Shooter's Legion Scripts

Now that the Threeboot Legion has been officially canceled, I finally realize how much the series meant to me.

Not much, it turns out. I don't feel all that upset about not being able to see issue #51, especially with a post-Legion of 3 Worlds incarnation coming sooner rather than later, I suspect.

I may change my mind when I read Jim Shooter's final handful of issues, but this version of the Legion has been all unfulfilled promise as far as I'm concerned. It was always an entertaining read, but it never developed into anything that leaped to the top of my pile, and, honestly, I thought the most recent issue was a step backwards and offered little hope that the book, under Shooter, would ever be anything more than standard superhuman soap opera.

But I did get a chance to thumb through a few of Shooter's Legion of Super-Heroes scripts at the Baltimore Comic-Con, and I found them to be fascinating. Not because of the quality of the writing, necessarily, but because of their density, and their length. I've seen a few scripts by some of today's top writers -- Morrison, Fraction, Aaron -- and all of them have relatively short panel descriptions and just maybe a few quick links to online reference material. Shooter's scripts are not quite Alan Moore thick, but they're close. Each one must have been about 50 or 60 pages, including extensive panel descriptions and lengthy supplemental material with images and descriptions of the look Shooter was going for.

I wonder if Shooter packed so much into these scripts because he really wanted to show Mike Marts, and DC, how much he cared. How much effort he'd put into the job if given the chance. Or I wonder if that's just how Shooter always writes scripts, and he's just using the same technique he did when he wrote Starbrand or Secret Wars.

I just found the difference interesting, between the length of his scripts and the current trend toward sleek, relatively terse writing for comics.

Does that make Shooter a maverick, or a throwback?

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home, about which I write the following sentences: "'The Long Road Home' picks up where 'Gunslinger Born' left off, plot-wise, but it's a drastic improvement in almost every way. First of all, this is Robin Furth's story, with dialogue by Peter David. And although they both worked on the first adaptation, they are on their own here, taking a previously undefined moment in the life of Roland Deshain and fleshing it out into a full five issues. So, here, we don't get the jarring leaps from scene to scene. The writers don't have to cram a novel into a handful of issues. Instead, they can focus on one layered, intense, visually interesting sequence as the heroes journey back home."

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.

All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #10 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #10, about which I write the following sentences: "And this issue also explores the anguish of Jim Gordon, very much in line with the way he has been portrayed in Miller's other Batman works. But the Gordon story is crowded out by Batgirl on a skateboard and Black Canary yapping endlessly to herself. Miller's Batman monologues work well enough, but his Black Canary is verbose and flaccid. He still doesn't have a handle on her narrative voice, but that doesn't stop him from using a whole lot of it. I would say it's an improvement over her awkward Irish brogue in previous issues, but there's so many ineffective Black Canary narrative captions in this issue that I found myself longing for a time when she said fewer words, even if they sounded silly."

Read the entire review HERE.

Best Ongoing Title--My Pick and Nine More

In the comments to my post from last week about the best ongoing title now that Casanova and All-Star Superman aren't around, David Uzumeri said, "Scalped is probably the *best* monthly on the market in my opinion, but I look forward to Batman more (perhaps it's just the artificial withdrawal symptoms brought about by the delays)."

I feel exactly the same way.

It's probably no surprise to most of my regular readers that Scalped is at the top of my list. I love it, and I think Jason Aaron is creating a vicious and beautiful crime saga that has a real sense of pain and sadness beneath it. It's quite a feat for any serialized comic, and like The Wire, it's not like any single installment blows you away with its brilliance, but every single installment is very, very good and its brilliance comes from every tiny part working in harmony with the whole.

Yet, Morrison's Batman is the comic I most eagerly anticipate each month (or thereabouts), because I have no idea what's going to happen next, and I love Morrison's packed allusions and dense subtext. Every issue is a feast, even when the art is less than it should be.

But I have no doubt that Scalped is the best comic, month in and month out.

So, here's what would make my Top 10 Best Ongoing Series list, right here, right now:

#1 Scalped
#2 Batman
#3 Criminal
#4 Ghost Rider
#5 Captain America
#6 Northlanders
#7 Green Lantern
#8 Action Comics
#9 Fables
#10 Amazing Spider-Man

Others that just missed the Top 10: Invincible Iron Man, Tiny Titans, Wolverine, Uncanny X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, Captain Britain and MI:13, and Incredible Hercules. (The work of Jack Chick doesn't quite make the cut, sorry. Satan wins again.)

All of these comics make for great regular reading, and if you're not reading all of them, you're surely missing some good stuff.

Baltimore '08

I'll be writing about my experiences at the Baltimore Comic-Con for this week's "When Words Collide" column at CBR, but if I met you over the weekend, know this: you are awesome, and thanks for visiting the site!

(And super-special thanks to Mike and Amy Phillips for not punching me in the face when I was asleep. Or for punching me so hard that I don't remember.)

Hellboy: The Crooked Man #3 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Greatest Hits #1, about which I write the following sentences: "The art here is so good, especially on the close-ups of the Crooked Man -- a demonic creature with apish features and puritan attire -- that the story almost doesn't even matter. It's Hellboy, so you kind of know what you're going to get. Except that's not completely true, not here. While this may not be a story filled with shocking twists and turns, it's an engaging tale about temptation and sin. It doesn't fetishize ancient legends or mysterious artifacts the way some Hellboy stories do. It doesn't fall into the rut of cold exposition at the expense of characterization and narrative momentum. Instead, 'Hellboy: The Crooked Man' takes time to explore the twisted choices in a corrupt world -- and Hellboy himself is merely a supporting figure for the battle of wills between man, god, and the devil. And what makes this battle work so well is that the struggle takes place on the grungy Earth, in the Appalachian mountains, circa 1958. This isn't Southern Gothic, it's Backwoods Hillbilly Gothic, and that's a whole lot more disturbing."

Read the entire review HERE.

Deadpool #2 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Deadpool #2, about which I write the following sentences: "Deadpool's called 'The merc with the mouth,' but he's really a Looney Tunes character placed in the Marvel Universe. It's his enthusiasm toward violence and his puckish sense of humor that characterize him, much more than his verbal gags. Obviously with any superhero comic book, there's some suspension of disbelief, but Deadpool works best when that suspension of belief is pushed to the edge of the breaking point -- and just when you're about to throw down the comic as an example of juvenile stupidity, you chuckle (at least on the inside), and admit, 'okay, that was pretty funny.' Deadpool's absurdity saves his comic from the icy touch of logic."

Read the entire review HERE.

Guardians of the Galaxy #5 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Guardians of the Galaxy #5, about which I write the following sentences: "And the scenes in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' #5 that don't deal with Drax's one-man martial arts extravaganza focus on the kind of convoluted and hermetically dull continuity shout-outs that twist the series back on itself before its even half-a-year out of its launch. Starhawk reappears, as a female who speaks in riddles from the future. That might seem like an interesting concept, until you actually read her dialogue and the response of the Guardians. It's all gritted teeth and ponderous speeches, like something out of a Marvel comic from a decade and a half ago, but with more shades to the digital coloring (which, by the way, does nothing to accentuate the work of Paul Pelletier and Rick Magyar. I assume their art is just fine, since they are established professionals, but it's hard to tell under the murky hues and garish airbrush effects)."

Read the entire review HERE.

Scalped #21 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Scalped #21, about which I write the following sentences: "The virtues of this series aren't obviously apparent if you're just flipping through the comic in the shop, and a new reader might pick up this issue and find very little happening on the surface, but it is very much like 'The Wire' in that respect. It's the accumulation of dramatic moments, and the echoes of past story beats that add up to something remarkable. And although Aaron doesn't try for the bleak poetry of Cormac McCarthy's narrators, he does capture the glimmer of hope within the bleakness that's the essence of McCarthy, and I'll be damned if Aaron isn't terse. But he's terse with a purpose, and though his two main characters, Bad Horse and Red Crow, speak louder with their actions then their words, he isn't afraid to throw in an extended monologue every once in a while. Here, Bad Horse doesn't even appear, and Red Crow says only what he needs to, but the wise Mr. Brass speaks volumes. And like McCarthy, like 'The Wire,' Aaron gives all of his characters a distinct speaking rhythm, capturing their worldviews clearly and precisely without resorting to exposition. These characters talk at each other, making their way through the cold, hard world."

Read the entire review HERE.

All-Star Superman/Batman Hits THE SPLASH PAGE

I've written a lot about All-Star Superman in the past week, and I have a review of the newest All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder issue hitting CBR this weekend. Yet, I'm not done talking about either of those books, apparently, because here I come -- along with my partner-in-awesomeness, Chad Nevett -- to talk about Morrison, Miller, Quitely, and Lee.

But here's the catch: Chad actually prefers the Miller/Lee stuff to the Morrison/Quitely All-Star Superman. Is he mad? Is he justified? Is he right?!?

Check out the newest installment of the debate-tastic Splash Page to find out what happens when two men disagree about their precious comic books.

Or, you know, click HERE.

(One thing Chad and I would agree on: Quitely's version of All-Star Batman is pretty amazing.)

Greatest Hits #1 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Greatest Hits #1, about which I write the following sentences: "The art here, by Glenn Fabry, is cleaner than his usual style. His lines are more open than usual, and his figures less chiseled. It's quite good stuff all around, though, and he's just about the perfect guy for this particular job. But it's not a great first issue, story-wise. It's got more than a little bit of potential, but while the best Vertigo first issues end with strong hooks, 'Greatest Hits' #1 ends with the lads being rushed by a crowd of exuberant fans. It's hardly a surprise of any sort, given the high-concept of the series, and it's an example of the kind of trap this comic can easily fall into. Okay, it's the Beatles as superheroes, but then what?"

Read the entire review HERE.

When Words Collide: Morrison's Perfect Superman

You've probably already read this week's "When Words Collide" column focusing on All-Star Superman, but if you haven't then you should go check it out now. I'm getting fan mail about it. Hordes of readers are lining up outside my house just to get a snapshot of me thinking about comics. It's a pretty big deal.

Okay, maybe not, but it's me writing 3,000 words about why All-Star Superman is so awesome, and I certainly could have written thousands more. All-Star Superman may be one of Morrison's most straightforward and elegant works, but that doesn't mean it isn't chock full of goodness.

Like the opening page origin recap above, for example. I love it.

When Words Collide BONUS: Morrison's Very First Superman Story

In my All-Star Superman-centric "When Words Collide" column -- to be published later today -- I mention that Morrison's Superman first appeared, in comic book form, in the pages of Animal Man #2. But what I didn't mention, largely because it's a minor footnote in Morrison's bibliography and because it didn't have much to do with the point of my column, is that Morrison's very first Superman story was "Osgood Peabody's Big Green Dream Machine..." a prose tale from a UK Superman Annual published in 1986 1985.

If you read the story, you'll see that it has a distinctive Silver Age meets Morrison feel to it, and though I didn't mention it in my column, I just wanted to assure everyone that, yes, I know this story exists, and yes, I skipped any mention of it in my column anyway.

If that offends you -- if you think, well, he should have mentioned the prose story, even though it's not a comic, I apologize, and to make it up to you, here's "Osgood Peabody's Big Green Dream Machine..." with illustrations by the young Barry Kitson! Enjoy! (Click on the pages to make them big enough to read.)

Best Comic Right Now? An Update.

Based on the comments so far, these are what people are saying should qualify as the "Best Monthly Comic on the Stands Now that All-Star Superman Has Ended":

Fables
Invincible
Walking Dead
Scalped
Criminal
Action Comics
Justice Society of America
Echo
Comic Book Comics
Wasteland
I Kill Giants
Batman
Army@Love
Ghost Rider
Incredible Hercules
Ultimate Spider-Man
Guerillas
Invincible Iron Man
Captain Britain and MI13

I would rank six of those in my current top 10. Some of the others, not so much. But all excellent suggestions! Is your favorite comic not on the list yet? What is it?

(And yes, one of the comics above would indeed get my vote for Best Current Monthly Comic. Which one, though???)

Question: Best Comic Book Series Right Now?

Now that All-Star Superman is over and since Casanova is on hiatus, what is the best comic book series currently being published?

(I'd be hard pressed to chose between either of those as my favorite for the year, but they clearly take the top two spots on the list o' greatness.)

Tell me what you think is the best monthly (or close to monthly) comic book on the market today. Oh, and guess what my answer will be! (I'll give you a hint: it's not DCU: Decisions!)

The Big E: Comic-Con for Farmers with Bad Taste

So the wife, kids, and I went to The Big E, "The Eastern States Exposition" held in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It's essentially a county fair, but what struck me about the whole thing was how similar it was to a comic book convention. It had mobs of sweaty people waiting in lines, dealers charging ridiculous prices for the most obscure items, and a general sense that you were always missing something going on just around the corner.

The thing about The Big E is that, other than the impressive selection of beef jerky (hell, all kinds of venison jerky too), it was booth after booth of the most horrible trash you ever laid eyes on. And unlike a comic book convention, this thing lasts for 17 consecutive days.

Who buys the baseball bats with their names airbrushed on the side? Who picks up the novelty mirrors shaped like Betty Boop or butterflies? Who rushes to this place to get the black t-shirts with the gigantic wolf/snowflake motif across the front? By my count, it seemed like a million people, because The Big E was absolutely packed all day.

The Big E does have some virtues that comic-cons might learn from. The sea lion show was popular, for example, and there's no reason that a panel on "Aquatic Heroes from the Golden Age" couldn't have animal trainers and a giant tank on hand. And one of the longest lines was for the cream puff/eclair pastry booth, and damn if comic book fans don't love their pastries. The beef jerky goes without saying.

If this post has any point, I guess it's this: why does anyone in the media (or elsewhere) jovially mock the nerds descending on San Diego (or wherever) each year when these absolutely terrible county fairs perpetrate the most garish artistic offenses on the world year in and year out and are somehow considered "quaint" and/or a "tradition"? Or maybe my point is that I should open a pastry stand in San Diego next year and make more off my eclairs than you'd ever make off your crappy small-press comic.

You'll recognize me by my stylish wolf/snowflake shirt and Betty Boop-mirror medallion.

Okay, So the Skrulls Win And...

By now, it's pretty clear that Secret Invasion will end with the Skrulls firmly established as overlords within the Marvel Universe. Between the "Embrace Change" television ads (which some people have criticized as not looking professional enough but those people are missing the point: they're designed to be cheesy), and the new Hickman-penned Secret Warriors series and the Dark Avengers, and the fact that Bendis says he'll have to go into hiding after the final issue of Secret Invasion hits, yeah, it's pretty clear that the Marvel status quo will look something like this:

The Marvel heroes will be reduced to various rag-tag groupings of underground resistance fighters, which will serve to make them all underdogs once again (even Tony Stark) and will provide a lengthy lead-in to whatever next summer's event is, probably something called "The Uprising" or whatever. Apparently "Dark Reign" will be plastered all over the comics this winter, much the way "The Initiative" was exploited in the simpler, pre-invasive days.

So when all of this happens, what will become of Brubaker's Captain America, which has avoided cross-over contamination? Or his Daredevil, which is a street-level book anyway?

What happens to The Amazing Spider-Man? Will he stop fighting also-ran revisions of his 1970s rogues gallery to turn his attention to the Skrulls? Will the Skrulls be the villains of every single book for the rest of our comic reading lives?

What about Ghost Rider? Will he join the Dark Avengers and find out that the host of heaven is actually a Skrull plot?

I could be completely wrong about all of this, but I could be completely right, don't you think?

(Also, I like Bendis's work, but he isn't known for nailing his landings. Usually his stories don't end as well as they start. If Secret Invasion does end with, "yeah, the Skrulls won after all. Not much we can do," then that would probably take the prize as the worst ending of a crossover event ever, right? And if the Skrulls don't win, what the hell could possibly fill the void so quickly that it would be a "Dark Reign"?)

Secret Invasion: Thor #2 Review

Recently reviewed by me at CBR: Secret Invasion: Thor #2, about which I write the following sentences: "I thought 'Secret Invasion: Thor' #1 was a decent start, but this second issue takes what Matt Fraction and Doug Braithwaite established in the first chapter and accelerates the pace. Fraction cross-cuts between Donald Blake's delivery of a child with the raging Skrull battle in Asgard. It's an effective technique, because not only does it contrast the vulnerable and the human with the nearly inconceivable war of the gods, but it also provides dramatic tension as Blake longs to join his brethren at arms but knows that bringing a single human life into the world is his more immediate concern."

Read the entire review HERE.

When Words Collide: A Bounty of Books

In this week's installment of "When Words Collide," I rank the Top 20 best collected editions and graphic novels scheduled to hit the shelves in the next month. It's an impressive list o' goodness, and I give you the rundown on what's what and why and wherefore.

Honestly, who's going to be able to afford all of this cool stuff that's hitting the shelves?

Maybe if I sell a whole bunch of books tonight, I will! Don't forget to visit Chapters Book Store in Pittsfield tonight at 6:00 PM for a fantabulous book signing event, featuring me (with copies of Grant Morrison: The Early Years and Teenagers from the Future) and Joe Staton (with...I'm not sure, but something good). See you tonight!

Meanwhile, read all about the Top 20 upcoming books HERE.