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

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.

Showcase 4 (September-October 1956)

It’s hard to say who’s more enthusiastic about The Flash–Robert Kanigher or John Broome. Kanigher does the origin, Broome does the second adventure. Broome tackles time travel… Kanigher has Flash in a speedboat. I guess Broome wins.

Both have Carmine Infantino (inked by Joe Kubert) on art. Infantino doesn’t quite know how to tell a superhero story in this issue. His panels are all matter-of-fact and he doesn’t dynamically compose them. Flash in the speedboat is beyond silly.

But Kanigher and Broome–while writing a boring character in Barry Allen–manage to still write a compelling one. The stories’ villains are goofy; Barry’s excitement at his new abilities make up for them.

I don’t think I’ve ever read these stories before. They’re extremely influential, not just for DC, but also for Marvel (particularly Stan Lee’s Spider-Man origin).

The stories are guardedly ambitious, especially the Broome one.

Showcase 2 (May-June 1956)

Good grief. I thought I was going to be able to talk seriously about this comic, starting with the story of a young Native American lad whose spirit animal keeps saving his butt, then through the story of a misunderstood youth and his mutt… but the final story is about a circus bear who escapes.

Now, the circus bear knows he has it pretty good at the circus, he just wants adventure. So the story–which, sadly, does not have an author credit–proposes the idea circuses (in the fifties) treated animals well. It’s also this Disney-like look at animals, which talk and think. It’s incredible. Russ Heath’s art is pretty charming, actually.

The Joe Kubert art on the Native American kid story is okay, some great vistas, but Ross Andru and Mike Esposito bore on the orphaned kid one.

This comic’s glorious nuts (and completely unaware of it).

DC Universe: Legacies (2010) #4

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I’m now incredibly confused. The backup, illustrated by Kubert, all about the DC WWII heroes reuniting on the Bicentennial is this lovely little piece. I mean, Wein’s dialogue is still really weak and I’m sad Alfred didn’t get jiggy with Mlle. Marie in current continuity like he did before… but it’s lovely. It’s the closest Legacies has gotten to being what it ought to be….

And the preceding feature is the same crap as usual. What Gibbons do to Garcia-Lopez’s pencils to make Superman look bad? Garcia-Lopez has only drawn Superman in hundreds of comic books and Gibbons just… yuck.

There are timeline problems again (it seems to take place in the late sixties to mid-seventies, which isn’t right), bad narration, bad dialogue and the stupid criminal brother-in-law showing up.

The only good moment’s when Black Canary I gets flirty with Superman.

Otherwise, it’s lame.

DC Universe: Legacies (2010) #2

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I didn’t mention this part of the last issue because I was hoping Wein wasn’t going to use it as a plot device, because it’d be stupid. Silly me, apparently he’s going to use it. The narrator has a friend who goes bad. It appears he’s going to show up every issue as a thug, to show how regular people can either be good or bad. It’s awful. Worse, the narrator marries his sister.

Again, it’s Marvels-lite.

Also again… great artwork from the Kuberts. There’s a lot more superhero action this issue and they handle it all very well. In fact, this issue works better, because they’re more suited to Hawkman and Green Lantern than the pulpy heroes last issue.

The Newsboy Legion cameo’s great here, maybe Wein’s best writing on the series so far. The narration’s still bad though.

The Williams illustrated backup is lovely looking, but stupid.

DC Universe: Legacies (2010) #1

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Near as I can tell—down to the old man narrator—Legacies is just DC’s attempt at doing Marvels, only without such a cool name. Scott Kolins does the opening frame, the nice old man with his superhero memorabilia and so on, then they flashback to the thirties and Suicide Slum.

The draw of the issue is the art from the Kuberts. It has a great feel of the era. Len Wein’s narration is atrocious. I mean, it really is like reading Marvels-lite. Or the Marvels sequel, come to think of it. I can’t believe DC did such a weak imitation fifteen years later….

Anyway, the Kuberts beautifully handle the poverty of Suicide Slum, juxtaposing it with the early superheroes. Any art issues are because they’re illustrating a contrived script.

The backup—though Jones’s art is beautiful—is even worse. Wein seems to lose his place in the dialogue.

Detective Comics (1937) #500

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For issue 500, DC went with something rather celebratory for Detective Comics–it’s very oversized (84 pages) and has many Detective Comics regulars–back to Slam Bradley–making appearances.

The opening Batman story, from Alan Brennert and Dick Giordano, is fantastic one about Batman going Earth-3 to save his parents. It’s a great, touching story. I love it. I’ve probably read it, in one place or another, like ten times.

The rest is mostly a mess. Len Wein’s Bradley story is atrociously written, the Mike W. Barr Elongated Man story is flat–the Hawkman story does have some beautiful Joe Kubert artwork and a nice Martian Manhunter cameo (he doesn’t appear otherwise).

The final story, by Cary Bates and Carmine Infantino, featuring Batman and Deadman, is a total mess.

I couldn’t get through Walter Gibson’s prose story.

But it’s worth it for the opener alone and it’s well-intentioned.

Detective Comics 500 (March 1981)

The final story, by Cary Bates and Carmine Infantino, featuring Batman and Deadman, is a total mess.

I couldn’t get through Walter Gibson’s prose story.

But it’s worth it for the opener alone and it’s well-intentioned.

CREDITS

To Kill a Legend; writer, Alan Brennert; artist, Dick Giordano; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, John Costanza. The “Too Many Cooks … ” Caper!; writer, Len Wein; artist, Jim Aparo; colorist, Tatjana Wood. The Final Mystery of Edgar Allen Poe!; writer, Mike W. Barr; artist, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez; colorist, Wood; letterer, Costanza. The Batman Encounters – Gray Face; writer, Walter Gibson; artist, Thomas Yeates. The Strange Death of Doctor Erdel; writer, Paul Levitz; artist, Joe Kubert; colorist, Wood; letterer, Adam Kubert. What Happens When a Batman Dies?; writer, Cary Bates; penciller, Carmine Infantino; inker, Bob Smith; colorist, Roy; letterer, Costanza. Editor, Levitz; publisher, DC Comics.