Supergirl #65 – Review

By: Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), ChrissCross (penciller), Marc Deering (inker), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Just remember, kids: college doesn’t protect you from sinister hostage plots.

The Review: A lot of fanfare greeted Kara Zor-El when she finally returned to the DCU proper, but after over five years, with currently the longest-running female-led title on the stands (except for the inflated numbers on Wonder Woman), we still have no grasp on her character.  Each writer’s had a different take: the distant outsider, the party girl, the eager-to-please sweetheart, the girl who’s at once trying to live up to her famous cousin’s name and get out of his shadow.

The most consistent version of Supergirl is both serious and sincere, given to insecurity about her place in the heroic pantheon.  DeConnick tosses aside the inferiority complex to focus on the girl beneath the “S”-shield.  She does this the smartest way possible: getting Kara to interact with the real world with her costume under wraps, allowing her personality to take center stage.

It’s been a while since Kara got to rub shoulders with her Earthling peers, and this arc sets up a plot, which places her squarely amidst a whole university of them.  Comics rarely get into this setting (odd, considering a lot/most of us are of that age), but DeConnick shows the potential for stories that can come of it, with its wide range of personalities.  Half the energy of this issue comes from introducing a bunch of collegiate archetypes and letting them butt heads.

Gears of War #6 – Review

By Joshua Ortega (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), and Jonny Rench (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The creative team behind Gears of War has a lot of work to do in issue six if they want me to keep the series on my pull list. To say that last month’s issue disappointed me would be a pretty serious understatement. In fact, I’m fairly certain it earned one of the lowest grades I have ever given out.

The Story: The final chapter of “Hollow” is about Marcus and the gang battling their way out of the Montevado sinkhole. Things do not go smoothly. Especially in Jace’s case…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Liam Sharp and Jonny Rench do a great job of clearly capturing the action, chaos, grit, and violence necessary to make the Montevado sinkhole battle feel like something that carries dramatic weight. And they needed to, because Gears of War #6 is quite forgettable as far as storytelling is concerned. It’s not that the story is poorly executed or written, it’s just that, bottom line, there really isn’t a whole lot of story to tell. What little there is exists merely to stage action scenes and bring some sort of conclusion to the first arc of the series.

I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to say regarding Joshua Ortega’s writing. His plot vehicle, Jace, has a decent amount of depth and a flair for dramatic narration, but it’s that very depth that makes the character feel out of place. Too much time is spent on Jace when everyone knows that it’s really the Marcus Fenix show. While it’s admirable that Ortega opted to expand the cast of the series, it’s questionable whether it was ultimately the right decision when the action-packed comic series feels so shallow. It’s not that I expected something deep, but I did hope that it would expand and add to the videogame mythos a bit more successfully.

Conclusion: While Gears #6 isn’t quite strong enough to stop the series from dropping off my pull list due to the weak storytelling, it’s not really the creative team’s fault. The visuals do the source material justice, the writing is decent enough despite the limits placed on it (considering that the series takes place in between games one and two), and, as a whole, the book proves to be an entertaining piece of sci-fi action. I recommend it to fans of the game, but urge those checking it out to keep expectations realistic.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Gears of War #2 – Review

By Joshua Ortega (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), and Johnny Rench (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Common sense leads one to the understanding that you shouldn’t go into a Gears comic expecting something exceptional. With that in mind, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how successfully Gears of War #1 brought the game’s world and conflict to the comic page. Now the question is whether or not a plot can be developed well enough to make the series worth picking up each month.

The Story: The squad fights back against the Locust ambush that began last issue, and then heads back to base for some down time. The break in the action allows the book to focus on character work for a bit before throwing the soldiers back into the fray. I wish I could say a bit more concerning the story, but that’s about all that happens in this one.

What’s Good: When the book focuses on the action and tough-guy personalities, it works extremely well. The artwork effectively brings the violence and war-torn environments to the page, something that I still find a bit surprising. As for the writing, I have to applaud the fact that I could easily imagine John DiMaggio reciting nearly every line of Marcus Fenix dialogue. Sure it’s standard tough-guy, action movie stereotype type stuff, but it is what I expected and (in some ways) hoped for. Simply put, the book delivers the Gears of War experience pretty well. If that sounds appealing to you in any way, then I am sure you will find something to like here.

What’s Not So Good: The attempts to give the characters depth feel forced and, as such fall pretty flat. It doesn’t work all that well in the game and the same goes for the comic. Also worth mentioning is how little actually happens in this issue. I still can’t figure out if a plot is being developed or how any of the events are crucial to the story in Gears of War 2.

Conclusion: Gears of War #2 delivers some good action and style, but it’s severely lacking in the substance department. While it is undoubtedly a fun read for fans of the game, I question whether it really deserves the $3.99 price tag. Something big needs to happen in the next issue to prove that this comic is really something a fan should bother investing in.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Gears of War #1 – Review

By Joshua Ortega (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), and Johnny Rench (Colorist)

The Story: Taking place roughly two months after the end of the first Gears of War game, hero Marcus Fenix and a new recruit, Jace, are out on patrol searching for any survivors of a brutal Locust attack. They find a few, one a familiar face, and kill quite a few Locusts along the way.

What’s Good: How well the creative team nails the feel of the Xbox 360 game. The art, dialogue, and story all do a wonderful job of using the atmosphere and characters to great effect. If you’re looking for a story about tough guys killing monsters using excessive violence, you can’t do much better than this. As a fan of the game, I couldn’t be more satisfied.

What’s Not So Good: As you probably guessed, this isn’t exactly the deepest comic on the stands. The characters are your generic military tough guys, the violence may be too much for some to handle, and the comic never really rises above its videogame roots. Also, the storyline is written assuming that you have played the game at some point, so those unfamiliar with Gears may find themselves wondering about certain references.

On the technical side, the dark coloring muddies up and confuses a scene or two, but this is only a slight annoyance in an otherwise good looking book.

Conclusion: Action junkies and Gears fans should really take the time to check out this comic. It faithfully translates everything that made the game such a success into an enjoyable, visually impressive book. A mindless, yet pleasant surprise in every way.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny