|
|
Spider-Girl No. 66 (Marvel) - $2.25
Tom DeFalco - Plot and Script; Ron Frenz - Plot and Breakdowns; Sal Buscema - Finished Art
Reviewed by I. Martin
This issue felt a bit anti-climatic after the tension of the previous issue, but it was still a very enjoyable issue. It seems a bit funny that Peter Parker celebrated his birthday recently in the three-part
story that concluded in Amazing Spider-Man no. 500, while in this issue Peter and MJ are planning a surprise birthday party for May.
There were some neat twists in the story, particularly involving the mysterious Black Tarantula, who has the potential to be a very troublesome villain in the future. The subplots involving May's friends at
school, particularly Davida (who is currently not speaking to May) and Sandra (whom May is trying to convince to get away from her abusive boyfriend), were really the heart of this issue, even though the
sequences with Spider-Girl, Black Tarantula and Canis were the focus of more pages.
 
|
| |
Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure No. 2 (Marvel) - $2.99
Brian K. Vaughn - Writer; Staz Johnson - Pencils; Danny Miki - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
Vaughn is proving in this series that his reputation for writing interesting characters is well-deserved. The wartowrk is pretty good, at times evoking shades of John Romita, Sr., Ross Andru and Gil Kane.
The only part of the art that isn't pleasing the visual portrayal of Doctor Octopus. Doc Ock looks almost nothing like he has in his earlier appearances, but that is most likely to connect with the early
visual representations of the character from the upcoming Spider-Man 2 movie. (Likewise, the plethora of Doc Ock projects - this mini-series, another mini-series, and a story arc in Spectacular Spider-Man -
seem to be timed so that they'll eb done in time for the trade paperback collection to be available just before the movie opens in theatres next July.)
The nice thing about the numerous Doc Ock projects is that each of them gives a different perspective on one of the most interesting villains in Spidey's rogue gallery. The only Spidey villains that have
been around longer than Doc Ock are the Burglar, the Chameleon and the Vulture. (Either the Chameleon or the Vulture would be a good choice for the villain in a third Spidey movie, from a visual/technological
standpoint. The most important element of any Spdey movie, though, is the script.)
The new character introduced for this series, struggling Daily Bugle pohotographer Jeffrey Haight, is an interesting character. In this second issue he was fleshed out a little more. Since this series is
set in the early days of Peter's career as Spidey, it is unlikely that Haight will be making many appearances in other Spidey comics, although there are a couple potentially good stories that could be
written around the character.
|
| |
Marvel Encyclopedia Vol. 4: Spider-Man (ISBN 0-7851-1304-5) - $24.95
Jonathan Couper-Smartt - Writer/Researcher (Spider-Man A to Z); Sid Barney-Hawke & Seth Biederman - Writers; Kit Kiefer - Writer (Chapters 1 to 4)
Reviewed by I. Martin
Compared to the disappointing first Marvel Encyclopedia volume, this Spider-Man focused edition was much better. (For the record, Vol. 2 of the Encyclopedia series focused on the X-Men, and Vol. 3 on the
Hulk, and both of those volumes were released shortly before connected movies.)
One reason this volume is so much better than the initial encyclopedia is that the heart and soul of the volume, not to mention 188 of the 240 pages, were written by Spider-Man fans from the online community.
Jonathan Couper-Smartt is the mastermind behind the monthly e-zine Peter Parker's Pad (which can be found at www.spiderfan.org). In conjunction with several other fans, Couper-Smartt has spent years compiling
and posting background information on numerous characters and stories into the archives section of his website. The organization and content of the website is truly impressive. Both the Appendix and Index
sections of this volume (an addition 23 pages) are also largely pulled from Couper-Smartt's website. In fact, the Appendix (which features short notes on characters not covered in the A to Z portion of this
volume) is only the abridged version, with a note in the volume directing readers to the unabridged version located online at www.marvunapp.com/appendix/spdmappx.htm.
The four short chapters that precede the A to Z section are well written and informative, although I am confident that Couper-Smartt and his colleagues would have caught and corrected the glaring error in Kit
Kiefer's Chapter 2 (focusing on the various Spider-Man TV programs) that implied the character Firestar, from the animated "Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends" program, was a former member of the X-Men.
Fans of Spider-Man and the X-Men alike would have been quick to point out that Firestar, who went on to be a member of both the X-Men and later the Avengers, actually debuted in the animated series. Her
first comic book appearance was a one-shot comic book, Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends no. 1 (December 1981) that was a tie-in to the TV show, and that was later reprinted as Marvel Action Universe no. 1
(January 1981).
Aside from that glitch, most of the volume is incredibly detailed, well organized, and very interesting. The massive A to Z section lists supporting characters, allies and foes in alphabetical order, including
information about their first comic book appearance, their real names, a short history of their involvement with Spider-Man, as well as a game-quality rating of several key attributes (intelligence, strength,
speed, durability, energy projection and fighting skills). The final page of the volume gives definitions for each of the seven levels for each of those six ratings.
Most pages feature three characters, each with a mug-shot type of picture, taken from a comic book panel. Minor or supporting characters typically get the one-third-page treatment. Characters that are a bit
more significant are given a half page, while more important characters get a full page. The truly huge characters (Green Goblin, Electro, Venom, J. Jonah Jameson and Mary Jane Watson, to name just a few)
were given multiple pages. There was even a two-page section for Spider-Man's various costumes. One of the most interesting two-pagers (and one that would have been perfect for a fold-out page) was the
map of New York City with the locations of key Spider-Man landmarks, like the Daily Bugle building, Aunt May's home and Empire State University noted).
The artwork on the various pages was good, but unfortunately not all artwork was credited. Only artwork for characters who got a full page or more was given an art credit. The credited artists spanned
the length and breadth of Spidey's history, from several by co-creator Steve Ditko, up to and including some by Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young and Mark Bagley. The most common artist in the book was John
Romita, Jr., who was credited on 19 pieces, and whose distinctive style could be recognized on almost twice that number of smaller clippings. The artist who defined Spidey for a generation, though, John
Romita, Sr., was represented by a mere handful of pieces (one for Spider-Man, Peter's parents, Mary Jane, and for Spencer Smythe). It was also somewhat surprising that there was no credit given for the
cover art that adorned the hardcover underneath the dust jacket. That cover was by Vince Evans (and can easily be mistaken for Alex Ross), and was previously only seen as the cover of a poster magazine,
Hot Shots: Spider-Man no. 1 (January 1996). Those discrepancies were overwhelmed, though, by the sheer number of artists who were represented. Virtually every artist who ever worked on a Spider-Man comic
was represented at least once, it seems.
As far as the character represented in the section, the breadth was astounding. It was mildly disappointing that both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four only got half-page entries, although the FF's
Human Torch did get a full-page solo entry. Likewise, Daredevil and key supporting characters like J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson and Betty Brant all got full page entries. Even Spider-Girl, the
character Marvel seems most determined to ignore, got a half-page entry, although she was grouped with Spider-Man 2099, Mangaverse Spidey, and Ultimate Spidey, and like them was classified as an alternate
universe character.
Fittingly, the longest single entry was the 8=page segment given to Spider-Man himself, which was supplemented by a string of significant cover reprints along the bottom of the pages. The next longest
entries were the four pages given to both Mary Jan and to the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, which also seems appropriate, given their key roles in Spidey's history.
Overall this was an excellent volume, packed with interesting tidbits. It is also a volume that should be very ahndy for anyone wanting to research a specific character, and as such makes an excellent
reference tool for aspiring writers and artists, in addition to being a fun and informative book for Spider-Man fans new and old alike.
|
| |
Amazing Spider-Man No. 500 (Marvel) - $3.50
J. Michael Straczynski - Writer; Jon Romita, Jr. & John Romita, Sr. - Pencils; Scott Hanna - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
The 41-year history of Spider-Man comics is literally littered with classic issues - comics that serve as landmarks not only for the character, but for the superhero genre and even for the comic industry as a
whole. In comics, issue numbers that are factors of 100 are often artificial landmarks. The history of this title, though, is different. All of the previous factor of 100 issues of this title have been genuine
landmarks.
The first "centennial" issue - Amazing Spider-Man no. 100 (Sept. 1971) - kicked off the classic six-arm saga, in which Peter Parker became a literal human arachnid, with four extra arms, when he attempted to use
chemical means to negate his spider-powers. In no. 200 (Jan. 1980) he went face-to-face with the burglar who killed his Uncle Ben, and discovered that his Aunt May, whom he'd believed was dead since issue no. 196,
was actually being held hostage by Mysterio. In no. 300 (May 1988), comic readers were treated to the first full appearance of Venom, following his cameo debut two issues earlier. Most recently, in no. 400 (April 1995),
the ever-ill Aunt May was finally laid to rest, sparing her the experience of much of the deservedly-detested Clone Sage. (Ok, like many comic characters who 'die', she got better later, but at the time this was a true
landmark event.)
On October 22nd, comic book specialty shops across the country received Amazing Spider-Man no. 500 (Dec. 2003), which was the first issue of the series to resume volume 1 numbering, just as the Fantastic Four did a
few months earlier when that title also reached what would have been its 500th issue. One difference is that ASM no. 500 bears no indication of what the Volume 2 issue number would have been, while FF still carries
dual numbers on the front cover, showing both the primary Volume 1 number and the secondary Volume 3 number.
This issue concludes the three-part "Happy Birthday" story, which takes place on Peter Parker's birthday. As such, it was somewhat appropriate that Doctor Strange - the character for whom, aside from Spider-Man
himself, Spidey co-creator Steve Ditko is best known - played a key role in the storyline. There also have been significant parts in this story arc for the Fantastic Four - most notably Mr. Fantastic and the
Thing -- as well as a couple of the Avengers (Thor and Iron Man), and even Cyclops of the X-Men. Of all the guest-star characters, though, it was Doctor Strange who played the most pivotal role in the story,
especially in this issue.
The story itself was good, though not spectacular. There were some neat moments, like when the time-displaced Spider-Man sees his own demise, and gets a bit of lecture from his possible future self. It's also
neat to see the struggle Spidey faces as he considers the possibility of altering his own past, of what the consequences might be for himself and for the world if he were to take advantage of the opportunity to
prevent the radioactive spider from biting his teenage self.
As Spidey goes hurtling through his own past, up to the present, he relives many of his pivotal moments and key battles of his career. His first confrontations with the Sandman, the Lizard, Mysterio, the Vulture,
Electro, and the Hulk all test a very tired Spidey. His time hopping also includes a stop at one of the painful moments of his history, when he failed to save the first love of his young life, Gwen Stacy. J. Michael
Straczynski's script even includes a two-page spread in which John Romita Jr. gets to recreate one of the greatest moments of Ditko's 38-issue run, when Spidey relives the moment from ASM no. 33 when his thoughts
about his Aunt May allowed him to gather the strength to lift a gargantuan pile of debris from his shoulders. A few pages later Romita Jr. gets to truly cut loose, as in a single two-page spread he gets to depict
battles between Spidey and over two dozen of his greatest foes.
The best part of Straczynski's writing for this issue is the moment when Spidey realizes, after arriving back in his proper time, that some of the greatest heroes on the planet respect him enough to go along with
his seemingly-crazy plan and to not use the weapn Mr. Fantastic had devised for getting rid of the Mindless Ones, the creatures Dormammu was secretly using to trick the heroes into helping regather his scattered
essence from across multiple planes and dimensions of reality.
The cover art by J. Scott Campbell is good, depicting Spidey and MJ swinging away from sixteen of Spidey's greatest foes. I can't help thinking, though, how much better the cover could have been (and how much
more appropriate it would have been) if it had been done by John Romita, Sr., who did illustrate the final four pages of the issue. Those final pages provided one of the best parts of the story, on a par with
that of J.M. DeMatteis's superb lead story in issue no. 400. Even without doing this cover, though, Romita, Sr. remains the only artist to have illustrated the cover of more than one of the five factor-of-100
issues of ASM. (He did both no. 100 and no. 200 - and has contributed interior artwork to no. 100, no. 400, and now no. 500.)
In the final analysis, the story is good, though not great, and the art is at the same level. The cover brings nothing special to the issue, though, and ends up bringing down the overall score for this landmark
issue.
And as good as this issue is, when it's compared to the four previous factor-of-100 "centinnial" issues, it comes in ahead of only no. 300. The best of the batch is probably no. 200, with no. 400 following that,
then no. 100, with this newest "centennial" issue coming in fourth out of the five, and no. 300 cominc in fifth. The reason for that is that of all the "centennial" issues stories in this title to date, this was
the first one that read as if it was specifically crafted with the goal of creating a landmark story. Hopefully when the time comes for issue no. 600, the story will feel like less of a contrived anniversary tale,
and hopefully the issue will bear a cover from Romita, Sr., who is undeniably the most influential Spidey artist other than Ditko himself.
|
| |
Ultimate Six No. 2 & 3 (Marvel) - $2.25
Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Trevor Hairsine - Pencils; Danny Miki - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
In the second issue of this 7-issue mini-series the drama got kicked up a notch, as Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius (better known as the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus, respectively) worked together to pull the
wool over the eyes of their SHIELD captors. Their cunning enabled them to engineer an escape from the near impregnable containment facility that had been designed by SHIELD specifically to house dangerous individuals
such as themselves. The escape also freed three other villains from the facility: Electro, Sandman and Kraven the Hunter. All are eager for revenge, and all have a considerable score to settle with Spider-Man.
As the mastermind of the escape, each of the villains looks to Osborn, in his Green Goblin fuise, for leadership. And is his deranged state of mind, Osborn has set a goal for himself - to get his "son" to join with
him and the others. The only obstacle is that the "son" he has in mind isn't Harry Osborn, it's Peter Parker.
The story moves at a pretty quick pace, with a heavier or more serious layer of drama than Bendis employs in most of his other titles, and it works perfectly. The effect is to create a level of ominous tension that,
in Marvel's new Ultimate Universe, could lead almost anywhere. There is no possible result, no matter how out-of-the-question it would be in the Marvel Universe, that seems to be out of bounds here, which is what
makes the tension genuinely dramatic.
Trevor Hairsine's artwork also contributes quite a bit to the mood. As noted in my review of the first issue, Hairsine's artwork reminds me of a lot of the work of Brent Anderson. His work on the first three critically
acclaimed issues of Com.X's Cla$$war comic and on recent issues of Marvel's Captain America title have merely set the stage for what he's doing here. This series should not only put Hairsine on the map, it could help
launch his career to new heights, as long as it isn't overshadowed by Bendis' reputation. With the third issue of this series, Hairsine has tied his longest runs so far on any title, as he only did three issues each
of Cla$$war and of Captain America. By the time the series is completed, it will represent just over fifty percent of his professionally published work.
The only negative on the artwork for me is that in issue no. 3, when Peter Parker is standing in the Triskelion headquarters of The Ultimates, he doesn't look quite the way he should. While I certainly don't want or
expect someone with Hairsine's talent to mimic the work of other artists, a casual browser of the issue might not immediately recognize Hairsine's Peter Parker as the same person who appears as Spidey every month in
Ultimate Spider-Man, or in any other title. It's a minor thing, though, as the rest of the artwork excels at conveying the mood of Bendis' script.
As this mini-series progresses, and other events unfold within the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man, I find myself increasingly wondering how long it will be before Peter's secret identity as Spider-Man becomes widely
known by the populace. In any case, this is already one of the better mini-series of the year that has starred the web-slinger.
|
| |
Sei: Death & Legend (Image) - $6.95
Sho Murase - Writer/Illustrator
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
This one-shot recounts the possible origin of Sei, the Japanese equivalent of Death. I wanted to like this comic, I really did. When I first ran across the release info promoting this comic in Previews, I was really
excited about what I saw. In fact, I featured it in the Future Picks section for November and also promoted it on the MZS Group forum. So it is with much disappoint that I say I found Sei: Death & Legend to be a
complete dud.
This is a comic that lacks an identity. Murase doesn't seem to have much of an idea who the intended audience is for this book. The characters, who are mythical gods and goddesses, act and speak in a manner more
befitting children. Yet, this is certainly no book for children as it depicts one character killing a baby with a sword, numerous monsters, and demonic-appearing entities who consume souls. So who is this intended
for? I would assume Murase meant it to be for a more mature reader (the likes of whom would be comfortable reading a Vertigo title for example). Unfortunately, her characters don't quite fit this mold and it really
is a detriment to the overall project.
I was also disappointed in the art throughout the book. The cover images (front and back) and the pin-up images found at the back of the book look outstanding, but the rest of the package is lacking. The other
images are not as clean and well defined and it just hurt the overall flow of the story in my opinion.
If this was only a $3.50 book, I probably wouldn't be quite as critical, but at $6.95 a shot, I can only express extreme disappointment for a book I had such high hopes for.
This isn't to say that I don't want to see more projects of this nature from Sho Murase, and most specifically more Sei stories. I would certainly be interested in seeing more Sei projects, but only if the interior
art is a little better defined and Murase finds a better 'voice' for the characters.
|
| |
Love Fights No. 5 (Oni Press) - $2.95
Andi Watson - Writer/Illustrator
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
Love Fights is the best super-hero comic book that isn't about super-heroes on the market (with the possible exception of Powers --- though given that Walker was once a super-hero himself, that title maybe doesn't
even fit the criteria I just stated).
Love Fights revolves around the characters Jack and Nora. Jack is the penciller of the Flamer comic book and Nora works for Expose magazine. Nora has recently been working on a story about the Flamer's supposed
love child, and her story has had a negative impact on sales of the Flamer comic book, forcing the publishers to decide to go bi-monthly with publication. In addition, Jack's friends Sue and Russ, the writer and
inker of the Flamer comic book, have both defected to another company. His editor lines up another inker - Donnie "the butcher" Vincent - much to Jack's dismay. Butcher is an understatement. When Jack receives
the first pages of inks back, they look awful. Jack remarks that it looks as though Donnie use a sharpie.
In the meantime, Nora is having her own troubles. She is following up on the Flamer story, but her boss is looking for her to bring in a fresh new story. Her work on the Flamer story causes her to miss a date
with Jack. When they finally do get together the next day, Jack is in a horrible mood. Nora gets fed up with his silent treatment act and leaves. Jack chases her down and explanations and revelations ensure.
This book is carried by the characters and Watson's strong scripting. The art is very simple in nature, but it perfectly fits this title. Most people will probably overlook this comic because of the art and
not even give Watson's script a chance to draw them in. Those people are cheating themselves out of a great read. The art is secondary in this book. The real magic is in the story itself.
|
| |
Ultimate Six No. 1 (Marvel) - $2.99
Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Joe Quesada (prologue) & Trevor Hairsine - Pencils; Danny Miki - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
This first issue shows all the earmarks of being the start of a great mini-series. For starters it has Brian Michael Bendis as the writer, and that is as close to a guarantee of a well-crafted plot as it is
possible to get.
The art in the prologue section is good, but the art in the main chapter of the issue is truly excellent. Trevor Hairsine has quickly made a name for himself in the comic industry. He came to prominence as
the artist os Com.X's Cla$$war comic, of which just three issues were published before Marvel snatched him up. He then worked on a few issues of Captain America before taking on this mini-series. His artwork
reminds me a lot of that of Brent Anderson, and artistic compliments don't come much higher than that.
It looks like the storyline will involve the creation of the Sinister Six, which should prove interesting.
|
| |
Spider-Man/Wolverine No. 4 (Marvel) - $2.99
Brett Matthews - Writer; Vatche Mavlian - Artist
Reviewed by I. Martin
The early issues of this series, with the mysterious interrogator asking questions of Spider-Man and Wolverine, looked kind of interesting. All of that is completely ruined by the overly-cute twist ending to
the story. The twist wasn't terribly implausible, it just wasn't one that merited four issues of build-up. At best this could have been done much more powerfully if it had simply been a one-shot comic. The
number of pages invested in telling this story, though, is way too high, given the small payoff at the end. The longest number of pages this story could possibly have deserved would still have been less pages
than it had in a single issue.
|
| |
Ultimate Spider-Man No. 46 (Marvel) - $2.25
Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Mark Bagley - Pencils; Art Thibert - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
This issue served as both an epilogue to the previous story arc, and as an intro to the new mini-series, Ultimate Six. The whole issue was the debriefing of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter. And while Sharon
Carter has been around in the main Marvel Universe for years -- for decades even -- she was more fully developed in this single issue than she has been in years worth of other comics.
The artwork, as usual, was a wonderful compliment to the story. The scenes involving the first encounters between agent Carter and Flint Marcl (aka the Sandman), and between Spidey and Sandman, were incredibly
dramatic. Even knowing what was likely to happen, the artwork depicting agent Carter's firs exposure to the Sandman was incredibly dramatic, packed with an energetic dynamism seldom seen in traditional superhero
comics.
|
| |
JLA/Avengers No. 1 (DC/Marvel) - $5.95
Kurt Busiek - Writer; George Perez - Artist
Reviewed by I. Martin
It seems to me that it was uncannily appropriate that the first issue of this landmark mini-series shipped to comic shops in a week that, due to the Labor Day holiday, new comics arrived a day later than normal.
After all, this is the series fans have talked about for litterally two decades, and that for most of the time was regarded as a fantasy that -- like the best of dreams -- once came near fruition, only to vanish
into the hazy realm of "what ifs" and "might have beens". The minor 24-hour delay for the first issue served as a subtle reminder to comics fans that the best things -- the truly great events of comics history -- are
worth waiting for.
And surely no mini-series has been anticipated with more eagerness and longing than this project. For a brief moment in the early 1980s it looked like this series would actually be published. Artist George Perez
actually drew something like 22 pages of the first issue of that proposed series, before getting the official word that the series had been cancelled. In a bit of cosmic iron, those 2 pages -- crafted by one of
the most widely acknowledged masters of the comic book craft -- are currently owned by none other than Rob Liefeld, whose name alone is nearly an obscenity within the comic community.
When word came a few years ago that Perez had signed an exclusive contract with CrossGen comics, it seemed to fans to be just another nail in the alerady buried coffin of hopes for this series. When it got out
that CrossGen founder Mark Alessi had included an exclusionary item in the contract specifically waiving that exclusivity for the sole purpose of anhy future Avengers-JLA mini-series project, the coffin of hopes
was exhumed, and the body of those hopes revitalized with a power stronger than that which ervived Superman following his murder by Doomsday. The mention of the project after so many years in an even pragmatically
positive way actually helped to loosen the gears of inter-company politics, and -- I believe -- actually played a strong part in making this fantasy project a reality.
With all the hype, with all of the hopes, and --even more daunting -- with all of the expectations of fandom (including those retailers and industry insiders and pros who are, themselves, also fans), the burden
upon this series to be great was incredibly onerous. There is a remote chance that something as short-sighted as an embarrasing delay in the publication of future issues could derail the enthusiasm for this
series. Barring such an event, the fist issue of this series brings a powerful and promising beginning to this series. By merit of its mere existence, the first issue has scaled the dizzying heights of fantasy.
By meeting and exceeding the hopes and expectations of comic fans, this first issue has passed the most dangerous hurdle in comic publishing -- combining quality artwork with an interesting story.
Given the sheer number of characters involved -- and Busiek and Perez have committed themselves to including, in one way or another, every single character who has even been a member of either team -- the task of
crafting an interesting story must have been incredibly difficult, if for no other reason than that editors at two different publishing companies with two different approaches to their characters had to give their
approval.
There are, of course, some cilches of superhero team-ups that are used, including the standard misunderstanding of anothers' motives, resulting in combat between characters who would otherwise be allies or even
friends. All things considered, such occurrences were almost required of the story from the outset. There is also the need to identify for readers the dozen powerful artifacts, six from each universe, that the
two groups of characters are charged with locating and acquiring.
The interior art was fantastic! Perez is one of the very few artists who are capable of inking their own pencils well. That he includes so many fine details in ever panel is a challenge that few inkers can handle.
Most artists who ink their own pencils somehow end up with a finished product that often looks like less than the sum of its parts. Perez takes no shortcuts with his pencils -- knowing he will be inking them himself
does not cuase him to include any less detail. Combined with his undeniable talent, this results in a finished product that is simply beautiful, and incredible to behold.
Until it arrived in comic shops, the front cover was probably the most widely seen portion of the project. The actual cover is a wraparound, that neatly makes the switch from front to back without losing anything in
the spine. Both the front and back covers stand well alone. Together they are even better.
After reading the first issue, I feel confident in predicting that this series will be considered the single most important (and best) comic book mini-series to be published this year. When it is completed, the
inevitable hardcover collection will be deserving of a place on the discerning comic book fans' bookshelf, alongside Watchmen, Marvels, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
|
| |
Fantastic Four No. 501 (Marvel) - $2.25
Mark Waid - Writer; Casey Jones - Artist
Reviewed by I. Martin
With this issue Mark Waid has proven that he is the master of fanboy-proof plotting. After the dramatic conclusion of "Unthinkable" in the previous issue, fans were surely thinking up ways that Reed Richards'
facial disfigurement at the hands of Doctor Doom at the end of the issue could be explained away or easily fixed and undone. Instead of doing that, Waid uses his characters in a believable manner to explain to
readers -- without making it feel like an explanation -- why Reed's disfigurement is actually permanent. Waid also neatly ties this sudden and dramatic change into the decades-long characterization of Reed
Richards, in a way that will make the psychological aspect of his character more important to the story for months to come, if not longer.
In this outstanding issue Reed isn't the only one reeling from the psychological trauma of the aftermath of their latest (and seemingly last) confrontation with Doctor Doom. Indeed, every member of the FF is
to some degree dealing with their own traumas from their own injuries. Reed and his son Franklin, though, both suffered the greatest traumas, and it is around them that Waid weaves a dark tale of family attempting
to support each other and deal with their own problems at the same time.
The artwork on the issue is pretty good, although it is quiet different from the slightly cartoonish style of MIke Wieringo. The artwork of Casey Jones has a darker, moodier look to it, which fits perfectly with
the story.
This issue is a perfect example of why Fantastic Four has been movign steadily up the sales charts since Waid took over as writer with the 9 cent issue (no. 60 - aka No. 489). In the future, Waid's twenty issues
on this title may well come to be regarded as being as important and vital a time in the history of the book as the John Byrne run in the 1980s, and be compared favorably with some fo the earliest of the
Stan Lee/Jack Kirby issues. Until that happens, there are still seven more issues of Waid's unique and powerful writing to enjoy on this title before Marvel moves the book in a different direction. Enjoy
those seven issues while you can because they're going to be great!
|
| |
Trouble No. 2 (Marvel) - $2.99
Mark Miller - Writer; Terry Doson - Pencils; Rachel Dodson - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
This issue, like the first, tried very hard to se itself in the 1970s time frame. Everything from the cars to the clothes to the attitudes and activites of people, and even little tidbits like the names of movies
and such, has been designed to make the series feel like it could be set in the 1970s which would, if these characters are really Peter Parker's parents and aunt and uncle, put them in the right time period to
connect this series with the red-hot Ultimate Spider-Man series. But writer Mark Millar blew the whole thing with one careless mistake. Reese's Pieces didn't exist in the 1970s. They were brand new in the early-1980s,
when they gained fame as a result of one of the first spectacularly successful product placements, when Steven Spielberg used them in his movie, "E.T.: the extra-terrestrial", instead of M&Ms.
Millar partially made up for his careless error by actually giving his characters some semi-believable reasons for their behavior. May engages in casual sex because when she was younger a palm reader told her that
one one would ever call her "Mom". And Mary has refrained from having sex -- despite the inclination and numerous opportunities -- because that same palm reader told her that if she ever had sex before she got
married, that she'd be a mother before she was twenty years old. (I didn't say it was great characterization, but at least it works for the story).
The artwork is as attractive here as it was in the first issue, but some of the flush of the first issue has faded, and the artwork just doesn't feel as vibrant this time around. The photo covers are also not a
good selling point, as they don't do much to enhance the issue. The second printing of issue number 1 -- with a new cover drawn by fan-favorite Frank Cho -- was much better at capturing the cahracters. Having
Cho do the covers would have been a better move, I think. Plus, try as I might, when I look at the cover for this issue, even knowing who the cahracters are and what actually happens in the issue, I can't help
thinking that it looks like a bad porno for a comic featuring two lesbians. The character seen in profile -- it's impossible for me to tell which is supposed to be May and which is supposed to be Mary -- looks
like she is whispering sweet nothings to the other, who is just smiling and chewing on the tip of the earpiece of her sunglasses.
|
| |
1602 No. 1 (Marvel) - $3.50
Neil Gaiman - Writer; Andy Kubert - Illustrator; Richard Isonove - Digital Painter
Reviewed by I. Martin
Speculation about where this series is going to end up is almost futile at this early point, if only because Neil Gaiman is such a great writer, and one who almost never allows his stories to fall into the anticipated
cliches. Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove are again producing beautiful artwrok, as they did on the Origin mini-series. With Gaiman crafting the tale, though, this series already promises to be much more cohesive, and
moer entertaining, than Origin was.
With most of the Marvel hereos being cast in a medevil light, there are some twists that were pleasantly unexpected. All of the transplanted classic characters of the Marvel Universe are not just carbon-copied into
the past. While most are still adults - with Dr. Stephen Strange being among the most clearly recognizable -- others ahve changed considerably. Within just the first issue Gaiman has unleashed enough interesting
subplots and storylines to keep the story interesting far beyond the mere eight issues it is scheduled for. And the artwork is even better than that done for Origin, because there are more different scenes to illustrate,
more differen places, and each gets its own unique appearance and coloring.
This is possibly the only mini-series this year that will even believably offer a respectable challenge to the upcoming JLA/Avengers for the title of best mini-series of the year. It may get overlooked in the hype and
hoopla surrounding the 20-years-in-the-making DC?Marvel cross-over, but it shows every sign of being just as good as -- and possibly even better than -- that much-anticipated series.
|
| |
Supreme Power No. 1 Special Edition (Marvel)
J. Michael Straczynski - Writer; Gary Frank - Pencils; Jon Sibal - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
Note: Includes reprint of Avengers (vol. 1 No. 85 - "The World Is Not For Burning" and No. 86 - "Brain-CHild to the Dark Tower Came ..!"; Roy Thomas - Writer; John Buscema - Artist.
I bought this issue solely because of a Spider-Man cameo appearance in the reprinted Avengers (vol. 1 No. 85) issue. The main story, while interesting and very well-written, struck me as pretty much a retread of J. Michael
Straczynski's own Rising Stars series, but using Marvel characters from the Squadron Supreme instead of Straczynski's own characters.
The artwork was beautiful, but served as a further reminded that Rising Stars had already covered this ground, since Gary Frank was the original artist on the fisrt story arc of that series.
The Joe Quesada cover to the Special Edition was, I thought, better than the cover to the regular edition (which did not include the sketchbook secion of the reprint stories), partly because it was an image that hadn't been
seen a dozen times already in various preview magazines, websites, and Marvel house advertisments. The cover, though, also evoked comparisons with Rising Stars, which only further served to make this series feel unnecessary.
The Squadron Supreme has been done well before. Seeing the reprints of their first appearances in those early Avengers issues -- which had their own fantastic artwork by John Buscema, whic was beautifully reproduced in this
issue -- served to set a standard for the level of storytelling and artwork that this mini-series will have to attain in order for it to be favorably compared with those earlier works.
|
| |
Wonder Woman No. 195 (DC) - $2.25
Greg Rucka - Writer; Drew Johnson - Pencils; Ray Snyder - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
This issue marks Rucka's first as the new scribe for the title and he begins his run with a somewhat interesting introductory story. While Wonder Woman is the headline character and is featured in half the
story, she isn't actually physically seen until about three quarters through the tale. The story actually revolves around Wonder Woman's supporting staff at the embassy, specifically the newest member, Jonah.
While Jonah is introduced to the other members of the staff and given the tour, Wonder Woman is busy capturing a despot who has several charges he must face. During Jonah's orientation, Superman stops by
briefly to drop off the manuscript Wonder Woman is having published (a future plotline). Immediately after being left speechless by Superman's arrival, Jonah is introduced to Ferdinand the chef, who happens
to be a minotaur. Diana finally returns to the embassy at the end of the story to give Jonah the surprise everyone has been hinting about (you'll have to read it to find out what the 'surprise' is ... but
personally I thought it was kind of weak myself). It is a nice beginning for Rucka and hopefully is a precursor to what we'll be seeing in the future with this title - specifically a large role for the supporting
cast. The art by Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder really fits the book. There is a soft, smooth flow to their style and it really compliments the characters and mood of the story.
|
| |
Superman/Batman No. 1 (DC) - $2.95
Jeph Loeb - Writer; Ed McGuinness - Pencils; Dexter Vines - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
I wasn't really planning on picking up this title as I had no interest in a Superman/Batman team-up book. Frankly there are enough individual Superman and Batman titles out there, not to mention their involvement
in the Justice League, that makes this title unnecessary. However, I picked it up anyway for review purposes.
This issue opens with a split brief retelling of the character's origins before kicking into gear with a battle between Superman and Metallo. Just as quickly as that begins, it is over, and the tale suddenly shifts
to Batman digging around in a graveyard in Gotham City. Strangely enough, their activities are related as Metallo is behind the activities Batman is investigating. Superman shows up as he is trailing Metallo, and
the two heroes individually face off against him with less than stellar results.
The story is interesting enough and does pique my curiosity to the point that I will probably pick up the second issue, but I still don't think there is going to be enough here to merit sticking around for the long
haul (this just isn't a necessary title). The art by McGuinness and Vines doesn't overly impress me, but there is nothing really wrong with it.
|
| |
Feather No. 1 (Image) - $2.95
Steve Uy - Writer/Artist/Colors/Letters
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
Feather is the story of a self-appointed dragon slayer and his best friend, who just may be a dragon. Sehven is a half breed human (not sure what the other half of him is as there is no mention) and Leeka is his
best friend who claims to be a full blood dragon. Clip, Sehv's brother, thinks her wings are just a mutation while Sehv believes she is actually a seraf (even though those are even more mythical than dragons).
Sehv undertakes a journey after he acquires a map to one of the legendary weapons of God. Leeka is left behind with only a brief note from Sehv, but it does give her a chance to get on a little better terms with
his brother.
This is a fairly nice paced story with very good art. The only thing I find distracting is the lack of noses on the characters. While I realize that noses can sometimes be difficult to illustrate properly, the
characters look rather strange without them. But even that minor detail isn't enough to detract from the book.
|
| |
Love Fights No. 1-2 (Oni Press) - $2.99
Andi Watson - Writer and Artist
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
Love Fights revolves around two characters in a city full of super-heroes. Jack is the penciller for the licensed comic book about the super-hero known as the Flamer. Jack has girl problems. He hasn't had
a date in over nearly three years and is ridiculed by the rest of the creative team (Sue, who writes, and Russ, who inks). Russ refers to him as No-Date-Jack, the Dateless Wonder, the Strike-Out King, and,
most notably, a Choker.
Jack meets Nora during a subway delay caused by a battle between the Flamer and the Tunneler. Nora has only recently moved to the city and works for Expose, a magazine that is apparently the equivalent of a
gossip rag. Jack lends his phone to Nora when hers is broken during the sudden stop so she can make a quick call home. He fumbles his attempt to ask her out when they arrive at her stop (which leads to the
ridicule from the rest of the creative team later in the issue). Jack meets Nora again later that evening at the same subway stop. The subway has been shut down for repairs following the earlier battle and
Nora isn't sure how to get home. Jack walks her to the bus stop and tells her which bus to board, but once again fumbles an opportunity to as her out as the issue ends.
The second issue opens with Jack kicking himself for failing again to ask Nora out as thoughts of 'Choker' run through his head. Fortunately for him, Nora apparently decides to get off at the next stop and
she asks Jack if he wants to go to a movie when he walks past. Jack readily accepts, but is indecisive about what movie to see, and also about what kind of food to eat when Nora suggest they get something
to eat instead. Nora gives him her number and tells him to give her a call. Jack is left with visions of a KOed 'Choker' in his head.
A sub-plot running through these first couple of issues is Jack's missing cat Guthrie. Guthrie has apparently been kidnapped by someone who does some sort of experimentation on the feline. Guthrie is eventually
released and returns home, but Jack is quite surprised to find the cat speaking to him at the end of the second issue.
This is a rather pleasant story with enjoyable characters and shows a great deal of promise (though I'm not sure what to think of the cat angle). Watson's art is simple without being plain. Character expressions
are easily read. Panel layouts and visual angles provide a good flow to the story. Backgrounds provide quality and depth to the images and are more prevalent than what is found in many other comics today. All
in all, this is a very promising series and is certainly worth the price of admission.
|
| |
Formerly Known as the Justice League No. 1 (DC) - $2.50
Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis - Writers; Kevin Maguire - Pencils; Joe Rubinstein - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
Is it possible to catch lightning in a bottle twice? DC and the creative team behind the relaunched Justice League title of the late eighties certainly hope so as they've joined forces again to reunite members
of that Justice League team in a brand new adventure.
Maxwell Lord is back, and he has plans for a new team of superheroes that will serve the 'common man' from a small storefront location. His recruiting project begins with L-Ron the cybernetic lifeform, then moves
on to the Blue Beetle, the Elongated Man, Captain Atom, Fire, Booster Gold, and Captain Marvel. Ted Kord (the Blue Beetle) does his best to exclude himself from the project, citing his heart condition as a major
concern, but Max, with his usual heavy charismatic effort, drags him in anyway. Captain Marvel is the only individual who has any success in extricating himself, but that may have been more due to the fact that
L-Ron recruited him (as opposed to Max) than anything else. However, Max's offer has the unexpected effect of drawing the interest of Mary Marvel, so while his efforts to get the Big Red Cheese were unsuccessful,
he still manages to get a Marvel on the team.
Judging from this first issue, it is evident that DC has managed to recapture some of the magic from the original series run. Be that as it may, I think it is a good thing that this is only a six issue limited
series as I don't believe it would hold up over a long run.
|
| |
Birds of Prey No. 56 (DC) - $2.50
Gail Simone - Writer; Ed Benes - Pencils; Alex Lei - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
This issue marks the debut of a new creative team and, as stated on the cover, a 'bold new direction'. The story opens with Dinah putting a scare into a CEO who has been planning on looting his company's retirement
plan and leaving the country. The CEO claims he is being blackmailed, but Oracle hasn't seen any evidence to back his claim. The encounter backfires however as it turns out the CEO was indeed telling the truth, and
the blackmailer takes matters into his own hands to find out who is interfering with his operation.
The story is certainly interesting and a major step up from recent issues. The dialogue between Dinah and Barbara is especially good. Simon has done a good job capturing the relationship between the two. The art by
Benes and Lei is top notch. Aside from perhaps Greg Land's run on the title, Dinah and Barbara have never looked so good. My only complaint is the fact that Dinah is back in the fishnet stockings. I admit there is a
purpose for the stockings in this particular issue (part of Dinah's encounter with the CEO involves enticement), but I sincerely hope that when this particular arc is completed, Dinah will return to the costume she wore
earlier in this series (which is much more practical for a someone in her line of work). She is still wearing the gloves, boots, and jacket from the other costume, so maybe the rest of the ensemble will be returning.
If this issue is an indication of what we can expect in upcoming issues, then I'm definitely excited about the change in creative team and the future of this title.
|
| |
Outsiders No. 1 (DC) - $2.50
Judd Winick - Writer; Tom Raney - Pencils; Scott Hanna - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
This premiere issue of the new Outsiders picks up three months after the dissolution of the Titans, following the deaths of Donna Troy and Lillith in the Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day mini-series. Arsenal attempts
to convince Nightwing to lead a new team of heroes. Nightwing isn't interested as he has no desire to lead any other friends or 'family' into danger and death. Arsenal counters by suggesting it be a team of strangers.
In fact, he has already assembled the team and isn't asking Nightwing to start it, but instead join it.
The team Arsenal has built is created mostly of newcomers (to the DC Universe). The first person he recruits is a young woman from New Orleans who calls herself Thunder. She also happens to be the daughter of one Jefferson
Pierce - a.k.a Black Lightning. Thunder has the ability to control her density. Arsenal's second recruit is an old friend (and perhaps ex-lover) who happens to be the bouncer at a meta-human nightclub located in the underbelly
of Metropolis. Her name is Grace Choi and she has super-human strength. The next recruit is an established character and a former member of the Outsiders - Metamorpho. Rounding things out is Indigo, a synthetic organism from
the future who has been reprogrammed by S.T.A.R. Labs and Arsenal. Nightwing doesn't want her on the team as her involvement (in the Graduation Day mini-series) resulted in the deaths of Donna Troy and Lillith. Based on the
cover, it also appears that Jade (daughter of the original Green Lantern Alan Scott) is going to be a member of the team as well, but she doesn't appear in this issue.
This isn't an overly stimulating issue and merely serves to introduce most of the players involved. The make-up of the team doesn't really do much to excite, though certainly that can change as the new characters are developed.
Arsenal's argument to Nightwing that it can be a team of strangers doesn't really hold much water. While it may be a team of strangers at the beginning, it certainly won't remain that way. They may not develop into a 'family',
but they will develop enough of a familiarity that the same problems will exist (leading friends into danger, etc.). Arsenal (who I personally don't find to be that interesting of a character) may well be aware of that however,
and his goal may have just been to get Nightwing to commit now, knowing that once he is in and develops a relationship with the others, he'll be hesitant to leave.
The artwork by Tom Raney and Scott Hanna is quite good. In fact, it was refreshing to see Raney portray Grace as a realistically proportioned female as opposed to the overly endowed versions typically found in comics pages.
Raney and Hanna do an especially good job with facial expressions in this issue, and they capture Nightwing's Batman-esque scowl perfectly.
I'm not sure who to recommend for this title. Fans of previous Titan teams who want to follow Nightwing and Arsenal will certainly be interested. And perhaps fans of the previous Outsiders, and Metamorpho in particular, will
find this appealing. Outside of those groups however, I don't really see much here that is anything different from any other group books (and for DC fans currently JLA and the Legion are excellent alternatives).
|
| |
Amazing Spider-Man No. 52-53 (Marvel) - $2.25
J. Michael Straczynski - Writer; John Romita Jr. - Pencils; Scott Hanna - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
The story of the multiple-personality villain made up of bits and pieces of various 1950s mobsters continues through both of these issues. So does the other major current plotline, the reunion of MJ and Peter parker. The
mobster/monster storyline is somewhat interesting, although there is no particularly new or unique feeling about it. The reunion of MJ and Peter is handled slightly better - enough better that each issue got an entire bonus
point in the story category for the sheer fact that these star-crossed lovers have been reunited.
My biggest beef with the story is that Peter Parker is actually taking money from a mobster - Forelli - to protect him and his family from the monster, which is made up of parts of many men who were killed on Forelli's orders
decades earlier. Spidey has had numerous opportunities to use his powers for personal profit. His Uncle Ben died as an indirect result of his first attempt to cash in on his powers. And in this modern age, how is Peter
Parker going to explain to the IRS that he earned $10,000 a day providing protection for a mobster? How is he going to hide the income from his colleagues at Midtown High School? For that matter, if he can get $10,000 a
day as a bodyguard - which he ups to $12,000 at the end of issue 53 - why does he even need to bother keeping the school job? In less than a week he'll have earned more than he could possibly get in a year as a new teacher.
It doesn't feel right, and it goes against too much of Peter's character. In fact, now that I think about it, it bugs me enough that I'm going to revoke the extra bonus point for the story that Straczynski earned for
reuniting MJ and Peter.
The artwork in both issues is good, and better than the story in both cases, though it's nothing stellar. It is typical Romita Jr. work - which is better than the typical work of an awful lot of other comic artists - but
it never really does anything special for the stories in these two issues.
Both covers are decent, but the Romita Jr. cover on issue 53 is by far the better of the two. Neither cover really provides much information about what is going on inside the issue, but the Romita Jr. cover on issue 53
get some extra points for being a better mini-poster, which is what most Marvel covers seems to be these days.
|
| |
Spider-Girl No. 60-61 (Marvel) - $2.25
- Tom DeFalcoScript and Co-Plot; Ron Frenz - Breakdowns and Co-Plot; Pat Olliffe - Artist; Al Williamson - Inks (60); Sal Buscema - Finishes (61)
Reviewed by I. Martin
In some alternate reality, these may actually have been the final two issues of this outstanding series, just as they were supposed to be in our reality. Thankfully, though, there is still some room for Marvel to listen
to the raucous and belligerent demands of the many fans of this series. Rather than end with issue 61, that issues issue was instead the first chapter of a six-issue story arc. What was going to be issue 61 has already
been mostly completed, by most reports, and may someday be seen, but for now we can only speculate about what might have happened in that issue, while we savor the continuing pleasure of reading this title.
As you can see by the scores below, there was a special magic about these issues that made them more than just the sum of their parts. Issue 60, in particular, was a superb issue, possibly one of the very best of the
entire series so far. That issue bears the distinction of making the first appearance of another addition to the Spider-clan, Peter and MJ's second child, Mayday's baby brother, Benjamin.
The artwork on both issues was pretty good, and better than many comics today. The biggest disappointment artistically was that the title is losing both of the artists who have helped give the book a clean yet distinctive
style. Pat Olliffe has already left, for the ongoing Call of Duty series that really doesn't deserve to have art as good as it will be getting from him. Al Williamson, a living legend of the comic industry, is also moving
on, with his place being taken by Sal Buscema. The new art team is quite talented, and has experience with Spider-Girl. Buscema is quite good at drawing Spider-characters - with over 100 issues of Spectacular Spider-Man
(vol. 1) to his credit, plus fill-in issue on this series - and Frenz has drawn some fill-in issues as well, in addition to working on Mayday's debut in What If? (vol. 2) issue 105 and numerous issues of Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1).
Even so, it just won't be quite the same without Olliffe and Williamson, whose talent put an indelible mark of quality upon the series, and gave it a fresh, distinctive look that contributed at least somewhat to the book's remarkable
appeal to fans.
If there's any justice in the comic book universe, Olliffe and Williamson will return to illustrate a story for Mayday's 100th issue sometime in late 2006.
|
| |
How Loathsome No. 2 (NBM) - $2.95
Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane - Story and Art
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
The second issue of How Loathsome begins with a short tale by Catherine about monks and acolytes in Japan long ago. This tale revolves around two brothers (lovers) who vow to meet for in the afterlife. When
the time comes for them to step into the afterlife, the older brother hesitates and remains behind. His guilt haunts him until he encounters his brother in another incarnation. The reunion is short lived
however.
The main tale focuses on Catherine and her friend Alex. The story recounts their a few drug-filled adventures and a brief attempt at kicking the habit. Alex is rather weak-willed (not that Catherine is a
paragon of strength herself) and their half-hearted attempt meets with failure. In the end they are left to their sad, desperate lives while Alex comments about the honesty of heroin as compared to acid
and people.
To be honest, there really isn't much appealing about the characters in this title (unless, I suppose, your own life mirrors that of the characters and you feel some kinship, sad as that may be). We merely
gaze in on the dismal existence of a few lost junkies trying to find the fleeting happiness that continues to escape their grasp. It is depressing and yet eerily interesting at the same time, much like
everyday reality.
|
| |
Wolverine No. 1 (Vol. 2) (Marvel) - $2.25
Greg Rucka - Writer; Darick Robertson - Artist
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
When you get right down to it, there was no reason to start the numbering on this title over. A change in the creative team isn't reason enough to do so.
Rucka and Robertson promised a grittier version of the Wolverine we've come to be familiar with. Part of that is his overall appearance. Robertson presents a short, unattractive character in his illustrations.
Rucka's story starts out slowly and focuses on a teenage girl working in a diner who encounters Logan as a patron on numerous occasions (there is no mention of specific time passage so it could be every single day
or a few days each week - there is really no telling). Logan happens to occupy an apartment directly across from the young woman (which in essence is probably the first place she actually noticed him). The young
woman doesn't lead a particularly happy life and she harbors a secret. Her impression of Logan is that he is a tough, mean man. In fact, she references him as Mean Man throughout the course of the story, including
when she finally speaks to him face to face.
It is clear the young woman is afraid her past is going to catch up to her at some point, and she hopes that her Mean Man can look out for her. Yet, she leaves him in the dark about her past and he only discovers
pieces of it after it is too late. If she was really as fearful as she makes herself out to be, it would seem she would have been more forthcoming with Logan.
Instead, she seems to accept her fate and leaves Logan to pick up the pieces (what few she has left him). That was really the most disappointing part of this story for me. I was also a little less than impressed
with Robertson's art in this issue. I understand the mood he is trying to convey, but the images just were not as clean as I would have liked them to be. I think perhaps it would be better if someone else inked
Robertson's pencils in future issues.
(a rather inauspicious start)
|
How Loathsome No. 1 (NBM) - $2.95
Ted Naifeh and Tristan Crane - Story and Art
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
The first issue of this series contains two different stories presented in a very strange format. The first story centers around Catherine, a lesbian who engages in an all too brief yet thoroughly intoxicating
relationship with a transvestite. The story begins at a private S/M party in a 'bland, yuppified neighborhood' where she meets Chloe, and then follows their trail into wanton excess until the inevitable burnout
and her eventual abandonment by Chloe, with whom she has become completely obsessed. In-between this story we are treated to a brief interlude of another tale. The art in this section is a little more gloomy
and slightly less angular, establishing a completely different feel than the preceding pages. In this tale we find a younger, different Catherine who is faced with the death of her sister from a wasting sickness,
and soon thereafter finds herself edging towards death's doorstep following a visit from what appears to be the ghost of her lonely sister who desires to be reunited with her sibling.
Both stories are well written and interesting. And while many readers will probably not identify with Catherine (or Chloe), there are definitely elements in the story that everyone can identify with in some form
(certainly most everyone has the desire to love and be loved, and probably quite a few have themselves had an obsession at one time or another). The art is crisp and energetic, and perfectly captures the spirit
of the stories in both instances. Of the two, I would say I enjoyed The Wood (the interlude story) a little more, but that is because I tend to find horrific stories more appealing (and Ted's art is really a
perfect fit for such tales).
|
| |
Sojourn No. 22 (CrossGen) - $2.95
Ron Marz - Writer; Greg Land - Pencils; Jay Leisten - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
Despite a shift in the tone of this book following the apparent "death" of the narrating character, Gareth, in issue no. 17, this series is still one of the most interesting books in the ever-diversifying
CrossGen universe. True, Gareth wasn't really dead, and did just recently return to the book, but when he "died", there was no body seen. The explanation for his escape is also entirely plausible, barely
stretching the bounds of real-world credibility, let alone the far more elastic rules of comic book life and death.
More importantly, his reintroduction did not mark and instant return to the previous status quo of the book. His after-the-fact narration of previous issue - in which his descriptions conveyed the feel of
a person telling a tale of long ago to new listeners - did not return with the character, and no new narrative device or character has been introduced. This decision has allowed this title, and its characters,
to move forward. The unclear nature of the personal relationship between Gareth and Arwyn has also been allowed to grow and change with the story. When Gareth returned to the story, he was not immediately
welcomed back by Arwyn. Even now, a couple of issues after his return, Arwyn is almost as uncertain of his trustworthiness as she was previously.
The "quest" nature of this story is part of the appeal of this book for fans of fantasy and science fiction, where quest-style epics are the foundation of the genre (think Lord of the Rings and Star Wars).
It also serves, unfortunately, to limit the future of this title, which is among CrossGen's best books. Once all five fragments of Ayden's arrow are found and reunited, thus summoning Ayden back to help the
people of the Five Lands against the overlord, Mordath, the future of the title is limited.. All that will remain will be the tale of the final battle against Mordath. With only the first two fragments in
hand so far, though, that still leaves open the possibility of several years worth of future stories.
Both the writing and the art on this book have been consistently strong. This issue is typical of good storytelling that has come before, and also of the wonderfully stylish artwork of previous issues. The
introductory page on the inside front cover, which is standard for CrossGen books, helps bring new readers up to speed. This title, more than some CrossGen books, though,.does a better job of keeping readers
up to speed within the regular story itself, making the indtroductory page more useful to first-time readers.
This is one of the most interesting and entertaining books CrossGen publishes, one of the most attractive books visually, and one of the most accessible to new readers.
|
| |
Astro City: Local Heroes No. 2 (Image) - $2.95
Kurt Busiek - Writer; Brent Anderson - Art
Reviewed by I. Martin
The rumors are true. One of the ten best comics of the 1990s has returned to regular publication, after far too long on the missing-in-action list. Astro City is back on the stands at your local comic book
specialty shops, and the stories and writing contained within are as good as expected - matching, if not surpassing, the fantastic stories told in the original 6-issue mini-series and then in the 22-issue
regular series.
One of the strengths of Kurt Busiek's writing - and a habit he has indulged frequently throughout the history of Astro City comics - is that he can tell fascinating stories about super-powered characters
from any number of different perspectives. This particular issue is largely a narrated flashback by Irene Cronin to her daughter. At first glance it seems that Irene played the role of Lois Lane in a
relationship with a mysterious hero name Atomicus (a Superman substitute), and spent months , if not years, trying to prove that a new co-worker, Adam Peterson (a fill-in for Clark Kent) was really Atomicus.
Such a simple description doesn't do justice to the story, though. Plus it's not that simple. While there are obvious similarities, there are strong differences as well.
Busiek has used numerous different characters throughout the runs of Astro City to tell different stories. Some of the most interesting and moving, though, are the ones told through the eyes of ordinary
people who find themselves thrown together with the super-powered characters who populate Astro City. Perhaps the single best example of this was in the no. ½ issue from Wizard that was later republished
by Image with a new cover and a text story back-up feature.
The biggest difference between Irene and Lois Lane is that it doesn't take long at all to figure out that Adam Peterson is really Atomicus. Most of the flashback is the tale of how she embarrassed herself
in difference ways as she tried to prove that fact.
Brent Anderson's artwork on this series has always been excellent, and this issue is just more evidence that he is at the top of his form. The bulk of the story is really a pretty normal tale - with just a
few pages of super-heroics and such - and Anderson perfectly captures the look and feel of everyday American life in the 1960s, which is when most of the flashback material occurs. Anderson's page layouts
are also dynamic and unique, without being so bizarre as to confuse the reader's eye about where to go next. Some artist think the more bizarre a page layout is, the better. Anderson understands that
different page layouts are important in keeping the artwork looking fresh and new, but that confusing arrangements result in confused readers.
On top of this excellent story and wonderful art, Astro City is going to have one of the rarest things in comics these days - a letters page. This issue, though, fills the last two pages with brief recaps
of the heroes, the villains and the unique locals in Astro City. The pages serve as a refresher for regular readers and as a nice introduction for newer readers.
All of these ingredients come together in this issue, as they have in previous issues, to make this one of the best-written, best-illustrated and most reader-friendly comics currently on the market.
|
Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics No. 3-4 (Oni Press) - $2.95
Ted Naifeh - Story and Art
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
The first couple of issues of this limited series (and the prior limited series - Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things - as well) were pretty much written as stand alone stories. These last two issues form a
two part story and includes elements from the first two issues of this limited series as well.
In this story, a member of the coven, Madam Harken, has been cursed. The blame falls to her familiar, Skarrow. However, Courtney's Uncle Aloysius believes the creature to be innocent and has taken him under
his protection. Courtney decides to do some investigating of her own. She convinces her teacher, Ms. Crisp, a witch herself, to take her on a field trip to Radley Hall so she can learn more about what it means
to be part of the coven. Her real goal is to find Madam Harken, who is being held there by the Council of Elders. Later that evening, Courtney sneaks back into Radley Hall with the help of a few night things.
Finding Madam Harken otherwise occupied with warlocks, Courtney decides to steal the head of Rawhead and Bloody Bones (the monster defeated by Aloysius in the first issue of this limited series).
The fourth issue opens with Courtney in the marketplace of the underworld purchasing supplies for a necromancy spell. One of the goblins there exposes her as a human and she is taken before the leader of the
night things. She discovers Skarrow, once a human boy before being taken to the underworld, was his child. He refuses to help Skarrow, though he does allow Courtney to return to the world above in hopes that
her company will make his last days sweeter.
Upon her return to school, Courtney must do an oral presentation for a creative writing assignment, something she agree to do in exchange for Ms. Crisp taking her to Radley Hall last issue. The story is about
Skarrow and is met by snickers among the class. During her reading, the weather outside begins to turn as the skies darken and lightening fills the air. The mood of the class quickly turns to apprehension as
thunder shakes the room and one of the windows cracks, but Courtney is unaware of all this as her only thought is to finish the poem. The class lets out an audible sigh of relief when she is done. Afterwards,
another girl asks Courtney if she would like to walk home with her. Courtney quickly dismisses her when it becomes evident the girl only wants her protection from the bullies at the playground.
Back home, Courtney tries to get Rawhead and Bloody Bones to tell her who summoned him (as she has concluded that whoever summoned the creature was also responsible for the curse on Madam Harken). Unfortunately,
the creature is bound to silence on that topic. He does however give her a few clues, spells being tricky and generally having some loopholes.
The coven of mystics finally hold council to decide Skarrow's fate. Most of the members of the coven are in attendance. Aloysius makes his case for Skarrow and Marshall Hector Hughes represents the opposition.
The session lasts several hours. Finally, the council determines that Skarrow must be destroyed even though it seems quite clear Skarrow is not responsible for the curse. The political motive is to punish
Skarrow for having taken Madam Harken away from the coven, and to punish Madam Harken for choosing a night thing over them. Courtney is outraged but is ultimately unable to save him. She does however face
down the warlock responsible for the entire mess, along with his unwilling partner, and shows them how costly it is to cross a Crumrin.
In the end, the lessons learned from these events are not lost on her and a wiser Courtney is the result.
Ted Naifeh has crafted an outstanding tale not only in these two issues, but throughout the entire limited series. The world of Courtney Crumrin is an intriguing place to visit, filled with many wonderful
characters. As if the excellent writing isn't enough, Naifeh's art is nothing less than spectacular. This is, without a doubt, one of the absolute best comics on the market today. If you're not reading
it, you are missing something special.
|
| |
Amazing Spider-Man No. 50 (Marvel) - $2.25
J. Michael Straczynski - Writer; John Romita, Jr. - Pencils; Scott Hanna - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
Surprisingly enough, this was not a double-sized issue even though it was the 50th issue of the relaunch. I'm assuming they will go the double-size route with the 59th issue, which will be the 500th issue with
the original numbering (and return it to the original numbering as they've done with the 500th issue of the Fantastic Four - collectors are going to just love all this confusion).
This comic barely receives a passing grade from me because (and ONLY because) Strazynski did the right thing and brought Peter and MJ back together. It was long past due (they never should have split in the
first place, or at least under the circumstances they did - for this we have Howard Mackie to thank). I have to admit I had some minor trepidation concerning the outcome of this issue. I wasn't sure if Strazynski
was going to correct Mackie's egregious direction or cut strings and end Peter and MJ's relationship entirely. Had the decision been for them to walk away, I was going to do the same thing - no more Spider-Man
for me. Fortunately that wasn't the case.
That being said however, I have to absolutely BLAST Strazynski for his UNFORGIVABLE characterization of Doom. We're supposed to believe that a man who is considered potentially the greatest villain in the Marvel
Universe, the man who at one time was Emperor of the Earth (he ruled unopposed for well over six months in the graphic novel Emperor Doom), the man who single-handedly defeated the Beyonder and stole his power,
the man who beat Mephisto at his own game (with the aid of Doctor Strange), the man who is deemed the most dangerous man on Earth, is going to be taken unaware and knocked unconscious by a fanatical terrorist
with a bunch of C-4 strapped to his chest? Say what?
A guy who has gone toe to toe with the Thing on numerous occasions. A guy who wears probably the most sophisticated armor in the world (with the possible exception of Tony Stark who tends to load up his armor
with a lot more features) that generates an incredibly strong force field (it can withstand blows from the Thing so it is quite obviously durable). A guy who may be second only to Doctor Strange (on Earth at
least)in mystic capabilities. We're supposed to believe he is knocked cold for the duration of the story and at the mercy of whatever incompetent organization is trying to destroy him (these guys are so inept
they make A.I.M. look like world beaters). It is an absolute travesty that Doom is portrayed in this manner. And it is even more unbelievable that whatever inattentive individual who passes for an editor let
this pass across his desk. This story essentially makes a mockery of Doom. Marvel's greatest villain. Would DC allow this kind of treatment to Darkseid? I hardly think so.
(and lucky to receive even that)
|
| |
Solus No. 1 (CrossGen) - $2.95
Barbara Kesel - Writer; George Perez - Pencils; Rich Magyar - Inks
Reviewed by S. Hutchison
The first issue of CrossGen's newest title begins with death and rebirth. An entity known as Solusandra, perhaps viewed as a god of sorts to a lessor being such as ourselves, is executed by her brethren (one of
whom bears a striking resemblance to Danik from CrossGen's Crux series) for crimes hinted at but not quite explained. Yet somehow she survives, or at least enough of her power remains to enable her to return to
existence following the passage of an unidentified amount of time. Her return does not come without a price however, as she has no memory of who or what she was. She stumbles into gamespace, a cyber-game environment
and in the ensuing confusion falls under the impression that she is Andra Radiant, the resident protector of Heliotrope. In the midst of her adventure, she runs into the original Radiant, a young woman who received
the Sigil and could suddenly make her avatar character very real. The two women team up to battle a hacker who has taken control of the game and threatens to destroy them all.
The story is neither bad nor good. It did little to hold my interest and certainly didn't do enough to leave me with the desire to see what happens next. George Perez's art is as impressive as we've come to expect,
though it wasn't really enough to pick up this lackluster story. CrossGen has produced some great titles since their inception, but I wouldn't call this one of their better efforts. Hopefully the next issue provides
enough of a payoff for those who decide to stick around.
|
The Clock Maker No. 2 (Image) - $2.95
Jim Krueger - Writer; Matt Smith/Zach Howard/Michael Halbleib - Artists
Reviewed by I. Martin
The single word that best describes this comic book, for both obviously literal reasons and for subtly figurative ones, is GIANT. The concept - the world is kept in motion by gargantuan clockworks that are built
into the core of the planet and buried under the Swiss Alps - is fantastically interesting. The enormous clockworks are the huge secret of a single family. It's such a big secret that not even all of the family
members know about it. But when an accident kills the last two male members of the family, the secret is revealed to Astrid Bonn, and the burden of carrying on the maintenance of the clockworks falls to her.
The enormity of the concept is a big part of what makes the story so incredibly fascinating. The clockworks were built, according to Hans, the head of the maintenance team, at the direction of God. And a special
door was provided, that would open only once every 200 years, when the movements of the clockworks were perfectly aligned, and the men maintaining the clock could step through the door, into Heaven. The alignment
is only days away, her father and brother - whom she barely knew - are dead, and Astrid is faced with the prospect of having to recruit an entirely new team of people from the lonely mountain villages to maintain
the clock for the next 200 years, until the gears align again, and the door to Heaven opens again.
Her job will be made more difficult by the fact that one among the men working in the clockworks is aligned against Hans and his God, and he has a mysterious ally, seen only in shadows, whose visible presentation
implies enormous size and unlimited evil.
On top of all that, Krueger has chosen a bold method of illustrating his tale. He has made a physical design choice that results in a quadrupling of the size of the comic book page upon which his tale will unfold.
A typical modern comic is 6-3/4 inches wide and 10-1/8 inches tall. TO get an idea of what this comic looks like physically, imagine those dimensions turned sideways, with another comic laying next to it, also oriented
sideways. Now imagine those two comics are a single sheet of paper, with the spine on the left, and then mentally open that page. The result is a double page spread that is 13-1/2 inches tall and 20-1/4 inches wide. To
get the art for a typical comic book to fit on a the finished page, it has to be reduced to approximately 65 percent of the original art size. Using the same size of page for the original art on this book, means the finished
product is no less than 95 percent the size of the original art, and could possibly be a full 100 percent.
The biggest advantage of this is that even the tiniest of details makes it through to the finished product in a visible and legible manner. The only drawback to this is that what would otherwise be a 24 page story is
actually just 12 pages, but with the same amount of artwork, and the same amount of effort as a 24 page story, since all of the tiny details will make it to the finished product, there is an inclination to spend more
time putting in such details. Because the art is so good, and the story so gripping, this comic overcomes that barrier, and gives readers a significant portion of the story.
When the series is completed, the only collected format that will be able to reproduce the reading experience of the original issues is the tabloid or treasury edition size. The story so far shows signs of being well
worth the extra effort and cost that such an enormous collection would entail.
|
| |
Spider-Man: Legend of the Spider Clan No. 5 (Marvel) - $2.99
Kaare Andres - Writer; Skottie Young/Khary Randolph - Pencils; Pierre-Andre Dery - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
That an otherwise healthy tree was killed to enable the printing of this comic is almost tragic. Unfortunately this mini-series didn't have the dignity or common sense to vanish in mid-run and quietly disappear (like
the Kevin Smith Blavk Cat mini-series has). No, it had to be on time and complete its 5-issue run as scheduled.
The story wasn't very interesting, and the art was only marginally better, and that's not saying much. Distorted proportions, grotesquely caricatured features and dark, almost muddy artwork, combined to make this a
series better left for the 25 cent bargain bins of the next comic convention. If Marvel wants to do a manga version of Spider-Man, they can't hardly do any better than the short-lived bi-weekly series they had going
about 5 or 6 years ago, in which they reprinted in the U.S. the original Spider-Man stories that had been done in Japan in the 1980's. That U.S. reprint series lasted 31 issues, and every one of them was better than the best of this title.
Even the one-shot Marvel Mangaverse issue from early 2002, upon which this series was built, was better than this.
|
| |
Spider-Man: Blue No. 6 (Marvel) - $3.50
Jeph Loeb - Writer; Tim Sale - Artist
Reviewed by I. Martin
This great mini-series lost some steam toward the end, and (no pun intended) sort of petered out at the end. When the last issue was finished I felt like I'd read a really long version of the story "The Kiss". That
modern classic story, a mere 10 pages in length, was the back-up tale in Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man No. 1. The difference between that short story and this mini-series, though, is that this mini-series dealt at
various points with all of the supporting cast of characters and several of the key villains from Spidey's Silver Age period - Kraven the Hutner, the Rhino, and the Vulture - while "The Kiss" really just focused on
Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, with just a few panels dealing with Mary Jane Watson.
The story was interesting, and it was respectful in that it didn't outright contradict any significant story points. There was a reference in an earlier issue that took a couple of events and put them in reverse
sequence, but they were so close together originally that it was a relatively minor thing. The important part of the story is that the characters were written with respect to what had been written in the original
issues. Flash Thompson, who at the time was a major pain in the neck to Peter Parker, before he became a likable supporting character, was developed well in his few appearances. Some of the motivations for his
actions were explored, and served to make his changing behavior toward Peter Parker a bit more realistic.
Gwen and MJ were also treated with respect, and written in character for the time period. They, and all of the other characters, were also illustrated wonderfully. Tim Sale's art captured the visual feel of the
time period as well as Jeph Loeb's writing captured the characterization of the cast.
This is the fifth such project Loeb and Sale have worked on that reinvented or retold some stories from the past, or told new tales that intermingled with past continuity, and despite the slight fizzle at the ending,
it is one of their better efforts. Between this, Daredevil: yellow, Superman: Man For All Seasons, Batman: Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, only the Superman series scored higher than this one, overall.
Their upcoming Hulk: Gray should be interesting. Based uipon how well they did do with this series, it would be nice to see them tackle either the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Wonder Woman, or Shazam (Captain Marvel).
|
Marvel Double-Shot No. 2 (Marvel) - $2.99
Priest/Bill Morrison - Writers; Paoloa Rivera/Bill Morrison - Artists
Reviewed by I. Martin
The opening story in the issue featured one of the most intelligent and dangerous villains ever to arise within the Marvel Universe: Dr. Doom, the ruler of Latveria. It’s a tale heavy on psychology, as are most
tales that seek to peel back the layers of Dr. Doom in an effort to explore his internal contradictions. Not since What If? (vol. 1) no. 22 has a story taken this close a look at the reasons Dr. Doom’s mind works
the way it does.
The story starts off slowly, with the powerful monarch enjoying a musical concert performed by a group of Russian musicians. One of the star players, though, is more than she seems. Doom, however, is not fooled.
He has seen through her cover story, and calmly confronts her in a very matter-of-fact manner.
The woman is actually a reporter of German heritage who has been recruited by NATO intelligence to test Dr. Doom. To that end, surgeons have altered the woman’s appearance to strongly resemble that of Doom’s youthful
true love, Valeria, who loved the young Victor Von Doom, but turned away from the callous and powerful Dr. Doom.
The story is a fascinating, psychological thriller. The painted artwork is enhanced by the unique manner of presenting the dialogue without balloons. Narrow, color-coded lines link the dialogue and box the narrative
text, allowing practically all of the artwork to show.
The dark, moody Dr. Doom story is followed by a decidedly more humorous and cartoony tale of the Avengers, written and illustrated by Bill Morrison, who is best known for his work on Simpsons Comics and the other Bongo
Comics spin-off titles. The team in the tale includes characters like the Falcon, Yellowjacket, Hawkeye, Black Knight, Wasp and She-Hulk, along with classic longtime team members such as Scarlet Witch, Vision, Thor,
Iron Man and Captain America.
The villain of the tale is the god of mischief, Thor’s half-brother, Loki. The tale is rife with jokes and humor, evocative of the kind of parody and comic homage found monthly in Simpsons Comics and Radioactive Man.
The whole story has the feel of one of the more lighthearted books from the Silver Age, when comics were fun and didn’t take themselves quite so seriously as they do today.
This is the second issue of a 4-part mini-series, with each issue featuring two short tales. While the series features high-profile characters, and covers by Joe Jusko, the series doesn’t seem to be attracting a lot
of attention. The first issue featured stories with Thor and the Hulk, while the next issue will feature the Fantastic Four and Ant Man. The feel of the series is much like that of Marvel Fanfare or Marvel Comics
Presents, with experienced professionals and talented newcomers telling short tales featuring both overlooked and top-selling characters. In the space that might otherwise be a letters page, the editors have wisely
put in a sneak peek at a page of the finished art from each of the stories in the next issue, as well as the cover art. Plus, there is information about both past and current projects of all of the creative talent
for the stories in this issue.
Given the lack of promotion of the title, it would be easy for fans and shop owners to overlook this series. But given the skill of the creative talent, and the unique opportunity they have in this series to tell
tales involving comic icons in an out-of-continuity setting, it’s a series that fans of fun comic tales should check out. Each issue offers something unique for the reader willing to take a chance and pick up a
comic featuring the work of creators who might not be very well known yet, or characters that don’t appear very regularly in Marvel’s other comic titles.
|
| |
Ultimate Spider-Man No. 32 (Marvel) - $2.25
Brian Michael Bendis - Writers; Mark Bagley - Pencils; Art Thibert - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
It’s a good thing Marvel has been publishing this book twice a month for the past few months. There aren’t many Spidey fans who could have taken the anxiety of wondering what was going to happen next and manage to
wait an entire month between issues. The pace will slow down a bit in the near future, as Bendis cranks up the pace of writing on Daredevil, in time to get as many issues of that book on the stands as possible in
the weeks following the release of the movie in February.
The writing of this title has always been strong, and this issue was among the best of a string of recent very good and even great issues. The drama was so well-paced, the tension so intense, that after reading the
issue twice, I still had to go back to check if there had been any advertising pages in the issue, because I couldn’t recall any. (There were.)
The art by Bagley and Thibert was, again, perfectly suited to the issue. There were some action scenes, as Spidey finally confronts his impostor man-to-man for the first time, and takes him down. There were also
some quieter scenes, including a couple totally silent pages, dealing with the aftermath of the death of Capt. Stacy, Gwen’s dad. His death was caused by the impostor Spidey, and looks to be ushering in a whole
new era of potential stories for this title. Unlike the Marvel Universe, everyone knows it wasn’t the real Spider-Man who killed Capt. Stacy, so perhaps Gwen won’t experience the anti-Spidey phase that created
so much tension between her and Peter in the original issues of Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1).
There were also several little things about this issue that are worth noting, in addition to what has already been said. For the first time since the series was launched, the cover was not printed on cardstock,
but it was a much slicker than usual material, and looked great. One of the best-known recurring police characters from the original series got a few panels in the spotlight, as Capt. Jean DeWolff was at the
scene of the attempted bank robbery that became the site of the Spider-Man-vs-impostor battle. The outcome of that fight also earns Bendis some points, as he did not go for the easy answer of the impostor being
the Chameleon. Instead, it was just a guy who thought the costume would be a neat gimmick.
The only sour note for the issue involves a possible editorial alteration that affected the artwork. On page 9, there is a full-page splash panel of Spidey lifting a beaten and battered impostor above him. It’s
an incredibly dramatic page. The linework looks just a bit jagged, though. A close look, and comparison with the facing page, makes it seem as if this full-page had originally been just a smaller panel. The
lines have the jagged look of something that has been digitally scanned and then enlarged. Since most comic artwork is done in a larger size than the finished page, most artwork is reduced in size in the final
publication and linework becomes smoother. For the linework to reflect jagged lines means that it was enlarged for publication rather than reduced, which leads me to wonder what the rest of the page originally
looked like.
Even so, this was a fantastic issue, and fully deserving of the best possible rating.
|
| |
Ultimate Spider-Man No. 33 (Marvel) - $2.25
Brian Michael Bendis - Writers; Mark Bagley - Pencils; Art Thibert - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
The long-awaited and as much feared as anticipated debut of the Ultimate Universe version of Venom begins in this issue. In the original Marvel Universe, Venom was initially very popular. That popularity led to a string
of mini-series, published back to back on a monthly schedule, that lasted over 4 years. By the end of the last Venom mini-series, there were very few fans truly enjoying the stories, which is why the Spider-Man fan
community took the announcement that Venom would be introduced into the Ultimate Universe with a great deal of trepidation.
In the capable hands of Bendis, Bagley & Thibert, the fear of what could have been a nightmarish train-wreck of a story, has instead turned into excitement about one of the best issues yet in a series whose short history
is literally littered with great issues. Their exploration of the “Venom Project” promises to introduce a villain who, in this series, could prove to be the “Ultimate” equivalent of the Green Goblin from the original
1960s and 1970s issues of Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1). The story leads back to Peter’s father, who worked with Eddie Brock on something called the “Venom Project.”
The art on the was good, as usual, and captured the eager excitement Peter felt as he learned more about his father, and then got reacquainted with a childhood friend whom he could only barely remember.
Bendis uses the death of Gwen Stacy’s father as the catalyst to get Peter thinking about his own father. Looking around, he finds some of his dad’s things, including notes about the “Venom Project,” and a videotape of
his parents at a picnic, accompanied by Peter, Aunt May & Uncle Ben, and the Brocks and their son, Eddie Jr. Peter has only dim memories of the day, although Aunt May tells him that he and Eddie Jr. played together
practically every day. Eddie’s parents were killed in the same plane crash that took the lives of Peter’s parents. Inspired by watching the videotape, Peter searches for Eddie Brock Jr on the Internet, and finds him
as a student at Empire State University in New York City, not far from where Peter lives and even closer to the Daily Bugle, where he works, so Peter decides to copy the videotape and take it to Eddie. The two hit it
off great, getting reacquainted quickly.
The story promises to be tense and exciting, something it was widely feared could no longer be said about stories featuring Venom. Of course here, Venom is not an alien symbiote from another planet that had briefly been
Spider-Man’s living costume. Here the secret nature of Venom is still something mysterious and potentially dangerous. Here Venom is as interesting as the other characters in the series. There have already been so many
unexpected twists and turns in the course of this series, that trying to anticipate what Bendis will do with the basic premise of Venom is pointless. The best advice that can be offered is to pick up a copy of this issue
now, before it sells out, because it’s going to be an exciting ride.
|
| |
Peter Parker Spider-Man No. 51 (vol 2) (Marvel) - $2.25
Zeb Wells - Writer; Francisco Herrera - Pencils; Wayne Faucher - Inks
Reviewed by I. Martin
Hydro-Man and the Shocker are among the second-tier villains that Spidey’s fought over the years. They have seldom been developed as characters beyond their one-trick status as villains with a single gimmick and a
lousy record when it comes to their many meetings with Spider-Man. This issue does nothing to change any of that, although Wells does try to flesh out the human side of their characters a bit, with just moderate success.
The only “twist” to the story is that just like Peter Parker has a day job at Midtown High School, these two villains have day jobs, complete with a time-clock, as villains employed by Hammer Industries. Using a theme
taken from modern newspaper headlines, both villains get fired during the issue, because Hammer Industries is having trouble keeping the details behind their payroll a secret from the prying eyes of the public. Since
neither villain has really generated much income for the company -- because they keep getting tangled up with Spider-Man and other heroes, and then being captured -- the company has decided to terminate their employment.
The two losers take their sorrows to a Denny’s -- sorry, Demy’s -- and figure out what to do next. Shocker decides he wants to get out of the “revenge against the hero who beat me” shtick and go back to actually making
some money by pulling some jobs. Hydro-Man is fine with that, and offers to help by taking care of Spider-Man, while the Shocker tries to make his big score.
The story has some really funny moments -- especially in the scene with Peter Parker and his Aunt May discussing his day. On the way to work in the morning, Spidey had made short work of another lame villain, Stilt-Man,
who was trying to attract the attention of Daredevil, in order to get his revenge, and there were some funny lines there, too. Even the scene | |
