Comics: Week of November 9

And now, the second installment of my paragraph-length reviews. The three comics I bought this week don't have much in common (aside from the over-arching publisher), but I was fairly pleased with each of them.

DMZ #1 - "On The Ground, Part One"
(Brian Wood, words; Riccardo Burchielli & Brian Wood, art)

The premise for this series is intriguing: a group of states (including New Jersey) seceded from the United States five years ago, and we see what it’s like to live in Manhattan Island, the titular de-militarized zone, through the eyes of photography intern Matthew Roth. The series starts in medias res, so I’m not getting as much information as I would like; I know that’s part of the point, that we’re just confused as Roth is, but it means I’m having a hard time really getting into this issue. It’s a good story, and the artists do a good job showing just how decrepit, crumbling, and dirty the city has become. Bottom line: it’s a good first issue, and my interest is suitably peaked.
Expectation: 3
Rating: 3
Differential: 0


Infinite Crisis #2
(Geoff Johns, words; Phil Jiminez, pencils)

For myself and the thousands of fans of DC Comics, this is the biggest event of the last 20 years, but the first issue left me a little underwhelmed. This one is better, mostly because we get a little more forward momentum amidst all the exposition (and there's a LOT of exposition). Johns has recieved a lot of flack for his writing over the past year or so, but I'm enjoying his story so far. Jimenez's art is pretty good; I don't like the way he draws some of the feature characters (Power Girl, Earth-1 Superman), but that's two out of about two hundred, and the art chores in this book would have killed a lesser man. I liked this issue, even moreso for the inclusion of Animal Man and Booster Gold (with SKEETS!), and it's raised the bar for issue 3.
Expectation: 3
Rating: 4
Differential: +1

Jonah Hex #1
(Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti, words; Luke Ross, art)

I know it’s technically one of last week’s comics, but Devon’s glowing endorsement of it made me curious enough to pick it up, and let me tell you, I’m glad I did. The Western genre can be predictable and lame, but Gray and Palmiotti tell an interesting – and self-contained – story that acts both as a good introduction to the character and the world he inhabits. The panel layout echoes the visual style of the great Western films; “widescreen” panels frame the setting, while series of smaller panels move along conversation and action. Ross’s version of Hex looks a lot like Clint Eastwood at times, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but threw me off the trail once or twice on the first read-through. From the looks of the first issue, I’ll be getting the next few issues of Jonah Hex, but we’ll see if it has the chops to knock one of my titles off my monthly list permanently.
Expectation: 3.5
Rating: 4
Differential: +0.5