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Columnist Thunder Mod
Super Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Denver Area, between Asgard and Krypton
Posts: 21,364
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The Mighty Reviews 7/29/10
Wktf’s Reviews
Death Ship #3
IDW Publishing
Written by: Gary Gerani
Drawn by: Stuart Sayger
Cover by: Cliff Nielsen
The subtitle of this comic book is “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” and fans of Bram Stoker’s Dracula know that the Demeter is the ship that carried Dracula from Varna, Modavia to Whitby Harbor in London, England in 1897. Leaving Jonathan Harker trapped in his castle with his three undead wives, the next we see the Lord of Vampires in Stoker’s novel is when he leaped to the British shore from the wrecked Demeter in the form of a massive wolf, leaving a vessel empty of its crew but for the poor dead Captain strapped to his wheel and his diary stuffed in his jacket pocket. The diary did recount the ship and crew’s experience in the novel; however, but this comic book series brings the story of this truly hellish sea voyage to graphic life.
Even moreso than in the issues that came before this one, with part 3 we find a darkly and richly painted continuation of a truly terrifying and textured story that that has taken us into the lives of the crew, including a rather savage man named Anatole, a minster or Constantine, a young boy and, of course, the ship’s Captain...a man whose loss of wife and child had caused him to turn away from God, but who now has discovered that he just may need to regain his faith in order for him and the young boy over whom he’s taken charge to survive this voyage. With nearly the entire crew now dead or, rather, missing at sea and presumed murdered by some savage demon, the Demeter both is surrounded by an unnatural fog and caught in a violent storm with, as we saw last issue, lightning bolts literally hitting the seas all around the ship. Is the storm seeking to strike or guide the ship? Already on edge, in the dark, surrounded by violence, and the air of evil filling the space on the deck, the Captain must keep his remaining man, Anatole, sane and productive if they’re to survive a menace no one, as yet, has been able to identify. And, like the creature’s victims before him, the violent Anatole who searches for their killer finds himself influenced and guided by a will that’s not his own!
This comic is a terrific read for any fans of classic horror films. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the storytelling very much feels like a film. The murky shadows, the violent storm, the slow build to terror, mysterious movements, and the danger which now is coming to a head in this terribly confined space. My one complaint continues to be the depiction of Dracula, himself. This monstrous creature is a far cry from the character described in Stoker’s novel and, for my money, the fact that vampires can look to be human only adds to their horror. This is a relatively minor complaint, though, that hardly runs counter the visceral horror this book delivers. As a Dracula fan, I’m not sure I’ve seen this story pulled out from the novel and recounted in any medium, making this a pretty original take on a tale that’s been around for over 100 years. Even though I already know how this tale must end with the next issue, the fun here is in the telling, with deft writing and foreboding art, more than the tale itself. My pick of the week.
Thor #612
Marvel Comics
Written by: Kieron Gillen
Drawn by: Doug Braithwaite
Cover by: Mico Suayan
Across most of the universe of Marvel titles the events of Siege have pretty much fallen by the wayside and our heroes find themselves on to other things. Not exactly the case in Invincible Iron Man where H.A.M.M.E.R. tech is falling into the wrong hands. And most certainly not in the case of Thor where Asgard still lies in ruins. We’ve seen in Avengers Prime how Steve and Iron Man want to help Thor rebuild Asgard in any way they can but, as of this storyline anyway, none of that help has been forthcoming. The Eternal Realm is still a shattered and broken shell of its prior glory.
With Baldar, Thor and Tyr having just sent their fallen dead to the beyond in a funeral pyre created by Thor’s lightning they find more trouble brewing just when it seemed like Asgard couldn’t be hit any harder than it has. Events that took place in Siege: Loki found Hela, who previously had no domain after Asgard came to Earth, occupying real estate in Mephisto’s Hell where the flock of dead Asgardians to whom she tends has found themselves under attack by a heinous force even older than the gods, a force even the mighty Hela is unable to repel. And so, out of loyalty and the desire to protect Asgard’s fallen, Thor and Tyr most literally go straight to hell to do battle with the legions of the damned in Mephisto’s realm.
The real highlight of this issue, and with this arc in general, is Gillen’s plotting and scripting. From the eulogy Thor gave to his brother/enemy Loki last issue to the heartfelt but directed conversation Thor has with the doubtful Tyr to the steely silent treatment Thor gives Mephisto’s dastardly offer, Gillen has shown a real understanding and feel for these characters. And, with the devastation Siege created for Asgard, Killen came up with a storyline that seems to take the danger and repercussions of failure even one step further. Unfortunately, with this issue Richard Elson’s beautiful pencils from issue #611 are replaced by Doug Braithwaite’s. Normally, I’m a fan of Braithwaite’s art but this issue feels mostly hurried and even unfinished, visually. The art took a book that should have been my pick of the week just for the story and dialogue and knock it down a peg. Still, for epic danger on the level a character as noble and powerful as Thor should be facing, it doesn’t get much more high stakes than this arc or issue.
Action Comics #891
DC Comics
Written by: Paul Cornell
Drawn by: Pete Woods
Cover by: David Finch
Well, this title’s caused a bit of a stir on the internet. Not only is Superman NOT going to be in this book for a while as he roams and reconnects with the Earth, grounded in his own title, but Lex Luthor is going to become the starring character and Lois Lane is now supposed to be his girlfriend! Well, actually, this last point about Lois was explained last issue in pretty much the way I figured it would, but it’s the detail around this explanation that proved to be surprising and may, in fact, come back to bite Luthor before his time on this book is over.
Having tasted the Orange Ring of Avarice in Blackest Night, Luthor’s been bitten by the bug and feels compelled to seek out the power of as many power rings as possible. Now with control over his own company restored, and having actually been President of the United States, you’d think Luthor would have a pretty tight handle on the use of power. But the power of those positions was nothing compared to the ultimate power of the lantern rings. And, now, Luthor’s in search of the Black Lantern power source. And while the idea of a megalomaniac like Luthor going after this ultimate power is an awesome one, the real joy in reading this run of Action Comics is how Cornell, having sold me as one of today’s best writers just from his time on Marvel’s Captain Britain and MI13, not only gets inside Luthor’s head but so handily brings every facet of his complicated and nuanced personality to the surface. And Pete Wood, who’s Superman I never really liked, really shines here, creating every wonderful expression this master villain’s face exudes. And, in this particular issue, with Luthor’s active mind serving as the playground of a different super villain, Wood really gets to cut loose.
One of the premises of this series is that Luthor’s going to be going up against other DC villains who are outside his comfort zone, maybe even putting him on the defensive. That promise certainly pays off here though, even though Luthor’s clearly on the defensive, he never really seems to have lost control of the situation. Cornell and Woods certainly seem to be having a good time allowing Mr. Mind, from the Captain Marvel/Shazam stable of villains, to work his delusional mind-control magic on an adversary with plenty of subconscious layers but also with such a strong and willful brain. And the interplay between Lex and his android Lois companion, both in his delusions and upon his return to reality, is just beautifully crafted. I have to admit, I wasn’t too keen on this direction considering that super villain titles, like The Joker’s old book from the 1970s or even the more successful Marvel Super-Villains Team-Up, just never seem to work out. But Luthor, if handled well, certainly should be able to carry a limited run as is promised here. And Cornell and Woods seem to be the team to make it happen.
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Wonder Woman #601
DC Comics
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Drawn by: Don Kramer
So for the third time in the last five years (or something like that), Wonder Woman has changed directions again, this time with sci-fi author extraordinaire J. Michael Straczynski (or JMS to his fans) at the helm. I withhold judgment on the man who can’t finish a storyline (Supreme Power? Rising Stars?) for now, and begrudgingly admit the mans’ comic work is pretty good. He does have some big shoes to fill though. It will be hard to top Greg Rucka’s run, I mean seriously. He had Dianna break Max Lords neck. Not to diminish Gail Simone’s recent run. Even though it was short it was the best Wonder Woman we’ve had in awhile (we needed it after the vomit inducing “Amazon’s Attack” storyline and that Jodie Picolut fiasco). So Diana is back with a new direction and a new Jim Lee designed costume, and are people happy? Thus far, I’m good with it…
Continued from the short story in issue #600, Diana is on the run and trying to find out what happened to the Amazons. Apparently Aphrodite removed her protection from Paradise Island, which allowed man to invade its shores. So man came at Amazon with everything he had (with some special enchantments from an unnamed source thrown in) and pretty much leveled Paradise Island and scattered what was left of the Amazon’s across the globe. Queen Hippolyta sacrificed herself to save Diana and the rest of the Amazons, and now Diana wants to find the rest of the Amazon’s and get her revenge. This new tale does not seem to continue any current continuity, but rather it creates its own. This is a problem for some, but for now, I’ll approach it with an open mind…
I don’t really have any problems with this new direction for Wonder Woman. At SDCC, JMS stated that his Wonder Woman was going to be a “reimagining” of the character, and so far so good. As far as her new costume, I’ll just say this: holy crap do I think its hot. Anyway, I’m on board for now, hopefully JMS will actually finish the story he has to tell and we won’t have another “Rising Stars” or “Supreme Power” to not look forward to…
Punishermax #9
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 first arc introduced us to Jason Aaron’s Frank Castle and Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. Castle is the same psychotic killer, maybe a little more cold blooded and a extremely violent in a calculated not necessarily brutal way like the Ennis Punisher. The Kingpin is pretty much an evil sociopathic bastard. He let his own son die rather than give up his master plan to be the boss of bosses. So life is sort of great at the top, the only problem is the Punisher is still around. So in our new arc Fisk has enlisted Bullseye. This is not the Bullseye we know and love with the admantium spine. This Bullseye craps out guns and shoots people with them (seriously). He’s a hitman who’s never failed a contract and is also fairly psychotic with a touch of sociopathic behavior in there for good measure. And now he works for the kingpin and his only job is to take out Frank Castle. He starts by killing everyone who has ever met or associated with the Frank, including his Dr. who is an old friend of his from Vietnam. Bullseye figures if he can get in Frank’s head, it’ll make him easier to kill so he starts “getting to know” his friends, and then hanging out at his safe houses. Bullseye’s next step is to kidnap a mom and two kids and well, you can pretty much guess where this is going. Meanwhile, the Kingpin works on his relationship with his wife (he’s pretty pissed off that Wilson let their son die) and Frank tortures a corrupt cop and ends up killing him, which leads us to issue 9. The entire NYPD is pissed off at Frank, so they go after him full force, meanwhile, Bullseye’s methods aren’t sitting to well with the Kingpin but they seem to be effective, even though the dude is straight bat-sh** crazy. Yup…
Seriously. Jason Aaron took the bad ass from Scalped and set it loose on the most mentally disturbed unforgiving killers in the Marvel U, and then Joe Q slapped the MAX label on it. Only the truly balless would not think this book is fu**ing awesome…
Dawg’s Reviews
Uncanny X-Men #526
Marvel Comics
Written by: Matt Fraction
Drawn by: Whilce Portacio
The previous arc of the X-Men saw a very dark time for the X-Men. Friends were lost in battle and many more were wounded badly. All of the mutants sacrifice was for the little girl named Hope, who is believed to be the catalyst that will reignite the mutant race from the brink of extinction. Cyclops has held on to faith that Hope would be the second coming of mutant kind as opposed to the destruction of it. It appears that all of the sacrifice that the X-Men have given has paid off. With the death of her “father” Cable, Hope manifested her powers and a familiar looking fiery Phoenix effect. Moments later Cyclops saw 5 new lights pop up as newly manifested mutants through Cerebra.
This arc kicks off the X-Men going in and monitoring these new mutants to both keep them safe as well as bring them into their safe haven Utopia. Hope has some questions about where she comes from and so a small group of X-Men accompany her to where she was born in Alaska to learn about her birth family. Hope meets her grandmother and learns of her deceased mother.
Cyclops tried to repair the gigantic rift that now exists between he and Wolverine after Wolvie’s best friend Nightcrawler was slain in battle pursuing Cyclops orders. This can’t be something that will go well given the pairs already shaky relationship.
It seems hard to define what Hope’s powers may be. Her group of mutants meets up with the X-Men who have been monitoring the first “light” from Cerebra. The teen that is manifesting her powers has been losing hair, having head pain and body aches, but is also a new brand of mutant… one that did not manifest at puberty. When the teen feels there is no choice left but to dive off a roof, Hope dives after her and when the two connect, the new mutant fully manifests her mutant abilities. So is Hope the reason why? The Catalyst? Or was it the adrenaline of the nose dive that did it with Hope coincidentally in tow?
All of this takes a back seat to the fact that Whilce Portacio is back on the art duties. Whilce was one of the best reasons to buy X-Men back in the early 90’s along with Jim Lee. Clearly the artist has not lost a step and it is a real treat to see someone of his caliber drawing the X-men again if only for one arc.
Fraction is very good on the writing chores with this issue as well. He acknowledges Wolverine’s loss of his friend Kurt as well as other characters behaving spot on with their proper characterizations. The only thing I wish would go away is the way he explains the characters introduced every issue with snarky smartass one liners. It tends to take you out of the story a small bit, but that’s a pretty minor bit so long as the overall story is working.
Overall I’d have to say that somehow the X-books have become very enjoyable and at the top of the reading pile. I am very curious to see where this new direction can take our merry band of muties.
Green Lantern #56
DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Doug Mahnke
The Green Lantern mythos and cast of characters has literally been multiplied seven times in a matter of a few short years. There is a lantern corps for every color in the spectrum with the Green Lantern Corps being the balance and the center of them all. Along with these lantern corps, there is an entity for each. We have known of Parallax the yellow entity of fear, for years now as this creature was the demise of Hal Jordan originally. We have also known in more recent times of Ion who represents the Green power of will. What Geoff Johns is now building and expanding upon is the entities of the other color corps. Not only that, but it appears someone or thing is trying to “collect these entities”. Hal Jordan at the behest of Atrocitus is trying to figure out who would “collect” these entities and is gathering information and allies to help him. This issue leads to one of our favorite Lanterns… Larfleeze.
Larfleeze has been raiding the local town hording stuff as he is a filthy greedy Orange Lantern of Avarice. He has also discovered something that will make all of his greedy wished come true… “an entity called Santa Claus”.
Hal tries to talk to Larfleeze about the orange entity, with little progress as Hector Hammond interrupts them in a big way. Hector Hammond can’t seem to get Carol Ferris or Hal for that matter out of his rather gigantic head. He wants Carol for himself and Hal seems to be in the way of that.
The throw down starts and gets even more interesting as Hector is possessed by the Orange entity who seems to have a mean on for Larfleeze.
To say that this title gets more layered and rich in its complexities each issue is an understatement. Yet again something big is building in this title involving the corps or the different spectrum. Poor Hal is destined to be in the middle of it all, wondering why everything is so insane around him.
Doug Mahnke and Geoff Johns are truly a great team and this book always deserves its high marks. I cannot wait to see where this particular arc goes as anything that involves the myriad of Lanterns like Larfleeze, Atrocitus, Indigo-1, and Sinestro, has my attention for how they play off each other. It doesn’t get any better at DC than this title, and there’s no Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman anywhere near.
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