|
Quick Critiques for 10/13/2004
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.
ACTION COMICS #820
by Chuck Austen & Carlos D'Anda (DC Comics)
 I come from a part of the world where there's a healthy interest in Celtic tradition and culture, but nevertheless, the Silver Banshee is a character that's never really appealed to me. I never followed what motivated the character and she seemed a poor fit in Superman's world. Austen's take on her here is simpler and much more entertaining. A villain who feeds off of fear... hardly original, but it works well here as compared to the hope that Superman represents. The plot doesn't really go beyond the hero-versus-villain formula, and Austen's script doesn't provide enough exposition on the Creeper for new readers. D'Anda's art captures the Halloween horror of the Silver Banshee quite well. It's nicely detailed and appropriately dark, though it comes off as a shade too exaggerated at times. 6/10
CAPTAIN AMERICA #32
by Robert Kirkman, Scot Eaton & Drew Geraci
(Marvel Comics)
 Kirkman wraps up his Red Skull storyline in a nice, neat little package this month... too neat a package, truth be told. It seems as though this storyline was cut short, as Kirkman's script taps the reader on the shoulder, points to a dark little corner we weren't looking at before and says, "See that? That's what's really been going on the whole time." There's are a couple of twists here, but instead of allowing them to be discovered in a more dramatic and natural way, everything is just spelled out for the reader by the ever convenient appearance of Nick Fury. The script also fails in its attempt to get the reader to believe that there's something different about this Cap/Skull battle. Eaton's art conveys the ferocity of the villain's attack and the depth of his hatred, but the more crowded scenes at the end of the book are a bit sketchy and look rushed. 4/10
HARD TIME #9
by Steve Gerber & Brian Hurtt (DC Comics/DC Focus)
 There's a reason this title has made it further along in its run than the three other now-cancelled DC Focus titles. There are a number of plotlines on the go in this book, and I love how Gerber wraps each one up in its time while adding new ones, expanding the world in which these characters exist. We learn more about existing players in this drama and meet some new ones as well. Gerber really shines a spotlight on Curly here, and I'm surprised at just how much he's able to say about the character in only one issue. I was also impressed with how Ethan's mother reacts to her son here; it's harsh, but it rings true. She's not a sympathetic character, but her feelings are understandable. Hurtt's deft handling of the ever-expanding cast of characters is solid, and he conveys the diversity of the prison population perfectly. The transition between Curly's flashbacks and the "real" world are seamless. 9/10
JSA #66
by Geoff Johns, Don Kramer & Keith Champagne
(DC Comics)
 In the context of this series, this issue is one of the more accessible ones. The story is still steeped in DC continuity, but the plot is pretty focused here. Everything wraps up a little too neatly for my taste, though, and while one hero named Hourman is basically eliminated from the DC Universe, it seems as though Johns favored redundancy over variety in characters. The strongest scene in the book is the one that brings it down to earth. Rick Tyler's visions of his father's absence in his life are the sort of thing to which most of us can relate. Kramer's art is clear and full of energy, but there are few scenes that really wow the reader. The simmering Per Degaton plotline has captured my interest, and I'm pleased to see that Johns hasn't forgotten about Atom Smasher, who's been in exile in the Middle East. This is solid super-hero fare, but it's not exactly cutting edge stuff either. 6/10
POWERS #5
by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming
(Marvel Comics/Icon imprint)
 This issue on something of a cliched note, as Bendis and Oeming show Detective Christian Walker shaking down and interrogating every lowlife in the city he can find as he searches for his missing partner. But the book quickly takes on a disturbing tone, as two separate scenes delve into the heartless cruelty that man is capable of. Bendis explores the ugly side of humanity, and what he reveals may sit well with every reader. I was caught up in the intensity and emotion in the script, though. The revelations are sickening, the action heart-wrenching. The writer got me emotionally involved with this almost alien world of suffering. Oeming's art captures the raw quality of those horrors despite the simpler leanings in his style. Colorist Peter Pantazis immerses the characters in dark tones and makes pain come to life with energy that splits apart that darkness. This sample of harsh storytelling isn't easy, but it is worthwhile. 9/10
SECRET WAR #3
by Brian Michael Bendis & Gabriele Dell'Otto
(Marvel Comics)
 I love Bendis's interpretation of what the title means. The mix of mainstream super-heroes and black ops is an intriguing one, and it really makes sense that S.H.I.E.L.D. would make use of a resource like a superhuman community rather than try to work around it. I love the flashback visions of the heroes fighting an army of villain-tech-outfitted Latverians. Cap's anger and enthusiasm and Spidey's confusion about his dreams really set this apart from the typical Marvel super-hero fare. Where the story doesn't work for me is the dispatching of third-rate bad guys to deal with the heroes. That gets in the way of the edge and tension Bendis establishes in the story. Dell'Otto's alternate costume designs for the heroes are striking, and the designs for the armored enemies in the flashbacks are wonderfully dark and intimidating. The action in the Spidey/DD/Scorcher/Diamondback encounter wasn't entirely clear, though. My biggest complaint about the book is how slowly the action is unfolding, thanks to a sporadic publishing schedule. 8/10
ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE #3
by Warren Ellis, Steve Epting & Nelson DeCastro
(Marvel Comics)
 The story advances at a snail's pace here, and that's surprising, given the frenetic sort of fare we've seen from Ellis in the past. I realize that this is all about setting the mood, about using darkness and mystery to throw the reader off-balance and get him on the edge of his seat. The effort is only partially successful, though. A number of new elements are introduced in this issue, but we're no closer to discovering what the actual plot is than we were at the end of the first issue. The script feels padded out. The bickering among the X-Men doesn't ring true. Still, I can't deny that I'm intrigued. Ellis brings maturity and edge to the world of super-heroes. I note that Trevor Hairsine has been replaced by CrossGen Comics alum Steve Epting here. He maintains a similarly dark tone, but his own style seems a bit submerged as a result of his attempt to maintain consistency. 6/10
X-MEN: THE END VOL.1 #4
by Chris Claremont, Sean Chen & Sandu Florea
(Marvel Comics)
 Forget the title on the cover of this issue. This comic book should really be called X-Force: The End. The more iconic X-Men are pretty much cast aside here in favor of exploring the ugly fate of Cable and his team of extreme mutant warriors. Claremont offers up some generic super-hero/villain action that's not all that interesting given that the players really aren't all that well established yet. I'm incredibly sick of reading about "techno-organic viruses" and Apocalypse, and some rather obscure characters have yet to be fully introduced. Chen's art is capable, juggling a large cast of characters pretty well. He fails to convey the horror of the threat the heroes face toward the end of the issue, though. They're horrified, but that doesn't come through in the artwork. The plotlines introduced earlier in this limited series go pretty much unmentioned here, and it seems as though Claremont may have bitten off more than he can chew. This story cries out for focus, not more characters. 3/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
|
