Vertigo Quarterly: Magenta #1 – Review

By: Too many to list—or even to review. Just check out the issue.

The Story: You’ll be tickled pink by what you read.

The Review: I enjoyed the last quarterly just fine, but I couldn’t help being a little dismayed by the $7.99 price point. That’s a lot of money for a bunch of shorts, not all of which are gems. On the flipside, none of them sucked or anything, and for what is basically a collection of pieces by mostly unknown writers and artists, that’s pretty remarkable. You might say that what you’re really paying for is the dreams of some talented creators, for whom this might be an opening to a big break.

That just leaves the puzzle of the color themes for each quarterly. Cyan produced such a jumble of different pieces that it didn’t really seem to be much of a unifying theme at all. Magenta looks to be a very different story. There’s still plenty of variety in the stories generated in this issue, but certain patterns emerge, ones that just might have something to do with our psychological perception of magenta itself.

Time Warp #1 – Review

By: Too many to list—or even to review.  Just check out the issue.

The Story: Is a story told yesterday but read tomorrow still the same story published today?

The Review: My view towards these showcase titles tends to be the same as Forrest Gump’s view of life as a box of chocolates: “You never know what you’re gonna get.”  I’d carry the analogy further to say that sometimes, you’ll get something you really like and there isn’t enough of it, and sometimes, you’ll get something you’d rather toss out and wish no one ever included it in the first place.  A successful showcase is thus one where each offering satisfies in its own way.

In that respect, Vertigo’s latest anthology succeeds pretty well.  Given the malleability of time as a springboard for ideas, the writers included here came up with a very interesting array of stories.  Some chose to use the nature of time to muse upon deeper subjects.  In Damon Lindeloff’s “R.I.P.,” Rip Hunter’s past and future selves work together to save themselves, ultimately to no avail.  Despite his time-traveling abilities, he must eventually stare his irony-ridden fate in the eyes and give in.

Young Romance #1 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Superhero love is a many-splendored thing…

The Review: Young Romance is one of those titles that a proper reviewer probably should feel a little bit of embarrassment about reading, given its hopelessly gimmicky nature.  Even so, I do kind of like the grab-bag format of these things, and I appreciate that DC has enough of a sense of humor to do something this cheesy.  Besides, with the mix of talent involved, you never know if you might run into a gem of a feature, promising better things from the creators involved.

Justice League Dark #5 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Mikel Janin (artist), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Obviously, no one told Enchantress the importance of flossing.

The Review: If you’re going to gather a team of heroes, it seems fairly sensible to give them all something to do in whatever grand conflict you’ve concocted.  I mean, if all it takes is a couple people to solve the problem, why bother with a team at all?  This applies even more when writers use the fictional device of “fate” to bring the group together; if destiny has a part in leading each character to the table, doesn’t it follow that they must have some important role in the matter?

You may find yourself asking these questions a lot as you read through this issue.  I know I did.  Out of the six characters who show up to snap Enchantress out of her funk, only about two of them actually do anything particularly useful—and one of them is Mindwarp, who until this point you had no idea was even part of the team.  It’s baffling why Milligan spent so little time developing Jay Young, yet gives him an active part in the mission while the others dawdle.

What’s the rest of the team doing?  Shade, Zatanna, and Xanadu are too busy working through their personal visions, induced by Enchantress’ uncontrolled magic.  In the end, they never even get close to the witch, so their presence proves absolutely useless.  Deadman is hardly better.  His entire contribution is a failed attempt to possess John Constantine, actually hindering the only person doing anything productive to save the day.

Ultimately, Constantine solves the whole problem pretty much by himself, with zero help from the rest of the “league” (unless you charitably interpret their service as distractions).  This might have worked out fine, but we really don’t get much sense out of how Constantine figures out what’s wrong with June and Enchantress, nor how he sets them to rights again.  Milligan simply lets magic be the answer, which is always arbitrary and never satisfying.

Justice League Dark #4 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Mikel Janin (artist), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Now, now, June, there’s nothing to lose your head about.

The Review: As a reviewer, I try to keep my biases under control when I do these things, or at least make them obvious when I can’t keep them inside anymore.  So I’ll admit it: I really looked forward to this series back when all the new 52 were announced.  It featured a bunch of my favorite characters within one of my favorite genres, and it had a fairly qualified writer and artist on deck to boot.  But now I must confess this series has been a disappointment on a lot of levels.

For while Milligan has been a competent storyteller for this series, dedicated to selling the “dark” part of the title, he has made the plot and tone dull through repetition.  He needs to understand that we get it—Enchantress has gone loco and so is her counterpart, June Moone, and so is just about everyone gathering to confront her.  In fact, I’d give good money simply to never hear the words “crazy,” “insane,” “mad,” or any synonym thereof ever again.  Milligan sprinkles them throughout every issue, and they’ve lost meaning as a result: “Enchantress has gone crazy.”  “A magic that’s stronger and crazier than [Zatanna’s].”  “Oh God, I’ve landed in a madhouse.”

Milligan just needs to learn the wisdom behind “Less is more,” or at least the value of timing.  He’s so eager to convince you of how twisted this story is, he doesn’t seem to realize that subjecting you to so much grimness can only build your resistance to it.  We’ve already seen decayed golem girlfriends come back to life, women getting themselves killed en masse in the street, and a guy who needs a seizure to activate his powers.  Homicidal children feel pretty commonplace after all that.

Justice League Dark #3 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Mikel Janin (artist), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Tantric magic in a cheap hotel?  Have you no self respect?

The Review: It’s disappointing to find Milligan falling into the same problem that hampers a lot of writers in the supernatural genre: failing to establish the mechanics of his world.  Even though magic by its very nature has no limitation, that same quality can make it deadly to fiction.  If a writer doesn’t take care to create some ground rules or explain the whys and wherefores of magical workings, they’ll just seem like they work in any way convenient to the story.

Here’s an example: Zatanna’s backwards magic, which has never been clearly or consistently explained.  You’d think it takes more to work the magic than just picking up a few words by listening to her sleep-talking, but Constantine does just that here.  Not only does this simplify Zee’s powers radically and make it feel less specialized, it also makes little sense.  Why would he need to use her magic to wake her up when he clearly has power of his own?

Milligan misses a few other opportunities to give some much needed explanation.  After two issues of seeing June Moone’s traumatized behavior, you already know very well her bonding to Enchantress was not a mutually beneficial experience.  So it seems a waste of time to have scene after scene of June in hysterics over the idea of going back.  It would’ve been more profitable to give some background on how she got tied up with Enchantress in the first place.

At least then we could avoid the awkward romance springing up between June and Deadman.  Considering the guy basically bozoed his way out of his relationship with Dove, his hitting it off with June in what is apparently Dove’s apartment, moments after she left (and is still M.I.A. since last issue, by the way), seems pretty contemptible.  While he comes across slimy (to June’s kiss, he remarks, “I can feel it.  And it’s beautiful.”), his new flame is just macabre; in the event Enchantress might recapture her, she wants him to kill her so “We’d both be dead…together.”

Justice League Dark #2 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Mikel Janin (artist), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Enchantress would never have gotten into this funk if she had a sassy gay friend.

The Review: Now that DC has a whole host of supernatural books under their Dark group of titles, it’s easier than ever to distinguish which ones really float and which ones are clawing to get to the surface.  Milligan produced a solid effort on the premiere of this occult-based Justice League, but when taken side-by-side to his colleagues’ work in Swamp Thing or Animal Man, which feel effortlessly gripping, his story seems like it tries too hard to reach the same intensity.

Justice League Dark #1 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Mikel Janin (artist), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Madame Xanadu, you are being a major downer right now.

The Review: Some words come with major connotative baggage attached, which people don’t always realize when they use them.  I’d say “dark” falls in this category.  Lately, you hear writers drop this word a lot in plugging their projects, as if by doing so their work will instantly take on a layer of “seriousness.”  Instead, they usually only succeed in sapping “dark” of all its meaning.  Nowadays, the mere mention of it elicits only a shrug and eye-roll.

DC went full-on trigger-happy with the word, creating a whole line of books under the “dark” umbrella.  Luckily, they have skilled writers onboard to give credit to the description, and Milligan is no exception.  You don’t get much darker than a two-page splash of a bunch of identical women on a highway, each in various stages of getting maimed by speeding vehicles.

This can all be gratuitous if it has no reason for being other than to shock you.  Milligan keeps his grimly imaginative ideas grounded in a steady plot and character-developing moments, unless he’s using them to set tone.  Like John Rozum on Xombi, he has a knack for laying out a series of visuals for gut-hitting impression: “…cows give birth to mechanical meat slicers…the power station threatens to explode when it is imbued with consciousness…and gets bored.”

At the heart of all this strangeness, inside a glowing-green envelope where “time itself slows down,” and “Neutrons crush inside atoms,” lies Enchantress.  For a while, over in the now defunct Shadowpact, she demonstrated remarkable self-control, but now she seems totally unhinged at last, going the way of Scarlet Witch and magically lashing out against all who approach her maddened state.  Included among her victims are several members of the Justice League, with Superman realizing he’s no match against the cuts of “Filthy flying teeth!”

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #3 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Fernando Blanco (penciller), Scott Koblish (inker), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: This wouldn’t be an inappropriate time to bust into Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” right?

The Review: The key to a really great ensemble cast is a broad diversity of characters.  The more far apart in personality and background they are, the richer their interaction becomes.  In superhero comics, you also have to consider their power sets.  Too many redundant abilities, and the range of obstacles they can face drastically narrow.  Most of all, you need a writer who can give each member life and motivations of their own, so they don’t just disappear into the group.

Secret Seven has a great ensemble.  Whereas previous issues dragged from Shade’s ceaseless moans over his questionable sanity, the back-and-forth among the team once Zatanna, Raven, and Mindwarp show up has great pop and crackle.  Interestingly, despite their animosity and suspicion towards Shade (even after he admits he may be responsible for some of their deaths) they demonstrate a kind of sympathy, even loyalty, to him, trying to gauge how far he’s gone.

But once the kid gloves come off, none have any qualms about getting their hands dirty, a sequence made all the more entertaining by their specific range of powers, a mixture of the occult and psyche very much in tune with the spirit of this title.  Zee’s incantations, though put to some dark uses here (“Raet reh trapa!”), seem restrained in contrast to Enchantress’ wild magic, while Raven, Mindwarp, and Shade’s psychic manipulations prove capable of some grim effects.

It’s particularly good to see Shade in action, as we finally get a sense of just what his vest can do: “The M-Vest has used the psychic energy of their anger…to turn their souls into amorphous solids.”  We also see how unsettling his abilities can truly be; his attempt to reanimate the broken Amethyst’s corpse strikes a perfect chord of creepiness (“Hello, Shade.  Hello, June.  I’m twelve years…  I’m twelve years…”), showing why Shade’s grip on reality may have so degraded.

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #2 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Fernando Blanco (penciller), Scott Koblish (inker), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Don’t mess with this guy—he’s cuh-raaazy!

The Review: In fiction, as in real life, you really have to get to know someone before you start caring about them, one way or another.  Either their personality has to be distinctive enough to really stick to you, or you have to learn enough about their lives to appreciate what happens to them.  Anything less, and no matter how interesting their story turns out to be, you lose the emotional weight that really gives it impact.

That’s sort of the problem we run into with Shade and his Secret Seven.  Honestly, there’s a bunch of interesting bits going on here, particularly in watching the rest of the Seven (grown-up Amethyst, thieving Mindwarp, stage magician Abra Kadabra, punk Zatanna, and demonic Raven) get seriously cranked out on Shade’s influence.  Unsurprisingly, none of them are too happy Seven membership includes temporary bursts of psychotic behavior, leading to some fairly serious reorganization choices in the issue.

Plain and simple, we just don’t know enough about what’s going on to be sympathetic to much of it.  Shade’s growing suspicions of his own breakdown should be more affecting, but from the beginning we’re led to believe he’s always been a bit screwy.  Mostly we’re left wondering why no one did anything about it before, especially since the last set of Seven all (minus Shade) killed themselves in the most questionable circumstances.

It’d be helpful if we had a better understanding of how the M-Vest works, exactly.  All this dancing around whether the “M” stands for “meta” or “madness” serves only to irritate, as neither definition does much to inform you on the vest’s powers.  We know from the previous issue that Shade’s vest has evolved beyond its original capacities (whatever they are), but whether that has anything to do with its increasingly disorienting effects remains up in the air.

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), George Pérez & Fernando Blanco (pencillers), Scott Koblish (inkers), Tom Smith (colorist)

The Story: Crazy people hunting down other crazies…that’s a reality show pitch, right there.

The Review: There are basically two traditions you can take in writing an Elseworlds (for lack of a more apt term) story: make pointed comparisons between the world you’re writing and the world it’s based on; or just tackle the Elseworld on its own merits, as if it’s the only world people would know.  Though each strategy has its pros and cons, generally it’s better not to waste too much time calling attention to the specific alterations.

Secret Seven essentially takes the second route, and of all the Flashpoint tie-ins, it feels most genuinely like an entity unto itself.  If not for the Flashpoint logo emblazoned across the cover, the events of this story could easily take place in the normal DCU.  This is good since the story and characters largely stand on their own; you’re not distracted pointing out what’s familiar.  It’s also bad because it doesn’t use the creative potential of the altered Earth to full advantage.

This issue focuses on two of the current Seven: Rac Shade, the Changing Man, and June Moone, the Enchantress, both relatively obscure characters.  Enchantress’ involvement with DC’s premiere team of mystics, Shadowpact, makes her more familiar to you, but that’s also because Milligan’s version of her sticks very close to the original.  Shade, largely absent from the stands since the mid-nineties, might as well be making his debut in this title, since you’re probably like me and have never even heard of him before.

Perhaps Milligan wants us to read this series less as a Flashpoint tie-in and more as a special mini featuring the DC character he’s best known for writing.  You’d have to be a Shade fan to fully enjoy this issue, as most of it assumes you have some knowledge of his mythos; concepts like the Meta Hightable, the M-Vest, and even the basis of his powers are thrown at you without much explanation, leaving you frequently puzzled as to what characters are talking about.

Strange Adventures – Review

By: Various (see below)

The Story: A Vertigo anthology with a sci-fi bent.

[Note: The regular “what’s good”/”what’s not so good” format doesn’t work so well for an anthology like this.  Don’t worry, it’ll return…]

Case 21: (Selwyn Hinds, writer & Denys Cowan, art) A very clever story dealing with a dystopian future police state where a tattoo artist is forced to make some pretty harsh decisions.  It’s well written and has some nice dynamic artwork, including a topless lady getting into a fight with the jackbooted cops.  Cool twist at the end too.  I’d definitely be in favor of seeing more of this story.

The White Room:  (Talia Hershewe, writer & Juan Bobillo, art)  I didn’t love this story as much.  It is set in the future and deals with a couple of punk-kids’ experience with a type of virtual reality/drug called The White Room.  Misadventures in virtual realities or hallucinogenic trips just aren’t my bag, so my lack of enjoyment is 100% due to the subject matter.  Bobillo’s painted and pinkish-tinged art is very visually appealing.

Partners: (Peter Milligan, writer & Sylvain Savoia, art)  This story didn’t really scratch my itch either although I think there is a clever premise within it.  The problem is that the cool twist is revealed a little too soon in the story and that robs it of some of its juice.  For some reason, the artwork reminds me of Charles Burns, but I’m not sure why.  Perhaps it’s because the subject matter is kids with identity crises sitting around a campfire?

All the Pretty Ponies: (Lauren Beukes, writer & Inaki Miranda, art)  This was one of the stars of the issue for me.  What starts out as a Surrogates-type story where rich people are paying money to inhabit and take virtual/remote control of a bunch of poor folks has a very wicked twist.  Great art by Miranda too.  This is another I’d like to see more of.

Ultra the Multi-Alien: (Jeff Lemire, writer and art)  Is it any surprise that Jeff Lemire would give us a heart-wrenching and plaintive tale?  The art is typical Lemire, emotive and stylized, and will be immediately familiar to any fan of Sweet Tooth or Essex County.  The subject matter hits the same types of notes as those other works too.  I don’t want to spoil the twist, but the story deals with an astronaut who is far from home in more ways than one.  More please!

Refuse: (Ross Campbell, writer and art) This story wins the award for the grossest, holy crap moment of the issue.  I really liked Ross’ willingness to show such a nasty looking story and anyone who is willing to draw that has got some real potential.  But, I didn’t really understand the purpose of the story and why this mother is living in such a filthy apartment that her child has been taken away by social services.

Punisher Max: Happy Ending #1 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), Juan Jose Ryp (art), Morry Hollowell & Andres Mossa (colors) & Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: A middle-aged accountant takes a walk on the wild side.

What’s Good: This was an enjoyable done-in-one story of an accountant stuck in a dreary marriage.  After fighting with his wife, he goes for a walk to clear his head and remembers that a buddy had once given him a coupon to the Happy Ending massage parlor.  Against his better judgment, he goes in.  He’s nervous as hell because he’s never done that sort of thing before.  And as soon as he walks in, gunfire erupts and he ends up on the run with one of the, ahem, massage therapists.  The whole story from there is a fast-paced romp as the accountant gets pulled deeper into the intrigue and violence.  Very well done.

In fact, I’m going to go further and say how happy I am that Marvel will publish this sort of story.  As I’ll go into below, there isn’t much Punisher in this story, so this isn’t the sort of comic that helps to sell an action figure or that someone hopes could be spun into a movie.  It’s just a fun story that doesn’t have any ulterior motives and doesn’t require that the reader be familiar with 30 years of continuity to understand.

Greek Street Vol. 1: Blood Calls for Blood

by Peter Milligan (writer), David Gianfelice (artist)

All right, so here’s an idea, it’ll completely blow your mind. Let’s take a bunch of classic characters and toss them into a contemporary setting. And all of these classic characters will start to intermingle and have relationships and crazy shit will happen left and right. Sounds awesome, right? Sounds like something you’ve read before called Fables, right? Well, that’s because Greek Street is basically the Greco-Roman version of Fables. Instead of the loveable fairy tale characters, we have figures of Greek mythology like Oedipus, Cassandra, and Agamemnon. But there is one little catch…these characters don’t know that they’re of ancient lore. Well, one might, but that’s still left to be determined.

Blood Calls for Blood primarily follows Eddie, a young Londoner who recently left an orphanage to find his mother. Eddie is the story’s Oedipus—get it? Eddie? Oedipus? How many of you are up on your classical mythology? Well, to refresh, Oedipus is the dude that killed his dad, went all the way with his mom, then, after discovering that that smokin’ hot chick in his bed was said mother, gouged his own eyes out and cut off his little Eddie (castration was so cliché those days). Well, our modern day Eddie doesn’t do much better. He finds his mom, gets stone drunk, and attempts to cut his dick off (but it’s a good thing that doesn’t work). And all of this is within the first issue. Which is something I really admire Milligan for—he doesn’t tease it out or slowly get into the Greek nastiness, he dives right in. Eddie’s giving it to his mom within the first ten pages, which leaves the rest of the story open for fresh ideas.

The actual plot is a little hard to follow. Milligan sets so much time setting up his characters that the mystery gets undercut a little bit—well, it isn’t much of a mystery. It’s actually made quite clear who the undead murderer is. Why she is that way is a bit of mystery that Inspector Dedalus doesn’t even think about and Eddie kind of finds out on accident, and the parties involved kind of don’t really care about from what we can tell so far. Hell, the main culprit takes a vacation to Istanbul while shit’s hitting the fan. Meanwhile, Lord Menon’s (Agamemnon) batshit crazy daughter Sandy (Cassandra) is having all of these visions. See, Cassandra, in the old myths, was cursed to have visions that no one believed. In modern day London, Sandy is a kind of hot kind of crazy girl living in the attic of her parent’s home “Ilium” (seriously).

Greek Street #2 – Review

by Peter Milligan (writer), Davide Gianfelice (art), Patricia Mulvihill (colors), and Clem Robins (letters)

The Story: Eddie gets pulled in with the Fureys, a body goes missing, Lord Menon’s philandering ways come increasingly to light, and a monster stalks the streets.

What’s Good: Davide Gianfelice is the best thing going for this book right now. His artwork is simply gorgeous, animated, and impossible not to love. He has a style all his own, one that is very “cartoony” and affable, and yet paradoxically but undeniably gritty and ugly. It’s a remarkable mix that somehow works and works really, really well. It’s just amazing stuff that just has a really “likable” feel to it, if that makes any sense; likable despite the nasty stuff going on within the panels. His work on the facial expressions is nothing to scoff at either; Eddie’s traumatized expression in the hospital is absolutely haunting

This issue ultimately functions as yet another “stage-setting” book, despite the double-sized first issue.  Still, it is somewhat comforting to see Milligan begin to tie all of these disparate characters together, even if we don’t see the results of these connections just yet. At the very least, the isolation of the characters looks to be broken.

I also really enjoyed the use of the stripper(s) as the Chorus. This was one of the neatest recap pages I’ve seen in a book that isn’t Agents of Atlas. It’s really neat having a character break the fourth wall to give us a series recap in “real time.”

Many of the scenes function almost as tableaux and thanks in no small part to Gianfelice’s artwork, they are really beautifully plotted. From Sandy’s balcony dive, to the break-in at the Morgue, to Eddie’s stumbling into the hospital, many of the scenes have a really lyrical, majestic feel to them. They’re incredibly cool sequences with a hint of the surreal.

What’s No So Good: I’m going to come right out and say it: this book doesn’t make any sense. It’s impossible to read this issue without a lingering sense of incomprehension. As for the plot, it’s still murky at best.

While Milligan is showing moves to tie all of the characters together, right now things are just too damned separated and isolated. This, and the large number of characters, leads to me feeling like I barely know anyone, let alone feel emotionally attached.

Some of the characters are basically speaking in gibberish at this point, perhaps because we just don’t have enough info. We get another scene of Sandy babbling and the mysterious three women aren’t much better, talking to each other in riddles that we can’t understand at the moment.

Also, the strippers don’t work outside of the framing structure. They’re genius outside the direct action, but when Milligan thrusts them into the story, it’s off-putting, especially when mundane conversation gets interrupted by a clumsy, jarring line about “the old stories.”  Milligan basically rams his concept down our throats.

What’s worse, that very pitch, the mixture of Greek mythology and modern day crime-drama, isn’t working like it should. Instead of a cool fusion, I feel like I’m reading a gritty crime noir that has a horribly misplaced set of supernatural figures in it, as though a bunch of characters (the ghostly women and the monster) have accidentally shown up in the wrong comic. The supernatural just isn’t blending with the mundane, feeling very out of place and, yes, incomprehensible as well.

Conclusion: This book is currently confusing, as it reads like an ambiguous mess. There’s just not much here.  Gianfelice’s amazing work saves this from a worse grade.

Grade: C-

-Alex Evans

Greek Street #1 – Review

by Peter Milligan (writer), Davide Gianfelice (art), Patricia Mulvihill (colors), and Clem Robins (letters)

The Story: Milligan introduces us to the world of Greek Street and its various characters.  A mother dies, a body washes up, and two killers are on the loose, one a man and one a monster.

What’s Good: The concept actually doesn’t hit you as hard in the face as you think it would. Rather, this comic just comes across as a gritty new crime comic from Vertigo with a bizarre, almost Morrison-esque surrealism to spice things up. Make no mistake, this isn’t meat and potatoes stuff; it is a smart book, it’s just not overly boastful of its classical base nor is it hopelessly lost in academia.  It’s a balance that I quite enjoy and it makes the book a lot more approachable than one might expect. That said, the mythological element definitely makes it an interesting book, as it bends reality, constantly giving you the feeling that there’s something lurking behind the curtain of realism, something monstrous, magical, or both beneath the hard-boiled surface of strippers and gangsters.

Milligan quickly establishes his Greek Street as a savage, nasty world. Simply put, this book is all about the recurring nature of human brutality.  For this reason, modern crime blends seamlessly with myths that are thousands of years old. It is when the book is at its most brutal that it mostly draws upon its mythological base. In his first issue, Milligan is well on his way to proving his point, with father/mob boss carving up the face of his son, calling forth the very primitivism and ancient pantheism one would think to be long gone.

Art-wise, readers of Northlanders know what to expect here. Gianfelice has an inviting, almost carefree style that carries a grotesque, dark, and ugly tone. It’s solid work all around and a good fit for this book. I especially like his character design of the “insane/ visionary” Sandra. His work on her has me looking forward to seeing what other character designs he has in store.

What’s Not-So-Good: This is a really strange issue in that the first third of it is actually pretty underwhelming. Thankfully, this issue is 30 pages, so I still had another standard comic’s worth of material to go through. That said, for those first ten pages, it’s as though Milligan actually struggles to get this unique book started, as if he isn’t quite comfortable with his own series yet. The textbox narration is scattershot and hard to follow. These first pages also see the death of a character’s mother after he sleeps with her. It’s a hard sequence to pull off and Milligan doesn’t really manage it. Oedipus didn’t KNOW he was sleeping with his mother, but this character does, and Milligan isn’t able to provide a believable explanation. In fact, between this and the aimless textboxes (which are in this character’s voice), I started to wonder if the guy was mentally handicapped.

What’s particularly awful though is the manner in which the mother’s death is depicted. The cause and the sequence are both so ludicrous and so unlikely that it borders on slapstick comedy. Furthermore, the son’s painful reaction is more laughable than excruciating.

Conclusion: A first issue that sees its writer getting comfortable with his new book, this is a worthy addition to the Vertigo crime lineage.

Grade: B-

-Alex Evans

Dark Reign: The Cabal – Review

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since Dark Reign: The Cabal is a collection of short stories, I’ll write a small review for each before basing my final grade on the overall quality of the $3.99 one-shot.

“Doctor Doom: …And I’ll Get The Land”

Jonathan Hickman (Script) and Adi Granov (Art)

More character study than anything else, “…And I’ll Get The Land” gives readers a glimpse into the mind of Dr. Doom as he thinks about what may come about as a result of the first meeting of The Cabal. The artwork from Adi Granov is definitely the highlight, though Jonathan Hickman’s script is an interesting, if fairly basic, read.

“Emma Frost: How I Survived The Apocalyptic Fire”

Matt Fraction (Script) and Daniel Acuna (Art)

“How I Survived…” is a story about Emma Frost coming to terms with her past that Matt Fraction uses to put more of a personal stamp on the character. A character study like the Dr. Doom story, it really doesn’t present anything new that would make it an essential read. As for the artwork…well I’m just not a fan of Daniel Acuna’s style. It was a fairly big negative for me.

“‘The Hood: Family Trust”

Rick Remender (Script), Max Fiumara (Art), and Nestor Pereyra (Colors)

Easily one of the strongest offerings in the one-shot, The Hood’s story (presumably) acts as a lead-in to his Dark Reign tie-in mini-series. In it, The Hood explores what it was like to be Parker Robbins and what it means to have family (of any sort). Part flash-back and part present day speech, Rick Remender’s script manages to tell a satisfyingly complete tale that is not quite as simple as it initially seems. The stylish, compelling visuals by Max Fiumara (of Four Eyes fame) are an excellent fit for the tone and mood Remender effortlessly captures.

“Namor, The Sub-Mariner: The Judgment of Namor”

Kieron Gillen (Script) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (Art)

In Namor’s story, he presides over a custody battle that involves an Atlantean child with special powers. Kieron Gillen’s script does a great job of walking the line between character study and truly relevant Dark Reign tie-in. It establishes the current status quo for Namor and how it relates to the Cabal situation in a way that’s full of engaging character moments. The artwork does a nice job of bringing the Atlantean court to life, though it does tend to look almost cluttered at times due to a color palette that occasionally makes things blend together.

“Loki: Dinner With Doom”

Peter Milligan (Script), Tonci Zonjic (Art), and Jose Villarubia (Colors)

“Dinner With Doom” is a story about just that, Loki’s dinner with Dr. Doom. As you probably guessed, it’s not exactly the most normal of dinners. Peter Milligan’s script is definitely the highlight thanks to his incredibly sharp character work for both Cabal members. If you are at all a fan of either Doom or Loki, consider it well worth reading. The artwork does a solid job of bringing the more…interesting…aspects of the dinner to life, though Tonci Zonjic’s characters seem a bit too simplistic at times (though they are quite expressive despite the simplicity). Jose Villarubia’s coloring almost makes up for the lack of detail, but not quite.

Conclusion: The good outweighs the bad, but nothing in the Cabal one-shot is all that essential. It’s worth reading for fun or if you just enjoy the characters, but you won’t miss anything if you choose to pass on it.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Sub-Mariner: The Depths #2 – Review

By Peter Milligan (Writer) and Esad Ribic (Artist)

Don’t let the title fool you, this certainly isn’t a mini-series about Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Rather, he isn’t “the star of the show.” Instead, this is the tale of scientist who not only disbelieves the existence of this legendary figure, he also intends to disprove it. After setting off in a solo pod last issue, Dr. Stein and the submarine’s captain have a very “close encounter” with something. Of course, Dr. Stein is certain that whatever occurred and whatever he saw has a perfectly logical and scientific explanation.

What follows is a wrestling of the mind between science and the unexplainable as Dr. Stein slowly begins to question what is truly happening. Does everything truly have a scientific reason? Are there conditions in the depths of the sea that affects one’s mind? How does one know when they begin to drift into insanity? And how can insanity be defined? These are only a few questions that he begins to ponder. If anyone picking this up looking for a deep sea tale with plenty of action, I’m afraid you’ll be quite disappointed. But if you seek submergence not just into the depths of the ocean, but also into the depths of the human mind, you’ll find plenty of both in this tale. I don’t recall having read anything by Peter Milligan before this, but you can be certain I’ll look with interest on his future works.

We also are graced with the beautiful art of Esad Ribic. He was last seen doing the wonderful Silver Surfer: Requiem mini-series where he brought us the beauties of space, and the emotions of dying. Here, his work compliments the story just as well. He keeps the ocean scenes murky enough to make us also truly wonder what is out there, but doesn’t hesitate to add life to the characters.

I never thought I’d really enjoy a Sub-Mariner story, but because this concerns the mystery more than the man, I’m truly engrossed. (Grade: A-)

-M. Staples

Sub-Mariner: The Depths #1 – Review

By Peter Milligan (Writer) and Esad Ribic (Artist)

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect heading into this Marvel Knights mini-series and after reading the first issue I still don’t. My confusion stems from two main things: the exposition heavy nature and the incredibly unique (horror-like) tone.

The story begins by introducing Marlowe and Dr. Rudolph Stein, two very different men whose paths in life looked to be intertwined by the mystery surrounding the mythic city of Atlantis. Marlowe, seemingly on the brink of insanity in the opening pages believes that Atlantis exists and has driven himself to the very extreme in order to find it. Dr. Stein, known worldwide as “The Great Debunker,” is a man of science hired to find the missing Marlowe and, if possible, Atlantis. The set-up is extremely weighty and well done, but by the time things really get rolling (with creepy dialogue about the deep and the Sub-Mariner), the issue comes to an end. I look forward to what is coming next and hope that subsequent chapters can keep up the eerie tone.

The writing by Peter Milligan and the artwork by Esad Ribic really come together to make Sub-Mariner: The Depths something of a complete package. Milligan’s story carries a historical weight that fits the realistic nature of the book and Ribic’s extremely impressive, cinematic artwork makes a good read even better. My only worry is that the high quality of the artwork may begin to suffer as deadlines for the series approach – which would be a shame considering how this could turn out to be one of the best looking comics to come out in quite some time. To be honest, I think it would look more at home as a Radical series than a Marvel one.

Overall, I really enjoyed the first chapter of this unique Namor story. Good writing and great artwork come together to make for a compelling book, but I can’t shake the feeling that this one might end up working better as a trade. My recommendation? Check out this first issue and see if it’s something you would rather read all at once or as a monthly series. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny