Crushing Krisis

Comic Books, Drag Race, & Life in New Zealand

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Crushing Comics includes definitive comic book guides, essays about characters and titles, collecting strategies, comic reviews, and more!

DC New 52 Review: Deathstroke #1

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Meet Deathstroke, AKA Slade Wilson, DC’s silver fox of a meta-human assassin. He’s DC’s answer to Marvel’s Bullseye – and maybe even Deathlok: an unflinching, unfailing assassin who can also mix it up hand to hand with his enhanced strength.

(Of course, Marvel shot back with Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, who started out as a legitimately entertaining anti-hero became one of the most profitable solo characters in comics.)

From Deathstroke’s preview it sounded like it would be a blood’n’guts title reliving the past glories of a popular 90s character.

Did I get it right? And, even if I did, is that such a bad thing?

Deathstroke #1

Written by Kyle Higgins, art by Joe Bennett & Art Thibert

Rating: 3 of 5 – Good

In a Line: “And sharpshooting. Everyone forgets I sharpshoot.”

#140char Review: Deathstroke #1 manages to inject some context & intrigue into anti-hero DS for new readers. A fun brisk ish w/a minor twist. Slightly >avg.

CK Says: Consider it.

Deathstroke’s re-debut eeks out on the plus side of average, with less blood and guts than promised (not a bad thing) and a little more thought-provocation than expected.

The story by Higgins takes a tact that not many of the 52 books have to this point, which is to tell a complete one-shot story in the debut issue. We travel from intro to a firm, bloody resolution in a single read, with a single plot thread dangling to carry us to the next issue.

I enjoyed the heavily inked artwork. Particularly, the age and gravitas of Slade’s unmasked face is consistent and effective, as opposed to the slick lines of him in costume. It supports the idea that Deathstroke isn’t being taken as seriously as an assassin anymore. Maybe it’s more of a young man’s game.

Deathstroke’s leet-speaking fanclub is annoying at first, but as the issue presses on they develop a bit of charm as his unwanted Greek chorus.

Despite being rather middle-of-the-road on the whole I find myself interested enough to want to read a second issue, mostly because of the smart twist at the close that reinforces a legitimate point of mystery (even if it is stolen from Tarantino).

DC New 52 Review: Batman & Robin #1

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Batman & Robin is DC’s most marquee book of the week.

I’m not well-versed enough in DC trivia to tell you what iteration of Robin we’re on, but I’m pretty certain it’s at least the fourth. The difference here is that this bean-pole sidekick is Bruce Wayne’s son.

How is the caped crusader as a dad? How does the pair hold up as the focus of a debut issue that doesn’t come with the hefty background the new Robin emerged from? Will any comic in the relaunch be better than Batgirl?

Batman & Robin #1

Written by Peter J. Thomasi, art by Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray

Rating: 2 of 5 – Uneven

In a Line: “No, father, but I’m sure you’re going to regale me with some obscure factoid.”

140char Review: Batman&Robin #1 focuses too much attention on petulant 10yr-old Robin, B’s son. He’s over-the-top. Not approps for kids, annoying for newbs.

CK Says: Consider it.

Why not “skip it” if I disliked the issue so much? Because this is one of those times when it’s clear that my opinion on comics has very little to do with the mainstream comic audience.

If you’ve been reading the Damien Wayne back-story to this point, this is likely a mildly amusing issue that hews pretty close to what you expected. Batman feels custodial, Robin is a loose canon, they take out some minor league thieves with a few mishaps along the way. The art was strong, sometimes excellent – well-proportioned and with great attention to shadowy detail on Batman to contrast him against Robin

As a new reader and non-Batfan, I found myself turned off every time Robin spoke. It’s not that I can’t suspend my disbelief that he’s a badass 10-year-old with a killer instinct. These are comic books, after all. It’s that he’s annoyingly one-note in every panel, even as Batman is as patronizingly doting as he’s ever been. Plus, so maudlin you feel like he might start hearing him hum a few bars of “Man in the Mirror” from beneath the cowl.

Adding to that a super extreme villain to bookend the plot does nothing to improve the book. What it could have used was some subtly, anywhere.

I feel like the tone might work for slightly younger readers (also hinted at by the cutesy logo treatment on the cover), but I didn’t get that vibe from the plot.

DC New 52 Review: Static Shock #1

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Static Shock is the week one hero I know the least about. He’s young, his suit lets him manipulate energy, and he’s recently transplanted to New York.

That’s all I’ve got.

What makes it interesting is that it’s one of DC’s relaunched titles with an artist listed as a co-writer. That always intrigues me, as it doesn’t happen so often in my familiar home of X-titles. Does it mean a true writer/artist needed a minor assist on script-polishing? Or, that an artist with a solid connection to the character did more chiming in than usual in their collaboration with a writer?

More to the point: what does it say about quality. The one single-creator book this week was a knockout, but the other writer/artist collab was drab. Which side of the spectrum will this one fall on?

Static Shock #1

Written by Scott McDaniel & John Rozum, art by Scottt McDaniel with Jonathan Glapion & LeBeau Underwood

Rating: 2.5 of 5 – Okay

In a Line: “Not to sound all Keanu, but ‘whoah.’ This is definitely the coolest thing I’ve seen all day.”

140char Review: Static Shock #1 was the only DC reboot that felt like a comic for kids, with a Spider-Man-esque teen hero, explosions, and evil bad guys. Ok

CK Says: Consider it.

Static Shock seems to be DC’s nearest analog to Spider-Man, thanks to his by-day geekery, teenage gumption, self-narration, and relocation to the actual city of New York instead of one of DC’s imaginary amalgamated places.

Does it work? Hero Virgil is charming enough. He comes off as much older in costume than out, and his quips aren’t Peter Parker witty. More interesting is that his in-costume confidence isn’t entirely founded. Unlike Spider-Man, who tends to luck into solutions, Static Shock is so sure of the science behind his powers that he doesn’t consider that he’ll decommission a bridge full of cars by using them. He’s a cocksure teenager who is clearly still a rookie, and there’s a lot of story to be played out there.

It seems like writers McDaniel and Rozum put a lot of thought into the mechanics of how his electrical powers work, but watching our hero explain them in detail as he chases down passive bubble of plasma isn’t the biggest thrill ride. However, that’s just half the issue, as a team of mysterious Power Ranger esque mercenaries are now on Static Shock’s tail. The pairing seems like it will yield interesting fodder; how will Virgil (who fled the scene of his co-worker being shot) deal with merciless killers? If the writers follow through on the shocking final panel we’re going to find out pretty soon!

As an artist McDaniel is strong on action, but his normal people look awkward. He mostly relies on a straight-lined approach that eschews curves on limbs and faces. It makes for solid costumed panels, but the visit to our hero at home looks like a mediocre Sunday comic strip. (And, what’s with the random appearance of a non-speaking Joker in the background of a scene with the villains? Intentional, or a coloring error?)

The element that distinguishes Static Shock is that it’s completely kid-appropriate. From the quick-moving action to the relatable hero, this is the first week one offering I’d hand over to a younger reader interested in comics.

DC New 52 Review: Green Arrow #1

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Green Arrow rounds out my first week of DC New 52 reviews – just in the nick of time, as I’ll be reading week two books in a matter of hours!

I don’t have much of a preamble about Green Arrow, which is maybe why I left him for last. I know he can be a bit angsty and I had his Kenner Super Friend toy. That’s about all I’ve got.

I have a bit more to say about the art on this book. Jurgens was the cornerstone of the 80s and 90s, penciling everything from Avengers to Superman. When I see his name I think of handsome, broad-shouldered heroes and their petite, curvy sidekicks and love interests. Here he’s inked by Perez, another Avengers alum, was the master of the team book, and the man behind Wonder Woman’s post-Crisis relaunch (which I own and adore).

This is about as cold as I can come into an long-established hero. Will this all new take on him be the perfect introduction, or was I better off not knowing a thing? And how will two old-school talents translate into a New 52 book?

Green Arrow #1

Written by J.T. Krul, art by Dan Jurgens & George Perez

Rating: 2.5 of 5 – Okay

140char Review: Green Arrow #1, Batman/Hawkeye model of a young/cocky xtreme hero on a narrowly interesting adventure. Felt 80s/90s, esp. w/Jurgens pencils.

CK Says: Consider it.

GA defeats a foe on the river Seine.

Green Arrow presents a cocksure hero who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty or bloody when necessary, which earns him enemies both in the villain department and from within his own Queen Industries.

Not much happens in this issue, strictly speaking, but you could never call it decompressed. Krul packs word balloons into every panel, providing a style of constantly narrating hero that the 2000’s have eschewed thus far. Yet, despite the retro writing, Green Arrow is a modern take-no-prisoners hero.

The issue’s art straddles the same old-but-new divide. The Jurgens/Perez team-up lends the issue a decidedly 80s rough-hewn look – except for on GA himself, who is drawn more crisply throughout. The effect makes him seem a bit more high-tech than his surroundings, even if he is a guy with a compound bow. Add to that a modern coloring job and the art has the same nouveau retro feel as the writing. Jurgens’ background shots of Paris are especially great.

Green Arrow is a fun single issue adventure – the kind that ought to be in the hands of every eight-year-old comic reader in the world. It feels a little skimpy coming off of some of the highs of week one, but it’s an effective and interesting issue that’s worth picking up for the throwback vibe.

DC New 52 Review: O.M.A.C #1

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In 1974 legendary comics auteur Jack Kirby was falling out of favor with DC’s editorial staff thanks to his far-ranging yet low-selling Fourth World saga.

Deposed from the universe he wanted to cultivate, Kirby created a new and more cynical hero inhabiting our near future. His name? One-Man Army Corps, or OMAC. OMAC was a man, a symbol, and later a cyborg who policed a world living in enforced pacifism, inheriting his powers (and commands) from an Orwellian all-seeing satellite named Brother Eye. He spends his debut rescuing a damsel in distress who turns out to be both an android and a bomb.

Sound weirdly dystopian enough for you?

DC has brought back OMAC for a few different rounds of encores over the years, but it was still a surprise to see the book on the slate of 52 for this month. Would it bring newly imagined? Kirby-eseque delights? And, if it did, would they be worth reading in the modern day?

O.M.A.C. #1

Written by Dan DiDio & Keith Giffen, art by Keith Giffen & Scott Koblish

Rating: 1 of 5 – Bad

In a Line: “Probably in there organizing toilet paper … or something.”

140char Review: OMAC #1’s inconsistent artwork ruins a simple story that could’ve packed a bit of punch. Like a bad free comic in a box of stale 90’s cereal.

Plot & Script

The DiDio/Giffen is plain and easy to read. It reminds me of the comics I’d read as a kid.

I suppose DiDio is an old-school writer in that way. His dialog is plain and declarative, and he’s not above using the occasional narration box to advise on the action (which is great, since the action is so incomprehensible).

Nods to existing continuity will tickle if you know your DC Kirby history, as everything we meet in the underground Cadmus lab is a love letter to older readers. However, if you aren’t ready for the barrage of old-time Easter eggs OMAC’s series of obstacles will surely fall flat.

The problem is that this fails as a compelling debut. We see OMAC clear a number of obstacles, but don’t really get to understand what his powers are. He doesn’t have a character when in OMAC form, so really the only personality we get is the obstinate commands of Brother Eye.

For a book that could easily be something you’d hand to a kid brother, I don’t understand why the scrip makes a point of having a the female lead say “ass” twice. Oh, and the issue’s title (“Office Management Amidst Chaos”) is kinda dumb.

Artwork

Art team Giffen and Koblish don’t have a gift for figures or for action, which leaves little to enjoy in this issue of terrible artwork.

Okay, maybe that’s not entirely fair. More accurately, Giffen’s wide, plaintive faces seem to be a deliberate homage to OMAC-creator Kirby, but the modern gradient coloring renders them a too-busy mess. His bodies are a mess of mismatched limbs, perspectives, and proportions that make no sense. He seems to have a specific problem with placing a limb that’s partially obscured by someone’s torso that seems to indicate a failure in the fundamentals of anatomy.

Oh, and all of his men look like they are wearing MC Hammer pants.

There’s no helping Giffen’s incomprehensible action, which unfurls like freeze-frames from a low-budget video game. Movement simply doesn’t track from panel to panel. OMAC seems to have the ability to materialize projectiles from thin air, similarly vanishing their debris afterward. Punches from OMAC might to have the power to dissolve entire bodies beneath them, which is the only explanation for the totally whacked perspective in those panels.

And OMAC himself? Does his hair omit electricity? He looks silly to begin with, and the inconsistent scale of his limbs to the trunk of his body just makes things worse. Is he squat with long-reaching arms, or limber with lean muscular legs? Are his fists really bigger than his head? Apparently, all of the above. Maybe he’s a shape-shifter. You would never know the different from the artwork in this book.

From a graphic design perspective, this is one of my favorite logos of the relaunch. I love the layering of the letters.

OMAC’s 1974 debut, scripted and drawn by Jack Kirby.

CK Says: Skip it!

O.M.A.C. is an embarrassing failure on all fronts, a condition only amplified by the fact that writer Dan DiDio is DC Comics’ co-publisher.

The issue is not even exciting enough to warrant calling it a fun comic for kids – nevermind the two gratuitous uses of the word “ass” making it inappropriate. A flat, barely-existent script could have been a fun bash with a flashy penciler, but the Kirby-imitating, wildly-inconsistent art places this issue just a step above a comic you’d get for free in your cereal box.

Let’s hope this is the worst book of all 52 re-launched by DC, because I’m not sure how much farther downhill a marquee debut comic can go from here.