Justice Inc #1 - Dynamite Entertainment

JUSTICE INC No. 1, August 2014

As a huge fan of Thirties and Forties pulp magazine super-heroes “Justice Inc” by “Dynamite Entertainment” is a six-issue comic book series which holds the promise of action and excitement, teaming up notable luminaries The Shadow, The Avenger and nostalgic icon Doc Savage within a single storyline.

Understandably proud of such an achievement, the American comic book publisher has released Issue One with several different covers, most notably the main one by legendary painter Alex Ross. However for once I didn’t find the 1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award winner’s artwork the most enticing available, and instead plumbed for the title’s variant cover B by Gabriel Hardman with colors by Jordan Boyd.

Unfortunately the interior artwork by Giovanni Timpano and Marco Lesko is a major disappointment when compared to the pencilling of any of the special covers, even the Baltimore Comicon exclusive “artboard variant” by Ross; which consists of just the initial sketch used for the book’s main cover. There’s simply a complete lack of consistency with Timpano’s work throughout the issue, with the Italian artist fleetingly capturing the James Bama Sixties paperback reprint widow’s peak look of Doc Savage in one panel and then seemingly losing all sense of facial anatomy for the next few pages. As result the Man of Bronze has never looked worse for the majority of the comic despite the Toscana-born penciler having the opportunity to illustrate the heroic adventurer as both a young and older incarnation. Indeed if I wasn’t familiar with the look of the young explorer from the cover illustrations of the old Street and Smith publications from the Thirties, I wouldn’t have recognised them as the same character at all.

Michael Uslan’s story is equally as disappointing and confusing as the plots flit from the modern day Himalayas to 1939 New York and back again without much warning. As a result I quickly found myself confused as to both where I was and when I was in the story. Add to the mix that the narrative revolves around time travel and thus moves some of the characters from one time stream to another and it is a disorientating mess… and I haven’t even mentioned The Avenger and The Shadow yet.

The regular cover art of "JUSTICE INC" No. 1 by Alex Ross

Amazing X-Men #3 - Marvel Comics

AMAZING X-MEN No. 3, March 2014

Featuring a simply stunning Ed McGuinness close-up cover of Hank McCoy, angrily snarling so ferociously that one can almost feel upon the face the spittle escaping from his roar, Issue Three of “Amazing X-Men” probably had those of its 51,431 readers who didn’t like the blue furry world-renowned biochemist wondering as to whether they were going to enjoy this third instalment of “The Quest For Nightcrawler” or not. For having so dominated the magazine’s front illustration it comes as no surprise that Jason Aaron’s narrative spends its entire first half depicting Azazel’s battle with the “would-be stowaway” on board the red-skinned demon’s ship as she sails “far beyond the realm of the flesh. Upon the great frozen sea of oblivion.”

Fortunately any bibliophile with an acute allergy to George Buza’s voicing of the Beast in Genesis Entertainment’s 1992-1997 “X-Men” animated television series should still have enjoyed the Alabama-born writer’s swashbuckling tale, as it is absolutely packed full of just the sort of piratical high adventure that one would expect to find in an old Errol Flynn motion picture. Beginning with the founding X-Man’s swordfight with Nightcrawler’s father amidst the vessel’s entangling rigging, the American author’s pacing is almost non-stop, and only finds the time for a small reflective piece on Kurt Wagner’s past closeness to Ororo as younger, more innocent X-Men, once “Doctor McCoy” has been dispatched overboard courtesy of a cowardly cutlass in his back; “I’m the new Devil as well. Heh. Agnostic overboard.”

Capturing and convincingly conveying such fencing flurries upon the heaving decks is the sublime artwork of Ed McGuinness, inker Dexter Vines and colorist Marte Gracia. The “blue gorilla” gracefully leaping and cartwheeling from mast to mast has arguably never looked better, even when drawn by “Avengers” luminary George Perez, and the American penciller’s idea of having the mutant adorned with a pair of engineering googles worn tightly drawn above his yellow eyes proves a particularly endearing touch.

Indeed the only fault to be found with this particular comic is the New York-based publisher’s bizarre decision to include a half-page advertisement for “Iron Man” Annual One mid-way through the climactic confrontation between Storm, Nightcrawler and Captain Billy the Kid? The flier’s artwork of the Golden Avenger, somewhat reminiscent of a Steve Ditko illustration but one on a terribly bad day, jars horribly with the clean, sleek, almost cartoonish look of McGuiness’ modern-day renderings beside it and as a result disconcertingly breaks any spell the series of preceding panels previously created.

Writer: Jason Aaron, Penciler: Ed McGuinness, and Inker: Dexter Vines

Howard The Duck #1 - Marvel Comics

HOWARD THE DUCK No. 1, January 1976

Despite being my favourite comic book character of all time, I only finally bought this three-foot tall anthropomorphic duck’s first edition a few years ago. Having been content up until that point to have a notable gap at the start of my twenty-odd issue run of the “funny animal”. Cost was predominantly the reason behind my reluctance to obtain it, but compared to the prices I’ve seen it ‘fetch’ recently I think my copy, despite a slight yellowing to its interior pages, was a real bargain.

Indeed “Howard the Barbarian” is a superb example of Steve Gerber’s zany writing at its best. The duck’s creator provides a plot packed full of action, satire, fantasy adventure and even a breaking of the fourth wall, with Howard turning to the reader in one panel, cigar in bill, saying “I realize this is strange, folks… But what the heck?” Admittedly the reader’s introduction to the cynical fowl is a rather depressing one, with Howard’s first panel, a full-page illustration by co-plotter Frank Brunner, portraying the duck contemplating suicide on the bank of the Cuyahoga River. However this is pure Gerber, doing something completely different with his characters from that of the other American comic book writers of the mid-Seventies… and besides, most readers who bought this 1976 issue were already fans of the fowl following his popular appearances in “Giant-Size Man-Thing”.

This issue also enjoys some excellent artwork as Frank Brunner is responsible for both the drawing and colouring, and Steve Leialoha provides some great inking. There’s a real Robert E. Howard sword-and-sorcery pulp fiction feel to the panels, especially with Beverley Switzler’s Hyborian maiden costume, and Howard looking cartoonish yet resplendent with his horned barbarian helmet and sword scabbard. It is thus no surprise that these days Brunner is perhaps better known for having illustrated many of the covers for the 1974-1995 black and white magazine series “The Savage Sword of Conan”.

Most amusing however is Gerber’s tongue-in-cheek solution to a plot which revolves around the duck outwitting sorcerers, warriors, living stone statues and giant flying lizards. For rather than try and best all with sword and might, Howard claims the prized gem-key with a simple flick of his stogie… and then relies upon a cameo by the Amazing Spider-Man to actually save the day.

N.B. This Issue was re-reviewed on 20/02/2018

Writer: Steve Gerber, Illustrations: Frank Brunner and Inker: Steve Leialoha

Superman: Futures End #1 - DC Comics

SUPERMAN: FUTURES END No. 1, November 2014

The major selling point of this one-shot title has to be without a doubt the stupendous Ken Lashley 3-D motion cover which not only depicts the Man of Steel in all his glory but the masked Superman variant costume as well. It’s certainly the only reason I was willing to hand over good money for it. Coming into “DC Comics” whole New 52 reboot a couple of years too late I’m rather unfamiliar with a lot of what’s taken place, or rather hasn’t taken place considering that the publisher has apparently erased vast swathes of notable DC Universe history. I’m also not sighted on the eleven-month weekly limited series “Future’s End”. But many will be aware that there has been a new-look Big Blue soaring above the rooftops of Metropolis recently and that for a while no-one knew whether he was the genuine article or not because the American cultural icon had taken to wearing a mask. Issue 17 of “Future’s End” revealed that the man beneath the hood was none other than Captain Marvel and so this comic, entitled “Haunted”, deals with the fall-out from that revelation.

Written by Dan Jurgens, who did such a stellar job scripting “Captain America” (Volume 3) back in the Nineties for “Marvel Comics”, this book tells a simple tale as to the motivation behind why Billy Batson traded his red and gold costume for blue and red tights, and donned a mask. Put simply, the once homeless newsboy feels guilty that having saved Shazam from the treachery of Black Adam, Superman faced his (possibly ultimate) fate during the Earth’s battle against Apokolip’s armies alone. There’s a real sense of childish logic behind this sentiment that suitably fits the character of Captain Marvel. I can genuinely see that such a boy ‘trapped’ in a man’s body really would believe that they were in some way responsible for the World losing its Superman and feel obliged to try and make amends by keeping the Man of Steel alive… in some form at least.

Unfortunately any lasting impact Jurgens storyline may have upon the reader is swiftly and utterly destroyed by some simply appalling artwork and colouring by Lee Weeks and Dave McCaig. Ordinarily I’m a fan of the early Nineties “Daredevil” comic book artist, especially his black and white pencil work, but clearly something has gone spectacularly wrong with this book’s illustrations.

There’s little to no depth to the majority of the panels, some appalling approximations of human anatomy and a ghastly green sickly hue to everything. Lois Lane’s interview of Billy Batson in particular simply consists of a series of thin weedy pencil lines grotesquely coloured in bland shades of yellow and cyan. Indeed I’m far more inclined to believe the fault lies at the door of the Canadian colourist as opposed to Weeks, and can’t help thinking that this comic would have been so much better if its penciller had simply inked their own work and produced a monochrome visual medium instead.

The Flash #2 [The New 52] - DC Comics

THE FLASH No. 2, December 2011 

When the best thing about a comic is a six-page special sneak preview of a “Batman” deluxe oversized original graphic novel, there must be some serious problems with the book’s main title character. Unfortunately this is very true for Issue Two of “The Flash”, which starts with one of most uninspiring and ugliest covers I’ve ever seen. What have “DC Comics” done to the Scarlet Speedster; a series once the envy of the comic book world with memorable cover runs by the likes of legendary artist Brian Bolland?

Sadly things only get worse once the issue begins with Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato producing some increasingly erratic artwork that would not look out of place buried deep within an aspiring amateur’s second best sketchbook. Admittedly there are some rare moments of genius, such as a blurry Flash tapping into the Speed Force as Barry Allen outpaces the treadmill of Doctor Elias, or the startling composition of the numerous panels upon a single page when The Flash realises he can think as fast as he can move.

But these excellent examples of the visual medium are few and far between with the vast majority of the writer/artist’s panels consisting of frankly grubby, indistinct pencil drawings which have little to no vitality about them.

Manapul’s writing does not help matters either, as absolutely nothing happens throughout the twenty-pages to progress the Filipino-Canadian artist’s current storyline. All that is revealed is that Barry Allen can now think so quickly he can literally see the future and respond accordingly… oh, and at the book’s climax an airliner loses all power for some reason and plummets headlong into Central City right above The Flash.

As a result the reader is simply left to savour Lee Bermejo’s “Batman: Noel”, and some pages featuring his stunningly good steampunk-inspired interpretation of the Dark Knight. Indeed the American comic book artist’s interior illustrations are absolutely breath-taking, full of energy and certainly not something which should be published alongside Manapul’s sketches for all to compare. For the superb quality of the former “Wildstorm” intern’s artwork totally undermines the current visualizations of long-time collaborators Manapul and Brian Buccellato.

The Thing #3 - Marvel Comics

THE THING No. 3, March 2006

There’s something just ever so slightly missing to the cover art of this issue of “The Thing”, and it is difficult to actually put your finger on it. The illustration by Andrea Divito and Laura Villari is dynamic enough. Indeed it is absolutely full of action as Ben Grimm battles a horde of Hulk robots, with muscles bulging and sinews straining all over the place. But for some reason it just does not quite seem to work… and that, disappointingly, is a thread that runs throughout the entirety of this third and concluding chapter to “Fun’n’Games”.

Once again writer Dan Slott crams more excitement and more characters than you can shake a pointy stick at into a twenty-three page book. Not only does the reader finally see Nighthawk and The Constrictor fighting side-by-side with The Thing but the panels set in Murderland Studios provides Divito ample opportunity to draw every sort of monster from the Horror film genre you can conceive of. King Kong, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a H.R. Giger alien and even Edward Scissorhands are all wonderfully depicted by the Italian artist getting smacked around by Ben or blasted by Nighthawk’s energy beams. There’s even a delightful nod to cult ‘slasher’ movie villains such as Chuckie, Jason and Freddie, as Arcade’s mini-robot henchman Brynocki goes through a series of successive wardrobe changes.

In addition Slott’s script manages to feature a few more ‘guest appearances’ during the quieter moments of the story, and gives Alicia Masters, Matt Murdock, and thus later his costumed alter-ego Daredevil, an opportunity to also progress the plot.

However all this content is somewhat spoilt by the overly dark colouring of Andrea Divito’s pencilling by Laura Villari, which makes a lot of the action slightly hard to distinguish. Now it could be that as the majority of the story takes place on a private island in the South China Sea during a cloudy storm that there needs to be such heavy shadowing, or that the printing of the actual comic itself was a little off and caused all the colours’ tones to be darker than planned. But that seems doubtful.

Equally as perplexing is the American writer’s sudden change in the relationship between Ben and his girlfriend, Carlotta Larosa. Just because the motion picture actress suggests he may need the help of ex-con The Constrictor, The Thing instantly loses his temper and starts yelling at her that she’s only with him because of his money. This may well be true and has been previously hinted at. But the argument seems extremely forced and was presumably only manufactured in order to provide some justification for Larosa to secretly agree to pay Arcade in order for the villain to allow her safe passage off his island. All of which is utterly inconsistent with the smart quick-thinking character who calmly outwitted the evil genius in the preceding issue, in order to allow Tony Stark to hide himself within the machinery of the ‘Abusement Park’.

Story: Dan Slott, Artist: Andrea DiVito, and Colors: Laura Villari

Deadpool #2 - Marvel Comics

DEADPOOL No. 2, January 2013

Tucked away in a corner of this comic’s competent though rather unexceptional cover by Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty are two printed words that rather nicely sum up the utterly insane gore fest which awaits the reader inside this book. These simple words are parental advisory, and this offering from the writing partnership of Brian Poshn and Gerry Duggan will undoubtedly have the ghosts of the 1954 Comics Magazine Association of America turning in their graves. Certainly it’s the first comic book in a long time which has caused me to cry ‘Urgh’ out loud in disgust at the horrific fate which has befallen the title's hero. Not that it actually seems to phase Deadpool, who simply continues to throw punches and kicks as his intestines flail and flop about from out of his perforated belly.

 

Gruesomeness aside however, this edition of “Deadpool” is extremely well written, as the “Merc with a Mouth” continues to throw about some terribly funny one-liners whilst battling the undead corpse of President Theodore Roosevelt in a zoo. References to George Lucas and his science fiction movie series “Star Wars” seem to be particularly popular this time around, although the elephant jokes towards the end of the comic are cringingly well-delivered too.

 

Needless to say all of this action and banter is superbly visualised by Tony Moore and colorist Val Staples. The fisticuffs between Wade Wilson and Roosevelt are captivating, and full of energy, and the pencil work on the menagerie of zoo animals gives the creatures a cartoony feel that seems highly appropriate for the tongue-in-cheek storyline. The zombie President duking it out with an enormous grizzly bear being the highlight in my mind.

 

Unfortunately Moore does not appear quite so good when pencilling a full-page panel. This slight weakness in his artistic skill can be seen both within the single page devoted to depicting an angry elephant skewering the anti-hero on one of its tusks, as well as the final panel of the issue when SHIELD calls upon Doctor Strange for help.

 

This edition also features one of the more bizarre recaps at the start of a comic book that I’ve ever seen, with a cute chibi Deadpool breaking the ‘fourth wall’ and speaking directly to the reader in order to provide an explanation as to what has happened in the story so far. How weird is that?