Comics Roundup
Feb. 10th, 2013 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedsitter23Judge Dredd #1- written by Duane Swierczynski (IDW)- After the summer movie, the comic gets a reboot with an American audience. I like Dredd okay and have some compilations that 2000AD put out, but the style (short, quick stories that tell a larger narrative) might not be a good sell. Duane makes sense for the ultraviolent, larger than life story.
As many will tell you, the background elements of Mega City One are often the story's lead. Swierczynski provides plenty of smirks and funny moments. I can't quite put Swierczynski in my Top Tier of favorite writers, and I am not sure that this title will move him there, but it does show that he has some strong chops.
My overall impression is that this isn't an essential pick-up, but that is because the title itself isn't trying to make a grand overall statement. That said, it also lends itself to an impulse buy on a week when there aren't very many new titles on the shelf. Issues 2 and 3 are already out. If you are a Dredd fan, I give this a thumbs up.
Red Team #1- written by Garth Ennis (Dynamite)- I never know where to go with Ennis. On paper, this seemed like a title that might not be worth the time and money. Ennis has been prolific, and recent offerings include the promising Jennifer Blood (from which Ennis moved on quickly) and The Shadow (which never quite lived up to its promise). However, thumbing through this, i knew it had to be worth a try.
It's not even a particularly original idea (vigilante justice), but Ennis presents it in such a way that the reader is quickly drawn in. Issue one (out this week)covers a lot of ground, but gives you everything you need to know to. Craig Cermak's art is the perfect compliment to give the whole thing a level of seriousness.
The Boys seems like an obvious comparison, but it's not. Same idea, but without the in-jokes, satire and over-the-top toilet humor. The Punisher also seems obvious, though it feels more "real life" and also translates well in a non-comic book way. Brian Michael Bendis's crime work is probably closer to the mark (or if you are going to compare to Punisher then Greg Rucka's take on that character which tried to take it in a dark crime angle).
This one feels like it will be another essential read from Ennis, and given its profile and length (I think this is a seven-issue miniseries), will likely get lost in the immediate shuffle.
Snapshot #1 - written by Andy Diggle (Image)- I don't think i have read Diggle (at least not at length) but know his reputation as a vertigo-style writer. I also have seen Jock's artwork and generally like his style. Image has been doing a lot of groundbreaking titles right now, so I thought it was worth a look.
It's a great kernel of an idea for the story. Comic shop clerk Jake finds an abandoned phone. On the phone, he finds pictures of a dead guy. I will try to stay spoiler-free from here, but what do the pictures mean? Are they real? Staged?
Diggle keeps it light and comic fans might get a kick out of the banter. He's not quite Mark Millar with his dialogue (or Kevin Smith, for that matter), but the words mostly sound real.
I was going to take a chance on the first issue (out this week), but wasn't sure if this was going to be an ongoing purchase. Issue 1 ends with a cliffhanger, and everything was well-paced and appealing to the neo-noir suspense fan in me, that it would seem criminal not to pick up issue 2. Jock's black and white artwork is probably the real winner here, but both Andy and Jock do everything well and really have put together a solid first issue.
As many will tell you, the background elements of Mega City One are often the story's lead. Swierczynski provides plenty of smirks and funny moments. I can't quite put Swierczynski in my Top Tier of favorite writers, and I am not sure that this title will move him there, but it does show that he has some strong chops.
My overall impression is that this isn't an essential pick-up, but that is because the title itself isn't trying to make a grand overall statement. That said, it also lends itself to an impulse buy on a week when there aren't very many new titles on the shelf. Issues 2 and 3 are already out. If you are a Dredd fan, I give this a thumbs up.
Red Team #1- written by Garth Ennis (Dynamite)- I never know where to go with Ennis. On paper, this seemed like a title that might not be worth the time and money. Ennis has been prolific, and recent offerings include the promising Jennifer Blood (from which Ennis moved on quickly) and The Shadow (which never quite lived up to its promise). However, thumbing through this, i knew it had to be worth a try.
It's not even a particularly original idea (vigilante justice), but Ennis presents it in such a way that the reader is quickly drawn in. Issue one (out this week)covers a lot of ground, but gives you everything you need to know to. Craig Cermak's art is the perfect compliment to give the whole thing a level of seriousness.
The Boys seems like an obvious comparison, but it's not. Same idea, but without the in-jokes, satire and over-the-top toilet humor. The Punisher also seems obvious, though it feels more "real life" and also translates well in a non-comic book way. Brian Michael Bendis's crime work is probably closer to the mark (or if you are going to compare to Punisher then Greg Rucka's take on that character which tried to take it in a dark crime angle).
This one feels like it will be another essential read from Ennis, and given its profile and length (I think this is a seven-issue miniseries), will likely get lost in the immediate shuffle.
Snapshot #1 - written by Andy Diggle (Image)- I don't think i have read Diggle (at least not at length) but know his reputation as a vertigo-style writer. I also have seen Jock's artwork and generally like his style. Image has been doing a lot of groundbreaking titles right now, so I thought it was worth a look.
It's a great kernel of an idea for the story. Comic shop clerk Jake finds an abandoned phone. On the phone, he finds pictures of a dead guy. I will try to stay spoiler-free from here, but what do the pictures mean? Are they real? Staged?
Diggle keeps it light and comic fans might get a kick out of the banter. He's not quite Mark Millar with his dialogue (or Kevin Smith, for that matter), but the words mostly sound real.
I was going to take a chance on the first issue (out this week), but wasn't sure if this was going to be an ongoing purchase. Issue 1 ends with a cliffhanger, and everything was well-paced and appealing to the neo-noir suspense fan in me, that it would seem criminal not to pick up issue 2. Jock's black and white artwork is probably the real winner here, but both Andy and Jock do everything well and really have put together a solid first issue.
