Batman Beyond Universe #13 – Review

By: Kyle Higgins & Alec Siegel, Phil Hester; Eric Gapshur; Craig Rousseau; & Thony Silas (art), Nick Fillardi & Guy Major (color)

The Story: What finally broke two generations of the Batfamily?

The Review: It kind of feels like a new dawn for Batman Beyond Universe. Gone is the JLB co-feature and much of the continuity the franchise has gained in comics. Bolstered by call backs to the DCAU’s two biggest animated features, Batman Beyond #13 feels like an event, even on the tails of the “Justice Lords Beyond” arc.

The one element that viewers of the classic television series might not be familiar with is the new Vigilante who the issue informs us teamed up with Terry in “Batman Beyond: 10,000 Clowns”. Vigilante is actually the instigator of most of the issue’s drama, but the core of this story lies solely on Bruce Wayne and his young protégés.

It must be somewhat intimidating to finally reveal the details of one of the DCAU’s biggest secrets after a little over fifteen years, but, if so, Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel don’t show it for a moment, eagerly adding in the answer to one of this series’ most speculated upon questions. So if you want to know how Bruce fell out with Dick, Terry, and Barbara, this is required reading.

One of Kyle Higgins’ strengths over the course of his run has been giving the Bruce/Terry feud a respectful and visceral portrayal. That continues this issue, with Bruce’s need for control played as a flawed outgrowth of his concern for his partners. It’s not hard to see how his gruff demeanor strangles the best of intentions.

Wonder Woman #614 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski & Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer & Lee Garbett (pencils), Drew Geraci, Robin Riggs & Trevor Scott (inks), Pete Pantazis (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Diana finally learns the secret of Nemisis, and faces one final battle with the darkness inside herself.

The Review: It’s a shame that most of Odyssey has been such a gigantic cluster–this really is a very strong issue. Unfortunately, it is dragging the weight of 13 other issues full of retcons, confused storytelling and character shifts behind it. The weight is such that even Wonder Woman herself can’t shoulder the burden, and so the storyline crawls across the finish line gasping and wheezing. What could have been a triumphant exclamation point and capstone on Diana’s 600+ issue career instead just leaves me sighing in relief. Odyssey is finally–FINALLY–over, and I couldn’t be happier. Love the DCnU reboot or hate it, it’s hard to imagine it doing much more harm to poor Diana than these 14 issues already have.

Continuity and character nightmares (which I’ve already pounded into a fine powder at this point) aside though, this issue does contain a lot of what makes Diana one of my all-time favorite superhero. The end sequence in particular is absolutely triumphant, and left me grinning and satisfied in spite of the 300+ pages of confusion that preceded it. It was more of a meta-textual farewell to the DCU Diana than it was a logical storyline conclusion, but at this point I’ll take anything I can get. And it WAS lovely–I’ll be keeping Hippolyta’s words to Diana (as well as Dian’s final words to us, the reader) close to my heart as we take the plunge into the DCnU next month. As annoying as it can be to have characters speaking lines of dialog that are pretty clear author-insertion, I appreciated Phil Hester’s message a great deal.

Wonder Woman #613 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski & Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer & Travis Moore (pencils), Wayne Faucher, Walden Wong & Drew Geraci( inks), Pete Pantazis (colors) and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: In a long bout of desperately needed exposition and explanation, Diana finally learns the details of, and the motivation behind, the Nemesis’s plans for her. But with the truth finally revealed, can Diana hope to overcome her old enemy without losing herself in the process?

What’s Good: Huh! What an odd feeling. I just read a really good issue of Wonder Woman. You’ll have to forgive my dazed reaction here–it’s been quite a long time since this has happened. Although this issue is extremely talky, and features one of the largest single infodumps in recent memory, I am actually okay with that. Information and explanation is what this headache of a storyline has needed for a long time. Would this have worked better if this information was parceled out more, and hinted at over the course of several other issues? Sure, but at this point I’m just happy to finally have a solid grasp on what’s going on, and what the goals of the major characters are. Fortunately, the exposition is delivered on the back of a very nice fight scene and some interesting pseudo-philosophical musings that break the back-story up a bit.

Wonder Woman #611 – Review

J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer & Eduardo Pansica (pencils), Wayne Faucher & Eber Ferreira (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: The Morrigan make the final push to force Diana to become one of them. Not everyone survives the battle, and as her friends begin to fall all around her, Wonder Woman is given a terrifying look into one of her possible futures–and at what might happen if she is unable to resist the Morrigan.

The Review: I’m breaking with WCBR’s traditional What’s Good/Not So Good review format for this one. My feelings about this issue are a bit complicated, and I’m having trouble compartmentalizing them even after a few days reflection. (Admittedly, these feelings are more than a little informed by DC’s big re-launch announcement, but more on that later.)

Wonder Woman’s “Odyssey” continues, much as it has for the last few issues: good-but-not-great. With this being the penultimate issue of a huge (and ostensibly very important) storyline, I had hoped to finally get a big revelation about the nature of what has happened to Diana—or at least a few solid pieces of information. Instead what we’re given is more of the same—more (very good) battle sequences, more big set pieces and events…and more mystery. Given the fact that very little (if any) of what happens to Diana in this storyline will matter once the DCU resets to issue #1, I can’t help but feel that a great deal of what made this storyline interesting has been lost. The whole point of the arc was to take a different sort of Diana in an alternate (?) history, and watch her grow, change and mature into the paragon of honor, compassion and virtue that we all know and love. Isn’t that the reasoning behind the arc’s title—to make an analogy to a character that was lost at sea, and had to find their way back home? The reboot announcement denies readers the satisfaction of the all-important homecoming. Or more accurately, it renders all of the character growth, and even that homecoming moment itself, moot by negating its occurrence.

Wonder Woman #610 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Eduardo Pansica (pencils), Wayne Faucher and Eber Ferreira (inks), Pete Pantazis (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Wonder Woman begins to live up to her name as she (finally!) discovers the source of the temporal disturbance affecting her future, and finds a way to begin to fight back.

What’s Good: First of all, minor point, but I LOVE the addition of the “star spangled cape” to Diana’s costume. It’s a small detail, but I really think it works. On a more important note, I’m almost completely on-board with the explanation given for the sudden shift in Wonder Woman’s status quo. I still think it was unnecessary to burden the main book with what is essentially a 12-part Elseworld maxi-series, but the damage is done on that front. The important matter is that this story is FINALLY starting to work itself out of the corner it was written into. We get some very good insight into Diana’s character in this issue, and also–glory hallelujah!–an inkling of where it might be headed. It has taken ten issues, but I finally feel like I have some point of reference when it comes to this story, and I no longer have to feel completely lost and like I simply have to accept events as they occur “just because.”

While you’d still have to go quite a long way to convince me that this storyline is going to do some good for the already much-abused Amazon Princess, but if the last two issues are this strong plot and character wise, I think it will at least avoid doing irreversible damage to her in the long term. (Not counting the bad will that this ill-fated experiment has already engendered, that is.) I’m not sure how this will end, but this issue has at least given me confidence that there is a definite end in sight, and that it won’t utterly destroy one of my all time favorite comic book characters.

Wonder Woman #609 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer (pencils), Sean Parsons and Wayne Faucher (inks), Alex Sinclair with Pete Pantazis (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Of all the people in the world, Dr. Psycho–longtime Wonder Woman nemesis–pulls Diana in a sort of limbo between life and death. There, it is revealed that the Diana we’ve been reading about for the last nine months is merely one of an endless series of aspects of Wonder Woman that have appeared throughout the ages: always different, but always acting as an avatar of hope, heroism and leadership. (In one of those ‘other lives,’ of course, she is Wonder Woman as the DC Universe knows her: born out of a clay statue that was given life by the gods.) Diana’s current nemeses, it is revealed, wish not only to kill her as she is, but to kill everything she will be and ever was.

What’s Good: Wow! Phil Hester is really kicking ass on this. I have no idea how much is his work and how much is JMS,’ but given the dramatic shift in quality and trajectory since Hester took over, I’m more than happy to give him the lion’s share of the credit here. He managed, in this single issue, to neatly summarize everything that has happened, and provide a good and convincing explanation for the cluster we Wonder Woman fans have been subjected to for nine months. The best part of all is that the explanation actually makes some amount of sense, and actually–holiest of holies–gives us some character development! Incredible.

Remember back a few issues ago when I said the series was at a tipping point, and had the potential to be either utterly awesome, or utterly disastrous? I’m 95% sure after this issue that we’re pointed firmly in the direction of awesome. By framing this as more than just another “alternate timeline” storyline, by using it to elevate Diana and show that she is not just Wonder Woman, but that she is–and has always been–an avatar of hope and courage throughout time, and to all races and creeds of people, Hester adds a beautiful bit of meta-mythology to Wonder Woman’s origin story, while simultaneously giving this storyline something it has lacked from the beginning: purpose. The fact that the villains are out not only to destroy this incarnation of Wonder Woman, but to destroy everything that EVERY aspect of her and what she represents, also raises the stakes considerably, and gives a great big shot of adrenaline (and direction) to a story that felt like it was wandering aimlessly.

Wonder Woman #608 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Geraldo Borges (pencils), Marlo Alquiza (inks), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Diana is forced to take on Cheetah and the other fallen Amazonians in a brutal, bloody battle that the princess does not get the better end of. Fortunately, although the terrible trio manage to destroy most of the rest of the surviving Amazons, Diana has another, more unexpected benefactor come to her aid.

What’s Good: Wow, this issue was…unpleasant. I don’t mean that pejoratively; the violence is extremely effective and well-handled, but is not exactly what I’d call “fun” to read (especially not for someone who loves Diana as much as I do.) Pain of all sorts abounds in this issue for the Amazon Princess, in fact–20+ pages of physical and psychological asskicking.

Here’s the thing though: this NEEDS to happen, if she’s ever going to return to become the Wonder Woman we know she is. No successful heroic journey has ever been completed–in movies, literature, or in real life–without the hero going through either literal or metaphorical hell. This is clearly that moment for Diana–there’s not much father down she can go. But she has her talisman in her mother’s shield and–more importantly–she has hope. Does that sound completely saccharine and corny? Perhaps. But it’s necessary if we’re ever going to make our way (sanely) out of this cluster of a storyline. Diana was so warped and changed so suddenly that the writers (thank you, Phil Hester!) are being forced to take some time, and get back to the absolute essential core of the character, so she can take her rightful place back in the DCU pantheon with a minimum of fuss when this is over. And what is at the core of Wonder Woman? Hope, and compassion. I’m more than happy to sit through a little cliché to get this (more and more ill-fated) change in her character and her status quo out of my face.

Green Hornet Vol. 2: Wearing O’ the Green (Hardcover)

Scripts by Kevin Smith, Breakdowns by Phil Hester, Art by Jonathan Lau, Colors by Ivan Nunes

Green Hornet Vol 1., Sins of the Father, left off with Brit deciding to take his father’s mantle. It was really only the halfway point for what Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet movie would have been. Wearing O’ the Green takes us to the end of that story. And if anything is clear after reading both volumes, it’s this: it’s a shame Kevin Smith never made his movie. Now, I didn’t mind the Seth Rogen/Michel Gondry collaboration. It certainly didn’t live up to its potential, but it was a fun and distracting film, and sometimes that’s all a film needs to be. But reading Smith’s vision for what Green Hornet could have been, it makes the shortcomings of the film we got just a little more apparent.

The bottom line is that Smith’s story is just better. The stakes are higher, the characters more developed and more interesting, and concept more fulfilling. Both version have Britt as a tabloid favorite Charlie-Sheen-but-younger kind of guy, but Smith’s Britt actually wants to take the mantle of the Green Hornet to continue his father’s work—Rogen’s does it as a way to forsake his father’s legacy (initially). Even the villain was much more appropriate. In a story about father/son legacies, the Rogen’s film lacked a villain to parallel this dynamic. Smith’s does not—the villains chosen are perfect foils to Britt and the Kato family. And speaking of Kato, Smith had a much bigger design. Kato is now much older, taking on the mentor role, while his daughter fulfills the badass chauffeur. Smith even brings in another Kato, who is a half-American stoner kind of guy who designs all of the Green Hornet’s weapons. The Kato of Rogen’s film did all three of these, and it was a bit too much at times. It still wasn’t clear at the end of the film why Kato needed Green Hornet, while without Kato, the Hornet would have been dead in seconds. Rogen’s Hornet never really seems to care about learning how to fight, yet Smith’s Hornet spends much of this second volume becoming the green hornet, learning hand-to-hand combat, and even experimenting with different looks (all of which go hilariously wrong). Gondry’s vision of Green Hornet may have been nice for a January movie (and for a January movie, it’s a goldmine), but reading Smith’s story and seeing what could have been done with Green Hornet? Oh…the missed opportunities.

But it’s also easy to see why Smith might have felt in over his head when he was set to direct the film. This was quite a while ago, and though CGI and special effects were big, they were nowhere near the level they are today. And there is some massive action sequences in Wearing O’ the Green that would make even today’s directors nervous. Stealth jets, a car that erupts into a little helicopter, a dozen or so Kung Fu battles, and at the same time trying not to undercut the emotional beets of the story or cheapen the comedy? Yeah, it’s a lot to juggle. Writing an awesome script is one thing, but when it comes to bringing it to life, it’s important not to get in over your head, and that’s what Smith’s script did to him. It was too good for his own sake. A rather odd problem to be in.

But since it was adapted to a comic series instead, he had others to help him see this story come forth. Phil Hester helped change the screenplay into a comic script—which is a lot harder than it sounds, so he deserves a lot of praise for it, and Jonathan Lau provides art. Scratch that. Jonathan Lau delivers amazing art. I don’t remember the art in Vol. 1 being as good as it is in Vol. 2, but Lau really nails every panel. If only he could team up with Kevin Smith for the eventual sequel to Widening Gyre! Lau’s art plays very well with Smith’s story. Both can be very dynamic and yet very subtle. Sometimes at the same moment. Of course, Ivan Nunes colors don’t hurt either. Neither do the covers by Alex Ross. The cover to the hardcover set alone is fantastic.

Wonder Woman #607 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer with Eduardo Pansica (pencils), Andy Owens, Sean Parsons and Eber Ferreira (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors) and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Diana–who, I can’t help pointing out, has actually started acting like Diana for a change of pace–and two of her closest Amazon guardians descend into a labyrinth to rescue the kidnapped boy, Harry. This being a labyrinth, there is naturally a Minotaur–along with a host of other nasties–to be conquered along the way. It turns out this is only the beginning of their problems though, as Harry’s kidnapping was only a ruse to lure Diana away from the rest of her Amazonian sisters, who are quickly engaged in a battle they may not be able to win without the help of their princess.

What’s Good: Wait a second, Greek mythology? Discussions about fate and the nature of Amazonian sisterhood? Diana actually, y’know, acting like a hero? Dang. It’s almost as if I’ve actually picked up a Wonder Woman book. Which is nice, because I haven’t seem to have read one in almost, what, eight months now?

This is a positive thing, I think.

On a less tongue in cheek (and less snitty) note, Phil Hester has been the best thing to happen to this title since JMS’s ill advised…reboot? Alternate reality? Temporary rip in the space/time continuum? I’m not sure exactly what it was he was trying to accomplish with this (and at this point we probably never will find out), but really, I don’t care. If Phil Hester can keep this storyline treading water long enough to get to its end, and if he can continue to repair some of the damage done to the character and continuity along the way, I’m more than happy to leave the questions of ‘what…exactly…happened here?’ aside. I assume he and the powers that be will have to come up with some sort of explanation at some point, but I really don’t care what it is anymore. Just having Diana–the real one–back again will be more than enough to satisfy this fan.

Wonder Woman #606 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Eduardo Pansica (pencils), Jay Leisten, Marlo Alquiza, Wayne Faucher and Eber Ferreira (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors) and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Diana and her friends are assaulted by mystical creatures determined to destroy them, and are forced out of their safe house after a tragedy. Things do from bad to worse, however, when their path takes them to an old, defiled temple, and an army straight out of Jason and the Argonauts.

What’s Good: First, apologies for the rather vague summary; a LOT of things happen in this book, and your reading experience will be far better served by not having them spoiled. And on that note… Holy crap! This is the first issue of Wonder Woman that I’ve purely, unabashedly enjoyed since Gail Simone left! In fact, the very dark and violent nature of this story is the most Simone-esque thing I’ve read since the last issue of Secret Six.

I’ve been waiting and waiting–not very patiently–for the creators to finally tip their hand as to what, exactly, is going on with this incarnation of Diana. While this issue doesn’t give any huge answers, it at least (FINALLY) puts some solid ground beneath the reader’s feet. We have our hero, we have her supporters, we have a main villain, and our hero gets to show off the full extent of her fighting abilities. (Somehow she seems to have forgotten the whole “I can fly!” thing, but…) That is a LOT more than we’ve gotten from this series in quite some time, and all of it is very well, if simply, handled. This script isn’t going to revolutionize the medium, but at this point I’m so happy to have a cohesive story set up for Diana that I’m more than willing to forgive a little generic plotting. Besides, the action was good–damn good. Watching Diana kick that much ass was a stand up and cheer moment for me. Damn did I miss her!

Wonder Woman #605 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester (writers), Don Kramer, Eduardo Panasica and Daniel HDR (pencils), Jay Leisten, Marlo Alquiza, Wayne Faucher and Eber Ferreira (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors) and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: An interlude, as Diana returns home to relax, recover, and engage in some exposition and–amazingly–character development as well. The short slice of home life is cut short when Diana sneaks out away from her guardians, and comes face to face with a threat she may not be able to handle.

What’s Good: I’ll be honest, on reading this issue for the first time, I wasn’t a fan. It felt like such a huge and sudden shift in both setting and in character–from a dangerous desert wasteland to a penthouse apartment, and from a dark, gritty and confused Diana to a far more upbeat and happy Diana–with next to no actual transition. On the second reading, however, while these complaints still mostly stand, I started to realize that I don’t care. I don’t care if it takes a slightly awkward and mostly unexplained transition to get Diana back to where she needs to be; the fact that some sense of normalcy is being reestablished, and most of all, that Diana is acting like someone other than Conan the Barbarian, is enough for me, and I’m happy to put up with whatever small hiccups in storytelling are necessary to get it. This issue feels almost like a reboot (of a reboot?), and I can’t say that’s a bad thing.

Once things get rolling, the story is really quite good. We learn a bit about Diana’s childhood, the way she was sheltered by her guardians, and the way she discovered her need to fight cruelty and injustice. I don’t particularly love flashbacks, but this particular set was sorely needed to give the reader–FINALLY, after six bloody issues!– some idea of who this ‘new’ Diana is, and what makes her tick as a character. After six issues of the grim n’ gritty “damn the gods!” version, it’s comforting to hear her discuss battling injustice and using her powers to, y’know, help people in need. Those are absolutely fundamental aspects of the character that should never, ever change, no matter how much you may want to tweak her history and origin.

Green Hornet Vol 1: Sins of the Father (Hardcover)

Scripts by Kevin Smith; Breakdowns by Phil Hester;  art by Jonathan Lau, colors by Ivan Nunes; and covers by Alex Ross.

Once upon a time, Kevin Smith was going to make a Green Hornet movie. That’s right. The man who brought you Cop Out and Jersey Girl was going to bring new life to a classic character. But that never happened. He wrote the script and, according to his introduction, freaked the frig out and didn’t think he had the chops to direct it. Ages went by and the script hibernated until it became useless and forgotten and Michael Gondry and Seth Rogen went on to make their own Green Hornet that looks like it might be fun, but let’s not get our hopes up. So what was to become of Kevin Smith’s script? Well, here it is. Converted into comics and now being released by Dynamite.

Sins of the Father picks up the Green Hornet 20 years after he’s retired. His son is a tabloid whore and he is one of the most powerful people in century city… Until he gets murdered. Now the son must take up his father’s mantle. Um… Isn’t that what the new movie’s about? Nevermind, that’s another post for another time. It’s a fun story, and Smith’s natural ability to sell a character really shines through. It’s a shame this was never turned into a film because I’m sure the new Kato would have been really hot in the Chauffer outfit.

The Darkness #80 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer & Artist), Andre Parks (Inks), and Sakti Yuwono, Arif Prianto, and Admira Wijaya of IFS (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The last issue of The Darkness brought the familiar “team building” storyline to the series. And you know what? It worked really well. I look forward to seeing Jackie’s team in action now that everyone has been introduced.

The Story: Jackie’s got interest in some swampy land. Unfortunately for him, the Sovereign has some business interests in the same area. Oh yea, and there’s an ancient bog monster in the swamp that both may have to deal with in some way.

What’s Good: It’s not often that I get to review a comic that’s both written and drawn by the same person. It can’t be an easy task and I give all the credit in the world to Phil Hester for taking on the challenge. The Darkness #80 proves that he was definitely up to the task.

The first chapter of “Bog” has all the trappings of a classic swamp monster story. There’s shady businessmen, a reluctant lady who knows of the areas secret, and a likeable rogue that isn’t going to be dissuaded from getting what he wants. Hester’s story is simple, effective, and just plain entertaining. It’s also got personality to spare (though some of it is delivered in a heavy-handed way) and that goes a long way towards making up for how odd the story feels following The Darkness #79. But I’ll get to that in a bit.

Hester’s artwork in the latest issue of The Darkness is solid and gets the job done. It’s stylish and delivers in the areas that matter the most. While a few panels look a little awkward, for the most part the action’s exciting, the storytelling compliments the dialogue, and the color work/heavy inking keeps things clear and uncluttered.

What’s Not So Good: This may sound something like a nitpick, but, simply put, “Bog” is a strange way to follow up the team building stuff that’s taken place over the last few issues of The Darkness. It’s particularly strange considering that “Bog” sort of seems like a filler story that could almost be told at any point in the series. Yeah, the Sovereign character is involved so you could argue there’s some sort of storytelling window “Bog” must take place in, but the monster comes first and foremost. Jackie Estacado’s people seem to completely disappear in The Darkness #80 and it leaves me wondering why Hester didn’t decide to let the team establish itself more first before moving ahead with the “Bog” arc.

Conclusion: It isn’t perfect, but you really can’t go wrong with The Darkness #80. If you like The Darkness, monster stories, and entertaining dialogue, be sure to pick it up.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #79 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Jorge Lucas (Art), and Felix Serrano (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I was casually flipping through The Darkness #79 when, all of a sudden, I yelled… “Triple-H!?”

The Story: Jackie’s got a new team to work with…

What’s Good: Phil Hester sticks to a very familiar “team-gathering” formula with The Darkness #79 and it works surprisingly well. Each member of Jackie’s team is introduced and given an entertaining (slightly seedy) back-story in a way that wouldn’t feel out of place in an Avengers title. As you probably know though, The Darkness isn’t your average superhero book and it’s for that reason that the latest issue of The Darkness stands out. While Hester doesn’t do anything new with the formula he’s working with, he doesn’t really have to because the style and tone of The Darkness is enough to make his story feel fresh.

Jorge Lucas’ gritty, dark work is a perfect fit for the new Darkness arc. There’s times when a more exciting style works for the series (Michael Broussard’s comes to mind), but this is not one of them. Hester is building a story that’s a bit more grounded and Lucas’ work adds a lot to the tone Hester is going for.

What’s Not So Good: The whole “HHH” thing is a bit of a distraction. I don’t mind referencing if it’s done right, but the WWE star’s appearance really took me out of the story. While HHH is certainly a solid choice for the character his likeness is used for, Vike will always be HHH rather than Vike.

Conclusion: It’s a bit formulaic, but The Darkness #79 is entertaining as hell. I look forward to seeing what Jackie Estacado’s team can do.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #78 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Nelson Blake II (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Arif Prianto of IFS (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m glad that it looks like Phil Hester is about to get The Darkness back on track. While I’ve enjoyed the re-launch of The Darkness quite a bit, there’s no denying that something has been missing.

The Story: Jackie wants to regain some measure of control and power. To do so he must take out the Sovereign…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The Darkness #78 tells a cool little story that not only works well as a (temporary) conclusion to the Sovereign arc, but also as a standalone story about Jackie Estacado being a total badass. It’s clever, it’s brutal, and it’s written/framed in a way that effectively adds to Estacado’s mystique as someone that’s not to be messed with. In addition, The Darkness #78 does a nice job of setting up the near future of the series which, from the looks of it, seems to be all about getting back to what made Jackie’s story such a hit to begin with.

Nelson Blake II is the big surprise of the latest issue of The Darkness. I’ve seen Blake’s pencil work before, but I don’t recall it ever looking quite as good as it does in The Darkness #78. Thanks to Ryan Winn and Arif Prianto, Blake’s work is bright, clean, and stylish in a way works far better than you’d expect; considering what an issue of The Darkness normally looks like. While the art isn’t really a prime example of the typical “Darkness” style, it still proves to be a nice change of pace for the series.

Conclusion: The Darkness #78 isn’t groundbreaking or particularly exciting, but it delivers as a solid piece of entertainment. The art impresses and the writing effectively sets the stage for the next chapter of The Darkness.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Masquerade #4 – Review

By Phil Hester (writer), Carlos Paul, Manny Clark, Jean Dias (artist), Debora Carita (colorist)

The Story: The story opens with flashbacks of Masquerade’s past to bring us up to speed. We rewind first to Masquerade in the psychological fugue in the Urn, and watch as her force of will and personality keep her together for decades until she drops out into the real world. Her disorientation lands her in trouble in Tokyo, but also leads to the discovery of new abilities. But the new world is no more of a home for her than the past. A friend gives her some advice on how to bridge her present self with the past and she goes on a quest to find out how to do that.

What’s Good: This is a character study book. Diana Adams, the Masquerade, is someone who has always had trouble defining herself and her place in the world. Now that she has been lost for decades of captivity in the Urn, she has more of a need to do so than ever. This need propels the story and keeps the pages turning.

The writing chores by Hester are well done. A psychological journey is a different sort of story that needs different tools. A classic example of the psychological journey is almost the entire first Doctor Strange series. Hester pulls off something equally effective here, but for a different kind of character. The number of text boxes needed for this story might have dragged the momentum in other hand, but in fact, they work well here. Hester’s eloquence makes them a rich read.

The art does some heavy lifting too. The grittiness of the Tokyo scene is very effective, as are the lighting and shadow effects throughout. And some of the faces are very expressively done.

What’s Not So Good: Only two criticisms should be leveled at this book. Firstly, this is a complex story arc that has to close by the end of the issue, but this book felt a little disjointed. Parts of Masquerade’s story have to do with her childhood, others with her origin, yet others with the Urn and then those since her emergence in the present and her current search. It took some work on the reader’s part to keep those different time periods separate. Secondly, some of the art was inconsistent. Some of the faces and poses were well done, but sometimes the faces were a little rushed while the poses were stiff or awkward. In all, these were not major problems, but they weren’t minor either.

Conclusion: Masquerade #4 was a solid character study to top off this arc. There were some storytelling problems that made it more a bit of a tough go in some spots, but it was still worth it.

Grade: C+

-DS Arsenault

The Darkness #77 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Arif Prianto (Colors)

The Story: Jackie fights the lady with the red ribbon’s guardian and comes to learn the secret of the curse… and of his break with the Darkness.

What’s Good: The battle between Jackie and the sand guardian feels adequately epic thanks to the exciting, dynamic visuals and the dialogue that flows along with the action. In addition, it’s nice to see what (initially) seems like a throwaway battle used as a springboard for getting the series back to doing what it does best. While I don’t want to spoil anything, let’s just say that it’s good to see Phil Hester move the story away from the Sovereign and back towards the Darkness. I wish I could say more about the issue, but the best stuff is saved for the end (in other words, spoiler territory).

What’s Not So Good: While it’s not a huge distraction, Jackie and the lady with the red ribbon are drawn rather inconsistently. Jackie, in particular, looks like a completely different person at times. Having that irregularity throw you when following the character.

Another complaint I have is that some of the dialogue is a bit too heavy-handed and melodramatic. While it fits the story quite well, it’s still a bit silly from time to time.

Conclusion: The Darkness #77 is just solid all around. The visuals look good, the storytelling is pretty compelling, and the ending is sure to please all fans.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #76 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Benny Fuentes (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I bailed on the third volume of The Darkness following the end of the first story arc. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it was the different art team or perhaps it was the less than engaging previews I had checked out. Whatever the reason, I decided to jump back on board after the series hit number seventy five and celebrated with a one-shot that offered up a pretty compelling glimpse of a possible future for the Top Cow universe.

The Story: While attempting to walk away from the Sovereign’s orders, Jackie Estacado falls under the spell of a beautiful woman with a red ribbon in her hair. Jackie quickly finds out that there’s more to the woman than meets the eye, and he finds out that there is quite a bit he has yet to learn about the legacy of the Darkness. And it could cost him his life.

What’s Good: For an extremely fast read, The Darkness #76 does quite a few things right. The artwork, though not without flaws, is pretty quite striking at times and does a nice job of visually carrying the story forward when there is little dialogue or narration to help out. The woman’s red ribbon is particularly worthy of note because Michael Broussard and his team do a great job of making it stand out in any panel it’s present in. And the effect helps to create a sense of uneasiness about both the woman and the desperation that drives Jackie toward his destination. As for the writing, Phil Hester effectively adds wrinkles to both the mythology of the Darkness and the character of Estacado. While the conflicted anti-hero is something of a cliché (and has been for some time), Estacado manages to remain compelling regardless of the baggage that the characters of his type tend to carry.

What’s Not So Good: While I didn’t feel ripped off, there is no denying how quick the latest issue of The Darkness ended. Whole pages went by without any dialogue, which really accentuated the inconsistent (sometimes silly) visuals. I mean, Jackie Estacado’s face seemed to change repeatedly throughout the book. At times, his particular case of moody angst seems to give him pouty Angelina Jolie lips. As it turns out, the unintentional hilarity really breaks the somber tone Hester and company seem to be going for.

Conclusion: While the wonky artwork proves at times, distracting, it doesn’t hurt the quality of an otherwise enjoyable comic too much. There is something about the fairly simple story and effective use of color that kept me glued to the pages. It definitely could have been better, but nonetheless, I liked it well enough.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness: Lodbrok’s Hand #1 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Avon Oeming (Artist), and Val Staples (Colorist)

The Story: A one-and-done comic set sometime long ago in The Darkness universe, Lodbrok’s Hand is a cautionary story about a man’s (good-intentioned) strive for power and the cost that it carries. Lodbrok, his sister, and some others are the few that remain of a village following a brutal raid lead by the tyrant Grimur. The group goes off in search of the legendary Forbidden Horn in the hopes of summoning The Black Captain and his twisted crew in order to even the odds against the might of Grimur. As with similar stories, there is a price to be paid for the powers called forth by the Forbidden Horn, regardless of the success or failure they bring.

What’s Good: I consider this one-shot to be such a success because the creative team manages to make a very familiar story feel like something fresh and almost brand new. First off, Phil Hester’s script effectively captures the feeling of a tale being spoken aloud by a master storyteller; something that is crucial to the book considering how the story told in Lodbrok’s Hand is framed. Secondly, the artwork by Michael Avon Oeming (colored by Val Staples) does a great job of capturing the dark, foreboding nature of Lodbrok’s quest. From the blood-drenched action scenes to the bizarre, supernatural nature of The Black Captain and his ship, Lodbrok’s Hand is a visual treat.

One other thing worth mentioning is how the story can really be enjoyed by anyone. While Darkness fans will no doubt get a kick out of seeing the captain’s crew and a creature from Top Cow’s Broken Trinity event, those unfamiliar with that stuff will still find a lot to like. Simply put, Lodbrok’s Hand is a great example of a one-shot done right.

What’s Not So Good: To be honest, the most negative thing I can say about the stand-alone saga is that it is fairly predictable from beginning to end. While the script and visuals do wonders for freshening up a story told many times before, it is still a story told many times before. That said, it is a story told many times before given impressive visuals and an epic script. While a twist or two would have been nice, I can’t complain too much considering how technically sound the whole thing is.

Conclusion: Definitely give The Darkness: Lodbrok’s Hand a shot if you are a fan of the series or just good stories in general. It doesn’t exactly break any new ground, but then again it doesn’t need to. Easily one of the better one-and-done comics I have read this year.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #6 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Sheldon Mitchell (Colors)

The Story: After embracing the Darkness in order to survive being blown to bits, Jackie Estacado faces off against his child, a being borne of nothing but pure Darkness. It is a battle of revenge-fueled rage versus primal, ancient evil as the Empire arc comes to an explosive conclusion.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. Jackie Estacado continues to be one of the most compelling comic characters around, and this issue of The Darkness is a prime example of why. For a book that focuses almost entirely on the action, this one has a surprising amount of depth. And as far as action is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this. The epic battle is visually stunning, full of entertaining banter, and it all resolves in a surprisingly clever fashion.

Phil Hester does a fantastic job laying the groundwork necessary to give this battle some emotional impact, and the payoff hits all the right notes. It plays off everything that makes The Darkness such an entertaining series. The main character is at his best, the artwork is better than ever, and the Darkness (both the power and the nature of it) is given a chance to shine.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I enjoy Phil Hester’s writing, it comes across as a bit melodramatic or pretentious from time to time. His style works to great effect for the most part, but every once in a while a phrase will pop up that elicits a roll of the eyes. It is as if he is trying too hard to add weight to the story.

Conclusion: The Darkness #6 is easily one of the strongest issues of the long-running series. It is sure to please fans and action-junkies alike. Highly recommended in every way.

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Broken Trinity #2 – Review

By Ron Marz (Writer), Stjepan Sejic (Art), and Phil Hester (Art)

First, a quick note. Now that I’ve read the first two chapters of Top Cow’s Broken Trinity crossover, I find myself absolutely baffled as to why the story is being limited to three main books and two tie-ins (one of which is a prequel and another that remains a mystery). The event feels and looks every bit the epic as advertised and yet it all comes to a conclusion next issue without nearly enough plot development to flesh out the story. Another book or two would do wonders for adding more depth to what looks to be an epic confrontation between the powers of the Top Cow universe. Why is this being cut so short?

Structure complaints aside, not a lot really happens in Broken Trinity #2. The characters and powers all come together in preparation for a clash that will take place next month. Yep, it’s a set up issue. While there is some great character work between Sara and Jackie and some more background on the nature of the conflict at hand, I never felt that things were really moving forward in a way that actually developed the story. That said, I came looking for a visually awesome battle and I honestly believe that Broken Trinity is going to deliver that in a big way… it just doesn’t happen in this issue.

Technically, the issue is quite solid. Ron Marz does some nice character work, but falls a bit short in plot development. He obviously has a strong handle on the characters, but it feels as though he really doesn’t have much planned beyond throwing all these powers together and having them fight it out. There’s no doubt that he really couldn’t have picked a better art team to work with. Stjepan Sejic and Phil Hester make Broken Trinity one of the most visually compelling events in quite some time. My only complaint is the (usual) noticeable drop in quality during minor scenes.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t let down by Broken Trinity #2, but I also find myself really looking forward to the conclusion of the event. Here’s to hoping that it delivers the action it seems to promise. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #5 – Capsule Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Sheldon Mitchell (Colors)

I am generally not a fan of shock-value, but the latest issue of the Darkness shows how it can be correctly delivered in service to a compelling story. All things come to a head this month as Jackie and his “team” come face to face with the Darkness born (and Darkness carrying) Elle. Telling anything more about the story would spoil things so let me just say that this one left me shocked, awed, and ready for more. For an action-horror story, things really don’t get a whole lot better than this.

Phil Hester, along with Michael Broussard and his art team continue to completely reinvent an idea that, quite frankly, was getting a bit stale. The new direction for Jackie and the new uses for the Darkness concept elevate a fairly basic storyline into something much more exciting than it has any right to be. If you aren’t reading the Darkness, you should be. (Grade: B+)

-Kyle Posluszny

Broken Trinity: The Darkness #1 – Review

Phil Hester (Writer), Jorge Lucas (Art), and Lee Loughridge (Colors)

I’ve always felt that The Darkness works best when it brings Jackie Estacado’s moral code into the equation and that is exactly what the bulk of this Broken Trinity prequel does. Jackie goes on the warpath when he finds out from The Butcher that some people that used to work underneath him accidentally killed a five year old girl they were holding for ransom. To complicate things (or make the issue feel uneven), some Angelus soldiers are hunting Jackie in what is yet another attempt to destroy The Darkness. The storyline involving the dead little girl is compelling, brutal, and extremely well written. The appearance of the soldiers, however, feels extremely tacked on and seems to force the extremely strong stand-alone Darkness story into being something that it isn’t. That said, as a whole, this is a well done prequel because it gives Jackie a reason to want to be with his daughter, Hope.

As for the technical stuff, Broken Trinity: The Darkness is really the complete package. The dark, gritty artwork by Jorge Lucas and Lee Loughridge fits Phil Hester’s mature, well written story perfectly. My only complaint really is that this serves as an event tie-in and not just a stand-alone one-shot. I would have gladly traded in the Angelus stuff for a more fleshed out narrative about the unauthorized botched ransom job because it focused on Jackie the character as opposed to Jackie the supernatural Darkness wielder.

I highly recommend this one to Darkness fans (or those interested in a good comic), but don’t feel that it is a necessary chapter for those solely interested in the Broken Trinity event. It is an enjoyable read, but fans who have any knowledge of the Darkness/Witchblade/Angelus saga will find that the tie-in aspects of this book feel incredibly familiar (rehashed, even). (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Broken Trinity #1 – Review

Ron Marz, (Writer) Stjepan Sejic, and Phil Hester (Art)

As I have come to learn since becoming a comic book critic, the first part of an event or a new creative run is tough to review. It must hook the reader in some way while at the same time going through the (possibly boring or redundant) motions necessary to set up the story arc. Things can really get off on the wrong foot if the set up (a necessary evil) isn’t sufficiently compelling (check out Uncanny X-Men #500 for proof). I mention this because I feel that Broken Trinity #1 is a great example of how to properly set up a new storyline without making it feel like a boring chore to read.

There are two storylines at work in this issue, both of them serving to bring the elements of this event together. One of them, a visually striking Viking skirmish that quickly escalates into an epic battle between supernatural forces, serves up the action while establishing new elements in the Top Cow Universe. The other storyline works to bring almost all of the main players together in a way that feels both logical and natural given the continuity. While I honestly have no idea as to where things will go from here, the set up is solid and full of enough combustible elements to make for a great event. One thing is for sure, the creative team working on this series set quite a high bar with the First Born event, so they have their work cut out for them if they hope to clear it.

As for the writing, Ron Marz does a great job in this issue. The dialogue during the Viking battle is suitably epic and the characters drive the story well in the present day scenes. While I wish he would have spent a touch more time establishing the Celestine character, I have a feeling more will be explained sooner than later. Marz deftly puts the pieces in place while keeping a sense of mystery about what exactly is going on and, honestly, he’s got me hooked. While this story could really go either way at this point (since so much is still up in the air), it is off to quite a start.

I expected some nice work from the team of Stjepan Sejic and Phil Hester, but I’ve got to say that they really exceeded every expectation. The Viking scenes are absolutely stunning, a display of what I suppose I’ll call beautiful brutality. The supernatural characters look fantastic as well, though I will readily admit that they are nothing more than extremely impressive looking fantasy clichés. My only true complaint is that, like nearly all of Sejic’s books, there is a noticeable drop in detail/quality from time to time, but I can excuse that considering it must take quite some time to create the more impressive stuff. A book needs to get out at some point, so I can overlook that for the most part.

Overall, I’m really enjoying the first part of the Broken Trinity event. It manages to avoid getting bogged down by the necessary set up while creating the hooks that make me want more as soon as possible. (Grade: A)

-Kyle Posluszny

The Darkness #4 – Review

By Phil Hester (Writer), Michael Broussard (Pencils), Ryan Winn (Inks), and Matt Milla (Colors)

Since the third volume of The Darkness began earlier this year, I have been consistently entertained by Jackie Estacado and his rule over the people of Sierra Munoz thanks to the production of a Darkness spawned drug. Phil Hester has done some nice work crafting a story that feels familiar, yet original. The art team, lead by Michael Broussard, continues to craft some impressive visuals to help tell the story. While not the deepest book on the stands, The Darkness is always a solid, visually impressive, action-packed comic.

With this latest issue, Jackie Estacado finds his link to his Darkness powers fading because a woman he created purely out of the Darkness has been manipulated by a backstabbing scientist to harness it for his own uses. With his powers close to useless, Jackie is shot and falls right into the hands of the very rebels that have been seeking to overthrow his reign. It is in this situation he finds out more about the nature of the Darkness and his sense of revenge kicks in. As he says “My partner f—ed me and when I get f—ed, I f— back.” I’ll levae the rest of the story for you to discover, but needless to say, the stage is set quite nicely. Yes, I know it sounds a bit confusing, but the recap will catch you up if you haven’t been on board since the first issue. This is a good read all around and the ending ratchets up the stakes to a whole new level. If you are fan, or looking for something new, you can’t go wrong with this issue.

Phil Hester’s writing is entertaining as always and he does a great job making Jackie a guy worth rooting for (even though he is far from heroic). The monologues throughout the book, while occasionally a bit over-dramatic, give an interesting glimpse into Jackie’s head and the dialogue. They’re plentiful, while never feeling excessive. The interactions between Jackie and the attractive rebel, Marisol Yanez, have a charm to them and, while it is nothing you haven’t seen before, it adds a bit to both characters. Hester, while occasionally writing some wonky dialogue, always manages to make this book a dark and fun read.

Broussard and the art team, as usual, make The Darkness one of the better looking books on the stands. There are a couple of really impressive scenes in this issue almost worth the cover price, especially a Darkness induced hallucination in which Jackie speaks to a Darkness created wolf-hawk hybrid thing. There are some inconsistencies with faces from time to time and Estacado has some awfully pouty lips in a few scenes, but as a whole I couldn’t be much happier. The colors jump off the page and the use of shadow and darkness creates just the right mood for the book. Broussard’s work may not appeal to you if you aren’t into the Marc Silvestri style, but I think it fits perfectly.

The Darkness scores again with another entertaining issue as Hester and Broussard continue their run on one of the more under appreciated series out there. Give this book a look, you’ll be glad you did. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny