Annihilation Saga #1

May 6, 2007

Quick Rating: Fair
Rating: A

Catch up on the Annihilation story before the Conquest begins!

Writer: Michael Hoskin
Based on stories by: Keith Giffen, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Simon Furman, Christos N. Gage & Stuart Moore
Art: Mitch Breitweiser, Scott Kolins, Ariel Olivetti, Kev Walker, Rick Magyar, Renato Arlem, Gregory Titus, Jorge Lucas, Andrea DiVito, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Mike McKone & Sean Chen
Book Desinger: Patrick McGrath
Editor: Jeff Youngquist
Cover Art: Andrea DiVito & Laura Villari
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In general, I think Marvel’s Saga specials are a really good idea – a quick primer on a series that’s about to relaunch or enter a new stage, providing new readers a chance to get up-to-speed before the new jumping-on point. In practice, this is rather weaker than most of the Saga titles.

Usually, these books contain some sort of framing sequence – Runaways was disguised as Molly’s diary, Spider-Girl as Mayday’s scrapbook and so on. The lack of a sequence actually makes the book a bit less readable, less conversational. This is a strict, by-the-numbers account of the various Annihilation-related series, beginning with the Drax miniseries that retroactively became something of a prologue, right up through the first issue of the new Nova ongoing. All the information is there, all of the story is available, it’s just not quite as much fun to read in this form as it could have been.

The artwork is all plucked from the related titles, and as such, it varies wildly. Some of it is fantastic, some of it is just so-so. The same pretty much goes for the text. If you want to read Annihilation: Conquest and haven’t read the preceding comics, this book will get you up to speed. It just won’t be quite as much fun as it could have been.

Rating: 6/10

DuckTales (2011 Series) #1

May 31, 2011

Title: Rightful Owners Part 1: Many Happy Returns

Writer: Warren Spector
Art: Leonel Castellani, Jose Massaroli & Magic Eye Studios
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Cover: Leonel Castellani (Cover A); Jonathan Gray & Lisa Moore (Cover B)
Editor: Christopher Burns                           
Publisher: Boom! Studios/Kaboom!

With the Disney Afternoon experiencing a Renaissance at Kaboom!, the next logical property to give a book to is DuckTales, the one that kicked off the whole phenomenon in the 80s. In this first issue, writer Warren Spector brings back the characters with a sort of absurd new mission. Scrooge gives a tour of some of his prize trophies to the kids, prompting Webby to ask the question of why Scrooge has taken so many artifacts from people… and shouldn’t he give them back?

Aaaaaand, that’s where you’ve lost me.

Spector has the voices of the characters down, and the art team here is top notch. The book looks fantastic and the characters are as sharp as ever. But the basic premise here is irretrievably flawed. Webby’ s assertion that Scrooge has taken all of these artifacts like a common thief doesn’t hold up to the slightest scrutiny, which makes it even more ridiculous when he gets into a competition with John Rockerduck to give them back. For example, she brings up the matter of a peppermint-striped gem he got in a trade for actual candy with the chief of an old tribe. Webby says that he didn’t offer a fair deal, but that’s simply not true. If you look back at the episode of the cartoon this is based on, Scrooge does try to offer valuables for the gem, but the Chief isn’t interested. He wants the ultimate status symbol of his people, a big belly, and that’s where the candy trade comes in. Then there’s the case of the Eskimo family that allegedly struggled to make it through the winter when Scrooge dug up the famous Goose Egg Gold Nugget in the Klondike. This is a story that’s been told and re-told over and over again – it’s the Disney equivalent of the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents – and not once have I ever seen a version of this story that featured a struggling Eskimo family that Scrooge beat to the punch. This is something Spector conjured up out of whole cloth that makes Scrooge seem like some sort of robber baron (which in itself doesn’t even work, since at the time he found the nugget Scrooge was dirt-poor). The only thing that Webby has even a small point about is the dinosaur egg that Scrooge took from its mother, although one could easily make the argument that, in the name of science, he should have taken both mother and egg rather than just the egg.

I love these characters and I love the art. I really want to love this comic book. But the very premise of the opening story arc is so fundamentally flawed that I find it impossible to recommend.

Rating: 5/10

Fables #25

May 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Our Right to Assemble Issue (March of the Wooden Soldiers Part Six)

Fabletown fortifies its defenses on the eve of the attack of the wooden soldiers!

Writer: Bill Willingham
Pencils: Mark Buckingham
Inks: Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha
Colors: Daniel Vozzo
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Shelly Bond
Cover Art: James Jean
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo

In most comic books, the 25th issue means some big event commemorating the anniversary of actually lasting that long, an increasing rarity in today’s comic book market. In Fables, though, it is still buildup, as all good Fables come together to defend their adopted home from the brutal forces of the Adversary.

Last month the wooden soldiers issued an ultimatum to the Fables –cooperate with their master and turn over Pinocchio, whose father, Gepetto, is their creator. They revere the original wooden boy, who hasn’t aged a day in the centuries since the Blue Fairy turned him into a real boy (she took his wish too literally), and now he’s determined to go to the homelands where his father is in servitude to the enemy.

Virtually every character gets a chance to shine in this issue. Prince Charming fortifies the area to prevent the battle from spilling out into Mundane territory, while Snow White drafts the magic-users to minimize the fallout of the fight. Jack of the Tales is entrusted to keep Pinocchio from falling into enemy hands – at any cost – as his old flame Rose Red brings reinforcements in from the Fable farm. Goblins and trolls take on their true form and the Beast employs a rather inventive technique to ready himself for battle. The only major characters we don’t touch on are Bigby Wolf, still racing home from his trek to Canada, and Cinderella, who we learned a few issues ago is much more than she seems.

It’s all buildup, though, every single panel of it, and Willingham does a spectacular job of making it all feel necessary and exciting. War is upon us, and by watching the Fables prepare, we truly understand what is at stake.

Buckingham does his usual fine job with the artwork. The army of identical wooden soldiers looks menacing and goofy at the same time. Monsters look hideous, Snow White looks like a believable woman who is very pregnant, but still beautiful. I am absolutely in love with the page layout tricks he uses every issue, like shields for Prince Charming scenes, trumpets for Little Boy Blue and various magical symbols for the scene where Snow recruits the witches and wizards that are part of the Fable community.

I can’t deny it. This is my favorite comic book published today, and I have never been as excited after putting an issue down as I was for this one. Next month cannot come soon enough.

Rating: 9/10