Archenemies #4

July 7, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Absent Fathers

Vincent and Ethan must face their pasts, and their futures.

Writer: Drew Melbourne
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
World’s Worst Roommates Art: D.J. Coffman
Colors: Rick Hiltbrunner
Letters: Jim Keplinger
Editor: Philip Simon
Cover Art: Yvel Guichet
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

The first Archenemies miniseries draws to a close, and considering how much I enjoyed the first few issues, it’s hard to really be enthusiastic about the conclusion. In this final issue Ethan, having come back from Vincent’s father’s funeral, calls his own father to make peace with certain demons from his past. Vincent, meanwhile, continues dealing with his late father’s estate.

I’ve got two major problems with this issue. First and foremost is the tone. This issue started out as a really side-splittingly funny satire of superheroes in a sitcom-esque situation. Although last issue was a bit more serious, with the funeral, this issue is downright grim. The jokes are few and far between. The other problem is that this issue relies heavily on Ethan’s relationship with his father, as well as a flashback to his own origin as Starfighter – neither of which have been particularly important to the story so far. Neither of these would be major problems were this just another issue in an ongoing series – it’s fine to introduce new elements and take a different tone once in a while after all – but as the concluding chapter of a miniseries, it makes for an unsatisfying resolution.

Taken on their own, these elements can work. Ethan’s origin, for instance, and his relationship with his father both shed a lot of light on his character and raise a few interesting questions. Similarly, Vincent’s journey this issue says a good bit about his family and history.

Yvel Guichet and Joe Rubinstein’s art, as always, is wonderful. They’ve got a great grasp of superheroes and do nice work with the alien characters. And the cover, like it did for the first two issues, serves as the beginning of the story. It’s a small touch, but one I like very much. The final “World’s Worst Roommate” comic strip is a needed touch of humor, and ties back to the beginning of the series.

If this had simply been Archenemies #4, it would have gotten a higher rating. As Archenemies #4 of 4, it leaves a little to be desired.

Rating: 7/10

Archenemies #3

June 7, 2006
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Past Repeating

Starfighter and the Underlord meet face to face!

Writer: Drew Melbourne
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
World’s Worst Roommates Art: D.J. Coffman
Colors: Rick Hiltbrunner
Letters: Jim Keplinger
Editor: Philip Simon
Cover Art: Yvel Guichet
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

I’ve been very impressed with this series from the beginning, but I must say, I think this is the strongest issue yet. While the emphasis thus far has been on the comedic aspects of thrusting a superhero and his arch-enemy together in the same apartment. This issue we leave the apartment behind as Ethan drives Vincent to his father’s funeral (not realizing that Underlord had a part to play in that death), and we see these two characters more as real people than the archetypes they’ve been thus far.

Ethan may not necessarily like Vincent, but the compassion he shows towards his roommate, broken up over his father’s death (as far as Ethan knows) paints him as a more likable character than the sort of egotistical hero he’s been thus far in this series. On the flip side, this issue we get to Vincent’s home turf and we get a feeling for how his environment worked against him to turn him into the would-be master criminal he is now, and he becomes a bit more relatable. By the end of the issue, despite ourselves, we find that we’re actually starting to like these guys – which gives their inevitable confrontation even more weight.

Don’t misunderstand, there’s still a lot of humor in this issue – Vincent’s clashing with his sister, Ethan flirting with Vincent’s sister and the lame ways both of the characters try to cover up their identities when they finally confront each other in costume all made me chuckle out loud. Guichet and Rubinstein again turn in some very nice artwork – very sharp, very “superhero-y.” The cover again gives us an actual jumping-on point for the story, but unlike the last two issues it doesn’t really serve as the first two panels of the tale, but rather an excerpt from a point later on in the book. Doesn’t matter, though – it still helps pull you in much better than a random pin-up cover would.

Again, I find I’ve really gotten to enjoy this comic, and I’m sorry that it will be ending next issue. I hope Melbourne and Guichet have plans to bring these two back – I want to see where they go next.

Rating: 8/10

Archenemies #2

May 4, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: What Goes Around

Forget Starfighter… Vincent sets his sights on Ethan!

Writer: Drew Melbourne
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
World’s Worst Roommate Art: D.J. Coffman
Colors: Rick Hiltbrunner
Letters: Jim Keplinger
Editor: Philip Simon
Cover Art: Yvel Guichet
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

The second issue of Dark Horse’s Archenemies miniseries offers up plenty of laughs, but the plot progression is rather muted, and it’s that flaw that bumps the rating down to 3.5. It’s a good issue, but not quite enough happens to make it rate any higher.

Fed up with his roommate, Ethan Baxer, would-be supervillain Vincent Darko decides to forgo his plans to destroy his arch-enemy and destroy his roommate instead… little does he know that Ethan and Starfighter are one and the same. A failed murder attempt makes Ethan fear that the nefarious Underlord has discovered his identity and fears for his roommate… unaware that Vincent is Underlord.

The first few pages build the situation nicely on the heels of last issue’s set-up, but most of the rest of the book is just Vincent plotting or Ethan worrying, without much else happening until the very end. We do get to meet some of the other characters in their world, which is nice, and the scripting is slick and funny… I laughed several times reading this book. I just wish more had happened in it, that’s all.

Guichet and Rubinstein’s artwork is solid, but Rubinstein’s inks were a little too heavy at times, making the book a bit darker than really fit the tone. On the other hand, they again have treated us to a cover that dovetails straight into the story, and for that, I’m enormously grateful. I’m not sure when it was made taboo for comic book covers to actually have something to do with the story, let alone (GASP!) have word balloons, but this series is delighting me in bucking that trend and doing a throwback to the days when covers were fun.

Melbourne and Coffman give us another installment of “World’s Worst Roommate” this issue as well – a funny gag strip that will resonate with anyone who’s ever had a roommate. Rounding out the issue is a nice array of bonus features and texts, including a great faux interview with Nanoman.

Between the cover style and the back-ups, this title really is everything I think comics should be – fun and loaded with goodies. We just need a little more plot this issue.

Rating: 7/10

Archenemies #1

April 23, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Two Wrongs

What happens when a hero and his arch-enemy… are roommates?

Writer: Drew Melbourne
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
WWR Art: D.J. Coffman
Colors: Rick Hultbrunner
Letters: Jim Keplinger
Editor: Philip Simon
Cover Art: Yvel Guichet
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse doesn’t really do a lot of superhero comics (since the demise of their Dark Horse Heroes line, at least), so when they put something out, you know it’ll be worth looking into. Archenemies is definitely an unusual take on the genre. Comedic, offbeat takes on superheroes are all over the place right now, but this is definitely an angle I haven’t seen before. Vincent, a would-be supervillain called Underlord, holes himself up in his apartment while controlling his robotic minions in a heated battle with his greatest enemy, Star Fighter, all the while avoiding the messes left around the apartment by his roommate, Ethan. Vincent has no idea, however, that Ethan is Star Fighter, and Ethan similarly is clueless about the identity of his arch-enemy.

Vincent and Ethan are just as antagonistic towards each other in their civilian identities as they are in their super-forms. Ethan is the sort of sloppy, party-hearty roommate that drives you nuts, while Vincent is the sort of uptight, joyless snobs of a roommate that… well… drives you nuts. The two extremes are a nice, funny contrast.

Ethan, to his credit, tries to make amends after mistaking a would-be super-lackey interview session for something else entirely, but Vincent (in true supervillain fashion) is busy planning his wrath instead, especially once a party of Ethan’s throws things totally out of hand. Melbourne has whipped up some funny characters, and while neither of them are startlingly original, casting the archetypes against one another makes for an amusing read.

Guichet and Rubinstein do a very good job on the artwork, handling the super-aspects and the mundane aspects with equal aplomb. Rick Hultbrunner’s colors add an extra dimension to the story, showing a marked contrast between Ethan and Vincent’s worlds, and as those worlds are literally right next to each other, the mixture is quite entertaining.

The book also gets points for daring to have word balloons on the cover. In a day where too many comics are afraid to give us a cover that have anything to do with the plot, this book goes in the polar opposite direction. Not only do we get dialogue, but the word balloons actually serve to make the cover the first two panels of the story!

We also have a one-page back-up strip, “World Worst Roommates” by Melbourne and D.J. Coffman, where we see Melbourne’s own roommate clashes. Funny stuff with a funny punchline – no idea how much of it is true, but it made me laugh.

Overall, this book really is a lot of fun – silly, clever and likely to go highly unnoticed. Go out and read it, guys.

Rating: 8/10