Sub-Mariner (2007 Series) #1

June 10, 2007

Quick Rating: Below Average
Title: Revolution
Rating: T+

The devastation of a small town leads to the eyes of SHIELD being turned on Atlantis.

Writer: Matt Cherniss & Peter Johnson
Art: Phil Briones
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Warren Simons
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: Marvel Comics

A terrorist attack on a small town in Kansas points the finger straight at Atlantis, and Tony Stark has to turn the attention of SHIELD towards his former teammate, Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Nitro is still in Namor’s possession, and the blast follows the same pattern as the destruction of Stamford, but how could there be a connection?

There are two major problems with this book. First is the lead character, Namor himself. He’s never been a particularly interesting character, teetering somewhere between hero and villain but never particularly defining himself as either. Even when he does something villainous – that whole “invading America” thing from a few months back, for instance – people seem to brush it under the rug. That brings us to the second big problem – the inciting incident of this entire mini-series. Remember how the omnipresent Civil War began and how everything spiraled out of the destruction of Stamford? Well, the event that begins this miniseries is worse than that. Much worse. And yet, by comparison, the response seems microscopic. It simply doesn’t ring true.

Phil Briones and Paul Mounts do a very good job on the artwork. Underwater scenes are always iffy, but they handle them very well, and they do a particularly good job with Iron Man. (Incidentally, when does Tony Stark ever sleep? I know he’s a supervillain and the head of SHIELD now, but he’s in nearly every Marvel title. You’d think at least his mustache would be ruffled by now.)

Considering how this story begins, the issue is really rather bland.

Rating: 4/10

New Thunderbolts #3

December 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Heavy Burdens

Even with some all-star help, can the new Thunderbolts save the U.N.?

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Heavy Thinking: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Tom Grummett
Inks: Gary Erskine
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Albert Deschesne
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Tom Grummett & Chris Sotomayor
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Last issue, a battle against The Game at the United Nations sent the building crumbling with the Thunderbolts, Mr. Fantastic and Namor inside. This time, heroes and villains alike work inside and out to save the lives of everybody trapped in the building.

The character dynamic in this issue is really, really good. It’s intriguing to see how quick Mr. Fantastic is to trust these new Thunderbolts, like he’s willing to give someone a second chance. On the outside, there’s a sharp contrast as Spider-Man has to forge an uneasy alliance with his former enemy, Mach-IV, who once plagued him as the Beetle. Mach-IV has to pull strings with his unlikely benefactor, Baron Strucker, to bring in the one man who can save the lives of everyone in the building. Finally, the book ends with a major, major twist (which is actually two twists in one – one of revelation and one of action) that turns the entire series on its ear only three issues in. Twists and turns were the hallmark of the old series, and it’s great to know that Nicieza and Busiek (who I have to assume is credited here for co-plotting) are keeping that tradition going.

Grummet, Erskine and Sotomayor continue to do a fantastic job with this book. They’ve got a lot to play with visually this issue, starting out with a four-page underwater sequence followed up with a major fire at the U.N. Songbird’s powers get a real workout this issue as well, which means they have a lot to play with as far as her powers are concerned.

Questions keep racking up with this book. What’s up with Atlas’s powers? How and why did Mach-IV hook up with Strucker? And what happened to Captain Marvel? I’d be lying if I said you got any answers this issue, but man, it’s fun getting to the questions.

Rating: 8/10

Avengers/Invaders #1

May 6, 2008

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Old Soldiers, New Wars
Rating: T+

The Invaders of World War II are wrenched through time – can they survive in 2008?

Writers: Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Pencils: Steve Sadowski
Colors: inLight Studios
Letters: Todd Klein
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Cover Art: Alex Ross
Publisher: Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment

As the Invaders take on yet another European battlefront during World War II, most of the team is enveloped in a bizarre green mist. When the mist dissipates, they find themselves back in New York, but flung forward to the year 2008, in the middle of the Thunderbolts’ effort to bring the unregistered hero Spider-Man to justice.

As confused as the Invaders are, Spider-Man and the Thunderbolts are just as confused to see the dead Captain America burst back onto the scene, with the World War II versions of his old teammates by his side. The time-tossing rings right up to the highest offices in the superhero world – specifically, to the director of SHIELD.

This isn’t a bad book. The idea of the current Avengers being contrasted with the classic Invaders is one with real merit. The characterizations are good, and Steve Sadowski brings a really good style to the event. The book looks quite good.

Most of the problems I have are really little things. It kind of bugs me, for example, that none of the lesser-known Invaders seem to have been pulled along for the ride, or that there doesn’t appear to be any recognition between Spidey and the Thunderbolts, most of which he’s fought with (or even fought alongside) in the past. The modern scenes feel like they’re at a slight tangent to continuity as well – the story seems to be clearly pre-Secret Invasion, but with a 12-issue series, the Skrull saga will be long over before this concludes.

Like I said, these are all relatively minor things, but together they add up enough for me to knock half a point from the overall rating. It’s a good book, but there are just a few things that I feel could have been tweaked a bit better.

Rating: 7/10

Fantastic Four (1961 Series) #552

December 11, 2007

Quick Rating: Great
Title: The Middle of the End (Epilogue Chapter Two)
Rating: A

Can Dr. Doom save the world by destroying Reed Richards?

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

Last issue, a Dr. Doom arrived from the future, Namor and the Black Panther in tow, to try to save the world from the mad genius of Dr. Reed Richards and his mysterious “idea #101” to save the world. Thus, to prove he’s really not that bad a guy… Reed blows Namor’s head off.

Well naturally, he’s got a good reason to do this, and it becomes evident pretty early in this book, paving the way for the good Doctor to try to push the Fantastic Four’s buttons, trying to turn them against Reed by reminding them of the secrets he kept during the Civil War. When he pushes one button too many, though… well, let’s just say that in addition to drawing a great Ben Grimm, Paul Pelletier is now responsible for the art on one of the best Ben/Doom slugfests I’ve ever seen.

Although the “New Fantastic Four” storyline fizzled a little at the end, “Epilogue” is more than making up for it. McDuffie has gotten to the root of these characters, but in a way that touches on their insecurities and their flaws, and he’s using those flaws to spin a really solid, short finale to his arc. Pelletier is also perfectly matched. He’s always done his best work on superheroes with a sci-fi bent (Flash, Green Lantern and Exiles all come to mind), and this is no exception.

I may be in the minority, but with only one issue left, I miss this great creative team already.

Rating: 9/10

The New Avengers: Illuminati #3

May 29, 2007

Quick Rating: Average
Rating: T+

Between Secret Wars, the Illuminati seeks to deal with the Beyonder.

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Jim Cheung
Publisher: Marvel comics

Set in-between the first two Secret Wars crossovers, the members of the Illuminati discover a startling secret about the Beyonder, and attempt to use that knowledge to put a stop to his menace.

That “secret” they discover is, in fact, the biggest problem with this issue. By the end, it’s rather ambiguous whether it was real or if it was merely a game played by the Beyonder. If it’s real, then it’s an absolutely gargantuan retcon, and an utterly unnecessary one as well. If it was just a game, then the issue as a whole becomes irrelevant.

The real saving grace – not only of this issue, but thus far of the entire miniseries – is excellent artwork by Jim Cheung. He gets a chance to draw some Marvel favorites in more classic forms although I don’t recall Namor wearing his leather get-up at this time period) and his cover is a nice little homage to the original Secret Wars #1.

I still can’t quite grasp the point of this series. Certainly, the idea here is to show that the Illuminati were, in fact, present for the big events in Marvel history, but thus far, we haven’t really seen the significance of that (except for the somewhat farfetched idea that each of them now possesses one of the Infinity Gems, which happened last issue, which chronologically had to have taken place long after this issue). Hopefully there’s a rabbit to come out of the hat before this series ends.

Rating: 5/10

New Thunderbolts #2

November 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Games People Play

The Thunderbolts get a new member – and the readers get a deeper mystery.

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Gamesmaster: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Tom Grummett
Inks: Gary Erskine
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Tom Grummett, Gary Erskine & Chris Sotomayor
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The second issue of New Thunderbolts jumps right back in to what made the first issue so much fun: plots, mysteries, backdoor deals and a true love of the Marvel Universe. The new Thunderbolts are on their second mission, taking down the Wrecking Crew, when an old associate of Mach-IV’s shows up and declares his intention to join the team.

Mach-IV suspects the hand of his mystery financier, Baron Strucker, unaware that Strucker has some allies of his own behind the scenes. The whole world is wondering what happened to Captain Marvel, (well, the whole world minus Atlas) and the ‘bolts wind up in a scuffle with Namor and Mr. Fantastic on the floor of the United Nations!

Sound like a lot? Well, it is. Even taking away the fact that most comics these days could turn a dental cleaning into a six-issue story arc, this comic is packed with plot. More happens in this issue than in the average year of Ultimate Spider-Man, and it’s all interesting, and there are dozens of questions waiting to be answered.

If there’s any drawback to this title, it may be its total adherence to continuity. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but I also know a new reader may be confused. Not to say this book is inaccessible (it features the usual “previously” page, disguised as a news report”), but even with all of the necessary details filled in, they may feel a little left out not knowing the nuances of thinks like Mach-IV’s onetime partnership with Speed Demon (anyone remember the Deadly Foes of Spider-Man miniseries?) Still, in its previous incarnation, this was a book for real fans people who have been reading for years, and the same seems to hold true here.

The artwork by Grummet, Erskine and Sotomayor continues to be a treat. I’ve always enjoyed Grummet classic superhero art style, and he’s got a color and ink team that make his pencils jump off the page. This is a book that requires them to draw a lot of superheroes, and they make them all look great.

I loved the original Thunderbolts, I think it was the best title Marvel launched in the bleak wasteland of the 90s, and I’m ecstatic that they’re back on the racks and back in form.

Rating: 8/10

New Avengers: Illuminati #1

December 19, 2006

Quick Rating: Fair
Rating: T+

The Illuminati intervene in the Kree-Skrull War.

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis & Brian Reed
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Cover Art: Jim Cheung
Publisher: Marvel Comics

So apparently, as we learned in the New Avengers: Illuminati one-shot, a group of Marvel’s top brains (plus Namor) have been working behind-the-scenes for many years, trying to keep things from spiraling out of control. This issue begins the massive continuity inserts that tell us what they were up to all those years.

Both Marvel and DC are guilty of this sort of continuity shoehorn from time to time, so it’s forgivable. The real question is how well the writers manage to wedge it into existing continuity. This story seems to take place immediately after the classic Kree-Skrull war storyline. The Kree, stinging from their humiliation at the hands of the Avengers, are plotting an invasion of Earth, until the braintrust called the Illuminati show up to make sure they stay away from our planet for good. The story is okay, although it feels like a hodgepodge of elements from the comics of the day. The strongest idea is really the different ways the Kree find to deal with the different members of the team.

The artwork, on the other hand, is very strong. Jim Cheung is one of the best in Marvel’s stable at the moment, and it’s a real kick seeing him draw 70s-era Avengers costumes and Iron Man in his classic armor. Really, though, seeing this just makes me long even more for the return of Young Avengers.

The book is okay, but it’s hard to judge how successful it will be until we know exactly how these continuity implants will affect things in the long run, which there’s no way to gauge until the miniseries is complete.

Rating: 6/10

Exiles (2001 Series) #48

May 4, 2004

Quick Rating:Very Good
Title: Earn Your Wings Part Three

The Exiles throw down with the Fantastic Four, and finish the first mission of the new era.

Writer: Tony Bedard
Art: Mizuki Sakakibara
Colors: JC
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Mike Marts
Cover Art: Mizuki Sakakibara
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Tony Bedard’s first story arc ends with this issue, and I think this conclusion is the best issue yet. The story begins with your classic “superheroes fight due to a misunderstanding” scenario, but that situation isn’t nearly as forced as it usually is, since the Fantastic Four and Namor don’t know who the Exiles are. During the battle, the Exiles solve the odd, ambiguous mission given to them by Timebroker, and while the solution really isn’t that shocking (one longtime Exiles fan of my acquaintance figured it out two issues ago, and I suspect I would have too if I’d been reading the title earlier), it is a satisfying conclusion. The new makeup of the team is solidified (for now, at least) and you get a sense both of the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.

Bedard also uses this issue to work in some info that longtime Exiles fans no doubt already knew, but that newcomers could have done with in the first issue – for example, the rule that there are always six members of the team. The newest Exile isn’t happy about joining the team, but then again, few people would be excited about the prospect of being wrenched away from their loved ones and “unstuck in time.”

There is a bit of surprise in what happens to what the Exiles leave behind in the mainstream Marvel universe, but to get any more in-depth about that would be to give out spoilers.

I am quite enjoying Mizuki Sakakibara’s artwork on this book. He can do just about everything – chiseled heroes like Mimic and Namor, beautiful women in Nocturne and Sue Richards and freaks like Beak and Ben Grimm all look very good under his pens. JC’s colors also add a lot to this issue, with brilliant colors in the special effects and not letting the strange skin tones of several characters work against them.

I enjoyed this first story arc, but I’m even more excited about next issue, when the Exiles will go back to bopping around alternate universes, which is what had me interested in the property in the first place. I particularly like the preview of next issue, which shows Morph wrestling with an old favorite character of mine. This seems to be a book that walks a line between lighthearted and somber moments, and Bedard is a writer who can balance that sort of thing with a great science fiction concept. This storyline may have been part of “Reload,” but the real new era, it appears, will begin next month.

Rating: 8/10

Exiles #46 (2001 Series)

May 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Earn Your Wings Part One

The Exiles come to the mainstream Marvel Universe for a new member and a new mission.

Writer: Tony Bedard
Art: Mizuki Sakakibara
Colors: JC
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Mike Marts
Cover Art: Mizuki Sakakibara
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The Tallus sends the Exiles to a universe they’ve visited before, but this time their mission isn’t so clear and their new teammate isn’t so cooperative. Hoping to get their bearings, they make for someplace familiar – Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters – only to find that things there have fallen apart since they visited last.

This is actually my first issue of Exiles but aside from a slight confusion over what some of the members of the team do, I found it pretty accessible. It helps that Tony Bedard uses Beak (from Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run) as his viewpoint character for much of the issue, actually making him feel more like one of the team than the ostensive new member, an alternate-reality counterpart of Namor. He does great characterization of both our Namor and his alternate, keeping the superior smugness that has defined the character, and with the promise of the Fantastic Four guest-starring in this arc, I give bonus points for that as well.

The only real complaint, like I said, comes in figuring out the characters. Granted, this is the opinion of a newcomer to the title and hopefully the answers will come when I’ve read more, but I finished the book with no clue as to Nocturne’s powers and only a partial guess as to Mimic’s. Also, since we never actually saw Sasquatch transforming from her human form to her monster form (every transformation, even in a fight scene, happened off-panel), it was only by process of elimination that I was able to determine which one she was when the big furry gal wasn’t around.

Rooting the issue in “our” universe probably helps a lot to make this a good jumping-on point, though. Having to figure out just the characters instead of the characters and setting is a lot easier than piecing it all together.

Sakakibara’s artwork seems a good match for the title. He does solid, if not spectacular, superhero stylings and he has a good handle on some of the more grotesque characters like Beak. There is a softness to his artwork that reminds me of Josh Middleton’s Meridian run, with the faces and figures inked very lightly.

I didn’t love this issue (and I usually love Tony Bedard’s work), but I liked it. I’ve always had a thing for alternate reality stories and the concept of this book seems very much like Sliders and Quantum Leap, two TV shows I really dug, and I’ve thought about giving this title a try for a long time now. I’m glad I finally found a spot to jump on.

Rating: 7/10