There is 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.
Deadpool’s Art of War #1
Written by Peter David
Illustrated by Scott Koblish
Review by Vince Ostrowski
Peter David gets to do whatever Peter David wants. With Deadpool, he wants to re-translate Sun Tzu’s The Art of War into a language straight from the Merc’s mouth. After Deadpool white knights his way in between a horribly misogynistic ancient Chinese battle between two “Art of War” test groups, he decides that he could probably profit off of such a historically great strategy book somehow. From there, Peter David involves a stoic publishing company and the heroes and villains of Asgard, of all places, into the mayhem. David handles Deadpool with restraint with regards to his humor. In fact, this Deadpool is more a sleazy opportunist that occasionally breaks a few timeline, 4th wall, and narrative rules in the means to his end, versus a tornado of slapstick that constantly breaks all those same rules. A lower key Deadpool does feel a little different than what we’ve been inundated with in recent years, but nonetheless a welcome interpretation of the character.
Scott Koblish turns in an artistic effort that assumes the same sort of identity that his work on the flashback issues of Gerry Duggan have to this point. That is, Koblish’s art is sprawling, detailed, and classical in its look and texture. He’s already proven to be a terrific mimic, but his work has been pushing beyond that with every issue of “Deadpool” that he’s allowed to draw. Here, his work is imbued fully with his own identity, which proves to have a timeless quality to it. While he sells the dynamism and humor inherent to “Deadpool”, there’s actually a sense that Koblish is capable of drawing anything with aplomb. There are higher heights in his future, and he is ready to hit the big leagues.
The reliable colors of Val Staples once again make a statement all their own by evoking a weathered comic page from a bygone era. Because the miniseries plays incredibly fast and loose with the timeline and continuity (Deadpool literally picks and chooses what eras of Marvel Comics he would like to participate in), Staples’ work does a great job of creating a “timeless” look for the book. The colors have a muted, throwback feel, yet do not exactly evoke any specific era of comics. It’s art that would look great in any era, and the color choices have a lot to do with that.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – a good choice for Deadpool fans who sometimes feel he overstays his welcome.
The Life After #4
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Gabo
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
“The Life After” #4 is another building block to the bigger picture. Fialkov and Gabo are showing us small pieces of this world in every issue building to something much bigger than we can probably imagine. While some may feel that the series is a little all over the place, I love the unpredictability of it. We’re moving through different parts of this world and this creative team is misdirecting us on purpose I think. The afterlife has always been interpreted different ways by religions and it’s never simple so it makes sense that this book is far from simple. Like last month’s issue, the ending is another big twist. My only gripe here is that these twists aren’t picked up as much as I would like in the next issue. Hemingway again serves as comedic relief and is proving to be one of the best comic characters of 2014.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – The pieces are here but we’re not getting places quick enough.
Lumberjanes #7
Written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
Continued below
Illustrated by Brooke Allen
Reviewed by Jess Camacho
I’m convinced that the “Lumberjanes” team can do no wrong. Month and month out this is the best all ages book in comics – yes, better than “Adventure Time”. This month, the girls get deep into mythology with Diane and Jen finally gets in on their schemes. This issue is not as heavy on the laughs as previous months were, but instead it focuses on telling the story. There’s a lot of focus on the relationship between Jo and April and because of that, this is the most emotional issue of the series so far. Now that this has settled in to the ongoing format, the team is taking time to build and complicate the characters a little bit more. Stevenson, Ellis and Allen are able to keep the fun and lightness of an all ages comic while still giving us a real plot which far too many books in this genre forget to do. “Lumberjanes” #7 is not the best issue of the series but it’s definitely the most important because of what it does for the series going forward.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Light laughs but lots of character development missing from most all ages comics
Trinity of Sin #1
Written by J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by Yvel Guichet
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
It can be easy to forget, from our perches in 2014, just how big of a deal the Trinity of Sin was supposed to be for DC. Pandora, aka Carol, showed up in ever single “New 52” launch #1, and all three were the focus of both the 2012 Free Comic Book Day issue, as well as 2013’s “Trinity War.” At this point, those all seem like weird fever dreams, distracting us from the sad reality: no one gives a shit.
And, sadly, “Trinity of Sin” #1 isn’t going to change that at all. DeMatteis, a once great writer, has turned in some of the laziest scripts in the New 52, and his track record isn’t markedly improved by this offering. There is absolutely no reason to care for or sympathize with these characters and, despite this being, perhaps, their best appearance yet, everything about this issue screams quietly mumbles “meh.” The art, by Guichet, is the best part of the issue, as it is expressive and well laid out – something that can’t be said at all for the flat script.
Final Verdict: 4.7 – Not so much a mess as an easy to ignore, uninterested and thematically unimportant waste of $2.99.
Veil #5
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Toni Fejzula
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
After a long delay, “Veil” has finally wrapped up its initial miniseries. The biggest issue with this final installment is just how much I needed to jostle my brain back into “Veil” mode after a long layoff. But the essentials haven’t changed: the art, by Fejzula (and assisted on colors by Aloisa Tomic), is vibrant and bracing, and Rucka is at his most charged, writing about the male gaze and the sexualization of women with vigor. The series, initially, was a bit jarring because of Rucka’s history of writing such well defined female characters was seemingly tossed out the window with tabula rasa Veil, until you realize that was the point all along.
I really can’t say enough about Fejzula’s work – it looks nothing like what you’re usually getting from mainstream comics, and “Veil” is all the better for it. The colors, again a collaborative effort, are among the most unique you’ll see this week too, with (if such a term can exist) subtle neons poking through the deep reds and purples. Visually, the book is a stunner, and that helps the script’s slow burn hit you just a little bit faster than it would with less expressive and interesting art. Rucka and Fejzula have hinted at more for “Veil,” but if not, the series gets a farewell fitting its fine start.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – An unlikely triumph for Rucka; a coming out party for Fejzula.
