The creative team begins a new story with this issue, where the ramifications of the Flash's actions in the first story lead to an attack from Captain Cold. The conflict is essentially pretty simple, but the issue works well as a way to continue building the Flash's world while launching him into another visually interesting fight sequence. I like how the writers are building off of what has come before. Barry has been learning about the time travel effects
of tapping into the Speed Force. Not only does he work with a solution to that problem here, but, in causing the EMP burst in the previous story, he's caused Captain Cold's attack. Instead of just presenting new angles on Barry's powers, the writing team are building this angle into their ongoing story progression. This issue plays around with time, as the narrative jumps around from Cold's climatic attack to the events leading up to it. I like the approach - the non-costumed scenes of Barry, Patty, and Iris become much more interesting when juxtaposed with the later action. The first story lost track of Barry's civilian life, so it's nice to see his relationship with Patty, his job, and the love triangle with Iris delved into here. Captain Cold gets some page time as well, as we learn his motivations in going after the Flash, tied to his terminally ill sister and the EMP blast. I'm not completely sold on him as a villain - I like his motivation and the destruction he causes is a sight to behold, but his personality is a bit one-note at this point. However, there's still time for that to change. The battle scenes are a marvel to behold. Buccelato brightens up the book's traditional colour scheme, letting the Flash's red outfit contrast with the crisp blue sky and the white of snow and ice. The book feels vibrant and lively. Manapul once again does wonderful things here, playing with panel arrangement and visual sound effects to tell the story. The image of the boats, raised by columns of ice, is fantastic, and Manapul does interesting things with it. The page layouts are generally very fun and the action looks great. In the non-costumed scenes, the characters have a strong, expressive look to them, as Manapul uses his cartoony style with confidence. It's another strong issue - a fantastic looking comic with a fun, upbeat story that also has some depth to it.Justice League Dark#6 - Peter Milligan/Mikel Janin
The team's first antagonist is defeated, they angrily went their separate ways. So where does the book go from here? Milligan has the core cast drawn back to Madame Zanadu to find an explanation for their distressing nightmares, and it's surprisingly effective stuff. I'll give Milligan credit - he drew me right in, with engaging characters and disturbing dream sequences. As usual with an issue of this nature, when the plot actually has to get going in the final pages, and a real narrative has to begin, things become less graceful and engaging, but Milligan has a sure hand with the cast and tone of this book. I'm no fan of lengthy dreams in comics, but the four presented here are directly tied to the personal problems and neuroses of Deadman, Zatanna, Constantine, and Shade, even looking back to the fight with the
Enchantress in the opening arc. That's what drew me in. It helps that they were also genuinely creepy sequences, presented in a very deliberate, haunting manner, with stunning art. Zatanna's fears of half-dead creatures stuffing fingers down her mouth, Shade's horrific efforts to ressurect Kathy, Deadman facing the result of his impulsive behaviour towards June Moon - these dreams resonated with me because they drew on events from the opening arc, while reaching to the core of each character. Once the group reunites at Xanadu's house, their dynamic is right on point. Constantine and Deadman's disdain for each other, Shade's slightly unbalanced reaction to everything, Zatanna's desperation for answers. Milligan gets his cast very well. Not a panel is wasted and the scene comes together very well. It's the very very end that is less engaging than all of this - Xanadu decrees that the dreams are portents of bad things to come if the group separates. Is it the strongest hook for the series? No. Would I prefer this group of misfits to continue to randomly cross paths? Absolutely. But something must exist to propel this book forward as an ongoing series, and this simple premise should work just fine. The issue ends with a very abrupt transition into the upcoming crossover with I, Vampire. It's meant to feel abrupt, so we'll see how well that title integrates with this one. Janin's art remains beautiful. Even when his figures look a little too posed, they are so attractive, and the settings they are thrown into so vividly created and detailed. It's a great looking book. This book is still finding its feet, narrative wise. But in terms of tone, pace, and characters, it is A-list.Fantastic Four#603 - Jonathan Hickman/Barry Kitson
Hickman's Fantastic Four mega story continues to move towards its conclusion, as more pieces and players' roles in the big plan are revealed. On the one hand, it's exhilirating to see some of this coming together. On the other hand, in spots it does feel like a collection of moments; a checklist of plot elements that need to be re-introduced and resolved. There's still a lot of good here - the team dynamic is always strong, and there are nice moments when the kids are reunited with Uncle Johnny. Galactus' space battle with the Celestials is incredible
stuff, drawn with real scale and energy by Kitson. And the action and intrigue build with real tension and excitement towards a final page that brings back two players from very early in Hickman's run for their big moment. I love the scope of the planning Hickman has put into this title and I really do like how all of this mega story fits together. There is that slight 'checklist of events' feel to the proceedings, but when it's all so meticuolously plotted out, it can't help but work. However, there is one massive clunker in all of this - the Inhumans/Kree war. I always felt this story came out of nowhere and didn't fit in at all with the Council of Reed-Nathaniel-Doom-time travel plotlines that Hickman had been building since his earliest issues. I guess I was right. I one hideously clunky page, Hickman dismisses the whole plot. The Kree fly off, the Inhumans follow them, and suddenly our heroes no longer have to worry about them. Talk about deflating. It makes me feel that the whole story may have been an editorial remit to stretch out Hickman's mega story. Because they sure don't have anything to do with that mega story. Kitson remains an asset to the book, with clear, clean faces and expressions, and strong settings and action shots that sell the big moments. His style is exacting, but there's a softness to his people and their faces. Makes for a very nice reading experience. So this one has one major hiccup, but it's still another strong chapter in the race to the finish. Wolverine and the X-Men#6 - Jason Aaron/Nick Bradshaw
This title continues to be a ton of fun, although I would say this issue was the least engaging so far. Aaron presents two different stories, running in parallel - Wolverine and Quentin trying to win money for the school at an intergalatic casion and the X-Men and students fighting off a Brood invasion (both in Kitty's body and on the school grounds). The former is more in keeping with the playful, creative vein
of this title. Aaron has developed a great dynamic between Wolverine and Quentin. There's an understanding tone to Wolverine's voice with him, not just an authoritative one. Many alien jokes are thrown in and it's great fun to watch them navigate through alien blackjack tables. The mansion stuff ran hot and cold for me. I like that Aaron is injecting a more serious tone in these scenes. The Brood invasion has moments of tension, particularly for Kitty and Broo, but they are always balanced with Aaron's typical barbs and jokes. The rest of the team, shrunk down in Kitty's stomach, get some fun moments as well. But I kind of lost sight of the conflict - who are these additional Brood, arriving from space, and what are their goals? Their attack on the mansion causes a lot to be happening here, and unlike the book's earliest issues, it doesn't feel like organized chaos. It just feels too busy. It doesn't help that Nick Bradshaw is clearly having trouble keeping up with everything going on. The art gets slightly rushed in some panels and it's clear there is just too much happening. Bradshaw's designs for the Brood also lack any visual punch, particularly the generic main antagonist. The art is still fun, with a lot of energy and humour to the characters, but Bradshaw does struggle in spots. So it's a fun comic, but not this title's best yet.X-Men: Legacy#262 - Christos Gage/David Baldeon
expansive panels of action that transcend some of the weaknesses of his style. I also like that Gage is playing with Jason Aaron's experimentations with Iceman's powers, having him enter the fight as a giant, lumbering ice creature. The issue has its problems, though. Exodus has no teeth has a villain. He's just become a ranting madman. The intelligent Mike Carey story upon which his anger here is derived from doesn't shine through anymore. There's also some character problems, namely Wolverine lashing out at Rogue multiple times. It's all very out of character, an effort to create group tension where none exists. There was an element in the previous run of Cyclops disliking Rogue's tactics as a leader, and this is a lame attempt to repeat that. Wolverine's anger towards is so over the top and unfounded. The tension between them doesn't work at all and feels very forced. And the promised reunion of X-teams doesn't happen here - it's a cross-country fight issue, not a team reunion on Utopia. And, when Utopia characters do intervene, it's Hope's team of young mutants. I did think it was too early to reunite the X-Men, but this option is just deflating. Baldeon's art is quite good on the action, but he is still struggling with cartoony and less sophisticated faces. This book is still struggling to define itself post-Carey. It's almost deliberately less understated and intelligent than his work, but hasn't filled the void with anything other than a standard team book. An ok issue, but I'm ready for more.
No comments:
Post a Comment