A Few Thoughts on Brubaker and Hitch and "Reborn"

1) It seems too early to bring Steve Rogers back -- somewhere, sometime, I predicted that he wouldn't be back until summer 2010 at the earliest -- but that thinking is based on how good Brubaker has been at selling Bucky-Cap. But now that "Captain America" #50 has come out, Brubaker has written as many Bucky-Cap issues as he has Steve Rogers issues.

2) Brubaker's leaving "Daredevil," and he won't stay on "Captain America" forever, so I'd rather see him bring back Steve Rogers and complete his epic Steve Rogers/Bucky storyline than have someone else come in and finish it their own way.

3) "Reborn" may not bring Steve Rogers back from the dead anyway. It might be a fake-out like that Captain Marvel/Brainwashed Skrull thing. Oh, that turned out to be a terrible waste of time, didn't it?

4) I've become less and less interested in Bryan Hitch over the years. I think he peaked during his short tenure on "JLA," but this series has Butch Guice on inks, so I wonder how that will change the look of the comic. Still, Hitch has shifted from Widescreen artist, to Wide-Angle-Lens with photorealistic Closeup artist, and I prefer the former.

5) If Steve Rogers does come back, perhaps he and the Bucky-Cap, and the crazed 1950s Cap can all team up when Bendis takes over the series and changes it to "The Captain American Super-Squad."

6) Or maybe Geoff Johns, post-Blackest Night, will take over the series and explore the metaphysical meaning of the "Cap Force."

7) How exactly would Steve Rogers come back, do you think? Cosmic Cube?

8) I'm more annoyed at the change in numbering on the "Captain America" series than I am about anything this "Reborn" series could possibly be about.

9) I trust Brubaker to do this right, whatever it is.

10) I trust the internet to overreact, whatever it is.

Playing Catch-Up: What I've Been Doing

So.

After my two-week break, I'm back to talk comics. Or to catch you up on the comics I've been talking about elsewhere at least.

Since I last posted, I reviewed a whole bunch of comics for CBR (with linkery for you to enjoy):

Daredevil Noir #1
Northlanders #16
Batman Confidential #28
Captain America #49
Punisher #4
Squadron Supreme #10
Green Lantern Corps #25
Astonishing X-Men #29
Skrull Kill Krew #1

And I tackled the career of the awesome Bernie Mireault in a two-part retrospective/interview in "When Words Collide":

Me on Mireault's Masterpieces
Me talking comics with Mireault

But you already knew that, I'm sure.

What do I have in store for the future of "Geniusboy Firemelon"? I don't know, but I'm back!

Captain America #47 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Captain America #47, about which I write the following sentences: "What distinguishes this particular issue from the past few, story-wise, is the explicit guilt of Bucky Barnes. Here's a guy -- a former sidekick, yes, but also a former killer, a Soviet assassin -- who stepped into the shoes of Captain America without missing a step. His style is different that Steve Rogers's, sure, but we haven't seen much of Bucky's interior life. Brubaker has been giving us so much action, political intrigue, and relationship-building, that he hasn't really had a chance to show how conflicted Bucky must be. How tormented the former Winter Soldier actually is, even as he wears the garb of the most noble of heroes."

Read the entire review HERE.

Incognito #2 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Incognito #2, about which I write the following sentences: "Zack may yet prove to be more noble than his current behavior might indicate -- this is a comic that isn't afraid to surprise the reader -- but it doesn't really matter. Zack isn't some sympathetic character that we need to root for. The rooting interest here is the quality of Ed Brubaker's writing and the chiseled beauty of Sean Phillips's artwork (and let's not forget the evocative Val Staples, who colors this book with subtle neon dreams of purple, red, and blue). This is a tightly packed comic, filled to the brim with dread and anxiety and the power of hope railing against inevitable hopelessness. It's a violent, dirty-sexy, noir superhero comic -- one that works brilliantly, especially when placed next to the other 'Marvel Noir' books that have started hitting the stands in recent months. "

Read the entire review HERE.

Daredevil #114 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Daredevil #114, about which I write the following sentences: "The legal drama alternates with kung-fu action, as the Black Tarantula follows-up on a White Tiger situation from last issue. Black Tarantula? White Tiger? These are absurd characters -- second rate Daredevils and Black Panthers -- but Brubaker makes them a convincing (even essential) part of Matt Murdock's gritty world."

Read the entire review HERE.

Daredevil #112 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Daredevil #112, about which I write the following sentences: "As dark as this issue is, and it's literally very dark -- full of heavy blacks and plenty of night scenes -- 'Daredevil' feels more vibrantly alive than it has in a long time. This is a far cry from a light-hearted comic, but it seems to have shaken off the shackles of the burdensome melodrama. Brubaker and Lark have embraced the Frank Miller building blocks of this series, adding 50% more ninjas and giving Daredevil a mysterious new costumed foe who just happens to be a beautiful, and deadly, woman."

Read the entire review HERE.

Captain America #42 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Captain America #42 about which I write the following sentences: "Of course, my immediate reaction after reading this issue was, 'how are they going to collect this?' Because issues #1-42 tell a single extended story, and another 'Captain America Omnibus' volume for issues #26-42 would seem logical, even though it's a bit short for an Omnibus. The point is that Brubaker and his artists -- mostly Steve Epting -- have crafted an engaging long-form superhero espionage thriller, full of finely-tuned character work and intriguing suspense. And it's worthy of a fancy collection, to showcase what Brubaker has accomplished. With 'Captain America' #42 as the final story in the collection, because it really does wrap up the multi-year plot in a satisfying way, with the defeat of the Red Skull coming from an unexpected (but totally appropriate) source and Bucky fully embracing his role as the new Captain America."

Read the entire review HERE.

Criminal #5 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Criminal #5, about which I write the following sentences: "Ed Brubaker has been playing around with formal structures in this series, using overlapping narratives between issues in recent stories, and even playing around with the flow of time through a measured use of black panels. 'Criminal' #5 seems less structurally playful on the surface, but not only does it bring a minor background character (Jacob) into the foreground of the arc, it weaves flashback and hallucination into the present-day narrative with sublime grace. And Brubaker creates a sense of a fully-realized world in which to torment Jacob by showing Iris and Danny always in mid-argument. Jacob, the captive of these two, always seems to walk in on them as they're shouting about something important, but we never get the full picture of their quarrels. Like Jacob, we are interlopers into their story, and we only see fragments of it."

Read the entire review HERE.

Captain America #41 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Captain America #41, about which I write the following sentences: "This issue is typical Brubaker 'Captain America,' by which I mean it's very good, jumps effectively from scene to scene, balances character moments with action, and works as a mini-masterpiece of serialized storytelling. I can't seem to give this comic more than four stars for a single issue, because each issue relies so much upon the whole of the series, but what a whole this is shaping up to be! I think it's safe to say that this series has been Ed Brubaker's best sustained work. 'Criminal' might be better in small doses, but he's doing something in 'Captain America' that points to what serialized superhero comics ought to be. He's developing subplots slowly, he's rotating characters in and out of the overall drama -- in this case the 1950s Captain America is the bait used to find the bad guys -- and he's pacing each issue to provide forward progress and end on a cliffhanger. It harkens back to the classic Marvel comics of old, when each issue would conclude with a shocking splash page, but Brubaker has the advantages of writing for a modern audience (which means he can take his time to develop things) and working with a consistent set of artists. Even the fill-in artists have maintained the look that was established in issue #1. Frank D'Armata continues to over-render the colors, and use white highlights garishly, but he is largely responsible for maintaining the consistent look here, and I appreciate that."

Read the entire review HERE.

Uncanny X-Men #500 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Uncanny X-Men #500, about which I write the following sentences: "This issue also helps clarify what was missing from Brubaker's previous issues (other than Fraction, who is a more-than-welcome-addition to the series): a grand threat. When Magneto appears, blending in, at first, with the costumed visitors to the 'Mutant Kitsch,' he not only recalls the best of the classic X-Men stories, but his threatening presence reminds us of how long this series has run without a great villain. And the lack of such a strong antagonist has softened the team over the past couple of years, leading them on adventures into space, and in the sewers, and around the world, like a bunch of directionless little rodents. The X-Men have been scurrying around the borders of the Marvel Universe for too long, this issue seems to say, and now that Magneto has returned, they have something to stand and fight against besides some kind of vague mutant loathing."

Is the return of Magneto a spoiler? It might be, I guess, but wait until you see how he returns. This issue goes on sale tomorrow, and it's the one you've been waiting for. Although, I'm not a big fan of that Alex Ross cover--it looks like he spilled his Kool-Aid all over his painting. Anyway, issue #500 is good, even if the cover is sticky and reeks of fruit punch.

Read the entire review HERE.

Bru's Captain America Notebook

I've been enjoying Ed Brubaker's Captain America run, and I'm totally fascinated by the writing process behind any narrative, but I can't imagine who's willing to spend thousands of dollars to own Brubaker's spiral-bound Cap notebook.

It's for a great cause--to benefit Gene Colan--and if you have the money, you should bid on this item like crazy. Raise some money for Gene!

But how high do you think this item will go? Eight days left, and it's already well over $2,000? Do you think it will crack $5,000? $10,000? What's the precedent for this kind of thing? It's the notebook that outlines the ideas for the death of Captain America, but it's not like the character is going to be dead forever.

Has any other recent comic book writer ever sold a notebook before? If this thing sells for $10,000, will other writers start supplementing their income by selling their notes just as artists sell sketches?

Captain America #39 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Captain America #39, about which I write the following sentences: "'Captain America' is packed with plot twists and character moments. It's not Bendis' 'Daredevil,' which was all about interior conflict and paralysis. No, this is a comic book series that has moved tremendously from where it began, but the looming threat hasn't disappeared. The Red Skull, Dr. Faustus, and Arnim Zola continue their evil scheme. And Bucky Barnes slowly grows into the role he was born to play."

Read the entire review HERE.

Criminal #2 Hits THE SPLASH PAGE

Chad Nevett ranked Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's Criminal as one of the Top 10 comics of 2007. I scoffed.

I wasn't impressed with the first story arc at all, and I didn't bother to read the second.

That was at the end of 2007. Have I changed my opinion since then? Am I destined to get a beat down by a punk kid like Nevett? Do I even like comics?

Find out in the newest installment of THE SPLASH PAGE. Read it, in all of its glory: HERE

Captain America #36 Hits THE SPLASH PAGE

Chad Nevett and I love talking about comics, and this week we bring that love to Ed Brubaker's SHOCKING new issue of Captain America. Why is it shocking? You'll have to read THE SPLASH PAGE to find out. Don't worry, we'll spoil the hell out of the comic. You won't even have to read the issue once we're done with it.

Also, Chad drops some Raymond Chandler smackdown on comics fans, so you don't want to miss that.

This cover I've shown here once again has nothing to do with the issue we're discussing, I just happen to like it a heck of a lot more than that poorly painted thing they slapped on issue #36. Plus, is that MODOK with a torso? Man, I have to track that issue down--I bet it's even better than this Brubaker stuff anyway.

Read the newest installment of THE SPLASH PAGE: Here!

EDITED TO ADD: Thanks to the handy-dandy convenience of the Cap dvd-rom collection, I did indeed get a chance to read Captain America #132 and I still don't know why MODOK has a torso on the cover--inside, he's just regular old MODOK (which is still pretty awesome). The issue probably is better than Brubaker's Cap, since #132 features not just MODOK, Bucky, and Cap, but also: The Falcon (lamenting that he can't be Cap's BFF now that the Buckster's alive), Nick Fury (chompin on a cigar and shouting stuff like "Nuts!" which he probably doesn't use as a curse word anymore), and Dr. Doom (seriously)! And, that scene on the cover isn't a metaphor, Bucky really prepares to smash Cap's head in with a rock, only it's because he's being remote-controlled (via joystick) by MODOK! Because Bucky is not really Bucky! He's a robot! All told in one issue, folks, by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. Comics, the way they used to be.