September 19 Reviews

New X-Men #43
Marvel
Written by: Kyle & Yost
Art by: Skottie Young
4/5

This series is headed in a terrific direction. With all the X titles continuing to converge on Messiah Complex, more attention is being paid toward slowing everything down and re-establishing the X-Men as a family. Coming off the non-stop action festival this title has been the last several months it is a welcome change in pace to spend some quality time in the mansion with the kids. The students are finally getting some respect and acknowledgment in the bigger scheme of things, and having core members of the adult teams around gives the book additional depth and substance.

In many ways it feels like this issue marks a transitional point in the series, and I would consider it to be taking a step forward. Though Kyle and Yost have always done a tremendous job with the children's dialog, the stories surrounding it have often left me wanting. Here though, they are giving the kids enough breathing room to develop their characters, as well as tying life at the mansion in with the world at large. In this issue alone they name-drop the Initiative, Fantastic Four and Runaways, reminding us that events in this universe aren't disconnected. K&Y are taking a step back and reassessing who and what this team is, and where they fit in the world. This is still the same New X-Men, but its voice is sounding increasingly like X-Factor. Even the art has changed to reflect this more serious approach. Bravo.
-Grady



Umbrella Academy #1
Dark Horse
Written by: Gerard Way
Art by: Gabriel Ba
4.5/5

My people have arrived! Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of comic creators throughout the years with exciting things to say. I appreciated the dystopian Reagany-era perspective where everyone was all bummed out and wanted to think about shit all weirdly. Hell, people just wanted any amount of stimulation at all but it took some morbid stories to pull it off. I liked what Grant Morrison had going on having also read and gotten tripped out about Kafka while being bored as hell with the world-at-large. I always knew though that this tone didn't speak directly to me. Recently, to my great excitement, I'm finding comics that do. Casanova in particular screams of my destiny in its readership. Matt Fraction is incredible in that series. Also now, add Gerard Way whom, to be blunt, kicks ass here. These guys write psychotic material in the vein of Morrison but realize that things can be sick and twisted without being dark and unsettling. Way has the chops, he's proven that here, as the events in this issue unfold smoothly and in hilarious fashion.

Extra verbiage must be awarded for the incredible design on this title as well. Ba (incidentally, also on Casanova) does tremendous work (a less grissly Mike Mignola), and is perfectly suited for this style of story. The inks and colors are fantastic as well. There are some bonus bits at the end, and an absolutely fantastic back cover title page that hopefully speaks very closely to the tone of the remainder of the series. Last, and blasphemers-say-least, are the James Jean covers which, without question, are always the most beautiful work in the business.

I'm excited about this one.
-Tom



Captain America #30
Marvel
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Art by: Epting & Perkins
4.5/5

Ed Brubaker should be writing Iron Man and it should be one of the most important books in the company's lineup. I don't say that particularly to knock the family Knauff (currently working on that title), but what Brubaker has done with Tony Stark in Captain America is truly profound. Nowhere is the weight of Stark's position felt as heavily as it is in this title. Brubaker imbues him with a tremendous degree of humanity and 'real-dude'-ness that is sadly missing in many recent portrayals of the character. The Registration Act has left him treated as a simple go-to symbol or ideal, which typically means having him act like an asshole in the name of the law. Big government's poster-boy. Here though he is deep, believable, and vastly more compelling than anywhere else.

The remainder of the characters also receive equally excellent treatment, of course. Reading a title such as this, where everyone is reacting to the desperation and anger involved in the death of a loved one, it is possible to draw parallels with the One More Day storyline currently running in Spider-Man titles. Consider this the antithesis to everything they're doing wrong in that series. This is how to write a comic about real people responding to devastating circumstances. This is how to make one of the consistently best products on the shelves.
-Tom



World War Hulk #4
Marvel
Written by: Greg Pak
Art by: John Romita Jr.
2/5

And, they've lost me. It's hard to believe how promising this all seemed to be just three issues ago. I'm not at all interested in anything that's happening at this point. Suffice to say, I'm actually looking forward to the Sentry making his big stand which, initially, was the piece I thought I'd enjoy the least. Unfortunately, with what this has descended into, I find that even that may be better than what we've actually been getting. Arena fights? Dramatic thumbs up/down death sentences? Sickening belief in its own importance? Please. We've all seen Gladiator some dozen something times on the Spike network at this point.

They're joking themselves if they think there's an impressive market for various spin-outs of this series. When this is over, I intend to care very ***king little about Hulk for months to come. He's a big bucket of bore.
-Tom



Ex Machina #30
Wildstorm
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Art by: Tony Harris
4/5

After last month's less-than-likeable special, it's very nice to get back into the guts of this thing. This continues to be one of my favorite series and this issue is a perfect example of why. Vaughan tackles each and every politically polarizing hot button there is, and somehow discusses them with tact and gentle hands. This marks the beginning of an arc involving a trip to Vatican City and a visit with his Popeship. There really isn't anything else out there like Ex Machina.

This issue also contains violence, Russians, and incredible demonstrations of the color blue.
-Tom


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Quick Hits: September 6 - September 12

Casanova #9
Image
Written by: Matt Fraction
Art by: Fabio Moon
5/5

There's no way around how much I love this series. I've said recently that Matt Fraction is my new favorite writer, and in this issue of Casanova he clearly is kissing my ass in gratitude. Comics like this one make Fraction one of the few writers I would enthusiastically enjoy getting the chance to meet. He's one of the boys.
-Tom


New Avengers #34
4/5

Bendis is turning this into one of the more important books in Marvel's lineup. It's hard to believe that it was only several issues ago the group was boringly fighting waves of ninjas. Now, they find themselves a part of one of the better soap operas currently unfolding in the two big U's. I've come to love Yu's art as well. This is as much about these folks as people as it is about them as superheroes. I'm pleased with the future we're seeing in this title.
-Tom


Nova #6
3.5/5

Abnett and Lanning continue to deliver the goods with this series, though admittedly I'm less enthusiastic about it in its recent form than I was before. Were the writing not so top notch, the events of the past two issues would be destroying this title. Instead, it's still moving along acceptably, but isn't quite as exciting as it has the potential to be.
-Tom


Fables #63
4.5/5

This series is simply beautiful. Everyone has said that time and again, but frankly it may deserve to be said even more. This is so many people's favorite title for a reason and should never be missed. Look at that cover. Unbelievable.
-Tom



Note: Today's public evidence of wherethehellisgradyandisheonhisshitno.