 times a year at most for over thirty years by that point! Well, okay, I guess more like 36 times a year. But no more than that!
Man, I gotta pick up that Deadshot book.
I agree with all of Marc's recommendations here except The Losers (which I might revist; I only read issue 1 and decided not to follow) and Adam Strange (which I gave two issues and found annoying). I've liked other Diggle books before and since, though. If I were posting here, I might have been the first on the block to recommend Deadshot, which was much, much better than I had any expectation of it being.
I officially vow not to mention TMK Legion around you again (oops), as your taste with what's going on these days at the big 2 seems to mirror mine almost exactly.
Not to take anything away from you, Marc, but I always thought I would be the last person on the Sleeper bandwagon, not having read any of it yet.
Maybe this weekend I'll get over to one of the LCSs and pick up the first trade. I still haven't seen Pretty Woman or Four Weddings And A Funeral either, but those I can wear as badges of honor.
ooooh, i just can't stand the Question's narration. its too annoying. you're right that the rest is fun, and i love what Tommy Lee Edwards is doing, but i don't like that the fun parts stop cold just so i can hear the Question scat. it feels like the emergency brake getting thrown for me...
but thanks for the word on Deadshot -- hadn't heard about this series.
re Cap's "brazen destruction of status quo"-- i guess its not brazen enough for me. i haven't made it past the first issue. with bendis and morrison's messing around with status quo, i was happy, but that one left me cold-- maybe just cause i like the status quo in question? maybe cause it just seemed to replace that status quo with a boring "ripped from headlines" bad guy. nice art on that book though...i don't know. i don't know that there is a difference between the books i like and that one, so ... maybe i'm wrong there. i'll pick up the second issue, maybe... or more likely i shouldn't be reading a captain america comic.
Cap #2 seemed overly concerned with emphasizing and re-emphasizing that the person killed in #1 was not only merely dead, he was really quite sincerely dead...and Cap refusing to believe it. Just struck a wrong note with me.
Regarding Sleeper, you'll also want to check out the collection of Point Blank. It was a miniseries that preceded Sleeper where John Lynch and Grifter (of Wildcats) go in search of Holden Carver. It's also by Brubaker, but with a different artist. It seems doubtful that Sleeper will get a third year, so I trust that Brubaker will end the second well. If five collections is all that ever exists of Sleeper, I won't mind.
I would not like to see Adam Strange continue as you do. I'm in for eight issues and that's all. I want this to be a highly entertaining miniseries (check) and then for the creators to move on to some other highly entertaining story.
Human Target. Best current DC title, and Milligan's best work. I'm enjoying the hell out of it while it lasts. Thank whoever for Vertigo's low sales thresholds.
Losers is a good high-octane action yarn. The twenty or thirty issues that Diggle said the series would run is about all I'd want of it though. Once again, come in - kick ass - move on before everything becomes stale.
I ordered the first three or so issues of Brubaker's and Epting's Captain America and have only read the first issue so far, which was much fun. I dropped it in the middle of the first arc in favor of trades though. It's guaranteed a quick collection turnaround and my money for individual issues can be better spent on books like Fallen Angel or Noble Causes.
For all that the Big Two are turning incredibly cautious and boring with their major properties, there's some great storytelling happening on the fringes.
Especially at DC, because it has so many more fringes with Wildstorm, Humanoids, and Vertigo. DC is much better at "fringe" than at it's core books.
Abhay, I found it interesting (and a welcome relief) that the Question's narration is seriously reined in by the third issue. Perhaps Veitch is correcting himself? The first issue's narration was so bad I nearly didn't return. The second issue I thought was great whenever the Question wasn't on-panel. Now I'm hooked on the whole package.
I agree that Brubaker's Cap could just replace the trite old character with a trite new character, but we'll see. Dave, I enjoyed the second issue because I thought it wasn't just about trying to convince the reader that _____ was dead, it was about delivering another shock to Cap hot on the heels of Hawkeye, Wanda, and Avengers Distended. I thought it was a nice touch that this loss affects him as much as the loss of his friends.
Ralf, thanks for reminding me about Point Blank - I knew I wanted to order something else on Amazon to make free shipping, and that was it. I'd also like to see a third season (lord, how I hate that conceit) of Sleeper, though, so perhaps we should keep plugging away. Folks, if you like any of the other comics or styles of comics mentioned in this thread, especially those that blend crime, espionage, and superheroes a la the late, lamented Suicide Squad, Sleeper is well worth your time and money.
Deadshot's an excellent title. Unlike Brad Meltzer, Christos Gage learned the correct lessons of John Ostrander's work, and it almost feels like a SUICIDE SQUAD subplot. If the book sells well, Gage hints that he's got an SS revival in the pipeline.
On DEADSHOT: Haven't read #2 yet, but my feelings on #1 were mixed. The plot, the characters, and the storytelling were all decent; it fit wonderfully with Ostrander's (definitive) take on the character (almost to the point of being overly fannish); but something about the craft of it all seemed a little rough. Maybe it was the dialog not sounding -quite- right, or something about the pacing, or how the plot elements came together--I'm just not sure. The art didn't help in this regard.
I'd still recommend it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it improves over the series as Gage gets more comfortable with the medium and the characters--but I couldn't keep myself from saying anything.
It is difficult for me to tell exactly why it is that I'm enjoying this Deadshot mini, actually. I mean, it reads as being almost identical to Ennis' first arc on Punisher from a few years back, without the baggage of the knowledge that a large proportion of fandom has considered this character a 'good guy'. And yet enjoying it I am...
I can't believe I'm saying this, but there are moments where Deadshot actually feels too rushed - the first issue, in particular, covers a lot of beats in rapid succession. Gage could let the story breathe a little more, allowing more room mood and suspense. On the other hand, many another writer would have stretched the plot of the first two issues into a five-part arc, so I'm loath to complain about too much of a good thing.