Comic Book Reviews

Daredevil #349

Very good.

Stick is back!

This works. And I'm giving it a 9/10 rating because it's the sort of comic that doesn't always work (for me). Frankly, it's a self-indulgent look inside the main character's head. A look at his past choices/mistakes. Some of which are idiotic. It could be a chore to read. But... it's not. Partly because Stick--if that is really him--is fun, and partly because it feels sincerely and authentic.

I love DeMatteis as a writer, but I don't think he's infallible. Sometimes he relies too much on psychobabble. But he's not doing that here. He's keeping the prose/dialogue reasonably sparse and wisely allowing the beautiful artwork to carry the story. He's doing such a great job that it's easy to forget how ludicrous some of Matt's decisions have been.

This is like what Gruenwald does when he writes the characters in a sci-fi/fantasy setting so that they think and act like real people. When the protagonists feel real, it's easier to accept everything else. Same here. Matt and Karen feel real, so all the crazy nonsense surrounding them seems oddly plausible.

J.M. DeMatteis (6 of 7).

Cary Nord (2 of 13).

The Uncanny X-Men #43

Something different.

An explanation of Cyclops' powers.

This is not a story. It's a bit like a MARVEL HANDBOOK entry in comic book form. Every panel is a random scene--including one with a charging bull!--and Scott is shown using his powers while the narration explains how it all works.

I do enjoy it when the script freely admits to not knowing something and just asks us to go along with it.

The New Warriors #65

Very, very impressive.

General Obsidian and the Soldiers of Misfortune.

Wow. There are a lot of reasons to give this one a 10/10 rating. First, we have a major character returning to the book. But kinda brainwashed. And doing some questionable things with a new group. The heroes, meanwhile, are (finally) close to finding her. And I do love these stories where the good guys are proactive and smart.

The charge is led by a team member who longer has his own powers. (And is now a bit of a jerk to everyone.) There's also someone in their midst who had erratic knowledge of the future. This knowledge leads to the team suddenly acquiring their own spaceship! Oh, and there's also some character-driven quieter moments, too.

This is top tier stuff. Lots of balls in the air, but the characters always feel real and are compelling. Plus, there's real story momentum and story progression. This is not easy to pull off. If it was then every writer would do it.

Evan Skolnick (12 of 22).

Patrick Zircher (11 of 21).

UltraForce #10

Average.

Prototype battles "a 20-foot snowman" in New York while Dane and Sersi reunite. But she is not exactly herself...

The Ultraverse characters are growing in me--this is my third issue--but there's nothing particularly exciting here. The big battle is adequate. And the exposition to setup the upcoming event is merely okay. Enough to get the job done. Nothing more.

Dane and Sersi are two of my favourite characters, but these workmanlike scripts are not doing them justice.

Countdown to Black September (3 of 5).

Hank Kanalz (4 of 4).

Starjammers #1

Slow start.

The Starjammers are on the run from the Shi'ar Empire--for smuggling Kree refugees--while the Shi'ar themselves are facing a major threat...

This is more about setting the scene than anything else. Establishing the new status quo. As such, it does an acceptable job of telling us who the major players are. Even if you didn't previously know these characters, you get a clear sense of how things have changed over the years between them and Empress Lilandra Neramani.

As for the real story, we get some intriguing hints of what is to come. And it all seemingly ties back to recent issues of EXCALIBUR.

Release date: August 24, 1995.

Warren Ellis (1 of 4).

Carlos Pacheco (1 of 4).

Giant-Man and the Wasp [Tales to Astonish #62]

Clever!

A giant, growing plant threatens to overrun the city. Meanwhile, a burglar steals and uses Hank's suit.

Two unrelated plots run in tandem here. Both are strong, and both are really well told.

This is a lot of fun, and it's exciting. And while it is far-fetched, nothing about it is stupid. In fact, it seems well thought-out every step of the way.

Stan Lee (30 of 35).

Carl Burgos (1 of 3).

Green Goblin #2

Lightweight fun.

New Warriors; Rhino.

The selling point here is that the protagonist is selfish, immature, and directionless. This is a nice contrast with Rick Sheridan, Chris Powell, et al., who are basically nice guys. Young Phil Urich is more of a lovable rogue; his motives aren't pure. Also, he doesn't have all the personal problems that typically dog a teenage Marvel hero. He just needs to grow up, that's all.

Plot-wise, this second issue is generic. There's a short misunderstanding fight with other heroes and a confrontation with a legitimate villain.

Tom DeFalco (2 of 13).

Scott McDaniel (2 of 8).

Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1

Too long, but good fun nonetheless.

"You're telling me you have physical evidence this whole clone thing is bogus?!"

Too many of the 54 pages are wasted showing Ben Reilly battling bland bad guys. I'm not a fan of these groups that show up for an issue and are never seen again. Buzzard, Crushtacean, Flying Fox, Komodo, and Spinneret, I'm talking about you guys!

The rest, however, is decent storytelling. What you get here--and what makes this a good comic--is a detailed look at the working relationship between Miles Warren and the High Evolutionary. And what happened afterwards. YMMV, but I love stuff like this. It solidifies the connection between the two men and explains some past inconsistencies.

It's also a good story, because it features a protagonist faced with evidence that his origin is a lie.

Generation X #9

More of the same, but with diminishing returns.

"But since we are here, I think we can find time to save the elves from the reign o' oppression under the fairies and trolls and the dragon."

This reminds me of when EXCALIBUR was doing lots of crap issues, trying to be quirky and cute and stuff. It didn't work there; it works a little better here. Of course, the Lobdell run on EXCALIBUR was a clear highlight.

The focus here is squarely on the details of this fantasy land, with only a few character moments thrown in. A pity, because the character stuff is where this book excels. Best bits: Emma and Sean bickering, Jubilee showing concern for Monet, and Penance tagging along.

Scott Lobdell (13 of 36).

Tom Grummett (1 of 6).

Amazing Fantasy #17

Not quite as strong as the first issue.

"If I staked out that building to find out who's been causing these accidents--and put a stop to them"

The focus here is very much on Peter's loneliness as he tries to figure out what to do with his new powers.

The parallel with Scott Summers works really well. Peter's friendship with Joey Pulasky tracks a predictable course.

Kurt Busiek (2 of 3).

Generation X #8

Inventive.

"But, you're the first newcomers to venture into our world in centuries."

Remarkably different to the previous issue. This one is story-driven. And it's a quirky story with elves and knights and such.

It's lightweight fun.

Scott Lobdell (12 of 36).

Roger Cruz (2 of 2).

Generation X #7

Very good indeed.

Emma & Sean; Jonothon & Paige; Jubilee vs. Monet; Skin & Synch.

This is a character-driven issue with a bunch of excellent characters. All the action takes place over the course of one sleepless night, and everyone has something interesting going on. Most of it is charming and engrossing.

At the very end, there's a panicked phone call from Ireland...

Scott Lobdell (11 of 36).

Roger Cruz (1 of 2).

UltraForce #9

Amateurish.

The battle to stop the Angels from taking over Miami.

The dialogue is poor in the early pages. Characters responding to things that were never said. I kept turning back to see if I had missed something. Also, Ghoul's endless jokiness grows very annoying, very fast. By the end of the issue I hated him.

The plot is generic. We are never told exactly what the antagonists are, or why they are doing this. Luckily, one team member--Ghoul--has a means to stop them. It all falls into place without ever being exciting. I'd give it a 6/10 except for all that confusing dialogue.

Countdown to Black September (2 of 5).

Hank Kanalz (3 of 4).

Marv Wolfman (2 of 2).

The Uncanny X-Men Annual #19

Good story.

"It is a mutant. Disguised as a human, spying on us."

Puts the focus on three Guthries--Joelle, Paige, and Sam--and all are given a chance to shine. It's a comic with action and compelling character moments. Best of all, the villains are anti-mutant bigots. Very realistic, and easy to hate.

The story of the mysterious Preacher will continue/conclude in the next UNCANNY X-MEN annual.

Surprisingly, Joelle Guthrie only appears 3 times in the next 30 years!

Amazing Fantasy #16

Very good story.

Young Peter Parker wonders how to use his new powers to honour his late uncle's memory.

The villain isn't revealed until well into the issue--and it's a good twist--before that this is character-driven. It's surprisingly engrossing, even before we get to the action.

Kurt Busiek (1 of 3).

UltraForce #8

Starts strong, gets less interesting.

Black Knight materialises in Miami, but not the Miami of his Earth. He meets Prime and Prototype.

Black Knight dominates the first 11 pages. That's the best part. A character we like trapped in a parallel dimension.

After that, it's gets a bit more generic. Other superheroes pop up and there's a dire threat they must all face together.

Countdown to Black September (1 of 5).

Hank Kanalz (2 of 4).

Marv Wolfman (1 of 2).

George Pérez (9 of 10).

Daredevil #348

Works because it's not overwritten.

"Maybe Matt doesn't want to be helped."

These hero-in-crisis--hero having a breakdown--stories can be hit or miss. This one is a hit. It works. DeMatteis resists the temptation to overwrite it. We don't get paragraph after paragraph of elaborate text to explain Matt's pain. Instead, a large number of panels are bare. The story is told in the visuals. And I took my time reading it, and it really pulled me in.

When the DeMatteis run started, Matt was beginning to fall apart and the focus was on situations created by the previous writer. It didn't compel. But, with this issue, the focus is exclusively on something from the MAN WITHOUT FEAR mini-series instead. And it feels like an authentic problem. The other stuff was contrived nonsense, but this--accidentally pushing a young women to her death--is heavy enough to warrant Matt's mental collapse. I'm invested.

The art is gorgeous. And really helps tell the story. Suddenly I feel enthused about DAREDEVIL again.

J.M. DeMatteis (5 of 7).

Cary Nord (1 of 13).