Not all of us get to go to nice places like NYCC, but we all get to write reviews if we so please. Yay! This week brought a fun list of books to MC for review, and review I shall. Before we get to what books I reviewed, see below for our scoring system.
0: Uwe Boll will direct the adaptation of this comic
0.1 – 1: Burn upon touching
1- 1.9: Abysmal
2.0 – 2.9: Art. Writing. Editing. All bad.
3.0 – 3.9: You’d be a masochist to pick this up.
4.0 – 4.9: “I’ll give it another month…but that was not good.”
5.0 – 5.9: “Really? The Watcher? In the face? I guess it was fun.”
6.0 – 6.9: “Hmm. That was decent.”
7.0 – 7.9: Well made but a few problems
8.0 – 8.9: Nearly flawless
9.0 – 9.9: Outstanding
10: Perfection. Issue of the year contender
This week my reviews include Ultimate Comics Thor #1, Taskmaster #2, Fantastic Four in Ataque del M.O.D.O.K., and American Vampire #7. All young books, all varying degrees of awesome, but interesting in all of their own little ways.
Find out what I liked this week and what I didn’t after the jump.
Ultimate Comics Thor #1
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Art by: Carlos Pacheco
I’m not really sure what I expected from Jonathan Hickman’s first foray into the Ultimate Universe, but I can say this: that was a pretty damn enjoyable read. Hickman managed to take a character whose core idea is up in the air for the most part in this universe (whether or not this Thor is Norse God of Thunder Thor) and turn it into a delightfully interwoven story that goes into the characters past and present to start defining a bright future. In short? It was all kinds of awesome.
Half the book takes place in the present, as Britain’s Super Soldier Scientist James Braddock (and his son Brian, aka Captain Britain) is diligently working to create Her Majesty’s first true super soldier. He figures the key to the equation is Thor, a man who has been at his facility for some time, insists that he is the Norse God of Thunder, and is currently writing out his memory of his history (aka the Poetic Edda from Norse Mythology). To start deciphering what exactly Thor is writing Braddock brings in a linguist/doctor named Donald Blake, and that’s where the ball gets rolling on that.
Bringing in Blake was a very nice touch, and as a character we had yet to see (to my knowledge) in the Ultimate Universe he could very well be the key to solidifying Thor’s identity once and for all. Hickman handled these sequences very well, and his gift for dramatic tension stands out in these scenes as Thor struggles to grasp reality and those around him are attempting to guide him for presumably personal gain.
The other story takes place in the past, and as with many stories in the Ultimate Universe (or so I’ve noticed) it involves Nazis.
That’s right.
It seems Asgard is under attack by a combination of Frost Giants and Nazis, as Ragnarok is here and the World Tree is burning. The “Warriors Three” of Balder, Thor and Loki are off to prevent it, and we’re given a quick aside of these brothers battling Frost Giants in a less serious fashion to build up the relationships between these characters. This section of the story is wonderfully told by Hickman, and each aspect shows a deep understanding of these new versions of the characters as well as more of his genuine gift for original and dynamic plotting. Beautiful work from Hickman.
Carlos Pacheco fits the book incredibly well, as his storytelling is powerful and his figure work brings these set pieces to life. Pacheco’s art hasn’t changed a ton over the years in my mind, but he’s still one of the most oddly underworked artists in the industry – how does this guy so infrequently work? I have no idea, as he does a stellar job here.
Continued belowEven though I mostly have no interest in a story about the Ultimate Universe version of Thor, Hickman and Pacheco made me care. I picked up this first issue because of the creators on the front, and I find myself pleased that I did. I strongly recommend grabbing this first issue, as it is a well told first act to an adventure that will almost assuredly entertain throughout.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
Taskmaster #2
Written by: Fred Van Lente
Art by: Jefte Palo
I picked up the first issue of this mini-series impulsively because of an odd affinity for the character and for the writer of the title: Fred Van Lente. The man has made a meteoric rise in comics, and one of my favorite reasons why is because of his ability to turn a small character no one cares about into someone that is straight up awesome to read about. In that regard, Taskmaster may be his magnum opus because FVL turns in another exceptional performance with Jefte Palo bringing some damn fine visuals to the table himself.
This issue finds Taskmaster and his accidental abductee Mercedes to Puerto Rico, as FVL takes us through an adventure that doesn’t follow chronological order but is all the better for it. The simple idea is this: Taskmaster is hunting his true identity (he doesn’t remember it because his brain is at capacity thanks to memorizing too many people’s fighting styles) and is now in Puerto Rico to find it, and when he lands he quickly confronts his first trainee: the Don of the Dead (say it with me people – YES!). It seems the Don is working for the Organization (the group who pays Taskmaster to do dirty deeds as well and is now trying to kill him) but he doesn’t want to kill his hero, so instead he’s just going to kill Mercedes. To save her, Taskmaster offers to play keytar in the Don’s band (thanks to access to YouTube, he learns it in 20 minutes). Violence eventually ensues, as do surprise twists.
Does that not sound like something you’d want to read people?! This is god’s gift to comics. This is straight up entertainment featuring a character who was woefully underrepresented in the past and is now getting the love he deserves from a writer who truly gets him. In FVL’s hands, Taskmaster is not just a massively entertaining character but also a strangely poignant and understandable one. For a merciless mercenary of his sort, you’d never expect that sort of thing, yet that is the gift Mr. Van Lente shares with us.
Jefte Palo is a very, very capable partner for FVL, as he can bring the entertainment and the kinetic art style necessary for such a book in spades. His pencils are loose, but it just brings more energy to the page and makes the imagery come to life even more. I’d never seen his work before this series, but I can say this: I’m very excited to see where his skills take him next.
Taskmaster remains one of the most surprising books of the year, as two issues in I am about as entertained as I am by any other comic on the market. It has great writing, great art, and a surprising concept featuring a previously underdrawn character that just draws me in. If you aren’t reading Taskmaster, you are missing out.
Final Verdict: 9.2 – Buy
Fantastic Four in…Ataque del M.O.D.O.K.
Written by: Tom Beland
Art by: Juan Doe
Sometimes when looking at the books that are coming out in the upcoming week, something catches your eye and you find it impossible to not buy it outright. This week, that book was Fantastic Four in Ataque del M.O.D.O.K., a one-shot that really has no effect on anything nor is it necessarily continuity, but something I found alluring for a number of reasons. Those reasons?
1) M.O.D.O.K. – That’s reason enough to buy any book.
2) Combat death monkeys that work for A.I.M. – amazing in concept, amazing in execution
3) Juan Doe’s evocative and moody art
Those reasons were enough for a purchase for myself, but were they enough to make it a good comic? Yes and no. Doe’s art was stunning at times, and the way they laid everything out to tell the story bridged perfectly with the art to make this a visual fiesta. It was a joy to look at, and something quite unlike most books you read from Marvel.
But overall, the entertainment value of the story was woefully low for something that features both M.O.D.O.K. and death monkeys. It was occasionally a blast, but often slow, and the new Puerto Rican superhero of Vejigante didn’t do anything for me. Granted, there were some really nice moments with the Reed and Sue to up the awesome in surprising ways (I love that Reed evidently created the digital music revolution and the origin to “Mr. Fantastic”), but it wasn’t enough to offset the expectations I went into the book with.
Overall, this book was decently told, but ultimately inconsequential and not as entertaining as I hoped. A book that exists better in theory, but not something I wholly regret purchasing.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – Browse
American Vampire #7
Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
We’re now two issues into the second arc of America Vampire, and any skepticism that may have existed with Stephen King leaving the book and the story focusing on one time period instead of two has since washed away. This arc finds us at the genesis of Sin City, as a particularly grisly murder has befuddled the local sheriff and brought in help in the form of two federal agents. But is everything as it seems?
Of course not, but Scott Snyder does a masterful job of playing his cards close to his vest, revealing just enough to string the reader along and make them salivate in anticipation about the next reveal, but never going all in to expose the mystery too soon.
Not only that, but his handling of the characters (almost all of whom are new, excluding Skinner Sweet in a new identity and the last second return of our heroine) is extraordinary. The sheriff of Vegas, Cashel, is a strong creation. A man driven to find justice for everyone but also driven by an innate goodness and belief in his fellow man. This is a rich character, and the aside Snyder takes us on with Cashel as we get a flashback with him and his recently murdered father is touching and something that ups the power of the entire issue and arc by quite a bit.
Snyder is developing a wondrous universe in this book, and his artistic partner Rafael Albquerque has been able to match him move for move. His versatility in this series has been nothing short of astonishing, leaping between locales, eras and art styles with the greatest of ease. This arc finds him set in just one, but he excels all the more with the additional focus it gives him. For those that did not know of him before, Albuquerque has been a revelation, capturing the imagination of Snyder with his visual splendor.
American Vampire continues to be a gem of gems, giving us another top notch book from Vertigo month in and month out. If you’re late to this party, I highly recommend jumping on board. It’s one of the best books in the industry and deserves your readership.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
