Venom 1 (May 2011)

What a depressing comic. It’s like Rick Remender looked at some old Spider-Man comics and tried to figure out how he could make any even more depressed arachnid superhero.

Flash Thompson (the new Venom) comes into the comic a jingoist and leaves it a broken wretch. I initially had problems with Remender’s characterization because it seemed cheap–Marvel trying to sell comics to the U.S. Army. The end decidedly makes the book something quite different.

There’s a slight disconnect because Thompson’s “Agent Venom,” the worst detail in the comic is that name, comes in acting like a super-U.N. peacekeeper, but it’s soon revealed he’s just a black ops guy for the U.S. government. Neither fit into Flash’s self-image at the start of the comic.

But Flash was never smart, something Remender doesn’t shy away from.

Tony Moore’s okay enough. I think the overdone inks actually help him.

CREDITS

Project Rebirth 2.0; writer, Rick Remender; penciller, Tony Moore; inkers, Sandu Florea and Karl Kesel; colorist, John Rauch; letterer, Joe Caramagna; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Stephen Wacker; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Detective Comics 3 (January 2012)

So not only is Commissioner Gordon really stupid, Batman’s a moron too? Daniel doesn’t seem to understand writing these characters as twits who fall into every trap makes them lesser characters. It’s bewildering DC doesn’t employ editors who know such things either.

This issue of Detective might be Daniel’s best though. He’s not trying to impress with any cliffhangers and he doesn’t introduce any new characters. It’s just middling crap, nothing special.

Daniel doesn’t even go overboard with his bad dialogue or narration. Sure, his Batman still thinks like a vicious psychopath, but he’s clearly dumb. Why take him seriously?

The issue’s pacing is extraordinary. It opens with Batman resolving one cliffhanger at the Dollmaker’s hideout and ends with Batman stuck in another cliffhanger at the Dollmaker’s. Nothing happens in between. Daniel could have skipped the issue entirely.

My favorite is the nonsensical questions the reporters ask. Daniel’s just laughable.

CREDITS

Cold Blood; writer and penciller, Tony S. Daniel; inker, Sandu Florea; colorist, Tomeu Morey; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Janelle Asselin, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics 2 (December 2011)

This issue is a little less rancid than the first one. Maybe I’m just amused by Daniel’s complete inability to write people talking to each other. Unless, of course, he’s trying to imply Bruce Wayne is flirting with some dude in the first scene.

Then, immediately following, when Wayne gets naughty with some TV reporter… it feels like a beard. If nothing else, Daniel’s Detective will be funny for the closeted gay Batman.

It also might help Daniel has inkers. The art’s still bad. I mean, I guess the Dollmaker and his family are supposed to be gross and scary, but Daniel and the inkers are too slick. It looks like these things could be action figures, not hideously deformed monsters.

Daniel goes with another cliffhanger, less “shocking” than the last one, but even stupider.

I did like seeing Paul Pope’s Year 100 bike getting some regular use.

Detective’s crap.

p style=”font-size:11px;”>CREDITS

Playtime’s Over; story and pencils by Tony S. Daniel; inkers, Ryan Winn and Sandu Florea; colorist, Tomeu Morey; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Janelle Asselin, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #141

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It’s the all-Buffy issue and, wow, does it get bad.

The first story, which I thought was going to be a low point–from Brereton, Golden, Bennett and Amash–turns out to be all right. It’s Buffy meeting the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Golden’s writing is fine, Bennett’s art is adequate. Golden plots it weird and manages to make it somewhat charming, even if there’s weak dialogue.

The second story is the secret origin of Angel, which is pretty boring. This time Golden is solo, with Gomez and Florea are on the art. The art’s bad. Lots of sketchy lines, bad faces… I guess the scenery is all right. Golden’s writing is weak, mostly due to his terrible narration.

But the third story–from Watson and Perrin (Florea inks again)–redefines bad art and writing for this issue. Watson’s writing is laughably bad. Perrin’s not ready for primetime.