Review: The Ravagers #1 By Howard Mackie and Ian Churchill

Reviews, Top Story

The Ravagers #1

Written by Howard Mackie

Art by Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund, and Alex Sollazzo

 

The short of it:

 

The Culling is over and the breakout has gone through. Dozens of kids have been saved from Harvest and N.O.W.H.E.R.E. So now the story comes to the last of the escape ships, the one featuring Caitlin Fairchild and friends. It’s a crash landing, but the group survives long enough to realize everyone hates each other. Two red shirts fly off on their own before two of our cover page characters do the same. Ridge and Fairchild fight over who the kids hate more, the girl who worked for N.O.W.H.E.R.E. or the Ravager that would torment them on a daily basis. Escape pods crash filled with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. security looking to surrender. Of course, these being wild and crazy and more or less horribly disturbed kids, there is no surrender! Fairchild and Ridge have to stop everyone from acting all homicidal, and really, it’s just in time for their ride to show up…and then crash into ground as Warblade and Rose run in to slaughter more red shirts.

 

What I liked:

 

  • I might very well be the only person on the planet happy to see Howard Mackie writing something. I loved the Clone Saga, I loved the first half of Mutant X, and so long as he’s able to keep his canon straight, I think he’s a good hand. Sure, it’s another 90’s name, but is that really a bad thing? You want people who can write and have original ideas, and dude was a Marvel guy. That means he’s untapped at DC, and thus, able to go either way.
  • As a reader of Animal Man, Red Beast Boy just makes sense.
  • Ian Churchill? Man, I can’t remember the last time I saw him on something! Wait, I think it might have been a Red Hulk story. Possibly Titans East. Two books that looked so much more awesome than they read. Kinda like this issue, which isn’t a complete mess in the writing, but is visually really fun. Churchill nails the action and even manages to make the Tron designs not look horrible.
  • Barefoot Terra is a fun touch. I’ve always wondered why more Earth movers don’t have that physical connection when using their powers.

 

What I didn’t like:

 

  • Fairchild is J2? Aw man!
  • Warblade being called Reno just reminded me that one of my favorite Wildstorm characters is, apparently, just a kill happy freakjob here.
  • Early on the book showed potential for a large rotating cast just by nature of how many kids escaped N.O.W.H.E.R.E. I should have known better when only two of the ones not on the cover were given names. These kids are generic cannon fodder, like a non-name brand Artemis.
  • I hate Thunder and Lightning. One issue, that’s all it took. One is too angry and obsessive with her brother, while he, on the other hand, is a raging pussy that seems to have a gaping hole in his chest that he booms people out of of. So like a less badass version of Chamber, from Generation X.
  • How about costumes that don’t feel ripped right from Tron? I was getting annoyed with that during the Culling.

 

Final Thoughts:

 

I wish this book was Gen 13. I mean, it has nothing to do with Gen 13, but Fairchild is on the cover and I want Freefall and Rainmaker and Mr. Lynch. Is that too much to ask? That my favorite Wildstorm property can come back?

 

I didn’t realize Brighteyes was a code name until Rose said it, I figured dude was just hitting on the girl.

 

Does Rose Wilson have a codename? I keep wanting to call her Ravager, but she’s just a Ravager. Also, is she going to go on a tweener run? Because I think I’d like her better as a not-so-generic villain…again.

 

Wow, great use of Terra and Beast Boy. Have them bail instantly.

 

Fairchild’s bikini from the cover is false advertising, she wears a full body suit the entire issue. Lame.

 

I miss Atlee.

 

Overall: 5.5/10

A lifelong reader and self proclaimed continuity guru, Grey is the Editor in Chief of Comics Nexus. Known for his love of Booster Gold, Spider-Girl (the real one), Stephanie Brown, and The Boys. Don't miss The Gold Standard.