Supercrooks # 2 - Mark Millar (w) Leinil Yu (a)
Icon/Marvel Comics, $2.99
The first issue of Supercrooks had a great tagline: “There are too
many superheroes. Let’s go somewhere else.” That issue was pretty entertaining,
if a little obvious. Everyone who follows the comics world knows what Mark
Millar is doing at this point. Nearly all of his comics work is simultaneously being
developed as motion pictures. The one exception seems to be the forthcoming
Jupiter’s Children with Frank Quitely on art.
Talk all the shit you want, (and people should be discouraging the
practice as much as possible) but the books usually work if you think of them
as movies. That first issue had a great theatrical opening, scene, and was
actually kind of exciting. The second issue is slightly less entertaining.
Supercrooks is a caper story. In the alternate universe that the books
takes place in Supervillians have gotten tired of being foiled by Superheroes,
so they decide to go to Spain to commit a grand crime, at which point hijinks
will supposedly ensue.
Therein lies the problem with the second issue. Not a lot happens.
Yes, there’s plenty of violence, and a dick joke or two, but the second issue
of four is still all set up. At this point we should be in the thick of the
plot, but we’re not. Nearly the entirety of the issue is spent introducing us
to characters. We’re not really told why we should care about these characters,
though brief glimpses of backstory are given.
Still, all of this would be forgivable if the art were exciting, but,
really, it’s not. It’s pretty by the numbers.
This will eventually be a movie, and possibly an enjoyable one. This
is not a very good comic. If you’re into Millar you probably have this book
already, but if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about you’re better off
staying away.
Rebel Blood #2 - Alex Link (w) Riley Rossmo (w/a)
Image Comics, $3.50
In artist/co-plotter Riley Rossmo's own words Rebel Blood is “a
survival horror book which is about Chuck Rebel, who is trying to get home
before the mutated flora and fauna get to his family. It’s about the
possibilities, in any sort of what if situation when loved ones are at risk,
trying to draft visually all the worst case scenarios and possible outcomes.”
Soundbytes are great, and that’s an exciting premise, but is the book actually
any good?
Well, yes, and no. Rossmo's art is fantastic. He came to prominence a
few years ago by drawing the sadly missed Proof.
Since then his art has just gotten better. At the same time the story of Rebel Blood isn’t very exciting, or
original, and relatively hard to follow.
In issue 2 we watch Chuck Rebel as he drives an ax into rats and
bizarre teethy monsters, and then generally runs like hell. The art is
disorienting and fleshed out with dark reds and light blues and greens, and
plenty of black. Rossmo is one of the best artists working in independent
comics today, and this book is the perfect example as to why.
Still, this book is not a mandatory read, at least not in single
issues. If your stack is light this week, and you need a violence fix, pick
this up. Otherwise, you’re better off waiting for the trade.
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