Predator #1 – Capsule Review

By John Acrudi (Writer), Javier Saltares (Art), and Wes Dzioba & Andrew Elder (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first issue of the Aliens re-launch was pretty odd all around. While it was written well and looked rather nice, it rarely felt like an Aliens comic. It will be interesting to see what John Arcudi, the writer of Aliens, does with the first issue of the Predator re-launch. At the very least, I hope that it feels like a Predator book…

The Story: Military men and mercenaries in Africa encounter Predators…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: I’m going to save you and I some time by getting the most important thing out of the way first. You ready? Predator #1 is a pretty bad comic. Ok, now with that out of the way…

While the debut of the new Dark Horse Predator series is a whole hell of a lot like Aliens #1 in ways (namely because the artwork, while solid, is a poor fit and because there’s a lack of alien action), it’s also worse than the Aliens book. And why’s that? Because it’s next to impossible to give a damn about anything that’s happening.

The one thing that Aliens #1 really had going for it was how well rounded John Arcudi’s victims…er…I mean characters felt right from the start. In Predator #1, the characters that Arcudi introduces could not possibly be any more forgettable. Military/mercenary clichés in every way. In addition, the first issue of Predator doesn’t really have any sort of hook outside of the initial “Predators hunt guys in Africa” idea. At least there’s a bit of mystery concerning what’s really going on in the Aliens series…

Conclusion: And here I had thought that Aliens #1 was disappointing…

Grade: D-

-Kyle Posluszny

Moon Knight #25 – Review

By Mike Benson (Writer), Mark Texeira (Art), Javier Saltares (Layouts), and Dan Brown (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Probably the best thing that I can say about “The Death of Marc Spector” is that it has turned from being a story I was reading to get a Thunderbolts fix into something I have been more than happy to pick up. As only a casual fan of the character, the latest Moon Knight arc has done a nice job drawing me into his gritty world and interesting relationships. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up sticking around even after I finish reading about Marc Spector’s “death.”

The Story: It’s Bullseye Vs. Moon Knight in a brutal game of cat and mouse as “The Death of Marc Spector” concludes. I don’t want to spoil the fun, so that’s about as much plot detail as you are going to get from me; understandable I hope, considering the nature of the arc.

What’s Good: As far as comic book deaths go, the situation surrounding Marc Spector is surprisingly satisfying. The action-packed fight between Moon Knight and Bullseye that takes up the majority of the issue is one of the better one on one battles in recent memory and the conclusion, thankfully, has some finality to it. In short, Moon Knight #25 delivers quite well considering the story it tells.

What’s Not So Good: While I think Mark Texeira’s art style fits the tone and nature of Moon Knight extremely well, sometimes the overly rough pencils are a distraction. Couple that with a few panels where body proportions seem out of whack and you have a book that is stylish, but, ultimately, pretty uneven. Another thing that is uneven is Mike Benson’s handling of Bullseye. The trash talk from Bullseye is a blast to read for the most part, but every so often it garners a roll of the eyes for being either a bit too much or downright hokey.

Conclusion: While a few of the technical aspects keep the latest issue of Moon Knight from a higher score, I definitely enjoyed my time with it.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Moon Knight #24 – Review

By Mike Benson (story) Javier Saltares and Mark Texeira (art) Arthur Suydam (cover) Dan Brown (colour art)

The Story: Part four of “The Death of Mark Spector” continues with the Thunderbolts and S.H.I.E.L.D, both trying to bring in Moon Knight. When Moon Knight faces off against the Thunderbolts, he manages to escape once again as the S.h.i.e.l.d agents interfere in the scrap. Later when he discovers that the Thunderbolts have failed again, Norman Osborn releases Bullseye to bring him in.

What’s Good: This has been a pretty solid story overall. I’ve enjoyed reading the Thunderbolts since Warren Ellis resurrected the team, so this story became a must read for me. It will be interesting to see Bullseye and Moon Knight try to out-crazy each other in the conclusion next month.

What’s not so good: First off I have to mention the cover by Arthur Suydam, it’s a real disappointment that comes off as just a blobby mess with no definition, a real shame considering what he’s capable of. I also need to point out the poor colouring job on this title by Dan Brown, it comes across as pretty lifeless and drab, letting this book down in a big way.

Conclusion: Overall this story line has been pretty darn good and it’s going to be interesting to see where Moon Knight ends up when it concludes. Although, considering it’s title is that already a forgone conclusion? Moon Knight has always been a ‘C’ list hero at best, but with the news that artist, Jefte Paulo is joining the title, fresh from his incredible story line in Black Panther, Moon Knight could just be the comic to watch in the coming months.

Grade: B

-Conrad Flanigan

Moon Knight #21 – Review

By Marc Benson (Writer), Mark Texeira (Artist), Javier Saltares (Layouts), and Dan Brown (Colorist)

Moon Knight #21 is the very definition of a jumping on point. The majority of the issue is devoted to getting readers caught up on Marc Spector’s situation from various perspectives and I instantly felt right at home. Long story short, Marc Spector (who has gone missing) has successfully evaded S.H.I.E.L.D. for quite some time now and Tony Stark assigns the Thunderbolts (a personal favorite of mine)  to bring Moon Knight down.

While the storytelling is not particularly compelling in any way, it effectively brings readers up to speed while setting the stage for things to come. Marc Benson clearly has a handle on the characters and the situation so I look forward to what he has in store. As for the artwork, it does a great job reflecting the gritty tone of the story, though I wish the pencils looked a bit more consistent. While the majority of the book looks fantastic, occasionally things look a bit too sketchy (and almost rushed).

Now that I’m caught up on Moon Knight, I find myself looking forward to this arc. I never considered myself to be a fan of the character, but, depending on how things turn out, I just might need to change my mind. I know Moon Knight and the Thunderbolts are pretty low on the Marvel totem pole, but give this one a shot. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Order #10 – Review

By Matt Fraction (writer), Barry Kitson (breakdowns), Javier Saltares (pencils), Scott Hanna, Victor Olazaba & Nelson (inks), J. Roberts & Will Quintana (colors)

I’m a fan of The Order. Really, I am! But this last issue felt like a chore. Barry Kitson, the artist who made this book such a joy, had all but abandoned this book a few issues back. Sure he’s on breakdowns, but seriously, it means nothing to me. The finished art isn’t very good and there are times where it’s downright ugly thanks to lots of over coloring. How many people does it take to make a comic book? Eight, apparently. And because this book has so many people on it, it lacks any cohesion. It’s a Frankenstein of a book and it’s not pretty.

Matt Fraction isn’t getting off light, either. It’s like once he found out the book was getting canceled he (like Kitson) committed to finishing the run, but it’s obvious that his heart was no longer into it. The pacing is off-beat, the attempts at being clever are anything but, and the monologues are overbearing. Perhaps the only saving grace is the last third of this book which concludes a chapter of a member’s life and presses the reset button on the team.

What I found more interesting is where things go from here. Yes, this is the last issue, but the team will live on and I’ve got a hunch they’ll be showing up in Fraction’s upcoming Iron Man series. Speaking of Iron Man, Fraction has done a nice job sneaking old shell head into this storyline. In many ways, this last issue acts as a bridge to the aforementioned Iron Man series. The effects of what Ezekiel Stane has done (and promised) will undoubtedly echo throughout that series in the future. But honestly, I hope we never see him again. He’s one of the most annoying villains ever. On the flip side, the return of Pepper Potts into the Iron Man universe will surely make many old readers happy. But as for this series, I was initially sad to hear of its cancellation. But given the stories of the past two issues, I’m glad it’s over and we can all move on. (Grade: D+)

– J. Montes

The Order #9 – Review

By Matt Fraction (writer), Barry Kitson (breakdowns), Javier Salteres (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano & Derek Fridolfs (inks), J. Robers (colors)

The last few issues have been building towards this fight. With one issue to go, it’s The Order versus a plethora of bad guys, lead by Ezekiel Stane (son of Obadiah Stane). What he has in store for our band of west coast heroes ain’t pretty, either. As usual, the beginning of each issue focuses on one of The Order’s team members. This issue gives us Heavy’s backstory, which Matt Fraction writes as a tragic one. It’s also clever how he connects Heavy and Tony Stark’s origins together.

As for the big fight itself, it felt obligatory (honestly, there was no way to avoid it), and just wasn’t very exciting. Even the planning that lead up to it felt “by the numbers”. I realize this issue’s Heavy’s story, but putting him in charge of the team for this mission didn’t seem to make much of a tactical difference. He mentions strength in numbers, and they take an “alternate” route the to bad guy’s base, but other than that, we don’t see any of his battlefield prowess at all.

Remember when Barry Kitson actually drew this book? Me too. It’s a complete bummer we’re at the next to last issue of the series and Kitson’s finished pencils are still sorely missed. Sure, he does the layouts and Javier Saltares does a competent job on finishes, but this is Kitson’s book as far as I’m concerned. Not seeing him ride this book into the sunset is just disheartening. I hate to say it, but this is the first issue of The Order I’ve been disappointed with. The story finishes strong with a sad moment for the team, but everything that happens prior to that is a yawn fest. Please guys, don’t let this book go to the crapper with your last issue. (Grade: C-)

– J. Montes