Scouring out the weekly singles scene … in comics!
The first of a six-issue series, SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1 retells the story of how Clark Kent became Superman. Uh, we all know that one, so why? Not sure, but Geoff Johns has found a new way to do so, with both humor and humanity. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s positively packed with action. Clark doesn’t fit in at Smallville High all that well, and attention from Lana Lang sets off his heat vision, which makes for a rather amusing allegory for premature ejaculation. Ma and Pa Kent reveal his Kryptonian heritage (leading to a heartbreaking scene in a cornfield), Clark meets Lux Luthor, and he gets his signature glasses and costume. Heck, there’s even a tornado. Fast-paced with excellent art by Gary Frank, this promises to be a worthy perspective on a classic American tale.
Grant Morrison’s overhaul of the dynamic duo continues in BATMAN AND ROBIN #4, with a new story arc kicking off another garish, grimy issue (and I mean that in a good way). Here, Batman and Robin find themselves faced with a new foe: competition. Namely, a new costumed team calling themselves The Red Hood and Scarlet. Unfortunately for Gotham City, they’re vigilantes who cause more harm than good, even if their enemies are essentially the same as the caped crusader’s. Oh, and the identity of one of them is quite the surprise. Philip Tan draws this one dark, with a sense of foreboding and a knack for bloodletting.
Yet another one-shot in Marvel’s DARK REIGN storyline, DARK X-MEN: THE CONFESSION #1 is a weird one, but welcome all the same. Cyclops and Emma Frost are in the midst of a pretty hot ‘n’ heavy love affair, but it’s threatened from blossoming when the weight of what Cyclops has done has been bearing down on his conscience. Basically, as founder of X-Force, he risked or sacrificed the lives of his fellow mutants in order for their entire race to endure. So he decides to tell her, and turns out, she has a secret of her own. Written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, and drawn by Bing Cansino, this is a nicely done piece, for which you need not have read anything connected to it.
GIANT-SIZE WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN #1 is the craziest thing I’ve read all year. I should’ve known it would be, given it’s written by WANTED‘s Mark Millar. It takes place in the future, after almost all the superheroes have fallen. Wolverine’s still around, but he’s practically as old as Clint Eastwood. Ditto for Bruce Banner, who’s patriarch to a family of green-skinned bad guys known as the Hulk Gang. They’ve killed Wolverine’s wife and kid, so he wants revenge. And he gets it, in increasingly over-the-top, über-violent exchanges, drawn by Steve McNiven. By the end, the story has become a semi-SHOGUN ASSASSIN. Too bad it has to end there.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE #1 may not be an exact adaptation of the blockbuster film — after all, the story is contained all in one normal-sized issue — but it’s close enough. Written by Chris Yost and drawn by Mark Texeira, this one-shot chronicles Wolverine’s time as a savage in the 19th century, to having his skeleton replaced with adamantium, to going to work for the Canadian government as a weapon, to being recruited by Professor Xavier to join the X-Men instead. Unlike the movie, it’s really, really violent. In one scene toward the end, Wolverine’s literally standing atop a pyramid of bodies he’s just killed, several damned levels tall. Awesome.
And if you find yourself at a comic book store this week picking up any of the above — or something else entirely — be sure to pick up Marvel’s latest freebie: ASTONISHING X-MEN/AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: THE GAUNTLET SKETCHOOK. It’s a flipbook showcasing some great art. On the X-MEN side, Phil Jimenez discusses his career and takes us through his creative process, from first pencils to finished art. On the SPIDER-MAN side, there’s a host of examples from various artists to accompany commentary from various artists, writers and players. Pay extra attention to J. Scott Campbell’s rather sexy drawing of Black Cat in a Spidey nightie … not that you’ll be need to be told. —Rod Lott
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