This Week's Comics in 20 words

I'm starting something new, with quick reviews of books from each week in 20 words or less, hopefully bringing up some discussion on key aspects of these books as well as hopefully without spoiling too much. So, here is what happened in comics this week:

• Action Comics #904: Superman gets to help a stranded alien (again) and Grounded gets yet another unnecessary epilogue. C-
• Batman Incorporated #8: Bruce Wayne's Internet 3.0 hurt my eyes and took the Batman Inc story off rail a little bit. C
• The Bionic Man #1: Intriguing start to an origin story that already has an evil bionic man in it. Cool. B+
• Chew #20: A slow start through a bad trip quickly speeds up to an awesome nail-biting conclusion. A
• FF #8: Doom wins team player award (and possibly the reins of FF after Fantastic Four 600?). A-
• Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3: Does this change the meaning of "Everything will change in a Flash"? (as in a singular Flash). C+
• Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3: Another meh tie-in comes to an end but ends with a boom. C-
• Flashpoint: Project Superman #3: Great story arc with an OK ending that raises expectations for Kal's involvement in Flashpoint 5. B+
• Kick-Ass 2 #3: Millar makes up for delays with unfathomable violence (WTF?) and the reincorporation of two favorite characters into the story. B+
• Superman Beyond #0: Superman was not gone long enough to be missed. Will this book be among the "new 52" in 2012? C+
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1: Not much happens, but worth at least a browse with one of the original creators at the helm. B-
• Ultimates #1: Nick Fury has a bad day at the office in one of the best books this week. A
• Wolverine #14: The twists in this book bring Logan to his knees and will make you reread the last issues again. A-

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers

The good: Despite the title, this is not a story about Thor. This is a story about Loki and about figuring out who he is, after millennia of conflict as he rules over Asgard and prepares for the execution of Thor. A brilliant conclusion is arrived upon towards the end where he states “I am just Loki, and I’m alone”. His relationship with Thor is the other underlying factor, with Loki defeating and ready to kill “the only one who loved him” because he stopped doing so. The whole journey of self-discovery meets a tragic end as the story closes, and we find Loki in familiar ground, while we retain a distinctly different perspective provided by the story we have witnessed. This is Shakespearean and theatrical genius in the writing of Robert Rodi from every angle: a story about brothers, fathers, betrayal and the rise and fall of kings, and a story about lessons learned too late. The art by Esad Ribic is of course epic, gritty and gorgeous at every turn. The voice casting is impeccable from beginning to end, all the more impressive considering that there is a huge cast of very well-played secondary characters.

The bad: While most portions of the animation process are stunning, some seem to faulter and look awkward. Particularly when it comes to lip motion. Sif looks amazing, in the dark dungeon as her conversation with Loki makes you feel you’re stting right there with them. But the story of Loki’s mother, as seen coming from her lips looks somewhat anatomically impossible.

Final grade: A+

Amazing Spider-Man #657

Story: Dan Slott

Art: Marcos Martin, Humberto Ramos

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Publication date: March 30, 2011

The Good. There were a lot of good comic books this week, as well as comics that we've been waiting for with anticipation for a while (for example Butcher Baker reviewed below, the much delayed second issue of Kick Ass 2, among others). But this issue caught me by surprise, since it ties directly to the events of Fantastic Four "Three" in a beautiful, wholesome way. There are fantastic details in here, from the tribute to Amazing Spider-Man #1 on the second page, to the touching message from Johnny to Pete in the closing pages. In between, we get perspectives of Sue, Reed and Ben on their relationship with Pete by way of the Johnny-Pete "brotherhood" that are insightful, touching and hilarious. All together, this is a beautiful and touching send-off to Johnny Storm and a fantastic transition into the future of Spider-Man, as well as between Fantastic Four "Three" and FF#1. I have become a huge fan of Marcos Martin, and the wonders he achieves with the facial expressions of all these characters in this book tell at the very least half of the story. Simply brilliant.

The Bad. Very little to complain about here. Considering how good Martin's work was, shifting to work by Ramos in the flashbacks was sometimes weird. I enjoyed it as a story-telling method, but I found myself missing the depth of character shown in the "flashforward" panels. Granted, these flashbacks were more about the kinetics of those moments than about character, and in that framework they make sense. 

The Verdict: A+