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X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #2 – Review

Posted on November 7, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Jeff Parker (Writer), Carlo Pagulayan, Gabriel Hardman, Chris Samnee, & Carlos Rodriguez (Pencils), Jason Paz, Hardman, Samnee, &Terry Pallot (Inks), and Wilfred Quintana & Veronica Gandini

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas book was solid and entertaining. That said, it wasn’t anything special and a bit too much of an “X” title for my taste. Perhaps the second half of the mini-series will swing things more in the favor of the Agents of Atlas.

The Story: The X-Men and the Agents of Atlas fight for a while until they realize that there is a connection between them. Meanwhile, Venus finds herself at the mercy of a follower of Aphrodite.

What’s Good: The fight that opens X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #2 is easily the highlight of the entire book. It’s chaotic as hell and a whole lot of fun to see play out…especially when Mr. Lao the Agent’s dragon gets involved. The art team does an excellent job of packing a ton of characters on each page during the scene and Jeff Parker’s battle-banter shines. Also, importantly, both teams come out of the encounter looking pretty damned good. The Agents prove that they’ve got what it takes to hang with the big dogs, while the X-Men once again show why they are one of the best comic teams of all time.

While Jeff Parker’s script is entertaining and serviceable, the only real surprise about it is how he manages to tie the bonus story from last month into the main X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas plot. It’s a nice twist to an otherwise predictable story. Thankfully, the book as a whole is elevated by the impressive artwork. The styles used fit the various segments and really make each piece of the story feel visually distinct.

What’s Not So Good: Outside of the interesting plot twist involving the bonus segment from X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #1, there’s little in X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #2 that you haven’t seen before. Jeff Parker uses standard “good guys vs. good guys” plot beats from start to finish. The teams fight, someone gets both sides to listen, and soon they realize they shouldn’t be fighting. It’s predictable and, to be honest, a bit boring. The great action and artwork covers up the dull plot to a certain extent, but it can’t mask it completely.

Conclusion: X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #2 is a visually impressive, entertaining conclusion to a fun mini-series. It doesn’t really do anything new, but chances are you probably won’t mind.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

 

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Nova #31 – Review

Posted on November 7, 2009 by tonyrak

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Andrea DiVito (artist), Bruno Hang (colorist)

Some Thoughts Before the Review: Being a die-hard, loyal Green Lantern fan, it goes without saying that I love a good space story.  It’s with some bewilderment though that I confess I’ve never been a huge fan of Marvel’s space faring heroes.  Sure, I devoured Infinity Gauntlet like everyone else, but haven’t touched this corner of the Marvel Universe until I started hearing good things about their Annihilation storyline.  That feedback, coupled with Abnett’s amazing storytelling, has persuaded me to pay closer attention to Marvel’s cosmic comics.

The Story: In the wake of the “War of Kings”, Nova pursues Darkhawk, his friend and alleged assassin, to the outworld Shard in search of answers regarding his involvement in the murder of the Shi’ar Empress Lilandra.

The Good: I can honestly say I was not expecting to like Nova as much as I did, but this issue made me hungry for more of Marvel’s cosmic continuity (yes, I know I’m abusing the alliteration here, but it’s so much fun I can’t resist!).  I first came to Abnett’s work through his efforts for Black Library’s Warhammer 40k games and books, and easily consider him to be one of the finest writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.  Why it’s taken me this long to get into his comics is beyond me but I’m glad I finally did.  Abnett crafts intelligent, dynamic stories that boldly venture into the unexplored corners of Marvel’s universe and create a new mythology from the ground up.  Through his care, Richard Rider is one of the most engaging characters in Marvel right now.  A young man of unimaginable power, he is tasked with protecting not a city, a country, or even a world, but the entire universe, and in this issue you really feel the weight of that burden as Nova must continue building the ranks of his Nova Corp even as he attempts to apprehend the friend who has been branded a galactic assassin.  This issue walks a fine tightrope between being rich in continuity and accessible to the new reader like me, and that is a damn rare quality to find in a comic.

The Not So Good: If it looks like the art in this issue was utterly breathtaking, take a look again and you’ll realize it was Hang’s brilliant colors that you were really admiring.  DiVito’s art was lifeless and not very interesting to look at, seeming to exist only to give Hang a chance to make it look better than it deserves to be through his beautiful palette.  The confrontation(s) between Nova and Darkhawk were also strangely anticlimactic, with a whole lot of nothing actually happening once you stopped to think about it.

Conclusion: Stellar writing and a richly-developed universe has convinced me that Nova is entertainment worth following.

Grade:  C+

-Tony Rakittke

 

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Deathlok #1 – Review

Posted on November 7, 2009 by tonyrak

By Charlie Huston (writer), Lan Medina (artist), Brian Heberling (colorist)

The Story: In the near future, war is still hell but it’s also become an incredibly popular type of sports entertainment.  Countries, corporations, and private military contractors now settle grudges by pitting their teams of proxy armies against each other on the popular TV show Battlezone.  At the forefront of this new industry is Mike Travers, the billionaire celebrity soldier of the Roxxon Corporation, and his conservative co-captain Luther Manning.  On the battlefields of the future, their already strained relationship is about to be put to the test.

The Good: I was initially drawn to this story based on Huston’s successful relaunch of Moon Knight, and based on this first issue it looks like I was right to put my trust in his storytelling.  Huston has a masterful control over his characters and does an excellent job of making dialogue sound tough and macho, and yet completely natural-sounding.  Everyone from Travers and Manning to the Battlezone commentators feels like believable, fully realized people in a world that places a premium on being a badass.  Huston commits to this world and its nuances completely, and that in turn sells the idea of Battlezone as an important aspect of global policy.  Medina and Heberling are a fantastic art team that turn in some beautiful pages here.  Medina’s illustrations perfectly convey the human arc of this story, and Heberling’s lush palette of colors render everything from the cool, metallic corridors of the Roxxon Rockers to the dry, warm battlefield where the end of the issue takes an explosive turn.  Honestly, if these guys are doing this good a job on the first issue, I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with once Deathlok officially enters the picture.  Well done, guys!

The Not So Good: The central premise in this issue of ‘war as entertainment’ is certainly not treading any new grounds here, and I feel like I’ve come across this type of story way too many times to be especially impressed or entertained by it.  I may have not minded it so much if it hadn’t taken up the entire issue, but I felt like Huston spent too much time trying to establish the logic and society of this world and not enough on the dynamics between Travers and Manning, which would have benefited enormously from further exposition.  I also became annoyed with the frequency of comments from the Battlezone sportscasters, and eventually stopped reading their captions towards the end of the issue simply because it wasn’t adding anything to the plot.

Conclusion: While Deathlok #1 did not benefit from its slow, potboiler plot, it featured enough great characterization and outstanding artwork to make me want to come back for next month’s issue.  I’m curious to see where the guys will take this.

Grade:  B-

-Tony Rakittke

 



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The Unknown: The Devil Made Flesh #2 – Review

Posted on November 7, 2009 by joelopez101

By Mark Waid (creator/writer), Minck Oosterveer (art)

The Story: World’s greatest detective Catherine Allingham has only six months to live.  Before that happens she’s intent on solving the greatest mystery of all: what happens after we die?  Her latest case brings her and new partner Adriana to a small Southern town where the murder victims have left seemingly unrelated final messages.  The thing is, unbeknownst to Catherine, she’s been here once before, investigating the same case.  Why can’t she remember?  And who is Adriana working for really?

What’s Good: Waid has managed not only to keep my attention with this second installment in his quirky supernatural mystery, but has also achieved a quite unlikely feat with this series as a whole so far: he’s made a sequel which is far better than the original.  In preparation for my review of this issue, I read the first miniseries by the same creative team so that I’d be better prepared to give it a fair shake.  Despite some fairly interesting ideas and a good hook when it came to the protagonist (“What if Sherlock Holmes were dying and prone to hallucinate?”), the story left me cold.  There was just too much going on all at once for me to care about any one thing.  The plot also seemed to be trying too hard to impress with its mad ideas, yet never found the time to fill in some of the blanks.  The Devil Made Flesh, however, has none of these problems, as this second issue continues to prove.

Waid grabs a hold of the reader’s attention immediately on the first page, while also setting the tone for the series as a whole. Not everything is as it seems to be in this story, and the opening scene serves to remind readers of this fact.  The writer also gets kudos for addressing an obvious question about our heroine’s medical problem in a subtle way.  The fact that he does so while not only revealing a new layer to her character, but also teaching me an interesting little anecdote about Freddy Mercury is downright genius.  It’s moments like these that remind you that Waid deserves all of the accolades that he’s received over the course of his long career.  In addition, he takes what could be a tired horror trope (the spooky, near-empty small town hiding a terrible secret) and makes it feel fresh.  Most of the credit for this has to do with experiencing the events through dying detective Catherine Allingham.   Waid has given us a wonderful set of eyes to see the world through here.  Both tragic and clever, she manages to be not only someone we’d want to meet, but someone we can sympathize with.  Everyone wants to know if there’s something more out there, and Catherine is no different.

This is my first exposure to Minck Oosterveer’s artwork.  I like it.  I couldn’t help but be reminded of David Lapham’s pencils as I read this issue, and as Lapham is a favorite of mine, that’s a good thing.  Oosterveer knows how to solidly tell a story.  His style also is well-suited to the subject matter.  He seems equally at home with the Noir-ish aspects of the tale as well as with the gorier, more horror-themed scenes.  In particular, his simple design of Catherine stands out as being both iconic and believable.

What’s Not So Good: I have to admit, despite Oosterveer’s work being solid in almost every way, he sure does seem preoccupied with making the females in the comic overtly sexy.  Both leads are curvy ladies who have no compunctions about showing as much of their assets as possible.  Catherine wears a tank top that seems to have been unbuttoned with the express purpose of revealing her cleavage and Adriana is dressed, quite frankly, like a prostitute.  When she actually says the phrase, “I’m more than boobs,” while wearing a skin-tight mini-dress that leaves nothing to the imagination, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.  If their clothing choices told me something about their characters, I could understand.  However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.  If anything, it only serves to tell me something about the artist, which distracts from an otherwise strong comic book.

Conclusion: Waid and Oosterveer’s sophomore chapter of their latest The Unknown miniseries doesn’t fail to entertain.  A fascinating heroine, a creepy and well-written mystery, and generally solid story-telling in the artwork all add up to a comic book well worth your time.

Grade: B

-Joe Lopez

 

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Captain America: Reborn #4 – Review

Posted on November 5, 2009 by paladinking

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch & Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Welcome back Steve Rogers….maybe?  Sort of?

What’s Good: Over the course of my reviews of Reborn, I’ve repeatedly stated that the comic is better the more it focuses on Rogers, as I’ve thus far found most of the present day portions to be relatively dry.  This month bucks that trend, as while much of the comic is in the present, I nonetheless found myself interested.  This is largely thanks to Brubaker bringing in the villains.

With Doom, Red Skull, and their henchman stomping about, getting their way, and generally acting like the cackling, arrogant villains that they are, these present day portions have a vitality that they’ve lacked through much of Reborn.  It’s always fun to see some of the Marvel Universe’s bad guy power players in the same room at once and Skull and Doom have long been two of the most bombastic of the lot.  Better still, their direct involvement in Reborn provides the miniseries with the specific, pointed adversaries needed to add fuel to the narrative’s conflict; they’re more tightly linked and unique to this struggle over Rogers, as opposed to Osborn, who is everybody’s bad guy these days.

Meanwhile, Rogers’ portions continue to be strong, channeling that sense of torment and entrapment that’s worked so well thus far.  Though it’s still scaled back from, say, issue 2, that doesn’t mean that what’s here isn’t enjoyable.

Overall, this feels just as a blockbuster, widescreen mainstream comic should.  It’s got action, it’s big, it’s loud, and it has those diabolical villains, all of it leading to a great ending that’s sure to leave you hankering for issue five.

Hitch and Guice’s work on art once again works fairly well, magically channeling much of the style and spirit of the late 80s, early 90s while nonetheless retaining that layer of modern gloss and polish.  The Cap flashback scenes are especially fantastic, with one rainy WWII-era scene being an absolutely gorgeous reflection of the misery it’s meant to reflect.

What’s Not So Good: Despite this being and generally good-looking book, I couldn’t help but feel the artwork to be a little inconsistent in style and execution.  Several panels look to be drawn by different hands, and it can be a little weird.  With the art already meant to shift to accommodate the flashbacks, these inconsistencies only help the make the book feel a little chaotic at times in terms of style.

I also felt that while the villains were great, the scenes with Richards, Pym, and Vision felt a bit weaker.  They’re just not as interesting as they could’ve been and barring one hypothesis by Richards, it just perpetually feels like they’re one step behind the comic and the reader.

Conclusion: Despite its underwhelming start, Brubaker has really turned Reborn around.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

 

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The Marvelous Land Of Oz #1 – Review

Posted on November 5, 2009 by joelopez101

by Eric Shanower (writer), Skottie Young (art), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (color), Jeff Eckleberry (letters)

The Story: New character Tip takes center stage as we return to the fantastic Land of Oz. The mischievous Tip has lived with old witch Mombi for as long as he can remember, but when she tires of his presence, the boy decides to take flight with magical new friend Jack Pumpkinhead!

What’s Good: Marvel’s adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a highlight of their publishing output earlier this year.  I’d never read any of the original novels by Baum and my knowledge of the world stretched only as far as the 1939 MGM film version had taught me.  However, once I’d finished the miniseries I found myself wanting to seek out the original novels so that I could find out what was next for these characters and the (forgive the pun) wonderful world they lived in.  I decided against it, though, if only to not spoil the next installment in Marvel’s Oz series.  My patience was not in vain if this first issue is any indication of the enjoyment to be had.

Shanower does a superb job adapting the work here.  I’m not entirely sure how much credit to give him, as I get the feeling that he’s not straying far from the source material in his re-telling.  In particular, the dialogue spoken by the characters has the feel of being taken directly from the novel.  Whatever the case may be, the writer deserves credit for making it work in comic book form.  Making a story meant for one medium work in a different one is no easy feat, but Shanower makes it look and sound that way.  Specifically, he knows when to indulge in narration and when to let the art tell the story.  He never forgets that this is a comic book he’s writing and the story benefits from his economical use of that narrative device.

Skottie Young is truly doing the work of his career with the Oz series.  I know that is a phrase that gets overused a lot when trying to heap praise on artists for a particular work, but it’s distinctly apt here.  Young’s enthusiasm for the material shines through in every panel.  Take one look at his Scarecrow or his Jack Pumpkinhead and tell me that his interpretations won’t become the definitive version of these characters whenever you next picture them.  His cartoony pencils have a rough, sketchy nature to them that makes the visuals work in a way that gives them a sense of movement.  His vision of Oz’s landscapes and denizens contains a slightly skewed, exaggerated element to it that, I’d imagine, is exactly how a child would see the world.  I can imagine no other artist better suited to bringing Baum’s vision to life than Skottie Young.  ‘Nuff said.

Two more creators who really make this issue, and the entire Oz series, work so well are colorist Beaulieu and letterer Eckleberry.  Beaulieu’s colors heighten the entire experience and help each page come to life.  He makes Young’s artwork sing in ways that it wouldn’t otherwise.  The man can also do no wrong when working with sunsets.  The scene where Jack, Tip and Mombi talk as dusk fills the sky is one of the most beautiful panels ever in a comic book.  Eckleberry’s lettering deserves credit for adding to Young’s pencils as well.  A good letterer will be sure that their work meshes with their artist’s style, and that is the case here.  Making the caption boxes and word balloons slightly uneven, mirroring Young’s sketchy, askew art-style, is a smart decision that shows that Eckleberry knows what he’s doing.

What’s Not So Good: I’ll admit, as much as I enjoyed the change of pace presented here by introducing an entirely new cast, I miss the iconic foursome of the first Oz installment.  There was a mythic quality that was present whenever Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion were shown making their way down the Yellow Brick Road.  Perhaps it’s nostalgia.  Whatever the reason, I’m not sure Tip and company have quite captured my interest yet.  We’ll see.

Conclusion: Whether you’re an adult or child, this comic book is a must-have.  Young and Shanower manage to make you remember fondly what it’s like to be young and have an unknown, fantastic world laid out before you.  And if you can’t remember, they certainly make you wish you that could.

Grade: A

-Joe Lopez

 

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The Great Ten #1 – Review

Posted on November 5, 2009 by DS Arsenault

By Tony Bedard (writer), Scott McDaniel (pencils), Andy Owens (inker), Harvey Richards (assistant editor), Michael Siglain (editor)

The Story: In China, over a period of 13 years, we watch young Corporal Yao of the People’s Army follow his conscience instead of his orders and set himself on the path to becoming Accomplished Perfect Physician, one of China’s meta-humans. Serving the Chinese state hasn’t gotten any easier, but there’s now a bigger problem than getting along with his teammates on the state-sponsored Chinese superhero team the Great Ten. The old gods have returned to challenge the new.

What’s Good: The story concept is excellent. This is really a big idea story, well-executed, and set up with lots and lots of conflict that will need to be resolved. Perfect Physician doesn’t get along with anyone on the team or in the party for reasons of conscience, and Bedard suggests barely-subdued tension between the others as well. And, as you must in any good first issue, Bedard has launched a strong plot question for this 10-issue series: In a cultural conflict between old and new China, whose gods will win? The writing, the flashbacks, and the pacing are all well done, which is no surprise for anyone who has followed his writing and plotting in R.E.B.E.L.S.

The art told the story clearly and dynamically, although I tend to prefer artists with a more realistic feel. If you like more of a cartoony look, then you’re going to like McDaniel’s art. Owens on colors had some interesting effects, especially on some of the flashbacks that had grayed, roughed-up feels, as if we were looking at old magazines with a few crumple marks.

What’s Not So Good: Despite a really strong opening story, I’m wondering how many superhero books set outside the USA can really flourish. Alpha Flight (Canada) stuck around for a good while, but the excellent Captain Britain and MI 13 (UK) folded after less than 20 issues. I wonder if DC hasn’t taken a gamble here that has nothing to do with the quality of the story, but with what their audience wants.

Conclusion: Going offshore for the main characters adds a lot of freshness to scene, story and theme. I hope it pays off. I recommend this quality book and I will certainly be back for issue #2.

Grade: B+

-DS Arsenault

 

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Secret Six #15 – Review

Posted on November 5, 2009 by DS Arsenault

by John Ostrander (writer), J. Calafiore (artist), Jason Wright (colorist), Sean Ryan (editor)

The Story: Deadshot is having some problems. He’s having control issues with his homicidal tendencies. So he calls in an old confidante and has a chat. The story follows themes back and forth in time, to his formative years and to his first meeting with Batman. The only question is: Does he get his control back? Given the history of Deadshot and of the Secret Six, we really shouldn’t be sure about anything.

What’s Good: This story compels from beginning to end. Ostrander obviously knows what Deadshot is about and what his demons are. We get to look over his shoulder through this whole issue. DC has been doing a number of these stand-alone, single-character examinations lately and has been doing a good job. I liked the confidante character, who is someone we probably need to take us through Deadshot’s tortured past and see it with normal eyes. I also like the parallels he found in everything that Deadshot brought to the table.

On the art side, J. Calafiore really makes me love this book and I’m really happy that he’ll be back for issue 17 as well. Calafiore also has a good sense of how Deadshot needs to be shown on the page and the right camera angles to show bullets, blood, close ups, blood, sinister expressions, and blood. He’s not perfect, but I never got comfortable with Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood, so Calafiore is an improvement in my opinion. The sort of plastic feel that Scott and Hazlewood established has softened into something much warmer and more human here. The postures are more natural and the layouts tell a lot of story on their own.

What’s Not So Good: Some of Calafiore’s art is still a bit rough. The expressions he uses to show emotions are sometimes stiff. Considering how many people get shot in the head in this book, I also would have responded better to an artist able to show nerveless bodies responding to gravity. The falling corpses here shared the same stiffness I saw in the expressions.

As a stand-alone interlude, this book works, but it felt a bit detached from the series. Deadshot refers to story elements that happened almost a year ago, but he and the Secret Six are just coming off of a pretty traumatic experience with the slavers that nearly split them apart only an issue ago. This and the blunt ending, leading into nothing, make me believe that although this story is fun for the SS and Deadshot fans, the casual readers have an excuse to not get it, because it won’t have any effect on the continuity. I hope this is a minor point, but considering that Secret Six is hovering around 25,000 in circulation through Diamond (direct sales, doesn’t include subscriptions), DC maybe shouldn’t be taking too many reflective moments and should jump back into the action and the multi-book arcs.

Conclusion: This is a good, bloody character study for Deadshot fans and Secret Six Lovers, but it didn’t make itself a “must-buy”.

Grade: C

-DS Arsenault

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Astonishing X-Men #32 – Review

Posted on November 4, 2009 by pozzyfreak

by Warren Ellis (Writer), Phil Jimenez (Pencils), Andy Lanning (Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Art hang-ups and the lack of plot development aside, the Warren Ellis/Phil Jimenez run on Astonishing X-Men got off to a pretty nice start. As a fan of the Brood, I can’t help but look forward to what Ellis has up his sleeve.

The Story: The X-Men deal with a strange biological Sentinel and unexpectedly find themselves up against Brood as well.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Astonishing X-Men #32 is, well, a whole lot like Astonishing X-Men #31. As you’ve no doubt guessed, that’s both a positive thing to say about the book in some ways and a negative thing to say in others. It means that the latest Astonishing X-Men is one hell of a fun, action-packed thrill ride. It also means that the art issues are still a problem and that the current arc’s overall plot only advances over the span of a few pages.

The script for Astonishing X-Men #32 is filled with loads of dialogue that could only come from the mind of Warren Ellis. From the pet names Beast gives to Abigail Brand to the sarcasm that drips from nearly every word bubble, the dialogue is so awesome, so distinctly “Warren Ellis,” that you can’t help but wonder what other type of magic he could work with some of the other Marvel teams. All that good dialogue comes at a price, however, as the story sort of takes a backseat to the action. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since seeing the X-Men do what they do best is almost always a good time, but it does leave the book feeling a little light on plot.

Phil Jimenez’s detailed, dynamic artwork in Astonishing #32 leaves little to be desired from a storytelling standpoint. Especially since the artist’s character work is far more consistent than it was in his Astonishing debut. Visually, Astonishing X-Men #32 is not perfect, however. The problem is that Frank D’Armata’s colors simply overwhelm Jimenez’s pencil work far too often. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that D’Armata’s slick, shiny color work makes some of the action almost indecipherable at times. Some panels/scenes are so awash in a “motion-blur” effect that everything sort of blends together in a way that’s downright hard to follow.

Conclusion: Light on story, but packed with lots of X-Men action, Astonishing X-Men #32 is definitely worth your time and money if you’re a fan of Warren Ellis or Phil Jimenez or both.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

 

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Superman: World of New Krypton #9 – Review

Posted on November 4, 2009 by DS Arsenault

by James Robinson and Greg Rucka (writers), Pete Woods and Ron Randall (artists), Nei Ruffino (colorist)

The Story: In New Krypton’s council chambers, General Kal-El and Dae, the Thanagarian admiral, face off against Jemm, Son of Saturn and his powerful followers who make punching bags out of the first few Kryptonian red shirts who try to stop them. In the meantime, a mysterious epidemic is striking the members of the dissatisfied workers guild. We get treated to a view of the Spartan militarism of New Kryptonian culture and how most of them seem quite comfortable with a growing thicket of enemies springing up on all sides. And in the middle of this comes Adam Strange, bringing a lethal touch from Rann into this simmering political mix.

What’s Good: I’m really enjoying the artwork of Woods, Randall and Ruffino. The lines and figures are becoming increasingly fluid. In part, this seems to be done with a lot less inking than normal and giving texture through gentle shading of colors. This fluid, organic character work doesn’t take away from the cityscapes or the images of the starkness of the treeless New Krypton. The sequence of the changing phases of Callisto was a cool effect, too.

On the story side, I’m enjoying it on the first pass. Robinson and Rucka keep us guessing, and lots of things are happening. The book feels full and includes a lot of good character moments, including an exploration of Kal-El’s relationship with Ursa, Gor and Non, his former enemies. I enjoyed the interesting look at Kal-El through the eyes of the Red Shard, his personal strike force.

What’s Not So Good: Don’t get me wrong – Superman: World of New Krypton is a fun ride and I think that this is the strongest issue since #3. However, I think that some plotting issues are becoming apparent. It may have to do with the scope of what Robinson and Rucka are trying to do. There are so many balls in the air in this series (for example: the suspicion and hostility from the Green Lantern Corps, Thanagar, Saturn, and Rann, the simmering class conflict, the unresolved political, ethical and possibly even physical conflict between Kal-El and Zod, the potential for romance, the unresolved betrayal of Kal-El’s worker sidekick, Kal-El’s adaptation and acceptance into Kryptonian society, the direction of the terraforming efforts, and finally this mysterious new illness) that while I’m ready to hold off on my judgment, I don’t see how Robinson and Rucka can give each plotline a satisfying conclusion in the last four issues. The very number of simultaneous plot questions and the way the problems burst in and out doesn’t let the reader know what the central thrust of the story is. As I said in a previous review, the writers might be trying to build a saga that won’t fit in 12 issues. I hope that the editors have this all figured out, otherwise issue 12 is going to be a bit inconclusive.

Conclusion: Despite the increasingly episodic nature of the story, this remains a fun, if mildly disorienting ride, well worth including in your pull list.

Grade: B

-DS Arsenault

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