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Snapshots for 10/22
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.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #19
by Dave Gibbons, Lee Weeks & Tom Palmer (Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint)
 Hand Dave Gibbons the keys to Captain America, because I like the way he drives. Sure, we've all seen the alternate totalitarian world before, and sure, there's a better-than-even chance that the reset button is going to be pushed hard at the end of this story, making it all irrelevant, BUT.... the story is action-packed, full of winks and nods to the Marvel crowd and absolutely gorgeous to look at. Some may find this a little over-the-top, with melodramatic speeches and heroic sacrifices and cackling villains right out of a Republic serial, but I'm eating it up, because it belongs in this book, and more importantly, Gibbons is making me believe in the heroism of these characters, especially Captain America, in a way that I haven't in a long time. That the supporting cast is made up of Nazi world versions of various Marvel heroes, from the obvious (Reed Richards and Peter Parker) to the less-so (Luke Cage), and that some of them get remarkably cool moments (including a surprising face from Cap's past and a really nifty little use of Daredevil that's as good if not better than Neil Gaiman's alternative Murdock from 1602) helps considerably. That Lee Weeks, Tom Palmer and Dave Stewart are turning in such a phenomenal art performance just seals the deal. "Cap Lives" is hardly revolutionary in terms of story, but it's a classic old chestnut well-executed, and a breath of fresh air for the Captain America title. 8/10
FANTASTIC FOUR #505
by Mark Waid, Howard Porter & Norm Rapmund (Marvel Comics)
 The notion of world politics, even allegorical, is entering into comics more frequently these days, in places like Joe Kelly's JLA, Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman and John Ney Rieber's Captain America. However, though Rucka's work is promising, for my money, nobody has nailed the addition of politics to super-heroes in the way that Mark Waid has in "Authoritative Action." Although the story can be read as an allegory for intervention in countries that need (if not want) support, and is flexible enough to show both the liberal and conservative point-of-view (or at least, the more rational elements of both), it is also clearly still about the family dynamic that is at the heart of Fantastic Four, and it's not just a random political story dressed up in spandex. This is a Fantastic Four story, through and through, impressive not only because of the sophistication Waid brings to it but because he manages to keep it both fun and, surprising for a title that's been around for over 500 issues, fresh. While I certainly dug the Waid/Wieringo collaboration, and won't be disappointed to see it return down the road, I'm just as thrilled by the artwork of Howard Porter and Norm Rapmund, who do a fantastic job on the quaint Eastern European and high-tech vibe to create Latveria and do one of the best versions of the Thing that I've seen, along with some great action sequences to match up to Waid's crackling dialogue. 9/10
WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #15
by Joe Casey, Dustin Nguyen & Richard Friend (DC Comics/Wildstorm imprint)
 In my mail this week I got my copy of Matrix Reloaded on DVD, and though I shared some of the same troubles others had with that sequel, I did really enjoy re-watching the stunning Freeway Chase scene. My point here, and I do have one, is that Casey, Nguyen and the rest have equalled, if not topped, that spectacular mixture of martial arts, gunplay and chase imagery with a spectacular motorcycle sequence in this issue. If that sequence isn't enough (and it is a fantastic action sequence), there's also some payoff to the long-running story of Wax hypnotizing and having sex with his boss's wife, resolved in an even darker way that draws Wax deeper into a web of lies and sleazy (but fascinating) behavior. There's also a pretty spectacular sequence that demonstrates a new take on both Grifter and Ladytron that I absolutely love and a little more on the dangerous corporate games being played by Halo. All in all, Wildcats remains one of the smartest and innovative comics on the stand, a truly revolutionary blend of the super-hero genre with killer action and corporate intrigue. 10/10
WILDGUARD: CASTING CALL #2
by Todd Nauck & Lary Stucker (Image Comics)
 Nauck's parade of costumed heroes continues in Casting Call #2, as he delivers one of the most crowded and yet entertaining fight scenes this side of George Perez and adds a story layer onto his compelling "reality series" premise. Though the concept of a reality TV show is new, this is old school super-heroics at its best, complete with goofy code names and costumes, super-powers flying everywhere and even an army of android goons with an unspecific agenda. Nauck, through one of his characters, hints at a deeper story in the android attackers, and that layer of super-hero history on top of an already cotton candy fun sense of super-hero mayhem draws me in, just as his surprising ability to juggle so many characters and make so many of them entertaining at the same time pleases me. Nauck and Stucker's work here seems oddly rough and sometimes sparse on the backgrounds, surprisingly not as strong as their Young Justice work, but it's still solid enough, and impressive if only for the ability to pack so much into the panels without it becoming overwhelming or impossible to read. When I first heard of Wildguard, I figured it was going to be either a lot of fun or on the corny, stale side... happily, the former is a much better description. 7/10
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