Supergirl #67 review, Pariah #1 review, Mystic #1 review, Cloak and Dagger Spider Island #1 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #14

Okay, let's get through this intro quickly, 'cause I've got a bunch of great comics to talk about. Before you read the review for the Supergirl finale, check out my blog entries covering the top five images of our modern Supergirl and the runners-up.

And now... here we go.

Supergirl #67

"This is Not My Life" - Part Three

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Pencils by ChrisCross

DC Comics

The finale of Supergirl is a blast. DeConnick's dialogue here is some of the wittiest I've read in a long while, which made the book a riot, and the climax of the plot is just so... well, cool. Supergirl, joined by the Silk Pajama Society, kicks the asses of (you guessed it) more robots and resident big bad Dr. Ivo. While the issue is almost flawlessly scripted, ChrisCross's pencils range from serviceable to atrocious. When Supergirl takes flight, it looks as if she just tripped and is about to fall on her face, which is bad enough, but the worst was that the facial expressions he gives characters took me out of the moment a handful of times - the worst instances were the two panels where he made Shirley look like an evil mannequin. It's sad, because Shirley had such great lines, but I was torn between rooting for her and worrying that she was going to go try to kill Doctor Who. This miniseries deserved a better artist, but thankfully the writing was strong enough that the bad pencils didn't completely ruin the story.

The issue (and the series... sniff) comes to a sweet end that reinforces the theme of the arc. I can only hope that DC will eventually get Kelly Sue back on the writerly reigns for Supergirl, because she is such a great fit. Her affection for the character shines through the pages, the supporting characters are charming, the action is great, and there's a goddamn Princess Bride reference. What a ride.

I normally don't do this, but what the hell. Here's a list of lines that made me acronym my ass off.

IVO: How do I look?

SUPERGIRL: Honestly? Like a horny toad at a Gundam convention.

GINGER GIRL: We're going to build a stun gun.

SHIRLEY: This is the best day of my entire life.

GINGER GIRL: Ready?

CHRIS: Lady, we were born ready.

SHIRLEY: Oh my God, I wanted to say that.

CHRIS: Y-you are made of awesome.

SHIRLEY: I know, right?

SHIRLEY (shooting the stun gun): Pew pew! Pew pew!

IVO: Impossible!

SUPERGIRL: I don't think that word means what you think it means, professor.

SUPERGIRL reboots to Issue #1 (along with 51 other DC titles) in September. The issue hits stands September 21st.

Aron Warner's Pariah #1

Written by Aron Warner & Philip Gelatt

Art by Brett Weldele

Sea Lion Books

I didn't plan on picking this up. I'd never heard of it. The cover grabbed my eye on the shelf, though, and I was intrigued by both the fantastic, strange art and the odd company logo. Sea Lion Books. Another instance of "never heard of 'em." I'm always up for a good creator-owned book, so I figured I'd give it a try.

Pariah #1 was decent. It's a high concept series set in 2025, following a group of "Vitros," which are essentially kids that are so intelligent that they are believed to pose a threat to the government. This first issue introduces Brent Marks, one of the Vitros, who struggles with his perception of normal people, how to handle the mixed signals a girl is sending him, and the never-ending stream of thoughts that race through his enhanced brain. After Vitros are suddenly (and a bit awkwardly) declared a terrorist cell, Brent finds himself with a whole set of new problems.

The issue suffers from a distinct lack of world-building. The concept isn't told to us in the context of the comic, but instead in a blurb on the inside cover. The odd, stylized art and the humanity of Brent's affection for his crush kept me interested, but I won't be picking up the subsequent issues. When all is said and done, I think I'll buy the TPB if the reviews are good, but this first issue gave so little to go on that I couldn't justify buying the series monthly.

Mystic #1

"The Tenth Apprentice"

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Pencils by David Lopez

CrossGen

This book looks so good. I saw the cover online last week and made it a point to pick it up based solely on the strength of that. I didn't follow the first Mystic series, but the cover was just so dynamic that I couldn't help myself. Stylistically, the art looks a bit Amanda Conner-y, which is pretty high praise considering how much I dig Conner's stuff. Now, the question is: Did the issue live up to my expectations?

Yup.

A little bit Annie, a little bit Harry Potter, and a lotta bit Victorian steampunkery, Mystic #1 is a crazy, fun, and whimsical read. The writing is superb, the characters are already distinct and easy to love, the linework is great, and Nathan Fairbairn's colors add wonderfully to the light, magical atmosphere of the book. The tale throws a bunch of classic elements (orphan girls working for a cruel mistress, a commoner getting chosen to practice the noble art of magic, a rivalry that... okay, well, you'll see) together in this wonderful stew of a story. With this first issue, Mystic has already established itself as something that is unlike any other comic currently being published... so consider me belted in for the ride.

Cloak & Dagger: Spider Island #1

Written by Nick Spencer

Art by Emma Rios

Marvel Comics

I don't know how this habit started, but I usually follow Marvel titles in trade and buy the singles of DC titles. When I heard that Nick Spencer, who penned the best comic I've read all year, was writing a fucking Cloak and Dagger miniseries, I knew I couldn't wait for the trade. Ever since their appearance in Brian K. Vaughan's Runaways, I've been hoping to see more C&D action from Marvel. They had a pretty decent role in Civil War, and now, thanks to Dan Slott's Spider Island event, they've got their own miniseries. This issue ties loosely into the event, opting to only include a quick brawl with those infected with the "Spidey-powers" and to focus more on the relationship between Cloak and Dagger. Spencer expertly boils down the essentials of their backstory, making this book accessible to new fans but not boring to folks who are well versed in their Cloak and Dagger lore. Spencer is clearly a hell of a lot more interested in who these characters are as people than he is in their considerably bad-ass powers, which is something that I think these the portrayal of these characters has been lacking in for quite some time.

The art is beautiful, reminding me of a mix of the covers of The Unwritten and the interiors of The Sandman (at their best, that is - as popular as that series is, it is wildly uneven art-wise). The panels are fluid, sometimes creatively borders by Cloak's... well, cloak; it isn't too artsy as to be hard to follow, though.

The series is narrated by inner monologue from the two lead characters. At first, they seem to in sync that they're finishing each other's unspoken sentences, but the issue really begins to sing when, through their thoughts, we see that though Cloak and Dagger care for each other, they have a fundamental misunderstanding of what the other person is feeling. Especially for a series with such an out-there concept, this issue kicked off a very human story about desire, lack of fulfillment, and the divide between what it means to be normal and what it means to be extraordinary.

I want to read every letter Nick Spencer has ever written.

NEXT WEEK: Kevin Smith's THE BIONIC MAN

Supergirl #66 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #10

Only one book this week, but it's a goodun. For those who missed out yesterday, read my interview with writer Kelly Sue DeConnick before checking out my review for this week's Supergirl issue.

Supergirl #66

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Art by ChrisCross

DC Comics

The mystery deepens.

Secrets are revealed.

Songs are sung.

And Supergirl kicks some robot rat ass. (To which Supergirl says "Robots... why did it have to be robots?" in a great callback to the best line of the first issue: "Do they have to be robots? It's been kind of a robot-y few weeks for me...")

Those that liked the first issue will find much to dig here. There's a bit more action, what with Supergirl moving at the speed of light to keep the students out of danger so they don't discover who she truly is. The Maid of Might herself doesn't have as much pagetime as she did in the last issue, which featured her in nearly every scene. This time we get two big scenes sans Supergirl, one with Lois Lane investigating the disappearances and another with the Big Bad of this arc, Professor Ivo, being all villainy. It felt a bit short due to the lack of the meaty Kara scenes that the last issue had, but it did a good job in setting things up for what looks like it will be an action-packed finale to both this arc and Supergirl as a series... before it gets rebooted, that is.

ChrisCross's art is a bit better, but still relies on exaggerated movements and bizarre facial expressions. There are a few great panels here, but as a whole the art continues to be very hit or miss. Thankfully, the story is intriguing enough to keep this book a very good read, and the character drama that was set up in this issue and the last manages to sing despite the sometimes distracting pencilling choices.

All in all, DeConnick has written another Supergirl issue that should please fans of the series, managing to keep the plot moving at a breakneck speed without missing the little moments, like Kara giving Shirley the credit for stopping the robot rats.

CLICK HERE for some news about what comic book property I'm going to be writing!

Check back tomorrow for a review of DC's THE NEW 52 preview.

Kelly Sue DeConnick EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

What’s Not Awesome About Supergirl?

Kelly Sue DeConnick interviewed by Patrick Shand

PATRICK SHAND: In Sterling Gate’s run, we saw Kara struggling with her role as a hero. James Peaty’s arc played with the idea of Kara finally having adjusted to being Supergirl. From the first issue of your arc, it seems that you’re dealing more with the “human” (heavy quoty fingers there) side of things. Where is Kara’s head at and how is it affecting her role as Supergirl and her day-to-day life?

KELLY SUE DECONNICK: I took more of an outside-in approach, honestly. I looked at a lot of what had been done with her recently and I like it a lot, but as the focus had been on the "super," I decided I wanted to look more at the girl.

The Gary Frank Supergirl cover with the skateboard is one of my favorite covers in all of comics. I started my musings there and ended up straying quite a bit from what that image suggests, but that was my starting point anyway.

PAT: Sorry for the block quote question. Here’s a quickie: What is awesome about Supergirl?

KELLY: Were you aware that she can fly...?

I'm kidding. I'm not sure how politic my honest answer is, but here we go--

Our language regularly abuses and dismisses the feminine. Are you weak? Where's your skirt, buddy? Don't be a p___y, etc. etc. And what's weaker than even that? Being a girl--you're not just feminine, you're a child! Don't throw like a girl. Don't run like a girl. Man up, cowboy. The girls in the office will take care of that for you.

Now. It will come as no surprise to you at all that I hate this. I hate this so much it makes me grind my teeth. I hate this so much that I was terrified of having a daughter because I didn't know how to teach her to withstand the everyday indignities and injustices that make me want to put my fist through a wall.

And it is powerfully engrained in our collective psyches. Despite the fact that women consistently outperform men in studies of tolerance of pain, heat, cold, loneliness and monotony--somehow "girl" is shorthand for everything weak. I guess... it all comes down to what you bench? I don't know. I don't get it, but I hate it.

So what's Supergirl? The equal of the most powerful man in the universe.

...What's not awesome about that?

Supergirl being awesome on the cover of this week's SUPERGIRL #66

PAT: Speaking of the most powerful man in the universe, what do you think Supergirl would do if Superman ever pulled an Irredeemable?

KELLY: I don't know, but I'd like to think it would be Ripley epic.

PAT: The solicit for the new Supergirl #1 says that Kara Zor-El shares none of the affection that Superman has for the people of Earth. Do you think this applies to pre-reboot Kara?

KELLY: The seed's definitely there. I mean, she wasn't raised on Earth the way he was. She's an immigrant and an orphan. That's a very different perspective than that of Clark, who really is Clark more than he's Kal-El.

PAT: Give me a bit of insight into your thought-process while breaking the story for your Supergirl arc. Why college?

KELLY: To focus on the girl, I wanted her in an environment where she was surrounded by her age-group.

PAT: Did you ever take part in any wonky college clubs, like the kind folks in the Silk Pajama Society?

KELLY: I was Captain of my high school's debate team, a college drama major and a member of the Dorothy Parker Society. Yet I've never played D&D!

PAT: Any chance we’ll see you take on writing duties for Supergirl again?

KELLY: Who knows? No plans in the immediate future, though.

SUPERGIRL #67 - The finale of both Kelly's arc and this volume of the series

PAT: List time: What titles are you dying to write, and who are your dream artists?

KELLY: I will not answer the first question because it puts me in a no-win situation. If I name a book someone else is writing I either look like I'm gunning for their job or that I don't think they're doing it well. Plus you know... there's a thing I learned as a struggling actor. DO NOT NEED THE GIG. If you come in for your audition reeking of desperation, you are going to be the least appealing person in the room. Give it everything you've got, swing for the bleachers, but do not look like you need it; you'll never get it. So I'll keep those cards close to my vest, for the moment.

As far as artists go, that's a very long list and some of the people on it intimidate the hell out of me. Partial list would include: Jane Almirall, Rachel Stuart-Haas, Steph Buscema, Ming Doyle, Christine Norrie, Joelle Jones, George Perez, Mike Oeming, Mike Hawthorne, Tony Moore, Chris Samnee, Walt Simonson, Olivier Coipel, Rafael Grampa, Junko Mizuno... god, I could go on for days.

Right this minute I just want to move heaven and earth to work with Emma Rios again.

This is exactly what it looks like.

PAT: What’s next for you in the comic industry?

KELLY: I've got Castle: Deadly Storm with Brian Bendis out in September, a short story in a Spider-Island one-shot and a bunch of stuff that hasn't been announced yet! Keep your eyes peeled.

Big thanks to KELLY SUE DECONNICK for taking the time out to do this interview. SUPERGIRL #66 hits comic shops tomorrow. Check back for a big, in-dept review of the issue.