DONE-IN-ONE REVIEWS - JUNE 6th 2007

**B. Schatz** · #1 June 9th 2007, 07:42 PM

Done-In-One Reviews for June 6th, 2007

Done-In-One Reviews are capsule sized reviews of some of the titles we missed covering from this week’s comic book shipment. This thread contains those reviews below.

Done-In One Reviews

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #4 (Dark Horse Comics)
By Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty

With Willow in Amy's clutches, Buffy has to put together a rescue mission -- but there may not be room for a big strike force. With this issue closing off the first story arc, it's easier to look back and see how this series will take place. These first four issues, together, really have the feel of a single "episode," a self-contained story that puts things in motion for the series as a whole. Whedon has done a superb job of reintroducing his characters, especially to people (like myself) who only casually watched the TV show. Georges Jeanty is one of the few artists who has managed to find a balance, drawing characters that resemble the actors from the show without getting so overly-detailed that it begins to actively hurt the artwork. This is a wonderfully satisfying conclusion to the first storyline, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the season will go. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

Dynamo 5 #4 (Image Comics)
By Jay Faerber & Mahmud A. Asrar

It's Father's Day -- but what do you do when you've found out the father you grew up with isn't your father at all, and your real father is a dead superhero? As far as holidays go, Father's Day is often pretty underrepresented in the "very special issue" department, but this is hands-down the perfect book to really deal with it. Each of the kids has a unique home situation, and Faerber takes advantage of the holiday to delve into their personal lives in a way he hasn't done before with this book. The big mystery, the "new" Captain Dynamo, is only briefly touched upon, but that's okay. It's not really about him, and he does at least give us a dandy cliffhanger ending. Overall, this book really demonstrates the best of Faerber's work -- it's an issue with almost no action at all, but that's still as engaging as anything else Image is publishing. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

The Honor Brigade #3 (Spinner Rack Comics)
By Tom Stillwell & Bradley Bowers

The Living Log gets up close and personal with Toy Boy and Lightning Rod, explaining things about Lightning Rod's origin that even he didn't know, and we start to see how today's machinations at Plus-Co are tied into the past. One could call this the "origin issue," as we get into the truth about both of our heroes thus far and meet another. More than that, though, Stillwell spends this issue delving much more deeply into the past of his universe. From the beginning, this was a fun, adventurous storyline, but now we're giving it a closer look, seeing how complex the backstory really is. That's what really sells me on a comic book -- fun is important, but an intelligent, rich history is what gets it on the must-read list. If you haven't already started reading it, you guys have got to check out The Honor Brigade. Rating: 4.5/5 -Blake Petit

Hulk and Power Pack #4 (Marvel Comics)
By Marc Sumerak & David Williams with Chris Giarrusso

The Hulk has been accused of a rampage, but Power Pack has discovered the real culprit is his old foe, the Abomination. Hulk has the Pack on his side... but every other superhero in New York is ready to try to take him down. I've been on board for this incarnation of Power Pack ever since Marvel relaunched it as a series of miniseries a few years ago, and this is hands-down the most ambitious issue yet. Sumerak does a good job of balancing a pretty massive fight scene, and still really making it about the kids in the end. The book has a great Mini-Marvels back-up story by Chris Giarrusso featuring the Hulk on his first date with Betty Ross. Lines like "Arrow Man not Billy Cosby" nearly made me roll off the couch laughing. There have to be enough Mini-Marvels stories done to put out another special, Marvel -- c'mon, give us the goods. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

Justice League Unlimited #34 (DC Comics/Johnny DC)
By James Peaty & Gordon Purcell

When General Zod and his minions find a way to temporarily escape the Phantom Zone, Superman insists on going in after them alone. When he goes missing, though, the Justice League has to find a way to go in after him. This was a bit weaker than the usual issue of Justice League Unlimited. Superman isn't a rookie here, he's one of the big guns, and it seems a tad out-of-character for him to insist on taking on three Kryptonian villains without any help. Peaty also telegraphs the real mastermind of the issue too early. On the plus side, though, Booster Gold gets a really nice spotlight this issue, as he gets called up to the big leagues for the rescue mission, and any time you get to see Ted Kord in action, it's a book that makes me smile. JLU has been better, but it's still a decent read. Rating: 3/5 -Blake Petit

The Lone Ranger #6 (Dynamite Entertainment)
by Brett Matthews, Sergio Cariello, and Dean White

The end of the first arc ends with a… well, with a comeuppance, and sadly, not much more. This book has been great – and this issue is good – but something is glaringly obvious when you read this issue – more than any of the others. This is a book meant to be read all at once. Each issue takes a little longer than a month to get out – and so a lot can be forgotten in that span of time. At the same time, a lot of the momentum up to the final moments is lost – giving the moment a little less oomph than it should carry. I’m absolutely positive that once I read all six of these issues in a row, I will be blown away by this ending – because really, there’s nothing wrong with it – other than the fact that it relies very heavily on the push from the previous six issues to make it truly amazing. A new arc starts next issue – and now that all of the pieces of the Lone Ranger mythos are in place, things should only get better from here. Rating: 4/5 -B. Schatz

Nightwing #133 (DC Comics)
By Marv Wolfman & Jamal Igle

A run-of-the-mill rescue mission turns up a face from the past, and a new threat is on Nightwing's trail. Marv Wolfman has done a pretty good job of reestablishing Dick Grayson's life, and he continues to do so this issue. We get some more downtime with him on the job, we se a bit more of his supporting cast, and he even seems to be expanding it a little. At the same time, though, he's managing to put together a really interesting story with the new underworld structure of the DCU. Jamal Igle returns, and continues to prove why he was the right choice to take over the art on this book. He does a great job with Nightwing's acrobatic feats (which are really an essential element for this book), and the redesign of the character on the last page looks great. After a nasty run last year, it's great to have Nightwing back. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

Spider-Man Family #3 (Marvel Comics)
By Paul Tobin, Pierre Alary, Fred VanLente, Leonard Kirk, Roy Thomas, Jim Craig & Yamanaka Akira

This issue of Spider-Man Family is something of a mixed bag. The focus is on Spidey and the Fantastic Four, which is always an entertaining pairing, but the lead story is kind of weak. Spidey and the FF team up to fight a giant mummy (which is definitely fun), and then again against Electro. There's a lot of the standard misunderstanding-then-team-up stuff, which is really somewhat out of place considering the relationship between these characters even relatively early in their careers. The personalities are off as well. While it's true that many of the earliest FF stories made Sue subservient, this issue goes too far in the opposite direction, making her more aggressive than she's ever been painted. We also see the Scorpion drawn into battle with her former namesake, Mag Gargan, the current Venom -- a pretty good story, and certainly a logical one. Next is a reprint of What If? Vol. 1 #1, "What if Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?" This is one of my all-time favorite What If? stories, and it's a welcome addition to this book. The story ends with a new "Spider-Man J" tale (does the "J" stand for "Japanese?"), a reprint of the Japanese Spidey title. This is the first of those titles I've read and, honestly, I wasn't impressed with either the story or the artwork. This isn't a bad issue, but except for the classic reprint, there's really nothing to get excited about. Rating: 3/5 -Blake Petit

Strange Embrace #1 (Image Comics)
By David Hine (with Rob Steen)

Turns out, David Hine can draw. Who knew? Well apparently Richard Starkings did – he of Comicraft and Elephantman fame. Way back when, Starkings published a collection of this title in black and white – and now, it’s coming out from Image Comics in full color – and it’s great. Sukumar Kanitas goes on a delivery and ends up encountering a strange albino looking man who keeps stories locked away in his basement full of mushrooms. When condensed, the concept sounds a little silly, but the story itself is told in such a crisp, deliberate manner, you can’t help but feel the weight and gravitas. Not a whole lot seems to happen in this part, as we are just staring to get to know the players, but you can feel the building blocks move into place. Also, the coloring is absolutely incredible – each and every one of the pages has a old, worn look to them. Very nicely done. Check it out! Rating 3.5 -B. Schatz

Welcome to Tranquility #7 (DC Comics/Wildstorm)
By Gail Simone & Neil Googe

It's hard to tell exactly how to classify this issue -- it's either an epilogue to the first story arc in this title, a prologue to the second, or most likely, both. Now that Cragg is dead, the burial must be held -- but someone wants to make sure he isn't treated like a villain, despite how he died. Emoticon tries to connect to Lindo, and he's not the only one. We also get a brief look into Lindo's past, and a nice back-up story featuring the Pink Bunny in her prime. This issue reads primarily like a bridge -- it's good, but there's nothing here to really get you charged up. Instead, we tie up some loose threads and introduce some others. Every book needs an issue like this now and then: a spot to stop and catch your breath before you get on the next roller coaster. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

Ben Lehnsherr · #2 June 10th 2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Nightwing #133 (DC Comics)
By Marv Wolfman & Jamal Igle

A run-of-the-mill rescue mission turns up a face from the past, and a new threat is on Nightwing's trail. Marv Wolfman has done a pretty good job of reestablishing Dick Grayson's life, and he continues to do so this issue. We get some more downtime with him on the job, we se a bit more of his supporting cast, and he even seems to be expanding it a little. At the same time, though, he's managing to put together a really interesting story with the new underworld structure of the DCU. Jamal Igle returns, and continues to prove why he was the right choice to take over the art on this book. He does a great job with Nightwing's acrobatic feats (which are really an essential element for this book), and the redesign of the character on the last page looks great. After a nasty run last year, it's great to have Nightwing back. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

If Wolfman gives me two or three more issues of this quality, I might thing about picking this up. I love the character of Nightwing, but I never wanted to pick his monthly up because it was just plain awful. I took a look at this in the LCS, and it has making of a solid run.

Ryan Broussard · #3 June 10th 2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Dynamo 5 #4 (Image Comics)
By Jay Faerber & Mahmud A. Asrar

It's Father's Day -- but what do you do when you've found out the father you grew up with isn't your father at all, and your real father is a dead superhero? As far as holidays go, Father's Day is often pretty underrepresented in the "very special issue" department, but this is hands-down the perfect book to really deal with it. Each of the kids has a unique home situation, and Faerber takes advantage of the holiday to delve into their personal lives in a way he hasn't done before with this book. The big mystery, the "new" Captain Dynamo, is only briefly touched upon, but that's okay. It's not really about him, and he does at least give us a dandy cliffhanger ending. Overall, this book really demonstrates the best of Faerber's work -- it's an issue with almost no action at all, but that's still as engaging as anything else Image is publishing. Rating: 4/5 -Blake Petit

I am really glad I picked this issue up from the get go

**Blake Petit** · #4 June 10th 2007, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Magnus

If Wolfman gives me two or three more issues of this quality, I might thing about picking this up. I love the character of Nightwing, but I never wanted to pick his monthly up because it was just plain awful. I took a look at this in the LCS, and it has making of a solid run.

I've gotta disagree with something here -- the only time Nightwing's book has been awful was when Jones was writing it. Dixon's run was legendary, and Grayson didn't do too bad, although she got knocked around a bit at the end.

But it's definitely back in form.

Ben Lehnsherr · #5 June 10th 2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

I've gotta disagree with something here -- the only time Nightwing's book has been awful was when Jones was writing it. Dixon's run was legendary, and Grayson didn't do too bad, although she got knocked around a bit at the end.

But it's definitely back in form.

Jones was who I was referring to, sorry. I wasnt reading much of any DC when Dixon was writing and I hated the art when Grayson was on the book.

**Blake Petit** · #6 June 10th 2007, 03:48 PM

Ah, understood then.

Zap Rowsdower · #7 June 12th 2007, 02:42 PM

Why is Bruce Jones still allowed to write comics?

Ryan Broussard · #8 June 12th 2007, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zap Rowsdower

Why is Bruce Jones still allowed to write comics?

ummm where did that come from???

Blake do you think Welcome to Tranq will last....I am reading it as well and I get this top ten atmosphere about it and I don't see it lasting but maybe 3-4 stories total

**Blake Petit** · #9 June 12th 2007, 04:02 PM

I think it'll have a pretty good run -- sales are okay and it's a critical darling. A lot will depend on how well the trade paperback does. But my gut tells me it'll go as long as Simone wants to keep doing it.

**B. Schatz** · #10 June 14th 2007, 04:15 AM

It looks like it's numbers are stabalizing a bit - but if they did so a *little* quicker, it should be around for a good, long time. If it keeps sliding, though, it'll be around for as long as the Majestic book was...