Quickies!

It’s last week’s funnybooks today! (Plus a few extras.) And all reviewed in 30 words or less!

Neonomicon #1 (of 4)
by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows

This book felt like Alan Moore sloppily tossing Lovecraft references at a script. Then the phrase “literary in-joke” was used, and I realized there might be something more to it…

Grade: B+


Casanova #2
by Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba

Collecting issues two and three of the original. Not as plot-dense as last time, but with many nice little touches I’d forgotten. The color work seems more assured, as well.

Grade: A


Supergod #4

by Warren Ellis and Garrie Gastonny

Not as many amazing new science super-powers or fascinating insights into the supergod mindset. But Ellis delivers on some of the best super-fighting I’ve seen in quite a while.

Grade: A-


The Boys #45
by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun

Annie reveals her secret, Hughie loses it, and Homelander starts playing politics with Vought’s plans for world domination. I’ve never been more excited about this book.

Grade: A


Secret Warriors #18
by Jonathan Hickman and Alessandro Vitti

Fury’s attack on Hydra’s Chinese base went well. But if that’s the case… Who took out the Howling Commandos? More sharp super-spy action.

Grade: B+
 
 
Sweet Tooth #12
by Jeff Lemire
 
A nice silent issue, with a running commentary from Dr. Singh that fills in some gaps in the history of the plague. Lemire continues to experiment, and impress.

Grade: A-
 
 
Sparta USA #6 (of 6)
by David Lapham and Johnny Timmons
 
The finale was better than the super-rushed run-up to it, but still. This was a whimper of an ending for what should have been an epic.

Grade: C
 
 
iZombie #4
by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred
 
A pretty good issue, overall. It avoids the “cute” trap last issue fell into, but Allred’s art looks a bit rushed. Sigh. iZombie just can’t win with me…

Grade: B
 
 
Action Comics #890 & 891
by Paul Cornell and Pete Woods
 
(I'll be breaking the 30-word limit for this one, because I’ve got too much to say…)
 
I tried the first two issues of Paul Cornell’s Action Comics run primarily because it stars Lex Luthor. That’s right. Luthor finally gets to star in Action Comics after all these years, and… It’s only OK. I liked the first issue quite a bit. I could do without the Blackest Night tie-in stuff about Luthor being Orange-Lantern-addled, and thus less able to control his impetuous greed. Regular old Lex would be more interesting to me, I think. But there’s a lot to like in that first issue. Luthor is almost heroic in his arrogance at times, and the twist of Lois Lane [SPOILER] seeming to be Lex’s girlfriend, but really turning out to be a robot [/SPOILER] was good stuff.

Then we get to the second issue, and it all descends into “cute.” I can handle Mr. Mind as the villain (that’s actually a pretty brilliant enemy for Lex). But the situations swiftly descend into silliness, and the script’s not clever enough to pull that off without making me cringe a little. By the time we get to the Bride of Frankenstein riff, I’ve had enough, and the Western motif that follows it is even worse.

Pete Woods’ art is nice, at least. His sort of “Kevin Mcguire lite” style is pleasing to my eye. But unfortunately, the story did me in. So I’m done here. No more for me.

Grade: C
 
 
Thor: The Mighty Avenger #2
by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee
 
Now, here’s a book that does “cute” right. Langridge manages to keep his action light, but his characters real, and that makes all the difference. Great all-ages funnybooks, right here!

Grade: B+
 
 
Buzzard #2 (of 3)
by Eric Powell
 
Nothing cute here. Powell’s art gets kinda sketchy in places this issue, but there’s enough misshapen freaks and evil snake handlers around that I don’t rightly care. Empty, but good.

Grade: B+
 
 
RASL #8
by Jeff Smith
 
Another great weird-ass issue, as Our Hero meets God. Smith’s in top form on this book.

Grade: A
 
 
Glamourpuss #14
by Dave Sim
 
Sim sharply depicts the last day of Alex Raymond’s life this issue, but the Glamourpuss segment (a distinctly unfunny parody of Facebook) kills it for me.
 
Comics History Grade: A
Comedy Grade: D