As I read Batman Odyssey #1, the first word that came to mind was “goofy.” Neal Adams draws and especially writes a goofy Batman. It was funny then to go to CBR and read the opening sentences of their review: “In the early 1970s, Neal Adams helped redefine the look of Batman…His strong anatomical skills and ability at depicting action helped move the character from the campy, goofy looking Batman into something a little more mature…”

This issue seems like a joke. A parody where Batman makes stupid mistakes and looks like David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider (further enhanced by his car looking like KITT). This is not a Batman I like, though by the final panels I found myself feeling just enough curiosity to warrant a purchase of #2. But we’ll see. -Scott

Batman Odyssey #1

Bretzke said it best when he said that Daytripper “belongs to the generations.” This is talent. This is pain. This is dreams. This is death. -Scott

Daytripper #9

X-Factor #208

You can tell when a book is well written, the dialogue just sings off the page.  All the interactions between the characters are effortless and there is an innate sense of worth and value in each flick of paper.  That’s what X-Factor delivers.

The book opens with tension and closes with the same.  The part in between is seeded with questioning and self loathing in a way that can only be channelled through the mutants of Marvel.  If you are liking the detective novel medium then this will provide all necessary joys.  If you are coming from the bent of loving mutants and their powers, you will also be satisfied with what is to be found between the covers, however do not go in expecting the delivery of powers like other stories in the X franchise deliver.  This is a subtle book, like a british comedy; more sizzle than zip.

To go into the particulars of the story would be to reveal too much.  Additionally this is likely not the best issue to step in on, there is a lot of “Previously, In X-Factor…” to wade through to grasp the story.  This leaves us in an interesting position.  If you are already reading this book, you know it’s awesome.  If you want to join in, it’s a steep learning curve and you’re likely best waiting until there’ s a bit more space to learn.  Catch 22 wishes they had it this good.  The philosophical view point, not the ska band.

X-Factor delivers! And hey, it’s a book about a mutant detective agency.  What’s not to like? -Bretzke

X-Men Forever 2 #6

This just keeps getting better and better.

Ok it’s camp as all get out but if you’re after that kind of comic, this is exactly the kind of book you’ll need.  There’s plenty of glitz and dazzle in this action packed adventure about the youngest Summers boy.  Even Sabretooth gets in on the act!

Perhaps earlier analysis was too harsh of this title, perhaps it just needed to develop some steam.  Either way, for me, this one is creeping further and further away from the precipice.

I was talking with my comic dealer about writers that need to retire.  I had suggested Claremont due to his earlier run on X-Men Forever, but my retailer explained that Claremont had tenure in the writers gallery.  I think I can see why now. -Bretzke

Madame Xanadu #26

Lets call it “Madame Xanadu; The Wandering Years” or some such similar title.  It appears that for the next few issues at least, Ms X is going to be the itinerant mystic, occasionally appearing in her own title.

From #24 onwards, the title has been a series of single stories about individuals of New York with mystical occurrences in their lives that need some desperate sorting.  The occurrences that is, not the people.  This has given the book a bespeckled feel with many different artists trying their own brush at the Xanadu flair.  I’m all for experimentation, but sometimes you have to stick with the formula that works.  For me this mish-mash of artistic styles is horribly distracting from the core essence of what Xanadu is: a jolly good yarn.

The stories themselves have been fantastic, this one is no exception.  To my mind though, the illustrative style is far too close to many children’s storybooks I’ve seen.  Yes it’s deliberate, but I think it takes away from the gravity of the story.  Maus can get away with a simplistic style due to the immensity of the material.  This cannot.

Artistic quibbles aside, this title is still a lock for me.  Stick with it through the Wandering age, I’m sure another peaked battle is on it’s way. -Bretzke.

Kill Shakespeare #1

Ignore the title.  I implore you, just look beyond the B grade, sepia-toned abomination that you’re creating from your catalogue of 1950′s pulp experiences.  To do so would be to disservice this magnificent title.

The premise is simple; take a story we all know well and expand it into a new area.  This can be done woefully bad, look no further than any number of TV to Movie conversions, some things are not meant to be expanded.  This is not the case.

We are asked to look at Hamlet and extend his tale of pain beyond the final pages that Shakespeare penned, to look at the aftermath of his deeds, to the suffering he faced and where his pain will take him.  The story does go a little meta towards the end, but it’s in service of a greater thing; a wonderful narrative.  I cannot do justice to what this book is trying to do in a few sentences.  Think if Mignola had been asked to draw a bede’ comic about a fallen king, written by the spawn of the great Bard himself.

The art is stunning, switching from simple, plain and poignant exchanges to lavish expanses similar to what we have experienced in the works of Tintin and Asterix, from Bede to standard comic and back again, this book is a feast for the eyes.

Forgive the very minor errors, make the jump and suspend your disbelief, this is a great book. -Bretzke

Black Widow #5

You know those kinds of movies, the entire plot seems to be about how everything is going wrong for the main character.  Ass kickings are abundant, resources are lost and friends are going missing (see where I’m going with this..), but at the end, the tables are turned and the playing field even again.  Those movies, so well crafted, are a piece of cinematic gold.

Black Widow #5 is trying to do that, trying really hard, and almost gets there.  Almost.  Just a little missing around the edges to perfectly tie everything up.  Were this just a 5 issue series, it’d be a fair and just end, but as this is an ongoing periodical, the expectation is higher.  There are things in there that could come back, continuity wise.

The artwork is in the same half-rendered format which gives the action sequences a nice zip but overall appears unfinished.  It’s personal taste but I like harder edges to the things I’m trying to discern.

Issue 5 brings to an end the ‘origins’ story it was trying to craft quite nicely.  Now it’s down to the meat and potatoes of this title.  With so much knowledge locked underneath those scarlet tresses, one wonders who will be the next target.  Please not Cap or Iron Man, they just got back from long bouts on the side lines. -Bretzke

Invincible #74

Sure the costumes belong in something from the ’90′s and its yet another intergalactic war, but there’s something about Kirkman’s writing that makes it all personal.

Think about a Spielberg film, no matter what kind of subject matter he’s covering, he always manages to highlight and explore the human element, the single perspective from which this event will be explored.  Same thing here with Invincible.  It’d be easy to take this on like a Star Wars story and tell a tale of woe for galactic civilizations, a rich history dotted with conflicts, empires grinding against one another.

But this story, this instance of brilliance, is really about a father and his two sons.  The elder, the leader, and the younger, still learning the ropes as to how to be a hero.  The art is at it’s usual excellent level and the action sequences are fast paced and well laid out.

My only complaint is that it took so long for #74 to come out.  No more delays please. -Bretzke

Avengers Academy #3, "Boyfriend in a Coma".

Somehow the secondary title reminds me of a song R.E.M. would sing.  I can imagine Michael Stipe flailing around crooning about unrequited, unconscious love.  Anyway…

School is getting serious with guest lecturers and field trips.  As an exercise in educational analysis this is amusing as any school doing the things that this one does would be immediately shut down, but the fun of comics I guess.  Pay particular attention to Valkyrie giving the female students a talk on “women’s issues”.  Chuckle worthy.

A field trip to the Raft has unexpected consequences.  Actually, you fully expect them, that’s what reading a piece of fiction is all about; guessing what’s going to happen next.  Though what occurs isn’t exactly what one would expect of a series of renegade almost criminals.

Or maybe it is… -Bretzke

Edit: Be sure to check out the alternative cover, it may be to your liking.

DV8: Gods and Monsters #5.

In any series of 8, you’d hope that by issue 5 we’re through with the ground work and lining up on some kind of climatic conclusion.  Last time I checked 5 was only 3 away from 8, that’s if this “New Math” is still holding true.  I’m pretty sure it is.

Only at the end of 5 do we feel like we’re getting somewhere.  Read that again, the end of 5.  That’s 3 issues to get this thing done and dusted.  I’m all for a long introduction when it’s a long walk to come.  I don’t mind talking about the niceties of life for 3 hours as long as I know I don’t have to be somewhere in the next 10 minutes.  Spending 5 issues introducing characters makes for a very backwards runway; it’s all coasting and no takeoff.

In this issue another two characters are made real through the interrogation of our protagonist.  It’s brilliantly crafted, visually stunning and very well written.  But we knew this.

It’s hard to appreciate something like this with so little time left.  Imagine doing the Lord of the Rings movies in a 90 minute slot.  That’s the kind of pressure we’re talking about. -Bretzke