Elephantmen #31 – Review

By: Richard Starkings (writer), Axel Medellin (art)

The Story: A resetting of the Elephantmen universe makes for a strong jumping on point for new readers.

What’s Good: This issue is part recap and part new story.  When you put this issue together with last month’s one-shot Man and Elephantman (which could have been #30.5), we have the first two parts (out of three) of a story arc that is bouncing around the Elephantmen universe, visiting with all the various characters to explain who they are and what they’re up to.  I think sometimes long-term readers get irritated when series do this, but this is just the necessary medicine you take with any creator-owned series in this sales environment.  Series that don’t pause to let new readers catch up simply don’t survive because the unfortunate truth is that new readers see the #31 on the cover and think, “I’ve heard good things about this comic, but I’ve missed too many issues to catch up.”

So, you folks who have been interested in Elephantmen, but haven’t jumped in before: This is your shot!  Richard Starkings is slowing the bus down right now for you to jump aboard with this Man and Elephantmen story arc.  True, you won’t understand everything, but you’ll be able to run with the story from here (and if you like it, it’s pretty easy to find the collected editions).

As alluded to above, it is pretty impressive how Starkings and Medellin are giving this recap while also establishing the next phase of the story.  No character gets a lot of attention, but in just a few pages you get what tragic characters the Elephantmen are and how impressive their close group of human companions are.

Medellin has really settled in nicely as the series regular artist (now on about his ~7th issue) and it has been impressive to watch him grow as an artist before our eyes.  In this issue he trots out about 4 unique and distinct styles that are each wonderfully suited to what he is trying to accomplish on that page.  I’m unclear if he is coloring this work himself or whether there is a dedicated colorist, but Medellin modifies his linework to fit the colors that will be used on the page: strong colors tend to have heavier lines around them whereas pages that are more muted and painterly have a more nuanced line.  Elephantmen has always featured beautiful art and Medellin is maintaining that tradition.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Amazing Spider-Man Free Comic Book Day issue – I had a TON of books last week and many were “good” or “fine”, but I was honestly a little perplexed about which comic would get the dog bone this week until reading Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos’ FCBD entry.  It’s a must read for Spidey-fans as this wholly new story focuses on Spidey’s loss of his spider-sense and a key martial skill that he needs to learn to compensate.  Very cool and Ramos’ art is incredible (again).  Runner-up: Moon Knight #1

Most Anticipated: Amazing Spider-Man #660 – I loved #659 featuring a clever and funny script by Fred Van Lente as we saw Spidey and the FF teaming up to fight zombie pirates in the Caribbean.  But, everything got very “real” at the end of the issue when the bad guys and the FF kids showed up.  This should be a really cool issue.

Other Picks: The Unwritten #25, Elephantmen #31, FF #3, X-Men #11, Netherworld #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Secret Six #33 – In a week of giants like Fear Itself and the first issue of the Bendis/Maleev Moon Knight, it’s Secret Six, ever the “little title that could,” that takes the prize, and with surprising ease at that.  This issue showcased just why Gail Simone’s dastardly book is among the very best team books on the shelves, if not the best.  A strong team dynamic blends with strong character-work and surprising comedy to make this the big one for me.

Most Anticipated: Flashpoint #1 – Forgive me for my lack of creativity. Honestly, I’m not actually that pumped for Flashpoint.  At least, not in the traditional sense.  I’m merely incredibly curious as to what the hell Flashpoint is.  I know it’s an elseworlds thing that involves, erm, a “time anomaly” and I think the Reverse Flash is at the heart of it…but…yeah.  I have no idea what this is or what it’s about, particularly since those “Road to Flashpoint” issues of the Flash have been delayed significantly.  So yeah, I’m just looking forward to finding out what Flashpoint actually is.

It’s kind of unfair really, given just how amazing Journey into Mystery and PunisherMAX are looking, but them’s the breaks.

Other Picks: New Avengers #12, Birds of Prey #12, FF #3, The Flash #12, Journey into Mystery #623, PunisherMAX #13, Amazing Spider-Man #660