🚀 go-pugleaf

Reviewed this time around:

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #277	MANIMAL #1	THE TWISTED TALES OF BRUCE
BLUE BEETLE #1			'MAZING MAN #6		JONES #1-2
THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #201	MIRACLEMAN #6	THE UNCANNY X-MEN #206

Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the new, improved, lemon-
freshened Mad Armenian Scale.

"For a critic, it's better to have wrong standards than none at all."

						-- Elmer Allyn Craft

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|>A< Nirvana. As R. Fiore (COMICS JOURNAL) would say, "Don't hold your breath."|
|>B< Sex is still #1, but sliced bread is definitely in trouble.               |
|>C< Now, *that's* entertainment!                                              |
|>D< Better than being poked in the eye with a sharp stick.                    |
|>F< Please pass the sharp stick.                                              |
|>Z< Better dead than read.                                                    |
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THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #277	[Marvel, $.75]		D+

	Not having followed AS-M on a regular basis for quite some time, the
only reason I picked this issue up was because one of the two stories herein
was supposed to be a tie-in to the current storyline in DAREDEVIL. That par-
ticular story, by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, bit the big one in a bad way.
Basicly, Peter Parker receives a call from Matt Murdock asking for help. When
Peter gets to the mission where the Man Without Fear is staying, DD, rather
than asking Parker for help, merely tells him what the Kingpin did to him.
Then he implores Parker to stay out of things and leave the Kingpin to him.
So, Spidey of course, goes straight to the Kingpin, yaks with him a while,
and then leaves when Kingpin points out that Spidey won't do anything to him
as long as Kingpin doesn't initiate a fight. So, when it comes down to the
bottom line, absolutely nothing happens! A really big waste.
	The "+" on the above rating is due to the second story, written and
drawn by Charles Vess. It's an interesting and well-done, if somewhat insig-
nificant story. Not good enough to be worth buying this issue for, but it
lessened the waste of buying this issue a little.


BLUE BEETLE #1		[DC, $.75]		C-

	Fresh from his origin in SECRET ORIGINS comes the second of the old
Charlton heroes to make his DC debut (discounting the various cameos in
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS). I'm not exactly thrilled by this; it's rather
standard super-hero fare, and there doesn't seem to be anything about the
Beetle to set him apart from the rank and file of super-heroes. But what
really struck me about this issue is that it is a marvelous example of how
to write a first issue of a super-hero comic. It firest sets up a conflict
to introduce the hero and the first of his current crop of villains. It re-
caps his origin, introduces the supporting cast and BB's base of operations.
Unlike for instance, BOOSTER GOLD, we get all the basic information we need
about the character right off the bat, so we can get right into the action
next issue (not that this issue doesn't have enough action). Oh, and least
I forget, we also get a couple of plot-threads for future stories.
	A lot of writers could take lesson in plotting from this issue;
Len Wein gives us a text-book example here, and it makes for fascinating
reading just for this reason. I'll probably stick with this for a little
while, but unless BB acquires some distinguishing characteristics, to set
him apart from the other super-heroes, I can't see keeping with this one
for too long.


THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #201		[DC, $.75]		D+

	In the aftermath of the Crisis, the Guardians and the Zamorans have
gone off to produce a bunch of little blue rugrats, and the GL Corps is now
left to its own devices. And so the premiere issue of the "new-format" GL
leaves us with a squadron of seven GL's making their home-base on Earth.
Perhaps it's just that this issue didn't do much other than set up the
background for this new direction, or perhaps it's just the wind-down from
the Crisis-related storyline that's permeated this title for the last half-
year or more. Whatever, I was quite disappointed with this issue, especially
considering what Englehart has done over the last year to bring this comic
back out of the depths.
	While I like the basic idea of the book focusing on the Corps, and
not just Hal Jordan and/or John Stewart, I'm not sure I like the direction
Englehart seems to be taking it in. We shall see.


MANIMAL #1	[Renegade, one-shot?, black & white, $1.70]	F+

	You may recall a television show from a couple of years back called
MANIMAL. If you do, you may wonder of this comic has anything to do with
that show. The answer is "no", though apparently, creator/writer/artist
Ernie Colon complained to the tv show producers about their use of the title.
The material in MANIMAL first appeared about 10 years ago in an independent
(they called them "ground-level" in those days) comic called HOT STUFF. I
wan't impressed then, and I'm not impressed now.
	It's about a young man whose parents were among the abused and tor-
tured Jews at Dachau. One experiment on this man's mother before he was born
had an effect on him later in life --- when he got mad, he turned into a
werewolf of sorts. In the stories included herein, he uses this curse to kill
off some uncaught Nazi war criminals, including the one who was experimented
on Black's mother.
	It isn't particularly well-drawn (remember, this was fairly early in
Ernie Colon's career), even less well written. It seems more like a revenge
fantasy put down on paper (I wonder if Colon had relatives in the camps). Not
that revenge fantasies of this type are necessarily bad --- one infers from
Colon's "Afterthought" following the story that is was quite cathartic for
him --- but there isn't anything more to it, and there should be. I'm afraid
I can't recommend it at all.


'MAZING MAN #6		[DC, $,75]		"Brenda's Story": B+

	This series continues to astonish me. The first story in this issue
isn't one of the better 'Mazing Man stories, but it keeps up the tradition
of innocent, cheerful optimism, sparkling wit, and bright characterization.
The second story, "Brenda's Story", however, is a stunner --- one of the best
things I've read in a good while. What's even more remarkable is that this is
a shining example of a *graphic* story. The pictures are a big part of it,
and I don't think this would have nearly its impact if it was a prose story.
It's what comics are all about.
	It's a sad, but ultimately uplifting story, and I couldn't recommend
it more. I urge any of you that haven't tried this comic to do so. I had my
doubts about it, even after reading the first issue, but in just a few short
months, it's risen to become my second favorite regular DC title (right after
SWAMP THING, of course).


MIRACLEMAN #6		[Eclipse, $.95]			C-

	Two years ago, the Marvelman series in WARRIOR went into suspended
animation, awaiting among other things, the trademark hassles with Marvel
Comics over the title. What was *really* frustrating was that it left things
on an incredible cliff-hanger as Mike Moran was introduced to Marveldog.
	Now, we finally get up to that point in these reprints, and continue
on with the story. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a let-down. Perhaps it was
the built-up suspense, but hte new material just doesn't hold up that well
next to the reprinted story. Perhaps it's just that new artist Chuck Beckum
isn't as smooth a storyteller as Alan Davis. I don't quite believe that,
since Beckum drew a story for the latest ALIEN ENCOUNTERS that was quite sat-
isfactory. Maybe he and Moore just need to get into (back into in the case of
Moore) the swing of things with the character and story.


THE TWISTED TALES OF BRUCE JONES #1-2	[Eclipse, mini-series, $1.75]	C-/D+

	Most of you probably know Bruce Jones solely as a writer for Pacific
and Eclipse Comics, most notably ALIEN WORLDS, TWISTED TALES, and SOMERSET
HOLMES, and possibly KA-ZAR for Marvel. Older fans like me also remember that
Jones is a fairly accomplished artist, one of a crowd of young turks in the
late 60's/early 70's that also included such folks as Berni Wrightson, Jeff
Jones, and Mike Kaluta. I always thought Bruce Jones was a talented artist,
and though it a shame that he stuck almost exclusively to writing for the
past five or so years. These two issues [oddly enough, the first is marked
"1 of 2" and the second "2 of 4"] showcase a number of stories, old and new,
both written and drawn by Jones. They encompass science fiction, fantasy,
horror, and satire.
	Quality-wise, it's still a rather mixed bag. The art is the the
real strength of the books, as he uses a few different styles. The older
material bears a great resemblence to Al Williamson, while the newer stuff
--- somewhat disappointingly sketchy --- has a style of its own.
	The stories, however, are much like those in ALIEN WORLDS and
TWISTED TALES: quite trite and inconsequential. If you've read any sf or
horror anthology comics, you'll figure out how almost all of them end.
If you liked the two above-mentioned anthology comics, you'll probably
like this series. Otherwise, you can probably skip it. Even while I like
Bruce Jones' art, I don't think it's quite good enough to be worth buying
these comics for it alone.


THE UNCANNY X-MEN #206		[Marvel, $.75]		D+

	Just another duke-out with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants---oh,
excuse me---Freedom Force. And I think JRJR is bound and determined to turn
all of the X-Women into new wave punks --- this time it's Kitty's turn.
	What intrigued me about this issue was a possibility that is brought
up in the story. In one scene, Lt. Bree Morrel of the San Francisco Police
pretty much offers the X-Men a home in SF. For reasons I won't get into here
(basicly because I'd have to retell the story), they decline the invite. I
think this is a shame, and I wish Claremont would reconsider. Moving the
X-Men to Frisco would be a good move for the following reasons:
	(1) With Xavier gone, there really isn't anything to tie them down
to the mansion. And since they still aren't too comfortable with Magneto,
moving seems like a workable solution. Storm could still keep in touch with
Magneto to keep an eye of the Newties' progress, and perhaps Magneto could
even use his powers to help them build an equipped  headquarters in SF. If
nothing else, it would relieve the necessity of coordinating the continuity
between THE X-MEN and THE NEWTIES (which Claremont is doing a bad job of
anyways).
	(2) Going by this and some previous issues, SF not only seems to
accept the X-Men, despite their being mutants, but it seems to welcome them.
The idea of a major American city being in support of mutants could have
interesting repercussions in this whole "Mutant Menace" business that's
permeating Marvel Earth. This could well present the shot in the arm that
this book desperately needs.

--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA)

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