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Review Date: Friday, April 1, 2011
Good King Leonardo has decreed that we
review three new comics this week that star some classic
superhero characters, two from Marvel Comics and one
from DC Comics, so let's see how they stack-up against
each other: |
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FF
#1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Jonathan Hickman: Writer
Steve Epting: Pencils
Steve Epting & Rick Magyar: Inks
Paul Mounts: Colors
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Marvel's current change of direction
for its Fantastic Four franchise has officially kicked-off
with the publication of FF #1. The new series is scripted
by Jonathan Hickman with pencils by Steve Epting,
inks by Steve Epting and Rick Magyar, and colors by
Paul Mounts. As all good fanboys and fangirls know,
Marvel recently supposedly killed-off Johnny Storm/The
Human Torch, opening-up new opportunities for plot
development and emotional angst for the surviving
members of the team as well as their friends and colleagues.
The issue #1 storyline is entitled "The Club," and
begins several interweaving sub-plots in this post-Human
Torch FF story universe. Per Johnny's video recorded
wishes, the group has recruited Spider-Man/Peter Parker
to join them as their new fourth member. In a second
storythread, a breakaway group of former HYDRA bad
guys take-on our heroes by rescuing a famous FF foe
from prison, thereby setting-up some major conflicts
with our heroes in upcoming issues. And a third plot
thread continues the past year's developments in this
title as the Fantastic Four continue to establish
their Future Foundation, a major effort with the assistance
of their assembled team of young alien creatures to
set-up a thinktank to radically change the direction
of mankind. The issue #1 story segment ends dramatically
as young Valeria Richards succeeds in her recent effort
of bringing Doctor Doom into the fold of this grand
plan.
I mentioned in last week's review of Secret Warriors
#25 that no one's better right now than writer Jonathan
Hickman in providing hard science fiction stories
for our favorite Marvel comic heroes. He continues
his hot streak here with the debut of the new Fantastic
Four universe direction. I liked very much the continuation
of his long-range plot direction established over
the past few years in the Fantastic Four, of grand
science fiction events unfolding on multiple stages,
mixed with an entertaining sense of both mystery and
feeling that all of this alien-tinged stuff is unfolding
beyond the control of mere mortals. Its a real kick
to see page-by-page and issue-by-issue where its all
heading. Besides the strong writing, there's a nice
mix of characterization touches here, including that
pack of alien kids at the Future Foundation, the return
of Reed Richards's time-traveling dad, and of course,
that old pesky adversary/sometimes reluctant ally
Dr. Victor Von Doom.
Call me jaded, but after so many "death of our hero"
event comics from Marvel and DC over the past several
years, you know its just a matter of time before this
post-Human Torch version of the FF is fully explored
by Marvel, resulting in the inevitable "Johnny Storm
Is Alive And Kicking!" mega marketing event. So we
might as well all have some comic book reading fun
with it and go along for the reading ride. At least
we're in the capable hands of a high quality writing
and graphic creative team, which so far, as evidenced
by issue #1 of FF, is giving us our money's worth
of entertainment and quality.
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Silver
Surfer #2
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Greg Pak: Writer
Harvey Tolibao & Stephen Segovia: Pencils
Wil Quintana: Colors
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Marvel is up to issue #2 of a new
four-issue mini-series starring our favorite intergalactic
surfboard-riding herald, the Silver Surfer. The limited
edition series is scripted by Greg Pak with pencils
by Harvey Tolibao and Stephen Segovia, and colors
by Wil Quintana. A page-one summary of last month's
issue #1 explains that the Surfer had landed in the
Mexican desert, where he was attacked by Marvel universe
super bad guy The High Evolutionary. The villain has
drained the Surfer of his cosmic power, as such reverting
him back to his original form of alien mortal Norrin
Radd.
The issue #2 story segment starts with a brief flashback
to Norrin's pre-Surfer life with his sweetheart Shalla-Bal,
then fast forwards to the present-day, in which the
government has captured the now powerless Surfer and
confined him in a desert scientific facility. The
plot moves forward as Shalla-Bal look-alike Dr. Endo
sympathizes with our injured hero and helps him escape
confinement. Without being a detail spoiler, lots
of escape/pursuit action and adventure unfold, as
the pair travel through the desert to confront The
High Evolutionary, hoping to retreive Norrin's cosmic
power. The issue ends in a cliffhanger confrontation
with the bad guy that includes an interesting and
unexpected plot twist.
The Silver Surfer is one of Marvel's most popular
Silver Age characters not only for the uniqueness
of his character but also for his popular romantic
backstory, that of a hero who chooses permanent separation
from his soulmate in order to save her life and that
of his entire race. All post-Silver Age high quality
Surfer stories have mixed this romantic element into
the latest storytelling. Writer Greg Pak does a top-notch
job here of following this standard formula for Silver
Surfer storytelling success, filling us in quickly
on the well-known backstory then bringing it into
the modern-day tale by introducing a human look-alike
of Shalla Bal. Its an effective plot element, adding
effective romantic tension to the high action as Norrin
struggles to deal with his obvious attraction to this
newcomer.
My only constructive criticism of this title is the
artwork. While the penciling is excellent, the coloring
is too dark and dreary for this detailed and fun adventure
series. So while my advice to Marvel is to lighten-up
on the coloring in the remaining two issues of this
mini-series, in the meantime, here's a well-deserved
thumbs-up positive recommendation to squint your way
through the dark tones of this well-written and entertaining
latest interpretation of our solar wind-surfing hero.
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Giant-Size
Atom (One-Shot)
Publisher: D.C. Comics
Jeff Lemire: Writer
Mahmud Asrar, Allan Goldman & Robson Rocha: Pencils
Pete Pantazis: Colors
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DC Comics has just published an oversized
one-shot comic starring the Atom. The issue is scripted
by Jeff Lemire with pencils by Mahmud Asrar, Allan
Goldman and Robson Rocha, and colors by Pete Pantazis.
The story is the conclusion of the multi-issue tale
entitled "Nucleus" featured as the second story this
past year in issues of Adventure Comics. In the story
to-date, a group of rogue scientists called The Colony
have kidnapped scientist Ray Palmer/the Atom's father
and uncle and want our hero's supply of white dwarf
matter, which provides his shrinking power, in exchange
for their freedom.
The plot begins with a hostage-freeing ploy partnered
by the Atom and his traditional sidekick Hawkman which
goes awry. A detailed, high action sequence unfolds
in which the Atom literally battles atom-sized members
of The Colony within Hawkman's bloodstream to save
his life. The second half of the story shifts to a
pair of sub-plots. In the first storythread, our pair
of heroes plan and execute another elaborate strategy,
aided by The Oracle and Dr. Fate, to gain the hostages
freedom. The concluding plot thread addresses and
resolves family tensions and issues between Ray Palmer,
his father and his uncle.
I enjoyed the Adventure Comics installment of this
series that I reviewed this past January and was glad
to see DC Comics give it an opportunity to conclude
in this oversized one-shot issue. We have about two
standard comic books worth of material in this issue,
the length of which gives the creative team ample
room to explore both the main storyline of the Atom
versus The Colony and the ongoing side plot in which
Ray Palmer comes to terms with his brother's previous
death and resolves family issues with his dad and
uncle. A well-deserved shout-out also goes to the
art team, which gives us several great, poster-worthy
two-page spreads of action scenes throughout this
issue.
So another positive thumbs-up for our third comic
book reviewed this week. You'll definitely get your
money's worth of quality and extra-length entertainment
in this special issue starring the pint-sized and
popular Silver Age-oriented DC universe hero the Atom.
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Contest Winner Announcement!!!
We had three correct entries to our Worcester
trivia contest, which challenged you to tell us how many
pies are baked weekly at our famous local pie factory, the
Table Talk Pie Company located at Kelley Square. And our
winner selected via a roll of the dice is (drumroll, please)...Gregory
Goding, who correctly answered that they make a million
(yes, that's right, a million!) pies a week at the factory,
as recently reported on an episode of the Chronicle television
show.
We also accepted as correct any answer submitted over a
million, as some internet sources report that they often
bake up to 1.5 million pies during peak sales weeks. So
thanks to all of our entrants and congrats to Gregory, who
wins our first prize $10.00 gift certificate to That's Entertainment!
New Contest Announcement!!!
Here's an interesting trivia contest for you.
E-mail us at Gordon_A@msn.com
and tell us what interesting distinction the town of Plato,
Missouri received in the past week that's receiving national
media attention. As always, in the event of multiple correct
entries, our winner of the $10.00 gift certificate to That's
Entertainmnet will be selected via a roll of the dice.
That's all for this week, so
have a great one more spring snowstorm shoveling week
(arrgh!!!) and comic book reading week and see you
again next week Here In Bongo Congo!
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