DVD Review - Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs

Or, what if a Lovecraftian monster from another dimension didn’t want to kill all humans but love all humans? Which, although not as snappy a title, does sum things up for this second straight-to-DVD Futurama movie. Following on from the first adventure, there is a large tear in the universe because of Bender abusing time travel. Upon investigation by the Planet Express crew, it is discovered that only living creatures can pass through the anomaly unaffected (Bender was zapped when he was sent in) and the decision is made to destroy whatever is on the other side, in traditional human fashion.

Fry, having started a relationship with a girl and moved in with her, becomes depressed when he discovers that she already has four other boyfriends and leaves her because he can’t handle polygamous relationships. He stows away on the destructive expedition and enters the anomaly, which causes the mission to fail (and Kif to die), and discovers a one-eyed, planet-sized, tentacled creature. This creature, having been alerted to the presence of the other dimension, attacks Earth with the tentacles, which become attached to every person on the planet (except for Leela, who deliberately avoids the tentacles), making them subservient to the creature and suffused with love for it. However, it is not an invasion, rather the first attempts at love-making on behalf of the creature, called Yivo. The next step in the relationship is the decision to move in together, which is complicated by the fact that Bender isn’t happy about the situation …

The first third of this feature is strong: it’s funny, fast, silly and entertaining – a story where Bender joins The League of Robots by an initiation of drinking vast quantities of alcohol is classic Futurama. However, turning the story into a full-length film seems to cause the balance to wobble, the laughs being replaced by plot and the central idea of Yivo supposedly being funny in itself, which doesn’t sustain momentum. The thought that these films will be shown on television in episodic form weighs heavy on proceedings, as you keep wondering where the advertisement breaks will come. There’s also the lingering idea that Futurama works best in the concentrated form of the 22-minute episode: get in, be funny, tell the story, get out. The quality of writing and production is still all there, but the feeling of quality from some of the great episodes isn’t there for the duration. Futurama is not alone in this respect – John Cleese talked about the difficulty of sustaining laughter over 90 minutes when they transferred Monty Python to the big screen. This adventure is still fun and it’s always a blast to see any form of Futurama, and it's funnier and less fan-oriented than the first film, but it’s still not quite as good as we know Futurama can be.

Rating: VID

DVD Review - Batman: Gotham Knight

I can't see how this was proposed as an idea: let's do a Batman version of The Animatrix, an anime anthology of separate but linked short stories about and around Batman. It's not a natural choice, is it? There's nothing organic about the process. And, after the excellent Batman: The Animated Series, the more recent The Batman, and his role in the Justice League cartoons, it's not as if the world needs more animated Batman. But that has never stopped anybody before ...

There are six stories, all directed in different visual styles, of varying interest. The first is some kids telling each other their versions of seeing the Batman in action, each seeing him in a different way. The second is about two Gotham officers, Crispus Allen (now The Spectre in the DCU) and Anna Ramirez (a female officer in The Dark Knight, although Greg Rucka, who wrote the screenplay for this story, said he wrote it more like Renee Montoya when she was in the Gotham PD) escorting a prisoner to the Narrows, and their intersection with Batman. The third is a very odd story about an electromagnetic device that repels bullets which Batman fields tests. This story seems the most out of place; it doesn't feel like anything Bruce Wayne would do, ever. The fourth story involves Killer Croc (a Batman villain I've always thought a bit silly) under the influence of the Scarecrow's toxins. The fifth is about a shot Batman hallucinating and remembering his original lessons about blocking out pain. The final story concerns Batman and the assassin, Deadshot, which was a pleasant surprise to see in this enterprise, linked to the film sequel as it is; you don't expect to see such characters from the DCU in mainstream product.

There are some interesting writers working on this (Rucka, Brian Azzarello, David S Goyer) but all the stories originate from Jordan Goldberg, who turns out to have no previous writing experience and whose main credits are as assistant to Christopher Nolan on Batman Begins and associate producer on The Prestige and The Dark Knight. The stories aren't special – they're fairly non-descript and don't do anything new or interesting with the character. I feel that, after the many stories that have been told about Batman in the comics, there should be something unique and worthwhile about the tale if it deserves to be told on film. I didn't get that from watching this, which defeats the point.

Visually, the segments are intriguing but nothing world changing. As always with anime, there are some interesting uses of film speeds and unusual angles, but you have to be a long-term Batman fan to want to buy this, presumably for the novelty value of seeing their hero visualised in such unusual ways.

Rating: VID

Film Review: The Dark Knight

Before seeing The Dark Knight, people should know that the 'Dark' part is very, very important. I'm not talking about the usual hype about the sequels being darker and more mature (e.g. Harry Potter): this is the genuine article, and you should be prepared for that fact when you watch this film. Not that this is all doom and gloom; rather, it is a very serious approach to what is normally thought (especially after the Adam West incarnation) to be a non-serious subject matter.

The Dark Knight is the direct sequel to Batman Begins. That film ended with Gordon showing Batman the Joker's calling card, and this film begins shortly afterwards. This film begins with the Joker robbing a bank, with the aid of some flunkeys. However, rather than the usual collection of identikit thugs doing what they're told, these guys are a disposable bunch of goons that the Joker methodically uses and discards to achieve his goal. This sets up the tone of the film straight away – dark, intense, violent and visceral.

As I've mentioned the Joker, it makes sense to talk about Heath Ledger. His performance is pretty spectacular: the voice, the mannerisms, the tongue, the eyes, the madness is all there and he is genuinely scary. The scenes where he is threatening people are disturbing, which is how the Joker should be. His own description of the Joker as 'a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown' is accurate and accurately portrayed.

The Joker is the showy role, but the other actors are up to the task (Nolan has assembled an amazing cast). Christian Bale is Bruce Wayne and The Batman at all times – a scene where he is defending himself at a party in a tuxedo yet you can see The Batman in his face and the way he holds himself are perfect. Aaron Eckhart is a great Harvey Dent and Two-Face (the CGI for Two-Face is simply superb: disturbing and yet you can't take your eyes off him), Gary Oldman is great as Gordon, and Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhaal do good work in roles that are sidelined in comparison to the first movie.

Kudos must go to the Nolan brothers: Jonathan co-wrote with Christopher, who directs with an intensity and energy that matches the main characters, driven and focussed. This is no ordinary comic book movie, telling a simple tale of good versus evil, making knowing nods to the fans, and thowing in a few fights scenes and a chase and some jokes (although there are fights and chases, and there some moments of dark humour, especially from Ledger's Joker). This is a complex and detailed look at Batman, the Joker and the world in which they inhabit, examining the nihilistic philosophy of the Joker, a man who doesn't care for money, and the battle against criminals led by the law and the obsessed vigilante.

The movie isn't completely perfect. The plot machinations of the Joker and the way he can organise everything that goes on in the story seem implausible and impossible, especially given the insanity. The film is a little long, with an ending that doesn't leave you with any positive feeling (the packed auditorium where I saw it trundled out fairly quietly) and has echoes of The Empire Strikes Back. Batman is a little sidelined in his own movie, to allow for development of the other characters, and the character of Rachel Dawes is offered up to the god of plot development. However, even with these minor flaws, this is a truly astounding film, with definite pedigree to enter into the pantheon of excellent comic book films. Just be warned that the film is more like The Godfather than Iron Man.

Rating: DAVE

Book From A Library: Full Dark House

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

I read this book via my library after it appeared on the list of recommendations from Amazon – I feel guilty that (a) I’m not spending money to read the book and (b) if I did, I wouldn’t be using a ‘proper’ book shop. Is this normal? Anyway, the reason for the recommendation was because I bought Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt books and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor books; however, I don’t think that the recommendation was entirely accurate.

The book is about Arthur Bryant and John May, the senior detectives in the Peculiar Crime Unit of the London police force. The story starts with a bang – Bryant is apparently blown up in an explosion in their offices. May, distraught from the loss of his partner after sixty years together, is determined to find the culprit and discovers that there is a link to their first case together, back in 1940, so we get May remembering the case while he continues his investigation.

The second world war is having its effect on London, with nightly German bomber raids changing the landscape of the city and killing many people (although the government kept this hushed up so that morale wouldn’t be affected). With all able-bodied men sent to war, it is left to those who were not allowed into the armed forces to man the police forces. Arthur Bryant is 22 and in charge of the newly formed PCU, even though the man from the Home Office doesn’t like him and wants it shut down. John May is 19 and fresh out of a rushed police course, eager to help. As soon as he starts, they begin investigating a murder in the Palace Theatre, which soon becomes multiple murders.

There are two principle elements that stand out in the book. The first are the two lead characters themselves: Bryant is a stuffy and strange old man, even in his early twenties; May is modern and clear-thinking, and the two of them complement each other perfectly. The other element is the use and knowledge of the setting – the author has researched the era and the city but doesn’t overwhelm with detail; rather, he enriches the tapestry with vivid details and snippets of information that make the historical aspect vivid and alive.

This is a very enjoyable whodunit, with a bizarre mystery, a colourful collection of supporting characters and resolution that is satisfying. As a comic book reader, I didn’t fall for the slight of hand of the explosion (No Body Means No Death), but that didn’t stop the entertainment factor. The only qualm I have is that the recommendation from Amazon wasn’t totally accurate: I was expecting the Peculiar of PCU to describe investigations of werewolves and myth (and the referred to Leicester Square Vampire) but this book was nothing of the sort. However, that won’t put me off from reading the further Bryant and May mysteries.

Comic Book Shops: Comic Showcase (RIP)

(Photo taken from Rich Johnston's Lying In The Gutters: specifically this post containing his rundown of the central London comic book shops)

The other comic book shops that I have talked about in the central London area are still operating; Comic Showcase is no longer with us, which is a great shame.

The photo above shows the second site of the shop, on Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square tube station. I'm not sure exactly when it moved there, but it used to be located the Shaftesbury Avenue end of Neal Street, a funky, pedestrianised street off Covent Garden. It was a lovely, old-fashioned comic book shop: a little bit of merchandise near the till, but for the most part it was comics, a long set of shelves down the left side carrying all the new books, with the long boxes of back issues at the back of the shop (and they had a great selection). They also had original art downstairs, but I never really ventured down there because it was well out of my price range. It was always nice to visit, with friendly staff and a very pleasant atmosphere. I loved their shop bags – they had the Joker dealing cards to you, with one of them not being an ordinary card ...

When I used to work in South Kensington in the late '90s, I couldn't decide between Comic Showcase and Gosh!, so I would alternate weekly between them in order to not show favouritism and maintain balance. I am very sad.

I'm not sure when they moved to the new site (it could have been when I worked in the US for a few years), but it never captured the same atmosphere as the old location. The main floor was an open space with shelves around the walls for a wide selection of comics, from mainstream to independents. The back issues were now downstairs, to allow more room for trades and merchandise, and this left things a little sterile for my tastes. I can understand the choice of the move, with the high visibility of the busy road it was on, but it didn't help in the end; they unfortunately went out of business in the middle of 2006 (as disclosed by Rich in this Lying in the Gutters). This was a great shame, as I always felt that the shop was very central to the London comic book scene. The only person who I found to disagree is Dom Sutton, who writes a comic book blog called London Loves Comics: in a single post here, he talks about the London comic book shops in a more concise manner than I am with this series of posts. However, he also recalls not being allowed to buy a page of original Watchmen art when he was young, being told he was too young to appreciate it. I think I can understand his feelings.

TV: Lab Rats

Lab Rats is a new sitcom on BBC2, co-written and starring Chris Addison, a stand-up comedian and Perrier award nominee and actor known for his part in the brilliant political satire The Thick Of It. The show is produced by Armando Iannucci, creator of The Thick Of It, and producer of The Day Today and the various Alan Partridge shows. These credentials beg the question, ‘Why is it so poor?’ Actually, you wonder why it is on BBC2, when you can’t imagine it being on BBC3. And, if you’re being cruel, you wonder why it was allowed on television at all.

Lab Rats is set in a university research centre. Addison plays the normal one, Alex – he runs the lab of Geoffrey McGivern’s Nobel prize-winning professor who is coasting on the award – in a lab with the pony-tailed, unlucky in love Brian and the ‘simple’ one Cara (she is allowed to say silly things because she has a brummie accent). There is a Dutch Dean who rules over them like a slightly strict school teacher, and a large Northern woman as their secretary. And, allegedly, hijinks ensue. However, the actual gags whimper and the story flops along and there is no laughter. There is an edge of surrealism that gets close to working, because the science setting allows almost anything to happen, such as growing a six-foot-high snail that slimes over Addison or keeping a looney professor in cryogenic freeze state because he is so annoying, but the pantomime approach dampens these flights of fancy.

I think it’s a shame that it doesn’t work. They have gone with an old-fashioned approach, using the traditional studio-based televising and laughter track (like The IT Crowd), but this only seems to make it look amateur, like a sixth form revue. This also makes it feel quite dated, like watching something from twenty years ago that you didn’t know existed. Some of the lines can actually be amusing but they get lost in the mess, withering in the overall limpness. I really want to like it but the programme itself prevents it – I even watched two episodes, hoping it would be settling in problems with the first. It doesn’t help that they accurately portray the university system (there is a joke that any academic will recognise about getting funding for a project and making it last all year) but at the same time get small things wrong: calling Watson & Crick the ‘inventors’ of DNA is fundamentally incorrect – DNA was already there, they didn’t invent it, they didn’t even discover it; they just described the three-dimensional structure for the first time (appropriating Rosalind Franklin X-ray data in the process and robbing her of a Nobel prize).

You see, I am angry and saddened by this show at the same time. I have a PhD in molecular biology – I worked in the exact setting for this sitcom – and it angers me to see the waste of an opportunity: I have always wanted a good comedy set in a science lab, which is rife with potential for stories and jokes. Therefore, it saddens me that this programme has effectively removed the possibility of this area being used in any form of entertainment ever again, because it will be held up as the reason why it will never work. Another aspect to this is the form of a confession: although I write this blog, I’ve never seen it as an advert for my writing abilities in order to get paid-for work the way other bloggers do; however, I did, in my younger days, try to write a sitcom set in a research laboratory, with interesting characters and surreal jokes and knowing references, that I even submitted to the BBC in a competition for new sitcoms. This review may seem like sour grapes; on the contrary, I realise only too well how difficult is to write a good sitcom, especially in this setting, and I had nothing but high hopes for Lab Rats. Seeing the finished product, my heart sank at the result, left wondering how Addison (whose Edinburgh shows Atomicity, Civilisation and The Ape That Got Lucky displayed erudition and humour in equal measure) got it so wrong.

Film Review: Wanted

The film Wanted is completely silly yet also completely enjoyable. If you watch the film with this in mind, you will be entertained by implausible nonsense that happens to be visually dazzling. A film that has ‘The Loom of Fate’ as the centre of the plot cannot be taken seriously; somebody shooting a bullet from seemingly the other side of a city through windows and cars USING A SNIPER SCOPE TO AIM does not suggest that the normal laws of physics and logic apply. However, when you are laughing at the delirious over-the-top nature (a non-superpowered man jumping from one skyscraper to another and shooting people in the head while doing it), you won’t care.

The film is loosely adapted from the graphic novel by Mark Millar and JG Jones. Loosely as in ‘we took the idea of nobody white-collar worker and turning him into a super assassin, but ignored the rest of the stuff about supervillains based on DC characters and the other five issues of the mini-series’. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a non-entity with a cheating girlfriend and nothing in his life, who is rescued by Fox (Angelina Jolie) from a man trying to kill him. It turns out that Wesley is the son of a member of The Fraternity, an order of assassins who kill people selected by The Loom of Fate to maintain order in the world, and the man who tried to kill him was the man who killed his dad. Sloan (Morgan Freeman) tells him this and tells him he will be trained to become an assassin because Wesley has inherited the ability to bend bullets, so that he can kill his father’s murderer and become somebody.

The story is mainly an excuse for really cool set pieces: Timur Bekmambetov, the director of Night Watch and Day Watch, uses his Hollywood debut to show off his inventive visual flair. Cars twirling in mid-air in slow motion or driving into trains, bullets boring through skulls – he must have been giggling with glee at the prospect of making this stuff. The bequiffed film critic Mark Kermode suggested that Bekmambetov is the Russian Michael Bay, because of his love of explosions, but there is something of the Wachowski brothers in there as well – it looks like he’s watched The Matrix a lot. The camera whips around and flips about and slows down and goes backwards in a rollercoaster for the eyes, to distract you from your brain shouting at you, ‘The Loom of Fate? You what?’ (I think this must be some kind of obsession of Timur – it reminded me of the similarly silly Chalk of Fate in Day Watch; how did the actors say it out loud without laughing?)

McAvoy does a good American accent and handles his first lead part well. Jolie, whose arms look disturbingly thin in the poster, has a lot of fun with her role, even if she spends most of it pouting. Freeman is Freeman, just in a different role, but that’s fine by me. They all seem to know what they’re making and are having a good time doing so. This makes up for the story, which seems to appropriate Millar storytelling techniques – show the bad guys as being completely bad-ass and your hero as rather useless but, even with only six weeks of training, he is able to completely destroy them just because he is the hero. (There is also a callback to the notorious final page of the book, when McAvoy has a straight-to-camera moment, so they must be big fans.) There is a casual disregard for other people (a train crash over a bridge ignore the hundreds of deaths of innocents, despite the Fraternity’s tenet of killing one to save thousands) and the stupidity of basing an attack on using peanut butter to attract thousands of rats beggars belief. But it doesn’t really matter – you are too busy smiling at the dazzling nonsense to care.

Rating: DAVE

From A Library - Scalped: Indian Country

Scalped #1–5 by Jason Aaron & RM Guera

I may be revealing the workings behind the curtains of Clandestine Citadel here, but I don't always write about the comic books immediately after I've read them. Shock, horror, I know, but I've never been about being up to date. This is particularly true about books I get from the library, because I read forests of trade paperbacks and prefer to space them out on the blog.

However, in this case, I have to make an exception. Because I just finished reading Scalped: Indian Country and I was blown away. I say just finished reading; I mean I've just finished reading it again. It's that good. There are very few books I've read that have made me want to go through it again the instant I finish it, and this is one of them.

One of the first reactions I had was, 'Damn, why didn't I start reading this sooner?' My only excuse was that I didn't know much about it beforehand, and it wasn't being talked about it. My curiosity was finally nudged by this post by my taste marker, Johnny Bacardi; that was enough to put it onto the reservation list at the library. When it finally turned up, the date stamp I received was the first in the inside cover. And this is a crying shame ...

Scalped is about Dashiell Bad Horse (what a brilliantly cool name), returning back to the 'rez' (reservation) in South Dakota he left at the age of 13. He does this by beating heads with his nunchucks, which is a way to make an entrance. A shaved head, several ear rings, tattoos, lean, mean and with an attitude to match, Dash is a great protagonist. He has history; his mother was an activist against the treatment of Native Americans; her former friend has become the tribal leader and chief, a man familiar with violence; and, of course, there is a girl, who is now married but fucking around and with a point to prove.

I don't want to talk about the details too much because half of visceral thrill of reading this is finding out for yourself. The last page of the first issue is a great page-turner, but nothing compared to the last page of the fifth issue, which you don't see coming and don't believe when you see it. Aaron not only got a handle on plot mechanics, characterisation and hard-boiled dialogue, but he also remembers to tell a story in each issue. He has obviously researched this well and uses it to tell a cracking tale. He is helped by RM Guera, an artist whose work I haven't seen before. His style reminds me of Gerry Finley-Day, from Rogue Trooper in the old days, but more moody and visceral. He can handle the dialogue scenes, the action (a great shootout scene, which bristles with energy) and the slutty sexiness of Carol (who also happens to be the chief's daughter). This is a perfect combination of writer and artist on noir/modern western that you really should be reading. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to buy some trades and pre-order the next one.

London Film And Comic Con: An Experience

Although I'm not going to San Diego Comic Con (and probably won't in the foreseeable future), it doesn't mean I can't have the experience of being in a large exhibition centre filled with geeks, some dressed in costume, buying merchandise and getting autographs.

The London Film and Comic Con was over the weekend at Earls Court Two, and my girlfriend and I decided to see what it was like on Sunday. We went as Standard Entry attendees, rather than paying extra to get in early for the opportunity to buy more things, so we're obviously not geeky enough. We got there around 1pm, and there weren't as many people as I expected. Things got busier later on, but I thought that the full crowd would stay the duration.

There were the now expected fans dressing up: Stormtroopers (people were doing photos being arrested), a rather short Darth Vader, an Alien Queen with space marines, several Ghostbusters, some Jedis, an Indiana Jones, a really good Cyberman, a Silent Bob who was the spitting image of Kevin Smith, and a lot of people dressed in tight clothing who really shouldn't have in costumes I didn't recognise (my geek level seemed to drop throughout the afternoon).

The bulk of the hall was taken up with people selling things and the sheer variety was amazing: not just comic books, DVDs, autographed photographs, posters, but everything geek-related that you could imagine from pervy manga statues to mugs/plates/keyrings/coasters adorned with Star Trek images, to t-shirts and cards, replica swords and statues. I didn't buy anything, mainly because I'm just into the films and comics themselves, but because I didn't know where to start if I did. There was simply too much; how can these people afford all this?

There were 'exhibits' of sorts: SFX had a Tardis for you to (pay) get your photograph taken coming out of; you could (pay) to get your photo taken in the Back To The Future DeLorean; there was an Ark of the Covenant, some Terry English armour (some including women inside them, indicating Mr English perhaps has a certain fetish) and, rather mundanely, a Universal-sponsored plasma screen showing trailers. A very strange mix.

There was a small sectioned-off area for talks (the queue for Jason Mewes was spiralling out shortly after we arrived) and the majority of the remaining third was for the autograph area. This was something I had never seen in the flesh before, and I was interested to see for myself. You can see the list of people who were there on the website: there were queues for David Warner and Christopher Lloyd, but the main draw was Patrick Stewart. The virtual queues (people who had booked in advance) were huge, and got even larger when the queue was opened up to everyone. His autograph would cost you £25, 'No personalisations', no handshaking and no talking. He kept on signing away and the people kept coming. It was weird seeing the difference between him and the other people: Margot Kidder and Karen Allen were getting a few people, Sylvester McCoy was constantly being greeted, even John Landis was happy to chat to folks. But some would be sitting or standing, waiting for anyone to come and visit. I felt so sorry for them.

As someone who went to a couple of UKCACs (UK Comic Art Conventions) back in the early '90s, this all felt so commercial I didn't know what to do with myself. The sense of enthusiastic obsession with the geek concept of choice in those heady days was not completely absent but it was lacking. My rose-tinted view recalls the freebies on offer, the talks, the costume parade, the ability to talk to the creators (or not, in my case; I went to get Chris Claremont's autograph, mumbled 'Xfjldsignlaflrrbbghghlslll' at him, went red while he signed, and walked away in embarrassment). Is the London Film and Comic Con progress? Or just a different entity altogether? I haven't been to the Bristol Comic Conventions, so I can only hope that they stay truer to the spirit of my memories, but I suppose it was nice to see a place where geeks could enjoy their hobby.

Obligatory Watchmen Trailer Post

And I'm back. New computer and time to blog.


So, even though the film isn't out until next year, the first Watchmen trailer hit the internet (seemingly on Empire first, but also Apple). Empire have even done a trailer/comic comparison. They certainly made their mark.

Watchmen is a masterpiece of superhero comic books, and I love it dearly. I know that the film, no matter how closely it sticks to the book, will not be as good.

However, I can't help but have a big geeky thrill at seeing panels of the comic book turned into a film. I know this is a weakness of mine, but it doesn't stop the smile from crossing my face seeing the Owl Ship ascending from the river, Jon being blown apart and reforming in the canteen, Dan in the prison riot, the Comedian being thrown out the window, the Mars palace, the fluidity of Rorshach's mask. I still know it won't be as good as the book, but I will enjoy the process of watching it when it comes out. Does that make me a bad person?

A Legitimate Excuse For Not Blogging

The home laptop has died, may it rest in peace. Need to buy a new one/get the old one fixed, but that's not something that can be done easily in a few days. Therefore, don't expect much activity in these parts for the forseeable future. I'll be back soon.

A Month Of Comics: Part 3

Finally, I get to wrap things up in my review of five weeks of comic book purchases. Too much work, going away for the weekend, then no internet connection really gets in the way of blogging, you know? So, time to discuss the remaining books, with no particularly linking theme.

Usagi Yojimbo #112 – the second part to ‘Sakura’, there’s funny banter between Usagi and Gen, they help out Sakura and a child against Boss Kaneko, there’s adventure and sword-fighting and justice. How does Sakai do it? Month in, month out, he produces quality work that is not only beautiful and expertly conceived but is also thoroughly engaging and absorbing. It’s an amazing achievement, one for which he deserves a lot more credit – a creator-owned character being told continuously for over 20 years and is still brilliant (and no bizarre misogynistic philosophies). Simply superb.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15 – the final part of Wolves at the Gate, bringing things to a rousing and satisfying conclusion. Drew Godard, long-time writer of the television series, does effortlessly good banter, and the Xander/Dracula relationship is fantastic (spin-off series, anyone?). It’s fun, despite the seriousness and death that is innate to the series – a giant dawn fighting a giant robot in the streets of Tokyo brings a smile to your face. Even with the introduction of Bisexual Buffy (hello, Googlers!), this has been good stuff.

Fables #73 – the first part of War and Pieces, as the Fables go to war with Gepetto. Blue takes us around the various locations in the war, allowing us to see everybody and assess the situation, and written in an entertaining way. Willingham has created a wonderful world in which to tell stories, which he also does extremely well – I hope he keeps up the good work.

All Star Superman #11 – Morrison and Quitely continue their delightful exploration of Superman, with lots of background stuff for long-time fans, and introducing Luthor with superpowers while Superman fights Solaris – this is what superhero comics are all about.

Final Crisis #1 & 2 – I don’t see what the problem people are having with this series. Morrison is writing a big story, about evil winning and the good guys having to fight back, with a mystery and drama, and JG Jones draws it in his beautiful style – this is good comics by anybody’s standards. The only things I don’t get are the DC references, but that’s what Douglas Wolk’s Final Crisis Annotations are for. Could this be the crossover at DC that people can actually read and enjoy?

Immortal Iron Fist #15 & 16 – the swansong for Fraction/Brubaker on their deliriously good updating of Daniel Rand and the Iron Fist mythos. The first is a Legends of the Iron Fist story, which is a fun little tale, but it is issue #16 that is the perfect way to say goodbye – Fraction tells a strong story and Aja brings his pencil magic (he is the current standard artist for Iron Fist for me). He even draws a cameo for Fraction and Brubaker. Fraction sets things up for the next writer by having Danny become a philanthropist, giving his money away (but it will take time, what with having billions), reuniting with Luke Cage and Misty Knight (albeit in slightly different ways), teaching kung fu to kids, and discovering that something happens to Iron Fists in their 33rd year, on the day of his 33rd birthday. This has been a great run – who would’ve have thought Iron Fist would be a successful and brilliant comic in 2008?

Ex Machina #37 – this continues the good writing, good art and good concept of Ex Machina, but also continues the lack of that distinct something that means that stories don’t linger. I can’t put my finger on it, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the comics in the moment.

What if this was the Fantastic Four – seriously, just buy this comic and feel good about yourself – it’s a fun little story with the last Mike Wieringo art, and there’s art from a host of talented artists (Art Adams, Alan Davis to name but two): a lovely tribute and all for a good cause.

And there you go – all the comics I've bought in the past five weeks. This doesn't include any trades I've purchased recently, which usually get a separate entry when I get round to it, but it provides a snapshot of my tastes at this moment in time, and let's you know which books I buy in the singles and which I save for the trade (such as Whedon's Astonishing X-Men and Brubaker's Daredevil).

A Month Of Comics: Part 2

Today’s batch of comics is made of up my Warren Ellis obsession and the Mature Reader books. It’s not necessarily a sensible way to split up my haul of books, but I never promised Aristotlean classification here.

No Hero #0 – Ellis and his Black Summer collaborator Juan Jose Jyp (another monthly book I’m enjoying) start another ‘serialised graphic novel’ with Avatar. This time, the theme is stated on the cover: How much do you want to be a superhuman? Warren also discusses it at the back of the book, just in case you missed that. This is a short teaser to the world in which the story will happen – Carrick Masterson is the only man with the system to create super humans, and he introduces them in San Francisco in 1966 as The Levellers. They become The Front Line in 1977, to match the mood of the country. The story picks up in 2011, where one of the superhumans has been found ambushed. This is a nice taster for the rest of the book, just enough to intrigue. Obviously I will be buying the remainder of the series.

Doktor Sleepless #7 – I can’t help but think of Spaced when I see the title, because I remember Tim telling Daisy about his supervillain creation, Doktor Mandrake, with the extra emphasis on the ‘k’. Maybe that’s just me … Anyway, although this series hasn’t quite captured the energy of other Ellis works, I’m enjoying the way Ellis seems to be thinking out loud with this character and addressing themes in which he is interested (the future, technology, global connection, etc.) and it’s turning into an interesting experiment in serial comic books. Ivan Rodriguez’s art is coming as well, after a bit a of a shaky start, and it looks like the next issue will see a lot of things happen that have been leading to. The only thing that annoys me are the double spaces that crop up in the lettering in the word balloons – this is a stupid thing, I know, but it bothers me that something like that wasn’t captured in production.

Anna Mercury #2 – the first impressions of this book were changed at the end of the first book, and this issue expands on it – with talk of ‘nine half-constructed worlds hanging in invisible orbit around earth’ and secret agents and briefing prime ministers. Wonderfully bizarre stuff from Ellis, and Facundo Percio (a great name) provides detailed yet light almost cartoony art for the book, although I still don’t get why Anna’s hair has to be some enormous. The book feels empty without the back matter of Sleepless, but entertaining nevertheless.

newuniversal: shockfront #2 – the first six issues of this revamp of the New Universe was good stuff, with strong ideas and strong art from Salvador Larroca (even if characters looked a little too much like the film stars Larroca referenced). However, all the momentum has been lost since then, and this storyline has to work hard to regain it. Apart from the two pages of a character expositing on the alternate history that this universe has, the book is mostly small character stuff. I think this suits the new artist for this series, Steve Kurth, who has a Vertigo feel to his artwork (not a style to my tastes, but his characters are individuals and can tell the story). I think this will be a story that will work better as a trade, but Ellis still gives us cliffhanging endings so he is aware of the remit of providing an entertainment in a single issue. However, I don’t get the same buzz from this yet that I did from the first series.

100 Bullets #92 – Johnny Bacardi reviews this series best at this juncture – each issue is well done, it’s good stuff for those who are currently reading but not for those new to the series. It’s coming to the end and things are drawing to their conclusions – Azzarello draws specific parallels between two different stories this issue, and Risso keeps up the consistently high quality of art throughout the entire series. Can’t wait to see how it all ends, and then I’ll read the whole thing again and see if I can understand it all …

The Boys #19 – Ennis provides background information on the world of The Boys, as Hughie visits The Legend for a briefing on Vought-American and The Homelander, while Butcher has a meeting with The Homelander about the current state of affairs. Robertson, whose art I will always associate with Transmetropolitan, brings his clear yet dirty feel to the book, perfectly in tune with the vibe of the story from Ennis. I’m really looking forward to where Ennis is going with this, because it looks like he’s really thought things through.

Criminal 2 #3 – I think that anyone who reads comic book blogs will be aware of how good Criminal is. Brubaker and Phillips bring their best work to this title, and you can really feel the noir on your fingers and your soul after you read each story. Exquisitely constructed and told in the poetic hard-boiled style, these are good comics, packed with extras like Brubaker talking about writing and an essay on a noir film. You should really be buying the singles if you aren’t already.

Tomorrow I’ll finish off my huge haul of books with the final reviews of the books with no connection.

A Month Of Comic Books: Part 1

I’ve had to take some time away from the blog due to family matters, which have also impacted my purchasing of comic books. When I went in to pick up my stash, I had five weeks of floppies waiting for me. Therefore, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do some mini-reviews, to give a taste of what I'm buying on a regular basis at the moment. I’ll split them into three posts (because there are 24 books to discuss): today will be Mostly Marvel.

Secret Invasion #3 – I’m really enjoying this crossover as it comes out. I was already buying New Avengers and Mighty Avengers, so I had been enjoying the build up, but Bendis is doing a great job of telling a big job with a theme (the trust/identity idea, so recently used to good effect in Battlestar Galactica). Things happen in the book (Young Avengers fighting the Skrull army in New York, joined by members of the Initiative; the Skrull Queen as Spider-Woman messing with Tony Stark – or is she?) and there is a great final page reveal. This is what I want from a big crossover event, including great art from Yu.

New Avengers #41 – note that issue 42 didn’t arrive in the UK yet, so this is very old, occurring between Secret Invasion #1 and #2. This is Bendis providing back story, via Ka-zar and Shanna in the Savage Land, harking back to the first New Avengers storyline. Tan provides some nice art, even if he does suffer from having to do constant butt shots of Shanna, and Bendis makes it entertaining as well as filling the gaps.

Mighty Avengers #15 – this is also back story to Secret Invasion: namely, what happened to Henry Pym and how he was Skrullified. John Romita Jr provides some old-skool stylings, and Bendis continues putting all his pieces on the table.

ClanDestine #5 of 5 – I’ll do a separate review of this mini-series later, if just to prove that I was one of the few who actually read the book as it came out (sales dropped from 20K to 12K – see Paul O’Brien’s analysis). Even though I thought Alan Davis made a rare misstep in issue 4, he still brings it all together in a satisfying climax, enhanced by his beautiful artwork. He even leaves the suggestion of the next storyline – the return of Vincent – on the last page, but I can’t see him being given the opportunity to continue based on sales. What a shame.

Captain Britain and MI:13 #2 – ‘When Captain Britain died, the British felt it in their chests.’ Cornell continues the good work from the first issue, linking back to his Wisdom mini-series with the arrival of Tink and her powerful father, and cameos from the magic of Britain (the Lady of the Lake, the Green Knight, Excalibur the sword), all drawn in superlative style by Leonard Kirk. He even provides another last page cliffhanger, with the Skrulls obtaining all the magic of Britain for themselves. Now that’s the way to get people to come back for more …

X-Factor #32 – firstly, it has to be said that the Glenn Fabry covers for this book are godawful and should be stopped now. He is a completely inappropriate artist for the job and they should change cover artists immediately. The interior art is rather nice in contrast, but it is the story that is the main draw, as Peter David stays true to form by shaking up the status quo of an ongoing book he is writing. From the various changes on The Incredible Hulk (Mr Fixit in Las Vegas, combined Hulk in the Pantheon, etc.) to cutting off Arthur’s hand in Aquaman, you can expect David to do the unexpected, which he does here: X-Factor move out of Mutant Town (because of Val Cooper and O*N*E) and move to Detroit, with the last pages being ‘Five months later’. This unbalancing can have a distracting affect – you know you’ve read a good story but you feel slightly disconnected from the characters. However, I’m still reading and enjoying the book, despite the interference of recent X-crossover …

Runaways #30 – oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Well, that was pretty awful, wasn’t it? Despite the occasional flash of Whedon dialogue magic, the storyline was completely pointless and the only feeling one is left with is disappointment. And, after the hype of bringing Whedon onto the title after the departure of creator Brian K Vaughan, it takes them a year to tell a 6-issue story and completely throw away any momentum the low-selling title had. What a waste.

Next time, we'll have Warren Ellis and the mature books, and then the other books for which I can't find a catchy theme.