Fantastic Four: True Story 1 (September 2008)

I really wanted to love Fantastic Four: True Story, but Cornell just isn’t able to make it precious enough. The concept is somewhat complex–Sue is suffering from melancholy and discovers it has to do with not wanting to read fiction. It turns out the whole world is suffering from a similar melancholy (a major problem with the narrative is Reed “discovering” that universal ailment–someone else would have noticed first).

So the Fantastic Four journey into fiction to find out the problem.

Cornell does a great job with Johnny and Ben–he even abbreviates their bickering, which only lasts a page, but is a fine approach to what otherwise would have been something familiar.

It’s Sue and Reed who come off wrong. Cornell has them blathering to each other like they’re out of a romance novel.

Plus, Domingues’s art fails. He doesn’t do either element–superhero or magical–well.

CREDITS

The Melancholy of Susan Richards; writer, Paul Cornell; artist and colorist, Horacio Domingues; letterer, Dave Lanphear; editor, Tom Brevoort; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Soldier Zero (2010) #1

Sz1

You know, I liked it.

I dislike gimmicks as a principle, but Boom! allowed advance reviews of Soldier Zero so I figured they must think it’ll get good ones. You don’t see a lot of advance comic reviews from any superhero publisher.

It succeeds because of Paul Cornell, near as I can tell, and because of the narrative construction. The titular Soldier Zero has these strange appearances throughout the issue, so he could be a video game character the protagonist plays. Goofy superhero outfit though–looks like a cheap toy.

The protagonist is where Soldier Zero works real well–he’s an anti-war, disabled Iraq vet and Cornell’s approach to not making him a stereotype is very interesting. Cornell drowns the character in stereotypical situations, but keeps him honest, making them real.

It’s not reinventing the wheel (it’s like Green Lantern with a wheelchair), but it’s a decent superhero comic.

Soldier Zero 1 (October 2010)

You know, I liked it.

It’s not reinventing the wheel (it’s like Green Lantern with a wheelchair), but it’s a decent superhero comic.

CREDITS

One Small Step for Man, Part One; writer, Paul Cornell; artist, Javier Pina; colorist, Alfred Rockefeller; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Bryce Carlson; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Avengers vs. Atlas (2010) #3

Avengers vs atlas 3 2010

Once again, I’m opening with a comment about Hardman, because the comic really leaves no other choice. While Parker constructs this elaborate and complicated story (I don’t even know how complicated yet, but it’s the kind of story–a sequel to a forty-year old story–Brubaker does pretty well and Bendis fails on but does try and Millar creates a monstrosity with–Parker does it beautifully, however, simply beautifully), he also gives Hardman this amazing script to visualize.

The action, the talking, it’s just so perfect. Parker’s got all these character interactions going on between the Atlas team–the Avengers are, regardless of Gorilla Man, a lot flashier–amid action scenes. He gives Namora a fantastic little plot point with Thor, but also just an aside to Steve Rogers Captain America about throwing the shield. There’s so much character, it’s a shock.

Parker’s easily Marvel’s greatest treasure right now.