Doom Patrol #19 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark & Ron Randall (pencillers), Art Thibert & Sean Parsons (inkers), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: A mercenary group of ne’er-do-wells facing off a team of super-freaks on the beautiful shores of Oolong Island as a volcano explodes?  Can someone say reality show?

The Review: Given the outcast nature of the Doom Patrol, it’s no wonder team-ups are a rarity for them.  On one side, they’re pretty much outmatched in number and power by almost every other team in the DCU—even the Outsiders.  On the other side, their specific dynamic doesn’t mesh well with conventional superheroes.  The Patrol serves best when left to their own devices, and not mixed up with characters that call attention to the small scale of their doings.

The one exception may be the Secret Six, who are nearly as weird and antisocial as their Oolong opponents in this issue.  Besides creator of the Secret Six, Gail Simone, one of the few writers capable of delivering the special chemistry of the Six is probably Giffen.  He doesn’t have the subtlety of Simone, being broader and leaning more toward slapstick, but he gets in a pretty good joke here and there (upon being beset by the Science Squad, Scandal remarks, “I think we’re about to be attacked by the chess club.”).

Still, despite having few dull moments between the two teams’ battle royale, some noticeable flaws keep the story from achieving the quality it should have, given the promising premise.  Being a crossover plot, if you happen to not be a Secret Six reader (though, on that note, why wouldn’t you be—it’s only totally awesome), you’d be hard-pressed to get exactly what’s happening here.

And if you did read the first part of the story, you’ll notice how truncated that story seems in this issue.  After all, S.M.A.S.H., the Six’s current employers, basically come to annex Oolong Island as their own, then end up fleeing with their tails between their legs in the course of four pages.  It just feels like the story never gets to build up before it winds down.  There’s little hope the next issue of Secret Six will continue the story, as the Six aren’t likely to work again with people who abandon them to the mercy of their enemies.

Spooks: Omega Team #3 – Review

By Ryan Schifrin (Creator), Larry Hama (Writer), Adam Archer (Pencils), and Tony Avina (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: This series has been really hit or miss so far. It has some good, fun ideas and a nice action-horror vibe, but it has yet to come together in a successful way. Maybe things will start to pick up as the opening arc makes it’s way toward a conclusion.

The Story: The SPOOKS team, in pursuit of Lilithu, heads to Romania in an attempt to bring the ancient demon’s quest for power to an end. Once there, the SPOOKS fight some obsessed cultists, exchange witty banter, cause lots of destruction, and inch closer to their target. In other words, the newest issue of SPOOKS: Omega Team is a lot like the first few.

What’s Good: That this book gives you more of the same. If you like what the series has offered up so far, then you will almost certainly enjoy this issue as well. The action is mostly well done, the banter is somewhat amusing, and the gore doesn’t disappoint.

What’s Not So Good: That this book gives you more of the same. Simply put, this series is already dangerously close to becoming utterly forgettable. The action is starting to feel tired, reading the banter is almost a painful experience at times, and the characters lack the substance necessary to make for a memorable monster fighting team.

Conclusion: SPOOKS: Omega Team #3 will prove to be either a deal maker or a deal breaker. More of the same may work for some people, but this reviewer was hoping for much more from the series at this point. It’s disappointing to see something with so much potential become boring so quickly.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

G.I. Joe #0 – Review

By Chuck Dixon, Larry Hama, Mike Costa, and Christos N. Gage (writers), Robert Atkins, Tom Feister, and Antonio Fuso (artists), Andrew Crossley and Chris Chuckry (colors)

What You Get: Three short stories that serve as teasers for three upcoming series from IDW: G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Origins, and G.I. Joe: Cobra. One story takes us back to the beginning where the Joes hear the first iteration of a new terrorist group, Cobra. The second story shows us how Duke is recruited onto the Joe team and gains his call sign. And the last story features a covert op by one of the more obscure characters in Joe lore, Chuckles!

What’s Good? There’s a lot of potential here. Larry Hama knows Joe history inside and out and even after all these years he shows he still has what it takes. I love how all the writers keep the exposition to a minimum while the acronyms and military terms are properly used with no explanations given whatsoever. It’s called “not talking down to the reader” and I appreciate that. All three writers (and artists) make out well given the small workspace they’ve been given and this issue is a great example of how to get readers excited about the new G.I. Joe series.

What’s Not So Good? I realize that there’s a G.I. Joe movie coming out next year and Hasbro rapes comic book publishers with the licensing costs, but having three series out next year is too much too soon. Comics are expensive as it is — does IDW really think people are going to buy all three titles at $3.99 a pop? Do we really need cardstock covers?

Conclusion: At $1.00, buying this issue’s a no-brainer. Granted the production values are excellent and the stories conveyed here seem to have genuine promise, but like most of IDW’s titles the prices of these forthcoming G.I. Joe series cannot be possibly justified (unless they’re 48 pages each). As excited as I am to read these on-going series, I’ll be holding out for the inevitable trades.

Grade: B+

– J. Montes

Spooks: Omega Team #2

By Ryan Schifrin (Creator), Larry Hama (Writer), Adam Archer (Pencils & Colors), and Nick Bell (Colors)

The Story: The Spooks team follows the trail of the demon queen, Lilithu, all the way to Istanbul and comes face to face with another powerful demon, the Lord of the Flies. Action, violence, and witty remarks rule the day as the team tries to stop two ancient entities from regaining power.

What’s Good: Spooks succeeds almost entirely on concept alone. I say this because it’s difficult to criticize something that I’m having so much fun with. Despite some very obvious flaws (which I will get to in a moment), this book is everything an action-horror comic should be.

The action is fast-paced, the violence delivers for gore-hounds, and good use is made of some very old source material. Definitely a fun read for fans of the genre.

What’s Not So Good: This series seems to be suffering from an identity crisis. The team gives off an almost buddy-comedy vibe, yet the myths and artwork are straight-up horror. I have no problem with mixing genres, but Spooks seems to be lacking the balance needed to pull that off.

The team interaction comes off as silly more often then not, yet some of the images and scenarios are downright nightmarish. Instead of blending these elements into something special, they clash in an uncomfortable fashion.

Conclusion: This series is a lot of fun and is built off of a great concept. That said, it definitely has a few growing pains to work through. Fans of action or horror will eat this up, but I doubt it will create any converts.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

IDW reveals three new G.I. Joe series

When IDW Publishing announced they had reached a deal with Hasbro to plan a re-launch of the G.I. JOE comic book franchise, they kept their mission plans secret. But now, with the impending release of the kick-off issue, October’s specially priced G.I. JOE #0, it’s time to discuss the plans in detail.

G.I. JOE #0, a $1.00, 24-page comic being released next month, will debut three new series launching in early ‘09. The issue contains three stand-alone five-page stories unique to the #0 issue, as well as character sketches and commentary from artist Robert Atkins, previews of upcoming covers, and interviews with the new G.I. JOE creators. The issue features two regular covers, one from Dave Dorman and one from JonBoy Meyers, as well as two special incentive covers from Atkins and a wraparound image by Ben Templesmith.

As to the content of the stories themselves, well, so far, the only news announced to fans has been the return of acclaimed G.I. JOE writer, Larry Hama and the addition of artist Atkins. While Hama is indeed back in the fold, he’s returning as part of a larger action team that will present these three initial comic book series in which G.I. JOE and COBRA are fully revitalized and re-established for a new generation of fans.

The first title to come storming out of the gate in January will be the singularly titled G.I.JOE, written by Chuck Dixon and featuring art by Atkins. This title moves ahead in the timeline from Hama‘s series and looks at the fledging G.I. JOE organization as it explores an all-new threat, a shadowy organization that is first introduced to the team in a #0 issue story. Dave Johnson (100 Bullets) will provide covers for the series, as will Atkins. The first issue features a special wraparound variant cover by superstar artist Gabriele Dell’Otto (Secret War).

Larry Hama will be heading up G.I. JOE: ORIGINS, a series that re-envisions the G.I. JOE team for a new generation. Hama will be putting his great strength of blending strong characterization and action storytelling, honed over decades of writing these characters, to effective use in looking at the formations of the G.I. JOE organization and just who the characters on the team really are. Hama will be joined on this series by artist/colorist Tom Feister (Ex Machina). Each issue will come with two regular covers, one by Andrea Di Vito and one by Feister himself. The series launches in February.

Finally, launching in March will be the third round of this initial salvo: G.I. JOE: COBRA, a four-part miniseries written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa, with art by Antonio Fuso, and covers by Howard Chaykin (American Flagg) and Fuso. This series provides a unique look at the new status quo for the primary threat in the G.I. JOE universe. The series views the sinister COBRA organization from a ground-floor view as a familiar G.I. JOE team member seeks to infiltrate Cobra and learn their inner workings.

In addition to these titles, IDW will be launching comics that lead into next summer’s G.I. JOE live-action major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, as well as deluxe reprints of past fan-favorite tales. Details for both these projects will be released soon.

G.I. Joe #0 (item code AUG08 4120, a 24-page, $1 issue, will be available in October. G.I. Joe #1 launches in January 2009; G.I. Joe: Origins #1 debuts in February 2009; and G.I. Joe: Cobra #1 premieres in March 2009.

Spooks: Omega Team #1 – Review

Ryan Schifrin (Creator), Larry Hama (Writer), Tim Seeley (Pencils), and Nick Bell (Colors)

I enjoyed the introductory Spooks mini-series quite a bit. While a little over-the-top at times and inconsistent visually, it accomplished the goal of doing enough things right to make me interested in what an ongoing Spooks series would have to offer. Turns out, it has quite a bit to offer as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

The Omega Team is an elite military unit specifically tuned to deal with supernatural, off the record threats. In this case, the target is Lilithu, queen of the night and she has done something to both U.S. rangers and members of the Iraqi Royal Guard. While I don’t want to spoil anything here, let me just say that the discovery of what exactly happened to the missing people leads to lots of action, some (borderline corny) humorous dialogue, and plot developments that lead me to believe this debut storyline won’t wrap up for at least a few more issues. The thing that strikes me the most about Omega Team is that it clearly isn’t taking things too seriously and that “summer blockbuster” vibe keeps me from being too critical at this point in the game.

The biggest compliment I can give Larry Hama and his art team is noticing that they definitely have a vision for what type of book Omega Team is going to be. While it doesn’t look as though it will rise above “monster of the month” level of storytelling anytime soon, that doesn’t make things any less enjoyable. The action is clever, the visuals are quite attractive, and the characters could turn out to be fairly unique (though Bettina definitely looks like a buff version of Cassie Hack, another Seeley project). Eventually, this series is going to have to aim a bit higher if it hopes to avoid getting stale, but for the time being it’s best to just strap in and enjoy the ride. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Immortal Iron Fist: The Origin of Danny Rand #1 – Review

By Matt Fraction, Roy Thomas, Len Wein (writers), Kano, Gil Kane, Larry Hama (artists), Dick Giordano (inks), A. Crossley (colors)

I was wondering if or when Ed Brubaker or Matt Fraction would take it upon himself to retell or retcon the origin of Danny Rand. Looking back on their run it’s surprising how Danny Rand was left out of their series of big origin stories. After all, he is the star of the series. But after reading this issue, it all makes perfect sense: why ruin a good thing?

For those looking for a fresh story, look elsewhere. This book is essentially a reprinting of Marvel Premiere #15 and 16 with a few pages of new story by Fraction which acts as little more than window dressing. What impressed me is how well the origin of Danny Rand still holds up. Sure, some of the dialogue and thugs are cheesy (the guys who ambush Danny in New York look like a bunch of frat boys), but for the most part it’s a pretty entertaining story with just a tad of Marvel 1970s goofiness thrown in for good measure.

Reading these two reprinted issues, it becomes very obvious how these stories inspired Brubaker and Fractions run on the books. If you’ve read their run, the narrative will be all too familiar; you’ll feel right at home. Another thing I enjoyed is how the old 1970s art by Gil Kane and Larry Hama has been completely recolored with computers. Normally, I would be against this sort of thing, but the coloring work by A. Crossley isn’t intrusive. Instead, it enhances the artwork in a subtle and respectful manner. If Marvel wants to do more of this stuff in the future, I wouldn’t be against it.

Sure, this book may just be a reprint, two stories for $3.99 ain’t a bad thing these days. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes

Spooks #4 – Review

Ryan Schifrin, Larry Hama (Writers), R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore, Ryan Schifrin (Story), Adam Archer, and Jonny Rench (Art)

The final part of the Spooks mini-series serves as both an end and a beginning. It’s an end in that this supernatural story concludes with an action-packed, satisfying conclusion. On the other hand, it’s a beginning in that it helps lead into the new Devil’s Due series Spooks: Omega Team which debuts in July. While a few things bothered me about this series as a whole, Spooks #4 is a solid, fitting conclusion to the events that have been brewing since issue #1.

To put it as simple as possible, this finale pulls out all the stops. On one side we have the United States Army and its supernatural team, while on the other we have a sorceress, a vampire clan, a werewolf pack, a medusa, and some zombies that used to be former U.S. soldiers. If you want some crazy monster-fantasy action, this is the book for you. Heck, they even throw a fighting Abe Lincoln monument into the mix! It’s crazy stuff in all the right ways, that’s for sure.

On to the critical part, Spooks is something that I have enjoyed quite a bit, however, I would put it more into the mindless summer blockbuster category than something that will stick with me for years to come. The action hits all the right notes, even when it gets a bit silly, and the art team does a good job with keeping the action both gory and easy to follow. My biggest complaint would have to be that the dialogue is occasionally awkward and, from time to time, incredibly cheesy. This problem is far from crippling, but it did take me out of the story’s world from time to time as I found myself shaking my head over the absurdity.

All in all, if you’ve been following the Spooks story, you are sure to find a solid conclusion with this last issue. As I said, the creative team pulls out all the stops to create some impressive (and interesting) combat scenarios. Fun and satisfying. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Spooks #1 (of 4) – Review

By: R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore (story), Ryan Schifrin (story & script), Larry Hama (script), Adam Archer (art), Jonny Rench (colors)

I picked this comic just for the great cover art! It reminded me of the old box art for computer games from the 80s. Check the awesome animated cover at www.spooksthecomic.com – first time I’ve seen something like that.

The United States Department of Supernatural Defense (BPRD… I mean DPSD) has specially trained forces on its payroll to protect us from supernatural enemies. We first meet Zach Ramirez, who’s using silver bullets to kill a loose werewolf, but the beast doesn’t die. I guess the “normal” rules don’t apply here. The werewolf bites Zach on his arm but he’s one of the 0.0001% of the population that is immune to werewolf bites.

The main plot goes on about this witch who is raising an army of evil doers to conquer the world once and for all. She has the werewolves on her side and even a headless horseman that she animates from the dead. Vampires join her swelling army as well, but each race has their own agenda. This group from hell is completed by a bodyguard figure in the form of a Frankenstein-esque monster.

I really don’t like having all these monsters together in a kind of crossover world. I’d rather deal with one species per story. I hope the book gets enough sales to make it into an ongoing series (right now it’s a four issue miniseries). I’m intrigued on what’s going to happen next but I don’t mind if I have to skip on it. The only way to guarantee a buy from me is if issue #2 cover is done by Staples. (Grade: C-)

-Daniel Yanez