Lunchtime Reading, part 3

Uncanny X-Men: I've always wanted to like the X-Men more than I've actually liked them. Social awareness interwoven with costumed melodrama has a certain appeal to it. It's a shame that I came in during the hologrammed angst-fest that was the 90s. I've been meaning to approach the classics for a while (and of course Morrison's run), but haven't gotten around to them. I enjoyed bits and pieces of the Endangered Species backups, but Messiah CompleX failed to hold my attention.

All this is leading to say again that I love golden boy Fraction and really wanted to be excited by the new direction. 500 came. Sentinels and Magneto. However the issue was dressed up, it didn't bring anything new to the table. 501. They're excited to be somewhere new, but people still don't like them. Ho hum. Also, they have a lot of money and nice stuff. Sigh.

For the record, here's what I want to see in the San Franciscan X-Men: X-Men are welcomed into the city. They declare their new home a mutant haven. Mutants from across the globe endure great stresses trying to reach them. This causes clashes with those that hunt them (justly or unjustly) including foreign governments and federal agencies. They're welcomed, but infighting occurs quickly. Not everyone can be saved. Clashes break out and, because these are mutants, the scale of the destruction affects San Francisco. The city is concerned they can't control themselves. And they can't. Hmm... Maybe I do miss the angst-fest.

Astonishing X-Men: Normally, I don't complain about artwork, but Bianchi isn't doing it for me. The figures are fine, but in issue 1, the new X-base (whatever it's called) seems more like something out of a high tech science fiction story set thousands of years in the future. The spaceship graveyard and the scavengers living off it is the kind of brilliantly aware idea that should be fueling superhero universes (of course world governments need a place to abandon downed alien crafts and of course impoverished people will be living off the scraps). The characters, despite Ellis's best efforts, do still sound like an Ellis characters.

Wolverine: Fun. Superhero western. Old, pacifist Wolverine (and blind Hawkeye) travel across a future wasteland shipping mysterious cargo. Descendants of the Hulk rule as hick land barons. Superhero cults survive where superheroes failed. But as I believe Dave said, "Millar's great as long as you can keep him away from fight scenes."

Fantastic Four: Uh... I don't really have anything to say here. Millar continues to be ridiculous and bring a good time. I've never read much FF4, but I'm digging it.

Kick Ass: While we're talking about Millar... this is doing what it sets out to do really well. Better than I expected. Kid decides to be a superhero. Gets hurt horrifically and repeatedly, but attracts a cult following. It's not great, but there's something really satisfying about it. Perhaps, the horrible satisfaction in watching someone fail and the genuineness of that failure making their endurance that much more sweet. I still don't know if this book can keep it up. The follow through seems doomed to fall short of the setup. I'll keep reading to find out, though.

Batman: Gotham After Midnight: I'm very much a writer's reader. I have a vast appreciation for inventive artwork (even more than for skillful artwork), but I'm usually more impressed by words than pictures. This, however, would thrill me if I ignored the words. OK, maybe it thrills me more when I ignore the words. The haunting cobblestone streets of Gotham, full of shadowy criminals and a horror-movie Batman. Beautiful.

Femme Noir: There's more Will Eisner in this book than in The Spirit these days. Pulpy goodness.

Rasl: I think the story and the art are beautiful, but each issue feels sparse on content. I'll be excited when it's finally collected, but reading it scene by scene over the course of months will just frustrate me.