|
Columnist Thunder Mod
Super Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Denver Area, between Asgard and Krypton
Posts: 21,364
|
The Mighty Reviews 3/25/10
Sam Wilson’s Review
Scalped #36
DC/Vertigo
Written by: Jason Aaron
Drawn by: Dave Furno
Cover by: Jock
Dashiell Bad-Horse is the baddest motherfu**er in comics. Let me explain: he has a background as a combat vet, having served in Bosnia; he’s pretty adept at Jeet Kune Do (and the use of nunchucku by extension); and he’s a bona fide FBI agent. If you’ve been reading “Scalped” from the beginning like I have, you really don’t learn all that stuff until a few issues in. Dashiell introduces himself by beating the living fu** out of a bunch of people. With nunchucku. Yeah. Word. Soon enough we learn he is a tribal cop working for Chief Red-Crow, who is pretty much the Don of his rez (a South Dakota Native American reservation). Red-Crow came into power pretty much by violence and intimidation, and he is also responsible for the murder of two FBI agents, a crime which dates back to Wounded Knee in the 1970’s. Involved in that murder is Dashiell’s mom, whom he left when he was 13 intending never to come back. But he came back, and now works as a cop for the man who was indirectly responsible for his mother’s death and who lives off the subjugation and exploitation of his own people. Well, Dashiell really doesn’t work for the Chief. He actually works for a corrupt FBI agent who was friends with the agents Red-Crow killed back at Wounded Knee, and who wants Red-Crow taken down by any means necessary. Dashiell is more or less a tool, used by both sides unwillingly. Dashiell usually deals with the stress of this life by beating the living sh** out of people, having meaningless sex with old girlfriends, and most recently, drugs. So where is the story now?
Recently Jason Aaron just wrapped up “The Gnawing”, and yeah, it true “Scalped” fashion it was fairly fu**ing brutal. Dash finally settle things with Diesel (he shot him to pieces, literally), Red Crow’s daughter is still a Junkie and pregnant with Dash’s kid, and Red Crow is over his issue with a possible FBI rat in his organization (Dash pinned it on Diesel) and done shot the sh** out of a bunch of Hmong gangsters. Yeah. Anyway, the new arc is entitled “Shunka”, and is all about Red-Crow’s mysterious (and fairly bad-ass, in a scary, quiet way) right-hand man. Anyway, he has secrets. Huge secrets, and in the first few pages of this issue you learn just what his biggest is, and goddamn. Can’t say I saw it coming. Anyway, Jason Aaron once again punches his readers square in the stomach, and so begins the story of a man caught between two worlds (three if you count his lifestyle, criminal, and Native American as three separate things I guess). I’d be more direct and just say what is going on, but you seriously have to read this issue. It won’t make much sense to a new reader, but long-time ones, you’ll be surprised. Surprised for a minute, but as the story goes on and Jason Aaron gets deeper into his characterization of Shunka, the surprise goes away and it starts to make sense…
Scalped is most likely the best book out there you are currently not reading. If you like Jason Aaron’s Marvel work, it’s his Vertigo work that even got him notice by the House of Ideas, so check out “Scalped” already…
Dawg’s Reviews
Green Lantern #52
DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Doug Mahnke
I know that it is completely out of character for me to review an issue of Green Lantern isn’t it? I have reviewed this book just about every single month for the 3 or so years that I have been reading Geoff Johns amazing book. I have never… ever… had anything all that negative to say about this book. So in seeing a review from me about this book, you all probably think it will be just more mindless praise.
I am here to tell you that this issue did not do much for me…. There I said it. In Fact, Blackest Night in general is starting to wane and fizzle here toward the end for me as well. I am sure that the pay off will be more than epic, but some of the in-between chapters have seemed, for lack of a better term, like filler. Even the important stuff like this issue should have been. This is not to say that the book isn’t well done and still the best thing that DC sends to the printer every month, it’s just that nothing really happened here.
BY now everyone should know that Sinestro is the White Lantern. He has taken the “entity” and taken the power of the entire emotional spectrum as his own and become the most powerful Lantern there is. So that in itself is huge right? Yes… but we spend the entire issue learning of how the emotional spectrum was born from the first amoeba-like creature exhibiting will to lastly creatures able to feel compassion for others. Ad a lot of splash pages and scatter a whole hell of a lot of dark goo/Black Lanterns getting destroyed by the rainbow of other Lanterns and it didn’t really advance anything. Even Sinestro sits around for most of the issue while Necron tries to destroy the “entity”.
I feel like there is a whole lot to wrap up in next week’s Blackest Night #8 and I feel like the story has become way too big for itself and thereby a bit scattered throughout the DC Universe. The Black Lanterns have become a one trick pony in reanimating fallen comrades who attack through trying to get a rise out of the people they left behind. Even John Stewart acknowledges this and I ask myself what power do the Black Lanterns really hold over the heroes at this point other than a dangerous physical threat like any other villain?
There were parts I did very much enjoy however. I think Sinestro usurping the white light very much makes him an even more dangerous threat to Hal and the other Corps in the future. I think it was pretty cool how we learned that the Green Lanterns came first through Ion and will. I think John Stewart is a kick ass character and I think that Doug Mahnke kept things that seemed like filler breathtaking enough to enjoy the hell out of the issue anyway. It was not without problems as it seems like all of the other books and hanging on waiting for the main book of Blackest Night to tell the main story, but Green Lantern #52 is still a decent part of the whole story. For my money though, this event doesn’t come close to the Sinestro Corps war story that was more self contained. It feels like the rest of the DC Universe wanted in on the action rather than making this more of a Green Lantern story. I reserve the right to change my opinion at the conclusion of Blackest Night #8 next week.
Captain America #604
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Butch Guice
Another rare occasion is me reviewing Captain America as it is usually Joe’s first book reviewed each month as well as one of his favorite characters of all time.
Joe hasn’t been feeling this particular arc from Brubaker and company and after reading this issue, I can’t help but feel a little of the same. There could be many reasons for this. One of which is, I don’t think this book has regained the momentum it had before it took some time off in favor of Captain America “Reborn” mini series. Another reason is now that we have Steve Rogers back thanks to “Reborn” I don’t feel like Bucky is Captain America anymore, especially with the treatment that Steve is getting in Siege. Buck has made an excellent Captain America, but now that the real deal is back, I don’t feel the same about letting Buck keep the shield. Not only that but we have another Captain America who is not the real deal running around in this issue. The crazy one from the 50’s... and he has taken to siding with the “Watchdogs” who seem quite like a band of militia men ready to urban terrorize their way to an America that fits their mold.
Buck has infiltrated the Watchdogs, but Fake Cap knows Buck as the legend he is and would never not recognize the man. The capture him and the Falcon and threaten Buck that if he does not don the Bucky costume and side with crazy fake Cap, that they will kill Falcon. Falcon as it is anyway is strapped to a train that is full of explosives and destined for Vegas. With a little help from Red Wing, the Falcon pretty much kicks everyone’s ass on this train proving yet again that he was always an equal partner to Cap and not just some sidekick. The Falcon is badass… plain and simple.
The falcon scenes were by far the best in the issue and worth the price of admission alone. The rest was a little flat for me. I think this arc, just hasn’t had much going on really, and compared to the Red Skull and the return of Steve Rogers, 50’s Cap and militiamen are a little tame. Baron Zemo is coming after this next issue, so I am sure that this will help this book bump back up to where I feel it was before the nonsense of halting this series in favor of a mini series, about this series…
Wktf’s Reviews
The Marvels Project #7 (of 8)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Covers by: Steve Epting, Gerald Parel & Steve McNiven
Most fans would admit to having one or several “dream teams” of comic book writers and artists. Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams, Chris Claremont and John Byrne tend to fall into this category. Well, one such team for me is Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Both, certainly, have been great and done great work with other creators but put them together and you have the Eisner Award winning team that propelled Captain America to one of today’s bestselling titles. With all the focus in the Marvel Universe on Dark Reign and now Siege, it’s easy to see why The Marvels Project has been largely overlooked on fan sites and comic book news boards. Billed as the centerpiece of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary Celebration, a celebration whose logo has long since left Marvel’s promotional materials, issue in and issue out, this miniseries has been one of the single best titles out in the last year. Designed to bring together all the disparate Golden Age stories into a cohesive origin of the Marvel Universe, back when the world’s most successful comics company was called Timely Comics, the team of Bru and Epitng have given Marvel fans an absolutely delightfully plotted, scripted and lavishly drawn valentine that’s been as informative and revealing (with lots of never before revealed facts and insights) as it has been entertaining.
But, with only one issue to go we’ve officially rounded the corner toward the home stretch. We’ve seen the origin of the Human Torch and his first battle with Namor, The Sub-Mariner. We’ve seen Namor’s righteous though displaced wrath over the annihilation of his own people and his legendary hot-headed anger. The Angel, a street level Golden Age hero not known to today’s comic pages, who’s taken his inspiration from the aged and dying Two-Gun Kid, is our story’s narrator. And we’ve seen the genesis of Nick Fury’s Howlers and their role, unbeknownst to them, in Captain America’s creation. And, with last issue we saw New York’s heroes united for the first time against the destruction wrought by a skyscraper-high tidal wave Namor leveled on New York, as the Original Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner battled it out in the sky for the second time. But it was the entrance of the Captain America, whose shield delivered the blow that brought Namor down, that promised to bring about what The Angel called both “our first true call to arms” and “another new dawn.”
I wonder if Bru ever read 1975’s Invaders #3 when Cap’s shield bounced right off the back of Namor’s head with no effect. The premise of Cap’s being able to take Namor down last issue with the same tactic unfortunately created the low point in an otherwise spectacular issue. And, with this issue, the influence of Invaders #3 is felt again with the appearance of a villain who turned out to be one of The Invaders’ most powerful foes, now in league with none other than The Red Skull. More Golden Age characters are introduced with this issue, including The Torch’s and Cap’s young and famous partners while a likely dehydrated Namor is held prisoner by the Americans. While this issue doesn’t have all the fireworks and action of the prior issue, it very neatly sets the stage for what likely will be the creation of Marvel’s first super team with the next and final issue of this series. It remains to be seen how Namor, now a mass murderer, can gain the absolution needed to be invited to join this effort. But I’m willing to wait and see how Bru handles this with issue #8. Seriously, whether you’re a Marvel Universe fan or not, The Marvels Project is one of those rare, potentially timeless, and enormously satisfying series that simply demands not just to be read but to eventually sit proudly in anyone’s trade collection, simply demanding premier hardcover packaging that it deserves. I am so looking forward to how this story evolves and resolves as well as just simply continuing to enjoy the way in which it’s told. Most definitely, this issue is my pick of the week.
Thor #608
Marvel Comics
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Drawn by: Billy Tan and Rich Elson
Cover by: Mico Suayan
With this arc Thor’s title has entered the territory Siege has laid down over the last two months. And, considering Asgard is at the center of Siege, I’d say it’s about time. All of these event type series, regardless of whether DC or Marvel produces them, have had problems with timing and integrating the regular monthly titles into the works but, again, considering Thor’s importance to Siege the two month lag it took to get there feels ridiculous. The title of this story arc is Siege: Ragnarok and, while the Ragnarok term certainly could pertain to Osborn’s intentions on Asgard, it turns out it actually pertains to a loathsome character whose origins came out of the superhero Civil War and because of whom Thor had given Iron Man such a sound whooping shortly after he came back from the dead. And this threat, with the end of last issue, has set his sights on poor Volstagg who, with this issue, fully redeems himself from his decades-long timorous persona by taking on this ugly and powerful threat single handedly and, frankly, getting his fair share of shots in.
While the Volstagg/Ragnarok battle occupies fully half of this issue, the other half is dedicated to Baldar, Hiemdall and Tyr, Asgard’s god of war, with the focus on the Asgardians’ battle against Osborn’s troops. And, with this focus, this story arc evolves from what felt like a rather poorly crafted Thor story last issue to one that delivers nearly, but not all, the value the Green Lantern title is to the Blackest Night larger event book. Not only are we given some more satisfying images of Thor vs. Sentry compared to what we saw in Siege #3, but we also see how Tyr must deal with his own confused fears to rally his troops against the Norn Stones-powered Hood while Baldar and Heimdall go in search of the evil Loki. With the other titles focus on the resistance heroes and only seem to show Asgard’s citizens as supporting characters, this issue clearly shows us the forces of Asgard, the family of Thor, marshaled in full against their most desperate hour. With this issue this story arc went from feeling disjointed last issue to a core element to the ultra-violent Siege event. Thor is a comic that really needs its own voice, or be a lead title to the main event as Green Lantern is with Blackest Night. Fortunately, this issue managed to get us there.
The Mighty Avengers #35
Marvel Comics
Written by: Dan Slott
Drawn by: Khoi Pham
Cover by: Knoi Pham
With the events of last issue when, incredibly, Hank Pym asked Loki to join The Mighty Avengers the team disbanded in disgust, all pretty much feeling that their leader whom Eternity himself dubbed The Scientist Supreme, was too weird for words. All of Marvel’s heroes have had feet of clay, but few are the heroes whose feet are as muddy as Hank Pym. Sure, Tony Stark is an egocentric alcoholic, Spider-Man’s a neurotic loser, but Pym not only had multiple personality problems but also abused his wife. There’s little that’s sympathetic about the guy. Yet, Slott’s been doing a great job over the last several months making Pym seem, well, in control and a strong leader while also maintaining enough of a personality X-factor to make him a quirky enigma. Now, left on his own with only a shattered Jocasta, with whom Pym’s relationship gets stranger and more uncomfortable with each issue, the new Wasp must face what is potentially The Avengers’ single greatest foe and a villain uniquely tied to his own bizarre history.
One of the things I’ve liked about this book since Slott took it over is its slightly slower and more cerebral pace compared to the Dark and New Avengers books helmed by Bendis. While occasionally crossing into Bendis/Osborn-continuity, as it does with absolutely confusing results in this issue, Mighty Avengers feels like a book that’s been able to stand separate from that continuity and focus on its own characters and dynamics. With writing by Slott and (for the most part) art by Pham, that’s made this title seem like an oasis from the larger Marvel Universe. Of course, the threats in this book have been real and have never seemed more than now. Couple this with what appears to be a startling revelation on the final page and a title labeled “Salvation,” and the Slott/Pham team delivers yet another powerful mystery further complicated by the return of one of the greatest threats the Marvel Universe has ever known. Awesome stuff!
|
