Wednesday Comics!

Alright, I just got my stack of comics on Monday, and they were all books released during July. Therefore, I've only read the first two issues of DC's new anthology, Wednesday Comics. Think of it this way: you're living in my future, if you've read the title consistently, week by week. Fear not; I'll get there soon, time soldier!

Getting back to point, Wednesday Comics is a great title. As many individuals on my "trust list" will verify, I am a long-time fan of old school newspaper comics. The giant, oversized (by today's standards), colorful "broadsheets" are wonderful works of art of a bygone era. This latest DC project really does manage to bring back some of that vibe, at least as anyone who's still alive today can verify.

The opening, cover-title character (and it really does hit you, how large this sheet is. A true wonder to behold), of course, is Batman. And the team of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are a great combo for the front cover, incidentally. They manage to get the two essential elements of a vintage strip: a consistent, bewildering art style, and a compelling, tension-building plot. They manage to knock it out of the park from the very first chapter.

Dave Gibbons is usually a bit of a dullard in my book. Sure, he was good on Watchmen, and his style, though not to my tastes, does have its merits. Overall, I just don't care for his stuff. Especially not if, as in this case, he's not the artist... but the writer.

Ye Gods, throw in the mix that it's Kamandi, which probably stands as one of my all-time favorite Kirby creations. But somehow, despite all of this, he manages to pull it off. Gibbons, along with stellar artist (nay, 'illustrator') Ryan Sook, stands as a convincing Hal Foster/"Prince Valiant" homage.

Sadly, some others fail to reach such heights. In fact, it seems like many aren't even trying. The shitty Green Lantern story seems like it's just "page 1" of any GL comic, and the Wonder Woman image was such a clusterfuck that I couldn't even tell what the Hell was going on.

Lots of other drek was contained, but there were also several more gems. The Kyle Baker Hawkman tail (heh) is psychotic, and much darker than anything he's done in recent years. I guess "Nat Turner" was pretty bleak, but wasn't it inspiring, too? I never got to the end of it. Nevertheless, even his artwork here is much different. He's doing a more realistic style, and seems to be relying less on computers. Or, knowing Baker, he just figured out how to do a 'more realistic style' on a computer. Either way is fine with me; everything Baker does is always top-notch.

On a more humorous note, the second installment of the Superman page was a real pisser. It was about, basically, Superman meeting Batman on a rooftop so he could vent a little. Maybe he was hoping Batman could console him in some way; who knows. Anyway, it ends with ol' Supes looking especially dejecting, flying away, whining out "waah, why would I ever think I could talk to you about my problems!" Or, legally speaking, something to that extent.

One area of high-concern for average citizens is the price. At four bucks a pop, that adds up to about $16 a month. Is that worth your almighty entertainment dollar? I would have to say, sadly, 'no.' Throw in the online discount available at several comic book distributers, and you can suddenly start talking turkey. It sure as sugar was worth about $8.43, tax-free! Viva la Newspaperancci!