The Shortbox 5/29/08

The Immortal Iron Fist #14
writers: Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker
artists: Tonci Zonjic, Clay Mann, Stefano Gaudiano, Kano and Matt Hollingsworth
Marvel Comics, released 4-30-08
Wow. That is how you relaunch a character, boys and girls.
Three years ago, I had no clue who Iron Fist was. Now, he's become one of my favorite characters and is very close to joining the elite company, comprised of Daredevil and Hellboy, of characters whose books I will probably never stop buying. And to have done this in only 14 issues? Once again, I am amazed by Ed Brubaker and wholeheartedly impressed by Matt Fraction. Combining them just isn't fair to my wallet.
For those not reading this book, in this most recent story arc kung-fu billionaire Danny Rand initially was immersed in a martial arts tournament of six of the craziest kung-fu masters ever conceived battling for each of their representative "Capital City of Heaven" to have access to Earth for a day every 10 years, as opposed to every 50. Added to that was a civil uprising in K'un-Lun (Iron Fist's city), the personal vendettas of the Steel Serpent, and an litany of HYDRA agents holding Danny's business manager, Jeryn, as well as friends Colleen Wing, Misty Knight and Luke Cage hostage. And that's the short version.
Sounds fucking awesome, right?
Well, it is.
It feels too soon for Fraction and Brubaker to let go of Iron Fist, but they are leaving it in novelist and comic newcomer Duane Swierczynski's capable hands (his new Cable series is quite extraordinary thus far -- I will review it eventually). And judging from where this issue ends, there is a limitless array of possibilities for Swierczynski to take Danny Rand and pals in. Can't wait for issue 15.
10 out of 10

The Order #10
writer: Matt Fraction
artists: Javier Saltares with Barry Kitson
Marvel Comics, released 4-30-08
I'll continue the praise of Matt Fraction in the following entry with the final issue of The Order. This book got off to a bit of a slow start, and really hadn't gripped me completely until three issues or so ago. It's a shame because Marvel had announced that #10 would conclude the series as soon as I got hooked into it hardcore.
The mostly new group of characters (Pepper Potts and Tony Stark being the only two with significant roles here that were around beforehand) never had actual powers, but would be given them for a year's time, then be replaced by other new characters, all while protecting California as part of the 50-State Initiative. It was an intriguing premise and the new characters had some great back-stories. Toss them up against Zeke Stane, Obadiah's son, as the villain, and you had a fantastic mess of problems for the team to deal with. But Zeke wasn't known to be behind everything until recently, and the book was taking it's time a bit too much before that revelation.
Sadly, The Order found it's stride too late to save it, but fortunately what was begun here will be continued by Fraction in his new Invincible Iron Man title, while the new characters created in the this book will be folded into Dan Slott and Christos Gage's Avengers: The Initiative book. If you like what happens in those books in the months to come, it might be worth your time to check out the trades from this one.
8 out of 10

Hellboy: Free Comic Book Day (2008)
"The Mole"
writer: Mike Mignola
artist: Duncan Fegredo
"Out of Reach"
writers: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
artist: Guy Davis
"Bishop Olek's Devil"
writers: Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart
artist: Paul Azaceta
Dark Horse Comics, released 5-3-08
This is probably the best thing I've ever picked up on Free Comic Book Day and certainly my favorite read from this year. It is comprised of three canonical stories from the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. universe, all tying into three recent storylines. I've assumed that these were moments that just couldn't fit in the normal books for whatever reason, and if not for this comic, they would have been left on the cutting room floor. I love Free Comic Book Day.
The first story taps into one of Hellboy's own nightmares. It is pure magic. I don't know what else to say about this short tale. If you are a Hellboy fan, you'll love this. The only possible gripe is that Mignola didn't do the art, but I don't know that we'll ever get art from him any longer.
The second story is an epilogue to a B.P.R.D. arc that ended recently. However, what's really exciting in this one is that it's a bit of a prequel to the upcoming storyline and we see that Johan will be very much involved in it. Love Johan. Can't wait.
The final story also is a companion to a B.P.R.D. story, the recent 1946 arc. It's not a direct continuation, but rather another story featuring Prof. Bruttenholm during his youth. I'm so happy that Mignola is finally fleshing out Bruttenholm in the comics. He's been such a marvelous character in the first movie and the live-action films. I've always been disappointed of his death in the early pages of the Seed of Destruction, so to see him in action is superb.
If you're not a Hellboy nut like me, then you may not care for this book at all -- all it's stories on the vague side and seemingly very simple. But for those fellow disciples, a free Hellboy and B.P.R.D. comics is one of the coolest things in the world.
It's FREE Hellboy!!!

The Overman #5 (of 5)
writer: Scott Reed
artist: Shane White
Image Comics, released 4-2-08
So, I promised a few months back that I would check back in with this sci-fi mini series when all was said and done. I'm very sorry that I did that. This was a horrible, nonsensical story. I really can't express my distaste for this book enough. Every once in a while you take a flyer on an indie book, and results such as these really make you think twice before wasting your money again. That's a shame because there are so many overlooked books from small publishers.
Anyway, don't buy this one. Give something else a try.
2 out of 10

The Shortbox 7/12/07

The Boys #8
writer: Garth Ennis
artist: Darick Robertson
Dynamite Entertainment, released 6-27-07
I'm going to do my best not to make a Thin Lizzy joke for this review. That said, two issues into their run at Dynamite and I don't think these boys are back in town yet (okay, so I didn't try very hard). It's a pretty solid issue, however, and you do have to keep in mind that this was written before the creators knew they were going to be ousted from their initial home at Wildstorm. In other words, the second arc is probably going to move a little slower than the first.
The depiction of sexually dysfunctional superheroes continues, which one would hope isn't the only despicable aspect to this world's protectors (wow, I guess I actually want there to be something more appalling than that), but damn if it isn't interesting. Thankfully, Ennis does balance the homosexual perversions with more realistic issues, some that occur today and other more fantastic ones that likely would if we actually had powered people running amok. Although there isn't anything in particular to get excited over in this issue, it no doubt is setting things up down the line. A little more info on the Frenchman and the Female wouldn't hurt either.
7 out of 10

Thunderbolts #115
writer: Warren Ellis
artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Marvel Comics, released 6-27-07
I added this book to my pull list on a whim, and while it's been okay so far, I haven't felt compelled to write anything about for LowBrowMedia until now. Deodato's art is phenomenal in the issue. It's been great all along, but now with the ridiculously awesome violence that was in this one, he's moved onto my "will buy a book just because it says 'art by Mike Deodato, Jr.' on it" list. Even though it's the Scorpion inside, the new Venom has some great scenes in this one (bring back Brock at any time, Marvel). But this issue truly belongs to Bullseye. Being one of my favorite villains (big DD fan, remember?), Bullseye really hadn't done much in the book thus far, which had been disappointing. Then, rather unexpectedly, Ellis unleashed the psychopath that Bullseye is, maybe crazier than I've ever read him before (and that's saying something). I'll stay spoiler-free for this review, but Bullseye's future is a giant question mark at the close of the issue.
Also, I really have to give props to Ellis for making me care about the F-list level heroes he's put up against the T-Bolts. I can't believe I actually give a shit about a guy called American Eagle and I was actually pissed when Jack Flag died a few issues back. For hating superheroes, Warren Ellis sure knows how to write them.
9 out of 10

Jack of Fables #11
writers: Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges
artist: Steve Leialoha
Vertigo/DC Comics, released 6-6-07
Five months after starting this two-part arc we finally receive some resolution. That said, I did love the little "don't worry, we'll fix it in the trade" line that they gave at the end of Jack of Fables #6. This is turning into a pretty good book. I had my doubts about it's longevity early on, but it looks like it'll be around for some time. The most interesting thing about this story has been yet-to-be-seen ramifications of Jack's recklessness with the Snow Queen. We certainly haven't seen the last of her. Willingham's plan for these Fables characters is extraordinary. Making Jack's actions the cause for her becoming the cold-hearted, evil legend we all know was brilliant. I hope at some point the events of this book are felt in the pages of Fables, though I think that may be a long time coming.
8 out of 10

Moon Knight #11
writer: Charlie Huston
artists: Mico Suayan & Frank D'Armata
Marvel Comics, released 6-20-07
The first six issues of this latest incarnation of Moon Knight were some of my favorite books put out over the past year. Since then, Huston has tied MK into the greater Marvel U again, which in theory is a great idea, but the execution has been underwhelming at best. We've had guest spots from Spidey, Captain America, the Punisher and now Iron Man over the past few months. Steve Rodgers was the only one that didn't seem forced to me, but it certainly did not have to be included. These have all been little scenes tying into Civil War. In fact, despite the proclamation on the cover that this is an Initiative issue, the events actually take place before CW #6. How long ago did that book come out?! Has it been seven months already? So add to the lackluster plot and forced tie-in elements the fact that the plot occurred so long ago that I'm no longer interested. We know Moon Knight didn't do anything in Civil War already, so what's the point of forcing it down our throats this long afterwards?
The truly saddening thing about all of this is that Huston is clearly a good writer and has the character of Moon Knight down. But this is also his first comic-writing endeavor, and he hasn't learned how to do a proper tie-in yet. I hope Huston comes back to comics after his Moon Knight run, striking a Brad Meltzer-like balance between his novels and comic work. In the mean time, here's to Marvel picking a strong writer to take the good that Huston's done with the character and make him great.
5 out of 10

Wasteland #10
writer: Antony Johnston
artist: Christopher Mitten
Oni Press, released 6-1-07
It's been almost a year since I last checked in with Wasteland here at LowBrowMedia and a lot has happened. The various fractions of the story are beginning to come together now, and what I suspected then I can now proclaim is true -- this is a great book. Yes, it's still just getting started, but with every issue that comes out, it's clear that this story is going somewhere. I can't tell exactly where yet, but I do know that Johnston has a plan for it, and as long as we, the comic-buying public, keep supporting it, we'll get there. The astounding piece of information we got in this issue is that Michael, Abi and Marcus all have ties to a world that (through Marcus' memory) is much more like our own than the "modern" world of Wasteland. How this all ties back to the America that we know is what keeps me repeatedly riveted each month.
Mitten's art is great once again, and his style appropriately evolves when a dream, flashback or hallucination is shown. The great thing about this book is that it is by no means too late to jump on it. If you agree with my reviews on this site, then you'll love this book.
9 out of 10

Iron Fist #6
writers: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction
artists: David Aja & Russ Heath
Marvel Comics, released 6-27-07
Amazingly enough, I haven't reviewed this title yet for the site. As you can probably guess, I'm ecstatic for each and every morsel I can get on it. It's written by two of the most exciting guys involved in comics right now and drawn exquisitely by a bevy of artists. David Aja draws the present-day Iron Fist story, while the other artists take care of the flashback portions of the story, which there are a lot of. That process, while unorthodox, is great, not only because it will keep the book from going late, but the styles themselves compliment each other and the eras they are depicting. This issue closes out the first arc and guest stars the original Heroes for Hire crew kicking some Hydra ass along with Iron Fist and his grand-pappy, Orson Rand. It is wall-to-wall action this go-around, and it's just a great read. Taking the billionaire playboy down to nothing, then mixing classic kung-fu mysticism with modern-day sensibilities drives forth a compelling and riveting ride each time I pick up an issue. This is probably my favorite Marvel book right now and it has the potential to get better. Who knows if it will, but a kung-fu competition in the next arc is a great place to start.
10 out of 10