Ghost Riders: Heaven’s on Fire #5 review
Uber-talent Jason Aaron had an incredible run on Ghost Rider. Injecting new life into this often-floundering title, Aaron brought spunk and great stories to this franchise. With the series end, a six part miniseries Heaven’s on Fire hoped to tie up the story begun by Jason Aaron, but hopes (even of great writers) don’t guarantee great comics.
With only one issue left, I must say I am very disappointed. It seems like the series just ran out of gas. The brothers Ghost Riders are on a mission to take down the evil angel Zadkiel, who they recently learned us behind their curse. Both sides have some nutty persons: Satan’s son, the teenage antichrist, nuns with guns, a giant eyeball guy on a chopper, and many other freaks. I like the over-the-top characters that Aaron has created, but they just fail to fit together. This series has lots of great ingredients, but they don’t make a good finished product. Jason Aaron had a great concept, but dragged out through five comics it has lost all steam. And there is still one issue to go!
Artist Roland Boschi’s rough, unfinished style works well with the supernatural genre. His quick, thin lines effectively craft the spiritual world. There are weak points where human bodies and faces are distorted and disproportionate.
Ghost Riders’ run is almost at an end for now. I hope Jason Aaron returns with his literal guns blazing for the last tissue. It will take a miracle to pull this one out of the gutter.
1.5 out of 5
“Marvel’s Batman returns!”
Moon Knight has returned in a new monthly called the Vengeance of the Moon Knight. Moon Knights last title just ended a few months ago and this book starts up as a continuation of the previous one. I really liked the last book, so of course I picked up this new one. I’m not a fan of restarting a book just so Marvel can release a new #1 Issue to try to make extra money. The last book was going on fine and didn’t need to be re-launched. At least Moon Knight has a way to go to before he reaches the king of re-launches: The Punisher! Still, this is Moon Knights 5th series.
On to the book… I have to say that I like the premise of the book. Having Moon Knight return more toward the crime fighting aspect of his character is a welcome change. Not that I disliked his more…extreme approach… that was showcased in the last book. That kind of violent content in a book can get old after awhile. Still, I hope he gets his shot at Norman Osborn so he can even the score with him, but he’ll probably have to stand in line for that!
The art was not bad, but I am more a fan of a little tighter pencils. It seems a little sketchy to me at some points.
I should also mention that this was an over-size issue, but the original story was only half the pages. The second half of the book was a reprint of the first issue of the Moon Knight original series. I find that I’m not usually a fan of reprints in regular titles, especially when its a reprint of a book that I already own, but the reprint does help to familiarize new readers with the character and it was relevant to the main story as a whole.
To conclude, this issue was solid, even if a re-launch wasn’t required in my opinion. This series has a lot of potential and it is a good hopping-on point for new readers.
4 out of 5
The God of Thunder in Hiding?!?
Before I get into the Annual, I want to say that the Thor monthly title is one of the best Marvel books currently being published. If you are not reading it, I highly recommend that you do! It has been constantly entertaining, with great stories and art to match. Now with that in mind, I was highly looking forward to Thor Annual #1 coming out so that I could get some extra Thor action this month. Now that that’s out of the way, what do I think about the Annual? To put it nicely, it is a pale shadow of the current monthly title.
First up, I don’t try to think I could do a better job than the writer could. I might write reviews, but I don’t harbor any ideas that I could be a comic book writer. I try to keep a fairly open mind when I’m reading books. This is especially true of ones that I plan to review. If I read a book and I find that I don’t care for it, I just set it aside for awhile. I don’t just jump on the computer and trash it. Then sometime in the future, I take the time to read it at least another time to see if something had biased my opinion of the work. Maybe I just had a bad day. Or, maybe I had something else on my mind and I only half read the story. Or, maybe I was more in the mood to read a different type of story than the one I read.
To be honest, I always hope that it was me and not the creative team that caused the problems with the issue. In this case, I read it three times. I’m sorry to say that this was not a good issue.
This is a book with some good ideas, but with very poor execution. The story itself has some serious pacing issues and seems at times as if there are some pages missing from the script. It almost comes across as a several issue story arc that is jammed into the annual format. The villains could be truly threatening for Thor, but you never feel that way. They come off, especially Seth and Grog, as very two-dimensional. You never feel that Thor was ever really in trouble. It does nothing to positively effect the monthly book or even add to the history of Thor as a good stand alone story.
There are two other things that stick out in my mind that I didn’t care for. One is Thor being referred to by Blake as a coward. Thor has never been and will never be one. Blake would never call him that either! That is poor characterization. Secondly, when you’re drawing characters, especially major ones, please pay attention. Seth is shown at the beginning as missing his right hand (which is correct - it was cut-off by Odin). Now take a look at page 36,38, and 40 and you will see Seth has both of his hands! That is sloppy work folks! It sums up my review of this sloppy book!
1 out of 5
Is Clint Barton the only voice of reason? I would say “Yes.” With the mutant enslavement, including Avengers Wolverine, Barton has found the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. His plan is to assassinate Norman Osborn. Who’s with him?
Bendis delivers his quipping dialogue between Avengers teammates as Clint asks if his teammates will lend to hand to kill Norman. This is what the Dark Reign has been moving towards since its inception. However, being a one-shot and the first of many “The List” one-shots to come, you get the feeling that Barton will fail.
Artist Marko Djurdjevic masterfully darkens these pages with shadows and tension, adding weight to the plot. He captures the facial emotion at every beat and then softens his delivery for a more stealth-like approach to the action. His panel choices are sharp and fluid.
I thought Norman’s device for shielding himself from Clint’s bullets was a big ol’ bucket of Velveeta, but the confrontation was fun. It’s tough for me to believe that the other Avengers would not want to kill Osborn – he’s evil and things are only going to get worse. Besides those gripes, this was a great read. I hope the cliffhanger ending is intelligently resolved in upcoming Avengers issues.
So far “The List” has earned its place on my pull list.
4 out of 5
Ed Brubaker is proving that he was born to write Captain America. Think of the incrediable run he has had on this series. From his first few Steve Rogers’ arcs, to Winter Solider, Bucky Barnes taking the shield, to this solid start to the Reborn series, Brubaker is writing the hell out of this Marvel icon. Personally, I was unsure of Bucky as Captain America. However, I quickly began to like the character as Brubaker converted me. Brubaker has been so successful in creating a compelling new Capt’ that many fans feel that Steve Rogers is returning too soon. That’s all thanks to great writing.
Steve Rogers is trapped in time and aware of this dilemma. Having no control over these random time shifts, he is reliving major events from his life. This is a great stroll down memory lane for old fans and a nice “Captain American For Dummies” for new fans. Bucky and Black Widow are battling the Dark Avengers as they try and locate Steve. The brains, Hank Phym and Reed Richards, are studying Sharon Carter, trying to discover why she is as Dr. Zola puts it “the constant.” Osborne makes a deal to Crossbones and Sin, bringing back two great Captain America villains who have been benched since Bucky’s donning of the shield. All of these elements blend to create a fun mystery and cool battle scenes. The entire issue reads like a well- produced summer blockbuster movie, with a star director, actors, and a high budget.
Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice draw a nearly perfect issue. The scenes from Rogers past are breathtaking. I was amazed at the fine details, like the mud on the bottom of Captain’s boots. The use of light to create the time slips is spot-on. This issue is largely driven my action sequences and this artist team is in complete control of crafting dynamic panels. Paul Mounts superior color skills need to be mentioned to round out this fantastic effort.
This is good comic booking!
4.5 out of 5
The War of Kings miniseries ends as Black Bolt and Vulcan duke it out. Officially concluding (although many questions still needed to be answered) with this issue, a one-shot, Who Will Rule, is coming out in September to tie up the lose ends.
The writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning has delivered the sleep hit of the summer. This miniseries was well plotted, smart, fun, and enjoyable. The writers have has a grasp on the story from the opening pages and have delivered a powerful event that will have ramifications for the Marvel Universe in the future. I was amazed at how Abnett and Lanning could balance so many factions (Nova, the Starjammers, the Inhumans, Kree, Shi’ar, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and a large cast within these groups), give each their time in the spotlight, and never lose control of the circus. I did find the climatic battle between Vulcan and Black Bolt lackluster, but the conclusion of the melee made up for it. The dramatic tension between those involved in the war was realistic and tight, creating a sense of dread as lives hung in the balance.
Penciler Paul Pelletier along with inkers Rick Magyar and Andrew Hennessy combine for an outstanding artist team. The cosmic combat was effectively portrayed as the action screamed off the pages. Capturing subtle emotional moments and earth shattering battles with equal skill is not an easy task, yet the team accomplished both. They rocked this.
Although the mini has ended, the story is far from concluded. I will reserve my final judgment after reading the one-shot in September. I hope all the questions get answered. For now, I like.
4 out of 5
The New Mutants venture into the freaky mind of Legion. Reading the New Mutants previously, I was able to follow this issue. For someone just jumping onboard, it might be a little tough to follow. That should not steer someone away, just fair warning.
Led by Cannonball, the newly formed team heads out to a small town to investigate a “mutant” disturbance. As last issue revealed, Legion is back and is still nuts. Zeb Wells brilliantly writes the story from two perspectives: inside the characters’ heads and the outside reality. It took me a little while to get used to, but it was effective. Wells allows the team to react to the threat without over explaining. It’s fast paced and fun, especially if you were a New Mutant fan already.
From pencils, inks to color, the art is exceptional. Neves is not afraid to take risks in his panel choices and they pay off. Action sequences are unique and flow very well. An emotional gambit is captured in these pictures, making the story alive and meaningful.
If your looking for a Marvel mutant story, but are tired of the X-Men, give this one a try.
3.5 out of 5
In this issue, Author Joe Kelly moves all the pieces into position for the American Son story arc to come charging out of the gates. I actually enjoyed this installment better than last issue. With dad by his side, Harry enters deeper into the world of the Dark Avengers. Norah, Parker’s co-worker from Frontline, takes his rally cry against Norman Osborn to heart and goes undercover in the Avengers Tower. The weakest pages are between JJ Jameson’s dad and Peter Parker. Panels are wasted as JJ senior tells Peter why he deserted the Army. Who cares? We get it! He’s a stand up guy. Enough already. Peter makes a bold move in this issue to infiltrate Norman’s sanctuary. Don’t want to give it away because it was pretty sharp.
After just one issue, this arc sees the talents of a new penciller, Paulo Siqueira. The change was noticeable. At times, faces were disproportionate and oddly angled. However, most of this issue was drawn well with some notability good splash panels.
This one is set-up for the real action, but enjoyable nonetheless. Spider-Man and Norman Osborn were bound to throw down sooner or later. So far, this is a solid arc. If there is a one-shot with Aunt May’s wedding, I am not buying it.
3.5 out 5
Matt Fraction is doing his best to return this X-Men flagship title back to superstar status. He has a tough job in front of him. For some reason, the X-titles seem directionless at times. Actually, most of the time. This is coming from a big X-fan and I have stuck with it through the great, the bad and the horrific.
This story seems to be taking two steps forward, one step back. The Sisterhood infiltrates the X-Men’s home in San Francisco. The big reveal is what they came for and why. I was hoping that Faction would steer us in a new direction and he is taking us down roads that have been traveled way too many times. However, there is some good story telling here with an occasional stellar moments. Fraction is talented so I am willing to see what he does with this, but I am starting to lose hope.
Greg Land pencils a pretty book. I really do mean “pretty.” Everyone looks like they just got out of wardrobe and make-up. There is an antiseptic quality to his panels. During the fights, it looks like a modeling casting agency is slugging it out in costumes. He has talent and his faces are exquisite; I’m just not sure if it works for this book. I’ll keep him, X-Men have been given much worse talent.
Is Fraction succeeding in resurrecting this title? There are signs of life, but he has much work to do. At least this book seems relevant; this story actually matters and could open up a can of whoop-ass. It’s a start.
2.5 out of 5
With Daredevil, Marvel unveils its third noir title. Being a devout DD fan, I gave it a shot. I should have steered clear of this one. Both X-Men and Spiderman Noir went from mediocre, to poor, to just bad. Daredevil Noir is starting at poor.
It’s rumored that this story was pitched for DD’s ongoing title, but was turned into this noir series. What does that say about the quality of this tale? Is one man’s trash truly another man’s treasure? Not in this case. Daredevil has a nourish style to it already. Besides some period pieces and a goofy costumes, its not a new incarnation of the Dareveil mythos. Matt Murdock is Daredevil and Foggy is Foggy. There is nothing new or re-invented as in the other noir titles.
Tomm Coker’s art made this purchase bearable. He uses some smart layouts and makes solid choices to convey the story. He captures a distinctive noir style with the effect augmented by Daniel Freedman’s coloring. Coker’s depictions of Foggy and the city’s aerial drawings were great.
Art can’t save a flawed concept and a below-average story. Daredevil’s self-titled series is one of my favorite comics. Read that for your DD fix.
2 out of 5
