Sandman Mystery Theatre

Sandman Mystery Theatre 1-16

I have my college roommate to thank for getting into this series.  On the surface, it’s very much a period procedural, following Wesley Dodds as he solves the mystery of the week.  (Or mystery of the four months, as it were.)  But this series is really about the relationship between Wesley and Dian Belmont, perhaps one of the best comic book pairings ever.  Perhaps even more accurately, this series is about the development and growth of Dian.  While Wesley will certainly be a different person seventy issues from now, it’s Dian who does the most changing.  It’s a great arc for her, and it’s going to be fun re-reading it from the start.  

Quick summary of the stories:

The Tarantula: A family matriarch and her son kill a bunch of women.  Dian meets Wesley and is intrigued.

The Face: A bunch of killings threaten to start a gang war in Chinatown.  Dian rekindles a romance with one of the gang members and starts going to Wesley for advice.

The Brute: A story about parents and their children while a rich eccentric gets into underground fighting and heroin dealing.  Dian develops an interest in helping underprivileged children.

The Vamp: An abused woman takes her revenge on a group of frat brothers.  Wesley and Dian officially like each other and do something about it.

Guy Davis draws the first and fourth arcs, and it’s amazing how perfect he is for this title.  

This title is on the cusp between Good and Pretty Good.  I wonder if it’s familiarity that’s got me rating it at Pretty Good for most of it, and whether it deserves the Good.  Merits more thought as I continue reading.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good.  Pretty good for 5-16

Losers

Losers 20-32

I think this is at least the third time I’ve read through Losers.  This time through, I was about as equally entertained as the previous gos, but the difference is the revelation that I don’t like it enough to buy it again.  (Contradicting what I’ve said the last two days.)  Continuing what I mentioned yesterday, writer Andy Diggle loads the last two trades with even more “America is corrupt and capitalistic and we will make the whole world in its image” villainy, and it’s frankly exhausting, tired, and not that interesting to read about.  Plus, I’m positive the “start a sovereign nation from the pushed up land created by an earthquake in the middle of the ocean” plot was literally out of a GI Joe comic book.  Not a good sign when you’re ripping off COBRA.  

So to sum up: A fun group of characters to follow around for a while, but I would have liked it if they fought for something a little more interesting to read than “the America that I believe in.”  

Oh!  I need to mention that the art by Jock (when there wasn’t a fill-in artist), is excellent.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Losers

Losers 7-19

More of the same.  This is a well done comic, but all the CIA conspiracy stuff is surprisingly generic - heroin selling, Middle Eastern entanglements, human trafficking, etc.  And of course there are children deaths to help motivate our heroes along.  It’s all very by the book, but it’s Andy Diggle characters that elevate this a notch higher.  This is a fun group of people to read about.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Human Target, Losers

Human Target 17

Christopher Chance applies his talents to someone else, helping a woman in witness protection assume a new identity.  Of course, it reveals way more about Chance’s fucked up psyche than the woman’s.  And the ending has a nice sense of morbid closure.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Human Target 18

Blech.  Three punk kids take the law into their own hands, harassing Hindus in the name of protecting America from the Muslims after 9/11.  As do the cops, killing said Hindu because “he might have had a gun.”  Sigh.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Human Target 19-21

The final arc of the series.  Peter Milligan brings it all the way back to the original miniseries as Tom McFadden returns.  I know I’ve said over the past couple of days that the better Target stories are the ones that play with multiple levels of identity past the first impersonation, but this one feels tired, almost lazy.  My response to the “who’s the real Christopher Chance” question is the same as Chance’s: Does it really matter?

What fascinates me more is the reaction of Mary.  Here’s a woman who’s already willingly hooked up with Chance while he was impersonating her murdered husband.  And then she stays with him after he reverts to his own face.  And now she transfers her affection to Tom because he plays a more affectionate and attentive Chance.  She’s just as messed up as Chance, and I’d like to get more insight into her head.

This title definitely took a downturn about halfway through, but overall it’s still a great take on a sweet premise.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Losers 1-6

Andy Diggle and Jock’s take on the A-Team.  A group of soldiers betrayed by the CIA try to hit back and clear their names.  I remember two things about this series:  It’s good, and this scene:

The movie this spawned is also pretty good, and they recreate this bit beautifully with a pre-Cap Chris Evans:

A nice start, I hope the rest is as good as this.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Human Target

Human Target 14-16

The arcs are continuing to decline in quality.  This time, Chance replaces a Christian cult leader, things go to shit, there’s some shooting, blah blah blah.  A sad fall from grace for what’s been an amazing run to this point.  Not that it sucks or anything, especially with Cliff Chiang art leading the way.  But it can be so much better.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Human Target

Human Target 7-13

A slight dip in quality for the two 3-issue arcs here; In the first one, Chance takes on the remnants of an anti-government terrorist cell from the sixties.  In the second, Chance gets his old face back and gets involved with a child smuggling ring.  Both are less interesting than the previous stories because they lack the mind games and twists I’ve come to enjoy.  

Also, zealous nuts bore me and child slavery terrifies the shit out of me, so they lose points on those fronts as well.

It's horrifying for Peter Milligan to finish the arc like this. He leaves what could be happening to the little girl behind that mundane facade to the reader's imagination. And while the story is over, it's nowhere close to The End for her. Chills.

These tales are sandwiched around a one-shot that’s so utterly delightful that I can hardly believe it.  By this point in the series, I should never expect things to end in a straightforward manner, but I was thoroughly charmed and surprised by the reveal nonetheless.  (Chance helps an escaped convict friend enjoy a few days of freedom before returning to prison.)  In an excellent title, this issue stands out.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good  (Pure joy for 10)

Human Target

Human Target 1-4

Human Target: Final Cut

Human Target 1-6

For a writer as well known as Peter Milligan, this is the only extended run of his that I own.  His work doesn’t seem to resonate with me.  That said, this is a phenomenal series.  His Christopher Chance is totally fucked up, his mental instability and fractured sense of self demonstrated in such compelling and clever ways time and again.  (If only Moon Knight was ever written so well.)

Look at just two of the situations: Chance hires his assistant Tom to play himself (Chance).  While impersonating Chance, Tom takes a job and subsumes himself into the role of a minister, a role that the original Chance later plays as well.  The way Milligan writes the story, you never know who’s playing whom (or if it’s the actual person!) until it suits the moment, and while convoluted, it’s never confusing.  It’s entertaining as heck.  

In another, Chance fakes his death and takes the face and life of a former client (Frank).  To shake himself out of that life, a separate aspect/personality of his impersonates a killer to attack himself (Frank).  So twisted, but it makes perfect sense given his messed up identity.  The series is full of these self-examinations, as Chance ironically learns more and more about himself while pretending to be other people.  

The art is perfect, Milligan really got paired up with some excellent partners: Edvin Biukovic (RIP), Javier Pulido, and Cliff Chiang.  All favorites of mine.

Such a John Woo visual.

Atrocious, unreadable lettering.

Love that look, with the flowing cloth and hoodie.

Insightful, and sobering.

He looks exactly like Fernando Vina...

...a favorite of mine when he was on the Cardinals.

Can’t wait to read the rest of the issues over the next few days.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Hellblazer

Hellblazer 72-83

Geez, what a horrible ending to what wasn’t the best of runs to begin with.  Garth Ennis wastes four issues putting Constantine in a fever dream that takes him across America, talking about how horrible the country is.  I don’t have a problem with the thesis, but it’s so fricking boring.  He follows it with some pointless stories about Brendan Finn, the alcoholic who turned holy water into beer.  And then the arc that wraps up the whole thing, where the First of the Fallen figures out a way around Constantine’s Catch-22 and tries to get his revenge.  (It’s not that clever.  Turns out the First was always more powerful than the rest of the Triumvirate of Hell, and he just kills them.  Seriously.)

 

I really want to cut this trade, but the completionist wants to keep the full Ennis run, even though I will never want to re-read these.  Well, as my wife says, when in doubt, keep it.

 

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Hated.  (Didn’t suck for 77-83)

Heartland 1

I know I’ve said I love Kit Ryan, but her family is too dysfunctional for me to enjoy this story.  And while I’m all for a lecture on the Ireland/England conflict, Ennis has got to find a better way to give it.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Hellblazer 134-140

Warren Ellis’ six issue arc about an abused, murdered ex-girlfriend of John’s is completely depressing, gruesome for its own sake, and a total waste of my time.  The single issue story that follows isn’t any better.  What an easy cut.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Disliked

Dune, Eternals

Dune

Wow.  I barely know what to say.  This left me with almost the exact same thoughts as Denis Villeneuve’s previous film, Blade Runner 2049: amazing, evocative moods, stunning visuals, and a meandering, dreamlike story that barely qualifies as a narrative.  

The casting is flawless, I love Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides.  Zendaya is always welcome, and everyone else plays their roles faultlessly.

And those sandworms.  Holy shit, I don’t know if I’ve seen anything more visually stunning in a film in ages.  So.  Cool.  

Happy I watched this, but I’ll never want to watch it again, aside from the sandworm stuff, I think.  (Similarly, there are a few Blade Runner scenes I want to revisit.)

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Pretty good

Eternals

Well.  So.  That was a thing.  I don’t think it deserves all the vitriol I’ve seen in passing on the internet (I’ve been trying to stay clear of all spoilers).  But director Chloe Zhao and the other writers really dug themselves a hole when they decided to have a team with ten new characters.  Even the risky Guardians of the Galaxy had half the number of members.  

I would have loved this if the characters were the X-Men or the Justice League (there are totally analogs for just about everyone), but the big fights don’t have the same emotional thrill when the fighters are total strangers.  

The cast is fine, typical of Marvel casting.  But unlike every other MCU movie, I can’t see this team interacting with any of the characters from the other movies.  The tone of this film is too other.  Not in a bad way, but it doesn’t feel like it’s of the same piece. 

There are a ton of plot holes that I don’t understand, and I don’t care enough to go through them right now.  (I’m sick, and even if I weren’t…)

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Fine

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Ant Man/Wasp

5. Avengers: Infinity War

6. Shang-Chi

7. Black Panther

8. Captain America: First Avenger

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming

10. Avengers

11. Avengers: Age of Ultron

12. Spider-Man: Far From Home

13. Thor 3

14. Black Widow

15. Captain Marvel

16. Ant-Man

17. Iron Man 1

18. Iron Man 3

19. Doctor Strange

20. Iron Man 2

21. Eternals

22. Guardians 1

23. Guardians 2

24. Thor

25. Hulk

Thor 2

Ennis Hellblazer

Hellblazer 62-71

Vertigo Jam 1

Hellblazer Special 1

Garth Ennis is so good at telling stories.  Not comic book stories, but the kind that people tell around the table at the pub or when they’re just shooting the shit chilling at someone’s house.  Sure, it’s a bit unrealistic (who actually talks that much anymore?  I call it the How I Met Your Mother impossibility, where we’re expected to believe that everyone tells their stories with such an insane level of detail), but it’s sure as heck compelling.  

Okay, not quite something they'd tell in HIMYM.

Anyway, some good stuff here: Constantine engineers the fall of the Archangel Gabriel (which I should have seen coming, but didn’t), Ennis devotes more and more space to war stories, and Kit realizes how dangerous it is to be with John.  

Her departure is remarkably similar to Tiegel’s in Ennis’ phenomenal Hitman; A strong woman’s drawn to the bad boy, and even dates him for a while, but has the smarts to leave then she realizes he’s never going to change, no matter how much they love each other.  And I do believe both couples actually love each other.  

Getting your heart broken’s the great equalizer.  Even Constantine isn’t immune.

Of course he mopes in the rain.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes (No for 62-63, 68-69, Hellblazer Special)

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good (Nice for 62-63, 68-69.  Good for Vertigo Jam)

Ennis Hellblazer

Hellblazer 57-61

Two arcs here.  In the first Constantine and Chas investigate this guy who shoots up dead bodies, disrupting their souls, yadda yadda.  It’s not bad, the highlight is Steve Dillon back on art.  No one does self-important smiles like that guy.

Just a glance and you want to smack him.

The next one is the biggie: Not only does Garth Ennis tie himself into knots trying to explain the difference between the First of the Fallen and Sandman’s Lucifer, but this might very well be the origin of Genesis from Preacher.  Either that or he completely rips himself off.  Whatever the case may be, the meta is a lot more interesting than the actual story.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Ennis Hellblazer

Hellblazer 49-56

Things get off to a not-so-good start as John Constantine meets the Lord of the Dance.  Not this one:

His next encounter, with the First Vampire, isn’t much better, just a bunch of self-important navel gazing that tells you why Constantine is tortured and a badass instead of showing it.

But things get better with a creepy encounter in a laundromat, a poor man’s version of Neil Gaiman’s superlative “24 Hours” in Sandman.  That gets followed by the first extended arc in this trade, “Royal Blood.”  The demon that possessed Jack the Ripper (go with it) has now possessed Prince Charles.  The ensuing murder spree is sufficiently grotesque, and Constantine’s called in by the government to fix it.  It’s pretty well done, the nicest showcase of Constantine’s powers and character since “Dangerous Habits.”  I particularly like Garth Ennis’ description of the demon’s manipulation of Charles’ brain, accompanied by some sweet art by Will Simpson.  (His art fits this arc a lot better than “Habits.”)

The last issue today is a run-of-the-mill investigation of a “sell your soul to the devil” situation.  Perfectly readable.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice (Fine for 49-50)

Ennis Hellblazer

Hellblazer 41-46

I think this is the first Hellblazer I ever read, and it’s still the best.  And to think Garth Ennis nailed it with his very first story arc.  Summary: John Constantine’s diagnosed w/ terminal lung cancer (all those cigarettes, obviously), and he weasels his way out of it in the definitive Constantine con.  It’s brilliant and clever, with all of his signature cockiness and attitude.  It really doesn’t get better from a story POV.

The art on the other hand…Let’s just say that seeing Will Simpson’s art triggers a very particular era and style of comics for me, and it’s not the best feeling.  This story (and Ennis) deserves a higher class of artist, and he’s going to get it soon with Steve Dillon.

Holy water into beer.  I've always loved this bit.

Even back then, Ennis couldn't resist throwing in a war story whenever he could.

The essence of Constantine in two pages.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good   

Hellblazer 47-48

I went the longest time without getting any more of the Ennis run after the Dangerous Habits arc.  I finally caved when I started jonesing for anything Ennis that I hadn’t already read.  If memory serves, it was a mistake; compared to Habits, nothing afterwards was nearly as good.  We’ll see if that holds true.

This first story bears that out; it’s a fine tale about mobsters and their ghost victims, but it’s nothing special at all.  This could be a long forty issues…

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice