The Rest Of The Stack

Superman: Secret Origin #1

Geoff Johns (Writer), Gary Frank (Pencils), Jon Sibal (Inks)

The Good and the Bad: Superman: Secret Origin is a near perfect “jump-on point” for those who haven’t picked up a Superman book in a long time. In this new mini-series Geoff Johns and Gary Frank don’t offer us a mere summary of how Superman came to be, instead they give us a funny and moving coming-of-age story of a small town boy that transitions from adolescent to a young man aware of his capabilities. However, since this is a story about Superman after all, Johns and Frank waste no time jumping straight to the superhero scenes. Right away they gives us the superhero puberty scenes, showing Clark realizing his powers in the most common teenage boy ways. From realizing his bone-breaking strength on the field, to his premature heat discharges with Lana, Johns and Frank win big in drawing the similarities of a hero in the making and the familiar and awkward moments of a young boy. Even though the pacing may be unfolding a little too quickly, we get a much-needed background on how Superman came to be. This is definitely worth checking out.

Grade: A-

-Raymond Hilario

Avengers: The Initiative #28

Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Avengers: The Initiative is one series that’s definitely making the most of the whole Dark Reign thing. As the Avengers Resistance assembles to help some like-minded Initiative members in need, it’s hard not to smile as the whole Marvel sandbox concept gets used to full effect. On a technical level, Avengers: The Initiative #28 is a winner. Christos Gage does a fine job of cramming in some really nice character work among all the clever action. The artists prove that they are certainly up to the task of handling anything (and anyone) that Gage throws at them in an entertaining, slightly chaotic way. That said, it’s unfortunate that the impressive artwork, as a whole, doesn’t really fit the surprisingly dark script all that well. Simply put, it’s too lively and vibrant for the story being told.

Grade: B

The Darkness/Pitt #2

Paul Jenkins (Writer), Dale Keown (Pencils & Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: I never would have considered the likeable Jackie Estacado to be a racist homophobe until reading The Darkness/Pitt #2, but, Paul Jenkins’ questionable character work aside, the Top Cow mini-series is proving to be a fun, violent romp. The dialogue between Pitt, Estacado, and Timmy is mostly entertaining in that “odd couple” type of way and Dale Keown’s slick, polished artwork is elevated by Frank D’Armata’s moody, dark colors. If you don’t mind a generic, forgettable plot, give the mini-series a look at some point if you are in the mood for something with that special “90s” vibe.

Grade: C+

No Hero #7

Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Art), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Whoa! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think about the conclusion to No Hero. Warren Ellis throws a very cool curveball into the plot that makes main character Josh Carver infinitely more interesting as a character. The downside is that the brutal, violent ending pretty much puts the kibosh on any more exploration of the very character that you’re probably going to want to follow a bit more (though a prequel might work…). Oh well. At least Ellis ends things with one hell of a finish, mostly thanks to the incredibly disturbing, disgusting, detailed artwork provided by the talented Juan Jose Ryp. Whether you want it to or not, because of Ryp’s work, No Hero #7 will stick in your mind for quite some time.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

No Hero #6 – Review

By Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Artist), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Warren Ellis’ twisted tale about the price of being superhuman is not for the faint of heart. For those looking for something a bit on the brutal side will find a lot to like about No Hero.

The Story: Carrick has been keeping secrets from Josh. As it turns out, Josh isn’t such a fan of the truth…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: No Hero #6 is a predictable, gratuitously violent comic that’s over far too quickly and, in some ways, delivers too little, too late. Now, with that said, it’s also a comic that’s a hell of a lot of fun and a great example of how execution can make all the difference in the world when a creative team is firing on all cylinders. Make sense?

Warren Ellis manages to overcome the generic revelations about Carrick’s superhuman team by giving the razor sharp dialogue a sense of weight and scope. Carrick is written with such a wit and arrogance that it becomes easy to accept Ellis’ alternate version of history as well as the very foundation of what No Hero is all about. In addition, Josh becomes realistically distant and disappointed as the information he receives begins to sink in. And that’s when Juan Jose Ryp truly takes over.

Simply put, you haven’t seen the type of violence that Ryp delivers. It’s disturbing, it’s ridiculously over the top, and it’s downright disgusting at times. It’s also filled with impressive details and leaves quite an impression. But violence is not all Ryp can do. He’s also quite a storyteller and character artist. While Ryp’s unique panel layout occasionally makes following along a bit difficult, it’s a minor complaint when the visuals hit with such force.

Conclusion: Despite a few wonky looking scenes and a less than surprising plot twist, No Hero #6 manages to deliver almost everything I’ve been waiting for. It’s smart, it’s brutal, and it’s very entertaining.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

No Hero #5 – Review

By Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Art), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I really like what Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp are doing with No Hero. While the concept of a superhuman drug is nothing new, the story still manages to feel surprisingly fresh. And that’s all thanks to Ellis’ touch for taking into consideration the real world implications of something like (super drug) FX7 and Ryp’s incredibly brutal visuals.

The Story: With the media in a frenzy following the unexpected events that occurred at the press conference featured last issue, Carrick takes some advice and allows Revere to go out for a walk that doubles as public relations damage control. As it turns out, the walk offers Josh his first chance to be a hero. Welcome to The Front Line Revere…

What’s Good: The most impressive thing about No Hero #5 is how naturally it progresses Josh’s (A.K.A Revere) story. Warren Ellis does a great job of revealing both sides of the Front Line coin (public/private) through the events that conclude Josh’s transition from street vigilante to public hero. It makes for an extremely compelling read. A read that is also quite awesome to look at thanks to the impressive artwork provided by Juan Jose Ryp and Digikore studios. It successfully straddles the line between realism and a more traditional comic book style. It makes the action and gore (I dig the hallucinations) feel disturbingly grounded, yet appropriately stylized.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I’ve enjoyed No Hero’s opening arc, the slow burn storytelling continues to be a tiny bit irritating. Five issues in and the story is still in an “introduce the characters” phase. Interesting characters though they may be, I had hoped some sort of bigger plot would have emerged by this point. Having The Front Line targeted for the past is a premise I can get behind; Ellis just hasn’t done enough with it yet.

Conclusion: No Hero is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I just hope that sooner than later, more is done to really solidify the plot that is emerging.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny