Just wanted to give a few notes in prep for my in-depth reviews in the coming days. I read these a little faster than usual - I try to savor them - so I'll have to take a little more time.
JL:GL was a transitional issue, and I thought a necessary one after the events of the previous. Positioning the pieces, a little character development, etc. Also, I LOVED the way that they bookended it with Booster's monologue and flashbacks.
Max Lord's explanation was a total cop-out. Clearly he's manipulating them (again), and I find it difficult to believe that they're doing anything other than exactly what he wants them to do.
Booster Gold 34 had me worried for the first several pages. Keith Giffen needs to stick to breakdowns if he must draw anything at all. I would have skipped it had the artwork looked like that the whole issue. Thank GOD that was not the case. I nearly stopped reading in disgust. I would rip the fact that Michelle doesn't look a thing like her prior appearances, but I would have to rip the fact too that NOBODY looked like ANYONE that they were supposed to, except perhaps for Skeets.
Rip Hunter looked like a caveman, Rani looked like a boy, and everything was too cartoonish. Booster looked like five or six different versions of himself.
Luckily, the majority of the issue was Chris Batista, and a solid effort from him.
I sincerely hope that we don't see this again. It's the kind of garbage that will hurt a book's numbers, and I don't want Booster Gold to go anywhere. If something negative happens to Booster Gold Volume 2 before Dan Jurgens can take it back, I will point to this specific instance of Keith Giffen artwork as the reason.
If anyone knows editor Mike Siglain's e-mail, make sure he knows how terrible the first and last 2-3 pages of this issue look. You better believe I will be talking about this in my review.
/rant.
Showing posts with label Rip Hunter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rip Hunter. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
BG#33
Obviously this issue came out a week ago; I'm still considering how to balance the pace of the blog with two BG-centric titles coming out the same day each month.
This is the second issue in the new authorship of Booster Gold. It was solid, if not necessarily memorable, from start to finish. Many things that I felt took away from the previous issue were lessened in this one, and that's quite good. I liked that Booster went back to the old JLI (as we knew he would through interviews) but did not yet encounter Ted Kord. I'm thankful for that, as that encounter may deserve an issue by itself.
I find it pretty neat that we will get to see a little of the old school Blue and Gold even as a new Blue and Gold partnership seems to be developing in Justice League: Generation Lost. I think some of the parallels (and the differences) in the relationships will make things interesting.
That may be another post for another time. For now, though, Booster Gold #33.
-------------------------
Continuity:
I'm adding this section in to the reviews only because with three featured roles a month, Booster is getting a little crowded. I want to make sure that I keep this all together.
This issue could only fit in during the middle of JL:GL#2... that one ended on a cliffhanger, and #3 picked up right there. My guess is that these events take place during the side stories in JL:GL#2 where the various characters are asking their fellow superheroes about Maxwell Lord.
The Cover:
I like it. The cover is a reflection, in my mind, that Booster kind of got the hell beaten out of him in two out of three issues last month, which is further made funny/ironic given its similarity to the cover of #32... at the beginning of last month, Booster was fine, smiling, self-assured. In the time since then, he witnessed the destruction of Daxam, got his suit busted up, saved a litte girl, found out that Max Lord is still alive, got the crap beaten out of him by Max Lord, and by the end of JL:GL#2, was ready to square off against some OMAC drones. Yeah, Booster looking boat-raced is about right.
The Story:
This issue is bookended by some Rani moments. They're a little funny, especially because her messing around with Rip's board must drive him mad - longtime readers know how much jargon he keeps there. Largely, this was just purely for an intro and conclusion and had little to do with the story - though we must ask now if it is possible that Rani is of the Carter bloodline, given that she said that Rip looks like her grandpa.
At first, I thought of the Big Bad that Booster is battling as pretty ridiculous. Upon reflection, it occurs to me that as random as Brigadoom's appearance in the middle of the city seems, that's simply the conceit of the classic super hero story. Sometimes, a baddie just appears. The purpose of this fight, of course, was to set up his encounter with Cyborg and get his mind going about the JLI.
When you think about it, Booster's plan isn't a bad one. If he can find the proper piece of evidence of Max's existence, he may gain a little more support - perhaps at least Batman, who has sympathy for Booster's mission and situation.
So Booster's foray back into the old JLI managed to be pretty interesting... His interaction most especially. The exchange with J'onn was funny - leave it to him to see through the deception just in passing - especially when he grabbed Booster by the collar. We know that our writing team is planning on going back to those days with some degree of regularity, so I wonder if this will set up future strife between the two...?
The bit with Black Canary was funny, but it really felt pointless. Did we need two panels of Booster listening at the door for her to leave? In any case, the most significant thing, in my mind, was Booster's encounter with Max. After everything that happened, Booster was right on - it WAS the old Max there, right before him.
In any case, Booster goes to look for DNA for Max Lord briefly before realizing that it won't be any good in the future. Then he had a fantastic idea - the JLI recruitment tape. Booster takes it and zips back and immediately begins cursing up a storm - the tape was gone. Rip's reasoning for this is sound - solidified time means that since the artifact was important to Power Girl joining up, he can't take it.
I understand that and it fits with the canon so far. That's fine. So what about:
1) Copying the tape
2) Going to a time when said tape was no longer important.
I mean... duh? Obviously it's one of those things that will be ignored because otherwise, there won't be a point to the rest of the story. Sort of like if the gunner had bothered to destroy the escape pod with R2 and C-3PO on it at the beginning of Star Wars... no more movie after that.
I like the artwork in these so far. I was a big fan of the artwork before the new team as well, but this good; perhaps in a slightly different way, but good nonetheless.
What I Liked:
- Could Rani be a Carter? This would be an interesting twist; I'm struggling with whether or not it would be a predictable one, but I think it would be a good direction to go. I know that JMD played the question lightly in an interview, but I don't necessarily believe him!
- It's nice to know that Booster, like the rest of us, needs his coffee.
- Booster slapping down Cyborg was great. First, I'm not big on Cyborg (no real reason why, I guess the Titans just annoy me sometimes). Second, for all of his shenanigans back in those days, the JLI really did mean something to Booster.
- Brigadoom? Seriously? What a terrible name. I love it.
- Still lots of word bubbles, but the things that were said felt more relevant and it was not nearly as crowded as last issue.
- Once again, Keith and J.M. alleviate my fears of the "Bwa-ha-ha" taking too much precedent (until we start seeing more of Ted Kord).
What was "ehhhhh..."
- The issue felt a LITTLE rushed.
- There were a couple of situations that really didn't feel necessary (Black Canary)... not everything needs to be story, but I'd like it if the filler felt a little less forced.
- Would it have been THAT much trouble to go back again and copy the VHS tape? Or to go back after the tape's significance had ended and grab it then?
- I fear that Rani's remark about Rip looking like her "Boppy" is going to end up a red herring just to make her parts seem significant until there's no more use for her. JMD said it was just a joke in an interview, but I'm not sure there wasn't a *wink wink* there.
To sum it up...
I don't want to be a cheerleader, but I did like this. I'm pretty optimistic, after all, and since this is a Booster-themed blog, I'm in a position of WANTING to like it! It was a solid issue, not a particularly memorable one, but it met expectations in most cases and exceeded them in some instances. Despite all of the changes, 33 issues in to this series, Booster is still in good hands.
Hopefully, we can still say that in another 33 issues!
This is the second issue in the new authorship of Booster Gold. It was solid, if not necessarily memorable, from start to finish. Many things that I felt took away from the previous issue were lessened in this one, and that's quite good. I liked that Booster went back to the old JLI (as we knew he would through interviews) but did not yet encounter Ted Kord. I'm thankful for that, as that encounter may deserve an issue by itself.
I find it pretty neat that we will get to see a little of the old school Blue and Gold even as a new Blue and Gold partnership seems to be developing in Justice League: Generation Lost. I think some of the parallels (and the differences) in the relationships will make things interesting.
That may be another post for another time. For now, though, Booster Gold #33.
-------------------------
Continuity:
I'm adding this section in to the reviews only because with three featured roles a month, Booster is getting a little crowded. I want to make sure that I keep this all together.
This issue could only fit in during the middle of JL:GL#2... that one ended on a cliffhanger, and #3 picked up right there. My guess is that these events take place during the side stories in JL:GL#2 where the various characters are asking their fellow superheroes about Maxwell Lord.
The Cover:
I like it. The cover is a reflection, in my mind, that Booster kind of got the hell beaten out of him in two out of three issues last month, which is further made funny/ironic given its similarity to the cover of #32... at the beginning of last month, Booster was fine, smiling, self-assured. In the time since then, he witnessed the destruction of Daxam, got his suit busted up, saved a litte girl, found out that Max Lord is still alive, got the crap beaten out of him by Max Lord, and by the end of JL:GL#2, was ready to square off against some OMAC drones. Yeah, Booster looking boat-raced is about right.
The Story:
This issue is bookended by some Rani moments. They're a little funny, especially because her messing around with Rip's board must drive him mad - longtime readers know how much jargon he keeps there. Largely, this was just purely for an intro and conclusion and had little to do with the story - though we must ask now if it is possible that Rani is of the Carter bloodline, given that she said that Rip looks like her grandpa.
At first, I thought of the Big Bad that Booster is battling as pretty ridiculous. Upon reflection, it occurs to me that as random as Brigadoom's appearance in the middle of the city seems, that's simply the conceit of the classic super hero story. Sometimes, a baddie just appears. The purpose of this fight, of course, was to set up his encounter with Cyborg and get his mind going about the JLI.
When you think about it, Booster's plan isn't a bad one. If he can find the proper piece of evidence of Max's existence, he may gain a little more support - perhaps at least Batman, who has sympathy for Booster's mission and situation.
So Booster's foray back into the old JLI managed to be pretty interesting... His interaction most especially. The exchange with J'onn was funny - leave it to him to see through the deception just in passing - especially when he grabbed Booster by the collar. We know that our writing team is planning on going back to those days with some degree of regularity, so I wonder if this will set up future strife between the two...?
The bit with Black Canary was funny, but it really felt pointless. Did we need two panels of Booster listening at the door for her to leave? In any case, the most significant thing, in my mind, was Booster's encounter with Max. After everything that happened, Booster was right on - it WAS the old Max there, right before him.
In any case, Booster goes to look for DNA for Max Lord briefly before realizing that it won't be any good in the future. Then he had a fantastic idea - the JLI recruitment tape. Booster takes it and zips back and immediately begins cursing up a storm - the tape was gone. Rip's reasoning for this is sound - solidified time means that since the artifact was important to Power Girl joining up, he can't take it.
I understand that and it fits with the canon so far. That's fine. So what about:
1) Copying the tape
2) Going to a time when said tape was no longer important.
I mean... duh? Obviously it's one of those things that will be ignored because otherwise, there won't be a point to the rest of the story. Sort of like if the gunner had bothered to destroy the escape pod with R2 and C-3PO on it at the beginning of Star Wars... no more movie after that.
I like the artwork in these so far. I was a big fan of the artwork before the new team as well, but this good; perhaps in a slightly different way, but good nonetheless.
What I Liked:
- Could Rani be a Carter? This would be an interesting twist; I'm struggling with whether or not it would be a predictable one, but I think it would be a good direction to go. I know that JMD played the question lightly in an interview, but I don't necessarily believe him!
- It's nice to know that Booster, like the rest of us, needs his coffee.
- Booster slapping down Cyborg was great. First, I'm not big on Cyborg (no real reason why, I guess the Titans just annoy me sometimes). Second, for all of his shenanigans back in those days, the JLI really did mean something to Booster.
- Brigadoom? Seriously? What a terrible name. I love it.
- Still lots of word bubbles, but the things that were said felt more relevant and it was not nearly as crowded as last issue.
- Once again, Keith and J.M. alleviate my fears of the "Bwa-ha-ha" taking too much precedent (until we start seeing more of Ted Kord).
What was "ehhhhh..."
- The issue felt a LITTLE rushed.
- There were a couple of situations that really didn't feel necessary (Black Canary)... not everything needs to be story, but I'd like it if the filler felt a little less forced.
- Would it have been THAT much trouble to go back again and copy the VHS tape? Or to go back after the tape's significance had ended and grab it then?
- I fear that Rani's remark about Rip looking like her "Boppy" is going to end up a red herring just to make her parts seem significant until there's no more use for her. JMD said it was just a joke in an interview, but I'm not sure there wasn't a *wink wink* there.
To sum it up...
I don't want to be a cheerleader, but I did like this. I'm pretty optimistic, after all, and since this is a Booster-themed blog, I'm in a position of WANTING to like it! It was a solid issue, not a particularly memorable one, but it met expectations in most cases and exceeded them in some instances. Despite all of the changes, 33 issues in to this series, Booster is still in good hands.
Hopefully, we can still say that in another 33 issues!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Booster Gold #32: The New Direction.
Ok, so I'll try to set a standard for my review format in this one. We'll see how it evolves. This issue is what I was waiting for, and I'm doing this before JL:GL because, story-wise, it comes first.
Finally, the "SPOILER ALERT" goes without saying!
-----------------------------------------------------
The Cover
Pretty typical Booster stuff here. Can't really complain about it... serves as sort of a re-introduction for the character, which I suppose makes sense given the "new beginning" aspect of this book. I've never been a fan of speech bubbles on a comic book cover, even when I was little, so that's a turn-off. The thing that concerned me on first glance, though was the tag: "Giffen and DeMatteis reunite to bring the bwa-ha-ha back to Booster Gold."
I thought that, while the issue 1-31 stories were more serious in tone than the old JLI stuff, there was still a lot of levity. I know that the Bwa-Ha-Ha is the KG/JMD brand of stuff as far as this goes, but it still made me worry that it'd be too far. Enough of that for now. Let's move on.
General Thoughts:
With Booster's time traveling, it's always a treat to open up and see where they'll throw you in. I enjoyed this beginning simply because you're immediately thrust into a crisis situation. I thought the "Come with me..." line was hysterical...flipping over onto a big splash page of red beams "WAKA-TOOM"-ing down onto the planet. This is big stuff that he's in the middle of, though the girl talking about how she has to pee was an interesting contrast.
The credits on the second page of the splash had me again a little worried... apologizing to Dan Jurgens for soiling his creation yet again. Ok, since they brought it up... I already said that was a concern of mine and thankfully, it was unfounded. There's a LOT of dialog in this story, and some is a little ridiculous, but it is truly balanced out with the Booster that I've come to enjoy reading about in the Volume 2 run.
I like the art, but sometimes characters facial expressions don't seem to match what's going on. I'm guessing that this is going to get more in sync as we go here.
It took WAY too long for Skeets to come in. I like the little droid, especially his interactions with Booster. Always have. As a guy from the future, as a guy whose peers regard him with some disdain, the little guy is really his only friend. Speaking of which, I wonder what Rip was doing to him? Just some diagnostics? Something new? We'll see, I guess. Could be nothing at all.
What I Liked
- The balance of humor and seriousness was good.
- Something about Booster's "son-of-a-bitch" when he saw Max Lord alive and well was great. Just really seemed to sum it all up. What else can you say?
- His immediate turn-around from self-doubt to outward confidence when Rani asked if she was going to die too.
- The story was well-paced, a nice transitional issue.
- I wonder how Ekron feels about that eye? He sure was sore about it in 52.
- I liked how Booster was a very in-control foil to the confused and bewildered 31st-centry-ers.
- When Skeets did come in... well, it was exactly why I like Skeets. I can just picture him schmoozing with the hybrid.
- These guys still know how to write good Booster, even with how many changes he's undergone. I like that they maintained the seriousness, the doubt, the bravado, the charm, but...
What Was "Ehhh"
- Booster's self-doubt after the Emerald Empress killed all those people was good, yet it felt a little forced. A page ago, Booster was zooming around and reliving his football days. Now he's on the opposite end of the spectrum. Don't get me wrong, I like the human side of Booster, but he's a little bipolar in this book.
- Since when did Booster have the technical know-how to repair his time-travel circuitry? Maybe I missed that somewhere.
- I was ready to see the Emerald Empress pull out some Clear Eyes eyedrops on her splash page. Reminded me of Ben Stein.
- The Eye jokes made sense in EE's dialog, given the slightly nutsy nature of the villain and her attachment to the Eye of Ekron, but I felt a little "been there, done that" due to Brother Eye's forms of conversation..
- SO much dialog!
Overall
I REALLY liked this. This will not be a bad direction for our boy from the future. I'm especially excited to see how this will bump up against Generation Lost. While the I definitely found some negatives in the +/- section, I really see the positives as outweighing any negatives by a long shot. This is going to be a fun ride.
Stay tuned for more - there'll be a new JL:GL before you know it, and I still haven't posted the first one! This is going to be fun.
First!
In this space, over the coming year, I'll be reviewing each issue of Justice League: Generation Lost as it comes out. If I find some time, I'll also be reviewing each month of Booster Gold: Vol. 2. Finally, if this catches on, I'll continue even as the bi-weekly series ends.
If I really get ambitious, I'll start digging in to the new "Time Masters" series. Depends on my mood.
Just as a little introduction for myself, prior to my life as The Greatest Blogger You've Never Heard Of (you could also call me Major Idiot), I was just a regular guy. While growing up, I had the typical interest in comics and super heroes, but somewhere along the way, I lost that. Then, searching for a way to get back in to comics, I came across Booster Gold.
I was still in diapers during the first run of his series, but in looking at some comics, I stumbled across Booster and Skeets. There was something that interested me about him, something that made me want to learn more.
So I did.
Anyway, that brings me to now. I was incredibly curious waiting for the new writing team to start. On the one hand, KG and JDeM could probably be credited with keeping Booster in the eye of the comic reader through their work on the Justice League. On the other hand, especially after reading 52 and the new stuff, I was concerned that it'd be too much "Bwa-ha-ha," as everyone so lovingly calls it, and not enough of the person that Booster has developed in to.
In any case, was I disappointed? Happy? Well, I decided to start a blog, if that gives you any indication. I suppose you'll simply have to find out when I make my next post!
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