Favorite Panel Friday: A job for ... wha'?!?

What's going on?!? I'll tell you what's going on - Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely continue to deliver their love letter to the Silver Age with All Star Superman #6, thickly laying on the wacky adventure with sharp spikes of poignancy and character development usually missing from that iconic time. This series is all of the fun, updated and minus the silly.

Plus, this is an issue that features a young Clark Kent, time travel, a couple of twists and turns, the above-mentioned Superman Squad and (are you ready?) Krypto the Superdog.

Krypto!!

This panel is only one of an easy handful I could've posted, so do yourself a favor and go pick up All Star Superman and get all the Silvery-Superman goodness you're missing.

All Star Superman #6: Grant Morrison, writer; Frank Quitely, artist

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.

Polished Silver

Well, this trailer for the second Fantastic Four movie (Rise of the Silver Surfer) looks kinda cool. It even looks as if they got the Surfer right - though I'd be willing to bet that when he talks he'll sound vaguely British.

But I still can't get past Jessica Alba as Sue. It just takes me right out of it.

Sorry, Thing.

On a Marvel schedule

Um ... hi there.

Sorry about the lack of content, but a combination of vacation travel and access to just a dial-up connection has pretty much kept me from blogging on a regular basis.

Seriously, I have a couple of things just waiting as drafts - a Favorite Panel Friday (it was from Union Jack #4), and a Pull-List for this week - but a photo got lost somehow, and that dial-up is making me look like a hillbilly, not to mention I think I'm a little logey from too much home-cooking.

Anyway, things will be back on track after Jan. 1 - in the meantime, how 'bout that Civil War, huh?

The Pull-List: 12-20-06

What's that? What am I planning to bring home from the comic shop this Wednesday? So glad you asked!

52 #33: Yes, I'm a whore. Shut up. At least it's been on time, which is pretty incredible considering it's weekly, and the story has been enough to keep me interested. Though there's been quite enough of Lobo, thanks. I care more about what's going on back on Earth, what with the Supernova and the Batwoman and all, and hey! Look who's on this week's cover!

Conan #35: I'm just going to say it: Timothy Truman's a better writer than he is an artist. His stuff on Grimjack was great, as was his work on the Jonah Hex minis he did with Joe R. Lansdale, but I'm getting a little tired of evil guys with scarves and little pointy teeth. Besides, his writing is perfect for Conan, and he seems to have a natural feel for the big guy and the world he slices his way through. I was thinking of going to trades on this title, but Truman convinced me that I need a monthly fix.

Elephantmen #5: The talking animals thing isn't usually something I lean to, but Elephantmen is five kinds of awesome, two of which can't be perceived without special scientific instruments. What more could you ask for besides great art, strong storytelling and characters you care about? I came late to the whole Elphantmen/Hip Flask party, but now that I'm here it's going to take an empty snack table and a call to the cops to keep me away.

New Avengers #26: Maybe. The whole Civil War rigamarole has turned me off to everything but Captain America, and I don't see things getting any better. I've never been a huge fan of Scarlet Witch, either, and I get a feeling things are just going to get sillier and sillier the longer this goes on. Flashbacks of Spider-Clones and random resurrections keep me awake at night. I was enjoying New Avengers based mostly on the different personalities brought out by the new team ... but yeah, a definite maybe. Which means maybe not.

Pirates of Coney Island #3: A bizarre world, art that borders on ugly with a color scheme that makes you want to pop someone, and not-so-nice people makes me a happy boy. I don't know what the point of Pirates is supposed to be, but I don't care.

Union Jack #4: A neat little mini-series, and one of my recent favorites. B-grade characters I never thought I'd care about bring solid art and a lean and fast-moving story to life, combining spandex and spycraft in a believable mix. But I don't know if I want a regular series of Union Jack - keep it to minis and maybe it won't get screwed up.

Favorite Panel Friday has its reservations

I finally start a comics blog, and what do I do? I decide to cancel this week's Favorite Panel Friday.

And for once it's not just laziness or a too-tight work schedule. No, no - this time it's because the comic shop I've been going to lately tends to order short, so this week I got screwed on The Damned #3 and The Spirit #1.

Now, I've already talked about The Damned and how much I've been enjoying it, and I was really looking forward to the new version of The Spirit. I'm a fan of Darwyn Cooke's, I'm a fan of The Spirit, and everything I've heard about the update of the character has been pretty positive.

So, of course, I haven't been able to read it yet (except for a preview, available here). But, I'm almost positive The Spirit #1 would have held my favorite panel of the week. To be honest, it probably would have been my favorite book of the week.

Because of all that, there isn't going to be a Favorite Panel Friday this time around. But that's not going to stop me from saying you should pick up The Spirit #1; as soon as my store re-orders it, I know I will.

The Spirit #1: Darwyn Cooke, writer/artist

Web-head

Why are you so addicting, Boneless Spidey? Why?!?

Er ... there'll be some real content here soon. Really. Shut up.

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

Favorite Panel Friday says nyet!

Damn, GL - slapping Russians around with a giant bear ... that's kind of an ironic bitch-slap, isn't it?

I've mentioned before how Green Lantern has always been a front-runner on my top-heroes list, and this panel from Green Lantern #15 sums up why. When I say "Green Lantern" I'm talking about Hal Jordan, and in the classic Silver and Bronze Age interpretations you could always count on some visually wacky action to go along with Hal's charming brand of dickery. Seriously, using the most powerful weapon in the universe to bop someone with a glowing mallet? That's just rubbing it in.

In the newish run written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Ivan Reis, that version of Green Lantern has been updated while rediscovering all the things that gave Hal his personality - hard-headedness, bravery, nobility, a rakishness that implied he was considering stealing your girlfriend after he was done handing you your ass. Basically, what a normal person might act like if they fell into their own super-powers. Say what you will about Johns and what he's done with the DC universe lately, but he understands characters and is able to elevate and humanize them all at once.

It doesn't hurt that Reis' art is gorgeous, following in the style of Rags Morales and Patrick Gleason. It's perfect for the blend of spandex and science fiction that a Green Lantern title should be; kinetic and detailed without being busy or distracting. And I don't usually mention it, but the inking by Oclair Albert and coloring by Moose Baumann is top-notch, enhancing the whole thing.

But seriously, what's Hal gonna do next - box Australians with a giant kangaroo? Wait a minute ... I think he already might've ...

Green Lantern #15: Geoff Johns, writer; Ivan Reis, artist; Oclair Albert, inker; Moose Baumann, colorist

Favorite Panel Friday goes for two

The Escapists #5 is ... well, it's a toughie. To be honest, I've been putting off bringing up this mini-series, even though it's been on the FPF short-list almost every week it's come out. But it can no longer be denied, so feast your eyes on the first-ever two-panel FPF Panelpalooza! Grab your ass with both hands, kids - this is history!

Urm. Yeah, so two wildly different art styles are used to tell two very different - but parallel - stories in this six-parter. One of those stories takes place as a superhero comic, the other as the story of the people creating that comic. Both of them, strangely enough, feature people in costume.

It's all very meta. It's also, at heart, a love letter. Michael Chabon's Pulitzer-winning novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" has managed to spin off a series of comic anthologies by various contributors, but The Escapists is the one that lays out the comic-love in all it's geeky glory.

Brian K. Vaughn (man, that dude really IS everywhere!) nicely balances glimpses of the latest story of The Escapist with the mostly mundane story of the three friends producing that story, which is where Vaughn's pitter-pat beats loudest. The superhero story is fun, but it's the everyday lives playing out in Cleveland that you end up caring about most. What the hell was Max thinking? Was that the last straw for Case? Is Denny going to be OK? Are they going to be able to get the next issue out?!?

In a neat twist - who knows if it was on purpose or not - the more sketchily realistic art by Jason Shawn Alexander is used to tell the superhero story while Steve Rolston's rounded-edge, cartoony style depicts the story playing out in the real world. In the comic. I'm not trying to be confusing. Honest.

But look at Alexander's depiction of The Saboteur - man, he just oozes evil! And look at the detail in Case's room; that one panel by Rolston tells you a ton about the character with simple attention to background. Both artists' work sets just the right tone for their respective stories, and dovetail into each seamlessly until they reflect and amplify each other in a way that adds depth to both. It's a pretty slick trick, and one that could easily fall apart if you weren't careful.

But, with one issue left to go, it seems pretty clear that Vaughn, Rolston and Alexander are keeping a protective arm around The Escapists. When you love something, after all, it's only natural.

The Escapists #5: Brian K. Vaughn, writer; Steve Rolston, artist; Jason Shawn Alexander, artist

Damn you, Favorite Panel Friday!

Looking at this panel, you know things aren't going to turn out well for somebody. But take a closer look at it, and you'll see the energy and details that make The Damned such a great fusion of spookhouse horror and gritty crime noir.

Besides the obvious menace of one big, friggin' demon, the Prohibition-era atmosphere is thick in this shot from The Damned #2. Look at the way our little anti-hero Eddie is already reaching for his gun. Look at the crates and warehouses and scattering sea gulls that remind the reader they're at the docks, and that THE DOCKS ARE NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE.

The Damned is laced with an undercurrent of menace, whether it's a scene involving mobsters from hell or a rough kiss delivered with one arm twisted behind your back, and it all makes for a hell of a fun read. I've also been a fan of Brian Hurtt for a while now, so it's nice to see him making a reappearance so soon after Hard Time got the unwarranted ax (check out his excellent work on Queen & Country, too). Hopefully, this collaboration with author Cullen Bunn will just be the first of several mini-series for The Damned.

The Damned #2: Cullen Bunn, script/story; Brian Hurtt, art/story

Favorite Panel Friday: A well-oiled machine

When Ex Machina first came out a couple of years ago, I'd tell anyone who'd listen (and anyone I could pin to the ground and force to listen) that it was one of the best comics out there. I even said more than once that it was the best new comic of that year.

Two years later, and it's still pretty damn good.

Explaining Ex Machina is a little tricky, but basically it's this: In a world without superheroes, a civil engineer with socialist leanings gains the ability to communicate with machines after a mysterious device he's investigating blows up in his face. With the help of a couple of friends and some gadgets of his own invention, Mitchell Hundred becomes the Great Machine, a superhero who manages to keep the second tower of the World Trade Center from being hit on Sept. 11. Shortly after, Hundred goes public, gives up his role as the Great Machine and is elected mayor of New York City.

Whew! Believe it or not, that's just the back story. Ex Machina tells the story of Mayor Hundred, and while the story lines refer or are impacted by the Great Machine's past exploits, the series is as much a political drama as it is a heroic thriller, if not more. You'd think this would be dull as dirt, but often the ins and outs of the mayor's office is what keeps everything chugging along.

And poor Mitch - he's been through a lot, and it's starting to show. Brian K. Vaughn is everywhere, but this is his tightest work - if I had to guess, I'd say this title is his baby. And artist Tony Harris has thankfully been with it since the beginning, giving Ex Machina a distinct feel and a life of it's own. Sure, the people tend to look suspiciously alike sometimes (especially the women), but not to the point of the aggravating Dillon or Quitely. You can almost start to believe these people exist out there, tromping around New York and trying to get about the business of living their lives.

Who hasn't felt that weariness, the kind that makes you close your eyes and push your hair back, wishing for just a quiet second of peace? That single panel says a lot - about the character, about the situation and about the creators' understanding of their readers.

It may not be the best comic of the year, but it's still pretty damn good.

Ex Machina #24: Writer, Brian K. Vaughn; Artist, Tony Harris