Comic of the Day 5/5: "Thunderbolts" #104

With its "Civil War" story line coming to a close, "Thunderbolts" seems to finally have found its footing. It ties in smoothly into the main "Civil War" comic, providing readers with valuable background information of "Operation: Justice Like Lightning". But is it fair to credit writer Fabian Nicieza, or is the "Civil War" story line just too strong and full of potential? 

It's probably a mix between both, as he still does an impressive job in the dialogue and characterization department. Helmut Zemo is thoroughly well written, while Hank Pym and Reed Richards make for some exciting scenes as antagonists. Tom Grummett's art, however, still doesn't manage to convince. His insistence on big, crowded panels for fights remains confusing and highly antiquated, especially when he shows here that he has far more talent drawing tighter, more reduced scenes.

All in all a good issue that is far away now from the disaster that was the first two.

6/10

Comic of the Day 4/5: "Hawkeye" #1

2012's "Hawkeye" #1 by Matt Fraction, David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth is probably one of the best comics you'll ever read. So, without further ado, I'll just run down the 10 reasons why "Hawkeye" #1 completely kills it.

1. Clint's ironic badass take on himself.
2. David Aja really knows how to use inks.
3. Matt Hollingsworth really knows how to color a summer day.
4. It perfectly captures the feeling of living in a metropolis.
5. Matt fraction tells a story that is both full of action and empathic. 
6. Clint rescues a dog.
7. Pets, loads of pets.
8. It's witty and funny, without ever forcing it.
9. Clint doesn't even use his bow here. He does it all with pennies and playing cards. Pennies. And. Playing. Cards.
10. The hilarious "Arrow" reference at the end.

Surprisingly, it scores a perfect 10/10.

Comic of the Day 3/5: "Thunderbolts" #103

Most surprisingly, Thunderbolts #103 is actually a half-decent comic. After the disaster that was the first two issues, Fabian Nicieza is finally able to appropriately integrate the Thunderbolts cause into the larger "Civil War" story arc, including some enjoyable references to Spider-Man's unmasking.

The dialogue between Helmut Zemo and Iron Man stands out especially here, as Nicieza shows an understanding of how to build up these tense and well-paced verbal skirmishes between the two. Unfortunately, Tom Grummett's  generic tag team fight scenes still can't convince, as he relies too heavily on large, confusing panels. Nicieza's jokes also more often than not miss their target, while Songbird's naive and dull depiction feels painfully sexist at times.

Thunderbolts #103 is mostly entertaining, which is mainly due to it finally embracing the "Civil War" story arc. But it's still too flawed to make it an entirely enjoyable affair.


6/10

Comic of the Day 2/5: "DK III: The Master Race" #4

Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello have decided to go all out on this issue, with results that don't always convince. 

Everything in DK III: The Master Race #4 is supposed to be meaningful, important and grand. From the amazingly composed first panel that harks back to the shrinking of The Atom to the confrontation between Superman, Lara and the Kryptonians to a surprise appearance of The Flash, everything is extremely fast paced, first class entertainment. But it was their ability to squeeze every ounce of drama of a selected amount of scenes that have made the first three issues so special.

Andy Kubert's pencils and Brad Anderson's colors only add to the spectacle. Images of blood on snow and a Bruce Wayne that looks even more battered than in the last issue make for a relentless and violent atmosphere that penetrates the whole comic. The Batgirl tie-in comic complements the main story perfectly, as it knows to impress with great gestures and even adds Aquaman to the mix. 

But featuring Batman, Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Robin, The Atom, The Flash and Aquaman, DKIII: The Master Race is too crowded and has too much to tell to actually make a valid point. As a one-off spectacle it's great, but I hope Miller and Azzarello return to the moderate and more ponderous atmosphere that so magnificently defined the series .

7/10

Comic of the Day 1/5: "Batman" #51

Batman #51 is as much the start into something new as it is "goodbye" from Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia after years as the creative force of DC's most important comic series. So it's not surprising that Batman #51 is only superficially narrated as a Gotham newspaper column asking its readers what Gotham means to them. Really, it's a farewell from Snyder to the fans and Batman himself ("It's the first line...of the last story...you'll ever write").

But what elevates Batman #51 more than anything else is the fact that Snyder's just wants have fun with the series one last time. And as essential as the "Mr. Bloom" story line was, it's good to see Bruce Wayne being back as the Caped Crusader. And so the comic becomes an unusually life-affirming and positive celebration of everything Batman: the Batmobile is an absolute blast, his new costume is an instant classic and almost all of the classic villains appear. Snyder even drops an Adam West homage when Batman tells a former member of the Whisper Gang to "stay in school". And the last page panel is probably one of the finest pieces of art of the whole "New 52" Batman era.

Snyder, Capullo, Miki and Plascencia had a great run at Batman, and their last collective effort (for now) does all the right things without being too sentimental or ambitious. Thanks, guys.

9/10

Comic of the Day 30/4: "Daredevil" #6

Charles Soule's, Matteo Buffagni's and Matt Milla's run at Daredevil did not leave a lot to ask for up until now, and with the start of a new story line ("Electric Connection"), they are proving that they can handle Elektra as well as anything else. 

The comic comes straight out of the gate with the fight between Daredevil, Elektra and Blindspot, and is only interrupted by flashbacks dealing with Elektra's reappearance in Matt Murdock's life (remember, she doesn't know any more it's one and the same person). Although Soule isn't able to keep the tension between the two on a constantly high level (telling a romantic story is not one of his fortes), he manages to pull off some truly thrilling scenes, exploring the Elektra/Matt dynamic in its full potential. And the final twist here is surprisingly unpretentious and unpredictable.

But it's the action scenes that shine brightest here. Fast, relentless, superbly choreographed and with a highly aesthetic interplay between light and shadow and a great interpretation of Blindspot, Buffagni and Milla deliver a true high point of the series so far. 

8/10

Comic of the Day 29/4: "Star Wars" #18

I could have just taken last month's Star Wars #17 review, changed some names, and you probably wouldn't even have noticed the difference. That's how far down the creative cul de sac the Star Wars comics have come. Of course, it's not as devastating as recent Darth Vader outings (what is!?), but it simply has no idea where it's going from a narrative standpoint, making it an overall sluggish affair.

Leia, Sana and Aphra are still hunting down some mysterious bad guy (who is kick-ass though, I have to admit) while Jason Aaron still tries to built a chemistry between the three (and with "building chemistry" I mean being constantly at each other's throats). These characters have more to offer than that, but no one's trying to actually explore it. 

The relationship between and story around Han and Luke is more fluent and natural on the other hand; what a shame though that the two merely serve as a deus ex machina for Leia's story. A shout-out though to Yu, Alanguilan and Gho for doing a really good job on the comic's art. The lighting and shadows are superb, and the close-up shot of the Millennium Falcon is simply awesome.

I really hope Marvel hands the Star Wars comic to a more invested writer in the future. That would go a long way.