WGTB reviews FF #12, Uncanny X-Men #3, Swamp Thing #4 & Defenders #1

This past week I crossed the Atlantic to visit to my hometown of Toronto for the holidays. Having purchased FF#12, Uncanny X-Men #3, Swamp Thing #4 and Defenders #1 last Wednesday for the flight, I read them over Iceland and thought I'd write a short review of each on this early jet-lagged morning. 

Let’s start with FF#12. In many respects this is the first issue of a new series because two weeks ago Marvel released Fantastic Four #600, a 100 page mega-comic which spilt the two Jonathan Hickman titles Fantastic Four and FF, the former having been on hiatus since the ‘death’ of Johnny Storm in #587. On December 21, the original title is back with Fantastic Four #601 and now FF is dedicated entirely to the stories of Franklin and Valeria Richards and the Future Foundation. 

From Marvel's FF #12, January 2012

The book was quite good and Jonathan Hickman is by far one of the best at weaving high level science-fiction into comic books. This one could have used a re-read of past issues just to get the story straight, but it was a good tale and Hickman was great at writing for the younger demographic found in this book. Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa's cartoony art matches the youthful dimension to the comic and all in all, I think I'll keep going back.  

 

Uncanny X-Men #2 continues with the Sinister vs Extinction Team on the California coast and I really enjoyed this one. As a Canadian living in London, I further appreciated Briton Kieron Gillen's Nathaniel Essex/Sinister back-story which included a great image of Greenwich. While I wasn’t initially convinced Sinister was the right villain for the X-Men in the lead-up to this series, I really liked the ending of #2 and think the new ‘Sinister Species’ seems like a great nemesis for the X-Men. I’m definitely going to keep this title, which was a success for Marvel because I was considering dropping it after the first issue.  

From Marvel's Uncanny X-Men #2, January 2012 

From Marvel's Uncanny X-Men #2, January 2012

 

Moving to Swamp Thing #4, this was probably my favourite comic of the four books I read. I have to say (AGAIN!) Scott Snyder’s story-telling ability is simply fantastic. Also, as a long-time JRR Tolkien and Alan Moore fan, I really loved seeing the Parliament of Trees (Ents!) again, and I really appreciate how the New 52’s Swamp Thing is drawing on the rich history of the Saga of the Swamp Thing, the great run in the 80s. Moreover, seeing that great duality of the Green v the Rot was just awesome and I can't wait to see the conflict come to the fore. Keep ‘em coming, Scott.

From DC's Swamp Thing #4, February 2012

I close today with Defenders #1, a book I have been looking forward to since I first heard about it. As a long-time fan of the Silver Surfer and enjoyer of Matt Fraction’s work, I knew this book was something I would enjoy. Frankly, it did not disappoint, but because the first issues of team books are rarely more than set-up and introductory stories, I think we will have to wait until #2 to see how good it actually gets. I am looking forward to the battle/meeting that awaits us with the old Fantastic Four/Thor opponent Prester John in the next issue.  

From Marvel's Defenders #1, January 2012

So there you go: some quick reviews for mid December. Have a great holiday and I should be back with a couple more before the end of 2011. All the best!

Random Thoughts: November 2011

What a month November 2011 has been for comics! And due to time constraints I’m not even including the Nov 30 releases!

 

To begin, Scott Snyder’s Batman #3 was absolutely fantastic and continues to be the jewel in the crown of the New 52 titles I’ve stuck with. Moreover, I also have to say how impressive it is that Snyder continues to churn out two quality books – Batman and Swamp Thing – each month. I’ve been enjoying Swamp Thing (including #3) since the reboot, but Batman #3 was quite probably the best of the New 52 I've read. As I was reading I couldn’t help feel he was channelling Watchmen – the mystery, the history and the Owls – and advise you to get it immediately.

From DC's Batman #3, November 2011

Captain Atom #3 offered some good comic fun too, as did Superman #3. And while I’m not entirely convinced the guest appearance by Flash was necessary, I think J.T. Krul and Freddie Williams II are about to take the gloves off the Captain, and it will be interesting to see this nearly omnipotent character unleashed: especially now that he’s run afoul with the US government. Superman continues to establish itself as the contemporary Superman title and while #3 was more about establishing relationships I think the title will explode soon -- and that will be interesting. 

From DC's Captain Atom #3, November 2011

This should be my Facebook photo! From DC's Superman #3, November 2011

On the Marvel side of things, Wolverine and the X-Men was good and I really like the new Iceman/Bobby Drake. Chris Bachalo’s art has finally started to grow on me after a couple Regenesis issues, but unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by Alpha Flight #6 which seemed like a filler story. Of course, this could be chalked up to residual bitterness over the October cancellation announcement, and now that everyone’s favourite Headmaster has returned to Canada, I may be forgiving next month. Snikt!!!   

Bobby and Kitty in Marvel's Wolverine and the X-Men #2, November 2011

From Marvel's Alpha Flight #6/8, November 2011

And finally my most anticipated book this month: Fantastic Four #600. In it, we learn Jonathan Hickman didn’t actually kill off Johnny Storm, but kept him alive in the Negative Zone where he’s performing as a caged gladiator. I have to say, it was good seeing Johnny again and I’m curious to see how this near death experience alters the character. I’ve always believed Johnny’s more...youthful...personality has held him back, so perhaps we’ll see him return with a gravitas that would make him one of the most interesting and powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a momentous edition of the ‘The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine’ without Reed Richards striking up a deal with Galactus, but perhaps the most interesting part of the 100 page book was an artistic interpretation of the extraordinary powers of Franklin Richards. This actually provoked the same sort of reflection a good Arthur C. Clarke novel does. Bravo Marvel!

Hickman is taking these books (FF and Fantastic Four are splitting into two) into interesting directions, and while I know Marvel has been cancelling books and doesn’t have the market dominance it had before the New 52, it's good to see renewed vigour with the Fantastic Four. In my opinion, it's still the best comics property out there. 

Good to have you back, Johnny! From Marvel's Fantastic Four #600, November 2011

From Marvel's Fantistic Four #600, November 2011

Regarding other media, my favourite comic podcast, World Balloon with John Siuntres, released a two part interview on November 16 and 23 featuring a remarkable interview with industry stalwart Rob Liefeld. Here, Liefeld speaks candidly about the state of the industry, his work with Hawk and Dove, the New 52 and the fascinating intellectual property and licensing issues surrounding the recent Marvel films. The second podcast also features a free-wheeling conversation with Matt Fraction, which while being less about comics than popular culture, is interesting too. All in all, it was a fascinating couple hours of podcasting and I highly recommend you take a listen.

So that’s it for November 2011. I'll be back in December and am currently working on a couple feature-length pieces about ROM Spaceknight and the Laws of Warfare and  the Insanity defence and comic book villains.  Yep, a little light reading for the Christmas season! In any case, have a good  December and feel free to drop me a line with any suggestions or comments. Cheers!

Reviewing the New 52: Green Arrow, OMAC, Batwing & Swamp Thing

This week was your week if you’ve ever wanted to own a first edition Action or Detective Comics because this was the week DC launched the ‘New 52’ en masse by giving us eight new titles to choose from. 

   
But because most blogs will be reviewing the new Superman and Batman titles, I decided to review four comics that might not otherwise experience a deluge of traffic. These books: Green Arrow #1, OMAC #1, Batwing #1 and Swamp Thing #1 were also in the $2.99 price category which made them easier on the wallet and held to DC’s earlier promise to ‘hold the line at $2.99’: a welcome development for an increasingly expensive hobby.

Let’s begin with Green Arrow #1. The story starts by ret-conning Star City into Seattle and presenting Queen Industries as a massive conglomerate with a Q-Core division personally operated by Oliver Queen. It isn’t quite clear where the namesake officially stands within the larger company, but it's clear he's at odds with a prominent member of the Board of Directors and this will lead to problems. The main action comes with Green Arrow chasing villains through Paris, and eventually prevailing with the help of high-tech arrows and a team back in the USA. By the end of the book we also meet a nasty group of rogues.   

Seattle in DC's Green Arrow #1, November 2011

This comic was okay. The new Green Arrow is sharply modernized and resembles Smallville’s Oliver Queen rather than the goatee wearing Errol Flynn-like fellow of the past. Beating three baddies simultaneously seemed to be a little formulaic, as did the ineptitude of the French super-authorities towards the end, but the story laid a foundation for another socially-conscious Green Arrow that will be as political as he is heroic. Because of this, I am curious as to where this comic will go and will possibly buy #2.

From DC's Green Arrow #1, November 2011

Our second book is OMAC #1, a reboot of the original ‘One Man Army Corps' series by comics legend Jack Kirby. OMAC first appeared in 1974 and had Buddy Blank, a nobody in the ‘The World That’s Coming’ become a futuristic super-soldier working for the Global Peace Agency. If you’ve ever read the original 70s OMAC, you will remember a very strange comic with faceless men, mechanically made women and a big orbiting satellite called “Brother Eye”. In 2005, the OMAC was changed into a group of fierce looking cyborgs for the Infinite Crisis event, but this new book is clearly a throwback to the earlier Kirby title. 

From DC's OMAC #1, November 2011

The story introduces Cadmus Industries, a 'corporate leader in genetic research and medical technologies', a rogue OMAC doing damage to that business, 'Brother Eye' and an underground group of villains who have the same faceless and mechanical features we saw in Kirby’s earlier rendition. Indeed, this book is clearly a Kirby throw-back and as you can see from the posted panels, Keith Giffen, Dan Dido and Scott Kiblish have worked hard to emulate 'The King', all the while updating this OMAC in ways that will satisfy newer readers who may not know Kirby or appreciate his work. Like the earliest OMAC, I suspect this will not be integrated into the larger DC Universe, which is both a blessing (no crossovers!) and curse (no crossovers!) and will have to stand on its own stories. I am curious to see where it goes, but don’t think it will be a regular purchase and will probably not buy #2.

Kirby's influences are legion in DC's OMAC #1, November 2011

Batwing #1 was another title that caught my interest. Batwing is a new character to the DC universe, appearing only last year in Batman: Incorporated #6. When he made his debut, he received some media attention because he operated out of Africa, making him one of the few comic superheroes from that part of the world.

From DC's Batwing #1 November 2011

Of the comics read, this was by far the most gruesome and mature themed. It features a villain named Massacre, who seems both appropriately named and is quite good at what he does. Batman also makes an appearance and while we were not completely introduced to how Batwing became friends with his Gotham-based benefactor, we see a bond and should expect further cameos by the Caped Crusader.  I actually found the comic quite captivating and the explicit violence aside it was quite a cool experience. The story involves a young police officer turned costumed crime-fighter named David Zavimbe who works both within and outside a corrupt justice system to fight organized crime. I expect this comic will be a mixture of African travel, world politics and superheroes and because of this will certainly buy #2.

From DC's Batwing #1, November 2011

The final comic reviewed is Swamp Thing #1. Now, this was a hotly anticipated book, but I put in into the non-famous category because I hadn’t really read Swamp Thing in the past (including Alan Moore’s legendary run) and wasn’t sure what to expect. Of the four reviewed, I have to say this was my favourite. The story begins with the mass death of animals across the DC universe and we then meet Dr. Alec Holland, a former botanist turned construction worker who is hiding from a troubled past. When Superman arrives to check on our hero, we learn about Dr. Holland’s previous work and his ideas about plants. At this point we are also introduced to his mentor’s ideas and are given some insightful commentary into the natural world. We are also introduced to a elemental villain, but this was not a major focus to the story. 

 

Above panels from DC's Swamp Thing #1, November 2011

This comic was truly an educational and enjoyable experience. The discussion about botany was above and beyond what is usually found in comics and the Swamp Thing himself looks very well done. Because of this, I will  certainly buy #2 and finally get back into earlier Swamp Thing stories, especially those written by Moore. 

That is it for my reviews today. I will be travelling  for the next little while and will probably not have much to say about the next batch of the New 52. As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to leave some comments or feedback.