Another week, another set of comics for you to read! Well as we've endeavored to do every single week (and plan to keep doing) my fellow Addicts, we bring you another round of selective bullet reviews of what's what among this week's releases. So without wasting any more time, lets get to it!
Battle Scars #4 (of 6) – Marvel Comics
Story: Chris
Yost (with Cullen Bunn & Matt Fraction on plots)
Art: Scott Eaton
(Review By:
Anubhav Sharma)
*SPOILER ALERT*
The “biggest secret in the Marvel
Universe” gets revealed in the new issue of Battle Scars, and it’s
something that pretty much everyone already knew, courtesy the
internet. So yes, Marcus Johnson is actually Nick Fury’s son, and
he’s poised to lose an eye in the next issue and fill up the
reservation for a one eyed African American director of SHIELD just
in time for the Avengers. The issue reads a little too fast, with too
little happening in too much time. Here’s a summary : He meets
Deadpool, Taskmaster, the Serpent Squad and ultimately his father.
Scott Eaton’s art has messed up anatomy in plenty of places and
generally fails to add any excitement to the fight sequences.
SCORE
: 4.2/10
Conan the Barbarian #1
– Dark Horse Comics
Story: Brian Wood
Art: Becky Cloonan (drawings), and
Dave Stewart (colours)
(Review By: Rijul Partha)
It has been so long since I last read a
Conan comic (nearly 1½ years) and even longer since I read a Conan
novel, that I have nearly forgotten the specifics of the Cimmerian's
adventures. This, then, marks the return of a lapsed reader. The
quality of the Conan comics has always been high (as with other
Robert Howard properties - Kull: The Cat and the Skull being a
recent example) and for this title, expectations were high, with Wood
being known for quality storytelling in Demo,
Northlanders and DMZ.
I am pleased to report that he does not falter, and delivers a
cracking first issue to the series.
The issue starts with a standard Conan
cold open - him being chased on horseback in Argos, and landing up on
a ship sailing for the lands of Kush. The easy charisma of Conan is
on full show - the same sailors whom he threatened, at sword-point,
to take him on their journey are warm comrades within fifteen
minutes. The steersman of the boat, that night, tells him of a pirate
captain named Bêlit, the Queen of the Black Coast.
This Bêlit is a fearsome one—a
scourge of the seas unrelenting in her lack of mercy—and, somewhat
predictably, (I've read the Queen of the Black Coast novel, so this
just might be me remembering it while reading the comic) Conan is
instantly smitten by her description. He decides to stick around with
the ship once he hears ships in the region have been attacked by
Bêlit. There is a short sequence following which he first lays eyes
on Bêlit.
Cloonan draws marvellously, not only
making Conan look young and lean, but making Bêlit look beautiful
and terrifying at the same time—she looks like she could at any
moment kill you or ravish you, and you'd have no choice in the
matter. Stewart, a longtime Conan colourist, keeps the shades muted
and more or less does a bang-up job complementing Cloonan's stylized
lines. There are a couple of moments the particularly stand out in
this book, with my favourite being a part where Conan looks back over
his shoulder at his mounted pursuers.
All in all, a solid issue 1, with a
good storyline to come in further issues (not saying exactly what due
to major spoilers, but Robert Howard is a plotting beast).
SCORE: 8.5 / 10
Fantastic Four Season One
– Marvel Comics
Story:
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art:
David Marquez
(Review By:
Anubhav Sharma)
The first in a series of Season One
OGNs from Marvel, Fantastic Four : Season One attempts to narrate the
events of the first few issues of the Lee-Ditko era Fantastic Four.
The similarities in tone and storyline to the movies suggest Marvel’s
agenda of getting the attention of the proverbial guy who liked the
movies. There is, of course one little (and obvious ) problem with
that. The book, as in the movies, really does not fit well with the
core stuff we love about the team. For example, We have the same Ben
Grimm getting cured and then choosing to become the thing again,
because that’s just how he wants to roll, never mind the fact that
this messes up future continuity where we’ve seen Ben crave to be
flesh and bone again. The villains, The Mole Man and Namor, are
surprisingly handled quite well, although the best character written
here has to be Susan Storm. David Marquez is no Jack Kirby, but he
does a good job of essentially doing his own thing with the book,
which, along with the bright colouring and light inks, certainly
perfectly fits the tone of the book. An average read for the hardcore
FF buff, this won’t have me surprised if it does turn out to be
good for the incoming fan.
SCORE
: 6.3 / 10
The Ninjettes
– Dynamite Entertainment
Story: Al Ewing
Art: Eman Casallos
(Review By:
Akshay Dhar)
When I first saw this comic up on the
list of releases, I was intrigued and skeptical at the same time.
It's a spin-off of a comic created by legendary writer Garth Ennis
which is now being written by Al Ewing who is the writer on this
series as well. Ok, so having a single writer for both can be good
because it carries over but what about the basics?
Well I will say this much, if you like
Garth Ennis then you will definitely enjoy this series and its parent
series – Jennifer Blood, which was a slightly toned down version of
his Punisher in a more appealing physical form. Or maybe thats just
me, whatever works for you.
In this new #1 the reader is shown the
exploits of a group of female assassins but for this issue at least
seems to focus on just one. Filled with Ennis-style over-the-top
characters, humour that isn't for everyone and a certain irreverence
and b*lls-the-walls violence, this is a fun series if you have the
stomach for it. In the end we get a nice little twist even and see
the potential for an entertaining series at the least.
But while I am impressed somewhat by
the writing, the art could do with a little work. Basically very good
and fitting the story's excessive moments and such, something about
the overall look could do with a little fine-tuning. Perhaps some
work on the inking, particularly the faces, and some tweaking of the
colours and this book will be solid.
SCORE:
6.5 / 10
Scarlet Spider #2
– Marvel Comics
Story: Chris Yost
Art: Ryan Stegman
(Review By:
Akshay Dhar)
This comic was one that I was VERY
eagerly anticipating. Spinning off from the undeniably spectacular
run on Spider-Man that Dan Slott has been having, this book follows
the travels of the unlikely good-guy and former many-time baddie –
Kaine, a.k.a, the “Evil” clone of Peter Parker.
Chris Yost has always been a good,
solid writer but with this comic he was really taking things in a new
direction for Marvel by simply moving away from NYC which alone is a
big thing, and settling in Houston as Kaine's potential new home. The
story follows his taking down some smugglers to jack their cash and
run to Mexico and hide when he finds their horrific cargo and ends up
staying just a little longer than perhaps he should have – or if
you believe in destiny, he stays just as long as was needed for what
comes next.
Taking a more introspective tone and
exploring a darker character trying to change is not new, but in #1
we got a great glimpse into the deft manner in which Yost is planning
on handling it and #2 just keeps up the nice and fast pace of the
first and keeps pushing Kaine into the spotlight despite his kicking
and screaming – until he starts to find a reason to stick around
and do right, regardless of his first instinct.
Not the most unique story, sure, but it
is told in a manner that almost makes it feel like it is and that
alone is a feat worthy of reading. But if thats not enough for you,
don't worry. We get a crazy (and fire-y!) new villain, a crazy battle
between him and Kaine and some definitive mystery and story
progression nicely weaved into smaller details while the awesome
action has centre-stage.
Brilliantly complementing the story is
the art by Stegman who just goes to town in the action and his faces,
the expressions, the layouts and the dynamic feel for the action
really made this issue an utter and total joy to read. If you have
ever been a Spidey fan, I would recommend this book – and of course
to any discerning fan in general: READ IT!
SCORE: 10 / 10
And so, once again this week-in-review comes to an end!
Until next week folks: Happy Readings!!
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