By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Mike Deodato (Art), and Rain Beredo (Colors)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: With Utopia out of the way, I fully expect Dark Avengers to get back to being a favorite of mine. With a kick-ass cover and the promise of a guest appearance from Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Warriors, it’s a pretty safe bet that Dark Avengers #9 will deliver.
The Story: Ares discovers that his son, Phobos, isn’t exactly heading off to school during the day. Meanwhile, something strange is going on at Avengers Tower while some of the Dark Avengers chat it up about funny heroes.
What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Before I really get into the review, I have to first toss out a quick suggestion: Do yourself a favor and try to ignore the cool image on the cover of Dark Avengers #9. While Ares goes on a little rampage and some stuff is destroyed, Brian Michael Bendis (I almost want to say, “as usual”) opts to let dialogue do almost all of the work in the latest issue of Dark Avengers. Is this a bad thing? Turns out, it’s not at all.
Bendis’ decision to let words bring resolution to an explosive situation works extremely well because of how the scene plays out. It gives the characters involved a little extra depth and goes a long way towards humanizing a character that, most recently, has been little more than muscle in superhero battles. I do, however, have one major issue with the dialogue in regards to how Phobos is portrayed. Bendis handles him as though he is a normal kid afraid of his father. While that works as far as what’s happening is concerned, Bendis’ take on Phobos seems to go against what Jonathan Hickman is doing with the character. It’s hard to really call what Bendis does a negative, but it is something that must be mentioned.
So the Ares/Fury/Phobos scene is pretty great. Thankfully, the rest of the book doesn’t disappoint. The exchange at Avengers Tower is something really close to hilarious, and the weird stuff happening left me thinking “WTF!?” in a good way. In short, it’s clear that the series is back on track and I really couldn’t be much happier. That said, I do wish that the Dark Avengers would stop being stuck as the supporting characters in their own series. I buy Dark Avengers to read about the Dark Avengers damnit…
The artwork in Dark Avengers #9 is, as expected, moody, gritty, and impressive all around. The unfortunate thing is that there really isn’t a whole lot of ways for Mike Deodato and Rain Beredo to show off given the script. The characters look good and the emotion on display certainly works, but it’s clear that neither artist is really being put to the test.
Conclusion: Dark Avengers fans… it’s safe to come back to the series now.
Grade: B+
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Other, Reviews | Tagged: Ares, Avengers Tower, Brian Michael Bendis, Bullseye, Comic Book Review, Comic Book Reviews, Daisy, Daken, dark avengers, Dark Avengers #9, Dark Avengers #9 Review, Dark Reign, God of War, Hawkeye, Hellfire, Iron Patriot, Jonathan Hickman, Kyle Posluszny, Mac Gargan, Marvel Comics, Mike Deodato, Moonstone, Ms. Hand, Ms. Marvel, Nick Fury, Norman Osborn, Phobos, Quake, Rain Beredo, Secret Warriors, Sentry, Spider-Man, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review, weeklycomicbookreview.com, Wolverine | Leave a Comment »
Secret Warriors #3 (Dark Reign) – Review
By Brian Michael Bendis (Story), Jonathan Hickman (Story & Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Color Art)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: To simply say that I was looking forward to the launch of Secret Warriors would not do my anticipation for the series justice. A quick look through the “Best of ’08″ feature will reveal that Secret Warriors is being worked on by what pretty much amounts to my personal creative dream team of sorts. And let’s not forget that Nick Fury is one of the main characters… Always a good thing. So since I didn’t review the first two issues, let me just say that I’m loving the series so far and can’t wait to read more.
The Story: The team’s assignment is to head to a shadow S.H.I.E.L.D. psi-agent processing and quarantine facility to make sure Hydra doesn’t get any hands on the vital assets kept there. Unfortunately for Fury’s “Caterpillar” team, the Hydra group targeting the S.H.I.E.L.D. building happens to include the recently resurrected Gorgon. Meanwhile, Nick Fury takes some time out in order to have dinner with an old flame.
What’s Good: Intensity. Only a few issues in and I can comfortably say that nearly every Secret Warriors panel is loaded with it. From the tight writing to the moody, kinetic artwork, no other series brings intensity to the reader so damn effectively. And Secret Warriors #3 may be the best issue yet.
Jonathan Hickman’s slick script is packed with sharp dialogue and great character work. It really is that good. I truly believe you are going to have a tough time finding a more gripping read this April. A particular scene worth noting is the chilling moment between Phobos and Gorgon. The scene really drives home the type of villains the Secret Warriors are facing. In addition, the dinner scene featuring Nick Fury is prime example of what makes him such a memorable character.
As for the artwork, Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni absolutely knock it out of the park for the most part. The characters are full of emotion and the action absolutely jumps off the page. I do have one complaint though…
What’s Not So Good: If Secret Warriors #3 has any flaws, they have more to do with something the creative team has to overcome as opposed to anything that’s wrong with the individual issue. For example, since Fury’s team is made up mostly of a group of unknowns, the characters carry around a bit of baggage.
Furthermore, I have found that the battle scenes tend to be a bit confusing, as discerning powers and keeping up with the frantic pace set by Caselli’s artwork can occasionally be a bit frustrating. In Secret Warriors #3, I definitely found myself trying to decipher an action panel or two. Also, Phobos, Quake (Daisy), and Hellfire (J.T.) are really the only three team members I feel I know anything about. I thought by now I’d have a better grip on the team as a whole. A small complaint considering how great most of the cast is, but worth mentioning regardless. I’m sure everyone will be fleshed out soon enough, but as of now I can’t help but feel as though some of the character development is a bit lacking.
Conclusion: I highly recommend Secret Warriors #3. And while I wish a few of the growing pains would go away, they do little to detract from the quality of the issue. In this reviewer’s opinion, if you aren’t reading Secret Warriors, you’re missing out on a potential “series of the year” candidate.
Grade: A-
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Reviews | Tagged: Action, Ares, Baron Von Strucker, Ben Berger, Brian Michael Bendis, Catepillers, Comic Commentary, Comics, Daniele Rudoni, Dark Reign, Discussion, Espionage, Forum, Gorgon, Graphic Novels, H.A.M.M.E.R., Hydra, Issues, Jonathan Hickman, Kraken, Kyle Posluszny, Madame Hydra, Marvel Comics, Norman Osborn, omnibus, Phobos, Quake, Raymond Hilario, Reviews, Rob G., Secret Warriors, Secret Warriors #3 Review, SHIELD, Stefano Caselli, The Hive, Tony Rakittke, Viper, WCBR, Wednesday Comics, Weekly Comic Book Review, weeklycomicbookreview.com, Yo Yo | 4 Comments »