Original Sin #2 – Review

Jason Aaron (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank Martin (Color Artist).

The Story: Who holds the eye?

The Review: The answer to the above question has more than one answer, as this issue we learn the identities of a trio of characters who hold one of the Watcher’s eyes. The character reveals are seriously out of left field, certainly not the usual suspects  which is a wonderful change of pace from the usual annual event tradition of recognizable heroes, villains and narrowed focus. Much as I delighted at the oddball team-ups that occurred in the first issue, the villain partnership that is presented in #2 feels incredibly fresh and exciting. The mystery angle of this series is quickly displaying how effective it is at throwing curve balls at, and surprising readers. Lets hope that the remaining six issues continue this trend.

The story’s scope continues to grow with this issue as more heroes become involved, Avengers, X-men, street-level heroes and newer faces like Nova join the manhunt for Uatu’s murderer. Not all of the characters play key roles in the issue but their inclusion does give the series the star power it needs for it’s summer blockbuster status. Where the issue does really shine is when it focuses on Nick Fury, clearly the star of the series, taking on a not-so-Mindless One in his flying car above New York. Aaron writes a fantastic Nick Fury, utilizing an array of outlandish spy gadgets to interrogate and later dispatch of his quarry with Steranko-esque style.

Original Sin #1 – Review

by Jason Aaron (Writer), Mike Deodato (Penciler), Frank Martin (Color Artist).

The Story: Nick Fury comes out of retirement to solve the case of the Watcher’s murder.

The Review: Opening issues to event stories always seem quite difficult to pull off, there is always a hefty amount of set up to achieve and pieces put into play whilst still telling an entertaining story on a larger than normal canvas. Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato manage to achieve all of this and more in the first issue of Original Sin which has been marketed as a cosmic murder mystery, the issue feels very different to either the politics of Civil War or the paranoia of Secret Invasion which helps make the event feel fresh.

The writing in this issue feels a lot more character focused than in a lot of event books, with Nick Fury taking something of a starring role, cast as the ‘retired and tired gumshoe being dragged back for the case of the century’. The diner sequence in this issue is a great way to introduce readers to our protagonist as Nick Fury along with other old soldiers of the Marvel Universe attend their regular ‘meat night’. It’s a great way to show how the history between these characters continues to inform their interactions in the present and feels like a very natural conversation between a very natural grouping of characters.

The opening sequence is also incredibly cinematic, ably rendered by Mike Deodato who could not be more of a perfect fit for this Noir murder mystery tale, the book is appropriately dark and shadowy which helps to really sell the tone and mystery of the story. Deodato frames certain panels with such a striking use of shadow that it can’t help but leave an impression upon the reader; the panel revealing Stephen Strange and also the panel showing the Mindless Ones writing in a warehouse immediately come to mind as some of the best examples of the artist’s use of dramatic lighting to great effect in the issue.

Aside from the mystery of the Watcher’s killer there are multiple other mysteries at play in the issue, the most obvious is Fury’s investigation of ‘the unseen’, its unknown at this point who or what exactly the unseen is but this issue succeeds in building mystery and suspense around the answer. The second mystery at play is somewhat more subtle, on first reading it appears that Fury himself is responsible for recruiting the investigation team consisting of some delightfully oddball groupings, however the way the characters refer to their boss is curiously vague. The only time we see the person directing the teams efforts on panel he is of course draped in shadow, also he is shown to be holding a glowing green object much like the growing shrapnel that is later retrieved from the Watcher’s skull. At this point it’s too early to tell if it’s Fury, someone else or a red herring but it’s a very enjoyable feeling knowing that the creators are confident in the mystery of their story enough to play with the readers, even in the first issue.

Captain Britain and MI:13 #9 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Leonard Kirk & Mike Collins (Pencils), Jay Leisten & Cam Smith (Inks), and Brian Reber & Rain Beredo (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: When I picked up the debut of Captain Britain and MI:13 during the Secret Invasion, I never expected it to become a favorite of mine. But nows, I find myself eagerly awaiting each new issue. The latest, the conclusion to the insanely chaotic Plotka storyline, is no exception. It’s a shame that the numbers for the series are so slow, because it absolutely deserves the attention of nearly every comic fan. It’s that good.

The Story: With the majority of the team stuck in one part of Plotka’s dream corridor thanks to Captain Midlands’ betrayal and Captain Britain still trying to find a way out of another part, things look grim for pretty much everybody. But Pete Wisdom has a plan, as does the person studying the trapped Mindless One outside of Cloverfield Estate. Soon the tides are turned and the team goes on the offensive.

What’s Good: Simply all the factors that make this title wildly imaginative. That’s the only way to describe the conclusion of the latest Captain Britain and MI:13 arc. Despite all the crazy magic, chaotic action, and elements of the occult, Paul Cornell and his art team somehow manage to keep everything in line long enough to wrap up one hell of an entertaining story that also plant the seeds for what promises to be another. In short, if you’ve liked what the series has offered so far, you won’t be disappointed what it offers this time around.

What’s Not So Good: There is one “elephant in the room” element regarding the latest Captain Britain arc that has nagged at me from the start. And guess what? It nagged at me a whole lot more while reading Captain Britain and MI:13 #9. Basically the whole thing is so filled with action and chaos that it rarely stops to take a breath long enough to really work through and explain what’s actually happening. Sure it’s a lot of fun to read and look at, but I just can’t help but wish I had a better grasp on the storyline as a whole. It made sense well enough, but I just can’t shake the feeling I missed out on a few things here and there.

Conclusion: Despite being almost overwhelming at times, the latest issue of Captain Britain is loaded with high-quality, high-concept entertainment. And, while it isn’t the greatest jump-on point if you haven’t checked the series out yet, it’s strong enough to make hunting down back issues a worthwhile endeavor. Consider it highly recommended.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny