This week’s Marvel Comics:
CAPTAIN MARVEL 24: I’m actually a bit relieved that this title is coming to a close. I’ve been ambivalent about it for a while. It started with the title character as an amiable cipher, hopelessly overshadowed by his supporting cast. Still, its character-based humor overcame that flaw. Then came the re-launch, and Genis went insane. He was still a cipher, though, as his behavior was so unpredictable and unsympathetic that it was all but impossible to identify with him as a protagonist. That development was coupled with the disappearance of most of the very appealing cast, leaving only crazy Genis and ineffectual Rick Jones. Now, he’s in some uneasy middle ground between the two, possibly insane, possibly not. And he still isn’t very interesting. The current story arc isn’t helped by my aversion to “avoid the grim future” time travel stories, particularly when they have such a defeatist resolution. There’s considerable artistry in this book, but its themes leave me cold. I can’t say I’ll miss it.
DAREDEVIL 61: Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev offer another issue where just about everything energetic happens off-panel, so we’re left with lots of talking. Matt and Foggy talk about Matt’s failing marriage. Government officials talk about dangerous women. Natasha and Matt talk around how hot they are for each other. And, perhaps cracking his knuckles for the upcoming crossover, Bendis gives the Avengers a cameo where they subdue a dangerous villain by (wait for it) talking to her. It’s sleek, it’s carefully crafted, and it’s kind of empty.
NEW X-MEN: ACADEMY X 2: The book is set in a school, so it’s not unreasonable that it seems to have a cast of thousands, but writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir seem to have difficulty folding in the expository introductions in an organic manner. Everyone’s antsy about being assigned to squads for various reasons, some more interesting than others. Rivalries are more clearly established, primarily between the five principles and Julian Keller, the Xavier Institute’s own Draco Malfoy. There are nice moments, particularly David’s preference for an education over superhero boot camp, and it’s kind of satisfying to see someone (Cyclops, in this case) tell Noriko to stuff it with the attitude. (Of course, a grown man still dependent on a visor to control his powers isn’t the one to tell a young student how much the school can help her.) It isn’t really based on anything on the page, but I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with Dust. If she finds Noriko’s clothing immodest, what’s she going to do in her advising sessions with Emma Frost? It’s a promising title, but it would benefit from some focus on a smaller cast.
RUNAWAYS 16: This is just a tremendously entertaining book, written by Brian K. Vaughan with a combination of tight plotting and thoughtful characterization that makes the title characters sympathetic and real. The twist at the end wasn’t particularly a surprise, and neither will the one that’s probably coming next issue (Alex is the strategist of the group, after all), but there’s a craft and an energy to the title that outweighs any predictability. After a somewhat slow middle patch (I found the Cloak and Dagger issues too in-jokey for my taste), this book is back on solid footing, moving the intergenerational conflict forward at breakneck speed. I would be remiss if I didn’t praise the stunning, atmospheric art of Adrian Alphona, inker Craig Yeung, and colorist Christina Strain. They create a wide variety of settings and, most importantly, draw protagonists who look like real kids. I highly recommend this book, and if you haven’t picked it up so far, look for the digest version on the way.
SHE-HULK 4: Writer Dan Slott continues to mine the comic possibilities of superhero law to great effect. Carrying on the tradition of a Spider-Man appearance in the fourth issue, She-Hulk’s colleague Augustus “Pug” Pugliese pitches a lawsuit to the wall-crawler, suggesting he sue Daily Bugle owner J. Jonah Jameson. (This sounds like ambulance chasing to me, as lawyers really aren’t supposed to solicit clients, but I’ll look past it.) Twisty legal wackiness ensues, mixed with budding romance and genuinely funny bits. Slott even finds time to touch on one of the book’s themes, as Pug suggests that She-Hulk is only as strong as Jennifer Walters. It’s very subtle, but I was very happy for its inclusion. It’s a nice message.
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR: Writer Warren Ellis picks up where Bendis and Mark Millar left off. He reveals a bit about Victor Van Damme (he had a mean daddy who made him do genealogical declensions on his birthday), and confirms that Sue isn’t in the Baxter Building just because she’s the boss’s daughter. She’s a gifted scientist in her own right, and I find Ellis’s take on her – confident, focused, and compassionate – much more rounded than that of the previous team. There’s nothing really wrong with this issue, but I’m starting to wonder if the Fantastic Four is one of those groups who just don’t do it for me. And while I’m normally a tremendous fan of Stuart Immonen’s graceful pencils, they look oddly scratchy and distorted here. Maybe it’s the inks by Wade Von Grawbadger?
