Dark Avengers #14 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato (art), Rain Beredo (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Victoria Hand deals with dissension in the ranks and the Void makes his presence known.

What’s Good: This issue is a solid issue largely because it’s based entirely on perhaps the two best things to come out of Dark Avengers: Victoria Hand and the Osborn/Sentry relationship.

While Hand has spent much of the series in the background, verging on blandness at times, Bendis has made huge strides with the character in the past few issues.  She has become more brazen and empowered and we’ve really gotten know her on a more individual and personal level.  That trend continues here, as her relationship with Osborn becomes a major focus, with her almost achieving a kind of parental role over the disgruntled and desperate HAMMER director.

It’s great to see someone stand up to Norman, sure, but the care and concern Hand expresses actually made me feel bad for Osborn.  I had to remind myself that he’s still the bad guy.  That’s the mark of a great character in Hand and Bendis is really ensuring that she sticks around in the Marvel Universe post-Dark Reign.

The Sentry/Osborn stuff is great once again if only because one really, really gets the sense that Osborn has bitten off more than he can chew and the blade truly is over his head.  Negotiating the Void is not the cakewalk that manipulating Bob was.  Still, Osborn’s frustration-fueled bravery was enjoyable and, when seeing him directly confront a rampaging and all-powerful Void, I had to again remind myself that Osborn was not a good guy.

Mike Deodato throughout all this provides some absolutely fantastic artwork.  His depictions of the apocalyptic environment wrought by the Void truly are hellish.  Deodato simply does some great work in his massive drawings of urban landscapes and it’s really stunning stuff, as are his illustrations of a souped up Sentry.

Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man #4 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Chris Bachalo w/ Rob Disalvo (Pencils), Townsend, Disalvo, Sibal, Irwin, Wang, & Mendoza (Inks), and Bachalo w/Fabela & Mossa (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The storyline is a bit basic and the way the artwork is divided up tends to be annoying, but those issues haven’t stopped me from enjoying the hell out of the Sinister Spider-Man mini-series.

The Story: Mayor Jameson’s Big Apple Festival is in big trouble. The Redeemer’s there, the two rivals gangs are there, and, worst of all, Bullseye and Wolverine’s kid are there as well. Does that mean Spider-Man is in trouble as well? You better believe it.

What’s Good: Now that’s more like it! Sinister Spider-Man #4 manages to recapture everything that made the first issue of the mini-series so great. It’s funny as hell, the manic artwork kicks ass, and the story finishes in a way that’s so crazy it actually winds up being quite satisfying.

Brian Reed’s hilarious script elevates a fairly generic bad guy acting like a good guy story into something more. What makes it work so well is that Reed writes Mac Gargan (A.K.A. Sinister Spider-Man) as an asshole through and through. A funny, likeable asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. By doing so, Reed’s able to make you root for Gargan while loving every bit of chaos that erupts as a result of what he’s done throughout the mini-series. It must be said, however, that Reed’s script wouldn’t work nearly as well if the artist handling the craziest parts of it didn’t completely embrace the writers vision. Thankfully, Chris Bachalo does.

Right from the opening “What the **** is this **** all about?” splash page (that features, among other things, flying panties, gangsters, a poodle, and corn dogs), Bachalo establishes that the Sinister Spider-Man series is going to finish on one heck of a high note. Now I’m well aware that Bachalo’s kinetic style isn’t for everyone, but it’s hard to argue how fitting it is for the story being told and the action that takes place. I never thought I’d see both corn dogs and a “yap dog” being used as projectile weapons, yet there they are. The few pages Rob Disalvo contributes are solid as expected, though I can’t help but wonder why Marvel didn’t just give Bachalo another week or two to finish the book. It’s not like the whole Dark Reign thing is ending next week.

What’s Not So Good: The only real big negative about Sinister Spider-Man #4 is that occasionally Chris Bachalo’s artwork is too hectic. There’s a lot of stuff going on and sometimes it doesn’t come together all that well on the page. And that’s either due to small panel size or the amount of action being crammed into a scene.

Conclusion: Sinister Spider-Man #4 rocks pretty hard. Be sure to pick up the inevitable trade if you haven’t been following the Dark Reign mini-series.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers #9 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Mike Deodato (Art), and Rain Beredo (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With Utopia out of the way, I fully expect Dark Avengers to get back to being a favorite of mine. With a kick-ass cover and the promise of a guest appearance from Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Warriors, it’s a pretty safe bet that Dark Avengers #9 will deliver.

The Story: Ares discovers that his son, Phobos, isn’t exactly heading off to school during the day. Meanwhile, something strange is going on at Avengers Tower while some of the Dark Avengers chat it up about funny heroes.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Before I really get into the review, I have to first toss out a quick suggestion: Do yourself a favor and try to ignore the cool image on the cover of Dark Avengers #9. While Ares goes on a little rampage and some stuff is destroyed, Brian Michael Bendis (I almost want to say, “as usual”) opts to let dialogue do almost all of the work in the latest issue of Dark Avengers. Is this a bad thing? Turns out, it’s not at all.

Bendis’ decision to let words bring resolution to an explosive situation works extremely well because of how the scene plays out. It gives the characters involved a little extra depth and goes a long way towards humanizing a character that, most recently, has been little more than muscle in superhero battles. I do, however, have one major issue with the dialogue in regards to how Phobos is portrayed. Bendis handles him as though he is a normal kid afraid of his father. While that works as far as what’s happening is concerned, Bendis’ take on Phobos seems to go against what Jonathan Hickman is doing with the character. It’s hard to really call what Bendis does a negative, but it is something that must be mentioned.

So the Ares/Fury/Phobos scene is pretty great. Thankfully, the rest of the book doesn’t disappoint. The exchange at Avengers Tower is something really close to hilarious, and the weird stuff happening left me thinking “WTF!?” in a good way. In short, it’s clear that the series is back on track and I really couldn’t be much happier. That said, I do wish that the Dark Avengers would stop being stuck as the supporting characters in their own series. I buy Dark Avengers to read about the Dark Avengers damnit…

The artwork in Dark Avengers #9 is, as expected, moody, gritty, and impressive all around. The unfortunate thing is that there really isn’t a whole lot of ways for Mike Deodato and Rain Beredo to show off given the script. The characters look good and the emotion on display certainly works, but it’s clear that neither artist is really being put to the test.

Conclusion: Dark Avengers fans… it’s safe to come back to the series now.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man #2 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Chris Bachalo w/ Rob Disalvo (Pencils), Tim Townsend, Mendoza, Sibal, and Disalvo (Inks), and Bachalo w/ Mossa and Fabela (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I liked the first issue of Sinister Spider-Man a whole hell of a lot. Mean, hilarious, and absolutely awesome to look at, Sinister Spider-Man #1 might actually be one of my favorite single issues of the year. I wonder if Sinister Spider-Man #2 can live up to the high standard set by the first chapter of the Dark Reign mini?

The Story: Mac Gargan (Spider-Man) starts off a huge gang war in order to keep Mayor J. Jonah Jameson’s life as difficult as possible. Meanwhile, The Redeemer holds a group therapy session for villains that have been wronged by Spider-Man.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The second Sinister Spider-Man issue is a lot like the first. The visuals by Chris Bachalo look fantastic (each page feels loaded with energy, even when nothing significant is happening), the dark humor by Brian Reed is spot on (who knew squirrels taste like “squirmy popcorn?!”), and the storyline is a perfect fit for a mini-series like Sinister Spider-Man. Sounds like another “A” right? Well, not quite… Two things keep Sinister Spider-Man #2 from reaching the heights of the previous Sinister Spidey issue: the visuals by Rob Disalvo and the nagging feeling that absolutely nothing of consequence is going to have happened when all is said and done.

Simply put, the change from Chris Bachalo to Rob Disalvo is downright jarring. It’s not because their styles are different, but because they are so similar. There’s one big problem though: Disalvo’s work looks incredibly weak compared to Chris Bachalo’s. While I’m sure a full book by Disalvo would look pretty cool, his few pages do not stand up well in comparison to the rest of Sinister Spider-Man #2.

The problem I have with Brian Reed’s storyline pops up at the very end of Sinister Spider-Man #2. It looks as though a major character may be as good as dead far sooner than later, but it’s EXTREMELY unlikely that the character would die in what is, ultimately, just another Marvel tie-in mini-series. The fact that the character is unlikely to die in a mini-series like Sinister Spidey definitely takes away from the overall effect the storyline being developed has.

Conclusion: While it’s got a few flaws, Sinister Spider-Man #2 is still one hell of a fun comic book. Most of the visuals are incredibly stylish and edgy, the dark humor works extremely well, and the overall personality the book has makes it easy to overlook some of the problems I mention in the review.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

DARK REIGN: THE SINISTER SPIDER-MAN # 1 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Chris Bachalo (Pencils & Colors), Tim Townsend (Inks), and Antonio Fabela (Color Guides)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m a huge fan of Chris Bachalo’s artwork and I’ve enjoyed nearly everything that I’ve read from Brian Reed. So, needless to say, Sinister Spider-Man #1 was an easy purchase. I expect good things…

The Story: Mac Gargan is Spider-Man… The Dark Avengers’ version at least. Posing as Spider-Man while the Venom symbiote messes with the stability of his mind, Gargan stops a bank robbery, hits a strip joint, and comes up with a plan to get back at the one that made him who he is, J. Jonah Jameson! Meanwhile, a mysterious figure that calls himself The Redeemer wants to help some of the people that Spider-Man put away…

What’s Good: Dark, twisted, funny, stylish, and also a little bit obnoxious, Sinister Spider-Man #1 kicks all sorts of ass. The writing compliments the visuals and vice versa in such a way that the first chapter of Mac Gargan’s Dark Reign tie-in reads and looks like something truly unique. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the start of the Sinister Spidey mini just might be one of the most fun comics I’ve read in quite some time.

Brian Reed’s take on Mac Gargan hits all the right notes. It brings to mind what Warren Ellis did with the character during the critically acclaimed Thunderbolts run that reintroduced Venom to the masses. The one key difference is that Reed’s Gargan is a little less psychotic and a little more comfortable with what he’s become. It’s a fair trade considering how Gargan has to take front and center as opposed to strictly playing off other teammates. Reed’s Gargan is a crass, sarcastic lowlife that’s pretty satisfied with his new position of power and ready to take advantage of everything that the new position offers. There’s a number of great lines throughout the book and leaves you feeling as though Gargan is written exactly the way he should be for a book about a Sinister version of Spider-Man (which, brilliantly, feels like an extension of the ongoing Amazing Spider-Man series).

I can’t say enough about how awesome the work by Chris Bachalo and the rest of the art team looks. It’s very distinct and proves to be a great fit for the crazy tone of the book. Bachalo’s characters are loaded with personality and his unique panel layouts do a great job of reflecting the feel of each individual scene. Also worthy of note is how striking the few black and white scenes are. While they look a bit simplified at times, they serve as a neat look into Gargan’s twisted mind.

What’s Not So Good: Simply put, Sinister Spider-Man #1 isn’t a book for everyone. It’s every bit the “love it or hate it” book that I assumed it would be when I first heard about it. Chris Bachalo’s artwork is clearly going to divide audiences and Brian Reed’s dialogue is most definitely going to offend some (Dead stripper dark humor…’nuff said).

Conclusion: Sinister Spider-Man #1 is awesome…IF you are the type of person that can get into what it offers.  I expected good, what I got was great.  While I certainly can’t recommend it to everyone, I can still give it the grade I feel it deserves…

Grade: A

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers #4 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Mike Deodato (Art), and Rain Beredo (Colors)

The Story: With Norman Osborn (Iron Patriot) and Dr. Doom busy confronting Morgan Le Fey in the past, the leaderless Dark Avengers must face La Fey and her demons in the present. During the battle, Clint Barton goes public with information regarding the Dark Avengers…

What’s Good: I know that Brian Michael Bendis’ writing is pretty divisive, but I found Dark Avengers #4 to be one hell of a fun read. And that’s almost entirely because the Dark Avengers have a team dynamic that makes good (and appropriate) use of Bendis’ style of dry, sarcastic humor and personality driven dialogue. It goes a long way towards masking the fact that, as far as plot is concerned, very little actually happens in the latest issue of Dark Avengers.

As for the artwork, Mike Deodato and Rain Beredo continue to do great things as a team. Dark, moody, detailed, and even, at times, sexy, the art helps to ease the pain of the $3.99 price tag a little bit. In short, Dark Avengers #4 is one good-looking book.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I like the writing and the artwork on a technical level, Dark Avengers #4 feels somewhat lacking as a whole, especially considering that it costs $3.99. One reason is that it’s an extremely fast read that has a number of (visually impressive) panels and pages with little, if any dialogue. Sure it looks nice, but it makes the everything fly by. Another reason is that the issue is pretty light on plot. Things with Doom and Le Fey wrap up well enough, but it left me wanting more. In addition, it feels almost incomplete in some ways due to the rather abrupt ending. The ending works; don’t get me wrong, I just wish the stop wasn’t so damn jarring.

Also, on a side note, Dark Avengers is starting to feel a bit too much like Warren Ellis’ Thunderbolts.  While that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how awesome the Ellis, Deodato, and Beredo run on Thunderbolts was, it wouldn’t hurt if the creative team put some more space between the two series in some way.  That said, I understand it might be difficult considering that Dark Avengers has the same art team and many of the same characters that Thunderbolts had.

Conclusion: There’s a lot to like about Dark Avengers #4, but considering how fast it moves, it’ll be up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth the asking price.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness #1 – Review

Christos N. Gage (Writer), Ben Oliver (Artist), and Jose Villarrubia (Color Art)

I’ve always found the Thunderbolts one-shots to be something of a mixed bag. They work well at giving me my Thunderbolts fix as I really enjoy the dynamics of the team. On the other hand, I can’t ignore the difference in overall quality between the main series and the one-shots. Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato have created something special with the post Civil War Thunderbolts team and the one-shots meant to fill in the long gaps between issues feel both unnecessary and disconnected from the main storyline. With that said, however, I still find the one-shots to be entertaining in their own way as the formula they use, focusing on only a few members at a time, works well enough. Like I said, I need my Thunderbolts fix.

This latest one-shot, Reason in Madness, is no exception to the established formula. We are treated to a fairly dynamic team battle against Biohazard, while Mac Gargan (Venom) is given an offer to rejoin the Masters of Evil, and the relationship/respect between Gargan and Norman Osborne is further explored. The storyline for this one-shot is on par with the rest of them, nothing incredible or complex, but competent and entertaining nonetheless.

Ben Oliver and Jose Villarrubia do a nice job with the art for this issue, though in no way is it even close to the stellar work Deodato has done for the main series. The scenes flow well and the action is easy to follow, but I wish the characters were more detailed and the colors weren’t so flat. As I mentioned earlier, the one-shots have been a mixed bag and the same can be said for the artwork.

Christos N. Gage’s dialogue is, and I hate to keep saying this, a mixed-bag as well. His work with Venom and Osborn is well done and the Masters of Evil storyline is a nice self-contained story, but some minor things frustrated me quite a bit. Penance and Swordsman feel completely out of character with their snappy dialogue, and the lighthearted tone when we get to the scene with the team feels as though it should have been used for a different team book. It is also difficult to place this tale within the Thunderbolts continuity, as Penance talks as though it takes place after the current ongoing arc where he’s made a breakthrough with Doc Sampson, yet there is no mention of the chaos currently gripping Thunderbolts Mountain. That might just be a nitpick, but it bothers me enough to mention.

Overall, Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness is a decent enough read, though hardly necessary. It’s worth picking up if you need a Thunderbolts fix (like me), but just make sure to keep your expectations in check. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny