4.02.08 Reviews (Part 1)

Casanova #13 (Image): Matt Fraction gives us a quick history lesson regarding the Dardanelles Guns, siege warfare tactics, Mossad assassinations, and this title’s trademark fourth wall breaking moments. Along with lines like “I’m like a nesting doll that gives blow jobs steeped with existential ennui,” it’s hard not to love this bargain of a time jumping adventure. Grade A.

Action Comics #863 (DC): The finale of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Legion arc rolls in as consistent and strong as it began. This arc was quite a little achievement; it managed to portray Silver Age-y adventuresome goodness, provide crisp art in the action scenes and the talking heads bits, use nifty artistic effects like the black silhouetted figures, insert organic splash pages, comment on the strength of a team being not the different powers it contains, but the diversity of the people and their personalities, and set up an impending crossover. “Red Sun, Magic War, it could be raining Kryptonite, I don’t care. Next time you need help, you let me know.” This is everything Action Comics should be. Grade A-.

Amazing Spider-Man #555 (Marvel): I didn’t read “One More Day” and am only assuming that “Brand New Day” is an extension of that. I only picked this up because I usually enjoy Zeb Wells’ writing and Chris Bachalo’s art; I’m a sucker for an intriguingly paired creative team. On the scripting end, I did enjoy the dark tone of the narrative, but that aside there wasn’t much story aside from Wolverine hanging out to help Peter take on some Ninja guys. I’ve always loved Bachalo’s pencils, whether it was Generation Next or DC’s The Witching Hour. Here, his (can be) claustrophobic art really shines with some inventive page layouts and panels that forego the constraints of traditional borders, which really gives his lines room to breathe. Not sure if this team is supposed to stick around for a bit, but I’ll be here if they do. Grade B.