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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."

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