Not so Current or Quick, Quick Shot Reviews – 8/17/07

My late to the party edition of QSR. I picked up a lot of books while in San Diego and I get some of my comics via subscription. So I’m reading a lot of stuff that has been out for awhile or at least for a week or two. BTW what’s up with Marvel subscriptions, these guys are so hot and cold on when they get comics to me. Sometimes I get a title the day before its in stores and then some months I have to wait 1-3 weeks for a comic to be shipped to me, loooong after everyone has read the thing and its been reviewed online. I might quit Marvel Subscriptions service and go with a retailer just so things are more consistent. Okay onto my late reviews:

DC: The New Frontier - DC Comics
Darwyn Cooke, Dave Stewart

While at the big comicon I picked up two tradepaperbacks that collected Cooke’s New Frontier series. This series has won many awards, so my telling you that this series is amazing is hardly a newsflash. My first comic book exposure to Darwyn Cooke was actually in the Spirit comic book series that he is writing and drawing currently. I love seeing a writer/artist who is able to produce a quality book month to month without noticeable delay. I have so much respect for that. Plus I really like the style of Cooke’s artwork. The bold lines, the classic comic book style and clean, clear storytelling that he’s able to do with his artwork is so refreshing.

After reading this series I came away with a strong grasp on the basics of each of the major players in the DC Universe. Through years I forgot about Martian Manhunter’s initial gig as a police detective. I especially enjoyed the back story and development of the Hal Jordan. Of any of the characters Hal Jordan really got the greatest deal of attention and details. The series also fleshed out the Challengers of the Unknown for me. I knew of this team but wasn’t sure who they were, what they did or where they came from. They recently appeared in the Brave and the Bold, it was nice to know the characters by name and personality this time around.

Overall this series I put to the same level of The Dark Knight Returns or the Watchmen. While a much different in style and tone it shares a similarity in the way Cooke takes superheroes and tells a different kind of story and tone then was is currently the norm. This tone harkens back to the Golden Age when chronilogically these stories were supposed to take place. Cooke really captured the feel of classic superhero action, stripping away some of the shades of grey that separate heroes and villains in current stories. 5 out of 5 star rating. Damn good read!

Incredible Hulk #109 – Marvel Comics
Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Jeffrey Huet

This comes from the stuttering comic book subscription that I have with Marvel. In my desire to save money on this comic book habit I wanted to take advantage of the discounts that come with a subscription. Unfortunately this means I get many of my main titles late now, sometimes a whole month behind schedule… This issue was only a week late, but it was worth it. The story really moved in this issue and we have Amadeus, the child genius of the Renegades finally doubting his heroic, idyllic view of the Hulk. The most joy I get out of these past few issues has come from the dynamic resulting from the Hercules and Angel pairing. It has me wanting a real return of the Champions… not some government created west coast team.

I haven’t been a huge fan of the World War Hulk storyline. The overall story just seems too thin to me to be worthy of 3 limited series and crossovers in some many different ongoing titles. Honestly, this could have been taken care of in 3 issues of the Hulk with maybe a double-sized finale and a couple Fantastic Four, Iron Man crossovers. But this issue was rewarding. The artwork was fantastic and the story moved at a decent pace. 3.5 out of 5 star rating

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