DC comics book review: Superman

Showing posts with label Superman. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Weekend Reading: Reboots, Disney, Superman and Cheech Wizard

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Posted by Tom MasonCategories:Editorials,Movies,DC Comics

Cheech Wizard With all the talk of DC’s big reboot, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at something Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Mark Millar, and Tom Peyer put together for DC back in 1998: Superman 2000. And it was. I would totally read these comics.

Now let's see what else can be read:

Euro: I always get a kick out of it when someone reads their first graphic novel. Karen at the Euro Crime blog (a terrific blog for crime fiction) read a Doctor Who graphic novel. Her verdict: “looks beautiful but doesn't take long to read!”

Halloween: It’s never too early to talk about The Halloween Legion, a new project from Martin Powell.

Bambi: It wasn’t always a classic of children’s literature as some might suspect. The Storyboard blog at the Walt Disney Family Museum breaks it down. Bonus: rabbit death.

Bode: Greg Theakston is blogging his life story, and one of his most excellent posts is about how he attended the funeral of his friend Vaughn Bode. Bonus: Appearance by the late Jeffrey Catherine Jones.

Jones: Artist George Pratt remembers Jeffrey Catherine Jones.

Fantasy: Author Jonathan Stroud has a graphic novel adaptation of his fantasy novel The Amulet of Samarkand. Stroud adapted the story with Andrew Donkin, with art by Lee Sullivan. I like the way it looks.

And finally, Stephen Fry will voice a talking bench and it's not a new Pixar cartoon.

Now use your internets responsibly!

[Artwork: Cheech Wizard by Vaughn Bode]

Related Tags:amulet of samarkand, bambi, dc comics, doctor who, george pratt, grant morrison, greg theakston, halloween legion, jeffrey catherine jones, jonathan stroud, mark millar, mark waid, martin powell, sidefeatured, stephen fry, superman, tom peyer, walt disneyTools: PermalinkComments (2)

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Georgia6/8/11 5:28 am

Hi Tom - I do publicity for Jonathan Stroud - would you like me to send you a copy of the Amulet graphic novel for you to review? Best Georgia

Reply to this: comment | thread

Tom Mason6/10/11 11:44 pm

Hi Georgia - Absolutely! Send me a private message through the Comix 411 mailbox. Thanks! Tom

Reply to this: comment | thread

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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Superman #711 Review

Tagged with: Superman

Superman #711Superman’s still walking across America, and he’s in Las Vegas this issue. He actually fights a villain and we’ve a guest appearance from a classic comic book character. Yes, that all pales to the question of whether or not he’s an American citizen, but we’ll get to that.

After receiving the key to the city of Provo, Utah, Superman is summoned to Vegas by Jimmy Olsed, via his signal watch. Once there, he finds Livewire, who should have reformed, holding people hostage for ransom. The situation is resolved with a quick trip down memory lane, and we get to hear Superman’s perspectives on second chances and the American Way.

I really like Roberson and Barrows as a team. Barrows makes Superman look humane, majestic, tough, thoughtful, and all while wearing a bright, colorful costume. His facial expressions have improved as well, as Superman now has a bridge to his nose. Roberson’s use of Superman’s lore, both past and future, is so very much appreciated. He finds a way to incorporate the blue containment suit Superman wore when he was electric, which means we also get to see the fortress of solitude, and other suits from the past. Roberson writes Superman with the feeling that he really likes Superman, which is great, since most people seem to write him from every aspect but that.

The biggest problem I had was with the ending, which in light of what occurred in Action Comics 900, seems like a hat-in-hand apology on Superman’s behalf, for an action that wasn’t his own to begin with. Action 900 should have been a celebration of the character, and instead it made a mess that Roberson has to lend a hand to tidy, and “Grounded” was enough of a mess all ready.

[pros="another solid issue by Roberson and Barrows" cons="Superman seems like he's pandering, thanks to Action Comics' mess score"=75]

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Superman 710 Review

Superman #710

Do you remember when Batman and Superman met? No, not that time. Not that time either. As it turns out, Superman and Batman can meet for the first time as many times as necessary, and Robinson gives up another first meet in this issue. If you’re a fan of the antagonistic relationship between Superman and Batman that Miller induced in The Dark Knight Returns, you’ll hate this issue . ..at first.

Superman saves a pedestrian from being run over by a truck (why he had to crush the truck, I’m not sure, since there other ways to save her without damage to the truck, even if the panel art was great), then goes to help her with a contrived dilemma, but he’s summoned by Batman with, that’s right, a Superman signal that only Superman’s vision powers could sort out. They talk and reminisce about the first, first, first time they ever met. It’s a cool, quick, tale, but what’s more striking is that Batman, Bruce Wayne actually comforts Superman with smile. When Dick Grayson made a visit, he was tough as nails, no smiling out of him. It seems such a departure for both, but Superman walking around doing Jack-all is a departure in itself.

Like last issue, this is a Silver Age story; you may even have noted the short cape on Superman, which harkens back to those days of yore. It works well, because of the chemistry between Bruce and Clark, and Robinson’s writing. The battle that takes place is a foregone conclusion, and even Vandal savage poses no real threat, but seeing the future World’s Finest team interact well, is all ways a treat.

Barrows art is still top, when he’s the one drawing. The art chores are shared by Travel Foreman, whose linework seems to be developing in comparison to Barrows. Page 2, Panel 2 has Bruce looking vaguely Asian, while Vadal Savage looks like a Rankin-Bas character. Still, he gets the job done, and renders the characters in stances and positions that suit them, which action that makes the battle interesting, if not compelling.

The only problem with 710, is that the story does not advance the plot at all. How many heroes need to come and console, psychoanalyze, and politely stick it to Superman? Since this storyline isn’t over, until issue 712, I would hazard a guess for at least two more.

A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATINGProsConsSolidStory Rating85%

Friday, March 25, 2011

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Review

Tagged with: Graphic Novel Reviews Superman Trade Paperback Reviews

Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali

While most fans would think that Superman’s bloodiest moment came when he fought Doomsday, they’d be surprised to know that it came over 15 years earlier, and not to any robot, alien, or super-menace, but to a boxer; a non-superpowered, non-metahuman boxer, who arguably may just be the greatest of all time. The year is 1978, when crossovers were rare and having this type of crossover was even rarer. Two great American icons faced off in the boxing ring; one would win, one would lose, but the true winners would be comic books fans in what would become a classic creation that has stood the test of time and earned its place not just as a great comic, but a work of art. It may seem like embellishment, but if you can read Superman vs Muhammad Ali and not be astounded, I doubt you fancy comics at all.

The story is a simple enough one: aliens attack and Superman is ready for a job that suits only him or maybe not, as Ali throws his hat in the ring as the world’s best fighter, and therefore Earth’s greatest champion (Superman is an alien, after all). They resolve that the two of them will fight first to determine who will represent Earth, and as said before, somebody wins, somebody loses. I won’t spoil who wins, if you don’t know all ready. It takes the combined might of both Superman and Ali to save the Earth, and in the end, we learn that both of them are “The Greatest!”

Storywise, the plot will seem like freshly sliced Cracker Barrell to some, but they would be missing the point. The story has to be contrived just for the two, Superman and Ali, to ever even meet! What is good about the story is the sci-fi aspect, which is attributed to movies like Star Wars, which was very popular at the time, but Superman vs Ali broke ground in 1976, two years before Luke ever picked up a lightsaber. Rather, it’s a reminder of Superman’s science fiction roots. Roots that go deep when Superman and Ali train for the fight under Red Sunlight and use a Kryptonian Continuum Disruptor to transport themselves to the “Fringe of Creation” where time crawls and the 24 hours they have to train become more akin to 2 months. That and we get to see literally the entire galaxy turn out for the fight of the millennium; Superman and Ali are that big of a draw. We even see Superman do his best Batman imitation, sneaking around in a mask and drop-kicking an alien to the ground, cold, all sans powers. The writing shows good imagination on O’Neil’s part, and his Superman bonafides are questionable to some hardcore fans (O’Neil is the guy who depowers Superman in the 70s), but the the writing chores are greatly overshadowed by the art.

Adams work on this book is incredible. He makes use of every in of the expanded format to give use images that are simply mind-blowing. The boxing scene between Superman and Ali is rendered well, as are the space-ship fights, and Superman creating enough force to dispel a mega-tsunami. What is more is that even the quit moments of the book are excellent. The best example is the cover where Adams renders over 70 different celebrity and comic book hero faces, and each one is different, from body language to facial expression. The art is like the Sistine Chapel. It’s that good. I’d gone on, but you have to read it to really understand, and I just don’t have the vocabulary to really do justice to what Adams does so excellently.

Issued in two formats, Superman vs Muhammad Ali will run you 39.99 for the treasury sized copy, 19.99 for a standard size. Go BIG. You may never get to Italy and see the Sistine Chapel, but this one is doable, and don’t you dare settle for a scan. This is one case where a computer screen hurts more than it helps. This a perfect gift for a Superman fan, if you know one other than yourself, and if you don’t, buy it, wrap it, put your name on it, and don’t open it until Xhristmas . . .if you can wait that long.

A COMIC BOOK BLOG RATINGProsConsClassic. Nuff Said.It's only 72 pages!. Rating100%

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