written by Jason Aaron
drawn by David Marquez
colored by Justin Ponsor
Following the events of last issue, in which employees of Roxxon brutally murdered Atlanteans and put their corpses on display, a drastic change has come over Namor, King of Atlantis. Although he willingly negotiates with the Avengers for the release of the murderers, his fury leads him to take decisive, if startlingly deadly action against those he now views to be his sworn enemies, i.e. everyone on the surface world. The consequences could be dire, not only for the Avengers, but for the world considering that 3/4s of it is covered in water.
This issue, for me, is remarkable for two things: David Marquez's sensational art, and the fact that, even though Namor is now being pitched as antagonistic to the Avengers, it is extremely hard to disagree with him. Even if the Avengers are technically still in the "right" because they want to prevent Namor from starting a war by killing the Roxxon employees, they basically offer Namor little by way of recompense for the lives that they brutally took, and the depredation that Roxxon and others have long inflicted and will continue to inflict on the oceans. In short, Namor's rage, even if it leads to an act of murder in the first few pages, is nonetheless completely understandable and what makes this story interesting is that is poses the very legitimate question of how do you root for the good guys in a scenario like this? It's not unlike the debates that Black Panther sparked a few months back, with a large segment of the audience finding themselves agreeing more with the antagonist, Erik Killmonger than the film's title character (and hero). Following Aaron's first story arc on this series, which I didn't exactly love, I have to say I'm grateful that
It helps, of course, that Namor is vividly realized by David Marquez, who's gone from strength to strength since I first started following him back in 2011. To my mind, this guy's one of the most talented artists Marvel has on their roster right now. That said, I'm not a fan of his redesign of Namor's costume, which, while certainly an upgrade from scaly green swim trunks, isn't as good as his black suit, and with the apparently see-through sides of his pants it's weirdly evocative of an adult film. Assuming this new look sticks I hope they at least they change those weird fishnets. Apart from this, though, Marquez shines, as he usually does.
Next month's issue is being hyped as a big one, being the 700th issue of the series, constant re-numbering aside, ever published, and I have to say, even though Aaron's first arc felt like a bit of a dud, this one looks like it's got real potential.
8.5/10
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Betrayal: A Review of Captain America #4
written by Ta Nehisi Coates
penciled by Leinil Francis Yu
inked by Gerry Alanguilan
colored by Sunny Gho
Having learned of the truth behind the army of "Nuke" clones that has been attacking American cities over the last few months, Captain America rushes over to the (fictional) former Soviet Republic of Alberia to confront the sinister minds behind Power Enterprises. After dispatching with ease several foot soldiers, Cap finds himself facing a notably more formidable adversary in the Taskmaster who gets the jump on him. Meanwhile, the captive Sharon Carter comes face to face with the mysterious Aleksa, whose true identity and agenda are finally revealed.
Having kicked the story into high gear last issue, Coates keeps up the momentum this issue with another fast-paced action sequence, followed by a bombshell of a story revelation that portends even more ill for Cap, who's still recovering from the beating his reputation took from the events of "Secret Empire." I doubt this story can truly wrap up in two more issues, and it seems, especially from Marvel's marketing, that there are quite a few dark things on the horizon for the star-spangled Avenger who will soon come face-to-face with a foe from his past, and a new one he's never faced before: the murderous energy vampire Selene.
After explaining why T'Challa and Okoye can't join Steve with a single line of dialogue, Coates jumps into things straightaway, with a lot of that inner monologue that's elevated his take on Cap past a simple action story. Following last issue's shocking revelations, Steve realizes what's going on and it's eating him up inside, but that's the least of his problems.
I really, really enjoyed how Coates pulled a bit of a bait-and-switch with his storytelling. What initially looks like a comicsgater-triggering diatribe about Russia controlling Trump's America almost instantly turns out to also be a good old-fashioned revenge story with a callback to a much-beloved epoch in Cap's recent history. In short, whatever the subtext of his story may be, Coates has remembered to give his readers something to sink their teeth into first, like a fight with a classic bad guy Taskmaster as well as a villain who means some serious business, and for whom it's all personal. This is something Coates gets right that Tini Howard didn't when she wrote the recent Captain America annual. There's really nothing wrong with standing on soapboxes, especially in this medium, but it really helps to have a a good solid story as the foundation. Coates' advocacy got the better of him when he wrote his first Black Panther volume a couple of years back, but this time he's going quite refreshingly old-school.
Speaking of old school, I quite like the way Coates approaches Taskmaster, who deserves much more than the B-list treatment he often gets in other books, even as recently as in the Amazing Spider-Man issues I've been enjoying. This is, after all, a bad guy who can basically mimic the fighting style of just about every skilled fighter in the Marvel Universe, and he deserves his due, which he seems like he'll be getting in these pages at least. Yu amps up the menace by drawing his mask pretty much like a skull, which makes it easier to take the threat he poses that much more seriously. He, Alanguilan and Gho continue to shine on this book, and the fact that Coates' story is now on par with their consistently stellar artwork means that we should be in for a treat for the next few issues at the very least.
8.5/10
penciled by Leinil Francis Yu
inked by Gerry Alanguilan
colored by Sunny Gho
Having learned of the truth behind the army of "Nuke" clones that has been attacking American cities over the last few months, Captain America rushes over to the (fictional) former Soviet Republic of Alberia to confront the sinister minds behind Power Enterprises. After dispatching with ease several foot soldiers, Cap finds himself facing a notably more formidable adversary in the Taskmaster who gets the jump on him. Meanwhile, the captive Sharon Carter comes face to face with the mysterious Aleksa, whose true identity and agenda are finally revealed.
Having kicked the story into high gear last issue, Coates keeps up the momentum this issue with another fast-paced action sequence, followed by a bombshell of a story revelation that portends even more ill for Cap, who's still recovering from the beating his reputation took from the events of "Secret Empire." I doubt this story can truly wrap up in two more issues, and it seems, especially from Marvel's marketing, that there are quite a few dark things on the horizon for the star-spangled Avenger who will soon come face-to-face with a foe from his past, and a new one he's never faced before: the murderous energy vampire Selene.
After explaining why T'Challa and Okoye can't join Steve with a single line of dialogue, Coates jumps into things straightaway, with a lot of that inner monologue that's elevated his take on Cap past a simple action story. Following last issue's shocking revelations, Steve realizes what's going on and it's eating him up inside, but that's the least of his problems.
I really, really enjoyed how Coates pulled a bit of a bait-and-switch with his storytelling. What initially looks like a comicsgater-triggering diatribe about Russia controlling Trump's America almost instantly turns out to also be a good old-fashioned revenge story with a callback to a much-beloved epoch in Cap's recent history. In short, whatever the subtext of his story may be, Coates has remembered to give his readers something to sink their teeth into first, like a fight with a classic bad guy Taskmaster as well as a villain who means some serious business, and for whom it's all personal. This is something Coates gets right that Tini Howard didn't when she wrote the recent Captain America annual. There's really nothing wrong with standing on soapboxes, especially in this medium, but it really helps to have a a good solid story as the foundation. Coates' advocacy got the better of him when he wrote his first Black Panther volume a couple of years back, but this time he's going quite refreshingly old-school.
Speaking of old school, I quite like the way Coates approaches Taskmaster, who deserves much more than the B-list treatment he often gets in other books, even as recently as in the Amazing Spider-Man issues I've been enjoying. This is, after all, a bad guy who can basically mimic the fighting style of just about every skilled fighter in the Marvel Universe, and he deserves his due, which he seems like he'll be getting in these pages at least. Yu amps up the menace by drawing his mask pretty much like a skull, which makes it easier to take the threat he poses that much more seriously. He, Alanguilan and Gho continue to shine on this book, and the fact that Coates' story is now on par with their consistently stellar artwork means that we should be in for a treat for the next few issues at the very least.
8.5/10
A Coda to Superior Foes of Spider-Man: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #7
written by Nick Spencer
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
Superior Foes of Spider-Man sequence drawn by Steve Lieber and colored by Rachelle Rosenberg
Things turn ugly for Peter Parker following his triumph at Spider-Man trivia night at the Bar with No Name, as, for reasons not at all attributable to him (for once), every single supervillain in the bar turns on him and the man who brought him there, Fred Myers, aka Boomerang, as a result of Fred having seriously pissed off Wilson Fisk, the Mayor of New York City, and ever and always the Kingpin of Crime. Backed into a corner and unwilling to use his superpowers, lest he expose his secret, Peter is in for a really nasty fight alongside Fred against an entire bar full of supervillains, and it's not clear how they'll get out of this jam. Meanwhile, the mysterious foe who has been stalking Spider-Man since the very first issue of this series makes his move yet again, and while his motives (and identity) remain unclear, his quarry is not, and it seems he knows exactly who is under the mask.
I never had the fortune of following Nick Spencer's acclaimed, short-lived series Superior Foes of Spider-Man. It pretty much just flew under my radar, but it seems clear that it was his work on this title in particular that helped him nab the job of writing the main Spidey book. Following the events of the Secret Empire crossover it seems that the "Superior Foes" are no more, and Spencer gives readers a poignant, if slightly mischievous coda to that particular team's saga. This story also gives Peter, who never dons the red and blue tights in this issue, a chance to reflect on his own life, and to be the bigger man who a supervillain who may or may not be genuinely reformed, but who, he realizes, deserves a second chance anyway.
This story looks like it'll stretch out for a few issues more as Fisk has it in for Myers, whom he feels has double-crossed him, but this particular issue wrapped up quite neatly, with a pretty lively action sequence, some crisp, if slightly maudlin dialogue and the entertaining sight of Peter using something other than his superpowers to get himself out of a tight spot. Again, Spencer is joined by Humberto Ramos, with his Foes co-creator Steve Lieber contributing the cheeky three-page "Superior Foes" sequence, and again the art is quite decent. I especially like how Ramos illustrates Spidey's mysterious, giant-centipede-wielding foe, who may or may not be Mephisto or someone similar, given that he knows Pete's identity and has a thing for Faustian bargains. Whether or not this is Mephisto, he is a genuinely creepy character, and I have to say I'm interested to see how this particular saga will pay off, a lot more so than the eventual confrontation with Kraven the Hunter that Spencer is also trying to set up.
Things may or may not be looking up for Boomerang, whose "Superior Spider Foe" days appear to be behind him (for now), and I have to say, I hope Spencer has him stick around a bit longer as he's starting to grow on me a little.
8/10
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
Superior Foes of Spider-Man sequence drawn by Steve Lieber and colored by Rachelle Rosenberg
Things turn ugly for Peter Parker following his triumph at Spider-Man trivia night at the Bar with No Name, as, for reasons not at all attributable to him (for once), every single supervillain in the bar turns on him and the man who brought him there, Fred Myers, aka Boomerang, as a result of Fred having seriously pissed off Wilson Fisk, the Mayor of New York City, and ever and always the Kingpin of Crime. Backed into a corner and unwilling to use his superpowers, lest he expose his secret, Peter is in for a really nasty fight alongside Fred against an entire bar full of supervillains, and it's not clear how they'll get out of this jam. Meanwhile, the mysterious foe who has been stalking Spider-Man since the very first issue of this series makes his move yet again, and while his motives (and identity) remain unclear, his quarry is not, and it seems he knows exactly who is under the mask.
I never had the fortune of following Nick Spencer's acclaimed, short-lived series Superior Foes of Spider-Man. It pretty much just flew under my radar, but it seems clear that it was his work on this title in particular that helped him nab the job of writing the main Spidey book. Following the events of the Secret Empire crossover it seems that the "Superior Foes" are no more, and Spencer gives readers a poignant, if slightly mischievous coda to that particular team's saga. This story also gives Peter, who never dons the red and blue tights in this issue, a chance to reflect on his own life, and to be the bigger man who a supervillain who may or may not be genuinely reformed, but who, he realizes, deserves a second chance anyway.
This story looks like it'll stretch out for a few issues more as Fisk has it in for Myers, whom he feels has double-crossed him, but this particular issue wrapped up quite neatly, with a pretty lively action sequence, some crisp, if slightly maudlin dialogue and the entertaining sight of Peter using something other than his superpowers to get himself out of a tight spot. Again, Spencer is joined by Humberto Ramos, with his Foes co-creator Steve Lieber contributing the cheeky three-page "Superior Foes" sequence, and again the art is quite decent. I especially like how Ramos illustrates Spidey's mysterious, giant-centipede-wielding foe, who may or may not be Mephisto or someone similar, given that he knows Pete's identity and has a thing for Faustian bargains. Whether or not this is Mephisto, he is a genuinely creepy character, and I have to say I'm interested to see how this particular saga will pay off, a lot more so than the eventual confrontation with Kraven the Hunter that Spencer is also trying to set up.
Things may or may not be looking up for Boomerang, whose "Superior Spider Foe" days appear to be behind him (for now), and I have to say, I hope Spencer has him stick around a bit longer as he's starting to grow on me a little.
8/10
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Trivia Night: A Late Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #6
written by Nick Spencer
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
"Superior Spider Foes" sequence drawn by Steve Lieber and Rachelle Rosenberg
Following his just-concluded body-splitting episode, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man settles back into his daily life, which has its good parts, like getting to make out with his hot girlfriend Mary Jane, and its bad parts, such as living with Fred Myers, aka the C-list supervillain Boomerang. Fred's presence grates on Peter because he knows that, thanks to the events of Secret Empire in which the villain actually fought H.Y.D.R.A., he's basically earned himself a clean slate despite his life of crime, which basically means Peter can't touch him. Even when Peter dons the Spidey tights and stalks Boomerang, all he finds is him playing card games with his old gang, who aren't doing anything illegal and hence can't be busted. When Fred tries to regale Pete's other roommate, Randy Robertson, with yet another spurious "how I beat Spidey" story, it proves too much for Peter's ego, prompting a correction from his part, whereupon Randy mentions Peter's credentials as Spidey's one-time "personal photographer" and walking encyclopedia on all things Spider-Man. Upon learning this, Fred seizes the opportunity to make some easy money...just not in the way that Peter may have imagined, and soon Peter and Fred find themselves on a "date night" at The Bar with No Name, of all places.
Following a generally excellent five-issue run with Ryan Ottley, Nick Spencer turns to longtime Spidey artist Humberto Ramos (with a little help from his Superior Spider-Foes collaborator Steve Lieber) for a sort of prologue to his next big arc. I had some misgivings about bringing Ramos back to the book as I felt that it had really benefited from the fresh approach that Ottley brought to the title, but so far, however Ramos does a decent job. While the story feels a little far-fetched even in spite of Spencer's efforts to basically justify his premise of Peter going, sans his Spidey outfit, to a Spider-Man-themed trivia night at a bar chock full of supervillains, it still works because it's genuinely funny. The vanity which spurs Peter to correct Boomerang's bogus Spidey-conquest stories is, in part, what propels him to take on (and predictably conquer) the villains' trivia contest, even as more serious concerns start brewing without his knowing it. I kind of found Peter's "supervillain name" of "The Liar" a bit on the nose, but like I said, I was able to forgive little niggles like this because the trivia sequence really made me laugh. It's kind of like how I was able to forgive Venom its many shortcomings because of its humor, and in this case Spencer's writing is conspicuously better than the script that three people cobbled together for that movie.
While it irks me that Ramos is sticking around for the next several issues, I take some consolation from knowing that, if nothing else, at least they aren't bringing back my least favorite Spidey artist of recent years, Giuseppe Camuncoli.
7/10
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
"Superior Spider Foes" sequence drawn by Steve Lieber and Rachelle Rosenberg
Following his just-concluded body-splitting episode, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man settles back into his daily life, which has its good parts, like getting to make out with his hot girlfriend Mary Jane, and its bad parts, such as living with Fred Myers, aka the C-list supervillain Boomerang. Fred's presence grates on Peter because he knows that, thanks to the events of Secret Empire in which the villain actually fought H.Y.D.R.A., he's basically earned himself a clean slate despite his life of crime, which basically means Peter can't touch him. Even when Peter dons the Spidey tights and stalks Boomerang, all he finds is him playing card games with his old gang, who aren't doing anything illegal and hence can't be busted. When Fred tries to regale Pete's other roommate, Randy Robertson, with yet another spurious "how I beat Spidey" story, it proves too much for Peter's ego, prompting a correction from his part, whereupon Randy mentions Peter's credentials as Spidey's one-time "personal photographer" and walking encyclopedia on all things Spider-Man. Upon learning this, Fred seizes the opportunity to make some easy money...just not in the way that Peter may have imagined, and soon Peter and Fred find themselves on a "date night" at The Bar with No Name, of all places.
Following a generally excellent five-issue run with Ryan Ottley, Nick Spencer turns to longtime Spidey artist Humberto Ramos (with a little help from his Superior Spider-Foes collaborator Steve Lieber) for a sort of prologue to his next big arc. I had some misgivings about bringing Ramos back to the book as I felt that it had really benefited from the fresh approach that Ottley brought to the title, but so far, however Ramos does a decent job. While the story feels a little far-fetched even in spite of Spencer's efforts to basically justify his premise of Peter going, sans his Spidey outfit, to a Spider-Man-themed trivia night at a bar chock full of supervillains, it still works because it's genuinely funny. The vanity which spurs Peter to correct Boomerang's bogus Spidey-conquest stories is, in part, what propels him to take on (and predictably conquer) the villains' trivia contest, even as more serious concerns start brewing without his knowing it. I kind of found Peter's "supervillain name" of "The Liar" a bit on the nose, but like I said, I was able to forgive little niggles like this because the trivia sequence really made me laugh. It's kind of like how I was able to forgive Venom its many shortcomings because of its humor, and in this case Spencer's writing is conspicuously better than the script that three people cobbled together for that movie.
While it irks me that Ramos is sticking around for the next several issues, I take some consolation from knowing that, if nothing else, at least they aren't bringing back my least favorite Spidey artist of recent years, Giuseppe Camuncoli.
7/10
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