Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Runaways

Just a couple of new comics this week:

Spider-Man 237

Yet another Bendis title that’s not long for my pull list.  This issue consists of the following:

Miles talks with Aaron.

Jefferson talks with Rio.

Miles talks with Jefferson and Rio.

Lana talks with her mom.

Red Hulk talks with Hobgoblin.  

Miles talks with Aaron again.

Danika talks with someone on the phone.

The only ‘action’ that happens is Hobgoblin’s ill-considered murder attempt of the Red Hulk, less than a page’s worth of content.  

And I am perfectly content with all of it.  Just as many words as a Stan Lee comic (okay, maybe not quite as many), but infinitely more compelling.  There’s a magic to the flow of his dialog that always leaves me wanting more.  The guy should try his hand at screenwriting or something.  

Six years ago, the death of Ultimate Peter Parker was the last time I actively hated a comic because of how much it emotionally affected me.  (It might also be the first, another example doesn’t spring to mind.)   I loved what Bendis had done with the character and supporting cast.  I did not want Peter to die.  I did not want Aunt May and MJ to go through that pain.  

I did not want to like whoever Bendis had planned to follow in Spider-Man’s footsteps.  

Six years later, I don’t want Bendis to stop writing Miles Morales.  There are too many stories left to tell, and no one will be able to tell them as well.

Runaways 6

Six issues in and I’ve finally added this on to my pull list.  Rowell has recreated Brian K Vaughan’s vibe quite nicely, and these kids all sound like I remember.  Looking forward to their continued adventures.  

Also, I need to watch the show.  The first ep was good, and I haven’t gotten back to it yet.

Fantastic Four 48-51

Maybe this is how myths happen.  The story of the Fantastic Four’s epic first encounter with Galactus is the stuff of legend.  It’s been referenced and retold countless times.  It’s as classic as comics come.  But after reading for the second time in my life, the original leaves me cold.  It really could have used more room to develop the story.  Even though it’s a three-issue arc, the main plot is bookended by an issue’s worth of filler.  Two issues’ worth of content is not enough to properly tell this story.  More time could have been gainfully spent on, among other things,  Johnny Storm’s mission to retrieve the Ultimate Nullifier (man, did Stan Lee know how to name things!) and the conversion of the Silver Surfer (the intentions were good, Alicia had it a little too easy).  A modern day deconstruction of this story could be amazing.

The worst indictment is that I found myself wanting to read Busiek’s version in issue 3 of Marvels instead of this.  

Can’t sign off before shouting out to Jack Kirby’s mad machines and photo collages.  I found the color versions online.

Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four 41-47, Fantastic Four Annual 3

The first chunk of the massive Essential FF Volume 3.  What a nice, cost effective way of reprinting classic Marvel comics - Twenty four issues in black and white for 15 bucks.  Crazy good value if you’re just looking to read the old school stuff.  I’m pretty sure I got this to read the original Galactus saga.

Gotta say, I was not looking forward to reading this again.  I love and respect Stan Lee’s stories, his characters, and the sheer volume of both.  The amount of lasting, legendary work he put out is truly mind-boggling.  In just the eight issues that I’ve read, he married Reed Richards and Sue Storm and introduced the Inhumans, both elements that are still playing major roles in the MCU today.  

But like JRR Tolkien, Lee’s ideas and stories far surpass the quality of the writing itself.  His self-proclaimed bombastic wordplay is absolutely exhausting to read, and not in a good way.  The overwrought, melodramatic dialog and narration is amusing enough at the start, but it wears thin very quickly.  I contemplated giving up on the whole trade three issues in, but the Inhumans storyline gave me a second wind, enough to make it to the Galactus arc, which starts tomorrow.  I’ll push on through that, at least.  

The sexual politics of the sixties are cringe-worthy to say the least.  I doubt if Lee’s views are an isolated incident.  Even keeping that in mind, the sheer number of instances surprised me.  After a while, there’s nothing to do but laugh and hope that we’ve managed to advance our stances in the right direction since then.  (Sometimes I doubt even that.)  Let’s take a walk down the hallways of yesteryear.

Her undying love for Black Bolt clearly takes a backseat for a couple seconds

God forbid that masculine and romantic be paired together.

Yeah, maybe we haven't come too far since the 1960s...

Moving on.  The combination of Stan Lee science and Jack Kirby tech is admittedly brilliant.  Kirby’s machinery looks like nothing else, and I love it.  Lee doesn’t try to make his gadgets feasible on anything more than the most superficial of levels, and even that’s being generous.  

I don't--How does that even--

Of course you could tell.  It had to be a sub-atronic time displacer.

Someone needs to bring these machines back.  I can’t even imagine what Grant Morrison or Warren Ellis would do with toys like these.

Beland Fantastic Four, Unstable Molecules

Marvel Box 4 begins!  Fantastic Four pretty much from front to back.

Fantastic Four: Isla de la Muerte!

Fantastic Four: Bahia de los Muertos!

Fantastic Four: Ataque del MODOK!

The Tom Beland FF in Puerto Rico Trilogy.  These issues play well to Beland’s strengths - heartwarming stories about family, a love for the island where he lived for so many years, and a fun sense of humor.  He’s not above speechifying a bit much in at least the first two of those areas, but his sincerity buys him the leeway he needs to get away with it.  

Juan Doe does a marvelous job on all three of these issues.  Isla de la Muerte was his first sequential work, which came as a surprise to me; There’s so much confidence and joy in his work that I never would have guessed.  Here's a nice interview about how he got the gig and the work he put into it.  The vibrancy of his colors and the boldness of the imagery is a perfect fit for the stories Beland tells.

I'm reminded of Pixar concept art, for some reason.

I love this drawing.

    

Three issues...

...Three very different Sue Storms.

Other things I liked:

Beland can’t resist an opportunity to educate the reader about Puerto Rican history.  Whether it’s the history of Fort San Felipe del Morro, the US Navy’s controversial presence in Vieques, or the tastiness of mofongo, Beland wants us to learn a little more about what makes the place so special.  

He also reminds us twice that tacos are from Mexico, not Puerto Rico.  Johnny Storm keeps getting it wrong.  (I was hoping he’d bring it up in the third issue, but no dice.)

First issue...

Second issue...c'mon, just one more!

No dice.  I guess Bendis is right, it is hard.

Best version of this classic line ever:

Yes!  Yes, it is!

The explanation for why Reed Richards chose “Mr Fantastic” for his hero name is very sweet, and very much something that Beland would come up with.

And finally, I’m glad he got this into the last issue:

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Nice

2/5/18

Unstable Molecules 1-4

This was such a fun concept: What if the Fantastic Four were based on real life people that Lee and Kirby knew from the late fifties?  James Sturm tells the story of these four regular individuals, and how their actions on a night in 1958 inspired the first family of the Marvel universe.  

Aside from that tangential connection, this series could just as easily pass for a slice of life comic about everyday people.  The most comparable example that I can think of is Matt Wagner’s Sandman Mystery Theatre, minus the superheroics.  This is undoubtedly due to the Guy Davis link, but I stand by the similarity of strongly written relationships between well-characterized protagonists.

Guy Davis is, of course, perfect for this title.  Art that calls for people of all shapes and sizes, with not an idealized body in the bunch, set just a decade after SMT.  Inspired choice by the editing team.  

I wish that the story continued - the fake appendices refer to 2 additional volumes, and I would have loved to read those.  

By the by, this won the Eisner for Best Limited Series in 2004.  Can’t complain, let’s see what it was up agains-----Holy crap.  Arrowsmith, Empire, Global Frequency, JSA: Unholy Three, and Red Son?  That’s a freakings stacked ballot.  I’m complaining now.  This was pretty good, but there are at least two flat out Really Good titles on that list.  

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Batman, Batman Annual

Batman 9-20, 23-24

Batman Annual 1

Another interlude so that I can read some comics that I’ve recently picked up.

I originally gave this title four issues, based solely on Tom King’s name.  I quit when it didn’t approach the transcendent experience of his Vision work.  Which may not have been fair.  I picked these trades up at a sale, and I’m now ready to pick up more.  It may not be Vision or Mister Miracle, but it’s still darn good comics. It relies a little too much on the “I AM [NOUN]” motif, but it’s almost worth it for when the one person who really matters says it.

Let’s take a moment to pay homage to the master:

And the next best thing, courtesy of HISHE:

The biggest thing that King does in these issues is fan the flames that always existed between Batman and Catwoman into the full-fledged infernos of love.  I’m torn on this decision.  Like the pairing of Superman and Wonder Woman, it’s always felt too obvious to me.  Not to say that I’m not enjoying the execution, but King’s going to be walking that fine line between fan service and strong story/characterization in the coming issues.  

I do love how they call each other “Bat” and “Cat.”  It’s pretty adorbs coming from Batman.

I approve of Kite Man as King’s running gag villain.

Talking about the art for the rest of this.  I do not remember Mikel Janin when I read Grayson.  I’ll need to go back, because his work here is spectacular.  Issue 12 is a thing of beauty.  Batman relentlessly plows his way through the issue, and every page is a wonder to look at, highlighted by this work of art:

There are number of other art callbacks in these issues.  The ones that are intentional:

Miller and Mazzucchelli, natch.

He thinks a lot about people in Arkham.

Same card table?

Others are probably just in my mind:

That boxing pose looked familiar...

The deep shadows, completely blotting out the eyes, here by David Finch...

...are a Tim Bradstreet staple.

Something about the way Batman's clenching his fists, arms tight by his sides...

...is very Tim Sale to me.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Good

Empress

Empress 1-7

Mark Millar is such an interesting fellow.  He’s an amazingly talented writer, with an exceptional ability to create the comic equivalent of catchy pop song hooks.  His stories grab you from the start, don’t let go, and are finished before you know it.  Perfect movie blockbuster material, which is really the point of Millarworld comics.  Each of the properties he creates for it is meant to be a springboard for the next big movie franchise.  Netflix’s acquisition of Millarworld in 2017 must have been the sweet culmination of a decade-long plan.

Good for Millar, but it also means that his comics have been off-peak for quite some time.  Entertaining?  For sure.  Substantive?  Not as much.

Case in point: Empress.  Millar jumps from action scene to action scene, and it’s all very exciting, but nothing sticks in my mind.  While I was quite happy to read it, I know I’ll never find myself thinking, “Hey, let’s pull out Empress and read that again.”  Contrast that to his work on Ultimates or Authority, which rank in my upper echelon of comics.  

But let’s not forget to give Stuart Immonen his due, because he should always be given his due.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Hey, I’ve reached the end of Marvel Box 3!

Box Summary:

Time spent reading: 27 hours, 8 minutes

Issues read: 198

Issues cut: 50

Highlights (Good or better): Daredevil 260, Doctor Strange 1-6

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 78 hours, 9 minutes

Issues read: 557

Issues cut: 79

Punisher: The Platoon, Astro City, Invincible Iron Man, Jessica Jones, Defenders

New comics day!

Punisher: The Platoon 5

At this point, I’m no longer sure if Preacher or Hitman qualify as Garth Ennis’ magnum opus.  His run on Punisher has got to be in the conversation as well.  After an entertaining but ultimately silly start, his run under the Max imprint took things to an entirely different level.  His supplementary one-shots and mini-series only enhance his epic, and this story is no different.  This issue is nothing more than a war story flashback, but it’s utterly engrossing and I could not ask for more.

Astro City 50

I never thought that Kurt Busiek would revisit one of my favorite comic issues of all time, Astro City ½.  The Nearness of You may very well be the perfect comic story, and I definitely approached this issue with trepidation.  How can Busiek follow up something that beloved?  

So far, I have to say not nearly as well.  While the continuing story of Michael Tenicek isn’t a disappointment, it also doesn’t tug at the heartstrings in the same way.  It’s entirely unfair to ask for the same experience as last time, but I was hoping for something that I didn’t know I needed.  There are a few issues to go in this arc, so I’m still holding out hope.  

Invincible Iron Man 596

Jessica Jones 16

Defenders 9

Three Bendis comics finish up the week.  My cup doth run over.  Ennis, Busiek, and 3x Bendis is as good as I can ask for.  My Marvel subscription list is going to be a lot shorter in a couple of months, as Bendis transitions completely over to DC.

Iron Man has been his weakest title.  Perhaps it will read better as a whole, but it has felt pretty aimless for a while.  No one seems to be doing much, outside of the still snappy and entertaining banter.

Defenders may be the best action comic that I’m currently reading.  David Marquez has a gift for fight scenes, and Bendis gives him plenty of opportunities to shine.  And that cover!

I just noticed Deadpool back there.

I so want this group in a team book.

Finally, Jessica Jones.  Between Bendis’ comics and David Tennant’s portrayal in the show, the Purple Man might the scariest villain in the comic universe.  The sheer helplessness that he induces in those around him, paired with his amoral nature is terrifying.  My critique is that there’s nowhere to go from here.  It reminds me of a scene in Peter David’s Q Squared.  (An awesome Star Trek novel.)  A renegade Q has clearly demonstrated his supremacy, and Picard realizes that there’s simply nothing that he can do.  So he gives up.  

That’s what happens here.  There’s nothing that Jessica can do, she gives up, and the only way she can get out of this is if Killgrave beats himself.  Which is what looks like is going to happen.  Making the situation so hopeless paradoxically robs it of the tension and drama.  I still want to know what happens next, but I don’t predict an ending that doesn’t feel like a cheat.  

Elektra: Assassin

Elektra: Assassin 1-8

This is a fever dream of a comic.  Garrett isn’t the only one who’s getting his mind screwed with;  It took everything that I had just to hang on to the story.  At the end of it all, I don’t think I liked the comic as much as I liked the experience of reading it.  

I’m struggling to come up with things to say about this.  But even as I flip through it for inspiration, I can’t latch on to anything.  Everything’s elusive and slips away before I can form a thought.  Let’s shift over to Sienkiewicz.  If nothing else, I can fill the rest of this with pretty pictures.

This whole thing is a visual marvel.  Every panel contains a new revelation.  I could legitimately choose a page at random and use it as an example.  In fact, let’s do that.  *Rolling dice*  Okay, issue 2, page 20.  What have we got?

Yep, I’m fine with that.

I don’t know what kind of mind came up with a helicopter that looks like this:

The decision to use the same image for Ken Wind’s face throughout the series is brilliant, creepy, and an inspired statement about politicians.  That he’s possessed by The Beast isn’t even necessary.

That’s all I’ve got today.  Ending with more Elektra.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty good