Giant-Size finale fails to Astonish

It's been four years, 24 issues, 11 variant covers, and one movie adaptation since Joss Whedon and John Cassaday began their run on Astonishing X-Men, which at last comes to a conclusion in Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 (Marvel, $4.99). Despite all the publishing delays and the extra pages this final issue affords, the conclusion is ultimately a big let down.

For those waiting for the trade, be warned: the rest of this review is all SPOILERS:

As we saw in Astonishing #24, young Kitty Pryde is trapped aboard a giant, solid bullet the aliens of Breakworld have fired directly at Earth. (They have excellent marksmanship, successfully aiming it to hit New York City in midday.) As every possible Marvel guest star tries to stop the bullet with no success, Kitty decides to use her phasing powers to turn the bullet intangible and it passes harmlessly through the planet. The downside? Kitty's stuck in the bullet as it heads into deep space, her body permanently fused with the metal construct.

Ignoring the logic that suggests any number of ways the X-Men, Avengers, FF, etc., could find to rescue Kitty, even from deep space, the pacing on this is surprisingly choppy and unsatisfying, with a stunningly difficult cut from the climax to the talky denouement. This reads as though Whedon — who's long declared Kitty his favorite mutant and an inspiration for Buffy — reverse engineered the entire story to support an unlikely heroic sacrifice that's just a little too perfectly suited to making a martyr of Kitty. That can be a good way to test characters, but in this case the stretched credibility leaves the technique overly exposed and bound to elicit groans from fan.

Beyond that, there's little obvious reason for the extensive delays this title suffered. Cassaday's art is lovely, though it lacks the labor-intensive detail of a Bryan Hitch that that can easily beg fans' forgiveness. This might have flown by a bit more easily if it had come out as a quick-paced serial. (It also was at least slightly spoiled in a recent issue of Uncanny X-Men, but given Astonishing's delays and the ending, it's amazing it held out that long.) But as the culmination of a four-year storyline from so high-profile a creative team, it just falls short.

Luckily for Marvel, the rest of the X-Men universe is in pretty good shape, with the post-Messiah Complex books having the clearest and most consistent direction these books have had since the late 1980s. The Uncanny X-Men #498 (Marvel, $2.99) continues the dual storylines of San Francisco's regression to 1969 and Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler's nasty encounter with the Russian government. Ed Brubaker and Mike Choi keep things engaging and surprisingly fun. Meanwhile, writer Mike Carey and artist Scot Eaton continue to dig into the psyche of Xavier in X-Men: Legacy #212 (Marvel, $2.99) with interesting results. The continuity is a bit heavy but not easier than it usually is to make sense of it.

Director Donner's 'Action' tale wraps at last - Reviews for 5-8-08

Action Comics Annual #11 (DC, $4.99) wraps up the long-delayed "Last Son of Krypton" story co-written by "Superman: The Movie" director Richard Donner. Despite the delay, this was a very satisfying ending with some truly epic art by Adam Kubert marred only by what seem like some coloring glitches. ... DC Universe #0 (DC, 50 cents) is a low-cost primer for fans old and new in advance of Final Crisis, and as such is more of a recap than an actual story. The big thing with this issue is the return of a long-missing fan-favorite character, though the execution of it is implied to the point where it's not clear how many people would have really understood that was the point without all the surrounding hype.

Invincible Iron Man #1 (Marvel, $2.99) kicks off the Golden Avenger's second ongoing series with a smart script from Matt Fraction and fantastic looking art from Salvador Larocca. This is the sort of book that might have a real chance at convincing moviegoers to pick up a comic and stick with it. ... Logan #3 (Marvel, $3.99) is a disappointing conclusion to the Brian K. Vaughan-Eduardo Risso collaboration. The Hiroshima idea that seemed so cool in the first issue has degenerated into a strange and sadly routine fight in which Logan's nemesis rips out his heart and eats it — an attack that merely slows down the mutant and points up how invincible and unable to be put in serious jeopardy the character has become.

Glamourpuss #1 (Aardvark-Vanaheim, $3), Dave Sim's follow-up to 300 issues of Cerebus, isn't really a story as much as a parody of fashion magazines and discussion of the photorealistic comics artwork of Alex Raymond, John Prentice, Al Williamson and Neal Adams. Sim's recreations of specific panels in this style and his own fashionplate illustrations are stunning, making this a book that really is all about the art. ... Local #11 (Oni Press, $2.99) is the best issue to date of the series, with a Toronto art student forcing wandering protagonist Megan to face the artifacts of her life. Ryan Kelly really outdoes himself on the art, which is expessive, detailed and distinct.

From the graphic novel pile, comes X-O Manowar: Birth (Valiant Entertainment, $24.95), which includes the first six issues of the classic series as well as issue #0 and a new short story. The story mixes Conan and Iron Man to produce a satisfyingly cool hero. The art ranges from serviceable to fantastic, with #0 featuring one of the early bravura efforts from Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada and his frequent collaborator, Jimmy Palmiotti. The recoloring job is good, though it's always a shame when such a nice package shows at times the ragged line reproduction common to not having original art or film to work from.

Radical's 'Herc,' 'Caliber' seek the light - Reviews for 4/30/08

Hercules: The Thracian Wars #1 and Caliber #1 (both 32 pages for only $1) are the first comicbook releases from new publisher Radical Comics, headed up by rock photographer turned producer Barry Levine and featuring dark stories smothered even more in what looks like buckets and buckets of oh-so-serious painted artwork.  Everything is so dark that it's at times hard to follow the story and characters from panel to panel — and the noir-ish scripting does little to alleviate this. Hercules in particular is light on plot but easy enough to figure out; fantasy Western tale Caliber was tougher to follow but more obviously could be very cool if its concept can escape the dark art into the light of day. ...

Dead, She Said #1 (IDW, $3.99) tells the tale of a private eye who continues his case even though he's so dead his guts are spilling out. Full pencils and inks by Berni Wrightson are a big draw on this one, though somehow it fails to live up to the cool factor he established on DC's 1970s horror books. ... Igor Movie Prequel #1 (IDW, $3.99) tells two tales that help set up this fall's animated feature from The Weinstein Co. The art has a clever, CG-assisted look  and the story is fun enough to raise my interest in the film, but the dark colors make the reader spend too much time figuring out what they're looking at rather than just enjoying the story. ... Batman #675 (DC, $2.99) is my favorite single issue of Grant Morrison's run, for the great Bruce Wayne scenes and a particularly cool ending. ...

The Uncanny X-Men #497 (Marvel, $2.99) featured another good script from Ed Brubaker — with the exception of Emma Frost's dialog being far more colloquial than I expect from the former White Queen. Both plots — San Francisco reverting to 1969, and Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler's Russian adventure — were entertaining and progressed enough to be worth the cover price. ... Doktor Sleepless #6 (Avatar, $2.99) is getting more interesting as the larger plot starts to take shape, proving to be one of Warren Ellis' more interesting sci-fi premises. ...

American Splendor Vol. 2 #1 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99) tells you more about the life of writer Harvey Pekar, who judging by his recent stories has mellowed out a bit. The lineup of artists is particularly nice — never thought David Lapham would draw a Pekar story — and for some reason I'm really glad this is still published in black and white. ... Young Liars #2 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99) is better than the first issue, feeling more like a particularly good issue of Stray Bullets than the first. Colorist Lee Loughridge does an excellent job coloring creator David Lapham's always-cool art. ... If you've read it up till now, you're not going to snub Countdown to Final Crisis #1 (DC, $2.99), which struggles to generate some excitement as it wraps up the weekly series and sets up the board for the next OMG don't-dare-miss-it event, Final Crisis. 

Quick hit (Marvel) reviews for 4/21/08

Our reviews get down to the Marvel section of the stack, starting with The Mighty Avengers #10-11 (Marvel, $2.99 each). While I've never quite taken to The Sentry, the 1970s look and feel of the story as Sentry and Iron Man go back in time to the 1970s with Dr. Doom and then come back for a big throwdown in Latveria made for some cool, old-school comicbook action that went down easy. .... I liked The New Avengers #39 (Marvel, $2.99) for different reasons, not the least of which was the dark mood evoked by David Mack's art as Maya Lopez and Wolverine tackle Skrull imposters. ... I cared not one whit for the way in which the Peter Parker-Mary Jane marriage was dissolved, but the rollicking nature of the thrice-monthly "Brand New Day" stories is definitely a throwback — in a good way — to the comics of yore. Toss in some stunning visuals by Chris Bachalo, whose art seems much better suited to Spider-Man than it ever was to X-Men, and The Amazing Spider-Man #555-556 (Marvel, $2.99 each) are winners. ...

Kick-Ass #2 (Icon, $2.99) is about as gut-wrenching as it gets. It also proves that sometimes it's extremely entertaining to watch characters do something they know is incredibly stupid. ... War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1 (Max, $2.99) was much goofier than I expected for a World War I flying ace story by Garth Ennis and Howard Chaykin. It has its charms, though I can't help but feel the tale of a naive pilot expecting glory only to face the true horrors of war is going in a predictable direction. ...

Cable #2 (Marvel, $2.99) is hard to judge because so far the story been little more than a continuation of the plot from the recent "Messiah Complex" crossover. Still, the combination of painted art and Photoshopped realism by Ariel Olivetti is fantastic and worth a look at on its own. ... X-Men: Legacy #209 (Marvel, $2.99) is another continuation from "Messiah Complex," though there's a lot of stuff going on in here that will appeal to the longtime X-Men fan. Mike Carey mines continuity with unusually interesting results and it's all drawn very nicely by Scot Eaton and Philip Tan. ... More "Messiah" fallout in Young X-Men #1 (Marvel, $2.99), as "Eli Stone" creator Marc Guggenheim catches fans up on the various New X-Men characters, reducing this spinoff's appeal to that of fans of that now-canceled book. ... Wolverine: First Class #1 (Marvel, $2.99) falls into the same concept as X-Men: First Class — simple, all-ages stories focused on younger characters from the X-Men's past. I think appealing to that kind of audience works better when you don't turn it into a separate line of comics. This book, featuring Wolverine and young Kitty Pryde, doesn't succeed qutie as well as Jeff Parker's X-Men: First Class, but the nostalgia and simple fun make it hard to pick on this one too much. ... Wolverine #63-64 (Marvel, $2.99 each) continue the "Get Mystique" storyline, which straddles a modern encounter in Afghanistan and an early meeting of the characters in 1920s Kansas City. This works pretty well, thanks to creators — Jason Aaron of Scalped and underrated veteran Ron Garney — who manage to make Logan's tough nonchalance and Mystique's sexy/evil combo an entertaining and convincing one.

Quick hit reviews for 4/14/08

THE INDIES: Maintenance #7-9 (Oni Press, $3.50 each) works because it's a complete concept, albeit one that seems heavily inspired by the flicks of Kevin Smith. Funny, well executed and goofy. ... Having fallen behind on the series, Wasteland #14 (Oni Press, $3.50) was only partially satisfying because it's just a bit too difficult to tell what's going on. Joe Infurnari fills in on art for Christopher Mitten and produces some lovely drawings that nonetheless make it hard to tell who's who from panel to panel. ... Gravel #0, #1-2 (Avatar, $3.99) are solid, hard-core genre entertainment. Warren Ellis and Mike Wolfer deliver on the kind of emphemeral mood and thrills that periodical comics can be so very good at but often aren't, anymore. ... Warren Ellis' Anna Mercury #1 (Avatar, $3.99) is more accessible, with a good twist and a heroine that's tough and buxom in all the right places to please the fanboys.

MARVEL: Fantastic Four #554-555 (Marvel, $2.99 each) can only be said to be rockin' cool. Why can't the movies be this cool? Bryan Hitch can draw the hell out of Mark Millar's sci-fi big concept stuff better than anyone. It's still not Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, but what is? ... Secret Invasion  #1 (Marvel, $3.99) kicks off the publisher's next big event with some panache, as Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu deliver an old-fashioned mystery and some fascinating revelations over who truly has been a Skrull. What's going to make or break this is how far it decides to go: too much retconning can annoy fans into rebellion, e.g., The Clone Saga.

DC: Wonder Woman #18 (DC, $2.99) gives the Amazon princess an appealing — albeit a bit light — personality as she takes on the Khunds from way back when. Gail Simone seems to have the best chance of any recent writer to give Wonder Woman the winning mix of action and fun the character has long seemed to need but has rarely ever had. ... Writer Kurt Busiek has been sorely underrated in his excellent run on Superman, and issue #674 (DC, $2.99) is no exception. This is a hip, modern and very cool take on the Man of Steel, lushly illustrated by Renato Guedes. ... Paul Dini brings an enjoyably simple take on Batman to his tales in Detective Comics #841 and 843 (DC, $2.99 each), with a fill in on #842 from Peter Milligan in much the same tone. If you miss the Batman seen on the old 1990s animated series, this is the Batbook for you, even as artist Dustin Nguyen goes for a completely different and stylish look that works just great on the page. ... Grant Morrison shakes up (usually in a good way) every book he takes on, and his version of the Dark Knight in Batman #674 (DC, $2.99) is his most successfully radical-yet-logical take on a classic comic since New X-Men. This is the build up to the Batman R.I.P. storyline, and you can't help but get sucked into the idea while reading this issue that something big and very cool is happening. ... All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #9 (DC, $2.99) sees Frank Miller and Jim Lee make up (a little bit) for Batman and Black Canary doing the nasty on the docks in issue #7. Most of the issue makes fun of Green Lantern (which Garth Ennis did first and arguably better way back in the late, lamented Hitman), but Batman and Robin finally show some emotions recognizable as human and even kind of sympathetic toward the end of this issue. ... Countdown to Final Crisis #3 (DC, $2.99) ticks the clock one issue closer, as Superman and Darkseid duke it out. What's really going to be fun is next issue, as we'll finally get to see the long-promised Giant Turtle Jimmy Olsen in action.

Quick hit reviews for 4/09/08

Don Pendleton’s The Executioner #1 (IDW, $3.99) may have come first, but this perfunctory script and fuzzy art offer little reason to be more interested in Mack Bolan than The Punisher. … Jenna Jameson’s Shadow Hunter #1 (Virgin, $2.99) is a perfect comics translation of the famous porn star, with artist Mukesh Singh giving readers something lovely to look at but suffering from delusions of grandeur when it comes to story. … Spawn #170-176 (Image/McFarlane, $2.95 each) is actually a very engrossing read, giving some context to Al Simmons’ family life and history with writer David Hine delivering a truly fun Western version of Spawn and featuring some terrific art from Brian Haberlin, Bing Cansino and Gierrod Van Dyke. … Casanova #11-12 (Image, $1.99 each) is a book I’m behind on but enjoying immensely due to the feeling that just about anything can happen and two-color art from Fabio Moon featuring a shade of blue that’s not easy to forget. … Elephantmen: War Toys #2 (Image/Active Images, $2.99) is, as always, worth a look for the outstanding Euro-style artwork by Moritat and excellent coloring and lettering, with this issue featuring some very nice rock tones in a story that engages even though I didn’t read #1.

Review: Star Trek: Year Four — The Enterprise Experiment #1

Creators: D.C. Fontana and Derek Chester, writers; Gordon Purcell and Terry Pallot, artists
IDW, 32 pages, color, $3,99
So? As a longtime fan of Star Trek, comicbooks and Star Trek comicbooks, this is a very good mixture of all the things that Trek fans like about Trek. The second Year Four series — remember, the U.S.S. Enterprise was originally on a five-year mission that was cut short after three by NBC — this story is a sequel to a Year Three TV episode in which Captain Kirk steals an experimental Romulan cloaking device from a very attractive female Romulan commander. That episode was written by D.C. Fontana, who has written episodes of almost every TV incarnation of the show and makes her debut as comics writer here. The art team of Purcell and Pallot also has a lot of experience with Trek, with each having drawn dozens of Trek comics for previous publishers. Not surprisingly, this ends up being a satisfying tale that hits all the right buttons for the die-hard Trek fan, even as its fan-friendliness makes it less likely to bring in casual or new fans. Given the number of bad Trek comics that have been published (Gold Key and Marvel, I'm talking mostly about you), that's more than good enough for now as we wait to see how much the new movie due out next year can revive interest in the Trek brand. Grade: B-

Review: Logan #1

Creators: Brian K. Vaughan, writer; Eduardo Risso, artist
Marvel, 32 pages, color, $3.99; also available in a 24-page black-and-white edition for $3.99
So? Normally, a new Wolverine miniseries wouldn't elicit much interest from fans — but when it's written by Brian K. Vaughan, creator of "Y: The Last Man" and now writing for "Lost," and drawn by Eduardo Risso of "100 Bullets" fame, it's definitely worth a look. This comic, the first of three issues, was released in both a regular color edition and a black-and-white edition. If you only get one copy, get the black-and-white edition, which in a classy move excludes all the color ads and terrifically shows off Risso's astounding ink work. The story is as good a Wolverine story as Marvel has published in a long time. Set in Japan, Logan returns to the place where "he became a man" and flashes back to being a Japanese POW camp in World War II. His escape brings him into contact with an ethereal Japanese woman (he does have a tendency to fall for that type) and she protects him. This story doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the final page does present a plot twist that is sure to make the next two issues as cool to read and look at as this one is. Grade: A-

Review: Countdown to Final Crisis #7-5

Creators: Paul Dini, head writer; Adam Beechen, writer; Keith Giffen, story consultant; Tom Derenick, Mike Norton, Jim Starlin, Wayne Faucher, Jimmy Palmiotti and Rodney Ramos, artists.
DC Comics, 32 pages, color, $2.99 each
So? "Countdown" has taken a beating from fans for not being as good as "52," and many of their complaints through this weekly series have been legitimate. But to be fair, "Countdown" has improved tremendously in its second half in general and as the plot has begun to builds toward its conclusion in the most recent issues. I won't bother to go into too much detail about the specifics of the plot, but a plague has been unleashed through the multiverse, with the Monitors, Darkseid and the OMACs all lining up against the heroes for a big final showdown. The art in particular has been strong on these past few issues, which has helped make this a more compelling read. How well this series will hold up, though, is still up in the air. It took a long time and a good many issues that felt unfocused to get to this point, and I have the disappointing sense that "Countdown's" plot will not be resolved in its own pages, but rather in upcoming mega-crossover "Final Crisis." It seems the lesson of "Countdown" is to make sure that future weekly efforts find a laser-precise focus early on and stick with it, or risk becoming merely an expensive bridge between the publishing events that drive the superhero end of comics these days. Grade: B-

Review: Kick Ass #1

Creators: Mark Millar, writer; John Romita Jr., artist
Icon/Marvel, 32 pages, color, $2.99
So? Marvel's go-to guy Millar, writer of "Civil War," "The Ultimates" and now "Fantastic Four," goes out on his own to write the self-proclaimed "greatest superhero book of all time." Story is about Dave Lizewski, a nerdy young kid who decides to try to follow in real life the example of his favorite comicbook heroes and don a costume to fight crime. The results are equal parts hilarious and wince-inducing, helped tremendously by outstanding art by John Romita Jr., who remains one of comics most underrated stars despite 30 years in the business. What makes this a bit different from previous attempts at much the same concept is that Dave gets no real superpowers and the results go as bad for him as they would if someone were to try this in the real world. It's nice to see someone like Millar, who penned the Top Cow graphic novel behind "Wanted," the upcoming Angelina Jolie-James McAvoy pic, continue to experiment with a new idea when he surely would have his pick of any top Marvel or DC title to write. It may not quite live up to its own hype, but it's definitely a nice change of pace. Grade: A-

Review: Ghost Whisperer #1-2

Creators: Becca Smith and Carrie Smith, writers; Elena Casagrande, artist
IDW, 32 pages, color, $3.99 each
So? The CBS series this comic is based on has been a quiet but consistent marketing innovator, having taken the show to Comic-Con the past couple of years and having previously produced a promo graphic novel. (I'm not sure why these efforts haven't paid off more in winning over the kind of vocal and visible fans that keep "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alive — is Jennifer Love Hewitt's portrayal of psychic Melinda Gordon too feminine and not hip enough for that crowd? I don't really know.) This five-issue outing written by a pair  scribes Smith and Smith show a good grasp on what works in comics, with the each issue's done-in-one mystery tying in quite well to a longer arc involving a larger threat to Melinda that's a bit more fantastic than what the TV show usually pulls off. There's a bit of repetition in that both mysteries revolve around the deaths of pick-on teenage girls whose spirits want revenge, but the clean art, moody colors and solid scripting make this an easy and enjoyable read. Grade: B+

Review: Young Liars #1

Creator: David Lapham
DC/Vertigo, 32 pages, color, $2.99
So? Fans of Lapham’s “Stray Bullets” — the self-published crime series Lapham has written and drawn more than 40 issues of since 1995 — may not be pleased to see the writer-artist putting his efforts into this new monthly. But they should be more than mollified by reading the book, which brings all the intensity and irony of life on the edge to a splashy new arena. Story begins with Danny Noonan, who came to New York City with rock ’n’ roll dreams and is madly in love with Sadie Dawkins, a mad rocker chick who beats up guys twice her size and is a little off because of a bullet lodged in her brain. Danny’s club scene is full of oddball supporting cast members, but what makes this work as well as it does is that it reads like a great rock song sounds. Lapham’s art is, as always, expressive and sincere, conveying youthful energy in a way few comics artists can. What’s less clear is where this story will go, and to stick with the music analogy there’s no guarantee the first issue isn’t the hit single on an otherwise mediocre album. “Bullets” changed characters and locales often, so it seems Lapham’s biggest challenge will be to make this book compelling each and every month. So far, it’s got a great beat and you can dance to it … Grade: A-

Review: Echo #1

Creator: Terry Moore
Abstract Studios, 24 pages, black and white, $3.50
So? Moore also takes a fairly radical departure, but also picks a sci-fi premise as the follow up to “Strangers in Paradise.” In “Echo,” an extreme test of a radical new technology goes awry, and a young woman is exposed to the strange results. Given the opening quote from Einstein — “Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal” — it looks like this will delve into the theme of the proper use of power and the toll that can take on the soul. It’s not clear yet whether “Echo,” with its superhero and sci-fi trappings, will evoke the deep emotions and feelings of Francine, Katchoo and David (I’m hoping there’s a bit less crying in this series), but Moore’s track record indicates we won’t have to wait long to find an interesting woman character at the heart of this series. Grade: B+

Review: Rasl #1

Creator: Jeff Smith
Cartoon Books, 32 page, black and white, $3.50
So? It’s a special day when you can walk into a comics shop (in my case, the excellent House of Secrets in Burbank) and pick up brand-new first issues from the likes of Jeff Smith, Terry Moore and David Lapham.
One issue in, it’s clear that “Rasl” is radically different from Smith’s beloved masterpiece, “Bone.” “Rasl” is a hard-edged science fiction story about a tough young art thief who escapes into “The Drift” with the help of a Jack Kirby-inspired contraption of some kind that causes its user extreme pain. Seeing Smith draw dingy bars, tough guys with tattoos, parched desert terrains and a street brawl with an alien. All of this is told in a hard-boiled style and is worth the price of admission on its own. The story again evokes Kirby — I just can’t help but see a bit of Kamandi in Smith’s as-yet-unnamed art thief — and it unfolds its plot in a way that its many mysteries add up to something that is unique and definitely worth coming back for. Grade: A-

Crossing the Line 3 — Spider-Man: One More Day

Books and creators: The Amazing Spider-Man #544, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24, Sensational Spider-Man #41; written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Joe Quesada and Danny Miki

Marvel, color, 48 pages, $3.99 each.

So? Of all the A-list franchises in comics, Spider-Man has had probably the least success with the line-wide crossover saga. That’s at least partly due to the number of books the web-slinger usually stars in, which are usually fairly tight in terms of continuity and lessening the need for a true crossover event.

But there are times when Marvel needs or wants to draw attention to Spider-Man, and that’s about as good an explanation as you’re likely ever going to find for “One More Day.” Hyped as a major turning point in the lives of Peter and Mary Jane, this turns to be exactly what fans have expected all along: A way for Marvel to “erase” their marriage so Peter Parker can go back to being a single geek for whom girls are nothing but trouble. Marvel’s editor in chief, Joe Quesada, has been vocal about how the two characters’ marriage 20 years ago (yipes!) undermined what he thinks was a key part of Peter Parker’s original appeal.

With this kind of rationale for its existence, it’s almost impossible to judge this story on its own creative merits. Quesada is undeniably a talented penciller, and the script from the departing J. Michael Straczynski tries very hard to execute a concept that’s a hugely difficult pill to swallow in just about every way.

The third part of this four-part story, in Sensational Spider-Man #41, has Peter and MJ encountering Mephisto — Marvel’s version of Satan, Lucifer, etc. — who offers to save the life of Aunt May, who is certain to die after being mistakenly shot by a sniper who was trying to kill Peter, in exchange for their marriage. The idea is they’ll forget they were even married, except for a small part deep down in their souls that will despair at the loss, and it’s that part that will satisfy Mephisto.

Aside from Mephisto not being the type of villain that works in Spider-Man stories, this strains credulity and raises more questions than it answers about how Marvel intends to go forward with the character and his place in the entire Marvel Universe. Given that everyone in the Marvel Universe knows Peter is Spider-Man after he unmasked in Civil War #2 and that he’s married to Mary Jane, any sort of “mindwipe” affecting the entire universe is just plain unbelievable. It’s not clear if MJ will still be around at all, or if she and Peter will be adults or go back to being teenagers or if they’ll still be dating at all. What are they going to remember about the last few years of their lives? If the unmasking is undone at the same time, how does that affect every book that was tied into Civil War? Even the stated of goal, of having Peter go back to worrying about girls, is strange and seems unlikely to work unless you take him back to high school age. A single adult who works as a teacher, photographer or scientist and can’t get a date is far less sympathetic than a geeky teen who can’t get the girls at school to notice him.

The motive here also is hard to figure out, as the “classic” conditions this series is trying to restore already exist in the very popular Ultimate Spider-Man series, and already does a far better job of playing with them than the new, three-times-a-month Amazing Spider-Man series likely will. Why not just have multiple versions of the character for different audiences, and let people read the one they like? De-emphasize MJ if you like, but for anyone who’s been reading and liking the book for the last few years, this is going to be a majorly difficult pill to swallow, with seemingly very little potential gain. The sooner this is over, the better — a sentiment sure to be shared by comic shop owners who’ve endured delays as this weekly series has turned at least monthly and left them with a fraction of the usual number of new Spider-Man comics to sell. Grade: D

Crossing the Line 2 — Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul

Books and creators: Batman #670, written by Grant Morrison, art by Tony Daniel and Jonathan Glapion; Robin #168, written by Peter Milligan, art by Freddie E. Williams II; Nightwing #138, written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Don Kramer and Wayne Faucher; Detective Comics #838, written by Paul Dini, art by Ryan Benjamin and Saleem Crawford.

DC Comics, color, 32 pages and $2.99 each

So? Focus again helps make the first Batman crossover in quite a while, “The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul,” work as a reasonably entertaining crossover.

This shorter event — running one prologue and seven chapters through Batman, Detective Comics, Robin and Nightwing — begins with the return of the nominal villain, whose consciousness has been residing in a rapidly decaying alternative body since his “death” in Batman and the Maidens. Ra’s is looking for a new permanent vessel, and has his eyes set on his grandson, Damion, the child of his daughter Talia and Batman. Throw Batman’s current Robin and adopted son, Tim Drake, as well as Dick Grayson’s Nightwing into the mix, and you’ve got a pretty good setup, which is no surprise with the likes of Grant Morrison and Paul Dini each writing a book.

Now about halfway through its run, “Resurrection” has kept up a good pace, features fine artwork and has been quite easy to keep track of as it moves from character to character and book to book. Those basics covered, however, this lacks the kind of scope demanded by a story deemed worthy of a crossover. While X-Men: Messiah Complex is about saving mutants from extinction, the conflicts here are internal and again seem to rotate around Damion, Tim and how Batman should feel toward them or choose between them. Damion, as a fairly new character, hasn’t earned enough audience sympathy for his death to be a loss anyone would care much about. In fact, his whiny obnoxiousness so far recalls Jason Todd, whose stint as Robin was so reviled that he was killed off by fans in a high profile phone-poll event almost 20 years ago.

While entertaining, this doesn’t feel special enough for a crossover and likely would have benefited by playing out in a single title, where a writer would have had more room and time to turn it into a compelling story. Grade: B-

Crossing the Line 1 — X-Men: Messiah Complex

Books and creators: X-Men: Messiah Complex #1, written by Ed Brubaker, art by Marc Silvestri, Joe Weems and Marco Galli; The Uncanny X-Men #492, written by Brubaker, art by Billy Tan, Danny Miki and Allen Martinez; X-Factor #25, written by Peter David, art by Scott Eaton and John Dell; New X-Men #44, written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, art by Humberto Ramos and Carlos Cuevas; X-Men #205, written by Mike Carey, art by Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend.

Marvel, color, 32-48 pages and $2.99 to $3.99 each

So? Crossovers are a fact of life in superhero comics. No matter how often fans complain about them — how they fail creatively and require buying more books than normal to get the whole story — the votes that really count, i.e., sales, show otherwise.

While universe-wide crossovers like Infinite Crisis and Civil War have dominated of late at DC and Marvel, this fall sees the return of crossover to the families of books that used to define event publishing for superhero comics.

The X-Men pioneered this kind of crossover with 1986’s Mutant Massacre, and are back at it with Messiah Complex, the first such X-event in several years.

Following the depowering of all but 198 mutants in 2005’s House of M and Beast’s attempts in the Endangered Species backup series to save the small mutant population from eventual extinction, Messiah Complex sees the birth of the first new mutant and starts a race between the remaining mutant factions to find the child.

As far as concepts go for crossovers, this so far is working quite well. Having a point is more than half the battle when it comes to crossovers. Having a focus also benefits the crossover structure, which in this case goes between four different books, all of which have to both advance the overall story and spotlight its own cast of characters. That’s why parallel plots are common in crossovers, and they work here because the stakes are large enough to justify giving each group its own thing to do in pursuit of the overall goal. It also cannily revisits popular characters and, in some instances, restores at least some of the status quo on characters such as Mr. Sinister and Gambit.

Combine that with very good art from the likes of Marc Silvestri, Chris Bachalo and Humberto Ramos; excellent and consistent coloring; and a distinctive cover design, and you’ve got a good chance of achieving the nominal goal of bringing back lapsed fans for at least a look.

In the end, this appears to be a series that will neither excite fans the way 1995’s Age of Apocalypse did nor bore them as did Operation: Zero Tolerance. The biggest disappointment is that for all the effort put into making this coherent and competent — qualities that most X-overs have struggled to achieve — it isn’t even trying to deliver the kind of change the X-Men truly line needs to redefine itself as an exciting and accessible reading experience that can draw in new readers. That may be an unfair judgment, given that Messiah Complex was never intended to be that kind of story, but when all you’re shooting for is to recapture old fans, there’s little chance of sparking the kind of idea that’s going to truly capture the imagination of readers of any kind. Grade: B

Review: Dan Dare #1

Creators: Garth Ennis, writer; Gary Erskine, artist

Virgin Comics, 32 pages, color, $2.99. On sale Nov. 28.

So? It’s tough for those of us who didn’t grow up in England and don’t know much about Dan Dare to truly evaluate whether this revival is true to the classic installments of Frank Hampson’s adventure pilot. As a single issue, this is promising start to what looks like a good, old-fashioned sci-fi space romp. This issue re-introduces Dan Dare, who’s lured out of a retirement where he dreams of the Green and Pleasant Land of Yore and back to a world where America’s been bombed back to the Stone Age and British space forces face a new threat from the alien Treen. As an archetypal British flying ace, Dare is an appealing hero even with a few years on him, still wearing his 1940s style leather pilot’s jacket. Ennis does a good job of setting things up here, but what will be more fun will be to see how Ennis’ usual sly humor and penchant for big stuff happening will play out. Erskine is a terrific choice for the art. It seems unlikely that die-hard fans of the character will be doing backflips over this first issue — it’s just too heavy on the exposition to really tell how the space stuff everyone wants to see will work out over the next six issues of the series — but it seems to have enough of the right tone and care put into it to be worth sticking with. Grade: B+

Review: Dock Walloper #1

Creators: Edward Burns, creator; Jimmy Palmiotti, writer; Siju Thomas, artist

Virgin Comics, 32 pages, color, #2.99. On sale Nov. 28.

So? If you like Martin Scorsese’s recent films ("Gangs of New York," "The Aviator"), this is the comic for you. Based on an idea by actor-director Ed Burns and written by Jimmy Palmiotti (is there anything he doesn’t either write or ink?), this is a gangster tale set in the 1920s about a down on his luck outcast named John Smith, whose enlarged right hand makes him a power to be reckoned with on the mob-infested docks of New York City. Along with Bootsy, his African-American friend from the orphanage, they arrive in the city and attract the attention of mobster Mugsy and his boss, Gentleman Jim. The script is lively enough and Smith and Bootsy are quite likeable, even as it’s obvious they’re going to end up in over their heads before this five-issue miniseries wraps up. It’s solid entertainment, though not as epic as its apparent inspirations. The art is clear and attractive, aided by some really nice color work that evokes the time and place without being overdone. Grade: B+

Review: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier

Creators: Alan Moore, writer; Kevin O’Neill, artist
WildStorm/America’s Best Comics, 208 pages, color, hardcover, $29.99
So? Reading "The Black Dossier" is like reading an extended appendix to the events of the series’ previous two outings. This truly is a dossier, being comprised as it is of numerous excerpts from fake publications of the kind Moore has been creating since at least "Watchmen" that detail the history of the League both before and after the previous tales, with a comic book story in between. The comicbook story is a fairly fun 1950s-style spy tale that is not without its pleasures (a young Bond) and innovations (a 3-D section; glasses are included) but it’s far from being as satisfying as previous League outings. Still, the cleverness of the dossier material in many ways makes up for it, with formats ranging from vintage English comicstrips and a long-lost folio by Shakespeare himself to a Tijuana bible, a P.G. Wodehouse imitation, a stream-of-consciousness beatnik novel and government briefings. Each reveals in surprising ways key details in the long history of the League, which goes wider and deeper than had been suggested up to this point. While a fascinating way to tell this story, it’s disappointing to not be able to read these “lost adventures” as actual stories rather than as what ends up feeling like a compendium of supplementary material and format tricks. O’Neill’s art is, as usual, terrific even as it feels slightly out of place now that the comicbook section is set in the 1950s instead of the Victorian era his scratchy kinking so beautifully evoked. The esoteric nature of the format and the story will make this all but impenetrable to new readers, who will join even die-hard League fans in hoping that the stories this book is an appendix to will one day come to light. Grade: B+

Review: Cairo

Creators: G. Willow Wilson, writer; M.K. Perker, artist
DC/Vertigo, 160 pages, black and white, hardcover, $24.99.
So? Author and journalist G. Willow Wilson tries to bridge the fantasy and mythology of ancient Middle Eastern cultures with the reality of today in Cairo, a new hardcover GN from Vertigo. There’s a lot going on this tale, which features characters both likeable and not from the many sides of life in the ancient city, where Wilson has lived and worked for four years: There’s a good-hearted and street savvy hash dealer, a journalist struggling to air his grievances against the government, a lost female Israeli soldier, a Lebanese-American who had been thinking about committing terrorist acts, and a young American girl looking to find the meaning to life she can’t find in Orange County. Then, there is Shams, a jinn — better known in America as a genie — and all manner of unusual, mystical events. While this set up seems to have all the clever ingredients that would make a welcome addition to the line that published Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, it never quite jells, at least partly because the fantasy stands in such stark contrast with the more realistic elements. The characters are well defined and interesting, though the events they encounter become increasingly fantastic and removed from the more compelling realities of life in the Middle East. Part of the problem is that, despite all the fantasy, there is surprisingly little sense of place and the setting seems largely unimportant to a tale that seems like it could take place in any number of Middle Eastern cities. The art by Perker, who lives in Turkey, falls short in this one area of setting, even as it brings out the personalities of the characters quite well. Color might have helped in this regard, as well as taking some of the bite out of the $24.99 price tag. But color can’t change the strange mix of the story, or give it the weight it needs to satisfy readers. Grade: C+

Review: Heroes, Vol. 1

Creators: Aron Eli Coleite, Chuck Kim, Joe Pokaski, Oliver Grigsby, Pierluigi Cothran, Christopher Zatta, Andrew Chamberliss, Harrison Wilcox, Jesse Alexander, Mark Warshaw, DJ Doyle and Timm Keppler, writers;  Tim Sale, Michael Turner, Koi Turnbull, Micah Gunnell, Marcus To, Travis Kotzebue, Phil Jimenez, Jordan Kotzebue, Jason Badower, Staz Johnson, Michael Gaydos, Steven Lejeune, Adam Archer and Tom Grummett, artists.

DC/WildStorm, 240 pages, color, hardcover, $29.99

So? This collection of 34 short comic stories that weave in and out of the show's first-season episodes is an excellent reminder of how much fun the show was in its first season (and how lackluster its second season has been so far). Reading these all in one sitting is much more fun than it was scrolling through them online, though fans that really know the ins and outs of the plots of the first season will likely get the most out of these stories. What makes this work is the stories are short, and at five pages, they can't dawdle the way so many comics do. These read almost like good manga, in that they're quick and addictive. The art is solid, with some excellent turns by the likes of Michael Gaydos and workhorse Micah Gunnell, and benefits tremendously from top-notch coloring and lettering. This is a nice-looking book, complete with a retro comicbook design that, oddly enough, evokes the look and feel of Silver Age Marvel Comics (and strangely, it's not exactly clear if this is being published by DC, as the cover says, or its WildStorm division, which is what it says inside the book). Tim Sale's paintings are turned into slightly worn covers for each of the 34 episodes and the hefty volume boasts an interview with the writers and an introduction by actor Masi Oka. A pair of very cool covers by Jim Lee and Alex Ross make this a must-have for fans of the show, even at a slightly pricey $29.99. Grade: A-

Review: Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm

Creators: Percy Carey, writer; Ronald Wimberly, artist

DC/Vertigo, 128 pages, black and white, $19.99

So? Welcome to the new Vertigo. Where once the imprint specialized in fantasy and horror fare aimed at slightly older readers, the imprint’s most interesting releases now are original graphic novels that could just as easily be published by an indie house. Percy Carey tells the contradictory and fascinating tale of his life in hip-hop, coming up through the early days and finding success in the burgeoning rap scene as MF Grimm. When the growing violence of the rap scene catches up with Grimm, he’s shot in his car and left paralyzed from the waist down. That changed Carey immensely, though he still pursued his dream of rap music success. It’s a compelling story, made so by Carey’s talent for telling stories and a sense of honesty that comes through as he confesses often in detail the ugly side of his life and the crimes he committed. Still, there’s a feeling that there’s a lot more to this tale than Carey lets on, that cutting the story down to something that works in a 128-page graphic novel by necessity glosses over some of the less savory details and leaves Carey and the other characters in the book a little too cartoony to accept as real-live people. That approach does, however, give show off Ronald Wimberly’s talents as an artist. He manages to create a light and lively look for the book that avoids the stiltedness of many autobiographical comics, while giving it the same sort of polished noir feel as the fully fictional “100 Bullets.” There’s another issue here with the writing, which is that most of the book is narrated by Carey/Grimm. That leaves the book feeling more like an illustrated journal than a comicbook. For all its faults, it’s still an engrossing read, carried largely by the strength of Carey’s personality and Wimberly’s artwork. It may not be the next great graphic novel, but it’s a solid book that is nice to see coming from a traditional comics publisher like DC. Grade: B+

Review: The Last Fantastic Four Story

Creators: Stan Lee, writer; John Romita Jr., artist

Marvel, color, 64 pages, $4.99

So? Any time Stan Lee comes back to the characters that he kicked off the Marvel Universe with, it’s worth a look. While hardly the most original story, Lee manages to hit the classic notes just right to satisfy fans of the classic versions of these characters. For the ultimate FF story, Lee brings in a character called the Adjudicator, who’s passed judgment on the human race. The FF, as usual, manage to smash, stretch, protect, burn and think their way to a solution, with the timely assistance of both the Silver Surfer and Galactus. There’s still a bit of magic in this formula, even if just from the familiarity of it all, and Romita Jr. gives the book just the right mix of classic and contemporary. (This is yet another excellent argument in the case that Romita Jr. is one of the most under-rated and outstanding artists to ever contribute to Marvel.) What’s missing is a sense of closure here. This is supposed to be the final adventure of the team, but none of the characters appears to have aged much (Franklin is still a child, for example) and the “end” of the group is kind of tacked on at the end, in Lee’s typical, feel-good “the best is yet to come” fashion. Nonetheless, the book is a pleasant read, pretty to look at and has the bonus feature of Lee’s original plot, complete with comments and changes from project editor Tom Brevoort, who has a terrific blog at Marvel.com if you haven't already seen it. Grade: B

Review: Wolverine #56

Creators: Jason Aaron, writer; Howard Chaykin, artist

Marvel, color, 48 pages, $3.99

So? Few characters as popular as Wolverine have ever struggled quite so much for quality material in their own books. That makes those rare glimpses of good stuff all the more fascinating. This single-issue tale is told through the eyes of a man named Wendell, whose mind-numbing blue-collar job it is to torture a captured Logan by shooting him full of machine-gun bullets all day long at the bottom of a pit. Plotwise, Logan manages to get inside Wendell’s head and capitalize on the man’s guilt over his divorce to find a way to escape. But what’s most striking about how well this story works is that it adds fuel to the argument that Logan is a far better supporting character than a lead – perhaps explaining why good solo Wolverine stories have been so hard to come by. Aaron’s story is well-done, and brought to vivid life by Howard Chaykin, who’s as good a match for the story and character as his track record would indicate. Worth a look, especially for those who want a done-in-one does of the character. Grade: B+

Review: Martha Washington Dies

Creators: Frank Miller, writer; Dave Gibbons, artist

Dark Horse, color, 24 pages, color, $3.50

So? The Martha Washington series, which began in 1990 with the outstanding “Give Me Liberty” was one of those slightly overlooked great comics of the 1990s. So for fans of the strange, overly corporate and corrupt world that the virtuous warrior woman called home, this is going to be a bit of a let down. Rather than capping her story in the grand style it seemed to deserve, Miller and Gibbons instead present a very short tale of the very end of the character’s life, followed by the original series proposal and an ad for a complete MW collection due next year. That book will be a must-buy, but this can’t help but disappoint (despite Gibbon’s always-terrific art) in the face of such a long elaborate setup and an absence of many years. Grade: C

Review: Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #1

Creators: John Layman, Tom Peyer and Jim Massey, writers; Scott Chantler and Robbi Rodriguez, artists

Oni Press, color, 32 pages, $3.99

So? Fans of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” will know the name “Tek Jansen,” the star of the fake-news show anchor’s fan fiction project that has yet to find a publisher. It makes a good joke on the small screen, and manages to survive the transition to comicbook form fairly well. This debut issue features two stories of Jansen, who’s played by a Colbert look-alike, dealing in the character’s own moronic way with various galactic menaces and showing off enough space testosterone to make William Shatner jealous. Handsomely illustrated and nicely produced as it is, the joke unfortunately starts to wear itself out before the end of this first (of five) issues. Perhaps if Colbert himself were more involved in creating the stories (he’s credited as “galactic overlord”) and giving it an element that wasn’t already apparent from watching the show, it would be more interesting to both casual readers and his fans. Still, it makes a nice item for fans of the show to pick up and get a chuckle out of. Grade: B-

Review: Supernatural Law — Wolff & Byrd: The Movie!

Creator: Batton Lash

Exhibit A Press, 32 pages, black and white, $3.50

So? The Counselors of the Macabre return to face another unusual case — which they can handle quite well — and overtures from Hollywood — which are more annoying than anything else. What the reader gets is the attorneys’ agent pitching them ideas ideas based on other successful comics and movie styles, allowing Lash to show us Wolff & Byrd in the styles of “Sin City,” 1950s romance comics, a “L’il” kids version, and even as a “Van Helsing” style adventure story. Each idea is ludicrous in that it veers so far from the craft of plot, character and art that make the series work both in print and online. And not surprisingly, each movie idea presented in the book is one that actual Hollywood producers and agents pitched to Lash and his wife and editor, Jackie Estrada of Eisner Awards fame. Fortunately, this is a book that knows exactly what it is and won’t change to fit the trend of the moment just to make a movie sale, and that’s a verdict that’s good news for those of us who read and enjoy comics on their own merits regardless of whether it’s coming to the multiplex. Grade: B+

Review: Nexus #99

Creators: Mike Baron, writer; Steve Rude, pencils; Gary Martin, Bob Wiacek and Steve Rude, inks

Rude Dude Productions, color, 32 pages, $2.99

So? Vootie! After a too-long absence, Nexus returns as cool as it ever was. The driving force here is co-creator Rude, who publishes the new series in addition to giving the book its trademark slick, sci-fi cool feel. The story is as strange and disturbing as ever. For those who don’t know, Nexus is a future superhero driven by his dreams to track down and execute mass murderers. He’s created a refuge for the survivors of these frequent cosmic massacres on the idyllic planet of Ylum, where he lives with the love of his life, former spy Sundra Peale. Rude always brought a classic 1960s sci-fi feel to the book, which evokes classic “Star Trek” as much as the “Space Ghost” and the sleek style o