boyajian@akov68.DEC (03/28/85)
Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the Mad Armenian Scale, a shameless rip-off of the Moriarty Scale, stolen out from under the very nose of the Napolean of Crime. Nyah-ah-ah!! ******************************************************************************** |=>A+< A veritable Classic. One of the best of All Time. Example: THE SPIRIT | |==>A< One of the best of the year. Ex: TEEN TITANS #39: "Who Is Donna Troy?" | |==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month. Example: CEREBUS | |==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: JON SABLE | |==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex: ROM | |==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: MARVEL SUPERHEROES SECRET WARS | |==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: DAZZLER --- THE MOVIE GRAPHIC NOVEL #12 | ******************************************************************************** RED SONJA #8 & #9 (MARVEL, $.65) [C-] I thought I'd give these a try, since these two issues (and at least the next one) are written by Louise Simonson. I'm not really all that fond of sword-and-sorcery as a rule, which is why I haven't been buying this comic (or CONAN or KULL, either). The story isn't exceptional, more like average for sword-and-sorcery, though Simonon has a real nice grasp of the characters --- those of Red Sonja *and* the various supporting players --- making these two issues well worth reading. And Mary Wilshire is quite a good artist (and it's nice to see that Red Sonja has given up that ridiculous chain-mail bikini). This is a comic that bears following for a while. STIG'S INFERNO #3 (Vortex, black & white, $1.75) [B+] It's always hard to judge a humor comic (or a humor *anything*). What tickles some people's funny bones doesn't do a thing for other people (This is true of anything, but I've found it especially true of humor). Some people think THE FLAMING CARROT is a riot. I don't. I think AMBUSH BUG is a riot. Others don't. STIG'S INFERNO is easily as funny as AMBUSH BUG, even though it's a much different style of humor. AMBUSH BUG leans toward the totally insane; STIG'S INFERNO tries for the droll. I thought the first two issues were good, but this third issue is a panic! I thought I was going to die laughing when Stig explains to the sea creature Buer that some people don't enjoy being eaten, and Buer replies, "Imagine not enjoying being eaten. Everyone enjoys being drunk. It just doesn't make sense." Of course, I'm always a sucker for a good play on words. Not to mention seeing Aquaman and Namor playing Fish. The back-up is a little strange (in a comic like this, I'm complaining about strange?); not a knee-slapper like the Stig story, but enjoyable. It's nice to see that Ty Templeton is a Doc Savage fan (I leave it as an excercise for the reader to find the Doc reference). SUN DEVILS #12 (DC, $1.25) [D+] Well, here we are at the end. As an ending, it certainly was competent, though there were no surprises, even to the opening left for a sequel, if they should decide to do another limited series or a regular series. As to the whole series, well, it was OK, but nothing special. No better or worse than most space opera comics. It wasn't worth printing on Baxter paper but, other than that, I can't really complain too much. It kept me reading, which is more than I can say for some comics. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #55 (DC, $.75) [B] [Possible spoiler.] One of the best issues of this title to come along (I would say it's surpassed only by #38, #39, and #50). The Terminator is released from prison, and Changeling attempts to kill him. The key word is "attempts". No, the Terminator doesn't beat the crap out of Gar; it's that when it comes right down to it, Gar can't bring himself to do it. And then the two of them sit down and have a heart to heart talk about Tara, and other things. This issue is the turning point for Changeling. This is where he learns maturity. I find it curious that the Mando Titans book has ended up being much better than the Baxter one. THOR #356 (Marvel, $.65) [B+] Strangely enough, the best issue of THOR since Simonson took over is one not done by Simonson at all. As Hercules proclaims on the cover, "Stand aside, Thunder God -- Walt Simonson is on vacation and so art thou!, a blurb tells us that this issue has "A Thor-Hercules clash you're not gonna believe!" For the second time since I've been reading comics, only one cover blurb has ever been truer than this (the one on FLASH #123 --- "The Flash of Two Worlds" --- which proclaims that that comic is destined to be a classic"). Here, Bob Harras (writer), Butch [I just can't think of him as "Jackson"] Guice (pen- ciller), and Bob Layton (inker) bring us a story that is funny *and* touching, and a fight that beats all. Herk has never been in finer form. A definite recommendation. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA