JLA: Earth 2

Grant Morrison is plugging away on Batman and Final Crisis right now, but you can catch an earlier dose of his particular brand of insanity with this little graphic novel. I've owned it for at least three years but, for some reason I just finally got around to reading it this past weekend. Of course I'm probably just coming across as someone really really late to a party, none the less, this is a fantastic and fun read. Frank Quitely's art is quirky and eye catching as usual and Morrison seemed to have had a ball writing the mirror versions of the JLA.

If you haven't already, run out and track a copy of this book down.

The Never Ending Story

Summerland by Michael Chabon is sitting on a nightstand beside my bed where I sit typing away at this very moment. It resides there in a spot that it has dominated for over two years collecting dust in between the rare moments that I pick it up, read a few pages, then toss it back. I don't understand why I just can't seem to invest myself enough in the book to ever finish it. I bought it while on my honeymoon, read the first few chapters, and loved it. However, once back from the trip I just never could get into it.

Maybe it's the length. For a children's book this thing is massive. Or the focus on baseball, a sport I've never liked, mostly because I flat out suck at it. Or the weird fact that the story somehow throws Norse thunder gods and Sasquatches and talking foxes and tiny native Americans into the mix. Or maybe I just don't like it.

There are well written books out there that I just can not, for the life of me, ever get finished. We're talking classics here like the Iliad and War and Peace. But then I'll turn around and pour through Jurassic Park like it holds the meaning of life. I guess it just comes down to magic. Some things for some people hold a certain something that just grabs them. Maybe it's a connection to a character or a fascination with a period setting or sometimes it's just magic. Summerland doesn't have that magic so it sits on my night stand alone and forgotten till the next time I pick it up in a moment of boredom. Maybe by then I'll be in the right place to get into it. I hope so, otherwise I wasted fifteen bucks.

Silver Surfer: Reqiuem

I just read this book in one sitting last night and wanted to write up something about it. Requiem is a wonderful little mini and even though I have next to no knowledge of the Surfer I adored it. Esad Ribic did a great job yet again and I'm glad I've been following this guy since the Loki mini. His paintings continue to impress and he seems to be growing as a sequential storyteller. Unlike Loki however, this one has a fascinating story and resonates emotionally thanks to J. Michael Stracszynski's writing. This is sort of a What If? story about the Surfer's last days and it hits you like an aluminum bat to the back of the head. Consider me a fan.

The Robert Kirkman Debacle

This is going to be brief but I've been following all this nonsense for the last two days and frankly... it's just ridiculous. I was going to actually sit down and write up a list of the things about his argument that are absurd or jot down the number of times he has contradicted himself post-video in his Word Balloon interview, and heck within the interview itself.

Don't get me wrong, I've loved a lot of Kirkman's books and have always been a fan of his choice of material but this whole thing just seems... pathetic. Kirkman is going to "save the industry" and his way of doing this is for everyone currently reading the big two companies superhero titles is to switch over to Image and let DC and Marvel publish kid specific lines? Hilarious. I really enjoyed the part in his rant where he talks about how the superhero stuff is so mature these days that it is uninviting to younger kids. He talks about how he got into comics during the 80's when comics were kid friendly. Am I wrong or didn't Daredevil in the 80's feature some of the most adult themed stories of all time? Batman Year One had a hooker Catwoman. Heck, Speedy was taking heavy drugs in the late 70's. Good grief man think this stuff through a little bit.

I'm not saying he's wrong on everything. I do agree that comics should be more kid friendly but to do that you don't need to run off all the older fans just to appeal to a younger audience. Being more accessible to kids could be as simple as less risque clothing on women and blocking out swearing. Not turning Bullseye into an angry clown or making the Punisher fire paint balls at criminals.

I have a ton to say about this but I'm not sure anyone is listening or even cares about yet another opinion on this topic so I'm just going to wrap this up by saying this. I believe Robert Kirkman ran out in a moment of youthful idealism, made some crap up without thinking it through and may be about to reap quite the whirlwind. Or maybe nothing at all will come of it. We'll see.

Lot's of Stuff Really Not Amounting to Much

Saturday I stopped by Bill's Books and More, a new comic shop that opened up about two weeks ago and is quickly becoming my favorite specialty store in the area. For whatever reason, the Canton area of Ohio is a haven for comic book stores. I can think of five in a less than 20 mile radius but if you open that up a mere 10 miles you're up to eight. Pretty crazy when you consider that when in a large town like Charleston, South Carolina, I could only find one comic store. Bill's seems like a good place. Friendly staff, clean environment, great prices, all that. Their location probably isn't the best but if word gets out I'm hoping they'll be around a while. If you're in the Canton area I'd highly suggest you look them up.

I'm not in the mood to write up any long winded reviews today. I did pick up some good stuff over the past week. Books like Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe (which I was glad to finally get a chance to read), and Secret Invasion #5 have all come out and I normally would write up something wordy about both. However, I just don't have the time and there were a lot of books I've picked up lately I haven't had a chance to say one word about so I'm going to do something a little different and do quick, ten words or less reviews for everything I've bought in the last two weeks. Effective Immediately!

Incredible Hercules #118-119: Lots of fun but I wish I'd trade waited.

What if This Was the Fantastic Four: Loved Mike Wieringo. Didn't love this book.

Nightwing #147: Did I miss the part where this ties into RIP?

Captain America White #0: Lovely. Not worth three bucks though.

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust: I forgot I'd even read this sooo...

Booster Gold #11: I miss Geoff Johns.

Final Crisis Revelations #1: Wow. That was disturbing.

Secret Invasion #5: Stuff actually happens. Cool, in character, story driven stuff.

Secret Invasion Thor #1: Reminded me of Simonson's run. Which is good.

Miss Marvel #29: I don't know why I keep picking this up.

So there you go. I've been playing catch up on all the news pouring out of San Diego for the last week. I'm excited for some stuff and decidedly less excited for other stuff. One thing that has me baffled is the announcement that Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert are coming to Batman for a two part tale entitled Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. I was under the impression that Morrison was on Batman till well after RIP had wrapped up. If you look up some of his interviews I'm sure you'll find that statement more than once. So whats up? Is Morrison back on once Denny O'neil has his two parter and Gaiman/Kubert do there stint? I certainly hope so because it seems as though Morrison is the one shaking everything up in Batman so he should be the one to start to rebuild.

Plus, Flash: Rebirth? I'm pumped because its Johns and Van Sciver but... why? Why does Barry Allen have to be back? I'm not completely averse to this whole thing but Johns is really going to have to work to convince me on this one.

Image United? Couldn't care less. I like Kirkman but frankly the characters in that book are all washed up. It is cool to see all those guys come together on a project but couldn't it have been something that doesn't come off as a PR stunt.

Marvel made a lot of noise but didn't really announce anything all that thrilling. Mark Millar returning to the Ultimate Universe? Big deal, they didn't even say what title. Frank Cho signs exclusive but they don't say what title. Andy Diggle coming to Thunderbolts is kind of cool but I don't think he'll match Ellis' particular brand of insanity. Really skimming over the Marvel section of news they might as well have not even showed up.

I'll be back with more... eventually.

Secret Final Invasion Crisis

I'm back with some quick comments on some stuff I've read this past week. Jumping right in, Final Crisis #3 was a bit of a letdown. Unlike a lot of the reviews I've read of the series so far, I have really enjoyed it. The first issue was great set up, very understated with a lot of interesting ideas thrown at us. Number two was phenomenal I thought. One thing I loved about the first two issues was that upon completing them I found myself revisiting over and over. Grant Morrison has this way of writing that always brings me back time and time again, partly because he tends to machine gun ideas at you so fast that it takes a second and some times a third read through to understand everything. But he also has such a great handle on characterization and can write some fantastic action sequences.

Everything I liked about the first two issues is present here, from the big ideas to the character moments to the action bits but it's just way too choppy for me. I'm not sure what happened but this issue just seems to jump from character to character without ever slowing down to let everything fall into place. The art was a little uneven too this issue which might point to why Carlos Pacheco is coming on to help with art duties. I'm still anxiously awaiting the next issue of FC, and I'm sure it will even out some now that we're past the set up phase of the story. This issue was definitely a let down though.

I bought Uncanny X-Men #500 this past week. I'm not an X-Men fan but the Alex Ross cover caught my eye, I like Brubaker and Fraction and I'm becoming something of a Dodson aficionado. These factors all contributed to my decision to purchase the first non-Joss Whedon X-Men title I've ever plopped down my hard earned cash for and I have to say, I enjoyed it a lot. I realize Magneto is played out but I liked his presence here and you get the impression there is more to his attack than what plays out here. I loved the art from both art teams. I have always enjoyed Land's work on some level, despite his supermodel characters and he really does some solid work here. The Dodson's continue to impress and it seems the X-Men will be a natural fit for them. Brubaker and Fraction write some good lines (aside from that whole "suck it" debacle), get across some great character work and write one whale of a sentinel battle. I'm not an X-Men fan but I'll probably be tuning in more frequently if the talent involved can turn out issues of this quality on a regular basis.

Finally, Peter David's X-Factor and She Hulk both made it home from the comic store with me this week. I've followed both series from a distance. X-Factor through trades and She Hulk with the occasional issue picked up in hopes that the quality was improving. Now both titles are crossing over thanks to the Secret Invasion event. Strangely enough its the She Hulk issue that comes out on top as the X-Factor issue falls by the wayside due to some horrific art. X-Factor has always been hit or miss on the visual side of things but usually David's writing overcomes those obstacles. Not this time however. The story just isn't interesting enough to hold my attention when I'm looking at something that makes me want to spoon my eyeballs out with an ice cream scoop. She Hulk does much better, thanks mostly to the terrific art team of GG Studio. This stuff is good. David's writing on She Hulk continues to disappoint but as usual even a disappointing Peter David is better than most comic book writers on their best day. If you like She Hulk pick that issue up. If you like X-Factor, well, be warned. The Skrull side of this story isn't exactly prevalent and seems to fall more into the red sky model of tie in than something like New or Mighty Avengers.

What I Learned Today

Don't ever wear sandals on a long walk. Today I walked a three mile trail that runs behind my parent's house following that old canal. Back when I was a youngin I used to play back near those same canal locks and now I have to be content with walking a trail that overlooks them. Anyway, for one reason or another I decided to wear sandals. Perhaps the hippy in me came out or something. The walk ended with massive blisters on the tops and bottoms of both my feet. But hey, at least I got to enjoy nature right?