Elektra #5 – Review

By: W. Haden Blackman (story), Michael Del Mundo (art) Marco D’Alfonso (colors)

The Story: An assassin-versus-assassin battle in which no one dies? Blasphemy!

The Review: Have I become addicted to the decompressed style? Much as I complain about stories that seem to drag on and on just because arcs are expected to be certain lengths nowadays, I can’t help feeling as if Elektra is moving too fast at certain points. The problem is that Blackman spends a good long time building up the suspense, only to puncture it in an instant, rather than letting it defuse tantalizingly. He hasn’t quite mastered the art of using twists to amp the tension even more.

Perfect example: the battle between Elektra and Cape Crow. We’ve had four issues painting him as this master assassin, someone who can even throw Elektra off her game. But like many of the battles we’ve seen in this series, their match feels rather short, and Elektra really only spends a few panels in actual danger. I don’t protest the way things play out; it’s just that we’re not much on tenterhooks about it.

Elektra #4 – Review

By: W. Haden Blackman (story), Michael Del Mundo (art) Marco D’Alfonso (colors)

The Story: Which assassin will have the better family reunion?

The Review: If there’s someone who fits the definition of antihero, Elektra does. Her methods are unapologetically brutal, her objectives not always for the greater good. In times past, she’s even been outright villain, I believe. Therefore, it’s important, for those of us who want to continue enjoying this book without feeling bad about ourselves, that we get a solid sense of where her morals land, so we’re not just getting entertainment out of a killer satiating her killer’s instinct.*

Indeed, that could be Blackman’s very purpose in kicking off the series with an arc involving a whole bunch of assassins. They provide the comparative framework we need to understand how Elektra places on the scale between good and evil. Putting her side-by-side with Bloody Lips seems particularly useful because they have the common ground of deep family tragedies in their past. The more similar two things are, the more profound their differences.

Elektra #3 – Review

By: W. Haden Blackman (story), Michael Del Mundo (art) Marco D’Alfonso (colors)

The Story: Elektra experiences her own Poseidon Adventure.

The Review: Back when Blackman was working with J.H. Williams III on Batwoman, I often wondered how much he contributed to that series. I won’t lie; I had a lot of admiration for the writing on Batwoman, mostly for its great technique. In no other series did I feel like I had a deep understanding of all its characters, even the most incidental. It achieved this by consistently doing what few ongoing titles ever manage to do: push plot and character development at the same time.

At this point, I’m ready to conclude that particular aspect of Batwoman‘s success was probably due largely to Blackman. He’s accomplishing much of the same thing here, on Elektra, finding all kinds of ways to reveal something new about the characters in the middle of a scene, and using the gaps in between to fill in the characters’ lives even further. He does all this so seamlessly that you never notice howhe’s doing it; you’re just carried along by the ceaseless flow of the story, only realizing how much you’ve learned once you reach the end.

Elektra #2 – Review

By: W. Haden Blackman (story), Michael Del Mundo (art) Marco D’Alfonso (colors)

The Story: How does one assassinate a giant monster?

The Review: The fun of superhero comics is the same thing which attracts people to World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy: the promise of exploring a colorful, multidimensional, interconnected world. Most of the time, however, we’re trapped with an endless parade of capes and costumes, fighting it out in one city or another, usually in the name of good versus evil. What’s great about a title like Elektra is it shows us a completely different side to the Marvel universe; it feels new instead of merely refreshed.

Part of that comes from the wider range of possibilities you get with more grounded characters. With the likes of Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, etc., it’s a struggle finding sufficiently challenging antagonists or obstacles, which is why you usually see them fighting the same three or four villains most of the time. By contrast, someone like Elektra can be suitably occupied by folks as diverse as Lady Bullseye, Scalphunter, Bloody Lips, and the apparently infamous Cape Crow.

C2E2 Report: Marvel – The Next Big Thing

 

 

Not to be outdone, Marvel had me scrambling out of the Batman panel to secure a spot in Marvel: The Next Big Thing. While the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman still rule the roost, Marvel’s made huge strides with some of their less famous characters lately and this was the place to hear about it.

Nick Lowe, our moderator and editor of Spider-Man and Moon Knight, took a moment to thank the Chicago fans before introducing the panelists. The first was Mike Marts, an Executive Editor, newly returned from DC’s Batman office. Lowe asked him what it was like to be back. Marts replied that it felt like slipping on an old shoe. Lowe was not entirely thrilled with the analogy, leading Marts to amend his statement, “A shoe that makes a lot of great movies.” Next up was Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of Ultimate FF. After him came Charles Soule, the writer of Thunderbolts, Inhuman, and She-Hulk, the last of which received particular applause. Then came James Robinson, writer of Fantastic Four and All-New Invaders. A trio of artists rounded out the panel; Mahmud Asrar, Wolverine and the X-Men; Ryan Stegman, Wolverine; and Skottie Young, both writer and artist on Rocket Racoon.

Elektra #1 – Review

By: W. Haden Blackman (story), Michael Del Mundo (art) Marco D’Alfonso (colors)

The Story: So, wait—you don’t want Elektra to kill somebody?

The Review: Now that I’m on something of a hot streak where Marvel titles are concerned, I might as well go for broke and pursue another series featuring an unusual suspect. Of all the solo characters I’ve picked up in recent weeks, I probably have the most familiarity with the assassin by virtue of her guest spot on
Daredevil #35. It’s not much to go by, but it was enough to get me interested in her cool, confidently amoral aura, so close to that Secret Six flavor I haven’t tasted in so long.*

In a lot of the Marvel #1s I’ve read, the protagonists are at an uncertain juncture of their lives, and Elektra is no different. What separates her from the others is that she knows exactly who she is, an “assassin,” and she also knows why: “…I could not bear how foolish I felt every time I spared someone who was determined to kill me.” She’s come to the point where she accepts herself and her beastly past (as concisely summarized by Blackman) completely. She’s a killer with Zen. Even when the direction of her life is unclear, she knows what she has to do.

Thunderbolts #22 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Israel Silva (Colorist)

The Story: Who knew that Hell would be so violent toward those that tries to challenge and overthrow their ruler?

The Review: There are times when, even if one might really like character exploration, big concepts or huge surprises, a person crave for action. With super hero comics being definitely known for delivering on said conflicts and fisticuffs, it’s nice to see that you can sometime count on a genre to deliver on a specific desire.

It is exactly what this conclusion to this arc brings to the table, with plenty of demon-bashing and violent tendencies being shown on the page. However, while a certain aspect might be satisfying, does Charles Soule deliver on other important aspects as well?

It’s a fine enough job, although it certainly isn’t perfect by any means. What work, though, is the continued combination of violence, dysfunctional character and humor that makes the scenes flow very naturally together for the most part. The normalization of violence and the setting in which the team is currently in makes for a strangely effective story, with the focus on action only enhancing the general allure.

What’s also quite good is the way Soule plays around with the character, with him having quite a lot of fun with characters like Ghost Rider, Red Leader, Red Hulk, Punisher and Deadpool. Playing with their quirks, desires and their speech pattern, the humor, action and chaos is accentuated by their reactions, with some moments being satisfying for fans.

Not all characters gets the same amount of work, though, with Elektra and Venom being a bit left on the side. Having few lines and few incidences on the plot, their inclusion seems more like a necessity of the concept rather than a natural and integral part of this present arc. They are present, but certainly not that important.

Still, despite it all, the aforementioned action takes a bit of precedence on the plot, which allows for cool moments and a display of some of the more brutal inclinations. However, the action doesn’t remove the importance of the plot, with the fight for Hell being still a focal point to the evolution of the team in many ways. Mephisto’s machinations, the deal they made and how they want to remove Mercy from their grasp is still dealt with in a manner that is generally entertaining and satisfying.

Thunderbolts #21 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Israel Silva, James Campbell, Thomas Mason (Colorists)

The Story: The team tries to find a way out of hell as the Punisher tags along with Elektra for a job.

The Review: It must be hard, yet ecstatic to be Charles Soule right now. While his workload keeps on getting bigger, his general popularity is on the rise as well, with a creator-owned comic as well as several DC and Marvel titles under his belt. Getting a lot of appreciation from many fans, there seems to be little that the writer cannot do, tackling supernatural, humor, cosmic and many other subgenres rather well. Not all of his titles are equal in terms of quality, but 2013 was a year which made him a well-known quantity as far as many were concerned.

One title which did get better, yet not as much as other titles under his reins, was Thunderbolts, the team of killers with popular characters like Deadpool, Punisher and Red Hulk. While the title did get a lot more focus and got a much needed amount of levity and humor despite its rather grim concept, it never went as well as the handle Soule has on titles like Swamp Thing or Red Lanterns. However, any writer can improve with each issue, even if it is by just a little bit.

This issue, as far as it goes, is an enhancement over the previous one, decidedly going for stark contrasts in term of ideas, going for delightful black humor and a certain amount of nonchalance through what could very well be a horrific story. Much of the comedy here pass in the way the characters interact, with the sense of normalcy of Ghost Rider, through the jokes of Deadpool to the constant curiosity of Venom.

The way this unseemly team bickers and try to adapt to such a harsh environment makes for a rather amusing tale, with Soule earning points for his characterization of Johnny Blaze, a man who has resigned to his fate a long time ago, one who decided not to give a crap anymore and not take more than he needs to. The rest of the team is also certainly entertaining as well, with many traits that are well used, such as the tough attitude of Red Hulk or the always planning Red Leader. Much of every character here, from Mephisto to the team in hell are simply fun to read, with their inability to actually work as a team being one of the better aspect of this book.

The use of the larger events of the Marvel universe is also rather good too, as fans of obscure continuity should definitely be pleased. The pact that Red Hulk made with Mephisto, who the actual ruler of hell is and what Johnny Blaze has been up to is something that is definitely pleasing for fans of the Marvel universe at large.

Daredevil #35 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: In the case of Matt Murdock v. Daredevil.

The Review: Even though I know it’s a folly to expect fictional characters to live up to our ideas of how real people should act—heck, it’s folly to expect real people to live up to our ideas of how real people should act—I’m only an overweight human beneath the critic.  If a character does something crazy or stupid, I’m going to get judgmental about it, just like anyone else.  I usually manage to set my prejudices aside, but it happens, nonetheless.

While Waid’s Daredevil has been one of the most convincingly human characters I’ve seen in recent superhero comics, the one quirk that almost always draws my ire is Matt’s constant denials of being Daredevil.  It’s a bit like the guy who insists he’s not gay even though you’ve seen his Judy Garland film collection: farcical and not a little pathetic.  It also invites a lot of uncomfortable logistical questions as to why his enemies haven’t bitten the bullet and simply bumped off Matt to see what would happen to Daredevil.

Thunderbolts #20 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Carlo Barberi (Artist), Isreal Silva (Colorist)

The Story: Getting set in a new base, the Thunderbolts decide they need to deal with Mercy. Cue in everyone’s favourite biker from hell.

The Review: Thunderbolts is a book that I should love. It’s written with a good dose of action and humor, I really like most of the characters from its cast and I do believe there is a potential with its general premise. Better yet, it’s written by Charles Soule, the man who write one of the only few DC title I still follow, Swamp Thing. However, there have been a few problems, the art being the most preeminent one. Plagued by artists that don’t always fit the tone of the book, the book was weighted down by some of its aspects.

Thankfully, the addition of a new character and a new artist can certainly bring some energy and some fun to the book. However, is it enough to give this title the jolt it needs?

Unfortunately, while these additions may prove to be essential, there is an ill sense of timing as this issue doesn’t accomplish much in terms of development or in sheer fun. While there are some notable interactions and some progression in terms of character arc given to readers, there’s just not that much going on in this issue.

Soule does try to balance things out with humor, playing with the general lack of cohesion of the Thunderbolts unit and their disparate personalities, yet all the one-liners and the general silliness cannot deviate the attention of readers from the lack of progress made in several plots and subplots. There are things occurring here, mind you, some that are important, like the fact that the team try to find a solution to the ongoing problem that is Mercy, yet there isn’t much else truly going on.

Thunderbolts Annual #1 – Review

by Ben Acker, Ben Blacker (Writers), Matteo Lolli (Artist), James Campbell (Colorist)

The Story: It seems that Dr. Strange has gone insane, making people happy whether they want to or not thanks to his spells. Thankfully, the Thunderbolts are here to kill the mood…

The Review: There always comes a time when a reader has to weight down on what’s more important as far as personal experiences go. Does consistency holds a bit more value than pure entertainment? It may seem like a silly question, yet with so many retcons or with some concepts being handled in hazardous ways, it can be somewhat problematic if someone knows he should enjoy something, yet cannot for things that may seem minor at best.

In a way, this annual feels a lot like that for me. The premise is absurdly fun, with some very entertaining scenes and choices put down by the creative team, yet they do so in a lot of ways without any regard to previous stories or to the detriment of previously established elements. Is the story worth the disregard to continuity or is the lack of consistency with previous books something that hold this annual back?

This issue simply cannot be reprimanded for lack of trying, though, as both Acker and Blacker inserts quite a lot in terms of ideas, both old and news. With scenes like Venom and Punisher going to Asgard, Elektra and Deadpool going to visit Bloodstone Manor as they want to collect magical artifacts, there is plenty of opportunity for shenanigans that wouldn’t always be connected with those characters in the first place.

Thunderbolts #19 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: Road trips are apparently perfect opportunities if you plan to kill your teammates. At least, Red Leader seem to think so.

The Review: In team books, it’s usually expected that sooner or later an issue will focus on a specific member of the cast. Either a member of the team, one of the antagonists or even an important secondary character may end up getting a chance to be in the spotlight. Usually done before in the first issue of an arc or between two, those kind of issues always present the chance to see how a specific character perceive certain events and how his personality may be in comparison to others. In such a book like Thunderbolts, with a cast full of unsavory characters, the chance to put a shine on these troubled mind could very well end up being a pretty neat thing.

In a way, Charles Soule manage to surprise readers as well as take a big chance as he focus this one on Red Leader, pushing forth Samuel Sterns forth in order to clarify his thinking process and just how he sees this present team. With this character usually seen as a huge presence in many iterations of Hulk, does Soule actually delivers a nice rendition of the character as well as a pleasant issue with this one?

Thunderbolts #18 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: Red Hulk tries to get Mercy to cooperate and the Punisher and his crew tries to finish off the Paguro . Meanwhile, Deadpool has pizza.

The Review: It’s always disappointing to see a book do well in so many areas, only to see it fail in one where it’s critical to its enjoyment. Perhaps it has really great character interaction and development, but dull antagonists. Maybe it’s really great-looking, yet has really weak colorization. Either way, it always lead to something that you know can be better, yet are powerless to see change in any way. You either stay patient and hope that the problems gets resolved, or go away in order to not feel any disappointment in the future.

This book, unfortunately, has a problem of its own as there is plenty of humor, some great action and the handle on the characters is interesting enough, yet some really weak art and colorization. Many of the elements here are just waiting to be appreciated, yet the deformed and square-looking art remove a lot of potential for the book.

Where this comic goes right is the juxtaposition of humor and rather dark themes. With a team of almost psychotic killers going out of their way to bring the pain to criminals, a good deal of humor is the one thing that really bring some sense of identity and fun to the title, which Soule really brings forward thanks to the great use of Deadpool along with a good sense of comparison between relatively normal situations and surrealist ones. Still, Soule is able to not just rely on humor, balancing things out with darker scenes as well as some pretty neat action.

Thunderbolts #17 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: The Punisher and his team fight the mob in their bunker, Red Hulk tries to fight the invaders and Deadpool finally gets his pizza.

The Review: I rather like Charles Soule right now. Discovering him as he took over Swamp Thing at DC, he has been in some more books in the previous months and now seems to be doing some work for Marvel as well, with this title as well as She-Hulk coming in February. With a knack for taking over books and giving them either a new direction or focusing on the stronger elements of the core concept, Soule is rapidly becoming a writer on the rise in terms of visibility.

Thunderbolts is one of the book that has received a bit of his skill, to good effect as the mix of rather dark humor to the sensibilities of hard killers makes for a rather enjoyable book. Tying in to Infinity, Soule tries to incorporate those stone-cold killers to the larger Marvel universe, yet does he succeed in making them interesting and his tale good enough for readers to care?

He starts with the right footing as the first thing he seems to be doing well is creating a nice balance between plot and humor, advancing the story without putting too much emphasis on the horror of what the characters are doing. The pacing in itself in terms of development is good, with each scene getting to the point and delivering something worthwhile for readers, like how outgunned the mob is against Venom, Punisher and Elektra or when Deadpool finally get the pizza slice he wanted in the first place. There is enough going on in this issue that it doesn’t feel decompressed in the slightest, giving a central conflict with many smaller problems on the side for the characters to resolve in the issue. In terms of storytelling, it’s good.

Thunderbolts #16 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Story: Red Hulk and Red Leader tries to fight off the alien invasion as the rest of the team continues their work against the Paguros.

The Review: It’s always a bit disappointing to keep hoping for ameliorations in some specific areas only to find others lacking as a result. While the Daniel Way run had its share of problems, it seems that Soule has its own, which are completely different from the previous writer. It’s one step forward, two backwards as they say as Thunderbolts soldiers on with its cast of killers.

Where it did improve and it keeps on improving would be the handle on the killers themselves, as Soule really do seem to get how they work and how their interactions could very well be entertaining. Everyone gets a bit of panel time in this issue, with most of the cast receiving close to equal spotlight, which is commendable enough. From Venom being the somewhat idealistic, Deadpool’s shenanigans about searching for a slice of pizza and Red Leader being mysterious and threatened by a member of the Black order, close to everyone do make their presence known in this issue in ways that count. I say close, as Elektra seems to have nothing much to say or do except participate in the action, with little else to give for readers and fan of hers.

There is also quite enough space given to the villains, with the alien goons and the Paguros contributing quite well with the issue. Those characters do permit for Soule to throw in some concepts which are solid enough, like what exactly happens to the criminals, gangsters and unsavory elements when a big threat arrive in New York? How do the Paguros actually get themselves protected in times of dire need? All those concepts really do bring a new vision on the underworld of the Marvel universe, as they do make sense considering the high number of costumed vigilantes in New York alone.

Thunderbolts #15 – Review

by Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo, Terry Pallot (Artists), Guru eFX(Colorist)

The Story: The Thunderbolts reach New York and do their best to help Frank Castle with his mission. As they do so, Thanos and his army invade Earth.

The Review: Charles Soule is not a lucky writer. Not only does he take on a book that the core idea was not one of his own, but he does so right when a huge event comic is on the verge of releasing. As a writer, he has to play with dynamics previously established by someone else, but he needs to tie-in some plot elements from a story that is not his own. Decidedly, it’s not a recipe for contentment or success.

Such is why seeing him succeed in most parts is actually quite surprising as not only Soule play with the dynamics and the characters quite well, but he also seems not to rush in with the Infinity plot points. There is a certain balance with a lot of the characters on this team that not every book is able to maintain, which is commendable of Charles Soule skills as a writer.

What he seems to be really getting is most of these characters and their psychology, with Red Hulk being restless when he’s out of the action, Punisher being solely driven by his mission, Elektra with her subtle manners and so forth. Soule gets bonus points for Deadpool though, as he is a character that a lot of writers simply write in a comedic tone and nothing else. He has a certain balance with his personality, his humor and just the way the character is that he doesn’t become the buffoon he can be written as. The scene in the subway is a true testament to this vision of his, which forebodes good things with Soule at the helm for this character.

Thunderbolts #14 – Review

Charles Soule (Writer), Jefte Palo, Terry Pallot (Artists), Guru eFX (Colorist)

The Plot: It’s Frank Castle’s turn at choosing the mission the team has to do as he explain just what he has in mind for this team to do. Lucky him, the Avengers are in space…

The Review: Following characters isn’t something that is logically sound when one thinks about it. While a reader might want to know everything that happens with a certain character he or she grew to like, it does not mean that person will get quality stories featuring the beloved fictional being as not every writer know how to handle things the way those people like it. The more a character is popular, the worse it can get as you can get characters that get poor or uneven characterization, resulting in frustrating experiences for the aforementioned reader.

While I do rather like characters like Frank Castle, Deadpool, Venom and Elektra, the main reason I gave this title a shot to begin with was to see Red Hulk, a.k.a General Ross in action, a character that Jeff Parker made me like immensely in the solo title he once possessed. However, I only did so recently as Charles Soule, the current writer of Swamp Thing, went in with another artist to give a new direction and a shot in the arm to this title that needed it. Does he succeed in keeping the characterization and giving some quality to this team now that he is actually writing them all in action for the first time?

He is quite competent actually, as not only Soule understand the dynamic between each characters and how their personalities might clash, but he does so in a way that is entertaining. This result in a team that is barely functional (as exposed by Deadpool nicknaming the team ”The Selfish Avengers”), yet it is one that is professional enough to get their task done. The military tone and their awkward morality comes in play here, as it creates a vibe that is different from a lot of the team out there, one that is not unlike Remender’s Uncanny X-Force. It’s not quite there in terms of quality when it comes to comparison, yet the characters are well-written, especially Frank Castle and Red Hulk. The only one I could have any disappointment about would be Flash Thompson, who comes as rather gullible and without any real personality, going with the flow without doing anything much.

Savage Wolverine #6 – Review

By: Zeb Wells (Writer), Joe Madureira (Artist), Peter Steigerwald (Colorist)

The Story: Elektra is elusive, Wolverine might have anger issues and Kingpin is shady. Also includes ninjas.

The Review: I had my doubts about continuing this series. After the last disappointing issue, I wasn’t sure if this title could keep my interest. However, I was quickly reminded that this title had kind of become some kind of home for writers and artists to do original stories featuring the ol’ canucklehead when I saw that it was both Zeb Wells and Joe Madureira that took hold of the title as a follow-up to Frank Cho’s tenure. Does this duo make a better argument for such a title when Frank Cho didn’t do so well in retrospective?

Surprisingly, they do give us a story that focuses a bit more on Wolverine, connecting a bit more with whom the character and what he does. The story starts with Wolverine being angry, out of his mind as we’re thrown to the end of a conflict where he took some big hits. As the story goes from here, we see a bit how he interacts with some of his Avengers team-up and with one of his always entertaining team-up partner: Spider-Man. Considering the lack of importance of continuity for this story, we are given the real Peter Parker version here, which could be considered a nice bonus for those not on board with the whole Spider-Ock thing, as we see his usual uncomfortable shenanigans and interactions with Wolverine, which are always entertaining.

Daredevil: End Of Days #4 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack (Writers), Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Alex Maleev (Artists), Matt Hollingsworth (Colorist)

The Story: Ben Urich continues his investigation with the discovery of Bullseye’s dead body and an encounter with a very special case in prison.

The Review: Daredevil: End of Days could become one of the quintessential Daredevil stories. Full of moments that shows just where the key players in the ongoing saga of the Man Without Fear could turn up, it is essentially boiling down the Bendis, Miller and Brubaker eras of the book, two eras that are loved and cherished by fans.

Of course, since it is cowritten by Bendis, there are plenty of references to what has come before and other easter eggs in the storytelling methods. It is clear by reading that series so far that both Bendis and Mack are aficionados of Citizen Kane, Orson Welles’ masterpiece, incorporating its basic structure for the plot of the limited series. They just had to replace ‘’Rosebud’’ with ‘’Mapone’’ and there you go.

Thunderbolts #1 Review

By: Daniel Way (Writer), Steve Dillon (Artist), Guru eFX (Colorist), Joe Sabino (Letterer)

The Review: I’ve been quite a big fan of Thunderbolts since first picking it up during the Warren Ellis run, finding it to be one of the most consistently enjoyable titles on my pull list ever since. It had a rotating cast that kept things fresh, many of whom were C and D-list characters whose safety never really felt guaranteed (though I think only the Headsman actually snuffed it) and it made a habit of rehabilitating villains in a creative sense as much as a literal one. The series was rebranded as Dark Avengers a few months ago which conveniently left a space open for a relaunch of the Thunderbolts franchise; the group selected to carry on the mantle however are markedly different than what came before.

PunisherMAX #20 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writing), Steve Dillon (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Frank finds himself locked in a battle to the death with Elektra.

The Review:  If there’s one this issue shows, and really that goes for the rest of this series as well, it’s that Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon are absolutely fantastic, as well as brutally creative, when it comes to putting together an action scene.  Not only is every blow of the fight between Frank and Elektra wince-inducing, the fight as a whole is excellently paced.  Their duel is more than your regular, bland comic book brawl: there are crescendos and suspense amidst the violence, with the actions actually telling a story more than just filling an action quota.

The best part of this scene is that the fighting styles of Frank and Elektra both say a great deal about who they are.  Elektra’s is cold, ruthless, and efficient, while Frank fights like a self-destructive savage.  Really, they the fight ends is a very creative testament to that.

Beyond the fight, however, it’s amazing to see that in his final three issues, Jason Aaron is still doing great character-work in exploring who Frank is and what the Punisher is.  That is really what pushes the issue into being something truly special.  While it’s something that Garth Ennis focused on quite well in his run, we see Aaron also unpack Frank’s relationship with death as an elemental force.

In heartbreaking fashion, as well as in his fighting style against Elektra, Aaron shows that Frank essentially cannot be killed, but it’s in a flashback to the birth of his first child that Aaron touches on something truly unsettling.  Frank is shown to be so closely tied to death, that indeed, the only thing he can’t seem to stomach or show a weakness towards is life itself.  His reaction to the birthing process is a very, very interesting twist for the character.  In being so good at, and so defined, by death, Aaron paints life-giving as anathema to Frank.

Overall, it’s clear that Jason Aaron is setting up his big finish for the series.  It’s an absolute pleasure to see Frank and Fisk return to their game of cat-and-mouse, as much a battle of wits and cunning as it is of knives and bullets.  Of course, much like the Frank/Elektra physical struggle, the mental chess match between Frank and Fisk also shows their differing personalities – Fisk is a talker, while Frank is anything but.

Herc #9 – Review

By: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), David Hahn (penciller), Roy Richardson (inker), Jesus Aburtov (colorist)

The Story: Herc’s daddy issues interferes with his getting it on with the woman he loves.

The Review: After the completely baffling and apparently pointless crossover with Spider-Island, which seemed to include Herc only to sell some half-spider on half-spider intercourse, this title is set to get back to normal.  Problem is: you don’t know what “normal” is since the series has been plagued with Event tie-ins from day one.  With hardly a supporting cast and only a vague mission to protect Brooklyn, it almost feels like we’re back to where we started.

Shadowland #5 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The battle for New York City comes to its conclusion.

What’s Good: What, besides the fact that this is the final issue and that this mess of an event is finally over?

In all seriousness, though, my thought while reading this issue was that it could’ve been hell of a lot worse.  The event comes to a nice enough end and the point it leaves Matt at is a nice one and a natural fit for the character that holds hope for future creative teams.  While Shadowland has been many things, few of them good, Daredevil fans can breathe a sigh of relief that no irreparable damage is done to the character and nothing truly catastrophic is inflicted upon the series.

Basically, Shadowland was only ever meant to take Matt from point A to point B.  The story was cobbled together as a means to get him there.  Perhaps that ends up being the reason why this issue ended up being better than I expected.  While not particularly good, it finally shows us what that point B is, which was always probably the most well thought out portion of Shadowland even before we knew what it was.

As a result, the last couple of pages are quite good and very Daredevily, as is his disappearance from Shadowland.

Billy Tan also has some bright spots this month, particularly when it comes to the action scenes.  I loved the battle between Lord Daredevil and Iron Fist.

Daredevil #511 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Roberto De La Torre (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Foggy seeks out Daredevil and Dakota attempts to rescue Becky.

What’s Good: Last month’s Daredevil seemed to finally find itself, deciding to dedicate itself to the tribulations of Daredevil’s buddies Foggy and Dakota, characters who had been utterly neglected and whose perspectives should be invaluable.  Given Daredevil’s uneven quality of late, I wasn’t sure if Diggle would stick with this commitment, but he does.  Daredevil #511 focuses once again on Daredevil’s unique cast of friends and that’s good news in itself.

The end result is a book that feels really moody, desperate, and atmospheric.  It, unlike the main Shadowland series, captures just how dark and insane Hell’s Kitchen has become.  You really get the sense of New York’s devolving into an anarchic hell of indiscriminate and irrational violence and rage.  In so doing, this issue really makes it clear how this is something that Shadowland, the main series, should’ve doing much earlier.  The mood established this month and the depiction of Hell’s Kitchen’s madness and the price of Shadowland’s establishment and the events within are made clear this month, and it’s solid and it makes Shadowland appear all the more lacking by comparison.

De La Torre also continues to crank out great Daredevil art.  It’s dark and gritty as usual, but in capturing the riotous, insane Hell’s Kitchen core, there’s a constant sense of derangement to De La Torre’s art, owing to his rough lines and shading.  Better still, thanks in part to Matt Hollingsworth’s colours, the interiors of Shadowland remove some of the darkness in exchange for an undertone of disease and sickness.

Shadowland #4 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils & inks), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Izo’s band of heroes race to stop Daredevil as Elektra makes her move.

What’s Good: One of the big problems that the main Shadowland series has had has been finding its identity.  It seems divided on whether to approach this as a standard Marvel event or as a Daredevil comic.   The result has been that as an event, it feels strange and off-kilter while, as a Daredevil comic, it’s a failure.

The good news is that with this issue, I feel like I finally have a clear picture of what Shadowland wants to be, as the book finally settles into being just another Marvel event.  It seems the comic has given up on any loftier aspirations and has more or less given up pretending to be a Daredevil comic.  While this does make for a mediocre comic, at least it means that the book is far less confused and messy than it has been, even if it is a little straightforward.  Certainly, I feel that reader expectations can properly adjust as well.  Shadowland, with this issue, gives up on even attempting to be like the Daredevil comics of old; it’s a Marvel event comic that’s dedicated to getting the character, and the universe, to a particular point.  At least, now, we can know what we’re getting.

If you like action, there’s a lot of action this month and all of it is done fairly well.  Action scenes are fluid, dynamic, and exciting.  A lot of this is due to Billy Tan, who continues to do surprisingly solid work on this comic.