written by Chip Zdarsky
drawn by Jim Cheung (pencils) Walden Wong and John Dell (inks)
colored by Frank Martin
For the second month in a row, the surviving half of Marvel's first family have featured in an engaging book that promises to get even more interesting next month.
Having lied to Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch about Reed and Sue Richards still being alive, Ben Grimm aka the Thing takes him on a trip to Monster Island, where he believes the two of them may find the device Reed left behind. Unfortunately, they find themselves smack in the middle of a political struggle between Mole Man and an up-and-coming monster aiming to wrest leadership from him, all of which is fallout from the recent "Monsters Unleashed" event. There and then, Mole Man devises a way to "elect" the leader; whoever's followers can take out Johnny and Ben gets to be the leader of Monsters Island! The terrific two find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Will Dr. Doo--err--the Infamous Iron Man bail them out, or cause them even more trouble?
With Disney's impending purchase of Twentieth Century Fox, I can't help but wonder if this story will play out differently in the months to come. Zdarsky indulges in a bit of "meta" commentary with Johnny commenting on how disrespectful it is that a Fantastic Four comic book is still being published (in Marvel's "world" of course) and he clearly conceived this story aware of how fans feel about the FF book's hiatus and the reasons behind it. He seems to be reaching out to fans, inviting them to enjoy the book regardless of the corporate issues behind it, and truth be told, enjoy it I did. I imagine Dr. Doom and the Mole Man, in the FF's nearly sixty-year publication history, have crossed paths before (I wouldn't know, I haven't seen it happen) but seeing it happen here was surprisingly humorous, and in keeping with the tone Zdarsky has set.
Of course, as enjoyable as Zdarsky's script is, I'm really here for Jim Cheung's art, which, yet again, is stellar. For all of its editorial's flawed story decisions lately, Marvel remains home to several extremely talented artists, and Cheung is definitely near the top of that heap. I'm glad a character he co-created will be featured in Avengers: Infinity War. This guy deserves all the accolades he can get. Truth be told, I'm starting to hope now more than ever that, however long it takes the Fantastic Four to finally get back together, (and it can't be that much longer now), Cheung is there to draw at least a dozen issues. Marvel have my attention (so far) with this book; a fantastic development like that would ensure that they keep it for a long, long time.
8.5/10
Monday, January 29, 2018
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Molly's Plan: A Review of Runaways #5
written by Rainbow Rowell
drawn by Kris Anka
colored by Matt Wilson
Feeling as emotionally displaced as she is physically, Gert Yorkes finally decides to shack up with Molly and her grandmother. While Molly is, at first, ecstatic about this, she knows things about her grandmother that Gert doesn't, and, believing that Gert's best interests might not necessarily be served by staying, makes a bold decision. Meanwhile, Chase, Victor, Nico and Karolina make a pretty bold decision of their own.
As we enter the penultimate chapter of this series' newest iteration, it makes sense that things would finally kick into high gear. The nice thing is that this particular story direction feels organic without necessarily feeling predictable. And Rowell's characterization of the villain of the piece feels very nicely nuanced. It's hard to be specific without spoiling the story but I'm pretty sure anyone reading this (and who's been following the story) knows who I'm talking about.
This story, much like the series in which it's set quite nicely defies convention and the usual tropes, even as it builds to its climax, which, as comic-book stories are wont to be these days, will likely be an anticlimax setting up the next six or so issues. Like I said in a previous review, I'm all right with that; Rowell and Anka have really given me something to sink my teeth into here. I love how the characterizations are both so spot on, almost as if Brian K. Vaughn himself had scripted them, and yet at the same time show so much character evolution, especially in the case of Gert, who's had to take on so much change in so little time. Rowell really surprised me with Molly; as out of left field as her decisions in this issue may seem, it all feels entirely consistent who she is. I also was struck by how I feel both pity and loathing for the eternally lonely Nico, my favorite character from the initial run who, since the book restarted, really can't seem to get her s**t together. It all feels so very right, and both Rowell's words and Anka's and Wilson's striking images just hit all the right notes. Anka, in particular, seems to get better with every single issue; I wonder what he's got in store for the climax.
I have yet to see the Hulu television series that prompted Marvel to bring these characters out of mothballs, but if I never get to see it and only get to read these issues, then I can count myself as one satisfied fan.
9/10
drawn by Kris Anka
colored by Matt Wilson
Feeling as emotionally displaced as she is physically, Gert Yorkes finally decides to shack up with Molly and her grandmother. While Molly is, at first, ecstatic about this, she knows things about her grandmother that Gert doesn't, and, believing that Gert's best interests might not necessarily be served by staying, makes a bold decision. Meanwhile, Chase, Victor, Nico and Karolina make a pretty bold decision of their own.
As we enter the penultimate chapter of this series' newest iteration, it makes sense that things would finally kick into high gear. The nice thing is that this particular story direction feels organic without necessarily feeling predictable. And Rowell's characterization of the villain of the piece feels very nicely nuanced. It's hard to be specific without spoiling the story but I'm pretty sure anyone reading this (and who's been following the story) knows who I'm talking about.
This story, much like the series in which it's set quite nicely defies convention and the usual tropes, even as it builds to its climax, which, as comic-book stories are wont to be these days, will likely be an anticlimax setting up the next six or so issues. Like I said in a previous review, I'm all right with that; Rowell and Anka have really given me something to sink my teeth into here. I love how the characterizations are both so spot on, almost as if Brian K. Vaughn himself had scripted them, and yet at the same time show so much character evolution, especially in the case of Gert, who's had to take on so much change in so little time. Rowell really surprised me with Molly; as out of left field as her decisions in this issue may seem, it all feels entirely consistent who she is. I also was struck by how I feel both pity and loathing for the eternally lonely Nico, my favorite character from the initial run who, since the book restarted, really can't seem to get her s**t together. It all feels so very right, and both Rowell's words and Anka's and Wilson's striking images just hit all the right notes. Anka, in particular, seems to get better with every single issue; I wonder what he's got in store for the climax.
I have yet to see the Hulu television series that prompted Marvel to bring these characters out of mothballs, but if I never get to see it and only get to read these issues, then I can count myself as one satisfied fan.
9/10
Friday, January 5, 2018
Now THAT'S The Waid/Samnee Awesomeness I Remember: A Review of Captain America #697
written by Mark Waid
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
They say good things come to those who wait, and in the case of the ongoing "Captain America" title that has proved to be true for me. After two issues with quality that ranged from pretty good to mediocre, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have rediscovered the form that made their run on "Daredevil" one of the most well-regarded in the character's history.
Waid and Samnee pit Captain America against Kraven the Hunter in what is essentially a soft retelling of the short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Trapped by Kraven on an island, Cap must navigate his way through a number of traps the wily hunter has set, all the while protecting a civilian who isn't nearly as capable of surviving death traps as he is.
It's a simple premise, but Waid and Samnee do a fantastic job on its execution, as, for the first time since they started on this run, they finally have Cap face-off against a respectable bad guy who poses a fairly credible threat. Of course, Kraven isn't quite in Cap's league as a fighter, but he does have a few tricks up his sleeve that make him a formidable enough foe throughout the issue.
I really enjoyed how matter-of-fact Cap was when going about the business of surviving, and how his ability to handle this particular problem has little to do with the super soldier serum coursing through his veins and much more to do with his decidedly tactical approach. The creative team still aren't quite up to the standard of excellence that defined their work on "Daredevil" but in the three issues they've turned out so far, this is the closest they've gotten.
Samnee, in particular, after a surprisingly bland showing last issue, delivers not only his patented dynamic storytelling, with generous helpings of both action and atmosphere, but pours a good deal of stunning detail into Steve's jungle adventure. With this issue, he's reaffirmed the reasons why he's my favorite artist working in comics today.
The issue is as much a delight to behold as it is to read, and I'm really happy to see one of my favorite creative teams finally hit its stride. Sure, they may still have avoided talking about the whole "Cap being the most hated man in America" issue, and sure whole "hunting down man" story device is virtually a hundred years old by now, with Kraven the Hunter actually having been created based on that premise, but like I said, it was all about the execution, and in this regard Waid and Samnee really hit most of the marks this time.
8.5/10
drawn by Chris Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
They say good things come to those who wait, and in the case of the ongoing "Captain America" title that has proved to be true for me. After two issues with quality that ranged from pretty good to mediocre, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have rediscovered the form that made their run on "Daredevil" one of the most well-regarded in the character's history.
Waid and Samnee pit Captain America against Kraven the Hunter in what is essentially a soft retelling of the short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Trapped by Kraven on an island, Cap must navigate his way through a number of traps the wily hunter has set, all the while protecting a civilian who isn't nearly as capable of surviving death traps as he is.
It's a simple premise, but Waid and Samnee do a fantastic job on its execution, as, for the first time since they started on this run, they finally have Cap face-off against a respectable bad guy who poses a fairly credible threat. Of course, Kraven isn't quite in Cap's league as a fighter, but he does have a few tricks up his sleeve that make him a formidable enough foe throughout the issue.
I really enjoyed how matter-of-fact Cap was when going about the business of surviving, and how his ability to handle this particular problem has little to do with the super soldier serum coursing through his veins and much more to do with his decidedly tactical approach. The creative team still aren't quite up to the standard of excellence that defined their work on "Daredevil" but in the three issues they've turned out so far, this is the closest they've gotten.
Samnee, in particular, after a surprisingly bland showing last issue, delivers not only his patented dynamic storytelling, with generous helpings of both action and atmosphere, but pours a good deal of stunning detail into Steve's jungle adventure. With this issue, he's reaffirmed the reasons why he's my favorite artist working in comics today.
The issue is as much a delight to behold as it is to read, and I'm really happy to see one of my favorite creative teams finally hit its stride. Sure, they may still have avoided talking about the whole "Cap being the most hated man in America" issue, and sure whole "hunting down man" story device is virtually a hundred years old by now, with Kraven the Hunter actually having been created based on that premise, but like I said, it was all about the execution, and in this regard Waid and Samnee really hit most of the marks this time.
8.5/10
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Half a Team: A Review of Marvel Two-in-One #1
written by Chip Zdarsky
drawn by Jim Cheung (p) John Dell and Walden Wong (i)
colored by Frank Martin
It's an open secret that Marvel Comics's First Family, the "Fantastic Four" were the casualties of a cold war between Marvel Studios and Twentieth Century Fox, the studio that, up until very recently, held the exclusive rights to produce movies of the said characters, among others. The story goes that the book was canceled because the Marvel parent company didn't want to give any publicity to Fox's 2015 FF reboot, which as it turned out, was a train wreck. I never quite bought into that narrative, considering how much Marvel's publishing arm (which is, all things considered, still supposed to be its heart and soul), promotes Deadpool, another Marvel property ensconced with Fox. Of course, this is all moot and academic now that Disney has bought out Fox and has therefore wrested back the rights to its characters.
This story, however, was clearly conceived in the pre-Fox buyout days.
Johnny Storm, or the hero formerly known as the Human Torch is basically at the end of his rope, still reeling from the depression of losing his sister and brother-in-law. The issue begins with him figuring in a massive, fiery car crash, from which he walks away unharmed but despondent. Johnny's pal Ben Grimm, on the other hand, is going through the motions of being one of the two surviving members of the Fantastic Four, trying his best to keep the spirit of his teammates Reed and Sue Richards alive by honoring them through a foundation he's set up. When Spider-Man, who visits the event, hands Ben the keys to the warehouse where all the FF's stuff from the Baxter Building is kept, Ben gets a lot more than he bargained for when no less than Doctor Doom shows up at the warehouse. Even though things get dicey at first, it is, surprisingly enough, Doom who backs off, giving Ben a token that, according to him, only Ben can activate, and one which might hold the key to the future of what remains of the Fantastic Four.
Let's be honest about something; even before Marvel pulled the plug on the comics series to spite Fox, the creative teams behind the Fantastic Four had somewhat lost their way. With the exception of the seminal run of Mark Waid and the late Mike Wieringo, the year-long run of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, and perhaps the run of Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting, over a nearly ten-year period the book itself really wasn't that good. Zdarsky has done more with two characters than many writers before him have done with a complete team.
The real draw for me, though (pardon the pun) was Jim Cheung, whose name alone is often enough to get me onto a book. This is the third book in the span of a little over a year that I have added to my list solely on his account, the first two being the enjoyable Spider-Man event "The Clone Conspiracy" with writer Dan Slott and the second being the utterly forgettable "Astonishing X-Men" reboot, of which he only illustrated one issue. I know he'll be sticking around for at least one, possibly two more issues this time around, so I'll definitely finish the arc he draws, even if he doesn't. I also hold out hope that, if the Fantastic Four ever get their own book again in view of the Fox acquisition, Cheung is lined up to draw at least a year's worth of issues.
Whatever politics influenced the telling of this story are irrelevant. The fact remains that Chip Zdarsky took whatever management allowed him to work with, and crafted a truly engaging yarn that, in a single issue, does justice to the legacy of the book and the characters in a way that a lot of full-blown FF runs failed to do. They may be down two members, but in Zdarsky's and Cheung's hands, the Fantastic Four are clearly alive and well, at least in spirit.
9/10
drawn by Jim Cheung (p) John Dell and Walden Wong (i)
colored by Frank Martin
It's an open secret that Marvel Comics's First Family, the "Fantastic Four" were the casualties of a cold war between Marvel Studios and Twentieth Century Fox, the studio that, up until very recently, held the exclusive rights to produce movies of the said characters, among others. The story goes that the book was canceled because the Marvel parent company didn't want to give any publicity to Fox's 2015 FF reboot, which as it turned out, was a train wreck. I never quite bought into that narrative, considering how much Marvel's publishing arm (which is, all things considered, still supposed to be its heart and soul), promotes Deadpool, another Marvel property ensconced with Fox. Of course, this is all moot and academic now that Disney has bought out Fox and has therefore wrested back the rights to its characters.
This story, however, was clearly conceived in the pre-Fox buyout days.
Johnny Storm, or the hero formerly known as the Human Torch is basically at the end of his rope, still reeling from the depression of losing his sister and brother-in-law. The issue begins with him figuring in a massive, fiery car crash, from which he walks away unharmed but despondent. Johnny's pal Ben Grimm, on the other hand, is going through the motions of being one of the two surviving members of the Fantastic Four, trying his best to keep the spirit of his teammates Reed and Sue Richards alive by honoring them through a foundation he's set up. When Spider-Man, who visits the event, hands Ben the keys to the warehouse where all the FF's stuff from the Baxter Building is kept, Ben gets a lot more than he bargained for when no less than Doctor Doom shows up at the warehouse. Even though things get dicey at first, it is, surprisingly enough, Doom who backs off, giving Ben a token that, according to him, only Ben can activate, and one which might hold the key to the future of what remains of the Fantastic Four.
Let's be honest about something; even before Marvel pulled the plug on the comics series to spite Fox, the creative teams behind the Fantastic Four had somewhat lost their way. With the exception of the seminal run of Mark Waid and the late Mike Wieringo, the year-long run of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, and perhaps the run of Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting, over a nearly ten-year period the book itself really wasn't that good. Zdarsky has done more with two characters than many writers before him have done with a complete team.
The real draw for me, though (pardon the pun) was Jim Cheung, whose name alone is often enough to get me onto a book. This is the third book in the span of a little over a year that I have added to my list solely on his account, the first two being the enjoyable Spider-Man event "The Clone Conspiracy" with writer Dan Slott and the second being the utterly forgettable "Astonishing X-Men" reboot, of which he only illustrated one issue. I know he'll be sticking around for at least one, possibly two more issues this time around, so I'll definitely finish the arc he draws, even if he doesn't. I also hold out hope that, if the Fantastic Four ever get their own book again in view of the Fox acquisition, Cheung is lined up to draw at least a year's worth of issues.
Whatever politics influenced the telling of this story are irrelevant. The fact remains that Chip Zdarsky took whatever management allowed him to work with, and crafted a truly engaging yarn that, in a single issue, does justice to the legacy of the book and the characters in a way that a lot of full-blown FF runs failed to do. They may be down two members, but in Zdarsky's and Cheung's hands, the Fantastic Four are clearly alive and well, at least in spirit.
9/10
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