Archive for March, 2005
March 7, 2005 | Trades
Superman/Batman: Supergirl
Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner, Peter Steigerwald
DC Comics
$30.95 (Hardcover)
**** (out of five)
Supergirl is dead — long live Supergirl?
Once again proving the old adage that nobody in comic books ever stays dead, welcome back the Girl Of Steel to the DC Universe.
Killed off back in 1986’s Crisis On Infinite Earths, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El was in the past. But 18 years, and two different similarly named, but not genuine articles later, the powers that be at DC have reintroduced Kara, Superman’s long-lost family member from Krypton.
And wow has she changed.
With a sexy new look courtesy of gifted artist Michael Turner, whose art is breathtaking throughout this volume, Kara is thrust into the lives of DC’s three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. But while the Man Of Steel welcomes this connection to his true heritage with open arms, Batman, ever the pessimist, is waiting for the other shoe to drop and Wonder Woman steps in an effort to help empower the young woman.
Throw the most dangerous villain in the DCU, Darkseid, into the mix and you’ve got an explosive storyline, courtesy of veteran writer Jeph Loeb, with more twists and turns than a roller-coaster that will leave you exhilarated.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
Daisy Kutter: The Last Train
Kazu Kibuishi
Viper Comics
$10.95 US (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
For somebody who says he doesn’t enjoying drawing, Kazu Kibuishi sure has a knack for it.
Amidst the bonus material in this sophisticatedly packaged collection of the writer/illustrator’s debut series, Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, Kibuishi makes this rather surprising revelation. But the richly painted images in this story which blends science fiction with the Wild West, proves his indisputable artistic talent.
The Last Train sees Daisy, a gunfighter-turned-shopkeeper, who is bored with her mundane life, forced back into a life of dubious choices.
With her ex-boyfriend, the sheriff, peeking over her shoulder, Daisy aims to pull of the ultimate train robbery. But the owner of the train may have other plans.
Fresh, fun and a visual treat, readers can only hope The Last Train isn’t the end of the line for Daisy.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
JLA Vol. 16: Pain Of The Gods
Chuck Austen, Ron Garney
DC Comics
$17.50 (Paperback)
*** (out of five)
They are the greatest heroes in the world: the Justice League of America.
They have saved the planet from destruction countless times, they keep the forces of evil at bay and even have a chance to pull a cat out of a tree from time to time. But even the best can save everybody. Can they?
Pain Of The Gods, written by Chuck Austen with art by Ron Garney, is a fascinating examination of the limitations of even the greatest of powers.
Spotlighting one of the six core members of the League — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter — in each of the six issues which make up this volume, readers get to see what how the heroes react when their best simply isn’t enough.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3
Dark Horse Books
$6.95 US (Paperback)
*** (out of five)
Wear those Yoda ears with pride Star Wars fans: more Clone Wars Adventures are here and they kick butt!
Springing from the awesome Clone Wars cartoon series, which aired in Canada on Teletoon, comes four new tales of the battles that take place between Episode II and May’s Episode III: The Revenge Of The Sith.
Told in the same breakneck pace as the three-minute TV episodes and drawn in the same cartoony style, Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3 sees an alliance of evil formed between Count Dooku (portrayed in Episode II by Christopher Lee) and one of the prime villains from the upcoming film, General Grievous; a daring mission by commandos from the clone army and the two fine examples of the immense power of the Jedi — one featuring the wise, yet-dangerous, Yoda.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
The Pinup Art Of Dan DeCarlo
Dan DeCarlo
Fantagraphics Books
$18.95 US (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
Archie’s girlfriends Betty and Veronica were the first loves for many a pre-pubescent boy and the primary reason for that is one man: Dan DeCarlo.
For over 40 years, DeCarlo was the artist who brought the tales of the Riverdale gang to life with his subtle, cartoony style, but his specific talent was always in drawing the blonde and brunette loves of Archie’s life.
The reason DeCarlo was so darn good was the years he spend cutting his teeth as a young artist drawing saucy, but mostly innocuous, pinups for the Humorama series of adult comics, which are now collected in this fine tribute to the artist, who died in 2001.
A well-deserved glimpse of a comic legend’s early days, The Pinup Art Of Dan DeCarlo is kitchy fun.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
Ministry Of Space
Warren Ellis, Chris Weston, Laura Martin
Image Comics
$12.95 (Paperback)
*** 1/2 (out of five)
Forget Sputnik and Mercury — the Brits are the first ones in space.
At least they are in writer Warren Ellis’ mind.
Ministry Of Space imagines that instead of the Americans and Russians spiriting the rocket scientists out of Germany after World War II, the British find them first. More than that, they’ve found a secret way to finance the rocket’s construction — albeit one that may have dire consequences in the future.
Initially this concept seems a little sad: just Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Iron Man), a Brit himself, fancying things could have been so much better if the Yanks and Reds hadn’t turned the exploration of space into a contest.
But with the help of the imaginative art of Chris Weston and the lavish colouring by Laura Martin, Ellis makes a heck of an argument.
Why haven’t humans been back to the moon in over 30 years? How much further could a country that wasn’t embroiled in an arms race for 45 years have taken us?
Ministry Of Space is a ‘what-if’ tale that will have you pondering the price of posturing.
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March 7, 2005 | Trades
The Goon Vol. 3: Heaps Of Ruination
Eric Powell
Dark Horse Books
$12.95 US (Paperback)
*** 1/2 (out of five)
It’s like something right out of the classic horror films of the past: The Goon vs. The Zombie Priest; The Goon in King Kong vs. Godzilla; The Goon vs. Hellboy; The Goon vs. The Vampire Princess.
OK, so maybe it’s a little more Abbot And Costello than Mary Shelley or Bram Stoker, but the fourth installment of The Goon (there was a Vol. 0) is definitely a classic.
With the same unrestrained sense of humour that has made this series a cult favourite, writer/artist Eric Powell takes the adventures of his zombie-hating, muscle-bound thug with a heart to new heights in Heaps Of Ruination.
From a confrontation with his nemesis the Zombie Priest to a startling metamorphosis into a giant ape and a sidesplitting encounter with Mike Mignola’s big-screen hero, Hellboy, Powell and The Goon provide a zombie-stompin’ vampire-whoopin’ giant-lizard-bashin’ good time.
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March 7, 2005 | Comics
Battlehymn #1
B. Clay Moore, Jeremy Haun
Image Comics
$3.65/$2.95 US
**** (out of five)
The Germany war machine is on the move — but the allied leaders might have bigger fish to fry.
What appears to be a water-breathing man has sunk a U.S. ship and British and American leaders are assembling their best men to investigate. So far, the heroic Proud American, the fleet-footed Johnny Zip, the robotic Artificial Man and one of Britain’s greatest heroes are on board. And they just might have found the perfect bait to capture their prey.
A solid debut issue by B. Clay Moore, with art by impressive newcomer Jeremy Haun and veteran inker Ande Parks, Battlehymn has the potential to be one of the most intreaguing new series of 2005.
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March 7, 2005 | Comics
Lex Luthor: Man Of Steel #1 (of 5)
Brian Azzarello/Lee Bermejo
DC Comics
$4/$2.99 US
**** (out of five)
A 12-issue run on Superman obviously wasn’t enough time in Metropolis for Brian Azzarello.
The award-winning writer of 100 Bullets, fresh off his collaboration with lauded artist Jim Lee on the flagship Superman title, takes a hard look at the complex nature of the Man Of Steel’s greatest enemy in this five-issue limited series.
Obsessed with Superman’s alien background and his rise to fame in the city which Luthor virtually ruled before his arrival, Luthor, in the course of a regular night at the office, begins unleashing a plot that will rid him of what he describes as his “nightmare.”
Featuring some sublime art by Lee Bermejo, this series could be one of the sleeper hits of 2005.
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March 7, 2005 | Comics
Green Lantern: Rebirth #4 (of 6)
Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver
DC Comics
$4.50/$2.95
**** (out of five)
The return of the silver age Green Lantern continues with some startling revelations.
The battle over the body of the legendary GL, Hal Jordan, rages on as his best friend, Green Arrow, and the current ring holder, Kyle Rayner, attempt to stop the evil Sinestro — who was unveiled as the series’ villain in issue #3 — from gaining control of Jordan’s lifeless shell. Meanwhile, Jordan’s spirit fights a separate battle to be free.
Writer extraordinaire Geoff Johns and outstanding artist Ethan van Sciver bring us another step closer to Jordan’s triumphant return.
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