My life certainly isn’t as crazy (or as bloody) as Barbara Gordon‘s in Birds of Prey, but I can relate when she tells Canary, “I’m going to need a moment. Just a moment, okay?” That’s how I felt all last week, having driven across these United States of America, then arriving with two weeks of unread comics under my arm. Thanks to some V2 caffeinated vodka, I powered through my stack and am now ready to bring you up to date on all the insanity in comics right now.
Let just start with Birds of Prey #2, shall we? The book launched last month right in the middle of the action, and the thickening plot gets thicker this month as Barbara and the Birds slowly begin to figure out they’re being set up. Team books are a challenge, and it’s hard to give each character his or her due, but Gail Simone is extremely adept at giving each character just enough action and dialogue to keep them engaged and interesting. If you haven’t picked this up yet, I highly recommend it. It’s still early enough to join the BoP flock!
Speaking of Gail Simone and team books, let’s take a look at Secret Six #22. The writers of Arsenal should take a look at how Gail takes a sort of f**ked up character, adds backstory to make him even more f**ked up, then tops it all with a shocker that places him in the realm of f**ked up beyond all redemption. While we’re at it, the writers of Torchwood might want to take a look, as well. Unlike Roy and Jack, though, I can’t wait to see what Catman does next. I just wish that Nicola Scott was still drawing whatever f**ked up stuff he’ll be doing, because “f**ked up” and “always busting out of his tights” is Eisner-winning stuff, people!
We can’t really talk about f**ked up comic book characters without mentioning another fellow with seriously deranged daddy issues: Daken. Remember back during Siege, when Daken kissed Bullseye, but it turned out to be a dream of some kind, so it appeared that no one would ever mention Daken’s sexuality again? Well, imagine my surprise when I read Dark Wolverine #87 and was treated to a taut, sexy thriller involving Daken and some trick on a motorcycle. At one point, the trick tells Daken, “My apartment is over there. I should warn you…it is not very nice.” Then Daken says, “I should warn you…I’m not, either.” Oh my. I am totally using that line the next time some random trick picks me up on his motorcycle, then tries to rob me in a dark alley. (Sadly, it happens more often than I care to admit.) By the end of the story, Daken still hasn’t gotten any, but I applaud the writers and Marvel for keeping him so mysterious and sexy.
And you know I couldn’t let a “sexy” reference go by without bringing up Dick (aka Batman). I like that in both Streets of Gotham #13 and Detective Comics #866, they point out that Dick is following in Bruce’s footsteps, yet clearly still doing things his own way. I would expect nothing less from the Boy Wonder. But I have to imagine that he disappears into the Bat Cave from time to time, puts on the old Robin briefs and elf boots and dances to “Bad Romance” in memory of Bruce. I know I do.
Remember a few weeks ago, when I prayed to the comics gods to keep the crazy coming with this whole Return of Bruce Wayne saga? Well, folks, my prayers are being answered, and how! Having bested some cavemen and some pilgrims, a dazed and confused Bruce Wayne tangles with pirates in the third issue of this series. Like in the first issue, Bruce manages to find himself a Boy Wonder right away, always going back to his primary objective, which is putting teen boys in tights. He may not be clear on who he is, but he can find a twink so fast, it’s like Rage on a Saturday night in WeHo. Next month we seem to be heading to the Old West. Too bad Rawhide Kid is a different publisher.
Oh lord, this again. Okay, just how old was Lian when she managed to have a city fall on her and die, yet show no cuts or bruises? I thought she was 4 or 5 years old. Well, zombie/ghost/drug hallucination Lian seems to be played by the girl from The Orphan, because she varies wildly in the artwork from 5 to about 15. Maybe that’s on purpose. I’ve really stopped paying attention. After the whole dead cat incident, I fully expected a few more months of crazy. So, I was kind of surprised when this all wrapped up so quickly. Roy ditches the loony bin, while drug-induced Lian leads him towards vengeance. Ollie tries to stop him, because he knows firsthand how anticlimactic a big plot twist can actually be. Roy doesn’t listen, however, and resigns himself to a fate worse than death: he’s getting shipped off to Titans. He should have stayed in the loony bin.
On the independent front, I picked up Jurassic Park #1 from IDW and Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark #1 from Image. Clearly, I was in the mood for a little carnage after reading The Rise of Arsenal. Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark is reminiscent of something you might find among the small press tables at Comic-Con (or on SyFy on any given Saturday night). It’s campy and silly and violent to the extreme. It’s also $4.99, which is a little steep for a black and white comic. Still, I paid it, so good for them. Now for something a little more prehistoric. Remember Lex and Tim, the kids from the first Jurassic Park movie (and book)? Well, they’re all grown up and they’re trying to protect their grandfather’s legacy. They want the beasts on the JP islands to be studied, but remain off limits to tourists. The fact that these monsters are still alive is rather shocking to me. Also shocking is that the kids would ever go back there. But I guess the story must go on, no matter how creaky. Realistically, the US would have just gone in there and either blown the place up or let Sarah Palin hunt them from a helicopter. My curiosity got the best of me, but I doubt I’d pick up either of these books again.
Another book that’s starting to edge its way off my list is Supergirl. It wasn’t so long ago that I was praising its sophistication and complexity. Now, it’s mostly tedious. This is probably best represented by the cover of Supergirl #53, where she’s whipping out her breasts to stop bullets. Kara is still bummed about that whole New Krypton thing, so she decides to become Linda Lang again. Frankly, I’d rather see her swinging Roy’s dead cat. Then, what’s the most annoying thing that could happen in a Super book? Yup. A Bizarro-Girl shows up. There is not enough money in the world to get me to read a whole issue of Bizarro speak. So, someone else will have to cover next month’s issue. Unless Bizarro-Girl takes Kara’s place and no one notices for two or three years. I’d read that.
Until next time, I’m going back to my Catman/Daken crossover fantasies. What are you reading this week? Be sure to let us know in the Forum or right here in the comments section.
FBOTU’s Weekly Comics Load: Addicted to China Cat
By Chance
June 28, 2010 at 1:15AM EDT
My life certainly isn’t as crazy (or as bloody) as Barbara Gordon‘s in Birds of Prey, but I can relate when she tells Canary, “I’m going to need a moment. Just a moment, okay?” That’s how I felt all last week, having driven across these United States of America, then arriving with two weeks of unread comics under my arm. Thanks to some V2 caffeinated vodka, I powered through my stack and am now ready to bring you up to date on all the insanity in comics right now.
Let just start with Birds of Prey #2, shall we? The book launched last month right in the middle of the action, and the thickening plot gets thicker this month as Barbara and the Birds slowly begin to figure out they’re being set up. Team books are a challenge, and it’s hard to give each character his or her due, but Gail Simone is extremely adept at giving each character just enough action and dialogue to keep them engaged and interesting. If you haven’t picked this up yet, I highly recommend it. It’s still early enough to join the BoP flock!
Speaking of Gail Simone and team books, let’s take a look at Secret Six #22. The writers of Arsenal should take a look at how Gail takes a sort of f**ked up character, adds backstory to make him even more f**ked up, then tops it all with a shocker that places him in the realm of f**ked up beyond all redemption. While we’re at it, the writers of Torchwood might want to take a look, as well. Unlike Roy and Jack, though, I can’t wait to see what Catman does next. I just wish that Nicola Scott was still drawing whatever f**ked up stuff he’ll be doing, because “f**ked up” and “always busting out of his tights” is Eisner-winning stuff, people!
We can’t really talk about f**ked up comic book characters without mentioning another fellow with seriously deranged daddy issues: Daken. Remember back during Siege, when Daken kissed Bullseye, but it turned out to be a dream of some kind, so it appeared that no one would ever mention Daken’s sexuality again? Well, imagine my surprise when I read Dark Wolverine #87 and was treated to a taut, sexy thriller involving Daken and some trick on a motorcycle. At one point, the trick tells Daken, “My apartment is over there. I should warn you…it is not very nice.” Then Daken says, “I should warn you…I’m not, either.” Oh my. I am totally using that line the next time some random trick picks me up on his motorcycle, then tries to rob me in a dark alley. (Sadly, it happens more often than I care to admit.) By the end of the story, Daken still hasn’t gotten any, but I applaud the writers and Marvel for keeping him so mysterious and sexy.
And you know I couldn’t let a “sexy” reference go by without bringing up Dick (aka Batman). I like that in both Streets of Gotham #13 and Detective Comics #866, they point out that Dick is following in Bruce’s footsteps, yet clearly still doing things his own way. I would expect nothing less from the Boy Wonder. But I have to imagine that he disappears into the Bat Cave from time to time, puts on the old Robin briefs and elf boots and dances to “Bad Romance” in memory of Bruce. I know I do.
Remember a few weeks ago, when I prayed to the comics gods to keep the crazy coming with this whole Return of Bruce Wayne saga? Well, folks, my prayers are being answered, and how! Having bested some cavemen and some pilgrims, a dazed and confused Bruce Wayne tangles with pirates in the third issue of this series. Like in the first issue, Bruce manages to find himself a Boy Wonder right away, always going back to his primary objective, which is putting teen boys in tights. He may not be clear on who he is, but he can find a twink so fast, it’s like Rage on a Saturday night in WeHo. Next month we seem to be heading to the Old West. Too bad Rawhide Kid is a different publisher.
Oh lord, this again. Okay, just how old was Lian when she managed to have a city fall on her and die, yet show no cuts or bruises? I thought she was 4 or 5 years old. Well, zombie/ghost/drug hallucination Lian seems to be played by the girl from The Orphan, because she varies wildly in the artwork from 5 to about 15. Maybe that’s on purpose. I’ve really stopped paying attention. After the whole dead cat incident, I fully expected a few more months of crazy. So, I was kind of surprised when this all wrapped up so quickly. Roy ditches the loony bin, while drug-induced Lian leads him towards vengeance. Ollie tries to stop him, because he knows firsthand how anticlimactic a big plot twist can actually be. Roy doesn’t listen, however, and resigns himself to a fate worse than death: he’s getting shipped off to Titans. He should have stayed in the loony bin.
On the independent front, I picked up Jurassic Park #1 from IDW and Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark #1 from Image. Clearly, I was in the mood for a little carnage after reading The Rise of Arsenal. Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark is reminiscent of something you might find among the small press tables at Comic-Con (or on SyFy on any given Saturday night). It’s campy and silly and violent to the extreme. It’s also $4.99, which is a little steep for a black and white comic. Still, I paid it, so good for them. Now for something a little more prehistoric. Remember Lex and Tim, the kids from the first Jurassic Park movie (and book)? Well, they’re all grown up and they’re trying to protect their grandfather’s legacy. They want the beasts on the JP islands to be studied, but remain off limits to tourists. The fact that these monsters are still alive is rather shocking to me. Also shocking is that the kids would ever go back there. But I guess the story must go on, no matter how creaky. Realistically, the US would have just gone in there and either blown the place up or let Sarah Palin hunt them from a helicopter. My curiosity got the best of me, but I doubt I’d pick up either of these books again.
Another book that’s starting to edge its way off my list is Supergirl. It wasn’t so long ago that I was praising its sophistication and complexity. Now, it’s mostly tedious. This is probably best represented by the cover of Supergirl #53, where she’s whipping out her breasts to stop bullets. Kara is still bummed about that whole New Krypton thing, so she decides to become Linda Lang again. Frankly, I’d rather see her swinging Roy’s dead cat. Then, what’s the most annoying thing that could happen in a Super book? Yup. A Bizarro-Girl shows up. There is not enough money in the world to get me to read a whole issue of Bizarro speak. So, someone else will have to cover next month’s issue. Unless Bizarro-Girl takes Kara’s place and no one notices for two or three years. I’d read that.
Until next time, I’m going back to my Catman/Daken crossover fantasies. What are you reading this week? Be sure to let us know in the Forum or right here in the comments section.
Happy reading!
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