Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 - Marvel Comics

HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. No. 6, May 2016

As swansong editions go, especially those based upon the exploits of a (field) team of super-heroes, Frank J. Barbiere’s narrative for Issue Six of “Howling Commandos Of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is frustratingly far more focussed upon the exploits of missing member Orrgo than the other nine “ragtag group of monsters”. Indeed, the script for the twenty-page action-packed periodical is so obsessed with the thirty foot tall extra-terrestrial “space god” that its terribly abrupt finish unexpectedly arrives just as team leader Dum Dum Duggan is contemplating his squad ‘mouth-wateringly’ having to confront both the entirety of Pleasant Hill’s villainous escapees, as well all “the prisoners of S.T.A.K.E.” Doctor Kraye has recently released…

So infuriating a conclusion doubtless vexed many of this title’s 12,700 readers, particularly when its publishers had ‘forewarned’ both the public and presumably the book’s creative team of the series’ (stealth) cancellation as early as January 2016, by failing to include “the lowest selling Marvel All-New All-Different book of December” in its solicitation listings, and thus given its American author plenty of time to reconcile his story-arc’s numerous plot threads. Sadly however, such prudence simply isn’t evident in the former English teacher’s writing, with the choppy script sporadically leaping between Orrogo’s innermost desire to be accepted, and his team-mates’ impotent attack upon the young sentient Cosmic Cube, Kubik; “Orrgo has been many things… Been to many places… But what you did, it was not real. My real family… The Howling Commandos… Has come to me.”

Admittedly the contents of “Standoff” form an integral part of the “Marvel Comics” multi-title comic book event “Avenger: Standoff!”, and therefore by its very nature needs to leave plenty of sequences open to exploitation by other series, such as “Captain America: Sam Wilson”. But even so, one would have thought that Barbiere could have created a more satisfying conclusion to his magazine than a patronizing pretence in the letters page, “Going Commando”, thanking his “humble readers, for joining us on this adventure.”

Perhaps equally as disillusioned with the abolition of this “four-coloured battlefield”, Brent Schoonover’s inconsistent pencilling is arguably a far cry from the “talented” artwork his co-collaborator intimates he submits before each deadline. In fact, apart from a seemingly Jack Kirby-inspired double-splash depicting Orrogo first coming to Earth and being beaten up by a gigantic circus gorilla, as well as the Grey Gargoyle being bested by Teen Abomination, the Freelancer’s disappointing breakdowns appear lifelessly static and inanimately wooden at best…

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere, Art: Brent Schoonover, and Color Art: Nick Filardi

Captain America: Steve Rogers #2 - Marvel Comics

CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS No. 2, August 2016

Whilst a meteoric drop in sales and numerous death threats via social media were undoubtedly not influential upon the narrative for Issue Two of “Captain America: Steve Rogers”, arguably the vast majority of this book’s 66,416 strong audience must surely have felt that Nick Spencer’s storyline concerning the sentient Cosmic Cube Kobik being responsible for recently transforming the titular character into an agent of Hydra, something of a dramatic U-turn as to what the former politician was postulating before its publication. Indeed, the very presence of the one-time cube-shaped entity, a character who according to the “Marvel Database” didn’t make her first full appearance until April 2016, makes much of the “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” writer’s rhetoric concerning the star-spangled symbol of mortality always being one of the Marvel Universe’s “most insidious villains” rather questionable; especially when “the most hated man in America” has openly admitted he “designed” his ‘outrageous’ storyline simply to “upset people and shock people and worry people.”

Concerns as to just how long (or even real) Steve Rogers’ allegiance to the secret criminal organisation are aside however, this twenty-page periodical’s script seems horrifically contrived at best considering that it is based upon the premise that of all the people who the naïve child-like cube-fragmented form could turn to and befriend, she chooses the Sentinel of Liberty’s greatest adversary, the Red Skull. It certainly seems a convolutedly convenient way for Johann Schmidt to suddenly obtain the power to reimagine the entity’s handler, Doctor Erik Selvig and readily recruit him to “immortal Hydra!”; “My entire life I have served your cause. I have worked tirelessly to promote your vision. A more perfect world -- through Hydra!"

Disconcertingly, Spencer’s script doesn’t unfortunately stop there either, and proves increasingly illogical by having the one-time “confidant of Adolf Hitler” manufacture the entire prisoner breakout from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s heavily-disguised Pleasant Hill super-villain incarceration centre, simply to manipulate Kobik into rejuvenating the elderly Cappy before Brock Rumlow beats him to death with his own shield. Bizarrely, so overly-complicated a plot thread even apparently requires the facially disfigured war-criminal to don the apparel of an aging “compassionate” church minister in order to ensure the First Avenger isn’t bested by the likes of Dirk Garthwaite and his Wrecking Crew before he faces Crossbones.

Considering just how dissatisfying this revelation as to the ‘Secret History of Steve Rogers” arguably is, Jesus Saiz's artwork throughout the comic at least proves a gratifying experience. Admittedly the book’s breakdowns are luckily devoid of any panels depicting Daniel Acuna’s unimaginative redesign of Wing-head’s modern-day costume. But that still leaves the Spanish artist needing to do an incredible job of imbuing characters such as the Red Skull and his daughter Sin, with plenty of energy and emotion, when the vast majority of the comic comprises of little more than sedentary, dialogue-heavy conversations.

The variant cover art of "CAPTAIN AMERICA: STEVE ROGERS" No. 2 by Mark Bagley

The Amazing Spider-Man [2015] #11 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 11, June 2016

Wrapping up both the “Scorpio Rising” story-arc and the ‘Zodiac Saga’, it is hard to believe that many of this twenty-page periodical’s 73,643 readers in April 2016 obtained too much satisfaction from a script littered with celestial-inspired gobbledygook and nonsensical astronomical gibberish. For whilst Dan Slott’s narrative undoubtedly contains enough explosions, fist-fights and energy blasts to sate the thirst of even the most action-demanding junkie, it does so for seemingly no other reason than to frustratingly ‘pad out’ the final (perhaps fatal) confrontation between Peter Parker’s alter-ego and Vernon Jacobs Fury.

Foremost of this comic’s substantial failings is the Berkeley-born writer’s ill-placed belief that he can simply have Spider-Man’s main antagonist, Scorpio, rationalize all of the script’s bizarre plot developments by crudely explaining that it is all connected to the Grand Orrery, “a gift from the same dimension as my Zodiac Key”. This hand-sized “clockwork model of our Solar System”, a device which has conveniently lain undetected within the Rosetta Stone for millennium, is insignificant-looking at best and yet the American author would have his audience believe it can generate an energy pulse strong enough to encourage the twelve zodiacal constellations in the sky to mysteriously “blaze a trail” towards some mystical doorway buried deep within the grounds of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London; “So, just to be clear… Yadda yadda holy ascension. Blah blah blah Key to your destiny.”

Such lack-lustre lazy writing is further compounded by Slott’s inability to explain just what is happening within the white abyss Scorpio unlocks with his “giant key”? Just where is this chamber's precognisant power coming from and how is it possible that the Zodiac’s leader can ‘tap into it’ in order to obtain a knowledge of future events and not the titular character? It’s certainly unclear as to why Spidey shoulder-barging his nemesis further into the brightly-lit compartment so very simply “took out” his potentially all-powerful opponent?

Perhaps because he was as bemused by his co-creators unfollowable penmanship as doubtless many of this publication’s bibliophiles were, Giuseppe Camuncoli’s breakdowns for Issue Eleven of “The Amazing Spider-Man” are somewhat disappointing. The Italian illustrator’s depiction of the wiry Wall-crawler himself is excellent, as is his wonderfully retro imagery of the Living Brain battling Zodiac with his large whirring arms. But such pulse-pounding energy-charged panels are somewhat marginal, with the vast majority of the artist’s drawings appearing rather overblown and superfluous, as if there simply wasn’t quite enough story to go around…

Writer: Dan Slott, Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Inker: Cam Smith

Moon Knight [2016] #3 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 3, August 2016

Reading far more like something better suited to the sublime stop motion animation skills of Ray Harryhausen than a super-hero based comic book narrative, Jeff Lemire’s writing for Issue Three of “Moon Knight” should certainly have entertained the title’s 40,752 strong audience in June 2016, with its brutal punch-up against a trunkful of reeking mummies, as well as a space sojourn on board Anubis’ star-faring raft, readily explaining just why this publication sold an additional five thousand copies more than it did the month before. Indeed, having arguably answered the question as to whether its titular character is mentally-disturbed or not by revealing his female psychologist as a crocodile-headed god, this twenty-page periodical goes on to depict a wonderfully engaging thematic journey through Egyptian mythology courtesy of Marc Spector allowing his “insanity [to] guide you.”

Admittedly the Joe Shuster Award-winner’s script does sporadically allow its audience a brief pause for breath, as the former mercenary momentarily collects his instructions from “the Moon God Khonshu” or conducts an especially touching sentimental verbal exchange with elderly Bertrand Crawley. But such sedentary conversations between the ‘insane’ crime-fighter, his mystical phantom-like patron and fellow escapees actually prove welcome interludes from all the fierce pulse-pounding action and additionally help break-up the occasional word-heavy speech balloons which populate the odd remarkably busy panel; "Careful, Gena. Not one of us can afford to have our brains scrambled any more than they already are."

The highlight of this third instalment to “Welcome To New Egypt” however, is undoubtedly Greg Smallwood's illustrative contribution. The prodigious American penciller somehow manages to imbue the entire cast of this comic with their own physical attributes, whether it be the painfully hunched shuffle of the tomb-rotting undead, the reptilian gait of a head-heavy crocodilian Soul Eater, or the tired world-weary walk of Mister “Creepy” Crawley. Whilst his breathtakingly detailed dimensional skies of the Othervoid, as well as New York City’s hieroglyphic-filled subways, are literal masterpieces. It certainly comes as little surprise that when interviewed, Lemire stated he felt “Greg has totally reinvented himself for this run. He was always an excellent artist, but to be frank, I was shocked when he started to send artwork for the series. I can’t even express how amazed I am by the work so far. This is some of the best comic book art I’ve ever seen.”

The variant cover art of "MOON KNIGHT" No. 3 by Jeffrey Veregge

All-New Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics

ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA No. 3, March 2015

Considering that Steve Rogers’ “adopted son from Dimension Z” had had his throat slit and been exsanguinated by Baron Zemo at the culmination of this title’s previous edition, the “Marvel Worldwide” tag-line to Issue Three of “All-New Captain America” publicising that “Nomad stands tall against the ruthless might of one of Cap’s oldest foes!” must have really bemused many of its 50,045 readers. Indeed Helmut’s cold-blooded murder of a captive Ian directly in front of a child whilst Sam Wilson ‘fled’ into the streets of Bagalia was doubtless one of the reasons this series momentarily obtained a Top Sixteen placement in the January 2015 Comic Book sales figures (as estimated by “Diamond Comic Distributors”).

Disappointingly however, such erroneous sensationalism is probably the least of this twenty-page periodical’s problems, as Rick Remender’s narrative painfully veers off-course from what he has penned previously, and disconcertingly starts after the titular character and Misty Knight have apparently discovered both Nomad’s bloody hanging corpse and something called “the infinite elevator.” The avoidance of these crucial events must genuinely have jarred the America author’s audience from his storytelling, especially when what follows at first appears to involve the star-spangled flying acrobat ‘teleporting’ back in time to a period when Nick Fury (Senior) and his Howling Commandos were battling the Axis Forces; “This far and no further! Show these Krauts what the Howling Commandos’re made of, Boys!”

Such baffling bewilderment is ultimately explained as simply being some sort of simulation devised by the Red Skull’s daughter, Sin. But even that knowledge doesn’t help explain just why Wilson is subsequently chained to a mini-tank and then subjected to a series of flashbacks suggesting that his life as “a steady companion to Captain America” was merely a concocted “tale of nobility” created by Johann Shmidt to entice Steve Rogers into offering the “liar… thug, and… gangster” his friendship. It certainly seems that the facially-disfigured female lunatic would have been far more successful if she’d simply gone through with her initial threat of shooting a captive Sam in the head than trying to ‘break-him’ by having the All-New Sentinel of Liberty willingly throw himself off of a snowy precipice?

Fortunately, despite the script’s errant nonsense, Stuart Immonen’s artwork throughout the entirety of this comic book is excellent. The Canadian penciller really imbues this magazine’s lead protagonist with an almost palpable sense of power and energy. This, coupled with his breakdowns being inked by usual collaborator Wade Von Grawbadger, provides each and every panel with a vitality that finally makes the heart pound when this somewhat contentious incarnation of Captain America ultimately soars to victory.

The variant cover art of "ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA" No. 3 by Neal Adams

Predator Vs. Judge Dredd Vs. Aliens #1 - Dark Horse Comics

PREDATOR VS. JUDGE DREDD VS. ALIENS No. 1, July 2016

Touted by “Dark Horse Comics” as “the ultimate science-fiction crossover” by pitting “legendary Judge Dredd against [both] the universe’s supreme hunters… [and] the galaxy’s ultimate killing machines”, this opening instalment of a four-issue miniseries actually lives up to its ‘online community hype’ by being “exactly as awesome as it sounds.” In fact, besides John Layman strangely scripting for a lone Hish-qu-Ten to be unforgivably outfought by some spear-carrying animal-men during the book’s opening, this twenty-two page periodical provides a near-perfect platform upon which to base “the greatest showdown in the history of the universe.”

For starters the Eisner Award-winner soon establishes a suitably gritty feel to “Splice And Dice” by initially focussing almost exclusively upon Mega-City One’s “judge, jury and executioner” as he leads a team of fellow judges into “the vast atomic wasteland known as the Cursed Earth” looking for a group of “robot-worshiping apocalypse cultists.” The subsequent search of Smeg’s Saloon and fist-fight with the “group of terrorist fugitives” instantly provides the former “Wildstorm” editor’s tale with plenty of pulse-pounding gusto, and additionally allows the America Author ample opportunity for both Judge Anderson to demonstrate her psi-powers and the moustached Gilligan his ‘flawed’ thinking.; “Looks can be deceiving, Judge Gilligan.”

Sadly, perhaps this comic’s only real disappointment comes once the lawmen realise that Archbishop Emoji has escaped west into the Alabama Morass and all of the audience’s attention is then turned upon the foolish ‘DNA doings’ of Doctor Niels Reinstot. Although Layman’s script makes it clear that the multiple-eyed mutant “geneticist supreme” has only just manufactured his laboratory’s assortment of face-hugging extra-terrestrials from one of his captive predator’s skeletal trophies, it is still somewhat unfortunate that these encapsulated second stage endoparasitoids are as close to a living mature specimen of Xenomorph XX121 as the plot allows artist Chris Mooneyham to go…

However, besides failing to depict one of H.R. Giger’s famous Necronom IV-inspired creations, the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Art graduate’s contribution to Issue One of "PvsJDvsA” is hard to fault with its punchy panels and square-jawed depictions of Mega-City One's finest; especially as the Milwaukee resident’s heavily-lined rough-looking pencilling is rather reminiscent of former flagship “2000 A.D.” artist Cam Kennedy.

Script: John Layman, Artist: Chris Mooneyham, and Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Rom [2016] #1 - IDW Publishing

ROM No. 1, July 2016

Apparently an “IDW Publishing” comic book title which was in the making since Chris Ryall first joined the publisher and partnered with Hasbro on “Transformers” in 2005, this “extra-length official debut” of “Rom” arguably manifests “one of the key comments” posted online when the return of the Spaceknight was first announced, by failing to “live up to fans’ expectations.” Indeed with the exception of the titular character’s appearance proving reasonably similar to his “Marvel Comics Group” incarnation, and the Long Beach-born author’s evident insistence on calling the extra-terrestrial infiltrators Dire Wraiths, there would seem to be very little in common between this disappointing nonsense and the highly successful seventy-five issue run of the early Eighties. It's certainly disconcerting (though perhaps understandable) that the Lord of the Solstar Order inhabits a “universe that also includes the Transformers, G.I. Joe, the Micronauts, and… M.A.S.K.” as opposed to Marvel continuity.

Admittedly it would have been a huge mistake for the Eisner Award-nominee to have simply directly copied the narrative from that of Bill Manto’s stories, and undoubtedly certain elements of those classic tales are nowadays subject to complicated legal taboo. Yet the decision to have the cyborg from Galador’s foes already be so ingrained into human society that both the “seemingly idyllic town” of Cooper’s Mill, as well as Vandenberg Air Force Base, have already been “overrun by Dire Wraiths” makes it seem that a lot of the potential suspense generated by readers having to guess just which person is an evolutionary offshoot of the Skrulls has instantly been lost. This isn’t a world upon which the aliens are trying to gain a foothold through planetary subjugation. It is a planet where the “Wraith-rot [already] pervades the very landscape” and the shape-shifters can already affect flora and fauna, as well as surprisingly de-activate Rom’s neutralizer with their magicks; “Too many for you to slay, Space Knight. We are prepared for you. And for what follows.”

To the credit of the Editor-In-Chief however, this thirty-five page periodical does additionally contain the short story “offered up in this past May’s Free Comic Book Day”. Such a generous gesture to “many international fans” who found Issue Zero “impossible to come by” is doubly welcome as “Earthfall: Prelude” is really “where our ongoing tale begins” and without the magazine repeating that material it is doubtful many purchasers would actually have understood “the full story.”

Sadly, David Messina’s pencils and colours arguably prove just as disenchanting as the comic’s unsatisfactory script. There’s no doubting the new streamlined Spaceknight looks suitably sleek and sophisticated. But the Italian’s somewhat fiddly-looking panels, especially those depicting events such as the manifestation of Rom’s neutralizer, prove somewhat hard to discern, even when long-time fans of the “Parker Brothers” toy know precisely what the cyborg is meant to be doing.

The variant cover art of "ROM" No. 1 by Sal Buscema and Mike Cavallaro