X-Men vs. X-Men and other books
On a whim, I picked up X-Men #190 this week along with the usual stuff, which included Uncanny X-Men #478. I thought it’d be fun to compare the series, since they’re both heading in new directions after several mostly dull years.
Uncanny X-Men has been enjoyable as a very different kind of book from Ed Brubaker, whose other books have a main central character. This is also far more into the realm of sci fi than his other stuff, but if there’s anything predictable about Brubaker’s stuff is that it’s all unique. So far, I’ve enjoyed his run. It’s a very different team, which limits things (would Astonishing be nearly as good with such a star-less cast?). But it’s fast-paced, weird and intriguing. Plus, it harks back to the Shi’ar epics from when I was just starting to read Uncanny. It doesn’t hurt that Billy Tan’s pencils are some of the most detailed in comics.
If Uncanny has a strange team, X-Men is just bizarre. I hadn’t picked up any of the previous years, so it was kind of a series of surprises with the characters jumping into the action. Speaking of the action, it’s a pretty simple story if you don’t worry too much about details: some new villain is trying to kill the team. One of the main reasons I bought the book was because I hadn’t seen Chris Baccalo’s work for quite awhile. I’d really enjoyed him back in the day on Generation X (yeah, I liked that book, okay?). His work is really uneven here, with some strange layouts and inconsistent inks (perhaps this somehow relates to SIX people combining on the job. Perhaps).
Verdict: While X-Men was a lot of fun, I don’t see myself picking up anymore of this run. Especially since the last pages featured Cable and Sabretooth nearly making out.
Agents of Atlas #2
After a slow intro, the book gets back into the fun yet serious mystery. It’s like a spoof on retro comics that actually is a cool retro comic. I’ll buy it.
Jonah Hex #11
El Diablo, circus freaks, hanging, whiskey, a saloon, guns, whips, flames of justice. Mmm, yes. That does top last months redneck gator issue.
Nightwing #124
Talk about an impulse buy. I’ve just been pretty interested with how terribly Nightwing had been botched by DC since the Crisis, so I thought I’d check in and see if things were still remarkably awful on the eve of Marv Wolfman’s return. Yes and no. For the most part, this issue was just a fun, action-filled romp through New York. But any time Dick quit fighting, he would have to talk. And any time he talked, his huge D-bag personality would come out in full force. Case in point – when he bangs his designer girlfriend and then tells her to shut up and start sewing up his costume. I’m wondering when the issue of 52 will come out that has Dick taking a vacation to masochist summer camp.
Justice #7
Slow as tar! Delayed as Amtrac! But still damn fine classic DC action, so I’ll keep buying.
The Trials of Shazam! #1
I liked this, but I’m going to have to step back a little from my compatriot’s Hyperbole Train. This is not my favorite series. It’s fun and weird and a much better look into the new status quo of magic in the DC Universe than, say, Shadowpact. But it’s not a wheel made out of sliced bread.
Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters #2
I wonder if Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray agreed to write someone having their chest exploded into every issue. To answer that question and because this is just a kick-ass book, I’ll be around for #3.
The Escapists #1 and 2
I like Brian K. Vaughn, which is enough even though I haven’t yet read Kavalier and Clay. Yes, I’m going to. I know, I need to read it, okay? This is pretty much the only meta-comic book that I’ve enjoyed. It’s just a good yarn without laying on the inside jokes. A complaint? It took to the end of the second issue for any excitement. A praise? One buck for the first issue. Well worth it.
X-Factor #10
Kind of a slow issue, though the pay off at the end is more than worth the wait. Wha-huh? Also, Layla Miller is priceless as written by Peter David. It’s almost worth having suffered through House of M just to have her in Peter David’s hands. Um, did that sound dirty?
Nightwing is really awful; you’re right. But Trials of Shazam is, in truth, a wheel made of sliced bread. C’mon, jump on the Hyperbole Train. It’s a lot of fun!
Oh, fine. But only because everyone else is doing it.
Y’know, Justice really isn’t all that late. It was always intended to be a bo-monthly series, and the first issue actually shipped earlier than planned (the first week of August 05), so if it was on schedule, #7 should have shipped in early-to-mid-August. The last week of August is really only a few weeks behind schedule. That’s a pretty phenomenal feat considering the quality of the art.
Also, the quality of Uncanny is leaps and bounds above X-Men. When I first heard Brubaker and Tan were taking over, I hated the idea. The only Brubaker I’d read was the so-so Deadly Genesis and Billy Tan was absolutely atrocious on Reggie Hudlin’s MK Spider-Man. Tan really surprised me with his art, which was amazing compared to his stuff from a year earlier. In fact, I’d probably count Tan among my ten favorite artists working on a monthly book right now. And of course, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Brubaker that wasn’t Deadly Genesis. Uncanny X-Men is finally climbing near the top of my favorite books for the first time since Joe Madereira left the book a decade ago (yes, I liked Joe Mad).
Marvel put out that interview comic a few weeks ago that featured Q&A with Ed Brubaker and Billy Tan.
The most shocking revelation from that book didn’t even come from an interview – it was a photo of Billy Tan with his assistant, WHO DRAWS ALL OF HIS BACKGROUNDS.
Billy Tan can’t keep up with a monthly schedule and he doesn’t even draw his own backgrounds.
It sucks that being a few weeks late on a bi-monthly title is considered a good thing. But I can’t really argue against that.