op/ed: eye-cee-vee-what now? why discussions about sales figures are making us dumberer

There's an old episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun where John Lithgow's character decides he needs to be more mainstream and less eccentric.  His plan essentially is to lose any shred of individuality he possesses in an attempt to fit in.  This leads to him doing things like praising a movie by noting it is "the #1 movie in America", much to the chagrin of his date, who wants to actually discuss the quality of the flick they've just seen.  Lithgow's dilemma is an old one - we all want to "fit in", even those of us who claim we don't - and at times we can let that desire cloud our judgment.  It really shouldn't matter to Lithgow how well a movie is doing at the box office - what's important is whether *he* liked it.  In attempting to fit in, he's allowing other people to tell him what to think.

It seems to me that more and more of the discussion of comics - particularly the DC and Marvel superhero lines - is dominated by discussions of what sells and what doesn't.  Threads over the "month-to-month" analyses proffered at The Beat every month seem to be among the most heated around, as armchair pundits draw all sorts of conclusions about what sells and what doesn't, what's going to be cancelled, what creative team needs to be changed, and whatnot.  That's bad enough, but lately that discussion seems to bleed into substantive discussions of the books as well.  How many discussions of the merits of Ultimates 3 have been derailed with "well it sells a ton, so suck it haterz!"?

Most of those kinds of statements are made by total hypocrites, of course.  People use sales figures to support their pre-existing biases.  If they like a particular series, high sales are "proof" that the book is good.  But when an internet-favorite series sells poorly, or someone's pet publisher drops in market share, the sales figures are suddenly irrelevant, and we're offered the nugget that "sales do not equal quality", as if that is news in a world where the Spice Girls made gazillions of dollars.

The increasing focus on sales figures wouldn't be nearly as appalling if the discussion was particularly intelligent.  But it's not.  In fact it's VERY dumb and getting dumber by the minute.  First - let's establish a few key points.

1.  The figures posted online are WRONG.  Every single month - they're wrong.  And not just in the "add 10-15% to every book and you'll get the real number" kind of wrong.  Wrong as in Dead.  Frickin.  Wrong.

The stuff online is released through Diamond.  It covers ONLY sales to the direct market.  The direct market is a significant part of the comic industry, but it is not the whole industry.  There are numerous other outlets - and sometimes they reflect the same trends as the direct market, and sometimes they do not.  Gears of War #1 reportedly had a higher print run than either Secret Invasion #1 or Final Crisis #1 - but you'd never know it from looking at Diamond's figures.  Archie actually does publish its sales figures, and almost all of its books are selling in the neighborhood of 100,000 per issue - numbers DC and Marvel consider huge successes.  But they're selling in places other than your LCS.

2.  The estimates online reflect sales to *retailers*, not customers.  When a series drops by a few thousand copies, that does not mean it has "shed readers".  It means retailers ordered fewer copies than of previous issues.  Now, one reason for that MIGHT be that the book is losing readers, but another, equally likely, reason is that retailers simply overestimated demand for previous issues and are now correcting.  Likewise, discussion that sales for Buxom Lass #342 must have been higher than #341 because "readers really responded well to that issue" is asinine and stupid - the orders were placed, and the figures set, long before any reader anywhere had read the issue.

3.  One cannot draw conclusions about the financial health or weakness of a company based on sales figures OR market share.  The market is not the same size every month.  It grows some months and shrinks in others.  Would you rather have 40% of a 150,000 market, or 45% of a 120,000 market?  I'll take the former, thanks.

In order to determine whether a company is making money, you have to know how much revenue it's taking in, AND how much it's spending.  Even if one assumes for the sake of argument that we know how much revenue an issue generates (which we don't) - we have NO information about cost structures and such.  Nor do we need that info, and frankly it's no one's business except the publisher and its shareholders.  Thus the profit calculation is impossible to perform.  People who make proclamations about this company or that company losing money have no clue what they're talking about, and deserve to be mocked mercilessly.

To some extent it's human nature to draw comfort from the fact that something you like is selling well.  It's validation of a sort, I suppose, to know that others agree with you that something is good.  It's also comforting to know that the thing you like will probably continue to exist, if a market is shown to exist for it.  But all the publisher-centric discussion - "YES!  47% market share for Marvel!  Take THAT, DC!", or vice-versa, is idiotic.  It's.  Not.  A.  Race.

And just to add a little historical perspective - Marvel was outselling DC at the time it went into bankruptcy.  Take that in for a moment.  Marvel as a company *failed* while it was #1.  DC at #2, and Image at #3, were both healthier than Marvel at a time when Marvel outsold them both.  Crossgen's market share was significantly higher than, say, Avatar's or Ait/ PlanetLar's - yet CG is gone and the others are still around.  Isn't it just possible that there's more to it than just capturing market share?

Further, I'm a big believer that speculation about unhealthy books exacerbates their peril and hastens their demise.  People don't jump onto titles they think are about to get cancelled.  DC and Marvel have always waited until the last minute to announce cancellations, because they know that as soon as they do, sales will drop.  There are decades worth of empirical evidence on this point.  If you enjoy a book, buy it and pimp it - but when you embark on a "save X" campaign, you're just highlighting than X needs saving, and that will run people off, not bring them in.  

But at the end of the day, for the luvva God can we just talk about whether books are good or bad or indifferent or whatever rather than viewing everything through the lens of inaccurate and widely misunderstood statistics?  One of the best books I read this year was The Highwaymen from Wildstorm.  It sold like (apparently) cherry-flavored herpes.  I don't care.  I liked it.  It has a permanent spot on my bookshelf.  Don't bother me with talk of marketing strategies or sales figures, because I just don't care.  I'll buy what I like, you buy what you like, and let's let the market take care of the rest.

Oh, and internets - stop discussing sales figures unless you actually understand what they mean and what they don't mean.  Thanks.

queen & country definitive edition vol. 3

by Greg Rucka, Mike Norton & Chris Samnee

collects Queen & Country # 25-32 and the Q&C Scriptbook

the premise:  Tara Chase is promoted to Minder One at a time when she's beginning to unravel personally, causing her superiors to (rightfully) question her fitness for duty.

the lowdown:  So this is the volume when everything pretty much goes to hell for Tara.  It opens with a rare (for this series) one-issue story illustrated by Steve Rolston, wherein Tara takes a vacation.  That's the only break she gets in this volume, as she's tossed into two horrendous missions gone wrong, leaving her at the brink of mental and physical collapse.

A few twists this time around - the first Q&C novel, A Gentleman's Game, slots nicely in between the two arcs presented here.  The novel is really required reading if you want to "get" the Red Panda arc.  I liked AGG, so it's not a big deal to me, but I could see it being off-putting to some.  Second, the volume is filled out by the Q&C Scriptbook.  That's probably cool with process junkies, but I am not among their number.  Not a big deal, but be aware you're not getting quite as meaty a package here as with the first two volumes.

Norton and Samnee both do excellent work on the art, although I do think the rotating artists have caused something of a conceptual problem on this book.  Specifically Tara seems to go from being very attractive to not so much and back pretty often.  It's not really a minor detail, and has implications for her characterization, particularly the sexual aspect of her character, so it'd be nice if her look was more consistent.  Minor quibble, though- the art's solid.

the verdict:  These are both really good arcs, although as noted you really need to read the first novel along with them.  Recommended.

ultimate spider-man vol. 20: and his amazing friends

by Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen

collects Ultimate Spider-Man # 118-122

the premise:  Something funky's going on with Liz Allen, and it'll drag Spidey and Iceman into an adventure of sorts with the X-Men and Magneto.  Plus: Omega Red returns.

the lowdown:  Yeah, I loved that cartoon too.  Even the lame-ass dog.  Sue me.

Sadly, the SM&HAF setup never really translated to the comics, and Bendis' attempt to re-create it here ends up a little ham-fisted.  This volume returns to some of the teen drama that has been missing from the last few volumes, and Bendis nails that portion of it - the scene at the high school early in the arc is excellent.  The problem is there's not much action to counterbalance the drama.  The confrontation with Magneto feels pointless and anticlimactic, and one never really has the sense that we're seeing an old-school Spidey/ Iceman/ Firestar teaming.

Immonen's art also takes a step back in this volume.  I really really don't like his rendition of Peter Parker.  TOO MUCH HAIR!  Peter looks like a girl.  The action scenes are still good, very kinetic - but as noted, there really aren't very many of them in this volume.

The TPB is filled out with two one-off issues, one featuring Omega Red and one featuring Spidey getting his tail handed to him and Kitty Pryde coming to rescue him.  Not bad.  Not required reading either.

the verdict:  A rare misfire for this series.  It feels like it's treading water waiting to get to the next big thing.  (Symbiote War?  Ultimatum?  I have no idea.)  Skippable. 

foolkiller: fool's paradise

by Gregg Hurwitz & Lan Medina

collects Foolkiller # 1-5

the premise:  Imagine if the Punisher also fancied himself an artist, and you've got the Foolkiller.  He's out to punish wrongdoers, specifically a corrupt online gambling service that's just destroyed a family.

the lowdown:  This new entry from Marvel's MAX line runs into a pretty big problem early on, and it should be evident from the premise - the lead character is an awful lot like the Punisher.  I recall the Foolkiller as a kind of goody nutcase complete with a flashy (read: nerdy) costume.  Here he's reimagined as a badass, and really his only "costume" is his collection of tats.  If you make him a complete Punisher ripoff, though - why publish his book at all?  Why not just make it a Punisher series?

Hurwitz makes a nice effort to distinguish the series by adding a theme that really isn't present in the Punisher's world - the notion of guilt.  Both Foolkiller and his unwitting co-star here are driven by crushing guilt, whereas Punisher is not.  Castle feels bad that his family is dead but he knows he is not to blame, and is insistent on punishing those who are.  Foolkiller does what he does as a form of penance, and it adds an emotional overlay to the story that keeps it from being a Punisher yarn.

Medina's art has the usual "realistic" bent, but less of the stiffness he sometimes projects.  There are a few places where he does a less-than-stellar job of distinguishing faces, but for the most part the art works and creates the mood appropriate to the story.

the verdict:  Not a bad tale at all - gritty, violent, at times depressing - but a nice look at guilt and its effects on people.  I'll forgive Hurwitz for re-using the plot device he used at the end of his novel Last Shot.

umbrella academy: apocalypse suite

by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba

collects Umbrella Academy # 1-6

the premise:  A mysterious recluse takes in seven surviving children born to mothers who showed no previous signs of pregnancy - to save the world - from something.

Years after the team disbands, it is reunited by tragedy to deal with a threat to all the world.

the lowdown: Did anyone think this was going to be good when it was announced?  Didn't it just sound like the prototypical example of a celebrity deciding to dabble in comics, without really understanding the medium.  It sounded that way to me.

Holy crap was I wrong.

This book is amazing - really, really amazing.  Though the high concept is a little convoluted, the story grabs the reader right off the bat and never lets go.  Seriously, the book starts with the UA - as kids - fighting the Eiffel Tower.  Imagine Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol except without some of the odd tangents.  This book had that kind of imagination behind it.  There are ideas just leaping off the page - and not at the expense of character.  The characters feel like authentic people in crazy situations.  The script never takes itself too seriously but never gets so completely over the top as to lose gravitas.

Ba's art is excellent as well.  As in Casanova, he excels at packing detail into each panel without sacrificing image clarity.  At times the character designs aren't the greatest - sometimes they're overly complicated - but the visual storytelling is very good, and this is a script that requires a LOT of the artist.  Ba is clearly up to the task.

the verdict:  This is the best book I have read this year.  It is wonderfully imaginative, dramatic, exciting - everything one looks for in a superhero comic.  Very highly recommended.

exit wounds

by Rotu Modan

original graphic novel

the premise:  Koby Franco is approached by a strange girl who has information suggesting Koby's estranged father has died in a suicide bombing.  As Koby and Nuni work together to learn the truth they learn things about themselves they never imagined.

the lowdown:  This is an interesting take on slice-of-life drama, in that it's set against a (sort of) murder mystery that's really well-done.  The situation in which Koby finds himself is equal parts dramatic and pitiful, as he struggles to learn whether the anonymous corpse in a distant suicide bombing was actually his father.  Modan tells a story about relationships disguised as something else entirely.

There are really only three key characters in the book, and one of them is purportedly dead from the get-go - yet he ends up being as three-dimensional and interesting as anyone in the book.  Modan makes you feel about ten different ways about Gabriel without even having him "on-stage", a pretty remarkable feat.  The two characters who *are* on-stage - Koby and Nuni - are put through an emotional roller coaster.  Koby feels the most human - likeable one moment, an asshole the next, while Nuni is the sympathetic figure most of the time, but only most of the time.  It's quite strong character work - all three main characters feel real, and you'll be interested in all of them before the story's told.

The art is in full color, rendered in a clean style defitting the story.  Modan's figures are imperfect - but they're supposed to be.  It's not the most expressive art you'll ever see, perhaps a little stiff at times, but overall does an effective job selling the nuance of the story and looking pretty too.

the verdict:  A very well-done character piece.  Good fiction makes you feel something, whether it's anger, ecstasy, sadness, whatever - this book will make you feel.  Definitely recommended.

hard time: 50 to life

by Steve Gerber & Brian Hurtt

collects Hard Time # 1-6

the premise:  After a high school prank gets out of hand, 4 people are dead and fifteen year-old Ethan Stiles is sentenced to fifty years in prison.  Oz meets superheroes as Ethan begins to develop strange powers while incarcerated.

the lowdown:  This series was the headliner of DC's failed Focus imprint from a few years back.  The idea behind focus was to do stories involving superpowers, but not necessarily with capes and tights.  The line was a huge flop but I thought both of the series I tried out were pretty good, particularly this one.

The premise here is perhaps a little ridiculous but it's presented in an effective enough manner to sell it - basically Ethan makes a bad decision, gets involved in a somewhat nasty prank, and is left to take the fall when it goes totally out of control.  Now he has to survive in prison (not juvie prison - Prison), all while developing powers he doesn't understand and can't really control.  Gerber introduces an eclectic cast of characters in the prison and creates an intriguing world around Ethan.  The dialogue is perhaps a little flowery at times, but overall the world Gerber creates is compelling, and I was sucked in right from the beginning.

Hurtt's artwork is always a big draw for me, and he does excellent work here.  The series uses a muted color palette kind of like what DC did on Greg Rucka's Detective Comics run, and that holds up well inside the prison - it gives everything kind of a gray sameness that accentuates the bleak atmosphere of the story.  Very nice work.

Unfortunately this is the only collection of the series, which ran 12 issues plus an aborted "Season Two".  The ending works okay as an ending but doesn't provide much closure to the various plot threads Gerber sets up.  

the verdict:  I thought this book was very good and was disappointed it didn't find a wider audience.  The TPB is still in print, though, and at only $9.99 it's well worth checking out.

brit vol. 2: awol

by Bruce Brown & Cliff Rathbun

collects Brit # 1-6

the premise:  Now in his own ongoing series, Brit's back on the job, struggling with a failed marriage, when he's seemingly killed on mission.  But Donald the Robot and Brit's sister Britney aren't entirely convinced he's dead...

the lowdown:  This is, to my knowledge, the first time Robert Kirkman has passed off one of his creations to another creator on an ongoing basis, as presumably he's got too much on his plate to script the Brit ongoing.  (Although he is a creative consultant.)  This was my first exposure to Bruce Brown, and he gives us a six issue arc that's action-packed, goofy, and slightly off-key.

The plot is intentionally unclear, as Brown employs quite a bit of misdirection about what's really going on with Brit, right until the end of the story.  Because of my inexperience with Brown's writing, though, I can't tell if it's totally intentional, or if maybe some plot points aren't being followed through.  Rathburn's art is kind of similar to Doug Mahnke's (which is good), but with less detail and backgrounds (which is not).

All in all, this book seems to me to be the sort of thing the early Image books were trying to be.  It's wild, over-the-top action with lots of crazy ideas - it's played straight but doesn't take itself particularly seriously.  Unlike those early Image books, though, this book has a (mostly) coherent plot and an emotional heart.

the verdict:  Pretty good Beer Comics.  Goofy escapist fun with lots of splodey.

batman: gotham by gaslight

by Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola & Eduardo Barreto

collects Gotham by Gaslight & Master of the Future

the premise:  In Victorian-era Gotham, a mysterious Bat-Man stalks Jack the Ripper, who has seemingly come to the United States.

the lowdown:  Though many have now forgotten it, this was the book that inspired the "Elseworlds" line of DC books.  It didn't bear the EW label when it was published, but it was the first major book to set a DC character in a foreign milieu, and was hugely popular at the time.

The line ultimately became hopelessly lame, but this book is Elseworlds done right.  The choice of historical era works very well, as Batman slides effortlessly into a dark, moody tale of mystery and horror.  Mignola drew this one before he really blew up, but he was an excellent choice to render a creepy, atmospheric Gotham City.  Augustyn's prose is somewhat melodramatic but appropriately so given the tenor of the story.  This holds up really well, even almost twenty years later.

The sequel, "Master of the Future", is also included in the collection, and it substitutes Eduardo Barreto on art chores for Mignola.  It's somewhat less inspired but still pretty good, trading Mignola's gloomy Gotham for a more swashbuckling adventure with more traditional artwork.

the verdict:  GbG is probably my favorite of the "Elseworlds" stories.  (BTW I'm glad that line is gone if only because "Elseworlds" is such a goofy name.)  GbG keeps the essence of the Batman character and reinvents him in a darkly rendered historical setting - good stuff.

wolverine: get mystique

by Jason Aaron & Ron Garney

collects Wolverine v2 # 62-65

the premise:  Following the events of some X-Men crossover I didn't read, Wolverine hunts down Mystique in the Middle East, while ruminating on their lengthy history together.

the lowdown:  Yeah, so right off the bat - those who've read this blog for awhile know I don't like the X-Men and usually have no idea what's going on in their books.  So I did not read the crossover that leads into this story.  Never fear, though, because you really don't need to.  All the info we need is provided here - Mystique betrayed the X-Men and now Wolverine's gonna **** her up.

Jason Aaron is the reason I bought this, and my faith in him was rewarded.  He turns in a nice mix of action and drama.  Both Wolverine's and Mystique's powers are used in creative ways, and the cat-and-mouse game between them is compelling.  At the same time Aaron develops their backstory in a way that adds layers to their present conflict without feeling tacked on.

Garney is not usually among my favorite artists, but I think this is the best work I've seen from him.  His attention to detail has gotten much better since his Amazing Spider-Man issues, and he adds to the script here.  If nothing else, his characters have gotten much more expressive, and the flashbacks scenes in particular are more powerful as a result.

the verdict:  I enjoyed this quite a bit.  It's violent, dirty, sad at times, but ultimately a lot of fun.  Recommended.

jla/ avengers

by Kurt Busiek & George Perez

collects JLA/ Avengers # 1-4

the premise:  Not a big surprise - the JLA meets the Avengers.  Actually, EVERY JLAer meets pretty much EVERY Avenger.

the lowdown:  I thought I'd take a look back at this one since it's being re-released in softcover.  This book is pretty much the mac daddy of intercompany crossovers, featuring a huge, sprawling story with hundreds of heroes and a number of homages to Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The result is, at first blush, kind of stupid.  The story makes only the loosest sense, and is really just an excuse for George Perez to draw enough superheroes to choke Rosie O'Donnell.  We've got the obligatory ho'od win fights - gotta get people all enraged about whether Thor could beat up Superman and whatnot.  At times during the last chapter the whole thing abandons any pretense of coherence in favor of panel after panel of random heroes doing.. something.. mostly firing beams out of their hands.

But y'know... despite that... it's not an un-enjoyable (is that a word?) book.  It's the JLA and the Avengers.  It's got George Perez art, and he delivers exactly what you'd expect.  The story doesn't have any real meaning beyond comparing and contrasting DC and Marvel superheroes, and while that's not exactly high art - isn't that what a book called JLA/ Avengers ought to do?  I dunno... you definitely need to turn off your brain to enjoy this (except for the part that stores obscure DC and Marvel continuity), but the spectacle of all of it is amusing.

the verdict:  I've seen this touted in places as a great story, and I absolutely disagree with that.  I do think it's worth checking out, though, for some good mindless fun and pretty artwork.

g.i. joe vols. 1-5

by Larry Hama, Herb Trimpe, Rod Whigham and more

collects G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero # 1-50

the premise:  The elite forces of G.I. Joe square off against the villainy of COBRA.  These are the issues which began the Marvel continuity, introducing most of the key Joes and Cobras.

the lowdown:  These trades have been out of print for quite awhile but are being re-issued by IDW under the moniker "Classic G.I. Joe", so I thought I'd take a look back at one of my favorite childhood books.

Folks - in the mid 80's this was THE comic - I never agreed with any of my friends on what to read, except for this title.  What Larry Hama did with this series is nothing short of amazing, because this book had absolutely no right to be any good.  It was being produced in part by a toy company that was totally geared toward introducing a bunch of new action figures every Christmas.  The characters were... y'know... action figures - they had no personalities at all other than what Hama gave them.  The cast was large to begin with and grew exponentially, beyond all rhyme or reason.

And yet it worked.  Hama skillfully mixed action and soap opera, fleshed out enough of the characters to keep the book grounded, and created a compelling world full of mystery and intrigue.  If the dialogue feels a little dated now, so be it - but lots of 80's comics have dated dialogue.  This one had *heart* too.

A little bit of trivia - this comic was actually advertised on television.  Unheard of today - mostly unheard of then too.  But it happened.  Particular action figures became "hot" based on the comic - can you imagine that today?  (I had to look like hell to find Storm Shadow.)  These are not the greatest comics, from a technical standpoint, that I've ever read, but they're easily among the most fun.

the verdict:  Not sure how these would play to a newbie, but for old school Joe fans - the fun is all still there.  Well worth adding these to your bookshelf.

superman & the legion of superheroes

by Geoff Johns & Gray Frank

collects Action Comics # 858-863

art shown is not actual cover

the premise:  Superman is contacted by the Legion to assist with a crisis in the future - only to discover that the Legion have become outlaws, and that the future is threatened by a rogue Justice League.

the lowdown:  So why does DC keep changing cover art for its TPBs and HCs at the last minute?  Strange...

Anyway - I'm told this story picks up where the JLA Lightning Saga story left off.  I didn't read that story, but I wasn't lost here.  I'll just confess up front that I absolutely do not "get" the Legion.  All those hopelessly lame names, a society so far removed from our own... just does not compute with my limited faculties.

It's clear that Geoff Johns has much more affinity than I do for space opera, though, and here, unlike his GL work, he does seem to take care to tie the story in to some real-world concern.  Here it's racism and xenophobia, and the connection is made in a reasonably effective manner.  Johns also does a pretty good job incorporating a large cast, although many of them still end up being ciphers.  Superman's connection to the Legion also makes sense as Johns explains it.  His usual weaknesses as a scripter are still in evidence - goofy villain motivations, characters who seem to psychoanalyze themselves in hokey one-liners - but he pulls the story together pretty well by the end, and the result is a pretty good action/ adventure sci-fi story.

Frank's art is excellent even though all his faces look vaguely psychotic.  His Superman bears a very strong resemblance to Christopher Reeve, which seems appropriate given the pains Johns is taking to reference the movies.  Frank does really well with the large cast, too, managing to give them distinct looks even beyond the costumes.

the verdict:  Those who really like the Legion will probably love this.  Those, like me, who don't care much for the Legion will be less impressed - but it's still not a bad read at all.  Worth your coin even if the Legion aren't really your cuppa. 

criminal vol. 3: the dead & the dying

by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips

collects Criminal v. 2 # 1-3

the premise:  A boxer trying to escape a life of crime, a vet who's seen too much, and a femme fatale seeking revenge collide with tragic results.

the lowdown:  Man oh man - the first two volumes of this series were good but this one is a cut above.  The format this time around is that the interlocking stories of three main characters are told from each of their POVs.  Each issue of the periodicals told the story of a different character - not always in order, so you see, for example, how Danica's story ends before you see how it begins - but by the end of the book you have everything you need to know.

On a technical level, this series is just superb.  The narrative continuity flows seamlessly; it's never confusing even when the story jumps around between timeframes.  Brubaker parses out just enough information to hook the reader, without spoiling anyone's story.  Even the sequence of the stories is perfect - knowing what happens to Danica before seeing her story begin adds a layer to her tale that wouldn't be there otherwise.

Phillips' art is perfect for this story, and he complements the script in so many little ways.  The simple eye-catching panel design, the use of shadow to convey mood, the wide variety of facial expressions used to communicate nuance in characterization - it's stellar.

I was a little rough on Brubaker after the last Daredevil trade for being depressing.  Make no mistake - this is not an uplifting story either.  It's not morbid, though - the events are dark but they speak to the human condition, and feel real, in a way that just can't be matched by a guy in a costume with horns fighting a guy who uses fear gas.  Brubaker & Phillips make full use of the conceits of the crime genre to create something that feels novel.

the verdict:  This is just a really really good comic.  Highly recommended.

spider-man: brand new day vol.2

by Bob Gale, Phil Jimenez, Zeb Wells & Chris Bachalo

collects Amazing Spider-Man # 552-558

the premise:  Spidey tangles with a new villain called The Freak, who gets more powerful each time he's defeated.  Plus: a massive snowstorm provides the backdrop for a showdown against ghostly Mayan warriors.

the lowdown:  After a terrific beginning in the first volume, Brand New Day falls flat in its second installment.  Whereas the first collection contained two arcs that felt like prototypical Spidey stories, these two arcs go in a different - and less interesting - direction.

The first arc by Gale and Jimenez features the new addition Freak, who has kind of an interesting gimmick but not much of a personality.  At times his presence felt more like an excuse to reintroduce Curt Connors to the cast than anything else.  Jimenez's art is uncharacteristically stiff, and the whole thing just feels kind of paint-by-numbers.  There's also quite a bit too much exposition, so it's a little hard to slog through.

The second arc by Wells and Bachalo is better, in large part because of Bachalo's excellent artwork.  It's very stylized as always, lots of limbs askew and odd camera angles - and it works really well in a tale that's intentionally claustrophobic.  The threat of the Mayan warriors isn't terribly interesting, but there are a few neat plot twists that at least keep the reader's attention.  It's certainly the most moody of the BND stories thus far.

The collection wraps with a one-issue epilogue to the Freak arc, by Gale and Barry Kitson.  Still not interesting.

the verdict:  This one hits with a thud after an excellent first volume - perhaps a side effect of the rotating teams.  This volume is skippable - I will be back for volume 3 but I hope it's more like vol. 1 than this one was.

ex machina deluxe edition vol. 1

by Brian K. Vaughan & Tony Harris

collects Ex Machina # 1-11

art shown is not actual cover

the premise:  Once upon a time Mitchell Hundred was the Great Machine, the world's first superhero.  Now he has retired from crimefighting and has been elected Mayor of New York City.

the lowdown:  This is a series I gave a second chance in hardcover.  I read these arcs when they were originally collected as TPBs and decided not to continue with the series.  This time around I liked it a bit more, and I'm not entirely sure what's different.

To be sure, Harris' art benefits greatly from the oversized format here.  It's amazing to check out his work here and compare it to the recent Starman Omnibus - he's just grown so much as an artist.  The figure composition, the use of camera angles, facial expressions - all so much improved (and he wasn't bad to start with).

But I think there's more to it than that.  The first time around this series felt like a soapbox for BKV's political ideas, particularly the somewhat heavy-handed gay marriage storyline.  This time around it's pretty clear the politics are incidental - clearly they're there but Hundred becomes less and less the voice of Vaughan as things progress.  The real story here isn't the politics themselves; it's the marriage of superheroes and politics, and it's a mystery/ thriller than happens to star a politician.

Still, the first arc is stronger than the second, even saddled with the necessity of introducing all the characters, etc.  I'm not sure how that bodes for the series as it continues, but reading the two arcs together like this is more satisfying than reading them separately.

the verdict:  Glad I gave it a second look - I enjoyed it a bit more this time.  I'll continue with it in the deluxe format, and give it a recommendation for folks who enjoy Vaughan's work, or non-traditional takes on superheroes.

the sword vol. 1: fire

by the Luna Brothers

collects The Sword # 1-6

art shown is not actual cover

the premise:  Dara Brighton's life as a college student is changed irrevocably by a dramatic act of violence, and as she struggles to understand what's happened, she learns that her father has been harboring an amazing secret.

the lowdown:  I'll start with a nitpick.  The cover art over there?  Not the actual cover of the TPB.  The actual cover is nice-looking BUT.... whose idea was it for a nipple to be visible?  That's such an unfortunate decision, because it makes the book look like a Stroke Book, which it's not.  Not sure what they were thinking there.

Underneath the cover, though, lies another winner from the Lunas.  This story is an action/ conspiracy story, in the same genre as something like The Da Vinci Code except.. y'know.. not sucky.  It's something of a departure from Ultra or Girls, in that after a slow start, the pace really accelerates.  There's a lot more action than in either of their prior two works.

What's similar to the other two series is the Lunas' use of strong female characters.  Dara is instantly likeable but she doesn't always make great decisions.  She feels real almost from the get-go, and her character arc is immediately compelling.

the verdict:  Another strong beginning for the Lunas.  This is a breakneck action/ adventure story that hits the ground running and doesn't let up.  Recommended.