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Quick Critiques for 8/18
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.
DAREDEVIL #63
by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev
(Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights)
 This issue is plagued with a specific problem: redundancy. Bendis repeats plot information over and over again when the reader easily picks up on it with the first reference. These repetitions, for the most part, stem from the assassin's dialogue, and that's too bad. Bendis has crafted a powerful personality and grounded voice for the character; he's a little piece of an extreme corner of the real world invading the reality of super-heroes. Also perplexing is how accepting the title character is upon discovering that one of his closest friends (and a former lover) has used him and lied to him. What's worse is that there's really no good reason for Natasha not to have confided in Matt from the start. Still, the action is here is exciting, and the black-ops tactics used against the Black Widow are clever. Maleev's art is a little redundant when he tries to emphasize Daredevil's physical pain during the fight scene, but it's not necessary. The look on his face tells the reader plenty from the start. 5/10
DC COMICS PRESENTS: THE ATOM
by Dave Gibbons, Pat Oliffe & Livesay/Mark Waid, Dan Jurgens & Jon Bogdanove (DC Comics)
 I've been enjoying just about every story in this series of eight one-shots that pay tribute to the late, great DC editor, Julie Schwartz. We're now seven weeks into the event, and things are starting to get repetitive. Both stories in this volume are incredibly similar in tone despite the significant difference in the plots. And in the greater context of the DC Comics Presents event, they're more than a little familiar as well. The diversity of the material is fading. The art is delightful, though. Both art teams pay tribute to the work of the late Gil Kane, who brought the Atom's adventures to life in the Silver Age. At the same time, they maintain their own unique styles. I was particularly taken with Oliffe's work here. Jurgens and Bogdanove do a decent job of the storytelling, but the latter's inks just don't work as well with Jurgens's pencils as I would have liked. Jurgens boasts a clean style, whereas Bogdanove leans more toward exaggeration. 6/10
EX MACHINA #3
by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris & Tom Feister
(DC Comics/Widlstorm Productions)
 This bizarre political workplace drama remains as strong as it was when it debuted a couple of months ago, and it shows no signs of slipping. Vaughan brings the world of politics down to earth with a thoroughly raunchy and grounded tone in the dialogue, making it clear the people in charge are really making it up as they go along. The super-hero elements of the series take greater prominence in this issue as well, but Vaughan doesn't approach them from a traditional standpoint. He suggests the power is too much for the rather average protagonist to handle, and he's portrayed as being haunted not only by his abilities but by his memories as well. The hero and the city he once protected are really trying to forget all about the Great Machine, but there are two characters -- one friend and one enemy -- that refuse to let it go. Harris's artwork is incredibly detailed. There's a sharp sense of reality at play here. Most impressive visually, though, are the colors. J.D. Mettler brings greater depth and texture to the art, and more than anything else, he reinforces the sense of realism. 10/10
EXILES #51
by Tony Bedard & Mizuki Sakakibara (Marvel Comics)
 In order for this story to work, one has to believe that a number of characters, notably the heroes, are completely clueless. They're manipulated far too easily here and completely fail to perceive that their leader is behaving completely out of character. The villains are one-dimensional caricatures, for the most part. What saves this issue is the unexpected conclusion. This series, like most super-hero stories, has been all about might makes right, but the writer throws in a different twist here, one that makes for a satisfying ending. The overall tone of the script is rather traditional, and the artist matches it with some colorful and fun visuals. Sakakibara's style here strikes me as a pleasant cross between those of previous series pencillers Mike (Teen Titans) McKone and Jim (Black Panther) Calafiore. This is far from the strongest issue of the series and doesn't really find time for much in the way of character interaction, but it is a fun, light super-hero yarn. 6/10
FANTASTIC FOUR #517
by Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo & Karl Kesel
(Marvel Comics)
 Calling this a part of the "Avengers Disassembled" event is a bit of a stretch, in that its only connection to the storyline in Avengers is that the stock of the title team of this book rises in New York in part thanks to the Avengers' fall from grace. It's heavily referenced, but it's not an essential plot element by any means. Things are returning to normal for the FF in this storyline, and they face a larger-than-life threat that's plunged all of Manhattan in chaos. This is a pretty standard super-hero story, save for the fact that the writer and artists have pooled their efforts to bring the otherworldly cataclysm to life incredibly well. The art conveys the immensity of the action not only through stunning action but the characters' reactions. The scope of the sci-fi action is unbelievably grand, but Wieringo makes it seem real while maintaining the brighter tone that's inherent in his style. The huge pylons (or as I like to call them, the Pickles of God) seem thoroughly alien and intimidating. This is a solid issue that dwells unnecessarily on the events of another title. 7/10
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #64
by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley & Scott Hanna (Marvel Comics)
 Again, the action-oriented issues of this series aren't the strongest, but they're usually still solid. This one is no exception. Bendis has taken the idea of a Spider-Man clone and turned it into something less outlandish and far darker and more sinister. What hekls to set this issue apart are the threats and anger that Peter Parker directs toward Curt Connors. This isn't a self-pitying Peter Parker, but a typical teenager who's been pushed too and needs to lash out. This incarnation of Carnage is far more interesting that the mainstream-continuity counterpart; it's even far more human, even though it's portrayed as silent and more beastial. There's a sense of tragedy at the heart of the plot that manages to make itself known, but I don't think the writer capitalizes on it to the extent that he could have. Bagley's style is well suited to conveying action sequences, and he's no stranger to the fluid and surreal form of Carnage, having served as the first penciller to ever draw any incarnation of the character in Amazing Spider-Man in the 1990s. 7/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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