Who's who in the Comics Bulletin Universe - Update 2008
Who is... Michael A. Diaz?
Michael Diaz lives in Michigan, but don't hold that against him.
There he works as a Sys. Admin. while fostering dreams of one day becoming a "real" writer.
Most importantly, Michael is seriously addicted to comics, something that his wonderful wife tolerates with the patience of a saint.
He also writes this weekly column that people occasionally read.
"[O]ne of the most positive
and entertaining columns going."
- Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Villains United)
WLG #168: Hit It and Quit It!
I am writing this to you from deep within the new What Looks Good bunker. The move from the old, above-ground location has gone well, however there is still much work to be done. Still, I've made a commitment to keep the lines of communication up and running, so though I find myself surrounded by stacks of comics that are woefully unsorted I am drive to do what I have promised: to inform the world as to What Looks Good.
For now the fighting has ceased, but it will begin again soon enough; as such my words will be short and succinct. As always, I must not forget to include this:
BATMAN #656 $2.99 (Grant Morrison / Andy Kubert)The first issue was filled with plenty of atmosphere. Though it didn't jump right off of the page at me I thought it was fitting place to re-begin Batman. Though it might not always seem like it Batman works well as a character when he's portrayed as part of a family. Yes, he's dark, brooding, and not always entirely fun, but he's more endearing, at least to this reader, when he's part of a family, be it Robin and Albert or the Justice League.
The first issue showing the “family”, as dysfunctional as it might be, coming back together after so many sordid events is just the right place to start in my opinion.
This doesn't mean that I don't want some huge action scenes showing how impressive Batman is, I do. I'm just not in a rush to get there, and it doesn't seem like Morrison and Kubert are either.
Batman as a title and a character is being rebuilt. This is going to take some time so I'm fine with creating a firm foundation before we bring down the house.
BIRDS OF PREY #97 $2.99 (Gail Simone / Paolo Siqueira)For some reason I haven't mentioned this book in far too long, and for that I apologize because as always this title is one of the strongest teams books on the stands right now.
Why did I stop raving about it? Well, the short, and albeit stupid reason, is that somehow I got behind right around the “One Year Later” jump and couldn't find some of the issues. Well, I caught back up a couple of weeks ago and tried to kick myself in the teeth for being such an idiot.
Again, this is another good book that shows the team as more than a team but as family, most specifically with Black Canary and her new charge. At first I thought “wait, another superhero is taking on a kid that will probably become a sidekick down the line: what's original about that?” But then I read the issue. The scene with the pancakes and the tears is touching in a way that I never thought I would see in a superhero comic book.
This book is kind of a sleeper simply because the main star isn't Batman, Superman, or some guy that shoots webs; rather it stars a woman, or rather, a group of women, yet it still raises the bar as to what a team book can be.
Good stuff.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 $3.99 (Brad Metzler / Ed Benes)Long-time readers of this column probably already know that my personal favorite incarnation of this group is the Justice League as created by the team of Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire. True, it wasn't the typical kind of superhero team book, mostly because it recognized its own absurdity, but it always has and always will hold a special place in my heart.
That said, there's definitely something truly epic in that cover to this book's relaunch. As a tried and true comic book geek I find myself drawn to that cover like a moth to a flame. I must have it and I will have it.
This title just feels big and my curiosity is just too strong for me not to check things out.
ETERNALS #3 (OF 6) $3.99 (Neil Gaiman / John Romita Jr.)For a book that I was picking up just because it bore a very slight connection to the defunct MAX title The Eternal I am finding myself eagerly anticipating each and every issue. Also, keep in mind, that normally I am not a huge fan of Neil Gaiman. I have much respect for the man but the only other thing that I had read by him was the 1602 series, which was fine but didn't light any fires under me.
However, this weaving story, building layer upon layer on these god-like beings that have lived among us is getting sweeter and sweeter. Why are they really here, to lead us into salvation or damnation?
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #99 $2.99 (Brian Michael Bendis / Mark Bagley)Yeah, if you didn't read the end of the last issue the cover to this week's issue pretty much sums up what happened and WOW! was I surprised.
This was something that I never planned on seeing. Sure, resurrections happen all of the time in the Marvel Universe proper (where Jean Grey dies every night just before I Love Lucy reruns show on TVLAND), but not so much in the Ultimate Universe.
But then again, the point of the Ultimate Universe isn't so much to rehash what has happened in Marvel's past, but to reach a new audience. This means that things will happen that didn't necessarily happen in the Marvel Universe proper. The 616 Universe isn't a template for the Ultimate Universe, but at most a rough guideline, very rough.
I like that aspect about the Ultimate Universe, all the twists, turns, and surprises that come to characters that we as readers might think that we already know all too well. So bravo to Bendis and Bagley for surprising this long-time comic book reader.
I can't wait to see what happens next, and really, isn't that supposed to be the point?
Sorry for all of the melodrama at the beginning of the column as I'm not really hidden in a bunker somewhere underground.
No, I am just still dealing with the mess of moving. I've got about 95% of my stuff in the new place (complete with an entire room dedicated to my geek stuff!), but there's still a lot of stuff at my old apartment. The fact that I'm still paying for the place until the end of the month might have something to do with the fact that I haven't been in too much of a hurry to finish moving. I mean, I'm paying for it, I might as well use it, right?
Sure.
I should FINALLY be done sometime this weekend. I hope, because, really I'd like to take some time to finish settling into my new place.
But I still found time to get a column out this week; was there anything that caught your eye this week that you can't wait to read? If so, stop by the What Looks Good message boards (see link below) and spread the love, my friend.
Until then,
Peace!
-Diaz (who's not REALLY in a bunker, though he IS surrounded by far too many comics.)
Were Diaz's picks on the mark?
Have your say on What Looks Good at the Looking Good message board.