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Columnist Thunder Mod
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Denver Area, between Asgard and Krypton
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The Mighty Reviews 1/14/10
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Black Widow: Deadly Origin #3 (of 4)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Paul Cornell
Drawn by: Tom Raney
Seriously smoking hot cover by: Adi Granov
The Black Widow, aka Natalia Romanoff, has been more or less a major player in the marvel universe in the early days. For those of you who don’t know, she first was introduced in the 1960’s as a cold-war antagonist for Iron Man, and eventually reformed. Her next big splash was as Daredevil’s partner (for quite awhile actually, at one point DD was renamed “DD and the Black Widow”). What followed was nothing regular, but nonetheless made her a player in the Marvel Universe. For a minute she was even the leader of the Avengers, joined SHIELD, and became a major player in the recent “Civil War” and “Secret Invasion” crossovers. My favorite recent Black Widow series was “The Things They Say About Her”, written by science fiction writer Richard K. Morgan and drawn by the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz. That series touched a little bit on Natasha’s origin, touching on her time spent as a ballerina and training in the KGB’s legendary Red Room. This new series is supposed to touch on her origin, and give us some insights to her past (which we recently have learned involves Bucky Cap aka the Winter Soldier). So, how does it start?
Our story opens in true Bond fashion, Natalia mixing it up with an enemy spy over a stolen stealth plane, and yeah, it’s pretty awesome. From there we move on to some Russian guys mulling over a computer that initiates the “icepick protocol” on one Natalia Romanova. This leads us to Natalia getting a panicked phone call from an old friend, and then that friend being blown to pieces. In a flashback, we find out that Nat is older than she looks, and Logan (aka Wolverine) taught her Japanese martial arts in the ‘40’s and Bucky Barnes (aka Captain America aka Winter Soldier) had a really funky looking robotic arm back during the cold war. It flashes between that, and her hunt for more info on the “icepick protocol’s”, which continues in the second issue. In issue two Natilia makes her way to Russia and breaks into a secret compound to gather intelligence. Meanwhile we are given another flashback to the early days of the Black Widow, when she was got her first assignment to the US and tried to steal secrets of Tony Stark and was in a relationship with Hawkeye. In some nice retconing, we find out that Natalia’s “black widow” title was way more than a code name, and the Russians had her using her feminine wiles to plant some very deep seeds in all of her targets. We find out those seeds were nanites, and every man the Widow has been with has been infected, and their women friends have been infected with something that makes them go psycho and want to kill their men, and hey. Natalia has been with almost as many men as She-Hulk. Anyway, after tracking down Hawkeye, Daredevil and Hercules (hey, back in the Champions days) Natalia gets a bead on who’s been reeking havok on her life. Unfortunately, it’s not someone she hates…
Hell yeah this book kicks ass. Tom Raney, in my opinion one of the most underrated artists of all time. Big fan of his since his “Stormwatch” days, and Paul Cornell keeps in on point with a kick ass spy story and the origin of one of Marvel’s most beloved leading lady’s. So yeah, down with this book, down with the eventual trade, and total down with the Black Widow.
Punishermax #3
Marvel MAX
Written by: Jason Aaron
Drawn by: Steve Dillon
Cover by: Dave Johnson
Back in his heyday the Punisher was the man. My personal favorite era was the Jim Lee/Carl Potts Punisher War Journal era (though the While Portacio/Mike Baron series was good too). The Punisher back then was in the Marvel Universe, but not. He did his own thing, interacted with a few “street” Marvel Heroes and killed a crapload of bad guys. It was good. For a minute the Punisher got completely played out and way to popular (let’s not talk about “black” Punisher), and then Garth Ennis showed up and saved him. First in Marvel Knights, and then with Punisher MAX, which was set in its own universe and was a mature readers title. Personally, that was the Punisher the way he was meant to be, unchained and for adults only. Every time they put the Punisher in the regular Marvel U, it’s doomed for failure (like the new series set in Dark Reign, seriously, retarded. I mean Frankencastle? Are you f-in kidding me?). With Ennis gone, we got a new skipper for Punisher MAX by the name of Jason Aaron, currently responsible for the baddest motherf-er in comics right now, Dashiel Bad-horse, the lead protagonist in DC/Vertigo’s “Scalped”. Along for the ride is Ennis mainstay artist Steve Dillon, back on the Punisher and criminally underrated as far as talent goes. So how do my boys handle their new book? Pretty freakin’ well…
Our story starts with the mob having a meeting. They are tired of getting killed off by the Punisher, so they need a strategy to get rid of him. To do it right though, they figure they need time, money and patience, three things they are running out of pretty quick. The mob has a guy they think can hunt Frank down, but to keep him distracted they decide to come up with a challenge for Frank that will peak his interests. An ideal target, a boss of bosses, a “Kingpin” if you will. The Kingpin, as we know him, doesn’t exist in the MAX universe, but a Wilson Fisk does. Fisk in the MAX universe is an up and comer who works as a bodyguard to a one of the bosses, and is actually the engineer behind this “Kingpin” distraction. Of course there is a lot of killing and even some torture amidst all this plot development which flows along just as nicely in issue two. Issue two gives us the origin of Wilson Fisk. In the MAX universe he’s a man whose pretty much been everyone’s bi** his entire life (literally in some cases) and instead of getting depressed he became a sociopath and made it right (well, at least in his mind). He made it right by killing and torturing, and now he’s setting it up so he’s going to be the new Kingpin of crime in what is surely an abused child’s masterstroke of revenge. Meanwhile Frank Castle is killing his way to find out just who this Kingpin is. In issue three the twain finally meet, and goddamn. Nobody besides Steve Dillon could have drawn it better (he captures certain facial expressions perfectly). See, the two of them end up in the same house for a hit on the same person, and well, we get some bodies. Afterwords, Wilson Fisk fears he may be loosing his grip on this Kingpin thing so he hires an assassin from back in the day to help him out. I’m guessing the future brings more bodies…
Jason Aaron and the Punisher is destiny, making it a MAX book and having Steve Dillon draw it is f-in genius. I’m in for this book. It’s on my pull list, I’m gonna buy the trades. If every issue is like this one, well. It’s easily in my top 3. Absolutely recommended…
Wktf’s Reviews
These’ll be quick reviews as forces simply conspired against my getting them done last night.
The Marvels Project #5 (of 8)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Cover by: Steve McNiven
This series continues to delight with wonderfully thoughtful and well integrated plotting and scripting from Ed Brubaker. Some surprises have come out of this series, such as Professor Erskine, creator of the super soldier serum that created Captain America, being a Nazi defector rescued and brought to the States by Nick Fury. In this issue we see Steve Roger’s transformation from scrawny Army reject into Captain America, and how Cap begin not only to think of himself among the other costumed heroes of this era but also how they (at least The Angel) quickly gain an awe-inspiring respect for him. Epting’s art is somber and, yet, exciting at the same time with Cap in action actually reminding me of Gene Colan’s trade mark fluid style. The weight Steve Rogers must shoulder, his sense of responsibility in his new role, and our first glimpse not just of this hero but also his #1 adversary, in all his remorseless evil, are all impressively rendered. For a chapter midway through this series, this issue was impressively strong and fulfilling. My pick of the week.
Batman #695
DC Comics
Written by: Tony Daniels
Drawn by: Tony Daniels
Cover by: Tony Daniels
It’s in this series more than anywhere else that Dick Grayson as The Batman most closely resembles Bruce Wayne’s dark, angry and nearly supernatural avenger of the night. On the trail of a mystery related to the Falcone family, first created by Frank Miller’s classic Year One tale and later exploited by Loeb/Sale in The Long Halloween, Batman’s quest is further fueled by his anger over the death of a young informant and, as he gets closer to his quarry, I dare say this makes even Dick uncharacteristically careless. With The Riddler walking around in a bit of a brain fog that may return him to his old pre-Paul Dini inspired straight ways, Catwoman moving on the same crime family as Batman, Huntress’ jumping in to aid The Dark Knight, and the two villains at the end who turn this tale in a seriously unexpected and dangerous way, all around creator Tony Daniels has created a Batman arc that’s one of the best in recent memory. Frankly, Hush creators Loeb and Lee could learn something from Daniels’ plotting, script, art and use of multiple guest villains and heroes to create a story that’s more than simply an eye-candy type of event.
Adventure Comics #6
DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Francis Manapul
Cover by: Francis Manapul
With this 30 page story, Johns and Manapul end their Superboy run. And they do it in a truly gut wrenching way. Felled by kryptonite-wielding Lex Luthor, Superboy still is able to manipulate Lex’s ego, through his hatred of Superman, into helping his own niece and sister, to finally do some good in the world. Surprisingly, and uncharacteristically, Luthor actually agrees. Ah, but it’s there that the reader should not allow himself to be caught napping as to Lex’s real motives and end goal. I’m one of the few who doesn’t really appreciate Manapul’s sketchy cartoon style art, but he’s certainly got his fans. Here his pencils do a good enough job really bringing out the wide range of emotions in this story to help make it the truly mind bending and involving story you’d expect at this point from Geoff Johns. Lex’s ultimate trump card and Connor’s dialogue with his fellow heroes at the end both strike right at the gut.
Wkft’s Trade Review
The Art of Ditko
IDW Publishing
Created and Edited by: Craig Yoe
Art by: Steve Ditko (but, of course)
Introduction by: Stan Lee
This 200+ page coffee table sized book was published late in December, 2009 and, possibly, is inaccurately titled “The Art of Ditko.” Similar such books, such as those for Ditko peer Jack Kirby (seriously, how many artists can you think of who could honestly be called a peer of either of these geniuses) offer exploratories into the artist’s world, the influences on and evolution of his work, as well as a broad retrospective of that work. And, if evaluated based only on these counts, The Art of Ditko would be considered a bit of a disappointment. What we have here is a typically short but honest feeling introduction by Stan Lee, an appropriately gushing three page love note from the author, and rather brief notes of appreciation from Golden Age great Jerry Robinson, Silver Age giant John Romita, Sr, and multi-Harvey and Eisner award winning modern comic book writer and artist P. Craig Russell, all interspersed among nearly 30 reprinted Ditko comic book stories limited exclusively to the likely most neglected work of Ditko’s career, his Charlton Comics titles during the period from 1957 to 1976. There’s also quite a bit of reproduced original art pages from Warren’s Eerie comics as well as some classic Spider-Man and Dr. Strange pages. But none of Ditko’s more famous or even arguably second tier work (such as his Blue Beetle or Hawk & Dove creations) is found here.
But to look at this magnificent book through this limited perspective is likely to miss the entire point of this volume. This stunningly designed and packaged tome, with its absolutely eerie (to the point of being almost disturbing) self-portrait cover design and high quality paper stock contains some of the strangest and most beautiful Ditko art you’re liable to find between two covers. The oversize presentation of this work also makes Ditko’s innovative page layouts and panel designs nearly jump off the page. And these short horror, science fiction and suspense stories from titles like Strange Suspense Stories, Out of this World, Unusual Tales, Scary Tales and This Magazine is Haunted are just packed with wildly expressive and exotic art, even if the stories themselves feel quaint and old fashioned, all of which clearly demonstrate Ditko’s unique mastery of visual expression and narrative. Even though I remember as a kid owning issues of Ghostly Tales, from which some of these stories originally were printed, every single one of these stories was new to me and, I’d venture, will be new to better than 90% of today’s comic book reading world. For lovers of Ditko’s art or any serious lover of comic book art, I’d say this beautiful book of rare Ditko art absolutely is a must-own.
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