Not a bad run of five books this week.
Red Lanterns #10
Miguel Sepulveda takes over the art duties for Ed Benes this issue and takes some liberties with character design. Its not out of control, just a few tweaks here and there to the Red Lantern uniforms and the way the rage fire/vomit looks. Rain Beredo is allowed to cut loose with the colors this issue and does a fantastic job lighting everything up.
The actual story teeters between good and corny. For the most part Atrocitus' scenes as he rips through Stormwatch are pretty solid. Maybe its just because I think Stormwatch is dumb and they need to get their asses handed to them. Peter Milligan offers up some corny dialogue, like when Apollo says, "Some of us don't need a bad temper to be hot!" I guess he's solar powered and that's why that's funny. Lame.
Red Lanterns continues to plod along. It hasn't done anything in ten issues to convince me to get it for more reason than because its part of the Green Lantern line of books.
Voltron: Year One #3
Every time I read Voltron: Year One the first thing that I think is, "why can't the art on Voltron be this good?!" The only thing holding that book back is the art. And unfortunately, THAT'S the book we get to see the actual robot in.
Brandon Thomas and artist Craig Cermak continue to hook this book up. This issue we learn the nuts and bolts of the arc and what Space Explorer Team #686 (the Voltron Force before they were the Voltron Force) plans to do about it.
Its a lot of talking. Big on the talking minimal on the action this issue but Thomas' dialogue, though long winded at times, really carries you through the book. And Cermak's art is good enough to make a bunch of guys talking look interesting.
The plot really kicks into high gear this issue and takes us one step closer to seeing Cermak hook up the Voltron robot when we finally get to it.
Animal Man #10
Buddy finally gets to the guys that run the Red, Maxine and the rest of the family meet Constantine, Zatanna and Xanadu and Cliff gets kidnapped by his dad. One thing I can say about the writing of Jeff Lemire, much like Scott Snyder, their stories are quick and poignant. Not many unnecessary words (if any) and you breeze right through a great story in no time.
Steve Pugh continues to make this book his own and Animal Man continues to be one of the most consistent reads month after month.
Action Comics #10
This issue begins with Nimrod the Hunter tracking Superman Kraven-style from Smallville to Metropolis. I'll admit I rolled my eyes when I first started reading it, but Grant Morrison knocked it out of the park. He wrote the Nimrod story well and managed to drop in some future plot points naturally into the story, though at first glance you wouldn't believe it.
After a couple issues off for Rags Morales, and a couple off-issues interest-wise, Morrison kicks this new arc off in style. Looking forward to #11.
Swamp Thing #10
The first thing I thought when I started reading this issue was, "goddamnit, another fill-in artist." But Francesco Francavilla took care of business. Yanick Paquette and Marco Rudy have been lights out on this book. Rock solid. Francavilla's style isn't in the same vein. Its a little more stylized and well, a little more 1970s. Mean it looks like it takes place in the 1970s, not that it looks like artwork from the 1970s. He uses interesting layouts and simple linework that has a classic beauty to it.
And Scott Snyder writes a quick but meaningful story setting up the next arc for this book. Abigail takes a beaten up Swamp Thing back home to rest and gets a rude surprise in Anton Arcane back from the dead to kill her.
I loves me a good comic book and Swamp Thing is a good comic book.
Spread of the Week:
Francisco Francavilla's art really made an impression on me this week.
-Gint
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