February 25 Reviews

Nova #22
Marvel
Writing: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils, Inks: Andre Divito
Coloring: Bruno Hang
Lettering: Cory Petit
Editing: Michael Horwitz, Bill Rosemann
Cover: Juan Doe
3.5/5

Lately Nova has felt less and less the bastion of explosive creativity that made it such a success among critics and fans alike. It, like it's principal character Richard Rider, is suddenly grounded and though still interesting, doesn't have the same juice as before.

Much of what gave the book its character and personality has been removed and what's left is a better-than-most, but not-as-good-as-it-was cosmic adventure. Though, let it be noted, there's not much 'cosmic' happening the past few issues. And while all this negative toneage may be a bit severe considering the book's continued quality as compared to many of its peers, its hard to see any issue of this series that isn't one of the best releases of the week as anything less than a legitimate let down. Sure, slumpy transitional periods do happen, they're just more disappointing here than in many other cases.

Buy Nova. Read Nova. But also - expect more from Nova. It's capable.


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

Wow, what a powerful comic. This issue is probably the best yet, of what has turned out to be a very impressive series. There are so many important elements that comprise this work and it's the confidence with which they're employed that gives the title such gusto. Violent action, searing emotion, flashbacks, hallucinations - you name it. Dysart gracefully melds all these things and more, and his results are terrific.

A lot is happening in this issue. Horrific violence continues to rage all around, unexplained mysteries are hinted at, and psychological stability takes another step toward collapse. More important though is the incredible portrait of love that Dysart gives us. Moses' wife's lack of disgust at the sight of his mangled face, and the power of feeling in their heartfelt reunion, make up the soul of this issue.

This is a very competent book. Everything is done with confidence and poise that would be expected of creators with much deeper portfolios than those at work here. Definitely worth your time in trade release if you've missed it in floppies.


Captain America #47
Marvel
Writing: Ed Brubaker
Pencils, Inks: B. Guice
Colors: Frank D'Armata
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Production: Anthony Dial
Editing: Jeanine Schaefer, Tom Brevoort
4.5/5

There's really no reason to score and discuss this anymore aside from reminding people how much they should be reading it. With each issue this series continues to add to its status as one of the best superhero runs ever.

Bucky is an amazing character in Brubaker's hands, and with this issue the contrast and inevitable conflict between the character's Winter Soldier persona and his new mantle as Cap really takes center stage. It has terrific mood and a forceful execution and is a blast to read month in and out. It's a deep character work and this issue is another solid piece.

Guice continues to do well supplementing Steve Epting, and he goes lone wolf on this issue. His work pairs nicely with Epting's, but very evident in the deal is the influence of Frank D'Armata on the book. Whichever the artist, the book completely retains it's dark espionage tone and feel. D'Armata is huge. This is also evident in Epting's page in this weeks New Avengers, which lacks to aura of his coloring.


The Astounding Wolf-Man #13
Image
Writing: Robert Kirkman
Pencils, Inks: Jason Howard
Colors: FCO, Ivan Plascencia
Lettering: Rus Wooton
Editing: Aubrey Sitterson
3.5/5

This issue starts off with some action spilling over from last month's cliff-hanger ending, but then spends most the issue in a flashback type explanatory sequence about our main character's past. Unfortunately it's not the most thrilling experience, and any development it gives the cast is marred a bit by the tell-not-show nature of this approach.

Yet while this may be true, it's also true that by issue's end the title is in a different place than it was twenty or so pages before. Kirkman's an easy writer to trust, the visuals are great, and the title has proven itself to change - constantly. Outlook on future issues is always lookin' pretty good, despite this issue's only kind-of-greatness.


New Avengers #50
Marvel
Writing: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor, and 16 of their friends
Lettering: Albert Deschesne
Production: Joe Sabino
Editing: Jeanine Schaefer, Tom Brevoort
4/5

How you feel about 'Bendis-speak' will play strongly into how you feel about this issue as a large portion of it has the team standing around doing just that. 'That,' being 'Bendis-speak'-ing. Pages on end of natural-sounding occasionally witty dialog that sometimes advances the story but mostly just spends a lot of time coloring it in real prettily. In this issue, for the most part, it works. We're given the quick rundown on the Dark Avengers' situation for those two readers of New Avengers who don't also follow that title. We get to see the team's reactions and the formation of their response strategy. We're reminded, thankfully, just who the hell is actually on the team at this point. These and other things are accomplished through light and entertaining rambly conversation. 'Bendis-speak.' And while it might be easy to scoff at what could be considered Bendis padding his issues with throway dialog, it's honestly tough to deny that these types of issues make the heroes more relateable and fun to read about.

The later acts of the installment revolve around a large fight scene, though not the one depicted on the cover. This is all the result of trickery and schemes. The fight, like many New Avengers vs. the Hood & Hooligans battles, ended up meaning very little but it did reveal some things about Norman Osborn. And while Osborn's current stature continues to be a bit ridiculous, at least they're making him intelligent, insightful and a step ahead in his mischevious doings. Perhaps this dynamic will be more intriguing than we thought.

This being the 50th issue there's a required bevy of guest artists on board, and their contributions are actually quite pleasant. Each team member gets a page written from their perspective and with one of the different artists or art teams. If having as many artists as conceivably possible on a landmark issue is as necessary is it seemingly is, then this was definitely a fun and creative way of dealing with it.

Of course there were also some bumps along the way. Is it really necessary, for example, for Luke Cage to be quoting Pulp Fiction? Is he or Bendis somehow more interesting having now made really obvious and tired pop-culture references? Decidedly - no. It's also hugely absurd to ask for such a large price tag for a book with frequently recycled art panels. Lots...lots of recylced art panels. But grievences such as this aside, all told this was an enjoyable read. New Avengers seems to have some game moving into Marvel's next era.

Really though, Pulp Fiction? How many Sam Jackson-inspired characters does one comic U need? Are there no other prominent black males with respectable coolness ratings?


Savage Dragon #145
Image
Writing, Pencils, Inks: Erik Larsen
Colors: Nikos Koutsis, Mike Toris
Lettering: Tom Orzechowski
4/5

Coming off of last issue's fantastically effective experiment in style and structure, this installment of Savage Dragon was more highly anticipated than most. Not to mention the addition of an appearance from a certain Obama fella whose name and face have done wonders for recent sales of this title.

Dragon's return to the police force brings him in contact with old friends as well as memories both joyful and hard. The best parts of the title are the moments that feel very raw & real, and in this issue, like many, these moments occur when Dragon is with or is discussing his children. This series is worth reading as long as it has these moments that ring so true.

The presence of Obama isn't all that big of a deal and sort of comes and goes quietly, but enough moments of well played humor and a true shock of an ending more than make up for it.

Another solid entry from this stalwart good ol' boy.


Thunderbolts #129
Marvel
Writing: Andy Diggle
Pencils, Inks: Roberto de la Torre, Carlos Magno, Scott Hanna
Colors: Frank Martin
Lettering: Albert Deschesne
Production: Randy Miller, Joe Sabino
Editing: Michael Horwitz, Bill Rosemann
Cover: Matt Mattina
3.5/5

This series wants desperately to hold the attention it got with Ellis at the helm, and while it's still decent it doesn't come anywhere near getting the blood moving as it did before. It was, granted, a bit handicapped by having recently lost nearly all of its cast and going through all sorts of transitions in the creative team. Sure. But at it's most basic core, it's just not as...visceral, primal and intimidating. Diggle has sufficient darkness to inject some of that back into the proceeding, but he hasn't done it yet with this issue.

The good news is that while not being amazing, it was far from bad. This story was certainly readable, mischevious, and action packed. The team is sort of introduced now and contains several unknowns with which Diggle will have lots of room to play and define as he so desires. Next issue is set to feature Deadpool which is always fun on some level. Trying to continue Ellis' atmosphere in a book with Ant-Man and Deadpool is a recipe for success.

The bar of expectation has been set high for Thunderbolts. Diggle knows this. He'll get the series back toward it more so than this issue did. The art though, by the way, was...very no thank you.


Green Lantern #38
DC
Writing: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Oclair Albert
Colors: Ruffino
Lettering: Rob Leigh
Editing: Adam Schlagman, Eddie Berganza
Cover: Shane Davis, Sandra Hope, Ruffino
3.5/5

In some ways this issue is a bit of a disappointment considering how strong and exciting this arc had been until this, the final installment. That's not to say there aren't many zany developments to take into further stories - there most certainly are. By the end of this issue there's a whole rainbow of Lantern-types up in the mix, Hal is at least two of them, and further details regarding each type of ring's abilities and their wearer's motivations are laid out for us.

The problem is, it's only fun for a handful of pages before it starts to come apart. There's a sudden lack of focus or attention. A hefty portion of the issue dedicated to origins, omens, overtheres, and alsos - short segments that are a bit hyperactive and disjointed.

This is still easily one of the best reads in the DCU, but it was a pretty sporadic this month.


X-Force #12
Marvel
Writing: Craig Kyle & Chris Yost
Art: Clayton Crain
Lettering: Cory Petit
Production: Taylor Esposito
Editing: Jody LeHeup, John Barber
3.5/5

This was a really easy title to not give much of a chance as it got out the gates. The concept seemed contrived, the art wasn't the type of direction that comics needed, and another X book in a lineup of oft-struggling ones wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered. Yet here X-Force is, a dozen issues in, and it's starting to prove itself to be more than something today's 13 year olds will look back on with embarassment sometime down the line.

There are things happening here. The Leper Queen (a bad-guy) is turning mutants into reluctant suicide bombs by injecting them with an enhanced strain of the Legacy virus. It's a threat that's mean, violent, and takes no prisoners. Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy is working on science things relevant to, and leading toward, the Messiah War. If all of this seems really steeped in continuity - it is. Which is part of what is making the title as suprisingly relevant and interesting as it is. It plays with old pieces in new ways, uses them to set up new pieces, does so without alienating new readers, and even manages to reference things happening in other X books while it's at it. Who knew this book would have this much, or any, breadth of attention?

Crain's art can still be distracting in its nature, but he does shine here more than he has in the past. It honestly seems as though he's employing a less CG style in this issue than in previous ones, a very welcome evolution. His Beast looks fantastic and though some panels are just flat painful there's increasingly others that are stand-out great.

One of the best issues of the series so far. Suddenly Messiah War seems to hold much more promise.