ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8:
Us Do Opposite
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
All-Star Superman has been the best superhero title on the shelves since it began at the end of 2005 (nearly two years in we're only at issue #8, this is what modern comic fandom is like). With each issue you can see Grant Morrison and collaborator Frank Quitely pushing each other to the limits of their creativity, and that certainly continues here. There's only one problem with issue #8:
You can't understand half the fucking thing.
When last we saw our hero, he was trapped on the Bizarro homeworld, Htrae (Earth backwards, get it?) with little hope of escape; the first true cliffhanger in the series so far. At the start of #8, Supes strolls through Htrae (my brain hurts just looking at that word) with Zibarro, a genetic freak to his people, and a sensitive soul: "Must only Zibarro see the beauty is a sunset?...I'm as trapped here as you." he tells Superman. In Zibarro's plight, the issue finds its greatest strength. By the end, with Superman almost literally melting away, his powers leaving him one by one, it is Zibarro who we pity as he says, "there only seems to be room for one on your rocket ship." The final moment, with Zibarro waving goodbye to Superman as he heads back to Earth is genuinely poignant, but retains some of the wicked sense of humor we've come to expect from Morrison and Quitely: notice that the Bizarro statue of liberty lying there, Planet of the Apes style, is holding half a pair of nunchucks.
But the problem here, again, is that you can't follow half the dialogue. Oh, the plot is perfectly clear (even if it seems that Supes should have figured out that whole reverse psychology thing from the beginning), it's the Bizarro language that is practically impenetrable. A typical exchange: "Me no sad now me no different from all! Me want responsibility! And me am no sick of Superman insults!"
Grant is clearly having fun here, and after careful deciphering you can follow along, but it seems a little more trouble than it's actually worth. But the Bizarro national anthem (naturally, a twisted version of our own) is pure hilarious genius.
If Grant gets a bit carried away, it's Quitely who grounds the issue. His touch with expression and posture is unparalleled, and that gift lends power and weight to the scenes of a weary Superman leaning on the resigned Zibarro for strength. And check out Quitely's Lois Lane, learning of Superman's illness (an illness which started waaaaay back in issue #1, almost two years ago like I said):
She's furious, terrified, and vulnerable all in one shot. You can practically see her holding back tears. All-Star Superman may be a bit confusing this time around, but it's still capable of rare beauty. All Star Superman #8: B+
THOR #1Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Oliver Coipel
The comics world had pretty much forgotten about the mighty Thor. Ragnarok had come and gone and Asgard, home of the most depressing mythology in world history, was gone. Then came Civil War, and Thor's exciting, Goliath killing cameo. Ok, so it was a clone (or something), but the fact remained: we liked seeing the great blonde mullet head again. And though the real Thor would never use his powers in the same way as his deadly clone, the Civil War moment underscored the bad ass nature of those powers.
So, naturally, we have a relaunch now. J. Michael Straczynski seems, like his character, energized and reborn from the Civil War. His Amazing Spider-Man books were the best of the Civil War tie-ins by far, and the first issue of the new Thor is rollicking fun. In a sense, JMS is the perfect writer for the new project, because with a god at his disposal, he'll have carte blanche to go wild with the kind of supernatural hokum that derailed much of his Spidey run. And he's having fun, obviously: "It is not for the gods to decide whether of not man exists--it is for man to decide whether or not the gods exist." Oooh, deep!
But the star of the book is Oliver Coipel, just one of Marvel's Murderer's Row of young artistic talent (along with Steve McNiven and David Finch, Marvel may soon have the kind of artistic explosion that DC had with writers like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Grant Morrison back in the 80's). Coipel was the only reason the read the dreadfully disappointing House of M, and he has a crisp and vibrant style with action.
The issue is entertaining, if muddled, but a good deal better than your typical relaunch. Instead of overwhelming us with exposition of where Thor is and has been all this time, JMS uses his character's confusion to his advantage, as we watch Thor struggle back to life. Mark Morales on inks and Laura Martin on colors add a lot to the issue, the thunderbolts crackle with power and the monsters are rendered with disgusting detail.
It's a fun issue, and a wide-open world for these two well matched collaborators.
Thor #1: B
Matthew Guerrero
