Four-Colour Yesteryears: The 'Third Age' Of Jack Kirby, Part V

In Four-Colour Yesteryears we delve back into the past to look at the periods, events and creators that helped shape the medium.

By Rob N

Click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, here for Part 3 and here for Part 4.


If there had been criticism levelled at Kirby for what he had done in turning the clock back for Captain America, that was nothing compared to the outrage fans felt when Jack relaunched Black Panther. The bar had been set extremely high with the Don McGregor run in Jungle Action: the story arc, Panther’s Rage, was a master class in how to write superhero fiction with literary merit. The later issues in particular, when T’Challa embarked on a quest to track down and avenge himself against Erik Killmonger, stood head and shoulders above most other Marvel product. It is no exaggeration to suggest that the McGregor run was, to earlier appearances of the Panther, what Jimi Hendrix’s version of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ was to the Dylan original.

Kirby of course couldn’t even begin to approach the quality of McGregor’s writing, and to his credit he didn’t try. He delivered his usual light-hearted adventure escapism with an endless display of inventiveness, but the problem was he was doing it to a sacred cow of comic book literature. It would be like John Byrne writing/drawing a sequel to Maus, only doing it in the style of Sergeant Fury and his Howlin' Commandos.

It just didn’t seem right. McGregor had crafted a realistic Africa, packed with detail and social commentary. When he had taken the Panther back to America, he had involved T’Challa in the inherent racism of the Southern states, with the Klan forefront in the story. It was weighty, serious storytelling. Jack Kirby’s Quest For King Solomon’s Frog wasn’t really in the same league. And yet Kirby wasn’t consciously trying to annoy anyone. He was simply telling the sorts of stories he enjoyed writing – bizarre flights of fantasy, barely grounded in the real world. He didn’t seem to understand this new found ‘realism’ in comics. It wasn’t something he wanted to do. For Jack, comics were supposed to be fun. He didn’t want to adapt his style to this soul searching, more solemn world.

Machine Man was a character that had appeared in two issues of 2001: A Space Odyssey. By all accounts the character (quite obviously a machine built to look like a man) seemed to appeal to fans, perhaps because of its Spock-like qualities. The popularity must have been misjudged as the solo title bombed and was cancelled before it really had a chance to go anywhere.

Why Marvel thought that Devil Dinosaur would succeed remains a mystery to me. The tale of a monkey boy and his red dinosaur friend, having prehistoric adventures together, couldn’t possibly have been a serious stab at launching a commercial hit title, and yet it appeared on the spinner racks with the usual Marvel hype. Perhaps they just assumed it couldn’t be any worse sales wise than anything else Jack came up with. It failed to last even a year.

The writing was on the wall. Kirby’s titles for Marvel in the Seventies had proved no more successful than his titles for DC. Kirby began to drift aimlessly, still producing great covers at a reasonable pace, but his heart was no longer in the comics industry. When the chance came to work in TV animation, he made the big leap and left Marvel for the second and final time.

The story of Kirby and Marvel sadly doesn’t have a happy ending. Later in the Eighties, Marvel bowed to pressure and began to return original artwork to the artists responsible for them. When Jack tried to reclaim his art though, he was presented with a four-page document which Marvel required him to sign first. It was a seriously restrictive document designed to counter any possibility of Jack claiming any part in the creative process of Marvel. Gary Groth, editor of the esteemed Comics Journal summed up the document in issue 101:

"The Agreement Marvel demands Kirby sign is a degrading document. In addition to strengthening their rights to own material he created - rights about which they are obviously concerned - the Agreement revokes his constitutional right to seek redress in a court of law if he so chooses; it denies him the right to help other artists dispute 'Marvel's complete, exclusive and unrestricted worldwide right to ownership of the copyright' to [their] work; denies Kirby the right to exhibit his own artwork without first notifying Marvel; allows Marvel access to make copies of the original artwork they returned; states that Kirby cannot sell his own artwork unless the buyer signs a copy of the same Agreement; and so on."

Marvel had begun to display a callous attitude towards the writers and artists who had created the stable of characters and concepts that was its bread and butter. Marvel Editor in Chief, Jim Shooter, in particular made the following statement in court in 1986 (in the case of Fleisher v. The Comics Journal) which illustrates only too well how important writers and artists were deemed to be by the corporate hierarchy:

NORWICK: "Wouldn't you agree that it is Michael Fleisher (the writer ‘credited’ with authorship of the story under discussion) and not the editor who is associated with that particular story? Wouldn't you agree with that?"

SHOOTER: “That's a mistake that a fan would make. Anyone in the profession would know better."

NORWICK: “Do you think it's unfair for people to associate the writer with the product that is published under that writer's name?"

SHOOTER: "I think that the fact that the writer's name is on the material is a courtesy. It's something that Stan Lee started doing in the '60's."

That same year Stan Lee was asked at the San Diego comic convention about Jack’s creative input in the 1960s. Did Lee feel that Jack had played any part in creating any of the characters Marvel was famous for?

"As far as I can remember these things happening, I was the editor and head writer at Marvel, and Jack was an artist who worked for us." – Stan Lee

There in a nutshell was Jack’s legacy in the eyes of corporate Marvel and the man who had relied on him for a decade. Jack was "an artist who worked for us."

Contemporary Marvel artist, Gil Kane, offered the following comments regarding the level of input an artist could expect from Stan Lee:

"Stan, on the other hand, would give you very little. I remember in this particular sequence that I think had to do with Gwen Stacy, he told me: 'I'd like you to draw a character like Broderick Crawford as the villain.' But that was about it. So I put together what I could from the material we had done before. I mean, there's a kind of continuity that gives you at least a direction for the material, from what preceded it. I'd build it up and bring it in, and he'd take a look at it: 'Yeah, yeah, yeah... Oh, geez, I don't like this at all.' And although I didn't say it to him, I'd think in my mind: 'Well, why the fuck don't you write it yourself? You're getting paid for it!' But we all went through that. Including Jack. Jack made up all those stories, and I'm positive he'd made up practically all the characters, with very few exceptions." – Gil Kane (THE COMICS JOURNAL #186).

The legacy of the third age of Jack Kirby is still with us today. The characters and concepts he was responsible for at both DC and Marvel have been resurrected many times after he left. Darkseid, the New Gods, the Eternals, even such minor characters as Machine Man and OMAC have inspired many other writers and artists over the years to the point where they are now a permanent feature of both sets of comic book mythologies. There is no doubt that Kirby will always be remembered as a fantastic visual artist, but in addition to that his character concepts live on too.

But above all else, the third age of Jack Kirby does point to a definitive answer to the question of how big a part he played in the creation of the Marvel Universe. No one doubts that Kirby created the plethora of characters from the New Gods onwards when he was free of Stan Lee’s shadow. Now get a pen and paper and make a list of the equivalent concepts Stan Lee came up with after he was no longer working with Kirby. Or come to that, what Stan Lee created in the twenty years he was writing before working with Kirby in the early Sixties. Not a very big list, is it? Not a very big list at all.

Jack Kirby: "an artist who worked for us." – Stan Lee.

Mini Reviews 05/07/2009

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

This week also sees the continuation of Matt C's Byrne FF project.


CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: And so Marvel’s begins the task of returning Steve Rogers to their fictional ‘Universe’ and it’s a predictably solid effort from Brubaker, exemplified by the strong character work and intelligent plotting that have turned Captain America into arguably the best superhero book on the stands for the last few years. The explanation for Rogers still being alive is quite inventive as well as being somewhat illogical on first glance, but I guess super villains like the Red Skull never go for the easy method when taking out their enemies: why simply shoot your nemesis when you can throw in a bit of time travel and mad science into the mix? Hitch’s art – with the assistance of Butch Guice – is far stronger here than it has been in recent issues of Fantatsic Four, and while this isn’t a show-stopping first issue I think we’re guaranteed a decent miniseries at the very least. 7/10

James R: I’m sure my co-authors will have had plenty to say on this, so I’ll keep my review short: looks beautiful. I really like the ‘Cap shunted around history’ idea (which reminds me of Billy Pilgrim in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5) and I think that this will build to a satisfying return for Steve Rogers. But I did think that the Red Skull’s plan has been a little too ‘bwa-haa-haaaa, evil villain!’ for my liking – given that Brubaker wrote the brilliant Grand Theft America arc which showed Red Skull being a sophisticated villain who wanted to destroy America from within, this just jarred me as out of step. But still, that’s quite a geeky moan about an otherwise quality comic. 8/10

Matt T: I'm glad the return of Steve Rogers isn't being rushed. With Brubaker's run on Cap being so well paced for a couple of years it would be a shame to wreck it all with an overly hasty comeback. It's good to see Hitch getting somewhere near to his old form too after some patchy work on FF, but I get the feeling he needs his slate cleared for a bit before we see him back to Ultimates level quality. Although we're all aware that the original Cap will be returning I'm more interested to see how it happens, and what consequences it will have, although this book does little to hint at either of those elements. 7/10


BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely
DC $2.99

James R: God, I love this comic. As a man that falls into that most maligned of camps, the ‘I like Grant Morrison (but sometimes he’s off the rails)’ party, it’s great to see that this title has started like an express train. Quitely’s art (with the colours of Alex Sinclair) make this a visual treat. The first four pages set up the story and ooze atmosphere, and Morrison’s characterisation is top-draw – I loved Alfred’s exchange with Dick about Damien and what it means to become Batman. Tremendous stuff all round. 9/10

Matt C: Although I’m down on Morrison a lot of the time, I will readily admit that he’s capable of greatness - it’s just that he has a tendency to smother it all with a smug air of superiority. I’m really pleased to say that this trait hasn’t exhibited itself so far on this book – I know it’s early, but there’s a real believability to the characters that makes for an affecting read. It obviously helps that Quitely’s art is frequently stunning, and on some occasions you wonder if the artist had a look at what J.H. Williams III is doing on Detective with inventive panel structures and the like, and decided to see if he could top it. Hugely impressive – let’s hope it stays that way. 8/10


CHEW #2
Writer: John Layman
Art: Rob Guillory
Image $2.99

Stewart R: The first issue of John Layman’s twisted detective story blew me away both with its premise and the terrific artwork, and the second issue is another delightful comic read. Tony Chu’s assignment to the Special Crimes Division of the FDA lands him with a new a-hole boss and a mysterious partner with a first hand knowledge of Tony’s powers. While Chu is certainly playing the role of the new kid on the block, Layman ensures that he’s equipped with a balance of guile and likeable gullibility to make him really work as a lead character, and there’s enough mystery floating around Agent Savoy to make me think that the twists are going to keep coming. Guillory is a great find and his style lends itself well to this left-field type of crime plot, delivering overblown action alongside decent characterisation. Get chewing on this title guys! 8/10

Matt C: The buzz this book is receiving is thoroughly warranted and if you’ve not picked it up yet then do so, assuming you can find a copy! With Tony Chu now a full-time employee of the F.D.A. (Food & Drug Administration), using his cibopathic abilities to solve crimes, the template is laid down for how this series will proceed, and if it’s as entertaining as this issue then Chew is set to become a delightfully off-the-wall series. Layman’s script is mischievously witty and Guillory channels that wit into some wonderfully exuberant and exaggerated art. Potentially Image’s next breakout hit. 8/10


IRREDEEMABLE #4
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Peter Krause
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt T: Well, the Plutonian is still being an evil bastard. And the other heroes are still running scared. There's not a whole lot more back story as to why the world's greatest hero went bad, other than a couple of hints towards some kind of mass killing, but the resistance is getting pummelled. The more I read this book the more I think it's heading towards some giant twist, although getting there may well be a little too drawn out for my tastes. 6/10


DESTROYER #4
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Cory Walker
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: After last month’s face-off between Destroyer and the Scar I was wondering if the series might take a small dip as we roll towards the approaching final issue. While not having the blood’n’guts punch of the previous instalment this issue focuses on the relationship between Destroyer and his son-in-law protégé, Turret, and it’s a stirring read. With time fast running out for Keene, Kirkman is showing us a man who’s fighting not only his failing body and time itself but also the guilt accrued from all of his past actions. Cory Walker’s simple line-style gives the action sequences the necessary pace but also allows the more emotional, character led scenes to shine through. With one issue to go I’m already labelling this miniseries a triumph. 8/10


GREEK STREET #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Art: David Gianfelice
DC/Vertigo $1.00

James R: Last week, Paul Schrader (the acclaimed screenwriter who wrote Taxi Driver) wrote a great article in which he said that given the sheer volume of media output – TV, movies, games, books – that we ran the risk of reaching ‘narrative exhaustion’ – that we would simply exhaust every variation on a theme, and that storytelling as it’s been known for millennia would have to change into something else entirely. Well, lo and behold, this week sees Greek Street, a new Vertigo series that stands as a counter to Schrader’s theory. Of course we run out of stories, because ultimately we only retell the same dramas over and over again. In this series, Milligan goes back to the tales from ancient Greece to form the backbone of a story containing sex, murder, vengeance and prophecy. Pete Milligan can be the most infuriating of writers – either absolutely awesome (his run on Human Target was one of my favourite things this decade) or oddly mediocre. It’s tough to tell from this first issue which one is behind this series, but it starts by setting up a number of intriguing plots, and it looks very nice too. It’s not the solid gold smash The Unwritten was for me, but at a dollar, this is well worth your time, and I’ll certainly be back for more next month. 7/10

Stewart R: I’ll say it straight away: if Vertigo hadn’t slapped on the $1.00 price tag here I probably wouldn’t be considering picking up the second instalment, but there’s just something that makes me want to see if the next issue is going to answer some of the baffling questions thrown up in this introduction to Greek Street. Set in modern London there are enough demonic, familial and incestuous happening’s here to make you believe that things really cannot be what they seem but unfortunately Milligan seems perfectly intent to make us guess why it’s all occurring at this time, with only the slightest glimpse of the mythological slant this tale could take. There’s almost too much going on and Milligan doesn’t even grace some characters with a name to add to the confusion. Gianfelice’s artwork is tasty enough but without some serious explanation to the plot it’s going to be for nought. 5/10


WAR OF KINGS #5
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Paul Pelletier & Rick Magyar
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: This series goes from epic, galaxy-spanning space carnage to close, personal and intimate character-fuelled war tale with such ease as proven by this issues’ huge dose of the latter. The war is balanced on a knife-edge as both sides reel from their losses and a desperate need to finish the conflict quickly. Abnett and Lanning once again ensure that events from the other books involved in the crossover do not interfere with the main title and also that this remains the emotional centre of a fantastically realised space war. Here we get a little more insight into the Inhumans’ motivations and their devotion to what they believe must happen for their species to survive in peace. These writers should be truly commended for the scale of their vision and for handling so many character-driven strands with such inspiring care. Plaudits must also go to Pelletier and Magyar who are bringing us an emotional spectrum of the highest level. 8/10


CROSSED #6
Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Jacen Burrows
Avatar $3.99

James R: After the superb previous issue, it’s a pleasure to say that this issue maintains the same level of intellect and insight. To begin, I was worried that the ‘Horror amped up to 11’ would get dull very quickly, but it’s clear that this issue is being written with the same inventiveness that Ennis used in his acclaimed Chronicles Of Wormwood series. This time, we learn something shocking about one of the band of survivors, and it illustrates how this is a tale not only about what happens to humanity when civilization breaks down, but also passes comment on what it is to be rational and sane. A tremendous, mature read, and one I’ve thought about all weekend. I’m now hoping that the final issues give the story the superlative ending it deserves. 9/10

Matt C: When you’ve read as many comics as I have you do have a tendency to start thinking that you’ve seen it all and that there are no real surprises left out there – mostly you’re offered predictable but entertaining variations on the same theme. It’s very rare that you’re totally caught off guard, even in a comic like Crossed where ‘shocks’ are part of the package, but that’s exactly what happened in this issue. There’s a scene – and I won’t get into spoilers – where you know there’s a reveal in the pipeline, and you think you’ve got it figured out, but then Ennis pulls the rug out from under you in an incredible jaw-dropping manner. It takes a real specific kind of talent to conjure up something like that in this day and age, but Ennis proves here that while he may be one of comics’ most controversial writers - and not everything he puts out is solid gold - he’s still an absolute master of the medium and deserves his place amongst the greats. 9/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #513
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Terry & Rachel Dodson
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Well, we still haven’t been given any clarification on the motivations of Emma Frost but this is a step up from the first instalment of the Utopia arc. We are treated to an introduction to the Dark X-Men, along with a few reveals to previously raised questions, and it all kicks along at a fair lick. Fraction plays Cyclops as the true tactical leader he should be and there’s promise that there could be a great display of mind games between all involved. Heck, even my personal favourite X-Man makes a much-needed appearance here, albeit brief – Iceman has been overlooked for too long now! The Dodson’s are accomplished artists and I’m happy to see them offer up a pleasant alternative to Greg Land’s monotonous style with some decent mutant characterisation. Promising stuff though I ask Marvel why it has to span two titles?? Uncanny and Dark Avengers? Why?? 7/10


JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #1
Writer: James Robinson
Art: Mauro Cascioli
DC $3.99

Matt T: I have to admit I'm a real sucker for anything James Robinson. His run on Starman is a modern classic, and the man really knows how to bring the best out of his characters. The first few pages show he's got a good handle on Hal and Ollie, as an argument within the League leads to the Green Arrow and Lantern disappearing off to form their own splinter group. Other than that there's not a whole lot more to grab hold of here, with the rest of the book simply serving to introduce the characters in question and why they're in search for 'Justice'. Cascioli's art is a little too scratchy in places, although the action scenes are good enough to keep me interested long term. 8/10


INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #15
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Tony Stark is losing on so many levels these days - this is the only title that Iron Man is appearing in on a regular basis! - yet every issue of Invincible is proving to be a winner. Matt Fraction is steering his descent along an exciting path mirrored by Maria Hill’s ‘impossible mission’ to ensure that his sacrifice will not be in vain. The interaction between Pepper and Tony is quite touching while the part that Madame Masque plays here ramps up the tension a notch or three. I’ve gushed over Larrcoca’s efforts for a few months now and he just hasn’t dropped the quality at all. This is consistency at a high level and clear evidence of a writer and artist working in harmony. Please sir, can I have some more? 9/10

Matt C: Invincible Iron Man has suddenly picked up again after several months where it came perilously close to being dropped; this issue isn’t quite as good as last month’s near-barnstormer but there’s still plenty to admire. I think what impresses the most here is the way Fraction gets under the skin of his characters – it reminds of what Brubaker’s been doing on Captain America, fleshing out the supporting cast, although it’s not quite up to the same level (yet). Larroca’s rendering of facial expressions is occasionally a bit wonky, but the majority of the art is slick and effective. 7/10


THE MIGHTY #6
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi & Keith Champagne
Art: Chris Samnee
DC $2.99

Matt T: I'm preferring the direction this book is taking more than Irredeemable, purely because the pace is a little more akin to a mystery novel than a superhero comic. The true reasoning behind Alpha One's habitual murdering of his sidekick's has yet to come to light, but the occasional clue is arriving to give the current top man more reason to suspect. The art seems a little basic in places, with detail on the faces virtually non-existent, but the writing is good enough to make me overlook it. 9/10


WITCHFINDER: IN THE SERVICE OF ANGELS #1
Writer: Mike Mignola
Art: Ben Stenbeck
Dark Horse Comics $2.99

James R: I have to say that I’m a fair-weather fan of the Hellboy universe; I can’t speak highly enough of Mignola’s series of Lovecraftian tales, but some of the BPRD-related spin-off tales leave me a little cold. This debut however, is superb. A couple of months back I said that the art in Dynamite’s Sherlock Holmes didn’t evoke the feel of Victorian London – but this certainly does! Even if you haven’t read a single copy of Hellboy you’d be able to pick up this dark and involving tale. This is Mignola at his best, and Ben Stenbeck's art is exceptional. It’s only slated for five issues, but I already want more tales from the world of Sir Edward Grey… 8/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #261
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Bryne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: Sue continues to impress in leadership-mode as the remaining three members of the FF try and figure out what happened to Reed with the help of The Watcher (with Byrne displaying again his brilliant knack of giving voice to cosmic characters). Turns out when Mr Fantastic’s decision to save a certain World Devourer’s life way back in #244 didn’t go down too well with the various alien races who’ve watched their home planets being consumed and left as lifeless husks… and they’re not about to let him get away with it! Byrne’s art is tremendous as always, his renditions of various characters – the Watcher, Galactus – being so close to perfection that they could easily be considered definitive. But, no matter how large the canvas Byrne is working with becomes, it’s still all about the characters – these are thrilling stories told on a grand scale with a human heart beating at their centre. 8/10

Mini Reviews 28/06/2009

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

This week also sees the continuation of Matt C's Byrne FF project.


DETECTIVE COMICS #854
Writer: Greg Rucka
Art: J.H. Williams III & Cully Hamner
DC $3.99

Matt C: I’ve always preferred Greg Rucka’s more grounded, street-level superhero storytelling, so even though it features a different lead character I was eager to see him return to the title that really cemented his reputation as one of DC’s top writers almost a decade ago. The other draw was the unique, boundary-pushing artwork from J.H. Williams III who’s previously melted minds with his stunning, style-shredding illustrations in Alan Moore’s Promethea. I had pretty high expectations then, but this book caught me off guard by far exceeding them. Spinning out of events last seen in 52 and Rucka’s mini Crime Bible: Books Of Blood (yeah, it's a little late!) this new arc sees Batwoman continuing her quest to root out the acolytes of the Crime Bible in Gotham. The script is taut and realistic with Rucka steadfastly avoiding any sensationalist aspects of Kate Kane’s sexuality, and the art is glorious, Williams' panel layouts and stylistic changes to reflect the tone are always surprising and vital – that double-page scissor-kick splash will knock your socks off! This is a perfect example of words and images colliding to produce something unique, something that couldn’t be replicated in any other medium. Truly sublime. The back-up Question tale is fine - formulaic, but good to see Rucka getting his teeth into a character he’s made his own once more. Out of all the ‘new’ Bat-books – and yes, I’m including Batman And Robin – this is the pick of the bunch so far. 9/10

James R: Wow. In the aftermath of DC’s 52, a miniseries came out that seemed to evade the radar of many comic readers – Crime Bible: Books Of Blood. The series, written by Greg Rucka, followed Rene Montoya in her new role as the Question around the world on the trail of a criminal cult. Along the way she crossed paths with Gotham’s new Batwoman, and all told, it was a classy event. However, for me the problem was that it had no real satisfactory conclusion; such a good tale deserved to be developed more. Well, more fool I, it would seem, as this week Greg Rucka picks up where he left off in the pages of Detective. And what a way to pick up! In the lead tale, we’re re-introduced to Batwoman and her quest to track down the new leader of the Crime Covens. In these pages we also get a brilliant glimpse into her working world: where Batman operates from a vast cave, this 21st century Batwoman operates from a small room – given that as technology advances, things get smaller & smaller, it makes great logical sense and immediately shows that this isn’t just going to be Batman with lipstick, it’s going to be a character that lives and breathes independently of the Dynamic Duo. No review of this would be complete without a huge bow of respect to J.H. Williams, who it seems, gets better with each passing year. As a huge Alan Moore fan, I adored his work on Promethea, and loved his short run on Batman with Grant Morrison, but this is another step up in quality – the art, page layouts and colour scheme are truly beautiful (and have caused two non-comic readers who have been in the vicinity of the book to stop and say to me: “What’s that? It looks amazing!”)

As a final dollop of fudge sauce on top of the ice cream, Rucka also gives us The Question as a back-up. Whereas I found last weeks Manhunter in Streets Of Gotham a little “Meh”, this works well – the similarities and background between the Question and Batwoman make for a neat symmetry, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Rucka will have the two overlapping before long. First Batman And Robin, then Streets Of Gotham and now this… DC are knocking it out the park at the moment. Respect to Dan DiDio and a special tip o’ the hat to Batman group editor Mike Marts for helping to compile such a great roster. Like I said, wow. 9/10


DARK REIGN: THE SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #1
Writer: Brian Reed
Art: Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: I have to say if the original artist, Barry Kitson, had remained on this title I probably wouldn’t have thought about picking it up, especially not with Marvel’s $3.99 price tag. However, bringing one of my favourite artists, Chris Bachalo, onboard at pretty short notice sealed this into my pull-list for the week and I’m really quite impressed. This version of Venom has been getting more gruesome as time wears on, devouring anyone unfortunate to not be missed and ‘snacking’ on those who would be. Gargan is despised by nearly everyone in the Dark Avengers and Osborn only tolerates him due to his obvious talents, but it becomes clear here just how despicable a character he is. Reed shows just what masquerading as Spider-Man (who he still holds bitter resentment towards) and an Avenger has allowed Venom to get away with while also highlighting the cracks that are slowly beginning to show in Osborn’s administration. It’s good to see that Norman is becoming overstretched and not able to keep an eye on everyone and when you have dangerous characters like a hungry symbiote going off the reservation unchecked then there’s going to be carnage. And when it comes to symbiote-related mayhem then Bachalo really is the man for the job. The man’s panel and layout work is immense and no one quite uses a close-up to the same effect. The simplified black and white panels employed to show Venom’s point of view are a particularly neat trick and that’s one truly fantastic front cover. I can’t wait to see what else this mini has in store. 9/10


THE MUPPET SHOW #4
Writer: Roger Langridge
Art: Roger Langridge
Boom! Studios $2.99

Matt C: Colour me surprised because I never anticipated enjoying this mini as much as I did. With most comic book adaptations/translations you get a watered-down version of the source material that generally seems pointless and forgettable (i.e. a cash-in). The Muppet Show on the other hand has been a thoroughly successful exercise in bringing a concept from another medium into comics, by being not only an extension of what we’re already familiar with but also by surprising us with genuine wit and ingenuity. Basically, it’s bloody funny and a textbook example of how this kind of thing should be done. Turns out Langridge is a UK-based creator, so that’s another reason why I sincerely hope this title – currently unavailable in the UK - reaches our shores in one form or another very soon. 8/10


AVENGERS/INVADERS #12
Writer: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Art: Steve Sadowski
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: I've been reading this book in virtual secrecy, mostly because I wasn't too positive about it to start off with. The fact that it's so ridiculously out of continuity now doesn't matter a whole lot, as throwing the cosmic cube into the mix gives the writer the perfect deus ex machina to turn everything back to normal. Fortunately that isn't the case here, as the heroes flung from future into past and back again finally defeat the Red Skull, turning the world of the 1940s back to relative normality, turning the future similarly back to the status quo. Unlike most limited series there is some actual repercussions to do with one of the Invaders, but whether or not another writer will pick up on it remains to be seen. My original gripe of it being a six-issue series stretched to twelve still stands, but there were some bright spots amongst all the exposition. 7/10


THOR #602
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Art: Mark Djurdjevic, Danny Miki & Mark Morales
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: A bit of a bittersweet reading experience now that Straczynski’s confirmed he’s leaving this book, because you get the feeling he’s got plenty more God of Thunder tales to tell and that this storyline, whose wheels have been turning since the very first issue, may be concluded prematurely. This has probably been Straczynski’s strongest work since he joined the publisher at the turn of the decade, and it’s been a pleasure to watch him return one of Marvel’s most iconic characters back to prominence with the kind of sales and critical acclaim the Odinson hasn’t seen in a long while. No word on who will take over creative control of this title (although Fraction would seem an obvious fit) but they’ll have a hell of job matching the epic grandeur of what’s come before. 8/10


DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN: UTOPIA #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Marc Silvestri
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Well, it had to happen eventually. After shifting the X-Men over to San Francisco for all of five minutes with a new start in mind it seems that the creative powers that be have now rolled over and succumbed to the pressure of Dark Reign. Yep, it’s that time folks – time for a heap of Uncanny readers to politely inform their friendly comic book stores that they’ll be cancelling their subscription and hiding in a quiet little hole until Dark Reign is over and the X-Men can get back on with their lives. I’m probably being a little harsh on this book when it’s actually a decent enough read – the anti-mutant protest is nothing new but Fraction delivers a decent amount of chaos intermixed with news reports and visits to other areas of the Marvel Universe as events spiral out of control – but seeing Norman Osborn’s mug in yet another title is really pushing the level of saturation to the edge of what this reviewer can take.

I’m sure things will get a far deeper look in Uncanny X-Men over the coming months but it’s just the speed at which events happen in this opening Utopia chapter that has me concerned that small things like, you know, Scott and Emma’s relationship - just a 'small' plot point there - may get overlooked or not given the care and attention that it actually deserves. Certainly Emma’s actions here need to be explained, and rather quickly, lest the build-up from months of tension in Uncanny be carelessly thrown away. Silvestri is put to good use here showing a San Francisco on the brink of meltdown yet he suffers a similar problem to Mr Greg Land in that there isn’t a great deal of variety to his female characterisation. This isn’t a bad start to this arc but I just hope that I’m not resentful of the Dark Reign flood by the time that it reaches its peak. I can already feel my ambivalence growing… 6/10


THUNDERBOLTS #133
Writer: Andy Diggle
Art: Miguel Sepulveda
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: Let's get this out the way: Thunderbolts isn't as good as it used to be. By a long shot. And the Deadpool crossover made it much worse, essentially making most of the characters look like tits. One thing saving it at the moment is the potential for the odd twist or two, as long as they stop randomly adding second-string villains and mercenaries to the roster. Ghost is an enigma wrapped in a whiffy tech-suit, and Black Widow is proving to be more than she seems. It's not perfect, but things are looking up at the very least. 7/10


WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #3
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Ron Garney
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: A comic about a bunch of badass fellows, saying badass things to each other whilst behaving in a badass manner. I’m still not sure it quite scrapes through to being worth $3.99 a pop, but this was a lot more successful than last issue with both Aaron and Garney showing that can pull some killer moments out of the hat. I’ve yet to be convinced on whether this will stay on the pull-list beyond the first arc but this month I’m swaying more towards keeping up with the series, particularly after that twisted final panel. 7/10


X-FORCE #16
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Art: Clayton Crain
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: And so the Messiah War comes to an end. And that’s about it. Seriously. I’m really quite disappointed. Setting a story up over seven issues, across two titles, and selling it as a mini-event… to then actually have very little happen of any great consequence has left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. I suppose the biggest problem was having to follow both the Cable and X-Force comics and ensure that this events didn’t do too much damage to the continuity of either title when they go their separate ways again. As seen in the recent Thunderbolts/Deadpool crossover there are entertaining moments to be found in a dual-title effort but if the story ends up being essentially throwaway because the writers are unable or unwilling to bring in real danger or lasting change then you have to ask what the point was. There was an opportunity here to get brutal, mix things up and leave a lasting impression, but all we’ve been given is a pretty generic filler story until the next big X-event. Even Crain’s work has lost some of its sheen over the course of this arc. It’s almost as if his artwork was afflicted by the same temporal sickness that gradually affected the protagonists. An opportunity missed. 3/10

Matt T: Why the hell did X-Force turn up in Cable? And why did Marvel make me buy their book as well to make sense of the whole crossover? There was little point in them being there and it had no impact whatsoever on the storyline as a whole. Instead, a confusing battle with Stryfe along with Apocalypse being resurrected are seemingly the only real significant elements in what has largely been a distraction from the Messiah War tale, which I can only presume was to fill some space until a more significant crossover with the main X-team occurs. I'd hope so anyway, otherwise me spending an extra $2.99 a month was largely pointless. 5/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #512
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Yanick Paquette & Karl Story
Marvel $3.99

Matt T: Praise the Lord that the most interesting element of this book, the 'X-Club', make a return, as it makes for a far more conflicted group than the standard X-Men. Doc Nemesis' past turns out to be of interest to the group, prompting a trip back in time that, unsurprisingly, doesn't go entirely to plan. In fact a ye olde Sentinel threatens to make pancakes out of the science team and only Angel - who should surely be in the future at the moment (??) - and Psylocke can help them out. I'm hoping the team spins off into it's own book, as switching back to the main X-Men doesn't fill me with hope. 8/10


GREEN LANTERN #42
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Philip Tan, Eddy Barrows, Jonathan Glapion & Ruy Jose
DC $2.99

Matt C: For me, this whole Agent Orange arc has been the weakest of Johns’ entire run on GL so far. Too much being flung into the mix making you feel like you’re being bombarded with information, and wading through it all is confusing enough to cause a headache. I just didn’t feel any emotional engagement with any of the characters (crucial in a large-scale story like this) so it was really just a case of simply observing one high-octane battle after another (waitaminute…. this is sounding like a review of Transformers 2!). It could be that Johns is pouring all his energies into Blackest Night at the moment, and the epilogue here suggests that might well be the case, but I hope this title doesn’t feel like an afterthought when that event kicks into gear. 5/10


AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #25
Writer: Christos N Gage
Art: Humberto Ramos
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: This title slips into full Dark Reign mode (almost fed up with writing that phrase, make it stop!) as Norman Osborn reshuffles the Initiative and attempts to remove those members that could become problematic if left unchecked. Gage does a great job of dealing with the many plot threads that could get confusing if not handled correctly, and considering the number of the Cabal and Dark Avengers turning up here, keeping it all running along smoothly can't have been an easy task. I also think that he’s done a great job with Osborn, making use of his manipulation skills brilliantly and ensuring that we know at this particular moment that he really is in control of things. There’s also an interesting turn of events involving the New Warriors, which shows that while they may have lost their own title they aren’t going away anytime soon. According to Ramos himself this is his last issue on this title and he offers a worthy effort to say goodbye with – no one else does Osborn’s hair quite like old Humberto! A decent read overall and some interesting times ahead for the Initiative. 7/10


X-FACTOR #45
Writer: Peter David
Art: Marco Santucci, Valentine De Landro, Pat Davidson, Craig Yeung & Patrick Piazzalunga
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: Things are finally starting to make sense, and my feelings about X-Factor being one of the best team books out there are looking more like a fact than an opinion. The Madrox-in-the-future storyline (my least favourite) has begun to hit its stride thanks to an appearance by a decrepit and delusional Doc Doom. A damn good read with the usual twist ending, although not quite in the 'oh shit' tone of previous issues. 9/10


PREDATOR #1
Writer: John Arcudi
Art: Javier Saltares
Dark Horse $3.50

Stewart R: Is this a case of flogging a dead (Dark) horse? Ok, poor pun but then this isn’t a particularly great first issue. The premise has a private security firm operating in an unnamed corner of East Africa, attempting to safely escort Western financial bigwigs around and protecting them from insurgent attacks… and failing at it. There’s plenty of macho conflict between Thorpe’s privateer and Major Briggs’s military flag-waver but it’s all been done before and doesn’t warm the reader to any of the human protagonists. It’s clear that Arcudi wants us to follow Thorpe through this story but it’s relatively character-lite. The Predators themselves are conspicuous by their absence, only appearing a couple of brief times, and in a book emblazoned with Predator as its title I would have hoped that the savage alien hunters would have been a bit more front and centre. Early, I know, but I suggest that you probably steer clear of this title and instead “Get to the chopper!” 3/10


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #598
Writer: Joe Kelly
Art: Paulo Siqueria, Marco Checchetto & Santos
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: The American Son arc has been an enjoyable Spidey-read so far and Joe Kelly has taken us to the very heart of Dark Reign and into Dark Avengers Tower. The Marvel Universe is swamped with Norman Osborn at the moment but this is the one title where it makes sense to have him prominent and planning contrasting futures for Harry and Peter. Last issue’s explosive ending is explained away in an instant but I have no trouble forgiving that considering how Norman then uses the technology and personnel at his disposal to try to get the situation back under control. There are more shocks and twists to be found within the pages and it seems to be heading to an all-action conclusion (hopefully) next time around. 7/10


GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1
Writer: Paul Dini
Art: Guillem March
DC $2.99

James R: Of course, every silver lining has a grey cloud! The Batman: Reborn titles have been great, but I’m yet to be knocked out by Gotham City Sirens. Paul Dini is clearly a quality writer, (and I really enjoyed Streets Of Gotham last week) but this ‘Bad Girls’ book featuring Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn is lacking in, well, Bat-magic. The main reason is due to the art. With the greatest of respect to Guillem March, this title about three beautiful women is as ugly as a fight in a taxi rank on a wet November night. Then there’s the plot itself which seems to be lacking in any real drive - given how great Catwoman has been over the last few years (and more of that from me very soon, by the way!) this just feels like a three-dimensional character being made two-dimensional. It has its moments, but it’ll need to have an extreme makeover in the next few issues to keep up with the other Reborn titles. 5/10

Matt C: Paul Dini has a knack for writing great female comic book characters, as evidenced during his run on Batman: The Animated Series, especially the creation of the wonderful Harley Quinn. Although Streets Of Gotham didn’t quite make the grade for me last week I was intrigued by this title, not only because of Dini’s credentials but also because it featured Catwoman back in a regular book after her excellent solo series got the chop. Sadly Gotham City Sirens really didn’t do anything for me. Getting these three characters in the same place to form a ‘team’ was way too contrived, convenient and – unless I’ve missed something on the shelves recently – implausible. The art’s fine but the story felt too lightweight and inconsequential and – considering the focus of this book – it’s Edward Nigma who gets far and away the best scene. A nice idea, but based on this debut issue I can’t see this being a long-running title. 5/10


NOVA #26
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Andrea Divito
Marvel $2.99

Matt C: It saddens me to say this, but this title is no longer as consistently brilliant as it once was. When it first arrived on the scene it was pretty much on fire month in, month out, but nowadays for every great issue, a sub-par one is hard on its heels. Maybe it’s because DnA are too stretched right now with multiple titles on the go, or maybe I just preferred it when it was only Nova and Worldmind without a larger cast of characters getting in on the action. I’m nowhere near dropping Nova as there’s still plenty to enjoy - and every few months there’s a real belter of an issue - but it’s got a long way to go before it reaches the same position it used to hold in my affections. 6/10


DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #2
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Kyle Hotz
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Parker Robbins’ past comes back to haunt him and forces a decision to further embrace the entity that could consume him. It’s an absorbing story of a man who knows that he’s in way over his head and yet, due to the unique circumstances that he finds himself in, those that could threaten his very existence are none the wiser. Robbins’ fears on letting ‘the genie out of the bottle’ so to speak, echoes Doctor Strange’s recent misgivings over his own misuse of power and leads The Hood to seek answers on just what Dormammu could have planned for him. Jeff Parker sets the balance between The Hood’s criminal career and family life nicely, showing that his ambitions for the criminal underworld are actually helping him to be a better person in his own time but highlighting that it could all fall down at any moment. Hotz’s artwork is unspectacular but manages to portray a man fighting with the literal demon within. 7/10


SECRET WARRIORS #5
Writers: Jonathan Hickman & Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Stefano Caselli
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: …simmer for 20 minutes and then crank up the action to level "Arrrrgggghhhh"! Yep, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos are back and laughing in the face of death once more as they attempt a daring raid on a H.A.M.M.E.R facility for the tools that they’ll need to take the fight to Hydra. Of course things never go that simply and the forces of Hydra may have their own plans to carry out… Last issue was all about Hickman and this time it’s Caselli who gets to bring his A-game to the party. He’s really made this title his own with a level of consistency to be truly proud of, and when he’s allowed to cut loose with the action there’s no doubting that he was the right artist to bring to this title. Fury looks every bit the battle-hardened leader that he should be and the menacing characterisation of the Hydra agents is top notch. Highlights have to be the Hydra splash and Dum Dum doing what he does best, but just how frickin’ creepy are the Hive’s minions? Get your freaky octopus cyclops away from me! 8/10

James R: Apparently, there’s an evil empire at work. Through discreet means, this nefarious group plans on pushing the good industrious people of the world to the margins of visibility, depriving them of life and exposure… Yes, that’s right – this week Marvel Comics expressed their intent to take over the comics world by releasing – get this – 39 different titles! Urgh. Anyway, amongst this tsunami of titles, there stands Secret Warriors. Whereas this title hasn’t quite hit the heights I was hoping for (I guess I’ll have to wait for Hickman’s run on Fantastic Four to see his high-concept ideas at work) this is still a lot of fun. It reminds me of the kind of Marvel comic I’d see during my youth in the late ‘80s – one almighty scrap! Maybe this is Bendis’ influence on the title (I dropped the Avengers books due to the horrible predictability of the scrap/yap/scrap stories) but Caselli draws action really well, and hell – it’s Nick Fury in the mix! Next issue should give us the culmination of this arc - and a good hint as to where it’s going - but this stands out as one of Marvel’s stronger titles at the moment. 7/10


NEW AVENGERS #54
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Billy Tan
Marvel $3.99

Matt T: So, it turns out Brother Voodoo is the new Sorcerer Supreme. Personally I would have preferred Doctor Doom, but you can't have it all. Otherwise this is a bloody big fight with plenty of cracking o' the wise, making it a standard Bendis book of the moment. Both Dormammu and The Hood deserved better than a page or two of fighting until Doc Strange's successor made his long-awaited arrival. At least Hawkeye is making a few waves, otherwise this would be the dullest storyline imaginable out of a very interesting set of characters. 6/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #260
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: So where the heck is Reed? As Tyros continues to bring the ruckus to NYC with the rest of the FF trying to fend him off, their leader is nowhere to be seen. This is no good for Doom as his plan was supposed to end with Richards witnessing his team’s ultimate defeat, so foolishly Victor decides to enter the fray just as the Silver Surfer arrives on the scene. Part of me wishes Byrne had fleshed this storyline out a little more as the scale of it could’ve warranted an extra issue (maybe), but you can’t fault him for what he actually delivers: cameos aplenty, explosive destruction and the apparent end of one of Marveldom’s greatest villains. It’s also nice to see Byrne continuing to bolster Sue’s position in the team, taking her far away from token female member and turning her into someone fully capable of leading a team in her own right. 8/10

Four-Colour Yesteryears: The 'Third Age' Of Jack Kirby, Part IV

In Four-Colour Yesteryears we delve back into the past to look at the periods, events and creators that helped shape the medium.

By Rob N

Click here for Part 1, here for Part 2 and here for Part 3.


Kirby’s return to Marvel was trumpeted loudly in the pages of FOOM #11. FOOM (short for ‘Friends Of O’ Marvel) was the Marvel house magazine that resembled the various fanzines of the day, featuring a mixture of articles, coming attractions and the bombastic promotion of their titles that Stan Lee was by now famous for. Jack would be returning to the pages of Captain America and be responsible for a Treasury Size (a very large format slab of a comic that proved impossible to store anywhere) adaptation of the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. He would also be working on another SF series that was to become Eternals.

Marvel fans were of course excited at the prospect of the prodigal son returning home, but many of them failed to notice certain ominous words in the interview with Jack in FOOM #11 when he made it clear that his run would be Captain America the way Captain America was supposed to be. What did he mean by that? Marvel’s output had changed significantly since Jack had left for DC. A new wave of younger writers had taken over from the Stan Lee/Roy Thomas partnership, and they had introduced a level of character development and soul searching that was in keeping with the turbulent times. Captain America in particular had gone through some important changes in what was seen at the time to be a quality run from circa #161 to #192. At the tail end of Watergate, Steve Rogers had discovered that the enemies he had been fighting were entrenched in the ‘highest offices’ of the White House. Embittered and disillusioned, he discarded his Captain America identity to become the Nomad (‘The Man Without a Country’). He fought Marvel’s most crazed and nihilistic super villain - Madame Hydra/The Viper – her new personality influenced very much by the Baader-Meinhof women, in a set piece siege that I believe was the first time Marvel had portrayed a realistically deranged villain (as opposed to the ‘comical Nazis’ approach of Red Skull stories in the Sixties). Worse still for Steve, the Falcon had gone from questioning his role in light of the Black Power movements of the early Seventies to discovering he was a brainwashed minion of the Red Skull – a sleeper agent (a clever retcon of the Falcon’s earlier origin that worked as a piece of revisionist writing), planted with false memories and identity, to kill Rogers at an appointed time. It was a dark period for Cap, reflecting the confusion felt by the US and much of the Western World in the wake of Vietnam. Jack returned to the pages of Captain America in the middle of some important story arcs... and promptly ignored them all.

Overnight, several years’ worth of character progression and intelligent plots were discarded, ignored and forgotten. They weren’t simply retconned, they were treated as if they had never existed in the first place. Suddenly Cap and the Falcon were effectively Batman and Robin from the early to mid-Sixties – clean, wholesome, simple, full of truth, justice and mom’s apple pie. They probably drank glasses of milk. Fans who had enjoyed the previous thirty issues thought, ‘what the fuck?’

When Jack had moved to DC he had been at pains to ensure that he took over a title (Jimmy Olsen) that wouldn’t see him treading on anyone’s toes. But by taking over Captain America, he was interrupting and radically changing an ongoing title that had become a fan favourite, sweeping away a creative team that had earned a lot of respect. This wasn’t a good way to start. Feathers were indeed ruffled.

Jack’s opening story was The Mad Bomb saga – intended to run up to the American Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. It consisted of the (by now) familiar Kirby writing style – signified by flamboyant and ridiculous concepts that were of course entertaining but lacked any real depth or substance. Many of the plots and characters could have been equally at home in the pages of Kirby’s Jimmy Olsen run.

And there was another major problem. Kirby appeared to want nothing to do with the Marvel Universe. Marvel owed much of its success to trading heavily on the interconnectivity of its titles. The shared universe concept meant that Marvel’s titles all referenced one another and drew from a pool of familiar super villains. Jack wanted nothing to do with the established stable of characters and concepts, preferring to create wholly original material. Fans liked a certain level of familiarity in their comics and they began to voice their disapproval that Captain America seemed to inhabit a secluded world of its own. When Jack did (grudgingly) incorporate SHIELD into his run, the organisation was unrecognisable. The agents appeared to resemble ordinary New York cops armed with rifles. The letter pages quickly filled with complaints from fans who wanted the soul searching pre-Kirby plots to be reinstated and from other fans who wanted recognisable Marvel super villains to appear. Perhaps in response to the latter complaints, Kirby was ‘encouraged’ to include the Red Skull in his post Mad Bomb story line. Eventually, after a relatively short run on the title, Jack was replaced.

It has been suggested that Kirby’s stubborn refusal to integrate the existing Marvel Universe into his work contributed heavily to his failure to sell books. He had followed a similar approach during his years at DC, but at least then he had the excuse that he'd been hired to do just that – come up with new concepts because DC didn’t have any continuity worth speaking of. Now with Marvel he was effectively turning his back on the house he had co-created in the Sixties.

Jack’s other two books further added to the belief that he didn’t want to play with anyone else’s football. 2001: A Space Odyssey became a (short-lived) ongoing title that frustrated fans because it essentially told the same story each and every month. Readers would be introduced to a two-dimensional character who, in the course of a single issue, encounters the Monolith and is turned into a Star Child. Jack simply repeated the formula over and over again. Is this going anywhere, fans demanded to know? Have patience, came the reply in the letter column – Jack has a plan. But after ten issues the comic was cancelled.

For those people who didn’t like the cosmic SF elements of the Fourth World titles, the launch of Eternals must have been a reminder of Jack’s DC work. Here was another epic saga of Space Gods, this time inspired by Erich von Däniken’s extremely popular book, Chariots Of The Gods, that through various dubious photographs and meaningless semi-archaeological mumbo jumbo postulated that the Aztec/Incan ruins were evidence of alien races having visited Earth, where they were worshipped as Gods. It was a ‘crop circles’ phenomenon for the Seventies. Once again, Kirby wanted nothing to do with the established Marvel Universe. Only when sales were bad was he forced to include a robot version of the Hulk in one of his stories to try to save the book. It didn’t, and Eternals was cancelled after #19.

Rather more successfully, Kirby was tasked with creating covers for a wide range of Marvel books, and here his dynamic art style and visual imagination worked at full strength, producing many eye-catching designs for the spinner racks.

It seemed to be that history was repeating itself. Jack had been given full autonomy and once again all his titles had tanked. DC had responded by believing the second wave of Kirby titles would do better. Now Marvel followed the same suit. Jack would create some new titles, and hopefully these ones would prove popular.


Next: Black Panther, Devil Dinosaur and Machine Man.

Mini Reviews 21/06/2009

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

This week also sees the continuation of Matt C's Byrne FF project.


CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
Writers: Ed Brubaker & Various
Art: Butch Guice & Various
Marvel $4.99

Matt C: Without all the ridiculous, overheated hoopla surrounding the release of this issue it might’ve elicited a small measure of surprise. As it stands, this is still a great read but the way Marvel hyped it up has left a slight sour taste in the mouth. Shifting the release date to Monday? For this?! Basically they wanted to big up the Reborn miniseries as there’s nothing more than a tease for the return of a certain character in #600. The irony is, after all this media manipulation, the news hasn’t made anywhere near the mainstream impact as the death of Steve Rogers a couple of years ago. But then, that shouldn’t be a surprise – killing of an icon is a big deal; bringing a comic book character back from the dead happens every other week. The reason Cap’s assassination worked so well is that no one was expecting it, Marvel kept it under their hats under the last minute, and it was a genuine shock. This, on the other hand, was exactly what most people predicted it would be. Pushing all that to one side, and taking into account the fact that all the marketing stuff will be forgotten over time, the story is of the high quality we’ve come to expect from Brubaker on this title. The focus on different characters, using different artists, works well, with David Aja’s prison-set Crossbones section being particularly effective. The back-up stories are perfectly fine and the 1940s reprint is wonderfully ludicrous, so all in all this is good value for money. Just don’t go in looking for something universe-changing – you’re going to have to wait a little while longer for that. 8/10

Matt T: This book feels like how Marvel probably envisioned it: a catch up and introduction for those new to Cap or returning since Bucky took over. Not much significant happens, and there's a whole heap of back stories, lifts and reprints to bulk things out. Of course most of us know that somehow Steve Rogers will be returning, and the manner in which Brubaker has gotten round that pesky old ailment death is ingenious. Quite why it all has to happen now may be obvious from a marketing point of view, but story-wise it all seems rather convenient. Characters suddenly remembering facts from the past and discovering others have simply been waiting for them to burst through the door and say 'ah ha!' doesn't exactly ring true to me to say the least. I'm glad classic Cap is returning, but the speed in which Marvel are doing it seems like far more of a callous marketing decision rather than one of decent storytelling. Annoying. 7/10


RED MASS FOR MARS #3
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Ryan Bodenheim
Image $3.50

Matt C: When the last issue of this hit the shelves my son was newly born and couldn’t do anything except eat, shit and sleep. Now he’s an unstoppable whirlwind, careering round my flat like there’s no tomorrow, so it’s fair to say that a heck of a lot has happened since I read #2 of Red Mass For Mars. And that’s the problem. The amount of comics I read, it’s sometimes difficult to recall what happened in the regular titles on a monthly basis let alone what happened in a comic where the last issue came out ten months ago. Therefore it’s hard to give this a fair review – I remember enough of the plot to know what’s going on, but all the nuances have been lost since last September. There’s blatantly a great deal of intelligence at work here (as with all of Hickman’s stuff) but I feel I need to read the whole thing together to do it justice. Which I will do of course when the next issue is released… hopefully before we reach 2010! 6/10


INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #14
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Wow, Tony’s been on the ‘Most Wanted’ list for what seems like an age now but this title still remains a decent read with the three protagonists – Maria Hill, Pepper Potts in her Rescue mode, and the Iron Man himself – still on the run and still uncertain of their futures. Fraction is doing a great job of writing a book where there is a definite plan but there is no guarantee whatsoever that the good guys can see it through successfully and win this battle against all the odds. The continuous downgrading of Stark’s armour is a great plot mechanism and I have no idea where it will end up, which keeps me wanting to pick this up every month. Even Larroca, whose previous artwork on Uncanny X-Men did little to impress, has surpassed himself on Invincible with the consistent brilliance that he brings to the readers. Speaking to other followers of this book it appears to be forever on the precipice of being dropped but thankfully for me it’s sat comfortably in the bar while others are dancing on the brink. 7/10


THOR: THE TRIAL OF THOR #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Art: Cary Nord
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: The real draw for me picking this up was Cary Nord’s art – anyone who sampled his work on Conan will know he’s pretty adept at rendering big, muscley, sword-wielding chaps in battle. Bar a couple of moments, he doesn’t disappoint, his depiction of the Frost Giants in particular being pretty damn awesome. Shame the story’s a bit crap then, with Odin dispatching the Warriors Three to investigate whether the Thunder God is responsible for a spate of murders. It’s not all bad – Milligan handles Odin fairly well – but the reveal at the end is silly and the whole thing seems a bit unnecessary and not a patch on Fraction’s series of one-shots (except the last one) from last year. 5/10


BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #1
Writer: Paul Dini
Art: Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs
DC $3.99

Matt C: The title Streets Of Gotham conjures up in my mind something along the lines of Gotham Central, a street-level look at the crime-ridden streets of the fictional city rather than another title from the perspective of the Caped Crusader. So what does the debut issue of this new series turn out to be? Another title from the perspective of the Caped Crusader! Oh joy! To be fair, it’s an okay read, and I did really like – for the most part – what Dini and Nguyen were doing on Detective, but coming so soon after the excellent Batman & Robin from Morrison & Quietly this seems kind of superfluous. The Manhunter back-up’s not a bad introduction to a character I’ve not been acquainted with before, but the package as a whole doesn’t scream “Must Buy!”, and with so many other books on the market at the moment I’m not sure I’ll be back for a second helping. 6/10


WAR OF KINGS: ASCENSION #3
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Wellington Alves, Scott Hanna & Nelson Pereira
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Chris Powell continues his nightmarish trip to the null zone this issue while Talon and the newly freed Razor continue to manipulate the course of the War of Kings to their own ends. While certainly not a compulsory addition to the WOK event this title is proving to be an interesting read as Abnett and Lanning add some breadth to the Raptor’s story while also introducing Darkhawk to new readers of the Marvel SBU (c’mon people, Space-Based Universe). The aim here seems to be to expand on just what the Darkhawk armour - and its human ‘pilot’ - are capable of while also bringing a new threat/race to the space-fairing party. Chris Powell’s characterisation seems to be on the money as he comes to terms with the potential that he holds within and applies his abilities to free himself. The end of this issue certainly ties back into the events at the end of WOK #4 but I’m sure that DnA will allow for a sufficient overlap in both titles to prevent this becoming a must-read. Alves is proven on pencils in this realm and delivers as usual. He even manages to match the end sequence with Pelletier’s WOK effort nicely and I’m sure he’s an artist that Marvel will want to be keeping hold of. 7/10


DESTROYER #3
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Cory Walker
Marvel MAX $3.99

Stewart R: What an issue to hit the halfway point of this mini! Keene’s mission to rid the world of his foes has had repercussions for his family before and now with another member in danger the gloves are off and the blood flows. This is brutal and gory stuff but doesn’t feel unnecessary to me – Kirkman is highlighting what a lifetime of crime-fighting, and seeing the offenders get a chance to repeat their carnage, could do to a hero. This of course also applies to what villains with no scruples will be willing to do to see their evil schemes through. Destroyer has been after Scar since this series started and Kirkman even does a good job of making their meeting here a cliché-free encounter with posturing kept to a minimum and the aforementioned brutality raises the tension nicely. This is of course helped fantastically by Cory Walker who is producing some great work and ensuring that this series remains on my pull-list until the end. It won’t be to everyone’s taste but if you like your heroics gritty, bloody and questionable then this is a must-read title. 8/10

Matt C: This issue’s a bit one-note and lacking in soul, which is a bit of a disappointment since one of the best things about the mini so far has been the humanity of characters. The Destroyer confronts his nemesis and the results are suitably blood-splattered – what’s interesting about this is how the tone is totally transformed by having Walker on art duties. Imagine the same script illustrated by someone like Michael Lark or Tommy Lee Edwards and you’d have a different proposition completely. Much as I like what Walker is doing here I wonder if his exaggerated style reduces the impact of some of the more violent sequences, rendering them slightly comical. Or maybe that’s a stroke of genius on Kirkman’s part. Either way, as this issue has reached a place where you’d have imagined the story concluding I’m definitely curious to see what the writer’s got up his sleeve for the remaining two issues. 6/10


DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS #2
Writer: Paul Cornell
Art: Mark Brooks
Marvel $3.99

Matt T: The first issue of this comic was an odd mix of being overly gritty and dark while trying to come across as a superhero book. It had it's strong points, but the new team seem to almost have some forced issues, such as the racist who's training a robot to be likewise, or the nympho witch. The second instalment brings the original Young Avengers into play, and reminds me why their book was so damn good. The dynamic of the characters, the interplay and the balance of the team, is all ripe for a new series, making this bunch of wannabes a space-filler for the time being. They might have potential as arch-foes for the future, but right now they’re just not interesting enough. 6/10


INCOGNITO #4
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Sean Phillips
Marvel/Icon $3.50

Matt C: Take a pinch of Criminal and a smattering of Sleeper and you’ll get an idea of whereabouts Incognito sits genre-wise, and while it doesn’t scale the same heights of brilliance as those two series it’s clear that when Brubaker and Phillips get together, magic happens. There are few writers working in the medium today who can match Brubaker for getting right into the core of damaged, dangerous men who are out of their depth, and there are few artists who can place these men in such deliciously lurid and gritty cityscapes. I’m very much looking to the return of Criminal but this is an enjoyably hardboiled excursion for the creators in the meantime. 8/10


CABLE #15
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Art: Ariel Olivetti
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: If there's one gripe about Cable in it's current state it's that there's no real need for X-Force to be here, but for some reason I have to still buy their comic to know what the hell is going on. I quite like the central story involving the return of Stryfe, along with Bishop once again trying to murder Hope, the 'mutant messiah, but failing miserably. The way the tension is ramping up makes me a little irritated that I have to sit through Apocalypse's return as well as a character from NYX randomly making a cameo. Here's to hoping they get to the meat of the story instead of trying to distract me with pointless side dishes. 7/10


DARK REIGN: MR NEGATIVE #1
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Art: Gianluca Gugliotta, Lanning & Justice
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Why do I get the feeling that the Spider-Man Braintrust came up with this brilliant underworld character and now that ideas have changed and new characters have a greater emphasis on them in the Marvel Universe, that he’s not going to get the great Spider-villain role that he deserves? It’s not that this Dark Reign tie-in is a bad read – Van Lente offers us a look at just how deep the Hood’s claws have a hold in New York’s underworld and the effect it is having on Mr Negative and the other criminal elements – it’s just not that great. Having Spider-Man turn up seems like the right thing to have happen considering the setting and those involved, but I just wonder if leaving the webslinger on the periphery would have made this a more intriguing prospect as the criminal bosses battle it out, rather than throwing him into the midst of it all. Someone is going to have to delve further into Martin Li’s past at some stage but I don’t think it’ll be here and at $3.99 I’m not really sure I’m convinced enough by the first instalment of this mini to warrant parting with more money for the rest of it. 4/10


FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #17
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $1.00

Matt C: A good decade or so before Morrison and Millar introduced us to the Skrull Kill Krew, Byrne was playing with a very similar idea – instead of Skrull beef it’s Skrull milk that turns people wacky! This annual shows us what the FF were up to while Doc Doom took over their title in #258, and it sees the foursome descending on a remote town where the population have all obtained monstrous shape-shifting abilities from drinking the white stuff. It’s not quite milk though, as Reed states in these immortal lines of dialogue: “Although the Skrulls would imitated most bovine functions I doubt they would have been actually lactating. The milk equivalent they produced would have carried the genetic matrix of a fully developed Skrull, and would have attacked and modified any non-Skrull cell tissue it encountered.” Genius. It’s utterly ludicrous but Byrne pulls it off with ease – a thoroughly entertaining all-in-one tale, and you wonder how the hell he managed to get this out (writing and art chores) while still taking care of the monthly title. 8/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #259
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne

Marvel $0.60

Matt C: Doom’s plan to wipe out the FF gets underway here as Terrax/Tyros attacks Ben, with Johhny swiftly joining the fray, and Victor himself confronts Sue. Reed’s out of the picture currently - “over at Avenger’s mansion” - but as the scale of the conflict increases he’s bound to get in on the action soon – there’s enough mayhem going on that it even grabs the attention of a certain silver-skinned ex-herald of Galactus. The art’s stupendous as always, and some great sound-effects make an appearance in this issue - Byrne even transforms a two-page panel into the word “wham” as the Thing is punched through a supermarket! 8/10

Mini Reviews 14/06/2009

While we may not always have the time to review all the comics we get every week, we do try and provide a snapshot of the latest releases, mixing the good with the not so good.

This week also sees the continuation of Matt C's Byrne FF project.


FANTASTIC FOUR #567
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Bryan Hitch, Cam Smith, Andrew Currie, Victor Olazaba & Mark Pennigton
Mavrel $2.99

Matt C: Waitaminute, what’s going on here? Didn’t I drop this title about a year ago following increasing disillusion over the way Millar was handling Marvel’s First Family?! Indeed I did. But recently I’ve been hearing things. Things that suggested I made a rather impulsive decision. One of the phrases I heard was that Millar’s take on the FF was “ripe for reassessment”, in particular this current arc, Masters Of Doom. Ok, ok, it features my fave villain of all time, so why not give it another shot? Well, I went in with an open mind but I have to say all the reasons why I gave on this run before are still in eveidence. Millar is continuing to treat the Marvel Universe as his own personal toybox, knocking things down with abandon regardless of the long-term consequences (or in many cases, with no acknowledgement of what’s gone before). As with Old Man Logan, he goes for the big “wow” moments but fails to back them up with anything of substance. Obviously the quick succession of these moments makes it read like a bit of a page-turner, but ultimately it’s both unsatisfying and infuriating. Hitch’s art seems to have got back on track a bit though, but while the backdrops are rendered in fine detail some of the facial expressions are a bit ropey (I guess it doesn’t help having four separate inkers on one book!). So I tried, but I’m still not seeing the appeal. I’ll wait on Jonathan Hickman’s arrival before I get back on board. 4/10


ANNA MERCURY 2 #1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Facundo Percio & Digikore Studios
Avatar Press $3.99

James R: Phew, Warren Ellis is on a fierce streak at the moment, with Doktor Sleepless, No Hero and Ignition City all being highly readable and chock-full o’ ideas, and it’s great to see that Anna Mercury 2 seems to be up to the same high standard. If this issue is anything to go by it's shaping up to be an improvement on the sterling work in the previous run. This time Anna is dispatched to a parallel Earth that’s starting to punch holes into hers, and as with the first series, you feel like you’re watching some ultra-kinetic action movie. Facundo Percio’s art is sharper than before, and because this is Ellis we’re talking about, you know that the next issue will feature some cool high-end science concept or a maniacal homicidal bastard. Or both! If you’re a sci-fi geek, or an action junkie, this book won’t let you down. 8/10


RESURRECTION V2 #1
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Art: Justin Greenwood
Oni Press $3.99

Matt C: A welcome return for this series and it’s good to see Oni getting behind it in a big way (cheap first volume collection; chosen for their FCBD comic; now in colour!) because it certainly deserves an audience that will stick by it and allow it to develop. Regular readers will get no surprises from this issue as it fast-forwards through events for a new group of survivors (although there’s a nice bit of symmetry with the opening chapter of the first volume) but newbies should be well-served with this and get the gist of it fairly quickly. A solid issue of a series that I think will reward fans in the long-term. 7/10


BOOSTER GOLD #21
Writer: Dan Jurgens & Matthew Sturges
Art: Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund & Mike Norton
DC $3.99

Matt T: For once a $3.99 comic that actually gives you something extra for the cash! With a Blue Beetle backup story this issue of Booster Gold is pretty good value, especially as BB was one of my regulars before it got canned. The main storyline gives Booster yet another Batman crossover, this time trying to insure he still exists after some tinkering with time by the Black Beetle. The manner in which this book intertwines with Battle For The Cowl goes to show one of its strong points, as it not only rewards regular readers but allows other comics to be introduced in a way which isn't detrimental to the story. I'm intrigued to see how Booster unravels this chaotic mess, especially as his mentor Rip Hunter is clearly hiding something. 7/10


TOY STORY: MYSTERIOUS STRANGER #1
Writer: Dan Jolley
Art: Chris Moreno
Boom! Studios $2.99

Matt C: Another Pixar book from Boom! to add to their Kids imprint, but as much as I love the movies (and I really love them – both modern classics!) this is pitched at a very young audience. Anybody looking for the smart, subtle scripting seen in the films won’t find it here as the book goes for a much more straightforward approach - which is fine, it’s a perfectly okay read that will appeal youngsters, it’s just a shame the all-ages approach Mark Waid is successfully utilising in the Incredibles book isn’t present here. 5/10


ABSOLUTION #0
Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Robert Viacava
Avatar $1.99

Matt C: Christos Gage joins the likes of Garth Ennis and the prolific Warren Ellis, hopping across to Avatar who've given him the opportunity to produce a superhero tale with a far more ‘adult’ bent than he’d get away with at Marvel or DC. It’s moderately intriguing, with the kind of horrific imagery you won’t be surprised to see in an Avatar book, and there’s some strong work from Viacava, but overall the notion of a serial-killing superhero doesn’t quite grab me in the way it might do in other hands. Nothing particularly wrong with this ‘teaser’ issue, but also nothing that makes me feel like I’d want to pay $3.99 a month to keep up with the story. 6/10


WOLVERINE #74
Writers: Jason Aaron & Daniel Way
Art: Adam Kubert, Tommy Lee Edwards & Mark Farmer
Marvel $2.99

Matt C: Daniel Way’s biker story runs out of steam this time, too hackneyed to be anything more than diverting, although Edwards gritty art is still effective. Aaron’s tale doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of the first instalment, but Logan and Spidey’s barroom conversation is nicely handled and there’s a good amount of humour to intersperse the soul-searching. Next issue sees the book turn into Dark Wolverine and me run off in the opposite direction! 6/10


BUCK ROGERS #1
Writer: Scott Beatty
Art: Carlos Rafael
Dynamite $3.50

Andy H: While the zero issue left me a little bemused, #1 gets off to a much better start. I'm guessing most of us know the story: modern day chap finds himself stranded in the future. The question is, how will this version differ from what's gone before? This issue deals with Buck's crash-landing and first meeting with Wilma Deering. There's also flashbacks to the events prior to Buck leaving the 21st century. All in all a promising start, story flows nicely and art is good (Wilma looks great in her Trans-suit!). Oh, and did I mention the bear with the ray gun? 7/10


X-FACTOR #44
Writer: Peter David
Art: Marco Santucci, Valentine De Landro & various
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: Monet is a character who, to me, has had far more personality than her powers would normally allow. Being a super-strong psychic makes her capable of kicking most people's asses, but the fact that she plays the spoiled princess so well means half the time she doesn't bother. Putting her front and centre, and having her unashamedly flirt with Darwin, makes this issue of X-Factor a real winner with me, even if we don't find out if Rictor and Strong Guy get beaten down by a possessed Shatterstar. The future stuff with Jamie, although my least favourite element, is starting to come into line with the other plots meaning a superb finish should be on the cards. 8/10


THE UNWRITTEN #2
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Peter Gross
DC/Vertigo $2.99

Matt T: After the first issue of this book I was mostly positive, with a hint of concern that the weight of the ideas behind it could potentially bog it down. Fortunately #2 establishes the core of a mystery/thriller, rather than a psychological investigation of our relationship with fiction. The central character is an interesting quandary of a man completely at odds with his apparent origin, and the unfussy artwork really emphasises the real-world setting. For once I'm going to congratulate the colouring in a comic as well (from Yuko Shimizu), as The Unwritten keeps things suitably muted until the plot calls for otherwise. Good stuff. 8/10

James R: After last month’s spectacular start, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second issue of The Unwritten to see if it Messers Carey and Gross could keep the tale of Tommy Taylor to the same level, and I’m pleased to report that chapter two is just as compelling as the first. Taylor starts to ask questions about his murky past and finds that the worlds of fiction and reality may not be as separate as he thought. It might not sound much, but Carey keeps us on our toes by shifting characters around, leaving us to question who remains friend or foe in this title. (And any comic that features my old university, UCL in London, gets double points!) Erudite and fast-paced in ideas, and beautifully illustrated by Peter Gross, this joins Incognito as a buy-and-devour-at-all-costs title. 9/10

Matt C: Not quite the home run of the first issue but still a compelling read. Carey continues to play with the various methods of communication of the modern world and Gross’s clean linework is absorbing and effective. There are some minor concerns – whether Tommy Taylor is likeable enough to sustain a series; whether or not the mystery of his identity will be resolved quickly and what could come next – but Carey’s writing exudes a confidence that forces any doubts to the back of your mind. 7/10


SOUL KISS #5
Writer: Steven T. Seagle
Art: Marco Cinello
Image $3.50

Matt C: Looking back at this mini now it’s reached its conclusion the plot feels a little too slender to make it have any lasting impression. It was nicely handled, with a good amount of black humour, but there was nothing especially original dropped in to avoid it becoming predictable. What was quite special though, was Cinello’s striking, stylised art – check out his splash-page rendition of Hell, and then compare it to the Darwyn Cooke-esque final page. The guys got plenty of tricks up his sleeve so hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of him. 6/10


LOCKJAW & THE PET AVENGERS #2
Writer: Chris Eliopoulos
Art: Ig Guara
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: The team now assembled, Lockjaw sets off for the Savage Land to safely reclaim the next of the Infinity Gems. Well, that would be the case but you can rarely mention the words ‘safe’ and ‘Savage Land’ in the same sentence. Suffice to say there’s some amusing prehistoric action to be had as another famous pet makes an appearance and helps the team with their quest. This is good, clean fun and the sort of story that reminds me of Saturday cartoons in the ‘80s where animals often played the lead characters. The artwork is bold and bright and the jokes and laughs frequent. There are hotheads, leaders, and the signposted comedy relief, but it doesn’t feel clichéd. Eliopoulos appears to be moving this title around the various realms of the Marvel world and this visit to the Savage Land makes sense in the grand scheme, but my only concern at present is that the pacing over four issues may not do the finale justice when it arrives. 7/10


UNTHINKABLE #2
Writer: Mark Sable
Art: Julian Totino Tedesco & Juan Manuel Tumburus
Boom! Studios $3.99

James R: After last month’s high-concept opening, how did #2 pan out? All told, this one is worth your $3.99! I was a huge fan of Vertigo’s The Losers and I certainly feel that the genre of real-world based epic blow-outs is one that comics should delve into more. At the moment we’re in the midst of blockbuster season at the cinema, and one truism that gets trotted out about the movies is that the bigger the budget, the stupider the plot attached will be. Reading Unthinkable is like peeking into a parallel dimension where big-budget action movies are made for people with a more sophisticated sensibility. In this issue Mark Sable nicely splices together the mystery thriller elements of the Think Tank with a cool action sequence that the Bond movies would be proud of. The series has found its voice very quickly, and is moving at breakneck speed. Three issues to go and I feel there’s a lot more fun to be had from this title. 8/10

Stewart R: A great first issue followed by a great second effort as Sable sets out his stall for where he plans to take this title over the next four instalments. The fallout for the ‘attacks’ has governments pointing fingers at each other, with the same thing happening to the former members of the secret Think Tank who may or may not be responsible for the crisis the world finds itself in. Sable manages to keep the mistrust amongst the group to a believable level with various members having suspicions and secrets hanging over their heads. Keeping the story revolving around Alan Ripley and his family ensures that, while the plot is free to play the ‘cross and doublecross’ card when it’s necessary, the pacing doesn’t go spinning off into a confusing game of Guess Who. Todesco does another fabulous job with the pencils and inks to help with this, delivering every emotion required to keep the tension bubbling nicely, and the scene on the oil rig proves that he can produce brilliant work when there’s no call for speech or explanation. I have to say that it’d be truly unthinkable for me to miss the third issue! 9/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #511
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Greg Land & Jay Leisten
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: There really isn't much point in me once again illustrating how this book plays to Greg Lands strengths, and how the majority of the female characters look alike. This is a fluffy, featherlite comic with little in the way of dramatic weight or understanding of the characters, instead being a series of battles in which groups of Page 3 models get sliced up. My biggest gripe is that it isn't even half as clever as it thinks it is, and there sheer amount of characters introduced then thrown away with similar thoughtlessness and lack of invention really puts a black mark against Matt Fraction in my mind. 3/10

Stewart R: Well, I had the knives out last issue but this is actually a decent end to the Sisterhood arc. Fraction brings the fighting to a head as Madelyne Prior makes her last play to install herself in Jean Grey’s corpse and half the team take on the resurrected Psylocke. There are some really nice touches here from writer and artist alike; yep I’m sending a small amount of praise in the direction of Greg Land. While we’re still bombarded with generic catalogue-model beauties, he handles the action with some aplomb. The double-page fight at Westchester where every character only utters a single word in each panel is terrific and the Dazzler vs Psylocke throw down is well realised. While this is an improvement on previous issues there are still some questions, for instance, why has Storm’s presence throughout been so muted considering her powerset? Fraction may just have too many characters at his disposal at the moment, but even including Ororo here seems a little forced and unnecessary. Special note has to go to the final two pages of the issue which brings a lot of the mistrust, misdirection and secret dealings that have been occurring in the Graymalkin complex recently to the surface, and it’s these points that will surely play out in the upcoming run of Uncanny Norman Osborn (writers' liberty has been taken with the title there…) 7/10


FLASH: REBIRTH #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Ethan Van Sciver
DC $2.99

James R: Three issues in and I’m really enjoying Flash: Rebirth. It’s by no means redefining comics, nor is it even the best thing I’ve read this week, but dang it – there’s something cool about this comic that’s kept me coming back. Maybe it’s Geoff Johns’ expansion and elaboration on the speed force (in this issue, he draws parallels with the Hindu concept of Brahman, religion fans!) or perhaps it’s Ethan Van Sciver’s pencils (and excellent layouts) or maybe it’s just the fact that the part of me that’s still ten years old loves the idea that the Flash and Superman would ever get into anything as illogical and fantastic as a footrace, but still the fact remains – this is a quality book, and it’s good to see DC giving the Flash universe the title it deserves. 8/10

Matt C: There’s absolutely no doubting he’s a great writer – DC’s best – and that he has the knack of breathing new life into dated concepts, but on occasion Geoff Johns does seem to bog his stories down with impenetrable continuity. Most times he does the opposite, but with Flash: Rebirth there’s way more than one occasion where I’m feeling like my knowledge of the character isn’t extensive enough to get the full picture and, to be honest, there’s more than one occasion where I’m left wondering what the hell is going on! I love all the flashbacks of Barry’s first dates with Iris, but although the colourful, dynamic art makes it a fairly brisk and energetic read it still doesn’t prevent me from feeling lost in the plot fairly frequently. More clarity is needed to make this series fulfil its potential. 6/10


THE UNKNOWN #2
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Mink Oosterveer
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: Waid’s Irredeemable is currently getting all the hype and plaudits – deservedly so of course – but it does seem to have caused this gem of a miniseries to fly under many people’s radars. That’s a real shame as The Unknown is developing into something special. A world-renowned detective witnessing brain-tumour induced hallucinations while trying to solve the mystery of a stolen device that can measure the human soul on a quantum level(!), this is a gripping read that delivers a bristling mix of action, adventure and intrigue with real skill and verve. On top of that, Oosterveer shows he can whip up fast-paced sequences as well as dropping in some freaky imagery. If you’re a fan of Waid’s writing and you haven’t given this a look already then I urge you to seek copies of the first two issues out at your earliest opportunity. 8/10


DEADPOOL #11
Writer: Daniel Way
Art: Paco Medina
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Seriously? No? Surely it hasn’t been a month already since my last dose of fourth-wall breaking mayhem? Well evidently it has been, and this Way-penned, wacky Wade Wilson wagon wheels back into town (go on, six times fast!). We left Deadpool last issue having something of a William Tell moment with Bulls/Hawkeye and the story picks up again with Bullseye trying to decide just what to do with his ‘prize’. The radio station phone-in and Deadpool’s ‘antenna’ are amusing enough but it’s how the Crimson Nutcase gets back into the fight that steals the show with the emphasis once more shifting to the various parts of Wade’s personality. We’re getting closer to the first anniversary of this title and I’m struggling to think of a single poor moment in the run to date, or for that matter when I last saw a comic cover where the main character spoke… The only things to maybe worry about at the moment is the number of other Deadpool titles finding their way to the shelves and the possibility that the creative team may be in for a shake-up. 8/10

Matt T: This issue shows the depth of understanding of the spandex ball of insanity that is Deadpool that Daniel Way has. After an arrow to the brain he shambles around, with only one of the voices in his head making any sense. A writer with a lesser handle on the Merc With A Mouth would have simply had him pull the arrow out and get on with killing people, but Way manages to create genuine humour and some thrilling battles along the way. As a character study this book is top notch, but it’s even better as a laugh-out-loud comic which breaks just about every superhero comic rule along the way. 9/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #258
Writer: John Byrne
Writer: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: No exaggeration, this is probably one of the greatest issues of Fantastic Four ever published, but surprisingly neither Reed, Sue, Ben nor Johnny make an appearance. So how can I lavish an issue of FF with such praise if the titular stars don’t even turn up? The brilliant cover should give the game away – Doctor Doom gets all of the 22-pages of story to himself, and it’s absolutely, well, fantastic! I grew up with Byrne’s interpretation of the Monarch of Latveria so for me it will always be the definitive version of the character, and this is one of the finest examples of why the writer was so adept at handling Doom. Surveying his kingdoms, he muses “The people are happy and content. As I have commanded they be….” – lines like that bring an instant grin to my face, and there’s plenty more where that came from. We see the FF’s greatest adversary attending to matters of the state, teaching his new ‘apprentice’ the variety of tasks required of an absolute ruler, as well as putting all the pieces in place for his latest venture, “the ulimate destruction of the Fantastic Four!” (You know, that phrase has a familiar ring to it…). All that and you also get Byrne on fire in the artistic department: wonderful panel composition, intricate detail and powerful imagery. When it comes to superhero fiction, it doesn’t really get much better than this. 10/10

Ten Forward: August 2009

Every month we spend an evening scouring the pages of the latest issue of Previews and pick the ten titles we are looking forward to the most. This month it's the June issue of Previews which includes comics scheduled to ship in August 2009.

GRANDVILLE HC
Writer: Bryan Talbot
Art: Bryan Talbot
Dark Horse $17.95

Rob N: I’ve enjoyed Bryan Talbot’s creator-owned comics since the early days of Luther Arkwright. While it can be argued that he borrows rather heavily from Michael Moorcock’s Jerry Cornelius and Oswald Bastable books, that does at least indicate he has good taste. Grandville is a familiar looking steampunk Victorian world but with the addition of…. badgers! For, this time around (perhaps to distance the comic from the similar nature of his Heart of Empire series), Bryan has chosen to populate his fictional world with anthropomorphic animals of the intelligent, talking variety. Badgers are of course hard bastards who, if they were human size, could have you on toast, no questions asked. Victorian badgers would be even worse. Yes my friends, if you’re going to have talking animal books, then badger ones make sense for heroic flights of fantasy like Grandville. Hopefully there will be some weasels too.


BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1
Writer: Peter J Tomasi
Art: Adrian Saef & John Dell
DC $2.99

James R: In a word, tasty! By the time August comes around, Dick Grayson should have that cowl well broken in as the new Batman, and DC’s mega-event Blackest Night will be well under way. This three-issue mini series smooshes the two events together in Batman: Blackest Night. Basically, I’m still a bit of a sucker for anything with the word ‘Batman’ in front of it, but when you add in an element as bonkers as ‘Zombie Flying Graysons’ and a perpetually groovy co-star in Deadman, then you have a comic that demands the once-over! DC is also running a Superman mini to tie in with Blackest Night if you find your taste for the undead isn’t satisfied easily. (Urgh. That sounds foul – apologies!)


THE DARKNESS/PITT #1
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Art: Dale Keown
Image/Top Cow $2.99

Andy H: Ever since his work on Incredible Hulk (seems so long ago now!) Dale Keown has always been an artist to look out for. He's been seen most recently doing cover art but now he's back teaming his own creation, Pitt, with the Darkness. Written by Paul Jenkins, Pitt finds himself in New York after tracking victims of an alien virus. Once there it's only a matter of time before Pitt and Jackie Estacado cross paths. For me the story could take second place to the art but that would be unfair to Jenkins as he is a great writer and I expect his usual high standards for this story; I just love Keown's work though. There's so much detail there you just find yourself repeatedly going over each page to soak it all up for fear of missing something. Mayhem and madness, just the way I like it!


SWORDSMITH ASSASSIN #1
Writer: Andrew Cosby & Michael Allan Nelson
Art: Ayhan Khayrula
Boom! Studios $3.99

Stewart R: Boom! have been impressing lately with fresh new titles such as Unthinkable, Irredeemable and Unknown, and the prospect of more titles of such high quality has this previewer a little excited. The premise here, while simple, sounds extremely promising – Toshiro Ono, the titular Swordsmith has a reputation as one of the finest blacksmiths around but when his family is cut down with his own deadly creations he sets out to ensure that none of his swords ever kill again. Revenge stories set in feudal Japan can occasionally be found throughout the modern media spectrum but the fact that Ono’s own livelihood has led to his current predicament/mission leads me to think that this will be a slight break from convention that could set it apart.


THE MARVELS PROJECT #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Steve Epting
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: What I’d really love to see is Millar and Epting (or maybe Michael Lark) tackle the Invaders in the Band Of Brothers-esque style we saw in early issues of the current run of Captain America. That doesn’t seem to be on the agenda for now, but this mini – dealing with the same WWII time period – certainly looks like it can fill that void. Brubaker has described this as a “big epic” that will tie together all of the threads that make up the birth of the Marvel Universe as we know it. Considering what he and Epting have been whipping up on Cap I can’t see any reason why this won’t wind up on most discerning comics fans pull-lists!


ADVENTURE COMICS #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapol
DC $3.99

James R: On the surface, this might not be the most jaw-dropping of titles – the return of Superboy (bumped off in Infinite Crisis) and the Legion of Superheroes (who have had more false starts than a truckload of caffeine-addled sprinters in the last 10 years). However, this is a must-read as it’s the latest from DC’s own Boy Wonder, Geoff Johns, and the artwork from Manapol looks lush, reminiscent of Pascal Ferry at his best. To top it all off you get two stories for your $3.99; Dan DiDio spelt out in no uncertain terms at the Bristol Expo that if DC were going to charge $3.99 for a book, then you would be getting your money’s worth. Bravo to that, and I’ll be picking this up to see if Johns can keep up his fantastic run of form.


KING CITY #1
Writer: Brandon Graham
Art: Brandon Graham
Image $2.99

Stewart R: I missed King City the first time around so I’m glad Image and Tokyopop have decided to remaster the original series and drag Brandon Graham back to ensure this gets a look in as an ongoing. The premise is bonkers – Joe is a ‘Catmaster’ who’s feline pet can transform into any device, be it a bazooka or blender, to help him in his career as a thief-for-hire in big ol’ King City – and though I’m not into manga in a big way, Graham’s American influence can be seen in the zany artwork. I failed to pick this up before as I was only dipping my toes into the wonderful ocean of comics and now it’s time to go for a swim in King City methinks! Bring on the bonkers!


ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Carlos Pacheco
Marvel $3.99

Rob N: Marvel has made many mistakes during its publishing history, but surely few mistakes can match the decision to hand volume three of the Ultimates (a change of direction that was about as welcome as a piece of dog shit on the sole of your shoe) over to Jeph Loeb. The first issue of that ill-fated series still stands as my least favourite individual comic ever. That volumes one and two of the Ultimates were near perfect examples of what the superhero genre is capable of only made the title’s fall all the more pronounced. But now we have the return of Mark Millar, chief architect of everything (other than the art itself) that made the original run spectacular from the outset. It’s a shame that Bryan Hitch isn’t back onboard as well, but at least with Millar handling the characters we’ll get dialogue and behaviour that seems credible and realistic. Perhaps we can hope that Millar simply ignores everything that happened in volume three without even bothering to retcon or try to make sense of it.


THE RED CIRCLE ONE-SHOTS
Writer: J. Michael Stracynski
Art: Various
DC $2.99

Matt T: Good old JMS debuts at DC with four long forgotten Golden Age heroes (much like the other book he should be bloody well writing, The Twelve), bringing them into more modern times. The Hangman, Inferno, the Web and the Shield - which is the only character I'm familiar with - all sound interesting in a slightly recognizable manner. As there're a few variations on the same theme kicking around at the moment with differing levels of effectiveness I'm apprehensive, but at least the characters aren't committed to a long run.


FANTASTIC FOUR #570
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Dale Eaglesham
Marvel $2.99

James R: The foreplay is over! After the magnificent introduction in the Dark Reign miniseries, Jonathan Hickman is finally let loose on the Fantastic Four proper. What’s happening? No idea. Trust me, it won’t matter – the man who brought you Pax Romana, Transhuman and Secret Warriors doesn’t really need a hook, this should be solid gold from the first issue. Given the ‘Dark’ nature of the Marvel Universe at the moment, it would be great to see Hickman reminding everyone of what makes Marvel (and the FF) great – human characterisation mixed with big ideas. Be there at the start, and you can brag about it to your friends when this title goes nova.