My apologies for this not being up yesterday; I had it all mostly written and saved, but for some reason Blogspot wouldn't load/post for me, AND my internet was being funky. I've dated it according to the date I saved the drafts, though.
So, without further ado I bid you welcome to the first edition of Thursday's Comics of 2010! Only three comics this week, but boy are they good. Let's talk some stuff!
EDIT: Now with added Haunt #4!
Haunt #4.
SUCH a good series.
I was discussing this with Andrew recently. What seemed like a piece of mid-'90s violent pleasure has now turned into a rather captivating and intriguing thriller/horror/action story!
So, where were we last issue? Ahh, yes. The organisation that Kurt Kilgore worked for has a mole and nobody besides the reader knows who that mole is. The agency tells Daniel in no uncertain terms that he is to be treated as his brother was. He has all clearance levels at H.Q. and will be privvy to specific, classified information.
While he is standing with Director Stanz, observing one of Dr. Shillinger's failed test subjects, it is surmised that should the technology fall into the wrong hands...it could be dire. The information contained within his elusive and missing notebook contains all the secrets regarding what he was up to and what he achieved. The test subjects mutate and develop insane strength and high pain resistance, and the excuse we get for wanting the details back is because the military could weaponise it or a terrorist could weaponise it etc. Very cliche, but this series has proven it's not above that.
Amanda, Kurt's former girlfriend, is said to be in great danger and thus the agency is monitoring her as she is protected by two guards. The guards are assassinated in gruesome fashion by someone off-panel and we see Amanda being dragged out of the car. The agency traces her as Daniel bonds with Kurt's spirit to become Haunt, setting off to rescue her...in a car.
Now, I loved that, I really think it helped ground the character. They're still learning how to work together as one, and it would have made less sense if they just went off, goo-swinging through the city. The part where they (Isn't it weird how I never refer to Carnage or Venom as THEY, but I do with Haunt) accidentally drive out of a high-storey parking garage was a nice touch of team work. Kurt telling Daniel to go limp if he didn't want his arms broken - so that he could extend his limbs out of the car and brace for impact by using his tendrils as bungee cords - was also pretty good in terms of getting across the infancy of such a character.
Anyway, HE catches up with the kidnappers and, after busting through the wall, kills them all in THE most delicious of ways. I mean, really. He fires a tendril-blade at this guy's mouth and it half-decapitates him, leaving only his tongue and bottom row of teeth.
This is REAL nasty stuff, and it's fucking awesome.
Cobra shows up and gives Haunt a run for his money before in an act of desperation, Haunt caves his face in and forces him to retreat. Haunt MASSIVELY depletes the hosts energy, so it can only be used in bursts; the obligatory downside to having such awesome powers, but it had to come sooner or later.
Needless to say, Haunt saves Amanda and after all that, she doesn't actually know where the notes are, it turns out. Nor does she know who Haunt is underneath. Mr. Hurg, the obvious main bad guy, is scolding Cobra for his failure after years of continued good service. He warns him not to consider this a second chance, but a last chance, and says that he better not fail agaim.
He is interrupted by a phone call asking if he is still interesting in Dr. Shillinger's notes. After agreeing to listen, the phone call switches from Hurg's view to the caller's; a chick clad in all black, with a sniper rifle strapped to her back and the bag of notes resting at her feet. She tells Hurg that if he's willing to buy, she's willing to sell and the issue ends.
Haunt was always going to be a very tricky sell, it has a LOT of pits to avoid falling into and a lot of labels that it needed to avoid, and no, it doesn't avoid them all. It's a very cliched story up to this point and I don't ever forsee it becoming something original. It has massively clear ties to McFarlane's run as Spider-Man artist and that whole symbiotic relationship that was made famous by Venom (He's the inker/co-creator and sometimes cover artist, not actual comic artist on Haunt. That's Ryan Ottley, penciller). It has your standard characters; the ambigious agency director, the brothers-at-war-but-slowly-making-peace, the love interest caught in the middle.
I don't think Kirkman or McFarlane would begrudge the title being labelled as those things, and it would be remarkably naive of them to suggest their title does not carry these traits with it.
However, it's a breath of fresh air when every fight in the modern comics era seems to be consisting of a few punches thrown and that's it. Granted, I'm a Marvel head and outside of the MAX series, you can't expect them to be featuring impalement and decapitation, but it IS a welcome change. It's very beautiful gore, also. It's not intentionally comedic as Kill Bill was, it IS intense, but it's almost balletic. There's something so artistic about seeing this wirey-yet-muscley figure flying through the air, liberating body parts from bodies in the most imaginative of ways.
It's like something out of Clive Barker's books. Better yet, if you've ever seen Hellraiser or any of its sequels, you know the kind of gore I'm talking about. Ryan Ottley's pencil work really helps this sense of lethality because EVERYTHING looks sharp, it's exciting. I also REALLY love the covers, but unfortunately the ones I seem to get, except for #2, are all the normal versions. They're so cool, but there always seems to be a really gory variant and I never seem to see it.
For example, here's Haunt #4's variant.
You know? I digress.
Aside from the aforementioned cliches and redeemingly beautiful gore/art, the story is also reasonably cliche, but still intriguing enough to secure me as a regular buyer. I would be lying if I said I hadn't seen this kind of set up before, but I've seen it done badly way more than good, and this is GOOD. Better than good.
I do have a feeling there's a lot more of this story to tell and that it could very well be something unmissable if they turn it into a gem of a unique title.
I'll keep my eye open for the first trade, and let y'all peoples know when it's out and where you can get it from. This isn't a series to slack off on, especially since we're only four issues into the first EVER volume. Pick it up.
Deadpool Team-Up #897.
Adam Glass isn't someone I'm overly familiar with as a writer, and that's why I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this issue.
For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you'll know my opinion of this series. For those of you that don't, let me tell you. Deadpool Team-Up, as a series, is like Foo Fighters albums. You know it will be the same thing every time, so essentially it depends on two things:
1) If you like Foo Fighters.
2) If you happen to like ths songs on that particular album.
This series is the same kind of deal. It's the same thing in every issue, and whether or not you like it will depend heavily on whether you like Deadpool and/or whether you like that specific story.
Deadpool Team-Up #897 features the brothers in vengeance themselves, Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze, The Ghost Riders.
Deadpool is hired by a midget and a bearded lady to take out their rather vicious freakshow owner. Deadpool, after interrogating them in hopes of discovering that they are from Punk'D, accepts this job and sets off to the carnival.
Upon finding the man giving a speech on stage, Deadpool attempts to assassinate him. The shot to the head fails as he rises up and most of the crowd turn into demons. The Ghost Riders show up and stop Deadpool from killing all the innocents, which Deadpool believes to be the humans, but is quickly corrected when they inform him that the demons are just innocent people possessed.
They team up and head off to find the freakshow leader. By this point it is revealed by The Ghost Riders that he - Known as Lobster Boy, by the way - is possessed by one of "The Fallen", a demon known as Xaphon.
Arriving at his tent, Deadpool sneaks in by disguising himself as a freak. This hilariously involves him cutting off his own legs and crawling there without his mask on, then looking up at the guards and saying: "Sup?!", with an incredibly cheesy grin.
Deadpool allows himself to be possessed so that The Ghost Riders can temporarily kill his body, thus killing the demon inside without killing an innocent host. The issue ends with Deadpool, and the bearded lady who hired him, walking off into the sunset.
I think the great thing about this series is that they are one-and-dones that people can easily jump in on. If you want a dose of Deadpool that isn't necessarily accurate or in continuity, then Deadpool Team-Up is DEFINITELY for you. You don't have to pick it up every month, they're all self-contained and by sheer virtue of Marvel having lots of writers, some are bound to be better than others.
Three issues in (Not including Deadpool #900) and we've had two decent issues and one that's pretty ok. I'm indifferent to this particular issue, really. The Ghost Riders aren't people that should be in this book, at all. Hercules? Yeah. The Zapata Bros? Yeah. The Ghost Riders? Not at all. Any character guest starring in these books will be subject to comedic depiction and The Ghost Riders are just not those kind of guys.
The story was, as I said, something I'm indifferent to. I would not lament the loss of this on-going, let me say that. One less subscription wouldn't bother me at all if this was the book that got cancelled. It's by no means bad, but it's not guaranteed to be good seeing as it has a different writer each month. I'm obligated to keep buying them because I didn't spend nearly a grand to restart and complete my Deadpool collection only to stop now. If you're interested at all, hit up your comic shop and grab one of the three that are out (I have reviewed all of them on here, if you want to know what I thought).
My advice would be to not get next month's, though. Simply because it looks irredeemably stupid.
Your call.
Siege: Embedded #1 of 4.
I was going to review this before Siege #1, since that's the BIG comic this week (Not that I haven't been waiting for it for AGES or anything), but such is the story of this that it needed to come after.
At first I thought this title was just a variant of Siege #1, but it's not.
The Civil War event was accompanied by a mini-series called Civil War: Frontline. This series details former Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich's work on left-wing publication, Frontline. It was basically the events of Civil War as seen through his publication, with more added side-story thrown in.
Siege: Embedded is sort of like that, pleasantly surprising me. Ben Urich arrives in Chicago to report on the damage of the Soldier Field incident involving Volstagg and The U-Foes.
He is arrested and left in a cop car until his friend - William Stern, a disgraced news anchor - coincidentally shows up and frees him. At the same time, a plot point develops involving a very Fox News-esque television host and the agents of H.A.M.M.E.R., that involve Norman Osborn's public image. This isn't delved into much on account of Siege's main book needing to not be spoiled, but it revolves around Osborn wanting the media to make him look as biasedly heroic as possible.
After escaping, Urich and Stern discreetly observe the damage as Norman Osborn and co are aiding in the clear-up. Urich and Stern go to a diner where they discuss their theories of Norman Osborn and his possible involvement, stopping only to talk shit about Todd Keller (The Fox News-esque guy).
Coincidentally, Volstagg is seen walking past the diner and they go to request an interview with him. After pairing up, he agrees to travel with them to Asgard - where he was on his way to anyway, to face what he feels is a necessary punishment for the chaos caused by him - as they confess they are going to bring down Norman Osborn with journalism.
This issue was cool, but only for the ideas presented and only because I dig the alternate storytelling of events like this. Not to mention that I've always liked Ben Urich.
I just feel that the flaws are a bit too clear in this issue. Everything that happens to Urich happens in an unbelievably coincidental manner, and though I understand this is to get the premise out of the way for future issues, it's a tad annoying. Todd Keller's plotline can't progress because it would reveal parts of the story that I don't feel are allowed to be revealed yet. Additionally, I think a slightly more seedy kind of artwork fares better on titles that aren't packed with action. From Hell, for example, wouldn't have worked in colour as much. I'm not saying Siege: Embedded should be black and white, I just feel the art isn't the most appropriate, though it is good enough.
This issue also has an amazing cover, courtesy of the one and only Adi Granov.
In summation: It's a good issue. I can be less harsh on these flaws because I understand why they're there. I think this series shows promise, I really do. It won't be crucial, but it can offer an intriguing take on what, in theory, could be Marvel's most legendary event in a long time.
Siege #1 of 4.
If you wish to know a bit about how Siege came to be, read my Dark Reign retrospective or my review of Siege: The Cabal. Also, check out the free online Siege: Prologue for an exclusive pre-story story!
Anyway...
This is it. The start.
The issue begins with Loki and Norman Osborn discussing how to hatch their plans to deal with Asgard being on Earth, a plan conceived in Siege: The Cabal. This conversation is held via speech boxes, voiceovers if you wish to call them that. It sees Norman and Loki discussing their plans in the past as the event they planned actually unfolds before the reader.
Volstagg of Asgard is seen stopping a robber. However, due to his inability to comprehend how his powers will affect the mortal world - add to the the fact that he's a bit stupid - he causes a HUGE amount of inner-city damage. The U-Foes, by command of Norman Osborn, do battle with him, blasting him into a nearby baseball stadium, Soldier Field in Chicago.
As Vector and X-Ray hurl massive energy blasts at him, he deflects them. Unfortunately, this causes the destruction of the stadium and deaths of, presumably, everyone in it. This was the inciting incident that they both planned to use to sway the government's opinion and get them to see Asgard as a threat, thus approving an invasion.
After saying: "Send for The (Dark) Avengers and the entire roster of The Initiative; we're invading Asgard.", Osborn proceeds to brief the Dark Avengers on this plan to varying degrees of success. I'd like to point out that the combination of Bendis' pin-point dialogue and Olivier Coipel's art truly does set that moment in stone. When Osborn says - facing the viewer - that they will invade Asgard, you don't know whether he's gone truly off the wagon or if he clearly and sanely believes he can do this.
The dialogue between himself and Ares is just exquisite; it really is. Bendis truly does nail the one thing that needed to be nailed; we needed to believe that Osborn was going too far and that even his sometimes insane associates believed so too.
Ares opposes the idea, almost instantly disagreeing with a war against gods, saying that it's something no mortal man should do. Osborn convinces him, though his agreement is painfully reluctant. The conversation ends with Ares telling Osborn that he will cut his head off: "Armour and all.", if he is lying.
The rest of the Dark Avengers consider Osborn to be similarly nuts, but they agree after being told that they can go free if they help him on this last mission. Again, Bendis conveys the difference of opinion between all parties so excellently, whilst also conveying the fact that no matter what the reaction, they all think Osborn has gone batshit insane. Bullseye would probably be the star of this, I'd say. He's the first to proclaim bad-ass status, but when asked if he won't do it because he's afraid, he literally has no shame. This moment of clarity in the minds of the otherwise insane is what the believability of Osborn's sanity, or lack thereof, hinged on.
Elsewhere, it turns out that the government absolutely does not approve of Osborn's plans at all. While on the phone with Victoria Hand, the President goes so far as saying that he's out of control, the complete opposite reaction that Osborn hoped for. Ares delivers a rousing speech to the multiple hundreds, possibly thousands, of gathered superheroes and supposedly reformed supervillains alike, before they all go out to storm Asgard.
Loki, ever the instigator, appears before King Balder and informs him of Osborn's plans. He claims that he tried to stop him, but the incident with Volstagg has forced the hand of the mortal men. The Asgardians assemble as Osborn and his troops arrive and the battle sort of begins.
Sentry is seen flying into battle in front of Osborn and the gravity of this event appears to be real. It's at this particular moment, and thanks to the art of Coipel, that I started to believe Siege really would be what it was hyped as.
The best moment, for me, was when the scene switched to a hospital in Broxton, Oklahoma; otherwise known as the current location of Asgard. As Dr. Donald Blake (Thor's human form) watched over the hospitalised Tony Stark, Maria Hill called his attention to the window. Upon seeing jets and H.A.M.M.E.R. tech fly over, Blake quickly realises they're after Asgard, not Stark.
In a massively exciting moment, Blake tells Maria to take Stark and get away from the area. He wanders outside and with the jets flying overhead, says: "Guide me, Father.". Ramming his cane into the ground, he transforms into Thor and flies toward his home.
Naturally, when lightning began to fill the sky, Osborn and his troops started getting scared. Thor flies down at a rapid rate, but is intercepted by Sentry who manages to drill him into the floor in the desert outside Asgard. Thor responds by smacking him into the Heavens as Osborn and troops descend upon him.
I must say, I loved the fact that they teased the fight we all want to see, but in two blows it felt like they had just touched on it enough, you know? Sentry got a hit in, Thor got a hit in; so epic. I hope those two throw down before Siege is over.
Osborn and others begin blasting away at Thor, and as a news helicopter begins to broadcast that Thor has been taken down (We don't see this, we only see figures in the dust below), the issue ends with Steve Rogers - Captain America costume and all - grimacing as he watches.
I wasn't totally expecting a massive blow-out in the first issue, and that's not what we got. I am so glad that Siege had the feeling of precisely that, a Siege, but a calculated one. We got a fair amount of action that benefitted from all this hype and a bit of preparation in this issue itself. Everything felt like an appropriate reactionary story, and with multiple tie-ins and three more issues to go until it ends, I am MASSIVELY confident that this series will live up to the hype plus more.
Bendis has got me squirming on the hook. I await to be reeled in.
All in all, a PHENOMENAL start.
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Once again, I want to thank you all for reading and, if you haven't read my blog before, for checking it out in the first place. In which case, welcome!
I'm not entirely sure that there're many comics coming out next week either, probably another four. So, for those of you who thought the six/seven comics per week was too much to read, enjoy this while you can!
I may retroactively review Haunt #4 and stick it in this post, or I may just tack it onto next week's edition of Thursday's Comics; we'll see and I'll keep you posted.
For now, though, that's all I've got for you people.
Before I go, though, I have TWO pieces of news.
1) I am thinking of doing a massive Daredevil post in a similar vein to my Deadpool one. Thoughts?
2) In a couple of weeks or more I MAY...MAY...have an announcement of massive proportions. Keep your eyes peeled, cos this will be huge if I pull it off.
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
