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Quick Critiques for 11/12
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.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #20
by Dave Gibbons, Lee Weeks & Tom Palmer
(Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint)
 Readers who pay attention to my reviews and Randy's will havenoticed by now that my partner and I have radically differing opinions on this most recent Captain America story arc. This What If?/Elseworlds style story didn't manage to hold my interest in any of the previous three chapters, and the same holds true for this final one. Gibbons tells a perfectly capable story here, and had it been published 20 years ago, it would have come off as fresh and innovative. At this point, though, it's tired and far too familiar. The ending was telegraphed far too early on in the arc, and the "tragedy" of the various fallen heroes in this story lacks any impact since the reader knows the writer's finger is hovering over the cosmic reset button at the end of the story. Weeks and Palmer's artwork tells the story clearly, but the art never really strikes me as being anything more than typical. Younger readers may get a kick out of this story, but I expect a little more, especially from a title that's being published under Marvel's supposedly edgier Marvel Knights banner. 4/10
FABLES #19
by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 Willingham makes it clear he has big things in store for the Fables characters in this story arc, but what wins me over are the small touches, the little bits of everyday humanity that clash with the magical nature of the characters. The scene featuring Snow White's visit to her doctor was a particularly effective and powerful scene, as was Snow's unpected acknowledgement that she has to accept that Bigby is now a much different part of her life, whether she wants it that way or not. Buckingham brings a remarkable level of detail to bear here, conveying the mundane and magical settings incredibly well. But it's his cartoony style that appeals to me the most in this issue. His style is well suited to the lighter moments, enhancing the humor and absurdity of certain moments and elements nicely. 8/10
JSA #54
by Geoff Johns, Don Kramer & Keith Champagne
(DC Comics)
 I grew up entranced by the annual Justice League/Justice Society meetings in Justice League of America, so it's safe to say I'm the perfect audience for this book. I love seeing a wide array of colorful characters side by side, and there's a playful tone here that makes for a light read. Ultimately, though, Johns doesn't really say much about these characters. There are interesting conflicts and personality clashes, but the characters and readers come away from the story without any impression that much happened at all. Kramer's artwork is clear and appropriately light, given the tenor of the plot. But like the plot, it doesn't have much of an impact. There weren't any flashy visuals that struck me as memorable. 6/10
NEW MUTANTS #7
by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Carlo Barberi & Juan Vlasco (Marvel Comics/Tsunami imprint)
 DeFilippis and Weir return with another installment of Degrassi Mutant High, and it's an enjoyable enough read, though a predictable one. I am enjoying learning how the Xavier School learning experience is structured, but ultimately, I didn't feel that I got to know the characters much here. I was pleased with the shift in the book's visual style. Barberi's art, though still thoroughly reminiscent of Humberto Ramos's work, brings a more youthful tone to the characters, and he differentiates between the adults and the youthful students much more clearly. Chris Bachalo's covers maintains the dreamy, fluid and graceful qualities that Joshua Middleton established for the title's exterior art during the first story arc. 6/10
NYX #2
by Joe Quesada & Joshua Middleton (Marvel Comics)
 Last week, in my Best of the Week review, I noted that Brian Wood's Demo explored notions that I wished I was seeing in New Mutants and NYX. I should have been more patient when it came to the latter title. There's a darkness and cynicism in this second issue that really sets it apart. Quesada breaks out of the typical mutant awakening story and focuses more on the world in which the protagonist -- Kiden -- exists. The writer delves not into the powers or notion of separations of race that one typically sees in these stories, but instead examines the emotional fallout of violence and drugs in America's high schools. Middleton's artwork continues to boast an uneasy magical aura, while the more realistic quality of the work maintains the more grounded and uglier aspects of the plot. 9/10
THUNDERCATS: HAMMERHAND'S REVENGE #2
by Fiona Avery & Carlos D'Anda
(DC Comics/Wildstorm Productions)
 Avery spins her wheels in this issue, as the plot doesn't advance at all. One of the title character -- Hammerhand, the antagonist -- doesn't even make an appearance in this issue, and the title would have us believe this is his story. In order for the go-nowhere plot in this chapter to work, the writer requires the reader to believe the heroes are ridiculous stupid and short-sighted yet perceptive and insightful at the same time. D'Anda's artwork seems to float back and forth between manga and standard Western super-hero mode. The designs of several characters are far too similar for my taste as well, but the artist can hardly be blamed for being saddled with boring, ever static animation designs from the 1980s. 1/10
X-TREME X-MEN #34
by Chris Claremont, Igor Kordey & Scott Hanna
(Marvel Comics)
 At the heart of this story are some interesting socio-political ideas that make the most of the racism analogy upon which the X-Men concept was founded in the first place. There are elements here that go beyond the energy and flash of the super-hero genre. Claremont's script touches upon corporate influence on society. A war is fought not in the skies by seeming gods, but by real estate agents. Sadly, that brainier side of the story is somewhat lost in the mire of the writer's revisiting with old characters and continuity. Fans of the original New Mutants series might enjoy this issue, though, given how focused it is on those characters and relationships. Kordey's artwork is a disappointment, as his gritty style is lost in the far too clean and sleek inks. The art here isn't even recognizable as being in Kordey's style. 3/10
Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.
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