Factors of Return

When I recently decided to drive out of my way to visit a comic shop, as the one close to my house stopped selling comics months ago, I was returned to a world both familiar and exciting. I am an artist and writer myself and both of those skills started as a direct result of digesting comics in my youth. I'll admit I was a bit out of the loop and a little hesitant to pick up some of the titles I used to read in the past. I haven't been living under a rock when it comes to recent social/cultural movements, and I do not share the view that every nuance of life has to be viewed through, or serve a political agenda. Nor do I think that every word or interaction is a quest for power, as post-modern theory would have us believe. I would never fault someone for writing from their heart and mind, no matter what their personal or political views are. However, taking a well-known and even beloved character (without knowing the nuanced historic layers built up by artists or writers) then twisting that character into a metaphoric propaganda poster has consequences. I prefer it when writers and artists build, not destroy.

Todd MacFarlane as an example reworked Spiderman on his original run, building on that character's moral and visual strengths, not tearing it down. His stamp can still be seen today in the way artists tackle Spidey, including the webbing and contortion like poses. So why does my opinion on how a new creator treats an existing character matter? Perhaps it doesn't, but I think a good writer/artist combo can respectfully build on the past and give us (the readers) many new stories that maintain the integrity of the characters they are so fortunate to be entrusted with. Shoulders of giants as the saying goes.

That's my opening rant for this new review space. I won't be talking much at all about politics, agendas, or feuds – I'll leave that to reality TV. If you love great comics and comic-related events then I think you'll like this site. Keep it fun and focused fellow comic heads!

Comments

Express Review Dos – Spiderman 56 & 57

Let's just tackle two Spiders with one review. I'm probably never going to abandon the Amazing Spiderman, it was one of the first comics I bought with my own money and I wish I had all of those issues today – such is the life of a collector. Back in the '90s (when I was much younger) I couldn't get enough of all the Spiderman / Ben Reilly 1994 - 1996 clone stories. At the time Mark Bagley designed the Scarlet Spider costume and I vividly remember his style of drawing. Well, here we are decades later and Bagley is drawing Spiderman again. Bagley's work is consistent but is starting to feel a little outdated, and not in a nostalgic way. I love old Romita Sr, Buscema, and Kirby comics just to name a couple – I'm having a harder time with Bagley this year. An example would be Arthur Adams, even though he seemed a bit snarky to me at a convention I went to, there is no doubt Adams' work is both masterful and has become better with age. Bagley's work feels st

Express Review – Future State: The Next Batman

For the sake of time, I'm only going to focus on the first story in the oversized 64 page - Future State: The Next Batman issue #1. As a reader, I needed more set up to care about the new Batman Tim Fox. The character is showing some real promise, but writer John Ridley just threw us into the story which felt more of a tell than a show. I will say there are good points. Ridley wrote some convincing moments with the Bane-litos gang recruiting new members and an interaction between ex-partner street cops. I will also give Ridley credit in that the page count he was working with was dismal. Shame on DC for not at least allowing the writer to develop the full 64 pages for the new Batman. The drawing was good for this first story. Nick Derington has some really decent pages in here, especially with the action shots. Denington makes consistent use of shadows, which is a must to maintain the look and fee l of Gotham City. Some panels also had a Judge Dredd tone (which is a good thing) mi

May the roll be with you

For years Darkhorse published Star Wars comics. There were some bright spots here or there in their publishing, but as a whole, I just never connected my Star Wars enthusiasm to the Darkhorse runs. There could have been many things that contributed to that feeling; mediocre art, disjointed writing, inconsistent timelines, or just sub-par editing. I never want to downplay anyone's hard work and making comics can be very labor-intensive if done right. Darkhorse Star Wars just lacked the excitement and sense of adventure, place, and scope that made the Star Wars films so awesome. There was a different horse before the dark one held the license. Trusty old Marvel comics published Star Wars between 1977 and 1986 and are now publishing the franchise again, re-acquiring the rights in 2015. Here is where my collecting bells go off, and not the bad ones either. When you can crossover the love of comics with the film/TV/action figure bedrock that Star Wars encapsulates it spells out potent

Comic Sandwich by CT Guy

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