The Maze Agency 5 (April 1989)

275570 Barr establishes a bad first here–he has his leads accuse an off-panel suspect. The reader finds out the suspect’s identity at the confession.

Overall, it’s a troubled issue. The format keeps it going, but there are art problems (Al Vey isn’t the best inker for Hughes) and lots of story ones. The art ones aren’t too bad–Vey just doesn’t suit Hughes, the art isn’t bad. But Barr’s story? It’s weak.

First, the romance subplot between leads Gabe and Jennifer. They’re dating other people but making out once an issue. When Gabe dates someone else, Jennifer gets upset. Barr’s solution to their tiff is to have Gabe be cruel to his date. It makes both leads unsympathetic.

Then the little things. A cryogenics firm owner’s name is Lazare (as in Lazurus). It’s like Jim Shooter’s writing the comic.

I’m glad it’s the fifth issue and not the first.

CREDITS

Death Warmed Over; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Adam Hughes; inker, Al Vey; colorist, Julia Lacquement; letterer, Deborah Marks; editor, Michael Eury; publisher, Comico.

The Maze Agency 4 (March 1989)

275569 One of the most impressive things about The Maze Agency is how Barr manages such a large cast. He has two leads, one or two regular supporting players and then all the murder suspects. In this issue, concerning a Jack the Ripper copycat, he has something like eight suspects.

Obviously, the art plays a real factor. Hughes has to make each of the suspects distinct but believable. There’s one page identifying all the eventual suspects–every person gets a little description–and it all matches up beautifully. The reader can infer based on profession and appearance (and name, if one’s really playing attention). Maze is a rather well-produced comic book, it couldn’t work otherwise.

The mystery itself is solid; lots of unexpected turns, lots of creative page composition to maximize the space. The flirtation between the leads, however, is still stalled. Barr is starting to strain credulity with it.

CREDITS

The Return of Jack the Ripper?; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Adam Hughes; inker, Rick Magyar; colorist, Julia Lacquement; letterer, Deborah Marks; editor, Michael Eury; publisher, Comico.

The Maze Agency 3 (February 1989)

275568 The art is good here, it doesn’t even matter when it doesn’t make sense. Hughes comes up with these lovely pages for the investigation scenes–Gabe and Jennifer are touring New York state to question people–and the pages are simply wondrous. There’s this amazing condo in the middle of nowhere; Hughes’s page composition makes the mundane extraordinary.

As for the mystery, things get lost but it’s still decent. A prototype car disappears. Murder plays a factor eventually, since there’d be no danger otherwise. Barr and the artists handle all that aspect just fine. But Maze’s other plot–the romance–gets downgraded.

Gabe is something of a puppy dog here, following Jennifer around. Barr goes out of his way to make Gabe likable, but Jennifer’s just better than her colleagues. She’s not soluble enough.

Barr also reveals the issues take place a month apart, which is a nice device.

CREDITS

The Case of the Vanishing Vehicle; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Adam Hughes; inker, Rick Magyar; colorist, Julia Lacquement; letterer, Deborah Marks; editor, Michael Eury; publisher, Comico.

The Maze Agency 2 (January 1989)

275567 Barr uses Gabriel–the amateur detective slash novelist-for-hire (there’s a great joke about Friday the 13th adaptations)–to bring the reader to the mystery. Then he has to bring Jennifer–the professional detective–into it. The approach lets him do some more character development without having to use too much exposition, but Barr often errs on the side of subtlety.

Maze is, at this point in the series, about the chemistry between Gabriel and Jennifer, who aren’t exactly dating. Not steady, anyway. So when Gabriel meets another suitor, it should give Barr the chance to explain some things. He doesn’t. He just lets it raise more questions.

The mystery this issue involves an old TV show, modeled on “The Honeymooners,” I think. It’s a solid mystery, with the ending unexpected (and, frankly, unexplored) and a good read.

The moody but exact art from Hughes and Magyar is lovely.

CREDITS

Murder–The Lost Episodes; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Adam Hughes; inker, Rick Magyar; colorist, Julia Lacquement; letterer, Deborah Marks; editor, Michael Eury; publisher, Comico.

The Maze Agency 1 (December 1988)

275566 While it might be full of intrigue and murder–well, contain murder, not quite full of it–The Maze Agency is very clean. Adam Hughes and Rick Magyar’s Manhattan is so perfect, it’s almost dreamlike. That comment’s not a knock–the art is excellent. Some of the faces are bland, but otherwise Hughes does great work.

As for the rest of the issue, it’s a lot of fun. Mike W. Barr sets up his romantically possible protagonists, Jennifer and Gabriel, at alternating speeds. Their back stories come in throughout the issue; there’s no big exposition scene. Barr succeeds at keeping the dialogue natural for most of the comic.

The only time he lets the artificiality come through is the mystery resolution scene. The art and characters are good enough to smooth it over. Though there is one big bombshell I had to read a couple times to understand.

Maze’s charming.

CREDITS

The Adventure of the Rogue’s Gallery; writer, Mike W. Barr; penciller, Adam Hughes; inker, Rick Magyar; colorist, Julia Lacquement; letterer, Deborah Marks; editor, Michael Eury; publisher, Comico.

Superman / Batman (2003) #75

Levitz wraps up the arc with a Legion of Super-Heroes story guest starring Batman. Superman’s in a panel or two. Lex’s planet has paid-off (in the future), with a Kryptonite-infused Lex clone going through history after Superman (and Superboy).

The story’s unpredictable and funny. And Ordway’s mostly just drawing, not trying to look painted, so the art’s much better.

The rest of the issue is two-page anniversary stories.

Seagle and Kristiansen’s is pointless self-indulgence. Tucci’s actually funny. Hughes does a poster; great art, of course. The big surprise is the Krul one (with Manapul on the art). The writing’s actually funny. Thompson’s got a couple pinups. Green and Johnson (art by Davis and Albuquerque) are unmemorable.

Rouleau’s got a fantastic one, so do Azzarello and Bermejo.

Finch and Williams’s one is atrociously written.

Tomasi and Ha’s entry is pointless but looks nice.

Excellent feature though.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #50

Heartbreakers is a little better this issue. Bennett and Guinan still don’t have a good sense of what makes a story interesting. This one implies it had potential to be interesting on the second to last page.

Hughes and Story do a few pages, riffing on the idea of pin-up pages. The writing’s far from perfect, but it’s Hughes doing regular comics. It’s technically outstanding, though some of the jokes require a lot of close attention.

Csutoras and Gaudiano continue Harlequin. Some of this installment features Gaudiano’s best art so far. The story continues to be somewhat indescribable and very odd. I love how they get humanity of it when it should be difficult.

Brubaker–in his first work?–has a little childhood reminiscence (art by Christian and Ranjo). It’s short and nice. I miss the cynical, jaded Brubaker.

Hedden and McWeeney do a one page thing. It’s fine.

Dark Horse Presents 50 (April 1991)

Brubaker–in his first work?–has a little childhood reminiscence (art by Christian and Ranjo). It’s short and nice. I miss the cynical, jaded Brubaker.

Hedden and McWeeney do a one page thing. It’s fine.

CREDITS

Heartbreakers, Three Women; story by Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan; art by Guinan; lettering by Willie Schubert. Hip-Deep in the Consciousness Stream; story by Adam Hughes and Karl Story; pencils by Hughes; inks by Story; lettering by Jim Massara. The Black & White Blues; story and art by Rich Hedden and Tom McWeeney. Harlequin, Act III; story by Stephen Csutoras; art by Stefano Gaudiano. Burning Man; story by Ed Brubaker; art by Mike Christian and Jeff Ranjo; lettering by Jack Pollock. Edited by Randy Stradley.