January 2, 2004

The Matrix Comics TPB (Burlyman Entertainment. Winter 2003. $21.95. Writer & Artist: Various)
Say what you want about the subsequent Matrix films. There’s no denying that, whatever your feelings about the follow ups, the first film was a breakthrough for sci-fi movie lovers. The magic was lost once the franchise became little more than an action packed popcorn flick, but for a few brief moments it seemed like the Wachowski brothers actually threatened George Lucas’s throne of nerddom.

If you were let down by both Reloaded and Revolutions, there’s still a hope. This compilation of comics centered in and around the film’s universe provides an interesting cross-section of both talent and theme. Some heavy hitters are presented, such as Pete (HATE) Bagge (in a spoof of the first film’s semi-confusing conclusion) and David (STRAY BULLETS) Lapham. These two are but a drop in the bucket, with other notable comics creators such as Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Gibbons, Neil Gaiman, and Paul Chadwick all contributing satisfactory materials.

Hopefully this is just the first step in an attempt to ‘flesh out’ the world of the Matrix films. The comic format allows a much wider variety of stories to be told, so if you were turned off by the Hollywood credo of “action before everything,” you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the stories included here. The highlight is Lapham’s story about a kid trying to constantly remind himself that the brutal tortures he undergoes while in the Matrix “aren’t real,” despite the pain overload being flushed into his head. If you loved the movies, were even mildly intrigued by them, or just respect the bevy of creators present, you’ll find something to your liking here.


Wanted #1 (of 6) (Image/Top Cow. December 2003. $2.99. Writer: Mark Millar; Artst: JG Jones)
Millar, the mastermind behind successful (both critically and financially) relaunches of X-Men, The Authority and Swamp Thing, strikes out into virgin territory in this self-proclaimed “Watchmen for Super-villains.” Though it’s a ballsy move to compare an untested series to the benchmark for all superhero comics, Millar has the chops to make you consider this boast for a few moments before realizing it’s a little off the mark (no pun intended).

WANTED tells the story of Wesley Gibson, a loser who can’t keep his best friend away from his girl, or keep his crabbing boss off his back. That all changes when his estranged father, who has been missing since a few months after Wesley’s birth, is murdered under bizarre circumstances. Having your estranged father is bad enough, but when he’s one of the world’s leading supervillains, things can get sticky. Wesley is drawn into a life of crime, corruption, and super espionage that would make Q kvetch.

Millar is a talented writer, and his knack for twists and turns in his plots has already made him one of the most revered writers in the genre. Since his self-started exodus from the “Big Two” comic companies, he’s been on a mission to create the “Millarverse”; a series of comics published by various independents but all linked in some fashion or another. At times he does tend to lean a little too far to the grotesque and ‘adult’ in his non-mainstream work (such as Wesley’s father’s death scene) but thankfully it tends to advance the plot rather than detract from it. JG Jones, who is currently wrapping up his work on Alan Moore’s PROMETHEA, submits work of his usual high caliber. The backgrounds and intricacies aren’t as detailed as those on Promethea, but it’s still superior to 90% of the superhero work being offered today.

New X-Men 146-150 (Marvel. Winter 2003. $2.25 each. Writer: Grant Morrison; Artist: Phil Jimenez)
These five issues encompass the entirety of the “Planet X” arc, the penultimate storyline by maverick writer Grant Morrison. Morrison’s run on NXM has had its ups and downs, but ending on such a high note will really make his replacement’s work pale in comparison.

If you’ve been following Grant’s run since his initial “E is for Extinction” storyline, you were undoubtedly blown away by the revelation which launched this series-within-a-series. Let’s just say that this is the X-Men movie you’ll never get to see, yet blows the two ‘official’ films out of the water. If you’d like to see Magneto return in a blaze of glory, decimating New York City and creating major havoc while simulatenously killing off half of the X-Men, this is the series for you. Magneto’s return was one of the most shocking ‘back from the dead’ epics ever printed in an industry that both created and over-killed the gimmick. The fact that his return has been orchestrated for three years and, in hindsight, was glaringly obvious does nothing to retract from it’s eventual impact.

Rarely are superhero comics delivered with such class and sophistication. Morrison’s run on New X-Men will go down as one of the greats of the industry. If you can get over the fact that it’s silly mutants running around with superpowers trying to save the Earth, you’re in for one heck of a ride. Hopefully Morrison will continue to deliver the goods on his switch to DC later this year.


Please send review copies to:

Scott Semet
185 Asbury Road
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
08234
ssemet1@comcast.net