January 28 Reviews

Northlanders #14
Vertigo

Writing: Brian Wood

Pencils, Inks: Ryan Kelley

Colors: Dave McCaig

Lettering: Travis Lanham

Cover: Massimo Carnevale

Editing: Mark Doyle, Will Dennis

4.5/5

Now well into its third storyarc, Northlanders has proven its worth and staying power. Brian Wood's ability to quickly and effectively introduce different characters and circumstances allows the book to succeed in a format that lets him explore a wide range of themes and keeps the title feeling fresh. Wiping the slate clearn with each arc not only gives Wood a bevy of options as a creator, but also makes the title wonderfully accessible to new readers. From the looks of things, those new readers are continuously and enthusiastically jumping aboard.

Kelley's art is a grittier and bulbous departure from previous contributors, but McCaig's beautiful colors keep a sense of consistency between the artists, and is the real star of the title's visual flair. The title's cover design is also persistently up there with the best in the business.

Northlanders is a brutal, honest, and impactful look at a place in time and the human experience. It was one of the best new titles of last year, and is required reading in this one.

Unknown Soldier #4
Vertigo
Writing: Joshua Dysart
Pencils, Inks: Alberto Ponticelli
Colors: Oscar Celestinki
Letterer: Clem Robins
Cover: Igor Kordey
Editing: Pornsak Pichetshote
5/5

This is a series that tackles subject matter way outside the purview of what mainstream comics typically deal in. It also happens to be tactful, eloquent, respectful and mature enough to earn the right to do so.

Dysart's story of a doctor and his humanitarian minded wife caught up in the impossible struggle of the Ugandan conflict is equal parts suspense thriller and sociopolitical journalism. As a reader you want to look away but are compelled to keep reading. It's a powerful work, not just in subject but in craft as well. Comics such as this are few and far between.


Nova #21
Marvel
Writing: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning
Pencils: Wellington Alves
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Guru
Lettering: Cory Petit
Cover: Adi Granov
Editing: Michael Horwitz, Bill Rosemann
3.5/5

Though dipping a bit in quality during its tie-ins with Secret Invasion, Nova has done a decently good job of using those issues to spin new aspects into the series' own storyline and keep moving along. A feat few books were capable of. The 'dip' unfortunately has somewhat persisted. This issue takes place entirely on or around Earth and as a result finds itself less cosmically exotic, less creatively frantic, and in the end - less fun to read. The tone of the book is increasingly serious, perhaps the result of Abnett & Lanning having Guardians of the Galaxy as an additional outlet for goofier chaotics.

That's not to say the title is now without merit. It remains wonderfully written, invitingly complicated, and still entertaining - just less so, or in different ways. These last several issues have brought about major changes to the book's main narrative and dynamic, and it feels different. Time will tell if the new direction can become as impressive as the old and if the title's many charms can be maintained. As for now, Nova remains a book you should very much be reading, though fans of the series may find themselves feeling hesitant toward some of the changes.

Justice Society of America #23
DC

Writing: Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway

Pencils: Jerry Ordway
Inks: Bob Wircek
Colors: Hi-Fi
Lettering: Rob Leigh
Editing: Harvey Richards, Michael Siglain
2.5/5

Johns' overtly cartoonish JSA continues. Buffoons dressed as such sit around a big team table messing about and discussing other fellow buffoons. Characters are in full goofy costume at all times, practicality be damned. A major thread of the plot revolves around the 'power of Shazam,' held in a necklace. In the end it all leads to our-club versus your-club in a battle to control the Rock of Eternity. The art matches the narrative's tone in brightness and simplicity. Unfortunately it also matches its blandness. This book wants to be a light-hearted good time, but doesn't really hit the mark. There's nothing refreshing about this homage. It's alright for some somewhat entertaining substance-less nostalgia, but it's far from compelling.

X-Force #11
Marvel
Writing: Kyle, Yost
Art: Alina Urusov, Clayton Crain
Lettering: Cory Petit
Cover: Clayton Crain
Editing: Jody Letteup, John Barber
3/5

For a line of books supposedly on their way to big things later this year, the X books sure are wandery as of late. The lull between Messiah Complex and the aforementioned continuation of that story yet to come has been notably scattershot and certainly somewhat ignorable. X-Force is a perfect example. 10 issues in and the narrative was still focused on how 'grim' a departure the team is from the X-Men norm. This issue avoids that and does bring some depth to aspects of their 'mission,' as well as fill in some gaps in other X books, but still isn't interesting enough to elevate it past its current role as a sideline title. Crain's art continues to be a turn off as well. It's counter-submerssive and only acts to contribute to the novelty feel of the title. This may be slated to become a must read book for mutant enthusiasts in the coming months, but it's definitely not there yet.


Astounding Wolf-Man #12
Image
Writing: Robert Kirkman
Pencils, Inks: Jason Howard
Lettering: Rus Wooton
Colors: FCO, Ivan Plascencia
Editing: Aubrey Sitterson
4/5

This has been said repeatedly, but it's increasingly true: this series feels like Invincible. It has plenty of action, lots of suspense, a constantly evolving cast, and believable emotional components. It's always introducing new elements while never forgetting old ones. Everything always shows up again. Nothing stays unresolved. The more threads that show up, the better the book gets. It's gone from being exciting & interesting because of its potential to just plain being exciting & interesting.

The art looks great and fits well in the Image Universe. Howard's work is toonish and clean which, as also discussed in the letter column in this issue, makes any moments of violence more surprising and upsetting. The colors are beautiful and Wooton's lettering really influences the book's image in a fun stylistic way.

Kirkman's creator owned titles are getting his full attention now that he's a made man at Image. All three are great reads and well worth your time and money.


Ultimate Spider-Man #130
Marvel
Writing: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Wad von Grawbadger
Color: Justin Ponsor
Lettering: Cory Petit
Cover: Immonen & Isanove
Editing: Mark Paniccia
Production: Joe Sabino
4/5

It's taken for granted these days that this is constantly one of the bets superhero books on the stands, and reading it is a reminder of how Bendis got to be where he is today. How he became Bendis. Ult. Spidey reads like a youthfully exuberant and innocent Alias. Like Powers when it's at its best. He has a flair with dialog and an incredible grasp on personality. His characters think and speak so appropriately to their age and individuality that total immersion happens quickly and easily. In Ult. Spidey you can't help but become whoever is speaking at any given moment. It's a fantastic comic experience.

This issue kicks off young Peter's involvement with the Ultimatum event spanning the Ultimate U. Its arrival is shocking and impressive and is pulled of forcibly. It's hard to not feel apprehension at a favorite title being sucked into a crossover-type event, but thus far all worries should be put to rest.


Savage Dragon #144
Image
Writing, Art, Cover: Erik Larsen
Colors: Nikos Koutsis, Mike Toris
Lettering: Tom Orzechowski
4.5/5

This was an absolutely moving and effective installment. Comprised entirely of a montage of moments spanning the course of several months of these characters lives, this single issue was able to powerfully convey more than many titles manage over the course of an entire arc. There are things that can't be show as effectively without looking at the big picture, and that's what this issue did. Life is long, hard, grating, frustrating and unfair. You grow weary, get burnt out, wish some truths weren't. Yet you do it all for the better truths. Love, faithfulness and moments of joy. This issue spoke of all this and more. It was entertaining and funny, yet impactfully real. What a treat.


New Avengers #49
Marvel
Writing: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Matt Banning
Colors: Paul Mounts
Lettering: Albert Deschesne
Cover: Tan, Banning, Jason Keith
Production: Joe Sabino, Irene Lee
Editing: Jeanine Schaefer, Tom Brevoort
3/5

As much of a relief as it is to move forward from Secret Invasion, there's a lot in this issue that isn't working. Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are great characters, particularly in Bendis' hands. But their reactions here to having had their infant kidnapped by deranged space aliens doesn't come across as genuine or realistic. Cage has some moments that ring true, but Jessica never feels anything but artificial. The desperation that should be permeating every scene simply isn't there.

The Dark Reign concept is frustrating at best and New Avengers, being a main vehicle for the overall Marvel storyline, is unavoidably handicapped by it. Bendis does have several brief explanations that lend it a slight bit of legitimacy as a decent idea but on the whole it's a direction that's hard to get behind. It does manage to get the Marvel U past the everyone's-kind-of-a-good-guy problem it suffered through during the Initiative year, but does so in ways both contrived and annoying.

New Avengers is still a decent read and functions well as a center stage propagator of the big picture, but it's far from being a memorable experience. Too bad about Tan's art as well. It's a style that hopefully comics get past sometime soon.


Final Crisis #7
DC
Writing: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Lettering: Travis Lanham
Editing: Adam Schlagman, Eddie Berganza
3.5/5

If nothing else, this event certainly succeeded at being ambitious. It's amazing that DC and Morrison once pushed this as going to be accessible to newcomers and easy to understand. It was anything but.

By this final issue the presentation is frantic and enormously fragmented. Countless ideas, concepts and resolutions are covered, many for a mere panel. The sheer volume to absorb here is astounding. The final acts, at the end of all things, are effective and weighty and feel much more substantial than those of most major events. Yet despite all this, it completely fails to be the breathtaking mesmerizing conclusion it should have been. It never takes a moment to let all that had built up be truly felt. It never takes the time to give atmosphere to concept. The ideas are fantastic, but the presentation is messy, overwhelming and in the end - somewhat disappointing.


Incredible Hercules #125
Marvel
Writing: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente
Pencils, Inks: Salva Espin, Clayton Henry
Colors: Lee Loughridge, Raul Trevino
Lettering: Joe Caramagna
Cover: McGuinness, Guru
Production: Tom Van Cise
Editing: Jordan D. White, Mark Paniccia
4/5

The fun continues in the series that's way more competent and entertaining than it has any business being. It's full of immature slapstick, witty quips, heady fantasy concepts, and the occasional smarty-pants analytical moment. The characters are well defined and play off each other wonderfully. Espin's art is a perfect fit for the series, and Van Cise's production gives the title a big bonus dose of character and charisma with oft-hilarious maps, charts and creatively presented introductory overviews.

This issue wraps the lengthy Love & War storyline and spends a substantial bulk of its pages in an alternate present. It manages to inhabit this gimmick without sacrificing any of what has made the title so great during it's short run, and leaves enough breathing room to its conclusion that nothing is rushed. There's room even for a few final jokes to leave you feeling charmed enough to hold you over until next month. This is one of those books where what actually happens doesn't matter, it's the joy of the ride that makes it worth the time. Definitely should be on your reading list.