Incredible Hulk 431-432 (Marvel)
Lady Justice 1 (Tekno)
Spawn: Blood Feud 1 (Image)
Star Wars: Jabba the Hutt: The Hunger of Princess Nampi (Dark Horse)
Teknophage 2 (Tekno)
Violator vs. Badrock 1 (Image)


Incredible Hulk 431-432

W: Peter David  P: Liam Sharp  I: Robin Riggs (431-432), Jon Holdredge (431)

Maybe it's the out of proportion art by Liam Sharp, maybe it's the expensive glossy paper, maybe I'm trying to rationalize my Marvel boycott, but I don't like this book as much as I used to. Lately it's seemed like a shadow of its former self. Most of the characters, especially the minor ones, seem like caricatures. The dialogue and captions seem forced and pretentious. I remember scenes like the one in "War and Pieces" where Havok and the Hulk debated the morality of their respective actions. That sort of thing still goes on in this book, but it doesn't seem as natural or well-written it used to be. ($1.95 ea., Marvel)


(Neil Gaiman's) Lady Justice 1

W: C.J. Henderson  P: Mike Netzer  I: Rick Magyar

Lord, let me find some suckers with pockets this deep. How much is Neil Gaiman getting for ideas this lame? Is this what passes for "High Concept" these days? "It's a female version of the Punisher who kills with her bare hands. And, here's the thing, her mask is a blindfold!" There's absolutely nothing unique about this book; it's a cobbled together mess of cliches. Typical origin - heavy trauma (parents dead, both brothers killed in the same day by the same terrorist, dancing career cut short by confinement to a wheelchair) and divine inspiration turn her into a super hero (or, more accurately, a super killer) who prances about in a cleavage-revealing outfit and high heels. At least she's wearing pants. In the space of five days, she's up and about and beating the crap out of criminals, including the terrorist who killed her brothers.  But instead of Lady Justice, she should be called Lady Revenge or Lady Torture, because she takes perverse delight in doing away with her victims and prolonging their agony. According to the wall clock, she pummels the face of the terrorist collaborator for 46 minutes. "With what is left of his mouth...Gilbert talks." She puts her high heels to good use by impaling the hand of the terrorist with one of them. This book takes the concept of "justice" to gruesome new depths, and, frankly, the gratuitous violence in this title bothered me almost as much as the killing and butchering in the latest From Hell. But there's a point to the latter depiction; this is merely a pandering grotesque mess. ($1.95, Tekno)


Spawn: Blood Feud 1
Violator vs. Badrock 1

W: Alan Moore  A: Tony Daniel and Kevin Conrad
W: Alan Moore  P: Brian Denham  I: Jonathan Sibal

It's a double dose of Alan Moore Image books. The first one I read was Violator vs. Badrock, an entertaining romp pitting the muscle boy against the drooling demon. Witty dialogue makes the book a great read. "...welcome you to the Whiteside-Parsons Institute, Mr. Rock." "Please call me 'Bad'".

What a sharp contrast to the abominable Spawn: Blood Feud, which I tossed on the floor half way through it. The pages where the monster stalks it's victims are very well done, but the rest of the book cannot be taken seriously. A paranormal investigator who could pass for Rutger Hauer manages to convince the police and press that Spawn is a vampire. So the cops plaster the city with "Extranormal Hazard - Beware" posters. Right. I don't think I've ever groaned so much while reading a comic book. ($2.25 and $2.50, Image)


Star Wars: Jabba the Hutt: The Hunger of Princess Nampi 

W: Jim Woodring  P: Art Wetherell  I: Monty Sheldon

This is Jim Woodring's second attempt at scripting the adventures of the galaxy's least lovable Hutt. Heading home with the spoils of the previous issue, Jabba's ship stumbles across a seemingly defenseless freighter. In a stunning display of tactical stupidity, Jabba personally leads an undermanned and underarmed raiding party into a trap. Yet it's quite entertaining to watch him use his guile to weasel his way out of captivity while his second is the embroiled in a seduction scene that seems like a cross between Lina Wertmuller and John Waters. Admittedly, it's much lighter fare than Woodring's series Jim, and the touch almost strikes me as too light for the subject matter. Likewise, the art, like the art in Teknophage, seems too bright and cartoony to fit the plot. ($2.50, Dark Horse)


(Neil Gaiman's) Teknophage 2

S: Rick Veitch  P: Bryan Talbot  I: Angus McKie

Though it's probably not saying much, this is the best title Tekno is publishing. (I liked Mr. Hero, but not enough to keep buying it when $$$ got tight.) The plot centers around an unscrupulous businessman named Rob Nichols who is thrust into the hellish realm of Kalighoul, ruled by the Teknophage. "Rob Nichols is being...challenged. Let's just leave it at that." But is he being challenged by evil or tempted by good? Veitch's plot is good, though marred by an overdone spot or two (like the ridiculous Mayor Mackaboy). Talbot's art is fine, but I think it's a bit too smooth and refined for the nature of the story, but that might be the fault of the bright coloring or glossy paper. ($1.95, Tekno)