Mini Reviews 30/08/2009

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.


28 DAYS LATER #1
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Art: Declan Shalvey
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: I absolutely loved the first movie (Danny Boyles’s best in my eyes) but wasn’t really that keen on the sequel, so my thinking was that maybe this series would fall somewhere inbetween. Unfortunately that doesn’t turn out to be the case: where the first movie was wildly inventive and utterly nerve-shredding, this book (which is a more direct continuation of the events of Boyle's film than we saw in 28 Weeks Later) is incredibly formulaic. Think of any movie, comic or book that features a group of cocky individuals taking a lone survivor back into hostile territory and you’ve pretty much got the template for this debut issue (something like James Cameron’s Aliens would be a good example). I enjoyed the original movie so much because it felt fresh and new; the follow-up just trotted out things we’d seen countless times elsewhere and therefore couldn’t avoid being far inferior. Same deal with this comic by the looks of it. There are some nice artistic flourishes here and there but I kind of know already that I won’t be seeing anything I’ve not already seen before. I’ll sit this one out. 5/10


DARK AVENGERS #8
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Luke Ross
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: A deep and fantastic "YEEEEESSSSSS" whistled from between my teeth this week – in a public place no less - thanks to this brilliant chapter of the Utopia storyline. Watching the events unfold and Osborn’s grip slowly unravel has been a pure pleasure fest. Fraction has really been hitting his stride while other Dark Reign-related writers have struggled and flagged under the long running, cross-title concept. He really seems to understand what to do with a huge cast of mutant characters with deep histories and familiar quirks and personalities. Seeing Cyclops as a true leader is fantastic as his agonizing and worrying over past years was growing tired very quickly. Of course fans of Dark Avengers may feel a little aggrieved that this is essentially an X-Men issue but I’m guessing the grumbles will be fairly muted in light of the quality on show here. 9/10


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

Matt C: The release of this issue managed to highlight that I somehow managed to miss the last instalment of Hickman’s Dark Reign: FF!! That’s an error which will soon be rectified, but in the meantime I didn’t have any problems getting my teeth into his first script for the main title. After the less-than-impressive run by Millar & Hitch on Fantastic Four it’s good to be able to finally pick this book up again and get a full dose of the requisite blend of big sci-fi ideas, thrilling action and spot-on character dynamics. In fact, Hickman handling of the family aspects of the team is probably my favourite thing about his take on them so far, particularly the way he’s giving Franklin and Valeria an ample share of the limelight. Eaglesham’s art is on the whole really impressive, although I’m not quite sure he’s nailed the Thing yet (and maybe Reed is a little too bulked up) but if you’re familiar with it from his recent stint on JSA you’ll know he can deliver on the superhero action front. Plotwise, Reed’s secret rendezvous with some familiar looking faces reminded me of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs storyline from Walt Simonson’s stint on Avengers, but there’s more than enough here to suggest Hickman won’t be retreading well worn paths. An excellent start, all told. 8/10

James R: At last, the stellar talent of Jonathan Hickman gets his hands on the regular Fantastic Four after his great work on the Dark Reign miniseries. If you picked that up, you’ll have a good idea what to expect here – Hickman continues to examine the mind and motivations of Reed Richards, and the Marvel multiverse. I loved it, but to be honest, he’s giving me exactly what I want – the ‘Big Science/Big Ideas’ concept is the thing that I enjoy the most about the title. Dale Eaglesham gives the title an '80s feel (something reinforced by the return of the '80s cover title.) I’ve said before that one of my litmus tests for comics is re-readability – do I go back and re-read it when I’ve finished, or is it a bit lightweight? The good news is that Hickman has fashioned a compelling read that makes you think, and prompts you to look at it again. Not quite John Byrne brilliant yet, but a start as solid as the Thing’s noggin. 8/10


X-FORCE #18
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Art: Mike Choi & Sonia Oback
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: With the rather pointless Cable crossover (ok Stew, let it go now) well and truly behind us we are back into the happy readership territory as X-Force go about solving those problems that call for action first and thinking later. Kyle and Yost are completely comfortable with these complicated mutants and I’m glad that they have bothered to flush out the ending of the Leper Queen’s plan here, bringing all of the time travellers’ stories back together. Other writers may have passed over this quickly but allowing us to seeing Warpath’s ever-unforgiving nature is a good reminder that no one is passing through the membership of this team unscathed. The only misstep here is Rahne’s rather bonkers outing with Hrimhari and the Snow Giants, but when followed so well by a tense Wolverine/Cyclops meeting it’s no biggie. Choi is doing some great work on this title and the X-23 scenes are truly harrowing thanks to his touch. 8/10


GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #17
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Brad Walker, Victor Olazaba & Scott Hanna
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: "I AM GROOT!" One of my favourite lines from any comic book in the past few years and it gets better every single time thanks to the writing talents of Abnett and Lanning. No other writers out there seem able to craft a truly tense, team-based story and fill it with belly-wobbling humour. Their other skill is to drag you off to one side of the universe in one issue and then back the next without ever losing scope of the bigger picture. In light of the twists in this particular issue it also seems that they are aware that characters inevitably come and go but half the fun is wondering who may reach a premature demise. Brad Walker is a revelation indeed and I’m hoping that he gets a regular run on this title soon as his ability to capture the cosmic-craziness is immense and the level of detail on a page is truly amazing without being overwhelming. Oh go on, just pick up a copy and see what I mean! 9/10


BATMAN & ROBIN #3
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely
DC $2.99

James R: Dan DiDio described this issue as being a cross between The Dark Knight movie and the Adam West TV series from the '60s. It sounds bonkers, but it’s an apposite description. This is a comic that, when you look at the individual components it shouldn’t work, but thankfully it does. Firstly, it’s tough to get new characters to stick, but Professor Pyg is a brilliantly creepy invention, disco dancing and all. Even more surprising is how much I’m taking to Damien – like a lot of fandom, I thought he was annoying brat when introduced in Batman & Son but Grant Morrison has developed him magnificently. However, my admiration for this issue is now tempered with trepidation – given Frank Quitley’s excellent art, we will now have to see how the book looks without him. Philip Tan is an admirable replacement, but as to whether he can bring the same feel and level of quality to the title… time will tell. But for now, this has been a treat for even the most jaded of Bat-fans. 9/10

Matt C: It’s the art and characterization that succeed in this issue as the plot doesn’t really deliver on the promise of the first two instalments. To be honest, I was a little confused at points and I did wonder, “Is that it?” on more than one occasion. The positives outweigh the negatives though: the dynamism and kineticism in Quitely’s linework is frequently astonishing while Morrison has not only made Dick Grayson a worthy replacement to Bruce Wayne in a short space of time, but has also added facets to Damien’s personality that make him far more appealing proposition. The fact that the release of this, only the third issue, has been delayed is a little worrying though. 7/10


DARK REIGN: SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #3
Writer: Brian Reed
Art: Rob Disalvo, Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, Mendoza & Sibal.
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Sigh. It’s not that Rob Disalvo is a poor artist to any degree but it’s just that he’s not Chris Bachalo and no matter how hard you try you will not be able to meld the two artists well. It previously worked on New Avengers with Billy Tan but that was because two stories were running in parallel; here the difference is plain to see. The story is pretty decent with the Redeemer’s bunch of villains luring Gargan out with a threat to the city that only he can diffuse, and the actual battle is a delight of Bachalo carnage. It’s not often in a mainstream title that you also read the line “I’m… in… his… sphincter” either and Reed has the black comedy element sewn up nicely. It’s just a terrible shame that Marvel couldn’t have held off for one darn month to allow a single artist to work on this. Pure Bachalo next month though.YIPPEE! 7/10


GREEN LANTERN #45
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy & Tom Nguyen
DC $2.99

Stewart R: Let me just start by saying that Doug Mahnke’s artwork on this Blackest Night storyline is truly superb. The number of double and single ‘splash’ pages ( often used as something of a cheap thrill in lesser hands) are a real treat as we skip from pillar-to-post in search of other nervy and tense Lantern battles. This is rather light on the Green Lanterns but there’s plenty of other shades that get covered; the main focus on Carol Ferris and Sinestro is thoroughly entertaining as they battle while brutally ‘discussing’ the merits and downfalls of each others’ philosophy. Johns’ is fully aware that he has a lot to cover through this multi-title event and he manages to keep the location-hopping fairly cohesive with some great teasers as the payoff. Finding out what part Agent Orange will play is high on my list of things to do next month. 8/10


INCREDIBLE HULK #601
Writer: Greg Pak
Art: Ariel Oliveti
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: The first issue of the Loeb/McGuiness Hulk was enough to make me steer clear of the character for a while, but now that Greg Pak has returned to the main title I’m more than willing to give the Green Goliath’s adventures another look. It’s a pretty good start: Banner’s ‘meeting’ with the “smartest people on the planet” was well executed and the exaggerated realism of Oliveti’s art seems like a good fit for the tone of the story. I’m still not completely convinced by Skaar, but at least the “Who’s Conan?” comment shows Pak’s got a good sense of humour when it comes to the criticism levelled at the character. Perhaps the most surprising thing for me is how much I enjoyed the All New Savage She-Hulk backup – it features the same kind of witty, restless vibe that you see in writer Fred Van Lente’s contributions to Incredible Hercules, so I’m now wondering whether I made an error completely ignoring the recent mini. A nice package; not quite a definite addition to the pull-list quite yet but I’m willing to give it an opportunity to make the grade. 7/10


BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #1
Writer: J.T. Krul
Art: Ed Benes, Rob Hunter, Jon Sibal & JP Mayer
DC $2.99

Stewart R: My knowledge of the Teen Titans only extends to the recent animated series but that has been enough to get me through this great first issue. I really enjoyed the focus on the new Hawk and Dove - Ed Benes’ artwork can do no harm to that whatsoever - and I’m loving the intrigue brought up by the Black Ring having serious problems with the Doves, both past and present. It’s these anomalies that are going to make Blackest Night even more enjoyable as the tale progresses. Benes brings his action talents to the fore to present the clash between Hawk & Dove and the newly resurrected Black Ring Hawk, and Krul maintains the girls clashing personalities nicely. The emotional rollercoaster with Beast Boy and Donna Troy is sure to kick off next issue and I will certainly be onboard for that. 8/10


AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #27
Writer: Christos N. Gage
Art: Rafa Sandoval & Roger Bonet
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: The free ability to create new heroes and villains in this title has been a masterstroke and Mr Gage delivers a great double-chapter format this time out. The first concentrates on the origin and lives of Johnny Guitar and Dr Sax as they go from petty thieves to teched-out minor villains to Initiative heroes, and it’s a rather sad and poignant tale of camaraderie and doing ‘the right thing’ regardless of the cost. The second chapter gets back to current events as the Initiative are thrown into a costly battle against Blastaar’s forces at 42, and the inclusion of Butterball and Dragon-Man is highly entertaining. Sandoval is a truly talented artist and I can see him rising quickly up the ranks to become one of the industry’s best. 8/10


UNKNOWN #4
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Minck Oosterveer
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: The concluding part of this excellent miniseries did seem to let the side down a bit as it rushed through events a little too swiftly for my liking. It wasn’t a major problem though – certainly nothing to diminish the book’s overall quality – as even though it felt like it was over rather quickly, the content was still thoroughly riveting, the ideas genuinely arresting. And anyway, even though this mini’s done, another’s on the way soon so I get a chance to spend time with these engaging characters again. Not a solid gold finale but the series as a whole has been pretty special and it's definitely something to pick up as a TPB if you missed out this time around. 7/10


NOVA #28
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Andrea Divito
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Well, aren’t we just spoiled these days for the ‘Space Police’ concept: Lanterns one side of the fence, Nova Centurions on the other, and both throwing excellent examples of storytelling in front of my eyes! With Marvel’s offering it really is Abnett and Lanning who take full credit for taking a second-rate character and, rather than reinventing him on the spot, ensuring that Richard Rider has grown and matured into a truly great leader. Here they demonstrate this change perfectly with a brilliant meeting between the Nova Prime and King Blastaar – yep, that makes me wince too! – which displays Rider’s political skills perfectly. There’s also a great scrap between Nova and the second strongest Strontian which shows that he’s also got what it takes when a fist full of power is required. Divito has been getting the goods to us for months now and his use of silhouettes makes up for the times when his line work is possibly a little too simple. 8/10


SCALPED #31
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: R.M. Guera
DC/Vertigo $2.99

Matt C: And so the proverbial shit looks like its about to hit the fan once again following Red Crow’s point blank assassination of a prisoner in front of a multitude of witnesses. Whether or not the fan’s going to get covered is another matter as the world of Scalped always seems to teeter on the brink, just waiting for that single nudge that’ll push into chaos and carnage. Aaron’s script boils with danger and Guera translates the bleak atmosphere into some incendiary imagery. Scalped is ferocious – ignore it at your peril. 9/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #269
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: So, a quick summary of what occurs in this issue: Reed blows shit up in his lab; Sue – potentially the most powerful member of the foursome - gets narked that her hubbie is treating her with kid gloves; with Ben out of the picture Johnny seems to be considering getting his mack on with Alicia; and a giant outer space robot informs the denizens of Earth of his intent to take over the world by using a massive laser beam to burn the words on the planet’s surface! Seriously, how could anyone not love this comic?? 9/10

Four-Colour Yesteryears: Wonder Woman - The Emma Peel Years

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

Towards the end of the late Sixties DC decided to undertake a serious revamp of their existing superhero line of titles. Marvel had steadily gained ground during the previous decade to overtake DC as the most popular brand of comic books. Part of Marvel's success was due to their more realistic (for the period) characters and stories and the introduction of complex interwoven continuity. DC comics in the Sixties by comparison hadn't evolved from the earlier format of ludicrous tales of super dogs, freckle-faced side-kicks with comical names, wacky villains and two-dimensional characters that seemed to reflect a comfortable and outdated 1950s view of America.

Seemingly overnight DC made major changes to its big titles in a brave attempt to make them more realistic to an older readership. The Teen Titans accidentally allowed someone to die and subsequently they got rid of their costumes, vowed not to use their super powers unless absolutely necessary, and became a kind of Mission: Impossible team in bland grey overalls. Batman lost his rogues gallery of colourful villains and became (the now familiar) grim Dark Knight who tackled ordinary criminals. Green Lantern teamed up with Green Arrow and Black Canary and began to tackle various social issues such as heroin addiction, ecological concerns, the persecution of Native Americans. Perhaps most drastic of all, Wonder Woman gave up her powers, studied martial arts, opened a swinging Sixties boutique and became an Emma Peel clone from issue #179 onwards.

The TV series The Avengers had proved very popular in the US and the Diana Rigg character of Emma Peel became the template for a new (Women's Lib) version of Wonder Woman in the early Seventies. The bizarre super villains disappeared and, after Steve Trevor was killed off (a liberated woman doesn't need a boyfriend taking up space in her comic) for the first time along with the Amazons of Paradise Island leaving Earth to travel to a different dimension, Diana Prince was taken on by a blind martial arts expert called I-Ching. He taught her to fight in much the same way that Stick would teach Daredevil in the 1980s when Frank Miller revamped his origin.



Wonder Woman resigned from the Justice League and became a sort of roving freelance secret agent, tackling James Bond style villains. With the loss of her powers she no longer seemed to have a problem with killing people. Long before she broke the neck of Maxwell Lord in Infinite Crisis, she was happily machine-gunning nasty Chinese soldiers on one controversial cover of her comic book. Despite the more realistic approach to the series, early stories were still by and large quite juvenile in an Austin Powers kind of way. The comics now look very dated with mini-skirted dolly birds, bizarrely attired hippies, and laughable Jason King style leading men who were supposed to be hairy-chested studs, probably with the aid of liberal applications of Brut aftershave and big gold medallions.

A brief two-part storyline reunited Diana Prince with the Amazons when Ares, God of War, decided to invade Paradise Island with Diana being summoned to lead her people into battle while her mother lay in a coma. Essentially the plot harkened back to the 300 Spartans battling the Persian army at Thermopylae, as the outnumbered women faced a numerically superior force. Diana of course wins in the end.

Towards the end of this 26-issue run deadlines became a problem and there were several reprint issues. Unfortunately the reprint material was taken from the new look run and therefore readers found themselves shelling out money for stories they had read only a year and a half ago. DC had also opted to increase the price of their comics from 15¢ to 25¢ by adding extra pages of reprint material, usually taken from their Golden Age archives. The price increase proved to be a commercially bad move and the extra pages were quickly removed, allowing for a 5¢ price drop. This became the standard for both Marvel and DC thereafter.

When Denny O'Neill came aboard as writer and editor he seemed keen to push the title into a far darker, more serious place. His two-part story, The Beauty Haters, began in #199 and the cover of that comic must have come as a real shock to both readers and newsagents alike. It was an exquisitely crafted and striking piece of art by leading paperback illustrator Jeff Jones, but it featured a terrified looking Diana Prince kneeling on the floor of a stone dungeon, clad only in a thin white night gown, her hands chained to the wall as a menacing hooded executioner with an axe stood in the background guarding her. It was softcore bondage material and it was quite risqué for its time. The next issue continued the trend with a frightened Wonder Woman chained helplessly to a stone slab in the same dungeon as a menacing figure emerged from a dungeon doorway. Dick Giordino became the regular artist from #200 (replacing the hack artist Don Heck who is most famous for ruining all those early issues of the Avengers) and his pencils added a touch of realism to the stories. This dark, gothic look was part of the new DC house style from a period when their covers in particular were very striking. Issues #201 and #202 hinted at how good this comic could have been in later months as O'Neill crafted his first proper ‘new direction’ storyline with great art and a plot in the style of his classic Ra's al Ghul Batman tales. It featured evil Tibetan monks, Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider style trappings, a smattering of the occult, a mercenary Catwoman, and a visit to a swords and sorcery dimension populated by Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (to introduce and launch their own title the following month). It was classic high adventure storytelling and at last the comic seemed to be working. With the O'Neill/Giordino creative team onboard things now looked very promising indeed.

But then DC had a change of heart and with #204 Diana Prince regained her powers, put back on the familiar red and blue bathing costume and we were back to the old style of costumed crime-fighting. Part of this was due to a dip in sales. The new look Wonder Woman had been a step too far for lots of of the faithful DC readers. Many people didn't want their heroes to look ordinary. DC had been ahead of its time. Fifteen years later Alan Moore would be a household name for taking this kind of radical approach to superhero comics, but in the early Seventies fandom wasn't ready for this level of realism. The new look Wonder Woman had also angered the burgeoning feminist scene - although radical feminists were hardly DC's target market, certain feminist magazines (in particular Gloria Steinem's Ms) had railed against the de-powering of Wonder Woman. This, they argued, was typical of male writers who didn't like the idea of a woman being the equal of Superman and Batman. They seemed to miss the point that DC was applying the same re-conceptualisation approach to all of its titles. Even the untouchable Superman had seen his powers reduced to a fraction of his previous might. But DC became nervous of the adverse publicity and replaced the O'Neill/Giordino team just as it was about to actually deliver some stories on a par with the classic O'Neill/Adams Batman and Green Lantern comics.

Looking back, the 26-issue run is something of an oddity, even by DC standards where revamps are now a regular occurrence. Virtually an entire comics line had been transformed from storylines reminiscent of the Batman TV series to something more in keeping with Brian Michael Bendis’ approach to Daredevil. That it didn't work was due to a readership that wasn't ready for it and a series of writers who didn't really know how to handle it. In retrospect it was like DC asking Chuck Dixon to write Watchmen.

Mini Reviews 23/08/2009

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.


SWORDSMITH ASSASSIN #1
Writers: Andrew Cosby & Michael Alan Nelson
Art: Ayhan Hayrula
Boom! Studios $3.99

Stewart R: I do like a good tale of samurai in Feudal Japan but have never been inclined to pick up any comics in this genre. Having spotted this in the solicitations a few months back I noted that it was to be a samurai tale with a difference. The story focuses upon the swordmaker rather than the wielder and it is this premise that has me sold. The first instalment naturally centres on the tragic reason behind Toshiro Ono’s one-man quest to rid the world of weapons made by his hands, but manages to steer clear of cliché or ridiculous situations. Nelson highlights well that Ono’s skills lie not with the sword but with the hammer, creation not destruction, and so the draw here is to see how he intends to complete his quest against potential opponents who could seek to - and have the skills to - do him harm. Hayrula’s style is perfectly suited to a title like this, capturing the era nicely without having to rely on huge vistas of 18th Century Nippon too much. In fact it’s his decision to keep the panel-focus so close and personal that compliments the intimate, tragic tale of Ono so well and proves that once again Boom! Studios are bringing great creator-driven titles to the table and making them work. 8/10

Matt C: Chock full of so many samurai clichés that it’s just about fit to burst, this debut issue works mostly because not only are they the kind of damn fine clichés you don’t mind seeing again, but also because they’re handled with a certain panache and the atmospherics are mostly spot on. Whether this can extend beyond the first issue and avoid the trap of becoming a little too familiar remains to be seen, but generally this is a decent opening that has me looking forward to what comes next. 7/10


BATGIRL #1
Writer: Bryan Q Miller
Art: Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
DC $2.99

Stewart R: Having enjoyed the Batwoman-infused Detective Comics and the new Batman & Robin title these past few months, my eye was drawn to the solicitations where another Bat-series raised its head. Knowing next to nothing about the new Batgirl and only a little of Barbara Gordon’s history I was going into this blind. Regardless of that I enjoyed this debut issue a great deal. Though the story of a teenage hero hiding her crime-fighting antics from a parent is nothing new, Miller’s apt pacing allows for many of the gaps in my knowledge to be filled quite quickly and succinctly, while giving the reader an introduction to an interesting female lead. Stephanie and Barbara’s inner turmoils are neatly translated in their separate narrations and I hope that this soul-searching and character growth continues. It certainly won’t be hindered by Garbett’s artwork which is impressive to say the least. A great start. 8/10

James R: I’m approaching this title with some trepidation, which might strike you as odd given my love of the Batman universe and my vociferous praise of the majority of the Reborn titles. The reasons for this is that I was a fan & convert to the Pluckett & Scott run on the series a few years back. That incarnation of Batgirl was a grand example of a kinetic action comic (you could read it much faster than it would take a kettle to boil!) and a cool character – Cassandra Cain, who Batman employed as a living weapon on Gotham’s street crime. DC have held their cards really close to their corporate chest over the identity of the new Batgirl (It was great to see DC’s Bob Wayne & Dan DiDio almost collapse when series artist Lee Garbett nearly let the cat out the bag at this year’s Bristol Con) but it has to be said, it’s a bit of a damp squib. Stephanie Brown. I can only respond with a shrug! For what it’s worth, it’s a tidy read; the aforementioned Mr. Garbett does a good job with the art, and writer Bryan Q. Miller moves the story along at an impressive pace. Whereas Batman & Robin and Detective have a 'wow' factor, this has an ‘Ok’ factor. There’s enough going on here to warrant picking up issues #2 and #3, but Stephanie Brown will need to find some interesting facets to her personality soon. 6/10

MIGHTY AVENGERS #28
Writer: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Art: Khoi Pham & Danny Miki
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: This is an odd book for the team involved, as there seems to be a mish-mash of characters that are well written (USAgent, Stature and Hank Pym are superb) and those that make no sense their being there (Hercules and Amadeus Cho who are handled far better in Incredible Hercules) resulting in a sometimes decent read which often strays into confusion. By involving so many other Avengers teams there isn't exactly a huge amount of potential for the Mighties to establish their own identity, so I'm probably going to drop the book after this arc. 4/10


X-FACTOR #47
Writer: Peter David
Art: Valentine DeLandro & Pat Davidson
Marvel $2.99

Matt T: Where the likes of Mighty Avengers are so utterly disparate for no apparent reason, Peter David throws his team around with abandon only to tie them all back together just as it seems like the story is falling apart. As Madrox's future starts crossing over, the present unravels as a result, and the main villain who's been dabbling with some sneaky mind control is finally revealed. And, as ever with X-Factor, it's the last person I expected. I'll keep recommending this book to anyone who'll listen, but by all means pick up a trade instead of just grabbing a few issues as this arc seems like it’s been going on for a year. Great stuff, and building up to be a real classic. 9/10


WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #4
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Ron Garney
Marcel $3.99

Matt C: I’ve been umming and ahhing about this title since it began as it wasn’t really living up to my (admittedly high) expectations. It’s now been saved from potential relegation thanks to this issue’s relentlessly brilliant example of how a Wolverine comic should be. Ferocious fight scenes choreographed to perfection, inspired twists that you really don’t see coming, and deliciously dark humour mixed with the requisite badass one-liners. If the recent X-Men Origins movie was as good as this, it would more than likely be your favourite movie of the summer. Fact! I hope this wasn’t a blip, because if Aaron and Raney can keep this kind of momentum going they’ll be onto a real winner. 9/10


UNTHINKABLE #4
Writer: Mark Sable
Art: Julian Totino Tedesco
Boom! Studios $3.99

Stewart R: This series just keeps on getting better and better. This time out we’re taken on a small trip to Switzerland to dispose of the Large Hadron Collider, then off to China to confront a mass demonstration, before heading back to the US to deal with a Nuclear Hand Grenade. There are some fascinating concepts and ideas here and while we’re obviously following Ripley and Co through their perilous task of preventing each incident from happening it should be said that the ‘mastermind’ behind all of these is Mark Sable himself. It is his research and thinking that has brought this title to life with these exceptional doomsday scenarios and while I must say that it now seems like five issues may not have been a long enough run to sufficiently deal with all of the ideas, he has been ensuring that every single issue is packed full of tension and great characterisation. Tedesco’s art has completely won me over and while the story may be all about the events, it is his artwork that focuses on the individuals exceptionally well. When writer and artist work in harmony to tell a story this good then you should really take the opportunity to see what they have created. 9/10


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #603
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Art: Robert Atkins & Victor Olazaba
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: I attempted to read this comic on two separate occasions before finally managing to get through all 22 pages. The reason for my previous false starts was that I just didn’t want to see what the Chameleon was going to do to Peter Parker’s life and just who was going to get hurt during his subterfuge. I wasn’t avoiding it for the writing or because it was bad, I was avoiding it because I was emotionally involved with the story and this is what I love about comics. It’s like those film or TV show that you love but aren’t sure whether you can bear to look at the screen as events - unpleasant or uncomfortable - unfold. Van Lente has delivered an interesting take on the Chameleon and his ability to get so involved in his ‘performance’ of Peter is truly creepy. The writer has also managed to get across the point that people can really see things from two different points of view as the Chameleon fails to understand just why Peter and Harry are friends. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where this goes next issue. 8/10


RED CIRCLE: THE WEB #1
Writer: J Michael Straczynski
Art: Roger Robinson
DC $2.99

Matt T: Superhero origin stories are rarely anything other than a gathering of plots you've heard a hundred times before, punctuated by the occasional twist on an old theme. In the case of The Web there's so little that's new that I really found myself wanting to discover more about the rich, short-tempered alter ego rather than the hero himself, who seems like another bland Batman proxy. I'm sure JMS can do something different with a longer run, but there wasn't enough space given to establish what, on the surface, seemed like an interesting central character. 4/10


DAYS MISSING #1
Writer: Phil Hester
Art: Frazer Irving
Archaia $0.99

Matt C: A reasonably intriguing premise: immortal being who will do his utmost to prevent any natural catastrophes from decimating the human race, or at least contain them before they do irreparable damage. This kind of reminded me of Boom!’s recent series The Foundation, but where there you had a shadowy organisation averting disasters, here it’s a really, really, really old chap. The telling is quite dry and perhaps a little too jargon heavy, while Irving doesn’t get much of an opportunity to do anything but standard ‘talking head’ shots. In addition, the cliffhanger-less conclusion doesn’t exactly whip up much interest for the next instalment. Not bad, but just not strong enough to get me to come back. 6/10

James R: Most of us will know Phil Hester from his dynamic artwork, but this week’s Days Missing shows that he’s got some writing chops too. An immortal man – the Steward – has spent his endless days stopping mankind from facing extinction through a canny manipulation of time & that old weapon, impassioned arguing. (Think of Heroes' Hiro mixed with Shatner’s Jim Kirk… actually, don’t do that! Sorry.) Despite looking like he’s just escaped from a particularly trying Whitesnake reunion tour, Hester has created an interesting new character. Frazer Irving brings his usual distinctive art to the table, and I like the fact that this five issue mini-series will be using a different artist for each issue (in the same way that Global Frequency did a few years back). The people at Archaia & Roddenberry smartly followed Vertigo’s lead and are charging less than a dollar for this, so you have nothing to lose by giving this a go. It’s certainly warranted a place on my pull list. 8/10

DAREDEVIL #500
Writer: Ed Brubaker & Various
Art: Michael Lark & Various
Marvel $4.99

Matt C: A satisfying conclusion to Brubaker’s run on the title. Although it never quite scaled the same heights as his work on Captain America - and it arguably peaked during the first arc - there’s no denying that there was seriously good work displayed within the pages of Daredevil on a regular basis. This bumper-sized issue ties up a lot of loose ends and sets things up for incoming writer Andy Diggle, but to be honest, while I enjoyed immensely the ninja-based action in the lead feature, the position it leaves Murdock at the end, and the way it leads into the preview of Diggle’s first issue, doesn’t exactly seem like the right move to me. I’m curious, but not convinced. The extras are generally good value, but after the recent all-new-content Amazing Spider-Man #600 it’s a bit of a shame to see Marvel making us pay extra for a reprint again. Still, as it’s an issue from the classic Frank Miller run (#191) you can’t really complain too loudly. 8/10


DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #4
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Kyle Hotz
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: As far as conflicted villains go, I do like the Hood and I appreciate that in other titles he has been portrayed as a merciless pawn under the increasing control of Dormammu, but Jeff Parker has shown us that not every villain is actually a bad person and sometimes it’s the situation that leads people down the wrong path. I also really enjoy the strange sense of camaraderie that Parker (both writer and character) has managed to instil in the criminal syndicate and it’s fun to see the various characters muse upon and discuss the Hood’s powers and motives. Hotz’s talents are also being put to great use as he brings us scenes of nefarious characters sharing a meal together or working – albeit under a small amount of mind control – to build a mystical laboratory. It has been an interesting Dark Reign title to date and I’ve still no idea just what the fifth and final issue will bring. 7/10

DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #13
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Ivan Rodriguez
Avatar $3.99

James R: Every time an issue of Doktor Sleepless appears the same thing happens – I forget how much I love this comic. I’ve been saying for a while that Warren Ellis is in a purple patch at the moment, and I agree with Matt C that he is one of the creative talents currently working in comics that deserves the title of ‘Genius’. This issue balances the main players and supporting cast really well, and Ellis gets across the sense that the downward spiral to this series’ conclusion has begun. He even shows some spooky prescience by making controversy over healthcare one of the Doktor’s plots. You’ll know when the apocalypse starts, Warren Ellis will inform us in an outstanding miniseries. In the meantime, enjoy the chaos he’s unleashing in all his fictional worlds. 8/10

FANTASTIC FOUR #268
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: Just because the FF are grieving following Susan’s miscarriage doesn’t mean the criminal community are going to rest on their laurels and wait it out. And that doesn’t just count for criminals themselves – even their paraphernalia can get in on the act as witnessed this issue when Doom’s mask starts attacking the Torch and She-Hulk in the Baxter Building! There’s a continuity error here as they both talk of Doom being incinerated during the battle between Silver Surfer and Terrax back in #260, but obviously they’d just encountered him during the Secret Wars series (which at this point, hadn’t concluded). I’m sure this was explained away later on and obviously they didn’t want to give away the ending of Secret Wars, but it is a tad annoying. Other than that, business as usual i.e. a top quality comic book. 8/10

From The Vaults: RED #1-3

While we spend a great deal of time engrossed in the current crop of comic books, let us not forget those fantastic tales from the past that still sit in amongst our collections but are always worth revisiting...


RED #1-3

By Matt C

With the recent news that Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman are set to star in the movie adaptation of this three-issue series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner I thought I’d hoik out my copies and give it another read through. Originally released under the since abandoned imprint of Homage Comics for Wildstorm in 2003, Red was one of a number of short series Ellis penned for the company around the same time (see also the likes of Reload and Tokyo Storm Warning). Back then it stood out as possibly the strongest of the batch: a smart and exciting burst of action and gunplay. Looking at it again now it still holds up well, a simple but perfectly executed (pun intended!) premise that, once it gets going, rolls along with an unstoppable momentum.

The plot boils down to this: the newly appointed director of the CIA is shown super-classified evidence of what now-retired agent Paul Moses did in the name of the US of A. Appalled by what he sees he immediately orders Moses’ elimination. It’s no surprise that, when some elite agents attempt to take him out, the man described as “the best killer on Earth” is none too happy. Dispatching his would-be assassins with ease, he leaves behind his current life (which involves wrestling with his demons in solitude) to begin his journey to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

It’s hardly an original premise, seeing a former assassin forced out of retirement, and there are certainly shades of Jason Bourne as the highly-trained government operative turns on his former employers, but Ellis handles it with his usual flare, knowing when to have his characters flesh themselves out with insightful dialogue and when to make way for the action. Cully Hamner – currently providing visuals for the Question backup in Detective – does a sterling job with these sequences, framing the shots brilliantly to give the illusion of movement and conveying the emotions of the characters convincingly when required.


It’s a rather brisk read (I read the whole thing in 20 minutes, and I’m no speed reader!) and the narrative is pretty slender, with not time spend on superfluous subplots, which means any movie version would require substantial padding to sustain a two-hour running time. On top of that, there’s quite a heavy nihilistic streak running through it that I’d be very surprised to see in a major Hollywood movie starring Bruce Wills. Of course, I’m more than happy to be proven wrong – Willis is often underrated as an actor, and if he can lose the smirk for long enough he just might be convincing playing Paul Moses. My gut tells me the tone will be very different from how Ellis intended though.

The comic itself isn’t classic Ellis but it is a very good example of how he can bang out an idea simply and effectively, getting to his point quickly with minimal fuss while also creating a potent comic book reading experience. Red may not be in the same league as the likes of Planetary or Transmetropolitan but it’s a solid thriller that sees the writer in fine form.

Mini Reviews 16/08/2009

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.


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

James R: Oh, I had this terrible nightmare… The Ultimates, that really cool re-working of the Avengers which set a new standard in superhero comics… well, I dreamt that Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch left it… and, oh God… it became the worst comic you can imagine! Then Marvel decided to kill off most of the Ultimate Universe in an embarrassingly bad non-event called… Ultimatum, and… what? It’s not a dream? It’s real…? Noooooooo! Well, fear not my friends. Wake up and smell the printing ink. It’s all ok now. The Ultimates are sort of back. The Mark Millar who’s not a narcissistic ego-maniac is back onboard, and he’s brought a grade A art team of Carlos Pacheco & Danny Miki with him, and this feels like The Ultimates again – brilliant action, and a cool final page that guarantees I’ll be back for next month. Phew, the nightmare is over! 8/10

Matt C: I quit the Ultimate Universe a while ago but this ‘new’ series is just the kind of thing to draw me back. No matter what came afterwards, the first two series of The Ultimates were relentlessly exciting riffs on characters we thought we knew as Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch took the ‘widescreen comics’ concept to the extreme in blockbusting fashion. I’ve heard nothing but bad things about the recent character-culling that took place in the Ultimatum mini but with Millar being one of the architects of the universe, if anyone can inject some genuine vitality back into it, it’s him. Hitch maybe occupied elsewhere but Pacheco, to my mind, is easily in the same league even though he – for some unfathomable reason – hasn’t attained a similar ‘superstar’ status (yet). His stylish visuals are the best thing about this debut issue as Millar’s script relies heavily on action and not so much on substance. It’s difficult to judge so far as there’s not much to it beyond an extended high-octane sequence, and Millar’s trademark final splash-page could potentially be either his most ingenious or his dumbest yet. I’m quietly intrigued, and I will stick around (for the time being, at least), but I’m not convinced this will match up to the previous Millar-penned volumes. 6/10


BLACKEST NIGHT #2
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
DC $3.99

Matt T: Reading the latest issue of Blackest Night I'm getting a sense of foreboding that's cutting a swathe through the DC Universe, with there seemingly being nowhere to hide for the Lanterns or anyone else, even if they're innocent bystanders. There have been few comics that have gotten so dark so quickly, but only two issues in and we've already been faced with much loved characters going all undead and eating the still beating hearts of former friends. It's definitely one of the best executed comics events in a long time, and Geoff Johns is expertly weaving in the fates of numerous heroes without cheapening the major dramatic impacts or losing track of the main plot. The art is suitably detailed and even disturbing in places, and all over this is a cracking read. 9/10

Matt C: Only two issues in but I’m already beginning to worry that Johns may fall into that old ‘event’ trap of juggling too many characters to the detriment of a clear narrative. You kind of need a central figure (or figures) to hook the story around, and during the lead-up to Blackest Night I assumed it would be Hal Jordan (and maybe Barry Allen) – from this evidence that’s clearly not the case, at least not yet. Jordan still figures prominently this issue, but more space is given over to a resurrected Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, battling with Aqualad and Mera. The characterization’s spot on once again and Reis is pulling out all the stops with his art - the image of Green Lantern crashing into the Batsignal is pretty awesome – but I want to see the plot threads coalesce further to ensure this mini delivers on its promise. 7/10

Stewart R: While the first issue of Blackest Night was a definite success this issue is not quite up to that same standard. I’m unfamiliar with Aquaman and the associated family of characters so that puts me at an immediate disadvantage with that particular plotline, but it is interesting to see how Johns concentrates upon the emotion of love throughout the ensuing battle. There’s also some neat little points made about the anomalous individuals who Black Hand must deal with before the Blackest Night can fall proving that this is not going to be a clear-cut “battle in the face of adversity’ event. With Black Rings flying across the universe Johns attempts to keep the sojourns to the various locales brief and to the point, but it’s this brevity that keeps the reader a little at arms length, unable to get immersed in the story before being whisked off to another gaggle of characters who’re dealing with lost friends now returned as Black Lanterns. It’s on the chaotic side but then I suppose that’s how these supernatural, super-powered shenanigans would actually go down. 7/10

James R: Did I ever give a squid’s tentacle about Aquaman before? No. Did I enjoy his zombified corpse commanding Sharks and – lordy! – a Conga Eel to attack the Atlantean Guard? Hell yes! Whereas I’m confident that we’ll be seeing the wider galactic implications of the Black Lanterns soon enough, for the time being this comic embodies what event comics should be – the superhero version of a good summer blockbuster (which hasn’t hurt my wallet too much either – cheers DC!) I said previously that the series was yet to hit a bum issue, and this is no different. Although I know you have to go for suspension of disbelief in every comic you ever read, I did think while during this one: “I would be narked off living on Earth-0 – last summer, we all got mind-controlled by Darkseid, and had to be miniaturised and frozen while the Earth got repaired, and I don’t mind telling you that work wouldn’t let me count that time off as sick days. Now we’re all under attack from unkillable super-powered zombies! And we’re in a recession!” 8/10


INCREDIBLE HERCULES #132
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Art: Reilly Brown & Nelso DeCastro
Marvel $2.99

Matt C: The most fun I’m having reading a Marvel book at the moment. Herc has always been a favourite of mine so I’m thrilled to see that Pak and Van Lente are still finding immensely clever and witty tales to tell with him. Getting him to pose as Thor to aid the Asgardians (who, as Thor readers will know, have recently seen the Thunder God banished from the Golden Realm) is one of their best ideas yet, and having a now-teenage Zeus in tow (don’t ask – just read!) is a masterstroke, creating something wholly different from the Herc/Amadeus dynamic. It’s difficult to keep up with the endlessly changing roster of artists on the title, but Reilly Brown (have we seen him here before?) nails the humour of the characters as well as conjuring ups some impressive fantasy visuals. 8/10


ADVENTURE COMICS #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapul & Clayton Henry
DC $3.99

Matt C: Never had much interest in Connor Kent’s Superboy but, now they’ve sorted out (some of) the legal problems with the Seigel family, I thought I’d give this a punt, primarily because of Geoff Johns involvement. He does a decent job with the script, giving a clear idea of who Connor is, namely a guy trying to figure out where he fits in - somebody looking to carve out their own identity so he’s not always in the shadow of his more famous ‘parents’. The art’s ok, but not really my thing (felt a little bland) and I didn’t really engage with the Legion Of Superheroes backup. I’m sitting on the fence with this one because, while I’m not exactly waiting for the second issue with baited breath, I wouldn’t be adverse to giving this title another look. We'll see. 7/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #514
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: What a great X-Men issue this is. Firstly I’ll say that bringing the Dodson’s onto Uncanny has been a coup for a Marvel title that has struggled under inconsistent art since Ramos and Bachalo went elsewhere. And now onto the writer… after a couple of years of various scribes portraying Cyclops as a rather gruff, occasionally loathsome mutant leader, Fraction seems to be giving us the great tactician that readers want and deserve. Add to that the fact that he has resisted dragging Emma Frost and the Dark X-Men into the villain camp and you have an intriguing comic where the various shades of grey mean it’s anything but a boring read. Leaving Norman Osborn out for once is a good move as it allows the focus to settle on the characters that matter and Fraction also appears to be keeping a few other cards close to his chest. The conversation between Iceman and Cyclops actually had me laugh out loud in – dare I say it – geekish joy as I got to the final panel. As long as he manages to keep his vision and focus this could prove to be one of the best Dark Reign tie-ins so far. 9/10


GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39
Writer: Peter J Tomasi
Art: Patrick Gleason, Rebecca Buchman & Tom Nguyen
DC $2.99

Stewart R: This was the action-packed Blackest Night fix that I was looking for this week while the main title failed to make me love it. The events here pick up with Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner as they head back to Oa and this fleshes out the Black Lantern ‘recruitment drive’ at the Green Lantern Crypt which was shown at the very end of Blackest Night #1. It’s becoming apparent that Tomasi and Johns are working closely with each other to maintain a certain ‘feel’ to this event as a whole and that's demonstrated here with a further study of various loves and losses for Corps members. Tomasi also resists the urge to dive straight into a full blown Black vs Green throwdown by skipping off to other corners of the universe to check in on Green Lantern Arisia and various Yellow Lantern interests. When the action does kick in Gleason excels himself as he depicts the GLC’s attempts to halt the advancing Black Rings. Great stuff. 8/10


LOCKJAW & THE PET AVENGERS #4
Writer: Chris Eliopoulos
Art: Ig Guara & Chris Sotomayor
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Hmmmm, this had been a rather entertaining and lighthearted read as a miniseries but I just couldn’t get onboard with what was portrayed in this final instalment. It was always leading up to a Thanos appearance but to have one of the most intelligent, malevolent and powerful beings in the Marvel Universe characterised as someone who would monologue at a menagerie of animals who don’t understand him is a little misguided, and that portrayal doesn’t even remain consistent through the issue. Eliopoulos had an opportunity to provide a clever twist that would have handled and explained such a confrontation but instead it’s left the finale for what had been a fairly entertaining series feeling a little flat. The advert for a possible ongoing next year certainly doesn’t have me as interested as I once might have been. 5/10


UNWRITTEN #4
Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Peter Gross
DC/Vertigo $2.99

Matt T: I get the feeling Unwritten will be a real classic when it's all over and done with, as right now the mystery is unravelling in front of me and I really can't wait for the next issue. The supposedly non-fictional character of Tommy Taylor is still trying to get to the bottom of his existence while all sorts of weirdness happens around him, including a mentalist with a scythe hacking up his friends. As Mike Carey makes hints at the secrets behind the various odd goings on behind the scenes, the action on the surface doesn't let up, turning surprisingly gory for a few pages in a horror movie-esque sequence. The art remains more downbeat than the majority of comics, although not to its detriment, and a special nod to the colourists for keeping the tones so muted. 8/10


BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Adrian Syaf, John Dell & Vincente Cifuentes
DC $2.99

Matt C: I didn’t have any intention of picking this up but then I saw it on the shelf, the words ‘Blackest Night’ combined with ‘Batman’ were enough to prompt me to add it to my pile. Blackest Night has been pretty great so far, and the Batman line has been revitalized recently, so surely they’re onto a winner with is mini, right? Well, not quite. It’s a solid read but there’s nothing here seems that essential or important to what’s going on elsewhere as the Black Lanterns continue to “rise”. It also feels like it should’ve been titled Blackest Night: Batman & Deadman considering the prominent role Boston Brand takes in the plot. Art’s decent enough and the colouring gives it a necessary gothic tinge but I can’t guarantee I’ll be picking up the second instalment next month. 6/10


HERCULES: THE KNIVES OF KUSH #1
Writer: Steev Moore
Art: Cris Bolson
Radical $2.99

Matt C: The second comic featuring Hercules this week, although this is a far more traditional take on the Son of Zeus than Marvel’s Prince of Power. Radical’s previous Hercules mini was great bloodthirsty fun, and this is more of the same really, so as they say, if you liked that you’re sure to like this. Some of the dialogue is a bit ropey and the painted art is a little too polished for my tastes (though, as with most of Radical’s stuff it 's still quite impressive) but if your looking for a band of battle-scarred men (and lady) wading into the thick of it with weapons covered in crimson red, you could do lot worse than this. Hardly a meaningful or thought provoking read, but on a purely visceral level it works well. 7/10


DEADPOOL #13
Writer: Daniel Way
Art: Shawn Crystal & John Lucas
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: After the rather sombre ending to last issue where would Daniel Way take Wade Wilson? Off pirating of course! With the shackles of various tie-ins now well and truly taken off Way appears to be able to crank up the crazy a notch or two and with that the amusement and laughter increases. Way brings back the ultimate fall-guy sidekick in Bob: Agent of Hydra to aid Deadpool in his latest harebrained exploits and reduces the internal diatribe accordingly. Deadpool’s training of Bob had me chuckling to myself throughout and while Paco Medina is missed on artistic duties Crystal does a decent enough job of delivering comic book hilarity – though I must ask what the heck is going on with the blind girl’s mouth?? 7/10


WEDNESDAY COMICS #6
Writers: Various
Art: Various
DC Comics $3.99

James R: So, we’re at the halfway point of DC’s much-applauded experiment. I’ve heard a few of my fellow Paradoxers voice concerns that the title had a little too much padding in it to justify the cost. Fair enough; it’s not a cheap read. However, using this issue as a yardstick, I’d say that the good outweighs the not-great, and that crucially, the good is outstanding. Of the 15 stories, I’d say that 9 are brilliant. I won’t bore you all to tears by giving you a run down of each, but a few deserve special praise. The Flash by Kerschl & Fletcher is superb. The two have a clear grasp of the one-page story, and each week have done something clever with the format. Previously, we saw the story split with an Iris West section, and this week we get Gorilla Grodd. When the stories are split, Fletcher does a superb job of altering his art to give each a distinct feel. For the record, this is the type of Flash tale I wish DC would do more – time travelin’, dimension hoppin’ physics defyin’ fun. These two should be given a run on the monthly title ASAP! That also goes for Azzarello & Risso’s Batman as well. Of course, the two did have a run previously with Broken City, but with 100 Bullets now done and dusted, it looks like they’ve got a much better grip on the Dark Knight; their strip represents an artist and writer working in total harmony. Finally, I’ve been massively impressed with Paul Pope’s Strange Adventures, which has been fun before, but this week went up another level with Pope showing the Earth-bound Strange as an old man who finds his life on Rann resembling a dream. This is an inspired take which reminds me of a Borges’ short story – this is a gem that shows why Pope is held in such high regard. So, can we call Wednesday Comics a success? Undoubtedly. It’s shown that given a tough parameter – one single page - the potential for comics to tell distinctive and idiosyncratic tales is still huge. 9/10


FANTASTIC FOUR #267
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60

Matt C: Real-life tragedy invades the world of the FF in this issue as, in a last ditch attempt to find out what’s ailing his wife, Reed Richards pleads with an incarcerated Otto Octavias for aid. Byrne cleverly wrongfoots the reader into believing this is another potential disaster that Reed and co can avert, but then the whole thing comes crashing down in a shocking – but low-key - conclusion. They’ve beaten Galactus, Doom, Annihilus, Mole Man, and many more, but Byrne wisely reminds us here that there are some things that even the Fantastic Four are powerless to prevent. 9/10