This Week In Comics: Feb. 14, 2007

Astonishing X-Men #20
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

Another solid issue, and this may be the books biggest flaw. While the story is extremely well-written, and has its share of great moments, it does nothing more than reinforce what we already know: something big is going to happen and Colossus is going to be at the center of it.

That aside, I love this book for the little moments. We actually see Colossus address the fact that even though he is at the center of this story, not too long ago he was back on earth, and dead. Colossus may find this odd, I just see it as proof that Whedon actually knows what he's doing and just isn't pulling stories out of his ass.

And finally, someone took the initiative to portray Wolverine as an actual character, rather than the uber-powerful, indestructible killing machine portrayed by other writers. His scenes with "Armor" are some of the best in this book.

As always, Cassaday's art was great. Don't be shy, pick this book up. You know you want to.

Batman #663
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: John Van Fleet

One of the best Joker stories ever written. And yes, I have read The Killing Joke.

What make this book work is that it isn't written in the traditional comic book format (text balloons, sequential art, etc.), but is written in prose format. By doing this, Morrison is able to delve deeper into Joker's psyche, allowing the reader to actually read what he is thinking, rather than merely extrapolating it through the art work. Yes, I know this takes away some of what makes comics great, but with a story this good, I'm willing to let that slide. While the story is great, Morrison does go overboard with his use of metaphors and similes, resulting in over dramatization. It drives the point home, but it could have been toned down a bit.

Now on to the art. I would have loved to see Andy Kubert tackle the artwork for this story, but DC decided to call in guest-artist John Van Fleet, whose 3D artwork is very hit or miss. For the most part, the backgrounds works, but when actual characters appear, things start to look too "plasticky." But this shouldn't stop you from reading this issue. I wouldn't be surprised to see this take the "Best Stand-alone Issue of the Year" award.

Justice Society of America #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Dale Eaglesham

After last issue's phenomenal ending, I was thinking it would be damned near impossible to follow it with something equally shocking. Sadly I was right, yet this book is still one of the best, if not the best, book on store shelves, serving as a testament to how great a writer Geoff Johns actually is.

The reason I love this book so much is that prior to this series, I hardly knew anything about these characters, other than the fact that they did indeed exist. But within the span of three issues, not only am I interested in what happens to them, I actually care about these characters. Although I'm not quite sure where this series is headed, or why the newly revealed bad guy is so much of a threat, I have faith that Johns won't lead me astray.

As for Eaglesham, absolutely phenomenal. He seems to be setting himself up to become one of the premier artists of the DC camp. And I can't go on with out mentioning Alex Ross' amazing work as the cover artist. If you don't think Cyclone looks beautiful, you're either blind or gay. Or a girl, I guess.

Thunderbolts #111
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.

While I did enjoy first issue of this story arc, I wasn't completely sold on the idea. I debated with myself about getting this book and finally caved. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

In a post-Superhuman Registration Act world, the government has (re)formed a team of super-villains, using them to bring in unregistered superhumans. After reading this, your first question may be "how can the the general public be fine with the government using these known criminals?" Answering this question is exactly where this book succeeds. Warren Ellis convincingly shows that when enough "spin" is applied, almost any situation, no matter how bad it looks, can be portrayed in a positive manner. Note that I said "almost." In what I see as a brilliant move, Ellis admits that there isn't enough spin in the world to make a villain as despicable as Bullseye likable. And when Bullseye finally makes his appearance, trust me, it's worth the wait. Justice like lightning indeed.

Deodato's artwork adds that extra layer of "oomph" to the book. His fight scenes are a pleasure to watch, adding just the right amounts of kinetic energy to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but after reading this, I'm left with one question: Am I the only one that didn't know the Scarlet Spider was still active?