Of Kings and PADs

Peter A. David will be scripting the first seven issues of Marvel's Dark Tower preqeul comic book.

Let's ignore for the moment the disappointment of seeing anyone but King writing Roland and friends.

Instead, let's ask whether this is a good match. And while I think PAD is one of the best comic book writers in the game, and that King is a brilliant master of fantasy and horror, I don't like this matchup.

See, King and PAD are often cynics, but King's cynicism is often balanced by a certain optimism this is of late missing from much of PAD's recent work. What's more, PAD is known for a brand of humor that is very different than King's. King can be crude at times, but is also rather subtle. PAD is almost never subtle, and a master of the in-joke.

Will I buy this? Of course. It's Roland, it's King's plots (we think), and it's PAD's scripts. Do I have much in the way of expectations? Not really.

Thoughts from the DT crowd? Or from the PAD fans, for that matter?

DC Comics: Infinite Crisis 6, OMAC Project special

No spoilers, though the events in both deserve some for further analysis.

Infinite Crisis 6 - The plotlines move ahead at a rapid pace, but this issue doesn't get a "wow" from me so much as a "nicely done, Geoff." Not that lots and lots of things don't happen, including a big event that is worthy of a much longer post. Suffice it to say, what we see works for me. But it's not as good as the last three issues. One more to go, and I think it will be big.

OMAC Project - Following right after IC 6, Sasha Bordeaux faces her next challenge, even as Greg Rucka sets up the upcoming superheroes 'n spies comic, Checkmate. Well-paced and well-drawn, with a good Rucka script, but if you skipped the OMAC miniseries last year, you might be a little lost. Still, I am very enthusiastic about Checkmate.