Showcase: DC Comics Presents

It's old home week at What Are You Reading today, as our special guest is none other than Graeme McMillan, who,  before he became a writer and editor for the sci-fi blog io9, used to pal around with us back when we were at that other blog that shall not be named for fear of ... something, I dunno.

Anyway, to see what Graeme and everyone else is reading this week just click on the link below ...

JLA: Strength in Numbers

Tom Bondurant: This week I read a couple of stories from the JLA: Strength In Numbers paperback: an Adam Strange guest-shot written by Mark Waid and pencilled by Arnie Jorgensen, and the Starro/Sandman mash-up "It" from the regular team of writer Grant Morrison, penciller Howard Porter and inker John Dell. Plot-wise, the Adam Strange story hinges on (surprise!) a novel way of using Zeta-Beam teleportation; but it may be more notable for Jorgensen's expressionistic take on the World's Greatest Super-Heroes. His Orion literally froths at the mouth, and at one point he zeros in on Adam's half-crazed expression like Steve Ditko on crystal meth. I could (and might) do a whole post on the religious overtones in "It," but for now I'll just say it's a scary, suspenseful, and ultimately sweet two issues.

Big week for Batman in the regular books. I read Scott Shaw!'s "Oddball Comics" entry on Brother Power last week, so I knew a little about him going into Brave and the Bold #29, and I also liked the story right up until the end. With his lament about "what have we lost since the '60s," JMS's heart was in the right place, but in story terms it felt redundant and preachy. I'm with Tim overall, though -- this was a definite improvement over last issue.

I hadn't been particularly impressed by Christopher Yost's work on Red Robin, so I only bought the first issue. However, I did like the conclusion of his Huntress/Man-Bat two-parter in this week's Batman: Streets Of Gotham #6 (drawn by the regular art team of Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs). In fact, the issue worked pretty well on its own: Black Mask gives a goon an invisibility suit and doesn't care who he kills, so he tricks a priest into thinking he's the Voice of God and Huntress and Man-Bat are beasts from the Pit. Not a bad setup for the anyone-can-die-at-any-time atmosphere which must permeate Gotham City, and the twist ending also makes good sense in that context. I'm not sure how well the twist works in terms of story logic, but on the whole, it was a well-told tale.

Flash Rebirth #5

Big week too for Geoff Johns. Flash: Rebirth #5 didn't quite live up to its "this changes everything!" hype, mostly because its shocking reveal wasn't particularly unexpected, considering Johns' affection for continuity. The rah-rah moments made up for it, though; and I liked seeing the assembled speedsters. (Too bad XS couldn't join 'em, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time ... uh, so to speak.) I don't have any big complaints about Ethan Van Sciver's work either, except for that one forced-perspective splash page.

Meanwhile, I bought Adventure Comics #4 dreading the return of Superboy-Prime, since I thought Legion Of Three Worlds had given him such a perfect ending. Nevertheless, this was a very fun coda. Superboy himself is none too happy himself about being part of Blackest Night, and to make matters worse he's being chased by Black Lantern Alex Luthor. The result, co-written by Sterling Gates and ably drawn by Jerry Ordway and Bob Wiacek, isn't that subtle (Luthor calls the Internet "a conduit for ... rage, and you continue to evoke quite a bit of rage"), but that's part of its charm. I mean, it's not like I love the little punk now, but this issue was a good bit of rehab.

I also bought the first issue of Ian Edgington and Davide Fabbri's Victorian Undead, ostensibly a Sherlock Holmes story but more a steampunk horror tale with some Holmes in it. For one thing, Watson isn't the narrator. That's not a dealbreaker, but it's not what I was expecting. Still, it might have avoided some problems with execution, like with the doctor whose speaking style and general demeanor initially led me to believe he was Holmes. When our heroes finally do show up, Holmes looks and acts rather like Reed Richards, which is to say a little younger and more action hero-y than I might have thought. Fabbri's art is like a cross between Mike Wieringo and Chriscross, so it's bright and energetic, and that's not bad but it too is at odds with the darker elements of the story. I will say this, though: it
didn't remind me constantly of Blackest Night.

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer

JK Parkin: As Sean and Kevin pointed out this week, SLG is having a sale over on their site through Monday. So I thought it might be a good time to talk about two books I recently read from them that would be worth your time and money, should you decide to take advantage of the 40 percent discount.

First up is Pinocchio Vampire Slayer by Dustin Higgins and Van Jensen ... just in time for New Moon! Well, not really. This is a book that received a lot of press and praise before it even came out because of the simplicity-yet-brilliance of the concept -- the wooden kid whose nose grows when he lies, taking on creatures who die when you impale them with a wooden stake. Sometimes high concepts can fall flat in the execution, and I was happy to see that wasn't the case with PVS, which I liked a whole lot. There are some fun twists and a lot of heart in the book, and I'm looking forward to the second one.

Second is Weird Fishes by Jamaica Dyer, which collects her webcomic. It's good stuff, but don't take my word for it ... go check it out for yourself.

(Sean pointed out that Buenaventura is also having a sale, and you couldn't go wrong with picking up Fight or Run, or The Aviatrix, or any of their other comics as well).

Underground #3, by Steve Lieber

Tim O'Shea: Steve Lieber continues to cram an amazing amount of action into the caves of Underground 3 (. I don't know how long it took for Jeff Parker and Lieber to do this five-issue miniseries, but if they can spare the time (and their family budgets can take the hit) I would love to see these two collaborate again. As much drama as they have in the caves, the creators have built a great parallel tale outside the caves. And the shift outside the caves to the vibrant colors of the outside (colored by Ron Chan) is quite distinctive (but Chan is to be credited equally for inking the dark cave interior scenes as well).

The cover to Flash Rebirth 5 (please god let there never be a Flash Afterbirth) is a twisted reworking of Flash 123's (1961) cover. And fortunately that's the only sour note in this issue's read. I think there's three schools of superhero comic fanthought: 1) Toss out the status quo--explore new ideas with the corporate property; 2) Keep the hero the same age, the character/story dynamics-give me what pulled me in, in the first place; 3) Toss out some of the status quo, keep the stuff I like.

OK, maybe there's more than three schools of fanthought. But the bottom line, I missed Max Mercury and am glad to have him back in the Flash Family. After the wringer that Bart Allen has been run through by DC editorial in recent years, it was nice to see Bart reunited with Max. I wonder if Max will be put back on the DC universe shelf after this miniseries has run its course or if they have a gameplan to utilize him going forward. I'll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime this miniseries has become immensely more enjoyable.

Paul Azaceta drawing Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man 612) reminds me of when Bill Sienkiewicz did a mid-1980s stint on Fantastic Four. It's jarring, but it works for me. In an effort to keep the book on its intense (three issues a month) schedule, editor Steve Wacker is taking some inspired risks--namely this issue's use of the I Kill Giants (Image) team of Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura on the second tale. Back to the first tale in the issue, however, did Mark Waid really sneak in a Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell reference into his representation of Electro's origin? ("I was a lineman for the county." Nice, Waid, nice).

After my worship of Waid in last week's column, no one will be surrprised that I got a huge kick out of the beatdown that Plutonian received at the hands of Charybdis in Irredeemable 8 (BOOM). Waid is good at surprises and the character path with Charybdis has taken a great turn in recent issues.

Last month I fairly well tore down J. Michael Straczynski's Brave and Bold 28, so I was heistant to pick up B&B 29 which features a team-up between Batman and Brother Power, the Geek. I do not know a thing about BP, but as dated
a character he clearly is -- JMS set up a modern day setting for his return that runs the risk of being one-note but fortunately does not. Crazy as this may read, I think JMS could build a great BP the Geek ongoing. Stop laughing. It could work. Saiz does a great job shifting from the 1960s to present day with his art. JMS' examination of Batman's history played off his reaction to BP is a quirky, but effective way to go--and I'm glad I bought the issue. It's a nice recovery after the last issue.

O'Shea: Next Generation (aka my 10-year-old son) continues to enjoy Chris Giarrusso 's G-Man: Cape Crisis, which saw the release of issue 4 (out of 5) this week

X-Men Legacy: Salvage

Michael May: I just finished X-Men Legacy: Salvage and my main reaction is that it's about frickin time. Rogue's always been my favorite X-Man, but the tragedy of her inability to control her powers has gone on far too long. She was in danger of Wolverine-syndrome for me, by which I mean that Marvel kept Wolverine's true background a mystery for so long that I lost interest in whether or not they ever revealed it. By the time they finally did, I'd stopped caring. Fortunately, they got to Rogue in time and I'm thrilled that the woe-is-me part of her life is behind her. (Not that I expect her to be completely done with all drama, but you know what I mean...)

I also appreciate what Carey's done with Charles Xavier. I actually like Professor X again. I've been away from the X-Men a while, but I'm kind of excited about keeping up with their adventures again, if only in the collected versions.

Chris Mautner: Short and sweet this week cause I'm tired. I spent a good part of the week reading Goats: The Corndog Imperative, the second collected volume of Jonathan Rosenberg's Webcomic from Del Rey. I'm of two minds about the strip. On the one hand, I admire the attempt at world-building and extended storytelling Rosenberg is attempting here, even if it is more than a tad silly, and it's interesting to see him try to move beyond the traditional joke-a-day concept he began with. On the other hand, while he can be funny, I tire of the constant punchline/rimshot/punchline repartee that plauges the dialogue. No one can make any comment without someone offering a bit of surreal smartassery. It gets a little weary and it makes it hard to develop any attachment to anyone in the large cast. Still, he's trying something. God love him for that.

The Learners

Graeme McMillan: It's completely unintentional, but I've just gone through a few "real" books that've impacted how I'm reading comics these days. Two of them are kind of process books - John Ortved's "The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History" and Russell T Davies' "The Writer's Tale" - and the third is Chip Kidd's second novel, "The Learners," which is - like his first, "The Cheese Monkeys" - as much about graphic design as anything else. They've all got me thinking about how comics, especially mainstream superhero comics, are assembled, and
what their purposes are these days.

That train of thought has been helped by speeding through this week's "Showcase Presents: DC Comics Presents: The Superman Team-Ups Vol. 1," which was a really strange experience; I hadn't realized how many of the stories I'd read in reprints when I was growing up, so half the book had this unexpected nostalgia to it. It doesn't hurt that the book is full of the old school "Hello, chum!" quasi-professional, quasi-friends relationships between the characters that, were I somehow Geoff Johns for a day, I'd selfishly try and get back into the current line as quickly as possible. Also, that Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez art! Man, he's such a great artist.

What else have I enjoyed this week? The new issue of Phonogram, even though I think I read a different story from the one Kieron Gillen wrote, judging from his talk of villains in the backmatter.

The new Underground, which isn't just enjoyable on its own merits (Again, the book just looks wonderful, with Steve Lieber and Ron Chan doing some great work together; I love the limited palette in the cavern), but makes me feel like Jeff Parker is one of those Most Underrated Writers In Comics guys: Between this, Mysterius The Unfathomable and his Marvel work, he's put out some really, really good, and really varied, work this year, I think.

Superherowise, I was kind of disappointed by Flash: Rebirth #5, which seemed much lighter and stretched out compared with earlier issues, and Adventure Comics #4, which started like Ambush Bug and ended like... well, like a kind of generic superhero comic, really. That said, I'd still think about picking up DC Comics Presents: The Superboy Prime Team-Ups just for the cheap metatextual jokes, if someone wanted to make it happen.

Spider-Man 1602 #2

I've written a good deal at Robot 6 and elsewhere about comic-book cover art and design, but, unfortunately (for me at least), not so much in recent months. I hope "Comics, Covered" will remedy that, as each Saturday I select the six best covers -- the most striking, the most successfully executed, the most intriguing -- to grace the shelves that week.

This week's list is filled with three comics from Marvel, one from Image, one from DC's Wildstorm imprint and one that's technically not a comic at all.

To find out what made the cut, read on.

The Amazing Spider-Man #612, by Marko Djurdjevic

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane aside, I'm not sure I could tell you when I last bought a Spider-Man comic, or even which one it was. But Marko Djurdjevic's stunning cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #612 would call to me from the store shelf; I'd be compelled to buy it. The close-up of Spider-Man's mask doubles as an ominous blood-red sky, disrupted by a lightning bolt striking the Empire State Building. Even without the logo in the upper-left corner or the reflection in the mask's eye we know the story involves the classic supervillain Electro, whom I presume has become more deadly since ditching the goofy mask.

Underground #3, by Steve Lieber

For the covers of Underground, the Image Comics miniseries set in and around a cave in Kentucky, artist Steve Lieber smartly has been toying with negative space. But it's not until this third issue that he's really nailed it, using a mass of flying bats to form a background against which he sets the silhouette of protagonist Wesley Fischer. I also like that not all of the bats are in black, providing another layer of detail.

Nomad: Girl Without a World, by Rafael Albuquerque

Artist Rafael Albuquerque set out limiting himself to the colors of the American flag for this unlikely miniseries about the female Bucky from Marvel's mid-'90s Heroes Reborn experiment. Like Steve Lieber with Underground, I think Albuquerque finally hits upon the right combination of composition, color and subject in the third issue: There's drama, white space, and a pop-art element that can be viewed as a reference both to Captain America's shield and to Jim Steranko's legendary cover for Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #4. (Oh, okay, the red circles could just be a simple target, or comic-book shorthand for a telepathic attack. But I like my idea better.)

The Fir-Tree, by Lilli Carre

I find it difficult not to smile whenever I see Lilli Carre's art, even when it's for an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's depressing Christmas-themed fairy tale The Fir-Tree. There's something about her illustrations that reminds me of children's books from the 1940s and '50s -- the ones my grandmother shared with me when I was young. I love Carre's use of elongated, rubbery arms and her choice of this delightfully macabre scene for the cover (Andersen's story is told from the perspective of the little fir-tree, so his felling signals the beginning of his slow demise).

Spider-Man 1602 #2, by Michael Golden

Michael Golden crams (by my count) 20 figures into this illustration, giving the cover a sense of excitement and urgency. The artist masterfully drives the reader's eye to the lower-right corner, where young Peter Parquagh, at the mercy of these ruthless pirates, dangles precariously close to the water. I also like how the logo blends the familiar Spider-Man font and the "1602" wax seal.

Victorian Undead #1, by Tony Moore

Say what you will about the popularity of zombie fiction and the recent spate of genre mash-ups, but you can't deny that Tony Moore can draw the heck out of the undead. What's more, he can convey the high concept: With the deerstalker, the cloak and the pipe, there's little doubt that we're looking at the cheerful corpse of Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, however, someone at Wildstorm apparently wasn't content to allow the illustration to sell the first issue of Victorian Undead. So a Victorian-style font is paired with cliche horror scrawl and topped with blood splatter. And if that weren't enough, we're hit over the head with a B-movie poster burst shouting "Sherlock Holmes vs Zombies!"

It's a shame, too, because all of that clutter obscures the lovely period wallpaper and works against a wry and, despite all of the maggots and worms, understated illustration: Our decaying detective, seemingly oblivious to his state, could easily be sitting for a portrait. It might've been nice for the cover designer to have played it straight with the cover dress, avoiding the stereotypical horror trappings altogether. (In a case of perfect timing, Colleen AF Venable just addressed Victorian-inspired design on the First Second blog.)

Blackest Night #7

Siege #2

They say nice guys finish last, but when event comics will finish is anybody's guess. The demands of a high-profile series around which entire shared universes revolve can play havoc with scheduling. Naturally, editors and publishers love to maintain the artistic quality and consistency (and sales levels) provided by the big-name writer-artist teams that tend to lend such books a sense of "this is a big deal." On the other hand, they need to get books out on time so that other series whose storylines depend upon what happens in the event can proceed as planned -- and so that they don't end up alienating retailers and readers. But these same readers and retailers can end up just as irritated if they get the sense that the creators are being rushed, or if fill-in artists aren't up to snuff. It's a tough row to hoe.

With his front-row seat for a variety of events this decade, including Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Civil War, and Secret Invasion, Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort knows this better than anyone. So it was with an obvious mix of boldness and trepidation that he made the following prediction on his Twitter account:

It's height of hubris time: I'm willing to bet that SIEGE will wrap up before BLACKEST NIGHT does.

Siege, of course, is the apparent capstone in Marvel's years-long series of mega-events, reuniting Avengers mainstays Thor, Iron Man and Captain America as (I assume) they attempt to thwart HAMMER Director Norman Osborn's advances on Asgard. Launching in January for a four-issue run, it's written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Olivier Coipel, and its second issue is due out on Feb. 3.

Blackest Night is another years-in-the-making project, this one stemming from Geoff Johns's long-running "War of Light" storyline in Green Lantern and pitting the heroes of the DCU against power ring-resurrected versions of their allies and enemies who seek to wipe out all life. Written by Johns and drawn by Ivan Reis, this eight-issue series launched in July (with an additional #0 issue arriving on Free Comic Book Day a couple months earlier), and its seventh issue is slated for release on Feb. 24.

So can Siege sneak its final two issues in between Blackest Night #7 and 8? Seems tight, but anything can happen. Heck, just ask Brevoort himself, who's far from cocky about the prospects for his proposed wager. In that very same tweet, he says, "You'd think I'd've learned from REBORN," the Ed Brubaker/Bryan Hitch Captain America miniseries that's been transmogrified from five issues to a delay-plagued six. Still, Brevoort jokes that its final issue, due out Jan. 13, will still see the light of day before that of Flash: Rebirth, the similarly expanded and delay-prone series by Johns and Ethan Van Sciver whose sixth and final issue is currently scheduled for a Dec. 23 release. "I know their pain. And yet, I mock them anyway. Hubris," he later self-diagnoses.

Speaking of mockery, Brevoort responds to a pair of reader tweets with some good-natured jibes in at Marvel's own infamously unfinished Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target ("That already finished. You may be confused because the title was changed to Zack and Miri Make A Porno.") and The Twelve ("Hey, there are many issues of Brave & The Bold that have to be written."). Of course, as that last tweet indicates, the writers of those titles -- Kevin Smith and J. Michael Straczynski respectively -- have since largely decamped to DC, so the gags go both ways.

So which of the big events will end up finishing first -- the Green Lantern's or the Green Goblin's? Swing by in March to find out!

Okay, not really -- I live with a Twilight fan, and as a co-writer of the latest episode of Marvel.com's Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?! video series, I can assure you it's all good-natured ribbing. Still, I think veterans of this summer's bloody Twilight-at-Comic-Con culture war will get a kick out of this Marvel-fied parody of Stephenie Meyer's teen-vampire saga, whose latest movie adaptation, New Moon, hits screens at midnight tonight. (Did anyone else know Dr. Michael Morbius was European?)

Jason Pearson's Deadpool #20 cover, featuring Hitman Monkey

The teaser image set the monkey-loving section of the comics Internet on fire -- and let's face it, that's a pretty big section of the comics Internet. Now the truth about Frank Cho's gun-toting mystery monkey has been revealed: He's Hitman Monkey, a new character swinging his way into the Marvel Universe. Editor Axel Alonso tells Marvel.com this simian assassin (technically a Japanese macaque) will first appear in a two-part Marvel Digital Comic Exclusive by Daniel Way and Dalibor Talijic -- featuring Cho's cover -- before wreaking havoc in February's Deadpool #20. Here's hoping for an eventual crossover with Gorilla Man from Agents of Atlas.

From Hell

Hey there, hi there, ho there, it's time once again for What Are You Reading. Our guest this week is blogger and Top Shelf pr guru Leigh Walton. Want to know what Leigh is reading this week? Of course you do! Click on the link to find out, then let us know what you're reading in the comments section.

The Incredibles

Tim O'Shea: Well, even though the next issue of Irredeemable does not come out until next week, it appears to be a Mark Waid kind of week for me. First off, Waid and Landry Walker's written Incredibles is a must read for the villains--or more exactly, the villains' dialogue. This month's gem features such great moments as Mr. Pixel saying to a captured Jack-Jack: "So...baby. We meet a last." prompting Jack-Jack's rejoinder of "Zbtlz! Pbbb." Waid and Walker's ear for baby gibberish is uncanny. Second best line? When Tronasaurus voice drifts off and he collapses in mid-sentence. In reaction, Mr. Pixel turns to his fellow co-horts in the Confederacy of Crime and asks: "Oh, come on...did no one think to recharge Tronasaurus last night?" I love the book's universal sense of humor (appealing to the kid in all of us).

The other Waid must read for the week is the first issue of the four-part Strange (that's Stephen to his pals) miniseries. No longer the supreme sorcerer, Waid has Strange take in a baseball game in this first issue. Really. I had not read Rios' work on Boom's Hexed, so this is my first exposure to her style. It's an acquired taste, and that's not a slam. I just think it will take me some time to get used to her style. It appears that while Strange still clearly needs to heal thyself, he also may find himself in the mentor role again in this mini. I'm sticking around and not just because Waid is writing it, but also because the great Todd Klein is lettering the hell (pun intended) into the story. His word balloons consistently elevate the form to a higher level.

The wheels fell off Morrison's Batman and Robin with issue 6. In one scene Robin is paralyzed with five gunshots to the back. Batman just stands there (apparently think to himself: "Well Alfred has no cure for paralysis last I checked.") and says to Morrison's prop tool version of Commissioner Gordon: "He's in a bad way. But Robin's a tough kid, right?...Your mom's paramedics just turned up. You sure you don't need painkillers?" And Gordon has no reaction as Talia's goons (Talia is a criminal last I checked...) cart the child/sidekick away. Meanwhile freshly disconnected Batman gets distracted and angered by more crazy Jason Todd ranting with his latest round of crazy talk and forgets about Robin. The story was just a jumbled mess. I'll give it a few more issues but my money may end up staying in the wallet on this one if it continues this nonsensically.

Back to Boom, Roger Langridge ends the Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson four-parter firing on all cylinders. He lays waste to the Muppets' theater with a wrecking ball -- many wrecking balls, and other means of
destruction, as well as an equal number of comedy bits. Really, if you think about it, collapsing rubble is the punchline to many fine Muppet Show bits.

Black Widow

Two books I read this week were ones I missed last week -- and both have strong female spy leads.

Black Widow Deadly Origin (1 of 4 issues) was a big disappointment. I love Cornell's writing, but some plot choices he makes early on in the tale bewilder me (including the apparent killing of a major character
in Widow's long-established supporting cast). Also Tom Raney's art (his style has changed over the years and sadly not for the better) seriously undermine the story. At one point Natasha is talking to a guy who is supposed to be James Barnes, but the guy looks nothing like him. Hell Natasha looks nothing like Natasha. We just know it's her because of the red hair really. The best part (and strongest aspect) is the seven-page flashback drawn by John Paul Leon. It's a real shame as Cornell opens the book with a James Bond-ian bit that falls flat because Raney's just not up to the task that Cornell wrote for him. In his defense, a fight scene in the cockpit of a plane is no easy thing to convey kinetically, but I remember Raney having a stronger line earlier in his career.

My second missed opportunity came about because of the sneak peak that Vertigo offered for Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love motivated me to track down the issue this week. And I am truly glad I did. I lost interest in Willingham's Fables several years ago and I never looked back. But this miniseries, which takes Cinderella the Spy out of Fabletown is a great concept. It's too early to see how strong a writer Chris Roberson is, but the project's appeal for me is the whimsical art of Shawn McManus. McManus gives a great scene on The Farm with a cat, a mouse and a bird that gets to the heart of why I enjoyed the read.

yokaiden vol. 2

Brigid Alverson: Big manga week this week. I dove into vol. 2 of Yokaiden, Nina Matsumoto’s comedy/adventure about a boy avenging his grandmother’s death in the land of the Yokai. It’s very light and well done; Matsumoto has a sure hand and a killer sense of humor. I really enjoyed volume 1, and I have just dipped my toe into vol. 1 but I’m really looking forward to it.

A while ago, I was talking to a Tokyopop marketing person and she mentioned that the .hack books were among their biggest sellers. When I remarked that I had never read one, she admitted, “Neither have I.” Fortunately, Tokyopop is publishing the first three volumes of .hack//Legend of the Twilight as an omnibus edition. It’s a fantasy story set in a multiplayer game, with the characters slipping in and out of real life occasionally. I’m not a gamer, but so far I’m finding it pretty readable anyway. It helps that the game it is based on is fictional, so you’re not expected to know a whole canon before you start reading.

Time and Again is a Korean ghost story anthology that is running in Yen Press magazine; I got the first volume of the collected edition this week. The art is nice, with a very open style — lots of empty space in the panels, and a monumental feel to it—but it suffers from a terrible flaw: It’s hard to keep the characters straight and to tell who is talking in any given scene. The stories are fairly short, but I had to reread the first one twice, and really look at the details, to fully understand it. That’s a lot of work for a ghost story. The artist blanks out faces a lot, which makes it even harder to follow. It’s a nice book, and I like the idea, but it’s a bit too much work for a leisure read.

X-Men/Agents of Atlas #2

Matt Maxwell: X-MEN/AGENTS OF ATLAS #2
I love ATLAS, I really do. And I guess I can understand breaking it out of a continuing series and into little chunklets designed to cross over into other books and try to pick up crossover readership that way. I can understand the intent, but the process in this case is making the book harder to read. Instead of ATLAS #13-15, we have a differently branded miniseries and a one-shot (which I haven't gotten to yet). I hope it's a roll of the dice that works, but it isn't for me. And while the creative team adds a second dimension to "two super teams meet and fight then realize they shouldn't be fighting", it's not the best foot being put forward. I hear rumors of a rebranded relaunch after all this, and I really hope they come to pass, along with a consistent art team. I still firmly believe that this is one of the best books Marvel has, but it's not feeling that way right now.

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #1
I once swore I wouldn't get this in singles, but I couldn't stay away. Spinning out of the strongest arc of CRIMINAL (and a lot of people disagree with this), "Lawless", THE SINNERS follows up the story of Tracy Lawless, U.S. Army turned reluctant hitman for the city's crime boss. And it does a great job of setting up all kinds of potential complications and pitfalls for Tracy to wander into, along with the grimiest (in a good way) art that Sean Phillips has turned in for CRIMINAL yet. ATLAS may be my favorite Marvel book, but CRIMINAL is probably the best book Marvel's putting out right now.

HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski
Yes, I read novels, but I don't see getting through this one. Not that it's badly written, but the choices in storytelling are the polar opposite to perhaps everything I try and do in my writing. And it's weird, because on its surface, I should find it compelling, but instead I'm finding it totally impossible to read. Might be this flu (I'm sitting here swaddled and chill in spite of said swaddling) and maybe I should try some other time when I'm not feeling so awful, but my immediate reaction tells me that's unlikely.

Tom Bondurant: My wife glanced over my shoulder at the swanky party scene from the Batman/Doc Savage Special and asked, "Is that a 'Mad Men' comic?" If only it were. I enjoyed Phil Noto's art, but I kept wishing it served something more substantial than Brian Azzarello's script. At first the issue -- and actually, the whole "First Wave" project -- seemed like the kind of no-nonsense, superheroes-are-the-anomaly approach well-suited to someone like Howard Chaykin. Indeed, the more I think about it, Chaykin might have given this issue the edge it needs. Instead, it's a bland, inoffensive start which threatens whatever goodwill I still have (and yes, I still have some) towards the project as a whole. Also, this might just be me, but I was expecting a period piece, and this is pretty clearly set in the present. That didn't help.

Note to Phil Noto, though: if you ever do a "Mad Men"-style project, I've got one customer already lined up.

In the grand scheme of Blackest Night, I have not been as impressed with the subplots played out in Green Lantern Corps. Mostly they've been personal to the GLs who appear frequently in the book, and where they haven't involved Black Lantern versions of said GLs' loved ones, they've involved the various Bad Lanterns (Kryb, for instance) who also appear frequently in the book. As a result, my expectations for GLC #42 (written by Peter J. Tomasi, pencilled by Patrick Gleason, inked by Rebecca Buchman) had been lowered. Well, that won't happen again. I thought GLC #42 was an excellent, suspenseful, meaningful installment of Blackest Night. It was paced well, and (although I'm not good at judging such things) it might even work well on its own. Tomasi's script was tight and efficient, and Tomasi and Buchman's storytelling was clear and energetic. The simple plot concerned the Black Lanterns' attacks on the Central Power Battery, and the Green Lanterns' multiple attempts to stop them. I didn't see the ending coming, and although I'm cynical enough to think it won't stick, I'm also impressed that there doesn't seem to be any loophole. (I suppose this means Ice's death doesn't send Guy over the edge....) Well done all, especially in the context of a big crossover.

Finally, by this time next week I'm hoping to be well into Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 10 and the transition from John Romita Sr. to Gil Kane. Can't wait!

Chris Mautner: When I first saw the cover to Robot City Adventures: City In Peril by Paul Collicutt, my heart did a little dance. A kids comic about a city where giant robots and humans live in peace? And where one of the robots is a giant lighthouse? This has gotta be great, right?

Wrong. It's an amazingly dull, stiff affair. Collicutt's art is way too sloppy and indistinct, especially where people are concerned, and manages to make what should be great fun -- the lighthouse robot battling a giant squid in the downtown harbor -- seem clumsy and boring. It doesn't help that all of the characters talk in a trite expository tone. I was going to pass this on to my son initially, but I think I'll pass now.

Eagle Vol. 1

Leigh Walton: Lately I've been playing a bit of catch-up with my comics reading: I finally took the plunge and tore through Kaiji Kawaguchi's EAGLE: THE MAKING OF AN ASIAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT, a fine piece of political entertainment from ten years ago. The plot -- about a nonwhite Democratic senator who comes out of nowhere to run for president using only his optimism, charm, and political savvy -- may have seemed outlandish in 1998 ... but I think you can see where I'm going with this.

At times I found myself wondering whether somebody on the Obama campaign had been taking notes. Kawaguchi's grasp of the American political system (both formal and behind-the-scenes) seems solid, with missteps here and there: audacity and hope will get you far, but it won't get a majority of Texans to vote for gun control, to say nothing of the candidate's foreign policy proposal. The overall structure is lumpy and imperfect, like most long-running serials, but Kawaguchi does an admirable job balancing the various strands of his drama, including a bits of sex and murder. Frankly, it's impressive that he was able to keep BIG COMIC readers interested in American politics twice a month for several years.

Viz published the English translation (actively adapted by Carl Horn) in an unusual monthly format before releasing 5 massive tankoubon from 2000-2002. Despite four Eisner nominations it never took off in America and seems to have sunk without a trace; I stumbled across it in 2005 or so and marveled that it had become so obscure so quickly. In an ideal world this book would find the wide, middlebrow, airport-novel readership it deserves (and which it reportedly has in its native country). 2300 pages is a bit much to lug on an airplane, but it strikes me as a perfect e-book read...

I also read through my stack of JH WILLIAMS III DOES BATWOMAN, motivated by Jog's excellent reading over at Savage Critics. Williams is at the point now where I don't ask "is it magical?" but rather "what magic is he weaving this time?" In this case I suppose it's still too early to tell, but I am heartened that this book exists -- it should make a handsome hardcover. Rucka's story is fine, but so far nothing for the ages... the project reminds me more of David Mack on DAREDEVIL than David Mazzucchelli on BATMAN, if you know what I mean.

Finally, I'm wading back into FROM HELL with a new appreciation for Eddie Campbell, having spent so much time promoting his ALEC collection (out next month, plug plug plug). It can be tough to put the book down after a few hours in Gull's mind and then try to relate to normal society...

Who is this monkey? Why is he two-fisting handguns? Who's his tailor? I have no clue what the answers to these questions are -- all I know is he's drawn by simian specialist Frank Cho and being teased on Marvel.com as "Marvel's hottest new character." If there's one thing for sure about comics fans, it's that we're monkey whores, so I am therefore passing this on to you our readers.

Tune into Marvel.com on Monday for the big reveal, whatever the heck that might be. And check out Cho's blog for a sketch version of the piece labeled "Hitman Monkey." Are there two more glorious words in the English language?

Stuck in the Middle

Libraries | There's still more follow-up to the removal this week of Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age from two middle-school libraries in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Teachers still have access to the anthology -- it depicts language and sexual reference that at least one parent found objectionable -- and may use it in class.

An editorial in the Argus Leader calls the school board's decision "a reasonable approach that balances the need to provide suitable guidance for kids when dealing with sensitive topics without falling prey to censorship." CBS affiliate KELO, meanwhile, continues its coverage of the story with a look at how books are selected for libraries. Tom Spurgeon also has reaction from two of the anthology's contributors. [Argus Leader, KELOLAND.com]

Creators | Jeet Heer digs up writings by a young Dave Sim expressing, in no uncertain terms, his disdain for the work of Jack Kirby. [Comics Comics]

Creators | Cartoonist Jeff Keane discusses the evolution of The Family Circus, IDW Publishing's new archival collection, and the future of newspapers. [ICv2.com]

Batman and Robin, by Frank Quitely

Creators | Thought Bubble interviews artists Frank Quitely and Charlie Adlard. "When you work on a title or character that everyone knows loads of people say 'I hate his Wolverine' or 'I hate his Superman' or whatever," Quitely says, "because it jars with their own favourite versions of the characters -- no one ever says 'I hate his We3 animals' because they didn’t start reading it with any preconceptions or prejudices. From that point of view it’s always easier to work on new stuff, or your own stuff, but I enjoy the challenge of getting to do well-known characters and I generally don’t really care if some folk don’t like what I do, it’s personal taste, and I’ve got a pretty thick skin." [via ArtPatient]

Creators | Collaborators Martin Conaghan and Will Pickering talk at length about their historical graphic novel Burke and Hare. [Forbidden Planet International]

Creators | Warren Ellis offers for download his scripts for issues of Fell, Desolation Jones and Ministry of Space. [Warren Ellis]

Webcomics | El Santo spotlights a handful of politically conservative webcomics. [The Webcomic Overlook]

Comics | The Son of Satan is back, baby! [The Cool Kids Table]

My favorite's the Man-Wolf van (or is that the Van-Wolf?), but I also enjoyed the always welcome Thor/"Immigrant Song" gag and the description of Doctor Strange as "the lava lamp of superheroes." They're funny because they're true!

Stuck in the Middle

Libraries | There is, of course, follow-up on the decision by the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to remove the anthology Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age from middle-school libraries. Local CBS affiliate KELO reports on the reactions of parents and highlights some of the better-known challenged and banned books.

As we noted yesterday, teachers will still have access to the 2007 collection of stories about life as a teen-ager (by such contributors as Gabrielle Bell, Daniel Clowes, Joe Matt and Dash Shaw). That's because, in the words of School Board President Kent Alberty, "There is value in the book. One of the subjects addressed is bullying, something the district is very interested in making sure is handled appropriately, and the book does address that." [KELOLAND.com]

Publishing | Japan's NHK television network reports that publishing giant Shueisha, a co-owner of Viz Media, plans to develop plans to sell manga via mobile phones in the United States beginning in spring 2010. [Anime News Network]

eManga

Publishing | Digital Manga Publishing is seeking submissions of original manga, graphic novels, prose novels and short stories in all genres for its eManga manga-rental website. [About.com]

Publishing | Leyla Aker, a senior editorial manager at Viz Media, talks about the company's SigIKKI imprint. [Japanator]

Business | Peter Lauria draws a dotted line between Disney's not-yet-finalized purchase of Marvel (as well as the poor performance of A Christmas Carol) and the ongoing restructuring of Walt Disney Studios. [New York Post]

Passings | George Gene Gustines pens an obituary for Comic-Con co-founder Shel Dorf, while Mark Evanier addresses the estrangement between Dorf and event organizers. [The New York Times, News From Me]

Muramasa

Events | The Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington, D.C., on Friday kicks off a monthlong retrospective called "Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime," featuring a discussion by manga scholar Frederik Schodt, film screenings and performances. The event's website also has downloadable essays by Schodt, Helen McCarthy and others. [Freer and Sackler Galleries]

Events | Todd Allen attended Saturday's discussion at the Chicago Humanities Festival by Jules Ffeifer, Matt Groening, Lynda Barry and Chris Ware: "The level of pessimism at this panel was a bit depressing. Nobody was really suggesting alternate venues. I think it was Barry that compared comics to having a baby and wanting the baby to make money and pay the rent. Ware went a step further, saying 'it’s a problem to make a living' and 'do it for yourself, don’t expect to make a living'." [Indignant Eclectica]

Retailing | This preview of a local signing by creators Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming and David Mack transforms into a very nice profile of Jermaine Exum, owner of Acme Comics in Greensboro, North Carolina. [News & Record]

Retailing | Georgetown University's news magazine provides a brief overview of Washington, D.C., comic stores. [The Georgetown Voice]

Luna Park

Creators | Author Kevin Baker and artist artist Danijel Zezelj discuss their Vertigo graphic novel Luna Park. [USA Today]

Creators | Cartoonist Art Baltazar is interviewed in advance of his appearance tonight at the University of Central Oklahoma. [UCO360]

Comics | Shaenon K. Garrity re-examines Scott McCloud's Zot!, and the nature of superheroes. [comiXology]

Internet | Time.com is shuttering its pop culture/sometimes-comics blog Nerd World and replacing in on Monday with Techland. [Nerd World]

Internet | Now that it's official, congratulations to Kiel Phegley on his well-deserved promotion to news editor of Comic Book Resources. [The Cool Kids Table]