Comics

The Shadow #7

/ / Comics

the-shadow-7-coverThe new creative team of writer Victor Gischler and artist Jackson Herbert take over the pages of The Shadow with a single-issue adventure featuring Lamont Cranston‘s return to Nepal. Seeking answers after his power to read the soul of evil men falters, Cranston travels back the the masters who trained him only to discover the temple has been destroyed by another former pupil.

The Shadow may not get the answers he seeks but he does get justice for the slain masters by confronting Red Raja who has used his powers to make himself an opium overlord in the region. This, of course, leads to an escalating level of bloodshed before the two men, whose powers to cloud the minds of men won’t work on each other, do battle in the city streets.

I’ve always been a fan of The Shadow, but Garth Ennis‘ six-issue run to launch the new series from Dynamite Entertainment wasn’t enough to keep my attention. Given the new creative direction here I decided to give The Shadow a second chance. I’m glad I did. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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G.I. JOE #19

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gi-joe-19-cover“Target: Snake Eyes” continues as the Arashikage attack Cobra‘s cargo ship full of the hard currency they are using to buy their own country. And waiting for Snake Eyes and the ninja to show up are Scarlett and her team of JOEs ready to take down every target on the ship, including their friend.

G.I. JOE #19 reaches its climax when, amidst all the chaos on-board the ship, Scarlett comes face-to-face with Snake Eyes. Although she’s unable to either kill him or bring him in, she gets her answer on whose side the JOE is really on when he kills one of the ninja to save her life. Unfortunately for Snake Eyes, Scarlett isn’t the only one who witnessed what went down. When events are reported back to Storm Shadow that Snake Eyes is truly working against, not for, the good of the clan he’s less than pleased.

Writer Chuck Dixon delivers another strong issue full of action (and tons of dead ninja and Cobra soldiers) as the the crossover reaches its tipping point now that Storm Shadow finally knows the truth about Snake Eyes’ agenda. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Fairest #9

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fairest-9-coverRapunzel‘s search for her missing children leads her to Japan and the unexpected reunion with her former lover Tomoko, a kitsune fox spirit and now the head of a secret criminal empire with the power to keep the current Japanese Fabletown safe from prying eyes.

The issue includes flashbacks to Rapunzel’s time in the Hidden Kingdom 900 years ago, her relationship with Tomoko, and the events which separated them and led all Fables from being expelled from the Hidden Kingdom. Despite Tomoko’s warnings that Rapunzel was lured to Japan under false pretenses by Mr. Kataguri, and her willingness to forgive Rapunzel for the past, our heroine can’t quite except the new harsher version of her former lover or forget her reason for returning to Japan.

Choosing the present over the lure of falling into the same traps of the past Rapunzel let’s down her hair, with a little assistance from Joel and makes her escape to continue her search for her missing children. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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Iron Man #1

/ / Comics

iron-man-marvel-now-1-coverReacting to the success (at least in terms of the money raked in) of DC Comics’ New 52, Marvel moves forward with their own soft-reboot of several characters and titles starting with Iron Man. This new version, written by Kieron Gillen, is certainly meant to appeal to the fans of the current Iron Man movie franchise. Not only does it (not so subtley) introduce one of the big pieces to the upcoming movie but it gives us the Tony/Pepper relationship from the first two films that most mainstream fans are familiar and most comfortable with.

As first issues go Iron Man #1 is actually pretty good. I’m not sure it’s good enough to justify multiple issues a month at $41 (issue two hits stores in two weeks), but I’ll admit I did enjoy this issue. Gillen doesn’t quite have Stark’s voice right but the story plays out well even for those jumping on with the character after a long absence from regularly reading his title (like me). I was also pleasantly surprised by the art of Greg Land. Sure, the woman look porny as hell (it is a Greg Land comic), but I actually really like the look of his version of Iron Man’s current armor.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Annual

/ / Comics

tmnt-annual-2012-coverFor the first time in years co-creator Kevin Eastman does double duty writing and providing the art for a Teenage Mutant Turtle comic. The annual is set in the current IDW timeline as Raphael and Casey Jones accidentally get the Turtles involved in a skirmish between the Savate Clan and Foot Clan all due to an unfortunate traffic accident and a missing briefcase.

Although it’s very well done, the story certainly isn’t central to the ongoing plot of the current IDW series. This one is for longtime fans of the characters as we’re able to see the Turtles, in stark black and white, as those of us old enough to remember them from their original comic run in the mid-1980’s.

I’m not the biggest fan of the Rashomon storytelling angle Eastman uses here, but I I love the look and feel of the characters and their surroundings. At $9 it’s certainly going to scare off a few buyers, but Eastman fills the comic with as many of the reintroduced characters as possible and provides tons of story and action, along with a great wrap-around cover, longtime fans should enjoy. Best of the week.

[IDW, $8.99]

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