Day: December 23, 2013

The Maze Agency 3 (January 2006)

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It’s too bad the last issue of IDW’s Maze relaunch is easily the best. The problems still remain–Padilla is a boring artist who doesn’t bring any personality to anything, not characters, not setting. Forget about ominous mood. And Barr is still writing this comic like it’s the eighties, which might have been the last time someone could have done a fugu fish related story without mentioning “The Simpsons.”

He doesn’t mention the show and it seems like an odd oversight.

There are too many suspects–nine–but the pace of the issue is good and the investigation engages. Barr doesn’t spend much time on his protagonists, except some bickering and cuddling (Padilla can’t do either). The scene where Jennifer mentions being exceptionally wealthy doesn’t play out well here. In fact, it just reminds of better, original series Maze.

Still, it’s nice this Maze goes out on a relative high.

C+ 

CREDITS

One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Doomfish; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Ariel Padilla; inker, Jason Paz; colorist, Rain Beredo; letterer, Tom B. Long; editor, Dan Taylor; publisher, IDW Publishing.

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Clown Fatale 2 (December 2013)

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This issue of Clown, Gischler goes for out and out absurd, profoundly sad and some other things. It’s a joy to read, even if the sad moments drag in some reality. Gischler’s not willing to write off the series as fluff; he’s trying to give it some actual content. Except that content is never as good as the funny stuff.

The big fight scene at the end of the issue, involving Russian assassins masquerading as a circus knife throwing troupe, a gorilla, a lion, how is it not going to be funny. The least funny thing, for the most part, are the clown fatales. The crazy one–whose name either didn’t get mentioned this issue or just doesn’t matter–is Gischler’s go to for comic relief. She works real well.

The other characters… Well, Gischler makes a show of developing them, but he’s not trying too hard.

Clown’s crazy pulp.

B 

CREDITS

Writer, Victor Gischler; penciller, Maurizio Rosenzweig; inker and colorist, Moreno Dinisio; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Daniel Chabon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

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Batman 381 (March 1985)

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Moench neatly ties everything together–including Bruce setting up Nocturna for an unnecessary fall–and it’s hard to remember why any of the threads are important at all. They weren’t important to the characters, except Nocturna (and maybe Alfred); Moench’s frantic pace keeps the issue engaging but it’s not fulfilling in any way.

Then there’s the matter of the art. Hoberg’s back and he’s better than the previous issue but he’s far from good. It’s a strange situation–does the story deserve better art… would it read better with better art or has Moench exhausted the comic too much.

It’s hard to say for sure at this point–Hoberg’s only done two issues and Moench is finishing up a somewhat lengthy arc–but all hints are to the latter. Moench’s melodramatic antics just obscure his lack of ideas for the characters to develop.

Batman’s getting to be a tedious bore.

C- 

CREDITS

Darkly Moved the Pawns; writer, Doug Moench; penciller, Rick Hoberg; inker, Alfredo Alcala; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda; editor, Len Wein; publisher, DC Comics.

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