Daredevil 1.50 (June 2014)

Daredevil #1.50 I'm really glad Mark Waid cares so much about Daredevil to craft the comic, and Matt Murdock, such a sweet story for the fiftieth anniversary of the character. It's a nice story. It's also completely pointless.

Waid tells a future story with Matt Murdock as former mayor of San Francisco (or something) and gives him a crisis to resolve–some mystery villain has made most of the city blind, including little Jack Murdock. Mom is a mystery but Foggy's around. He's probably supposed to be fifty too. He looks like a thirty year-old.

The story is slight and saccharine. Javier Rodriguez and Alvaro Lopez's art's decent, never anything more.

Then, to amplify the self-indulgence, Brian Michael Bendis does a text piece with Alex Maleev art. Comic book text pieces are real bad. Every time.

Finally, Karl Kesel and Tom Palmer do something goofy. It's bad, but they appear to enjoy themselves.

CREDITS

The King in Red; writer, Mark Waid; penciller and colorist, Javier Rodriguez; inker, Alvaro Lopez. My name is Stana Morgan…; writer, Brian Michael Bendis; artist, Alex Maleev; colorist, Matt Hollingsworth. The Last Will and Testament of Mike Murdock; writer and penciller, Karl Kesel; inker, Tom Palmer; colorist, Grace Allison. Letterer, Joe Caramagna, editor, Ellie Pyle; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Harbinger 10 (March 2013)

269331 20130414062142 large Now here’s a great issue. Dysart manages to turn the all-action issue into something with some content, probably because he’s got enough characters doing different things it can be a rewarding reading experience.

He opens with narration from Peter, but splits the issue between him and Faith. They have to do a rescue mission, only Faith’s the one who’s got to do the superhero stuff. The way Dysart splits the responsibility between them is part of the issue’s brilliance. His plotting here is exceptional. It’s so good, the issue can even withstand the awkward finish.

Dysart tries hard to reestablish Peter as the lead in the comic and he only partially succeeds. He still hasn’t made Peter function on his own, he always needs to be playing off someone. And the character works great with that constraint.

The art’s okay (credit should go to M. Hands).

Great, great issue.

CREDITS

Writer, Joshua Dysart; pencillers, Matthew Clark, Álvaro López, Dimi Macheras and Brian Thies; inkers, Clark, López, Macheras, Thies and Stefano Gaudiano; colorist, Mouse Baumann; letterer, Rob Steen; editors, Jody LeHeup and Warren Simons; publisher, Valiant Entertainment.

Doctor Strange: The Oath (2006) #1

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One has to wonder… if everyone wrote Dr. Strange and Wong as well as Vaughan does here, wouldn’t Doctor Strange be the most popular book on the market? Instead of one without an ongoing, I mean.

Vaughan comes up with a compelling story, sure, but the selling point is his dialogue and the character relationships. The issue opens when Iron Fist and Araña comparing superhero notes, which is hilarious on its own, then the drama of Strange being shot (there’s a shadowy villain too)… but soon it’s all about how much fun it is to spend time with Wong and Strange. Even when Wong’s dying, it’s a lot of fun.

There is, of course, the second layer to The Oath. There’s Marcos Martin’s artwork. Something about his style just makes it all work—the humor, the drama, the magic.

It’s a lovely book (even if the villain’s name is stupid).

Widowmaker (2011) #3

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I miss Swierczynski.

McCann does a decent job plotting the issue–there’s a lot of action in it, as well as the investigation into the spy stuff–but it’s a stinker.

First, yeah, I think the Lopezes are trying to make Black Widow unattractive. There’s a weak romance moment for Hawkeye and Mockingbird here too. Strange how McCann started his work on that aspect of the characters so strong and it’s since become a major problem for him. His Mockingbird is an annoying human being.

But the issue’s also cluttered with movie references. Sometimes McCann calls them out, other times he just suggests they’ve been made. It’s a weak crutch pretending to be thoughtful dialogue.

As for the big reveal of the new, evil Ronin?

It flops. My first reaction was “who?”. My second, after hearing his master plan, was wondering if DC would sue over The Losers being plagarized.

Widowmaker (2011) #1

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So for some reason, while everyone else gets drawn young and beautiful, the Lopezes draw Black Widow aged and weathered. She’s got more lines around her eyes than Rob Liefeld draws on a bicep. I know this book is a continuation of Hawkeye and Mockingbird, maybe making Widow unappealing is to bolster Mockingbird.

Actually, of all the characters–Black Widow, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Dominic Fortune–Mockingbird makes the least impression. McCann establishes a solid espionage story here and he’s so busy working through the details, there’s not a lot of time for characters without personality. Mockingbird doesn’t have much personality, especially when she’s not bickering with Clint.

The cliffhanger is somewhat weak, but so much of the issue is strong–McCann’s plot is good–it doesn’t really matter.

The Lopezes art, besides the Widow stuff, is decent. It’s bright for spy stuff. Widowmaker is a Bond movie in the Marvel Universe.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #6

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And here’s where the Lopezes just can’t hack it.

The issue is all about Clint’s angst. And Jessica Drew coming on to him a little. But mostly it’s about his angst. The Lopezes drawing an angst-ridden Clint bellyflops. It’s not their style (Javier Pulido, Cliff Chiang, Cameron Stewart all could have done it). It’s like they just don’t get it.

It’s so bad it’s impossible to even take the script seriously. McCann never should have given them this issue to illustrate.

The Mockingbird stuff is a little better because she’s at least in action sequences. What McCann hasn’t done this entire series is justify her behavior (she’s now embracing what she disavowed a couple issues before) and recasting her as a Black Widow clone just doesn’t work.

Her outfit’s too silly for one thing. For another, she doesn’t have the personality.

It’s a decent series, but very disappointing overall.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #5

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Well. Again, McCann knows how to get his reader back for the next issue.

What he does here—before revealing the issue has been contrived to path story out a couple more issues—is a “things go wrong” all-action issue. There’s a plan and it falls apart. The present action of the first twenty pages is about eight minutes. It’s a good read… until McCann gets to the end of it.

Since this issue is so action-oriented, there’s really no place for the Lopezes to have their problems. The end’s a little off, when Steve and Bucky show up, but the majority of the issue is smoothly executed.

McCann might be able to “save” the series in the next (last) issue, but it seems like it might be a fake save. While he’s a good writer, he relies heavily on contrived plot points to keep his story going.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #4

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Nice surprise ending. McCann’s rather good at them. He’s also good incorporating the series into the Marvel Universe without a lot of guest stars. But the way he builds to the surprise ending is the nicest part. He takes his time, informing the reader there will be one, but doesn’t show his hand and then makes it pay off. Doesn’t happen in comics enough.

The issue opens like I predicted. Mockingbird realizes she’s being a psychopath and turns over control of the mission to Hawkeye, who forgives her and tells her he understands. There’s a full page kiss between the two of them. It’s where I noticed the Lopezes draw women better than men. Hawkeye just looks goofy on the page.

It’s a well-executed issue but the story is starting to get long here. It feels like with five more pages, this story arc could be over. It’s dragging.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #3

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Here’s where the Lopezes’ can’t handle the script with their style. This issue is pretty gritty. It’s Mockingbird and Dominic Fortune getting vicious on the bad guys and Hawkeye being the one who’s trying to calm them down. But it’s impossible to take all Mockingbird’s forceful dialogue seriously when the Lopezes are drawing her a teenager. It just comes off wrong.

For his part, McCann handles the transition well but he’s starting to feel the pull here. This issue sets up Clint and Mockingbird as diametrically opposed and it’s no longer believable he wouldn’t walk on her. She’s gone over to the Dark Side. I’m sure she’ll eventually pull back or they’ll meet halfway, but McCann’s characterization of Clint feels wrong. He doesn’t belong and McCann’s contriving anything he can to keep him here.

Nice subtle hard cliffhanger moment too. McCann’s got some definite writing chops and trusts his reader.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird (2010) #2

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Wow, what a harsh ending.

McCann builds to it rather well, avoiding easy tension-building and getting a real surprise on the last two pages.

It’s a good issue, but it does have one major issue—with the Lopezes’ art, it feels like a bunch of overgrown kids. There’s a lot of masks off talking here and no one looks old enough to be driving, much less in their thirties.

And I guess I’m a little surprised Mockingbird carries around a cellphone. Even more surprised she doesn’t have it turned on vibrate when she and Dominic Fortune are off on a case.

Fortune’s an interesting addition to the series (this issue, he’s practically around more than Clint). McCann has got a little foreshadowing here and I hope it’s just a red herring and he doesn’t go predictable.

It’s a good issue; it certainly gets the reader anticipating the next one.