Hey comic fans! Do you like reviews of comics? You do? Oh good. Then I’ve got a good post in store for you. But just to keep things the way you like them: here is a video of kittens! YES!
So with that out of the way, RATINGS:
0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 – 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 – 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 – 3.9: You’d be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 – 4.9: “I’ll give it another month…but that was not good.”
5.0 – 5.9: “Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun.”
6.0 – 6.9: “Hmm. That was decent.”
7.0 – 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 – 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 – 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender
This week my reviews include Guarding the Globe #2, Batman Beyond #5, and Batman and Robin #15 as well as this week’s Book of the Week, Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall #1. Why so many Batman books this week? Geez, you’d think I liked the character now or something… no. No, that’s stupid.
Click behind the cut for my thoughts.
Book of the Week: Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall #1
Dear Mr. Mark Millar,
I recently read a brand new book from you entitled Kick-Ass 2 #1. It was the hot item at my local comic book shop, and I had remembered a long time ago reading a fun little comic from you with a similar name, minus that extra number. When I had first read that little book, I remember thinking how fun it was that there was just this silly little satirical comic book about people who had always wanted to be superheroes but were trapped by the limitations of reality. It appealed to me.
Then this movie came out with the same name, and it just about ruined it all for me. We had gone from a satirical version of the story to a flat out parody of the genre that was just awkward to watch and ultimately missed the point. Some of my friends insist that I have some sort of fictional axe to grind, but I rather insist that it was just, in fact, a terrible movie.
However, that didn’t stop me from picking up this new comic book, now did it, Mr. Millar? Because you see – the comic itself was actually good. I imagined that even if you are not writing as clever and intense books as you used to in your earlier days, you could still write an entertaining story with the same basic premise. And lo and behold, that’s exactly what Kick-Ass 2 was.
Mr. Millar, there was a time when I felt you really tried with your comic books. I remember reading the Ultimates for the first time, and while it had that same sense of humor and tone, it was a great comic book. This book has your usual sense of wit and referential humor, but without the same flavor or class as earlier work. In fact, there are moments in this issue when you reference things like Rihanna where I mildly chuckle and think you just want to be Frankie Boyle (good one getting him in on CLiNT by the way – the bloke is hilarious!). If you ask me, it’s ok to be funny but you should stick with what you’re good at and stop trying to force shock humor in like that bit about Rosemary Harris.
Aside from that, Kick-Ass 2 does have the same sort of satirical potential that Kick-Ass did. At least, I would certainly hope so. You’re taking the superhero story to the next and logical level, in which you place Kick-Ass in league with other heroes. I like this idea, and with the brief shot you put in at the end, it’s possibly that I will like how this plays out. I do, however, have a few requests. The first request I have is that you please realize it’s ok for you to just write your comic without trying to force a connection between this and the movie, which was rather painful for me as someone who isn’t a fan of the film. The second is that you just need to ground yourself for a bit. You’re a sensationalist, and we all know that – it’s part of your charm. But just pull back a tad, and really let yourself work on the book. I know it’s called Kick-Ass and the “in your face” attitude of it is part of it’s charisma, but just remember that this is a satire, not a parody, and that’s how you’ll make a comic that not only sells well, but actually reads well too. Remember, Mr. Millar – sales do not directly correlate to intelligence.
Continued belowSo, Mr. Millar, in closing I’d like to say that I enjoyed Kick-Ass 2 more than I thought I would. I can assure you that if this was a film, I would probably be grumpy by the end of it because I’m sure it would be full of all sorts of ridiculous nonsense (and seriously – McLovin’ is stuck as McLovin’, and you can’t fix that). If we can at least get the issues out on time and stop with all the delays, you might just have another good book on your hands. And in the most likely scenario that this ends up just a ridiculous wank-fest as you prep it for Hollywood, then… well, at least the first issue of Superior was good!
Sincerely,
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
Guarding The Globe #2
Is there anything Robert Kirkman can’t do right? I feel like in a world of fantastic creators, he is one of the few that rarely does wrong, and Guarding the Globe is definitely proof of that.
The second issue expands the new Globe team, picking up Kaboomerang from Australia before dealing with the team’s first mission in Atlantis. What we get is essentially a throw back to a really old storyline from Invincible that we had for all intents and purposes forgotten about, because Kirkman’s Aquaman analog was always meant to be fairly tedious and boring. This allows the issue to be infused with a great amount of humor as they deal with a villain who is verbally inept, and we’re given such challenges as “how can a hairy beast really fight underwater?”
I think what makes Guarding the Globe so great is that it boils down some of the elements that made very specific stories of Invincible great. Invincible for me was always a great book because it brought back that classic Spider-Man dynamic in which our hero was in school and had to balance his school with his super heroics. Every now and then we would get little snippets of the Guardian lifestyle, which in turn would allow for short and sweet stories of humor and action as the Guardians would fight all manner of villains that often time would parody more familiar foes. Guarding the Globe the book is essentially all those moments fleshed out even more, allowing for more hitting and humor, which Kirkman is an absolute champ at.
On top of that, what Kirkman has always REALLY done well is just invent heroes that make sense for the story, always pulled out of nowhere. Kaboomerang? A saucy Aussie supe who is cocky and kicks a villainous Dingo in the face? Sign me up! It’s such a shame this book is a mini, because I’d love to see it as an ongoing already. Kirkman also manages to successfully balance quite a few storylines in this one issue, something that was always a highlight for me with the main Invincible book. I loved that he would put in short pages of scenes that wouldn’t pay off for another few issues, and that slow steady build is already present within this book.
Getty also has a great style that mixes with the art we are so familiar with by Ottley over in Invincible. While the book obviously matched up thematically, the fact that it moves in sync artistically as well is a nice touch. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with Yeti’s mouth here, but aside from that one small thing the book looks fantastic.
All in all, this was easily one of the most entertaining books I got to read this week. While I was initially shy about buying the book (as I wasn’t sure what the point of just getting a Guardians mini would be, I’ve quickly bit my tongue on that because the book is awesome all arounds the book. Highly entertaining, and highly recommended.
Final Verdict: 9.1 – Buy
Batman Beyond #5
I was and have been a huge supporter of the book since it came out and I found out that the main villain would be Hush. In fact, it often surprises people how much I like the villain Hush. Seeing a new version of the character that was supposedly the old one was very exciting. Then when the reveal came with the last issue, things got weird, and with the explanation in this issue, I’m now not as happy.
Here’s the odd thing: I still think the book is good. The story is rather entertaining, it’s paying off everything it started with, and the art is great for the book to boot. My problem is that the explanation of the villain that comes with this issue is essentially a redress of the story from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. With the movie, we basically saw Batman’s greatest villain come back to life through Tim Drake via a cybernetic implant. With this story, we found out that Dick Grayson was Hush last issue, but with this second issue we’re essentially given a similar story that now involves Amanda Waller in a very loose capacity. It just seems… well, “been there, done that.”
It doesn’t stop Beechen from creating a story that does still somewhat feel believable. As much as the big “revelation” moment has turned this into a somewhat of a redress, it’s still a strong story. There have been a lot of slow clues from the beginning, and last issues twist was a bit of a mind-frak that has resulted in what is obviously a love it or hate it move. To be honest, it’s been so long since the Joker movie that I’m surprised I remember it as well as I do (although it is briefly mentioned in the book when McGinness confronts Drake). While I may not agree with the story choices, I’d be hard pressed to say that it didn’t work, because it very much does.
Like I said, though, the issue is still good. I think that Beechen and Benjamin have hit a definite stride with the title. I said right when the mini launched it deserved an ongoing, and now it has got one. The book feels like it is Batman Beyond, and it has from the beginning. There are a couple somewhat sloppy moments and the ending is a bit hokey, but for the most part the book feels great. It does pale a bit in comparison to some of the other books I’ve handled this week, but it’s still a book that I’m greatly enjoying and do recommend.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
Batman and Robin #15
Batman and Robin is easily one of the most dense books on the market, and for all intents and purposes it has been for some time. This is one of Morrison’s thickest stories in terms of hidden plot details and slow building towards an explosive finale, and as the penultimate issue to the Fall and Rise of Batman, the book packs quite a whopper in terms of content. However, when braved and read, you’ll find that this is one of the most satisfying issues of the entire series.
I am always quick to sing the praises of Morrison in his Batman story, but this issue truly deserves it. Since RIP happened, I had always stuck with the intense storytelling and the scattered approach to important details, and this is an issue that really begins to pay long term fans off. The way the issue is placed, from the imagery to the specific dialogue, is such a great testament to this wicked tapestry that Morrison has been weaving with his various collaborators. In fact, as many people had been confused as to what was going on, I feel like this was one of the most clear issues to date of the series. From the opening sequence with the Joker, to the final sequence featuring the book’s cover, the issue is a twisted road of surprises and triumphs all around.
Frazer Irving is definitely a champ in this book, though, and I can’t sing his praises enough. Morrison has always been great about picking his collaborators, and a better one than Irving for this story you could not find. Irving gets the inherent twisted nature of this tale, and the villainy shines through as bright as true evil can. Irving’s Joker is masterfully frightening, and his Doctor Hurt is beyond sinister. In fact, there’s a sequence (that I’m hesitant to spoil) involving Hurt’s reflection on something that gave me chills, and is one of those intensely clarifying moments within the story as the pieces between Return of Bruce Wayne and this begin to collide. All of this then comes crashing down to a final page that – as much as you might think you see it coming – still sends the appropriate goosebumps up your arm in anticipation for the next, and final, issue as well as what that final image means for everyone.
Continued belowWhat else can I really say to praise Morrison? Since the book first came out, I’ve insisted that everyone I know buy this and all the previous volumes and read it. It’s been a very long journey, but as we are one issue away from the end, I can’t think of a more satisfying comic book experience. In fact, I’m already prepping my collection for my re-read of the entire story from Batman and Son to the end. I’m not a Batman fan, but Morrison has brought out in me a side that clamors on a monthly basis to get the ongoing story of the Bat. This book has combined a lot of elements from various Morrison work in an elaborate mad painting, and it’s very hard to try and describe to someone who just wants to hop in at the end.
What I can say is this, though: if you’ve been patient, if you’ve stuck out the arcs or artists you didn’t like, and if you’ve been taking notes, then what Grant Morrison has done here is one of the single most amazing intertwined and connected story that Batman will ever have, and by far the one that a character as popular as he deserves. That’s right: deserves. Dick’s final line in the book sums it up much better than I can, even with this review, so I suppose you have no choice but to…
Final Verdict: 9.6 – Buy it
As an additional note, David Uzumeri and the Comics Alliance crew write great annotated versions of each Batman and Robin issue, breaking it down by references. If you need a fun cheat sheet that’ll point out some things you might have forgotten, click here.
