Review by Tim Sheridan
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Peter Pantazis
Editor: James Lucas Jones
Design: Keith Wood
Publisher: Marvel/Icon
If you’ve been to this site before, you’ve probably read one of my reviews of this book. Month after month (or a little less frequently as of late) we are given a whole lot of fun from this title. Whenever I review it, I extol its virtues, so there really is no sense for me to reiterate myself.
But because I have to write something, I’ll do my best, and try not to repeat myself.
This issue is a perfect example of what makes the book so great. Brian Michael Bendis writes a gaggle of books for Marvel, and it seems like this is the one where he can just cut loose and do whatever the hell he wants. He’s written this for over five years, so he knows the ins and outs of it. This is his baby. More so than “The Pulse”, or “Daredevil”, and far more than “House of M”. But this is all him and Oeming.
They don’t need to follow any other format than the one they want. And they don’t. We start the issue off at Club Cinderella, as we did last month, where we hear monologues about…whatever the heck Bendis wants. I’m waiting to find out how they all fit in, but I’m sure it will.
But the main story is about the two cops. Walker and Pilgrim are investigating another super-hero-related crime. It’s what they do. What makes the book special is that if you take away the comic book super-powers related elements, it’s still a great crime story. Those elements make the story unique, but are not the reason why it’s a good story in and of itself.
The art by Oeming is perfect for the book, and frankly I never want to see another artist here. While I’m sure there would be others that would be great, Oeming is THE artist for Bendis here. They compliment each other perfectly.
The sub-plot with Pilgrim is slowly coming to the forefront, and I can’t wait to see how she deals with her powers, and the repercussions of her actions. The last page alone is nothing that great, but put in the context of the conversation preceding it, it’s a whopper.
So once again, all I can say is this book is excellent. I certainly hope you enjoy it. It’s a reminder of the best in modern comics.
