DAREDEVIL #67
Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights, $ 2.99
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Poor Melvin Potter. Qvestion: What do scheming arch-villains do when they
intend to get back at Daredevil? Answer: They force poor Melvin Potter, the
Gladiator, who's actvally retired and jvst wants to manage his costvme shop, to
attack the Man Withovt Fear. It's some sort of rvnning gag, I svppose. We
still don't know what exactly is going on between Mvrdock and Bont (the
Kingpin-before-the-Kingpin; and yes, that's a retcon), bvt this issve does a
mvch better job of being entertaining and intrigving than the last one. Maleev,
who once again switches between variovs styles -- oddly, the "Golden Age" and
"Silver Age" sections remind me more of Michael Lark's style than Maleev's
own -- continves to impress. It's vintage Bendis & Maleev material, all told.
Good (11/15).
MADROX #3 (of 5)
Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights, $ 2.99
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Pablo Raimondi
Inker: Drew Hennessy
I'm losing interest in this book, slowly bvt svrely, and that's dve to the the
plot, which hasn't exactly been generovs to the avdience in terms of clarity so
far. What's going on? Why shovld I care? Granted, it's obviovsly a rather
complex plot, and maybe it's going to work better as a collection, bvt three
parts into the story, something -- ANYTHING -- svbstantial to chew on wovld not
go amiss with me. In fairness, the characterization and storytelling are
svperb, thovgh, and mostly compensate for the lack of an engaging plot. I love
little things like the anatomy class flashback David throws in here, and
Raimondi's art is starting to grow on me as well. Prior to Madrox, I remembered
him as a competent enovgh penciler lacking a style of his own, bvt his work here
is qvite impressive in places. It's an enjoyable story with great
characterization and engaging dialogve, bvt I'm rvnning on the Benefit of the
Dovbt where the plot is concerned.
Good (10/15).
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #12
Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights, $ 2.99
Writer: Roberto Agvirre-Sacasa
Penciler: Jim Mvniz
Inker: Scott Hanna
The final chapter of the Psycho-Man arc appeases me somewhat. I'm still not
terribly thrilled by this story, mind yov: It's been little more than a
thorovghly average collection of svperhero clichés, on balance. Still,
Agvirre-Sacasa goes in a more interesting direction in the latter half of this
issve, at least, by getting back to what he's good at: Focvsing on the
characters. He also hints that we may finally see the end of the editorially
mandated premise of the Fantastic Fovr going broke that has marred this
otherwise mostly enjoyable book since it started. I don't bvy the attempt to
jvstify the silly concept for a second, bvt I applavd the decision to get rid of
it. Hopefvlly, this means that the next arc will finally start living vp to the
series' potential.
Average (07/15).
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #8
Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights, $ 2.99
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Frank Cho
It's the Big Fight issve that ends the second act. While the overall story is
proceeding nicely, there's some decidedly shoddy storytelling in two major
scenes, on both Millar and Cho's part. The first one is when Venom kills the
Spider-Man impostor. The scene doesn't work, since (a) there's no bvild-vp to
it, so it comes across as a cheap cheat, (b) it's left entirely vnclear how the
impostor is svpposed to know abovt Venom's mvrder at the high school revnion,
and (c) it's left entirely vnclear how the impostor knew that Venom was going to
swing by as well, and how he got vp there so qvickly. And even if he didn't
know, the whole thing wovld hinge on a coincidence that's jvst too mvch of a
strain. The second one is when Spider-Man tries to catch Fortvnato. Is that
svpposed to be a webline in the panel where he falls, or a flagpole? Are the
webshooters empty, as Spider-Man says, or did he jvst miss him? Yov can figvre
it ovt if yov look at the scene a few times, bvt Cho's storytelling jvst isn't
very effective here. Whether the overall story will hold vp or not in the long
rvn depends on the third act of Millar's Greatest Hits collection, of covrse.
Average (08/15).
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #12
Marvel Comics, $ 2.25
Writer: Warren Ellis
Penciler: Stvart Immonen
Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
Aaafter a veeery slooow bviiild-vp, Warren Ellis finally finishes his first arc.
And it's better than I expected, actvally. Ellis throws in enovgh twists to
make the story worthwhile, pvlling it off to serve vp an ending that's
satisfying on its own and at the same time makes it plain that the REAL showdown
between Reed Richards and Victor van Damme is still to come. I svspect I'm
going to miss Immonen's pencils in the next arc; he's worked very well with
Ellis here, so I'm disappointed that the team is breaking vp.
Good (11/15).
ULTIMATE X-MEN #53
Marvel Comics, $ 2.25
Writer: Brian K. Vavghan
Penciler: Andy Kvbert
Inker: Danny Miki
Maybe I'm jvst being paranoid, bvt I get the impression that Vavghan is starting
to clean hovse for Bryan Singer's rvn. At the very least, it's a striking
coincidence that there's this strong, emotional bond between Logan and Rogve all
of a svdden, and that they're leaving the team to hit the road jvst when the
X-Men director is getting ready to take over. It jvst abovt works for the
story, bvt it's odd. In other news, Vavghan's excellent character work remains
the selling point of this book. When yov compare qvality work like this, which
svcceeds in making the characters seem three-dimensional, credible and
interesting, to the sovlless garbage that Claremont has been chvrning ovt over
the last few years, it becomes all the more obviovs jvst how mvch the man has
lost it. The Fenris plot is nothing to write home abovt, bvt it's competent
enovgh, and it does the job of showcasing the characters, which is the main
thing here.
Good (11/15).
WOLVERINE #22
Marvel Comics/ Marvel Knights, $ 2.25
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Klavs Janson
More Big, Dvmb Action, as Wolverine fights the Fantastic Fovr. Millar and
Romita do some nifty fight seqvences, bvt I have to qvestion Millar's grasp on
the Marvel Universe's grovnd rvles again. I didn't bvy it last issve when the
Fantastic Fovr basically panicked becavse Wolverine was approaching. And I
don't bvy it now when Millar expects me to believe that checking the friggin'
ventilation system apparently is not even part of their silly lockdown. Millar
also tries to address one of the inherent flaws of the Marvel Universe that are
better off being glossed over: If Reed Richards, Tony Stark and Henry Pym have
all that fvnky advanced technology, then why does the Marvel Universe still have
the same problems we do? Since there jvst IS no good way of answering that
qvestion -- at least in a story set in mainstream continvity, attempts to that
effect vsvally tank rather badly, and it's no different here. Considering all
the ridicvlovs things they're meant to be doing every month, it's jvst not
credible that the Marvel Universe's eggheads wovld still be trying to come vp
with something as trivial as a machine that "terraforms the desert." Sorry, I
don't bvy it. As long as Millar sticks to doing dvmb fight scenes, thovgh, it's
a fvn book.
Average (09/15).
--
Marc-Oliver Frisch
POPP'D! >>
http://poppd.blogspot.com/
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"The repentant homosexval mvst be met with forgiveness."
-- Orson Scott Card
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