dozmuttz's reviews
196 reviews
Public Domain, Volume 1, by Chip Zdarsky
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
A FUN AND WELL WRITTEN COMEDY/DRAMA, GIVING THE COMIC BIZ A NICE BREAK FROM THE USUAL THEMES/GENRES.
I was lucky enough to catch this series as a tik-tok recommendation, and I can’t believe more people aren't talking about this. The series shows Miles Dallas, who is a 30 year old journalist, being assigned with the job to interview Blake Powers, a movie star who is starring in the latest superhero blockbuster, The Domain. Miles doesn’t want to do the job, and feels like the only reason he was assigned it was because his father, Syd Dallas, is the co-creator of the original comics the billion dollar movies are based off. Miles is pretty ticked off as he knows his dad doesn’t own the rights to any of what he’s created, and doesn't get a penny from the movies or merchandise. After getting really riled up at his interview he ends up punching the movie star, Blake Powers. He gets arrested, and is bailed out by his brother Dave. The two reminisce and go to the airport to pick up their father from a red carpet event (in which he is never acknowledged), and after all three are together, Syd gets a text message with a picture of an old document and on that document it shows that Syd Dallas owns The Domain.
Chip Zdarsky is both writer and artist on this series and to start with his writing, I think it was brilliant. The whole story is an obvious meta take on the underappreciated creators in the comic industry. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster being ripped off by DC for the creation of Superman, Stan Lee taking more credit than he deserved compared to Jack Kirby at Marvel, Bob Kane being credited for the creation of Batman, leaving Bill Finger unnoticed for almost 80 years and so many more. It’s a story we’ve all witnessed before only in real life, and in the exact medium this story is being produced. I think that sense of familiarity is what makes this story so enjoyable to me, and the added comedic themes only make it more of a blast to read. The comedy isn’t anything over the top and is written really well. It’s not just dumb nonsense, it’s small details that some of the best comedy show writers implement. The characters are also really well done, and in cases like Syd and Dave, super likable and easy to root for. That’s not to say that Miles isn’t a good character but he is written to be a bit more difficult and has room to grow within himself. From reviews I’ve seen on this series this meta comic industry type story has been done before and a lot of people then take credit away from Zdarsky, and although I can’t speak on how true it is since I’ve not read those other series’s, I think Zdarsky still writes a great book. It goes in a direction that I didn’t expect, and also from the same reviews I was just mentioning, they too said that was the unique aspect of Zdarsky’s storytelling.
This was my first time seeing Zdarsky’s artwork (outside his covers for ‘Spider-Man: Life Story’) and I found it to be alright. It wasn’t anything crazy. but for the story it didn’t need to be.
Overall; This was a very pleasant change of pace for my reading and I love how Zdarsky writes this series. This first volume ends on a really high note and leaves me excited for the future issues/volumes.
Batman: The Caped Crusader, Vol. 2: The Origin of Robin, by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, Christopher J. Priest, Kevin Dooley, John Byrne
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These Batman collections continue to hold great stories moving the overall world of Batman forward. This particular volume follows the events of ‘A Death In The Family’ (so maybe read that first for certain plot points to make sense). We see the change in Batman after losing Jason in the horrific event and his reaction is not healthy. He’s angry and has taken down all reminders that Jason was his partner, Robin. He’s become more violent and reckless, forgetting his own lessons of keeping a clear head and thinking before doing. The main story in this volume is the storyline ‘Year 3’, which revolves around Gotham going through an intense gang war and Tony Zucco possibly being released from prison. It also shows a bit of Dick Grayson’s (Nightwing/the first Robin) origin and flashbacks displaying how he became Bruce Wayne’s ward and eventual crime fighting partner. Dick is worried about how Bruce is handling the war going on and his rejection to properly grieve the death of Jason. Along with that, Dick is unaware that the man who killed his parents is days away from being a free man and he has no intentions of being a better person.
Main writer is Marv Wolfman and once again he can do no wrong with writing the caped crusader. His focus on Batman’s reaction to the death of Jason was sort of the main focal point which I found to be very interesting and done well. His ‘Year 3’ storyline was also super entertaining and he gives great character depth on Dick Grayson. I love how he shines on the relationship between Dick and Alfred, showing that they have their own unique bond/care for one another. Aside from that it’s some great detective stories and Batman working solo again. Another aspect I love about this era of Batman is how Wolfman writes the city of Gotham. It feels as important to the series as the characters and it overall just feels real. It’s similar to how Frank Miller wrote it in ‘Year one’ and it shows the great detail the team put into this comic back in the day.
Jim Aparo continues to be the artist superstar with Mike DeCarlo providing some great ink work. A quick shout out to Pat Broderick though as he was the main artist for the ‘Year 3’ storyline. Once again Aparo captures the perfect look for Batman, and it’s overall a classic/familiar look. Similar to how I said Wolfman writes a great Gotham City, Aparo obviously is the one displaying it with his art and he does it masterfully. It’s done in a way that feels like a place you might’ve been in before (New York, Chicago, etc.) but still has the out of world element that makes it such an iconic location in fiction. It’s dirty, gritty, and is just the place that would need a character like Batman.
Overall this was another great volume of a great era in the history of Batman. Great writing, plotting, pacing, and artwork. What’s not to like?
Superman: Funeral for a Friend, by Dan Jurgens
1.0
This was utter garbage. If anybody actually has ANY of these single issues still, I’m sorry you wasted your old $2.50. If you like this Vol, I mean I guess my guy. Imma say one last thing to end this...there is a character in here named the “GANGBUSTER.” nuff said.