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Quick Critiques for 3/24
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.
AVENGERS #80
by Chuck Austen, Olivier Coipel & Andy Lanning (Marvel Comics)
 I am completely uninterested in this plotline now. What made it intriguing at first is lost, and the supernatural elements are introduced so suddenly that they make little sense. Austen is all over the map with this story arc. Kelsey Leigh is the new Captain Britain. Fine, but the key scene in which she has to choose is painfully transparent, making the reader wonder why the character couldn't see the "tragic twist" coming. Austen has yet to explain why Kelsey had a scar on her face, leaving my wondering why that trait was ever incorporated into her character. The Thunderball subplot stretches the credibility of the plotting too far as well. The only saving grace of this issue is Coipel's artwork. He captures an appropriately mysterious, dream-like tone for the Captain Britain scene, and the action of the Quinjet scene is intense and exciting, worthy of The Ultimates. 3/10
BIRDS OF PREY #65
by Gail Simone, Ed Benes & Alex Lei (DC Comics)
 The story arc takes a couple of unexpected turns in this issue. All of the characters get to shine, even Cheshire and Lady Shiva. The two villainous vixens assume roles as something other than concerns for the Black Canary here, and it adds to the complexities of the plotting. Simone gives all of the characters some time in the spotlight in this issue; I was particularly taken by the Huntress's reactions to certain discoveries in Oracle's watchtower. Visually, the most striking thing about this issue is new cover artist (and Birds of Prey prodigal son) Greg Land's contribution. It's rather generic, but it conveys the title characters' confidence nicely without sexualizing them gratuitously. Benes handles the growing cast of characters with seeming ease inside the issue. His vision of a badass Black Canary in the opening dream sequence was striking; I enjoyed how small trinkets, symbolizing victory of some DC villains, adorn her belt. It's a small touch, but a nice one that hints at a broader background for this alternate vision of the heroine. 8/10
LOSERS #10
by Andy Diggle & Jock (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 Diggle's tale of military capers and conspiracies remains as entertainig and fresh as it did in the first issue. He's offering us The A-Team as envisioned by Oliver Stone here, and the script is as brainy as it is fun. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is that one of Clay's ever loyal men is griping a bit about being left out of the action. I'd love to see the Clay/Pooch conflict develop further. The art mirrors the scripts dichotomous qualities perfectly. There's a darkness and intensity to it that matches the critical nature of the violent plot, but there's an energy and playfulness in the visuals as well. Jock makes excellent use of simple shapes and angles to make this action-packed tale come to life. The final splash page reminds me of the style of Mike (Hellboy) Mignola in how minimalist linework converges with shadow to achieve a powerfully dramatic effect. 8/10
OUTSIDERS #10
by Judd Winick, Tom Raney & Scott Hanna
(DC Comics)
 Winick's latest story arc is hindered by one key element: the villain. Sabbac is barely a footnote in DC continuity, and what's worse is that he's been retooled into a rather generic villain. The only things that set him apart from a typical supernatural baddie is the over-the-top cruelty and the hard-to-swallow wit. Fortunately, there's a lot of things that work well in the script as well. It's thoroughly accessible despite its incorporation of outside, obscure characters, and the conflict between Black Lightning and Thunder rings true. Winick continues to bring plausibility to super-hero storytelling with his depiction of the violence that comes with it as horrifying to the regular joes who exist on the periphery of it all. Raney's art is as effective as ever, and I was particularly impressive with the choreography of the Black Lightning action. Colorist Gina Going brings an appropriately dark mood to the art as well. 7/10
TEEN TITANS GO! #5
by J. Torres, Tim Smith 3 & Lary Stucker (DC Comics)
 Torres uses a silly but entertaining idea as a foundation for this story, and it makes for a light, fun read. One of the problems with it, though, is that the cover spoils the pot. It would have been much more fun for Trigon's role in the tale to have been a surprise. Another glitch is that the characters react far too coolly to the notion of a zit tranforming into a two-foot horn growing out of a teammate's head. Smith captures the animated style of the Teen Titans cartoon nicely, but there's still an individual look to the art as well. Where the art comes up short is in the lacking backgrounds. It often looks as though the teen heroes exist in a limbo, with no connection to the world around them. Still, younger readers -- who serve as this title's target audience -- will no doubt enjoy this inconsequential but delightfully goofy story. 6/10
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #4
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Adam Kubert & John Dell (Marvel Comics)
 It's not often that a comic book from Marvel's Ultimate line disappoints me, but this is one of those times. The most apparent problem is in the artwork. Kubert's linework lacks the dynamics and the detail that we saw in previous issues. I have to assume it stems from the shift in inkers. He brings a slightly more cartoony tone to the characters at times as well. The plot leaves a little to be desired. There's a far more conventional super-hero tone at play here, robbing the story of some of its credibility and maturity. The relationship dynamics among the title characters mirrors their mainstream continuity counterparts far too closely. What made the first three issues so much fun was that the writers were doing something different with these super-hero icons, but here, that inventive approach seems to have been set aside. It's still entertaining, but what we get is standard super-hero storytelling. 6/10
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #55
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Art Thibert (Marvel Comics)
 Though I'm still not wild about the movie schtick around which this story arc revolves, there's no denying that Bendis delivers the goods with some grounded, emotional characterization. Gwen Stacy's anguish really grabs the reader here, and her perceptiveness about what's going on around the Parker household really makes the reader appreciate and enjoy the character. While Doc Ock's initial appearance is reminiscent of a key scene in M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable, the vision of the villain having a silent conversation with his writhing mechanical "pal" was chilling and effective in conveying his madness. Even more chilling is how the tentacles actually do seem to be alive and separate from their master. Bagley does a great job of making them seem particularly monstrous and intimidating. The Doc Ock scenes also boast some interesting two-page panel progressions and layouts. 8/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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