The Wake 5 (December 2013)

289527 20131120094335 large Starting this issue, I felt a little bad. I only read The Wake to praise Murphy’s art and to mock Snyder’s writing. It’s definitely mock-worthy this time around too, but then he goes and does something even more amazing.

He craps on the story he is telling and then announces he’s going to tell an entirely different story. Apparently one about flying girls. So instead of ripping off The Abyss, Leviathan and whatever other underwater adventures he could… He announces he’s instead going to rip off Waterworld and post-apocalyptic stuff.

Am I spoiling the end of this issue?

No, because this issue–this storyline–isn’t the point. Murphy was just messing around.

It’s the perfect jumping off point too, because it’s clear there’s never going to be anything resembling a good narrative here.

Oh, Contact. He rips Contact off a little here too.

Anyway, crappy writing, great art.

CREDITS

Writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Sean Murphy; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Sara Miller and Mark Doyle; publisher, Vertigo.

The Wake 4 (November 2013)

284785 20130926124526 large I’m having a hard time believing it but Snyder is actually getting worse. Oh, there are less characters so the dialogue is a little better, but his ideas are dropping even faster in creativity. If it weren’t for Murphy’s style, I’d think The Wake is supposed to be a joke. Some camp-fest to laugh at all the crazy stuff Snyder can rip off from other places.

I did forgot the really, really terrible scene with the lead character lady talking about her son and how she won’t die unless she gets him HDMI cables first. I can’t believe this comic book has an editor. Not one who can read anyway.

There’s a lot of action, none of it particularly good. For a series where Murphy is the only draw, this issue doesn’t utilize him well at all. Snyder’s script is too terribly paced.

The Wake‘s not improving at all.

CREDITS

Writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Sean Murphy; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Sara Miller and Mark Doyle; publisher, Vertigo.

The Wake 3 (September 2013)

279303 20130731104715 large What a bad comic.

I mean, the art is glorious and it does make The Wake worth reading but the writing is godawful.

Snyder is back with his lame dialogue again. On and on it goes. The stuff with protagonist and her son isn’t even the worst and it’s positively dreadful. The Homeland Security guy is back to his awful catchphrases, which is an unpleasant return to say the least.

This issue reveals one of Snyder’s big problems as a writer. He’s impatient. Instead of showing the reader this deep sea rig in scenes, he does it all in expository dialogue so he can rush to the finish with a bunch of the monsters arriving. A few good scenes would have helped the pace–it reads extremely fast, especially as one wants to get away from Snyder’s dialogue–and worked towards giving the cast personalities.

It’s a terrible comic book.

CREDITS

Writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Sean Murphy; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Sara Miller and Mark Doyle; publisher, Vertigo.

The Wake 2 (August 2013)

916624 If “raindrop” is really a term used in folklore studies, how does anyone take folklore studies seriously? It’s out of Michael Crichton.

Except Snyder doesn’t think dinosaurs became birds. He’s real clear on it. Science is clear on the other side of him. It immediately discounts all the pseudo-science in Wake. It and Snyder giving Homeland Security a bio weapons department.

It’s a bit of a talking heads issue. Well, talking heads and hallucinations. Snyder packs it with time killing hallucinations. The Murphy art makes up for it all to a certain point, except when Snyder’s being just too dumb.

One has to wonder of his editors do anything whatsoever. Like read the script to the comic.

There’s some more will the flash forward to the end of the planet Earth. I think we’re supposed to care but I can’t be sure.

At least Snyder’s dialogue is getting better.

CREDITS

Writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Sean Murphy; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Sara Miller and Mark Doyle; publisher, Vertigo.

The Wake 1 (July 2013)

913998 So if Michael Bay is his generation’s version of Tony Scott, Scott Snyder is trying really hard to be his generations version of early Brian Michael Bendis. The cuteness in the dialogue is hilariously bad. If it weren’t for Sean Murphy’s art, one might think The Wake is supposed to be a comedy.

I could actually sit and write about the dialogue devices Snyder uses to be cute, but I won’t bother. Being cute is a small problem compared to the rest of the dialogue. He can’t write honest dialogue. He’s not just writing bad expository dialogue, he’s writing weak dialogue without any sense of his characters. Maybe his editors told him everyone has to sound different so he picked some phrases and cadences to repeat.

But there’s the art. Murphy gets to do fake super-science, general ocean life and Waterworld. Every panel, even with dumb dialogue, is glorious.

CREDITS

Writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Sean Murphy; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth; letterer, Jared K. Fletcher; editors, Sara Miller and Mark Doyle; publisher, Vertigo.

Batman 3 (January 2012)

Oh, Scott Snyder, you had me going–even through Bruce and his male love interest flirting while discussing the mystery–until you tried a hard cliffhanger with Batman dying.

Batman is not going to die this issue of Batman, Scott Snyder, and your readers know it.

Immediately preceding the cliffhanger is a series of nice pages–Batman finding these hidden “Owlman” lairs around the city, something the World’s Greatest Detective has missed his endire career–and the visuals work. It’s cool to see where the lairs are, how they look the same, how they look different. Up until the cliffhanger, this issue is an exercise in how to keep exposition lively.

Capullo still draws his fit gentleman exactly the same, except facial hair, and without much life. But Snyder’s multiple long dialogue sequences still work–the dialogue is strong (if long).

It’s neat, though the cliffhanger doesn’t reward the reader.

CREDITS

The Thirteenth Hour; writer, Scott Snyder; penciller, Greg Capullo; inker, Jonathan Glapion; colorist, FCO Plascencia; letterers, Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt; editors, Harvey Richards, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Swamp Thing 3 (January 2012)

It’s terrible.

It’s incredibly terrible.

Snyder’s first couple issues never even hinted at his terrible idea for Swamp Thing.

Though he does seem to think a callback to the Swamp Thing movie is going to earn him brownie points… as he craps on Len Wein, Alan Moore… Rick Veitch… Nancy Collins… Josh Dysart… Well, maybe not Collins.

What’s so stupendously bad about the plot–from the editorial standpoint–is how Snyder’s creating his own organic elemental, which is already going on over in Animal Man. I assumed the two things would tie together.

Apparently not.

I’m also not clear why Abby is so badly written. I understand Snyder’s trying to revive the character, make her tough and whatnot, but it didn’t have to be ludicrous.

He also takes the book away from Alec Holland, who–shockingly–turns out to have been a better lead.

And the final reveal’s crap.

CREDITS

Come Hither, Child; writer, Scott Snyder; artists, Victor Ibáñez and Yanick Paquette; colorist, Nathan Fairbairn; letterer, John J. Hill; editor, Matt Idelson; publisher, DC Comics.

Batman 2 (December 2011)

I’d forgotten the cliffhanger in the previous issue. I only remembered—Dick Grayson: Murderer!—when Dick shows up in that lame new Nightwing outfit and he and Bruce talk about it.

It’s a strange thing to establish so early—the series is going to have unfulfilling cliffhangers. Maybe Snyder’s trying to do something retro with it. When Batman stops the museum robbers, it felt like Batman is supposed to be a mix of innocuous and extreme.

Snyder’s also working on his bromance. Bruce and his twin (Capullo can’t keep Bruce and the mayoral candidate straight… not even with different hairstyles) have a lengthy, talky scene together.

Capullo’s a lot better with the costumed stuff (even Nightwing) than he is with the people.

There’s some cool, movie-ready technology stuff with Gordon and the issue’s generally fine.

The ending, which ties to the opening narration, should be a lot stronger though.

CREDITS

Trust Fall; writer, Scott Snyder; penciller, Greg Capullo; inker, Jonathan Glapion; colorist, FCO Plascencia; letterer, Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt; editors, Janelle Asselin, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Swamp Thing 2 (December 2011)

Big sigh.

Why does every hero have to be the “Chosen One” these days? Is it because of Harry Potter or The Matrix? It didn’t happen after the first Star Wars trilogy.

Anyway, Snyder impresses a little with his creativity here (before flushing it all down the toilet). He opens with Swamp Thing visiting Alec Holland. The World War II Swamp Thing who I think was in a Rick Veitch issue. So Snyder’s playing into the mythology, before he craps all over it.

He’s also pretty picky and choosy about what he’s bringing over—where’s Tefé, for example? When do we get to hear about her? Because if Snyder’s doing a modification and not actually crapping, I’d like to know. I’d be less harsh, because I see he’s struggling to make the book commercially viable.

Paquette’s okay… though, the only time he seems inspired is with the surprise guest star.

CREDITS

When It Comes A’Knockin’; writer, Scott Snyder; artist, Yanick Paquette; colorist, Nathan Fairbairn; letterer, John J. Hill; editors, Chris Conroy and Matt Idelson; publisher, DC Comics.

Batman 1 (November 2011)

Dick Grayson’s a crazy murderer?!? Oh, wait, no.

That pointless cliffhanger aside, Batman isn’t bad. I know Greg Capullo is a name artist and all, but I can’t figure out why. His figures give the impression of being static even when they aren’t.

The issue’s at it’s strongest in odd places. Scott Snyder has recast the Bat-family as the Brady Bunch before Mike met Carol. Dick’s the grown-up sidekick who’s still the best sidekick, Tim’s the ignored one and Damien’s the little wiseacre.

It’s sort of cute. Snyder’s not ambitious at all–his script reads a little like a mix of the Batman movies (all of them) and being sort of cute is about all the mileage the comic’s going to get.

Snyder does nothing to orient new readers; I guess DC knows there really aren’t Batman-readers-to-be out there.

It’s low-end mediocre mainstream stuff.

CREDITS

Knife Trick; writer, Scott Snyder; penciller, Greg Capullo; inker, Jonathan Glapion; colorist, FCO Plascencia; letterers, Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt; editors, Janelle Asselin, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.