Rocketeer Adventures 2 (2012) #1

Rocketeer Adventures 1

The best story in this issue is Peter David and Bill Sienkiewicz spoofing “Merry Melodies” cartoons, featuring Daffy as the Ducketeer. The art’s great, the script’s funny; David knows how to pace the story right. It’s nice because it’s so subtle–obviously, there’d be pop culture about America’s only science hero.

Stan Sakai’s story makes a similar acknowledgement, but it tries too hard. Or maybe Sakai’s art just doesn’t work for the story. Cliff encounters a farm boy with parents named Jonathan and Martha and a nemesis named Lex. It’s cute, but slight. And the way Sakai draws faces is off-putting.

The worst is Marc Guggenheim and Sandy Plunkett’s story. The art is good, but the writing is moronic. Cliff’s injured and unconscious; his rescuers have to decide if they’re turning him in since he’s a wanted vigilante. Guggenheim’s script gets worse as it goes.

It’s a disappointing issue.

Rocketeer Adventures 2 1 (March 2012)

863520 The best story in this issue is Peter David and Bill Sienkiewicz spoofing “Merry Melodies” cartoons, featuring Daffy as the Ducketeer. The art’s great, the script’s funny; David knows how to pace the story right. It’s nice because it’s so subtle–obviously, there’d be pop culture about America’s only science hero.

It’s a disappointing issue.

CREDITS

The Good Guys; writer, Marc Guggenheim; artist, Sandy Plunkett; colorist, Jeromy Cox; letterer, Robbie Robbins. The Ducketeer; writer, Peter David; artist, colorist and letterer, Bill Sienkiewicz. A Dream of Flying; writer, artist and letterer, Stan Sakai; colorist, Dave Stewart. Editor, Scott Dunbier; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Dark Horse Presents Annual (1998) 1999

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It’s a “theme” annual—characters in their youths.

It opens with Wagner, Chin and Wong on Xena. The art’s a little rough, but Wagner’s writing is solid.

Mignola’s Hellboy is adorable (as young Hellboy stories tend to be). It’s a cute couple pages.

Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo drags. It’s way too didactic. Sakai’s art some okay moments and some not okay ones.

Shockingly, the Ghost story is good. Zanier and Mariano’s artwork is excellent and Kennedy’s writing isn’t bad. It’s confusing for a new reader, but quite decent.

This issue also has the first Groo I’ve read. Though Aragones’s art sometimes gets a little too dense, he and Evanier write a fine story.

Chadwick’s Concrete story is lame. It’s maybe the worst writing I’ve read from Chadwick.

Norwood’s Star Wars thing bores. Surprisingly weak art from him too.

The finish is Geary’s take on The Mask. Some decent art, but pointless.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #140

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The art’s not terrible on the Aliens story—Leonardi and Wiacek do all right (they certainly get the art win for this issue)—but Schultz and Amara’s writing is atrocious. They don’t just feel the need for bad dialogue, they want lots of it too. There’s endless poorly written expository dialogue. And the story is some segue into Dark Horse’s next crappy Aliens series, it doesn’t bother focusing on the neat idea—the aliens home planet. Anyway, decent looking crap.

Then it’s Usagi Yojimbo—my first time reading it ever. I thought the art would be better. Sakai seems to be doing a kids’ book, regardless of the samurai content, but he doesn’t take much time detailing his figures. I wouldn’t even call it anatomy.

Chichester, Barberi and Hvam’s Saint Slayer is ugly and bad. The art’s incomprehensible and Chichester’s writing makes the Aliens guys seem like Faulkner. Total crap.

Strange Tales (2009) #3

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And this indie rendition of Strange Tales goes whimpering into the night.

Even Bertozzi’s Watcher intros have run out of steam and Bagge’s Hulk hits its greatest potential then falters.

Sakai’s samurai Hulk story is filler and contrived to be Marvel related. Lewis’s Longshot story is lame and a little misogynistic. Oddly, Longshot looks like a girl.

Brown’s two page FF gag story is good. Stephens’s Beast vs. Morbius story’s lame, but somewhat inoffensively. Chua’s graffiti as narrative thing is unintelligible. Cannon’s Spider-Man origin retell is lame. Lee’s Punisher story suggests he needs a male role model.

Hornschemeier’s story is depressing, Cloonan’s goes for a quic joke and gets it….

Marvel should have required humor in all the stories; they’re not getting “real” stories out of these creators anyway so funny would be better.

They duped me into getting excited for this series with the first issue’s Pope cover.