3.14.12 Reviews (Part 2)

Batwoman #7 (DC): I don't really have much more than what I tweeted about this (follow me @thirteenminutes why don't you?) but here goes... I still maintain that this is better than the vast majority of the New 52 in the DCU, but it really is slipping toward that mediocre morass without the confectionary art of JH Williams III. I dig the psychological underpinnings of the book, I love the recurring appearances of DEO Agent Cameron Chase, as well as Bette Kane, aka: Flamebird, but the art is about half off. The superhero scenes when Kate is geared up are okay because Amy Reeder is really trying to ape the high sheen and inventive panel breakdowns of JH3 (which I'll give her a pass on), but during the civilian sequences there's all kinds of stiff awkward art and just funky posturing. It pushes me right out. I'm also noticing that Dave Stewart isn't coloring this anymore, so that's yet another special thing taken away from it. Ironic that DC seems intent on f***ing up one of their best books. I guess Reeder is off the title for something like "creative differences," with another fill-in coming in to pick up the slack until JH3 can come back. This is probably one of those rare instances where I'd prefer to wait 2-3 months for a JH3 art affair and sacrifice the monthly shipping schedule with a less than stellar artist. Grade B+.

The Secret History of DB Cooper #1 (Oni Press): I usually have pretty high hopes for Oni Press books, after stalwarts in my collection like Queen & Country and Wasteland, so I'll try just about all their new #1 issues out. This, however, failed to grab me. I did like the very first page, in how it captured the real-world elements of the DB Cooper history succinctly, but the second it dives into this light rendition of Hellboy/Mage, I was largely out. It's a strange composition of those elements against a Catch Me If You Can vibe that never quite congeals. Everything is washed in this cartoony style, the fantastical elements feel out of place, and I found myself very bored just a little beyond the half way point. I feel like I never got a handle on what the intent or direction of this book was, therefore I can't tell you if it succeeds, and I wasn't entertained or engaged in the interim. I actually enjoyed the 5-page Bad Medicine preview from Chris Mitten, Nunzio DeFilippis, and Christina Weir a lot more than DB Cooper. If you want a more psychedelic version of the CIA mucking around in real world events, I'd actually suggest a book called The Sinister Truth, about the CIA MK Ultra mind-control experiments and their multiple failed attempts to assasinate Fidel Castro. So, this didn't work for me, but your mileage may vary. Grade B-.