Gillen throws a lot of resistance from Sinister here at the Phoenix 5 and I wonder if Sinister really is that strong. He seems stronger than the Avengers to be taking on all these bigwigs. That said, he uses his assortment of clones pretty well and Gillen uses his Brit-savvy into an array of intricate plots. Sinister wants to extricate the Phoenix Force and while he incapacitates the 5 stars a bit too easily, the Scott and Pryor arcs are just too salivating.
Of course, I’m no Acuna fan but he does well on the art here and we see the likes of Psylocke and Magneto gearing for action. Not bad a read. (8/10)
Night of 1000 Wolves #2, 3 –
Bobby Curnow on script and Dave Wachnter on pencils manage to shape a simple and contained horror story of wolves descending onto a village. The supernatural lore, consequences of sacrifices and deals gone bad as well as family loyalty and love…wear well onto the emotions of the readers. It’s a gritty story full of heart and horror…and soul. While the end seems a bit standard, the agony and gut-wrenching attacks of the wolves and ‘werewolves’ make for a fascinating and chilly read. It’s a solid book filled with the stuff that goes bump in the night. (9/10)
Justice League #11 –
This is probably Jim Lee’s best work on this book but it coincides with Johns’ weakest script. Here, we get too much wanton violence and failed relationships in the way of Diana and Steve Trevor. We never got a romantic scene fully developed so here, it’s hard to empathize when the League goes hunting for Trevor, currently abducted by the villainous Graves. Graves’ own origin is shoddy at best but the story, while well-paced and frenetic, sees uncharacteristic behavior from Batman and Hal…but is redeemed by a humane Superman. That said, the final few pages…and a remarkable Shazam backup, with Gary Frank at his tops, make for another readable issue. (7/10)
Ultimate Comics: X-Men #14 –
Brian Wood stuns as usual with a slow but character-driven script. He adds layers of emotion to Kitty Pryde as she sets out to avenge her fallen people. Paco Medina’s art…is such a wondrous work…I can’t get enough. Seeing the backdrop of America plundered and divided, while Kitty’s friends are all precariously perched with their own missions, make for a brilliant read. There’s a lot at stake in each page and Wood slowly expands on this while painting responsibility to a bunch of kids whose world has evolved for the worse. (9/10)
Captain Marvel # 1 –
Kelly Deconnick does remarkably well here to resuscitate the character. Danvers’ last solo title to me was not solid, despite Sana Takeda’s art, but here, Deconnick uses the lush attitude of Spiderman and a cavalier Steve Rogers, to help build Danvers’ new costume, her new legacy and her purpose up. There are ties to her home life that come full-circle as well…while reminding me of the best bits of Richard Donner’s Superman. Yes, I said it. It’s a lot of emotion and human travesty pumped into a powerful female character with an enormous portfolio…and I loved the issue. The art is amazing from Dex Soy as it reminds me of Stefano Caselli and Gabrielle Del Otto…so I’m staying in this title! (9/10)
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