Avengers #1 Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jerome Opeña (Artist), Dean White (Color Artist), Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: It’s fitting that for a first issue Avengers #1 should be so obsessed with new beginnings – a new team, new enemies, a new philosophy. When you’re tasked with relaunching one of comics’ highest profile titles, one that’s been guided by the same authorial voice for the best part of a decade, what alternative do you have but to tear down the old walls and build the castle anew? Even more puzzling, how do you even start such a comic book? If you’re Jonathan Hickman you open with the Big Bang and work your way outwards from there: “There was nothing. Followed by everything.” Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, haters.

And haters there may well be, as all signs point to Hickman getting ready to spill our toys on the carpet and personally stomp all over ‘em. And I do mean the ‘personally’ part. In FF #23 (the final issue of a brilliant series) I felt it was inferred that Hickman was issuing his farewells to the cast and audience of the book through the guise of the grown-up, time-travelling Franklin Richards, a character who could easily be adapted to be the author’s mouthpiece. If Hickman is represented by any individual in Avengers #1 I think it’s probably the strange and seemingly all-powerful Ex Nihilo – a new enemy launching attacks against the Earth from his base on Mars – who makes his mark by being the catalyst that forces the Avengers to fight smarter and “get bigger.”

Next Issue Project #1: Fantastic Comics #24 – Review

By Erik Larsen, Joe Casey, Tim Scioli, Tom Yeates, Fred Hembeck, Ashley Wood, Andy Kuhn, B. Clay Moore, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Allred, Brian Maruca

Fantastic Comics #24 is, well, fantastic! Hats off to the entire creative team who labored to get this book out. For those who don’t know, Image Comics has been working on this “Next Issue Project” for a while now. It’s goal is simple: Give readers the next issue of an old Golden Age comic that was canceled back in the day. Well, after 67 long years, Fantastic Comics #24 has hit the stands!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much love went into this book. The teams on this book put so much attention to detail in the art, color, nuances, and even typography, that new readers may look at this and wonder if they’re holding a reprint. Let’s go down the list: Zippatone colors that bleed off the panels (and characters)? Check. Hand written lettering? All over the place. Off-center logos and fonts? Damn right! Silly stories? Definitely. Newsprint-esque paper? Hell yeah! Archaic comic book advertisements? Woohoo!

I won’t go into all the stories, but Erik Larsen’s story of Samson is just pure pulp fun. The way Samson fights for his life only to be rescued by the very kid he snubbed off at the beginning of the story perfectly encompasses old school storytelling. Joe Casey and Bill Sienkiewicz channel the science fiction genre with their offering about a man who creates a machine to the Fourth Dimension. Thomas Yeates tackles the medieval adventure category. And Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca take on the whole war genre with Captain Kidd! There’s actually more stories I’m leaving out, but I think you get the gist of what’s going on here.

This is probably the cheapest Golden Age book you’ll ever buy (sorta). But seriously, the book’s cover price is $5.99. Ouch, I know – but you do get 64 pages of comic book fun – and coming from someone who bought the book today, it’s easily the best comic I’ve read all year. Stuff like this doesn’t come around very often. We should consider ourselves so lucky for a gem like this. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

I can’t disagree with anything Jay said about this book. The Next Issue Project is a great concept and the contents of this issue do not disappoint. I enjoyed it from cover to cover (although I needed a translator for Sub Saunders). If you’ve read any Golden Age, multi-story format books, this faithfully recreates that feeling – it’s amazing. You’ll really appreciate all the little details that the team slipped in, too. Because it feels so authentic, Fantastic Comics #24 makes the 67 year gap since issue #23 melt away in an instant.

In my opinion this book well worth the $5.99 cover sticker as compared to some of the crap people buy for $2.99 each week. I am putting the Next Issue Project at the top of my pull list (whenever it comes out next). I can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for us next. (Grade:A)

-Chris Williamson

Shark-Man #1 – Review

By: Michael Town, David Elliott & Ronald Shusett (Creation & Story), Steve Pugh (Design, Script & Art)

What a great surprise this comic turned out to be. I picked it up joking about the name, and thought that the story would be lame and ridiculous. My preconceptions were totally wrong. Shark-Man rocks! Shame on me.

The story follows Shark-Man in the middle of a crisis. The bank at his utopian city (New Venice) is being drawn out of funds and a near by cruise is being attacked by pirates. Shark-Man does what any hero does: Help those in need. To his dismay, he’s unable to rescue any survivors. When he returns to his shark cave, he finds out the city government is after him, blaming him for the theft! The problems escalate from here, but I’ll let you find out for yourself.

The script is full of action and the bad guys are ferociously designed. Pugh does an excellent job in the art department – especially with his coloring. Hats off to him. With retooled story and art, this issue is a remake of the same book released two years ago by an independent publisher. The company sunk after #2 was published.

People are buying a comic about a bat man, and nobody is joking or mocking about it. This hero needs to be where it belongs, with the high rollers. (Grade: A)

-Daniel Yanez

A Second Opinion

I totally agree with Daniel on this one. In fact, were it not for his recommendation, I would have skipped this book altogether. Don’t be fooled by the name, Shark-Man is an intriguing title packed to the gills (pun intended) with some of the best comic art you’ll ever see. And then there’s Gynplaine – this villain is the stuff of nightmares!

Steve Pugh is one hell of a talent. I can’t wait for issue #2! (Grade: B+)

– J.Montes