A world of four color magic arrives every Wednesday.
Stories and adventures of heroes and villains, good versus evil.
Tales that entertain and excite by talented writers and artists.
Here are my thoughts Among The Panels.
The Names #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Leandro Fernandez
Publisher: Image
Price: $2.99
The Names #1 is a mystery/thriller set in the corporate world of Wall Street. A secret organization forces successful trader, Kevin Walker, to commit suicide. Their weapon is a man only known to us by the moniker; The Surgeon.
The writer, Peter Milligan, has crafter a very strange and unhinged tale of deceit and murder. It doesn’t seem like any of the characters in this story have a moral code what-so-ever.
I remember reading a couple of issues of Constantine that Milligan wrote and I was not impressed, so I went into this title not expecting much.
After Kevin is forced to kill himself, the mystery falls on his 20 year younger wife, Katya, to figure out.
A lot happens in this issue that is kind of confusing. We understand that Kevin is rich, divorced, and has a new wife. His son, from his previous marriage, has selective mutism for some reason and has a seemingly sexual crush on his step-mom. We get all of this sporadically through 22 poorly thought out pages.
The rest of the story revolves around Katya’s search for the truth. After hearing that her husband’s medical records had been changed to imply that he was suicidal she is convinced that something is going on. She then receives a strange quasi-futuristic phone that plays a very stereotypical “if you are hearing this, than I am dead” sort of message complete with a coded message hidden in his final departing words.
I don’t really know who is more to blame for the confusion Peter Milligan or artist Leandro Fernandez. The vision of their world is dark and warped. The panels felt slapped together and the art is heavily inconsistent from page to page. The writing seems to not give much to go on for Fernandez and when there is, Fernandez fails to deliver. When a man is forced to jump out a window there are many different ways to portray this. Reiterating his last words to his wife while he is falling to his death is a very cliché and boring way to do it. It’s also probably not a good sign when I like the concept art in the back better than the art that made it into the actual book.
That being said this title fails on multiple fronts but it really falls in the writer to pull the premise off. I understand that most of America hates the #1 percent right now but this is not the right way to get people attached to a title. The evil is what you expect and the reveals are nothing shocking. Using the F-word repeatedly doesn’t make you stand out anymore. Using it sparingly and naturally to help with the drama of the situation is way better than just putting it in to make the story feel “more adult”.
I have been reading a lot of new titles lately and this one falls pretty low on my list. It’s not anything special but it’s also not the worst thing out there.
Score: 2 out of 5
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1
Writer: Jen Van Meter
Artist: Roberto de la Torre
Colorist: David Baron
Publisher: Valiant
Price: $3.99
The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage #1 from Valiant comics is a good first issue to a hopefully great run.
Eisner Award-nominated writer Jen Van Meter of Captain Marvel fame has a firm grasp on what she wants to happen. Her vision for this character is really fresh and relevant for comic readers.
Shan Fong is our title character. She is a paranormal investigator that spends her time connecting people with spirits that have not yet passed on. It seems like they just hang around their loved ones trying to reach out but there is just no way to do it without someone like Doctor Mirage.
We first see her at a support group for widows, going from woman to woman explaining all they wanted to know and tying up various loosed ends for complete strangers. It is really nice to see a strong female character that isn’t manufactured to appeal to female readers. She is just well written and when that happens everyone will enjoy it.
We learn in one line of dialogue that she can talk to pretty much anyone except for her recently deceased husband. She soon gets an offer by and ex-soldier with a shady past and serious occult fetish. He invites her out to his compound and through pages and pages of what I felt like was needless exposition it is revealed that he has a demon type creature hidden behind a curtain.
Yes, I said curtain.
It did seem to me that if I had some kind of monster that I didn’t want people to see inside my house where I was currently giving a tour, I would erect some kind of cell for said demon. That’s without saying that the person he invited into his house has ties to the otherworldly things, so the chance of her coming in contact with this creature was pretty freaking high. It turns out that the man and the demon are somehow connected through the spirt world and the job he wants her to do it break the bond. Of course she accepts his offer so that she can enter the spirt realm with the chance of finding her husband.
This was a pretty good first issue and I interesting enough for me to want to keep going with it. The art is kind of an acquired taste. The lines are really sketchy and unclean looking.
I would have had a really hard time getting through this title if not for the spectacular coloring by David Baron. He manages to take, in my opinion, some really dull art and splash it with life. The way he uses muted browns and blues and bright oranges and reds really shows his eye for living colors. He helps bring out the feelings of the art better than the actual art does.
After reading I did some homework and found out that Doctor Mirage has actually been around since 1993. The first iteration of the character was male and his name was Hwen, which is the name of our current Doctor Mirages’ husband. The story seems to be a big departure from what it used to be but still has ties to the current Valiant universe.
The mystery in this book will keep me tied to it, despite my dislike for the artist, and I hope others take a chance with it.
Score: 3 out of 5
Death of Wolverine #1
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Steve McNiven
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $4.99
Wolverine was first introduced back in 1974 and this year marks his 40th year in comics. Marvel decided the only way to pay respect to him was to take away his trademark healing ability and then when he is at his lowest; kill him.
I personally think that doing it as a 5 issue weekly series is a colossally good decision.
Death of Wolverine #1 introduces us to a bloodied and battered Logan on page one, well second page.
The first real page of this book is all black except for the words “THE END” in big while letters; ominous and awesome.
I haven’t been keeping up to date on the Marvel universe but I had heard that Wolverine lost his healing ability a while back. I thought of it the same way I always do when any superhero loses his abilities; I scoff and ignore it until they inevitably gain them back. It’s been used before and it will be used again but I applaud Marvel for using it to kill off one of the biggest characters in their universe.
This is the first of four and Marvel promises we will not be let down. After finishing the first issue I would have to agree; it was not a let-down in any way, shape, or form. Putting Wolverine’s death in the hands of Charles Soule was a great decision. His recent work for DC on Swamp Thing and Superman/Wonder Woman has been stellar in my book. I was excited when I saw his named attached to this. Then seeing him being paired up with Steve McNiven, of Civil War fame, I was hooked before even turning the page.
Soule crafts a really fun but serious story in this first issue. We get Marvel name drops all over the place but one of my favorite things in this issue is Logan talking to Mr. Fantastic. The dialogue was just so fluid and realistic. Reed Richards talking to Wolverine about how he now has to worry about the bacteria on his claws being a threat was pretty freaking hilarious. Soule kept the humor and seriousness even throughout the whole first issue and you know there is something great brewing. Soule has definitely done his homework when it comes to Wolverine and there are a bunch of characters in this first issue that will make hardcore Wolverine fans happy.
The best part about this story is the fact that anyone who vaguely knows who Wolverine is can jump in and understand what is going on. He has lost his healing ability and everyone knows it. It’s nice to see that this situation hasn’t humanized him at all. He is still a badass mutant who can’t be stopped. There are plenty of gruesome pages cataloguing how much damage he is still capable of. McNiven slams out some of his best work on these pages. There is nothing bad I can say about the art at all. He is a professional and it shows with every tiny hair on Wolverine’s body.
This issue ends on a pretty perfect splash page. I won’t give anything away but fans of Wolverine and his history will not be disappointed. I am excited that I only have to wait a week to get my hands on the next issue.
P.S This issue has 24 pages of bonus material but I am going to wait until the series is done to read it all.
Score: 5 “Snkits” out of 5
Cloaks #1
Writer: Caleb Monroe
Artist: Mariano Navarro
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $3.99
While reading Cloaks #1 I found myself getting excited. With every turn of the page it grew and when I got to the last page, I was bummed that there wasn’t more.
Cloaks is about a young street magician with a Robin Hood complex set on the streets of New York City. Our main character Adam is wildly interesting and the mystery behind his upbringing works really well to keep you interested. The fact that he targets the elite who are currently being investigated for various crimes really pulls you into the world. Who doesn’t love a story where corrupt rich people get what’s coming to them.
We see Adam performing in the street while stealing watches that he then sells to a pawn shop that seems to know him really well.
With the money he makes off his crimes he gives to an orphanage that once was his home. The glimpses we get of his past answer a little about who he is, but ask more questions than they answer. The writing makes you love Adam’s moral character; you get that he’s a good kid from the streets with a gift and an above average intellect and you’re behind him all the way.
The story takes a turn when Adam gets tricked into doing a performance where it is really just a set up to collect him. He escapes the first attempt but is unsuccessful in end. While in custody it turns into a story we all kind of know. A secret federal organization wants to recruit him in exchange for dropping the charges filed against him. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but the magician twist kept me interested none the less. The first and last pages of this book are pair really well together. You almost forget where it started and that was perfect for what they did.
With the writing so strong I did feel a bit let down by the art. It’s not terrible but it’s also not great. The lines are not smooth and in the bigger panels and pages the art gets muddled even more and I kind of just grazed over them without really paying too much attention. I think Mariano’s art style is much better in pin-up form and his comic work is not good. There was, however, one really good page towards the end of the book that stood out to me it was well thought out. This also led me to notice how inconsistent the art really was throughout the book. I only hope that Mariano steps up his game for later books so that I can really invest in this title.
As long as the writing stays strong and the mystery builds as well as it did in the first issue I see great things for this title. Boom! Studios hasn’t really published anything that has peaked my interest but now they have me.
Score: 4 out of 5
Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #0
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Matteo Lolli
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $4.99
If there is a comic book character that can fit into any story or world better than Deadpool, I haven’t heard of him.
The title of this comic is confusing on many levels. After reading it I don’t really understand why it’s called Hawkeye “vs” Deadpool simply because there is no actual fight between them and it doesn’t seem like there will be.
Also the fact that Marvel labeled this as a #0 is confusing as well. This plays out just like a number one so it seems weird.
This comic works surprisingly well. The two characters fit together nicely and the humor is spot on. Gerry Duggan knows what he is doing and everyone knows it.
He knows how to spin a tale and his work on Deadpool in the past is well known so when it comes to this type of story he knows what to do. His gift is not lost on this book and he managed to grab me and pull me into another Deadpool comic.
The main bulk of this story is punchline after punchline based around Deadpool and Hawkeye on Halloween night. You can assume already the kind of hilarity that ensued. Seeing Deadpool without his mask for most the comic is really awesome. It was paced really well and when the story finally unfolded and we got our first fight scene it felt right. It wasn’t rushed and the fight didn’t drag out. Paneling and page layouts were really neat and fresh.
I like when an artist understands the world he lives in and the audience he is drawing for. The both Matteo and Duggan worked in topical things like Hawkeye taking a selfie in his Halloween costume and it didn’t seem pandering. These two really work well together and this type of comic is one that anyone can pick up and enjoy immensely.
There really isn’t that much more to say except that I don’t really understand the price point on this comic. 4.99 seems to be about 2 dollars too high for this type of comic. If it came with maybe a fold out Deadpool mask or something I could see shelling out the extra dough but for a normal 22 page comic that price is pretty outrageous and I think it will turn a lot of people away from what is a pretty well put together book. Otherwise I would suggest you run out and pick up a copy.
Score: 4 out of 5
God Hates Astronauts #1
Writer: Ryan Browne
Artist: Ryan Browne
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.50
Okay, so there I am sitting in a hotel room staring at the screen of my tablet not exactly knowing how to continue the rest of my night. I had just finished reading Ryan Browne’s God Hates Astronauts #1 and I was just flat out angry.
It’s kind of hard to explain what this title is about but I will try and force my way through the nightmare fodder to review it so you don’t have to read it.
The world this story exists in has: a dysfunctional superhero group, space inhabiting crab people with Tiger’s who eat hamburgers for leaders, astronaut farmers who have sex with chicken headed females, and a floating ghost-cow head. I think you can piece together from that list of characters that this story is weird and I like weird.
This story however is just too weird.
Any comic that can give me hellish nightmares about farmers who fight bear-people is something I can’t really put my stamp of approval on. The main thing that doesn’t work for me in this comic really is the writing. Ryan Browne thinks he is really clever and it is apparent throughout this title and at the time of reading I didn’t understand why I hated it so much. The bizarreness was just taken too far. It felt like he was trying to put a joke inside every panel of every page. The art is mediocre and I can’t really think of a single page that wowed me. I tried to enjoy it, I really did.
The subject matter was also a little dicey for me. Making fun of the south is fine with me, they make your job pretty easy as it is but having one of your main characters fall in love and have implied sex with a chicken is over the top. The main bulk of this story is based around the fact that this farmer went to jail for loving said chicken, breaks out of jail and steals her back, and then creates a cult whose mission revolves around building a rocket to space to escape non-chicken sex laws. Maybe I am just to mature for this type of story. It really pains me deeply to say that.
I took to the internet to try and find the reason I found this comic amateurish and I quickly found out why.
It used to be a web comic.
There are funny web comics online that manage to be clever and weird without bashing you over the head with nonsense just for the sake of it; comics like Cyanide and Happiness, Gutters, and my personal favorite Extra Ordinary. I understand that humor is subjective and since this comic has a cult following I should probably quit shouting into the desert wind that is the internet, but I just couldn’t just let this one go.
Score: 1 out of 5
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