Ocean, Orbiter

Ocean 1-6

Warren Ellis’ work may not be quite as good as I remember, but I’m certainly excited enough by it to read more every night after I’ve finished my writing.  Ocean is another on his list of “entertaining read, excellent setup, disappointing conclusion” stories.  Actually, looking back at the things I’ve read so far from this box, that description fits just about everything I’ve reviewed so far, with the exception of Fell and Crecy.  (Which are, probably not coincidentally, the best things of Ellis’ so far.)

Following in the footsteps of Global Frequency, Ellis sets up a cool story of humanity’s ancestors hibernating in the depths of Europa’s oceans.  Then, having written himself into a corner, his solution is to blow everything up to remove the threat and abruptly end it all with a pithy bon mot.  

It’s not the worst formula, but it usually leaves me hungry for something more substantive.

The quintessential Ellis conversation.    

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Orbiter

More of the same in terms of formula - In the near future, a space shuttle returns to Earth after disappearing for ten years.  A group of scientists spend the length of the graphic novel figuring out what happened to it, and the whole thing ends with them taking off into space right when they come upon the answer.  

It’s so unsatisfying to read about all the cool stuff that happened, but it’s all secondhand as the investigators piece it together after the fact.  What makes it particularly painful is that Ellis does such a wonderful job of setting the stage; This is a world and situation that I desperately want to spend more time in, and I’m denied that and have to settle for a delicious appetizer.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Freakangels

Freakangels 4-6

I read almost all of volume 6 before I realized that I’d skipped the fifth trade.  Sure, there were a few things that I found confusing, but I chalked it up to things that happened off panel.  Going back to read the missing volume, it does indeed to be mostly setup for the climax.  (Still worth reading, though.)  Said ending is both very anime and not - There are huge, bright explosions that cover the whole country.  But this time around, they repair all of the previous damage instead of destroying everything.  

This was a fun read, I was never bored.  But the ending is very much of the “life goes on” variety.  Everything leading up it is all sound and fury as the twelve Freakangels bitch and moan about their interpersonal dramas.  Diverting enough, but as they acknowledge themselves, they need to grow the hell up and act like adults, which they finally do at the end.  Not Warren Ellis’ best, and I wouldn’t buy it again, but I’m not unhappy to own it.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Freakangels

Freakangels 1-3

As much as I love Warren Ellis’ writing, it’s not like I pick up everything that he does.  Freakangels probably wouldn’t have made it into my collection if I hadn’t found the first two trades for half off.  (I love used bookstores!)  The hook (twelve kids with powers destroy London and now live in the post-apocalyptic world that they’ve created) wasn’t enough to catch me the first time around, but I’ll definitely try out Ellis at fifty percent off.

This is a really low key series.  Sure, stuff is always happening, but it manages to keep a slice-of-life feel to it the entire time.  While I’m enjoying the read, I’m also left thinking, “Okay, so what?”

Definite credit to Ellis and artist Paul Duffield for managing to keep twelve(!) main characters distinctive and distinguishable.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Crecy, Fell

The Warren Ellis box!  Yes, he’s since been revealed to be a complete asshole and treats women like shit.  But these issues still need to be read, and I can’t deny that at his peak, Ellis was one of the best ever.  I’ll be rating based off of the quality of the work, not of the man.

Crecy

This comic should not work.  It’s basically a long lecture about the longbow and the Battle of Crecy.  The action is minimal and there’s a lot more telling than showing.  

But none of it matters.  I love the topic, and Ellis would make a riveting professor.  Raulo Caceres’ black and white art is perfect for the story.  I’ve read this comic so many times, and I’ll keep on coming back to it.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

Fell 1-9

Episodic issues about an ace detective trapped in a shithole of a town.  This is so freaking good, only the absolute horrors that Fell has to deal with keep it from the highest rating.  Even so, I’ll happily read this over and over again.

Yep, Ellis through and through.

This lady has the best replies.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Mouse Guard

Mouse Guard 1-6

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 1-6

A fun concept with beautiful art by David Petersen, and yet there’s something missing from the stories that keep this from being the must-buy hit that I wish it could be.  Perhaps it’s because as lovely as the art is, the mice are all expressionless, which constantly keeps them at an emotional distance from the reader.  That’s got to be it, because apart from that, the execution is excellent.

This is supposed to be a huge declaration of love.  And yet...I feel nothing.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard 1-4

An anthology series that’s serviceable but forgettable, as most anthologies tend to be…

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Waid Daredevil

Daredevil 1-15 ,0.1, 1.50

I don’t know what’s up with all these decimal issues.  Anyway, the move to San Francisco has rejuvenated Mark Waid’s writing just as much as Matt Murdock’s life.  These issues are so much better than everything in volume 3.  The humor’s funnier and the emotions hit a little harder.

Nice cover by Jerome Opena

Neat cover.

MAJOR retcon from Mark Waid...

...because getting hit by his dad is a huge part of Matt's origin.

Amazing look at post partum depression.  It's a real thing.

Great scene with the Purple Man and his kids.

Love him getting his comeuppance.

Heh.

Double heh.

I really wish this relationship lasted.

I actually like the suit on its own, but holy cringe.

This has to be a Romita Jr homage...

...from Man Without Fear.

The whole time I was reading this, I thought, "Waid's really sounding like Bendis here..."

I checked out issues 16-18 online to see how all of this ends.  It’s not bad, and I’ll pick them up if I ever see them for cheap.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine to Pretty Good to Nice

So I’ve decided to keep all of volume 4 and cut everything from volume 3 except for the first six issues (the first trade).  Sigh.  That’s six trades I could have saved money on.  

Box Summary

Time spent reading: 25 hours, 56 minutes

Issues read: 256

Issues cut: 56

Highlights (Good or better): Daredevil v1 168-172, 174-176, 178-179, 181-190, 227-233; Daredevil: Love and War; Elektra Lives Again; Daredevil: Man Without Fear; Daredevil v2 5, 9-11, 26-64, 66-87.  That’s 99 issues, a staggeringly high percentage.  It’s like half the box after removing the cut issues.

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 51 days, 15 hours, 35 minutes

Issues read: 10798

Issues cut: 1152

Waid Daredevil

Daredevil 28-36

Indestructible Hulk 9-10

More of the same.  Readable, but also completely forgettable.  One really nice moment:

Hearing something like that is sure to fester.

Everything is still on the cutting block as Matt, Foggy, and Kirsten McDuffie move to San Francisco and start Daredevil vol. 4.  

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine