Comic Round-Up: Week of 1/28/09

By Teresa Jusino

This week was all about superheroes, albeit unusual ones and only one of whom wears spandex!

The Umbrella Academy 2 – #3
Television or Are You There God? It’s Me, Klaus.
Being Part Three of the Story: Dallas
Dark Horse

Believe it or not, this installment of The Umbrella Academy has become even more insane than Apocalypse Suite. And Apocalypse Suite had dismemberment, a heinous surgery, and a monkey getting his brains blown out. The insanity in Dallas is largely thanks to the wonderful new villains, Hazel and Cha-Cha, members of the underground organization, Temps Aeternalis, a sort of time continuum police who are after Number Five for his defection from the group. But they are CRAZY. Really crazy. Dismembering you as they discuss Girl Scout cookies and eat licorice whips crazy. They are like a cross between Vincent and Jules from Pulp Fiction and Smoochy the Rhino from Death to Smoochy, and they’re amazing. Number Five gets more and more fascinating with every issue, and his mysterious whereabouts since leaving the Umbrella Academy when he was ten are starting to come into focus. But the success of this issue belongs to God. That’s right, God. And He looks good in a cowboy hat.

Runaways 4 – #6
Marvel

I really hate what Terry Moore and Humberto Ramos have done to this series. The conclusion of their first story arc, Dead Wrong, is passable. I might even call the last three pages redeeming. However, I am still not a fan of the tone of the series anymore, which is a shame. I love these characters, and I loved the series when Vaughan and Alphona were helming it. Joss Whedon did a wonderful guest story arc. And now…suddenly the teenagers are acting like five year olds and the artwork makes them look goofy. Most of this issue is a standard battle between the Runaways and the Majesdanians who are in pursuit of Karolina. There’s a random news helicopter disaster averted in the middle of it all. Oh, and the Howard Stern-like DJ character, who is pointless as far as I can tell, is ranting on the radio about how all his listeners need to put superheroes in their place for their vigilanteism. So….I guess future issues are going to see some of this DJs listeners giving the Runaways some trouble? Yawn. However, the last few pages of this particular issue are beautiful as Xavin makes a huge sacrifice in order to demonstrate her love for Karolina. And yes, Xavin is a she, and has been since issue 2 of this story arc, which was a major problem of mine with the first issue. The artwork on those final pages is beautiful. I just wish that were the case the rest of the time…

Unknown Soldier #4
Vertigo

Four issues in, and I love this book. Africa is a grand, tumultuous, beautiful, oft-misunderstood continent containing within it much wonder and much trouble. So, who better to shed some light on it than a white guy from the United States? Heh. Seriously, this is a well-written book that is also necessary. Sometimes, we comic readers get too caught up in fantasy. This book reminds us that there’s a big real world out there with real problems and a real need for heroes – even of the non-super variety. This issue is the most heartbreaking yet, as we watch child soldiers grapple with their situation in both positive and negative ways, a wife struggle with the disappearance of her husband, and Moses, the husband in question and the protagonist of the story, deal with the turmoil of being caught between his real-life persona that hurts for his homeland and the mysterious super alter-ego that talks to him in his head and allows him to wreak bloody vengeance on behalf of the weak. If you haven’t picked this comic up yet, do it.

Ultimate Spider-Man #130
Marvel

Why is NYC always getting pissed on?! And why is Magneto always up to something?! These are the questions I asked myself as I read this awesome issue of Ultimate Spidey. I always miss Mark Bagley (the original artist) a little as I continue to read the series, but I have to say that Stuart Immonen has a way with an action sequence or a disaster scene, I tell you what. The images in this issue are amazing. Especially the last one, which will probably inspire a “WTF?” from you. Bendis continues to do great things with these characters, and there’s a lovely, poignant little moment toward the end, where Gwen and Mary Jane escape death with the help of Kitty Pryde, and as Gwen cries she says “I just don’t want to die again if at all possible.” It’s this tiny moment, but it totally captures how a modern, irony-saturated teenager would deal with a tragedy. Even if that teenager happens to be a clone. One of my favorite Bendis contributions to Ultimate Spider-Man is his Aunt May. She is a person in this series, not just Spider-Man’s aunt, and she get quality time to shine in this issue. Kitty Pryde is another favorite who gets great spotlighting here. Best line? (I can’t believe I actually have to say this…) TAKE MY HAND IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!! Oh, pop-culture-referencing Kitty Pryde…

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TERESA JUSINO was born on the same day that Skylab fell. Coincidence? She doesn’t think so. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. She is currently at work on a collection of short stories. As a geek, Teresa loves Star Trek, Lost, comics, and anything Joss Whedon ever touched. She has a fangirl *squee-ing* crush on Brian K. Vaughan, which beat up her Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man crush in a fight proving once again that writing skill trumps gadget skill even when that gadget skill is attached to bulging biceps. Teresa is also an aspiring fangbanger. Visit her in The Red Room.