X-Factor (2006 Series) #19

May 15, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good
Rating: T+

One of Jaime’s dupes is dying – and saving him may kill them both!

Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Andrea DiVito
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I must confess, my teaser up top really doesn’t do this issue justice. There’s a lot going on here besides just Jamie trying to save a dying duplicate. As usual, Peter David uses the erratic behavior of the duplicates to great effect here.

The rest of the team is split up as well, following Layla’s vague instructions. Rahne and Guido continue their hunt for Pietro, while Syrin and Monet have encountered three former mutants from the X-Cell, and they’re none too happy to be face-to-face with some of the few mutants who managed to hold on to their powers after M-Day. Layla, meanwhile, has a heart-to-heart with the former mutant girl Nicole.

Nobody in the entire X-universe is using the fallout of the M-Day storyline as well as Peter David is. While the X-Men are pretty much business as usual – off in space or fighting evil mutants or whatnot – here in X-Factor the depowering has become a personal storyline for several of our characters, and the stakes are clearly very high. This title, hands down, is the single greatest thing to come out of House of M.

Pham and Florea have been on board for several issues now, and I’m very happy with their artwork. Their Blob in particular has an inspired design, with his powers gone but his girth still there. I just wish they would get to redesign some of the characters who appear in this issue that have more of a distinctively “90s” feel.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: X-Factor is the best X-title Marvel is publishing right now. Period.

Rating: 8/10

X-Men (1991 Series) #197

March 19, 2007

Quick Rating: Average
Title: Condition Critical Part 1
Rating: A

An infected Rogue is brought to the country where Cable is king.

Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Chris Bachalo
Inks: Tim Townsend
Colors: Antonio Fabela
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Chris Bachalo
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I have to say, I’m sort of disappointed in Mike Carey. On his past work, I’ve always thought it was either sublime or incomprehensible, but either way, it evoked a strong response. This issue – and in fact, his whole X-Men run – has been pretty “blah.”

Rogue, infected with the virus called Strain 88, is clinging to life, so Cable brings her to the nearest refuge – his own island nation of Providence. While the doctors there go to work, the rest of the team sets about pondering the implications of Cable running his own country, the fact that they’re really worried about Rogue, or wonder what Sabretooth is ostensibly doing on the team.

I think the biggest problem here is that this doesn’t really feel like an X-Men team. Over half the roster is comprised of former villains or total neophytes, plus Cable, who has sort of let his messiah complex go to his head. That leaves us with Iceman, Cannonball and Rogue (one of whom spends the issue comatose) as real relatable characters. Honestly, it’s not enough.

Chris Bachalo’s artwork on this issue is okay, but it’s not spectacular. Honestly, I think the colors are more to blame for some of the art problems – the book is overly dark in most cases, and many of the characters have weird “auras” around them that disrupt the flow of the artwork.

I just can’t bring myself to care too much about this book, and from what I hear, that’s a sentiment shared by many an X-Fan.

Rating: 5/10

New Excalibur #16

February 11, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Fallen Friend Part 1
Rating: A

One of the team goes down – in a most unexpected way.

Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Inks: John Dell
Colors: A. Crossley
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Editors: Nick Lowe & Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The team gets called in to stop a bank heist – and the crooks are packing some pretty heavy hardware. After a heated battle, one of the team winds up down… but it’s not who you expect.

I was actually surprised at how much I liked this issue. The first half seemed a pretty run-of-the-mill fight sequence that (once again) stirred up one of this series’ most persistent, annoying unanswered questions. Then we get a totally unexpected twist and one of the characters winds up fighting to stay alive. Claremont also manages to bring up some pretty valid questions that stir in drama naturally… when you’re dealing with mutants, what if their anatomy isn’t what the doctors are used to? How do they treat someone if they’ve got a different body structure? What if they wind up making things worse?

The last few pages are also a pretty big shocker – I’ve got to wonder exactly how far Claremont is willing to take the long-term implications of this character’s condition. I really don’t recall anyone ever trying a story quite like this one before, and it’s got me intrigued.

Scot Eaton and John Dell make for a pretty good art team, as well. They’ve got a pretty standard look, but a solid one, and the emotions they manage to pack into the faces on the last few pages are simply fantastic.

This issue is an intriguing surprise – certainly better than much of Claremont’s recent work.

Rating: 7/10

Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus #2

April 1, 2007

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Afterburn & Brother’s Keeper
Rating: A

Interludes with Firelord and the Silver Surfer.

Writer: Keith Giffen
Art: Scott Kolins & Andrea DiVito
Colors: June Chung & Paul Mounts
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Gabrielle Dell’Otto
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I passed up on most of Annihilation because of how disappointing the prologue issue was. This turned out to be a mistake, as it was definitely the better of Marvel’s recent events. It’s a shame, then, that the epilogue, like the prologue, was somewhat underwhelming.

This miniseries, in essence, shows the current whereabouts of Galactus’ heralds – past and present – after the Annihilation war. Issue one (which was actually very good) featured Terrax and Stardust, while this issue we check in with Firelord and the Silver Surfer. Firelord is hunting down the former Centurions of Annihilus’s elite strike force, tracking them to the planets they were given as rewards for their loyalty and dispensing justice. It’s okay, I guess, but a little on-the-nose, and I really dislike Firelord’s redesign. The intent seems to be to make him look more “cosmic,” but it really just makes him look like a Human Torch that someone is attempting to make “kewl.”

“Brother’s Keeper,” the Silver Surfer story, is a little better, if for no other reason than because Andrea DiVito is doing the art. The Surfer is sent to do battle with some of the greater cosmic forces in an attempt to prove his renewed loyalty to Galactus, and the only way to defeat them may well result in his own destruction. The way the battle concludes is my real problem with this issue. Giffen seems to have taken the character’s name way too literally, resulting in an ending that’s… well, there’s no other way to say it: cheesy.

This miniseries is really just an interlude before the Annihilation sequel hits, but the second issue is really kind of disappointing.

Rating: 6/10

G.I. Joe: Infestation #2

April 17, 2011

Writer: Mike Raicht
Artwork: Giovanni Timpano
Colorist: J. Brown
Letterer: Robbie Robbins
Cover: John K. Snyder III
Editor: Andy Schmidt       
Publisher: IDW Publishing

The Baroness has captured the Joe named Psyche Out, and with him has managed to seize a bizarre piece of technology, both of which have gone with her to a deep sea Cobra base. The strange tech, though, is beginning to infect animal and technology alike, turning them into a horrible, all-consuming swarm of death… and freeing Psyche Out may be her only chance to stop it before it destroys the base – or even worse. The story here is okay. It works mostly as a reverse of a plot we’ve seen plenty of times before, where the good guys may have a villain in captivity and need their help to stop a greater threat. This time around, it’s much more about the villains, and that probably makes for a more entertaining story in the long run. I’m also surprised that this issue ends in a way that does, in fact, leave some lasting repercussions for IDW’s G.I. Joe franchise. (I suppose it shouldn’t be that surprising, since a lasting change happened over in the TransFormers section of the crossover as well.) The action is strong, the gore isn’t over the top… all in all, it’s an okay comic. It’s lacking something, though, some sort of jolt that’s needed to make it more than just okay. Entertaining, but I can’t help feeling like it could have been more.

Rating: 7/10

X-Factor (2006 Series) #18

April 16, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good
Rating: T+

On the streets of Mutanttown, X-Factor finds themselves encountering old foes and old friends.

Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Brian Reber
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Pablo Raimondi
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Not being a particularly religious follower of the X-titles, I’m really not sure if the characters we see this issue have already been established as losing their powers on M-Day. Fortunately, that doesn’t really matter, the story still works just as well. As Quicksilver continues offering new powers to the mutants who lost their gifts in the Decimation, the authorities are picking up X-Factor members to find out what they know about the terrorist group called the X-Cell.

Peter David amps up the funny this issue – Rictor’s interrogation and Layla’s antics in particular are really quite amusing. (If you had told me two years ago that the Layla character could be made even remotely interesting, I’d have laughed in your face.) We also catch up with a lot of X-characters this issue – some interesting, some less so, but David is using them and the whole Decimation concept to great effect in this series. I’ve got enough faith in him that I even think the character who shows up at the end, who I’ve long considered one of the single least interesting X-Men, has the potential to have a good story as the series progresses.

Pham and Florea’s artwork continues to be a perfect match for this story – a little gritty, a little noir, but still recognizable as being part of the Marvel universe.

Quite simply, this is the best title in the X-corner of the Marvel Universe right now, and it doesn’t look like it’s in danger of losing the pole position any time soon.

Rating: 8/10

World War Hulk: X-Men #1

June 26, 2007

Quick Rating: Surprisingly Good
Title: Hard Questions
Rating: A

The Hulk hunts Charles Xavier – but he’ll have to go through the New X-Men first!

Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Andrea DiVito
Colors: Laura Villari
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Ed McGuinness
Publisher: Marvel Comics

When the Illuminati voted to blast the Hulk into space, one of their number was missing – Charles Xavier. Now that Xavier has returned to Earth, his powers and ability to walk both restored, the Hulk has a question for him. After issuing his ultimatum to New York, demanding Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Dr. Strange be turned over to him, he pays a visit to Xavier’s school, seeking Xavier, and as most of the instructors are absent, it’s up to the New X-Men to hold the line.

It doesn’t hurt that the Beast (my all-time favorite X-Man) is the defacto leader in this issue, but I was totally surprised. I was worried that we’d have another superfluous miniseries that doesn’t really matter or interest me at all, and while the ultimate impact on the overall WWH storyline remains to be seen, taken as a self-contained story, this is actually really good. Gage absolutely nails both Hank McCoy and the students at Xavier’s. In fact, by the time I put this book down, I was ready to start a letter-writing campaign to have him take over writing New X-Men full-time. The only real problem is the question the Hulk asks at the end of the issue. While it’s certainly a valid one, it’s hard to believe that it would be a top priority for him at this point. That doesn’t hurt the book much, though, just adds a nugget of disbelief.

Andrea DiVito’s artwork, naturally, is gorgeous. This is the sort of old-school “Hulk versus the X-Men” brawl that you’ve got to want to see if you bother picking up this issue at all.

This book was a total surprise, and for once, it was a good one.

Rating: 8/10

G.I. Joe: Infestation #1

March 27, 2011

Writer: Mike Raicht
Art: Giovanni Timpano
Colorist: J. Brown
Letterer: Chris Mowry
Cover: John K. Snyder III
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Publisher: IDW Publishing

The most bizarre crossover of the year continues. The Baroness is planning an attack on a ship full of new G.I. Joe members on the cusp of their “final exam.” When she takes one of the heroes into custody she gets an unexpected bonus – a cyber-organic arm that she brings back for study. The arm carries a nasty secret of its own, one that threatens not just Cobra, but the entire world.

While perhaps the most well-written of the three Infestation crossovers so far, this is also the one that seems to have the last direct link to the main storyline. The zombie angle seems secondary, and in fact, this could easily be a story about any number of other threats – hell, even a malignant computer virus would work just as well, the way things are presented. That may change in part two, of course, but as of part one, this almost doesn’t have to have zombies at all. On the other hand, it’s a really solid issue of G.I. Joe. The Baroness is a nasty, manipulative bad guy, and Psyche Out is well cast as the “last Joe standing” in the depths of the Cobra submarine.

Giovanni Timpano puts together a dark, dirty set of pages that works fine as a military thriller, but also will easily acclimate the horror movie aspects of the larger storyline. It’ll be interesting to see if part two brings this miniseries more in line with the overall story thread, but for the time being, it’s pretty good on its own.

Rating: 7/10

TransFormers: Infestation #2

February 26, 2011

Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Art: Nick Roche
Colorist: Joana Lafuente
Letterer: Robbie Robbins
Cover: Nick Roche (Cover A); John K. Snyder III (Cover B)
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Publisher: IDW Publishing

As Bayonet stands revealed as a manifestation of Britt, the CVO operative who unleashed the Infestation on the Multiverse in the first place, she proceeds with her plan to conquer this universe. With the zombie-fied Kup as her lieutenant, she begins her plans to use Las Vegas as the launching point for a virus that will destroy the world. Autobots and Decepticons find themselves having to work together to save not just the human race, but all mechanical life as well.

The fact that this particular zombie infestation also works on robots is a stroke of luck for the story – the TransFormers could make quick work of any typical zombie plague. Putting them at risk as well makes the story more compelling, and the way one of them rises up and stands against the plague makes for great reading. The ending of this issue isn’t all that surprising, and I find myself suspecting we’re going to see similar conclusions to the rest of the Infestation crossovers as well, just to set things up for the finale. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it could get a little repetitive.

Nick Roche’s art is pretty good. I especially like the look of Britt/Bayonet, and the way he “zombifies” some of the robots looks very nice.

This was okay. I hope the other chapters spice things up more, though.

Rating: 7/10

Union Jack (2006 Series) #4

December 19, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: London Falling Part Four
Rating: T+

Union Jack and his team race to save London from the Dreadnought!

Writer: Christos N. Gage
Pencils: Mike Perkins
Inks: Andrew Hennessy
Colors: Laura Villari
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Cover Art: Mike Perkins
Publisher: Marvel Comics

As the Dreadnought robot attacks Trafalgar Square, Union Jack and his “team” – Valentina DeFontaine, Sabra and the Arabian Knight – charge to the rescue. The fight only takes up the first half of the issue, and the rest deals with the fallout as Britain rallies behind their “working man’s hero,” and Union Jack finds the truth about the battles he’s just fought.

I haven’t read the first three issues of this miniseries. I regret that now. Christos N. Gage (who impressed me a lot with his Deadshot miniseries a while back) does a remarkable job with this sort of action tinged with mystery. This time out, he’s got some great character interaction as well. What exactly makes Union Jack a “working man’s hero” is still kind of vague to me, but I’ve definitely got a handle on what sort of character he is here. The interaction between the rest of his team, particularly the grudging respect between Sabra and Arabian Knight, is also a very nice touch.

Mike Perkins’ art is equally as good as the writing. Along with Hennessy and Villari, they’ve crafted a really nice, lush comic book that very much taps into the sort of mood Captain America evokes these days. (Not a surprise, since Perkins has worked on this book as well).

The story was a little tough for me to follow, but it was good enough for me to give this the highest praise one can give the last issue of a miniseries he hasn’t sampled before: this comic made me want to go out and read the first three issues. I think that’s saying something.

Rating: 8/10