This is our 208th edition. Three books this week. Since I kind of
can't avoid it, be warned that my Civil War review will contain
spoilers for the outcome.
This week we have...
Birds of Prey #103 - 3.25 Stars
Cable & Deadpool #37 - 3.25 Stars
Civil War #7 (of 7) - 2.75 Stars
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Birds of Prey #103 - "Blood & Circuits, Part Four: Truth of Dare"
(Writer: Gail Simone, Penciller: Nicola Scott,
Inker: Doug Hazlewood, Colors: Hi-Fi Design)
Barbara tries to regain control of her team while fending off her old
friend the Spy Smasher.
I'm going to name this my Pick of the Week. It's in a close race
with Cable & Deadpool (which is, oddly enough, following up on a
Simone story), but it felt like there was just more story here and
some interesting changes to the status quo. I have to admit that
Birds
of Prey is a book I keep looking for a jumping off point, at least
since OYL... not because I don't enjoy Simone's writing, but because
the dynamic that drew me to the book has changed a lot... and yet,
she
keeps giving me things that make me want to stay just a little bit
longer to find out how they turn out. If she keeps that up I might
wind up just staying.
Review: 3.25 stars
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Cable & Deadpool #37 - "Unfinished Business: Part Two" (Writer:
Fabian
Nicieza, Penciler: Reilly Brown, Inker: Jeremy
Freeman, Colorist: Gotham)
Some time ago, Deadpool shrank Rhino and turned him into a keychain.
Now Rhino wants revenge, in kind.
It's a simple little story, and certainly fun in its way, but as a
sequel to that classic Deadpool story, it disappoints slightly. It
just felt a little light... and not in the sense of being light-
hearted,
but in that there wasn't much there. It doesn't really match the
zaniness of the first story, and the resolution to the situation fell
a little flat.
So, though it was fun and had its good moments, I wanted more from it.
Review: 3.25 stars
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Civil War #7 - "Part Seven of Seven" (Writer: Mark Millar, Penciler:
Steve McNiven, Inker: Dexter Vines, John Dell & Tim
Townsend, Colorist: Morry Hollowell)
The pro-reg side and the anti-reg side have their final battle to
decide the issue once and for all.
Well, that was pointless.
About the best I can say for the issue is that the art was pretty, and
some of the fight was exciting. Beyond that? Well, I guess there's
something to be said for the idea that the anti-reg side finally got
the chance to be complete idiots, doing things without regard for
what's right or wrong or sane. Before this issue the pro-reg got most
of those moments.
Otherwise? Civil War does not live up to expectations. The
motivations
felt off, the delays were too long, and too much of the important
story
beats happened off panel. That last bit in particular annoys me. I
get
the feeling that Civil War, as a whole, reads as one huge 'Previously
on...'. You know how serial shows will, to bring viewers up to speed
on
important plot points, will do a highlight reel of just those points?
You get a sense of what happens in the 'Previously On...' segment,
but
the exact context, the motivations, and the flavour of the original
moments is lost. That's what Civil War feels like... they didn't
bother
to write the story itself, they just summarized it in advance of the
next story they want to write. But I'm not exactly excited about
the story to come.
See, overall, I can't shake the feeling that Marvel has not really
thought the event or its consequences through. I don't think they're
going to be prepared to write a universe where all the superheroes,
save a few renegades wanted by the law, are government controlled.
Take, for example, the Young Avengers. Some of them were pro-reg,
some were anti-reg, in this mini. So let's assume that, in the wake
of this issue, the anti-reg ones took amnesty. That would
necessarily
mean that they've signed the registration act. Which means they're
working for SHIELD. ... but they're still teenagers. So, when Young
Avengers relaunches (whenever that is), is Marvel going to have
SHIELD
running a team of underage minors? Maybe... it'd really change the
style of the book, and wouldn't make a whole lot of sense unless
they're
constantly in training, but it's possible. Or perhaps they'll all
be operating outside the law. That would keep it closer to the
original
tone, but would imply that SHIELD just doesn't really care to enforce
the policies that heroes went to war over, especially since every one
of the Young Avengers has an identity known to the government. Or
maybe
they'll come up with a convincing explanation. But, judging on
recent
past experience, I'm putting my money on 'ignore it and have Young
Avengers continue more or less in the style of the first volume until
enough people start to question, then maybe come up with a lame
justification'. Marvel's desire to eat their cake and have it too is
just too strong.
Even leaving aside Young Avengers, this would seem to put a lot of
superhero books into one category - heroes who work for the
government.
No longer do these teams or characters need a niche that sets them
apart
from the books already out there... now they just need a location. I
worry that it'll lead to them becoming cookie-cutter.
But the biggest problem, even ignoring the shape it's set for the
Marvel
Universe, is that it just didn't satisfy.
Review: 2.75 Stars
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Well, that's it for this week folks. Next week, according to the
shipping list, there's three books. There's Runaways #24, X-Factor
#16,
and Wisdom #3. Also, we're coming up on the fourth anniversary of
these
reviews, so, yay me I guess for sticking with it.
See you next week...
Peter Dimitriadis
http://www.unreachablestar.net
The Unreachable Star - Comics & SF News/Reviews/Opinion
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