The Pull List (12-17-08): Wait, I'm getting Sentry and Supergirl now?

Man! A minute ago it was 11 a.m. and now it's more than five hours later! Damn this "getting work done" (not that I blog from work ... because that would be wrong). I don't know where the time goes, but I do know it's time for the list!

Getting ...

Age of the Sentry #4 (of 6): In spite of my hatred for this character, it only took one issue to make me fall in love with this ode to Silver Age silliness. Nifty, appropriately cartoony art and breezy writing make this one of the most fun books currently on the stands and leaves me feeling like that guy from the Hotels[dot]com commercial: Aagh, it's working! They got me!

Cthulhu Tales #9: Fun fact: If a book has "Cthulhu" in the title, there's an 86 percent chance I'm going to want to buy it. It doesn't hurt that this series is fairly well-done as far as anthologies go; some stories wind up being duds here and there, but the quality stuff is consistent enough to make it worth picking up.

Fall Of Cthulhu: Godwar #4: Along with Cthulhu Tales, this horror comic is consistently good, and writer Michael Alan Nelson is bringing together all the pieces he's put in place for a story that's become suddenly tense and menacing. It's a fine homage to Lovecraft while remaining neatly original.

Manhunter #37: A new storyline begins with this issue — too bad the series ends with the next one.

Supergirl #36: Generally speaking, I try to avoid getting sucked into all the crossover, here's-your-checklist-complete-with-index, "event" books ... but an interesting story that's establishing a new status quo for the Superman family has grabbed me. I credit the coordination between writers Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates for producing separate chapters that read as one cohesive story.


Maybe ...

DCU Holiday Special 2008

Thor God-Sized #1

Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down The Pub (one-shot)


Trading up ...
(Titles I either am, or will be, picking up in trade)

Conan the Cimmerian #6

Ex Machina #40

Fables #79


Recommended ...

Vagabond Vol 2 (VIZBIG Edition)

Welcome To Dingburg: A Zippy Collection

Friday Night Fights: Long live Manhunter!

As most of you probably know, Manhunter has been canceled — again. Since this is the third time this excellent superhero comic has gotten the ax, it's unlikely it will be given another chance at finding a bigger readership once it wraps up with issue #38, and that's a shame.

Manhunter has consistently been one of the best comics out there, blending spandex-clad heroics with characterizations that gave its fans people who were noble, flawed, often strong, sometimes weak, but always, always, always real. The fact that this title won't be on the stands anymore is a loss for the comics community as a whole — not just its fan-base, much less for its publisher, DC.

It'd be easy to say Manhunter obviously just couldn't cut it. If it was good enough, it would have found its readers, right? Normally I'd agree, but it's also pretty common for critically acclaimed comics to have next to no readership; smart companies give those titles a chance to build one. And DC did Manhunter no favors by canceling the book over and over. Without a consistent presence on the stands, and a possible stigma as "that book nobody liked" (why else would it be canceled, right?), the creators were fighting an uphill battle.

I only hope writer Marc Andreyko — as well as the artists who have worked on the title, from first penciller Jesus Saiz to current artist Michael Gaydos — realize it wasn't their fault Manhunter didn't make it. They just made a better book than DC deserved.

Oh, and did I mention that Kate Spencer — in addition to being a smart, strong superhero, single mom and top-level attorney — is kind of a bad-ass?


Bahlactus knows what I'm talkin' about.

Following a link? Read more Great Caesar's Post here!

Panels from Manhunter #34
Marc Andreyko, writer; Michael Gaydos, artist

The Pull List (9-4-08): Aiiee! El Diablo!!

Aaaaaaaaand ... to the list!

El Diablo #1: This is probably a ridiculous, fanciful dream, but I'd like to see a return of DC heroes to that mythical place called "The West." Not necessarily the Old West (that Bat Lash mini? Blech.), but just the West as a concept, as the idea of a place of wild lawlessness but with an urban update. We've already got Blue Beetle patrolling the El Paso/Juarez borderland, and it would be nice to see other characters keeping an eye on something other than the Eastern Seaboard.

I don't know exactly where El Diablo #1 is set, but it sure doesn't look like Metropolis. I'm looking forward to this new version of the Haunted Horseman, particularly since the new Diablo is Hispanic; is joined by the original character acting as a mentor (I'm a sucker for the ol' Ancient Advisor bit); and it's written by Jai Nitz, who wrote that all-Spanish issue of Blue Beetle (I smell team-up!), with art by Phil Hester and Ande Parks.

I wouldn't mind if DC came up with some new characters instead of just new versions of old characters once in a while, but if they're going to do it they might as well make it fun — and this looks as if it has what it takes to hit the mark like a gunslinger at High Noon.


The rest ...

Army @ Love: The Art of War #2

Manhunter #34


Maybe ...

Fringe #1 (of 6): Investigators of the paranormal is usually the sort of thing that's right up my alley, but I just can't shake the feeling that this tie-in to an upcoming TV show of the same name isn't going to be much more than six issues of paper-thin advertising. And even though one of the writers is Dr. Horrible co-creator Zack Whedon (and seriously, this title takes three writers?), I don't think there's enough here to tempt me into buying it. Huh, what do you know — I just talked myself out of it.

Mixed Vegetables Vol. 1: I have a confession to make — I have a soft spot for silly manga about star-crossed lovers, and this one about a wannabe sushi chef and a wannabe pastry chef looks like fun. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.

Spooks Omega Team #1: I was about to disregard this as just another "elite, special-ops task force kicking ass" sorta thing until I realized it was an elite, special-ops task force kicking ass sorta thing written by Larry Hama. The guy who wrote all that G.I. Joe. I even like the art work. Well played, Devil's Due.

Sub-Mariner: Depths #1: The art looks OK, but I'm probably going to wait and see if the story goes beyond Namor shouting "Imperious Rex" and acting like a douchebag. Don't get me wrong, I love that, but I don't know if it can carry an entire mini-series. I'm assuming it's a mini — the solicitation doesn't say. If it's a regular series, consider me even more doubtful. (Also, a helpful hint to the guys and gals at Marvel online: If you're going to post a preview, make sure the first three pages are actually legible. Thanks!)


Recommended ...

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven: As close to a perfect kung-fu comic mixing modern sensibilities with 70s-style wah-taaah! as you can get.

Krazy & Ignatz 1925-1926: A Happy Lend Fur Away (trade paperback; new printing): George Herriman's Krazy Kat is considered one of the most important, groundbreaking comic strips in the history of the medium, and rightly so. Beautiful in its starkness, surreal in story and heartbreaking in its ever-present undercurrent of unrequited — and unconditional — love, the strip is also consistently funny and strangely real. Like a brick to the head, Krazy Kat hits you hard and leaves a lasting impression: Get it.

Manhunter and the Women of Juarez

I've seen a few reviews of Manhunter #31, the first issue of the comic to come out in more than a year, and most people seem pleased to see Kate Spencer and their favorite supporting characters back in action. I'm a little surprised, though, that I haven't heard any mention of the backdrop for Manhunter's return — the unsolved murders of hundreds of women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Unfortunately, these tense info-dump scenes from Manhunter #31 are a fairly accurate account of the killing of women in Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas. I say "fairly accurate" because the bodies of more young women are found buried in shallow desert graves with horrific regularity.

Click to enlarge

Let me add a little more background to what's already here: Most of the women who have been killed or are missing have been young (late teens to mid-20s), and a large number of them were working in maquiladoras (usually called maquilas, for short). The text makes it sound as if the maquilas are Mexican companies, but the majority of them are from other countries (many of them U.S. companies) that have established these manufacturing plants because of the cheap labor they can find to fill their 24-hour operations.

The murders are an open mystery, and the most viable theory sounds like an overwrought crime thriller involving on-site maquila management, independent bus drivers, a corrupt police force and the powerful drug cartels that orchestrate the whole thing with the same bone-deep malignancy that is endemic in some border towns. Even worse, it's generally agreed that abusive husbands, sociopaths and anyone who thinks they can get away with it are killing women and dumping their bodies to be mixed in and written off as just another number added to the list.

There have been other attempts to use the story of the women of Juarez — mostly for dramatic effect and generally misguided — and I don't kid myself by thinking that using it as the background in a superhero comic is going to bring widespread attention to this tragedy.

But someone is talking about it, and some people who might have never heard about the women in Juarez are at least a little more aware of it. Manhunter writer Marc Andreyko and DC deserve some credit for that.

---

Here are some links with information about the killings (some of it's out of date, but still has relevant background information):

• Senorita Extraviada: An independent documentary that aired on PBS. There is also another documentary, Border Echoes, that investigates the killings.

• The Juarez Project: A grassroots effort to bring attention to the murders.

• Who's Killing the Women of Juarez?: NPR has done a couple of reports on the crimes.

• Amnesty International: The human rights group regularly pressures the Mexican government to do more to stop the killings.

• Diana Washington Valdez: A reporter and author from El Paso who has covered the killings extensively, Washington Valdez updates related crimes regularly on her blog.

You should be reading: Manhunter #31

Well, it's about time.

After a year of waiting, Manhunter will finally be back on comic book store shelves with today's issue #31. I was beginning to doubt it would ever happen: First the book was almost canceled, then it was saved thanks to some strong fan outcry, then it was canceled again, and then saved again. And then it went on hiatus in April 2007, with a promise it would return in the summer. I guess technically this is the beginning of A SUMMER, so I'm sure DC will argue they're right on schedule. (And no, a recurring role in Birds of Prey doesn't count.)

But I really can't complain very much — Manhunter is just too good.

With Marc Andreyko's scripts and various artists who all maintained a moody and sharp-edged style, Manhunter was easily one of the best titles in DC's stable. Thankfully, Andreyko is back to continue nurturing his sarcastic, chain-smoking and unapologetically violent superhero and her fantastic supporting cast, and new artist Michael Gaydos (who also did Alias) sounds like a good fit.

I've gone on and on about how great Manhunter is before, but it bears repeating. I mean, I'd hate to see it on the chopping block again, especially since it's a title that deserves to find an audience and continue to grow on its own terms. Kate Spencer — as well as her supporting cast — is something you don't always see in superhero comics; a real person.

It's a superhero book, so of course there is a lot of leaping off roofs and cackling bad guys and things that defy basic physics so the good guy gets a chance to punch someone in the face. That's a big part of what I like about Manhunter. But what's really engaging is Kate, because even when she puts on the mask she's still Kate — someone who's trying to quit smoking, someone who's trying to be a good mother in the middle of a bad divorce, someone who balances a life as a federal attorney with a new life as a vigilante fueled by the limitations of the legal system. She doesn't get into costume and suddenly have all the answers with none of the doubt. She is — for better and worse — all too human.

But she tries like hell.

Along with Blue Beetle, Manhunter is a title that's at the top of my favorites list, and if you think you'd like a comic featuring a strong, smart, realistic female character dealing with everyday struggles along with super-powered villains, I can't recommend it enough. Actually, if you just like good comics, I couldn't recommend it enough.

(By the way, both Manhunter and Blue Beetle will be dealing with border issues for the next few months — what are the chances of some crossover? Or did it already happen?!)

There are four trades available if you didn't catch it the first time around, but don't let that stop you from picking up Manhunter #31. I'm pretty sure this would be a good jumping on point, and you shouldn't miss it.

In other words: You should be reading Manhunter.

Friday Night Fights: Standing eight count!

Bahlactus, that galactic head-breaker and cosmic referee of the earth-shattering brawl known as Friday Night Fights, is touring the outer quadrants of space and has called for a short intermission. In other words, no fight this week.

The hurtin' will be back for certain next Friday, but in the meantime why not take a look back at some some scenes from Great Caesar's Posts' pugilistic past?

Panel from Manhunter #30

Aah ... memories!

The Pull List (1-30-08): A trip to the tradin' Post

In my mind, this little feature is supposed to be posted on Tuesdays. Who knew, right?

This week I'm going to blame the slight delay on something new being added to the Pull List: Trading Up is a section highlighting comics that I'm interested in reading but, for various reasons, I'll be waiting until they come out in trade. Sometimes it's something that looks like it would be better to read in one big chunk, and sometimes it's something that I had been picking up monthly, but have decided to see whether or not it's worth following all the way to the end of a storyline (or at all — dun-dun DUN!).

Now — on to the list!

Wormwood: Calamari Rising #1: Wormwood is without a doubt one of the weirder comics out there. It's sort of a horror comic, but that's mostly because the main character is a tiny demonic worm that tools around in a fully-functional corpse. In spite of its macabre setting, Wormwood is really a humor comic, wringing comedy out of clever word-play, sight-gags and good-old-fashioned gross-outs (seriously, leprechauns are far from anything magically delicious in this book). It doesn't hurt that Ben Templesmith continues to be a hell of an artist, drenching everything in washes of color that brings his weird, sketchy little world to life. He also does a solid job with the tongue-in-rotting-cheek writing of this title, and putting it all together it's easy to see that Wormwood is his baby. If you only know Templesmith from 30 Days of Night or Fell, give Wormwood a try and see his work from a slightly different, and much funnier, angle; it's good stuff.


The rest ...

Captain America #34

Daredevil #104

Green Lantern #27

The Spirit #13


Maybe ...

Ral Grad Vol. 1: On one hand, this fantasy-based manga about a dragon, hellish creatures that spring from shadows, and a boy who's kept prisoner in a pitch-black cell for 15 years sounds interesting. On the other hand, it's based on a video game. But on another, Stryker-like hand, one of the personality quirks of the main character is a fascination with squeezing booby. Decisions, decisions ...

Salem #0: I had to read the solicitation a couple of times to get it, but I think this is about a coven of witches who are a manifestation of God's punishment for some major sin of mankind, and a Solomon Kane type of character is all that's between them and ... God's will? I guess? I'm not sure I get the conflict, but still, it sounds kinda neat so I'll be giving it a look.


Trading up ...


Conan #48

Suburban Glamour #3

Y The Last Man #60


Recommended ...

Manhunter Vol. 4: Unleashed: I really, really wish they would bring back the Manhunter monthly. It was fun while still maintaining some grit, with a strong and smart female character that readers actually cared about. In the meantime, the trades are a good way for people who are new to this Manhunter to catch up and pine with the rest of us.

What Were They Thinking? Vol. 1: The stories from this occasional anthology are silly, funny and almost as much a love-letter to the goofy age of comics as it is a roast. And hey, Kevin wrote some of it (and other fine folks like Blue Beetle writer John Rogers and comics godfather Keith Giffen) so check it out.

On the trail of Manhunter

Something just occurred to me: What happened to Manhunter?

It was not only one of my favorite, most reliably enjoyable titles, but it also had a strong enough fan-base that it was saved from cancellation twice. After the second near-death, DC announced the comic would be on hiatus while things were put in place for a nice, long run. And then there was nothing but silence.

Manhunter was supposed to be back in the racks in July of this year, but that has quietly come and gone. I know the Kate Spencer character has made guest appearances in other titles, but that's hardly the same thing. Is DC hoping a lengthy hiatus will let the title wither without a lot of fuss, or is this just the usual company scheduling snafu? If the company is still planning to relaunch Manhunter, this doesn't seem like the best marketing plan to follow. It's almost as if the title is being set up to fail.

Help me out here, Internets — what's up with Manhunter?

The Pull List: 8-29-07

Meetings! Meetings! Meetings!

Luckily, today is Wednesday and soon I'll have comics to soothe me. It looks to be a light week (I even checked the list, Santa-like, a couple of times just to make sure), but two of the just three titles I'm picking up have long wait-times between issues, adding a level of satisfaction that balances everything out. And what am I looking forward to most?

Local #10: I've mentioned it before, but Local is a near-perfect comic. Written by Brian Wood and drawn by Ryan Kelly, the book is achingly beautiful in its portrayal of the mundane. With a single character at its core, Local follows the year-to-year progression of Megan, who has made her choices - good and bad - and like the rest of us, has to live with them. But while Megan is the string tying everything together, it's a delicate thread. The more you read the more this title really turns out to be less a snapshot of someone's particular life and more a mirror to a life that can be uncomfortably familiar. Frankly, this is some of Wood's strongest writing and Kelly's art confidently evolves with each issue. Since each issue is a stand-alone story you can start anywhere without losing anything (though if you can get back issues, it will only enrich the experience). Plus, this one takes place in my town, so if I can't convince you that Local is a title that everyone should be reading, at least show Austin some love and pick up this book.


The rest ...

Conan #43

Wasteland #11


Maybe ...

Batman Annual #26: Head of the Demon

Ex Machina Masquerade Special


Recommended ...

Manhunter Vol. 3: Origins


What are you getting this week?

Friday Night Fights: Watch out, here she comes

One of the strengths of the excellent Manhunter series - which was saved twice by vocal fans, critical praise, and is supposed to come back from hiatus sometime this summer - is the supporting cast. Almost everyone is interesting, and no one is reduced to a cliche.

For example, take Cameron Chase. A friend of Manhunter's civilian identity, Kate Spencer, Cameron is a DEO agent with a weird super-villain named Trapp in her past and an equally weird ex-minion/boyfriend in her present. When Trapp decides to wrap up his unfinished business, Cameron's boyfriend Dylan comes to the rescue.

But really, he probably could have just waited in the car.

Panel from Manhunter #30

My money's on Bahlactus!

And here's even more GCP!

The Pull-list: 4-18-07

No time for love, Doctor Magnus! Who knew this whole "work" and "day-job" thing would be so demanding? Since I owe my soul to the company store, this weeks' pull-list is going to be charmingly simple - no fancy frills this time around.

Er ... yeah ... it's just a list. Sorry 'bout that. Keep your fingers crossed that work stops squatting on my head and giving me wet-willies before next week; now, on to the list!

52 #50: Almost there!

Army @ Love #2: I liked the first issue of this satire more each time I read it; looking forward to #2.

The Brave and The Bold #3: Pure awesome, now with more Blue Beetle.

Manhunter #30: Gets better and better; what hasn't killed it has made it stronger.

The Spirit #5: Great art, great writing and just a really great book.

Conan #39: Conan wants you to buy every book with his name on it, and I obey.


And maybe ...

World War III Parts 1-4: What the hell? Was I the only one who didn't know these four separate issues were coming out? And all at the same time? I feel a little manipulated here.

Death Dealer #1: Blame heavy metal album covers seeping into my head during my youth.


And if I could ...

The Professor's Daughter (graphic novel): First Second Books has been putting out some of the best original graphic novels for the past year or so, and this seems to be its latest addition to that list. A fun writer (though he did go on a bit in Vampire Loves) and gorgeous watercolor images puts this on my short list of trades and graphic novels.

The Pull-list: 3-7-07

Hey, look! It's our old pal, The Pull-list! Let's grab a mocha-frappa-something and get reacquainted, whad'ya say?

52 #44: So … Sobek, huh? I’ve been enjoying 52 so far, and I’ve got to admit the steadily darkening tone has me curious about what’s next. Still, I was prepared for the death of the Question, and I dug the burned-out detective shtick of Ralph Dibney, but the whole talking-croc-eating-a-young-hero thing caught me off-guard. I’m still not even sure how I feel about the way the scene was handled (“vaguely disappointed” comes to mind), but I do know I’m curious to see how this whole “World War” business 52 has been building toward finally turns out. I just hope they remember that less really can be more.

Borrowed Time #2: Remember the first installment of Borrowed Time? Me too, but just barely since Volume 1 came out in May 2006. But in spite of taking almost a year between chapters, this title made enough of an impact with clean, moody art and a subtly spooky plot that I’m looking forward to picking up where I left off. I’ll have to re-read Volume 1 so I can remember what’s going on first, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As long as we don’t have to wait another year for Volume 3.

Captain America #25: Well! Look at Marvel trying to be cute with its “classified information.” Feh! It just means no picture for you, Captain America! Actually, Cap can get away with the Web site blackout because this has consistently been one of the publisher’s better titles, with a storyline that’s affected by the Civil War storyline but isn’t bogged down by it. It seems pretty obvious that Brubaker had a story to tell before that bloated “event” kicked off, and he hasn’t let it keep him from telling a lean and muscular espionage yarn. Holy crap, did I just say “yarn?”

Fall of Cthulhu #0: The titles coming out of Boom! Studios have been kind of hit-or-miss for me, often suffering from what seem like strong starts out of the gate only to end up sort of meandering over to a shiny hot dog stand instead of crossing the finish. But man, they really hit it when it comes to the Cthulhu Mythos, so you’d better believe I’m ready for this regular series. The Cthulhu Tales one-shots got me hooked, and now I’ll get to mainline my Mythos on a regular basis.

Manhunter #29: Fighting its way back from imminent death not once but twice, maybe Manhunter will now find the audience it deserves. Great characterization and a richly human hero made the title a favorite of mine from the beginning, but for some reason it’s struggled to find the numbers needed to keep the publishers from poking it with the cancellation stick. Supposedly the title is back for good, so make sure you put this on your montly must-get list now that you’ve got another chance.

Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil #2 (of 4): Whenever a character gets the “reimagining” treatment, it almost never turns out too well. Someone always ends up EXTREME! Maybe with some shiny new armor. EXTREME!! And a troubled past. EXTREME!!!! Writer and artist Jeff Smith doesn’t do any of this, and gets his retelling of the Captain Marvel origin damn near perfect. All the familiar background elements are there, but Smith makes them his own and even manages to add to the Marvel mythology in ways that make sense. If there isn’t more to come after this four-parter ends, then there is no Wizard Shazam.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #8 (of 8): Speaking of extreme makeovers, Uncle Sam is a grittier version of ye old Freedom Fighters (am I the only one who still digs on the All-Star Squadron?), but a fairly solid plot and interesting characterization has kept me hooked all the way to the end. The art tends to get distracting, but also pays off with plenty of iconic images; to be honest, if another artist ever takes over these Freedom Fighters, it’ll probably look weird to me now.

And maybe …

Dynamo 5 #1

Jefferey Brown’s Feeble Attempts #1

Strongarm #1

The Pull-List: 1-3-06

Wow - is this week small or what? Let's kick this midget, shall we?

52 #35: I might as well tell you now; this is going to be on the list until we reach #52. It's almost out of spite at this point, and I'll be damned if this mostly-entertaining-but-sometimes-slipshod title is going to beat me. You hear that, 52? Your stapled ass is mine. But can someone get some consistent art going in this thing? I haven't picked up 52 #34 yet (let's hear it for the holidays), but #33 started strong and then slid into artwork that made me laugh - and not in a good way.

All Star Superman #6: If it seems like you've been waiting forever for this issue of All Star Superman, it's not just the anticipation that comes from waiting for a well-written and creatively drawn superhero comic. It's because the last issue came out THREE MONTHS AGO! All Star Superman is supposed to be a bimonthly, but c'mon! Is it really going to be worth the wait? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is.

Manhunter #27: I've got a pretty solid geek-crush going for Manhunter, and I like the way they've been drawing the character deeper into the DC universe. This title has been on my list since it started, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Favorite Panel Friday: Manhunter makes a killing

Let's get one thing out of the way — Manhunter fights Wonder Woman, so there are plenty of fanboy fantasies being catered to in Manhunter #26. I, for one, appreciate it. A lot.

But this quieter panel shows what Manhunter is really all about. Kate Spencer — an L.A. laywer by trade and a superhero whenever she's not in the courtroom — is not your typically conflicted vigilante. The reason she wears a costume and brutally pounds on the bad guys is simple; they royally piss her off.

A lot of things piss Kate off actually, and her constantly sarcastic mood is what makes her appealing and nearly unlikable at the same time. On top of that, she's a single-mom who doesn't really pay enough attention to her young son, she constantly berates her friends and until recently she chain-smoked with spiteful glee.

Oh, and she doesn't mind killing villains if they need a-killin'.

It would be easy for this kind of character to become a caricature, but writer Marc Andreyko and regular artist Javier Piña have done a nice job of consistently reminding us that there's a complex person under the mask. And I should remind everyone that the title was originally canceled because of low sales, but reader outcry lead to DC making the unusual decision of give Manhunter another chance. Comics fans who haven't been reading the title should give it a chance, too.

As a character, Manhunter is new to the spandex, so she's not that great a superhero yet; honestly, she often not that great a person.

But she's trying. And that's what makes Manhunter a great comic.

Manhunter #26: Marc Andreyko, writer; Javier Piña, artist