By Matt C
ASTERIOS POLYP
Writer: David Mazzucchelli
Art: David Mazzucchelli
Pantheon Books $29.95
I’m ashamed to say that this book didn’t even appear as a blip on my radar until the enthusiastic reviews started pouring in, but I swiftly realised anything receiving such high praise was probably worth my time and money. So while I’m a little late to the party it looks like I’ll be adding to the chorus of approval Asterios Polyp is receiving because, to put it simply, it’s a masterpiece.
Asterios Polyp is a well-renowned architect who is as pompous and self-centred as he is a genius in his profession. A freak bolt of lightening sets his apartment ablaze prompting him to take to the road, far from his intellectual safety-net, where he may just uncover what is truly important in life. As a backdrop to all this, we peek into his past and see the rise and fall of his relationship with the winsome Hana, and the events that led him to his current situation.
I imagine I'm just one of a great many who previously only knew David Mazzucchelli for his work on Daredevil in ‘80s along with – obviously – the seminal Batman: Year One, and to be honest it was now a case of out of sight, out of mind. It appears the reason he’s been out of the picture for such a long time is because Asterios Polyp has been a book “ten years in the making” (whatever that means) and when you get a copy of it in your hands it’s immediately clear why. It amazes on so many levels: there’s the intellectual content as it projects of a variety of stimulating philosophical ideas; the visual ingenuity as it displays with complete confidence the uniqueness of the medium; and the emotional power as it digs into the human condition to find what makes us tick.
Perhaps the central theme (or the one I picked up during my first reading) is perception, and how it can both control our thoughts and actions as well as setting them free, sometimes simultaneously. Mazzucchelli achieves this partly through dialogue but mostly with some quite astonishing imagery. It’s a much simpler style than those of us familiar with his work on Daredevil and Batman would maybe expect, at least that’s how it seems on first glance. Once you become properly engrossed in the story it quickly becomes apparent just how sophisticated and inventive the art is, whether it’s brilliantly tweaking each character’s visual appearance to highlight their individuality, the frequent breaking away from the standard panels-on-page structure to emphasis a point or an idea, or the utilization of two distinct colour schemes to distinguish between past and present (a simple but enormously effective stylistic choice).
On more than one occasion I was reminded of the oeuvre of Woody Allen, particularly Annie Hall with it’s intellectual protagonist hooking up with a more free-spirited and arty partner. Having said that, Asterios himself is nowhere near the kind of neurotic personality that usually takes the lead in Allen’s films, and really that’s merely one potential reference point, a cursory scratch of the surface for those intrigued by this book.
I may have hinted that The Hunter would be the one to beat this year, but I think that stance has been reassessed now I’ve read Asterios Polyp. I can’t really do it justice in this review because it would require an essay-length article to really explore fully the themes and ideas it churns up. It may initially seem to the more spandex-minded amongst you that this is another critically acclaimed indie book that will probably disappear from view once the superlatives have been worn out by the select few, but this is a truly astounding piece of work that ably demonstrates the potency and potential of the format. A moving, inspiring and – yes! – enlightening tome that will inevitably be regarded as one of the most important graphic novels of the decade. 10/10
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.
WEDNESDAY COMICS #12
Writers: Various
Art: Various
DC $3.99
Matt C: Now Wednesday Comics has reached the end of the road (for the time being at least), it’s time to break it down. Batman: a clever and economic use of the ‘chapter-per-page’ concept bolstered by some terrific art. Kamandi: gorgeously illustrated and the most reminiscent of the Sunday funny books of yore – one of the three standouts for me. Superman: a bit of a threadbare plot that succeeded on visuals alone. Deadman: superb retro-imagery from Bullock although the whole thing would probably be more successful consumed in one go. Green Lantern: not especially original but handled with such aplomb it’s been a real joy. Metamorpho: nice moments but overall felt like it was trying a little too hard to be clever. Teen Titans: generally forgettable. Strange Adventures: Paul Pope is a unique and thrilling talent, and hopefully this has given him a much wider audience – another highlight. Supergirl: kind of cheesy but delivered with enough wit to make it work. Metal Men: okay to a degree, but the art was more interesting than the writing. Wonder Woman: the initial non-reader-friendly approach turned me off completely, so I can’t really comment. Sgt Rock: very old fashioned and probably needed a bit more going on, but alright for an old school kick. Flash: mind-bendingly brilliant and inventive, wasn’t obvious from the start but it ended up being the pick of the bunch. Outstanding work. Demon & Catwoman: this had promise which quickly evaporated, a shame when you consider the talent involved. Hawkman: excellent action/adventure from Kyle Baker – put him on a regular Hawkman title and I’d most definitely buy it. In summary: while there were differing levels of quality between each of the 15 tales, taken as a whole I think DC can consider this project an artistic success. I'll certainly miss it now it's over. 8/10
Matt T: Well, the Wednesday Comics experiment is over, and in my mind it was mostly a success. The choice of characters involved couldn't really be faulted, but every once in a while the execution wasn't great. The Wonder Woman tale, for example, was confusing, not particularly nice to look at, and did little to expand my understanding of the character. The Kamandi story, on the other hand, was superb and a real throwback to the classic serials I picked up as a lad. There were some intriguing creative choices, such as the Metamorpho and Flash stories, so hopefully the more innovative ideas will be able to translate across to the monthly titles. 6/10
SPIDER-WOMAN #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Alex Maleev
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: The last time I picked up a comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev I was spitting teeth over long delays, a lack of effort and what seemed to be a real lack of direction. With this comic they’re back… eventually. Yep, a stupid delay once more but I reckon that’s just Marvel positioning the release to suit their own ends. Time details aside these two creators have actually delivered a fantastic first issue for a character who has had one of the worst years of her life and now has to deal with a world full of mistrust and hidden motives. I’ve enjoyed most of the comics that Jessica Drew has appeared in post Secret Invasion and Bendis sets the scene well with her struggling to come to terms with the deeply personal invasion she was victim to. Bringing S.W.O.R.D back into the equation will be a masterstroke so long as Bendis develops and expands upon that agency’s place in the Marvel world. There’s also a noir-like touch to the unfolding events, thanks in part to Bendis’ script with Jessica narrating but helped significantly by Maleev’s brooding artwork which simply oozes from each page. If the quality manages to remain over the journey I may have to buy a long-term ticket. 8/10
SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGINS #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Gary Frank & John Sibal
DC $3.99
Matt C: Just how many times could anyone possibly want or need another retelling of a superhero’s origin story?? Well, when you're dealing with the first, most recognisable and arguably most iconic spandex-clad hero the medium has ever produced then perhaps there still remains potential to shine a light on some unseen episodes or look at familiar incidents from a different angle. This proves to be the case with Superman: Secret Origins, the primary reason being the sterling partnership of Johns and Franks, who, when collaborating on the Man Of Steel, have come pretty damn close to producing the definitive take on the character for the 21st century. It's the emotional resonance that runs through the story that makes this debut issue such a resounding success. Young Clark seems more real, more identifiable than he's ever been as he struggles to accept both his newly discovered powers and his heritage. Don't overlook this mini thinking it's all been done before because, in the hands of these creators, it feels as fresh and new as if they'd come up with the concept themselves. 9/10
DARKNESS/PITT #2
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Art: Dale Keown
Image/Top Cow $2.99
Matt T: Being only a fan of the Darkness with very little knowledge of Pitt I went into this mini with some trepidation. Fortunately the safe hands of Paul Jenkins have allayed my fears, putting forward a fun comic even if the characterization of Jackie Estacado is a fair bit off, with him sounding more like a crap Mafia movie cast-off. The pace doesn't slow though, and I get the feeling I'll come out the other side with a better understanding and appreciation of the muscle-bound, noseless alien thingy, Pitt. 8/10
UNDERGROUND #1
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Steve Lieber
Image $3.50
Stewart R: Well, this is my non-superhero title for the week and it’s not a bad first issue from Mr Jeff Parker. It’s a story of underhand dealings as a small community contemplates and debates the use of one of it’s natural wonders as a tourist trap and certain players are willing to go to extreme ends to see that the money comes their way. Parker mixes up the formula nicely choosing not to reveal all of the plot details in this first issue of five, instead focuses on spunky Park Ranger Wesley’s increasingly complicated relationship with her colleague. It’s a refreshing change and he still manages to keep an element of tension bubbling beneath the surface. Lieber’s artwork is well suited to this type of story as he gets to play with a myriad of terrific expressions upon the faces of the various characters. It’s promising stuff and has me signed up for issue #2. 7/10
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - X-MEN #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Alan Davis & Mark Farmer
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: I’m not convinced by Marvel’s insistence on making their readers dig further into their pockets to get the full perspective of something that has been so hit-and-miss like Dark Reign. Apart from this one-shot I certainly have no plans to pick any of the other List titles up. The big lure for me with this particular book is obviously to see how Fraction plays Osborn now that his Cabal and X-Men have become failures and his position of power has become far more precarious. Bringing Namor into the X-fold has been a neat touch and I’m glad to see him involved with the bigger picture of a mutant future. Fraction provides us with a King who’s lost his kingdom and his people and is reluctant to let anyone help him. I personally think the characterisation is pitched perfectly. Fraction also supplies us with some much needed mutant powered-teamwork which has been fairly absent of late, and Alan Davis has the talent to keep the action driven and pacey. My one niggle is once again it seems that Iceman’s power set is altered by a writer to suit the purpose, here having Psylocke temporarily enhance them but to unsuccessful ends. He’s a potential Omega level mutant and Marvel need to deal with that soon in a consistent way. 7/10
NO HERO #7
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Juan Jose Ryp
Avatar $3.99
James R: Without doubt, this was the comic that I was most looking forward to reading this week. Given my love of all things Warren and the jaw-dropping finale of the previous issue, I couldn’t wait to see how Ellis put this one to bed. On one hand, it’s a brilliant bit of writing; the ending to the story is contained within the origins of the two protagonists – in finding out who Carver really is, and in learning what the superpower drug FX7 did to Carrick Masterson, both characters are left with only one possible outcome, which Juan Jose Ryp illustrates with aplomb. My only reservation with it is that it was over too soon – Ellis burns through ideas like a hayfever sufferer going through Kleenex on a summer day, and every now and then I want to say ‘Woah, slow down… tell me more about this person, show me more of this world…’ But if he did, I guess he wouldn’t be Warren Ellis. All told, a brilliant miniseries which surpasses last year’s Black Summer and really whets the appetite for the upcoming Supergod. 8/10
WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN GIANT SIZE #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Art: Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines & Mark Molaes
Marvel $4.99
Matt C: After all the waiting around this turns out to be an expensive and ultimately unnecessary epilogue to the Old Man Logan arc (which I already felt lost its bearings halfway through). Seeing Logan hack his way through a succession of the Hulk's offspring may offer some visceral thrills but that's purely down to the book's only saving grace, McNiven's incendiary artwork. It's ferocious stuff and quite possibly the best of his career, it's just a shame the story it illustrates is so vacuous and pointless. On top of that, the back up pages are full of covers from the previous issues of the story, and you'd think most people picking this up would already have those in their possession. So basically Marvel are charging is extra for something we already own - am I the only one who thinks that's taking the piss? 4/10
James R: I’ve said before that there are two Mark Millars. One is a comics auteur who has a deft understanding of the medium, and makes high-concept ideas work really well. This is the guy that wrote The Ultimates, Chosen and 1985. But then there’s the other Mark Millar who never quite sees his ideas through to their full potential – check out his runs on Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. For a long time, it seemed that the good Mark Millar was responsible for this story, writing each issue with dynamic pacing and having fun portraying Wolverine as Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven. So much fun in fact, Marvel declared that the story was going to spill over into this bumper-sized finale. ‘Great!’ I hear you cry. Sadly not. It would seem that the ‘Dark Half’ Mark Millar got out of bed to write this one, as Wolverine takes his revenge on the Hulk and his inbred hick offspring. And that’s it. If you’ve ever read more than five Marvel comics featuring these characters, you’ll be able to guess how this one wraps up. The only mild surprise is the fate of the Hulk’s youngest child, but anyone who has ever read Lone Wolf & Cub won’t be dazzled by Millar’s finale. For your $4.99 Marvel give you a load of covers – which you probably own already! – and some sketch pages. Wooh. I don’t know who to be more peeved at – Millar for serving up another ‘Meh’ of a finale (Wanted anybody?) or Marvel’s editorial team for squeezing our geek wallets so hard. 3/10
DARK X-MEN: THE CONFESSION #1
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Art: Bing Cansino & Roland Paris
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: I’d been looking forward to this since I typed up the preview a couple of months back and now it’s been subjected to a read I have to say that I’m a little underwhelmed by it. I think there are a couple of problems which prevent it from being a great comic. Firstly, bringing Kyle and Yost on may seem like a decent idea considering that the formation of X-Force is their bag and it’s one of the biggest secrets that Scott has been keeping from Emma, but Fraction has been doing all of the legwork with the Frost-Summers relationship and his input is missed. Secondly, I’m not convinced that Emma is being portrayed in a consistent fashion as she appears overly vulnerable here which is a far step from the confident and calculating woman she has been for the past year in the X-books. My last little complaint is that this comic comes across as something of a ‘clip-show’ with far too much of the content showing what has gone before rather than dealing with the fallout of the deep betrayals and secrets that Scott and Emma have taken upon themselves. I would have been happier to see a great deal more reaction from the pair rather than it just come across as a list of confessions. I’m probably being overcritical based upon my expectations, and this comic does neatly tie-off the ‘how did that all work then?’ situation that arose from the recent Utopia storyline. I just think that once again an opportunity was missed by the House of Ideas. 5/10
INCREDIBLE HULK #602
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Art: Ariel Olivetti & Michael Ryan
Marvel $3.99
Matt C: Olivetti is proving to be a good fit for the character, or at least his similarly-featured offspring as Bruce has yet to Hulk-out since the relaunch of the title. It’s the writing I’m beginning to have a problem with: Pak seems to be aiming for a more humorous approach, giving it the same kind of vibe as Incredible Hercules, but where it suits that book down to the ground it’s not entirely appropriate here. A few chuckles here and there would be fine, but I kind of want a more serious tone when it comes to the Green Goliath. We’ll see how it pans out but I’m not entirely convinced so far. The All New Savage She-Hulk on the other hand continues to be a surprising delight (need to pick up that recent mini at some point!) making this worth the extra dollar…. but only just. 6/10
POWER GIRL #5
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Amanda Conner
DC Comics $2.99
James R: The 21st Century comics market is a horribly predictable place sometimes: the Big Two will keep on putting out ‘event’ books every summer, characters with movies coming out will suddenly have a slew of new titles & reprints, and inevitably there will be a comic that gets brilliant reviews but not enough readers, and you have to watch as it gets cut down in its prime. The last series that befell this fate was Captain Britain for Marvel, and I just have a horrible feeling that the same fate might befall Power Girl. I’ve read comparisons with Dan Slott’s She-Hulk, and I can see where they’re coming from – the comic shares the same sense of fun along with its female lead surrounded by a cool supporting cast. What puts this above She-Hulk for me is the outstanding art of Amanda Conner who has developed an instantly recognisable style that blends action with human emotion beautifully. More than anything, it’s a blast – to me, it’s what a lot of comics have forgotten to be over the last few years: a fun read. But it needs your support, and deserves a chance to flourish. If you only try one new comic book this month, give issue #5 of Power Girl a chance – it’s certainly more fun than the X-Men at the moment… 8/10
NOVA #29
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Kevin Sharpe & Nelson Pereira
Marvel $2.99
Stewart R: This is the time when Nova has to truly fend for itself and prove that Abnett and Lanning have what it takes to deal with this as a comic solely in its own right rather than skirting too close to bigger events and tie-ins. That may seem a little strange for me to say but the previous 28 issues, while superb, have mostly been concerned with overlapping plots and storylines. They’ve positioned the Nova Corps as a more manageable force to deal with as they rebuild and can take them in whatever direction they see fit. Here they bring back the little known Monark Starstalker for some bounty hunter fun as well as establishing a possible new enemy in the Black Hole Sons. It’s pretty decent sci-fi fare and DnA certainly seem to have done their research with Starstalker’s abilities, employing them well to show just how deadly an opponent he could prove to be. The Sharpe/Pereira team do a good job on artistic duties but I can’t help but miss the artists who have come and gone before them. 7/10
FANTASTIC FOUR #273
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60
Matt C: Not one Byrne's best covers by a long shot (Sue looks about 12!) and the contents are something of a let down too, relatively speaking. The reunion of Reed and his dad only gets a single page, and after such an impressive build-up the whole thing kind of fizzles out too quickly. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that there would have plenty of fascinating material available having Reed see his father for the first time in a couple of decades. A wasted opportunity. That aside there's still a lot to admire, whether it's the impressively realised alternate Earth where the Dark Ages never occurred, or the thrilling two consecutive pages of battle scenes, divided into three action-packed vertical strips each. Overall what it gets right is great, but the few missteps are disappointing (although thankfully a rarity in Byrne's run). 7/10
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.
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #27
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Art: Jesus Saiz
DC $2.99
Matt C: Straczynski’s first issue of Brave And The Bold is also the first time he’s handled one of DC’s big guns (Batman) since signing his contact with the publisher, and I’m sad to say it’s a major disappointment. I’ve generally been a big fan of his comic book work from Rising Stars right through to Thor, but this is one title I won’t be pursuing. It’s not that it is badly written by any means, but several elements just feel off. The Joker is portrayed more as a slightly unhinged crime boss rather than the homicidal lunatic we all know and love, while the Dark Knight himself spouts dull clichés before launching into a heavy-handed sentimentalising at the close of the issue. The art from Saiz is very nice but considering DC’s star is in ascendance again with a recent spate of quality titles I think my money will be better spent elsewhere. 5/10
ULTIMATE ARMOUR WARS #1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Steve Kurth & Jeff Huet
Marvel Comics $3.99
James R: I’m unashamedly a huge fan of Warren Ellis, and would be happy to read his re-interpretation of the phone book, so the thought of him writing Iron Man in any form made me do my geeky dance of joy. (Trust me, you don’t want to see it). As usual, Ellis shows his flair in writing Stark as ‘Pilot of the Future’, and while the events of the flaccid Ultimatum serve as the backdrop to this comic, they’re soon dispensed with as Stark comes up against the Ghost – a mystery agent who has co-opted the Stark-tech and wants to get his hands on more of Tony’s prized possessions. Illustrated in a no-nonsense Hitch-lite way by Steve Kirth, it looks nice enough, though as Stark descend into his underground lair you can’t help but wish this was drawn by John Cassaday (who really would have got the scope and scale across better). A fun read, but very much an introductory chapter, and at $3.99, a little on the thin side (but that’s Marvel these days rather than the creators.) If you like the line “This person just generated a hypersphere and hid my property in the fifth dimension” then this series should be right up your interactive 4-D meta-crystal HUD. 7/10
UNTHINKABLE #5
Writer: Mark Sable
Art: Julian Totino Tedesco
BOOM! Studios $3.99
Stewart R: This fantastic series from the mind of Mark Sable comes to its mind-boggling conclusion this month and caps off what has been one of the most enjoyable political thriller comics that I’ve had the fortune to read. The various motives of the Wolfpack are revealed to Alan Ripley as it becomes clear that the bigger plots and events may have been put into action simply as a distraction to the real goal. Sable may well have been able to stretch this story over a longer period but it’s my opinion that the strength of this title has been his focus and intent to get everything covered in five issues. Tedesco as a comic book artist is also a true revelation and the thing that will stick in my mind for years to come is his single page handling of September 11th 2001 in this very issue, and I know that I’ve not seen such a stark and impressive image anywhere else this year. It may be too late for some of you to hunt around for this in comic book form but I sincerely recommend the title to those who might pick it up as a TPB. A true joy to read. 9/10
BLACKEST NIGHT #3
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
DC $3.99
James R: Three issues in, and Geoff Johns really starts to hit his stride. I was really impressed with the first two issues, but for sheer quality and quantity, this takes some beating. The Indigo tribe finally turn up on Earth to lend a hand to the bewildered and bedraggled survivors of the Black Lanterns’ attack, and one of the protagonists meets a particularly horrific end. I can understand the criticism that the pages featuring Indigo-1’s soliloquy do come across as a bit of a plot explanation device - “This is what’s going on and here’s why it’s happening – everyone got it?!” - but I still think it’s forgivable in a comic that’s packed with character development, and some downright horrific moments brilliantly illustrated by Ivan Reis. I was one of the few defenders of Final Crisis last summer, and whereas that was a different kind of ‘Event’ with a different scope, this is a comics blockbuster of a unique stripe and shows that DC really has its house in order at the moment. It easily passed my James ‘instant re-read’ test and certainly was the most memorable thing I read in this hectic week of releases. 8/10
Matt C: With the story anchored by Hal & Barry once again everything comes sharply into focus as Johns delivers his best script yet for anything Blackest Night related. Things seem to be escalating rapidly almost to the point where our heroes look like they haven’t got a hope in hell….. until the Indigo tribe make their debut with a combination of butt-kicking and much-needed exposition. The pace continues to be relentless but Johns' knack of ensuring his characters never get lost amidst the mayhem adds weight and depth to the proceedings, so when he whips out the more horrific elements of the plot their impact hits really hard. Outstanding. 9/10
Stewart R: It’s good. Pretty darn good, but it’s just not hitting the heady Blackest Night heights that the various Green Lantern titles have reached over the past few weeks. With a concept this big it was inevitable that at some point there was going to be an instance where the gravity of the situation got lost by the heroes and here it’s where Hal and Barry have a big old heart to heart about each other’s foibles. Seriously? You’re talking about what each of you have been going through these past years rather than coming up with a decent plan of action? Another small concern I have is just how convenient the Indigo Lanterns appear to be, delivering answers left, right and centre in their first full involvement. Aside from these pretty minor points there is plenty of delicious Black Lantern nastiness this time around, especially when it comes time for the Firestorms to face off. Once again it is one of those situations where Johns hits that fine line between making it riveting while at the same stroke making it difficult to read further when realising the emotional pain to come. Looking back it may seem that I’ve been more negative towards this issue but I’ve read it through twice and it’s still a blast despite the niggles. 7/10
Matt T: Probably the weakest issue for me so far. Although there was plenty going on, very little of it was of huge consequence to the main story unless you have a particularly invested interest in the new Firestorm. The appearance of the Indigo tribe does move the plot on somewhat. As much as the Black Lanterns are horrifying, we need a few of the other colours of the spectrum to get involved before the war becomes too one dimensional. 6/10
DARK AVENGERS #9
Writer: Brain Michael Bendis
Art: Mike Deodato
Marvel $3.99
Matt T: This is easily the best issue of Dark Avengers I've bought since its inception. Unfortunately it's mainly because it barely features Norman's team at all. Instead Ares hunts down the man responsible for his son skipping school, Nick Fury. It seems that, as Ares is appearing in a frightening amount of books at the moment, few of them seem to be able to get anything resembling a consistent character for the God of War. Bendis manages to infuse Ares with an amount of emotional depth, whereas others paint him as a Hulk-lite who simply wants to break things. Perhaps the fact that Phobos is involved is an excuse for the added depth, but it's still a problem with the majority of the Dark Avengers as most of them are card-carrying psychos that suddenly need to be rounded characters rather than purely an arch foe for a hero. 8/10
Stewart R: I’ll say it right here and right now: the cross-title shenanigans that are plaguing much of the Marvel universe at present need to stop! This is blatantly a story that should have been featured in the pages of Secret Warriors yet it appears under the Dark Avengers banner. Anyone who gets SW and not DA should pick this up as it is a decent read and gives some much needed validation to Phobos’ place on Fury’s team. The question is should those readers really have to shell out an extra $3.99 for it? Bendis actually manages to keep his usual ‘chatty’ character work down to an effective minimum and brings us a vulnerable side of Ares that is usually swept away elsewhere in a sea of violence and godlike testosterone. We’re looking good for a high score here from this reviewer until the weirdness with Norman Osborn and the Sentry is taken into consideration. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with Osborn’s workshop scenes and because I don’t pick up this tile regularly I’m a little confused by Lindy’s actions against Sentry. I think I’ll sum it up as ‘bafflingly reasonable’! 6/10
BATGIRL #2
Writer: Brian Q. Miller
Art: Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott with Sandra Hope
DC $2.99
Stewart R: I now know why I’m enjoying this so much. There are striking similarities here to the Batman Beyond (Batman Of The Future in the UK) animated series with the young, capable yet naïve youngster putting on the guise of the tired, weary predecessor who then acts as mentor and partner. It’s no bad thing at all as Miller makes sure that he’s tackling this from both sides – Stephanie refusing to listen to reason, Barbara struggling to admit that jealousy is probably leading her heart in the matter – and it’s an enjoyable crime-fighting bundle of fun. Garbett’s got a good grip on the mix of kinetic, thug-beating action and angst riddled school-life that currently runs through Batgirl’s life and his last page gives us a nice little teaser of the ‘scary’ things to come. 8/10
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #3
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice
Marvel $3.99
Matt C: On one hand I do feel as though this mini hasn’t truly delivered on its promise so far, dragging its feet somewhat with it’s recapping of Cap’s history rather than sprinting headlong into new, exciting territory. On the other hand, when compared to Marvel ‘event’ books of recent years (Secret Invasion, Civil War, House Of M) there’s far more intelligence and feeling within these pages, as well as an astute and convincing grip on a large cast of characters. There seems to be a lot more going on in this issue too, especially with a certain villain returning to the mix, but while part of me thinks we should have got to this point a bit earlier, the rest of me can’t deny that it is a really entertaining page-turner. 8/10
Matt T: Much like Dark Avengers, Captain America: Reborn is better off without the title character. While the historical references will probably appeal to new readers, us ageing geeks will spin past the likes of Namor accidentally launching a popsicle Cap into the ocean. The reappearance of the Red Skull helps move the story along nicely, and having something slightly more interesting for Bucky to do other than beating up random henchmen is a relief. 8/10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #605
Writers: Fred Van Lente & Brian Reed
Art: Javier Pulido, Luke Ross, Rick Magyar, Yanick Paquette & Mark Farmer
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: I get the feeling that as a fan of the Brand New Day premise I should be a little worried. Where once there was the promise of new and reinvented characters and a so called ‘Brain Trust’ working closely together, there is now an ever expanding group of writers sticking their oar in and a bizarre tendency to revisit past storylines that were probably better left alone. This week I find myself handing over an extra dollar for an incredibly mixed bag with a three-chapter format. The initial chapter, concentrating on Mary Jane’s previous whereabouts, is interesting but spoiled somewhat by the unnecessary super-villain inclusion and an artist seemingly attempting a John Romita Jr impression. Chapter 2 has several worrying mentions of the name ‘Reilly’, and the final chapter has Peter bumbling around in dating pursuits and even going headlong into a signposted dead-end by trying to actually date as Spider-Man. This is obviously only one issue out of the three we’ll get this month, but with the news that Guggenheim is set to leave the Brain Trust after his next arc I’m wary that this could beckon ‘slippery slope’ time. 5/10
SWORDSMITH ASSASSIN #2
Writer: Andrew Cosby & Michael Alan Nelson
Art: Ayhan Hayrula
Boom! Studios $3.99
Matt C: Yeah, I know it’s crammed with familiar tropes of the genre but I still find it impossible to resist Swordsmith Assassin because it’s delivered with such grace and panache. This month we meet an honourable and wise old samurai who teaches our hero how to wield swords as expertly as he forges them. You may read that description and think, “How many times have we seen that before?”, but while it won’t win any prizes for originality, the tight script from Cosby & Nelson along with the quality art from Hayrula (encompassing both the epic and the intimate) make this a thoroughly compelling series. 8/10
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #1
Writer: Gregg Hurwitz
Art: Jerome Opeña and Dan Brown
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: The rebooted Moon Knight was one of the first titles I sought out when I got back into buying comics on a regular basis but it soon lost my attention as a quickly changing Marvel Universe seemed to make it difficult for the creative team to take Marc Spector’s character where they wanted him. Luckily it seems that Marvel aren’t ready to give up on this follower of Khonshu just yet and so he returns to New York City as Jake Lockley in a terrific first issue. Hurwitz has a crime fiction and MAX series background which should hopefully keep things grounded to a certain degree through the oncoming arc, and he seems keen to take this character in a more refined direction. Opeña’s artwork is suited to this type of action as we get the intense frenetic and physical type of superheroism that Moon Knight is known for. The scenes of Moon Knight riding a sliding van and the Osborn poster vandalism are truly sublime. I’d be worried about the possible Thousand Suns vs Moon god slant in the next issue if this title were in lesser hands, but I’m confident that it will be well delivered. The backup story is a reprint of Moon Knight’s origin, which is probably necessary to bring new readers up to speed, but since we’re dealing with Lockley and not Spector in the main story I think it’s the only misstep here. 8/10
BATMAN AND ROBIN #4
Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Philip Tan & Jonathan Glapion
DC $2.99
Stewart R: This is the big, big problem with starting an ongoing series so well in the first arc: no matter how hard you try to keep up the consistency with the writing a change in artist can completely alter the mood. Philip Tan is certainly an accomplished penciller and there are touches of class – the Batmobile’s appearance on the first page and the sheer fear on the Penguin’s face towards the end are immense – but I can hear a little voice in the back of my head, echoing that of a thousand other readers I’m sure, that just whispers, “Imagine what it’d be like if Mr Quitely had been doing this!” It’s obviously still Morrison pulling the strings so we get some further training/bonding between the caped crimefighters which is also mirrored in the Red Hood’s manipulation of Scarlett. There are some puzzling pieces however, like the apparent social networking aspect while dealing with Lightning Bug and I’ve no idea what the panel with Pink Flamingo’s plane is all about! Are we to believe that that’s him giving a birdcall or has he been dealt with? Hopefully everything will become clearer next issue. 6/10
James R: There’s only one thing up for debate in Batman And Robin this month – can Philip Tan fill the gargantuan shoes of Frank Quitely? Storywise it’s very much ‘as you were’ – Morrison continues his terrific development of Dick & Damien (not to be confused with Dick & Dom…but hey! There’s an idea for a crossover…) and shows us more of the Red Hood & Scarlet, whilst throwing a few intriguing new characters into the mix. However, for me Tan isn’t the right choice to continue this book’s awesome momentum. In his interviews for this title Morrison said that he was trying to encapsulate the spirit of Batman in its entirety – and that included the zany charge of the ‘60s TV show (check out Quitely’s innovate sound effects in #1-3 as an example) - and that he also wanted to make Gotham appear as an eye-popping city of the future; Morrison correctly pointed out that in such a crime-ridden city, there would have to be a reason why people wanted to live there! Tan’s artwork lacks all this, and he falls back on the very tried and tested form of ‘Dark Gotham’, and man, it’s really dark. I’m aware that some of this might be due to Pete Pantazis’ colours, or perhaps even Morrison’s script direction, but this issue certainly lacks the sparkle and innovation of Quietly. A great read, but not a visual treat. 7/10
Matt T: For the first time in the short run of Batman And Robin I feel like Morrison is treading over old ground. On numerous occasions in the past Batman has faced a harder edged vigilante willing to use deadly force to battle crime. Granted, Morrison adds a slightly abstract tone to proceedings and the anti-Robin is a far more interesting character than the new Red Hood, but this felt like filler to me. Introducing the Red Hood is a necessity, but the stronger parts are still the dialogue between Batman and Robin. 7/10
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #18
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca
Marvel $2.99
Stewart R: How many more times can I go on about how good a comic Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca are bringing us?! I’m of course hoping that I get another 18 issues of rip-roaring magnificence from the pair of them when it’s as good as this. There’s still enough of the Tony Stark that we know and love left in that melon of his to make this penultimate trip down sentiment lane completely worthwhile as his worst monikers come back to briefly haunt him. The use of unfortunate H.A.M.M.E.R employee Walsh adds a terrifically frustrating realism to Osborn’s regime and also helps to highlight just how much Norman is being affected by his newfound power as well. Fraction looks like he’s set to perform a proper and well thought out reboot (literally??) of Tony’s character - well that’s what this I’m assuming is on the cards – and with the care and attention he’s brought to this so far there is no need to think that this dynamic partnership couldn’t go another 50 issues without dropping the ball once. 9/10
AGENTS OF ATLAS #11
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Dan Panosian & Gabriel Hardman
Marvel $2.99
Stewart R: After I heaped praise upon this title last issue it’s worryingly clear that Marvel may be viewing it as yet another failed venture. A truly entertaining story based upon the Atlas Foundation coming under attack from its greatest threat, the armies of The Great Wall, should and could have lasted for 5-10 issues easily, there’s that much potential. The first two instalments of the arc hinted that this could be a protracted and drawn out struggle and I would have jumped aboard without hesitation. Unfortunately the House of Ideas – or possibly Parker, it’s hard to tell who - wants another frikin’ crossover so the Terror Of The Jade Claw arc is wrapped up in stupidly quick fashion with an infuriating tag-team challenge taking place between the artists every couple of pages. Hardman’s work is top quality and suits this title perfectly, Panosian’s isn’t and doesn’t. It’s a real shame that events are sped along here as the burgeoning trust between Jimmy Woo and Temugin was getting interesting. If this is how Marvel are going to treat this title and these great characters moving forward I may have to look at using my $2.99 for other purposes. 4/10
FANTASTIC FOUR #272
Writer: John Byrne
Art: John Byrne
Marvel $0.60
Matt C: To get a sense of how inventive an artist Byrne was back in those days look no further than the double-page spread depicting the FF (and Wyatt Wingfoot) in the midst of being transported across dimensions by a time machine. It’s such a simple visual idea but in the hands of a master it becomes something special. Elsewhere Byrne bolsters Sue’s role in the team further and provides an amusing demonstration of why She-Hulk makes a great temporary replacement for the Thing. In the unlikely event that you were to harbour any doubts, this issue would confirm just how fun adventuring into the unknown with Marvel’s First Family can be! 8/10
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 September issue of Previews which includes comics scheduled to ship in November 2009.
SUPERGOD #1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Garrie Gastony
Avatar $3.99
James R: Yowza! Brilliant title, superb concept, and I'm guessing an incredible comic. This miniseries will complete Warren Ellis' ‘hero’-themed trilogy. Black Summer explored heroes who were too human, No Hero focused on heroes who became inhuman, and now this final part is, in Ellis' words, "Superhumans who are no longer human at all, but something else." Seeing that Ellis' recent work has been of an incredible standard, I've got stratospherically high expectations for this, which are only further fuelled by the excellent strapline: 'Praying to be saved by a man who can fly will get you killed'. Bring it on!
STRANGE #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Emma Rios
Marvel $3.99
Matt C: As I’ve steered clear of Bendis’ work of late I only know the bare bones of the storyline where he stripped Doctor Strange of the title ‘Sorcere Supreme’; I’m not particularly enthused by what I’ve heard but I still do really like the character and am always willing to see how new writers handle him in the vain hope that we might get an ongoing out of it. Last time I picked up a Doc Strange mini it was Brian K. Vaughan & Marcos Martin’s fantastic Blood Oath, and while that’s no guarantee this’ll be any good, Waid’s a damn fine writer so it’s several steps in the right direction already. Emma Rios’s art was last seen on Boom!’s Hexed and showed definite promise. One to keep an eye on methinks.
DRONE #1
Writer: Scott Chitwood
Art: Randy Kintz
Red 5 Comics $2.99
Stewart R: With the face of modern warfare becoming increasingly dependant on technology and the use of autonomous fighting units, it’s surely only a matter of time before we’re sending in humanoid robots to do the fighting while the controllers are miles away in safe surroundings? Here, we get an opportunity to visit such a not-so-distant future, thanks to this 4-part mini from Red 5 Comics where the US have mastered the technology and are sending their metallic death machines into war zones. The plot centres on a squad of captured ‘drones’ and their human technician whose safety lies squarely in the hands of a group of gaming hackers. This type of premise usually lures me in for a closer look and I’m interested to see how deep any political slant may go with this title.
KOOKABURRA K #1
Writer: Chrisse & Hicks
Art: Humberto Ramos
Marvel/Soleil $5.99
Andy H: I'll openly admit my main reason for wanting to check out this book is Humberto Ramos. No crime in that, I like his style. So what else can Kookaburra K offer me? Marvel don’t give much away: there is a threat to the universe wiping planets from the stellar map and a space ship carrying refugees including seven children, an ancient wizard-knight and the ghost of a cyborg (?) all travelling with a mysterious cargo that will alter their fates forever. Not much to go on but this is Soleil and worth taking a chance on. I'm not sure if this is a direct adaptation of the original Kookaburra stories from Belgian writer/artist Crisse (which I will now try and check out) or something new from him written for the American market. Either way if you are a fan of cosmic adventure this could be for you.
PILOT SEASON: THE MURDERER #1
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Nelson Blake II
Image/Top Cow $2.99
Matt T: I’m relatively partial to the writing of Robert Kirkman anyway, but having a central character with the ability to read minds and, logically, killing those with eeeevil thoughts to keep the chatter down in his noggin sounds like a winner to me. I love the Die Hard-esque cover, and I’m hoping the internal art is a bit bloody without being ridiculous. The plots certainly has legs, and with Kirkman in charge we should get some interesting twists and turns along the way.
POWERS #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Michael Avon Oeming
Marvel/Icon $3.95
Matt T: As someone who only joined Powers when it made the jump to Marvel I was glad to be introduced to it and quickly set about searching through the back issues. Granted the title has had plenty of ups and downs, and the superpowers angle has been given far more weight than the police procedural elements in the most recent run, but I’m trusting Bendis to pull this out of the hat (never thought I’d be saying that again!!!). Hopefully it will be both regular and a return to the roots of the book, which I’m guessing is the intention of the re-numbering. We can but hope…
James R: A recent chat with my fellow Paradoxers showed that this title had fallen from favour with nearly all of them. It's easy to see why. From its cool 'cop show about superpowers' origins, it went from being innovative and unique to predictable and very, very late. Powers seemed to slide as Bendis became the grand nabob of the Marvel Universe, which was a huge shame; I thought it was the book that initially showcased his talents (and the great artwork of Michael Avon Oeming) the best. However, it seems as if it's back, back, back! A new story arc, which can mean only one of two things - either this could be the start of the title's second wind, or it'll be another step down the dark path towards apathy. Like any die-hard fanboy, I'll stay for the ride either way.
LOCKE AND KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #1
Writer: Joe Hill
Art: Gabriel Rodrigues
IDW $3.99
Andy H: Oh, no surprises here! Locke And Key is back for it's third outing and I (again) can't wait. The diabolical Dodge returns as he continues to search for the key to the black door. Dodge must be up there as one of the best villains in comics at the moment. He's a seriously chilling character. Another villain apparently returns this issue in the form of the homicidal Sam Lesser. Hang about, wasn't he killed by Dodge? Yep, but Dodge has uses for the ghostly Sam. This is why you need to read this book, a great cast of characters, a fantastic plot running through the series and you can't always see what's coming. I hope it won't be too long before the Locke family return as we saw less of them in Volume 2, and there's still plenty of plot threads left hanging. Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are possibly one of the best creative teams of recent years.
BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE ONE-SHOT
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Art: Phil Noto
DC $4.99
James R: It seems that there's a certain renaissance concerning heroes of the pulp genre at the moment. Ed Brubaker made them the cornerstone of his Incognito title, and in recent years both Warren Ellis and Alan Moore have used pulp archetypes in their creator-owned series. Now it seems that DC have decided to take the next step and merge them with some of their most popular characters. Having acquired the rights to Ralston & Nanovic's Doc Savage, this month sees the character’s debut in the DC Universe. Actually, it's one of DC's universes - an elseworld dreamed up by the creator of 100 Bullets, Brian Azzarello. DC say that this one-shot guest-starring Batman is an introduction to the character of Doc Savage and his new world. They did a similar thing with Darwyn Cooke's incredible run on The Spirit a couple of years ago, and I'm hoping that the team of Azzarello and Phil Noto will be able to produce something as stellar with this pulp legend.
PUNISHERMAX #1
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Steve Dillon
Marvel MAX $3.99
Matt C: I quit the previous MAX title when they bumped the price and began employing a succession of different creators. I haven’t heard either way so there might have been some solid stuff after I left, but in these financially restricted times you find yourself putting money down for sure things rather than taking more risks (to a point). Jason Aaron is a sure thing, at least if you go by his track record so far, so I’m willing to give this relaunch a look. I worry about combining Dillon’s art with Aaron’s writing though as Dillon’s rendition of the character is so synonymous with Garth Ennis’s tongue-in-cheek approach to Frank Castle that it just might not gel. Then again, there might be an unexpected chemistry that materialises on the page so I can’t really pass it up.
REALM OF KINGS #1
REALM OF KINGS: IMPERIAL GUARD #1
REALM OF KINGS: INHUMANS #1
Writer: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Various
Marvel $3.99
Stewart R: With the War of Kings finally over we now enter the Realm of Kings this November as all sides struggle to deal with the fallout of the conflict. Abnett and Lanning have written themselves into a fantastically promising position: The Fault poses the largest threat that the Marvel Cosmos has seen in a generation and echoes nicely the potential environmental situation the human race may find ourselves in soon enough. If the nastiness pouring forth from The Fault wasn’t bad enough the Shi’ar are in the midst of a devastating civil war and the Inhumans find themselves in a precarious position atop of the Kree Empire with no Black Bolt to steer them through. Giving a miniseries to both the Inhumans and the Imperial Guard could be a stroke of genius as each group have a multitude of different personalities and these titles could bring some great characters forward that we haven’t seen much of before. While I’d have liked to see Paul Pelletier somewhere in the mix, the regular artists here are more than capable of delivering us some classic material from the minds of two of the best writers Marvel has working for them today.
ASTERIOS POLYP
On more than one occasion I was reminded of the oeuvre of Woody Allen, particularly Annie Hall with it’s intellectual protagonist hooking up with a more free-spirited and arty partner. Having said that, Asterios himself is nowhere near the kind of neurotic personality that usually takes the lead in Allen’s films, and really that’s merely one potential reference point, a cursory scratch of the surface for those intrigued by this book.
