Well, a very solid week in comics. Numerous enjoyable titles were on the shelf this week. But, be warned, the stinker that is
New Excalibur #2 was on the shelf, too. Don't let a semi-promising issue one fool you, Chris Claremont is back in form, and that should be warning enough
In a week where zombies rule, monster men roam, and the Rasputin's fight, my pick of the week still goes to
Sea of Red #7, this book is worth it for those wanting something a bit different.
Marvel Zombies #1
The Good: Can a mini-series based of an alternate Marvel world full of super hero zombies work? Well, that's just what Robert Kirkham, writer of
The Walking Dead (my favorite title, by the way since I am a huge zombie fan) intends to find out. For those of you not familiar with this alternate universe, first presented in Ultimate Fantastic Four, the familiar heroes of the Marvel Universe have become zombies, being infected first by a zombie Sentry falling from the sky. At the start of the story, only Magneto seemingly remains on earth to fight the zombie nightmare.
For those of you wondering, these aren't your typical zombies, and nothing like those found in
The Walking Dead. The heroes are among the undead, but can also speak, reason, and remember their former lives. However, most of this occurs only after they have satiated their hunger. In fact, most of the fun in this first issue is to see what rules and conventions Kirkman follows and which he discards in telling this zombie tale, and how these affect certain heroes and their powers (especially Hulk). And with a familiar alien visiting earth at the last panel, one wonders what cosmic events Kirkman may end up bringing. This mini-seies will probably not have any shattering event, but it does promise to be some fun, with dark humor abounding.
The Bad: Artist Sean Philips does a nice job, but, as my lcs guy pointed out, everyone has the same zombie mouth. Variety please!!!!
The Ugly: Nothing ugly here, besides the rotting flesh you'll be seeing in the panels. The gore factor is higher than most I've seen in most Marvel books, and may remind zombie-philes of the feeding scenes in other zombie movies. But that ain't a negative in a zombie book.
Sea of Red#7
The Good: The best new series of the year just gets more intriguing. For those of you unfamiliar, this is a vampire-pirate book set in the modern day. As silly and exploitife as that may sound this is actually as serious a book in this genre that you'll find. Rick Remender is not intent on being scary or hip. Instead, a nice mythology on vampires and other spooky creatures is being woven here, and its as satisfying a read as any on the market.
Last issue, everything you thought you knew about the characters was proven wrong, and this issue shows that many of them are still reeling from this realization. This issue not only develops the plot further, but manages to develop almost every single character so far introduced in the story so far, and how they are dealing with the changes. Even the orgin of the "creature from the black lagoon" like creatures is given (perhaps a product of nazi germany). Remember, the first trade is still available cheap!
The Bad: Nothing bad here. A top notch title.
The Ugly: The vampirs may be ugly, but the art is stunning to look at. Remember the pages are black and white with many splotches of red in it.
Jonah Hex #2
The Good: Its official, Jonah Hex is one of my favorite comic heros. The re-launch of DC's most famous western hero is given fabulous treatment, with awesome art by Luke Ross (even Hex's scarred face shows more emotion and tragedy than you could hope for) and ambitious one-shot stories by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray.
What starts as an innocent birthday party at a small village turns deadly when a band of pillagers come to steal a solid gold cross located in the village church. Unfortantely for the thieves, Jonah Hex is currently under the care of said town, and he vows revenge for the fallen. A nice little story develops, involving a much more complicated situation than anticiapted and a nice dose of ironic deaths. If you are a big fan of Jonah Hex's older adventures pick this and the first issue up.
The Bad: But you might just want to pick up the Showcase presents: Jonah Hex first. Having read a nice portion of that showcase, I can say that the stories have changed a bit. Jonah is stil a loner, but the tragedy of and seeming curse of him being alone has yet to be really hit on. Jonah Hex is not a monster, but his face and his vocation makes everyone thinks he is. That important quality does not seem to be here, yet.
The Ugly: Other than Hex's scarred face, nothing.
Colossus: Bloodlines #4
The Good: After reading about zombies, vampires, and cowboys, I bet you are ready for some good ol fashion super-heroes. Well, this will have to fit the bill. David Hines' fantastic "origin" story of the entire Rasputin clan has clearly outclassed any current mutant book on the market.
Last few issues have had Mr. Sinister reveal his ancient alliance with Gregory Rasputing of early 20th century Russia. Rasputin had many wives and concubines, and before he died fathered many, many children. However, the question remained why has Mr. Sinister attempted to track down and kill every remaining member of the family? This issue answers that question to the full. This leaves Peter wondering how far he will go to prevent the true legacy of the Rasputin clan to reach its fulfillment. This sets up what should be a great last issue to this mini. Belive me when I say that if you are a Colossus fan or an x-fan, or especially a Mr. Sinister fan (like you, Sir Conner), pick this series up!
The Bad: You'll wonder why the powers that be at marvel decide stories like these can't be told anymore in the pages of x-men.
The Ugly: Only that I must wait 30 days to see how Peter gets himself out of this predicament.
Thanks again for reading, and let me know what you thougth about marvel zombies!
