Broken Frontier

Bad Planet #5

By Lee Newman

In the most informative issue to date, the nameless convict tells why he is the best to decide the fate of our planet.

There are several books that come out on these crazy schedules: Fell, Shaolin Cowboy, Doc Frankenstein, Planetary and Bad Planet. They come out when one is done and rarely when solicited. But they are always a treat in the box that week. Our Alien ally tells his origin tale and we learn an awful lot about the attack that the Earth is under.Yeah, the movie Punisher and the master of horror write one good sci-fi invasion comic. You throw in gorgeous pencils by Dave Kendall and I melt. No offense to Daly and Broadstreet, they have a nice style going on here, but Kendall steps it up a notch.

Gotta love the periodicals that are, well, periodic. The time that is spent between issues of this book is well spent, crafting a unique story that is well told and lavishly illustrated.

Thomas Jane & Steve Niles (W), James Daly III, Tim Broadstreet & Dave Kendall (A), Raw Studios/Image $2.99

Batman #675

By James Wortman

This is the last issue of Batman before the six-part "Batman R.I.P." story arc kicks off next month, so we’re treated to a lot of build-up and very little payoff here. That is not to say this is a terrible issue — although the nine-fingered villain targeting Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend Jezebel Jet is decidedly lame — but this story is more set-up than anything else.

If you like to see Batman brooding and dark, stay tuned for the last few pages of this issue where we see Bruce Wayne as a man pushed to the brink, showcasing what writer Grant Morrison does best: bucking convention and bringing new layers to our favorite characters. While Frank Miller’s recent take on the Dark Knight brings him to the point of near-comical insanity, Morrison’s tortured Bruce Wayne is far more subdued as he struggles to separate the man from the bat.

Is this a good jumping-on point for new readers? Hardly. Morrison’s run on Batman has been an eclectic and sometimes complicated one, so it may be a good idea to wait until next month’s event issue to dive into this title.

Grant Morrison (W), Ryan Benjamin (P), Saleem Crawford (I), DC Comics, $2.99

NeoZoic #4

By Lee Newman

Daughters turn against fathers, a political coup is attempted and Dinos attack.

Why would I even read a review? That sentence would be enough to get me to buy the comic. I wouldn’t need to hear that the story hearkens to good Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. I wouldn’t need to know that it is gorgeously illustrated. I wouldn’t even want to know that it is set in a future where dinosaurs and humans have evolved together. You wouldn’t have to mention that it is smart with quick believable dialogue or that it moves at a million miles an hour. I would just buy it, but then I am a junkie.

However, if you need to know those things… then let it be enough to know that this is the comics medium at its best… bold, beautiful, respectful to its influences, smart and ridiculously entertaining. Now go buy it already.

Paul Ens (W),Jj. Korim (A), Jessie Lam (C), Red 5 Comics, $2.99

Uncanny X-Men #497

By Lee Newman

Wolvie, Night Crawler, and Colossus fight Russians while Scott and Emma… drink Kool Aid?

People who come in the shops know that I am not a huge X-Men fan, which is why it was such a big surprise that I was a fan of Messiah Complex. Well, they are gonna be floored now. The beginning of the Divided We Stand story in Brubaker’s book was less then amazing for me. It all seemed cute. It paid to read, though, as it built up to this big showdown in the cold north. Meanwhile over on Shakedown Street, the set up is done for one of the most interesting X-villains in a while. See, that’s why I read books I don’t dig - sometimes they are good too. Sometimes, like here, they are GREAT!

Brubaker brings his talent to the next level. He is writing a zany story here, but is keeping it compelling and fresh. He’s a madman walking the tight-rope. I hope he can keep the balance.

Ed Brubaker (W), Mike Choi (A), Sonia Oback (C), Marvel Comics, $2.99

Viz #174

By Andy Oliver

The U.K.’s outrageously politically incorrect comic serves up its usual mix of tabloid journalism send-ups and humor strips mimicking the traditional D.C. Thomson style - but with a distinctly adult twist!

Viz is always worth a look-in every few months, though whether its distinctly British sensibilities would travel well, and quite what American readers would make of the likes of Roger’s Profanisaurus or The Fat Slags, are interesting questions in themselves. Highlights this month include Biffa Bacon’s parents finding religion, Elton John’s window cleaning scam and perpetually drunk waster 8 Ace’s empty beer cans coming to life as his magical son Tinocchio. It’s pleasing to see that after all these years Viz is still capable of providing the odd laugh-out loud moment.

Less impressive, however, is the disturbing amount of advertising space taken up with phone sex lines and other sundry porn-related ephemera. It’s a somewhat savage irony that the real chatline adverts are actually far funnier than the parody ones printed just a few pages earlier...

Various creators (W&A), Dennis Publishing, £2.80