Not a big outing for me this week, but it certainly is a strange one. It’s a peculiar mix of blockbuster-type stuff and would-be blockbusters, plus some oddball titles. That certainly sounds like a good time — but is it? (Yes, it is.)
Let’s talk about Cool Baby, the latest installment of Mike Harvey’s See You Next Wednesday Comics. It’s a minicomic about a baby named Rex who puts on sunglasses and is immediately a cool dude. It’s … it’s weird. Storywise, this may be the slightest thing Mike has done so far, and that’s not a complaint. There’s a simplicity to this — you know what, hold on. I’m gonna read it again.
/reads it again.
Yeah, it really is bizarre. That oddness is Cool Baby’s strongest feature. I like that I never know what I’m getting in SYNW Comics, I just know I’m going to laugh when I read it. After fifteen or so issues, it’s safe to say that this is a sure thing every week.
Much less sure of itself is Marvel’s “Point One” marketing plan. This is supposed to be an easy starting point for people who may not be reading a particular title, but in the case of Thor 620.1 I don’t possibly see how that could be. Dan Abnett and Mark Lanning give us an Asgardian feast night in honor of Thor, which is crashed by Grey Gargoyle. The story suitably explains the “Thor loves/protects Earth” deal, but it doesn’t fill you in on the supporting cast at all, or why Asgard is in Broxton, Oklahoma, or anything crucial like who these people dressed up like vikings think they are. Also, Abnett/Lanning completely muddle a point of Norse theology, to wit: Eating Idunn’s golden apples does not make one immortal. They keep the gods eternally young, and without them the gods age rapidly — BUT — they’re still going to die and they know it, hence, not immortal. Is this nitpicky? Yea, verily. But the death of the gods, or “Twilight of the Gods,” to coin a phrase, is kind of a big deal in Thor’s book — it is in fact the only grande story Marvel has tried to tell with Thor for about 30 years now. In fact, weren’t we suffering through Matt Fraction’s “twist” (those are sarcastic air quotes) on that very trope last month? Did that get wrapped up and I missed it? No, it seems that story is suspended temporarily for this Point One issue and it will get wrapped up next month — summarily, I assure you — so that Marvel can restart the book with a new issue 1 just in time for the movie in another month. If you’re keeping score at home, that means the Point One stories frustrate current readers and they don’t really help new readers latch on to the book. And didn’t they just renumber the book about 25 months ago so that they could hit 600? Shhhh, don’t answer — it’s not supposed to make sense, it’s supposed to make dollars.
Now, Superman/Batman 82 is a book that makes sense, probably because it’s divorced from the normal S/B continuity. Cullen Bunn and Chriscross continue their Sorcerer Kings storyline by revealing that most of DC’s magic-based superheroes sacrificed their lives to repower the sun, and now because of Sol’s altered state technology is hopelessly disrupted and magic is supercharged. Also, Batman has a pet dragon, vampires roam the earth and modern Superman (transported to this future realm) has magical powers fueled by his willpower and he wields a huge sword. Crazy, right? It’s also a well-explained set-up that tweaks your expectations for both characters, and it looks super awesome. More comic book creators should strive for super awesome.
Greg Pak and pencilers Harvey Tolibao & Steven Segovia are aiming for super awesome with Silver Surfer 2, but I expect no less from Pak. The guy is an ambitious storyteller, and I like that. Silver Surfer is stripped not just of the Power Cosmic but also of his silver coating by the High Evolutionary, reverting to his Zenn Lavian state, a.k.a., Norrin Radd. Normally, I find the “power strip” plot hook trite and boring, but Pak uses it to reacquaint us with the person beneath the powers. He may look like us, but he’s an alien, and his time wielding the Power Cosmic has made Norrin an alien to himself. Running, drinking water and being able to smell a woman’s hair are all exotic experiences to this Norrin, and he finds it intoxicating to be able to do these things again. It’s a thought-provoking set-up to be sure, and it raises questions about the Surfer’s more familiar actions, such as saving Earth and earthlings. If he hasn’t been feeling his heart beat all these years, what was driving him to protect us? There are pages in this that are visually confusing, and I’m not sure I’m crazy about another superhero being aided by a sexy woman — Surfer couldn’t be partnered with a 50-something genius just for variety’s sake? Also, when I buy a book called Silver Surfer, I expect to see a Silver Surfer doing Silver Surfer things — so let’s hope he’s not depowered until page 18 of issue 5. I want me some cosmic blasts and faster-than-light jaunts through deep space.
Much more on the money across the board is Legion of Super-Heroes 11. Paul Levitz is a very, very good comic book scripter. There’s no fat in any of his books, no wasted moments or undeveloped leads. He continually weaves elements of the Legion’s illustrious past into the modern book, and he moves the story forward every issue. Here we get Legionnaires hunting down the convicts who escaped in the Legion of Super-Villains one-shot from two weeks ago, which results in Timber Wolf fighting a very disgruntled Sun Emperor, who’s upset about being replaced in the LSV by Sun Killer. The result is a par-broiled Timber Wolf who still bucks up to pound a bad guy. Levitz covers all his bases (violent action and high-level scheming) so elegantly that it’s easy to underrate just how good a book this is — and after you read a few issues, it’s abundantly clear that this is an excellent story. I’m kinda surprised DC doesn’t hype this book more, but I’m also glad. It’s instead allowed to exist in its own little excellence bubble.
Power Man and Iron Fist 3 is less solid, but that’s partially because I’m bothered by Fred Van Lente’s use of the word “evidence” as a verb when he should have used “evince” — while paraphrasing Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” no less. PM & IF infiltrate the undersea gambling casino of a man who was totally not named to coattail ride the obnoxious bleatings of Lady Gaga (“Poker Face,” because he’s the world’s greatest gambler and also has a fireplace poker stuck in his head), and then end up gambling — with their LIVES. There is something charmingly goofy about this series — again, POKER FACE, get it? — and I do love Iron Fist, but this issue feels like it could have been cut in half and still accomplished the same job. I still like this PM & IF much more than I expected I would, but I’m watching the clock (only two issues to go) and wondering when PM & IF are actually going to team up and fight something or someone together — you know, like a team.
And then we get to FF issue 1, which is totally a real reordering of the Fantastic Four mythos and a genuine new start to the venerable series as it embarks on its new voyage as the Future Foundation. Nah, just kidding — it’ll be renumbered in time for 600 just like Thor was. Wait, how did Thor jump ahead of FF in terms of numbering? Anyway, Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting celebrate the death of Johnny Storm (insert sarcastic “he’s not dead, Jim” joke here if you like) by adding Spider-Man to the FF. They do this off-panel, because the last thing I want to see is Reed Richards engaging in a heart-to-heart conversation with fellow intellectual Peter Parker about how he really needs a friend and ally in the family business — no, strike that; I would have liked to see that after all. I also would have liked to see any sort of conversation between Reed and Sue and Franklin and Val where they discuss life and death and how Uncle Johnny’s in a better place now, where he can build hot-rods and consort with loose women — but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Nor is there any explanation forthcoming about how Pete’s gonna live at the Baxter Building and be a full-time FF’er while also maintaining that sweet new dream job he landed at Max Modell’s company a few months ago. Problems, problems everywhere in this from continuity to characterization. I hold Jonathan Hickman to a higher standard because he set quite a high bar for himself in the past year, but he keeps striking false notes ever since the “death” of Johnny issue. It’s weird and disconcerting how profoundly wrong this book has felt these past three issues. I feel like I have to apologize for FF at this point, which was quite recently an excellent comic book full of action and human moments exemplified by razor-sharp characterization. Is the disordered, off-putting nature of this book a meta-contextual commentary on the upheaval caused by an unexpected death — is Hickman making the book lumpy to reflect everybody’s continued upset state in the wake of Johnny’s death? I so much want to believe that that I’m willing to entertain the thought, but no. I fear Hickman’s lost the plot and all his momentum while trying to deliver a shattering crescendo, and now that the story has to continue he’s not quite sure of how to pick up where he left off.
/looks up.
That is a lot of damn words about FF 1, a book I didn’t even like that much.
This is a first for me, but I’m going to claim that Superman/Batman 82 is the best thing I read this week. Legion is certainly building towards a deadly confrontation with their classic arch-enemies, and this issue has a nice fight scene and some great Brainiac dialogue. But Cullen Bunn’s inventiveness and the clarity of the story and ChrissCross’ art make Supes/Bats a fun and entertaining story first and foremost, and it also illuminates elements of both characters’ personalities in interesting ways. Superman as a sword-wielding paladin? I can get behind that. I can get behind that in a big way.
-Paul
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