moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (08/03/84)
Well, before this load of comments, I'd like to introduce a new set of grading rules that I've set up for my comments. This is mainly due to my noticing that a great number of my columns seem to sound like a showcase for superlatives. This is, of course, for two reasons: I prefer reviewing good comics over bad (there are so many of the latter), and the comics I buy and review regularly are ones I've liked over a period of time (with the exception of SECRET WARS, which I seem to have a perverse interest in... rather like watching slugs mating). Do to the fact that I read so many good comics, I don't want to have all my grades as Bs... so no grade inflation here. In fact, grade deflation is the rule of the day. **************************************************************************** |==>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 | **************************************************************************** Expect average grade'll be about C+ or B-, I imagine. Okay, now that we have that out of the way.... ------------------ SECRET WARS #7 [F]: - Improbabilities galore, gang. - A whole suburb in Detroit? Right... maybe the Avengers will believe that GM wants to set up a remote plant (cheaper labor costs, y'know...). What suckers! - Oh-oh, dead people sproutin' up like begonias. Gosh, war IS hell. I've just about had it with dead people being an attraction ("SEE an Avenger DIE!!" "Don't crowd, kid, don't push, you'll see it...). - John Romita Sr. fills in (he has a very distinctive style)... of course, it makes you wish you were reading old Amazing Spidermans.... Obviously, something's wrong with them. I'm not sure if it's planned or not, but I think it probably is... even Shooter would not screw up their personalities this much. No character development here (surprise, surprise!). SIDE ISSUE: What's this DAZZLER, THE MOVIE Graphics novel about, and who's it by? STAR TREK #8 [C]: A high-point, low-point issue. I was almost ready to give this a C- or a D, until I re-read and saw all the Star Trek trivia that Barr had included in the comics... this is one of the highlights of the comic. The use of the edge-of-the-galaxy force to power the Romulans (funny eyes time, remember?), the ability to get lost in it, the resurfacing of sub-commander Tal ("I have seen victory snatched from the hands of other commanders." -- beautiful!), all these made my day. On the other hand, much of the plot had a rather busy feeling, which I don't mind so much, but others probably will. The story was much more cohesive the second time around. However, the cloaking device on the Enterprise was pretty silly ("Oh, aye, Captain, Ay just happen'd ta have the thing layin' around the engine room..."); I imagine there will be many gripes about that. P.S. ("The next question is for YOU, Jerry Boyajian: Who won the Dorchester cup in 1953?....") Is a Romulan bird-of-prey REALLY up to blasting the Enterprise (Well, yah, after ST III...). How will they handle the things happening after the movie? ACTION #560 [Supes: D; Ambush bug: B+]: The Ambush Bug is GREAT! As in GREAT without hypebole. I laughed like a person reading Bloom County after three weeks of Kudzu. "Wow! I just hired him and he's already off on a case! What a brown-noser!" "...and I MIGHT be able to swing Ted Bundy." "I'm on PM magazine, right after Chef Tell." And all those Ronin gags! The swipe at Giffen's use of gore at the end made it worth the 75 cents alone! NEW MUTANTS #21 [D+]: Unoriginality in bloated, floury globs. As one of the overnight kids might say, wordy to the max. Does Claremont think all teenage girls are cretins? (Yes, we all saw Louise Simonsin in their, and POWER PAK is better than anything Chris is doing these days...). Excuse me, make that non-mutant teenage girls. ELEMENTALS #1 [C+]: Another treat from Comico: 1) Very good art and excellent splash pages... the one with the Space Needle ejection is great ("Formidable"). If it stays this good, they've got a hit on their hands (reminds me of Paris on BLUE DEVIL and early Mike Golden). 2) Interesting origin; not to many begin with mysteries. This may be due to my ignorance of their previous appearances, tho'. 3) Original villains (Ratman in particular). 4) In Seattle... HA! (Who the hell is J.P. Patches?) 5) My one complaint... too many fights scenes. Even great art no longer can keep my attention on a punch-out for more than 2 or 3 pages. Is the artist at all connected with the now-defunct CAPTAIN CANUCK? Looks familiar. MAGE #3 [B]: Glad I hung onto this one, because it just may turn out to be one of the best series this season. Comico is getting a good track record. Events are progressing nicely, the characters are original, and I am especially impressed with the use of dialogue and language ("They fly?"). With visual storytelling done this well, less emphasis could be put on dialogue and one could get away with it; but it isn't, and thus a path to excellence (and hopefully success) is indicated. What we have here, I think, is a true multi-chaptered story, instead of a "continued" story... everything seems to hang together in a concise manner. The Professor says, Check It Out. VANITY #2 [Vanity C-; Avalone -- Hold till rest of chapters out]: Well, even though the dialogue is is good, the story is a bit rocky, and I really lost interest in it after a while. Abalone looks more interesting. Excellent, Clean art combined with Real Science Fiction (not Sci-Fi); but very complex. And, like any complex, multi-chapter story, it seems crowded. I think this is one to save the issues and read 'em all in one pass. The art is heavily recommended... looked like high-level graphics at several points. TALES OF THE TEEN TITANS #47[C+]: Can you say silly cover, boys & girls? Is Torgo the airhead's ex-husband? What IS The Monitor doing in that satellite with Lyla ("Don't use up all the oxygen with heavy breathing, m'dear..."). MYTH ADVENTURES #2[B]: A delight... and much improvement over the first issue, probably due to Skeeve's being fleshed out more. Consistently funny and entertaining; sight gags are wonderful, the dialogue is snappy, and a smooth, well-paced plot accentuate it just right, like a Ponzi White Riesling (you've got your taste in food, and I've got mine... :-) ). Aahz is one of the best characters to come along in quite a while; you really like the old con man (has scenes that remind me of Robert Preston with lots of make-up and big, sharp teeth). "The elder gods went to Suggoth and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." MACHINE MAN #2 [D+]: Humor and adventure here don't seem to mix, though I like the artwork and MM's lines when he's out on his feet. And of course the art is pretty good. NEW DEFENDERS #136 [F]: Want to confuse someone? Don't let them read THE DEFENDERS for about 3 years. Then have them read #136. Nggggh.... EMAN #? [C-]: Still a bit disjointed, but pleasant, non-intense reading. Nothing original. The last panel promises better for next issue with the B-Team. LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #3 & TALES OF THE LEGION #84 [C+]: Enjoyable as about the best example of the super-hero team genre around. It doesn't beat good X-Men, but a) it doesn't try at that level, and b) with the shape the mutants are in these days.... If it's what you want, it's being done awfully well here. X-MEN #187 & FF ANNUAL #18 [D+ & D, respectively] What's is amusing about the state of B&C is that John left Chris to write on his own... and now he's as wordy as Chris is. Both these issues are standard Blaremont, you've seen these scenes in the authors' previous SOLO work. DR. WHO #1 [C]: Well, I'VE never seen these stories, and I find them delightful. POWER PACK #4 [B- {due much to the ending and Whitey's Dad}]: A good ending, particularly with the above-mentioned character appearing and his farewell. Simonsin knows how to pick words which avoid cliche sounding. Who ARE those people in the bandages, anyhow? I'm not sure they're Mom & Dad; or if they are, there's Something Wrong with them [insert Twilight Zone theme here]. ---- Postponing SIX FROM SIRIUS until I have all four issues. ---- **GRAPHIC NOVELS** ---- VOID INDIGO [F]: Oh-ho, another Epic Special Event! A Graphic Novel! Hallelujuh! Huzzah! Art bi-monthly! Big whiz bang, reincarnation in the 20th century. I really like Mayerik's work (his HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES was well-done, as was his HOWARD THE DUCK) but the gore level in this book negates much of his talent, and he's one of those people I enjoy more in Black and White anyway (like Lucille Ball :-) ). Now, unless Gerber has a weirder sense of humor than I think, this is meant to be taken seriously; in which case it's kaa-kaa. No originality, words without emotion, and a seeming love of cynical violence. No people crawling around this setting, just nasties. Even worse, nasties with pretensions. The big question with such nasties is, will they kill you before they bore you to death? MEDUSA CHAIN [A] Now just to prove I don't mind gore when their are PEOPLE, PLOT and DIALOGUE firmly behind them, look at the grade above... you won't see many of those. Now, I don't know about art, but Ernie Colon knows 1) empathy, 2) characters, 3) humor, 4) horror, 5) narrative storytelling, and 6) science fiction. And he has that touch, that rare, unusual behavior to put so much of himself into the story that you really (REALLY... no exagiration) step back and say, "Wow. This is GOOD. This almost belongs with the great comics of my past." How often do you see something that looks like the writer/author really spent time sweating over it? You will here, and you'll see how talent and ability are nothing unless you have the drive to want the story to work... it is written all over this. If you've got the cash, I think you'll find your money well spent. A word processor may be the tool of your trade, Moriarty, but three years later, you STILL can't cook a chicken on it... "What kind of ANIMAL would DO a thing like this?" "Whoop Whoop Whoop..." Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. UUCP: {cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \ {allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA