Eye on Comics

Green Arrow: Year One #6 (DC Comics)
by Andy Diggle & Jock

This limited series comes to a rather conventional and predictable, lacking in the edgier and intense atmosphere that allowed it to stand apart from DC’s regular super-hero fare. Mind you, that’s to be expected. This is, after all, the conclusion of a super-hero origin and part of the new lore behind a property DC has invested a lot of creative and marketing efforts as of late. The more vanilla tone found in this final issue is easy to understand and even accept as a result. Diggle has done a great job of updating Green Arrow for the 21st century. As far-fetched as this origin is, the writer has brought a greater complexity and more personality to it, and in the process, he’s also brought a slight degree of credibility to the title character as well. It’s no surprise that Jock’s linework brings the story to life so well; Diggle and Jock proved they had plenty of creative synergy with their Vertigo series, Losers. The subject matter has proven to be surprisingly comparable despite the different genres, and Jock’s eye for big-screen-like action served this story well. But Jock’s work has really shone when it comes to his covers for this series, and this one may be the best of the bunch. The simplicity of the arrowhead shape is balanced by the convincing anatomy of the hero in the foreground and the rich, glowing tones that allow the image to leap out from the black background. My comments here are rather glowing, considering I found this issue to be rather conventional (which is reflected in my rating). But while this was something of a whimper than a bang, there’s no denying the series as a whole is a solid piece of work. 6/10

Green Lantern Corps #17 (DC Comics)
by Dave Gibbons, Pascal Alixe, Angel Unzueta, Dustin Nguyen, Patrick Gleason, Vicente Cifuentes, Rodney Ramos, Rob Hunter, Marlo Alquiza & Prentis Rollins

I have to admit… there have been chapters of “The Sinestro Corps War” that have proven to be much stronger than the initial episodes, but unfortunately, this all-out sci-fi war installment isn’t one of them. While Dave Gibbons’s script does a good job of identifying the various alien Green Lanterns, there is one aspect of the story that’s elusive for the reader: the point. Much of this issue dwells on violence between the Green Lanterns and their evil, yellow-ring-wielding counterparts. The heroes are dispatched all over the Earth only to be recalled to one central point by the end of the issue. Too little time is spent on introducing the new Ion while the script telegraphs that development far too overtly.

For the most part, Gibbons spins his (and the reader’s) wheels here. But even more frustrating is the artwork. Here’s some comic-book math for you. Four pencillers plus five inkers equals what? Zero visual consistency. The art is all over the map here, and if the multitude of artists contributing wasn’t enough of a signal that this was a last-minute effort, the rushed, loose look of the linework certainly drives the message home. There are a couple of alien GLs that look far too much like John Stewart, and that’s just one example. This storyline may be performing well sales-wise for DC, but creatively, it’s been as scattered as the artwork is in this issue. 3/10

She-Hulk #22 (Marvel Comics)
by Peter David, Shawn Moll & Victor Olazaba

Much-lauded Incredible Hulk writer Peter David takes on the Green Goliath’s cousin, taking the character in a new direction. Fortunately, he acknowledges that Slott’s stint on the book (and the previous series) has its own fans, and he incorporates previous elements quite well. That being said, he completely deviates from the Sex in the City/Boston Legal riff that came before and gone with more of a Dog the Bounty Hunter spin. She-Hulk as bounty hunter for her law firm’s super-villain bail-bonds business? It’s not a bad concept for the Marvel Universe, save for one aspect: She-Hulk. I rather liked the more cerebral notion of a super-hero/legal eagle, mirroring the balance between Jennifer Walters’s super-powered and professional sides. Here, She-Hulk’s more of an enforcer alone, casting aside her legal practice for something… well, beneath her. I really don’t know how to describe it. Slott spent so much time building up Jennifer as a top-notch lawyer who enjoys her work that this abrupt shift in careers just doesn’t seem right. Like I said, it’s a solid concept, one that would work for a wide variety of Marvel characters. David’s trademark approach of humanizing and fleshing out a brand-new but minor character turns up here, and it’s just as effective as it’s proven to be in the past. Shawn Moll’s work here is presented in a more straightforward, conventional super-hero art style than what came before it on this title, but it suits the tone the writer works to establish. 6/10

What If? Planet Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
by Greg Pak, Leonard Kirk, Rafa Sandoval, Gary Erskine & Fred Hembeck

Greg Pak has done an incredible of revitalizing the Hulk franchise at Marvel, and he’s done so not only with a solidly entertaining and action-packed event, but with an interesting and compelling storyline that’s built up over the past two years. Even this What If? one-shot is compelling. Despite its obvious appeal to current Hulk readers, Pak endeavors to offer accessible scripts for the two main stories. What I like most about these alternate-timeline tales is that they’re grounded in characterization and emotion instead of action. The lead in the first story is Caiera, but despite the relative obscure and unfamiliar nature of the character, Pak’s story uses her grief and anger as its strength and foundation. It’s remarkably effective. Leonard Kirk’s style is usually a softer one, but he proves he’s a versatile professional, capturing the harsh tone of the tale with seeming ease. He also manages to convey the immensity of the final visual flawlessly. The second story, though linked to the catalyst event for “Planet Hulk,” it focuses instead on the ongoing conflict between Bruce Banner and his savage side. I love the passive aggressive “conflicts” between the two characters, and the ending is mythic and touching all at once. I’m not familiar with artist Rafa Sandoval, but he and inker Gary Erskine also offer up some solid artwork, reminiscent of the style Jim (Dreadstar) Starlin. The brief Hembeck-illustrated segment that closes out this one-shot is cute and morbidly funny all at once, and it has me eager to see the upcoming collection of Hembeck strips due from Image Comics in the near future. 8/10

X-Men: First Class #5 (Marvel Comics)
by Jeff Parker, Roger Cruz & Colleen Coover

Marvel’s best all-ages title continues to entertain, offering entertaining and accessible introductions to the publisher’s iconic characters while taking readers such as myself back to a simpler, lighter time in super-hero storytelling. Though the X-Men get top billing on the cover, the real appeal of this issue is the Hulk. This wonderfully Silver Age approach to a first-time encounter between heroes is thoroughly entertaining, but Parker’s take on the Hulk (and sidekick Rick Jones) is charming and entertaining. Even more fun is Roger Cruz’s depiction of the Green Goliath. Cruz has really proven himself on this title, and I find I enjoy his art more and more with every new issue. He’s distanced himself from his past reputation as a Rob Liefeld imitator and developed significant as a comic artist. His work looks something like a cross between the styles of Scott (Omega Flight) Kolins and Ron (G.I. Joe Reloaded) Lim, but it still stands out as unique. The exaggerated expressions are in keeping with Parker’s light script, and he captures the power of the Hulk without making him seem too sinister. The two-page feature again treats the audience to Colleen (Banana Sunday) Coover’s cartooning. Her work has translated surprisingly well to the world of all-ages super-hero stories, and her simpler style manages to bring out the human side of these superhuman characters. The brief story also shows that Parker is ignoring the tragic melodrama that’s come to define the X-Men franchise (at least in part) over the past three decades and examines them from a more wholesome, cutely grounded perspective. 8/10