Bought/Thought 05/12/07

[CaptainCanada]

At this point, it is worth mentioning
Oh, and to prove that Bendis isn't the only writer who randomly kills someone to get the show off the road, Scarlet Witch is killed off by a sniper.

And Hank ODs.

 

[iloveclones]

Good luck.

Whattaya mean 'Good Luck'? You're the evil twin. EVIL twin. You're supposed to come up with the scheme and drag me unwittingly into it. Yeeesh.

 

[Dread]

And Hank ODs.

Really? Yeah, that's the problem with scimming/flipping, you miss ****. But, yeah, that's just the nugget on the **** sandwich, isn't it? Sheesh.

Mark my words; ever since Loeb became a Marvel exclusive, he has written very, very, VERY little to make him worthy of his A-List status. He's had his classics, but they are getting farther and farther away. DC let him go for a reason.

Whattaya mean 'Good Luck'? You're the evil twin. EVIL twin. You're supposed to come up with the scheme and drag me unwittingly into it. Yeeesh.

Or I could just kill people and have you get arrested over the fingerprints. Worked for Kaine.

 

[iloveclones]

Now THAT's evil twin worthy! (Wait a second....)

 

[PhotoJones]

THE ORDER #5: If I wanted to be lazy, I would just quote PhotoJones review of it and be on my way. This IS one of Marvel's best team books right now, some would argue THE best (especially if you only count ongoing titles). It is made even better that these are BRAND NEW characters being inserted into the MU and blending in quite well. Naturally, the title runs with the idea that LA is a bit of a planet unto itself, which worked out well for X-STATIX, only this title isn't as polarizingly bizarre as X-STATIX was (people either loved it, or shook their heads and shuddered). This issue actually doesn't start off with the narration of one of the Order's heroes, as I expected, but in their key PR agent, Kate Kildare. Frankly I was looking forward to Supernaut, Heavy, or Muholland, but Kildare's introduction and story fit into the weaving storyline of the issue. As with most of the issues so far, it tosses aside the "6 chapter or bust" TPB format for the format of having short stories with interconnected subplots, which has become a lost art to anyone who isn't Peter David these days. It also introduces not only a cool Gamera-like monster in a giant turtle, but a team of nasty femme fatales in the Black Dahlias, apparently a band of metahuman woman who are out to avenge infamous murders of women in LA, such as the former Order member Avona. Kitson gets help from Evans on pencils and the coloring is different, but the art meshes well with the prior 4 issues, and if this is what a fill-in looks like for THE ORDER, then it still looks amazing. Also coming to a head is Aralune's "sex tape" (which is where Kildare comes in), finding The Order a new HQ, and even Calamity tracking down his former "nemesis" last issue. Despite being new characters, after only 5 issues, Fraction has presented them very well and has seemless interaction between them that can vary from real, sentimental, to downright funny (Veda's summary of the Black Dahlias to Supernaut literally had me chuckling out loud on the bus). This is truly a Marvel team book that has it all; great characters, a great mix of powers, great art, good writing, and they're mostly new to Marvel as original creations; hands down, this is Fraction & Kitson's RUNAWAYS. The only thing it lacks is sales; after a solid debut for issue #1 among the Top 40, every issue has hit a skid and if it doesn't become stable it will fall out of the Top 100 by issue #12, which will spell it's demise. I really, really, REALLY do not want that to happen. The Black Dahlias are up to return in about another 2 issues, and issue #7 will likely be the Muholland issue since she was one of 'em. There's truly nothing like this book coming out at Marvel these days. Joe Q deserves a tip of the hat for this (since we spit on him for his blunders, let's praise his successes). Now if only the sales can stay steady and this book can cling on, much like RUNAWAYS did (and IMMORTAL IRON FIST is right now). For the record, issue #1 debuted at 57k, which is great for a new franchise, but issue #3 had fallen to 33k in Sept. before missing October. All ongoings seem to be entitled to 12 issues these days, but if they can't seem to maintain a steady audience within the Top 100, which means steady sales of 26-28k without any more major drops from issue to issue, they get axed. Usually if the sales story doesn't look peachy by the 9th issue, cuts are announced (or done in a subtle manner of no longer solicting it past a certain date). I want to seem more of this than 12 issues, man, real bad. But in the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy every issue I get.

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this book truely is terrific. And you hit the nail on the head with the Runaways comparison. I'd even go so far as to say that this book is a lot better then Runaways was when Runaways was at issue #5. Fraction knows how to handle a team setting like nobody's business.

Good review.

 

[Dread]

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this book truely is terrific. And you hit the nail on the head with the Runaways comparison. I'd even go so far as to say that this book is a lot better then Runaways was when Runaways was at issue #5. Fraction knows how to handle a team setting like nobody's business.

Good review.

Thanks.

Hmm, I hadn't thought the comparison that far, but I am inclined to agree. Of course, THE ORDER is also more connected into the mainstream MU than Runaways was. RUNAWAYS presumed that where the kids/Pride were was off the radar of most of Marvel at the time, and used that to it's favor. The Order, by contrast, is a direct result of Iron Man's victory during CW and builds on that. Heck, the Order had a cameo in A:TI before they even had a 4th issue. The Runaways never crossed over into another title until CW for a mini. So it is ironic that THE ORDER is finding itself having as hard a time finding a stable audience as RUNAWAYS had in the beginning. Or, maybe not; the direct market, retailers, and fans themselves just don't give new franchises a chance sometimes. I mean I know the genre I support is limited, but I at least try to support NEW superhero stuff. Order, Dynamo 5, Fearless, Umbrella Academy, etc.

But, I will agree with your statement; I read the first volume of Runaways via digest and while I liked it, I'd agree that THE ORDER by issue #5 is better. Runaways really started to take off for me in Volume 2, which was technically issue #19 and up (the first volume ended at issue #18 before relaunching). Of course, we have adult characters, and Fraction & Kitson are not the same as BKV and Alphona. Hopefully THE ORDER is able to maintain that cult appeal to keep it afloat like RUNAWAYS got. I mean we're not even at issue #6 yet, but I certainly am not ready to see THE ORDER vanish by issue #12.

It is definitely one of the best things Marvel is putting out right now, and one of their best team books. I can't think of a better Marvel team book off the top of my head.

 

[Doc Destruction]

Dammit, you guys are making me think about getting the Order now. My pocketbook gives you the finger.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You have a pocketbook?

The Morrison/Waid era was the best the JLA has ever been.

Add Kelly in there and I agree. Kelly's JLA was just as good as Morrison and Waid's, with stories like "The Obsidian Age" and "Trial by Fire." Plus he had Doug Mahnke for an artist.

Who else besides Porter did the art back then?

Mike S. Miller filled in on a few issues, then Hitch did an arc or two during Waid's run, then Mahnke and Yvel Guichet for Kelly.

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this book truely is terrific. And you hit the nail on the head with the Runaways comparison. I'd even go so far as to say that this book is a lot better then Runaways was when Runaways was at issue #5. Fraction knows how to handle a team setting like nobody's business.

Good review.

I read The Order last night. Super-good stuff. I actually kind of wish the finisher for this issue's art would finish Kitson's layouts for the rest of Kitson's run. Kitson is a great storyteller, but his faces can be really boring and often identical across the board. The finisher's better with expressions and everyone looks much more distinguishable.

Also, I think the Order's publicist is one of the most interesting characters in the book now. I'm wondering what Fraction's gonna do after he doesn't have anymore characters to interview as a framing device for each issue's main story. Maybe he'll just re-interview some of the characters. Henry's got a lot more to say at this point, I think.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yeah, Khari Evans' art was very cool to look at. If they can continue their formula of having Kitson draw the book and Evans stepping in when Kitson falls behind, I'll be happy. The colorist's work looked good too; a natural replacement for Dean White's color art.

Dammit, you guys are making me think about getting the Order now. My pocketbook gives you the finger.

I really don't think there's anything in The Order to not like. It's great.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't like their generic costumes, but that's a small quibble.

Oh, hey, who do you think is the Skrull on The Order, assuming the Skrulls have already placed a spy on each of the existing Initiative teams?

 

[PhotoJones]

Damn, that's a good question. No one immediately jumps out at me. Mulholland generally has trouble with her powers, which when you think about it could be pretty hard for a Skrull to fake.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Possibly. I'm guessing it'd have to be one of the remaining members from the first group, though. That's just Calamity, Henry, Pepper, and Heavy, right?

 

[yenaled]

I'm assuming it could be one of the others from the 1st issue. Who were kicked out.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yeah, and speaking of Heavy, I need to see more of him. Hopefully his "interview" issue is coming up soon.

I really doubt Calamity, Henry or Pepper, though. Maybe Fraction's purposefully leaving Heavy out of the main focus of the group because he doesn't want readers to get attatched to a character that he ultimately has to reveal as a Skrull at some point.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Or maybe he's keeping Heavy out of the spotlight to make us suspect him as a red herring, while one of the characters we have come to care about is actually the Skrull. That would make more sense from a dramatic standpoint.

 

[PhotoJones]

I get the feeling that Fraction would rather do his own thing and stay out of any big crossovers.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

He put the Punisher in WWH. You never know.

 

[PhotoJones]

That was 100% for Olivetti's benefit, though. He basically begged Fraction to do at least an issue.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ah. Well, we'll have to wait and see. If the Skrulls are targeting the Initiative specifically, it should logically affect the Order at least a little bit.

 

[PhotoJones]

I'd like The Order to remain within their own corner for as long as they can, personally. I like what Fraction's doing and I'd like to see him continue to keep doing it uninterupted.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That seems likely, given that they're on the west coast. Everything Skrulltastic that we've seen so far is going down in the New England area.

 

[PhotoJones]

Probably. Philly's already Skrullified (ugh), so they might be moving their way into the midwest and beyond.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Someone within the Initiative administration itself is a Skrull too, so I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to get more agents placed.

The Initiative is ridiculously corrupt. Beyond just the plain old humans covering **** up, they've got a Skrull infiltration and a Hydra agent on the oversight committee.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yeah. It's almost as corrupt as the real American government.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Someone within the Initiative administration itself is a Skrull too, so I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to get more agents placed.

The Initiative is ridiculously corrupt. Beyond just the plain old humans covering **** up, they've got a Skrull infiltration and a Hydra agent on the oversight committee.

You'd actually think Tony would be smart enough to learn from Civil War about checking (seriously checking) his staff to make sure they're not Hydra, or Skrull (especially Skrull) or whatever. But apparently, genius is Stark's thing, not common sense.

Or anybody for that matter.