Monthly Archives: December 2010

Dark Horse Presents 86 (June 1994)

Posted on 31 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35897.jpg

The issue opens with a sci-fi story–from Watt-Evans and Robinson–about a female space traveler who finds a world filled with adorable little creatures out of a Disney cartoon. It turns out they’re very amorous to the human female, which provides for a rather amusing story. Watt-Evans’s story is well-paced and always thoughtful. There are the technical problems of the protagonist, but she’s always around the funny little green guys. It’s too bad Robinson’s art isn’t better.

Star Riders is weak. Everything good about the first installment is missing here. Gagnon complicates everything with technical jargon and sci-fi details. Racine’s art gets real lazy–quite an achievement considering he appears to have photocopied his pencils and called them inked.

Janes and Plunkett’s Eighth Wonder is too short and too slight this issue. Some nice Plunkett art, but unfortunately Janes’s narrative seems to have stalled.

CREDITS

A Breath of Fresh Air; story by Lawrence Watt-Evans; art by Andrew Robinson; lettering by Vickie Williams. Star Riders, Part Two; story by Étienne Gagnon and Edward Martin III; art by Alex Racine; lettering by Williams. The 8th Wonder, Part Two; story by Peter Janes; art by Kilian Plunkett; lettering by Williams. Edited by Randy Stradley.

About these ads

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Dark Horse, Eighth Wonder, Star Riders

Tagged , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 85 (May 1994)

Posted on 31 December 2010 | Leave a comment

skitched-20101231-154548.jpg

This issue might be the first where there’s nothing great, but nothing bad. Everything is just solid. In fact, everything is ambitious too. Well, except maybe Star Riders, which appears to be a tie-in to a roll playing game.

Johnson and Dringenberg’s opener is about an Imperial Japanese artist who’s a little too good at his work. Dringenberg’s emotive artwork–and especially his panel designs–do well. Johnson’s a little pretentious, but it’s a ghost story set in Imperial Japan appearing in an American comic… not much chance it wasn’t going to be pretentious.

Janes and Plunkett’s Eighth Wonder is about a scientist aiding in the construction of a huge bridge. It’s in a steampunk setting and it’s generally fine. It goes on a little long though.

Star Riders (from Gagnon and Racine) is harmless space adventure stuff. It’s not too technical; it worries more about being fun instead.

CREDITS

The Painted Horse; story by Kij Johnson; art by Mike Dringenberg; lettering by Steve Dutro. The 8th Wonder, Part One; story by Peter Janes; art by Kilian Plunkett; lettering by Vickie Williams. Star Riders, Part One; story by Étienne Gagnon and Edward Martin III; art by Alex Racine; lettering by Williams. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Dark Horse, Eighth Wonder, Star Riders

Tagged , , , , , ,

Immortal Weapons 5 (January 2010)

Posted on 31 December 2010 | Leave a comment

650163.jpg

You know who David Lapham can’t write? Danny Rand. You know who he has as his de facto protagonist? Danny Rand.

John Aman—the Prince of Orphans—is secondary to his own issue. Lapham even writes an adventure for Danny and Luke with a wacky miniature villain. I guess Aman gets the opening scene but….

Worse, it’s like Lapham never even read Brubaker and Fraction’s Immortal Iron Fist issues with Aman and Danny to get the relationship down. He just makes Danny a pest—it’s like he’s writing Spider-Man as Danny Rand.

I guess it’s an okay story for not being any good and Lozzi’s art is lovely.

This whole Immortal Weapons series is a waste of time.

And the Swierczynski Iron Fist backup, which started so nice, is a waste. Swierczynski lost hold of the narrative—it’s obvious. And Diaz’s artwork is even worse than before. He’s awful.

CREDITS

Prince of Orphans: The Loyal Ten Thousand Dead; writer, David Lapham; artist, Arturo Lozzi; colorist, June Chung. The Caretakers, Conclusion; writer, Duane Swierczynski; artist, Hatuey Diaz; colorist, June Chung. Letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons; publisher, Marvel Comics.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Iron Fist, Marvel

Tagged , , ,

Immortal Weapons 4 (January 2010)

Posted on 31 December 2010 | Leave a comment

650162.jpg

There’s the Swierczynski I was expecting… turning in a completely useless issue.

Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter gets the feature. Swierczynski’s so wrapped up in his Amazon warrior women story he neglects to mention a) the name of the Heavenly City and b) how they could possibly have an Immortal Weapon. It’s nonsensical, but also bad.

Swierczynski tries real hard not to be sexist, but fails miserably. I also like how he borrows the reasoning for some Muslim women taking the veil (so their features aren’t their defining factor) as the warrior women putting on face guards. However, these warrior women are running around in bikinis so I’m not sure what difference the face guard makes.

Also… if Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter is supposed to be beautiful, did someone forget to tell Evans? The character’s funny looking.

The Iron Fist backup is, again, too short and too unbearably ugly (thanks to Diaz’s art).

CREDITS

Tiger’s Beautiful Daughter; writer, Duane Swierczynski; penciller, Khari Evans; inkers, Victor Olazaba and Allen Martinez. The Caretakers, Part Four; writer, Duane Swierczynski; artist, Hatuey Diaz. Colorist, June Chung; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons; publisher, Marvel Comics.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Marvel, Iron Fist

Tagged , , , ,

Immortal Weapons 3 (November 2009)

Posted on 30 December 2010 | Leave a comment

650161.jpg

Who’s this Rick Spears guy and why have I never heard of him before? His origin of Dog Brother #1 is fantastic.

He opens it in late nineteenth century Hong Kong, where Dog Brother is something of a myth. Spears’s protagonists are these two orphans, trying to navigate the gangs, the British and the poverty. It’s sort of incredible how subtle Spears’s writing manages to be, given everything going on in the story.

Eventually, whether or not Dog Brother #1 has anything to do with the story doesn’t matter anymore. Spears gives his protagonists this tragic arc. He never pushes it or makes it melodramatic. He just lets all the awfulness play out.

Some fine art from Green… just a great piece of work.

The Iron Fist backup is messy. It’s too short, confusingly follows the previous installment and Diaz’s artwork is terrible. Swierczynski tries, but he can’t do much.

CREDITS

Dog Brother #1 “Urban Legend”; writer, Rick Spears; artist, Timothy Green; colorist, Edward Bola. The Caretakers, Part Three; writer, Duane Swierczynski; artist, Hatuey Diaz; colorist, June Chung. Letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons; publisher, Marvel Comics.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Iron Fist, Marvel

Tagged , , ,

Immortal Weapons 2 (October 2009)

Posted on 30 December 2010 | Leave a comment

650160.jpg

What a stinker.

The whole thing plays like a bad Marvel horror comic from the seventies, with a team of mercenaries (they have matching outfits, of course) out to retrieve a spider. It’s not any spider, it’s one of the Bride of Nine Spiders’s spiders. There’s a bit of a continuity break, showing the Bride to always be beautiful, when in Immortal Iron Fist flashbacks she wasn’t shown as such.

So, it’s an action horror comic instead of a kung fu horror comic.

Bunn’s writing is occasionally okay—his dialogue is fine—but he’s establishing all these characters in a single issue. The Bride he never gets around to establishing though. She’s barely in her own comic.

Also, Brereton’s problematic—his proportions are off.

It’s just a forced horror comic. Big mistake.

However, great Iron Fist backup. Gaudiano’s inks make Foreman’s pencils fantastic. Still, doesn’t make up for the feature.

CREDITS

The Spider’s Song; writer, Cullen Bunn; penciller, Dan Brereton; inkers, Tom Palmer, Stefano Gaudiano and Mark Pennington; colorist, Paul Mounts. The Caretakers, Part Two; writer, Duane Swierczynski; penciller, Travel Foreman; inker, Gaudiano; colorist, June Chung. Letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons; publisher, Marvel Comics.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Iron Fist, Marvel

Tagged , , , , , ,

Immortal Weapons 1 (September 2009)

Posted on 30 December 2010 | Leave a comment

650159.jpg

Could this story be more depressing?

Aaron does a decent job on Fat Cobra’s backstory—though he doesn’t go enough into defining Fat Cobra’s Heavenly City. He buys his way back into it at one point and buying one’s way back into a Heavenly City seems a little common.

Then there’s all the retconning of Fat Cobra into Marvel Comics history. He was almost an Invader, he was Ulysses Bloodstone’s sidekick and so on and so forth. Aaron’s trying to hard to be cute. When we get to the end of the story and find out the salient feature of Fat Cobra’s (forgotten) past… all the other stuff becomes silly.

That feature—Fat Cobra has no memory of his past—is similarly problematic. Aaron needed to explain it.

Good art from a variety of artists. It’s a fine package.

Swierczynski’s Iron Fist backup is the best Iron Fist he’s written.

CREDITS

The Book of the Cobra; writer, Jason Aaron; pencillers, Mico Suayan, Stefano Gaudiano, Roberto De La Torre, Khari Evans, Michael Lark and Arturo Lozzi; inkers, Suayan, Gaudiano, De La Torre, Victor Olazaba, Lark and Lozzi; colorists, Edgar Delgado, Matt Hollingsworth, Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic and Jodi Wolff. The Caretakers, Part One; writer, Duane Swierczynski; penciller, Travel Foreman; inker, Gaudiano; colorist, June Chung. Letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Alejandro Arbona and Warren Simons; publisher, Marvel Comics.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Marvel, Iron Fist

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 84 (April 1984)

Posted on 29 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35895.jpg

Let me try to think of something nice to say about Buoy 77‘s finale. Lopez is back to the weak art, so no compliment there. Boyd’s conclusion is all about how the white man ruins native peoples (I’m shocked they didn’t put in a prose notice of it), so not there either. All in all, it’s a waste of time. I’m surprised Boyd went for a lame, common point.

Barron and Barry have a humor strip–Judah–about a chili cook-off. Maybe it’s funny if you care about chili. I guess Barry’s art is fine for a way too long humor strip.

Swan and Talbot have a two page thing. Pointless, but nice art.

Hermes and the Eyeball Kid wrap up here. Campbell brings it all back to the fight, taking care of all his supporting characters quickly. Not the approach I expected, but it’s a good piece.

CREDITS

Judah “The Hammer”, Showdown at the Texas-Style Chili Corral; story by Mike Baron; art by Dan Barry; lettering by Gail Beckett. Buoy 77, Part Four; story by Robert Boyd; art by Francisco Solano López; lettering by Vickie Williams. Celtic Warrior; story by Lucy Swan; art by Brian Talbot. Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Nine; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Buoy 77, Dark Horse, Eyeball Kid, Hermes, Judah "The Hammer"

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 83 (March 1994)

Posted on 29 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35894.jpg

Lloyd’s got a very well-illustrated story here. It’s a thriller–con artist out to murder his rich wife–told after the fact (guess what, the husband gets busted through a very Hitchcockian twist). The art’s more important than the story. Lloyd gets the tone perfect. If it were a longer piece, with more characterization, it might be more significant. As is, it’s just a fantastic little exercise.

Speaking of good art, Lopez finally improves on this installment of Buoy 77. It’s the same style, but he really gets more fluidity in his action here. It doesn’t hurt Boyd’s writing is stronger too. The writing approach is different from the second installment, more like the first (it’s no longer following one person in close third-person).

And Campbell’s wrapping up Hermes. Not as many awesome developments, just solid storytelling. The battle scene’s got some great panels this issue; very grandiose.

CREDITS

Lasting Impression; story and art by David Lloyd; lettering by Vickie Williams. Buoy 77, Part Three; story by Robert Boyd; art by Francisco Solano López; lettering by Williams. Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Eight; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Buoy 77, Dark Horse, Eyeball Kid, Hermes

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 82 (February 1994)

Posted on 29 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35893.jpg

Well, Hermes’s slump continues. Campbell’s problem might be the villains—the Eye of Fate (or something… the skeleton head guy) is a lot more interesting than anyone else in the story than the Eyeball Kid. So we want the Eyeball Kid to win (even though Eye of Fate doesn’t) and Eye of Fate to win… but he’s a villain. He’s just a really amusing one. Though there’s an actual fight between Hermes and the Eyeball Kid this installment, it’s still not one of the stronger ones.

Geary’s got a couple stories in here. Neither are good. Apparently he learned how to make his Presents stuff formulaic and he does.

Boyd and Lopez’s Buoy 77 disappoints too. Instead of Boyd writing strong characters like before, he writes lame ones here. Disappointing.

Itner’s got a JLA superhero spoof for a few pages. It’s awful. It’s not funny and the art’s really bad.

CREDITS

Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Seven; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Close Calls; story, art and lettering by Rick Geary. Buoy 77, Part Two; story by Robert Boyd; art by Francisco Solano López; lettering by Vickie Williams. Just Folks; story, art and lettering by Geary. The Legion of Justice; story and art and lettering by Steve ltner. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Buoy 77, Dark Horse, Eyeball Kid, Hermes, Just Folks

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 81 (January 1994)

Posted on 29 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35892.jpg

I’m not sure what happens this installment of Hermes. It almost seems like a bridging installment. Hermes, who hasn’t really had a lot to do since the first installment, is preparing his attack and the supervillains are splintering. It’s a fine installment, but it’s the first one where Campbell didn’t “wow” me.

The opening story, Buoy 77, from Boyd and Lopez, is good. Lopez’s art is a little unfinished, but the concept–a bunch of rural Brazilians trying to find a missing oil company buoy for the reward–is excellent. Boyd handles the Brazilians and their culture better than the oil company (I had assumed, from the oil company verbiage, it was a future story).

Moeller finishes off Shadow Empires. It makes very little sense–a day’s walk outside a war torn future city and you get rural, picturesque countryside? Moeller’s trying to be profound, but still comes off amateurish.

CREDITS

Buoy 77, Part One; story by Robert Boyd; art by Francisco Solano López; lettering by Vickie Williams. Shadow Empires, The Passage, Part Three; story and art by Chris Moeller; lettering by Vickie Williams. Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Six; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Buoy 77, Dark Horse, Eyeball Kid, Hermes, Shadow Empires

Tagged , , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 80 (December 1993)

Posted on 28 December 2010 | Leave a comment

dhop80.jpg

Are there Art Adams fans out there? He’s not bad, but his faces are awful. I’ve never seen someone vary his perspective of a face so much—it’s like he does these three dimensional faces, except the nose. The nose is 2D. I guess he drew the monsters well. Monkeyman & O’Brien is not terrible. It’s just mediocre.

Then it turns out I read the last Hermes installment wrong—I didn’t notice Campbell had a visual framing for flashbacks—so we do get to see the supervillains in their costumes. It also turns out they’re responsible for the fight between Hermes and the Eyeball Kid. Campbell puts in a “Simpsons” reference, which is odd, but it works. Very nice installment.

Shadow Empires continues to be poorly written and enthusiastically, if amateurishly, drawn. Moeller signs the last page and it’s a little sad. It’s a full page panel and the art’s awful.

CREDITS

Monkeyman & O’Brien, Tortorus; story and art by Art Adams. Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Five; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Shadow Empires, The Passage, Part Two; story and art by Chris Moeller; lettering by Vickie Williams. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Dark Horse, Eyeball Kid, Hermes, Monkeyman and O'Brien, Shadow Empires

Tagged , , , , ,

Dark Horse Presents 79 (November 1993)

Posted on 28 December 2010 | Leave a comment

35890.jpg

Ever have a friend who could draw really well? Moeller’s art on Shadow Empires is like a friend who can draw well. He takes time with it, he works at it… but it’s still totally not ready for the big leagues. It’s somehow even rougher than some of the worse art Presents has published. The writing’s pretty lame too (it’s like Dune again).

Campbell and company turn in another fine episode of Hermes here. While the Eyeball Kid is in hiding, Campbell concentrates on the supporting cast. It’s awesome how little the fight has to do with what Campbell does with the story installments. This issue a trio decides to become supervillains in a rather hilarious conversation (I only hope Campbell shows them in the costumes they discuss).

Davis’s writing hits a new low on Paleolove. Every time I think I’m through reading him, Presents publishes yet another dumb story.

CREDITS

Shadow Empires, The Passage, Part One; story and art by Chris Moeller; lettering by Vickie Williams. Hermes versus the Eyeball Kid, Part Four; story by Eddie Campbell and Wes Kublick; art by Campbell, Peter Mullins and April Post; lettering by Campbell. Paleolove, Part Three; story, art and lettering by Gary Davis. Edited by Randy Stradley.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Eyeball Kid, Hermes, Paleolove, Shadow Empires

Tagged , , , , ,

Green Hornet Annual 1 (September 2010)

Posted on 28 December 2010 | Leave a comment

770439.jpg

What a pointless fill-in issue. Maybe the regular series was shipping late?

Hester doesn’t do a terrible job–he certainly is able to pace the annual better than the regular series–but it just fills in a question or two no one asked about the original series.

What happened to Britt’s girlfriend and what happened to his kickboxing. I’m not sure either question needed to be answered.

The annual does expand on the mythos a little, establishing the Green Hornet as being more interested in rehabilitation than punishment. He lets this teenage lookout go (as a bemused Kato watches) and the kid grows up to be his son’s kickboxing coach. Oh, what a small world.

Unfortunately, Hester’s writing of the Britt character doesn’t match Smith’s in terms of dialogue. Hester’s Britt is a lot more eloquent and self-aware.

It’s disposable and pointless, but not bad. Art’s nice too.

CREDITS

The Straight and Narrow/i>; writer, Phil Hester; pencillers, Carlos Rafael and Michael Netzer; inkers, Rafael and Josef Rubinstein; colorist, Carlos Lopez; letterer, Troy Peteri; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Dynamite, Green Hornet

Tagged , , ,