Annihilators #4

October 8, 2011

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils: Tan Eng Huat & Timothy Green II
Inks: Victor Olazaba
Colorist: June Chung & Nathan Fairbairn
Letterer: Joe Caramagna & Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Alex Garner
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Publisher: Marvel Comics

So as it turns out, the rising of the Dire Wraiths has all been a ploy by their interstellar cousins, the Skrulls, to regain their lost dominance in the stars. Also, Immortus is attacking with an army of cross-time badasses. Fortunately, on the good guys’ side are the Annihilators, perhaps the most powerful superhero team in the Marvel Universe.

Abnett and Lanning wrap up this miniseries with a pretty impressive fight scene, and get surprisingly final about the whole thing. Even though we know there’s another Annihilators miniseries coming (there’s even an ad for it at the end) the book feels like it has a definite ending, not just a cliffhanger for the next miniseries, which I for one greatly appreciate. I’m glad they’re doing more, don’t get me wrong, but I do get tired of one miniseries after another that just feels like it exists to set up yet another miniseries. I also like how they manage to work in small character beats – Ikon’s obvious infatuation with Quasar, for example.

The artwork is only so-so. While the aliens look pretty good, the humans aren’t that great. Immortus’s giant head that appears on the splash page has truly weird proportions that make him look like a poorly-designed carnival float.

In the back-up story, the conclusion to the Rocket Raccoon/Groot tale, we finally learn the ultimate truth of Rocket Raccoon’s origins, and he and Groot have to work to free the strangest medical care facility in the universe. This story is really funny, which works for the characters, but does make it seem a little incongruous with the main story. Annihilators isn’t exactly a laugh riot, after all, and people who got this title only for the first story may find the back-up a little off-putting.

I got the book for both stories, though. And I enjoyed both stories. And I look forward to more.

Rating: 8/10

Uncanny X-Men #486

May 15, 2007

Quick Rating: Almost Good
Title: Endings and Beginning (Chapter Twelve of The Rise and Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire)
Rating: T+

Lots of spoilery-type stuff happens!

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Danny Miki
Colors: Frank D’armata
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover Art: John Watson
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The year-long “Rise and Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire” finally comes to a conclusion in a story I can barely discuss, because the spoilers really begin on page one. Here’s the set-up: the X-Men and the Starjammers invade the coronation of Vulcan as the new Shi’Ar Emperor. Darwin makes a play to save Charles Xavier, and the status quo is significantly shaken up.

There’s actually quite a bit of good stuff in this issue. The changes to the two teams at the end feel quite logical, and the battle with Vulcan is fairly exciting. Brubaker does take the opportunity to hit the reset button for one character, but as it’s a button I’ve been expecting to get pushed for over a year now, I’m not tremendously surprised.

So why is it “almost” good? Because, simply put, this isn’t the end of the story. Now when dealing with a serialized comic book, you expect there to be plot threads left dangling. After all, something has to happen next issue, right? But when you invest a year in a 12-part storyline, you expect a real conclusion, not just a resting place before moving into the next stage of the same story, and that’s what this issue feels like.

If you’ve been enjoying this storyline, if you’re anxious to see more of it, this is a book you’ll enjoy. But if you’ve just been waiting for this to end, I think you’ll be sorely upset.

Rating: 7/10

Daredevil (1998 Series) #99

August 7, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: To the Devil His Due Part Five
Rating: T+

As Matt seeks his mysterious enemy, Milla reaches a breaking point!

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Chris Eiliopoulos
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: Marko Djurdjevic
Publisher: Marvel Comics

With Gladiator captured, Matt Murdock finds out that he missed a crime spree while fighting with his former friend. As he sets out to find the person responsible for bringing Hell to the kitchen, Foggy and Lily try to take care of Milla, but Matt’s wife may finally have been driven too far.

Milla’s story is far and away the most interesting part of this story for me thus far. It’s not exactly a new idea to put heroes’ spouses through hell on their behalf, but it’s rare to see a reaction quite a volatile as Milla’s this issue. She’s going to have a lot to answer for when the smoke clears, and I’m not sure if either her husband the superhero or her husband the lawyer will be able to save her from herself.

There’s a reveal this issue that will doubtlessly leave a lot of readers scratching their heads, as it hinges on their knowledge of a character that hasn’t appeared in years (in many cases, before today’s readers were even born). Of greater concern, though, is the ending of this issue. While it’s a GOOD ending, it’s something of a cheat. This issue ends with not one, but two cliffhangers, which would be perfectly okay if not for the fact that this has been billed as the final chapter of the “Devil His Due” story. Maybe I’m nit-picking, but when a story begins with “part five of five,” I think it’s kind of unfair for the last words to be “to be continued.”

A good issue, but that structural problem really rubs me the wrong way.

Rating: 7/10

Daredevil (1998 Series) #98

May 26, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: To the Devil, His Due Part Four
Rating: T+

With his wife held captive, Daredevil faces the Gladiator.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Art: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: Marko Djurdjevic
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Daredevil is stuck in the back of a police car. His former friend, Gladiator, has reverted to his criminal ways and kidnapped Matt’s wife Milla. And a mysterious voice is taunting the Man Without Fear.

This is a very action-heavy issue, from Matt’s dramatic escape to a good fight scene with Gladiator. We also delve into the obvious question – why someone who had long renounced his criminal ways would suddenly revert to them and launch an attack on a friend. We don’t get an answer outright here, but it seems clear that Gladiator is another pawn in the game of whoever is manipulating Matt’s life this time. (It happens to him a lot, you know.)

Lark and Gaudiano’s art is okay, although this issue does make it clear that their styles don’t work quite as well on traditional superhero action as on a more crime-based, street-level comic. Not to say that the art is bad, but the fight with Gladiator isn’t quite as dynamic as one would have hoped. Djurdjevic’s cover, of course, is as dynamic as ever.

Not a bad issue, and I’m still enjoying this sort of return to a more “classic” Daredevil story, although we’ve still got a dash of conspiracy theory in here for those of you who were pulled in by that sort of thing.

Rating: 7/10

Daredevil (1998) #97

May 29, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: To the Devil His Due Part Three
Rating: T+

The Gladiator returns – gunning for Matt Murdock.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Rating: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: Marko Djurdjevic
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Matt pawns his newest client off on Dakota North, but that doesn’t quite placate his wife. And to make matters worse, the Gladiator is back, and gunning for him.

There’s a good bit of old-fashioned mindless violence before we get a hint of what Gladiator’s true game plan is, and that’s all to the good. The strength of this story arc has been that it feels old-school, like a classic Daredevil story the likes of which we haven’t seen in a very long time. Recent events aren’t forgotten, of course. Brubaker uses many of the elements that have been generated since Brian Michael Bendis’s run began to put together this classic story.

Lark and Gaudiano’s artwork works very well, maintaining the crime noir feeling that has served the book so well, but still providing a satisfying superhero-style fight scene. And again, Djurdjevic’s cover is downright spiffy.

It’s quite impressive, how Brubaker has managed to keep the contemporary tone of this story, while harkening back to the sort of stories Daredevil used to tell at the same time. For that reason alone, this is one of the most interesting Daredevil tales in quite some time.

Rating: 8/10

Daredevil (1998 Series) #97

May 29, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: To the Devil His Due Part Three
Rating: T+

The Gladiator returns – gunning for Matt Murdock.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Rating: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: Marko Djurdjevic
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Matt pawns his newest client off on Dakota North, but that doesn’t quite placate his wife. And to make matters worse, the Gladiator is back, and gunning for him.

There’s a good bit of old-fashioned mindless violence before we get a hint of what Gladiator’s true game plan is, and that’s all to the good. The strength of this story arc has been that it feels old-school, like a classic Daredevil story the likes of which we haven’t seen in a very long time. Recent events aren’t forgotten, of course. Brubaker uses many of the elements that have been generated since Brian Michael Bendis’s run began to put together this classic story.

Lark and Gaudiano’s artwork works very well, maintaining the crime noir feeling that has served the book so well, but still providing a satisfying superhero-style fight scene. And again, Djurdjevic’s cover is downright spiffy.

It’s quite impressive, how Brubaker has managed to keep the contemporary tone of this story, while harkening back to the sort of stories Daredevil used to tell at the same time. For that reason alone, this is one of the most interesting Daredevil tales in quite some time.

Rating: 8/10

The Thanos Imperative #3

August 28, 2010

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art: Miguel Sepulveda
Colorist: Jay David Ramos
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Cover: Aleksi Briclot
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The Cancerverse is continuing its war on our universe, and an ever-dwindling army of cosmic heroes is doing its best to toe the line. But there’s hope from the other side – the Cancerverse’s counterparts to robotic heroes like the Vision and Machine Man have resisted the influence of Mar-Vell, and may provide the key to victory… if only Drax can put aside his hatred of Thanos long enough to win the war.

Abnett and Lanning have been telling war stories with these characters for some time now, going back to Annihilation, but they’ve never gotten stale in their telling. The Cancerverse concept itself is wonderfully warped and twisted, making for some dreadful villains for our heroes. We’re seeing Nova really have a chance to step up and demonstrate the depths of his own heroism, and the Guardians of the Galaxy have their own opportunity to shine.

There’s been some speculation about a “Cosmic Avengers” title spinning out of this event, and while that idea may have a little merit, the “line-up” we’re presented with this issue wouldn’t really sustain an ongoing. Quasar, Nova, and even Beta Rey Bill would work well together, but the Silver Surfer doesn’t really come across as a team player, and Ronan and the Gladiator are both kind of bland characters – powerhouses, to be sure, but not necessarily the sort of characters that make for interesting protagonists on an ongoing basis. (Both of them, honestly, are more interesting as antagonists, even if they’re fighting on the right side.) Hopefully if that does turn out to be the case, we’ll see a slightly different team.

Miguel Sepulveda’s artwork has a different kind of flavor to it, a clever mix of high-flying science fiction and superhero adventure, blended with the Cthulhu-style horrors of the Cancerverse. They mix well under his pencils, and give us a good-looking book.

This issue ends on a dandy little cliffhanger that actually calls the title of this event into question. It will be fun to see where the writers take us next.

Rating: 7/10