The Shortbox 8/9/07

The Astounding Wolf-Man #2
writer: Robert Kirkman
artist: Jason Howard
Image Comics, released 7-5-07
The first issue was one of the features of this year's Free Comic Book Day, so hopefully you already have had a taste of this book. I felt that one went a bit by the numbers, essentially not giving us anything groundbreaking for a werewolf tale. But some aspects of the story, such as Gary's wife finding out that he's been bitten, were addressed right off the bat. This allows Kirkman to avoid dragging out cliche storylines. So I added the second installment to reward a promising new title.
In issue two, the Wolf-Man makes his first contact with other superheroes after finishing up his training with vampire Zechariah. There are some good action sequences from Howard, who implores a wonderful style in this comic book. You know it's a comic book when you open the pages and with Kirkman's sensibilities, that's a perfect combo. That said, this was a rather ho-hum issue overall until the final few pages. I won't spoil it for you here, but I'm sure issue 3 will certainly be worth buying.
7 out of 10

The Order #1
writer: Matt Fraction
artists: Barry Kitson, Mark Morales & Dean White
Marvel Entertainment, released 7-18-07
I'm a big fan of Matt Fraction. I love pretty much everything I've read by him. However, after reading his new book set in the aftermath of Civil War, I realize I may have been expecting a bit too much. The Order is the California team of the 50-State Initiative, and it will have a constantly rotating cast of heroes, no one lasting more than a year. Other than Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, these are completely new characters.
First off, the tone of this book is on the serious side, more so than I was expecting from the hilarious Fraction. Also, I was fairly certain at least one member of the team we met would be gone in one way or another before the close of the first issue, given the nature of the book. Plus, there's a lot of talking in the issue, and while there is a fair amount of fighting too, they didn't seem to balance well. Adding all of these issues together, and I was pretty underwhelmed. The art was great, but not enough to overcome an un-engaging story.
Is there still hope for the book? Sure there is. I probably knew too much about issue one from podcasts and Newsarama articles. But I know a lot about many new books these days and am often pleased with a new book. I like Fraction, so this one will still get a shot.
5 out of 10

Last Blood #2
writer: Bobby Crosby
artist: Owen Gieni
Blatant Comics, released July 2007
Last Blood is another book that put out its first issue on Free Comic Book Day 2007. That issue was a complete surprise because I had never heard of the creators or the publisher beforehand. It's the best example as to why FCBD is a great idea; I would have completely ignored the solicitation page it was on had I not read that first issue.
The story began in a very familiar fashion. A small town decimated by zombies with only a small number holed up together with supplies and shotguns. I went through the motions with it until I reached the halfway point, at which time a couple of vampires take out the zombies, thus protecting the humans. It turns out that the zombies have almost completely taken over the world. The vampires need the blood of the few humans who are left in order to survive, otherwise they will become zombies themselves. But they don't want to kill the humans, just take a blood donation here and there to sustain themselves. I've never come into contact with a vampire/zombie premise like this before and was compelled to order the second issue.
This one is more of the same horror goodness. While it by no means contains the greatest dialogue I've ever heard, it is good enough to propel the story farther, which is all I want. Even things I feel like I should see coming, I'm not, which is the mark of a good storyteller. I hope Crosby has big plans for this book and I hope some of you out there order a copy soon, because I doubt Blatant Comics is selling a ton of books. It may go the way of the dodo.
9 out of 10

Star Wars: Legacy #14
writer: John Ostrander
artist: Jan Duursema
Dark Horse Comics, released 7-11-07
I haven't checked back in on this Star Wars title since it began last summer and I'm not sure why. It's fantastic. Issue 14 marks the start of a new storyline, a great jumping on point for all of you uninitiated. Cade Skywalker has now stopped hiding his jedi heritage, but is still lightyears away from embracing it. He's basically a rougher, angrier version of Han Solo with the skills of a Jedi knight. While he is the focus of the book, the real treats come from the expanded universe: the broken Jedi order, the bastardized legion of Sith, the Galactic Empire (somewhat separate from the Sith in this story), and the Galactic Alliance, not to mention the plethora of alien races and rogue groups already introduced (though I'm probably missing a few factions of the intricate universe that has been set up by Ostrander).
This issues brings us Cade's first solo missing as he attempts to rescue his former teacher, who has been captured on Coruscant. In the process, we get more interesting tidbits revealed about Darth Krayt (the big bad of Legacy at the moment) and members of an Empire's air fighting squad (aspects similar to the new Battlestar Galactica, particularly Starbuck). It's all fascinating to me because I never thought the Star Wars movies went deep enough into the seedy underbellies that exist throughout its universe. This book takes us there. Add it to your pull list; it's far from just another licensed property book.
8 out of 10

The Shortbox 7/20/06

Uncanny X-Men #475
writer: Ed Brubaker
artist: Billy Tan
Marvel Entertainment, released 7-5-06
Is any writer in the biz as on as Brubaker is right now? If so, let me know about them because I'm not reading anything by them. From Sleeper to Captain America to Daredevil, Bru's been knocking everything he touches out of the park. (Slight spoiler warning for those not having read Deadly Genesis yet). Picking up where his X-Men: Deadly Genesis mini left off (another recommended pickup), we find a walking, powerless Prof. X forming a new team of X-Men. Comprised of Nightcrawler, Warpath, Marvel Girl, Havok, Polaris and himself, Xavier's new squad is on the hunt for Vulcan, the third Summers brother, who is traveling straight into Shi'ar space to enact his own brand of revenge upon them. While there's not a ton of action in this issue, it really sets the stage for a potentially classic X-Men run. I have no idea where he's going with this collection of characters, and those stories are usually the ones I end up loving the most when all is said and done.
Also, I sense that I'll eventually grow a little tired of the Civil War overload during the next few months from my Marvel titles, but with this team gallivanting in deep space, I suspect it'll be a nice change of pace from the rest of the company's books in my stack.
8 out of 10

Green Arrow #63
writer: Judd Winick
artist: Scott McDaniel
DC Comics, released 6-14-06
The ferocious battle between Green Arrow and Deathstroke that started last issue comes to a great close in this one, and that happens by page six. The remainder of this installment brings the return of Brick and the continuation GA: Star City mayor. I've really been enjoying the one-year-later jump for Ollie, particularly compared to the other DC titles in my stack. It actually makes sense for a man in Oliver Queen's millionaire playboy position to make a run for mayor and win under the mantra of simply rebuilding his city. Of course, politics are never simple in fiction, and while it's unlikely Winick will take the complexity of GA's maneuvering to levels seen tv shows such as The Wire or Brotherhood, I hope he doesn't abandon this political arc too quickly. Another solid Green Arrow effort from Winick and company.
8 out of 10

Star Wars: Legacy #1
(with review of companion issue #0)
writer: John Ostrander
artist: Jan Duursema
Dark Horse Comics, released 6-21-06
For all the enthusiasm I had for this new Star Wars title once I heard the Republic team of Ostrander and Duursema was being reunited, the initial image of its hero, Cade Skywalker, really had me worried. He looks like a smack-addicted pretty boy with a Jack Sparrow complex. How I could have been so foolish minded after experiencing Ostrander's phenomenal work with the conflicted Jedi knight, Quinlan Vos, I now have no idea.
Legacy takes place roughly 130 years after the Battle of Yavin (the end of A New Hope for those less intimate with the Star Wars timeline). In that time, a few generations of Skywalkers have come and gone, as have threats from legions of Sith. Cade, once trained as a Jedi, has left that path behind him and is now a smuggler by trade. Of course, we have yet to see any of the current exploits of Cade because this first issue finds him at a time when he first reveals hints of being a descendant of Anakin Skywalker through his inability to control his anger and brushes with the dark side. #1 is a good introduction issue and is in the process of laying the groundwork for an incredibly complex world. I know that it'll be intricate after reading the 25-cent #0 issue. In it, Ostrander gives quick overviews not only of Cade, the Jedi and the Sith, but also members of the Empire, the Imperials, Bounty Hunters and Stormtroopers, among other aspects of Legacy's world.
There's still a lot to prove here for Duursema and Ostrander, as this entire web of characters could fall apart, but I'm betting against it. They clearly have a grand scheme already in place this time out as opposed when they took over Republic, so as long as they have the creative freedom from Dark Horse to tell their tale, you'll be sorry if you don't jump on with this title now.
#0 - It's 25 cents! Pony up that friggin' quarter!
#1 - 7 out of 10

Brave New World #1
various writers and artists
DC Comics, released 6-28-06
What's that? 80 pages of comics for how much? A whole dollar!?!? Count me in.
I have to admit, this is a great marketing ploy by DC and one I'm surprised isn't done more often in comics. For one dollar you get previews of six new minis/on-goings: Martian Manhunter, OMAC, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, The All-New Atom, The Trials of Shazam!, and The Creeper. Out of this bunch, OMAC probably has the best chance to hold my interest with it's Total Recall-esque plotline, but for $1, I certainly can't complain. In the future, however, I hope they offer a more interesting selection in this format.
It's a dollar! Do you really need a rating to pick it up?!

New Avengers #21
writer: Brian Michael Bendis
artist: Howard Chaykin
Marvel Entertainment, released 6-28-06
After reading a slew of Civil War-related books that focused primarily on Iron Man and Spider-Man, I was really starting to wonder what Cap was up to because his own title has yet to catch up to the Civil War continuity. Well, my curiosity was filled once I opened this book -- he's holed up in a secret Nick Fury bunker. Normally, I probably would have loved an issue like this, but Chaykin's art really turned me off. The way he draws faces are all too boxy for my taste, and with each turn of the page, my annoyance quickly escalated to wrath (well, as much wrath as reading a decent comic book will allow). Eventually, even my enjoyment of the fairly exciting escape scene at the close of the issue was affected. Really, I came to appreciate two things after reading #21 -- unless Alex Ross and Steve Epting are busy, no one should be allowed to draw Captain America in a book he is featured prominently, and today's news of Frank Cho doing the art on the brand spankin' new The Mighty Avengers title will kick some major ass! (Had to toss that one in there; I've been thinking about it all day.) I just hope Chaykin's time on NA is short.
6 out of 10

The Longbox 3/25/06

Star Wars: Republic #83
writer: John Ostrander
artist: Jan Duursema
Dark Horse Comics, 2/06
Now that Episode III has been released, supposedly ending the Star Wars film franchise, Republic, which was effectively born when Episode I hit theaters, has now come to an end as well. The series has been very inconsistent, ranging from the incredibly dull to some of the most intriguing storylines to unfold in the Star Wars universe. For my money, the best of the series (which I've read almost every issue) came when John Ostrander was doing the scripting. While not all of the other writers were awful, none were memorable. One of the most impressive aspects of the series once Ostrander took over was his use of seemingly forgettable characters and giving them enough background and personality to become integral elements of Republic. Take Villie, the swindling rouge who appeared early in the series but who's broken English (a Star Wars staple) became annoying upon his introduction. However, in the hands of Ostrander, he became a character who you always wanted not to trust, but due to the various precarious situations our hero was placed in, always had to despite better judgment. Along with the do-I-trust-him-or-not scenario that always seemed to present itself while he was included in Republic, he often supplied the much-needed comic relief, which in the movies is usually regulated to Chewy or the droids. Previous storylines never touched on such important aspects of what makes Star Wars one of the most-loved franchises in history.
That said, the greatest improvement that Ostrander made was the inclusion of a Jedi hero who was engaging and mysterious, but clearly not just another Skywalker clone to go on adventures that were essentially rehashes of the film plotlines. He gave us Quinlan Vos, a Jedi who walked a dark path eclipsed only by Anakin Skywalker. Introduced to the series with a case of amnesia, Vos was never even himself sure if he was a dark Jedi or not. He was constantly put in positions to be a double and triple agent for the light and dark sides of the Force. Over the course of Republic, he came in contact with Obi-Wan, Count Dooku, and Yoda among other favorites from the movies. With all of these elements, Republic became one of my most anticipated books each month.
All of this culminates in #83, the final issue of the series. Quinlan and Villie are on the Wookie planet Kashyyyk along with Yoda during the battle depicted in Episode III. The clones turned against the Jedi forces a few issues back and Vos is stranded alone in the jungle preparing himself for certain death, as he has been feeling the deaths of the other Jedi knights through the Force. After focusing himself, he goes on an absolute tear against small groupings of clone soldiers. These scenes are magnificently depicted by Jan Duursema, whose art has been another strongpoint of Republic. Drawing both accurate renditions of characters from the movies and repeatedly exciting lightsaber battles cannot be an easy thing, and Duursema is in prime form with this issue again -- heads were flying all over the place, literally.
I'll leave you the read the details, but we did get the obligatory happy ending with this series, which to a degree went a little overboard, but understandably so. In the end, this was one of the great finds I've come across in comics, and I haven't found much written about it on the web, which is a shame.
I'm sorry to see it go, but Ostrander and Duursema will be teaming up again in the Star Wars universe for the upcoming series Star Wars: Legacy. Although it will apparently be focused on yet another Skywalker, it will be 100 years after the events of Episode VI, and hopefully that will allow Ostrander to create another unique Jedi, different from Quinlan Vos and the Skywalkers.
8 out of 10