Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1

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Writer-Gregg Hurwitz

Artist-Jerome Opena

When you’re the closest thing the Marvel Universe has to a Batman it’s either going to be extremely easy to snatch up readers or ridiculously difficult; for Moon Knight it’s definitely been the latter. Marvel’s white knight has been in and out of the public eye for years now, a character that seems nearly impossible to write, despite the constant revamps and relaunches that have befallen him. It seems that Vengeance of the Moon Knight may be just what the doctor ordered did get the hero off the sidelines and straight into the game.
I had high hopes in 2006 when Marvel announced that Charlie Huston and David Finch were going to be bringing Marc Spector back to the mainstream in a monthly ongoing but they were short lived. Although the series was visually arresting and delightfully hyper violent the plot of the overall plot became much too muddled and convoluted. Spectors level of insanity tipped the scales into a landslide of confusing story arcs and unanswered questions and the series slipped into obscurity once again, ending with the Knight faking his death and taking himself south of the border to find himself.
Well it looks like Gregg Hurwitz has not only found him but he’s brought him back in a blaze of glory. The first issue is a fast paced action ride that cruises along at break neck speeds and does so without confusing the reader. Hurwitz brings Moony back to New York and puts him right in the middle of all the action right at the beginning of the issue. Moon Knight charges into a bank robbery, full throttle (quite literally), and decimates the goons within a matter of minutes. It throws the law enforcement into a frenzy but they dawn a certain stupor as they realize that Moon Knight didn’t kill a single person. The rest of the issue showcases the cities reaction to his return, wondering if he has changed his ways, or if it’s a new hero altogether.
Hurwitz does a wonderful job at displaying Moon Knights attempt for redemption, butting heads with his urges for brutal vengeance, making an interesting trait for the character and giving the readers a hook. I know I took the bait. The best part of the issue is while reading it I saw some truly Batman-esque moments, where I found myself drawing distinct comparisons, but it didn’t come off as an attempt to capitalize on the Caped Crusader. Instead it seems that Hurwitz has finally just found the rhythm of the character and is giving him some of the spotlight he deserves. Having handled some of the most brutal characters in the Marvel U (including The Punisher, Wolverine and Foolkiller) it’s definitely interesting to see him try and soften up one of the more fierce characters in the Marvel roster.
Jerome Opena and Dan Brown make for a powerful artistic team and also have worked on a slew of high octane characters as well. Opena has already nailed making Moon Knight look beyond awesome and when teamed up with Brown it creates a gritty noir inspired feel that slips into the tone of the comic close to perfect. Capping it off with a gorgeous cover from Leinil Yu is just icing on the cake. While the issue isn’t perfect it’s definitely a step in the right direction. A big step. If Hurwitz continues down the road he’s paving it seems that Vengeance of the Moon Knight could end up being one of the most fun reads Marvel has to offer.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus

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Writer-Matt Fraction

Artist(s)-Mike Deodato, Terry Dodson

I had high expectations for the Dark X-Men event that was to occur as part of the many splintered series that have sprung up from Dark Reign. To cut things short, it was disappointing. Fraction did a fine job at handling the X-Men but his handling of the Dark Avengers and even the Dark X-Men was touch-and-go, at best. Namor and Sentry, two of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel U., became busboys for the ever daunting Norman Osborne and his Iron Patriot alter ego. The other characters, although interesting, were given no depth or growth. In fact, three members of the team (Cloak, Dagger, Weapon Omega), are and have been heroes fighting for the side of justice since their inception into the Marvel Universe. I get why they are on the team, Norman has something on them, but why are they so accepting of their tasks at hand and the execution of his orders. But that was the series, not this one shot.

This single issue is explosive enough, packed with so much grandeur and eye grabbing action, that it makes up for the mediocrity that preceded it. The story is balls to the wall action at it’s best, all the while maintaining a proper and clean narrative, concluding with a positive resolution. To be quite frank, it really does showcase Fraction at his best. The characters are written down to a tee, precise and accurate, and Fraction writes each of them as he had created them himself.

The dialogue between Scott and Norman is definitely a highlight amongst the pages and the banter that occurs between the X-Men themselves is the spotlight of the comic. Deodato and Dodson keep a tight rein on the events at hand which is feat in itself considering how much is going on. Normally the darker and muddy aspects of Deodatos art is irksome but because of the chaos at hand it fits the fight scenes quite nicely.

Not only that but we see a number of scenes that play right into the fanboy imagination: X-23 and Wolverine against Daken, Colossus facing off with Venom, and even the fist pounding air combat between the Sentry and Namor. The entire issue is filled with great one liners, amazing fight scenes, and a powerful hold over the reader that should have been there the entire series. The end is brilliant, seeing the shocked expression of Norman when he realizes his odds, but it does end without a lot of resolution. The characters that were once super heroes are still on the Dark X-Men and it’s unclear what is even going to happen with that time but this is about the only complaint I have with the issue. One hell of a climax Mr. Fraction.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

Justice League: Cry for Justice #3 (of 6)

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Writer-James Robinson

Artist-Mauro Cascioli

Three issues into the “hard hitting on the offensive” new Justice League and the story has finally decided to pick up…a little bit. James Robinson has a slew of credentials backing him up; the guy is a DC all star. So it would make sense for the series to do a number of things. It would make sense to see Golden Age characters get a retro revamp; it would make sense to see a classic villain come back with a vengeance; it would also make sense to see a brilliant new action packed comic. Hell, two out of three ain’t bad, right? The downfall? The most important feature is the one we’re not seeing.

Robinson has definitely done a good job at making Congorilla and the lost Starman, Mikaal Thomas, interesting characters as well as giving Captain Marvel Junior and the Atom a fun filled re-entrance into DC continuity. The team is an eclectic and pretty awesome mix, full of heavy hitters, but despite the potential of the team the comic is struggling. First off, Robinson hasn’t even put the team completely together yet, just introducing Supergirl to the mix in this issue with Congorilla and Mikaal still flying over the ocean to even meet up with the rest of group. We’re halfway through the entire series and all of the main players haven’t even been put in the game yet. Another major problem is that the art doesn’t quite work in the comic. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful art, but something about it just doesn’t sit right in the comic book world. I think that if Cascioli practiced a little bit more, put some more work under his belt, he could be a huge and highly applauded artist for the comic community but he needs a little refining. Just a little.

The story is awesome, just full of potential, but Robinson is taking his sweet time getting it put out there. Prometheus is cunning, cruel, and the perfect anti-Batman and he is the one thing Robinson seems to be doing right. His methods of murder and blatant disregard of emotion nails the character on the head. But that’s as far as the good writing goes. When it comes down to the heroes the story is as bad as a Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a cheese fest and the word ‘justice’ echoes throughout the comic a million times. Literally. Since issue one the team has said ‘justice’ more times than I can count. We get it. The word shows up twice in the title of the comic alone. We don’t need the reiteration. Green Arrow and Green Lantern are cookie cutter characters, shallow as a puddle, and the rest of the characters have hardly said three sentences and when they do they something like “FOR JUSTICE!”

The issue has horrible pacing. It’s like running in place. We figure out some interesting things, such as Prometheus recent killing spree, but it’s mostly just the same blabber we’ve been reading for the last two issues. It makes a decent amount of progress but still nothing that wows me as much as I was hoping for from this team.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

Deadpool #15

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Writer-Daniel Way

Artist-Paco Medina

Issue 15 marks yet another drop in the roller-coaster run that Daniel Way has provided for the new Deadpool series thus far. Way has written some really stand-out and laugh out loud moments in Deadpool, as well as a number of bad-ass scenes as well, but he can’t seem to make it stick.

The issue has some interesting ideas presented, that are never fully explored, and it ends up basically being two completely different issues. Deadpool is recovering from his brief stint as a pirate and by recovering it means he is killing sharks and then talking to them. The first half of the comic is covered with hallucinations, trippy day dreams, strange dialogue with a shark and Death, and even imagining himself on a cruise with different Marvel heroes and villains. It’s all a very bizarre and hectic scenario and it almost seems that Way is about to delve into the psyche of Wade Wilson, swim around a bit, and hook onto something deep and relevant; this does not occur.

It turns out that all of bizarre concoctions of Deadpool’s brain are just segueing into the real plot of the run. Deadpool, through a series of strange events, ends up in San Francisco and within panels the accepting overall attitude of San Francisco, as well as the large gay community, is flaunted unto the reader. While I like the way that Way has shown both of these things in a positive light, it’s still a bit of a stereotype to see these highlighted in, literally, the first page showing our favorite Merc in the Bay Area.

I really like the purpose behind what Way has been attempting to write: Deadpool is trying to find his place in the word. This, however, is not being executed very well. Deadpool was once a wise-cracking but brutal and highly effective mercenary but he has been distorted and turned into a slapstick diva who is quickly becoming over saturated in the Marvel stables. He’s lost a lot of his edge and it’s being traded in for whimsical and over-the-top comedy gags which are getting old fast. Personally, to me, it seems that it’s Ways job to balance the scales of comedy and action but he’s taken the comic into one direction with an overwhelming shove.

The issue was boring. The art was unimpressive, which goes along with the story, and although the plot is going in the right direction it remains to be seen whether this ride is going back up or continuing downwards in a sickening lurch. Only time will tell.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

Red Tornado #1

Writer-Kevin VanHook

Artist-Jose Luisi, J.P. Mayer

This week DC put out the premiere issue of two brand spanking new series with second tier characters in the limelight. While the Magog comic is something I can admit to being less than interested in, Red Tornado drew me in, like a moth to a light. I’ve been interested in the character since I first saw him in Young Justice and have followed him, and read up on him, since then. He’s grown as a character, played pivotal roles in years of late, and has become a bigger part of the Justice League than he ever was before; so yes, I felt completely self justified when I decided to give this a shot.

The result is not one of grandeur but it is a clear step beyond mediocrity. Red Tornado is an android, desperately trying to be as human as he can, but at the same time he feels incredibly lonely in the world. He is one of a kind, the bizarre yet genius creation of mad scientist T.O. Morrow…or is he? We discover that there are three more elemental based “Red” creations out and about in the world but they are currently sitting idle, more or less in stasis. However, a beacon has been calling out, and in a series of events we are quickly introduced to two new members of the Red Family: Red Tornado (the ’sister’) and Red Volcano (a ‘brother).

The issue inescapably ends up being a pure set up issue but it isn’t a completely vapid or shallow attempt. VanHook, a somewhat rookie comic writer, does a valiant job at taking a character with potential and attempting to expand on it. Not only is he trying to flesh the character in himself out but he is also expanding the inside universe, the “Red Family,” at the same time. While I do have a few problems with this, it does create a few incongruities with the DCU, in itself it is an interesting idea and the right steps have been made to make it an interesting story.

Now let’s pick at a few bones. The fact that their are other elemental forces is a little irking considering that DC has already established other characters are the forces in their universe. While VanHook has not said that there other androids are as much primarily elemental as Red Tornado the concept does stand up with just a little less strength. Also, creating characters that have supposedly been around for years but we have never heard of is always going to be just a tad bit irritating, but I do approve when it creates entertaining plot development and a fun new roster to toy around with.

Overall, the issue doesn’t do anything to over impress, nor is it trying to. It succeeds as a developmental issue, the origin story behind the arc, and does so with a good amount of gusto. The art is clean cut and nice, nothing to write home about, but still easy on the eyes. It definitely ends up being the more captivating of the two new prospects and it’s a solid standard issue.

Rating:

Ryanscribbles

Secret Warriors #7

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Alessandro Vitti

Brian Bendis did an amazing thing with the conception of Secret Warriors. He took Nick Fury, a fan favorite, but a character who ultimately had had little to do with recent Marvel History, and teamed him up with a group of brand new (with one sort of exception) characters that no one had any reason to care about. He then, in a way that only he could, took this team and made them one of the most interesting collections of super heroes in recent memory. Then he stopped being the lead writer, and no he has left the book entirely, and it has been suffering ever since he took a back seat. I’m not here to say that Hickman is a bad writer. I think the problem lies in the fact that Bendis created these characters, and they are uniquely his. But they were shuffled onto another writer before they got a chance to develop and have their personalities flesh out. Hickman is doing his best, I am sure. But the result, in my view, comes off as characters being written by someone who does not understand them, their thoughts, or their motives. My opinion. And personally, I am not happy with this rough, rude, egotistical, punching old guys in the face version of Nick Fury we’re being dealt. A group of characters who I was terribly interested from day one (Druid, Phobos, and J.T. specifically) are now horribly uninteresting. The characters all seem bland and dry, very two dimensional. Their actions seem predictable and repetitive. They contain no conflict or desire to deviate from the path they’ve taken since their first panel. And apparently no one can decide how exactly Phobos should be presented or interact with other people. He constantly seems awkward and at times is a child and others almost acting like a noble God. It makes for a character who is awkward to read and difficult to understand, when he should just be an incredibly entertaining character, given that he is the God of Fear. Not that we have gotten to see a lot of that. Or any of the powers of the team. Combat has been extremely limited in this book. Daisy gets to throw people around with her earthquake powers (which I am still not clear on how she is able to throw someone standing across the room via a earthquake…but ok), and Stonewall does the typical big guy thing. But beyond that, really nothing too interesting yet.

I know this sounds like general complaints and not a review of this issue, but it all applies. This issue in particular tries to be a lot more than it is. There is a moment that is intended to be a shocking reveal I’m sure, but due to the pacing of the issue, it just feels thrown in there and has no weight to it. The scene I enjoyed the most was Norman talking to the Barron, their small banter was amusing. But it was very brief, and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t contain any of the central characters to the book. As I said before, the pacing is off, and the whole book feels like it takes place in about 5 minutes. There is a lead up to a Secret Warriors/Thunderbolts battle, but weather we actually get it or not, who knows. Also the end seems a tad confusing, or at least poorly constructed. Nick Fury goes off to recruit, and Phobos and J.T. receive a message from Black Widow and Songbird asking for extraction, and decide to help. Then we suddenly have Fury at the aide of Widow and Songbird. Whether this is actually the case or not, given LMDs is up in the air, but when you read it, it feels off and confusing.

This issue does little to advance the story, the sole development really being that the Thunderbolts (the world’s most reliable team to get jobs done) have been sent to kill Nick Fury. The writing seems forced, and rushed, causing awkward pacing throughout the issue. Hickman seems to still have no grasp on how to handle his central characters. Vitti’s art is very inconsistent. While beautiful sometimes (the Norman Osborne and Thunderbolt’s scenes)  it falls apart at the end, and is just incredibly wrong for some of these characters (See Black Widow and Phobos). Overall I felt it was a weak and inconsistent issue, that has done nothing but feed my disappointment with this series, that at one time was my most anticipated. I can only hope it gets better from here.

-Vlaz.

Rating:

Exiles #6

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Writer-Jeff Parker

Artist-Salvador Espin

Oh Exiles, we hardly knew ye. Yes, true believers, just six issues in and the series is already getting canceled. It seems that our time-traveling friends just haven’t been able to peak much of an interest since their point of origin way back in ‘01. And now, after a brief (and unfortunately unmemorable) stint, the Exiles have been put out to pasture once again. But why?

To take a look at this comic is really all the explanation you need to discover why Exiles vol.2 just never really took. Parker isn’t a bad writer, by any means, but the cards he was dealt really just drew up a bad hand. It seems their are a lot of errors made in the unsuccessful return of the team and many of them just have to do with team dynamic and plot organization. Throughout the six issues the team never really fit like the original did, McKone had a way of just making the characters click, and that was something that Parker never managed to do. Even in this issue every character feels very individual, but in a lonely way, and it just calls out attention to the fact that they aren’t a team; they’re a group of people told to do something and they do it but that doesn’t make a team. The alternate scenarios presented throughout the short lived revival were half baked, at best, and it all seems very too Saturday morning cartoon.

Now let’s present the problems in this final issue. The entire first half of the comic is a boring read and a convoluted rehash of something that occurred just four issues ago. The story plays out in a very sloppy manner, like a drunk pianist at a recital; the point of the piece is there but there’s some hiccups along the way. The conclusion, which involves a lot of pseudo-science jargon and a heavy dose of more confusing than Lost time travel mumbo jumbo, presents some interesting and fun alternate scenarios but only in passing and doesn’t really do much but scramble our already scrambled senses. Sadly, even it’s final bow is a bit disappointing, as a splash page that screams seventies cheese is the last page of this last issue.

Now the critique has been tough on this issue, and it was hard to do, but it had to be done. I give major props to Espin and Parker for sticking it out, trying to make it work, doing what they could to create a quality comic. It was really a mess though, a 100 piece puzzle on the table with none of the pieces together, but it saddens me to see the idea leave The House of Ideas so suddenly. It’s not like we haven’t seen worse series last for much longer. *cough Marvel Zombies cough*. My hope is that we eventually see a better planned out and more defined return of the Exiles, eventually, but give the series a little bit of breather time.

Rating:

-Ryanscribbles

An Update for our Readers

Dear Readers,

Hello. You may have noticed a lack of, well, anything coming out of Powcomics for a short while now. Don’t worry, we have not thrown in the towel. However, we have come to the conclusion that after all the work we had been doing, we got a little burnt out, and it was affecting (negatively) the quality of our product. So it is with that realization that we have decided to take a short break. We will return recharged and kicking ass the first release week of September. We’ll be refreshed, recharged, and hopefully with some new ideas and all the complications bout our domain worked out. In the mean time, we thank you for your continued support. We love you all. See you in September,

Vlaz and Ryan.

Amazing Spider-Man #599

Writer: Joe Kelly

Artists: Stephen Segovia, Marco Checcetto, Paulo Siqueira, Amilton Santos

American Son comes to it’s dramatic close, and I don’t think it turned out exactly how anyone thought it would. Joe Kelly proved over the last 5 issues that he can write Spider-Man better than most in the Amazing Spider-Man brain trust right now, but ultimately American Son was a little bit of a letdown. The final issue is a far cry from bad. And The arc over all was really impressive. Bringing Spider-Man back into main continuity with finally and fully bringing him into Dark Reign needed to happen, and Kelly was apparently the man for the job. With so many of Spider-Man’s biggest supporting cast involved, it seemed like American Son was going to be the Spider-Man arc this year, and would have huge repercussions for the future. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like that is going to be the case. The story manages to close at the end of it’s fifth issue, with almost every lose thread taken care of. Normally this is a good thing, as some writers then to lack the ability to finish their story before the next writer takes over, and things get lost and forgotten. Not to say that everything that happens in this arc is going to stay in this arc.

Obviously one of the biggest parts of American Son, was finding out just who or what exactly was the American Son. Well shortly into the arc we find out that Harry Osborne is none other than his Father’s attempt at creating a new Captain America for his Dark Avengers. Sadly we have to wait until the fifth issue to actually SEE the American Son in action. And even more unfortunate, it seems highly unlikely that we will ever see the American Son again. So let’s talk about it for a minute. Harry, as the American Son, has a power suit that seems similar to Iron Man/Iron Patriot, though in Captain America’s colors. The helmet is a bit different and seems to offer less protection. But without a full description of what American Son is capable of, we never really get a chance to truly appreciate the character before he is gone. That is one of the few things this issue does wrong.

What this issue does do right, however, is give the reader a even deeper understanding of the relationship between Peter Parker, Harry Osborne, and Norman Osborne. And I don’t care what anyone else says, I think this is one of the most dynamic relationships (anyway you match up these three) in Marvel. Kelly opens the issue with flashbacks showing Pete and Harry in college. While these flashbacks come out of nowhere, they don’t really feel out of place. And the set the emotion high in the issue right off the bat. Another thing Kelly does really well here is use Spider-Man as a proxy for the reader, observing most of the action rather than actually partaking in it, due to his extensive injuries. To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve seen any write put Spider-Man through as much physical pain as Kelly does in American Son (I mean Norman shot him in the head for crying out loud).

The issue ultimately builds up to the final confrontation between Harry and Norman. American Son vs. Iron Patriot, with a Spidey vs. Menace undercard. The fight itself could have been more, but the showdown between Father and Son is about more than who can throw the hardest punch. Spider-Man and Norman have been fighting for Harry’s soul for so long, it’s a great relief to finally see him take control of the situation himself. The post showdown ‘epilogue’ is where we see what the fallout from this arc will be. With a scene between Norman and Lilly, where Norman comes off as even creepier and crazier than ever before. It’s almost chilling.

Joe Kelly did with this Arc what no one else had either wanted to or been willing to do, he brought Spider-Man back into main continuity for the first time since Brand New Day. And it really needed to be done. For that alone this was a bit of an achievement. But he did it with a style and flair that shows he really understand the characters in Spider-Man’s world. And proved that he is one of the best writing the character right now. I really hope we get to see more of Joe Kelly writing Amazing Spider-Man in the future.

-Vlaz

Rating:

Blackest Night #1

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Ivan Reis

Well it’s finally started, the beginning of the end for the Dc U. Well sort of. Blackest Night is the biggest event to hit DC in a long time, and after waiting two years, it’s finally started. The few issues we had leading up to Blackest Night seemed to have whetted the appetites of the comic book reading population like few events before it. Truly it seemed, that Geoff Johns was finally going to give DC the big even it needed to compete with Marvel’s blockbuster events like Civil War and House of M. So, you’re probably asking yourself (assuming you are one of the few people who haven’t read this issue yet), did Johns do it? Oh you better believe it.

The main villain in Blackest Night (so far) is of course William Hand, aka, The Black Hand. Given that he is primarily a Green Lantern baddie, and that Blackest Night seemed to be isolated within the Green Lantern stories, there was some concern as to whether or not Blackest Night would actually deliver as a DC wide event. Blackest Night #1 does an awesome job right from the start in driving home the point that everyone is going to be feeling the effects of the Black Lanterns’ rise to power.  We get to see the national holiday for mourning dead super heroes, and while it’s narrated by Hal Jordon, it’s a wonderfully powerful few pages that does more to humanize DCs heroes than years and years of writing has ever done. Hal discusses the difficulty in being a hero, especially a Lantern, with having to deal with death and destruction at every turn every day. We are reminded of the resolve of these heroes, and it’s clearly an omen of absolutely terrible things to come. Johns then takes us on a journey from gave to grave seeing the surviving friends and families mourning and remembering DCs highest profile hero deaths. The heroes, that we know, will be risen as Black Lanterns. With the exception of Detective #853, it’s probably the most emotional DC issue I’ve read.

Of course things pick up when it’s discovered that an unknown person or persons has dug up the unmarked grave of Bruce Wayne. Well, unknown to the Bat family, known to us, the readers. As the issue opens with Black Hand removing Bruce Wayne’s skull, and taking as a trophy, or a memento, or something. That’s not exactly clear yet. But it is a very chilling moment. And Reis’ art as much as Johns’ writing further cements Black Hand as one of the most disturbing villains around. Of course Blackest Night is a Green Lantern centered story, so we return to Hal, who is with Barry, examining what turns out to be a vault for all the dead super villains, in contrast with the dead heroes we’ve been celebrating thus far in the issue. With both of these characters having recently been brought back from death, there is certainly an ominous feeling here. Barry asks Hal to tell him who else has died while he was gone. In an very impressive spread Hal uses his ring to show Barry the extensive and impressive amount of heroes who have died since Barry himself did. It’s this brief scene between these two that does just as good, if not a better, job in showing how disconnected Barry is from the rest of the world than the entire Flash Rebirth series did.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl also play an important part in the beginning of Blackest Night. With their constant resurrection it seemed inevitable that the Black Lanterns would come calling to return them to the death they so frequently escape. Of course, what happens was not exactly predictable. For the sake of spoilers I won’t go into too much detail as to what happens. But we see the first of the Black Lanterns in action, and see a little bit about how becoming a Black Lantern has changed them, and how they operate. The  finale here is brutal, violent, and perfectly fitting for the series. Not to mention completely shocking. There are some truly amazing things to see in this issue. The rising of the Black Lanterns is so impressive and so massive, it was a wakeup call for me as to just how huge this event is going to be. There are a few other surprises and shocks that I don’t want to get into for the sake of those who haven’t read the issue. Geoff Johns continues to be one of the best in the industry. His ability to tell a story through dialogue and internal narrative, as well as though brutal action sequences, sets him apart from those writers who lack the ability to excel in every aspect of an issue. Ivan Reis was possibly the only artist capable of translating this story to image, and his visuals are astounding. If this issue is any inclination, Blackest Night is going to be an event for the ages.

-Vlaz

Rating: