Day: September 10, 2013

The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones 14 (February 1984)

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David Mazzucchelli does the pencils this issue. Best looking Indiana Jones so far.

It’s a strange issue, with Michelinie actually concentrating more on Indy and Marion’s romance than any archeological adventure. He even has a super villain type thing going on, with an irate handyman finding lost artifacts and going insane.

In an abandoned old hotel no less.

There are lots of scenes. The issue takes a while to read even though nothing really happens with the bad guy other than him being a nutty jerk. And Micheline doesn’t even spend much time with Indy and Marion as they chase him. Even though the bad guy’s thought balloons are dreadfully overwritten, Micheline clearly wants to pace the romance plot carefully.

The issue works out, even if it’s often boring, just because it’s absolutely gorgeous and Micheline does take his main characters seriously.

Mazzucchelli draws a fantastic, lush thirties Connecticut too.

CREDITS

Demons; writer, David Michelinie; penciller, David Mazzucchelli; inker, The Saint; colorist, Robbie Carosella; letterer, Joe Rosen; editor, Eliot Brown; publisher, Marvel Comics.

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Harbinger 11 (April 2013)

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Dysart sort of splits the issue between the kids and Harada. I say kids but I guess they’re all eighteen plus, right? Peter and the gang. Only the Harada stuff is mostly set in the past, with Dysart fleshing out the P.R.S. history with him.

In the present, Peter and company are still recovering from their misadventure in Georgia. He then discovers his Harbinger War related destiny of saving the kids, which kicks off a lot of debate in the group. Dysart does something very interesting this issue with Torque–he’s not a particularly good guy and it remains to be seen if the altruistic adventuring will stick.

I almost think not, just because he’s so shallow. The former exotic dancer is kind of shallow too, but in a completely different way.

Dysart doesn’t spend a lot of time on character development, but the few nods are enough.

CREDITS

Writer, Joshua Dysart; pencillers, Khari Evans and Trevor Hairsine; inkers, Evans, Stefano Gaudiano and Hairsine; colorist, Ian Hannin; letterer, Rob Steen; editors, Josh Johns and Warren Simons; publisher, Valiant Entertainment.

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Batman: Black and White 1 (November 2013)

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With the exception of the Neal Adams story, this first issue of Batman: Black and White is excellent.

Sure, the Chip Kidd story–with some nice Michael Cho art–is a little much on the Silver Age cuteness, but it’s a decent story.

The Adams one is about Bruce Wayne realizing the criminal justice system is unfair. It’s undercooked in both the art (though Adams’s pencils are nice, they’re not inked) and definitely the story. He just tries too hard.

The Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy story from Maris Wicks and Joe Quinones is probably the biggest surprise. It’s delightful.

John Arcudi and Sean Murphy do a “Batman loves his car” story, which has some great art and nice Alfred banter.

Finally, Howard Mackie and Chris Samnee do the most traditional story. Mackie’s got a good villain reveal, but he tries too hard. Lovely Samnee art though.

It’s good stuff.

CREDITS

Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When; writer, Chip Kidd; artist, Michael Cho; letterer, Dezi Sienty. Batman Zombie; writer and penciller, Neal Adams; letterer, Erica Schultz. Justice is Served; writer, Maris Wicks; artist, Joe Quinones; letterer, Rob Leigh. Driven; writer, John Arcudi; artist, Sean Murphy; letterer, Sal Cipriano. Head Games; writer, Howard Mackie; artist, Chris Samnee; letterer, Jack Morelli. Editors, Camilla Zhang and Mark Chiarello; publisher, DC Comics.

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Ultimate Spider-Man 115 (December 2007)

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Peter’s not very smart this issue. I figured out mean old Ultimate Carol Danvers was using him as bait in the first scene. He needed for Kitty to rescue him and for Danvers to explain it all.

Still, good enough issue. Kitty and Peter make a far more amusing superhero partners than they ever did a couple. Danvers is one note, but Bendis gets to write a bunch of good Peter explaining himself to adults dialogue, which always goes over well.

The stuff with Norman terrorizing people isn’t bad either. No thought balloons for Norman on it either–another plus–and Immonen does a great job with the action sequence at the end.

The only bad scene is probably Kong crushing on a totally unaware Kitty. It feels way too forced.

Also forced is the absence of Nick Fury. If it’s such an important plot point, Bendis should’ve established it.

CREDITS

Death of a Goblin, Part Four; writer, Brian Michael Bendis; penciller, Stuart Immonen; inker, Wade von Grawbadger; colorist, Justin Ponsor; letterer, Cory Petit; editors, Lauren Sankovitch, Bill Rosemann and Ralph Macchio; publisher, Marvel Comics.

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The Bunker 2 (4 September 2013)

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For the second issue, which is really mostly flashbacks structured around one of the character’s letter from her future self and talking heads scenes, Fialkov goes really dark. The flashback is darker than the present day stuff, but the present day stuff has these moments of intense, unexpected violence.

He even takes it further, bringing the three time periods (the letter, written in the future, talking about the past, being read in the present) all together for a huge emotional finale. What’s strange is how well he writes the two female characters, but not so much with the guys. They’re effective–those intense violent outbursts–but they don’t have any depth.

The protagonist of this issue, even with her future self narrating, manages to surprise with depth, but so does the other girl in the cast.

Infurnari continues to be well-suited for the art. It’s all quiet, no flash.

CREDITS

No One Knows But Me…; writer, Joshua Hale Fialkov; artist, Joe Infurnari; publisher, Hoarse and Buggy Productions.

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