Lazarus #1

Lazarus #1

Written by Greg Rucka
Art and letters by Michael Lark
Color by Santi Arcas

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Review
Well that is an interesting start.

I have to admit that this book didn't quite have a huge hook for me. It was good, and I am a huge fan of the art and the story, but it seemed like it was missing something.

Rucka and Lark were a dynamic team with Brubaker back in the Gotham Central days, and I've been missing Lark's artwork for some time in a book that I would read. This issue doesn't disappoint. There is just something about it that fits with this story. Having flashy superhero stuff isn't always a good look for Lark, outside of something like the Bendis penned Daredevil back in the day. Grounded isn't the right word to describe it, but it is definitely something close to that.

The world that Lazarus is set up in seems like a sorta generic setting for a dystopian society. There didn't seem to be that something that made this stood out of the pack and gave it a feel like it might turn into a generic plot for an 80's movie. But i trust this creative team. I know we will get some great character work and the art will shine along with it.

The blurb on the inside front cover definitely helps to give everyone a setting for the story. There are some topics that are discussed in the main book itself, but that blurb was what hooked me and really sold me on the world that the characters would be in. Nicely done.

If this issue was done by some other creative team, I think I would find it boring and walk away after this first issue. But it is Rucka and Lark, so I know that something good has to be coming in the book, and I hope to see it soon.

Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 8/10
General Feeling After Reading: Not excited, slightly hesitant.
Buy Next Issue: Let's see where this one goes.

The Malevolent Mr. Burns #1

The Malevolent Mr. Burns #1 

Gail Simone, Mike Kazaleh, Ian Boothby, Chris Houghton, Nathan Kane, Tone Rodriguez, Andrew Pepoy, Dean Rankine, Karen Bates

Review
While I don't read the regular Simpsons comics, I am a huge fan of these one shots that come out quarterly spotlighting various characters. This issue featuring Mr. Burns happily carries on the tradition of a great book with some spot on stories.

I think my favorite story was the second one that spotlighted some history on the hounds of Burns. Specifically, the story is about his first hound, Nipper. Nipper matched Burns in just about any way possible with being a runt and all. Surprisingly, it was Burns' intelligence that saved the day.

While a lot of the artists might not be showing their own style here, there is a great consistency from story to story that gives it the feel of having had one artist drawing the entire issue. It would be interesting to see some original takes on the characters with an artist's individual style, but there is such a distinctiveness to these characters that I think would be lost if shown in a different light.

This issue's insert of special goodness was a cut out mask for a Batman type parody featuring Mr. Burns complete with a letter from Mr. burns that provides some added humor to the mask. If it weren't for that letter, I don't think the mask would shine nearly as much as you would think.

The next issue focuses on Lisa, which should be interesting to see. I know that if it keeps of with the level of goodness that this issue has had, then there should be no worries.

Grades
Words: 9/10
Pictures: 10/10
General Feeling After Reading: Jubilant.
Buy Next Issue: Bring on Lisa!

The Flash #21

The Flash #21 

Francis Manapul: co-writer and artist
Brian Buccellato: co-writer and colorist

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Review
Oh, I see what you did there - calling Kid Flash so damn "impulsive."

Har. Har. Har.

Quick issue recap - two people run around for an entire issue doing nothing while the big bad Reverse Flash comes in for a page or two and kills someone.

I feel like the issue ends in the same way it started - not knowing much more about anything. Flash evens admits in the first few pages that he knows Kid Flash isn't responsible for the killings. So then why chase after him? Flash says that he knows Kid Flash is hiding something, and that his police instinct is telling him so.

Let me tell you a little something - police instinct only works in Hollywood and works of fiction. Strangely enough, it doesn't really do much to reveal more about Kid Flash if you haven't already been reading Teen Titans.

There was a lot of talk about Kid Flash taking Flash's name without asking in this issue. But no other reason was given for why he took it. Just for Flash to "get over it." Is that a message to fans? Maybe, maybe not, but I would have to really think hard about why Kid Flash didn't call himself Flash and why did he put the title "Kid" in there as well.

That "conversation" between the Flashs (Flashi?) take up a majority of the issue. We then are surprised to see some pages devoted to some subplot that feels like it has been building at a snail's pace with Daniel West. Iris gets a mention. And then we are treated to more murders on the part of Reverse Flash.

Here is a stat for you - the guest star in this issue had more pages and time to show his character in this one issue than Reverse Flash has had in the past three issues he has appeared in. So when I wonder what the problem is with this book, I will point to that at first.

Grades
Words: 3/10
Pictures: 5/10
General Feeling After Reading: Disappointment.
Buy Next Issue: Regrettably so.

100 Bullets: Brother Lono #1

Brother Lono #1

Azzarello, Risso

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Review
Well, maybe I should have finished 100 Bullets. Maybe.

As a first issue, the book does the job it should do, in a way. Let's not mince words, Azzarello has a style and Risso have a style and they are sticking to it. Personally, I've just been burned out by it. It happened when I was reading Wonder Woman and I just wanted something a little more from Azzarello. Even reading Spaceman from this creative team had some limits for me.

This feels like work that has a lot of potential to be really great, but the creative team is just at the minimum requirements table. This is something I've said about Azzarello before, and I think it is starting to take it's toll on how I view Risso.

Risso has some great visuals, which is really helpful in tackling the lightness of Azzarello's script. Maybe there is more that Azzarello puts down for artist notes that I'm not taking into account, but all his character's text sounds very interchangeable. Insert panels from the original 100 Bullets series and see how the characters come across as very predictable and formulaic.

It is just painful to see something that has so much potential just not care enough to put more on the page.

Grades
Words: 4/10
Pictures: 8/10
General Feeling After Reading: Deflated.
Buy Next Issue: Nah, I'll get the eventual trade. Maybe.

Animal Man #21

Animal Man #21 

Jeff Lemire: writer
Steve Pugh: artist (1-7, 10-13, 16-20)
Francis Portela: artist (8-9, 14-15)

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Review
What if Twitter attacked a comic book? That is the question you get at the beginning and end of Animal Man. For me, it hit some right notes as well as showed some foreshadowing to the rest of the comic. So, pretty much right on with how Twitter is in real life.

Animal Man's world collide as his agent tries to push a more public profile for him just as he is still recovering from the death of Cliff. It is a nice setup that pushes the story forward ever so slightly, if only in the regard that we are moving away from the crossover elements from Rotworld.

This is a story that I think Lemire is still finding his voice on. I see the steps moving forward, and I am curious as to where it will go. The visual display of the Tweets really do make for an interesting commentary and was nicely done within the art.

My only issue with this comic comes with the art, actually. It is another guest artist coming in to fill in for some pages. While at times it does seem appropriate, such as when Max goes to the Red, the times when Pertela is in the 'real world' are just very off from the rest. Look at the layouts from that one page where Buddy is visiting the crazy cat lady. It is just riddled with world balloons. Things just don't feel as smooth and I bet a different layout could be used for the sequence that would cut down on the exposition or allow another way to make the words fit.

Animal Man survives to live another day on my pull list. I heard that there are rumors to an upcoming artist change for the book, which may serve well enough to give the book back a distinctive art style that is consistent from page one to the end.

Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 7/10
General Feeling After Reading: Intrigued.
Buy Next Issue: Living to be read another issue.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #21

Red Hood and the Outlaws #21 

Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Julius Gopez
Thumbnails by Ken Lashley

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Review
You know, Red Hood isn't sucking it up.

That's is about what I can surmise from this issue and the direction that the series has taken since Tynion took over writing duties. It can be a little wordy at times, and the art feels inconsistent from issue to issue, but it isn't too bad.

One thing that I absolutely didn't like seeing was Hugo Strange. As a classic Bat-villain, I just wanted a little more realism to his classic look. here he seems to be as fit as can be, and I just see Hugo with at least a pot belly.

There is an introduction of sorts to another major Bat-villain as well, and I must say that it makes sense to include him in this book considering how Jason came back to life. But with the introduction to this character, we get a lot of assassin types showing up, and they all seem to be very colorful characters themselves. I'm sure that more will be explored in that area, and I'm not entirely against the idea of them appearing.

I still feel like Tynion is finding the character's voices in this series, but there has been enough progression from issue to issue that has kept me on board. I was just excited to see someone other than Scott Lobdell on the book, and so far there has been some pay off.

The art had thumbnails drawn by someone else other than the main artist. That is a rare credit that I see in comics. In fact, the last time I remember seeing something like that was when J.G. Jones did it for the 52 weekly series. This also isn't the first time that Gopez has had some assistance with art duties in some regard in this series, which to me is a telling sign that either he can't keep up with the monthly pace, or he doesn't know what he is doing. This book obviously isn't a huge selling book each month, so there is some leeway to give some experience to someone who needs it, but I want to start to see some improvement sometime soon.

Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 5/10
General Feeling After Reading: Intrigued.
Buy Next Issue: It continues to hit the pull list for another issue. Good sign.

Mara #5

Mara #5 

Brian Wood, Ming Doyle, Jordie Bellaire

Solicitation & Preview

Review
This should have been issue #3.

The comic continues to move at a snail's pace. Thankfully, where the writing has taken a very slow, somber pace, the art and colors more than make up for it.

The only reason I am continuing to pick up the book is because it is a limited series and I just need to see how it ends. Honestly, from the way things are going, we are going to get an ending a la 2001 A Space Odyssey where Mara becomes a star child or she pulls a Dr. Manhattan. Either way, color me bored with the story.

Maybe I'm just bored of seeing what happens when ordinary people get all powered up and the world reacts to them. Maybe I expected more from Brian Wood. I didn't expect to read a decompressed story that sounded very interesting at first but has taken a complete nosedive from there.

I know I try to recommend more indie stuff to people, but this comic is very skippable. Which is sad, because Wood should have done more with the story to really have Doyle and Bellaire shine more. They are both great, but Wood could have really given them something better than this.

Grades
Words: 3/10
Pictures: 7/10
General Feeling After Reading: Tired.
Buy Next Issue: It will be the last one.