Comic Reiews: Recent Titles- All First Issues

Better late than never.  For the three people still on Livejournal...

Nailbiter (Image) -written by Joshua Williamson-  A lot of buzz on this one, especially from horror comic fans, so I had to pick it up. 

This is a hard review to write, because I didn't fall into the crowd that has went "OMG, this changed my life", but you cantell right away the ambition is there to be that.

It focuses on a town that seemingly breeds serial killers, the most recent being the title character.  It goes for that creepy small town vibe that gets done to death in indie films, but let's get this ot of the way first, Mike Henderson's art is incredible.

Certainly, that aspect put me over the edge, which isn't to say anything bad about Williamson.  Certainly, there's enough elements there that I might not be 'hooked' but I know I am getting in something worthwhile.

I think it was BleedingCool, but someone said it feels like it is being written straight for AMC, and I get that.  It certainly makes a statement.  I only give it reservations, because I felt Williamson's writing felt a bit forced.  Someone like a Garth Ennis or other top-level talent would have been subtler in development, and probably did a better job in making the characters feel more real. 

I'm probably slighting Williamson in those remarks more than I intend, but that's how I felt.

What a truly epically creepy cover, though



Trees (Image)- written by Warren Ellis-  So, it feels like in the last five years or so, when you think of Ellis, you think anything but comics.  He's written a cople of books and he's a huge internet sensation.

There's gonna be buzz around Trees, but man, does he deliver.  Expectations have to be through the roof, and this along with Moon Knight seem to sit right with his best work already.  Okay, it's issue #1, butI have to say we will be talking about this comic in 20 years.

A quick plot recap-  Strange alien 'trees' show up out of nowhere, and .... nothing happens.  For years.  It's as if the aliens came, but instead of attacking or even making peace, they simply sit there.

Which sounds boring, right?  But Ellis sets it up perfectly.  It has a real classic Twilight Zone vibe.  It's a subtle horror with elements of classic sci-fi.  Also, because of the attention to detail, there's room here for geopolitical stories a la World War Z (the book, anyway).

Ellis really has a book here, and there's more to it than just the trees, but all of it is setting up well and there's no mis-steps.  it's really a perfect book, and part of it too, also is Jason Howard's art is absolutely definitive.

I know most people here would wait for the trade, but be sure to take note.

Once again, what an absolute epic cover.



United States of Murder, inc.  (Marvel/Icon) -written by Brian Micheal Bendis-  I feel like I don't need to plug this at all, because it's story by Bendis, ar by Michael Avon Oeming.  So, go get it.

Seriously, Bendis and Oeming (especially when together) have written some of the best crime noir fiction in comics in the last 20 years, so you know it's going to be good,

And it it.  It's a good concept- the Mob runs the country, but someone wants to take them down.  There's twists and turns, strong characters, and because it's Bendis, some snappy dialogue.

I like this a lot, and this did not disappoint.  My only real complaint (and it's minor) with Bendis's work like this (Powers being his most well-known title in this genre probably) is that I do think his plot arcs sometimes disappoint.  I don't feel like I get the payoffs at the end, as I might with J. Michael Straczynski or other writers.  But seriously, I have never held that against Bendis, because his 'getting there' makes his stories well worth it. 

I am not saying that is what will happen here (the first issue definitely delivered for me plotwise) but in the past, that has been the case


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And one sorta review -I didn't buy Big Trouble in Little China (Boom! Studios) written by Eric Powell, based on an idea by Powell and John Carpenter, but I wish I did.

I wish I did, because I think it's going to be collectible, and worth something.

I didn't, because it looked terrible.  Even with Carpenter in the credits, what I did read in the store ("This isn't a library!") was awful, and the store clerk said he read it and it was even worse.

Some of it is online here, and I know it will be of some interest to some of you, but I just had to pass