Hello! My name is Lenny Schwartz and I am a playwright from RI and New York.
Man, I love talking about comics.
So the heck with everything, here goes!
Batgirl Volume 2: Family Business
Collects Batgirl #41-45 DC Sneak Peek Batgirl #1 and Batgirl Annual #3
Written by Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher and Illustrated by Babs Tarr
Published by DC Comics
Let me start off by saying I have never been a fan of Batgirl. The concept always seems a bit silly to me. I have also felt the same way about Robin. They both always kind of killed the intensity of Batman for me. Batgirl would have to be done in a very particular way for me to like it. Fortuntely, this book was done in a very particular way. Thank god.
This book picks up where the previous book left off. They have put Barbara Gordon in college, made her trendy. Dressed her trendy. And it works in a surprisingly wonderful way. Stewart and Fletcher write the stories with a nice flair and fun that lacks in a lot of books. The stories are emotional, heartfelt, smart. Kudos to them.
The real star here however is Babs Tarr.
Her art is pretty great.
Cartoony? Yes. But what an impact she has with it. Tarr fills each page with such style and grace, you just want more all the time. So much so, that when she skips an issue, you really feel it. That’s the only thing that this book suffered on. The fill in artists, while good, can’t match her. She’s the glue that holds this act together.
They turned Batgirl into tween book that I should hate. But I liked it.
And as long as Tarr is drawing it? I’m there.
RATING: B+
The Nikopol Trilogy
Written and Illustrated by Enki Bilal
Published by Titan Comics
So this next book I absolutely hated. It’s my own fault. I like to give things a chance. So I gave this a chance. While I am sure someone will love it out there (maybe the creator’s parents?) this book was not for me. Where did it all go wrong? Let’s find out!
The story goes like this: For thirty years, Alcide Nikopol has floated alone in space, sentenced to cryo-preservation. When he finally returns to Earth, the year is 2023, and the world has been ravaged by two nuclear wars! But the strangest thing in the world floats above Paris…A giant pyramid, home to the recently returned Egyptian Gods, who would like to reclaim humanity as theirs…if they could only all agree…
The art on this book isn’t half bad. But it’s just everywhere. It was like Jodorowsky ate a sandwich and barfed it up. I don’t mind insane. I don’t even mind if it doesn’t make sense. The characters were cyphers. Nothing really moves. By page 20, you just want to give up. And by page 100, you wish the two nuclear wars would just happen for real.
I’m sure there is an audience for this book, but I don’t know it. The only thing I can say positive about it is maybe you’ll buy it. Maybe you’ll recycle it. And maybe someone will use that recycled paper to write and draw a better comic. One can only hope.
RATING: F
Think Tank: Creative Destruction #1
Written by Matt Hawkins and Illustrated by Rahsan Ekedal
Published by Top Cow Productions
This is an interesting book. I really like Matt Hawkins and I think he’s got a great concept here with Think Tank. This was a book from a couple of years back and is collected in three volumes. This is a brand new story. The first one was a decent enough comic book. How is this one?
Well it’s decent enough too. Hawkins absolutely cares about this book a great deal and has put a lot of thought and energy into this series. And it shows. The story involved an unknown enemy destroying the technological infrastructure in America. Panic and terror spread as David Loren and his team of scientific misfits continue to work on TALOS, trying to make the “Iron Man” Suits a reality in California.
The art is decent on this book. The storytelling decent. Everything is pretty decent. I like it. I wish however it was stronger. I think what might help is the theory of “Less is more.” It feels incredibly overwritten and cluttered. I would like something a little more streamlined. The idea is great…the incredible amount of words kills it. Comics are a visual medium…and I want to feel the story. Not have it tell me how to feel.
So for this it gets a B-…but I like it enough. Hawkins makes it worthwhile and it’s worth the price of admission.
RATING: B-
Batman #50
Written by Scott Snyder and Illustrated by Greg Capullo
Published by DC Comics
Scott Snyder and Great Capullo have had a brilliant, BRILLIANT run on the monthly Batman book. I would be remiss if I didn’t include one of their last books (number 51 is their last for the time being) they do of this run.
What a run. They came in month in and month out and created incredible comic books. Scott Snyder is a good writer…on this book he became great. Capullo has always been good…here he excelled beyond anyone’s imagination. Together they put out stories that shouldn’t have worked…Zero Year, Court of the Owls…these stories should not have worked. Yet, they did, They made me excited to pick up a monthly book. And I wasn’t the only one.
Issue number 50 is an excellent semi-ending to their run…it’s also a little sad. When they relaunched the DC Comics line 5 years ago, most people could care less about this book. Every month, Snyder and Capullo just poured their hearts into it. And it paid off. This run is legendary. You don’t see that anymore.
This is how it’s done kids. Tell great stories. Entertain. Be unique. These two took a 76 year old character, made him fresh, and made it stunning. This is a run that will be remembered. It already is. Kudos to Mr. Snyder and Mr. Capullo. I salute you both.
RATING:A
Captain Canuck Volume 1: Aleph (collecting issues #1-6) and #7
Written by Kalman Andrasofszky and Illustrated by Kalman Andrasofszky and Leonard Kirk Published by Chapterhouse Comics
Well, it seems every week nowadays I am reviewing a comic book from our friends up in Canada.
Here is the latest: Captain Canuck!
Dear lord was I worried! It looked to me like a forgotten member of Alpha Flight! But i decided to give it a chance. Chapterhouse Comics have been hit or miss with me. This time? I was glad I took the plunge.
Andrasofszky writes a comic with good dialogue and a great sense of humor. Although Captain Canuck was created in 1975, I never really cared for him. He was always just…lame. This however is a ground up reboot of the series. The story finds Canuck thrust into battle at the head of the global crises intervention agency called Equilibrium.
The whole thing is kind of ridiculous. I think the creators know this.
So they run with it.
It IS ridiculous. But I loved it. Again, I didn’t think it could work. But it did. It does. It’s enjoyable. The story keeps moving and it’s actually worth the price of purchase. I’d love to meet the creators.
They are clearly enjoying this. I am too.
Rating: B
BURIED TREASURE PICK
Preacher #1-66 plus, one-shots and mini-series
Written by Garth Ennis and Illustrated by Steve Dillon
Published by DC/Vertigo Comics
Well, you’ll be hearing about this series Preacher in the next few months.
AMC just picked it up for a new television series debuting in May. People are going to go nuts for it. Back in the 90s, Ennis was the comic book world’s answer to Quentin Tarantino. Why it has taken so long for him to get recognized by Hollywood I do not know…but once Preacher hits, it’s going to be massive.
It’s hard to see why it wouldn’t be. Ennis used to be the best writer in the business. This was his crowning achievement, too.
The story of Jesse Custer, a Preacher who is possessed by a supernatural being and is given powers. He posseses the “Word of God.” which allows him to control anyone he wants to. If he says it, they will do his bidding. Jesse goes on a quest across America to find God, wherever he might be. Along the way he takes his girlfriend Tulip, and vampire friend Cassidy. Add in a colorful cast of characters, including Arseface, the Saint of Killers, and the ghost of John Wayne, and it’s a helluva ride.
Ennis has never written a better story (some will argue The Boys…but that fizzled out for me) and Dillon’s art is expressive, striking, and emotional. This is one of the best books I’ve read.Pick it up now before the television show comes out and you can say “I read that book!” with honesty. You’ll be happy you did.
RATING: A
And that’s it for this week! Thank you all for reading! Until next Friday, I remain…
Lenny Schwartz
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