Comic Book Wednesday Part 1: Marvel

So hey, it's CBW again and as such I feel inclined to report/review the comics I read today and dug. Starting with Marvel...

NAMOR: THE FIRST MUTANT #1
Words by: Stuart Moore
Art by: Ariel Olivetti
As some of you found out the other day... I love Namor. He is a hero, but a raging dickhead at the same time.... what's not to love? And when I found out he was getting a series I was sold, and then I found out he'll be taking on underwater Vampires... I was tempted to buy two copies. Overall this issue doesn't do a lot more than set up the story, but being as this looks to be an awesome story, the exposition was of the same type. Namor returns to the water (he's still with the X-Men, though) and immediately begins bad-assing things up. Like a sub aquatic John Wayne he rides in, rounds up a posse, and heads off to fight the Vampires, which he does, in the process recovering the head of Count Chocula Dracula. The issue ends with the Vamps regrouping and deciding they are going to have to teach ole Pointy Ears a lesson. Moore (not Alan sadly) paints a great story, playing up Namor's ego and his heroic side (at the same time!) and the art by Olivetti is dark and gritty, perfect for this book because it's about vampires... and it's deep under water. I am pretty pumped for issue 2.

Dr. Brooklyn says: LIKE this issue (9/10)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #609
Words by Ed Brubaker
Art by Butch Guice
Let me start by saying Steve rogers is Captain America. Not in this book, but n my heart Steve Rogers will always be Cap. BUT, Brubaker still writes a damn fine Cap story, even if the cap is Bucky. This story finds us in the penultimate issue of an arc that pits Bucky against Zemo and his demons, I'm hoping that this means Steve will wield the shield soon, but for now I'm content with Bucky. Back on topic, Bucky goes to face Zemo, fights him and gets beaten because Zemo's a cheater (Zemo doesn't play by the rules? But I thought all guys in purple hoods were on the up and up, like X the Eliminator) The issue ends, sort of abruptly in my opinion, with Zemo taking Bucky to the island n the English Channel where Winter Soldier was born, setting up a damn fine showdown betwixt our current shield slinger and the current Zemo. The writing was good, but it felt a little too much like it was aware it's only set up, and I want issues like this to feel like their own story, not just filler. Still, Brubaker s one of my favorite writers and I did have fun with this issue.

Dr. Brooklyn says: LIKE this issue (8/10)

SHADOWLAND: MOONKNIGHT
Words by: Gregg Hurwitz
Art by: Bong Dazo
This is a great Moonknight story... but a lame SL tie in. Hurwitz, who writes the character in Vengeance of the Moonknight, only writes 7 pages with SL material... the rest plays out like a VotMK tale, which is alright with me because I love that series. My issue becomes the lack of true tie-in material. All the other tie-ins have been extensions of the SL issues and the DD issues, this seems like it's own beast, with enough connection. Frankly it's like Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup, the headline says Chicken, but all you get is noodles with a piece or two of chicken. But, that's the end of my qualms with this issue. There is the introduction of a new MK villain, MK's girlfriend reveals she's pregnant, we get to see MK wrestling with Khonshu's influence, and much more which makes me wish this was VotMK #11 instead of a tie-in, but still it's one of the best SL things I've read so far.

Dr. Brooklyn says: LIKE this issue (9/10) 

I'm sure you're now noticing I've been giving out 9's like Oprah, but thank goodness BMB is here so I can give a not 9 score (well, other than that 8 I gave)

ULTIMATE: MYSTERY 2 (of 4)
Words by: Brian Michael Bendis
Art by: Rafa Sandoval

I don't like Bendis. Mostly because his work on Ultimate X-Men (following Millar) but i just think he thinks he's got Tarantino's ear for dialogue... he doesn't. And there are several exchanges in this issue that show that. What is intended to be sharp and witty comes of as snarky (not in a good way like Joel McHale, but a bad way like Chelsea Handler). If you read Ultimate Enemy and issue one this book is worth the read, because it does further the plot a bit, but there are four pages of just explosion, two each to two explosions, and the plot seems forced and not very well mapped out.

Dr. Brooklyn says: PASS this issue (5/10)

So here's what I read from Marvel this week, and Namor and Vengeance of the Moonknight SL:MK were some of the best this week had to offer (from all four companies I read this week, but the true true winner is coming later) Stay tuned!