November 7 Reviews

New Avengers: Illuminati #5
Marvel
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Morales
Colors: Justin Ponsor
3.5/5

With the possible exception of the first issue, this was my favorite of the Illuminati mini. The dialogue and the art are both fantastic, and Bendis does a wonderful job having these characters relate to each other in the context of their individual circumstances and the positions they currently hold in the Marvel U. I was engaged the entire time. Anything involving Skrulls and Bendis at this stage is going to be at least decently entertaining. Whether this is essential reading though, is up for debate.

This is a fun issue and is definitely the most direct and exciting Secret Invasion-related release we've seen yet. And even though there's a decent sized reveal and some unexpected action, what keeps this issue from being a vital purchase is that ultimately no new point or information is brought forward that hasn't already been discussed in New Avengers. More than anything else this was simply the inevitable step of bringing everyone outside that book into the fold. Iron Man gets the bulk of the attention, portrayed sympathetically and given the chance to display some heroics, setting him up for his eventual return to glory so many think this story is going to result in. Richards goes into problem solving mode and Namor turns bitch. Aside from that everyone pretty much has the same paranoid discussion we've been hearing in other books, online, in magazines, etc etc ad nauseum.

The value of this issue is that it shows us the threat has some validity outside of solicitations and paranoid character banter telling us so. It's exciting because we still haven't seen much from this 'invasion' yet and any reference or hint that we might be about to learn more is enough to keep us feverishly turning pages. Let's hope Bendis can keep this interesting once he's started to show more of his hand.
-Grady



Conquest: Star-Lord #4
Marvel
Written by: Keith Giffen
Pencils by: Timothy Green II
Colors by: Nathan Fairbairn
4.5/5

Man this was a lot of fun. I got so wrapped up in the installments of this book that I would forget it had anything to do with the other Conquest minis. Giffen's characters are still hilariously witty and his action scenes have a different feel than the usual fare. I can't believe I ever had reservations about the art either, because I could not imagine the title without it now.

Quite frankly this series was so good it's almost sad to see it be swallowed up into Conquest. There's not a whole lot more that needs to be said - this was just plain great. Quasar and Wraith were gigglingly trite in comparison. I would love to see this cast as an ongoing with the same creative team. If Conquest results in any new book, please, let it be something in the same vein as this Star-Lord.
-Tom



Robin #168
DC
Written by: Peter Milligan
Pencils by: Freddie Williams II
Colors by: Guy Major
1.5/5

Sometimes taking a risk just doesn't pan out in your favor. For me, buying anything outside my three or four title DC-comfort-zone is considered a substantial gamble, and this time it didn't work out at all. Though I still intend to stick with the Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul storyline, this was easily the worst comic I've purchased in months. Granted, I rarely buy anything I don't already know or suspect to be good, but the fact remains - this was painful.

First of all, this is the first issue in the Ra's crossover? You've got to be kidding me. It's a good thing it was Morrison's Batman that drew me in to this whole mess, otherwise I would have missed the 'prelude' last week and definitely would have been confused this week when things 'started' no where near the beginning. This is the type of garbage you always hear about DC pulling but that I've managed to avoid through careful not-buying of their books. Apparently I knew what I was doing.

Throughout the course of this issue, exactly two points are made. Point A: Damian Wayne and Tim Drake (Robin) feel they are competing for Daddy Bats' affection. Point B: Mr. Wayne would rather not deal with it. The majority of the issue is dedicated to worthless brawls and merciless whining between Damian and Tim. Last week, Morrison's Damian seemed like an entitled little piece of shit, but a viciously capable one who was oddly sympathetic. Milligan however, writes the boys' scenes like an uninspired afternoon cartoon from the early 90s. Nearly all of this issue is dedicated to driving home a point which could very easily have been delivered in one or two intelligent lines of dialogue, and that frankly was known/implied/assumed to begin with. Moving from that to some brooding Batman scenes that are supposed to be dark and contemplative, but that can't be taken seriously in the context that surrounds them, really just kills any hope the experience may have had. I spent most the time wondering what the hell I was doing reading something like this.

Why, also, is Damian sporting the lamest threads around? The guy truly looks like the bastard son. C'mon people.
-Tom



The Order #4
Marvel
Written by: Matt Fraction
Pencils by: Barry Kitson
Colors by: Dean White & Soto
4/5

Another issue of The Order, another detailed character exploration, and another altogether solid delivery from everyman Matt Fraction. This month's installment picks up the Zobo storyline from last issue as well as continuing the title's established use of splicing in recorded interviews with the team members, dedicating each issue to someone different. Magdalena aka Maggie aka Veda is the focus this time and she joins Henry Hellrung as the most interesting of the four folks to have received such treatment so far. Both what she willingly puts forward and what she seems hesitant to discuss are decently complex and suggest some compelling potential.

A great thing about this book, and Fraction in general, is the unquestionable freshness. He doesn't do what I'm expecting, even though I would have enjoyed what I thought he was setting up anyway. He suggests you should come to expect him to do something slightly unexpected, and then he goes and does something else...whatever that is. Every issue I've had to reassess where it is I think the series is headed.

The thing that most surprises me about this title is the depth of the plot, something which wasn't high on my list of things I thought I would love about The Order. Fraction could very easily be getting away with shallow conflicts leading to meaningless results simply because the dialogue and how people are acting is so entertaining. And yet what we're getting is an intriguing mix of espionage, politics, and implied treachery that reveals more substance every issue. I find myself anticipating new information about the central mystery just as much as the entertaining scenes best showcasing Fraction's quirky delivery (and the wondrous novelty of seeing Century and Culver Cities being torn apart by Zomberneticellubroadbanobos).

This book makes me question Marvel's decision not to include back-matter in most of their monthly floppies. Normally I'd be alright with that because I don't get too excited over the one or two semi-decent pinups, particularly since the inclination would be to eventually raise prices. In the case of this book though, I think they should consider it. Most everything Fraction says is golden, and the bonus materials in the annals of Casanova are consistently almost as fun as the comic itself. Extra material like Fraction supplies would change the entire character of this book, taking it in the direction I feel its heart already resides. Marvel should approach The Order as though it were a creator owned title that just happens to be existing as an intricate piece of the Initiative in the heart of their universe. The book feels that way and its best traits are those most eclectic ones that leave it standing outside the pack.

Word 'round the Internet seems to be that people are warming to this series, which is good because I want to see it around for a while to come. As this team becomes more developed, each subsequent issue is doing more, and with less effort. Buy this so they keep doin'. And so Fraction gets put on more books.
-Tom



Astonishing X-Men #23
Marvel
Written by: Joss Whedon
Pencils by: John Cassaday
Colors by: Laura Martin
5/5

Understand foremost that I've not enjoyed a single comic this much in a long, long while. I read the last six pages probably a dozen times before I was able to continue through to the rest of this week's stack. It's borderline ridiculous how meticulously crafted and plotted every aspect of this book is, and I could tally on one hand the number of times I've felt a creative team was as in control of their title as Whedon and Cassaday are here. Astonishing has always gotten this type of praise and hype. Sometimes it feels like every issue receives the same review, piled high with accolades and affection. This installment though, this was something beyond even what we've seen in the past. This was just masterful.

There were too many things I loved to even consider referencing them all. There were the little pieces. Logan and Armor's camaraderie, Kitty and Emma's sharp conflicting dialogue, the gentle presentation of Colossus and his love with Katya - they all feel important and will be meaningful parts of all these characters in my eyes for years to come. This whole series has come to present for me, in many ways, the definitive version of nearly everyone in its pages.

This particular issue though, was more than the sum of a bunch of brilliant little parts. There was not one, but two, of the most memorable scenes I've experienced. The first was a stylistic storytelling maneuver that worked perfectly, took me totally by surprise, and even explained away the one or two lines of dialogue in the entire series that had felt 'off' to me. Now, these lines are some of my favorites and my intelligence feels warmly complimented. It was a very creative twist that made sense and didn't feel like a cheap cop-out used to work around last issue's cliffhanger ending. It's literally the only time I can remember since childhood where I actually commented aloud to myself while reading a comic.

The second scene ties back in with the idea of this series presenting my definitive versions of these characters and was one of the most incredibly powerful moments I've ever read in a comic. I'll avoid explaining any more detail than that to avoid spoiling the experience, but as soon as I'd finished it I immediately wanted to run and show someone or hop on the Internet and start pounding out my excitement in all caps and exclamation marks. John Cassaday has always been good, but what he did here was damn near biblical. Without question the ending of this issue has already gone down as one of my all-time classic X-Men moments, and is probably my favorite ever from the character involved.

I didn't even try to find anything wrong with this. I probably couldn't. When was the last time you turned a last page and realized you were shaking? This was awe inspiring.
-Tom



Conquest #1
Marvel
Written by: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils by: Tom Raney
Colors by: Frank D'Armata
4.5/5

After about the the second or third page of this opening to the proper Conquest series I found myself breathing a heavy sigh of relief. This is what we'd hoped it would be. Looking at this issue, and despite what came out of the minis, it's obvious this event is not looking to be a inferior knock off of its older brother for the sake of some quick cash. Annihilation: Conquest is another fully realized, beautifully produced space opera that is showing all the signs of being just as good as the original.

I came to this event with near aggressive anticipation. Everything I read about it sounded perfect. They'd said all the right things about making all the right tweaks to a formula that was already impressive. The four mini series leading into the main title disappointed me though, and left me approaching Conquest proper with more of a cautious optimism than outright enthusiasm. Having read this first issue however, most of my concerns have been addressed and silenced.

First of all, the book looks tremendous. Raney was a good choice. His characters are clean and have the dynamic look of a major event. His work with faces and emotional expression are particularly detailed and effective. Amidst all this beauty though, it's Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning who really make their presence known. After some of what the minis offered, the writing here is utterly fulfilling. They are undoubtedly at their best, and this reads like the finest issues of Nova. These guys should be writing at least one book for Marvel at all times, and hopefully once this event is over there will be a market for some ongoing cosmic titles.

Abnett & Lanning do several things here. There are moments where they're obviously explaining information to new readers, but they do it without insulting or boring me. They bring out all their previously undisclosed pieces and put them on the board, providing more questions than answers but never disappointing. They give voices and personality to characters I previously didn't like, or that were flat and lifeless before. The best thing they do in this issue though, is tell a f***ing fantastically paced story. Nobody is rushing to give us action scenes, twists or unnatural cliffhangers. Characters from half the minis don't even appear in this issue, which I think is a wonderful testament to the focus here being solely on delivering the most fluid, believable, and exciting story possible.

This book had the potential to really let me down. It didn't. If anything I'm more excited now than I've ever been. There's still a lot to be said about this issue, I didn't even mention the reveals, but I'll leave that to someone else for now. My biggest concern today was whether Conquest is the book of professional grace I wanted it to be. We have six months to discuss the many details of what's actually happening in it.
-Tom



Scalped #11
Vertigo
Written by: Jason Aaron
Pencils by: R.M. Guera
Colors by: Giulia Brusco
4.5/5

Reading this issue coming off the heels of Tom's recent feature I couldn't help but realize, and be impressed by, just how much we already know about these peoples' histories in just ten chapters of this book. For such a tough gritty story to have as much empathy for its characters as this book does is an unusual pleasure. Aaron is really coming into his own and he tells a lot of story in this issue. His focus in this series is on the people, and about both themselves and the reader discovering exactly who it is they are and how such things came to be.

This is the final issue in the Casino Boogie story arc which served mostly as a series of detailed introductions. Gina Bad Horse was saved for last, and with good reason - this is probably the most emotionally moving issue of this series Aaron and Guera have put out yet.

A while back we said that this title needs to be cautious never to sacrifice its believability (which, at the time, it was verging on doing). Well, there's no denying how believable the story revealed in this issue is. It is almost uncomfortably and painfully believable, which hopefully is where this title will continue to spend the majority of its time in the future.
-Grady



Criminal #10
Marvel Icon
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Art by: Sean Phillips
5*/5

I'm not going to review this book this week, for a variety of loosely collected and/or understood reasons. Criminal is always the last book I open every time it's released. The damn thing is more like reading a novel than a comic and I usually go back and read the most recent issue to ensure I can follow all the complex and subtle strokes of the new one. In a sense you could almost call Criminal intimidating.

So here's what's going to end up happening. Sometime in the next few days I'll set aside a serious block of time and dedicate a full thirty or more minutes to re-immersing myself in this masterpiece of fiction. Yeah, I haven't even read the thing yet. Notice however, my confidence in scoring this a 'Refuse to Miss' rating of five. Criminal is never not good. Every issue has been 'RtM.' If I haven't rated an issue or two such (I can't recall) I was lying out of some mis-founded sense of guilt and confusion. Also, I say again - a hardcover release shouldn't even be a question. We've had two arcs now. Let's see them in beautiful show-off binding.
-Tom



Uncanny X-Men #492 (Messiah Complex Ch. 2)
Marvel
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Pencils by: Billy Tan
Colors by: Frank D' Armata
4/5

To be reviewed alongside other chapters at a later date.