Elephantmen #27 – Review

By: Richard Starkings (writer), Axel Medellin (art) & Gregory Wright (colors)

The Story: Someone is interested in reactivating the Elephantmen.

What’s Good: Elephantmen is always a very pretty comic book, but it has had a bit of a revolving door on art duties for the last 12 issues or so, so it very nice that the title welcomes Axel Medellin to art duties.  Unlike a few recent artists on this series, he captures dark and dirty Ladronn/Moritat look of how this series is “supposed” to feel.  Medellin is touted as a new “regular” artist for this series and it can only be hoped that future issues look as nice as this one does.

From a story standpoint, after months of noodling around the issue, this issue reveals that the bad dudes behind the efforts to reactivate the elephantment are, in fact, former Mappo scientists.  This bodes ill for our band of protagonists and makes it appear that just as they are getting their lives in order, they may never be truly free of the bloody missions for which they were created.  Elephantmen is at its best when exploring the humanity of our half-human characters and it would appear that we will be heaping doses of that in future months.

Richard Starkings always puts out a very professionally done comic and this issue is no exception.  A good bit of advice for creators making their first comics would be to look at Elephantmen for how to succeed on the “little stuff”: nice cover, good printing, excellent lettering, footnotes referring the reader to events in earlier issues, etc.   Woody Allen said that “80% of success is just showing up” and something similar could be said about just nailing the easy stuff on a comic book that many creators and big publishers fumble the ball on.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Brightest Day #10 – It was a thin week, which didn’t make it hard for Brightest Day #10 to steal the title. Johns and Tomasi focused on only two subplots and made them move forward, reminding me why I was buying this series. The artwork on the Aquaman subplot didn’t hurt any either.

Most Anticipated: Kato Origins #4: Way of the Ninja. Although I can’t say (or write) Cyborg Superman with a straight face, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to the slap down between an iron-jawed guy with a light-bright in his chest and the GLC equivalent of Yoda. But, Jai Nitz and Colton Worley have delivered three solid, quality issues of Kato Origins and I’m expecting #4 to stomp the competition.

Other Top Picks: Green Lantern Corps #52, The Flash #5, Green Lantern Corps #52, Justice League of America #49, Legion of Super-Heroes #5, Power Girl #16, Black Widow #6, Uncanny X-Men #528

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Morning Glories #2 – I love this new series.  It reminds me a lot of Lost in that it is just continuing to throw weird things at us.  There are probably about 15 things in this series that I’d like to know more about.  That’s amazing when you consider that most comic series are doing good to have a single hook.  Bravo Nick Spencer!

Most Anticipated: The Walking Dead #77 – From all the teaser images that have been showing up online, it is pretty obvious that the band of survivors safe time in the walled enclave is coming to an end.  Can’t wait to see how Kirkman and Company set this story up.

Other picks: Elephantmen #27, Skullkickers #1, Velocity #2, Avengers #5, Avengers Academy #4

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Morning Glories #2 – Morning Glories reigns supreme in this otherwise thin week.  The book manages to sink the hooks from its fantastic debut just a little bit deeper while making me just as hungry for another issue.  Better still, the art looked much stronger.  It’s a twisted little book, but very accessible nonetheless and not without humour.  I think this is going to end up being one of those books that I look forward to month in and mouth out.

Most Anticipated: Thor #615 – A lot of people are probably wondering, with his third Marvel ongoing, whether we will see the Fraction from Invincible Iron Man or the Fraction from Uncanny X-Men on this book.  I’m banking on the former, what with Thor’s not being a team-book, let alone a team the size of the X-Men.  Rather, it’s cast has a kind of structural similarity to Iron Man, which is a good sign.  While I’ll miss Kieron Gillen, I can’t wait to see what Fraction has in store and Pasqual Ferry’s artwork is oh-so-sweet.

Other Picks: The Flash #5, The Walking Dead #77, Fables #98, Fantastic Four #583, Avengers #5, Secret Avengers #5

Joe’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week – Tales of the Dragon Guard: Into the Veil #1 – A huge surprise to me, this one was.  I picked this up for the First Impressions column this week and it was, hands down, the most involved I found myself getting in anything I’ve read recently.  A wonderful fantasy epic that had everything you could hope for in such a story.  In one 50-page story!  A must-buy.

Most Anticipated – Pilot Season: 39 Minutes #1 – The description I read of this comic:  “Robbing a bank is easy; it’s the getaway that’s hard. The bank’s surrounded by police officers, alarms are blaring, customers and employees are screaming, and the streets are blocked off. So what’s the solution? Kill everyone in town.”  Nuff said.

Other Picks: Flash #5, Supergirl #56, Walking Dead #77, Avengers Academy #4, Avengers #5, Hulk #25, Secret Avengers #5, Thor #615, Ultimate Mystery #3, Ultimate Spider-Man #14, Uncanny X-Men #528