NAMOR THE BEST DEFENSE #1 MARVEL COMICS
While I was impressed by Marvel going back to its roots and recreating the Defenders in a way that reflected their original starting point, I quickly grew confused and annoyed. Namor the Invader, the Avenger, the X-men all seem to be gone and he’s devolved into the infantile half man that was prone to temper tantrums. And while Chip Zdarsky’s story is the perfect telling of that character, it makes me wonder what happened to all those years of Namor. Namor’s own rage basically gets him killed until the intervention of the Silver Surfer’s Board? This gathering of heroes is all over the board and don’t even get me started about the guy in the sheet. I lived through the Elf with a Gun. I give it a 6 out of 10 Grahams.
SHAZAM! #1 DC COMICS
This was surprisingly not as bad as I thought. With the movie on the horizon and the previews for it being somewhat awful, I had little hope for this new title. But Dale Eaglesham’s art of the Rock of Eternity are amazing. Geoff Johns story brings up a lot of Captain Marvel’s past incarnations (including Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny) and I really, really want to know Mike Atiyeh manages to mix that perfect combination of whites and blues to make the lightning seem to glow on the page. While not an overall blockbuster, this title is off to a good start and enough to keep you entertained. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
BREAKNECK #1 HARD CASE CRIME COMICS
After the last Hard Case title, another is definitely worth checking out. And again, the creative team does not disappoint. Duane Swierczynski’s story of Joe Hayward’s really bad day is a great start to a mystery. What starts out as a simple revenge beating of his wife’s lover goes extremely sideways and now Joe’s literally left holding the bag. The story has a great appeal to it and I must admit wondering what is Joe going to do next and how can he save the world. I give it a 9 out of 10.
