Red She-Hulk #64 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (Writer), Carlo Pagulayan, Wellington Alves (Artists), Val Staples (Colorist)

The Story: Both Betty and Aaron gets underground as they meet the Mole Monster who has some monsters for them to fight and some information to share.

The Review: Now this is the Jeff Parker I remember liking in the first place, the man who dared gives some absurd concepts their chance at shining, using them to his advantage to write quality stories. In short, the writer who could manage to give some deeper characterization and bring some fun to any characters if he was granted the chance to do so.

FF #3 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Michael Allred (art), Laura Allred (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: The mysterious visitor from beyond the veil turns out to be more familiar than thought, telling tales of a horrifying (and pretty ludicrous) villain.  Also, the Yancy Street Gang strikes!

The Review:  I had high expectations for this book and as such, I ‘d be lying if I didn’t say that the first issue disappointed me a bit insofar as nothing much seemed to happen.  Then, last month, it started to click.  Now, with the third issue, I think this might stand along Hawkeye as among the very best books Marvel is currently publishing.

The reason for this is one word: fun.  That is really the best and perhaps only word I can use to describe this issue.  It’s off-kilter, it’s genuinely funny, it has a team with great chemistry, it’s thoroughly mad-cap, it’s human, and it’s clear that the creative team is having a great time putting it all together, which really shines through in their work.

FF #1 Review

By: Matt Fraction (Writer), Michael Allred (Artist), Laura Allred (Color Artist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

The Review: Despite its creative pedigree, I still worry about the levels of commercial success this book will find. The Future Foundation is so intrinsically linked to its ‘big brother’ title The Fantastic Four that I guess a lot of people may feel that if you’re not buying the latter, there’s little point in buying the former. After all, this series was originally born out of necessity; Jonathan Hickman had too much story to fit into his Fantastic Four title alone, and now that Matt Fraction has taken over the franchise the same is true. With Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben heading off into Space for (‘relatively’ speaking) a year, someone needed to take their place keeping watch over Earth. This relaunch follows the team formed for that purpose. Their first challenge? Proving that they’ve got what it takes to hold your interest and to make this series a standalone essential.

Fantastic Four #1 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (story), Mark Bagley (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Welcome to the next era of the family four.  Meet the family and learn all about their new mission, which will have them sailing off to the unknown corners of the universe.

The Review:  In many ways, the issue is structured as something of a reassurance for readers of Jonathan Hickman’s seminal run.  Matt Fraction knows he has big shoes to fill so he takes baby steps here, showing that he’s not ditching any of the strong elements that Hickman introduced.

At the same time, the issue has a very clear structure:  each of the four gets one scene where Fraction basically shows us how he understands each character and his take on their respective core essences.  All told, each scene hits the mark.  Reed and his habit of taking on burdens, Sue’s role as the mother of the team, and Johnny and Ben’s respective brands of comic relief all go off quite well.  There is an argument to be made that perhaps Fraction goes a little far with Johnny and Ben, who feel a bit over-the-top and a bit like caricatures of themselves to an extent, but honestly, given how funny I found their respective scenes, it’s hard to really fault Fraction for this.  I mean, sure their personalities were a little exaggerated, but I still enjoyed the hell out of their portions of the issue and fun is the ultimate objective, right?  And there’s no mistaking that Hickman’s Ben and Johnny are pretty darned funny.

FF #22 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (writer), Andre Araujo (art), Cris Peter (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  Bentley confronts his father, the Wizard, to prove once and for all that he is not a chip of the old, crazy block.

The Review:  You know, this upcoming Wizard story was sort of like my last hope for Hickman’s Fantastic Four these days.  I’ve made no secret of the fact that I think Hickman had run out of stories quite a while ago and that Marvel soured a good thing by stretching the Hickman’s stint beyond his planned exit.  But the Wizard…that was the one remaining loose end, the one story that remained.  And it was a crossover between Hickman’s two titles, so there must be something there right?

Apparently not.  The preceding Fantastic Four issue felt shallow and light on content and this issue of FF?  Well, it’s just frustrating, to be honest.  If you expected the issue to just follow up on last issue’s cliffhanger of Bentley’s confronting his father, you’d be dead wrong.  See, only FOUR PAGES occur after where we left our characters.  That’s right, four pages.  The rest of the issue simply rehashes what we already saw earlier this month, albeit (sort of) from the perspective of Val and Bentley.  Admittedly, there’s an opening scene that’s new: a ping pong game between some of the kids, and it’s a bit of a laugh (even if it’s completely insignificant/irrelevant to the plot).

Daredevil #10 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Paolo Rivera (pencils), Joe Rivera (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Daredevil cuts Mole Man’s twisted romance short.

The Review:  This issue is a key example of why I enjoy Mark Waid’s take on Daredevil and why it’s been so critically beloved in general.  It features Matt battling a gigantic subterranean monster and dueling Mole Man in a diamond mine.  It so happens that I’m currently re-reading Brian Bendis’ celebrated run and it’s amazing just how different Waid’s story is.  Quite simply, Mark Waid is turning pre-conceived notions of what constitutes a “Daredevil story” on its head and continues to challenge limits and expand the kinds of stories that can be told about old horn-head while still staying true to the character.

Fighting Mole Man and giant monsters in subterranean monsters seems totally contrary to the “street-level” Daredevil comic, and yet it works here simply because Waid imbues it with enough pure fun and daring-do to still make for an enjoyable read.  Morever, despite the crazy circumstances, Waid accompanies it with narration by Matt that keeps it tied to the character.  Even in these wild situations, the story remains tied to Matt’s psyche and character so, in this sense, this still feels like a “Daredevil comic” despite monsters and moloids subbing for thugs and hoods and giant caves standing in for the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen.  While it’s refreshing and fun, it’s still the life of a superhero very much through Matt’s eyes and THAT is ultimately what makes it feel truly “Daredevil” above all else.

Waid also does a great job in his writing of Mole Man, who is perhaps surprisingly competent in physical combat, giving his fight with Daredevil a vaguely slapstick feel that fits Paolo Rivera’s style perfectly.  Waid’s depiction of Mole Man is very engaging as well – he’s pathetic and disturbed, but not “evil”.  Basically, Waid makes it much more nuanced than he’d necessarily have to.  He gives us a peak into a disturbed mind, which leads to a fully realized, three-dimensional villain.

FF #15 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick Dragotta (pencils), Mike Choi (inks), Chris Sotomayor & Guru eFx (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Franklin receives guidance from his imaginary friend as the kids race to prepare Sol’s Anvil.

The Review:  Before I get to the real meat of the review, let’s all do a little happy dance that Juan Bobillo has officially departed from the title.  Hurray!

Now that we’re through with that, this is actually a somewhat troubling issue.  It’s certainly not at all poorly written: it’s technically a well-crafted script by Hickman, as you’d expect, with big cosmic hullabaloo combined with little injections of humour.  The problem is that no matter how I think on this issue, I can’t really think of a bona fide reason why it had to be written at all.

Put simply, there’s not a whole lot of significance that occurs here beyond what we already knew from the last issue of Fantastic Four and the new events that we do witness could easily have been assumed to have occurred off panel.  Hell, it even ends on the same cliffhanger splash page (albeit, not as well drawn).  It’s hard to see why this issue had to exist at all either than to give some of the kids a little screen time.  Really, I’m left feeling that this issue is akin to your favorite band putting out a collection of b-sides.  It’s kind of cool as a collectible or an oddity, but it’s not at all a must-have, nor does it stand at the same level or gravity of a full album, ultimately being “for completionists only.”

The weirder thing is that, while this issue doesn’t do much above and beyond what Fantastic Four #603 already rocked our brains with, it also can’t be read without having read that issue.  I can’t imagine FF #15 making a lot of sense at all if you’re not reading Fantastic Four.  In fact, it becomes even more useless.  So ultimately, if you’re reading Fantastic Four, you’re sort of getting an issue narrative “extras” a bit lacking in necessity and substance while, if you’re not reading Fantastic Four, this won’t be of any worth at all.

Incredible Hulk #3 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writing), Marc Silvestri (line art), Sunny Gho (colors), and Ed Dukeshire (letters)

The Story:  Hulk tries to defend his moloid buddies from gamma-powered boar brothers 26 and 27.

The Review:  I’m fairly certain that this is one of those issues where you’re going to get reviews across quite a wide spectrum.  The major reason for this, I suspect, is going to be Marc Silvestri’s artwork.

I understand a good number of people will enjoy Silvestri’s style here, but I unfortunately don’t find myself in that camp.  While I enjoyed his first issue, I just can’t escape the fact that his work feels dated.  It has a distinctly 90s style that detracts from the book.  That would be fine, perhaps, if the work showed the same level of attention and craftsmanship present in the first issue, but this felt messy.  It seemed rushed, extra scratchy, and at times, ill-defined.  But really, “messy” is the best word that I can use to summarize this.

There’s good work here, chiefly in Silvestri’s illustrations of the Hulk and Banner’s various monsters, but the rushed feeling really prevails everywhere else, particularly in the backgrounds.  It creates an overall, sloppy 90s aesthetic that detracts from the book.

Last month, I complained that the Hulk just wasn’t an interesting character yet under Aaron’s hand.  Aaron is hammering out the “Hulk just wants to be left alone” trope quite well.  It’s a part of the psychology of the Hulk that Aaron clearly gets.  Thankfully, as far as Hulk’s character and the plot goes, I feel as though the training wheels have come off this month, even if having a third issue of set-up is a little annoying.

The Incredible Hulk #2 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), Marc Silvestri, Whilce Portacio, & Billy Tan (pencils), Michael Broussard & Eric Basaldua (pencil assists), Scott Hanna (finishes), Joe Weems, Rick Basaldua, Jay Leisten, Don Ho, & Crimelab Studios (inks), Sunny Gho (colors), and Ed Dukeshire (letters)

The Story: Hulk meets the MAD Squad and man, oh man, I think Bruce is two fries short of a Happy Meal.

1.  The artwork is a messy mixed bag.

A lot has been made online of the fact that this book features a whopping six artists and five inkers.  Frankly, there’s no way that’s going to end well.  Furthermore, because this likely occurred due to Silvestri’s recent health issues, there’s no doubt that there were deadline concerns.  As a result, no one does their best work here.  If you enjoyed the hyper detail of last month’s issue, prepare to be disappointed.  This really does look like a rush job.  Also, as you might expect, the transitions between Silvestri, Portacio, and Tan is jarring and also pretty random.

2. Bruce Banner the mad scientist.

While the art is a bit of a hot mess, Jason Aaron’s work on Banner is amazing.  This truly is a Banner unlike you’ve ever seen him.  Yes, he’s pretty much crazy, but it’s not at all over the top.  Instead, what we have is a Banner gripped and defined by obsession.  This is also a Banner that is utterly pathetic and broken.  With that said, there’s a constant sense of inner violence to the character; he’s at once seething with rage and obsession while wallowing in his worthlessness and failure.  It’s a compelling portrait and it makes for a character that leaps off of the page.   The sheer pathos Aaron loads into the character is so much fun to read and left me wanting more.  Interestingly, Bruce is also the one area that the art team does well with: in every panel, there’s always just that hint of madness in Bruce’s eye.

3.  Marital strife sure is fun to watch.

Building on that, I thought that opening extended dialogue scene was very well done.  Not only does it highlight Banner’s current state, but man, oh man, does Betty get off a few zingers.  There are two to three lines where I literally went “ooooh” out loud.  Betty pulls absolutely no punches, throws a couple of low blows, and her evaluations of Bruce are brutally cutting.

Fantastic Four #580 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Neil Edwards (pencils), Andrew Currie (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Franklin, Leech, and Johnny head to Arcade Toys for “the most impossibly awesome toy event ever.”

What’s Good: With wacky characters like Arcade and Impossible Man and most of the action taking place in a madcap toystore, the book reads like a really fun kids movie or cartoon of the sort that adults can also find enjoyment in.  As a result, there’s a lot of energy and gleeful abandon to the book, making it basically impossible to dislike.  It’s the kind of action that just makes the reader happy and that’s never a bad thing.

Certainly, Arcade and Impossible Man’s larger-than-life presences are more than welcome and make the comic a livelier and more welcoming experience.  Both characters suit the kids movie tone perfectly and give the book a sense of familiarity.  They’re two Saturday morning type characters and as such, they offer a bit of a reprieve from the big ideas that Hickman usually layers his books with.  I do love Hickman for those ideas, but giving us a little break now and then can be refreshing and liberating.  That and Impossible Man, when written well, is always a barrel of fun.

Amidst all the wackiness, there is solid character work as well.  I was pleasantly surprised by Hickman’s writing of Johnny this month, who came across as uncharacteristically paternal, loving, and even, dare I say it, responsible.  His relating to Franklin’s situation and the advice he gives his nephew hit home and provided something of a tender moment between the two.  Basically, Johnny acted like the perfect uncle this month.  All of this was still distinctly Johnny, however, with his characteristic narcissistic remarks peppered throughout.

The final scene, which involves the Future Foundation seeking a cure for Ben’s condition, was intriguing as well.  I found it particularly effective due to bittersweet note it ended on.  What the Future Foundation does for Ben is so limited, yet for Ben, that’s already a miracle.  It’s heartwarming to see something done for Ben, but also sad that it took this long and is so deteriorated in effectiveness as a result.  Hickman struck this balance perfectly.

Fantastic Four #579 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Neil Edwards (pencils), Andrew Currie (inks), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Tired of self-limitation among the scientific community, Reed looks to prepare the next generation of thinkers.

What’s Good: This is one of those issues of Fantastic Four that demonstrates why the title is perfect for Hickman, linked as it is with ideas he’s had since Transhuman.  That is, specifically, the refusal to accept limitations and glass ceilings and a simultaneously idealist and escapist belief in infinite potential and boundless possibility.

This is laid out in the book’s strongest scene, an extended speech by Reed at a conference scientists, where he condemns them for their inertia and self-limiting.  It’s a beautiful fusion of Romanticism and scientific thought, and a bold, exciting message of hope.  It’s also highly relevant to our world as well, with Reed actually calling out the decision to suspend manned space missions.  Reed’s speech is some of the finest writing I’ve ever read from Hickman particularly because it’s so pertinent to the human condition and contemporary society in its ideas and sentiment.  It’s also, of course, perfect for the Heroic Age.  Simply put, the sky is the limit but, in Reed’s eyes, we’ve stopped looking up.

This idea of “no limits” extends to a conversation between Reed and the Wizard.  The Wizard is wonderfully written by Hickman, stark raving mad and spewing just barely incomprehensible pseudo-science babble.  Reed’s explanation for his reasons behind taking in the Wizard’s clone is very well linked to the speech with which he opened the issue, almost as though Reed is putting his own words into practice.  He will raise the boy in order to prove that there are no limits to human potential; genetics, destiny, and predestination are bunk in the face of a nurturing environment.

Wolverine #69 – Review

By Mark Millar (Writer), Steve McNiven (Pencils), Dexter Vines (Inker), and Morry Hollowell (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Old Man Logan story has been quite good up to this point, but the wait between issues is definitely proving to be a momentum killer. When I picked up chapter four today, I found myself wondering about what had happened so far and whether or not I even cared anymore. That is never a good sign. So, needless to say, Wolverine #69 is saddled with a bit of baggage.

The Story: Logan comes up with a daring plan to rescue Clint from his daughter, but it doesn’t go quite as planned. Soon, Logan finds himself in the Moloids lair as they feed upon the remains of his pursuers. Also, the issue provides a few more glimpses into what happened during the battle that left the heroes dead and the United States of America forever changed.

What’s Good: As usual, the artwork in this book is something to behold. Quality stuff all around from one of the best in the business. As for the story, while a bit slow, it works well because it hints that the best is yet to come, as the secrets of the past and present are slowly revealed. I simply can’t wait for next chapter to finally add some real meat to the overall tale.

What’s Not So Good: The wait between issues hurts this book a bit since it comes across as pretty underwhelming; considering how long it took to finally hit store shelves. While I very much appreciate the time and effort being put into the work, I can’t simply ignore the fact that very little actually happened in this issue. That said, the ending almost makes up for how little ground this chapter covers.

Conclusion: Old Man Logan, while action-packed at times, continues to employ slow-burn storytelling. While it works well enough for me (and I can mostly bear the wait), I suspect that most readers will find this issue a bit lacking, considering how long they had to wait for it. This may be a good book, but it doesn’t exactly move the plot forward a whole lot.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny