I ran through a period of time when I tried my hand at some regular comic book reviews.
Then I ran out of time.
Also, they cancelled Greg Rucka's Punisher and that was the book that pulled me into trying my hand. I kind of lost heart after that.
Still, I continue to read a handful of comics regularly. So, because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I thought I would give some quick thoughts to recent issues (and thanks to my local shop, Beyond Comics for pulling my books and especially for Lazarus #1, which due to a miscommunication did not get pulled for me so the owner gave me HIS BOOK; thanks guys! You rock!).
First, Lazarus #1 by Greg Rucka (writer), Michael Lark (artist), & Santi Arcas (colors): GET THIS BOOK. This is the first issue in a planned long (but finite) story set in a dystopian future. Now, from Hunger Games (book and movie) to Elysium (upcoming movie with Matt Damon) and everything and more in between, dystopian future settings are hot, and some may feel saturated. If you were to give Lazarus a pass because of that feeling, it would be a BIG MISTAKE (yes, it's my blog, I can yell if I want to).
Lazarus is the story of a world ruled by powerful families who control almost all wealth. Each family has vast holdings, private armies, scheming members, and at least one champion, who is a bioengineered miracle. The family at the center of the tale is Family Carlyle, and their champion is Forever Carlyle. In the first pages of the first issue she is mortally wounded. Then we get to see why her kind is termed a Lazarus and why she is a bioengineered miracle.
If you want a taste before you buy, there is a free teaser story (complete unto itself and not part of the first issue) here. You should read it, then you should go get issue #1 and you should put the series on your pull list.
RIGHT NOW!
Hawkeye #12 All I have to say is DAMN YOU MATT FRACTION (in the best possible way).
I opened this book, which continues the storyline of the last few issues, and I was just going to look at the first page . . . . and . . . the next thing I knew, I was at the end, and I do not have issue #13 in my hands yet!!
DAMN YOU!
Read this book.
Captain Marvel # 13 In general, I love what Kelly Sue DeConnick has done with Captain Marvel.
I did not love this issue.
Not really even a little bit.
The art was a mess.
The story that had been building within the title got hijack for an "event" across a bunch of other books I don't want to buy.
I got to the last page, and I kinda did not care.
That made me sad.
I hope this mess is over soon and Kelly Sue can get back to her focus on the character driven book of fun and adventure that I so admire.
Sad to say it, but unless you are a completists or collecting all the other books this story got splashed across, you can skip this.
I may not do more reviews, but then again I might. We'll see what next month brings.
Showing posts with label Greg Rucka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greg Rucka. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Star Trek--Into SPOILERS!!!!
SPOILERS-SPOILERS- SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS-SPOILERS
Damn it Jim, I'm a SPOILER!
Okay, with that out of the way, I would like to discourse about Star Trek Into Darkness, Trek in general, and, of course, me (my blog and all).
Bottom line first: I liked the new movie.
It is clever and exciting. I think they have a solid cast for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and the supporting cast, particularly Peter Weller and (break out performer soon to be starring in everything) Benedict Cumberbatch, were outstanding.
Still, I have problems with the movie, and even moreso for what it says about the future of Star Trek as a franchise and cultural phenomenon.
This history of Trek is well know and covered by pop cultural historians and science fiction gurus of much greater brain than me. However, I have my own personal take.
Star Trek was first broadcast in 1966, the year before I was born. Before I was two, the show was off the air. But the phenomenon was just starting.
I don't remember when my father first introduced me to Star Trek, but I was probably fairly young. Until I was in middle school, we only had a black and white TV, so my memories of Star Trek start without color, though I have mostly overwritten those memories with having seen all the episodes in color, and many of them remastered and enhanced. Still, my father, who had worked in the aerospace industry and contributed to the development of the Saturn V rocket (one of thousands of engineers, but still, SATURN V!), introduced me to science fiction, first with Star Trek, and later with books like Ringworld.
As a little kid, I not only got to get acquainted with the Original Series, but I also saw quite a few episodes of the Animate Series, which, despite mediocre animation, actually holds up with pretty good writing for a lot of the episodes. I absorbed a lot of Trek.
When I was in fourth grade, my dad spent a semester back as a visting professor at his alma mater, University of Utah, teaching in the math deparment. This would have been 1977 and I was 10 years old. I remember owning a Star Trek uniform shirt with the insignia patch (blue, though I think the patch had the "Command" insignia, because it was just some off the rack novelty shirt). I also had bought the plastic model kit that let me build my own phaser, communicator and tricorder. I was a firm fan. And one magical night in Salt Lake City, my dad took me to a Star Trek presentation. I wore my shirt. It was not really a convention, as far as I can remember. We went to an auditorium, and Gene Roddenberry was there, and gave a talk, and then showed "The Cage" and then a blooper reel, and it was really cool. And my dad gave me the Star Trek Concordance, by Bjo Trimble, which I devoured.
So, I have to say I have a fundamentally emotional connection to Star Trek, which starts with my childhood and my dad, and continues to present.
Along the way, there have been other notable connections. In 1979, when the Star Trek movies launched with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I went on my first date with a girl to see the movie.
I'm not sure whether she thought the movie or me was more boring, but I mildly enjoyed the movie. They had successfully got the crew back togeher. The film is ponderous, a script and production that was neither in touch with the old series, nor with the cinematic zeitgeist that had seen the revolutionary change wrought by Star Wars. Star Trek TMP harkens back to films like 2001 A Space Odyssey in its shots of space and space ships, and that was rendered a dead language by the fast flight of the Millenium Falcon and the run of Luke's X-Wing down the trench on the Death Star. It did, however, manage some of the character work decently, especially the critical relationship between Kirk and Spock. Still, the movie is hard to watch.
However, without The Motion Picture, and its modest box office success, you would not have had the next movie.
I saw Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, with my family in Monterey California in 1982. Everything that had been wrong with the first movie got corrected. The writers and the director understood the series, the characters, and understood the cinematic language needed to tell a story of the 23rd Century as envisioned in the Original Series. I was on board for almost anything they would feed me.
I enjoyed Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, despite some flaws. I loved Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It's focus on the characters, especially Kirk, Spock and McCoy, the humor, and the setting (some of which was filmed in my home town) all hooked me. Also, it came out on my birthday in 1986, and I managed to make it home from college and to the theater just in time to join other high school friends to see it.
Also, by this time, I was not only watching Star Trek, but playing a role playing game, run by a friend, with my own captain and ship. We were not content to just watch Star Trek, we were making our own memories and adventures with our imagination, using the tools Trek had given us.
The year Star Trek: The Next Generation came out, I was studying abroad and missed the first run of the season. However, my friend and Trek RPG game master, sent me a huge care package for my birthday with included posters of some of the cast, the novelization of the first episode, and also hilarious "radio drama" he had made with friends at college, which was all about the crew of my starship in the game going in search of their lost captain. In my friend's letters, I got an overview of how the series was developing, the positives and setbacks.
Then, when I got back, my mom had a friend who had video taped all the episodes, so I had my first experience with binge watching a series in 1988, as I caught up on the entire season.
My fandome was firmly renewed.
Then Star Trek V came out and my fandome was sorely tested.
Still, I stuck with it for seven seasons of TNG.
I loved Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (actually, I think I cried a bit when they did the sign off at the end.
I stuck with Deep Space 9 for all seven seasons.
I enjoyed Star Trek Generations.
Star Trek Voyager lost me in season 4 or so.
Star Trek First Contact was a revelation, and I saw it on a day that was one of my best and then became a nightmare of one of the worst times in my whole life. Through it all, the fictional heroism, sacrifice and friendship of the crew of the starship Enterprise shadowed me and help hold me together just a bit.
I terribly disappointed with Insurrection and Nemesis.
I never watched Star Trek Enterprise (though riding a wave of nostalgia, I watched the pilot: Broken Bow, this past weekend, and it was actually pretty good).
So, in 2009, when they were leading up to the JJ Abrams reboot/What If? version of Trek, I had not been watching a regular show since 1999, and the last movie I had seen in the theater was First Contact in 1996.
I was skeptical. Very skeptical.
It seemed to be taking one of the worst rejected ideas of rumored Trek development "Starfleet Academy," which would recast the main crew with new, young and more attractive actors, and running with it. Also, by doing a kind of reboot, it put the creators in the position of taking the pieces of what made the Orignal Series great, and just cherry picking from them rather than doing much new. I wasn't sure how it would work out.
However, the first movie in 2009 was a lot of fun. They did play with the elements of canon and character to recombined them in new, but interesting, ways. Sure, in some ways it was a revenge movie akin to Star Trek II, madman Nero and all. Also, it rehashed some of Star Trek The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with giant space probes coming to destroy Earth. It also had a dash of the time travel timeline change elements of Trek IV and Star Trek First Contact. The changed a great deal about the technology and they rode roughshod over a lot of logic. They left the timeline "polluted," but all in the name of a "fresh" start. Yet it all worked. It made me interested in what they would do next.
So fast foward four years. In that time, many things had been tossed around as being what was "next."
The thing I was certain would be a terrible idea would be to bring in Khan Noonian Singh. TOS episode Space Seed and Star Trek II are pretty sacred objects in the Trek pantheon. It seemed like there would be so much room to screw it up, and, in a limitless universe, it seemed like you could find some other stories to tell. Besides, the whole reason for the reboot was in order to escape the shackles of the canon. Take the characters, with some twists, and do them afresh with new adventures and new developments.
So, what did Star Trek Into Darkness bring us?
KHAN!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I have to concede that they were extremely clever with the "What if?" scenario. In the wake of the last movie, including the total destruction of the planet Vulcan and the majority of the Vulcan race, we are in a darker, more frightened Federation.
So, in a timeline that fractured off from the old timeline when the Narada (a Borg enhanced Romulan supership) crossed back into this period, destroyed the U.S.S. Kelvan and set Kirk on his divergent path, you get Khan, but a Khan who makes a different entrance into the Federation.
He is not encounted on the Botany Bay by the Enterprise, but instead by some other ship, and he and his crew are not revived, but instead, brought back to earth. Admiral Marcus wakes Khan up and employs him as a special advisor on weapons and tactical developments because it is a darker and scarier universe out there. Marcus is eying war with the Klingons, Khan is biding his time to free his fellow Botany Bay exiles to return to his dreams of conquest and rule.
Clever. Well done.
But . . .
Like the last movie, there are more than a few holes.
Like:
Why is Khan paler than the paint on the Enterprise hull?
Look, I know Benedict Cumberbatch is a great actor, and his performance was terrific. It was a great way to make a counterpoint to the way that Ricardo Montalban owned the role. However, while you could almost believe that the Mexican Montalban could be a Punjabi Sikh, I can't for a minute see Cumberbatch in a beard and turban and being at all convincing. Of course, the selection, beyond the intensity and capability of the acting, served another purpose. It is hard to guess that Cumberbatch is Khan because it is so ludicrous that the Sikh Khan Noonian Singh could be played by the very English Cumberbatch. Further, Cumberbatch is a decade younger in his portrayal of Khan than Montalban was for the filming of Space Seed. So, it serves the deception.
JJ Abrams could have cast someone who knew and trusted as a much more believable Khan, Naveen Andrews, who is of Indian heritage, who played a Sikh in The English Patient, and who worked with Abrams on Lost. He is also in his 40s, just a Montalban was. Of course, if he had been cast, it would have ruined the surprise. Everyone could have guessed that he would play Khan, because it is an obvious choice.
They had to preserve the gimmick. As much as I loved Cumberbatch in the role, I think Andrews would have been better casting.
That aside, the other BIG THING, is the death scene for Kik. Now, on the whole, I thought they handled things well. They made the dialog between the dying Kirk and Spock a similar, but different conversation than the reversed situation in Star Trek II. It was clever.
But it was not earned.
Between the Chris Pine Kirk and Zachary Quinto Spock we have hardly any relationship built. The 2009 movie started it, but then we had a four year hiatus, and then this movie. While we can accept that off screen they built the relationsip that brings Spock to tears as Kirk dies, all the work, all the heavy lifting is done by the work done by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in three seasons of The Orignal Series and five movies (okay, there were six, but I really want to forget one of them). The emotional depth is there because we know not this Kirk and Spock, but because we know the REAL Kirk and Spock (or at least the original versions).
I mean no slight to Pine and Quinto. They nail the scene, but they had to come to that scene with little groundwork for their portrayals of the characters, not to mentione them just being younger men and actors than Shatner and Nimoy were when they played their version of the scene. They just don't have the mileage in the relationship on and off screen.
For this accelerated, streamlined version of Trek, this has to happen, not after decades of service together, but after just a few years. Further, it continues the trend of sidelining McCoy. DeForest Kelley was at the center of the dynamic that made The Original Series work. While Karl Urban is doing a fine job with what he's been given, this version of Trek has him sidelined. While the Kirk-Spock relationship is key, where it is not leavened with McCoy, it just is not working as well as it could be. It seems to have been replaced, in some ways, with the Three being Kirk, Spock and Uhura. There is some interesting dynamics there, and I am not opposed to widening the roles of other characters, but McCoy either is a central part of balancing Kirk as a leader, or we are not balancing the characters in a way that I think is needed.
And finally, as we are moving at Warp speed through the highlights of the Trek universe in the new version, we already know from not one, but two BIG HINTS, that Kirk won't be dead for more than a few minutes of screen time. For Spock, there was a funeral and a whole other movie. For new Kirk, we know before he went into the warp core that he would be back on top before the movie was over.
Some other obsevations I had that nagged me from the movie. The second half is choppy.
We get the battle, Kirk's death, but then KHAN!!!! and we are having a huge mass casualty crash of the Dreadnought (another old Trek concept) into San Francisco, then a foot chase between Spock and Khan, then Uhura is beaming down and shooting Khan and calming Spock, then Kirk is waking up Alive! (what a surprise!) and then he is making a speech a year after the events. Then they start the 5-year mission.
That was a bumpy road to the ending. They tried to do a lot. It was all exciting and all, but it did really give me a little mental whiplash. Not a smooth conclusion.
Okay, and a year later and . . . why aren't we at war with the Klingons? Kirk and Khan beat, kiled, and exploded a bunch of them and their ships. How is it that there are absolutely no reprecussions? Well, in our accelerated Treknoverse, either 1) the just didn't notice because it would be an inconvenient plot development, or 2) it all got resolved off screen before Kirk made his speech.
Either way, a little cheap there.
Carol Marcus. I have mixed feelings. Clever introduction. Good tie back and across to Star Trek II. She gets added to the crew, so, maybe they will try to realize some really different ideas, but I knind of think they are going to blow it. I did think it was interesting that in Star Trek II she was a total peacenik scientist, at odds with, but begrugingly cooperating with Starfleet (really a reflection of what was the zeitgeist of the early 1980s), but here she is a weapons expert who was only a few steps behind her crazy warmongering Admiral dad. But they have to go somewhere with the character or it is just a "look how clever we are" moment which is all sound a fury, signifying nothing.
They continue to make the galaxy feel very small. It takes seconds, seemingly, to travel to the Neutral Zone with the Klingons. And seconds to get back from there too. This is just like the seconds it took to get to Vulcan. True, there are explosions and chases and huge starship crashes that need to get on screen, so spending time getting from point A to point B is kind of a waste for what they wanted to do, but it does kind of take the Trek out of Star Trek. There is little sense of journey.
Finally, Old Spock. Okay, glad to see Nimoy and Quinto on screen besides a car commerical. It doesn't add much. Hey young Spock, as you guessed, Khan can't be trusted, he's a dangerous, and it might cost a lot to stop him. Of course, most of the cost is off screen. Kirk is less than temporarily dead. The thousands of people that would seem to be killed with a Dreadnought crashing into San Francisco, well, we don't even get to spare a thought for them. This is, after all, a BIG MOVIE.
And my really big but . . .
While we have been shown two movies where the writers and production staff have cleverly reimagined the Federation and the Enterprise crew, they have not reached escape velocity from the gravity of Trek Canon, which was something they had intended to do.
We are still telling the same stories. This movie, expertly made (with some issues), is a mash up of themes, events, ideas and characters from Star Trek II and Star Trek VI. It is bright, shiny, exciting, but it is essentially a retread. There is not much new here.
Now, maybe all the stories have been told. But then, that might mean trouble for Trek.
I don't believe all the stories have been told, but I think it is going to take a great deal more brain and imagination and a willingness to leave the clever twists behind.
I think they need something new.
Ironically, I think they could get there by going old school. JJ Abrams can't direct the next movie as he takes over the Star Wars franchise, though he will stay on as Executive Producer. Who should direct?
Paging Nicholas Meyer!
Really, I think it could work.
So, to bottom line it, again, I liked the movie.
But I fear for the future of Trek. I mean, it will never die. Fans proved that after it was cancelled. But, as a living franchise that can add ideas that appeal to people going forward. We are on the point of losing it, it seems to me.
First, with no episodic series, there is no journey, no long development of characters and relationships. The movie cast won't be coming to our small screen, and it is unclear if any other story vehicle for the new or old Trek universes ever will again. So, what we can look forward to is perhaps a few more New Trek movies, spaced out over many years. And, while they have achieved great success as spectacle and action, they are coasting on character. I don't mean to downplay the performances of the actors. I admire them, but much of the ensemble gets little to do, and so these alternate versions of the beloved characters are either coasting on the groundwork laid by other actors, or reduced to mere characatures. While there are fine moments for Kirk, Spock and Uhura, and a good portion for Scotty, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov don't do much. I've already commented about how we really don't have enough screen time with these characters to have had the new journey with them. So instead, we are forced to rely on what came before.
I think we need a movie that is less explody and chase filled, and one that explores some ideas, and most especially this crew and their relationships. If they can do that, they can trascend just cleverly reconstructing plots and reassembling characters from old Trek movies, and move really into a new universe.
If not, well, its been fun, and it probably will be fun. But it won't be the kind of Trek that Gene Roddenberry bequeathed us.
Maybe they will bring us the next Voyage Home or Undiscovered Country, in that they bring us original elements of character, humor, zeitgeist and an ineffable feeling of Trek, or maybe they are going to jump the shark and give us Insurrection or, gods forbid, Final Frontier.
Or maybe they will just bring us a big loud Transformers like Sci Fi movie, or some other pleasant enough actioner with Star Trek trappings, but the fact that it is Trek won't matter at all.
I am hoping that Nicholas Meyers or the next generational heir of his approach is coming to set a strong course for us.
But I just don't know.
Live long and prosper.
Damn it Jim, I'm a SPOILER!
Okay, with that out of the way, I would like to discourse about Star Trek Into Darkness, Trek in general, and, of course, me (my blog and all).
Bottom line first: I liked the new movie.
It is clever and exciting. I think they have a solid cast for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, and the supporting cast, particularly Peter Weller and (break out performer soon to be starring in everything) Benedict Cumberbatch, were outstanding.
Still, I have problems with the movie, and even moreso for what it says about the future of Star Trek as a franchise and cultural phenomenon.
This history of Trek is well know and covered by pop cultural historians and science fiction gurus of much greater brain than me. However, I have my own personal take.
Star Trek was first broadcast in 1966, the year before I was born. Before I was two, the show was off the air. But the phenomenon was just starting.
I don't remember when my father first introduced me to Star Trek, but I was probably fairly young. Until I was in middle school, we only had a black and white TV, so my memories of Star Trek start without color, though I have mostly overwritten those memories with having seen all the episodes in color, and many of them remastered and enhanced. Still, my father, who had worked in the aerospace industry and contributed to the development of the Saturn V rocket (one of thousands of engineers, but still, SATURN V!), introduced me to science fiction, first with Star Trek, and later with books like Ringworld.
As a little kid, I not only got to get acquainted with the Original Series, but I also saw quite a few episodes of the Animate Series, which, despite mediocre animation, actually holds up with pretty good writing for a lot of the episodes. I absorbed a lot of Trek.
When I was in fourth grade, my dad spent a semester back as a visting professor at his alma mater, University of Utah, teaching in the math deparment. This would have been 1977 and I was 10 years old. I remember owning a Star Trek uniform shirt with the insignia patch (blue, though I think the patch had the "Command" insignia, because it was just some off the rack novelty shirt). I also had bought the plastic model kit that let me build my own phaser, communicator and tricorder. I was a firm fan. And one magical night in Salt Lake City, my dad took me to a Star Trek presentation. I wore my shirt. It was not really a convention, as far as I can remember. We went to an auditorium, and Gene Roddenberry was there, and gave a talk, and then showed "The Cage" and then a blooper reel, and it was really cool. And my dad gave me the Star Trek Concordance, by Bjo Trimble, which I devoured.
So, I have to say I have a fundamentally emotional connection to Star Trek, which starts with my childhood and my dad, and continues to present.
Along the way, there have been other notable connections. In 1979, when the Star Trek movies launched with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I went on my first date with a girl to see the movie.
I'm not sure whether she thought the movie or me was more boring, but I mildly enjoyed the movie. They had successfully got the crew back togeher. The film is ponderous, a script and production that was neither in touch with the old series, nor with the cinematic zeitgeist that had seen the revolutionary change wrought by Star Wars. Star Trek TMP harkens back to films like 2001 A Space Odyssey in its shots of space and space ships, and that was rendered a dead language by the fast flight of the Millenium Falcon and the run of Luke's X-Wing down the trench on the Death Star. It did, however, manage some of the character work decently, especially the critical relationship between Kirk and Spock. Still, the movie is hard to watch.
However, without The Motion Picture, and its modest box office success, you would not have had the next movie.
I saw Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, with my family in Monterey California in 1982. Everything that had been wrong with the first movie got corrected. The writers and the director understood the series, the characters, and understood the cinematic language needed to tell a story of the 23rd Century as envisioned in the Original Series. I was on board for almost anything they would feed me.
I enjoyed Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, despite some flaws. I loved Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It's focus on the characters, especially Kirk, Spock and McCoy, the humor, and the setting (some of which was filmed in my home town) all hooked me. Also, it came out on my birthday in 1986, and I managed to make it home from college and to the theater just in time to join other high school friends to see it.
Also, by this time, I was not only watching Star Trek, but playing a role playing game, run by a friend, with my own captain and ship. We were not content to just watch Star Trek, we were making our own memories and adventures with our imagination, using the tools Trek had given us.
The year Star Trek: The Next Generation came out, I was studying abroad and missed the first run of the season. However, my friend and Trek RPG game master, sent me a huge care package for my birthday with included posters of some of the cast, the novelization of the first episode, and also hilarious "radio drama" he had made with friends at college, which was all about the crew of my starship in the game going in search of their lost captain. In my friend's letters, I got an overview of how the series was developing, the positives and setbacks.
Then, when I got back, my mom had a friend who had video taped all the episodes, so I had my first experience with binge watching a series in 1988, as I caught up on the entire season.
My fandome was firmly renewed.
Then Star Trek V came out and my fandome was sorely tested.
Still, I stuck with it for seven seasons of TNG.
I loved Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (actually, I think I cried a bit when they did the sign off at the end.
I stuck with Deep Space 9 for all seven seasons.
I enjoyed Star Trek Generations.
Star Trek Voyager lost me in season 4 or so.
Star Trek First Contact was a revelation, and I saw it on a day that was one of my best and then became a nightmare of one of the worst times in my whole life. Through it all, the fictional heroism, sacrifice and friendship of the crew of the starship Enterprise shadowed me and help hold me together just a bit.
I terribly disappointed with Insurrection and Nemesis.
I never watched Star Trek Enterprise (though riding a wave of nostalgia, I watched the pilot: Broken Bow, this past weekend, and it was actually pretty good).
So, in 2009, when they were leading up to the JJ Abrams reboot/What If? version of Trek, I had not been watching a regular show since 1999, and the last movie I had seen in the theater was First Contact in 1996.
I was skeptical. Very skeptical.
It seemed to be taking one of the worst rejected ideas of rumored Trek development "Starfleet Academy," which would recast the main crew with new, young and more attractive actors, and running with it. Also, by doing a kind of reboot, it put the creators in the position of taking the pieces of what made the Orignal Series great, and just cherry picking from them rather than doing much new. I wasn't sure how it would work out.
However, the first movie in 2009 was a lot of fun. They did play with the elements of canon and character to recombined them in new, but interesting, ways. Sure, in some ways it was a revenge movie akin to Star Trek II, madman Nero and all. Also, it rehashed some of Star Trek The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with giant space probes coming to destroy Earth. It also had a dash of the time travel timeline change elements of Trek IV and Star Trek First Contact. The changed a great deal about the technology and they rode roughshod over a lot of logic. They left the timeline "polluted," but all in the name of a "fresh" start. Yet it all worked. It made me interested in what they would do next.
So fast foward four years. In that time, many things had been tossed around as being what was "next."
The thing I was certain would be a terrible idea would be to bring in Khan Noonian Singh. TOS episode Space Seed and Star Trek II are pretty sacred objects in the Trek pantheon. It seemed like there would be so much room to screw it up, and, in a limitless universe, it seemed like you could find some other stories to tell. Besides, the whole reason for the reboot was in order to escape the shackles of the canon. Take the characters, with some twists, and do them afresh with new adventures and new developments.
So, what did Star Trek Into Darkness bring us?
KHAN!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I have to concede that they were extremely clever with the "What if?" scenario. In the wake of the last movie, including the total destruction of the planet Vulcan and the majority of the Vulcan race, we are in a darker, more frightened Federation.
So, in a timeline that fractured off from the old timeline when the Narada (a Borg enhanced Romulan supership) crossed back into this period, destroyed the U.S.S. Kelvan and set Kirk on his divergent path, you get Khan, but a Khan who makes a different entrance into the Federation.
He is not encounted on the Botany Bay by the Enterprise, but instead by some other ship, and he and his crew are not revived, but instead, brought back to earth. Admiral Marcus wakes Khan up and employs him as a special advisor on weapons and tactical developments because it is a darker and scarier universe out there. Marcus is eying war with the Klingons, Khan is biding his time to free his fellow Botany Bay exiles to return to his dreams of conquest and rule.
Clever. Well done.
But . . .
Like the last movie, there are more than a few holes.
Like:
Why is Khan paler than the paint on the Enterprise hull?
Look, I know Benedict Cumberbatch is a great actor, and his performance was terrific. It was a great way to make a counterpoint to the way that Ricardo Montalban owned the role. However, while you could almost believe that the Mexican Montalban could be a Punjabi Sikh, I can't for a minute see Cumberbatch in a beard and turban and being at all convincing. Of course, the selection, beyond the intensity and capability of the acting, served another purpose. It is hard to guess that Cumberbatch is Khan because it is so ludicrous that the Sikh Khan Noonian Singh could be played by the very English Cumberbatch. Further, Cumberbatch is a decade younger in his portrayal of Khan than Montalban was for the filming of Space Seed. So, it serves the deception.
JJ Abrams could have cast someone who knew and trusted as a much more believable Khan, Naveen Andrews, who is of Indian heritage, who played a Sikh in The English Patient, and who worked with Abrams on Lost. He is also in his 40s, just a Montalban was. Of course, if he had been cast, it would have ruined the surprise. Everyone could have guessed that he would play Khan, because it is an obvious choice.
They had to preserve the gimmick. As much as I loved Cumberbatch in the role, I think Andrews would have been better casting.
That aside, the other BIG THING, is the death scene for Kik. Now, on the whole, I thought they handled things well. They made the dialog between the dying Kirk and Spock a similar, but different conversation than the reversed situation in Star Trek II. It was clever.
But it was not earned.
Between the Chris Pine Kirk and Zachary Quinto Spock we have hardly any relationship built. The 2009 movie started it, but then we had a four year hiatus, and then this movie. While we can accept that off screen they built the relationsip that brings Spock to tears as Kirk dies, all the work, all the heavy lifting is done by the work done by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in three seasons of The Orignal Series and five movies (okay, there were six, but I really want to forget one of them). The emotional depth is there because we know not this Kirk and Spock, but because we know the REAL Kirk and Spock (or at least the original versions).
I mean no slight to Pine and Quinto. They nail the scene, but they had to come to that scene with little groundwork for their portrayals of the characters, not to mentione them just being younger men and actors than Shatner and Nimoy were when they played their version of the scene. They just don't have the mileage in the relationship on and off screen.
For this accelerated, streamlined version of Trek, this has to happen, not after decades of service together, but after just a few years. Further, it continues the trend of sidelining McCoy. DeForest Kelley was at the center of the dynamic that made The Original Series work. While Karl Urban is doing a fine job with what he's been given, this version of Trek has him sidelined. While the Kirk-Spock relationship is key, where it is not leavened with McCoy, it just is not working as well as it could be. It seems to have been replaced, in some ways, with the Three being Kirk, Spock and Uhura. There is some interesting dynamics there, and I am not opposed to widening the roles of other characters, but McCoy either is a central part of balancing Kirk as a leader, or we are not balancing the characters in a way that I think is needed.
And finally, as we are moving at Warp speed through the highlights of the Trek universe in the new version, we already know from not one, but two BIG HINTS, that Kirk won't be dead for more than a few minutes of screen time. For Spock, there was a funeral and a whole other movie. For new Kirk, we know before he went into the warp core that he would be back on top before the movie was over.
Some other obsevations I had that nagged me from the movie. The second half is choppy.
We get the battle, Kirk's death, but then KHAN!!!! and we are having a huge mass casualty crash of the Dreadnought (another old Trek concept) into San Francisco, then a foot chase between Spock and Khan, then Uhura is beaming down and shooting Khan and calming Spock, then Kirk is waking up Alive! (what a surprise!) and then he is making a speech a year after the events. Then they start the 5-year mission.
That was a bumpy road to the ending. They tried to do a lot. It was all exciting and all, but it did really give me a little mental whiplash. Not a smooth conclusion.
Okay, and a year later and . . . why aren't we at war with the Klingons? Kirk and Khan beat, kiled, and exploded a bunch of them and their ships. How is it that there are absolutely no reprecussions? Well, in our accelerated Treknoverse, either 1) the just didn't notice because it would be an inconvenient plot development, or 2) it all got resolved off screen before Kirk made his speech.
Either way, a little cheap there.
Carol Marcus. I have mixed feelings. Clever introduction. Good tie back and across to Star Trek II. She gets added to the crew, so, maybe they will try to realize some really different ideas, but I knind of think they are going to blow it. I did think it was interesting that in Star Trek II she was a total peacenik scientist, at odds with, but begrugingly cooperating with Starfleet (really a reflection of what was the zeitgeist of the early 1980s), but here she is a weapons expert who was only a few steps behind her crazy warmongering Admiral dad. But they have to go somewhere with the character or it is just a "look how clever we are" moment which is all sound a fury, signifying nothing.
They continue to make the galaxy feel very small. It takes seconds, seemingly, to travel to the Neutral Zone with the Klingons. And seconds to get back from there too. This is just like the seconds it took to get to Vulcan. True, there are explosions and chases and huge starship crashes that need to get on screen, so spending time getting from point A to point B is kind of a waste for what they wanted to do, but it does kind of take the Trek out of Star Trek. There is little sense of journey.
Finally, Old Spock. Okay, glad to see Nimoy and Quinto on screen besides a car commerical. It doesn't add much. Hey young Spock, as you guessed, Khan can't be trusted, he's a dangerous, and it might cost a lot to stop him. Of course, most of the cost is off screen. Kirk is less than temporarily dead. The thousands of people that would seem to be killed with a Dreadnought crashing into San Francisco, well, we don't even get to spare a thought for them. This is, after all, a BIG MOVIE.
And my really big but . . .
While we have been shown two movies where the writers and production staff have cleverly reimagined the Federation and the Enterprise crew, they have not reached escape velocity from the gravity of Trek Canon, which was something they had intended to do.
We are still telling the same stories. This movie, expertly made (with some issues), is a mash up of themes, events, ideas and characters from Star Trek II and Star Trek VI. It is bright, shiny, exciting, but it is essentially a retread. There is not much new here.
Now, maybe all the stories have been told. But then, that might mean trouble for Trek.
I don't believe all the stories have been told, but I think it is going to take a great deal more brain and imagination and a willingness to leave the clever twists behind.
I think they need something new.
Ironically, I think they could get there by going old school. JJ Abrams can't direct the next movie as he takes over the Star Wars franchise, though he will stay on as Executive Producer. Who should direct?
Paging Nicholas Meyer!
Really, I think it could work.
So, to bottom line it, again, I liked the movie.
But I fear for the future of Trek. I mean, it will never die. Fans proved that after it was cancelled. But, as a living franchise that can add ideas that appeal to people going forward. We are on the point of losing it, it seems to me.
First, with no episodic series, there is no journey, no long development of characters and relationships. The movie cast won't be coming to our small screen, and it is unclear if any other story vehicle for the new or old Trek universes ever will again. So, what we can look forward to is perhaps a few more New Trek movies, spaced out over many years. And, while they have achieved great success as spectacle and action, they are coasting on character. I don't mean to downplay the performances of the actors. I admire them, but much of the ensemble gets little to do, and so these alternate versions of the beloved characters are either coasting on the groundwork laid by other actors, or reduced to mere characatures. While there are fine moments for Kirk, Spock and Uhura, and a good portion for Scotty, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov don't do much. I've already commented about how we really don't have enough screen time with these characters to have had the new journey with them. So instead, we are forced to rely on what came before.
I think we need a movie that is less explody and chase filled, and one that explores some ideas, and most especially this crew and their relationships. If they can do that, they can trascend just cleverly reconstructing plots and reassembling characters from old Trek movies, and move really into a new universe.
If not, well, its been fun, and it probably will be fun. But it won't be the kind of Trek that Gene Roddenberry bequeathed us.
Maybe they will bring us the next Voyage Home or Undiscovered Country, in that they bring us original elements of character, humor, zeitgeist and an ineffable feeling of Trek, or maybe they are going to jump the shark and give us Insurrection or, gods forbid, Final Frontier.
Or maybe they will just bring us a big loud Transformers like Sci Fi movie, or some other pleasant enough actioner with Star Trek trappings, but the fact that it is Trek won't matter at all.
I am hoping that Nicholas Meyers or the next generational heir of his approach is coming to set a strong course for us.
But I just don't know.
Live long and prosper.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Reviews: Goodbye to Punisher (Issue #16) and hello to Captain Marvel (Issue #4)
I have been unconsciously and consciously putting off these reviews. It will be my last regular review of The Punisher, as the run ends here with #16. The silver lining is that good writing and good comics continue, even when terrific series have to come to an end. Once more, I got my books at my great local place, Beyond Comics. So, once more unto the breach . . .
Captain Marvel #4
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about
In my last few reviews of Kelly Sue DeConnick's I have been damning the book with faint praise. I always liked it, but wanted it to be better.
This last issue turned a corner for me. I found it witty, exciting, and I feel like the investment in reading was paying off. We don't yet know all of what is going on, but we're starting to get a direction to the plot which feels right.
This issue felt like things snapped into focus, that the story which seemed to be zigging and zagging was suddenly on course.
I finished the pages, and I said to myself "yes, this is the Captain Marvel I knew she was going to write."
So, this issue wraps up Carol Danver's first leg of her time travel saga, but proves that it is going to be an interesting and exciting multi-stage journey. It starts with a big action piece with is handled just perfectly, with the writing and art balancing out to really deliver. Then we get the resoultion of the action on the mysterious island off the coast of Peru during World War II and pieces start to fall into place as to why Captain Marvel is being trasported through time and space, just in time for her to transfer to the late 50s/early 60's era of the Mercury 13 (at least the Marvel version of it) and find herself face to face with her girlhood idol, Helen Cobb, in her prime.
I still don't know all of what is going on, but I am finally fully happy to be along for the ride. Even Dexter Soy's art is growing on me, although it is still not my favorite. I really look forward to the next issue, and I think that we have passed the "make or break" period for the book, at least for me, and with issue #4, the series is "made."
Check it out.
Punisher #16
Fantastic and tragic end to the series
I really hate to say goodbye to this book. It's over, and though there is a five issue mini that will be a kind of coda, there will be no going back. Punisher is going to another author and into a team book, Thunderbolts, in the new Marvel reorganization of titles. I wish the character well, but somehow, I can't see the next book doing what this book did.
Issue 16 ends a patient, exciting, suspense filled and character driven story arc that took up all 16 issues. I loved every issue, and this issue is a fitting goodbye to the regular series. The Punisher and his mission remain, but the tragic toll of violence and revenge tally up in the book. It is great storytelling, and involves all the terrific characters drawn or drawn into Rucka's story.
The art is also outstanding. Because of undiscolsed family issues, Marco Checchetto is unable to continue with War Zone, but he gives us an issue to remember with his moody, beautiful art in this book.
I am talking around the details, as I am trying to leave the review spoiler free. This arc was about not only taking on "The Exchange" but also about what it would cost to do so, especially for Rachel Cole Alves, whose tragedy began in issue 1, and carries through the whole series to come to a conclusion in this final issue.
I loved every page, just as I loved every page of the series as a whole.
If you don't buy and read this, there's no talking to you.
Check it out.
Oh, and one last and final tradition to observe, here's what other's thought:
Weekly Comic Book Review (A) "Brilliant art, brilliant character work, and sophisticated storytelling by all involved. This is an absolutely top tier comic and I’m more than a little pissed that it’s been canceled…"
IGN (9.3 "Amazing") "Fittingly, this concluding issue doesn’t go out in a hail of gunfire, but a series of well-timed thematic and emotional payoffs that bring this entire 16-issue arc full circle."
Comic Book Resources (4.5/5 stars) "Rucka makes "The Punisher" #16 a story that celebrates the history of this series. The more you know going in, the more you gain, but prior knowledge need not preclude you from reading. This issue certainly would deserve a perfect score when put in the context of the entire run, but with this issue, a little more background is needed to provide testimony to what Rucka has accomplished with the transformation of Frank Castle. That's an interesting spin for the final issue of a series. So many final issues struggle to cover all of the dangling subplots and many of those issues just cut bait and run. Not 'The Punisher.' "
Between the Panels (postive review) "Between the stellar art team and the writing of one of my favorite authors, I’m very sorry to see The Punisher go. A great procedural, a great redemption story, and an all-around fantastic comic."
Read Comic Books (story 10/10, Art 10/10, Overall 10/10) "And so ends a masterpiece. Writer Greg Rucka and Merco Checchetto delivered their coup de grace in The Punisher #16. Normally when I review comics, I read and then begin writing as soon as I put it down. When I finished The Punisher this week, I sat dumbfounded and speechless on my couch."
Comic Book Bin (10/10) "I hate that Rucka is about to wrap up his stint on The Punisher by pitting Frank against the rest of the Marvel U in the upcoming, and re-launched, Punisher War Zone #1. I would rather (and could have) read 100 issues of The Punisher written in this vein by Greg Rucka instead. Rucka's The Punisher will be missed, but I'm happy that we got it for at least 16 issues."
OGR (5/5 stars) "Punisher ends on a powerful note and a compelling setup for the upcoming Punisher: War Zone limited series. Rucka succeeded at creating an interesting little world for the Punisher in the Marvel Universe, complete with three-dimensional characters who meshed perfectly as a cast. Far as I'm concerned, this series should now be considered essential reading for the Punisher."
Multiversity Comics (9.5/10 – Buy. Among the best Punisher stories ever told) "Greg Rucka and a bevy of talented artists have crafted a new side to the Punisher that feels like it was somewhere in there all along, just waiting to get out. They also navigated Rachel Alves-Cole through a sneak-attack of truly great character development over just 16 issues. It’s stunning to think of the transformation that took place."
Weekly Crisis (Verdict-Must Read) "Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's work with Punisher has been some of the best stuff to come out this past year, and Punisher #16 is no exception. The issue, like the series as a whole, is built on its terrific character work. Whether it's Frank himself or the people who have found themselves caught in his orbit, this book is all about who these people are and why they do what they do. That's what's made it special, and that's what makes this issue a must read."
Captain Marvel #4
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about
In my last few reviews of Kelly Sue DeConnick's I have been damning the book with faint praise. I always liked it, but wanted it to be better.
This last issue turned a corner for me. I found it witty, exciting, and I feel like the investment in reading was paying off. We don't yet know all of what is going on, but we're starting to get a direction to the plot which feels right.
This issue felt like things snapped into focus, that the story which seemed to be zigging and zagging was suddenly on course.
I finished the pages, and I said to myself "yes, this is the Captain Marvel I knew she was going to write."
So, this issue wraps up Carol Danver's first leg of her time travel saga, but proves that it is going to be an interesting and exciting multi-stage journey. It starts with a big action piece with is handled just perfectly, with the writing and art balancing out to really deliver. Then we get the resoultion of the action on the mysterious island off the coast of Peru during World War II and pieces start to fall into place as to why Captain Marvel is being trasported through time and space, just in time for her to transfer to the late 50s/early 60's era of the Mercury 13 (at least the Marvel version of it) and find herself face to face with her girlhood idol, Helen Cobb, in her prime.
I still don't know all of what is going on, but I am finally fully happy to be along for the ride. Even Dexter Soy's art is growing on me, although it is still not my favorite. I really look forward to the next issue, and I think that we have passed the "make or break" period for the book, at least for me, and with issue #4, the series is "made."
Check it out.
Punisher #16
Fantastic and tragic end to the series
I really hate to say goodbye to this book. It's over, and though there is a five issue mini that will be a kind of coda, there will be no going back. Punisher is going to another author and into a team book, Thunderbolts, in the new Marvel reorganization of titles. I wish the character well, but somehow, I can't see the next book doing what this book did.
Issue 16 ends a patient, exciting, suspense filled and character driven story arc that took up all 16 issues. I loved every issue, and this issue is a fitting goodbye to the regular series. The Punisher and his mission remain, but the tragic toll of violence and revenge tally up in the book. It is great storytelling, and involves all the terrific characters drawn or drawn into Rucka's story.
The art is also outstanding. Because of undiscolsed family issues, Marco Checchetto is unable to continue with War Zone, but he gives us an issue to remember with his moody, beautiful art in this book.
I am talking around the details, as I am trying to leave the review spoiler free. This arc was about not only taking on "The Exchange" but also about what it would cost to do so, especially for Rachel Cole Alves, whose tragedy began in issue 1, and carries through the whole series to come to a conclusion in this final issue.
I loved every page, just as I loved every page of the series as a whole.
If you don't buy and read this, there's no talking to you.
Check it out.
Oh, and one last and final tradition to observe, here's what other's thought:
Weekly Comic Book Review (A) "Brilliant art, brilliant character work, and sophisticated storytelling by all involved. This is an absolutely top tier comic and I’m more than a little pissed that it’s been canceled…"
IGN (9.3 "Amazing") "Fittingly, this concluding issue doesn’t go out in a hail of gunfire, but a series of well-timed thematic and emotional payoffs that bring this entire 16-issue arc full circle."
Comic Book Resources (4.5/5 stars) "Rucka makes "The Punisher" #16 a story that celebrates the history of this series. The more you know going in, the more you gain, but prior knowledge need not preclude you from reading. This issue certainly would deserve a perfect score when put in the context of the entire run, but with this issue, a little more background is needed to provide testimony to what Rucka has accomplished with the transformation of Frank Castle. That's an interesting spin for the final issue of a series. So many final issues struggle to cover all of the dangling subplots and many of those issues just cut bait and run. Not 'The Punisher.' "
Between the Panels (postive review) "Between the stellar art team and the writing of one of my favorite authors, I’m very sorry to see The Punisher go. A great procedural, a great redemption story, and an all-around fantastic comic."
Read Comic Books (story 10/10, Art 10/10, Overall 10/10) "And so ends a masterpiece. Writer Greg Rucka and Merco Checchetto delivered their coup de grace in The Punisher #16. Normally when I review comics, I read and then begin writing as soon as I put it down. When I finished The Punisher this week, I sat dumbfounded and speechless on my couch."
Comic Book Bin (10/10) "I hate that Rucka is about to wrap up his stint on The Punisher by pitting Frank against the rest of the Marvel U in the upcoming, and re-launched, Punisher War Zone #1. I would rather (and could have) read 100 issues of The Punisher written in this vein by Greg Rucka instead. Rucka's The Punisher will be missed, but I'm happy that we got it for at least 16 issues."
OGR (5/5 stars) "Punisher ends on a powerful note and a compelling setup for the upcoming Punisher: War Zone limited series. Rucka succeeded at creating an interesting little world for the Punisher in the Marvel Universe, complete with three-dimensional characters who meshed perfectly as a cast. Far as I'm concerned, this series should now be considered essential reading for the Punisher."
Multiversity Comics (9.5/10 – Buy. Among the best Punisher stories ever told) "Greg Rucka and a bevy of talented artists have crafted a new side to the Punisher that feels like it was somewhere in there all along, just waiting to get out. They also navigated Rachel Alves-Cole through a sneak-attack of truly great character development over just 16 issues. It’s stunning to think of the transformation that took place."
Weekly Crisis (Verdict-Must Read) "Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's work with Punisher has been some of the best stuff to come out this past year, and Punisher #16 is no exception. The issue, like the series as a whole, is built on its terrific character work. Whether it's Frank himself or the people who have found themselves caught in his orbit, this book is all about who these people are and why they do what they do. That's what's made it special, and that's what makes this issue a must read."
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A little behind schedule: Reviews of Hawkeye #2, Captain Marvel #3 and Punisher #15
September is slipping away and my three comic book titles were released days and weeks ago. However, I finally get around to some brief thoughts on each. Once again, my local store, Beyond Comics, came through with my subscriptions. Unfortunately, September is proving to be a heck of a busy month, so it's either short reviews or no reviews.
Hawkeye #2
Two Hawkeyes are Better than One
In this issue, we get not only Clint Barton doing the things he does away from the Avengers, but we also get "Young Avenger" Kate Bishop. Clint has been looking into many things that he thinks that he needs to take care of, and he is lucky to get Kate to join in. First off looks like "Something Big" going down at a circus performance attended by every major crime figure in Mavel's version of New York. Writer Matt Fraction does a great job of using Clint's shady past and Kate's high society background to lay the foundation for how things get moving. Once the performance starts in, as well as the heist, things really get cooking. Of course, Clint brashly goes in over his head, and it is a good thing he brought backup. Not that he is ever a slouch in any of the action sequences. Once again the issue demonstrates why Hawkeye is the best there is. There just happen to be two of them. The end of the book has Clint with more angry enemies than ever, and reveals that he has a serious plan to make a difference, no matter the costs. The art continues to be outstanding, and the book is beyond reproach. It is a perfect comic book experience, and if you are not reading it, go out and buy it!
Captain Marvel #3
The ride is fine so far, but where are we going?
There are two stories in this book. One is the main Captain Marvel story, and the second is a backup that relates somehow, as its focus is Carol Danver's childhood idol, but how the stories will intersect is still unclear. The "A plot" continues to follow Captain Marvel as she tries to sort out where and when she is, and why alien technology seems to have gotten involved in a lost corner of the war in the Pacific during the Second World War. The writing is solid. The art is growing on me. The plot is developing slowly. Generally, I don't mind a slow burn plot, but so far I am neither gripped by the situation or the characters. It may not be a fair comparison, but looking at last year's relaunch of The Punisher, which also featured a slow burn story (one that is just peaking now, in issues 14-16), there is a real contrast. That book gripped me from the first. I still have my attention on the story here for Captain Marvel, but it feels like I could easily shake off the grasp of the story, when instead I want to be locked in like I'm in an iron vise. The art is growing on me, but I am not convinced of its brilliance. It is different, but still remains merely adequate for me in the story being told. All in all, the main story delivers, but only marginally for me. I am interested in where this is going, but it feels like if I missed it, it would be no big deal. This is not where we should be at this point. DeConnick and Wacker need to get on the stick here and start hitting out of the park like Dare Devil and Punisher have over the last year, and the way the Hawkeye is killing it right now. They are more than capable of doing so. The "B plot" is quite short. The background is at the critical juncture in the women's Mercury astronaut program, the part where the men tell the women they aren't getting to go into space. Not a banner moment in American history, gender relations, or the historical advancement of women. The problem is, for most of the panels, I don't really care. I am not reading the book for this particular lecture on how carppy American culture was to women in the 50s and 60s. The packaging is clumsy and ham handed. I'm here for a Captain Marvel story. If I get a lecture in feminist studies on the side, so much the better, but it can't be the main event, because that is not what I paid for. Only in the last few panels, as Danver's childhood hero from the Mercury 13 is trying to make her own deal to get into space is there any inkling of interest. Again, the set up is adequate, but I am expecting so much more than adequate for my $3. The art is solid, and an interesting contrast from the main book. I will be back for issue #4, but without more, I may not last until issue #6.
Punisher #15
And I thought it couldn't get any darker, or better! But it is!
Last month began the final end game in the Punisher's plan to take down the Exchange and Rachel Cole-Alves' plan to complete her vengeance on every member of that organization. The problem is, as Feste the fool observes in Twelfth Night, "And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
As it turns out, Sergeant Cole-Alves is not the only seeker of vengeance. The tables get turned on her and the Punisher and it starts to get really bloody. Further, despite every piece of advice and order from Frank Castle to Rachel on being patient, on not rushing her punishment of all those connected with the cause of her tragedy, she is too tempted to finish it, once and for all, herself. The result is pure tragedy taken to a higher level. Vengeance is begetting vengeance and begetting even more.
This is a great book, even better than issue #14 which was a tour de force. Even in the Marvel Universe, vengeance is not free, and only one man alive has converted his pain, and his experience in getting revenge into a cause and a mission that carries on, and that is The Punisher. Everyone else seems to be ready to follow the classic arc of revenge, and that pretty much ends up with everyone tragically dead (e.g. Hamlet). We have one more issue to go, and five issues of coda in the War Zone series. I am thinking it is going to be a hell of a ride.
With us for this issue and the next is the superior art of Marco Checcetto. Once again, he captures the characters, the places and the mood of every scene deftly. The entire art team on the book supports and enhances the story in every way. I will be sad to see the last of that in issue #16. However, don't miss issue #15! It would be tragic if you did.
For the second to last time on this run of Punisher, I give you other's voices on this issue:
IGN (8.5/10) "The beauty of this issue is that Rucka’s run has been so deliberate in its pacing and usage of violence, that the sudden chaos of this installment gives it more weight to the reader. If you read issue after issue of guns blazing, it loses its impact. Not so here, and the overall arc of Rucka’s Punisher is the better for it."
I Got Issues (Recoomended) "I recently discovered that this series is ending soon (like next issue) and while this makes me sad, I want to focus on the positive…that this issue, hell this whole series has been amazing since issue #1."
Comic Vine (10/10) "As I mentioned previously, this issue was fantastic because of the way that it connected three characters through very similar experiences. It is interesting to see that although the characters are different, their motivations are different, they act out very similarly when they lose someone or something very close to them. It's a very powerful issue and feels really dense when you read it. It's paired with some pretty incredible art, too, so if you're a Punisher fan you really can't go wrong. I don't recommend reading this issue without at least checking out the previous one as I feel they really go hand in hand."
Newsarama (9/10) "Frank Castle has made murder into a mission, but it's Marco Checchetto that turns it into art. This comic will hit you like a hurricane, as Frank and his partner [Rachel] take on a wild gunman inside Wall Street — not to mention the entire NYPD."
The Weekly Crisis (Verdict-Buy It) "Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's Punisher has been one of the best books coming out of the Marvel offices this past year. Frank Castle's actions and his world have been depicted through a serious lens that does not ignore the consequences of his deeds, and the story has been better for it. It will be a sad day when Rucka's run on the character ends with the Punisher: War Zone miniseries - a day made all the sadder by Checchetto's absence."
Hawkeye #2
Two Hawkeyes are Better than One
In this issue, we get not only Clint Barton doing the things he does away from the Avengers, but we also get "Young Avenger" Kate Bishop. Clint has been looking into many things that he thinks that he needs to take care of, and he is lucky to get Kate to join in. First off looks like "Something Big" going down at a circus performance attended by every major crime figure in Mavel's version of New York. Writer Matt Fraction does a great job of using Clint's shady past and Kate's high society background to lay the foundation for how things get moving. Once the performance starts in, as well as the heist, things really get cooking. Of course, Clint brashly goes in over his head, and it is a good thing he brought backup. Not that he is ever a slouch in any of the action sequences. Once again the issue demonstrates why Hawkeye is the best there is. There just happen to be two of them. The end of the book has Clint with more angry enemies than ever, and reveals that he has a serious plan to make a difference, no matter the costs. The art continues to be outstanding, and the book is beyond reproach. It is a perfect comic book experience, and if you are not reading it, go out and buy it!
Captain Marvel #3
The ride is fine so far, but where are we going?
There are two stories in this book. One is the main Captain Marvel story, and the second is a backup that relates somehow, as its focus is Carol Danver's childhood idol, but how the stories will intersect is still unclear. The "A plot" continues to follow Captain Marvel as she tries to sort out where and when she is, and why alien technology seems to have gotten involved in a lost corner of the war in the Pacific during the Second World War. The writing is solid. The art is growing on me. The plot is developing slowly. Generally, I don't mind a slow burn plot, but so far I am neither gripped by the situation or the characters. It may not be a fair comparison, but looking at last year's relaunch of The Punisher, which also featured a slow burn story (one that is just peaking now, in issues 14-16), there is a real contrast. That book gripped me from the first. I still have my attention on the story here for Captain Marvel, but it feels like I could easily shake off the grasp of the story, when instead I want to be locked in like I'm in an iron vise. The art is growing on me, but I am not convinced of its brilliance. It is different, but still remains merely adequate for me in the story being told. All in all, the main story delivers, but only marginally for me. I am interested in where this is going, but it feels like if I missed it, it would be no big deal. This is not where we should be at this point. DeConnick and Wacker need to get on the stick here and start hitting out of the park like Dare Devil and Punisher have over the last year, and the way the Hawkeye is killing it right now. They are more than capable of doing so. The "B plot" is quite short. The background is at the critical juncture in the women's Mercury astronaut program, the part where the men tell the women they aren't getting to go into space. Not a banner moment in American history, gender relations, or the historical advancement of women. The problem is, for most of the panels, I don't really care. I am not reading the book for this particular lecture on how carppy American culture was to women in the 50s and 60s. The packaging is clumsy and ham handed. I'm here for a Captain Marvel story. If I get a lecture in feminist studies on the side, so much the better, but it can't be the main event, because that is not what I paid for. Only in the last few panels, as Danver's childhood hero from the Mercury 13 is trying to make her own deal to get into space is there any inkling of interest. Again, the set up is adequate, but I am expecting so much more than adequate for my $3. The art is solid, and an interesting contrast from the main book. I will be back for issue #4, but without more, I may not last until issue #6.
Punisher #15
And I thought it couldn't get any darker, or better! But it is!
Last month began the final end game in the Punisher's plan to take down the Exchange and Rachel Cole-Alves' plan to complete her vengeance on every member of that organization. The problem is, as Feste the fool observes in Twelfth Night, "And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."
As it turns out, Sergeant Cole-Alves is not the only seeker of vengeance. The tables get turned on her and the Punisher and it starts to get really bloody. Further, despite every piece of advice and order from Frank Castle to Rachel on being patient, on not rushing her punishment of all those connected with the cause of her tragedy, she is too tempted to finish it, once and for all, herself. The result is pure tragedy taken to a higher level. Vengeance is begetting vengeance and begetting even more.
This is a great book, even better than issue #14 which was a tour de force. Even in the Marvel Universe, vengeance is not free, and only one man alive has converted his pain, and his experience in getting revenge into a cause and a mission that carries on, and that is The Punisher. Everyone else seems to be ready to follow the classic arc of revenge, and that pretty much ends up with everyone tragically dead (e.g. Hamlet). We have one more issue to go, and five issues of coda in the War Zone series. I am thinking it is going to be a hell of a ride.
With us for this issue and the next is the superior art of Marco Checcetto. Once again, he captures the characters, the places and the mood of every scene deftly. The entire art team on the book supports and enhances the story in every way. I will be sad to see the last of that in issue #16. However, don't miss issue #15! It would be tragic if you did.
For the second to last time on this run of Punisher, I give you other's voices on this issue:
IGN (8.5/10) "The beauty of this issue is that Rucka’s run has been so deliberate in its pacing and usage of violence, that the sudden chaos of this installment gives it more weight to the reader. If you read issue after issue of guns blazing, it loses its impact. Not so here, and the overall arc of Rucka’s Punisher is the better for it."
Thursday, August 23, 2012
August Closeout: Reviews of Punisher #14 and Captain Marvel #2
Greg Rucka and Kelly Sue De Connick are two very different authors as far as tone, subject matter, and writing style. But both are examples of excellence when it comes to focusing on character(s) as the motivation and origination of action. Plot happens because of what the characters (large and small, on and off "camera") are doing. Plot does not just happen to the characters.
I appreciate this kind of writing and that is why I buy these comic books. I picked them up last night from my local shop (please go out and support your's wherever it is), Beyond Comics.
Both were good this month.
Punisher #14
Greg Rucka is winding up his run on Punisher. With only three more issues to go, including issue 14, he is wrapping up his story of the Punisher against The Exchange. The Exchange was a new type of organized super-crimial group for the Marvel Universe. The focus was staying under the radar and organizing along corporate lines. It was the internet startup of criminal groups, peeling off talent from AIM, Hydra, even SHIELD. However, it got sloppy as it got successful, and some of its more freewheeling employees ended up having a gunfight with a rival organization in the middle of a marine sergeant's wedding. Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alves survives the massacre, but her new husband, her friends, and her family, do not.
Her quest for vengeance, mirroring the origin of The Punisher, brings her into alignment with The Punisher, Frank Castle. For issue after issue, Castle has be methodically hunting down leads and leaving a trail of bodies to get to the heart of The Exchange. Cole-Alves started to do the same, and now they are working together.
Last issue, they pulled a caper that gave them a key to try to set up to get to the very top of the Exchange. This issue, they put that plan into effect.
The issue is very satisfying. It shows Castle and Cole-Alves working effectively as a military team, executing a daring and highly lethal plan that builds on everything they have been doing to date. It is exciting, and, as with every issue in this run, I had not had my fill when it was done. I wanted more and was disappointed only in the realization that I had to wait another month, and that I was only going to get two more like this.
Yes, there is also the 5 issue mini-series to cap off the run (Punisher War Zone), which I am happy is coming, but the fact that the series is going to be over is very disappointing.
The only other thing that I found disappointing from the issue was the art. Some of it was done very competently, but artist Mico Suayan lacks the skill shown by series mainstay Marco Checcetto. This deficiency shows up especially in the drawing of characters' faces when shwing strong emotion (fear, anger, etc.) and by the feeling I got that the backgrounds were flat and uninteresting in many panels.
In the end, the art got the job done, but it did not live up to the high quality of the writing.
Bottom line though, buy this book.
Captain Marvel #2
Last month I gave a somewhat luke warm review to Kelly Sue De Connick's first issue of Captain Marvel. After a month's reflection, I still feel the same way. The story, for me, was too slow, and I was put off by the art. This contrasted with the terrific writing for Captain Marvel by De Connick in the pages of Avenging Spider-Man (reviews here for issue 9 & 10), where she got the tone, pacing and character just right and I really liked the art.
So, how does Captain Marvel #2 stack up? For me, she did considerably better, though things still start out slow. Slow is not necessarily bad, in any case, but there can be a fine line between a slow burn and ponderous pacing. I felt that we tipped more into slow burn territory with the start of issue 2. By the end of the book, the story's pace has picked up considerably, and delivers some solid action, as well as promising more. The direction of the story certainly takes a left turn, as we go from gettng background and character information on Carol Danvers, to suddenly jumping into a mysterious time travelling (and possibly alternate timeline) adventure, which Captain Marvel in the middle of World War II action in what appers to be the Pacific, but one where seemingly alien craft are working with the Japanese forces.
It is a little confusing, but the reader is sharing the confusion of the character, Captain Marvel, as she tries to make sense of having be apparently ripped out of her time and place and popped into some other place by powers unknown for reasons unknown.
Because I trust the writer, I know that it will all become clearer as the story goes on, and I was both intrigued by the wild development in the story and happy with how the action unfolded in the last two-thirds of the book.
I am still not sold on the art. It has a definite aesthetic which sometimes produces some wonderful and striking panels. However, as a whole, it still feels muddy and dark to me, and I would prefer a cleaner line and a brighter pallet.
Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the book. I am still in "like" with it, and not yet in love, but it appears to me that this is a reader-writer relationship woth the time to invest in, so that is what I am doing.
Check it out.
------
As has been my custom over Rucka's run on Punisher, here are some other views on issue #14:
IGN (8.5/10) "Get ready for perhaps the most badass Punisher moment ever."
Comic Vine (Recommended) "If I had to sum up this issue in one word it would be 'heavy.' That's the perfect way to describe the overall tone and mood of the book; from the writing to the art. If you are into comics that are deep, gritty, action packed and weigh really heavy like a good episode of, say, 24 (remember that show?) then there's really no reason for you not to be reading THE PUNISHER on a consistent basis. Not only does Rucka capture Frank Castle's character perfectly in this issue, but he does it effortlessly."
More as they hit the web.
08/28/2012 update
CBR (4.5/5 stars) "'Punisher' #14 is yet another example of just how effective an editor can be to the overall cohesiveness of a monthly title. While most of the credit for this comic should rightfully be placed on the shoulders of Greg Rucka, if Steve Wacker hadn't convinced Rucka to write this book and supplied the writer with an amazing array of reliable artists with similar visual sensibilities, this title wouldn't be nearly as compelling."
Weekly Comic Book Review (A-) "A really, really fantastic read that manages to pull the reader in and get him/her truly involved. Issues like this only make me more upset about this series’ cancellation due to poor sales. Seriously, what’s wrong with you people?"
I appreciate this kind of writing and that is why I buy these comic books. I picked them up last night from my local shop (please go out and support your's wherever it is), Beyond Comics.
Both were good this month.
Punisher #14
Greg Rucka is winding up his run on Punisher. With only three more issues to go, including issue 14, he is wrapping up his story of the Punisher against The Exchange. The Exchange was a new type of organized super-crimial group for the Marvel Universe. The focus was staying under the radar and organizing along corporate lines. It was the internet startup of criminal groups, peeling off talent from AIM, Hydra, even SHIELD. However, it got sloppy as it got successful, and some of its more freewheeling employees ended up having a gunfight with a rival organization in the middle of a marine sergeant's wedding. Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alves survives the massacre, but her new husband, her friends, and her family, do not.
Her quest for vengeance, mirroring the origin of The Punisher, brings her into alignment with The Punisher, Frank Castle. For issue after issue, Castle has be methodically hunting down leads and leaving a trail of bodies to get to the heart of The Exchange. Cole-Alves started to do the same, and now they are working together.
Last issue, they pulled a caper that gave them a key to try to set up to get to the very top of the Exchange. This issue, they put that plan into effect.
The issue is very satisfying. It shows Castle and Cole-Alves working effectively as a military team, executing a daring and highly lethal plan that builds on everything they have been doing to date. It is exciting, and, as with every issue in this run, I had not had my fill when it was done. I wanted more and was disappointed only in the realization that I had to wait another month, and that I was only going to get two more like this.
Yes, there is also the 5 issue mini-series to cap off the run (Punisher War Zone), which I am happy is coming, but the fact that the series is going to be over is very disappointing.
The only other thing that I found disappointing from the issue was the art. Some of it was done very competently, but artist Mico Suayan lacks the skill shown by series mainstay Marco Checcetto. This deficiency shows up especially in the drawing of characters' faces when shwing strong emotion (fear, anger, etc.) and by the feeling I got that the backgrounds were flat and uninteresting in many panels.
In the end, the art got the job done, but it did not live up to the high quality of the writing.
Bottom line though, buy this book.
Captain Marvel #2
Last month I gave a somewhat luke warm review to Kelly Sue De Connick's first issue of Captain Marvel. After a month's reflection, I still feel the same way. The story, for me, was too slow, and I was put off by the art. This contrasted with the terrific writing for Captain Marvel by De Connick in the pages of Avenging Spider-Man (reviews here for issue 9 & 10), where she got the tone, pacing and character just right and I really liked the art.
So, how does Captain Marvel #2 stack up? For me, she did considerably better, though things still start out slow. Slow is not necessarily bad, in any case, but there can be a fine line between a slow burn and ponderous pacing. I felt that we tipped more into slow burn territory with the start of issue 2. By the end of the book, the story's pace has picked up considerably, and delivers some solid action, as well as promising more. The direction of the story certainly takes a left turn, as we go from gettng background and character information on Carol Danvers, to suddenly jumping into a mysterious time travelling (and possibly alternate timeline) adventure, which Captain Marvel in the middle of World War II action in what appers to be the Pacific, but one where seemingly alien craft are working with the Japanese forces.
It is a little confusing, but the reader is sharing the confusion of the character, Captain Marvel, as she tries to make sense of having be apparently ripped out of her time and place and popped into some other place by powers unknown for reasons unknown.
Because I trust the writer, I know that it will all become clearer as the story goes on, and I was both intrigued by the wild development in the story and happy with how the action unfolded in the last two-thirds of the book.
I am still not sold on the art. It has a definite aesthetic which sometimes produces some wonderful and striking panels. However, as a whole, it still feels muddy and dark to me, and I would prefer a cleaner line and a brighter pallet.
Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the book. I am still in "like" with it, and not yet in love, but it appears to me that this is a reader-writer relationship woth the time to invest in, so that is what I am doing.
Check it out.
------
As has been my custom over Rucka's run on Punisher, here are some other views on issue #14:
IGN (8.5/10) "Get ready for perhaps the most badass Punisher moment ever."
Comic Vine (Recommended) "If I had to sum up this issue in one word it would be 'heavy.' That's the perfect way to describe the overall tone and mood of the book; from the writing to the art. If you are into comics that are deep, gritty, action packed and weigh really heavy like a good episode of, say, 24 (remember that show?) then there's really no reason for you not to be reading THE PUNISHER on a consistent basis. Not only does Rucka capture Frank Castle's character perfectly in this issue, but he does it effortlessly."
More as they hit the web.
08/28/2012 update
CBR (4.5/5 stars) "'Punisher' #14 is yet another example of just how effective an editor can be to the overall cohesiveness of a monthly title. While most of the credit for this comic should rightfully be placed on the shoulders of Greg Rucka, if Steve Wacker hadn't convinced Rucka to write this book and supplied the writer with an amazing array of reliable artists with similar visual sensibilities, this title wouldn't be nearly as compelling."
Weekly Comic Book Review (A-) "A really, really fantastic read that manages to pull the reader in and get him/her truly involved. Issues like this only make me more upset about this series’ cancellation due to poor sales. Seriously, what’s wrong with you people?"
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
First August Reviews: Avenging Spider-Man #10 and Hawkeye #1
This month is starting off with me getting comics on the day they come out. Good for me, less so for my wallet, but whatever. Thanks to Beyond Comics, for being there when I want to spend my dough!
This week's comics are brought to you (seperately) by the Husband and Wife writing team of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction. That is a lot of writing talent under one roof! This month opens with two great books from them, one each respectively.
First I'll take a look at the conclusion of Kelly Sue DeConnick's story started in Avenging Spider-Man #9 and conveniently concluded in Avenging Spider-Man #10, then I'll talk about Matt Fraction's Hawkeye #1.
Avenging Spider-Man #10
More Fun! More please!
Last month I loved Avenging Spider-Man #9, with guest star Captain Marvel, and the love continues this month. DeConnick does a terrific job with both heroes, doing terrific justice to both characters. She plays them smart, funny and always heroic. Last month I gave only middling reviews to the actual debute of DeConnick on Captain Marvel #1, but I will definitely stick with the series because she can write and write Captain Marvel especially well. Even though I felt Captain Marvel #1 was too low key for my tastes, Avenging Spider-Man #10 shows what DeConnick can and will do with Captain Marvel, and it is a lot of fun.
Spidey also is done justice in this book. DeConnick plays him pitch perfect, and he proves a good foil to Marvel.
I won't spoiler the story, just say that the police, rent-a-cops in Iron Man cast offs, corporate and ex-corporate folks as well as the hero/villain introduced last issue, Robyn Hood (with a "Y" for Freedom) (yeah, she's kinda crazy) all play their parts well and provide a satisfying set of personalities to aid, inhibit and befuddle our heroes. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.
Also, I have to credit the artists on the book again, it looked great!
I look forward to more from DeConnick with her blend of light comic touch over serious political and character issues. Captain Marvel is a keeper, and she can write my Spider-Man anytime.
Hawkeye #1
Bullseye!
This is a new title (ahead of the universe bending Marvel Now! new titles), which explores the "off duty" life of Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The first issue is a very good start.
I read an article where writer Matt Fraction described Clint Barton as the "Jim Rockford" of the Avengers. I was intrigued by that take on the character, and I think Fraction has made it work in spades. Of course, I think he has done more than just make Barton into the scrappy, never say die, never give up (on a client or other things) PI type, he has also gotten the interplay of dark and light in Barton's personality tuned just right. Fraction has done this hat trick before with Tony Stark on Invincible Iron Man; Danny Rand on the Immortal Iron Fist, and with the cast of characters in the current run of Defenders. He knows all about getting to the person behind the mask.
Barton can be a real jerk (much moreso that we ever saw from Jim Rockford). When he acts that way to his fellow heroes or the average guy on the street (which he can do), you cringe (good example of this for the character was Avenging Spider-Man #4 (written not by Fraction, but by Zeb Wells). Hawkeye was a criminal for part of his career, and part of what led him there was that he can have a very BAD ATTITUDE.
Of course, when he channels that attitude against guys who are even bigger jerks than him, then we are very happy. No cringing, pure applause. Of course, if that was all there was to Clint Barton, he would not be the hero that he is. Even though he can default down to a jerk, he can and does work hard to rise above his limitations. Often these are his physical limitations, because he is "just a guy." He is on a team with gods, robots, geniuses, and monsters. He is just a guy. With some sticks. So, he makes himself a hero by running into situations that no sane person would ever approach.
But more importantly, and Fraction totally sells this in the first issue, Barton knows how to exert himself to rise above being a jerk. He can make bad choices, but when the chips are down and it really counts, he makes the right decisions, the hard decisions, the personally costly decisions, and he backs them up with every ounce of skill and determination at his disposal. This was well captured about the character in Jen Van Meter's limited series, Avengers Solo, starring Hawkeye. Fraction doubles down on the premise. As much of a flawed jerk that Barton can be, he is, in the end, a "do the right thing" guy, and the extremes that he is willing to go to in order to make the right thing happen define his heroism.
The plot of the book almost doesn't matter, because the character stuff is so rich, but basically Fraction sets the scene for Barton as a resident of New York and what he can and will do when he is not leading the Secret Avengers or standing beside Thor, Captain America and Iron Man in some cosmic showdown like AvX. He solves smaller problems, for people and dogs, in his neighborhood, and I'd say it probably is one of the best first issues I have read since Punisher #1 by Greg Rucka.
The art is perfect. It's like Barton's neighborhood, a little rough, but with a classy heart. It totally fit the writing and I look forward to much more from this team.
Good stuff.
This week's comics are brought to you (seperately) by the Husband and Wife writing team of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction. That is a lot of writing talent under one roof! This month opens with two great books from them, one each respectively.
First I'll take a look at the conclusion of Kelly Sue DeConnick's story started in Avenging Spider-Man #9 and conveniently concluded in Avenging Spider-Man #10, then I'll talk about Matt Fraction's Hawkeye #1.
Avenging Spider-Man #10
More Fun! More please!
Last month I loved Avenging Spider-Man #9, with guest star Captain Marvel, and the love continues this month. DeConnick does a terrific job with both heroes, doing terrific justice to both characters. She plays them smart, funny and always heroic. Last month I gave only middling reviews to the actual debute of DeConnick on Captain Marvel #1, but I will definitely stick with the series because she can write and write Captain Marvel especially well. Even though I felt Captain Marvel #1 was too low key for my tastes, Avenging Spider-Man #10 shows what DeConnick can and will do with Captain Marvel, and it is a lot of fun.
Spidey also is done justice in this book. DeConnick plays him pitch perfect, and he proves a good foil to Marvel.
I won't spoiler the story, just say that the police, rent-a-cops in Iron Man cast offs, corporate and ex-corporate folks as well as the hero/villain introduced last issue, Robyn Hood (with a "Y" for Freedom) (yeah, she's kinda crazy) all play their parts well and provide a satisfying set of personalities to aid, inhibit and befuddle our heroes. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.
Also, I have to credit the artists on the book again, it looked great!
I look forward to more from DeConnick with her blend of light comic touch over serious political and character issues. Captain Marvel is a keeper, and she can write my Spider-Man anytime.
Hawkeye #1
Bullseye!
This is a new title (ahead of the universe bending Marvel Now! new titles), which explores the "off duty" life of Clint Barton, Hawkeye. The first issue is a very good start.
I read an article where writer Matt Fraction described Clint Barton as the "Jim Rockford" of the Avengers. I was intrigued by that take on the character, and I think Fraction has made it work in spades. Of course, I think he has done more than just make Barton into the scrappy, never say die, never give up (on a client or other things) PI type, he has also gotten the interplay of dark and light in Barton's personality tuned just right. Fraction has done this hat trick before with Tony Stark on Invincible Iron Man; Danny Rand on the Immortal Iron Fist, and with the cast of characters in the current run of Defenders. He knows all about getting to the person behind the mask.
Barton can be a real jerk (much moreso that we ever saw from Jim Rockford). When he acts that way to his fellow heroes or the average guy on the street (which he can do), you cringe (good example of this for the character was Avenging Spider-Man #4 (written not by Fraction, but by Zeb Wells). Hawkeye was a criminal for part of his career, and part of what led him there was that he can have a very BAD ATTITUDE.
Of course, when he channels that attitude against guys who are even bigger jerks than him, then we are very happy. No cringing, pure applause. Of course, if that was all there was to Clint Barton, he would not be the hero that he is. Even though he can default down to a jerk, he can and does work hard to rise above his limitations. Often these are his physical limitations, because he is "just a guy." He is on a team with gods, robots, geniuses, and monsters. He is just a guy. With some sticks. So, he makes himself a hero by running into situations that no sane person would ever approach.
But more importantly, and Fraction totally sells this in the first issue, Barton knows how to exert himself to rise above being a jerk. He can make bad choices, but when the chips are down and it really counts, he makes the right decisions, the hard decisions, the personally costly decisions, and he backs them up with every ounce of skill and determination at his disposal. This was well captured about the character in Jen Van Meter's limited series, Avengers Solo, starring Hawkeye. Fraction doubles down on the premise. As much of a flawed jerk that Barton can be, he is, in the end, a "do the right thing" guy, and the extremes that he is willing to go to in order to make the right thing happen define his heroism.
The plot of the book almost doesn't matter, because the character stuff is so rich, but basically Fraction sets the scene for Barton as a resident of New York and what he can and will do when he is not leading the Secret Avengers or standing beside Thor, Captain America and Iron Man in some cosmic showdown like AvX. He solves smaller problems, for people and dogs, in his neighborhood, and I'd say it probably is one of the best first issues I have read since Punisher #1 by Greg Rucka.
The art is perfect. It's like Barton's neighborhood, a little rough, but with a classy heart. It totally fit the writing and I look forward to much more from this team.
Good stuff.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Views and reviews: Captain Marvel #1, Avenging Spider-Man #9 & Punisher #13
So, I am behind on many things, largely due to the wirlwind which was my children's swim team season. It was another season of fun and a lot of early mornings (less fun). But now, I need to do some catching up. I have expanded my regular consumption of comic books from one to a startling TWO. Not only am I subscribed at my local store (the wonderful Beyond Comics) to Greg Rucka's The Punisher (sadly to end at issue 16 and then be followed by a five issue mini-series, and then the character passes to another writer, reportedly in a team book (see Punisher Central where I first saw this story)), but also to Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel. As a bonus (except to my budget), Captain Marvel also guest starred in Avenging Spider-Man #9, giving me three comics to behind on writing about.
So, without further meanderings, here's what I thought about these comics.
Captain Marvel #1
Good, but not yet great.
I am happy and excitited about this comic. Issue #1, based on my level of excitement, was a bit of a let down. I still enjoyed the comic, but I wish different choices had been made editorially and in the writing. DeConnick is a very talented writer, and the editor Steve Wacker is a very smart editor. Somehow, their efforts on this launch fell a little flat. The story was a real "back to foundations" kind of story. What makes Carol Danvers, currently Ms. Marvel debuing a new uniform, tick? (PS I in the "I love the new uniform" camp). She is a pilot at heart, and her heroes are female pioneers of flight. We get a bit about her growing up, her idols, meeting the female pilot who most inspired her, things like that. This is all good deep background. However, it wasn't very exciting.
Other things were a bit by the numbers as well. The comic is called "Captain Marvel." Carol is conflicted about whether the take the name, Captain America talks her through it. She flies into space. She decides to take the name. Okay, but we kind of knew that was going to happen because it is on the cover.
The other things that sort of bothered me was the by the numbers fight between the Absorbing Man and then Ms. Marvel and Captain America. Absorbing Man stands in the place of the sexist stooge, as well as the big dumb villain. I realize that Carol is, and is meant to be, a female empowering icon. An intrinsic femanist. I am totally on board with that. However, having Absorbing Man speak like he just stepped out of Mad Men instead of existing in the 21st Century just did not wow me. We don't have so much of a problem with big palooka's calling women "broads" anymore. Sure it exists, but the challenges to advancing women and girls political and social interests are much more subtle and poisonous today as I see it, and I am hoping for more depth in this book in future.
Finally, I have to comment on the art. Much of it is beautiful and eye popping (I love Captain Marvel releasing ashes into space). However, much of it is also muddy, unclear and hard to look at. On balance, I am not a fan of artist Dexter Soy as he is creating now. Maybe I am just too much of a traditionalist, but I love a clean line and sharp colors with a realistic style as my default "like." For me, the art often distracted from my enjoyment of the comic.
So, on balance, I have hope for the title, but I was not wowed by the issue. And I wanted to be. I wanted Captain Marvel to fly out of the pages and punch my brain so I saw stars. I'll be hoping for that from issue 2.
Avenging Spider-Man #9
Pure Fun
I have read a few issues of Avenging Spider-Man, and it has been a consistently fun title, with Spider-Man teaming up with a fellow Avenger for one or two issues.
This month, Spidey teams up with Carol Danvers, who at this point in continuity had taken on the mantle of Captain Marvel. The story is set somewhat after the initial Captain Marvel arc started in Captain Marvel #1. And this is the silver lining for Captain Marvel #1 for me. Kelly Sue DeConnick writes this issue, and it is pure fun. This and more of it is what I want to see in the main Captain Marvel title, and I know DeConnick can deliver. Here, Captain Marvel is determined, sassy, brave, resourceful and self-assured.
The premise is that Carol Danvers, proud new owner of a prop engine plane, offers to fly Peter Parker to Boston. There is a bit of "road trip" bonding in an awkward and funny way, and then stuff starts happening that requires costumes, superpowers and some punching. Good stuff.
I don't want to provide any spoilers, just to say that DeConnick deftly tosses her two heroes into a superpowered conflict between a little Occupy Wall Street anarchy and big bank big corporate interests mercenaries. The tone is great, the twists are fun, and this time Deconnick gets to deal with the more subtle side of 21st Century inequality, involving sexism and economic disparity. The text is light, the sub-text is serious, and the tone is pitch-perfect. I was really happy to read this story.
And I was really mad (in a good way) that it is a two parter. I will have to wait until next month to see how Spidey and Captain Marvel diffuse (or punch their way out) of the situation.
Also, the book was an example of the kind of art that does not get in the way of the story and really enhances the experience of the reader. Artists Terry and Rachel Dodson did a fantastic job with all the characters and set pieces. I wish they were drawing Captain Marvel in many ways, though their clean bright art might not have captured parts of the story in Captain Marvel #1 that DeConnick was telling.
The comic book restored my faith, and I really liked it.
Punisher #13
Terrific! Buy it!
So, when I first read this title, I was not aware that it was one of the last 4 issues in The Punisher regular series. This issue is certainly an argument against cancelling the title. However, I guess the sales numbers tell a different story, which it a great shame.
Here we see the Punisher and his ally Rachel Cole-Alves working on a operation together. The operation is self-contained, but clearly part of a much bigger plan that the Punisher has to take down the Exchange. This is not a smash and grab operation, but instead an infiltration with the Punisher and Cole-Alves posing as high powered criminals to attend the auction of high tech contraband. It is clear that they have a plan (and probably multiple back up plans) to acheive their objectives. The heist is all around fun and excitement, and it definitely leaves you wanting more and wondering just what the Punisher is planning to do with the item they acquire.
This issue was not drawn my Marco Checchetto and he was missed, but in general I thought the art by Mico Suayan was solid, though no one works this comic like Checchetto does.
It is a great issue, and I am very sad to know that only three regular issues remain in the series.
Here, as per usual, is what others have to say about this month's Punisher.
Punisher Central (A-) "The story is incredibly entertaining. From Frank and Rachel becoming imposters in formal wear to Frank allowing himself to be captured and interrogated to allow Rachel to rig the yacht to explode, there’s lots to have fun with."
IGN (8/10) "Rucka delivers yet another worthwhile standalone issue this month. Punisher #13 is both an enjoyable heist adventure in its own right, but also an issue that builds towards a larger conflict and opens new questions about Frank's war against the Exchange."
Outer Realm Comics (4/5 stars) "In Punisher #13, Rucka and co. take a detour into espionage territory . . ."
The Complete Marvel Reading Order " It’s pretty standard spy stuff, but it’s an enjoyable read and it does a fine job of furthering the character arcs."
Trinity Comics "Greg Rucka is one of those writers that always does amazing stuff but never gets the credit he deserves . . . If you have always been interested in Punisher then you need to start reading now!"
iFanboy (Story: 4-Very Good, Art: 3-Good) "This story reads like a heist. Several twists and turns and we get some pretty cool action scenes."
Splinter's reviews "All in all, #13 is a decent comic, and an acceptable chapter in the ongoing Rucka "Punisher" narrative. It does little to elevate the story so far, which has seen much more accomplished moments than the ones provided here. Hopefully, by the time they are finished with the character, Rucka and Chechetto will leave behind a complete story, that is none the worse for inclusion of outside superhero elements."
Monday, June 25, 2012
Punisher Issue 12, comments and reviews
So, back on Wednesday, June 20, Greg Rucka's twelf issue of The Punisher came out. Summer has gotten very busy, so I was late to the store (again my local place, Beyond Comics) to buy it, and I am late for my commentary and aggregation of other reviews.
So sue me.
*******************************Some Spoilers to Follow****************************
I liked issue 12 a lot. The art was top notch, and once again we got to see the range of characters featured in the book all following their agendas and pushing forward on this story arc dealing with the criminal organization known as The Exchange. The story's focus is on Marine Sargeant Rachel Cole-Alves again, and I have to say I thought the story was going to zig when it zagged. My reading of things at the end of the Omega Effect was that Daredevil had perhaps talked her off the path of vengence and that Frank was not going to go looking for her unless she wanted to be found.
Well, no, totally misread that. Rachel is planning more against the Exchange, perhaps even (reading between the lines) going down in a final blaze of glory before the cops can catch up to her. This is not what Frank wants, not because he wants to save her, it is because his own plans require more planning and finer execution.
So, he manages to track her down and he gives her a choice, either you are all in, dead to the world all except the mission, like him, or you get out and try to tell yourself you can go on.
The issue was low key, but intense, and sets us up for the roller coaster ride to plunge off the brink once again.
I look forward to more.
But don't just take my word for it. Here are some other views:
CBR (5/5 stars) "The Punisher" #12 is the first book I would hand to anyone who asked me why I like Greg Rucka's writing so much. While this is a very solid twelve issues into Rucka's work on the series, this comic is a shining example of a great shared universe adventure and everyone in the Punisher's sphere of influence gets some panel time."
Spinter's Reviews "Greg Rucka and Marco Chechetto's leisurely paced relaunched "Punisher" series continues in much the same vein, . . .The character confrontations culminate with the fight between Frank and Rachel, which feels somewhat overlong and predicated on a piece of a particularly loaded symbolism. Chechetto's solid, clear work gets overtaken by a particularly intrusive piece of special effects when it gets to the featuring the two characters trading punches in the rain. The resulting sequence is at least a page too long and muddy, which takes away from the intended effect of shock and emotion."
Talking Comics "Greg Rucka’s run of The Punisher has been a must-buy since the beginning and issue #12 keeps that trend moving along nicely. From a visual or narrative standpoint you really can’t lose here. Checchetto’s artwork and Hollingsworth colors are a treat for the eyes and Rucka’s dialogue, especially his work with Frank this issue, is fantastic. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. You won’t be sorry."
Punisher Central (A+) "There are two components to this issue that really drew me in. First was the artwork. From the cover to the last panel on the last page, Marco Checchetto’s work is second to none. Second is the leading up to the confrontation between Frank Castle and Rachel Cole-Alves. This meeting lives up to the hype and it leads to a very satisfying conclusion."
Sequnetial Review (8.5/10) "These bullets have backbone."
The Mamals "Rucka's take on the Punisher continues to fascinate me and just might be my favorite part of this comic book. I think this might be my favorite issue of the series so far because of the conversation between Castle and Cole-Alves."
Thor's Comic Column (4/5 stars) "Rucka’s Punisher continues to do a fine job of telling crime-comic stories in a superhero universe."
IGN (8.5/10) "Throughout Greg Rucka’s run on The Punisher, Frank Castle has said, at best, 7 complete sentences. In issue #12, he finally speaks his mind to Rachel Cole-Alves about, what else, the mission. Remarkably, though he speaks more in this issue than he has in the series total so far, Rucka still positions Frank as merely a driving force for the other characters. We’re not interested in what Frank is doing so much as what he’s causing other characters to do."
So sue me.
*******************************Some Spoilers to Follow****************************
I liked issue 12 a lot. The art was top notch, and once again we got to see the range of characters featured in the book all following their agendas and pushing forward on this story arc dealing with the criminal organization known as The Exchange. The story's focus is on Marine Sargeant Rachel Cole-Alves again, and I have to say I thought the story was going to zig when it zagged. My reading of things at the end of the Omega Effect was that Daredevil had perhaps talked her off the path of vengence and that Frank was not going to go looking for her unless she wanted to be found.
Well, no, totally misread that. Rachel is planning more against the Exchange, perhaps even (reading between the lines) going down in a final blaze of glory before the cops can catch up to her. This is not what Frank wants, not because he wants to save her, it is because his own plans require more planning and finer execution.
So, he manages to track her down and he gives her a choice, either you are all in, dead to the world all except the mission, like him, or you get out and try to tell yourself you can go on.
The issue was low key, but intense, and sets us up for the roller coaster ride to plunge off the brink once again.
I look forward to more.
But don't just take my word for it. Here are some other views:
CBR (5/5 stars) "The Punisher" #12 is the first book I would hand to anyone who asked me why I like Greg Rucka's writing so much. While this is a very solid twelve issues into Rucka's work on the series, this comic is a shining example of a great shared universe adventure and everyone in the Punisher's sphere of influence gets some panel time."
Spinter's Reviews "Greg Rucka and Marco Chechetto's leisurely paced relaunched "Punisher" series continues in much the same vein, . . .The character confrontations culminate with the fight between Frank and Rachel, which feels somewhat overlong and predicated on a piece of a particularly loaded symbolism. Chechetto's solid, clear work gets overtaken by a particularly intrusive piece of special effects when it gets to the featuring the two characters trading punches in the rain. The resulting sequence is at least a page too long and muddy, which takes away from the intended effect of shock and emotion."
Talking Comics "Greg Rucka’s run of The Punisher has been a must-buy since the beginning and issue #12 keeps that trend moving along nicely. From a visual or narrative standpoint you really can’t lose here. Checchetto’s artwork and Hollingsworth colors are a treat for the eyes and Rucka’s dialogue, especially his work with Frank this issue, is fantastic. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. You won’t be sorry."
Punisher Central (A+) "There are two components to this issue that really drew me in. First was the artwork. From the cover to the last panel on the last page, Marco Checchetto’s work is second to none. Second is the leading up to the confrontation between Frank Castle and Rachel Cole-Alves. This meeting lives up to the hype and it leads to a very satisfying conclusion."
Sequnetial Review (8.5/10) "These bullets have backbone."
The Mamals "Rucka's take on the Punisher continues to fascinate me and just might be my favorite part of this comic book. I think this might be my favorite issue of the series so far because of the conversation between Castle and Cole-Alves."
Thor's Comic Column (4/5 stars) "Rucka’s Punisher continues to do a fine job of telling crime-comic stories in a superhero universe."
IGN (8.5/10) "Throughout Greg Rucka’s run on The Punisher, Frank Castle has said, at best, 7 complete sentences. In issue #12, he finally speaks his mind to Rachel Cole-Alves about, what else, the mission. Remarkably, though he speaks more in this issue than he has in the series total so far, Rucka still positions Frank as merely a driving force for the other characters. We’re not interested in what Frank is doing so much as what he’s causing other characters to do."
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Finished "Alpha"
I was able to finish Greg Rucka's "Alpha" yesterday. It was a painful eight days, not because of reading the book, but rather all the time I had to NOT read the book. This is easily a book you can sit down to read a chapter or two and find yourself reading all afternoon and into the night. Rucka has always written terrific page turners and this book is no exception.
So, after putting down the book each day with regret that I was going to have to wait to pick it up again, I finished yesterday.
All the good things have been said already about the book, but I will say them again. The book is a classic character driven piece. Yes, there is a BIG ACTION plot. But what happens in the book is not dictated by the flow of the plot from point A to point B. Instead, the action is driven by the decisions of the characters, big and small. Rucka puts us in the perspective of several protagaonists and antagonists so that we see who they are, how they thing and we understand why they are doing what they are doing (and we see at what costs). The book is compelling because the characters are compelling, not because it is about the possibility of a dirty bomb going off at a major American amusement park.
The writing is very taught. The action builds and builds, and each chapter end demands that you turn to the subsequent chapter.
The hero is a flawed paragon. Jad Bell is someone you want on your side, but he is complicated, and may not be the best friend, husband or relative to have. He chose early on what was most important, and it is the duty to his service and his country, and when it comes to personal relationships, that can be pretty brutal.
Jad has the most complicated relationships with his teenage daughter, who happens to be deaf, and his estranged ex-wife. Both characters are fully realized and even though you are on Jad's "side" as he does his job, you can see why the choices he has made destroyed his marriage and make his daughter really mad at him (more than your usual teenage daughter). The relationships are earned and painful. They are not just there for "feel good" moments, like some sentimental relief. They are there because they throw into sharp contrasts the contradictions of our hero and legitimately up the ante on the events of the plot.
Finally, the rest of the supporting cast is amazing. This is one of Rucka's most cinematic books (like I said, BIG ACTION), but everytime you see a character and, based on your experience perhaps with action movies, you say, oh, I know who this character is, it turns out that you are wrong. There are no cardboard villans, spies, corporate jerks, military guys. There are characters who are believable and complex, even if they only have slight "screen time." You don't even think that you are dealing with some idiot from central casting who could not really do the role he or she is portraying and who only exists as some kind of straw person or foil. For a BIG ACTION book, this is a true study in characters. And the characters are smart and competent. Everyone makes mistakes and has imperfections, but no one is portrayed as an idiot just to make Jad look good. The twists and turns of the book are sharp and earned through the logical actions, sacrifices and gambles of three dimensional characters.
It is a pleasure to read.
I highly recommend it. It would be a great way to spend a summer day or two.
Justin Peniston also has some interesting things to say about Alpha and Rucka as a writer in general. I recommend checking out what he has to say (and he has two great web comics, so you could check those out as well!)
So, after putting down the book each day with regret that I was going to have to wait to pick it up again, I finished yesterday.
All the good things have been said already about the book, but I will say them again. The book is a classic character driven piece. Yes, there is a BIG ACTION plot. But what happens in the book is not dictated by the flow of the plot from point A to point B. Instead, the action is driven by the decisions of the characters, big and small. Rucka puts us in the perspective of several protagaonists and antagonists so that we see who they are, how they thing and we understand why they are doing what they are doing (and we see at what costs). The book is compelling because the characters are compelling, not because it is about the possibility of a dirty bomb going off at a major American amusement park.
The writing is very taught. The action builds and builds, and each chapter end demands that you turn to the subsequent chapter.
The hero is a flawed paragon. Jad Bell is someone you want on your side, but he is complicated, and may not be the best friend, husband or relative to have. He chose early on what was most important, and it is the duty to his service and his country, and when it comes to personal relationships, that can be pretty brutal.
Jad has the most complicated relationships with his teenage daughter, who happens to be deaf, and his estranged ex-wife. Both characters are fully realized and even though you are on Jad's "side" as he does his job, you can see why the choices he has made destroyed his marriage and make his daughter really mad at him (more than your usual teenage daughter). The relationships are earned and painful. They are not just there for "feel good" moments, like some sentimental relief. They are there because they throw into sharp contrasts the contradictions of our hero and legitimately up the ante on the events of the plot.
Finally, the rest of the supporting cast is amazing. This is one of Rucka's most cinematic books (like I said, BIG ACTION), but everytime you see a character and, based on your experience perhaps with action movies, you say, oh, I know who this character is, it turns out that you are wrong. There are no cardboard villans, spies, corporate jerks, military guys. There are characters who are believable and complex, even if they only have slight "screen time." You don't even think that you are dealing with some idiot from central casting who could not really do the role he or she is portraying and who only exists as some kind of straw person or foil. For a BIG ACTION book, this is a true study in characters. And the characters are smart and competent. Everyone makes mistakes and has imperfections, but no one is portrayed as an idiot just to make Jad look good. The twists and turns of the book are sharp and earned through the logical actions, sacrifices and gambles of three dimensional characters.
It is a pleasure to read.
I highly recommend it. It would be a great way to spend a summer day or two.
Justin Peniston also has some interesting things to say about Alpha and Rucka as a writer in general. I recommend checking out what he has to say (and he has two great web comics, so you could check those out as well!)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Very nice review of Greg Rucka's Alpha over at "Thinking Too Much"
Here is a really thoughtful and interesting review of Greg Rucka's terrific new book Alpha. I am only part way through the book, so I have no comprehensive review yet, but this blog entry really captures well the depth, fun and complexity of the book. It is a great page turner, but it is far more than that too.
Read it!
Read it!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Punisher Issue #11-Thoughts and reviews
Hey, another month, another Wednesday, and Greg Rucka has another issue of The Punisher out.
Once again, I picked it up from my local place, Beyond Comics. While my nearest gaming store is not so near, I am fortunate to have a great comic book place not so far.
So, I have a few thoughts. The short review is probably not surprising. I liked the issue. After the conclusion of The Omega Effect crossover, it tooks us in a new and unexpected direction, while still keeping the storyline going. I recommend the issue, and the entire run so far.
To discuss in slightly more detail I need to mention . . .
**************SPOILERS**************
So, as you may have read in the reviews (including mine) of the end of the Omega Effect, the big transformation was not in what Daredevil did with the Omega Drive, but instead in the effect of Spiderman, Daredevil, The Punisher and Sgt. Rachel Cole-Alves forming a temporary alliance had on those characters. Chief of which was Cole-Alves. It seemed that Daredevil had perhaps convinced her to step off the path that Frank Castle had walked, and to choose a new destiny.
So, we get neither Cole-Alves directly, nor anything to do with the Omega Drive (or Megacrime) in this issue. Instead, we get a very interesting story about Detective Bolt and some major changes for him and his relationship to The Punisher. However, hidden in plain sight in the story is also the evolving storyline of Cole-Alves and The Punisher, but we get distracted by the Zombies, so you might not pick up on it at first.
Yes, Zombies.
Actually, as gonzo as it seems, it is actually a great set piece, which really works for the character development that Rucka is putting forward. Detective Bolt starts the issue in an interview room, talking about a shooting in Times Square. However, he decides to come clean and admit that the earlier shooting in which he was involved (Punisher #1) did not go down the way he had described. He admits that all the bad guys he supposedly shot were killed by The Punisher using Bolt's gun. He admits to covering it up and accepting the praise for actions he did not take, and he explains that the encounter had turned him informant for The Punisher. He explains that this is why Frank Castle approached him in Times Square, while Bolt was on a date, but before he can respond to Castle's demands for information . . . Zombie Attack!
As it turns out, some nutty supervillain/necromancer, Black Talon, from New Orleans is hoping to take on the Avengers. Instead, Punisher systematically blows away about 20 Zombies with Bolt watching his back, mostly afraid to shoot, concerned with hitting civilians (he admits to taking down maybe one zombie at most). Then, when Black Talon starts monologuing, Punisher puts a couple of round sthrough his chest. End of bad guy.
Punisher exits the scene in the ensuing confusion, and Bolt ends up making his statement and confessing his past misdeeds.
Then, the twist.
Despite serious misconduct, Bolt was on the scene and did do his duty (albeit with the lion's share of the work done by Punisher) during a supervillain attack. The brass in the department decide that sweeping things under the rug and putting a good face on things is better in Bolt's case than going after his badge.
Bolt completely expects to have thrown his career away, but at least he won't be living a lie. At the end, when they toss him back his badge, you can almost taste the bitter ashes in his mouth. Things did not go the way he thought.
This is a great character piece. I really liked it. Also, there were, for me, some key nuggets of how the Exchange storyline may develop, especially in the wake of the Omega Effect.
Bolt says that they were looking at Cole-Alves as a suspect in some of the deaths of Exchange members, however, the fact that The Punisher wanted files on her, had made Bolt reconsider whether they might be working togehter.
I don't think that is a mistake on The Punisher's part. I think at this point, he would like to see her out of it all. First, she has proved to be an unreliable ally, given her departure from their plan during the Omega Effect. However, he may, in some way, share Daredevil's hope that Cole-Alves can get out of the revenge game and escape Frank Castle's fate and mission. One way he can do that is by covering her tracks and muddying the waters of any investigation on her.
Of course, the narrower interpretation would be that he just wants to find her again after she disappeared at the end of DD #11. However, that would contradict what he said to DD and Spidey, which was that she would be found if she wanted to be found by him.
I am intrigued by what it all means for the future of the long term story.
Gripes
I don't pick to much on the nits with things I like, even when they are imperfect. However, I did want to get on record on a few things. First, this month, and almost every month, the cover of Punisher either has nothing to do with the contents of the book, or even when related, is not great art. There have been exceptions in the last 11 issues, but they are the minority. It bothers me, even if it is unrealistic to coodinate cover art, because the guy on the cover has pretty much nothing to do with the character as portrayed in the book.
Second, the art is not great. I don't mean any disrespect to Mirko Colak and the color artists, but I am totally spoled by the way most of this run has totally rocked out to the art of Marco Checchetto. Colak is fine, but not up to the task of really making the visuals sing the way Checchotto has, and that is a disappointment in an otherwise good issue.
So, don't just take my word for things. Here is what some others are saying:
Read/Rant (B+) "I feel like I should put this to a beat and sing it for you by now, since it seems to be the week’s theme, but… not bad, but not the best the series had to offer. It does resolve, or at least begin to resolve, one of the book’s ongoing plots, albeit in an appropriately cynical manner, and it does so using zombies and sudden, unpredictable violence."
D&J Comics (Book of the Week) ". . . Rucka gives us a perfect jumping on point for new readers with a fresh story arc. Just like Frank, this series is methodical and will hunt you down."
iFanboy (Story 2/5 average, Art 2/5 average) "Disappointed. There was almost no relation to what was solicited or hinted at in the recap page to what was present in this issue. . . . Punisher is a great comic because it feels grounded. Even with the intro of characters like Daredevil and Spiderman, Punisher feels very street level and crime-focused. To suddenly have him randomly shooting zombies with zero questions asked before, during or after felt out of step with the previous tone of the book."
More as I find them.
Update May 11
IGN (7.5/10) "Overall, while the art doesn’t exactly do much for the visual tone of the series, Rucka crafts another engaging – if out-of-left-field – story that illuminates the world of the Punisher within the regular Marvel Universe like few have done in the past."
Punisher Central (B+) "The issue isn’t extremely entertaining but it does a decent job at keeping the reader engaged. The dialogue flows well and the decision for Rucka to tell Bolt’s story through the flashback convention, while being interrogated is an interesting one. Not all issues can be full of action and can move story forward at a lightning pace. Sometimes it is essential to have an issue here and there that provides backstory or setup for things to come. In that regard, this issue performs that purpose admirably."
The Comics Journal (no rating; unfavorable) "The comic ends with one of a Ruckan staple–undergraduate political skepticism, drink it in–but not before he rips off the best gag in that War Zone movie, strips it of its timing, and uses it to fill up two full pages of comic. Speaking of pages, the Punisher speaks on only two out of the seven he actually appears on, so at least there’s a bright side: you can finish reading this issue very quickly."
The Gathering (included on the Buy These Books list) "Greg Rucka has been writing what may be the best 616 run on Punisher ever."
Geek Hard (no rating; favorable) "I don’t like Marvel. I don’t like the Punisher. There I said it. But you need to read this book. Greg Rucka is on fire here."
Update May 14
Weekly Comic Book Review (A-) "A fantastic, psychological read of how the Punisher myth erodes one man’s identity. So far, the smartest read of the week."
CBR (3.5/5 stars) ""The Punisher" is a consistently good series, and #11 continues that streak. I appreciated the end result of Bolt's encounter with the zombies and his subsequent outing to the police force; it provides a lot more story fodder for the months to come. This is a good example of a series that has found just the right pace, not only for collected editions but for the serialized format too. As always, "The Punisher" is a pleasure to read."
The Weekly Crisis (Verdict: Buy It) "This issue is kind of the perfect storm for me. I really like Greg Rucka, I really like done-in-one comics, and I really like this iteration of the Punisher. Taken all together, I can't help but ask what's not to love? It's not quite as good as the Ozzy-centric issue, but it still makes for a great read."
Points of Impact (BULLSEYE!) " . . . one thing is sure: the framing device in THE PUNISHER #11 does more than bookend the story; it is a story in and of itself.
. . .
Sure, you can use a framing device if you want to present your story in a cool way. But why stop at that when you could have a consistent framing device instead and tell two stories (and be the envy of all the other comic writers)? All you need to do is make sure your framing narrative has more than a token presence throughout the comic, that it can stand on its own as an independant story and that its plot leads to long-lasting effect on the regular cast of the comic."
Once again, I picked it up from my local place, Beyond Comics. While my nearest gaming store is not so near, I am fortunate to have a great comic book place not so far.
So, I have a few thoughts. The short review is probably not surprising. I liked the issue. After the conclusion of The Omega Effect crossover, it tooks us in a new and unexpected direction, while still keeping the storyline going. I recommend the issue, and the entire run so far.
To discuss in slightly more detail I need to mention . . .
**************SPOILERS**************
So, as you may have read in the reviews (including mine) of the end of the Omega Effect, the big transformation was not in what Daredevil did with the Omega Drive, but instead in the effect of Spiderman, Daredevil, The Punisher and Sgt. Rachel Cole-Alves forming a temporary alliance had on those characters. Chief of which was Cole-Alves. It seemed that Daredevil had perhaps convinced her to step off the path that Frank Castle had walked, and to choose a new destiny.
So, we get neither Cole-Alves directly, nor anything to do with the Omega Drive (or Megacrime) in this issue. Instead, we get a very interesting story about Detective Bolt and some major changes for him and his relationship to The Punisher. However, hidden in plain sight in the story is also the evolving storyline of Cole-Alves and The Punisher, but we get distracted by the Zombies, so you might not pick up on it at first.
Yes, Zombies.
Actually, as gonzo as it seems, it is actually a great set piece, which really works for the character development that Rucka is putting forward. Detective Bolt starts the issue in an interview room, talking about a shooting in Times Square. However, he decides to come clean and admit that the earlier shooting in which he was involved (Punisher #1) did not go down the way he had described. He admits that all the bad guys he supposedly shot were killed by The Punisher using Bolt's gun. He admits to covering it up and accepting the praise for actions he did not take, and he explains that the encounter had turned him informant for The Punisher. He explains that this is why Frank Castle approached him in Times Square, while Bolt was on a date, but before he can respond to Castle's demands for information . . . Zombie Attack!
As it turns out, some nutty supervillain/necromancer, Black Talon, from New Orleans is hoping to take on the Avengers. Instead, Punisher systematically blows away about 20 Zombies with Bolt watching his back, mostly afraid to shoot, concerned with hitting civilians (he admits to taking down maybe one zombie at most). Then, when Black Talon starts monologuing, Punisher puts a couple of round sthrough his chest. End of bad guy.
Punisher exits the scene in the ensuing confusion, and Bolt ends up making his statement and confessing his past misdeeds.
Then, the twist.
Despite serious misconduct, Bolt was on the scene and did do his duty (albeit with the lion's share of the work done by Punisher) during a supervillain attack. The brass in the department decide that sweeping things under the rug and putting a good face on things is better in Bolt's case than going after his badge.
Bolt completely expects to have thrown his career away, but at least he won't be living a lie. At the end, when they toss him back his badge, you can almost taste the bitter ashes in his mouth. Things did not go the way he thought.
This is a great character piece. I really liked it. Also, there were, for me, some key nuggets of how the Exchange storyline may develop, especially in the wake of the Omega Effect.
Bolt says that they were looking at Cole-Alves as a suspect in some of the deaths of Exchange members, however, the fact that The Punisher wanted files on her, had made Bolt reconsider whether they might be working togehter.
I don't think that is a mistake on The Punisher's part. I think at this point, he would like to see her out of it all. First, she has proved to be an unreliable ally, given her departure from their plan during the Omega Effect. However, he may, in some way, share Daredevil's hope that Cole-Alves can get out of the revenge game and escape Frank Castle's fate and mission. One way he can do that is by covering her tracks and muddying the waters of any investigation on her.
Of course, the narrower interpretation would be that he just wants to find her again after she disappeared at the end of DD #11. However, that would contradict what he said to DD and Spidey, which was that she would be found if she wanted to be found by him.
I am intrigued by what it all means for the future of the long term story.
Gripes
I don't pick to much on the nits with things I like, even when they are imperfect. However, I did want to get on record on a few things. First, this month, and almost every month, the cover of Punisher either has nothing to do with the contents of the book, or even when related, is not great art. There have been exceptions in the last 11 issues, but they are the minority. It bothers me, even if it is unrealistic to coodinate cover art, because the guy on the cover has pretty much nothing to do with the character as portrayed in the book.
Second, the art is not great. I don't mean any disrespect to Mirko Colak and the color artists, but I am totally spoled by the way most of this run has totally rocked out to the art of Marco Checchetto. Colak is fine, but not up to the task of really making the visuals sing the way Checchotto has, and that is a disappointment in an otherwise good issue.
So, don't just take my word for things. Here is what some others are saying:
Read/Rant (B+) "I feel like I should put this to a beat and sing it for you by now, since it seems to be the week’s theme, but… not bad, but not the best the series had to offer. It does resolve, or at least begin to resolve, one of the book’s ongoing plots, albeit in an appropriately cynical manner, and it does so using zombies and sudden, unpredictable violence."
D&J Comics (Book of the Week) ". . . Rucka gives us a perfect jumping on point for new readers with a fresh story arc. Just like Frank, this series is methodical and will hunt you down."
iFanboy (Story 2/5 average, Art 2/5 average) "Disappointed. There was almost no relation to what was solicited or hinted at in the recap page to what was present in this issue. . . . Punisher is a great comic because it feels grounded. Even with the intro of characters like Daredevil and Spiderman, Punisher feels very street level and crime-focused. To suddenly have him randomly shooting zombies with zero questions asked before, during or after felt out of step with the previous tone of the book."
More as I find them.
Update May 11
IGN (7.5/10) "Overall, while the art doesn’t exactly do much for the visual tone of the series, Rucka crafts another engaging – if out-of-left-field – story that illuminates the world of the Punisher within the regular Marvel Universe like few have done in the past."
Punisher Central (B+) "The issue isn’t extremely entertaining but it does a decent job at keeping the reader engaged. The dialogue flows well and the decision for Rucka to tell Bolt’s story through the flashback convention, while being interrogated is an interesting one. Not all issues can be full of action and can move story forward at a lightning pace. Sometimes it is essential to have an issue here and there that provides backstory or setup for things to come. In that regard, this issue performs that purpose admirably."
The Gathering (included on the Buy These Books list) "Greg Rucka has been writing what may be the best 616 run on Punisher ever."
Geek Hard (no rating; favorable) "I don’t like Marvel. I don’t like the Punisher. There I said it. But you need to read this book. Greg Rucka is on fire here."
Update May 14
Weekly Comic Book Review (A-) "A fantastic, psychological read of how the Punisher myth erodes one man’s identity. So far, the smartest read of the week."
CBR (3.5/5 stars) ""The Punisher" is a consistently good series, and #11 continues that streak. I appreciated the end result of Bolt's encounter with the zombies and his subsequent outing to the police force; it provides a lot more story fodder for the months to come. This is a good example of a series that has found just the right pace, not only for collected editions but for the serialized format too. As always, "The Punisher" is a pleasure to read."
The Weekly Crisis (Verdict: Buy It) "This issue is kind of the perfect storm for me. I really like Greg Rucka, I really like done-in-one comics, and I really like this iteration of the Punisher. Taken all together, I can't help but ask what's not to love? It's not quite as good as the Ozzy-centric issue, but it still makes for a great read."
Points of Impact (BULLSEYE!) " . . . one thing is sure: the framing device in THE PUNISHER #11 does more than bookend the story; it is a story in and of itself.
. . .
Sure, you can use a framing device if you want to present your story in a cool way. But why stop at that when you could have a consistent framing device instead and tell two stories (and be the envy of all the other comic writers)? All you need to do is make sure your framing narrative has more than a token presence throughout the comic, that it can stand on its own as an independant story and that its plot leads to long-lasting effect on the regular cast of the comic."
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Omega Effect Part 3: Daredevil Issue 11
So, the concluding part of the Omega Effect came out yesterday.
SOME SPOILERS * * * * *
I picked it up at my local comic book store (Beyond Comics, yay!), and I have to say that i have mixed feelings about the conclusion. I enjoyed the book. The art continues strong. I enjoyed the dialog, I felt the pacing was good, and the conclusion was satisfactory, and yet somewhat unsatisfying. We came into the mini-event with Daredevil having the real problem of possession of the Omega Drive. He concluded that he needed to destroy the drive, despite the fact that others would use it (Punisher) or turn it over to those who could use it (Spiderman, suggesting the Avengers or Reed Richards). To keep Daredevil's friends and associates safe, he, Spidey and Punisher (along with his ally Sgt. Rachel Cole-Alves) agree on a truce during which they will take the fight to Megacrime, and once they have those organizations undivided attention, they will destroy the drive.
Well, things did not go exactly to plan, and that is part of the fun.
But, in the end, despite a lot of action, Daredevil still has the drive, and nothing about the looming danger is resolved.
This is not to say that nothing happens. For Daredevil, the more important things has happened. He may have convinced Sgt. Cole-Alves to leave the path of the Punisher and maybe reclaim her life. She represents his second chance of saving someone, where he feels he failed with Frank Castle. Also, the three heroes get to take a major bite out of Megacrime and subject them to a big beatdown, with Spidey using his Avenger status to Call in SHIELD for cleanup.
So, Waid gets to keep the Omega McGuffin going, and that is intriging and probably fun. But part of me was anticipating the resolution of the drive issue. And that part of me is only a small part, but that part of me is disappointed.
Still, on the whole, I really liked the event and I liked this issue.
Here are what others are saying:
Comic Vine (4/5 stars) "This is not at all a bad comic; in fact, it's very entertaining. There is some really fantastic art in this issue and it is a great end to a cross-over event. I personally really enjoyed reading these three characters team up and work together. I liked seeing them keep a common goal in mind even if they didn't agree with one another. The fact that they did not agree actually made the story even more entertaining to read. Overall, not a bad issue and this book managed to wrap up the story very neatly"
IGN (8.5/10) "For a crossover event that has been solid for the first two thirds of its story, I fully expected Daredevil #11 to maintain the quality of The Omega Effect thus far and those expectations were met. This is a solid conclusion to the Daredevil/Punisher crossover that has a profound effect on both Mark Waid and Greg Rucka's series. Even for those that have only been reading Daredevil, Waid does an admirable job of getting you up to speed on Omega Effect right off the bat, though it's inevitable that the key dramatic beats of the story will likely be lost on you."
The Other murdock Papers "The criticism often leveled at cross-overs is that they are too often about rounding up a group of heroes just for the sake of putting them in a story together, where the story becomes nothing more than an alibi for doing so. With the Omega Effect, we had something very different going: a collaboration that felt organic, and which grew naturally out of a story that had been brewing in Daredevil for quite some time. There were also hints along the way (based on interviews with the writers) of the fall-out of the event affecting both the Daredevil and Punisher series in the coming months. Why, then, with everything going for it, does this story inexplicably end up giving this reader the feeling that the Omega drive was nothing more than a plot device to get these characters to team up? Yes, it was fun. Despite the destination leaving me cold, it was a fun ride getting there. But it feels as if there was so much potential for something more substantial."
Comic Vault (Story 10/10, Art 10/10) "Mark Waid wraps up the "Omega Effect" crossover with all of the elements that made the first two parts of the story so damn good intact . . .
Waid does a stellar job of presenting the story from Daredevil’s perspective (it is DD’s book, after all), exploring how Matt Murdock feels that he failed the Punisher by never being able to pull him back from the proverbial ledge before he went all the way over. Feeling he can do the same for Alves, we’ve seen Murdock try to talk sense into her once before in this crossover (during Rucka’s Punisher #10). Whether or not he gets through in this issue remains to be seen.
Marco Checchetto and Matt Hollingsworth continue to deliver the goods artistically. There really isn’t much I can say about it that I didn’t already touch on in my reviews for Avenging Spider-Man #6 and Punisher #10, so check those out, too.
What are you still reading this review for? GO PICK UP THIS CROSSOVER!"
iFanboy (Story: 2 - Average, Art: 4 - Very Good) "We left the second installment of the Omega Effect with an ambiguous ending in Punisher 10 last week and it didn’t get much better from there with this issue. Spiderman is a total throw away character in this entire arc and it seems like the Omega Drive is simply a MacGuffin to flesh out Rachel Cole-Alves. But even that falls flat as all we are treated to is Daredevil yelling at her. A poor ending to the arc and a rare misstep for Waid’s run on Daredevil."
Punisher Central (B+) "This issue had tons of action and even some tense and more quiet dialogue scenes. That entertained me tons! I was also anxiously anticipated the last few pages as I had no idea where this all was leading to. The book goes by fast with all the action and if you are a fan of Spider-Man, Daredevil or the Punisher then you are in for a treat."
Update April 27
CBR (1.5/5 stars) ""Daredevil" #11 is a frustrating comic. It's drawn beautifully and the scripting is strong. The problem is the plotting itself and that's what drags the book (and overall story) down a great deal. The strengths of "Daredevil" #11 are from the window dressing, but it's hard to ignore that the core itself is weak at best. It's a pity, because I expect much more from both "Daredevil" and "The Punisher" these days. Not this book's finest moment."
Suraph "What this all leads up to is that Omega Effect was a bit of a disappointment. After a strong start early on the crossover slowly fizzled out and eventually led nowhere."
Population GO (4/5) "All in all, it’s another solid issue of Mark Waid’s Daredevil run, it’s still well worth your $2.99, and if new readers jumped into this crossover I’m sure they’ll be inspired to keep following either of the series involved, if not simply to see what happens next with the Omega Drive. It may not have had the conclusion I originally expected, but it was a nice story to have before we do get to that conclusion."
Talking Comics "You won’t be sorry you read Daredevil #11 as it features Mark Waid’s wonderful prose and pacing, but you will find yourself unsatisfied with where this story goes. One bright spot is that I’m now familiar with artist Marco Checchetto. I started out cool to his grittier style, but found myself really appreciating what he brings to the table by the close of the issue. The end of the book does promise ramifications for Daredevil in the issues to come, but until that happens I’m calling this arc a wash."
Newsarama "Don't get me wrong, there's been a lot to like about "The Omega Effect," teaming up Spider-Man, the Punisher and Daredevil, but I think this saga hit its peak in the first installment, and was unable to top itself moving forward. . . . Ultimately, this book suffers most from its high expectations — this team is capable of some fantastic stuff, and the low-impact conclusion of "The Omega Effect" doesn't quite hit that mark."
The Collective "For those who haven't been reading Daredevil or "The Omega Effect", this issue probably won't do much for you, but if you have been following the story, this issue is a satisfying conclusion to the storyline, and offers some great story points for characters not only in Daredevil, but in Punisher as well. With so many big events going around in Marvel, it's good to see that the smaller ones are just as good, if not better, than the big guns."
Examiner.com "Overall, "THE OMEGA DRIVE" [sic] is a rare crossover in which the focus is on characters and interaction versus on generic action and cookie-cutter editorial mandates. It is for that reason it has been a pleasure and not a distraction, and why it is one that Marvel fans shouldn't miss."
Update April 30
The Doom Pool (5/5) "First off, this DD run is pretty damn good from #1 on. Pick it up. Issue 11 is not only a fitting end to the story arc (centering around a data drive that a number of crime organizations want), it shows DD at his best. We get the action early on, then a beautifully rendered and tense scene between Punisher’s ally, Cole, and Daredevil. It is a great example of action not being predicated on combat or chase, but emotional tension, arguments, debate, etc. "
Trinity Comics "The creative team for the crossover really stepped up their game. Mark Waid has been kicking ass on Daredevil since the relaunch and Greg Rucka has been doing some cool stuff with Punisher"
Weekly Comic Book Review (C-) "A fun crossover completely undercut and shot to bits by a terrible conclusion. Seriously, the Omega Effect may as well have never even happened. This entire crossover achieved nothing. But hey, on the plus side, that Marcos Martin cover is totally wicked."
SOME SPOILERS * * * * *
I picked it up at my local comic book store (Beyond Comics, yay!), and I have to say that i have mixed feelings about the conclusion. I enjoyed the book. The art continues strong. I enjoyed the dialog, I felt the pacing was good, and the conclusion was satisfactory, and yet somewhat unsatisfying. We came into the mini-event with Daredevil having the real problem of possession of the Omega Drive. He concluded that he needed to destroy the drive, despite the fact that others would use it (Punisher) or turn it over to those who could use it (Spiderman, suggesting the Avengers or Reed Richards). To keep Daredevil's friends and associates safe, he, Spidey and Punisher (along with his ally Sgt. Rachel Cole-Alves) agree on a truce during which they will take the fight to Megacrime, and once they have those organizations undivided attention, they will destroy the drive.
Well, things did not go exactly to plan, and that is part of the fun.
But, in the end, despite a lot of action, Daredevil still has the drive, and nothing about the looming danger is resolved.
This is not to say that nothing happens. For Daredevil, the more important things has happened. He may have convinced Sgt. Cole-Alves to leave the path of the Punisher and maybe reclaim her life. She represents his second chance of saving someone, where he feels he failed with Frank Castle. Also, the three heroes get to take a major bite out of Megacrime and subject them to a big beatdown, with Spidey using his Avenger status to Call in SHIELD for cleanup.
So, Waid gets to keep the Omega McGuffin going, and that is intriging and probably fun. But part of me was anticipating the resolution of the drive issue. And that part of me is only a small part, but that part of me is disappointed.
Still, on the whole, I really liked the event and I liked this issue.
Here are what others are saying:
Comic Vine (4/5 stars) "This is not at all a bad comic; in fact, it's very entertaining. There is some really fantastic art in this issue and it is a great end to a cross-over event. I personally really enjoyed reading these three characters team up and work together. I liked seeing them keep a common goal in mind even if they didn't agree with one another. The fact that they did not agree actually made the story even more entertaining to read. Overall, not a bad issue and this book managed to wrap up the story very neatly"
IGN (8.5/10) "For a crossover event that has been solid for the first two thirds of its story, I fully expected Daredevil #11 to maintain the quality of The Omega Effect thus far and those expectations were met. This is a solid conclusion to the Daredevil/Punisher crossover that has a profound effect on both Mark Waid and Greg Rucka's series. Even for those that have only been reading Daredevil, Waid does an admirable job of getting you up to speed on Omega Effect right off the bat, though it's inevitable that the key dramatic beats of the story will likely be lost on you."
The Other murdock Papers "The criticism often leveled at cross-overs is that they are too often about rounding up a group of heroes just for the sake of putting them in a story together, where the story becomes nothing more than an alibi for doing so. With the Omega Effect, we had something very different going: a collaboration that felt organic, and which grew naturally out of a story that had been brewing in Daredevil for quite some time. There were also hints along the way (based on interviews with the writers) of the fall-out of the event affecting both the Daredevil and Punisher series in the coming months. Why, then, with everything going for it, does this story inexplicably end up giving this reader the feeling that the Omega drive was nothing more than a plot device to get these characters to team up? Yes, it was fun. Despite the destination leaving me cold, it was a fun ride getting there. But it feels as if there was so much potential for something more substantial."
Comic Vault (Story 10/10, Art 10/10) "Mark Waid wraps up the "Omega Effect" crossover with all of the elements that made the first two parts of the story so damn good intact . . .
Waid does a stellar job of presenting the story from Daredevil’s perspective (it is DD’s book, after all), exploring how Matt Murdock feels that he failed the Punisher by never being able to pull him back from the proverbial ledge before he went all the way over. Feeling he can do the same for Alves, we’ve seen Murdock try to talk sense into her once before in this crossover (during Rucka’s Punisher #10). Whether or not he gets through in this issue remains to be seen.
Marco Checchetto and Matt Hollingsworth continue to deliver the goods artistically. There really isn’t much I can say about it that I didn’t already touch on in my reviews for Avenging Spider-Man #6 and Punisher #10, so check those out, too.
What are you still reading this review for? GO PICK UP THIS CROSSOVER!"
iFanboy (Story: 2 - Average, Art: 4 - Very Good) "We left the second installment of the Omega Effect with an ambiguous ending in Punisher 10 last week and it didn’t get much better from there with this issue. Spiderman is a total throw away character in this entire arc and it seems like the Omega Drive is simply a MacGuffin to flesh out Rachel Cole-Alves. But even that falls flat as all we are treated to is Daredevil yelling at her. A poor ending to the arc and a rare misstep for Waid’s run on Daredevil."
Punisher Central (B+) "This issue had tons of action and even some tense and more quiet dialogue scenes. That entertained me tons! I was also anxiously anticipated the last few pages as I had no idea where this all was leading to. The book goes by fast with all the action and if you are a fan of Spider-Man, Daredevil or the Punisher then you are in for a treat."
Update April 27
CBR (1.5/5 stars) ""Daredevil" #11 is a frustrating comic. It's drawn beautifully and the scripting is strong. The problem is the plotting itself and that's what drags the book (and overall story) down a great deal. The strengths of "Daredevil" #11 are from the window dressing, but it's hard to ignore that the core itself is weak at best. It's a pity, because I expect much more from both "Daredevil" and "The Punisher" these days. Not this book's finest moment."
Suraph "What this all leads up to is that Omega Effect was a bit of a disappointment. After a strong start early on the crossover slowly fizzled out and eventually led nowhere."
Population GO (4/5) "All in all, it’s another solid issue of Mark Waid’s Daredevil run, it’s still well worth your $2.99, and if new readers jumped into this crossover I’m sure they’ll be inspired to keep following either of the series involved, if not simply to see what happens next with the Omega Drive. It may not have had the conclusion I originally expected, but it was a nice story to have before we do get to that conclusion."
Talking Comics "You won’t be sorry you read Daredevil #11 as it features Mark Waid’s wonderful prose and pacing, but you will find yourself unsatisfied with where this story goes. One bright spot is that I’m now familiar with artist Marco Checchetto. I started out cool to his grittier style, but found myself really appreciating what he brings to the table by the close of the issue. The end of the book does promise ramifications for Daredevil in the issues to come, but until that happens I’m calling this arc a wash."
Newsarama "Don't get me wrong, there's been a lot to like about "The Omega Effect," teaming up Spider-Man, the Punisher and Daredevil, but I think this saga hit its peak in the first installment, and was unable to top itself moving forward. . . . Ultimately, this book suffers most from its high expectations — this team is capable of some fantastic stuff, and the low-impact conclusion of "The Omega Effect" doesn't quite hit that mark."
The Collective "For those who haven't been reading Daredevil or "The Omega Effect", this issue probably won't do much for you, but if you have been following the story, this issue is a satisfying conclusion to the storyline, and offers some great story points for characters not only in Daredevil, but in Punisher as well. With so many big events going around in Marvel, it's good to see that the smaller ones are just as good, if not better, than the big guns."
Examiner.com "Overall, "THE OMEGA DRIVE" [sic] is a rare crossover in which the focus is on characters and interaction versus on generic action and cookie-cutter editorial mandates. It is for that reason it has been a pleasure and not a distraction, and why it is one that Marvel fans shouldn't miss."
Update April 30
The Doom Pool (5/5) "First off, this DD run is pretty damn good from #1 on. Pick it up. Issue 11 is not only a fitting end to the story arc (centering around a data drive that a number of crime organizations want), it shows DD at his best. We get the action early on, then a beautifully rendered and tense scene between Punisher’s ally, Cole, and Daredevil. It is a great example of action not being predicated on combat or chase, but emotional tension, arguments, debate, etc. "
Trinity Comics "The creative team for the crossover really stepped up their game. Mark Waid has been kicking ass on Daredevil since the relaunch and Greg Rucka has been doing some cool stuff with Punisher"
Weekly Comic Book Review (C-) "A fun crossover completely undercut and shot to bits by a terrible conclusion. Seriously, the Omega Effect may as well have never even happened. This entire crossover achieved nothing. But hey, on the plus side, that Marcos Martin cover is totally wicked."
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