Eduardo BarretoCritiques

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Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography features writing from James D. Hudnall, art by Eduardo Barreto, color from Adam Kubert, and letters by Bill Oakley. As a graphic novel, the book could go beyond the weakened limits of the Comic Code in 1989, focusing on Peter Sands, a washed-up drunk of a reporter who sets out to write a sleazy biography of Luthor in order to raise some funds. Hudnall tells the story in flashback, with Clark Kent relaying what he knows of these events to police since he stands accused of Sands’s murder. As the story unwinds, Hudnall portrays a Luthor who tormented those around him from a young age, figuring out how to wield power over others and scheming to control them. Hudnall portrays Luthor having his parents killed for insurance money and then parleying that windfall into a front company that enabled him to develop and distribute designer drugs, filling the gap left when the CIA’s Air America program ended. Barreto’s portrayal of Metropolis’ slums differs from the usual clean, well-lit city of Superman, recalling instead David Mazzucchelli’s portrayal of Gotham in Batman: Year One with its grime and vice. Kubert’s colors add to this effect, with more muted colors and washes bringing out the grittiness of Barreto’s linework.

When Sands pitches the book to Ellen Fisher at Tinsel Town Press, she responds, “That sounds great! Could do better than Trump’s book.” The reference to Trump: The Art of the Deal doesn’t end there as Eric Peterson’s cover illustration directly references the cover to Tony Schwartz and Trump’s book, especially in the font choice and layout. This works particularly well, coming as it does three years after Marv Wolfman and John Byrne’s post-Crisis revamping of Lex Luthor as a wealthy businessman in 1986. While the story takes place in Superman’s world, the Man of Steel only makes a brief blur of an appearance. Most of the story is grounded, taking place in the human world even as Luthor’s power and influence begin to border on classic supervillainy. Hudnall builds on Luthor’s identity as a businessman when he depicts Sands getting the opportunity to ask Lex why he did what he did. Luthor responds, “Life is short. I could have become like my parents, had I chose to wallow in cheap emotion and self loathing, as did they. Instead I chose to become a god. I control human lives, instead of being controlled. I can destroy someone with a phone call. Which is why I cannot abide Superman! There is only room for one god on this planet!” Though no longer canon, Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography offers an interesting take on Superman nemesis that feels all-too-relevant today.½

In Batman: Master of the Future, Brian Augustyn and Eduardo Barreto continue the story begun in Gotham by Gaslight in which the Victorian-era Bat-Man continues the fight for justice. Having beaten Jack the Ripper, Bat-Man must again don the cape and cowl to defend Gotham's World's Fair at the turn of the century from Alexandre LeRoi, the Man of Tomorrow, who feels the increasing pace of modernization will destroy society. This story has even more steampunk elements than Augustyn's first Elseworlds tale, with LeRoi using an airship as his base of attack. Fans of the first will likely enjoy this, although Eduardo Barreto's art is markedly different from that of Mike Mignola in the original volume.½

Interesting end to this series. Loved the nod to two iconic comic writers in the final pages.

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Title: Superman: Speeding Bullets
Series: Elseworlds
Author: J.M. DeMatteis
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 48
Format: Paper and scan










Synopsis: What would have happened if the infant Superman had been found by the Waynes of Gotham City instead of the Kents of Kansas? That's the question this graphic novel examines, as the child from another planet witnesses the death of his parents at the hands of a Gotham mugger and grows up to become a bat-caped avenger of the night. My Thoughts: I have always enjoyed the Elseworlds books, long or short, as they give us a new perspective on something we already know all about. It was pretty much DC's answer to Marvel's line of What If? comics. Technical stuff first. I read this on my new tablet first, an 8inch asus zenpad something something something. It is a 4x3 format, so it was much better suited to reading comics on that my older nexus. I had no problems reading the text or seeing any of the comic panels. There were a couple of panels that looked hideously pixelated; however, upon reading my paper copy, it was the same there so I'm guessing it was some sort of artistic "thing". When I reread this immediately after with my paper copy, I have to admit I found it a little big. But no real noticeable difference, for which I was glad. The story and idea. Combining Superman and Batman into one character and bringing both those worlds together [Lex Joker anyone?] was pure genius. It was fun to see worked out. However, at only 48 pages, this was jam packed, compressed and generally just an overview. That really made the story suffer. Big important things happen in 1, maybe 2 pages. It felt rushed, which it was. The idea was big enough to put into a 300page graphic novel. This is probably one of the better, short, Superman, Elseworld comics out there however. "½

What would happen if Superman became Batman. That's the premise. It's dated now but the story still has something about it that's entertaining.

Okay, I think I’m done—I really liked the initial concept, in which a once-saintly superhero goes utterly off the rails and kills millions, and his team has to figure out what to do next. But instead of really confronting good and evil and their relationship to power, the story just seems to keep introducing new characters who can punch harder than the Plutonian: your hammer turns on you, but fortunately there is a bigger hammer out there. I don’t find that as interesting as the start of the story.

Half are great and half are weak with obvious plots, tissue thin characters, and passable artwork. It seemed like a lot of the writers thought it was noir just to write about crime and put in a twist, but noir is really a mood and an evocation, not just shadowy panels and dames with obscure motives. Many feel like snippets of a bigger whole but the few pieces that sing really go to town. Lime I said about six or so on here that really get what noir means.

Antologia de contos policiais por autores como Ed Brubaker, Brian Azzarello, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá...

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first began reading this collection of graphic short stories. There are thirteen stories in all, each of them dark and gritty. And I loved just about every one. The first story left me stunned. The second, about a man with an ill wife who is about to lose his farm, is probably my favorite. It was called "The Silo" and was written and drawn by Jeff Lemire. Another one of my favorites was called "The Albanian" by M.K. Perker about an immigrant janitor who stumbles upon a murder-suicide in the office building where he works. I had to read the story called "Fracture" by Alex de Campi, Hugo Petras, and Clem Robbins twice because I hadn't realized the first time there was a special way to read it. The author and artist were quite creative with the set up of the story. I think it is pretty ingenious now that I better understand what they were aiming to do.

My experience with crime fiction short stories is hit and miss. Too often I find that characterization is sacrificed in the name of plot. Although I have read crime fiction graphic novels before, this was my first experience reading crime fiction shorts in graphic form. I was really impressed with how well done each of the stories were. So much is said within each pane and so few words are needed to get the entire story across (except in one case which was a short story, "Trustworthy" by Ken Lizzi and Joëlle Jones, written in words with a few art drawings to go along with it). I think readers of noir and who don't mind a lot of grit in their crime fiction should give Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics a try.

An interesting psychological portrait of Lex Luthor emerges when Clark Kent is arrested for the murder of a reporter who was doing an investigative article on Luthor. Illuminating, but I don't care much for this ruthless killer Luthor, much preferring the complex tragic figure of the old storylines who began his tenure in the comics as Superboy's friend, and who never killed anyone - unless you could count his many attempts upon Superman.½

An interesting "Elseworlds" graphic novel that postulates what might have happened if young Kal-El's rocket had landed in Gotham City, to be found by Thomas and Martha Wayne. A very promising premise, a little spoiled by a pat and contrived conclusion.½

A sequel to the "Batman" graphic novel, "Gotham by Gaslight", which postulates a Batman who arises a century earlier. This is an interesting and entertaining premise, fairly well done, this story about an early "Unabomber" type who tries to prevent the coming Gotham World's Fair by terrorism. A slight plot, too easily resolved, but intriguing for the look into a Batman and Bruce Wayne of another time period, and what the differences - and similarities - might have been.½