Saga may have been the big debut of the week, but I was equally looking forward to this new Vertigo title. I think it's long past time Paul Cornell worked on a creator-owned book, and I couldn't have been happier to see Ryan Kelly announced as its artist. So I was looking forward to this, and found it to be a stellar debut. Cornell pulls off an introduction to lead
character Arcadia Alvarado, an unsettling tone, and a great conclusion in this issue's twenty pages. The lead character is sharply drawn here, and it's an engaging portrayal. There's a good balance between her political ambitions and relationship troubles, with a her personal strengths and weaknesses shining through both sides of her life strongly. Arcadia has agency as a lead character, even through her professional and personal lives have aspects dictated by others. The political side of the book nicely meshes with her character. There are scenes of political maneuverings and campaign strategy throughout the issue, including a great speech at the end in which Arcadia announces her bid to run for President. Cornell makes these elements of the book feel natural, as Arcadia and her supporting cast have fresh voices and fairly interesting personalities. The issues they discuss, in regards to campaign strategy, are pretty engaging and thoughtful, as well. For as sharp as the writing is, the issue opens with a handful of scenes that are somewhat disjointed, in a good way. Arcadia and her ex-husband Michael awaken in their car, off the beaten path, with minor injuries, and the following scenes maintain this unsettling tone, particularly when introducing a disturbed professor at Harvard and exploring Michael's life. The contrast between these scenes (which persist into Arcadia's later scenes by herself) and the sharp political dialogues really works. All of this leads to a closing page that is no surprise to readers who have read promos for the book, but still manages to announce both this book's premise and Arcadia's resolute, strong personality with force and intensity. It's a simple moment, because the book's premise has been so well-known already, but it feels like Cornell is throwing down the gauntlet and announcing this new title's premise. The art by Ryan Kelly is a real treat. He excels at this collection of people, displaying expressions ranging from soft, emotional, driven, and pained. The book feels grounded, but very emotive and sharp looking. Kelly also does well when the science fiction aspects of the plot creep in, including the glimpses of aliens and Arcadia's nighttime episodes. The colour palette for the book is also quite good, with an emphasis on yellows, browns, and oranges that emphasize the desert setting. I really liked this opening issue - it was bold, intelligent, and also quite tender and thoughtful. A very promising start.Batgirl#7 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf, Alitha Martinez
I have both praised and criticized this title for the busy, jam-packed nature of it's plotting, but I have come around to Simone's eclectic approach to storytelling. And, on the heels of that comes this, the most streamlined, straightforward narrative she has told yet. And it was a great issue. As usual, the issue is held together by Barbara Gordron's narration and portrayal. Simone has a love for the character, and
she shines as a vibrant mix of hopes, fears, and insecurities, with a snarky sense of humour. The bulk of this issue is a flashback to Barbara reaching out to Black Canary to help her get out of her funk and back into fighting shape. Their interaction is fresh, natural, and fun. It sounds like two old friends who have slightly lost touch. Simone draws on Barbara's accident in almost every issue, but it isn't getting tired - it feels realistic and painful each time. It is never unnecessarily dwelt on, instead serving as a wonderful starting point for Barbara's character. And Barbara's struggle to move on has been a great character arc. The accident is at the core of the scenes with Black Canary, and they have some strong scripting from Simone. The rest of the issue contains present-day scenes in which Batgirl pursues Grotesque, a foe Black Canary asked her to trail. Grotesque is in the mold of the other quirky villains Simone has brought to the book, and these scenes are a good mix of fun and gravity. Barbara's narration is always laced with her sense of humour, but the fights bring her back to a painful time in her life. Adrian Syaf's present-day scenes are excellent, with very fluid, exciting action scenes. Alitha Martinez handles the flashbacks. They nicely stay within the look Syaf has established for the book, even if there are a couple of wonky facial expressions. That aside, I really liked this issue. Barbara Gordon's character sits front and centre in a fairly unique, brave comic. Batwoman#7 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/Amy Reeder
This issue grabbed me in the first scene - when Batwoman removed the hand of the man who almost killed Bette in the previous story. The New 52 have been criticized for graphic violence, but this was an arresting scene. I felt Kate's pain and her harsh retaliation against her cousin's attack felt real. This issue continues the series of vignettes, checking in on the cast at various points in their recent history. It's the
personal scenes, focusing on character moments, that really excel. Jacob's visit with comatose Bette at the hospital is incredibly touching, as he describes the differences between his two twin daughters and hopes for Bette's recovery. Kate and Maggie's relationship continues to develop nicely. I also like Batwoman's continued servitude under the D.E.O., and her interaction with Cameron Chase. This issue contains a lot of progress on the villain front, and that's where it lost me just a little. Progress is made with Falchion, Medusa, Maro, and Killer Croc. There's a lot of players on the board, and I'm not sure how they all fit together, particularly in relation to the missing children from the first arc. I'm sure the writing team will get to this, but it's a bit jumbled in its presentation here. The art by Amy Reeder is unfortunately not as strong as her debut. The opening scenes employ the creative panel layouts she displayed last issue, displaying both Batwoman in action and Jacob's concern for Bette. After that, the visual storytelling becomes quite conventional. The figures have a rough, angry look to them, which I do like. I like that Reeder isn't aping Williams' style. But the book also doesn't have the distinct visual flair he brings to it. It's a nice looking comic, but not up to this title's usual standards. This new arc is still finding its feet, but some poignant moment prove this title's strengths still remain.Superboy#7 - Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco/R.B. Silva, Iban Coello
If Tom DeFalco is going to keep scripting this title, I may be out soon. I always considered dropping this when it became too intertwined with Teen Titans, as the solitary, laboratory setting was much more interesting to me, and with this issue's cliffhanger and the upcoming crossover, that point is coming soon. But DeFalco's scripting is sucking the life out of this book. Superboy has gone from a thoughtful,
nuanced portagonist to a literal, angry, character. The unique, fun aspects of him finding his place in the world have been replaced by some very genertic qualities, and I lay blame on the safe script. That said, the story is moving ahead in this issue, and the action is quite good. Superboy's battle with Rose Wilson is a long time coming, and moves at a great clip through the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. headquarters. It's just that Rose has gone from an intriguing supporting character to a generic angry woman and Superboy's narration, one of Lobdell's strengths, has lost all unique and intriguing qualities. I lay blame for this on DeFalco's script. There is an interesting plot point introduced here regarding Superboy's origin, but DeFalco is so literal in its presentation that it loses its potential mystique. All this said, R.B. Silva's art makes the battle scenes come to life. Superboy and Rose move swiftly and fluidly through a series of blue and grey chambers in the lab, with dizzying speed and energy. The acrobatics and character movements are superb, and Silva is equally strong on page layouts and character designs. The issue looks great. Iban Coello pencils three inserted pages, all of which look fine, but feel like complete intrusions into the story. The second scene in particular, in which Red awakens at a friend of Superboy's apartment (all based on the comment that he spent a lot of time in the library in #4; apparently he met this friend there) is the definition of clunky. So this title is in flux at the moment, as is my devotion to it. A shame, because it had such a strong voice and tone, and the new scripter hasn't been able to maintain them.Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#7 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli
The plot thickens at S.H.A.D.E City in this latest issue, which continues this series' tradition of wild action and adventure with a fun, cutting group dynamic. This is a full-on action issue, but the cast is also on full display the whole time, which each of them getting more than their moment to shine, and it shows the strength of this series. Lemire has built a fun cast of quirky characters, and established a
great group dynamic amongst them. An action issue becomes so much more enjoyable when laced with humourous dialogue from a well-established, fun cast. In this issue, the cast faces down the original Creatures Commandos, escaped from captivity, and renegade Humanids, while a bigger threat is unleashed in the background. The action and character moments are pure fun - Frankenstein's constant groaning and grumbling, Father Time's indignant anger, Lady Frankenstein's detatched boredom, Nina's fear. Ray Palmer finally gets to show off his Atom shrinking powers, adding another layer to the S.H.A.D.E. tapestry and serving as a great moment. There are also solo scenes for the less-developed cast members that are quite fun. And I like how the foes the team face here are internal to the series' machinery and concepts. And the new foe Time hints at further grows out of the cast and their past. The only thing that gave me pause here was the art. I've been a staunch fan of Ponticelli's, but this issue looks different than the first six. At first I thought he may have been rushed, but the general design sense and expressiveness of the layouts, characters, and fight scenes are still there. Whether done by Ponticelli or inker Walden Wong, the art is much cleaner and smooher, losing the ropey, messy look Ponticelli typically brings. It all looks good and is an interesting new take, even if I prefer his other style. However, even with that, this is yet another stellar issue of this consistently great book. Fantastic Four#604 - Jonathan Hickman/Steve Epting
Jonathan Hickman concludes the mega-story he started back in August 2009 (or, some would say, in the Fantastic Four: Dark Reign mini-series that preceeded that) and it's a fitting conclusion. I will admit it took me a second read-through to really see the light on this. I was satisfied, but a little underwhelmed, at first. This issue takes some of the biggest concepts Hickman played with all of this time - the
Council of Reeds, the Mad Celestials, the future Franklin and Val, Nathaniel - and ties a nice, big bow around them in a series of powerful and dramatic scenes. There is true energy and power as the elements of the story come together and the big conclusion is reached. The individual members of the team kind of just stand back and watch here, but isn't that ok? They have played so many roles throughout this mega-story that I didn't feel they were shortchanged. Instead, there was true emotion in them watching the future Franklin and Val reunite with Nathaniel and perform their roles in ending the conflict. I actually really liked how Hickman and Epting played this issue - instead of spelling out the entire conflic for us, opaque narration overlays fantastic visuals of future Franklin fighting the Celestials and ressurecting Galactus. It's much more elegant and powerful than having this play out as a traditional action issue and it's a fitting approach for a big conclusion. The big moment with Franklin ressurecting Galactus is a great twist and climax to the story. The final scene calls back to Hickman's very first issue in a beautiful way, and is a touching coda to the parent-child relationships he has explored throughout his run. I can't help but be struck in this final issue by how much Hickman's mega-story was rooted in the concepts and stories he explored in his earliest stories - it makes me realize how many unnecessary detours (the Kree/Inhumans stuff mostly) were taken along the way.And with that, this is my final issue of Fantastic Four. I know Hickman is on both this and FF for another six months, but this is the end of the story he came on to tell. I will buy the next issue of FF, an epilogue to this story, then I'm off. There are a lot of loose ends to this story, and from solicits and preview images, it looks like Hickman will explore them, along with other concepts. I'm sure they'll be enjoyable comics, and I may pick them up if reviews are strong enough, but I'm buying too much right now and I basically committed to this big story. To keep Hickman on longer is slight overkill to me and I don't want to read his run potentially peter out after this conclusion. Plus, I'm just buying too much, and this is a natural end point.
Wolverine and the X-Men#7 - Jason Aaron/Nick Bradshaw
The Brood/intergalatic casino story wraps up here, and it's another strong issue, even if, at time,s it feels like so much is happening. The Broo vs. attacking Brood soldier story ends up having a much more interesting premise than it originally seemed it was going too. It turns out Broo has been targeted for death because he is a genetic misstep in the Brood line - a kind, thoughtful alien who won't kill. It's a clever
twist, and a compelling hook that I wasn't expecting from what was looking like a route action story. It leads to some exciting chase and battle scenes and a climax that is far more human and unsettling than it has any right to be. Outside of that story, this issue is business as usual, albeit fun stuff. The fight in Kitty's stomach proceeds apace, with fun moments throughout. And Wolverine and Quentin's casino scamming is equally fun, especially watching Quentin's character grow. Aaron jumps between the three story threads to keep the story exciting, but at times it feels like too much is going on. I appreciate the energy and fullness of this book, but it may be helpful to dial it back at times. Bradshaw's art is strong here - the figures and setting remains quirky, fun, and lively - but he too seems to struggle with the boundless pace of the issue. I don't know how much of an action artist he is, and this is a heavy action issue, with tons going on. His depiction of the Brood isn't his strongest quality, so that too is a detriment. I did enjoy this issue, and the wider story. I'm happy to see the back end of it, and the next story in this title (that is, until it gets dragged into a crossover).X-Men: Legacy#263 - Christos Gage/David Baldeon
The Exodus story wraps up here a bizarre way. The assembled X-Men and X-kids defeat him in the opening half, and the rest of the issue is spent on extended decompressing back at the school. This is typically a great structure for the soap opera-heavy X-Men. We need the decompression scenes. But here, the two halves of the issue are equally problematic, and I'm left concerned about Gage's direction for the book. The strength of the Exodus fight is in the execution of the battle. It has an energy and speed to it, and Baldeon excels at the big action
shots. It looks great. Unfortunately, defeating Exodus isn't a suitable ending to this particular story. The fight with him arose because of a view he held of mutant relations that is not resolved, or even touched on in a meangingful way, in the story's conclusion. A big slugfest with him isn't an adequate way to work through the problem he raised. I also have trouble believing this ranting lunatic Exodus would even care about uniting the mutant race. He is such a crazy villain that pacifist views like that seem completely at odds with his behaviour here. I can't help but feel Mike Carey so elegantly introduced a wonderful concept in #225 for Exodus and other followers of Magneto, and Gage has simplified it so much that it lost its teeth in this story. The scenes after the battle verge on painful. I hate to again compare to Carey, but he set up a realistic dynamic where Cyclops mistrusted Rogue for some of her leadership decisions, but trusted in her abilities and qualities, and worked with her to capitalize on her strengths. Gage seems to want the same dynamic between Rogue on Wolverine, but proceeds with it in the most ham-fisted way. Wolverine's anger is so irrational and short-sighted, it seems misplaced. The whole story seems forced for dramatic effect, and it doesn't work. Then Rachel confronts Rogue about her relationship with Magneto, and that they need to resolve it for the sake of the team soon. Reducing Rogue's actions to some lovesick pining seems insulting, and this discussion is again forced and hammy. Gage seems to want Rogue to be a certain person and it's not working. I don't understand this interpretation at all - Wolverine yells at her, and she goes off and sulks, Rachel chastises her and she barely gets a word in. She is coming off as weak and pathetic, and I don't understand the in-story reason. Yes, Carey certainly softened her, sometimes too much, but she was never a pathetic whelp like she is here. I have certainly changed my opinion on Baldeon's art - he is more impressive with every issue - but I have not come onboard with Gage's direction for the book.And, of course, I loved Saga#1 ...
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