Blah blah blah comics, blah blah blah spoilers, blah blah blah let's go.
Dread's BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 10/27/10:
DYNAMO 5: SINS OF THE FATHER #5: This is the finale of Jay Faerber's latest mini series featuring his newest superhero franchise for Image Comics, the titular DYNAMO 5 (or D5). Due to low sales as well as a desire to release one issue of a story arc every month; which was difficult for most of the title's 25 issue run as an ongoing series, each arc is being collected and sold as a mini series or other limited engagement. In this way, it is similar to HELLBOY and B.P.R.D. over at Dark Horse. How low are sales? The book did not appear on the Top 300 charts for September 2010, which meant it sold fewer than 4,702 copies - less than the latest issue of VERONICA from Archie Comics. That was a month where, due to a Diamond shipping error in many states, both the third and fourth issues shipped that month. The last time sales for the mini series were recorded back in July or August, they were less than 3,700 copies. Faerber indicates in columns that the reason he stopped printing letters was because the series often got too few of them - or any. That is absurdly low for comic book sales in the direct market; some Marvel or DC reprints of third tier titles sell better. Still, Jay Faerber has committed to more of the D5. A Christmas special one-shot story will ship next month, and another mini series has been announced for 2011. He is joined by artist Julio Brilha, who has drawn the rest of this series and will also draw the one for next year, who replaced outgoing regular artist and creator Mahmud Asrar (who has been kept busy by Marvel lately). Ron Riley has remained on color art and, as usual, does a bang up job.
This issue wraps up the team's brawl against the trio of invading warrior aliens who have ravaged Tower City, and continues from the last issue's cliffhanger. In order to stop the children of an alien warrior their father (as well as other adult heroes) defeated years ago, the D5 had to bring in outside help; Firebird (who Smasher/Hector of the D5 is dating), Savage Dragon's kids, and Invincible. The secretive government agency (is there any other kind) called F.L.A.G. sent in their own super-human team, the Primaries, made up of old soldiers and an ex-con, to both bail out the D5 and capitalize on their failure to defeat Tower City alone. However, not even roughly a dozen superheroes are capable of beating the trio, and Firebird was mortally wounded. Smasher utilizes a last ditch ploy with an old villain's technology to become a one-man force to be reckoned with to stop the aliens. The results are not pretty.
After about three issues of near non stop combat, the battle ends in this issue before long, and the issue gets on to what Faerber usually handles very well, his character interaction and development. The rest of the team doesn't react well to Smasher's actions, and conflicting opinions of the characters are made without the story seeking to spoon feed whether it was the right or wrong choice. The rest of the team as well as their mentor Maddie Warner reacts to it, while another of the D5 seems to be getting closer to one of the Primaries. If any characters draw some short sticks this issue, it is Spencer (who got some focus last issue), and Livvie (who is stuck as the obligatory stable character who isn't the leader). The artwork by and large is very good, although sone panels seem to bare some sign of rush with the pencils and inks; nothing to distract from the overall quality. The next arc, or issue, is set up properly and while this series does feel more like a continuation of the ongoing title from October '09 more than a series apart from it, that's the sort of thing that fans and readers should want.
Moving forward, Livvie is the character who most needs some development. Unlike Bridget, she isn't the leader nor does she have a romantic subplot with any supporting character. Unlike Spencer, her gaining a new power hasn't negatively impacted her life. Unlike Gage, she isn't an overconfident extrovert. Her home life is probably the most stable of the cast. There was once a mention of there being some reason why Livvie can only shape-shift into animals and not humanoids, while when Spencer had that ability, it was the reverse, but that's not been picked up. She's had the least to do in this entire mini and most of her dialogue seems functional; often to give Bridget someone to talk to. Perhaps this makes Livvie an unofficial "second in command", but she seems to be the character of the five who is the easiest to forget, and this is a dilemma for future issues. While most of the characters can steal any issue if they get enough pages to do so, Livvie is the member who just seems "there". Perhaps the "holiday special" will address that. This series, however, fleshed out Hector/Smasher rather well, alongside others.
On the whole, DYNAMO 5 is an very enjoyable superhero series. The trades are not terrible expensive for new readers to catch up (especially as Jay is offering all four at half off the cover price for a select time - just email him at:
[email protected]), and the series offers a great premise, solid characters and a lot of action as well as heart to go with it. It's a total package for superhero fans who want something different from Image that isn't written by Robert Kirkman. For trade waiters, I would imagine SINS OF THE FATHER as well as the holiday special would be included in volume five, which should likely be on sale next year. DYNAMO 5 is a comic book one may have to chase down to read it monthly, but is always worth the race.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #611: This is the start of the next arc of the title, "The Trial Of Captain America", that picks up right where the last arc left off. As a recap, the new Captain America is James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers' former partner from WWII. Rather than dying, Barnes simply had his arm blown off and was transformed by the Soviets into a brain-washed, cyborg soldier called "the Winter Soldier" who performed assassinations for them during the Cold War as well as one act of domestic terror for his handler in modern times. He also murdered another superhero, the second Nomad (Jack Monroe). Rogers was able to "fix" Barnes with the Cosmic Cube, and after that Barnes sought an identity, and a means to atone. Filling the role of Captain America did that while Rogers himself was believed dead, and continues to do so now that Rogers is running "I Can't Believe It's Not SHIELD". Alas, just as Barnes is trying to settle into the role and operate with the Avengers, word of his Winter Soldier past has hit the media, and there are reactions and consequences. Ed Brubaker hits this one out of the park by delivering an issue that is mostly discussion between various characters (the Avengers as well as between Rogers and the President) without any of it seeming slow or unimportant. There are varying reactions to the revelation itself, as well as to the fact that Rogers and Tony Stark hid it for so long. There are no easy answers not any hint of stern lecturing from the writer, simply character reactions and interaction that makes sense given the situation. As a subplot, yet another Neo-Nazi movement is arising, and that includes the return of Master Man (and soon to be a new Red Skull). The art by Daniel Acuna is superb, handling the flashbacks and action scenes well as well as providing the proper emotions and atmospheres to all of the discussion pages. Brubaker hits on some interesting social commentary beats, such as the baddies alleging that Communists are in charge of the government (a battle cry of the far right) as well as the idea that the Winter Soldier info was leaked by Baron Zemo, which utilizes a common tactic in the modern era; attempting to destroy someone not physically, but by leaking an ugly secret to the 24/7 media cycle. Perhaps the best issue of the series in months, not to miss.
The Winter Soldier mess is quite something, which the issue summarizes. This isn't a simple case of a superhero being brainwashed and committing one crime, or attacking one other hero or figure. This is a case where Barnes was acting against U.S. interests for decades, assassinating people overseas and domestically, to further the Soviets during the Cold War. The fact that he blew up a part of Philly in recent, post-9/11 America is a bonus. Clint Barton is the most upset about it with the Avengers, while Natasha is the most sympathetic, for obvious reasons. In the end Barnes surrenders to the authorities to face the music, and as anyone to watches LAW AND ORDER knows, the courtroom is often where the real drama begins. Shame Marvel doesn't have some other super heroes who are lawyers and thus can mingle in some legal drama. Oh, wait, they do. They have She-Hulk, who is busy with Hulk Family Shenangians or running around with Olive Thundra, or Daredevil, who is busy pretending to be the Shredder. Guess it may as well be here. This arc takes this subplot to a logical conclusion, and that's pretty good.
The NOMAD back up strip by Sean McKeever and Filipe Andrade (with colors by Chris Sotomayor) is alright, although hard to compare to the main story. Black Widow wakes up Rikki/Nomad in the middle of the night and decides that she's worthy of being her partner for one of her solo ops missions. Back in the NOMAD mini series, it was the Widow who secretly gave Rikki her Nomad costume (after her original "Bucky" suit was shredded in a fight against Mad-Dog). She's been keeping tabs on Rikki, but has avoided direct influence or contact, beyond shooing her away from James Barnes once. To a degree, perhaps Natasha sees part of herself in Rikki, and wants to be some sort of influence on her, without being a direct mentor or sympathetic figure, since she had none in her life. They're going after some cabal called "the Secret Shadow" (not to be confused with the Secret Empire, who were involved with Rikki, or the Shadow Council, who Natasha battles in SECRET AVENGERS) who are trying to make a better suicide bomber. They break in, but apparently are captured, separated, and begin to be interrogated. It isn't anything too special. Andrade's art isn't bad, but it's too close to Humberto Ramos for my liking, and I'm partisan about him being the main artist for ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED.
FANTASTIC FOUR #584: To be honest, if you want a better issue of the Fantastic Four this week, go check out SPIDER-MAN AND THE FANTASTIC FOUR #4. It's an extra buck in price, but provides a lot more bang than this. Despite the horribly cheesy COUNTDOWN TO CASUALTY banner on the title, and despite the fact that this "Three" arc has led to a boost in sales, Jonathon Hickman is still in no rush in terms of pace. There is still no urgency to the plot. Hickman prefers the domestic interaction to any actual action. Many pages go on with five panels or less, with six pages having two panels or less. This isn't to say it is bad. Hickman gets the Four as characters, and writes them as characters well. The issue is that if you're going to beat your chest on the cover and scream about an impending death, I'd expect the pace to be a bit more frantic than, "another day in the life of the Four, chapter 16". Even the last issue with Val making her deal with Dr. Doom didn't quite have the urgency that it probably needed.
In this issue, it's another day in the life for the Four. Sue goes off to be the ambassador of humanity with some underwater meeting between the Tribes Of Old Atlantis and Namor and his, erm, "New Atlantis" kingdoms. Reed continues to tinker with some gadget and has an unfriendly meeting with Silver Surfer and Galactus - who, between CHAOS WAR and THANOS IMPERATIVE, are suddenly appearing all over the place in no manner that makes any sense to any other appearance. Marvel have these periods where a character or characters will appear 700 times within a few months in many comics and none of them will link up. Happened with Osborn and his Dark Avengers during REIGN, happened with Iron Man in CIVIL WAR and INITIATIVE, happened with some villains like Nightmare or Griffen in the recent past, and now this. At any rate, most of the issue focuses on Ben, and his decision to take the serum that the kids gave him a few issues ago that will revert him to human form for a week. If I recall properly, the kids told Ben that the serum would allow him to return to human form for one week every year, but it wouldn't be an exact science to predict when that week would begin or end. Apparently, this time Ben lucked out, because he reverts immediately into human form, which seems to last for at the very least the next 24 hours. Johnny decides that it's best to live for the moment, and to appreciate any time in human form as possible. It's actually pretty sweet, showing the two getting along instead of bickering or pranking one another. A bit where the Yancy Street Gang are donning the duds of fired corporate types is amusing. While I did like that Johnny steered Ben towards Alicia Masters, who Dan Slott went through the trouble of having Ben reconnect with in THE THING and few comics dealing with her since (Mark Millar spent a year having Ben get engaged to a random teacher), I thought it was a little odd that Alicia reacted that way towards "feeling" Ben in his real form. It was a nice emotional beat, but, hasn't Alicia "felt" Ben's normal form before? I mean, Ben reverting to normal form for a short period of time isn't anything new. In fact it is a fairly common subplot for him. Nearly every other major FF writer does it at some point. A better reaction would have been to have Alicia gasp and then maybe ask, "How long do we have this time?" or something. Characters who are not "genre savvy" after over 45 years get annoying.
I also liked the bit where Hickman is aware of X-continuity and has Sue be picked up by Namor at Utopia, and a brief chat with Cyclops and Frost. It's nice to see the X-Men interact with other heroes without it being a fight, a crisis or one side acting like ***** (usually the X-Men). It also is ironic because with the "less than 400" mutants angle and them living on some Island Of Misfit Metahumans, the X-Men are no longer a metaphor for minority relations and have basically replaced the Inhumans in many ways, and what better way to portray that than an FF appearance? Naturally, Namor steals any scene he is in.
Steve Epting's art alongside Paul Mounts' colors is a treat to the eyes as always. Still, the pace is a problem for me. A story can't vow death and dismemberment and then move along no faster than a 17 part PBS documentary about how grass grows. Even the final panel with Galactus appearing is less effective than it could have been simply because we've seen him too much over the past quarter year, so it has less impact. The Hickman run is a frustrating one to a degree. I like how he writes the characters. I like many of his ideas, which are forward thinking without being "x-treme" for the Four. I even like how he hasn't promised death in any arc but this one during his run, and how he hasn't tried to over-rely on prior FF villains; Mole Man, Wizard, and Dr. Doom have all appeared, but have not been major plot points for most of the run. Many runs come off like "best of' hit albums. Hickman has a good imagination. But I have often felt that many of his issues are paced too slowly. There is never any sense of urgency, any "ooooh, can't wait for the next issue in four weeks" vibes. And while I could deal with that for some issues, for an arc that is jazzing up sales and promising a dirt nap, I expected a little more than a travelogue.
Death definitely feels like her cheeky yet wise self in this, which is probably no surprise given that Neil Gaiman himself apparently wrote much of her dialogue. The ending leaves plenty of questions for the series to explore going forward. It is pretty unusual for Death to just randomly take an interest in anyone, let alone "check in" on them while they're perfectly healthy. Can't wait to see where that goes. I'm really gonna miss having a comic dedicated to Lex when Cornell switches over to Superman, I think. He's definitely one of those villains who can, at times, upstage his nemesis and steal the show. Wonderful blend of contradictions, he is. 
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