What I Buy Wednesdays PRE-SDCC TURBO EDITION

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Pretty pumped for my virginal voyage to San Diego for Comic-Con International. It kind of feels like my comics equivalent of a sweet sixteen party. I’ve ironed my t-shirt tuxedo and everything. Okay, I might not have. I mean, who irons? Really.

Anyway, the comics’ pulse has risen to a cardiologist- alerting level in the time leading up to the Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con. It’s even evident from the books. The publishers are rolling out the summer moneymakers. Everybody’s booked and stressed about whatever they stress about. It’s worse on Twitter! There have been dust ups that are honestly something straight out of the heat wave in Do the Right Thing.

That all goes a long way to say that this is a highly anticipated stack of comics for me, so dig up on what I bought Wednesday.

Blackest Night #1 (DC): I think only Geoff Johns fans get how good Geoff Johns is. I say this because I know people who don’t love his work, but do enjoy the spandexed genre fare, and it leaves me at a total loss. Because for my money, he does superhero stories as well as they’re done. His stories have scale and ethics and inventiveness and, frankly, spark. He just tells stories that matter, and the precision with which he manages the long-form stories of his universe’s corner amazes more and more with each installment. Blackest Night looks like a pretty solid bet to be the most fun story of this Green Lantern run, and it’s great to see the remarkable Ivan Reis getting a break on an “event,” book. It feels like, and is, his story to tell. This book is a totally innovative horror blockbuster that really makes for good comicery. Johns shows absolutely no remorse in killing his darlings, or, in this case, bringing them back. It’s always authentic, and it always matters. While this team has made a lot of this Green Lantern issues, they decidedly step up in the bright light of the moment. Both the imagery and the story are at a feverish pitch. Honestly, I’m just glad a comic this rad is coming out at all.

Creepy #1 (Dark Horse): I was pretty excited when Dark Horse announced this book at New York Comic-Con. It’s a shame they couldn’t convince Gene Colan to get involved, (more on him in a minute), but no matter, this comic’s friggin’ ill. Uncle Creepy brings the terror, tension, and, ah, terror in this horror anthology. Nothing I’ve read has ever made me feel more like a kid reading my uncle’s weird, seemingly dangerous comics. And Angelo Torres is fucking AMAZING. You’ll recognize his style immediately from pretty much every MAD spoof ever done. His story stands out as the high water mark for this inaugural issue, and the rest of the issue is pretty solid in and of itself. Basically, I’m just glad this comic exists. It’s throwback comics in the best ways.

Captain America # 601 (Marvel): It’s a shame Colan didn’t draw Creepy, but at least we got a horror story out of him this week. This was a beautiful out of time WWII horror story, and it’s my pleasure to report that the old dude’s still slick with a pencil in his hand. It was a big break from the recent hulabaloo surrounding this title lately, as it had little to do with the Captain America: Reborn issue that dropped as near to the 4^th of July as you can in comics, or the unconventional release of Captain America #600, both of which I covered for Best Shots. Ed Brubaker has got some real mojo going right now, and as much as I’ve loved Captain Buckmerica, this issue did well to whet the appetite for the real Star Spangled Avenger. It really was a special issue, as the cover promised, as Gene Colan showcased his historic talents for a totally different generation of comics’ fans. If the Captain America title has to go away for a few months to make room for Reborn, this was a worthy send-off.

RASL #5 (Cartoon Books): It’s as if Jeff Smith is flipping off everybody who wouldn’t try Bone because of its “childish,” trappings. This book is smart, sexy, and only growing. Smith’s proclamation that it will be moving from vaguely quarterly to vaguely bimonthly is just about the best news I’ve heard yet, because I just want more of this book.

Wednesday Comics #2 (DC): I didn’t really get a chance to celebrate this awesome new series’ debut last week, but what a success this book is in the early going. Stripping the “books” away, leaving us with the high-grade purity of comics as the world was first introduced to them looks like the most inspired move by DC in recent memory. It’s a funny bit of reverse-engineering, as the first comicbooks were folded up newspapers bound on their spine, and now the process has come full circle. The format is a story unto itself, but the real meat of this project is the talent. The comics market is, generally speaking, character driven. Even when it isn’t, it is “name” driven by highly marketed talent. The point is, it is almost always “brand” driven. There’s always recognized commodity at the center. Now, there are names on this book as big as any in comics, but due to the format, Wednesday Comics is uniquely art-driven. The canvas is the artform, in a way. The ambition alone is worthy of tremendous praise, and the story’s aren’t too shabby either. This is basically like mainlining awesome comics.

Deadpool #12 (Marvel): Daniel Way has successfully transmogrified Bullseye and Deadpool into the Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny of the Marvel U. And it is very much duck season. All told, I think this series has leaned a little heavily on Dark Reign as it’ guiding light through these 12 issues, but I’m still enjoying it. Penciler Paco Medina has had his ups and downs as far as I’m concerned, but with his comedic range on full display here, he shows why he makes such a complementary cohort for the slapstick wit of Way. And trust me, the last page of this issue will bring out your inner Luke Wilson-in-Anchorman with an exclamatory “I did NOT see that coming!”

Incognito #5 (Icon): Well Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I hope you’re happy. Thanks to your tremendous work on Criminal, and the masterfully repackaged Sleeper series, you’ve fully addicted me to your wares. The only problem is, (and I mean this in the best possible way), all the other stuff you’ve done has left me feeling coolest on Incognito. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with this book, it’s got all the grit and tone of the other masterpieces. My issue is that, frankly, superheroes are the least interesting aspects of the collaborations. It’s the true-crime, the human element, that I find so fully engrossing. I suspect that, among other reasons, part of the intentions with this book is that it is somehow more commercially viable than, say, Criminal- it’s always going to be easier to get comicbook readers to buy stories with superheroes, or, in this case, supervillains. I’m all for anything that will get more eyes on Criminal, though, so I begrudge them nothing. Don’t get me wrong, this is still one of the best comics you’ll find on the stands today. But it’s not my fault Bru and Phillips have set the bar so neck-strainingly high. Also, I absolutely loved Jess Nevins’ essay on the history and influences of Fu Manchu. Like a true nerd, I love comics where I learn.

Amazing Spider-Man #599 (Marvel): American Son was the first story in the thrice-monthly era of Spidey that I felt completely tied to reading as it came out. The Joe Kelly/ Phil Jimenez teaming looked like it had the all makings of a modern classic. It was timely and current, sporting a mean Dark Reign masthead, and promising to fully utilize the premier Spidey villain’s standing as king of the world. It promised payoff for long-form post Brand New Day plots, marking a huge step for Parker BFF Harry Osborn. And it had even longer-form consequences, as Harry and Norman Osborn are the biggest Spider-Man characters that don’t wear webs, and it’s fair to say that their relationship will never be the same after this storyline. It was a big story, and it didn’t need to work too hard via marketing or tie-ins to convince you. Story-wise, I really loved it. Joe Kelly wove a great summer blockbuster for the Amazing title here. I couldn’t help but notice that his take on the cast is a tad more adult than his Web-mates, but that’s something I have no issue with. The only drawback to American Son was that after the promise of Jimenez’ outstanding lead issue, he was pulled from the project, I guess to step in for Simone Bianchi on Astonishing X-Menwith Warren Ellis. You can never blame anyone for taking up an X-project, never mind an Ellis collabo, but it did end up making this story a little less than it could have been. It pretty clearly showed the drawbacks of a near-weekly comic, as a horde of artists were required to keep the training running on time. In this issue alone the chores were split between Stephen Segovia, Marco Checchetto and Paulo Siqueira. Everyone held the line, and there were no poorly executed pages, but it’s always better to have a single artist tell a story than a team of them, unless there’s some in-story framing that makes it work. Anyway, such is the nature of the beast. Nobody bats 1.000.

And that’s where we’re at! Stay tuned, the next WIBW will be broadcasting live from San Diego, likely trapped under a pile of comics or something.

What I Buy Wednesdays: June 3rd 2009

June 2--- The Return



Been a few weeks since we reflected on What I bought Wednesday- luckily we’ve got a whole new comics’ landscape to go over. Holler.

Batman and Robin #1 (DC): was first off, because there aren’t many creators that win multiple awards for their superhero work. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (or his real life alter ego, Vin Deighan) are the rare team that earn universal acclaim. They’re just great together. I was extra pumped to read this because I had just done an interview with the Quite Frank one himself for Newsarama He’s such a thoughtful and thorough interview, it’s really rewarding. Anyway the issue itself rocks, just panel after panel after page after page a constant stream of good ideas and good comic-ery. This book has a lot to live up to, not in the least because of how well the passing of the cowl in Brubaker and Epting’s Captain America book. Thing is, it has an asset Cap and Bucky didn’t- Dick was always supposed to become Batman. Maybe we would never see it, but we knew it would happen. This story is just a chance to show us that future, and there’s no reason to predetermine a ceiling for how successfully this concept might play out. Either way, like the book says, “Crime is doomed. “




The Muppet Show #3 (of 4?!? >:-[ Boom): I’m really not okay with the fact that there’s only one issue of Roger Langridge’s Muppet Show left, especially with last week’s lackluster Muppet Robin Hood. This was my favorite issue thus far, not surprisingly given the spotlight on Gonzo the Great. Langridge’s Muppets feel more like the originals than every project since Henson’s passing- that’s really what I think. The voice and writing is perfect, and I just love revisiting all the sketches, from Pigs in Space to Bear on Patrol. It all just feels right. Never mind the sketch with Gonzo’s nourish and almost-properly-spelled Gumshoe McGurk act. I love the energy of this book, and I never want it to go away.



Buffy, Tales of the Vampires #1 (Dark Horse): Speaking of energy in comics, Becky Cloonan and Vasilis Lolos might be the most energetic creators making comics right now. Both of their works’ just feel like young adulthood, almost an ugly/ beautiful manifestation. Maybe that doesn’t make sense to anybody but me, but I don’t care. Anyway I could give a damn about Buffy, but with Cloonan writing and Lolos artin’, I wanted to check it out for myself. Glad I did, because this book had all the ambiguously awesome storytelling that was offered in their Pixu book. I think this issue was kind of about boredom and luxury, but it might be a story that’s different things to different people. It’s sexy and sad and kind of damning. Anyway, it got me to buy Buffy, so they must be doing something right.



Amazing Spider-Man #596 (Marvel): Paolo Siqueira does an admirable job, but it’s hard not to be disappointed by the lack of Phil Jimenez in this second chapter of the American Son storyline. The first issue was so starkly powerful, it just would have been nice to see this project through by one artist. Alas, not all things can be. The art is still good enough, and Joe Kelly’s story is a perfect summer blockbuster. Of all the stories in the new era of Spider-Man, (I would love if we could stop citing One More Day and Brand New Day altogether, and move on) this one has the makings of being the most memorable. Harry’s just a ticking time bomb at this point, and Pete’s going undercover. Like I said, perfect summer fodder. I’m plenty on board.



Atomic Robo: Shadow from Beyond Time 1 & 2 (Red5 Comics): Somehow I missed the first issue of this series hitting the shelf. Understand, this is very unlike me. Curious. Anyway, I’m thrilled with the new storyline. I think we’d just reached our max of seeing the army-style Robo, so the pulpy Lovecraftian plotline is welcome. This book is as funny as Spider-Man in its prime, with storytelling as crystal clear as any superhero book on the stands. It’s actually so good I don’t always know how to talk about it. It’s just everything I want my comics to be.



Superman: World of New Krypton #4 or 12 (DC): I’m still loving Pete Woods’ work on this series, and given that this is the only book starring Superman, this is the only Superman book I’m buying. It’s a thrill to see him playing a true espionage role, because it undercuts all of the points of Superman haters. He’s showing his ability to inspire and be “Super,” without the luxury of his dominant powers. It’s nice to have as grounded a science fiction story as this is, because it allows us to see the Green Lantern Corps from the perspective of those they are expected to police. Hal and John are fun guest stars, and I think this book has a lot more adventure left in it.



Dark Avengers #5 (Marvel): Norman Osborn’s never been more powerful, but the eerie thing is that he’s never seemed so totally in control of his own demons, and that was makes the entire Marvel Universe such a tense place to be right now. From the early going, I think I like the adversarial relationship between this book and New Avengers more than I ever liked the interplay between that title and Bendis’ Mighty Avengers. Hawkeye went public to the media with his concerns over Osborn’s stability and general villainy in NA, and here Bendis delivers an all-too familiar response, with a deft showing of media manipulation from the erstwhile Green Goblin. Between this title and Deodato and Ellis’ Thunderbolts work, Norman Osborn has become the most compelling character in the entire Marvel U. Ares provided my favorite moment in this book, by calling his teammates out, and reminding them that, hey, from here on out, they can be whoever they choose to be. Maybe one or two will choose to take the side of the righteous, but this book will be a lot cooler if they don’t.



Deadpool: Suicide Kings #3 of 5 (Marvel): I just like seeing Wade Wilson get into all kinds of wacky hijinx with Marvel’s greatest street level characters. He and Punisher make perfect foils, and Daredevil is the quintessential straight-man to ‘Pool’s shenanigans. While I’m digging the ongoing series, I really appreciate the use of Agency X in this book, and think this miniseries has done well to integrate Deadpool into the Marvel U at large. It and the ongoing series are serving different masters. Frankly, I don’t care- Marvel can put out as many Deadpool books as they like, and I’ll probably be on board with all of them. I’m stubborn that way.



Astro City: The Dark Age Book 3 #2 (Wildstorm): Kurt Busiek and Brett Anderson can make superhero stories about just about anything, and the epic Dark Age set of books is no exception. I might go back to reading this in trades, not as an indictment of the singles, but rather as a testament to how well the series works in total.



Jersey Gods #5 (Image): Okay, so I was late to the party in figuring out just how this book worked. I was a little weirded out by the main hero’s nomenclature- because really, are we ready for a white space god named “Barock?” Maybe we are… but I’d have waited it out a bit, or something. Anyway, this issue wraps up the introductory arc of this series, finally getting together the two romantic leads; Barock and Zoe. I dug the direct way they handled all the potential Superman similarities, as it allowed Brunswich and McCaid to fully differentiate their book from the icon by stating the disparities explicitly. Barock the Jersey God is strictly on Earth for the chance to be with his love. Going forward, will a romantic relationship with part of humanity be enough to motivate the extranatural being into the role of hero? We’ll find out. This book seeks to be the perfect blend of superhero comics and romance ones, and now that the couple’s got together, it will be interesting to see how the creators continue to innovate and challenge the title, without resorting to trite superhero cliché stories. With a great look, and a story that makes that visual style necessary, this is a title I plan on paying attention to for as long as it’s hitting the shelves.



Chew #1 (Image): This was what I’d call a “buzz” book, because when Ed Brubaker is telling you a book should have been picked up by Vertigo, you’re gonna read that, and that’s buzz. Detective Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions via food consumption. That’s the hook I’d heard, and that was a decent one, to be sure, but to me it’s the other part of this story that makes this book so intriguing: it seems that the world’s lost its mind over bird flu, and as a result all fowl is outlawed, making deliciousness like chicken a controlled (read: narcotic) substance. See, to me it isn’t Chu’s kind of cool power that makes this book worthwhile, it’s the backdrop that utilizes that trait in to the strongest degree in-story. Concept’s good. Art’s good. Writing’s good. Comic’s good.



Astonishing Tales #5 (Marvel): I’m buying this book for Mojo. I refuse to make any bones about it. C.B Cebulski’s Punisher/ Wolverine story has its moments, and I like the idea of the 2020 Iron Man, but the only thing that’s satisfying me month in and month out in this series is the hilarious New Mutants meets Mojo meets modern Hollywood storyline. I don’t mind reading the rest of this book for the potential of finding another gem, but I would personally prefer to see only one or two ongoing stories in this anthology, and a smattering of shorts and vignettes. I thought the ongoing serials were what killed Marvel Comics Presents, and I hope this series avoids the same mistakes, and sustains as fertile grounds for fresh talent.



Skaar #11 (Marvel): I’ve just got such a soft spot for Ron Lim’s style, and I’m glad to see him on a book like this, because it suits him well. Hulk’s bastard son has descended on Earth to hunt down his jade, gigantic dad, and to show him the what’s what. I like the new wrinkle of a meeker alter ego for Skaar, as it is nice to see him saddled with the burden of his parent’s issues, as we all are. Pak has made the Hulk mythos his own, and I can’t wait for the day that we get the Skaar/ Amadeous Cho ongoing he must have up his sleeve. It will be glorious.



Ultimatum #4 (Ultimate Marvel): Look- hate the sin, not the sinner. It’s not my fault that Jeph Loeb is writing a miniseries that turns the tide on my beloved Ultimates line. And no, I don’t particularly want to support this series, or the concepts that drive it, but goddamn it, I was there at the beginning of Marvel’s 21st century, collection- focused publishing initiative, and goddamn it, I’m going to see it through. I read this issue completely unmoved, and really felt like it was just a level of a platform video game, but I bought it with the green American money, so I guess I can just stuff my opinions in a sack and let Loeb laugh all the way to the bank. Just know, sir, that I’m shaking my clenched fists towards the sky, ruing your base villainy.



Ultimate Spider-Man #133 (Ultimate Marvel): I just wanted to make sure I read that other book so I could fully appreciate this one. I think it’s been this to many people- but hot damn if Ultimate Spider-Man isn’t the book that kept me in comics, and challenged me to begin to analyze what I thought made the comics I enjoyed good, and why I was so drawn to them. I’m sad to see this title come to a close, but not really since it is soon to be relaunched as Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. But hey, we gave Conan O’Brien his moment of reflection when he moved from Late Night to Tonight Show , so I’m going to take a second and go over just what this iteration of the Web-Head has made it so important to me for a decade now.

Understand, when Ultimate Spider-Man launched, I was as close to Peter Parker as I’d ever been in my life. I was fourteen years old, he was a shade over fifteen, I had a girl best-friend that I had aims to make a best-girlfriend, as did he. I wasn’t the biggest loser in school, but I had my share of foils and nemeses. So did Peter. I just didn’t have powers, and until the very last page of the first issue, neither did he. I’d read comics all of my life at that point, and Marvel Comics to boot, but I’d never followed Spider-Man intently until that series. Suddenly, it was the most anticipated book I read each month. It all clicked- I finally saw what made Spider-Man the transcendent character he was. His everyman-ness, his resilience, his ability, well, ultimately… Amazing, it all came together. He was funny the way I tried to be funny, he was embittered in the teenage fashion I was, I know, I know, that’s how every Spider-Man fan in the history of ever has felt, that’s what makes him an “everyman,” but still, I was profoundly affected by thi s book.

That was ten years ago. The decade of one’s teen years into one’s young adulthood is funny because, within the confines of one’s mind, it is one long narrative of a constant central character. I think of myself as pretty much the same person as I did when I was 14; my inner monologue sounds the same, my life-goals are pretty much the same (although that might say more about who I am at 24 than who I was at 14), but, of course, I’ve acquired all the life experiences a 14 year old only thinks he has. In any case, it’s surreal to think that month in, month out, during that entire era, this book has been there, and been a model of consistency. Sure, people can gripe about the Geldoff story, or the Carnage one, and claim that the title fell off in quality, but I would contend that those people simply outgrew their need for, and maybe thereby their ability to understand and relate to this book.

The lesson of this book has been pretty much a constant- Peter, for all his capabilities, is someone whose desire to be a great agent of change has been outclassed by the world’s ability to stay exactly the way it is, despite the efforts of the young and idealistic. The only thing that’s really happened is that Peter’s world has become more complicated. He has more battles to fight, and maybe he’s gotten better at managing the struggle, but the struggle has also gotten better at managing him.

I hope the revamp of this title doesn’t change too much of the book’s core strengths. I hope I haven’t outgrown it. The ability to read the same book, chapter by chapter, for 10 years is one of those qualities exclusive to comics.

Maybe there’s nothing profound to draw from the decade of this run, maybe it’s just a book I’ve read for a long time. But I can’t help but feel like when this book started, I was that Ultimate Peter Parker, and here at issue #133, I’m the aged Peter of the 616 Marvel. It’s just a bizarre sensation… and it feels a little too much like growing up.



Until next time-

May Showers

Big Shots rain down on the NBA... and 'nets.



May's a mercurial month. In New England after April, it isn't so much that winter ends, it's that summer begins- unpredictably- and then goes back to being winter for a day. Then that reverses. And so on and so on until eventually the cold days aren't that cold, and the warm days are uncomfortably warm, and that's when it's June.

It's also a month of note because the NBA playoffs happen then. For the most part, I've watched basketball intently for every night of the last month. It's been exciting and exhausting. Combined with a relatively slow month of comics it led to a lot of frenetic in-game Twittering, but not much substance. In any case but it's time for some links. Afterwards I'm going to vent about sports. Because that's what I do.

I try not to spotlight the same creators too often, as I think the gets who don't get the pub need the spotlight more, but with Geoff Johns, I can't help myself. He's just really good at teasing out plot points over just long enough for them to be impossibly urgent and drawn-out. He's a trade-friendly evolution of Chris Claremont, only instead of the X-Corner of Marvel he has the entire DCU at his fingertips. The way Legion of Three Worlds is streamlining that mythos while interplaying with current continuity is fascinating. Plus, George Perez is no joke. I mean, I make no bones about it, I'm a sucker for both these guys' work, and I am a sucker for Johns' take on the Conner Kent Superboy. Before that issue I was totally ambivalent about Adventure Comics, now it can't come soon enough. Like I said, I'm a sucker.

Despite my primary specialty in comics' critique, within the medium I try to be as "general interest," as I can. Adam Beechen and Trevor Hairsine's Killapalooza, with a super-group ripped from Behind the Music that moonlights as hired mercenaries, was a fun example of this. I really think anybody who spent an hour of their life watching the saga of Journey, or the trials of Jon Bon Jovi's hair, would like this book. It's just funny.

Another general-interest comicbook was the Spider-Man: The Short Halloween one- shot by Saturday Night Live cast members and writers Bill Hader and Seth Myers. I knew Hader was a comics' guy, he's been at conventions and used to frequent a store I worked at, and I think SNL is as good as it's been in my lifetime right now, so I was happy to spotlight their issue. It didn't disappoint, but it didn't "wow," me either. Based on merit alone, I'm not sure this book would warrant a follow-up assignment. It's not that the story is bad, but Spider-Man could be replaced by just about any costumed hero in this story, and it would be no different. The sales might tip the scales, though, and I wouldn't be against seeing more from the pair, or Kevin Maguire. I would only hope they get a little more into Spider-Man, and let the situational humor grow from there.




After working for Laura Hudson on the too-beautiful-for-this-world Comic Foundry magazine, she was kind enough to invite me to do a piece for her newest venture Comics Alliance. I'd stalled a bit to try and find the right angle to tackle for my first CA foray, but when Archie Comics announced Archie's marriage, I knew what I had to do. Due to the peculiarities of my fundamental being, I decided I would make the case for Veronica over Betty. Now, when the nuptials were first announced, Archie Comics hid the identity of Archie's bride, but by the time I'd written my piece it had been revealed to be in accordance with my preferences. Now, I suffer no delusions that this story will be told and Archie will go on married to Veronica, or that Betty won't crash the party somehow, but I'm pretty pleased with the case I made for Archie's bachelorhood. Now, as far as in real life choosing between the good girl and the bad, I don't know if I believe my case. But then, if it were as easy a choice as everyone would like to believe it wouldn't be such a classic love-triangle. Or maybe I just like to pick fights. Who even knows.


So that's what's been up in comics. But the thing that has dominated my life, again, have been a playoffs so addictive the FDA might have to get involved. Despite the ongoing drama of the piss-poor officiating, it has been a season of athletic studs taking teams on their backs' and seeing how far they can go. As a guy who likes comics, I'll say it; 'Melo, Superman, Kobe and LeBron have been downright superheroic.

Despite my rambling last post, I'm more than just a homer with regards to sports. It really sucked to see the Celtics loose how in the fashion that they did, but these playoffs were worth the price of admission. And as much as it sucked to see the Magic beat the Celtics in Game 1, it was worth it to see them in Game 5's late-surging win. It was especially gratifying for me, because Stephon Marbury had his two best games in green those games.



Starbury, like Corey Dillon, and Randy Moss before him, is the classic example of the media-driven "athlete as a bad-boy," malcontent that this town absolutely loathes until they prove themselves to be productive. Everybody hated Randy Moss when he got to New England. He was going to be a step slow, they said, and he would disrupt the proven team chemistry. Dillon too. He was the Bengals' all-time rushing leader when we got him for practically nothing. Dillon won a Super Bowl and Moss set the record for receiving TDs in a record-setting offense. They became heroes, but began as villains.

Well Marbury had the full rap sheet- from a trade-demanding early career, to an embarrassing sexual testimony in a harassment case, and ultimately a season-long benching. Now, I'm not saying that he didn't have his share of responsibility in all of this, but he was a productive player, making a lot of money while sitting on the bench. It was a dysfunctional move for a dysfunctional organization. And this was after the slate was supposed to have been wiped clean with new management. Well whatever, he was cut loose eventually and wanted to sign with the Celtics, as they had become the strongest team of veterans in the NBA. It had been the Pistons before, but this was now the organization, along with San Antonio, that productive veterans wanted to be a part of. After a year out of pro basketball Marbury was rusty, but also humbled.

It showed. He was really trying to be a team player in a way unlike ever before in his career. He was doing it to the detriment of his own game, and what the team wanted out of him. But he was trying. This was a guy who'd averaged over 7 assists a game for his career, but was playing 40 minutes a game. He was out there for maybe 15 minutes a game now. He just couldn't get right. It was a hard combination of not having the legs to be the explosive scorer he was used to being while also trying to relearn his killer instinct. Everyone was waiting for him to have an impactful [that's not a word, but I can't get over how many people use it, so I'm going with it here] game where he went for 2+. He had a handful of big shots in games, but the big game? Didn't happen.

Game 1 teased it. The Celtics, after going down big at the half, got themselves within a Ray Allen three of winning that game and who was there to thank? My man, @StaryburyMarbury. He'd had a crazy streak in the third where he just couldn't miss, and it was the energy that got them, not the win, but the hunger for that game back. It wasn't much of a legacy, but it was the game people had been waiting for.



Until Game 5. The Celtics were down again, late, and Steph kicked it into gear. He had 12 in the fourth quarter, and this time Ray's big three sunk, and the Celtics won the game. It was a huge game, it gave the Celtics a 3-2 advantage in the best of seven series, and was as close as the Celtics got to defending their 2007-08 Championship. The C's lost Game 6 in Orlando in a game they just gave away, an Game 7 at home in a game they didn't show up for. The team had been eking out wins without their low-post foundation and defensive x-factor Kevin Garnett, but each one had been a titanic struggle, and in Game 7 it finally showed. In fact, it probably showed in Game 6 when the team let slip away a fourth quarter lead of their own. But they'd battled valiantly, and as reward were spared the embarrassment of getting their asses handed to them by LeBron and the Cavaliers.

I'm really grateful to have seen the Celtics last win as champions, because they really played like it in that win. And Steph led the charge. Who knows if he'll resign, or even be a productive NBA player going forward, but following his success with vested interest is one of those unique rewards offered by following sports. Given the consequences they engender, there are countless narratives to be enjoyed. And who doesn't enjoy a good tale of redemption.



The Magic have turned out to be great foils for the Cavaliers, which anyone who had looked at their head-to-head record was saying before the series, and given the decisive 3-1 lead they took the other night, they should be heavily expected to advance to the NBA Finals. But as long as the Cavs still have the best player in the series, never mind the best player in the game, I still expect LeBron to take the next 2 wins and advance to his second Finals appearance.

Because, I mean, Kobe's waiting there. He had to fight through West Baltimore's finest Carmelo Anthony, the forgotten dark prince of King James' draft class, and Conference Finals mainstay Chauncey Billups, and the rest of George Karl's rejuvenated Nuggets. It took the Lakers 6 games, but they did it. We can't have just half of those Kobe/ LeBron puppets playing for the trophy, and Dwight Howard is too damn big to be a puppet, so LeBron has to make it. Every real NBA fan wants it to happen. We want this argument settled. We don't care who's better; Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard. This is an MVP thang.

In any case, we'll see. It's been a monumentally memorable postseason, thanks in no small part to this guy's TNT video-



Back to your regularly scheduled programming:
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What I Buy Wednesday: April 22nd 2009

Where Brendan's word is law. And also lawless.

It never fails- have a quiet week at the comic shop, and the next week will come on like gangbusters. To top it off, this week offered a diverse selection of all my favorite kinds of comics, and it's these kinds of weeks that make obsession worthwhile.

Viking #1 (Image): If nothing else, you should know that it takes very little for me to become interested in vikings. But even given that, I've been really hotly anticipating this book. And that was before all the “retailers got one look at this book and bought the shit out of it,” stuff started going down, and it was sent back to the printer, and held off from shipping. Seriously, this is a wicked smart idea, because there would be value lost in having a first printing ship, and then having a delayed second printing that some parts of readership might frown upon. Instead, by exercising a little patience, these guys poised themselves for success. Nevermind the fact that Nic Klein is some sort of super-artist, and that Ivan Brandon seems fatefully poised for a big year of comics-makery. This book is exactly the sort of thing that makes me excited about reading and talking about new comics. It also makes me profoundly jealous. Moving on...

Thor #601 (Marvel): So, yeah. Norse stuff. When JMS relaunched this title with Coipel I was impatient to shit. Thor had been off the map so long, all I wanted was for him to be reintroduced to the forefront of the Marvel U. I couldn't deny that the world-building approach taken to Asgard's relocation into Oklahoma was a better way to fully realize the character's world, but I still wanted Thor to, like, get into shit with the Avengers. 'Cause he's Thor. Instead, Marvel wisely waited until Secret Invasion to fully unveil the god of thunder to his peers, and immediately sat Loki at the table of Marvel's most dastardly douchebags. Now, finally, what happens to Thor matters to the MU at large, and vice-versa. Marko Djurdjevic is a great alternate for this book, and it is evident that his skill grows with each issue.

Detective Comics #853 (DC Comics): There's a pretty good chance I'm going to buy any book Andy Kubert draws, so when Neil Gaiman is playing type-master for that same title, I might as well buy it twice. As a fan, I've been disappointed by the lack of output by both Kubert brothers during their time as DC exclusives, just because it feels like so many missed opportunities. On the other hand, the two have both been afforded high-visibility, generally high-quality projects, on iconic characters, and one can't ask for much more than the most literate writer in comics directing your pencils. I thought the first part of this Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? two-parter was a little dense, but this one tied it all up nicely, and was totally satisfying. Gaiman tells stories about big ideas, and Kubert conveys crystal-clear story, so it is a complimentary match. Plus, these days you've gotta take the stories you can get about the real Batman where you fan find 'em.

Invincible #61(Image): I think Kirkman has given himself a real challenge to outdo any and all superhero comic competition each and every month within his single superhero title. Mark is somberly dealing with the bloody Aftermath of last issue's Invincible War, and the costs are steep. I don't know how Ottley and Kirkman manage to make this the most awesome book of superhero drama and fighting on the shelves every month, but they do. It simply keeps getting better and better.

Ignition City #2 of 5 (Avatar): I'll admit, I will sometimes only check out the first issue of a Warren Ellis miniseries, because I am more interested in finding out Ellis' hook than awaiting and seeing through the execution of an (often delayed) project. I usually end up catching up with the traded collection, because, well, that's how Ellis reads best. But I can't be patient with Ignition City. This book pushes my brain-buttons.

Amazing Spider-Man #592 (Marvel): Mike McKone illustrates, and I cheer. Mark Waid is an almost obvious addition to the Spider-team, and fits right in while telling a story that is clearly of his own creative mind. Waid has a good handle on J. Jonah Jameson's combative nature, and Spidey's playful one. Also- the last page? Eww.

John Constantine: Hellblazer #254 (Vertigo): Milligan writes a good Constantine, and has shown a knack for horror with the Scab arc. Next up- the Bubonic Plague. What the hell could be scarier than that?

X-Force #14 (Marvel): Messiah War continues to make an X-nerd out of me. There was a time when I took pride in my stature above the squabble and fray of frivolous comics like X-Men crossover books, or even worse, X-Men spinoff crossover books, but the creative team behind this Cable/ X-Force team-up has my number. I give up. You win. I'll buy it. Just promise to not have a shitty ending. Oh, who cares, I'll still want to check out the follow up. I suck.

Booster Gold #19 (DC Comics): Dan Jurgens just draws comics the way I think they should look. He kind of defines “convention,” to me, in that he is a clear, basically literal artist. And really, if anyone should be the one still drawing the 90's head-sock, hair-out-the-top look, it is Jurgens with Booster Gold. I'm not sure how long this title will last without a “name” writer like Geoff Johns onboard, but I honestly don't think the title has slipped with Dan Jurgens at the helm. I think Jurgens, Johns, and Jeff Katz really built this book into a machine that works, and that uses the character to his fullest, and I'm not bored yet. So here's to the semi-forgotten characters of yesteryear.

Elektra #2 of 5 (Marvel): I liked the first issue of this series more than I thought I would. I might've liked this one more. Judging from the last page, I think I'll like the next one even more.

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Marvels: Eye of the Camera #5 of 6 (Marvel): Kurt Busiek has a great intuition when it comes to really tying superheroes and zeitgeist, and this series is no exception. I was against doing this sequel without painter extraordinaire Alex Ross, but Jay Anacleto has really made this project his own, with a different sort of realism in his work.