moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime) (06/02/85)
Titles being reviewed:
TIMESPIRITS AMBUSH BUG BLUE DEVIL BLACK DRAGON
THE ONE STIG'S INFERNO SWAMP THING MS. TREE
DC PRESENTS ECHOES OF FUTUREPAST TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS
SQUADRON SUPREME
Well, frankly folks, I don't have too much to add to Jerry's reviews (we are
in agreement almost completely this time around), but there were some
issues mentioned which I would like to add more on.
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"There *are* standards. If you can't see one, you *make* one and stick to
it come Hell or high water -- until you see a BETTER one."
-John Gaunt
"Well, if you can't believe what you read in a comic book, what *can*
you believe?!"
-Bullwinkle J. Moose
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|==>A< One of the best of the year. Example: Byrne/Claremont's Starlord |
|==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month (usually 6/month) |
|==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: Jon Sable |
|==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex:Mars|
|==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: Secret Wars. |
|==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: Several of Haney's UNKNOWN SOLDIERs |
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TIMESPIRITS #5 [C]:
This beats Dr. Who any day, but I've a few questions. I'm not a Jimi Hendrix
fan, and so a lot of this story went by me. Anyone who is wish to expand
upon how well this story deals with his life/death/style? Also, is it my
imagination, or does Thorneypaw's manager look like William Shatner? A
lot? Is this going to go the way of MASTER OF KUNG FU under Gulacy?
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AMBUSH BUG #3 [A]:
I've been examining which comics I place in the forefront of my reading
stack each month, and I have noticed, with a greater and greater regularity,
that the humorous comics are the ones which I look forward to with the
greatest anticipation, and am usually the most satisfied with. STIG'S
INFERNO, THE MASKED MAN, and the titles which mix a good dose of humor
in with the action/drama (ZOT!, JOURNEY, BADGER & NEXUS, and CEREBUS)
combine the features of being both well-done, entertaining, and *consistent*
comics. However, if we're talking humor, well, there is NOTHING like
AMBUSH BUG.
Do you know how long it's been since a comic, EVERY ISSUE, made me FALL
(I mean, lean back, slip, whoops! -- FALL) out of my bean-bag cushion chair
with laughter? Incredible! The sense of fun pervades this amazing
magazine, sharpens the satire, and just generally takes me into hysterics. I
wish I had more friends into comics (or have been reading them long enough
to get all the old-style DC jokes) so that I could show them this comic. If
you're not reading this, you're missing one of the best things in years; if
you're reading this, and don't find it amusing, see a doctor.
By the way, I've noticed lately that I should be expecting the Darkseid gag at
the end, but that I'm laughing so much through the rest of the comic that I
forget it's coming, and then *WHAM* Ha Ha Ha well, here we go again...
--------
BLUE DEVIL #15 [C-]:
A bit too much of a slug-fest for me, but I'll bet that *I'm* the ONLY person
to notice that the tourists are the SAME tourists to appear in Goodwin &
Simonson's classic MANHUNTER story, "Cathedral Perilous"! Ha Ha! Eh...
what's that? Where? In Boyajian's reviews?
Crap.
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BLACK DRAGON #3 [D (all accountable to the author)]:
Oh, damn. After two issues of interesting, if rather low-key, medieval
adventure, and restraint on the part of the author, it looks like Claremont
has gone off the deep end and given into his worse impulses. Corrupted
innocence. Perverse desires. Satanic rites. Frenzied sex. Yup, it's MAGIC all
over again, but more so. A real disappointment, as this was beginning to
look like something that could stay around for awhile. Dark Claremont,
indeed....
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THE ONE #1 [B]:
I can't think of a premiere issue I've seen this year that has the promise and
engaging quality that THE ONE has. I'm captivated by Veitch's storyline of a
future where the balance of power has been upset by a strange national
illness that occurs after a nuclear war is mysteriously aborted. The world
comes under a new structure of power, and a figure (briefly seen in this
issue and on the cover) who appears to save a city from a nuclear missile.
Veitch takes a strange array of characters, and begins them recounting a
story in a documentary fashion. Also, I can't say I've been a great fan of
Veitches art in the past (the abominable 1941 graphic novel comes to mind),
but it is much improved here (though still having a few problems -- the kid
Larry tends to look like a Marie Severin caricature at times). Shows a great
deal of potential; I look forward to next issue to find out exactly what an
Ubermaus is (reminds me of the "What if Superman had landed in Nazi
Germany" sketch on Saturday Night). Moriarty says check it out.
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STIG'S INFERNO #4 [B]:
I missed #3 (and have it back-ordered), but it in no way diminished my
enjoyment of this issue. Ty Templeton has a way of using words and
images in a tight, controlled one-two punch which leaves me chuckling
through the whole book -- it's a skill which would serve him well in
screenplays or books, but the static art of a comic seems to amplify it to
uniform excellence. This tends to be in the style of Marvel's old NOT BRAND
ECCH style of humor -- throw in a very flexible plot with lots of good
dialogue and plenty of sight gags peppering the empty area (Dr. Strange
flying through, etc.); but it's done in a much funnier manner than the ECCH
series (or any of its imitators, like THE INFERIOR FIVE) ever were. The
collection of old Marvel horror title monsters was alone worth the price of
admission.
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SWAMP THING #39 [B-]:
WAAAH! Don't sneak up on me like that! Jeez, after reading one of these
issue, I always get a little tense. A bit rushed and harried on this one, with
situations which seem very familiar to the first SWAMP THING vampire
story (where the town goes under water). The ending, while inventive,
seemed a little like a rabbit-out-of-the-hat trick. Still, I'd like to make a
prediction: before the year is out, Constantine will be one of the most
popular supporting characters of the last couple of years. Reminds me of a
rather short Sting, with a terrible (funny) sense of humor ("Don't worry...
there'll be three showing up in a couple of minutes.").
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MS TREE #18 [C]:
Exactly what a 'C' comic should be: good, solid and entertaining. Nothing
fantastic, but any book that can keep a 'C' average I'll follow through Hell
and back. The return of several favorite features of MS TREE (the last few
issues have not been the best): Muerta (if he's REALLY got cancer, I'm Mr.
Ed); the art has lost that Steve Ditko look that has run through it lately, and
returned to it's standard gritty style; the co-workers (and police) are back;
and we're back to organized crime, which is where Ms. Tree really flourishes.
Also, this issue introduces (at least, to me) the feeling that maybe, just
maybe, Ms. Tree is a bit gung-ho (read: wrong) in her methods of operations.
Now, I'm sure many of you out there think this is how crooks should be dealt
with ( :-) (wait, net.flamers may be reading this...)), but I was surprised to
have several characters (especially the social worker, Harwood, who is
shown as an upright, intelligent chap) show the same doubt. Well, we shall
see... (Interesting to see Jimmy Olsen covering a southern beat...).
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DC PRESENTS #85 [B]:
I've got this problem, see. I don't want Alan Moore to ever leave off writing
SWAMP THING (nor Steve Bissette nor John Totleben). On the other hand,
I'd like to see Moore handle almost all of DC's other characters. But, or
course, he can't do both (not for long, anyway, before he dies from lack of
sleep). So (as Karl Malden would say) What will I do? What will I do?
How's S.T.A.R. Lab's clone research going these days?.....
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ECHOES OF FUTUREPAST #4 [Buckey O'Hare: C-; Mudwogs: C-]:
I do not recommend this for either Neil Adam's FRANKENSTEIN (which
resembles an old Universal horror picture (i.e. how many famous monsters
can you pack into one story)) or the VIRUS or HOM series (though they
occasionally stick in a TIPPIE TOE JONES story, which is about as
Pythonesque as you'll get, and worth the money). However, Hama & Golden
are almost always producing chuckles with BUCKEY O'HARE, and this issue,
while not manic comedy, gets its punch from lampooning several famous
science fiction & Sci-Fi situations and characters. This issue we have our
main characters split up: Willy and Dead-Eye Duck are attempting to attack a
toad magma tanker ala ye olde Death Star attack pattern, to rescue Jenny,
who, it turns out, is a psi-witch (Claremont Alert) who belongs to an order
suspiciously like the order of B**** G***** from Dune. Jenny appears to be
able to handle the tanker with one arm behind her back, but of course Willy
& Dead-Eye are, uh, engaging the enemy.... "Meanwhile", Buckey and Blinkey
the Robot are on the other side of the planet, engaged with a group that must
be the animal relations to the Organians (from the Trek episode, "Errand of
Mercy"). If you like SF satire, you'll enjoy this. Golden's art is not quite up
to previous issues, but it is better than 90% of what else is out there.
I'm finding that I'm enjoying the other feature, MUDWOG, a good deal, but I
append a warning: the humor here is crude enough, and many times
grotesque enough, to make you somewhat queasy. I found the last panel of
this story to be like a childhood nightmare, though it was funny (and pretty
stinking predictable, to boot). Not to be read on acid, by any means.
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TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #57 [C-]:
One of those issues where little Wolfman touches are scattered about. I
found myself reading along, in "automatic superhero saga skim mode" when
I'll be awakened out of it, like someone startled out of a drowsy drive by the
sound of tires hitting speed bumps, by those little things that make this title
unique. Gar's returning to his normal behavior; Tom Thumb's and Psiman's
mutual respect for one another (their powers are extremely orthogonal); the
return of Captain Hall. On the down side, Korey's little "Switch to Kill Mode"
bit had a real BC (Bad Claremont) ring to it. And, since this is set before the
events in the sister comic NTT, we know Cyborg will be back (and alive), so
cliffhanger endings seem pointless, and his happiness over being "human"
again is rather depressing. Frankly (and very surprisingly (to me)), I am
enjoying the Patton/Tanghal version of this comic to the Lopez/Tanghal
style.
As to the free fill-in do-dah of MASK, if I want to read G.I. Joe re-treads, I'll
buy 'em. Blech.
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SQUADRON SUPREME #1 [D]:
Standard Marvel team book, but with an interesting premise, i.e. what if a
group of superheroes and superheroines decided to stop biding by society's
(and the US governments's) rules, and try to turn the world into a better
place with the full extent of their powers? Apparently this is what will be
explored for the length of the mini-series. Mark Gruenwald is the author,
and his ability to monkey with continuity is legend (he may be the Marvel
counterpart to A. Bug's Jonni DC :-) ). However, his dialogue and
characterization skills are (and have always been) stodgy, and it remains to
be seen whether he can keep the intriguing premise fresh through the next
few issues (I'll be watching...). By the way, doesn't Tom Thumb exist both in
this comic, and in the Teen Titans' books in almost the same form? Not that
lawsuits will be filed for *that* character...
SELL GRIST!
Lord knows WE can't
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
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