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Current Comics Worth A Look

Captain Marvel # 13

Captain Marvel # 13
written by Peter David; drawn by Michael Ryan and Chris Sotomayor
Marvel; monthly; $2.99 cover price

(Okay, this isn't current. What can I say? At the moment I <s>am confined to kittynh's basement and limited to the comics she is able to confiscate from students</s> do not have access to the most recent comics. But this one is recent enough that you can probably still find it without too much difficulty.)

Those of you who have been following this series (or my previous reviews of it) are probably aware that the title character, Captain Marvel, (a) has near-godlike powers, (b) thinks he is god, and (c) is insane.

In the current issue, the Illerans (not to be confused with the US) have invaded Kahafan (not to be confused with Iraq) in order to free the inhabitants from the brutal yoke of oppression they were living under.Unfortunately, the Illerans have had to remain on the planet in order to maintain order, and the Kahfans do not seem properly grateful for this...

Enter Captain Marvel, who arrives just in time to save the Illeran occupiers from a menace that crops up. The Illerans are grateful.

But then Captain Marvel stays on. And just as the Illerans have attempted to impose their values on the Kahfans, CM attempts to impose his values on the Illerans.
Captain Marvel: So I'm afraid your system of religion simply won't do.

You see, once you had amultiple deity pantheon, and that was coherent. Different gods, different personalitieis, different activities.

You could blame various different gods for misfortune and thank others for blessings.

But this monotheistic tripe you spout now... It just won't do. It leaves you with just one god with a severe multiple personality disorder.

An obvious madman. A malignant thug.

... if you're intent on worshipping a madman, then you need look no further than me...
Click to expand...
For those with a dark and warped sense of humor, Captain Marvel is an entertaining and provocative comic. This particular issue is a good one for those unfamiliar with the series to sample, since it features a complete-in-one-issue story.


last edited by kittynh on 11-05-2003 at 4:15 AM
 
Wonder Woman # 195

Wonder Woman # 195: "The Mission"
written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder
DC; monthly; $2.25 cover price

(Okay, this isn't a current comic, but it's not more than a couple months old.) I'm hoping Kitty can confiscate the next issue or two for me soon, so I can see what happens next.)

Wonder Woman has gone back and forth over the years between being portrayed as a fierce warrior and as an ambassador of peace. With this issue, Greg Rucka takes over as writer and the emphasis is once more solidly on the latter aspect. While in the past she has often been referred to figuratively as an ambassador of peace, here she is a literal ambassador (of Themyscira, the island she comes from).

Warrior women are in plentiful supply (in comics, at least), but peacemakers are rarer, so it is good to see Diana once again embracing positive ideals. (Especially nice is the revelation that Diana is a vegetarian.)

Diana has only a small role in this issue, with the focus on introducing the new supporting cast (the people working in the embassy). There are a number of good bits and pieces, such as a cameo appearance by Superman. Also nice are references to real-world groups such as Amnesty International, the Souther Poverty Law Center, and the ACLU.

One of the best sequences in the issue concerns a meeting between Diana's legal staff and representatives of a publishing house about a book of essays Diana has written. The publishing company pitches the cover design they would like to do -- book title, cover picture, cover copy -- and Diana's people then show the cover design Diana wants. I wish I had a scanner, because you need to see this to appreciate it fully, but the essential point is that Diana's version is simple, straightforward, non-manipulative and non-exploitative (and elegant to boot).

To me, that puts Diana in the rationalist camp. Irrationalists rely on sensationalism to sell their material. (Look at the covers of supermarket tabloids, or of paperbacks that promote paranormal beliefs, for examples.) It is sometimes tempting to try to fight fire with fire -- to use irrational sensationalism to try to sell people on rationality. But the means one uses shape the ends one attains. Irrational methods promote irrationality even when used for rational causes.

Diana, in this sequence, comes down on the side of using means one can feel good about -- means that appeal to the best in people rather than the worst. She has enough faith in the truth of what she is saying that she doesn't need to dress it up with sex appeal or other glitter. I like that, and think that's a pretty heroic stand for a comic book character to take.
 
Iron Man # 73 (or 418)

Iron Man # 73 (or # 418)
written by John Miller; drawn by Jorge Lucas
Marvel; monthly; $2.99 cover price


This is chapter one of "The Best Defense," the start of a new direction for the character.

From time to time, comics writers have asked -- what if the hero were faced with a problem that couldn't be solved by punching people out and blowing things up? -- and some interesting stories have resulted. The current Iron Man storyline raises and explores just such a problem.

Basically, the problem is this. Years ago Tony Stark was a right-wing munitions manufacturer who made a fortune selling weapons systems to the US government. Over time he matured, moved leftward, and refused to build any more weapons or to allow any of his technology to be used for military purposes. The US government is not happy about this, and has for many years been trying to do something about it. An error Tony Stark made recently has allowed the US government to legally appropriate a great deal of technology that Stark thought he had protected.

Other writers have dealt with variations of this problem in the past, but Miller has come up with a brilliant new idea for how Stark intends to deal with it. I don't want to give away Stark's solution (although I've posted a link with information about it below), but I will say that it is intriguing enough that I recently subscribed to Iron Man (a title I had not been buying) based solely on advance news about this development.

The highlight of the issue is a nicely-done 5-page conversation between Iron Man and Captain America. That leads into a climactic fight (strictly verbal) between Iron Man and an Under-Secretary in the Defense Department, and that in turn leads into the startling last-page development.

Spoiler warning: For those who don't already know what that development is, and would like to know more before looking up (or buying) the comic itself, here is a news story that discusses this storyline in greater detail.
 
When did Marvel get so left-wing? Last time I looked (the mid-90s) DC had the leftfield stuff covered with their Vertigo imprint and Marvel was doing all these reactionary "Ultimate..." books and endless variations on The Punisher. I'm not complaining btw, just making an observation :D
 
Nova Land
Rather sad, someone else that reads as many comics as I.
Good thread.

I've scanned through it so far, but have one more title to add.
Scars - the entire mini not a specific issue.
Written by Warren Ellis

Ossai
 
I've just discovered Y: The Last Man. Very cool, and with one of the best lines I've read all year:

"Who are they? Terrorists?

"Worse. Republicans."

:D
 
Nova land,

Reading your reviews and compiling a list of books to look for next time I visit the shop. Thanks.


Here's a deal:

CONAN: THE LEGEND #0
words by Kurt Busiek; art by Cary Nord.
Dark Horse; $0.25 cover price.


Twenty pages of story plus a three-page sketchbook. I assume the price is an industry ploy to lure readers who would be unwilling to fork over $3.00 for a character who hasn't (as far as I know) been used for quite a few years. It worked with me.

The story is obviously an introductory piece, with Conan established as the mighty king who, like Arthur, will return in a time of need. Busiek's done some nice work in the past (Astro City, Avengers), so I hope he can create a compelling Conan yarn.

Definitely worth a look at the price. Nice artwork by Nord, who I believe is a newcomer to professional comics.
 
Queen and Country, written by Greg Rucka ( and earlier mentioned by Nova) just finished a mission storyline and will begin a new one next issue (#21). This latest one, "Stormfront," was a doozy. Greg Rucka (and artist Carla Speed McNeil with the cover of issue #20) did a great job of building a certain expectation, only to have things take a different, more satisfying route. This is espionage without all the "Alias" (tv show, not comic) gimmickry, and a shootout isn't the only way to get out of every situation.

My only gripe with the series is that a new artist comes on board for each mission storyline. It seems that just as I've adjusted to seeing the characters drawn a new way, a new artist comes along. It can be somewhat disconcerting.
 
I was at the store yesterday buying a gift for my niece, and I happened to pick up The Book of Bunny Suicides , it was the funniest comic that I've read in a while. I couldn't find any on the web to link to, but the next time you are in a book store, it's definitely worth checking out.
 
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