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Quick Critiques for 5/18/2005
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.
NEW X-MEN #14
by Nunzio DeFilipis, Christina Weir, Paco Medina & Juan Vlasco (Marvel Comics)
 This issue is crushed under the weight of the pile of plotlines running through the title and the large cast of characters. I like the concept of a Degrassi Marvel High, but there's no central plot holding this issue together. It's an amalgam of subplots colliding as a result of one event that brings all of the characters together. There never seems to be any kind of resolution for any of the plotline, and on top of that, the setup for a typical heroes-versus-villain conflict in the next issue just doesn't fit with the more grounded tone of the series. It's rather difficult to keep everything straight in this issue as well, as there's almost a frenetic pace of switching from one set of characters to another throughout the book. Of course, that confusion isn't aided by the fill-in art of Paco Medina. He doesn't capture the youth of the characters all that well. Differentiating among the teen, adult New Mutants and more mature X-Men in terms how old they look isn't easy. Furthermore, the artist's exaggerated style doesn't fit with what is meant to be a down-to-earth coming of age book. 3/10
TEEN TITANS #24
by Geoff Johns, Matthew Clark & Art Thibert
(DC Comics)
 Having former regular penciller Mike McKone illustrate the cover for this issue was a mistake, as the reader is led to compare that work with the efforts of Matthew Clark, who handles the interior line art. It pales in comparison with McKone's. Actually, Clark's style doesn't really shine through; had there been no creator credits on this book, I would have assumed Ivan (The Rann/Thanagar War) Reis had pencilled the book. The action is exciting, but it doesn't look as clear and crisp as it should be. The attack on Cyborg should have been far more detailed and intense, for example. The plot itself doesn't do much for me either. The mind-controlled, corrupted hero thing has been done far too often before, and I just didn't feel as though the right buildup had been established. Johns does deserve credit, though, for showing how devastated the Titans are, and not just physically. Robin's call for help is an emotional thing. He's been thrown off-balance, not just because his friends are hurt, but because it was the handiwork of a friend. Johns drives home the connections between Superboy and a couple of other key characters. 6/10
ULTIMATE X-MEN #59
by Brian K. Vaughan, Stuart Immonen & Wade von Grawbadger (Marvel Comics)
 In many ways, Vaughan's script for this issue embraces a number of X-Men cliches. Wolverine gets in a barroom brawl, ready to kill at a moment's notice. Mysterious, shady pasts come back to haunt the X-Men. A specially engineered assassin appears, with powers similar to one of the hero's. What makes this issue work is choreography. Vaughan opens with an intense chase scene that sets the bar for the intensity level that sustains throughout the issue. In other words, this issue is just fun. The characterization is far from grounded, but the edge the characters exhibit is exciting and entertaining. Speaking of edge, I remain impressed with how penciller Stuart Immonen has set aside his softer style for a sharper, less realistic approach that works well with the over-the-top tone of the Ultimate X-Men. One might be tempted to attribute the shift in style to the inks, but von Grawbadger and Immonen have worked together before -- on projects such as ShockRockets -- and that softer touch remained. No, this comes across as a conscious decision to adapt style to the subject matter. 8/10
WOLVERINE #28
by Mark Millar, John Romita Jr. & Klaus Janson
(Marvel Comics)
 There are problems with this story. Northstar doesn't seem to be in character as compared to previous interpretations; in fact, he comes off as a rather generic "old buddy" of Wolverine's. The plot also hinges on the reader accepting that one S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist would have authorization and resources to rival Nick Fury's. Furthermore, Wolverine seems far more centered and clear-headed here than we were led to believe he was in the previous two issues. But despite those minor flaws, the issue is definitely a success, and for one reason: it's just damn cool. The tension between Wolverine and Northstar in the bar is palpable yet playfully entertaining. And when Wolverine's plan is revealed, the figurative impact on the reader is as powerful as the literal impact on the peripheral characters. Romita Jr.'s art captures that coolness factor perfectly as well. I liked his depiction of Northstar as something of a handsome rogue, and the similarly garbed Hand-controlled superhumans backing him up look appropriately creepy. He also conveys the larger-than-life nature of the weapons Wolverine employs later in the issue quite well. 7/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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