It was kind of a light week at Ye Olde Comic Shoppe, so on a whim, I decide to pick up Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy #1. What the hell, right? And, it's a one-shot that's only $2.99!! Are you taking notes, Marvel?!?
Anyway, it's apparently time to reboot Solomon Grundy, which DC does from time to time. Almost anything would be better than that mess that Brad Meltzer gave us during the JLA relaunch. Don't get me wrong--the idea of an evil, intelligent Grundy has some appeal, but it was so poorly handled (give him Red Tornado's body? With Amazo's powers? WTF?!? That's his evil genius plan?!?) as to be a waste of time, especially when Grundy was immediately killed again.
This one-shot was written by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins, with art by Kolins. And, well...it reeks of, shall we say, familiarity?!?
Grundy first reappears as a reborn puny Cyrus Gold:
OK, that's new. But he wastes his rebirth murdering a sweet old man and his dog, reminiscing about what a miserable bastard he was back in the 19th century, and beating the crap out of a nice lady (really, that much violence in a Geoff Johns book?? Who would have thought?) Big surprise, he ends up dying, and inevitably, he is reborn as Grundy:
Well, aside from initially reappearing as Cyrus Gold, this version of Grundy isn't so different. And then he ends up in a fight with Killer Croc:
Hmmm, old Jade-Jaw's...oh, I mean Grundy's grammar has gotten worse. But that's not really new. What else you got?
Ohhh...so Gold's intellect is awake inside there, and Grundy hears it...and hates his puny alter ego. This is getting more and more familiar...until finally:
Oh, dear...so now Grundy transforms back into puny Cyrus Gold when he gets tired.
Seriously.
Hmmm. I'm sure glad we've come up with something all new and all different for Solomon Grundy, as poor Cyrus Gold tries to cure himself of the effects of the gamma bomb...oh, ahem...I mean curse. Because within each of us, oftimes, there dwells a mighty raging fury...oh, ahem, I mean Grundy.
Still, it beats the Red Hulk...
Anyway, it's apparently time to reboot Solomon Grundy, which DC does from time to time. Almost anything would be better than that mess that Brad Meltzer gave us during the JLA relaunch. Don't get me wrong--the idea of an evil, intelligent Grundy has some appeal, but it was so poorly handled (give him Red Tornado's body? With Amazo's powers? WTF?!? That's his evil genius plan?!?) as to be a waste of time, especially when Grundy was immediately killed again.
This one-shot was written by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins, with art by Kolins. And, well...it reeks of, shall we say, familiarity?!?
Grundy first reappears as a reborn puny Cyrus Gold:
OK, that's new. But he wastes his rebirth murdering a sweet old man and his dog, reminiscing about what a miserable bastard he was back in the 19th century, and beating the crap out of a nice lady (really, that much violence in a Geoff Johns book?? Who would have thought?) Big surprise, he ends up dying, and inevitably, he is reborn as Grundy:
Well, aside from initially reappearing as Cyrus Gold, this version of Grundy isn't so different. And then he ends up in a fight with Killer Croc:
Hmmm, old Jade-Jaw's...oh, I mean Grundy's grammar has gotten worse. But that's not really new. What else you got?
Ohhh...so Gold's intellect is awake inside there, and Grundy hears it...and hates his puny alter ego. This is getting more and more familiar...until finally:
Oh, dear...so now Grundy transforms back into puny Cyrus Gold when he gets tired.Seriously.
Hmmm. I'm sure glad we've come up with something all new and all different for Solomon Grundy, as poor Cyrus Gold tries to cure himself of the effects of the gamma bomb...oh, ahem...I mean curse. Because within each of us, oftimes, there dwells a mighty raging fury...oh, ahem, I mean Grundy.
Still, it beats the Red Hulk...
Oh God. Oh my dear good God.
ReplyDeleteI'd been aware of this issue through DC's website and newsarama et al, but I had no idea of this. . .development as I thought the following snark:
"Huh. Didio must be angling for a bit of that Incredible Hulk money."
And then you show me this. . .it makes the mind reel.
Wow. I could not want to purchase this comic any less.
ReplyDeleteJesus, they did everything but have him yell "Grundy Smash!".
ReplyDeleteAnd hearing Didio's comments about Swamp Thing makes me wonder if he's ever read anything with Swamp Thing in it at all. ST is about as much of a "mindless brute" as the Martian Manhunter. He's Captain Emo. Karen Berger is one smart, smart lady to keep DiDio at bay.
I am soooo glad I skipped this comic. Just reading your description makes me mad -- I'da been infuriated if I'd paid money for that.
ReplyDeleteWhere did they find DiDio again? I don't for a moment believe he's ever read comics prior to getting the reins at DC.
And what the hell did the comics readers of the world do to deserve DiDio and Quesada?!
There was a really good episode of the JLU cartoon where Grundy essentially played the Hulk and some of the other characters played the Defenders. "Grundy Smash!" The weird thing to me was that anyone was ever that much of a Defenders fan.
ReplyDeleteThere was also a one-shot comic called DR. STRANGEFATE back in the mid-90's. It was one of those AMALGAM comics, the ones where characters from Marvel and DC got merged together. There was a character named Skulk, who was Bruce Banner but, if he got angry, turned into a creature who resembled Solomom Grundy.
ReplyDelete