Uncanny X-Force #21
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Greg Tocchini and Dean White [color art]
X-Force’s adventure in Otherworld continues this month following Fantomex’s sentencing to erasure from existence in issue #20.
As the issue opens, Fantomex has needles lowering into his skull. Around the time they reach his third brain (yeah…he has a few), Psylocke bursts in to rescue him from her brothers. After all, it was the Captain Britain Corps that abducted them both and put him on trial for the killing of the child reincarnation of Apocalypse.
Unlike the previous issue, this one doesn’t have the subtext of a greater moral debate. It does, however, continue to establish the dynamic between Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler and the rest of X-Force. This Nightcrawler is more sarcastic, and gloats about his accomplishments. He’s wary of Wolverine. After all, the Wolverine from his timeline became Apocalypse and slaughtered millions of people.
This creates some of the issue’s more interesting panels, but this chapter overall feels less essential to the larger story. We basically get the aforementioned further establishment of AoA Nightcrawler, more exploration of Psylocke’s growing affection for Fantomex, and a little bit of exposition in the plot. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still very well-written. Fantomex becomes more and more compelling with every issue that Rick Remender does. It just sort of screams “THIS IS THE LULL BEFORE THE CLIMAX!” to me.
Greg Tocchini’s art remains vibrant and befitting a story set in a magical plane of existence, so it’s understandable that it isn’t the most finely detailed art compared to that of Jerome Opeña. Remember, in the last issue, there was a clear differentiation in the art between scenes set in the “real world” and scenes set in “Otherworld,” so it’s doubtful that this is the standard for Tocchini’s artistic output going forward. It does work beautifully for this story, though.
Overall, this is still a pretty good issue — it just feels a little more compressed than part one. It’ll be interesting to see what Remender does with his big reveal at the end of this issue, though. (SEE Uncanny X-Force #18 for teasers)
Amazing Spider-Man #679
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Humberto Ramos [Pencil], Victor Olazaba [Inks], and Edgar Delgado [Color]
Surprise! New York didn’t get destroyed after all!
The conclusion to Dan Slott’s time-hopping, hero-overcoming-seemingly-insurmountable-odds story might not be all that surprising–unless you really thought Spider-Man would fail 21 issues away from #700, and just a few issues away from the big “Ends of the Earth” storyline–but it’s the little things in this tale that count.
To recap, Peter Parker’s Horizon Labs co-worker Grady Scraps created an invention that was essentially a doorway into tomorrow. When Peter stepped through the door, however, the originally “good Tuesday” became “bad Tuesday” because Peter/Spider-Man had not been present the entire previous day. Grady had, however, conveniently grabbed a newspaper from “good Tuesday,” which detailed everything Spidey was supposed to do that day–giving he and Pete the idea that as long as Spidey did everything that paper said he did the previous day, “bad Tuesday” would be averted.
Are you keeping up with me here?
As I pointed out a few weeks ago in my review of Amazing Spider-Man #678, this story does seem a bit like filler material as the aforementioned “Ends of the Earth” event approaches. “Filler,” however, isn’t necessarily a bad word here, though. Slott works in little details and plot threads that still make the book worth every penny. For example(s), the event Spider-Man is supposed to prevent isn’t what you would think it was, Silver Sable apparently has the hots for Spider-Man, and there’s even some more hinting (or maybe just teasing) at the rekindling of the Peter/MJ romance.
On top of that, Humberto Ramos and co. hit another one out of the park. The amount of storytelling in this issue’s facial expressions and body language alone would seal the deal on this even if it were just a run-of-the-mill story without the aforementioned plot details.
Why are you still reading this? Go buy these past two issues now!
Written by: Robert Kirkman Art by: Charlie Adlard Coloring by: Cliff Rathburn Cover By: Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn Publisher: Image
I always read the Walking Dead first. It’s probably one of my favorite comics, and it’s one that I’m the most excited for. Being a rabid fan of the Walking Dead I get frustrated when there is filler issues, or the calm before the storm. Having a slow-burn in comic form doesn’t always work for me, and I just want to get to the juicy plot and get on with it. Unfortunately the beginning to the Larger World arc starts off spinning wheels in the mud and going over ground covered before. It’s just a stack of exposition and waffles this issue.
The story thus far: Rick, Michonne, and Abraham ran into a hostile survivor on one of their scout patrols. After a brief scuffle it’s revealed he’s come to offer a trade route to a network of communities. His name is Jesus. So here it is, a promised land of society trying to get back on its feet in the face of a the zombie apocalypse. “A Larger World” opens on the cliffhanger from last issue as Jesus describes the trade routes and how it works. So Rick is like, “oh, okay great, no problem, when can we get started,” and Jesus is surprised that this is going so easy. Then Rick beats the piss out of the poor guy and captures him for interrogation. I can see where this is going. Rick doesn’t trust Jesus and is paranoid that he’s from a crew ready to attack their town and raid supplies. I can understand. He hasn’t exactly had any luck with outsiders, like the Governors cannibalistic society of neo-Romans, where he lost his arm about 50 issues ago. Rick decides to prepare his town for war, while he takes a patrol out to see if he can spot Jesus’s war party. Andrea makes an interesting point and asks “what if he is telling the truth and they are blowing a chance to trade with these other communities?” Exactly, thank you Andrea.
Longtime reader’s of The Walking Dead can spot a painful exposition dump coming a mile away, and unfortunately we get a couple of doozies this issue. Now don’t take this the wrong way, I love Kirkman’s plotting. I think he always takes us on an unexpected and somewhat realistic journey with his stories.The twists, turns cliffhangers, and shocking conclusions are why I keep coming back for more. However kills me with the drawn-out explanations and waffling. Literally he can talk a situation to death (or until a zombie attacks). He sorely needs to use the “Pope in the Pool” method of burying exposition by drawing the audience’s eye to something visually startling (like a pope swimming in a pool) to distract them from the information overload. The preparation for war monologue is particularly involved and not much fun to look at. After Kirkman lays it all out for us we are graced with one decent character moment from Eugene who brings up a good idea about recycling ammo casings and trying to re-make bullets. Later there’s a brief brush of desperate tension with him and the girl lives with who used fuck Abraham. Hopefully this will seed into some kind of interesting conflict down-the-line.
Out on war patrol Rick, Michonne, and Abraham stumble upon a pack of zombies and dispatch them rather quickly and quietly. In fact they are so ruthless and efficient that its sparks a debate about why they are worried about some attack from unknown survivors, when they aren’t even phased by the living dead anymore. A “Pope in the Pool” opportunity is missed here and instead of waffling and postulating while killing zombies (not realistic, but interesting and exciting) Kirkman instead saves it for a nice boring walk in the woods. Man sometimes this really does feel like the Talking Dead. I get it. To move this story further they have to trust Jesus (never thought I’d say that about this comic) and go through these trade routes to meet the other communities involved. We all knew this was going to happen. It had to. I wish it could have just been half the issue dedicated to Rick being in character and not trusting anything new, than waste the whole book going nowhere. Maybe it bought the creators some time, but c’mon bring on the “larger world” already. I’m amped for what’s coming around the bend, it’s just not happening fast enough.
While the plot may be on pause this issue, at least it looks freaking’ fantastic. Ever since issue 7 when Charlie Adlard took over the art for The Walking Dead, it’s truly found its true voice. Not taking anything away from the spectacular characters designs from original artist, Tony Moore, but Adlard gave the Dead a consistently stark and realistic tone that draws you into the world. I favor Moore for his fine detail, but Adlard wins with atmosphere. This issue he teams up with Cliff Rathburn to assist with “coloring” (it’s black & white so maybe “toning” would be more accurate). Striking thick brush strokes and sublime ink washes depict the dystopian mood of The Walking Dead. Zombies are husks of meat, ravaged by rigor mortis and time. They are desperately primal and echo the human condition. Devoid of all emotion except rage, they drip with terror and move with murderous intent. Adlard’s action scenes are as violent and intense as they are fluid, showing real athleticism and energy. The survivors have been through the ringer and it shows. I can see their stink, their weariness and strength. The weight on their shoulders is carried with gritty artistic flair. It feels very much like the world of Romero’s classic Night of The Living Dead. Adlard displays cinematic style through dynamic camera angles, shot scale, and a strong use of shadow and light. The spotted-black patterns of leaves, blood and rot paint the transgressive theme of this series with fervor and zeal. In short, the zombie apocalypse has never looked so good.
Like any good TV show, some episodes are needed to set the stage for things to come. It’s a necessary evil. This issue was needed to add realism to the characters shifting attitude, and to stay true to the series’ history. I really wanted to jump ahead and skip all that. I’m an impatient asshole, what can I say. I blame the internet. New beginnings are promised to be on the horizon however. As long and Kirkman and crew can deliver on that promise than we are all good. I trust that he will. There’s a lot narrative and thematic possibilities that a “larger world” could open up. However if they fail and slip back in to the big threat while zombies attack formula, rinse and repeat… it could prove fatale for the series. I don’t think that will happen though. Kirkman saw that a change was needed to shake things up and has done a lot of groundwork setting up a smooth transition. We can only wait and see if the pay-off will be worth it.
Story: 5 Art: 8
Jerry Nelson
Follow me on twitter and tell me what you think @the_hellhounds
Francis Manupal and Brian Buccelato’s Flash series has been a really enjoyable and inventive retelling of the character thus far and this issue keeps this trend racing in the right direction. Barry’s friend Manuel has been taken away by Mob Rule , Central City is in complete Chaos after an EMP pulse created a blackout and Iris is all alone in Iron Heights prison with the inmates on the loose.
That is a lot of story to try and wrap up in a single issue but Manupal and Buccelato manage to do it and in in genius fashion. The first thing I have to mention is how beautiful Francis Manupal’s art is in this issue. He has been experimenting here and there with ink washes and this issue is no different. He uses Dark blues and whites to convey Central City during the Blackout scenes and goes back to his bold and bright colorful style when we follow Barry as he tries to help all of his friends.
Francis Manupal’s version of The Flash may be my favorite Ive seen . The opening title page is beautiful showing Barry running across the ocean with two barges following closely behind in his Slip Stream as the Ice in the ocean breaks around them and forms the title sequence . He constantly is drawing Barry in motion using his new costume and the electricity it creates as a character of its own. Flash finally has his version of Batman’s cape for artists to interpret . Art is clean and he still manages to give each character there own unique look . I cant wait to see his redesign of Captain Cold next issue.
Amazing Opening Page to Flash #5 by Francis Manupal courtesy of IGN
I’ll come right out and say that this is a big concept book . Things that happened in the first two issues finally pay off here and we learn the consequences of Barry using the Speed Force on the fly ( I wont spoil it for you but it creates a great amount of potential for the future ).
I also enjoy the theme of friendship and family in this issue and how every one of the main characters view one another. Barry is willing to sacrifice himself for his friend Manuel even though he already has shown he is more interested in saving himself. Then we get to see Patty valuing Barry in a way he has yet to show her. It creates a nice narrative towards the end of the issue and makes these characters seem real .
The end of the issue Manupal and Buccelato drop a bombshell explaining how The Flash’s Speed Force powers are effecting the world around him which again creates an amazing amount of story possibilities down the road. The Flash has become a very solid and fun Sci Fi superhero book giving Barry Allen a fresh and new take on his life and powers as the Flash. Kudos to Francis Manupal and Brian Buccelato for taking the character in a new and exciting direction.
Written by: Geoff Johns Pencils by: Jim Lee Inks by: Scott Williams, Hope, Irwin and Weems Colors by: Alex Sinclair with Gabe Eltaeb & Tony Avina Lettering by: Patrick Brosseau Cover by: Jim Lee & Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair Publisher: DC
Darkseid kicks ass. Half the Justice League got knocked-the-fuck out last issue, leaving Flash and Superman to deal with Darkseid. He sends them running for their lives as he fires target-seeking Omega beams from his friggin’ eyes to incinerate them. Flash fares well, but the same can’t be said for Superman. He get’s blasted, drops from the sky and get’s carried away by space demons. And that’s how this issue opens.
I’ve always been more a Marvel zombie kind of guy, and until DC’s new 52, I never really gave Justice League a chance. So I’m not really familiar with its original history. But I can tell you from what I read of this opening arc it’s the new 52 JL origin story is awesome. I’ve read a lot of early criticisms that the story is too drawn out, not epic and short-changed some of the characters. I disagree. Look I didn’t care about JL at all when this started, I needed the clean slate to start with. Justice League always seemed unapproachable as a book for me, so being eased in to the origin was not so bad. The story may seem drawn-out to some but I like that it gave me a chance to like the characters and see how they interacted. And how is full-scale alien invasion led by Darkseid not epic? Yes some of the characters do get the background treatment, but mostly each one has gotten their moments as the arc has progressed. That being said, there is a couple of spots in this issue where I was left scratching my head.
The first one comes after the next round of attacks. Green Lanterns takes on Darkseid, thrashing him with a mega-construct of 40 medieval flails. Darkseid brushes them off like it was freaking dandruff, then cracks Green Lantern in half. Well, not quite, but he does some serious damage and Hal is pretty jacked up. Then Darkseid takes off to do some more evil shit. Green Lantern wants to go after him but Batman stops him. He’s like “dude, you’re an idiot, you are all fucked up, you’ll get yourself killed.” Hal doesn’t care, he just want’s a piece of Darkseid and won’t listen to reason. Batman has to slow him up and he takes off his mask and reveals his identity to Hal. “What? You are doing this now?” is Hal Jordan’s reaction. It mirrors my own. While I can sort of see Batman’s reasoning (trust and goodwill), it seems really out character for him to do something like that. Especially because he thinks Hal Jordan is a dick. He’s spent most of the arc telling him to cool his jets and pay attention. Insulting him at every chance he gets. I just don’t buy it. It threw me for a loop. However he manages to drive home his point. He and Green Lantern are the only two normal people on this team that don’t have inherent super powers. They have are alike in many ways and have to trust each other. Ultimately in this situation it’s not about them. They need to rally the troops and work as team instead of showboating as individuals. Or “Stop playing baseball and start playing football” as he put’s it. Since GL is jacked up he splits off to lead the rest of the team while Batman decides to get captured so he can get Superman back.
The next WTF comes when Green Lantern tries to be a leader. He gives an awkward kind of speech, but somehow everyone listens to him anyways and decided to band together. Then Hal lets loose the most embarrassing Saturday-morning-cartoon battle cry I’ve ever read in a comic, “We Got This!” Oh boy. You sure do. It was funny when Aquaman got called “Aquafresh” by Green Lantern but this battle cry was the worst. Flash immediately rips on him for it. Awkward banter ensues. Those kind of jokes just really fall flat for me. Maybe some younger kids will think it’s funny, but for the sake of future generations I hope not. This is the first time I’ve had some doubts about this series, so hopefully it’s a one-off and the playful exchanges can even out a bit.
This issue is not a total loss however. We do get a breathtaking glimpse of Apokolips in full hell-raising glory. Jim Lee and Scott Williams’ art is mostly rock-solid. Some of the panels in which Batman reveals his identity were a bit rushed, but other than that it was pretty much aces. I know there was some other inkers helping Scott out on this one, maybe that’s where they filled in. Alex Sinclair is the lead colorist and renders everything in a hyper modern style. There’s some really beautiful Kirby-dots on a the panel were Superman get’s blasted that have a rich depth you don’t normally see. Glow effects on GL’s constructs are done really well, you can see them pulse and radiate light. I’ve heard some people say it’s the coloring is a bit garish and the art feels like video game, and sometimes I cans see their point. There is a lot going on and I could maybe use a bit more separation in layers to push and pull some of the details. It does get busy and loud, but overall I wasn’t really distracted by it. The storytelling and panel work was clear, I didn’t get lost in the narrative and it looked good. Jim Lee and Scott Williams are a team that has been around the block a few times and they know how to get shit done. Sometimes that means getting some help with fill-in inkers and additional colorists.
Justice League #5 is battle-heavy issue that is a much about learning to work together and being a team than it is kicking ass (or in this case taking a beating). It’s a fresh and exciting story with a few missteps. The tone of this book could really use a strong identity right about now to manage readers expectations. Is this a light-heart team book for teens and kids? Is it a PG-13 movie? Or is it going to be an aggressive team book with bickering and more adult interactions like Uncanny X-men or JSA used to be? It’s great that the story is unpredictable, but eventually, a lack of identity will bring this ship down. My vote is more drama less jokes. What do you guys think?
Story: 6.5 Art: 8
Jerry Nelson
Follow me on twitter and tell me what you think @the_hellhounds
Issue five starts with a new arc that has Aquaman falling from the sky with nothing but the expansive desert to break his fall. Immediately Geoff lets Ivan Reis and Joe Prado do a lot of the story telling this issue. Having the first four pages be entirely void of dialogue other than a simple “uh oh” speaks volumes to the level of effort that went into each page of their art. If nothing else it proves that Aquaman will remain a consistently pretty book to look at.
However having a solid story is the other half of the battle in comics and I feel like this arc is starting out with a whimper at this point. Geoff Johns has said that this arc will deal with the question of what actually happened to Atlantis. I’m excited to see what led to the fall of Atlantis but I dislike the way the story went from Aquaman being stranded in the desert this issue to rewinding every few pages little by little to show us how he landed in the desert in the first place. It breaks up the flow of the issue and you never feel really solidly invested in either portion of the story Geoff is trying to tell. Also to watch Arthur struggle in the desert to then be rescued by a helicopter makes his whole situation this issue feel cheapened.
I do like that Geoff has decided to work some deep seeded issues into Arthur and his relationship with his father. It created and added layer to Aquaman and should create necessary momentum and weight later down the road for him to claim or not claim the throne in Atlantis one day. I have to say that I dislike Geoff’s treatment of Mera this far . She seems like nothing more than a simple-minded woman as Geoff writes her and while I realize it’s the new 52 its hard for me to accept this version of Mera when I was reading a strong-minded and stong willed version of the character in Brightest Day less than a year ago.
Aquaman eventually gets out of his desert surroundings and finds what he was looking for that led to him free-falling to the sky to begin with. Arthur activates a decoded message that explains to him the pending threat that Atlantis will meet just before the trans mission gets cut short. Fortunately for Arthur he is discovered and brought back into town and enters his house to see a note from Mera telling him she went into town to get dog food.
In short I wanted to like this issue but it doesn’t really seem to pick up momentum at all. I am curious to see what attacked the Atlanteans but I never was comfortable with the pacing of this issue or the inconsistency of the script. However the art from both Ivan Reis and Joe Prado is gorgeous and definitely worth your time to check out. Colors are bright and as always Ivan has a real good eye for setting up sequences and action scenes on paper. I really like the new character designs he created for the Atlantean soldiers . I’m hoping for answers and better consistency next issue.After setting the bar so high with his last arc I was left wanting more . Aquaman continues to be a good book but next I hope next issue amps up its pace and gets us to Atlantis .
X-Men Legacy #261 Writer: Christopher Gage Artist: David Baldeon and Jordi Tarragona
Rogue, Gambit and Frenzy have arrived at the Jean Grey Institute and they barely have time to unpack their bags before something big and bad comes knockin’ upon their door. In this case, as the cover depicts, the big bad is ex-Acolyte leader Exodus. Last we saw Exodus was in issue #225: Charles Xavier had persuaded Exodus to drop his scheme to reign supreme over the mutant race and instead band together and fight the good fight. Here, he returns for an admirable cause–to reunite both Cyclops’ and Wolverine’s teams once again, as everyone agrees in ‘strength in numbers’ and that ideal has more than proven itself warranted during the time spent on Utopia.
So, Exodus puts forth an Ultimatum: come with him back to Utopia, freely or, if necessary, by force. Of course, no one likes to be told what to do, especially our southern bell Rogue. Admirable cause aside, it was a terrible presentation, so battle erupts! But here in the Jean Grey Institute, all children must evacuate to safety as the X-Men control the situation. I do enjoy Cyclops’ mentality that all mutants are active X-Men combatants, as the situation is ever so dire, but THIS is a breath of fresh air! And the teachers at the institute make one hell of an X-Men Team.
Christopher Gage crams this issue with content, which is always highly appreciated. The issue kicks off with Rachel picking Rogue’s brain on the current status of her relationship with Magneto, who is currently residing with (as Rogue perfectly states) his “heir to his legacy,” Cyclops (scary thought). Rogue and Magneto’s relationship, I believe, is bound to fail, between long distance and/or Magneto eventually ripping the world asunder once again. Personally, I’m rooting for them (and Magneto’s prolonged good streak), as I’m a huge fan of their iterations during the Age of Apocalypse.
Penciler, David Baldeon’s cartoon expressive style accompanies the book’s brother title, Wolverine and the X-Men, perfectly. Both have the cartoon detail that adds a youthful tone that works well for the attempt to make these kids seem vulnerable, though we know most are well seasoned soldiers. As Gage’s script demanded, Baldeon formed his pages to read fluently and not seem crammed. Along with the cartoon style comes over the top effects and colors, which poops off the pages; it’s quite a bit of fun. Beast sports his new uniform, only shown in preview art for the upcoming arc in the Secret Avengers, and it looks great as his old uniform was awkward fitting… almost as if it was crafted by Emma Frost.
This issue was fun and has brought Exodus back into the forefront. I only hope he brings battle to Magneto and then inevitably joins the X-Men, ’cause everyone’s invited! Hell, I predict Mr. Sinister will be an X-Man this time next year. Jumping back, I may add that I’m extremely glad that Rachel Grey has been added to the cast, her history brings a lot of possible story devices and she’s part of the Summers/Grey clan–gotta love em’ all. Kudos to Mark Brooks on a fantastic cover. The next issue’s cover of a battered Rogue tops it!
Story: 7 Art: 8
Also recommended this week:
Justice League #5 – It gets real! -Reviewed Here! Angel & Faith #6 – There’s a horrifying mosquito demon on the loose…and that’s just scratching the surface. Secret Avengers #21.1 – The prelude to the formation of Hawkeye’s new secret espionage team!
Deadpool #49.1
Writer: Daniel Way
Art: John McCrea & Veronica Gandini [Colorist]
Sure, it would be easy for Daniel Way to write a simple recap for the latest Marvel “Point One” issue for Deadpool, but simple and easy wouldn’t be as fun as writing that recap issue AS A FREAKIN’ MUSICAL!
[For those not in the know, “Point One” is Marvel’s initiative to give new readers a good “jumping-on” point to a comic. – Voice #2]
In Deadpool #49.1, Way takes a stroll through his 50-issue run on the current volume of the Merc With A Mouth’s solo book. From his involvement in the Skrull Invasion and his war against Norman Osborn and epic battle with Bullseye to his attempts to be a hero and interstellar adventures, all are covered here and intended to be recapped to the tune of Naughty By Nature, Tay Zonday, Britney Spears and the Misfits.
Doing the story overview this way was a fitting way to condense 50 or so issues of Deadpool into a 32-page book. To top it all off, John McCrea’s art diverges from regular artist Salva Espin in that it has a more ’90s Deadpool feel to it. This adds even more of a “flashback” sort of feel to the issue, even though the stories recapped here only began in 2008.
Overall, this was a fun recap and great for anyone interested in trying Deadpool or just looking for some cheesy humor. [Cheese…I like cheese.]
On a final note, what ever happened to Hit-Monkey? As the assistant editor of this website, I’m demanding that Marvel bring back Hit-Monkey in some way, shape or form in the next year. He doesn’t have to be in his own series. I know the attempt at giving him one kind of flopped. Or something.
Just bring him back. Now!
[Yeah! What he said!]
STORY: 7/10 (Because, you know…It’s a recap. Nothing new to see here.)
ART: 8/10
Cliff Chiang Draws the Alternate Cover for Sacrifice #2
Sacrifice #2
Story By: Sam Humphries
Art By: Dalton Rose
Review Score: 7.5/10
Once again Sam Humphries starts this issue with a flashback of a young Hector pretending to be an Aztec warrior as a kid playing with his brother and taking things a bit too far. Hector’s mother tells him he not to play so rough and his response “It was just pretend ” carries us into the present …which is actually the past . You see Hector has seizures , and it just so happens that his latest seizure has brought him back in time to the Ancient Aztec civilizations his father read to him about all of those years as a child. If that seems like a lot to explain it is , but Sam Humphries did a great job last issue explaining how Hector got where he is. He lets this issue take place primarily in Mexico with Hector in the middle of two warring Aztec Tribes.
Dalton Rose flexes his storytelling muscles and stages an intense and elaborate fight sequence that is very dynamic and brutal. The Tribe Hector is fighting alongside ends up victorious and take their prisoners with them to be sacrificed tomorrow. One of the prisoners is the Princess of their Rival tribe and Hector is tasked with having to execute her the following day.
Sam Humphries takes some time to explain the history of the warring Tribes and why they are at odds to Hector which he interlaced over Hector being told the same story by his father, but his father wasn’t able to give him the whole story which the Elder manages to explain to him.
As with most things in Hector’s life , he feels not in control of his situation and decides to not go through with the execution . This leads to an escape sequence with Hector and the Princess fleeing from imminent death. Hector seems to recognize this girl from his future and decides the best course of action is to leave with her, however Humphries closes the issue out explaining to us what that the princess was responsible for ultimately leading the Conquistadors into Mexico , thus leading to the end of the Aztec Empire.
This issue does a lot of things right , the art is crisp , bright and is unique , and the story thus far is interesting. However I hope things pick up next issue and we see how Hector’s decisions in the past affect him in the future . So far a pretty interesting and cool take on material we don’t usually see in comics.
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis Art by: Alex Maleev Colors by: Matt Hollingsworth Lettering by: VC’s Cory Petit Cover by: Alex Maleev
Bendis’s reboot of Moon Knight is a off-beat superhero book that is hard to nail-down. You can draw some similarities to Image’s 2009 Cowboy Ninja Viking (a comic by A.J. Lieberman and Riley Rossmo), but it doesn’t get much beyond surface detail. Marc Spector (aka Moon Knight) and Duncan both have 3 personalities. While Duncan had a cowboy, ninja, and viking running around his head; Spector has Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. The personalities in Moon Knight speak with color coded speech balloons (Capt. America is blue, Spider-Man is Red, Wolverine is Yellow), akin to how Cowboy Ninja Viking had their icons (a katana for the ninja, a gun for the cowboy, and an axe for the viking). However that’s where the likeness ends as each series varies in plot, tone, and complexity. Those comparisons aside, Moon Knight is unlike any comic I have read.
The plot is new-school noir with a dash of Sybil and a Hollywood twist. Marc Spector moves to LA to work on some TV show about his adventures as Moon Knight called “Legends of the Khonshu”. On one of his patrols as Moon Knight he intercepts the delivery of a Ultron robot body (a seed for the upcoming Ultron War?) and decides to try to find the kingpin of LA and shut him down. He’s losing his shit and seeing things. Visions of Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine show up to give him advice along the way. Spector teams up with Daredevil’s ex-girlfriend Echo, and ex-SHIELD agent Buck Lime as his R&D weapons guy (like Q from James Bond) as he fumbles around LA’s underworld. While the plot may seem like standard comic book fare, it’s really the nuanced decompressed approach that Bendis takes to the narrative that makes this a worthwhile read. He takes Moon Knight, a long-lost character that basically nobody cares about anymore, and gives him some real depth, personality and charm. Marc Spector is a flawed hero, arguably one of the most flawed ones in the Marvel Universe because of his history with schizophrenia, demon possession, multiple personalities and blood lust. Bendis makes small moments matter. He brings out the more humanistic qualities of Moon Knights faults. The kind of thing a reader can connect to. Spector is an eccentric outsider that’s self-conscious about being a d-listed super hero. He’s brash and makes hasty decisions leaving him prone to easy mistakes. He tries to be a cad, like Tony Stark, but just ends up kind of being a crappy flirt and having a lot more heart than you’d think. He’s kind of funny in a pathetic sort of way. In short, Marc Spector fails more than he succeeds, and is a lovable loser trying to redeem himself and pull out of a downward spiral. He’s that crazy underdog that you can’t help rooting for.
Last issue we learned that Count Nefaria (an old X-men and Avengers villain) turns out to be the LA kingpin and are left with a cliffhanger showdown. Issue 9 opens with a B-Story flashback to a scene with Buck Lime from a week ago. Marc basically tell’s him that he wants weapons like Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine (a shield, web-shooters, and claws). The whole issue cross-cuts between the B-story of how his weapons get engineered and the present battle with Count Nefaria. He uses these weapons to narrowly escape powerful attacks and throw Nefaria off his game. Meanwhile, Marc Spector’s personalities start to bicker and fight as combat between Nefaria, Moon Knight, and Echo intensifies. Captain America think he should call in the Avengers and get out of there, Spider-Man is smart ass about the whole affair, and Wolverine just wants to kill Nefaria. The issues climaxes with a critical injury and Spector’s mind going haywire. Captain America, Spider-Man and Wolverine fight to the death inside his head and he begins to unravel. Just as things start to really get interesting it concludes with one mother of a cliffhanger. I was left a bit gobsmacked by it to tell you the truth, but am reluctant to spoil it. This is the strength of decompressed storytelling. By the building up small scenes and cross-cutting with action like an editor you can really drive the narrative to a dizzying climax and make it feel as if you just watched a crucial episode of a TV show. Like the episode right before a season finale. The only thing I think we are missing from Bendis is perhaps some big set-piece that really screams Los Angeles. How about a fight scene at Mann’s Chinese Theater where Moon Knight can’t tell between the dressed-up characters and his visions. Or Explosions on Hollywood & Vine; Spector having duel in the Viper Room; A chase scene through a full crowd at Venice Beach; An escape through the LA River. You get the idea. Moon Knight is in LA, let’s fuck it up.
Alex Maleev’s art on this is very textural, almost like something you would see coming out of a figure drawing class. There’s a rough, expressionistic and somewhat scratchy quality to his inked brush work, which contrast to some of the smooth fine lines that are penned in the background. He doesn’t shy away from logotypes or typesetting in signage, giving credibility to even the most mundane scene. Also I got to say that I like that Maleev got away from the heavy use of photo references like he was using on Spiderwoman. He relied on it so much that they gave credit to the model he used for Jessica Drew and it distracted format he content of the story. It’s still apparent that references are used, but they are much more loosely interpreted. Matt Hollingsworth, who also worked with Maleev on Spiderwoman, colors in a way that pops off the page and makes LA feel like the neon-soaked broken playground that it is. It’s the coloring that really sets the mood and atmosphere for the comic. This issue is more about the night and royal blue tones are used in the same way the movie Heat was color graded with cool tones for night. Hollingsworth helps the separation that Maleev creates between the layers of foreground and background, and knockouts the inked lines where appropriate with a color overlay. Special effects radiate subtly, and are not overly photoshopped. The panels are richer for it. The cover, which is all Maleev, is striking in its color and design. It’s a blue-man Spector with yellow eyes, tearing through his Moon Knight cloak on a textured painted background. It’s stark design that possibly alludes to Spector shedding some of the baggage of his personalities.
Bendis puts Moon Knight on overdrive and sends his ass over-the-edge. Whether he lands or even come out the other side is up in the air. Literally anything could happen. That’s what great about this series. It’s an unpredictable wild ride with a fractured super-hero that’s falling apart. This series was a slow-burn to start with and now it finally has the momentum and interest to be truly great. I’m hooked and somehow I care about Moon Knight now. Making Spector vulnerable and crazy worked. He’s a good guy and I hope he pull his shit together. I’m curious to see what happens next.
Story: 8.5 Art: 7.5
Jerry Nelson
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X-Force’s adventure in Otherworld continues this month following Fantomex’s sentencing to erasure from existence in issue #20.
