Wednesday Comics 2 (15 July 2009)

632686 So even some of the better ones from the previous issue are losers this week. Specifically Neil Gaiman and Mike Allred’s Metamorpho. They flop on the format.

Still strong are Pope’s Adam Strange, Baker’s Hawkman, Dan Didio and Jose Luís Garcia-Lopez’s Metal Men (no, really) and Catwoman by Walt Simonson and Brian Stelfreeze. Oh, and Kamandi by Dave Gibbons and Ryan Sook. The biggest surprise has got to be The Flash from Brendan Fletcher and Karl Kerschl. They split it between Iris and Barry and have a very unexpected, but fun, twist.

Deadman, from Vinton Heuck and Dave Bullock, is another nice one.

The lousy ones remain lousy (or worse). Azzarello and Risso’s Batman stinks; Risso’s art wastes the large size. Arcudi and Bermejo’s Superman is probably worse, just because it’s so poorly written. Berganza and Galloway’s Teen Titans has to be the worst one overall.

Another mixed bag.

CREDITS

Batman; writer, Brian Azzarello; artist, Eduardo Risso; colorist, Patricia Mulvihill; letterer, Clem Robins. Kamandi; writer, Dave Gibbons; artist, Ryan Sook. Superman; writer, John Arcudi; artist, Lee Bermejo; colorist, Barbara Ciardo; letterer, Ken Lopez. Deadman; writers, Vinton Heuck and Dave Bullock; artist, Bullock; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Jared Fletcher. Green Lantern; writer, Kurt Busiek; artist and colorist, Joe Quinones; letterer, Pat Brosseau. Metamorpho; writer, Neil Gaiman; artist, Mike Allred; colorist, Laura Allred; letterer, Nate Piekos. Teen Titans; writer, Eddie Berganza; artist and colorist, Sean Galloway; letterer, Nick J. Napolitano. Adam Strange; writer, artist and letterer, Paul Pope; colorist, Jose Villarrubia. Supergirl; writer, Jimmy Palmiotti; artist, Amanda Conner; colorist, Paul Mounts; letterer, John J. Hill. Metal Men; writer, Dan DiDio; penciller, Jose Luís Garcia-Lopez; inker, Kevin Nowlan; colorist, Mulvihill; letterer, Lopez. Wonder Woman; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Ben Caldwell. Sgt. Rock; writer, Adam Kubert; artist, colorist and letterer, Joe Kubert. The Flash; writers, Brendan Fletcher and Karl Kerschl; artist, Kerschl; colorist, Dave McCaig; letterer, Rob Leigh. The Demon and Catwoman; writer, Walt Simonson; artist and colorist, Brian Stelfreeze; letterer, Steve Wands. Hawkman; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Kyle Baker. Editors, Chris Conroy and Mark Chiarello; publisher, DC Comics.

Wednesday Comics 1 (8 July 2009)

666638 Wednesday Comics really needs a stronger editorial hand. While some of the creators get the concept, others completely fumble it. The successes (and the mediocrities) make up for the bad patches.

In the “no idea how to do the format” section, the issue has Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso on Batman, John Arcudi and Lee Bermejo on Superman (thumbs down to Bermejo’s interpretation too), Eddie Berganza and Sean Galloway on Teen Titans (Galloway’s art is atrocious) and the Kuberts on Sgt. Rock. At least the art’s good on Rock from Joe.

The best entries are–no shock–Paul Pope and Kyle Baker’s. Pope does Adam Strange, Baker Hawkman. They both gleefully approach the newspaper sized medium, pacing their entries differently–though most of the better stories don’t spend this page setting up a plot. The worst ones do.

The issue’s interesting, but barely half successful. There are some real stinkers.

CREDITS

The Savage Hawkman 3 (January 2012)

There’s a childlike quality to Hawkman. Sure, it’s because Daniel’s writing is from an unimaginative fourth grader, but it sounded like a compliment when you first read it, right?

This comic is so silly, it’s almost impossible to think about. I guess the implication no one knows Hawkman exists is kind of interesting. Daniel doesn’t do anything with it. The plot is very simple. Carter Hall investigates then fights bad guys. Oh, I forgot all the alien threat stuff. It’s really stupid.

Tan keeps up his “style” for the series–Hawkman is painted, everything else is drawn, both have really weird eyes. The style still doesn’t make sense in the context of the story.

I actually did like some of the comic. Tan’s composition on some of the Hawkman flight panels is excellent. It’s all silhouette and Tan can’t screw up city skylines.

It’s absurdly bad. Daniel’s writing is hilarious.

CREDITS

Razing Kane; writer, Tony S. Daniel; artist, Philip Tan; colorist, Sunny Gho; letterer, Travis Lanham; editors, Rickey Purdin and Rachel Gluckstern; publisher, DC Comics.

The Savage Hawkman 2 (December 2011)

Tony Daniel sure does come up with interesting character names! I wonder if someone told him dumb, unbelievable character names made him a good writer.

Hawkman might be a little better this time, but only because it’s got a lot more stuff to mock.

First, Daniel’s dialogue is awful.

Second, Tan does his painted Hawkman panels and then his sketchy regular panels. Colorist Sunny Gho sticks so much to greys, it actually hurts Tan’s art. And Tan’s art is terrible, so for a colorist to hurt it… well, the colorist can’t be very good.

The comic reads like a spy story, not a superhero one. Carter Hall and his secrets. Of course, Daniel hasn’t made the new DC Universe Carter Hall at all interesting. Except he appears to have an enormous apartment… and can’t pay his rent. Making him the second (third?) post-relaunch character with this dilemma.

Still garbage.

CREDITS

Wings of Darkness; writer, Tony S. Daniel; artist, Philip Tan; colorist, Sunny Gho; letterer, Travis Lanham; editor, Janelle Asselin; publisher, DC Comics.

The Savage Hawkman 1 (November 2011)

An adult came up with the name Morphicius? Or does Tony Daniel have some really dimwitted nine year olds working for him? Writing his dialogue, coming up with his logic… no, I imagine a nine year old dimwit would do better.

I didn’t realize Hawkman was Daniel. Right away, the terrible writing started cluing me in. As for the art, the terrible painted style confused me—than I checked the cover and saw it was Philip Tan. In Tan-land, no one has eyeballs, just empty sockets. It’s clearly a style thing.

Hawkman is kind of funny because it’s not just crap, it’s derivative crap.

Imagine Hawkman mixed with Spider-Man’s alien costume and you’ll be on the right track. I guess Daniel felt bad he missed out on “Venom-Island” or whatever the Spider-Man Venom crossover was called. Because he’s got lots of Venoms here.

Hawkman’s putrid garbage.

CREDITS

Hawkman Rising; writer, Tony S. Daniel; artist, Philip Tan; colorist, Sunny Gho; letterer, Travis Lanham; editor, Janelle Asselin; publisher, DC Comics.