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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 9/11/09
Dawg’s Reviews
Amazing Spider-Man #604
Marvel Comics
Written by: Fred Van Lente
Drawn by: Barry Kitson
I hate being one of “those guys”. What I mean when I say this, is that I hate being someone to read a book and trash it, talk bad about it, or just generally not feel good about the review I’m about to write. I really wasn’t fond of the ending to this arc. It started out great. We were going to have Spider-Man fight a classic foe in the Chameleon, we were going to see the first real meeting between Peter and Mary Jane since “One More Day”, and we were getting it at the mighty pen of Fred Van Lente and the pencil of Barry Kitson. The planets were in alignment for a great Spidey story. Like I said it started out great, but this week’s issue left me flat. In fact the past two endings to big Spidey arcs left me wanting more. I loved the build up of “American Son” and the last issue was flat as well. I will get over it, but I guess I have just wanted more from these build ups in Amazing Spider-Man.
This issue we mostly get to see the fallout of how the Chameleon posing as Peter Parker has left the real Peter Parker to deal with the consequences. In the meantime, we see how Peter escaped the Chameleon’s vat of acid, and how Spider-Man foils the evil plot of the terrorists and the Chameleon, who plan to launch a bomb on the secret terrorist control center. Not only that but Jonah Jameson unleashes his Spider-Man police in the midst of all of the action.
The real story takes place however, when Spider-Man is out of costume and Peter deals with the folks in his life that interacted with the Chameleon while he was posing as Peter.
His roommate now thinks that she is Peter’s girlfriend. Harry Osborn is now back to his jovial self and fraternizing with the beautiful women who are long lost relatives of Pete’s from Boston, and Mary Jane gives Peter a giant hug as the two talk for the first time face to face that we have seen in a good while.
I guess the issue isn’t terrible… I just wanted to see a little more depth to the resolution of it all. It happened way to neat and way too quick for what was essentially a few issue of building it all up. I will say that it was great to see Mary Jane any way you slice it back in a Spider-Man comic.
Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus #1
Marvel Comics
Written by: Matt Fraction
Drawn by: Terry Dodson & Mike Deodato Jr.
This is my pick of the week this week. Incredible. This is the payoff issue that a crossover needs to be on the end cap. Everything about the Dark Avengers and Uncanny X-Men crossover was worth it by the last page of this issue. The story was well paced, the battles were just tremendous, and the art was insanely good… especially Deodato’s battle scenes.
If any or all of these pique your interest, then this book is worth picking up.
Ares vs. Dani Moonstar (with Valkyrie powers from Hela)
Namor vs. Sentry
Wolverine vs. Omega
Iceman vs. Mimic
Cyclops vs. Iron Patriot
X-23 vs. Daken
Colossus vs. Venom
Archangel vs. Bullseye
And far too many more to count.
It was frantic, it was straight out of your favorite crossover battles from the 80’s, but with story relevance from the modern story tellers or today. The X-Men have left the United States to live in what they call Utopia, and I believe it is a raised portion of Asteroid M. Cyclops has prepared the mass exodus of all mutants from American soil to live a new dream. This dream is not of Charles Xavier, or Magneto, but the best parts of both. They do not intend to live peacefully among humans. They are past that and Cyclops knows that humans will always fear and hate them. The do not see humans as inferior like Magneto and believe that there is nothing but war in the future. They promise to protect humans even though they hate mutants, and live on their own as mutants, not in hiding.
The whole battle is strictly because megalomaniac Norman Osborn was made to look bad by Cyclops and Emma Frost. That becomes a bit of a habit for Norman by the end of this book.
I cannot say enough good things about this single comic. I was blown away. I would recommend getting this in trade if/when it comes out. Word.
Wktf’s Reviews
We are less mighty this week indeed without Sam Wilson’s hard hitting reviews and pulse pounding peerless prose. Life does have a way of jumping in front of this hobby, though, so we look forward to reaping the benefits of Sam’s mighty pen next week. I’d hoped to review the War of Kings one-shot but my lcs got shorted one box of books and, wouldn’t you know it, that title was among those not delivered for Thursday.
Blackest Night: Batman #2 (of 3)
DC Comics
Written by: Peter J. Tomasi
Drawn by: Adian Syaf
Covers by: Andy Kubert and Bill Sienkiewicz
Captain America: Reborn and Blackest Night have been duking it out for top seller status, with Cap on top in July but GL on top in August. Still, the clear fan buzz has been around Geoff Johns’ spectacular series, spinning out of Green Lantern and now infiltrating all of the DCU. As powerful as the core book and Green Lantern component titles have been, it’s a testament to Johns’ strong creative and editorial hand as well as to DC’s cross-title editorial efforts that the normally tepid spin-off titles have been every bit as good as the main event. This is most especially true with Blackest Night: Superman, but it’s definitely case in point with Blackest Night: Batman. The first issue joined the new Batman and Robin with Deadman as Dick and Damian discovered Bruce’s grave desecrated and Deadman experiences his own, Boston Brand’s own, corpse rise from the grave. Deadman could feel the rising dead’s hunger and in desperation turned to his long-time companion, Batman. And, of course, it all hits the fan after that as one former Robin, Dick, contacts his fellow former Robin, Tim Drake, when he sees Tim’s parents’ graves similarly disturbed.
This book is not for the faint of heart. An army of deceased Batman villains like Blockbuster and the Ventriloquist are attacking Gotham and Gotham’s finest and literally dismembering people, ripping the hearts from their bodies and devouring them! I wonder what the Comics Code Authority would have said about this! Batman, Robin and Deadman make their way to the Gotham Armory to secure weapons but not before the Gotham PD is under full attack and Gordan and Barbara are faced with horror they could never have imagined. Gordon’s literally covered with the blood of his own men. The carnage and mayhem is absolutely spectacular. Desperate action evolves into even more desperate action as Tim and Dick must face what has to be their greatest horror, just as Mera had to confront Aquaman and Superman had to face Superman of Earth-2 and the threat to his mother.
The creative team of Tomasi and Syaf hit the ground running with the first issue and have only picked up steam with this one. Tomasi does allow some time for some typically confrontative dialogue between Dick and Damian, something that seems to be a staple in the Batman books now but certainly works here, as does the emotional tags assigned to both as they fight their zombie enemies. Frankly, I’m not at all sure who Ardian Syaf is and don’t recall ever seeing his work before, but he’s sure making his mark here. From the close up shots to the wide panel or full page spreads, Syaf’s pages are loaded with detail, powerful emotion and panel layouts that move the story along at a break neck pace. The terror of Blackest Night can’t be felt any more fully than in this tie-in series.
Marvels Project #2 (of 8)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Covers by: Steve Epting, Gerald Parel, Steve McNiven & Dean White
Marvel has billed this book as the highlight and culmination of their 70th Anniversary celebration. I’m sure when this title was conceived no one at the House of Ideas thought the House of Mouse would trump this book. But there you have it. Last month, before any of us even thought a Spidey/Mickey team up was even conceivable, the team of Bru and Epting cranked out a first issue that felt almost mythic in its scope and storytelling. The Two-Gun Kid, who’d journeyed forward in time with The Avengers lay on his death bed in 1939 telling tales of heroes yet to come. The Original Human Torch had just been created and unleashed a panic on the streets of New York. The doctor attending the dying Two-Gun Kid had awakened in him a sense of heroism he didn’t yet know he had. A pre-Howler Nick Fury along with Red Hargrove were setting out to secure Professor Erskine who was defecting from Nazi Germany, and The Sub-Mariner learned firsthand of the Nazis terrible cruelty toward his own Atlantean people. Horror, in the form of a rising Nazi Germany and New York burning from the Human Torch escape, was in the wind but something more was there, too. A sense of heroism and hope that seemed to be coming together from a number of different points at once.
With this issue we’re given some important moments that push the events from last issue forward. Fury and Hargrove execute their plans brilliantly and The Angel, along with a number of other lesser Golden Age costumed heroes, makes his debut. Epting’s depiction of the Angel’s acrobatics and daring heroics reminds me of his very first issue on Captain America when he so brilliantly showed the Avenger leaping onto and off of a speeding train and taking down a helicopter of villains. As well, we see The Human Torch gaining control of his power and discovering his calling. So, again, we begin to see Bru expertly move more of the pieces into place that will lead to the creation of the Marvel Universe as we know it. And Epting’s art is spectacular as always, especially his Human Torch where it looks like he borrowed some painting techniques from Alex Ross. But the pace did feel slower and the excitement reading this issue just felt a bit dampened compared to last issue. In fairness to the creative team, this issue is no less expertly crafted but, in doing little more than advancing the subplots developed last month, does lose some of the energy and wonder the first issue gave us. I’m still on board, don’t get me wrong. But I had high hopes that the wonder I felt last month would carry through all eight issues. And I remain hopeful I’ll experience that wonder again before this series is over.
Dark Reign: The List - Avengers One-Shot
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Marko Djurdjevic
Cover by: Marko Djurdjevic
With the Dark Avengers/X-Men Utopia storyline ending this week, it seems Norman Osborn has decided enough is enough. In fact, despite his meteoric rise to power and the power and control he’s been exerting over the Marvel Universe, Norman’s life has hit a few bumps. Members of his Dark Cabal, such as Namor and Emma, recently have betrayed him in Utopia. Others, such as Loki and The Hood in the pages of New Avengers, seem to be operating together to serve their own purposes…and Loki certainly toward purposes that seem geared to sinking Osborn. He is the god of mischief, after all. Marvel Boy has gone AWOL from his Dark Avengers and over in Dark Wolverine we’ve got Daken bending Ares’ ear against Osborn. Some of this Osborn’s aware of, some not, but clearly his radar’s got to be up.
And with the publication of this title I get the feeling that the Dark Reign now is kicking into seriously high gear. As Osborn discusses with Ares, he’s decided to put a plan in place to right the world and justify why he’s been put in charge. Elements of the status quo as it existed pre-Dark Reign are still running around unchecked, and Osborn’s decided to make a list, what Ares interprets as a hit-list but Osborn corrects him is a to-do list, to set the world right as he sees fit. In the mean time, as anyone reading New Avengers knows, Clint Barton’s gone a bit off his rocker in his anger toward Osborn and once again, gets into it with Spider-Man over the merits of killing the former Green Goblin. Spider-Man had the will, the rage and the motive to kill Osborn back in Amazing Spider-Man #122 when he absolutely went off and beat the Green Goblin almost to a pulp for killing Gwen Stacey. But he stopped himself, and now here tries to use that same sense of reason he used on himself to calm Barton down.
To no avail. To give Clint some credit, he does some serious damage and kicks some considerable butt, especially given who he’s up against. And with Djurdjevic, Bendis is teamed with an artist who can deliver power, drama and kinetic energy all at the same time. These pages are really gorgeous. Osborn’s never looked more evil, Ares more menacing, or Clint so damn hell-bent serious. Bendis’ dialogue is terrific, as well. He’s really nailed Osborn’s voice, the way he thinks and how he manipulates those around him. Almost like he’s been writing this character for years, which he hasn’t, which in turn makes it all the more remarkable that Osborn’s become the character with whom I now most associate Bendis’ writing. This book really does feel like an important inflection point in the current Marvel continuity. It’s either the beginning of the end of Dark Reign, or the beginning of the end of many of our favorite heroes. I’m just not sure which, and that’s part of what makes this so much fun. Definitely, this book is my pick of the week.
Also found here are preview pages for Dark Reign – The List: Daredevil which, if you bought Daredevil #600 you’ve already seen. But we also get some great Alan Davis art preview pages from Dark Reign – The List: X-Men, which make for a nice little bonus.
Wktf’s Trade Review
Midnight Nation
Top Cow Productions
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Drawn by: Gary Frank
One of the benefits of doing comic book reviews with two other guys is you get a chance to read about stuff you might not normally pick up or, for that matter, might never even have heard of. One of my fellow Mighty Reviewers has even joked on a few occasions that his trade library has grown exponentially because of my trade reviews! Well, this past July, there we Mighty Reviewers were owning the floor as we cruised SDCC when this same fellow Reviewer spotted the brand new slipcase HC edition of Midnight Nation at the Top Cow booth and, with great enthusiasm, made a B-line over there to pick it. When I mentioned I’d never heard of this story I was met with an incredulous stare and a promise to send me his older trade after the con. Sure enough, days later, there it was at my doorstep and a return promise on my part to read it now had to be fulfilled.
David Grey is a lieutenant in the LAPD and, in addition to falling into an ugly police case, has some pretty messy issues of his own. For reasons that are left unexplored, he’s never really recovered from the death of his father. And for more fully explored reasons, primarily having to do with the hours his job requires and the neglect that ensued, his wife Sarah left him. We learn through the course of this story that neither David nor Sarah have fully emotionally separated from each other. So, anyway, this hard edged homicide detective is carrying around some pretty gaping emotional wounds. And, as mentioned, he comes across a murder case that leads him into a stakeout that goes horribly, and unexpectedly, wrong as he enters an apartment and a scene of bloody dismemberment. Suddenly, he’s attacked by green Darth Maul-ish looking intangible wraiths called Walkers whose leader inserts his fingers into David’s chest, putting him in shock and sending him to the hospital. When he awakens, everyone around him seems to be an ethereal and incorporeal version of themselves. The world can’t see him but he can see them. In essence, two different segments or realities of people, but existing at the same time on the same plane of existence. And suddenly a stunning, but strangely reluctant dark haired woman named Laurel appears before him and explains he’s got one year to travel on foot, with her as his guide, to retrieve the soul that’s been taken from him or else he’ll turn into one of the mindless and savage Walkers who attacked him.
On one level, Midnight Nation is the story of a man struggling and fighting his way through insurmountable obstacles to retrieve his soul. On another level, it’s a story about commitments and relationships, whether about David and his ex-wife or his new and alluring traveling companion, Lauel. This trade collects the 12 issues of the Midnight Nation series and is over 300 pages of grueling strife for both David and also for Laurel who, we learn, has been down this road before and turns out to be every bit as capable in hand-to-hand combat as David. There are rules of the road David has to learn, there are countless Walkers with whom both must battle and run a terrible gauntlet before David can face the Walker’s master, a man with strange ties to Laurel, and before David can realize he’s fighting for more than just his own soul. But the world in between our reality and the Walkers’ world is called The Metaphor. Clearly, this is for a reason, and I believe David’s last name of “Grey” also was chosen for a reason. Grey is that amorphous color between white and black, neither one nor the other but also not intense enough to be as strong as either. So, this also is a story, as more fully explained in JMS’s Afterword, of two worlds that coexist on the same plane but, except in the most unusual circumstances, never intersect with each other. Like the daylight denizens of a city or a nation and the nighttime denizens, or midnight nation, of that same city. JMS’ very revealing and personal Afterword (which should be required reading for this book) on this topic hit home with me as I recounted my own experience in court in a small, middle class NJ town in which I once lived. There were people I saw in that court that not only had I never seen in the town, I could never have imagined they even lived in my town. People we learn, ultimately, from this work who also desperately need a voice. So that “in between” kind of experience JMS describes both in the graphic novel and in his Afterword was made real for me in a rush of memories that were about 20 years old. Finally, one word keeps coming up in this story, sometimes out of optimism and sometimes out of frustration, and that word is “hope.” It seems to me the entire story is a metaphor not only for the convergence of different segments and strata of our own society but of the power of hope as well, which is born out in this story’s surprising conclusion. But, make no mistake, all the allegories and symbolism and talk of hope aside, this is a brutal, action packed and tensely portrayed tale of survival that’s incredible fun to read.
Gary Frank was the perfect choice for the art on this series. His line work is so crisp, the emotions he draws on peoples’ faces makes use of every conceivable facial element to convey an incredible range of emotions, and the detail and power he brings to every single person and panel just makes each page jump out at you as you read it. Frank is one of the best comic book artists in the business. He’s proved it on Incredible Hulk, again on Action Comics, no doubt will so again in the upcoming Secret Origins: Superman, and he certainly proves it here. This book is © 2002, so it’s post-9/11, and in that context the hellish world of the Walkers that Frank draws, with their own set of nightmarish Twin Towers, was a particularly harrowing page. As for JMS, himself, I’m one of the many who has no place for this Amazing Spider-Man run (with the exception of the 9/11 issue, that is), but he’s staked his place with me as one of the pre-eminent comic book writers with his wonderful work on Thor. And, frankly, his Midnight Nation feels like a work in a completely different category. It’s a real masterpiece of plotting, character, dialogue, allegory, moral and story. He writes that it took him two decades to develop and complete Midnight Nation and because of the gestation period it took for this story to coalesce and the care he put into it, as the CINESCAPE reviewer on the back cover notes, this work is indeed a rare accomplishment.
Last edited by wktf; 09-11-2009 at 12:03 PM.
Reason: Corrected Cap: Reborn vs. Blackest Night sales status in Blackest Night: Batman review.
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