Comics 8/21/05

Marvel Comics:

Exiles #70 - A fun little jaunt through alternate worlds - this is the only Mutant/X-men type comic I care to read. This issue has a lot of heartbreak, as one character has lost his wife and kids due the reality change, but the other Exiles aren't sure if they should change reality back to the way it was, especially since it seems the new reality is better than the old one. Then a serial killer shows up, so things get complicated.

1602: New World #3 - I wasn't sure how well Iron Man would work in this Jacobian setting, but the concept translates pretty well. My one complaint: Not enough Virginia Dare!

DC Comics:

JSA Classified #3 - Nearly incomprehensible to all but the hardcore fan immersed in DC comics lore, this is still a fun little read - especially the way the writer pokes fun at many fanboy's obsession with the main "attributes" of this character. It seems writer Geoff Johns cares a lot about Power Girl, and wants to make her something more than just a joke character (the jokes often being about how she is the most "well-endowed" character in all of comicdom).
I'm not sure if it will shut the adolescent fanboys up, but he's made me care about a character who, previous to Geoff John's run was a no-personality third tier character.

Supergirl #2 - I was upset when Peter David's brilliant Supergirl series was cancelled, but I decided to give this new treatment of Kara Zor-el a try, especially since having Supergirl be Superman's cousin (as she was in the Silver age) is less convoluted than the protoplasmic earth angel from an alternate pocket dimension that Peter David had to deal with in his series.
However, while Jeph Loeb is generally a brilliant writer, this series (which has had three issues so far (if you count #0), as well as an arc in the Superman/Batman series) uhm - where was I?

Oh, yeah - Loeb seems to not get this character at all, or any of the other characters. The Teen Titans show up and everyone starts fighting for no particular reason. Loeb tries to hint that there's something dark and hidden in this new version of Supergirl, but it all comes across as rather overblown and melodramatic.

Plus, what is up with this 14 year old superhero being drawn in an overtly sexual outfit? And why is her torso so dang long? The artist on this series has no idea how to draw women at all, it seems (actually, his men aren't much better). Bizarre art with only passable storytelling. It had better pick up or I may abandon this series soon.