Writer: Josh Blaylock; Pencils: Steve Kurth; Inks: Larter, Schulz & Hamscher; Covers: Mike Zeck, David Beck
Rating 4 out of 5 stars
The revival of G. I. Joe at Image Comics was one that prompted both anticipation and apprehension. On the one hand, I was an old fan of the Larry Hama-penned Marvel series, and I looked forward to seeing what the Devil's Due crew would do with the characters. On the other hand, I wondered if Josh Blaylock & Co. could possibly live up to the high standards set by Hama during much of his twelve year run. That, and memories of Dark Horse's lackluster attempt to publish G.I. Joe a few years back inevitably leapt to mind.
Luckily, Blaylock's first four issue story arc showed quite a bit of potential. It was, however, somewhat cramped for space, as well as too sci-fi-ish. Cobra's scheme to take over the United States via mind-controlling nanites was rather over-the-top. While (loosely) based in actual scientific theory, the nano-mites were still much too reminiscent of the far-out super-weapons Cobra used in the G.I. Joe cartoon series.
There was some improvement in the fifth issue, a solo adventure featuring Joe second-in-command Duke. And matters are very much on the upswing with the current issue, #6. Blaylock successfully recaptures some of the feel of the old Larry Hama stories, while simultaneously moving ahead in a new direction.
In the wake of the nano-mite fiasco, Cobra Commander initiates a radical restructuring of his organization. Getting his lieutenants in line with the aid of the ninja Storm-Shadow, the Commander unveils his new weapon: genetically engineered soldiers known as Neo-Vipers. Admittedly genetic engineering is venturing into the same sort of pseudo-science as a nanite super-weapon. But I nevertheless find the Neo-Vipers to be a more plausible foe. Unlike the nano-mites, they are a tangible threat, an enemy that the G.I. Joe taskforce can take on hand-to-hand, so to speak.
In a much appreciated nod to Hama's storylines, Blaylock reintroduces Billy, the estranged son of Cobra Commander. When last seen at the end of the Marvel series, the long-suffering Billy had been brainwashed into returning to his father's side. Now, eight years later, he appears to be back to normal (well, as normal as anyone with an international terrorist for a father can be). I hope he stays on the side of angels. It would be cool if, after all these years, he was finally able to join the Joe team in some official capacity. It's ironic, though, that in this very same issue, we also see the return of his teacher, Storm-Shadow, who is still apparently under Cobra Commander's control. I'm looking forward to what happens when instructor and pupil meet again.
Blaylock also writes an interesting scene with Destro and his illegitimate son, the later of whom was responsible for the nano-mite scheme and an attempted coup of the Cobra organization. The contrast between the pair is interesting, as Destro's son seems to embody the ruthless ambition that characterized Destro himself early on in Larry Hama's stories. Destro eventually developed into something else, a dangerous yet honorable foe, a rather amoral schemer who nevertheless possessed a realistic world view and something of a conscience. This older, and perhaps wiser, Destro, is furious at his son for having dragged him back into Cobra's activities. I'd like to see Blaylock develop the relationship between the two. Destro, for all his justifiable anger at his son, is indirectly responsible for his actions, due to his own past ambitions and his early affiliations with Cobra. Destro's old sins have come back to haunt him through the crimes of his son.
The ever-twisting story arc of G.I. Joe ninja Snake-Eyes, begun under Hama's auspices, is continued by Blaylock. Reunited with his long-time love Scarlet after a messy break-up, the pair travel to Georgia to visit Scarlet's family. But Scarlet's brother is none too happy to see the man who broke his sister's heart before. We're definitely venturing into the territory of soap opera. I'm hoping Blaylock will actually move Snake-Eyes and Scarlet's relationship forward, out of the on-again, off-again rut it's been in since Hama initiated it. After all these years, a wedding would be nice.
My only real concern about the story is the seeming emphasis that is being placed on the martial arts-oriented characters. The covers for this and upcoming issues indicate that both Storm-Shadow and Snake-Eyes play pivotal roles in the plot. Both of them are interesting characters, true. But in the past, the ninja aspect of G.I. Joe has been terribly overused. One of the low points of the Marvel series was when Ninja Force pretty much took over the starring role, and Snake-Eyes' name was emblazoned in large letters on nearly every cover. I like Snake-Eyes, certainly. But I do not want to see him once again eclipse the rest of the Joe team.
Steve Kurth's pencilling is much improved from the first few issues of this title. Previously, he was drawing some rather odd facial expressions and jutting chins on a lot of characters, and some of his stylings seemed too derivative of Al Rio. His work on #6 seems much more natural and flowing. He still could stand to further work on enhancing his art and technique, but he's gotten a good start.
For the most part, the redesigns of the characters have been well done. A few of them do appear a bit goofy. I don't like the look for Jinx, who has traded her red ninja pajamas for a black leather catsuit and hood. She looks like she stepped out of an S&M club, I'm sorry to say.
And, for a series that appears to be set in "real time," most of the characters don't look like they've aged too much since the team was formed in 1982. Snake-Eyes, Stalker, and Storm-Shadow all served in the Vietnam War, but still look to be in their mid-thirties. It seems as if many comic book artists are unable to draw middle-aged characters, only the young and the elderly. It's not that I want to see the characters racing around in wheelchairs. But it wouldn't hurt to give them a few gray hairs.
The cover art by Mike Zeck is fantastic. Zeck was the cover artist on the Marvel series for several years, so It's a thrill to see him illustrating G.I. Joe covers again. He's only scheduled to do them through #9, though. Which is a pity, as I'd like to see him continue longer (I admit I'm biased, as Zeck is one of my favorite artists). I'm somewhat undecided about the cover coloring by Hi-Fi Design, though. Seems to focus a bit too much on adding textures and shading to the piece. Looking at the above scan of Zeck's original black & white art, it is apparent that such computer-generated frills aren't really necessary.
The back cover portrait of Storm-Shadow by David Beck is quite good. I didn't care for his previous back cover paintings for this series. They were just too stiff & posed, and lacked a natural feel especially to the faces. Beck's contribution to #6 is an improvement (perhaps because he's drawing a masked character?) so hopefully this will carry over to future issues.
While not without its faults, G.I. Joe #6 is a much more polished effort than past issues. It certainly leaves me with an anticipation for future issues that I didn't possess before. If you are a fan of the old Marvel title, cartoon series, or even just the toy line, it's worth a look.
Marvel Knights vol 2 #s 1-2, $2.99 US each, published by Marvel Comics
Writer: John Figueroa; Pencils & Inks: Alberto Ponticelli
Rating 3 out of 5 stars
I did not follow the first run of Marvel Knights (the ongoing series, not the overall Marvel imprint of the same name). The concept didn't hold much interest for me. The idea of Daredevil, the Punisher, and the Black Widow finding themselves teamed up in story after story seemed both repetitious and implausible (even for superhero comics). And I was not the only one to think so, as volume one apparently received a lukewarm response from readers. I guess Marvel didn't want to give up on the concept, though, so they started a new direction with a new creative team and, of course, a new issue number one.
John Figueroa is a rather odd choice for the new series' writer. Certainly I wouldn't have thought of him. The only prior work I recall by him were a few rather mediocre stories in Marvel Comics Presents featuring an obscure character called American Eagle. Apparently Figueroa also wrote a graphic novel for DC Comics' Paradox Press. I'm going to assume he got the Marvel Knights assignment on the basis of that, and not the American Eagle stories!
Bearing that in mind, Figueroa is actually doing a good job handling the characters' relations with one another, making this "non-team" into a workable idea. He seems to be positioning the Black Widow at something of an ideological middle ground between Daredevil and the Punisher. That's an astute characterization. Daredevil is a hero who usually follows the straight-and-narrow. The Punisher, on the other hand, is a ruthless, monomaniacal vigilante. And the Widow has a very complex background. She is a former Soviet spy who occasionally does covert work for the United States government. But she was also the leader of none other than the Avengers for an extended period of time. She has walked both the traditionally upright path of most superheroes, as well as been heavily involved in the morally ambiguous, violent world of espionage. So she possesses common traits with both Daredevil and the Punisher. Figueroa's three-way relationship between the characters leads to some interesting dialogue and interactions.
Figueroa's villains in this first story arc are a decidedly oddball lot. The Brothers Grace are former Russian crime lords with a belief in the dark mystical arts and an obsession with plastic surgery. A completely amoral pair, Marco and Polo Grace have an army of followers more akin to religious fanatics than criminals. Their chief assassin, Mr. Tune, is a psychotic physician with a penchant for extreme brutality. And they all arrive in New York City, intent on seizing control of the underworld.
Yep, it's yet another gang war type story arc. Those seem to happen in the Big Apple of the Marvel universe with an appalling regularity. I'm left a bit curious as to how this fits into Marvel continuity. I guess it doesn't particularly matter, though, as the fictitious structure of New York's organized crime has varied considerably from title to title in recent years, with such diverse figures as the Kingpin, Hydra, Fortunato, Silvermane, the Rose, and the Dark Sisterhood having been alternately portrayed as being in control. So there's probably room in there for the Brothers Grace, too!
My concern is more with the actual characters. The Brothers Grace and Mr. Tune are quite over the top. They are at once sinister and ludicrous. While I think they need to be somewhat more grounded in reality, at least they are still workable. There's been a definite element of farce to most Punisher-related stories in the past couple years, and the Brothers Grace would seem to fit in with that. Certainly they are decidedly less odd than, say, a Russian hitman who has his decapitated head transplanted onto a woman's body (that was one of Garth Ennis' ideas, naturally).
The Brothers Grace and Mr. Tune are also a fairly one-dimensional lot. They show up and start doing Very Bad Things. As if this isn't enough, we are also told repeatedly by various supporting characters that they are Not Nice People. The Brothers Grace and Tune come across as little more than straw men for the protagonists to knock down. Okay, that could probably said of a good number of comic book villains. But here it is just too obvious.
There are points where Figueroa takes the villains' psychotic eccentricities to ridiculous extremes. This is particularly glaring at the end of issue #1. Having murdered a number of criminal rivals, Mr. Tune and several henchmen are being hotly pursued by the Black Widow, Punisher, and Daredevil. Tune and his associates flee into a nearby subway station, with the trio of crimefighters probably not more than a couple of minutes behind. In the station, Tune comes across a group of bystanders waiting for the subway. And what does he do? He stops running, brutally attacks the commuters, twists their limbs into all sorts of grotesque directions, and then lays out their bodies in a pattern. Yep, that's right, with dangerous pursuers hot on his tail, Tune is takes the time to pause and indulge his sadistic vices, sacrificing precious time he needs to escape. Yes, he is psychotic, and probably not fully grounded in reality. But that doesn't mean he is an idiot! And just how does he commit his act of mass torture in the few available seconds before the Widow's team gets to the subway stop? It really seems like Figueroa was so damn intent on slamming home that Tune was an evil psychotic that logic and plausibility were completely tossed out the window.
There's also a scene in the second issue where Mr. Tune actually succeeds in capturing the Punisher. But instead of killing Frank Castle, the assassin lets him go! He doesn't consider the Punisher a threat, so he just lets him go! Once again, Tune's arrogance readily crosses the boundary from overconfidence right into blatant stupidity. Unless there happens to be more to this scene than there at first appears, and Tune has some deeper plan in mind. But, on the face of it, his actions do not make any sense.
Aside from Tune's contrived actions, Figueroa's story is pretty decent. The end sequence of the second issue, with the Black Widow outlining her strategy for crippling the Grace Brothers' organization, does leave me looking forward to the next chapter.
Actually, I decided to purchase Marvel Knights for Alberto Ponticelli's artwork. I became acquainted with Ponticelli's art through his agent, Enrico Salvini, aka the Muffin Man (evidently after a Frank Zappa song, and not baked goods). I saw Ponticelli's art on Enrico's website, and found it appealing. It has a dynamic quality to it. I'm glad he received an ongoing series.
At times Ponticelli's fight scenes in Marvel Knights are a bit jumbled or cluttered, such as on pages 18 & 19 of the first issue. But for the most part, his art is impressive. His gritty style suits the Punisher perfectly. Likewise, his Black Widow is beautiful without being overly glamorous.
Ponticelli's layouts are extremely distinctive. I was especially struck by page 6 in issue #1. A simple scene of the Widow getting up from a chess game, putting on her coat, and going out the door is made dramatic through the creative use of character positioning, panel placement, and "camera" angles. Likewise, page 14 of issue #2 has a striking sequence with Daredevil perched atop a gargoyle. The next page has a dramatic shot of the captured Punisher, with a helicopter descending upon him. Ponticelli's use of extreme upward and downward perspectives works very well to heighten the dramatic impact of the story. His art is the best part of the new Marvel Knights series.
The coloring by Nathan Eyering is unusual. His color work has a notable texture to it that suits Ponticelli's art to a tee. It's a good example of how well a computer coloring job can turn out if given to a capable individual who has an understanding of the requirements of the finished product.