codeflesh: the definitive edition

by Joe Casey & Charlie Adlard

the premise:  Cameron Daltrey is a bail bondsman who has vowed to give up actually chasing down his superhuman clients.  But he misses the challenge, so he adopts the guise of a masked vigilante in these dark crime stories.

the lowdown:  Some books just have an almost intangible quality that works.  It's what the French call that certain "I don't know what", to steal a line.  This book has it.

On its face there's nothing particularly *special* about this.  It's pretty straightforward, particularly compared to some of Casey's other work.  This collection includes all of the Codeflesh stories to date, plus a new story set quite some time after the others.  Though there are some through-lines that run through the series, each "episode" is mostly self-contained.  They're dark crime stories, rendered in a muted but stylish tone by Adlard (and in color - which almost feels wrong after so long reading The Walking Dead), with an eclectic cast of characters.  It's well-done, but frankly, there are lots of well-done crime stories out there.

This one, though, is a cut above.  It doesn't have the gut-wrenching heart of Criminal, or the grit of something like Whiteout - but it feels just as authentic and creates just as strong a mood.  I may not know art, but I know what I like, and I liked this.  My only real quibble is the price - $39.99 for a book that clocks in at just over 100 pages.  

the verdict:  One of Casey's better books, and some nice work from Adlard.  I'd recommend this to fans of Casey's other stuff as well as crime fans.

punisher war journal vol. 5: secret invasion

by Matt Fraction, Rick Remender, Howard Chaykin & more

collects Punisher War Journal # 24-26 & Annual # 1

the premise:  Punisher fights Skrulls, as Rampage learns the truth about what happened in Mexico and plots his revenge.  Plus: Christmas with the Rhino.

the lowdown:  The final volume of this series begins with a Secret Invasion tie-in that's mostly generic.  By that I mean it's one of those tie-ins that really just use the Skrulls as targets.  They could be replaced with Durlans or gremlins or whatever, and the story would be the same.  Essentially they're just redcoats for the Punisher to shoot for a few issues.  The meat of the story is Rampage figuring out what role Punisher played in his girlfriend's death and deciding to do something about it.  It's okay but forgettable.

The final issue of the run is among the best, though, as Castle encounters the Rhino in a Christmas tale.  The best issues of this series were the ones that embraced the absurdity of the concept - really, Punisher fighting supervillains is all kinds of stupid - and ran with it.  This is one of those stories - it's totally absurd but it works in a way that Skrull shootouts just don't.

Also included is an annual by Si Spurrier and Weather Dell'edra.  It's mostly a vehicle for some trippy Dell'edra art.  Cute but skippable.

the verdict:  It's hard to recommend buying this whole collection just to get the Rhino issue.  The rest of it is kind of hit or miss.  The Rhino issue is quite good, though.

the question vol. 4: welcome to oz

by Denny O'Neil & Denys Cowan

collects The Question # 19-24

the premise:  The Question has a return engagement with Junior Musto, attends his high school reunion, and tries to prevent fraud in the mayoral election just as a tornado threatens to rip Hub City apart.

the lowdown:  Politics take center stage in the fourth installment of the O'Neil/ Cowan Question series, as Sage's former lover Myra Fermin attempts to replace her lush of a husband as Hub City's mayor.  Hub City is, of course, extraordinarily corrupt, as is Myra's own campaign manager, so her task is a monumental one.  Myra is motivated by a sense of civic duty and responsibility, even though she really doesn't *want* to be the mayor.  At least that's what she tells herself.  She's aided and abetted by Vic Sage, who seems to be driven more out of loyalty to Myra than by civic duty to Hub City - but who doesn't seem to realize the distinction yet.  The seeds are here for the central character conflict that eventually drove this series to its conclusion.

The election itself is resolved in the middle of a tornado tearing through town, an act of nature that only further complicates an already unstable situation.  O'Neil brings this plot to a definitive end, but only after quite a few twists and turns.  The end result is more farce than political commentary.  The opposition to Myra is too corrupt, too stupid, and too effective in spite of its stupidity to really be taken seriously,  but the satire is a vehicle for exploration of Vic's and Myra's characters, and as usual O'Neil pulls that off with aplomb.

Cowan's art continues to evolve, becoming now far less defined that it was at the beginning of the series.  There's far more abstraction, more loose linework, but no less clear storytelling.  He does some nice subtle things with Myra in particular, as she becomes far more "mannish" the longer she stays in politics.  The sexpot of volume 1 is completely gone, in favor of someone who doesn't even want to wear makeup most of the time.  I don't know if that was Cowan's idea or was part of the script, but it's a nice touch.

the verdict:  Yep.  Another good one.  This series is O'Neil's best work IMO, and Cowan's art is superb.

astounding wolf-man vol. 2

by Robert Kirkman & Jason Howard

collects Astounding Wolf-Man # 8-12 & Invincible # 57

the premise:  Wanted for murder and ripped from his family, Gary Hampton seeks the wolf who turned him so that he can train - for something.  Plus: the government and its superheroes, plus Invincible, try to track down the fugitive Hampton.

the lowdown:  The second installment of this series picks up right where the first left off - with Gary Hampton's life ruined and him on the run from the authorities.  This volume's not quite as crisp as the first but it's still strong, as Kirkman picks up the pieces of the mess he made at the end of volume one.  As always there's a strong old-school Marvel vibe, plus more gore.

Jason Howard again handles the art.  Last time around I compared him to Mike Parobeck or Rick Burchett, but this time around I note a strong Norm Breyfogle influence.  The art is still very clean but it's got that angular look that Breyfogle always did so well.  It's really quite striking, and not quite like anything else on the stands.

The book features a crossover with Invincible, which I imagine was a little annoying when the issues came out, but they reproduce both parts of it here, so it works okay.  It's not the most organic idea, but if it gets more Invincible readers to try out this book, it was probably worth it.  This is Kirkman's version of the Hulk, and that's more clear now than before, even as Kirkman takes some steps to take this in a different direction than ol' Greenjeans' story went.  It may not be terribly original, but it's distinct enough to keep the reader guessing, and it has some nice twists on the monster/ superhero genre.

the verdict:  I continue to enjoy this series quite a bit.  It feels like the kind of thing that could sustain itself for a really long time, and it looks spectacular.  Recommended.  

britten & brulightly

by Hannah Berry

original graphic novel

the premise:  An unorthodox private detective with an even less orthodox partner is hired to investigate an apparent suicide, only to be plunged into a web of secrets, blackmail, and maybe murder.

the lowdown:  Bigtime props to Jake for pointing this book out.  I'd not heard of it until he mentioned it and picked it up based on his recommendation.  I'm glad I did.

This is, as near as I can tell, the first work of Hannah Berry, and it's a doozy of a little crime story.  Though the plot relies a little too much on coincidence in places, overall it's a well-constructed mystery featuring a lead detective who is somewhat morally conflicted, and who is just odd enough to be interesting.  He's approached to prove that a suicide was really something else, and as he digs further he finds himself in an unenviable moral quandary.

The interior is illustrated in a style just like the cover, by which I mean it's lushly rendered with what almost looks like watercolor art.  The color has a surreal, James Jean-ish quality to it that's very striking, and the oversized format of the book shows it off rather well.  Some of the lettering is slightly too small and a little tough to read, but aside from that this is a visual treat.  It is very impressive, particularly as a debut effort.  This story, although containing a lot of noir qualities, isn't as hard-edged as something like Criminal, but it carries no less punch.

the verdict:  Very nice.  I will be waiting on Berry's next book.  This is well worth checking out.

punisher war zone: the resurrection of ma gnucci

by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon

collects Punisher War Zone (2008) # 1-6

the premise:  Years after Frank Castle wiped out the Gnucci crime family, rumors begin to surface of an Italian branch of the family - which appears to be led by quadruple amputee (and very dead) Ma Gnucci herself!

the lowdown:  Apparently written some years ago, this story is a coda to the Ennis/ Dillon run on the Marvel Knights version of the Punisher (which was recently featured in a slick omnibus).  This is a sequel to the very first Ennis/ Dillon story, "Welcome Back Frank", and sees Ennis return to many of the characters and themes of that arc.  This is not the gritty crime saga of the MAX series.  Rather, this is the scowling force of nature that racks up an impossible body count against a variety of over-the-top adversaries.

And for the most part, Ennis & Dillon don't miss a beat.  Ennis finds a way to tease the return of Ma Gnucci even though she lost all her limbs and burned to death in the original story, after being mauled by polar bears.  Frank doesn't actually get in any fistfights with polar bears this time around, which is of course a shame, but he's got plenty of mayhem to spread.  

Deep this isn't.  As with most of Ennis' MK run, this is Beer Comics.  But this is one thing Ennis does better than pretty much anyone else in the industry - he can give you a ridiculous story filled with gore and violence and do it in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're watching a Faces of Death movie.  (For that, of course, we've always got the Teen Titans line of comics.)  Is this something that'll be memorable five years from now?  Probably not - but it's a fun way to kill an hour.

the verdict:  Thumbs up.  Lots of stuff blows up, Punisher kills many many people, and Ma Gnucci has all sorts of horrendous things happen to her, again.  Recommended.

batman: the heart of hush

by Paul Dini & Dustin Nguyen

collects Detective Comics # 846-850

the premise:  Hush returns again, this time with a plot to strike at Batman through Catwoman.

the lowdown:  Hush hadn't appeared for a few years before this story, and after twenty-plus issues of short stories, Dini takes him on as a reclamation project in his first extended arc.  I say the character is a reclamation project because, despite all the attention he's gotten, he's really never been very interesting.  Jeph Loeb's stories focused around the mystery of his true identity, as to a lesser extent did A.J. Lieberman's - but neither ever really gave us any reason to be *worried* about Hush.  

Dini attempts to, with mixed results.  His character work here is pretty good - he sets Hush up as far more of a mastermind than his predecessors did, and at times he manages to make Hush feel like an organic rival for Batman as opposed to a shoehorned-in never-before-mentioned childhood best friend.  Even Hush's psychosis, which makes zero sense in Loeb's story, gets a little background here.  I'm still not left waiting with bated breath for more Hush stories, but I at least bought him as a credible threat in *this* story.  The plot is a little contrived, and I don't really buy the Batman/ Catwoman relationship, but it's serviceable.

Nguyen's art is good as always, though I think he'd benefit from sparser page layouts so he could draw bigger panels.  At times it's like reading his work in miniature, and he excels more with open pages where he can show off his considerable design skills.  This still isn't bad by any means, just not as good as, say, Wildcats 3.0.

the verdict:  Hush is just never going to be a great character, but he's marketable because of Loeb and Lee, so DC is going to keep doing Hush stories.  Hopefully more of them will be as good as this one.  It's no masterpiece but it's solid work.

scalped vol. 4: the gravel in your guts

by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera & Davide Furno

collects Scalped # 19-24

the premise:  In separate but intertwined stories, Dash and Red Crow find themselves defined by the women in their lives - Red Crow's daughter and Dash's mother, respectively.

the lowdown:  The latest two noir stories here focus on the series' two main characters, with a healthy dose of the biggest thing that separates this series from run-of-the-mill crime - heart.  The best noir will pull at your heartstrings.  You see a book called "gravel in your guts" and you have certain expectations; namely, lots of violence, shooting and gore.  And this book certainly has all of those things, but it presents them in a way where they're more context than the main focus.

Dash's story leads off the collection, and is illustrated by Furno, who does a really outstanding job.  Like a lot of the Vertigo books that have had one artist for an extended period, Scalped's look is defined by Guera, and that makes it hard for anyone to step in without just imitating the principal artist's style.  Furno's work looks nothing like Guera's yet it fits the tone of the book perfectly.

The rest of the book is wrapped up with Red Crow's story, which flashes to the past and fills in some backstory between him and Dash's mom.  It's mixed in with the organized crime plot in the present, and we get a strong sense of Red Crow's moral code.  He's like a Native American version of Tony Soprano, and Aaron does a stellar job of fleshing him out, making him make sense, but preventing him from being easily pigeonholed as a good guy or a bad guy.

the verdict:  Another nice volume of this series, featuring two very nice character-driven stories.  This book keeps climbing near the top of my list.

resurrection: the insurgent edition

by Marc Guggenheim & Dave Dumeer

collects Resurrection # 1-6 & 2008 Annual

art shown is not actual cover

the premise:  Ten years ago big-like aliens conquered the world.  For the last ten years they've laid waste to the planet.  Today, without warning, they left.  This is the story of what happens next.

the lowdown:  This book sold me based on the high concept.  Years ago SNL did a sketch about what the next Presidential elections must have been like after the events of Independence Day.  That's pretty much the hook here.  The aliens are gone, civilization is in ruins, and everyone scrambles around trying to figure out what happens next.

What follows is similar in some ways to The Walking Dead, not least of all because Dumeer's art kind of looks like Charlie Adlard's.  This series, though, is more meta than TWD.  Kirkman never shows us any kind of big picture in TWD; the book is totally focused around a small cast of characters who pretty much stay in one area.  With this series, Guggenheim switches us all over the place, showing a variety of characters whose stories are only tangentially connected.  It's a different focus, and it feels more like long-form storytelling than TWD does.

The dialogue here is crisp.  The characters are mostly interesting if not particularly likeable.  A few of their motivations seem a little weak, but there are no WTF moments.  Dumeer's art works well with the script.  I first encountered Dumeer's work on Armageddon & Son, which was much more light-hearted than this story, but he seems versatile enough to pull off more than one mood.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this book is only $6 for 7 issues of material.  I don't get into price concerns a lot here, but seriously - with my online discount it was about $3-4.  Why *not* take a chance on a new series at that price?

the verdict:  I understand this is returning soon with a second volume, and will be in color hereafter.  I'll be back, I think.  This has the makings of a pretty cool post-apocalyptic thriller.

essential spider-man vol. 9

by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard & more

collects Amazing Spider-Man # 186-210, ASM Annual # 13-14 & PP:SSM Annual # 1

the premise:  Spidey squares off with the Black Cat, the Fly, and the burglar who killed Uncle Ben in these late 70's/ early 80's tales.  Plus: J. Jonah Jameson's mental breakdown!

the lowdown:  Another meaty collection of Bronze Age Spidey, this time mostly put together by Wolfman and Pollard.  This is an entertaining read though it lacks a classic storyline.  The two main arcs feature JJJ's nervous breakdown and Aunt May's "death"/ abduction.  (Just how many times has Aunt May been presumed dead, anyway?)  Neither storyline is brilliant, though both are pretty good for cheap, disposable entertainment.

Wolfman's Spidey is heavy with the quips, though he's occasionally a bit too boneheaded to be all that believable.  (See: the ongoing storyline where married-but-separated Betty Brant is throwing herself at him but he's trying to make her go away.)  The last few tales here, including the introduction of Madame Web, are penned by Denny O'Neil, who was somewhat underrated as a humorist.  He had a good handle on the character even if none of his issues are really "classic".

Pollard handles most of the art, and it's in that workmanlike late 70's/ early 80's Marvel style - nothing spectacular but never distracting.  If he is the one who designed the Black Cat, he gets props for that, as he gave her a look that's managed to last thirty years while her inspiration (Catwoman - duh) has changed costumes a half-dozen times.  There is a Dr. Strange teamup story written by O'Neil with art by Frank Miller that looks quite good, and a single issue by Alan Weiss that shines.

the verdict:  It's not wonderful - this isn't really a classic Spidey era.  It's not bad, though - if you're a fan of the character and just want a dense collection of Spidey stories for a rainy day, this may fit the bill.  (Or you could get volume 7 or volume 8, both of which are better.)

manhunter vol. 5: forgotten

by Marc Andreyko, Michael Gaydos & more

collects Manhunter # 31-38

the premise:  Manhunter heads to El Paso to investigate the disappearances of many young women, only to stumble into a horrible plot headed by a new version of an old foe.

the lowdown:  Saved from cancellation not once but twice, Manhunter returns for the final issues of her ongoing series.  The first six issues comprise a "topical" plot, as Kate searches for the aforementioned missing women and ends up at odds with the Suicide Squad, among others.

It's well-written for the most part, and though Gaydos' art isn't as slick here as it's been elsewhere, it's still solid work.  Something about this series - well, *everything* about this series - has become increasingly generic.  I've always felt this series was far less radical than its avid proponents seem to think, but one would have to concede that it at least felt a little different than your standard DC superhero book.  Now - it's still well-done, but much of what set it apart is gone.  Kate Spencer has gone from being a chain-smoking negligent mother with a violent streak to being yet another do-gooder.  She's quit smoking.  She's reconciled with her son.  She's got lots of friends, in and out of the hero community.  The violent streak is mostly gone.  In a way I guess that's growth, but she grew out of a lot of the things that made her different.  Now this is just another superhero book, complete with guest stars out the wazoo.  It's still good compared to most of DC's current line, still has as good a supporting cast as any book out there - but it feels like its soul is gone.

The final two issues are set in the "future", specifically Ramsey's graduation from graduate school.  They're mostly a sentimental look at where all the cast might end up, but there doesn't seem to be much point to the story other than sentiment.  I guess that sort of thing does have its place, and it's a nice goodbye to the book's loyal fans - it's just not something I was dying to read.

the verdict:  I wish I could be more positive on this, because it's really not a bad book.  It's just no longer a really good book either.  Whether concessions were made to make the book more mainstream, I don't know, but the book has lost a lot of what made it work for the first year or so.

powers vol. 12: the 25 coolest dead superheroes of all time

by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming

collects Powers v.2 # 25-30 & 2008 Annual

the premise:  As a powers virus spreads through the city, Walker hunts the lead suspect in the killings - Deena Pilgrim!

the lowdown:  Most of the plot threads from the second run of Powers come to a head in this collection, as Walker and Pilgrim finally come face to face (again), and the ongoing plotline of the powers virus is resolved.  Bendis ties the storyline together with more drama than real action, as Pilgrim's character arc finally comes to a head.  As resolutions go, it's not a bad one, though it relies pretty heavily on a big ol' deus ex machina.  Still, the ending feels true to both Walker and Pilgrim, and it's not as neat and tidy as it appears at first blush.

The narrative does get sidetracked by the annual, which is a mid-story return to the monkey people.  Seriously, Bendis - enough with the monkeys.  Once it was tolerable.  More than that and it's just annoying.

Oeming's art looks excellent as always.  I've seen criticism of his panel layouts elsewhere, though, and I have to agree.  Often it's very hard to tell whether the layouts are two-page spreads meant to be read horizontally, or two separate pages.  If Oeming picked one format and stuck to it, it'd be okay, but he changes up frequently.  If I've got to stop and spend thirty seconds figuring out how to read the page, scanning for clues as to context, before proceeding, the layout is needlessly confusing.  I'm not sure if it's an Oeming thing or a Bendis thing, as I've had the same issue with Ultimate Spider-Man - but it is annoying.  Not as annoying as stories about monkeys, but still....

the verdict:  Despite some flaws this is a pretty good wrapup of this run.  I understand the series is on hiatus, to return with a third go-round later in 2009.  That'd be swell - I'd love to see Bendis & Oeming get back on this series full-time.

invincible: ultimate collection vol. 4

by Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley

collects Invincible # 36-47

the premise:  Invincible tries to balance college life with his growing responsibilities as a superhero, struggles to get his laundry done, saves the world several times, and reaches turning points in his relationships with Amber and Eve.

the lowdown:  This volume of the ongoing Invincible series provides a hefty dose of pretty much the same things as the first three volumes.  That's a compliment - almost fifty issues in the can, and this book hasn't lost a step.  If anything it's getting better and better, and I think it's surpassed Walking Dead as Kirkman's best book.

Much of that improvement is down to Ottley, who just gets better by leaps and bounds.  When he first took over art chores, Ottley was a competent artist who could meet a deadline and get the book back on schedule.  He has grown into a star - his work has become much more detailed, without sacrificing the clean linework that makes this book so easy to read.  He's become kind of a mix of Todd McFarlane and Kevin Maguire, but without McFarlane's over-rendering.  This book really looks good, whether it's the smaller, personal moments or the big honkin' action scenes.  The oversized format of these hardcovers really brings that home.

As for the writing, Kirkman continues to juggle a large cast successfully.  Invincible obviously owes much to Spider-Man, but Kirkman's added enough of the cosmic stuff here to give the book a whole different feel.  The teen soap aspect remains the book's best characteristic, but the ongoing superhero action is quite well-done too.  The book still has that feel of really old school Marvel comics, but because Kirkman owns this property and can change it, it doesn't run in place the way many of those Marvels do.  The book has changed quite a bit since its inception, and continues to do so, in a way that feels organic, compelling, but never forced.

the verdict:  Because the hardcovers only come out every so often, it's easy for me to lose track of how good this book is.  Every time I get a new volume I remember why.  There are very few superhero books being published today that are better than this one, and this volume is another excellent addition to the series.

pistolwhip: yellow menace

by Jason Hall & Matt Kindt

original graphic novel

the premise:  Following the bombing and murder of the actor who plays radio superhero Jonny Peril, the real (?) Peril stalks the streets, on the trail of the diabolical Yellow Menace.

the lowdown:  The eager private investigator called Pistolwhip returns in this sequel to the original graphic novel, this time embroiled in the saga of Jonny Peril, who is a fictional character but seems to be alive and active for some reason.  Stylistically this is very similar to the first Pistolwhip GN, an over-the-top period piece.  The narrative this time around takes on a surreal, dreamlike quality as Peril appears to show up, in the flesh, despite the fact that he is imaginary.  Hall & Kindt make the reader question the reality they present, kind of like one might do if suddenly confronted with, say, Daredevil walking down the street.  It's quite effective - but don't worry, all is eventually made clear.

Kindt provides the art and does his usual excellent job.  His work is deceptive in its simplicity, but the storytelling is always impeccable, even when the story is screwing around with the reader's perception.  Clearly Kindt doesn't do a "mainstream" style, so fans of the traditional DC or Marvel house styles may not warm to it, but it really is worth making the effort.  He's quickly become a must-read for me.

the verdict:  A winning crime story.  This will be an hour well-spent, if you're looking for a nice period piece with an indie bent to it.  Recommended.

hulk vol. 2: red & green

by Jeph Loeb, Frank Cho & Art Adams

collects Hulk # 7-9 & King-Size Hulk # 1

the premise:  The Lady Liberators try to track down the Red Hulk, while the Green Hulk (among others) fights a whole slew of Wendigos in Las Vegas.

the lowdown:  If anything, the second collection of Jeph Loeb's Hulk run makes even less sense than the first.  This time around we get two parallel story arcs, with the Red and Green Hulks smashing separately.  The green version, in an arc drawn by Art Adams, teams up with Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight to fight Wendigos.  Why is half of Las Vegas suddenly infected with a Wendigo virus?  Who knows - does it really matter?  Smashing ensues.

Meanwhile She-Hulk assembles all the female heroes she can find to fight the Red Hulk.  Why all women?  Who knows - Frank Cho is drawing the arc and he likes to draw womens' asses.  So She-Hulk, having been overwhelmed and overpowered by the Red Hulk the first time, figures this time she'll hit him with more as--uh-- people - because there's no WAY that can fail.  Poor, stupid She-Hulk - it's hard to come off as dumb in a book where the most recognizable character refers to himself in the third person, but she pulls it off.

But like volume one, this is big stupid fun.  It looks great - both Adams and Cho do excellent work.  It's colorful, it's loud, it's got lots of smashing.  Seriously - I'd rather read this than another story where superheroes cry and get raped any day of the week.  This is really goofy but it's cool goofy.

the verdict:  Don't strain yourself looking for all the layered subtext - there's not any.  This is a Beer Comic, and a pretty good one.

comment moderation

We've had a particularly persistent spammer over the last few days - I had to go in and delete a bunch of spam comments. So I've turned on comment moderation for awhile. Sorry for any inconvenience, and hopefully no one takes it as commentary on the comments. I hope it will be a temporary measure until the spamming stops.

new binding projects 6 july 09

My latest bound TPBs from the incomparable David Banks.  Check him out at http://www.singleboundstudios.com/.

brave & the bold vol. 3: demons & dragons

by Mark Waid, Scott Kolins & more

collects Brave & The Bold # 13-16 & extras

the premise:  A series of eclectic one-shot team-ups.  Batman plus Jay Garrick.  Nightwing plus Hawkman.  Superman plus Catwoman.  Plus: several classic team-up tales.

the lowdown:  Mark Waid's run on this title comes to an end with this volume, which mostly abandons the arc format for a series of one-offs (though two of them still have some connection).  This time around Waid gives us a nice little set of self-contained team-ups between characters who normally would not appear together - i.e. he does exactly what this book ought to do.  They're not all winners - the Green Arrow/ Deadman story is kind of a dud - but three out of four ain't bad.  

Scott Kolins draws all the issues except for the Batman/ Garrick story, which is illustrated by Jerry Ordway.  Kolins' art seems a little more restrained here than usual, which is a slight disappointment.  I really like it when he cuts loose and gets all abstract, but even without that he does solid work.

The collection is rounded out by several older stories, including the Alan Brennert/ Jim Aparo story from the original series (featuring Hawk & Dove).  That one's a treat.  There are also two Waid-penned 90's stories, a Flash issue that's ruined by terrible art, and an Impulse/ Zatanna issue that is cute but disposable.

the verdict:  Not without its flaws, but this was for the most part an entertaining read.  I really really dig this format, and this is a fun series for folks who don't want to dive into DC's labyrinthine continuity.

spider-man: crime & punisher

by Joe Kelly, Chris Bachalo, Barry Kitson & more

collects Amazing Spider-Man # 574-577 + extras

the premise:  Hammerhead is back and deadlier than ever.  Plus: the story of Flash Thompson's tour overseas, and the Punisher!

the lowdown:  The most recent Spidey collection focuses primarily but not exclusively on the Kelly/ Bachalo Hammerhead revival.  Hammerhead is rethought as a badass living weapon, minus some of the over-the-top gangster trappings that were characteristic of him in the past.  What follows is a pretty brutal slugfest where Spidey gets beaten up pretty badly but has to soldier on.  Stories like that are pretty cool for Spidey, and this one is pretty well-executed.  It's nothing that will blow your socks off, but Kelly "gets" Spidey's voice pretty well, and does a good job with this arc.

The collection leads with a one-off story catching us up with Flash Thompson.  It's set in the aftermath of Flash being in a tough military situation and juxtaposes Spidey morality with real-world morality.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, exactly, because I'm not sure how well such things really blend together.  For what it is, though, it's well-done.

Finally, there's a Punisher story by Zeb Wells and Paolo Rivera that's cute but mostly inconsequential.

the verdict:  Nothing particularly noteworthy here, but this is a pretty good diversion.  Don't knock over any old ladies racing to your LCS to pick this one up, but if you're looking for a pretty good light read, this may fit the bill.

spaghetti bros. vol. 3

by Carlos Trillo & Domingo Mandrafina

the premise:  The lives of five siblings continue to evolve - one welcomes a son whose paternity may be in doubt, one deals with the loss of her fame, one struggles with a loss of faith, and more.

the lowdown:  By now, the third volume of this series, the tone is pretty well-established - interpersonal drama with dark humor mixed in.  So there are no real surprises for the returning reader.  This is, simply put, the continuation of the story begun in the first two volumes.

This time around the characters are a little older, though not yet middle-aged, and they're grappling with some of the life choices they've made and the consequences thereof.  The breakout character this time around is Gypsy Boone, the movie star.  As Trillo reaches the point in history where sound was added to films, the former starlet finds her career has dried up because she doesn't have a telegenic voice.  So she's left to try to salvage her career through any means necessary, and what follows is an interesting examination of dignity, values and the price of maintaining fame.  

At the same time, her siblings have their own identity struggles, from a loss of faith to difficulty readjusting to life as something other than a contract killer.  Trillo does a nice job of showing these conflicts but rarely spelling them out, and presents them from many "angles" without ever really offering easy solutions.  Each of the siblings has something likeable and something really unlikeable about them, and that keeps the reader engaged with their plights.

Mandrafina's pencils get a little looser in places here than in the first two volumes, but the familiar visual style of the series is maintained.  It still looks good, even if the two female siblings look too much alike in places.

the verdict:  Another enjoyable volume.  This is a fun little soap opera filled with melodrama but also some insight into the human condition.