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Quick Critiques for 7/28
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.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #510
by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato Jr. & Joe Pimental (Marvel Comics)
 Straczynski has done a good job of fostering the intense and difficult emotional tone in this story arc, but this second chapter features plot elements that stretch the reader's suspension of disbelief too far. The script conveys the gut-wrenching nature of Peter's ordeal clearly, but in order to do so, the writer resorts to plotting that would make a soap-opera fanatic roll her eyes. The partial revelation on the final page is so obviously manipulative that it puts the reader off rather than drawing one further into the story. To the writer's credit, I'm no longer irked by the notion that he's mining a closed chapter of the title character's past to tell a story, but distracted by the clumsiness of the premise. I'm also curious as to why we haven't seen how Mary Jane is reacting to these developments; it's great that she's supportive, but her emotions and personality seem to be submerged. Further hindering the issue is the fact that Deodato's art isn't as strong here as it could be. His new approach reminds me of Stuart (Ultimate Fantastic Four) Immonen's moody, realistic style, but much of the linework in this issue is rather sketchy. 5/10
ASTONISHING X-MEN #3
by Joss Whedon & John Cassaday (Marvel Comics)
 The first issue left me lukewarm, and the second won me over. This third episode of Whedon's take on the X-Men, though, really impressed and made it clear that there's potential in Whedon's writing to make this series truly exceptional. Wolverine's speech to the Beast made a lot of sense, and the anger the two men feel grants their physical conflict a good deal of credibility. That's a relief, as it could have come off as cliched a hero-versus-hero fight. Whedon really drives home how divisive the notion of a mutant cure is, not only to the X-Men, but to a global mutant community. The Cyclops/Fury scene was a delight; I love it when writers portray Fury as something of an enemy rather than an ally. Whedon's got a great handle on Wolverine as well. My one qualm with the plot is Ord's involvement; he continues to strike me as a thoroughly generic and uninteresting villain. Cassaday's art is quite strong this time around. He conveys the quietly boiling emotions that are such an important part of this story. 9/10
GREEN LANTERN #179
by Ron Marz, Luke Ross & Rodney Ramos (DC Comics)
 Sigh, is it that time again already? Time to find a lame excuse to put two supposedly heroic characters at each other's throat just for the sake of some cool action sequences? Yep, the Cliche Alarm is ringing, all right. I have to admit, though, that Marz's script paints a powerful picture of just how corrupt Major Force has become and how much anger Kyle is justifiably carrying around. I honestly want to see how the GL/Major Force comes to a close, and there's a real sense of finality building up here. Ross's art redeems this issue a fair bit. His work here reminds me Rodolpho Dimaggio's work from the 1990s, and there's a gritty realism that's comparable to that of Richard Corben's art. I'm also reminded a little bit of John McCrea's and Steve Pugh's styles. I like the more mature, reflective quality the artist brings to John Stewart in this issue as well. This story arc, meant to put Kyle Rayner through an emotional hell, seems as though it's dragging out unnecessarily. We learn nothing new about Kyle's plight in this issue; his story doesn't advance at all. 5/10
LOSERS #14
by Andy Diggle, Jock & Nick Dragotta
(DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 Andy Diggle offers up another strong, action-oriented script here that incorporates real-world relevance into the bullet-riddled fun. The action is incredibly well choreographed. Diggle's script maintains an accessible tone throughout the issue; new readers could actually pick up most of the major plotlines here despite it being the second part of a story arc. Jock's layouts keep things moving along nicely; the sequence in which Cougar saves people's skins at the last second with a spectacular stunt is a particularly entertaining and cool one. The one aspect of the book that didn't quite work for me was the cartoony, exaggerated faces that artist Nick Dragotta brought to the characters. Several of the characters look a bit silly at times, and that gets in the way of the intensity of the action and the premise. His style pales in comparison with Jock's darker, more angular approach, though it's nice to see the artist's influence is still felt via the layouts. 7/10
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #8
by Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa, Jim Muniz & Mark Morales (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
 It's hard to believe this story is being billed as part of Marvel's more mature Marvel Knights line, because it's the most infantile, silly story that wallows in the worst aspects of the Silver Age. Namor, having heard of the Fantastic Four's economic and social downfall, chooses to capitalize on the situation to try and steal Sue Richards away from her husband. We've seen this story before, but this time, there's a mean-spiritedness to be found in Namor that makes no sense. There's no nobility in the character here, just ego and raging hormones. It's an excuse to see two super-hero characters fight, and it's not a good one. The one aspect of the script I did enjoy was an interesting explanation as to how Mr. Fantastic can adapt his powers to achieve an advantage in a fistfight. Penciller Jim Muniz is clearly trying to maintain a consistent tone with the style of regular artist Steve McNiven, but his effort falls flat. The art is inconsistent. Namor sometimes looks as though his face is caving in on itself. 3/10
PLANETARY #20
by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday
(DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions)
 The art is as strong as ever. Ellis's ideas are mad and inventive and enticing. But this issue pales in comparison to the previous 19 episodes of this series. The whole idea here is to introduce one of the villains, the Thing from the Wildstorm Universe's corrupt Fantastic Four counterparts. Ellis builds up the inhuman and powerful nature of the creature quite well, and his cruel use of his power gets the reader to despise him immediately. Ellis still advances the overall plot of the series, and a new conflict arises. Planetary is all about discovering the wonders of the universe, but here, Elijah Snow demonstrates he's willing to destroy that beauty in order to carry out his embittered vendetta against the Four. Still, this issue of Planetary is missing something -- that moment in the book when the writing and art converge to deliver that amazing idea that stops the reader dead in his or her tracks, that "wow" moment. 8/10
POWERLESS #2
by Matt Cherniss, Peter Johnson & Michael Gaydos
(Marvel Comics)
 I'm enjoying the dark atmopshere and the psychological elements of the criss-crossing plotlines in this limited series. Unfortunately, the writers don't seem to hold on too tight to the premise. The idea is that we meet the denizens of the Marvel Universe without powers, as regular people. But not enough here is different. Logan is still Logan... a mysterious assassin with a memory block. Matt Murdock is still waging his war against the Kingpin. The Peter Parker/Norman Osborn dynamic here is the sort of thing I'm looking for. They're still enemies, but in a radically different way. Gaydos's dark art suits the mature tone of the writing quite well. It would have been nice to see more diversity in Lee Loughridge's color palette, though. Bathing all of Dr. Watts and Logan's scenes in browns and darker yellows got old after a while, for example. I think there's plenty of potential in the core premise here, but I'd rather see more grounded stories arise out of it, stories that don't see the characters mirroring their super-hero counterparts quite so closely. 6/10
SLEEPER: SEASON TWO #2
by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
(DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions)
 The plot doesn't advance all that much in this issue, which features a lengthy conversation between Holden Carver, the main character, and a former lover who's been sent by his one-time boss to lure him back over to the side of the angels. The action here is well-paced and gripping in its realistic portrayal, and the ending is thoroughly effective, as Brubaker goes out of his way to demonstrate that Holden isn't playing at being a bad guy, even if he's still got some white-hat potential lingering within. What didn't work for me, though, was Veronica's naivete. She's an agent with the most effective and ruthless espionage organization on the planet, yet she comes off as a pleading housewife who sees no shades of grey. I really didn't care for her character. I did, however, love Phillips's gritty, dark artwork. He conveys the tension and danger in which Holden is immersed with inky artwork, and the dark but muted colors reinforce that atmosphere incredibly well. I love the intensity Phillips brings to the main character's eyes on the last page as well. It says even more than the narration. 8/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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