Two-in-One Review: Marvel in April/May Randy and Don take a look at some titles from Marvel Comics, slated for release in the coming weeks. Randy: It's been a while since we did one of these. But Bill Rosemann has sent us a package of black-and-white previews for upcoming Marvel books in April (and one in May), including two new MAX books and the highly-anticipated Captain America #1. Don: Keep in mind we're working from uncorrected preview copies here. But even in black-and-white, it's easy to see there's some amazing comics storytelling on its way. Black Widow: Pale Little Spider #1 written by Greg Rucka illustrated by Igor Kordey scheduled for release April 17 Randy: It has long been my position that Greg Rucka doesn't know how to write a bad book, and Black Widow is another supporting piece of evidence for that theory. Rucka does what he does best in this first issue, setting up a story that will make the protagonist question themselves and the relationships they have with others as much as solving a crime. Yelena Belova, the new Black Widow, has been a bit of a mental case from the beginning, and her inferiority complex mixed with a devotion to her authority makes for some interesting emotional problems when a man she trusted is murdered, and he turns out to have had motives not quite so pure as she believed. Don: Lately, I've been lauding "Ashes & Dust" -- the current story arc in DC's Hellblazer -- for its examination of the dark side of the human psyche. Just as Brian Azzarello is doing in that story, so does Rucka go spelunking into the uglier recesses of the mind, and he's using some of the same toys to make his way. The title character finds herself in a world that she, and likely the reader, finds alien and disgusting, but there's an alluring quality to it as well. And that's what's truly disturbing about it. Randy: Though the previous two Black Widow series have been more directly espionage-related, this one throws Yelena into more of an investigative role. It's an interesting change, especially given that her skills aren't really suited to this sort of subtle investigation, and it also puts her in a more dangerous position, as the spy's job is not to be noticed but the cop's job is very different. Don: Again, Rucka taps into themes of control, submission and manipulation, and it's adding up to what's potentially the strongest Widow story from the "new" Marvel yet. Randy: On the art side, Igor Kordey also provides some impressive work. The gritty, shadowy depiction of Yelena's headquarters or the seedy sex club brings to mind the work of Marcelo Frusin or Eduardo Risso over at Vertigo, and while the detail work is sometimes a little too much in black and white, I imagine that color will bring out some of the different levels when the book is published. If I have any complaints, it's that Kordey's style doesn't really lend itself to beautiful women like Yelena, but in the position she's in, it's understandable that she might not look like the model of young beauty she has often appeared to be in the past. Don: See, I thought this was some of Kordey's strongest work for Marvel yet. He captures the stark, cold nature of the Russian establishment, as well as the polished depravity of the S&M club. There's a definition and clarity to his work here that was lacking in his contribution to this week's New X-Men #125. Captain America #1 written by John Ney Rieber illustrated by John Cassaday scheduled for release April 24 Randy: Wow. I'm a Captain America fan from way back, but even with all the hype, I didn't really expect to be drawn back into the book this quickly. Of all the heroes in the Marvel Universe, it's Captain America, not Spider-Man, who seems like he would be most affected by the real-life events of Sept. 11, and this first issue addresses that notion. It teeters on the line of being inappropriate, and some may feel that putting Captain America into that real situation to assess how he would react is insulting to the real heroes and real victims of the day. I would disagree, though, largely because Ney Rieber does such an effective job of showing just how ineffective Captain America feels in the wake of the event, and how it has brought out a new sort of ferocity that the somewhat staid hero has been lacking. Don: Perhaps what is most impressive about this story is how the writer is saying something about the title character, not the terrorist attacks on the United States. Rieber explores how Sept. 11 essentially causes Cap to forget who he is. He struggles to find a livfe to save where there is none. He wants to be a hero, but he's not a hero. He's a soldier. If this story is about anything, it's about the difference in those two ideas. Randy: For me, Captain America has always been interesting as a man, not just a symbol. He represents the American dream (not the American reality, an important distinction that many detractors of the character miss), but he also represents a good man trying to do what's right and sometimes failing. Rather than seeing Captain America just suck it up and do the right thing, we're seeing him react in grief and anger, like a human being, and not unlike America in the wake of September 11, and it's an interesting parallel. What really makes the book shine, though, and the reason this type of story works so well, is John Cassaday's artwork. His pictures of the devastation of Sept. 11 are heart-breaking, and he does an equally solid job on Steve Rogers, both in costume and out. When we first see Captain America, in costume, leaping from a helicopter and towards an enemy, you can feel the determination and righteous anger. Don: Cassaday just gets better and better with every new title he takes on. His detailed, realistic art is awe-inspiring, but the detail and realism is never gratuitous. There are panels with no imagery, or sometimes just a haze, and that's because Cassaday (and likely Rieber) realizes that sometimes, less is more. Cassaday isn't trying to amaze the reader with his skill; he's simply delivering the best visuals he can to tell the story and elicit the right moods. Deadpool #66 written by Gail Simone illustrated by Udon Studios scheduled for release April 24 Randy: In the interest of full disclosure, I should admit to some disappointment with Simone's first issue of Deadpool. Despite having promise, it didn't quite click with me. However, this second issue of her run starts to realize that potential a bit more, and it's a whole lot funnier. It seems like the transition might have been the weakness I sensed in the first issue, because I thought this was one of the stronger Deadpool stories I have read. Don: Yes, Simone and Udon's first issue of Deadpool was more of a transition issue, easing regular readers into the new status quo and tone of the book. Here, both Simone and the artists really start to hit their stride on the book. The humor will please longtime 'Pool readers, and the plotlines will bring smiles to the faces of those of us looking for something just a little different and new from the book these days. Randy: There are a lot of laughs to be found in these pages. Deadpool's illness, which leads him to an, ahem, performance problem and the curious replacement of a few common words in his vocabulary with funnier ones, is a good running gag. And the premise that sets Deadpool on the trail of the Rhino is an amusing take on a famous myth about rhinos, making fun of both the client who hires Deadpool for believing it and the Rhino for having a persona goofy enough to be vulnerable. Don: I think what most impresses me about this story is that Simone has clearly defined what this new story arc -- "Healing Factor" -- is going to be about, plot-wise anyway, but at the same time, this chapter offers a self-contained story of its own. Yes, her literal take on the Rhino is a lot of fun, but this two-pronged storytelling approach brings focus and strength to the title, traits that have been lacking lately. Randy: Udon Studios had some storytelling problems in the first issue (which, to be fair, Simone took the blame for in online interviews), but their storytelling is pretty solid here. The humor of some of the gags relies on fairly subtle moments, and the setup and delivery in several cases was subtle enough to get the humor across. In addition, they deliver a powerful-looking Rhino, who appears menacing enough to be a threat while at the same time seeming just goofy enough to fit in with the general tone of the book. Don: I thought Udon's work on the last issue of Deadpool wasn't as strong as the studio's recent work on Taskmaster, and I'm pleased to see their work on this book stepping up to that higher standard. I love their interpretation of the Rhino, and they capture the physical comedy of Simone's script nicely. The Hood #1 written by Brian K. Vaughan illustrated by Kyle Hotz scheduled for release May 22 Randy: Though I'm a super-hero fan, I'm also a sucker for a good story from the bad guy point-of-view, whether it's the amiable mobsters of David Chase or Elmore Leonard or the career criminal hero of Richard Stark's novels. The Hood is a comic-book following an unrepentant career crook through his daily life, which takes a bit of an unusual twist when he steals himself some super-powers accidentally. The first issue is a strong offering, fleshing out the lead character to make him, if not likable, at least human enough to relate to, and it features a nice look at the seedier side of the Marvel Universe. Don: Super-powers? Mutants? Aliens invasions? The basics of the super-hero (or in this case, super-villain) genre are pretty fantastic, and they can stretch the credibility of the story and characters. Here, Vaughan takes the same approach with the genre as Kurt Busiek has with Astro City: he delves into the potential reality of such an unreal world. But unlike Busiek, there's a sharper edge to Vaughan's go at the more grounded approach to the genre. Randy: Parker, the lead character, is about as bad as they come. He cheats on his pregnant girlfriend with prostitutes, beats a man to death without a second thought (and steals his clothes) and lies with a casual ease. However, he seems to really love his girlfriend and his mother, he has a loyalty to his friend and while he may always take the easiest path, he doesn't come across as a monster. Vaughan walks a fine line between making the character too despicable to read about and too nice to believe as a crook, and the result is a very interesting protagonist for the series. Don: Yep, Vaughan has crafted a fascinating and fleshed-out character in Parker Robbins. I'm reminded of Changing Lanes, which I saw this past weekend. It featured the stories of two men who were inherently flawed, but ultimately, they're not bad guys. Affleck's and Jackson's characters are decent human beings, but both have darkness and anger within them. Parker is the opposite. He is not a decent guy, but he's got some humanity within him. Randy: I first noticed Kyle Hotz with his work on Incredible Hulk, and with his heavy Kelley Jones influence he's a perfect choice for the darkness of this book. Hotz captures the feel of the dark corners of alleys and smoky bars, and his exaggerated, stretched out design for the characters gives most of them a fairly sinister look. There's a distinctive look to go with the book's unusual point-of-view. Don: I've enjoyed Hotz work for a while longer. I was introduced to his dark, haunted style on Night Man, a title under Malibu's Ultraverse line in the early 1990s. Randy's right... there's a strong Kelley Jones influence at play in his work, but his work reflects the tones of other artists as well, like Mike (Hellboy) Mignola and Joe (Daredevil) Quesada. I can't wait to see this book in color. Spider-Man's Tangled Web #13 written by Ron Zimmerman illustrated by Sean Phillips scheduled for release April 24 Randy: Ron Zimmerman is best known in comics for the widely-derided Punisher issue he wrote, and given my reaction to that issue, I wasn't particularly anxious to read anything by him again. Tangled Web #13 has its problems, most notably some appalling attempts to be funny that come off as borderline racist, but it's a damn sight better than Zimmerman's Punisher, and I found the central premise and much of the characterization to be fairly engaging. If you've seen the Batman: The Animated Series episode of "Almost Got 'Im" you've pretty much seen this story, although this is a partial preview and it doesn't seem to be heading toward the same clever type of ending. It's mostly a chance to look at Spider-Man from the villains' point-of-view, and I thought Zimmerman did a pretty decent job of humanizing these villains. Indeed, he depicts most of them as selfish, arrested adolescents, which fits in with their chosen profession fairly well. Even the son of Kraven the Hunter, who seems to be Zimmerman's character of choice in upcoming projects, comes across mostly as arrogant rather than competent. He is definitely the focus of this story, and I think we're meant to get some sort of vibe from him that he's a cool customer, an anti-hero rather than a villain. I actually found him to be fairly obnoxious, but in the context of this story, that worked out just fine. Don: I think I enjoyed this story much more than you did. The comparison to "Almost Got 'Im" is a fair one, but what I enjoyed about this book is the same quality we see in The Hood -- that Astro City quality of examining incredible characters as regular joes to whom the reader can relate. Mind you, Zimmerman doesn't pull it off as well as Vaughan does -- the Vulture doesn't really come off as a credible character -- but it's an ultimately entertaining (if predictable) story about three guys talking big over a few drinks. Randy: On art duties is the always impressive Sean Phillips, working in a milieu similar to the one he used on Wildcats. Namely, while there are super-powers and costumes, they exist alongside a more gritty and real backdrop (in this case a bar). The result is that the characters look fairly realistic, even in their costumes, with attention paid to their facial detail and the more human side of them, rather than to the curves of the spandex. Don: Phillips does a great job, but his work here struck me as a bit different than what I expect from him. Not worse, or better... just different. I detected influences in his art that I hadn't noticed before. Some figures put me in mind of Tom (Creeps) Mandrake's work, while others elicited memories of the late John Buscema's gritty, tough characters. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.