New Comics - May 24th - Part Two

Just a few more this week.

• The American Way 4 of 8 (Wildstorm) - This series brings to mind a popular technique among some of the most popular comics writers, and one that has different results depending on the creator. The technique is to throw out ideas as fast as they arrive. The preeminent idea-thrower is Grant Morrison. He makes it appear as though the ideas are coming so fast that he couldn't possibly have time to develop them all. The thing about Mr Morrison is that his ideas tend to fit either the story or the feel of the title very well. Genre-centric ideas for his superhero books (X-Men or Superman), abstract ideas for his one-offs (WE3 or Seaguy), and just a ton of ideas for the big, overarching titles (7 Soldiers). The problem with some idea men, like Warren Ellis, is that they sometimes don't spen enough time editing out the ideas that should be pared down. In some of his best titles (Plantetary or Transmetropolitan) there were sequences that seemed designed to eliminate the stockpile of ideas that Mr Ellis had built up that had yet to find a home. Sometimes he gives too much credit to an idea (Tokyo Storm Warning or most any Avatar title), and spends way too much time developing what is basically enough idea for a one-shot. Which brings us to American Way writer John Ridley. I'm afraid that he has some great ideas, but that he'll pack them all into this eight issue series and it won't be enough room for them to develop. Media control, military tactics, racism, power without responsibility, sacrificing for the greater good, and many more themes are being thrown into each successive issue. The story ideas that allow these themes to be explored are coming fast and furious, I just hope he takes the time to allow them to properly develop.
• 52 Week Three (DC) - Not much of an issue, mostly a stepping stone which sets up further plotlines.
• Blue Beetle 3 (DC) - The curse of the fill-in. Cynthia Martin is an unsung superhero artist, but I just want Cully Hamner back. The story is still holding my attention, though, even with the fill-in.
• Supreme Power 3 (Marvel) - I don't understand why this book needs a "to be continued" tag at the end. Is this just something that every other title takes for granted. Maybe it's just that no ongoing title should ever say "the end" at the end of an issue.
• She-Hulk 8 (Marvel) - Civil War tie-in. I can't see the point in making all these issues tie-ins. The meat of the story is saved for the main series, and everything else feels like an afterthought. This might be the end of this title making the cut. Sorry Dan Slott, you almost had me. I'll pay attention.

And the book of the week:

• Concrete vol. 5 (Dark Horse) - Another in the series of books reprinting the entirety of the Concrete stories. I have praised this book continuously in the recent past, but this is the real thing. An entertaining, heartfelt, masterful book. Get it.