Scouring out the weekly singles scene … in comics!
Has the comics industry come to this? That we have a series whose brooding protagonist writes obituaries for a Brazilian newspaper? Meet Vertigo’s DAYTRIPPER #1, from brothers Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon. Their hero is Brás, a journalist who’d rather be a novelist. In the hours leading up to a celebration for his father’s distinguished career, Brás ruminates on his life; he’s only certain that he wants something more for himself. DAYTRIPPER’s creators may hail from south of the border, but this work feels very European, particularly French. I mean that as a compliment, as that continent does an excellent job of presenting adult issues intelligently, in a format we Yanks largely consider the realm of kids’ stuff. From the end scene, I have no idea how the siblings will take Brás from here, but color me interested. So to answer the question, has the comics industry come to this? Yes, thankfully.
Before the epic poem becomes a video game, it first becomes a comic book in WildStorm’s tie-in, DANTE’S INFERNO #1. Dante and Beatrice are lovers. While the former is out, the latter is murdered and taken by Lucifer to Hell. Dante follows them there to retrieve his true love, but it’s a journey that seems doomed to fail. Writer Cristos Gage appropriates a lyrical feel in his script, while Diego Latorre depicts it with near-monochrome fantasy images that recall the dark collage work of Dave McKean for the covers of THE SANDMAN, if not quite as inventive. The result is a bit messy looking for my tastes, but never boring. You could get lost in these images, just perusing over all their detail and subtleties.
Just in time for Christmas — or Hanukkah or Kwanza — is DC UNIVERSE HOLIDAY SPECIAL ’09 #1, a super-sized anthology featuring 16 tales mixing heroes with ho-ho-ho. Among stories serious and silly, you get Batman chasing a bad Santa, Superman fighting a snow golem, The Flash all a-flutter with holiday activities, Martian Manhunter solving the murder of a Christmas tree salesman, Sgt. Rock making temporary peace with the enemy, Captain Marvel convincing a villain to do some good, Deadman saving a distraught woman from suicide, Red Tornado teaching shoppers the true meaning of the season, and Adam Strange attempting to find time for New Year’s Eve fun. Plus, Enemy Ace, Beast Boy, Huntress, Ragman, Superboy, B’Wana Beast and more — all well done, if occasionally sentimental. It’s the time of year I can forgive that.
Marvel’s WHAT IF? WORLD WAR HULK #1 includes three alternate-history takes on the popular fantasy series in which Hulk went to another planet, became a gladiator-type and was basically a big, green version of Conan. First, find out what would happen if back on Earth, Hulk and the superheroes who sent him away were unable to save our planet from being destroyed by the shapeshifting Skrull aliens. Then, how would it go down if Thor got in on the action? Finally, there are a few pages of jokey one-pagers and one-panel gags — some dealing with Hulk, some not — that play like a MAD magazine feature. Overall, fun, fleeting stuff. Luico Parillo’s painted art on the first story is an absolute standout.
WOLVERINE: UNDER THE BOARDWALK #1 is an extremely effective one-shot — not because it’s actually self-contained, but also because it’s a terrific tale of noir. Marvel’s been doing NOIR-branded miniseries of its superhero characters of late, but this one’s in color — muted, but color nonetheless. Written by Stuart Moore with rough-and-tumble art from Tom Coker, the issue finds Wolverine getting an anonymous text message calling him to the Atlantic City boardwalk, where, 40 years earlier, he got a mob beatdown. Who’s pulling Logan back to the scene of the crime and why? You’ll have to read to find out, and this one is an adults-only mystery that would work even without a mutant at its core.
It’s not like the comics world needed another big event, but Marvel’s going to do it anywhere in early 2010 with SIEGE, set seven years in the future. To kick things off, we get the one-shot SIEGE: THE CABAL #1, scripted by heavyweight Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Michael Lark, who draws doom and destruction with the best of ‘em. The narrative has Norman Osborn tries to draft Doctor Doom into his nefarious plans to overthrow Asgard, but the Latverian lord turns him down, leading to a plague on the city that calls The Avengers into action. This first taste is tantalizing, and hopefully the storyline will continue its big-screen feel, but to get it all, Marvel’s asking you to buy 37 separate issues between now and April. That’s kinda greedy, isn’t it?
—Rod Lott
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