Fox and Hare issue 1 both covers Reviews 

Wrapping Wednesday: Micro Reviews for the Week of 5/25/22

By | May 30th, 2022
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

There’s a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.

Let’s get this party started.

Captain Carter #3
Written by Jamie McKelvie
Illustrated by Marika Cresta
Colored by Matt Milla
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by Quinn Tassin

“Captain Carter” #3, like the prior issues of this series, is fun and teetering on the edge of being great but missing a certain something. What makes the issue so easy to enjoy is also what stops it from really popping- it’s a very straightforward action story dressed up like a spy thriller. The story is easy enough to keep track of, the action is a blast, and the characters are easy to root for. This espionage-lite plot makes the story feel just smart enough to be stimulating. Everything works just fine.

On the other hand, there’s a depth that could be found here but just isn’t. Characters are betrayed, yes, but for us that betrayal was easy to see coming. Heroes’ worldviews are challenged but said views were never explored enough for anything to cut too deep. Heroes are easy to like but they don’t quite feel three-dimensional. The story structure makes it so that there’s always something happening but never any suspense. Even the exploration of this alternate timeline never quite ventures into interesting territory. Characters are aesthetically a bit different but they’re almost entirely the same as their 616 counterparts. None of this disqualifies the story from being fun to read but it does stop it from packing a punch.

The art, too, is solid but features some serious deficiencies. The layouts of “Captain Carter” #3 are strong, controlling the pacing well, and the staging is clear. There’s a certain lack of dynamism to the issue, though. From panel to panel, there’s clear thought put into the sequencing of events but it all feels a bit static. That weakness is especially visible in Captain Carter’s big fight with the S.T.R.I.K.E. agents. The action is fun and well thought-out but it’s almost like there’s a panel missing between. each step of the fight. The art is particularly weak when it comes to faces, which are often proportioned strangely with dead eyes.

Final Verdict: 7.2- Perfectly fun but lacking the depth that would make it great.

Fox and Hare #1
Written by Jon Tsuei
Illustrated by Stacey Lee
Colored by Raul Angulo
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Reviewed by Alexander Manzo

“Fox and Hare” is a futuristic thriller mesh of cyberpunk and noir. Jon Tseui uses this introductory issue to give some heart to two of the main characters and give the reader someone to root for. However, the two mercenaries cross paths with Aurora Yi, a hacker after the same data as them. Tsuei uses the rest of the issue to get away from the bad guys, for now, and for them all to find some common ground. Tsuei gives the reader some badass action sequences to bring them back for more, but it is still unknown about the primary goal of the antagonist for the overall story arc. It’s got a James Bond villain vibe where there’s some master plan for the city, but it’s still unknown how they may have mixed in with the two protagonists.

The artwork by Stacey Lee works well with this story due to her heavy brushstrokes, clean lines, and attention to detail. The character’s expressions, for example, are well-done in how there are subtle movements for shock or when Aurora is trying to sway the guards to let her inside the secret hideout. While seemingly small, it’s needed for a story like this to break up the seriousness of the chaos building up in the city. Raul Angulo’s colors also give a brighter tone to the dark city, using blue and pink raindrops paired with the neon lights when traveling. There’s also a significant element to creating bullet-filled action sequences and still being able to follow along and see the characters’ movements. Lee and Angulo bring this cyberpunk-themed story to life and hook the reader into wanting to know the rest of the gritty cityscape.

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Final Verdict: 7.5 – This story has plenty of action, futuristic technology, and a sprinkle of dystopian world vibes to create a fun introduction to a new series.

Robin #14
Written by Joshua Williamson
Penciled by Roger Cruz
Inked by Norm Rapmund
Colored by Luis Guerrero
Lettered by Troy Peteri
Reviewed by Alexander Jones

“Robin” #14 acknowledges a violent trend happening across numerous Batman comic books at DC. Instead of doing the responsible thing and mitigating the disaster author Joshua Williamson digs deeper into the ‘Shadow War’ crossover to deliver even more crazy characters and dialogue. Artist Roger Cruz assists Williamson in crafting the tone of the chaotic narrative to be as straightforward as possible. Williamson and Cruz combine numerous aspects of Batman and DC continuity into a fascinating story calling upon years of DC history.

Artist Roger Cruz lends a pencil set to the issue that carries inspiration from Howard Porter on “Deathstroke Inc.” and previous “Robin” artist Gleb Melnikov. Cruz draws big animated action that really takes advantage of this lively script loaded with guest stars. Cruz has a couple of excellent panel layouts and takes a lot of advantage of the action here. At times, Cruz has difficulty capturing some of the subtle elements on the page relating to character emotions. Robin’s expressions at the beginning of the issue didn’t quite carry the nuance in his figure. Overall, I believe this is an issue that will look coherent with the other installments of the crossover while still carrying its own identity. The action scenes with The Demon part of Bruce’s family had wonderful energy and strong choreography.

”Robin” #14 is the culmination of several past Batman stories. Williamson takes advantage of story elements from James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez’s “Batman,” Williamson’s own “Batman” run with Jorge Molina, and even aspects from previous “Robin” issues. Williamson is able to write an extremely cohesive Batman Universe. Robin has a groundbreaking character moment referencing the checkered past between Bruce and Damian in this series. Williamson also ensures that the elements he is adding to the continuity of this story are related to the “Robin’ narrative through certain characters. Oftentimes, comic book crossovers are lacking in story elements. ‘Shadow War’ has operated at a very smooth pace opting to keep the reader surprised with each and every twist. “Robin” #14 is the buildup to the culmination of ‘Shadow War’ as Williamson and Cruz successfully share new revelations while teasing intriguing developments to come.

Final Verdict: 9.0 – ”Robin” #14 challenges readers with a large cast of characters and meticulous script.


//TAGS | Wrapping Wednesday

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