A Town Called Dragon 2 (October 2014)

A Town Called Dragon #2 How long can Winick go with conversation between interesting towns people and absolutely no story? For 95% of the issue. And he and artist Shaw waste an entire page with the dragon killing a cow. Not sure why it’s a good splash, unless Shaw really wanted to draw a dying cow.

There’s not a lot with the characters from last issue. Winick reduces them to stereotypes–black guy, drunk guy, art girl, crazy guy–but there’s a whole thing with the sheriff’s kids blowing stuff up. Like they’re training to be terrorists or something. I’m sure it’ll come in handy later for fighting dragons.

Unfortunately, the new characters are all weaker than the previously established characters. And Winick rushes the introduction of the dragon. It’s a little unclear if Winick is trying to sell a movie or a TV show, because it’s not a comic, which is really too bad.

C+

CREDITS

You Can’t Fight a Monster; writer, Judd Winick; penciller, Geoff Shaw; colorist, Jamie Grant; letterer, Sean Konot; editors, Greg Tumbarello and Bob Schreck; publisher, Legendary Comics.

A Town Called Dragon 1 (September 2014)

A Town Called Dragon #1 A Town Called Dragon would be a whole lot better with a different artist. Or maybe even if Legendary were willing to get a good inker for Geoff Shaw's competent but unimaginative pencils. Or not, actually. His composition is humorless, which works better for the flashbacks to Vikings fighting dragons but fails during writer Judd Winick's frequent comedy exchanges.

It's a double-sized issue, which is good because Winick wastes about half the comic on the Viking flashback. They take the last dragon egg to the New World and dump it. Leif Erikson's expedition. That aspect of the story–along with a lot of Erikson's journal entry about it–isn't interesting because Winick's very closed off about it. It's setup, not a real part of the story.

The real story is this goofy tourist concept town called Dragon and the assorted townspeople. Winick does well with them; Shaw does not.

It's engaging though.

B-

CREDITS

Drop It On the Other Side of the World; writer, Judd Winick; penciller, Geoff Shaw; colorist, Jamie Grant; letterer, Sean Konot; editors, Greg Tumbarello and Bob Schreck; publisher, Legendary Comics.

Detective Comics 784 (September 2003)

148812 Oh, look it’s Batman actually detecting things in Detective Comics. Ed Brubaker sets up a very interesting case, with a serial killer from Green Lantern Alan Scott’s days in the forties apparently returning. He splits the issue mostly between Jim Gordon and Batman, but Scott gets some pages too.

Toggling between Batman and Gordon proves a nice juxtaposition–something Brubaker even comments on in Gordon’s narration–but it’s still Batman’s issue. Brubaker’s got a nice moment for him at the open too (both he and Gordon, Brubaker reveals, like the city at daybreak).

The art, from Patrick Zircher and Aaron Sowd, is good. It’s grimy enough to be realistic, but enthusiastic enough for the fight scenes to be visually rewarding. It’s all buildup, but it’s good buildup.

Judd Winick and Cliff Chiang do a tie-in with their Josie Mac character to Gotham Central. It’s okay cop comics, great art.

CREDITS

Made of Wood, Part One; writer, Ed Brubaker; penciller, Patrick Zircher; inker, Aaron Sowd; colorist, Jason Wright; letterer, Todd Klein; editors, Michael Wright and Bob Schreck. Trading Up; writer, Judd Winick; artist and colorist, Cliff Chiang; letterer, John Workman; editor, Matt Idelson. Publisher, DC Comics.

Catwoman 3 (January 2012)

I didn’t get too excited over Winick’s Batman and Catwoman thing because it seemed, if sensational, generally fine. So I was a little surprised when he gives it a bunch of emotional weight this issue.

And Winick has gotten a lot better with his Selina narration. He isn’t trying to establish anything, he’s just telling his story now. And he does a great job of it.

If anything, it’s March who is uneven this issue. He can’t handle the cute scenes, but he does great work on the not cute ones. Thanks to DC wanting to be seen as edgy, Winick is able to add moral complications to the relationship between Batman and Catwoman more effectively than I’ve ever read.

There’s a big event this issue, so I’m not sure Winick can keep up the quality without something similar, but Catwoman is all of a sudden really good.

I’m impressed.

CREDITS

No One Can Find Any Piece of Me Here.; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Guillem March; colorist, Tomeu Morey; letterer, Sal Cipriano; editors, Rickey Purdin and Rachel Gluckstern; publisher, DC Comics.

Batwing 3 (January 2012)

Good for Winick. Even though this issue of Batwing is a letdown–it’s too action oriented, not to mention all the outdoor daytime scenes means no interesting backgrounds from Oliver–it’s just a weak issue of a decent series. Opening the comic with one of the series’s most serious looks at African teenage soldiers probably helps it immediately resonate.

But the opening flashback makes promises of a revelation Winick never delivers on. He shows his b plot hand and then turns in an action issue. When established comics “decompress” it’s sometimes more acceptable because the ground situation is so well established (by years of comic books).

With Batwing, the only connection is Batman… and not even established Batman, just the Batman Inc. stuff.

I’m assuming it’s unintentional–a weak issue showing how solid the series has become otherwise–but it’d be funny if it weren’t. If Winick planned it out.

CREDITS

We Have Blood on Our Hands; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Ben Oliver; colorist, Brian Reber; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Rickey Purdin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Catwoman 2 (December 2011)

You know what… it’s not a bad storyline. Sure, Winick’s dialogue has a number of weak lines and his Batman narration is far better than his Catwoman narration, but this issue almost has me convinced I’d be reading Catwoman just for the plotting.

But only almost.

The single best thing in the issue is Winick’s handling of Alfred. Unfortunately, it’s not an Alfred comic.

There are some strange plot developments, especially looking at it as a second issue, where one would assume Winick’s still establishing the setting. Maybe he figures it’ll get cancelled before too long and is being safe.

The plot involves Catwoman playing tricks on Russian mobsters, but also on Bruce Wayne. He’s angry about it in general, and presumably more so because of their naughty time.

Winick identifies good external and internal conflicts and runs with them. If only he wrote better dialogue… Catwoman might approach good.

CREDITS

“I could say that I’ll sleep better, but that’s a lie.”; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Guillem March; colorist, Tomeu Morey; letterer, Sal Cipriano; editors, Rickey Purdin and Rachel Gluckstern; publisher, DC Comics.

Batwing 2 (December 2011)

I think this issue is better than the first. Winick all of a sudden decides to start confusing the timeline, mixing flashback and so on. Batwing really does feel like a terrible superhero version of Unknown Soldier.

But Oliver’s artwork is, no question, excellent. It’s precise without being static. Most artists with this much style can’t bring movement to their work; Oliver does.

Winick continues the plot–there’s a supervillain after the good guys, even if they’re retired super heroes. There’s an African Black Lighting in here for a bit.

The protagonist barely figures in, other than to have a eureka moment and go to… Well, not save the day, but maybe to save the day. Winick is going to drag it out.

Batman, when setting up Batwing, apparently decided he needed a cave and an Alfred. These plotting details are way too goofy.

Still, it’s a readable comic book.

CREDITS

First Blood; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Ben Oliver; colorist, Brian Reber; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Rickey Purdin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Catwoman 1 (November 2011)

Guillem March’s understanding of human anatomy isn’t much better than, say, Rob Liefeld’s… only March is a lot slicker. He also seems to understand he’s making short cuts and compensates. There are maybe five really good panels in this Catwoman relaunch.

One is of her and Batman pre-coital.

I assume Judd Winick got permission to write Batman like a stuck-up prude who gets busy with an “at large” criminal, but who knows… I just hope someone at DC recommends this book to kids.

It’s a fairly lame comic book. Catwoman gets a Microchip. There are Russian mobsters. She apparently did live on the streets for a while (it’s unclear if she was a hooker though). She and Batman have a leather fetish. It’s nearly fanfic, but Winick’s nowhere near as creative with the plotting as he is with the foreplay.

It’s bad, but nothing special in its badness.

CREDITS

“…and Most of the Costumes Stay On…”; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Guillem March; colorist, Tomeu Morey; letterer, Sal Cipriano; editors, Rickey Purdin and Rachel Gluckstern; publisher, DC Comics.

Batwing 1 (November 2011)

What does Ben Oliver’s art look like without color? I think the colorist adds all the texture to it.

But Batwing does look really slick. It looks very Photoshop, very modern. I don’t know if slick is a compliment. I suppose it’s more of a compliment than anything else I’ll have to say about the comic.

As a Batman in Africa, Batwing is a goofy character. I wish Judd Winick had read Unknown Soldier and ripped it off for this series. Just so the series would have the pretense of being serious.

Instead, Winick does his own thing–Batwing has a cave, an Alfred–but he never explains why this guy is the guy. It’s the first issue; skipping the origin is fine if the reader still gets a recap.

Here, there’s no recap. Winick introduces settings and supporting cast, but these additions don’t reveal anything.

What’s the darn point?

CREDITS

The Cradle of Civilization; writer, Judd Winick; artist, Ben Oliver; colorist, Brian Reber; letterer, Carlos M. Mangual; editors, Rickey Purdin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.