Tag Archives: The Lovely Roger Langridge

Game Tape: All is right with the world

by Matt

In honor of Free Comic Book Day, my LCS reopened across the street from the old store, and they threw a small party: complete with cake and special guest stars!

But that’s not why you’re here.

The euphoria of Wednesday books has worn off; now it’s time to review the game tape and see what worked and what didn’t.

It’s a short review this go round. Two books were worth writing about. Everything was pretty decent, but two stood out.

Did I mention last month that I like Andy Clarke’s art? There’s a pleasant and subtle grotesqueness to his art. It’s one of the things that make Batman and Robin #12 so enjoyable. The slow burn toward something big is really enjoyable. Morrison knows his storycraft; there isn’t a panel or word unnecessary. I’m beginning to like Damian, he’s growing into something interesting. We also get more clues heading to the time-travel adventures of Bruce Wayne. Looking forward to Mr. Peabody, Sherman and the gang using the Wayback Machine to track him down. As to the last page and the big reveal, DA-YUMN! A nice way to celebrate a year of this title.

This week’s Muppet Show #5 was interesting. As the various iterations and series progress, Langridge seems to be chaffing at the “show” part of the title. The early issues were very much episodes in comic book form. Now we’re getting a more extended plots and more focus on interactions backstage. This isn’t a criticism by any means. The book still proves to be enjoyable and clever if evolving into something more.

Jesse mentioned concern about a new artist. Meberson proved herself capable of capturing the Muppet look during her stint on Muppet Peter Pan. So it still looks great. Meberson has a clean and polished look that’s a treat to view. On the downside, there’s a certain manic quality that is now missing. It’s also more jarring than you might expect to see the characters in full figure more often.

I will briefly mention that

1. GI Joe: Origins #15 wasn’t so much an origin issue as it was a decent fish-out-of-water story dealing with Snowjob.

2. I’ve got a white ring now. Looks like I’ll be coming back from the dead in a non-zombie fashion.

3. Someone else is going to have to review Brightest Day. #0 didn’t hold my interest enough to invest.

This Week’s Comics

by Jesse

It’s a decent-sized run this time around! Here’s what I’m looking at this week.

  • BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 – A reminder that I haven’t read #11 yet, but this has been my favorite arc of a really strong Morrison run.  I don’t expect that to change here.
  • BRIGHTEST DAY #1 - We’re going to find out why these 12 characters (out of everyone who has died) were chosen to come back to life. However, I imagine I won’t really care.  Still, it’s $3, there’s curiosity and a freebie White Lantern ring, so I’ll bite.  The most interesting thing about the White Lantern so far is how it mirrors Kyle being given his ring by Ganthet waaaaay back in Green Lantern #50.
  • MUPPET SHOW #5 - And speaking of reminders, I still haven’t read #4 yet.  Still, this book never fails to delight.  I’m a little concerned how not having Roger Langridge’s art will affect the book, but since he’s still writing I’m unconcerned.
  • SHADOWHAWK #1 - Okay, I’ll cop to this being nostalgia tinged with an unsafe level of curiosity, especially since Shadowhawk symbolizes a LOT of what was wrong with comics in the early 90′s. Still, much like Image United (where’s issue 3, guys?!?!?!) this one’s siren song may be too strong to resist.  I’m weak, I know this.


Lots of solid freebies came out last weekend and I’d just like to run through the few I’ve read so far.  I haven’t gotten to the big titles, but here are some of the indies I was able to go through.

Love and Capes - This honeymoon issue was a great intro to the book, which I’ve been wanting to check out since hearing Thom Zahler on the War Rocket Ajax podcast.  A cute book with some genuine laughs, this is the “what if Lois and Superman” were really married book.  Well done, I’m just tired of the Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman analogues in every indie book about superheroes (and I say this hypocritically knowing I have plans for one, too).  Let’s invent some new characters, folks.
Oni Press Free For All - All three shorts were entertaining, but Salt Water Taffy by Matthew Loux towered way over the others…Over anything else I’ve read from FCBD 2010, actually.  It’s rare that a comic can elicit laughs (or laffs, if you’d rather) from me, but SWT did.  I’m definitely going to pick up the first 3 collections now. Well played, FCBD…Well played.
Overstreet Guide – It’s probably about time that Overstreet tried protecting its own interests in comics, but I would have much rather seen a real comic.  Kids can totally learn the anal-retentiveness of comic collecting on the streets, they don’t need a handbook.
Irredeemable/Incorruptible - This a great intro to Mark Waid’s world where Superman goes bad (there we go again!).  I don’t know if these were complete issues of the first issue of each respective book, but it was a great primer, and I think I’m going to check out more in trades.

So, that’s it for me.  What are YOU looking at?

Random Reviews — Finally, I have things to compliment!

by Jesse

Finally!  A chance to spread the good word on some good comics rather than complaining that X-Babies exists!

Avengers vs Atlas #1 - If Matt and Hannah Montana have taught me anything, it’s that there are only 7 plots in literature,* so I wasn’t terribly concerned when I read his review of this book before I got a chance to read the book itself. I wouldn’t even say that this book fits the category of “teams meet, fight, realize they’re on the same side, then team up” unless you count earlier issues of the AoA ongoing and X-Men vs Atlas (which is fair because if you read comics then you should have been reading already). Recycled plots or no, it’s the way Parker puts them together than makes AoA so special. The humor, banter, and situations always feel fresh and novel, as if it’s the first time we’re seeing a Human Robot interact with a Gorilla Man. I don’t have much to say about this book that Matt didn’t say first, but I definitely second how great this was. The Namora backup was a weak story we’ve seen dozens of times before, but there’s still a lot of bang in here for your 4 bucks.

The Muppet Show #1 - This book? Well, if our frequent shilling for Roger Langridge and BOOM!’s Muppet Show books haven’t sold you yet it won’t now, but this continues to be the funniest comic on the stands. Langridge really gets a) comedy, and b) Muppets, and doing both is apparently harder to do than you’d think. After the damage done to the theater in “The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson”, the Muppets take their show on the road to any gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse that will have them. Fozzie, meanwhile, has temporarily gone his own way to rediscover standup (the alphabet at the end of the book was brilliant!). It’s a spectacular read, as always. The next issue should have the Muppets rolling into Little Statwald, which I can only hope is a town full of Stadlers and Waldorfs.

Thunderbolts #140 - This is more like what I was expecting from Jeff Parker’s Thunderbolts run. The Agents of Atlas/Thunderbolts battle is resolved and Jimmy Woo proves he’s willing to do anything to take down Norman Osborne, with unexpected results. Hopefully it doesn’t make me a bad person that the horror and shock of what happened was matched by thinking it was pretty funny (and a relatively ingenious twist). The dichotomy between the lighter Atlas team and the darker T-Bolts is certainly fascinating, though I’m afraid Parker may have made the Agents too powerful. We’re starting to see a lot of psych-outs by Marvel Boy and characters who are unaffected by Venus’ song. Still, we’ve had 3 AoA books this month, which is proof that Marvel either recognizes quality, is still working their “throw it on the wall and see if it sticks” publishing philosophy, or is just willing to print anything Jeff Parker wants to write.

Weekly World News #1 - I was amazed by how much I like this comic! The first story arc, “The Irredemption of Ed Anger” follows the regular WWN columnist (who tends to get “madder than a <NOUN> in a <RELATED NOUN>) and television pundit as he rails against the freaks and illegal (space) aliens that the WWN specializes in. Of course, this puts Bat Boy at the center of his rage. Chris Ryall puts together a very funny story here, and weaves in more disparate WWN regulars than you would think possible (and thankfully annotates them in the back).  Alan  Robinson’s art was quite good, as well: consistent, well laid out, and with only one facial expression for Bat Boy (as it should be). Ryall’s text piece in the back relates a history with Weekly World News that Matt and I can definitely relate to. I’m looking forward to more issues, especially after the last-page reveal. Anyone with a fondness for the WWN should be pleased by the comic, and I’m curious to see how far they can take it.

*Hannah Montana is “Man vs. Self”.

Random Links for Your Weekend

by Jesse

A few things I’ve enjoyed reading this week:

Game Tape

by Matt

Wednesday has come and gone. The heroes have fought their battles and villains have hinted at things to come. Now it’s time to review the game tape…

A warning, the last review is really grumpy. You’ll know it when you see the appropriate image.

I know I mentioned a while back that we should accept the genius of Langridge, but this issue needs comment. Muppet Show: The Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson #4 is a good ending to the arc and a nice segue into the next. This is the problem with the issue. It works too hard to serve the story. The clever variety of sketches are mostly gone because this issue has to wrap up the arc. Still, a poor Langridge issue is better than a good issue of most other writers. Next month: ROAD TRIP! WOOOOOO!!!

 

 

X-Men Forever #11 continues to demonstrate how far through the looking glass we’ve come with the book: Wolverine is still dead, Cyclops has still got a healthy son, Shadowcat has an adamantium claw, and Colossus is back in Russia as a champion and boy toy of a certain Black Widow. Seriously, this is the most enjoyable X-book out there.

Tony Daniel’s second issue of Batman was pretty uninteresting and mildly confusing. Daniel drew a passable issue, but he forgot to tell a coherent story. On the upside, Edward Nigma remembered something useful: he’s really the Joker…if a certain panel is to be believed. Morrison’s Batman and Robin #6 was adequate. The dial-in poll run by Jason is a nice moment for those of us who remember back in the day. On the other hand, Hannibal Tabu at CBR’s Buy Pile called it nicely when he said Flamingo is the Batman equivalent of Darth Maul. I’m waiting to hear Jesse’s take on the Doc Savage cross-over book. I do know the background and history of the character, but I’m not sold on the idea of needing him in the DC Universe.

Anyone remember the DC cross-over events MILLENNIUM, ALIEN INVASION, or BLOODLINES? Of course not, they suck. I fear Blackest Night will be the same way. I came to the realization while reading this month’s Booster Gold. DC’s plan to connect it to books to boost numbers hurts both the book the story ties into and the over all story. My beloved BG suffers because we’ve already dealt with Ted and his death. I can understand that Booster feels guilt and shame and anger, but bringing Ted back is an unfortunately literal depiction of the old chestnut, “beating a dead horse.” The only readable part of the book was the funeral/memorial. Reading Booster go down the list and point out why each hero attending is really a douche bag was entertaining. Worse, by throwing all of these sub-par tie-ins and mini’s, DC has managed to turn the potentially best GL story in…ever into a drawn out and over exposed flaming piece of stupid.

On the whole: not a great week for books. I won’t be reviewing for a couple of weeks. I’ll try to post something on those Thursdays, but with my travels in the next two weeks, I won’t be around to get books.