The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #10

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Not sure I like Fraction’s pacing here. There’s something deceptive about it to convince the reader there’s more content. A lot of montages. Not bad montages–Larroca doesn’t have to stay consistent if he’s drawing different people around the globe–but montages.

It’s also pretty convenient. If Pepper didn’t throw a temper tantrum and throw stuff around the office, she wouldn’t have found her Iron Girl armor and escaped H.A.M.M.E.R. (don’t hurt ’em). Given how Tony was rambling about not being the greatest futurist anymore, it makes sense… he relies on temper tantrums to save lives.

Oh, and it turns out his brain hard drive isn’t erased yet. He apparently needs to quest for the Holy Grail to get it done. Apparently, the great futurist has never heard of Bluetooth.

Fraction’s story stretching measures aside (it’s not decompressed, it’s stretched), his writing of the characters is excellent and very much worth reading.

The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #9

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Technically speaking, it’s a decent comic book.

Larroca is no worse than last issue, maybe even a little better since he’s drawing less faces. Fraction’s writing is strong as usual. Except the majority of what he’s writing is expository dialogue from Tony. Lots and lots of it. He’s got Tony talking for pages recapping current events, explaining what Pepper and Maria have to help him do (wiping his brain, which proves to be a totally lame sequence) and probably something I’ve forgotten. It goes on forever.

Then there’s the issue with plotting. The events in the issue read like they take a few hours. However, there’s enough time for Maria Hill to go home, compose herself enough to grocery shopping, get kidnapped, escape her captors and get back to Tony.

All it needed were some labels identifying time passing.

It’s hard to dislike though. Fraction writes a great Tony Stark.

The Invincible Iron Man (2008) #8

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I do love Matt Fraction.

I started this issue ready to pounce because I’m just a negative kind of guy, but also because he opens with three separate narrators–Tony, Maria Hill and Pepper.

None of them narrator for very long and Fraction’s omniscient third person narrator doesn’t stick around the whole issue. It’s just setup and the issue needs setup because it’s not clear what it’s going to be about until the end.

Tony decides to mess with the newly all-powerful Norman Osborn.

Fraction ends the issue with Pepper, Tony and Maria hanging out at a toy factory with Tony revealing his plans. The issue could have actually used more exposition, since it’s all a Secret Invasion followup and I didn’t read that series.

Larroca’s art is funny. He doesn’t keep faces consistent between panels–his Osborn looks completely different one panel to the next.

Still, it’s great.

Air (2008) #5

Perker’s full page of Amelia Earhart alive and well in the pages of Air might be the ugliest piece of artwork in the issue. And the issue is full of ugly artwork.

It’s also full of swearing. I don’t think the comic was PG before, but Wilson’s apparently gotten tired of writing dialogue so every third word starts with an f.

Before the lame ending and all the cursing and the worsening art–and Perker did such a good job the last few issues–I was going to make a comment about it reading like a sequel to Nevada, which I mentioned before.

For all the quirks and fantastical details, Wilson can’t seem to get a handle on actual humor. She’s also changed up the supporting cast again–not a nice thing to do every three issues–but the lack of humor bugs me.

Air’s mildly endearing, but never amusing.

Air (2008) #4

Two things this issue really rile me.

First, the ending–there’s this hostage situation with the protagonist, Blythe. She gets taken up to the roof where the villain throws her off and she lands safely on some steampunk thing.

Steampunk thing not the issue–we don’t get to see her taken up to the roof. There’s not enough time, because Wilson has spent the issue on other stuff. This issue’s present action is appropriate for two issues, instead she does it in one. It would have been two lovely issues too, with lots of character and texture. Instead, it’s awkward.

Second issue. Blythe’s boss. Wilson has clearly come up with a very interesting character, but doesn’t seem to get, as the readers are reading a comic book, they only get to see the woman and hear what she says…

Unless the writer does something special, which Wilson doesn’t.

Air’s frustrating.

Chew (2009) #5

This issue promises nothing will be the same in Chew again. I think it means we’ve know got the situation established–the government covered up a hundred million people dying as a bird flu thing. But Tony’s partner, the fat guy, knows it’s not true. So he’s going to do whatever he can to find out what’s going on. And Tony’s going….

Oh, whatever.

From what I’ve read so far, Layman’s going to introduce aliens into the conspiracy at some point, since aliens have already put in an appearance.

I haven’t decided if I’m trying the next issue–where nothing will be the same again–just because if Layman actually writes mysteries to be solved with the peculiar investigative technique of tasting the victim’s flesh, it might be interesting.

I’m guessing it won’t be interesting, however. I’m guessing it will be lame and get lamer.

At least I discovered Guillory.

Chew (2009) #4

Well. I wanted subplots. I certainly got subplots. The issue opens with a subplot–the hit out on protagonist Tony–then Layman does a layered narrative (which always sounds good, but sometimes it’s just so you can force interest in a story by showing something interesting)–then we get another subplot (Tony’s brother is in trouble). Then the issue ends with space aliens and a government conspiracy and Layman assuming the reader knows nothing about how long it takes light to travel through space.

There’s also a fairly decent scene with the medical examiner and a couple funny things about government-funded private research.

But, basically, Layman’s approach to this series is to throw everything he can at it and call it good. He’s making a stew out of leftovers. It’s actually a shame he’s writing it. Someone with some focus and understanding of good police procedurals could make it significant instead of slight.

Chew (2009) #3

So I think I’m starting to understand how Layman’s using the bird flu. It’s his subplot. Instead of an actual subplot, he’s got this big political situation going on. In some ways, serialized television has ruined comic books. It’s funny since it’s been around since the eighties at least (“Hill Street”) but only got “popular” with hipsters when HBO started doing it.

Of course, comics have been serialized storytelling since… well, at least the sixties. So instead of being informed by, say, Stan Lee’s Spider-Man pacing, Layman is informed by “Lost.”

There’s something very wrong with that equation… it’s like trying to make chicken piccata based on a microwave dinner instead of referring to a chicken piccata recipe.

That fundamental disconnect aside, Chew‘s a solid book. It amuses. It has a likable protagonist, engaging artwork and it only costs three bucks an issue. Those features make it an attractive read.

Chew (2009) #2

I like how Layman uses his letters page to crap mouth DC. It really defines the audience for the book. He wastes half an issue on the incredibly stupid office politics–turns out the FDA has violent bullies running the place (think Gene Hunt but without caring about justice)–and then makes a crack about DC ruining Wildstorm in his letter column. Maybe next issue he’ll crack a New Coke.

Besides some of the idiotic details–like the boss, like the ninjas, like the chicken ban–Chew‘s a decent comic book. It takes a while to read. Even though the present action is limited (here it’s a day), it’s a full day. The comic is a solid procedural.

It’s only the second issue and Layman has no subplots yet so it’s still hard to tell how the comic’s going to shape up. Layman recovered from the atrocious FDA office scene, so anything is possible.

Chew (2009) #1

I imagine creator Layman will be able to get Hollywood to option Chew, but turning it into a movie or TV show will be somewhat problematic. I’d heard the concept–protagonist Tony Chu (get it, Chu? The book’s full of those) gets a psychic read off things he chews, including people–but, so far, the selling point is Layman’s humor and Guillory’s art. Guillory manages to embrace the quirkiness, but not go overboard. It’s set in reality, just one with some visually funny stuff (the absurdly overweight federal agent).

Unfortunately, Layman’s over thought the ground situation–in the world of Chew, chicken has been outlawed following a bird flu epidemic (this development has nothing to do with the protagonist’s superpower, so why complicate things?).

This issue is just a setup. Since it gives no indication of the format the comic will take… it’s hard to be optimistic or otherwise. Guillory’s a find, though.