New Wonder Woman. Also, Ex Machina, Catwoman, M.A.S.K., Storm Shadow, and Quantum & Woody.
Employee’s Pick
[DC] Catwoman Vol. 3 #25-30
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti
Ed Brubaker’s run on Catwoman lasted thirty-seven issues, but DC stopped collecting the series in trades after issue twenty-four, only picking back with Will Pfeifer’s run from issue fifty-three on. Why? I don’t know. Low sales, perhaps, or maybe because the later issues don’t fit in with the early stuff. If they were to continue from where they left off, it would be most logical to collect the next six issues, which focus largely on Catwoman’s battle with Philo Zeiss. After the beautiful Cameron Stewart art from the previous arc and the various cartoonish styles of the artists from the first twenty-four issues, the art takes a sharp turn toward realism and a nosedive in quality. It’s incredibly jarring and nearly kills the story. Suddenly, Slam Bradley is Robert Mitchum, Holly has grown her hair out, and ugliness and crude linework abounds. Only the coloring and the moody atmosphere it creates serve to keep the art in the Brubaker house style. Otherwise, it’s like looking at a completely different series.
Catwoman is home, but her home has changed since she left. Or rather, it’s as chaotic as when she left it, and no one’s checked that chaos so she has her work cut out for her. The Penguin and the mafia are moving in, which would be fine by Selina, except they aren’t playing by her unwritten rules. Selling dope to kids, killing innocent people. She sends a message by robbing them, and they respond by breaking a hired killer out of jail to sic on her. Philo Zeiss, named after the Carl Zeiss Corporation, makers of advanced binoculars, telescopes and such, has had his eyes surgically modified to work in conjunction with a pair of high-tech goggles, allowing him to see his opponents’ moves in slow motion and react with superhuman quickness. He nearly beat Batman once, and now he’s after Selina.
Zeiss arranges for some clown-themed gang to kidnap a little girl in the East End, drawing Catwoman out so he can study her. When Slam gets in the way, Zeiss stabs him. Batman warns Selina that Zeiss is one bad mofo, but she figures she can take him. She’s wrong. After a series of poor decisions get all her friends mad at her, Selina runs into Zeiss, who beats her nigh to death. She’s only saved by the timely intervention of those mysterious Egyptian cultists who’ve been following her since the last storyline. Apparently, they consider Zeiss an enemy as well. After stabbing him, they spirit Selina away, and that’s the end of that.
It’s fairly unsatisfying. I like to see the hero lose now and again, but the running theme in this series is that any victory Selina has is fleeting, soon to be followed by a greater loss. It’s remarkable that Brubaker manages to keep that from being relentlessly depressing. His supporting cast is a big part of that; who could be depressed with Holly around? The art, in some issues, also helped. Here, the art hinders, and it’s a major plot point that Selina is being a bit of a jerk to her friends, albeit without meaning to. It’s a good enough story, overall, but I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for it.
New-Type Books
[DC] Wonder Woman Vol. 3 #19
Writer: Gail Simone
Penciler: Bernard Chang
Click to enlarge.
The cover asks, "Why is Wonder Woman helping the Khund?" Well, if you read last issue, you already know the answer: because Wondy is made of win and love and forgiveness. And beating up Green Lanterns. All the misgivings I had last issue are washed away here, save one. There’s still a peculiar disconnect between the writing and art, most notably in a scene where Diana says the Lantern’s will is "faltering" and his constructs are becoming "less formed, with fewer details." As she says this, the artist shows us the opposite: a clearly formed construct with as many unnecessary details as the ones he made earlier, before his will "faltered." I guess it’s kinda less detailed, after staring at it for several minutes and carefully comparing it to the other constructs. At any rate, it threw me out of the story and I don’t think it was conveyed well. That’s my most serious complaint about this issue, though, which as a whole kicked all kinds of ass. Next issue, new regular artist Aaron Lopresti takes over as Wondy returns from her happily brief space adventure.
[DC] Ex Machina #34
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciler: Tony Harris
Though it doesn’t advance the plot one iota, this issue is even more enjoyable than the last. It’s a restrospective of Police Commissioner Amy Angotti’s life, from playing cops and robbers as a kid to handing out jaywalking tickets to butting heads with vigilante The Great Machine (aka Mitchell Hundred) to working with now-Mayor Hundred and coordinating the entire New York City police force. It works well as a standalone tale and even better as a treat for longtime readers, who haven’t seen enough of this supporting character. There are probably too many inside jokes and references to seriously recommend this as a jumping on point, but if you haven’t read the series before and don’t want to buy a trade, you could do worse for first issues.
Back Issues
[Devil’s Due] Storm Shadow #1
Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Mark Robinson
I’m not sure what’s going on here. Storm Shadow, from G. I. Joe, has befriended a young girl who may or may not be his niece. Said girl is kidnapped by a group wanting information from Stormy, who goes out of his way to look like Bruce Lee throughout the issue. The writing’s decent; I’m not sure this story is going anywhere, but I’m not sure it isn’t. The art, however, is hideous, and sloppy editing allows more than a couple typos through. It’s an amateurish effort that is in no way worth the $3.50 cover price.
[DC] M.A.S.K. #8
Writer: Michael Fleisher
Penciler: Curt Swan
Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. One of the greatest toylines of all time. That greatness didn’t carry over to the comic, which is only of interest as a curio. After starting an avala- I mean, conveniently being in the area when an avalanche threatens some mountain climbers, M.A.S.K. operative Matt Trakker takes his son out for a day on the beach. Because superheroes are a magnet for trouble, their day off is interrupted not once, but thrice, first by a boat fire. Matt flies off in his underwear- I mean swim trunks, to save the day, while the rest of M.A.S.K. keep busy by washing their cars. Then, Matt makes the mistake of buying a round of hot dogs. The hot dog vendor just happens to have a shortwave radio, which he feels inclined to show off, resulting in Matt overhearing a distress call from an airplane. One flying-off-to-save-the-day later… Sand castle time! Yay!
Wha? Oh no! V.E.N.O.M., the evil terrorist organization that is in no way meant to resemble COBRA, is ripping off a convoy of armored cars. M.A.S.K. rushes off to the rescue and foils the baddies, but one of them gets away with two million bucks. Cue Matt, who apparently can’t trust his entire team to handle one thug without him. The rest of M.A.S.K. goes back to base, and Matt flies off, still in his briefs, to run Cliff Dagger off the road. Curt Swan’s pencils keep it from being a total loss, but this is one licensed comic that doesn’t exceed expectations.
Trade
[Acclaim] Quantum & Woody Vol. 2: Kiss Your Ass Goodbye
Writer: Christopher Priest
Penciler: M.D. Bright
Because you can never have enough Quantum & Woody. KYAG collects the fifth through eighth issues of the series, chronicling the discovery of their energy projection abilities, the return of a foe (or friend?) thought dead, and other adventures. Quantum dreams about how his life "should" be, then sets about realizing his dream as best he can. That means he becomes a hero, and, when Woody disappears, it must be the work of a villain. Quantum sets out to find David Warrant, the scientist he believes responsible both for his and Woody’s fathers’ deaths and the lab accident that gave the duo their powers. When he finds him, it’s only by reconstituting his energy form by activating a second pair of control bands like those that Quantum and Woody possess. Warrant, bewildered, has clearly not been in any shape to kidnap Woody, who turns out to have not been missing after all, yet Quantum persists in accusing him of all manner of villainy. It’s sad that someone so brilliant can be so determined to see what he wants that he ignores the truth.
KYAG refers to the final story of this trade, specifically to a car bomb placed in a tunnel full of innocents by terrorists. If the dysfunctional duo can’t stop the bomb from going off, everyone in the vicinity can kiss their asses goodbye. Quantum leaps into action while Woody argues against going at all, then takes his sweet time getting into costume, earning him a biting lecture from his partner. Not wanting to be the useless layabout Quantum thinks he is, Woody cranks it up a notch, and almost dies proving himself. In addition to four issues of the comic, this trade includes concept sketches by M.D. Bright, giving the reader a look at the evolution of the characters’ looks. It’s a great value if you can find it, with its $8 cover price, but as with anything by Acclaim it’s long since gone out of print.
Truncation
Catwoman – Sharp dropoff in quality from the last arc, mostly in the art. Still better than anything Jim Balent can do.
Wonder Woman – Quite possibly my favorite issue of Simone’s run yet, and that’s saying something.
Ex Machina – An especially good issue of a great series.
Storm Shadow – Ugly, sloppy, and gives no clear reason to care about it.
M.A.S.K. – About what you’d expect from a toy commercial. Curt Swan is wasted on it.
Quantum & Woody – Good as it ever was.
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