Quick Reviews: Age of X, Brightest Day, Fear Itself, Herc, Skaar

Howdy, heroes!

I'm going to be adding some features in weeks to come and this is one of them. Some of you wonder what I read outside of the adventures of the Hulk and Spider-Man. You'll also be seeing some special indie features (one's coming very soon--sorry about the delay!). If you have any suggestions, or if you're a creator looking to get your own project out there, contact me at delusionalhonesty [at] gmail [dot] com & give me some lead time. I'd be happy to take a look!

Meantime, let's start with one of last week's holdouts and continue on to some of this week's highlights. Fair warning: some of my reviews may contain SPOILERS, so read with care. My reviews will be summed up with four main classifications you can easily make sense of: Buy It (highly recommended), Read It (recommended), Skip It (unless it's a light week...), Burn It (a very special kind of hell).

Age of X Universe #1 (of 2) - Marvel Comics, $3.99
By Si Spurrier, Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer & Sonia Oback

Back during the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline, there was a two-issue limited series, X Universe, that explored the lives of the human superheroes amid the background of the greater AoA arc. Of course, with the current Age of X arc conjuring memories of that epic storyline, why wouldn't Marvel try to echo that success with a story of a team of Avengers in this alternate reality? I'm not following Age of X, only this two-part series, so I can't speak for the quality of the remainder of the event. Si Spurrier offers up a script where the Avengers are government hunters of mutants under the direction of the man who is our Marvel Universe's Punisher.

The characters in the story overwhelmingly reminded me of the Millar/Hitch "Ultimates," with a few changes in the lineup. The story makes it clear these aren't people who are comfortable working together. It's interesting if unnerving to see Captain America taking orders instead of giving them. The rest of the team is twisted in different ways, with the most jarring changes to the Hulk and Iron Man. We're supposed to bring the mainstream Marvel Universe's characterizations to the table as comparison here, but for me the whole picture never gels. I'm anxious to see if the next issue resolves or compounds my worries. This story may work well in the Age of X scheme, but by itself I'm unimpressed.

The Verdict: Skip It.

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Brightest Day #23 (of 24) - DC Comics, $2.99
By Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, Ivan Reis & Joe Prado

Over the last year since Blackest Night ended and Brightest Day began, there have been hints that the major players were all symbols of elemental concepts DC has flirted with since the mid-1980s and the heyday of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. How fitting is it, then, that in the same issue where Johns and Tomasi bring the elemental undercurrent to the surface, they also return DC's original elemental--although in a very strange role? When you read the previous 22 issues altogether, you realize the elemental context was there all along, and to their credit, the creators bring the disparate elements together here in time for the big finale in two weeks' time. I am anxious to see the future plans for the elementals assembled in this issue, but don't exactly think a Primal Force revival is in the cards. However, with so many other characters having been embroiled in the main Brightest Day series (Hawk, Dove especially), I do wonder about their roles henceforth.

With Johns' and Tomasi's script hitting its stride and bringing out all the elements that have been thoroughly seeded throughout all of the previous issues, I'm happy to say that artists Ivan Reis and Joe Prado have brought their artistic "A"-game to this issue. The elemental designs of the five main characters are well-done. Although I certainly wish to see them all restored to their previous looks in this saga, there's a definite purpose to the heroes all looking as they do. Their villain, the Black Lantern avatar, is also appropriately horrifying.

This issue continues to tie up all the loose ends of the main storyline while clearly ramping up to the next major status quo, with an Aquaman series already announced and, unless I miss my guess, a Swamp Thing series also in the cards. Based on the last page of this issue, however, I'm a bit puzzled how DC plans to integrate the character's Moore-renovated origin. Alas, time will tell.

The Verdict: Buy It!

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Fear Itself #1 (of 7) - Marvel Comics, $3.99
By Matt Fraction, Stuart Immonen & Laura Martin

Marvel's annual major event has begun, or rather, their annual line-wide crossover events have returned, as last year they divided their efforts in several "mini-events" of varying success. They've brought their current darling writer Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man, Thor, Casanova) together with terrific art talent Stuart Immonen (Ultimate Spider-Man, Nextwave, New Avengers) and one of the best colorists in the business, Laura Martin (Astonishing X-Men, New Avengers). They've created an incredible amount of incentive variant covers (including my favorite, by Paolo Rivera, above). The story ostensibly concerns a blending of recent plot elements from Fraction's Thor and Ed Brubaker's Captain America, heralding the arrival of the heretofore-unseen Norse God of Fear and the transformation of the Red Skull's daughter into its avatar, Skadi, possessed of a mystical hammer akin to Thor's. And the heroes of Earth tremble.

Fear Itself is obviously set to mainly appeal to Captain America and Thor fans, and the reasons are obvious: after all, movies featuring both characters hit movie screens this summer. So far, Thor and Steve Rogers are the key focus, with the centerpiece being a formulaic father-son smiting between Odin and Thor that's really been done many, many times before and more tactfully. It's all set-up, this first issue, establishing the relationships between the primary protagonists and antagonists. It's well done enough, and very well-illustrated by Immonen and Martin, but set-up it remains.

I'm anxious to see what occurs next month with the arrival of "The Worthy," don't get me wrong. (And yes, according to previews, one of those Worthy is one of my favorite characters, so I'll be watching with a very, very critical eye.) Right now, it's just another ramp-up to another major storyline that we've seen a million times before. And if you like that kind of thing, well, here's another one. The story still has plenty of room to improve in future issues, and knowing how terrific many of Fraction's stories have been in the past (I'm looking at you, Invincible Iron Man: World's Most Wanted) I'm definitely hopeful. You can bet I'll be watching this one as it develops, and bringing the latest to you.

The Verdict: Read It.

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Herc #1 - Marvel Comics, $3.99
By Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Neil Edwards, Scott Hanna & Jesus Aburtov

Hercules has certainly had an interesting year thus far, between the epic five-part miniseries Chaos War which stripped him of his godlike powers in his and the other Marvel heroes' clash with the Chaos King, and his guest appearances in the storyline's aftermath in The Incredible Hulks. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have chosen to return to Hercules in this new regular series, this time without his partner from the previous series, Amadeus Cho. This time out, Hercules must rely on his wits and an arsenal of unusual weapons to combat evil on the streets of New York City.

I was prepared for something different than what Pak and Van Lente offered in the previous series, but I'm not sure if I ever imagined something like this. The overt comedic tone that made the original Incredible Hercules series so endearing is largely absent, replaced by a grittiness that represents an incredible shift in tone I'm not sure I enjoy yet. Certainly the creators make it clear that Herc is a very different series than its predecessor, setting up the status quo in this issue, with Hercules adjusting to life being powerless, and getting a new job along the way. Now in a lower strength tier, Hercules fights similarly lesser-powered enemies, with the one at this story's end an interesting first pick.

Despite my reservations about the story, I have no such reservations about Neil Edwards' terrific artwork. The entire book is lushly rendered, from Edwards' pencils, to Hanna's inks, on through to newcomer Jesus Aburtov's colors. The entire package is capped off with a well-deserved "Hercules Saga" feature, which encapsulates Herc's history in eight pages. Time will tell if Pak and Van Lente can catch lightning in a bottle twice, but I'm willing to stay aboard for a while longer.

The Verdict: Read It.

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Skaar: King of the Savage Land #1 (of 5) - Marvel Comics, $2.99
By Rob Williams, Brian Ching, Rick Ketcham & Guru-eFX

In the wake of "Planet Savage," the recent Incredible Hulks arc set in the Savage Land, the Hulk's savage son has remained among Ka-Zar, Shanna, and the other inhabitants of Marvel's Antarctic jungle, and now stars in his own miniseries by Marvel newcomers Rob Williams (Cla$$war, Shadowland: Ghost Rider) and Brian Ching (Incredible Hulks: Dark Son). The story appears poised to investigate the origins of the Savage Land, with Skaar encountering at least one Marvel mainstay from the 1970s.

The storyline follows a few tracks, one of which includes Skaar in his exploration of his new home, another which centers on Ka-Zar's quarrel with the Savage Land's Council of Tribes, and yet another about a strange force with knowledge of the area's origins. Conspicuously absent from the storyline are all of the Warbound, who were left with Skaar at the end of last week's Incredible Hulks #625. Williams has a good feel for action and introduces all the characters well, providing some interesting moments between Skaar and Shanna (who didn't appear in "Planet Savage").  The set pieces, including Skaar's quarrels with two dinosaurs, are terrifically designed and pulled off with flourish by Brian Ching, whose work here is brighter and freer than in "Dark Son."

While the story has many of the right elements for a story set in the Savage Land, I'm still not altogether sold on Skaar by Williams. Conceptually he has a firm handle on Skaar as a young character who, due to his strength and upbringing on Sakaar, often charges into situations he doesn't fully understand. However, much of Skaar's dialogue doesn't seem to fit, with only occasional snark that seemed to flow so easily under his creator, Greg Pak. But that's really a small gripe in an overall very solid debut issue, and I look forward to the next issue's imbroglio.

The Verdict: Buy It!

~G.

Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force - The Review

This Wednesday, February 23, marks the release of a graphic novel collection I've been awaiting for some time: Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force. Over the last few months, you've seen me nip away at the stories collected in this tome, from my thoughts on the story of Hiro-Kala, Son of Hulk, as it progressed through Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk - The Conquest of Jarella's World #1-4, on to an interview with the writer of this duo of limited series, Scott Reed. This time out, I'm opting to review the whole package: the good, the bad, and the sub-microscopic. And away we go...




The Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force GN
Collecting Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk - The Conquest of Jarella's World #1-4& The Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force #1-3


Writer: Scott Reed
Artists: Miguel Munera, Terry Pallot & Greg Adams
Colorists: Veronica Gandini & Jorge Maese
Letterers: Fishbrain & Dave Sharpe
Production: Irene Y. Lee
Assistant Editors: Jordan D. White & John Denning
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics

You can look at Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force, consisting of the two mini-arcs, "The Conquest of Jarella's World" and the "Enigma Force" series proper, two ways. First, there is the obvious intention begun in the first miniseries, picking up right where the previous Son of Hulk series left off (now available in the graphic novel collection Son of Hulk: Dark Son Rising) and paving the way for the arc now collected in the hardcover collection Incredible Hulks: Dark Son. Foremost in this collection, however, is the story of the resurgent group of subatomic swashbucklers, the Enigma Force, so named after the power which flows through their leader, Arcturus Rann. It's an apt name considering Marvel truly can't refer to the team by their original title: the Micronauts, a licensed Japanese toy property cum Marvel comic that spanned some eighty-five issues between 1978 and 1986 (over two regular series, two annuals, and a four-issue crossover series with the X-Men).

Many years and many incarnations later (anyone remember the Microns?), the team seems to have found their ideal new title, rooted in their illustrious past. The original core triad of Rann, Princess Marionette, and Bug (the latter now of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy series) are now joined by Carl, a Death's Head android imbued with some spark of personality; Jentorra, a K'aitian mystic and cousin to the Hulk's deceased love, Jarella; and an orphaned member of the race that laid waste to K'ai, the Psyklop. It's a shame we who remember the Micronauts' original incarnation can't have Acroyear, Biotron or any of the other characters who joined their illustrious ranks throughout the early 1980s, but we should be lucky we get glimpses of these characters at all!

The first story, "The Conquest of Jarella's World," begins in media res, with Arcturus Rann, Mari, and Carl--the crew of the HMS Endeavor III--seeking out the legendary Enigma Force Nullifier. Of course, this being chiefly a book set in the Hulk's corner of the Marvel Universe, it's not long before they're on a mission to save the denizens of planet K'ai from the alien hordes of the Psyklop (last seen as a singular, humanoid enemy in The Incredible Hulk #203, waaaay back in 1976). Somewhere along the way, Rann discovers the location of the Nullifier, and comes in conflict with the Hulk's second son, Hiro-Kala, who has been transported through the Fault to the Microverse, the subatomic realm all these characters call home.

In the second story in this collection, set shortly after the conclusion of the first story, Rann and his compatriots track Hiro-Kala and his armies back through the Fault to the Marvel Universe proper during the timeframe the "Dark Son" storyline takes place. They continue their cat-and-mouse game from afar, with Bug, Jentorra, and the Psyklop having their roles to play. Along the way, the action continues on K'ai with the return of one character fans of the 1970s Jarella stories will definitely recognize, an added bonus for those fans but something that will leave everyone else scratching their heads.

Unfortunately, overall the series suffers in that the protagonists can never fulfill Rann's mission. They can't depose Hiro-Kala and return K'ai to the Microverse, because that's what the Hulks are charged with doing in the main event. The narrative never truly overlaps with any plot points of the larger story over in the Hulk's book but goes on its own parallel path. These choices limit Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force to being a character piece about Rann's past connections with K'ai, the building of the new team, and their part in the post-"Dark Son" status quo of the planet.

(As an aside, Marvel was originally home to a multitude of sub-atomic dimensions, but thanks to writer Peter David in issues 4-7 of his 2000 Captain Marvel series, all those realms including the ones in which K'ai and the Micronauts resided, merged into one. There's an untold story out there involving the X-Men, Thanos, and Baron Karza where all of these events unfolded. Best as I can figure it with a No-Prize-worthy explanation, this event must have also somehow rearranged the histories of the Microverse realms to allow for Rann to have been involved in K'ai's past, as revealed in the Enigma Force portion of this collection.)

Scott Reed does the best he can granted that the Enigma Force can't truly figure into the main "Dark Son" story's conclusion, filling the tale with character moments. From the first story on through the second, this is really Arcturus Rann's journey, and it's the most in-depth characterization he's had in years. These seven issues together really read like a "pilot" episode of an ongoing Enigma Force series, setting up the complex relationships between all of these characters as well as potential situations for new "episodes." The key mystery that I enjoy--and which I asked Reed about at New York Comic Con last year--involves the evolution of the Psyklop from that one being who seemed native to the main Marvel Universe (having been introduced in Avengers #88) to a race of floating, alien creatures as they were at the beginning of the first issue in this collection. If we're to see more of the Enigma Force, that secret story is waiting to be told.

Whereas Reed's story shows direction and purpose, artist Miguel Munera literally evolves the further we go. In the beginning, I was struck by the various homages to the work of Rich Buckler and Sal Buscema, with various statues on K'ai clearly echoing their work, but much of the early figure work seemed static. It could be the work of various inkers, but Munera's layouts and detail grow stronger as these series progress, with Greg Adams as his best inker in the second half of the collection. It's never overly flashy artwork but he does tell the story ably and his dynamism grows. I'll look for Munera's skill to continue to develop as time goes on.

One note for completists: the Hiro-Kala story by Scott Reed and Miguel Munera that bridges "The Conquest of Jarella's World" and "Dark Son," from The Incredible Hulk #609-611, is not included here. The story did not feature the Enigma Force, which probably accounts for its exclusion. However, the three-part mini-arc is available in the Incredible Hulk Vol. 3: World War Hulks collection, now available in hardcover and available March 30 in softcover.

The Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force is an intriguing mix of concepts from the old days of The Incredible Hulk and the classic Micronauts series married with the ongoing story of the Hulk's new "Dark Son." In spite of the story's limitations as described above, there's a sense of fun that never leaves. For new comics with an old-school twist, you could do a lot worse than pick up this graphic novel collection. After all, it would sure be fun to finally read still more new adventures of Arcturus Rann and his crew. The Micronauts live again--who cares what they're called now--and it's about time.

The Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force is on sale February 23. The collection is priced at $19.99. Call 1-888-COMIC-BOOK or visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com to find a shop near you!

~G.

Incredible Hulks #614: Blast Off!

Howdy, folks! I'm back from my great trip east to New York Comic-Con. It was great--maybe I'll even tell you about it someday! For now, thrill to this review of the latest issue of The Incredible Hulks! Next week you'll see a belated Chaos War review as well as an exciting look into Greg Pak's new creator-owned project, Vision Machine. Hang loose, true believers!


The Incredible Hulks #614
"Dark Son, Part Five: Blast Off"

Writer: Greg Pak & Joshua Williamson
Artists: Barry Kitson, Scott Hanna & Mirco Pierfederici
Colorists: Matt Milla & Mirco Pierfederici
Letterers: Simon Bowland
Production: Irene Lee
Assistant Editor: Jordan D. White
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics

What's this, you say? The cover of this issue states we're on "Part Three of Six," and yet, the title of this story clearly states we're in part five! How can this be? Well, if you haven't been reading the Hiro-Kala stories in both of the previous issues, shame on you! Both #612 and 613 featured two parts to the ongoing saga of the Hulks and their perilous collision course with Skaar's mad brother. Although the last two issues were largely prologue, bringing more casual fans up to speed with all facets of recent Hulk history, this fifth part kicks the storyline into high gear with a battle between the Hulk's "family" and the Secret Avengers. It also features the debut of British artist Barry Kitson of Legion of Super-Heroes fame.

So, how does this part of the saga measure up, now that the team is set to encounter Hiro-Kala? Honestly, at this point, we're halfway through "Dark Son," and we're still hung up on the set-up. The final three issues had better be a slam-bang battle the likes of which have seldom been seen in this title. It's not that the set-up is bad, quite the opposite--but it still leaves one with a feeling of "are we there yet?"-ness. It's methodical, more than anything--first writer Greg Pak established the Hulk family, then the backstory of Hiro-Kala. Then Earth's heroes discovered the threat, and the Hulk didn't care, but then he found out the true nature of the threat. Here he comes needing a way to meet the threat, which leads him and his family into conflict with Steve Rogers and his Secret Avengers. Finally, at the end of this story, I don't think I'm surprising anyone when I say that the Hulk family appears to be headed to finally meet the conflict head-on. We hope.


The key concern I have with this new status quo more than what's in this storyline is that, when you break the story down, it's still predominantly a story about the Hulk, and not a group of Hulk-like individuals. Seriously, although there are six "Hulks" in this story, only three have had any substantial role in the story to date. It's been a tale about the Hulk, his ex-wife, and his son by his alien queen. It's not a story that is inclusive of A-Bomb, Jennifer Walters, or Korg, as is shown by their painfully minimal presence in the script. Oh, sure, Rick as A-Bomb gets a few lines in, but Korg and Jen? Not a line of dialogue, not a meaningful part to be played except to fight some Secret Avengers who themselves similarly barely have any lines. It's largely the same role as they've played in the previous two issues, and I'm getting to the point that I wonder if there's really some point giving the book a title it has barely managed to earn three issues in. If I read a book titled Fantastic Four, all four heroes do their part, and if I read the X-Men, the full team line-up that month has a pretty integral role. Why, then, do we only see about 50% of the Hulks do their thing in any given issue of this book?

Luckily, the Hulk has a nice, meaty part in this story, with he and Banner showing why they are who they are. Greg Pak has such a natural feel for both characters, it's hard to imagine why other writers have historically had such a problem with the dual personality. I must also give props to him for the Hulks' means of transportation--let's just say it should bring back pleasant memories of World War Hulk. And the art, oh, the art! Barry Kitson's first double-page spread (there are three!) is terrifically evocative of the "Planet Hulk" storyline with the Hulk tearing through the side of a ship. His artwork is wonderfully evocative of Sal Buscema in parts without slavishly copying. I've waited for many years to see Kitson draw the Hulk, and with this issue, I'm not disappointed in the least.

So, the story? Not bad, but I want to see Pak kick it up a couple notches next issue. The art? Absolutely astonishing. I'm very glad the next part is only two weeks away.

What do you think, sirs?

~G.

Incredible Hulks #613: A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action...Please?

Well, I've had enough time to sit and digest the book in question, and soon enough I'll be mailing out another Daily P.O.P. exclusive interview, but for now, you lucky ducks get my review for parts 3 and 4 of "Dark Son" in Incredible Hulks #613!


The Incredible Hulks #613
Writers: Greg Pak & Scott Reed
Artists: Tom Raney, Scott Hanna, Brian Ching & Victor Olazaba
Colorists: John Rauch & Jorge Maese
Letterers: Simon Bowland
Production: Irene Lee
Assistant Editor: Jordan D. White
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics

I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. That was my first thought when I finished this issue--or, at least, the "K'ai" segment of this issue. The rest, well, that's what you're here for, isn't it?

After last issue, the Worldmind found it just couldn't take Hiro-Kala's whining any longer, attacking him deep inside the planet K'ai. Meanwhile, the newly-resurrected Betty Ross made it clear she didn't want to be married to Bruce...but what does the Hulk have to say about it? This issue thankfully keeps the positive momentum going, following up on both of these key plot points. Some efforts are more successful than others.

Firstly, it's a credit to the editors, or whoever made the decision to put the "K'ai" section of this issue ahead of the "Earth" section. It serves as a reminder that for this arc, the K'ai stories are not mere "back-up" tales, but vital pieces of the story being told. However, where at first I was enthusiastic about the ramp-up to Hiro-Kala's arrival in our solar system, it appears this saga has very quickly degenerated into another contest of "How badass can we make the bad guy who still had a shred of sympathy going for him?" Here, writers Pak and Reed make it clear there is no going back, that Hiro-Kala is irredeemably evil, and we can ignore all the times he's been framed to be the misunderstood good guy who's doing the right thing no matter what everyone else thinks. On the one hand, I suppose it's fitting that the Hulk has one son who is unremittingly evil, in the way Brian Banner thought young Bruce was, because it's just not a good plan to run the same plot twice (the first with Skaar). On the other hand, Hiro-Kala's characterization and deeds are just so over the top as to be cartoonish. Really, I'm just relieved this separate section of the stories is over, and that Hiro-Kala's collision course with the Hulks will be folded into the regular stories next issue.

By great contrast, the "Earth" story in the back of this issue picks up wonderfully from the last issue, advancing the narrative on all points. Last month, we found out where Bruce and Betty stood in their tumultuous relationship; this month, Greg Pak mines the territory of Hulk and Red She-Hulk. You know it's going to be fun when our first glimpse of Hulk has him telling someone else to calm down! In some ways this encounter is just what you'd expect, and in some ways it's even stranger. The narrative also mines the Hulk's own characterization, and does it very well. Although much speculation followed the final effort by Jeph Loeb in Hulk #24 as to which incarnation we'd be dealing with herein, I think the question is safely settled here: we are indeed dealing with the "Gravage" Hulk, the Green Scar, the version seen throughout "Planet Hulk" and World War Hulk. Let's face it: Banner could never carry off calling people "stupid" well, and rarely is as curt as this Hulk. This Hulk has something to live for, and although some would argue it takes away a certain edge to the character, I should remind those fans we've got four whole issues left to this super-saga.

Of course, there must be more to this saga than pure characterization and setup, and it starts to move forward here, first with a very Silver Age-y opening to this chapter that evokes the ridiculousness of the 50s-era Superman tales. It ramps up again at the end of the issue, with an offer courtesy Steve Rogers and Amadeus Cho that pertains to said opening. The Hulk's reaction to their news and offer fits right in his character in light of the last few years' worth of events, and is only outdone by that other shoe dropping, courtesy of his son Skaar. The last page is instantly classic, and leads us squarely into next issue.

All in all, this is a decent package, but I'd be afraid those more casual fans reading from the front on back might be bored rather quickly at the Hiro-Kala chapter. Venturing beyond the staples increases one's enjoyment considerably. The artwork by Brian Ching in the first half is brilliantly moody and dark (which fits a storyline called "Dark Son") which contrasts greatly with the bright colors and almost "feelgood" vibe that Tom Raney sets forth in the second. That said, as much as I'm enjoying Raney and Ching, I'm quite anxious to see Barry Kitson take the reins in next month's issues, and I'm confident that Kitson will bring his "A"-game as the story itself elevates to the next level.

Hulks in space? It looks like we're going to get more than our fill these next few months! Thankfully, the "Earth" stories in these last two issues of The Incredible Hulks have made it clear, we're in for a rollickin' ride, at least as far as the complex relationships between our protagonists!

Rating: Recommended (Not quite what #612 was, but close!)

~G.