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Quick Critiques for 10/27/2004
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.
AMAZING FANTASY #5
by Fiona Avery, Mark Brooks, Jaime Mendoza & Victor Olazaba (Marvel Comics)
 The main character's powers finally kick in this is fifth issue as she fends for herself in the desert, part of a test set up by her new mentor. Thanks to her silver Witchblade-esque tattoo and enchanted T-shirt (?!?), she transforms into... well, a heroine that looks nothing like the character we've seen on the cover of every issue so far. Marvel is clearly trying to reach out to the Nippon-o-phile crowd with this design, reminiscent of such properties as Power Rangers and Ultraman Tiga. Avery asks a lot of the reader when she asks us to believe that Anya's father wouldn't freak out if his daughter went missing for an entire weekend. Though suspicious, he comes off as far too accepting of radical changes in his daughter's life, especially given the sort of things he must see in his job as an urban reporter. I was pleased to see Udon's Mark Brooks return to handle the pencilling chores, as he captures the main character's youth better than Roger Cruz did in previous issues. Still, the lupine threats the heroine faces in this issue strike me as being too exaggerated. Brooks brings a realistic tone to the desert setting, but it's abandoned to make the wolves seem more supernatural and driven by evil as opposed to natural instinct. 4/10
BIRDS OF PREY #75
by Gail Simone, Ed Benes, Eduardo Barreto & Andrew Pepoy (DC Comics)
 Simone gives the Birds of Prey a new status quo and a new member, and while things are a bit over the top, the writer brings everything down to earth with some strong dialogue. The bond among the three main characters has grown and strengthened, and one gets a real sense of friendship and camaraderie here. Simone incoporates the events of "War Games" from the Batman titles pretty well here, and provides just enough exposition so those of is who haven't followed the crossover event so play along here. The backup story is a touching one about a woman lost in the world, looking for not only purpose and direction, but kindred spirits. Benes's art on the main story is as strong as I've ever seen it. It's much darker than usual, which is in keeping with the tone of the script. Barreto is no stranger to the character in the spotlight in the backup story, and his clean style reinforces the classic nature of he character and those she used to call her friends and teammates. The colors really set the flashbacks apart nicely as well. 8/10
THE FLASH #215
by Geoff Johns, Howard Porter & Livesay (DC Comics)
 Johns makes reference to a 1908s Flash story in which the soul of one of his enemies possessed the hero's father's body. It was a bizarre story, but an accessible one that had emotion as its core. This new issue also uses emotion as the foundation of the story, but accessibility is another issue altogether. It also doesn't help that the inherently goofy nature of a Silver Age villain is in constant conflict with the more dramatic qualities of the plot. Johns clearly has a great love for the extensive history of the title character and the heroic legacy, but sometimes, it feels like he spends too much time looking back and not enough time moving forward. Porter's angular style may work well for super-hero action sequences, but when it comes to more personal stories -- something Johns is trying to accomplish here -- his work just doesn't fit the bill. Porter's also stuck with a horribly ugly and laughable costume design for a significant player in this flashback drama, and there's little he can do to make it look otherwise. 6/10
OUTSIDERS #17
by Judd Winick & Carlos D'Anda (DC Comics)
 Where this issue finds its strength is in its portrayal of Grace, the team muscle. Winick finally takes us beyond the character's tough and sexy facade and delves into what makes her tick. We learn a bit about her past, and we discover something that affects her, something that angers her and that she cares about. Where the issue goes awry is with the gimmick. The way in which John Walsh and America's Most Wanted gets involved in the story just doesn't ring true. The heroes have scoured the underworld for clues about a child sex slavery ring, and having failed, they figure appealing to middle-class America on TV is the way to go. It just doesn't work in this context, especially coming from the dark and brooding Nightwing. The heroes seem to give up too easily, and given the wondrous resources available to them in the DC Universe, the TV option just doesn't fit. D'Anda's art is appropriately inky, given the tone of the story. The more exaggerated qualities I've seen in his work in the past aren't to be found here, and his line art is much stronger as a result. 6/10
PLANETARY #21
by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday
(DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions)
 Whatever Warren Ellis is taking, I'll have two. This issue consists of a philosophical and metaphysical drug trip that explores not the secrets that Planetary and the Four are competing to uncover and control, but the interconnectedness of all that is from the macroscopic to the microscopic. Ellis leaves behind the notion of that superhuman conflict here and focuses on considering one's place in the universe. Of course, since the subject of the examination is Elijah Snow, that place is a rather special one, but ultimately, I think his point is that we all have our roles to play, that we are all important despite our insignificance in the grander scheme of things. The catalyst for this journey of personal, spiritual and scientific sides of existence is a Madame Xanadu-like character whose personality is appropriately strong. It's a pleasure to see Cassaday making time in his schedule for this series. Planetary's sporadic publication isn't nearly as frustrating as it could be, as the creators' efforts are always worth the wait. As well received as Cassaday's work on Astonishing X-Men may be, those who want to see what he's really capable of really need to check this title out. 9/10
X-MEN #163
by Chuck Austen, Salvador Larroca & Danny Miki (Marvel Comics)
 The awkward, illogical aspects of the Brotherhood of Mutants plot are castr aside here to make room for an action-oriented issue, and the story gains strength as a result. Austen manages to create a real atmosphere of crisis here. The realization of Sammy's death at the hands of Black Tom has a real impact on the characters. The friendship between Annie and Northstar works well, and Austen manages to maintain the speedster hero's arrogance while instilling some down-to-earth qualities in him as well. I really enjoyed Gambit's befriending of a young telepath and how they work together to overcome the former's blindness. Giving Gambit a second sight power doesn't make a lot of sense, but I like the gimmick of the images coming to him in his energy-charged playing cards; it makes for a cool visual. Speaking of which, Larroca conveys the critical nature of the action and violence here, and one gets the impression there are real consequences to this climactic moment. Overall, this was a surprisingly entertaining issue, and the first one Austen has offered up within the world of Marvel's mutants in some time. 6/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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