Comics

The Shadow Now #1

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The Shadow Now #1The problem with taking an iconic figure out of his element and reinventing him is that there’s often too much of an attempt to keep as much of his past as possible when a clean slate may work far better. Although Batman Beyond keeps Bruce Wayne around, by shoving him into the Alfred role the series gives the new Batman room to flourish. The same can’t be said for The Shadow Now.

The first issue opens in present times where Lamont Crantson III returns from overseas after learning to halt the aging process and appear as a much younger man to take up his fight against crime once again. This means checking in on his intelligence network, donning his trademark costume, and even visiting and old enemy in prison.

Although Cranston’s return mirrors The Shadow’s return, no one (not even those within his organization) think it suspicious. The plot of someone deliberately setting traps and taunting a vigilante who hasn’t been seen in decades also seems problematic. Also troubling is the appearance of Margo Lane‘s granddaughter whose role is all to easy to guess.

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Batman: Black and White #2

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Batman: Black and White #2The final story in the latest issue of Batman: Black and White is worth the price of the comic on its own. Designed in the style of an old Fleischer cartoon, writer Michael Uslan and artist Dave Bullock produce the amazing “Silent Night… Unholy Night!” with marvelous artwork I would gladly frame and old-school spirit and adventure that seems long lost in the current version of the DCU.

Other highlights include Jeff Lemire and Alex Nino’s snowy tale of the Dark Knight battle the cold and memories of his father to rescue Commissioner Gordon and Rafael Grampá’s misdirection tale of how Batman lays a trap to catch a troublesome group of bank robbers.

Although I appreciated J.G. Jones’s art in Dan DiDio’s Man-Bat story, the hamfisted themes and Batman’s questionable morality at the end left me cold. In much the same way, I liked the art and idea behind writer/artist Rafael Albuquerque Limbo storyline more than the final execution. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]

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Fairest #20

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Fairest #20Prince Charming and Nayalani’s story arc concludes with some background on Singh, the former maharaja who is responsible for all of Charming’s recent troubles, and a final showdown between the pair that leaves the villain dead and Charming with a roguish pirate look.

From the epilogue it appears Nayalani and Charming are both staying together and sticking around. I’m looking forward to the pair heading to Fabletown, and an inevitable confrontation with Charming’s ex-wife Snow White.

Although I thought “The Return of the Maharaja” got a little bogged down in the middle issues of what I felt was an unnecessarily long six-issue arc (four would have done just as well), the storyline ends with a pair of strong issues and characters I will look forward to seeing more of in the wider Fables universe. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #7

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #7Flint breaks the news to his team that he’s decided to disband their group. While some of the team takes the news well, both Chameleon and Clockspring show their displeasure at Flint’s decision which puts both their futures in limbo.

While Chameleon apologizes for the recent romantic tinges of her relationship with Flint, Clockspring gets more wound up than usual thanks to Tomax who has absolutely no plans to let the JOEs throw him in the nearest gulag now that his usefulness as a consultant is at an end.

Escaping isn’t going to be easy for the former Cobra operative. Of course it helps that he’s gotten in tight with the team’s computer expert and invited a couple of friends (Firefly, Night Adder) to the desert and inside the JOEs’ secret base.

The tension which has been building in the mishmashed team since the first issue is finally boiling over. The only question is who will survive, and what side will some of them ultimately end up on? Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Daredevil: Dark Nights #5

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Daredevil: Dark Nights #5The second-half of writer/artist David Lapham’s story about Daredevil chasing around a 10-inch imp around New York City doesn’t have quite the same zany feel given the murder of Buggit’s friend in the final panel of last month’s issue. Although the odd little man had good intentions to help his friend escape a murder conviction, his actions actually directly led to the murder.

With no time, and various distractions in his way such as the Shocker who escapes police custody and a giant monster in the middle of Manhattan the Avengers are trying to contain, Daredevil once again chasing the little man through the city. The difference this time is Buggit has strapped himself with a suicide bomb and is out to make sure the mobster who had his friend killed pays for it.

Although the end is far too tidy (and convenient) for my tastes, and the second issue isn’t as fun as the first, the mini-series second arc kept my interest all the way through the end (which is more than I can say for the first arc). For fans.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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