Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Leinel Yu
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Ben Marton
The element of this comic which encapsulates my ambivalent response must surely be the cover.
On the one hand, my attention was initially captured (and my current inclination towards cynicism for Marvel ‘event' books momentarily suspended) by the title font, beautifully evocative as it is of a hundred 1950's saucer invasion epics. Imagine the disappointment, then, when the eye is drawn downwards to…another ‘homage' cover which ill-advisedly associates itself with the continuity-mandated hatchet job that was ‘Avengers Disassembled', the mean-spirited and pointless ‘Great Lakes Avengers' and the even more mean-spirited and insulting ‘Marvel Zombies.'
The narrative skein which begins to tear and unravel inside tempts the longtime Marvel reader with many promises, not the least of which is a jaw-dropping splash-page revelation towards the end (fiendishly seductive, until one recalls a similar sweet nothing whispered into the ears of nostalgia-inclined DC Comics fans a couple of years ago, only to become nothing more than a cold slap in the face. You know what I'm talking about) If you are tempted, as this reader was momentarily, to think of this ‘event' as a possible salve to deaden the sting of the horrendous cheese-grater scars inflicted by ‘Civil War', you may find yourself waiting just a little longer. Oh sure, several Big Names talk a good fight; “I'm so sick of hiding”, mutters a Luke Cage dialed up to eleven on attitude, “I'm sick of not trusting each other” (then put some spandex on, Power Man, and show your colours! Nobody likes a lapsed Hero-for-Hire), and Dum-Dum Dugan puts in a brief appearance, albeit addressing SHIELD's finest as ‘Y'all' (I may be mistaken, but I had always assumed him to be a Yankee), but when it comes down to it, and where it really matters, this first issue is far too mired in recent events to be able slip free and really soar. One's sense of impending threat (and credit where credit is due; Monsieur Bendis jams his finger very hard on the button marked ‘looming') tends to be compromised by the cheerful thought that this eight-parter might pull the supports away from all that ‘Initiative' nonsense; please, oh please, bring the chaos, in other words.
Oh, and Mr. Bendis? A word about dialogue, if I may; the opening two-page panel spread is a masterpiece of chilling, weirdly alien foreshadowing…until the last two lines by the architect of the piece. She is the Queen of an awesome, galaxy-spanning empire and we are treated to…contractions? (‘you've' and ‘here's', for the record).
Yu's and Morales's art lends itself to just this kind of story, at least as far as serious tech is concerned; the greatest elements of the Post-Lucas School of starship design are on display here. Their rendering of human faces, however, won't (sorry; will not) make a fan out of me anytime soon. The glower and scowl count per page is alarmingly high (and by that I mean ‘90's Image Comics alarming) and every human profile is all hollow cheek and pointy nose; even the irrepressible Wonder Man looks starved and miserable. But who can blame him? Marvel's current ‘cinematic' trend in comic storytelling leaves no room for ye olde caption or thought-bubble (“Take our story seriously, dammit! And a few more inches on Iron Fist's upturned canary-yellow wing collar, please”) and the result is a bleak hollowed-out universe of word and action without thought or feeling. (Yes, yes. I know; broadcasting characters' thoughts would be a dead giveaway for Skrull identification, but Stan the Man or Roy Thomas would have found a way).
On balance, ‘Secret Invasion' may be a better continuity fix than, say, making a Selective Amnesia Deal with The Devil, and the stakes are high enough to make any number of Marvel Handbook entries obsolete, but on the whole, this old fan prefers his Luke Cage with hair, his Skrulls melodramatic and goofy, and his covers well lit, thank you very much.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Secret Invasion - issue 1 of 8 (review #1)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Leinel Yu
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Warren
According to the “Cliff's notes” at the end of issue one, Secret Invasion is the culmination of three years' hard work. It started with Roy Tomas and Neal Adams' The Kree-Skrull War, then writer Brian Bendis continued it with Secret War, The New Avengers, House of M, New Avengers (Illuminati, issue 31 and The Trust), and finally Secret Invasion: The Infiltration. For good measure, the uber-story also encompasses Annihilation and Civil War.
I haven't read any of this stuff, except for the basic Civil War arc, which came across as just another in along line of ‘major unmissable events' that promised much but, ultimately, wasn't able to deliver.
And now we get Secret Invasion.
Another disappointment in the making, not to mention a coldly cynical attempt to get us to buy all the tie-in comics?
Or might they, this time, have finally got it right?
Well, one issue in, and Secret Invasion is looking a lot more like the latter than the former. In the aftermath of the death of “Elektra”, who turned out to be a Skrull, Tony Stark calls on Hank Pym and Reed Richards to find out how a Skrull could have remained undetected. Not to mention how long it was in place and who else out there is a Skrull? As the Skrull master plan is put into effect, cataclysmic events take place in the orbiting headquarters of S.W.O.R.D., across the length and breadth of Stark Industries. The defences of The Cube and The Raft are breached, unleashing super villains. Thunderbolts Mountain is attacked. The Negative Zone is breached. A massive space armada is closing on Earth. And in the Savage Land the Secret Avengers and the New Avengers face…well, let's just say that as of now, almost nothing that has happened in the last few years can be taken as a given. One appearance in particular is going to cause more than a few jaws to drop. And then there's those last couple of pages…
Issue one of Secret Invasion is all about set up, set up and more set up. The full speed narrative neatly balances humour and gravitas as it cuts back and forth between a series of tightly paced, interconnected events, leaving us with a whole bunch of cliff-hangers, any one of which would have you wanting to follow the story. But put them all together and you have something extraordinary.
And kudos to Bendis and co for so cannily, and effectively updating classic 50's cold war slash your friends, family and colleagues aren't who they appear paranoia to contemporary times. Civil War was a not so thinly veiled commentary on post 9-11 politics, but Secret Invasion plunges straight into visceral post 9-11 fears of terrorists amongst us and the devastation they can bring. The result is something that resonates far more strongly than any other 'big event' arcs of recent times.
Of course, it's not quite perfect. The full speed ahead pace leaves you feeling a bit short-changed in a couple of the sub-plots and, while the artwork by Leinil Yu is impressive, there is a slight tendency to have heroes posing artfully rather than naturally, which hinders rather than helps the story at times. And a small, suspicious part of the brain can't help suspecting its ultimate purpose is simply that of a spectacular, Marvel universe-wide reset to get them out of corners they've painted themselves into and correct a whole bunch of bad decisions and goofs (cough*onemoreday*cough).
But if the aim of a first issue of any series is to get the reader hooked, then issue one of Secret Invasion is a hands down success. Fun, exciting and intelligently written, long time readers should be well pleased with it, and even casual readers - those who have no idea what the deal with S.W.O.R.D., The Cube and so on is - should be impatient to find out what happens next.
There's still seven issues and a lot…a lot…of tie-ins to go, but Secret Invasion might just end up delivering everything its first issue promises.
To be continued.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Captain America #34
Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Steve Epting Covers By Epting & Alex Ross
Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Jesse
Captain America is dead.
Steve Rogers was killed by an assassin's bullet, but America needs Captain America.
Enter: the Winter Soldier.
Acting on his friend's last wishes, James 'Bucky' Barnes (with the help of Tony Stark) takes on the role, while at the same time the Red Skull's plans enter a new deadly phase.
The title character may have been missing from this book but that hasn't stopped Brubaker from utilising the support cast to their fullest extent and still making this a must read title every month.
Epting provides a beautiful cover, along with Alex Ross this month featuring the new Captain America and while if you've been reading this monthly you're not going find the identity of the new Cap that much of a surprise, it's still a good enough read to keep me coming back each month.
8.5 out of 10
Amazing Spider-Man #546
Writer: Dan Slott Artist: Steve McNiven Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Jess Sowerby
When I was a kid of about 6 years old, my very first comic was a Spider-Man reprint. It had Spider-Man being unmasked by the Green Goblin and ever since that day I was hooked. I would always enjoy reading Spider-Man comics and while I didn't keep reading from the age of 6, I did catch up with a lot of back issues a lot later on. I remained loyal to the character all throughout events such as the Clone Saga of the 90s (which I actually enjoyed), through the whole re-numbering/relaunch (the Byrne/Mackie era remains one of my favourite Spider-Man runs) and then when J. Michael Stracynski came on I was willing to give it a chance but unfortunately the love I had for this character was beginning to come to a head. This just wasn't the character I grew up with.The stories he was writing weren't just any fun for me and so I began to distance myself from the character whilst still picking up the issues to see what was going on.
After reading this first issue of a bold new status quo for Spidey subtitled 'Brand New Day' I felt the love for that character actually begin to return. While I can understand some fans' frustrations over what's been changed and the questions they might have (especially ones about Harry Osborn... what's up with that?!), Dan Slott has crafted a very fun story basically getting back to (for me) the reason why Spider-Man comics were such fun. There's old supporting characters returning, new ones are being introduced and for once even the new villains look like being a piece of coolness. I am once again excited about the direction that Spider-Man is headed and look forward to what future stories have in store.
Civil War
Writer: Mark Millar Artist: Steve McNiven Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Henry Nicholls
Comics as a medium, and superheroes as a genre, have been around for a long time, and while the stories featured today are vastly different from the ones of the 30s and 40s, there are still many of the same conventions: good guys versus bad guys, colourful costumes and outlandish plots. ‘Civil War' is an attempt by Marvel to bring a more modern, credible edge to its stories, and also make some lasting changes to the fictional world they inhabit. The self-described “comics event” has attracted some mainstream attention, but has it been a success in terms of writing?
It all starts when the New Warriors, a superhero team featured on a reality TV series, rashly takes on a group of supervillains more powerful than they are. The confrontation results in an explosion that kills hundreds of civilians, many of them children. In the wake of the tragedy comes a call for super-powered people to be trained and registered, a policy that divides the superhero community. The ones on the side of registration – and the law – are led by Iron Man; the others, who claim that their calling goes beyond legislation, rally behind Captain America.
There are a lot of interesting concepts in this story. There are little modern touches (the reality TV set-up, superheroes hobnobbing with party A-listers like Paris Hilton) that add to the entertainment factor. And the central idea of turning folks like Spider-man into federal agents is one with a host of fascinating implications (as well as making a lot of sense, as characters from both sides point out frequently). Unfortunately, the high concept quickly devolves into a series of brawls amongst the factions, with not much plot development in between. And the motivation behind Captain America's side seems under-explored; apart from some vague mentions of freedom and heroes being volunteers instead of employees, they come across as stubborn kids who don't want to play by anyone else's rules.
The artwork is impressive, with an attention to detail that adds a nice splash of realism to match the narrative. McNiven is not afraid to draw the characters bruised and scuffed up, which is just as well considering how much fighting they do. There are also a couple of neat background jokes drawn into the frames that are worth keeping an eye on. (Watch for the bus going past advertising ‘The Colbert Report'.)
Whether the changes from this series and the related storylines have a long-term impact on future Marvel comics remain to be seen; it wouldn't be the first time that a big comics event was retconned out of existence further down the line. But there's the chance that people will look back at ‘Civil War' later as a historical, if flawed, addition to the canon.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
DC: The New Frontier – Volume One
Writer and Artist: Darwyn Cooke Colourist: Dave Stewart Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Henry Nicholls
DC Comics owns some of the world's most famous and recognisable heroes: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman. It also lays claim to a bundle of more obscure ones, like Hour-man and Wildcat; these are characters from the famous Golden Age of comics, whose declining popularity made way for the less idealised, science-fiction-themed Silver Age. There have been a few attempts to reconcile the two periods of time within the DC universe, of which ‘The New Frontier' is perhaps the most ambitious.
The story is mostly set in 1950s America, where Communist paranoia has spread to the point where superheroes – or “mystery men”, as they are known – have been banned by the House Un-American Activities Committee. The only ones left operating are Superman and Wonder Woman, who work for the government, or those who do so illegally, such as Batman. Paranormal threats are taken care of by military units like the Suicide Squad, led by the intense Colonel Flagg. Amongst all this a young pilot by the name of Hal Jordan, shaken by his experiences in the Korean War, longs for something to give his life meaning, which he might just get from joining Ferris Aircraft.
Everything about this book is exciting. The setting, a time full of optimism with a sinister undercurrent, is evoked so strongly by Cooke's writing. The blending of the mundane and the fantastic is particularly effective; it seems perfectly natural for a glitzy charity event to be interrupted by a fight between the Flash and Captain Cold. The cast of characters includes old heroes coping with retirement and familiar faces who have yet to become their amazing alter egos, and all of these are strongly drawn (though some fans might be surprised by how uncompromising Batman and Wonder Woman are). An unfortunate exception is Superman, who, in this first volume at least, doesn't have much of a presence.
More than matching the storytelling is the artwork, a glorious homage to the bold style of Jack Kirby, with a bit of the animated DC look thrown in. Everything looks energetic and enticing, with a retro-futuristic touch to the backgrounds that makes them leap off the page. Colourist Dave Stewart helps bring across the mood with a palette that is similarly strong and vibrant.
All over this is a top-class book, one that had me itching to read Volume Two as soon as I finished it. The combination of compelling storyline, rich characters and beautiful art guarantee that ‘The New Frontier' will be an enduring classic of the genre.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Bullet Points TP
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Artist: Tommy Lee Edwards Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Henry Nicholls
A comment on the back of the ‘Bullet Points' TP claims it's “Destined to be the Marvels of the new millennium!” This is a mighty big call; ‘Marvels' did something unprecedented by taking a look at the world of superheroes from the eyes of an ordinary man, and was written with a great deal of heart and sophistication. ‘Bullet Points' may have ambitions to tread the same path, but is a much more prosaic concept.
This is one of those ‘What If?' stories that looks at how the world of Marvel Comics might have been changed had something gone differently. In this case, writer Straczynski explores the consequences of a single bullet taking out the creator of the one-and-only super-soldier serum that would have turned Steve Rogers into the iconic Captain America. With this option lost, and the U.S. desperate for an edge over the Axis powers in World War II, the army goes for their last resort: placing Rogers in an experimental suit of high-tech armour, known as the Iron Man project.
But the effect of that one bullet goes further. It also kills a young military policeman named Ben Parker, leaving his orphaned nephew Peter, many years later, without a positive male role model. As a result, Peter gets into all sorts of trouble, including stealing a car and wandering onto a military testing site when a gamma bomb goes off. At first he seems fine, but you don't want to get him angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
And so on. Basically, Straczynski chops and changes the Marvel roster, coming up with ways various characters are shunted onto new paths by changes in circumstance. Interesting as it is, you wonder what the point is. At first it looks like ‘Bullet Points' is constructing a more believable version of the Marvel universe, but when characters like the Norse god Thor are referenced as unchanged that idea goes out the window. It feels more like the conversation a couple of devoted fans might start up to while away some time. However, the characters do ring true to their origins while reacting credibly to their new roles, especially Peter as a still decent but frustrated boy-turned-Hulk.
Edwards artwork is highly stylised, and does sometimes come across as somewhat crude. On close-up shots of the characters it's quite effective for conveying emotions; for action sequences it comes across a little flat.
The climax, where a classic Marvel villain shows up in a world no longer able to defeat him, is the best thing in the story, and ends things on an emotionally satisfying notes. Still, this is not a classic on the level of ‘Marvels'; it's an interesting side-note.
It's not hard to see why DC Comics President Paul Levitz found this comic unsuitable for publication by his company. The infamously popular series hits close to the bone in this issue, when Wee Hughie and the Boys investigate a murder on behalf of a reclusive comic book industry legend.
A good superhero satire has to work in some reference to the comic world. THE BOYS low tackles the business with the tale of a disgruntled miserly old comic publisher holed up in a basement with his collection and regrets. Beyond that the creators can't keep their hands off the superhero crowd, a malicious bunch of degenerates who need the most despicable liars around to front their wholesome comic book images. It's a deeply offensive depiction of comic publishers, creators and fans.
Garth Ennis's trademark humour is served up thick and fast, and there's a reasonable amount of decent plot development too. If you're looking for good, clean fun you're reading the wrong comic. There's plenty of jokes about Batman, Iron Man, Nightwing, Vision, Stan Lee, gays, queers, homos, pooftas, dykes and fags. Oh and a hamster. You just know where that's been. About half the pages in the issue have some kind of bluntly homophobic humour. It seems to be a recurring theme in Mr Ennis's body of work.
Everyone loves an anti-hero and characters and themes don't get much more anti-heric than in the Boys.
Rating 7 out of 10
Alien Pig Farm 3000 #1
Writers: Todd Farmer, Steve Niles & Thomas Jane Artist: Don Marquez Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewed by Adam White
I get a weird sense of déjà vu regarding ALIEN PIG FARM 3000, it seems like something I remember from a long time ago. Reading it didn't really change that feeling, as if it were an independent comic from the 1980s (it's not quite raunchy enough for the 1970s). The story breaks down in a series of basic chunks, which aim to set the stage for a clash of Kentucky pig farmers against evil aliens from outer space.
The opening section of the issue is a bit flat. It tells a long-winded and not particularly engaging backstory, where the explosion that killed the dinosaurs resulted from a battle between two alien spaceships, one of which remains preserved underground in Horton County , Kentucky . Then it's on with the Dukes of Hazzard fun, complete with car chases, ingenious escapes, daring stunts, redneck foolery, and yellow-bellied deputies. In typical fashion, our heroes are a pair of brothers, Elvis the dumb one, and Johnny Ray the responsible one, with a pick up truck and legal troubles. Throw in their sexy sister Cindy and crazy old coot of a father and there's enough grist to get the sci-fi horror mill started. This chunk of the comic is goofy and shameless, with plenty of recycled clichés about moonshine stills and hot brother-sisterly love. The story doesn't move much past introductory phase until the very end, with a nice juicy monster reveal.
Don Marquez provides some striking art with a slightly cartoony style that perfectly complements the redneck setting. Panels in some scenes, including the space battle and car chases, seemed too crowded and static, and didn't convey enough action. Others, such as Elvis's impromptu motorbike stunt and discovery of the wrecked spaceship, are exciting and dynamic.
There's a strange disorder about APF3K, with the lopsided pacing and old-school art and characters. The involvement of three writers is probably a contributing factor to the story's unevenness, and quirks like the painfully overwrought narrative captions. There's plenty of potential for the series to improve and develop, considering the talent involved. There's a real sense of fun underpinning the story and some engaging character moments, making it a more likeable comic. With enough introductory elements established and a bit of plot development that promises some gnarly horror to come, Alien Pig Farm 3000 #1 is an enjoyable bubble-gum comic in the B-grade horror tradition.
Rating 6 out of 10
Ross vs Quinn
Story & Art: EvilDan Publisher: EvilDan
Reviewed by Adam White
EvilDan's successful and original creation Angry Comic Shop Guy returns in a new issue, and this time faces his greatest challenge: Quinn! It's a no-holds-bar comic strip adventure of dirty sex, bloody violence, and drug abuse.
Ross, Quinn and Dylan are just ordinary young blokes just trying to get by and drink as much booze in life as they can. Their path is constantly threatened by wankers, losers, emos, LARPers, wannabes and Ross's own perverted hobbies. While Quinn may snap after extreme provocation, Ross's years as a comic shop proprietor have left him with a short-fuse and deeply ingrained hatred of self-righteous weirdos. He's more likely to spear you in the face than listen to your bullshit.
This is the sort of comic you leave lying around the house or in the toilet for picking up and leafing through for a laugh. It's a close-up shotgun blast of low-brow humour, aimed to inflict maximum damage in the minimum space. Neat little book-end panels depict simple scenes of depravity to illustrate the characters' regular activities. In between, an array of excited and/or annoying guests pass through, most meeting with a gruesome death by the end of the page. The jokes themselves may not always be exemplary; not every page has a knock down punch line, but it's all delivered with a brazen style that easily sucks you into the comic's world and magnifies the over-all comedy effect.
EvilDan makes excellent use of the space provided to present the story. The first half of the comic reads vertically, with each one-page story featuring about 16-17 panels. It's an intense read compared to the everyday nine-panel grid, and it emphasizes the manic nature of Ross and Quinn's experiences. You can feel the pressure and stupidity of the people around Ross confining him, and the urgent need to kill. The second half or so of the comic features stories focussing on Quinn, in a horizontal eight-panel grid format. It's kind of annoying that this section comes second in the comic, because chronologically it seems to be set first. But it's only a problem if you're reading the issue from cover to cover, otherwise the one-page story strip format works fine. The more open layouts here emphasize Quinn's calmer attitude to life, as he takes considerably longer to react violently to everyday disappointment. But in the end, it still usually comes to violence.
This simple, take-no-prisoners attitude to life's numerous irritants provides good, healthy dose of revenge-fantasy driven escapism. It's a fun diversion and a good flick-through.
Rating 7 out of 10
Iron Man Hypervelocity #4 of 6
Writer: Adam Warren Artist: Brian Denham Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Adam White
Once upon a time, a story like this could have been told as part of the regular IRON MAN title, without needing its own miniseries (it probably wouldn't have been six issues long either). But Tony Stark's too busy these days, as the Scumbag Representative of an Evil Government who guest stars in more comics than Wolverine, to be going into comas so his armour suit can develop an AI persona and have a cyberpunk-inspired adventure of its own.
Writer Adam Warren tries really hard to invoke the spirit of a William Gibson or Rudy Von Rucker story, with computerized life, malware, goth chicks, exotic weapons and experimental drugs filling their parts. Unfortunately one crucial aspect, efficiently understated supercoolness , was tragically overlooked. This comic flounders like a drunken mech at an undersea rave party under the weight of its overwrought script. There's not a lot of dialogue, but most of it is inarticulate and cringe-worthy. Worse still are the over-used, long winded narrative captions that are piled on so thick they threaten to crowd out the art. Like some kind of deformed offspring of Golden Age ultra exposition and modern age internal monologue, except it neither illuminates the plot nor provides meaningful insight into the character. Instead, it just makes Iron Man seem dreary and Warren amateurish. The scene where the evil intelligent computer virus infesting Iron Man's systems blows his cover (he's disguised as a broken robot), for example, couldn't have been accomplished any more poorly on purpose. It's an affront to plotting and dialogue.
Brian Denham's art doesn't gel well with the story. He does a good job at depicting vehicles such as a SHIELD assault carrier and its complement, but everything else is weak. The Absynthe character is the lamest looking cyberpunk goth grrrl ever. Fights are difficult to interpret, and although individual panels are often well drawn, the sequence of images does little to enhance the story. Even the lettering is dodgy. Where's Iron Man's cool font? He should always have a cool font, especially if he's been replaced with an AI-construct. There's one scene depicting the transmission path of a communications signal, which uses a series of captions that are way too large, filling half of each panel with text, like placards from a museum display.
Getting your pseudo-science right in a sci-fi story is always a tricky issue, and a good attempt is made to (ham-fistedly) deliver a novel idea about underwater fighting using super-cavitation. Unfortunately it won't pass the plausibility test with anyone who knows anything about the subject. The AI aspects of the story are better handled, because nobody knows how they work anyway, and a self-aware digital replica of a real person ought to think and act exactly like a real person. Any insight into the human condition that could be obtained from a story about a computer that thinks it's human is ignored, at least in this issue, in favour of action. The number of intelligent mecha in the comic raises questions about the tech level of the Marvel Universe. Sure they have cloned gods, adamantium alloys and unstable molecules, but these sorts of things work best as background details, or in isolated cases. IRON MAN is always a comic at the leading edge of technology, but here all semblance of realism is jettisoned in favour of a full-on futuristic sci-fi scenario. Which is fine, but it seems inappropriate compared to the classic Marvel style of telling fantastic stories in a real-world setting.
Rating 4 out of 10
Runaways #25
Writer: Joss Whedon Artists: Martin Ryan, Rick Ketcham and Christina Strain Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Adam White
The Runaways - a group of eight super-powered teenagers with major parental issues and a dinosaur - is probably the ideal fit for the writing style of Joss Whedon. The characters can get away with acting like a bunch of snarky teenagers, because they are a bunch of snarky teenagers, not, say, the world's premiere Mutant superheroes activists.
Teenage years are full of complications. Living and working with a team of under-age renegade superheroes is an excellent allegory for kids trying to assert their independence in a world that does not respect them. The Runaways are clearly trying to forge their own identities, as a group and individually, come out from under the shadows of their parents and deal with adults on equal terms. Their relative inexperience is going to make this a difficult task, but one they approach with energetic resolve. Relationships within the group are rocky too. Much like the arbitrary assemblages that kids often find themselves thrown into, the Runaways are a mix of personalities and outlooks that aren't always compatible. The group comes off more as a clique of misfits than a team of firm friends. It does threaten to become a bit too angsty at times, as Whedon plays up the dramatic elements of the dynamic in favour of humour. He does not short-change the characters however, giving each of one a sense of identity and purpose.
The pacing of this issue is somewhat off. There are only three scenes to speak of but after a good deal of drama it lurches uncomfortably into the action phase. Almost seems to be missing an ad break. Fortunately the art by Martin Ryan, impressively inked and coloured by Ketcham and Strain, is well suited for both drama and action. The neat, youthfully exuberant effect suits the comic perfectly, and the technical realisation of backgrounds in the skyscraper assault scene, with some very good use of perspective, solidly ground the art in reality.
RUNAWAYS was always writer Brian K. Vaughan's pet project and now the baton has passed to Whedon. While the characterisation may be in good hands, the plot transition has been messy, with last issue's cliff-hanger completely ignored. The relatively novel concept of a Los Angeles-based superhero team has been abandoned for the more traditional territory of Marvel Universe New York City , with familiar guest stars and a new villain to contend with. The effect could be fairly irritating for established readers. Not a lot makes sense at this stage, but as the first issue of a new story line there's still plenty of time to fill in the details and revisit lost plot threads.
The standard opening-issue big reveal on the last page is nicely done, with a unique twist on the effect. A much-loved character makes an appearance in what almost seems like a self-parody, but his presence is overshadowed by a new villain with a very imposing design.
A team book of this sort lives or dies by its relationships, both between the characters and with the readers. Within the framework of the super-hero genre, the sophistication and subtle realism of RUNAWAYS makes it arguably the best comic of its type currently being published.
Rating 7 out of 10
Army @ Love #1
Writer: Rick Veitch Artists: Rick Veitch, Gary Erskine and Jose Villarrubia Publisher: DC / Vertigo
For mature readers – sex scenes, language & nudity. Violence doesn't count, all comics have that.
Reviewed by Adam White
ARMY @ LOVE sets out to do for the Occupation of Iraq what MASH did for the Vietnam War. It's a slick, sophisticated and over-sexed take on the “fighting abroad, shopping at home” paradigm that defines post-Industrial warfare, but incorporates so many fictionalised elements it threatens to become divorced from the real world it tries to comment on.
Rather than write about the US Army as it really exists today, with the myriad of logistic and cultural challenges that confront it, Veitch has invented a fictionalised Army by extrapolating current trends, thrown in a few novel ideas, and set his story “three years in the future” in the undisclosed location of Afbaghistan. Declining morale and increasing demands have lead to a radical new approach to discipline in the National Guard, where soldiers flit between active duty and home leave on a frequent basis, conduct mobile phone calls with their loved ones from the front line and participate in officially sanctioned orgies for R&R. It's a great playground for ideas but almost seems more like sci-fi than social commentary.
Of course, sci-fi can still be social commentary, and there's a plenty of potential in this setup, particularly the “home and away” aspect. All the soldiers in an NG unit appear to come from the same small American town, and the way they interact with their families, and the effect the war has on those sent to fight and those who stay behind, provides plenty of grist for the mill. The sex scandal mill that is, as back-stabbing bed hoppers on both sides of the Atlantic attempt to play off against each other. The thrills of sex and violence, especially if combined into one mission, are the driving motivation for the Americans at war. The Afbaghis, at least in this issue, don't do much except serve as an enemy to kill, which is probably how foreign soldiers tend to see local populations anyway.
The comic makes a good attempt at tearing away the cheap veneer of respectability that coats society, revealing a glimpse of the sickness, manipulation and egotism that lies beneath.
The art has a clean, simple style, conventionally bold with bright garish colour that highlights the unreality of combat experience. It calls up impressions of patriotic war comics where valour, not horror, is the order of the day, providing a subtle but effective juxtaposition that enhances the surrealistic script. Vietch's command of facial expression, ability to convey emotion and cinematic layout effects underline the fear, machismo and lust driving the characters' stories.
Rating 7 out of 10
Death Dealer #1 of 6
Writers: Nat Jones, Jay Fotos & Joshua Ortega Artists: Nat Jones and Jay Fotos Publisher: Image
Reviewed by Adam White
Can you judge a book by its cover? The creators of this comic hope so, as they attempt to produce an entire miniseries based around a poster (reproduced on the cover) by legendary Fantasy artist Frank Frazetta.
In the pseudo-Medieval land of Iparsia , things are not going well. An army of zombies is obliterating outlying villages, and Bruce Campbell is nowhere to be seen. The local maiden's boyfriend is slain by said nasties and apparently consumed by a giant tree, which then gives birth to… the Death Dealer! He's a mysterious demon warrior dude, kind of like Ghost Rider with a horse. We are told he was last seen in a war 900 years ago where he would “show up at every major battle” and kill whoever he felt like “never choosing a side”.
This issue plays out like the first 15 minutes of a sword and sorcery horror movie, the only thing missing is the anachronistic death metal soundtrack. There's no real indication where the plot will go from here, particularly with regard to the motivation of the title character. Is he using the unlucky love-struck woodsman as a mortal host? Does the girlfriend, who survived the zombie attack, now fit neatly into the role of Final Girl? In fact, more detail about what actually happens in this issue is revealed in the “Next Issue” blurb than can be determined from the actual text, a sign the writers have a plot worked out but are failing to reveal it to the reader in an appropriate fashion.
Nat Jones does a good job drawing a fairly low-key fantasy adventure, with a strong inking style. The maiden and her brother even show a family resemblance. The action scenes have minimal detail, but are densely laid-out to produce a relatively engaging effect. Jay Fotos proceeds to drain the life from everything with a uniformly grey colour scheme, but it's an artistic decision which gives the story a distinctive, if somewhat dreary, look. Even lit torches fail to illuminate much more than themselves, emphasising the story's horror theme. The mythical land of Iparsia is apparently not based on a real time or place, as the clothing, craftwork and architecture is a vague mixture of Celtic, Viking and Germanic styles, and nothing in the “present” scenes seem at all different to what it was “900 years ago”. Let's call it Europe .
It's got zombies, swords and axes, a badass Frenchman(?), a big evil horse and the world's largest tree. If you like horror stories with a strong dose of fantasy, or fantasy stories with a major emphasis on hack n' slash, this may be the series for you, but this issue does seem a bit light on story for the cover price.
Zombie superhero Frank Einstein confronts a world of the dead and his place within it.
This new #1 issue for Madman attempts to summarize all that has gone before in the character's life, and setup a new paradigm for future issues to explore. There's a lot of ground covered as the complete adventures of this most unorthodox hero are recounted. Unfortunately it's all heavily compressed for space and sometimes devoid of context, with a single panel often used to represent a whole storyline. At best all it can give is a taste of what Madman's history entails.
Allred seems to have over-compensated for the need to bring new readers up to speed with the character, at the expense of delivering much actual story in this #1 issue. The balance of “plot development” to “scene setting” is way off. Worse still, the importance of all this back story is apparently negated by the shocking twist ending, which seems to wipe the slate clean in preparation for this relaunch (Everything you know is wrong!) It makes me wonder why he bothered with all this recapping and didn't just jump straight into the new series, dragging new readers along for the ride. It almost feels like this is little more than an advertorial for collected editions of the old series.
The framing device for all these flashbacks is a guided examination of Frank Einstein's twisted identity, which touches on the incomplete understanding of identity and its relationship to reality inherent in the human condition. Wilful ignorance will not allow the hero to escape the consequences of reality, if there is such a thing.
If the flashbacks are anything to go by, the concepts explored in MADMAN are sure to appeal to fans of bizarre and psychotropic comic adventures. How well these ideas will actually be incorporated into the story is not apparent at this stage. Established readers will be in a better position to know what sort of quality to expect, but they would probably be better off passing on this filler issue and waiting for one with some actual story in it. Technically, the art is very good. It will appeal to fans who can appreciate Allred's trademark semi-ironic style, which is firmly rooted in the Golden Age of comics, but turn off readers who insist on slick modernized post-Lee/Silvestri/Turner art.
It's unusual for a #1 issue to make such a weak case for an ongoing series. There's not much here to satisfy new or existing readers, beyond setting out “Madman is this really crazy take on the superhero adventurer and he's done all sorts of cool stuff!” This kind of thing would be fine for a special-priced #0 issue, but not an official debut.
This could well be an excellent series but there's no way to tell at the moment. Unless you're a completist, skip this one and consider checking out #2 instead.
Rating 5 out of 10
Elephantmen #8
Writers: Richard Starkings and Jill Freshney Artists: Moritat and Rob Steen Publisher: Image
Reviewed by Adam White
Two short comic stories, a letter column, some concept art, a deep and meaningful with Joe Quesada on the nature of Fatherhood and a poem about the horrors of war make this more of a magazine than a conventional comic book.
Looking for some heavy-hearted pulp noir with plenty of gunfire and cynicism? How about if main characters are anthropomorphic herd animals? Fortunately ELEPHANTMEN stops short of Disney or “Furry” talking animal territory in favour of a more conceivable premise – a grim future world in which a genetically engineered soldier class of manimals (known as “Elephantmen” regardless of their derived species) must somehow co-exist with the human population. The opening story of this issue uses the concept to explore themes of conflict, whether on the battlefield or within civil society, disenfranchisement and racial solidarity. The episode feels very short, with minimal plot, but plenty of character-driven storytelling condensed into its duration. It may be just a taste of what this comic has to offer, but it's a juicy morsel and flavour will be recalled long after digestion. Fans of grim and gritty detective tales will find much to like here.
Stripped of the thick dark night-time colour, the underlying artwork is somewhat simplistic, belying the silliness of Babar-like creatures running around in such a coarse setting. However this is not really a problem as no-one, it seems, knows how to work colour into cartoon art like Moritat. The colour is the art, the inking almost totally redundant. Animal hides are rendered with a complexity that brings life to the characters, and the backgrounds are literally awash with grit. The use of contrasting palettes to differentiate the present and flash-back sequences is especially well-handled, with the foggy grey and brown contemporary world effortlessly segueing to the vicious red landscape of wartime and back again.
The backup story takes the opposite approach, with an extremely lightweight, bright and cheery “muck up” tale in which two artificially intelligent PDAs – an Apple iFrog and an absurdly French Monkey C – scuffle for supremacy in a futuristic apartment. Rob Steen's art is appropriately wholesome and attractive, although the colouring seems to border on the amateurish style associated with cheap webcomics. Fans of comedy manga will find much to like here.
Somehow these two extremes are supposed to average themselves out into something that resembles broad-based appeal, but with only two stories most readers are likely to prefer more material that appeals to their specific interest. In a format like 2000 A.D. with more stories and greater frequency this sort of approach could work much better, but as a 32-page monthly seems to spread itself too thin.
ELEPHANTMEN is clearly a labour of love, not just for the fictional world within it, but the medium itself. Sandwiched between the two short stories is an instalment of a regular feature that takes us out of Mystery City and examines significant people and events in the comics industry. This month, Starkings celebrates Father's Day by interviewing Joe Quesada, creator of DAREDEVIL: FATHER and all-round Marvel guy, on his family and upbringing. It's pretty dense stuff and not really comics-related. There's also a one-page BRICKMAN AND TROWEL strip which was apparently considered funny in Britain once upon a time.
This is a unique multi-faceted comic, whose advantages are also its shortcomings. ELEPHANTMEN has the potential to appeal to a large audience either as an anthology magazine or a dedicated sci-fi noir serial, but in its current form perhaps tries to be too many different things at once.
Rating 7 out of 10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1
Writer: Joss Whedon Art: Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens, Dave Stewart Publisher: Dark Horse
Reviewed by Adam White
With the coming of this eagerly-anticipated issue, Buffy the Vampire Slayer officially crosses-over from being a TV character to a comic book character. Sure there have been Buffy comics published in the past, but these were always derivative works, with no closer association with the core product than a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA or C.S.I. comic. This issue represents the beginning of the new era of Buffy – the official continuation of the franchise that ended its TV run in 2003. And what better way to kick off “Season 8” than an opening 4-part story by the man who started it all, Buffy creator Joss Whedon?
It's difficult to over-state the excitement a dedicated Buffy fan will get from reading this comic. Not only is it the only official continuation of the Slayer's adventures, it is also the best official continuation of the Slayer's adventures. Right from the beginning we are dropped head first back into the familiar world of Whedon's Buffyverse, with all associated stylings. All the character's voices are spot-on, and that Whedon style pop-culture-centric off-the-cuff dialogue is present where you would expect it, without becoming too daggy or overbearing. There's no denying this is the real Buffy the Vampire Slayer in all its whimsical glory, presented clearly and effectively in the comics medium. The use of “internal monologue”, for instance, was never considered in the TV series but fits perfectly here, in the familiar form of narrative captions. Effective use of conventions such as the Last Page Reveal, and the compression of multiple plot-threads and scenes into a single 24-page issue, demonstrate Whedon's hard-earned comic book credentials and prove that he brings much more than Star Power to the title. The choice of writer is no gimmick, but a stroke of editorial genius that also happens to make a great marketing angle. For once, the results live up to the hype.
Newcomers to the Buffyverse, or readers to whom the TV show never appealed, probably needn't bother with this comic. There's no concession to ignorance of the characters or their roles, which is made especially daunting by the fact that this is the first chapter of a new stage of Buffy Summers' life, the Post-Sunnydale era. The relatively simple premise of the classic TV series could probably be picked up in an episode, at least during the first five years or so, but at this point in “Season 8”, a solid understanding of what has come before really is necessary to make any sense of what is coming up. More effort is spent explaining away a joke from an episode Angel (“Buffy's dating the Immortal”) than bringing new readers into the fold. Not committing space to exposition or recaps means a richer more focussed experience for the hard-core fan, at the expense of accessibility to others. The notion seems to be that Buffy has a big enough fanbase to justify this approach, and market response so far appears to support this.
The plot of the opening arc all starts here. After a rather perfunctory action sequence dispenses with the obligatory demon killing, numerous new mysteries and revelations are presented. Some of these are central to the core plot, while others deal more with the characters' individual challenges and needs. Many more questions are raised than answered, ensuring the intrigued reader will come back for another look next month. In some ways the peripheral concerns are more compelling than the mainline story, as these seem to have the more potential for development beyond the standard “a threat arises” plot which is inherent in any adventure serial. We know that there will always be a villain, and ultimately the heroes will overcome it, but other, more ambiguous, threads provide the potential for genuine character development, and a complex story in which good does not always prevail to the extent it would like to.
The likenesses of the characters lifted from the TV series are recognisable, without resorting to style-breaking slavish photo-references. Georges Jeanty does a good job of balancing his own artistic approach with the need to represent an established look. The title character's face does come off a bit odd at times, although it feels as if the panels where she is supposed to look most like Sarah Michelle Geller are less effective than the ones where she isn't. There's plenty of potential here for Jeanty to establish his own take on the characters as the series progresses. Beyond that particular concern, common to all comics based on live action, he demonstrates a strong visual storytelling ability, with good use of cinematic devices, page breaks and splash pages. In the fight scene, movement and weight are depicted effectively, keeping the action fluid and engaging.
For fans, this comic will seem like the welcome return of an old friend from a long absence with many new tales to tell. The stagnation that began to plague the TV series and lead to the earth-shattering crisis of the final season appears to be behind us now, and the stage is set for a bold new era of fresh adventures, drawing selectively on the established continuity, to begin.
Rating 8 out of 10
Age of Bronze #25
Writer/Artist: Eric Shanower
Publisher: Image
Reviewed by Adam White
The Achaeans dispatch an embassy to make a token effort at averting the war with Troy . In the court of King Priam, Menelaus encounters his estranged wife Helen for the first time since she left Sparta .
As an example of the comic storyteller's art AGE OF BRONZE is exemplary. Eric Shanower has delivered a finely crafted work which effortlessly interprets the Trojan War epic not as an impenetrable ballad, but a compelling drama that appeals to the modern reader's sensibilities. This issue may struggle to engage anyone jumping on now who's not familiar with the original story, but there's no denying the proficiency with which it is constructed.
It's heavy with politics, but in this case the political is essentially, and deeply, personal. Regardless of who is King of where, anyone can relate to the themes of love, pride, decision, betrayal and loss at the core of the tragedy of Helen of Troy. There's no fighting to speak of, the action in this issue is delivered in the form of debate, introspection and personal confrontation. It's very talky, but never tedious or slow moving.
The flawless black and white art reflects Shanower's dedication to his subject. Everything is inked with the thinnest lines possible and a minimum of hatching, producing a highly-detailed, but clean and beautifully Classical impression. Every character has a unique and consistent look. The brothers Hector and Paris, for example, have virtually identical facial structures, while their expressions reflect their opposite personalities. There is nothing redundant here; every moment compels the story forward. Volumes of meaning are communicated in single panels, as wordless portraits – featuring a turn of the head or twist of the lips – depict characters' nature or intent. Powerful emotions are expressed, without resorting to caricature or sappiness. The result is excellent storytelling, working the comic medium to its best possible effect.
You can't go past the Classics for a good story, and AGE OF BRONZE is a-near perfect expression of that story.
Rating 9 out of 10
The Mighty Avengers #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Frank Cho Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Adam White
In a post-Civil War era, the victorious Iron Man sets out to re-establish the Avengers as the world's pre-eminent super-hero team, according to his own terms.
This comic just killed any chance DYNAMO 5 had of finding an audience – it's exactly the same format, but from the leading publisher with a capable Big Name creative staff, well established marquee and much-loved characters.
The smoke has barely cleared from Civil War and the world faces a new threat to its very existence, bringing the all new Mighty Avengers into a pitched battle with an army of Giant Monsters tearing up New York City . It's all a ploy to lead to the big reveal at the end of the issue, re-introducing a classic Marvel villain in a new, totally preposterous, guise.
Interspersed with the action are some clunky flashbacks intended to recap the selection process Iron Man and the team's nominal leader, Ms Marvel, go through to populate the ranks. The relationship between these two is the heart of the issue, with numerous story-telling devices used to varying effect to flesh it out. In particular, Bendis constantly mixes dialogue and internal thoughts, in an attempt to show how external statements sometimes conflict with their inner reservations. At times, this trick enhances the drama or humour of the situation, in others it threatens to derail the flow of the story with its complexity.
This section of the comic can't help but seem like a rip-off of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 (and 2, and 3…) by Brad Meltzer, which trod the same ground last year. To everyone's relief Bendis manages to get the whole thing over with in half an issue. According to a caption, the whole process, from “let's form the Avengers” to “Avengers go to battle” (the classic battle cry does not feature, except on the cover) takes four hours. But this rushed approach has drawbacks, such as the fact that no-one is really considered for membership but not selected. It's just a string of “let's get this guy, and this guy, and her, and him also, OK done”. There's no drama – no rejections, no surprise inclusions. Only one character's actual recruitment is depicted, the rest of them are simply there when the action starts.
The art by Frank Cho is, well, art by Frank Cho. There are a couple of occasions for him to shine, such as an impressive two-page splash of SHIELD's big-screen TV showing almost every super-person in the Marvel Universe, plus lots of Giant Monsters getting violently killed for him to draw. Annoyingly, several panels are re-used within the issue in an obvious example of copy-and-pasting. Whether this was a sacrifice made to get the comic out on schedule, or just plain laziness, is unknown. Sure there are some talky scenes, but that doesn't justify simply repeating the same image three times with different lettering. If you like Cho, you will love this. It's very clean and reasonably well laid-out, plus there's a naked chick for your consideration.
It's yet another Avengers relaunch, but this one has to compete with the NEW AVENGERS title for attention. It's definitely an attempt to do something different with the property, but for the moment it remains to be seen how well this eclectic mix of characters can form a genuine team that will rival the classic dynamic. There are plenty of hints that various character arcs are planned (Sentry learns to become a True Hero, Ares adapts to life in the Mortal World, Wasp taps Some Ass etc) however the comic's Initiative-era seriousness leaves little room for the sense of adventure, fantasy and fun the Avengers is traditionally renown for.
Rating 6 out of 10
Dynamo 5 #1
Writer : Jay Faerber Art : Mahmud Asrar Publisher : Image
Reviewed by Adam White
Five strangers united by fate and a father they never knew, or WHAT IF Superman had dropped a litter of bastards?
In this post-Ultimates, post-Authority world, DYANMO 5 feels like a throw-back to a simpler time. In stead of irony, commentary and high-concept drama, we get fist fights, banter and matching red and blue costumes, as a small team of novice superheroes duke it out with an army of hooded thugs. Interspersed with the action are some clunky flashbacks intended to introduce our heroes, illegitimate children of the late Captain Dynamo, a thinly disguised Superman analogue (right down to the Lois Lane -like wife). Superhero team comics live or die on the strength of the characters and their interaction, but there's nothing here that compares to the empathy or camaraderie of, say, Legion of Super-Heroes or an X-book.
The comic fails to define itself beyond the notion of “Superman's brats,” as if a natty premise precludes the need for a compelling story. The only attempt at development comes from the dramatic twist ending, which almost manages to intrigue, but is so obvious you can see it coming three pages before it happens. And even that is delivered with a lack of logic that borders on ridiculous. DYNAMO 5 may not have the big guns, big boobs and big muscles of the 1990s, but otherwise it's comics like this that gave Image its “low brow” reputation in the first place.
Although Mahmud Asrar's drawing style isn't earth-shattering, the art is rather good. Half the issue is one big fight, and it's easy to follow the action thanks to his dynamic layouts and focus on the characters. Even with everyone wearing one of two different uniforms, there's no confusion about who's hitting who, or why. The “drama” sections are just as good, with efficient use of panels and facial expressions conveying a good deal of story economically. Ron Riley's colours emphasize the theme of each scene well, from bright and colourful, to muted, to sombre as required. He does seem to have a thing for giving everyone shiny, prominent nose bridges though, which is a bit distracting.
There's potential here for a story to develop, but the journey to get to it will likely only appeal to die-hard fans of conventional, generic, by-the-numbers superhero pulp. Such readers, by their very nature, tend to stick conservatively with the established Big Two fan-favourites, further diminishing any chances this comic might have. For the more sophisticated fan, DYNAMO 5 #1 will seem like a relic from a genre of comics that slavishly churned out the most insipid, derivative, uninspired, content possible.
Rating: 4 out of 10
Gødland #16
Writer : Joe Kelly Art : Tom Scioli Publisher : Image
Reviewed by Adam White
Jumping on to a comic series in progress can be a tricky thing. As a new reader you are often confronted by questions about the title's premise and situation that overwhelm your ability to enjoy the story – who was that guy again? Why did they kill him? Just what in the hell is going on here anyway?
There are numerous ways writers can try to alleviate this problem – make your stories so simplistic and static that anyone who's read one has read them all, explain every character and device's role and motivations in detail every time they appear, or produce the occasional specially-crafted “jumping on point issue” which is exactly what the attractively-priced GØDLAND #16 is.
Essentially this is a giveaway sample intended to hook new readers with a low-risk outlay (about $1.20 standard Aussie price compared to $6 for a normal issue) and plenty of back-story. To call it a “recap issue” would be unfair, there's some story here to keep existing readers involved, but it's obviously intended to cater for newcomers.
GØDLAND is a modern incarnation of the 1960s cosmic sci-fi superhero epic, cast in the mould of Captain Atom, Starman, the Forever People or the Fantastic Four.
This comic is worth more than its weight in gold for the art alone. Every panel is an engrossing Jack “The King” Kirby-inspired tableau. Tom Scioli has done the almost unimaginable and out-Kirbyed Kirby with his outlandish creations, never drawing one line where ten will do the job. Faces are pock-marked, figures are flattened and fattened with bizarre proportions in strange places, unfathomable technology snakes and writhes along walls and floors and crackling dots signify the auras of cosmic powers in action. If you're a pop-art fan, you will love this.
Purists may consider the result a grotesque exaggeration, but, critically, Scioli captures Kirby's more subtle virtues – his amazing sense of dynamic motion and eye-catching layouts. In many of today's comics, action scenes appear as a series of static friezes, like time-delay camera stills, each panel seemingly unconnected to the next. Kirby's art never suffered from this; one panel could portray enough movement to fill a whole book. Where a lesser artist would be satisfied to forge dots and blobs, in recreating Kirby's dynamism Scioli shows his work to be a true homage to the master's craft. This 16-page comic can make a long read as you find yourself engrossed in the glorious detail of each page.
The story presented in this comic gives a good taste of what to expect from future issues of the series. It's as much a setup as a recap. Indeed, the flashback sequences, while well-framed, come off as the weakest part. Being perfunctory and brisk, they give the reader only a hint of what has come before, and may not inspire you to rush out and buy the collected reprints (which is certainly part of the reason this cheapie comic exists). It feels like a lot of the story has been overlooked in an effort to make it fit, and several important questions are not addressed at all. However, it does provide enough information, in conjunction with the story's bookends, to establish the characters and their relationships, which should allow newcomers to appreciate the story, and easily jump-on to the series. The flavour of the story matches the art, and characterisations are well-handled, from the God-fearing military brass debating how to respond to the potential threat of a cosmic-powered former astronaut, to the villainous hedonistic brain-in-a-jar, to the heroic family unit, and the seemingly benevolent, but aloof and self-interested, alien intelligences humanity must contend with in order to survive.
Despite its special purpose, this issue has enough new material to carry itself as a capable part of the series. And if you're on the lookout for some new reading material, you could certainly do a lot worse than check out GØDLAND #16.
Rating: 9 out of 10. A bargain
Iron Man: Execute Program TP
Written by: Daniel and Charlie Knauf Pencilled by: Patrick Zircher Publisher: Marvel
Reviewed by Jesse
Writers Daniel and Charlie Knauf, mostly known for television work such as HBO's Carnivale, craft a thriller that has Tony Stark framed for murders that he may or may not have committed. After exposing himself to the extremis virus (note: as seen in the Extremis tpb) Tony Stark and Iron Man are now the one man. No longer needing the inconspicuos briefcase to conceal his armour in, Stark can literally transform into the armoured avenger at will. The story itself explains that politically sensitive dignitaries are being murdered and all traces appear to incriminate Iron Man.
The idea to do this is clever as even by the end of the second part when we witness Iron Man leaving the scene after apparently murdering someone, we are likely to think that he has turned traitor.
But as always there is more to the story than what lies on the surface.
What i didn't like about this story was the reworking of Iron Man's origin to basically suit the story's purpose. It was originally established back in 1963 that Tony Stark met professor Yinsen, the man who developed the old crude version of the Iron Man armour in Vietnam, for the purposes of this story and to make Iron Man's origin more modern, the Knauf's have made this meeting occur in Afghanistan which to me just seems totally ludicrous, as it implies that Tony Stark has only been Iron Man for a few years.
The artist on this is Patrick Zircher who made his name as an artist on marvel's Thunderbolts series a few years ago, and his art style is not too bad in this collection. Zircher is a competant, yet also a regular artist and can almost handle a montly book, but from the computer generated styles of Adi Granov to this takes a bit of getting used to.
This is a fast paced story, with many twists and turns to delight those who enjoy that sort of thing.
newuniversal #3
Writer: Warren Ellis Art: Salvador Larroca, Jason Keith Publisher: Marvel
For mature readers (violence)
Reviewed by Adam White
On another Earth much like our own but with a few subtle historic differences, a bizarre celestial event has resulted in the re-emergence of a class of super-powered humans. In response, the US National Security Agency activates Project Spitfire to deal with this evolutionary threat.
Cast your mind back to the Marvel comics of the 1980s under the guidance of Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter. To celebrate Marvel's 25 th anniversary, Shooter proposed a radical idea – the creation of an all new, all different comic universe with none of the existing trappings of the standard Marvel U, and a stronger focus on sci-fi and drama rather than traditional super-heroics – the New Universe. Eager-eyed comic geeks of the time gravitated between excitement and confusion at the idea, which emerged as an eclectic bunch of books that never really seemed to mature into their full potential, and suffered from numerous direction-changes and retcons. Industry lore maintains that the project didn't receive the budget and support it deserved from Marvel's top management – who seemed just as perplexed by the line as the readers. By 1989 virtually all attempts to maintain the New Universe had petered out in favour of products that built on the characters and ideas from the original Marvel Universe of Stan Lee and his less shamelessly self-promoting collaborators.
Then in 2006, somewhat unexpectedly, Marvel decided to have another crack at the New Universe, perhaps inspired by DC Comics' SEVEN SOLDIERS event, in which a top-shelf British writer was assigned a bunch of under-utilized properties and instructed to do whatever he wanted to make them a hit. In this case, the job falls on Warren “PLANETARY” Ellis who has re-envisioned the New U as a single series, rebooting the stories of characters who originally appeared in their own titles as an interconnected whole. Reading newuniversal, you can't help but think the hit TV show Heroes served as a model for this concept.
So, with the ghost of Heroes hovering above it, newuniversal #3 proceeds to work within what may be the new zeitgeist of superhero comics, a more restrained, sophisticated and dramatic take on the genre in which people with abilities find themselves at odds with themselves and world around them, while facing the challenge of a powerful destiny (see also X-FACTOR). Think early Spider-Man without the costume. There are no super-villians here, just the world as we know it with competing agendas and incompatible philosophies. Believable and likable characters are essential for this approach to work, and Ellis does not disappoint. Nostalgics should be satisfied by the inclusion of old characters and their trappings, but prior knowledge of the old New U is not required or even that helpful - this is not a sequel but a total reboot; It's an all new New Universe (OK – spoiler time: Jenny Swann and Professor Voight are going to become sworn enemies, but you could probably work that out from their archetypal relationship anyway).
Befitting the tone, Larocca's art strives for realism within a cinematic layout, and Keith's thick, paint-like colours flesh out the people while under-stating their environments. Light and shade are used to particularly good effect in several scenes, and violent action is engagingly conveyed. Like most Serious Works of Graphic Literature, there are no sound effects. The use of mixed case lettering in speech balloons also serves to emphasise that this is not a “normal” super-hero book.
As a stand-alone issue, #3 is perhaps not that impressive. Nearly half the pages are devoted to a very one-sided fight (massacre is probably a better term) between Justice and a gang of petty thugs. A couple of key characters are notably absent, although their presence is still felt. The nature of the many-characters-many-threads story telling makes individual issues almost meaningless on their own, but fortunately the book does not suffer from “de-compression” syndrome, where monthly issues do little to advance the plot of the ongoing story. Rather, the issue is a readable and engrossing episode in an unfolding experience, and should be more than sufficient to tide you over until next month (and back issues of #1 and 2 should still be available from your local friendly comic shop!) The traditional “last page cliffhanger” is a non-event and feels rather weak. The issues does a good job of establishing the abnormality of the Latvian archaeological site, but then we are supposed to get excited about the discovery of yet another anomaly, a vague and almost pedestrian one at that?
This comic is unashamedly dramatic and takes itself very seriously, but with a minimum of angst. There's no time for levity in this tale of modern-day real-world weirdness, where carnage rules out comedy. It's gritty but not grim, and successfully avoids the clichés and pitfalls of both the ‘90s violent comics ex/implosion and Silver-Age/Bronze Age wackiness in order to deliver another instalment in a compelling tale of people, powers and potentials.
7/10
Fantastic Four #542
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie Artist: Mike McKone Publisher: Marvel
Reviewer: Lucas House
So, what are we looking at here exactly?
We have the 542nd (or so) issue of Fantastic Four, the one time proclaimed “World's Greatest Comic Book Magazine.”
A comic about to celebrate its forty-fifth anniversary.
The fifth issue of its Civil War story arc.
Oh, and the original writer has abandoned ship, leaving another writer to pickup the pieces.
J Michael Straczynski has officially left FF two issues shy of completing his story arc, an arc within Marvel's huge Civil War event. What did this mean for new writer Dwayne McDuffie? In some respects not a lot, all the characters are just were they were as of last issue; (The Thing is still in France, Reed is still trying to fight the Good fight for democracy and Sue and Johnny still trying to take back liberty on behalf of Captain America). On the other hand this issue does have a different feel to it. McDuffie tries here to back-peddle and put many of Straczynski's plot points back into the box. In regards to Reed he does a good job finally giving him a reason to follow the pro-registration over his own family. On the other hand I have to wait and see as to how he deals with Ben in the city of love.
The one thing that has been brought about by the Civil War is that the distinction between hero and villain is not as clear cut at the moment. The Thinker (mad or otherwise) was the antagonist of this issue but he didn't ring true to me here. His characterization jumped from scathing at Reeds intelligence to admiring it.
Usually McKone's art is good, his first FF arc was great but this issue seems like he just phoned it in. (I'm not sure how that would work) The backgrounds are basic as is the staging and in the scene with Val and Franklin it looks like Val was drawn by another artist.
This issue was filler at best. McDuffie followed Straczynski's plot to the letter, but it wasn't a very good plot to begin with. I still have high hopes for McDuffie once Civil War is over, I just hate to see what they are doing to this forty-five year old comic book magazine.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Fables: 1001 Nights Of Snowfall
Written by Bill Willingham
Drawn by a collective of fantastic artists
Published by DC/Vertigo
Anonymous
Reviewer
If you had artists such as Brian Bolland, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, James Jean and Mark Buckingham (among others) in one spot you'd have an amazingly spectacular piece of artwork in your hands, wouldn't you? Well you would actually if you were to read this stand alone graphic novel that introduces newcommers to the Fables world, while at the opposite end of the spectrum providing a tale that established readers of this series can sink their teeth into and enjoy as well as the ongoing series which comes out monthly.
In this story set well before Fables #1 (for all you continuity buffs) Snow White pays a visit to a sultan to aquire his assitance in a possible war with the mysterious being known only to them as 'The Adversary'. But when Snow finally gains an audience with the Sultan he sees Snow as a sacrifice, which his kingdom performs daily. The only way Snow White can get out of this is to tell the Sultan a story every night, and that paves the way for the stories you find in this book. We learn of a king teaching his queen fencing lessons and of the neighbouring war that grows nearer. We learn what happened to Flycatcher's family and many other stories beautifully illustrated in this book. The story is entertaining but it's the artwork that will sell this book for the stories are not all done by the same artist and not in the same style either which is what makes this book such a treasure to look at, page after page. People who already read Fables will undoubtedly love this book and those who have never read Fables before will be able to pick this up and not be hampered by what's gone before and this story is completely stand alone. I hope that by reading this review people will give this book and indeed the monthly series a try and enjoy it as much as I did.
Rating: A+
Mystery
in Space #1
Writer: Jim Starlin Pencillers: Shane Davis and Jim Starlin Inkers: Matt Banning and Al Milgrom Colours: Jeromy Cox and Jim Starlin Publisher: DC
Reviewed by Ben Marton
Captain’s log, Stardate twenty o-six. Having
recently witnessed the return of the galaxy-hopping hero Adam Strange
from across the deep celestial gulfs of Market Speculation, I was
delighted to hear of the imminent resurrection of another venerable
hero cut from the Flash Gordon mould. What had impressed me about
the resurfacing of Captain Comet just in time for the planets Rann
and Thanagar to go over to the geno-side as part of ‘Countdown
to Infinite Crisis’ (never, in the field of Cosmic Comic Conflict,
has so much blood and ink been spilled for so little payoff), was
that the hero from the very dawn of DC’s Silver Age seemed to
have grown old with dignity. From the first moment he had towered
over the ‘Green Lantern’, echoing an earlier meeting of
the old and the new (“Now where did I leave that ring? Oh, there
it is. Thanks for holding it for me while I was away, Kyle.”),
Captain Comet radiated gravitas. Here was a man hardened by the frontier
of space; a mythical figure hewn from our collective unconscious as
dynamic and weather-beaten as a cold fusion of Buck Rogers and Clint
Eastwood. I was ready to cheer. It was the return of a grey-power
hero for an aging population, a man over whom the criminal revisions
and compromises with verisimilitude had skipped for the past several
decades, to remind us that the heroic ore of the past may still be
forged into the shining alloy of tradition; a man to remind us that
age and wisdom are to be respected…
…Which must be why DC decided to kill him
and resurrect him in a younger body with more shiny attachments on
his outfit.
I really want to be fair to this one. Aside from
the Striated Nautilus Image house-style artwork (at least in the main
feature; more on that later), and the adherence to the Fratboy Comedy
rule that every appearance of a dog in a comic book must showcase
both every nook and cranny of its anatomy and at least one gratuitous
urination shot, there is very little about the first issue of the
new ‘Mystery in Space’ that slips below competent. Since
the advent of the Lucas Age the inclusion of a local variant on the
spaceport which is also the Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy is
pretty much mandatory, so we can check that box. Alien bounty hunters
are always delightfully expendable because as long as it doesn’t
have a face in the conventional sense, you can kill it. And in a comic
universe of supposedly limitless story possibilities with a surprisingly
large number of Earth-bound heroes, any hint of a foray into the Great
Beyond is enough to trip my sensors. And yet…
I don’t know if Jim Starlin is bowing to
editorial pressure, but if the only way to green-light the return
of a first generation mentor hero is to step on him, jam him into
the ol’ Retcon Cocoon and wait for him to emerge with a cherry
new chassis so the kids will put down their iPods long enough to notice,
then I think I will keep my six dollars thank you very much.
The backup feature, with its respectable page
count and tie-in factor, is entirely Starlin’s baby. He writes,
pencils and colours the return of his long-dormant mystical mystery
man, The Weird (ably assisted by a much-missed Al Milgrom on inks)
with enough verve, Von Daniken-style tomfoolery and high concept hyperbole
to remind the reader how much fun the lead feature isn’t. The
title featured as the ‘plus’ on the cover shouldn’t
impact negatively on the issue’s desirability, but it does,
mainly because it reminds you that you may want to save your money
and go hunting for ‘Silver Surfer’ back issues instead.
We sent a message out to the stars in a chrome-plated
capsule with fins and a bubble-dome, and boy, did it look boss as
it arced into the heavens, carrying with it Robert Heinlein’s
immortal battle cry of ‘Have Space Suit, Will Travel’.
We got back an MP3 sound bite which said “What’s been
happening on 'The O.C'?”
Garth, Garth, Garth, here's
yet another review by yours truly. Being a long time "Punisher"
fan for many years it is only recently that I've become a fully-fledged
Ennis fan after buying, reading and enjoying all nine trades of "Preacher",
co created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, I'm pretty much addicted.
What better timing for the release of "The Boys", co-created
by Ennis and Darick Robertson, which Ennis proclaims will "out
Preacher Preacher".
You would be easily forgiven for thinking this was another Punisher
MAX title and not actually a Wildstorm title as there are many similarities
between them. Both comics feature at times graphic violence, sex and
profanities. As well as male lead characters that prefer to wear black
clothing and thrive on sadistic violence. While old Frank never ever
smiles and never really enjoys his work at all; the maiming, torture,
impalement, amputation, blunt force trauma, etc, for him its just
routine, whereas Billy Butcher really seems to enjoy what he does.
One look at his trademark smirk and the macho alpha-male bravado attitude
that spills of the page and you really get the idea that this isn't
a job but more akin to foreplay.
So who are 'The Boys' and what do they do? Well it deals with the
old chestnut that is at the nucleus of the comic book industry itself,
superheros. The Golden Age Marvel had the super heroes that were good
but were troubled whereas the DC pantheon were square jawed and a
little too perfect. Cut to now and DC has embraced the troubled approach
but superheroes in either camp are pretty much nice guys. But since
when are they perfect and who makes sure they are really all they
are cracked up to be?
I draw your attention to two previous works by Ennis in a similar
vein, the first being DC's "The Hitman". Tommy Monaghan
a hitman that only goes after "bad" people until he is attacked
by an alien and gains the abilities of telepathy and x-ray vision
where he then goes after "bad" super humans. Secondly, Ennis's
"Punisher" one-shot, "The Punisher kills the Marvel
Universe" where Frank's family are not killed by criminals but
by Superheros in the heat of battle, where innocent civilians are
just collateral damage, nothing more, nothing less. Needless to say
Frank starts hunting down the spandex clad brigade like its going
out of fashion and the story has one hell of closer, read it if you
already haven't and if you can find it.
Now we have Mark Millars Marvel creation and instant classic "Civil
War" where a battle between super heroes and super villains ends
in the death of hundreds of innocent civilians, accidentally killed
by the good guys, causing the government to call for a "Mutant
Registration Act", whoops I mean, the "Super Hero Registration
Act"; where superheros need to disclose their secret identities,
weakness, etc. There have of course been other comics dealing with
killing Superheros namely Marvels "What If's" has done quite
a few of these over the years.
The very first page of The Boys is either going to make you laugh
or cry, its just that good or bad, lets just say it earns the "Suggested
For Mature Readers" warning on the cover in fine Tarantino red
fashion, as well as other pages too. After a brief introduction to
Billy Butcher and his lovable bulldog Terror, we get to jump cut between
him and Wee Hughie, real name Hugh Campbell, where we get to witness
him before, during and after and encounter with a Superhero where
he comes off second best, changing his life forever, inevitably leading
him to cross paths with Butcher and join The Boys.
So who exactly are The Boys, the two mentioned above and the yet to
be revealed, aside from the cover, The Frenchman, The Female and The
Man called Mothers Milk. They are soon to be reinstated second iteration
of a black ops C.I.A. squad that deals with superheros, including
everything from surveillance through to termination. As this is a
first issue, much like a pilot episode for television, there is a
lot of information that is eluded to, which helps to hook you into
the story, these being; what exactly happened to Billy's predecessor,
ending with the disbanding of first team and why do Billy and the
other original members hate superheros so much, etc? A personal highlight
of mine in the issue is the love/hate relationship between Billy and
his boss Susan L. Raynor.
Now for the artwork, the cover by Darick Robertson and Tony Avina
is from the implied point of view of a possibly soon to be a dead
superhero, with the five members of The Boys staring down at them
menacingly, which perfectly sets the tone of the comic that follows.
Darick Robertson's artwork has a nice clean, crisp look to it, the
people drawn have a semi-realistic quality to them that I enjoy and
the panelling varies from the standard to inventive here and there
without being over the top about it. This seems to be another hand
in glove pairing of Ennis and Robertson, similar to the "Preacher"
Ennis and Dillon combo.
Overall this is a comic that I'm already hooked on, but as I stated
in my very first comic review I'm a biased reviewer and I don't usually
get into or buy superhero comics, unless it's a Punisher or Blade
crossover. Perhaps you do read and collect superhero comics and you
might find this to be funny too, or not? If you got into "Preacher",
"Punisher" or Ennis in general then it's pretty much a given
and this is a must have for your collection. This series is set to
go for around sixty issues and plans to take on and punish variations
of many the icons Marvel/DC hold so dear, so for you dark souls out
there strap yourselves in for the comic of the year.
4 out of 5 ex-super hero
skulls
The
Trials of Shazam! #1
Writer: Judd Winick Artist: Howard Porter Publisher: DC
Reviewed by Ben Marton
Following the seemingly terminal lateness
of the proposed Captain Marvel series by ‘Bone’ creator
Jeff Smith, and saddened by DC’s Post-Crisis metamorphosis into
Didio’s Miseryverse, I approached this one with caution. After
all, factor in the fairly middling names attached to it (Winick and
Porter: the Jon Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp of modern superhero comics)
and you have the potential for one serious enterprise in blandex.
Happily, the first of twelve chapters
in ‘The Trials of Shazam!’ manages to keep its boyish,
tousled head above the rising molasses of DC’s current mopefest
more often than not. The man/boy who should be the DCU’s bright
shining bolt of optimism from the blue has not recaptured his former
glory yet, however. Billy Batson’s mentor wizard is still dead;
there was obviously no way Didio and his Heavy Metal Kafka Wrecking
Crew were going to let that kindly old bearded man live. They would
have left Gandalf lying broken at the bottom of Moria. One should
feel grateful that the Rock of Eternity didn’t go the way of
Atlantis or Paradise Island.
Howard Porter has struck out into new
and glossier territory on this one; his burnished, painterly renderings
recall Ariel Olivetti’s rich, textured take on ‘Space
Ghost’ last year. The good news is that the softer, nuanced
finish afforded by Porter’s brushwork manages to sidestep his
tendency to contort human figures into awkward poses and the angular,
post-Image coldness dominating his characters’ faces is somewhat
lessened, although somehow every single cast member manages to look
Asian; a nod to DC’s push for multicultural appeal perhaps?
Still, an appearance by Zatanna always uplifts a book in my estimation,
and artistically it is hard to get her wrong. Thank the Maker her
fishnets and top-hat survived the ‘Infinite Crisis’ re-set.
Yummy!
Story-wise this orientation issue jaunts
merrily along. Some satisfying monster of the week fights punctuate
Billy Batson’s pause for introspection before his troubled climb
back to the DCU’s decimated halls of the Gods can begin. Judd
Winick has always struck me as a solid if unspectacular writer, his
attempts at melodrama often coming off as laboured whining (well,
he did make his mark writing dialogue for Kyle Rayner) but gratifyingly,
he pulls back on the angst for a moment here to give us a Captain
Marvel who can still smile; at least until the issue’s denouement,
wherein he appears to unexpectedly morph into something resembling
Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone.
It seems clear that something of a
new direction is being struck for Captain Marvel; one that edges him
slowly out of the boots and cape mainstream (thus avoiding tedious
comparisons with Superman) and into whatever is left of the magical
realms of the DC Universe (since, thanks once again to the eminent
Mr. Didio, the Spectre has become the most poorly treated character
since the True Green Lantern). ‘The Trials of Shazam’
shows a modicum of promise, although nothing truly spectacular to
report as yet. Here’s hoping that Winick and Porter’s
prestidigitations amount to more than just smoke and mirrors.
Rating: 7 out of 10.
Batman
and the Mad Monk #1
Writer & Artist:
Matt Wagner Colourist: Dave Stewart Publisher: DC
Reviewed by Luke Hooft
Writer-Artist Matt Wagner's last Bat-related
project was the six issue miniseries "Batman and the Monster
Men", a re-telling of one of the very earliest Batman stories.
Now comes "Batman and the Mad Monk" another story based
on a Golden Age Batman tale, which was first printed in issues #31
and #32 of Detective comics. Matt Wagner's nicely painted cover is
even an homage to the cover of Detective #31, with a mist-shrouded
Batman looming larger than life over a craggy Eastern European landscape,
featuring a classic spooky castle and the titular Mad Monk.
Setting Batman tales in the formative
stages of his career seems to be very popular, with Jeph Loeb's "The
Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory", and Ed Brubaker's
"The Man Who Laughs" being set shortly after Frank Miller's
"Year One". Wagner's story is no different, being set in
a Gotham where there is no bat-signal, Jim Gordon is not yet Commissioner,
The Joker has not yet appeared after the Red Hood's plunge into a
chemical vat, and Batman does not yet wear armour under his trademark
grey longjohns - though a scratch from Catwoman's poison-tipped claws
in the opening scene prompts Batman to consider the idea.
After the opening battle with Catwoman,
Batman is called by Gordon (by a bat-pager rather than the famous
signal light) to the rooftop of Gotham Police Headquarters to find
Gordon in combat with three corrupt cops - Gordon still has a lot
of enemies in Gotham's corrupt law enforcement system - and they're
about to get the better of him. After putting the 3 cops out of commission
(and a a bit of classic "scaring the bejeezus out of a bad guy
by dangling him off a multi-story building" action), Batman discovers
the reason for Gordon's call - a pair of bodies found suspiciously
drained of blood!
The last scene in the issue cuts to
a nightclub, where we find Eastern-European goth-lady Dala who obviously
has nefarious intentions toward an unnamed young lady, and seems to
be in the service of a mysterious master.
Yes, like the 1940s story this is based
on, "The Mad Monk" is a vampire story, and while Batman
has often faced more realistically grounded villains, or science fiction
influenced ones, his horror-inspired persona (surely Bob Kane and
Bill Finger drew more than a little inspiration from Dracula when
they created Batman?) makes him an ideal character to go up against
the more supernatural creatures of the night. However, as of the end
of issue one, it's not yet clear whether the vampires we'll see in
this story really are supernatural, or of a more mundane nature -
vampire wannabes, if you will.
The presence in this issue of Bruce's
girlfriend Julie Madison, who as Bruce's fiancee played a large part
in the original 1940s Mad Monk story, means she's likely to play a
similar role in this modern update.
Wagner's protrayal of the Batman and
other regular characters, in both his writing and art, is almost spot-on,
and his somewhat cartoony style with its strong linework and liberal
use of blacks is, if not exactly real horror-comic material, well
suited to depicting Batman and his world. He draws a nice-looking
Batman too, one who's appearance is not a million miles from the Animated
Series version(s) designed by Bruce Timm, if not quite in such a simplified
style. His Batman is both a dynamic, swashbuckling action hero and
a grim, brooding figure of intimidation. His action scenes are well
layed out, easy to follow and excitingly rendered, showing Batman
at his maximum level of badassitude. Dave Stewart's colours bring
a slightly painted look that enhances rather than detracts from Wagner's
inks, with a thoughtful use of different colour pallettes in different
scenes.
Where Wagner goes from here will depend
on how closely he sticks to the original story, but issue one has
got me eager to see what comes next.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Wonder Woman #2
Writer: Allan Heinberg Penciller: Terry Dodson Inker: Rachel Dodson Colourist: Alex Sinclair Publisher: DC
Reviewed by Ben Marton
“I think the only way I can accomplish
my mission is if I don’t have to be Princess Diana of Themyscira
or Wonder Woman. If I can just be me.”
“Time to grow up, Princess. You’re
a federal agent now.”
Uh oh.
Now I certainly don’t want to
begin by saying that I am not enjoying this latest re-launch of the
chronicles of DC’s First Lady. It has, after all, been only
two issues and on a superficial level I find ‘Wonder Woman’
a decent read. I have always felt that as a character whose links
with ‘actual’ mythology are stronger than most, she shares
a conceptual kinship with figures like Captain Marvel and Dr. Fate;
a link that has never really been capitalised upon, which is a pity.
For me, Diana, Princess of Paradise Island has always been the daughter
of Titans sculpted from clay and given life by the breath of a goddess;
ostensibly an attempt at identification with a marginalised female
readership but in actuality keyed to adolescent male preoccupations:
alien, enigmatic and supremely confident with steely physicality held
in check by an almost Victorian sense of poise and matronly wisdom.
She could only ever be loved from a distance and on her terms; a sentiment
with which I’m sure her creator, William Moulton Marston, would
agree. Wink wink.
The Dodsons’ art bats a solid
average; bold statuesque figures contend across cinematic panels and
the richness of modern computer-assisted colour palettes is exploited
to appealing effect. One caveat may be the appearance of a markedly
pre-adolescent Robin. Sandwiched between Cassie Sandsmark’s
leonine physicality and Diana’s comparatively gigantic frame,
he appears as nothing more than the love child of Leonardo DiCaprio
and Robert Smith. Still, ‘Wonder Woman’ is a cascade of
satisfying visuals.
I am currently reminded, however, of
the fate of Hawkgirl from the animated ‘Justice League’
series. Like Wonder Woman, she is initially established as a no-nonsense
amazon warrior then implicated in an act of simultaneous betrayal
and self-interest before being exiled. Also like Wonder Woman, she
returns an incomplete and less defined figure, stripped of the wonderful
trappings of her alien identity along with her self-assurance and,
winding the feminist clock back some twenty years, she is unceremoniously
handed the dog-eared old ‘who’s the real me?’ script.
Allan Heinberg established himself
writing for television (of course he did; he was head-hunted by DC)
and his proficiency with the art of the twist shows. Perhaps ‘art’
is pushing it a little, however. The conceit that, as Wonder Girl,
Donna Troy is in the unenviable position of being groomed to replace
an icon is well past its use-by date, and the seemingly clever idea
of capitalising upon her resemblance to Diana by making them inter-changeable
may draw knowing nods and I-told-you-so smirks from goateed thirty
year old boy wonders, but consider the implied message as it would
be read by an outsider: girls are all the same, dude. We can swap
‘em around as the story dictates.
So, Hawkgirl back and playing nice
in her beige workout gear. Diana relegated to white jumpsuit or basic
black for the office, gal-pal to G-men while Version 1.1 plays Shemp.
Paradise Island snuffed out by the hand of Editorial Rationalism and
the first part of this comic’s title seems to be receding just
that little bit more. We’re not sure what a girl is, and now
neither is DC’s ultimate big sister. It’s okay, though;
Didio has obviously tapped into the grrrl-y market because these days
Supergirl wears a midriff top and the new Wonder Girl goes into combat
in jeans. Oy.
To be fair, nothing actually renders
‘Wonder Woman’ unreadable. Perhaps the mark of a comic
fan who is getting too old is his tendency to overuse the word ‘should’,
but why stop now? Of all the flagship DC characters, Wonder Woman
is the one who should be happy about who she is, and secure in that
knowledge. The fact that this incarnation is confused and torn might
register as careful plotting to some, but to me it still feels like
most writers, TV or otherwise, still can’t decide whether she’s
a doll or an action figure.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
Batman #655
Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Andy Kubert Colourist: Dave Stewart Publisher: DC
Reviewed by Ben Marton
Now that the horrendous cacophony that
was ‘Infinite Crisis’ has begun to fade into mere discordant
echoes, it seems that DC’s flagship super-titles can return
to some semblance of their former selves, their protagonists far from
better for the experience but at l
