Gravel #3 — Writers: Warren Ellis and Mike Wolfer; Art: Oscar Jimenez
Black Summer #7 (of 7) — Writer: Warren Ellis; Art: Juan Jose Ryp
There was a point where I’d buy anything with Ellis’s name on it, but, let’s face it, he produces a ton of work, and some of it is minor. Gravel, for example, uses the occult-detective theme from his earliest output (stuff like City of Silence and Druid), and doesn’t do much with it, other than offering some interesting bits on the history and dialect of Yorkshire. Black Summer started out stronger, with its exploration of superhero technology (plus the political spark gained by having your alpha hero assassinate the US President for war crimes), but then the story devolved into violent punch-ups with the authorities, black-ops paranoia, and death, with the political stuff relegated to just a few standard speeches here in the story’s conclusion. Fine, but all pretty standard, and there’s little here to justify seven issues of commitment by readers.
Two-Face: Year One #1 (of 2) — Writer: Mark Sable; Penciller: Jesus Saiz; Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Yet another retelling of How Harvey’s Face Got That Way; it doesn’t track the movie, so fans who pick it up because of that will be confused, and while the creative team offers solid enough work, it’s a story that’s been told many times before, and this just doesn’t add anything new to it, especially given the $6 cover price.
Angel: Revelations #3 (of 5) — Writer: ?; Art: ?
No credits on this issue, which obviously was a mistake — although something of a blessing, too, since this isn’t very good. The art provides a few interesting caricatures, but is too stylized to offer clear storytelling, and the boarding-school plot feels like some weird combination of a Victorian novel and fanfic yaoi centered on Warren Worthington, which, trust me, even if that sounds interesting to you, is not.
The Immortal Iron Fist # 17 — Writer: Duane Swierczynski; Artist: Travel Foreman (plus six pages from Russ Heath)
It’s always hard to follow a class act, and Fraction/Brubaker created so much buzz on this title that the new team has problems just by being new. Getting started on yet another multi-parter involving people from K’un-L’un we’ve never seen before, mixed with flashbacks to past Iron Fists, doesn’t seem like the best beginning — it’s too much like the previous team’s efforts, even when those flashbacks have Russ Heath western art. Faced with having to commit to another long storyline, I’ll bet that a number of readers take the out and jump ship, especially since there’s just nothing jazzy or intriguing enough here to grab them by the neck and make them stay.
Robin #175 — Writer: Fabian Nicieza; Penciller: Joe Bennett; Inker: Jack Jadson
Well, sort of a tie-in to Batman: R.I.P., except that it’s just Robin talking to Spoiler, explaining how Batman’s gone missing and he’s looking for him, and worried about him, interspersed with flashbacks to stuff that happened during 52. It feels like the creative team had no idea what Morrison was planning over in the main title, and so devoted an issue to treading water, giving the illusion of being a crossover without actually doing anything to advance the big storyline. Bottom line: if you’re reading Batman: R.I.P. but you’re on a budget, this is an easy issue to skip.
Secret Invasion: Skrulls
The cover layout seems designed to quicken fans’ pulses by making them think this is the newest installment of the mini-series, but it’s not: it’s an Official Handbook of the Skrull Universe. Not bad for what it is — it’s detailed enough (six writers are credited, none of whom I’ve ever heard of), and it attempts to give a listing for every Skrull, named or not, who’s ever appeared in a Marvel comic. If having a guide to all things Skrully is worth $5 to you, here it is.
Phil Mateer
