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This week's digest:
Creator/Writer: Dean Motter This Issue's Firesign Line: "The Future Is Fun! The Future Is Fair! You May Already Have Won! You May Already BE There!" Here's what I thought... Yes, I revived the "Firesign Line" that I used to do in the front of each of my reviews, because if Dean Motter doesn't count The Firesign Theatre, especially the album "I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus," as a major influence on this work, I'd be very surprised. Naturally, I loved it. Oh, there are some rocky moments here and there, especially in the beginning, where I think Motter might have tightened his captions somewhat. (For instance, Lark does a nice job in a panel showing the effects of a drug called Electrocaine - Motter needn't tell us what it is, we can figure it out.) But as soon as I saw Robot Theatre performing Hamlet ("Alas, poor Yorick-ick-ick-ick, zip. beep." - and the "zip. beep" is right out of "Bozos") I was in his corner, big-time. He plays with so many lovely ideas and words and names I found myself utterly enthralled. Some of the names are a bit obvious - the Abbott-and-Costello-like Frenchmen Micasa and Sucasa, for instance, or the fact that TC's two most recent mayors were/are Orwell and Huxley - but there are great characters like L'il Big Lil (I love it!) and my favorite, Debussy Fields. Debussy Fields Forever! I say. And concepts like the Monkey Brothers Show (a cross between the Three Stooges and the old simian-masked bits that Ernie Kovacs used to do, with a bit of "Hear No/See No/Speak No" thrown in), Rick's Atomic Cafe, the Colossus of Roads (ouch), the Ozone Cathedral, the Herculean Arms, Cast Iron Beach, and especially the Brave New World's Fair... I mean, every page seems to have something cool like this. And I sit there reading it and supplying Firesignian responses. Caption: "So, what better job could a Joe like me ask for?" My response, "Shoes for Industry! Shoes for the dead! Hi, I'm Joe Beets..." (Granted, you really have to understand something of what Firesign is about to know why these responses are so perfectly in tune with Motter's "straight lines," but trust me, they are.) Anyway, in among all this are a number of intriguing subplots, and one main plot involving Cosmo Quinn, the former Human Fly-cum-window washer who sees more than he ought to above the futuristic deco towers of Terminal City, and a mysterious briefcase that keeps getting its bearers killed and plummets Cosmo into his not-so-distant past... Also introduced are new arrival B.B., Cosmo's former gal Chary, the mysterious Lady in Red and many more. The female characters actually interest me more than the male ones, at this point, which is always a good sign to me. But what fascinates me the most is the way Motter plays with what he calls "antique futurism" - the idea of, say, the '80s envisioned in the '30s. You know, the Future Ain't What It Used To Be. And never was. The World of Tomorrow. ("But it's today!") It's a little like having bees live in your head, you know. But there they are, riding their Pneumatic Transit monorails and watching their own personal VideoScopes and watching the zeppelins overhead... Some really nice details thrown in by Lark to let us know this futuristic city is falling into disrepair (check out the ripped seats on the mono and the half-completed construction sites) even while showing us its still-sparkling magnificence. Read the intro and the "On the Ledge" stuff Motter writes too, they'll fill you in a bit more. Me, I think I'll go get me an ice cream cone and say hi to those friendly-looking holygrams around the corner. I hear they're back from the shadows again... So, what did y'all think? SEEKERS INTO THE MYSTERY Creator/Writer: J.M. DeMatteis Here's what I thought... With this second book in Lucas Hart's journey, SEEKERS switches from the art of Jon Muth to that of Michael Zulli (I'm not complaining, I like 'em both) and DeMatteis' tone once again moves away, thankfully, from that thin line between storytelling and preaching. We're back to basics here, as Lucas continues to sort himself out in the wake of Viola Clark's death. Seems a very... peculiar thing happened when he was at her grave – this sort of... bright white light enveloped him, then... sped off? As he displays no immediate urge to form a mountain out of mashed potatoes, we can probably rule out extraterrestrials, and since Scully and Mulder are nowhere to be found he'll have to puzzle out this phenomenon himself. He returns to El-Lay to attend his daughter Aimee's 10th birthday party and read her some Baum before going back to his own home to weep with regret for things that might have been (even though he and ex-wife Jen are acting much more civil with each other than in previous issues - can it be just the occasion?). The next morning his agent talks him into writing for a reality show called "Monsters and Mysteries," whose producer is a fan of Lucas' obscure cult movie "Rocket Starrfield's." He does everything he can to dissuade her, but one of the segments she's lined up for him... intrigues him. Especially when he suddenly spots Charlie perched on the back of her chair. The segment has something to do with angels, and Charlie advises Lucas to take his daughter with him. The night before the big trip to Newburgh, NY, Lucas sits with Aimee asleep in his lap... and suddenly sees his father's ghost. And here's the issue's only real Meher Baba alert - and interesting turnaround for DeMatteis. Remember all that stuff about grace through suffering he's been feeding us in past issues? Hinting about how it might have been good for Lucas to have suffered his father's sexual abuse because it set him on the road to enlightenment? Well, here we have Aimee - who we're told has been in a perpetual state of grace (well, okay, perhaps her parents' divorce might count as her "suffering"), and Lucas' relationship with her is protected by the Magician, who banishes the ghost of Irwin! Well, that's somewhat of a surprise - whatever happened to all that stuff about forgiving him? In any case, the Magician holds out his arms (Eyring does a great color effect on him, check it out), says "Don't worry," then touches Lucas on the forehead (kinda like the Good Witch of the North bestowing that kiss on Dorothy, for those who didn't yet catch the Oz stuff) to bless him and Aimee. Hmm. On the drive to the Tattmore house to get the story on these angels, Aimee assures her dad they're protected by her People. Coincidence? In this book? Surely you jest. Sister Dorothy is all smiles and jollity, but Marilyn - well, I adored her. Full-tilt Elmira Gulch. But she won't get Aimee, my pretties; nope, the Angels took her first. They are, after all, her People. And whether Aimee has actually corporeally vanished with these alien-looking creatures (okay, maybe these luminous beings are related to ETs after all; it just all kinda blends together), or it's just her spirit being taken in the night for protection, is left up in the air for the reader to find out next issue. I like it. It has at least one Seeker besides Lucas, and it's got a Mystery, and boy howdy it may as well have Scully and Mulder, they'd fit right in. And Toto too, for that matter. The title's back on track. And Zulli's art is, as ever, to die for. So, what did y'all think? Writer: Mark Evanier
Colorist: Tom Luth Here's what I thought... This provides an interesting contrast to SERGIO ARAGONES MASSACRES MARVEL, which came out a few weeks ago. I thought there were fewer laugh-out-loud jokes and schtick routines, but a lot more biting satire on DC as a company, which I appreciated, as Sergio relates to Mark his indignity at being forced to wait at DC reception while a nearby plant grows to full height and a young lad waltzes in (the receptionist explains she had to let him in, "he draws three books for us"). Sergio decides the reason DC won't give him a second look has nothing to do with Groo - it's because he doesn't draw superheroes. He has, of course, decided to amend this oversight, declaring (my favorite line), "I prove that I am George Perez, rolled into one!" The Superman segment was so-so - I don't know how long ago it was written, but it seems to me much more comedy could have been gotten from tweaking some of the current continuity (wherein Lois knows Clark's dual identity, and they're engaged, only they're not, only he's fighting this or that guy, only he's not, only etc. etc.) than the origin story. One cute running gag is introduced, the idea that the story hasn't been retold in at least a few weeks (winking at DC's penchant for reboots). I thought Batman was a little better - the whole thing about the definite article gave me a chuckle, and I appreciated the wry humor behind Batman ('scuse me, the Batman) threatening to beat up a hobo unless he spilled the beans about a crazy vigilante going around beating up hoboes... Wonder Woman's actually drawn pretty well, with the obligatory jokes about using her lasso to tie folks up. And I'm wondering if this isn't what John Byrne was referring to when he said way back last November that he was going to reintroduce the glass plane. Says a bystander, "I thought you got rid of [it] years ago!" "I did," she admits, "but Sergio wanted to draw it." Tee hee. There's a questionable gay joke (doubly odd considering the subtext of Themiscrya itself) and a riff on sex discrimination, which seemed a little weak (but then, I bring certain baggage of my own to my reading of this), and then... And then we're off to the 30th century, and I chuckled mightily for the next six pages. Best segment of the issue. They actually seemed to get most of the Legionnaires in there - even a couple panels of What's-His-Name-Today :) with the new costume - and I liked most of the gags quite a bit. Very nice bit, although the segues in and out were a bit obvious of necessity. Finally the Big Guns gather and discuss why Strange Things are Happening. And this is great, because the whole crux of the discussion is why everything's suddenly so Grim and Gritty - which, as I mention above, is more of a commentary on DC the company than on the characters themselves. They conclude that someone must be trying to destroy them. That someone? Why, it's Johnny DC, the ol' logo mascot! He's had a hard time since hitting the skids, but now he's Updated for the '90s! Oh no! And he kicks some major butt, until the World's Greatest Detective figures out a way to defeat him, which of course I won't spoil. :) But the point is taken, as the heroes walk off into the sunset admitting that, you know, that ol' logo guy may have had a point after all... Even though I didn't laugh as much at this as at the Marvel book, I found myself nodding a good deal more, so I think this worked better, as I say, on a satirical than a parodic level. Nice work all around. Luth's coloring is top-notch, and it was tremendous fun to see all the inkers. Hey, maybe this'll start a trend, Byrne inking Aragones... So, what did y'all think? STARMAN #20 Writer: James Robinson Here's what I thought... Robinson's love for the Golden Age comes shining through once more as he presents us with this book's latest team-up - Jack Knight and... Wesley Dodds? Seems Jack's been dreaming about the GA Sandman. And the Mist. The new Mist, but also thinking about the first one. The (captionless, wordless) dreams have disturbed him, and Dad suggests he pay Dodds a visit. The dialogue gives way to third-person narrative as we shift the scene from Opal City to New York, where a man with a secret is being chased by two goons with scary masks. He's already told them the secret, but of course he still knows too much to live. No clue as to how this will impact our story yet, but that's okay, 'cause we're in mystery territory here, as we switch POV once again-- As Jack takes over, now in first-person narration (nice shift from rectangular white captions to yellow ones with rounded corners), as he marvels at the wonders of New York, preparing to enter Dodds Tower. And meet his hero. And I think James Robinson has forever put himself in my good graces with this one bit. Because Jack Knight's hero-- is Dian Belmont, Wesley Dodds' companion for the past 50+ years and, in Jack's opinion, "America's greatest living writer." This is truly, truly wonderful to me. All this Starman stuff he's doing now, he's about to come face to face with a man who's fought side by side with his father... but meeting Dian is the pinnacle. And he's completely tongue-tied. Hey, my heroes have always been writers, I know exactly how he feels. Meeting her, "and Dodds, the pioneer of my own brotherhood of favorite fools. Being here with them both. It's a moment I will never sell or barter. It will make me smile to recall in my darkest hours. It will stay with me forever." Wow. Above and beyond the revelation that Dian and Wesley have been together for this long, this is one of the most rewarding moments I've seen in a comic in many a month, and I can identify with it greatly. Thank you, Mr. Robinson. Just beautiful. As Wright shifts the palette between red and blue, we hear Wesley Dodds and Ted Knight reminisce about their relationship with each other. A very neat couple of pages, where what's implied is as important as what's said, and you don't feel the least bit bored by the talkiness (often heralded as "death" to a comic, especially a superhero one). Jack has just 'fessed up to his admiration for Dian and the reason he's come to New York (to ask about the Mist) when a scream rings out. Another tenant has been murdered. Jack rushes to capture the culprit - another thug with a gruesome mask. And I note two things in the ensuing scene. First, Jack's in his street clothes - flashy green stuff, star-spangled tie and all, but still his suit, not any kind of uniform. Earlier on he'd made a similar observation about Dodds: "...when everyone else jumped into gaudy long johns he stayed in a three-piece suit... have to admire him for that." Also, the "fight scene," such as it is, lasts two pages, and contains no snappy dialogue. A couple of grunts, some first-person captions to tell us Jack's thoughts, and the impression these two combatants are seriously grappling and causing each other discomfort - well done. Well, the bad guy gets away, but only because Jack is saved by-- Wesley. And the game's afoot. This is the kind of thing that tips me heavily into wanting to pick up and read SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE again. This is not ordinarily my genre, but Robinson does it so well that I can't help but be intrigued. He gently chides himself in his letters column - "My attitude has always been that there are other comics out there that do the standard superh-hero thing incredibly well. If I tried to turn STARMAN into a book like that, I doubt I could ever come close to the superb work of Mark Waid or Kurt Busiek. So... coward that I am, I intend to keep STARMAN going off in different directions." I'd give a lot for such talented "cowardice." Oh, and Harris' cover is wonderful too, and I was pleased to see him once again draw Jack as very matter-of-factly sleeping in el buffo. It's these little real-life touches that create such a wonderful atmosphere. Terrific work all 'round. So, what did y'all think? THE POWER OF SHAZAM! #16 Writer: Jerry Ordway Here's what I thought... Ewwww! Icky Worms alert! Probably one of the more, er, striking covers I've seen in awhile, and perfectly in keeping with the tone of this series. Bob Wayne & co. were very smart to use this one in the ad campaign for the title. It bears repeating that this is one of the most enjoyable DC comics you can give to a kid. The younger set will eat this stuff up. Everything is laid out and explained for clearer reference, there's a lot of whimsical knowing-wink dialogue going on, and Krause's art is clean and easy to follow. It's a strong book to recommend to a young boy or girl, as Ordway touches on both the Billy-Cap and Mary-Cap plots during the book's course. (Aside to traditionalists - Duffy does refer to the three Marvels as "Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior" in the previous issues' synopsis at the head of the letter column, so make of that what you will.) I found the Mary plot particularly interesting this issue, as she actually gets more "airtime" than Billy. She's going through a rough period emotionally, and still believes her adoptive parents (Nick and Nora; I love it) were wrong to separate her and Billy, even though they seem to me to have had very logical reasons. She flies off to find Billy, but is distracted along the way by a robbery in progress, which she thwarts magnificently (thanks to the speed of Mercury), allowing the Wizard - who just happened to be on the scene - the bulk of the credit. Mary and the Wizard then engage in a sort of odd discussion, wherein he pretty much apologizes for his sexism then turns around and displays more of it, and instead of engaging him in reasoned discussion for a balloon or two Mary forsakes the wisdom of Solomon and sort of throws up her hands in frustration, admitting "This isn't my fantasy! I don't even want these powers!" I'm not sure how in-character it is for Mary to say this, but I like the idea of her wanting to do the right thing even though her powers have been thrust upon her. And as she flies around trying to piece together clues, we realize we've seen quite a bit of character development take place the last few pages. Nicely done. Meanwhile, the Big(ger) Red Cheese is in the clutches of those icky Venusian worms, who finally overpower him despite his struggles. He can still control his own thoughts, but his brain is no longer the boss. Fortunately, his Mother Box knows something's up and won't respond to his commands once he's possessed. And it's worth the price of admission just to see Dr. Sivana konk himself on the head to lose the influence of his own ear-implanted worm. Well, momentarily, at least. Thanks, as always, to net.reviewer.god Dave Van Domelen for providing the translation of this letter column's "wormspeak:" EARTHLINGS! WE KNOW YOU NOW POSSESS A TRANSLATION DEVICE! LISTEN CLOSELY. YOUR CAPTAIN MARVEL HAS BECOME ONE OF US! INVASION IS IMMINENT! LAY OUT LARGE BOWLS OF SUGAR AND COFFEE GROUNDS FOR US AND WE MAY GO EASY ON YOU WHEN WE HAVE CONQUERED YOUR SILLY BLUE PLANET! AND RAISE ALL THE THERMOSTATS TO NINETY DEGREES! WE REQUIRE MUCH HEAT! DISOBEY AT YOUR OWN PERIL! If they start in with "All must learn to play the piano," I'm outta here. (Wow, I got away with two Firesign references in this review, both from the same album, and they actually fit!) Another great roller coaster ride, and hey, I even learned a new word, "annelidic!" What more can you ask from a comical book? Highly recommended, especially for the younger sensa-wonder crowd. So, what did y'all think? DR. WONDER #1 "The Final Showdown" Editorial Asst.: Cassandra Costa Here's what I thought... Well, Allikas certainly has the editorial "we" down in spades. Unfortunately, in using it to tout his product, he occasionally crosses the line between mock-pretentious self-promotion and slamming the competition, and that may not endear him and his efforts to those of us presumably intelligent folks who, frankly, like other product and think there's room enough in the industry for all kinds of visions. I don't know how necessary it is to claim "the nation's largest comic book companies, once purveyors of quality entertainment, have become bloated bureaucracies [I dunno, but I suspect they were probably always bureaucracies of some sort]... standards have plummeted to an all-time low, with few writers and artists attempting to tell a story, or aware that they aren't... it is widely believed that the majors have driven away the literate fans, and that the only way to survive is to pander to the masses with mindless violence... The comic book giants know they could quell the uprising [i.e., the fact that sales are plummeting] by improving their offerings. Instead, they rail at the insolence of the masses... and seek to secure their profit margin by seizing control of the means of distribution..." A lot of this is true, granted, but a lot of it is also exaggerated and, frankly, a tad ungracious. For a book that purports to want to bring back the kind of product that "ultimately alters the entire industry for the better," I think sniping and griping is probably a bad way to start. Especially when you end with "We could have bored you with a long, self-important essay about our comic book publishing philosophy and our goals... But for this month, we thought we'd stick to the facts!" Considering this lapse into bad form their first time out, I probably would have preferred the boredom; at least it would have told me where more about they want to go, rather than engaging in more bitching... which smacks, when you think about it, of even more self-importance than if Allikas had simply promised us all a rollicking good time. But let's put all the self-congratulations aside for a moment and look at the comic itself. The origin story of Dr. Wonder is certainly serviceable. Nothing earth-shaking, but all the elements are there - the scientist with the funny name whose superhero identity just happens to fit that name, the relatively typical girlfriend and her father (another scientist), the occasional heavy-handed audience wink ("...I've harnessed the properties of the rare element Isobortium... to imbue ordinary humans with powers like those found in Greek myth... or comic books!"), the obligatory battles, the contextual science lesson, and a few decent twists/updates for the '90s, the most notable being Dr. Elliot Wunderbach's use of the Internet. I actually thought this was pretty well done - "cyberspace" isn't made out to be this Big Bad Place, but simply another method whereby Evil People can scam Good People to get their hands on information they shouldn't have. And I got a chuckle out of Allikas' footnote about the 'net (right around where Elliot thinks, re: E-mailing colleagues, "aren't my weekends already dull enough?" hey bub, for some of us the 'net is pretty darn exciting... oh geez, I need a life...) - he notes, "When this page was drawn in November of 1995, we footnoted the word Internet, because it seemed necessary to define the term. What a difference five months makes!" You really thought you needed to define it as recently as last November? I mean, okay, maybe five years ago, but... Anyway, onward. Ayers' art is pleasing but - am I committing blasphemy in saying this? - didn't really blow me away. I thought the faces were inconsistent and kind of sketchy. The backgrounds were nice, though, and it's always a treat to see a woman dressed normally. On the whole, however, I didn't see this story as anything really new. And okay, maybe that's the point - but if you can't bring something new to the table, it's hard to generate excitement. If people want the old comics, they can pick up back issues at conventions. The trick is to bring back the feeling of the old comics. There are many current writers who do this for me, but I don't think Allikas is one of them. Yet. Still, I'm more inclined than not to give it a shot. He means well, and that does count for a lot nowadays. And I like some of the concepts he's introduced, so I'm interested enough to at least pick up a second issue. Oh, and the back story, the 4-pager that Hasen drew - that blew me away. Real nice stuff. I didn't guess what was going on until the third page, and found it simple and to the point and very well done. Also, Allikas is going to be introducing some things in future issues that should be of major interest to Silver Age fans (particularly fans of '60s Marvel stuff). Issue #3 will debut an 8-page SA fan section, and he wants to bring back text stories (I'm already trying my hand at writing one - 1500 words or less, kiddies, think I can do it? <g>) As Allakis observes, "stories that re-create the charm of those that Marvel ran in the '60s will have a definite edge," so be forewarned. In any case, I wish them lots of luck with this venture, and recommend you at least support what they're trying to do by picking up the premiere issue. So, what did y'all think? DOORMAN #3 Creator/Writer: Mike Leonard Here's what I thought... First of all, in the interest of full disclosure I must confess that DOORMAN creator/writer Mike Leonard and I are currently collaborating on a proposed comic book project. I hope this fact won't preclude me from reviewing his book honestly, but I thought I'd let y'all know anyway so you can judge for yourself. I didn't get into this issue as much as the past two, because I didn't have as much interest in the subject matter - a father and son, Robert and Jeff Nichols, who have both done Army stints and have been scarred by things that happened to them during their respective tours of duty. Of course, the badguys in this series, the Arcanum, love to pick at these scars, which not only don't heal but, as the guilt is allowed to fester, give them more power over their "hosts." DoorMan's job, as ever, is to break their hold and free the hosts by having them face and accept the truths in their lives. I actively hated the first couple pages, in fact, because Leonard has the elder Nichols repeat a revisionist lie that's dogged the anti-war movement since it was first perpetuated by the popular movie RAMBO: that returning veterans were spit on and called "babykillers" by anti-war protesters. I'm sorry, Mike, but no, they weren't. If anyone was constantly spit on, it was the anti-war movement itself. Most protesters were well aware that the great majority of soldiers didn't have that much choice in the matter, the draft being on and all, and agreed that it took a good deal of courage and a lot of luck to evade said draft; not everyone could afford to, and not everyone wanted to - one couldn't blame these young men for believing the myth of the Good War perpetuated by Washington and handed down to them, in many cases, by their own families' experience in WWII. Still-active groups like Vietnam Veterans Against the War came about largely because of the sympathy vets received from peaceful protestors who understood that Vietnam wasn't this glorious winnable battle the generals and politicians painted it to be. History, of course, bore them out. Anyway, that gross distortion aside (hey, what can I tell you, the man pushed one of my hot buttons there), the story's about reconciliation and truth between father and son, and the major players are introduced here and brought onto the table, already deeply in the grip (at least the elder Nichols is) of the Arcanum. DoorMan intercedes to transport Robert back to Vietnam, proving that it's not just a post-traumatic stress-induced hallucination by waving his hand and allowing Robert the use of his senses. Naturally, at the very moment when he needs to watch Robert (now tangible and visible) the most, he's distracted by an incident that causes him to flash back to his own son's murder - and he loses it. And Robert, who runs away. This is a good angle to work, the idea of DoorMan's fallability, but I wonder if it isn't being overused. Yeah, it heightens the drama to know that he can screw up, but haven't we already been informed that the mistakes are few and far between, since he's been doing this for so long that he's achieved quite a bit of competence? I'd like to see a few more successes (if Leonard doesn't feel they're as story-worthy, they don't have to take up that many pages, we just need a sense of them) to balance out the pitfalls and failures. Jeff Nichols is less than thoroughly likeable here, but I don't think he's meant to be. He'll probably wind up doing the right thing despite himself (and the growing influence of his own Arcanum). He certainly cares about his former girlfriend Laurie, but she's a bag of mixed signals as well. It's hard to get involved in anyone's story if you don't have any real sympathy for or identification with them, but the plot is just intriguing enough to keep me on board for #4. Besides which, I like the concept of the book itself, so a storyline or two that's not up my alley won't exactly put me off reading it. The art's great, as usual - Peters and Lyle ought to be vastly better known than they are, and I like Peters' choice of "camera" angles a lot - and I could follow just about everything that was going on, even when it wasn't specifically spelled out. Nice clear job by DeLane on lettering differentiation as well. So, what did y'all think? SKELETON KEY #10 by Andi Watson Here's what I thought... First of all, congrats to yet another indy for making it into double digits! And Andi's work has improved by leaps and bounds over these ten issues, which is - in a way - both good and bad news. The panels are much less dense and easier to follow, but I must admit I miss some of the background art which used to crowd some of Watson's panels. In any case, I have to figure the simplification has made his work a lot more accessible, which I think can only be a positive thing. Especially as there's no real "the story so far" synopsis aside from the back issue blurb, so you have to pick it up from the context. Tamsin and Kitsune figure out the reason Tamsin appears pregnant and Kitsune's hair has grown to mysteriously long lengths overnight is that someone mixed up the balms given them by their wee acrobatic companions. Pretzel, who's had it in for the girls for at least two issues, is incensed that she's been accused, and stomps off in a li'l huff. (In the process, we learn a little about their hometown politics.) Diabla is a little calmer about matters, but is still hurt and chagrined. As ever, Kitsune is a paragon of tact - not. So the li'ls are now pissed at our pair, who will just have to wait until the effects of the balms wear off. Meanwhile, Oni's competitor Mis, the owner of the estate wherein the girls and their companions have spent the night, takes Tammy and Kit on a tour of the grounds, and asks them a favor - to create havoc at Oni's place. They know he's up to no good, but figure they have no choice. Besides, they need the skeleton key in order to get home, and they have to rescue Yale, still under Oni's power. Of course, also bespelled by Oni is Tammy's formerly-lifeless raccoon bag, which manages to evade Mis' attempts to corrall it and follows the girls through the Compass Pool. Even though Watson's cleaned up quite a bit, there's still a lot of nice byplay of shadows and such so necessary to a B&W comic, and I appreciated little touches like the details in the garden and the tangles of Kitsune's hair compared with the texture of her tail. There's still enough to look for herein to keep the reader delighted. And the girls' friendship continues to strengthen and grow. As ever, I look forward to more. So, what did y'all think? [These reviews are reprinted with permission from the rec.arts.comics Usenet newsgroups and are copyright 1996 Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, who thanks Albert R. for making them available on the #comicbooks channel in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) when the ComicIII file server is online and working - just type "!Elayne" (no quote marks, of course) to get them!] |
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