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Death’s Head #9 Review

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May 212013
 

by Rocketraccoon, CMRO Contributing Writer

Death’s Head

Issue #9

Written by Simon Furman, Art by Geoff Senior

Published: August 1989

Death’s head is a badass and despite the fact that he doesn’t manage to land a single punch in this issue his sheer badassery makes him seem awesome while doing it.  In this issue Deaths head is ditched in the past by that double dealing master trickster Dr Who. Who left Deaths Head on top of the Fantastic Fours headquarters in modern times (read 1989) rather than deaths head natural terrain of the 2800’s. The FF’s defense systems immediately open fire of course. What follows is fairly short & straightforward issue wherein deaths head has to team up with the FF in order to defeat the buildings defense systems gone haywire. Eventually Deaths head save Franklin and Reed uses the FF’s time machine to send Deaths Head back to the future. Unfortunately deaths head manages to mess that up by saying to Reed that he kills people for a living and Reed sends Deaths Head to 2020 by accident. Deaths Head just couldn’t resist that parting shot and it cost him big.

Not a lot happening is this issue as its only 23 pages long. We see some interesting character development when Deaths Head saves Franklin. It is implied that he saved Franklin due to some fleeting moment of sympathy with him but we also know that Deaths Head was planning to save him anyway because he had the suspicion that letting the FF’s son die when he needed access to their time machine might be a bad idea. So while his emotions exist and he barely lets them change his course of action, he still does the most pragmatic thing. This is part of what makes Deaths Head such a refreshing change from other protagonists, he’s a bounty hunter, or freelance peacekeeping agent as he would say, who kills people for money and he generally works for villains against other villains. A hero would charge in without a thought and save the kid, while many villains would abandon Franklin equally thoughtlessly and without thinking of the consequences. Deaths Head strikes a balance and he’s always got a plan backed up with a big gun. He won’t kill children for nickels but neither does he make it his business to save them for free.  This comic is while worth reading, yes?

The Punisher #22 Review

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May 212013
 

by Rocketraccoon, CMRO Contributing Writer

The Punisher

Issue #22

Written by Mike Baron, Art by Erik Larsen

Published: August 1989

From the cover you might imagine that Punisher is going to ninja training school to get a piece of all that sweet mystic eastern wisdom. And to learn to kill a man with a pair of chopsticks.  But he’s actually just following up lead from his last case involving a boxer who was poisoned by a mysterious woman who was trained at said school. In reality this school is just a tool to cheat angry idiots out of their money. Which seems like it might be bad plan but is explained by the fact that the owners of the school are even angrier idiots than those they propose to train. The issue starts when Frank gets off the bus looking typically grumpy. He is attacked as soon as he enters the bar but this is soon revealed to be a test to see if he is worthy to join the elite idiots of the “Ninja Training School”.

The Punisher then goes through the classical travails of protagonists stuck in schools run by narcissistic bastards, and quickly manages to humiliate the teacher of unarmed combat, beating him by using the old “throw sand in his eyes” trick.  After some tense negotiations with the runner of school (whose name is Scully), who is pretty much a prototypical thug, the issue moves to a scene where the students are being asked to spend the night in woods, because it will raise their levels of “ninja” but the Punisher ain’t taking none of that guff and he quickly captures a raccoon. Turns out this raccoon kidnapping was the first step of his plan to break into the thugs lair and take a gander at his secret files, as he uses it to lure away Scully’s guard dog. Whilst there he meets a mysterious real ninja who appears and vanishes like the wind, or like a ghost, or actually just like a ninja. A ninja who appears and vanishes like a ninja.  She’s there to deal with Scully for claiming association with Hatsu Yakamoto. After she vanishes (using her ninja magic) the Punisher leaves too, but only after torching the place with the fuel that he presumes she left behind. Why he does this is unclear, since it causes the camp teachers to hunt down and kill all their students in the next issue and (as far as he knows) destroys the files that he came there to collect. In fact the Punisher assumes that the lady ninja left the kerosene by the window with the intent that he torch the place. The evil camp runner could just be storing kerosene in his basement Frank.

This issue illustrates the Punisher’s modus operandi. The Punisher doesn’t need your ninja skills thank you very much; he’s got good old American guns and explosives. As shown when in the aforementioned bar brawl Frank doesn’t start punching; he ups the ante by pulling a gun. The Punisher has no time to waste in brawling. This issue is the first half of an arc which deals with the Ninja Training Camp. It culminates in the next issue when the punisher shoots all the badguys that don’t get incidentally blown up. Sometimes the Punisher can be like watching an action movie. But it generally has more depth in that the people fed into the punisher meatgrinder have some sort of character. Generally evil character but there is something to the bad guys here that makes them somewhat believable bad guys and not the sort of one dimensional faceless soldier’s types you would see in a Rambo Flick.

All in all it’s a good issue. Lots of build up for the action next issue but it’s worth it and makes the orgy of violence in the next issue all the more satisfying.

The Umbrella Academy #0 Review

 Posted by  Indie Reviews, Issue Review  No Responses »
May 212013
 

by Linsay Young, CMRO User

The Umbrella Academy

Issue #0

Written by Gerard Way, Art by Gabriel Ba

Published: April 2011

What attracted me to this one was the weird cover that combines a gothic aesthetic with the superhero imagery. It’s no surprise, then, that one of the chief creative minds is Gerald Way of My Chemical Romance fame. That cover that drew me in, though, was the work of James Jean, who might be better known as one of the artists on Fable. Well, now I know why the cover was so effective!

The interior art is very stylized, favouring a more cartoonish look rather than realism. I like it. It’s characterized by thick and jagged lines, but it’s expressive and fun to look at.

As for the actual book, it’s not so much an issue as a teaser, clocking in at about twelve pages of actual story. Naturally it’s a quick read. If you don’t mind the shortness, Issue #0 manages to give us a pretty fun romp through its campy, pseudo-sci fi universe (with maybe a pinch of steampunk aesthetic). Despite the gothic cover and the opening scene of a body being found in a shadowed alley, it’s a whole lot sillier than one might be led to believe. The villain we’re introduced to is gleefully and ridiculously evil, easily the best part of the issue. The team itself, while possessive creative powers and some cool designs, aren’t quite as energetic as the Murder Magician, and there’s no real emergent personality except for the Monocle, who appears near the end. This character is intriguing; he only features in a few pages, but his harshness, in addition to the mystery of what role he’s meant to play, is certainly engaging.

Overall, I’m not totally won over yet, but this issue was fun and short, well worth checking out.

New Avengers #5 Review

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May 202013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

New Avengers

Issue #5

Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by by Steve Epting

Published: April 2013

Captain America is one of my favorite Marvel characters, if not one of my favorite comic book characters overall. When Hickman took him out of the equation in New Avengers 3, I wasn’t too thrilled going forward. I’m still in it. Captain America being his usual stubborn self was my favorite part of the arc, so with him gone I’m not as invested as I once was, but there’s still plenty going to keep my attention.

The introduction of Galactus and Terrax in the last issue was great to see, but they’ve already fell by the wayside, it seems. Terrax is briefly shown being held prisoner by the Avengers, while Galactus is presumably still tearing up the alternate New York. Issue #5 delves into the history of the arc, specifically how things got to be as royally screwed up as they are. The team frees Black Swan in exchange for her cooperation and she gives a lengthy lecture. It’s a lot of exposition. It’s not bad exposition; Hickman’s skilled writing still shines through, but pages and pages of exposition is always going to be rough.

I’m excited about all of this coming to a head, though whether that’s because I want to see the gang saves the day or I just want all of this to end, I’m not entirely sure. It’s still a fairly riveting story, but I feel like Hickman is raising the stakes too high. We know what Marvel will and won’t do, so unless they’re going to pull a big surprise – which is always possible – Hickman is over-preparing us for what can only be a lackluster conclusion. I don’t think it will be a bad conclusion, but I don’t think it’s going to be very satisfying.

Incredible Hulks #622 Review

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May 192013
 

by Charlie Brooks, CMRO Contributing Writer

Incredible Hulks

Issue #620

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Paul Pelletier

Published: February 2011

No holds barred beatdowns are nothing new in the Hulk’s comic, but it is very rarely that the big green guy is the victim of one. The Incredible Hulks #622 represents a very rare case of the Hulk thoroughly getting his butt kicked in a physical fight. Perhaps because of this, it also represents one of the grittiest and gutsiest moments in the Hulk’s history.

Picking up from the last issue, the Hulk throws down with Zeus. Appealing to the god’s pride, he gets Zeus to fight without his magic and lightning. This seems to work in the Hulk’s favor at first, but the power of Zeus soon becomes too much for even the Hulk to handle. (And maybe Zeus is cheating a little bit, since his punches have the crackle of lightning around them.) The Hulk takes a beating the likes of which he has almost never seen before.

So why is the Hulk willing to take such punishment? Because he wants Zeus to cure his family. I liken this issue as something akin to a dog dragging a dead bird into the house – the dog is trying to show love, but not in a manner that seems very lovely to humans. Similarly, the Hulk is trying to appeal to Zeus, but he’s not the type of guy to get on his knees and beg. Instead, he’s trying to talk to the god in a language he understands – the language of impulsiveness and violence.

On the surface, at least, it doesn’t seem to work. Not only is the Hulk beaten to within an inch of his life, but Zeus diminishes his healing factor and chains him to a rock where vultures pick at him for days. It is only when Skaar, Hercules, and the rest of the Hulk’s allies finally arrive that he is freed, and even then his wounds will linger for quite a while. As Zeus points out, the Hulk has never been beaten this badly. Zeus might have missed the first appearance of the Abomination, where he beat the Hulk to death’s door, but otherwise he’s pretty much right – the Hulk hasn’t been physically dominated like this in a long time.

Looking ahead a bit, however, maybe the Hulk did reach Zeus a little. As we look on toward future storylines by Greg Pak, keep in mind what the Hulk asked: namely, his son and the Warbound to have a home where they will be accepted and Rick and Betty to be cured. Maybe Zeus did give the Hulk a little bit of a hand in his own roundabout way.

Overall, this might be a tough issue to stomach for Hulk fans. We’re used to seeing the big guy take a beating and then get stronger, ultimately emerging victorious. This time around, he just gets his butt kicked. However, on a character level, this is some good stuff. It shows the Hulk’s willingness to sacrifice himself for his family. It also highlights how many allies he has, since he’s got a host of friends and family willing to come to his rescue. The art remains gorgeous and while we don’t get a clear answer as to why the Hulk felt the need to pick a fight with Zeus, there are enough hints there to give this issue the feeling that it is part of a larger plot. All told, while the story is not one for the faint of heart, Godsmash does its job of delivering something new and interesting in the life of the Hulk.

All New X-Men #11 Review

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May 192013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

All New X-Men

Issue #11

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Published: May 2013

All New X-Men 10 ends with one of the mutants at the Jean Grey School deciding to abandon Wolverine and the team and join with Cyclops, Emma, and the others. It was a brilliant cliffhanger, the kind that asks a very specific question, instead of the general “what’s going to happen next?” that most cliffhangers end on. In this case, the unanswered question was “who is it?”

In retrospect, it’s completely obvious.

I didn’t really give it a lot of thought, or at least that’s what I tell myself for not realizing that it was Angel. Ever since the original X-Men arrived in the future, Warren has been incredibly uncomfortable, and everything that’s happened has just made him dread his own future. So he’s jumped ship, joining Cyclops in his quest to further the mutant agenda. It’s an exciting prospect.

The opening scene has some of the most exciting, tensest moments I’ve experienced in a while. Everyone flips their lid when Warren announces his decision. Tempers flare and things escalate quickly, stopping short of all-out civil war. When Wolverine unsheathes his claws in a rather dramatic moment, I nearly jumped out of my chair in celebration.

Unfortunately, the rest of the issue is pretty lackluster. Mystique and her band of misfits pull some crap with Tony Stark’s finances while further framing mutants for destructive acts. Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde have a heart-to-heart that, while not exciting, offers some pretty solid character development. To be fair, that tremendous opening scene accounts for almost half of the issue, so that’s a pretty solid first half.

Then there’s the ending, which has me anticipating the next issue just as much as I was this issue. Brian Michael Bendis just doesn’t let up, does he?

Action Comics #19 Review

 Posted by  DC Reviews, Issue Review  No Responses »
May 192013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Action Comics

Issue #19

Written by Andy Diggle, Art by Tony Daniel

Published: June 2013

Superman is pretty far down the list of my favorite heroes and I don’t think I’d ever make the effort to keep up on one of his titles, but it’s very hard not to enjoy the Man of Steel on some level. He’s such a pure superhero with all the punching and the flying and the glowing green weakness. I get a kick out of that stuff just for nostalgia’s sake if nothing else, and I think a lot of comic fans feel the same way.

Action Comics 19 kicks off the hybrid storyline. Clark Kent/Superman is chasing a story overseas with Lois Lane. Sure enough, trouble finds Superman. While investigating a lead, he’s attack by three War of the Worlds-esque war machines. It’s satisfying to watch unfold. This is the New 52. Superman is still fairly unestablished, so the men piloting the machines are confident that the three of them can swat down a flying man in blue tights. Of course, Superman prevails, because he is Superman after all.

After the brawl is when things really get interesting, when Superman discovers that one of the men who attacked him was none other than boy reporter Jimmy Olsen. Superman’s simply seeing things, right? That’s one of the mysteries powering this arc. What isn’t a mystery is who is behind the attack, which is immediately revealed to be Lex Luthor, which isn’t a surprise. That’s not a complaint, though. We watch Luthor spar off with a psychoanalyst. Lex is holding her hostage as she attempts to analyze him, which is classic narcissistic Lex.

Andy Diggle understands both Lex and Superman, which makes for some great reading. The current arc isn’t the most compelling, but there are plenty of little moments that make the title well worth reading.

Age of Ultron #7 Review

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May 162013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #7

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Peterson & Carlos Pacheco

Published: May 2013

When I first read Age of Ultron 7 and saw the aftermath of Wolverine traveling back in time and killing Hank Pym, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t realized what a terrible, terrible plan it was. I trusted Wolverine, and then after he and Sue wind up in an alternate future with a bizarro team of Avengers and an all-powerful Tony Stark, I realized how badly I had misplaced that trust.

Or had I?

Killing Henry Pym to prevent him from creating Ultron was never meant to be a good idea. In fact, that’s why everyone shot it down, leaving Wolverine to go rogue and do it himself. It’s not that I underestimated how terrible the plan was, but I had underestimated how desperate Wolverine and the group was. When you consider it that way, it really puts things into perspective. Wolverine didn’t think the plan of defeating Ultron in the future had any chance of succeeding, so he took it upon himself to do the only thing that was left to do. And for what it’s worth, he was absolutely right about the future plan.

If you were to read a good chunk of my Marvel reviews, you would notice a pattern: I don’t like when things are stirred up just for the sake of it. I hate seeing a bunch of weird alternate Marvel heroes that are part of some “wouldn’t it be crazy if” scenario. Fortunately, that’s not happening here. Sure, we have The Defenders, which is this alternative future’s version of The Avengers, but they didn’t just happen for laughs. They’re an integral part of the story, a sign that things have gone terribly wrong. Now that they’re existence is justified in my eyes, I can’t wait to see more of them and learn more about “Uncle Tony.”

Uncanny Avengers #7 Review

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May 122013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Uncanny Avengers

Issue #7

Written by Rick Remender, Art by Daniel Acuna

Published: June 2013

Rick Remender’s new Avengers title has been one of my favorite books in a long time, and though things are quite as exciting now that Red Skull isn’t inciting riots, Remender’s writing makes even the most mundane situations entertaining. The Avengers are picking up the pieces after what the Red Skull did and trying reassure the world that mutants aren’t all bloodthirsty killers. It’s a road we’ve been down several times with the X-Men, and while it may repetitive, it feels organic and natural. People can be extremely ignorant, even when the truth has slapped them in the face over and over again, and that’s what we’re witnessing here. People are hating and fearing what they think they don’t understand.

It feels like Uncanny Avengers is putting a lot of stock into Alex Summers and because of that Remender is really giving the character all he’s got. I love it. It’s hard not to think of Alex as Scott’s baby brother, but Havok is really portrayed as not only a powerful and wise man, but a leader. There’s a particular scene where he gives an order to Captain America, something that doesn’t happen often, and it really changes how the character is viewed.

The issue isn’t completely devoid of action. The Grim Reaper shows up at the end to interrupt a press conference and we get plenty of excitement out of that. It all culminates in a pretty shocking moment that’s just going to dig the Avengers into a deeper P.R. hole, and while that may not sound very entertaining, Remender knows what he’s doing. The Uncanny Avengers couldn’t be nonstop, jaw-dropping action. It had to slow down at one point, and I’m very happy to report that while the excitement has waned the entertainment hasn’t.

Incredible Hulks #620 Review

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May 122013
 

by Charlie Brooks, CMRO Contributing Writer

Incredible Hulks

Issue #620

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Paul Pelletier

Published: January 2011

The power of love saving the day is a pretty tired cliché. So how is it that The Incredible Hulks #620 is actually good despite employing that cliché? Because it applies to the Hulk, and nobody in the Marvel Universe is deserving of a little bit of love more than this guy.

This issue features a showdown we’ve been waiting to see for a while – the Hulk versus his own abusive father. Since Brian Banner never had any superpowers, you’d think that this would end with a quick punch and a splat. Not so here – Brian is fueled by the Hulk’s hatred for him, which is as boundless as the Hulk’s own rage. This leads to the Hulk getting a rare beatdown of his own.

Fortunately, not all is lost. Jarella steps up to give us a moment of awesome as she invokes her love for the Hulk against Brian. This is the part that would normally be a bit cheesy, but in this situation it works. Jarella is joined by Bruce Banner’s mother, his old allies, and the entire Hulk family. This turns the once-formidable Brian Banner into something that the Hulk can simply blow away. The reason this works is because we’ve been through half a century of the Hulk being tortured, hunted, and hounded. He’s always wanted to be left alone, and whenever he gets a friend it always ends in tragedy. However, he’s also accumulated quite a few allies and affected many lives in his time as the Hulk. This is him finally getting a chance to see that he’s not alone and that he is in fact well-loved by many. The scene could have been eye-rolling, but instead it’s a bit of a tear-jerker.

Our backup story deals with Korg and his relationship to the Hulk. The art in the backup is only so-so and the story itself is a bit of filler, but at least it provides some insight as to why Korg is with the Hulks and why the rest of the Warbound are not.

Overall, this issue is another top-notch story that wraps up the Hulks’ involvement with the Chaos War storyline (except in the Chaos War finale itself, where the Hulks play a role in the story’s resolution). The writing is grandiose when it needs to be and clever when it needs to be – it’s especially amusing to see the reaction of Bruce’s mother to his two former wives. She dislikes Betty, who is the red She-Hulk here, but is quite fond of Jarella. Too bad for her that Jarella is the one who will be returning to the land of the dead along with the Chaos King’s minions.

The art, as always is excellent. An extra kudos goes to Paul Pelletier this time around as he manages to render the monstrous version of Brian Banner very much as he appeared in the Hulk’s dreamscape way back in The Incredible Hulk #377, giving a long-term sense of continuity to the story that doesn’t make it inaccessible to younger fans.

As a whole, this story is a good example of how to do an event tie-in properly. While the final scene of the Hulks’ battle against the Chaos King takes place over in the Chaos War miniseries, you can read this book and get a very good feel for what’s going on without having to go out and buy another book as a road map. It’s also not just a cheap tie-in – the appearance of Bruce Banner’s parents make it significantly relevant to the book’s main character, which is something that a lot of event tie-ins lack. The bottom line is that these tie-in issues are done well and are must-haves for Hulk fans, even if you aren’t following the Chaos War event.

Avengers #10 Review

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May 102013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Avengers

Issue #10

Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Mike Deodato

Published: June 2013

I haven’t been following Hickman’s Avengers from the very beginning, but I have been following for a while now, and in that time I’ve pulled a complete one-eighty in my feelings towards it. When I first picked it up four or five issues ago, I almost couldn’t stand it. To be fair, I did jump into the middle of an arc, and that certainly didn’t help my understanding of it. However, even what I did understand I didn’t care for, as I found it too cosmic or spiritual to suit the Avengers.

Now, a handful of issues later, I can’t put the series down (figuratively speaking). The cosmic elements are still a large part of the plot, but they’re in the background; they’re on Mars, specifically. Meanwhile, the Avengers are on Earth dealing with extraterrestrial threats, which is very much in the Avengers’ wheelhouse. I don’t want to seem like I’m afraid to leave my comfort zone, but I think that certain heroes are best suited towards certain types of stories, and the story contained within issue #10 is phenomenal. There’s an alien threat and nobody on the planet knows how to deal with it. A superhero team has gone missing, nukes have been unsuccessfully deployed, the whole shebang. The situation is hopeless. There’s only one option left, and that’s to call the Avengers.

Just to prove that I’m willing to try new things, there’s a twist in the issue that’s unlike anything I’ve read in an Avengers comic and I absolutely love it. A large part of the issue saw the Avengers stomping around, trying to make sense of an alien menace, and that was all great; but it’s the twist – the crazy, inexplicable twist – that’s going to bring me back. I can like new things!

Star Wars: Legacy #1 Review

 Posted by  Issue Review, Marvel Reviews  2 Responses »
May 082013
 

by Linsay Young, CMRO User

Star Wars: Legacy

Issue #1

Written by John Ostrander, Art by Jan Duursema

Published: June 2006

The cover for this one claims “125 years after Vader… new Sith!” Man, we just can’t get rid of these guys! This little burb effectively tells you everything you want to know about the plot—new, improved Sith going up against the weakened Jedi in all-new space battles. There’s quite a bit of history explained in the opening, but this is the essence of the conflict.

Part of the reason the original trilogy was so much fun was because you were off saving the galaxy with a bunch of characters you genuinely liked. Here, we have Cade, a descendant of Luke Skywalker. The issue works really hard to get you into Cade right away—he goes back and forth between joining battle and following his father’s orders to flee (TWICE), unleashes massive power in his angst after witnessing his father’s murder, and has ‘too much anger’ in him. We’ve seen this kind of setup before (most notably in the prequels) and as a result, Cade falls fairly flat as a protagonist. He’s boring. We’ve seen a hundred heroes like him before—the hot-headed, supremely powerful kid with a prestigious lineage and angst over a murdered parent. He’s rebellious… until his father tells him to stop being a selfish idiot, and he follows orders sulkily. There’s just not a lot to him that feels new or engaging.

Not liking the protagonist really kills the appeal of this book. If you can get into Cade, or if you’re just a big Star Wars fan, you might be able to get into this issue as well, but overall I found it a bit of a snoozefest. Legacy recycles old tropes without bringing anything much new to the table, which is a shame when you have the expansive Star Wars universe at your disposal.

Scarlet Spider #16 Review

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May 072013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Scarlet Spider

Issue #16

Written by Christopher Yost, Art by Khoi Pham

Published: June 2013

I may be talking out of my butt, but in a lot of ways Scarlet Spider feels like the opposite of Spider-Man. Peter Parker is a relatively goofy guy trying to cope with a harsh, merciless world. Kaine, on the other hand, doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, but the world he lives in makes up for that. In Scarlet Spider 16, Kaine’s friends talk him into attending a rodeo, where he whines and complains and sulks, all while wearing a shockingly out-of-character cowboy hat. When it looks like things couldn’t be going less his way, a villain named Armadillo crashes the rodeo, in an effort to win back his ex-girlfriend. Scarlet Spider may not find any of this funny, but I certainly do.

Issue #16 seems to be more of a standalone issue rather than part of an arc, though current events are touched on and the last few pages certainly tie in to something larger. I’m usually not a fan of standalone issues as I see them as lacking in substance, and while I wouldn’t call this issue substantial, it’s definitely a lot of fun. It’s good to see Kaine spending some time with his friends. He character isn’t necessarily making great strides, as he spends most of the time standing around and being a hardass, but it helps to humanize the character. The character is just a grump.

I’m glad Kaine got the girl. We don’t know where it’s going to lead (though we’re given an unpleasant idea), but I’ve read more than enough superhero comics to know that superheroes and regular humans can co-exist romantically. While I’m sad that this isn’t going to be a Peter Parker/Mary Jane-caliber romance, I’m interested to see how it’s going to play out after what we learn at the end of the issue.

Captain America #6 Review

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May 062013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Captain America

Issue #6

Written by Rick Remender, Art by John Romita Jr.

Published: June 2013

“What madness inspires a man to hold power and not use it?”

That line from Captain America #6 is a beautifully-worded reminder of why I love Captain America. To be fair, he is far from the only superhero to withstand corruption; but he’s more than a superhero. He’s a symbol. He’s the symbol of hope in the Marvel universe. That’s what makes his apparently meltdown in Age of Ultron so powerful. And that’s what makes what he possibly does in this issue truly break my heart.

Armin Zola has kidnapped Captain America’s son. Technically it’s Zola’s son that Cap kidnapped over a decade ago and raised as he own blah blah blah. Ian is Cap’s son and he will stop at nothing to get Ian back. This is a Captain America that we’re not used to seeing. He’s broken and desperate, and in a confrontation with Zola’s young daughter, he apparently murders her in cold blood. Out of spite. Out of revenge.

We don’t actually see her get shot. The impact happens off-panel. However, what we see is very damning. We see the shot, we see the blood, and Cap remarks that if he lost his son, Zola loses his daughter. We’re obviously to meant to believe that Cap actually did it. The comic geek in me is telling me that I’m being gullible, that Marvel wouldn’t actually give Remender the go-ahead on something like this, but then I’m reminded of all of the crazy stuff Marvel has approved in the past.

When this arc began, I really didn’t like it. I feel like Captain America isn’t a good fit in this kind of environment. I still believe that to generally be true, but I’ve come to really enjoy what’s turned out to be a really solid arc. Issue #6 is a fantastic issue that’s building up to what should be an awesome conclusion, I just hope that we haven’t lost the Captain America that we know and love in the process.

Orchid #1 Review

 Posted by  Indie Reviews, Issue Review  No Responses »
May 052013
 

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Orchid

Issue #1

Written by Tom Morello, Art by Scott Hepburn

Published: October 2011

Orchid is a post-apocalyptic story, one that imagines society locked in a fierce slave-and-master dynamic between the rich and the poor. The rich can afford to live on high ground and largely avoid the perils of the ever-encroaching ‘wild’, while the poor are doomed to suffer as their slaves, ensuring a strict world order that privileges one group over the other. Naturally, in any good story that involves these elements, there is a resistance. Complicating things is the presence of a mask with rumoured magical abilities, a relic of a failed rebellion that can only be worn by a saint.

This is the first issue of what promises to be a much larger story, but already there’s plenty of interesting conflict. Some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy in an action-movie sort of way, but I prefer cheese over flat characters who speak blandly. The backstory unfolds like a myth being told around a campfire, introducing ecological disaster, the disintegration of society, and the rise and fall of a pseudo-religious rebellion. After the exposition concludes and a brief scuffle ensues, we finally get to meet Orchid, our titular hero, who comes across as a tough, complicated chick.

The art in this one really sells the premise, too. It has a somewhat sketchy quality, but the colours are stark and arresting, and the shadows well-placed to evoke a desolate, devastated landscape where cruelty reigns supreme.

All of this is good stuff, though there are a few head-scratching moments. For example, the opening text suggests that humans no longer remember how to read, but Orchid and the other prostitutes are all tattooed with phrases they can explicitly read. Still, the story is compelling enough that you can shrug away those details (unless you’re detail-oriented that way).

Overall, Orchid is a somewhat familiar but thoroughly intriguing first issue.

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