May 7 Reviews

The Boys #18
Dynamite
Writing: Garth Ennis
Pencils/Inks: Darick Robertson
Colors: Tony Avina
Cover: Robertson, Avina
3.5/5

You may have heard around the way that Garth Ennis’ irreverant foray into the seedy underbelly of a world filled with superpowered humans is hilarious. You have heard correctly. The Boys’ doesn’t owe any of its humor to creative punchlines or the like, but is full of small moments that slyly point at each other and dialogue that enhances and indirectly refers to other scenes. Much of the humor would be impossible to see if each scene was taken on its own, as though it’s a type of Arrested Development for sadists. Of course the sheer absurdity of many scenes are funny in their own right as well.

The Boys deconstructs the superhero genre but without trying to make any grand statements or reach any greater meaning like much of this type of work strove for in the 80’s. It simply suggests that in the real world superpowered people would probably be a bunch of emotionally and mentally twisted, truly screwed up individuals, and leaves it at that. There’s a decent plot and well conceived characters that come across very convincingly and give the title some weight and depth but all that lies outside the inclusion of folks who can fly and punch through buildings. Robertson’s art is clear, detailed and expressive but appropriately gritty and enhances the experience greatly. If you can stomach some of Ennis’ trademark violence and offensive themes (which run rampant here) then this is a lot of fun.

Ennis’ impressive understanding and control of language, dialect and accents are largely on display as well, bringing a tangible degree of realism and believability to a series that otherwise offers anything but. The whole thing comes across as a dark grissly urban European crime flick that just happens to have spandex wearing freaks in the peripheral. I don’t necessarily consider it the essential read many others tout it as, but if you’re looking for something outside the typical fare to flesh out your comic reading a little it’s definitely a lot of fun. This, of course, assuming you’re on semi-friendly terms with darker portions of your soul and sense of humor.

Nova #13
Marvel
Writing: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils: Wellington Alves
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Guru
Cover: Alex Maleev
Editing: Bill Roseman, Lauren Sankovitch
4/5

Nova continues its heading as one of the most exciting cosmic runs in years. Free from its responsibilities toward Annihilation: Conquest the book rockets straight into conflict with Galactus and the Silver Surfer, wasting no time in keeping this a must-read title.

It’s great to see Abnett & Lanning cut loose with a story like this after having so many pieces to consider during Conquest, and Wellington Alves pulls his weight formidably as usual. New Nova cover artist Alex Maleev has also been proven masterful right out the gate. This remains one of the best looking, most well written comics available.

The issue is very well done and is impressive in its ability to balance a true sense of global panic, chaos, and destruction in wake of Galactus’ attack while yet showing restraint in how much it gives the reader all at once. There’s even time set aside to debate questions of morality and justice without even getting into the typical need-for-a-world-eater discussion.

Nova is such an exciting read, and if you’ve somehow ignored all the good press up until now, this is the perfect time to jump on. You don’t need to know anything about the character to dive in here and find something to enjoy. This issue was very good, but be sure to put money down on next months installment as it’s looking to be even better. Great stuff.

Punisher War Journal #19
Marvel
Writing: Matt Fraction and Rick Remender
Pencils, Inks: Howard Chaykin
Colors: Edgar Delgado, Jesus Aburto
Cover: Alex Maleev
Editing: Aubrey Sitterson
3/5

This recent arc of Punisher War Journal has shown the book to be slipping from the high bar it set for itself a few months back with the psychotic cartoon circus that was the Kraven the Hunter storyline.

More straightforward and serious lately, it’s still entertaining but feels like it’s lugging more dead weight than usual. The dialogue is smooth and effective but tends to lack the snap of typical Fraction work, including what we’ve seen from him on this title in the past. It’s not simply that the series’ change in tone leaves one pining for the sillier attitude of the aforementioned Kraven arc, but that the work itself just doesn’t come across with the passionate enthusiasm it once did.

The inclusion of a second writer, Remender, suggests that Fraction is either transitioning off the title to focus on his growing workload elsewhere, or is distracted with launching and concluding bigger projects for the time being. Either way, without him firing on all cylinders this is just a slightly better than usual run-of-the-mill Punisher title. It’s still a decent read for fans of the character but is increasingly losing its status as a sleeper-must-read for the rest of us.

Amazing Spider-Man #558
Marvel
Writing: Bob Gale
Pencils, Cover: Barry Kitson
Inks: Mark Farmer
Colors: Hanning, Mila
Editing: Stephen Wacker, Tom Brennan
2/5

Wow. This was just terrible. Bob Gale’s first arc revealed him as the least impressive of the new ‘Spidey Braintrust,’ and by the third page of this issue he make that abundantly clear once again. Very abundantly. He’s more than the weakest link. His dialogue is unbearably archaic, though somehow not nearly as bad as his thought bubbles which compel your brain to shut down and stop reading almost instantly.

So many things included here are so grossly tired you wonder how this wasn’t horrifically painful to write, and how in the hell it ever made it to press. Peter’s fears of being unmasked? Doc Conners feeling inadequate with only one arm? Everything the villains and well, every character, has to say? It truly feels you’re reading a bad Spidey comic from twenty or more years ago.

Prior to this, Zeb Wells had salvaged the Amazing ship from Gale’s initial blunderous arc by delivering three of the most fun Spidey comics we’ve seen in years. He and Bachalo’s issues had many fans feeling legitimately optimistic about the direction of the series and the prospects for the future. Gale stomps those feeling out with incredible vigor here and this issue is leaps and bounds worse than the lackluster arc we’ve already seen from him. Unfortunately it’s looking more and more like cherry picking Amazing based on who’s writing it may be the way to go, and it’s a shame considering how impressive or at least serviceable everyone else has been so far. Gale may be a good writer elsewhere, but this was just too frustrating for him to be given many more chances and hopefully he’s switched off the Spidey team sometime…immediately. At least Kitson was around to give us something pretty to look at.

Mighty Avengers #13
Marvel
Pencils, Inks: Alex Maleev
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Cover: Marko Djurdjevic
Editing: Tom Brevoort, Molly Lazer
3.5/5

It’s very rarely true that a title being hijacked for a major event makes it better than usual, but in the case of Mighty Avengers it has led to what are easily the two most interesting installments of the series’ entire run. Seeing Nick Fury back in action is very exciting, as is finding out what he’s been up to all these months. This issue has less of him than the last, but he's around enough to keep things tingling.

Cut loose from the Avengers baggage Bendis is free to let things breathe a little, and in a comic with Mighty on the cover it’s quite refreshing. The concept in motion here is a fun one and Bendis’ playful dialogue gets a chance to be its charming self without being surrounded by convoluted stupidity.

Alex Maleev, who’s been incredible on cover designs lately, does a fantastic job and it’s hard to believe he hasn’t gotten any interior work since his time on Daredevil. For a book oft-saddled with the embarrassing Frank Cho, Maleev’s time here is a moment to cherish. Cho, for the record, has absolutely zero business getting work with Marvel and hopefully doesn’t show up on any other books if Mark Bagley is indeed slated to take over this series following Secret Invasion.

It’s surprising how good these Avengers tie-ins have been, particularly in the case of Mighty. Frankly they’re nearly as interesting as the main event thus far. Bendis is better when he’s not having to find things for dozens of overpowered or uninteresting characters to do, and it’s nice to be reminded that there was a time when the majority of his work was a pleasure to read.

Secret Invasion #2
Marvel
Writing: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Leinil Yu
Inks: Mark Moralez
Colors: Laura Martin
Cover: Gabriele Dell’Otto
Editing: Tom Brevoort, Molly Lazer
4/5

About a third of this issue was heroes fighting doppelganger versions of themselves which was slightly disorienting, as it was supposed to be, but at this point heroes vs. heroes is all played out and just annoying, which was probably less intentional. There were so many two page splash images that it felt very much like space and time were being wasted. The ‘who’s a skrull!?’ antics go back and forth between intriguing and aggravating all issue and hopefully we soon reach a point where ‘who do you trust?’ takes a bit of a backseat to some actual story progression. These elements can be forgiven at this point and chalked up to making things new-reader friendly, but driving them home much more is going to start raising serious doubts about the overall quality of the event.

The whole thing did feel less exploitative of the initial concept by the end of the issue though and it effectively stirred the desire to read more and see what happens next. To forego mentioning that there are some terrific moments scattered throughout wouldn’t be fair. Held up against World War Hulk or any of DC’s recent events this is on a whole different playing field. From here things may get more interesting as Bendis’ set-up has been pretty well done and complaints about repetitive themes by those of us who’ve been following them for months may fade away. The ball is definitely rolling and there are enough pieces in play that we’re likely in store for some issues with more substance and less space-filling art and driving home of the same paranoia.

Secret Invasion may not be anything incredible yet, but it’s still certainly full of that potential. Marvel’s planning and structuring of this event up to this point has been tremendous and with six issues remaining there’s still a lot of time for the series to say and do some big things. Here’s hoping most the small insightful (important/interesting) details aren’t left to the tie-in side stories.

Logan #3
Marvel Knights
Writing: Brian K Vaughan
Pencils, Inks, Cover: Eduardo Risso
Colors: Dean White
Editing: Axel Alonso, Daniel Ketchum
4/5

Though it may be slightly unreasonable, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed with this series. Looking back I’m not sure what I was expecting considering it was always slated to be a mere three issues, but with the talent involved it was easy to anticipate something mind blowing and legendary. What we got instead was something very simple and humbly low-aiming, yet altogether wonderful in its own way once you've had time to reflect upon it.

BKV explores a single moment that had deep implications within this character’s heart and uses it to paint upon a three issue canvas the picture of a man stuck halfway between darkness and light. A man whose warmest memories are at the same time his darkest. It’s a poignant portrait, elegantly presented with simplicity and incredibly beautiful art. Risso’s pencils and White’s watercolors come together to make one of the most breathtaking presentations I’ve seen in superhero comics in a long while, and their work alone was worth the price of admission.

This was a moving little series, and though it may not have been the landmark revelatory moment in the character’s publishing history we may all have been hoping for, it’s still one we should be very pleased to have nonetheless.

~~More Coming Soon~~

April 30 Reviews Part Two

Thor: Ages of Thunder
Marvel
Writing: Matt Fraction
Pencils: Patrick Zircher, Khari Evans
Inks: Patrick Zircher, Jelana Kevic Djurdjevic
Cover: Marko Djurdjevic
Editor: Warren Simons, Alejandro Arbona
5/5

When Matt Fraction first came to Marvel and they asked which properties he was interested in working on he responded, “Anything but Thor.” He’s said in interviews that he didn’t like, know much about, or really care for the character in any way. This, of course, makes him the perfect man to be writing this series of one-shots. The investment he had to make in finding what makes Thor matter came from a place of doubt, and as such – he’s found real heart and relevance in the character.

I, also, don’t care about Thor. Never have. Quite frankly I think literary characters like Thor, Hercules, and the like have no place being in modern superhero comic universes. The whole premise seems more stupid and outlandish than superhero comic universes themselves. But as Fraction examines the Asgardian god throughout history I can’t help but realize that, dammit, he’s going to change my mind as he has his own.

Fraction makes these mythical lands and gods accessible even to those who are wholly unfamiliar with them. Yet there’s enough sneaky details throughout to please those highly versed in their lore. The man is a bastion of detail. He easily establishes a tone and voice that honors the traditions of these characters of legend, but that also makes them fresh, youthful and with the energy of the modern day.

This first issue reveals more about Thor as a character than most comics I’ve read, and does it quickly and easily without even spending much time with him at all. Simply by showing us the world he inhabits, with a few brief glimpses of where he falls within it, we’re able to discern much of who this son of Odin is without being specifically told outright. The entire thing is just exquisitely delivered and one can’t help but wonder – what can’t Matt Fraction do?

Much needs to be said of the art here as well, as it’s absolutely beautiful and gives the issue a degree of majesty and grandeur that couldn’t be achieved through words alone. Every detail is intricately rendered and results in the type of product you’re proud to own.

I don’t like Thor. I’ve often made it a point to feel this way. Every time his name comes up in the Marvel U I find my eyes rolling and that I'm angry he’s being brought back into the mix. Then Fraction comes along and does this, and rattles my foundations. I’ll probably read this several more times over the next week. How dare he.

Avengers: The Initiative #12
Marvel
Writing: Dan Slott, Christos Gage
Pencils, Inks, Colors, Cover: Steve Uy
Editor: Tom Brevoort
3.5/5

The key thing that’s working well here is the idea that there are visible repercussions for the events taking place in superhero comics. How many dozens of times have we seen New York, for example, utterly destroyed and reduced to mere rubble only for it to be back in fully functional condition a Wednesday later? Sentiment in these books seems to be that once the bad-guy is down the day is won. Much is said about the damages being done by enemies along the way, but once they’re defeated the impact of such destruction seems to go by the wayside. Real life doesn’t function this way, and although comic book universes clearly aren’t real life, it’s nice to see some of these realities added to the formula.

The Initiative-era Marvel books in particular are making strides to embrace the notion of the Marvel U being realistic and as close to reality as possible and, I would argue, to successful ends. New comic readers today are flocking to Marvel’s new status quo – not the DCU which is loved fervently by long time fans and those nostalgic for old fashioned comic fare but that isn’t picking up much of a new youthful audience. The uninitiated reader wants titles that appeal to them and the world they live in, and issues like this one help get Marvel one step closer to making their universe have that type of believability.

There are some quibbles though. The idea of these characters ‘graduating’ at this stage seems slightly ridiculous considering the training regiment we saw them undergo was nothing more than a series of frenzied unorganized death filled disasters. The issue suggests that, though this is true, what could better prepare these characters for a life as super heroes? Yet it ignores that avoiding this type of chaos was the exact argument made to justify creating the Initiative in the first place. The conflict between members of the superhero brass does, however, dampen this complaint as it implies that Slott understands these inconsistencies and intends to address them sometime later on.

Plot dissection aside, the issue is well written and flows nicely. The narrative is edited together well and Slott/Gage continue to balance a considerable load of story threads without leaving the reader confused, and they do so without resorting to constant unnatural explanations. If there’s a major complaint to raise against the issue it would unfortunately have to be the art, which looks decent enough but without distinctive costumes and being referenced by name characters are incredibly difficult to recognize as the ones portrayed for eleven issues previous to this.

Avengers: Initiative has been a very enjoyable title so far, and seems to be widely embraced by audiences. Seeing these characters move forward and begin being placed around the country is an exciting transition, and it’ll be fun to see where things go from here.

New Avengers #40
Marvel
Writing: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: John Dell
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Cover: Aleksi Briclot
Editor: Tom Brevoort
3.5/5

Well whatya know. A tie-in that actually enhances a major event. Color everyone refreshed.

Bendis has lots of intriguing moments here and succeeds in giving the Skrulls some much needed development and sense of purpose. He ends on a reveal that actually has implications and raises a lot of questions, and even manages to incorporate a few tongue-in-cheek moments in an otherwise serious issue, such as the Skrulls referring to their plans as ‘the initiative,’ a statement that certainly didn’t escape giggles along the line in Marvel’s editing process. This was a highly enjoyable issue that effectively fleshes out their current major event.

There is a sense though, that Bendis overly pussyfoot baby’s-first-steps the reader thru this material. A great deal of time is needlessly spent essentially explaining that much won’t be explained when time could be better spent in other arenas. It’s probably a safe assumption that the average comic reader is used to accepting things like ‘DNA augmentation’ and cloning without asking too many questions. Trying to justify such unspecific explanations by having them repeatedly restated with bigger words does nothing to improve the story or change that we’re really not getting a creative clarification; it only wastes opportunity to give readers more substantial information. Spending more time with the state of Skrullian culture or their sociological mindset would have been more interesting and valuable.

Overall though, Secret Invasion continues to be the best large scale plan Marvel has presented in a long time. Hopefully the main series itself will have plenty of payoff and not let-down after such fantastic peripheral planning. Only time will tell but so far this seems to be the best of Marvel’s recent conga line of universe spanning events.

Proof #7
Image
Writing: Alex Grecian
Pencils, Inks, Cover: Riley Rossmo
Colors: Fiona Staples, Frazer Irving
4/5

More of an action/suspense outing for a series that typically makes time for slower introspective moments; this month’s issue of Proof manages to really get the blood moving. It does, however, manage to sneakily (but not all that subtly) develop the characters despite the issue’s action heavy design, including a scene in which we get to see Proof remind us that somewhere inside him are some brutally vicious animalistic instincts.

There are a bunch of great moments of dialogue, many of which benefit greatly from the expanded implementation of the cryptoid boxes, now more frequently being used to supplement dialogue in a straightforward manner as well as dispensing trivia. Grecian has always demonstrated impressive control over his characters voices, but he’s increasingly coming into his own as a master of timing. Everything here is very meticulously paced to effectively deliver whatever his intentions are, be they humor or tension.

There’s lots of suspense this issue and it feels like a welcome reminder that we’re currently entering the summer blockbuster season. Proof is equal parts X-Files and Michael Crighton. The who’s good, who’s bad, what’s what conspiracy aspects work well. They do, unfortunately, happen to set up a cliffhanger ending that feels like a bit too much and robs the series of, believe it or not, some of its realness and believability. There was also some disappointment that we didn’t get to see any baby dinosaurs this time, but that may be a personal problem.

All in all this is a good continuation of a very promising new series that deserves far more attention than it has been getting. It’s difficult to believe that there aren’t more comic readers out there interested in seeing Bigfoot work for the FBI, particularly when it’s this much fun. C’mon people – you can’t deny this is right up your alley.

April 30 Reviews

Ex Machina #36
Wildstorm
Writing: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils: Tony Harris
Inks: Jim Clark
Colors: JD Mettler
Cover: Tony Harris, JD Mettler
Editor: Ben Abernathy, Kristy Quinn
4.5/5

A wonderful return to form for a title that should get ten times the acclaim, attention and sales numbers as it does. Long operating in the shadow of the monumentally popular Y: The Last Man, the spectacle of intelligent entertainment that is Ex Machina has always been far more rewarding in execution than it's premise suggests it would be -- much like Y was. Vaughan's greatest skill is making his characters real and easy to relate to despite the slightly absurd circumstances they inhabit, and the cast of Machina is a perfect example of this. Mayor Hundred is one of the most believable characters in comics right now, approached only by members of Scalped, occassional moments in DMZ, and too-introspective-to-read very indie titles. Opening an issue of this title and seeing these characters for the first time in weeks is a physical relief. It's like coming home.

Recent arcs have, however, meandered a little and gotten (slightly) away from the heart of the book but here Vaughan brings the action back to New York, and the title back to it's basics -- watching this man suffer the realities of his life as well as ours, in ways both personal and political. If comic audiences could get past their preconceived notions about the series' foundations they'd realize just how much there is for them to find in these pages. Particularly fans of Y, as this issue finds Vaughan channeling some of that title's heartwarming humor he currently has no other outlet for.

Ex Machina is fantastic. Vaughan makes the outlandish seem topical and the American spirit more than a soundbite. If you've enjoyed anything the man has written (and who hasn't) then you'll undoubtedly find much of the same elation in aspects of what he's offering here. It will be very sad to see this one end.



The Immortal Iron Fist #14
Marvel
Writing: Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Tonci Zonjic, Clay Mann, Kano
Inks: Stefano Gaudiano
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Cover: Kaare Andrews
Editor: Warren Simons
5/5

Over the course of fourteen issues this story has grown into one of the most complex tales on the market. The recap page reads like a convoluted LSD-driven novella and the cast could pack a bus to the doors. So why the hell is it so easy to follow?

Because when Brubaker and Fraction come together they are a force not of this world. Very rarely has the history of superhero-type comic books put forth anything this absentmindedly intelligent, and yet these guys seem to produce as much on a near weekly basis with Immortal Iron Fist being the shiniest example. It boggles minds that something so rooted in overtly indulgent pulpiness could have the emotional depth and impact that this story and its characters do. No kung-fu book has any right being this good.

But it is. And in this conclusion to the aforementioned fourteen issue story arc, Fraction and Brubaker have crafted one of the most satisfying comic book conclusions I’ve ever read, particularly of those books involving spandex and self professing ninjas. The issue is perfectly paced and has a truly climactic feel, tying up dozens of plot threads and delivering evocatively on all of them. Even the complete absence of the tremendous regular artist David Aja doesn’t hurt the issue; his fill-ins more than step up to the plate. I can’t remember the last time a comic had this many double-wide splash pages and didn’t feel like it was desperately trying to fill up space and compensate for a lacking script. You can hear the events of these pages even without sound effect cues.

This revamping run of an otherwise disposable title will go down as one of the most impressive ever, and undoubtedly will be toted around and referenced by many for years to come. That we still get two more issues with these writers is a true blessing. Even the production in the covers is stomping out long boring hero-book status quos. What a gift this has been.

Ultimate Human #4
Marvel
Writing: Warren Ellis
Pencils, Inks: Cary Nord
Colors: Dave Stewart
Cover: Cary Nord, Richard Isanove
Editor: Bill Rosemann
3.5/5

There’s not much to say here. This concluding issue is entertaining, captures the characters personalities well enough, has some big explosions, takes about thirty seconds to read and will linger in memory for about as long.

It is though, the most I’ve enjoyed anything focusing on the Hulk in quite a while. Ellis gives him a very readable and funny voice, and I believe in the threat he poses much more than I do in other works. Nord was clearly selected for his fantastic Hulk drawings, which are the highlight of the book and fully deliver the character’s manic rage. Some of the other elements look a bit too bland with his washed out and muddy style, but they aren’t the point.

This was a fun little mini that probably reads better end-to-end than individually over time, and is well worth checking out if you can find the issues on the cheap somewhere. It certainly didn’t reinvent, improve upon, or dress up the wheel in any way but it definitely towed the line. Considering the state of the Ultimate U, this is satisfying. Considering the capabilities of the engineer behind the thing, it’s slightly less so.

Mice Templar #4
Image
Story: Bryan J.L. Glass & Michael Avon Oeming
Writing: Bryan J.L. Glass
Pencils, Inks, Cover: Michael Avon Oeming
Colors: Wil Quintana
Editor: Judy Glass, Will Swyer
4/5

With the lack of quality fantasy titles on the shelves right now it’s easy to really want to know what the hell is going on in this book, and with some diligence and extra invested focus on the reader’s part it’s possible. In general though it’s a bit difficult to just dive into this world every few months, despite helpful overviews, and not find oneself feeling an initial bit of bewilderment. It’s not that the plot is too dense, though it’s certainly jammed full of legends and lore, but that the writing itself is a bit muddled. Glass struggles to maintain a balance between keeping a comprehensible readability while still having the characters speak in fantasy appropriate tongues.

That said, this is a good story if you’re able to invest the patient, slow, and perhaps repeated reads necessary to decipher its many subtleties. It's chock full of wonderful ideas, depth and a wealth of richness. Once you’re past the learning curve required each issue it’s hard to not become sucked in and wanting more. The art adds immensely to this desire, as it’s fantastic to behold, and the coloring enhances the mood even further, this time stepping past some of last issue’s glaring missteps. It’s very, very, pretty to look at.

Mice Templar is easy to love despite being slightly frustrating. If you haven’t the time for ‘epic’ 30,000 page fantasy novels any longer but still yearn for them, this does a fine service to help fill the void. Please support this title so we can see more of its kind.

Black Summer #6
Avatar
Writing: Warren Ellis
Pencils, Inks, Cover: Juan Jose Ryp
Colors: Mark Sweeney, Greg Waller
Editor: William Christensen
4.5/5

If Ellis’ work on this week’s Ultimate Human felt fun, loose, and weightless – this is the exact opposite. What initially looked to be a big sledgehammer of over-the-top politicking has actually turned out to be a good deal more. As much as it does fill that role, it’s equally about the state of being people in this day in age. It’s about the depths of these characters’ humanity, what the hell that might mean, the range and effects of their perceptions and they actions they take as a result.

And by actions I don’t refer to the flashy shock-laden event that opened the series. This is one where there is more than initially meets the eye. The feeling that we’ve not yet seen the whole picture of who these people are, and what’s actually happening, has been forcefully pushing itself out of all this gorgeous carnage and thankfully it’s turning out to be more than just a hopeful inkling.

A lot of Ellis’ indie work feels like he’s just throwing ideas against the wall, ceiling, floor, door, counter, sink, and so forth without much concern for whether they stick or not. This time though, he’s found some things worth slinging and has managed to get me far more interested in his upcoming No Hero title than any of his other Avatar books have managed. Ellis is very hit-and-miss, but the impact here is resounding.

The Order #10
Marvel
Writing: Matt Fraction
Breakdowns, Pencils, Inks: Kitson, Saltares, Hanna, Olazaba, Nelson
Colors: J. Roberts, Wil Quintana
Cover: Barry Kitson
Editor: Alejandro Arbona
3.5/5

Los Angeles has been tearing itself apart for years. Fraction moves to exaggerate this reality in the final issue of the oft-praised but short-lived Order. The series ends on an expressive tone. Lives are lost. Characters are chocked up. People let their emotions get the best of them. It’s good, but it’s not the mind-blow most of us were expecting to receive.

Frankly it feels the title could have used one more issue to say goodbye. It doesn’t necessarily feel like Fraction had his knees chopped from under him, or that he jumped ship – it’s a satisfying conclusion – but it doesn’t pack the wallop it could have. Some of the issue’s (and by implication the title’s) biggest points are laxly tossed on the table and rooted thru only on a surface level. Things would have benefited greatly from some more of Fraction’s grossly entertaining saying-nothing-while-saying-everything streams of drawn out dialog that only show up fleetingly this time around. The issue feels void of personality and depth which with Fraction are usually the same thing. This isn’t to say it wasn’t good, it just wasn’t great – which was the bar The Order had set for itself.

It’s sad to see this book go, but with this slightly less than stellar issue it’s easier now to turn our eyes to the absurdly exciting prospect of having Fraction on Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men, two of Marvel’s biggest titles. Rarely, if ever, has there been a writer that’s been propelled to the top-tier properties this quickly, and it couldn’t be more exciting. The Order may be gone, but its spirit can’t die; because its spirit was Fraction and Fraction keeps rising.