A brief rundown of a few recently read pamphlets.
Phonogram: The Singles Club #1
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie, Laurenn McCubbin, Marc Ellerby, Matthew Wilson
I haven't read the original miniseries, which was based on the idea of the magic of pop music. The lead story Pull Shapes is a beautifully illustrated character piece about the somewhat immature Penny B, a woman who derives her magic from dancing to music. The backup stories aren't as compelling. She Who Bleeds for Your Entertainment is about the dual portrayal of women in music as both victims and empowering figures. Murder on the Dance Floor is a lighthearted piece about how the right kind of music can change the mood and diffuse a tense situation.
Glamourpuss #4
Dave Sim continues tracing photorealistic art by analyzing the development of Alex Raymond's extreme fine line inking technique using brushes - He christens it the nightingale style. After he rejects the conventional explanation of how Raymond achieved the effect, he claims to have found another way to successfully duplicate the results (The reader can judge Sim's copy of Rip Kirby panels throughout the issue), but won't reveal how. As with every previous issue, his obsessive shop talk is mixed with eye-catching fashion illustrations and fake ads. These drawings are some of the best so far in the series, so maybe he does know what he's talking about. Heh. His satire, as usual, is still hit or miss and contains more than a little condescension. This disconnect between the fashion material and art instruction is linked by Sim's formalist fetish for figure drawing.
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1
Writer: Landry Walker
Artists: Eric Jones, Pat Brosseau, Joey Mason
Why does every children's comic book DC puts out feel like it was also designed for the fanboy? Three pages in and the series is already cracking jokes about Kara being a "secret weapon". This is basically a fish-out-of-water story aimed at older children, with the super-powered alien functioning as a stand-in for the middle school student. Kara's developing powers work as a metaphor for the awkwardness of early adolescence. This is the gawkiest visual interpretation of Supergirl being currently published. As if the folks at DC didn't find her modest attire androgynous enough, she's given a boyishly short haircut. All she needs now are braces. The brightly colored art is similar to the retro look used in many Cartoon Network original programming. This could be a successful book, assuming kids still visit comic book stores these days.
Secret Invasion #8
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Lenil Francis Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, Chris Eliopoulos
The final issue to this chaotic miniseries continues the rather confusingly staged Central Park showdown between the Skrulls and Earth's defenders from the last issue. It's the Skrulls for Pete's sake, so it's no surprise who wins. But Tony Stark gets blamed for the invasion, and Norman Osborne is celebrated as a hero, proving once again that Marvel Earth's media is run by a bunch of hapless idiots. Oh, the issue leads into the Dark Reign event arc.
Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev, Dean White, Chris Eliopoulos
This one-shot sets up the next link in Marvel's chain of event crossovers. Having replaced Tony Stark as the guy in charge of the Initiative and the Avengers, Norman Osborne convenes a new secret cabal consisting of Emma Frost, Namor, Loki, Dr. Doom and the Hood, for who knows what end. No one, except maybe the Hood, seems wiling to work with Osborne. But then he concludes the meeting by revealing some shadowy enforcer, which seems to achieve the desired effect. For an issue full of talking heads, the dialogue has all the flavor of a corporate board discussing a hostile takeover rather than a villainous gathering plotting to rule the world. Where's the bombastic pronouncements from Doom and Namor? Or Emma Frost's dry wit? As for the visuals, the characters, except Doom, appear rather mundane. Namor in particular looks like an unshaven, smelly, fat slob. What's up with that?
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #1
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Duncan Fegredo, Dave Stewart
Mignola continues to add even more layers to his already texturally dense world. Hellboy finally learns that the fairie folk are preparing for war. He then accepts an invitation to hunt for giants in the English countryside. Most space is used for recapping past events, building tension amongst the supernatural races, and explaining the traditions of the mysterious Wild Hunt. But it does end in a clever cliffhanger. Expect to see some two-fisted action involving our hero next issue.
