WLG #182: Old Is The New "New"!

By Michael A. Diaz

This is a REAL short week this week as there are only THREE titles that got my juices flowing, so I won't ramble on to much in the introduction.

I did want to say this, though, concerning The Punisher Xmas Special from last week: anytime that Stuart Moore and C.P. Smith want to tell a Punisher story they have my permission to do so (not that they needed, or wanted it).

Also, as much as I was looking forward to the Guy Gardner book by Chaykin last week did anyone else think that it was a touch disjointed and maybe in need of some editing? It wasn't awful, but there were more than a few times I had to stop and make sure I hadn't missed a page or something because I was lost going from one panel to the next. I'm debating buying the second issue.

Just curious what others thought.

Now this:

Standard Disclaimer: For those of you new to the WLG experience, here's how it works: Every week I check out the release schedule from the Diamond Comics Shipping List and decide which comics that I am going to spend my hard-earned money on. Yep, my money. That's good, because it helps to maintain my objectivity. If I spend money on a comic book and it turns out to be crap I'm going to be upset.Anyway, like I said, only three books made the cut this week so let's just jump right into the mix and see What Looks Good...

DC

MIDNIGHTER #2 $2.99 (Garth Ennis / Chris Sprouse)

spoilers if you have not read the first issue-

I have to say that the first issue wasn't completely what I was expecting; maybe it should have been, but it wasn't. I mean, one of the things about the Midnighter is that he is supposed to be nearly unbeatable what with his augmented body, so sure, in hindsight it makes sense that one of the ways to make him interesting is to remove that ability from him. Also, replacing some his vital parts (it's hard to call them organs) with a bomb is interesting as well. I mean, how else does one force the Midnighter to do one's bidding? His husband is Apollo, a guy on par with Superman. If you can hurt someone that powerful why would you need to force someone less powerful to do one's bidding?

That means the person forcing the Midnighter to do something is someone that isn't physically that powerful but certainly intelligent enough to figure out how to outsmart the Midnighter. Mind you, he's not all that dumb but he's not Stephen Hawking either.

So far this is my favorite book of the WildStorm releases, simply because it has been able to make it to a second issue in a timely fashion (and yes, I know that Wetworks #3 came out last week; I'm still trying to decide how much I like that book, i.e. whether or not I'm going to drop it or not). Of course, I haven't read...

TRANQUILITY #1 $2.99 (Gail Simone / Neil Googe)

I know that Neil Googe has been around for a while but the work that first impressed me was his cut-too-short run on Majestic (I wish that WildStorm would have relaunched that book now with these other titles, but alas, it was not meant to be). His style is kinetic and vibrant, animated without seeming TOO cartoony. I like it a lot.

And where do I even start on Gail Simone? True, I'm not a blind acolyte (I just couldn't get into Agent X), but I think I've been blathering on for years now about how great her run on Birds of Prey has been and how often times that is the best team book on the stands bar none. Though this isn't going to be a team book per se (the premise is of a town where powers, good and bad, go to retire) I like the character dynamic she brings to a title

MARVEL

newuniversal #1 $2.99 (Warren Ellis / Salvador Larroca)

Really, haven't we seen this before? A world, very much like our own and a suspension of disbelief that allows us, the audience, to wonder “what if there really were people that suddenly gained superpowers in our world; what if superheroes were real?”

Of course we've seen it before. Heck, we're seeing it right now in Marvel's own Squadron Supreme (written by Straczynski), itself preceded by Supreme Power, which really was quite similar to another Straczynski title called Rising Stars. That's just over the last few several months, so never mind a little show on NBC called Heroes that also has a similar premise, or Wild Cards (a similar book series) or any other countless comics, books, TV shows, and movies.

And, of course, though this isn't a direct extension, this title does spawn from the “New Universe” line that Marvel launched in the '80s that was all about powers in the real world. That line failed ultimately, but without it would there even be an Ultimate Universe?

So, no, this isn't particularly NEW or original of an idea on the surface, but we are talking about Warren Ellis here. On the surface it sounds like something we've heard before, and for the most part I'm sure that there are large sections of it that will be derivative, but it's not the destination that is important, it's how one gets there.

I know it's not a comic book, but look at Gears of War as an example. Is there anything really that original about a first person shooter where the player shoots at a horde of aliens? Nope, but in the execution of the game it comes across as fresh.

Everything old is new again, and in this case it is almost literally so; that said, seeing Warren Ellis create something in his own vision with Sal Larroca on pencils makes me shiver in glee.

Yeah, I'm geeked.

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Is anyone picking up that second Runaways HC this week? I didn't include it in my picks even though I am drooling over it because I don't think I'll pick it up, but I might hint very strongly to my lovely girlfriend that it would make for an EXCELLENT Christmas gift.

What about you? Was there something that did it for you this week? If so, stop by the What Looks Good message boards (see link below) and spread the love, my friend
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Until then,

Peace!

-Diaz

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Were Diaz's picks on the mark?
Have your say on What Looks Good at the Looking Good message board.

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