Carnage, USA #4 – Review

By: Zeb Wells (writers), Clayton Crain (artist)

The Story: Carnage deals with his Oedipal complex.

The Review: What a waste. This miniseries showed quite a bit of promise back in its first issue. The premise of Carnage taking over a whole town is genuinely creative. Cletus Kasady, as written by Zeb Wells, is skin-crawlingly creepy. And the idea of the military using symbiotes as bioweapons has, at least, the potential to be cool. But this mini has become so mired down in unnecessary plot-points and underdeveloped characters that by now it’s hard to tell what this story is really about.

This issue has all the players meeting in the town square and duking it out. First up are the Special Forces, who manage to prove their incompetence again by getting confused about which building Kasady has hidden out in. “Rico clocked Kasady in that bar,” one of them shouts, despite the hordes of Carnage-possessed townsfolk who are pouring out of the Church. What the hell is that symbiote dog for anyway, if he can’t locate your quarry?

Carnage himself shows up with the possessed Avengers, and Spider-Man eventually shows up with the remaining citizens of Doverton; but nothing really gets interesting until Venom arrives with his handy sonic blaster. Then, suddenly, the tides turn. But while I love the new Venom—and how badass he is portrayed here—I don’t love the fact that he gets injected into the story so late in the game. It just feels like a cop-out so Wells doesn’t have to do more with the already large cast he’s established; either Wells should have included Venom from the start, or given the Special Forces more personality and more to do. But Wells didn’t, and so were left with the feeling that he just got as bored as we did with the Special Forces and decided to throw in Venom in the hopes that fans love of the character in other books will just transfer over to this book and make the comic more enjoyable. Wells has proved that he can be good at characterization, but he has not proven himself as capable of introducing new and compelling characters of his own. There’s a really good story in here somewhere, but there so much padding that it can be hard to make out sometimes.

Wolverine and the X-Men #7 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (writer); Nick Bradshaw (pencils); Walden Wong, Norman Lee, and Nick Bradshaw (inks), Justin Ponsor (colorist)

The Story: As Logan and Quire try to make their getaway from a space casino, Broo tries to reason with his would-be assassin, and the X-Men try to remove a malignant growth in Kitty’s body.

The Review: Back in this series’ first issue, Jason Aaron introduced us to our villain and his motivations in a pretty straightforward fashion; he had the villain walk up to Logan and introduce himself and his motivations. Now, this is a fairly standard trope in all genre works, but many reviewers considered this to be distracting, and cited it as the only negative aspect of the first issue. It seems that Aaron learned from that mistake however, and this time around we have a much better explanation for our villain monologue.

It turns out that our bad guy, the hulking alien intent on killing Broo, is Xanto Starblood, a Professor at the University of Rigel-3 and a zoo-terrorist. Being a scholar, he’s happy to engage in a debate about his guiding principles, and he even requests a critique of his own work. You’ve gotta love this; at once, it allows him to explain his motivations and give credence to those motivation at the same time. As Starblood explains, he believes that Broo’s friendly disposition is a step too far for evolution, and the leap he represents could well shake the balance of life in the universe. The only solution, as he sees it, is to exterminate Broo and his genetic stock before it’s too late.

The other story threads in this issue—the casino robbery and the battle in Kitty’s belly—are kind of on autopilot at this point, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not entertaining. Aaron manages to make each panel interesting by filling it with great characterization and clever dialogue. Whether it’s Quire honing his Psychic powers (“Psychic Shotgun. Suck it, alien pinheads.”) or Kid Gladiator reacting to being turned into a Brood (“I demand that you leave me like this! Kid Gladiator looks unbelievably awesome!”), Aaron makes it look as though his masterful handle on the characters is effortless.

Age of Apocalyspe #1 – Review

By: David Lapham (writer), Roberto De La Torre (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist)

The Story: The Age of Apocalypse gets its own Thomas Paine.

The Review: I approached this new monthly title with a serious sense of apprehension. First off, it comes directly after a one shot, Uncanny X-Force #19.1, which was by a completely different creative team. And I really liked that issue. But now that we have a new artist and a new writer, who’s to say if this series can follow in the footsteps of that issue? The second thing that had me concerned was the new author, David Lapham. There’s no question Lapham’s a talented writer. He’s done great work, like the excellent Stray Bullets, buts he’s also put out his share of clunkers, like the banal DeadpoolMAX and the almost inaccessibly bizarre Young Liars. Seeing his name on the cover of this issue didn’t do anything for my confidence. So it was an enormous relief to discover that it manages to feel true to Point One while still feeling fresh and original.

This issue opens directly after the ending of Uncanny X-Force #19.1, with the newly de-powered X-Men fleeing from the ruins of what had been the last human stronghold. There, after the mandatory round of introductions, we get a feel for the kind of story this series will tell. It’s not going to be the big, bombastic war we saw in the original Age of Apocalypse miniseries. After all, the war is over. It’s assumed that fewer than eight thousand humans remain in the world. So rather than an all-out—battle-for-supremacy, this appears to be a story about an insurgence, and the beginning of a revolution. And the revolution begins, as many revolutions do, with an incendiary idea, and the attempt to suppress it.

The idea in this case is that all of humanity’s strengths and weaknesses, its triumphs and failures, are the same as those of mutants. Our pamphleteer in this case is Harper Simmons, a journalist from the main Marvel Universe (616), who came to the AoA by accident. I’m torn about the idea that such a central figure would be from Earth 616, honestly. On the one hand, using an outsider like Simmons as a narrator can be an effective way to introduce the world to the reader. On the other hand, the implication that no humans from the AoA are willing or capable to stand up for themselves at this point is annoying, especially since the AoA Point One managed to explain the world more than adequately with narration by the Prophet—a native to this world. I’ll withhold judgment for now, but I hope as this series goes on, Lapham is able to convince me that Simmons is truly necessary to the story.

The Defenders #4 – Review

By: Matt Fraction (writer), Michael Lark (penciler), Stefano Guadino with Brian Thies (inker), Matt Hollingsworth (colorist)

The Story: In honor of  Ghost Rider: The Spirit of Vengeance, a Nicolas Cage quote: “The problem with dating dream girls is that they have a tendency to become real.”

The Review: I am stunned; the turnaround in this book has left my jaw on the floor. Last issue, The Defenders #3, was a painfully bad issue, failing to deliver meaningful action, interesting characters, or a worthwhile conclusion to its story arc. But issue #4 is, honestly, one of the best comics I’ve read this year. A tight, character driven story; eerie, powerful magicks; stellar art; this issue has it all. What happened?

I think a good part of its success is rooted in its scaled-back story. Rather than trying to wow us with interdimensional-costume-changing powers and tiger-flown spacecrafts, this is a story about four very human people and their desires and losses. The small scale for on personalities allows Fraction to display a flair for characterization that has been absent in the previous three issues. One of these characters is Molly, the young woman we found in Dr. Strange’s bed in the first issue, here still wracked with misgivings about the tryst. I’m charmed that we actually get to meet her again, and see her as a character rather than a plot device used to show Dr. Strange’s state of mind. Clearly uncomfortable with her sexuality and upset with her discomfort, she punishes herself throughout this issue for what she sees as moment of weakness in the hands of a scoundrel.

Meanwhile, Steven is having difficulties of his own. Having relocated the concordance to his chambers (as well as Prester John’s brother), he meditates before it, and accidentally summons back from the dead a woman he loved during his college years. After a few days of bliss, it slowly becomes clear to him that she is not back merely for his own enjoyment, and troubles arise; at the same time, a street magician tries to capitalize on Strange’s preoccupation by having a look at the concordance for himself…which goes about as well for him as you can imagine.  It’s a melancholy little story, but brilliantly executed, and has me far more interested in the Concordance than all the talk of its wibbly-wobbly impossibility in the previous two issues did.

Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #7 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (writer), Esad Ribic (artist), Dean White (color artist)

The Story: A humbled Nick Fury learns to say, “Please.”

The Review: At long last, we’ve reached the point in the story where Jonathan Hickman has decided to let us in on what’s been going on over in the South East Asian Republic (SEAR). Until now, all the action involving this country has been relegated to Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye, but that hasn’t prevented a steady trickle of contextless bits of information to makes its way into Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates. In The Ultimates, we’ve been treated to teases like: there’s a rebellion in the SEAR…the SEAR scientists have developed a super-human serum…SEAR is now called Tian and ruled by two guys with basically the same name…oh, and there are no more mutants in the world…don’t you wish you had read Hawkeye? No, Ultimate Comics, and you’re only strengthening my resolve by putting a bad taste in my mouth.

I was hoping that with this issue, in which the Ultimates actually go to visit the SEAR, we’d finally get a clear synopsis of the revolution in the SEAR and no longer feel like we’re missing out on the big picture. While that lofty goal isn’t quite accomplished in this issue, a good deal is cleared up by the exposition. Prior to the events of The Ultimates, the SEAR government plotted to A) disperse a plague which would inoculate the world to the mutant gene, B) develop a serum which would give humans superpowers, and C) control the super-human population through mind-control. If successful, they would have created a near-monopoly on super-humans. However, while they managed A) and B) handily enough, they come up embarassingly short on C), and soon the super-humans take over the entire country almost overnight.

The way this is all revealed is a bit clumsy. So far this series has done a good job of going over necessary exposition—since the Ultimates are basically a government peacekeeping force, there are plenty of natural opportunities for briefings and reports. Hickman has managed to deliver these in fairly interesting ways by making them opportunities to display personality clashes rather than mere information dumps. But in this issue, Clint just starts talking about events from his solo title for no clear reason. One minute, he’s asking Nick Fury and Black Widow how they like their coffee; the next he’s launching into the SEAR’s evil (and laughably short-sighted) plan.

Wolverine and the X-Men #6 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (writer); Nick Bradshaw (pencils): Walden Wong, Jay Leisten, Norman Lee and Cam Smith (inks); Justin Posner and Matthew Wilson (colors)

The Story: Wolverine and Kid Omega reenact Rain Man while Kitty acts as the Thunder Dome.

What’s Good: Man, this series is solid. What can I say now that I haven’t said before? Jason Aaron continues to deliver spectacle, drama, comedy, compelling characters and witty dialogue. Nick Bradshaw delivers truly staggeringly rich and detailed pencils. Justin Posner and Mathew Wilson color this issue in exactly the kinds of lively and vibrant colors you want in a book about a school for mutants.

In this issue, we find Logan’s plan to keep the school in the red is to take Quentin Quire to a space casino and cheat the system by counting cards. Not exactly the best way to instill that moral fiber Quire pretty desperately needs, but it’s cool to see Wolverine putting the kid to use rather than treating him like a perpetual time bomb. And while Quire whines enough early in the issue, he acclimates to the gambler’s life quickly, and it’s actually really fun to watch him have so much fun.

The other part of our story deals with the assassination attempt at the school, as the would-be killers go on a rampage both inside and outside Kitty Pryde’s body. The art is really the star of this part of the story, managing the pacing deftly and keeping the storytelling straightforward without pulling off any gimmicks. Kitty manages to be vulnerable, capable, and formidable all at the same time, and her insides make for a fantastic coliseum for the forces of good and evil to do battle.

Uncanny X-Force #22 – Review

By: Rick Remender (writer), Greg Tocchini (artist), Dean White (color artist)

The Story: The Skinless Man gets his monologue on.

The Review: I can’t tell if I want to strangle or hug Greg Tocchini. For two issues of the Otherworld arc, the art has been a mess of thick lines, vague characters, and sketchy backgrounds. But now, seemingly, the projector has finally adjusted the lens so we can see what’s going on. And you know what? It’s really freaking cool! The framing is uniquely expressive, the character designs fresh and creative, the aesthetic whimsical and—frankly—otherworldly! Check out that spread of the giants and dragons on the march, or the panel of Fantomex comforting Psylocke. Were finally getting both the sweeping, epic aura this arc has been striving for, while not sacrificing the subtlety in character work.

Not that it’s all wonderful. There’s still the odd inscrutable panel every couple of pages that turns up just to ruin the pacing. Also, it’s become clear that Dean White’s colors—which have perfectly complemented other pencilers on the series—just aren’t working for this arc. The palette shows too much restraint for the bold and wild work going on in the pencils and inks. There are a couple of great instances when White manages to communicate distance and scope with faded colors, but even then I thought the visuals could be more vibrant.

Uncanny X-Men #7 – Review

By: Keiron Gillen (writer), Greg Land (penciler), Jay Leisten (inker) Guru eFX (colors)

The Story: Two exceptional individuals battle over whether to live in harmony with inferior beings or to dominate and destroy them. Wait, why does this sounds familiar…

The Review: I’ve been struggling with this issue for a while now.  The heart of my problem is that the Tabula Rasa arc of Uncanny X-Men is boring me to tears, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. The premise, which explores a leftover story element from another X-Book, is clever, and exemplifies the best kind of continuity-building; the art, while not exactly Eisner-worthy, is adequate, and in some instances mildly impressive; and for goodness’ sakes, it’s Kieron Gillen writing the story. I almost never have anything bad to say about his work!

And yet, even as I write this, I am fighting back a yawn. While the dialogue is still crisp and clever, managing to fit in tons of exposition without ever reading like a lecture, I’m struggling to care about the characters who speak it.  This is largely to do with the placement of the central dilemma. This arc hasn’t done very much in the way of exploring the main cast. The two subplots with personal stakes for the X-Men—Warren Worthington’s role in the creation of Tabula Rasa, and Colossus’s ongoing descent into becoming the Juggernaut—are both completely ignored in this issue. Instead we’re stuck with only the conflict between the two surviving Apexes to drive this issue.

The two Apexes—they say we can call them Good Apex and Bad Apex, but you might as well call them “Apex Charles” and “Apex Eric”—are interesting, but they are hard to care about. I love the idea of communicating through a musical language, and the ambiguous nature of their relationship is a nice touch. Their disdain for the low intelligence of the X-Men is entertaining, but it also makes them both pretty unlikable. I don’t feel empathy for either’s situation, tragic though it may be. The X-Men seem only to be present to bare witness to the tragedy, and to use their powers in awesome and creative ways when the plot requires it.

Venom #13.2 – Review

By: Rob Williams (writer), Sana Takeda (artists)

The Story: Ghost Rider races to stop Blackheart’s forces from releasing Hell on Earth, Venom and Red Hulk gain a grudging respect for each other, and X-23 faces the dangers of having a soul.

The Review: What a difference a week can make! I wasn’t very charitable to the last issue of this event, and I leveled most of my complaints at the writer Rob Williams. I feared I would have to weather the storm with this issue, and wait for Jeff Park and Rick Remender to (hopefully) salvage the event with their concluding contributions. But with Venom #13.2, Williams manages to get the story rolling again and displays a much more solid handle on the characters than I even hoped for.

This issue basically sees our heroes getting back on their feet after the licking they took from their antitheses last issue. Of the four, only Ghost Rider managed to overcome her opponent, and as such it falls to her to try to stop Hell’s expansion across the globe. As she threatens to end Blackheart’s ambitions, he sends the other inversions to stop her. This gives Rulk, X-23 and Venom a chance to catch their breath. Interestingly enough, it’s Thompson and Rulk who seem to have suffered the most. When we see first see them, they appear broken, and they’re slow to get back up. Once they do, however, their stand feels all the more heroic. And while Rulk’s plan for their next encounter with their mirrored selves doesn’t quite display a “brilliant tactical mind,” it’s just the right move for this kind of story.

X-23 receives a much more interesting treatment in this issue. While in issue #13.1 it seemed all her adversary, X-666, was going to do was call Laura a boring character, now she plays on Laura’s guilt. The psycho-bimbo allows Laura to continue to hunt for Blackheart unchallenged. She explains to Laura, “Why wouldn’t I let you walk around this place[?]…this is hell, sweetums. And you’re a murdering monster. You belong here.”

Ghost Rider continues to be the resident badass of this series, but also finally gets a challenge that’s much more personal, unsettling, and affecting than her “inversion” was (Yes, I still think Ichor was the wrong choice for her antithesis). Watching her wrestle with temptation over the course of this issue is actually surprisingly compelling.

The art, handled here by X-23 veteran Sana Takeda, is a mixed bag. Takeda is a digital painter, which allows for some very nifty effects with fire, light and magic, but there are also some pretty significant limitations. The level of detail here is greater than it was under Lee Garbett in issue #13.1, but far less than it was under Tony Moore in #13. The lack of detail is somewhat disguised by the expressive and atmospheric colors, but take one look at Encephalon in just about any panel and you can see how sketchy the digital work can be. Nevertheless, Takeda manages to make all of her characters emotive and virile, and continues to draw X-23 better than anyone else.

Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10 – Review

By: Arvid Nelson (writer), Carlos Rafael (artist), Carlos Rafael (colorist), Joseph Rybandt (editor), Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator)

The Story: The Pirate Queen of Mars, Part 5 of 5, “The Death That Creeps Within the Ice”: Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium and Phandari the renegade Pirate Queen of Mars are on the run from the bigger pirates. It’s like Terminator where the damned pursuer will just not die….

The Review: This is the second of two sword and planet books I picked up from Dynamite this week (see my review of Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #3 for the other) and adventure is something that Dynamite is working hard at nailing every time. Dynamite brings some beautiful artists to pencil the work of writers who have done the work to soak themselves not just in the geographic and plot details of these classic science fictional worlds, but in the tone and feel of the originals. Dejah Thoris reads like one of the Barsoomian adventures of her son Carthoris, in Burroughs’ original series (minus the romance, of course). The enemy are vile and repugnant and the heroes are beautiful and human. The dangers are many and the twists and turns of the plot keep coming. This does mean that some of the emotional content of the book is given very little, if any, space, but to some extent, I didn’t come to Barsoom to be moved by the human condition or blown away by sophisticated, theme-based plots. I came for the sword play and super-science. I stayed for the radium pistols and air ships. This book is unashamedly cast in the mold of Barsoom, with the skills and talents of today.

Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist #3 – Review

By: Eric Trautmann (plot and script), Alex Ross (plot and art direction), Daniel Indro and Ron Adrian (art), Slamet Mujiono (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor)

Chapter Three: The Monsters of Mongo: Flash, recently escaped with an assist from the luscious Princess Aura, is shot down in the territory on the lion men. Pursuing agents: should we use surgical strike? Ming: no, make it messy. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Adolph is getting some military aid from old Merciless. Hail Ming!

What’s Good: This is one of two sword and planet titles I’ve picked up from Dynamite this week (see Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris #10, for the other). Sword and planet is a fun, escapist form (well, let’s face it, the whole comics medium is an escapist form, but this is more escapist than say, the street level crime of the Kingpin or something). Ross and Trautmann make full use of its conventions. We’ve got alluring evil princesses, quick getaways, strange moons with dangerous aliens, an empire full of goons, all lead by an implacable tyrant. Our hero is daring, truehearted and consummately dangerous, and he’s setting his sights on the bad guy. This is swashbuckling adventure for adventure’s sake, modernized with better tech and science, but at its core, beats a heart of pulp.
The art by Indro and Adrian under the direction of Ross is awesome. I love the draftsmanship and especially the close attention to facial expression, and the shadow and texture required to make it real. The castles and moons and trees and ships and other costumes are evocatively alien, and basically, it is a fiesta for the eyes.

Carnage, USA #3 – Review

By: Zeb Wells (writer), Clayton Crain (artist)

The Story: Father Carnage shears his flock.

The Review: I knew coming into Carnage, USA #3 that this was going to be the issue that determined how good this series could be. The first issue basically just gave us the premise, the second consisted mainly of setup, and there was no more time to waste before the creative team buckled down and showed us what kind of story they had going. Does the horror take center stage? Will some genuine human drama arise? Or does this issue center on standard superhero action?

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the answer is: None of the above—it’s just an excuse to show symbiotes fighting other symbiotes. I’ve been ignoring the probability that this is all the miniseries would ever be since the beginning, mostly because there really has been a lot of potential for it to be more. Not to say that the symbiote action is all this issue contains; the horror of watching Cletus Kasady run Doverton is still the most gripping part of this miniseries, and the mother Kasady instructed to kill her husband is a potential tragi figure, but the characters are so poorly developed that I just can’t be very invested in the their fates.

But let’s be fair, and rather than going on about what it could have been, I’ll talk about it for what it is. The Special Forces we met last issue begin to explore Doverton, and I must say, given all the fuss this book made about them, their powers aren’t utilized very well. The one with the dog does some tracking, but that the entire town is congregated in a church, I don’t think they really needed something that could “find a mark within five hundred miles.” There is no need for the super-sniper guy or the super-sneaky guy, and the guy who caries a minigun…well, yes, he caries a minigun in this issue, but that’s not exactly the coolest super-power in the world.

Venom #13.1 – Review

By: Rob Williams (script), Lee Garbett (art), Rob Schwager (colors)

The Story: After a binge in Vegas that’s gone to Hell, Venom, Red Hulk, Ghost Rider, and X-23 spend this issue delving into some self-reflection.

The Review: It’s a risky business switching up the creative team within a single story arc. That’s true enough when you’re just changing the artist; I’m sure you’ve all had the experience of being thrown when a title you’re enjoying suddenly brings on new talent to take over pencils and inks. However, with Venom #13.1, we’re not only seeing a change in artists but also in writers. This means on top of characters looking different, the interpretation of the essence of the characters may also be affected. Indeed, the entire plot could potentially veer into totally unintended directions. While the creative team for this issue manages to prevent a collapse in the narrative, it still feels shaky, and seems uncertain of where it came from.

This issue is just all right. It features the (new) New Fantastic Four facing off their antitheses, which Blackheart summoned at the end of the last issue. But rather than having the faceoff take place immediately after the event of #13, the first pages retells the moments where the four congregate, leading to some awkward dialogue. I might not have noticed this quite as much if this issue were coming out a full month after the last issue, but it’s only been a week since I read issue #13. Those events are still pretty fresh in my mind.

Still, this is just the lead-in to the big fight scene, right? I can forgive an awkward intro so long as we get to see our heroes beating the crap out of twisted versions of themselves. Sadly though, these are botched right out of the starting blocks. While we get to see Rulk fighting the giant brain Encephalon and X-23 fight the psychotic cheerleader X-666, for some reason Venom is fighting the Evangelist while Ghost Rider fights Ichor. Why? The Ghost Rider punishes sinners, wouldn’t the opposite of that be a guy who tries to save sinners? And while Ichor does kind of look like an Angel and therefore you can see him as Ghost Riders antithesis, it’s still clear he was designed to be an inversion of Venom. He wears all white, his name comes from a fluid that grants immortality, and across his chest is the symbol of medicine, for crying out loud.

Captain America #8 – Review

By: Ed Brubaker (writer), Alan Davis (penciler), Mark Farmer (inker), Laura Martin (colorist)

The Story: Powerless, Part 3: Cap and Sharon manage to eke out a victory in a tough fight with the Serpent Squad only for Cap to lose his powers once again. Why? Who’s behind this? Sharon has one theory and the investigation leads her to the Machinesmith. In the meantime, the Hydra Queen makes several moves. It’s all going pear-shaped.

The Review: I have been a big Davis/Farmer fan since the 80s and absolutely loved them here. Davis is at once a master of draftsmanship, with elegant, detailed faces with close-up texturing. At the same time, he knows his way around a superhero fight, with varied panel structures and camera angles, with quicker and more stylized shapes to focus the reader’s eye on the dynamism as opposed to the detail. A great example of this is on the first page. Cap as the center of the action has the most detail, but it is clearly the composition doing the work here. Check out the stances and angles, the V-shape made by Cap’s leg with the Eel’s, the detail-free Sharon in an uber-energetic Kirby-esque pose. The page radiates energy. Then in the next couple of pages, the close-ups of Cap and Sharon’s faces are wonderfully detailed, emotive and lifelike, in the way a Neal Adams face comes alive. The other artistic roots I felt while reading this book was Mike Zeck. Zeck defined the Captain America for several years and I almost felt Zeck’s great style being channeled in this book, but better.

Storywise, it’s hard to go wrong with Brubaker. His name on the top of the credits virtually guarantees that you’ll be treated as an intelligent reader. Moreover, he’s so good at the thriller and the espionage motifs, which are so much a part of Cap’s WWII and cold-war mythos, that the intrigue and layered mystery pulls the story towards a climax you know is going to be good. The dialogue is crisp and believable (insofar as some villains have to have a bit of an over-the-top style to them) and the plot twists are great. I loved the Cobra interrogation scene and Sharon’s next steps, and I was eating up the Hydra Queen moves.

Wolverine and the X-Men #5 – Review

By: Jason Aaron (writer), Nick Bradshaw (pencils and inks), Walden Wong (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors).

The Story: Beast loads the students onto the Magic School Bus!

-MILD SPOILER WARNING- I will be discussing a plot point from the middle of this issue, though rather obliquely. If you want the abridged version of my review, skip to the Conclusion.

What’s Good: You have to admire Jason Aaron and Nick Bradshaw. Wolverine and the X-Men is beautiful and rich, jolly and sentimental. It delivers high concept shenanigans and strong character development. And contains more plot in one issue than many 3-issue arcs in other books, without any plot threads feeling under-developed. In this issue alone, we watch Logan struggling to come up with the finances to fund the school, Angel as he loses control of his company, Kitty dealing with the ramifications of her apparent and sudden pregnancy, Quire getting sent into space, Doop acting as a substitute teacher, and the X-Kids taking a science class from Prof. Henry Philip McCoy.

I’ve been excited about seeing Beast in the classroom since the concept for this book was announced. And boy, is it awesome. The lesson plan for the day is a tour of the mutant body, courtesy of Pym shrinking technology. Nick Bradshaw renders the scene with an impeccable sense of wonder. Each panel is flooded with detail, and even on my third read-through I was noticing new antics in the background. (See if you can guess who is the ‘host’ for the students’ field trip before it’s revealed.) Justin Ponsor deserves praise as well for his bright, bubbly colors that match the energy of the script and artwork.

All of this would be enough to recommend this book, but Aaron and Bradshaw are also in lockstep with the characterization. When Angel re-discovers his position of privilege, he observes, “No one told me this. Otherwise, I could’ve been giving [all my wealth] away.” A few panels later, as the focus shifts to Wolverine and Iceman discussing the school’s financial woes, we see in the background that Angel has begun to remove all of this clothes; on-lookers chuckle and pull out camera phones. Little moments like this are all over the place in this issue, like Broo taking pictures of a uvula, Quire carving his name into capillaries, and a very pregnant-looking Kitty making a call to Colossus but hanging up before saying anything. The abundance of these moments gives the issue a palpable vitality that you simply will not find anywhere else on the stand.

Scarlet Spider #2 -Review

By: Chris Yost (writer), Ryan Stegman (pencils) Mike Babinski (inks), Marte Gracia (colors)

The Story: Scarlet Spider punches the bad guy, saves the girl, and finally gets an origin that makes sense.

What’s Good: It’s fun to watch Kaine argue with himself about his actions. Sure, we know that he’s going to be a hero, but watching him struggle with making the right choice is fairly compelling. This guy is clearly damaged goods, frightened about whether or not he can actually do something good, and ridden with guilt over past wrongs.

Give him something to punch though, and he’s all over it. Fortunately, he’s got a pretty good punching bag, in the shape of the Salamander, a massive brute who has been “kissed by the fire god, Xiuhcoatl!” Drawn by Ryan Stegman and Mike Babinski, Salamander is a fairly menacing force. His design is simple, but watching the dancing serpents in the flames he controls is really a visual treat. When we get to the fight scene between the two, we also see that the art team is really trying to give Scarlet Spider a different physicality than his Northern cousin. Kaine is a scrapper. His fighting is focused and aggressive, and he does without Parker’s more acrobatic finesse. The storytelling is much more streamlined in this issue as well, with nothing as gimmicky as the spider-stickers from issue #1.

We also see the beginnings of a supporting cast of local civilians, which I think will be important for the series. Protagonists in the Spider-Man franchise are largely defined by their loyalties and responsibilities to their personal communities. It looks like Kaine is going to have a very different relationship with the citizenry of Houston than Peter Parker or Miles Morales does with New Yorkers. I won’t spoil it here, but I see it as a good sign this book is headed in an original direction.

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.

Uncanny X-Force #21 – Review

By: Rick Remender (writer), Greg Tocchini (art), Dean White (color art)

The Story: Nightcrawler proves he’s more Sean Connery than Roger Moore.

The Review: You know what, Greg Tocchini? You almost had me. I was honestly beginning to think here that you were using such thick, scribbly lines for an artistic purpose. I thought maybe the messy aesthetic to this book was intentional, and that I was simply too dense to appreciate what you was trying to create. But then I got to the last page, and I had the same sensation I experienced the first time I put on glasses. All of a sudden, everything came in focus. The lines became smooth and expressive, figures became distinct from one another. I actually double-checked the title page to make certain that a different artist hadn’t been brought on for the last page. But no—the same man who can draw such befuddling art for twenty-two pages also drew this last one. What on earth I am supposed to make of this?

I can only assume at this point that Tocchini signed on to this project and discovered too late that the printing schedule for Uncanny X-Force was about half as long as he would have liked, and thus has been forced to turn in rushed, sloppy art. Because honestly, what else can account for this? I can’t say the art is bad, because the layouts are all great and I actually really like the surreality of the visuals. But the lack of detail is criminal. Backgrounds look like mere sketches. Hardly any character’s faces look completely drawn. At one point, I though that one of Deadpool’s speech bubbles had been misappropriated to Nightcrawler because I couldn’t tell, until scouring the panel for minutes, that Nightcrawler was in fact carrying Deadpool’s head. This issue reminds me of some of those late Monets that look more clear the farther away you stand from it. I’m not being glib here; hold this comic at arm’s length, and it looks brilliant. Get a reasonable reading distance though, and it becomes a mess. Dean White deserves some blame for using muted colors that can make it hard to tell some figures apart, but the colors are not the root of the problem. Perhaps Tocchini should have had an inker assigned to him for this arc, or maybe he should have gone with a less ambitious style. Either way, this issue, while having tons of potential for being beautiful, is a visual eyesore.

X-Factor #231 – Review

By: Peter David (writer), Emanuela Lupacchino (penciller), Guillermo Ortego (inker), Matt Milla (colorist)

The Story: “They Keep Killing Madrox”, Part 3: Jamie continues his jaunt through parallel universes. In this issue, he finds quite a different world with a surprising twist related to a major Marvel event. It is, however, nothing more for him than jumping from frying pan to frying pan.

What’s Good: One of my week’s books is some weird time travel (Avengers Academy), and another is jumping through parallel universes (this one). Both parallel universes and time travel are standard science fiction fare because there’s so much a writer can do with these ideas, and because the artist gets to give goatees to normally clean-shaven characters. The charm of this X-Factor arc is the visiting the paths not taken. The tragedy of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in this book stuck to the inside of my mind even after I was done reading. Those were two heroes (villains?) carrying heavy ghosts. Jamie’s monologue carried us effectively through this new reality as a kind of guide to hell.
Artwise, Emanuela Lupacchino, ably assisted by Ortego and Milla, laid down some fine pages. I loved the view of the Iron Man-Sentinels taking off into a ravaged red sky. The environments were very evocative. The characters were effectively drawn, although not show-stoppingly so in the beauty of their depiction. When the involvement of Wanda hits Madrox, I think this is the most expressive and emotive artistic moment of the book, in part because the rest of the emotions were guarded as characters tried to figure each other out. My favourite artistic moment of the book, however, was when Strange turns around.

Warlord of Mars Annual #1 – Review

By: Mark Rahner (writer), Stephen Sadowski (illustrator), Adriano Lucas (colorist), Joseph Rybandt (editor), Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator)

The Story: “Shell Shock”: After some sparring, John Carter and Tars Tarkas, two old warriors who have become best friends, go over a tale from Tars Tarkas’s past, one that took place just before Carter arrived on Barsoom.

The Review: It is very hard to capture the mood of Barsoom with an economy of words. The pulp tradition, born in the baroque written style of the late Victorian, is part of the charm. This was the first thing that struck me in this book. It is a story told by Tars Tarkas, so it marches in his reflective, expository style. At first, being so different from the post-Hemingway, post-Frank Miller styles of writing, it took a bit to switch gears and accustom myself to the different rhythm of story-telling. Once I was there, I was delighted, feeling like I’d immersed myself in an unearthed Burroughs tale. The story intrigued in that we open a window into the notoriously closed Thark Jeddak and see what he and Carter interpret first as a mid-life crisis, but slowly revealed itself as a philosophical angst that laid the emotional groundwork for the friendship the now exists between Carter and Tarkas. The narrative drive is powered by a crime and a mystery, with social tensions, but the heart of the story is emotional and satisfying. The icing on the cake for me was the end of the story, with the moment of laughter between the two good and great friends, one that I got to share in too.

Venom #13 – Review

By: Rick Remender (writer), Tony Moore (art), Val Staples (color)

The Story: Venom, Red Hulk, X-23 and Ghost Rider team up to make sure that what happens in Hell, stays in Hell.

The Review: This should be, by all rights, a terrible comic. The concept, “the new New Fantastic Four,” is hardly something fans are clamoring for. The lineup includes two characters whose series are being canceled, and none of these characters have actually met before this event. On top of that, the story takes place in Las Vegas, a location none of the protagonists operate out of. In short, it looks like an event that’s more about boosting sales than good storytelling, and that came out of a ’90s brainstorming session where the word “extreme” was tossed around more than once. So why then, friends, is Venom #13, the first issue of the Circle of Four event, so awesome?

Well, it doesn’t hurt that it’s written by Rick Remender, who just about single-handedly made Venom awesome again. I was expecting that Remender would try making this book classier than its premise suggests, perhaps lending some gravitas to the assembled heroes, or giving emotional significance to the central dilemma. He doesn’t. Instead, Remender sees the inherent schlock, and raises it. By mid issue, we have clone/mutant/symbiote minions, a gigantic Satanic roulette wheel, and Hell being sucked into Las Vegas. If this book had a score, it would all be ’80s hard rock.

This isn’t to say that Circle of Four is just mindless camp. Remender begins the issue with an introduction to each character, and they all have logical and personally motivated reasons for being in Vegas. Laura is searching for a man who has, for some reason, stolen a sample of her blood. Rulk has been dispatched to recover the AWOL Agent Venom, while Flash has, understandably, relapsed back to drinking after his road trip with Jack O’Lantern. I won’t get into why Ghost Rider winds up with the rest, but it deals with her need to prove herself to the Spirit of Vengeance Emeritus. Even our antagonist, Mr. Degli, is given more motivation than “he’s evil.” He is driven by father issues, and they actually reflect Flash’s troubled paternal relations. I’ll admit that the actual moment the foursome finally come together feels about as organic as a Big Mac, but it still is so Metal that I’m almost tempted to put my hat on backwards and throw up some horns. Almost.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #6 – Review

By: Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz (writers), Dan Duncan (art), Ronda Pattison (colors)

The Story: Allez ninja, allez ninja, allez!

The Review: It’s been rather fascinating to watch the development of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Co-creator Kevin Eastman and script-writer Tom Waltz have been combining elements from the Turtle’s original comic series and the first cartoon show, as well as bringing in some new twists and concepts for this new on-going title. Yet despite letting the origin go on for five issues, many of the ideas have felt under-developed. I’ll get into the elements I think have been rushed in the Musings, but as I haven’t been reviewing this series until now, I think it fair to just review this issue on its own. And honestly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 is pretty good.

The writing in this issue is very tight. The Turtles are out on patrol when they sight a pair of ninjas chasing a mysterious Frenchman. They follow, allowing us to see the brothers interact as a group. The chemistry between the four is great, and if there are some cheesy lines like “These dudes take their Ninja Vitamins today, or what?” and, “Holy guacamole…”, well, this is the Ninja Turtles after all. However, the Turtles are physically so close to their quarry during the chase that I found it hard to believe the ninjas never heard the Turtles banter. At the end of the chase, things turn deadly, and despite internal disagreements, the Turtles don’t step in to help either side. They’re left with an ominous warning from the Frenchman, and the lingering question of whether they did the right thing by not interfering.

In the aftermath of their run-in with the ninjas, the Turtles regroup with their sensei, and Donatello expresses some disbelief at Splinter’s account of their origin. Splinter claims they are all the reincarnated spirits of a feudal Japanese family, killed in an internal power struggle of the Foot Ninja Clan. The reader is left with the question of whether this is accurate, or a by-product of the psychotropic drug used on Splinter when he was a lab rat. It’s good use of dramatic irony, and a bold move to throw doubt on a character that has basically been portrayed as infallible since his creation.

Daken: Dark Wolverine #20 – Review

By: Rob Williams (writer), Alessandro Vitti (art), Cris Peter and Rachelle Rosenberg (colors)

The Story: A romance for psychopaths.

The Review: This is going to be a short review. I picked up Daken: Dark Wolverine #20 because it’s a slow week for my pull list, and the last time that happened, I reviewed another book about one of Wolverine’s progeny that was slated for cancellation, X-23 #18. I liked that issue, though I felt I was not the target audience. I get the feeling that Daken #20 was not aimed at me either, but this time, I just cannot find anything to like.

We open on Daken preparing to assassinate the “Kingpin” of LA with a sniper rifle Daken seems to have stolen out of a Rob Liefeld book. Daken believes that by killing this guy, he’ll be able to take over LA. Not the best supervillain scheme I’ve ever heard, but I can work with it. He never get’s an opportunity for a clear shot, so he decides to try again later. The book moves on to FBI Agent Donna Kiel sitting alone in a dinner, waiting for Daken to join her. She and Daken have been through a lot together recently, and she’s kinda at the end of her rope. When a stranger flirts with her, she pulls out a gun, and puts it to her own head to let him know she isn’t interested.

Once Daken joins her, the rest of the issue deals with the pair trying to reconcile the attraction they have for each other with the repulsion they feel toward that attraction. To be fair to the creators, this issue is well done. Rob Williams provides a tight story which does great job of exploring Daken and Kiel’s romantic and violent insecurities. The pacing is great, the characters are well developed, and this really functions well as a one-shot. Aside from the over-sized gun I mentioned earlier, I have no complaints about the art, handled by Allessandro Vitti. The issue is dynamically drawn, shows our two antiheroes for the damaged goods they are, and matches the desperate tone of the script. I also want to applaud Vitti for actually drawing the characters so they look like real people instead of supermodels, and particularly for drawing Kiel in clothes that don’t appear to have been sprayed onto her body.

Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #6 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (writer), Brandon Peterson and Esad Ribis (artists), John Rauch and Edgar Delgado (colors)

The Story: The Ultimates take a collective breath and say, “Oh, f#@&!”

The Review: Goodness, I really love the concept of the Ultimates. I really think it’s fascinating to watch these imperfect men and women try to live up to the impossible ideals they define themselves by; it’s equally fascinating to watch the world react to these super-people in such a realistic manner. Obviously, this was not the interpretation in Jeph Loeb era, but I choose to ignore that run. Besides, Jonathan Hickman has really returned this book to its philosophical roots, and I’m delighted.

This issue opens on a conversation between Nick Fury and the retired Steve Rogers, discussing all the disasters that have taken place in the last five issues. The outlook is grim. Someone has set off a nuclear bomb just off the coast of Uganda; Southeast Asia has been taken over by mutant supremacists; and Reed Richards has conquered 200 square miles of Europe, destroyed Asgard, and now commands forces that far surpass those of SHIELD and the entire US Military combined. In the face of this, Fury asks Rogers to return as Captain America. But here’s the interesting thing: he’s not asking Captain America the super-soldier, because—let’s face it—there’s not a hell of a lot even Captain America could do about this. Instead, Fury is asking for the help of Captain America the political symbol, to reassure the public and to support Fury’s plans. The conversation displays a great understanding of who these characters are, and what values drive them.

The conflict of realism versus idealism is the driving force of this issue. From Stark facing the superrich he suspects of nuking Uganda, to the Braddocks coping with Captain Britain’s catatonic state, to even Falcon confronting his former colleague Reed Richards, the characters are forced to reconcile the way they would like the world to be, and the way the world is. It’s a powerful theme, and well explored. However, because Hickman is taking his time to explore these themes, it also means this is the second issue in a row with everyone just sitting and talking about what has happened. I’m fine with that, given the enormity of what has passed, but characters need to start being active again soon.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #5 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Samnee (art), Justin Ponsor (colors),

The Story: Uncle Aaron learns not to trust other criminals, and Miles stops his first mugging. They grow up so fast!

The Review: When I first started reading comics, Ultimate Spider-Man was the first Marvel book I picked up. The promise of fresh stories not mired by decades of continuity drew me in, but it was the quality and charm of that book hooked me. I have been a fan of the series all the way through its run, and have really appreciated how classy and mature Marvel has been about the death and replacement of Peter Parker with Miles Morales. I eagerly awaited each issue of our new hero’s introductory arc, and savored each one. However, after reading Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #6, oddly, I am beginning to miss Peter.

Before we get to that though, let’s talk about the issue on its own merits. Honestly, it’s pretty good. While I miss the absolutely gorgeous work of Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee does a fine job as fill-in artist. His style is far more cartoony than Pichelli’s, but he misses none of the nuance in the script, he gives the action great fluidity, and really captures Miles as still a kid figuring out the whole super-hero gig. Samnee also manages to give intensity to the more serious parts of the story, like Uncle Aaron’s encounter with the new Scorpion and Miles’ confrontation with his Mom about his family’s troubles with the law. There are some minor flaws, however; in a few panels, Miles appears to be about forty rather than thirteen, and for some reason when we see an image of Peter Parker, the spider symbol on his costume is upside down.

I’m also conflicted about the colors, courtesy of Justin Ponsor. Personally, I don’t care for such flat colors in this title. I can’t help but feel that more vibrant choices would have better matched both the inks and the tone of the story. But to be fair, Ponsor does succeed in producing an urban vibe in this issue, allowing the tones of concrete and brick to dominate the page. Also, this dull quality is actually pretty effective in Aaron’s scenes, helping Samnee’s art communicate a more sinister and unwelcoming atmosphere.