Like the teasers says, I got a bunch of books this week. Even better? The vast majority of them were very good. Why? Well, read on and find out.
Captain America #17
“Collision Courses” Part 2 of 2
Published by: Marvel
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: Frank D’ Armata
You know how I know this book is good? Brubaker and Perkins prominently featuring a car that flies and it feels natural, not silly or cheesy. They pull off several other good tricks (Crossbones and Syn continue to raise hell”¦with a purpose! Nick Fury still is playing chess with people’s lives! Captain America “sees” faster!) on the way to another great issue of Captain America. It’s seventeen issues in and Brubaker has yet to hit a sour note. Impressive.
Grade: A
Daredevil #84
“The Devil in Cell-Block D” Part 3
Published by: Marvel
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano
Colorist: Frank D’ Armata
Wow”¦just wow.
Brubaker expertly ratchets up the tension from page one, piling on more and more conflicting interests and unconventional prisoners into this prison drama. Although, if one stops to think, the likelihood of Daredevil, several of his greatest enemies, and a sometimes awkward ally all ending up in the same prison is approximately 0.003%, the situation never cops to the obvious ludicrousness of it all. Much like Prison Break, the book sets up these over-the-top scenarios with such a straight face and deliberate speed that you never pause to wonder, at what point, the state of New York and the FBI became so bad and deciding where to assign prisoners.
The end result is a rarity in comics, an issue that actually manages a hand ringing sort of intensity. By the time the Punisher decides that Murdock should have a friend behind bars, you can already feel the cracks of control widening. The situation is too far gone to save, the only question now is how big an explosion it is going to be.
I loved Bendis’s run on the book, but nothing in it set me as on edge for the next issue as Brubaker has managed here in his first arc. God damn, it’s good!
Grade: A
New Avengers #18
“The Collective” Part Two
Published by: Marvel
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Mike Deodato, Jr.
Inker: Joe Pimentel
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Don’t look now, but something depicted on the cover of an issue of New Avengers actually occurs within the book! Is it a good sign or the beginning of the End Times?
I kid, I kid”¦because the answer is obvious. Armageddon is here.
Anyway”¦
Kind of a weird question here, but isn’t this actually Part 3 of The Collective? Didn’t the villain show up in 16 and lay waste to Alpha Flight (sorry Canada) and then, in 17, the Avengers confronted him (now identified as “Michael”) and almost talked him down until Ms. Marvel (I’m sorry, purists, but that name sucks) decided to punch him. So I ask, how is this only part 2? Not important, I suppose, but I’m still curious.
Beyond the cover and the numbering of the arc, what is going on here? Well, the now flipped out Michael is showing that he is not one to piss off and he shucks Iron Man of his armor and hits the hero formerly known as Warbird with a variety of assaults. The Avengers call in the Young Avenger Vision 2.0 (my name, not theirs) and he and Spider-Man unravel the mystery of Michael, the Collective. Mostly by reading the computer screen which is”¦shall we say”¦disappointing.
Not the idea itself though. It is a nice little twist on the “energy can be neither created nor destroyed” principle and a fairly intimidating basis for a villain (or, in this case, force of nature, really). However, the fact that Spider-Man had to stay behind to use his big brain to figure it out (as he was ordered by Stark last issue) when any first year SHIELD agent could have put the pieces together once Vision arrived makes the bit feel underwhelming, not proof of Spidey’s necessity to the Avengers.
The art is also problematic. Deodato, who’s work on the Hulk and Amazing Spider-Man was strong, is off his game here. Everything is a bit sketchy and occasionally awkwardly ill-defined. At some points, though I loathe saying this, his work even strikes me as Liefeld-esque (in particular check out the full page shot of Sentry flying toward the reader after throwing the Collective into space).
All in all, a great idea gets buried amongst poor story decisions from the writer and uncharacteristically weak images from the art team.
Grade: C
Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #4
Published by: Marvel
Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciller: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Another issue down, another issue of bizarre fun. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this is probably the least of the Nextwave issues.
Why?
Mostly because of The Captain’s origin. It takes up a few pages and reads like a parody of Kyle Rayner becoming Green Lantern in which someone forgot to bring the funny. And although it happens early, it sucks up the issue’s momentum like a sponge and the fun that follows never fully manages to make up for it.
That said, like every issue of Nextwave, there was a moment that certainly made me laugh. This time out, look for Boom Boom (or Meltdown or whatever) and Aaron’s feelings about cops. Good stuff.
Grade: B
Squadron Supreme #2
“First Steps”
Published by: Marvel/Marvel Knights
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: Gary Frank
Inker: Jonathan Sibal
Colorists: Christ Sotomayor
Boy, Gark Frank sure does draw pretty, doesn’t he? Yes, sir, he is a talented man.
Just thought I’d put that upfront. I really like his work, but I almost never mention it when I review Squadron Supreme or its predecessor Supreme Power and that’s just not right because he is mad (as the kids say) talented.
The rest of the book, as you might guess, is up to the quality that you’d expect from this title. That is, it is very good.
Grade: B
Birds of Prey #93
“Gutshot Redemption”
Published by: DC
Writer: Gail Simone
Penciller: Paulo Siqueira
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colorist: Hi-Fi Design
Ahh, that’s more like it.
I was confident that last mont’s OYL disappointment was an aberration, a hiccup, not a new pattern. This issue here proves that was confident was not misplaced.
For some reason, what did not work for me last issue, particularly the great Canary for Shiva swap, works just fine for me here. There is some more information released on why it happened so maybe that helped, but, generally speaking, the writing just feels stronger to me this time out.
The humor that the book has nicely cultivated since Simone signed on also returns here. While the young Catholic school girl who turns out to be a smoking (as in puff, puff, not as in daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn, girl), foul mouthed brat is a bit of an obvious gag, the car chase that follows it is great, silly fun that is all the better for generally playing it straight despite things like Zinda’s outfit. Shiva’s dealings with the young girl’s toy is also good for a chuckle.
Where the book slips up is its newest Bird, Gypsy. Or, at least, I think it does. I don’t really know Gypsy all that well, so I could be wrong here. However, her “voice” seems why too naïve and amateurish given that she has a decent amount of experience in the superhero biz. There was a few word balloons I had to revisit because I was convinced that the girl, not Gypsy, should have been the one speaking them.
That’s all I found fault with, however. The rest of the package came together nicely and went down smooth.
And what’s in store for next issue, oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, exciting.
Grade: B
Ex Machina Special #1
“Life and Death” Part 1 of 2
Published by: Wildstorm
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Chris Sprouse
Inker: Karl Story
Colorist: JD Mettler
Just last week I was talking about my desire to see a little more action in the Ex Machina title. Well, this is technically a special (although, why? Different penciller? More Great Machine than usual?) but this nicely satiates that appetite.
Sprouse and Story do a fine job aping the “house style” of Ex Machina. It is almost too good a job, in fact. I like the art because I do like the normal Ex Machina style. However, with a different team, it would have been nice to see a noticeably different style, especially as this is a “special”, meaning that, in theory, it is different than the main book.
However, this is mostly just quibbling on my part. This issue feels like the strongest Ex effort in awhile and, as you know, there is plenty of competition for that title. There is an interesting impetus for the Great Machine flashback (which takes the bulk of the issue) and some nice, if ultimately fruitless, political tap dancing on the part of Mayor Hundred.
The big news, however, is the introduction of a must-have in the world of comic book logic: an opposite number. For Mitchell that means a man who can talk to the animals and does not much care for the status quo (something that Hundred, more or less, seems dedicated to). He’s always quite a bit insane as demonstrated by the trophy he keeps in his “hideout”. It’s a dangerous dance, introducing a super villain into this largely “real world” comic book experience, but Vaughan pulls it off mightily.
Grade: A
Manhunter #21
“Mind Over Morals”
Published by: DC
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Layouts: Javier Pina
Finishes: Fernando Blanco
Colorist: Jason Wright
Manhunter shifts gears this month as we return to the courtroom to watch Kate make ribbons of opposing counsel’s witnesses. The only difference this time is that Kate’s not on the prosecution. Instead, she is representing the villainous and creepy Dr. Psycho in part because the DEO has told her to. And she’s not exactly loving it.
What’s most interesting here (and there is plenty to choose from) is the question it raises about Kate’s ethics. Yes, she was already a woman who would go after a villain while wearing a costume if she could not get it done in the courtroom. Yes, that is a conflict of interest of sorts. However, the difference here is that she is poised on the precipice of violating one of the central principles of the law, lawyer-client confidentiality (and don’t think I didn’t catch the reference to doctor-patient confidentiality the Andreyko nicely drops into the script). If DEO’s plan is what it seems to be, Kate is trying to earn Dr. Psycho’s trust be vigorously representing him in the hopes that he will then reveal”¦something (that part is not so clear). If Kate goes all the way with it, she has, in essence, rejected her other occupation. She is a superhero now and willing to make a mockery of her legal career to maintain her costumed one. As I said, it raises interesting questions.
The subplots do not get much play this time out, but what is there are great hints at things to come. The tabloid journalist from OYE (One Year Earlier) makes a brief cameo, Mark Shaw shows up in a less than promising situation, and a killer seems to be punishing smaller crimes with extreme force and a straight ravor. It is all very tantalizing.
This is also an issue that features Doctor Mid Nite. Issues that feature Doctor Mid Nite are things I appreciate. Yes, I do seem to have an odd thing for blind superheroes who maintain professional careers. No, I don’t care to get into that right now.
Grade: A
Robin #149
“Assault on Precinct Nine”
Published by: DC
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Freddie Williams II
Colorist: Guy Major
Good news. That first issue, that was not misleading. Beechen does have a great handle on Tim Drake and an interesting plan on where to take him. As promised in his interviews, Beechen is nicely balancing Tim’s physicality with his detective skills as Robin manages to escape a police precinct with his life (and some stolen evidence), get the drop on Shiva (however short lived it was), and translate a clue left in Navajo. All in all, not a bad day’s work. Beechen is also nicely tapping into Robin’s past, particularly his first miniseries as he has now brought Shiva into the fold (as well as Lynx’s demise last issue). It’s a good use of continuity that makes sense but does not mire the plot in “you best dig out your back issues to understand this”-itis. Even the departure of Mr. Kerschl does not slow him down.
Although, that last one, he has Williams to thank for that too. Williams grew over the course of drawing two issues on Mister Miracle and here he is being good here too. I think he still has some maturation left to do, but this art leaves nothing to complain about. Even the costume. Now, having seen it in action four or five times, I accept it. DC can officially breathe a sigh of relief.
Grade: A
