The Monkey King's Used Primate Emporium and Book Reviews

previous - next - random review

Brian Michael Bendis �Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl?�

Started February 28 � Finished February 28, 2003; 242 pages. Posted 06 March 2003

Yes, we�re back on the Daredevil references.

Yes, Bendis is the current writer for Daredevil, and he�s doing a great fucking job. Since Kevin Smith started the Re-launch of Daredevil, there�s only been one bad issue out of 44. That�s fucking amazing in the comic world. The original run of Daredevil comics probably only has 75 issues out of the 370-issue run that stand up to this level of quality. There�s a page on the latest Daredevil issue for some award ceremony for the comic world, and Bendis� current run on Daredevil has been nominated for �Comics� Greatest Moment for 2002.� Not only that, but Daredevil has been nominated in seven out of 20 different categories.

I am not used to this attention. I�ve never really paid attention before, but it�s like how I would look and see on the Marvel Monopoly board to see if DD was featured. Three years ago, he wasn�t. Without trying to sound like Sally Field (You like him! You really like him!), it�s neat to see some mainstream acknowledgement of a character I always thought was cool.

Which doesn�t have anything to do with this book, aside from the fact that Bendis wrote it before he moved to Daredevil. I don�t search these side projects out, they just seem to come into the store. And so I picked it up just on the Daredevil side reference factor. And surprise! It turns out that this is really good as well.

It�s like if Jim Thompson wrote comics that were then turned into movies by the Coen Brothers. It�s that good. The art is a little more simplistic than I�m used to after things like Earth X, but I actually like it better. It adds to the story, instead of distracting. Some of these panels look like they were lifted from the Clerks: The Cartoon Series episodes, but even then it helps the story, whether it be for the dramatic point, or the punchline.

This was so good that when I went into the comic shop today to pick up the newest issue of Daredevil, I almost picked up a bunch of older issues of this series. I resisted, but just barely. If I didn�t have so much to read already, I probably would have. And so, I would suggest you read it instead.


Rating: Worth new!

previous - next - random review