Uncanny X-Force #2 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Ron Garney (Penciler), Danny Miki with Scott Hanna (Inkers), Marte Gracia with Israel Gonzalez and Wil Quintana (Colorists), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: One of my big comic book regrets of late is that I didn’t pick up Remender’s run on Uncanny X-Force. I borrowed the odd issue from friends but didn’t get the big picture, and from what I hear the whole run is an epic Must Read; I’m basically waiting for Marvel to package the whole thing up in an Omnibus edition so I can try and read it all in one massive sitting. Anyway, the point is that as well as missing out on some great storytelling, I also feel that I’ve missed out on some key moments which inform Sam Humphries’ turn on the title.

This feeling was a bit more pronounced with the first issue (lots of vague plot points discussed between Storm and Psylocke and glimpsed in flashback panels) but the sense still lingers here. This, along with the general bluster that dogs the books composition, makes things a little hard to follow. I can’t quite work out whether I like it or not. There’s good and bad, and I’m not sure if any one side really wins out.

Uncanny X-Force #1 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Ron Garney (Artist), Marte Gracia, Israel Gonzalez (Colorists)

The Story: Psylocke, alongside Storm and Puck, gets on a case of hive-minding drugs thanks to a tip given by Wolverine.

The Review: This book has an incredible challenge ahead of itself. Not only it is a first issue which needs to captivate readers with some unknown characters and setting, but it is the direct follow-up to a beloved tenure on the title by Rick Remender. Writer Sam Humphries has some huge shoes to fill on this title.

Thankfully, there seems to be some potential for this new volume of the series, as there are a lot of elements that are taken and followed from the previous run, while there are some new ideas and characters added to the mix to make this worthwhile. There’s the definitive touch of Remender inside this issue, but Humphries does not shy away from new directions.

Wolverine #4 – Second Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), Renato Guedes (artist), Jose Wilson Magalhaes & Oclair Albert (inkers), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: Wolverine’s still in Hell. Still fighting the Devil. Still crying about all the pain and suffering he’s inflicted over the years. Meanwhile, his body is still on Earth. Still possessed by a demon. Still running around killing all of Logan’s friends and loved ones. But hey, at least Puck’s to fuck shit up.

The Good: After last month’s issue, I knew this month would ultimately define my appreciation of Aaron’s inaugural storyline. There were some good moments this month, such as Logan’s homage to “300“ during his climatic fight with the Devil, Puck leading his army of the damned in revolt, or the revelation of Puck’s mysterious accomplice. I’m glad that, after four months, all Hell is, literally, breaking loose, even if it seems to have come a tad bit late since next month’s issue will (mercifully) end this story. I continue to enjoy Guedes’s art and the surreal style he brings to Logan’s jaunt through Hell, but I question how well his style will carry over to more traditional superhero stories.

The Not So Good: What started out as an incredibly promising story has since devolved into an exercise in mediocrity by an incredibly talented writer. Seriously, we’ve been at this story for four months now, and beyond this endless, uninteresting battle between Logan and the Devil, what’s actually happened!? Practically nothing, in my opinion. Every issue has followed this formula of Wolverine melodramatically crying about how he deserves damnation for the atrocities he committed in Life, the Devil torturing Logan and trying to break his spirit, and his demon-possessed body walking the Earth killing Logan’s friends.

I have no doubt Aaron’s original pitch for this story was probably an entertaining read, but the final product is leaving much to be desired. Here we have a story that takes place in Hell, a setting that should have given Aaron and Guedes that rare, creative opportunity to build and define their vision of the Underworld from the ground up, but for some inexplicable reason they instead chose to keep Logan and the Devil locked in this non-descript, poorly colored cave. To me, that’s about as interesting as reading a copy of Dante’s Inferno that never got out of the first circle of Hell. I’ve been disappointed with this story’s lack of ambition and vision; every time I wanted Aaron to push the envelope and truly disturb me with visions of Marvel’s most fearsome killer being tortured in the heart of Hell, he simply gave me more of the same melodrama and blandness that turned me off the character and the book years ago.

With this issue, I realized that Guedes’s art is only as good as the quality of his inkers. Personally, I believe his art looks best when the inks are light, allowing the linework and colors to take center stage. To appreciate this stark contrast, take a look at that beautiful, double-page of Wolverine’s “I believe in Hell” fight with the Devil and then compare that to the final pages of Sabretooth defying the Devil and Puck leading his revolt before conferring with Logan’s acquaintance and you’ll see the difference. Which style of inks you prefer is, of course, at your discretion, but to see both within the same comic was a disappointing and distracting experience for me

Conclusion: This storyline hasn’t quite entertained me and it hasn’t quite given me new insight into Wolverine’s character and measure as a man. So far, it’s been a very routine and unspectacular story, and that’s incredibly disappointing to say about an otherwise solid creative team. Frankly, I’m not sure I’ll be buying this comic for much longer. Something needs to change, and soon.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

For our  first review, click here.

 

Wolverine #4 – Review

by Jason Aaron (writer), Renato Guedes (pencils), Jose Wilson Magalhaes & Olclair Albert (inks), Matthew Wilson (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: The possessed Wolverine tries to take out Colossus while Logan attempts to start a revolution in Hell by taking on the Devil.

What’s Good: You like great action?  Then this is your comic.   It’s largely composed of two action scenes and they both are really, really good, while also being completely different from one another.  Wolverine’s fight with Colossus, and later, the X-Men, is brutal, close quarters stuff.  It makes the possessed Wolverine come across like a real monster, while also highlighting Logan’s friendship with Colossus and Colossus’ emotional vulnerabilities.  There’s even a great little pisstake on Colossus’ tradition of tossing Wolverine.  It’s gritty, thrilling stuff that’s made all the better by the possessed Wolverine, who Aaron makes sound as evil and demonic as possible.

Then you’ve got Logan’s fight with the Devil.  It’s about as “omg wtf” as it sounds and it comes across as both over the top and epic.  There’s even a scene that reminded me of the movie 300…in hell.  It’s completely ludicrous, particularly in scale, but that’s what makes it so much fun.  Logan’s running narration only serves to enhance, making the fight seem all the more important, while adding emotional touches thanks to his self-loathing.

It’s clear that in writing the scenes in hell, Jason Aaron is clearly in his element.  It’s big stuff, but there’s always a hint of cheesy fantasy/horror and grindhouse to it that should please fans of his run on Ghost Rider.

Aaron also throws in a cliffhanger that’s guaranteed to excite.  He introduces a new/old character that not only comes totally out of left field, but also leaves Aaron with a great deal of significant creative freedom.  With so much having been done with the character, it’s a surprise that so little has been done in the area Aaron is about to approach.  If getting Logan to hell was done solely so Logan could have this encounter, I’m totally fine with that.  That should hint at how big this.

Guedes’ art is really good this month as well.  After all, action scenes are only as good as the artist drawing them and their success is Guedes’ as well.  His demons look great, his hell looks dense and well-imagined, and everything works well while also having a look of its own.

Wolverine #2 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), Renato Guedes (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: His soul now trapped in Hell while his possessed body walks the Earth killing those closest to him, Logan is forced to answer for a lifetime of murder by battling his victims before they can break him completely.

The Good: After what I felt was a decent, but rather mediocre first issue, I’m pleased that Aaron has jacked up the intensity and made this issue a much more entertaining read. It never ceases to amaze me that writers continue to find new things to do with Wolverine, especially considering how often he is used and abused in comics, and Aaron stands poised to pull off one of the most audacious Wolverine tales to date. Which is good! I like creators who are willing to sound off like they’ve got a pair and take these well-worn characters and do ridiculous shit with them because, when done right, that makes for the kind of entertainment that will keep me coming back month after month.

The thing that struck me about this issue was how creepy it was. Aaron imbues every page with details that underscore just how out of his league Logan really is. When Logan observes how there’s no passing of time, how he’s not actually breathing, or how his claws are once again bone and his healing factor has been compromised, you realize that he has, for all intent and purpose, been rendered powerless in a very mortal way, and part of the strength of this issue comes in watching Logan fight past his limitations and overcome what can only be described as the most insurmountable odds he has ever faced. This is the foundation of good storytelling. Aaron is fully aware of this, I’m certain of it, and I’m ready to trust him to take this story to the next level. Why, you ask? Well, just go back and look at that splash page of Sabretooth’s fate and tell me that didn’t get under your skin just a little bit. And just when you think you’ve got this story figured out and know what to expect next, Aaron pulls off one of the most ridiculously outrageous (and I really do mean that in a good way) cliffhangers I’ve seen in awhile and reminds you why you need and want to see what he comes up with next.