Liberty Bell March, Day 13: The Stamp of Approval

This is obviously a riff on the classic final moment of the opening credits of Monty Python, but what I'm getting out of it is...geez, Sersi, pull up your pants! We're not heating the whole outdoors, here!



from Eternals Annual (2009 series) #1 (Marvel, January 2009), script by Fred Van Lente, pencils by Pascal Alixe, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Ed DukeshireX

Today in Comics History Future, March 19, 2270: Apparently San Francisco has not collapsed into the sea over the next 250 years

from Eternal #2 (Marvel, February 2015), script by William Harms, pencils and inks by Stefano Simeone, colors by Adam Metcalfe, letters by Jim Campbell

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 81: Zakka's Shock-Pistol

Huh. Isn't that just like a Deviant, to bring a Shock-Pistol to a Monster Fight.


Panels from The Eternals Annual #1 (1977), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer, colors by Glynis Wein

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 27: The Celestials' Three Passenger Descent Vehicle

Well, we can say at least this about the Celestials...


Page from The Eternals (1976 series) #1 (July 1976), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by John Verpoorten, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Gaspar Saladino
...THEIR ELEVATOR TECHNOLOGY WAS LIGHT-YEARS BEYOND OURS.

365 Days of KirbyTech, Day 2: Zakka's Dimension Harness

Evil Deviant scientist Zakka plans to conquer the earth through the use of advanced science (and mechanics)! Well, it's certainly not through his charm, grace, and debonair good looks, for sure.


Panel from The Eternals Annual #1 (1977), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer, colors by Glynis Wein
But how, given his lack of a Lemurian driver's license or even a Lemurian learner's permit, is he going to get from place to place? Why, by use of his patented Dimension Harness, which allows him to reach far-away, even extra-dimensional, destinations far beyond human imagination and mortal ken. Like, say, this sleazy apartment.


And the best thing is, the Dimension Harness is so compact! Why, when you're not wearing it and stepping between realities, you can just store it in an old bureau drawer! Just move that Gideon Bible to one side...yeah, it'll fit right in there.


What's even better: it's a handy way to escape when a dangerous and brutal assailant breaks into your sleazy apartment. Just fire up the Dimension Harness and...oh, wait, did you store it away? Better get it out of the drawer and snap it on...better do that quickly...


So, there you go. For the Dimension Harness to work, you have to be wearing the Dimension Harness. Don't forget that and store it in an old bureau drawer or something.


Eternals Annual #1: first and final appearance of Zakka the evil Deviant scientist.

Kirby knocks all our blocks off

And now, a little rhyme about Hugh Jackman's latest motion picture:

"Real Steel"?
I don't see the appeal.

Thank you, thank you.

Aside from Real Steel being just a Marx Toy in a movie adaptation version, let me be the first to say this:

Jack Kirby did it better.

Panels from The Eternals v.1 #5 (November 1976), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks and letters by Mike Royer, colors by Glynis Wein

Bonus panel from Eternals #5: here Warlord Kro with a gentle and helpful reminder for the people of earth!



Deviant teeth: they may be pointy, but they're shiny and white. That's Celestial-dictated arrested evolution for ya, kids!

Johnny Unitas, P.I., does not appear in these reviews

Greetings, Bully-backers! I spent the weekend in lovely snowy Syracuse, New York, where I'm certain there must be a comic book shop but I didn't get a chance to look it up. Instead, I had this entertaining and surreal pop-culture conversation with family member Tom:

TOM: Who's that football player...turned actor, had a detective series in the eighties?
ME: Do you remember anything more about the series?
TOM: No.
ME: Ummmm...Johnny Unitas, P.I.?
TOM: No.
ME: Okay. But I would so watch a show called Johnny Unitas, P.I.

(For the record, it was Fred Dryer as Hunter.)

That's why I didn't get a chance to get last week's comics until today. That's why I didn't review 'em until tonight. Thanks for being so patient!


BART SIMPSON #34: This comic is fun. Bart Simpson oughta be the perfect gateway comic, ideal for introducing fans of the TV show to the medium of comics. Sometimes, however, I'm not certain if the younger audience that Bart seems to be pitched for exists: by the time you're a Simpsons fan, you'll probably prefer the lengthier or more detailed stories in the main comic. That said, Bart provides a good genial monthly dose of giggles, and its three short stories this time bridge the TV and comics market cleverly with plots that might be right at home on Fox: Mrs. Krabappel comes to live with the Simpsons, Willie's secret past as a pop star is revealed (with some dandy Beatles in-jokes), and Homer and Bart battle to create a winning entry in a Krustyburger contest. It's not groundbreaking comics, but by golly, it brings a smile to your face.


JUSTICE #10: This comic is fun. Y'know, I've read enough enthusiastic reviews of Justice, Alex Ross's glossy painted reinvention of Super Friends, to make this book, even so close to its end, this week's entry in my ongoing quest to Pick Up One New Comic Title I Haven't Been Reading. (And no, it wasn't that ultra-green cover which woulda been right at home in yesterday's "Ten of a Kind.") I'm not a massive fan of Ross's painted pin-up covers, but his continuity artwork is dynamic and expressive, and even in a story where most of the Justice League is wearing protective armor, the action is clear and detailed. Sure, I'm coming in two chapters from the end, but it was easy to pick up on the primal action: some villains are doin' bad stuff and the heroes are charging in to stop them. There's a dandy Green Arrow switcharoo in the last couple pages and the story is jam-packed with enough DC Universe characters that this is actually much more entertaining than the sluggish new Justice League of America. I'll be picking up the trade(s) on this series; it's a lovingly-done adventure overshadowed by some of DC's more heavily-promoted "event" comics, and I'm glad I caught it before it ended.


52 WEEK 43: This comic is not fun. Well, I do believe this is the first issue of 52 that actively exasperated me. A pointless fight scene between the Marvels and the Black Marvels (and is Captain Marvel crazy, or not?), followed by the continuing galactic adventures of Animal Man (and I'm not buying that he can reach galactic distances to gain the powers of a Sun-Eater), and finally, a gore-filled shock twist that disappointed me tremendously: not because of the turn of a character I liked (I'm fast learning that 52 loves to pull the rug out from under me) but that it was portrayed with such gruesome violence it actually turns the panels blood-red. It would have been a chilling and compelling twist if it had been hinted at instead of splattered across the page—suggestion is always more powerful than in-your-face gore, guys. Oh well. This close to the end I certainly won't let a disappointing issue put me off, but it's a definite break from a series that has had forty-two issues in a row that have delighted me.


ETERNALS #7: This comic is sorta fun. Huh. That's it? Neil Gaiman's reimagining of Jack Kirby's big and boisterous cosmic heroes wraps up, and I s'pose I should go back and re-read the whole thing in one sitting, but despite being better than many modernizations of the King, it eventually turned into a fairly pedestrian superhero tale where I expected much more from Gaiman. When I look a little more closely I see the Gaiman touches: a lovely little mundane first-page scene with Midwest tourists contemplating a giant golden Celestial, and a very Sandmanesque final fate of Sprite, but there's still too much of Civil War shoehorned into this for no apparent reason, and I was more interested in flipping quickly to the end than savoring the story. Like Nextwave and Agents of Atlas, it's a miniseries that ends with a definite conclusion but also a "the adventure is only beginning" vibe. But it's telling that out of those three series, Eternals is the one I'm least interested in reading further adventures.


HEROES FOR HIRE #7: This comic is fun. It's pretty telling that a fairly straightforward but still playfully fun comic like Heroes for Hire makes my pull list in an age of "event" comics: I don't apologize for enjoying the series as much as I do, but but I can't imagine this series is gonna be around long, which is a pity: it's a solid and fun adventure comic firmly utilizing some of the b-listers of the Marvel Universe (both heroes and villains), but like The Thing, it's not getting a strong buying audience. Pity. If you're passing this up because it looks like a cheesy T&A book...well, it is that, a little, but it's done with such a light touch it's forgivable. And hey, looks like the HfH might be heading to Latveria in the next issue or so! I'm so totally on board for that, and if Misty speaks the immortal line "Where's my money, honey?" then I'll be in fanbull heaven. Until then we have to settle for The Best Line of the Week: "Do not sing Blue Öyster Cult Songs." For its spirit of the seventies and its refusal to take itself too seriously—and for blowin' up stuff real good: HEROES FOR HIRE #7 is the most fun comic of the week.

Fun Fifty of 2006, Part 2 of 5

The Fun Fifty of 2006 countdown continues! Numbers 50-41 are here!


40. STAR WARS: TAG & BINK EPISODE I: I often accuse George Lucas—J'accuse!, I go. J'accuse!—of no longer having a sense of humor (really, the novels, comics, and new films are almost devoid of the belly laughs we got from the original trilogy), but once in a while an authorized Star Wars tie-in comes along that reminds us of a grand sense of goofiness and fun before midichlorians came along. Sight gags, pop cultural references, and wacky guest appearances populate a continuity implant of the first second trilogy, explaining a lot of the behind-the-scenes silliness with a deft "another fine mess" touch. This second Tag and Bink series from Troops creator Kevin Rubio is nowhere near canon...but it oughta be.


39. ACTION COMICS: Thanks to an enthusiastic recommendation by Steven at The Roar of Comics, I started picking up Superman titles again for the first time since the Millennium Giants saga, and hoo boy, it's a good year to be a Superman fan: post-Infinite Crisis DC has done a wonderful refit on its flagship character and especially its longest-running title. The height of excitement, action and, yes, fun comes in Kurt Busiek's Auctioneer trilogy (#841-843), which portrayed the Man of Steel as a decisive, inspirational, and compassionate team leader: the Real Steel Deal.


38. ETERNALS: It'll never be considered one of Neil Gaiman's greatest works, but his modern twist on Jack Kirby's Marvel version of the Fourth World has been a delight to me this year for its intricate mysterious building action, the subtle and sublime artwork of John Romita, Jr., and its refusal to slavishly duplicate Kirby's artwork and storylines and instead set out in a new direction that's faithful to the original without being a carbon-copy. In other words, Eternals honors the King by bringing a new approach to some of his more outrageous characters. (Now bring us the conclusion, Neil 'n' John!)


37. FUTURAMA: I'm a big fan of the Bongo Comics line, which has the unenviable task of accurately capturing a couple of the most inventive and funny animated programs of the past several years. Though I dearly miss the TV series Futurama (and I've eagerly lookin' forward to new episodes in 2008), the Bongo Futurama comic often fills the gap with clever and funny new stories. The writers have the characters down pat: just read the pages and you can hear John DiMaggio's abrasive Bender in your head. None of the comics published this year was as innovative or inventive as 2003's Futurama #14 (which I'll get around to reviewin' one of these days as one of my most fun comics, ever), but they're still a consistent delight, and, thanks to HarperCollins's trade book republishing program, might actually be picking up some Futurama and Simpsons fans who have never read a comic book before.


36. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!: I'm not jus' sayin' this because Kicky Kevin Church gave me a signed copy ("Bully: stay in school!") of What Were They Thinking: Monster Mash-Up, but because there's few comics that actually made laugh out loud more than once this year, and both issues of WWTT reduced me to hearty guffaws and helpless giggles by uncannily targeting my wacky sense o' humor by re-dialoguing old comic books (or, as described on one of the covers, 'Keith Giffin & Company go nuts and change the word balloons on an old comic!') If your sense of humor is tickled by Mystery Science Theater 3000, or (does anybody remember this show?) Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection, you'll get a bucketful of larfs from these.


35. FANTASTIC FOUR: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY: This year, in their own book, Reed Richards built a stalag in an alien realm, Ben Grimm gave up fighting for what he thought was right and walked away, Sue Richards abandoned her children, and Johnny Storm made incest jokes. That's a good enough reason for me to run, not walk, as far away as possible from Fantastic Four. But the spirit and the energy of the true FF lives on in various miniseries and one-shots throughout the year, especially this oddly scheduled special which coulda been a regular issue but no doubt had to be shoveled into the schedule before Civil War rendered my favorite comic book family as a buncha jerks. A Death in the Family is a heartfelt and touching adventure of Johnny refusing to let a silly thing like time stop him from saving his sister's life. Solid action, great characterization, and most of all, the FF behave like family who love and respect each other. Strike the regular Fantastic Four book off the Bully-canon and put this one up there, because in my little button eyes, this is the real FF. Accept no substitutes.


34. RUNAWAY COMICS: Mark Martin's gleefully inventive Runaway Comics heralded his return to floppies this year, and oh boy, how I've missed him. The many who draws the most frantic and cutest baby animals since Walt Kelly (I want him to draw the Bully comic book someday, please!) gave us two issues in 2006 chock-full of more fun than most series manage in 12 issues. Gran'paw, Carrie Nation, Montgomery Wart, and the Yeah Butt! What more do you want from comics?


33. I HEART MARVEL: WEB OF ROMANCE #1: Despite my dislike of Civil War, I haven't objected as much to how it's affected Spider-Man: I've enjoyed the new stories and situations that Peter's joining the Avengers and his public unmasking have provided (although it's starting to get to the point where you wonder: how on earth can Marvel continue this story without undoing it?) I've especially been intrigued by the concept of Peter's friendship with Tony Stark—Stark filling a role of mentor and supporter that Pete's been missing since the death of Uncle Ben (which makes the eventual betrayal even more poignant). It's also a storyline that gives us such the lovely and loving portrayal of Pete and Mary Jane in I Heart Marvel: Web of Romance, as Peter struggles to find the perfect Valentine's Day gift for his red-headed reason for living. Points off for signaling the end of the story so early into it, but still a wonderful fun and touching tale and absolute proof against arguments that you can't write good stories about a married Spider-Man.


32. BATMAN/THE SPIRIT: This teaser to Darwyn Cooke's relaunch of Will Eisner's The Spirit series merges the world, the heroes, the supporting characters and the villains of the worlds of Bruce Wayne and Denny Colt virtually seamlessly, and most of that's due to the utter light touch with which the story's treated: although his Batman's grim and focused, Jeph Loeb doesn't sacrifice fun for grittiness. Critics of this one-shot complained it doesn't fit into continuity (Catwoman's in her new uniform while Babs Gordon is walking), but they're missing the point: that it's so freakin' cool to see P'Gell ensnare Commissioner Gordon, the Spirit scolding Batman with "You sure like telling other people what to do!" and a final confrontation that relies on the oldest switcharoo in the book, but it's pitch-perfect and beautifully illustrated. I'm a Spirit fan from way back, so I didn't have a problem recognizing his rogue's gallery as some readers did, but in the end it really didn't matter: gorgeous art, solid action, and a story that is everything a fun comic should be without taking itself too seriously.


31. FRANKLIN RICHARDS: SON OF A GENIUS: If you've read one Franklin Richards story in any of the several specials throughout 2006, you've kinda read 'em all, but that doesn't stop 'em from being silly, goofy, happy adventures of the mischievous son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman and his pet robot: a characterization that's so pitch-perfect it really ought to be integrated into the mainstream Marvel Universe—adventurous and sneaky Franklin running wild is a lot more interesting than Earth-616 Franklin, who usually spends his appearances sniffling or cowering. Give the kid some spice! As usual, I'd rank this series a lot higher if Chris Eliopoulios's art wasn't so clearly derivative of Calvin and Hobbes—evolve the style in a more original direction and this could've been in my top ten. (Also, mega-bonus points off for wasting a huge percentage of the Thanksgiving Special on that needless and stupid Marvel/Guiding Light crossover comic—one of the worst bait-and-switches of 2006, and worse, a pointless and futile marketing ploy directed at the wrong end of the intended market.)


Can there possibly be more? Yes! Bully's Fun Fifty for 2006 continues tomorrow with #30-21!

24 Hour Comics Reviewing Day, Hour Five: Eternals #4

ETERNALS #4: This comic is sorta fun. It's prob'bly the price you usually pay for a miniseries: at least one of the issues just past the middle slows the pace down in preparation for bringing everyone on stage for the big finishing Cossack number. Eternals #4 suffers a bit from having to serve as a massive infodump for the series: a large majority of this issue consists of Sprite explaining the backstory. It's still beautifully drawn (golly, I really do enjoy John Romita Jr.'s work), and as usual, Neil Gaiman could make a retelling of the phone book lyrical and subtle, but what might read as a natural ebb in a trade paperback's story arc is, in a single pamphlet issue, a kinda screeching halt to one of the more inventve modern twists on Jack Kirby's classic characters. Check back next month to see if the pace picks up again: I have the feeling issue #4 is best read as part of a whole, so I'll give this a cautious look and a "can do better" grade. Certainly the last page seems to suggest more action and less picnic talk for issue #5.

Comics on a Plane

I'm sure you all have heard the phrase "Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink?" No, even though I spent the week in Sub San Diego, that's not a reference to an Aquaman story but rather the fact that I spent the entire week at San Diego Comic Con, completely surrounded on all four and occasionally five sides by comic books, and yet didn't have a chance to pick up last week's new comics. And with a long, long plane trip back home to New York, I need a stack o' comics for in-flight reading. What's the solution? The solution, as always, is easily solved by the next best thing to a Green Lantern power ring: Hertz's amazing Neverlost GPS technology. Just ask its pleasant Midwestern female artificial intelligence to direct you to the nearest comic book shop, and up pops easy-to-follow driving directions:


And mere minutes later, Linda the Neverlost Voice has directed me to On Comic Ground:


On Comic Ground is a small but well-stocked store on University Avenue, with a pleasant clerk who directs me to the previous week's comics. There's also a solid selection of back issues which I hoof through looking for some books off my wish list that I didn't have a chance to look for at Comic-Con. Yay! They have those issues of Sub-Mariner and Tales of Suspense I've been looking for, and at easy-to-afford prices. Thanks, On Comic Ground!

The Pleasant Clerk and I briefly schmooze about just-concluded Comic-Con and I learn On Comic Ground is actually a smaller shop on the site of the former larger Comic Kingdom store, which I'd never been to on my earlier, brief visits to San Diego but which I've heard about. It's always sad when a big comic book store goes bust, but I'm glad there's still a shop at this location.

I also spent some of my hard-earned dimes on a big stack o' comics from last Wednesday and instead of diving into them immediately, I stowed them away in my backpack to have plenty of readin' entertainment on the plane. So as I read these thirty thousand feet above the Kansas cornfields, I'm reviewing them longhoof and will transfer my notes to the blog later on. And in my first use of startling new airline technology, I'm comparing comics and their fun quotient to famous movies about flying that may or may not be fun. I'm going to keep the reviews brief, however, so I have plenty of time to savor the lovely airline food and to enjoy the in-flight movie, Please Return Your Tray to Its Fully Upright and Locked Position, starring Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner. Who says this isn't the age of American Airlines comics blogging? Go ahead, tell me who said it wasn't! Tell me!


52 WEEK 11: This comic is as fun as the movie Airplane! There's something diff'rent about the new Batwoman that I can't put my hoof on at the moment, but I've kinda got a big Bully crush on her. Do you think if I send her a nice buncha flowers she will fall in love with me? I bet she will. Anyway, this issue of 52 has a lot going on, and I'll overlook creepy obsessed sad Ralph Dibny for the moment for a lot of rip-roarin' action starring Reneé Montoya and the Question, who are fast becoming my two fave characters of this series. Aside from the new Batwoman, of course! I'm kinda sweet on her.


SIMPSONS COMICS #119: This comic is as fun as the movie Airplane! I almost always enjoy any issue of Simpsons Comics but the best of the best hit it out of the four-color park with a story that's as clever and funny as the TV series itself. This one does that: the saga of Homer's attempt to win Mr. Burns's Trumpish reality show could easily be a decent Sunday-night-on-Fox episode. And no pesky promos for The War at Home!


FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #10: This comic is not fun, much like the movie Fearless. And I'm giving it that mark only for the last couple pages, which is either a horrible betrayal of the Uncle Ben of Earth-2 or wherever he came from, or some sort of weird switcharoo that's horribly choreographed and confusingly drawn: either way it obviously isn't the end of Uncle Ben-B's story, but it left a horrible taste in my mouth and made me regret the fact that I earlier said "Aw, I trust Peter David with this Uncle Ben Returns storyline." I know there's more to come, but the twist is just so nasty and confusing that I can't tell what it is that's really goin' on, but this little stuffed bull knows it ain't fun.


ETERNALS #2: This comic is as fun as the movie Airplane! On the other hand, Neil Gaiman pulls off a solid mix of action, mystery, adventure, moodiness, and a nice Kirby homage without slavishly copying the King in his Eternals revamp. John Romita Jr. turns in some very nice art—this guy just keeps getting better and better in his art career, I think!—and while the twists and mysteries are less confusing if you're read a Kirby Eternals book, it's still stands solidly on its own as a decent "everything you know is wrong" comic. My only disappointment? That Marvel didn't actually set up a www.partiesbysersi.com website. Who doesn't want their next party planned by Sersi?


SHE-HULK #9: This comic is as fun as the movie Airplane! First, a bit of old business: just to let you know I did not skip She-Hulk #8 because I didn't care at all for #7. No, I simply missed it and its Civil War-themed jacket on the comic book store stand, and now it's sold out, and back issues are going for more green than Shulkie at the beach! (Haw!) No, I ain't droppin' this book, 'specially since the new one is a whole bucket o' fun, even from the cover. You all know I'm no fan of Greg Horn's covers, but this one actually works, is fun and attractive! Maybe it's just that Mister Horn draws good bling. Anyway, this ish features a wedding I'm much more interested in than the overblown Storm and Panther Wedding of the Century (after all, were T'Challa and Ororo married by Elvis?> I think not!), and even better, Jen faces off against her father-in-law J. Jonah Jameson, who is not having a good week!


CIVIL WAR #3: This comic is not fun, much like the movie Fearless. I dunno. I like the story possibilities the unmasking of Spidey that this series has brought us, but guess I'm just gettin' tired of characters I consider heroes actin' like jerks. Why is Mister Fantastic so narrow-minded? Why are the X-Men the equivalent of being conscientious objectors? Why is Iron Man completely betraying the friends and ideals he's stood for in over forty years of his own series? Why is Ben Grimm...Ben Grimm!...fighting his friends? The only high spot is the surprise last-page reappearance of one of my fave Marvel heroes. I imagine next issue he'll make me mad at him as well. Sigh.


JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #0: This comic is sorta fun, like the movie Air Force One. I don't mind the flashbacks and flash-forwards in this, which is basically just a teaser for next month's new series, but the unevenness of the "all star cast of artists" and the usual Brad Meltzer confusing and wandering dialogue isn't a big draw for me. I'm interested to see who will be in the new JLA, but there's no real resolution in here; there's not even a real story or plot. I won't hold that against a zero issue which is more about setting tone and mood, but the regular series had better have more substance and a faster plot or I'm going to get disappointed real fast.


RUNAWAYS #18: This comic is fun, just like the movie Airplane! But kinda sad at the same time. A cheerful and joyous cover that leads to an all-out fight scene and a death in the Runaways? Sniff. One of the more touching Marvel deaths in the past several years. Civil War could take in a lesson in writing characters you care about from Runaways. All that and The Best Line of the Week: "Killing him would be the biggest mistake of your life. And I'm factoring those shoulder pads into the equation."


X-FACTOR #9: This comic is fun, just like the movie Airplane! Here's some proof that the basic idea behind "Civil War" is sound: like here and in She-Hulk, the Superhero Registration Act plotline can be interesting and compelling. If only what the Act itself was stayed consistent from book to book...it's almost as if the writers weren't communicating or there was no clear editorial control...but that can be possible, can it? Can it? Anyway, it's not that hard to make the X-Men look like careless jerks these days, but at least Peter David gives it some humor and believability to the situation at the same time he sets up a more specific role for X-Factor in the post-House of M Marvel Universe. Why...it's almost as if Peter has some sort of plot and game plan in mind...how unique is that?!?


GUMBY #1: This comic is the most fun comic of the week and can only be compared to the most fun airplane movie of all time, Snakes on a Plane! Golly. The sort of fun and charming comic that hasn't been seen in a long, long time, as two of my favorite creators, Bob Burden and Rick Geary, tackle everybody's favorite clay boy in an adventure featuring a wagon full of shoes, Mexican food, Invincible Man, evil clowns, and luvvvvvvvvvv. The art is colorful and gorgeous and everything down to the lettering is pitch perfect: really, you can be a kid or a kid at heart and you'll love this book. I highly recommend it, whether or not you're on an airplane, and I have a strong feeling it's gonna be on my year-end list of Most Fun Comics of 2006. Miss it at your own peril and loss of fun, kemosabe!

I have to go now. Hot towels are being passed out to everyone. Hot towels! I love flying!

Jimmy Olsen's finest hour

ETERNALS #1: This comic is fun. Beautiful artwork by the always-talented John Romita Jr. with the eloquent writing of Neil Gaiman give what would be just another mid-level Marvel miniseries sparkle and cachet. It's an interesting and new approach for Jack Kirby's bombastic Eternals (if not a totally new idea altogether in superhero comics): Makkari of the Eternals has forgotten his powers and his former life and, as physician Mark Curry, lives a life of quiet desperation haunted by dreams of giant Celestials. (Hey, if you're going to have a story about the truth in dreams, who better to write it than Neil Gaiman?) If you've never read Jack Kirby's original Eternals, you won't be lost, because there's a dandy multi-page summary of the mythology and history of the Eternals in the second half of the book. And who doesn't enjoy seeing Sersi as a modern girl party planner and Sprite as a kid TV star? Communists and Deviants, that's who! It's not great art, and it's far from Gaiman's finest work, but it's fun and compelling, and I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the miniseries if it's as strong as this first issue.


52 WEEK 7: This comic is fun. Starfire spaces out. Montoya visits an old lover. Booster gets busted. And speakin' of Kirby, is that a big ol' Kirby Apokoliptan guy on the final page? I'm enjoying how this series is spinning various threads together into a tapestry of the post-Crisis DC Universe: grim and gritty, bold and bombastic, galactic and godly, all in one. The more cynical of you will be bagging this comic away in the hopes it will increase in value because it's the first appearance of the future Batwoman, but hey, do yourself a favor and read the thing, especially as bad things are happening to Booster left and right here, and the poop is really hitting the fan in his attempts to seize the future. Booster's veering dangerously close to being arrested for crimes and conspiracy here, which ain't' gonna endear him to his NASCAR-style sponsors. How's it all gonna turn out? Who knows? The joy is, I only have to wait seven short days to get the next installment. Hoo hah! Who says we're not living in the Mighty DC Age of Weekly Comics?


UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #1: This comic is not fun. First of all: put some clothes on, Miss Ororo. I know you're a goddess an' all in Africa, but between this and the cover of recent Black Panthers, we're almost seein' more of you than T'Challa's gonna see on the wedding night. (You are waiting for the wedding night, Miss Ororo, aren't you? Miss Ororo? Miss Ororo?) Anyway, this is something about Storm searching for her family in Africa and running afoul of political insurrectionists. Meanwhile, something similar is happening to the X-Men across country or someplace else, I'm not really certain. Marvel Girl and Psylocke both think at things a lot and Nightcrawler bamfs a bit and some other X-Men do stuff, and really, the confusing factor hasn't ramped down any since Claremont left, has it? Whatever happened to the good old days when an annual, even an X-Men annual, would be a simple clear solid done-in-one like "Nightcrawler's Inferno" or even the goofily-titled "Ooh La La, Badoon!" (And for that matter, why is this X-Men Annual #1?) I haven't read Uncanny X-Men in quite some time and thought an annual might be a good chance to read a story that wasn't mired in contemporary continuity, so I chose this as my Pick Up One New Comic Title I Haven't Been Reading book for the week, but there's nothing in here that's bringing me back to my once-favorite mutants. I wish you all the best in your upcoming wedding, Miss Ororo, and I hope you enjoy the toaster I'm sending you. But your comic isn't much fun anymore.


ALL STAR SUPERMAN #4: This comic is fun. Grant Morrison not only "gets" the Silver Age, and all those silly and goofy Jimmy Olsen stories that made no sense but still have a place of fondness in our cold, cold, fanboy hearts—but he can update those Silver Age stories without ripping them off and with bringing them into nanotechnological twenty-first century. At the heart of it, the plot's the same as a Silver Age issue of Jimmy Olsen: Jimmy's in trouble and has to rely on his wits, skills, and knowledge of "What would Superman do" to escape, but what if it's Superman he has to fight against? And yes, Morrison and Quitely even get in the stock Silver Age Jimmy Olsen in drag motif. This comic continues to be a caffeinated roller-coaster ride, and Morrison doesn't forget the fun, awe, joy and even the basic silliness of superhero comics in his revisioning of the Man of Steel for our cynical age. Plus, Black Kryptonite, haiku, the signal watch, "Frankenstein on Ice," Lucy Lane, and Mister Quintum's rainbow coat...all this and Doomsday! (I'll even totally forgive Morrison for the very-British "gas mark five" exclamation coming out of the mouth of the ultimate Kansas farm boy.) But cool concepts and updated icons don't make a comic great or even fun: what sets Morrison ahead of the pack once again is his understanding of the love and fondness we have for these characters and they have for each other, so evident in The Best Line of the Week: "Don't let anybody see him like this!", as Jimmy passionately protects an injured and battered Superman. Jimmy, in this issue you've completely proven that you're totally worthy of the title "Superman's Pal." That's why ALL STAR SUPERMAN #4 is the most fun comic of the week—not just because it's a great comic, but because it reminds us that the best comics make us care about the characters.