Mini-Marvels: Secret Invasion TPB

February 13, 2009

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Conspicuous Invasion and Other Stories
Rating: All Ages

The Skrull invasion of Earth – Mini-Marvels style!

Writers: Chris Giarrusso, Marc Sumerak, Sean McKeever, Paul Tobin & Audrey Loeb
Pencils: Chris Giarrusso
Inks: Chris Giarrusso
Colors: Chris Giarrusso
Letters: Chris Giarrusso
Editors: Nathan Cosby & Warren Simons
Cover Art: Chris Giarrusso
Publisher: Marvel Comics

There are few things in comics right now that are more entertaining than Chris Giarusso’s Mini-Marvels. What began as a short newspaper-style strip that ran on the Bullpen page has become an eagerly-anticipated back-up feature that can show up in any Marvel comic at any time, lampooning current events or telling brand-new stories, and always stealing the show.

This second digest collection of Mini-Marvels adventures begins with Giarrusso’s parody of Secret Invasion. The Skrull invasion of Earth goes somewhat differently in this universe, as the Skrulls’ initial attempt to discredit the Fantastic Four doesn’t work as planned. Can even the amazing Super-Skrull turn the tide? And is he really more invisible than the Invisible Girl?

Mark Sumerak handled the writing on the Civil Wards storyline. Fired from the Daily Bugle after Iron Man got him to reveal his identity to the world, Spidey takes a job babysitting the Power Pack kids. The job turns dangerous, however, when he tries to find them a place to play, only to get caught up in a struggle between Iron Man and Captain America over whether kids should have to register to use the playground. The story is a great little parody, and the way Spidey gets his identity back under wraps in this issue is about a thousand and twelve times more logical – and more entertaining – than the way it happened in the real Marvel Universe.

We get a series of shorts by other writers next – a wonderful Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends story by Sean McKeever, a few Hulk/Power Pack gags by Paul Tobin, and the really funny “Green Hulk/Red Hulk/Blue Hulk” pages by Audrey Loeb. All of these have their moments, and fit just fine in Giarusso’s universe.

The next – and most recent – story in the book is “Welcome Back Thor,” a reprint from this week’s Thor #600. Giarusso gives his take on the resurrection of Thor, from the beginning of J. Michael Stracszynski’s run right up to the most recent developments, and he’s funny as heck as he does it. “World War Hulk : The Final Showdown” wraps up that storyline as well. This is the one slightly incongruous bit in the book – the rest of the World War Hulk parody appeared in the first digest, Rock, Paper Scissors. I’m not quite sure why they felt the need to break it up.

The last story in the book is “Hawkeye and the Beanstalk,” a great series of gags that begins with Hawkeye trying to borrow the weapons of his teammates and concludes with him trying to save Earth from the appetite of Galactus! Giarusso’s version of Hawkeye, is enormously entertaining, second only to his Spidey, so it’s great to see him get a starring role.

The digest wraps up with a series of one-page gags and older strips from the original run of this series. There’s a ton of great stuff here, all funny, all sweet, and all a lot of fun. This is that rare comic that kids will read and enjoy, and that adults will read and laugh for a whole different set of reasons. It’s an awesome, awesome series, and I hope Giarusso gets to keep doing it for a very long time.

Rating: 9/10

Fantastic Four #550

October 9, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Should Eternity Perish (Reconstruction: Conclusion)
Rating: A

The Fantastic Four make one last play to save the universe.

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Rus Wooton
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The Frightful Four defeated, the six members of the Fantastic Four are set against an invading force from Horologium Supercluster. The fate of the universe, as always, is in their hands – but perhaps they can do with a little help.

As much as I’ve enjoyed this storyline so far, I have to admit, this last issue was slightly disappointing on three counts. First: the group of guest-stars seems a bit deus ex machine. Second: the story feels rushed – for once I’m actually arguing in favor of lengthening a story. And third: the quick appearance this issue’s final guest-star – who made an appearance early in McDuffie’s run – makes me feel more certain than ever that he had big plans for this character that got derailed by editorial mandate, which (if it is the case) stinks.

Not to say that I didn’t like this issue – McDuffie’s still great with a space opera, and the story fits neatly between the pages of Annihilation, which really should be getting at least a little more notice from the Marvel Universe proper. Also, his characterization is still spot-on, with my favorite sequence being the equivalent of a friendly brain-measuring contest between Reed and T’challa, working together beautifully, but still self-aware enough to have a little competition.

Paul Pelletier’s art remains nearly flawless – he’s got one of the best styles in comics to combine old-school superheroes with high-flying science fiction, and I yet again bemoan the fact that while he’s doing beautiful interiors, we get yet another generic Michael Turner cover that tells us nothing about the issue and offers a sort of gratuitous shot of Sue’s posterior.

Kind of a weak way to end a good story arc.

Rating: 7/10

Fantastic Four #549

August 26, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Reconstruction Chapter Six: So I Guess You’re Saying the Honeymoon’s Over
Rating: A

The Frightful Four vs. the Fantastic… Six!

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Rus Wooton
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics

With six members of the Fantastic Four throwing down with the Wizard’s frightful bunch, he tries to balance the scales by bringing in a ringer – Klaw, the master of sound!

The battle that makes up most of this issue really works well. Ben’s throwdown with Klaw is fantastic, and the final confrontation shows the Wizard once and for all just why you don’t want to get Sue Richards mad at you. Of course, before the Wizard popped up, Reed was investigating some sort of ambiguous threat from outer space. The threat comes back for quite a cliffhanger.

McDuffie has done some really nice work on this title. He’s gotten me to accept a “new” FF that everybody knew all along was only temporary, but he hasn’t treated it like a fill-in. T’Challa and Ororo have meshed with the team and even with Reed and Sue back, they don’t seem superfluous. He works in some nice, genuine emotion here. It’s come together well.

Paul Pelletier’s artwork continues to impress. The look of genuine pain, panic and terror he manages to put on the Wizard’s face, even while an enraged Sue starts feeling some sadistic glee at her enemy’s pain – you can read all of those emotions on their faces. That climactic confrontation is really incredible. The only problem is that the comic is still wrapped under a Michael Turner cover that is virtually indistinguishable from any other Michael Turner cover.

I’m seriously going to miss this creative team when their run shortly comes to an end. I have no doubt that if their run with the FF had been allowed to continue it would have been a great one.

Rating: 7/10

Onslaught Reborn #3

March 6, 2007

Quick Rating: Poor
Title: Might Makes Right
Rating: T+

Controlled by Onslaught, Thor battles the Hulk!

Writer: Jeph Loeb
Art: Rob Liefeld
Colors: Matt Yackey
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: John Barber
Cover Art: Rob Liefeld
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Since the last issue of this weekly series came out three months ago, I’ve spent a lot of time pondering why, exactly, Marvel thought this would be a good idea. A belief that sales will justify it is the obvious answer, of course, but when a book is this consistently mediocre, there’s absolutely no logic behind the choice. Here’s the issue in a nutshell: Onslaught possesses Thor. Thor fights the Hulk. Hulk smash. Hawkeye gets a big reveal that makes me curl up into a fetal ball and whisper “Not him, not him, please GOD anybody but HIM…”

This issue is almost entirely fight scene, which I have no objection to in principle. When you write a story like that, though, you need to be sure you’re dealing with an artist whose style can carry a fight scene for that long and keep it exciting. That’s not what we have here. Instead we have a book full of awkward, unrealistic poses, teenage girls with chests that would fit in with the Swiss Alps and the same two facial expressions photocopied onto one head after another.

And the thing is, virtually anybody who remembers the 90s could have told you that’s exactly what you would get from this book before the first issue was even printed.

We expect that from the art, of course, but the writing… well, there have been worse stories, of course, but Jeph Loeb is capable of better. It’s hard to look at this comic and believe this is the same writer who crafted Batman: The Long Halloween. It’s like Shakespeare writing an episode of “Welcome Back, Kotter.” It just ain’t right.

I can’t call this issue disappointing, because that would imply I expected something better… but it’s not worth reading at any rate.

Rating: 2/10

Fantastic Four #548

July 31, 2007

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Kind of an Expensive Test
Rating: A

With Sue trapped, the FF gears up to attack the Frightful Four!

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Rus Wooton
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics

On a moon of Saturn, Titan, the Frightful Four has Sue Richards captive. Back on Earth, the Wizard’s plan to kill Reed Richards has backfired, and he’s got a five-member Fantastic Four ready to bring down the heat.

As the Wizard himself once observed (in an otherwise-unremarkable story), the “four” in the name of this team is really more of a word than an absolute. Seeing the five-member team go into action works, and McDuffie even takes a few chances to show that the Panther isn’t redundant when Reed is back in action. Reed and Sue both get a chance to demonstrate a ferocity they don’t usually display, and the whole thing leads up to a really satisfying fight scene between the two teams. While the Frightful Four often gets played for laughs, when taken seriously there’s some serious danger in going up against a master of traps and a man who can turn into water. McDuffie gives them a sense of danger without neutering the heroes.

Pelletier’s artwork is still really great, and frankly, far superior to the cover art. This book hasn’t looked so good since Mike Wieringo left.

Despite a completely superfluous and misleading “Initiative” label (cut back on them, Marvel, PLEASE), pretty much everything in this book has been working since Dwayne McDuffie took the reigns. This is another solid issue.

Rating: 8/10

The Last Fantastic Four Story #1

September 4, 2007

The Last Fantastic Four Story (Marvel Comics)
By Stan Lee, John Romita Jr.

Now here’s a toughie. Stan Lee‘s Fantastic Four: The End was replaced by the Alan Davis miniseries, with Lee‘s book turning into this special. It’s basically the same thing as a The End special, but with one major difference: there’s no real feeling of finality here. It’s always a treat to read Stan Lee‘s dialogue coming out of Ben Grimm’s mouth, but the story about a giant from space threatening to destroy the Earth feels rather bland. There’s a definite sense of “been there,” which wouldn’t be bad if there was a real knockout ending. For a “last” story, though, this feels like it could have been dropped in virtually any point in FF history without actually being a real ending. Romita‘s artwork is great — his work on Eternals proved his skill at Kirbyesque sci-fi. Overall, though, this book didn’t have the spark one would have hoped for considering the pedigree of its creators.
Rating: 5/10

Black Panther (2005 Series) #27

May 6, 2007

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Two Plus Two Part Two
Rating: T+

An invader in the Baxter Building sends the new Fantastic Four on another adventure through space!

Writer: Reginald Hudlin
Pencils: Francis Portela
Inks: Victor Olazaba
Colors: Val Staples
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover Art: Niko Henrichon
Publisher: Marvel Comics

For the time being, at least, it seems as though Black Panther is no longer a solo title, but instead the second ongoing Fantastic Four monthly. This issue picks up right on the heels of Fantastic Four #546 (which hasn’t come out yet, which drives me nuts), and features the team returning from a deep space adventure with a few new guests in tow. Their downtime is short-lived, however, as a new invader into the Baxter Building sends the team on another adventure through time and space.

People who read Black Panther for street-level action and political intrigue will be sorely disappointed, but fans who followed the character from Fantastic Four will have more to celebrate. This issue is low on the talking heads and high on the sci-fi action, as the FF battles their alien adversary, winding up on a world that has become all too familiar in the past year or so.

The story wasn’t too bad – it read very much like a lighthearted, adventurous issue of Fantastic Four… but is that what readers of Black Panther are picking up this comic book hoping to read? It seems like a sort of betrayal of the regular fanbase to shift gears for this series so dramatically.

Francis Portela’s artwork is a mixed bag. His portrayal of the aliens and the general weirdness of the FF’s world – Ben Grimm, for example – is serviceable, but lacks a certain depth and richness to make it feel like we’re looking at a fully realized world. The rather muted color palette contributes to this as well – this look is fine for a regular issue of Black Panther, but for the high-flying, cosmic adventures of the Fantastic Four, you want something more vivid, more colorful.

This was actually a stronger issue than I expected, but it’s just okay overall – and I have a feeling that people who have been reading the Black Panther’s adventures for some time may be less satisfied than I am.

Rating: 6/10

Fantastic Four (1961 Series) #546

May 22, 2007

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Reconstruction Chapter Three: Aw, That’s Just Crude (an Initiative tie-in)
Rating: A

The Fantastic Four and Gravity face the Heralds of Galactus!

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencils: Paul Pelletier
Inks: Rick Magyar & Scott Hanna
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Rus Wooton
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In deep space, the Fantastic Four stands poised to save the cosmic being called Epoch from the hunger of Galactus. But the FF is a man down – the Black Panther has bolted! Not to fear, though, they have a fourth – the newly-resurrected Protector of the Universe… Gravity!

This fourth issue of Dwayne McDuffie’s run is actually the first one I feel is a little bit of a letdown. I’ve very much enjoyed everything he’s done so far, and enjoyed most of this issue as well. He uses the Black Panther’s connections very logically, very well (c’mon, you guys didn’t actually think he was just running away last issue, did you?), and the banter between Ben and Johnny is spot-on. I also really like what he’s doing with Reed and Sue, who – even while on an extended vacation to rebuild their marriage—can’t seem to get away from danger. Much of what we’re reading here seems to be a distant tie-in to Annihilation, which is just fine with me. I’ve enjoyed most of Annihilation so far, and I think crossing it over into books like this one that already have clear links with Marvel’s cosmic corners is a smart move.

The only thing that kind of disappoints me is the ending. I thought McDuffie was setting up a big status quo shift (not for this title, but for the Marvel Universe in general), but at the end, he seemed to hit a reset button. Again, I’m forced to wonder if this wasn’t something that was done with Annihilation in mind, but taken on its own, I wish he had gone in another direction.

Paul Pelletier is one of my favorite sci-fi superhero artists, and he proves why this issue. He does fantastic outer space scenes and his weird tech is second to none. There’s an apparatus used by one of the characters in this book that looks like it leapt right off Jack Kirby’s sketchboard.

I’m still enjoying this book and I think McDuffie was the right choice to take over. I’m going to assume the things that bummed me here were just a bump in the road.

Rating: 7/10

Fantastic Four: Imaginauts TPB

July 7, 2005

Quick Rating: Excellent
Contains: Fantastic Four (Vol. 3) #60-66 & 56

Writers: Mark Waid & Karl Kesel
Pencils: Mike Wieringo, Mark Buckingham & Stuart Immonen
Inks: Karl Kesel, Mark Buckingham, Danny Miki & Scott Koblish
Colors: Paul Mounts, Mark Milla & Liquid! Graphics
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Mike Wieringo, Karl Kesel & Richard Isanove
Publisher: Marvel Comics

A few months ago when it was announced that Mark Waid had been fired from Fantastic Four, comic book fans were in an uproar. When Marvel reneged and brought him back, fans were overjoyed. Anyone who does not know why your average reader had this reaction need look no further than this volume of Waid’s first seven issues.

The Fantastic Four, prior to the Waid/Wieringo regime, had suffered through many years of tepid writing and repetitious stories by writers who simply didn’t get what was so great about this team. Waid gets it.

This book contains two one-issue tales, a three-issue arc and a two-issue arc. The first story comes from the infamous 9-cent issue that kicked off the run. Concerned about the public image of the team, Reed Richards (alias Mister Fantastic) hires a publicist to spend a week at the Baxter Building and look for ways to boost their public profile. It’s an odd move for Reed, who rarely shows any concern for the team’s public image, and the rest of his family is puzzled by his actions. The bulk of this story, however, is shown through the publicist’s eyes. This story is an excellent jumping-on point for anyone who’s always wanted to read a great comic but doesn’t know anything about the Fantastic Four. Through the publicist, Waid gives us insight into each of the members of the team, delving into who they are and why they do what they do. It’s almost like a treatise on why so many people wrote this series wrong for such a long time. And it proves that Waid does know what he’s doing. The story ends with a new angle on the team that nobody has ever brought up before, but that makes perfect sense, and puts everything from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s first issue in 1961 into a new, flawless perspective.

The second story, “24 Blocks and One Blockhead,” is more of a focus on Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing, Benjamin J. Grimm. Ben gets a gag package from the Yancy Street Gang, a group of rough kids he ran with in his own youth and who have spent years pestering their hometown celebrity. Ben finally snaps and sets off at a tear to go after the kids, and Johnny is the only one who can stop him.

I felt that this story contains the sole misstep in Waid’s run to date. The writing is still sharp and funny and the story is entertaining. The problem is Johnny – while his behavior in this issue is perfectly in-character, his actions flatly contradict several stories from the four decades of the FF to date. This is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent graphic novel, though,

Next came the three-part “Sentient” storyline, where this book really started to come into its own. The first two stories, while good, didn’t really have any menace, anything to fight against. This time an entity is drawn straight from an experimental computer of Reed’s and begins attacking the other members of his family. Faced down with a foe that can’t be beaten, burnt or trapped in an invisible shield, things come down to Reed figuring out the true nature of their enemy.

This story is particularly good in that, even as it throws the FF into the first action scenes of the entire book, there is still room for character development. We really get to see the depth of the friendship between Susan Richards, alias the Invisible Woman, and Ben Grimm. We get to see the reverence the rest of the family has for Reed. And in the final scenes, we get to see Reed taken out of his role as scientist and adventurer and placed into his most noble calling of all – that of a father who may be absent-minded sometimes, but never forgets to love his children.

The art team of Wieringo and Kesel handled the art chores on all the stories thus far, and they handle them beautifully. I first noticed Wieringo during his previous partnership with Waid on the Flash comic book. He has, sometimes, been criticized for having a “cartoony” style – even if that is a fair description, I for one do not see it as a detriment to the story. He handles all of the heroes perfectly, defining them for the 21st century the same way John Byrne did in the 1980s. The colors by Paul Mounts, particularly on the creature in the “Sentient” storyline, add a whole new dimension to the comic – vibrant panels, beautiful artwork… the Fantastic Four has never looked better.

Finally, rounding out the main part of the book, is the two-part “Small Stuff… Big Stuff” storyline, where Wieringo took a break and left the FF in the capable hands of Mark Buckingham. Buckingham has a very different style, not as fluid, but the story is still told solidly. While Johnny and Sue try to deal with the fallout of Johnny’s handling of the family’s business, Reed and Ben take on an extermination mission, hunting down a monster that has gotten loose in the bowels of the Baxter Building. This story is basically a quick action-comedy that serves to cap off the storyline nicely.

This volume also has two “extras” worth mentioning – Waid’s eight-page “manifesto” that lays out his thoughts and feelings on each of the Fantastic Four, how they relate to each other, and what they mean to the Marvel Universe. It’s a very entertaining piece, and it should dispel all doubt that this is the right man for the title.

The other extra is a story from Fantastic Four #56, one of the few good FF stories in a long time before Waid came aboard. Written by Karl Kesel, who serves as an inker in the earlier stories, with art by Stuart Immonen, who knows a thing or two about drawing big, powerful characters (he’s one of the best Superman artists in recent years). It’s a spotlight on the Thing where he takes a trip back to the old neighborhood and finally, 40 years after he was created, reveals his heritage. It’s a wonderful little storyline that sheds a bit of light on one of the best, and one of the most underrated characters in comics.

The Fantastic Four is the first group from the Marvel Age of Comics. They remain one of the best, when in the right hands. Those hands don’t come along very often. I intend to ride with Waid and Wieringo as far as they go with this property. If you’ve ever loved the Fantastic Four, or if you’ve always wondered what they were all about, this is the book to read.

Rating: 10/10