Comic Picks By The Glick

The story goes that one night “The Immortal Dragon” broke up ten rival Yakuza factions in one night.  Barehanded. Then he disappeared without explanation the following day. What could cause such a man to walk away from the Yakuza life?  Why, to walk the path of the househusband of course! Tatsu found the right girl in Miku, a dedicated career woman who’s a bit of an otaku, and has since devoted himself to managing the household chores while she’s away.  So whether it’s fixing meals, cleaning the apartment, racing other housewives for the latest department store bargain, Tatsu is going to devote himself to the task in question. Using all the style and skills he learned during his time as a Yakuza enforcer.

If you can imagine “Goro Majima:  The Domestic Years” then you’ll have a pretty good idea what “The Way of the Househusband” is about.  Tatsu goes about these mundane household tasks in a way that’s extremely Yakuza. That means wearing a fancy suit under his apron while cooking.  Putting his wife’s lunch in a stainless-steel briefcase while he jumps on his bike to chase after her. And setting up a birthday celebration for his wife just like he used to do for his old boss, I’m sure.  Most importantly is that Tatsu maintains a really creepy and threatening look while doing ALL of this.

It’s a fun premise and there are definitely laughs to be had while reading this volume.  Tatsu’s encounter with a Roomba is some quality slapstick, while Miku’s reaction to the birthday setup her husband has engineered is priceless.  The only problem with this is that this is a series with a one-joke setup that doesn’t really have the imagination to take it any further than what you see here.  I’m speaking from experience because I’ve been reading the scanlations and bought this first volume out of obligation for that reason. Four volumes in and the style of humor is exactly the same as what you see here.  If you like that, cool. As for me, I kind of feel I should stop reading the scanlations so I don’t feel any further obligation to keep buying this series.

comicpicksbytheglick@gmail.com

(But it’s just so easy to click on the link when a new chapter shows up…)

Warren Ellis and Jason Howard decided to take a break before they dove into the third and final volume of “Trees.”  I also believe it was Howard who told Ellis that he wanted to do something with a lot more action. Thank god he did because the end result is likely going to be the best action story I’ve read in comics this year.

*Looks at “to review” pile.*

*Looks at “to read” pile.”

Yeah, there’s a lot in each right now.  You know what makes up a lot of the former?  Marvel titles! So let me throw out my thoughts on the latest volumes of “X-23,” “Black Panther,” “Immortal Hulk,” “Captain America,” and “Domino.”

First things first:  Adam, apology accepted.

Vol. 10 of “Empowered” didn’t just leave off with the series’ first-ever cliffhanger.  No, it left off with a downright brutal one by the standards of any title. After a big, dramatic heart-to-heart between Emp and Thugboy about their status, it looked like we were going to get a big mega-happy ending for this volume.  Until Thugboy unexpectedly threw Emp off the roof of the building they were on. While her super-suit protected our protagonist, she was greeted post-impact by a psychic projection of deceased hero Mindf--k who let her in on what was going on:  Mindf--k’s brother has escaped from his cell and is now loose in the city.

John and I talk about the new movie, while I make the case for even more Joker origin stories than the ones we already have in the comics.

No, the title here isn’t as punny as I thought it would be.  It’s still the best way to advertise that things have aligned such that the newest volumes from this particular creator have wound up in my review pile.  So it’s time to take them out at the same time.

The first volume of this series didn’t leave me very hopeful for its long-term prospects.  What with an ending that left so many plot threads and questions open to the point where one of its characters threw up their hands because of it.  Creator Rob Guillory has said that he wants this series to have a thirty-issue run and vol. 1 wasn’t the best case for that. Vol. 2, however, is a step in the right direction as we get a better idea of what to expect from “Farmhand” both in tone and story.

Things are still crazy on Jedediah Jenkins’ farm where he grows transplant-ready organs and limbs after the election saw his friend-turned-nemesis Monica Thorne installed as mayor.  Now the EPA is wanting a much closer look at his operation and Jed has delegated things to his daughter Andrea to sort out. It’s about the worst time for him to do something like that because not only are the recipients of his transplants starting to experience some rather unpleasant side effects, but his crops are starting to escape the confinement of his farm as well.  Meanwhile, Jed’s son Zeke is trying to mend fences with his dad, yet only seems to get sucked deeper into the mess his father has created.

Guillory’s wonderfully cartoonish and expressive art has always screamed “comedy” to me.  However, it’s clear with this volume that “Farmhand” is trending more in the direction of a horror series.  That’s not a dealbreaker for me as he’s able to deliver some impressively creepy scenes by pitching his style in a darker direction.  There’s also more focus on the events that are happening within the context of this volume, which gives it some much needed focus. Guillory also gets points for having Zeke and his wife deal with their problems like adults.  That leaves Thorne as the biggest… problem in this series as there’s a whole lot of mystery surrounding her and her motivations at this point. My feeling now is that this series will ultimately prove its worth once they’re revealed, so I’ll keep following “Farmhand” until that happens.

Or until my patience runs out.  Whichever comes first.

comicpicksbytheglick@gmail.com

(While the world of “Farmhand” may be one filling up with human/plant mutants, the best joke in the series lets us know it’s also one where “The Walking Dead” got to issue #500.  So it’s not ALL bad.)

“Extremity” left me wanting to see creator Daniel Warren Johnson put his considerable artistic talents toward a more interesting story for his next series.  That is EXACTLY what has wound up happening with “Murder Falcon!” A balls-to-the-wall celebration of the intensity, awesomeness, and ridiculousness of Metal, it shows that style really can triumph over substance.  Only when style takes the form of an eight-foot talking falcon with a gigantic metal arm.