moriarty@uw-june.UUCP (05/07/84)
Well, here we go again; little late this week, as I am still extracting
glass splinters from my face, neck and shoulders (Portland dwellers, and
Reedies in particular, may have a vague idea what I'm talking about...).
ZOT #2:
Hey, we're having some fun now! This is good both from the quick
read standpoint, and from several rereadings (like, how many groups ARE
after the key?). Funny, but at just the right level, which is very, very
difficult. In other words, it's not played for yucks so much that we don't
have characters we like. However, Butch and Peabody are terrific... Sir
John Gielgud (o.k. poor spelling...) could take lessons from that robot in
the understated comeback. Jenny is coming along very well (I enjoyed her
response to her brother's tirade against Zot's uncle). And Uncle Max is
great and somewhat real... does he look like Chris Claremont intentionally?
I also look forward to finding out who "Jack" is... reminds me a bit (in
appearance) of a cross between The Vision, the Gentleman Ghost, and Arcade.
If you're gonna buy one comic.... A+ all the way.
MAGE #2:
I know I lambasted this one last time, but I am going to keep
reading it, even though the artwork is not nearly as "daring and original"
as it is being hyped. The dialogue is very interesting, though, and the
plot looks like it could be good, if they don't take themselves too
seriously...
MS. TREE #7:
Dirty Harry fans, take note! This is really becoming a favorite of
mine... it's unreal in the sense that this woman would have been killed 7
issues ago in real life. But it's like a tough-as-nails detective story
without the cliches (Da kid is growin' on me). I must say I take a lot of
pleasure watching her knock off every hit man in North America (they must
have a queue of 'em waiting in Mr. Muerte's warehouse...); it's the same
kind of fun as in "Dirty Harry" -- "Make my day" stuff. She's getting a
real feral snarl that would scare me shitless any day...
X-MEN #184:
I think I know why X-Men bothers me (no, no, I still enjoy reading
it a lot, just not as much as I used to). We never a) get caught up on the
details of the story, and b) have a chance to catch our breath and find out
how the characters are feeling about themselves. Take this issue: where
are Kitty and Wolverine? How did Seline get out of the Earth's core in New
Mutants? And on the personal level: How's Peter feeling about Kitty? What
about the weekend (described in New Mutants) the Prof took with the X-men...
what happened? All we get is Storm thinking "Gosh, should I be leader?" in
a combat situation, which has the same impact as if she was thinking "Gosh,
did I remember to put peanut butter on the grocery list before we left?"
C'mon, fill us in, Chris!
THE NEW TEEN TITANS #1:
Definitively the other comic to get this month. Can't say much that
hasn't been said, other than this looks much better than most Baxter books
out there; maybe I could say it's the only one where I've noticed a
difference between it and normal books. And the writing is at its usual
best (which may sound like a side-of-the-hand compliment, but isn't in this
case); I begin to see in Jericho one of the best characters to come along
this year -- an artist and a person who likes people without coming off like
Dudley Doright. Definitively not "the handicapped Titan", as it would be in
other books (Bill Mantlo has a tendency toward that...). He has already
gotten up there with Vic, Wally and Donna in my favorite Titans class, which
is phenomenal in three issues. A must-buy.
AND SEVERAL BUTCHER'S APRONS....
Some stuff from the Comic Reader (the only fanzine that doesn't bring out
homicidal tendencies in me:
Superman #400 has a guest list not to be believed: Kaluta, Miller, Orlando,
Marshall Rogers, Wendy Pini & Al Williamson, with Pin-ups by Eisner, Leonard
Starr, Kirby, Ditko, Caniff, Bolland, Mr. S the UnSpellable, Byrne, Grell
and Austin. 64 pages, no ads, better reserve yours (I want three, Ma!).
Dr. Who is coming to Marvel, and it'll be the Dave Gibbons strips! Hoo-hah!
Marvel is changing toys into characters again: Trans Formers & Starriors.
How about Barbie & Ken in The Outback ("'Ere, mate, are you a pooftah?").
Marvel is thinking about publishing Michelinie & Layton's "The Sorcerer"
book that was supposed to have come out about three years ago. They still
owe me either a copy or $10 bucks (Place Sucker Ballon Over Head).
X-Men #185 has Barry Windsor-Smith doing the art.
IS THE ROCKETEER BEING PUBLISHED ANYWHERE? (this is a question... I'm still
at the point where they left him off with Peevy in a car and Doc
You-know-who was outside...).
MARS & WARP are going bi-monthly; First Comics is suing World Color Press
& Marvel over the fact that World Color was charging First more than Marvel,
and Marvel was allegedly instigating it. Well, I guess lawyers have to eat
too...
Well, back to the waltz we call life....
The Napoleon of Crime | Currently skulking around
| UUCP:
MORIARTY | {ihnp4,decvax,tektronix}!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty
| ARPANET:
AKA -jwm- | moriarty@washington