Well, if nicking an existing comic’s numbering for a newly-titled enterprise is good enough for The Incredible Hercules… anyway, this will be rather short-lived, simply a one-off at the end of this strange Week Of No Comics, as I go over in capsule form some more of the comics picked up in what was actually a quite busy pre-Christmas week. Hopefully tomorrow, weather permitting, we’ll actually have something new to talk about.

Beasts of Burden #4
A slightly odd one this, as this “trial run” miniseries comes to an end – but feels rather more like the lead-in to further issues of an ongoing, setting up the beginning of an apparent new storyarc rather than keeping the four issues as relatively self-contained. But despite the lack of a fully satisfying resolution, it’s still superbly-crafted stuff – I’m not quite sure how a comic manages to be so delightful while also being somewhat dark and occasionally downright bleak, but this does – perhaps down to the sheer beauty of Jill Thompson’s art, although Dorkin’s deftness of touch can’t be understated. I thoroughly hope we’ll see more of it later this year.

Blackest Night #6
I still don’t think this is sparking in the way that an event of its size should – too much needless padding between the big moments and neat ideas, and too much fragmentation across other books and away from the core mini in the way the story’s being told – but it’s hard to deny that some of those occasional big moments and neat ideas are definitely… well, neat. I mean, it’s daft, but the idea of a bunch of well-known DCU characters suddenly becoming members of the Assorted Pick ‘n’ Mix Corps is inherently amusing, particularly when you’ve got Lex Luthor as an Orange Lantern and the Scarecrow joining the Sinestro Corps (a couple of the others are… reaching a bit, though. Ray Palmer “showing great compassion”?) It’s only a shame the idea isn’t extended further, I’d quite like to see how a wider assortment of characters get divvied up among the various Corps. Anyway, without being either particularly special or any worse than “decent”, this is still marching on towards the inevitable conclusion where Hal Jordan absorbs the power of all the Corps and White Lanternzzzzzzzzzz.

Dark Avengers: Ares #3
I’d probably call this series Gillen’s strongest Marvel work to date, although this closing issue is rather less explosively fun and light-hearted than the first two parts, which saw the gleeful videogames journalist side of the writer’s character emerge. Here, things round off in a rather unexpected direction – although of course, as the closing dialogue makes clear, it was sort of telegraphed the moment Osborn gave Ares his task. Very strong stuff, and as also demonstrated over in Thor, there’s probably nobody better at writing Gods on Marvel’s books at the moment.

Detective Comics #860
In which the closing part of Kate’s origin – the training, the suiting up, the involvement of her father – plays out almost exactly as you’d expect it to based on everything that’s happened up to this point, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work well. In direct contrast to the way she suddenly showed up in 52, it feels like the Batwoman character has earned her status with this arc, and if anything, it’s almost going to be a disappointment when Bruce Wayne makes his comeback and (one would assume) boots her back out of his title. A self-titled ongoing, preferably with the same creative team, certainly wouldn’t go amiss after all of this. And while I’ve been less than enthralled with the story in the Question backups, it’s easy to ignore – with the shadow of JH Williams’ brilliance cast over it – the fact that Cully Hamner’s turning in some great art there, too.

Fall of the Hulks : Gamma
Well, you know, it’s kind of worth checking in with all this stuff every once in a while, just to see if Loeb’s finally gotten round to telling us who Red Hulk is yet (answer: no, he hasn’t. Sigh.). And actually, by the standards set by his comics in recent years, this isn’t dreadful. John Romita Jr art can redeem almost anything (particularly when it contains an absolutely gorgeous and very Kirby-looking two-page splash of the Hulk – the proper one – fighting the Fantastic Four), and the fact that it opens with the fact that General Ross has been killed is a neat and surprising twist. But the funeral falls subject to the awkward overwroughtness that has become Loeb’s trademark, and I can’t help but wonder how Carol Danvers and Bucky Barnes – wanted fugitives, lest we forget – get away with hanging out with the military in Washington, unless some serious spoilers for Siege are being given away here...

I’m determined to make an annual tradition out of doing a Dusting Off Christmas Special for as long as I can find Christmas-themed issues of comics to talk about – and with the number of the things out there, I can’t imagine running out any time soon. This year I’ve gone with a relatively recent issue – this Paul Dini story, “Slayride”, from Christmas 2006 (despite the cover date of Feb ’07). Certainly one of the better Christmas-set superhero comics of recent years, it’s also one of the strongest issues of Dini’s run on the title (dating as it does from a time when just about every issue was a strong done-in-one tale), and holds the interesting position of being (to date) the last story to feature the “traditional” version of the Joker before his recent revamp – although it falls in a weird position chronologically, as it was published after Morrison had the villain shot in the face by a deranged cop but clearly needs to take place beforehand story-wise.

I also included the story in a list of “Best Joker Stories” I wrote for another site a little while back, and I’m still inclined to agree with that. In terms of the plot itself, it’s relatively straightforward – the Joker manages to fortuitously (although it’s never quite clear, despite his claim, how well-planned it is) kidnap Robin, and drives around the streets of Gotham in an SUV committing wanton murder and destruction while Tim, tied and gagged, is forced to watch, before an inevitable moment of quick-thinking leads to his escape. What really makes it, though, is the effortless manner in which Dini captures the grinning psychopath’s character – showing all the depth of understanding that helped drive Batman: The Animated Series towards being such a good adaptation.

It’s funny at the same time as being horrifying – it’s hard not to stifle a laugh when the Joker calls 911 to report a hit-and-run before carrying it out, or rambles confusingly at a drive-thru attendant before shooting the manager in a fit of pique, but it exemplifies a spirit of terrifying, unfettered chaos in much the same way as The Dark Knight‘s version would later do. That said, there’s clearly much more of an element of the grotesque campery of the Animated version (itself inspired by the way the character was from around the late ’70s onwards) present, and indeed it feels like something of a last hurrah for that incarnation while still tipping the hat to the way the character would later go. Meanwhile, in essentially being a Robin rather than a Batman story, it offers a rare opportunity (outside of his solo title) for Tim Drake to shine on his own – and his internal monologue helps to show the sense of urgency in his attempt to escape, while he proves his mettle by taking on and defeating the worst possible foe. Even better, he does so by way of a Marx Brothers quotation.

Don Kramer’s art is some of the best he turned in during his on-and-off stint on the Dini run, too – the menace he imbues the Joker with is palpable, particularly in a truly terrifying moment as he looks Tim square in the eyes having revealed an escape plan to be a setup. It’s not exactly what you’d call “Christmassy” in its tone or message – really, the time of year happens to be a decorative visual to hang upon it, and an excuse for the punning of the title – but in proving to be a cracking little piece of Bat-lore, it certainly earns the designation of “special”.

This week: Capsule reviews of Blackest Night #5, Detective Comics #859, Hulk #17, Ms. Marvel #47 and Ultimate Comics Avengers #4! Read the rest of this entry »

And so, some – what – three years or so after first making a media-hyped debut, Kate “OMG She’s Batwoman And Also A Lesbian” Kane gets an origin story. I’m tempted to wonder why it’s taken so long (then again, it’s taken long enough for her to actually start properly appearing, following those vaguely mysterious but not altogether interesting cameo introductions in 52), but on the other hand, it’s hard to say whether I’d have been that bothered had the story been told back then; as opposed to now, when it’s in the pages of a title that I’m buying and enjoying every month.

The reason for that latter fact, of course, is the thing it’s hard to avoid spending all one’s time discussing when reviewing Detective Comics (strange, though, that we reviewers never seem to agonise over disproportionately covering writing in comparison to art – perhaps because we’re usually frustrated writers rather than frustrated artists). But since Rucka usually gets short shrift on this title, let’s look at the story first – hopping as it does back to Kate’s childhood for the first chapter of her Who She Is And How She Came To Be in largely effective fashion. That there’s a shared trauma in the lives of Kate and her father that set them on their present path is hardly a surprise – what is, though, is that there’s not one, but two significant figures waiting to be lost. The existence of a perfect mother and wife – not to mention a downright nice relationship between the parents even among the difficulties of continual absence – isn’t exactly unpredictable, but it’s a genuine shock to see that Kate has essentially lost the umbilical cord of a desperately close twin. Throwing such a tragedy – especially one so senseless at the same time as feeling almost painfully inevitable – into a character’s backstory is a cheap way of eliciting sympathy, but an effective one – and I’m interested enough to see the dots joined between that childhood trauma and the woman that Kate becomes.

Really, though, as solid and engaging as Rucka’s stories have generally been, there’s no denying that what makes this series worth $3.99 a month is the art of JH Williams III. Clearly recognising that enough’s been said about his work in the preceding issues as to make the discussion boring and predictable, he quite deliberately employs a specific and wildly different style for the flashback scenes that make up the bulk of the issue. It’s evocative of David Mazzuchelli – thus immediately appropriate for a Bat-family “origin” story, naturally – while at the same time, in its simpler lines and colour tones, reflecting the more innocent time of Kate’s childhood. Yet he also finds the time to draw two pages of war story flashback in a more detailed, “realistic” action comic style; and of course, we’re given a few pages of present-day framing narrative (although they’re actually at the centre of the comic) in the book’s usual, effortlessly and breathtakingly magnificent style. It just sort of feels like he’s showing off, now.

Backed up by a Question story that – while it hasn’t gripped me as much as some – comes to a nice conclusion here and features the visual stylings of Cully Hamner (no great slouch himself), Detective Comics stands at the moment as an effective and very modern comics package. The Batwoman stories still feel slightly more like mood pieces than the most exciting and layered story I’ve ever read – but hey, I’m actually interested in following the character, and that’s no mean feat in itself.

It’s largely business as usual in the be-wigged corner of the bat-books, as Greg Rucka’s sharply-scripted but slightly uninspired story is transformed by the efforts of JH Williams and Dave Stuart into something unmissible. That’s not to say that the artist and colourist’s work is just more of the same excellence that we’re becoming accustomed to. There are some striking new tricks here, most notably a strikingly non-linear fight sequence. Williams abandons conventional comics storytelling, instead presenting an array of images which the eye cannot scan sequentially. Instead, the reader is left with a jumbled and vague impression of a flurry of kicks and punches, crowned by the bleached –out vision on the next page of Batwoman’s assailant being propelled away from the fight. After the poor work on last week’s Batman and Robin, it’s a striking contrast to see a crimson tinge being applied to some sequences of the book without the blind colour washes which were applied to Philip Tan’s work. The only moment when the artists’ vision slightly falters is the incorporation of lace & Victoriana styling for panels which focus on ‘Alice’. The approach comes across as slightly contrived, and the resultant expansion of Dave Stewart’s pallet away from the book’s trademark red and blacks doesn’t quite mitigate the weakening of Williams’ ability to direct the reader’s eye.

In terms of script, Rucka finally adds some substance to the rather loose collection of these which has so far constituted the story, tying Alice to the picture he has been gradually building up of Kate’s home life. The writer still seems to be resisting the detail that the story might have prompted, throwing out grand concepts and character moments and leaving the reader to knit matters together into a coherent whole. In terms of script, it’s probably the strongest instalment of the story to date, presenting and resolving a satisfyingly self-contained scenario, only weakened by its similarity to a sequence in Loeb & Sale’s The Long Halloween. The decision to place this story in the eldest bat-title has been more than vindicated, but it’s still hard not to anticipate JH Williams’ next project more that the remainder of his present one.

You know, I’d have been minded to open this review with a grumble about the lead character of the world’s longest-running continuously-published comic being unceremoniously booted out of the pages he made his own just so that DC could shift a few more copies of a story that they chickened out of giving its own series and effectively sat on for a couple of years. But it turns out that them doing that is actually a bloody good idea, if it means getting more people to read this – because it’s actually kind of excellent.

Primarily, as I’m about the millionth person online to say, that’s because of the way it looks. No two ways about it, this is a beautiful, incredible-looking comic. If JH Williams III showed with his “Club of Heroes” collaboration with Morrison (not to mention the all-too-brief stint on this very book back at the start of Dini’s run) that he had the potential to tell dazzlingly atmospheric noirish Bat-stories, then it’s here that he opens up and fulfils that potential. It’s not even one particular element that does it – it’s the entire package. Naturally the character work and draftsmanship are as classy as you’d expect, making for a sumptuous feast for the eyes, and one for which colourist Dave Stewart deserves just as much credit – but his storytelling is magnificent also.

This isn’t so much in a Quitely-esque, moment-to-moment kind of way, though, as it is the way he uses the composition of panels to trigger mood in the reader’s mind. The gorgeous, dark epics that stretch across the pages whenever Kate is Batwoman – layered blacks and greys broken up by evocative slashes of her white skin and the brash, orange-red elements of her outfit – use unconventional panel layouts, but strung along a theme that deliberately causes a “flash” in the reader’s mind: you can’t help but think “bat” as your eye scans across the jagged lines. All of a sudden you can almost see what Simone Bianchi’s been trying to do in Astonishing X-Men, only… you know, done properly. Even better, though, is the contrast between these scenes and those featuring her out of costume. The colours get sunnier and brighter, the panels go back to conventional boxes – and not even with the jarring effect of a turn of the page, but instead in a left-to-right progression across a double spread. It’s bravura stuff, it really is.

Still, even as the issue is entirely worth buying for the art alone (and it’s not often I say that), it’s lucky that the story is pretty decent as well. It’s a bit difficult to figure out exactly where it’s supposed to take place – Batman and Detective should never take place in entirely different timeframes, and there’s “Batman Reborn” branding on the cover; yet the Batman who appears feels more Bruce than Dick, and references to the precise time that’s supposed to have elapsed since we first saw Kate are vague at best. That said, despite the fact that she’s only made fleeting appearances since her overhyped debut in 2006, Rucka does a good job of leading us into this as a new setup – it’s a well-played “issue one”. We learn as much as we need to about her character (and come to that, her experiences in 52 seem to have lent her a welcome sense of humility), personal life and “hero” setup – right down to her “Alfred” figure, an apparent father with whom she shares her masked life in an interesting, militaristic way. As far as I’m aware, this character is entirely new – but again, we’re given all we really need.

That said, for all the decent character setup, I can’t say that the opening “case” has much of a hook – the “Religion of Crime” idea isn’t desperately interesting (and I honestly can’t recall where they spring from originally – are we going back to 52, and the people who stabbed her, here? A bit more of a refresher would have been nice), and “Alice” is well designed but drawn almost entirely from a combination of existing cliches. Even so, this is a mightily impressive start to the run (to say nothing of the fact that, hey! Detective is (sort of) an anthology book again! And the backup story is a Proper Detective Story about ReneeQuestion! And it’s drawn by Cully Hamner! And it’s quite good as well!), and in tandem with Batman & Robin (not to mention an acceptable if unspectacular range of peripheral books), you have to say the Batbooks are looking in splendid condition. Bruce who?