Sunday, January 12, 2020

Ultra, McCloud Comics, Usagi Yojimbo, Way of the Rat, Whiteout, Wizard's Tale, Zoom's Academy, Zorro

It’s getting harder and harder to find time to write…
Ultra 1-8
Another Luna Brothers collaboration.  This is a relatively light, fluffy piece about female superheroes as capitalist commodities.  It’s a slightly less cynical take on the concept before Garth Ennis’ scorched earth approach with The Boys a few years later.  (Yes, a few other examples come to mind, primarily JM Straczynski’s Squadron Supreme and Rising Stars.)  Still a fan of Jonathan Luna’s clean art style.

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: No
Would read again: Yes 
Rating: Pretty good

Understanding Comics
Reinventing Comics
I thought about re-reading these and said, “Nope.”  These are textbooks more than comics, and as amazing as these are, and for all the craft Scott McCloud brings to these works, I don’t have the time or inclination to read these.  Still keeping them, but more for reference than entertainment.

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: Yes (No for Reinventing)
Would read again: Yes  (No for Reinventing)
Rating: Huh (Doesn’t fit into the normal rating system)

Usagi Yojimbo Color Special 5
TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo 1
Usagi is one of the most consistent things I’ve ever read.  I’m never surprised by it one way or another. And while I always enjoy the reading experience, the details don’t really matter.  It’s like the comics version of Bones or Castle.  I don’t think I’ll ever buy any Usagi again.  32+ volumes and these random issues are plenty.

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: No
Would read again: Yes 
Rating: Nice

Way of the Rat 1-24
I read this entire run in one day, which speaks to the wonderful entertainment value that Chuck Dixon and Jeff Johnson packed into this title.  It’s a shame that Crossgen (and the planned movie adaptation) went under, I would have enjoyed reading and watching more of this.  

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: Yes
Would read again: Yes 
Rating: Pretty good

Whiteout 1-4
Whiteout: Melt 1-4
I liked the sequel more than the original, it had more tidbits about Antarctica’s history that I enjoyed reading, as well as some action and survival sequences that really popped.  Not as good as Rucka’s Queen and Country, but decent in its own right.  (Not that they two are really connected, but there’s a government enforcer vibe tying them together.)

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: No
Would read again: Yes 
Rating: Nice, Pretty good for Melt

Wizard’s Tale
As delightful now as when I first read it in college.  Kurt Busiek’s story is adorably subversive, with the titular evil wizard wishing that he was anything but.  But it’s Dave Wenzel’s art that dominates this work, with the ubiquitous Wrecklings stealing the scene on every page.  Can’t wait to read this with my daughter.  

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: Yes
Would read again: Yes 
Rating: Pure joy

Zoom’s Academy for the Super Gifted 1
I picked this up at a con because it was published by Mike Kunkel’s Astonish Comics, back when I was in love with anything he was involved with.  This comic by Jason Lethcoe is your standard “outsider kid turns out to be special and in introduced to a school where she can realize her true potential.”  Apparently it became a movie and children’s book series, good for Lethcoe! I’ll keep this only because he signed the copy I bought. 

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: No
Would read again: No
Rating: Fine

Zorro 1-15
Matt Wagner writes and does the cover art for this Dynamite Comics series, and I wish he did the interiors as well.  Francesco Francavilla and Cezar Rezik do fine (Francavilla has a nice Cliff Chiang vibe going on), but Wagner’s on a whole different level.  

The stories are fine, but what they really did was inspire me to watch the Antonio Banderas/Catherine Zeta Jones movie, which I still love after all these years.  (The Tyrone Power one is damn good too.)


One of my favorite action/romance scenes ever.

Regret buying: No
Would buy again: No
Would read again: Yes
Rating: Nice

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