Torno nuovamente a parlare del Punitore, vera e propria presenza fissa tra le mie letture recenti, ma non posso farci niente se stanno pubblicando una bella dose di materiale su Frank Castle, se non comprarla, leggerla e parlarvene.
“Punisher” è la nuova serie regolare dedicata a questo simpatico mattacchione di cui vengono proposte le prime cinque storie in un albo ora in edicola.
Davvero non comprereste qualcosa con questa copertina?

Ma non è solo la copertina a farne una proposta più che buona: Le storie scritte dal giovane e molto promettente Rick Remender si collegano con l’attuale continuità (ossia il “Dark reign di Norman Osborn), e niente hanno a che fare con le saghe di Garth Ennis (lo stesso Remender risponde abbastanza piccato quando si fanno paragoni, ma del resto come dargli torto?).
Il primo pregio sono i disegni di Jerome Opena, moderni, oscuri, perfetti per narrare queste gesta di Frank Castle.

Il secondo pregio è la nuova spalla informatica del Punitore. Un pischello che vive in una topaia tra poster dei Black Flag e dei Bad Brains. Come fare a non farselo risultare simpatico?
Questa è la sua cameretta:

e questo è il modo in cui aiuta Frank Castle a liberarsi di Hyde:

del resto è noto un po’ a tutti che i supercattivi odiano lo speed-metal, ascoltano i grandi successi di Mal dei Primitives e si commuovono con Omar Codazzi.

Nota negativa è invece Hood, ma qua Remender può farci poco o niente. La trasformazione narrativa del personaggio, dal carismatico sfigato che si trova causalmente con dei superpoteri della miniserie di Vaughan e Hotz (ormai lontano e piacevole ricordo), al cattivissimo cattivone senza scrupoli pronto a tutto per i soldoni e amichetto del cuore del tenero Dormammu (sempre se per voi questo demoniazzo orrendo è lo stesso Dormammu con cui si prendeva a sberloni mistici il Dr.Strange negli anni sessanta, e non un cattivo da videogame dell’xbox), è ormai cosa nota, colpa che ricade, tanto per cambiare, unicamente sulle spalle di Bendis, perché a sminuire grandi personaggi come ci riesce lui ci riescono in pochi.

Una lettura più che piacevole e divertente quindi, capace di approfittare in maniera più che positiva dell’attuale situazione dell’universo Marvel, ma che viene oscurata da una nefasta luce proveniente dal mondo del domani. Niente profezie Inca, niente visioni soprannaturali, niente messaggi dal futuro, semplicemente un’anteprima su internet:

Non sembra anche a voi che tiri aria di MASTODONTICA CAGATA?
Non sentite come un inquietante senso di deja-vu?
Non vi ricorda il periodo più buio e disgustoso del Punitore?

by Mark Waid (writer), Emma Rios (artist), Christina Strain (color artist), Lauren Sankovitch *(associate editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)

The Story: Strange, powerless, has found the demon Tul’uth possessing a baseball team. He also finds a girl with an unusual aptitude for magic.

What’s Good: I really, really wish I could have found something to write here.

What’s Not So Good: As a big Dr. Strange fan, it kills me to say this, but I was… disappointed. I know Steven Strange doesn’t draw the readership he once did, but except for a few years here and there, he’s always been somewhere in the monthly books because he’s a compelling character. As much as Tony Stark, Stephen Strange is about redemption and unlike the new Stark, Strange is still selflessly, unflinchingly, unquestioningly heroic. This first issue of this limited series isn’t showing Strange the love.

First off, there’s nothing wrong with Emma Rios’ pencils, but the wild-blue-hair anime style does not suit the menacing mystic worlds that surround Dr. Strange. Even Casey’s true view through enchanted glasses revealed a world of deep, riotous color, but without the foreground shadows or darkness that really make Strange’s adventures moody and spooky. So…good artist, wrong book.

On the writing side, I’ve read a lot of great Mark Waid books, but this story is starting in a particularly unambitious way. First of all, I don’t understand where all of Strange’s power went. He first appeared in 1963 as Master of the Mystic Arts and didn’t become Sorcerer Supreme until about 1972. In those nine years he wasn’t the Sorcerer Supreme, he had power enough to defeat Mordo, Nightmare, Dormammu and anyone else who came his way. In the late eighties, he used some black magic (much like he recently did with the Avengers). This tainted him for a while, so he had to look for new sources of power. Despite the fact that he couldn’t call then upon his typical patrons, he was still skilled enough to use the black magic that Kaluu taught him. So why then is this Strange so powerless that he can’t beat a second-rate demon without playing baseball?

More unambitiously, this newly humbled Strange, instead of seeking to regain his might (not necessarily the supremacy he had, but his mastery), pits himself against a minor demon in what looks to be a 1-issue mop-up operation with no significance to Strange or the rest of the Marvel Universe. On the Marvel website, some prominence is given to Strange finding a new student. This leads me to think that Marvel is trawling for new teen readers drawn to a teenage girl growing up under Strange’s tutelage, and that she’ll be the one growing as a character, not him. I hope I’m wrong, but otherwise, by issue #4, I’m going to be suggesting that the limited series should have been called “Casey, Apprentice of Strange”.

Like I said, it kills me to criticize a Dr. Strange book, but there’s so much they could have done with this title. Some of Strange’s best adventures have been when he is massively outgunned and has to survive on his wits and skill alone in alien dimensions. Why couldn’t Waid, Sankovitch and Brevoort have picked out something like a quest to redeem Strange? A journey to reclaim lost skills and take what he is and the wisdom he has learned and save some world from evil, with only his wits and limited magic to help him? Lead a magical guerrilla war on some foe Dr. Voodoo is too busy to fight? The possibilities for heroic redemption are endless, but none of them are suggested by this first issue.

Conclusion: I’m disappointed not only for this series, but also because I know that the failure of this series will delay a true return by Dr. Strange to the mainstream of the Marvel Universe for a couple of years. (I’ll still buy issue #2, though, because Stephen Strange is such a great character)

Grade: D

-DS Arsenault

By Rick Remender (writer), Jefte Palo (pencils & inks), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)

The Story: Jericho Drumm, the Houngan Supreme, and now Sorcerer Supreme, has to establish his street cred and get the big job done before a prophesied evil swallows the universe. First stop: Dormammu, and that’s just the prologue! Stephen Strange is there too, finishing up handing over the reins of power before heading off. Then, alone, Doctor Voodoo heads into the world himself, but is surprised by an old enemy and a new challenger for the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.

What’s Good: The new conception of the Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Voodoo is not your dad’s Doctor Strange! He’s walking around with human skulls on his belt and shrunken heads dangling off the Staff of Legba. He’s in-your-face and daring, the Gunner of God and the Houngan Supreme. It is seriously cool. The Haitian angle brings a new feel and tone to the Marvel Universe’s top sorcerer. Remender hit all the right notes. At the same time, Voodoo’s got some cockiness issues. Strange lost the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme because he’d become complacent and stopped learning, but Voodoo is into some nasty magic that Strange wouldn’t touch. Anyone smell hubris?

Palo and Beaulieu deliver some beautiful art. I think that magic always gives an artist room to run with the ball and we get a new classical-Greek view of Dormammu’s domain, shrunken heads, the Scrying Stones of Chthon, gritty New Orleans and a defeated, shaken Strange. And the variant cover by Tan was awesome. I’ll give a no-prize to anyone who can tell me which classic cover and artist it’s based on!

What’s Not So Good: Having really learned the worlds of Doctor Strange in the surreal weirdness of Ditko, Brunner, Russell, and even Paul Smith, I found some of the dimensions and environments visited by Voodoo to be a little… restrained. Don’t get me wrong. The art was well done, but I’m not used to straight lines anywhere the Sorcerer Supreme walks. Palo’s extra dimensional designs have a regularity that seems like a lost opportunity compared to the psychological chaos that usually provides the backdrop to Marvel’s magical adventures. Even the brief view of Shuma-Gorath felt like Palo was holding back. I hope in the next couple of issues, Palo lets himself go nuts and to put whatever bizarre wackiness he can think of onto the page.

Conclusion: There are lots of challenges to writing and drawing the Sorcerer Supreme well. Marvel has hit on the right concept and launched a great new series. I expect a few growing pains, but this first issue caught the tone needed to make the Sorcerer Supreme work. Go out and get it.

Grade: B+

-DS Arsenault

Guys, really, in this age of technical miracles, there is no excuse for not better coordinating your outfits. Now, in fairness, Dormammu has been around since the dawn of time, so …

Oooooh ... this kind of thing can really spoil a good super heroic fight.

Una duda ha estado paseando por mis pocas neuronas:

¿¿¿Que traen los San Bernardos en su barrilito???

¿Agua? ¿Cerveza? ¿Brandy? ¿¿¿Esa Mostaza???

A excepción del agua, cualquiera de las demás son básicos para nuestra supervivencia, o no?

Bueno, también el papel ayuda

También me han contado que enloquecen si les quitas el barrilito

Aun así, prefiero un perro diabólico a uno antidrogas

Porque me dejarían erizo.

“Soy vegetariano, por eso, fumo de Esa Mostaza”

Debasteitor rules (esta en letras chiquitas)

     So, Brother Voodoo is the new Sorceror Supreme.  Or as Ronin calls him, Dr. Voodoo.  In the newest issue of New Avengers, Voodoo, Dr. Strange, Daimon Hellstrom, and the New Avengers face off against the demonically-possessed Hood.  In a flashback, Voodoo accepts the Eye of Agamotto and the title of Sorceror Supreme.  Then, in the present, the three mystics whip up a barrier, and Voodoo exorcises Dormammu from the Hood.  Hellstrom fortells of greater trials, and Ronin hands over Madame Masque and the Hood to the authorities, saying that, when the two of them get freed by Osborn, the public will see that the New Avengers were doing the right thing.  Loki comes to give the Hood another source of power, and, corresponding with Dark Avengers, Norman Osborn refutes Ronin’s claims, prompting Ronin to decide that he will have to kill Osborn.

     Despite the fact that this title is the New Avengers, the titular characters take a back seat to Hellstrom, Strange, and Voodoo in this issue.  Aside from Ronin’s parts, most of the characters just get to spew some of Brian Michael Bendis’ teenage witty dialogue.  It’s those three, plus Ronin, who really get the meaty dialogue.  I’m still not particularly excited to see Doctor Voodoo as the Sorceror Supreme, though.  Bendis hasn’t really sold me on the concept.  I’m intrigued to see what Loki will do with the Hood, as it’s clear that sides are being drawn in the Cabal (Dr. Doom and Namor, Namor and Emma Frost, Loki and the Hood).  As for Ronin, I’m a bit surprised, as this choice is rather drastic, even considering the circumstances.  I would hope that he wouldn’t actually go through with it.  Billy Tan’s art is about the same in this issue as it was in every other issue.  His anatomy is odd at times, but otherwise, it’s solid.  This is a nice ending to the Dr. Strange/Sorceror Supreme arc, but it wasn’t exactly the stellar ending that I expected at the beginning of the arc.  At the very least, though, I can say that Bendis is defying my expectations.

Plot: 8.3      Art: 8.0      Dialogue: 7.8      Overall: 8.2

NEW AVENGERS #54

Dark Reign

Marvel Comics

Ich bin eigentlich kein Fan von Magie- und Okkult-Comics, weshalb es auch nicht verwundern sollte dass ich diesen Arc der mit der aktuellen Ausgabe sein Ende findet,  nicht gerade berauschend fand.

Besonders als ich gelesen habe dass Bendis schon lange an einem Wechsel der Sorcerer Supreme arbeitete wundert es mich dass dann “nur das” rausgekommen ist.

Wie dem auch sei. Das Finale des Arcs zeigt uns wie Brother Voodoo Besuch vom Auge des Agamotto bekommt und auf Drängen seines Bruders die Wahl annimmt.

Schon kurze Zeit darauf muss er auch seine Feuertaufe bestehen und gegen Dormammu in den Kampf ziehen.

Ich finde den Verlauf dieses Kampfes durchaus gelungen. Die Helden haben zwar keine Chance, aber Hood/Dormammu verprügelt sie nicht derart dass ein späterer Sieg unrealistisch aussehen würde.

Ein Manko ist für mich allerdings WIE der Kampf schließlich gewonnen wird. Strange, S.O.S. und Voodoo zaubern ein bisschen und exorzieren Dormammu aus Hood hinaus. Das ist zwar logisch und nett, aber doch genau das, das Rick Remender versprochen hat für seine Voodoo Serie zu vermeiden. Ok, dieses Heft wurde zwar jetzt von Bendis geschrieben aber da es die erste Aktion des neuen Sorcerer Supreme ist, ist es eine denkbar schlechte Werbung für die kommende Doctor Voodoo Ongoing.

Ich finde es einfach unspannend wenn das ganze Comic hindurch gegen einen unbesiegbar scheinenden Gegner gekämpft wird und er am Ende aber doch durch einen kleinen Trick oder magisches Gedöns in die Knie gezwungen wird.

Wenn ich das richtig verstanden habe, verfügt der Hood nach dem Exorzismus über keinen Umhang und somit auch über keine magischen Kräfte mehr. Dafür das dies aber nicht so bleibt, sorgt eine Person die für ihre Intrigen berühmt ist und für ihre großmütige Tat sicherlich bald eine Gegenleistung einfordern wird…

Bleibt halt wieder die Frage wie diese Geschichte mit der Kontinuität der anderen Dark Reign Titel zusammenpassen soll, doch da ist ohnehin schon Hopfen und Malz verloren…

Ronin leistet sich erneut einen (von Bendis gut geschriebenen) Fernsehauftritt, doch muss wenig später doch feststellen dass Norman ihm mit seinem Interview ausgestochen hat. Frustriert fasst er einen Entschluss…

Billy Tans Artwork ist ok, doch geht das Lob diesmal an den Koloriesten Justin Ponsor der den glühenden Hood gut einfangen konnte.

Abschließend bleibt bei mir der Eindruck dass der Sorcerer Supreme Arc und besonders die aktuelle Ausgabe nur ein Prelude zu der neuen Ongoing von Doctor Voodoo sein sollte.

Das ist schade. Irgendwie habe ich das Gefühl das hier mehr drinnen gewesen wäre.

3/5

DARK REIGN: The Hood #1

Part 1 of 5: Payday

Marvel Comics

Wie schon in Dark Reign: Cabal angedeutet wurde, geht es in Hoods Mini-Serie darum, wie er sein Crime Syndicate zusammen und auch von seinem Privat-Leben trennt.

Also ich mag The Hood, besonders jetzt da ich weiß das er auch noch Familie hat. Und ich liebe diese Szene in der er heimkommt und seiner Frau ein Frühstück von McDonalds (na ja…) mitbringt und sich um sein zahnendes Baby sorgt.

Ich habe aber trotzdem ein Problem mit dem Hood. Allgemein finde ich es nicht so schlimm wenn die Autoren einige Facetten einer Figur stärker ausprägen als andere und somit stets ein anderer „Charakter“ zum Vorschein kommt. Bei Figuren die in viele Serien Schlüsselrollen einnehmen – wie z.b. Norman Osborn – fällt dies natürlich stärker auf als bei anderen, doch hat mich das gerade bei Osborn nie wirklich gestört. The Hood wird aber überall komplett anders gestaltet. Beim Punisher als knallharter Gangster-Pate, bei Iron Man und und im Cabal als überlegter Gangster und in New Avengers nur noch als Dämon. Ich habe gehofft dass dieses Heft eine Schnittmenge aus diesen „Hoods“ bringen wird. Statt dessen zaubert Jeff Parker hier aber wieder einen neuen Hood der – so sehe ich es zumindest – sehr unsicher wirkt. Fast so als wisse er, dass sein Imperium jede Sekunde zusammenbrechen kann. Sei es nun wegen seiner Mitglieder, die natürlich stets drohen zu revoltieren, oder wegen des Dormammu.

Das trägt auch Kyle Hotz Artwork maßgeblich bei. Hood wirkt um vieles jünger als in den anderen Serien und durch die „knubbeligen“ Züge und Schmollmündern die er allen seinen Figuren verpasst, schon beinahe wie ein kleiner lieber Junge der durch Zufall bei den großen Jungs gelandet ist. Selbst dieser Adjutant des Kingpin sah immer tougher aus als dieser Hood.

Ich weiß nicht. Ich mag den Hood und das Heft ist eigentlich auch recht nett, aber 5 Teile à 3,99 ist mir das wirklich nicht wert…

2/5

NEW AVENGERS #53

Dark Reign

Marvel Comics

Die Suche nach dem neuen Sorcerer Supreme geht also weiter und es sei schon mal verraten dass das Auge des Agamotto sich es schon einmal auf der Brust eines neuen Besitzers bequem gemacht hat. Ich glaube allerdings nicht dass es dort lange bleiben wird. Wahrscheinlich wird der neue Träger schon in der nächsten Ausgabe besiegt und deshalb als “unwürdig” empfunden…

Die Schlacht zwischen dem Son of Satan und dem dämonischen Hood beinhaltet zwar viel Action und Explosionen, ist aber dennoch nur halb so cool wie der Zweikampf zwischen Spider-Woman und Madame Masque bei dem man aufgrund einer Nebelgranate nur die Silhoutten der Kontrahentinnen sieht.

Natürlich kann man ein Bendis Heft nicht besprechen ohne die Dialoge zu erwähnen, die natürlich auch hier wieder gut sitzen. Spider-Man tritt beim knurrigen Luke Cage wieder in ein Fettnäpfchen in dem er sich dafür entschuldigen will dass Jessica Jones mal in ihn verliebt gewesen ist. Guter Moment zwischen den beiden der auch absolut In-Character ist.

Während Ronin das ganze Heft über eigentlich nur einen Parkplatz sucht, drängt sich Bucky immer mehr als Führer in den Vordergrund. Mir gefällt wie er langsam seinem großen Vorbild nacheifert und taktische Anweisungen gibt, jedoch von den anderen als Anführer nicht wirklich ernst genommen wird.

Ms. Marvel bekommt etwas Screen-Time, was mir natürlich äußerst gut gefällt. Kann mich mit ihrem Tod nicht abfinden (muss ich wahrscheinlich auch nicht) und auch wenn es natürlich beschissen geschrieben ist, freut es mich dass sie hier noch quicklebendig durch New Orleans fliegen kann.

Während eine tote Carol also aktiver ist als jemals zuvor, erscheint die wiederbelebte Mockingbird noch immer so passiv als läge sie noch im Grab. Weshalb wurde sie nochmal zurückgeholt? Gebt ihr endlich einen großen Auftritt!!!

Nettes, durchschnittliches Heft. Hab hier noch keinen Grund gefunden warum ich diesen Arc jemanden empfehlen sollte (höchstens man ist Hardcore Dr.Strange Fan) aber wenn man das Team mag, ist der Kauf schon ok.

3/5

     Ever since Dr. Strange’s meltdown over a year ago, everyone’s been wondering what would happen to him next.  well, he’s being replaced as Sorceror Supreme, and the battle to decide just who will replace him is taking place in New Avengers.  I loathe the idea of Dr. Strange being ousted from this position.  I think that the only thing that should do that is his death, which might very well happen by the end of this arc.  But since Dark Reign began, Brian Michael Bendis’ writing on this series has been phenomenal.  That trend continues here.  Dr. Strange meets with Wiccan of Young Avengers fame as a part of his quest to discover just who his successor is.  Meanwhile, the New Avengers deal with Ronin’s proclamation in the last issue and internal affairs, including who will lead the team and who Spider-Man really is.  Considering the current post-Brand New Day climate, I’d say Bendis handled his unmasking pretty well.  And I loved the awkwardness of the subsequent conversation.

     So Dormammu is the one powering the Hood, and the Hood is going after Dr. Strange.  Ronin’s leading the New Avengers, and Ms. Marvel is second-in-command.  I’m curious how that works, consiering what happened to her in her own comic.  That hasn’t really fit in with her appearances in this series.  At any rate, we’ve got some crazy stuff going on.  A mystical melee with the New Avengers in the middle?   Sign me up!  I’m also really happy that Clint is finally getting his chance to lead the Avengers.  Goodness knows he deserves it.  He’s one of the oldest Avengers ever, and he’s proven himself on multiple occassions.  I also like that we have Billy Tan on normal pencils and Chris Bachalo during the mystical sequences.  I wasn’t a fan of either of their work before, but they’ve both improved significantly in the past few years.  Overall, I’m continuing to like this series.  Bendis is doing some great work here, and for me, this is the first time that he’s justified his work on the Avengers since it started.

Plot: 8.8      Art: 8.9      Dialogue: 9.0      Overall: 8.9

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Billy Tan, Matt Banning, Justin Ponsor, Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, and Antonio Fabela (Artists)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Under normal circumstances, I would use up this spot to give my thoughts on where my opinion stands regarding whatever series/work/event I am about to dive back into or, in some cases, dive into for the first time. However, these are not exactly normal circumstances considering that this is the first review I have posted since taking a break from the site in order to deal with a number of medial issues. As such, I feel that this space is best used to say that it feels great to be back and I look forward to picking up where I left off by informing, entertaining, and interacting with the great Weekly Comic Book Review community as much as I possibly can. So, with that said, it is now time to get down to business. And remember! Questions, comments, concerns, and debate topics are always welcome.

The Story: Since Dr. Strange is no longer the Sorcerer Supreme (after a spell dealing in the dark arts), that means someone else is. Or someone will be soon enough… Strange knows this, as does The Hood (among others). Who will find, or do what’s necessary to become the new Sorcerer Supreme? That is the question that dominates most of The New Avengers #51. As for the rest, since a new team means a new leader, the Avengers gather up for an old-fashioned meeting to try to straighten out the new hierarchy.

What’s Good: I’ve got to say that the latest New Avengers surprised the hell out of me. And it’s not because of some shocking twist, or an earth-shattering revelation, or a stunning image.  Nope. It’s simply because the creative team behind New Avengers #51 actually managed to make me give a damn about the situation surrounding the question of who is/ will be the new Sorcerer Supreme. Chris Bachalo’s stylish visuals coupled with Brian Michael Bendis’ compelling dialogue made me glad I picked up the first New Avengers I had considered skipping in quite some time.

As for the non-Sorcerer Supreme related stuff in the issue, your enjoyment will depend a lot on what you think of Bendis’ flair for team banter and Billy Tan’s handling of the more casual moments of superhero life. It worked well enough for me and did little to detract from my overall impression of the issue. In fact, I found the dialogue to be rather humorous and I wouldn’t be surprised if you did too.

What’s Not So Good: (Slight spoiler warning!) I wish I knew more about the Young Avengers prior to reading the issue because I had absolutely no idea who Dr. Strange was talking to until pausing to hit up the interweb to look for some answers. As it turns out, Billy is a Young Avenger named Wiccan (cue the “the more you know” jingle). Anyways, besides Bendis’ assumption that I would know the Young Avengers on a first name basis, my only complaint about the issue mostly has to do with my general distaste for comic books that feature more than one art team. While both teams did a nice job, the shift back and forth between visual styles was a bit jarring.

Conclusion: There is a lot I liked about the latest issue of The New Avengers. Chris Bachalo’s art was impressive, Billy Tan continued to show improvement, and Brian Michael Bendis made the beginning of the search for a new Sorcerer Supreme quite compelling. While I’m sure some will be a bit irked by the team meeting (or the art team changes), the good stuff ultimately outweighed the bad by a large margin.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny