Brightest Day #8

September 6, 2010

Title: Defiance

Writers: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils: Patrick Gleason, Ivan Reis & Ardian Syaf
Inks: Vicente Cifuentes, Rebecca Buchman, Mark Irwin & Ivan Reis
Colorist: Peter Steigerwald & John Starr
Letterer: Rob Clark, Jr.
Cover: David Finch
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

J’onn J’onzz delves into Miss Martian’s mind, seeing through her eyes her recent encounter with the new Green Martian who is loose on Earth somewhere. Back on Hawkworld, Hawkman and Hawkgirl find themselves almost in a state of worship following their recent burst of White Lantern energy, and the healing properties that came with them.

I hate saying it, but the Hawks’ story still isn’t grabbing me the way the rest of this title is, and spending most of the issue on it lessens my enjoyment of the tale considerably. It feels as if Johns and Tomasi are trying for a sort of “John Carter of Mars” story, having them take on the roles of Earth heroes fighting the cosmic barbarians on a far-off planet. While there’s plenty of potential in that idea, somehow the execution is just falling short for me. I’m finding it hard to keep track of the other players in their story, and I’m not particularly concerned about what happens to the main cast as the tale moves forward.

The Martian Manhunter stuff this issue is considerably more entertaining. It’s easy to forget that the shapeshifting Miss Martian is actually a White Martian that’s fighting off her own worst instincts, and that makes the character herself seem more heroic for the ability. J’onn’s search seems to finally be gaining a focus, as he takes off for one of the DC Universe’s most recently changed cities.

The artwork is back and forth – none of it bad, but the different artists on each section definitely have different styles than one another, and that weakens the book, just a little.

Any time the Hawks take center stage, my appreciation for this book dips. Here’s hoping their story gets better, and some of the more interesting characters move into the forefront soon.

Rating: 7/10

Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1

August 20, 2005

Quick Rating: Great

There’s a new girl in Spider-Man life… one wearing a great big “X.”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Brooks
Inks: Jamie Mendoza & Scott Hanna
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Cover Art: Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove
Publisher: Marvel Comics

If every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man was as good as the first annual, you’d never hear me say another harsh word about it – this is the best this character has been in an extraordinarily long time. When Kitty Pryde of the X-Men starts feeling lonely since her infatuation with Iceman thawed out (rimshot), she starts to think about one of the few really nice guy’s she’s met outside of Xavier’s school – the teenage superhero called Spider-Man. Just off his own breakup with Mary Jane, she gives him a call and the two embark upon one of the most dangerous adventures of all – a first date.

There’s a bit of action in this issue – an early confrontation with the Rhino and some fisticuffs later on. That’s not what sells the issue, though – it’s the characterization that sells it. Although Spider-Man and Kitty Pryde isn’t a match that would ever work in the mainstream Marvel Universe (for a variety of reasons), somehow their “Ultimate” versions seem like quite a good match – the two characters really do have a lot more in common than is readily apparent, and even though I fully expect him to wind up back together with Mary Jane before too long (if for no other reason than because the comic won’t stray too far from the movies), I wouldn’t mind seeing this teenage romance developed a bit further.

The ending is somewhat open, leaving room for further development of this situation but not necessarily demanding it. I don’t know if this is something that will carry over into the regular Ultimate Spider-Man title (or Ultimate X-Men, for that matter), but I kind of hope it does.

It’s unusual to see someone other than Mark Bagley drawing Ultimate Spider-Man, I must admit, but Mark Brooks does a really good job in his own right. The characters look good and pretty age-appropriate (too many artists make their teenagers look like short adults, forgetting that everything from facial structure to body language plays a part in that sort of thing as well).

I never thought I’d say this, but Spider-Man and Kitty Pryde. Yeah, I could see that. I don’t think it’s that odd a match at all.

Rating: 9/10

Secret Six (2008 Series) #1

September 9, 2008

Quick Rating: Excellent
Title: At the Point of Puncture (Unhinged Part One)

The Secret Six seeks to fill its roster.

Writer: Gail Simone
Pencils: Nicola Scott
Inks: Doug Hazlewood
Colors: Jason Wright
Letters: Swand S.
Editor: Nachie Castro
Cover Art: Nicola Scott
Publisher: DC Comics

It is not an exaggeration to say that a lot of people have been waiting for this book since Villains United. With that book, and with the follow-up Secret Six miniseries, Gail Simone took a bunch of second-rate supervillains and made them some of the most exciting characters in the DC Universe. C’mon, show of hands, four years ago how many people would have been excited about a comic where one of the main characters was Catman?

So anyway, to kick off the ongoing series, the Secret Six are down a member. Catman and Deadshot are off on a supply run, where they ponder the meaning of their little team, while Ragdoll and the new fifth member attempt to snap Scandal out of the daze she’s been in since the death of her girlfriend, the New God Knockout. And say what you will, the plan they come up with is something that the Justice League would never have come up with. The team has a new job – head out to San Francisco to find would-be superhero who’s caused some trouble in the past for the Batman family. Catman gets a phone call, however, that leads him to believe things aren’t on the up-and-up.

Simone has given these characters real depth. Not a one of them is the two-dimensional crook they were when she picked up on them. She does a magnificent job this issue of explaining their goals, their hopes, their desires, and their personalities as a whole.

Joining her on the series is her former Birds of Prey collaborator Nicola Scott, whose work here is even better than it was on that title. She has a richness and detail that just wasn’t there before. Oh, she was always good. Now she’s great. Doug Hazlewood and Jason Wright’s inks and colors are a perfect compliment for her linework. I’ve never seen it look this good.

I couldn’t wait for this book from the moment it was announced, and the first issue didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Absolutely a great issue.

Rating: 10/10