by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alex Maleev (art), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Madame Hydra attempts to recruit Jessica once again.

What’s Good: Madame Hydra/Viper is certainly great fun to read and works as an excellent foil to Jessica.  If Bendis hopes to use her as the arch-nemesis of the series, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.  The chemistry is definitely there.  Viper’s voice is well-done by Bendis, a good mix of slimy, conniving villainy and rampant sociopathy.  It’s also clear that in the midst of her intelligence, a few screws are loose.  Several times I felt as though Viper’s dialogue wasn’t quite in-synch with her conversational context and surroundings.  It’s very subtle, but it definitely adds a nice tone to the character.

Overall, what this issue does is muddy the waters.  Jessica Drew hunting skrulls for SWORD is apparently, while fun, just too damned simple for a Spider-Woman comic.  Rather, the possibility of her working as a double agent returns and at the end of the issue in particular, her ethical limits will be tested.  Long-term, this issue looks to make things more interesting.

I also enjoyed the internal monologue quite a deal this month.  The repetitive self-pity and excessive quips of self-loathing that I’ve complained about in past are completely gone.  Instead, Jessica’s snarkiness has been raised, making her far more likable.

On art, Alex Maleev is still putting out an amazing looking comic.  His rendition of Madame Hydra looks almost as good as Jessica Drew, and that’s saying a lot.  It’s refreshing that for once, Jessica doesn’t stand head and shoulders above all the other characters.  Maleev’s drawings of the comic’s urban surroundings are also absolutely fantastic.  His scenery shots nicely break up what would otherwise have been a comic entirely of talking heads.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that barring one quick helicopter chase, this entire comic is essentially one long conversation.  That doesn’t make for the most thrilling reading, nor does it feel like particularly brisk storytelling.

Also, while I did say that I liked Jessica’s skrull-hunting occupation being made a little more complex, I am wondering if everything’s happening just a little too soon.  She’s only hunted down one skrull, and already she’s being approached by HYDRA?  She just became an Agent of SWORD, and it already feels as though Bendis was running out of ideas on the simpler skrull-hunting front, so decided to move onto the next thing.

It’s a shame too that older Spider-Woman continuity is already being brought in to play a major part.  I guess I thought this book was going to be a fresher start for the character than it is and I can’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

Finally, this isn’t Maleev’s strongest work either.  While the book is by no means bad looking, Maleev definitely goes overboard when it comes to re-using the same images over and over.  This is fine when it’s used for dramatic purpose or pause, but it’s clear that the only motivation here was cutting corners and saving time.  Changing the size or placement of a face does not mean that it’s a different image, and it’s thoroughly unacceptable on an ethical level.  I bought a comic to see illustrating, not copy/pasting.

Conclusion: I’ve really enjoyed Spider-Woman thus far, but this is issue is feels a little phoned in.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

As The Commish revealed in the  new Week 16 Challenge Rogue, I indeed spilled coffee on my Daredevil. So what you’re viewing is actually take 2. Now typically I have gone into long diatribes about my sketches, hoping that people find it insightful, but this week I think I’m going to keep it brief. Mainly, I’d like to see if that encourages people to critique more if I don’t point out everything I see in my own work. I will say this however, is that in the weeks since we’ve progressed I’ve explored different drawing styles to see what best suits me. I think this week’s drawing and last week’s of Spider-man, are approaching to being something more natural for me. It’s very rough in feel and tone, which is more natural for me since I tend to search for the correct form and composition a lot. In fact, it’s what I appreciate about Alex Maleev’s work.

So give it your best shot, tell me something I don’t know about my Daredevil drawing .

Esta semana salió el segundo número de Spider-Woman, uno de los cómics estrellas de Marvel. Sigue siendo muy del estilo y la calidad usual de Bendis y Maleev, así que los que leían su Daredevil saben lo que esperar. Muchos monólogos internos, muchas situaciones complicadas para la protagonista, y ese clima oscuro foto realista que tan bien se les da.

Llama la atención que hayan usado una modelo para tomar las referencias de Jessica, pero eso ayuda mucho a mantenerla reconocible.

Recomendado.

Gran final, también! Las villanas siempre son bienvenidas. En especial si se ven como Viper.

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alex Maleev (art), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Jessica Drew finds herself in a Madripoor prison and that’s never good.

What’s Good: As always, the first thing you’ll notice is the art.  Maleev’s art once again looks amazing and unlike anything else on the market.  As always, the modeled Jessica Drew stands alongside grimy, blurred surroundings and Maleev continues to work his magic when it comes to the bright lights, whether it be Jessica’s powers or the red tail-lights of a car.  This month brings some light anime influence into his already multi-faceted work, as Maleev draws a flying car that looks like something out of Ghost in the Shell.  Maleev also works a great deal with shadows and darkness this month, really capturing the mood and feel of the issue and the bowels of Madripoor.  The panel structures also continue to have a highly personal feel, from completely black panels reflecting Jessica’s coming to consciousness, to pages being structured around her face.

Everything continues to feel highly personal, as it did last month.  The narration remains highly self-conscious. Thankfully, the irritating little asides of self-loathing that troubled me last month have been scaled back.  Instead, we get the kind of thrilling chase sequence that Bendis and Maleev perfected in their Daredevil days, an action sequence that is pure art.

The book’s greatest narrative achievement, however, is how it deals with Jessica’s somewhat uncomfortable chemical powers related to men.  I’ve always felt that this power was problematic, always verging on some uncomfortable gender grounds.  Objectification, titillation, and the clichéd femme fatale are only a hair’s-breadth away.  Though Bendis almost falls into those waters at the start (the cleavage shot wasn’t necessary), he ends up succeeding in a very difficult area, and it’s all thanks to that internal narration.  Through it, the power becomes awkward and loathed by Jessica herself, as she hates herself for turning herself into that two-dimensional stereotype.  The power is also given a new kind of resonance: there is a genuine connection somewhere between Jessica and every man she cons, and that it’s artificial and forced is tragic, almost like a kind of rape.

What’s Not So Good: The art is nowhere near the level of last month’s issue.   Don’t get me wrong, it’s still excellent, flawless work, but it didn’t have the pyrotechnics of last month.  The work here is much more restrained and much darker.  While it reflects the book’s mood, after last month’s career-defining performance, it’s hard not to feel let down.  The highlighting of particular colors is gone, the larger images are gone, and the use of weather is gone.  It just feels like there’s a lot less going on and everything is taken down a level.

Also, while the self-loathing asides were scaled back, the little references to Secret Invasion and her being tortured by the skrulls were pretty damned grating.  Thankfully it vanished in the book’s second half, but whenever Jessica talks about how bad she’s had it or how this is nothing compared to her past, it’s nails on a chalkboard.  It’s just pure telling when we can just as easily have the showing and it’s beating us over the head with what we already know about her.

Conclusion: It didn’t feel quite as fresh or jaw-dropping as last month, but that’s more to do with how good last month was.  And hey, the price is dropped down to $2.99!

Grade: B

-Alex Evans

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Alex Maleev (art), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Jessica Drew gets recruited by S.W.O.R.D., heading to Madripoor for her first mission to find a Super-Skrull.

What’s Good: In my opinion, this is some of Maleev’s best work.  It’s just gorgeous, gorgeous stuff, sporting photorealistic detail not only in the photo-referenced Jessica Drew, but also in the often very intricate backgrounds.  Even faraway buildings are laden with little windows and cracks.  However, Maleev’s work here is not just that of a detail workaholic; there’s also a tremendous sense of a style here, an odd blend of gritty film noir and dark superhero science fiction unafraid to getting a little creative or abstract.

Maleev also shows outstanding shading and use of color.  He often illuminates an environment by making certain items stand out, such as in a simply gorgeous scene involving Jessica’s yellow umbrella.  He also makes use of his colors and shading to give the best sense of lighting that I’ve seen in a comic in a long time.  A dark room is cloudy and mysterious.  A rainy day is murky and noirish, but oddly romantic.  A night in Madripoor is dense and seedy.  A sunset on the water in southeast Asia is autumnal glory.  The weather and lighting of every scene dramatically changes how the comic looks.  Only enhancing this are Jessica’s powers, which add a weird, sci-fi glow into the mix.

Maleev makes the choice to use a model for Jessica, but it’s a total success, with Jessica coming off as completely natural.  Her looking so life-like actually made me connect with her more.  While not referencing the other characters makes Jessica stand out, it’s appropriate, as this book is about Jessica, front and centre in her isolation.

So far, Bendis is also doing his job well.  It’s clear that he’s in love with this character, and he establishes quickly a very unique, recognizable, and nuanced voice, weighed with a ton of baggage but not without a rye sense of humor that smacks of his work on “Powers.”  This comic mostly works on establishing that voice, and it’s mostly a success; I can say Jessica has a voice all her own and that after this issue, I feel like I’ve gotten to know her a little better.  It’s a very close, intimate comic book, at times claustrophic in its introspection.

When Bendis focuses on her paranoia and her obsessive-compulsive habits, she is at her most human. When she comments on the dirtiness of her hotel bed, she’s instantly likable, almost a friend.  Abigail Brand is also a promising character that I look forward to seeing more of, acting as a more wisened, “been there before,” guide figure.

What’s Not So Good: This comic is a real downer.  In fact, it may be the biggest downer Marvel’s putting out right now.  That’s not a bad thing at all, but Bendis is walking a fine line here with Jessica’s self-loathing.  Her considering suicide was one of the high-points of the book, but I could do without some of the throwaway, snide little remarks within the narration.  I get that Jessica hates herself, but a little more subtlety could’ve been exercised.  Does she really need to use every available opportunity within her narration to throw a little jab or insult against herself?  Towards the end of the book, in Madripoor, it began to feel a little much, bordering on contrived.

Conclusion:  An artistic master-piece with deeply introspective writing.  This is the definition of promising.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew/Madame Hydra), Patrick Bosold (Philli Natu), Andrew Edlin (Detective Wang), David J. Murphy (Paladin), and Anthony MacKenzie (Detective Chong)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While the motion-comic format definitely has a number of positives, I can’t help but feel that, at times, Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is being held back a bit because of it.

The Story: Jessica Drew confronts Madame Hydra’s Skrull captive, Philli Nutu. Not long after, she soon finds herself back in a Madripoor prison with an opportunity to get back her gear…

The Script: There certainly isn’t anything wrong with Brian Michael Bendis’ script, but something about it just doesn’t really do it for me. The dialogue and storytelling is solid (and the ending is pretty cool), but I think the reason the script leaves me wanting more is because, three issues in, it still feels as though Bendis is working to establish both the main character and the Spider-Woman series as a whole. Now I’m assuming that Bendis’ approach will work perfectly fine once the story catches up in print, but it leaves the motion-comic feeling as though it’s moving forward at a fairly plodding pace With only six motion-comic episodes scheduled (from what I understand), the pacing is starting to dampen my enthusiasm for the format a bit. It seems as though it makes a slow arc feel like an even slower arc.

The Artwork: A few scenes look a bit too dark at times, but as a whole, Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is another fantastic looking motion-comic. Alex Maleev’s artwork is a perfect fit and does an excellent job of capturing both the tone of the series and the mindset of Jessica Drew. Artistically, I really couldn’t ask for a whole lot more.

The Voice Acting: Nicolette Reed is really starting to sound comfortable as Jessica Drew. I think Reed is a nice fit for the character and her voice work in episode three is the best it’s been. Also, I really like the fact that Reed seems to have toned down her take on Madame Hydra a bit. Hydra no longer sounds like a cartoon villain and it makes it easier to take the character seriously.

The supporting cast gets the job done. Nothing more, nothing less. That said, if I had to single anyone out I would have to say that I wish Patrick Bosold’s Skrull voice was a bit more alien.

The Motion-Comic Effect: Thankfully, the motion effects are much better than they were in the second episode. In fact, I can safely say that nothing really sticks out in a negative way. The brutal fight scene is really effective, Drew’s vibrant pheromone powers help bring a more passive ability to life, and the more computer generated stuff fits with Maleev’s artwork in a much more natural way.

Conclusion: Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is an entertaining chapter of a solid opening arc for a series, but I can’t help but feel that Marvel might have been better off launching with the Astonishing X-Men motion-comic instead.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Spider Woman Episode One

Marvel are currently searching their huge back catalog and producing plenty of “motion comics”. Not quite animation, there is an animatic style about them that really works with the graphic novel look.

While the X-Men trailer seems to be trying a bit too hard, the free to watch Spider Woman Episode One, successfully walks the fine line between too little and too much animation, to produce an atmospheric piece.

More importantly it demonstrates that good story, characters and a little of exactly the right movement go a long way.

Animation is by Motherland. Art is by Alex Maleev.

Sorry I took so long to post this. Here’s the second part of the Chris Bachalo and Alex Maleev Q and A session/sketch dual from Fan Expo 2009. In this video, the famed comics artists discuss artistic inspirations and fan criticism. The video quality is not great (iPhone) but the discussion is worth listening to.

Check out part 1 here, or look at my earlier Fan Expo posts here and here.

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew/Madame Hydra) and Anthony MacKenzie (Detective Chong)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I enjoyed the first Spider-Woman motion comic quite a bit. It was easily worth the cheap asking price, especially considering that it was something that actually felt pretty new.

The Story: Jessica Drew wakes up in a Madripoor prison and, after using one of her powers to secure a way out, she finds herself being rescued by Madame Hydra.

The Script: While Bendis’ script definitely scores points for effectively giving the new series a distinct tone and cool twists, it gets bogged down by the fact that it feels almost too friendly to new readers (well, viewers in this case). Because Jessica Drew’s recent (New Avengers, Secret Invasion, etc.) past has been pretty screwy, I understand the need to get people caught up on her powers and all that. That said, I’m fairly certain that those interested in Agent of S.W.O.R.D. already have a pretty good grasp on the character. Therefore, the script for the second Spider-Woman motion comic isn’t as satisfying as it could be because it largely feels as though the storytelling is still firmly in the “exposition” phase. Sure there’s some action and the plot (which seems to be covering some familiar territory) goes forward, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that everything is moving forward at a slightly slower pace than it should be.

The Artwork: Alex Maleev’s art is fantastic and really one of the big reasons to check out the whole motion comic thing. Gritty, violent, and perfect for the way the story is being told, I really don’t have any real complaints. Seeing his work in action is rather impressive and adds a lot to the overall presentation of Jessica Drew’s story.

The Voice Acting: Once again, the voice acting in Spider-Woman is uneven. While Nicolette Reed handles Jessica Drew well, her Madame Hydra nearly comes across as a mustache twirling cartoon villain. While that would totally work for a comic with a less gritty, serious tone, it feels really odd in Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #2. As for Anthony MacKenzie, his Detective Chong comes across a lot like Reed’s Hydra. The character would work, but the accent is really distracting.

The Motion-Comic Effect: The motion comic effects once again elevate Maleev’s artwork when they are being used in a subtle way. When they aren’t however, the “CG look” proves to be pretty bothersome and sticks out in a negative way. I’m all for chases and explosions, but they’d be a lot more effective if integrated into the artwork in a better way.

Conclusion: While it’s pretty entertaining as a whole, the Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. #2 motion comic is held back from a higher score by a couple of major annoyances.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Well, after reading about it for over a year, Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev’s Spider-Woman motion comic came out via iTunes a few weeks ago. Costing 99cents (sadly we can’t get it over here yet) episode/issue one debuted at numero uno on their charts and the peeps at Marvel.com have kindly posted it up for a limited time for free to get the rest of us hooked (http://marvel.com/motion_comics).

I’m about to watch this now, so wish me luck. I don’t know what to expect. Gulp.

I posted this earlier, but couldn’t get the video to display. Here we go again. Comic artists Chris Bachalo and Alex Maleev draw Dr. Doom and discuss art, fan expectations, and the industry at Fan Expo 2009 in Toronto.

Chris Bachalo and Alex Maleev are more artists than they are comics geeks, and they draw to please themselves, not the fans.

For this, they have my infinite respect.

In the comics or genre-fiction industry, fans boast a ridiculous sense of entitlement. But truly good art — in any form or genre — will do what’s best for the art itself, and not bend to whim of public opinion.

In the following Q and A/sketch dual from Fan Expo, Bachalo and Maleev discuss this, their artistic influences, the comics industry, and what it means to draw for a living.

The video files are huge, so I’ll post them one at a time. There are four in total. Here’s the first. Enjoy.

¿Dónde estabas tú cuando murió el Capitán América? ¿Y cómo se lo han tomado los super-héroes de ambos bandos?

La muerte del Capitán América: El hijo caído

Edición original: Civil War: The Confession 1/2 y Fallen Son Wolverine, Avengers, Captain America, Spider-Man y Iron Man USA

Guión: Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jeph Loeb, J. Michael Straczynski
Dibujo: John Romita Jr., Steve Epting, John Cassaday, Alex Maleev, David Finch, Ed McGuiness, Leinil Yu
Tinta: Danny Miki, Dexter Vines, Klaus Janson
Color: Dave McCaig, Morry Hollowell, Frank D´Armata

Formato: Libro rústica, 144 págs.

La muerte de un héroe ha golpeado a todo el Universo Marvel. La superestrella Jeph Loeb (Hulk: Gris, Perdidos) se alía con los mejores dibujantes de la industria para realizar la historia de la que hablará todo el mundo. Un relato que navega por las turbulentas aguas dejadas por el final de Civil War. ¿Aceptará el mundo la muerte de un verdadero héroe? En el momento de la tragedia, nos acercamos a los principales justicieros. ¿De qué sirven sus poderes frente a una fuerza con la que nadie puede luchar? ¿Esta muerte es sólo el principio?

Precio: 12 €

Pues… los títulos de cada capítulo son bastante clarificadores… Loeb nos va narrando cómo van los demás super-héroes aceptando, poco a poco, la muerte del Capitán América…
Pero antes de entrar en eso, el primer cómic muestra a Tony “Iron Man” Stark llegando al Helitransporte para confesarle (de ahí su título, Confesión) al cadáver del Capitán América que todo lo que ha hecho para “proteger” a los héroes no ha valido el coste que ha tenido, vamos, una victoria pírrica.

Ya centrados en los números guionizados por Loeb…

• En el especial de Lobezno, Negación, Logan busca el apoyo de otros héroes para “demostrar” que el Capi no está realmente muerto y que todo es una trampa elaborada por Tony para engañarles, para ello le pedirá ayuda a Daredevil.

• El segundo número, Ira, está centrado en ambos grupos de Vengadores, New y Mighty que tienen dos formas distintas de enfrentarse a la pérdida… Los primeros en una partida de poker dirigida por La Cosa y los segundos enfrentándose al ataque de Tiburón Tigre y unos monstruos marinos…

• La tercera historia, Negociación, narra el encuentro entre un resucitado Ojo de Halcón y un incrédulo Iron Man que, una vez que se asegura de su identidad, le pide que asuma el papel de Capitán América y cubra el hueco dejado por Steve…

• El cuarto número, Depresión, muestra a un Spider-Man incapaz de superar la muerte del Capi y al que sólo puede sacar de la depresión una charla con Lobezno y una pelea con el Rino que le hace recordar una pelea que compartió con el Capi enfrentándose a Hulk…

• En el quinto y último número, Aceptación, el Halcón toma la palabra en el funeral de Steve y demuestra con sus palabras lo importante que era el Capi para todo el mundo haciendo que se vayan levantando todos aquellas personas presentes en el funeral que, por una razón u otra, han sido influenciadas por el Capi… La última imagen del funeral muestra a todos los presentes en pie… Y en la última escena del mismo, Namor devuelve su ¿cadáver? al mar del que lo sacó tantos años atrás…

¿Y qué le vamos a hacer? Son números en los que Loeb intenta mostrar la emoción de los héroes por la pérdida del mejor de todos ellos (palabras de Luke Cage que se ve no conoce a Superman) y en las que los dibujantes de cada número se lucen de mala manera… Si es que hasta me gusta el dibujo de Finch, ¿qué queréis que os diga? XD

Eso sí, las páginas que se marca Cassaday son francamente espectaculares, en realidad todos lso dibujantes del tomo realizan un grandísimo trabajo. Y Loeb, le guste o no a la gente, cumple de sobra.

By Brian Michael Bendis (Script) and Alex Maleev (Art) w/ voice work by Nicolette Reed (Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew), Stephanie K. Thomas (Abigail Brand), and Geoff Boothby (Spider-Man)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since the Spider-Woman motion-comic is quite a bit different than your average comic, I’ll be reviewing it by breaking down each of its different elements before tackling the motion-comic as a whole. Let me know what you think of the format in the comments section. If it’s requested, I’ll tinker with the formula before the next chapter hits Itunes.

The Story: Jessica Drew, still reeling emotionally from having her world turned upside down by the Skrulls, is offered a job to be an agent of S.W.O.R.D. by Abigail Brand.

The Script: The script by Brian Michael Bendis is a bit predictable and fairly standard as far as first issues go. It works well enough, but it feels like a whole lot of time is spent capturing Jessica Drew’s mindset and getting readers up to speed about how things got where they are. While the expository stuff is necessary and expected, it leaves the first episode of Spider-Woman: Agent of Sword feeling a bit dry. A little bit more action would have gone a long way, though I will say that the one action beat effectively captures the emotion that Bendis is clearly shooting for.

The Artwork: Alex Maleev’s gritty artwork is very impressive. It effortlessly captures the tone, mood, and emotion of Bendis’ script. The best thing about the art though, is the fact that it’s in no way overpowered by the motion-comic effects. The effects compliment the work far better than I had expected. From the glowing signs of Madripoor to the brutal action scene, a chance to see Maleev’s work in motion is almost worth the price of admission alone.

The Voice Acting: The voice acting is, in a word, uneven. Most of the time it’s good, but every once in a while there’s a snag that serves as a reminder that a comic script works a bit different than a cartoon or live action one. Nicolette Reed does a fine job as Jessica Drew, especially since Reed’s accent fits Drew so well. My only real complaint is that a few of the more emotional moments seem a bit forced. Stephanie K. Thomas effectively captures the no-nonsense style of Abigail Brand, but something about her delivery left me wishing for a bit more. Geoff Boothby is, quite simply, a great Spider-Man. Out of the three voice actors, Boothby is the only one that delivers lines flawlessly.

The Motion-Comic Effect: Since it isn’t overpowering or intrusive, I have no problem recommending the motion-comic format. On a personal note, I think that Marvel’s motion-comic works far better than the Watchmen motion-comic did back when it was first released. The voice acting is better and the effects blend with the artwork more effectively. I realize more was put into Spider-Woman, but it’s hard to avoid comparing the two.

Conclusion: Since it’s only $0.99, I recommend giving the first issue of Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. a try. It’s a bit slow, but there’s definitely a lot of potential. And while it takes a bit to get comfortable with the format, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Wicked Cool Comics was supposed to go to Wizard World Chicago this year. Last year it was a most awesome show, and I was very excited about going again this year. Unfortunately, we won’t be making the trip. However, we will be there in spirit.

We are having some things signed there by Alex Maleev, Howard Chaykin, and of course Mark Millar. We have awesome stuff to send, though I am most excited about getting Kick Ass signed and sent back! Woo!

SO! Are you going? If you are… who are you most excited to see?

By Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev (Creators), Jonathan Hickman (Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve made no secret about how much I love what at Bendis, Hickman, Caselli, and Rudoni are doing with Secret Warriors. Their series is good, very good…and it looks to get even better as time goes on.

The Story: Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos infiltrate and attack a H.A.M.M.E.R. dock in order to some nab some helicarriers. There’s one problem…Kraken, one of the heads of HYDRA, knows of the plan.

What’s Good: If you can get past one glaring issue (which I’ll get to), you’ll have one hell of a time with Secret Warriors #5. It looks incredible most of the time and reads far better than most action heavy comics as the Howling Commandos, Hydra, and H.A.M.M.E.R. collide on a former S.H.I.E.L.D. dock. In short, the latest issue of Secret Warriors is a great example of a creative team at the top of it’s game.

Jonathan Hickman does a superb job of handling the dialogue for the Howling Commandos (especially Fury and Dum Dum Dugan) and the heads of Hydra. With the Commandos, Hickman writes them in a way that makes you truly get a feel for who they are (as a group) and what they stand for. Gruff, dedicated, and no-nonsense, you’ll have little difficulty buying into the idea that the Commandos actually have a shot at getting away with the Helicarriers despite the thousands of troops manning the dock. As for Hydra, Hickman shows that he has it in him to really establish Hydra as a true threat. The brief Hydra meeting is chilling and does a nice job of setting the tone for how dangerous the heads of Hydra truly are.

There’s a whole lot to like about what Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni deliver in Secret Warriors #5. The characters look great and the action is fast, fluid, and frantic in all the right ways. The highlight though, is easily the true introduction of The Hive. The segment that shows the head of Hydra doing, well, what it does, is insanely cool and slightly disturbing (in a good way).

What’s Not So Good: So… That glaring issue I mentioned early in the review? It’s that the Secret Warriors are given exactly one page in the latest issue of their series. While it’s great to see Fury, Dugan, and the heads of Hydra duke it out, I still feel as though the titular Secret Warriors have been woefully underdeveloped. The first arc of their series ends with the next issue and I barely have their names straight, let alone their team dynamic or final roster. While Jonathan Hickman’s storytelling/character decisions are far from crippling, they are still somewhat annoying considering that, five issue in, his cast of unknowns remains a cast of unknowns.

Conclusion: Lack of Secret Warriors aside, the latest issue of Secret Warriors delivers the goods. I highly recommend it!

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

     So, everyone was expecting a big Avengers clash in the newest issue of New Avengers.  But that’s not really what happened.  In fact, the only New Avenger who met the Dark Avengers was Spider-Woman, and she got tricked pretty dang well.  At any rate, there was a huge fight between the New Avengers and the Hood’s gang.  And we had guest artists galore, including Steve McNiven, Leinil Francis Yu, David Aja, and Alex Maleev.  It was pretty awesome.  We had that great scene at the beginning with the New Avengers finding out about Wolverine’s son.  I laughed aloud for that one.  And we had Ronin tell it like it is on national news.  It’s nice, since the only classic Avengers on the team are him, Ms. Marvel, and Mockingbird, and he’s the oldest by far.  I like seeing him take somewhat of a leadership role, even though that’s shared with Captain America.

     So, this series is still good.  Wow.  Three whole issues of New Avenger-y goodness.  I am sincerely shocked.  Admittedly, that was one arc, so maybe it was just one good story idea.  But I don’t think that’s what it is.  I think that Brian Michael Bendis has gotten into a groove with this Dark Reign plotline, and I think that he’s got some great stuff going forward.  Sure, I don’t like the idea of Dr. Strange being replaced as Sorceror Supreme.  The only way that should happen is if he dies.  Which would be shocking.  But I’m actually pretty sure, at this point, that Bendis knows what he’s doing, and that it’s not going to be bad.  And Billy Tan’s art is getting better every issue.  Less butt shots would be nice, but that’s partially the fault of the costumes.  Those need changing.  But this series is MUCH better than it ever was.  It’s actually really good.

Plot: 9.0      Art: 9.1      Dialogue: 9.4      Overall: 9.1

You know what it’s like. You’re running late for the pub and you’ve still that bloody podcast to record. So you compromise. You drink while recording. Welcome to this weeks whiskey steeped Comic Cast where we review Daredevil: Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Omnibus, Sempé’s Nothing is Simple, Alan Moore’s Swamp thing, Tommie Kelly’s Road Crew issue 1 and Road Crew Noir. We also review the new Irish animated filmThe Secret of Kells (in cinemas March 6th) and the DVD release of Fear[s] of the Dark  – a film written and directed by several acclaimed comic book creators and graphic artists, not to mention a big fat exclusive(ish) review of “the unfilmable” Watchmen which turned out to be filmable as we seen it on a big screen made for films.  So settle down, drink up and join us in a place where everybody knows your name – the Comic Cast!

Download Link: The Comic Cast 03/03/09

*NOTE: We cameo in this months edition of the Dystopia comic strip in Totally Dublin in shops now! Our esteemed and humbled thanks to Andrew and Chris Judge. If you’re not from Dublin, you’re Totally Galway for example, click here for the strip online.*

Show Links:

Us at The Secret of Kells premiere

Legend Mick Lally being interviewed at the premiere (3.30) Reporter: “You played Brother Aidan” Lally: “If you say so.”

Sempé’s Nothing is Simple on Amazon

Sempé’s work on the New Yorker’s ComicBank

Road Crew web comic

Fear[s] of the Dark film trailer

Dublin Comic Jam Blog

Best piece of movie merchandise ever?

There’s no question that print media is slowly being supplanted by digital formats.  Marvel and DC have both been slowly trying to diversify the types and formats of their publications, and this is the latest move along those lines.  Though Spider-Woman #1 is hardly the first motion comic, it is a pioneer in that it is the most high-profile, and the first to begin as a motion comic and then be changed for future print publication.  Unfortunately, Marvel choose a poor book with which to launch this particular endeavor: though the format proves impressive, the story within is… less so.

Bendis’ dialogue may have become a staple of his comics, but here, read aloud, it just doesn’t work.  The voice actors – Nicolette Reed, Stephanie Thomas and Geoff Boothby – offer relatively stilted line-readings throughout the production, but even the most gifted voice actors on the planet would have a hard time with lines like these:

“This is a very cool doohickey you can’t buy at any stores.”

“This is what we call bull-caca.”

“We have a rendezvous point thingamajig and we’ll get out of here.”

Maleev’s art, on the other hand, works extraordinarily well in motion.  The striking visuals give the production a haunted look as we pan over the dimmed neon glow of Madripoor, see Drew fight against a Super Skrull, or watch her have a shadowy conversation with Abigail Brand.  Anyone who had their doubts about the viability of motion comics should have some of them put to rest as they see how well it can work here.

Ultimately, Spider-Woman #1 offers a bizarre obsession with mentioning Wolverine at least once every 2 minutes, way too much heavily stylized dialogue, and a whole lot of gorgeous art.  With someone like Ed Brubaker, the already noir-touched art might have found a more able companion, and Marvel might’ve launched their new initiative with a bang.  As is, they instead provide an unsatisfying opening chapter to a story we’re given little reason to care about.

Grade: D

- Cal Cleary

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