Apparently my local shop didn’t get its allotment of Legion this week. Shipping problems, no doubt. sigh
New Books for 02-01-06.
Spoilers in white text below, use cursor to read.
Brubaker & Company (as ever) deliver the goods in Captain America Vol 5 #14. It’s a good solid story. However I was a bit disappointed at two revelations at issues end - that the [color=white]Winter Soldier survives and that [/color]the Skull lives on in Lukin’s head. The first drained the ending of some drama, the second - well, I liked the idea that the Skull could die even if his death, like that of Morrison’s Magneto only lasted as long the writer’s run on the title. 7/10.
I also find myself reassessing this title. There’s a lot I like about Brubaker’s Cap, and I do want to see what he does with Sister Sin and Crossbones, but the pacing of the last two arcs felt a bit drawn out to me.
Likewise, Ennis & Fernandez deliver a solid wind up to the “Slavers” storyarc in Punisher MAX #30 with everyone getting their just deserts, as usual. (Hence my long-standing concern about monotony creeping into the Punisher storylines. It puts a lot of pressure on Ennis to keep coming up with colorful characters and twisted situations to keep the whole thing from becoming repetitive. Relatively speaking, the Punisher is a pretty one note character, after all.) Frank’s fatalism at issues end disturbed me. Personally I would also like to see Officer Marcie and the Social Worker show up in a Daughters of the Dragon, Daredevil, Luke Cage or Cloak & Dagger story; any title street level vigilante title where a relative realism holds sway. (IMHO, slavers should be ground to dust.) I also wish we could’ve seen what happened to Det. W_______. . 7/10.
I was very disappointed to find my LCS didn’t get it’s full order of Fury Peacemaker #1. I have to find a copy this weekend.
More of Jim Burns fun painted pages, and “strong woman” action-adventure, a la Modesty Blaise, Mrs. Peel, etc. in Sable & Fortune #2. I realize the writer is casting Dominic Fortune in a less macho light than Chaykin’s original in an effort to make clear how powerful Silver Sable is, but I have to ask, “does he have to be such a total wuss?”. It’s hard to get behind this version of the character. He’s like Dean Martin’s take on Matt Helm, but without a dick. 6/10
Morrison provides a fun take on the unseemly, unsightly underbelly of low-rent superheroics in Seven Soldiers Bulleteer #3 which, for all it’s invention, comes off as a bit of a letdown after the last two issues, though I did enjoy, "the revenge of the put upon son, and enjoy Paquette’s rendering style. I look forward to the Bulleteer and her newfound friends getting tossed into the fire next issue. 6/10
**Supreme Power Nighthawk #6 ** Underwhelming close to a story arc that certainly had some moments, but needed to be a bit more. We already know that this version of the Batman kills. Love the Spiderman swipe. 5/10.
With X-Factor #3 the new series is shaping up into a pretty intriguing team book. I like the oddly unsettling and “real feel” the creative team gave Strong Guy and Rahne’s run in with the street punks, and I look forward to a deeper look into the uncertainties of Madrox’ fractured consciousness, hinted at in his conversation with Siryn about sex. I also like the creepy twist PAD gave the “new girls” abilities. The only thing I don’t care for is Monet. I honestly don’t think the character adds anything of value to the team. Least not so far. Someone pls. kill her off. 7/10
Regarding the first issue of the Fury Peacemaker story (which I still haven’t found) … Was there any sign that the writer is going to revisit the issue of Fury’s longevity? I wish I still had it, but there was a Chaykin short story from the late seventies or early eighties about an immortality drug he was taking. As far as I know, I don’t think anyone’s revisited that element of the characters backstory in quite some time.
Legion of Super-Heroes #14: Ties up a few loose ends from the last arc and kicks us off in a new direction. Very good. Mrs. Saturn Girl is a total MILF.
I’m kinda pissed off that DC is spilling the beans so early on what’s happening with Supergirl both in her book and LSH. I’m curious as to how they pull it off.
Rann-Thangar War Special: I only got it to see how Kyle becomes Ion. Yawn. I can’t wait for the series, but this book was ho-hum at best. Hated the death.
The Rann-Than Special (which I haven’t read) is annoying because I liked that character. Of course, I recognize that the only reason I like her is because I’m a Trekkie and I’ve always wanted to make it with a green chick.
–Cliffy