Comics Roundup for 10/5/11

Action Comics #2 - Back when DC did the Superman:  Secret Origin miniseries, my main complaint was that it really didn't feel all that new as it attempted to retell the origin story of Superman.  With this relaunch though, we're definitely getting a Superman that we haven't seen since the character was first created in the late 1930s - albeit with a more modern sensibility, of course.  I like it that they've de-powered him, as it makes his physical feats seem much more impressive - more Herculean even.  I also like that he's such a representative of the establishment like how Frank Miller portrayed him in The Dark Knight Returns.  This Superman is a rebel, and he'll kick your ass for all the right reasons.  Anyway, this was a fun issue, but I was surprised that we already have a fill-in artist for half the issue.  Brent Anderson is a decent artist, but I'm really digging what Rags Morales is doing even more.

Detective Comics #1 & #2 - Since this was such a slow week, I decided to give Tony Daniel's take on Batman a try.  It's pretty good for the most part - and it's rather dark stuff as well (just as Scott Snyder's Batman is).  Daniel has quite the inconsistent art style though.  Maybe I need to take note of the inker, as it doesn't look as good here as it did when he was writing and drawing his first arc back when he was doing Batman.  Anyway, I'll stick with this series for a few more issues at least.

Justice League International #2 - While not nearly as much fun as the first issue, this was another solid installment of a team book that definitely has its own feel to it.  One thing's for sure, Booster Gold is definitely the star of this series, and that's okay with me as he's proving to be a pretty interesting character.

Superior #5 - I wind up saying pretty much the same thing about everything Mark Millar writes - it's entertaining and you always feel like there's enough plot development in each issue to justify the purchase.  This issue was no different, and while I thought that this series didn't feel original enough at first, it definitely has its own bag of tricks to it now that a Faustian bargain has been added in to the mix.

Not depressed enough to be depression

I want to start off this entry by stating that I've actually had a pretty good week, and I had a good day today as well.  I'm feeling pretty good, as I'm having some positive feedback at work, and I'm having fun with both my wife and my son.  With that said, I've been meaning to write about this for a couple of weeks now, as I wonder how many people can relate to this.

I went to therapy a few years ago because I was not dealing with small failures very well.  I screwed up a batch of homebrew and basically broke down crying.  I've screwed up batches before - and since, and I don't usually react that way.  It was basically the final straw, as I'm the type of person who blames himself for all kinds of things that aren't my fault, and as critical as I am of, well...EVERYTHING, I am incessantly critical of myself.  I can hear ten sincere compliments in a day, but if I hear one off-handed insult in that same day, that's going to be the only thing that fills my thoughts.

Basically what I learned to deal with in therapy was to recognize that I'm too damned hard on myself.  It still happens though, of course.  And while I'm genuinely a good-natured person and usually feel pretty positive about the world, sometimes I feel like just walking into a corner, curling up into a ball, and hiding from the world.

It doesn't happen often, but it comes and goes every now and then.  Different things will trigger this sort of feeling.  Sometimes it will be a bit of criticism that I hear.  Just a few weeks ago, I heard that a student transferred out of my class because it was "too hard".  Even though that's not really my reputation, and I'm sure that most students will find that to be laughable, I took it to mean that I suck and probably have no business teaching at all.  That's ridiculous, of course, but I felt that "Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt..." feeling of Hamlet's.

Sometimes I get that feeling when I just hear people who live in little bubbles say stupid things.  Sometimes I feel it when I hear people sputter thoughtless talking points that they parrot from some megalomaniac dimwit.  You know, crap like "class warfare" when you mention bringing the tax rates back to what they were when Clinton was in office.  Those kinds of things are even worse when I'm basically looking at a pay cut due to all the projected furlough days for my school district.  That kind of thing sure as hell doesn't help me to feel good.

Other times it will hit me when I think about my son.  The strange thing is that most of the happiest feelings I've ever had in my life have to do with him.  Today when I was going to take him to the park, he was hanging out with his mom, but he reached out to me when I indicated that we were about to get going.  He's the proverbial ray of sunshine in my life.  However, when I look on him as he sleeps, I sometimes feel like I love him so much that it hurts.  I worry about the future.  I worry about all the hardships that he'll have to face.  I worry how he can possibly make it in this world.

But then I look at my mom.  She was born in Germany two years before the country surrendered in WWII.  How the heck could her parents bring anybody into a world like that?  And then I worry about my son?  Logically, I know that he'll more than likely be okay.  At the same time, I feel like anything bad that ever happens to him will be my fault for playing my part in bringing him into the world.

Usually when something triggers it, I tend to think of all the other things that make me feel this way.  It's like thinking about one of them triggers something where I wind up thinking about all of them.  When I'm feeling positive though, the reverse tends to happen - one happy thing makes me think of a lot of other happy things.

Anyway, I'm not suicidal.  I don't walk around with a dark cloud floating above me all the time.  I'm not feeling extreme enough to be taking medications (as far as I can tell).  I enjoy my beer, but I still average only 1-2 a night - hardly enough to be "medicating" myself.  Overall, life is pretty good, but every now and then I feel like there's the entire Earth on my shoulders, slowly crushing me down.  Luckily it doesn't last long.  As I'm getting older, I'm just learning to deal with the fact that this is something I have to battle from time to time.  Certainly there are people who deal with far worse - both physically and mentally.

And I know what some people who are reading this out there might be thinking.  They're thinking that I'm obviously missing something from my life.  If only I had that thing that they had, then I'd feel more able to deal with those sad moments.  Well, if that's what you're thinking, let me just say that the thought of getting hooked on heroin only makes me feel more depressed - and the same goes with any other opiate.

Comics Roundup for 9/28/11

Big week, so I'm going to keep these as brief as possible:

Aquaman #1 - I've read quite a few of these "New 52" titles from DC, and I think that this is easily among my favorites.  I've liked the character back when Peter David was writing his title, and I liked him when he appeared in Grant Morrison's JLA, but I'm still surprised at how much I wound up liking him in this one.  This is Geoff Johns at his best, as he has a knack for making superhero stories focus on character.  Also, Ivan Reis is easily one of the best superhero artists working today.

Brilliant #1 - This is the new creator-owned series from Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley.  What did I think?  It was okay.  I'm buying too much stuff right now though, and I didn't like it enough to check out the next issue.

Justice League Dark #1 - I wasn't originally planning on getting this title.  It was interesting though, and I might check out the second one, but honestly, I doubt that I will.  I'm not familiar enough with many of these characters, and I didn't feel like I really got much of an introduction to them.

Kick Ass 2 #4 - Pretty violent stuff going on in this one, but what else would you expect?  It's still entertaining as hell, and just like the first series, I don't think that it would necessarily work as a movie.

I, Vampire #1 - I had no intention of getting this one until I read a bit about it and saw some of the preview artwork.  Andrea Sorrentino's artwork reminds me of Jae Lee, and that's a good thing.  Anyway, this certainly feels different from everything else that's out there, and I liked it for that reason.  It was also nice to see that it focused primarily on a long-standing debate between two characters.  Plus, we're likely to see the rest of the DC Universe get involved with all these vampire shenanigans.  Too bad Blade isn't part of the DC Universe.

Superman #1 - As modern as Grant Morrison's Action Comics feels, this other Superman book feels positively old school - well, old school for me anyway, as I started reading in the 1980s.  You definitely get a lot of story packed into one issue, and that's a nice change of pace.  Still, I'm a bit disappointed to hear that the creative team will be changing after issue seven.  Hopefully they can keep it good.  Oh, and an unmarried Superman is definitely the way to go, so I'm glad that this is another marriage "undone".

The New Avengers #16.1 - Norman Osborn returns as does veteran artist Neal Adams.  While Adams's work doesn't hold up to his stuff from the 70s and 80s, it's still pretty good, even if he does make Norman Osborn look more like Harry Osborn.  Anyway, I'm interested in what they're setting up here, and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen in what's easily the best Avengers book on the stands.

The Amazing Spider-Man #670 - Dan Slott is doing a great job of building the tension and mounting more and more problems to Spider-Man's situation in the continuing "Spider-Island" storyline.  I wonder what the long-term impacts of this story will be?

Wolverine #16 - I liked this issue well enough, but I felt that it resolved Wolverine's current self-loathing a little too quickly - or at least, it seems like it did.  Hopefully next issue will show that he still has a lot more healing to do.

Captain America and Bucky #622 - Not much to say about this one other than it was another solid installment in a storyline that started when the series changed its name.  Bucky has come a long way in Ed Brubaker's hands, and he's no longer just the sidekick who died.  Oh, and I still think that they're going to be bringing him back.

The Flash #1 - This was a series that I bought primarily for the artist.  Francis Manapul is doing a nice job in that department, and he makes the revised version of Flash's costume work better than Jim Lee does.  As for the writing?  Manapul is co-writing with Brian Buccellato, and this issue is a pretty good start.  I'm down with the next issue.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #1 - This was pretty good.  I don't think that I liked the writing as much as I did on the first go-round with this series - at least, not with just the first issue as my criteria.  Hopefully with Paul Jenkins on board though, this storyline will have a more satisfactory conclusion.

Comics Roundup for 9/21/11

Batman #1 - What a difference an artist can make.  Scott Snyer, who comes off of an excellent run on Detective Comics is the writer of this relaunched Batman title, but it feels like a completely different animal in the hands of artist Greg Capullo.  I liked the two artists that were working with him on Detective, and I like Capullo, so I can't say that this is any better or worse.  It just feels a bit more like a post-Image superhero comic now.  Anyway, everybody looks younger, and I think that this was probably the mandate from the higher ups at DC.  That's tough to pull off when you have a Batman who's on his fourth Robin, but Bruce Wayne doesn't look ridiculously young at least.  I don't have much to say other than that I enjoyed this, and I bet that it will be even better as the story continues to develop.

Captain America #3 - This is another fun, straight-ahead superhero comic.  There isn't really a whole lot going on story-wise, as it's really a bit of an extended fight scene.  Still, it's done well in the hands of artist Steve McNiven.  Captain America versus a giant Captain America robot.  What's not to like?:

Nightwing #1 - I recently reread Chuck Dixon's run on the original series, and I really enjoyed that.  This was a pretty good start to a new series, and I'll stick around for the next issue at least.  I also like the subtle blue-to-red change in his costume.  It works a bit better, I think.

Avengers #17 - Just like the past few issues, this really doesn't add a whole lot to the series or the Fear Itself crossover in general.  I'm glad that these crossover issues are over after this one, and I'm looking forward to the next issue.

Wonder Woman #1 - I liked this one when I first read it, and it got better the more I thought about it.  Brian Azzarello said that he's trying to create a "horror" comic with this series, and he's succeeding while at the same time remaining true to the character and her roots in Greek Mythology.  Basically he's just taking the horror elements that already exist in Mythology and turning them up a few notches.  I've been waiting for a Wonder Woman series that I could really get into, and it looked like I was going to with the last relaunch of the series, but that just didn't work out.  Hopefully this will be the version for me.

Daredevil #4 - The only thing that upsets me about having Marcos Martin and Paulo Rivera taking turns on the art chores for this book is that they're no longer doing any work on The Amazing Spider-Man.  Oh well, at least this is proving to be a solid new series, so I'll get to see their work on this title.  Mark Waid does a good job of building on the elements that he established in the last issue while setting up an intriguing new story where Matt Murdock has to help out a blind guy who got fired from his job without any real cause given.  Of course, there's more to it, as Murdock is now helping clients who have to represent themselves in court.  Plus, there are a hell of a lot of laser sights on Murdock and his client by the end of this issue.

Comics Roundup for 9/14/11

For anybody who's reading my "Comics Roundup" for the first time, allow me to explain the point of all this:  Mainly, it's a way for me to keep on top of what I'm buying.  I find myself less likely to buy stuff I don't really want when I have to take the time to write about them.  I guess you can call them mini-reviews, but I don't feel the need to be as thorough as I would if I was actually attempting a legitimate review site.  Also, I try to only buy what I like, so most of this stuff is pretty positive unless the title takes a sudden shift in quality.

The Amazing Spider-Man #669 - See the cover there?  That's the exclusive variant cover that you can only get at my local comic shop, Flying Colors.  Anyway, I'm enjoying this "Spider-Island" storyline well enough, but I think that Humberto Ramos's art is starting to get a little sloppy.  Maybe two issues a month is too much for him.  They should have split it up a bit.  Also, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to know who this "Queen" is at the end of the story.  Was she in the comics before and I just don't remember?  Maybe I'll try to Google it later.  (Just did.  Okay, I did remember her - barely.)

Batwoman #1 - As much as I liked the art of JH Williams III when he did the character over in Detective Comics, I just couldn't get into the story for some reason.  Now he's co-writing it with W. Haden Blackman, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  The art is gorgeous, as expected.  The story?  Interesting enough for me to at least check out the next issue.  I'm not sure how good of a jumping-on point this is for new readers though.

Daredevil #3 - I didn't like this as much as the previous two issues, but the end wrapped up with some interesting twists, so I'm still sticking around.  I find myself liking all the courtroom drama even more than the superheroics.

Criminal:  The Last of the Innocent #4 - I wasn't sure if I liked the ending to this at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was pretty much perfect.  Pretty dark stuff going on here, and I wonder if there's any way for Ed Brubaker to revisit this character (or at least some of the characters).  I doubt it, but it might be interesting.  A comeuppance is in order.

Fear Itself #6 (of 7) - This is a decent enough of a story, but it seems like it could have just run in The Avengers, as it's not special enough to warrant its own series.  The art by Stuart Immonen is top-notch like always though.

Green Lantern #1 - Forgive me for being blunt, but anybody who was enjoying Green Lantern, and saw the reboot as a "jumping off" point, is an idiot.  This might as well be Green Lantern #67.  Sure, it tries to set things up for new readers, but it's continuing on what was done in the last series.  Plus, the creative team is exactly the same.  Only "jump-off" if you don't like what was going on beforehand.  Otherwise, quitting it over the numbering is stupid.

The New Avengers #16 - Captain America tried to recruit Daredevil to the team when the first New Avengers team started.  DD didn't accept.  However, now he's in, and this was a good way to get him on the team.  I like the character and I like this title, so I'm looking forward to what happens from here.

Batman and Robin #1 - While I still think more could have been done with the Dick Grayson/Damien Wayne dynamic, Peter Tomasi does a really fine job with Bruce Wayne back as Batman in this series.  There's definitely a lot of potential here when it's literally father and son, especially when that son is Damien.  While I liked Tim Drake as Robin, I have to say that it's far more convincing that Damien could kick as much ass as he does, considering that he was raised by Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins.

Demon Knights #1 - What can I say?  I wanted to give something new a chance with all of these reboots.  I've always found the character of The Demon, Etrigan, to be fascinating, and I'd love it if I could have that Jack Kirby Omnibus featuring the character.  Anyway, I liked this - a bit of medieval sword and sorcery, and I'm interested enough to at least check out the next issue.

Comics Roundup for 9/7/11

Action Comics #1 - This was probably the one relaunched DC book that I was looking forward to the most - even more so than Justice League. Even though I'm not a huge fan of Superman, I have been known to pick up his comics from time to time. I was genuinely excited for this one though because Grant Morrison is writing, and some of the best recent Superman comics - nay, comics in general - were his All Star Superman issues.

I also liked the whole conceit of the story - really getting Superman back to his roots. Before this came out, I took the time to read my Superman Archives, Volume 1 which reprints Superman's earliest adventures. I was surprised at what I read, as I could almost see a bunch of Fox News pundits protesting the character if it had come out just recently. Superman was proactive and represented the truly oppressed and downtrodden. My favorite example of this is when he trapped a bunch of rich people down in a mine in order to get the mine's owner (who was among the group of rich people) to improve the working conditions of his employees.

So what did I think of this relaunch? Good start. We've got a real (Super)man of the people here, and it was cool to read the throwaway line about how he dealt with a guy who was abusing his wife (something he did in one of those adventures from the 1930s). I also like the fact that he hasn't completely developed his powers just yet. Plus, Lex Luthor is given a pretty good motive for hating Superman. Don't get me wrong; he's still evil. However, now his reasoning could actually convince a person that Superman is an enemy of mankind.

Batgirl #1 - I figured I'd at least check out the first issue of this series so I could find out how Barbara Gordon is able to walk again. Unfortunately, all we're told is that "a miracle" happened. Now, I can buy miracles in a comic book universe, but I still feel like a plot point this significant should be given a bit more than a throwaway line. Perhaps they'll follow up on it in future issues. That said, I found this to be a really compelling story. There was an interesting bad buy and some great characterization. I especially like the fact that her paralysis is still a significant part of who the character is. She certainly doesn't seem to be taking it for granted that she's up on her feet again.

Justice League International #1 - I wasn't originally planning on getting this one, but I'm glad that I did. In a way, it was a more satisfying reading experience than the first issue of the much-hyped Justice League. It has the sort of character dynamics you'd want in a team book, and it doesn't feel like Dan Jurgens is just riffing off of the now-classic series of the same name that took the book in a more humorous direction. Everybody's in-character - especially Batman and Guy Gardner/Green Lantern - but I don't feel like I've seen these interactions before.

Spider Island - The Avengers - Yeah, this is kind of a shelf-filler issue that capitalizes on the mini crossover running out of Spider-Man's book. Still, it was a lot of fun - especially the bit about Hawkeye being one of the people to get Spider powers. That would be amusing enough, but the fun thing is that he really sucks at using them.

The New Avengers - Annual #1 - This was disappointing. Wonder Man elaborates on why he thinks that the formation of The Avengers is a bad thing. He enlists some guys to create The Revengers. Then he beats the crap out of the New Avengers. At the end, he's on his way to Avengers tower to take on the main team. The second part of this, in Avengers Annual had better offer a good payoff to all this. Plus, I don't know why they made such a big deal about Gabriele Dell'otto drawing this issue in the ads. The art kind of stinks, if you ask me.

Wolverine #15 - While bordering on turning Logan all emo, this was a compelling issue. Basically, he got his world destroyed last issue like he never has before, and now he pretty much just wants to die. How can you die though when you heal from a wound almost as soon as you get it? That's the question, and I'm eager to see how Wolverine will eventually get his mojo back.

Comics Roundup for 8/31/11

Justice League #1 - This is it, the first of the "New 52" from DC Comics, where they've rebooted the entire DC Universe. How was it? Pretty good, I'd say. I was actually having a bit of a hard time getting into it at first, but it picked up once Green Lantern met Batman, and it got even better when Batman casually yanked off GL's power ring. There were definitely some nice character bits, and the new version of Superman gets to make quite an impressive introduction.

I realize that there are probably some folks out there who would have preferred to see all the members of the league together in this first issue, but I think by doing it this way, Geoff Johns is leaving some room for some character development and an emphasis on how these heroes are all different from one another.

Jim Lee's art is pretty good here as well, but he usually turns in some good stuff. While not the best when it comes to storytelling and layouts, he always has enough genuinely cool moments to make one of his comics worth the cover price.

Flashpoint #5 (of 5) - And here is the end of the old DC Universe. Overall, I'd say that this was a pretty good crossover miniseries, and I'll repeat the reason why. While involving many different characters, it was smart to focus on only a few. That's what made the ending work so well, and the fact that it provides an explanation for why things are somewhat different now is only a bonus.

The Amazing Spider-Man #668 - I have to say that I'm enjoying this "Spider-Island" storyline a lot more than I thought I would. I guess Dan Slott is just a good writer, and he's good at getting the reader involved with what's happening. As always, I really feel like I get a lot of story out of each issue, which is a nice change of pace for comics nowadays. Also, while I've never been a big fan of Humberto Ramos, I also find myself enjoying his art more than I would have figured.

Secret Avengers #16 - I realize that this issue has the fanboys drooling, but I found myself not liking it much at all. Apparently the Secret Avengers are in a place fighting some people for some reason. While there were some nice character moments, overall I found myself not giving a crap about anything that happened. It's too bad, as I was really looking forward to this. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, but I'm going to give the next issue a serious looking over before picking it up. I just might be done with this series. (What has the fanboys drooling? Warren Ellis is writing the series for a few issues, this one being the first.)

Rocketeer Adventures #4 - This is the last issue of this series, and I think that it did a pretty good job as a tribute to Dave Stevens's character. While the strongest stories were in the first two issues, the rest of the series was decent enough. I especially liked the story by John Arcudi and Brendan McCarthy this issue with the female Nazi version of the Rocketeer.