Comic Book Reviews for January 24, 2018

Many comics this week, including the first Marvel book of 2018, a video-game adaptation, more Ninjak, and Doomsday Clock, which...well, yeah, it's definitely a thing.

Detective Comics #973

Writer: James Tynion IV / Pencils:  Jesus Merino / Colors: Jason Wright / Letters: Sal Cipriano

The "Fall of the Batmen" story comes to a conclusion (kinda) in this week's issue, and, yeah, it's pretty easy to see how the Gotham Knights are going to come crashing down in the eyes of the public and thank goodness it's without another interlude with the mayor, because that constant was getting really annoying. This issue is good; it's as good as the rest of the arc has been. It continues the most interesting dynamic of the series--the friendship between Cassandra Cain and Clayface--while also presents a new power struggle that I'm sure we'll see develop between Batman and Batwoman as Batman gets a peek behind the curtain to what Ms. Kane has been up to with her father.

There are a couple of big pitfalls to this book that hold it back from being a memorable finale: the connection to the Victim Syndicate, and some of the closeups with the art. Regarding the first point, the Victim Syndicate never grabbed me, they've been consistently boring C-Tier villains, and while they did bring Anarky into the fold, he really doesn't do much besides pose as a potential threat to Tim and Stephanie's romance. The First Victim is such a droll character that it really bugs me that this great idea of Tim Drake's has to come crashing down of her expense.

The art with the book only seems to get better as the issue progresses, although that may be because Merino isn't forced to do so many closeups. Maybe they were just drawn at awkward angles and that made them look a little funny. It's great toward the middle and the end; Merino kills it with the large, wide shots of Gotham and giant Clayface, it really gives everything the sense of scale that a finale like this needs. A shame some of the story beats couldn't follow up on that scale.

Doomsday Clock #3

Writer: Geoff Johns / Art: Gary Frank / Colors: Brad Anderson/ Letters: Rob Leigh

This is not an easy book to discuss. It has a lot going on; characters are moving across the board, new players are meeting old, and the stage is being set. BUT. We're three issues into a twelve issue series, and two of the big climactic meetings have wound up in anti-climaxes. Superman has yet to make contact with Dr. Manhattan, and it largely seems as if the effects that the Watchmen are having on the DCU are, in fact, quite minimal. The only Watchman who has obviously had anything to do with the DCU is Dr. Manhattan, but this was a mystery revealed to us almost two years ago.

As of this point, it's difficult to equate Doomsday Clock to anything other than a proper Watchmen sequel rather than the crossover that was built up, admittedly, by fans through speculation. And maybe that's the error on our part; we speculated that there would be big, climactic moments throughout the series, but that hasn't quite happened yet. Things are moving...

...slow, and I think there's the problem. Because, let me tell you, it's not the art. What Gary Frank and Brad Anderson are doing with art and colors respectively is stupendous, this is probably one of, if not the, best looking comic I'm picking up. Characters are well-designed, everything is colored so well, the lighting is amazing, nothing seems out of place. Frank's style slides so well into the nine-panel grid, so, wherein lies the problem?

Unfortunately it's with the story. Much as this story is a sequel to Watchmen, it's becoming more and more evident that Johns's story is not befitting the Watchmen-format. That story was a bit slower-paced but so many things were going on in every single panel, or page, that it begged for nine-panels. A good example of a nine-panel grid in modern comics is Mister Miracle. Here, it almost feels like a love-letter, but it was cute for the first issue. Now it's becoming a bit ridiculous. There are multiple instances where cheating on that idea wouldn't be such a bad thought to quicken the pace.

It's also odd that pivotal characters have not made their entrances at this point in the game: characters like Wally West, Barry Allen, or Superman have either played a minimal role or none at all. Batman and Lex Luthor are the biggest contributions to the story so far, and like I said, they have anti-climactic parts to play. Their most interesting aspect is the hints at a coming uproar from the populace about some "Superman Theory" that we'll likely see in the Batman or Superman comics in a few months.

Marvel 2-in-1 #5

Writer: Chip Zdarsky/ Pencils: Jim Cheung /  Inks: John Dell w/ Waldon Wong & Jim Cheung / Colors: Frank Martini  / Letters: VC's Joe Caramanga

I am so happy about how good this comic is, and just how refreshing and fun it is. Sure, we're only two issues in, but it's capturing the heart of the Fantastic Four with only two of their members in play and brings the right amount of excitement and emotion to the interactions going on here. It also pays homage to the history of the Fantastic Four and weaves the current state of Human Torch and the Thing well into the ongoing legacy.

This feels like a true super hero story, and it has a very interesting backbone to it. Yes, it is a cliche to have the "liar revealed" plot dangling over our heads, and maybe it'll end up being a detriment, but there's also the really interesting idea that Ben tricked Johnny into finding Sue and Reed, thinking he knows they're gone for good, but in reality we the audience know that they're, in fact, very much alive, and that Valeria and Franklin have left their mother and father to explore the multiverse as their uncles are about to. So, we'll see. It could be that Ben's lie will ultimately come around and smack him in the face in a positive way. It'd be a nice mix-up and avoid the "liar revealed" cliche.

Another thing that supports this is that Dr. Doom, aka the Infamous Iron Man, is in on Ben's trickery, and the end of the issue is all about Ben and Reed subverting Dr. Doom just as he thinks he has the upper hand, or gets the last laugh. Here, Doom mocks Ben for lying to Johnny, what better way to get back at Doom than to discover that, in fact, Reed is hiding in the far reaches of the multiverse, where Doom once WANTED to go?

I haven't even talked about the crazy fun battles that happen in this issue on Monster Island. Or the absolutely amazing artwork this week by Jim Cheung. It was great in the first issue and is even better here. Johnny, Ben, Dr. Doom, the Mole Man, and Googam all look amazing. Everything is so intricately detailed. Cheung's art takes this book from great to amazing. There's a page in particular of a flashback of the Fantastic Four fighting Dr. Doom that looks like it could be a poster.

More than anything, this comic makes me yearn for a Fantastic Four book by Zdarsky and Cheung. It'd be so good and so refreshing for Marvel for where they stand creatively at this moment.

Ninja-K #3

Writer: Christos Gage / Art: Tomas Giorello with Roberto de la Torre & Ariel Olivetti / Colors: Diego Rodriguez / Letters: A Larger World Studios

Can Tomas Giorello draw every Valiant comic? His art for X-O Manowar last year was what hooked me on the book and his art here may very well be the saving grace for Ninja-K. The story's not bad by any means, but good Lord does he draw the confrontation between Colin and Ninja-C well. The action is fluid; the two large panels that highlight Colin's personal history as well as the group shot of Unity is just spectacular, and the way Giorello draws Ninja-C adds such a menace to the character.

Giorello's art is well supplemented by Torre's art in the middle of the book, showing his history in the MI-6 program. While the art does take a dip in comparison, it works well for the purposes of the flashback. A lot of things are laced in shadow, not given as much detail. Faces are more blurry as if Ninja-C can't quite remember them, but the only character that's given a ton of detail is himself, as he grows into the grizzled, bitter man he would become. The best part was how it lacked any shake-up to it; there seemed to be a natural flow into the flashback, taking us from the battle going on between the agents to the brutality of Ninja-C's upbringing.

The story for this comic came at a bit of a surprise and was a bit exposition heavy, but Gage is still doing a good job of showing us the menace that lies in Colin's past. One of my big fears going into this comic was that all that Matt Kindt did in intricately laying out Colin's history and how it affected his present would be forgotten, but as we learn by the end of the comic, Gage is taking good care of Colin's backstory and using it to majorly raise the stakes, as well as give answers we didn't have from the last series, like how Roku knew to destroy King's Castle, who shot Angelina, and the real reasons his butler was always so abusive toward him. All that adds an interesting layer to Ninjak's story.

It also places Colin in a precarious position, which is where the character operates best. Every time it seems that Ninjak is backed into a corner, he shines as a character, both in terms of charisma, skill, and intelligence. He's easily the most lethal entity in the Valiant Universe, with the skills to defeat the Eternal Warrior, intelligence to outwit the X-O Manowar armor, fortitude to rival Toyo Harada and Divinity, and wit to outrun the most dangerous government organization in the world. This comic is poising him into a corner again, and it's very exciting to see where he goes from here.

The Flash #39/700

Writer: Joshua Williamson / Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico / Colors: Ivan Plascenscia / Letters: Steve Wands

This is a good anniversary issue. It brings the focal points of the "Rebirth" era of The Flash into view and shows us that every threat that has come forward and escape is now going to make one final move against Barry, and he's totally not ready for it. This issue is good setup and has a pretty solid cliffhanger as the tension ramps up as the issue goes on, slowly reintroducing concepts that have come about since the book was revamped nearly two years ago.

The critical point of the issue is Barry's attempts at stitching things together with Iris, which, given what happens at the end of the issue, may have to be put on hold. But as the critical point for what is technically the 700th issue of The Flash, it all sort of makes sense. Maybe it would've been better as a one-shot, but it seems, given a little note we get in the comic, that this book is pressed for time and can't afford to play around with the schedule if they want to hit upon the "Flash War" storyline that's being hyped up for May.

One good thing about this issue is that we have Carmine di Giadomenico back on art. I love the way he draws the Speed Force and it brings a real kinetic energy to the story; it makes things feel like they're always in motion, even if characters are just talking or running around. This is how a comic about The Flash should feel. The only times that the book really slows down are when the Flash isn't around, but even then, Giadomenico still shines by showing very expressive faces with Barry and Iris, and the coloring by Ivan Plansencia works well, giving everything a somber tone before it shifts into the brighter reds that we're used to.

Both of these guys shine together in the final few pages, when the storm arrives and everything just falls apart for Barry Allen. It's a real sucker punch and a great cliffhanger, promising what could be one of the best arcs of the series so far.

The Wild Storm #11

Writer: Warren Ellis / Artist: Jon Davis-Hunt / Colors: Steve Buccellato / Letters: Simon Bowland

You know, I'm never really sure what's going on in an issue of The Wild Storm, but I know that it's good and I know that by the end I'm thinking, "Well I have to know what happens next." I think one of the problems with that is there are several characters that look the same, and it isn't the fault of Jon Davis-Hunt, because his art throughout the series has been exemplary; I think it's more the fault that these characters probably didn't exist much in the same series back in the day and so having them in the same book makes it a bit confusing. Plus, nobody says their names enough for me to distinguish who is who besides Cole Cash, who has the most unique designs of them all. But Marlow, Spica, Mitch, Angie; by the time I pick up the next issue all the names have bungled together.

Now, all that said, I enjoyed this issue. We got a bit more history on why some of our characters have their attitudes, as well as seeing some pretty intense action sequences involving tanks and UFOs, and we got to see some fulfillment on a few backstories, but moreover this comic is about setting up the coming war between IO and Skywatch that's forming, ultimately, because of a misunderstanding. Again, I wish I could remember what that misunderstanding is, but there's just so much going on at any given moment that I just drown beneath all the information. This is definitely not a series one can just pick up and start reading, you really need to start at Issue 1 and pay attention all the way through. It's good and fluid, but maybe not the most conducive to a monthly release.

Warframe #3

Writers: Matt Hawkins & Ryan Cady / Pencils: Studio Hive / Letters: Troy Peteri

So I actually haven't gotten to read the second issue yet and hoped that I would acquire enough information to pick up on what'd happened and then read this issue. Thankfully, with enough knowledge of Warframe the video game and given some context clues, I was able to piece things together rather well and get back into the series. Warframe is a comic that I really enjoyed the first issue of; it was epic, really taking inspiration from the "lone samurai" trope that we see so often in media or anime. A lone Tenno comes to town and shows off his skills by wiping out some bad dudes while an overdramatic narrator talks about how intense and life-changing this all is.

And I kind of missed that for this issue. What carries this comic is the art, easily. The story is pretty straightforward: Excalibur Tenno has been kidnapped, and we gotta go get him by using this MacGuffin to go through the Magic Door. Boom.

But the art! Oh, it's so good. It's very remniscent of Clayton Crain's work on Rai and 4001 A.D., since it has a painted-style to it and has very fluid motion throughout it. Characters are well-designed and easily stand out; this is mostly from the game, but the new characters like Mitsuki stand out well against the alien-designs of the Tenno, Lotus, and Grineer well enough.

I'm not so much a fan of how much talking is going on, but I do like the idea that the Lotus, the AI that control Tenno, is capable of talking through the Tenno rather than having to be a constant holographic projection. The Tenno, still, does not talk like normal, and still acts as a silent guardian of some kind. They also show off this Tenno's abilities, highlighting it's different nature from the one in the first issue. I don't exactly remember what this one is called, but it's the one with the psychic abilities that looks really good.

Well, they all look cool. Everything looks cool. This is one of those comics where it's better to look at it and just absorb every page than it is to read through it and understand characters and motivations, because those are pretty simple.

X-O Manowar #11

Writer: Matt Kindt / Art: Ryan Boddenheim / Colors: Andrew Dalhouse / Letters: Dave Sharpe

I hope this issue doesn't come out in the same trade as Issue 10 or anything before it because that reader, looking through the trade, is going to be as shocked as I was when they opened this book. Boddenheim's art style is nothing--NOTHING--like the style of previous artists. It's very modern, very simplistic art that does not at all resemble the dark, shadowy, painted style of Giorello or the artists after him for the other arcs. I was hoping we'd get the artist from the last issue, because they did amazing work with introducing the Bounty Hunters; their designs were menacing and pretty darn awesome. Here?

Well, like I said, Boddenheim's art is good, but, it really took away from the danger that the Bounty Hunter posed, and made them feel more like just common enemies than the threat that finally defeated Aric, who was, up until this point, basically untouchable. I think Boddenheim's art was best during the scenes between Wynn and Ironside, while they were talking and things didn't need to be complex. If we had an issue of Aric ruling the planet and having to go around and they needed to just draw our characters in simpler designs, then fine. But for a fight scene?

Man, look back at the first few issues and the sheer brutality and color-work on display and you see that things are way different tonally, but I don't think Matt Kindt wants them to be. Maybe he does, I don't know. But this issue's story and themes and plot do not match this art style at all.

In terms of the story? Oh, it's a dark chapter. It's the ultimate realization of Aric as a failed ruler, and shows that warriors can't always make for leaders. He's great at combat, as we saw throughout the book, but the Bounty Hunters were just the ultimate exemplification of his failure to lead in any meaningful way, even though we see that he's trying his damndest to help the people of Gorin.

X-O Manowar continues to be Valiant's best comic and one of the best comics out there, especially now that we've entered a desperate turning point for Aric. I'm excited to see where he goes, because the last few pages show the major growth in Aric's character over the series.

Plus we get to see a relative to GIN-GR! That's AWESOME!

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