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The Sandman Universe #1 by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I regretted the book the moment I arrived home.

Damn you DC!

Why the buyer's remorse? Well, I saw something with Gaiman's name on it, and my Pavlovian instinct to pick it up kicked in. But, this is Gaiman "at the helm" on a book which is a jumping on point for some new Vertigo books.

Hell, I even fell for that. I usually complain about the way Vertigo is ran, but this actually sounded like a cool relaunch. This was an intro for four Gaiman-themed relaunches- books that have potential for continued storylines like The Books of Magic, the Dreaming, and Lucifer.

But you can't count on DC and in their true recent post-Karen Berger style, they threw a bunch of nobodies on these titles and threw them into the lake to sink or hope that the Sandman logo will sell them.

Hey, I could be wrong, but I barely recognize this bunch. The only one I have heard of is Si Spurrier and he has, to date, not impressed me. I don't know the other names, and although recent years the comics industry has seen respected novelists make the jump; I don't seem to be pulling up anything with these guys.

So, again, DC is your local club that only lets cover bands play. Yes, if they let original bands play, they might be successful but they might bomb- better to go for expected lower but consistent returns. Vertigo is an important part of Comics History because Dc took a chance on innovative titles like Invisibles, Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, 100 Bullets, Fables and Scalped. If these comics were launched in 2018, DC wouldn't even touch them.

So it's Sandman Infintum, The Watchmen: The Medicare Years and Dark Knight Returns Once Again: DK222 (Though I am told if you didn't read DK221, you might be lost), because DC is only interested in letting play cover bands play at the club on the weekend.


The comic?

Forgettable. Having an overarching story would be a great idea if there was some payoff, but there does not seem to be. The art is mostly great (a couple of Mignolaverse artists got poached for the project I am told), but the story reads like a writing exercise.

This might not be the writers fault (I mean it might well be) that they cannot connect to the reader, since this is not a standard anthology and they seemingly get even less pages than the few they would get in an anthology setting.

Why isn't this an anthology? I don't know, though it probably helps sell more if it is dressed up like a Gaiman book. Also, I will say it has a lot pages. I am impressed they can stretch so much of a nothing into something that takes 10 minutes to read. That's surely some kind of sorcery.

This shouldn't have been $5, it should have been a giveaway to get people to buy the new series. It's an ad. They *maybe* could have sold it for a buck. Hopefully, my local comic shop owner (a friend for the best part of two decades, and a respected small business owner for the last 7 years) made a few cents off my purchase, because otherwise, I am at a loss for positives.




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Amazing Spider-Man (2018-) #1 by Nick Spencer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Nick Spencer is taking over Amazing Spider-Man. I was a huge fan of his Ant-Man and Spectacular Foes of Spider-Man, so I am pretty excited about this. Of course, now everyone knows Spencer for his "Nazi" Captain America, but I feel like I wasn't touched by this in comparison. I only caught part of those series, and my initial thought on Spencer holds strong.

Dan Slott wrote Amazing for many,many years of which I read a few. Slott was a fine writer, but he kept it pretty traditional.

Spencer, from the start stamps his style all over this. That has always been fine for titles that seemed pretty peripheral like Ant-man and Foes (even on his own book The Fix). He could write a style that was almost satire or parody, winking at tropes and conventions. Fast and breezy, stuffed with wit.

But Amazing Spider-Man, well, that's kind of a big deal.

Ryan Ottley does a fine job of capturing what the title should look like. One gets the impression that Spencer has big things planned (nods to One More Day and other past storylines abound), so it seems reasonable to suspect that those some will be up in arms before this one's finished.

The first issue is a bit of a mixed bag. In comparison to Slott, I think we will see an opportunity for higher "highs" but we might expect lower "lows". Even for me, the "joking" tone is occasionally too much.

In fact, I would say at $5.99, with all the extra pages that comes from a double sized issue, it tends to work against Spencer. He probably would have been better with a quick First Issue splash. Instead, this almost feels overlong.

Yes, Spidey does like to joke, and what made Foes and Ant Man so fun were the flippancy. But it seems to take all of this double sized issue for Spencer to find the appropriate balance.

Not that, this isn't promising or I didn't enjoy it (and I certainly am picking this one up going forward), but after the stability of Slott, it may take awhile for a writer like Spencer to find his footing.



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Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is a show that the History Channel shows about once a month which documents the history of comics, and it goes something like this: Siegal and Shuster created Superman. Comics got us through WW2. Comics got a bit of out of hand and the Comic Authority Code came along. Comics got out of touch then Stan Lee came along. Then they got unhip and Jim Steranko came along. Then they got lame again and Alan Moore and Frank Miller came along. Then things got bad again, but now comics are cool again, because people like Michael Chabon like them. (There's a similar History of Wrestling show that airs nearly as often and comically ends with the rise of WCW).

There's more to the comics story, of course, as anyone like myself who spent the 90s reading the Comics Journal can attest. Surely, though there is a story to tell. Reed keeps his story keyed on the years of the relationship between DC and Marvel, but that covers much ground.

DC was born of uptown 9-to-5 suit and tie publishing and it's manner is still tied to its origin now over 80 years on. Marvel was born of the pulps and is the brasher young brother. DC owned the market (literally) and should have squashed Marvel like a bug. Marvel with nothing to lose, put its product in the hands of Lee and Kirby who made relatable comics and changed the game.

This book covers all of that focusing on the leadership and editors who have come and gone. With some of what feels like insider gossip (stories that you won't know anyway). The rivalry continues as they try to steal writes and artists from each other, and blast each other in the editorial page (with DC as the moral high ground).

Through the years, the idea occasionally comes up for the two to collaborate, but the politics usually sucks the winds out of those sails, and the product (like that 90s crossover) are usually underwhelming.

There's a lot of things you have likely forgotten (like Stan Lee writing for DC) or maybe never knew. Marvel eventually wins the charts, while DC wisely holds onto its iconic characters.

DC does innovate (Moore's Swamp Thing, for example) while Marvel seemingly bumbles opportunity (They steal Grant Morrison only to have him write Skrull Kill Krew). The book ends with the modern era- Superman finally breaks what seems to be a superhero movie curse, but then the sequels put us in the era those my age might remember when big comic projects were often rumored, but never panned out, or they became Dolph Lundgren movies.

Marvel conquers the cinema (though as my friend who owns a comic shop complains) have no idea how to turn that into comic book sales. DC has bumbled and fumbled but have a pretty good foothold into television. There's talk of modern day chat rooms and David Ayer's "F*ck Marvel" makes it here.

I really enjoyed this book. Tucker keeps it pretty level-handed. It s interesting in a fun easy read gossipy way, but the content is actually covered quite well. This is a must read for comics fans. I think some of this will be new for even those most die-hard, and those with only a passing interest in the medium will like the stories of the two giants and their sniping at each other.



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Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is a show that the History Channel shows about once a month which documents the history of comics, and it goes something like this: Siegal and Shuster created Superman. Comics got us through WW2. Comics got a bit of out of hand and the Comic Authority Code came along. Comics got out of touch then Stan Lee came along. Then they got unhip and Jim Steranko came along. Then they got lame again and Alan Moore and Frank Miller came along. Then things got bad again, but now comics are cool again, because people like Michael Chabon like them. (There's a similar History of Wrestling show that airs nearly as often and comically ends with the rise of WCW).

There's more to the comics story, of course, as anyone like myself who spent the 90s reading the Comics Journal can attest. Surely, though there is a story to tell. Reed keeps his story keyed on the years of the relationship between DC and Marvel, but that covers much ground.

DC was born of uptown 9-to-5 suit and tie publishing and it's manner is still tied to its origin now over 80 years on. Marvel was born of the pulps and is the brasher young brother. DC owned the market (literally) and should have squashed Marvel like a bug. Marvel with nothing to lose, put its product in the hands of Lee and Kirby who made relatable comics and changed the game.

This book covers all of that focusing on the leadership and editors who have come and gone. With some of what feels like insider gossip (stories that you won't know anyway). The rivalry continues as they try to steal writes and artists from each other, and blast each other in the editorial page (with DC as the moral high ground).

Through the years, the idea occasionally comes up for the two to collaborate, but the politics usually sucks the winds out of those sails, and the product (like that 90s crossover) are usually underwhelming.

There's a lot of things you have likely forgotten (like Stan Lee writing for DC) or maybe never knew. Marvel eventually wins the charts, while DC wisely holds onto its iconic characters.

DC does innovate (Moore's Swamp Thing, for example) while Marvel seemingly bumbles opportunity (They steal Grant Morrison only to have him write Skrull Kill Krew). The book ends with the modern era- Superman finally breaks what seems to be a superhero movie curse, but then the sequels put us in the era those my age might remember when big comic projects were often rumored, but never panned out, or they became Dolph Lundgren movies.

Marvel conquers the cinema (though as my friend who owns a comic shop complains) have no idea how to turn that into comic book sales. DC has bumbled and fumbled but have a pretty good foothold into television. There's talk of modern day chat rooms and David Ayer's "F*ck Marvel" makes it here.

I really enjoyed this book. Tucker keeps it pretty level-handed. It s interesting in a fun easy read gossipy way, but the content is actually covered quite well. This is a must read for comics fans. I think some of this will be new for even those most die-hard, and those with only a passing interest in the medium will like the stories of the two giants and their sniping at each other.



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Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is a show that the History Channel shows about once a month which documents the history of comics, and it goes something like this: Siegal and Shuster created Superman. Comics got us through WW2. Comics got a bit of out of hand and the Comic Authority Code came along. Comics got out of touch then Stan Lee came along. Then they got unhip and Jim Steranko came along. Then they got lame again and Alan Moore and Frank Miller came along. Then things got bad again, but now comics are cool again, because people like Michael Chabon like them. (There's a similar History of Wrestling show that airs nearly as often and comically ends with the rise of WCW).

There's more to the comics story, of course, as anyone like myself who spent the 90s reading the Comics Journal can attest. Surely, though there is a story to tell. Reed keeps his story keyed on the years of the relationship between DC and Marvel, but that covers much ground.

DC was born of uptown 9-to-5 suit and tie publishing and it's manner is still tied to its origin now over 80 years on. Marvel was born of the pulps and is the brasher young brother. DC owned the market (literally) and should have squashed Marvel like a bug. Marvel with nothing to lose, put its product in the hands of Lee and Kirby who made relatable comics and changed the game.

This book covers all of that focusing on the leadership and editors who have come and gone. With some of what feels like insider gossip (stories that you won't know anyway). The rivalry continues as they try to steal writes and artists from each other, and blast each other in the editorial page (with DC as the moral high ground).

Through the years, the idea occasionally comes up for the two to collaborate, but the politics usually sucks the winds out of those sails, and the product (like that 90s crossover) are usually underwhelming.

There's a lot of things you have likely forgotten (like Stan Lee writing for DC) or maybe never knew. Marvel eventually wins the charts, while DC wisely holds onto its iconic characters.

DC does innovate (Moore's Swamp Thing, for example) while Marvel seemingly bumbles opportunity (They steal Grant Morrison only to have him write Skrull Kill Krew). The book ends with the modern era- Superman finally breaks what seems to be a superhero movie curse, but then the sequels put us in the era those my age might remember when big comic projects were often rumored, but never panned out, or they became Dolph Lundgren movies.

Marvel conquers the cinema (though as my friend who owns a comic shop complains) have no idea how to turn that into comic book sales. DC has bumbled and fumbled but have a pretty good foothold into television. There's talk of modern day chat rooms and David Ayer's "F*ck Marvel" makes it here.

I really enjoyed this book. Tucker keeps it pretty level-handed. It s interesting in a fun easy read gossipy way, but the content is actually covered quite well. This is a must read for comics fans. I think some of this will be new for even those most die-hard, and those with only a passing interest in the medium will like the stories of the two giants and their sniping at each other.



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Justice League (2018-) #1 by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Somewhere hidden among the Bendis Superman news and publicity for King's Batman and Williamson's Flash upcoming arcs, Scott Snyder has launched Justice League #1. Its prelude was a miniseries which I missed.

Snyder burst onto the comic writing scene as a new star. In a medium which seems to only honor people who have been in the profession for years, if not decades, and an era where everyone hates everything, Snyder is generally well regarded.

However, some of that euphoria has worn off as Snyder left Batman, and many of his recent books have been at least a tad bit disappointing.

Snyder and the League could be the right matchup at the right time. Snyder's League is similar to Morrison's with a Big 7 up front and a nod to Justice League cartoons, making it a Big 9. Jim Cheung's art is the appropriate big splash, that delivers a big feel like Howard Porter's JLA or Capullo's Batman.

For me, this is the right direction and makes me excited. You know, I am not always a 'big team' book, but this draws me in. It's also good for Snyder, because it lets him do what he does well. It's not always easy to put in words what works, but Snyder seems to understand the DC characters and bring out their personalities.

This had a big book feel, and in comparison, I felt like this book made me feel like I expected Bendis's first go at Superman to feel.

Everyone will make comment on the great Batman "jokes" on the opening pages, which feel "Bendis-y", but works for Snyder's style. I also like the Big Character set-up, along with the fact that the JLA might call on say, Animal Man or Green Lantern Corps or whoever to help out. Also, the super-villians in "Legion" makes sense too.

I was impressed enough to stop and make note of it. As I am sort of let down so far by Bendis's Superman and I love King's Batman run but am not really enjoying the (spoiler- well he was on one of the covers) Booster Gold stuff that has come with it, this might move ahead quickly on my To-Read weekly list





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The Prisoner #1 by Peter Milligan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


(Titan Comics Issue #1)- I am not really familiar with the British TV show The Prisoner, though I know that it is well regarded. Because of that, I might not be biased in certain ways towards this comic for good or bad.

This got really good reviews so I thought I would pick it up. It is written by Peter Milligan, who decades later gets kind of lost in that British/Vertigo wave of comic writers in the 90s. I did enjoy some of his work like his Hellblazer and X-Force/X-Statix, but those are both over a decade old. I picked up his New Romancer a couple of years ago and it was a pretty unreadable mess.

Still, as the press wrote, this seems to be a story down Milligan's alley.

The truth is I was really pleasantly surprise. The knock I had heard was that Milligan overexplains. I don't think that is quite the phrase. The story never feels overwritten. Indeed, the plotting works like you may have been on an island for 20 years and never seen a Bourne movie.

The plotting and explanation though is well paced. It explains the Prisoner plot without feeling redundant or being out of sync with the dialogue.

Milligan has a good feel for the character and its the little touches that bring it to life. It certainly isn't a million miles away from Hellblazer. Collin Lorimer's art is a very workmanlike drawing that you would expect in an upper tier indie book, but with the colors and letters, it gives it a really appropriate feel.

I wasn't quite sure what this would be like, but I think it actually exceeded my expectations. It is very early on so we will see how it progresses, but right now, makes a fine addition to the Pull List.



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Shadowman (2018) #1 (The Shadowman by Andy Diggle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Issue #1- I picked this up because I always feel I need to support the indies. My Comic Book Guy usually goes a bit thin on indie titles, and though I wish he wouldn't; I can understand he doesn't want to pick up books that don't sell. That said, Valiant comics seem to do really very well for him. Most of all though, I do generally like Diggle, so figured this was a safer bet than some.

I remember Acclaim back in the day when they launched the Shadowman title in the 90s (one of a few attempts). It was Garth Ennis at his height of creative powers paired with Ashley Wood, when he would be considered revolutionary. I don't really remember much except it was one of those big Indie pushes that seems to collapse almost at launch. Ennis was gone in four issues and Jamie Delano took over, and I collected it for awhile until I didn't.

This comic probably doesn't have much to do with that, but we get some very introductory looks at this universe. Nothing really struck me in the 30 seconds I thumbed through it at the store, but now having set down to read it, Diggle does a decent job. It's a cajun flavored horror story. Surely, there's been others that have been down this road- Moore's Voodoo, Morrison's Invisibles, as well as Hellblazer, the Mignolaverse, Straczinski's work and many others, not to mention True Blood being the go-to reference for cajun horror.

It stays pretty close to a comic book template. Much closer to Doctor Strange or Swamp Thing or even Iron Fist than Morrison's Jim Crow or Moore's Voodoo.

I do like that there is some meat to the story. My initial worry was that Diggle might not be invested enough to flesh it out. While I don't know that it presses the envelope, I did feel satisfied enough that I picked it up and feel it is worth continuing to buy.

I am not necessarily a fan of Stephen Segovia's art for the Big 2 publishers, but he works well in this realm with the appropriate feel given by Ulises Arreola's colors. The covers are pretty striking too.

I doubt this will ever be considered an essential title to buy, but I will go along for the ride.



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The Flash Annual #1 by Joshua Williamson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I write comic reviews because I like to. I know that maybe four people read them, but I write them for myself as much as the possibility someone will read it. I don't have any great insight or knowledge, just that I was generally right there for the great books of the last 25 years when they came out. I do read comics in the traditional weekly way as single issues every Wednesday (I used to read quite a bit of graphic novels, but rarely read more than 3 a year any more) I don't have the time or energy to write reviews for comics that come out every week. So I write about the issues that are the most important (the #1s and the stand alones), which I think is logical (Goodreads doesn't feel anyone should use their platform to talk about individual issues, but they can't really stop me).

The problem inherent of course is a series can take many twists and turns after I write about the first issue: It can gel and come together, it can become a mess, it can overstay its welcome, and variations of all those (Williamson's Nailbiter, though I recommend it, probably checks all those boxes).

So, I can use this moment to say Williamson's Flash is one of my favorite current titles.

To reveal my biases, I am more into characters that I feel have some sense of realism. Like the average American movie viewer, than generally means Marvel titles and Batman. It probably also means I have missed some great Green Lantern stories over the years. Flash sort of straddles that line, but it is a character I generally like, and often return to. When Williamson came aboard I was in.

I have generally enjoyed his run. If you know me, you know I think Annuals are generally unnecessary cash-ins, but I picked this one up.

The annual spends some time on Wally West. Like the regular run, I feel Williamson has done a good job with using the traditional Flash characters, but not making it so steeped in tradition that new readers are lost.

The characters, as in the series, are fleshed out and are perfect in a DC Universe kind of way. I probably don't need to mention Howard Porter's art, which is always complementary.

The annual does a great job in taking the first half and summing up Williamson's run to date, and then in the second half, transitioning as a prelude to Flash War.

If you're picking this up, you are probably picking it up as a supplement to the current series. It works well in that context.

Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt (2018-) #1 (Dark Nights: Metal by Grant Morrison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


In very many ways, I am a Grant Morrison fan. However, there are things he writes that drive me nuts. I generally do not like the big DC comics events he has curated like Multiversity. It is a tired meme that he is the David Lynch of comics, but I do not get much pleasure in his big multiverse cosmic events.

Scott Snyder’s Metal is very much in the vein of Morrison, clearly inspired by Morrison, and if the debt wasn’t plain enough to see, he has got Morrison to write this title as a tie-in to the series.

I am of two minds on Metal. There are parts I enjoy, and clearly the writers (Snyder, Williamson, Tnion IV) are talented. Also, clearly, people love Metal, but I also consider myself a bit of a nontraditional comic fan and I look at stuff like this and wonder how people can enjoy it. Although, clearly they do.

The Wild Knight with Morrison as top credit (with Snyder et al) is Morrison-type DC "Big Event" at the most Morrisonesque. It starts promisingly enough with one of Morrison’s favorite characters Detective Chimp and a well- written origin tale. It then goes into…. Ummm. I can’t really tell you. There’s a Red Tornado story for sure, and the Flash is in there, and there’s a tie-in to the Batmen story from Metal in there, and there certainly is something resembling a Chimpanzee Batman at the end.

I probably should have said Spoiler Alert to those who have not yet read it, but I don’t think I am much farther along than you.

The art is DC event caliber, but I thought it was all pretty much a mess. There’s Porter, Mahnke, and Jimenez, so it’s quality, but I don’t feel like it works much in the comic's favor.

There’s also plenty of five star reviews around for this issue, but I don’t get it. There certainly are moments and panels that are clearly inspired, but these are the comics that leave me shaking my heads and saying “I don’t get it”. Woe to the first time reader who picks up this title.




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Kick-Ass (2018-) #1 by Mark Millar

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Everything fades with time. The hottest trends all eventually fade. Mariah Carey, Deal or No Deal. Upturned Collars . They all eventually fade away. Whether its Fidget Spinners or Pokemon Go or Ricky Martin. So it is with Mark Millar.

Millar was the hottest thing in comics and he parlayed that to where his were the hottest movies of the day. Kick-Ass, Wanted, Kingsman- all were pretty fresh at the time. Although I loved his Kick Ass comic- after three comic series, two movies and a Hit Girl Series, I have to say I am okay with never revisiting them again. I loved them, but its’s been done.

Which of course is ironic in comics. We constantly revisit characters that we have read literally thousands of times.
In any case, Millar’s character is a modern day hero but not a classic archetype and he’s smart in moving on.

In which case, the new Kick Ass is a completely new character. After Miles Morales and IronHeart and everything else, reinvention is a smart solution. Heck, it’s comic books- no character stays the same. We have had multiple Flashes, Green Lanterns, Ghost Riders, Starmen, and Robins. Recently we have seen new Iron Men, Spidermen, Captain Americas and Thors.

So, you can’t blame Millar. Equally, though I liked his recent work (Empress, MPH, Huck, et al) to various degrees, he hasn’t topped or matched Kick Ass in a while. You can’t blame him for returning, any more than a musician attaching their name to their famous band. There is a reason John Gorham tours as Thin Lizzy and not the John Gorham band.
Having said all that, is the book any good? I am a Millar apologist, so you can probably guess. Millar is a pretty divisive writer, so your views also likely won’t change.

It’s a fresh start and I thought it was well done. I don’t know that it’s a particularly original thought, but Millar never was the most original in concepts, it’s how he writes them is his strength.

If you hate Millar, I doubt this will change your mind. If the reason you don’t like Millar is some of his more perverse and obscene material puts you off, then there’s not really much of that here.

Still, Millar is still pretty much a love or hate. For me, it is also worth nothing John Romita Jr is back, and I credit Romita Jr (and his gang) with making this comic as much of a success as is due to Millar.

Millar has moved this title to Image, and still managed to minimize the ads. An initial thought I had is that there wasn’t a lot of substance in the first issue, but I have managed to wave that thinking off a bit. I would say there’s at least the same amount of content as an action oriented comic like Brisson’s Iron Fist.

I was happy with this and look forward to it.




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Batman: Creature of the Night (2017-) #1 by Kurt Busiek

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am a big fan of Busiek's Astro City work and heard good reviews on this so picking it up was a no brainer. This follows a similar Superman story he did which I must have missed.

I have picked up every Astro City from the beginning and needless to say I am a big fan. Although every writer who stick to a genre inevitably have the same pattern, the great ones still make it work, and I still very much enjoy Astro City.

I have not caught much of his non-Astro City work. There's not a whole lot but there are a few things I missed. I read Marvels but that has been over 20 years now and I read some of his Conan work, but I wasn't crazy about it (and that may not entirely be his fault).

This book has out of the world reviews, but to be honest, it is pretty special. Not to give too much away, it is about Bruce Wainwright, a kid with a Batman obsession, and his uncle Al Fredrick (Alfred, get it?). I will leave it there, but obvious there are going to be parallels.

One reviewer compared it to the old Elseworlds titles, and that is very right on. It is hard to say what role Batman will play in this, though my inkling is that he will figure in (I will leave it at that).

The art fits the story which is suitably grim and gritty. I saw a review call it Batman via Serpico. That's probably not too far off. I like the art in that it captures a certain vibe for the comic that was appropriate.

This has a heavy Astro City vibe, which is likely inevitable, but in a positive way. It doesn't feel out of place or inferior because of that. As the story draws on, it's hard to escape that comparison (especially as it told from multiple points of view and is looking backwards in time).

My only real complaint and it is minor is that this is a big book set out in four points, and towards the end it feels a bit stretched for a couple of pages just so that the book ends with a big finale. probably no way around that except to make the book shorter (and no one would want that), so it's a very minor quibble.

Well recommended for Busiek fans. I think everyone will like this one. It does sound a bit cheesy in description (Bruce Wain...wright), but it completely works.



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Jenny Finn #1 by Mike Mignola

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I gave my comic shop owner (and even longer time friend) grief over never ordering Dark Horse stuff when the latest lineup was announced. So I pretty much had to buy this.

(It's not new though. This was confusingly hard to find on the internet, but this is the same book that has seen the light of the day before. Most recently, it was a four issue series released by Boom (not Dark Horse) in 2011 as a black and white run. But it still looked vaguely familiar and I was not sure, and so it sounds like this was released in Oni back in 1999. I do believe I already have read this and probably have it stuffed away somewhere. Oh well)

I stopped picking up Mignola right around 2012. He was becoming a bit too prolific for me to keep up with. Although he was no longer at 100%, I don't necessarily feel his quality had dropped. As I said up top, I should probably get my comic book guy to keep ordering the titles. He is a great guy in all aspects, but he also is smart enough not to stock titles he can't sell.

Issue one is pretty great to me- separate from the Hellboyverse. It's a gothic horror with heavy doses of Lovecraft and Jack the Ripper tropes. The kind of book only Mignola could do, or surely pretty close (I can't think of anyone besides Alan Moore who regularly travels down the road).

It has the best things about Mignola- there's paranoia, terror, grotesque, ribaldry, and all delivered in a minimal style, because overexplaining wouldn't make it work.

Troy Nixey's art adds those essential elements. It has now been colored by Dave Stewart so it fits well with Mignola's other work.

Re-reading past reviews on this are brutal. Readers (Mignola fans and not) absolutely hate it. There are a few positive reviews from people like myself who really like that it is what it is, but others hate the lack of depth. It has also been close to two decades since (and if) I read it the first time, and I can't remember how the story plays out. Four issues are not much to work with.

Anyway, maybe everyone missed it in those days of over the top - post Grindhouse, post Saw, post Peter Jackson and Japanese and Korean horror. I like the Victorian kind of eerie steampunkish Ripper horror with nods to classic Stoker/Shelly books and a bit of the sea shanty element. I will have to dig this one back out or keep buying.



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Generations: Sam Wilson Captain America & Steve Rogers Captain America (2017) #1 (Generations by Nick Spencer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I pretty much skipped Marvel's Generations issues, but it was a light week so I thought I would pick this up.

I have really enjoyed Spencer's work for Image titles like The Fix and Bedlam, and he became a favorite for many with Superior Foes of Spiderman and Antman. Then, he wrote THAT issue of Captain America.

Friends of mine who hadn't bought a comic book in 20 years (and would dare never miss a Marvel movie premiere) took to social media to say they would never buy a comic with Spencer's name on it. Spencer's story has been publicized- death threats and the like. I have read plenty of comments about him from the Right, but the Left seems to hate him just as much.

In any case, I picked up some of the Sam Wilson comics but my comic store seemed to have them inconsistently or maybe they were selling out before I could pick them up. In any case, I generally liked his Sam Wilson books, although from what I gather, Spencer didn't really break too much new ground on it.

Generations serves as a swan song for Wilson's run as Cap, and from everything I have read, people hate it. They hate it for a variety of different reasons, as varied as content and personal perspective, but everyone seems to agree the art is terrible.

I actually enjoyed the issue. However, I will say it felt very much like an Astro City comic. In fact, i could not shake that as it serves as a life retrospective on Sam and Steve.

I was fine with that and it was a nice story. There is a reason Busiek writes that way of course, he is introducing characters, locations and stories in each new issue, so he usually has to build a universe and generally has only an issue or two to do it in (This book is roughly that length).

Since these are introductions to characters, we don't know the back story and we are just learning and initially investing in the characters. They exist for a moment and then we rarely if ever hear from then again.

That would not be the case for Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson who readers will likely have many established opinions on. Comic fans tend to get beholden to canon as well.

So that's likely where a lot of the grumbling comes from; also the political aspect of the character as well certainly colors everything.

For me, this is the type of story that at this point Busiek has been writing for 20-plus years. I liked Spencer's story, but at the end of the day, I could not shake the comparison. As far as the art everyone hated. I actually liked Paul Renaud's work. That said, his art was very much in line with what one expects to see in Astro City as opposed to a traditional Marvel comic.

Bottom line for me, I enjoyed this comic. As a one shot, it was probably largely unnecessary, but it was a good story, and I don't get stuck in the details that might cause others not to like it.



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