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REVIEWS
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Punisher #8 (Marvel Comics, $2.99) Like the surprisingly good THOR issue last week, this takes a couple of unusual decisions with the 'NUFF SAID format, and works very well as a result. The basic story is just that, basic. We follow Frank Castle through the hunt for a mob boss, the attempt on his life and his eventual murder. This is all played out against a backdrop apparently mundane inner city life. Unlike the THOR issue, there's not a great deal of characterisation here, but there doesn't really need to be. The Punisher has always been most effective as a lens through which his world is viewed, and this is no exception. Dillon once again shows his consummate artistic skills, portraying Castle as an impassive, savagely efficient killer. There are moments of pure cinematic spectacle here, and it's obvious that Dillon is enjoying himself. This is particularly obvious with the script exert reprinted in the back of the issue. Well worth your time. (Review by Alasdair Stuart) ---
Bipolar #2 (Five O'Clock Shadow, $2.95)
Vox #4 (Pack Rabbitt Press, $4.95) There's comparisons to be made between these two books, both self-published and likely underordered by most retailers. But the long and the short of it is that one's worth your time and effort to track down, and one… well, one isn't. Vox apparently just squeaked by with just enough orders to continue shipping through Diamond. Which is good, because Leland Purvis's quarterly anthology is a shining example of the power of comics to experiment with both the real and the surreal at the same time. Purvis jumps from reality-based stories ("Brothers Dundee in Crisis") to Dali-esque visuals ("Box Boy") and back again ("A True Story of Alexander Selkirk,") all the while demonstrating a command of expression and body language most "mainstream" artists only dream of possessing. And I'm not afraid to tell you that I was almost reduced to tears by Purvis's lead story, another of his tales of the elderly Dundee brothers. Grounding his story against a factual background, Purvis explores notions of culture, generosity, and usefulness, and even manages to inspire a chuckle amidst some fairly bleak circumstances. Touching and unexpected, this issue of Vox may be one of the best comics I've read this year. Whereas Bipolar… Okay. There's a fine line between clever use of surreality and outright nonsense; from where I sit, much of Bipolar crosses that line into complete and utter nonlinear madness. Whereas Vox's more fanciful vignettes appear to at least follow some kind of narrative flow, Tomer Hanuka's pieces in Bipolar meander from visual to visual, with only the most tenuous of threads holding each together. "Junior" may carry some interesting concepts about creation and imagination, but "Squeeze" is a mess of a randomly interconnected slice-of-life piece, and "Zina + me" revels in nihilism and self-loathing for no apparent reason. Even Assaf Hanuka's "Pizzeria Kamikaze", which was the best segment of the last Bipolar, fell flat this time around, as whatever grungy charm Assaf had managed to steep his characters in seemed to have disappeared. (Give credit where credit is due, though - even though I had similar problems with the last issue of this book, the cover once again drew me in. The addition of color to Tomer's work seems to give it more power than the black and white line art of the interiors. Snappy covers do it to me every time.) Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you, I guess. (Reviews by Gus Dahlberg) ---
Green Arrow #10 (DC Comics, $2.50) This issue provides a satisfying wrap up to Smith and Heter's QUIVER, the saga the resurrects the original Green Arrow from the dead. Ordinarily I'm not a fan of these sorts of things, but Smith has constructed a solid tale that works in and of itself, and doesn't feel like a blatant attempt to bring back a character that the author simply wants to play with. And for those of you who think you have Queen's resurrection figured out, there's at least one more twist left in this issue for you. About the only machismo element this issue is missing is someone yelling "Get your stinky paws off me, you damn dirty ape!" Smith keeps the action high and the wisecracks flowing with a father-son buddy movie dynamic throughout the issue. Definite 87 on the ass-kicking meter. Hester's art fits tightly with Smith's pacing and style. The story feels cartoony yet grounded enough to work and flow easily from panel to panel and page to page. If you haven't been checking out Smith's work on Green Arrow, it's a solid, traditional superhero book, one of the best on the market right now. Next issue kicks off a new storyline and that may be easier to jump in at though. (Review by Dave Potter) ---
The Establishment #4 (DC/Wildstorm, $2.50) Concluding the first story arc, this issue sees the strengths of the title truly come to the fore. Edginton's script is well-constructed and interesting, dodging the obvious concluding fight scene for something rather more interesting. The dialogue is witty without ever being forced and the script mixes unusual ideas with the customary "widescreen" visuals. This looks increasingly like it's the only survivor of AUTHORITY-era WILDSTORM and based on this issue, that's no bad thing. This is an assured, confident series being produced by creators at the top of their game. Well worth your time. (Review by Alasdair Stuart) ---
The Sandwalk Adventures (Active Synapse, $2.95) Hosler won critical acclaim with his opus on the life cycle of bees, CLAN APIS (one of my Five Trade Paperbacks To Take With Me to a Desert Island), and his follow up work dwells on similar themes but is more high concept. Sandwalk is about the conversation between Charles Darwin and some follicle mites that reside in his left eyebrow and believe he is God. They ask the questions anyone would ask God, given the chance: Why are we here? How has all this come to be? Why don't we have butts? All right, maybe the last one wouldn't be asked by EVERYONE. Hosler has a smooth, easygoing style of sequential art that and graceful style ought to relax even the most skeptical of readers. He also has the nerve to be a very good writer, with convincing dialogue and a superb sense of pacing, moving from dramatic to exposition to comedy and back again without blinking an eye. This is a five issue limited series. I can't honestly say if there will be a collected version when its done, except to note that CLAN APIS was collected in such a manner. At any rate, you're missing out on one of the truly fun comics that's being published right now if you pass this one up. (Review by Dave Potter; previously reviewed in 12/6 issue by Gus Dahlberg) ---
New X-Men 120 (Marvel Comics, $2.25) The conclusion to "Germ Free Generation" sees Morrison truly cut loose, and Igor Kordey continue his bid to be Marvel's Most Valuable Artist this year. The inevitable complaints about fill-in artists simply do not apply where Kordey is concerned. His work is both imaginative and uniformly excellent, and NEW X-MEN 120 is no exception. This story has been criticized as lacking the apocalyptic flourish of "E is for Extinction", and to some extent that's true. It's been as much about putting the foundation of future stories in place as much as telling one itself and "Germ Free Generation" has achieved both goals admirably. Cutting between the escape of Cyclops and Emma Frost from the U-Men and Jean Grey defending the school from their attack, the issue not only contains the most creatively unpleasant use of telekinesis in recent memory, but also some of Morrison's best dialogue since he began writing this title. All involved are clearly having a tremendous amount of fun, and it carries over into every single page. Highly recommended. (Review by Alasdair Stuart) ---
Elektra 4 (Marvel Comics, $2.99) After a disappointing couple of issues, this is really starting to pick up speed. This issue brings the Key storyline to a close and sees both the art and script hit their stride. Austen;s artwork delivers a couple of highly effective moments whilst Bendis' scripts is bleak without ever being grim. It neatly sets up a world where no choice is right or easy, actually managing to make Nick Fury interesting in the process. Well scripted, well drawn and an interesting set up for future issues, this finally sees ELEKTRA hit it's stride. If the tone and style can be maintained, then this should be one of the increasing number of MARVEL titles to watch. (Review by Alasdair Stuart) ---
JLA-Haven #1 (DC Comics, $2.50) The initial Haven story, "Arrival", was disappointing on a number of levels. Olivetti's art seemed ill at ease with the story, there was no real sense of urgency or danger and the whole thing felt, at the time, like another attempt to turn JLA into The Authority. To make matters worse, it ended on an immensely clichéd and frankly irritating cliffhanger. This first issue of "The Broken City" is quite an improvement. Dealing with the immediate aftermath of "Arrival", it counterpoints President Luthor's attempts to deal with Haven's arrival with the JLA's discovery of exactly who the inhabitants of the city are. Here is the sense of scale that was missing from "Arrival" as we get our first impression of exactly how big an effect Haven's arrival is starting to have. Inevitably, there are still problems. Several JLA members act with crass stupidity for the sake of exposition and the designs of the Haven inhabitants still seem a little dull. However, putting this aside there's a lot to enjoy here, particularly in the Luthor sequences. As long as the human element of the story is continued and developed, this should be a JLA spin-off worth your time. (Review by Alasdair Stuart)
--- The comics reviewed should be available through finer retailers everywhere with the individual Diamond codes given (except for Marvel books, cause ya *cough* can't reorder them *cough*). A finer finer retailer in your area may be located at www.the-master-list.com --- ---
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