[Comics] - Evil Avatar's Weekly Comic Book Reviews - Year 2 - Week 32

[Everlost_MI]

Welcome to week thirty-two of Evil Avatar’s Weekly Comic Book Reviews.

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Remember, these are NOT spoiler-free reviews.


Week Thirty-two:
Evil Avatar's Weekly Comic Book Reviews – Year 2 - Week 32

DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground TPB
Reviewed by: KefkaTaran (Philip Kollar), Associate Editor / Podcast Host
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Riccardo Burchielli and Brian Wood
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Price: $9.99 US/$11.25 CAN

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/dmz_tpb.jpg

Late last year and early this year, DC gave their Vertigo line of adult comics a huge boost by kicking off a number of new ongoing series. Many of these quickly became Evil Avatar favorites – American Virgin, Exterminators, and Testament especially. Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli’s DMZ led the way, though. Thankfully, it also joins the aforementioned in living up to Vertigo’s high standards.

The concept of DMZ recalls Marvel’s big summer event: America is embroiled in a new Civil War. Wood doles out information on the overall situation very slowly, leaving readers wanting hungry for more details. This is done well enough that it’s intriguing rather than frustrating. Basically, the warring factions are split into two sides: the “Free States Army” in New Jersey and the United States Government in Brooklyn/Queens/Long Island. This puts Manhattan right in the middle as the title’s “DMZ”.

This book’s story kicks off with the two sides announcing a ceasefire for the DMZ as main character (and rookie photographer) Matty Roth prepares to becomes one of the first members of the press to enter that area. As might be expected, the peace does not last long and Matty soon finds himself as the only press member in all of Manhattan. With his camera and press badge in hand, he decides it’s his responsibility to show the world what’s happening, even where that means going against the U.S. army, the “traitors” on the other side, and whatever other surprises are lurking for him.

Wood and Burchielli’s vision rings astoundingly clear in this book. DMZ’s Manhattan is both unreal enough that it constantly invites readers to guess what might be coming next and close enough to real New York that it feels familiar. While it could easily change as their motivations and back story are told, Wood does a much better job than Mark Millar and Paul Jenkins at creating two sides that aren’t obviously good and evil. The book provides plenty of reasons to dislike both the Free States and the U.S. and even the neutral citizens still living in Manhattan.

The art in this book deserves special mention for how beautifully it fits the tone. Burchielli’s cartoon style and Cox’s bright color’s really make it feel like a Vertigo book in the best way possible. Each issue features some really amazing, much darker layouts by Brian Wood himself. These pages also feature text overlays of the current news feed, working together to build up the ominous war feeling.

Wood has absolutely hit this book out of the park, creating a wonderful book that’s sure to be the next big Vertigo thing. There’s a million different paths Wood could take the concept from here, but as long as it maintains this level of excitement and depth, it’s sure to be an interesting journey.

Bottom Line:
DMZ’s main character very positively brings about memories of Transmetropolitan’s Spider Jerusalem at the start of his career. Likewise, the book maintains the pro-press, pro-truth political slant of Transmet. If those things don’t appeal to you, they should. If they do, check this book out immediately.

Rating: A must have! (5 out of 5 EvilEyes)
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e5.jpg


Agents of Atlas #1 of 6
Reviewed by: Everlost_MI (Brian K. Nichols), Editor in Chief
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jeff Parker
Penciler: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Kris Justice
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Artmonkey’s Dave Lanphear
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Price: $2.99 US/$4.25 CAN

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/agentsatlas1.jpg

Marvel has resurrected some of Atlas Comics’ ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Comics_%281950s%29), it’s predecessor, characters from the ashes with this new miniseries, Agents of Atlas. The story revolves around Special Agent Jimmy Woo banding together a unique team in 1958 to rescue President Eisenhower from the clutches of the Yellow Claw. Flash forwarding forty years it appears that Woo was trying to raid an organization called The Atlas Foundation. Unfortunately Woo barely made it out alive and is being treated in a medical ward of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s. The issue ends with the team, unofficially still together, rescuing Woo and reviving him with a younger imprint of himself with Marvel’s version of DC’s Lazarus Pits.

Jeff Parker and Leonard Kirk have captured the look and feel of the 1950’s superhero series and did a decent job of injecting a modern take on them. The scripting and characterizations are average as is the artwork, but the initial issue does an adequate job of setting up the past as well as the path the series will take

Bottom Line:
The premise is lukewarm and the issue as whole doesn’t even invoke the nostalgic fun that should come from a series that such as this. This isn’t to say the issue was horrible but there wasn’t much about it that stood out as being worth $3.00 or recommending the series to someone else.

Rating: Only if you're a collector of the series/character. (2 out of 5 EvilEyes).
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e2.jpg


52: Week 13 of 52
Reviewed by: Everlost_MI (Brian K. Nichols), Editor in Chief
Publisher: DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Breakdowns by: Keith Giffen
Pencils by: Todd Nauck
Inks by: Marlo Alquiza
Colors by: Alex Sinclair
Lettering by: Nick J. Napolitano
Cover by: J.G. Jones & Alex Sinclair
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Price: $2.50 US/$3.50 CAN

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/comics/52_13.jpg

The resurrection of Sue Dibny comes to a head as Elongated Man, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Zauriel and Metamorpho crash the Cult of Conner ceremony. Unfortunately, for Ralph, Elongated Man, it appears the charlatan acts were valid as the model used for Sue crawls towards him during the destruction of the makeshift temple calling out his name. The heroes escape but are unable to locate Ralph who is hiding under a nearby overpass repeating “…try again…” as he holds the nearly destroyed effigy of Sue. The issue also shows a glimpse of the new Isis and Black Adam searching for her brother while liberating children who were caught in a slave ring.

The script with the plot twist, excellent characterizations and well crafted dialogue made this issue fire on all cylinders. The artwork did a good job of keeping pacing with the drama and action that the issue required. The best part of this issue is that the next chapter is less than a week away.

Bottom Line:
This is one of the better issues in the 52 week saga. Aside from that, if you’re unfamiliar with the Identity and Infinite Crisis storylines, the impact of this issue would be significantly less.

Rating: Worth the money and time. (4 out of 5 EvilEyes)
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e4.jpg

Thanks toWikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/) for the link to the history of Atlas Comics. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Comics_%281950s%29)

What else is worth reading this week…

Everlost’s take:
· Ultimate Spider-Man #98 – A twist on the “classic” (?) Spider-Man clone saga.

KefkaTaran’s take:
· 52 Week 13

[Sazime]

So glad I didn't pick up AoA now. But then again, it looks like I'll need to grab DMZ. :D

[TrackZero]

I had read the first issue of DMZ and, somehow, forgotten about the series. Glad to see it's still kicking ass and taking names. I'll have to grab the TPB.

[swiftdraw]

I love DMZ! Not picking up the trade since I've all the issues, but still an awesome series. Man, I feel sorry for Ralph (Elongated Man.) Saw it coming a mile away, but damn that must be rough losing your wife twice and with everything that led up to it.... Ow, that has to sting just a little.

[Spigot]

I never realized that DMZ was only about a year old. I thought it was a much older series than it is. I'll have to check out the trade.

52 was great this past week. I thought that they weren't having any OYL characters show up in 52 though... What's with Green Arrow making an appearance? Not that I mind.

And I quite enjoyed AoA #1. It had a really neat feel to it of being both a, what, Golden Age? Silver Age? Whatever... An old comic AND a modern comic at the same time. It's only a 6 issue mini so unless it really goes down the crapper, I'll stick it out for the entirety. I'd give it a 3 1/2 out of 5, not 2...

How is that Clone Saga in USM? I've been reading older issues to fill in the gaps left by the missing trades at the library and I think I'm almost caught up. I read the first issue of the Ultimate Morbius storyline and that's as recent as it got. I know that the Clone Saga is rather despised in the comic community as one of the weaker Spidey plots, but is the USM take on it an improvement?

[Everlost_MI]

And I quite enjoyed AoA #1. It had a really neat feel to it of being both a, what, Golden Age? Silver Age? Whatever... An old comic AND a modern comic at the same time. It's only a 6 issue mini so unless it really goes down the crapper, I'll stick it out for the entirety. I'd give it a 3 1/2 out of 5, not 2...

How is that Clone Saga in USM? I've been reading older issues to fill in the gaps left by the missing trades at the library and I think I'm almost caught up. I read the first issue of the Ultimate Morbius storyline and that's as recent as it got. I know that the Clone Saga is rather despised in the comic community as one of the weaker Spidey plots, but is the USM take on it an improvement?
Yeah, I didn't think the book was horrible but it didn't have the feel of say Astro City or the Golden Age that made me itch for the next issue while waxing about the nostalgic feel of it.

So far the USM Clone Saga has presented an intersting twist with the...

[SPOILERS]









...appearance of Spider-Woman at the old warehouse when MJ and Peter used to sneak away to. It seems that Spider-Woman it isn't Gwen who appears at the end of the issue at Peter's old house while MJ is trapped in a glass prison by "Peter" at an abandoned Oscorp factory.

[miah]

DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground TPB, awesome i've been reading the cousecouse<sp> cafe series, and i'll definitely pick this one up too. I really like his books.. while waiting for new books in that series i've been reading 'last man' which is also good. I tend to only read them in graphic novel form, so i allways have to wait..

[Everlost_MI]

I should have given high marks to Detective Comics #822, another great issue from Paul Dini. In that issue, on page nine, there’s a bit of graffiti promoting the awesome blues band from Ohio, The Black Keys.

[thecrazyd]

Now I really gotta read DMZ. Good review Kef.

[lpmiller]

I have to totally and completely disagree on AoA. I thought it was awesome. Old school yet not written old school, with a lot of potential.

But then, I bought the what if this story is based on, when it came out. Perhaps that colors it for me.

[Sazime]

I have to totally and completely disagree on AoA. I thought it Old school yet not written old school, with a lot of potential.
So now I'm curious. What did you (and others) think of Galactic Bounty Hunters?

[Kefkataran]

Now I really gotta read DMZ. Good review Kef.

Thanks. I think you'd like it a lot. Glad to see a lot of you guys agreeing that DMZ is awesome. I was quite blown away. Brian Wood's definitely on my list of "must-read" authors now, and I'm going to be sure to check out his new Vertigo series next year when it launches.

So now I'm curious. What did you (and others) think of Galactic Bounty Hunters?

You know, I read the first issue of this a couple nights ago. Was expecting some good old-school Kirby action, ala Godland, but it just didn't do it for me. At the extra dollar per issue for the format, it's just not worth it for me, so I'm not going to be picking up subsequent issues.

[AnthraxKitty]

Being such a huge Transmet fan, I can't help but compare DMZ to Transmet, and in that regard, it's really nowhere near is good, which is why I have such a strange love/hate relationship with the comic. I thought the writing and art were great, but at times it did come off a little too preachy...something Transmet combatted with humor, something DMZ seems to be void of. I love the fact someone is making a comic like this again, and I'll continue to read it, but it will never topple Transmet.

[Kefkataran]

Being such a huge Transmet fan, I can't help but compare DMZ to Transmet, and in that regard, it's really nowhere near is good, which is why I have such a strange love/hate relationship with the comic.

I think comparing it to Transmet, though, you also have to consider that the first trade of Transmet (and arguably even the second) weren't very stellar. It was only later (and as a whole) that the series really picked up steam and kicked a lot of ass. I can already see the foundation Wood is laying in this first trade of DMZ leading to some amazing stories.

I thought the writing and art were great, but at times it did come off a little too preachy...something Transmet combatted with humor, something DMZ seems to be void of. I love the fact someone is making a comic like this again, and I'll continue to read it, but it will never topple Transmet.

I don't think DMZ is half as preachy as Transmet ever was so far. Part of this is due to the fact that Wood seriously hasn't laid out clear good and bad guys right now (not that Ellis ever completely did in Transmetropolitan either). You've really got reasons to like and dislike every side Matty's been exposed to so far.

Then again, I agree that it will never topple Transmet, but... Transmet's probably my fave comic series of all time. I wouldn't really expect it to.

[lpmiller]

So now I'm curious. What did you (and others) think of Galactic Bounty Hunters?

Uh....okayish. There is old school, and then there is old.

AoA had a nice touch of the old style, but with modern dialogue. It....oh, recalled the earlier story, but didn't emulate it.

Galactic seems to be trying to emulate Kirby, which is pretty hard to do. And as much as Kirby rocks, it IS a product of the time it came out. Reading Kirby that way, I can appreciate it, but reading a modern book that way, and it just seems like a step backwards to me.

I'm not meaning to dis on Everlost, I mean, you can't like everything, and i could be wrong, it could suck and i'm just too stupid to notice. But personally, I think it's worth a pickup.

[cppcrusader]

Bottom Line:
This is one of the better issues in the 52 week saga. Aside from that, if you’re not unfamiliar with the Identity and Infinite Crisis storylines, the impact of this issue would be significantly less.


Holy Double Negative Batman!

I really enjoyed this issue. Even though the next issue is next week I'm willing to bet we won't see Ralph for a week or two. It looks like the main tale will be Steel's next week. They've done really well at setting up small clifhangers throughout the series so far. They stick with a character as the main story for a few weeks, then leave them in some cliffhanger situation and shift over to somebody else. I think it works really well and would only really work in a weekly series.

[Everlost_MI]

I'm not meaning to dis on Everlost, I mean, you can't like everything, and i could be wrong, it could suck and i'm just too stupid to notice. But personally, I think it's worth a pickup.

No worries on this end. It's just my opinion it has and will be wrong. But that's the great part of this forum, people can go back and forth about my, Kef's and everyone else's reviews and opinions in intelligent conversations. I've been turned on to titles and have given various titles another shot because of the various comic threads here on EvAv.

Holy Double Negative Batman!
Thanks, chum! Fixed, thanks! :)

[MosBen]

I really enjoyed the first trade of DMZ when I read it a little over a month ago, but I really dislike the name "Matty". Maybe I'm crazy, but that just doesn't rub me the right way. Still, it's a really solid start for the series. As Kef pointed out, it wasn't until the third trade of Transmet (and the death of Vita Severn) that I really started to like the series.

I also don't think the book got too preachy in the first trade, and certainly not as preachy as Transmet did. Certainly, with any book about the press it's going to be easy to get preachy, but I actually thought it was pretty reserved so far.

As for what I've been reading:
1. Transmetropolitan: Spider's Thrash
Spider's on the run, but time's running out. What started for me as a rather meandering and preachy book has really managed to consistently build up all the major characters in interesting ways over the course of the seven books I've read thus far. By the end of this book it looks like this story is going to build to a frenetic pace until a blockbuster conclusion, and I can't wait until I get some more money and can finish the run.

2. Swamp Thing: Reunion
This is the capstone to Alan Moore's fantastic run which completely revitalized and reinvented the b-level character of the Swamp Thing. Most of the book finishes the sci-fi turn the series took in the last volume and really takes the character in some interesting places, both literally and metaphorically. The story dealing with the rape of the Swamp Thing, who was pretty much a plant god at that point, really shows what sets Alan Moore a cut above even the best in the business of writing comics. Ultimately, if you've read the first five trades of Moore's run you *have* to read this one and if you haven't read any of the trades then this really isn't the place to start. This really is a historic run in comics history though, and if you haven't read it yet, you really should.

3. Superman For All Seasons
The thing that bothers me most when discussing Superman as a character is when people complain that he's too perfect. As I've said a number of times, the fact that quite a lot of Superman stories give this impression is just proof that any character can be boring in the hands of weak writers. The Superman we see here is, of course, full of power, but for whatever physical invulnerability he may have, this is a man full of doubt, excitability, a temper, and impetuousness. This really is the mark of a good Superman story: you can't put him in physical danger so you show us the man underneath. I wouldn't put this as my favorite Supes story ever, but it does come with a strong recommendation.

[MosBen]

One more actually, that I forgot:

4. Lex Luthor: Man of Steel
In a genre dominated by stories about heroes in brightly colored spandex, it's not refreshing when you find a really strong story written about a traditional villain. Brian Azzarello does a fantastic job of exploring Lex Luthor's motivations and showing that even villains are more complex than their plans for global domination. I truly believe that one of the marks of a really talanted writer is to make the audience sympathize and empathinze with a character they really don't like, and in this Brian Azzarello completely succeeds. I don't know why I've been spending so much time lately with Superman based books, but with quality this high it's hard to complain.

[Kefkataran]

MosBen, reading Transmet for the first time is one of those few things where I can honestly say I'm jealous. Enjoy it.

[Kefkataran]

Oh, a quick 52 note for fans. I think a lot of people seem to agree that this week was one of (if not the) best issues so far. Here's something you might've missed: in the very last panel with Ralph under the overpass going a bit crazy, look in the background behind the fence. There's a shadowy figure standing back there that Stephen Wacker mentioned in this week's 5.2 about 52 on Newsarama. I'm assuming that might be important.

[mister_slim]

DMZ is great. I don't really see the comparisons between it and Transmet though. The grittiness of DMZ is almost antithetical to the pop gloss of Transmet.
I think comparing it to Transmet, though, you also have to consider that the first trade of Transmet (and arguably even the second) weren't very stellar. It was only later (and as a whole) that the series really picked up steam and kicked a lot of ass.
I'd have to call bullshit on this. The first trade of Transmet is the best written arc of the entire series (though issue 40 is my favorite single story). And after the second year or so the issues are really inconsistent and don't fully come together again until almost the end.

[MosBen]

My problem with the early Trasmet titles is that I didn't care about any of the characters. Spider's seemingly aimless anger didn't resonate with me and the copious use of drugs and wacky setting didn't make up for what seemed like a really long rant. It wasn't until Spider started caring about Dr. Severn, and when she then died, that Spider started to seem human to me, rather than a charicature of angry men.

[Kefkataran]

DMZ is great. I don't really see the comparisons between it and Transmet though. The grittiness of DMZ is almost antithetical to the pop gloss of Transmet.

I see a lot of similarity in themes and characters mroe than setting. DMZ is like Transmet in a war zone with a younger, fresher Spider.

I'd have to call bullshit on this. The first trade of Transmet is the best written arc of the entire series (though issue 40 is my favorite single story). And after the second year or so the issues are really inconsistent and don't fully come together again until almost the end.

You seriously think so? I've just always felt like the first trade was only so-so, especially compared to the rest. It meanders and takes a while to get going and, as MosBen pointed out, you just don't have enough reason to care for the characters yet. It's too early to tell if Spider is actually as loveable as you find out he is or just a dick. It's still a good read and, obviously, got me hooked and willing to buy the rest of the trades, but overall I've just never felt like it holds up.

[MosBen]

Actually, I'm trying to get a friend of mine into Transmet right now, and whenever I give out Transmet trades to people I give them the first three and ask that they get through at least the second, but hopefully the third, before forming an opinion. I think that's just when the series really starts cooking and is about something, the election, as opposed to Spider just being pissed about being back in the city.

[Spigot]

I've enjoyed Transmet from the start. I've read Vol. 1-3 so far and have up to Vol. 7 (including Vol. 0)... I'll probably read the rest of them in a week or two when the last two trades come in.

Sure, Spider is rather pissy to start with but he's just come out of exile and hasn't adjusted to the City yet. It's a little over the top, but I liked it.

[mister_slim]

I though the first trade was really tightly plotted and packs in a lot of information about the city without being bogged down by lots of voiceovers or whatnot.

[Kefkataran]

I agree, Slim, it's definitely a good introduction the setting and even the characters, but I just didn't think you knew enough about any of the characters to be as completely pulled in as I felt with later trades. Intriguing but not amazing.

[mister_slim]

Yeah, but that's why we're discussing the quality of the writing rather than the quality of the cumulative narrative.

[Kefkataran]

Yeah, but that's why we're discussing the quality of the writing rather than the quality of the cumulative narrative.

No offense intended, but I think this statement just kind of derails any real discussion we were actually having by trying to make it sound like you've one-upped me past rebuttal. Quality of writing and quality of cumulative narrative are both quite strongly connected, especially with something like Transmet, and I never said I was weighing one more heavily than the other in saying that I prefer some of the later Transmet trades.

[MosBen]

mister slim - But making the reader care about the characters is a mark of quality writing. I definitely cared about Yorrick in the first trade of Y, Matty in DMZ, or Carver in Sleeper. This isn't a really big mark against the series though; plenty of really great series start of slowly and build to something really special. Hell, Gaiman's Sandman is my favorite series of all time and I had a hard time getting through the first trade when I first read it because it was pretty slow. Just as with Sandman, I felt that the first couple trades of Transmet spent more time establishing the setting than the characters, which may have paid off eventually, but left those first couple trades feeling a bit hollow.

[Kefkataran]

Hell, Gaiman's Sandman is my favorite series of all time and I had a hard time getting through the first trade when I first read it because it was pretty slow.

Completely agreed here. It took probably four of five trades of Sandman before I really started "getting it" and loving the series. I still like those original four or five trades a lot now, perhaps moreso in hindsight, but it took that long for me to really understand why the series was so good.

[mister_slim]

No offense intended, but I think this statement just kind of derails any real discussion we were actually having by trying to make it sound like you've one-upped me past rebuttal. Quality of writing and quality of cumulative narrative are both quite strongly connected, especially with something like Transmet, and I never said I was weighing one more heavily than the other in saying that I prefer some of the later Transmet trades.
Well, the quality of the cumulative narrative is mostly a product of the quantity of good writing proceding the bit you're reading, so the first trade is going to suffer. I'm just saying that in terms of the raw craft and execution, the first trade is indeed "stellar", and some of the best writing in the series (unlike, say, the last third of the series which suffered because Ellis and Robertson were both ill). I'm not arguing your personal preferences.

[Kefkataran]

I'm just saying that in terms of the raw craft and execution, the first trade is indeed "stellar", and some of the best writing in the series (unlike, say, the last third of the series which suffered because Ellis and Robertson were both ill). I'm not arguing your personal preferences.

But arguing about how good the writing is, even if you're saying "in terms of raw craft and execution", IS a matter of personal preference. I still believe that some of the later trades (although I may agree with you some on the last third suffering) are better than the first.