Dread
TMNT 1984-2009
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2001
- Messages
- 21,788
- Reaction score
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- Points
- 31
Yes, my reviews are so long, in 3 parts. That 20,000 limits always kills me! 
NEW WARRIORS #1: This is the 4th stab at a NW franchise and the 3rd within about 8 years. This property has always been a "shoulda been" property, a franchise that should have been Marvel's answer to the Teen Titans yet never fell into place, either from being mangled in the conveluted nonsense of the mid 90's or chasing trends like their reality show blunder that pretty much gave Millar an excuse to ice a few of them. However, CW added some interest in the characters, as death and character assassination always do. Suddenly they are oppressed scapegoats of everything that is wrong with superheroes in the MU, despite the fact that Stamford was an exception and not a rule. Suddenly you could have Speedball show up in FRONTLINE and drive a story, or have Justice in a Top 10 selling book. Alas, Speedball had tons of potential in Frontline before Jenkins & the Marvel EIC just punked it to create some emo psycho Voldo clone. When Grevioux, whose name I never heard of, gave some interviews and teasers at Newsarama, the response was lukewarm and after a few successful launches, many expected this would be the one that sucked. Things got more positive when the preview pages came, if only because of Paco Medina's art; it's as solid here as it has been in MTU and NXM. Firstly, after covers that sometimes are generic or lame, I actually like this cover; it conveys the sense of the New Warriors existing as a resistance to the heavy-handed tactics of the SHRA and the current Marvel Government, evoking some Owellian images. The action gets off with a bang as Gray Gargoyle, apparently taking the place of Rhino, Wrecker, or Mr. Hyde as "jobber of the month" is on the run, shrunken and left for the cops by some rogue heroes; Wondra, War-Hawk (one panel gives it away) and a 3rd party, who is likely shown on the last page. The story then focuses heavily on some police officers who round up the leavings of rogue heroes like Spider-Man (is that Commanda from UNTOLD TALES webbed to a pole, or Anaconda?) and these "New Warriors", as well as Sophia, formerly the X-Cadet Wind Dancer who was depowered at M-Day, by miracle survived the death-rattle of the Kyle & Yost run on NXM, and emerges here as a waitress. The worst part of the issue were some of those scenes in the diner, which almost seem torn from some generic sitcom with some clunky lines, but after that it gets underway. There is some Matrix-shipping with her mystery text-messenger, but Sophia calls him on it so it works (and yes, text-lingo is stupid and makes everyone who types it look ******ed, but wat m i 2 complain?). Sophia meets some hunky guy in her diner, who turns out to be the depowered Beak. Beak was a creation of Morrison who I never cared for and has had some convoluted history, having maggot babies with a bug-Angel and rooming with the Exiles for a while. Apparently M-Day took away his deformed, useless powers and he's worked out; he seems obvious to be War-Hawk. Making Beak an effective hero may take away his appeal, but I never cared for Beak so I don't mind. The final page tells us what solicts have already told; Night-Thrasher is apparently back and re-assembling the New Warriors. Beak's awkward backhistory is mentioned and Grevoix may be in a pickle explaining Night-Thrasher. This could be someone new taking up the armor, or it is the genuine article, somehow alive. The second option seems both the simpliest and most complicated solution as Dwayne Taylor was the second most LEAST likely to have survived Stamford after Microbe (a Z-Lister who I am sure will stay as dead as Squidboy). I also am skeptical about being quick to revive the fallen of Stamford after all the stuff that has happened in reaction to it; Speedball worked because of his powers but quickly was squandered. Namor has already reacted heavily to Namorita. Only 4 heroes, 3 who were worth a damn seemingly died and reviving 2 in barely a year seems quick. But to be fair, issue #2 may have more answers (Grevoix would do well not to drag this mystery out) so I will wait for then before I declare it good or bad. The New Warriors being reborn as a resistance kid movement gives it more weight and I was wondering just how long Sophia was under watch (was Harry the Bum in on it? Was that black guy with him actually Dwayne himself?) and at least it wasn't one of those books where the big reveal is just something the cover made obvious (even if the solicts did). There is some mystery to the book and the feeling of it being reworked a bit and given purpose. War-Hawk is a ripoff JLU design and the NT resurrection may or may not work, but hey, the first issue worked and got me interested for more, which is what a first issue should do. Lord knows the last NW #1 didn't accomplish that 2 years ago. Marvel has cranked out a few effective relaunches over the past few years and hopefully this will continue to add to that.
OMEGA FLIGHT #3 I get the feeling that Oeming & Kolins are really having a ball with this random-collection-of-heroes team, which hasn't even assembled yet. Some might question what point it serves as we have a slew of books doing that after CW. To that I say, so? Fans LOVE constructing random teams of various characters they like; ANUBIS' HOW WOULD YOU DO IT THREAD and countless MAKE YOUR AVENGERS TEAM topics have cemented that. Why cuss out creators for doing what we fans ourselves do? The biggest problem with the book is that it is moving slowly. The Omega Flight are still only gathering one by one and Sasquatch has been in the same situation for 2 issues now, and the Wrecking Crew for 3. This issue finally gets around to Beta Ray Bill, who is apparently hosted inside a human dude after his last mini from Oeming (a move even fans of that series found obligatory at best), who is summoned to the same museum as the Wrecking Crew are by apparently the same beings who trashed his planet. The Wrecking Crew manage to jolly-stomp him, which is amazing considering how long they spent as the MU's punching bag. If anything, OF has made the Crew lethal and deadly again, like overcoming them is supposed to be a challenge, not a typical Monday, and that is how you make villains workable. Talisman, meanwhile, is less than thrilled at the Collective, who not only murdered her allies, but now is in Guardian's costume. She wants to kill him and the guilt-ridden Porter actually wants her to. U.S.Agent is still a jerk and Arachne has some fun rapport with her daughter. Apparently Collective needs the suit to contain his energies and not wonk out again; as Bendis wrote the one-shot that got Collective here I wonder how much say Oeming had on this choice, but obviously he is running with it. It defeats the schtick of a Canadian super-team made up of all Canadians, but that really hasn't worked for them since the 80's so one can't complain about changing tactics now, especially as the theme is Canada being a key U.S. ally that is now paying the price for the U.S.' CW (since Canada had a simular SHRA for ages and didn't split their heroes into factions with it). I expect another issue of middling and the team to finally assemble in #5, the final issue, which is pretty much par for the course these days. Still, Oeming gets the action and cares enough about the characters to have them make obvious statements and conclusions, and show not all are willing here. Still, I think THE LONERS offers more and deserves to become an ongoing over this, but OMEGA FLIGHT sells better so likely has more of a chance. It's just-another Marvel random team with all-too-common decompression, but at least it is efficient at what it does, and has solid art & action, and is actually amping UP some villains who were once about as useful as Bebop & Rocksteady about 3 years ago. It's not my favorite Marvel title this week, but it's solid reading for what I ask for; superheroics, continuity, accurate characterization, and a followable plot.
I also got the MYSTIC ARCANA HANDBOOK, which is pretty cool although a lot of the cooler characters were covered in prior volumes. What is great about a Handbook bio is you can usually see at what story a writer messed up, such as a resurrection without explanation or a severe twist in character. In this case, it came to poor Agatha Harkness, whose association to Scarlet Witch means she's become as up in the air as Wanda has. Bendis mangled her by association. Boo!
NEW WARRIORS #1: This is the 4th stab at a NW franchise and the 3rd within about 8 years. This property has always been a "shoulda been" property, a franchise that should have been Marvel's answer to the Teen Titans yet never fell into place, either from being mangled in the conveluted nonsense of the mid 90's or chasing trends like their reality show blunder that pretty much gave Millar an excuse to ice a few of them. However, CW added some interest in the characters, as death and character assassination always do. Suddenly they are oppressed scapegoats of everything that is wrong with superheroes in the MU, despite the fact that Stamford was an exception and not a rule. Suddenly you could have Speedball show up in FRONTLINE and drive a story, or have Justice in a Top 10 selling book. Alas, Speedball had tons of potential in Frontline before Jenkins & the Marvel EIC just punked it to create some emo psycho Voldo clone. When Grevioux, whose name I never heard of, gave some interviews and teasers at Newsarama, the response was lukewarm and after a few successful launches, many expected this would be the one that sucked. Things got more positive when the preview pages came, if only because of Paco Medina's art; it's as solid here as it has been in MTU and NXM. Firstly, after covers that sometimes are generic or lame, I actually like this cover; it conveys the sense of the New Warriors existing as a resistance to the heavy-handed tactics of the SHRA and the current Marvel Government, evoking some Owellian images. The action gets off with a bang as Gray Gargoyle, apparently taking the place of Rhino, Wrecker, or Mr. Hyde as "jobber of the month" is on the run, shrunken and left for the cops by some rogue heroes; Wondra, War-Hawk (one panel gives it away) and a 3rd party, who is likely shown on the last page. The story then focuses heavily on some police officers who round up the leavings of rogue heroes like Spider-Man (is that Commanda from UNTOLD TALES webbed to a pole, or Anaconda?) and these "New Warriors", as well as Sophia, formerly the X-Cadet Wind Dancer who was depowered at M-Day, by miracle survived the death-rattle of the Kyle & Yost run on NXM, and emerges here as a waitress. The worst part of the issue were some of those scenes in the diner, which almost seem torn from some generic sitcom with some clunky lines, but after that it gets underway. There is some Matrix-shipping with her mystery text-messenger, but Sophia calls him on it so it works (and yes, text-lingo is stupid and makes everyone who types it look ******ed, but wat m i 2 complain?). Sophia meets some hunky guy in her diner, who turns out to be the depowered Beak. Beak was a creation of Morrison who I never cared for and has had some convoluted history, having maggot babies with a bug-Angel and rooming with the Exiles for a while. Apparently M-Day took away his deformed, useless powers and he's worked out; he seems obvious to be War-Hawk. Making Beak an effective hero may take away his appeal, but I never cared for Beak so I don't mind. The final page tells us what solicts have already told; Night-Thrasher is apparently back and re-assembling the New Warriors. Beak's awkward backhistory is mentioned and Grevoix may be in a pickle explaining Night-Thrasher. This could be someone new taking up the armor, or it is the genuine article, somehow alive. The second option seems both the simpliest and most complicated solution as Dwayne Taylor was the second most LEAST likely to have survived Stamford after Microbe (a Z-Lister who I am sure will stay as dead as Squidboy). I also am skeptical about being quick to revive the fallen of Stamford after all the stuff that has happened in reaction to it; Speedball worked because of his powers but quickly was squandered. Namor has already reacted heavily to Namorita. Only 4 heroes, 3 who were worth a damn seemingly died and reviving 2 in barely a year seems quick. But to be fair, issue #2 may have more answers (Grevoix would do well not to drag this mystery out) so I will wait for then before I declare it good or bad. The New Warriors being reborn as a resistance kid movement gives it more weight and I was wondering just how long Sophia was under watch (was Harry the Bum in on it? Was that black guy with him actually Dwayne himself?) and at least it wasn't one of those books where the big reveal is just something the cover made obvious (even if the solicts did). There is some mystery to the book and the feeling of it being reworked a bit and given purpose. War-Hawk is a ripoff JLU design and the NT resurrection may or may not work, but hey, the first issue worked and got me interested for more, which is what a first issue should do. Lord knows the last NW #1 didn't accomplish that 2 years ago. Marvel has cranked out a few effective relaunches over the past few years and hopefully this will continue to add to that.
OMEGA FLIGHT #3 I get the feeling that Oeming & Kolins are really having a ball with this random-collection-of-heroes team, which hasn't even assembled yet. Some might question what point it serves as we have a slew of books doing that after CW. To that I say, so? Fans LOVE constructing random teams of various characters they like; ANUBIS' HOW WOULD YOU DO IT THREAD and countless MAKE YOUR AVENGERS TEAM topics have cemented that. Why cuss out creators for doing what we fans ourselves do? The biggest problem with the book is that it is moving slowly. The Omega Flight are still only gathering one by one and Sasquatch has been in the same situation for 2 issues now, and the Wrecking Crew for 3. This issue finally gets around to Beta Ray Bill, who is apparently hosted inside a human dude after his last mini from Oeming (a move even fans of that series found obligatory at best), who is summoned to the same museum as the Wrecking Crew are by apparently the same beings who trashed his planet. The Wrecking Crew manage to jolly-stomp him, which is amazing considering how long they spent as the MU's punching bag. If anything, OF has made the Crew lethal and deadly again, like overcoming them is supposed to be a challenge, not a typical Monday, and that is how you make villains workable. Talisman, meanwhile, is less than thrilled at the Collective, who not only murdered her allies, but now is in Guardian's costume. She wants to kill him and the guilt-ridden Porter actually wants her to. U.S.Agent is still a jerk and Arachne has some fun rapport with her daughter. Apparently Collective needs the suit to contain his energies and not wonk out again; as Bendis wrote the one-shot that got Collective here I wonder how much say Oeming had on this choice, but obviously he is running with it. It defeats the schtick of a Canadian super-team made up of all Canadians, but that really hasn't worked for them since the 80's so one can't complain about changing tactics now, especially as the theme is Canada being a key U.S. ally that is now paying the price for the U.S.' CW (since Canada had a simular SHRA for ages and didn't split their heroes into factions with it). I expect another issue of middling and the team to finally assemble in #5, the final issue, which is pretty much par for the course these days. Still, Oeming gets the action and cares enough about the characters to have them make obvious statements and conclusions, and show not all are willing here. Still, I think THE LONERS offers more and deserves to become an ongoing over this, but OMEGA FLIGHT sells better so likely has more of a chance. It's just-another Marvel random team with all-too-common decompression, but at least it is efficient at what it does, and has solid art & action, and is actually amping UP some villains who were once about as useful as Bebop & Rocksteady about 3 years ago. It's not my favorite Marvel title this week, but it's solid reading for what I ask for; superheroics, continuity, accurate characterization, and a followable plot.
I also got the MYSTIC ARCANA HANDBOOK, which is pretty cool although a lot of the cooler characters were covered in prior volumes. What is great about a Handbook bio is you can usually see at what story a writer messed up, such as a resurrection without explanation or a severe twist in character. In this case, it came to poor Agatha Harkness, whose association to Scarlet Witch means she's become as up in the air as Wanda has. Bendis mangled her by association. Boo!
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