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

The Longbox: Essential Moon Knight

Much like the groundhog of Puxny, Pa., "Graphic Novel Grab Bag" returns to Low Brow Media from nearly a year of slumber. Even though Phil did not see his shadow this year (meaning a shorter winter), it's still going to be cold outside. So what better to keep you warm than picking up a good collection of comics?

Essential Moon Knight vol. 1
writers: Doug Moench, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant
artists: Don Perlin, Mike Zeck, Jim Mooney, Jim Craig, Gene Colan, Keith Pollard, Bill Sienkiewicz
Collecting: WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #32-33, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #28-29, PETER PARKER, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #22-23, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #52, HULK MAGAZINE #11-15, 17-18 & 20, MARVEL PREVIEW #21, and MOON KNIGHT #1-10; 528 pages
Marvel Comics, released 2-15-06
Having greatly enjoyed the first few issues of Charlie Huston and David Finch's latest incarnation of Moon Knight, I decided to pick up the first volume in his Essential line in order to find out more about him. There was too much going on in those pages to be left to a quick scan on the Moon Knight Wikipedia page. I needed to know the real story about this character that was completely foreign to me.
For those of you unfamiliar with Marvel's Essential collections (as well as DC's similarly produced Showcase series), they consist of many classic issues reprinted in black and white on lower quality paper. Because of this, they are priced around $17, probably half of the price that colored, high-quality paper editions would run you. This may bother you; it doesn't bother me. I love a good, cheap comic. Sure, color would be nice, but as you know from reading this site, story is king in my book.
Though I've only read a handful of the Essential books that are available, I suspect that this assemblage is different than most of the others. For one, this only collects the first 10 issues of the original Moon Knight series. The majority of the books offer closer to 25 issues of a particular title. But Moon Knight's ascension to his own title took a different path than many other players in the Marvel Universe. He began as a guest character in a handful of issues of Werewolf By Night, followed by a few other similarly short appearances in other books, all of which are collected here. The first third of the book containing these stories was a little hard for me to get through. I am just used to the modern sensibilities of graphic storytelling and stories from the mid-70s seem a big quaint. While entertaining to a degree, the predictable and simplistic nature of these comics are one of the chief reasons why comics are still looked down upon by many people, which bothers me. On the other hand, I do have to remind myself that this was a different era, and the standards were very different then. Plus, Spidey and the Thing show up, so it's not a total loss.
Despite my criticisms of these early Moon Knight stories, I have to salute the talent of the pencilers, particularly Don Perlin, whose initial design for the character has only been altered over time, never completely overhauled as so many others have been -- even the Ultimate version of MK is very similar to that first panel in Werewolf By Night. I suspect the look of Moon Knight is one of the reasons he developed the cult he has around him.
Then came the stories from the Hulk Magazine. These are fantastic; probably the best stories of any kind that I've read from this era. The art is rich, even in the Essential format. I didn't know these reprints could look so good. At first, I was sure they had originally been painted panels, but I think the quality of art must have simply been better for the magazine than it had been for the standard comic back then. Regardless, it is an extraordinary effort by the reprint team and shows us that today's comics will be well-served in the black-and-white format someday. In addition to the great artwork is the grittier, racier, and more adult-themed storylines from Doug Moench. Moon Knight really came into his own character at this time, moving beyond the knock-off, Batman-in-white character he had largely been beforehand. Of particular interest of these stories is the three-part Randall Spector arc, in which MK is set up against his brother. I really did not think comics had reached this level of depth until the 80s, and this came a bit before that time.
Finally, the book closes with the initial 10 issues of Moon Knight's first solo series. All written by Moench and drawn by Sienkiewicz, these stories delved into MK's past and began to address the four personas in one man: Marc Spector, veteran marine and international mercenary; Steven Grant, the handsome, billionaire playboy; Jake Lockley, the common cabbie; and Moon Knight, the cloaked crime fighter. While the dabbling into multiple personality disorder is quaint at best, at least the creative team actually acknowledged it. Plus, it does set the stage for more in-depth analysis in later incarnations of the character.
These first 10 issues are pretty strong overall, if not perfect. The roles of MK's girlfriend and his sidekicks are all expanded during this period. No longer is Marlene just waiting around for Steven Grant to take her to a party. Frenchie actually has opinions while flying the Mooncopter. Crawley does more than merely divulge the word on the street to Jake Lockley. Gina and her kids do more than serve food and yell at Crawley. It's a fascinating group of characters and a more diverse supporting cast than most other heroes have.
As I've stated in various ways before now in this review, Essential Moon Knight vol. 1 is a solid collection. What really should propel you to take a look at this book, however, is how it ties so directly into Charlie Huston and David Finch's current run on Moon Knight. They've woven almost all of the characters mentioned here into that first arc. While you don't need to read this to enjoy the current adventures of MK, you will benefit from knowing both the history of what these characters mean to him and appreciate just how great a writer Huston is by successfully intertwining the past with the present for a cult character revered by many but unknown by most. If you're a Moon Knight fan, this truly is essential reading material.
8 out of 10

*** Now that LBM has expanded beyond comics, I've retooled some of the columns for the sake of simplicity. This was originally part of a feature I did called "Graphic Novel Grab Bag." I only ever wrote five, so I've re-tagged them as Longbox entries. Enjoy the early days of LBM that I've somehow resisted the urge to purge. -- JA, 1/20/10 ***