may comics, part 2

[meganbmoore]

Teen Titans #46-47: So, in #46 I was wondering why the dialogue wasn't holding up to the story, especially since it was John's.  Then I looked and saw that the script was by the new writer.  Then the next issue was the new writer flying solo.  So far I am...not impressed.  But then #47 was largely Countdown fallout, and I missed the boat on Countdown, so I'll give Beechen a few issues to settle in.

Thunderbolts #114: So, the characters I like keep being the ones guaranteed to get mauled(this time, American Eagle and Sepulchre).  There's just something...wrong about that.  Of course, I found myself going "oh just bleed to death already, Karla" earlier, something I never thought I'd do.  I still find the entire setup of this new version of Thunderbolts to be ludicrous in the extreme(the bulk of the line up, the idea of Norman Osborn being put in control of villains by the government, ANYONE buying Karla's garbage explanations, etc.) yet I bizarrely find myself liking it...and feeling kinda dirty about that.  That said, this issue had the first piece of art I've really liked by Deodato on Tbolts(he was good until he got caught up n the photorealistic super detailed craze that about 2 artists can actually pull off) it was the shot of Melissa  with all the pink bullet things.  And yet again, NuPenance, the only new addition I even moderately care about seeing some of, does absolutely nothing.

Witchblade#105-106:  And we begin with a continuation of the pukefest from #104.  You know, even though, being Top Cow, Sara being drawn as a male fantasy isn't exactly new, this is, I think, the first time she's been WRITTEN that way.  We're supposed to be seeing Gleason as being "good" for Sara, but really, being around him reduces her to a stepford wife.  The only thing she's about when he's around is him, and it's just not natural and it's not Sara.  Sara has an alpha personality, and it's an aggressive alpha personality...the only men her will hasn't dominated are Ian and Irons...even Jackie can't completely hold up against her.  But we're supposed to see Gleason as being "good" for her and healing and blah blah blah, and because he's a beta personality, Sara becomes a beta personality, and a submissive one at that.  Sara isn't a sweet touchy feely "all about my man" easy to get along with...she's rough, tough, aggressive, suspicious, difficult to get along with and has more issues and problems than you could stuff inside a mansion.  And if written as Sara with Gleason, she would completely dominate and squash him.  However, as Gleason is Marz's perfect Gary Stu creation, this can't happen, and so with Gleason she becomes beta and submissive.  So, as I said, pukefest.  What makes it really frustrating is that, as soon as Sara is away from Gleason, she's the Sara I love again I remember exactly why I loved the book so much in the early days of Marz's run.  (Incidentally, I've decided to start hoping that the reason Marz has Sara being all lovey dovey and happy with Gleason now is so he can off Gleason in First Born and make Sara all bitter and angry, which suits her better than this)  Marz also really gets Magdalena very well, and I consistently find myself liking Dani more and more, to the point where if my choice were Dani and Sara/Gleason, I'd go with the book just being about Dani(but not Sara on her own with Gleason shipped off to the moon)  Which is what's so frustrating...without Gleason, this book rocks(as long as Marz isn't busy trying to make us hate Ian by having Ian be the anti-Ian).  But the second Gleason comes into the picture, I want to scream and pull my hair out and cut those pages out of the book or something.

Zemo: Born Better #4:  You know,  from the way they're talking, before Volker got started, there were probably as many Zemos out there as there supposedly are mutants now...just a thought.  A very good wrapup to a very good mini.  Since Nicieza took over Tbolts, Zemo has been one of Marvel's most interesting characters.  In the past, he was unquestionably a pure evil, scenery chewing villain, but he went from there to curious about being a hero, to actually trying to be a hero to now, where he exists in a kind of limbo in between hero and villain.  Kinda sucks to be Volker after doing all that, though(though it sucks to be one of his victims a lot more.  Hmm...the best read of the bunch and almost the one I have the least to say about...figures...