Wednesday Number Ones 3/7/07
Wednesday Number Ones is a weekly feature here at Comic Pants. We take the books that are premiering a first issue from that week and give a quick opinion on them. From time to time we may also include more than issue number ones in this feature. If a noteworthy one-shot or the first issue of a new story arc is released, we may talk about it in this feature.
This week we will cover Captain America #25, Civil War: The Initiative #1, Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness #1 of 5, Strongarm #1, Hulk and Power Pack #1 of 4, Transformers Official Movie Prequel #1 of 4, Fall of Cthulhu #0, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle 99¢ Special, The Mighty Avengers #1 and Dynamo 5 #1.
Nick Budd Read and Thought:
Dynamo 5 #1
Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud A. Asrar
Company: Image Comics
If you happen to be a fan of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, then your next stop on the ever changing comic book train should certainly be the hilarious and action-packed Dynamo 5. Jay Faerber (Noble Causes) has succeeded in providing an amalgamation of the superhero team genre done right; an old school story that doesn’t ignore the new school sensibilities that have become so popular. The basic idea is this: Major superhero dies and his five illegitimate children are imbued with super powers and are charged with keeping the dead hero’s city safe. By no means groundbreaking material but it is interesting and has so many possibilities and avenues to travel. And that right there is half the battle of making a successful book. The other half of the equation is art. Asrar’s work is easy to look at and follow, falling in the same vein as Ryan Ottley but with a heavier line to it that gives the work some extra jazz. It works spectacularly, especially his action which is spot on. All in all, a great read that’s more than worth your time.
The Mighty Avengers #1
Writer: Brian Michael Benids
Artist: Frank Cho
Company: Marvel Comics
Let’s be blunt for a moment: The book’s no good. Yeah I know, it’s harsh and one could imagine that I’m being mean, but the criticism is deserved. Trust me. You would think that with a book such as this, a spin-off of the Avengers, things would be a very straight forward and action packed adventure to behold. There is action here, surprising and nice looking action by Cho, but beyond that small nugget of goodness the story is a jumbled mess. It flip-flops in time, moving back and forth from Tony Stark and Ms. Marvel selecting a new team to a big monster brawl. What makes it even better is that each page is surrounded by endless speech bubbles filled with campy dialogue, thought bubbles (Yea, they’re back!) that are even cornier, and narrative captions (Wait, thought bubbles have been there the whole time! Sneaky thought bubbles) that are just there. I personally have yet to be convinced that Bendis is the man to write The Avengers, and even though I like the art and the idea of fighting giant monsters in downtown New York is a cool one, this book just doesn’t deliver.
Dave Farabee Read and Thought:
Fall of Cthulhu #0
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Jean Dzialowski
Publisher: Boom! Studios
H.P. Lovecraft’s revered horror stories are so steeped in threats said to be “beyond comprehension” that I wonder whether any visual medium could do them justice. That said, Fall of Cthulhu #0 makes a solid enough attempt, adhering to Lovecraft’s slow-burn style, beginning with the writing of the blasphemous Necronomicon in 731 A.D. and following through to modern times when an attempt is made to resurrect the writer. There’s no real character to connect with here, so it feels a little like those times in Hellboy when you just get page after page of mysterious cultist activity. That’s kind of Lovecraft-y too, but as a single chapter in a serial, it leaves something to be desired. Art’s okay, featuring noticeably different coloring styles depending on the time period, with only the Dreamlands sequence looking surprisingly weak. Probably worth a look for the Lovecraft devotee.
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle 99¢ Special
Writer: Robert Rodi
Artist: Steven Cummings
Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing
I looked up Sheena online before reading this latest relaunch, and was surprised to find she was co-created by the legendary Will Eisner. Who knew? I was also surprised to find that this 99¢ special was a good little read. Very much a set-up story, but a clever one. Told mostly through a newscast in the fictional South American city of Val Verde, it describes the rise of a local myth about a witch-woman who lives in the nearby jungles. Footage only comes in blurs, but she seems to be arrayed against developers cutting into the rainforest and capable of sabotage. I liked the news feature approach, right down to pop psychologists explaining how such a myth could arise and local developers suggesting the witch-woman to be a creation of environmental extremists looking to scare the locals. It’s a surprisingly dense read, following the talky news show format, but there is some action at the end - a surprising punctuation of violence. There’s also one gratuitous ass-shot of Sheena, but the overall feel of the book is notably less pervy than a Top Cow outing. Oddly enough, a recommended T&A comic.
Dan Grendell Read and Thought:
Hulk and Power Pack #1 of 4
Writer: Marc Sumerac
Artists: David Williams and Gary Martin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Okay, before I get into the nuts and bolts of this little review, I’ve got a bit of a meta issue. Marvel has decided that the Hulk is a killer, which I think is bull, but that’s neither here nor there. My specific complaint is that they then go on to star that killer in their kids book here. If I see Punisher and Power Pack solicited, I give up. The only saving grace is that this is probably not in continuity, since Julie Power is much older in Runaways, not that kids are gonna notice or care. That aside, this is a fun issue in the same vein as the other Sumerac-penned …and Power Pack series, with the super-powered kids teaming up with the other titular hero to face a baddie, in this case the Absorbing Man, and showing that they can hold their own. Williams’ cartoonish style fits the subject matter well, but he does action well too, so its a good fit all around. Plus, I’ve always liked the Power Pack (hey, shut up), so seeing them in action is always a good time.
Transformers Official Movie Prequel #1 of 4
Writers: Simon Furman and Chris Ryall
Artist: Don Figueroa
Publisher: IDW
IDW has done good things with the Transformers license in the past, and Simon Furman has written plenty of those good things. That’s what leads me to believe that there was a lot more meddling with the writing here than normal, because this issue is just bad. It’s overly florid and dense, and the idea behind it, protection of the ‘Allspark’ which is essentially the Transformers’ God from Megatron, just doesn’t feel right. The artwork doesn’t help matters. Don Figueroa does a decent job there, though he’s hampered by the fact that the designs for these movie Transformers tend to look a lot alike so its hard to tell who is who, but he gets screwed by colorist Josh Burcham, who colors everything in blacks, blues, and other dark colors so it is almost impossible to tell what is happening. The only time things were clear was when the art inexplicably shifted into black and white for panels at a time. This story, muddled and hard to read as it was, succeeded in making me less eager to see the movie, and that’s not good.
Randy Lander Read and Thought:
Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness #1 of 5
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Fabiano Neves
Publisher: Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment
The original Marvel Zombies was a darkly fun romp, and the Evil Dead movies were a lot of fun in a similar vein. With the funny and twisted sensibilities of John Layman at the helm, I was hoping Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness might be a perfect combination of both, but instead it’s a watered down tale that lacks of the charm of either one. Ash’s one-liners, so memorable from the movies, not only aren’t funny but don’t even have his general quippy badass vibe to them. The zombies don’t make an appearance until near the end of the book, and until we do, we’re treated to weak schtick wherein Ash tries to convince the Avengers that a zombie apocalypse is coming. With any luck, the series will take a turn for the better in issue two when the zombies come out in force, but even with solid artwork by Fabiano Neves, this first issue’s a bit of a disappointment.
Strongarm #1
Writer: Steve Horton
Artist: David Ahn
Publisher: Image Comics
Strongarm offers up intriguing glimpses of the future backed by solid, manga-esque artwork, but it fails in the all-important task of really hooking the reader with a first issue. Horton’s story employs manga pacing, which is fine in an actual manga but feels a little empty in a 20-page comic. To be fair, a lot happens, including plenty of action, but the context of the setting, the characters and their relationships is sketchy at best. There’s promise in Strongarm, and if it survives long enough to provide a bigger chunk of story, it may well be worth a look in trade format, but a $3 black and white book really needs to provide more substance than this the first time out.
D3(David Martindale) Read and Thought:
Captain America #25
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting
Publisher: Marvel Comics
There have been scores upon scores of rumors and conjecture as to what Steve Rogers’ role was to be post-Civil War, and this issue begins an arc that brings the topic to the forefront. I won’t be spoiling the big event, but suffice to say, it is indeed big. The issue juxtaposes the story with emotionally charged expositions on what Captain America, the man and the symbol, means to each of several characters. In so doing, Brubaker beautifully paints the picture of what Cap means and represents for the Marvel universe. At the same time, it’s a well crafted noir style story with both a tragic event, and a surprise twist at the end. My only real worry is that other creators at Marvel won’t handle the event as well as Brubaker. Brubaker knocks it out of the park, and Steve Epting turns in great work as always. Make sure you read this before reading Civil War: The Initiative #1. Otherwise you’ll get hit with major spoilers.
Civil War: The Initiative #1
Writers: Brian Bendis, Warren Ellis
Artists: Marc Silvestri, Michael Broussard, Eric Basaldua
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This one shot was Marvel’s marketing idea to sell the Civil War follow up books. The first two-thirds of the book features three stories that tease the launch of Omega Flight (featuring a Xorn reference), the redefining of The Thunderbolts (featuring “I want you to hurt me” from Penance), and the launch of The Mighty Avengers (featuring a HUGE spoiler for this week’s Captain America issue). The last third of the issue reprints two to four pages each from Iron Man #15, Mighty Avengers #1, Captain America #25, Omega Flight #1, and Avengers: The Initiative #1. For just $4.99, you can have your very own copy! Hopefully the tease stories won’t be an indicator of the quality on the books they tease. The copious portions of narrative captions and dialogue had me nodding off, and the art seriously lacked in detail, a sense of proportion, and perspective. Many of the panels had backgrounds at all, and the panels that did have backgrounds had poorly done backgrounds. If you are just unable to resist Marvel’s marketing department, then at least make absolutely sure you read Captain America #25 before reading this five dollar ad piece.
To avoid Cap spoilers, read Captain America before The Initiative if you’re reading both titles this week.
Also, please try to avoid spoilers in your comments for at least a day or two after this article goes live. Feel free to use the spoiler tag!
07 Mar 2007 at 2:20 am
QuoteAlright, excellent news for that 99 cent Sheena. I was fully expecting to read that it was awful. I will have to seek that out now. It is always nice to hear when quality comes first, especially when you don’t expect it. And thanks for the Will Eisner trivia. Didn’t know that.
07 Mar 2007 at 9:46 am
QuoteAbout to forget about Sheena.
No spoiler, but I did read at another site what happened. Just another nail in the coffin for my once loyalty to the Marvel brand.
07 Mar 2007 at 10:03 am
QuoteForgot to thank you for the “Five Dollar Ad Piece” mention on the CW: Initiative. The prices of books seem out of control at times. ad books should be cheaper to try and hook you on story, but maybe the real price point is to try an recoup money on the front end
07 Mar 2007 at 10:04 am
QuoteI never thought I’d ever read a Sheena comic, but your review has piqued my curiousity. Guess I’ll give it a try.
Dynamo 5 seems like its right up my alley as well.
07 Mar 2007 at 10:54 am
QuoteOMG, Starbuck’s DEAD!
07 Mar 2007 at 10:57 am
QuoteNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
07 Mar 2007 at 11:12 am
Quote‘Mighty Avengers’ left me in a state of ‘meh’. The rapid-fire Bendis-ian banter made everything feel so staccato and choppy. Combine that with the much-mentioned addition of the thought bubbles and characters I don’t really care about — I think I’ll pass on issue 2.
07 Mar 2007 at 12:28 pm
QuoteAs I live in Ireland I don’t get to read my comics til Thursday but just turned my laptop on and checked my google page and there it was, in all it’s glory, the biggest spoiler of all time regarding Captain America. So stay away from Marvel.com for a few days too if you don’t want any spoilers. It’s safe to say I’ll be unsubscribing from that page…
07 Mar 2007 at 12:48 pm
QuoteMSNBC Spilled the Beans MSNBC did an article on the latest Cap who’s title is a big fat spoiler. CNN.com at least gave a spoiler alert.
I haven’t read the issue yet but it seems we have another in a series of Marvel favoring big events over solid stories. This whole civil war business looks as if Marvel is attempting to “Ultimize” the 414 universe.
I read a Brian K Vaughn article at http://www.comicbookresources.com/ where he said that Marvel approached him (and other TV/Movie NYU writing students) because they felt that the then current Marvel writing staff was too Marvel. Meaning that the writers at the time had all come from within Marvel (either editing or interning on Marvel books) and they wanted to get some fresh blood for renewed energy.
That in itself isn’t a bad thing. A good balance between the old guard and the new school would make for a good story telling dynamic. But I feel that Marvel has gone too far in embracing the new “Hollywood-Ultra Gritty” style of comic writing at the expense of the rich history of their shared universe. The phrase, Throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater often comes to mind whenever I read or hear about any of their big events.
I didn’t like Civil War. It felt more like a series of big events and didn’t have a complete/logical narrative to tie these events together. The “tragic event†at the beginning was a cheat. When you have Nuko the Exploding Man hiding out next door to a nursery school, it doesn’t take a literary genius to create a tragedy. I felt like Miller put his thumb on the scale so to speak and felt cheated. And that whimper of an ending was like they were out of big events and hit pause.
I still don’t buy their argument about characterization. A lot of these characters acted out of the spirit of that character. And I don’t mean characterization with 60’s dialog like “Gee Whiz Iron Man..” but too many characters exhibited behavior that conflicts with recent (5 year) characterization. We’re supposed to believe that people who have fought side by side for years would almost overnight come to killing blows with one another and incarcerate their allies at this scale. Talk about suspension of belief. I was severely disappointed in the execution and the outcome and I see it as a sad sign of things to come.
I can’t help but wonder, “What does Jim Shooter think of this new Marvel writing style?†Say what you want about Jim Shooter, I hated him for years for killing Phoenix, but he was concerned about the past/present/future of the Marvel Universe as a story telling vehicle. Joe Quesada seems motivated solely by the bottom line. True, Marvel Comics is a business, but its business is storytelling. Now that they’ve gone Hollywood, I see them lacking in the same storytelling respect as those in La La Land.
07 Mar 2007 at 1:51 pm
QuoteHere’s a handy link with a list of all the sites to avoid if you don’t want any spoilers. To be honest, there’s no escaping it really. Been reading Captain America since it’s relaunch under Brubaker and I have complete faith that he’ll craft a great story but I’m still really shocked. A full review of Captain America #25 would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=105551
07 Mar 2007 at 2:40 pm
QuoteDespite Brubaker’s indisputable skill, I can’t help but think that this *huge development* is from the guy who brought back Bucky.
So why should I take this seriously?
07 Mar 2007 at 3:57 pm
QuoteI see this a lot, but I liked what he did with Bucky, and here’s why (aside from Brubaker’s talent). Sure, he technically brought back Bucky, but he really didn’t. He didn’t just bring the old character back to life. What he did was use an old dead character as a base for an interesting new original character that has built in ties to Cap and other story possibilites because of who he is. He IS Bucky, but his resemblance to the previous character is pretty small, so in a lot of ways Brubaker didn’t bring Bucky back. It didn’t feel like one of those “he was dead, now he’s alive” type things that annoy me so much *cough* Mar-vell *cough* but rather a death that had had a significant impact on a character and other people, is still having impact on those characters even now that he’s come back, and isn’t being trivialized by the return.
07 Mar 2007 at 4:22 pm
QuoteHuh. Now the Marvel heroes have a legitimate reason to start fighting each other, it seems.
As disappointing as CW may have been, I was fine with the ending because THIS didn’t happen, and I was left with a slightly optimistic look at the Initiative. And now THIS really does happen, just not in the pages of CW. I said, CW won’t leave too bad a taste in my mouth if THIS doesn’t happen. And it did.
I actually haven’t even read the issue yet, being that I pre-ordered it and won’t get it until the end of the month. Still, despite how well it may be written, I already don’t like it. I’m actually surprised how quick I am to judge it, but I honestly am dropping a lot of Marvel stuff now. I know that’s probably (falsely) said a lot, but this really was the last straw. I now have pretty much no interest in the Initiative, WWH, or anything at the core of 616. Sorry about the rant, and again, I’m actually surprised to see myself reacting this way, especially given my lukewarm reactions to the other major things that CW has caused.
On that note, not a bad week of comics. The Secret and Shazam are already shaping up to be what will surely be some of the best minis of the year.
Also, even though I won’t read them until I get them in the mail, this week also includes Dynamo 5 (very excited about that), new Criminal, new Punisher, Essex County volume 1, and Feeble Attempts #1. And what’s this, a new issue of….The Authority?! And hopefully I can squeeze my wallet for a little extra money to pick up that DD Omnibus.
07 Mar 2007 at 6:38 pm
QuoteI haven’t been a fan of Bendis’ superhero work in general, but I really got enjoyed Mighty Avengers — though I confess it may just be because Wonder Man’s a member again, and wearing the red jacket costume, to boot.
07 Mar 2007 at 10:05 pm
QuoteHey, it’s Alan Sepinwall!
I found myself pleasantly surprised by The Mighty Avengers AND The Initiative. But I’m weird that way.
07 Mar 2007 at 10:13 pm
QuoteI wholeheartedly agreed with both of Nick Budd’s reviews.
1.) Dynamo 5 was really great.
2.) Bendis shouldn’t write Avengers.
07 Mar 2007 at 10:21 pm
QuoteI recently reread the Roger Stern run on the Avengers. I think that anybody who wants to write the Avengers should be required to read it. Its really a simple formula, current big storyline, two or so simmering subplots that move forward on a regular basis, a healthy dose of action and character interaction, and voila! I don’t expect slavish aping of his style or use of the same characters but from a craft standpoint many could learn from Stern.
I think where Bendis struggles is plotting, his Avengers run has been a disjointed sequence of vignettes rather than a steady progression of storylines.
I guess what I am trying to say is that there are three Avengers books out now and none of them really seem like Avengers books to me.
07 Mar 2007 at 11:13 pm
QuoteCould Bendis be any more full of himself? How many times did the phrase “The best team of Avengers ever” pop up in Mighty Avengers? It even snuck its way into Civil War: Initiative. Here’s a hint… the “best team ever” of the Avengers isn’t gonna include f*ck*ng Ares… and it *is* going to include Captain America. And it ain’t gonna be written by Bendis.
Oh, and the use of thought balloons. Bendis brought them back… so that he could show the characters thinking at each other like Mean Girls? Wow, what a clever use of one of the medium’s most unique storytelling devices.
So yeah, I hated Mighty Avengers. Couldn’t even finish reading it. Got a few pages in, saw what I was in for, and bailed out. Mighty Avengers #1 is like the anti-Captain America #25 to me. Cap #25 featured a concept I didn’t like, executed very well by a writer whose work I respect such that I find myself interested in the story despite myself. Mighty Avengers featured a concept I liked… and anything else I’d say would just be too mean.
And Dynamo 5 is indeed a whole lot of fun. So Nick is right on both counts this week.
07 Mar 2007 at 11:40 pm
QuoteDwayne McDuffie should be writing the Avengers, I think. Bendis obviously hates his audience too much not to eventually disappoint them.
Or Priest. Where the hell is Preist? His Iron Man, as the concept is now, would be boss. Under the Knaufs it’s just dull.
08 Mar 2007 at 12:00 am
QuoteI WANT this book. McDuffie on Avengers…That would be something actually worth reading.
As it goes, his work on Fantastic Four thus far is fairly solid. Yes, there’s still the problem that it is still being tied into the whole Civil War nonsense, but I think he really understands the characters and gets what the Fantastic Four should be. I don’t know how I feel about Black Panther and Storm joining the team but I’ll say this, it’s something different and because he’s a writer who’s craft is always good, it should be at the very least interesting.
On a related note, anyone who is a fan of Paul Pope should pick up this weeks issue of Fantastic Four. His story is a short little number but it’s fun and humorous to boot. What really draws me in though are his character designs. They are always something worth seeing and with the Fantastic Four, man does he make them look sweet, especially his Crystal and Johnny Storm.
08 Mar 2007 at 12:28 am
QuoteI wish I could even express how much respect I have for Dwayne McDuffie, as a writer and as a comics innovator. I’ve been working through the complete run of Milestone books over the past week and while I know that wasn’t just him, his hand is very evident. That stuff is excellent, especially Icon and Static. His arrival on Fantastic Four and Firestorm has revitalized my interest in those titles, despite the former’s close ties to Civil War, because they are just good stories. McDuffie’s name on a title means something, and while I don’t begrudge writers like Bendis their popularity, it makes me sad that the everyday reader now is intimately familiar with Bendis’ or JMS’ work but has no idea who McDuffie is.
08 Mar 2007 at 1:25 am
QuoteI think Randy could probably take Bendis in a fight.
08 Mar 2007 at 10:41 am
QuoteI dunno… Bendis is scrappy. Plus Oeming and Mack would probably be holding my arms.
08 Mar 2007 at 11:28 am
Quote1. Burbaker is as good as they get at Marvel nowdays
2. Still (serious question) am I the only one who frankly not caring how good this issuse may or may not be just does’nt want to reward current Marvel for killing cap (or not)? Burbaker’s on newsarma saying just enjoy the ride read the story. I CANT
08 Mar 2007 at 1:02 pm
QuoteJust read Cap #25. As a comic, it’s really good. It made me want to see where it all goes despite my reservations. Great twist at the end. Strangely, I’m not sure yet how I feel about it. It even made it on to the national news here in Ireland!
As for the week’s other releases, I actually liked Mighty Avengers (Why? I have no idea) and Shazam rocked. It’s shaping up to be the best mini series of the year and it’s only march.
08 Mar 2007 at 1:19 pm
QuoteAny bets on how long it will take Steve Rogers to return?
08 Mar 2007 at 3:59 pm
QuoteI say some hints in the next weeks, and 2 months full return
08 Mar 2007 at 4:20 pm
QuoteBesides, if any comics creator is gonna fight Randy to the death, it’s gonna be Mark Waid.
(PS my money’s on Randy)
08 Mar 2007 at 4:29 pm
QuoteI have to disagree on “Mighty Avengers.” I really liked it (I never found “New Avengers” all that interesting, just for comparison).
Cap #25 was gut-wrenchingly brilliant. In other Brubaker-related news, Uncanny #484 was also very good.
08 Mar 2007 at 4:31 pm
QuoteDave Farabee wrote There’s also one gratuitous ass-shot of Sheena
I didn’t find it to be that gratutious. If you wanna see a more gratutious ass shot it’s in JLA #6(which was and is a big piece of crap) this week with Wonder Woman on page eight of the story.
On the Captain America front can anyone really tell me or give me a good reason why CA was killed? I’ve read ten different articles at least and it seem like there might have been some bickering between some of the guys at Marvel and the reasons Brubaker gave just didn’t really seem to hold any water with me as to why they decided to do it. That said the issue is excellent(even though I ended up with the Ed McGuinness variant) and really was well done. Just reinforces why I think Brubaker is the best write out there right now. Epting deserves more press as an artist. He’s damn good.
08 Mar 2007 at 5:03 pm
QuoteDave Farabee said:
Joe said:
I think this week’s gratuitous ass-shot prize should go to The Initiative. Ms. Marvel’s costume almost goes into thong territory.
08 Mar 2007 at 5:45 pm
QuoteIn “Mighty Avengers”, when she and Iron Man go to recruit Ares, look at the construction workers in the background; they’re all staring at her ass (understandable).
08 Mar 2007 at 5:48 pm
QuoteMy guess is that it won’t be this year. Brubaker can easily make an interesting story about “World Without a Captain America” for 8-9 months at minimum.
Some have suggested July 4, 2008. I think that’s as likely as anything else.
08 Mar 2007 at 7:24 pm
QuoteCan I ask what you liked about Mighty Avengers? I’m a fan of many of the cast (including Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man (in red safari jacket no less), Black Widow), but I found the writing just grating. What clicked with you in the book, if you don’t mind my asking?
Uncanny #484 was indeed a strong issue. Solid action, and put the focus back on the X-Men rather than Vulcan (who I don’t find interesting enough to hold up his part of the arc.) Reminded me of the kind of thing you’d see on 24 if it were about superheroes in space… a big, epic raid on a prison facility to rescue an unlikely ally. And Billy Tan really kicked out the jams on the artwork.
08 Mar 2007 at 7:26 pm
QuoteJust curious, Randy…have you read Feeble Attempts #1 or Essex County Vol. 1 yet? I remember you mentioned them in Down the Line, and I’m pretty excited about getting them at the end of the month, but I haven’t heard anything yet.
On second thought, that’s not really directed to Randy only; had anybody read these yet?
08 Mar 2007 at 8:12 pm
QuoteMan, must get that Army of Darkness!!
Bob Hasko
http://www.TeesMyBody.com T-Shirts
08 Mar 2007 at 8:55 pm
QuoteI liked the cast, and the feel of the book; I love my dark comics, but an unapologetically light action story like this works for me, and it’s a nice counterbalance. It’s not deep by any stretch, but most comics aren’t. The art is great too, and perfectly suits the writing.
08 Mar 2007 at 9:00 pm
QuoteAm I the only one who noticed the obvious “out” Brubaker gave himself in the Cap storyline? I’m reading all over the web about the tragedy of Cap’s death, and it seems obvious that it’s all a cover by Skull and cohorts…
He’s not dead, it’s just the Marvel publicity machine at work again.
09 Mar 2007 at 6:45 am
QuoteWell, read Cap 25, all I can say is when will the hype end?!
Chalk up another pointless “death†to be reversed down the line, just to feed the hype machine some more. Gotta say I’m not surprised after they needlessly assassinated who Cap was and what he stood for in Civil War and Frontline, they now they go and do him in literally too, figures. I was hoping to see how Brubaker went about redeeming the man after the mess they made of him in those books instead we get the easy way out, more hype, more controversy. It may well be time to vote with my wallet and stop buying Captain America until this nonsense is over.
On a related note I have to admit that I didn’t hate Mighty Avengers. Maybe it was the art, normally I think of Cho as more of a pin-up artist than a sequential story teller, but in this issue he impressed me. Maybe it was because I was expecting so much worse, and admittedly it still has time to go there, but I thought issue one was fine start and even had a little fun thrown in to boot.
09 Mar 2007 at 7:45 am
QuoteI haven’t read them yet. I’ve flipped through both, but I wanted to give Essex a chance to sell before I snapped it up, and I’ve sort of had my fill of Jeffrey Brown for a while. I like his stuff, but I’m not really in the mood for anything new from him right now. I’m sure that a few months down the line, I’ll be in the mood to read his stuff again, and I’ll pick it up then.
Essex County I’m just holding off on until I get my reading pile a little more under control.
09 Mar 2007 at 11:39 pm
QuoteSee, while I agree with you about the general silliness of a big event death when we all *know* he’s coming back, I think that since it’s Brubaker writing it, and he’s clearly been planning this for a while, we’re likely to be in for a pretty good story along the way. I find myself genuinely interested in what happens next, which is a relative rarity for in-continuity Marvel books these days.
Not that I can’t see the whole thing being a deal-killer for you. I mean, I bailed on Nextwave because I hated the way they were writing Captain Marvel and I bailed on Mighty Avengers three pages in because the thought balloons and the Bendis-speak was driving me insane, so I know about one thing sort of setting you off and putting you off a book.
I’m just saying, I think the Cap story might in fact turn out to be pretty good, even if the event that kicks it off is one that you might not necessarily have wanted to see.
09 Mar 2007 at 11:42 pm
QuoteYeah I know and you’re right about Brubaker usually telling a story, though there is “Deadly Genesis”, but as you guys know, I never been 100% on board with Brubaker’s darker, surlier take on Cap and I’m still not too crazy about Bucky returning, and now with this stunt following on the heels of the civil war fiasco… I just dunno. Ah for the days Gruenwald when at worst I had to roll my eyes at him being turned into a werewolf or at he and Paladin dressing up in drag on a cruise ship of female villains.
10 Mar 2007 at 9:13 am
QuoteSo here’s the question… would it be better if Cap were killed or turned into a werewolf again?
11 Mar 2007 at 1:41 am
QuoteHeh
Depends on which Cap. The classic never say die Cap? Sure turn into a werewolf again, he can take it. Millar’s gives up crying Cap becuse he’s ziegest of whatever opinion is vogue at the moment Cap? Well, maybe THAT cap is better off dead.
Now, at least until this gimmick has run it’s course, we might get the recently resurrected Bucky to fill the shoes, he too is man out of time, shares much of Cap’s combat skills but with a lot less of that troublesome morality, and he’s got a cyborg arm.
Hey waitaminute is Liefield somehow involved in this?
11 Mar 2007 at 10:43 am
QuoteThat looks the most likely scenario. In fact, over at Newsarama, Brubaker states that this current storyline is 9 parts in length
11 Mar 2007 at 2:43 pm
QuoteI’ve been thinking about this some and here are some thoughts I have on Brubaker Cap run, there is no denying that as far as craft goes the man is tops, he knows how tell a story, how to be engaging, and how to write endings, all excellent qualities for writer. It some of his story ideas for Cap I’m not crazy about, bringing back Bucky? So Bucky wasn’t a boy sidekick, but instead this ninja-like army ranger type who was later used as weapon by the bad guys and is now all Mr. Cool, bader ass than anyone guy with a cyborg arm, I mean I was sorta kidding before but am I wrong in thinking that sound like some 90’s era Liefield character?
Have cool stories been written about this Bucky? Well, yeah, of course, like I said the man knows his craft. Could the same tales have been told without bringing back Bucky, and instead using Jack Monroe/Nomad, well I think so, but instead New Bucky/Nomad gets killed off brutally so we can have the old Bucky/Winter Solider back, except personality wise old Bucky/Winter Solider is now more like the new Bucky/Nomad who he just killed off. So what was the point? Bringing back Bucky causes hype?
Too early in the arc to tell what the point, if there is one other than hype, in killing Captain America off. I’m guessing it will be a well told story, but I’m not certain it’s a Cap story I want to read.
I’m left wondering other than being a writer who knows his craft, which mind you is a rare and precious thing, but at the heart of it is he any different than hype machines at Marvel everyone likes to hate? I mean execution aside, if ya can boil it down to the same sensibilities then what is the difference? If I were to carve a perfect replica in miniature of the Venus the Milo from a dog turd would it be art? Maybe I guess, but it would also still be a dog turd and I certainly wouldn’t want it on my desk.
12 Mar 2007 at 10:10 am
QuoteI’ve got to admit, this is an excellent point. Winter Soldier is considerably more similar to Nomad (who was a character I liked) than the original Bucky, and it would have been easier to use that character than to bring Bucky back.
So yeah, it was pretty much for the hype. I can’t quite bring myself to blame Brubaker or Marvel for trying to hype up the run, but you’re absolutely right that there really isn’t much reason to bringing Bucky back as the Winter Soldier beyond getting people to say “Holy crap! They brought Bucky back as the Winter Soldier!”
Your Liefeld comparisons are also close to the mark, although Liefeld would have outfitted him with tons of extra belt pouches and padding. Steve Epting is a much stronger costume designer in general, so we’re at least spared that.
For me, the difference is an enjoyable read. I actually find that Bendis, who I used to think had strong craft, tells stories that grate on me. At this point, I don’t know that it would matter if he were using the Avengers or his own creations… his dialogue tics, slow pacing and failure to convincingly do action just leave me bored, and the fact that he’s got sole control of characters I like to do these boring stories leaves me annoyed.
Brubaker does have some worrying sensibilities, I’ll definitely admit that. It’s clear that he doesn’t really hold the sacred cows of continuity at all sacred, nor does he have what I’d call a fan’s love of the characters. However, sometimes those elements can be a blind spot as much as a strength, and if you can marry strong craft to a willingness to go into what seems like out-of-bounds territory, you can get stuff like Frank Miller’s Daredevil, or Walt Simonson’s Thor, or John Byrne’s Fantastic Four.
Unfortunately, you can also get Bendis’ New Avengers or Millar’s Spider-Man or Chuck Austen’s X-Men. Sadly, we seem to get more of the latter than the former. So while I wouldn’t say that Brubaker’s Cap is on the level of the three ’80s greats I just named, I think he’s closer to that mark than anyone else at the big table at Marvel right now.
12 Mar 2007 at 1:14 pm
QuoteTotally agree what you said about Bendis, Randy. He used to be one my favorite, if not my favorite writer, when I first entered comics about 6-7 years ago. Ultimate Spider-man was awesome (and still is surprisingly a very solid book), and the first half of DD was amazing. Hunting down stuff like Jinx, Torso, etc. only made me like his work even more. Then he created an interesting new character and a great book with Alias. Ever since Avengers Disassembled, he’s been very off. The pointless plodding of New Avengers, the disaster of House of M, the disappointing second half of DD, and his continued run on 2 Avengers books…ick. His ‘realistic’ dialogue - which was a point of praise when he became popular - has become his own cliche. His heroes don’t have ‘banter’ anymore - his heroes talk about having ‘banter’ - like in the msot recent issue of New Avengers. Even the once-great Powers has spiraled off into boredom.
It’s extremely disappointing, especially considering how consistant Ultimate Spider-man remains - he can do solid superhero stuff if he wants. I wonder if we’ll ever see some more crime fiction work from him, or at least some superhero stuff on the level of USM.
And I agree completely about Brubaker and the continuity thing. Not really familiar with his work before he came to Marvel, I was a bit skeptical of how great he was. He ‘killed’ Foggy, he killed Banshee, he turned Xavier into a Tony Stark-like dick, he retconned an entire team into Claremont’s run (not to mention a third Summers brother), and he brought Bucky back. Despite his strong craft, he still relies a bit too much on sensationalism, it seems - like a well-written Millar story. I fear Brubaker will eventually become awful like Bendis - he’s on the exact same path as Bendis when he first started with Marvel: a strong crime book, shaking things up with well-written Marvel stories, and writing tons of stuff.
Alas.
12 Mar 2007 at 1:30 pm
QuoteRandy: You make a good point about strong craft and willingness to go out side the norm sometimes giving way to great, even seminal character defining runs, especially in the case of Daredevil, though admittedly before Miller, he was the least defined of that bunch.
One of the problems with Bendis on the Avengers is that he, by his own admission, is not so good with the big cosmic stuff, and more geared to the gritty crime/street level type of writing. So why does he write the Avengers? I dunno, I guess cause it sells. But that said, I agree with Kyle in that since Avengers Disassembled, he gone south. Though despite the many flaws there are things I’ve liked about the New Avengers, just not most of it. So what went wrong? Mostly I think its a combo of him writing outside of his strengths and being both overexposed and out overextended, so now dialog that once seemed cool and hip, just seems to annoy people.
Still the guy written the best run on Daredevil since Miller in my book sure it loss focus some toward the latter half, but by comparison I think Brubaker’s already wandered in his much shorter run, much of the DD in Europe story fell flat for me and this latest issue, well other than the cool retro cover it was kind of a snoozer.
12 Mar 2007 at 3:08 pm
QuoteWhile all above are good points (and I pray Brubaker doesn’t go the way of Bendis, who i don’t think is as bad now as everybody thinks but is definitely on that road) if Brubaker had used Jack Monroe/Nomad as the Winter Soldier, most people would have said: ” Huh? Who the hell is Nomad? And why is Cap so upset that he’s back?” Bucky’s return allowed Brubaker to develop the character of Steve Rogers, something that hadn’t been done for quite a while.
While continuity is important and in some cases, vital, creators shouldn’t be slaves to it either. How many times have we seen tv shows or movies where characters return/change/die whatever and we’ve gone: “WOW! That was brilliant!”. Why shouldn’t it be the same for comics? I agree certain books should do certain things (eg. JLA should be classic super heroics) but sometimes books/characters need to change and evolve or else it grows stale. If it means breaking a few eggs, then so be it.
Look at Morrison’s New X-Men. While the x-books do lend themselves to change, Morrison really broke the mould and pushed the title and franchise as far as it could go. And he killed Magneto twice, killed 16 million mutants, destroyed the Shiar, and made Xavier a murderer while he was is in the womb for god’s sake. And people think it was brilliant.
And as for Brubaker’s messing with continuity, the “death” of Foggy was a brilliant plot point and Banshee was a 4th tier character at best (and I’m Irish). The guy actually cares about his characters. He’s not gonna have them raped or anything. Unless they were in Sleeper maybe
And besides, it’s the Marvel universe:
NO MORE NOUGHTIES!!!
12 Mar 2007 at 3:34 pm