from "I Killed Marty Feldman" in Solo #11 (DC, August 2006); script, pencils, and inks by Sergio Aragonés; letters by Stan Sakai
As you might suspect from the title of the story, Marty Feldman died the night before, December 2, of a heart attack. Sergio feared that he'd killed him by surprising him while wearing a police uniform for a movie role. (See more in this post.) Graham Chapman was with Marty when he passed away, and he would have probably mentioned it, so I think you're innocent, Sergio.
SHE-HULK #11: This comic is fun. The third or so issue in a row that I don't loathe the cover on, which tells me Greg Horn is maybe better painting light moments or comedy than cheesecake. (Although is it just me or does his Man-Wolf remind me less of 
52 WEEK 17: This comic is fun. Okay, okay, maybe I'm indulgin' my lowest-common denominator comics fun here, but I kinda like Lobo. There's something to be said for a DC Universe that contains not only nicely-nicely do-gooders but a few action-oriented tough guys who are in it for money, beer, and their own good. That's the joy and wonder of superhero comics to me: the diverse and often divisive range of characters in a shared universe. I'm more a fan of, say, the Superman: The Animated Series style Lobo than the Alan Grant Lobo, but this Lobo's got an appeal and it's fun to see him run into characters he hasn't interacted with before. (Although if I remember, didn't Vril Dox take away his "regenerate his entire body from a single drop of blood" power waaaaaay back in L.E.G.I.O.N.?) And who says a Lobo with "religion" won't be interesting to read...Jay and Silent Bob in Clerks II were a hoot and a half, too, without compromising their basic premise. As Lobo himself says on the cover (you gotta love a meta-Lobo), we're one-third of the way through the series, and next issue's blurb (Detective Chimp! Dr. Fate!) shows that with the addition of new characters to the mix, we're starting to ramp up phase two of 52. I'm still hooked, but it does get me wondering: is it all going to pay off? There's a lot of balls in the air; I'd hate to see any of them drop.
X-FACTOR #10: This comic is fun. Best cliffhanger ending this week...now that's how you get me chomping at the bit to read the next issue! Renato Arlem's artwork is a wee bit scratchy and murky, but I think that fits the mood and tone of this book, so I won't whine about Ryan Sook's departure. And, have I mentioned that I can handle Layla Miller much better when she's not proclaiming in every issue "I know stuff." (Leave that to Siryn this issue, although it's a funny setup). A quiet and plot-driven mutant book that has action but doesn't depend on it for its sole entertainment is okay in my book, and this issue gets a new storyline off to a good kick-start.
SNAKES ON A PLANE #1: This comic is fun. Aw, c'mon, now what grade did you expect me to give this? It's big, it's dumb, it's goofy, and its has a higher ratio of sound effect captions that go "ssssssssssss" than any other comic published this week. The comics adaptation leaves out a handful of decent lines but otherwise keeps the set-up moving right along, although the real snakey action isn't really coming until next issue...so this probably would have been better served by being a double-sized comic complete in one issue, and certainly would have sold better if it had come out the same week the movie had. I could quibble that the comics version of Sam "Motherloving snakes" Jackson is less convincing than that in The Ultimates, but hey, what do you want from a movie-to-comic adaptation? These things (comics adaptations, not snakes) are rare beasts these days: they made more sense in an age before home video. But you can't fault it for being exactly what it is: a comic called Snakes on a Plane. For that, it's what it is an' nothing more: fun.
SOLO #12: This comic is fun. All hail and salute Solo in its final issue, one of the best recent anthologies from the Big Two...okay, okay, the only recent anthology from one of the Big Two, but all the more to be praised for its creator-centric focus. Last up in this final issue is Brendan McCarthy, whose psychedelic art reminds me a little of Ralph Steadman crossed with Jamie Hewlett—fantastic, pastelly, hallucinatory stuff that crosses the slim wavy line back and forth between metafiction and superheroics in stories that get the patented Bully head-scratching but sheer admiration at the same time. In other words, it's that gut feeling that "I'm not certain if I know what's going on here but by gosh and golly, I like it!"...not unlike the 1970s era-Jack Kirby, f'r instance. Many of McCarthy's stories in Solo are concerned with not just comics heroes but the sheer art of creating comics themselves, and in the end, it's an appropriate theme for the final issue for a series that celebrated creators and the concept of creation: a very rare duck for DC. Not every issue was my favorite, but every single one had something that appealed to me. I'll miss Solo, and I think the comic book world is poorer for its passing.
ALL STAR SUPERMAN #5: This comic is fun. Okay, speaking of the art of creating comics, here's this week's Bully DIY art project: Get yourself a Post-It note, ask your parents to use scissors and cut it into a vibrant and energetic starburst shape, and then write on it: "Warning: Superman does not appear in this issue!" And then write below that, in smaller letters: "But you won't care!" Because yes, this is an all Lex and Clark issue, and (aside from a handful of ads) Superman absolutely does not appear in this comic book, but his presence is so felt he's practically a third party in the dialogue between Lex and Clark. Part of the fun is the way Luthor addresses his rants to Clark but they are truly directed to Superman; only we (well, and Clark) can realize how effectively he's communicating to the Man of Steel. It's a wonderful synthesis of words and art: both Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely are firing on all cylinders here, from the slumpy, pudgy-lookin' Clark who is only obvious to us as a slouching Superman in a poorly-fitted suit, to the welcome reappearance of my favorite element from issue #1, Clark using his bumbling and stumbling to hide his super-skills in saving people. As a Marvel fanbull I still consider Dr. Doom to be my favorite villain, but Luthor's a close second, and if he were written like this all the time or even half the time he'd be pushing old Doomsie off that #1 pedestal. Witness his sharp reminder to Clark that Ma Kent is dead but only being concerned with the fact that Clark knows a skill (shorthand) that Luthor doesn't...and Luthor's determined to add it to his repertoire, even though it's genuinely pointless for Lex: he just needs to know everything. That's the fun in this issue; Lex proclaims his gospel throughout the issue, confident in his knowledge that he is aware and comprehends everything: everything, that is, except exactly who that is standing before him. (And who else but Grant Morrison's Lex Luthor would draw on his own eyebrow so he can give an evil glare?) Golly, I loves me some All Star Superman, and if this series and more specifically this issue doesn't get major awards by the end of the year, there's no justice in the comics world. I'm also awarding it The Best Line of the Week, and for the first time, it isn't even a line: it's Luthor's smug, self-satisfied smirk on page 3 as he's sentenced to the electric chair. Sure, it's not a line, except in Morrison's script. But look at the panel before that, and look at that panel, and a chill runs up your spine. That's the effect that Lex Luthor should have on you. And me. And humanity. And Superman. Best panel of the week, oh yes. But I'm not awarding it the Most Fun Comic of the Week. Why? What could beat Clark Kent?...
ACTION #842: This comic is fun....the most fun comic of the week, to be precise. I've told you how much I'm enjoying Batman and Detective, and now Action has become a favorite. I didn't like what I saw of Infinite Crisis, but if this is the aftermath—DC's flagship characters become fun and exciting again...then I'll forgive a little Pantha head-rolling. Not only that, but this is a Bully favorite that I woulda missed if it weren't thanks to a little help from my friends...friend Steven over at 
RUNAWAYS #17: This comic is fun! Twists, turns, returned teammates, doubted loyalties, exploding summer homes, and a terribly, terribly frightening cliffhanger that threatens the future of my favorite Runaway...is this comic the soap opera of the Marvel Universe or what? When I say that, that's a good thing—Runaways consistently and continuously blends a solid mix of action, humor, realistic kid dialogue and teen angst. It is, in many ways, the perfect example of a "gateway" comic: appealing young characters, a kids-versus-adults plot, danger, humor and love that would be the perfect first comic for young adults and teens to be introduced to the world of superhero comics. Why isn't Marvel actively marketing it to that target market more heavily? Why isn't this comic selling a hundred thousand a month? Why must I lament every month that this comic, great as it is, is Marvel's biggest missed opportunity since their failure to promote Ultimate Spider-Man to a school-age audience? All of it adds up to a comic that's good enough to eat! (Warning: do not actually eat comic.)
BART SIMPSON #30: This comic is fun. You've got to love a comic whose cover riffs on Yellow Submarine (even though there's no corresponding story inside!) As usual, Bongo fills this comic with multiple (three) stories for a cavalcade anthology of fun and and impudence to authority. The first, and standout story, appealed to be the most: everyone in Springfield gets hooked on reading the 
X-FACTOR #8: This comic is fun. Or, as I like to call it, it's Quicksilver-ific! Back in the original X-Factor, Peter David wrote one of the best characterizations of the Fastest Man Alive (in the Marvel Universe), so it's a treat to see him return to writing Pietro if only as a guest-star. The cover shouts at us that it's a Civil War tie-in, but this story (which really should have been titled "Waiting for Pietro") is really one more in the never-ending "House of M" epilogues as the mystery of M-Day deepens. Even in the midst of tossing off patented PAD glib one-liners, X-Factor continues to doubt the "official" mystery of the loss of mutants' powers. I think they are abs'lutely right to be suspicious of Cyclops and what he's not telling us? You should never trust a guy when you can't see the reds of his eyes. Plus a Spider-Man appearance, Siryn gets ready to rumble with Wolverine, and Doctor Malcolm Modern! All this and Jamie Madrox: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.*! Next issue, an appearance by the Astonishing X-Men. Ehhh. Let's hope Peter David doesn't get fed up with the crossovers this time and leave just when this comic is becoming indispensable.
52 WEEK 8: This comic is fun...sorta. Last week's first stumble in the weekly maxiseries continues this ish with a handful of plot devices that chug the story along but which are fairly unbelievable, contrived, and unconvincing—a rough spot in the natural and realistic progression 52 has taken in its first couple months. I'm still not buying the double-dealing of Booster Gold: adding to his public downfall last week Booster threatens, trash-talks, and just generally hands out tickets for the wolf to Clark Kent. Um, Booster, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you don't tug on the journalistic abilities of Clark Kent. More serious is the labored set-up of miscommunication between John Henry Irons and Natasha—so clichéd that the whole plot depends on them not talking and communicating their difficulties, but it's done in such a heavy-handed way that it might as well be an episode of Three's Company. And am I dreaming, or is 
BRAVE NEW WORLD: This comic is crunchy, cheesy, cheap and delicious. I could spend a lot of time dissecting this dollar comic which is basic'ly an advertisement for six forthcoming DC Universe superheroes titles all wrapped up in a framing sequence that gives us the return of a popular DC character from the mid-eighties, but let me use this anal'gy, okay? Brave New World is 
NEXTWAVE #6: This comic is fun. It's just basically one big long fight scene with kicks and explosions and force beams and face slams with shovels, without much dialogue but heavy on the homicide crabs. And there's nothing wrong with that! It's over the top and anarchic and juvenile and oh-so-fun. You can't blame me for giggling like a loon reading Nextwave, and if you are not picking up this book, then the terrorists win.
SERGIO ARAGONÈS: SOLO: This comic is fun. MAD's manic Mexican master takes the Solo spotlight in this soon-to-be-captured sequel and gives us not only the most fun comic of the week but which will surely be on my year-end list of The Most Fun Comics of 2006! Really. I'm scolding you for not picking up Runaways and Nextwave, but if you didn't buy, read, and love Solo this week, turn in your comics fan badge: you're not allowed to read comics anymore! Brave New World may be 100 pages for a dollar, but Solo (48 pages for $4.99) is more comics enjoyment per page than any comics published this week. Or month. I'm especially fond of Sergio's confessional "I Killed Marty Feldman," but every story is a delight— gag stories, a twist-ending western, a samurai epic, a lesson in how victors write history, an autobiographical saga of Sergio's job search in New York, and one of the most entertaining Batman stories I've read this year: you've got to love a Batman villain called the Plumber whose henchmen have their pants tugged down their butts. Haw! Haw! Haw! This one goes on the shelf where I can get at it when I want it, not tucked away in the longbox. And that, fun comics fans, is the highest praise I can give a comic: I will want to read it again and again.
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