Book of the Month: Action Comics #893
Even if it lacked Pete Woods, this book’s main feature was all kinds of awesome. Cornell’s dialogue once again shines as some of the best dialogue currently on offer at DC. It’s witty and genuinely funny and only makes the switcharoo plot all the more palatable. This comic isn’t just populated by Lex, either, but also an amazing supporting cast that is all Cornell’s own. Robot Lois is as hilarious as ever while reading about how Lex is viewed by his underlings is always fun.
Then there’s Gorilla Grodd. Cornell managed to show just how excellent this character is, as well as how criminally underused. Cornell was born to write Grodd, achieving that perfect balance of intimidating power and intellect with horror and outright comedy. Grodd is both menacing and inadvertently comical, as a brain-eating hyper-intelligent ape should be.
What really sealed the deal though was Nick Spencer’s Jimmy Olsen back-up feature, which, after only one installment, is already one of the best back-ups I’ve ever read. It’s self-aware, self-conscious, and funny. It’s incredibly witty and intelligent in its fusion of dialogue and narration, Chloe Sullivan is a joy to read, and, well, it’s all just pure fun. Couple that with great, great art and Action Comics #893 is an amazing package from a comic that is probably my favourite from DC.
Best Writing: Invincible Iron Man #30
Admittedly, I’ve not at all been of the party lamenting Invincible Iron Man’s recent lack of action. I’ve been wholeheartedly enjoying Stark Resilient and Matt Fraction’s long-form storytelling. That being said, once we got action interfused with that slow-burn storytelling, well, that’s when Fraction’s really managed to show his stuff.
While this combination alone would put Iron Man up for this award, what ultimately cinches it is Fraction’s writing of Tony Stark and Sasha Hammer’s cat-and-mouse dialogue. Their dynamic, and their conversation, crackles with energy. As if they’re back and forth and second-guessing wasn’t enough, Fraction pairs it with a cool gadget and ridiculous circumstances: speeding down a highway while driving blind (sort of).
It’s an impossible mix of intelligence with Michael Bay excess that is distinctly Matt Fraction at his best.
Best Artwork: Thor #615
Matt Fraction’s first issue of Thor was, no doubt, a rousing success with a style all its own, and that’s thanks in no small part to the efforts of Pasqual Ferry and Matt Hollingsworth.
While some might decry Ferry’s work as somewhat simple, I felt that this style lent the book it’s own unique look, one that was epic and iconic and uniquely Thor. The book looks like no other on the stands, but Ferry’s style is also wholly appropriate for Thor, which, I think, is the best result possible when it comes to assigning a new artist to a title and hoping that he or she will leave a mark.
And it’s all held aloft by Matt Hollingsworth, who puts in some of his best work ever on this issue. Colors are bright and bold, signifying a bright new era and the shining aura that I know I certainly associate with high fantasy.
Best Cliffhanger: American Vampire #6
Especially given the solicitations, reading American Vampire #6, it’s impossible not to wonder where Skinner and Pearl are. It’s not that the issue is bad, but the longer I went without seeing them, the more I wondered when they’d pop up, and it what capacity.
Well, Snyder pulled back the curtain on that one in a big way on the issue’s final page, and in a way that was much more substantial than I could’ve expected. This alone made American Vampire #7 quite possibly my most anticipated book in October.
Biggest Surprise: Secret Avengers #5
Like many others, I’ve been pretty disappointed with Secret Avengers. Big Ed Brubaker fan that I am, I expected nothing less than dynamite. What I got was sadly mediocre and derivative. Where was the guy who writes Captain America?
Whelp, with a new focus and different artists on hand, that guy popped up in a big way in this one-shot on Nick Fury’s doppelganger. Suddenly, for the very first time, we were getting the Brubaker from Cap. The pulp, the noir, the wacky retro sci fi, the nostalgia, it’s all here, all of it helped along by some fantastic, classic-styled artwork. The result is another Brubaker “out of a time capsule” product that was a great read and amounted to Brubaker doing what Brubaker does best.
When he returns to writing the actual Secret Avengers team in October, I can only hope that this resurgence continues, as I’ll otherwise just be left wishing that Brubaker was writing a Nick Fury comic instead of Secret Avengers.
Best Cover: Fables #98
Giving Fables a “best cover” award seems pastiche at this point, but the series produces consistently good covers. Apparently, as is the case this month, it manages to do so even without James Jean’s presence.
While the painted feel helps, Joao Ruas’ choice of colors here is nothing less than beautiful and the piece gives the book a whimsical, almost childish feel that provides a kind of welcoming spin to the book’s contents. This cover makes the book look both attractive and inviting, and isn’t that what a cover’s supposed to do?
Best Character: Val Richards (Fantastic Four #583)
Last month, Franklin took this award and now, this month, it’s his sister’s turn. Go figure. I suppose this means that Jonathan Hickman is just is that good when it comes to writing the kids.
Honestly, it’d be near impossible to give this award to any other character, as Val almost single-handedly carried Fantastic Four #583 to excellence. Hickman struck the perfect balance between her intelligence and her youth. There’s something undeniably awesome about seeing a kid like Val be so cerebral, calculating, and fearless.
And really, it’s because of this that her scene with Dr. Doom may very well be the best single scene of any comic to come out this month. The dynamic the two share is incredible and Val’s confidence in the face of Doom, her perceptiveness, and her knowledge of Victor were a pleasure to watch.
And hey, she got Doom to kneel before her. If that doesn’t get a character “character of the month,” nothing will.
-Alex Evans
Grade
Conclusion