Freedom Fighters #8 – Review

By: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti (writers), Travis Moore (penciller), Trevor Scott (inker), Allen Passalaqua (colorist)

The Story: What does the spirit of America do when it’s angry?  It punches you in the face.

The Review: By all accounts, this is the third series (the first two being minis) featuring the Freedom Fighters and written by the Gray-Palmiotti team.  The minis both had the problem of starting strong, then having the story fall part toward the end.  You’d think with that kind of experience, Gray-Palmiotti would have a firm handle on executing their plotting by now.

As it turns out though, this first story arc winds down just as anticlimactically.

Uncle Sam’s reappearance should have heralded the team getting its act together and taking down the Jester in all-American style.  Instead, his teammates spend the issue KO’ed while Uncle Sam has to finish the job himself.  And despite being a metaphysical concept come to supernatural life, Sam doesn’t have much in the way of skills and powers except a terrific right hook.  It makes for a fairly repetitive fight sequence, that’s for sure.

It doesn’t help Uncle Sam and Jester punctuate their punches with babble about American ideology and politics.  Let’s face it—very few people in general have a firm grasp on political science or the implications of their political beliefs.  If I may be so bold to say it, comic-book writers and readers probably have even less.  Can comics be a medium for political discourse?  Sure.  Superhero comics, not so much—check out Law and the Multiverse for just some of the wacky ways superheroes fly in the face our already jittery laws.

Sky Doll #3 – Review

By Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa (Story, Art, and Colors)

Initially, I felt that I would have to come down hard on the third installment of the Sky Doll series because it might leaves too much up in the air for (what I thought to be) a conclusion. As it turns out, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa are hard at work finishing up the next chapter of the Sky Doll adventure, so I re-read the issue again within that context and found it much more enjoyable than I had first thought. A whole lot happens in the latest installment, but don’t go into the issue expecting to find many answers.

If I had to pick one word to describe issue #3, it would probably be “chaotic.” As the story opens, main characters Jahu, Roy, and Noa find themselves thrust into the media spotlight as part of the coverage for a big religious event known as “The Holy Mission.” They are hastily prepared for a television appearance, thrown before the cameras, and soon caught right in the middle the religious revolution that has been brewing from the beginning. To say much more would undoubtedly lead to spoilers, so instead, let me just say that this issue contains more of what made the first two parts of the story so good. It is an engaging mix of politics, satire, sexuality, and religion that continues to be both personal and epic in scope. There is a large scale sociopolitical event taking place, but the personal journey of the characters caught up in the chaos is what really makes this story so compelling.

Barbucci and Canepa once again bring a fantastic science fiction world to life through vibrant artwork and engaging writing. This issue may be the strongest yet, artistically, because so much is going on and yet it never once feels as though control or direction is lost. The detail, character design, and use of color is some of the best I have ever seen, though I will admit that the style may not be everyone’s sort of thing. As for the writing, my only real complaint is that there is almost too much going on at once in this issue. There is a lot for the reader to digest and while I enjoy a challenging read, I get the feeling I don’t truly have a grasp on every aspect of the story being told. Perhaps the next issue will clear some things up, but considering that there is no telling when it will actually hit, I can’t help but feel a bit unfulfilled by where the story leaves off. There is still a lot I want to know, which is a good thing, but I don’t think this issue is as satisfying as it could have been had I been given a bit more explanation throughout.

If you have enjoyed Noa, Roy, and Jahu’s story thus far, make sure to check out this issue – all the elements that have been building since the first issue come to a head. Just be aware that you may (or should I say will) feel left hanging by some of the plot elements and, as of now, there is no set time frame for when the next part of the story will be released. (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny