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U.S. WAR MACHINE #2
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics/MAX Comics
Writer: Chuck Austen
Artist: Chuck Austen, Wild and Wooly Press, and NIC Entertainment
Layouts: Victor Lopez
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Price: $1.50 US |
Now this is more like it.
The first issue of this limited series did little to capture my attention, but it's here in the second chapter that the book's real strengths begin to show. On the surface, this is a story about the formation of an armored black-ops unit of SHIELD, but what Austen is really exploring is the issue of race, and how even today, the color of one's skin is, unfortunately, an ever-present factor in people's lives.
In light of War Machine's bloody confrontation with agents of A.I.M., Tony Stark fires James Rhodes, stripping him of the War Machine armor. Rhodey heads home, only to find two things waiting for him in his apartment: an old enemy, and a job offer from SHIELD.
There's a much stronger degree of clarity in the art this week, making for a better read. The detailed cityscapes and skyscapes are stunning, and the action flows smoothly. My only real qualm with the art is that there's a cute, almost Archie-like quality to the characters, and it's not in keeping with the more mature tone of the book.
This issue also boasts something the first didn't, and that's a strong sense of humor. There are a couple of clever gags in this issue, offsetting a couple of appropriately uncomfortable moments in the story. Austen achieves a nice balance of emotion with this script.
What's really got me into this book, though, isn't the humor or the high-tech art. Austen's examination of issues of race is fascinating. It ranges from subtle to extreme, covering all the bases. He not only looks at whites' attitudes toward blacks, but blacks toward blacks as well. It's this aspect for which this series will be remembered.
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