FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
What to buy and what should die - January's first issues run the gauntlet

Reviewed by Marc Bryant, Gregory Dickens, David Dodd, Scott Grunewald, Fiona Pollard, Andrew Wheeler

DEADENDERS #1

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Warren Pleece, Richard Case
Colorist: Bjarne Hansen
Letterer: John Costanza
Published by DC Vertigo
$2.50

I pre-ordered DEADENDERS on the strength of Brubaker's SCENE OF THE CRIME. This is a whole 'nother creature and the story is a set-up for things to come in this hopefully ongoing series. It serves its purpose well, without any clumsy exposition, introducing the characters and their world. The dialogue is rich, but economical. The voice-over captions aren't redundant, instead serving as a nice counterpoint to the panels narrative, ably rendered by Pleece and Case. I'm in this one for the long haul, and hope the story really gets rolling next issue as it has all the potential to do. MB

I got sucked in by all the "Cyberpunk Quadrophenia" hype around this book, so it was a bit of a disappointment for me. The mod content consists of a cover based on the QUADROPHENIA movie poster, plenty of Vespas and amphetamine, and some mod-ish haircuts. The SF plot is mainly allegorical for adolescence. If someone forced Dan Clowes to do a cyberpunk book it would probably be a lot like this. It does remind me quite a bit of the issue of Brubaker's LOWLIFE I read years ago, and given that that was a pretty entertaining autobio book, I expect the characters and stories here to be pretty strong, in an alternative sort of way. DD

"No past. No future" reads the front cover. It's quite a fitting description of the series. We're dropped in the middle of the story, and forced to play catch-up through flashbacks. It's a wonderful storytelling technique that hooks you from page one. Are we in the future, an alternate present, or some strange past? Who knows? This book's going to be hot. I can easily see DEADENDERS taking over as one of the tentpole Vertigo titles once PREACHER and INVISIBLES bow out later this year. Do yourself a favor, go seek out issue one, and get it. You will be able to find it; DC is behind it in a big way and has overshipped to all retailers. You will not regret it. SG

This comic caught my attention in Vertigo WINTER'S EDGE in December and the first full-length issue looks promising. In pre-apocalyptic (sic) New Bedlam USA, Bartholomew "Beezer" Beezenbach has been experiencing hallucinations of a world before "the cataclysm" - a world he never knew. New Bethlehem Science Corp are desperate to find him but we don't know why or what they'll do when they get hold of him. The blue/grey palette used in the New Bedlam scenes really conveys the grime and pollution post-environmental disaster, throwing the brighter colours of the weather-engineered New Bethlehem sequence into sharp relief. The characters seem well formed from the start and there are plenty of story lines emerging already. Definitely one to watch. FP

There's something very British about Ed Brubaker's new Vertigo series about a group of young people trapped in a dead-end existence some time in the near future. It may be written by an American and set in America, but the story and visuals evoke the North of England's gritty "angry young man" dramas of the 60s. DEADENDERS is solid and engrossing storytelling with excellent artwork from Warren Pleece and Richard Case, and though nothing about the advance publicity suggested it would be a book worth following, the first issue tells a different story. DEADENDERS is a very pleasant surprise. Recommended. AW

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #1

Writers: Devin Grayson (Backup: Warren Ellis)
Artists: Dale Eaglesham, John Floyd (Backup: Jim Lee)
Colorist: Pamela Rambo
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Published by DC Comics
$2.50

The highlight of this issue for me was the back-up story by Ellis and Lee, but the lead isn't bad either. Focusing on the Batman's relationship with his team of operatives, the first issue of GOTHAM KNIGHTS is a nice, self-contained story that also serves to set things up for the future with an intriguing subplot. The main plot line is a little predictable, but the story is fast-paced with great interaction between the players, and the art carries the story along well. I hope that Grayson sticks to the single-issue stories for this series, and doesn't turn the book into a soap opera. Kudos to DC for trying something different here. I'm in. MB

GOTHAM KNIGHTS focusses on Batman the family man. Yes, his little core group of mini superheroes are his family, and what better writer to explore this under used Bat persona than the writer who was inspired to write comics by that very thing? Grayson did an excellent job of showing that there is more to Batman than lurking in shadows and looking stern, by showing Batman lurking in shadows and looking stern. Bat's heart has always been in his family, and it's shown off here to wonderful effect. SG

DETECTIVE COMICS #742

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artists: Shawn Martinbrough, Steve Mitchell
Colorist: Wildstorm FX
Letterer: Todd Klein
Published by DC Comics
$2.50

I hated to see Dixon and Nolan leave DETECTIVE, but this new creative team eases the pain perfectly. Rucka's take on the Gotham Police Department and the Batman's relationship with them is great stuff, fast paced with strong dialogue. Its obvious Rucka did his research here, as he does in all his comics. I didn't care for Martinbrough's art during NML but with Mitchell's inks and the great new color design from Mark Chiarello, it suits the story perfectly with a cool noir atmosphere. The cover colors are an eyesore, but if the Bat-offices keep up this quality on the interior, I'm in for the long haul. MB

This, I think, is the most radical of changes to the Bat-world. A new coloring style, narration style, and a focus on the cops of Gotham takes the spotlight off of Batman, and onto the city that he prowls. It was a stroke of genius on DC's part in hiring an actual detective novelist to write serious detective stories. If you get only one Bat-book, this should be it. I can smell excellence, and I have a strong feeling that we'll be getting it from Rucka. SG

DISAVOWED #1

Writers: Brandon Choi, Mike Heisler
Artist: Tommy Lee Edwards
Colorist: Melissa Edwards
Letterer: John Workman
Published by DC Wildstorm / Homage
$2.50

From what I understand, DISAVOWED is an attempt to create a mature comics line within the Wildstorm universe similar to DC's Vertigo line. Too bad the book settles for being a collection of stereotypes, cliches and bad dialogue. Brandon Choi and Mike Heisler are better writers than this; it's sad if they're trying so hard to be a Vertigo book that they've forgotten how to write as themselves. I'm a generous comic reader, and most likely give the book another chance, to see if it can grab me. Unfortunately, I don't expect that to happen based on the first issue. On the bright side, I will have some truly stunning artwork from Tommy Lee Edwards to look forward to. SG

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #12

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artists: Ron Garney, Mike McKone, Sal Buscema, Mark McKenna
Colorist: Steve Buccallato
Letterer: John Workman
Published by Marvel Comics
$2.99

Jenkins extends a crapshoot analogy throughout the comic, introduces a college flame of Bruce Banner, afflicts Banner with Lou Gehrig's Disease and throws him into another confab with his Hulk facets to discover a lizard like mental manifestation. A conspicuous beginning. It's very reminiscent of Peter David's THE INCREDIBLE HULK No.377 wherein Banner and the Hulks mentally confront a lizard like projection. Is this to reach out to David fans or is Jenkins gleaning the best parts to jumpstart the franchise? I think both, and it's a good idea. We get a solid definition of Banner's history and Angela Libscome appears more than a potential love interest. So far, so good. New readers should give it a look. GD

RELATIVE HEROES #1

Writer: Devin Grayson
Artists: Yvel Guichet
Colorist: Aaron Sowd
Published by DC Comics
$2.50

Originally to be called 'The Weinbergs', this six part series tells the tale of superpowered Joel Weinberg and his equally parahuman sister, foster-brother, cousin, and babysitter, all uniting to form a superhero team and meet Superman when their parents are tragically killed. As a concept, it sounds dreadful. As a comic, sadly, it is no better. The characters are irritating as children and unremarkable as heroes. The book lacks emotional depth and fails to exploit its comedy potential. The artwork is adequate, but unspectacular, and does not seem entirely comfortable with the tone of the book. Not recommended. AW

SOUL SAGA #1

Writer: Christian Lichtner
Artists: Stephen Platt, Batt
Colorist: Liquid!
Letterer: Robin Spehar
Published by Top Cow
$2.50

The main character has a mysterious past, some bad guys are protecting a sword that will supposedly end the power of evil in the universe, and the female lead is a princess who will definitely be featured in Sequential Tart's "Bizarre Breasts" column at some point (my wife's exact words were, "Oh, armored pasties!"). Believe me, I wouldn't have bought this if I hadn't looked inside and seen the flying ships (I have a serious thing for science fantasy, having spent most of my adolescence staring at spaceships, floating cities and half naked women on the covers of DAW paperbacks). DD

CHEWBACCA #1

Writer: Darko Macan
Artists: Brent Anderson, Igor Kordey
Colorists: Nathan Eyring, Matthew Paine
Letterer: Vickie Williams
Published by Dark Horse Comics
$2.95

I generally avoid the STAR WARS franchise comics, novels etc. but I'm a fan of writer Macan, and artists Anderson and Kordey, so I went ahead and ordered this on the strength of their past work. Macan's two stories here are predictable, but well paced and entertaining nonetheless. Anderson's art has the Gene Colan-like class that I've come to expect from him and though Kordey's work here isn't as strong as his TARZAN stuff, it serves the story well. A nice package overall, if a little pricey. I'll be picking the rest of the series up to see how the other artists do. MB

Our thanks to this month's contributors and staff.

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