Random Thoughts + Readership Assistance Requested

Let's wander, shall we?

I am enjoying the living hell out of Mystery In Space. It's the noir-ish atmosphere, the crazy Hardcore Station (love that name), the main character who's still not quite sure what's supposed to be going on... everything about it hits the right buttons for me. The ongoing backup feature about The Weird is... well, weird. I'm not sure why I'm enjoying that, but I am. There's something to be said for Silver Age evolved cosmic particles dressed as pirates. (I don't know what it is exactly, but there's something.)

I'm conflicted about Captain America. Am I the only one who is ready to move on from the Red Skull at this point? I know Holmes needs his Moriarty, but I can't shake the feeling that Brubaker needs to put Skull back in the closet for awhile and move on to M.O.D.O.K., Batroc, or--- heck, anyone. It's not that I don't like the way he's written him, it's just that I think after twenty-something issues we need to be little less Skull-centric.

(Of course, the alternative is Civil War, so... let's just forget I said anything.)

Speaking of Brubaker, I read Criminal #1 (though not #2 yet), and I thought that was a good comic. It wasn't great, but it certainly was interesting and had nice art. Interesting to see it anointed in the comicsblogoweb as the next masterpiece this early. (Though I certainly hope it is --- we need more masterpieces in comics.)

News that Kurt Busiek is leaving Aquaman and Tad Williams is taking over (and taking Aquaman presumably back to standard superheroics, if the interviews are any indication) is a bit disheartening. Busiek's run has been alternately fascinating and muddled but never terrible. If it's suffered from anything (and it's not over for another 5 issues), it's failed to resolve the One Year Later questions quickly enough to get moving with adventures and story. I think that's hurt the overall attempts at characterization of the new Arthur Curry, and consequently it's not resonating with many people.

Every week that goes by, I'm happier that I stopped getting 52 after issue 4.

I bought Amazing Spider-Girl #1, and am very happy with it, though I'm not sure it works well for new readers as a Spider-Girl issue, mainly because she's not in costume in the issue. That said, Tom DeFalco hasn't lost a step here and hopefully more people will give Mayday Parker and her surprisingly well developed cast of characters and world a chance. You want positive and realistic depictions of family and teenagers in comics? Amazing Spider-Girl would be a good place to start. It's optimistic without sugarcoating, and edgy without going to extremes. It's also the only place we get to see Peter Parker: Father, and that's a good role for him and a fascinating take we never get to see in 616 continuity because Marvel's stupid like that. Check it out.

Seven Soldiers #1: hmmm. I still don't think I've had time to digest it fully. Every day my opinion changes on this one. I think the whole Seven Soldiers enterprise was probably the most ambitious thing I've seen in awhile, and like most uberambitious things (and Morrisonian), it's part triumphant victory and part spectacular mess. This'll be a series that rewards rereading, though.

I've given up on Morrison's Batman in favor of Dini's Detective. Feels more like Batman to me.

Fred Van Lente. MODOK's 11. Sold!

Speaking of Batman, I'm looking for an old record I had as a kid that had audio Batman stories, one on each side. One was a Joker story and one was a Riddler story as I recall, and I think one of the riddles was "gas", from which Batman realized that the target was a cargo ship, because "gas makes a car go". Also, I think one of the titles of the stories had something to do with music and food and death. Shut up. It was mine and I loved it and played it every night before bed, and I want it again, so if anyone can help out please point me in the right direction!

More this weekend.