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Quick Critiques for 3/9/2005
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.
JSA #71
by Geoff Johns, Don Kramer & Keith Champagne
(DC Comics)
 The gathering of the Golden Age heroes finally wraps up, making way for the actual plot, and the story arc gains some real strength as a result. I'm struck by how accessible the script is, and when dealing with such a large cast of characters with such convoluted histories, accessibility is always a major challenge for this title. I'm pleased to see the writer overcome it in this issue. The conflict and conversations among the characters finally pays off here; the connections between the young and the old are quite palpable. Kramer handles the action here quite well, and the detail in his and Champagne's work here pays off in the form of a realistic feel. Kramer conveys the power and impact of Atom-Smasher's size-changing powers quite well. Though some didn't care for the intensity and cruelty of Degaton's methods when this story arc began, they've really made an impression on me. The villain is playing by a completely different set of rules, and his callous regard for life really makes the reader anxious to see him get his just desserts. This is really the first time that Degaton hasn't seemed a bit silly to me, and I've read most of his appearance through the years, even his Golden Age debut. 7/10
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #16
by Warren Ellis, Adam Kubert, John Dell, Nelson & Lary Stucker (Marvel Comics)
 Ellis continues to bring humor and credibility to the impossible worldof the Fantastic Four. The script here is playful and inventive, making old concepts seem fresh and new thanks to a more realistic and tongue-in-cheek perspective. At first, the plot seemed to be rather conventional. It was clear the heroes were unknowingly stepping into a nest of evil from the start, but when a much different kind of threat arises unexpectedly, the twist helped set this story apart from the typical alien-monster plot. Ellis's take on Reed Richards is different as well. The youth of the Ultimate version of the chaarcter shines through here, as we hear him spout as much in the way of colloquialisms as he does science-speak. I love the notion that Reed is disappointed that every time he seems to meet someone who shares the same kind of intellect as his own, he turns out to be corrupt. Reed's youthful optimism and wonder are shaken by that realization. Kubert's redesign for Annihilus captures the alien power and essence of Jack Kirby's original, but it adds a slightly creepier vibe to the character. His depiction of Annihilus's ship is appropriately alien and creepy as well. 8/10
WESTERN TALES OF TERROR #3
by various (Hoarse and Buggy Productions)
 Once again, we have another example of the strengths and weaknesses of the anthology format. There are a couple of truly strong, entertaining short stories to be found here, and then there's some OK-to-mediocre fare that's somewhat diverting. The good news is that there's not a single flop in the bunch. Not surprisingly, well-known comics writer Jay Faerber delivers one of the better entries in this issue, making the most of the two genres to which this series is dedicated. There's a great twist at the end, and James Francis's art is much stronger here than what I remember from his collaboration with Faerber on the Image graphic novel Dodge's Bullets. Speaking of Image, Invincible artist Ryan Ottley offers up the best art of the issue with inventive monster designs and some great action. The opening story here is what I assume to be a supernatural sequel of sorts to The Magnificent Seven (I must get around to renting that some day). One weak link here is Joshua Hale Fialkov and Porter McDonald's serial, "Phineas's Gold," which comes to a close in this issue. Mind you, the story's surprisingly accessible, and though chaotic and scattered, it's great some great personality going for it. The point of Dan Wickline's "Forbidden Valley" story isn't at all clear, and "The Stool" is far too focused on a plot twist than an actual plot. 6/10
X-MEN: AGE OF APOCALYPSE #2
by Akira Yoshida, Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend (Marvel Comics)
 Another issue and $2.99 later, and we're no further along in this six-issue story than we were at the end of the first issue. The X-Men seek out the Morlocks in order to let them know Apocalypse is gone and it's safe to return to the surface, but they end up beating up on the misshapen, unfortunate souls instead. Magneto mutters deliriously about how he didn't save the world, and no one pays any attention to him. And X-23 shres her Age of Apocalypse origin with Wolverine, who renews his vow to forsake a life of violence until he finds out people he hates are still alive. Clearly, the plotting makes little sense here, and neither does the choice to introduce X-23 into this alternate vision of the X-Men. Bachalo's poorly defined art makes it difficult to follow the action sequences at times. We never get a good look at some of the Morlock characters, and the fact that the script fails to identify them clearly doesn't help either. The one aspect of the art I did appreciate was the alternate costume designs for Northstar and Aurora, but those were probably developed 10 years ago during the original Age of Apocalypse event. 2/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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