Getting Up to Date & Looking to 2013

Once we got to Thanksgiving, it started to sink in that I have been reading many things but have not kept up with blogging about them.  During the past week I have been posting many short reviews of graphic novels that I have read.

Kevin Smith's Green Hornet Vol. 3: Idols

I'll admit it, I love reading an occasional old school pulp adventure.  I have read stories about Doc Savage, the Shadow, the Spider and the Green Hornet. When I was growing up, my only exposure to the Hornet was in the old Adam West Batman show.  The Green Hornet and Kato (played by a young Bruce Lee) guest starred in a story.  They pretend to be criminals to work behind the scenes to stop the other bad guys. The concept was intriguing but I did not hear of them again for many years.

Cold War

 After going to see “Skyfall”, I was in the mood for a spy story.  That was when I remembered buying this John Byrne mini-series.  The main character is a James Bond type who no longer works for MI-6.  But when the organization needs someone to do a job that cannot be traced back to them, he takes the mission.  A scientist is working on a new rocket system but things go wrong when a Russian spy and a possible defection are added to the mix.  Byrne seems to have patterned his character after the Sean Connery/Daniel Craig Bond.  High adventure, desert car races with one of the driver’s replaced by a killer, and a very good final issue that takes place in Russia.  Byrne’s art is a perfect fit for the story.  I am already looking forward to reading the sequel that will be out next year.

Battle Hymn: Farewell to the Golden Age

BATTLE HYMN:  Another Image superhero read.  This is a B. Clayton Moore/Jeremy Haun take on the World War II superhero teams (such as The Invaders, All-Star Squadron, The Liberty Legion, and The Freedom Fighters).  My impression is that this is probably closer to reality than the way the story has been presented in many comics.  The closest comparison to this title would be James Robinson and Paul Smith’s class Justice Society series “The Golden Age”.  If you like more realistic takes or the World War II era, pick up this title.  I know I will be looking for more from these creators.

Halcyon

HALCYON:  Mark Guggenheim’s Image title was a very good 5 issue series.  All violent tendencies have disappeared from the world.  Villains turn themselves in.  The heroes know that it was a man-made event but have no clue as to who orchestrated it.  It turns out to be the perfect revenge plan as a villain gets back at a hero.  If you were a Batman style hero and a villain’s master plan had this as a side effect, would you stop him?  Like the villain says, if you stop me you will be responsible for every crime (including murder) that happens from here on out.  What is a hero to do?  This is by far the best writing I have read from this author.  The art is very similar to Frank Quitely’s.  Overall it was a good series that should have received more press.

The Walking Dead Volumes 15-17

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 15 (“We Find Ourselves”):  The titles are very reflective of the stories.  This volume collects issues 85-90.  Kirkman keeps the focus within the existing group.  A lot of character development in this volume.  Rick becomes a “man with a plan”.  It seems like Rick is on the path to become a Governor-style leader.  Readers of previous arcs know that this is not a good thing.

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 16 (“A Larger World”):  Issues 91-96. The best way to summarize without ruining the story is to say this is the volume where Jesus comes to town.  Rick is either smarter than everyone else or is going for a ride on the paranoid bus.  “A Larger World” is another great collection.  I’m running out of superlatives for Kirkman’s masterpiece.  Let’s just call this one “Rick has a field day”.  He is scaring me more with each story arc.

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 17 (“Something to Fear”):  After reading the first two chapters, I became very curious whether the “Something to Fear” is a group of outsiders or Rick.  Based on the recent arcs, I am starting to think that Carl is a ticking time bomb.  It would be impossible to grow up with what he has lived through and be a “normal” kid.  He is also patterning his behavior on his father’s and that is admittedly not the most stable example.  In the past if you had told me that a zombie comic would be one of my favorites, I would never have believed it.  This was one of the most disturbing arcs in this series.  Readers are in for a treat.  The world and the cast change with the next arc looking like an even more brutal one.  You don’t do what his enemies have done to Rick without suffering through a payback.  And we have seen Rick’s revenge in the past.  The next arc looks like a blood fest as Rick reacts to events in this one. 

Invincible Vol. 9

I have been reading a ton of books over the last month but did not have time to blog about them so this is the first of many short catch up reviews.

INVINCIBLE VOL. 9 (“Out of This World”):  Issues 42-47.   Invincible flies to the Moon as a “safety net” for a team of astronauts who are setting up a base to be on the lookout for invasion fleets (due to events in previous issues).  He is called back to Earth to fight a new menace until the Guardians of the Globe can arrive, then it is back to the Moon for the rest of the mission.  Kirkman also fits in a press conference, time at college with Invincible’s best friend, a summary of his love life, and time to throw the baseball with his little brother who…I can’t say more without giving away too much.  And that is just in the first issue.  This is a fun superhero series that combines old school plotting with modern characterization.  Kirkman is one of the masters of comic writing.  The more I read the more I am impressed.