Defenders #3 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (penciler), Rachel Dodson (inker), Sonia Oback (colorist)

The Story: The Defenders prove their incompetence.

The Review: I’m not sure what just happened. I enjoyed The Defenders #1, and while I wasn’t particularly impressed with #2, I still thought the series was on good footing. But after reading The Defenders #3, I have to question this book’s right to exist. The series has gone downhill fast, with several factors undercutting any chance it had at success. I would be sad if weren’t so comical. I’m going to put a SPOILER warning on for this entire review. If you just want my opinion before reading it, know that I think it’s bad. If you want more of a blow-by-blow analysis, read on.

The book opens fine, with Prester John explaining to the Defenders that he is going to allow Nul, the Breaker of Worlds, to destroy the Concordance Engine, a timey-wimey spacey-wacey thingy which, when destroyed, will end the universe and propel John and his spaceship/arc into a new universe. John’s motivation is basically that he thinks that this universe is sick, God is dead, and there’s no point in sticking around any longer. When finished talking, he then walks off, telling the Defenders they can join him on his spaceship, or stay and be killed when the universe dies.

The Defenders declare that they need to A) stop Nul from breaking the Concordance and B) stop Prester John from leaving the universe. Now, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know than B) relies on A) being done, so as long as A) is stopped, the Defenders don’t need to worry about B). So, naturally, the Defenders split up to try and stop both. Right.

Silver Surfer goes off to stop Prester John, and the rest stay behind to stop Nul, thinking, “That much madness…that much power…” The thought and narration boxes really try to sell you on the idea that John is insane, but I’m not buying it. Comics are a medium rife with madmen and lunatics both good and evil, so “madness” isn’t a word you can just toss around. As is, John simply acts more like an over-powered curmudgeon than a deranged psychotic. He’s not even ranking at a level of J. Jonah Jameson madness.

Heroes for Hire #12 – Review

By: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writer), Brad Walker (artist), Andrew Hennessy (inker), Jay David Ramos (colorist)

The Story: Hero, are you for hire? We’ve got a job.

The Review: Heroes for Hire #12 was a nice little single-issue story. We are thrown into the middle of the action in a moody and effective close-up of Misty summoning her contractors. The darkened evening shots filled with action and the switch from character to character gives a sense of a superhero crime-fighting relay, which was an interesting feeling even if some of the setup seemed choreographed in a way that did not match the dialogue. What I mean by that is that many of the heroes for hire were within seconds of the action, in costume and already on the move when Misty asked if they were interested in a job. Maybe I’m missing some in-joke or tagline that Misty uses all the time.

I enjoyed the art. Except for some proportion and perspective issues with Misty’s face, everything else was good. The action was clear and dynamic, the character and setting draftsmanship detailed and the layouts and colors suitable for the kind of rapid-fire story being told. I particularly liked Walker’s rendition of Namor. The Prince of the Sea was imposing and impressive.

Overall, I enjoyed this issue, but it was a bit like eating a rice crispy square. It tasted good, but had little substance. No characters grew or changed, no deep motivations were demonstrated or even alluded to. This was simple, fluffy action for the sake of action, making the characters look cool, and giving them opportunities to attempt some quips (some of which worked).

Conclusion: This is one of the first issues of HfH that I’ve picked up, so maybe there is more substance to the rest of the series and this issue happens to be a light break between heavy arcs. I love the concept of the team, and the characters are intriguing, so there’s a lot of grist for the mill. I just didn’t see the best of the story potential realized here. Pick it up if you love these characters.

Grade: B-

-DS Arsenault

Follow DS on Twitter.

Follow WCBR on Twitter and Facebook.

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

Sub-Mariner: Revolution (TPB) – Review

By Matt Cherniss & Peter Johnson (writer) Phil Briones (art), Scott Hanna (inks), Paul Mounts (colors)

I’ll admit, I’ve never been a big Namor fan. I remember picking up the old series in the 1990s because of Jae Lee’s art, but I never actually read the books. As time wore on and Namor showed up in series I enjoy, I began to take a liking to his snide attitude. After the events of Civil War and Avengers Illuminati, I really began to take more interest in his character.

Sub-Mariner: Revolution collects the six issue mini-series that came out last year. Following on the heals of Civil War, the story begins with another terrorist attack on America. With SHIELD on high alert, it’s soon discovered that the attack was Atlantean in origin. All fingers immediately point to Namor and the sleeper cells in the U.S. (that he claimed were no longer in place). Well, apparently he lied. The cells are still in the U.S., but a rogue cell has slipped through the cracks and is the cause for this terrorist act. Namor, now under the gun, leaves Atlantis to find this rogue cell in hopes of preventing a full-scale war with the surface.

In many ways, this book is very average. There’s a bit of a mystery as to who’s pulling strings behind the scenes and as expected Namor has to go through many hoops and obstacles to get to the heart of the mystery. It gets a bit too formulaic at times, especially when it comes to the obligatory fight scenes. It’s also a bit jarring when high profile characters like Venom and Wolverine are thrown into the book in hopes of selling a few more copies.

There are redeeming qualities, however – most come with the last chapter. In a stunning turn of events Namor makes a decision that completely turns the story on its side. It’s so severe that the ramifications will be in place for some time to come. The last chapter also serves as an epilogue of sorts to Civil War. This alone makes it worth reading.

Phil Briones’ art is consistent throughout. It’s somewhat reminiscent of early 1990s art with too much cross hatching at times, but thankfully it doesn’t detract from the overall storytelling. The writing is also a mixed bag as well. Like I said, there’s parts where the dialog is awful and the plot is formulaic, then there’s times when the book is just awesome (particularly the final chapter). Luckily, the pros outweigh the cons.

Priced at $14.99, you’re actually saving money if you buy this trade rather than paying $2.99 for six issues. There’s no extras, but the upgraded paper stock is a welcome. Is it worth your time and money? I think so. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes