Mini Reviews 27/02/2011

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 latest instalment of Matt C's Secret Wars Project.

FANTASTIC FOUR #588
Writer: Jonatham Hickman
Art: Nick Dragotta, Mark Brooks & Paul Mounts
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: The bulk of this issue follows straight on on the devastating events that saw the First Family of Marveldom reduced to three members. It's almost entirely wordless but incredibly potent because of this, the visuals conveying the emotional tone perfectly. It may seem like a strange choice to employ a guest artist for such an important chapter in the Fantastic Four's history but Dragotta manages to channel some Kirby magic into his illustrations (complete with Kirby Crackle!) that somehow seems quite apt, all things considered. While the story encompasses the period of mourning for FF and their extended family it's the scenes involving the Thing where the pathos really comes to the fore. After knowing this character (a personal favourite) for roughly 30 years, watching him break down in front of some close friends was more than enough to cause a tear in this comic fan's eye. The back-up tale has Spider-Man catching up with Franklin for a bonding session now that they have something in common (both have lost uncles they were very close to). It's short but touching, well rendered by Brooks, and the appearance of the wallcrawler is nicely judged, especially considering his role in the forthcoming FF series. The most affecting single issue of Hickman's career as a comics writer yet, and also one of his best. 9/10

Stewart R: Well, what a bloody great time it’s been to jump onto the Fantastic Four bandwagon as Hickman carefully steers it down a bumpy road filled with emotional potholes! The last issue was an intense affair in terms of action while #588’s intensity comes from the overwhelming sense of grief that Hickman and primarily Dragotta manage to wring from each and every page. The absence of speech means that Dragotta has to capture every nuance of sadness, anger and disbelief in single, all important panels and he accomplishes that magnificently. From Valeria’s focused rage in leading the kids of the Future Foundation, to Sue’s sombre withdrawal from Reed, to the superb scene where Thor and the Hulk attempt to get through to Ben and allow him to grieve, to that final sequence where an exhausted Reed gets the shock of his life, it’s just brilliant. The back-up story involving Spider-Man helping Franklin get through his period of mourning is also nicely realised and rounds things out perfectly. Bring on the Future Foundation! 9/10


THE MISSON #1
Writers: Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber
Art: Werther Dell’Edera & Arianna Florean
Image $2.99

Matt C: The basic premise - heavenly figure commands ordinary joe to commit murder for the good of humanity - is a decent one, but the execution here is completely off. For a start, we're barely given any time to get to know the protagonist before the plot kicks into gear (literally from page 2), so rather than feeling like we can empathise with his predicament he remains a rather nondescript character throughout the whole of the issue. As we don't really understand who this guy is, his actions don't seem very convincing - he doesn't really take a lot of prompting to make the decision to commit murder in the name of righteousness, not does he ask any searching questions to ascertain why he's been chosen for the task. The art's fine but the entire enterprise is just too flimsy to warrant further investigation. 4/10


DETECTIVE COMICS #874
Writer: Scott Snyder
Art: Francesco Francavilla
DC $2.99

James R: With every passing month this title just gets better and better. Detective was one of the only comics that I felt carried off the two-in-one approach, but with DC's $2.99 price promise, it seemed the Jim Gordon story had to take a back seat. However, it's been totally worth the wait. This month we see Gordon come face to face with James Jr while Dick teams up with Tim Drake to take on an unusual gang. Snyder does a brilliant job of balancing out these two stories - the quiet intensity of the father and son meeting is nicely offset by the classic Batman action during the second half of the story. Special praise though has to go to Francesco Francavilla - his work is beautifully moody, and I think it takes a real talent to make a conversation between two men in a diner the most memorable thing you read in a pull-list full of apocalypses, supermen and science heroes. The colour palette is spectacular - check out how Jim Gordon is portrayed as a stark grey figure against the neon of the diner - and this adds to the terrific interplay of the script. I was also impressed with how Francavilla carried off the action in this issue too - the one double-page spread reminded me of J. H. Williams, and praise doesn't come higher than that. Back-up story? No way. This title is all killer and no filler and is, for my money, the best superhero book being published at the moment. 9/10


CAPTAIN AMERICA #615
Writer: Ed Brubaker & Sean McKeever
Art: Butch Guice, Stefano Gaudiano, Rick Magyar, Bettie Breitweiser, Pepe Larraz & Chris Sotomayor
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: An acceptable finale to the 'Trail Of Captain America' arc although it is a bit rushed and could have perhaps sustained a little more examination into whether Bucky's past crimes as the Winter Soldier should prevent him from wearing the iconic costume. The reduced number of inkers means Guice's art is far more consistent, and generally excellent the whole way through, while Brubaker keeps the script tight and the pacing fast, even if it doesn't dig as deeply as it could. In a sense though it's not really the end as it appears that Sin is just commencing her plans to take down Bucky/Cap, and it looks like Brubaker is positioning her to become Bucky's arch-nemesis (a wise choice considering the lineage). Not quite up to the same standard as the previous few instalments but still in very good shape. We also get a nice send-off for the Nomad back-up – although it never really seemed like the right fit, it won me over in the end. 7/10


KILL SHAKESPEARE #9
Writers: Conor McCreery & Anthony Del Col
Art: Andy Belanger & Ian Herring
IDW $3.99

Matt C: After last issue’s shock reveal of a certain character (whose arrival seems obvious in hindsight) we finally get to the moment the series has been leading up to: the appearance of Shakespeare. Without giving too much away, he’s not really what I (nor Hamlet for that matter) was expecting, but the way the writer’s present him here means it’s impossible to predict what conclusion for the story they have up their sleeves. Elsewhere, Iago’s treachery is finally discovered although it’s a little too late to stop Lady Macbeth from trying to make this comic’s title a reality. Belanger has a lot of fun with his panel composition and the double page splashes are intricately constructed. Three more issues to go and at this point it’s looking more and more like McCreery and Del Col are going reach the end without dropping the ball. 7/10


INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #501
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca & Frank D’Armata
Marvel $3.99

James R: Now this is more like it. After what I thought was a patchy last arc (the whole Stark: Resilient thing didn't quite do it for me) Fraction hits the ground running with this one. Doctor Octopus tracks down Stark and sets him an onerous task: reboot Ock’s broken body in the same way he did with himself or Lower Manhattan gets destroyed and Timothy Cababa and Pepper Potts will meet a dastardly fate at the hands of the Sinister Six. It's a fantastic 'ticking clock' set up, and what makes the issue even better is that Fraction jumps back in time to Stark’s first meeting with Octavius. The writer does a great job of showing the animosity between the two, and it's one of the strengths of the Marvel Universe that it seems entirely plausible that both men could have crossed paths in the past. Larocca does his usual fine job on the pencils, modifying his style when illustrating the 'back then' sequences. Solid stuff all round. 8/10

Stewart R: I had been concerned that Fraction would be moving things on a little too quickly when I discovered that the rebuilding of Asgard with Stark, sorry, Resilient tech was on the agenda. Thankfully Fraction explains that Tony has once again been looking at his reinvention and the reinvention of the world from many different angles and it does feel like a snug piece of the puzzle. From there things lead into a fun comparison of two great minds, Stark and Otto Octavius, showing how their paths have crossed over the years and just how the two of them have ended up at very different ends of the moral spectrum. There’s some brilliant baiting and banter between them in both flashbacks and current scenes and once again Fraction captures Tony’s smug, smarter-than-thou attitude expertly while also giving Octavius that bitter, resentful edge that he’s now almost famous for. I certainly have no fears now that the quality is going to drop following the renumbering. 9/10


DRACULA: THE COMPANY OF MONSTERS #7
Writers: Kurt Busiek & Daryl Gregory
Art: Damian Couceiro & Stephen Downer
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: A criminally overlooked series, if truth be told. I can understand the eye-rolling many folks would respond with when presented with 'another vampire comic' but this has enough going for it to set it apart. For a start, placing it in the corporate world gives it a certain amount of contemporariness that allows for some non-intrusive commentary on the state of the economy in amongst the requisite bloodsucking (oh yes, there's definitely some metaphors there too!). I'm not entirely sure how much input Busiek has beyond the basic story structure, but there’s no question that Gregory brings a lot to the table; beyond with the overall concept of the series it's strongest element is the characterisation, and it's here that Gregory’s scripting adds colour and shade to the different cast members. At the top of the tree is Dracula himself, who waltzes through the narrative with confidence and a lips-smacking relish - pure evil personified but impossibly charismatic at the same time. Evan is the kind of guy who would normally slip through the cracks unnoticed but due to his parentage and an outlandish series of circumstance he’s found himself right in the middle of an impossibly dangerous situation, developing just enough of a backbone to try and bend it to his advantage. Conrad is a slightly clichéd villain, but his position as CEO of a multinational company means his actions are less predictable than they may have been in a more familiar (for the genre) environment. The Romanian vamp hunters haven't really had the opportunity to make a substantial impact, but their motley crew shows promise. The weak link at the moment is Corinna - her motivations are not clear and her actions seem more contrived to service the plot rather than natural behaviour from a believable character. The art is generally of a high standard, conveying a strong sense of menace, but the final page lets the side down a bit as its not entirely clear which character we're looking at. That aside, Dracula: Company Of Monsters remains one of Boom!'s best books. 7/10


WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? #2
Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Art: Tonci Zonjic
Image $2.99

Matt C: The mystery deepens. Is Jake Ellis a ghost, a figment of Jon Moore's imagination or something else entirely? We get a bit of backstory this time round, and discover that Moore was involved in the CIA's remote viewing programme (against his will, it seems) before Jake Ellis appeared on the scene and helped him escape into hiding. Edmondson drip feeds just enough info to keep us hooked but not enough to dilute the suspense. Zonjic’s art is a treat, and he's an impressive 'new' talent - I'm not sure what he's done before but his illustrations have a robust simplicity to them bolstered by an exciting dynamism and a warm but noir-infused palette. An intriguing premise has quickly developed into an essential read. 8/10


NEW YORK FIVE #2
Writer: Brian Wood
Art: Ryan Kelly
DC/Vertigo $2.99

Matt C: I initially didn’t pick up the first issue of this series having never read its precursor, The New York Four, but after being reassured I didn’t need knowledge of that graphic novel I got hold of a copy and didn’t have any problems getting drawn in. It’s a book that screams ‘indie’ from the very first page but of course that kind of pigeon-holing does it a disservice. It’s an incredibly hip read with its cooler-than-you cast but Wood doesn’t make it feel exclusive and avoids full blown soap operatics by keeping it smart, witty and full of emotional truths. Kelly’s art is something special: he captures the brashness, the uncertainty, the melancholy of the main characters brilliantly, but also provides some quite stunning background work, making Manhattan come alive on the page. Probably not to everyone’s tastes but if you like comics that are down to earth, deal with relatable scenarios and dance to a contemporary beat then The New York Five is definitely worth considering. 8/10


TURF #4
Writer: Jonathan Ross
Art: Tommy Lee Edwards
Image $2.99

Stewart R: Another top effort here from Ross and Edwards as Eddie Falco tries to build a small army capable of taking on the Dragomir clan who are making moves to resurrect the Old One and bring the darkest of times down upon humankind. There is so much going on within these pages but it never feels like things are getting out of hand. Ross bounces back and forth from Vampire scene to Gangster/Alien team-up and it all jogs alone at a merry pace thanks to some carefully crafted dialogue and keen narration that ties everything together. We started out with three very separate groups in the early stages of this series but now we’ve ended up with a delicious intermingling where uneasy alliances are formed and everyone begins to start realising just who is motivated by what and which side of the brewing war they’d rather find themselves on. Edwards puts in yet another inspired effort improving upon his previous work on the title thanks to some softer inking which really brings out the detail of each panel. Yet another great chapter of what has turned out to be a terrific series. 9/10

James R: Ross and Edwards have done a great job of winning me over here. When I read the first issue, I was worried that there could be too much going on - Vampires! Gangsters! Aliens! – and also worried that with so many plot strands the characters wouldn't get time to breathe. Four issues in, and I have to say I thought this month's instalment was a total romp. Ross sets up a huge, Hellzapoppin' finale, as the Strigoli Vampire clan prepare to take over the world of Man, whilst Eddie Falco and Squeed try to put together an army to fight the undead. What's so rewarding here is the sheer volume of story you get for $2.99: 27 ad-free pages! As a result, Ross and Edwards deliver a lot of bang for your buck. It is a mental premise, but hey, aren't 99% of titles on the racks equally mad? I recommend that you throw sensibility out the window when reading this and enjoy the ride. I'm sure the next issue will be as equally jam-packed with goodness, and I'm genuinely intrigued to see what other tales Ross has to tell. 7/10


X-MEN #8
Writer: Victor Gischler
Art: Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend Wayne Faucher, Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: I’m really liking the way that the X-Men are being cast almost as detectives in this latest arc and Gischler has ensured that he’s got just the right line-up to keep this feeling fresh and varied as Storm, Gambit, Emma Frost and Wolverine continue to investigate mysterious disappearances of teenagers in New York. Weaving Spider-Man into the story adds that extra level of comedy value as well as adding a subtle link or similarity to all of the missing kids. I’m still not 100% convinced by Gischler’s portrayal of Emma Frost but her high-and-mighty attitude adds a neat counter to Ororo’s style of leadership. Bachalo dishes up yet another illustrated comic of delicious quality and I have to say that he definitely knows how to colour his own work - those restricted palettes really enhance each page. 8/10


SIXTH GUN #9
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Brian Hurtt & Bill Crabtree
Oni Press $3.99

Matt C: This supernatural Western keeps going from strength to strength. More and more folks are crawling out of the woodwork, intent on getting their hands on the fabled weapons; some are drawn to the idea of wielding great power, others simply see dollar signs flashing overhead. The bulk of this issue is given over to an extended sequence where our heroes are attacked by dark forces and it’s paced brilliantly with a slow build before the chaos erupts. Hurtt does a masterful job of choreographing the whole thing, injecting excitement into every panel. Bunn’s dialogue is beautifully composed with an authentic ring to it that helps set the tone. A marvellous series. 8/10


MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS #8
Writer: Jim Shooter
Art: Mike Zeck, John Beatty, Jack Abel, Mike Esposito & Christie Scheele
Marvel $0.75

Matt C: After being on the receiving end of a fair amount of punishment, Cap leads the band of heroes on a full scale assault of the villain’s base, and after seeing a corpse of one of their own dumped unceremoniously in front of them, none of the good guys are in the mood for playing games. There's an assumption that Doom remains biggest danger amongst the villains, but after being torpedoed out of Galactus' homeworld last issue he's not in much shape to look after himself let alone a bunch of crooks and murderers. The mistake the heroes make here is thinking that if Doom's down then it must mean he's out - they really should know by now that you can never underestimate the tenacity of Victor Von Doom! The most intense chapter of the story yet, with the Beyonder's prize all but forgotten as vengeance and survival get in the way. Zeck knocks out another supremely iconic cover, and although it only relates to a small scene inside it's kind of a pivotal moment in Marvel history as it, to a certain degree, sees the birth of one of the publishers most enduring villains created after the initial batch in the 1960s. 8/10

Incoming... 23/02/2011

New comics are released Wednesday in the States and guess what, in the UK too! Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.

Slight spoiler alert! - I speak about Fantastic Four #588 in this instalment of Incoming... and will be mentioning just who died in #587 so if, for some reason, you’re still plugging fingers in ears or covering your eyes whenever anyone tweets, writes or speaks about ‘that death’ then you may want to avoid the first two paragraphs. Oh, and you may also not want to know that in Dallas it all turned out to be a dream of Bobby Ewing!


Stewart R: Seems that this Wednesday is rolling around and many of Marvel’s big, regular ongoing titles find themselves released on the very same day. The arachnid, the patriot, the three that became four, the tin man and the gang of original misfits are all here to keep us company on one of the last days of winter and I for one am glad to see them all in yet another hefty week.

Let me begin with Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four #588 which of course follows on from that very special (for some more than others - Tom P, I’m looking at you!) issue where the First Family of Marvel lost one of their number. I’d never shown much interest for the Fantastic Four before the announcement of an impending fatality yet found the sacrifice made by Johnny Storm to be a very emotional read indeed. So I will be grabbing this week's issue to find out just how Hickman deals with the period of mourning that Reed, Sue, Ben and the rest of the family and friends will go through and how he will lead things into the upcoming FF title. I’ll certainly be interested to see if there’s any wry mention about the number of times members of this team have ‘died’ in the past yet miraculously been able to return from the dead not long after the moss started to grow atop their headstone.

And so on to the patriot we go as Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice and no doubt half a dozen or so different inkers bring us Captain America #615 and the continuing ‘Trial of Captain America’. Now, with that daring-do ending to last issue where Bucky escaped custody and sped to the Statue of Liberty to stop Sin from killing Falcon and The Black Widow I’d anticipate an all action affair.... BUT, Ed Brubaker is an experienced and very talented writer and he hasn’t got us to this particular point without shaking things up and keeping the story varied. The various courtroom scenes that make up the trial in a traditional sense have been well paced and laid out and I’d be surprised if Bucky’s actions, however noble, weren’t punished in some way by the system he’s trying to protect day in, day out. At the very least I’d certainly get a bit more insight into just what Faustus is up to as his behaviour has definitely intrigued me over the past couple of issues.

Step up tin man, you’re next my friend. It actually seems like a small age has passed since Stark was trying desperately to keep his automotive design for the future from becoming molten slag upon the asphalt of a racecourse and saving both Rhodey and Pepper’s lives with but moments to spare. Thankfully, after renumberings and a ‘point one’ issue, we’re now back on track as Tony begins to set his sights higher as he attempts to take his repulsor technology and rebuild the mystical, and recently fallen, city of Asgard in Invincible Iron Man #501! Obviously Matt Fraction has been writing Thor for the past six months so I guess it makes sense to try to have his two main projects cross over at some stage and there has been a somewhat uneasy relationship between Tony and the God of Thunder since Straczynski had the two clash in the post-Civil War world. It is an interesting idea but with everything else that Fraction seems to have been working towards in the recent story it seems to be something of a jump to have him go from a single car to rebuilding an entire city.

Speaking of jumps of course it should be said that we’re starting to see the baton well and truly come to rest in Kieron Gillen’s hands as he grabs hold of the reigns on Uncanny X-Men #533 and Matt Fraction bends his knees, ready to spring off the title into the Fear Itself event. We’ve a few more issues to go before Fraction’s name is removed from the credits and I’ll be sad to see him go as I feel that he has done an outstanding job with the huge cast of mutant characters, particularly Scott Summers who he has crafted into the hero he has always shown the promise to be. This week I expect we’ll see the pesky mutant flu get even worse and potentially claim further victims while elsewhere Sebastian Shaw goes about dishing out his own particular brand of kinetically-charged pain to Emma, Kitty and Fantomex. The 'Quarantine' arc has been any enjoyable ride thus far and I'm looking forward to Lobe getting a smack around the medulla olongata at some stage!

And so we came to the spider... Dan Slott is rocking it so far. Big Time is a true success. Marcos Martin picks up his pencil for this next arc. Not much more to say really, you should probably just pick up Amazing Spider-Man #655!

Right, okay now, let me throw off the shackles of the House of Ideas and allow myself a little time to embrace the titles spewing forth in illustrated glory from other publishers this very Wednesday. There’s actually a very retro and periodic feel to the remainder of my pull-list this week as titles from Vertigo, Oni Press and Image all look to the past for their slice of fun. Scott Snyder’s American Vampire story speeds on apace as #12 hits the shelves. Snyder is hopping us back a few years to 1924 in order to bring us a ‘lost tale’ of Skinner Sweet as he happens to come across faces from his past, both friendly and not so much, when a Wild West show rolls into town and no doubt there’ll be some bloody fun for the readers as Sweet doesn’t appear to be a man who could go a day without spilling the red stuff from some deserving soul.

Over at Oni Press, Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt give us Sixth Gun #9 and with Drake Sinclair looking increasingly desperate and the number of potential foes rising by the day. I would dare say that things are probably heading towards an explosive and emotional crescendo as we creep ever nearer the end of this accomplished second arc. And speaking of endings there will of course be Turf #4 from Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards as the pair of them begin to wrap up this thoroughly entertaining tale of vampires, aliens and gangsters whose worlds happen to collide in the 1920s. There are only two more issues to go including this one and I have my fingers crossed that the quality from both writer and artist remains high in this penultimate chapter. Based on the three preceding issues I’d say that they’d be hard-pressed to screw it up now! Happy reading guys and gals!

Mini Reviews 20/02/2011

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 latest instalment of Matt C's Secret Wars Project.


SILVER SURFER #1
Writer: Greg Pak
Art: Stephen Segovia, Victor Olazaba & Wil Quintana
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: So ‘here we go again’ as Marvel attempt to give the ultimate Herald of Galactus a series that grabs more than a modest amount of attention. Placing Greg Pak in front of the proverbial typewriter is the first big step as he’s handled a wide range of Marvel’s characters with style and dexterity in recent years. Here, he begins things with the necessary introduction to one of the sadder tales in the House of Ideas’ back catalogue, emphasising how the being that was Norrin Radd has been buried but not completely forgotten amongst the sheen of Power Cosmic silver. The relationship between god-like master and super-powered servant is spread lovingly across the page by Segovia and the art team delivering a first dozen or so panels that reminded me a little of Ron Lim’s tenure with the Surfer back in the 1980s. This then leads into the Surfer’s intervention in an Earth-based situation somewhat beneath his power-set and station that ultimately propels him into unprecedented danger which at this early stage really does have my interest piqued! A good start. 8/10

Matt C: I’m a bit torn on this. On the one hand, I believe the Silver Surfer to be one of Marvel ‘s coolest and – when handled correctly – most fascinating characters, his cosmic introspectiveness providing plenty of dramatic scope and weight. On the other hand, it’s been a good long time (20 years?) since someone’s been able to deliver a consistently good Surfer series. There’s been the odd story here and there that’s worked, but some writer’s don’t seem to know exactly what to do with him once they get hold of him. Pak gets the opening of this issue right, as the Surfer once again ponders his role in the universe and the heavy burden he must carry, but then he takes things into frankly confusing territory as the character becomes embroiled in some shenanigans on Earth involving drugs, super-powered government operatives and the High Evolutionary. Whether it’s a case of the script or the art (or both) being a bit too busy, it’s was nowhere near as engaging as I’d hoped. The cliffhanger is intriguing but I don't know if that, and my affection for the character, will be enough to bring me back for another issue. 5/10


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654.1
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Humberto Ramos, Carlos Cuevas & Edgar Delgado
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: I really wasn’t sure about the ‘Point One’ initiative but that’s now two top quality comics from two purchases in recent weeks (the first being Invincible Iron Man). Dan Slott uses this opportunity to expand #654’s introduction to the new Venom by dropping us into the action on his first couple of missions in the field and there’s a terrific sense of fun that runs through the whole thing thanks to the light-hearted way that Slott characterises Flash Thompson. There’s a great True Lies-cum-Mission: Impossible vibe to be found, thanks in part to Ramos’ pencils and Cuevas’ clean yet brooding inks, not to mention of course Flash’s fancy footwork and silver tongue. Amongst the fun and nods to spy films there’s also a gripping sense of helplessness on the part of the reader as we start to see the first signs that the symbiote is beginning to corrupt Flash as their bonding continues. A great issue and it’s also managed to raise my interest in the new Venom title. 9/10


UNCANNY X-FORCE #5
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Esad Ribic, John Lucas & Matt Wilson
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: I couldn’t block out the chorus of praise any longer. I’d grown apart from the X-Men universe in the last five years or so, so the idea of me buying a book entitled Uncanny X-Force (not even the real X-Men!) seemed completely out of the question. But, ever since the book debuted, I’ve been keeping an eye on the constant stream of rave reviews until it eventually reached a point where I couldn’t deny the enthusing of my peers any longer. I picked up the first four issues, gunned right through them, and loved them (especially #3 and #4). If you were sceptical like me, take the plunge: all the plaudits are entirely deserved. And so we move onto the second arc, which sees cover artist Ribic take over the interior work from Opeña but doesn’t show any signs of the quality slipping. As well as focusing on the repercussions of last issues shock ending, it also draws heavily on Fantomex’s backstory, and as it’s more convoluted than most, if you’re not overly familiar with it to begin with it might seem a little difficult to get your head round. Fortunately, Remender shows – as he has done from the beginning – that he can keep the intelligence and complexity running without getting entangled in layers of impenetrable continuity. Believe the hype – against the odds, Uncanny X-Force has become one of the best books Marvel are currently publishing. 8/10

Stewart R: So the first superb arc is out of the way and everything will now fall to pieces of course... NO WAY JOSE! This is just as good as any of those first four issues: Rick Remender continues to show so many different sides and elements to this small group of mutants battling to save mutant and human kind from some of the worst threats imaginable while also battling with their consciences every step of the way. The revelation about Deadpool adds an extra angle that I certainly wouldn’t have predicted but this is primarily about the enigmatic Fantomex and his ambush at the hands of several superhero mimicking Deathloks. This is purely stunning with Remender and Ribic providing us with a display of the Frenchman’s incredible fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds and there’s an emotional weight to the storytelling here that just makes me want more, lots more! Please, please try this title out if you haven’t already, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 9/10

James R: I picked this up this month because as far as I'm concerned, when three of my fellow reviewing cohorts tell me that this is awesome, I feel honour-bound to take a look! I should point out that the idea of the X-Men is one I'm very lukewarm about - from the tar-thick continuity ('So wait, he's married to the female version of himself from another dimension, who went back in time and killed his father, after he made her pregnant with their shape-shifting nemesis?!" And so on.) to the ubiquity of Wolverine, well, it’s never really clicked for me. On one hand, I do feel like a man who has wandered into a movie three-quarters of the way through, but yet on the other, I was suitably entertained by this as there are some great sci-fi concepts at play here - a hyper-accelerated universe? Cool. Parallel dimension versions of Marvel characters being used by Deathlok as a hit-squad? Also good! I'll see how the arc pans out before I decide if I'm totally onboard here, but this was a nice antidote to my X-phobia. 7/10


SUICIDE FOREST #3
Writer: El Torres
Art: Gabriel Hernandez
IDW $3.99

Stewart R: The stark and creepy cover certainly doesn’t act as false advertising for the supernatural goings-on that transpire in this months issue of Suicide Forest. Torres determines that this is the time to show us just what is lurking in the foliage of Aokigahara as Ryoko Watanabe leads a small party on a tour of the cursed woodland and it’s not long before the darkness envelopes everything. It’s actually taken a second read through to recognise the very subtle yet effective artistic trick that Hernandez has employed here to steadily increase the claustrophobic feel as the angry spirits circle their prey and it’s very well handled indeed. I’d like a little more development of Ryoko’s character as it takes something of a backseat to the action here but the reveal at the end of this chapter suggests that we’ll learn a great deal more about her next time out. I would have told you that ‘I don’t do ghost stories’ a couple of months ago but this title has helped to shift my position on that now. 8/10


S.H.I.E.L.D. #6
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Dustin Weaver & Christina Strain
Marvel $2.99

James R: Remember when Lost was at its peak, dear readers? Ah yes, how we would all gather round and have long debates over what the Dharma Initiative was, or if the characters were all involved in a dream within a dream... no, wait, that's Inception! Sorry. Anyway, as I read the 'final part' of this series, I couldn't help but be reminded of Lost. In the same way that the show's producers would tease us with some huge plot development... and then never quite elaborate on it, leaving us muttering "This will all get explained in the end!" I think that S.H.I.E.L.D. falls into a similar pattern. Hickman is brilliant at setting up these huge, breathtaking ideas, but he's even better at leaving us hanging. This issue sees the face-off between the armies of Da Vinci & Newton, and the desperate attempts of Stark & Richards to get back from the far future. It's great fun, but it doesn't really get us anywhere; rather than the end of an arc, this feels like the end of a chapter. Yet another renaissance figure is thrown into the mix to do... well, we're not sure yet! You'll have to come back for S.H.I.E.L.D. Infinity. I fully accept that this is the nature of serialised storytelling, but for my dollar, I would have enjoyed a little more payoff. It does look spectacular though, and Weaver and Strain's art has been a treat throughout. This has been a blast, but not quite the classic I hoped for. 7/10


EDGE OF DOOM #4
Writer: Steve Niles
Art: Kelley Jones and Jay Fotos
IDW $3.99

Stewart R: *SPLASH* That, dear friends, was me jumping off this crazy boat I’m afraid. I kind of get what Niles and Jones are trying to do with their self-contained horror stories of differing genres - this issue sees a mafia-type gang deal with a police mole and then pay a supernatural price for their trouble - but it’s all a little lifeless. Aside from the terrific second issue each instalment has failed to provide an individual to root for or really give a rat’s ass about; instead, we just end up with an excuse for Jones’ to have fun with his art and execute a clutch of gruesome disembowelments, transformations and deaths. The first few pages start promisingly enough as the betrayed mafia thugs bait their snitch prisoner with the dialogue and Pete’s resigned state setting the mood. Then, all too quickly, the story is simply fed whole to Jones’ art which devours each nameless goon one by one as the spirits of many a cement-filled-shoe wearer come back to take their pound of flesh. It’s all too throwaway I’m afraid and I feel like I’ve thrown my 4 bucks away. 4/10


THUNDERBOLTS
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Kev Walker, Jason Gorder & Frank Martin
Marvel $2.99

Matt C: When you populate your team with villains it’s pretty much guaranteed that a few of them will rebel sooner or later; some may take their time (Crossbones), others may snap straight away. Here we see Hyperion turn on his teammates during his first mission. While they’re focusing on bringing a bunch of monsters down who're intent on invading Japan, Hyperion is intent on putting the rest of the Thunderbolts out of action any way he can. Obviously the Thunderbolts – both individually and combined – aren’t easy pickings, but while they can handle themselves in one-on-one encounters it’s through teamwork that they really excel. What Parker’s done so brilliantly in Thunderbolts, what makes it such a consistently engaging read, is the way he nails the dynamics – he has a masterful grasp of how the characters interact and clash with each other, and he purposefully never conclusively answers the eternal question of whether there is truly any honour amongst thieves. Walker’s pencils are graceful and thrilling, Gorder’s inks crisp and fluid, Martin’s colours light and intoxicating. A superb, distinctive team book that demands discovery by a wider audience. 8/10


MARVEL SUPER HERO SECRET WARS #7
Writer: Jim Shooter
Art: Mike Zeck, John Beatty & Christie Scheele
Marvel $0.75

Matt C: Check out Cap’s anguished face on the cover (another fine effort from Bob Layton) – that’s the heavy burden of leadership for you! Even though Galactus is closer to feasting on the patchwork planet than ever before, when the Wrecking Crew dump the Wasp’s corpse on the heroes doorstep there are plenty of cries for vengeance. Cap tries to calm things down, insisting that the Big G is threat they need to focus on, but that’s not enough for She-Hulk who sneaks off to confront the bad guys on her lonesome. The X-Men – becoming increasingly proactive under Professor X’s command – get into another scrap with some of Doom’s men, while Doom himself finds out that you can’t go sneaking around someone’s home(world) for too long without being noticed. It’s another issue of momentum building; things of serious consequence are still happening, but there’s a definite feeling that everything’s going to be taken to the next level very soon. With so many characters involved you’d think many would get lost in the mix, but while Shooter – by necessity – gives certain individuals a larger share of the limelight, he doesn’t neglect the others and ensures their different personalities have an impact. 8/10

Ten Forward: April 2011

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 February issue of Previews which includes comics scheduled to ship in April 2011.


ACTION COMICS #900
Writers: Paul Cornell, Richard Donner, David Goyer, Damon Lindelof & more
Art: Pete Woods, Jesus Merino & more
DC $5.99

James R: Alright, so this is the total antithesis to a new comic, but dagnabbit, you have to give a tip o' the ‘titfer’ (please employ your pocket Cockney Rhyming Slang book here, dear readers) when the Man of Steel reaches #700 issues. DC always know how to bring out the goods for anniversary issues, and this one is a double-header. This issue represents the return of Superman to the book following Paul Cornell's lauded 'Lex Luthor' run, and so you can expect fireworks when the nemeses square off once more. On top of that there's contributions from Richard Donner, David S. Goyer (who seems to now be legally known as 'Dark Knight scriptwriter David Goyer') and Damon Lindeloff alongside art from Pete Woods and Jesus Merino. To round it all off, there's going to be covers from Alex Ross, David Finch and - yes! - Adam Hughes. All told, if you've ever believed that a man can fly, well, you'll want to take a look at this, surely!


THE MIGHTY THOR #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Olivier Coipel
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: Do you reckon Marvel hold regular focus groups where the resounding conclusion is always that renumbering and renaming titles is what fanboys want more than anything? Nah, I don’t think so either – I don’t recall ever meeting one single person who looks forward to the moment when their favourite title is rebooted with a new issue #1. It’s a marketing tool more than anything, a way to generate sales, and April – the month a certain Thunder God makes his big screen debut – sees the regular Thor book revert to it’s original title, Journey Into Mystery, while a second series is launched: The Mighty Thor. Having Fraction at the helm reminds me of the launch of Invincible Iron Man when the first Shellhead flick came out three years ago, and while the writer’s efforts on the current title haven’t matched his first few dabblings with the character, pairing him with Coipel makes me very excited. The artist well and truly made his mark on Thor and his Asgardian brethren when he partnered up with Straczynski for the last reboot, and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather see pencilling this book.


BLUE ESTATE #1
Writers: Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev & Andrew Osborne
Art: Viktor Kalvachev, Nathan Fox, Toby Cypress & Robert Valley
Image $2.99

Stewart R: Image are making a big push for new titles and ideas in April and Blue Estate #1 is certainly one that stood out from the crowd as we thumbed through Previews this month. A hefty team of Hollywood talent and comic creators are coming together to tell this tale of an alcoholic hit man and desperate starlet dodging a cacophony of criminals, crackpots and cops as they try to scam a fortune from a psychotic movie star. Following last year’s Last Days of American Crime from Radical Comics I’ve been looking for another crime/heist comic to fill the void and this looks like it could be just the thing. When I saw the number of artists involved I was a little concerned but it appears that they’ll be used to enhance scene shifts, location changes and flashbacks and at 12 issues it certainly looks like this could be a story to sink our eyes, teeth and fizzing brains into.


PLANET OF THE APES #1
Writer: Daryl Gregory
Art: Carlos Magno
Boom! Studios $3.99

Andy H: Okay so it's been tried before, several times. Difference this time though is it's Boom! Studios and they may actually give us something that will work. Having just seen the 1968 movie recently reinforced what a great film it is and that there’s potential for more stories to expand the mythos. This series of comics is based around the movie continuity but takes place before Charlton Heston’s first appearance. I can't find anything to suggest how far before but handled properly this could be a really key part to how the Planet of the Apes was shaped. Will it work? Only time will tell on this one but my fingers are crossed for it.


MOON GIRL #1
Writers: Tony Trov & Johnny Zito
Art: The Zahzzah
Red 5 Comics $3.50

Matt C: The solicitation reads “The Dark Knight meets Mad Men” and although I can’t imagine anything that could possibly live up to that description, the fact they decided to use two of my favourite things during the last ten years of popular culture was more than enough to grab my attention. The character was originally created in the 1940s by Gardner Fox (who was also responsible for the likes of the Golden Age Flash and Hawkman) and has since slipped into the public domain, ready for someone to come along and reintroduce her to modern audiences. Apparently this debut issue has already been released for Comixology for those folk with iPads, etc, but the rest of us will have to wait for a paper copy in April. The art has something of a Radical Comics vibe to it, and while I’m not entirely convinced by it, it’s that “The Dark Knight meets Mad Men” pitch that has me down for the first issue at least.


LIAR'S KISS HC
Writer: Eric Skillman
Art: Jhomar Soriano
Top Shelf Productions $14.95

Rob N: Another book that jumped out from the Previews pages. Top Shelf, like Fantagraphics, is a publisher that you can usually rely on for literary/indie street cred in the world of graphic novels. This book concerns Nick Archer, a typical pulp noir private detective who has been milking his gullible client during a crooked surveillance job. Hired to provide evidence that the client's wife remains faithful, he takes regular photos 'proving' this in between carrying out an affair with said wife. All goes well until the client dies and the wife/lover is considered the prime suspect. It's a good solid premise, coupled with the promise of quality from a respected publisher like Top Shelf.


SUPER DINOSAUR #1
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Jason Howard
Image $2.99

Andy H: Chances are when you were a kid you loved dinosaurs (was it just a boy thing?). They were so cool. Then you grow up, usually. Thankfully it looks like Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard are like us and didn't! Now they bring us Super Dinosaur which just looks fun. Derek Dynamo is the son of Doctor Dexter Dynamo who discovered Inner-Earth and Dyn-Ore, a powerful mineral only found there. Of course Doctor Dynamo's ex-partner, the evil Doctor Max Maximus wants it for himself and so ten-year old Derek must save the day with his best friend: Super Dinosaur, a nine-foot tall Tyrannosaurus Rex! It gets even better. SD is intelligent, wears a high tech exo-skeleton and loves to play video games. Kirkman and Howard have a good track record with this type of slightly-off-the-wall stuff and I'm already sold on it. Form an overly excited queue behind me!


NONPLAYER #1
Writer: Nate Simpson
Art: Nate Simpson
Image $2.99

Stewart R: There have been some brilliant comics out in recent years where the writer has also lifted pencil to bring their vision to the page in wonderful illustrated fashion - see Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth and James Stokoe’s Orc Stain for undeniable proof - and so when Image gives another opportunity for an up-and-comer to slave his guts out over a fresh idea I’ll certainly be giving it a look. The story, where a down-and-out, dead-end-job-working gal finds fame and potential misfortune in an online world where she manages to slay the wife of a celebrity game character, seems to be offering a cool fantasy and science fiction combination which is certainly something that appeals to me. With that contrast of lifestyles for the protagonist and potential for one to spill over into the other I suspect that we may end up with a futuristic thriller in our hands and possibly another hit for Image.


THE HOUNDS OF HELL GN
Writer: Phillipe Thirault
Art: Christian Hojgaard, Drazen Kovacevic & Roman Surzhenko
Humanoids Inc $19.95

Rob N: I've been moving away from the traditional Marvel/DC output recently in response to their current policy of forcing writers to fit in with their overlapping 'big events', constantly changing creative teams on a whim, and saturating the market with multiple titles and miniseries for their most popular characters. Instead, I've been picking up a few standalone graphic novels on a whim. The Humanoids imprint offers English language translations of important European comics (including I Am Legion that Matt C spoke highly of) which is a welcome initiative if, like me, you failed to learn any foreign languages at school and therefore can't read the originals. Hounds of Hell is set some time during the Byzantine empire (so pre 1453 at least, if you know your schoolboy history) and offers a story of dark age sword play that should appeal to fans of Northlanders or Bernard Cornwell's gritty Saxon books. European comics have traditionally done a good job with historical adventure tales, so I'm taking a gamble that Humanoids have chosen this particular one for a reason.


HELLBOY: BUSTER OAKLEY GETS HIS WISH
Writer: Mike Mignola
Art: Kevin Nowlan
Dark Horse $3.50

James R: I've always got a soft spot for Hellboy - the tales of the grizzled, world-weary paranormal investigator always have an edge that the BPRD lack - and so I'd probably take a look at this one anyway, but check out the pitch: Hellboy gets embroiled in a case featuring alien abduction, and he has to fight his way through "Mutated livestock, giant robots and evil aliens"! Sounds like Mignola has outdone himself on this one, and I can't wait to see what mayhem Kevin Nowlan gets to illustrate!

Incoming... 16/02/2011

New comics are released Wednesday in the States and guess what, in the UK too! Here's a brief look at our expectations for the books we're picking up this week.

Stewart R: And so the weeks of the plump-pull list continue as the nights begin to draw lighter and the comic publishers begin to make their intentions for the rest of the year known. While Marvel seem to be rubbing their magic lamp and Fear Itself seems to be pouring forth for the Summer months, DC have two events ready to batter our senses. Flashpoint may well grab some of your attentions in 2011 but I will be staying on the sidelines for that particular jaunt through space and time and will instead be putting my brain onto full absorb mode for War of the Green Lanterns.

Green Lantern #62 will bring to an end the entertaining “New Guardians” arc where Krona the Mad has been gathering all of the various emotional entities and avatars of the different Lantern Corps for his own devious revenge and will no doubt leave Hal Jordan in a precarious and troubled position for the trials to come. Geoff Johns has taken a very measured approach to the past half dozen or so Green Lantern issues and I’ve actually enjoyed the slightly reserved and slower pace that has been present in every other issue or so. Certainly after suffering a slight case of ‘Event Fatigue’ following slightly disappointing endings found in Marvel’s Siege and DC's own Blackest Night last year, I’ve enjoyed the more focused approach that writers like Johns seem to have taken in the subsequent months. With the War of the Green Lanterns brewing and various plot seeds having been planted by Johns, Peter J. Tomasi and Tony Bedard in their respective titles it will be interesting to see how it will all be brought together across the three different ongoing books and, should it see the (Green) light of day, possibly a main event title. Certainly early reports alluded to a WOTGL - as it shall now forever be referred to - #1 but it seems to be conspicuous by it’s absence in the solicitations and I would assume now that the event will simply be spread across the strong shoulders of the three ongoings.

If that is the case the success of the whole story could well rest on how Tony Bedard’s writing stands up amongst Johns and Tomasi’s already proven Green Lantern word-smithery. I’ve mentioned before that I had doubts from his initial offerings but I sit here eager to find out just what he has in store for us in Green Lantern Corps #57 as the last couple of instalments have been thoroughly enjoyable as the Green and Yellow Lanterns began to smack seven bells out of each other with some added needling from the army of Planet Qward. Certainly Sinestro’s introduction to the party at the end of the last issue should mean that an extra level of tension persists through this latest comic as the Weaponer continues his quest for vengeance against the true wielder of the yellow light.

Deathloks! Never had much experience with them and don’t really get what they’re about but tell you what, I’m going to bloomin’ find out this week that's for sure! Rick Remender put a sterling effort into the initial arc of Uncanny X-Force and for the second arc it looks like we could be in store for yet more brilliance. Fantomex has been possibly the highlight for me and in Uncanny X-Force #5 it looks as if the spotlight is going to fall upon his enigmatic shoulders somewhat as his Weapon Plus past comes back to trouble him and the rest of the team as the Deathlok virus takes hold of innocents across many dimensions. Jerome Opeña steps aside for this arc to let the talented Esad Ribic pick up his ‘uncanny’ pencil and his covers for this title have been impressive to date so it’ll be good to see what he can do with the interiors.

Certainly one man who’s worth waiting for when it comes to interior art work is Dustin Weaver who has been delivering sheer eye-candy when it comes to Leonardo Da Vinci’s space-flying exploits, a Celestial conversing with Zhang Heng near the top of a giant tower or the adventures of Richards and Stark Sr in the distant future. I expect S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 to be no different as Jonathan Hickman brings the curtain down upon this first excellent arc as Isaac Newton and Leonardo Da Vinci face off to decide the future of the planet-protecting society. As usual for Hickman this has been a story of huge ideas and brilliant spectacle as he’s added new dimension to the history of the Marvel Universe and I’m looking forward to seeing just how he leaves things as we inevitably get ready for volume 2!

Skirting once more through the wealth of other titles I shall be picking up in only a matter of hours’ time I see one comic that certainly deserves a mention though maybe some cautious optimism should be employed. Oh yes folks, yet again we get a Silver Surfer #1 to thumb through as Greg Pak and Stephen Segovia get their turn to give the Herald of Galactus one more bite of the cherry. I have fond memories of Surfer comics from the late 1980s and with his upcoming appearance in Abnett and Lanning’s Annihilators title I’ve a desire to see just how the being once known as Norrin Radd is currently being portrayed and whether we could be on the verge of getting another attempt at an ongoing.

Before I sign off for yet another week I feel I should take a quick look at two IDW books that I will be handing over the cash for this week but with two very different levels of optimism set aside for each of them. I’m expecting good things from El Torres and Gabriel Hernandez’s Suicide Forest #3 as the first two chapters were dark, creepy offerings that really did offer something a little different to the usual supernatural fair and drew me in with some neat, emotional storytelling. Edge of Doom #4 however I have no idea about. Issue #1 was reasonable enough with it’s brutal fantasy element, issue #2 was thoroughly enjoyable with it’s sci-fi castaway vibe while issue #3 was quite terrible in this reviewers opinion and nearly undid all of the ground work laid by what had come before. It really is a comic sat on the very edge of its own doom this week; one more wrong step and I’ll be laying my boot into it’s back and waiting to hear the splat.