X-Men #15 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Paco Medina and Dalibor Talajic (pencillers), Dalibor Talajic, Juan Vlasco (inkers), Marte Gracia (colorist)

The Story: First To Last, Conclusion: The past and present encounters with the Evolutionaries converge on Cyclops and his choices, past and present. At stake… the survival of humanity.

What’s Good: I continue to be delighted with the artwork, and the stylistic differences between past and present. The less heroic, and even anti-heroic, tone and physiques in the past really give a sense of how far the X-Men, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and by extension, the Marvel Universe, have come. Magneto is wider, less sleek, and less in command of himself and the world, due in large part to Talajic’s unique pencil and in work. Cyclops is similarly a shadow of the impressive leader he will be in the future. In the present, modern heroism is shown in its full glory with tight action, exciting layouts and swift action.

X-Men #14 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Paco Medina, Dalibor Talajic (pencillers), Dalibor Talajic, Juan Vlasco (inkers), Marte Gracia and Wil Quintana (colorists)

The Story: “First to Last, Part 4” opens up more of the past of the Evolutionaries (2.7M years ago) and of the original X-Men in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants era. And in the present, for good measure, the X-Men are getting their tails kicked.

What’s Good: We’re in high second act here. The action and the revelations are hitting quickly. Yost is doing one of the more difficult things in serial storytelling, which is to successfully pull off a big retcon by stitching new events and plots into the old X-Men tapestry without tearing or unbalancing anything. Some places this has been done well have been Deadly Genesis and Uncanny X-Men First Class (see WCBR’s coverage). As things are going, I would certainly put “First to Last” up there with those well-done retcons. The revelations coming from two time periods is pretty cool. I’m wondering if we’re going to see the Eternals as part of this and what made Phaestus set in motion this genocide tool. Yost makes the present more tense with things really going downhill (“We need Cyclops!” and “Cyclops, what did you do?”). What other hidden sins (on top of creating the X-Force death squad) does Cyclops have in his closet?

Artwise, I was very pleased. The juxtaposition of Medina’s and Talajic’s styles for the time periods was awesome and both the Evolutionaries and Magento in the past and present were artistic scene-stealers. Medina and Talajic imbued both with such restrained menace and danger that I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. And the poses and expressions of Magento and the Brotherhood in the past were excellent. I’m a full-on fan of the artwork.

X-Men #13 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Dalibor Talajic, Paco Medina (artists), Dalibor Talajic, Juan Vlasco (inkers), Marte Gracia, Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: First To Last, Part 3: The evolutionaries continue to attack and we see, through emerging memories, the origin of the evolutionaries. At the same time, their last visit is further illuminated, while their fight to take out Cyclops continues.

What’s Good: This issue had several eye-opening (or popping, depending on how unjaded you are) reveals that were quite cool. Our no-spoiler policy keeps me from enthusing, but I’m definitely going to reread this issue, not because I missed something, but because the implications are thick enough to reward another look. I got the impression that Yost was having fun with his characters in this issue, which colored the overall feel. Old Ice Man, Wolverine, Old and New Cyclops, and Old Beast all showed their little personality quirks and the sum is so much more than a patchwork of familiar reactions. There’s a soap operatic social web of friendships, tensions, conflicts and overt and hidden respects that has been a trademark of Marvel since Spiderman was created, and brought to a much higher levels by such X-masters as Claremont. Yost is drawing on that wealth to create sitcom-esque joisting, double meanings or clever ambiguities. Although I loved the original X-Men moments in this issue, my favourite scene was where all the young mutants are “keeping” Cyclops safe and he flatly says “I’ll give you one more minute, then I’m leaving.” In response, Rockslide asks, “You think you can take all of us?” and Cyclops just answers “Yes. You’ll be first.” You can totally sympathize with this adolescent powerhouse being intimidated by a leader whose position is becoming increasingly legendary. And the reader shares Rockslide’s awe when you think ‘Yeah, Cyclops can be knocked unconscious with the leg of my dining room table, but shit…what trick has this strategic genius got that he’s not even a little scared of Rockslide and half a dozen other mutants?’

Eternals Annual #1 – Review

By Fred Van Lente (story), Pascal Alixe (art), Brad Anderson (colors)

I remember when Annual issues were massive beasts, 64 pages in length or more. Sometimes they were apocryphal, sometimes they were crossovers to bigger summer stories, but I always remembered them being, as Alan Moore phrased it “slabs of culture.” I could walk into the shop, lay down two dollars, and walk out with a completely satisfying adventure. But those halcyon days are long gone, and Marvel’s annuals are now reduced to dumping grounds of irrelevant stories and inferior art, padded with reprinted stories for the sake of charging you more money for less original content.

In this total waste of time, the Eternals travel to Madripoor to discover why every man, woman, and child there has been suddenly rendered brain dead. Once there, they are ambushed by the Young Gods, twelve individuals chosen to become deities because they represented the best examples of human achievement. First created to oppose the Celestials, and then later presented to them in order to save humanity, the Young Gods return to Earth believing that the best way to use their powers is by merging the consciousness of everyone on the planet to create a new Celestial.

The two teams battle so that the Young Gods can remind us, repeatedly, that the Eternals are little more than robots that can be downloaded into new bodies after they die, and that it is they who should be humanity’s rightful defenders. The Eternals win the fight and the annual ends abruptly with everyone standing around looking moody and bored. Van Lente had 32 pages to work with here, but somehow he managed to waste every one of them.  Furthermore it doesn’t help that Alixe’s art is so painfully unimpressive. Why did Marvel waste their time publishing this? Don’t bother buying, you deserve better.

Grade: D-

-Tony Rakittke

Eternals #4 – Review

By Charles & Daniel Knauf (Writers) and Daniel Acuña (Artist)

I suppose I’m not the only person who’s noticed that Ajak is fighting Skrulls with the “God Squad” in Hercules at the same time he’s acting mysteriously in this book. Assuming it’s not a case of bad editorial direction, I guess that means he’s a Skrull, which would certainly explain why he’s trying to kill the other Eternals. But shouldn’t the real Ajak then be dead or incarcerated somewhere, instead of running loose? And if he’s not a Skrull, then what are the Skrulls’ plans for the Eternals anyway?

I wish I cared more about what’s going on in this book, but it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on or what’s at stake. In this issue, Thena and Ikaris are still trying to waken Phastos; Druig is still trying to take over the world; Zuras is still oblivious that Joey is a spy for the alien Horde; and Sersi is still upset that Makkari is physically deteriorating due to his link with the Dreaming Celestial. We’ve seen all this before. In fact, Iron Man shows up this issue to reprise the role he played in the Neil Gaiman mini-series, standing around bitching that the Eternals don’t follow the Superhuman Registration Act rules (he’s fighting Ikaris on the cover, but inside he just stands there with his arms crossed, trying to look badass), so we actually seem to be moving backwards plot-wise.

The biggest chunk of the book is taken up with Sersi trying to communicate with the Dreaming Celestial, which of course goes nowhere. The best part of the story comes at the very end, when Druig and Legba try to recruit the Forgotten One, who has no interest in their schemes. The melee that follows is pretty cool, if brief.

It’s hard to say why this book doesn’t excite me. It’s certainly not lacking in plot. But there’s really nothing original or clever in the story, and not a lot of fun. Moments of playfulness are few, and when they are introduced (“Next month’s issue may very well render you a quivering, gutless husk!”), they seem forced. Similarly, the art, while quite nice, is still much too heavy in the browns and grays.

C’mon, guys, lighten up! (Grade: B-)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Eternals #1 – Review

Charles & Daniel Knauf (Writers) and Daniel Acuña (Artist)

How do you follow up a writer like Neil Gaiman?

The answer is, of course, you can’t. And you shouldn’t try. That’s why when Gaiman stopped writing Sandman, DC stopped publishing it. Unfortunately, with The Eternals Marvel didn’t have that option. When Gaiman stopped writing, the Dreaming Celestial had been awakened, Druig was trying to take over the world, and a nasty horde of… something… was coming to devour the Earth. Wisely, Marvel didn’t resume the book immediately; they took a year to regroup and try to find a team that might do justice to Gaiman and Romita Jr.’s run on the book.

Let’s start with the obvious: the Knaufs aren’t as good as Gaiman. (But that’s no surprise. There’s only once exception to the “Can’t Follow” rule, and that was Gaiman himself following Alan Moore on Miracleman.) They haven’t his wit, or his knack for seeing things from an alien perspective. Similarly, Acuña may technically be a better artist than Romita Jr. (the faces he draws actually seem three-dimensional) but he doesn’t have the same energy, and his colors are muddy, overburdened by browns and grays.

That being said, the Knaufs do a great job picking up and expanding on the plot threads of the last series. There’s a race going on: Ikaris and Thena are trying to reach and reawaken the Eternals mindwiped by Sprite before Druig can get his hooks in them. Their quarry this issue is a character I don’t believe we’ve seen before: Legba, the first Voodoo Eternal, who is currently a charismatic and less-than-angelic minister in Louisiana. Hopefully he’ll inject some much needed humor into the story, now that Sersi is stuck playing nursemaid to Makkari, whose link to the Dreaming Celestial is tearing him down, physically and emotionally. There’s also a sub-plot involving Thena’s son, who seems to be playing host to one of the nasty things that are bearing down on Earth.

All in all, it’s a good start to a promising series. The Knaufs and Acuña seem to be well poised to carry on the work begun by Gaiman and—judging by the over-the-top caption at the end of the book: “You have yet to read the ANCIENT AND SUBLIME COSMIC SECRETS OF THE CELESTIALS to be revealed in the next heart-stopping issue!”—the great Jack Kirby before him. (Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

As someone who’s read the entire run of Jack Kirby’s original Eternals series, I can’t say I was a big fan. The concept, blatantly ripped out of the old Chariots of the Gods novel, was poorly executed thanks to Kirby’s schizophrenic and convoluted storytelling as a writer. It was just too much, too ambitious, and felt out of place within the Marvel Universe. And then it ended abruptly. I know there’s stories about how Kirby was upset with Marvel’s failure to support the series and maybe that’s what led to the series ultimate demise. Whatever the case, The Eternals was not a very compelling or entertaining series for me.

Thankfully Neil Gaiman found some redeeming qualities, because his reboot worked very well for me. He modernized characrers, retooled their sense of purpose, and found a way to make them gel within the Marvel Universe – no easy task. In this newest series, the Knaufs have done a competent job in carrying the torch that Gaiman lit. And while the Dreaming Celestial’s dialogue feels trite at times, the race that’s going on between Ikaris an Druig seems interesting, especially with the cosmic threat at hand. Still, The Horde are not played up as much as they should, and unless Marvel has some big crossover plans in store with these creatures, they don’t seem to be much of an impending threat. Is it me or is The Horde a bit too reminiscent of the Annihilation Wave? Do we need another similar plot so soon? These aren’t complaints, but more so, reservations.

My real complaint is Daniel Acuna’s portrayal of action. After some of the gorgeous pages he did in Iron Man, it’s a bit disheartening to see him fumble around with what be best described as a run-of-the-mill confrontation between hero and villain. What gives? As for the rest of the issue, Acuna’s art quite good. His portrayal of the many characters of the Marvel Universe is a treat, and his coloring (particularly in Druig’s stronghold) is very mood driven.

To answer your question if this book’s worth picking up, I think so. Readers unfamiliar with The Eternals may still seem confused or lost despite the many recaps laden throughout the issue. There’s nothing mindblowing at work here, either, but as a debut issue it’s a solid story with a decent hook. This is not Jack Kirby’s Eternals and because of that the story may not work for some people. But I’m quite alright with that. This is actually much better. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

FIRST LOOK: Incredible Hercules #116

COVER BY: JOHN ROMITA JR.
WRITER: FRED VAN LENTE, GREG PAK
PENCILS: RAFA SANDOVAL
LETTERED BY: VC – JOE CARAMAGNA

THE STORY:
Is Hercules a Skrull? Maybe. But is he an Eternal? Ikaris and Thena certainly think so, and they may just kill Herc to prove it!

Rated A …$2.99
IN STORES: April 16, 2008

Uncanny X-Men #496 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Choi (art), Sonia Oback (colors)

What is it with good writers failing on mutant books? Once again, Ed Brubaker delivers a below average story that’s nothing short of being a complete yawn fest. Picking up where last issue left off, we’re given a vague hint of what’s taking place in San Francisco – someone’s turning the city back in time. Emma and Cyclops arrive on the scene to investigate but we’re given nothing more than that. At least Hepzibah finally turns up.

Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus, now in Russia, go to visit the graves of Peter’s parents. Afterwards, they hit up a local bar and exchange useless dialog. The biggest offense to this conversation is that it gives a glaring spoiler as to what’s going to happen in the delayed Giant-Sized Astonishing X-Men #1 (who knows when that book’s due out). If you’re enjoying Joss Whedon’s run, you shouldn’t read this book until he wraps things up. I was already bored with this story as it was, but reading this spoiler completely ruined it for me. Throw in another obligatory and meaningless bar scene brawl and you can see that Brubaker is just going through the motions.

Mike Choi and Sonia Oback continue to dazzle my eyes with their art. But it’s not perfect: Logan looks too youthful and too much of a pretty boy, while the fight scene in the bar is completely uninspired from an action standpoint. The nod to Neil Gaiman’s Eternals mini-series was probably the only thing I really liked. (Grade: D)

– J. Montes