Shadowland #5 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The battle for New York City comes to its conclusion.

What’s Good: What, besides the fact that this is the final issue and that this mess of an event is finally over?

In all seriousness, though, my thought while reading this issue was that it could’ve been hell of a lot worse.  The event comes to a nice enough end and the point it leaves Matt at is a nice one and a natural fit for the character that holds hope for future creative teams.  While Shadowland has been many things, few of them good, Daredevil fans can breathe a sigh of relief that no irreparable damage is done to the character and nothing truly catastrophic is inflicted upon the series.

Basically, Shadowland was only ever meant to take Matt from point A to point B.  The story was cobbled together as a means to get him there.  Perhaps that ends up being the reason why this issue ended up being better than I expected.  While not particularly good, it finally shows us what that point B is, which was always probably the most well thought out portion of Shadowland even before we knew what it was.

As a result, the last couple of pages are quite good and very Daredevily, as is his disappearance from Shadowland.

Billy Tan also has some bright spots this month, particularly when it comes to the action scenes.  I loved the battle between Lord Daredevil and Iron Fist.

Daredevil #509 – Review

by Andy Diggle & Antony Johnston (writers), Roberto De La Torre (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Dakota and Foggy come under attack and Matt Murdock finds an unlikely ally.

What’s Good: Much like last month, Daredevil spends time with Dakota and Foggy, which does a fine job of distinguishing it from Shadowland while also dodging some of the major problems that miniseries has had thus far in diffusing its attention among an overly varied cast.  I’m always happy to spend time with Dakota and Foggy and they definitely have a grounding effect on the book that is much appreciated.  Even when the “tight-pants brigade,” as Dakota calls them, shows up for the inevitable assist, it’s only the Luke Cage/Iron Fist duo.  Things feel much more contained, controlled, and a bit less impersonal as a result.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of Daredevil’s new volunteer.  It’s another marker of the dire straights that Matt’s fallen into and I can’t wait to see the dynamic that the character creates in Shadowland, and how she’ll end up operating alongside the other personalities present there; if Diggle plays his cards right, I can see her really complicating things for everyone.  Either way, the character is a welcome presence and this was easily the highlight of the month.

Avengers: The Initiative #24 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Christos N. Gage (Script), Humberto Ramos (Art), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Avengers: The Initiative is downright reliable. The storylines are a perfect fit for the style of the series, the artwork is almost always solid, and the character work is handled in a way that manages to impress each and every month.

The Story: Bengal’s wife comes to Gauntlet looking for answers about her husband, Bengal’s whereabouts. As you probably know, he’s in Madripoor with the other members of the Shadow Initiative, desperately fighting to survive the night. But Taskmaster has an idea that just might help them deal with Hydra…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: It’s cool to see an issue dedicated almost entirely to the Shadow Initiative. Especially one that’s as entertaining, funny, character-driven, and intelligent as Avengers: The Initiative #24. The book has some nice twists and turns, a few surprising guest stars, and best of all, it sets things up for the future in a very interesting way.

Christos N. Gage’s character work is some of the best he’s written, though from time to time he tries a bit too hard to bring the funny. Most of the humor and sarcasm is spot on, especially the way he handles Typhoid Mary’s personality and the banter between Taskmaster and one of the guest stars, but a few lines feel slightly forced. Another thing worth mentioning about Gage’s work is how well he uses the Dark Reign concept to elevate both his storytelling and his character work; partiulary the way he writes Norman Osborn the politician and the Dark Reign period for the Initiative. Everything has far been better than I expected it to be.

The artwork by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado is solid all around. While the kinetic, cartoony style may not be for everyone, it definitely does the job. Of particular note is the way that the muted color scheme that Delgado uses allows Ramos’ work to stand out a bit more than usual. I think it does wonders for Ramos’ style, as I’ve seen it completely overpowered by the color work in the past.

There is one thing I must ask though. What’s the deal with showing Typhoid Mary’s nipple? While I have no problem with seeing some (drawn) skin, I found it rather odd considering that the book is rated “Teen +” and not even “Parental Advisory.” Maybe I’m weird for noticing, but I just had to bring it up.

Conclusion: Despite a flaw here and there, Avengers: The Initiative #24 is a damn fine chapter in a very good series. I highly recommend it.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Terror Inc. – Apocalypse Soon #2

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull (Pencils), Scott Hanna & Mark Pennington (Inks), and Sotocolor’s C. Garcia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The character work in the first issue of Terror Inc. impressed me far more than the plots being developed.  I hope things get more exciting and less predictable in the second issue because it’d be a shame if such a fun character was held back by a weak story.

The Story: It turns out that the young kid rescued by Terror last issue is a “typhoid mary” capable of spreading the deadly virus Terror was sent to retrieve.  Now that very kid is back in the hands of the terrorists that planned on using him, it’s up to Terror to find and return the kid so that a cure can be found for those infected by whatever it is that “Kid A” is carrying.  The issue also advances Terror’s story about The Duque he dealt with quite some time ago and it seems that it has some times to the present situation….

What’s Good and  What’s Not So Good: Terror Inc. #2 is a solid step up from Terror Inc. #1 in almost every way.  The artwork is a bit more dynamic, the storylines become more exciting, Terror becomes even more interesting, and lastly, things come together in a more satisfying manner.

I’m particularly fond of the way that David Lapham weaves the story he’s telling into the story that Terror tells. It brings some interesting twists into a plot that initially felt pretty generic.  In addition, credit is due to Koi Turnbull and the rest of the art team for being able to keep up with a fairly wild story that is headlined by an even more wild character.  It calls for some challenging scenes and the art team pulls them off extremely well.  While a few panels are a bit cluttered and some things look a little rough, the book, as a whole, is quite nice looking considering the material.

Conclusion: Terror Inc. continues to impress.  In fact, I would go as far as to say the series is almost as awesome as the covers for the series.

Grade:  A-

-Kyle Posluszny