C2E2 Report: Wolverine – 3 Months to Die

 

Though I didn’t plan it this way, my final panel of C2E2 was Marvel’s Wolverine: 3 Months to Die. And while I regret not being able to see a couple of the later panels, I can’t say that it was a bad note to go out on. Full of interesting questions and big announcements, it was definitely one of the most exciting panels of the weekend. And so with that in mind, I’ve decided to skip ahead and write about it early.

Before beginning, Mike Marts warned us that, “in true Marvel fashion you should stay till the end of the credits. And on that ominous note he introduced our panelists, Charles Soule, writer of nearly everything including The Death of Wolverine and Thunderbolts; Jason Latour, writer of Wolverine and the X-Men; Russell Dauterman, the artist on the upcoming Cyclops ongoing; Jordan White, the fantastically mustachioed editor of Deadpool and Thunderbolts; Mahmud Asrar, the artist on Wolverine and the X-Men; and Greg Pak, who might have seemed a strange addition to those who had not yet heard the rumors.

The panel started with Dauterman, who was unequivocal in his glee and honor at being invited to work on Cyclops alongside Greg Rucka. Dauterman attributed much of his love of the X-Men, Marvel, and comics to X-Men: The Animated Series. With an impish gleam in his eye, Jordan White immediately leaned forward and invited us to take part in a ukulele sing-along of the show’s classic theme song, despite its lacking any discernible words. Unfortunately the internet has thus far failed in its basic purpose by not providing a video of the event, though a quick search can probably turn up video of other instances. Regardless, take my word that it was extremely well received.

Marts then turned to Wolverine and the X-Men. He asked Mahmud Asrar who his favorite character to draw was. Asrar had trouble with the question, saying that they’re all growing on him, but settled upon Storm. Latour mentioned that the series has been juggling quite a bit but that we’re getting to the point in the opening arc where things start to fall.

Then Marts pulled up the covers for Wolverine 8-12, the titular “3 Months to Die” storyline, one at a time. I imagine the reaction was just about exactly what Marvel was hoping for but, of course, it’s hard to deny the striking power of the images.

While the first of “3 Months to Die”’s five issues drops in June the title is entirely literal, as Charles Soule’s The Death of Wolverine will be released weekly in September. Soule described the miniseries as hitting fast and hard and explained that it would consider how Logan explores his own mortality after over a century of life and relative safety. He also revealed that each issue will look at a different time in Logan’s life and, by extension, another Wolverine.

American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #1 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (writer), Dustin Nguyen (artist), John Kalisz (colors), Steve Wands (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: What are the Vassals of the Morning Star keeping under London Bridge?

A few things (with SPOILERS): 1). Delectable art! – It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten to enjoy a Dustin Nguyen single issue.  Not sure what he’s been up to (Batwing?), but it’s generally been things I wasn’t remotely interested in reading and this miniseries shows that you don’t have to follow your favorite artists around to new books because  they’ll eventually draw something you do like.  Nguyen is a different look for the world of AV which has been defined by Rafa Albuquerque and–to a lesser extent–Sean Murphy. Nguyen’s characters are much softer feeling than either of those guys and and he draws what is probably the best smile in comics today.  But, one thing that Nguyen has in common with Albuquerque and Murphy is this thing where his objects, machines, landscapes, etc. are starkly realistic – when Nguyen draws chairs, he is drawing a particular kind of chair that is firmly fixed in his mind and not just some random chair – but his characters are much more cartoony.  There is a definite talent to fitting cartoony characters into a realistic landscape and not having it look like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #3 – Review

By: Victor Gischler (writer), Ryan Stegman (pencils), Mike Babinski & Rick Magyar (inks), Frank Martin & Antonio Fabela (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), Jake Thomas (assistant editor) & Mark Paniccia (editor)

The Story: The Fear Itself version of the Hulk is running loose in Dracula’s countryside.  Will the vampires be able to stop him?

What’s Good: If you’ve been following Gischler’s vampire-related stories over the last year or so, you know that he’s been building a bit of a vampire mythology.  Instead of just having Dracula and a bunch of nameless vampire underlings, he’s created a web of political intrigue having to do with Dracula’s extended family and all these different breeds and sects of vampires.  Dracula is King of the Mountain, but he has to control and direct all of these forces and they’ve all got different skills and political goals.  This miniseries also introduced what is basically a vampire superhero team called the Forgiven.  The Forgiven have the customary blend of power sets and are a neat concept as they don’t have an allegiance to any of the vampire sects, so they should be free to leave vampire-land and have adventures with the rest of the Marvel Universe.  Hopefully we’ll be seeing Gischler or other creators telling more Forgiven stories in the near future.

In fact, the Forgiven is probably what puts this miniseries over the top.  Most of the Fear Itself tie-ins where just complete crap because the stories just ran in a circle.  Hulk vs. Dracula actually brought us something new and that is what we’re hoping for when we read superhero comics.  The only other mini that did anything “new” was The Deep, which kicked off the formation of the new Defenders team.  If you didn’t catch this miniseries in single issues, maybe you’ll get lucky and The Deep and Hulk v. Dracula will get paired up in a trade paperback without making you read some of the really bad miniseries.

Batgirl #14 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Lee Garbett (artist), Trevor Scott (inker)

The Story: Stephanie is stuck at home on Friday night with her Mom. No bat signal. No training. Just scrabble. Luckily, Supergirl stops by and they go out to visit the campus of Gotham U. Unluckily, some bitter grad student makes 24 solid holograms of a whining, B-movie Dracula, who all go on a rampage.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: I’m gonna mix these together because Garbett and Scott always deliver solid artwork, and you can see many of my other reviews to read what I think of the Garbett-Scott dynamic duo. On the writing, what works and doesn’t work depends on (a) what you think the writer is trying to do and (b) what you’re buying Batgirl for.

What was Miller doing mixing B-movie Draculas, girls night out, Stephanie’s self-deprecating monologue and Supergirl? Well, I think Miller was just writing an issue of fun silliness. After 13 issues of pretty intensive stuff going on in Steph’s life, including the loss of her partner and mentor, a breather was overdue. Since Batgirl is already a title that, within the suspension of disbelief, pokes fun at its hero, Miller has a fair bit of latitude on how funny he can go. And there is no way to take any of what goes on in this issue seriously. Nor is it possible to ask whether the writer is elevating the heroism of the characters. He’s not. That’s why the girls stop for ice cream and get their picture taken with one of the Draculas in the mall photo-booth in a Scooby-Doo-style montage. Does it work as funny? Yes. Does the nugget of truth in every joke reveal something about Batgirl and Supergirl? Yes. Is suspension of disbelief broken? Yup. Do I want to see this story become part of the canon? About as much as I want Obnoxio the Clown vs. the X-Men to be part of the X-canon.

Death of Dracula #1 – Review

By Victor Gischler (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (artist), Onofrio Catacchio (finishes), Frank D’Armata (colorist)

The Story: I don’t think it would be giving away too much to say that it has something to do with the death of a certain infamous vampire…

The Good: Uh… Wow… I honestly was not expecting to like this comic as much as I did! No, seriously, I was fully prepared to go off on this book, with its corny premise and strangely redundant title, with all the drunken fury I could muster, but after I finished this comic I genuinely wanted to know more about this strange new world Gischler and Camuncoli have created for us. As I understand it, the purpose of this book was to define and update the vampire nation and their role in the Marvel Universe, and to this end I think the book wildly succeeds. Gischler has created an entire culture with a deeply rooted sense of history, rivalries, politics, and rituals. You get the feeling reading this comic that these vampire sects have been in the Marvel Universe all this time, quietly lurking in the shadows and conducting their business without any of us being the wiser. I really appreciated that this culture was so fully realized, and frankly it makes me wish we could get an entire series devoted to them; at this point I would gladly pay for that story.

This story, with its thick air of political manipulations and Machiavellian betrayals, often reminded me of Deadwood and Rome, shows that excelled at revealing the ways people use and abuse each other. I got that same vibe reading this comic, and I felt that was a good decision on Gischler’s part, exploring vampire culture like he did, because I think I would have been bored to tears if it was simply an oversized issue of Anne Rice wankers being emo and using their vampirey douchebag powers against each other. But it wasn’t, so hell yeah. I was fully convinced that this was a thriving community, and believed in the weight and consequences of the rivalry between Xarus and Janus. Camuncoli was a brilliant choice to illustrate this story, his characters can’t help but look sinister, dark, and thoroughly contemptible, even when they’re standing around talking during the many quiet moments that take up most of the issue. To be able to pull off that level of intrigue is, in my opinion, the mark of a damn fine artist, and that’s why I’m always willing to follow Camuncoli’s stuff.

Captain Britain and MI:13 #15 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Jay Leisten (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Here’s to hoping that Paul Cornell ends Captain Britain on one hell of a high note.

The Story: Pete Wisdom watches his grand plan unfold while he shares a tender moment with his new lady friend. Needless to say, Dracula’s day goes from bad to much, much worse…

What’s Good: You know what’s the best thing about the final issue of Captain Britain and MI:13? It’s that it’s all about superheroes being superheroes. In addition, they are being superheroes in a way that brings some resembling closure to a series that should never have been canceled. In short, it’s pretty much everything I could have asked for. The action is nearly non-stop, the character work is as strong as ever, the dry humor is spot on, and the conclusion leaves the door open for Cornell to work with the team in the future if given the opportunity.

I really don’t want to go into much detail for fear of spoiling anything, but you can rest assured that Paul Cornell and his team make the most of Captain Britain and MI:13 #15. From the incredibly well-written opening with Pete Wisdom, to the chaos that takes place on Dracula’s ship, it’s clear that the creative team is firing on all cylinders. And you know what? That’s the way it should be.

What’s Not So Good: My only complaint is that occasionally the action becomes hard to follow. Does it hurt the quality of the book as a whole? Not really. There is a LOT going on and in all honesty, I’m shocked Leonard Kirk and the rest of the art team are able to keep it in check as well as they do.

Conclusion: The finale of Captain Britain and MI:13 does the series justice. If you’re a fan, there is a whole lot to like about Captain Britain and MI:13 #15.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain & MI:13 #14 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk w/Adrian Syaf (Pencils), Jay Leisten w/Craig Yeung (Inks), Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With only two issues of Captain Britain left, I hope Cornell and his team really make them count… The under-appreciated series deserves to go out with a bang.

The Story: Unfortunately, I really can’t go into much detail about the issue without wading into heavy spoiler territory.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Since I really can’t say a whole lot about Captain Britain and MI:13 #14 without ruining things, I will keep things short. Paul Cornell overcomes what is initially a disappointing opening with some great character work, awesome dry humor, and clever use of a past arc to bring make the latest chapter of “Vampire State” a very good read. As for the art, it’s absolutely solid all around as Leonard Kirk and his team do a fine job of delivering action that could easily come across as muddled or confusing.  While some of the artwork looks a bit rushed, there’s enough good stuff to make up for it.

Conclusion: You can rest assure that the creative team behind Captain Britain is in no way half-assing the final issues of a tragically canceled series.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain & MI:13 #13 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Ardian Syaf w/Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Craig Yeung w/Jay Leisten (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Paul Cornell’s Captain Britain and MI:13 series is crazy; crazy in a way that’s entertaining, fun, and downright satisfying. It’s easily one of the most underappreciated books Marvel puts out.

The Story: With the skull of Quincy Harker destroyed, Captain Britain and MI:13 scramble to figure out a way to counter Dracula’s plan. The stakes are high and, magically cut off from the rest of the world, Britain looks to be in serious trouble. Will it fall?

What’s Good: Paul Cornell definitely knows how to make the shit hit the fan! Dead heroes, nonstop action, vampire violence, a sense of hopelessness, and a scene of wooden vampire battleships flying through space… Yep, Captain Britain and MI:13 #13 jacks the insanity of the series up a few notches. And you know what? It makes for a fantastic, intense read that pulls no punches and really takes advantage of the fact that no “A” (or even “B”) list heroes star in the book.

It’s a creative success almost all around as Paul Cornell masterfully builds a sense of dread throughout the issue while the art team crafts some truly unforgettable scenes that simply couldn’t work in one of the bigger Marvel titles. I wish I could go into specifics more, but I don’t want to spoil the fun. So let me just say that, long story short, the latest Captain Britain is a must read in every way.

What’s Not So Good: I can’t help but wonder what a little more detail and polish might have done for the artwork in Captain Britain #13. The art team does a good job handling the challenging story and action, but a few scenes fall a little flat because of the lack of detail. It’s not a huge complaint, but, if anything, it definitely lessens the impact of the rather chilling final page.

Conclusion: “Vampire State” is quickly turning into one of my favorite arcs of all time. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Captain Britain And MI:13 #12 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk (Pencils), Jay Leisten (Inks), and Brian Reber (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: A story about Dracula attempting to take over Great Britain could easily come across as silly unless the tension and drama manages to set the tone both early and often. Fortunately, Paul Cornell is aware of that fact. He proves it by using the story to both raise the stakes of his series as a whole and create opportunities to add more depth to his already compelling cast.

The Story: Captive under the power of Dracula, Spitfire is escorted around the vampire base by her son. She learns some things about Dracula’s grand plan and the preparations that he has made in order to carry it out. Meanwhile, Captain Britain and the rest of the MI:13 team try to find “the head” that may help them combat Drac’s plans.

What’s Good: Simply put, Paul Cornell is writing one hell of a vampire story. It puts the dense mythology about Dracula and his minions to very good use. In addition, the distinctly British flavor of Cornell’s writing keeps things from becoming too serious thanks to a healthy dose of dry humor and clever wit. As for the artwork, Leonard Kirk and his team continues to make sure Captain Britain is as much fun to look at as it is to read. The action hits hard, most of the vampire-related imagery is downright haunting, and each panel is filled with an impressive amount of detail.

What’s Not So Good: My only real complaint about Captain Britain and MI:13 #12 is that a few scenes come across as visually confusing. Either the action is a bit to cluttered or the perspective used for the scene makes things look a bit off. While it is a minor complaint (and some may not find it distracting), I figured it was still worth a mention.

Conclusion: I really can’t recommend Captain Britain enough. The writing is damn near perfect, the artwork is always pleasing, and the stories are a brilliant mix of insane and intelligent. It’s just good stuff all around.

Grade:  B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Screamland #1-2 (of 5) – Review

By Harold Sipe (story) & Héctor Casanova (art)

The comic tells the story of present day story of the Universal Monsters, except they’re real people with real problems – trying to work on whatever comes to their hands. For instance, Frankenstein earns his money working for “z class” movies. However, roles are rare because he can’t seem to manage his drinking problem.

One day, he gets a call from Andrea Silverman, his agent, telling him to meet her. Her idea is to cast all the old Universal Monsters making a film adaptation of a Japanese manga dubbed, “MonsterHunter 3000”, based around a girl who gets off on killing monsters. As expected, this sort of thing is highly popular in Japan and Silverman sees a film version as a sure fire hit. With Dracula already on board, Silverman tries to convince “Frank” to do so.

The second issue starts with Frank visiting Dracula’s shrink, something that I never thought I’d see! The rest of the story is dedicated to The Mummy, indirectly, because he’s out of the country with Homeland Security on his trail. Andrea Silverman meets with The Mummy’s business manager, but she’s told that his client won’t be in the movie. Apparently he’s had a rough past, being accused of a murder.

Screamland’s art reminds me of a more detailed version of Ben Templesmith’s work (you decide if that’s a good or bad thing). The cover for #1 is hilarious: Frankenstein posing as a model bare chested in Miami. The story is actually really interesting, too. Growing up watching the monsters movies on Saturday nights, I always wondered what they’d be up to now, even if it’s another medium. I also think it was a smart choice focusing on one monster story per issue. Hopefully, they’ll start the movie before the comic ends! (Grade: B+)

-Daniel Yanez

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer #13 (Season 8) – Review

By Drew Goddard (script), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Andy Owens (inks) & Michelle Madsen (colors)

With the big shocking news from last issue finally out of the way, I can say I’m a little more relaxed going into this month. I guess Goddard could have gone the Willow-Tara way or just let it die; there simply is no room for letting it linger on. So, I like how things are being handled.

This issue’s story takes Xander to meet Dracula. Through a weird lecture, Andrew tells the story of how Xander previously went to visit Dracula after Anya died, and spent a couple of months living with him. Buffy gets notification that the vampire who stole the scythe is in Tokyo. She orders all the slayers to prepare for the trip (which seems like a bad idea), leaving the fort unattended. This doesn’t seem like a move that Buffy would do, unless she knows she’s got a really good reason (Goddard better come up with something good).

Dracula, cheated by the Japanese vampires in a poker game, realizes that he’s lost his “secret powers”, so he decides to help Buffy. And the cliffhanger we get is just dreadful. Looks like there’s going to be a slayer massacre. Not good, but at least it’ll be a hell of a challenge for Buffy and company. I’ll be there to read it. (Grade: B+)

-Daniel Yanez

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer #12 (Season 8) – Review

By: Drew Goddard (script), Georges Jeanty (pencils), Andy Owens (inks) & Michelle Madsen (colors)

Just like I read in issue #12, I have to say “that was wow”. Anyone remotely interested in Buffy should know by now what happened to her on this issue. I read an interview with Joss Whedon and he said this issue’s not a huge event in his mind. Damn Joss Whedon’s mind! I really do think what happened came completely out of nowhere.

The story involves a pack of wolves, which turns out are Japanese vampires who can also vanish into fog. These people enter the castle, avoiding detection and defense systems, and steal the scythe from under everyone’s noses. After debating who might have done this, Xander is sent to visit an old nemesis for answers.

Drew Goddard wrote five great episodes for the Buffy’s final TV season. I’m happy to say he hasn’t lost his touch. The characters and sense of humor have all been transferred to comic book form, faithfully. I love the awkward moments Buffy and Satsu face with the men – I couldn’t stop laughing! I just really hope Whedon doesn’t keep writing about Buffy’s “experimentations”. They seem so out of character to me. (Grade: B)

-Daniel Yanez