This week is quite different from the past weeks. I’ve forgone with the usual titles and tried to give a new perspective on some new titles. What are those books you ask? Why, they’re DeadpoolMAX #1, Spider-Man: Back in Quack #1, The Dresden Files Vol. 2 #3, and Crosshair #1! The ratings system is as follows, now check it out behind the cut!
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
DEADPOOLMAX #1
WRITER: DAVE LAPHAM
PENCILS: KYLE BAKER
COVER: KYLE BAKERMarvel is proud to present your first look at DeadpoolMAX #1 from the critically-acclaimed creative team of writer Dave Lapham and artist Kyle Baker! That’s right “Deadheads”, everyone’s favorite Merc With A Mouth gets his very own MAX series! When there’s a problem that’s bigger than any government, special ops team, or C.I.A. smart bomb can solve, they call in the one man crazy enough to solve it: Deadpool. Hammerhead has amassed the world’s most powerful criminal organization and it’ll be up to Deadpool to go in undercover to bring the whole thing tumbling down. And no Deadpool story would be complete without an appearance from Agent Bob! Can Deadpool complete his mission before being sidetracked by a busty French Maid? Will Bob be able to keep Wade on target? Find out this October in DeadpoolMAX #1!
“Due to content, DeadpoolMAX #1 is intended for Mature Audiences only.
There is no two ways about it; this book is fucked up.
There’s no other way to put it. I try not to curse so much in my reviews, but this book is probably the most depraved book I’ve ever read published by Marvel. Between the covers, we have rough anal sex, key copies made from molds in fecal matter (you know…poop), and blood on every page.
And most of that comes from, or happens to, Agent Bob himself.
That was what sold me on the book. I’m a big fan of Bob: Agent of HYDRA, and the reinvention of his character into the beleaguered and blatantly abused (physically and sexually) Federal Agent who claims to be a member of HYDRA to establish rapport with our quite insane eponymous character Deadpool.
I mean really insane. If you thought Deadpool was crazy in the regular continuity; you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Where Wade Wilson is a crazy man in a crazy world, inserting him into a hyper-realistic and cruel world (not to mention unrelentingly violent), makes him seem all the more crazy. It was a brilliant move on the part of David Lapham. The man is obviously having a lot of fun being as unbelievably twisted and Pulp Fiction-era Quentin Tarantino as he possibly can be.
If there is a weak point, it might be the art. While it’s not terrible, and I quite enjoyed it myself, I have a feeling that the cartoonish realism might turn people off. If that term sounds a little strange, imagine the TV show Glee, but as art. I personally love Glee, but I can see why people wouldn’t. Case in point: Hammerhead. The main villain of this issue looks like a deformed freak as opposed to a guy with a simple flat top. It looks great, but I can see griping now.
But while the pencils are up for debate in its quality, the action scenes are incredibly well rendered. This is the greatest strength of the art. There are intricate details inserted into the pencils, which is incredibly important to the story, especially later on.
Continued belowI think the most shocking thing about this is that this is the first Deadpool book I can say I’ve enjoyed since Deadpool blew up all over the comics industry. Pick this up.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – Buy
SPIDER-MAN: BACK IN QUACK #1
WRITER: STUART MOORE
ART: MARK BROOKS, RAY HEIGHT, WALDEN WONG
COVER: SKOTTIE YOUNGPresenting two of Marvel’s finest: Spider-Man and…Cynical Duck (TM)? Yes, Howard the Duck’s brain has been thoroughly scrubbed, his hard-edged humor carefully dulled down for maximum demographic acceptance. It’s up to Peter Parker to set the duck straight — but does the world prefer Howard this way? Guest-starring the villainy of SOOPhI, the utter cluelessness of Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, and the unnerving eroticism of “Swizzle,” SOOPhI’s whip-wielding corporate spokeswoman. So wrong it’s – well, no, it’s still wrong, courtesy of Stuart Moore (NAMOR) and Mark Brooks (YOUNG AVENGERS). Plus: a tiny-size Man-Thing backup feature by Stuart Moore & Joe Suitor (MARVEL BREAKOUT)!
Did you hear about this one shot? It was a strange little book I saw in Previews a few months ago so I HAD to pick it up. Matt got mad at me. There were lots of things thrown in the Multiversity “Offices” and lots of cat scratches and bruised egos later, here’s the review.
I must say, this book was actually a nice breath of fresh air. The book cost all of $3.99, and while that is a dinosaur in the pot $2.99 world. No “to be continued” no “in the next issue…;” this is a one and done story (well, two in one, if you count the Man-Thing Back-up). This was probably its main selling point for me to actually pick up the title.
But after that, how did the book do? Well, if I thought it was pretty damn solid if I say so myself. The story is about as wacky as a Spider-Man team-up with Howard the Duck could be. There’s a brainwashing group called S.O.O.Ph.I who got Howard, Bev, and even managed to get JJJ along with the poor lower class in Manhattan. So of course it’s up to Spider-Man to rescue Howard and Bev…and by extension, Jameson.
The story was full of great humor and spot-on characterizations that made the book a flat out blast to read. I never realized how good a team Peter and Howard actually were, but now I’d like to see them together more often.
Finally, the art was pretty fantastic, if not a little uneven between the three artists on board. I know I’m nitpicking, but the two artists on the main Spidey/Howard story had a little bit of a discrepancy that you would hardly notice unless you were me or someone who reads too far into things. But other than that, the art was clean and well thought out, with quick in your face action scenes that also caused laughter in my eyes. The back up with Man-Thing awas also quite well rendered, but the change in theme was a bit of a shock. I’m not saying it shouldn’t have been released, but I do think these books should have been released with different co-features. Perhaps the Man-Thing should have been put in the back of a Thunderbolts book, and there should have been either A) a longer main feature, or B) a second story with Peter and Howard being hilarious kicking butt. But that’s just a small problem I had with an otherwise fantastic book.
If you like one-and-done stories in the Marvel Universe with no commitment, this is the book for you. I loved it to pieces, even though I didn’t really expect to.
Final Verdict: 8.0 — Buy!
Continued belowTHE DRESDEN FILES: STORM FRONT VOL. 2 #3
WRITER: MARK POWERS
ART: ARDIAN SYAF
COVER: ARDIAN SYAFLt. Murphy is the latest victim of the Shadowman’s magic and Harry is out to avenge his best friend. Can Harry stop the killer in time or is he destined to be the final victim?
The Dresden Files: Storm Front careens toward its shattering conclusion loaded with all the magic, mystery and adventure that make Jim Butcher’s novels a smash hit!
Am I the only one reading this title? I know I shouldn’t be. But I might just be. But I’m a big fan of the book series written by Jim Butcher and adapted by Mark Powers.
This adaptation is spot on, let me tell you. Harry is impeccably characterized and his story shows him at his most desperate, and he’s a scapegoat for something horrible only because “The Man” doesn’t like him. It serves to give him a great foil in Morgan, who grows to be a very awesome thorn in his size, even if he’s dispatched rather quickly in this issue.
The problem with this book is the speed at which it’s released. Butcher said he wants to adapt all of his books into comic format, but with 12 books out, and at least 8 issues a piece (the next book looks like it’s the end of Storm Front.) They’re never going to catch up if he can pump out a new book once a year but it takes two years plus to release eight issues of the comic. Even Ardian Syaf has moved on to over work, working over at DC, first on Superman and now on Green Lantern Corps. That could be part of the reason this book is coming out so slowly. But he was working on this book for far longer than he was working on Superman or Green Lantern Corps.
But while we’re on the subject of Ardian Syaf, it’s astounding how much better his work is on Dresden compared to GLC. GLC feels a lot like he’s trying to emulate Rob Liefeld and the worst of Jim Lee (with some confusing facial expressions and questionable posing.). But here he seems to have his own style that works nearly perfectly for the book. Harry is awkwardly handsome, and a severe badass with some beautiful renditions of the magic being used, with brilliant colors being used. Why doesn’t his work usually look like this? It’s a shame.
I really encourage you to pick up the whole series. I just hope it can be a little more consistent with its release schedule.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy
PILOT SEASON: CROSSHAIR #1
WRITER: JEFF KATZ
ARTIST: ALLAN JEFFERSON
COVER: MARC SILVESTRIPilot Season Begins Anew as a 5 Week Event in 2010!
After settling into the life of loving husband and devoted father in the suburbs, a former assassin for the CIA learns he’s been brainwashed to kill the President of the United States. To his horror, Justin Weller has discovered that in less than 48 hours something or someone will trigger his suppressed program and send him into deadly and irreversible action. Weller must discover his triggering mechanism and uncover who is behind the conspiracy that will pitch the world into chaos.Created and co-written by Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri (X-Men/Dark Avengers: Utopia) and co-writer Jeff Katz (Booster Gold) with art by Allan Jefferson (War Machine), Crosshair introduces a new kind of action comic.
You ever see The Bourne Identity or any of the Bourne movies for that matter? Well, if you did, you’ll recognize the themes and plot for this book. That’s the jist of this Top Cow title from their yearly “Pilot Season” event.
That’s not to say it’s a rip off. But there are similarities. In this book, Crosshair, our main character Justin Weller is a retired CIA Operative who is being pulled back into the spy-life to…assassinate the President. What follows is an action packed and exciting story that bridges the gap between the aforementioned Jason Bourne and Batman. You may find that a little strange, considering how disparate those two characters are (one goes by the seat of his pants, the other is always planning.), but when you read it, you’ll see.
The real winner here is the art. The book moves at a brisk pace and the action scenes have the Bourne aura to them, with frenetic movements combined with Batman’s be prepared mantra. The pencils are just as ruthless as Weller is when he throws knives at an attackers face, not giving the assailant much of a chance. The only weakness and this is another small nitpick, is that some of the faces are so realistic looking; it’s a bit distracting to see them performing such bloody violent acts on one another. But that’s just me.
This was the first book I’ve read for Pilot Season, and I do think it’s a really fun book. We’ll see how it stacks up against the other pilots.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Buy
