This Week's Comics - 52, Fables
Nov. 8th, 2006 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteFace it. You don't want to hear about politics. You want to hear about comics. C'mon, admit it, you know you do...
(Note: There will postings about Batman and Dr. Strange after I read them. But 52 cannot let me wait.)
52, Week Twenty-Seven - Ralph confronts the Spectre, and demands that the big green ghost bring back Sue. The Spectre, oddly without a host (despite the events of Infinite Crisis), makes a deal: Sue's life in exchange for one act. That act being vengeance on Jean Loring, Sue's killer. Ralph melds with the Spectre and is about to force Jean to watch Sue's death ad infinitum. But it's too much for Ralph, and he can't do it. Instead, he thinks he's found another way. A way that leads to Nanda Parbat...
Where Richard Dragon is training Renee, where Tot Rodor is translating the Book of Crime, and where Charlie is dying from lung cancer. Renee, it seems, is his replacement. But before Renee can absorb this, they discover that the book includes a prophecy of the death of the new Batwoman.
And finally, it's Skeets. And yes, he is indeed all Bad now, looking for Rip Hunter, hoping to take advantage of the latest Crisis, and killing Waverider.
The elements of this issue are better than they should be. Ralph takes vengeance? It doesn't seem like Ralph, and ultimately, it's not. A return to the harshness of Identity Crisis? Yes, but it's handled well. Charlie is dying? Well, I hate to see a good character good, but the moment was just so poignant.
In the hands of weaker writers, this would have floundered. Instead, the emotions are real, and the bite is painful but tolerable.
I just wish that the story elements were holding together better. And that Howard Chaykin's art in the 2-page Black Canary origin wasn't so crappy.
Fables 55 - Pinocchio explains why the War on the Mundies would not only fail, but bring bloody human invasion and painful defeat to the Empire. This is a very strong companion to the issue that started this arc, reversing what we saw and offering a chilling but strangely upbeat counterpoint to the Snow Queen's plans. The pieces are in place for Fabletown and Empire to have it out in a way not predicted by either story. Should be interesting to watch.
(Note: There will postings about Batman and Dr. Strange after I read them. But 52 cannot let me wait.)
52, Week Twenty-Seven - Ralph confronts the Spectre, and demands that the big green ghost bring back Sue. The Spectre, oddly without a host (despite the events of Infinite Crisis), makes a deal: Sue's life in exchange for one act. That act being vengeance on Jean Loring, Sue's killer. Ralph melds with the Spectre and is about to force Jean to watch Sue's death ad infinitum. But it's too much for Ralph, and he can't do it. Instead, he thinks he's found another way. A way that leads to Nanda Parbat...
Where Richard Dragon is training Renee, where Tot Rodor is translating the Book of Crime, and where Charlie is dying from lung cancer. Renee, it seems, is his replacement. But before Renee can absorb this, they discover that the book includes a prophecy of the death of the new Batwoman.
And finally, it's Skeets. And yes, he is indeed all Bad now, looking for Rip Hunter, hoping to take advantage of the latest Crisis, and killing Waverider.
The elements of this issue are better than they should be. Ralph takes vengeance? It doesn't seem like Ralph, and ultimately, it's not. A return to the harshness of Identity Crisis? Yes, but it's handled well. Charlie is dying? Well, I hate to see a good character good, but the moment was just so poignant.
In the hands of weaker writers, this would have floundered. Instead, the emotions are real, and the bite is painful but tolerable.
I just wish that the story elements were holding together better. And that Howard Chaykin's art in the 2-page Black Canary origin wasn't so crappy.
Fables 55 - Pinocchio explains why the War on the Mundies would not only fail, but bring bloody human invasion and painful defeat to the Empire. This is a very strong companion to the issue that started this arc, reversing what we saw and offering a chilling but strangely upbeat counterpoint to the Snow Queen's plans. The pieces are in place for Fabletown and Empire to have it out in a way not predicted by either story. Should be interesting to watch.
