wktf's and Sam Wilson's Reviews 6/22/06

[wktf]

Sam Wilson’s Reviews

Well, all of us are back from vacation now, and I’m glad. Got tired of picking up the slack all by myself . Anyway, an AWESOME week in comics, Iron Man, New Avengers and Astonishing X-men all making strong showings, and I took a gamble on Marvel’s new Eternals series, love JR jr, don’t really care for Neil Gaiman. It must cool cover week as well, we have some dead sexy covers by Howard Chaykin on Bite Club and by Olivier Coipel on Eternals. My pick of the week is Birds of Prey (duh), and with that being said, on to the reviews…

Eternals issue #1 (of 6)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Neil Gaiman
Drawn by: John Romita Jr.
Dead Sexy Variant cover by: Olivier Coipel

For those of you who are students of the “old school”, the “Eternals” are a creation of Jack Kirby, debuting in their self-titled series way back in 1976. The Celestials created the “Eternals”, a race of giant space faring beings that came from space and messed around with Cro-Magnon man. They ended up creating two races, the Deviants, and of course the Eternals. The Deviants were pretty much a$#holes and enslaved man, and in a war with the Eternals (who were far, far outnumbered by the Deviants) were reduced in number and humanity was freed from their grip. The Eternals then helped guide humanity to what it is today. An offshoot of the Eternals’ race also split for deep space and ended up crash landing on the moon of Titan after being attacked by a Kree ship (for those of you paying attention, both Thanos and Starfox are Eternals, Eternals of Titan, anyway). It should also be mentioned a captured Eternal scientist was experimented on by some Kree scientists, and then these same scientists went to Earth and ended up creating the Inhumans, but now I’m just showing off…

To get to my point we haven’t seen the Eternals in the Marvel U for a while. Back in the 90’s the Eternals’ Sersi and “The Forgotten One” were both Avengers for a spell, but they haven’t been around for awhile. Enter Neil Gaiman, whose claim to fame is “Sandman” and the “Death” series from DC/Vertigo comics. Yeah, I hated those books, a lot, and I hated his first Marvel work, the 1602 series. In fact, I got the 1602 tpb as a gift and regifted it to someone else. Heh. I figured it was time to give the dude a chance though, and with John Romita Jr. handling the art now was as a good a time as any. The result? Interesting. I aint turning cartwheels, but my attention has been captured.

“Eternals” issue one introduces us to Mark Curry, a med-student who isn’t quite what he seems. At least that’s what a golden-eyed patient of his tells him. He tells Mark he is really the Eternal Makkari, and he is Ikaris and they are both thousands of years old and super-powerful. Yeah, it’s a lot for med-student Mark Curry to swallow, and then stuff happens that may change his mind. We also get a glimpse of Sersi and a quick four-page history of the Eternals. So I’m sold for now. I wanted so much not to like this series, but I gotta admit, it’s kinda cool. I’ve missed Sersi since her Avengers days, and it’s cool to see her again. I also missed JR Jr, I thought he was totally wasted on that Sentry garbage. So pick this series up now or wait for the eventual trade, for a new book, it’s aiight, and there is a tiny, tiny “Civil War” tie in for all of you crossover completionists out there…

Birds of Prey issue# 95
DC Comics
Written by: Gail Simone
Drawn by: Joe Prado


When Birds of Prey first hit the racks it was a series of quarterly specials featuring Oracle aka the original Batgirl, information guru to the DC Universe. She decided to strike out on her own as a crime stopper and employed Black Canary, who at the time wasn’t doing a whole lot, as her # one agent and go to girl. Every once in awhile Oracle would call on other agents, usually female, including Huntress, Power Girl and even Catwoman, but her #one and only real full-time “agent” was good ol’ Dinah Lance. My how things have changed over the years. Now Birds of Prey is a regular ongoing series and Dinah Lance is back amongst the A-listers in the DC Universe, and the Birds have broken free of their Gotham confines (since the “Gang War” fiasco) and have relocated to Metropolis, and Oracle has also expanded their full time membership to include Huntress and Zinda Blake, aka Lady Blackhawk. Having taken on organized crime, murderous cults, Deathstroke and the rest of the bad guy union formed during “Infinite Crisis”, the ladies have made quite a name for themselves in the DCU. So where are the “Birds” one year later, aka post “Infinite Crisis”?

Recently, Oracle was communicating with Dr. Crime, the Dr. to the DCU’s criminal community and he is tired of the life and wants to defect over to the good side, the only problem is he’s in neck deep with the Secret Society of Super-Villains and well, blood in, blood out I guess. He’s been badly wounded, but it’s aiight. Oracle has the Birds on the case, and shortly to the rescue is the Huntress and umm, ahhh, Jade Canary. Yes, I said that right. Jade Canary aka Lady Shiva, the most deadly martial artist in the DCU, and sometime martial arts mentor to Black Canary, aka Dinah Lance. Oh yeah, Lady Blackhawk also shows up and some weird yet foxy stealth chic, and I think Dinah Lance (in a side story) is being sold into some type of martial arts slavery in the Far East. In issue 93 Canary continues her training in the East, which we learn is some type of exchange deal with Lady Shiva, and well, I aint going to say who Canary’s teacher is, but it’s kinda cool. Anyway, we get some major action from Lady Blackhawk as she, Shiva and the foxy stealth chick go pick up Dr. Crime’s daughter from school and fend her off from a horde full of HIVE shock troopers. They whoop major but, whoda thought miniskirts + shotguns = bad a$#, unfortunately Prometheus (bad dude from the JLA) shows up and takes out Shiva in a few seconds. Yeah, things start to go bad quick. Meanwhile, Black Canary passed a major whup a$# test in her weird exchange program with ummm, Lady Shiva Jade Canary or whoever and now its time for them to have a reckoning, which brings us to issue 95.

Huntress, Zinda Blake and the stealth chick have another go at Prometheus, and Black Canary decides once and for all if she is going to become the next Shiva. I’d tell you more, but the current story wraps up with this issue, and you’re going to have to check it out for yourself if you want to know any more. Yeah. Miniskirts and shotguns. “Birds of Prey” is awesome. They are back, and are the #one girl book on my reading list. Word.

Wktf’s Reviews

I’m glad to be back after a week away, and this week’s a moderate comics week for me. In addition to the three titles I’m reviewing I finally collected last week’s Daredevil HC vol. 5 and Superman. From this week’s releases I picked up AS Superman, Astonishing X-Men (I never liked Emma Frost, I'm glad she's showing her true colors), Giant-Size Hulk, and New Avengers. As for the reviews, this time we have something each from a different universe: Marvel, DC and the Ultimate Universe! And all three books are thumb’s up winners. On to the reviews!

Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy #6 of 6
DC Comics
Written by: Joe Kubert
Drawn by: Joe Kubert

This issue ends this absolutely wonderful yet horrifying mini-series written and drawn by one of the few remaining pre-Silver Age comic book legends left alive (there may only be four if you consider only Steve Ditko, Carmine Infantino and Stan the Man along with Joe Kubert). Kubert has always been known for his work on Sgt. Rock as well as Hawkman and other great titles. But, to my knowledge, never before in mainstream comics has he brought The Holocaust front and center in his work while still delivering a beautifully rendered, action packed war and battle ridden comic. For sure, this issue is my pick of the week.

David, a teen age Jewish boy, was delivered to Rock and Easy Company by a monstrously large man named Bear for safe keeping to America. David has witnessed first hand the savage murders the Nazis have committed against the Eastern European Jews. Maybe these experiences have addled his poor mind, but he continues to have visions or prophecies of long lines of millions of men, women and small children led into cattle cars only to be transported to their deaths. In this series’ prior issues, Rock and Easy actually have born witness to the mounds of emaciated corpses and experienced first hand the sadistic treatment of the Nazi elite. Where once they questioned David’s worth, at this point they question him no longer and go to extreme lengths in this issue to insure his survival. This issue is all about securing their mission. That said, like the final episode of “NYPD Blue,” Easy Company’s story does not end with David’s delivery at the end of this issue as there still is a war they must fight.

Kubert’s story and line work are beautiful in their simplicity. As John Byrne has said, this man can do more with only three lines than most could do on an entire page. Every man’s expression is riveting, the action sequences are tense and dire (several of the supporting cast do not survive them), and the stark reality both or the traditional war elements and The Holocaust horrors put this comic far above even the best of this medium’s more traditional fare. If you’ve been passing this series by because you’re not a war comics fan, well, neither am I really. When this series is packaged as a trade, do yourself a favor and buy it. You’ll be glad you did. Where else can an event that’s so unbelievable in a comic book actually pale before the actual history it elicits?

The Ultimates 2 #11
Marvel Comics
Written by: Mark Millar
Drawn by: Bryan Hitch

Oh, man! How long has it been between issues of this series? The Ultimates has marginalized itself practically to the same level as Superman/Batman with all the release delays. Unfortunately, with Superman/Batman, the last story arc ended in a dismally confusing morass. Not so with The Ultimates! At least not so far. As much as I want to be pissed off at the delays and not buy the book because of them, I’m here to tell you that this issue just rocks the house! It’s titled “America Strikes Back” and, despite both the incredible odds and the fact that the overly arrogant Fury and his crew deserve to be slapped around, striking back is what this issue is all about.

If it’s been too long and you need a recap, in the first series The Ultimates stopped a rampaging Hulk in New York and then saved the world from an alien invasion. They were hailed as the world’s heroes. However, Ultimate Loki has set forces in motion to take the team down one by one and, soon, not only had The Ultimates turned on each other, they and every hero in the Ultimate Universe plus the nation’s highest leaders are in chains, held by an international squadron of super people calling themselves “The Liberators.” Why “The Liberators”? Because Nick Fury has been using The Ultimates as a “peace keeping force” to impose America’s will on other nations (hey, it’s not MY politics….I’m just relaying the story) and “The Liberators” have struck back. But last issue The Wasp freed Captain America, and this is a brutal, take-no-prisoners Captain America. Pretty soon, the enemy body count piles up and the two other Ultimates big guns, Iron Man and the imprisoned and disempowered Thor, have moved in directions of their own. Thor’s disappearance is the most curious, especially given the last panel in which we see him and Loki’s explanation to Pym as to why he’s watching the chaos from the side lines and not taking a more active role.

This issue just explodes from all sides. Hitch has always been able to draw great, realistic superhero battle scenes, ever since his days on JLA, and his work on The Ultimates has been heralded for good reason. With this issue, especially the last few pages, he pulls out all the stops. Wow. Sure, the delays have been a real pain and, now, the final issue #12 has been split into two issues…so, ugh, we’ll have to wait some more. But, it’d be a lot worse if this book just weren’t so damn great!

Captain America #19
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Michael Epting

How do you keep topping yourself if you’re Brubaker and Epting and you’re working on one of the most celebrated comics runs of the last few years? Easy. You just keep doing what you’ve been doing, which is to keep turning it up a notch. To start, you’ve gotta just love the cover to this issue: Cap and Union Jack, both balancing each other out by moving in opposite directions while still being centered on the page, bullets bouncing off Cap’s shield while Jack gets off a few rounds over Cap’s left shoulder and the very ground exploding underneath them. How could a cover this good not contain a great story?

Cap and Sharon Carter, now lovers again (!), are trying to track down Bucky (now the Winter Soldier, natch!) in London. They believe Buck’s gunning for General Aleksander Lukin, the man who used to control both him and the Cosmic Cube. What no one knows is that the Red Skull, thought murdered by Lukin, actually resides inside Lukin’s mind. And, together, the Skull and Lukin have located Master Man’s nephew and turned him into the new super powered Master Man. Cap has hooked up with the new Union Jack and the original Spitfire and together, in this issue, they engage in a pitched battle with the new Master Man and his other super powered cohorts who are trying to prevent Cap from uncovering The Skull/Lukin’s plot. In the mean time, The Winter Soldier is moving undetected both by Cap and Lukin and Crossbones and Sin, who are not present here but have been such large presences the last few issues, are on their way to London as well.

This is a high octane issue with plenty of action, some espionage-type intrigue and a serious cliffhanger. I know I keep saying this but Cap has never been better and he just keeps getting better with each issue. The trick Marvel needs to pull off is to keep Epting on this title with Brubaker. His covers on Thor during the “Ragnarok” storyline were outstanding but his work here is pure gold.

[wktf]

Here’s an interesting twist: each of the two trades we review this week were reviewed by the other reviewer when they came out as individual mini series issues. But now you get a different perspective from a different critic on these two works that recently have been newly packaged in trade format. And, away we go!

Sam Wilson’s Review

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her
Marvel Knights
Written by: Richard K. Morgan
Drawn by: Sean Phillips and Bill Sienkiewicz

First and foremost, if you haven’t read Richard K. Morgan’s Black Widow: Homecoming limited series (also available in tpb) you will be completely lost if you pick up this new series and start reading fresh. So I’ll give a brief overview of the events of “Homecoming”: Natasha Romanova is retired from the spy game, and spends her time now rock climbing in Arizona, well, she did until someone tried to kill her on a lonely desert road. This would be assassin Natasha recognizes right away as a player, a professional in the spy/assassination game and she knows trouble is soon to follow. After calling in some favors and doing some investigating she finds out there have been several murders of former Soviet agents who now live peaceful lives in America, and they were all part of the “Red Room” training program Natasha went through. One thing leads to another, and Natasha goes across the US into Russia, and back to the US (Miami) on a journey that gives us her true origins, a gov’t conspiracy, and the murder of a big-time corporate whop-de-do at the hands of Natasha, on American soil. Yeah. Not good. At the end of “Homecoming” Natasha is a hunted woman, and she knows she’s got unfinished business coming her way (yeah, vague, I know. If you want more details, go buy the “Homecoming” tpb, it’s cheap!).

“Black Widow 2” opens up with a man in Texas swearing revenge on Natasha. Why, who knows? Considering the life she’s led, there could be a multitude of reasons. Cut to Washington DC. Nick Fury and the President are having a heated exchange regarding the status of Natasha. Fury makes it known he’s not a fan of our current administration, and well, that can’t mean anything good for the Widow. Speaking of Natasha, she’s in Cuba, on the run from what she is guessing is going to be an international sh$# storm (again, see Black Widow: Homecoming for full details on that). She hooks up the Yelnea Belova, the last Black Widow (as you can guess, this series doesn’t seem to be very “in continuity” with current events in the Marvel U) who has made quite a life for herself in Cuba: modeling, a lingerie line and a couple of soft-core porn cable channels. She dropped out of the spy game completely and is lining her pockets, living the high life. As a bit of social activism, Yelena has been helping out the local AIDS infested prostitutes by providing them with mediations (which is extremely hard to get in Cuba due to trade embargos) and thus has to make black market deals. One of these deals has gone sour, and she asks Natasha to set it right. Of course she has to go back to Miami to set it right, and thus our adventure begins. I should also mention Natasha finds time in this new series to rescue the hitchhiker she picked up from the first series from some crazy pharmaceutical experiments. Oh yeah, and Daredevil shows up quite a bit, and we even see a little bit of Nick Fury, and we also see those “North” (an independent spy agency that accepted a contract on Natasha) jagoffs from the “Homecoming” series. Natasha gets down in this new series, and damn if it isn’t just as slick as the first…

So pick up this tpb already. Natasha Romanova, easily the hottest chica in the Marvel Universe. Richard K. Morgan, super star sci fi author, and he does a damn good job at the comic thing too. Bill Sienkiewicz on covers and finished pencils (all the covers have been reprinted in the trade), this series is a no brainer. Readily in print and available for $15.99, this book easily comes recommended.

Wktf’s Review

This trade only recently came out and collects the Punisher vs. Bullseye mini series. Despite the fact that it was written by the creative team behind Wolverine: Origins, Bullseye’s Greatest Hits and Supreme Power: Nighthawk, I put off buying each individual issue because I both figured it had to soon be given the trade treatment and, knowing it was about two of my son’s favorite characters, I figured I’d be buying the trade once it hit. Hit it did, buy it I did and, given the Punisher and Bullseye activity currently going on in the monthly Brubaker/Lark Daredevil title, I figured there couldn’t be better timing to review this book.

Punisher vs. Bullseye
Marvel Comics
Written by: Daniel Way
Drawn by: Steve Dillon

Okay, to start, what a great concept. Potentially, Marvel’s two most violent, murderous and sociopathic characters, each on opposite sides of the law (at least, in their own minds) together, facing off against each other in a series solely dedicated to this match up. Considering both have been Daredevil’s adversaries over the last few decades as well as the potential for extreme violence and humor, given Bullseye’s sick sense of humor, I’m a little surprised in hindsight that it took this long to pit these two against each other. But here it is and, let me tell you, this book and creative team delivers the goods.

The conceit to bring these two together is both plausible and innovative. Alphonse Patrillo now lives in the New York suburb of Westport, CT and is recounting to his half-wit nephew, Nico, the time he was high steppin’ it at a mob family bachelor party. Judging by the tunes and the dance moves he was putting on in this flash back, this must have been around the time of “Saturday Night Fever” mania. Humorous as it is to see people wearing shark skin suits and dancing like John Travolta, the humor picks it up a notch when Fonzie discovers shark skin doesn’t stretch in certain places. This silly moment ends, though, in a hail of gunfire that sends Fonzie to find the most outlandish way possible to escape the Punisher’s mob-hating wrath incognito: in drag. A disguise he has continued to this day where he’s still living in fear, in suburbia, in drag and mourning the loss of the Patrillo family’s name and clout to the Rossi family. But he’s decided enough is enough and wants Nico to spread the word that he’s putting a half million dollar hit on The Punisher. Nico wonders who’s going to be crazy enough to take this hit, even for half a million. But we know the answer and, with that, we’re off to the races.

While it may not seem like you can get a five part series out of this match up I’m here to tell you that Way and Dillon keep the plot twisting and turning every step of the way. Each character gets the leg up on the other at different times but the match up itself is the vehicle for a greater ruse that Bullseye actually has going. Only, to his credit and colossal ego, it’s a ruse that could very well get him killed. But, of course, it doesn’t. In fact, it’s Bullseye who’s one step ahead of everyone in this story, even the two warring crime families but to tell you how that’s so would be telling you too much. Suffice it to say, the trade dress doesn’t lie in saying there’s “wall-to-wall action,” complete with lots of gunfire and explosions, great hand-to-hand combat, and lots and lots of innocent bystanders dropping dead by the wayside. Punisher fans should know that their guy, while being well represented as the take-no-prisoners kind of guy he is, comes off a little two-dimensional here…but I don’t have much of a problem with that given that’s the kind of character he is. Daniel Way keeps the reader on his toes in ways you simply don’t expect as the story cork screws around to its surprise ending and his dialogue throughout this book is spot-on perfect for both characters. The Rossi family is not in on the joke we know when Bullseye says to them, “It’s gonna cost ya” with a wry smile on his face. And Dillon, with whose art I first became introduced on his outstanding “Preacher” series, is in high gear all the way here. I swear he’s channeling Frank Miller with his Bullseye, but everything he draws from the characters’ facial expressions to the explosive action just makes for high octane comic book fun. This trade also includes reproductions of the five covers, some cover process sketches by Mike Deodato, Jr. and Mark Texeira, and unused cover sketches by Steve Dillon. If you’re a fan of either character or just of a great comic book reading experience, you should pick up this book. For the $13.99 cover price it’s well worth it.

[thecallahan]

Yeah, Ultimates release schedule sucks but at least it's good. You have Wolvie vs Hulk and that's on issue 2 in what, 7 months? And I'm not particularly impressed with that book either.

[Sam Wilson]

yeah, Ult. hulk vs. wolvie is way off schedule and that is lame, but i personally really liked the book. I like that Liniel Yu on pencils, he also did a nifty cover for punisher vs. bullseye which is in the tpb wktf reviewed...

[Kdawg59]

It was a great comic week wasn't it guys?

Man I read astonishing in my car before I even left the LCS parking lot.

F***in' Emma... I never trusted her... Her true colors are revealed and I can stand her even less now.

The scenes with Colossus and Shaw are the stand outs to me... Reminds me of the old days when Claemont and Romita JR were kickin butt on uncanny.

Not to mention and some may not agree. The homage to the famous wolvie panel in the sewers with Kitty...

Man the the memories...

I think Cap is consitantly one of my favorites and New Avengers and everything else I picked up just had me smiling yesterday...

[wktf]

I think b_c plans to review AXM but I agree about the Wolverine homage with Kitty Pride. We must be on the same wave length about the Romita JR days, Keith, 'cause I was thinking the same thing. Colossus really threw down but I was surprised he didn't realize what Shaw's strategy was and why he just let Colossus keep pummeling him. Yeah, as I said in my review, I've never trusted Emma. I know b_c feels she really loves Scott, and I actually believe that's true, and she may turn on the Hellfire Club as a result, but I'm with Kitty. We all knew this was coming and that she just was not to be trusted. Her true colors have come out at last. I also LOVED the scene with Wolverine: "I'm the best at what I do and what I do is...so pretty!"

You know I'm right there with you on Cap. This book just rocks but needs Epting as it's regular artist. Deodoto's pencils on New Avengers seemed a bit sloppy to me this issue but the ending caught me off guard. Really good issue.

[Sam Wilson]

dawg, are you going to check out the eternals? Dig that sexy copiel cover...

[JDH]

Good to have you back, WKTF! Last week's reviews went way downhill without you. I might check out that Punisher Bullseye trade one day...

[Sam Wilson]

here is that cover I keep ranting about:



j, you gonna get eternals? I can score you a variant if you want, just LMK.

I haven't read astonishing yet, dammit. I'll get to it though. And the reviews were passable last week, some british dude helped out...

[Sam Wilson]

Originally Posted by wktf

You know I'm right there with you on Cap. This book just rocks but needs Epting as it's regular artist. Deodoto's pencils on New Avengers seemed a bit sloppy to me this issue but the ending caught me off guard. Really good issue.

100% agree on deodoto's pencils on NA. And word on cap of course.

Deodoto seems either on or off, I wasn't impressed with his hulk stuff, but really liked him on wonder woman and tigra, and the stuff I've seen from his Ultimates work is awesome (hell, I bought that one cover), so humph I guess. He isn't consistant, I'll say that for sure...