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From: moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: "WARNING, WILL ROBINSON! MORIARTY REVIEWS APPROACHING! (Part I)"
Message-ID: <195@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Jan-85 23:19:33 EST
Article-I.D.: vax2.195
Posted: Thu Jan 3 23:19:33 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Jan-85 03:40:55 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Somewhere in Soho
Lines: 178
Ah, well, a good Christmas was had by all, and I've got tons of new
comics to review... Guess I'll review them in segments...
------------------------------------------------
"There *are* standards. If you can't see one, you *make* one and stick to
it come Hell or high water -- until you see a BETTER one."
-John Gaunt
****************************************************************************
|==>A< One of the best of the year. Example: Byrne/Claremont's Starlord |
|==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month (usually 6/month) |
|==>C< A well done, entertaining issue. Satisfying. Example: Jon Sable |
|==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex:Mars|
|==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish. Example: Secret Wars. |
|==>Z< Actually offensive. Example: Several of Haney's UNKNOWN SOLDIERs |
****************************************************************************
_M_E_G_A_T_O_N _M_A_N #1 [C+, but only for those who REALLY remember silver-age
comics]:
Some rather flat political satire, combined with one of the funniest
parodies of the 60's Marvel (and some Mort Weisenger (sp?) stuff) I've
ever seen. The bit about "What if he's not the *real* Megaton Man?"
was good, and the fight scene simply hummed with accurate pot-shots...
I'll bet Stan der Man was wondering who had filched his guide-book for
writing comics when (if?) he read this:
"SO, villain!"
"SO, avenger of justice!"
"SO!"
Meg states the obvious with just enough exaggeration to get a laugh,
which is probably not very easy to write. The Jimmy Olson parody and
the villains names (Doctor Software, The Revisionist Historian) were
also good.
Unfortunately, much of the non-Silver age satire didn't work. The
Doonesbury strips were atrocious, and I still haven't figured out
what Orson Welles is doing as President (Charles Foster Kane trades
Xanadu for the White House?). But, the more I read this, the more I
enjoy it... and the art is different enough to get it on this stand-
point alone.
----
_S_E_C_R_E_T _W_A_R_S #12 [D+]:
Okay, I'll admit... Jim Shooter isn't a TOTALLY bad writer. He just
seems to have a heck of a time with plot and characterization. The
conclusion to this was obvious... when you see everyone dead, you know
something's gotta happen, else Marvel's merchandising lawyers
assasinate every writer in the building. So, let me say that this
comics has atrocious art, terrible dialogue, and a hokey plot...
*but*:
1) Some of the humor is delightful ("Some of us ain't immortal, ya
know!" & Klaw).
2) The idea of such fantastic power is handled well... Doom can't
have a grasp on reality -- he IS reality! This has been done before,
but it is done with a good degree of panache.
Certainly not a good series, and I'm going to avoid the next one like
the plague; but has anyone noticed that you really could have bought
the last issue of the series to find out what changes had taken place
at the end of the SW? Shooter explains everything in about two pages.
Reminds me of the epilogue during the old "FBI" TV series...
----
_C_R_I_S_I_S _O_N _I_N_F_I_N_I_T_E _E_A_R_T_H_S #1 [C+]:
And now for something completely different...
Why do I enjoy this and not Secret Wars? Close correlation of charac-
ters to their standards; not throwing *everyone* in the DC universe
in; the probability that this will not have a "gosh, it was all a
dream!" ending; and general innovation by the author. For example,
the Earth-3 destruction was beautifully done... I enjoyed the irony of
Luthor sending he & Lois's child to Earth.
I think I can place this serie's excellence down to two things: good
writing and great art. Should be interesting....
----
_A_C_T_I_O_N #565 [Ambush Bug: B+]:
"And then there's the Bizarro ray... Me am SURE to include all
THOSE tales, AMN'T I?"
"I'm going ta hit you with one of the Greatest Truths of Our
Time!
"TEAM BOOKS SELL!"
Need I say more?
----
_C_A_M_E_L_O_T _3_0_0_0 #12 (finally) [B-]:
There is no question in my mind that this has been an excellent maxi-
series (despite lateness and some degeneration towards the end), and
while this is a bit of an anti-climax, it is still very good. While
the defeat of Mordred (and, in some respects, Morgan) was too pat (I
kept expecting John Carpenter to pop in and say "Cut!"), the books
still captures the mystique of legend, which is a very powerful thing.
Arthur's sacrifice goes down right... while I have a problem with the
last scene (I just cannot feel heroic about a one-eyed blob, sorry),
I liked the idea of the Grail reformed in the fusion of matter and
energy that results from Arthur's final act. As to the last few
scenes: the resolution of Tristan's problems were handled, well, logi-
cally; while I'll bet every Jerry Fallwell in the nation will show
this as a "typical" comic book, I thought it made sense. Much better
done was Gawain's homecoming, and *especially* Lancelot and Guineverre
together; a very nice touch. I wish they'd left it with Tom rebuild-
ing London; as Arthur's spirtual son, it makes sense that he carry on
the "family tradition" -- Arthur was supposed to be as great a builder
as a warrior. My only last complaint -- why must *all* of Bolland's
characters look so... wicked? Oh, well...
----
_N_E_X_U_S #7 [B-]:
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, whaat a feelin' -- Baron & Rude! Gee, it's nice to
have you back, to join our revelry; B-A-D (De writing's grand!), G-E-R
(Art's never bland!), N-E-X-U-S!
In short, there is justice in the universe (not to mention original-
ity...)
----
_D_R. _S_T_R_A_N_G_E #70 [C]:
You can tell just how good a writer Roger Stern is by the way the fla-
vor of hos comics remain almost constant despite a vast number of
artist changes (don't despair, Paul Smith'll be back next time, and
Bret Blevins does a very nice job...). If we only had a Dr. Strange
to convince all of us of the insanity of nuclear war (A very nice
ending)...
----
IN BRIEF:
_A_M_E_R_I_C_A_N _F_L_A_G_G! #19 [B]
_F_L_A_M_I_N_G _C_A_R_R_O_T #4 [C-]: Equivalent to "WHAT IF Chris Claremont
scripted a Flaming Carrot Story?"
_J_O_U_R_N_E_Y #17 (Now under Fantagraphics) [C+]: Wolverine's not even in
this one, but it just doesn't let up...
_G_R_I_M_J_A_C_K #9 [C+]
_M_A_G_E #5 [B-]: Probably the most visual comic in comics these days...
each issue seems to last about 2 minutes. Partly due to lack of
dialogue, partly do to very fluid storytelling...
----
More later on these CBS stations...
"Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute..."
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
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