Walking Dead #94

Robert Kirkman pulls back a bit this issue. Rick has been going through his fascinating descent into almost villainy, but I think that’s wrapping up now. Interacting with a “larger world” and with other folks who aren’t trying to kill him is going to do wonders to restore his old morals.

I also love that Jesus is entirely more competent than anyone we’ve seen before. This guy fights zombies with his hands literally tied behind his back. Rich, Michonne, Tyreese, Abraham, Andrea, and more of our core cast have proven skilled at zombie killing, but this guy takes it to a new level. I wonder if there are some special forces or other elite troops helping to prop up this large affiliations of survivors.

Usually, Rick is the one a step ahead of the rest of the characters. It’s fun seeing somebody else in the drivers’ seat for a bit. And I don’t figure it will last, in any case.

Charlie Adlard continues to be the model of consistency on art.

Good

Invincible #89

What a fun idea. This comic has been going on for awhile now, and I’m loving Robert Kirkman’s takes on the classic comic book shake-ups. He’s done the new costume and the added cast members. He’s done the gay best friend and the pregnant girlfriend. Now he’s moved on to replacing the title character, and to make it even more topical, he changed Invincible’s race too!

That is, Invincible’s replacement is African American. I love the idea of Bulletproof as an “almost Invincible” he even had his eye on the costume back in the day! Sure, that’s a pretty convenient bit of history, but it just adds to the current plot.

Most of the issue shows the Guardians of the Globe and their allies dealing with the Viltrumite presence on Earth. Not really much to be done, so everyone is just going their own way by the close of the issue. Dinosaurus still gets an amazing amount of respect considering how silly he is. I’m also intrigued to find out just what Mark Grayson is a perfect match for.

That closing page makes me hope this is the status quo for some time. I’d love to see how Bulletproof does as Invincible for at least a trade’s worth of material.

Ryan Ottley does a great job once again; I’m amazed how much detail he can put into Dinosaurus’ ridiculous features. And I LOVE the double splash page with the new Invincible. Great execution.

Good

Avengers #23

Well, I have to give credit where it is due. Bendis is handling this story just right, and right now, it is comparing favorably to the classic Siege of Avengers Mansion story arc. I mean, you’ve got these overpowered foes that have taken the Avengers off the map with only a few exceptions, yet here we are. Quake is showing up and taking care of business. Vision is standing tall against a souped-up Norman Osborn.

In fact, just about everyone “redeems” themselves after their showings in the last few issues. President Obama stands up to Osborn and does the right thing. Captain America is as indomitable as ever. When Quake makes her move, a split second is more than enough for Iron Man, Storm, and Spider-Woman. Heck, Hawkeye and Red Hulk sort of take care of their own problems too! And Red Hulk has some of the best “bad cop” dialogue I’ve ever heard. When a Hulk threatens to eat you? You talk!

Somehow, mixed in with all the Avengers’ triumphs and dramatic moments, Osborn still comes off as a legit threat at the close of the issue. Daniel Acuna gets to return for the most dramatic chapter in this arc. His style makes these dramatic moments just pop off the page. When Storm and Iron Man bust loose, I chuckled with glee, and when Red Hulk gets free, I actually laughed out loud with anticipation. This is a really strong comic!

Good

Secret Warriors: Wake the Beast HC

So I guess the Contessa wasn’t spying for Nick Fury, huh? That’s a bit of a bummer. She wasn’t exactly my favorite character or anything, but I loved the whole James Bond femme-fatale feel she always had when teaming up with Nick Fury. I suppose there is still a very good chance that she is going to double-cross her Soviet masters, but this colors all those old appearances a bit.

I do have a problem with the Leviathan concept. First of all, how weird is it that Jonathan Hickman and Grant Morrison both created their secret societies with the same name? The bigger problem is the oddball organic-tech design for the Soviet society. It just doesn’t fit in with the conflict between Hydra and SHIELD.

Clearly, Hickman has done a lot of research. I consider myself a bit of a Marvel nerd, but man, the names he pulls for the rest of the caterpillar program is beyond me. I look forward to seeing who these folks end up to be, but wow, that’s a lot of potential new characters. I love that Alex Pierce is one of the bosses, his transformation into super-soldier during Nick Fury vs. SHIELD is one of the best transformations in comics. As for Mikel Fury, I have absolutely no memory of the dude. Is he new?

I enjoyed seeing the origins of Hydra’s leadership, although there is still plenty of mystery there. Kraken’s origin in particular leaves a lot of possibility for ties to the history of the Marvel U. I appreciate Hickman’s escape hatch for Madame Viper, too, she’s too interesting a villain to write out easily.

Stefano Caselli’s pencils shine on some of the issues, but the art maintains a pretty consistent look throughout the arc. I’ve never seen Nick Fury look so hulking, but he’s practically a force of nature for those characters in his orbit, so it makes sense. I love the Contessa De Fontaine’s cover; talk about a James Bond/Jim Steranko vibe!

Fair

FF v1 HC

What an odd approach to the Fantastic Four. Jonathan Hickman is clearly a meticulous plotter, with multiple elements from his last few FF stories coming to a head in this first collection. I bet it was confusing for folks coming in fresh to try and figure out about a second Atlantis, new Inhumans, advanced Mole Men, and a council of Reed Richards.

I love the level of history that Hickman uses in his work. In addition to the concepts above, we get the High Evolutionary, Mad Thinker, Diablo, Mole Man, the Wizard, and of course Doctor Doom. That’s a lot of great villains, and there are almost as many shout-outs to older stories in the actual Future Foundation line-up (which includes Dragon Man, Alex Power, and Artie Maddox). My problem is that the conflicts all feel somewhat sterile; for some reason I’m not invested in the outcome.

A good example is the big battle set near Old Atlantis. Mole Man shows up, along with some of his classic monsters, attempting to drop the city to the ground. The FF show up, and Alex Power gets a few cool moments, but I was never worried about whether the city stood or fell. Spider-Man’s dialogue is snappy, but I feel he’s a bit out of his role when he’s playing big brother to Alex Power during the conflict. He also seems awkward trying to hold a leadership role with the Invisible Woman. I’m afraid the balance that made the Fantastic Four work is out of whack.

Reed Richards is fairly reactive through this whole story. I think almost every decision or suggestion comes from Valeria, Nathaniel Richards, or Doom. Losing your core cast is a risk when your cast becomes so expansive, and I wonder if that’s what causing my lack of interest in the former Fantastic Four.

Steve Epting and Barry Kitson both draw Susan Richards looking a bit too young, but both excel in the black & white Spider-Man costume. I also can’t get past the Thing in his white wrestling togs. I’ve got too many years of blue uniforms to be able to put it right in my head.

Average

Secret Avengers #23

This is the best team books on the stands right now. I had high hopes for this comic, and Rick Remender is clearing every hurdle. Captain Britain is back and cooler than ever in his sweet 80’s togs, Hawkeye is acting like the cocky leader we know he is, and the rest of the team is kicking butt.

I particularly enjoyed the ridiculous banter between Hank Pym and the Beast. They must be pretty close if Beast can get away with making jokes about creating Ultron. In fact, the banter and relationships on this team are already coming together in an entertaining fashion. Hawkeye’s concern for Ant-Man was great, but Black Widow’s confidence in Eric O’Grady’s abilities was even better.

As for Eric’s fate, I just can’t believe it. Surely the current Ant-Man is too popular to get killed like this. That said, with the Torch and Venom joining the team this issue, there are too many folks on this team. Actually, Venom’s involvement is yet another high spot in this issue. Cap’s the only one willing to give the guy a chance!

Gabriel Hardman is now one of my favorite artists, no doubt about it. His Ant-Man is simply awesome. The entire escape sequence was top notch, with the sparking helmet and mad dash into the dangerous streets. It was a great touch seeing Eric pick up a lead pipe to go down fighting too.

The Torch doesn’t seem to have much of a costume yet, but I can’t wait for Hardman to draw Venom.

Excellent

Aquaman #6

Well, here’s the first fairly boring issue of Aquaman. Too bad it had to be the one starring Mera. She’s been a great part of the book for the entire opening arc, so I’m disappointed that her spotlight issue is so full of clichés and DCnU toughness.

I can’t imagine too many interactions actually go down like the abusive boss that Mera unloads on to open the book. If there was a super-strong hero chick in your store, would you start fondling her, even if you were a pervert? Doesn’t seem too smart, does it? Geoff Johns keeps it coming from there, with a wife-killing man who deserves some beating getting what he deserves from Mera too. I’m not sure what the point of this issue was, except to show us how Mera might be justified in hating the surface world.

Joe Prado handles more of the art in this issue, over Ivan Reis’ breakdowns. The art suffers for it, with the faces and figures alternating between elongated and smooshed. Mera’s face really looks odd in some of these panels.

I am intrigued about the “First League,” so I’ll be back next month. Every DCnU book finds itself on a handicap with me, having to be extra-enjoyable to justify my purchasing it. Another issue like this and I’ll probably let Aquaman slip off my sublist too.

Average