April's Pull list - Action Comics #1000

So, my plan had been to write a single blog post about all four comics which I picked up over April and jot down my thoughts about each.

Then I wrote a near essay about Lazarus #27.

As a result, rather than write the other three together, I figured I'd split them all up and write my thoughts individually.

Action Comics #1000.
What an awesome cover.
Photo from Comixology.

So next up (given they came out on the same day) was the landmark issue of Action Comics #1000, which I picked up simply so I could say I had read it (it's a part of comics history after all). This book was released as an 80 page mega issue (presumably a page for every year of its existence) and offered many varied takes on Superman from a vast array of great creators, many of whom having had (or will have) a connection with the Man of Steel, each offering a story befitting the world's first superhero.

Full disclosure time, I had initially planned to read this first. However, after struggling through the first story late at night (so presumably due to tiredness), I gave up and decided to move on to Lazarus and come back after. Well, I'm glad I did this because, upon returning to Action Comics #1000, I loved all eighty pages of this issue as every single story was a fantastic read and incredibly relevant to Superman as each portrayed him in the way I certainly feel the character is (and, based on Twitter, I think others do too).

Of course, while I enjoyed every story offered here, there were some tales which resonated with me more than others. Chief among them had to be 'Faster than a Speeding Bullet', which saw Superman putting his all into reaching a woman before he is shot, despite knowing he won't make it. I absolutely Loved this story as Brad Meltzer not only nailed the idea that, despite knowing he'd fail, Superman never gives up but also that his influence appears to rub off as the victim doesn't appear to either. This story telling, coupled with Cassaday's gorgeous art just made this a joy for me to read.

 

And I noticed that, despite all other difference, the theme all these stories share is that Superman isn't just a crime fighter, he's someone who inspires people to be better. The Car, by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner and Oliver Coipel (whose usually glorious art looks truly fantastic here) is another great example as, after stopping a crook in his car, Superman appeals to the crook's better nature. I loved this story just as much as 'speeding bullet.'

The same occurred in the Fifth Season written by Scott Synder and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, where Superman confronts Lex Luthor regarding a new evil scheme. Again, much like in 'the Car', despite the animosity between the two characters, Superman still manages to bring the best out of his nemesis by the end. This goes on and on throughout the issue; from the City that has Everything, Actionland, and Enemy Within, all of these stories continue the idea that Superman's very presence and existence makes everyone, heroes, villains, regular bystanders, better.

The, there was Tom King and Clay Mann's 'Of Tomorrow' and Louise Simonson and Jerry Ordway's 'Five Minutes', both of which I absolutely adored (probably Five Minutes a bit more than Of Tomorrow) because I think they gave some greater insight into what makes Superman tick and how he came to be the man we all know. His doing everything at once in a five minute interval wall really enjoyable and truly felt like Superman's life on an average day (you know, when he's not battling Kryptonian armies or giant robots or whatever). Meanwhile, Superman's bidding farewell to his parents in 'Of Tomorrow' just brought a tear to my eye.
 

In truth I could gush about this issue forever and a day. While I thought it would be good (because when you have A-class talent you have on this book, you are NOT buying an unknown quantity of writing and/or art), the fact is that Action Comics #1000 is a phenomenal, providing me with stories of the Superman I know and love, depicting him how he should be.

 

Which leads me into the final story, Truth, by Brian Michael Bendis and Jim Lee, which appears to be set up for the Man of Steel mini due out over June. While I was in two minds about what Bendis would with character when his run finally started, this 'preview' has me fully on board, so well written was the story and characters (the dialogue between the two women in the café were quite the highlight for me). In fact, I'm now seriously torn on whether to buy that mini-series, mainly due to the fact it would exceed my budget (first world comic buying problems).

All I can hope from this issues is that a lot were like me and bought it because it's the 1000th issue and, again like me, they now want to jump on board both Action and Superman (and any other comic for those new to the hobby). Superman deserves more attention and recognition than I ultimately think he gets and now we've been given absolute proof that creators at DC understand how the character ticks, maybe comic fans will be shown more often.

Because Superman is a great character and (in my opinion) far more relatable to Batman.

And this issue proves it!

April's Pull list - Lazarus #27

April is a big month for me, comic wise, this year. Not only has is it big because it's the month with the most comics I've picked up so far in 2018, but also because of what those comics are. This month sees Lazarus return from (what feels like) a long break, the Terrifics reach its D-Day with me as their first arc concludes and, of course, Action Comics reaches its landmark milestone with a massive 80 page issue 1000. Those are pretty big in my book.

There's also Marvel Rising issue 0, but I'm not sure it compares in scope to the others.

So, let's get started.

Lazarus #27. Photo from
Comixology.

First up was Lazarus #27, which returned from its hiatus with the first installment of a two part story which focusing on Jonah Carlyle and what happened to him after having escaped Hock imprisonment and faking his death in the Conclave arc. This issue picks almost immediately after, as Jonah, found adrift and near death off of the coast of Bittner Territory is taken in by a family running a fishing boat. It is with them than Jonah, going by a fake name, attempts to build himself a new life, far removed from the one he once had.

Now, I've tried a couple of times to try and write my thoughts on this issue in some clever way. However, when all is said and done, the simple truth is that I really enjoyed this issue and thought that it was one of the strongest of the entire series (and there's been a good number of strong ones). The thing is that, while there are a good number of reasons why it's so great, it's not because of the title's consistent action or political aspects.

In regards to the story, for me this issue succeeds because of its simplicity. Rucka has completely about turned from how the books usually written and, instead of being dark and cynical, has written an issue wish shows us some more positive views of humanity; acts of kindness, compassionate and love. What made this better for me was that the central character was Jonah as, not only have I been intrigued about where he ended up (I did almost expect him to just 'reappear' in Forever's door at some point), but he comes off as so humble, caring and likeable compared to his initial appearance that I feel badly for thinking badly for him at that time.

And then, of course, there is Michael Lark. From reading this series along with the X-66 mini, as well as from Twitter, it is pretty common knowledge that Lark has struggled with injury and maintaining his work schedule. However, this issue is further proof that I'm glad they opted against acquiring a fill in and waiting on his return. Every single panel in this issue, from the trawler working out at sea, through to the tear in Jonah's eye is absolutely gorgeous. I can do nothing but look at it in awe it's so beautiful. I wish I was smart enough to have more to say but that no other words are necessary. The art is flawless as always and even if the story completely crumbled I think the art might still be worth the price of this book.

I really do love Lazarus, it's a testament to its quality that it is still on my pull list when so many other titles have gone (what can I say, I'm a fussy guy), but this issue is something really special. I am now afraid for the future of this title because It is going to be a quarterly title meaning waiting three months between installment (and they'll be bigger and so, presumably more expensive). However, what concerns me more is that the world of Lazarus is not a happy place and, given this is a two part story, I fear that Jonah's new found contentment may be incredibly short-lived.

Either way, I'm looking forward to next month to find out.

Anyway, onto the next comic.

Re-reading.... the Activity

So, a thing I'm trying to do more of this year is re-read old series within my comic book collection. This is primarily so that I can trim down my comic book collection, determine what I still enjoy and what I don't and make moves to dispose of the latter while keeping the former.

I've already done it with a number of series since the end of November, with series like the Flash Brightest Day and Hellboy: The Wild Hunt gone while Abnett and Lanning's Heroes for Hire staying.

A few weeks ago, while riding the bus to work (which I said I'd stop doing and swap for my bike, but the blasted British weather), I finished reading Nathan Edmondshon and Mitch Gerads' the Activity, a sixteen issue military series which was released through Image starting mid-2012 and finishing late 2014 (and yes, based on that math, there were some big delays during the last few issues).

The Activity follows the exploits of the Intelligence Support Activity, a top secret black ops unit of the American Military who take on the missions which require a level of problem solving no one else can do (in a very A-Team fashion). This series follows the exploits of the ISA's primary 5-man unit, Team Omaha, as they partake in hostage rescues, enemy captures, traitor's executions and beyond in the (secret) service of their country.

I remember when I first bought this series it was due, in large part, to Nathan Edmondshon's name being on the cover. With the (then) recent conclusion of Who is Jake Ellis? and that series impressing me greatly, the fact that he almost immediately followed it with this ongoing series with a beautifully compelling cover just made the Activity too much of a must buy. This, to my recollection, made the purchase of this series something I didn't regret, despite some long delays between the later issues, it turned out to be a very pleasant read.

Jump to the present and I'm happy to say that the same still rings true, despite some more obvious problems cropping up (possibly because now I'm a more cynical individual).

Unlike my past memory, the Activity doesn't have the best start to its run with the stories contained in its first couple of issues feeling a bit clunky and lack in its ability to draw me in. This is possibly down to the writers attempt to get comfortable with this new world while simultaneously trying to give the reader all the pertinent information. Unfortunately, for me, while it succeeds in telling about all the players, it struggles to capture like it did all those years ago.

Fortunately, from issue 3 this changes. The writing seems to find its footing and the self enclosed stories with the bare minimum of ongoing plot thread feels a lot more fluid and engaging. Even after the concept changes and a more overall 'big bad' villain appears in the latter half of the series, I found Edmondshon's writing remained very compelling with some great, detailed characters who all share the spotlight with no single main character (which I think is a rarity in comics these days), one of whom I'm kinda sad to see go midway through. 

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the done-in-one format that remains predominant through the run, as it feels like a breathe of fresh air compared to other books, being a better example of being able to pick up any issue and enjoying it without missing too much information. That said, this line of thinking isn't across the board as there are two flashback issues (ironically drawn by covering artist Marc Laming) which I really struggled to get behind, as they seem to lack the more compelling state of the current day issues. However, I don't think this is do with the art, but simply a change from the writing style employed which just didn't sit right with me and isn't actually from a lack of talent, merely a personal preference.

Speaking of the art, I absolutely love the artwork provided in this series. Mitch Gerads, whom I hadn't ever heard of prior to this series, offers an incredible gorgeous and realistic take on this military world which looks incredibly fitting as well as it seems to give an (presumably) accurate portrayal of the military while still making the visuals compelling. What gives it an edge though is Gerads' use of computer-like location boxes to really sell the hi-tech notion of the series. While I had never heard of him until this series, seeing this art again is a reminder of how he's gone on to bigger and better things like Mr Miracle.

Meanwhile, Marc Laming does an equally stellar job at filling in the gaps left by Gerads with a style not dissimilar to the main artists work. Again, I've seen little of Laming's work prior to this point (and, admittedly, I've seen little after) but I've heard a lot of praise from others for his work and the rationale behind it shows. It's a shame that I couldn't get into the stories on his issues, but my poor reception of those has little to do with the art and makes me wonder why Laming isn't on more high profile books (though, maybe he is and I don't see them).

Sadly, I found that what is a good series is brutally let down by its final issue. I recall upon issue 16's release, after many months delay, I enjoyed the issue possibly due to the issue finally arriving and the series finally resolving. However, on this occasion I got to read the series back to back and unfortunately, compared to the rest of the series, this issue just doesn't stand up. The problem I found was that it felt like both creators simply wanted to get the series finished, with the story feeling badly written and the art looking a bit rough compared to the prior issues. This led me to not get as engrossed in the issue as I had done with many of the other issues which, given it was the finale, left me on a bit of a downer. That said, on a positive note, the issue did provide a poignant send off for one of the cast which seemed slightly obvious when reading the series in its entirety though no less effective. Despite this however, the final issue left a lot to be desired as it see,ed like only a shell of the other issues in the series.

Nonetheless, the Activity does (for the most part) hold up after all these years, especially in light of the chaotic political landscape we currently see in the news. I do wish that its final issue had ended things on a high compared to what it did do but this series still kept me immersed and entertained and has me planning to keep it around (at least for now) in my collection.

And that's what these re-reads are all about.

March's comics - The Terrifics #2 and Black Magick #11

So last week, as March ended, the only comics released from my pull list became available. It's rather embarrassing that, despite calling myself a comic book addict, I pick up so few titles. However, that will hopefully changing in the next couple of months so watch this space.

In the meantime though, I read both of my pick ups from the end of March, the Terrifics and Black Magick. Both of these comics were ones which I've been having trouble with regarding its prior instalments; the first issue of the Terrifics and the entire second volume so far of Black Magick.

Therefore, I thought I'd note down my thoughts on both issues, mainly so I could compare with the prior entries just in case, they gave me the same concerns as their respective series had so far.

Fortunately for both, all I have for these issues are good thoughts (mostly).

So, first up is the Terrifics #2, which sees the heroic quartet attempt to leave the dark multiverse after finding Tom Strong's message. However, a lot of surprises turn out to be in store for the four in both their escape and their subsequent return home.

Now, having thought about it, there is very little that I felt fundamentally changed with this issue from the last and, after the first read through, I was beginning to think this title wasn't for me. However, upon a fresh look at it the second time round, the Terrifics felt like a much more entertaining read. With this issue, I thought that the book gained a focus it was lacking in the first issue thanks to the objectives the team was set. While the book still lacked much in the way of background (with the exception of Phantom Girl), I did seem able to look past it this better than the last issue and found the plot more engaging.

Of course, there were still a few niggles, particularly in the other three characters. Metamorpho and Plastic Man continued to have that Thing/Human Torch dynamic which, while I do enjoy, feels a little too carbon copy of the original team up, to the extent that the former pair sound exactly like the latter in my head. Meanwhile, Mr Terrific comes across as a bit of a jackass, particularly with a final decision he makes in the issue, which makes it a struggle for me to connect to how I've always viewed the character. Of course, it may just be that transition as Lemire gets to grips with the characters, but I do hope all three become a little unique and a lot less 'arrogant' respectively, quickly.

That said, I found myself to really enjoy this second outing of the Terrifics. While it wasn't perfect, I thought that the pros outweighed the cons, with yet more great Ivan Reis art being the cherry on top. After I read the last issue I said that I wanted a terrific comic rather than an ok one and, while issue 2 isn't exactly terrific, is certainly moving in that direction.

So, after that, I read Black Magick #11, which finished the second volume of Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott's series and saw Rowan finally confront her enemy while Alex finds common ground with an old adversary. With this series, I've found issues six through to ten a struggle to be engrossed in, only managing to find them majorly enjoyable when reading them all together. Therefore, the series has been on borrow time, reaching issue eleven in large part due to the enjoyment of the first five issues.

 

However, with this most recent instalment I found the story to once again be exciting and engaging. It is here that I felt we got not only a clearer picture of who, specifically, the big bad was but the characters seemed to move forward in regards to their ability to fight back. It occurs to me now that his was deliberate by Rucka, to keep us in the dark as much as Rowan and Alex and allow the series to play out (initially) as a supernatural detective story. If this is the case, then I feel I've given this book a bad rap for the last five issues but, either way, I've found myself not only on board fully with the series but eager for the first time since issue 5 about where they go next.
 

Of course, I think we have been given an idea due to a two page spread which is so incredibly, gorgeous rendered by Nicola Scott. If the story and/or the writing has been a series of ups and downs from issue to issue, then art has been the constant to keep me coming back. Scott's art is truly amazing and, while I loved her art on Earth 2, in Black Magick she makes that series artwork looking etchings in comparison (a bit harsh maybe as Earth 2 looks great, but Black Magick's visuals are really THAT good). That spread, though, is the standout of the standout and has me pondering what we actually are shown; aspects of the past and future or those with a combination of Rowan's own dreams and/or fantasies? I guess only time will tell.

 

However, this is time I'm now willing to invest as Rucka and Scott have repaired much of my goodwill for this series with this latest issue, giving me a great deal of interest again for how the story will unfold.

 

And that's March done. A short month but it certainly gave me a lot to think and talk about. But most importantly, what it gave me was the opportunity to see both of these comics in a new light which, for one, reminded me why I was picking it up in the first place and, for the other, offered a hint of the reason I picked it up.

Now, I can prepare for April's comics, amongst which will be Terrifics true D-Day of whether it stays on my pull list. I'm currently in two minds as to which way it'll go, but I'm hopeful it can succeed.

I guess I'll find out in a month.