Review: The Walking Dead Compendium #1

Collects: The Walking Dead #1-#48
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Pencillers: Tony Moore & Charlie Adlard

STORY
Okay, in case you have lived under a rock, I'll give you a small recap: Small-town cop Rick Grimes gets shot in action. After he spends some time in a coma, he awakes alone at hospital. It doesn't take him long to realize: A zombie apocalypse has hit the US and possibly the whole world. Everybody who dies turns into an undead with a taste for the living.

Rick fights his way to Atlanta where he meets a group of refugees and some old acquaintances. Together they try to survive in this new hostile world. A world, in which zombies aren't their deadliest foe, but man is...

REVIEW
Robert Kirkman, you evil, evil man! How depraved can a writer be, to throw this much shit at his readers!? The story he crafts with "The Walking Dead" is the definition of "emotional rollercoaster"! I don't know if there are protagonists in pop culture, who must suffer more than Rick Grimes. Time and time again he hits rock bottom. To say nothing of all the other characters! Kirkman made one promise: "Nobody is safe". The man stands to his word... As I said: Kirkman is pure evil - and this is what makes "The Walking Dead" such a load of fun!

This series not only captivates its reader with death and violence, but manages to attach you emotionally to the characters. As my wife can confirm, I often shouted at the book angrily, whenever a beloved character died. On other occasions I cheered when Kirkman offered a glimpse of hope. Only few other books managed that. Generally: The scope of the story is epic, like a tale of Homer.

But the best comic book writing wouldn't be much without art. At first I wasn't sure if I would like the black and white only style, but Tony Moore's spectacular pencils managed to win me over. His detailed art perfectly conveys the bleakness of the characters' situation. Sadly he only draws the first arc and passes the pen to Charlie Adlard then, who drawed every other issue till today. A huge step down im my opinion. Though Adlard has his qualities and after the initial shock I became accustomed to his sketchier style. But I will always have a bittersweet feeling, when I page back to Moore's arc...

Last but not least: Thank you, Image Comics, for this massive paperback! 1088 pages of story for 35 Euro, if you're (like me) new to "The Walking Dead", this is the book you want to buy. The only bummer is that all the covers are missing from this collection, but it's the story that counts.

RATING: A-

Event Overview: Civil War (2)

A general note about the second batch of "Civil War" comics: I started to get pissed off by Marvel's biased portrait of anti- and pro-reg movement. Despite the promise to let the readers decide themselves which side corresponds with their views, we are clearly pushed to root for Captain America. He and his gang are portrayed as heroes whereas the pro-regs are either misguided or just plain evil (like Tony "Dick Cheney" Stark). Nonetheless: "Civil War" and most of the tie-ins continue to be a fun read. 

Civil War #2

Writer: Mark Millar
Peniciller: Steve McNiven

And so the war begins. Nice issue which doesn't reach the level of the first one. Storywise Millar is heavly relying on the reader to read other series like "Front Line" to get the full picture. The action however is flawless and I'm always happy when the Young Avengers get a guest spot. McNiven continues to impress.
RATING: B

Civil War: Front Line #2
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Peniciller: Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber, Leandro Fernandez, Kano

Like in the first issue, the two main protagonist are just bystanders as the events of "Civil War" unfold them. I really would like them to take a more active role. Also four stories (or story fragments as almost all of them get continued in other issues or series) is a bit to much.
RATING: C

Amazing Spider-Man #533: The War At Home Part 2
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Peniciller: Ron Garney

The aftermath of Peter's reveal of his identity is masterfully handled by JMS. His life is upside down and he is torn between his emotions and the loyality to Tony Stark (who comes off as a manipulative son-of-a-bitch). JMS even manages to insert a pretty funny scene with Sue and Reed Richards.
RATING: B+ 

New Avengers #21: Disassembled Part 1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Peniciller: Howard Chaykin

Argh, my eyes, my eyes! Chaykin's art is hideous! Captain America looks like a dumb brute - just look at the cover! Unfortunatly Bendis' story is a similar letdown. I learned nothing new about Cap's resistance movement. And why does Falcon speak like a wannabe pimp?
RATING: D

Fantastic Four #538: Street Fighting
Writer:J. Michael Straczynski 
Peniciller: Mike McKone

A cool Ben-centric story (so why isn't he on the cover?). His clash with the anti-regs is simultaneously funny and thought-provoking. McKone's art is a perfect match for JMS' story that lacks a bit on the action side. On the other hand: Thor's foreshadowed return is the highlight of this issue.
RATING: B-

Wolverine #43: Vendetta Part 2
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Peniciller: Humberto Ramos

Guggenheim continues this more than solid revenge story. Humberto Ramos' art really grew on me (maybe my standards were lowered by Chaykin...). There is just one matter, which drags the whole issue down: Wolverine fully heals up in just a few minutes after being reduced to just his skeleton by Nitro - Really?
RATING: C+

X-Factor #8: Collision Course
Writer: Peter David
Peniciller: Dennis Calero

More a continuation of "Decimation" than a "Civil War" tie in but still very good - as almost anything written by David. Calero's style perfectly matches the part noir, part quirky tone of the book. The interaction with Spider-Man is cool and I'm curious how Quicksilver's return will play out.
RATING: B

Civil War: Front Line #3
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Peniciller: Ramon Bachs, Steve Lieber, Lee Weeks, David Aja

Things get better: The first death of "Civil War" has a bit of an emotional impact (despite the dying person being just a minor hero), Speedball's still a douche and the new storyline "Sleeper Cell" seems intriguing. Still, it would have been better to focus on one story per issue... And the poem is again pointless.
RATING: C+

Review: Daredevil - Guardian Devil

Collects: Daredevil V2 #1-#8
Writer: Kevin Smith
Penciller: Joe Quesada

STORY
Matt Murdock's life could be better - his girlfriend Karen left him (again). And as if this wasn't enough, a teenage girl, who somehow knows of his secret identity of Daredevil, wants him to protect her baby. To make matters even better: She claims to have conceived the little boy without having sex! Could he be humanity's newborn savior? Matt tries to find out more about the child and is contacted by a mysterious figure named Nicholas Macabes, who proposes an even more disturbing theory: He claims the baby is the antichrist.

Matt comes into conflict with his deep-rooted catholic faith. But there are more bad news ahead for the blind hero: Foggy is involved in a murder case - as the suspect. And Karen comes back, infected with AIDS. As it seems caused by none other than the baby - wtf?

REVIEW
This was my first exposure to Daredevil and I was more than sceptical. I wasn't impressed by the Affleck-movie, hated all of Kevin Smith's films and never was a friend of Frank Miller's work (there are some exceptions of course), who had a great role in defining this character. Despite this reservations I was completely blown away by "Guardian Devil"!

The plot is a competent mystery story with a twist that doesn't disappoint. Matt's religous issues, his lovelife, his social circle and his vendettas are all masterfully woven in. We get some great action pieces, emotional quiet moments and quirky dialogues. Quesada's pencils capture all these scenes greatly with an especially engaging trip to Dr. Strange's mystic world.

In short: This is everything I want from a comic.

RATING: A

Event Overview: Civil War (1)

I recently finished reading through the first batch of my picks of Marvel's 2006 blockbuster event "Civil War". Here I'll give you my quick thoughts about each issue. When I'm finished, I will go back and give you more detailed reviews about my highlight TPBs.

Note: I tried to read them in the correct order which was a big pain in the ass with all the going back and forth betweeen books.

Civil War #1
Writer: Mark Millar
Peniciller: Steve McNiven

Wow, what a great opening! Speedball is such a douche! The course and aftermath of the Stamford desaster are very believable. Millar's writing is perfect and the action scene with Captain America just bad ass! Major props to Steve McNiven and his gorgeous artwork.
RATING: A

She-Hulk #8: Civil Union
Writer: Dan Slott
Peniciller: Paul Smith

Slott nicely ties Shulkie's story into "Civil War" but not without losing most of light-hearted fun which makes this series special. Paul Smith's cartoony art also just doesn't work with this semi-serious tone. Nice touch: Slott restores some of the lost honor of the New Warriors.
RATING: C

Wolverine #42: Vendetta Part 1 
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Peniciller: Humberto Ramos

Although this was one of Marc Guggenheim's first gigs as an comic writer, his TV experience comes fully to play. We see Wolverine's perspective of "Civil War #1" without major continuity errors and a cool action piece in a plane. Nice. Humberto Ramos's proportions are a bit off but I adored his detailed backgrounds.
RATING: B+

Amazing Spider-Man #532: The War At Home Part 1 
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Peniciller: Ron Garney

A very political issue. Neverthelessit is a pleasure to read 22 pages of talking heads if the script is written by JMS. Peter's inner struggle wether to reveal his secret identity to the public is very believable and the dialogue between him and his family heart breakin. Good art by Ron Garney completes a good issue.
RATING: B

Civil War: Front Line #1
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Penicillers: Ramon F. Bachs, Steve Lieber, Kei Kobayashi

There is not much of a story to speak of in this issue, but I like the characters of Sally Floyd and Ben Urich. I hope they will get something to do in the next issue. The backstory which reveals Speedball's whereabouts is very interesting, though. The poem at the end was little pointless. Nice penicls by all three artist.
RATING: C

Review: Alias Ultimate Collection #1 TPB

Collects: Alias #1-#15
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencillers: Michael Gaydos, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mark Bagley, David Mack

STORY
Jessica Jones used to be a super heroine but for some reason she turned her back on this life. Now she tries to earn her living as a private investigator under the banner of "Alias Investigations". But fate isn't through with her. In a new case she gets tangled into a conspiracy of national dimensions – involving none other than Captain America and US-president George Bush! She also has to deal with two cases of missing persons. First she has to find Hulk's old pal Rick Jones. Then she has to face anti-mutant prejudices during her search for a missing girl (and possible mutant) in a small rural town.

REVIEW
Some people obviously can't stand the guy but I just LOVE Brian Michael Bendis - okay, that came out wrong... What I meant to say is that I like his gritty, realistic approach to the super hero genre, especially in his earlier work. I would argue that "Alias" is his masterpiece.

The one thing that really makes this comic stand out is the character work. Jessica is a very engaging character. She is (for reasons we're not told yet) a very frustrated woman who tries to ease her pain with swearing, booze and men. She easily could come across as unlikeable, but in his excessive dialogues Bendis manages to convey that her hard exterior hides a heart of gold. You really become invested in her life, not least because her cases are fresh and engaging. Bendis cleverly uses A-, B- and C-list-characters of the Marvel universe. I especially liked the small character moments, for example Ms. Marvel as Jessics's BFF, Jessica's complicated relationship with Luke Cage or her date with Ant-Man. The entire characters act like real people in these situations.

The whole feeling of the series is very mature. No wonder: "Alias" was one of the first comics of Marvel's "MAX" imprint which focuses on R-rated titles. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to stand much unnecessary violence and pointless nudity. In fact there are quite a few sex scenes (one even heavily implies some backdoor action) but each one of them is a vital part of Jessica's character development. And it's the same case with the swearing: As I said, Jessica has quite the potty mouth – the very first word of the comic is "fuck". This, too, never seems forced. Jessica just doesn't mince matters.

Enough about the writing, let's talk about the art: I have to admit, I was at first a little turned off by Gaydos' pencils. Over the time it really grew on me – so much that nowadays Gaydos is one of my favorites and the definitive Jessica-Jones-artist. The keyword here is like in all the other aspects of "Alias" realism. Gaydos' people just look real – not as in "photo-realistic" but as in "authentic". When other artists draw Jessica, they tend to illustrate her as the typical comic babe with big tits and a perfect face. In "Alias" she is attractive despite some problem areas. I like her better this way.

One last word about this trade paperback: I really love these "Ultimate Collections" of Marvel (maybe not as much as I do Brian Michael Bendis ;-) ). You get 15 issues for a very reasonable price (for example just under 17 Euro at bookdepository.com). This is what I call "value for money"!

RATING: A

Review: Avengers Disassembled HC

Collects: Avengers #500-#503, Avengers Finale

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Pencillers: David Finch (Avengers #500-#503), Oliver Coipel (Avengers Finale)

STORY

Shit hits the fan at Avengers Mansion: Mysterious attacks decimate the world’s team of super heroes. Tony Stark (USA's current Secretary of Defence) goes nuts in front of the UN. She-Hulk fights her own allies. Somebody obviously messes with our friends. Somebody with the ability to bend reality. Somebody they know…

REVIEW

First of all, let me say this: This isn’t a very good comic. The story seems rushed, the art suffers from David-Finch-syndrome (all characters look exactly the same) and the end is one of this anticlimactic deus-ex-machina-moments. And yet I like it!

"But why", you ask? Because two years ago, when I was searching for an entry point into the Marvel universe, I found it in this comic event. This comic was supposed to be, as I would put it, some kind of "soft reboot". In 2004 many Marvel series were stagnating creatively. So the powers that be decided to infuse them with some fresh blood and provide the readers with a new, easy-to-understand status quo. The series with the greatest need for innovation certainly was "Avengers". For one of Marvel’s flagship titles were put on the back burner for far too long. The team was crowded with C-list characters nobody really cared about. So Bendis did the necessary thing: In just four issues he managed to throw all excess parts of the "Avengers" overboard and to set things up for more exciting stories to come.

But you have to break an egg to make an omelet. And to form a new "Avengers" team you have to disband the former. Naturally some heroes die in the course of this - in one case a fan favorite. Just as naturally, the fans were furious. This is understandable but I had the advantage of not having much of a relationship with most of these characters, so for me these deaths really served their purposes: to set the wheels in motion for the things to come. And boy, the pay-off was great: Many wonderful series and events (like "New Avengers", "Young Avengers" and "House Of M") spun out of this "Avengers Disassembled".

The plot itself was therefore no real issue for me - the execution was. This book is a typical example of the old Bauhaus-principle "form follows function". Bendis obviously knew where he wanted to go with this run, but didn't bother much about how to get there. There isn’t much suspense in this story. It is also very annoying that the Avengers themselves don't have to do much - except for being present. In the end all problems are solved by Dr. Strange - who isn’t even on the cover!

So, in the end this is what the open-minded reader gets: An okay-ish story with some okay-ish character moments, okay-ish action scenes and okay-ish art. But - as I said - it’s the perfect place to hop on the "Avengers" trains. And that’s a ride you don't want to miss.

RATING: C-

Welcome

Hello and guten Tag to my new blog!

I will use this place to channel all my thoughts about my second favorite hobby: comics! There will be reviews, comments on recent  and not-so-recent developments in the industry and - er - other stuff.

Please note that I indeed earn my living by writing but that this blog is the first time I try do it in English. Please be gentle! I hope that my English and writing style will improve over the time to come.

So, thank you for reading and enjoy the ride!