What I Bought 8/4/2010

Sorry about not posting, and not mentioning I wasn't going to be posting. The original plan was that I would post, since my dad does have Internet access at his place out in the boonies (different boonies from those I inhabited in the spring, and will return to in a couple of weeks). Then the fist couple of days I was sidetracked and after that I decided I'd wait until I returned. Well, let's see what the week has blessed me with.

Deadpool #1000 - I liked Deadpool #900, which combined with how light my pull list is getting, convinced me to buy it, but it didn't work as well for me as that did. I still enjoyed parts of it. "The Maltese Bunny" by David Lapham had potential, but I think I'd have liked to see Deadpool actually trying to be a detective. I'm sure that's not what Lapham was shooting for, but the actual bit fell flat with me. I suppose Deadpool wouldn't have the attention span to have a dream about actually solving the case.

The Fred van Lente/Denys Cowan "Silentest Night" was amusing. I don't know whether that's my love for the use of mimes as villains in comics, or because it mocked Blackest Night. Peter Bagge got to the heart of Deadpool in two pages, I was impressed. I'm not sure Howard Chaykin's 12-year-olds look much like children of that age, but Deadpool in a custom suit in his standard colors was a nice touch. Plus the use of ice sculpture as a deadly weapon. I don't understand Kuppermann's "Too Many Deadpools", but I'd probably be more interested in the Greek Pantheon (Marvel, DC, or whatever) if they were lead by Hot Pants Zeus. Why shouldn't the gods being trying to stay current, but still be a few decades behind?

There are several other stories, but those were the ones that interested me. The last part of the book is filled with variant covers that involved Deadpool. I'm not one for variant covers myself, but I found some of them amusing. At least most of them aren't just Deadpool in some sort pose, they have him interacting or commenting on the cover. The Avengers: The Initiative one where's he's impressed (or incredulous) that it appears Taskmaster defeated Thor. The Daredevil cover homaging a Frank Miller cover, except Wade is driving Daredevil mad with annoying noises. I don't know if I'd say the book is worth $5 (your tolerance or love of Deadpool probably determines that), but there are enough stories in it, by a variety of creators, I feel Marvel's making a serious effort to make it worth the money.

Gorilla-Man #2 - I didn't review the first issue, but I did purchase it. Mr. Hale's in Africa dealing with yet another Atlas-related threat. Atlas' man on the ground there Banda serves as exposition-prompter, as Ken details some of his backstory, though he hasn't reached the part where he became a gorilla. By the end of the story, Ken and Banda are at the place where it happened. I was about to say I'm not sure how that's going to relate to this Mustafa Kazun they're trying to stop, but an answer came to me as I started to type this sentence.

There's a bit of contrast between Ken Hale as he is now, and how he is in the flashbacks. Not in the sense he's holding back or fudging the truth, just a sense of his greater experience now. As a younger guy, he doesn't quite display the quick wit he does now. he also seems to have developed a bit more guile over the years. Which is to be expected, as you'd hope someone would learn as they go through life, but it's a nice touch. Giancarlo Caracuzzo's art is a little rough for my tastes, but it's appropriate for the work. This feels like a pulp story (more accurately, what I think a pulp story is), with the jungles, guns, angry volcano, fisticuffs and I think the art captures that. Maybe the colors could stand to be brighter, more vivid.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird #3 - Perhaps Mockingbird's mother isn't actually dead. At any rate, Mockingbird's pissed at Hawkeye, Crossfire, Phantom Rider, herself. Hawkeye finds out she and Dominic Fortune have been holding onto the weapons they've been confiscating, but she doesn't have time for his disapproval. Hawkeye and Fortune are butting heads, and while Mockingbird might be trying to contain it, she's too pissed to be effective. It's like with my dad and his dogs, you can't control the dogs if you're furious. They pick up on it, and your anger isn't going to calm them down, you have to be calm yourself. Nobody in this little group is calm, and they end up needing a narrow escape, which I guess we'll see next month.

I don't know about this ghost bullet crap the Phantom Rider has going. They seem to do whatever the plot demands. Wreck a machine thingy, freeze Mockingbird in place. Can they make julienne fries? Maybe next issue.

Secret Six #24 - I like the cover. I know there's not much to it, but it hit that Western fan button I have. The story is set in the American Wild West, but stars very close analogues of the Six, as well as several characters they crossed paths with up to this point in their story. By the end they all appear to be dead, with the issue ending with some stuff about them not getting to be heroes in this lifetime.

So you tell me. Dream story, or is this actually supposed to have happened some time in the past of the DC Universe? I'm figuring dream since Jeanette appeared to die, and she really would have had her various powers by this time. Plus the idea all these characters looked much the same over a century ago in a previous incarnation. Then again, it's the DC Universe, and I'm not prepared to rule it out. Booster Gold could have screwed something up, or the Time Trapper, or whoever.

I don't mind if it is a dream. I could have some fun analyzing what it's saying about whichever character is having the dream. Unless a bunch of the Six are having it all at once, which, there are certainly characters in the DCU capable of making that happen. There are, right? There has to be at least one Dream Master, Doctor Destiny or somebody. Strange issue.