CSBG Archive
SAT Review for a few of This Week’s Marvel Releases
Dwayne McDuffie’s current run of Fantastic Four reminds me of Roy Thomas’ Fantastic Four yarns from the early 70s.
So McDuffie’s Fantastic Four is to Roy Thomas’ Fantastic Four as….
The Order #3 is to…
Giffen and the Bierbaums’ Legion of Superheroes.
Like Giffen, writer Matt Fraction is employing extended panels per page, and the result is that the readers are quickly given an extensive look into the psyches of the characters starring in this comic, which reminds me greatly of the amount of layered characterizations that were present in Giffen and the Bierbaums’ Legion of Superheroes. This issue, which spotlights Calamity, the speedster of the Order, is filled with twists and turns that were also expected in Giffen and the Bierbaums’ Legion.
X-Men: First Class Vol. 2 #4 is to….
Untold Tales of Spider-Man
Like Kurt Busiek’s classic Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Jeff Parker is working in untold tales of the X-Men, giving them the depth of humanity that Busiek so notably gave to his characters in Untold Tales. Meanwhile, like Untold Tales, the stories are light and adventurous, while not being bland or babyish. This issue, which depicts Hank and Bobby on a road trip, was loads of fun.
Cable/Deadpool #45 is to…
Quantum and Woody
In recent issues of Cable/Deadpool, as writer Fabian Nicieza has been stripped of one half of the stars of the comic, Nicieza has embraced the absurdity of Christopher Priest’s Quantum and Woody, while still maintaining, like Quantum and Woody, the veneer of humanity at the heart of the jokes. In this issue, Deadpool and breakout supporting character, Bob – Agent of Hydra, are sent back in time to World War II, where they team up with Captain America and Bucky. I like how Nicieza works in Bucky’s new status quo (that he was secretly a totally bad ass commando), and manges to give Bob some hilarious lines, while also establishing some interesting human reactions from both Bob AND Deadpool (quite surprising on the latter’s end).
I think a lot of folks would be shocked by how good Cable/Deadpool is right now.
Iron Man #22 is to…
Chase
Like Chase, the Knaufs are having Iron Man investigate the darker sides of superheroes, in a gritty matter, yet grounded in realistic reactions by characters within the comic. In this issue, Tony Stark investigates the murder of an Initiative superhero in Nebraska, where the heroes are led by, of all people, Captain Ultra (who actually gets handled with uncommon respect by the Knaufs). The way that the story is grounded, while working in minor heroes, reminds me a lot of D. Curtis Johnson’s Chase series.
Man, Chase was a great series.
Immortal Iron Fist Annual #1 is to…
Tom Strong
Like Strong, writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction use this Annual to retell classic pulp stories, only with a modern edge that is quite enjoyable. This story features Danny meeting Orson Randall’s biographer, who takes Danny through some interesting stories, while some bad guys are making a move in the present day. The artwork by Howard Chaykin, Dan Brereton and Jelena Djurdjevic (whose interiors, in particular, were quite striking – I’d love to see some further interiors from her).
And when the writer I’m thinking of when I read the work is Alan freakin’ Moore, you know you most likely have a good comic book on your hands.
That’s it for now!
17 Comments
Mike Loughlin
September 26, 2007 at 5:54 am
Using SAT-style analogies to write about comics = nerdiest thing ever…
… which means I liked it, and would love to see it again.
By the way: Alan Moore is to Bob Dylan as Tom Strong is to Oh Mercy.
Matt D
September 26, 2007 at 5:56 am
I assume that Nicieza will get to write C/D until issue 50 at which point it gets scrapped for the new Alonso-tinted darker meaner Cable.
I think those 50 issues of C/D are going to stand up really well years from now.
Scott MacIver
September 26, 2007 at 6:50 am
Bob, agent of Hydra is the breakout character of the year.
Bret
September 26, 2007 at 7:52 am
Bob?
What about Karl, agent of A.I.M.?
MODOK is cooler than Strucker, after all.
MushroomJones
September 26, 2007 at 7:55 am
What was the first issue where Deadpool was on his own?
Paul
September 26, 2007 at 8:12 am
“By the way: Alan Moore is to Bob Dylan as Tom Strong is to Oh Mercy.”
I think phrasing it “Tom Strong is to Alan Moore as Oh Mercy is to Dylan” would work better.
Dan (other Dan)
September 26, 2007 at 9:14 am
So, Judgment Day is Knocked Out Loaded, LoEG is Good as I Been to You, and Promethea is Time Out of Mind? I see those parallels working rather well.
Mike Loughlin
September 26, 2007 at 9:34 am
Paul:
Mike Loughlin
September 26, 2007 at 9:38 am
Sorry, finger slipped.
Paul: Yep. That phrasing’s much better.
Dan: Works for me. I see V for Vendetta as Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, and From Hell as Blood On the Tracks. The song “Sarah” might be like “Poptopia,” and “Spawn vs. Wildcats” & “Violator vs. Badrock” is Dylan.
Paul
September 26, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Sorry, Mike. I don’t know why I even posted that. Other than, y’know, I’m socially awkward.
Apodaca
September 26, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I’m more shocked that you think that.
Brian Cronin
September 26, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I felt it too mean to include it in the piece, but when I say “how good Cable/Deadpool is right now,” I really did mean contextually to how good you would expect it to be.
Therefore, that is not to say that it is a good book, know what I mean?
Matt D
September 26, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I still think that the Burnt Offering is one of my favorite stories of the last 10 years.
But then I’m really partial to 1997-on Nicieza(though not the characters of Cable and Deadpool
FunkyGreenJerusalem
September 26, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I’m surprised you think of it as D. Curtis Johnson’s Chase – I always think of it as JH Williams III’s Chase.
Anyone else remember when it was like a scavanger hunt to find his work pre-Promethea?
It was a short story in a Starman annual here, a fill-in issue there, he’s improved in leaps and bounds since then, but he started so good I was always puzzled by the fact he wasn’t a big name from the get-go.
Brian Cronin
September 27, 2007 at 12:07 am
Yeah, I do remember the days when Williams couldn’t seem to get a regular gig. It WAS pretty weird.
Anyhoo, as good as the art was, I think Johnson’s stories were a bigger part of the book that Williams’ artwork.
FunkyGreenJerusalem
October 2, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I’d have to assume it was more he didn’t nessecarily want to commit to a comics job just then (the industry was in a HUGE slump when he started out) – I can’t imagine someone with his design sense, and flexibility of styles, couldn’t get a job outside of comics.
When are we going to get a trade of Chase anyway?
DC obviously acknowledges him as a ‘name’, the character does appear in other books, DC’s got Checkmate and Suicide Squad doing alright… surely releasing a trade makes sense.
Apodaca
October 2, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Gotcha, Brian.