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Columnist Thunder Mod
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Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Mighty Reviews 3/5/09
Wktf’s Reviews
Daredevil #116
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: David Aja
Cover by: Marko Djurdjevic
I have to admit I’ve been nearly giddy about this issue since Marvel started advertising it with that great Djurdjevic cover! “Return of the King,” indeed! Like so many Bendis and Brubaker Daredevil stories that hearken back to those classic Frank Miller tales, this one has all the great elements of a shudderingly good Daredevil story. Will the Kingpin return from overseas, as he did back in 1979 under Miller’s hand? And what will be his plan now, this time, that Vanessa is dead? Well, this story makes it very clear that the Kingpin will return but his motivation and his plans are not yet fully clear.
Those of us who’ve been following Daredevil since Bru took over know that Daredevil and The Kingpin fought together while in prison and, later, came to a reconciliation of sorts after Vanessa’s death. With no true North anymore, Fisk left the states to try to honor his wife’s memory. But what has he been doing all this time, nearly two years later? Suffice it to say, this man is not at peace. Even as he begins to find happiness in Europe, almost dares himself to be happy, something inside him tells him not to trust what he’s experiencing. We travel backward to Fisk’s memories of his childhood and his abusive father, flash forward to a scene to which we’ll return toward this issue’s end, and then back up slightly again to an oceanfront village where even a man as massive as Fisk can seem tiny against the span of the ocean. It’s only when Marta joins him that we regain the needed perspective to see how huge he is. We watch in agony as Fisk develops a friendship, almost a kinship with Marta and her children knowing only full well where this must lead. And knowing, whatever it will take to turn the brooding Fisk back into the The Kingpin surely must cost them both something dear.
Daredevil’s art chores are nicely handed off from Michael Lark to David Aja this issue. And Aja’s pencils are simply stunning, sometimes evoking Lark, sometimes Mazzuchelli. And Jose Villarrubia’s colors beautifully carry us across the spectrum of Fisk’s various emotional states, not to mention calling out the blood in this issue. And there is so much blood. Brubaker and Aja, reunited since their time together on Immortal Iron Fist, give us a Daredevil story without its hero and, instead, take us on a horrible journey we’ve seen once before under Miller. The journey of Wilson Fisk transformed yet again through blood, pain and personal loss into one of the most terrifying characters in the Marvel Universe. My pick of the week.
Dead of Night: Werewolf by Night #3
Marvel Comics
Written by: Duane Swierczynski
Drawn by: Mico Suyan
Cover by: Mico Suyan
Just look at that blood splattered cover with the frothing, angry Werewolf by Night lunging at you and tell me it doesn’t at least grab your attention if not compel you to pick this book up! Here we have the third issue of Marvel’s “Approved Horror Comic” as Jack Russell tries to understand what his bestial counterpart is doing and trying to tell him, following the grisly trail of death and dismemberment that’s sent his life into a tailspin. Like the “Dead of Night” Man-Thing saga that came before it, this Werewolf by Night has been taking some liberties with the character many of us have known since the 1970s. But hey, that’s okay as long as the payoff is worth it and the ride we’re along for is a good time. So far I can vouch for the second part of that sentence and the jury’s out on the first part until next issue.
The ride thus far has been a blood soaked blast, not without its trauma for Jack. Having moved from town to town, changing his identity at each stop, Jack had finally found some peace. He was in love and his girlfriend, Cassandra Price, was very pregnant. His secret hidden from her, Jack had locked himself away in a secure cell only to discover when he returned, following his monthly lupine transformations, that Cassie was not just dead but completely gutted, the womb ripped from her body (hey, this is a MAX title so if you can’t get good with some extreme gore as foul language, I strongly urge you to pass on this book). Amidst all the carnage, Jack has been running from the law but guided by the writing, in his own blood, of the werewolf who’s been trying to communicate with him. Even warn him.
Now, with this issue, Jack learns the truth about his history and his family. And he comes face-to-face with not just one but two major family problems. And, with this issue we not only get more killing and carnage but also a pretty savage werewolf vs. werewolf battle. I know Suayan has drawn Moon Knight in the past, but I don’t recall his art being so vibrant and energetic. And the man draws a great werewolf. Swierczynski’s story is really putting our boy Jack through the wringer, especially with this issue. Marvel Monster fans should definitely pick this series up. With Man-Thing’s series behind him, Frankenstein Monster making an appearance in the Hulk Monster Size Special, Dracula’s now appearing in Captain Britain and now Werewolf by Night’s now getting its own series, one can only hope for more of Marvel’s merry monsters in the future. I, for one, will be a happy camper if that happens.
Sub-Mariner: The Depths #5 (of5)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Esad Ribic
Cover by: Esad Ribic
And so this stunning series comes to a close. Peter Milligan has told tale straight out of the best mystery, adventure and horror movies that has made the legend of Namor the Terrible one to be feared, not just respected. Raw, primal fear. Science, superstition and lore combine for a pre-Silver Age tale that gives us a familiar but also strikingly different and subtly scary Sub-Mariner. But this show’s real star has been Esad Ribic whose paints have made this team of airbreathers’ journey into 36,000 feat of black ocean water absolutely terrifying. Ribic’s ocean is absolutely black with hints of light, blue and green. And the sense of pressure the reader feels creates near empathy with the frightened and claustrophobic crew.
Dr. Randolph Stein had agreed to search for the lost Captain Marlowe who, in turn, had taken an underwater crew to the edge of the Marianas Trench in search of the lost city of Atlantis. Stein’s primary objective in going was to debunk the legend of Atlantis and the creature sailors fear who’s mission is to keep the surface world from discovering his city. But, as we saw last issue and moving into this issue, some legends really aren’t myths and, in the desire for science to win over superstition, as desperately as we might wish to shun the impossible, it’s equally impossible to doubt the very evidence of our eyes. And for reasons even Stein doesn’t fully understand, some realities must remain myths. Or else you pay.
My one regret with this final issue, even though we do get Namor fully revealed, is that there isn’t quite enough of him. Ribic’s chalky colors, black eyes and ominous teeth, all so appropriate for a deep sea creature create a compelling new vision of the Sub-Mariner and yet he becomes hidden from us as quickly as he’s revealed to be a real, powerful and terrifying figure. Of course, this makes perfect sense given the type of story it is, but I just can’t help but wish we’d been given more of the title’s protagonist. Regardless, this has been an outstanding series and should look stunning packaged as a prestige hardcover.
Kolchak Tales Annual #1
Moonstone Comics
Written by: Mark Dawidziak & Rafael Nieves, Joen Gentile & Dave Ulanski
Drawn by: Don Hudson and Keith Wiliams
I actually had no intention of picking this book up. Though I’m a huge fan of the 1972 Night Stalker TV movie and regrettably brief TV show, I’ve never picked up any of Moonstone’s Kolchak: The Night Stalker comic books. But the cover absolutely compelled me to buy this issue. Frankly, for a hefty $6.50 I’m not sure I can honestly recommend picking this one up unless you have the same reasons for buying it as I did. This issue’s cover of a poorly drawn Kolchak and his editor, Tony Vincenzo, descending what appears to be an underground staircase and followed by a prehistoric looking giant featured a little promo blurb in the bottom right corner that said “Featuring Dark Shadows’ Barnabas Collins” and displaying a green tinted Jonathan Frid at his very vampiric best.
Well, I’m a huge fan of the Dark Shadows TV show that ran from 1966-1971. Not only did I used to run off the school bus to watch this show when I was a kid but I’m actually watching the DVD collections with both my sons. We’re up to box #17 out of 25, each containing 4 DVDs and 10 episodes per DVD. So, I’m pretty current on this soap opera about vampires, witches, werewolves, monsters, zombies and other occult creatures. Apparently, much to my delight, so too are the writers of this comics!
I was also happy to see that no prior exposure to Moonstone’s comics were necessary to enjoy this issue. It picks up shortly after Carl Kolchak’s experience staking Janos Skorzeny in Las Vegas, which happened at the end of the Night Stalker movie. Kolchak, down on his luck and having lost his drive, gets a letter from none other than Barnabas Collins who, in a most mysterious fashion, invites Kolchak to the estate of Collinwood in Collinsport, Maine. Kolchak’s trip actually is reminiscent of Jonathan Harker’s trip to Transylvania in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, complete the woman who warns him from going to Collinsport much as the kindly village woman warned Harker about going to Castle Dracula. Once he arrives in Collinsport by train, just as Maggie Evans did at the start of the Dark Shadows series, Kolchak is received by the hostile and slightly crazed Willie Loomis, one of my favorite characters from Dark Shadows. As Loomis drives Kolchak to Collinwood we learn of Elizabeth, Roger and the other Dark Shadows characters, and upon entering “The Old House” we see Barnabas’ sitting room and the dungeon door behind which Barnabas kept Maggie prisoner for so long. The attention to faithful detail regarding the TV show's sets is really something and clearly well researched. Soon we learn that there’s a connection between Barnabas and Skorzeny, a brilliant idea connecting these two TV properties both produced by Dan Curtis.
Frankly, not a lot of action happens in this story. But it’s a story clearly created for fans of The Night Stalker and Dark Shadows and, if you’re a fan of both as I am, you really owe it to yourself to pick this issue up, sit back and just savor this lead story. The tale itself is carefully plotted and scripted. The art’s a bit spotty, sometimes dead on for likenesses of Darin McGavin and Jonathan Frid, and other times not so much. If you’re not a fan of these two properties, again, I see no reason to shell out your $6.50. Certainly not for the throw-away second story about the giant on the cover.
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Black Panther #2
Marvel Comics
Written by: Reginald Hudlin
Drawn by: Ken Lashley
Cover by: J. Scott Campbell
Marvel’s first black superhero, the Black Panther, only recently has been getting the love he deserves in the Marvel U. Well, for the last 10 years anyway, but I guess I’m getting older so that’s recent. I remember back when the only Panther we got was guest appearances in the Fantastic Four or the Avengers. He had a mini series for a minute in 1988, drawn by Denys Cowan. I remember jumping when I saw that book on the shelf. Finally, a hero who looks like me, and he has his own book. He was fighting against a group of super powered racists in South Africa and, damn, T’Challa was the man. Easily my Captain America and Batman all in the same guy yet smarter than Reed Richards and a better fighter than Iron Fist. Throughout the years he’s been given more love; with the launch of Marvel Knights he was given an ongoing series helmed by Christopher Priest, and then since 2005 or so he’s been given yet another series, this time helmed by Reginald Hudlin, movie director/producer, writer, former CEO of BET, pretty much a renaissance man in his own right. I should also mention he’s a lover of comics with an encyclopedic knowledge that goes back, and Black Panther isn’t a job but a labor of love for him. Reginald Hudlin has made the Black Panther everything T’Challa’s fans ever wanted, and then some. The current re-launch is no exception, so where is our hero now?
Last issue introduced us to the new Black Panther. Well, not really. Yes, there has been a campaign of disinformation and if that made you uptight get over it. Anyway, The Prince Namor (you know, of Atlantis) recently reached out to T’Challa and invited him Illuminati style to get on board with the “Dark Reign” of the Marvel U. As he did with Tony Stark and the rest of Illumaniti, he declined, wanting no part of it. Namor warned that T’Challa wouldn’t be protected against whatever paranoid schemes were launched against him by Norman Osborne (which is sure to come), but T’Challa more or less said, “Bring it”. I mean really, they sent the Skrulls packing like little bi**es. I’m sure the Thunderbolts/Avengers are not going to do much better, even though it would be pretty awesome to see Storm kick Moonstones a** the way she did Callisto waaaaay back in the X-men Morlock issue. Anyway, T’Challa is on his way back home when his transport is attacked and taken out, putting the king in a coma. At the same time, Wakanda is attacked and Storm has to make some moves to insure the security of her country. Specifically, she needs to get a new Black Panther ASAP. We also find out that, before T’Challa made his journey home from meeting with Namor, he crossed swords with Victor Von Doom. Which brings us to issue two. Storm and the royal family have to move quickly, a new Panther has to be found lest Wakanda’s enemies smell weakness. Shuri is the ideal canidate, but is she ready? In a flashback, we see T’Challa and the Dora Milaje mix it up with Dr. Doom. Yeah, it was Von Doom who put T’challa in the state he is in now, but after the Dora Milaje cut a swath through his troops. One thing for sure, payback will be a bi**, and so it goes…
Goddamn. Reginald Hudlin just kicked his naysayers in the balls so fanboys need to step off. T’Challa is back, down but in control and sh** will probably get worse before it gets better but the Panther will come through, and I’ll be waiting. Easily my pick of the week.
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #3 (of 4)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Damon Lindelof
Drawn by: Leinil Francis Yu
Ummm, so this book last came out in 2006 and the Ultimate U has changed a lot. Ultimatum is wrecking sh** and, well, that’s pretty much it. Oh yeah, Nick Fury isn’t even on the planet, or the Ultimate U anymore and he’s the one that got this book rolling initially, sending Wolverine in to do the job he couldn’t (kill the Hulk). Whatever though, this book is finally being completed and it was pretty kick a** when it first came out, so we’ll do a quick update of the first two issues and move on. Anyway, as I was saying Nick Fury calls Wolverine in for one purpose and one purpose only: find the Hulk, kill him, and keep it freakin’ quiet. Helping him out is Dr. Jennifer Walters, one of the lead scientists on the original super-soldier project that created the Hulk. Betty Banner is present as well, using her PR skills to cover up the Hulk’s resurgence as he makes his way across Europe and into Asia. Anyway, the Hulk has been sighted in Asia, and off Wolvie goes to whack him and hopefully have a good time doing it. Yeah, and he gets to spend time with the foxy Dr. Jennifer Walters (who’s not the She-Hulk in the ultimate universe, at least not yet, as for what they do with her that remains to be seen).
If you read this book when it first came out, you know Wolvie vs. Hulk is some crazy sh**. I mean that in the most complimentary way. Thus far we have seen a lot; a shadowy mission, foxy women and balls out action, and damned if I ain’t pleased with the way Ultimate Jennifer Walters is turning out. Anyway, last we saw Wolvie and Hulk (and Jennifer), Wolvie had finally caught up with Jadejaws and was going to get himself some payback for getting his a** kicked (and ripped in half) earlier, and instead of a fight he gets a cup of cocoa? Then in a series of flashbacks (sort of), we learned exactly how Wolverine came to get himself ripped in half, and we get to see the Hulk’s harem of foxy monk chicks (seriously) and Ultimate She-Hulk. Yes, I said that correctly. Hell yeah, it’s back, and it’s on…
Leinil Yu is hands down my favorite comic artist putting out stuff right now, and seeing him draw the Hulk (and She-Hulk), well, that’s pretty much kick a** to an extreme level. Being a big fan of “Lost”, I’m cool with Lindelof. Seriously, I’m not even that mad it’s been so long since issue two. I’m down with this book, down with the eventually trade, and seriously down with Ultimate She-Hulk. Word…
Last edited by wktf; 07-13-2009 at 01:38 PM.
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