Review By Raul Mora
Title/Issue: League
of Extraordinary Gentlemen 1 and 2
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Kevin O'Neill
Inker: Kevin O'Neill
Publisher/Price: America's Best Comics $2.95
Notes: Six issue limited series
It's 1898 and England is facing a new threat. Unlike what you
see in most titles, no established organization is really ready
to take it on. This is where the League of Extraordinary gentlemen
come in. England enlists the help of five people: Mina Murray
(Dracula), Allan Quatermain (King Solomon's Mines), Captain
Nemo, (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), Henry Jekyll, (Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde) and Hawley Griffin (The Invisible
Man).
When the story begins, Mina is sent off to recruit each of the
characters. Even though she accepts her assignment, she is not
entirely sure why it is that she has to do this. Along the way
Mina is greeted by less than welcoming circumstances.
I think this is one of the most innovative ideas to come along
in a while. Too many comics these days create characters one
minute, then just throw them away when they outlive their usefulness.
Here you have characters that have been around for generations.
Everything in this comic screams 1800s: The cover is drawn in
the style of the old pulps. Ads for money back headache remedies,
and newspaper holders remind us just how gullible people were
100 years ago. While this is still a comic book, it manages
to be true to its literary roots. A comic for both fan boys
and connoisseurs of classic fiction.
Title/Issue: Planetary #1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: John Cassaday
Inker: John Cassaday
Publisher/Price: Wildstorm $2.50
Notes: Planetary is an ongoing creator-owned series
Life's been pretty good to Warren Ellis. With his work on
Transmetropolitan and his current stuff on Hellblazer he may get
to be DC's next golden boy.
Planetary is an organization concerning itself with super hero
activity that no one has been aware of. Its mission is to piece
together the past hundred years.
As the ads for this comic say, "It's a strange world. Let's
keep it that way."
Even though the reader doesn't know much of the world in Planetary,
we do get the hint that the sky is the limit. Unlike many mainstream
titles, Planetary doesn't have the baggage that DC and Marvel
has. Here anything does go.
That doesn't mean Ellis isn't going to pay homage to the classic
ideas and heroes that made comics what they are today. This is
a comic for everyone who has been looking for something different
from their heroes.
Title/Issue: Young Justice #8
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Penciler: Todd Nauck and Coy Turnbull
Inker: Larry Stucker and Jaime Mendoza
Publisher/Price: DC $2.50
Notes: Chuck Dixon is guest writing for one issue
Young Justice is a title I thought had a lot of potential. And
why not? It has a good lineup, and ties to the JLA. So why hasn't
this title picked up?
Even though Chuck Dixon was just the guest writer for this one
issue, I still can't help but feel that there is no hope for DC's
young heroes. After nine issues (including the 1 millionth issue),
YJ hasn't been able to find its niche.
The Psyba-rats break into the Justice cave and attempt to hack
into the computer files. That's pretty much it.
There is some banter in this comic, but none of it is really memorable.
This is almost a generic super hero title.
It isn't really fair to give Chuck Dixon all the blame; the title
wasn't exactly great when Peter David wrote the issues, either.
Title/Issue: Doctor Strange #2
Writer: Dan Jolley
Penciler: Tony Harris
Inker: Ray Snyder
Publisher/Price: Marvel $2.99
Notes: "The flight of bones" Part 2 of 4
Penciler and Inker also contributed to writing the story
In the beginning of the first issue, we got to see a skinless
man rob a bank. In that very same issue, we saw him again right
before he mysteriously incinerates.
Turns out Doctor Strange's powers aren't working as they should,
and what's worse is that he can't explain why -- which poses
a problem since he has no idea what really is going on.
Although we do get to see magic being used in some unique ways,
I can't say that this story ran as smoothly as it did in the
last issue. The action scene in particular was a little choppy.
But the story straightens out by the end.
The story's strongest point was its artwork. Tony Harris' pencils
and Ray Snyder's inks give the story a noirish look that you
don't get from most artists. Still, the artwork hasn't been
as good as it was in the first issues.
Since the story lost some of its energy, I can only recommend
this issue to Doctor Strange fans. Fortunately it does seem
like it will pick up next issue.
Title/Issue: Daredevil #5
Writer: Kevin Smith
Penciler: Joe Quesada
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher/Price: Marvel $2.50
Notes: "Guardian Devil" Part 5, Variant Sin
City-esque cover also available
Matt Murdock (a.k.a. Daredevil) can't get a break. First, a
baby who some say is our savior and others say is the antichrist
is left in his care. Then he finds out his old girlfriend, Karen
Page, has AIDS.
After that, his best friend, Foggy Nelson, is arrested on charges
of murder. On top of that someone has hired Bullseye to get
the baby. Kevin Smith is writing one of the best DD story arcs
to grace comic shelves in years.
Here DD isn't just a second-rate Spider-man but actually a more
interesting character. You're not going to get a spandex-clad
hero coming up with inventive ways of using his powers but rather
a more charactor/plot oriented story.
Bullseye is also more vicious than I think he's been in years,
and why not -- he killed Elektra.
