Micronauts [2016] #2 - IDW Publishing

MICRONAUTS No. 2, May 2016

With the exception of a momentary pause while Oziron Rael leads his team on “a parts run” to “a settlement forty-five minutes to the west”, Issue Two of “Micronauts” is a non-stop action-packed thrill-a-minute ride, whose inclusion of such notable Seventies ‘toys’ as Biotron, Microtron, Acroyear, Space Glider and Force Commander must have delighted both the vast majority of its 12,803 readers, and any “Mego” aficionados who happened upon the twenty-page periodical inside a specialty store’s spinner rack. In fact, in many ways Cullen Bunn’s narrative depicting a detonating orbital space station, biological agent testing, and a planet-wide invasion by both genetically engineered super-warriors and later the Ministry of Science’s soldiers is arguably nearly faultless space opera. It certainly must have disappointed “IDW Publishing” that so well-written a title sold less than half as many copies as it did the month before…

For those bibliophiles who stuck with the North Carolina-born author’s “dream come true” however, the storyline not only offers plenty of explosions, robots, laser blasts and high-flying shenanigans, but also undoubtedly crams an awful lot of characterisation into the book’s panels as well. Such ‘spotlights’ upon Phenolo-Phi, the comedic Microtron and Biotron genuinely give their personalities an opportunity to shine through during the script’s numerous moments of crisis, with Oz’s diminutive first mate attempting to single-handedly delay a second generation “Acroyear swarm… in raze formation” proving particularly humorous; “Seek shelter, Captain! I’ll hold these brutes back for as long as I’m able! Put me down! Put me down – gently – you bully!”

Equally as successful as the portrayal of the more established Micronauts though, is the GLAAD Media Award-winner’s handling of “Larissa, a skilled mercenary with some rad force field technology at her disposal.” Initially forced upon Pharoid and his “band of misfits” by her treacherous employer Hezlee Ferro, Orbital Defender quickly establishes herself as a valuable ‘new’ member of the crew by first helping the roguish space pirate save “a lot of lives” from a lethal biological agent and then later, the “flanks” of the Heliopolis’ captain himself during their tussle with Baron Karza’s invasion force.

Max Dunbar’s dynamically-charged artwork, vibrantly coloured by David Garcia-Cruz is also exceptionally well-done. Only occasionally disappointing in the pencilling of his figures’ faces, the Canadian’s breakdowns are predominantly masterful, with Microtron, Biotron, Acroyear and Force Commander Baron Daigon being especially well-rendered.

The regular cover art of "MICRONAUTS" No. 2 by J.H. Williams III

Micronauts [2016] #1 - IDW Publishing

MICRONAUTS No. 1, April 2016

Penned by self-confessed Micronauts toy lover Cullen Bunn and apparently destined to be a book which “will feature lots of space-faring action” in its depiction of “an epic… civil war and cosmic weirdness, magic and super-science”, this opening instalment of ‘Editornaut’ John Barber’s “journey through Microspace” would clearly appear to have been a labour of love for its creative team considering the narrative’s prominent inclusion of Baron Karza, Acroyear, Biotron and Microtron. Yet whilst the GLAAD Media Award-winner’s script undoubtedly caters for “old school Micronauts fans”, courtesy of its wide-ranging representation of both “ruthless side(s) of a civil war ravaging the universe”, it seems disappointingly debatable whether many of this twenty-four page periodical’s 25,673 readers actually had much of an idea as to what the “small band of renegades” were genuinely up to.

Admittedly, the North Carolina-born writer’s basic plot simply revolves around an attempt by Oziron Rael to “slip past the blockade (of Baron Karza) and liberate the meds” for “systems that need that medicine – badly.” But such a straightforward mission is severely over-complicated by a couple of dialogue-rich interludes concerning the approach of a mysterious “entropic wave" towards the planet Saqqura, and the political manoeuvrings of Homeworld’s former chief scientist and his calculating wife Shazraella on board a Ministry of Defense Outpost skirting the entropy cloud perimeter.

Such mystifying machinations aside however, once Bunn has the Heliopolis deftly deposit Pharoid, Acroyear, Space Glider and Orbital Defender deep inside the Valtricos Research Station using warp tech, the storyline’s action finally heats up by portraying the team’s genetically engineered super-warrior savagely hacking his way through a corridor crammed full of well-armed war-bots with his energy sword; “Here they come. Take cover if you can find it. I’ll hold them off.” Indeed, the subsequent firefight between Oz, Larissa and Phenolo-Phi and the medical facility’s dome-headed sentries is as pulse-pounding as its laser beams are colourful.

Perhaps somewhat contentiously however, David Baldeon’s artwork for this ‘wild adventure’ is arguably a little too sharp for a comic book, with its disconcerting panels depicting the “roguish space pirate” blasting his way to relative safety unnervingly appearing to have been directly ‘lifted’ from an animation celluloid. It’s certainly clear why "barely taller than his Biotron toy" Bunn has “been a fan of David’s work for some time” and “tried to wrangle him into working with me on more than one occasion in the past.”

The regular cover art of "MICRONAUTS" No. 1 by J.H. Williams III

James Bond #8 - Dynamite Entertainment

JAMES BOND No. 8, July 2016

Whilst hardly the quiet before the storm, on account of Warren Ellis’ script containing both a powerful punch-up within the confines of a lift and a startlingly sudden mortar attack just outside Heathrow Airport's entrance, Issue Eight of “James Bond” arguably must have proved a far more tranquil read for its audience than some of the title’s previous fast-moving publications. In fact, for the vast majority of this twenty-two page periodical the British spy is somewhat simplistically shown just smooth-talking his way from one conversation to another, as he innocuously pushes the plot along at a somewhat pedestrian pace right up until the book’s inevitable cliff-hanger, when an armed agent from the “compromised intelligence service” decides to pay M an unexpected visit at his office.

Fortunately, this void left behind by the Eagle Award-winner’s decision to scale down his narrative’s pulse-pounding action is rather delightfully filled with the sort of enthralling interdepartmental intrigue involving MI6 that captivated cinema goers watching the 2015 motion picture “Spectre”, as well as a similar nod to the titular character’s earlier silver screen appearances. Certainly franchise aficionados must have enjoyed the interplay between the secret serviceman and his latest female ward, Miss Birdwhistle, when the Royal Naval Reserve Commander discovers his seemingly naïve, vulnerable-looking charge is actually a secret sadomasochistic Mistress who suddenly manhandles him in a manner reminiscent to that of Grace Jones’ May Day from the fourteenth spy film “A View To A Kill”; “Can I just stop to say Ouch?”

This book’s greatest draw however, is undoubtedly the silent multi-panelled sequence set within Los Angeles International Airport where Bond single-handedly dispatches two CIA agents tasked to murder him and his Diplomatic Section ‘lady friend’. Blisteringly brutal as James breaks noses, stamps heads and twists necks, the entire episode is as savagely violent as it is swiftly resolved, with Jason Masters’ bone-crunching illustrations of heads being mercilessly slammed into walls or feet repeatedly battering skulls genuinely making the reader feel every single vicious blow.

Admittedly not all of the South African’s drawings are quite as dynamic, with his lack-lustre pencilling for the sedentary scene depicting M’s voicing of his concerns over “the discovery of the dark money” and unhappiness that “Eidolon is another word for… spectre” proving particularly prosaic. But such aberrations are readily forgivable when one considers the effort storyboarding the breakdowns depicting Ian Fleming’s creation escaping “two men… using CB carbines with UGL grenade launchers” must have taken.

Writer: Warren Ellis, Artist: Jason Masters, and Colors: Guy Major

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