Into the Longbox
Will Eisner’s The Spirit #25, Aragones, Evanier, Amancio, Barta. Another reasonably diverting Spirit story. I do get a kick out of Amancio’s anatomy. There hasn’t been any unpardonable gaffe for a while, but occasionally his enthusiasm for the female form makes for some unrealistic depictions. Not the usual Power Girl overendowment problems, but some parts do appear to be glued on for effect. It says a lot about the goodwill I’ve built up for the writers that I’m letting that slide.
Doktor Sleepless #11, Ellis, Rodriguez. More of our walk around Heavenside after a few months of Dr. Sleepless stirring the pot. Or really plopping some ingredients into the pot and watching it work, I suppose. I can’t see a new reader jumping in here, but there are plenty of things to notice for the folks already playing along at home.
Sandman: The Dream Hunters #3, Gaiman and Russell. Russell’s adaptation of Gaiman’s classic Sandman story continues to showcase his beautiful draftsmanship and poignant storytelling. There are long lyrical sections where Russell leads us along through the plot without need of words, and exquisite panels where the composition of the frame and figures adds as much to the text as the expressively rendered faces. A master class in comic art.
Secret Six #5, Simone, Scott, Hazlewood. And on the other side of the intellectual spectrum, Simone and company’s wild ride through the DC universe with the villains continues. On the one hand, this is a pure action thriller; on the other hand, it’s remarkably well executed. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed the ride in a mainstream comic this much, much less gasped at a last page reveal. This is great genre comics. (Actually, it’s great comics, but if you’re not into the underwear perverts, the costumes and genre conventions may prevent your suspension of disbelief.)