Mini Reviews 29/05/2011

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 includes the penultimate instalment of Matt C's Secret Wars Project.


KIRBY GENESIS #0
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Art: Alex Ross, Jack Herbert & Vinicius Andrade
Dynamite Entertainment $1.00

Matt C: There’s not an awful lot of indication in this taster issue exactly where the series proper will be heading, but you do get an immediate sense of the sheer love and respect for the genius of Jack ‘King’ Kirby that will be evident all the way through. I doubt anyone will claim that Kirby’s cast-offs and later creations were any match for the like of the Fantastic Four and the New Gods, but the man knew how to draw from the well of possibilities in the superhero genre better than almost anyone else, so even his ‘lesser’ ideas still fizzed with a boundless energy and imagination. Busiek and Ross, in their first collaboration since the groundbreaking Marvels, have scooped up a collection of the characters created by Kirby that are probably unfamiliar to most comic readers today, the idea being to construct a universe where they all coexist (a Kirbyverse?) and then launch a narrative right the way through it. There are only 12 pages of story with the briefest of flashes of the characters we can expect to see going forward but it’s handsomely produced and appears to possess some definite potential. Of course, this could all head down the same road as Project Superpowers (nice idea, dull execution) but I’ll certainly be giving it a look and for only a dollar you’d be wise to pick this up and make your own decision. 7/10


ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED #4
Writer: Sean McKeever
Art: Filipe Andrade
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: And so this miniseries draws to a close with a relative bang instead of a whimper but I’m not 100% sure whether this has been as good as it could’ve been. McKeever does a decent job of selling Onslaught’s current limitations in order for it to be believable that this team of heroes - Secret Avengers and the Young Allies - are just barely capable enough of tackling a foe of this magnitude. He also maintains an emotionally charged level of tension thanks to Rikki’s crisis as she has to decide whether to give up the adoptive world that had finally welcomed her in order to save those that she loves. There are a few missteps; I’m not sure Steve Rogers would go bounding off the millisecond everything looks clear when dealing with a villain as slippery and deceptive as Onslaught and Andrade’s art occasionally makes it difficult to tell what has transpired - I’m still no wiser to what fate has befallen El Dragon despite several rereads. Niggles aside, the ending is gloriously vague in that brilliant comic book way, either offering us hope of further adventures or signing this particular chapter of Rikki and Steve Rogers’ lives off in reflective style. 7/10


AMERICAN VAMPIRE #15
Writer: Scott Snyder
Art: Rafael Albuquerque & Dave McCaig
DC $2.99

James R: I should be the last geek you'd find reading a vampire book - as I may have mentioned before, I tend to find vampires as a concept pretty old hat (I seem to be one of the few people on Earth who finds True Blood incredibly tiresome!). However, the American Vampire creative team have really surprised me, and after reading this issue I feel entirely sold on the concept, but more importantly, by Scott Snyder's take on it. Rather than sticking with the familiar tropes, Snyder is introducing different vampiric strains into the comic. At the moment, this WW2 arc sees Preston, Sweet and the covert platoon facing off against a strain of vampires that's terrifyingly feral - think Nosferatu meets Geiger's Alien - and this makes for a compelling and creepy read. Snyder is on incredible form, but in this visual medium his words gel perfectly with the art of Albuquerque and McCaig. The art on this book is breathtakingly lush, and Albuquerque is doing an incredible job of conveying the atmosphere of Taipan and the dark overtones of the narrative. The arc is building to high-tension finale and better still, it's clear that Snyder has got plenty more history to explore, with a vampire mythology that's refreshingly original. If you're not on board with this book yet, don't be afraid to take a bite! 8/10


ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN & WOLVERINE #6
Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Adam Kubert, Mark Roslan & Justin Ponsor
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: When it was announced I suspect a fair few people dismissed this series as nothing more than a cash-in on the popularity of two of Marvel’s most recognisable characters. I have to admit that, even with Aaron and Kubert onboard, I had my doubts, but their names where enough to get me to give the first issue a whirl, and here I am, roughly a year later, thoroughly pleased that I made the journey. Ostensibly a hop, skip and jump through the timestream, at its core the series has really been about the unlikely friendship between Wolvie and Spidey, two polar opposites that have somehow, against the odds, formed a unique connection. The story’s been told with real wit and invention, but what’s made it so successful is an emotional core that felt genuine and honest, nowhere more so than the final few pages of this issue. Then there’s the art from Kubert: I don’t care what dimension you’re from, you can’t knock the quality of the imagery displayed in this book. Along with Roslan, and Ponsor, Kubert’s produced on hell of a good looking series that has proven to be thoroughly rewarding for those of us prepared to drop the cynicism for the duration. 8/10


KILL SHAKESPEARE #11
Writers: Conor McCreery & Anthony Del Col
Art: Andy Belanger & Ian Herring
IDW $3.99

Matt C: A rousing penultimate episode with the battle between the forces of good and evil now in full swing. There are casualties along the way as Hamlet finally sees his role clearly and attempts to convince Shakespeare to join the fray and fight alongside those that still consider him their saviour. There’s a fair amount of melodrama on display but the whole thing sets the pulse racing through pure excitement as the denouement appears upon the horizon. A few ‘characters’ make an appearance here that are most definitely not Shakespearean from whatever angle you look at them, and while that may not sit well with some their inclusion didn’t bother me when considering the general audaciousness and originality inherent in this concept. As for the art, although some of the smaller panels feel a bit inert, when Belanger gets to cut loose on a wider canvas, he does so in grand style, particularly when conveying the carnage and mayhem on the battlefield. For a series I initially overlooked, Kill Shakespeare has turned out to be an unexpected treat. 8/10


VENOM #3
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Tom Fowler & John Rauch
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: It was a little foolish of me perhaps to assume that Remender would hit the ground running with this ‘Flash Thompson and his Symbiote Spy Suit’ comic after crafting an unmissable series with Uncanny X-Force. Unfortunately, while Flash being willingly bonded to one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes is a very neat premise indeed, I’m starting to find myself picking at little bits of the plot and not being grabbed by the plight that Remender puts Flash and his various friends into. For me, it feels like the descent into the dangerous realm of the symbiote taking influence and control on our hero has been far too quick and I would have liked to have seen it been a far slower and subtler journey to Flash’s dark side. The inclusion of Spider-Man this early is also a little disappointing as I felt that we could quite easily get through the first arc without having to rely on his appearance to ramp the tension up. Similarly disappointing is the changing of the guard on art duties from Tony Moore to Tom Fowler, and Fowler’s heavy inking style is not to my personal taste. I’ll be seeing the arc through to next month’s finale and then that’s me done with this title. 5/10


BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER #3
Writer: Joe Casey
Art: Mike Huddlestone
Image $2.99

Stewart R: So this isn’t quite on a par with the first two issues but it’s still a cracking read of bombastic, violent superheroics as Baker comes under attack from the lethal White Lightning in a literally electric face-off. Thanks to Huddlestone’s brilliantly varied art-style there’s a great manic pace to the ensuing chase sequence that’s topped off with a lovely moment of sombre reflection from both writer and artist. Casey bookends the chase between plot continuation for luckless lawman Arnie B. Willard and developing the uneasy alliance between Baker’s rogue’s gallery as they try to track the hulking hero down via his usual haunts, attempting to destroy his life piece by piece. I think that’s where the appeal of this comic truly lies: it’s tackling such a range of styles, emotions, characters and story mechanics and doing it in a very successful, effective fashion without getting overwhelmed. The dark comedy edge is what ties all of the parts together but thankfully Casey is showing that there’s far more to this than crass humour and smile-inducing depravity. 7/10


STRANGE ADVENTURES #1
Writers: Various
Art: Various
DC/Vertigo $7.99

James R: Well I never - it's a lesser-spotted anthology book! Ladies and gents, this is a rarity, and you don't need to be a comics expert to see why. This book is a costly indulgence but one that has some absolute gems. It is the curse of anthologies that you get a mixed bag - some stuff that's stupefies, and some stories that are electrifying. In the latter category here are Jeff Lemire's Ultra: The Multi-Alien, which shows that in the hands of a great talent there's no such thing as a bad character. The part man-part-alien recently mocked by Conan O'Brien (he hoped that his creator had been "Fired...then murdered.") is transformed here with an amazing tale about identity and loss. As I've said before, Lemire is the master of the heartstrings, and it's clear from this story that after Sweet Tooth is done, DC should give him carte blanche to write whatever the hell he wants! I also loved the introduction to Azzarello and Risso's Spaceman, which looks like it will be a continuation of Azzarello's 100 Bullets with its reflection on humanity's dark side, whilst pulling in a host of sci-fi tropes and a healthy dose of dystopia. Next to these, some of the other tales read like filler, and in this fanboy's opinion it would have been wiser to run three stories at $3.99 rather than six at $7.99. The tales mentioned warrant a 9, but taken as an overall package, I have to give this... 7/10


MIGHTY THOR #2
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales & Laura Martin
Marvel $3.99

James R: Last week I took Matt Fraction to task over Invincible Iron Man which was so dull and lifeless that I could barely believe that it was the same book that he'd started with such aplomb. Credit where due this week, as it seems that his writing mojo is alive and well in the pages of Mighty Thor. After a great first issue, Fraction keeps up the pace this month as Thor and Sif attempt to train a new Brigade Of Realms whilst the Silver Surfer turns up in Broxton to herald the arrival of you-know-who. For someone who had previously been ambivalent about Thor, I'm finding this an addictive read, with Fraction not overwhelming the reader with the cosmic elements of the story, and developing a great mystery with Odin and the seed of the World Tree. The art from Coipel is as slick as you'd expect, and the sneak peak at next month's cover on the final page promises that we're in for a breathtaking face-off next month. I'll certainly be back for more of this Asgardian epic. 8/10

Matt C: The second issue confirms the first wasn’t a fluke as Fraction shows not only that he’s working with large, ancient canvas packed with weird and wonderful characters, but also that he has the ambition to keep things epic in scale. But, even with all the ominous events taking place in Asgard, the writer still finds the time to bring in the perspective of the ‘common man’, which helps ground things in a semi-believable reality, as well as offering a nice juxtaposition between the lives of the mortals and the immortals. And then the silver Surfer whips into view to announce the imminent arrival of Galactus - Fractions’ not messing around here! Neither is Coipel for that matter – his extravagantly beautiful panel compositions, lushly inked by Morales and given a seductive sheen by Martin’s colours, are a sight to behold. Fantastic work all round. 8/10

Stewart R: It’s always good when a comic puts a smile on your face either due to comedic touch or, as is the case of Mighty Thor, just through the sheer pleasure of reading something so damn good. Fraction has really found an enjoyable sense of epic scale in his writing on this new title, skipping from huge training battles against ungodly monsters, terrifically tense standoffs between the Asgardian elite and visits from incredibly powerful beings heralding the arrival of even greater threats. There’s a lot going on but it doesn’t feel anything like a labour to read through thanks to his succinct dialogue and of course the eye-wateringly beautiful artwork of Coipel, Morales and Martin. I’m a big supporter of the monthly format but, by the gods, this will be one attractive trade when it eventually gets bundled together! Get down your local comic book store and pick up the first two issues of this series if you haven’t already - I doubt you will be disappointed. 9/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #537
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Art: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson & Justin Ponsor
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: While my continuing faith in Uncanny’s place on my pull-list hasn’t been restored by this month’s offering, Kieron Gillen has certainly managed to get the hairs on the back of my neck up with the ending to #537. The big problem for me is just how easy he has the X-Men drawn into such a dangerous predicament in their own home as Kruun pursues his blood vendetta against Colossus and Kitty. I appreciate that after almost 50 years of history it must be hard to come up with threats and scenarios that can elevate the tension, but it occasionally becomes farcical to have these mutants on the back foot - or even bested in the initial stroke - on their home turf time and time again. Looking past that problem for one moment I must say that the tension produced as Kruun’s plan unfolds is gripping and the Dodson’s do a good job to sell the feeling that Utopia is almost paralysed during the attack. I’m sticking with it for now, not least because it’ll be interesting to see how the upcoming Schism affects this main book. 6/10


SECRET WARS II #9
Writer: Jim Shooter
Art: Al Milgrom, Steve Leialoha & Christie Scheele
Marvel $0.75

Matt C: At last, as he reaches the penultimate issue of the series, Shooter nails it. Mostly he’s admirably attempted to say something profound about certain aspects of the human condition through the superhero medium, and up to this point, while a couple of astute insights have sneaked through, he’s failed to really achieve his aim and elevate this series into something ‘important’. Here though, he succeeds (and, yes, this is all relative, I’m not trying to claim this is high art or anything). The Beyonder’s frustration reaches fever pitch as he comes to the conclusion that human beings appear to treasure life so much because it is so brief and fragile. This concept seems beyond his grasp and so he decides perhaps the annoyance known as the multiverse should be wiped out once and for all. Some of the superhero cameos appear to have been shoehorned to sell more comics but on the whole we're given the most believable depiction of the Beyonder so far by, ironically, presenting him at his most human. The art remains perfunctory with occasional flashes of visual ingenuity here and there, but even factoring in that this is still a very good issue. 8/10

Thought Bubble: V For Vendetta - The True Identity Of 'V'?

By Rob N

When V For Vendetta was first serialised in the pages of Warrior magazine, there was a lot of speculation as to who V really was, even to the point of some readers suggesting he was a future incarnation of Marvelman (simply because Alan Moore was also writing Marvelman in the very same magazine). The story has a dramatic change of tone for those who followed it in its original format. The Warrior serialisation stops at the point when Evey discovers she has been imprisoned and tortured, not by the fascists, but by V. Up until then a major theme of the story was the question, 'Who is V?', with Alan Moore dropping clues along the way. It seemed to be a case of if you followed the clues you could by the end of the series deduce the answer. But several years went by before DC bought the comic and greenlit Alan Moore and David Lloyd to complete it. The intervening years had made a difference, and when the final chapters appeared there was a distinctly different tone to the writing. Most obviously, Moore was no longer interested in the question of 'Who is V?', and indeed that question was never answered. But it did appear that in the first few years Alan Moore was pointing towards a resolution and later, after a gap in publishing, changed his mind. By the time the series was concluded I had come up with a theory as to who was V. And I had concluded it wasn't the man in room 5. And the theory is actually well supported by the evidence in the comic itself. If you're curious, then please read on...

The facts as we know them:

Let's begin with the evidence of Dr Burridge's journal at Larkhill.

Entry May 23rd 1993 “Prothero has picked the subjects... four dozen of them.”

At this point we know there are approximately 48 test subjects at Larkhill, of which Codename V is one of them.

Entry June 9th 1993 “Out of the original four dozen, over seventy five percent are dead now. Out of the ten that are left, I doubt that three will survive the night. One of the blacks, Donald Crane, is in particularly bad condition.”

So we now know the original batch are down to ten subjects. The entry goes on to add: “Strangely there are no clear patterns emerging as to which group succumbs quickest. If anything the women are slightly more resistant than the men. Especially the black women. Rita Boyd, the lesbian, died at tea time.”

Entry June 18th 1993: “Only five left now. Two men and three women, which tends to contradict my entry of the 9th June.”

Now this is the first point of interest. Dr Burridge stated in her journal of the 9th that the women are more resistant than the men, and yet on the 18th she states that the fact there are more women alive than men contradicts her earlier statement. We can draw two conclusions here: either she has made a mistake (and bearing in mind she's an analytical scientist at the top of her field, so such a basic mistake is very unlikely) OR V has doctored her journal and made a mistake in doing so. Why would he do that? Well, Finch is on record as stating it's strange that V left the journal for them to find. Either he wanted the fascists to know the truth, or... “it could all be another smoke screen. A false trail. Another cover story.” In other words, V might want them to think he's the man in room 5.

Entry 12th July 1993: “Patel: The Asian in cubicle three died today.”

We now know the body count of live subjects is down to one man (the man in room 5) and three women. For the first time (other than code V in room 5) a room is mentioned.

Entry 7th August 1993: "The woman in room one died this morning.”

We now know there are three subjects left alive. One man (room 5) and two women. We have the second mention of a room number, other than room 5.

Entry 24th December: The incident at Larkhill occurs. The man in room 5 detonates an explosion and mixes mustard gas and napalm to break out of the experimental wing of Larkhill.

We can assume that at the point of the break out there were still three people alive, because Dr Burridge had been at pains to detail the deaths up until then.

Now let's move on to the account left by 'Valerie' hand written on toilet paper. V is on record as saying Valerie was the woman in room 4 and the note was passed to him. So, according to V, she was in the room next to him. Not only do we know this by the number sequence, but because V claims her journal was passed to him through a hole in the connecting wall.

Let's see what Valerie's journal says, and we'll connect this to the account of Dr Burridge. We know she was a lesbian and because of that she was rounded up after her girlfriend, Ruth, gave her up under torture. She was placed into Larkhill. At some point she got hold of 5 sheets of toilet paper and wrote her personal account. This was, according to V, slipped through into 'his room'.

Valerie's account is undated, but we do have one important entry to go on:

“The other gay woman here, Rita, died two weeks ago. I imagine I'll die quite soon.”

This ties in with Dr Burridge's statement of the 9th June: “Rita Boyd, the lesbian, died at tea time.”

So we now know when that part of Valerie's statement was written. Allowing for the distortion of time in a cell, the note was written circa (9 + 14) 23rd June 1993, at which point the Larkhill camp had five people left alive (two men and three women, of which the man in room 5 was one of the men and Valerie was one of the women).

Based on the deaths recorded after that we can conclude that at the point of the man in room 5 breaking out, the camp contained:

Room 4: Valerie
Room 5: The escapee
Room ? (but not 1 or 3) An un-named woman.

Now we get to the break out. The man in room 5 mixes some explosives on Christmas Eve and detonates an explosion that destroys the exterior wall of the prison cells. We clearly see him striding out amongst the napalm, obviously injured. But a blast of that magnitude is likely to also have done structural damage to the walls either side: rooms 4 and 6 at the very least.

It's safe to assume that the occupants of rooms 4 and 6 could also escape, assuming those cells were occupied. We know from the evidence so far that room 4 at least was. By Valerie.

Up until now the assumption is, because the man in room 5 caused the explosion, V must be the man in room 5. But as shown, there were two other prisoners alive at the time – one of whom was in the adjacent cell, room 4.

Now turn to your copies of V For Vendetta, to the chapter where Evey is being put through the ordeal of being a prisoner at Larkhill. She is being made to live through V's experience, and to this end V has recreated the cells at Larkhill. Obviously we assume Evey occupies cell 5.

The panels show that when you're looking into Evey's cell through the bars of the door, the wall where she crouches down to find Valerie's note is to your right hand side. She retrieves the note and then slumps against the bare wall with her back to the wall, opposite where her bed is, with the door to her left, thereby meaning as you're staring in to the cell, that wall is to your right.

Now let's go back to chapter four where V kills Prothero, the camp commander. Before doing so he takes him on a tour of the prison cells, rooms one to five, that he has recreated. They walk past the room doors, one to five, going from the left to right. Which means, when you're facing in to room 5, room 4 is to your left and room 6 is to your right.

So room 4, where Valerie was resident, was to the left of room 5. But in Evey's set up, the note from Valerie is pushed through the hole connecting to room 6 on the right.

In other words, the note from Valerie couldn't have been where Evey found it, if it was indeed pushed through from room 4 to 5. It would have had to come from room 6 to 5.

Which means V is lying. He's a complete control freak with a minute attention to detail in all things, so is unlikely to have made a mistake on something that is true. He could make a mistake when he's fabricating something false though.

If the note was indeed pushed into a cell by Valerie, based on the set up that Evey goes through, it would have had to have come from a cell room number one higher than the cell receiving it. Since we know that Valerie was in cell 4 that makes the recipient cell 3. We know from the time line there would be a reason to push the note through to room 3 because it was occupied then by a living subject: the Asian man, Patel, who died on the 12th July.

Now we also know that V is obsessed with leaving roses for his victims – the victims being the people in charge of Larkhill. Roses have no particular meaning to the man in room 5, but they have a very significant meaning to the woman in room 4. Valerie is on record as saying:

“I met Ruth while working on that. We loved each other. We lived together and on Valentine's Day she sent me roses, and oh God we had so much. Those were the best three years of my life. In 1988 there was the war. And after that there were no more roses.”

Valerie has a very real reason for roses to be significant to her. Her lover who gave her roses was killed by the fascists who tortured her to get Valerie's name, who then incarcerated her in Larkhill. It is very conceivable that Valerie could decide to honour her lost love when she sought revenge by leaving a rose at each murder scene.

Add to this the numerous scenes depicting V's obsession with the film The Salt Flats (that Valerie starred in). We see him watching the film in his Shadow Gallery and he locates and takes a poster of it when he finds it. The film has obviously some deep meaning for him.

Because if he was Valerie, it was the film where s(he) met Ruth – the love of her life who also starred in it. It would have no particular emotive connection to the man in room 5, especially as I've shown, the man in room 5 couldn't have received Valerie's note from room 4

Therefore the evidence suggests that the man in room 5 engineered a break out at Larkhill. The blast also shattered the cells either side, one of which contained Valerie. Pages are torn out of Dr Burridge's diary (as confirmed by Finch) – these pages may mention that the man in room 5 was not the only escapee, therefore leaving the police to concentrate their efforts in finding the man from room 5. V knows all about Valerie, and can recreate Valerie's note, because he is actually Valerie and wrote it.

It is possible that Valerie also escaped and became V, (the ultimate fate of the man in room 5 would therefore remain unknown). She takes the code name 'V' in honour of the man who was responsible for her freedom, and then goes on to honour her lost love, Ruth, by leaving roses (extinct since the war, but it was before the war that they were given to Valerie by Ruth) at the scene of her murders.

As a lesbian, she would be attracted to Evey, but be afraid to reveal her feelings, because Evey is obviously heterosexual, and it's safe to assume Valerie would have been injured in the fire/explosion and therefore now ugly.

Or... Alan Moore and David Lloyd could have made mistakes when they wrote the comic. There's only one real way to find out and that's to ask Mr Moore himself...

Incoming... 25/05/2011

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: A good old double eye-rubbing, a few quick recounts from each end, a hasty flick through the calendar and yes I can confirm that there are 17 blinking titles rolling in from my pull-list this week! 17!? What the Dickens? What the Ditko? What the Daken?

A big old helping hand to the heft of the delivery this week is down to the decision taken by DC to bump up their coffers by releasing three chapters of War of the Green Lanterns all on the one day so when I arrive at Paradox today I will have Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern #66, Tony Bedard’s Green Lantern Corps #60 and Peter J. Tomasi’s Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #10 all waiting for me. Obvious hit to the wallet aside this has been an enjoyable event so far and the chance to get some 60-odd pages of related story read in one sitting is quite the tasty prospect. A quick search of the DC site reveals that these three chapters take us up to the very penultimate moment of the battle as the finale will not find us until the very end of June - covered in Green Lantern #67 - which is something of a tease when DC give us so much and then leave us waiting for the last 20 pages. The other interesting thing to note is that Green Lantern Corps #61, which is not part of the main WOTGL event, gets its release one week before the final chapter so we’ll have to wait and see if the scheduling there has any affect on how the event winds up.

Image continue to lump their newer titles together as I notice that Joe Casey’s Butcher Baker Righteous Maker #3 and the diesel-punk politics of Carbon Grey #3 are out today and I’m very much looking forward to reading through both of them. Butcher Baker has been a real surprise as I had assumed from the first issue’s somewhat sleaze and bravado-filled pages that we could be seeing a one-trick pony but the terrific second issue really changed my view, delivering as it did a nicely detailed look at Baker’s rogues gallery and how they were going to work together to rid themselves of their mortal enemy. Carbon Grey also shifted my opinion as it could have easily descended into a manga-styled guns’n’gals festival of violence but likewise has revealed a deliciously promising story of treachery, families in crisis and regicide that compliments the heavily stylised and incredibly detailed artwork. This latest issue promises to be the end of the first arc so I’m expecting a few surprises to pop up as Nguyen, Evans and Co lead us into the next chapter of their tale.

Marvel of course throw several titles into the mix this week and I’d like to say that I have a tough choice over which ones to read first but I’ve already got two picked out as being the essential ‘first reads’ for this gloriously sunny Wednesday. It’s fair to say that I was blown away by the debut issue of Matt Fraction and Olivier Coipel’s ‘other’ Thor book and today sees the welcome arrival of The Mighty Thor #2 onto your local comic book shop’s shelves. Coipel is a true master artist when it comes to portraying the amazing world and adventures of the Asgardian gods onto 22 pages of fresh paper. I know it’ll be a very attractive book indeed but it’s a great boon to have one of Marvel’s finest current writers at the helm and leading us on a trail of unknown terrors, galactic turmoil and incredible battles. It’s already evident that Thor has been affected by his exposure to the World Seed and the forces that protected it - I’m anticipating a riveting read as we find out just what that exposure may lead to.

In the solicitations Marvel has told us to forget everything previously mentioned about Secret Warriors #27 being the grand finale as it turns out that Jonathan Hickman needed an extra 22 or so pages to wrap things up. That therefore means that this month we actually get the penultimate chapter in what has been a really enthralling story of Nick Fury fighting back against the Skrull invasion and then discovering that the shared history between Hyrda and S.H.I.E.L.D was far more convoluted and complex than any of us could have imagined. I will say that I’ve been a little disappointed that the team of Caterpillars - powerful kids trained to be the secret weapon Fury’s enemies were unprepared for - have taken a backseat for the past half dozen issues as this has developed into a look at the history of the likes of Fury, Kraken and Baron Von Strucker, and with only two issues to go I find it difficult to see that they’re likely to get much in the way of page time. Of course, Hickman is the master of surprises when it comes to his writing so who knows what we’ll get?

Mini Reviews 22/05/2011

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 includes the latest instalment of Matt C's Secret Wars Project.

ALPHA FLIGHT #0.1
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Art: Ben Oliver, Dan Green & Frank Martin
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Phew, Marvel must surely be running out of great Point One issues now? Once again the initiative pays dividends as Pak and Van Lente light the touch paper under Canada’s first and best superhero team. I really have enjoyed what the two writers have accomplished here, taking us around some of the members of the team in a ‘roll-call’ type fashion but with a neat level of subtlety that allows newer readers to get a quick grip on these characters while hopefully not grating on the die-hard fans too much. Plus it allows the political nature of the upcoming storyline to be established AND allows Ben Oliver to really grab my attention with some fantastic visuals. Seriously, this guy - with the aid of Green and Martin - knows how to deliver an attractive book! A very promising start that has me looking at a title I hadn’t previously been interested in. 8/10

Matt C: While I was never a huge fan, I've always had a soft spot for Alpha Flight, but I only really engaged with them when John Byrne was in charge back in the '80s. I've looked in on them from time to time but while I liked the fact that they existed, I never really felt compelled to keep them under continuous watch. Still, I was rather pissed off when Bendis decided to wipe most of them out during a couple of pages of a New Avengers issue (one of the more obvious examples of his abuse of continuity) and glad when they were finally resurrected. I decided to give this a whirl as I've enjoyed a lot of what Van Lente and Pak have done in the past, and while it was a perfectly acceptable superhero read with some rather impressive visuals from Oliver (bar his interpretation of Sasquatch, which I’m not too keen on) there was nothing I saw that really jumped out and grabbed me, nothing that made me feel this deserved a place on my pull list. I'm glad there's an Alpha Flight series back in the marketplace, and I hope it gets an audience because it's not a bad book, but it's also not a book that I'll be following. 6/10


BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM #1
Writer: Scott Snyder & Kyle Higgins
Art: Trevor McCarthy & Guy Major
DC $2.99

James R: Scott Snyder's arrival on Detective Comics has been a revelation - as I've said before, it's easily my favourite current superhero title. One of the many great things he's done is bring Gotham, and it's effects on the psyche, to the fore of the book, and this miniseries represents an extension of that, plotting a tale of Gotham's past and present as the Bat-family fight against a mysterious bomber with a grudge against the old families of the city. Kyle Higgins works flawlessly with Snyder on the dialogue, and the art from McCarthy and Major is suitably dark without being tough to read. It's brilliant to see Snyder using Bruce Wayne and - hey! - Cassandra Cain too (and making her fit into Batman Incorporated continuity!). Sorry to sound like a broken record, but once again this is a great time to be a Bat-fan with Morrison and Snyder producing outstanding work. This miniseries looks like it will easily continue the standard. 8/10

Matt C: I would say with a certain measure of confidence that Scott Synder is currently the Paradox Comics Group's Bat-writer of choice following his recent work on Detective, so you can bet that many of us picked up the debut issue of this mini this week. It turns out Snyder receives a story credit but isn't responsible for the ‘dialogue’ - that's fallen to 'unknown' (well, he is to me!) Kyle Higgins to handle and he actually doesn't do a bad job at all. No one's reinventing the wheel here, instead Higgins (and Synder) are telling an engaging Batman story that incorporates various elements that we've seen before but does so in such a confident, enjoyable manner that you can't avoid being entertained. McCarthy's art has a slick animation kind of kick to it, and it works particularly well in some impressive action scenes. As long as you don't go in expecting something revolutionary then I’d recommend you get onboard with what has the makings of being a very decent Bat-tale. 7/10


X-MEN #11
Writer: Victor Gischler
Art: Al Barrionuevo, Michael Lacombe & Rain Beredo
Marvel $3.99

Stewart R: Following two big and successful arcs it feels a little strange to find a single, contained chapter turn up in Gischler’s run and one which, in my opinion, wouldn’t feel out of place in Mike Carey’s X-Men Legacy considering that it’s pretty Xavier-focused (though obviously looks at Jubilee’s recent transformation into a vampire too). We’re given a flashback to one of Charles’ early adventures and first meetings with a bloodsucker as he offers hope to Jubilee that she doesn’t have to follow the clichéd and destructive route of thirst for blood and power. What follows is a tale of African mystery, gun and knife fights, with a cocky Charles Xavier still learning to use his powers to become the great man that formed the X-Men. There’s plenty going on for sure; Gischler does a good job of portraying Xavier as a young man on the lookout for adventure and there’s a varied cast of thugs and female Russian gangsters to keep things interesting. The small problem is, despite enjoying this read, it still felt like the sort of thing found as a backup and, for $3.99 (and considering what has come before), I expect something a little more from this book. 7/10


UNDYING LOVE #2
Writer: Tomm Coker & Daniel Freedman
Art: Tomm Coker & Daniel Freedman
Image $2.99

Stewart R: There’s a real sense of intensity and urgency to this gun-filled vampire tale that makes it quite a compelling read and means that once again Image have managed to follow up a promising debut with successful second chapter. This particular issue sees the rugged and grizzled John Sargent take the fight directly to one of Hong Kong’s top vampires in the hope of bringing out the big boss who holds the key to Mei’s salvation. Looking through the credentials of this creative team there are titles mentioned that suddenly makes everything slot into place - Punisher, Daredevil, Wolverine - and the grimy, realistic feel depicted throughout (vampires aside of course!) screams of aspects and elements I’d associate with those other books. Coker and Freedman keep the cast small, the dialogue brief and effective, and the plan clear to ensure one hell of a whirlwind read. If the rest of Image’s No #1 campaign passed you by you should look here if you’re after something dark, brooding and brilliant. 8/10


INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #504
Writer: Matt Fraction
Art: Salvador Larroca & Frank D'Armata
Marvel $3.99

James R: He may be invincible, but The Underwhelming Iron Man seems a more apposite title for this book at the moment. This issue is a - ugh - Fear Itself tie-in (an event that has looked spectacularly pointless from the word go for me) and the plot here just felt leaden. Tony Stark investigates a disaster in Paris as the Grey Gargoyle wigs out and turns the denizens of the city into stone. It looks lovely - Larroca and D'Armata are a top-draw team - but I felt disconnected from the plot, which showed no signs of Fraction's gift for crafting dynamic and insightful stories. By the last page I had no interest in seeing how this one plays out, and the ongoing Stark Resilient soap opera is entirely free of dramatic tension. Seeing that Marvel insist on keeping this book at $3.99, I'm now starting to think that I could live without it until it takes on a new writer or a drastic new direction. 5/10

Stewart R: There are some Invincible Iron Man issues where Fraction takes the lead and Larroca gets to sit back a little and then others where Fraction throws a simple idea Salvador’s way and he really gets to go with it. This feels like one of those immense latter moments as Fraction’s major ongoing title gets sucked into Fear Itself in the most intense of ways. From the initial shot of the Grey Gargoyle sat atop Notre Dame cathedral to the armour-crunching encounter between his transformed self and everyone’s favourite gold and red hero, this is a superb piece of visual storytelling told against a devastating backdrop. The fate that befalls Paris does unfortunately smack of some miraculous ‘reset button’ approach to Fear Itself, which has me concerned for the event rather than this title’s involvement, but that’s a point for a few months down the line. For the moment this is once again a thrilling comic read. 8/10


CHEW #27
Writer: John Layman
Art: Rob Guillory & Taylor Wells
Image $2.99

Stewart R: The experiment has definitely worked! Layman and Guillory jump us almost a year into the future to bring us a story - which will be printed in the correct numerical order in trade paperback when it comes around - that shows that Tony has a troubled hospital visit coming his way and allows us to find out what his fraternal twin sister Toni Chu is all about. This adds several delightful mysteries to the mix, adds a few extra faces to this expansive and intriguing cast, and ties things to events that we’ve already experienced since issue #1 all those many, brilliant moons ago. The relationship between Toni and her boss, Supervisor Sharma, certainly looks promising and it’s going to be a great ride finding out what transpires to get us to this point. Plus, how much fun are the Chogs?? Great work Mr Guillory and Mr Layman! 8/10


UNCANNY X-FORCE #10
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Billy Tan, Rich Elson & Paul Mounts
Marvel $3.99

Matt C: A superb cover from Esad Ribic gives way to some far shinier artwork than we’ve seen on the series so far. Surprisingly that didn’t bug me as much as I thought it would as both Tan and Elson turn in some quality work, but really it’s a testament to Remender’s writing on the book that it can withstand artistic shifts and still remain enthralling. Here we see Angel finally snapping as Archangel takes full, murderous control, and his colleagues realise that drastic action needs to be taken. When you recall some of the drastic action X-Force have taken since the series began you’ll probably gather that they aren’t intent on giving Angel a stern talking to. It looks like we’re headed into the Age of Apocalypse next month, which suggests we’ll be sucked a little further into X-continuity, but based on what Remender has done so far I have no doubt that he can keep his individual take on the world of mutants free of contamination. An unexpected bonus this month sees the inclusion of an entire issue of another comic, Iron Man 2.0 #3. I’m not sure whether this is generosity or desperation on Marvel’s part, but I was pleased with the addition as it was actually a pretty good read, capturing the same kind of vibe as Fraction’s excellent Invincible Iron Man. I’m not sure it’s quite enough to get me to pick up an issue as I’ve never been that taken with War Machine, but I may be tempted if I spotted it on the shelf and I certainly won’t have a problem if Marvel do something like this again in the future. 8/10


BATMAN AND ROBIN #23
Writer: Judd Winick
Art: Guillem March & Andrei Bresson
DC $2.99

James R: This had the potential to be an epic fail for me. Firstly, I've never been convinced by Judd Winick as a writer, and feel he's not got to grips with Gotham in the same way that, for example, Scott Snyder has. Secondly, I'm also pretty underwhelmed by Guillem March as an artist - his style seemed a total misfit on Gotham City Sirens. So do two wrongs make a right? Almost. Winick returns to Grant Morrison's Red Hood storyline and we see Jason Todd initiate a plan to continue his psychopathic war on Gotham's underworld from behind bars. It's a pacey read and kudos to Winick for that. March’s art is okay - it remains a little too sketchy in some places, and oddly mangaesque in others. The problem here is that it didn't feel like an issue of Batman And Robin - under Morrison's stewardship the book had a particular flavour with stories tinted with strangeness and Dick & Damien front and centre. This just felt like a standard Batman comic, and that makes for a missed opportunity for me. Alright, but no more than that. 6/10


SILVER SURFER #4
Writer: Greg Pak
Art: Harvey Tolibao, Iban Coello, Sandu Florea & Wil Quintana
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Just as I advised you all to pick up the Taskmaster miniseries I find myself urging you to get a hold of this great Silver Surfer story. This issue is a heart-pounding tale of love and action as Norrin tries his best in his vulnerable human form to save Suzi Endo from her fate as the herald of the High Evolutionary. Pak throws the Future Foundation into the mix this time which had me initially concerned but works well to tie this to these characters’ shared history with current events (including a touching mention of Johnny’s death brilliantly delivered to the page by Coello’s pencils). The tag-team pencilling of Talibao and Coello is working well and though it is possible to distinguish where one starts and the other ends it’s not jarring and doesn’t distract from this gripping story. Pak’s study of Norrin’s newly found freedom and, in the same breadth, powerlessness is masterful, and those initial moments where Radd throws himself body and mind into his efforts to free Suzi Endo are really quite moving. This look set for a thumping finale and I can’t wait to find out where things will be left. 9/10


MALIGNANT MAN #2
Writers: James Wan & Michael Alan Nelson
Art: Piotr Kowalski & Jordie Bellaire
Boom! Studios $3.99

Matt C: After a decent debut issue, this sophomore effort sees things take a bit of a dive. The story works when it’s on the move with our protagonist on the run from evil forces intent on his demise, but roughly halfway through here it grinds to a halt to make way for an excessive slab of exposition that pretty much saps the mystery and intrigue from the proceedings, in an often embarrassing manner. The art still packs in a lot of energy and I still have enough curiosity to see where things will end up, but I’m sure I wasn’t alone in groaning when I laid eyes upon that final page reveal. Hopefully they’ll be able to regain some momentum now they’ve got all the explaining out of the way, as I did feel there was definite potential here. 5/10


HULK #33
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Gabriel Hardman & Elizabeth Breitweiser
Marvel $2.99

Stewart R: Okay, so it doesn’t turn out to be the huge royal rumble, an orgy of destruction that the cover suggests it could be but that doesn’t stop this from being a rip-roaring Hulk-ride of emotion and action. Parker has slowly made it easier for the reading audience to warm to Red Hulk as he’s been forced to go on the run and been bombarded and attacked by enemies from all sides. As he’s grown wearier from each attack the gruff edge of Thunderbolt Ross seems to have melted away some and that’s incredibly evident in this issue where the efforts to keep Ross awake and moving in his gamma form take him and his LMD (Life Model Decoy for those not in the know) crew to an aircraft graveyard so that he can catch a small break and reminisce a little. Suffice to say when all hell breaks loose it’s evident that Parker has managed to craft this tale in such a way that seemingly hardened and tough characters, and not just Hulks here, can be and are vulnerable - when Hardman then lays that out on the page the tension is terrific. The artist’s work on this book to date has been tremendous and this is another instalment that both he and Parker can be incredibly proud of. 8/10


G.I. JOE #166
Writer: Larry Hama
Art: Ron Wagner, Gary Erskine & J. Brown
IDW $3.99

Stewart R: Sometimes Larry Hama’s simple, almost retro approach to handling these characters doesn’t work and sometimes it’s a joy to behold. The previous couple of issues had suffered a little from the ‘ham dial’ being turned up to ‘squealtastic’ but that’s now easily overlooked thanks to an issue that shows just how good G.I. Joe was and can still be today. This is a Joe battle scribed with the same blunt, colourful pen used to write the comic of the 1990s and it’s good, fun entertainment. Following the Baronesses’ rescue the Joe’s uncover the hidden Cobra base in New Jersey, the tensions within the Cobra hierarchy reach a head and a whole lot of ordinance is unleashed from pier to the seabed and in every other direction in between. Hama makes a sensible choice to keep the sea battle relatively low-key in terms of participants and Wagner really does capture that simple high-speed and frenetic action that made me fall in love with this comic book world back in my youth. The only disappointment is that Hama still doesn’t seem to know how to dial down the crazy Cobra Commander personality as he’s spoiling a decent book otherwise. 7/10


SECRET WARS II #7
Writer: Jim Shooter
Art: Al Milgrom, Steve Leialoha & Juliana Ferriter
Marvel $0.75

Matt C: Possibly the best issue yet as Mephisto corrals a plethora of villains and, with the assistance of some cosmic deities, hatches a plan to destroy the Beyonder lest he attempt to eradicate Mephisto’s beloved Death permanently (like he did last issue, temporarily). I’ve always been fond of Mephisto as a character – hey, who doesn’t like a Satan analogue who tortures souls for all eternity as a form of amusement? – and Shooter handles him well here, and having the Thing as the Beyonder’s saviour is a nice twist considering Ben Grimm’s assertion that omnipotent one ruined his life. What stops this being a great issue is the presence of Doctor Doom in Mephisto’s villainous army. Surely the architect of the Beyonder’s near defeat in the original Secret Wars series would attract his attention? It certainly did when they met in Fantastic Four #288! I guess we could assume it’s Kristoff rather than Victor Von Doom, but it’s enough of a distraction having him there that it kind of dilutes the impact of an issue that’s generally more successful than what’s come before. 7/10

Bristol 2011: The Voyage Home

Now we've had a chance to settle back into reality, here are some thoughts on last weekend's events:

Matt C: Almost as quickly as it began, Bristol Comic Expo 2011 was over, and while an enjoyable time was had by all, the anticipated twinge of disappointment was definitely in place. Hopefully the problems can be rectified when the Con returns to the large Commonwealth centre next year because the enthusiasm for comics was still rampant all over the place. In fact, that may not be entirely true: the enthusiasm was certainly rampant over at the Mercure Hotel for the Small Press section of the event. That’s where more of the creators placed themselves (from the self-publishing guys to well-known faces like Sean Phillips and Charlie Adlard) and that’s where there was a lot more to see, a lot more people to talk to, and a whole different vibe to the main exhibitor room in the Ramada Hotel. Over there, it felt like once you’d gone through all the boxes in and looked at all the stalls in an hour or two, your work was done.

Additionally, there was a relative lack of high profile guests in attendance. In the past, there’s usually been one of the ‘old guard’ on show from the States (someone like Roy Thomas) along with a couple of younger, fresher and hipper faces (like Joe Casey or Brian K. Vaughan). This year we had Rick Veitch as the lone ‘official’ American guest. Okay, so Bob Wayne was spotted on Sunday afternoon, but he kept an incredibly low profile in comparison to previous years. I’m not saying the Expo should rely on folks from over the pond, but we generally get the same Brits appearing each year so it makes a nice (and important, considering that’s where the real power behind the medium lies in the English-speaking world) addition.

Hopefully, along with bringing the whole event under one roof (that’s the rumour) the organisers will look towards getting some bigger names over from foreign locales in 2012. That also might prompt them to put on a few more panels that would prove more enticing to a wider audience. While I don’t doubt there were good talks on offer, I was only really compelled to attend the final Hypotheticals hosted by Dave Gibbons and Budgie (always good for a laugh, and it will be sorely missed in the future). I toyed with the idea of going to see what Veitch had to say, but not being overly familiar with his work, I gave it a pass. So really, I’m looking to the 2012 Expo to be a return to form and have my fingers crossed that the organisers use the opportunity to put Bristol Comic Expo back on top.

Okay, that’s the grumbling out of the way, because while I may have had problems, overall it was still a great weekend. I came away with a huge haul of comics – much more than planned, but isn’t that always the way? I was looking to pick up a couple of Captain America issues from when Mike Zeck was on art duties, but somehow I kept pulling more comics out of the box, ending up with… 45 issues of the title! Yes, it’s madness, it’s obsession, and it’s questionable whether I’ll ever find the time to read them all (!) but what the hell, I love it! Elsewhere, I tried to avoid the obvious Marvel and DC routes and seek out something new stuff. I’ve been meaning to get some titles from Cinebook (the official UK publishers of many a French graphic novel) and finally made the plunge, taking advantage of their 2-for-1 deal with two volumes of Orbital and the first volume of the wonderfully named The City Of Shifting Waters. Over at the Mercure, I purchased several ‘indie’ titles that caught my eye (which I will look at properly and report on back here over the next few weeks), and tried not to feel guilty when I passed by several tables without checking out the wares on display! I was most pleased to see Roger Langridge in attendance (even though he wasn’t on the published guestlist) and he signed a copy of one of his not-available-in-the-UK-for-some-doubtless-pointless-reason Muppets Show collection for my eldest son (which I will save for when he can read!).

So yeah, I may have laid out my gripes but I think, on balance, the positives far outweighed the negatives. I’ve got lots of great comics to read, met a lot of great people both old and new, had a blast with my Paradox Comics Group colleagues and was denied access to a lift when the doors opened to reveal it was full of Stormtroopers (a priceless moment). It’s no exaggeration to say I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

Incoming... 18/05/2011

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: Oh woe is me!! (Mock tone in effect, ladies and gents!) Having spent a couple of days preparing for and partying it up at the excellent Bristol Comic Expo I haven’t yet managed to read through the entirety of last week’s comics and here I am having to compile this week’s Incoming... and looking at the mountain of titles to pick up. Well I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and get reading at something akin to warp speed!

Only one DC title out this week that will find its way into my hands on Wednesday and that is Batman and Robin #23. Now I’m as confused as many of you will be as to why, following only three issues and delayed issues at that, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have stepped aside and we now get a three part arc from Judd Winick and Guillem March? DC were really pushing the appointment of Tomasi and Gleason as ‘big news’ in the latter half of 2010 and yet it seems that once again the publisher has managed to let things slip for one reason or another. That said I do often hear good things about Winick’s writing and the Jason Todd story back towards the beginning of this series was one of my personal favourites so there are some positives here. The odd bits of news dotted around the net suggest that following this arc there’ll be another change of creative talent to David Hine and Greg Tocchini so it appears that things aren’t too settled with one of DC’s best and brightest Bat-titles.

One team that never stays settled for too long is that beaten down and put upon group of Canadian superheroes over at Marvel and to the delight of many it seems that they’re making a comeback in Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente’s Alpha Flight #0.1 this week. I’ve very little experience with the likes of Guardian, Vindicator, Sasquatch and the rest of the team save for the X-Men Animated Series plus a few guest appearances here and there but there’s something appealing about a team of superheroes operating North of the US border and dealing with problems that affect that country specifically. I get the feeling that there’s something of the underdog mentality associated with them for some reason and I’m confident that the two writers in charge are going to bring us some interesting stories. Van Lente is apparently a big Alpha Flight fan so that should hopefully point to this being something close to a labour of love.

I find you have to be careful when using the ‘L’ word when it comes to comics and series as it can be overused and then become a less effective form of praising a title. That said, let me just proclaim here for the record that I, Stewart R, LOVE Uncanny X-Force! We’re up to #10 already this week and I’ve watched over the past 9-10 months as member after member of the Paradox Group - and associated friends as well - have been convinced to pick up Rick Remender’s superb series and haven’t stopped reading. The current look at the dark(er) times that have befallen Warren Worthington III aka Archangel have been harrowing as Psylocke’s attempts to contain the lethal avatar within her lover appear to have failed and Death literally walks amongst the team. I was very surprised to see how well Billy Tan managed to adapt his style to match the continuing artistic feel specific to this book and I dare say that at this early stage we have a true contender for series of the year on our hands.

The rest of my pull list consists of ongoing titles or miniseries in the midst of their run but I would like to point some attention the way of Hulk #33 this week. Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman have been working to their consistent best with this continuing story of Thunderbolt Ross. His new position as a super-powered hero has been a troublesome prospect for the former military man and month after month Parker has been piling the problems and the potential foes upon the gamma-irradiated powerhouse. The danger with any Hulk character is that it often becomes boring to have them gain an extra boost in strength and power at the very last minute which ultimately overcomes any and all problems. Fortunately the creative team have been doing a top-notch job of positioning threats from all angles which likely means that brains will have to overcome brawn at some stage during this story.

Right folks, time to cut this a little short as I’ve got last week’s comics to get read and a pile of lovely stuff from the Bristol Expo to go through too! Happy reading!

Cover To Cover: FLASHPOINT #1

FLASHPOINT #1
Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope & Nick L. Napolitano
DC $3.99

Matt C: Marvel have already launched their mega-event, Fear Itself, for Summer 2011, and now, inevitably, it’s the turn of DC with Flashpoint. Like Blackest Night before it, while it pulls just about all of the DC Universe into its vortex, it hinges around one particular character and his mythos, in this case the Flash (the Barry Allen version, obviously). Also like Blackest Night, the lead up story – ‘Road To Flashpoint’ – ran in the main character’s solo title, but having read that I can say that it’s far from required reading to gain enjoyment from this debut issue. The story in the Flash book didn’t reveal exactly how Allen wakes up in a parallel reality, so readers of that title are essentially in the same boat as everyone else (although they probably have a better idea of who might be behind Allen’s current predicament).

And yes, it’s a parallel universe story, a sci-fi staple for decades, and Johns has gone for the variation where one character is aware that something is wrong, and things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. It fits with character as the Speed Force is, amongst other things, a means to travel through time, and if you’re travelling through time there’s a good chance you’ll alter the future, intentionally or otherwise. In the universe Allen finds himself in no one appears to have heard of the Flash. No one’s heard of Superman either, although Batman is still patrolling Gotham (but it’s not who you expect to find under the cowl) while Wonder Woman and Aquaman are apparently villains involved in a ruinous war that’s already taken out most of Europe. Yes, this is, to all intents and purposes, something of an Elseworlds tale, but by bringing it into the proper DC Universe we can expect consequences and changes on the horizon.

But is it any good?

I’m going with ‘Yes’ at this stage – although it’s not perfect it’s an impressive opening salvo, one that suggests DC have another hit on their hands. Much of it is taken up with introducing us to this whole new world, and we do get a parade of familiar characters in unfamiliar guises, which works well for the most part although every now and then an element of smugness in play (you can almost here the creative team cry "Look how clever we are!" at certain points). Wisely Johns keeps Allen the focus, and hopefully that will remain the case as I seem to recall Blackest Night stumbling when it tried to cover too many characters. The writer is still an expert at bringing emotion to a big canvas, and he gets it right here several times as Allen comes across people from his own life but not in the way he remembers them.

Then there’s the art. Andy Kubert has worked his way up to be one of the premier artists in comics over the last couple of decades, and when you hire a guy like this you expect him to bring his A-game to the printed page. He doesn’t disappoint, whether it’s bringing those emotional moments from Johns’ pen to life or pulling out the stops with some hugely impressive double splash pages. Maybe there are a couple of panels where the anatomy looks a bit wonky, but that’s just nitpicking really. This is one hell of a handsome looking book. Let’s just hope Kubert stays on for the duration (and gets his work in on time!)

You’ll know if you like these big summer crossovers by now, and if you’re not a fan there’s nothing here I can see convincing you otherwise. But for the rest of us this is a good example of how to set something like this up. Yeah, the plot maybe familiar from countless other places (Age Of Apocalypse, Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ to give a couple of examples, and heck, even George Bailey got a look at a world without him in It’s A Wonderful Life!) but you don’t really go into these things looking for originality. You want someone who can take those recognizable ingredients to create something with a certain amount of freshness and ingenuity. There are another four issues where something could go wrong in terms of storytelling, but taken on its own merits, Flashpoint #1 does the job it needed to do with style. 7/10