Of course for the sake of anyone concerned, all reviews will be placed behind a cut, for the obvious reason that they will contain spoilers. I will probably write a short synopsis for those that are curious about what’s happening in other series without desiring to purchase them. So you’ve been forewarned. Onward, to the first reviews!

So the first review will be the much delayed Captain America: Reborn #6 (of 6). This is a case of one of the few times I’ve seen Marvel get out of synch with their schedule. My often major complaint about DC is that they get convoluted in trying to join the continuity and time frames of all their series that issues may come out months later that are supposed to be squeezed between previous issues of the main event. While this isn’t the main event, Steve Roger’s return is a big factor leading up to the impending Siege which has now started. In fact, he’s already back in many of the other books, making this finale somewhat underwhelming. Still, how can you turn down such an epic splash page as this one:

Though, I’m not quite sure how Cap’s arm is positioned in that in order to get that angle on the shield. Oh well, it’s more iconic than factual, and Steve’s never been anything less than iconic. The Red Skull is ejected from Steve’s body back into its previous robotic container, only to later be destroyed in the issue. Is the Red Skull done for good now? Of course not. But there is some foreshadowing with his daughter Syn, who was burnt in the ensuing explosion, developing some facial scarring not unlike her father. I’m interested to see more of the dynamic between Steve and Bucky as they try and figure out what sort of roles they should now exist in.

Next up is Thor #606, another book that’s a few weeks behind. It wraps up the Asgardians’ time away from their home, since they’ve been living in Latveria with Dr. Doom. Loki, being Loki, has orchestrated a plan to return them to Asgard, which is still floating above Broxton, Oklahoma. Norman is planning a siege (hence the next big event) to oust the Asgardians from the United States, and this world entirely, since they do not belong. Thor throws down with Doom who is wearing enchanted Asgardian armor, powered by the life force of dissected Asgardians. As you can imagine, this upsets Thor. After the issue is dealt with, Thor once again departs on his own, for he is still exiled from the kingdom, while Balder reigns in his stead. Doom is teleported away by Loki before Thor can deal a killing blow, which was all part of the plan. But can the trickster be tricked? One of the last shots is of Dr. Doom holding a sample of Loki, and what looks like a failed clone of him on his examining table.

Avengers #61 was interesting, split between two story lines. The first follows Steve and Bucky as they check out the New Avengers’ former hideout which has been destroyed by H.A.M.M.E.R. and Osborn’s Dark Avengers. The other follows Spider-man and Spider-woman as they look at Avengers’ Tower, noticing there seems to be some extra movement going on (which is mobilization for the Siege.) The Hood has been powered up again (afraid to use his cloak because of Dormammu) by Loki (he’s got his finger in everything) and is able to share the wealth and power up his goons, who he sends after the Avengers. The most entertaining part of this issue to me is Spider-man’s comments and personality. No matter the situation, he cracks jokes, because that’s how he copes with things. He’s also still a bit socially awkward, which I love.

So the New Avengers are all rallied, mostly in New York. Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers are in Broxton, Oklahoma mounting an assault on Asgard. Hank Pym’s Mighty Avengers can basically be anywhere in the world (or universe) thanks to his crazy doors in the Infinite Avengers Mansion. Iron Man is recuperating in Broxton, thanks to the help of his physician, Donald Blake. Thor is getting his ass beat by Norman’s army. Most of this has happened by or in Siege #1, which came out two weeks ago. There are only four issues in the series, so expect it to be a crazy and intense ride that will start high and finish strong.

This is all leading up to a new age for Marvel, deemed the Heroic Age, starting with Avengers #1. No more New, Mighty or Dark, they’re all going to be consolidated again. Marvel’s looking to return to their roots, with more clear divisions between who’s a good guy, who’s a bad guy, and where the lines are. No more second guessing and questioning, mostly brought on by the Civil War. Some speculate this is because of the recent buyout by Disney, but Marvel plans several years in advance (the writers are actually at a retreat in New York right now planning what will be happening over the next couple of years. ) The return of the big three, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, has been plotted for seven years, ever since Avengers: Disassembled. So know that this has been the goal all along.

I’m excited to see where this all goes. There has been a very natural progression from event to event in the Marvel Universe, and I don’t expect that to change. I also love me some Avengers, and want to see these guys back on the same side. The other big thing happening this year, according to Marvel, is that 2010 is the year of Spider-man. He’s currently going through the Gauntlet set up by the wife and daughter of Kraven. Thus far he’s faced Electro, Sandman, the Rhino, and currently Mysterio. Dr. Octopus and Lizard are sure to make an appearance, as it seems the Sinister Six have unwittingly been reunited. This is also similar to Kraven’s Last Hunt, an amazing series that has Kraven pitting Spidey against most of these foes, studying his tactics, and then becoming Spider-man, while the true one lies comatose in a grave. It seems Kraven’s daughter and wife are softening him up for something similar, already with Madam Web and Spider-woman (Not Jessica Drew) in their capture. Here’s the teaser image for the year:

Is One More Day going to be removed? Something’s obviously going to happen with Peter reaching for MJ wearing a wedding dress. There’s our buddy Dr. Curt Connors as the Lizard, and behind him in the background Kraven’s daughter, holding a Spider-man costume (perhaps for herself?) The other spiders are in the upper left, Madam Web, Araña, the Scarlet Spider (clone of MVP from the Initative), and a black-suited Spider-man. Note that it’s not Mac Gargan, who is currently Venom. Nor is it Eddie Brock, who is currently Anti-Venom. That one is wearing a fabric black suit. Top center is a baby, seemingly encircled by Doc Ock’s mechanical arms. Baby May Parker? Someone else’s? And to the right, Peter kissing a spectacled girl who has a striking resemblance to Carlie Cooper, the NYPD CSI who has a thing for Peter. However, the girl in the image has what seems like long hair, whereas Carlie just adopted a short (pixie short) hair style. So many questions. We’ll just have to see what 2010 has to bring.

]]> http://charm-city-studios.com/comic-book-reviews-12710/feed/ 0 http://charm-city-studios.com/more-roboto-tests/ http://charm-city-studios.com/more-roboto-tests/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:24:10 +0000 Shinobi http://charm-city-studios.com/?p=416

As much of a fan of the format that I am, I can’t see what point there is in making this. There are already the four novels, the two movies, and more on the way. The stories have been told and visualized. As far as I can tell, the story won’t be changing in any significant way. This is basically just a poorly veiled gimmick to earn some more money.

In Stephanie Meyer’s defense, she does say that “the images are much closer to the characters I see in my head than any actual human being could be.” So perhaps there is some merit to producing this graphic novel. But I don’t know if it can be argued that that is substantial enough to generate such a project.

Young Kim, the artist for the book, has a style much like many other shojo mangaka (proper term for a manga artist) out there. Not a bad style in itself, but at the same time, not groundbreaking or striking. Being a visual person, I really need the art to be well done and fitting with the style of the content. Even if I don’t particularly like the style of the artist, I can still appreciate what they bring to the table, assuming it is something different. It is the things that stand out that we remember, good or bad. It’s the ones with nothing new to show that are often forgotten.

Also, what’s up with that lettering in the second balloon? A slant, really? That’s just unprofessional. This feels like something I could find on DeviantArt. I don’t know if this is a completed page or not, but because it was on an article claiming an exclusive preview, I assume it is. In which case, those stupid black squiggles are not what I would call proper word balloon tails.

I realized by the end of the article however,  that I’m upset not only because of the content of this new graphic novel and what it could mean to the medium, but because the medium is still differentiated and “comic books” are still considered lesser. Case in point, here is a quote from the article:

In case you are unaware, a graphic novel is a story told through ilustrations and captions much like a comic book, yet the subject matter can range from non-fiction to fictional works.

It should first be noted that the misspelling of illustrations is verbatim. Spell check, much? Anyway, last I checked, the subject matter of a comic book can range from non-fiction to fictional works as well. People always try to say graphic novel because they believe it makes them sound more sophisticated, all while turning their nose up at individual comic books. Screw that. The medium and format are exactly the same. Literally, same Bristol board, similar images produced, etc. The only real difference between what society perceives as “comic books” and graphic novels is the packaging and intended final format. Is it part of a longer series, generally released once a month, or is it a stand alone narrative that has a clear beginning, middle and ending? Even some of the monthly series blur the line more, having individual arcs bound into a trade paperback.

Even the “most critically acclaimed graphic novel of all time,” The Watchmen, started as twelve individual floppies that were later compiled into the single masterpiece that it is. Likewise, V For Vendetta was a ten-issue series before being collected as a graphic novel. Would Alan Moore be considered a comic book writer, or a graphic novel writer? Is there a difference?

It’s such a minor point that it’s probably not worth arguing. However, comic books have been released for nearly eighty years now, with their content matter and quality of production increasing every year. They are a viable format for storytelling, straddling that line between pure text and moving pictures. With the number of recent movies based on comic book characters, you’d think it would garner more respect from the masses. Instead, there is still a large stigma that is carried by those deemed “comic book geeks” and there remains a glass ceiling for the artistic merit appreciation of the medium.

Rather than rant more, I’ll leave it here with these last words: much like a square is a rectangle but not all rectangles are squares, all graphic novels are comic books but not all comic books are graphic novels.

Raimi being out is saddening, but I respect him for his decision to walk. He did great things with Spider-man 1 & 2, and they completely robbed him of creative power for the third installment. We all saw what happened with that. Faced with the same creative restrictions for the fourth movie, and less and less time to produce a quality film, he decided that he was no longer going to do it. More power to him. I respect a person that sticks to his or her values.

So Sony decides to go with a reboot. Man, I would love if Marvel could buy back the rights. I know they would do it right. Sony’s going back to high school, not necessarily a full origin story, but they’re going to switch the perspective from the baddies to the hardships of juggling high school and being a super hero, and living with the guilt of not stopping your uncle’s killer. Less based on the Amazing series, they’re going to get their background from the Ultimate Spider-man series. I love Brian Michael Bendis’ writing, but I never could get into Ultimate Spider-man because of how different it is from the traditional series. I respect it for what it is though. It made Spider-man accessible to a whole new generation of comic book readers without weighing them down in forty years of continuity.

The new director they’ve chosen for the reboot I actually have faith in. Marc Webb, more known for being a music video director, has directed one feature length movie – the Golden Globe nominated (500)Days of Summer. If you know me at all, you know I’m somewhat biased because I love that movie. However, if you’ve seen the movie, you also know that it handles well very emotional, serious moments that all of us have experienced, while simultaneously containing a light-hearted, upbeat mood. If that’s not the proper style for a Spider-man movie, I don’t know what is.

The budget for the reboot is going to be dramatically less than the previous incarnations – in the $80 million range. But, District 9 has shown that even with a minimal budget, amazing effects can be achieved. Plus, if the focus is shifted to the characters (which, I think we can all agree, is what draws most people to Spidey) then it doesn’t need an exorbitant budget. So I don’t think that’ll be a limiting factor for the movie.

Another promising aspect they announced was that they’re searching for all relative no-names to play the cast. I think this is a phenomenal idea, especially given the age of the characters. I’m tired of movies casting twenty-somethings as high schoolers. And I hope they get MJ right this time. I cannot stand Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. She did not play the character right at all. Besides the obvious Peter and MJ, there are two characters I’m very interested in. First, I want to know who the villain will be, but that’s a given. But secondly, will they include Gwen Stacy from the get go? She plays a prominent part in the Ultimate series, up until her death (which did not have the impact that her original one in ASM #121 had) so it would make sense, especially if they get the love triangle going early.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what develops.