Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Week in, week out, the TalkBack League labors on, determined to bring you the very best in really, really smart-assed writing about what my grandmother called “funny books.” Truly, this is what the Internet is for. In particular, I was dying to read Cormorant’s review for NEW MUTANTS #1, since I was a big fan of the original series, especially during the “Demon Bear” run of storylines, when the artwork went insane and became one of the strangest mainstream titles at the time. Anyway...
Take it away, gang.
Howdy, y’all, Cormorant here! Sometimes TalkBackers – cynical bastards, the lot of ‘em – accuse us of having an anti-Marvel bias. These same geniuses should meet up with the folks who accuse us of giving Marvel too much coverage. They could have tea.
That said, Marvel takes a bit of a beating from us this column. Not a planned thing, mind you. We didn’t sit down for one of our famed drinkin’ and propaganda meetings at the @$$-Cave, as we’re still coasting on the joys of our successful smear campaign against Gold Key Comics. It’s just that, for all the creative talent Marvel’s corralled in the last few years, they’ve done little to truly grow the market, and plenty to alienate longtime fans and even potential newcomers (imagine a kid fresh out of Ang Lee’s action-packed HULK trying to makes heads or tails of Bruce Jones’ constipated run on the book). Are the risks worth it? I’m sure you’ll tell us in the TalkBacks.
ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL #1 (of 6)
Written by Dan Slott
Art by Ryan Sook
Published by DC Comics
A Jon Quixote Rambling
‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’
-Lewis Carroll, ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
Maybe you’ll think I’m mad when I call ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL #1 about as perfect a comic as you’ll ever read. I swear I’ve been taking my meds. It might not be the best comic you’ll ever read, but it does exactly what it sets out to do quickly, effectively, and memorably.
The premise: a Wall Street swindler, accused of stealing millions, convinces a jury to acquit him by reason of insanity. However, he does it in the wrong city; the judge commits him to Arkham for evaluation. There, he finds himself locked in with the best and the craziest of Batman’s rogues gallery.
Hijinks ensue.
Oh man, do they ensue.
The gang’s all here. Joker. Killer Croc. Two Face. The Riddler. All making life miserable for our unlikely hero, Warren White. In this issue, White’s story is paralleled by that of Dr. Anne Carver, an Arkham psychiatrist who is starting to feel just as trapped as the inmates she oversees. Slott does an excellent job using both characters’ struggle to highlight just how hopelessly dangerous Arkham is, and how draining and frightening it must be for everybody associated with it.
Of course, it takes more than an unconventional protagonist and a creepy milieu for me to anoint something as a perfect comic book. In this day and age of ‘decompressed storytelling,’ I’m thrilled to read something that demonstrates just how effective the serial format can be when it’s written by somebody who knows how to write serials. This issue is very self-contained, with a stunner of an ending that provides enough resolution to the story we’ve read that, were it a one-shot, I could walk away feeling completely satisfied. But you better believe I’m chomping at the bit to get my grubby little paws on issue #2. The storytelling, the structure, is just flawless.
And it makes such excellent use of the DC Universe. In no other medium could you tell this story, or at least tell it nearly as effectively. The reputation of the Arkham inmates proves more foreboding than any depicted act of violence ever could, and the colorful personalities add such flair to the menace. Yet, so effective is the work by Slott and Sook that you don’t need to be immersed in the Batman world in order to keep track of who’s who, and what’s what. I had no idea who two of the major villains actually were, having never read before read a comic that featured them, but by the end, I knew everything I needed to know. And wanted more. Much more.
But perhaps the best thing about this comic is the universal appeal. There is something for everybody within these pages. A mature, compelling story about a man who finds himself in a hell of his own making. A nifty mystery for the armchair detectives in the audience – and yes, you can solve it; all the clues are there. Enough superhero-style action to appease the die hard spandex aficionados, and if your kids find it, it’s a PG-13 tale that only reads like an ‘R’. Although save it for the 12 and olders; you don’t want to risk warping a too-impressionable mind.
Arkham has enough residents already.
DAREDEVIL LEGENDS Vol. 4: TYPHOID MARY
Writer: Ann Nocenti
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Al Williamson
Reviewed by: superninja
"She loves him, so she has to kill him."
That was the line I remember from the ad promoting this storyline back in the late 80’s. Typhoid Mary standing over Daredevil, her knives brandished, as he lay beneath her, his blood coagulating into the shape of a broken heart. I only read one issue of the story, but I was intrigued by it. And I'm glad Marvel got around to collecting it.
In case you don't know, Mary is a mutant with telekinetic abilities who was institutionalized at a young age because of a split-personality disorder. One personality, Mary, is an emotionally confused and fragile woman who would go on to become an actress. The repressed other half, Typhoid, as the writer Nocenti describes her in the first page, is pure poison. Sex and violence are her weapons. Typhoid is a psychotic feminist raging to get out, and Mary is a girl in need of a savior. Oh, the dichotomy! But it makes for good reading. Typhoid is so deliciously evil, and Mary so very desperate.
Which brings me to the story. Typhoid comes to town and starts stealing from and killing the Kingpin's thugs - and no one is stopping her. The media mistakes her for a bloody vigilante, because she's preying on Kingpin's trash. Daredevil, aka Matt Murdock, is preoccupied with a legal case where a young boy has been blinded by chemicals from swimming in a river, and it hits too close to home - he becomes obsessed. The chemicals just happen to come from one of Kingpin's companies, and their hatred for each other is what drives them and the story, with Typhoid Mary in the middle, manipulating them both. The duality of Typhoid Mary mimics the duality in Daredevil between his love for the law and his sense of justice, which is really well explored in this collection. In classic supervillain style, Kingpin wants Daredevil to suffer as he's suffered, knowing his secret identity after trying to destroy him completely in the previous “Born Again” storyline. So he employs Mary for $1 Million to fall in love with him and then break his heart, but not kill him. More duality.
One thing that surprised me about this collection is how you feel a little sorry for everyone. Mary and her self destruction. Daredevil and his constant questioning of himself and always losing, whether in love or self-absolution. Kingpin failing to realize he's being toyed with by Mary, and that he's bitter towards Murdock because his girlfriend Karen Page saved his crushed spirit, while Kingpin's wife left him. It's actually a good companion to the current Bendis storyline, if not something you should absolutely read to appreciate how intertwined these characters are.
The only downfall is the last issue where, because of Marvel crossover madness, they wove Daredevil into the X-Men “Inferno” story. Nocenti does a good job of relating it to the title, but it's still too distracting to ignore. Also, there's a really cheezy 80’s bit where Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) tries to play tough guy in Hell's Kitchen when Daredevil goes missing.
I recommend this to anyone reading Bendis' Daredevil. It's somewhat dated, but it's still a classic. And let's not forget that Romita Jr. is pencilling. The guy can do no wrong.
GREEN ARROW #26
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Phil Hester
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
This issue formally begins Judd Winick’s stint on GREEN ARROW, and the man hits the ground running. Never mind the fact that Winick’s BARRY WEEN never clicked for me, that most of his superhero stuff I’ve bypassed with a shrug, and that I’ve yet to read PEDRO & ME and therefore have no opinion on it whatsoever – what the hell’s the point getting caught up with past history when you’ve got an issue that’s this much fun?
I picked up GREEN ARROW #26 on a whim, mostly because of the eye-catching, understated Matt Wagner cover. The lady on the left is the niece of Black Lightning, a superhero whose name you’re still allowed to laugh at, ‘long as you remember that there’s a pretty good character behind it. In fact, Black Lightning, AKA Jefferson Pierce, is the Secretary of Education under the Lex Luthor presidency, an administration that’s done wonders for second-tier characters sorely in need of credibility. But enough with the geek continuity – what’s important is that Black Lightning’s appearance early in the issue immediately establishes the snappy tone of the story as he and Green Arrow exchange twinkle-in-the-eye barbs in the tradition of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. Later, over dinner, they discuss Lightning’s daughter, a pre-med student who wants to follow in her pop’s superheroic footsteps:
Lightning: She’s got this matter density power. It’s unreal. Still, I’d rather she be a pediatrician.
Ollie: Old fart.
Lightning: Shut up.
Ollie: If she was a boy, you wouldn’t say spit.
Lightning: I asked you to shut up, man.
Winick’s definitely got a handle on the repartee, but the classic Green Arrow antagonism soon takes a backseat to Black Lightning’s plea for financial assistance. Seems he and his lawyer niece are backing a lawsuit to stave off development of a residential district by some good, old-fashioned Corporate A-Holes, and they’re fast running out of money. And so they turn to Oliver Queen, the rich ultra-liberal who loves nothing better than to mix it up with rich ultra-conservatives. Suffice to say, when Ollie sips his wine and tells them, “Dinner’s on me,” it’s clear he’s ready to go to bat for his friends. What follows is a short but oh-so-sweet confrontation between Ollie and the Corporate Baddies in which Ollie is more snide, sarcastic, and egotistical than I’ve ever seen him before…and I loved ever minute of it. In fact, I’ll happily recommend the issue on the merits of that scene alone. Sure, the corporate goons are two-dimensional cannon fodder at this point, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a hoot to see Ollie channeling the spirit of Alec Baldwin’s “brass balls” kiss-off speech from GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. It’s a tirade that ably demonstrates how Ollie, in the right hands, can be one of the most entertaining personalities in the DCU. Who woulda guessed that Judd Winick, one of comicdom’s most outspoken, liberal writers, would be such a perfect match for one of comicdom’s most outspoken, liberal characters?
Rhetorical question.
Now you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Gee, corporate slime versus disenfranchised poor folks? Gee, what a risk-taker, that Winick!” But before you go running to the DC message boards to wag your digital fingers, keep a few things in mind: A) The cards aren’t all on the table, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the situation’s not so clear-cut as it appears. For one thing, a monster shows up at the end of the story, and I mean…what’s his deal? B) Okay, even if it is clear-cut, Winick’s characterization of Ollie is hipper-than-hip, thus mitigating the partisan politicking unless you’ve got a stick up your butt. And, C) The one action scene in the issue has Green Arrow squaring off against punks who’re protesting the developers, so there’s at least a little bit of balance. It’s a sharp action scene, too, one that served to remind me how great it can be simply seeing a brightly-dressed superhero kicking ass and taking names. You hearin’ me, Marvel? The no-costumes, no-onscreen-superheroes routine is a cute novelty for awhile, but it’s hardly the approach that made these guys icons.
Another nifty thing about Ollie steamrolling the protesters? The fact that the seemingly normal arrows he’s letting fly are doing things they absolutely shouldn’t be able to do - like shattering big ol’ cinder blocks. Were these “vibro-arrows” or something? Who cares! The point is that shooting arrows is pretty much Ollie’s power, and it’s gratifying to see Winick portraying that ability as, well, powerful. Green Arrow recently made a list of “The 30 Lamest Heroes Ever” from snarky skin rag, MAXIM, and no offense against ‘em – they should be proud of their uncanny ability to get quasi-legit actresses to strip to their g-strings – but what they don’t get is that Green Arrow’s a badass precisely because he’s so low-tech. Ragging on him for being a bow-slinger is like ragging on Bruce Lee because his only weapons are his fists.
Based on this issue of GREEN ARROW and Winick’s new Vertigo mini, BLOOD & WATER, it would seem his exclusive contract with DC has lit a fire under his butt that’s bringing out his creative best. Not only do I have renewed enthusiasm for the Emerald Archer, even after the previous story arc from novelist Brad Meltzer left me wanting, but I’m suddenly interested to check out Winick’s upcoming relaunch of THE OUTSIDERS. The kid’s got momentum!
P.S. Forgot to mention: Phil Hester continues the same great art he began under Kevin Smith’s run, leading me to wonder: Is it too early to start calling him the definitive modern Green Arrow artist? Hey, I’m just talkin’ here…
METALLIX # 0 & # 1
Written by David Michelinie
Art by Ron Lim & Brett Breeding & Bob Layton
DEATHMASK # 1
Written by David Michelinie
Art by Dick Giordano & Bob Layton
Color by Brad Nault
Published by Future Comics
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
The comic store where I shop is starting to piss me off. They used to carry a good, but never great, selection. At least I could rely on them to get all of the titles Marvel and DC shipped each week...until lately. It was bad enough when they didn't get Oni's KILLER PRINCESSES # 3, but now they're not even getting books like BEWARE THE CREEPER or ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL.
I'll be damned if I drive an extra 15 minutes to the next comic shop. If this keeps up, I'll have to start making up my reviews ... not that I would ever do anything like that.
Last Wednesday, frustrated to find that nothing on my list was in stock, I was starting to draw the gun from my ankle holster when I recognized some old, beloved creator names on some new comics. Names like David "The Original Iron Man Drunk Stories" Michelinie. Dick "I Used To Work For Charlton & On Almost Every Major DC Silver Age Hero" Giordano -- this is an editor who probably gave a break to more big time Silver Age pros than anybody else. Ron "Silver Surfer Relaunch" Lim.
The books turned out to be part of a line called Future Comics. A third title, FREEMIND, is also part of the line up, but I missed that one in the store.
METALLIX (Comics' First Tag-Team Super-Hero) is about a group of individuals hired by a corporation to wear a suit of living metal. The stuff, Metal X, transfers from team member to team member and enhances their own particular abilities. They're up against Metal X's inventor, Dr. Max Krome, whom I really liked because he might be the world's first disgruntled supervillain. He's after our heroes because his boss, Owen Parrish, fired his ass. The Metallix armor has a great, old Marvel Silver Age look.
Generally, when I see a title like DEATHMASK on a book, I avoid it, but this had some cool names involved and the character seemed to be a cross between Batman and Dr. Strange so I said, " ' kay." The cover had a certain, old time Gold Key darkness to it, as did the opening sequence. Deathmask seems to be an unnamed Native American mystic with male pattern baldness who can walk through a mountainside into his swank, Southwestern decorated pad with his faithful Chinese servant Wo--... I mean, Native American servant, Mwerta. The funny thing is that everything about Deathmask is Native American, except his superhero identity which looks vaguely Asian. Maybe he's trying to throw everyone off and blame another ethnic group. Whatever, he packs heat like a pulp hero. His enemy is a casino owner who seems to have the strength of the Kingpin but who looks like an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for President.
I try not to tell you how to feel about comics too often, so I won't this time. I will say that you should check these books out. You'll have fun.
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #41
Writer: Scott Beatty
Artist: Toby Cypress
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
For those of you who do not regularly read GOTHAM KNIGHTS, the title has become a sort of updated version of the old BATMAN FAMILY comic. When this title started out, it focused on one member of Batman’s team at a time. Now, with the addition of writer, Scott Beatty, this is more of a team book with a rotating cast of characters set in the Gotham Universe. Beatty understands the intricate relationship between Batman and his family. He does a great job of juggling this cast of characters which is arguably the most well-developed cast in comics. Each month, Beatty shifts the focus to one or two cast members and utilizes all of the characters to tell his story.
In GOTHAM KNIGHTS #41, Beatty points the Bat-Signal to a character who gets very little screen time: Matches Malone. When undercover work is necessary, Bruce Wayne throws the cape and cowl in the trunk of the Batmobile and dons the smarmy persona of Matches Malone, a matchstick chewing, zoot suit-wearing lowlife. He blends into Gotham’s seedy underground, gathering information and gabbing with those who would be intimidated by the Bat. On page one of this issue, you can tell Batman enjoys this persona and Beatty enjoys writing it. Batman lets loose. He jokes a bit. The dialog between Matches and Robin is great. Beatty shows another aspect of Batman, an aspect that Batman rarely gets to utilize and we rarely get to see. Later in the book, when the Matches persona is dropped, Robin tries to joke with him in the way he did with Matches. But Batman is quick to cut Robin off, distinguishing his Matches persona as another person entirely. Beatty uses this detail to highlight just how fractured Batman is. He’s unable to relate to Robin in the looser, more cordial way he does in his Malone guise. This attention to subtle detail shows how much Scott Beatty understands the Batman character on many levels and deftly uses it to push the story along.
This issue is a break from the ongoing subplot unfolding in GOTHAM KNIGHTS over the last few months. Alfred has some kind of mystery ailment and is near death. This subplot has run throughout the last few months and is building to its climax in the next issue. But issue #41 is a welcome change from all of the impending doom and gloom. There’s a new drug in Gotham, one that renders the cellular structure of its users unstable. Coincidentally, Ralph Dibny, better known as The Elongated Man, and his wife Sue are in town promoting her new book. Batman suits up as Matches Malone to ask Ralph about the serum that enables him to elasticize his body and if there are any similarities with the drug on the streets of Gotham. Malone reluctantly teams-up with Ralph and Sue to track down the producers of this new drug and work together to take down the organization.
This issue was just plain fun. Sure there are parts of this story that are a bit contrived. Why doesn’t Batman just talk with Ralph and Sue as Batman in the shadows after their book signing instead of approaching them as Matches? Why does the dealer choose to digest the elongating serum instead of flushing it down the toilet to get rid of it? Why the hell would anyone want to use a drug that makes you loose control of your bone structure and melt into a pile of goo? You can ask technical and logical questions and blow this story out of the water if you want to, but I enjoyed this story for what it was: a modern version of the old-school BRAVE AND THE BOLD team-ups between two of the most prominent detectives in the DCU. It was fun watching Ralph and Sue react to the less-than-serious Matches Malone persona. The scene where Ralph states that this must be a joke put on by Booster or Beetle was priceless. As was the scene where the would-be drug pushers test out their product on the cat and then the dog. As was the scene where Batman compares Ralph to another elastic hero in the JLA.
This book is the perfect companion piece to JLA #65 (an issue I reviewed here) where Batman teams up with Plastic Man to solve a mystery. The Men of Rubber (Elongated and Plastic) may have similar powers, but these two issues show how different these characters truly are. Ralph and Sue have one of the few happy marriages in comic books; Plastic Man cringes at responsibility. Ralph is an accomplished detective while Plas is the consummate joker. In many ways, these characters are as different as night and day. I know I would love to read a story with an Elongated/Plastic team-up highlighting these differences.
My one complaint with this story has to do with the art. Toby Cypress has a nice cartoony style. His lines are not clean, but sketchy, making Ralph look more surreal than elastic when he stretches. This is an interesting effect, lending a distinctive look to the character and separating his look from that of his Elvis-goggled counterpart. I had no problem seeing Elongated Man depicted in this way. My beef has to do with the way everyone else is drawn. Everyone in this book is drawn with over-accentuated posturings and features. Everyone is cartoony. Ralph’s powers enable him to stand out in a panel, but when everyone looks like a Tex Avery reject, he just blends into the background. To me, this would have been a stronger visual story if the artist had chosen to make Ralph surreal and cartoony and drew the rest of the world on the page in a more realistic style.
This issue offers the reader something that is lacking in most of the Bat-books: a sense of humor. It’s great to follow the grim and gritty adventures of Batman and his family, but every now and then it’s good to take a step back and poke fun at these guys that take themselves a bit too seriously. Despite its flaws, this book was easily one of my favorites this week. It reminded me of how much fun team-up issues can be when you get the characters right. And this book did just that.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL. 2 # 5
Written by Alan Moore
Art by Kevin O' Neill
Published by ABC / Wildstorm / DC
A Review Full Of Backhanded Compliments by Buzz Maverik
Hidin' on the backstreets, hidin' on the backstreets...
--Bruce Springsteen
This review contains major spoilers.
Okay, before you start bitching, I realize I'm a few weeks behind on my comics so get off my ass before you bum me out.
In this issue, a member of the League apparently dies after being attacked from the rear. Since this character has been portrayed as a big of a backstabber, I'm sure no one will be too upset. After all, if you're a regular reader of Alan Moore's comics, you know that his characters often plumb the depths of human behavior.
Of course, I don't want you to think that this death is all that happens in this issue. We also have Allan Quartermain and Mina Murray meeting up with Dr. Moreau and his Beast Men. There's a Bear Man, a Tiger Man, a WIND IN THE WILLOWS Badger Man and a Toad Man. I would guess that Dr. Moreau even blended man and donkey to create an Ass Man.
Meanwhile, London burns and is swarming with Martian up the wazoo.
As you know, I've never been backwards about speaking my mind when it comes to comics. This one, I highly recommend.
WOLVERINE #1
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Darick Robertson
Publisher: MARVEL
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
Hey, does anyone remember when first issues gave you a clue as to what was going on? A good first issue introduced you to a character. It let you know what to expect. It clued you in to the rules the story abided by and the universe the characters moved around in. These first issues established what was going to happen and allowed you to make a decision as to whether you wanted to continue to buy it or not. Well, apparently, at MARVEL, those days are over. More and more often, I am reading first issues (there’s a Knowles-sized buttload of ‘em coming out from MARVEL lately) where the writer tells the reader to “Trust me,” and sets off on a multi-part storyline before establishing the characters, the setting, and the rules. Some writers are successful at this (I enjoyed RUNAWAYS even though no one has really run away yet and two issues have been released); others are relying on hype to keep people on for subsequent issues. Take WOLVERINE #1 for example.
I know Wolverine is an established character in the MARVEL U and a story dedicated to him in the premiere issue is not as necessary as that of a lesser known character, but if I walked off the street and into a comic shop for the first time and picked up WOLVERINE #1 without knowing a thing about the character, I doubt I would be back for another serving. The story is told in a journal format. It does not focus on Wolverine, rather it focuses on a waitress who lives in the apartment across the hall from Wolverine (I always thought Wolvie lived in the X-Mansion, but I guess he moved at some point. Of course, none of that is explained in this issue). Issue one tells us of one person’s perception of Wolverine. We see very little of the character himself, just the observations of an outsider watching Wolverine do the things he does best. The thing is, Wolverine doesn’t really do anything exciting in this issue other than pull a knife out of his leg. He doesn’t even pop his claws once in this issue save the Glen Danzig inspired cover.
The “character seen through the eyes of an observer” story has been utilized a lot lately with the tough guys of the Marvel Universe. James Robinson did it successfully with his Irene character in CABLE. Ennis is doing it less successfully by making everyone but the Punisher interesting to read about in his title. And now we get the same type of story in WOLVERINE. In some ways, this GREAT GATSBY-like storytelling style allows the reader to see the main character through new eyes. It makes the character fresh because he or she is experiencing this character for the first time. This could be a good way to introduce a character in a premiere issue.
On the flip side, describing how a person perceives another character is putting just that much more distance between the reader and the main character. You are no longer reading about a character. You are reading about a character who is writing about another character. It’s like a frikkin’ Charlie Kauffman movie. This distancing of characters severed any emotional connection I might have had with the story and made me want to put more distance between me and this comic.
The thing is, Cable and the Punisher are really not strong characters. The Punisher is a one-note killing machine. Cable is a Liefeld creation (Nuff said). So using this narrative style to tell their stories is more effective because the narrator has more personality than they do. Say what you will about Wolverine, but he has one of the more three-dimensional personalities in comics. He’s an established character. I want to hear him say bub and act tough and show his soft side and struggle with his berserker rage. But we don’t really get any of this in issue #1. All we get is narration from an unknown character with a fraction of the personality Logan has.
Darick Robertson is not my favorite artist, though his pencils and inks sometimes work for me. I remember liking his work on NEW WARRIORS. But he tends to draw violence in this issue and in some issues of the PUNISHER with a sort of sick glee that I don’t think is fitting to the emotional context of the story. Robertson does get Wolvie’s proportions right. Artists often depict Wolvie as a shrunken version of a normal sized man, but Robertson draws Logan as short and stocky. His body is thick. It looks as if there is a metal plated skeleton under all of that hair and muscle. For some reason, though, his characters’ faces seem like caricatures of real people’s faces. There’s a sense of humor to even his most serious faces that takes away from the heavy stuff Rucka is trying to write about.
In a lot of ways, this story is a cop out. I’ve seen it a lot lately in MARVEL comics. The story is not so much about the character on the cover, but is a generic story with the character crammed in to fit the writer’s agenda. Read this issue and tell me how different it would read if the main character were the Punisher, Gambit, Cable, or hell, even Paladin. Nothing save for the fact that Logan was shot and healed distinguishes this as a “Wolverine” story. This may be acceptable for a fill-in issue between story arcs, but it is unforgivable in a first issue. Re-launching the WOLVERINE title is a marketing ploy to profit off of the success of the second X-MEN film. Anyone looking for the type of charisma and personality Hugh Jackman brings to the character in that film with be sorely disappointed if they read this issue.
NEW MUTANTS #1
Writers: Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Artist: Keron Grant
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Cormorant
I was pretty hyped up for the first issue of the new NEW MUTANTS (question: is it “newer” than NEW X-MEN? Does Grant Morrison know?!). Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original series when I read it during the 80’s, I found that it carried a strong nostalgic appeal upon reflection. Turns out, I liked those old characters. In anticipation of the relaunch, I slapped one of the preview covers for the series up as my computer desktop, reviewed Chris Claremont’s farewell to the original book, and reviewed no less than two Oni titles by the new writing team of Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. So at last, the big moment is upon me! The issue I’ve been hyping myself up for is actually out! What is the verdict?!!
Umm, get back to me in a few months.
Yep, it’s one of those issues. One of those “All set-up, all paced-for-the-trade” issues. In fact, I’m writing this review after having read several of this week’s reviews from my fellow ‘Holes, and one of the most interesting things I’ve noted is a recurring criticism against this style of pacing. Marvel’s not the only offender, but they, more than any other company, seem to have openly embraced so-called “decompressed” storytelling. It’s a style common to manga (the buzz reference of the year), but not-so-common in American superhero books, and often, not such a great fit. As an example of how overpowering this directive is, consider the recent comic gossip revelation that Geoff Johns had been asked to take one of his original scripts for an issue of AVENGERS and split it into two issues; this because it supposedly had “too much story” (Johns’ own words). This tale of editorially-mandated “padding” has since been confirmed by AVENGERS editor Tom Brevoort, though he naturally noted that he would’ve chosen a different way to describe the situation. I don’t know enough about the specifics to point fingers at anyone, though I trust Johns’ professionalism enough to believe that he’d do his best no matter what the editorial demands, but I do know that AVENGERS has felt a little padded of late. It’s as though Marvel is forcing everyone to follow in the tradition of their Ultimate line, whether it suits the strengths of particular creators or not. Based on my waning interest in AVENGERS, even before hearing the “padding” rumor, I’d have to say the answer for Johns is “not.”
But let’s get back to NEW MUTANTS. Nunzio and DeFilippis, judged by their work for Oni, strike me as creators that probably would be suited for the current Marvel pacing. But I don’t know if I can take it. This first issue, for instance, only briefly features even one of the four classic New Mutants characters that are spotlighted on the cover. The thrust of the story’s actually given over to a young Venezuelan girl who finds out that she’s a mutant and ends up in the charge of her American father when her mother is killed in a riot. Daddy is rich, but it’s clear the girl was the result of an indiscretion he wants to put behind him, and he only reluctantly takes her in:
“My business does not allow me the time for a daughter. Therefore these are the rules: You will learn English before school starts. You will get good grades. And above all, you will not use your mutant power. Ever.”
Well, guess what? She does use her mutant powers eventually, and that’s where things get messy, setting the stage for her to eventually find her way to Xavier’s Academy. This is a decent tale of teen alienation and parental neglect, as filtered through the all-consuming mutant allegory of the X-titles. It’s a bit old hat for this X-fan, but I have to acknowledge that this is a book meant to target readers who might not have even been born when I was reading the original NEW MUTANTS. For my own tastes, though, it lacked a strong incentive to return, whereas another similarly-paced Marvel launch – RUNAWAYS - snagged me beautifully with a true cliffhanger ending.
Aiding and abetting my lukewarm reaction to NEW MUTANTS is the art of Keron Grant. It’s clean, a little cartoony, and has solid meat-and-potatoes storytelling, but absolutely nothing in it jumped out at me. I’d liken the style to Mark Bagley’s work on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, but with fewer dramatic close-ups and flashy cinematics. It really seems that the book would have had a superior visual appeal if cover artist Josh Middleton was handling interiors too. Middleton made his name drawing similarly-aged protagonists for CrossGen’s MERIDIAN, and it almost seems like a tease to have him on covers and nothing else.
In another three or four issues, NEW MUTANTS might shape up to be an intriguing title, or it might have me returning to the old stuff just to re-read the “Demon Bear Saga” and remember when the title had some excitement and meaty art. Can’t say yet. I’ll get back to ya.
