Almost as Good

While ALL STAR SUPERMAN pretty well takes up our whole hearts, there were some other damn fine comics his week.

FANTATIC FOUR/IRON MAN: BIG IN JAPAN #2 was about as good an FF book as there is right now, for my money. Giant monsters and over-the-top superhero action, drawn by one of the most under-rated artists out there. Anytime a kaiju mistakes Iron man for Ultraman, and then makes him a giant sandwich, that's okay by me. I dunno where this Zeb Wells guy came from, but I've really enjoyed everything that I've read by him. His take on the New Warriors was really funny, and this book is just great. Of course, Seth Fisher doesn't hurt things. When the Thing starts to control an antique Giant Robot, it's hard not to smile, and Reed Richards using the trachea of a sea monster to call out in the "Ancient Toungue" is classic. And for those who judge a book by how hot the women are drawn, Fisher's pouty-lipped Sue Storm is pretty darned cute. This is my favorite FF book since Simonson. That's saying something.

The story of "Clyde Fans" continues in PALOOKAVILLE 18, and the plot, as they say, thickens. This will no doubt read betterin one long book, as opposed to annual installments, but I personally think that Seth gets better with age, and it's nice to see the story get more involving with each issue. Almost worth picking up just for the design- these comics are turning into little deco art objects or something...

RUNAWAYS continues to be a really satisfying read, and CRAVAN was a lot of fun. Any week with a Rick Geary book is a good week.

Man, what a fun trip to the comic shop. It's week like this where being a comic fan makes me all giddy and happy.

I'm sure I'll be back to staring into the Void next week, though....

Uh oh! What's this I see?

SEP051682D AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS VOL 2 #2
AUG050264D EX MACHINA #16
SEP050260D SEVEN SOLDIERS FRANKENSTEIN #1 (OF 4)
AUG050234D SEVEN SOLDIERS ZATANNA #4 (OF 4)

Yay next week! Life is okay for another seven days or so!

-a

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

1. A rescue mission... TO THE SUN. No fucking around here.

2. A new power that is visaully striking, and just downright cool.

3. Blowing a monster into the sun... BY LOOKING AT IT WITH SUPERCRAZY VISION.

4. A four panel origin that sums up the tragedy of Superman like a brilliant haiku

5. The two panel spread of Superman flying around the sun- look at his expression.... does he know he's doomed? He looks like a man ready to die to save just one life... but there's no extended internal monologue explaining everything to us.... just a subtle bit of drawing around the eyes.

6. "Death. Courtesy of Lex Luthor!" When was the last time Luthor was actually scary?

7. Jimmy Olsen has a super-watch and a Jetpack. No six-issue miniseries explaining where they came from, it just simply, awesomely is the way it is.

8. No long winded crap about how much Lois loves Superman. Just a guy who's jealous, and that says it all. She has so much faith in the Big Guy that she writes the headline before she knows anything for sure...

9. The Daily Planet rises above everything else on a serene, sunny day. It's apparently the last bastion of integrity, about to take down an evil man, despite the world against them.


10. Luthor's anger as he stares down a high ranking general. Chilling.

11. "Only NOTHING is impossible..."

12. Superman pushing a testing machine so hard that the whole array comes unbolted.... quietly, in the background.

13. The tour of Quintum's lab... science fiction at it's most insane and lovely.

14. Quintum and his his partner... what strange, vivid supporting characters. Not just scientists in labcoats this time, no sir....

15. "There's ALWAYS a way." Isn't that kinda the point of it all?

16. Superman's determination in his profile, as he looks ahead to death, brave as ever.

17. He saves a boy and his dog. We don't even see it... does anyone? Does it matter?

18. Clark fumbling in a sequence straight out of a Windsor McKay strip. Classic.

19. Clark saves someone. Again, it's not even in the foreground... but he saves everyone he can.

20. Of course the last page; more subtletly and power in showing a dropped basket of fruit than any other version of this scene I've ever read. Superman's sincerity and a quiet sense of importance in what he has to do.

21. Lois is capable and self-confident, but not annoying or obnoxious. Superman is the strong, quiet, likable, and inspiring. Perry White is the kind of editor we wish all newspapers had, and Lex Luthor is genuinely creepy and dangerous. Clark is pigeon-toed.

This is all in one issue. Four plus Superman book a month for the past ten years, and not all of them combined have summed up what is amazing about this character the way this One Comic Book has.

It's pretty okay.

How Awesome Was It?

Awesome enough for me to spend some time updating an old ugly wallpaper collage I made. Awesome enough for this collection of awesome to go, "Holy crap! That was awesomer than us!" Awesome enough for me to be willing to screw up the look of our site for another week or two.

MY HEART BEATS FAST

Okay.

Superman is back now.

And not the one that has extended domestic conversations with his wiife and bores us all to tears.

SUPERMAN IS BACK!

The real one, the one that saves everyone, all the time, and lives in a world of super science and amazing nonsense and can bench press a quintillion tons. He can do things we can't even desribe in words, and this is the Superman that made the world love superheroes. This is the man from Krypton that came from the sky to do only good and protect us from evils we can't imagine... He loves the most beautiful reporter in the Biggest city, and his best friend has a jetpack. He always saves the day, even when we have no idea how he's gonna do it....

This is the MAN OF STEEL, and I don't know where he's been, but he's back....

SUPERMAN IS BACK!!!!

A Day That Shall Live in Famy

Yes, "famy," the opposite of "infamy." Today is the day All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely comes out. Two brilliant, attractive men working on the world's most famous superhero. Finally. Almost total creative freedom. I'm sweating, I can't wait. I want this school day over with. If I could, I'd send my kids home early, or take them on a field trip to Rocketship. Oh, god.

Oh, man.

This is going to be so awesome. I was less excited about losing my virginity than this. And both instances carry a high probability of early jizzing. Oh, man. How can anyone stand it?

I bet Alex already read it, that jerk. That bastard. You with your comic shop and reading things when they come out. I hate you. I hate you for having something I want a few hours before I have it.

I don't hate you anymore. I love you. You supply me with greatness. A direct line to Morriso-Quitelian genius book. Oh, yes.

Here it comes.