Blackhawks 3 (January 2012)

The art combination of Nolan and Trevor Scott is hilarious. Nolan did all right before, so I guess Scott’s not particularly good at “finishing.” The lady with the eye patch changes bra sizes about nine times throughout the comic, but her hand remains bigger than her torso throughout. And the silver-haired Blackhawk commander changes age multiple times in a scene.

Speaking of the commander, why doesn’t he do anything? Mocking the art is easy and fun because there are some awful panels, but the real problem is Costa. He can’t even tell a joke.

He can, however, rip off Alien 4 for one of his plot details. Or maybe it was Alien³….

There’s also a wasteful interlude with two kidnapped Blackhawks members. Only none of them are distinctive except Patch Girl (the biggest G.I. Joe rip-off) and Silverhead, so who cares?

Makes me wish craptacular was a word.

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Costa; penciller, Graham Nolan; inker, Trevor McCarthy; colorist, Guy Major; letterer, Rob Leigh; editors, Chris Conroy and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Blackhawks 2 (December 2011)

Here’s the funny thing about Blackhawks–if it were an Ultimates rip-off, it might make sense. As a G.I. Joe one though, it’s silly. The new DC Universe has way too many secret organizations.

Though the funniest thing has to be Costa’s understanding of technology. The Blackhawks don’t have the power to remove things from the Internet, but they do have laptops with 300,0000 terabyte hard drives. So it’s all futuristic, but not in any useful way.

It’s even sadder because it means the Blackhawks can’t take down my post about their crappy comic book.

The problem, besides there being no point to the comic, is Costa. It’s not just his stupid details, it’s his inability to give his characters any personality. He ought to just call them “Patch,” “Specs” and “Silverhead,” because they’d be more memorable.

The art’s not bad, though Nolan doesn’t have anything good to draw.

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Costa; penciller, Graham Nolan; inker, Trevor McCarthy; colorist, Guy Major; letterer, Rob Leigh; editors, Janelle Asselin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Blackhawks 1 (November 2011)

I thought I was going to hate Blackhawks, but it’s sort of so dumb I can’t.

Mike Costa’s not a terrible writer. Heck, I wish DC had put him on about six other relaunch books. Again, he’s not good, but he’s not terrible.

The art’s not so good either, but I guess if you like action you might like it.

No, what makes Blackhawks so undeniably interesting is that action. It’s G.I. Joe. It’s DC’s version of a G.I. Joe comic. It has nothing to do with the Blackhawks. It’s DC thinking people buy G.I. Joe comics because it’s about dumb nicknames and action scenes with big guns.

Blackhawks sums up everything wrong with DC (and parent company Warner Bros.). You can’t ape G.I. Joe.

Of some additional interest is the revelation in the new DCU, the U.N. has secret superhero prisons set up in other countries. Super-rendition, anyone?

CREDITS

Writer, Mike Costa; pencillers, Graham Nolan and Ken Lashley; inker, Lashley; colorist, Guy Major; letterer, Rob Leigh; editors, Janelle Asselin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.