Captain America: Who Won’t Wield the Shield #1- Review

Forbush Man: Forbush Kills!
by Jason Aaron (writer), Mirco Pierfederici (art)

This story by Aaron functions as a framing structure for the issue and it’s the strongest of what’s on offer.

Probably what’s most impressive is Aaron’s ability to not only make fun of himself, but to caricature his own style.  His gritty internal monologue by Forbush Man is a clear pisstake on his usual writing style and the fact that he applies this formula, applied in past to badasses like Wolverine and the Punisher, to Forbush Man is pretty hilarious.  When a brutal beating via bucket is narrated in noir fashion, it’s hard not to laugh.

Then there’s how Jason Aaron portrays himself, which is a definite highpoint.  Aaron makes himself into a completely pathetic weasel of a man with a strange fixation for Wolverine related violence.  It’s self-deprecation at its finest and clear evidence that Aaron is having a ball writing this.

Other Marvel writers and editors encounter Forbush Man on his path for revenge, and most of them are a lot of fun as well.  Joe Quesada hanging out, poolside at his palatial manor and Ed Brubaker’s continual concern for his Eisners and his later channeling of his Criminal characters are golden.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to erase the image of Brubaker firing a gun while screaming profanities.

Forbush Man himself is also well-done.  Aaron basically turns the character into a mouthpiece for bitter, veteran comic book fans.  He attacks the Marvel offices for their making everything “dark and gritty,” as he embodies and voices the “why can’t comics just be fun” crowd.  Eventually, things get metatextual, and even more fun, as Forbush Man realizes that he too, is in a comic and that, in going on a murderous rampage, he too has been made “dark and gritty.”

On the downside, the art isn’t quite right for this story, particularly where the coloring is concerned.  Pierfederici goes for a pseudo-painted style that really wouldn’t be my first pick for a wacky comedy tale like this.  Also, the story’s ending is a bit lame, relying on a flat Marvel Zombies joke.

Grade: B+

Doctor America: Occult Operative of Liberty
by Matt Fraction (writer), Brendan McCarthy & Howard Hallis (art)

This was….completely insane.  If you miss the wacky Fraction that wrote Casanova, well, there are flashes of that here.  The sheer insanity brings some enjoyment.  Better still is how self-aware the story is of its own haphazard nature.  Characters openly reference how slapped together and non-existent the “narrative” is.

The Twelve #5 (of 12) – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (Writer), Chris Weston (Pencils), Garry Leach (Inks), and Chris Chuckry (Colors)

This issue, while still well told and entertaining, is really just more of the same. We get the origin of The Witness and we see Captain Wonder punch Dynamic Man (finally!), but we really get no movement forward in the story except for the very end. So to anyone not already reading this series, this will likely do very little to convert you should you pick it up.

That said, we do get more delving into the individual characters, which it what this series seems to revolve around. J. Michael Straczynski continues to provide well written characterizations for every single person featured. The Blue Blade’s scene, for example, approaches cheesiness, but this is not due to the way it is written – it is simply the way that Blue Blade would act. So although slightly annoying, it is still acceptable. Similarly, we get several examples of how out-of-place these characters are in our time as we see them interact with some of the nastier aspects. Chris Weston’s art continues to fit like glove for this series. It works so well at maintaining the old comic art flavor that I had to remind myself several times that this story takes place in the modern day. Likewise, he makes these characters just as personal as Straczynski.

Perhaps the best part of the characterization is their interaction with each other, aside from the earlier mentioned fight, we get to see much more development between Dynamic Man and Captain Wonder. And much to my surprise, Dynamic Man actually has an almost plausible reason for being such a jerk. So while this series may not be filled with action and super villains, as always, it is the characters which continue to move the story forward. (Grade: B)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

I agree with the review above. This issue is more of the same, but I don’t see this issue as a rehash, but more as a continuance of the story. These characters, in many ways, are their own worst enemies – not because they’re bad people, but because they’re more real and fleshed out a hell of a lot more than the cheap costumes they wear. They’re men out of time that can’t accept the future they’ve been given. I’ve got a bad feeling that those who attempt to embrace it (Dynamic Man, Blue Blade) will eventually run into a horrible end.

There’s little to complain about where this series is concerned. Probably the only thing that’s constantly disappointing is how little we see of the characters in each issue. But there are 12 of them. How can I griped about that? Hopefully, we get more of Black Widow and RockMan next issue.

I’m running out of good things to say about this series. It’s got seven issues to go before it reaches its conclusion and if the creative team can keep the quality at this level, The Twelve will go down as one of the great pieces of comics literature – up there with Watchman and The Dark Knight. I really do not say this lightly, either. The Twelve is not as revolutionary as the aforementioned titles, but it is definitely a redefining of a genre – the reemergence of the Golden Age heroes as complicated, three-dimensional personalities.
(Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Avengers / Invaders #1 – Review

By Alex Ross (plot), Jim Krueger (plot, story), Steve Sadowski (pencils), inLight Studios (colors)

Other than knowing that it takes place sometime after Captain America’s death, I’m not sure where this series falls in Marvel continuity. Is it post-Brand New Day or pre-Brand New Day? Is it before Secret Invasion or during? There’s so many questions, and because Marvel’s not really cared about keeping continuity tight, this issue feels like a mess. But the mess doesn’t go to writer Jim Krueger, but Marvel editorial. Let me explain…

The Invaders amidst their campaign in Europe during World War II are in search of a time altering artifact that Hitler has his eyes on. As they close in on the Nazis (along with their group of Allied soldiers), they run into a mist that transports them all to modern day New York City. Now why this time traveling device would take them from Europe to New York City is beyond me. And why only The Invaders were transported and not the soldiers that came along with them is another inconsistency. But whatever, I can live with that. The problem I have is Spider-Man fighting The Thunderbolts. From what we’ve been told about Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day” is that he will not be tackling the Thunderbolts for months down the road. Yet, in this issue, he’s fighting against the whole team.

Eventually, word gets back to Iron Man that the Invaders are in the present and the ghost of Captain America begins to loom over Tony once more. If this is a pre-Secret Invasion book, why hasn’t this been addressed in any of the core books? It all just seems out of whack.

Now, all that aside, if I were to take the book at face value, I’d find it to be an average opening issue. We get your run of the mill introductions to the characters, the plot devices, and questions on how this team that’s “out of time” will interact with the modern world. The Twelve, this book is not, so don’t expect anything mind blowing. What you’re in for is lots of fighting as The Invaders make very short work of the Thunderbolts (which I honestly found to be too easy). Bucky acts as the narrator, giving us the profiles on Golden Age heroes as well as a humanistic point of view. Spider-Man tries to ham it up, but ends up being a bit overwritten. His reactions to Captain America, however, feel genuine. But the heart of the story is saved for the end: How will Tony Stark react to having one of his best friends return.

Steve Sadowski’s art hasn’t lost a beat. Like his work in Project Superpowers #0, his storytelling is top notch and his characters beautiful. He, along with Alex Ross’ covers are definitely the selling points of this series (thus far). So, if you’re like me and frustrated by Marvel’s muddled continuity, this book will do nothing but further that frustration. If you can look past the editorial problems, you’re in for an average opening story. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

I am going to have to echo Jason a lot with this second opinion. There is no doubt that this book needs to have some clarity as to when, exactly, it is taking place. There are a few hints, but not enough to get a solid handle on where everyone stands as the Captain America lead Invaders are transported into modern times.

As you already know the basics of the story, let me just take the time to talk about what works and what doesn’t with this premier issue.

The art is incredibly dynamic and the characters look fantastic, especially, in my opinion, Venom and Captain America. The World War II scenes do a good job putting the brutality of battle on the page and the running narration by Bucky keeps things moving at a solid pace. I really enjoyed the first half of the story, but found the second half to be incredibly rocky for a couple of reasons.

Letting Spiderman take over storytelling duties was an odd choice in my opinion. He is, as Jason said, overwritten, and it made me wish Bucky was our point of view for the entire story. I understand why they would break from Bucky, but the whole story would have improved had Spidey been toned down a bit. Another issue I have is how easily the Thunderbolts are disposed of, especially considering what we have seen them capable of since Warren Ellis took over. The final problem is the lack of subtlety once the time travel aspect kicks in. This was meant to be a blockbuster event, I get it, but The Twelve has shown that great things can be done with this type of story beyond slam bang action.

The Twelve is doing great things with the “heroes in the wrong time period” story by putting a premium on personality, emotion, and subtlety. Avengers/Invaders, on the other hand, seems to be much more concerned with the chaos of the event as a whole. It will be interesting to see where the creative team goes from here, but I am honestly disappointed how things went off the rails after such a solid start to the story. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Twelve #4 (of 12) – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Chris Weston (pencils), Garry Leach (inks), Chris Chuckry (colors)

I’ll be keeping this review short, as my original draft was lost when my computer unexpectedly shut down. In a nutshell, The Twelve #4 is another fantastic issue by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. I wasn’t blown away by this issue like the previous, but that’s only because the “new-ness” of the series has finally worn off. But don’t take that, by any means, as a slight towards the issue. The momentum started by Straczynski continues with the first ramifications (of many, I’m sure) hitting the team.

Laughing Mask gets his guns confiscated when the police show up looking for evidence of the robbery he brutally stopped. Black Widow’s “sacrifice” or murder (seen last issue), may also come back to bite her in the butt as well. We also get more character development as Rockman delves into his own backstory. It feels completely like golden age pulp, but at the same time it’s fascinating. The concept is so much fun that I’d pay to see a Rockman solo book someday, and how his history fits into the Marvel Universe.

Dyanamic Man also makes a return. I can’t decide which version of this character is more interesting. The racist, almost Nazi poster boy version portrayed by this series or the visionary and robotic utopian builder portrayed in Project Superpowers. I find it interesting that both Straczynski and Jim Krueger decided to make their versions unlikeable. But Straczynski probably gets the edge by giving his version of Dynamic Man more complexities.

If you’ve been following this series, then you’ll find yourself completely immersed in another mature and engrossing installment. This is the best team book Marvel’s got going right now. And Chris Weston’s art is stunning. (Grade: A)

The Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall, And The Green Mist of Death #1 – Review

By Matt Fraction (writer), Russ Heath, Nick Drgotta, Mike Allred, Laura Allred, Lewis LaRosa, Stefano Gaudiano, Matt Hollingsworth, Mitch Breitweiser (artists)

What a wonderful book. I always wondered what Iron Fist would be like if Ed Brubaker wasn’t around. Thankfully, it’s just as good, which gives Matt Fraction the “street cred” he so rightfully deserves. This one-shot centers around John Aman, The Prince of Orphans, and his pursuit of Orson Randall, an earlier version of Iron Fist.

The story’s broken up into four parts – each centering on a different time. For instance, part one is pure Golden Age Iron Fist – something that was briefly touched upon in the series. Here, we see more of his group, the Confederates of the Curious. They’re a fascinating team that very much resembles a circus act. I’m hoping we get a mini-series of their exploits down the line. The art teams on this issue are to be commended for rendering each of their sequences to match the era; it’s crazy because this book jumps all over the place. It feels nostalgic in essence – moving from Victorian to western to horror eras. It should feel uneven and chaotic, but some how Fraction makes it all gel.

As the story progresses, it skips through time. We meet Wendell Rand, father of current Iron Fist, Danny Rand, and we see him grow up and study Orson’s techniques. Eventually, Wendell ends up shot and Orson brings him to the most unlikeliest of places to have his wounds fixed – Frankenstein’s castle! But, in a stunning turn of events, the Aman comes to Orson and Danny’s rescue and from there, the entire story and relationship between the two men changes.

This issue answers a lot of questions currently being addressed in the current Iron Fist series. It also offers a wealth of information and backstory to Iron Fist mythos. Iron Fist was never this rich of a character (in terms of history and depth) until Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction restarted his series. Here, Fraction goes the extra mile, painting a lush tale and bringing so many mysterious characters to life. This is one of the best Iron Fist stories ever. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Next Issue Project #1: Fantastic Comics #24 – Review

By Erik Larsen, Joe Casey, Tim Scioli, Tom Yeates, Fred Hembeck, Ashley Wood, Andy Kuhn, B. Clay Moore, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mike Allred, Brian Maruca

Fantastic Comics #24 is, well, fantastic! Hats off to the entire creative team who labored to get this book out. For those who don’t know, Image Comics has been working on this “Next Issue Project” for a while now. It’s goal is simple: Give readers the next issue of an old Golden Age comic that was canceled back in the day. Well, after 67 long years, Fantastic Comics #24 has hit the stands!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much love went into this book. The teams on this book put so much attention to detail in the art, color, nuances, and even typography, that new readers may look at this and wonder if they’re holding a reprint. Let’s go down the list: Zippatone colors that bleed off the panels (and characters)? Check. Hand written lettering? All over the place. Off-center logos and fonts? Damn right! Silly stories? Definitely. Newsprint-esque paper? Hell yeah! Archaic comic book advertisements? Woohoo!

I won’t go into all the stories, but Erik Larsen’s story of Samson is just pure pulp fun. The way Samson fights for his life only to be rescued by the very kid he snubbed off at the beginning of the story perfectly encompasses old school storytelling. Joe Casey and Bill Sienkiewicz channel the science fiction genre with their offering about a man who creates a machine to the Fourth Dimension. Thomas Yeates tackles the medieval adventure category. And Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca take on the whole war genre with Captain Kidd! There’s actually more stories I’m leaving out, but I think you get the gist of what’s going on here.

This is probably the cheapest Golden Age book you’ll ever buy (sorta). But seriously, the book’s cover price is $5.99. Ouch, I know – but you do get 64 pages of comic book fun – and coming from someone who bought the book today, it’s easily the best comic I’ve read all year. Stuff like this doesn’t come around very often. We should consider ourselves so lucky for a gem like this. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

I can’t disagree with anything Jay said about this book. The Next Issue Project is a great concept and the contents of this issue do not disappoint. I enjoyed it from cover to cover (although I needed a translator for Sub Saunders). If you’ve read any Golden Age, multi-story format books, this faithfully recreates that feeling – it’s amazing. You’ll really appreciate all the little details that the team slipped in, too. Because it feels so authentic, Fantastic Comics #24 makes the 67 year gap since issue #23 melt away in an instant.

In my opinion this book well worth the $5.99 cover sticker as compared to some of the crap people buy for $2.99 each week. I am putting the Next Issue Project at the top of my pull list (whenever it comes out next). I can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for us next. (Grade:A)

-Chris Williamson