Christian's Week in Comics 17/10/12: Marvel Point One, Harbinger #5, Captain Marvel #5

Marvel NOW! Point One
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Marvel

So since I enjoyed Uncanny Avengers a lot more than I expected, I've decided to give some of the Marvel NOW! books a chance, starting with the latest Point One issue.  First off, holy crap. This thing cost $5.99! I don't care if it's 64 pgs. For something that is basically just a glorified Previews catalog, I'm stunned. I bought it, because I'm a sucker, but damn Marvel.

So what did I think? Well, let's just say that out of the six titles previewed in this issue, at least four are on my Watch List and two are instant buys when their first issues come out. All in all, I thought it was pretty okay.

Nick Spencer and Luke Ross' Secret Avengers story didn't interest me in the least. This didn't surprise me, as I'm no fan of Spencer's writing in general. It's an overly talky scene that tries too hard to be clever and doesn't leave me wanting more. Moving on: Bendis and McNiven's Guardians of the Galaxy teased the new origins of Peter Quill, Starlord, but didn't leave me wanting more either. Instead, it just left me wondering why Bendis is writing Marvel Cosmic stories. Hmm. Is it just me, or have the Skrull's uniforms and weapons been retconned to make them look more like the Chitauri?

A big surprise for me was Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' take on the new, kid-friendly Nova. I was expecting to hate this, but as it turns out, it was one of my favorite stories in the book. A small, self-contained adventure with Nova squaring off against one of his predecessors enemies, Diamondhead. Loeb seems to be having fun with this character, and that exuberance also comes across in McGuiness' cartooning, which is in fine form. I never thought I'd be saying this, but I am excited for a Jeph Loeb comic.

Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie and Mike Norton's Young Avengers was the highlight of the issue for me. Watching Miss America throttle Kid Loki over a plate of Korean BBQ was a thing of beauty. As it stands, this is one of my most anticipated titles of the relaunch. I will buy this without hesitation.

Matt Fraction and The Allred's FF story featuring Scott Lang as Ant-Man was a tragicomic story with some great art, but the more I thought about the odd storytelling choices and character motivations, the more I decided I didn't like it as much as my first impressions suggested. Lang wants revenge at Dr. Doom for killing his daughter, and he decides to vandalize his art show? Really? I love Mike and Laura Allred's work, but Fraction is on thin ice with me. This is a wait-and-see title.

Closing out this issue was a story previewing Cable and the X-Force by Dennis Hopeless and Gabriel Hernandez Walta, which is weird, because I'm pretty sure Salvador Larocca is scheduled to be the artist on the actual series. Again, I have to admit I'm shocked. Cable and the X-Force was not a comic I was looking forward to at all, but this weird little story featuring a future-shocked Forge repairing his own broken mind (I think?) and then ending the story with Cable and his little withered arm, was a strange but pleasant little surprise. This is definitely a title I'll be looking into when it debuts in December, and I haven't been excited about Cable since I was 10.

So there you have it. At $5.99, this is a steeply priced set of Previews, but at least 65% of the book was worth it, and now I'm excited about a handful of titles that I'm now looking forward to.

Harbinger #5
Writer: Joshua Dysart
Artist: Khari Evans
Valiant

Five issues in, and I think it's safe to say that Harbinger is my favorite title of the Valiant relaunch. Everything about this book excites me. The complicated drama, the intense level of emotion poured into the characters, the awesome display of psychic powers, and the complex real-world politics that the book deals with on a regular basis.

This was the most intense, action-filled issue of Harbinger yet. Grieving and full of rage after discovering the body of his murdered friend Joe, Pete Stanchek takes the fight directly to Harada, but of course things get more complicated than that. For more of this series, I have been very critical of Pete's actions and have found him to be a very selfish and destructive character. And yet, when he tells Harada, "the thing you've never understood about me Harada, [is] I was born to die" struck me as such a tragic statement that completely underscores where Pete is coming from.

As a person who has spent most of his life in institutions and struggling to survive in poverty on the streets, Pete's entire life has been one of desperate, leading towards death. He's never really known love (except when he forced Kris to love him), and barely knows how to respond to basic kindness. Pete is a damaged person, but he isn't worthless and he can't just be used like some pawn on a giant chess board. Pete's always known that life was a brutal game and he's been on the losing team since birth.

That's a long way of saying you should definitely be reading Harbinger. It is one of the best comics on the stands currently, and is more essential and relevant than anything being currently published by Marvel or DC.

Captain Marvel #5
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick 
Artist: Emma Rios
Marvel

I was very critical of the first issue of the relaunched Captain Marvel series. Unfairly so. I am happy to report that this comic has been steadily improving with every issue. This issue continues where the last one left off, with Carol Danvers trapped in the past and trying to befriend her hero, who sees her more as competition than a comrade. The writing in this book has gotten much better. The rhetoric I complained of in the first issue has been toned down considerably, but this book is no less about women kicking ass in World War II. It's awesome.

Another improvement in this issue is the art by Emma Rios. Hers is the kind of expressive, impressionist art I'd expect more from an Image book than a Marvel comic. I love it, with one caveat: what the hell is wrong with Carol's face? Seriously. I am over the costume. I think the costume is bad-ass. Seeing photos of people cosplaying in the new Captain Marvel suit convinced me that it is an improvement over the Ms. Marvel getup. Seriously though, Carol's face in this issue is messed up.

I've been reading comics with a domino-mask wearing Danvers for years, and I never had a hard time recognizing her face. In this issue, there were several times when I lost track of who the hell she was. I understand that each artist wants to put their own individual stamp on the character, I get that, but at least try to make the character's facial features somewhat consistent with past appearances.

These minor gripes aside, this was a pretty good book, and makes me hope that someone at Marvel Studios has plans for Carol Danvers. I would love to see Captain Marvel in Avengers 2 or Guardians of the Galaxy.

Captain Marvel #3: We're Here; We're Waiting

Captain Marvel #3
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: Dexter Soy
Marvel
August 29, 2012

I decided to keep following Captain Marvel, in spite of the problems I had with the first issue.  I've heard a lot of good things about DeConnick so I wanted to give her the benefit of doubt and keep reading.

It's paying off.  I've been increasingly impressed with the character development of Captain Marvel, including her stubbornness and her inability to back down from a fight (sound familiar, Christian?).

At first, when Captain Marvel spares an enemy pilot from a vicious beating, you're thinking, "Oh ok, so she's straight edge--a little like Captain America.  She won't kill the bad guys; she'll just give them a good beat-down."  But then she tells him to go back to camp and gather up the best army he can muster.  She says, "...when my gals and I hand you your asses...I want you to know beyond any shadow of a doubt...it could not possibly have gone any other way."  And that's when you know that Captain Marvel is completely bad-ass. 

The plot is taking its time to reveal where exactly it's going but it's certainly shaping up.  Characters and plot points that seemed unattached in the first issue are coming around again in the third.  Let's just say, I think there's going to be another pilot in the mix sometime soon.

The only thing, story-wise, that doesn't make sense to me is how there is a half-Japanese soldier in the US army during World War II.  Correct me if I'm wrong but were Japanese people allowed to join the army to fight against their own countrymen?  I guess that's not really the point in the comic book world but the blend of comic book world and real world in this series is a little confusing.

The art style is growing on me.  I have to say that I was thrown by it a couple times in the second issue because the background tends to look more realistic than the characters in the foreground.  The blend makes for a rather jarring splash page.  However, the sharp lines and dark colors lend Captain Marvel a determined, not-to-be-f***ed-with-air about her.  I also really appreciate that she, as well as the Banshee Squad, are drawn as athletes.  Sure, they have hips and boobs, but man, do they have rippling muscles as well!  The action shots really emphasize their movement and their physical presence and power, rather than their body parts.

The interlude is totally enticing--I can't wait for Captain Marvel to look up "Cobb, Helen" in the book.  All in all, "We'll be here.  We'll be waiting"...for the next issue!

Captain Marvel #1: Love Her or Hate Her?

Captain Marvel #1
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Art: Dexter Soy
Cover: Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, and Javier Rodriguez
Marvel
July 18, 2012

Before I dive in, I have to say that this is my first encounter with Ms. Marvel, now renamed Captain Marvel.  I know very little about her backstory, so the majority of my impressions are coming from this issue and from what I looked up on the internetz.  

 The writing is great, especially once you get into Captain Marvel's inner thoughts.  I love her desire for "higher, further, faster, more.  Always more."  DeConnick has blended high-flying action with down-to earth emotional moments seamlessly.  Captain Marvel is born to fight and fly, but she's also a caring and loyal friend, as demonstrated by her initial reluctance to take on Captain Marvel's name and her touching moment with an old friend.

However, I do hope that DeConnick lays off the constant references to Captain Marvel being a woman.  Women can be captains too; get over it!  All of the sexist remarks from other characters just drag us back into the Ms. Marvel of the past.  If she is going to be the strong female character of this day and age, why does she have to keep proving herself to misogynistic villains? 

The art in this issue is stunning--it's dark and gritty but it can also be clean and commanding in some great action shots of Captain Marvel.  The initial splash page is a major attention grabber; you're really thrown into the action with this one.  We're also introduced to her new mask about halfway through the issue.  It is awesome!  It's like a mix of Iron Man's technology, a flight helmet, and Maleficent's horns.

My only criticism of the art would be to say, "what's with the booty shots?"  There are at least three panels in which Captain America's derriere is the main focus.  You'd think that they could find a way to make her look fully clothed now that she has a costume that actually covers her whole behind, including a sash around her waist!

In response to my question in the title of this review, "Love Her or Hate Her", I don't think anyone could hate Carol Danvers; she is a very likeable character--she used to be a writer, after all.  Plus, who can't relate to feeling like "the Lord put us here to punch holes in the sky."  The question for me is going to be whether or not I end up loving her.  I'm on the fence at the moment.  If I can see less of her having to prove herself "because she's a woman" and more of her just being bad-ass, I might just love her.  I'm curious about where this series is going now--there doesn't seem to be much of a "drive" to this issue; it actually felt more like a "statement" issue, like there was a point to be made before any major plot points could be introduced. 

But for now, I'll just say, "when a soul is born with that kind of purpose.  It'll damn sure find a way."

Coming this Wednesday

Coming this Wednesday, 
Reviews of:

• Extermination #2 (Boom! Studios)
• Saga #5 (Image)
• X-O Manowar #3 (Valiant)

And maybe Captain Marvel #1, if I can get over how much I dislike the idea of this reboot.