Two-in-One: 'Nuff Said Be vewy, vewy qwiet. No, we're not hunting wabbits. It's time for Randy and Don to take a sneak peek at December's "'Nuff Said" theme from Marvel Comics. Don: Marvel's Bill Rosemann was kind enough to provide Randy and I with some black-and-white photocopied previews of the publisher's December event, in which most titles will feature no dialogue and narrative captions. Though I doubt the folks at Comicraft and Sharpefont are thrilled with the idea, it's an interesting experiment. Randy: It's definitely something I would call risky, as fan and retailer reaction was quite mixed to the idea of a month full of silent issues. Honestly, I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, because while I love a good silent story, it's difficult to do well and I was expecting a lot of the creators, no matter how talented, to fall on their faces. However, the sampling we have here, which does include some incomplete issues, is much stronger than I would have expected. Black Panther #39 written by Priest illustrated by Sal Velluto & Bob Almond Don: Priest is one of the Marvel writers who unfortunately had to incorporate this silent theme smack dab in the middle of a story arc. On top of that, the complex and dialogue-heavy nature of the title doesn't lend itself to the silent treatment. To my surprise, though, Priest does a good job with it, not allowing the unusual approach to derail the book. Mind you, without the dialogue for extra exposition, this is far from the most new-reader-friendly issue of the series. Randy: Yes, although Priest, Velluto and Almond do an admirable job of conveying backstory, without any text clues it's going to fly over the head of most new readers. However, like you, I was surprised at how well the usually verbose Black Panther worked without any dialogue at all. Part of that, of course, is that Priest had time to build up to this, and has set up a plot that works well with the silent treatment. Don: The main action of the plot -- the Black Panther's violent confrontation with a deranged Iron Fist -- works just fine without "sound," but to my surprise, Everett Ross's handling of his predicament -- being trapped in the body of a mystical dragon -- is conveyed in an original and humorous manner as well. The greatest strength of the "'Nuff Said" theme is how it really lets the artists strut their stuff. There are no dialogue captions getting in the way, and the intensity of the fight scenes lets Velluto and Almond cut loose. The strong Neal Adams influence on the penciller's style has never been so clear, and I see a hint of some early Sienkiewicz elements in his work as well. I can't wait to see this stuff in color. Randy: I've been praising Velluto and Almond pretty regularly, and this issue is a sterling example of why. Their storytelling is excellent, and you definitely get a feel for the action and the fluid styles of the two martial artists going at it. Put your Matrix soundtrack on in the background when you're reading this one. Don: It would seem that most, if not all, of the "'Nuff Said" comics will include excerpts from the writers' scripts for these issues. If you're like me and interested in the process and craft of making comics, these script snippets are a real bonus. Captain Marvel #26 written by Peter David illustrated by Leonard Kirk & Robin Riggs Don: Peter David is joined by his artistic collaborators on DC's Supergirl for this emotionally powerful issue. David opts to focus this silent issue on Rick Jones's despair. The character feels as though he's reached the end of his rope, and though there may be no words in this issue, it includes a moment of incredible power that words don't do justice. Randy: We talked earlier about the silent issue impeding the accessibility of Black Panther... it pretty much demolishes any accessibility for Captain Marvel. If fans haven't been following the title, and particularly if they haven't read the previous issue, I can't imagine they'll get anything out of this issue but a strong sense of confusion. However, for those who have been following the title, this issue provides the culmination of a running story, and as Don says, there is a moment of incredible power as a result. Though the silent issue will do the book no favors in terms of acquiring new readers, it should be quite the treat for regular readers. Don: Kirk has been working with David for some time on Supergirl, so he has no problem conveying David's intention visually. My only real problem with the art is that Kirk's softer style doesn't really capture the darker tone of the story and Rick's feelings. Daredevil #28 written by Brian Michael Bendis illustrated by Alex Maleev Don: Like Priest, Bendis is forced to switch gears in the middle of a story arc for the December event, and like Priest, he does an amazing job of doing so. Unlike Black Panther, though, the nature of this title character lends himself to a quieter tone, as it fits in with the sensory (or lack thereof) elements of the character. Bendis's plot is a simple one: an old friend warns Matt Murdock that a bounty has been placed on his head, and in his guise of the Man Without Fear, he once again finds himself faced with fighting assassins. Though the plot may be simple, Bendis has managed to include a number of powerful emotional cues in the book. There may not be many words in this comic book, but there's a lot of feeling. Randy: One of the things that strikes me about all the issues we've gotten is that the long lead-time given to the talent to prepare for this event has helped them considerably. Though Bendis and Maleev are forced to drop the ramifications of the Kingpin's death for this issue, the story does take on another aspect of the ongoing tale, that of why someone was trying to kill Matt Murdock. And Don is right, the emotional intensity to this book is very strong. In particular, I love how a few gestures and words on paper conveys so much about the tragic relationship between Daredevil and Elektra. Don: Again, Maleev astounds with his gritty, noir storytelling. The cover alone is enough to draw the reader into a dark, downtrodden world. He renders some stunning action sequences as well with a sharply cinematic style. Randy: Though I'm unsurprised at Maleev's ability to maintain atmosphere, I'm surprised at how well his somewhat gritty style conveys softer emotions like vulnerability and love. There are certainly visuals that encompass violence and darkness, notably Daredevil's incredible fight sequence with an assailant on the roof, but there are more powerful scenes to be found in Murdock's office or on the streets below, before and after the fight. Exiles #7 written by Judd Winick illustrated by Mike McKone & Mark McKenna Don: Winick opts to show the reader the dreams of the various members of the title team in this standalone, making excellent use of the publisher-imposed month-long mute function. When I first saw the cover for this issue a couple of months ago, I figured we'd be in for a humor-laden issue, and that was fine with me, given Winick's propensity for hilarity, as is evident by his work on The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius from Oni Press. Humor isn't the emphasis, though. Winick instead explores the characters through their dreams, and those visions are thoroughly telling. Even the goofy Morph's insecurities and fears come to light. It's a surprisingly powerful story, and stands out as perhaps the best issue of the series thus far. Randy: I'm going to have to disagree here. While I enjoyed the issue, I think that the standout element of this book is Winick's dialogue and character interaction, and it seems a crying shame that an issue devoted entirely to downtime and not super-heroics is missing that dialogue. That said, I do think that even without dialogue, Winick does a terrific job of conveying the dreams, hopes and fears of these characters. As always, the gimmick behind the Exiles isn't the reason to read the book; the strength of the characters is. Don: Though I enjoyed J. Calafiore's fill-in stint in the previous two-part story arc, it's a pleasure to have McKone's crisp pencils back. He brings an important degree of clarity to this silent issue, not to mention some emotion and fun as well. Randy: Silent storytelling is the true test of an artist's storytelling ability, and McKone passes with flying colors. The emotions evident in the various characters' dreams serves to counteract the lack of dialogue and maintain the characterization I've come to expect. Incredible Hulk #35 written by Bruce Jones illustrated by John Romita, Jr. & Tom Palmer Don: This issue marks Bruce Jones's second issue as writer on the title, and again, the silent set-up plays to his strengths. Already, a theme is revealing itself in his run: children. In keeping with the theme, Bruce Banner encounters an autistic child in a touching, clever and action-packed story. Randy: Of all the previews we read, this is the one that struck me as the best use of silent storytelling. I didn't feel like it any point like someone had simply hit the mute button. Of course, just as Priest did, he cheats a little by using text messaging instead of vocals. At any rate, the intensity of the chase and the strange dreamlike feeling of Banner's encounter with the autistic girl both come through loud and clear, more effective without words than it would have been with them. Don: There's a more hopeful tone to this issue than Jones's first (which was pretty quiet itself, though not completely silent). Mind you, that may only seem to be the case since this is only a black-and-white preview; we'll see how it looks with colors. In any case, we already know that Romita's sketchy style is well suited to conveying the power and ferocity of the title character, but it also communicates a couple of more tender moments between Banner and a little girl who's lost inside herself. Randy: There are some very nice and subtle moments in this issue, as well as the first full-fledged Hulk sighting of the Jones run, which comes across as just as frightening and powerful as it should be. This is a more subtle and quiet story than I'm used to seeing with the Hulk, and all too many artists would have been unable to handle the quiet normality and the loud action equally well, as Romita Jr. does. Thor #44 written by Dan Jurgens illustrated by Stuart Immonen & Scott Koblish Don: Jurgens has really stretched out the Death of Odin plotline, but man, if it keeps resulting in such emotionally touching and resonant stories, I can't complain. The grief-stricken and contemplative tone of the storyline fits right in with the "'Nuff Said" approach, as Jurgens shares the memories of two sons as they think back on the father they recently lost. Randy: I think you and I have always differed on our opinions of Thor, and this issue is no exception. Though I like the idea of two brothers who have fought coming together to mourn their father, I felt the lack of dialogue weakened it considerably. I will agree that the silence works with the tone of the story, but I felt that the storytelling just wasn't quite there. Don: Jurgens isn't just dwelling on recent events in this title; he tells new stories from the title character's youth. Immonen does an excellent job of filling the reader in on these new details. The almost hazy tone of his collaboration with Koblish not only suits the silence, but it is in keeping with the sorrowful and hopeful tone of the script. Randy: Again, you and I are in different places in regards to this artwork. It's my feeling that Koblish's inks are hurting Immonen more than helping, and that the hazy tone made the silent story much less clear than it needed to be. However, Thor is the only issue amongst the batch that didn't really impress me, and even then a lot of my problems probably have to do with my inability to enjoy that cast of characters no matter who was writing them. I have a fond remembrance of the silent story in G.I. Joe that supposedly sparked this idea, and I'm happy to report that the results of a month dedicated to that style of storytelling look far more promising than I would have guessed at first. Don: Overall, if these samples are any indication, "'Nuff Said" is going to be much more interesting than I thought it would be. I have no affection for the old silent Snake Eyes story from G.I.Joe in the 1980s, and this event seemed tailor-made for folks who were taken with the approach. The experiment poses some challenges to the storytellers, but for the most part, they seem up to them. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.