Arrow S01E02 – Review

By: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg (story)

The Story: In which you get one more reason why Legal Aid is the most thankless job ever.

The Review: The most important lesson I took from the massively disappointing Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is nothing is less funny than someone that tries to be funny—and actually succeeds in convincing himself he’s funny.  The second most important lesson I learned from the show is a strong pilot can easily give way to a mediocre or downright terrible show.  From then on, I’ve always kept my expectations in control until after the mid-season.

This strategy seems especially appropriate when dealing with a CW adaptation of a comic book character.  Despite a pretty solid debut last week, it wouldn’t be difficult for me to imagine a scenario where the quality of Arrow episodes just plummets afterward.  That doesn’t quite happen here, but you do feel that whatever momentum the pilot generated, it gets a little lost in the follow-up.

Arrow S01E01 – Review

By: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg (story

The Story: Sure bullets pack more punch, but when was the last time you zip-lined with one?

The Review: Much as anyone loves the idea of getting to watch their favorite superheroes on live-action TV every week, some pretty big obstacles get in the way of that particular dream.  As a modern audience, we expect greater realism (read: money) from the stories and special effects than the people who watched Lynda Carter spin into costume on Wonder Woman.  And the more extensive a superhero’s powers, the more opportunity there is for a show to disappoint.

If you take all that into consideration, Smallville was a pretty impressive series, balancing both the fulfillment of comic book dreams and budgetary restraints for ten seasons—kind of the Holy Grail of television longevity.  I imagine, however, that the folks at the CW weren’t keen on going through that that kind of expense again.  While the aborted Aquaman project presented all kinds of watery CGI that made producers’ heads spin, Arrow seems more manageable.

Uncanny X-Force #20 – Review

By: Rick Remender (writer), Greg Tocchini (artist), Dean White (colors)

The Story: Fantomex, you’re being tried by a group called the “Captain Britain Corps,” and you have a French accent. Don’t speak in your own defense!

The Review: Last issue, two members of the X-Force were abducted by the Captain Britain Corps and brought to Otherworld: Psylocke, who is Captain Britain’s little sister, and Fantomex. For the uninitiated, Captain Britain (civilian name Brian Braddock) isn’t just an Anglicized version of Captain America. Instead, he is tasked by the wizard Merlyn to protect the Marvel Omniverse. Braddock wants Psylocke to rejoin the Captain Britain Corps to aid them against a massive siege of demonic forces. Fantomex, however, is there to stand trial for the murder of Kid Apocalypse. Yes, that last bit is patently absurd, but I’m not docking the issue points for this yet as there are hints that Braddock may have ulterior motives for holding Fantomex. Once the rest of the X-force notices that two of their number are missing, they embark on a rescue mission.

Remender does a great job introducing Captain Britain and company, though this is a more dickish version of Brian Braddock than you may be used to seeing. Remender also seems to be going out of his way to establish Kurt Darkholme as a different man than Kurt Wagner, though Darkholme’s frustrations at being treated like his doppelgänger are valid and understandable. One thing that continues to distract, however, is the characterization of Deadpool. He is simply not the same person you will find in every other Marvel book featuring him. This Deadpool has convictions and loyalty. He has a moral code and doesn’t constantly break the fourth wall. This Deadpool can say, “I miss Warren,” without a trace of sarcasm [or with nothing but complete sincerity]. It’s hard to accept, initially, but personally I feel saturated with the interpretation of Wade as a running gag, so I can go along with this revisionist take. But if you’re a traditional Deadpool fan, this title just isn’t for you.

But some odd characterization is nothing compared to the problems with the art. Greg Tocchini is a damn good artist.  And he has done fantastic work with Remender before, as Dean noted in his review of The Last Days of American Crime #3. So I’m not sure what happened to make this book look like a mess. Not one person stands in a natural manner. It’s impossible to read body language because everyone is perpetually posing. Captain Britain in particular appears throughout to be attempting to show off his impressive throat musculature, and I defy anyone to tell me what Psylocke is thinking once in this issue without the aide of speech bubbles. Nightcrawler stands out as the consistently most naturally drawn and emotive character, but I can’t award any point for this because his tattoo keeps disappearing.