March's comics - The Terrifics #2 and Black Magick #11

So last week, as March ended, the only comics released from my pull list became available. It's rather embarrassing that, despite calling myself a comic book addict, I pick up so few titles. However, that will hopefully changing in the next couple of months so watch this space.

In the meantime though, I read both of my pick ups from the end of March, the Terrifics and Black Magick. Both of these comics were ones which I've been having trouble with regarding its prior instalments; the first issue of the Terrifics and the entire second volume so far of Black Magick.

Therefore, I thought I'd note down my thoughts on both issues, mainly so I could compare with the prior entries just in case, they gave me the same concerns as their respective series had so far.

Fortunately for both, all I have for these issues are good thoughts (mostly).

So, first up is the Terrifics #2, which sees the heroic quartet attempt to leave the dark multiverse after finding Tom Strong's message. However, a lot of surprises turn out to be in store for the four in both their escape and their subsequent return home.

Now, having thought about it, there is very little that I felt fundamentally changed with this issue from the last and, after the first read through, I was beginning to think this title wasn't for me. However, upon a fresh look at it the second time round, the Terrifics felt like a much more entertaining read. With this issue, I thought that the book gained a focus it was lacking in the first issue thanks to the objectives the team was set. While the book still lacked much in the way of background (with the exception of Phantom Girl), I did seem able to look past it this better than the last issue and found the plot more engaging.

Of course, there were still a few niggles, particularly in the other three characters. Metamorpho and Plastic Man continued to have that Thing/Human Torch dynamic which, while I do enjoy, feels a little too carbon copy of the original team up, to the extent that the former pair sound exactly like the latter in my head. Meanwhile, Mr Terrific comes across as a bit of a jackass, particularly with a final decision he makes in the issue, which makes it a struggle for me to connect to how I've always viewed the character. Of course, it may just be that transition as Lemire gets to grips with the characters, but I do hope all three become a little unique and a lot less 'arrogant' respectively, quickly.

That said, I found myself to really enjoy this second outing of the Terrifics. While it wasn't perfect, I thought that the pros outweighed the cons, with yet more great Ivan Reis art being the cherry on top. After I read the last issue I said that I wanted a terrific comic rather than an ok one and, while issue 2 isn't exactly terrific, is certainly moving in that direction.

So, after that, I read Black Magick #11, which finished the second volume of Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott's series and saw Rowan finally confront her enemy while Alex finds common ground with an old adversary. With this series, I've found issues six through to ten a struggle to be engrossed in, only managing to find them majorly enjoyable when reading them all together. Therefore, the series has been on borrow time, reaching issue eleven in large part due to the enjoyment of the first five issues.

 

However, with this most recent instalment I found the story to once again be exciting and engaging. It is here that I felt we got not only a clearer picture of who, specifically, the big bad was but the characters seemed to move forward in regards to their ability to fight back. It occurs to me now that his was deliberate by Rucka, to keep us in the dark as much as Rowan and Alex and allow the series to play out (initially) as a supernatural detective story. If this is the case, then I feel I've given this book a bad rap for the last five issues but, either way, I've found myself not only on board fully with the series but eager for the first time since issue 5 about where they go next.
 

Of course, I think we have been given an idea due to a two page spread which is so incredibly, gorgeous rendered by Nicola Scott. If the story and/or the writing has been a series of ups and downs from issue to issue, then art has been the constant to keep me coming back. Scott's art is truly amazing and, while I loved her art on Earth 2, in Black Magick she makes that series artwork looking etchings in comparison (a bit harsh maybe as Earth 2 looks great, but Black Magick's visuals are really THAT good). That spread, though, is the standout of the standout and has me pondering what we actually are shown; aspects of the past and future or those with a combination of Rowan's own dreams and/or fantasies? I guess only time will tell.

 

However, this is time I'm now willing to invest as Rucka and Scott have repaired much of my goodwill for this series with this latest issue, giving me a great deal of interest again for how the story will unfold.

 

And that's March done. A short month but it certainly gave me a lot to think and talk about. But most importantly, what it gave me was the opportunity to see both of these comics in a new light which, for one, reminded me why I was picking it up in the first place and, for the other, offered a hint of the reason I picked it up.

Now, I can prepare for April's comics, amongst which will be Terrifics true D-Day of whether it stays on my pull list. I'm currently in two minds as to which way it'll go, but I'm hopeful it can succeed.

I guess I'll find out in a month.

The Return of the Fantastic Four

So yesterday (well I think yesterday, it might have been Thursday. The days just bleed into one at the moment) I learned, via a Facebook group I'm a part of, that the Fantastic Four are returning!!!

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the Fantastic Four. Ever since picking up issue 551 way back when for the beginning of Mcaduffie's final arc the beginning of the end (or was it the end of the beginning?), I've collected every issue since and even gone backwards, finding back issues ranging from Lobdell's Heroes Return run, Waid, Kesel and Beyond. The FF are without doubt the backbone of my comic collection and I was gutted by the title's cancellation nearly three years back.

Therefore, it stands to reason that I'd be excited as all hell for the return of Marvel's first family.

However, I'm not. Instead, I find myself oddly concerned by the return of arguably my favourite comic.

So, what is it that has me hesitant about the FF coming back this August? A few things I suppose. First of all, I guess I'm still a little bitter about the comic's cancellation in the first place. Fantastic Four ended back in May 2015, just in time for their awfully bad rebooted movie (which, admittedly, I still haven't seen) by Fox and the rumour at the time was that it ended because Marvel didn't want to advertise a 'not one of their' movies. I thought it was stupid then and the fact they waited until they got the rights back irks me.

There is the the fact that I've kind of reached acceptance of the book being gone. It is said that time heals all wounds and that does seem to be the case here. I watch a series of videos on YouTube by a Professor Thorgi (watch them, they are good), where he has mentioned on a few occasions that he is glad the FF are gone and how they went was such a great swan song for the characters. Now, having thought about this, I think he's actually right and that Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, Franklin and Valeria received a fantastic (pardon the pun) end to their story. Therefore, not only have I made my peace with their cancellation, but I fear that their return will destroy what could have been a great end to their story.

This then brings me to me last concern; the creative team. With the announcement of the Fantastic Four's return was the news that their new series would be by Dan Slott writing and Sara Pichelli on art. Now, Pichelli on art I have little to say about. I know that she worked on Ultimate Spider-Man with Bendis, creating Miles Morales, and I think she received a lot of praise for it. However, I know a little bit more about Dan Slott's past work, which is what really worries me. This is because, while Slott wrote a well praised run on the Silver Surfer (which I also didn't read), I know a few people and have heard some other opinions around the Internet who weren't happy with some of the things which happened on his incredibly long Spider-Man run. As a result, while I do think he could do some good cosmic level stories befitting the Fantastic Four, the things which have happened on his Spidey run, along with the longevity of said run, makes me worried about what may happen to the title under his tenure and if it will be equally polarising.

Of course, these are all just my concerns and so they will turn out to be unfounded, with The new series being as good as (if not better than) I last remember it. However, I can't help but be worried given what I know/believe/understand about everything surrounding, not to mention that I've been finding Marvel books to be a little off putting for a while now.

That said, the release of issue 1 is still a few months away and so maybe, between now and then, more information (like the solicits) will come to light which will give me more confidence about the return of the Fantastic Four.

The Old Guard Vol. 1

This last week I decided would be my last getting the bus into work (although based on the weather outside at the moment, that might be up for debate), also ending my tradition of reading to work. However, rather than with the last few months where I've been re-reading old series to determine if they are worth keeping, I decided that I would try and read something new(er).

Something new(er) happened to be The Old Guard, the first volume trade of which I had picked up from my LCS a little after Christmas, which was still sitting on my to read shelf (along with both volumes of the Vision, Power Man and Iron Fist, both Batman: Hush volumes and all of 52).

The Old Guard, Book one:
Opening Fire

The Old Guard, written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Leandro Fernandez, coloured by Daniela Miwa and lettered by Jodi Wynne, is an Image title about five soldiers who are nigh on immortal, having lived for various amounts of centuries and millennia through every war and battle in history as they await the incredibly rare event where death may finally take them. However, despite keeping their existence secret all this time, when they find themselves betrayed and exposed, these five ancient warriors have to protect themselves by doing what they do best; fight.

Now, I think I've written that 'synopsis' in a very action movie vibe and, to be honest, it's fitting. This first volume of the Old Guard really has this action movie vibe because of its story (which made me think of the Losers) not to mention its pace. Of course, these are in no way bad points because I really enjoyed this book, which I never doubted given that it is a Greg Rucka title and, to paraphrase Comic Geek Speak, I would happily read his shopping list if he published it. That said, it was different to Lazarus and Black Magick as it was vastly less slow burn but I found was no less compelling as a result with yet another interesting lead female character (including Wonder Woman and Renne Montoya, that's five for five right?).

The art, on the other hand, I found to be a bit more of a struggle to get on board with. I think my issue comes from the fact that Leandro Fernandez's style is so different to near life like renditions found with Michael Lark (Lazarus) and Nicola Scott's (Black Magick) art on those other Rucka books, instead offering something which looked to me much rougher, abstract and chaotic and was a little jarring to get into initially. However, as I moved through the series, and after a few days of thinking of it, it has occured to me that this style is actually a really gorgeous look and is incredibly fitting for the story being told, as I think it helped portray the chaos of the various fights while also giving the series a very historical, 'stories from the past told by word of mouth' look. All in all, while it didn't captivate me at first, Fernandez's work, along with Miwa's colours, won me round.

Quite possibly my favourite panel throughout this entire book.

Of course, the Old Guard as it presented (and what I have already mentioned) is more than enough to earn the praise I want to heap upon it. However, there were other parts of it which really spoke to me, taking it from the fun action movie-sequel comic to something which was deeper and more engrossing.

The first of these had to be the concept of immortality itself and how it was depicted here. The Old Guard, i.e. the five characters the story follows, are not immortal as the idea is typically known, instead (as one character out it) 'just not having reached death yet', with stories of fallen comrades as examples of this. Therefore, all five can die at some point, but something (which isn't science) prevents them from reaching that point. Now this is pretty cool and you'd think how awesome that would be to be unable to die for centuries, but it doesn't seem to be so given that the four oldest characters seem incredibly jaded with the notion, one of whom constantly wishing for the end and another betraying their brethren to get it.

This has made me wonder something as a result; is their 'immortality' not immortality at all but the worst form of punishment or purgatory for some as yet unknown crimes?

The reason I think this is the Old Guard are all soldiers, warriors and, ultimately, killers. Not one of these characters, even those who have previously fallen, were found in a hospital or driving a taxi or something, but always on the battlefield. This has made me wonder, why them? Not to disrespect what soldiers do in service to their respective countries, but why is one of them not Marie Curie or Einstein or someone, people who have changed the world, or even some unknown housewife and mother from the 1930's? Instead, all five are soldiers, of which the oldest four are not happy with their lot. This leads me to believe that they have once (each) done something terrible and are now paying for it until such time as the universe deems their time served (as with their already fallen friends).

The dialogue on this page was
fantastic and really got to me.

This then brings me to my next thought; that Andy (the lead character, whose internal monologue we get throughout) is heavily depressed. I'm probably way off here (because that's as standard for me) but as I read through The Old Guard, what I got from Andy's personality was a short (not height wise), embittered, uncaring individual whose only desire was to find a way to die and seemed angry towards the world because they were able to. Now for me, as a depression suffer, a lot of this certainly struck a chord and made me feel like I was reading a mirror image of myself when I'm at my worst. Indeed, given what she has no doubt gone through in her exceedingly long life, it makes sense to me if this is what Rucka was trying to portray when creating the character.

Anyway, my last thought (certainly that still in my mind given that this final paragraph took me two days to write) is such that I could be considered the only disappointment of this story. This is the finale where we discover the traitorous Guardsman's fate at the hands of the rest of the team. Now, for me, given that the characters couldn't die, I had expected a degree more forgiveness from the team than what was given. This is because the arc the story displayed, for Andy in particular, seemed to be a re-appreciation for life. Therefore, it would have made more sense that Booker's punishment be a little more merciful than he actually got, as well as offer more drama as he deals with his guilt in future arcs. I guess I'm just disappointed that he's been removed from the book so soon, although there is always a chance that he may come back.

So, anyway, that's everything in my head which the Old Guard put there. All in all, this was a fantastic book and an awesome read which, although it took time, does contain some really great art. I now look forward to the next volume, although I just hope it's hiatus isn't as long as Black Magick's.