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Snapshots for 10/8
There's no way that Don 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.
EL CAZADOR #2
by Chuck Dixon & Steve Epting (CG Entertainment)
 My worry is that with all the hype dying down and attention beginning to focus on rumors surrounding Crossgen's business woes, El Cazador might slip beneath the waves of bigger stories. I hope that isn't the case, though, because it's clear that this is a labor of love from the creators, and it's a top-notch effort in a genre that is rarely touched in comics. Certainly this is one of the most beautiful books on the stands, as Epting and colorist Frank D'Armata bring this cast and this setting to detailed life, impressing the reader even when they're not doing the more spectacular splashes and money shots that were to be found in the combat-laden first issue. Dixon is also slowly but effectively building up his crew, starting with a few nationality quirks for quick identification but building to deeper characters, as well as filling in a couple of important story gaps about "Lady Sin" that answer questions I had from the first issue. Swordfights, mutiny and marooning are among the pirate favorites covered in this issue, and El Cazador is shaping up to be a book that's good for the pirate fan in all of us. 8/10
HEAVEN'S DEVILS #1
by Jai Nitz & Zach Howard (Image Comics)
 The solicitation for Heaven's Devils left me intrigued but ultimately a little confused, and that's where the first issue leaves me as well. Nitz has some neat ideas here, but he's in no hurry to spell them all out. In the end, this could make for a very satisfying or a very unsatisfying read, but that depends on how things play out, so it's hard to fairly judge based on this first issue. However, there's certainly enough here to draw the attention, as Nitz introduces an outlaw in Mexico, a federal agent and an environmental terrorist whose paths seem destined to cross, although I'll be damned if I can figure out exactly how. Nitz and artist Howard are strong on mood, really giving the feel of a Brazilian jungle, a run-down Mexican apartment complex or a stretch of I-59, and their ability to make me believe in these settings is a big part of what will keep me from coming back. They don't reveal a lot of their plot in this first issue, but they've built up an interesting cast and the hints of what's coming, including a plague, a showdown between good guys and bad guys and some unusual alliances, have me intrigued enough to follow up. 7/10
MARVEL 1602 #3
by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert & Richard Isanove (Marvel Comics)
 Though I can't shake the feeling that 1602 feels rather ordinary for the legendary talent of Neil Gaiman, I also can't deny that as the story rolls on, I'm growing more intrigued. Gaiman's story weaves espionage, conspiracy, politics and a little bit of super-hero epic together into an interesting narrative, and though the story started off somewhat slow, it is clearly gathering momentum. It all feels a little too surface thus far, not filled with the sort of subtleties I would expect, but that surface material is still a good read, whether it's crackling good characterization between Angel and "John" Grey, an impressive bit of sword and gun play by the Black Widow in a bar or a couple nifty demonstrations of power by our two main bad guys, the Inquisitor and Count Von Doom. I'm also warming to the computer-painted work by Kubert and Isanove, which has some truly stunning moments in this issue, most notably the almost photo-realistic look as Nick Fury talks to the Queen or the impressive duel between Fury and his would-be assassin. The storm clouds of the story have been gathering, and with the last few pages of this issue, it seems that the rain is beginning to fall. I don't know where 1602 will take us from here, but I do know that I'm growing more interested with each passing issue. 8/10
NOBLE CAUSES: DISTANT RELATIVES #2
by Jay Faerber, Andres Ponce, Shane Davis & Sam Mooney (Image Comics)
 It's hard for me to look at Distant Relatives and see anything but unfortunate compromises. The switch to black and white mini-series doesn't really serve the super-hero soap opera concept well, and while Faerber has a lot of really interesting ideas, it just doesn't feel like any of them have enough room to move or really come to life in the format that he's been stuck with thanks to commercial concerns. Rusty's sudden new romance comes off as contrived and too quick, the implications of Liz's decisions equally rapid-fire and some fairly important conversation between alternate Doc and Frost take place off-panel between issue one and two. Part of this is due to the backup stories which I've not been a fan of from the start, but just as much is due to having to work a whole lot of small stories into a four-issue mini-series, which just isn't enough space. I still like Noble Causes, and Faerber has drawn me into these characters' lives enough to want to see what happens to them, but the compressed storytelling and reduced production values have taken a lot of the fun out of the book for me. 6/10
RUNAWAYS #7
by Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona & Craig Yeung (Marvel Comics/Tsunami imprint)
 Runaways is far and away my favorite of Marvel's Tsunami imprint titles, and this issue begins its second storyline, which means a couple of things. One, it means that Vaughan can't rely on the newness of the characters or the "gathering the team" aspects of the book and he has to keep things unpredictable without spinning his wheels. Two, it's a good chance to jump onto the book. The second Runaways storyline starts out with the teens together, their parents plotting to recapture them even as the Runaways have no idea what to do next. This could easily have been a somewhat scattered, unfocused story, or indeed title, but Vaughan keeps things tight with strong characterization and developing relationships, a nice mix of action and humor and the introduction of a new character who might just open things up even more. Seven issues in, and I still can't see an end to this title's potential, and I remain impressed by the talent of the creative team, whether it's Vaughan's strength of characterization (on good guys and bad guys alike) or Alphona and Yeung's artwork. 9/10
SWORD OF DRACULA #1
by Jason Henderson & Greg Scott (Image Comics)
 This is a book that absolutely should have been in color, not just because it would have added clarity to Scott's artwork but because this book has a potential for mass appeal that black and white, unfortunately, will just undercut in the current comics market, especially when the book costs as much or more than the slick full-color efforts from Marvel, DC and Crossgen. That said, Sword of Dracula certainly piques the interest, as Henderson introduces a Dracula who's much, much more powerful than we've seen before, and who can actually stand up to a full-on military assault. There are some unfortunate storytelling problems in Scott's somewhat muddy art, especially that few of the characters are readily recognizable and so the whole thing sort of descends into a chaotic battle scene without rhyme or reason, and Henderson, in conveying that chaos as well, doesn't make this the most approachable book in the world either. However, as far as action and excitement goes, Sword of Dracula scores high marks, starting out with a bang and presenting us with the idea of well-equipped military forces taking on the undead. A bit more in the way of clear storytelling and a couple more easily identifiable characters and this could go from a confusing but intriguing bit of chaos to a thoroughly engaging modern action book. It's just not quite there yet. 6/10
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