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Quick Critiques for 1/14
There's no way that Randy and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
DOCTOR OCTOPUS: NEGATIVE EXPOSURE #4
by Brian K. Vaughan, Staz Johnson & Danny Miki (Marvel Comics)
 I just can't buy it. I don't accept that Jeffrey Haight is this gullible and desperate. Yearning for attention and respect is one thing, but to aid and abet a man known to be a cold, ruthless killer just doesn't wash. I think what does it is that Vaughan instills an intelligent tone in Haight's narration, so it's difficult to see him as this stupid and callous. I understand his motives, but I can't accept his actions. The art serves the story well enough. The action is clear, and Johnson captures an appropriately creepy and powerful quality in Doc Ock's tentacle harness. But Johnson's style never really strikes me as being anything more than standard super-hero artwork. 5/10
FABLES #21
by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham & Steve Leiahola (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 "March of the Wooden Soldiers" continues, and the intrigue grows along with it. The plotline is unfolding on two fronts. I honestly don't know what to expect from Bigby's investigation of an attempted infiltration from the Adversary's foothold in the magical homelands, and I'm terribly curious what the brutal and inhuman Men in Black represent. The political satire found in the Prince Charming versus King Cole campaign is perfectly ridiculous as well, and that lighter tone is brought out by Buckingham's artwork. At the same time, though, he never sacrifices a darker, more mature quality in the storytelling. One of my favorite things about this series is the frequent introduction of new characters and more obscure storybook legends, and there's of that in this issue as well. 8/10
HAWKMAN #23
by Geoff Johns, Rags Morales & Michael Bair
(DC Comics)
 This could have been a great JSA-off-duty story, one that focused on the friendships that are developing among the heroes, and at times, it fulfills that potential. And then the reader hits the scene featuring Power Girl, and it's all about bust size. All of the female characters are dressed in order to expose a great deal of skin, and it's completely jarring. Furthermore, St. Roch and New Orleans are now becoming indistinguishable to the casual observer; I can't help but wonder why Johns didn't just set this series in that real-world city instead of fabricating St. Roch. Morales's art is the main culprit when it comes to Power Girl, but there are moments I truly enjoyed. He brings out the title character's ferocity incredibly well, and I enjoyed his redesign of Matter Master. The design boasts a slightly more modern look, but the artist hasn't sacrificed his Silver Age, campy charm. 6/10
H-E-R-O #12
by Will Pfeifer, Leonard Kirk & Wade von Grawbadger (DC Comics)
 Will Pfefier launches his new gender-bending story arc, and it's a hilarious one. Mind you, the writing is far from subtle, but it's effective. Throwing a stereortypical construction worker into this simple but clever twist on the H-Dial formula is a smart move, and one that elicits a great deal of humor. The appearnce of Robby Reed -- the Silver Age H-Dial owner -- brings just the right tone of menace to the story to serve as a balancing factor. It was a pleasure to see Leonard Kirk's artwork again. He boasts a softer style, but inker Wade von Grawbadger brings a little more texture and a hint of an edge to the visuals as well. While I lost some interest in this title a few months back, Pfeifer's renewed it with a strong standalone story last month and a funny premise here. 8/10
TEEN TITANS #7
by Geoff Johns, Tom Grummett, Nelson & Kevin Conrad (DC Comics)
 Johns explores the fallout from the new team's first, rather dark adventure, and it makes for some strong characterization. Mind you, I was far more interested in those character-driven moments that had nothing to do with the Terminator/Jericho storyline. Robin's confusion about his future stood out as particularly interesting. Despite being something of a self-contained issue, though, this is not a good jumping-on point for new readers. Furthermore, the storytelling seems steeped in past DC continuity -- from the Wolfman stories to Peter David's Young Justice series -- with not nearly enough of it explained for newer readers. Grummett's artwork serves the story well enough, but at times, he seems more focused on mimicking regular penciller Mike McKone's style. This isn't a bad issue, per se, but it didn't really grab me that much either. 6/10
WEAPON X #17
by Frank Tieri, Georges Jeanty, Don Hillsman II & Avalon Studios (Marvel Comics)
 I have to give Frank Tieri credit... he took me by surprise with this unexpected turn of events in the "Defection" story arc. The story itself -- something of a police sting a la Donnie Brasco -- isn't that innovative, but the way Tieri set things up certainly took me off guard. I've seen stories like this one before, but Tieri's doing a good job of it as well. I like that Chamber's anger isn't just an act; there is some geuine resentment for the X-Men at play here. Jeanty's linework tells the story clearly, but there's a softness to his style that just doesn't suit the harsher elements that at the heart of this series. Furthermore, the inks here are terribly inconsistent, which isn't much of a surprise when one realizes there are three credited inkers (Hillsman, Jeanty himself and Avalon). 6/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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