Sacred Creatures is real long this issue. And nothing happens. Oh, wait, turns out the Seven Deadly Sins have somehow Rosemary’s Babied ne’er-do-well lead Josh’s baby. It’s all part of some ancient plan. Regardless, nothing happens. Lots of talking heads saying nothing and Raimondi and Janson don’t have the writing chops to make it pass. It’s generic, it’s formulaic, it’s boring. Raimondi’s art is still good, but Creatures is desperately low on steam.
Sacred Creatures is real long this issue. And nothing happens. Oh, wait, turns out the Seven Deadly Sins have somehow Rosemary’s Babied ne’er-do-well lead Josh’s baby. It’s all part of some ancient plan. Regardless, nothing happens. Lots of talking heads saying nothing and Raimondi and Janson don’t have the writing chops to make it pass. It’s generic, it’s formulaic, it’s boring. Raimondi’s art is still good, but Creatures is desperately low on steam.
CREDITS
Writers, Pablo Raimondi and Klaus Janson; artist, Raimondi; colorist, Chris Chuckry; letterer, Tom Orzechowski; editor, Sebastian Girner; publisher, Image Comics.
Sacred Creatures’s second issue is still a longer-than-normal comic, but still feels like a significant decrease from the giant first issue. Raimondi and Janson are careful with their pacing. They jump around a bit–present, flashback, present, then introduce another character–and Raimondi seems a little pressed on space. His panels are sometimes tiny, just so he can get in all the story. This issue has some reveals, some clarifications; previous issue protagonist Josh seems like more a bystander to the big events going on around him. It’s a fine enough shift. He’s appropriately second-fiddle. It’ll be interesting to see what Raimondi and Janson do next–they’re not grandoisely ambitious, just exceptionally, professionally competent. At least in the writing, Raimondi’s art is plain awesome, even hurried.
Sacred Creatures’s second issue is still a longer-than-normal comic, but still feels like a significant decrease from the giant first issue. Raimondi and Janson are careful with their pacing. They jump around a bit–present, flashback, present, then introduce another character–and Raimondi seems a little pressed on space. His panels are sometimes tiny, just so he can get in all the story. This issue has some reveals, some clarifications; previous issue protagonist Josh seems like more a bystander to the big events going on around him. It’s a fine enough shift. He’s appropriately second-fiddle. It’ll be interesting to see what Raimondi and Janson do next–they’re not grandoisely ambitious, just exceptionally, professionally competent. At least in the writing, Raimondi’s art is plain awesome, even hurried.
CREDITS
Writers, Pablo Raimondi and Klaus Janson; artist, Raimondi; colorist, Chris Chuckry; letterer, Tom Orzechowski; editor, Sebastian Girner; publisher, Image Comics.
Sacred Creatures seems like a vampire book, but it might end up being an angel book. Angels can be Machiavellianly evil too.
This oversized first issue starts with an introduction to the evil “siblings,” who don’t really resemble each other in a familial sense, which is the first clue to something supernatural. Then there’s the introduction of a regular NYPD detective. Then there’s the introduction to the dorky white guy lead. Then there’s a big flashback sequence explaining what’s going on with the dorky, covered-in-blood, white guy lead. And then there’s a hunky blond priest running around saving the day. And saving the dorky white guy lead from giant possessed cats.
It’s a lot.
And writers Klaus Janson and Pablo Raimondi go all out. They write the heck out of it; they’re really working with the script, covering all their bases. Raimondi draws even more heck out of it. It’s a creater-owned property so Raimondi does have to be cost effective–all of the exteriors are what appear to be computer enhanced (beautifully so) photographs of New York City. At least during the flashbacks. The action’s too exciting to concentrate on backdrops.
Sacred Creatures isn’t the most original or the deepest book, but it’s solidly written and plotted and, more importantly, it’s Raimondi kicking ass on the art.
Sacred Creatures seems like a vampire book, but it might end up being an angel book. Angels can be Machiavellianly evil too.
This oversized first issue starts with an introduction to the evil “siblings,” who don’t really resemble each other in a familial sense, which is the first clue to something supernatural. Then there’s the introduction of a regular NYPD detective. Then there’s the introduction to the dorky white guy lead. Then there’s a big flashback sequence explaining what’s going on with the dorky, covered-in-blood, white guy lead. And then there’s a hunky blond priest running around saving the day. And saving the dorky white guy lead from giant possessed cats.
It’s a lot.
And writers Klaus Janson and Pablo Raimondi go all out. They write the heck out of it; they’re really working with the script, covering all their bases. Raimondi draws even more heck out of it. It’s a creater-owned property so Raimondi does have to be cost effective–all of the exteriors are what appear to be computer enhanced (beautifully so) photographs of New York City. At least during the flashbacks. The action’s too exciting to concentrate on backdrops.
Sacred Creatures isn’t the most original or the deepest book, but it’s solidly written and plotted and, more importantly, it’s Raimondi kicking ass on the art.
CREDITS
Writers, Pablo Raimondi and Klaus Janson; artist, Raimondi; colorist, Chris Chuckry; letterer, Tom Orzechowski; editor, Sebastian Girner; publisher, Image Comics.
Howard is mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. So what does he do? He stops the Circus of Crime. Why? See the first sentence. Is he mad at the Circus of Crime? Not so much. Is he worried about his friends being hospitalized? Not so much. Does Howard finally admit he’s got deep feelings for that hairless female ape Beverly? Sort of.
Did Marvel just not let Gerber get crazy with Howard’s affections for Beverly? There’s got to be an explanation. Because this issue isn’t just strange–it’s an action comic, one with good art and good dialogue, but an unambitious action comic. And Gerber is usually all about the ambition for what an issue can do.
So when this one doesn’t do much, the mind has time to wonder what else is going on with the comic. Hence my questions.
Though troubled, it’s solid.
CREDITS
Circus Maximus; writer and editor, Steve Gerber; penciller, Gene Colan; inker, Klaus Janson; colorist, Phil Rachelson; letterer, Gaspar Saladino; publisher, Marvel Comics.
Well… last things first. Winda gets assaulted and Gerber shucks it off page. After her startling–and entirely unnecessary–attack, Gerber just mentions her in Howard’s summing up of the issue’s misadventures.
Most of the comic involves him running around with the Circus of Crime and how he gets away from them. Gerber, Colan and Janson do a rather good human drama subplot too, which one of the Circus’s victims drunkenly reacting.
But then Gerber ties it all together and there’s not enough room to do it in scale so Colan is left to rush through it. And if anyone is going to do reaction shots instead of action shots, Colan should be the one to do them; he gets a lot of energy in them. It still feels like an unsteady issue. Gerber has enough story for two issues or at least one and a half.
It’s mostly good.
Well… last things first. Winda gets assaulted and Gerber shucks it off page. After her startling–and entirely unnecessary–attack, Gerber just mentions her in Howard’s summing up of the issue’s misadventures.
Most of the comic involves him running around with the Circus of Crime and how he gets away from them. Gerber, Colan and Janson do a rather good human drama subplot too, which one of the Circus’s victims drunkenly reacting.
But then Gerber ties it all together and there’s not enough room to do it in scale so Colan is left to rush through it. And if anyone is going to do reaction shots instead of action shots, Colan should be the one to do them; he gets a lot of energy in them. It still feels like an unsteady issue. Gerber has enough story for two issues or at least one and a half.
It’s mostly good.
CREDITS
Repercussions…!; writer, Steve Gerber; penciller, Gene Colan; inker, Klaus Janson; colorist, Janice Cohen; letterer, Irving Watanabe; editors, Jim Shooter and Gerber; publisher, Marvel Comics.
Well, Bev’s back this issue and… Gerber has her and her new husband getting it on. He plays it for laughs, starting with Bev complaining about being stuck in a square marriage like her mother’s and ending with the creatures of Bong’s island peeping on them.
So it’s kind of like if Sue married Doom to save Reed and then was happy about it. It’s weird.
Meanwhile, Howard’s other pals are back (after ten issues, which is way too long), and they’re hanging out in New York society.
The issue’s okay enough. Howard’s no longer the lead in his own book–not sure why Gerber thought Paul Same, failed artist, was better than Howard the Duck for a story protagonist; not much of Gerber’s moves this issue make sense.
With the Colan and Janson art, however it’s hard to get too upset. Like I said, it’s okay enough, just not special.
CREDITS
Getting Smooth!; writer and editor, Steve Gerber; penciller, Gene Colan; inker, Klaus Janson; colorist, Janice Cohen; letterer, Irving Watanabe; publisher, Marvel Comics.