Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Rob Rodi
Penciled by: John Higgins
Inked by: Sandu Florea
Colored by: Estudio Fenix & SotoColor’s A. Crossley
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Warren Simons
Publisher: Marvel Comics
You know how it is when someone asks you to tell them why you didn’t really enjoy a book or movie, but you can’t come up with anything good because the real reason you didn’t like it is because it didn’t really make you feel anything at all? Identity Disc is like that to me.
When I get into those situations, I tend to nitpick. For example, on my laundry list of things about ID Disc were, in particular order, why was there an effort made to give Deadpool his own unique word balloon style, (a dark yellow hued one), but only for him? This is especially annoying when everyone is wearing the silly AIM suits make them indistinguishable from one another, except for Deadpool and his darn specialized word balloons. Also, why is Sandman style on these covers? He’s dead or separated or whatever, right? And how about Bullseye, why the heck is even walking after the beating he got last issue. I know his skeleton is laced with adamantium these days, but that doesn’t mean he has Wolverine’s healing factor. Isn’t the guy entitled to a sick day or something?
And so on the review went in this manner. But really, that is just a big fat waste of your time and mine. So here’s my quick take on everything.
Art (that is coloring, inking penciling): The coloring is fine, the inking is a bit rough in places, but overall fine as well. My difficulties with the issue come from the penciling. As previously mentioned it is difficult to tell who is who in the AIM suits, even via height and wideness. The backgrounds are generally devoid of much detail or any at all. Higgins does nice work with faces in close up, a bit of Steve Dillon is particularly noticeable in Bullseye’s beat up face, but if it is a medium distance view, that breaks down rather rapidly.
Writing: Here’s where my lack of caring comes in. I have nothing, character wise to latch on to. The villains aren’t played as cool and larger than life so I can’t just dig on that vibe. They are so divorced from what they are being blackmailed by that I can’t believe they would ever care enough to sign up for this job. Vulture’s whining is annoying, not endearing. Deadpool and Bullseye’s buddy-buddy thing is the only relationship of any interest in this and even that seems to fall flat this issue.
The humor is sparse and not very funny. The action is sparse and not very exciting. The characterization is non existent. And do I care about who this super secret crime boss is? Not really.
The Final Word: There is a great concept amongst the mess here. Two issues ago, I believed that it could come out. Last issue I was frustrated it didn’t. This issueâ?¦I just don’t care anymore.
