Supernatural Caledonia #4 review, Action Comics #4 review, Detective Comics #4 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #30

Part Two of Two

Unfortunately, things are crazy. On the teaching side of things, we're in crunch time and looking down the barrel of Finals Week over at Five Towns College. On the writing side, I'm getting gigs, which is good. On the day job side, I'm working at a bookstore during the holiday season. So I don't have much time for comic reviewage. Instead of the normal posts, I'll do a bit of a bullet point list of things I dug or didn't dig in these issues.

Supernatural: Caledonia #4

Emma of the Isles - Part 1 of 4

Written by Brian Wood

Art by Grant Bond

DC Comics

+ Picks up years after the last two issues, but the tone is consist with them.

+ The horror gets pumped up a bit.

+ Fun research scenes.

+ Art is stylized and great. Likeness fiends may hate this kind of stuff, but it adds something very different and very cool to this property.

- Sam is really the only character this time around, so we don't get the fun banter and exciting romantic connection that we did last time.

- The cover made it seem as if Dean would be a part of this, but he's only referenced. I don't mind the attention to Sam, but you can't tease Dean if you're not gonna deliver.

I left the issue wishing this were an ongoing. And that I were writing it. But that's a different story. You should own this if you even have a passing interest in Supernatural. It's great.

Action Comics #4

DC Comics

MAIN STORY: Superman and the Men of Steel

Written by Grant Morrison

Pencils by Rags Morales

+ Lex Luthor is more interesting than he's been in a long time. He has a certain nervous power that permeates every scene he's in.

+ The dichotomy of the police needing Superman to save them while wanting to arrest him was great.

- The action is a bit hard to follow.

- Not as many cool character moments as you'd expect from Superman's first big battle.

- Not as much intellect as you'd expect from a Grant Morrison comic.

- To be continued in Issue #7. Really?

BACK-UP STORY: Hearts of Steel

Written by Sholly Fisch

Art by Brad Walker

+ Sholly Fisch, whose whose work I haven't read before, takes a simple fight and, through clever narration and an even cleverer solution, turns it into the highlight of the book.

+ The introduction of Steel was cool.

- Steel is almost indistinguishable from Cyborg.

Detective Comics #4

The Main Event

Written & drawn by Tony Salvador Daniel

DC Comics

+ There is an incredibly emotional and well-crafted scene between Gordon and the captured Olivia that made this comic worth reading.

+ The interaction between the folks at GCPD is well done.

- The story itself just isn't compelling enough. Batman isn't particularly interesting in this title, unfortunately. And that is almost never a problem. I don't understand. The story doesn't add anything new or interesting to the Batman mythos. If it weren't such an iconic title, I'd consider dropping this.

+ Had to end on a plus. Back to the first reason... TSD has to chops to make this book work. If he can pull off a scene that moving, he can make this book something to look forward to. I hope it just keeps getting better from here on out.

NEXT TIME: Batgirl #4, Batman & Robin #4, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #4, Green Lantern #4, Ray #1

Mystic #4 review, Supernatural #2 review, Legends of Oz The Wicked West #1 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #25

Part One of Two

I have to go get ready for a speech I'm giving tomorrow - yikes, public speaking! - but for now, let's talk about some legitimately awesome comics.

Mystic #4

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Pencils by David Lopez

CrossGen Comics

Alas.

Today, one of my favorite miniseries of the past few months comes to an end. Mystic has been at the very top of my pull-list for a while, so it's sad to bid Giselle, Genevieve, and their world a farewell... for now. This issue ends on a note that begs for more stories to be told and I for one can't wait to read 'em.

As for the conclusion, it's good. It's very hard to gauge exactly how I feel about it, because everything that I loved about the first three issues is here: the art is wonderful, the dialogue is snappy, the world is so interesting, and the characters are lovely. The one thing missing thing time around, I believe, is pacing. The first issues have a very slow, deliberate pace, while this last issue is absolutely break-neck. It makes sense for a climax, yes, but there were so many big moments here and so little time to live in the moments that I was left wishing the series has another issue to breathe.

The small moments that are here just sing. When Gerard kisses Giselle right after saving her, her reaction is perfect: Panel One, bug-eyed shock. Panel two, grabs him and kisses 'im back. Just great. I wanted a bit more of those very deliberately paced moments, but I understand why the resolution had to fly by.

The two main arcs of the series, the emotional arc being the relationship between Giselle and Viv and the plot being the impending loss of Aether (the magical source), are dealt with nicely. The former is left somewhat unresolved and rocky, which I really liked, and the latter gets the CCR - that's the Classic Castle Resolution. Now, I know that Castle, while an awesome show, didn't invent this, but a good 3/4 of the show's episodes are resolved in this manner: Castle overhears someone say something, it triggers him to put the final mental piece of the puzzle together, and then he brings the case to a close. G. Willow Wilson uses this device with Giselle to solve the Aether problem, and her solution leads to a beautiful, beautiful visual from David Lopez, who, let me take the time to say, is an absolute kick-ass artist.

I'm going to miss this series. Let's hope it isn't gone for very long. Amazing job to all involved.

Supernatural: Caledonia #2

The Dogs of Edinburgh - Part 2 of 2

Written by Brian Wood

Art by Grant Bond

DC Comics

This series is so weird... and I love it. I'm not sure how it's all going to come together, because this is a six issue limited series and the plot gets very much tied up at the end of the issue. I mean, it's expected when the title ends with "Part 2 of 2," but it's a bit strange to have a mini-story arc kick off a miniseries. Not bad weird, though. Weird in that it's got me wondering what the structure of the book is going to be like. It's safe to say, though, that the Supernatural comic seems to be playing with format the same way that the television show so successfully does.

The focus stays on Sam in this prequel. He and Emma continue their strange adventure, and this time they're on a hunt. Sam is very much playing second banana to Emma, which in itself makes the relationship between these two rich and interesting. It brings out a side of Sam that we didn't get much of a chance to explore in the show. One thing that does concern me, seeing that this takes place while Sam is in college, is that his relationship with Jessica isn't addressed. If it's played right, I can see Sam having a fling with Emma while on his trip, buuut... thing is, he was planning on proposing to Jessica. I haven't seen the first season in years, so maybe I'm off in my years or missing some bit of continuity, but Sam was planning on proposing to Jess, so it seems a bit weird. Other than that, though? This is one of the best tie-in comics I've ever read. So, so good.

I don't know why the whole internet isn't exploding over the fact that Brian Wood is writing Supernatural. That show's fandom is usually very vocal - hopefully more of 'em will pick up this comic, because this series has the potential to do what the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics did... and that's introduce countless fans to the wonderful world of comics.

The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West #1

Written by Tom Hutchison

Art by Alisson Borges

Big Dog Ink

Big Dog Ink claims to be "the new standard in creator owned comic books." That's a mighty big statement, true, but I'll be damned if this book doesn't back it up. The presentation alone is a step above your average monthly comics - the closest that comes to this standard in page quality is IDW, but even they don't have the thick covers that this has (and, judging from the copy of Ned the Chainsaw Guy I picked up at NYCC, the other BDI comics have). The book is sturdy, with real weight to it. With that and a full 23 page story, the cover price of $3.50 is a pretty big bargain.

But hey - let's chat about the story: it's gold. The concept is simply The Wizard of Oz as a Western, but it's the execution that elevates this to the next level of awesome. Dorothy Gale is a complete badass, and she's believable too. We don't break through her defensive shell much in this issue, but the beautiful art goes a long way to show us that she isn't a one-note female version of Chuck Norris. She's got a big story, and I am in for the ride. Everything from the covers (gotta dig that rainbow in the background, huh?) to the way we're slowly rediscovering this very strange version of Oz makes this one of the most unique book you'll find at your local shop.

So go on. Pick up a new creator-owned book. This time around, I can guarantee that you'll dig it.

TOMORROW: Action Comics, Detective Comics, Static Shock, Batwing.

Supernatural Caledonia #1 review, Mystic #3 review, Static Shock #2 review

Comic Book Wednesday

Issue #21

Part One (of Two)

Before I get to my reviews, give me a minute to geek out. I went to my local comic shop this morning (Cosmic Comics in Oceanside, NY) and saw the new PREVIEWS book. Naturally, I did what any pretentious comic writer would do. I picked it up to see if it had anything I'd written was featured inside.

I defy you with my Super Work Boots!

Sure enough, my two Zenescope comics coming out in December were solicited. Check it out! My Grimm Fairy Tales: Holiday Special 2011 book is on the left. On the bottom right, Zenescope has featured my upcoming 1000 Ways to Die graphic novel.

Clicky.

For those interested in orders these, they're on pages 336 and 337 of this month's PREVIEWS, and they'll be in store December 2011. If you like this blog, if you like comics, if you like me, if you like gingers, or if you like (insert something that you like right here - doesn't matter if it's relevant), these books are for you!

Now that that utterly shameless self-promotion is out of the way... let's get to the reviews.

Supernatural: Caledonia #1

The Dogs of Edinburgh - Part 1 of 2

Written by Brian Wood

Art by Grant Bond

DC Comics

I was wondering where this series had been hiding.

DC's Wildstorm imprint had been publishing Supernatural comics pretty steadily for a while. They mostly focused on John Winchester, telling tales set before the TV series. Most of the stories were straight horror, which evoked a similar feel to the first season. Thing about Supernatural, though, is that it's the most improved series on television. It started as a pretty straight-faced horror anthology show, but had developed into an epic story of two brothers looking destiny in the face and saying "Screw you." It's currently one of the funniest, most engaging, and daring shows on TV. While the comic was always entertaining, it never really lived up to the incredibly high standard the show set.

Until now.

Fans of the show should be warned, though, that the comic is still not much like the show in tone. It takes place before the series, but this time it focuses on Sam Winchester. Thing is, I like that its tone is different from the show. The comic managed to snag acclaimed comic book writer Brian Wood for the scripts, and it's clear from this issue that Wood is more interested in building atmosphere, character, and the emotion than he is in the action in which the older comics reveled. The plot is simple: Sam Winchester goes to Edinburgh, Scotland on a university trip and ends up meeting Emma, a fellow hunter (Scot's call 'em "breakers"), who shows him around. There's a wonderful scene with a ghostly funeral procession, but it's more atmospheric and romantic than creepy... and I think that's wonderful.

Brian Wood and Grant Bond (the incredible artist, who does pencils, inks, and colors for this issue) are telling a daringly different Supernatural story... and if you watch the show, isn't that what the writers are all about?

Can't recommend this highly enough to fans of the show, Brian Wood, or just comics readers. It's completely new-reader-friendly, and just really, really rocks. I'd love for this to become an on-going.

Mystic #3

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Pencils by David Lopez

CrossGen Comics

Either I love magic in an academic setting (The Name of the Wind and Harry Potter FTW), or this series is quality storytelling. I'm thinking the latter.

Mystic is one of the best comics on the shelves. For the past three months, I've enjoyed the hell out of this funny and compelling story that's different from everything on the shelves. There has been a lot of talk about the misrepresentation of women in comics recently (particularly but not limited to superhero comics), and I think Mystic is just the antidote for that. The leads are two young women that read like - you won't believe this - actual young women. These are characters that you want to root for, that you can sympathize with, and that manage to be pretty and appealing without even coming close to being objectified.

Enough about comic book politics in a post-Red Hood and the Outlaws word, though. This is just a damn good story by an excellent writer and an excellent artist that should be at the top of your pull list. The final page made me hunger for next month's issue, but it also made me a bit sad. The words "to be concluded" are at the bottom. #4 will be the final installment. I hope that another storyline follows this one, and that the G. Willow Wilson & David Lopez team comes back to give us more of these characters and this world.

Static Shock #2

Disarmed

Written by Scott McDaniel and John Rozum

Art by Scott McDaniel

DC Comics

I found the first issue of Static Shock to be one of the best of the New 52. The second issue doesn't quite live up to that, but it was still a fun read. The dialogue is weak in parts, though, which wasn't an issue in the first installment. A scene where Static talks to himself for an entire page, soliloquy style, was pretty painful - it would've been fine if those were thought captions, but it just makes Static appear to be a mouth for the writer's exposition.

The plot develops nicely, though, as the Slate Gang races to kill Static for their bosses. And we also get a very cool surprise appearance of the Joker and a strange, and maybe promising development with Static's sister. It's a very busy book with a lot of action and a break-neck pace, but I think the dialogue in general could've done with a good brush up. That aside, though, I look forward to the next issue. I read that co-writer John Rozum left the series, but I wonder how much of these he wrote and who will take over the writerly reigns.

Anyway, this was a good read, Static is a great protagonist, the villains are fun, and the action is top notch. I hope this book makes it in the long-run, because Static is one of the coolest heroes to come out of DC.

-

Thanks for reading, all! Catch you tomorrow.

TOMORROW: Action Comics, Detective Comics, Batwing.