NEWS: Pete's Kick In The Balls List - June 2008

Yes that's right - here is my official 'kick in the balls' list for last month. Would I have seen any of the below people in the month of June, I would have given them a swift kick to end zone, and probably been carted off in a police car.

3. Peter David

Ah Peter Peter Peter... You took She-Hulk, you looked at Dan Slott's work, and you thought to yourself - "how can I improve on this?" Then, after you realised you didn't have any immediate ideas, you stripped her of everything fans were enjoying, and tried to recreate her from the ground up. I tip my cap to you for the attempt sir, but I kick you in the balls for the f@£k up.

2. Dan Slott

Thought you'd escaped the list after that nice little write up did you? Well think again Slott. You sir, have committed a crime deserving of the maximum sentence. Not only have you written for the abomination that is Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day - you've done it pretty halfheartedly. That's right - the bigger crime is not that you've changed something about the character (although a kick in the balls is the tip of the nut-shot iceberg for you on that one), it's that you've churned out work far below your own high standards. A shake of the hand for the excellent She-Hulk, and a kick to the balls for Amazing Spider-Man.

1. Dan DiDio

I really don't know where to begin with you Dan. We've had a funny old relationship you and I. I've written you letters, you've not responded, and I'm still sat here buying your comics. Comics of such 'quality' as Trinity. And Final Crisis. Comics I should be loving as a life long DC fan. But what have I got instead? Comics that I want to make paper airplanes out of. Your sir - you don't just get a kick to the balls - you get a steel toe capped Brazilian soccer player kick to the balls. Hope your voice isn't too squeaky afterwards.

REVIEW: She-Hulk - 30

Well, it's nice to say that issue thirty of She-Hulk continues the pace from book twenty-nine (which fans were crying out for), but has Peter David finally found his feet in telling Jennifer-She-Hulk tales?

Short answer - probably not. Slightly longer answer - good lord I hope not.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Although this book is a fun read (Jennifer ending up in bed with Hercules, then booting him out with his trousers around his ankles did make me smile), it's still not up to the standard of Dan Slott's run. Yes, I know I probably should be cutting Peter a little more slack than I am at the moment, yes, I know he did define much of Hulk history, and yes, I know all about how Dan has a different writing style.

And yes - I do know that Dan's latest work has put him on my 'kick in the balls' list.

But you know what - this is a good comic book, but it isn't Dan Slott She-Hulk good. Peter seems to have forgotten how to write anything above 'good' or 'passable' Jennifer stories. And although this issue does fall into the 'good' box - I'm still not feeling it as a series so far.

So, by the skin of its teeth (because of the ending, and the nice Herc cameo), She-Hulk issue 30 scrapes a score of...

Pete's Score: 4 out of 5
(pick it up and give it a go - then let me know what you thought)

REVIEW: She-Hulk - 29

Peter David's She-Hulk and I haven't really got on up until this point. I was thoroughly hooked on Dan Slott's take on Jennifer, always keen to pick each issue up and read more on the numerous triangles that he had created between the staff at Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Book.

But Peter's work... It felt more 'Hulk' than She-Hulk.

It was almost as though Peter was missing the inherent femininity within the character he was writing, choosing the focus purely on powerhouse abilities and stripping Jen of her ties to the real world.

Not a creative decision I would have made - but I understood his desire to make something different and unique, which is the main reason I chose to give the book a chance and carry on picking it up for a little while.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The last issue of She-Hulk saw Peter laying an interesting foundation - locking Jen up after she inadvertently broke a restraining order between her and Arthur Moore (also known as 'Dark Art') - the man who helped her to become disbarred.

Carrying that story on - Jen stays behind bars, but recounts the story of how Moore entered her life to her cellmate. This, to be honest, is one of those 'fill in the gaps' issues, explaining how the characters within Dan's She-Hulk became those appearing in Peter's.

In my opinion - the story within this issue is one that has needed to be told for far too long. Although I know that Peter wanted to make his mark as soon as he hit the book, I'm ever so slightly worried that he may have done it at the expense of some long-term readers.

Readers who would have appreciated a book like this, much sooner.

Pete's Score: 4 out of 5
(a story that has been missing for far too long, now finally told - a good jumping on point to the series, although a question looms over the future of She-Hulk in Peter's hands)

REVIEW: She-Hulk - 28

Peter David has had a few issues with She-Hulk now, so how is he measuring up to Dan Slott's run?

Well, Dan definitely favoured long story-arcs and subtly weaving plot devices into his books. Throughout his run on She-Hulk we would see small interesting nuggets, such as Andy's hidden crush, a shapeshifter hidden in plain sight, and many others - most of which seemed to be going somewhere pretty clear.

Peter's run however... Let's just say that there isn't anything wrong with it - but there doesn't seem to be much right with it either. I'm certainly not getting the same feeling of 'direction' from Pete that Dan would give to his readers, and am left feeling as though I'm almost reading a different character altogether.

Now - some might say it's a bit harsh to compare these two writers, as they both have very different styles. Peter's style has always seemed to be more action orientated than Dan's, but Dan's style was sometimes so dense with plot it would make the series harder for new readers to get into (you really got the most out of his writing only if the book was on your pull list each month).

But what of issue 28?

***SPOILER ALERT***

This issue finds She-Hulk in prison (again), with more questions asked about the seemingly immortal Jazinda, who 'dies' (again) in this issue chasing down Bran Murphy, the man responsible for the series' previous bomb attack.

Sound a little familiar?

It should do - this issue could have easily be a carbon copy of the one right before it, containing much of the same set pieces and questions.

I hate to say it - but I did get the impression that Peter kind of... 'Phoned this one in'...

Pete's Score: 3 out of 5

(doesn't really feel like it's going anywhere - but interesting to see a Skrull out in the open...) 

REVIEW: Star Trek - New Frontier: Second Stage - 1

Before I start off with the review - I'm going to 'declare my interests'. I like Star Trek. I know - I know - to some people that's almost enough for me to be immediately shunned - but I don't care - I'll still carry on watching the shows and reading the comics.

I might even go to see the new Abrams Star Trek film when it comes out (although even the mention of it makes my fists shake with anger - the original series should not be recast or rebooted).

But anyway - it's safe to say that I'm a fan.

Now - I'm declaring this ahead of time because... Well - part of me wonders if I've been generous in giving this book the score it's got.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Any Star Trek fan out there that's worth their salt will know that a few years back, an experiment (of sorts) was conducted. Peter David was given the ability to have creative control over a new crew / starship in the ongoing book series: Star Trek - New Frontier.

Some of you will know the name Captain Calahoun already from these books (or from the online fan series) - but to those of you who don't, the series is set in the Next Generation era on board the starship Excalibur. Stories have linked in with Next Gen series characters such as Commander Shelby and Dr Selar, and the series' concept and execution has received much praise.

So having said all that - you'd probably be expecting a fairly reasonable comic book, seeing as this is written by Peter David too.

But - as has always been the way with all but a few Star Trek books - the temptation is there to provide just a 'passable' story and artwork, as it will almost certainly sell no matter the quality.

In this case - the story is great (to those who have read the books - not so much to those who haven't) - but the artwork does leave a lot to be desired.

Overall, good, worth picking up if you're a fan of the New Frontier crew as you'll lap up the sub-plots -  but definitely not worth picking up if you're hoping to 'jump on' to the series from this point.

Pete's Score: 3 out of 5

(why on earth can't Star Trek books get artwork as good as Marvel or DC books?!? *screams* "KKKHHHHAAAAANNNNNN!")