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MotW 7/6/11 - Who Doesn't Dream of Killing?
Crimsondude
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Actually my moment of the week was Satana inscribing runes onto Ghost so that they all could get into Juggernaut's mind and figure out what the Hell is going on (Hint: He's possessed by a god). It's not just that, though. It's that once inside Cain's mind, Declan Shalvey goes balls-out in depicting the mindscape as a semi-abstract expressionist conception (I think. My art history is pretty rusty) as the gang (minus Songbird) explores his psyche and then gets kicked out by Kuurth, who appears like an amalgam/take on devils in art history, in time for Juggernaut to knock the A team the Hell out.
So the moment is when they are inside and get an idea of what they're facing and how bad it is.
The thread title, however, comes from a scene where the Underbolts are forcibly sent to rest in case they have to be called out. In Mr. Hyde's case, this includes the nanites reverting him to his human form. As Boomerang, Shocker, and Centurius are discussing whether to make a break for it, the good doctor is passed out. So Boomerang makes a joke, "Aw, he's dreaming he's killing." I tweeted at Declan saying that it might have used some twitching motion lines, but then again what the fuck do I know?
I have a crappy scanner again, but I haven't gotten to messing with it yet. So you'll have to make due. But, damn, Thunderbolts is just so much awesomeness.
So the moment is when they are inside and get an idea of what they're facing and how bad it is.
The thread title, however, comes from a scene where the Underbolts are forcibly sent to rest in case they have to be called out. In Mr. Hyde's case, this includes the nanites reverting him to his human form. As Boomerang, Shocker, and Centurius are discussing whether to make a break for it, the good doctor is passed out. So Boomerang makes a joke, "Aw, he's dreaming he's killing." I tweeted at Declan saying that it might have used some twitching motion lines, but then again what the fuck do I know?
I have a crappy scanner again, but I haven't gotten to messing with it yet. So you'll have to make due. But, damn, Thunderbolts is just so much awesomeness.
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I don't really know how that Howard the Duck mini and Uncanny tie-into all this stuff, or if Parker is even going to try and mix that stuff together here.
Anyway, I love this issue. There are at least five story threads going on and they just weave together perfectly.
Flashpoint 3 was excellent, as was Flashpoint: Batman 2. Really good week for event books.
About the Howard The Duck mini...
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
I saw that as being an out for Man-Thing to appear in that mini, but the timeline seems a bit off going by the preview pages of Fearsome Four (I think that's it's name), because it seemed to happen before the Worthy and robot nazis started trashing cities.
Thunderbolts #160 was firing on all cylinders. Opening with Luke just trashing some Nazis, was fantastic, and sets up some interesting stuff, like the implicit challenge for a bunch of reformed villains, to go be heroes during a major crisis, without an Avenger barking orders at them. It also feeds into Fixer's slow-growing resentment and frustration with how his place in the hierarchy has changed, ever since Luke came on board.
I was also happy to see Dennis, Man-Thing's keeper, come back. I love seeing supporting characters like that pop up every now and then, because it really adds to the feeling that the characters exist in a real world.
The Underbolts were brilliant in their little two-page cameo, especially Boomerang. I love the idea that he realizes yeah, he's not that bright. So, he's going to listen to the only super-genius he knows, and hope for the best.
Also, Moonstone referring to Mach-V as "Pimp-Five," is great. Though, after someone here on the forums mistyped his name as Mack-V, I can't help but think that would have been more apropos. Speaking of Moonstone, I love that I can't tell, when she's giving her big speech to Juggernaut, whether she really means it, or is just playing her usual psychological mindgames.
On top of all that, Declan Shalvey's work looks amazing in this issue. That little dreamscape sequence was brilliant enough (kudos to Albert Deschesne on those word balloons, by the way), but with this issue, he really seemed to come into his own. He's being a little more selective about where he slaps down big swaths of ink, leaving more open space for colorist Frank Martin to play around in. That leads to some really great little panels, like the panel of Ghost on page three, or that amazing panel where Juggernaut finally lifts his hammer, and the negative space creates almost a freeze-frame effect, building anticipation and dread until you turn the page.
Really, if you're not reading this book, you're fucking up.
Irredeemable #27 was pretty good, opening up with a character who has clouds of tachyons surrounding his fists, allowing him to punch people backwards through times. That leads to a neat little time-travel bit, the kind of thing you can only really pull off well in comics.
Spider-Girl #8 ends in anti-climax. Spider-Girl gets spider-powers back due to the events of Spider Island, the mysterious organization that was never seen before this series, and will never be seen after, is dismantled, and people talk about power and responsibility. Standard stuff, really.
There is one neat bit, where it's hinted that Spider-Girl may come out of Spider Island, with powers that are different from Spider-Man's. That has some interesting possibilities, that I hope Tobin runs with.
Secret Six #35 wasn't great. I've said it before, but it seems like, after being allowed to basically do what she wanted for most of the series, Simone's now forced to wedge Bane into a role that's counter to what she's been doing with him until now. That leads to him coming off like a generic supervillain jackass. Throw in a whole mess of plotlines that you know won't be adequately resolved before the September relaunch, and this issue was pretty underwhelming. Great cover, though.
I don't really have anything to say about 15 Love #2. It's good slice-of-life teen comics, but nothing really stands out about this issue.
Chew #19 was fantastic, pairing Tony Chu of the FDA, with his sister, Toni Chu of NASA, to work a case together. It's a pretty great Odd Couple kind of concept, with the two siblings, polar opposites in most every way, still finding a way to work really well together. This setup, and the idea that there exists both tension and a lot of love between the Chu siblings, actually leads to a really touching, well-executed moment near the end. Throw in some neat narrative tricks, like opening with an important character being shot in the face, with the captions [This never happens.], and then finding out why it never happens, and what that scene meant, and you've got yet another great comic from Layman and Guillory.
Also? Anyone looking for a way to tell an ongoing story, which also has really fulfilling single-issue installments, need look no further than Chew. Almost every single issue works as a stand-alone story, while also feeding into both the arc, and the series-long plot.
I really can't recommend Chew enough.
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Gordon eventually tracks the kids to Wayne Manor, where Joker is keeping them. He turns a corner and sees Joker holding his guns on one of the kids and opens fire. Turns out, it was the little girl that Joker had dressed up like himself, and Gordon shot her square in the chest. As he runs in to check on her, Joker sneaks up behind him and slits his throat.
Batman arrives to find the kid and Gordon bleeding out on the floor, while Joker has been going on about the pain of losing a child and how it can drive you mad.
At this point, Thomas screams, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS TIME, MARTHA?!"
Turns out, Joker is Martha Wayne, and she's been abducting and killing children after being driven insane by the loss of Bruce.
Like I said, easily one of the darkest fucking Batman books I've ever read.
I guess I have more to say about that, but I will carry it over to the bitching thread even though it's not really bitching?
I was looking at the Unwritten trades and Chew, and I haven't read so many good things in so long I don't even know where to start (I may have to steal my friend's copies of Secret Six but I got today's).
The Flashpoint: Batman twist ... uh ... Holy cow.
And I'm surprised, Munch. Did you read Heroes 4 Hire this week? Cos looks like you may have called something a little while back...
The order may be a touch off, but:
Note the female character in the panel.
T-Bolts really is great right now
Knowing that character shows up, I'm pretty glad I didn't pick it up.
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Declan said the mindscape stuff was both Abstract Expressionism and classic Expressionism. I was going to post his twitter response to me, but this is cooler: "@NextChamp Jeff suggested abstract/expressionist 40's German painting, so i looked at a lot of Kandinski paintings and woodblock prints."
Edit: Apparently both Amazon AND Dark Horse changed the release date to December/January a few weeks ago but then changed them back at the last minute.