So I put up my very first blog post…and nothing happened. Thanggod! For as private an S.O.B. as I am, it’s always a very queasy thing to put myself “out there” in such a way. May have a post that typifies this in the future, but for the moment, let’s get on to one of my cited purposes:
There’s been a severe level of hype surrounding the next big “crisis” multi-issue event from DC Comics, “Identity Crisis.” [IDC, hereafter] Though it’s been talked up for months and even the DC rep to the shop at which I work was pushing us to get extra issues a couple weeks back, they’ve been very secretive about what exactly happens, save that there was a murder of a significant, though not A-level, character and it would have ripple effects in the ongoing titles [IDC won’t cross titles, though; it’s a seven issue mini-series]. With all that hype and a stellar cover by the recently resurgent Michael Turner, you’d expect a real heavy hitter right out of the box, right?
Well, no, at least not yet. Perhaps writer Brad Meltzer is taking the build-up tactic instead of blow-us-away, but compared to the flash and dash of his comic book peers (Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, JMS, etc.), the first ish doesn’t match the hype. Now I can enjoy the slow intro as much as being tossed into the middle of an already extant conflagration, but I’m just not getting it, despite all the carefully scripted background and build-up to the central event of the mini-series. Don’t get me wrong: I like the Elongated Man, and he and his better half were part of the great fun of Keith Giffen’s Formerly Known As The Justice League series late last year/early this year, so I am disappointed that, should they follow through with a sequel series, we won’t have both (or perhaps either) of them in on the goofiness. Beyond that, Sue Dinby’s death is supposed to be the MacGuffin of this “crisis?” Say what? It just doesn’t get me going to knock off the wife of a third-string superhero, nor do I think it should be something that gets nearly all the DCU heroes going on a manhunt.
And Ralph thinks that Dr. Light is the culprit? Doctor-freakin’-LIGHT?!? I’d already heard that Meltzer was going for third-rate villains, but crikey, he’s right up there with the Toyman for baddies best left in the Silver Age! The best thing I can say about the book is that the artwork is first-class. Hadn’t run into Rags Morales (at least by name) before, but he does a damn good job. Inking and colors are up to the same snuff, but though it’s pleasant enough of a book to look at, you’ll be doing A LOT of reading. Meltzer does not hold back on the text and given that this is an extra long book (and it should be for $3.95 a crack), you’re gonna spend a while with this one. Normally I can knock off a given book in 10-15 minutes. This one? 25 at least, if not a half-hour. I hope we’re going someplace with this, ‘cause after this first ish, folks are going to sort out that it’s not your normal “crisis” book, much as folks rapidly realized that Marvel’s “Secret War” series has nothing to do with any of the previous “Secret WARS” series, and declined to pick up the second issue. I would like it to grab the reader more, since we got a WHOLE bunch of ‘em at the shop that I’d love to shift, but I just don’t see it happening. Here’s to Meltzer getting it in gear next ish.