The Ettatorial for the Week of 6-24-09
The single biggest shipping week (at least from the big 2) in the last ten years, and I have to say, I’m impressed. Tons of books released, and they definitely put a dent into my wallet. And with all these new releases, there were a bunch of great books. After finally getting through them all, I narrowed my picks down to two. So without further ado, here we go.
First up this week is Detective Comics #854. Talked about for almost a year, with the mainstream media coverage deciding to focus on a minor aspect of it, the first issue of Detective Comics featuring Batwoman is finally here. So, was it worth all this attention and hype? Well, yes and no. I’ll touch on the no part first-the media’s focus and attention on the lead character’s sexuality is so out of touch, and missing the point, that their coverage seemed to conveniently forget the most important focus, that is, the fact that this was a superb comic. If the “mainstream” media had paid any attention to what was actually going in within these pages, they would have seen what has been an almost universally critically acclaimed comic looks like instead of seeing cheesy gay headlines for a slow news day. Now that that’s out of the way, let me just say that this comic is a true work of art. Greg Rucka does his usual terrific job on the script, giving us a strong female lead that is a believable woman rather than just a guy with boobs (though that is his strong suit, as Rucka’s females always seem to be better written than any by other authors-just seen Tara Chase, Rene Montoya, etc.). But where the book is truly elevated is by the masterful artwork of J.H. Williams III. Williams artwork has always been something to behold, from his work on Chase, to Promethea, to Desolation Jones, to 7 Soldiers of Victory, the man’s art has always been what even a non-comics fan would have to classify as “true” art. Masterful to every detail, with layouts that are so original, so thought provoking, that re-reading is almost necessary to take in all that is there, these are Williams trademarks. Combined with the color work done here (which actually bears mentioning for it’s adding to the effect on the story itself) by Dave Stewart, the art on this book alone is worth paying for. All this, and there’s a great second feature, part of DC’s co-feature bit on some of it’s titles, this one on the Question. A great idea, and nice in that while some of the co-features going on in other books are by creative teams different than the main feature, this one is by Mr. Rucka teaming with veteran Cully Hammer. This book is should be an example to the rest of the market, that if you put out a book this great, adding pages of actual content, that the increased price is worth it. I can’t highly recommend this one enough, go out and get it immediately if you haven’t already.
Second up this week is Astonishing X-Men #30. While I initially raved about the Ellis/Bianchi team on the title, it’s slow release schedule (which I understood due to Bianchi’s time consuming artwork) combined with what I felt was a bit of padding on the story itself made the book something I enjoyed, but had it missing the mark repeatedly for book of the week. Well, with this issue that’s no longer the case, as the creative team’s final issue of the story arc is very much worthy of your attention. The story itself actually gets to the heart of the matter and completes itself in the issue, and Ellis provides some memorable moments for most of the characters, with Hank McCoy/Beast really stealing the spotlight. What helped here was Bianchi’s artwork, because just like Detective Comics and J. H. Williams III, the art here stole the show. Bianchi’s European style art is gorgeous, and while he doesn’t come close to Williams, the layouts and pacing he provides are hands down some of the best in comics today. While I understand the next story arc is going to feature art by Phil Jimenez due to Marvel wanting the book back on a more reliable schedule, I’m going to miss Bianchi’s art and urge all of you to pick up a copy to have your chance at seeing it as well.
Well, there we have it folks, your picks for this week. I’ll see you back here next week, same time, same channel.
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