Thunderbolts #164 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (writer), Kev Walker (pencils), Terry Pallot (inks), Fabio D’Auria & Frank Martin (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters) & Tom Brennan (editor)

The Story: A team of Thunderbolts, trapped in WWII, fights Nazis alongside the Invaders.

Review: It’s all good with this comic right now.  I’ve never had a huge affinity for most Golden Age stories, but this is different because we’re seeing our modern Thunderbolts trying to blend in with the “natives” in terms of their speech and attire.  And, they’re not just any Thunderbolts, it’s pretty much the more villainous part of the roster.  Luke Cage and Songbird would’ve had no problem interacting with Captain America and Namor, but these guys are a really nasty bunch, who are just trying to play it cool until they get their bearings in WWII.

The central premise is pretty neat too.  As you can imagine, Baron Zemo plays a role in the story.  So the Thunderbolts are going to face some challenges: Do they play along with the Invaders and maintain their cover?  Or, do they worry that helping Cap curtail Zemo’s activities might screw up the timeline which would be kinda a bummer given all the influence that Zemo has had on the villains’ lives?  Fun stuff….

This issue is also loaded with fun little moments.  You’ve got Cap making an awkward comment towards Centurius (who is African American) about how great “negro soldiers” are doing in the war effort.  Makes you wonder what kinda of awkward comments he made when he got unfrozen…  There’s Satana coming onto Namor, Boomerang getting a patriotic themed costume, Hyde and Troll being too unpresentable to be around the Invaders most of the time, Hyde catching Nazis to feed to Man Thing’s swamp….and about 4-5 other fun times.  And the abundance of these little moments is what makes the issue so great.  That’s really Parker’s formula on Thunderbolts: come up with a basic scenario that puts the characters in a weird position, don’t dwell on anything too long and then focus on how the characters would behave and the funny things they’d say.

It’s almost impossible not to have fun reading Thunderbolts.

New Avengers #13 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato & Howard Chaykin (artists), Rain Beredo & Edgar Delgado (colorists), and Joe Caramagna (letterer)

The Story: “Captain, my captain.  Well done, Miss Hand.”

The Review:  New Avengers #13 is a frustrating issue.  Thankfully, it’s frustrating because it’s a good issue, but it’s good in an irritating way that leaves you wondering why the hell Bendis waited this long to pull things together in an arc that has been a complete and utter mess thus far.

The two biggest problems of the arc are solved this month.  Firstly, the much more interesting, and relevant, Mike Deodato illustrated modern day portion takes up most of the issue.  The result is a much more cohesive, and coherent, experience that is much easier to enjoy.

Then there’s the fact that finally, finally, Bendis pulls together the past and the present-day plots, at long last showing how the two relate to one another.  Thankfully, the link isn’t forced or artificial and it is meaningful.  Hell, the brief back-and-forth between the Chaykin and Deodato portions actually works well for once, making the relationship between the two stories seem tight and secretive and when it all comes together, and Nick Fury shows up in the present, it feels like a real bleed-over, and a badassed one at that.  Of course, all of this did also serve to irritate me again about why Bendis took so long to get this formula right, but I can only judge this issue on its own merits.

The issue also makes solid use of Victoria Hand.  Bendis keeps her allegiance clouded in doubt and mystery for most of the issue and there are a couple of real fake-outs.  Cleverly, Bendis never actually has Victoria on panel either; she’s just a disembodied voice from the other end of a phone-line.  It makes her motives all the more murky, all of it leading to a super-slick ending.

Secret Avengers #11 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Will Conrad (art), Rain Beredo & Sotocolor (colors), and Dave Lanphear (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers delves into the mind of John Steele, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

The Review: This isn’t an Avengers comic.  Hell, it’s not even a team book.  Rather, it seems like in penultimate issue, Ed Brubaker has given up even putting up the pretense, choosing instead to just go ahead and write a Steve Rogers Captain America comic.  I guess Beast is in it, but beyond that, there’s really nothing suggesting otherwise.

Once you get over that though, you end up with a pretty solid comic book.  It’s a Steve Rogers book, sure, but there’s a dark, conspiratorial tone throughout.  I mean, the book either takes place in the dark bowels of a ship, or in the dead of night in a rural village in Nazi Germany.  There’s a constant sense of dark foreboding.

But that’s not just on a superficial level.  Aside from the usual Nazis, there’s human experimentation, Frankenstein’s-monster styled zombies, and a really creepy alien looking thing that we only catch a fleeting glimpse of.  The fact that it all takes place in a castle in a European forest almost lends it all a kind of Mike Mignola-esque feel, especially what with the monsters and Cthulian robed dudes.  Adding to this all is John Steele’s character, a psyche that, even back in WWII, is clearly on the edge of becoming something very nasty, sadistic, and evil.

And really, despite his derivative name and appearance, John Steele continues to be quite the success under Brubaker’s hand.  He’s a highly competent soldier this month, fighting for the right team, but he never seems trustworthy.  That’s not because he’s conspiring or anything like that, but rather because of his obvious dark side.  There’s a continual sense that he’s always about to lose control and certainly he shows some dark tendencies. Seeing him fight alongside Cap is quite the treat.  More than that, Brubaker puts the whole “entering John’s mind” plot into good use, seamlessly integrating John’s mind’s realization and rejection of the psychic intrusion in a manner that’s smart, seamless, and a bit surreal.

Captain America #615.1 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Mitch Breitweiser (art), Bettie Breitweiser (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers looks to both stop and save a new super soldier intent on taking up the mantle of Captain America.

The Review: I like Bucky Barnes.  I like Bucky-Cap.  With that said, however, this is probably the best issue of Ed Brubaker’s Captain America to come around it quite some time, the last 12 months at the very least.  Unfortunately for Bucky, who never even shows up here, I think that’s largely to do with Steve Rogers, who finds himself as the protagonist.

Ed Brubaker just has such a fundamental grasp on who Steve Rogers is.  In this issue, we see his sense of burden as well as his frustration over the current desk-duties he’s forced to deal with.  We see him yearning for those explosive WWII adventures of old.  It’s a quiet and subdued frustration that suggests a man uncomfortable, and perhaps not built for, his current job.  Brubaker’s Rogers ends up feeling very compelling as a result, and we get an issue that, for all its action scenes, ends up feeling all the more personal for Rogers.  Quite honestly, this issue has all the heart, vitality, and downright importance that the last few issues of Cap have lacked.  There’s a life and energy here that distinguished Brubaker’s prior work on the series and, if anything, this issue is a total return to form.

The particular conflict this month only allows us to delve further into Rogers’ inner turmoil.  Faced with a Cap wannabe, Rogers is forced to recognize the importance of Captain America and America’s need for him as an icon and a rallying point.  Again, this has been another strong point of Brubaker’s run, so seeing it again so heavily factoring into a story is quite the treat.  Enhancing this is all on a technical level is Brubaker’s restrained use of narration, again one of his strongest tools.

Fear Itself: Book of the Skull #1- Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Scot Eaton (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Sunny Gho (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Sin seeks an ancient weapon from her father’s past.

The Review: I’m often a bit wary when it comes to “prologue” issues.  Will I get a solid comic and a sign of things to come, or will I get a cash-in/extended advertisement?  Thankfully, Ed Brubaker’s Book of the Skull is entirely the former.

The script that Brubaker turns in for this one is rock solid.  While it’s largely Brubaker doing something he excels at (an old school, WWII Invaders story), it also sees him stepping outside the box, dabbling in a storyline that has occult elements.  The combination of Nazis and paranormal summoning almost feels Mike Mignola-esque.  The combination also makes the read a comfortable one, due it being a familiar Brubaker setting, but not boring or overly safe.

Tone-wise, Brubaker absolutely nails all of his characters’ voices, with each getting their moment.  Bucky battling a giant monster is a piece of the comedic charm that works so well for the character.  Namor’s rage is similarly well-portrayed, and his reaction to the tragedy that befalls his fellow Atlanteans in this issue is eloquent and restrained in execution.  Then there’s the Red Skull.  I’ll admit that I’m a Herr Skull fan and, while he’s not been dead long, it was fantastic seeing him again.  His ruthless arrogance and cackling villain persona is always awesome.

Then there’s Sin, who Brubaker continues to carve out as a unique, compelling villain.  She brings that same arrogance and ambition that distinguished her father, but injects a good amount of rabid insanity that is all her own.  Brubaker has always excelled at internal monologues, as he’s always been able to get into his characters’ heads in gritty fashion.  Seeing him give Sin this treatment this month is a real treat, though its never verbose or overwritten.  Her interaction with Baron Zemo is also solid, and a really weird team-up, leading to a parting of ways that hints at cool stuff to come.

Secret Avengers #8 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Deodato (art), and Rain Beredo (colors)

The Story: The Secret Avengers try to defend Hong Kong against Shang-Chi’s father and his rampaging hordes while Max Fury and John Steele set up an ambush.

What’s Good: While it’s  not quite as awesome as the past few issues, rest assured that Secret Avengers remains a very good title in this, its second arc.  Essentially, some of the pulpy kung-fu goodness gets toned down a bit this month, but that only makes it an issue that’s clearly an easy one for Brubaker to write; it feels quite a bit like his Captain America in tone, at times.

Part of the reason for this is the Shadow Council.  Since the comic returned to Earth, Brubaker has done a fantastic job with these guys.  They’re a pulpy secret society, but this month they also come across as the kind of covert commando operation that Brubaker writes so well.  It makes them fun to read and ominous, yet highly capable bad guys.  Steele and Max Fury also make for compelling and very dangerous adversaries.  Their presence and their actions make this month’s issue into something of a spy book, and I quite enjoyed it.  This makes for a book that’s fast, but also one involving scheming, planning, ambushes, and diversions.

The real star this month though is Mike Deodato, who puts out excellent work this month as Brubaker allows him to go wild.  The action scenes are nothing short of incredible and the layouts and splashes are expertly done.  Everything is fluid and dynamic, and really, really cool.  Put in Deodato’s always polished look, and you’ve got a very nice looking comic.

Unknown Soldier #21 – Review

by Joshua Dysart (writer), Rick Veitch (art), Oscar Celestini (colors), and Clem Robins (letters)

The Story: The “life” of one AK-47 is followed from creation to present day.

What’s Good: In encapsulating the history of an AK-47, Dysart has to traverse quite a bit of time over the course of this one-shot.  The result is an issue that has a truly panoramic feel to it.  From decade to decade and period to period, Dysart’s script really manages to deliver the sense of time, and history, passing.  This makes the book feel big and fairly epic in its scope despite its focus on something mundane (a single rifle).

Dysart makes the surprising choice of having the gun itself narrate its history, which takes a little getting used to but is also a gamble that ultimately pays off in its sheer creativity.  The gun’s voice is an interesting one; it’s nuanced and complex enough to seem remarkably human, if cold.  It seems surprisingly adverse to slaughter and violence, feeling more content in its role as liberator or protector than as killer.  It also has what seems almost to be a touch of ego.  It appears irritated to be handled by children or used as a “starter gun” for a young boy.

This irritation also shows the gun’s unique ethics, or lack there of.  While it sounds mildly offended at being handled by children, this seems to be a purely professional issue, one totally unrelated to ethics.  Yet, of course, this contrasts wonderfully with the gun’s ideal use for itself, as a barely used tool of protection for an isolated farmer.  What results is a fascinatingly equivocal and contradictory.  The gun would prefer to be kept in peace, unfired, but has little problem with being involved in heinous violence.  Essentially, Dysart makes it clear that the gun’s morality does exist, if only in subtle flickerings, but is completely different from a human’s. This leads to a really great, self-deprecating ending for the issue where the gun reminds us of this very fact.

Veitch’s art is really enjoyable, as he does very well in maintaining the spirit of the series and the style established for it by Ponticelli.  Still, Veitch’s work provides a certain freshness for the series while providing it with an accessible, easier going feel.  He also makes great use of shadows and lighting, using both to get across the African landscape.  Veitch also shows an uncanny awareness of when best to remove a background and have a panel show its image against a blank color for dramatic effect.

Captain America: Who Won’t Wield the Shield #1- Review

Forbush Man: Forbush Kills!
by Jason Aaron (writer), Mirco Pierfederici (art)

This story by Aaron functions as a framing structure for the issue and it’s the strongest of what’s on offer.

Probably what’s most impressive is Aaron’s ability to not only make fun of himself, but to caricature his own style.  His gritty internal monologue by Forbush Man is a clear pisstake on his usual writing style and the fact that he applies this formula, applied in past to badasses like Wolverine and the Punisher, to Forbush Man is pretty hilarious.  When a brutal beating via bucket is narrated in noir fashion, it’s hard not to laugh.

Then there’s how Jason Aaron portrays himself, which is a definite highpoint.  Aaron makes himself into a completely pathetic weasel of a man with a strange fixation for Wolverine related violence.  It’s self-deprecation at its finest and clear evidence that Aaron is having a ball writing this.

Other Marvel writers and editors encounter Forbush Man on his path for revenge, and most of them are a lot of fun as well.  Joe Quesada hanging out, poolside at his palatial manor and Ed Brubaker’s continual concern for his Eisners and his later channeling of his Criminal characters are golden.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to erase the image of Brubaker firing a gun while screaming profanities.

Forbush Man himself is also well-done.  Aaron basically turns the character into a mouthpiece for bitter, veteran comic book fans.  He attacks the Marvel offices for their making everything “dark and gritty,” as he embodies and voices the “why can’t comics just be fun” crowd.  Eventually, things get metatextual, and even more fun, as Forbush Man realizes that he too, is in a comic and that, in going on a murderous rampage, he too has been made “dark and gritty.”

On the downside, the art isn’t quite right for this story, particularly where the coloring is concerned.  Pierfederici goes for a pseudo-painted style that really wouldn’t be my first pick for a wacky comedy tale like this.  Also, the story’s ending is a bit lame, relying on a flat Marvel Zombies joke.

Grade: B+

Doctor America: Occult Operative of Liberty
by Matt Fraction (writer), Brendan McCarthy & Howard Hallis (art)

This was….completely insane.  If you miss the wacky Fraction that wrote Casanova, well, there are flashes of that here.  The sheer insanity brings some enjoyment.  Better still is how self-aware the story is of its own haphazard nature.  Characters openly reference how slapped together and non-existent the “narrative” is.

Powers #3 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Michael Avon Oeming (art), Nick Filardi (colors), and Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: It’s a high-speed, super-powered chase as Walker and Sunrise try to get their murder suspect back to the station in one piece.

What’s Good: This is just a gorgeous display of sequential art at its finest.  Not only is Oeming’s work beautiful to look at in and of itself, but as always, his sense of narrative flow and storytelling is also creative and really fun.  Oeming’s work remains explosive, yet comfortingly adorable.  He also creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere and tension throughout the issue.

As always, the actual action mirrors the panel structure (if you can call it that), giving the book a fast, organic feel.  For instance, a car drives from one panel to another, snaking its way through a double-page spread.  How can you not adore something like that?

His work on a tense scene in a sewer is also in wonderful contrast with the rest of the issue, which is a high-paced car chase.  Oeming’s style easily shifts to accommodate and create a real sense of claustrophobic tension.  It’s great stuff, as is that car chase, which explodes with a real sense of speed.  Colorist Nick Filardi also helps quite a bit and the usage of light in the sewer scene is amazing, telling a story in itself.

On Bendis’ end, the chase itself is perfectly paced.  There’s also a very well timed flashback towards the end of the issue that both feels natural and surprising; it feels like it came out of nowhere, yet also satisfies.  Bendis also hits you with one big, badass ending to this issue.

Captain America: Reborn #4 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Welcome back Steve Rogers….maybe?  Sort of?

What’s Good: Over the course of my reviews of Reborn, I’ve repeatedly stated that the comic is better the more it focuses on Rogers, as I’ve thus far found most of the present day portions to be relatively dry.  This month bucks that trend, as while much of the comic is in the present, I nonetheless found myself interested.  This is largely thanks to Brubaker bringing in the villains.

With Doom, Red Skull, and their henchman stomping about, getting their way, and generally acting like the cackling, arrogant villains that they are, these present day portions have a vitality that they’ve lacked through much of Reborn.  It’s always fun to see some of the Marvel Universe’s bad guy power players in the same room at once and Skull and Doom have long been two of the most bombastic of the lot.  Better still, their direct involvement in Reborn provides the miniseries with the specific, pointed adversaries needed to add fuel to the narrative’s conflict; they’re more tightly linked and unique to this struggle over Rogers, as opposed to Osborn, who is everybody’s bad guy these days.

Meanwhile, Rogers’ portions continue to be strong, channeling that sense of torment and entrapment that’s worked so well thus far.  Though it’s still scaled back from, say, issue 2, that doesn’t mean that what’s here isn’t enjoyable.

Overall, this feels just as a blockbuster, widescreen mainstream comic should.  It’s got action, it’s big, it’s loud, and it has those diabolical villains, all of it leading to a great ending that’s sure to leave you hankering for issue five.

Hitch and Guice’s work on art once again works fairly well, magically channeling much of the style and spirit of the late 80s, early 90s while nonetheless retaining that layer of modern gloss and polish.  The Cap flashback scenes are especially fantastic, with one rainy WWII-era scene being an absolutely gorgeous reflection of the misery it’s meant to reflect.

What’s Not So Good: Despite this being and generally good-looking book, I couldn’t help but feel the artwork to be a little inconsistent in style and execution.  Several panels look to be drawn by different hands, and it can be a little weird.  With the art already meant to shift to accommodate the flashbacks, these inconsistencies only help the make the book feel a little chaotic at times in terms of style.

I also felt that while the villains were great, the scenes with Richards, Pym, and Vision felt a bit weaker.  They’re just not as interesting as they could’ve been and barring one hypothesis by Richards, it just perpetually feels like they’re one step behind the comic and the reader.

Conclusion: Despite its underwhelming start, Brubaker has really turned Reborn around.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

 

Captain America: Reborn #3

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Bucky and Falcon battle the Thunderbolts, Cap’s glass coffin is exhumed, an old “friend” returns, and Cap battles skrulls in space… again.

What’s Good: From the haunting first page, to the contents of Cap’s coffin, the time traveling plot of this miniseries is once again handled surprisingly well, maintaining a surreal feel throughout.  I especially liked Cap’s method of getting a message to his friends in the present day, which was a definite “why didn’t I think of that” moment.  Once again, it’s great when Cap “breaks character” and discusses his time traveling dilemma with a person from his past, as there’s always this intangible sense of excitement when he does.

Seeing Cap having to re-experience his battles in the Kree-Skrull War was also rather neat, and had a totally different effect from last month’s tragic reiteration of Cap’s origins.  This really did feel like a 70s-era space-based Avengers comic repackaged under a modern lens, and it felt utterly bizarre.  The clash of a past comic under modern artwork was jarring, which I suppose was appropriate, given that this miniseries is about a wrongful collision of past and present.

Though I suppose it was inevitable, the ending of this month’s issue still had a definite impact.  Seeing the return of an old character, one that I’m sure I’m not the only fan of, is never a bad thing.  I’m also all in favour of the character’s new appearance.  It’s very 60s sci-fi, as though it lept off the pages of Brubaker’s Incognito.

Art-wise, you get more of the high-standard you’d expect from Hitch and Guice: an incredible level of detail, excellent shading, and an impossible work-ethic.  I especially enjoyed the team’s depictions of high-altitude flight, which were bright, rosy, and gorgeous.  Hitch and Guise also let loose with the splashes and double-page spreads this month, making some truly iconic work, here.  One particular spread of Namor will certainly elicit its fair share of reader profanities.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, this month’s issue takes a step back from much of what made last month’s such a step up in quality.  The present day portions are still less engaging than Steve’s scenes, but while last month chose to focus more on Rogers, this month spends more time with his present-day friends.  As a result, the issue just feels a bit more bland.

And when we do get Steve, there just isn’t the same level of introspection.  The sense of loss, tragedy, and helplessness just isn’t as poignant.  Instead of the monologues regarding his torment that made #2 so great, we instead just get a barrage of admittedly impressive spreads and splashes.  Brubaker seems to have decided to go heavier on the action side with Steve this month, and the result is a lot lighter.  There just isn’t the same level of gravitas and emotional weight, making the entire comic suffer.

Also, readers of that monthly comic will be quick to notice that Brubaker’s Thunderbolts sound nothing like Diggle’s.  For instance, Ghost sounds like the leader of the team, which is just downright wrong.

Finally, while Hitch and Guice’s artwork is unbelievable, their panel layouts are not.  For some reason, they’ve gone totally wild with the wide panels (widescreen shots) this month.  It’s an almost non-stop barrage that’s repetitive, uninspired, and just annoying.

Conclusion: Fairly good and still better than issue #1, but a step down from last month.

Grade: B –

-Alex Evans

Battlefields: Tankies #2 – Review

by Garth Ennis (writer), Carlos Ezquerra (pencils), Hector Ezquerra (inks), Tony Avina (colors), and Simon Bowland (letters)

The Story: Our tankies continue to try to find a company to rendezvous with in the midst of an increasingly poorly organized war effort.

The Good: The series once again does a great job of detailing the vulnerability of WWII’s metal monsters. Instead of just seeing them blow stuff up, we get a real sense of “the metal coffin.” This is best dealt with by Ennis in his observations on technological escalation. In focusing on the innovation of the tank destroyer, Ennis details the marvels of technology that arose from the war as well as the marvels that are so very fleeting; a new tank is only king of the battlefield for ten minutes before a new tactic/weapon renders it vulnerable and obsolete.

Ennis also again successfully displays the heartrending realities of war and the  bittersweet nature of victory on the battlefield. The surprisingly victorious “last stand” in this issue was definitely the highpoint of this comic. Even when pulling victory from the jaws of defeat, celebration is marred by inescapable tragedy.

Meanwhile, Ennis again has a great deal of fun displaying the different British accents as well as the non-chalant British gentleman-officer’s attitude to war, both of which provide a lightly humorous, if not ludicrous tone.

Ezquerra’s art is definitely growing on me. His work is super detailed, lending itself well to the different models of tanks and the soldiers’ uniforms. Of course, having such a detail-oriented style also suits battlefield carnage quite well. Ezquerra displays his brilliance in drawing whole packs of men getting shot down or lying dead on the blood-soaked battlefield. It’s nothing less than appalling, and I mean that in the best way possible.

The Not-So-Good: You know up above, where I wrote what “the story” of this issue was?  That was actually surprisingly difficult for me to come up with. Ennis seems to have fallen prey to his own efforts of displaying the carnage of war, resulting in a distinct lack of any real plot. At this point, with the comic flashing between several units which we may or may not have seen before, it’s murky at best. What little plot there is isn’t exactly moving either, as our tankies’ attempt to join up with another unit is still ongoing, as this issue just, well, sees them driving around some more.  That said, you won’t notice this stagnation because it’s a struggle to even find the major plot thread. So what the hell is going on? Who are all these other units we keep seeing and what do they  have to do with our tankies? None of it is clear.

It’s not only the plot that suffers, however. The characters were weak last issue and we get even less character development this month. Honestly, I don’t even know the names of two-thirds of the characters. I feel like I barely know them and none feel like major characters who I should genuinely care about. Even the tank’s corporal, with his funny accent, is little more than a cliched “hard-bitten veteran” with little nuance.

Conclusion: Considering how awesome “Dear, Billy” was, this limited series is a little disappointing.  It’s not bad, it just lacks the depth of the previous two Battlefields stories.

Grade: C

-Alex Evans

Battlefields: Tankies #1 – Review

by Garth Ennis (writer), Carlos Ezquerra (pencils), Hector Ezquerra (ink), Tony Avina (colors), and Simon Bowland (letters)

Story: The last of Garth Ennis’ Battlefields stories begins, following a British tank-crew as the Allies push into Germany late into the Second World War.

The Good: Not unlike the rest of the Battlefields stories, Garth Ennis’ writing is spot-on and he’s obviously doing something he loves in telling these war stories.  If there’s one thing that “Tankies” delivers in writing-wise, it’s authenticity.  The on-field commands and terminology feel well-researched and the combat looks realistic and accurate.  Even the casual dialogue feels authentic, as Ennis does a great job of showing the wide cross-section of Great Britain that took part in the war, with the various regional accents being well-portrayed and the interactions between Englishmen of various class or area being well-done.

Ennis also does a great job of, once again, portraying the brutality of war.  The gore is shocking, yet realistic, and the fear the men feel is all too real (the Tiger tank feels truly terrifying, both as specter and unstoppable killer).  The theme of the “German soldier with his back against the wall” is well done and the “take no prisoners” response of the English is equally desolate.  War is clearly a back and forth exchange of escalation, and Ennis shows that escalation can become a matter of emotion and brutality, not being restricted to weapons technology and tactics.

The art is well done and highly detailed and is a good fit for a war comic.  The tanks look great, the explosions look great, and Ezquerra clearly has a talent for drawing the faces of men who are terrified and/or desperate.

The Bad: Honestly, the worst thing about this story is that it had to follow “Dear, Billy.”  That story was one of the greatest things Ennis has ever written and so, by comparison, anything will look bad.  Tankies, thus far, just isn’t as deep as its predecessor.  It looks to be mostly about action and things blowing up in historically accurate fashion, and that just makes it a much simpler comic.

I guess at this point, I just don’t feel that there’s that much to this comic right now.  It’s not bad, it’s just not near as good as its predecessors.    Also, the characters don’t seem to carry the same level of depth or individuality.

Lastly, art-wise, I find some of Ezquerra’s blood splashes to be a little too….thick?  Honestly, there are a few frames where it looks more like lava than blood.

Bottom-line: If you’ve been following Battlefields, you’ll be disappointed by this one, which isn’t to say that it isn’t good (it is), it’s just not exceptional.  It’s still rock solid and authenticity is the name of the game here, but it’s just not as moving and not as complex, and I didn’t feel the same connections with the characters that I felt in past Battlefields comics.  It’s still very good, and while a lot of fun was gained thanks to the action and obvious research, that fun came at the cost of something more intangible.

Final Grade: B-

by Alex Evans