Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site decwrl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian From: boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Comics Reviews (llloooonnnggg!!!!) Message-ID: <251@decwrl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 14:05:01 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.251 Posted: Thu Dec 13 14:05:01 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 01:47:42 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP Organization: DEC Engineering Network Lines: 230 Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the Mad Armenian Scale, a shameless rip-off of the Moriarty Scale, stolen out from under the very nose of the Napolean of Crime. Nyah-ah-ah!! ******************************************************************************** |=>A+< A veritable Classic. One of the best of All Time. Example: THE SPIRIT | |==>A< One of the best of the year. Ex: TEEN TITANS #39: "Who Is Donna Troy?" | |==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month. Example: CEREBUS | |==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: JON SABLE | |==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex: ROM | |==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: MARVEL SUPERHEROES SECRET WARS | |==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: DAZZLER --- THE MOVIE GRAPHIC NOVEL #12 | ******************************************************************************** ACTION COMICS #565 [Ambush Bug "story": C] This isn't really a story, so much as an extended "ad", in which our hero(?) asks Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman if they would make guest appearances in his forthcoming mini-series. It doesn't have quite the utter lunacy of the previous AB stories, which is why it only gets a "C", but it's still got some hilarious moments. This "review" is more or less just a notice that the Bug is back again (he seems to be popping up in every other issue of ACTION. If you've never encountered the Bug before, give him a try. He makes Moon Roach/Wolverroach/etc. in CEREBUS look like the very pillar of sanity. Oh, and there's a Superman story as the lead feature, but I gave up on it after just a few pages. This is one the few times in living memory that a comic was worth the full price just for the back-up (the only other time I can think of off-hand is when the Huntress was being done by Levitz and Staton in the back of WONDER WOMAN). BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #19 [D+] Enh. It was better than the last couple of issues, but still not all that great. The fight between Geo-Force and Superman was fairly well-done, except that Barr blew it --- Supes' invulnerability is *not* determined by the gravitational pull of the Earth. GF's localized gravitational increase should have affected Supes' strength, all right, and his flying ability, but *not* his invulnerability. This renders the whole rest of the fight invalid. DETECTIVE COMICS #548 [C-] I think that I'm a member of a very elite few (I'm in the pleasant company of Don Thompson of CBG, though). I have been, to put it kindly, less than impressed with Doug Moench's work on the Batman. After his work on Moon Knight and Shang Chi, I was waiting with breathless anticipation for his debut on Batman. Instead, I find the stories to be bland, and the writing to be terribly self-indulgent, what with the This-of-Night, the That-of-Night, and the Other-Thing-Over-There-of-Night. And Nocturna gets a big fat zero in my book. God, was I glad to see that whole story over and done with. Anyways, sometime in the last two weeks since BATMAN #380, it seems to me that Moench has become, well, er, "chemically enhanced". This issue of DETECTIVE was completely off-the-wall (well, as off-the-wall as a Batman story could get, anyway. All the characters are delightfully out of character. Vicki and Julia, instead of being catty rivals, engage in a subtley humorous rapport. Robin's acting a bit clownish, and even Alfred let his hair down a little: Jason: "Alfred, why is it that Bruce always falls for the dark and dangerous dames?" Alfred:"I'm quite sure I don't know, Master Jason, particularly with two fine women like Vicki Vale and my daughter Julia eager to...er, 'jump his bones,' as it were." It's been a while since I've enjoyed a Batman comic this much. STAR TREK #12 [C] This is improving with each issue (though I *still* wish I liked the Sutton/Villagran artwork better). If nothing else, this issue was worth it for the ranting and raving of the mirror-Kirk, as he remotely starts the destruct sequence on the mirror-Enterprise (which the "real" Kirk has taken over): "Good! My counterpart was foolish enough to think he could defeat *me* in a contest of strategy--the weakling! He's merciful, like his 'Fed- eration'--and just as soft! He'd never think of activating his destruct sequence by remote control...never consider destroying his own ship just to rid himself of a foe!" (Heh, heh, heh) FANTASTIC FOUR #276 [C+] Byrne's really been doing wonders with this book; it's *never* been a top flight book, in my opinion, until the last couple of years. The romance between Johnny and Alicia is growing stronger, and what's more, it feels *real*. The real treat of the issue, however, is the collection of Reed and Sue's neighbors: Hi & Lois, Jiggs, Blondie, Joe Palooka, Dick Tracy, Dennis the Menace's father, and a couple of other comic strip characters that I can recognize, but not place (one of them is, I think, from "Gasoline Alley". And the art! This time, it's Jerry Ordway who's doing the inking honor's, and while I think I still prefer Al Gordon, JO does a really top- notch job (the page 4, panel 2 shot of She-Hulk especially stands out as a nicely rendered drawing). IRON MAN #192 [D] The long awaited clash between Rhodey in the latest IM armor and Tony Stark in a vastly inferior "old" IM armor. I'm not sure what I expected from this, but I certainly didn't get it. The resolution seems like the only fair solution, but I still didn't care for it. And the fight wasn't all that exciting, either. On the other hand, it's not quite over yet, as a future cover proof I've seen would indicate. ROM #64 [D] The latest in a series of strange inking jobs over Ditko pencils --- this time from Craig Russell (as will next issue). Though I greatly admire Russell's talents, this is probably the least successful result; Russell's style and Ditko's just do not work together. As for the story, well, as can be expected, it sucked. Well, next issue wraps up this whole Wraith War business. Then we'll be ffrrreeeeeee!!! WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1 [C-] Ho hum. Just another Spider-Man comic. Spidey has his final confron- tation with the black costume. Louise Simonson's writing (which prompted me to pick this up, otherwise, I might not have bothered) is competent, but not extraordinary. It was nice to see Jim Mooney (inker) again; I've always had a fondness for his work. I'm afraid that there just wasn't a whole lot of excitement to the plot for me. And the art on the last page left it unclear (maybe I'm just being obtuse?) just what did happen with the costume. I'll probably buy the next two issues for Simonson's writing (I get the feeling that her heart just wasn't in this story, having to wrap up someone else's story). Maybe once she gets the chance to do her own stuff in the next two issues, it'll be better. STARSTRUCK #1 [C-] The same gorgeous Kaluta art as the graphic novel, and a slightly more coherent script, though it still has parts that are quite confusing. But certainly no more confusing than the first few issues of AZTEC ACE. If this continues on like this, I might well take a real liking to it. It's rather nicely bizarre. And the art *does* make it more palatable. And there's a really nice photo of Galatia 9 (Elaine Lee??) on the inside front cover. Quite pretty. normalman #6 [C] I won't extoll on the virtues of this comic. It's either your style of humor (it is mine) or it isn't your style of humor. If you aren't aware by now, each issue, as it tells the latest installment of Normy's on-going story, parodies some other comic, such as ELFQUEST, RICHY RICH, Weisinger- period DC comics, whatever. This time, it's the Spirit's turn. Actually, as with last issues Richy Rich schtick, isn't quite a parody. so much as an emulation of the style. The front cover is done in the style of the front page of a Spirit Section, and each page in the story has the legend "normal- man by Valentino" hidden Eisneresquely somewhere in the artwork. And there is usually a panel filled with the likenesses of other comic characters. Here we have a collection of "dead" characters on page 15: Nighthawk, Ferro Lad, Mar-vell, Terra, Spider-Woman, Mr. Terrific, Phoenix, Manhunter, the Earth-2 Batman, and Warlock, among others. And page 13 has a "pin-up" of the Agents of S.C.H.M.U.C.K.*, including the Flaming Carrot, Al (or is it Al?) from the Space Gophers, Inc., Herbie, Dick Tracey, Bozo the Clown, and Boris Badenov(?). I always get a kick out of normalman. * stands for nothing in particular ALIEN WORLDS #8 [D+] This is the first of the final two issues, published by Eclipse in the wake of Pacific's demise. Like most issues of this title, it's a rather uneven collection of stories. There are two gems, however. A rather humdrum William F. Nolan story is accompanied by some very nice Al Williamson art. Man, that guy can draw when he wants to! The second is a rather humdrum Ken Steacy art job accompanying a delightful story about a kid who is determined to get a full set of "Venus Invades" bubble gum cards. Any collector should get a kick out of this one. "Number 14: 'Roasting the Family Cat'", indeed. SOMERSET HOLMES #5 [B+] Boy, am I glad that Eclipse picked this one up. Of all the Pacific titles, this is the one that I couldn't have lived without (except for the Rocketeer, that this). This book has probably Bruce Jones' best work ever (yes, even counting KA-ZAR --- KA-ZAR was more entertaining, but this is a much more strongly plotted and written book). Here, we finally learn what Somerset's background is, and how she got into her predicament. Of course, there is still a resolution to come, one that I'm eagerly anticipating. This is one limited series that deserves to be collected into a graphic novel format. Hell, it *is* a graphic novel, in the true sense of the word, and one of the best ones, to boot. And Brent Anderson's no slouch in the art department, either. This comes highly recommended. OMAHA THE CAT DANCER #1 [C] This is another biased review, since, like CAPTAIN PHIL AND HIS INTERGALACTIC SPACE PALS, this comic is published by two friends of mine as Steeldragon Press, and is written and drawn by another friend, Reed Waller. Anyways, this is definitely an ADULTS ONLY comic, so if you don't care for undergrounds, you can skip this review. The Omaha story started out as a full-length story in Dennis Kitchen's BIZARRE SEX #9, and was followed by a short sequel in BIZARRE SEX #10. Just recently, a prequel of sorts showed up in Kitchen's DOPE COMIX #5. Now Steeldragon Press is starting off with a regular comic, picking up where the BS #10 story left off. The two protagonists are Chuck and Omaha, two humanoid felines (in this milieu, the world is inhabited solely by humanoid "animals", who seem to get along rather well (by which I mean, you don't have each species sticking to its own kind and being antagonistic to other species, like you get in most humanoid-animals-in-control-of-the-world type stories)). In the first Omaha story, Chuck and Omaha get innocently stuck in the middle of a scandal of large proportions, involving an underground "entertainment club" (where Omaha was an exotic dancer) and numerous "men" of high social and political standing. They flee their home town of Mipple City (Minneapolis, where Reed Waller lives), and trek to San Francisco, hoping to keep a low profile until things blow over. Unfortunately, one of the hometown gang bosses would rather see them dead, and in this issue, we see Chuck and Omaha, arrive in Frisco and deal with a thug of Andre de Roc's, who's out to get them. Waller's storytelling is quite good, and his characters very likeable --- or very unlikeable, in the case of the villains. And the artwork is much better than most underground artwork is (though don't expect another Byrne, Perez, or Adams). A rather nice, erotic comic book. I repeat, though: this comic has some quite explicit sex scenes in it, though I wouldn't say that they were in bad taste. Keep that in mind if you're tempted to look at this comic, but are turned off by sexual matter. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA