Josh on Comics Review of the Year 2009!

Yes, that time of year has come for me to round up what I think have been the best (and possibly worse, I haven't finalised the categories yet) of the comics world in 2009. Apologies for the lack of pictures, but to be quite honest I find it very frustrating uploading them onto blogger - part of the reason for my pathetic output of late! Anyway, without further ado...On with the awards!

Best ongoing series: Dark Avengers
Much of Dark Reign has flattered to decieve, promising much and delivering little. Thankfully Bendis' latest attempt at writing the Avengers has lived up to its meteoric expectations. I have had my misgivings about Bendis' ability to write a decent team book ever since his abortive relaunch of the Avengers franchise, but he seems disturbingly adept at capturing the dynamic of a team of pyschopaths. Of course I must mention the art, from Mike Deodato Jr. His moody, ink heavy style has not always been my cup of tea but it is a superb fit for this series. Splendid stuff!

It should be noted that I am not counting the widely panned 'Utopia' crossover with Uncanny X-Men, that ran through issues seven and eight. The storyline was written by Matt Fraction rather than Bendis so I decided to skip it.

Best mini series: Destroyer (MAX)
To be perfectly honest, 2009 has been a subpar year for mini series. Even the much anticipated Spider-Man: Close Saga series has, so far at least been merely average. Thank goodness for Robert Kirkman. I love the man, so it is no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed what looks to be his final work for Marvel. Gloriously violent, with the occasional heartfelt moment, it is great to see Robert go out with a bang.

Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
A clean sweep from the man with one name too many. As far as I'm concerned no one can match his output this year. I haven't been reading his new Spider-Woman series (partly through lack of interest, partly as a protest at it's shambolic lack of a UK digital release), but as should be immediatley obvious I consider Dark Avengers to be the best ongoing series of the year. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man has had mixed reviews but I have very much enjoyed it.

Best Artist: Olivier Coipel
Easily the comics world's most improved artist over the last few years. I found Coipel's work on House of M sloppy and confusing, but his Thor over the last few years has been beautiful. JMS's writing has tailed off slightly over the last year, But Coipel's art has remained consistently Mighty (pun intended). I am a big fan of his occasional replacement Mirko Djurdjevic but it is a crying shame that he has had to replace Coipel as often as he has.

Biggest WTF!!! Moment: Hank Pym being named 'Scientist Supreme'.
Dan Slott's Mighty Avenger's run started off solidly enough, in fact I remember devoting an entire post to its greatness early in the year. Sadly it has gone downhill to the point where I considered the inclusion of a 'Biggest Dissapointment' category so I could rant about the latest story arc. I can't even remember which issue this insane development occured in, but suffice it to say that its sheer lack of sense sadly undermined Slott's brilliant characterisation of Pym throughout his run. The latest issue however was fantastic, so I'm hoping that the run is back on track.

Best Character: Hercules
This should really go to Norman Osborn, superbly rendered by Brian Michael Bendis in Dark Avengers. However, this would possibly have made this post a little too much of a love letter to the aforementioned series, so the award goes to Hercules, from Fred van Lente's humerous Incredible Hercules. Brilliantly funny, and a pleasing tonic to the hordes of more responsible, some would say boring heroes, van Lente's Hercules manages to be an utter buffon while remaining immensely likeable. His relationship with Amadeus Cho is also very sweet, the two of them are currently one of my favourite pairings in comics.


There you go, and I managed to do it without a single wholly negative category (close as it was). If anyone is reading, I hope that you have had a prosperous holiday season, and that your 2010 is equally so! Josh out.

Haunt #1 Review

Haunt #1 by Kirkman / McFarlane / Ottley

As a huge fan of Robert Kirkman, when I found out that he would be working with Todd McFarlane I was obviously hugely interested. My curiosity reached a peak when I saw the first few images of the character, although some have criticised him for being too similar to Spider-Man I think Haunt is a very visually appealing character, and I have been eagerly anticipating this issue for the last few months.

The plot follows the Kilgore brothers, Daniel and Kurt. Daniel is a priest - yet he displays few of the morals and attitudes typically associated with religious men. In contrast to this, despite being a CIA operative, and a mass murderer Kurt seems to be a decent guy. The opening issue deals with the fallout from one of Kurt's missions, as shortly after a confession session with Daniel he is captured and killed....Or is he?

Kirkman does a great job of weaving various mysteries into the story...what exactly happened to Daniel? Who was he captured by? What exactly is the relationship between his widow and Daniel? Obviously these give a great incentive to read on. Some of the pacing is a little iffy however, a lot happens in this issue and some of the events aren't told as clearly as they probably should be. While in some cases this builds mystery for the reader, in others it just doesn't work and makes the plot somewhat confusing.

The art is very different to Ottley's work on Invincible, McFarlane's inks definitely have a massive effect, leading to a dark, sketchy style. I really liked it, particularly when Haunt shows up at the end. The character's design is excellent, and his powers are really interesting and different. The fight scenes are also superbly done, and were the highlights of the issue for me.

Overall, despite a few small niggles this was a solid first issue that did a lot of things right. I will definitely be onboard for #2.

B+

Spider-Man: The Clone Saga #1 Review

Spider-Man: The Clone Saga #1 By DeFalco / Mackie / Nauck

Where to start? The Clone Saga is probably one of the most hotly debated storylines in comic book history. Despite the fan backlash it provoked at the time, the storyline and the characters it introduced (perhaps excluding Spidercide) have a massive cult following. For this reason Tom DeFalco and Howard Mackie's reimagining of the saga has been arguably one of the most hotly anticipated mini series of the year. As a massive fan of the Clone Saga myself I have been eagerly awaiting it since it's initial announcement. Now that the first issue has finally arrived, does it meet its massive expectations?

Well...Not yet. Compressing a storyline that ran across four books plus various minis and one shots for years into a six issue mini series was always going to be a tough task, and despite Defalco's fast paced style being well suited to this sort of project, this issue feels very rushed. It would perhaps be unrealistic to expect a 12 issue mini series but I feel that that would have been a more suitable length for a project of this nature. Despite this the issue is generally well written, the highlights being Peter and Ben's internal monologues. Ben has been away for so long and its just great to see him again. It's also a treat to see Kaine in his classic costume, it sadly looks like when he returns in Amazing Spider-Man he will be sporting an updated look. Defalco and Mackie also manage to keep up the tension in a storyline that could become predictable with the introduction of a shadowy figure giving Kaine orders, and a mystery surrounding Aunt May's illness. I'm not crazy about the idea of Kaine working for someone but I am willing to see how it is developed, and I'm glad that Mackie and Defalco are doing their best to keep the storyline fresh for more seasoned readers. Getting rid of the Judas Traveller subplot was another welcome change, while the character has his fans he has no place in an already overcrowded storyline. Sadly the dialogue for the most part wasterrible, although this could be a subtle comment on the style of most 90's comics it really took me out of the story at times. Neither Mackie or Defalco are famed for their good dialogue however so luckily I was prepared for this and it wasn't too much of a dissapointment. The original saga's strength was more in it's plotting than it's dialogue anyway so I will be more willing to overlook this negative if the story stays on track

I am a big fan of Todd Nauck's art and he does not dissapoint here, indeed I don't think I could think of a better choice to pencil this series (perhaps Mark Bagley aside). His work looks a lot more polished than it was during his run on Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, and I look forward to seeing his renditions of some classic Clone Saga characters.

Overall a solid read, perhaps harmed by the weight of my expectations. Still, the original saga took a while to get going and I look forward to seeing the direction that Mackie and Defalco take the story in. I'm slightly underwhelmed, but still expectant!

B-

TPB Review: The Walking Dead Volume 1

The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone By - Collects The Walking Dead #1-6 By Kirkman / Moore

As a huge Robert Kirkman fan I have always felt like something of a fraud having never read arguably his most critically acclaimed work, The Walking Dead. For this reason when I noticed the first volume in Forbidden Planet for just £7.50 I didn't need to think about it for too long before purchasing it.

For those who don't know, the series features a premise almost identical to the film '28 Days Later', the protagonist of the series, small town police officer Rick, waking up alone in a hospital and slowly realising that the world is now populated by zombies. Eventually hooking up with a group of survivors the series then follows the groups attempts to survive.

Kirkman's strength, as usual is his brilliant characterisation and dialogue. The main draw of the series, rather than being the zombie action are the interactions between the brilliantly varied cast, all of whom are very believably written. While pacing is initially very slow it picks up a lot by the midway point and by the end I was hooked.

I was initially slightly put off by the black and white art, done by Tony Moore, but it suits the series very well. Moore's art, while being slightly cartoony is able to express the characters emotions brilliantly, and is always pleasing to look at it. It's a shame that this is the only story arc which he drew.

Overall I would highly reccomend this book, judging from the cheap price I managed to pick it up for it should be relatively inexpensive, and is a brilliant introduction to a series that is often described as Kirkman's best work. I look forward to volume 2!

A

Marvel Team Up: The Golden Child Review

Firstly, an apology. In the last couple of months I have not been able to write nearly as much on this blog as I would have liked. The reasons for this are many, exams and holidays being at the forefront. However, I am hoping that normal service will be resumed from now and I will be able to start churning out articles and reviews faster than ever before!

Marvel Team Up (V3) #1-6 By Kirkman / Kolins

Now that that is out of the way, onto the review, of Marvel's most recent attempt to relaunch the Marvel Team Up brand. Unlike with past series, which tended to focus on Spider-Man, Marvel promised that this time round the series would be centred on a wider variety of heroes.

The main story arc running through the opening six issues centres around a young boy with mutant abilities, and the attempts of a not-so-familiar antagonist to control his abilities for his own ends. Despite Marvel's assurances to the contrary Spider-Man is a chief protagonist in the story, along with Wolverine, The Fantastic Four,

Doctor Strange and Captain America among others.

Robert Kirkman is one of my favourite writers, and I think it's a shame that he no longer works for Marvel. As this arc shows, he clearly has a good grasp on the Marvel Universe. His use of continuity is wonderful - in an age where many writers seem at loathe to mention other writers work Kirkman is never afraid of referencing goings on in other titles. His characterisation and dialogue are both generally excellent, with his Spider-Man and the banter between the Fantastic Four being particularly enjoyable.

The pacing of the story is ok. Decompression is generally seen as a bad thing in modern comics, but Kirkman packs so much plot into these six issues that sometimes its difficult to keep track. The use of subplots is good, and it is pleasing to see some often neglected Marvel characters, but I would have preffered Kirkman to scale it down a little. As it is, the story often feels a little messy.

Kirkman's love for the Silver Age and Silver Age methods of storytelling is something that is made clear in most of his works, especially these six issues. As with his frantic pacing, sometimes it works well and sometimes less well. Much of the plot is brilliantly zany, in a clearly silver age way. However, the villainous dialogue certainly needs work and feels very dated.

Scott Kolin's artwork is also a mixed bag. His cartoony style is very dynamic and pleasing to look at, but is sadly often rushed.

Overall this story arc is not Kirkman's best work. while still being a good read. He is clearly a good writer, and the ideas in 'The Golden Child' are excellent, if sometimes not as well executed as they could be. It seems to me as if Kirkman was possibly trying a little too hard with this arc. With so many ideas, characters and subplots thrown into the ring it is just a bit, well...messy.

C+

JMS on Amazing Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man (V2) #30-35, 37-38 By Straczynski / Romita Jr.

JMS's run on Amazing Spider-Man has never been one that I am too fond of. I have been never been interested in his mystical reimagining of Spidey's origin, and I thought that his run sorely missed some classic Spider-Man villains. However, after thoroughly enjoying his current Thor relaunch, and his film The Changeling I have decided to re-read his run, and see if I can gain any more enjoyment from it, starting with his opening seven issues (discounting #36 which was a special 9/11 issue).

After reading the opening to his run my opinion is...much the same. His proposed new origin for Spider-Man is still overly convoluted and ill fitting for the character. It does raise some interesting points, but reading the issues with the benefit of hindsight I know that the plotline ultimatley doesn't go anywhere. Ezekiel however is an interesting character, and it's a shame that no other writers have really explored the character. I honestly can't remember how his storyline was resolved and so I am genuinely intrigued about where JMS is going with him. Morlun, for the purposes of this storyline was ok, not great. The fight scenes (excellently drawn by JrJr) are spectacular, and the idea of a villain with the sole purpose of destroying Spider-Man is a good one. JMS does well establishing a villain who had never appeared before as a genuine threat, if occasionally in a somewhat overzealous manner. Spider-Man's frequent utterances about how powerful he is just come across as JMS bigging up his creation. It was also good to see Peter using his all too frequently ignored scientific abilities to take him down.

Peter's new job at the school was also a welcome move, and a believable one for the character. Taking pictures of himself was starting to wear a little thin after 40 years. This was easily my favourite element that JMS introduced, and I genuinely felt that some of Peter's fellow Midtown High teachers and students had potential as characters, and were sadly underused. Ultimately this element of JMS's run has now been jettisoned by Brand New Day. Sigh.

Aunt May's characterisation is JMS's run has been lauded by many as a welcome move for the character. However to me it comes a little out of nowhere. A woman who for 40 years has been portrayed as well...A doddering old fool, is now suddenly a strong, witty woman. Obviously characterisation in comic books is liable to fluctuate, but this was perhaps a step too far. I'm not really going to comment on her learning Peter's secret identity, as however well done it was by JMS, it now means virtually nothing.

JrJr's art is also something I am going to skim over. When he pencils a book you know what you are going to get. Some people hate his style, I quite like it, and felt that it definitely enhanced the quality of these issues, the fight scenes in particular.

Overall, these issues are much as I remember them. A solid start to JMS's run, but plagued by the irritating totem storyline that never really went anywhere after this story. JMS definitely has a strong sense of what makes the Webhead tick, evident from the frequent, strongly written monologues that these issues are littered with, it's just a shame that this is undermined by story elements that do not belong in Spider-Man comic books. A mixed bag.

B+

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

With the success of the X-Men series of films, and the popularity of the title character this movie has been pretty much certain for some time. However, whether it would be any good has been the topic of some debate, particularly after popular characters such as Deadpool and Gambit were announced to appear in the film. The director Gavin Hood was under immense pressure to do these characters justice, and in my opinion he succeeds...Just about.

The plot is fairly faithful to the comic books, and follows yes you guessed it...Wolverine's origin story, as he is enlisted in Team X and subjected to the adumantiam bonding process. The plot is decent, but many aspects of it make little sense. Sabretooth's motivations are bizarre, and are never really properly explained, causing him to be a somewhat unsatisfying antagonist for Wolverine. Wolverine himself was also somewhat bland, Hugh Jackman is a decent, likeable actor but struggles to effectively portray Logan's inner turmoil, and the struggle between man and beast that often makes him such a compelling character. Also, despite the history between the two characters there is little chemistry between them on screen, not helped by the fact that most of Sabretooth's dialogue is composed of terrible one liners. 

The rest of the cast are decent, with Will.i.am in particular impressing as John Wraith, a very minor character from the comics. Most of the others are hit and miss; Taylor Kitsch as Gambit is nowhere near as bad as he could have been, but doesn't exactly nail the cajun, his accent in particular being very dodgey. There has been a lot of furore over Deadpool's brief appearance, I'm not going to comment on the change that occurs later in the movie as it will obviously be reversed but I thought Ryan Reynolds was a good choice as the merc with the mouth, and I look forward to seeing his role expanded in possible future films. 

Lastly I have to comment on the brilliant action sequences, despite some rubbish CGI the fight scenes in this film were truly fantastic, and drag it kicking and screaming away from mediocrity. Overall a decent effort, while hardly up there with the likes of Spider-Man 2 and X-Men, far better than it could, and perhaps should have been. I would be happy to see a sequel.

B