[20] [JULY 27 2010]
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Hello all! For those reading In Case You Missed It for the first time, I cover the best and worst of what's on my personal pull list from last Wednesday’s new releases. Some of them get the full treatment and the rest get shorter, quicker coverage. In addition to the latest comics, I discuss the buzz-worthy comic related news, pick my favorite cover for that week, and even provide the occasional movie/DVD review. I only have four reviews this week, as I've extremely pressed for time at the moment. I'll try and make it up with a big turnout next time out....
Let’s get right into it!… [WHAT I'M DIGGING THIS WEEK]:-- Highlights of this week’s books on my pull list -- [New Mutants #15] – Here’s a title that I’ve always enjoyed the writing, but at times, called for a more consistent effort on art. The opening arc was drawn by
Diogenes Neves, which I enjoyed, but after that the artists rotated a bit, and I didn’t find myself clinging to any of them and it was hampering my enjoyment of the title overall a bit.
Zeb Wells deserved an artist that matched his intensity, and I think he’s found one here in
Leonard Kirk.
Kirk is a fantastic artist that I became a major fan of for his work on the
Agents of Atlas miniseries and
Captain Britain and MI:13, and I’m more than happy to see an artist of his talent joined a fantastically written book like
New Mutants. His debut issue here was a great start, too. He uses shadows and detailed backgrounds like all the best guys do, and brings a lot of energy and style to his fight scenes. All of his characters have a unique aspect that helps differentiate them from each other, and the new villains have well thought looks and designs.
Wells’ script gives him a chance to have fun with all kinds of demonic looking creatures and he does just that.
The story itself was great, as expected at this point from
Zeb Wells. The New Mutants, after all the traumatic things that have happened to the team during Second Coming, are due for some vacation time. Sam Guthrie, Cannonball, feels especially down on himself as he feels he’s let his friends down the wrong path, having causes Warlock to go against his morals and for Karma to lose her leg. Cyclops reassures him that he’s the right man for the job and orders them to relax. All is not well, though. A new threat familiar with team member Magik has begun to make moves to end her.
Wells sets up another arc beautifully, finding ways to pepper comedy into a heavy drama, and once again perfectly characterizing the squad. They feel like matured versions of the old team, and all the dialogue continues to strike the right chord with me. It looks like the beginning of another stellar arc of reading with
New Mutants…..and finally a great artist to match…....
[GRADE= A][Black Widow #4] – Now here’s a book that I liked when it debuted, but now its really finding its stride in the last couple of issues and becoming phenomenal.
Margorie Liu understandly had to build a foundation for this new book to stand on, and now that’s it developed, the book has been shining brightly. Natasha has found herself unable to avoid her past any longer, and has been forced to take action. Despite friends and her lover, Bucky, offered their aid and support, she decides this is something she needs to do on her own….which may be her secret nemesisi’ plan all along. The script’s pace has picked up considerably now that the groundwork has been laid, and its truly a thrilling espionage tale now, with all the twists, turns, and deception that you’d expect, and a couple that you wouldn’t.
Liu seems to really “get” this character. Black Widow stands strong and independent, but still has believable and heartfelt interactions with her close friends. The threat is starting to piece itself together, but remains mysterious enough to carry the story into its final stages.
Providing a major part of my enjoyment on the book is artist
Daniel Acuna. Like the story, I was bit lukewarm on his stuff in the first couple of issues, but he’s definitely won me over with his beautiful rendering of this piece of the Marvel Universe. The style isn’t just his unique pencil/color combo, but the framing and panel layouts, and even the changing color of the page backgrounds have a distinct, different feel to them. It’s a great looking book, and
Acuna is one of the rare artists that can say his interiors are just as good as his cover work. That’s special, and with
Liu,
Black Widow became a great title very quickly in my eyes….. ......
[GRADE= A]----------------------------
[WHAT I'M NOT DIGGING THIS WEEK]:-- The biggest disappointments from my pull list this week -- [Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates #3] – My first thought after finishing this issue was “
Why am I still buying this?!...”. It’s drop time for this book.
Jeph Loeb took a mediocre story from the first two issues, and sucked what life it had left by focusing on Valkyrie with a bleak, uninteresting backstory. And then killing her at the end. I mean….really? That’s it. This is recycled stunts from the 90s, which is basically what the whole
Ultimate Comics line has become…..but at least
Millar’s books have a little fun while they’re at it.
For the art,
Frank Cho is consistent, but in a bi-monthly title, I expect a little more pop that what I’m getting here. His work looks about as good as past stuff, but he doesn’t seem to be trying very hard to change up the spread and layout looks, though some of that maybe a dull script. Its also very cheesecake, but at this point in his career, the customer should be aware of what they’re getting with
Cho titles, so I’m not really going to harp on that. I dunno…its just not good enough to justify bi-monthly status in my eyes (few artists are)., and it can’t save this awful storyline. That’s really all there is to say about it…
[GRADE= D]----------------------------
[HEROIC AGE HIGHLIGHT]— My other favorite Heroic Age book of the week-- [Thunderbolts #146] – This is probably the comeback title of the year for me.
Jeff Parker has taken his writing ability in a different direction, and I’m thoroughly enjoying his choice of roster with a few issues under the belt now. It has the same manic energy and dirty fun that
Warren Ellis had on the title in his initial arcs. Luke Cage has been working well as the hard-ass leader type, which isn’t a surprise, but Ghost and Crossbones have been stealing the show for me. Those are the ones that I’m the most intrigued by, because they will be the hardest members of this program team to change, and
Parker is obviously having a lot of fun using them. All the characters are on point, though. The characterization and dialogue ring true, and you can see a weird sort of chemistry already building with the team. The plot here is a perfect type of “dirty mission” for this team to learn about each other with, and the last page is once again phenomenal.
Having
Kev Walker in your corner on art isn’t too bad, either. His style is perfect for this title, and he’s the best penciller the book has had since
Mike Deodato. One drawback of his stylistic approach is that his women aren’t very attractive, but that’s not a biggie for me. I love how scattered his panel work gets whenever the action picks up, and he’s really good about matching the mood of the plotlines as they change as well. His renditions of Ghost and Swamp Thing are unmatched. The issue hinged on how he was able to convey the revealed “villains” of the story, and he knocked it out of the park. If you’re not getting this one….you’re missing out on a great team title. ..
[GRADE= B+]----------------------------
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That’s it for me! Come back next week for more In Case You Missed It. As usual, you can post your thoughts below and you can also reach me at my email at ben.lehnsherr@the-ush.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UndeadAvenger.. Thanks for reading!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
