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Wrapping Wednesday: Micro Reviews for the Week of 7/31/13

By | August 2nd, 2013
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

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.

Captain Midnight #1
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Fernando Dagnino
Review by: David Harper

Entertaining, pulpy as all hell and a little bit ridiculous? Yeah, that sounds about right for the “debut” issue of Captain Midnight, following up on the heels of the Zero issue collecting the shorts from Dark Horse Presents. Josh Williamson finds a happy medium between Lobster Johnson and Captain America in this issue, breeding an atmosphere that’s almost a character in the story. It helps a lot that he has an able partner in Dagnino, whose character acting brings to life a lot of the subtleties and pulpy fun in the story. The main demerit for the issue, I’d have to say, would be the rather cheesecakey handling of the Sharon Carter type, Charlotte (some of her poses are a bit pin-upy for even my tastes) and the overly cheesy way Williamson and Dagnino handled the villain reveal towards the end. That said, with inviting characters and a highly entertaining concept, this book is off to a really solid start. Looking forward to where this goes from here.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – a very solid start with potential for more

Sex #5
Written by Joe Casey
Illustrated by Piotr Kowalski
Review by: Vince Ostrowski

Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski continue to push things further with their explicit content with something that “Saga” got in trouble for a few months back. “Sex” hasn’t seemed to garner the same sort of controversy, despite being as graphic, if not more so. I suppose it’s because the title of the series is “Sex” and that’s what it’s about, while “Saga” is a wonderful sci-fi/fantasy story that happens to have a lot of sex in it. Whether that’s fair to “Saga” or not, both of these books are meant for mature readers, obviously.

“Sex”, however, still has yet to captivate with its characters. This is as slow as slow burns go. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but don’t expect there to be much forward momentum. If you’re not mesmerized by the sex and the art (like I am), then you’ll likely find this a dry affair. Kowalski’s art is tremendous, and combines with Brad Simpson’s colors to create some sort of hyper-stylized veneer of neon erotic excess. Kowalski has quickly mastered the art of drawing erotic scenes with propulsion and tension, nailing the most important sequences to make this series ultimately worthwhile.

Final Verdict: 7.0 – Continue to experiment with it.

Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #1
Written by Peter Hogan
Illustrated by Chris Sprouse
Review by: Vince Ostrowski

The world’s favorite science hero is back and more meta than ever. Peter Hogan does a convincing Alan Moore impression when it comes to literally taking on the idea of Tom Strong and his cohorts being characters in a comic book. Strong muses on alternate universes, the personalities of comic book writers, and the changing interests of comic readership. It’s really fun stuff, but don’t worry, it doesn’t go too far up its own butt. There’s a very compelling emotional core at the center of the issue as Strong tries to rescue his daughter and her unborn baby from a tumultuous pregnancy. Chris Sprouse’s pencils and Jordie Bellaire’s colors combine to create a look that is both classic and incredibly dynamic. This is Sprouse’s baby, and his love for the character and this world definitely shows. His art looks more refined than ever.

Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy. A terrific addition to a terrific series.

Uncanny X-Men #9
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Chris Bachalo
Review by: Vince Ostrowski

Brian Bendis, in less than a year with the X-Men, has applied some really high dramatics to this corner of the Marvel 616. With “Uncanny” especially, he has the character weaving down such a twisting, turning path that you’re constantly itching for the next issue to hit. Dazzler enters the proceedings this time around, making this the most satisfying appearance of the character in a long while. Bendis uses her to draw another line between the Avengers and the X-Men, extending a tension between the two that is somehow, amazingly, not played out yet. Chris Bachalo adds something to this series that is definitely missing when he takes issues off. Bachalo’s controlled chaos does wonders for the book, as well, where alleigances are tested and confrontations can explode at any time.

Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy. X-Men is great right now.


//TAGS | Wrapping Wednesday

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