Stuff I’ve Read Lately
Howard the Duck MAX - I’ve got the Essential Howard the Duck that collects the ‘70s stuff, and I think it’s one of the higher-tier Marvels from that era. It’s still a good read even today. The MAX miniseries from a couple years ago is by Steve Gerber (the original creator) so it feels just like a modern version of Howard, only with a little more nudity and swearing. The absurdist humor is also more absurd, and some of the topics the story tackles are amusing. There’s an issue that parodies the Witchblade series (in this version, Jane Austen and Eleanor Roosevelt were both previous owners of the “Doucheblade”) and another issue that takes place in the “Boarding House of Mystery” and parodies Vertigo. The plotting and character development, like the old Howard series, isn’t really the focus of the story, but the satire and social commentary still make this a good read as long as you have a taste for the absurdity. The art’s really exceptional, too - Phil Winslade and Glenn Fabry did it. Lots of glorious detail.
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The Incredible Hulk v. 1, 2 (Return of the Monster and Boiling Point)** - These are the first two volumes of the Bruce Jones run. This was my first time reading Jones’ Hulk, believe it or not. I missed the boat when it was being serialized. I liked both of these volumes, but I didn’t love them like I thought I would. The premise is the tried-and-true “Banner’s on the run from shady covert operatives” but with more of an emphasis on the covert ops, and with a deeper slant on the danger of the situation.
The first volume is mostly a series of individual stories loosely connected. They read kind of like old-school EC books, only with a Marvel superhero. I think that’s the feeling Jones was trying to invoke, at least. There’s some implausible plotting that detracted from my enjoyment, though. Jones uses laptops as sort of deus ex machinas, and it’s almost like he disregards the fact that they are technology and instead treats them like magic. Laptops are able to trace anything, anywhere, and tap into and provide live video feeds on anybody? Come on, now. That was weak. That really crippled the last couple issues. Romita, Jr. did the art, though, and it’s just fantastic. He really makes the comic feel realer than it is.
The second volume starts off with an awesome premise: Banner is one of a number of hostages in a convenience store in a small town. A disgraced police negotiator tries to defuse the situation, but the shady covert ops dudes who are after Banner intervene and try to get him. But again, the ending wasn’t entirely satisfying to me. Jones again relies on a few very implausible coincidences to move the plot, and it just feels weak and contrived, almost like an overly simplistic Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a shame because everything else about the tone of the book feels so real and hard. Plus, Lee Weeks penciled this volume, and that guy is outstanding. Whenever I think of “underrated artists,” he is the first person I think of. It’s a treat to be able to find a TRADE, BABY of his work.
If I ever find the rest of the Bruce Jones volumes for cheap, I’ll probably pick them up. I’d like to see if he improved during his tenure. It also helped that I only spent 5 bucks on the first two books combined, so even with the inconsistent plotting, I still felt like I got my money’s worth.
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Ex Machina v. 7: Ex Cathedra** - Outside of other Vertigo titles of comparable quality, this is currently probably DC’s best book. Every storyline builds on what came before it, and I’m just excited to continue reading. The melding of science fiction/fantasy and reality is just fascinating to witness unfold. This story arc find Hundred encountering the Pope. It’s intense and the last page makes my loins quaver with anticipation of the next TRADE, BABY.
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Concrete v. 1 and 2 (Depths and Heights)** - I wasn’t planning to reread these, but the other week I pulled volume 1 off the shelf and just started flipping through it randomly. Then I just got sucked in and devoured both of these books. Concrete’s always been one of my all-time favorite comics and even reading it now, years after I discovered the series, it STILL feels fresh. Paul Chadwick’s so skillful at evoking genuine emotion out of his imagery and his prose. It’s a very rare quality to find such a level of sincerity without coming off as sappy or pretentious. Chadwick never overreaches himself, and his characters always act in believable ways. There’s so much verisimilitude involved in the series. BKV himself agrees with me, too. He’s always said that Concrete was one of the most important comics he’s ever read. Concrete will always get the highest possible recommendation from me.
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Captain America: The Man Who Bought America** - This has been a stalwart of quality ever since issue 1. The conclusion of this volume seems to be the end of Act Two. It’s been a very satisfying ride to witness Bucky’s transformation into Captain America. Looking forward to what the Bru has cookin’ next.
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Runaways: Dead End Kids** - I love Runaways and I like Joss Whedon… But for some reason, I felt empty inside after read this one. I don’t think it was because of all the anticipation I had built up in my mind, either. The first three, maybe four issues of this TRADE, BABY were really nice. It just seemed to peter out at the end. Don’t get me wrong. The ending made perfect sense and stuff, but it just felt like it was missing something. I remember the issues were delayed back when they came out, so maybe Whedon was rushed or something?
I think what bugged me was that BKV’s stories always left the characters changed by their adventures. They grew and learned. Dead End Kids felt somewhat abrupt, and at the end, it didn’t really feel like the kids had changed much. The art wasn’t as good as Alphona or Miyazawa, either. It was serviceable enough, but it was Christina Strain’s colors that really saved the day. She totally succeeds in keeping a uniform look to the series. I’ll be looking forward to see what Terry Moore’s doing with the series.
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FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABLES!!!11111 v. 11: War and Pieces** - This is pretty much the culmination of the biggest underlying plot of the entire series up to this point. The build up to this was extremely well-done, and the execution of the big battles in the volume was obviously planned meticulously by the creators. Everything that happens feels entirely plausible in context of the story. I laughed, I cried, (gimme a hug, V-Slashy!!! A HUG!!!), and I sweated blood.
And I must make special note of Bucky’s art the past two years or so: he’s always been awesome, but these past couple TRADES, BABY he’s been on fire! It’s godly how he can channel Kirby without seeming like he’s intentionally trying draw a book in the King’s style. His layouts are always fantastic, his design sense really draws the reader into the world of the characters, and his figures always convey emotion so well. There is only one Jack Kirby and no one can ever replace him, but in my mind, Bucky is like our generation’s Kirby. Bucky may not be as prolific but I can’t think of another artist whose art is packed with so much passion, excitement, and genuine love for the imagination. Those are qualities I always admired in Kirby and just looking at Bucky’s work in FAAAAAAAAAABLES!!!11 evokes the same type of enthusiasm in me as someone in the '60s or ‘70s probably felt when reading Kirby’s work.
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Punisher MAX v. 10: Valley Forge, Valley Forge** - This is the perfect conclusion to Ennis’ run on Punisher MAX. We come full circle here. All of the dangling plot threads from the previous stories get resolved here, and the events of Punisher: Born play a key role in the background of this story. It’s just amazing how Ennis ties everything together. He even introduces a parallel narrative into the comics. Interspersed throughout are excerpts from a fictional non-fiction book about the Vietnam War and Frank Castle’s transformation into the Punisher. I found these text pieces to be astoundingly well-conceived and I was engrossed in them as much as I was engrossed in the “real” action. I hope Ennis writes a war novel someday. I have even more respect for him as a writer after reading this.
