MONDOmagazine

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Blackest Night #7
Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert, Joe Prado (i), Alex Sinclair (c). DC Comics.

There was a lot I skipped over in my Blackest Night review — but that’s what the Book of the Month is for. I purposely didn’t spoil too much, but I’m going to spoil a lot more here. That was your warning, if you haven’t read it yet and don’t want some premature knowledge, then get rid of your internet a week ago. Seriously, this has been spoiled all over the place all ready. So here is a list of awesome things in this book Read the rest of this entry »

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Amazing Spider-Man #619
Dan Slott (w), Marcos Martin (a), Javier Rodriguez (c), Marvel Comics

You know when you re-read something and you can grow to like it more, or like it less? Well, I’m not doing either one exactly – my appreciation of it is just kind of being refined. I’m noticing the silly things, like just how crazy this would be out of context- a tall cyborg of an old man yelling at someone that he’s a rat. That doesn’t happen in real life, but it is a “comic book scene”. And I’m a big fan of the “comic book scene”.

One technique used in abundance is the abrupt scene change whose caption is still relevant to that last panel- we read the line as both a continuation of the previous action and the start of what’s to come. It leads to some creative visuals (like where Carlie Cooper’s face should be we shift to a panel of Aunt May’s. Certainly just as effective as a “Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice” style scene shift.), and it’s an interesting signature. Be sure I’ll be paying attention to future works by Slott to see if this is something he abuses, but at this point it’s cool. Read the rest of this entry »

Owen’s Book of the Month

Blackest Night #5
Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert & Joe Prado (i), DC Comics

Normally I like to give my “book of the month” to books that I feel aren’t getting the attention that they should (Incredible Hercules, The Unwritten), books that people seem to ignore no matter how great they are (seriously, buy those books). This month, though, I’ll be damned if my favourite book wasn’t the one that will be #1 on the sales charts. After years of disappointing crossovers it was hard not to get a little cynical. Civil War, Final Crisis, Secret Invasion, The Great Fables Crossover… none of them were doing anything for me. Even Geoff Johns’ own Infinite Crisis left me cold, but with Blackest Night I’m finally reading an event book that does what I feel a great event book should: I’m excited. It may not seem that difficult, but somehow, apparently, it is.

There are so many things Johns is doing with this book that I love. First of all, the pacing is great. Things keep moving forward rapidly while still taking the time out for character moments. It may seem simple, but other stories have made it clear that a lot of writers struggle with this. Speaking of character moments, I love what Johns is doing with the characters in this story. It’s a DC crossover centred on Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, and that is awesome. On top of that, he’s giving a lot of panel time to Ray Palmer and Mera. Mera! Aquaman’s girlfriend! Seeing the spotlight shifted away from Superman and Batman is refreshing. The last thing I want to touch on in terms of story is the self-awareness this story (and especially this issue) has. All too often comics are locked into the notion that they either have to be the serious comic or the silly comic. I think that’s ridiculous, as many of my favourite comics are both (Justice League International, and did I mention that Incredible Hercules is great?). Read the rest of this entry »

Isaac’s Book

Adventure Comics #3
Geoff Johns, Michael Shoemaker (w), Francis Manapul, Clayton Henry (a), Brian Buccellato, Brian Reber (c). DC Comics.

Take the first “act” of the first story — Superboy is in chemistry class talking with an eccentric classmate, while surrounded by eccentric classmates. What is this? Sky High is surrounded by flying kids who shoot laser beams from their eyes? No, I don’t mean eccentric in that way.

I say “eccentric” only in that these background drawings are nuanced characters in and of themselves; any of them could be having a conversation with Superboy and I’d want to read it (disregarding my rabid Superboy fanboyism that would make me read anything with him in it). He’s talking to a well intentioned mad-scientist-to-be, but there’s Lori in the background sleeping away (that one’s obvious since she has a name and everything already), the girl beside Lori who is amazed at the chemical reaction she’s just created, the guy with the chemistry teacher who is scratching his head with a good-natured “Well, I didn’t get it the last time, but sure, explain it again” expression on his face, and in the far back a student reaching for a beaker high up on a shelf above her head while chewing gum in class (aha, another rebel) — I get the feeling that if Superboy walked up to any of them in the next panel, asked “ ‘sup?” we’d have a fun story, with conflicting wants and points of view and EVERYTHING! Read the rest of this entry »

Sandra’s Book of the Month

Detective Comics #857
Greg Rucka (w), J.H. Williams III (a), Dave Stewart (c). DC Comics.

When I was looking through my pile to decide what I was going to choose for the Book of the Month there was only one title that really stood out, and that was this month’s issue of Detective Comics. The thing about this series that really makes it outstanding is the beauty and the intricacy of the art. Williams and Stewart create some of the most dynamic and bold art that I’ve ever seen, in this or any other series. Williams’ pencil lines are detailed and add a great flow to the story, especially with the insane use of all those dynamic panels. Combined with Stewart’s painting style and use of colours it just makes me all giddy and happy to be reading.  There hasn’t been an issue in this four-part arc that hasn’t made me rave about the series, so it only seemed appropriate for this to be my pick for the month. — Sandra Yao Read the rest of this entry »

Miles’ Book of the Month

Detective Comics #856
Greg Rucka (w), J.H. Williams III (a), Dave Stewart (c). DC Comics.

Detective Comics gets the nod this month for a couple reasons. First, because I’ve really been excited about this series and I’ve yet to bestow it with Book of the Month; and, second, because it has the triumphant return of Maggie Sawyer! I’m sure most of you don’t know who that is, but she’s been a minor character hanging around the DCU for about 20 years and is most famous because she’s one of mainstream comics’ first lesbians. I first came into contact with her in the amazing Gotham Central, co-written by Rucka, and was really happy to see her here. Detective Comics #856 has a seduction scene between Sawyer and Kate Kane (Batwoman) that is is so tasteful, so wonderful, so character-driven, and so perfect for what both characters needed. Scenes where one woman picks up another woman are rare in popular culture — extremely rare — so to see it done well makes me extremely happy.

A big part of why it lands so well is William’s fantastic art. This man is drawing the hell out of this book. The subtle style changes, the page compositions, the expressions — everything is working here and working well. Read the rest of this entry »

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Amazing Spider-Man #600
Dan Slott (w), John Romita Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Dean White (c). Marvel Comics.

What the guys creating Amazing Spider-Man have done so well in the past 19 months is to tell their stories while subtly introducing the threads of stories to come. The result creates stories that we actually care about. But it’s a delicate balance: if you wait too long, the audience will get sick of being strung along. Eventually, you have to provide some answers to pulse-pounding questions like “Who was that man in the shadows on page seven?”

In this context, the big thing Spider-Man #600 accomplishes is the resurgence of Doctor Octopus, with a complete adventure of Spidey versus Doc Ock, and then Octopus escaping, vowing his vengeance, and tantalizing us with his imminent return in the future. To contain all of that in a single issue is already something special. Read the rest of this entry »

Owen’s Book of the Month

Starman Omnibus: Volume 3
James Robinson (w), Tony Harris and others (p), Wade von Grawbadger and others (i), DC Comics

Every month that another volume comes out, it is pretty much a guarantee that it will be my best of that month. I suppose it’s possible that something better could come out. I suppose there are a few comics that could best it (Top 10: The Forty-Niners comes to mind, as does the last issue of Y: The Last Man), but odds are good that you’ll see another Starman omnibus on my list three more times after this. With good reason, too. To keep it brief, lest I become repetitive (too late), this comic is a masterwork of character building, lush visuals, and serialized storytelling. Read the rest of this entry »

Isaac’s Book of the Month

The Amazing Spider-Man #595
Joe Kelly (w), Phil Jimenez (p), Andy Lanning (i), Chris Chuckry (c). Marvel Comics.

Though this issue would stand on its own merits to become Book of the Month, it also gets points because of the contrast between itself and the previous Spider-Man storyline. The previous story, “Spider-Man 24/7,” was not a well-done Spidey, and, to me, has been the only misstep since the start of “Brand New Day.”

The pin-up covers I’d put up with for years during Straczynski’s run made a disarming return (barely including the image “24/7″ does not make the cover any less of a pin-up), and I’m not a fan of modern Mike McKone’s bright, sterilized artwork that fails to synch up the words with the facial expressions — how hard is it to figure out J. Jonah Jameson’s expressions? He’s always angry, or, if he has to print a retraction, is a little upset, moaning “Oooh, why me?” (See the 60s Spider-Man cartoon for reference.)

Don’t try and draw “surprised Jonah.” Especially not when the words are angry. The whole premise was out of character for Peter Parker anyways, but that’s enough about how Marvel did me wrong (yes, it was a personal attack, I can tell) with what must have been a filler story, and let’s look upon the shining face of everything that is right about Spider-Man #595.

The Jimenez cover is the apotheosis of a modern cover, wordlessly setting up the story and priming you for what’s to come. I’m usually a fan for goofy captions on the cover over-selling a book, but that’s really the old school comic fan in me. There’s no denying the dignity and artfulness of this cover, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

The acting is incredible in this book; just flipping through and ignoring the words, the story is told regardless. I can’t get over the range of expression from panel to panel.

As for the story itself, titled “American Son,” we take a close look at Harry Osborn, the poor little rich kid at the top of the world. We don’t often get to see him this strong, so self assured. Supporting players often get the short end of the straw, looking bad to build up the hero in our eyes, but that’s taking an easy way out. This is a Harry that you have to like and respect (you don’t always get both).

But what about Peter Parker? Does he, the star of the show, end up looking weaker by comparison? Nope, he’s just a different person, with a different kind of strength. It’s interesting to see him more in the role of observer — his is often the narrative voice, and being the star with so much action following him has its perks, but often it’s a very self-involved narration.

This is a Peter Parker that is naïve, but keen to learn; it reminds me of the character archetype of the burgeoning writer, a role I welcome for Peter. He listens to Ben Urich, which leads him to Wolverine for advice (while making a Back to the Future reference). It’s only when Harry is “threatened” by Norman Osborn that Peter loses his cool and makes a rash move. This is part one of the tale after all, the characters have to make some mistakes.

As far as the craft of the issue, there is an odd misstep that I’ll address — you don’t need a not-so-subtle dig at the Bush administration followed by Wolverine and Spider-Man fist bumping. That’s unnecessary.

The team behind the Spider-Man books have consistently created the best comics and “event” story lines for the past year, and this issue is a fantastic start to another one.

Owen’s Book of the Month

The Unwritten #1
Mike Carey (w), Peter Gross (a), Chris Chuckry (c). Vertigo Comics.

This is a comic that everybody needs to try. It’s only one dollar and it’s the best read I had all month. In the span of one issue I was introduced to the concept, the characters and got a hint of the conflict to come. That’s how you do a first issue.

Peter Gross does a great job of handling the realistic setting that the main characters inhabit but also of allowing a more fun, fantasy style to the fictional world within the world. Plus, on that note, Mike Carey does fantastic work in creating scenes from both the book within a book and the movie adaptation of that book. That’s no easy task, but each one feels like a work that could be the mega-hit that it is said to be.

Every so often a comic comes along that I really want to get behind and tell everyone to buy. That was the case with Jersey Gods and that’s the case with The Unwritten. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited to see what happens next in a comic.

Miles’ Book of the Month

The Unwritten #1
Mike Carey (w), Peter Gross (a), Chris Chuckry (c). Vertigo.

As I said in my initial review, I had high expectations for The Unwritten. These expectations were met and exceeded in its first issue. It’s got its hooks in me and I’m really excited to see where this series will go. And that’s exciting. More exciting than most of the mainstream comics out there because you kind of know what will happen: you know who the players are, and what they can do, and that there are limits to what all the characters can or cannot do because they are franchises (or franchises in the making).

Like, Lizzie Hexam who may also be Sue Sparrow: what’s her deal? What is she trying to accomplish? She said she messed up badly last time and has a chance to make it right? What was the mistake?

Also, as usual, Todd Klein, the world’s only famous letterer, does a great job with the text. There are a lot of font switches and each one of them connotes something different. The one interesting choice I noticed was that sometimes when characters said “Tommy Taylor” the words would appear in blue — what’s that all about? Just a simple text change or will it indicate something more profound?

I’m excited to find out.

Sandra’s Book of the Month

Irredeemable #2
Mark Waid (w), Peter Krause (a), Andrew Dalhouse (c). Boom Studios.

This series has me very excited. I was hooked three pages into the first issue and this one definitely delivered. This was an issue that sold out before any stores had even opened their doors. See, I’m not the only one raving about it.
Irredeemable #2  goes on to peel away at the layers and further explore the man behind the Plutonian. Kaidan, a former teammate of Plutonian, is assigned to find the Plutonian’s ex-girlfriend in the hopes of perhaps finding out once and for all what made him snap. Alana Patel indeed recalls her relationship with the Plutonian. She recounts her tale of meeting him and falling in love him. She also recalls her memories of Dan Hardigan, a co-worker that one day professed his love for her in a broom closet and revealed that in reality, he was the Plutonian. Unlike what a typical Lois would do, she freaks out and goes on an angry tirade and reveals his identity to everyone around her. The situation leaves the relationship in ruins, but doesn’t seem to be catalyst of his breakdown. It was a mere piece of the puzzle.

The art by Peter Krause and colouring by Andrew Dalhouse is very clean and well suited for the story. There is noticeable effort put into creating the two different feels of the past and present. It really helps to contrast the man that the Plutonian was then, to the man he is now.

I mean, I could tell you a lot more about the series and the issue, but that takes the fun out of reading it yourself. Mark Waid is definitely taking the Superman role and adding his own twist. I mean the Plutonian is no tool and he has reached his breaking point. He’s a dangerous man. By the end of it, you get a glimpse of the story that is to come and it promises to be a very riveting read.

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #4 (of 5)
Written by Geoff Johns
Penciled by George Perez
DC Comics, 2009

I’ve already talked about the previous issue of Legion of Three Worlds in a Random review a couple of months ago, and everything I said back then holds true now: super-quality art courtesy of George Perez, with a jam-packed story by Geoff Johns. The average reader is not going to get what is going on here, and I’m okay with that. This comic is for me — Yay! (I’m warning you now, SPOILERS ahead.)

Okay, so what makes this issue so great? Bear with me as this list is all about what I’m interested in from a nerdy perspective:

• The reason Starman has been hanging out in the 21st century is finally revealed; I think we’ve been waiting on that for around two years.
• Kid Flash dominates Superboy Prime in their fight. It makes no sense that all the other Legion people combined can barely slow down Superboy Prime while Kid Flash stops him in his tracks, but I don’t care. It’s awesome and hilarious. Concerning his being brought back to life, Kid Flash makes reference to Aladdin saying “Phenomenal cosmic power… itty-bitty living space.” How old is Aladdin by now? Why is Geoff Johns making a reference like that? It’s totally out of place and insane, but I love it.
• I’ve already adopted a running gag based off a panel where Superboy Prime, getting frustrated, says, “When I get my hands on you, you’re toast!” and Kid Flash responds with this goofy look on his face and says, “With jelly.” So now I keep doing my approximation of that face and saying, “with jelly” all the time. Is that a particularly clever riposte to use in every conversation I have? Considering I’m the only one in on the gag, no, but to have a comic moment imprint so much on me so fast alone is reason to be book of the month.
• The original Sun Boy finally shows up and in an excellently clichéd action-hero bit of dialogue says, “Sorry I’m late for the party, but I did bring the fireworks.” It’s dumb, but I enjoyed it.
• Okay, here’s the big one. This is why that SPOILER warning is up at the top there. All through this issue, I was saying, “No way, no way, there’s no way they’re doing this.” Then they DID IT! The smile on my face wasn’t going anywhere while I read this thing, and it’s just zipped back on my face thinking about it. What was Starman doing in the past? Oh nothing much, just getting SUPERBOY back to life!! See, I own issue 0-100 of Superboy’s series, plus various specials, plus issues of Superboy and the Ravers (need to get more of those), PLUS issue 3 of Peter David’s Aquaman series that had an appearance by Superboy — I’m a fan.

I had no choice; this comic had to be my book of the month.

All the while I’m reading this book, I’m cursing Geoff Johns for playing every cheap trick in the book in getting me to love this comic, and I’m cursing myself for willingly falling for it. Every. Single. Time. If I look at this objectively, Johns just brought back a fan favourite character to ensure I’d love this comic, which is exactly the same thing he did at the end of the previous issue. Who will they resurrect by the end of the final issue — Ben Reilly?!?

No seriously, resurrect Ben Reilly.

Miles’ Book of the Month

The Mighty Avengers #24
Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by Rafa Sandoval
Inked by Roger Bonet Martinez
Marvel Comics, 2009

This was a hard month to choose a Book of the Month: Incognito really caught fire with this last issue,  Spider-man #591 had some extremely touching and funny moments, Secret Warriors was excellent and continues to gain steam, Captain America was amazing as always, I got caught up on Agents of Atlas and am starting to really dig what’s going on there, Neil Gaiman finished his “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” storyline, and the final definitive collection of Queen and Country came out. And that’s just off the top of my head — there were a lot of good comics this month.

So, I’m making my choice based on the issue that made me the most excited about the issues to come, and The Mighty Avengers wins that contest. This is the fourth issue of Dan Slott’s run, and the first three I wanted to like more than I did. They were confusing, too much was happening, and Khoi Pham’s art was not doing the book any favours.

This issue simplified, reduced the amount of characters, had a ton of great gags and character moments, and got a better team on the art. At the end of this issue, I thought, “Wow. I can’t wait to see what happens next,” and “Wow, Slott got a lot done in that issue.” Whereas after the first three issues, I thought, “Alright, I’ll give this one more, maybe: I don’t know how I feel about this series.”  This was the turning point.

In this issue, the Mighty Avengers travel around the world, stopping one catastrophe after the other; Quicksilver tries to prove his loyalty to the team; the team starts to gel; Norman Osborne starts losing it all over the place; and we get a few hints into what the main villain’s plans actually are. It’s a lot, but it’s all handled so beautifully and with efficient storytelling.

The issue made me like characters I wasn’t so big on before, like Hank Pym and Hercules. Pym is out to prove he’s a hero, and he’s doing a great job of it. But what I like the most about him is that he gives Quicksilver a second chance. It’s really nice to see a character at Marvel give another character the benefit of the doubt because that hasn’t happened since someone said the word “skrull.”

And I love Hercules now and forever with the line he says as he’s about to reflect The Vision’s heat vision with a large mirror:

Herc: This is how Archimedes and I torched Roman Warships at the Siege of Syracuse.
Vision: I’m confused. According to my files that is historically inaccurate. That’s a myth — a legend.
Herc: Aye! Like Everything I do, it was both mythic and legendary!

He’s so great.

So, yes, I can now say that I recommend The Mighty Avengers, and this is a good place to start.

Owen’s Book of the Month

Secret Six #8
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Carlos Rodriguez and Bitt
DC Comics, 2009

I’ve been looking for a way to work in a plug for Secret Six, a comic I’ve thought is pretty great for a while now. This month gave me the best excuse ever: Secret Six #8 is the best comic I’ve read all month. Sure the past seven issues were good, but this one FREAKING AWESOME.

To begin with, it’s a double-date issue. I’m a total sucker for “down time” issues of comics, any chance to see what our characters do when they’re not on missions (or whatever) is a huge plus for me. In the case of the Secret Six…well, it turns out that they have a really hard time not killing on their down time. So when Deadshot, his date (the creepy lady from the last storyline that developed a fondness for him), Scandal and her date (the stripper that was hired to look like Scandal’s dead ex-girlfriend) are out on the town operating under a strict “no killing” policy hilarity ensues. What develops takes the form of a sort of perverse farce, with Deadshot repeatedly excusing himself to beat the hell out of (but not kill, as much as he would like to) some thugs who are after him, Scandal’s date trying to figure out what’s going on and the gang moving locations to stay out of trouble.

Gail Simone is at her best, this is without question the funniest comic I read this month, and the art perfectly matches that tone. Simone and Scott are helluva team. If all of this weren’t enough, there’s the bonus of the “what Ragdoll dreams” section, with a Tiny Six segment done in the style of Tiny Titans. And yes, it is every bit as glorious as what you’re picturing in your head right now. If you don’t own this issue then track it down right now.

Miles’ Book of the Month

Air: Letters from Lost Countries (volume one)
Written by G. Willow Wilson
Art by M.K. Parker
Colours by Chris Chuckry
Vertigo, 2009

My real Book of the Month is Neil Gaiman’s Sandman collection Brief Lives, but since that came out in 1993, it doesn’t come close to qualifying. I’ve been chronologically working my way through Sandman, and so far this has been the best of a fantastic series. I’m quite taken with it.

Which is why, when I saw a recommendation from Neil Gaiman on the cover of this book, I bought it.

It’s an odd hybrid of a fairy tale and I see why Gaiman puts his stamp of approval on it.

The pacing of the story is a little manic. Things happen fast and change a lot in this five-issue collection. What starts in conventional airports ends up in magical nations that time forgot and floating cities over the Atlantic ocean. And that’s where the book starts to work its magic. Once, as the reader, you understand what kind of a tale this is, everything falls into place. So, if you pick up this book and don’t love it immediately, don’t worry, I didn’t either.

Air is aboout Blythe, an airline hostess with a fear of heights. Unaware of her larger destiny, Blythe is dragged into a war between oil companies and airlines over Aztec technology. Which, when you say it like that, sounds pretty ridiculous, but it works.

The art is kind of a mixed bag. Parker is a good artist, but he inks his work like he doesn’t have a colourist. He adds extra shading lines where he really doesn’t need to, making his characters look lumpy. With the deletion of a few lines, this would all be fixed. Either that, or Chuckry needs to approach his colouring in a different way. But, that said, the reason I can focus on this is because everything else looks really good.

But, hey, don’t trust me. Trust Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Brian Azzarello, Gail Simone, and Jason Aaron: they all like Air, and so should you.

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Nova #23
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art by Andrea Divito
Marvel Comics, 2009

As much as I had been in love with Nova in the past, this last story arc had gotten on my bad side. It was a story where Nova was suspicious of Worldmind, the sentient supercomputer who’d been sharing space in Nova’s head until just recently, for remaking a galactic corps of Nova-style good guys. Nova (aka Richard Rider) had no evidence or even a motive for thinking ill of this action, so he was either selfish about being the only Nova left rocketing around, or he had gone nuts. Neither option sounds great to me.

It turned out that Nova was right to be wary of this (naturally), because Worldmind was using a kind of “free will suppressant” on his new agents, so they wouldn’t grow up to be as much trouble as Richard Rider. Rider is now left bereft of his Nova powers and is going to die in two days without them. That’s just recap.

So the first page of the comic is Rider holding up his own action figure and saying, “the likeness sucks, but would you check out the points of articulation?” That’s an amazing opening for a comic: it gives us a moment of realism that we can really appreciate that is far less awkward than the usual Marvel trope of inserting their creative team into the Marvel Universe, like when John Byrne was present for “The Trial of Reed Richards.” Yes, I know DC does it too, and if you want me to go on forever on how DC does it differently and better, just ask me. I dare you.

The personal touches at the beginning are great. When Rider finally realizes how much his brother wanted to live the life of a super hero and emulate Nova, I don’t think Rider had ever really seen that before, which makes that an epiphany over thirty years in the making! (Nova having been created in 1976.)

While it’s incredibly clear how much these two brothers love each other, there’s an unspoken jealousy between the two that creates a secondary narrative in this comic about how these brothers relate to each other now, and how it is a natural culmination of their history together. Richard Rider had the powers of Nova, and Robert Rider was a super-genius. Robert could build a functioning robot, but Richard was flying around saving the day. Then again, as Richard saw it, he basically lucked into those powers, and Robert’s brain was something truly impressive.

Now that Robert has been given those Nova powers, and Richard is without, we see what really defines these two. Robert is ready to disregard his mind in favour of a frontline post for the upcoming Shi’ar /Kree war, still trying to be a copy of his brother.

Richard Rider, on the other hand, is coping with the prospect of his death with dignity and courage, and when one avenue of succour is presented to him, Rider rejects it because it would compromise his values. That’s integrity, that is.

The fact that Quasar leaps in at the end with his quantum bands to save Richard Rider’s life is just icing on the cake, because then we, you know, get an issue #24.

Owen’s Book of the Month

Ghost Rider #33
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Tony Moore
Marvel Comics, 2009

The world will be coming to an end soon. That’s the only explanation I can think of. Black is white, up is down, cats and dogs are living together. Otherwise I can’t imagine why Ghost Rider would be my pick for Book of the Month. I’ve never liked Ghost Rider (the character) or Ghost Rider (the comic). In fact, the last time I picked it up, it did not go well at all (I hated it). Lately, though, I’ve been hearing good things from many reliable sources, and this Jason Aaron guy does write one of my favourite books coming out*, so I thought I should give it a shot. I bought his first four issues. All I can say is wow.

This is good stuff. Really, really good stuff. Since this review is meant to be about the most recent issue, though, I’ll skip over how amazingly bloody fantastic all the issues of Aaron’s run are (issues #20-33 are out, go and buy them right now, I trekked all over my city to find all of them, and it was totally worth it), and just talk about issue #33, the one from March.

Issue #33 is sort of a catch-your-breath issue after everything went crazy in the last few. The focus is put on Sara, a nunchuk-toting nun turned Ghost Rider-watcher figure. She’s dealing with the events of the previous issue and helping poor inexperienced Ghost Rider newbies like me understand the mythos of the comic a little better. It may sound a little boring, but when it means Aboriginal Ghost Riders, cowboy Ghost Riders, and Terminator-esque Ghost Riders, it definitely isn’t.

It’s also hard to be boring when you’re looking at Tony Moore’s art. Between The Exterminators, The Walking Dead and now this, Moore is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists. There is a sense of fun to his style that doesn’t come at the expense of good character work.

If you’re one of those people who, like me, has always avoided Ghost Rider comics, now’s the time to put aside your non-flaming-skull-comic-reading ways and check out this amazing comic. It’s one of the best comics Marvel is putting out right now. Take it from me — I don’t even like the character.

*Scalped, in case you were wondering.

Sandra’s Book of the Month

Daredevil: Lady Bullseye TPB
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Marvel Comics, 2009

I’m in love with a comic-book character, and it’s okay. Why? We’re talking about Matt Murdock, Daredevil — one of the few men in tights that has become worthy of my undying, sometimes obsessive, devotion.  I’m going to make him my boyfriend. Seriously, I will. I’ll take the whole package, baggage and all. I’ll welcome his cheating ways, his tortured soul, and especially that red outfit with open arms. All you want to do is tell Matt that it’s all going to be alright, while cradling him in your arms. If someone sees him, give him my number. Please.

Stalker tendencies aside, having only just stepped into the Daredevil realm, I’ve come to see and understand and even appreciate all his flaws. Saying that his life is complicated would be a huge understatement. Matt Murdock is tortured, conflicted, and wrought with guilt. Every woman who’s ever had the misfortune of loving him either ended up dead or crazy. You’d think that with such a track record, he’d stay away from the fairer sex, but that would make life too easy. Instead, he finds consolation within the arms of the beautiful, model-turned-P.I., Dakota North. Did I mention he was married? The wife’s on a vacation, though, at the asylum, courtesy of Matt. Oh Matt, you’re such a devil.

To make matters worse, a new lady is in town, and she’s set her aim on Daredevil. Hired by the Hand and following Lord Hirochi’s orders, Lady Bullseye has been given the task of targeting several skilled fighters of New York like Iron Fist and the Black Tarantula. Ordered to keep Daredevil as far away from the proceedings as possible, she frames him for the killing of two street thugs. She assures Hiroshi that her intentions are merely to ensure that Daredevil is prepared for the gift the Hand wishes to impart upon him. Their first encounter is set under the pouring clouds of a typical dark New York night. Lady Bullseye practically dances circles around Daredevil and leaves him with a cryptic message, “No one you care about will be untouched.” Cue the ominous music, please. Generally, their encounters are brief. Besides, I’m sure they still have lots of time to become well-acquainted with one another in later issues.

Although Lady Bullseye’s origins are generally unknown, it is revealed that she was once one of many teenage sex slaves working for the Yakuza. One night, while in her cage, she witnesses Bullseye at work as he infiltrates and systematically kills the many soldiers within the compound. The vivid violence and death of her capturers bestowed upon her a joy that awakened something dark inside of her. She manages to escape her cell while slicing a guard’s neck with the keys, and, while walking away, vows to never allow a man to touch her without her permission. Bad ass.

I must say that the Lady Bullseye versus Daredevil superhero story, although the main theme, was almost boring. Although their encounters did set in motion some very interesting events, I was more intrigued by the never-ending war within Matt’s conscience. Beneath the fights, the Hand, and everything else going on in Daredevil’s life, there is a much dirtier and messier story lying within the life of Matt Murdock. If loving him means I’ll end up dead or insane, I’ll take my chances. Call me a fool, but I just can’t help but sympathize with Daredevil.

Owen’s Book of the Month

The Starman Omnibus: Volume 2 (of course)
Written by James Robinson
Pencilled by Tony Harris (and others)
Inks by Wade Von Grawbadger
DC Comics, 2009

Once again it is time for me to sing the praises of Starman. The second hardcover has been released, and as I was standing outside of Paradise Comics, waiting for them to open so that I could purchase and devour this tome of Jack Knight-awesomeness, I couldn’t help but reflect on what makes Starman so great. From Tony Harris’ gorgeous shadowy pencils to the quiet character moments James Robinson infuses into the stories, from the fully fleshed-out cast to the wide variety of tales found within this title — truly, there is no greater superhero comic to be found.

This new volume contains the Eisner award-winning story in which Jack Knight teams up with the golden-age Sandman (not Dream, of Gaiman’s Sandman); a fantastic tale in which Jack, The Shade and one of the O’Dares go to Hell and back; one of my favourite Christmas comics, and a plethora of other, smaller stories spanning the entire timeline of the Starman legacy. Not to mention some superb commentary by Tony Harris and James Robinson and some pictures of Starman merchandise that has come out over the years.

If you already own Volume 1, I can’t imagine that this is anything less than a must-have. If you don’t already own Volume 1, then start saving those pennies. I assure you, it’ll be worth it.

Then, buy Volume 2.

Miles’ Book of the Month

Batman #686
Written by Neil Gaiman
Pencilled by Andy Kubert
Inks by Scott Williams
Colours by Alex Sinclair
DC Comics, 2009

Soak it up, readers, this will probably be the only time you’ll see me honour a DC book as a book of the month.

Since December, I’ve been filling a large gap in my comic book reading:  Gaiman’s The Sandman. I haven’t really read much Gaiman at all, but I’ve been working chronologically through Sandman and it’s as good as everyone says it is. So when I found out that he’d be doing a sort of “last Batman story ever” — along the lines of Alan Moore’s Superman story “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” — I made a rare exception and bought a DC book.

What I love most about Gaiman is his characters. Everyone has a unique voice, purpose, history, all of it. There’s something about his character writing that never seems forced or unnatural. Gaiman captures everyone’s voice — particularly the Joker and Two-Face.

In Final Crisis, Batman apparently died or something (I don’t really know because I didn’t read it, and apparently no one who did read it understood, either) and this story is some sort of metaphysical wake for Batman, as a disembodied Bruce watches on. And as such, some messed up things happen that don’t actually connect with continuity or even within the story. Like how Selena Kyle randomly changes her dress, age, and hair between entering the wake and going up to make her speech about “how Batman actually died”. It’s an odd choice that I didn’t pick up on the first time, but I’m really interested in why that happened. This is a case where, honestly, you don’t really know what’s happening, but it doesn’t matter: you’re having a good time just letting it happen.

At home, I have notebooks filled with drawings of me trying to emulate Adam Kubert’s style from X-Men. And when he left the X-Men, so did I. I loved his art back then so much that I couldn’t go on without him (also Onslaught was really disappointing). But as I’ve gotten older, I find that I’m less interested in his art. That said, Kubert really stepped up his game for this one; he handles three or four different styles of Batman and does it seamlessly. I also prefer his slimmer Batman to the hulking one that is drawn by some others. There are, however, some pages or panels where it seems like he didn’t decide on what he was drawing or he’s really uninterested in drawing it. There’s one panel in particular where it looks like he’s trying to draw Catwoman’s face from three angles at once. The effect is a fucked up face.

However, these are exceptionally minor quibbles to a really solid read.

Isaac’s Book of the Month

Ultimate Spider-Man #131
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Stuart Immonen
Marvel Comics, 2009

Ultimate Spider-Man has always been touted as a contemporary take on everyone’s favourite web-slinger, but being a product of our times has also led him to be a very realistic Spider-Man. Peter Parker is smart, but he uses his dad’s notes to create his webshooters, the symbiote is a far more terran creation in keeping with the tone of a Spider-Man mythos, and — love it or hate it — the stuttering “just-shy-of-a-nervous-breakdown” Peter Parker is how a fifteen-year old would react to all the absurdities of a superhero’s world.

In this issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson has an epiphany about Spider-Man. Namely, that Spidey’s an awesome guy.

Everyone is in shock due to the recent devastation of New York City, and Jonah tries to convey how ashamed he is of his personal campaign against Spider-Man, but all we the reader have to do is turn the page and see the two-page spread of Jameson inside the Daily Bugle, watching Spider-Man dive down through the water to save a man from drowning.

It helps to know that a giant tidal wave wiped out New York, in case you were wondering about the water, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s just a grandiose picture of a man doing whatever he can, even if it’s very little, to help in the face of tragedy, unaware of any spectator who could chronicle such activities.

There have been instances of Jameson coming to appreciate Spider-Man in the regular continuity, like in Amazing Spider-Man #50 (Spider-Man No More!), and Jameson has said in the past that he wants to tear down Spider-Man because self-doubt and cowardice.  These are powerful moments of self awareness and honesty.

But then he’ll go off in the next issue and create a Scorpion or a Spider-Slayer, and it ruins him, as he reverts to a crazy old man. Very often this is the nature of the serial publication of comics, going back and maintaining the status quo. That’s why I’m so glad that this classic Jameson moment has gotten the “ultimate” treatment: at least here I know that if Jameson reverts to type, it’s not going to be because the writer forgot this moment, it will make sense and be due to the natural progression of Jameson’s character arc, and will be something we can track.

Putting all that aside, the issue is once again drawn by Stuart Immonen, who imbues incredible energy into Spidey. And yes, the Hulk is here, and he smashes, and it’s great. The way Spider-Man zips away from the giant Hulk at one point, it just feels fast. Unlike in the 60s Spider-Man show; THAT Spider-Man would have gotten fully smashed to a jazzy soundtrack.