Outcast #1

 

There have been a lot of comics recently that I have looked forward to reading. Some have lived up to my expectations, some have been a letdown. Outcast is one of the rare books that totally blew my expectations away.
Robert Kirkman can sometimes be long-winded in his characterizations and plotting, but he nailed everything just right with this first issue. You immediately care about the characters. You want to learn more of their back stories that are slowly peeled back with each page. There is so much mystery that it's going to be thrilling AND excruciating to see how everything unfolds.
Paul Azaceta's style is the perfect choice to bring this world to life. Or is that afterlife? His dark and brooding tone sets the stage for each ominous event. The twisted facial features on each of the possessed gives you the heebie-jeebies. And Bettie Breitweiser does a phenomenal job at creating the dark recesses of not only the world these characters live in, but also their souls with her coloring. It's a perfect blend that these artists craft together.
I also want to give a shout out to an unsung part of the creative process: letterer Rus Wooton. Letterers usually get overlooked because a reader will normally just read the words, not putting too much emphasis or anything to the words they see. I, on the other hand, LOVE to add accents or fill in the &!@# blanks with cuss words to really make each comic feel real. Rus does a great job at giving life to the words with some unique fonts.
Overall, Outcast is probably Kirkman's best new book since the Irredeemable Ant-Man. It'll be interesting to see if it will have the staying power that Invincible and The Walking Dead have. Demonic possessions can only go so far, I'd assume, but so can the zombie apocalypse, and 10 years later, it's still going on strong. One thing's for certain, I'm along for the ride. The deep, dark, sinister ride.

On a side note, if you pick up the first issue because of all the hype of this being "the next Walking Dead" and you think this'll make you a hundredaire, do yourself a favor and READ THE BOOK. These people put a lot of hard work into these comics so you'll enjoy them, not so you'll bag & board them and put them in a box for 10 years hoping a tv show will be made of it. The book deserves to be READ. Why not give it a shot before you sleeve it? You might find out a shocking revelation...that comics can be GREAT. And this is one of those comics.

Justice League #19

This issue is a perfect example of how well Geoff Johns has mastered the nuances of the majority of DC's characters. Ever since Justice League #1 came out, I've been saying that Johns should be writing Batman. He makes Bats exude such power that not many other writers have been able to do recently. And come on, anyone that can make Aquaman a top tier character basically for the first time ever has to get major props! Heck, he can even make Superman seem, yep, super.

The thing that makes this series of Justice League stand out from almost every run that has come before it, is the fact that the League is not revered by the public. In a lot of cases, it's hated. It's similar to what Brian Bendis did with the Avengers on his lengthy run on that franchise. And what that does is make these almost-gods human. We, as a society, tend to tear down our heroes today. Yes, we cheer them on when they're helping us, but as soon as their spotlight is off, or they can't help in every circumstance, they are shunned. Or worse. The world has become untrusting and cynical. And now the Justice League are privy to these new trends. It becomes a struggle for some members to understand, and others, even though they get it, don't accept it. Johns excels at showing a wide range of emotions. This issue in particular, we get the question from Wonder Woman, if they can help, then why not damn the rules? Who will stop us? Or can? That then becomes the moral dilemma that can turn a hero to a villain. Will we see how far a hero can go to save us at the expense of mortal laws? I hope it's a theme that is continued to be explored in upcoming issues.

I was very sad to see Ivan Reis leave Green Lantern, but was extremely pleased to hear he was taking over DC's premiere title. It's a pleasure to see him draw all of DC's heavy hitters every month. Every character seems to take center stage when they are on panel. There's currently no one at DC better suited for this book than Reis.

All three Justice League titles are about to cross-over this summer during the Trinity War, so hopefully the underlying themes set up in this issue don't get shoved to the background. Maybe these themes will be an integral part of the storyline? Trinity War has been a mystery for over a year, so it's hard to say exactly what it will and will not entail. But if you're going to give that event a try, I'd suggest at least starting with this issue to see just how excellent a Justice League book can be.

G.I. Joe #1/G.I. Joe Special Missions #1/G.I. Joe: Cobra Files #1

 

G.I. Joe #1 started out as a real disappointment. For years, the Joe team's modus operandi has been keeping out of the public eye. But with this series, they are announced to the world as a special forces unit. The government goes so far as to hand pick members according to demographics that will make them appealing to U.S. citizens, no matter if they're the most qualified soldier for the team. That's a slap in the face to what the core meaning of G.I. Joe has always been. Sure, it makes light of some of the more outlandish aspects of the Joe team, but it also makes fun of the essence of the Joes' history. But the book did pick up in the second half when it got to mission time. The action was intense, and felt like a true military comic. Issue #2 continues that, so hopefully this series continues to straighten out and head in the right direction.

 

G.I. Joe Special Missions #1 continues the plots set up in the last main Joe series from IDW. This is the hard-nosed, military precision unit that this current run of G.I. Joe has become known for. If the team in the main Joe book is the face of the U.S. military, then Scarlet's team in Special Missions is the behind-the-scenes black ops unit that gets the dirty deeds done discreetly. Chuck Dixon continues his excellence with technical jargon and mission parameters. Paul Gulacy's art is legendary, and to see him take on my beloved Joes is one of the best things to happen in all my years of reading comics. This IS G.I. Joe to me.

 

G.I. Joe: Cobra Files #1 takes on the unique perspective of showcasing the villains of the Joe universe, an ideal set up in the previous G.I. Joe: Cobra series. The main focus of this series is Flint's undercover unit, but the main star is former Cobra agent turned Joe operative, Chameleon. Her narrative is superb. It takes a very extraordinary individual to completely give up on their life long beliefs to work with the polar opposite viewpoint. Will Chameleon ever revert to her old ways, or will she be able to find a whole new life for herself? And will Cobra allow her to live after exposing all their secrets? That is the ride you will be on if you decide to enlist.

 

Three monthly titles, with three different styles, yet all three set in the same universe. While you definitely don't need to read all three to enjoy the overall story, together they form a complex and compelling story. I'm not sure IDW needed to go through a whole renumbering of their Joe line, but in today's marketplace, first issues get more press and attention than issue #32s. If this move opens some eyes, then it was a smart move, and hopefully a few of you will be inclined to give it a hearty Yo Joe!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 (Ongoing)

I've already reviewed the first issue of the MOTU mini-series, so I felt a little obligated to review the first issue of this new ongoing series.

This issue begins where the last series left off, with Eternia holding a memorial to the fallen Sorceress. It's nice to see the flow of continuity not interrupted between the two series. Readers can easily get right back into the world of Eternos without feeling like they need to catch up on anything. In fact, if you missed the original mini-series, this first issue does an excellent job of catching you up with the previous events with only a few short lines.

Now that we've moved on from the threat of Skeletor, who will fill the void of the big bad? Well, Hordak, of course. Or, to start out with, Hordak's daughter. Her army makes it's way to Eternia and immediately cuts a path directly to the royal palace. Her army is impressive, and sets up a grand battle for this opening arc.

Keith Giffen does a marvelous job getting into the personalities of the individual characters right away. There's no question of what anyone's role is. Teela is the fiery soldier (who finally gets her famous red hair after having blonde locks for some strange reason in the mini-series), Man-At-Arms is the fatherly protector, and He-Man is, well, He-Man, the greatest warrior of all. Giffen also makes the Horde out to be a menacing, calculated army, something quite opposite of Skeletor's rag-tag group of villains. The Horde is something to be most definitely feared.
Pop Mhan draws a wondrous Eternia. At once grand and epic, as well as simple and meager. You can see the difference in class of the citizens of the empire. His redesigns of the classic character's costumes are instantly recognizable, but still just new enough to be original. His best quality might be in the way he draws the Horde to be a precise military unit. Between his art and Giffen's writing, I think the Horde is going to have it's best representation it's ever seen.

The first MOTU series did a great job of introducing these beloved '80's characters to a whole new generation, yet making them seem new AND familiar to the original audience. The only drawback was the fact that it took until the final issue to get the characters to where we remembered them. This series won't have that problem and immediately feels like the He-Man comic we all deserve after all these many years. It might be a little more grown-up than younger readers should be reading, but the core audience is going to be readers that grew up in the '80's, so it hits it's target audience perfectly. And the surprise twist ending (that hopefully hasn't been spoiled by the time you read the issue) sets up a whole new world of possibilities that will get longtime fans talking for quite some time.

Batgirl #19

Batgirl has been a terrible book from the very beginning. I have never been a fan of Gail Simone, and I feel she is a horrible writer of female characters. I know I'm in the minority when it comes to this, but I stand by my feelings. She does not write strong female characters, she writes female characters as bullies. Every character she writes seems to have the entire world against them, even if that isn't the case. It's tiresome.

My main problem with this issue is not the line that Simone has Batgirl cross, even though it is yet again the opposite of what Barbara Gordon's character has been for her entire career. I can overlook that inconsistency because that's become the norm with Simone's writing. No, the problem I have is the way Barbara's roommate, Alysia, was revealed to be transgendered.

Comics, when done correctly, have always been a place for people that are different to find a voice. Whether they are gay, straight, handicapped, white, black, religious preference, or whatever, you can find a character somewhere in some title that you can identify with. Batgirl was a perfect example of this when the Joker shot and paralyzed her. She became Oracle, and did not let her handicap slow her down for one second. In fact, she became an even more important character as Oracle than she ever did as Batgirl. Until Gail undid all that with this latest series during DC's New 52 relaunch.

I feel the way Babs' roommate's revelation was handled was a slap in the face. A mere four panels after hearing the news, Babs gets a call and leaves. No discussion of how Alysia has been dealing with things, no thank you for confiding in me, nothing other than a hug and "I gotta go." And that's the last it was even mentioned in the entire issue. It was like in issue #18 when she found out Robin had been killed. We basically saw Batgirl say "That's sad. Anyways..." Granted, last issue wasn't written by Gail Simone, so maybe all of these insensitive character acts have been mandated by the sloppy editor work that has plagued the DC offices the past couple of months. What I do know is, this "outing" just seemed like a publicity stunt. Yes, the story can be gotten into in more detail in the next issue or longer, but the way it was introduced was shameless. Nobody reading that could have any sympathy for Alysia or have any sort of connection. It was basically disregarded.

I've been wanting to drop Batgirl for a good while now, but I've toughened it out, hoping it'd be better. I thought the Death of the Family stuff would've been great, considering her history with the Joker. But they, like the entire event, were crap. I thought the aftermath of Robin's death would allow Barbara to show some concern for someone, but got a two panel blow off. Now this. A hug and a "See ya." Well, that's exactly what I'm saying to this book. WTF indeed, DC. But my F does not stand for "Fifty-Two."

Secret Avengers #1

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Nick Spencer. In fact, you could say I'm addicted to him like crack, but only the biggest of morons use crack, so let's say I'm addicted to him like I am redheads. While his creator-owned books are some of the best books I've ever read, his mainstream work has never been his strongest. So when it was announced he was writing this book (his second time on the book), and he was bringing my two favorite Avengers in Black Widow and Hawkeye with him, I was excited, with a bit of trepidation.

Any fear went out the door almost immediately. Spencer takes all of the mystery and intrigue he puts in his own books and attaches it to Marvel's long-standing heroes as well as their up and coming new characters. Some people could look at this book as just a way for Marvel to integrate their movie universe into their comic universe. All of the characters are big players from the Avengers movie, including Agent Coulson, who first premiered in the movieverse. But this title is far from a throw-away tie-in book. It's a spy book first and foremost, with SHIELD taking the spotlight. It's a genre that has really disappeared from the comic racks the past few years, especially at the Big Two comic companies. If you're a fan of the genre, then don't miss this book. Everything from the gadgets, to the exotic locales, to the deception is present here. But the strong suit is the dialog Spencer brings to the group. The humor is reminiscent of Bendis, while the technical jargon reminds you of Hickman, blended together as only Spencer can.

Luke Ross' art is not as realistic here as it was during his time on Captain America. I can only assume it's because of the humor, and to make sure the characters don't look 100% like their movie counterparts. We need to know this is the comic world, not the movie world, and his pencils keep us firmly reminded of that. The coloring by Matthew Wilson plays an integral role in telling the story as well since it sets the mood. Mood is one of the most important things in a spy thriller. Shadows are always present, but if it's too dark, you can't tell what's going on. Wilson does a great job of allowing the reader to clearly tell what's happening while still portraying the dark and seedy environments flawlessly.

There are a ton of Avengers titles out there on the stands today. This one sets itself apart from the rest by bringing something different to the table. What it brings is the suspense, thrills, and humor that no other Avengers title has. If you want a little more from your Avengers than just the huge interplanetary battles, then look no further.

Uncanny X-Men #1

Hmmm, I feel like I have already reviewed an Uncanny X-Men #1. Oh, that's right! It's because I have. In today's market, books get renumbered almost on a monthly basis. It's frustrating to keep track of which number goes with which volume, but it's a sad necessity if certain titles want to survive. Long gone are the days of creators staying on books for years (with a few exceptions like Bendis, Brubaker, and Johns), as well as readers sticking with a title forever due to prices constantly rising. So companies relaunch to get higher exposure, and hoping to get readers to try something different. While not ideal, Marvel's current NOW! initiative has taken the idea and done it quite well. Shifting creators on almost their entire line of books was a bold move, and renumbering, in this case, was needed. So while this might be the second Uncanny X-Men #1 we've had in just the past couple years, I feel this one will not be renumbered anytime soon. And that is thanks to Brian Michael Bendis.

Bendis has come over to the X-Universe and completely made it the top franchise at Marvel, something it's taken a back-seat to the Avengers to for the entire time he wrote Marvel's mightiest heroes. All-New X-Men is the best book on the stands right now. It has the feel of newness that Stan Lee wrote back in the 60's combined with the present day of today's ever evolving world. If you are not reading that, mutant fan or not, you need to. You won't be disappointed.
But Uncanny has a different feel from All-New. While All-New has a feeling of hope for mutants, Uncanny has a feel of desperation. Cyclops is doing all he can to recreate the mutant race with his version of the Xavier school, recruiting new mutants as they arise after the fallout of the battle with the Phoenix Force. Cyclops' task isn't an easy one though, because now he and his group are wanted fugitives. He still believes in the next generation of mutants, but as an army, not students. He wants to teach, but must teach them survival, because now thanks to him, the world hates and fears mutants possibly more than they ever have.

This is a great sister book to All-New. Together, we get to see both sides of the coin. We get the Xavier/Magneto dynamic in Wolverine/Cyclops. Both men feel they are on the right side, and both men will fight to prove their point. This series is all about Cyclops' transformation into the Mutant Messiah, a title previously thought to belong to Hope Summers. After all the build-up of making it seem like Hope would save the mutant race, it ends up being Cyclops who will do that. And by any means necessary.

In this first issue, Bendis does a great job of blending a tale that alternates back and forth between dramatic dialog, and frenzied action, something he has always excelled at (unless you're a comic message board commenter, then you hate him). The scenes between Maria Hill and the mystery character are more important than the climatic battle scenes Cyclops' X-Men engage in. The last page twist sets up this series in the most intriguing of ways.
Chris Bachalo has been a favorite of mine for almost 20 years, dating all the way back to his Generation X days (hellllooooo 90's). But as great as he is, I'm not sure if he's the perfect choice for this book. I feel the book would be better off with an artist who does more "clean" lines. This team of X-Men is akin to a para-militaristic force, and I feel the characters need a more regimented look. Bachalo's hectic style sometimes makes the action scenes confusing, making it hard to tell exactly what's happening in certain panels. It's not anything that overly brings down the book, I just feel his strengths are better off suited for books with a bit more humor. Like his time on Wolverine & the X-Men. Cyclops is the farthest from being a hilarious chap. It'll be interesting to see what Frazer Irving's take on the book is with the next arc.

In any case, this is a fantastic read. Worthy of relaunching the original X-title into the next phase of Marvel's history. Whether you're a long time reader, or are jumping on board with the new #1's, it's a great time to be a fan of Marvel's mutant franchise.