Hulk #5 – Review

By: Gerry Duggan (Writer), Mark Bagley (Penciller), Andy Hennessy (Inker), Jason Keith (Color Artist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer), Alex Ross (Cover Artist)

The Story: To paraphrase Dr. Evil: “He didn’t spend five years in Green Medical School to be called MISTER Green!”

The Review: This new direction for the Hulk follows quite shortly after the last new direction, which is a sentence that gets repeated with some frequency, actually. In this case, at least, there’s at least a sense of continuity, building on what’s before in a logical manner while remaining a (somewhat) genuine new take.

This is helped, of course, with the continuation of the art chores by Bagley. Not only does it help perpetuate a through-line as the writers shift, he once again delivers some dynamic presentations of powerful figures in key panels, such as three consecutive splash pages of the Hulk in speed-line-filled, explosive action. That’s a pretty bold move, but establishes a wide-screen feel for this Hulk’s initial appearance.

The one art choice I’m unsure about is the allowing Hulk’s hair to be vaguely mohawk-ish. The exact length seems to vary a bit from panel to panel, and it overall doesn’t really mesh with the face. I suppose it’s meant to convey some kind of “edginess” to the character, but it’s not really that extreme so it’s kinda held back as a design element, in a way.

C2E2 Report: DC Comics – Batman

Saturday was a big day for this year’s C2E2, with a lot of DC and Marvel’s biggest panels taking place. Besides entry in the morning, the longest line I saw all weekend was for this panel. Hundreds of fans filed through the doors of the convention’s largest panel space, and with good reason.

As things got started, John Cunningham, DC’s Marketing VP, introduced us to our panelists: James Tynion IV, former writer of Red Hood and the Outlaws and Talon and an architect of Batman: Eternal; Scott Snyder, writer for Batman, lead writer for Batman: Eternal, and all-around Batman superfan; Jason Fabok and Dustin Nguyen, the two artists for Batman: Eternal; Patrick Gleason and Peter Tomasi, the artist and writer, respectively, on Batman and _____; and Jim Chadwick, an editor with DC’s digital division who works on Batman ‘66, among others.

Cunningham started by reminding us that this year is the 75^th anniversary of Batman and promised a slew of celebration, most clearly embodied in a “Batman Day” sometime this July. He also mentioned the two animated shorts commissioned for the anniversary and, as a thank you, revealed that we’d be screening them before the panel began.

Unfortunately there was some technical trouble, kicking off a friendly rivalry between Cunningham and the people running the projector.

Unable to resolve the problem immediately, we turned to the comics.

The first book mentioned was Grayson, which received a warm reception, but just as quickly as it was brought up, Cunningham informed us that he couldn’t talk about it yet. Instead Scott Snyder took the opportunity to enlist the audience in a campaign to make sure that DC used the slogan that he and the other writers had come to love, “You think you know Nightwing, but you don’t know Dick.” It seemed to take off with the fans. DC had actually published the line in the Grayson #1 solicit a few days earlier, but after this panel I’m sure they were pleased that they went ahead with it.

Next on the docket was Batman and Scott Snyder’s “Zero Year” storyline, which has just entered its final phase, “Savage City”. Snyder, ever eager to share with the fans had thrown in a couple of extra slides into the presentation as a thank you. “You guys are our bosses,” he said, quoting a sentiment that drives he and Greg Capullo’s work on the title.

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #18 Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist), Matt Milla (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

The Review: Sometimes it’s hard being an Ultimate Comics fan. If it isn’t Jeph Loeb sadistically eviscerating all of your favourite characters, it’s encountering an element of snobbishness from the 616-only crowd. “Grubby little pockets universes,” they’ll sneer in a Gollum-like manner, “Is the anti-Precious! Unclean! Unclean!” With a heavy sigh you might have the energy to point such doubters towards Warren Ellis’ run on Ultimate Fantastic Four, Millar’s Ultimates 1 or 2 or pretty much any volume of Ultimate Spider-Man in an attempt to change their minds. More often that not you’ll just tell them to go stick their head in a sandwich toaster. What you should definitely not do is show them a copy of Ultimate Comics Ultimates #18; such an ill-advised course of action would only lead to disaster, mockery, and an evening spent crying into the pillowy rump of your beloved Ultimate Blob plushy.

Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist #3 – Review

By: Eric Trautmann (plot and script), Alex Ross (plot and art direction), Daniel Indro and Ron Adrian (art), Slamet Mujiono (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor)

Chapter Three: The Monsters of Mongo: Flash, recently escaped with an assist from the luscious Princess Aura, is shot down in the territory on the lion men. Pursuing agents: should we use surgical strike? Ming: no, make it messy. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Adolph is getting some military aid from old Merciless. Hail Ming!

What’s Good: This is one of two sword and planet titles I’ve picked up from Dynamite this week (see Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10, for the other). Sword and planet is a fun, escapist form (well, let’s face it, the whole comics medium is an escapist form, but this is more escapist than say, the street level crime of the Kingpin or something). Ross and Trautmann make full use of its conventions. We’ve got alluring evil princesses, quick getaways, strange moons with dangerous aliens, an empire full of goons, all lead by an implacable tyrant. Our hero is daring, truehearted and consummately dangerous, and he’s setting his sights on the bad guy. This is swashbuckling adventure for adventure’s sake, modernized with better tech and science, but at its core, beats a heart of pulp.
The art by Indro and Adrian under the direction of Ross is awesome. I love the draftsmanship and especially the close attention to facial expression, and the shadow and texture required to make it real. The castles and moons and trees and ships and other costumes are evocatively alien, and basically, it is a fiesta for the eyes.

Silver Star #2 – Review

By: Jai Nitz (writer), Alex Ross (art direction and story), Johnny Desjardins (art), Vinicius Andrade (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor)

The Story: Silver Star regroups and starts looking for Norma. He explains the gravity of the situation to his new psychologist, through a series of flashbacks.

The Review: On visuals, I thought Desjardins was a fine artist who did some nice work in bringing some Kirby special effects to life, as well as the corpse of the giant kraken that had attacked them. The layouts were effective and drew the eye across the page on the paneled pages and especially on the collage-like double splash of the flashbacks. Some of the facials were a bit rough, but others were evocative. This occasional unevenness did not detract from my enjoyment of the story, as other elements, like scenery and Silver Star himself were cool to look at.
Writing and story caused me more problems. Anyone who has followed my reviews for a while knows I’m a Jai Nitz fan. I thought he did something magical with the narrative voice in Kato: Origins, while also bringing a real-world resonance to the stories, in terms of racism, crime, the ghosts that we carry with us, and the ghosts that we acquire. Unfortunately, that same inspiration and subtlety didn’t get to the table in Silver Star.
Comics is a medium of stewarding brands and characters and universes, of protecting or rejecting history, and expanding the fields that future writers can till. A writer can, without consequence, create a crime book, a horror book, a fantasy book or a sci-fi book without a sense of deep history or vast community. But in superhero books, the deep history has become a convention. Arch-villains become arch because they keep coming back. The first time they are just bad guys in funny suits. The vast community has also become a convention in superhero books. Heroes fight villain #1 on Monday, villain #2 of Wednesday, and team up with another hero on Thursday, and each character brings their history and baggage to the conflict. I think the hardest thing to do in the superhero genre is create a new hero and a new world out of whole cloth. We’ve seen so many origins that it is difficult to find anything fresh. We’ve seen so many motivations that they mostly appear trite or cliché, unless you bought into them as a kid. What writers can do when put in the bind of creating a new world is to deeply personalize the hero. Engage the reader powerfully in the humanity of the hero.

Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist #1 – Review

By: Eric Trautmann (writer), Alex Ross (plotting and art direction), Daniel Indro (illustrator), Slamet Mujiono (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor), Alex Raymond (creator)

The Story: Ming the Merciless is looking for fun on a Friday night. Earth is handily in his cross-hairs. The Earth of 1934 reacts with confusion to the super-technology attacking them that manifests as natural disasters. Everyone except Dr. Hans Zarkov. And by coincidence, Flash Gordon, emissary of the President of the USA, and Dale Arden, cartographer, happen to be with him as he is blasting towards Mongo.

What Was Good: Right out of the gates, I have to declare that I grew up on Filmation’s Flash Gordon cartoons as a kid, so obviously I’m coming from a pulpy place of love for sword and planet adventures. Although this is early in the story, I could already see Trautmann assembling the pieces that make Flash Gordon fun. These are: (1) the terrifying Ming and his fragile empire, (2) Flash, the brave, classic hero, (3) Dale, the damsel-love interest, (4) Zarkov, the scientist ally, and (5) the servants of the emperor, but not necessarily loyally so. Ross and Trautmann also pulled in some elements that promise to give this story a theme or gravitas that the pulp original did not have. The addition of the Third Reich and Hitler say a lot about the kind story this is going to be and the foils and thematic contrasts that will be offered. All that being said, this issue was only the inciting incident. The real story begins in issue #2.

Artwise, I was delighted. Indro was a bit quirky, but I found myself liking the way he exaggerates certain elements (Zarkov, for example), cleaves close to traditional styles for heroics (Flash and Dale), while pursuing very modern takes on villainy (Ming and his entourage). All of it was well done and the detail in the 1930s tech was wonderful, right down to the fraying piece of tape labeling a switch in Zarkov’s laboratory.

Silver Star #1 – Review

By: Jai Nitz (story and script), Alex Ross (art direction and story), Johnny Desjardins (artist), Vinicius Andrade (colorist), Joseph Rybandt (editor), Jack Kirby (concepts and characters)

The Story: This issue, spun out of Dynamite’s Kirby Genesis series, follows the story of Silver Star, a US super-powered asset in an alternate history that branches from ours sometime in the late Vietnam War.

The Review: Nitz and Ross have a ton of work to do in this first issue. They’ve got to introduce the characters, make us care about them, intrigue us with their world and launch the conflict. Slowing this down (as in the first act of any story) is the exposition and showing the character “in his normal day.” Luckily, Silver Star’s days are not normal. He seems to live in covert international conflicts. Nitz and Ross let Desjardins and Andrade do the heavy lifting on the “day in the life” exposition and the action and sets are more than enough to keep the reader turning the pages. What I found more intriguing was the interlaced Presidential Orders through history and tracking against my (admittedly Canadian) knowledge of US presidents to see where the turning points happened and where history changed. Despite all this, I didn’t feel that by the end of the story that I cared about Silver Star. A first act, day-in-the-life start (prior to the introduction of the conflict) makes for a passive main character. A character in action does not equal an active character. I don’t fault Nitz and Ross for this. It looks like they’ve risked a slower-paced start to properly launch a long arc, so the amount of stuff that has to go in issue one crowds out some of the gripping stuff.

Kirby: Genesis #1 – Review

 

By: Kurt Busiek (writer), Jack Herbert and Alex Ross (artists), Vinicius Andrade (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor)

The Story: We get to see a whole lot of Kirby and his hot platonic friend Bobbi. The backdrop for their story is the sudden appearance of all sorts of weird stuff that hearkens back to when NASA’s Pioneer 10 probe, carrying a message for aliens on how to get to Earth, was lost in some strange effect. And the story opens…

The Review: I was absolutely flattened by the art. I mean, wow. Kirby’s face alone is worth the price of entry. It’s life-like, expressive and unique, with a wealth of details, from the slight hollows around his mouth and his perma-five-o’clock-shadow to the worry wrinkles on his forehead. The draftsmanship and respect for the precision of anatomy was eye-catching. Nearest comparators that leap to mind? Neal Adams or Cascioli, maybe with a bit of an Ivan Reis’ flavor of Boston Brand thrown in. The layouts are intriguing and gather no moss as we go from page to page. The smaller, close-up frames cram the eye towards the long, scenic views that are a riot of detail. The credits page was stunning not only for the scope and composition of the figures, with feet angling down to enhance the dynamism of the page (no pun intended), but also for the startlingly effective shift in color tone and lighting. And once the weirdness starts hitting the fan (and the midwest), Herbert and Ross channel the King and get some real Jack Kirby flavors working their ways into the artwork. Quite an artistic accomplishment.

Kirby Genesis #0 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (writer), Alex Ross (art direction, layouts, covers), Jack Herbert and Alex Ross (art), Vinicius Andrade (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor), Jack Kirby (concepts and characters)

The Story: In 1972, Pioneer 10 was launched to fly past Jupiter. It was fitted with a plaque, in case anyone in deep space ever found it, so as to be a first contact for humanity. The plaque shows the way to Earth. Issue #0 is about what happens to Pioneer 10, and the attention it draws.

What’s Good: Out of the gates, I have to say the art was superb. Ross’ layouts are strong and Herbert’s inks (as well as Ross’ own), convey a lot of texture and depth. And the raw awesomeness of Andrade’s colors really stood out on the double splash page of Jupiter and all of the brightly-colored Kirby creations that leapt off the page. Where the art team was going for a strong Kirby flavor (some of the poses, the reimaginings of the characters, etc), they did a great job and the Kirby tone just soaks through the paper. At the same time, they totally sidestepped all of Kirby’s problems with odd proportions and what I’ve always considered poor draftsmanship. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking the King, but I think we’ll all agree that some of his art, even after 20 years in the business, could be pretty crude (his early Marvel stuff certainly showed he was conscious of being paid by the page). Whatever your feelings on Kirby’s draftsmanship, your don’t have to have any worries here. The art team brings beautiful detail to Pioneer 10, childhood exuberance, and reimagined Kirby aliens of all kinds (too many to list), bizarre Amazonian warriors, and space commandos with what looks like a battle bicycle.

Green Hornet Vol 1: Sins of the Father (Hardcover)

Scripts by Kevin Smith; Breakdowns by Phil Hester;  art by Jonathan Lau, colors by Ivan Nunes; and covers by Alex Ross.

Once upon a time, Kevin Smith was going to make a Green Hornet movie. That’s right. The man who brought you Cop Out and Jersey Girl was going to bring new life to a classic character. But that never happened. He wrote the script and, according to his introduction, freaked the frig out and didn’t think he had the chops to direct it. Ages went by and the script hibernated until it became useless and forgotten and Michael Gondry and Seth Rogen went on to make their own Green Hornet that looks like it might be fun, but let’s not get our hopes up. So what was to become of Kevin Smith’s script? Well, here it is. Converted into comics and now being released by Dynamite.

Sins of the Father picks up the Green Hornet 20 years after he’s retired. His son is a tabloid whore and he is one of the most powerful people in century city… Until he gets murdered. Now the son must take up his father’s mantle. Um… Isn’t that what the new movie’s about? Nevermind, that’s another post for another time. It’s a fun story, and Smith’s natural ability to sell a character really shines through. It’s a shame this was never turned into a film because I’m sure the new Kato would have been really hot in the Chauffer outfit.

Avengers/Invaders (TPB) – Revuew

Plot by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, Written by Jim Krueger, Penciled by Steve Sadowki, Patrick Berkenkotter, Alex Ross, and Jack Herbert

We’ve all gotten those miniseries or events that have just too many issues and there’s easily one or even two issues that didn’t even need to be there. Avengers/Invaders is not one of those series. There is just a ton of stuff happening in this graphic novel that if anything, there’s so much going that there’s no room to breathe.

So what is Avengers/Invaders about? A lot. It starts with the American people so distraught over Cap’s death (this is after Civil War, before Secret Invasion) that their psyches, channeling though the villain D’Spayre, manipulate the cosmic cube and pull Captain America, along with Namor, Bucky, the Human Torch, Toro, and some poor soldier named Pau Anselm, out of World War Two and into present day. Their arrival is frickin’ amazing. They land right in New York interfering with a fight between Spider-Man and the Thunderbolts and the Invaders tear the Thunderbolts apart. Krueger’s script isn’t exactly cinematic, because if as much happened in these twelve chapters (and they do call them chapters) happened in a movie, I think the cast, crew, and director would commit mass suicide. It’s more like season for Lost, when they had to shorten the season due to the writer’s strike, so shit happened every single episode (except for that one crappy Juliet episode). In fact, Avengers/Invaders is much like Lost but with superheroes and you get answers at the end. The Invaders are stranded in our time, and then someone tries to change the past, screwing up even more than they fixed. But where it is most like Lost is in the character interaction. This series has a huge cast. The New Avengers (Dr. Strange, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ronin, and Echo), Mighty Avengers (Iron Man, Black Widow, Spider-Woman, Ares, Sentry, Ms. Marvel, Wasp, and Wonder Man), and the Invaders (the ones listed before as well as Union Jack and Spitfire) are all represented and each member of the team truly get at least one moment to shine, one of my favorites being when Echo takes down D’Spayre. D’Spayre’s power is based on manipulating his opponent’s fear by basically telling them everything they don’t want to hear. As it turns out, Echo can’t hear anything and just walks up to him and punches him in the dick. Okay, so maybe it doesn’t quite happen like that, but you get the idea. Sure, some characters get a little more love than others, but none of them get robbed in any way. The only part of the story that I thought could be scaled back a little was the Life Model Decoy attack on the Avengers. I’d go more into why and who was behind it but, though it’s kind of obvious who it is, I don’t want to spoil it.

Captain America # 600 – Review

By Ed Brubaker, Roger Stern, Mark Waid (writers), Alex Ross, Dale Eaglesham, Butch Guice, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Albuquerque, David Aja, Mitch Breitweiser, and Kalman Andrasofszky (art), Frank D’Armata, Edgar Delgado, Matt Hollingsworth, Paul Mounts, Marte Gracia and Mitch Breitweiser (colors)

The Story: Everything you knew about the death of Captain America is wrong. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of that fateful day, Sharon follows a path built by fractured memories to discover a game-changing clue in Steve’s death. On the other side of town, while heading towards the memorial at Central Park, the Patriot meets a new hero from a different world, or at least she says, who has a particularly strong connection to both Bucky and Steve. Also attending the memorial is Bucky and the new avengers where they get a swift punch in the gut from Osborn, but not in the way you think.

What’s Good: Brubaker goes back to his mastery of spinning a mystery, crime noir story by starting with revisiting the first piece of evidence at any murder scene. From there, he weaves in hints of upcoming story-plots, centered around The Grand Director and this new, alien character, but then comes back to main issue at hand — Steve’s return. Most interesting is the surprise return of the Red Skull who we knew was out there somewhere, so don’t worry, I didn’t spoil anything here as its what he says that is the big reveal.

For me, it’s not just that Cap is back, but rather the whole series is back. I’ve felt that since Bucky became full-time Cap this story has been running on fumes and that all though it is extremely well written, it seemed like Brubaker was killing time or playing it safe. And this issue confirms my suspicions as all the dynamics, tone, feel, and even characters are back to where this series was at around issue 25. I’m no fan of Bucky being Cap at all, but who knows, the fact that this new direction is in full force and Cap is back, maybe it will retroactively sweeten Bucky’s roll for me? Also, there is a nice little vignette involving Crossbones and Sin that is sweet and yet so, so disturbing.

There is a team of artists on this book and I found each one of their parts to be executed to near perfection. My favorite was the art on the Red Skull tale, where the ultra-villain’s flash backs and current state were equally intense, his power and plans foreboding.

What’s Not So Good: As with all annual’s or event comics, like this “hundredth” issue, this pamphlet is a mixed bag as far as price. I’m not sure with the entire buzz and greatness imbued in Brubaker’s main tale, there was little worth reading in the smaller tales by Stern, Waid, and Lee. Waid’s didn’t make sense at all in the current marvel Universe as we see Tony Stark poised behind a desk with an assistant. Perhaps those that follow the Captain America Universe very tightly will have nostalgic feeling towards what these tales were about, but I didn’t and rather have had the extra cash to put towards another comic this week. I mean this comic was $5.30! That’s half of a decent trade. Tossing in these throwaway tales and cover gallery doesn’t justify the price point for me. I’m sure some collectors are happy with this and for them Marvel should offer two choices: a collector’s edition, like this issue, or a regular edition, with just Brubaker’s tale.

I think it is a fair critique to say that despite all the artists doing a yeoman’s job on their given task, the overall aesthetic feel for Brubaker’s main tale is jaded at best. Having Chaykin follow Guice next is like using a sponge instead of sandpaper. When I returned to the normal visual feel of Captain America at the end of the story, it felt like I was reading several other comics in between. Besides showcasing Marvel’s talent, there was nothing gained by using such radical art styles on one story. In fact, this decision hurt the book.

I know that Captain America has a rich history of team-ups, so I will wait and see how this eventual team-up between the Grand Director and this alien girl goes, but for now, I’m not sure that the Captain America mythos needs another partnership or anymore characters. Especially with the Skull and Steve returning.

Conclusion: Because of Captain America # 600, Reborn is by far the most anticipated event for me. This is the upcoming project helmed by Brubaker and Hitch that continues what was laid out here. I didn’t think anything could dampen the excitement around Blackest Night, but Steve’s return does. Most surprisingly, I am not pessimistic about how Steve’s resurrection will be handled as I have great faith in Brubaker and his talents, especially with crafting a good old-fashioned murder (or not) mystery. Brubaker’s story is an easy A, but with all the mishandled art oversight and expensive fluff stories, I have to give Captain America #600 an…

Grade: B

-Rob G.

Justice Society of America #21 – Review

By Geoff Johns and Alex Ross (writers), Dale Eaglesham and Nathan Massengill (art).

The Story: The hammer that has been on its way down for the last few issues of JSA finally drops as Gog reveals himself to be the evil false deity that the elder members of the JSA suspected all along.  After Gog’s nefarious intentions are publicized, infighting amongst the JSA ensues while Gog tries to convince his devotees about his purity of purpose. However, when his followers eventually fall out of line Gog metes out vengeance in proportion to what he once gave.

What’s Good: It’s good to see the JSA wipe that creepy, crazed smile off of Gog’s face. There are some very sly homages to the Kingdom Come universe as a couple of JSA members take on the appearance of their Kingdom Come counterparts.  Additionally, Johns and Ross do a great job of producing and working with new religious themes, rather than just copying the same ones that drove the Kingdom Come story.

The art team does a fine job of dealing with a crowded environment, while retaining character integrity and group dynamics.  The action scenes are detailed and clear.

What’s Not So Good: This story suffers from the fact that the creators have made Gog so powerful that it seems ridiculous for the JSA to decide the way to deal with him is to “destroy his body.” Gog has turned people into trees, filled-in an earthquake he created, and sent people to other dimensions with a mere gesture, so it’s hard to believe that Star Girl and Hour Man punching him in his foot will have great effect.

Also, everything that happens in this issue has been predictable for the past several issues of this series. The fact that we arrive at this junction after the useless Power Girl detour and the decent, but mostly unnecessary, one-shots is a little frustrating.

Conclusion: This is a one of the better chapters in the “One World, Under Gog” arc. It resolves many plot lines while developing interesting new ones, especially regarding some of the newer members to the JSA. I look forward to the next issue and I’m very curious to know what impact, if any, this arc will have on the greater DCU.

Grade: B

-Rob G.

Avengers/Invaders #6 (of 12) – Review

By Alex Ross (Plot), Jim Krueger (Plot & Script), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencils), and InLight Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m going to be honest here and just admit that the only thing that made me purchase this issue is the fact that I already own the first five. I figured I might as well at least finish out what I presume to be the first trade volume before dropping the series. While visually impressive at times and interesting enough, the overall plot has yet to hook me in any serious way. Also, I can’t shake the feeling that nothing of consequence is ultimately going to come out of Avengers/Invaders, despite reports that it will have an impact on Marvel continuity. With all that said,  somehow, I still hold a small bit of hope that the halfway point will prove to be a turning point for the series.

The Story: Dr. Strange and the rest of the underground New Avengers find the past and present versions of Paul Anselm, the regular soldier pulled into the time travel, in an effort to sort out what exactly caused the time disruption. Meanwhile on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where the Mighty Avengers are trying to take control of the situation, Human Torch of the Invaders begins a Life Model Decoy revolt over the nature of the L.M.D.’s.

What’s Good: As a student of philosophy, I’d be lying if I acted like I didn’t enjoy the concepts thrown around regarding the nature of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Life Model Decoys. It brought an interesting (if somewhat throwaway) dimension to the superhero battle. Also compelling is the way the plot is really starting to tie into the death of Captain America and touch upon some of the inherent (though generic) problems/consequences of time-travel. As for the visuals, they continue to feature a nice level of detail and solid direction.

What’s Not So Good: As with the other issues in the series, Avengers/Invaders #6 suffers because it never really brings the various ideas together in a way that forms a well-rounded package. The emotional drama feels a bit heavy handed, and it occasionally falls a bit flat. On top of that, the philosophical crusade of the Human Torch, while interesting, feels like nothing more than a distracting addition to the overall plot. Also, there is still very little indication that anything of consequence will result from this storyline. I expected something relevant to the current state of the Marvel universe to have happened by now. Disappointingly, that is not the case.

Conclusion: The problem with the series falls on the idea that far too many characters are in play to make a single chapter feel satisfying. It really drags the entire project down and makes the plot move at an extremely slow pace, despite characters expressing the urgency of the situation. That is why I am going to consider this latest chapter to be my jumping off point. As for Avengers/Invaders #6? It is entertaining and decent enough to look at, but far from a must read. As such, it is worth picking up if you have stuck around this long, but I doubt many will feel the need to see this series to its end.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Action Comics #871 – Review

By Geoff Johns (Writer), Pete Woods (Artist), Brad Anderson (Colorist), and Rob Leigh (Letterer)

Picking up from the end of Superman #681, Part 4 of New Krypton follows as a mild entertaining read that will leave fans with another “WTF moment,” and wishing for more Kryptonians vs. Doomsday action. In this issue, readers will find a lot of the signature good Geoff Johns writing; lots of subtext, and dialogue that’s solid and fast. It works well within the story, especially in exploring General Lane and Luthor. Johns’ writing shines as he provides readers some interesting character development, where the common hate that General Lane and Luthor share towards Superman and the Kryptonians are examined. Furthermore, it’s also fascinating to see Lane portrayed as the misguided patriot, and Luthor as the sadistic egomanaic. However, aside from the good character study in this issue, there are some situations that I wish was done better.

First and foremost, I would have liked to seen the battle between the Kryptonians and Doomsday executed more brutally and more excitedly. The battle in this issue is spread out throughout the book between two Kryptonians’ critiquing humanity, and the exchange between General Lane and Luthor; constantly interrupting the action and never really allowing it to take off. Perhaps with Gary Frank on board, each scene would’ve been done better and had us turning the next pages eagerly to get back to the fight. My second gripe with this issue is the “WTF moment” in the end. Except it’s not really supposed to be a moment to be excited about since the appearance of Nightwing and Flamebird were indicated on the cover, camouflaged with the other ridiculous-looking Kryptonians. I honestly don’t see what the fuss is with the emergence of these characters. I guess we’re finally going to learn more about these two, other than we finally see who Dick Grayson gets his name from and this time Flamebird isn’t Jimmy Olson or some female. With an unexciting battle sequence and the introduction of familiar characters that no one could’ve probably wished for, Action Comics #871 is as good as filler for the TPB.

Grade: B-

-Raymond Hilario

Justice Society of America – Kingdom Come Special: Superman #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (art & story) and Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: While the Superman from the “Kingdom Come” Earth has been in the regular DC Universe for sometime now, he still can’t shake the ghosts of his past life nor the paranoia that burns inside him. These feelings finally motivate him to seek out his current Earth’s Norman McKay (the old man from Kingdom Come who prophecized the catastrophe), in hopes of finding some answers and perhaps some closure.

What’s Good? I was really weary of Alex Ross’ writing ability. I’ve never read anything he’s done by himself — he’s always had Jim Krueger around to help out and those results have been mixed. That said, I’m completely flabbergasted with the work done here. Ross not only knows how to draw the definitive Superman, but write him as well. Granted, this is the Kingdom Come version of Superman, but nontheless, I think it’s safe to say what Ross writes faithfully carries forward the brilliant story (and character) Mark Waid wrote more than a decade ago.

As for the art, well, Ross once again proves why he’s the master. In a time where many artists rely heavily on photo referenced material none of them manage to convey the splendor of Ross’ visuals. Every panel is painstakingly layered with pencils, inks, grey tones, and color; Alex Sinclair gets a lot of credit for aping Ross’ painted style to perfection. If god is in the details, then this book is heaven. The sheer amount of detail put into the backgrounds and characters is mind-blowing.

What’s Not So Good? It’s only a one-shot.

Conclusion: This is well worth you $3.99 if not more. This is easily one of the best comics produced this year or any year. With people like Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, James Robinson, and now Alex Ross surrounding him, Superman as a character hasn’t had it this good in decades.

Grade: A+

– J. Montes

Avengers/Invaders #5 – Review

By Alex Ross & Jim Krueger (Writers), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencilers), and inLight Studios (Colorists)

The Story: The beginning of the book is the same as it was for the first four issues, where the Invaders have been brought forward in time. And as it inevitably happens in these situations, they get into a big fight with the Avengers. In this issue, Iron Man and Captain America are finally talking to each other and working things out, while Doctor Strange focuses on sending the Invaders back where they belong.

What’s Good: With the Avengers and the Invaders starting to reconcile, Krueger and Ross throw in a bizarre twist toward the end of the book. I won’t spoil it, and I’m not even sure it will work, but it’s certainly intriguing. A link between SHIELD and the Holocaust was the last thing I was expecting.

What’s Not So Good: Well first of all, you read the credits right, there’s no inker on this book. Some artists are so tight and so good that scanning directly from their pencils can work (take Frank Quitely on All-Star Superman for instance). As for Sadowski’s and Berkenkotter’s pencils, unfortunately they are simply not that good. In fact, I think this is the ugliest artwork in a mainstream comic today. I know others will disagree with me, but I hold comic art to a high standard, I recognize it’s a visual medium. A comic can survive mediocre writing, but not mediocre art. Secondly, as with the Earth X and Justice books, Krueger’s script is full of sweeping generalizations and awkward non-sequitors. If not for Ross’s beautiful covers, it would be easy to mistake this for fan fiction.

Conclusion: Krueger writes with the subtly of a sledge hammer. Look at the third panel of the next-to-last page. It’s ridiculous, unlikely, and unnecessary. But this book has the Avengers, the Invaders, and SHIELD; and if you love the Marvel Universe, you kind of have to buy it. It remains to be seen, however, if this series will be remembered fondly once it’s over, or if we’ll all want to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible.

Grade: C+

– Andrew C. Murphy

Avengers/Invaders #3 – Review

By Alex Ross, Jim Kreuger, (Plot) Steve Sadowski, (Pencils) and InLight Studios (Color)

Three issues in and I have to admit that I’m starting to feel as though this series is completely unnecessary. The latest issue of Avengers/Invaders firmly establishes where this story fits in the Marvel Universe time line and as a because no other books seem to knowledge its existence it lacks tension. Unless Jim Kreuger and Alex Ross have some large twist planned, there just doesn’t seem to be enough story to support this series for 12 issues. However, with all that said, issue #3 is still an enjoyable read thanks to some fun moments with Namor and nice looking artwork by Steve Sadowski.

There are four main plot elements at work here and, to be honest, it makes this a pretty fast read. The first involves Invaders Namor coming face to face with his future self while visiting what amounts to the ruins of Atlantis. The second storyline thread at work involves the New Avengers’ plan to free Invaders Captain America by using some Dr. Strange magic. The third features the one lone soldier to get caught up in the time travel having a talk with his future self. It’s a touching highlight thanks to some poignant dialogue and complementary artwork. The final thread involves Bucky breaking Invaders Captain America out of his cell on the SHIELD helicarrier. While I have no real complaints about the overall story, it feels like things barely move at all due to the bloated ensemble cast. Each plot thread gets some time, but not much happens in any of them. If things progress like this, maybe the series can sustain 12 issues just by inching forward bit by bit, though I hope that is not what winds up happening.

The writing in this issue is serviceable, but only really shines when the WWII soldier is talking to himself. The characters are written well, but it seems as though the writers enjoy bringing certain characters down a notch. In the first issue, the Thunderbolts were quickly dismantled and then late in this one a key character just comes across as plain stupid. It just lessens things as opposed to heightening, and that irritates me. Also, every line of Spider-Man dialogue is some attempt at wit or humor and while I understand that is a staple of the character, Spidey just comes across as “that guy” dying for some attention. With the exception of the soldiers’ talk, the writing here is average at best.

I honestly think I would be harder on this series if I didn’t enjoy Steve Sadowski’s pencils as much as I do. He does some great work with the characters and scenes in this issue, in particular the stuff involving the two Namors. While a few of the smaller panels feel a bit rushed, I can easily forgive when everything else looks so nice. I do wish the coloring job was a bit better, as it actually has a negative effect on the quality of the pencil work from time to time.

The Avengers/Invaders series is weighed down by the very concept that it hinges on and, as a result, very little comes across as truly memorable. There is some good dialogue from time to time, the artwork is impressive, and it is fun seeing two versions of the same character interact, but as a whole there is nothing here that makes me truly care about what is happening. If you really need a “heroes out of time” fix, you would be better off investing in the excellent series The Twelve. (Grade: C)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

Wow, I actually enjoyed this issue more than the previous two. The nods given to current Marvel continuity are a definite plus. I was actually surprised to see Namor visit Atlantis, given how not too many read last year’s excellent Namor: Revolutions mini-series. But having young Namor beat down old Namor? C’mon now! We also finally get a small connection to Secret Invasion, but despite all these connections to Marvel continuity, this book, like the Invaders themselves, is horribly displaced.

No other Marvel title acknowledges the events taking place in this book and because of that, it feels like a hollow read. Making this series a sprawling 12 issue “epic” is a horrible decision that might have been better served as its own event for 2009. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

As a stand alone issue, I enjoyed what I read, but I do agree with Kyle in that there’s just too many characters and too little happening. This is the same problem that’s plaguing Kreuger and Ross’ Project Superpowers title (but on a much worse degree). Their next project really needs to be scaled down. Enough with the huge casts of characters and just work on telling a story, guys. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Avengers/Invaders #2 – Review

By Alex Ross and Jim Krueger (Writers), Steve Sadowski (Pencils), and inLight Studios (Colors)

This issue succeeds in building on the promised outlook we received last time around. The story is broken down into three main parts: The inevitable fight between The Invaders and the Mighty Avengers, the build up to the fight, and the reactions to the fight. In the opening, we see Iron Man and Ms. Marvel discussing what needs to be done with the returned Invaders. Of course, the conclusion they come to is that they must be detained and sent back to their own time as soon as possible. As the story turns to The Invaders, we see them questioning whether this new world around them is actually real, or a Nazi trick. Eventually these two teams meet, and when Captain America mistakes the Avengers attempt to detain them (he sees this as a Nazi ploy to recapture them), the battle ensues.

I won’t reveal the outcome, but an all out battle between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the war superheroes of yesteryear is sure to draw attention, and any public doubts to The Invaders return are squashed. Perhaps the most interesting reactions are the New Avengers, who surely mean well, but their hinted plan certainly looks to throw a wrench into getting The Invaders back where they belong.

Even more ominous than this, we see that the actions of one of the common soldiers brought through time. This may have huge consequences on the time line. On a lighter note, we get a touching (albeit brief) scene with Bucky learning about his old partner’s return. I also think this is the first time New Cap has appeared outside his own book. Hopefully, he will play a bigger role in this series as it moves on! So in terms of plot, we get a great balance between “talking heads” and action.

As for the art, Steve Sadowski’s pencils are simply stunning. Whether it is his conveyance of action, or the looks of each individual character, his work is more than satisfactory throughout. I can also honestly say that he draws the best Ms. Marvel that I have yet seen! Get this man to work on Mighty Avengers immediately! His artwork really seems to be all about the characters, with each person getting a significant amount of detail. All together, this issue picks up steam from last month, and I’m certainly aboard this train to see what comes next! (Grade: B+)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

This is definitely a better issue. The pacing is just right, the story is entertaining (with the exception to the end), and the art isn’t muddled down with darkened night scenes or that gritty, brown war look. There’s quite a lot of color throughout this book, and because of that, the characters shine. M. Staples is right on the money when he says Steve Sadowski painstakingly makes each character look unique. All his interpretations are pure eye candy except for Namor who seems to always look like his head’s about to explode (heh).

I still have big time reservations regarding the continuity of this book. While I enjoy this story taking place within current Marvel continuity with many nods to Civil War and other events, it still feels out of whack. The other problem I have is the pollution of the time line. Cap and Namor seeing the Avengers is sure to cause problems down the line, right? And the lone soldier meeting his older self? That can’t be good.

Jim Krueger’s script is tight, overall, and he works hard to make us believe that this book is “dated” correctly. But he overdoes it a few times like when the World War II version of Bucky says, “I’d give my right arm to fight with Cap again!”. Awful pun, Jim. I don’t care what year these guys were from.

The fight is really the highlight of this issue, and it’s handled very well. The Avengers make short work of The Invaders and that’s how it should be. What’s bound to happen next issue seems very forced and I’m actually not looking forward to it. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Avengers / Invaders #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot), Jim Krueger (plot, story), Steve Sadowski (pencils), inLight Studios (colors)

Other than knowing that it takes place sometime after Captain America’s death, I’m not sure where this series falls in Marvel continuity. Is it post-Brand New Day or pre-Brand New Day? Is it before Secret Invasion or during? There’s so many questions, and because Marvel’s not really cared about keeping continuity tight, this issue feels like a mess. But the mess doesn’t go to writer Jim Krueger, but Marvel editorial. Let me explain…

The Invaders amidst their campaign in Europe during World War II are in search of a time altering artifact that Hitler has his eyes on. As they close in on the Nazis (along with their group of Allied soldiers), they run into a mist that transports them all to modern day New York City. Now why this time traveling device would take them from Europe to New York City is beyond me. And why only The Invaders were transported and not the soldiers that came along with them is another inconsistency. But whatever, I can live with that. The problem I have is Spider-Man fighting The Thunderbolts. From what we’ve been told about Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day” is that he will not be tackling the Thunderbolts for months down the road. Yet, in this issue, he’s fighting against the whole team.

Eventually, word gets back to Iron Man that the Invaders are in the present and the ghost of Captain America begins to loom over Tony once more. If this is a pre-Secret Invasion book, why hasn’t this been addressed in any of the core books? It all just seems out of whack.

Now, all that aside, if I were to take the book at face value, I’d find it to be an average opening issue. We get your run of the mill introductions to the characters, the plot devices, and questions on how this team that’s “out of time” will interact with the modern world. The Twelve, this book is not, so don’t expect anything mind blowing. What you’re in for is lots of fighting as The Invaders make very short work of the Thunderbolts (which I honestly found to be too easy). Bucky acts as the narrator, giving us the profiles on Golden Age heroes as well as a humanistic point of view. Spider-Man tries to ham it up, but ends up being a bit overwritten. His reactions to Captain America, however, feel genuine. But the heart of the story is saved for the end: How will Tony Stark react to having one of his best friends return.

Steve Sadowski’s art hasn’t lost a beat. Like his work in Project Superpowers #0, his storytelling is top notch and his characters beautiful. He, along with Alex Ross’ covers are definitely the selling points of this series (thus far). So, if you’re like me and frustrated by Marvel’s muddled continuity, this book will do nothing but further that frustration. If you can look past the editorial problems, you’re in for an average opening story. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

I am going to have to echo Jason a lot with this second opinion. There is no doubt that this book needs to have some clarity as to when, exactly, it is taking place. There are a few hints, but not enough to get a solid handle on where everyone stands as the Captain America lead Invaders are transported into modern times.

As you already know the basics of the story, let me just take the time to talk about what works and what doesn’t with this premier issue.

The art is incredibly dynamic and the characters look fantastic, especially, in my opinion, Venom and Captain America. The World War II scenes do a good job putting the brutality of battle on the page and the running narration by Bucky keeps things moving at a solid pace. I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but found the second half to be incredibly rocky for a couple of reasons.

Letting Spiderman take over storytelling duties was an odd choice in my opinion. He is, as Jason said, overwritten, and it made me wish Bucky was our point of view for the entire story. I understand why they would break from Bucky, but the whole story would have improved had Spidey been toned down a bit. Another issue I have is how easily the Thunderbolts are disposed of, especially considering what we have seen them capable of since Warren Ellis took over. The final problem is the lack of subtlety once the time travel aspect kicks in. This was meant to be a blockbuster event, I get it, but The Twelve has shown that great things can be done with this type of story beyond slam bang action.

The Twelve is doing great things with the “heroes in the wrong time period” story by putting a premium on personality, emotion, and subtlety. Avengers/Invaders, on the other hand, seems to be much more concerned with the chaos of the event as a whole. It will be interesting to see where the creative team goes from here, but I am honestly disappointed how things went off the rails after such a solid start to the story. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Project Superpowers #2 – Review

By Jim Krueger (story), Alex Ross (art direction, Carlos Paul (art), Debora Carita (colors)

I’ve been digging Project Superpowers until now. This issue just falls victim to trying to do too much at once. So far, Jim Krueger has balanced this story perfectly, introducing us to an ensemble cast one at a time. With issue #2, we’re shown too many characters who don’t get enough screen time. To make matters worse, they’re scattered all over the globe which is now giving me the impression that this’ll be one of those, “let’s travel the world and find our old buddies” stories. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but given the context of the first two issues (plus issue #0), I thought this series would be anything but.

I’ll admit I was really confused by this story in general. Krueger quick cuts all throughout the issue making it hard to figure out what’s happening. All I know is there’s some major buttkicking taking place all over but the reasons aren’t explained. And poor Bruce Carter (AKA the Fighting Yank). It seems like everyone manhandles him at every opportunity. I get the point – he’s pissed a lot of people off – but the slapping around of him is getting almost comical (which it shouldn’t). I also don’t like how anticlimactic the scene is on Dynamic Man’s rooftop. We have this big fight going on and then Green Lama grows some plants and whisps them away?! Ugh.

I’m hoping this series rights itself back on course. It doesn’t hurt much when you start a series from issue #1 and it’s a crappy book. But when you start a series off as spectacularly as this one did and hit a rock with the storyline, well, it’s a complete downer. Carlos Paul and Alex Ross deliver the goods on art, once again – no complaints there. But this story needs a fixing. (Grade: D+)

– J. Montes

Project Superpowers #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot, art direction), Jim Krueger (writer), Carlos Paul (art), Debora Carita (colors)

Project Superpowers #0 was one of those books that came out of left field and surprised me. It was full of old Golden Age characters, a fantastic plot, and excellent art. Plus, is was only $1.00. If you haven’t picked up issue #0, I highly suggest hitting up your local comic store immediately. It’s such a treat.

With the foundation for the series laid down, issue #1 wastes no time getting the reader involved in the Fighting Yank’s quest. With his age catching up to him, Yank searches out the Green Lama in hopes of getting assistance with the Urn of Pandora’s retrieval. When he finds him, he’s surprised to see that he’s not aged in the 50 years they’ve been apart. Green Lama gives a sound explanation for this youthfulness and the two head to New York.

In New York, Dynamic Man sits atop a high skyscraper, admiring his handiwork. Clearly deluded, he claims credit for the progressions of society. When Fighting Yank and Green Lama come to visit, they pompously ridicules them, secretly knowing why they’ve arrived. He gives them them exactly what they seek, plus a little more than they bargained for. The only thing that bothered me is how the Black Terror, freed from his prison, seems a little more cheesy than seriously upset.

Krueger is careful not to introduce too many characters at once this issue. Because of this, we really get a grasp on what drives Dynamic Man and Green Lama. We’re also given a small dossier at the end of the issue giving us a little character history. Carlos Paul, working off of Alex Ross’ breakdowns produces some excellent. While this issue’s story is no where near as “epic” as last issue, it’s entertaining, nonetheless. I’m not *dying* to read the next issue, but I am satisfied with what I got out of this one. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Project Superpowers #0 – Review

By: Jim Krueger (Writer), Alex Ross (Art Direction, Cover), Stephen Sadowski (Art)

This week’s new releases have been nothing but great read after read. I thought something had to give. Usually when I pay $1.00 for a comic book (these days), I expect to get maybe five pages of story, some dossier files and some character sketches. Not this time!

Project Superpowers caught me completely off guard. I expected some Golden Age silliness and mayhem, but what I got was a well crafted story and a character in the form of the Fighting Yank who is probably more fleshed out than his original character of yesteryear. It’s an explosive tale that centers around World War II where it’s believed that Hitler and his obsession with the occult has uncovered Pandora’s Box. Now, I’m not going to go on about the rest of the story, but it’s a really good read and the ghost that haunts the modern Fighting Yank (now in his old age), makes you wonder if he was delusional or if he was doing the right thing.

Like Marvel’s new series, The Twelve, Project Superpowers shines a new light on old characters, giving them a more dark and interesting modern spin. Shame on me for underestimating Alex Ross and Jim Krueger. Don’t be fooled by the price tag on this book, you get a full 20+ pages of fantastic story and beautiful art. Easily the most bang you’ll get for your buck this week. (Grade: A)