Voodoo 3 (January 2012)

I assume Marz uses Kyle Rayner because he created the creator, but literally any Green Lantern would do. The way Marz writes the character, it could be any of them either. There’s no personality besides Rayner having sympathy for Voodoo as he fights her alien sidekicks.

Of course, Voodoo is out to destroy the earth… or is she? It’s doubtful DC’s going to do a villain comic. But they might.

I think the aliens from Grifter show up at the end too, but I’m not sure and I’m not interested enough to investigate.

It’s a mediocre comic and nowhere near as strong as the first one, but it’s not bad. It doesn’t even suggest bad things for the series overall. Marz just needs to get Voodoo back on her cross-country David Banner jaunt and it’ll be fine.

Nice art from Basri, though his Rayner looks like a complete tool.

CREDITS

Into the Light; writer, Ron Marz; artist, Sami Basri; colorist, Jessica Kholinne; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Rex Ogle, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.

Voodoo (2011) #2

Voodoo 2

Oh, man, is there really going to be a Kyle Rayner guest appearance next issue or is Marz’s just threatening?

I still like Voodoo (we’ll see what I say next month with the guest star), but Marz’s plotting is a lot loosier here and he has more places to stumble. There’s some weak dialogue and he’s not good at introducing the larger cast.

But it’s still a decent comic.

It’d be better if co-artist Hendry Prasetya did stronger work. I think Prasetya fills in the odd page here and there, because the book’s style is consistant. Every few pages, the art is much better and it’s obviously Basri.

Anyway, Marz does have some neat little plot developments (the strength of Voodoo, besides Basri, is the constant micro-revelations). And the character is strong. Marz is pretty darn good at writing a shapeshifting alien agent, which is still utterly surprising.

Voodoo 2 (December 2011)

Oh, man, is there really going to be a Kyle Rayner guest appearance next issue or is Marz’s just threatening?

But it’s still a decent comic.

CREDITS

Reflections; writer, Ron Marz; artists, Sami Basri and Hendry Prasetya; colorist, Jessica Kholinne; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.

Voodoo 1 (November 2011)

I’m sure I’ll regret making this statement… but I likeVoodoo.

I generally use Ron Marz as a punchline whenever I can, but he writes some decent dialogue this issue. He understands how to have people go back and forth, how to bring out the exposition naturally, how to imply things.

It doesn’t hurt he’s got a nice cutaway with a federal agent beating up some dumb kids and then a good reveal at the end.

The book also has a major cheesecake factor, which Sami Basri’s art plays into. But—while the cheesecake keeps up—Marz does treat it as realistically as one would imagine a DC comic would get in the seedy strip club scene.

Actually, it seems like Marz has done a lot of research into the goings on at….

See, punchline, even when I’m being complementary.

It’s a complete Species rip-off but it’s finely executed.

CREDITS

Keeping Secrets; writer, Ron Marz; artist, Sami Basri; colorist, Jessica Kholinne; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham; publisher, DC Comics.

DC Retroactive: Green Lantern – The ’90s 1 (October 2011)

I’ve avoided Ron Marz’s Green Lantern comics. I’ve always assumed Kyle Rayner is a tool and the comics would be bad.

If this Retroactive is any indication, I’ve been right all along. Though it’s mildly amusing to think about what Marz does with the character–he’s turned an eighties Spider-Man comic (a poorly written one) into a DC space hero comic book. If it weren’t terribly written, it might be sort of fun.

But Marz’s big problem in this issue is Kyle’s first person narration. He talks to the reader, explaining the events on the page. One time it works to good effect, the rest it’s annoying. Marz spends half the narration explaining why Green Lantern is just like “you,” which is idiotic. Or he’s making fun of the Green Lantern mythology. In a Green Lantern comic.

The ending–presumably unintentionally–reveals Kyle to be a power-mad fascist.

CREDITS

Hothead; writer, Ron Marz; penciller, Darryl Banks; inker, Terry Austin; colorist, Allen Passalaqua; letterer, Wes Abbott; editor, Ben Abernathy; publisher, DC Comics.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #137

Dhp137

So Nazis versus Predator and the best Marz can come up with is a story set in South America? Castellini’s art makes up for some of it—even though he can’t draw the Predator, the rest of it looks good. But Marz’s writing is pretty dumb.

Seagle and Gaudiano have another My Vagabond Days, this time about the space program. Sort of. Seagle seems to think doing a lyrical narrative about growing up in the Sixties is inherently interesting. Even with Gaudiano’s artwork, it’s not interesting. Seagle, it turns out, didn’t grow up in the Sixties as a teen… have I already mentioned that fact? Regardless, it’s still a waste of good art.

Randall and Verheiden finally finish The Ark here. It’s yet another double-sized installment and, wow, Verheiden’s writing is really awful here. Randall still manages to turn in some decent work (except on the aliens, they’re boring).

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #102

Dhp102

Shockingly, the Niles story story this issue–one of his Cal McDonald ones–is mildly inoffensive. It’s poorly written detective narration, but at least he’s work in a recognized genre (badly written detective narration). It’s stupid and Casey Jones’s art isn’t any good… but it’s not intolerable.

Oh, the Marz and Wrightson Aliens story ends this issue too. It’s not as predictable as I thought it was going to be, but it’s still pointless. Maybe it’s setup for a series or something.

Shaw’s Alan Bland, about a floundering painter, is all right. Shaw’s art isn’t quite finished enough for the cartoon look, which he seems to be going for. He’s too busy with lines. But it’s not bad.

Pekar and Sacco contribute another page–this time so Pekar can tell jazz enthusiasts to check out Sun Ra. Thanks Harvey.

The issue ends with a sublime Pope installment. It’s just lovely.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #101

Dhp101

Wow, has Steve Niles ever been able to write? He has a story in this issue and it’s the worst written police procedural I think I’ve ever read. A hundred issues or no, if Dark Horse was publishing Niles… imagine what made the reject pile. The Paul Lee art on the story is bad, but much better than the writing.

Musgrove’s The Alienator is more bad writing. At least the art is good. Musgrove’s drawing a bunch of ugly stuff, but he does it well. His writing is… well, it’s almost as bad as Niles’s.

There’s some inexplicable Aliens story from Marz too. But Wrightson’s doing the art so it at least looks great.

Pope’s the saving grace—One Trick Rip-Off starts this issue. This first installment sets it up as a heist story. Fantastic art; a great eight pages.

Pekar and Sacco contribute a pointless “human interest” piece.

Dark Horse Presents 102 (October 1995)

Oh, the Marz and Wrightson Aliens story ends this issue too. It’s not as predictable as I thought it was going to be, but it’s still pointless. Maybe it’s setup for a series or something.

Pekar and Sacco contribute another page–this time so Pekar can tell jazz enthusiasts to check out Sun Ra. Thanks Harvey.

The issue ends with a sublime Pope installment. It’s just lovely.

CREDITS

Aliens, Incubation, Part Two; story by Ron Marz; art by Bernie Wrightson; lettering by Sean Konot. Alan Bland, That’s Mr. Painter to You, Part One; script and art by Stan Shaw. Sun Ra; story by Harvey Pekar; art by Joe Sacco. Cal McDonald, Hairball, Part One; story by Steve Niles; pencils by Casey Jones; inks by Bruce Patterson; lettering by Konot. The One Trick Rip-Off, Part Two; story and art by Paul Pope; lettering by Michael Neno. Edited by Bob Schreck and Scott Allie.

Dark Horse Presents 101 (September 1995)

There’s some inexplicable Aliens story from Marz too. But Wrightson’s doing the art so it at least looks great.

Pope’s the saving grace—One Trick Rip-Off starts this issue. This first installment sets it up as a heist story. Fantastic art; a great eight pages.

Pekar and Sacco contribute a pointless “human interest” piece.

CREDITS

Aliens, Incubation, Part One; story by Ron Marz; art by Bernie Wrightson; lettering by Sean Konot. Iced; story by Steve Niles; art by Paul Lee; lettering by Konot. The Alienator; story and art by Scott Musgrove. The One Trick Rip-Off, Part One; story and art by Paul Pope; lettering by Michael Neno. A Rose for Greg Selker; story by Harvey Pekar; art by Joe Sacco. Edited by Bob Schreck and Scott Allie.