Friday, August 28, 2015

Hey, Kids! COMICS!


Hey, I haven’t talked about comic books for a while. OK, let’s do that.


ITEM!

Batman AKA Commissioner Jim Gordon is off the hook stupid but I’m actually quite enjoying it mostly because Gordon himself is very much aware how stupid this is. 




But Gotham needs Batman and Gordon’s the man picked for the job. And like the good cop he is, he’s going do this job to the best of his ability. But it’s not easy. Gordon still thinks like a cop, working within the rule of law and the facts as he sees them. But thinking like Batman (“Bat-thoughts”) is a unique experience, thinking beyond the boundaries of the law and looking for information beyond the immediate facts. Which begins to pose a problem for Gordon, the consummate cop playing the roles of the super hero. And spoilers, Bruce Wayne is alive (It’s comics so…duh) but his return to the role of Batman does not look imminent. Scott Snyder’s resurrection of Bruce Wayne plays fair with the conditions set forth in Endgame but deliver an unexpected twist. Meanwhile, Greg Capulo, Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia continue to deliver outstanding art issue after issue. Jim Gordon is looking a bit more buff that we’re used to seeing him; he is falling back on his Marine training to stay in shape to cope with the rigors of being Batman. And there’s the buzzcut Mohawk and the missing mustache. And yet, look carefully, in his face and in his demeanor, Jim Gordon still looks like Jim Gordon. So far this storyline has turned out to be more fun than I anticipated even if it's centered around....well, I think Jim Gordon puts it best.





ITEM!

I put Justice League back on my pull list at Acme Comics starting with issue #41 and the start of The Darkseid War. The nearly universal praise I was hearing about issue #41 led me to start following the series again. So far, the scope of this thing looks like your typical company crossover yet focused in the pages of one book. In fact, it's set in a part of DC continuity apart from recent changes in other books: Superman still has his powers, Bruce Wayne is still Batman, Hal Jordan is still Green Lantern, etc. In short, we get to see this story line play out with the iconic versions of DC's greatest superheroes.  



The result is an increasing escalation of threat and power while coupled with strong character development, the latter which winds up being sacrificed on the factory floor of a multi-title event. I do see there are some specials connecting to this story line coming up in October but those appear to be self-contained and I will likely give those a miss. (Budgets, don't ya know.) But I'm liking what I see in this title and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. 





























Geoff John has set up a potential epic for the ages with great art to match. I want Jason Fabok and colorist Brad Anderson to do the art for everything. Well, maybe not Tiny Titans but still…


ITEM!

As much as I’m keeping an interest in mainstream super hero work via Batman and Justice League, my real passion lies in perusing the latest issues of Velvet and The Fade Out, the double barrel awesomeness from writer Ed Brubaker with artists Steve Epting and Sean Phillips




I took a chance and came in on the ground floor of these two series and so far, I have not been disappointed. Astonishing art brings to life Brubaker’s complex but engaging stories, both in their own different ways dealing with themes of secrets, betrayals and identity. I recommend both of these books very highly. 


ITEM!

I picked up the volume one trade for Squirrel Girl for my daughter; she loves squirrels and she loves comics with a sense of humor.  This would seem to be book made for her and I was right. She enjoyed it a lot and wants to know when the next trade is coming along. She was kind enough to let me read it next and let me tell you, this is a book I genuinely found myself laughing out loud. Doreen Green AKA Squirrel Girl with the powers of a squirrel AND a girl is a very fascinating character. 




Filled with enthusiasm and positive emotions, she should be annoyingly sweet with emphasis on the "annoying" part but she’s not. Maybe it’s because that sweetness is coupled with a fierceness of purpose when Doreen has to bring her squirrel powers up against someone threatening to do others harm. Writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson are a perfect pair to deliver the adventures of Squirrel Girl and her squirrel friend Tippy Toe as they take on Kraven the Hunter, Whiplash and Galactus

Yes, Galactus! 




Also collected are the letter columns which are a fun read and the first appearance of Squirrel Girl in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko which is kind of weird looking as these prototype beta versions of characters tend to be but it certainly set up the madcap awesomeness that we would come to expect from Squirrel Girl. 

OK, that's enough about comics for this post. Man, that was fun! I've actually been enjoying reading comics more lately as I've branched out and tried different types of books. Fellow comic book fans, if you want to see something new and different, support those books that are new and different. The publishers will make more of 'em because they love their comic book fans and they really want your money.  

So another post is coming tomorrow. About something or another. We'll see when we get there. In the meantime, remember to be good to one another. 

Dave-El
I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You

Oh, before I go, a bonus graphic of someone cosplaying Squirrel Girl.


You're welcome. 























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