What I Bought 6/29/2013 - Part 7

Yes, more reviews. I have nothing else to add as an opener, except it's warm outside and I don't like it. Blasted tilted planetary axis, with its resultant seasonal variations in sunlight.

Atomic Robo: The Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur #1, by Brian Clevinger (words), Scott Wegener (art), Nick Filardi (colors), Jeff Powell (letters) - I feel there must be some joke about Robo's Enviro-suit, but I don't know what it is. Is he at risk of rust because jungles are so humid? If it isn't something related to his being metal, why wouldn't he outfit his action scientists? Is that significant? I'm all kinds of turned around.

What I mean is, the way Clevinger and Wegener have laid this out, I don't feel like I can take anything at face value. Robo's still dealing with fallout from the events of Ghost of Station X, or maybe not dealing is a better description. She takes an assignment that lets him travel to Venezuela to deal with cryptid sightings. These cryptids just so happen to have been spotted around the remnants of Marconi's secret Nazi space program science city. Meanwhile, some of the nukes A.L.A.N. was going to use to power his ship's launch in Ghost of Station X have gone missing, and one turned up on Robo's doorstep, right after he left.

I don't believe the nukes are part of Dr. Dinosaur's plan. He couldn't have resisted showing his hand in some way. There's the possibility Majestic is behind this, seeing it as their best opportunity to remove Robo once and for all. Or it could be A.L.A.N., who I'm worried found some way to infect Robo's brain. Maybe Robo did authorize the delivery of the nukes, but doesn't know he did it. Or maybe he knows full well. See, I'm even starting to doubt Robo, because things are falling together too neatly. It's unnerving, which is pretty cool. It makes me wonder if it's significant that Robo watches TV inside his brain with his eyes closed. He says he does it every so often, but we've never seen it (that I recall). What if it's a sign of A.L.A.N.? Or Robo's hallucinating? Is the fact his eyes were closed important? Why did he grab a geologist for a cryptid search?

I don't say this enough, but I'm consistently impressed with how much expression Wegener's able to convey with Robo's face, considering he has no nose or mouth (you can imagine how good a job he does with characters who actually have those features). Wegener makes full use of the eyes to be sure, but I think he also uses the angle we view Robo at, or else the way he positions Robo's head to tell us something else. The third panel on page 11, where he's looking up at the sky, it makes me feel Robo being reflective, thoughtful. He does well with giving things a sense of scale. He knows how to pull back and let you see the landscape, but not lose important details in the process (contrast that with my complaints regarding Alex Sanchez' work on Katana). The first panel on page 11. You have this long-distance shot that gives us an idea of the size of the crater by the tents and tiny campfire, but you can still tell someone is standing at the edge of a small hole, which is relevant for the rest of the scene. it's not incredibly detailed, but Wegener makes sure to convey important information that helps set things up, while also giving a sense of scope.

Filardi did a nice job on the colors, too. The parts underground, it's dark in a way that you understand that (and the darkness is a different, deeper one that when they were aboveground a few pages earlier), but it doesn't murk things up where it's hard to tell what's happening. Everything is perfectly clear, and it makes for an excellent contrast with the explosion. Also, I like how they fall into deeper darkness at the end of page 18, but the next page has that bright pool of pink water. They contrast so well, it' really eye-grabbing. Also, I'm not sure whether it's something Wegener did, or if it's Filardi, but Wegener's art looks smoother. People's heads are more rounded. Part of me thinks he's beefed up and smoothed out his lines, but it could be Filardi getting more comfortable with the colors, shading it in a way that causes that. Or it's the paper. I think the paper is a different quality, Thicker, but less glossy, maybe? I don't know.

Hawkeye #11, by David Aja and Matt Fraction, Matt Hollingsworth (color art), Chris Eliopoulos (production) - What the hell does "production" mean? I know Eliopoulos didn't have much to letter, this being from the dog's perspective and all, but that title tells me nothing.

Yes, it's the Pizza Dog issue. Lucky is led to Grill's body by another dog, who belongs to an old woman that lives in the building who is somehow connected to the bros. Does this mean Clint will get to jump kick an old woman in the face, ala Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz? If so, that will probably be my favorite comic moment of the year (Note: It doesn't have to be a kick. I'd settle for cracking her in the face with the bow). Aja opts to use small pictographs (that Hollingsworth colors yellow) against and blue and white outline background to represent Lucky's perceptions. I don't get the blue-and-white background. Does it mean the surroundings don't really exist for a dog, other than what sensory input it gets from them, meaning the smells and sounds of people? I guess a dog wouldn't appreciate the architecture of a building. Does it seem incredibly stupid to anyone else for Kazi to walk around a crime scene in his clown makeup? I get Kate and Clint are gone, but it's asking for trouble. I'm not sure how Lucky knows about hearses (see page 10). Hollingsworth really went with a blue and yellow palette for this issue. Besides the blue and white flat surroundings, even in the more detailed panels, there are a lot of blues, with occasional yellows. I thought the yellow was meant to be a warm color, for when Lucky feels safe or happy. Except he uses yellows in three panels during the fight on the roof, including when Lucky gets kicked. So I don't know, unless it's suggesting nowhere is as safe as you think. There is the blue background with the flash of yellow from the gunshot in panel 4 of page 15.

Anyway, while this going on, Clint's dealing with cops, going to Grills' funeral, oh, and then Kate leaves for Cali. And takes Lucky with her.

She took Clint's dog? She took Clint's dog?! What the hell?! Clever Adolescent Panda!!!!!!

Clever Adolescent Panda: *arrives several hours later, carrying a package* What?

Calvin: {Hit Kate, right now!}

CAP: I don't know, she asked the dog, and he left with her.

Calvin: {Don't give me that malarkey! This is part of a trend! She stole Clint's codename, then she took his bow -}

CAP: Captain America gave that to her.

Calvin: {And Clint won it back, so she stole it again!}

CAP: And he told her to keep it.

Calvin: *grabs CAP by shoulders* {That's not the point! This is a pernicious trend, and damnit, you do not take a man's dog! It's mean! I thought you used to care about meanness, or are you too busy these days? Am I the only one who cares?!}

CAP: Calm down! *grabs Calvin's wrist, flips him across the room* You're acting nuts, and I don't appreciate you calling me here just when you want someone hit! I was busy looking for UnCalvin!

Calvin: {Still? Oh my gosh, you still haven't delivered the blender Furby? It's been three months! How have you not realized UnCalvin's in New York?}

CAP: What?

Calvin: {Isn't it obvious? Where's the last place I would go? Answer, a massive city full of people, noise, and Mets' fans.}

CAP: That's why I couldn't find UnCalvin! I was looking in Vegas.

Calvin: {Why would UnCalvin hide in Vegas?}

CAP: There's a big dam nearby producing electricity to steal for nefarious projects. Besides, you'd never go to Vegas, would you? All the bright lights, high temperatures, and gambling.

Calvin: {I might pass through it on my way to natural wonders. But UnCalvin mentioned having a great view. I don't think Vegas has a lot of that, unless you like neon.}

CAP: Well, I guess I'll try New York after I leave. I'm not hitting Kate, though. If she took the dog, maybe, but she called.

Calvin: {Yeah, I guess. . .}

CAP: Don't ask me to hit Lucky.

Calvin: {I wasn't gonna. Here, take a look at Atomic Robo. Give Jenkins a Hug for having to deal with paperwork. Then give his assistant one for having to bring Jenkins paperwork.}

CAP: I can do that. Hugs! So, did you like Hawkeye #11?

Calvin: *shrugs* {Eh, I can appreciate the idea of doing it from the dog's perspective, but nothing's really getting resolved, you know? It's like revving your engine while the brake's on. Looks impressive, lots of noise and smoke, but you're not going anywhere.}

CAP: It does look really nice.

Calvin: {Heck yeah. Aja does some good work with Lucky, even though I've never seen a dog salute before, but page 17, where he's scrambling down the stairs, and the yellow pictographs get more numerous and jumbled the farther he goes? That was pretty nice. Got across the panic very well. So it's pretty, but the comic overall isn't one where I felt really absorbed in what was happening. It's almost like I'm reading it to try and tech myself how to notice things about comics, not to just read for enjoyment. And the comic is letting me do that because they're messing around rather than doing something that sucks me into the story.}