The Weekly Crisis - Comic Book Review Blog

I didn't read the Nova issue. Can someone please s...

2010-03-19T18:22:20.152-03:00

I didn't read the Nova issue. Can someone please spoil the big reveal and save me $2.99?

JM Eyechart is a sublime writer with impeccable pa...

2010-03-19T18:12:52.752-03:00

JM Eyechart is a sublime writer with impeccable pacing, sharp dialogue and entertaining plots. He’s also a guy with some offbeat if not wacky ideas. JMS is, at the very least, able to write layered and consistent characterizations and his storytelling is never boring.

His bonehead brainstorms on Spidey were the result of editorial fiat, ie Joey Q’s chronic ADD about what to do with Marvel’s flagship character. I’m convinced JMS was so nauseous about having to tie Spidey into the horrible HoM event that he made Parker’s mutant superhero also a world-famous wrestler (!), skinhead, actor, coward and Gwen-smooching Green Goblin as a parody of Joey’s serial killing of the regular Spidey arcs.

JMS’ Thor was vastly superior to Grant “Don’t Call Me Jim” Morrison’s All-Star Supermotocross, which jumped its first shark with issue #4 and bottomed out with his madman’s take on Kandorans and his obsession with making the Bizarros give the reader a headache.

I always sample a new team on WW—Lynda Carter helped mold my young libido—and thought Simone would hit it out of the park. The stunning lack of originality—apes and Nazis? Only Kazar should have the former and Cap the latter. And then WW’s latest secret ID is as some Agent 13-type SHIELD agent who works for a Nick Fury clone, Sarge Steele? C’mon. Why not Rock Rage? Tug Tungsten? Ian Ore? Hey—wait for it--Rip Ares?

Speaking of dead Greek gods, Marvel’s Hercules’ arcs about Amazons and the Greek Pantheon were actually far superior Wonder Woman stories (barely concealed by Pak/Van Lente to be just that). Simone’s whole run seemed to be grasping, desperate….she must have inherited Loeb’s office when DC sent him undercover to ruin Marvel.

Let JMS create a new world, give her a bi-babe love life that ranges from that Red Tornado Robot Guy to an uninhibited romp with Power Girl. Get artist and amateur gynecologist Ed Benes to draw it and ride those star-spangled briefs high up and deep in and WW will sell more copies than the mega-thingy Heroic Brightness.

Sincerely,

Parthuman/jonqpublik/FZ1

I wonder how many of the Simone Run haters would b...

2010-03-19T14:38:16.718-03:00

I wonder how many of the Simone Run haters would be hating if not for the ill timed Amazon Attacks story leaving a bad taste in everyone's mouth?

I liked both Rucka's and Simone's runs and looked at them as different but believable takes on the character.

But I must also say the Blackest Night stuff left a bad taste in my mouth because of one BIG reason... the Batman thing... How everyone signed off on THAT being the reason she could overcome the Black Ring over her fellow sisters and the Earth was complete bunk!

All this being said, I am eager to see JMS' plan....and equally scared given his history with big comic projects....

People got it wrong. Not just about spacing. Lac...

2010-03-19T14:35:54.175-03:00

People got it wrong.

Not just about spacing.

Laconic sentences.

I think churchill grew grew on me a bit. I'll adm...

2010-03-19T01:38:37.300-03:00

I think churchill grew grew on me a bit. I'll admit i hated him at first. I feel like there were some characters on the battle cowls that never appear and that always bothers me.

I'll be picking up Wonder Woman for the first time...

2010-03-19T00:45:33.658-03:00

I'll be picking up Wonder Woman for the first time in 3 years. Can't wait

"Single unified vision?" Simone's take on Wonder ...

2010-03-19T00:31:26.237-03:00

"Single unified vision?" Simone's take on Wonder Woman was haphazzard at best. I am looking forward to new hands to take the Amazing Amazons to new heights. The profile alone of JMS is greater than Simone's. More causal reader will join the Wonder Fandom.

This is a great relief for most of us Wonder Woman...

2010-03-18T23:48:17.072-03:00

This is a great relief for most of us Wonder Woman fans (the ones who dropped the book because of Simone's terrible take on the character). Very happy about this!

He'll do a stupendous job with the Wonder Woman an...

2010-03-18T23:46:10.536-03:00

He'll do a stupendous job with the Wonder Woman and Superman books. Simone's run on Wonder Woman was terribly disjointed and rather poorly written. I glad he's taking over.

@Boston - What about the Gail-specific fan who als...

2010-03-18T23:28:32.972-03:00

@Boston - What about the Gail-specific fan who also happen to JMS fans? And the fans who have never read anything by JMS? Or the Wonder Woman fans who dropped off when Simone came, and now will see if JMS is any good?

I'm looking forward to JMS coming on board. It's ...

2010-03-18T22:47:08.943-03:00

I'm looking forward to JMS coming on board. It's time for some new blood.

Very much looking forward to JMS. It's time for s...

2010-03-18T22:38:36.227-03:00

Very much looking forward to JMS. It's time for some new blood on the title.

The previous Rhino issue was great; it seemed like...

2010-03-18T22:23:41.577-03:00

The previous Rhino issue was great; it seemed like it was going towards a old Rhino and new Rhino confrontation that would take old Rhino back on the path of crime, but surprisingly, it didnt.
When I saw that there was going to be a new old Rhino vs new Rhino story I thought that there was no way Kelly would do exactly what he avoided in the previous story. Sadly, I was wrong. I mean, the art was great and the writing was very entertaining, but I hated this issue even more than the stupid previous one, because it actually managed to take the Rhino back on the path of crime in a cliche way that was masterfully avoided in the previous issue.
Im sorry, but despite being an actually good issue I cant help but think that this was too depressing to be enjoyable (and that comes from a guy who loves Daredevil and The Walking Dead)

JMS's THOR was great and he's largely responsible ...

2010-03-18T22:20:21.214-03:00

JMS's THOR was great and he's largely responsible for SHE-RA, and I believe he'll do solid work on Wonder Woman. I'd love to see his take on Diana, but this is not good timing.

I think this change is unnecessary and premature. Gail's run is just hitting its stride, and she has a lot of seeds planted that will never see the light of day.

I don't see a major boost in sales beyond JMS's first few issues. The die-hard Wondie fans like me will stay. The Gail-specific fans will go, and the JMS fans will come on board. If history is any guide, sales will rise, then sag. DC management will panic and interfere with JMS, and he'll leave in the middle.

It's not like we're going from some hack to a mega-star. Simone to Straczynski is a lateral move, not a vertical one.

@Jonathan - I only have the data since I joined We...

2010-03-18T21:31:35.339-03:00

@Jonathan - I only have the data since I joined Weekly Crisis last year, but the following dates had Marvel on top (at least the top 3):
06/24/09 - #5 Nova, #4 Dark Wolverine #3, #2 Guardians of the Galaxy, #1 Uncanny X-Men
08/26/09 - #3 Nova, #2 Fantastic Four, #1 Guardians of the Galaxy
10/07/09 - #3 X-Men vs Agents of Atlas, #2 Ultimate Spider-Man, #1 Criminal: Sinners

It's Dr Jeremiah Arkham. Grayson kicked his arse t...

2010-03-18T21:15:01.187-03:00

It's Dr Jeremiah Arkham. Grayson kicked his arse this week. And that is Dick's first tropy for the batcave as his tenure as batman.

David Hine is continuing his story in Detective comics soon.

Can someone spoil Black Mask's identity? I'm reall...

2010-03-18T20:59:46.825-03:00

Can someone spoil Black Mask's identity? I'm really curious.

As a life-long WW fan who dropped the book during ...

2010-03-18T20:49:20.140-03:00

As a life-long WW fan who dropped the book during Simones run(shortly after ROTO concluded)I'm very excited to see what JMS has planned.

I read IH 607 and 608 and none of the other Hulk t...

2010-03-18T20:31:06.323-03:00

I read IH 607 and 608 and none of the other Hulk titles and was lost. I didnt understand how the two issues meshed together and the recap page didnt help. Did I need to pick up some other Hulk title to understand this issue?

This is how I feel when I pick up a random DC title. Oy.

I would have said Siege was the biggest flop from ...

2010-03-18T20:01:19.593-03:00

I would have said Siege was the biggest flop from Marvel this week if it wasn't for Dark Avengers. We're supposed to believe Sentry doesn't question why his wife disappears after getting into a plane with Bullseye?! Mental instability is one thing, but Sentry would have to be practically brain dead not to connect the dots that Bullseye obviously killed her. And considering his speed and other powers, can't Sentry just take a couple of minutes to scan the entire tri-state area to locate her body and figure out that she didn't just randomly commit suicide?

On the DC side of things I was quite disappointed with GLC and the big Black Mask reveal in Batman read like something out of Scooby-Doo .

So far I have very negative feelings about Catgirl...

2010-03-18T20:01:15.817-03:00

So far I have very negative feelings about Catgirl, but it could just be due to that horrible black and pink Halloween outfit. One of my main problems with Daniel's run is that I feel he stuffed in way too many villians just so that he could draw them. And I still don't understand Black Mask's plan.

The Top three books were marvel. has this happened...

2010-03-18T19:59:38.905-03:00

The Top three books were marvel. has this happened before? may have to mail you some random marvel issues, i think you joined the merry marvel marching society.

@ Air: I didn't mean for my comment to seem like a...

2010-03-18T19:51:01.611-03:00

@ Air: I didn't mean for my comment to seem like an attack on you or anything, I didn't even see it when I posted my comment. I was just talking about some of the reviews and comments I've seen at other sites where people have given the issues of Siege 8s and 9s for scores.

I really enjoyed Viking. I did find some of it har...

2010-03-18T19:12:52.187-03:00

I really enjoyed Viking. I did find some of it hard to follow, especially considering the release dates seemed to spaced too far apart to the detriment of the book. The art was by far my favorite part, and now I want the hardcover, but don't know if I'll spend the money considering I already bought the issues.

Regarding the "Green Punisher" direction, it looks...

2010-03-18T19:05:44.520-03:00

Regarding the "Green Punisher" direction, it looks like DC might be sticking with it. The Source announced today that they were gonna go with an outlaw vigilante direction starting in June, and from what I read it seems that they will still be invoking the Grell run on Green Arrow. So Johns might have been off when he told you that you'd be more pleased with the future direction of the title.

Two things on Batman. Is Catwoman still the castaway child of the Falcone family? I thought Loeb wrote that into her character, makes her teaming up with a Falcone Catgirl sound slightly fun. And in the Winick arc of Batman last summer Grayson was written as fighting more acrobatically. That was one of the ways Two-Face could tell there was someone new under the cowl.