Al Harahap
Jul 3, 2005, 02:02 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0605/AuthorityLoboSpringBreak.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0605/AuthorityLoboSpringBreakT.jpg" align=left alt="The Authority/Lobo: Spring Break Massacre" hspace=10></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, al_harahap@comixfan.cjb.net
Story Title: “Spring Break Massacre”
Suggested for Mature Readers.
The Authority + Lobo + fascist bunnies = hilarity ensues.
Plot: Keith Giffen
Script: Alan Grant
Pencils: Simon Bisley
Inks: Henry Flint
Colours: J.D. Mettler
Letters: Phil Balsman
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Simon Bisley and David Baron
Publisher: <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/wildstorm/" target="new">Wildstorm/DC Comics</a>
The Authority Created by: Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
For fans of: Heavy Metal magazine, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Spaceballs.
In The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special, the jealous Easter Bunny contracted fan favourite Lobo to kill the more popular Santa Claus. In The Authority vs. Lobo, child prodigy Jenny Quantum read the comic book, got upset with the homicidal maniac, and yanked him to the Wildstorm Universe, where Lobo faced the Authority. In this book, we find out that Jenny Quantum did not actually send him back to the DC Universe, and that an angered Lobo is left wandering the Wildstorm Universe hunting for an Easter Bunny that doesn’t exist. Oh-oh.
Writers Keith Giffen (JLA: Classified) and Alan Grant (Batman), The Demon) are joined by artist Simon Bisley (Batman books, Heavy Metal) for another go-round of interdimensional hijinks. They are together also a tried and true creative team, who are all Judge Dredd alumni and have done Lobo together, so they know themselves and one another pretty well to make for a harmonious marriage of text and art.
Many people may not know, or perhaps forget, that once upon a time before his sidesplittingly funny Justice League run, Giffen had proven his serious side with a darker Legion of Super-Heroes that is up to this day a favourite era of many of its fans. So to be playing in an arena such as this, where the character combination and dynamics allow him to be both dark and funny, Giffen becomes a well-rounded plotter who offers something that’s sickeningly twisted yet entertaining at the same time. And frequent collaborator Grant tops off the plot with his unabashed one-liners. Which is especially welcome for the character of Jenny Quantum, who’s grown up a bit from the previous episode and can whip them out like any of the grownups. In fact, she becomes such a presence in this book, that not only are the rest of The Authority overshadowed, but their presence almost becomes unnecessary, other than as Jenny’s babysitters – almost as if this should be a Jenny Quantum/Lobo book.
Meanwhile, Bisley lets loose with the artwork, even more so than usual, which becomes a double-edged sword. Bisley’s creativity is at an acid-inducted height. The Easter Bunny is a big, fat tyrant, whose fascist bunny followers wear militaristic uniforms… but with thongs that have spiked sac pouches. There’s a bullet-ridden whale on top of a roller coaster just for background purposes. There’s a pair of conjoined twins, whose combover goes from the head of one to the other one who’s bald. The whole visual feel of the book is like a Sesame Street cartoon on acid. At the same time, some consistency is lost because of this rampaging style. And perhaps it’s just my copy, but a few pages are rather blurry, including the text, as if the printing machine wasn’t perfectly stable. Also be warned that the visuals are quite explicit in both sexuality (a dreaming scantily clad Swift caressing her own breasts) and violence (a generous amount of bunny brains, blood, and guts).
The creators, the characters, the setup – all great. So why does it feel like something’s off? Well, for starters, this is a sequel that doesn’t introduce much that’s new. It’s also the third time that Lobo is pitted against lovable folklore figures, so the novelty is somewhat waning. It’s more of a guilty pleasure and indulgence for the creators’ and characters’ fans than anything else. I’d love to see this same exact creative team take on other crossovers with just The Authority or just Lobo meeting other characters to mix things up. In the meantime, if this is what we have, well, no complaints here.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wshalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=106&cat=AUTHORITY)
Story Title: “Spring Break Massacre”
Suggested for Mature Readers.
The Authority + Lobo + fascist bunnies = hilarity ensues.
Plot: Keith Giffen
Script: Alan Grant
Pencils: Simon Bisley
Inks: Henry Flint
Colours: J.D. Mettler
Letters: Phil Balsman
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover: Simon Bisley and David Baron
Publisher: <a href="http://www.dccomics.com/wildstorm/" target="new">Wildstorm/DC Comics</a>
The Authority Created by: Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
For fans of: Heavy Metal magazine, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Spaceballs.
In The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special, the jealous Easter Bunny contracted fan favourite Lobo to kill the more popular Santa Claus. In The Authority vs. Lobo, child prodigy Jenny Quantum read the comic book, got upset with the homicidal maniac, and yanked him to the Wildstorm Universe, where Lobo faced the Authority. In this book, we find out that Jenny Quantum did not actually send him back to the DC Universe, and that an angered Lobo is left wandering the Wildstorm Universe hunting for an Easter Bunny that doesn’t exist. Oh-oh.
Writers Keith Giffen (JLA: Classified) and Alan Grant (Batman), The Demon) are joined by artist Simon Bisley (Batman books, Heavy Metal) for another go-round of interdimensional hijinks. They are together also a tried and true creative team, who are all Judge Dredd alumni and have done Lobo together, so they know themselves and one another pretty well to make for a harmonious marriage of text and art.
Many people may not know, or perhaps forget, that once upon a time before his sidesplittingly funny Justice League run, Giffen had proven his serious side with a darker Legion of Super-Heroes that is up to this day a favourite era of many of its fans. So to be playing in an arena such as this, where the character combination and dynamics allow him to be both dark and funny, Giffen becomes a well-rounded plotter who offers something that’s sickeningly twisted yet entertaining at the same time. And frequent collaborator Grant tops off the plot with his unabashed one-liners. Which is especially welcome for the character of Jenny Quantum, who’s grown up a bit from the previous episode and can whip them out like any of the grownups. In fact, she becomes such a presence in this book, that not only are the rest of The Authority overshadowed, but their presence almost becomes unnecessary, other than as Jenny’s babysitters – almost as if this should be a Jenny Quantum/Lobo book.
Meanwhile, Bisley lets loose with the artwork, even more so than usual, which becomes a double-edged sword. Bisley’s creativity is at an acid-inducted height. The Easter Bunny is a big, fat tyrant, whose fascist bunny followers wear militaristic uniforms… but with thongs that have spiked sac pouches. There’s a bullet-ridden whale on top of a roller coaster just for background purposes. There’s a pair of conjoined twins, whose combover goes from the head of one to the other one who’s bald. The whole visual feel of the book is like a Sesame Street cartoon on acid. At the same time, some consistency is lost because of this rampaging style. And perhaps it’s just my copy, but a few pages are rather blurry, including the text, as if the printing machine wasn’t perfectly stable. Also be warned that the visuals are quite explicit in both sexuality (a dreaming scantily clad Swift caressing her own breasts) and violence (a generous amount of bunny brains, blood, and guts).
The creators, the characters, the setup – all great. So why does it feel like something’s off? Well, for starters, this is a sequel that doesn’t introduce much that’s new. It’s also the third time that Lobo is pitted against lovable folklore figures, so the novelty is somewhat waning. It’s more of a guilty pleasure and indulgence for the creators’ and characters’ fans than anything else. I’d love to see this same exact creative team take on other crossovers with just The Authority or just Lobo meeting other characters to mix things up. In the meantime, if this is what we have, well, no complaints here.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wshalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=106&cat=AUTHORITY)