May 252009
New Mutants #1: I missed this issue two weeks ago while I was busy getting ready for finals, never thinking it would be sold out all over Austin. Luckily, in Erie I was able to get the variant cover (unluckily, at a substantially higher cost) and (back to luckily) was thrilled that the story of my beloved mutants was in capable hands. Sam is just a goofy and amiable as ever, Roberto is just as cocky; however, the women suffer from a sort of “one voice” lack of characterization. I was unable to distinguish Shan from Dani from Amara. Illyana had a stilted, contractionless formality to her words, but if you, Dear Reader, can think of a positive spin on “stilted”, I’d love to hear it. Words aside, the story jumps right in and keeps paddling all the way to the end of the issue. Seeing Sam and ‘Berto stick up for Illyana against the EXiles took me back to the original team’s bonds and adventures. Great start to the series! B+
Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1: This issue requires a full-on essay to properly spelunk the depths of its awfulness. Coming soon to a CPB.com near you! F
Uncanny X-Men #510: I swear UX-M is coming out faster and faster these days. It cannot have been a month since I got #509, yet here’s #510 in my hands. It can’t be an illusion because Greg Land’s boobtastic tracings are all over cover and I can guarantee you I don’t dream of four-color breaticles. I have to hand it to Matt Fraction this month. He’s really starting to pull his moments together, making them tighter and more integral to plot… well, “fight scenes”, and at the same time driving the story forward. So, props to him. Let’s hope he continues and starts to draw in better “at home” moments for our favorite mutants. They can’t fight all the time (nor party), so when an “X-Family” story comes around… OH! Pixie has got to stop enchanting Sihal Novarum Chinoth or every time she appears/disappears. It’s distracting and odd, to say the least, and never properly framed. She does, however, do an excellent Wolverine impersonation. A-
The Trial of Sherlock Holmes #1: I haven’t read a Sherlock Holmes story since I was a sophomore in college, and even though I was just in Weird City Theatre‘s production of William Gilette’s Sherlock Holmes, I’m not really qualified to say what makes a good Victorian mystery story. But, hey, has that ever stopped me before? Sherlock Holmes is a classic butt-head. He has a smart (and usually correct) answer for everything and explains himself only when it’s means he can call someone an idiot. Moore and Reppion’s Holmes is a bit more mellow than that, if only to make his plight at the end of the issue more sympathetic. I personally would have liked to see him fall from a considerably higher height. Tragedy is judged solely on the loudness of the splat at the end, and while we can feel fear for the plummeting character, feeling bad for him is like a fireman’s blanket a few feet above street level. A-
The Complete Dracula: Dracula is Dracula, so the story isn’t all that surprising (one would hope). What is surprising is the care with which Moore and Reppion pace the story. This isn’t Comics Classics Illustrated! There are no leaps and jumps, no inexplicable expurgations, no “one panel explains all” condensations. In brief, this is not a summary, but an actual well-told story. Colton Worley’s photo-realistic art adds to the moodiness of the book. Excellent job! A+
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