Panels Without Borders: Ten
This week Marvel made another effort to reinvigorate the MC 2 universe that was brought into existence with the Spider-Girl origin story published in What-If issue 105. This eighties tale lead to the creation of a whole line of comics set in this possible future comic universe but only the ongoing Spider-Girl title had any real success or longevity arising from it.
The premiere issue of this brand new attempt called LAST HERO STANDING is enjoyable and it is that way for two main reasons. The first is that this comic is very accessible to new readers. It doesn’t expect you to have studied all or even any of the previous issues of the MC 2 canon and is the stronger for that.
The story kicks off well and carries you along with it. The plot and art by Tom Defalco & Pat Olliffe is perhaps not the best work they have ever done but it’s competent enough and has a certain energy to it.
Plot synopsis follows:Heroes are being kidnapped and the rest of the metahuman and mutant community, based around the Avengers and the Fantastic Five, are forced to investigate the disappearances of their colleagues. Every main character is well handled and given enough screen time to make an impression. I thought that the scene of the aging Captain America was particularly memorable.
The second reason for enjoying this comic is that it is a five part weekly series. This is a rare thing these days when the current definition of a limited series is one that is published over six months. This comic’s quicker refresh rate is great and I hope the concept catches on with other publishers.
This comic is worth your attention.
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On the other hand FANTASTIC FOUR: FOES number five isn’t very good at all.
There have been some fine moments during previous the issues of this series but none appeared to me in this particular book. Robert Kirkman can write extremely well and if you have read any issue of Walking Dead or Invincible you already know this but his obvious talent is not evident here at all.
He actually constructs a two-page scene where the Fantastic Four capture one of their major enemies for every day of the week. Any other writer would take three issues to beat the Wizard but here Marvels first family manage to do it on a Tuesday by attacking him in the bathroom.
Its ridiculous and so is this comic. Avoid it.
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It was the teddy bears in the totalitarian uniforms that caught my attention when I saw the cover of the first issue of THE IMAGINARIES. This was because it is not an image that you see every day in life even in the visually imaginative world of comics.
I bought the book and enjoyed it a great deal although I did think it kind of shifted gears and concepts halfway through the story. I was however intrigued and interested enough to pick up the second issue of this title and I’m very glad I did.
The story is building up rather nicely. The main character, Superhero G, is taken on a tour of his new home by a giant mouse who fills him in on the current cultural and political situation in the Imagined Nation. There is still a lot going on that the reader is not too clear about but its already obvious that when the hero meets the Ice Queen they are not going to get along.
This comic has real potential to be a big hit. If it can reign back some of its overt cuteness and concentrate instead on the terrific concept of what happens to a child’s imaginary friend after the kid has matured it could be one of those sleeper titles that slowly grows its sales every few months through word of mouth alone.
Both Ben Avery and Mike S. Miller turn in a good performance here and I plan to keep tuning in so that I can see where this is all leading to. Miller says that he created this book for his young son to read because there are not enough comics out there for his age group. I can understand where he is coming from and no doubt kids will love it but there is enough going on here that adults will also enjoy it as well.
By the way, the artwork on the final page showing the teddy bears turning nasty didn’t really surprise me at all.
I just knew those guys were trouble the first time I laid eyes on them. It must have been the uniform that gave it way.
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Marvel kicked off their big Summer crossover event this week with the launch of HOUSE OF M issue one and it’s not a bad start.
The art is great. Oliver Coipel has a wonderful line and a nice sense of panel layout. The action flows well and at times the pictures do carry the story along all by themselves. You may think that this is axiomatic for any comic book art but it is sadly not the case in every artists work. Mention must also be made to both the inker and colourist, Tim Townsend and Frank D’Armata, who certainly enhance the visual quality of this book. You get a real sense of light and dark not only in the location but in the characters motivations as well.
But it’s the writing that makes or breaks a title and Bendis is really just OK here but certainly not any better than that.
The overall sense of important things are happening is conveyed and maintained throughout the book but there are some major plot lapses. With Quicksilver’s temperament there is no way that he would have been aware of a meeting regarding his sister taking place and not getting himself involved in it somehow. The character that I grew up reading would have said something to defend his sister and maybe then departed to give his father the bad news but he would have said something. It just isn’t in him to keep quiet in that situation.
Also if the Scarlet Witch was so dangerous that she had to be watched every waking moment then there is no chance that Professor X would have left her alone. He would have found some way to contact the other heroes and arranged for them to come to him.
Nitpicking perhaps but those plot holes kind of spoiled the story for me.
As I said this comic is not a bad start but considering it is the opening salvo of Marvels big Summer gun it should have been a major kickass story and it certainly wasn’t anywhere near that.
I have been a science fiction, comic book and animation fan for a very long time. I honestly believe that comics are an extremely vital and exciting art form whose true worth is only now beginning to be recognised in the mainstream media and this appreciation can only continue to grow in the future. I regularly write science fiction short stories and send them off to the magazines. So far their response has not exactly allowed me to give up my day job but I plan to keep plugging away at it..
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