Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site decwrl.DEC.COM Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian From: boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) Newsgroups: net.comics Subject: Jayembee Reviews Message-ID: <1507@decwrl.DEC.COM> Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 19:45:28 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.1507 Posted: Tue Mar 4 19:45:28 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 04:57:51 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.DEC.COM Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 198 Reviewed this time around: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #277 MANIMAL #1 THE TWISTED TALES OF BRUCE BLUE BEETLE #1 'MAZING MAN #6 JONES #1-2 THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #201 MIRACLEMAN #6 THE UNCANNY X-MEN #206 Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the new, improved, lemon- freshened Mad Armenian Scale. "For a critic, it's better to have wrong standards than none at all." -- Elmer Allyn Craft ******************************************************************************** |>A< Nirvana. As R. Fiore (COMICS JOURNAL) would say, "Don't hold your breath."| |>B< Sex is still #1, but sliced bread is definitely in trouble. | |>C< Now, *that's* entertainment! | |>D< Better than being poked in the eye with a sharp stick. | |>F< Please pass the sharp stick. | |>Z< Better dead than read. | ******************************************************************************** THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #277 [Marvel, $.75] D+ Not having followed AS-M on a regular basis for quite some time, the only reason I picked this issue up was because one of the two stories herein was supposed to be a tie-in to the current storyline in DAREDEVIL. That par- ticular story, by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, bit the big one in a bad way. Basicly, Peter Parker receives a call from Matt Murdock asking for help. When Peter gets to the mission where the Man Without Fear is staying, DD, rather than asking Parker for help, merely tells him what the Kingpin did to him. Then he implores Parker to stay out of things and leave the Kingpin to him. So, Spidey of course, goes straight to the Kingpin, yaks with him a while, and then leaves when Kingpin points out that Spidey won't do anything to him as long as Kingpin doesn't initiate a fight. So, when it comes down to the bottom line, absolutely nothing happens! A really big waste. The "+" on the above rating is due to the second story, written and drawn by Charles Vess. It's an interesting and well-done, if somewhat insig- nificant story. Not good enough to be worth buying this issue for, but it lessened the waste of buying this issue a little. BLUE BEETLE #1 [DC, $.75] C- Fresh from his origin in SECRET ORIGINS comes the second of the old Charlton heroes to make his DC debut (discounting the various cameos in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS). I'm not exactly thrilled by this; it's rather standard super-hero fare, and there doesn't seem to be anything about the Beetle to set him apart from the rank and file of super-heroes. But what really struck me about this issue is that it is a marvelous example of how to write a first issue of a super-hero comic. It firest sets up a conflict to introduce the hero and the first of his current crop of villains. It re- caps his origin, introduces the supporting cast and BB's base of operations. Unlike for instance, BOOSTER GOLD, we get all the basic information we need about the character right off the bat, so we can get right into the action next issue (not that this issue doesn't have enough action). Oh, and least I forget, we also get a couple of plot-threads for future stories. A lot of writers could take lesson in plotting from this issue; Len Wein gives us a text-book example here, and it makes for fascinating reading just for this reason. I'll probably stick with this for a little while, but unless BB acquires some distinguishing characteristics, to set him apart from the other super-heroes, I can't see keeping with this one for too long. THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #201 [DC, $.75] D+ In the aftermath of the Crisis, the Guardians and the Zamorans have gone off to produce a bunch of little blue rugrats, and the GL Corps is now left to its own devices. And so the premiere issue of the "new-format" GL leaves us with a squadron of seven GL's making their home-base on Earth. Perhaps it's just that this issue didn't do much other than set up the background for this new direction, or perhaps it's just the wind-down from the Crisis-related storyline that's permeated this title for the last half- year or more. Whatever, I was quite disappointed with this issue, especially considering what Englehart has done over the last year to bring this comic back out of the depths. While I like the basic idea of the book focusing on the Corps, and not just Hal Jordan and/or John Stewart, I'm not sure I like the direction Englehart seems to be taking it in. We shall see. MANIMAL #1 [Renegade, one-shot?, black & white, $1.70] F+ You may recall a television show from a couple of years back called MANIMAL. If you do, you may wonder of this comic has anything to do with that show. The answer is "no", though apparently, creator/writer/artist Ernie Colon complained to the tv show producers about their use of the title. The material in MANIMAL first appeared about 10 years ago in an independent (they called them "ground-level" in those days) comic called HOT STUFF. I wan't impressed then, and I'm not impressed now. It's about a young man whose parents were among the abused and tor- tured Jews at Dachau. One experiment on this man's mother before he was born had an effect on him later in life --- when he got mad, he turned into a werewolf of sorts. In the stories included herein, he uses this curse to kill off some uncaught Nazi war criminals, including the one who was experimented on Black's mother. It isn't particularly well-drawn (remember, this was fairly early in Ernie Colon's career), even less well written. It seems more like a revenge fantasy put down on paper (I wonder if Colon had relatives in the camps). Not that revenge fantasies of this type are necessarily bad --- one infers from Colon's "Afterthought" following the story that is was quite cathartic for him --- but there isn't anything more to it, and there should be. I'm afraid I can't recommend it at all. 'MAZING MAN #6 [DC, $,75] "Brenda's Story": B+ This series continues to astonish me. The first story in this issue isn't one of the better 'Mazing Man stories, but it keeps up the tradition of innocent, cheerful optimism, sparkling wit, and bright characterization. The second story, "Brenda's Story", however, is a stunner --- one of the best things I've read in a good while. What's even more remarkable is that this is a shining example of a *graphic* story. The pictures are a big part of it, and I don't think this would have nearly its impact if it was a prose story. It's what comics are all about. It's a sad, but ultimately uplifting story, and I couldn't recommend it more. I urge any of you that haven't tried this comic to do so. I had my doubts about it, even after reading the first issue, but in just a few short months, it's risen to become my second favorite regular DC title (right after SWAMP THING, of course). MIRACLEMAN #6 [Eclipse, $.95] C- Two years ago, the Marvelman series in WARRIOR went into suspended animation, awaiting among other things, the trademark hassles with Marvel Comics over the title. What was *really* frustrating was that it left things on an incredible cliff-hanger as Mike Moran was introduced to Marveldog. Now, we finally get up to that point in these reprints, and continue on with the story. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a let-down. Perhaps it was the built-up suspense, but hte new material just doesn't hold up that well next to the reprinted story. Perhaps it's just that new artist Chuck Beckum isn't as smooth a storyteller as Alan Davis. I don't quite believe that, since Beckum drew a story for the latest ALIEN ENCOUNTERS that was quite sat- isfactory. Maybe he and Moore just need to get into (back into in the case of Moore) the swing of things with the character and story. THE TWISTED TALES OF BRUCE JONES #1-2 [Eclipse, mini-series, $1.75] C-/D+ Most of you probably know Bruce Jones solely as a writer for Pacific and Eclipse Comics, most notably ALIEN WORLDS, TWISTED TALES, and SOMERSET HOLMES, and possibly KA-ZAR for Marvel. Older fans like me also remember that Jones is a fairly accomplished artist, one of a crowd of young turks in the late 60's/early 70's that also included such folks as Berni Wrightson, Jeff Jones, and Mike Kaluta. I always thought Bruce Jones was a talented artist, and though it a shame that he stuck almost exclusively to writing for the past five or so years. These two issues [oddly enough, the first is marked "1 of 2" and the second "2 of 4"] showcase a number of stories, old and new, both written and drawn by Jones. They encompass science fiction, fantasy, horror, and satire. Quality-wise, it's still a rather mixed bag. The art is the the real strength of the books, as he uses a few different styles. The older material bears a great resemblence to Al Williamson, while the newer stuff --- somewhat disappointingly sketchy --- has a style of its own. The stories, however, are much like those in ALIEN WORLDS and TWISTED TALES: quite trite and inconsequential. If you've read any sf or horror anthology comics, you'll figure out how almost all of them end. If you liked the two above-mentioned anthology comics, you'll probably like this series. Otherwise, you can probably skip it. Even while I like Bruce Jones' art, I don't think it's quite good enough to be worth buying these comics for it alone. THE UNCANNY X-MEN #206 [Marvel, $.75] D+ Just another duke-out with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants---oh, excuse me---Freedom Force. And I think JRJR is bound and determined to turn all of the X-Women into new wave punks --- this time it's Kitty's turn. What intrigued me about this issue was a possibility that is brought up in the story. In one scene, Lt. Bree Morrel of the San Francisco Police pretty much offers the X-Men a home in SF. For reasons I won't get into here (basicly because I'd have to retell the story), they decline the invite. I think this is a shame, and I wish Claremont would reconsider. Moving the X-Men to Frisco would be a good move for the following reasons: (1) With Xavier gone, there really isn't anything to tie them down to the mansion. And since they still aren't too comfortable with Magneto, moving seems like a workable solution. Storm could still keep in touch with Magneto to keep an eye of the Newties' progress, and perhaps Magneto could even use his powers to help them build an equipped headquarters in SF. If nothing else, it would relieve the necessity of coordinating the continuity between THE X-MEN and THE NEWTIES (which Claremont is doing a bad job of anyways). (2) Going by this and some previous issues, SF not only seems to accept the X-Men, despite their being mutants, but it seems to welcome them. The idea of a major American city being in support of mutants could have interesting repercussions in this whole "Mutant Menace" business that's permeating Marvel Earth. This could well present the shot in the arm that this book desperately needs. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.DEC.COM