Hulk #1 by R. John Burke @ Marvel 2000- http://m2k.omegacen.com/hulk/HU01.html
John captures the tortured psyche of Bruce Banner well here. As the first issue of a well-liked character’s, he didn’t have to establish much and had the freedom to jump right into action. That was a good choice by John.
The story: The Hulk is kidnapped by a mysterious group who sedate him to capture his rage. While sedated, Banner, Savage, Fixit and the Professor have a bit of a sit down that ends badly (which means some smashing!).
The good: John does action very well. Although in the first scene, it’s largely implied, the reactions from a distance fill us in on what just happened, and the couple scenes of full-on action are fantastic.
Another great thing John does is the battle in Banner’s mind. The Hulk is largely an allegory of a man battling his inner beast, and you see that here. Banner and the Professor are both voices of reason, while Fixit doesn’t care and, of course, the Savage Hulk just wants to smash. The personalities of each show what they personify in Bruce’s mind.
The bad: There are a few minor errors here and there that could use a good proofread. Pretty basic stuff and quite minor.
My main gripe though is the villains of the piece. The only descriptions we get are that they have six arms and are not human. So what are they? What do they look like beyond the six arms? How about a little bit more than a tease about their culture? And what the hell are they doing on Earth? Hopefully this will be addressed in future issues.
Overall: Well paced, great characterizations, and mysterious villains (that might be a little too mysterious). Good job for a first issue.
Rating: 3.5 Punches Thrown
Gotham: City of the Dead #1 by Chris Paugh @ DC2 http://idlewilder.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=gothammini&action=display&thread=1159938350
I think I came across DC2 one other time a long time ago. The site was brand new, and nothing really caught my eye. When Des Davies reviewed their JSA, it caught my eye and I read a few of their series. The one that caught my eye was the completed mini Gotham: City of the Dead.
First, DC2 is doing something really great by having a cover for each of their books. It adds character to the site, particularly with covers such as City of the Dead’s- all four are movie homages (three of which are horror movies, and for some reason… Gone with the Wind…). My biggest problem with the site is the jarring changes in background color between scenes. Each issue is a message board thread, and each scene is a separate reply, alternating between red and blue. It’s a cool idea, but it can get quite annoying. I’d suggest something a bit more muted.
Enough about the mechanics of the site, how about the issue?
The story: Chris creates an eerie scene for the first issue of the mini, with a kidnapping, equipment going missing from WayneTech and Kord Omniversal and a link to the Scarecrow.
The good: Chris captures the feel of a Batman story right off the bat (pardon the pun). It’s dark, mysterious and it draws you right in. He also is able to get the personalities of Batman and Blue Beetle down well and sets up enough of a mystery that you want more.
The bad: Hooo boy… This issue needed a good proofread. There were quite a few spelling errors that the editors should have caught, including one of the most common I’ve noticed- quit not quite. I don’t know why it’s a common error, but this is not the first story I’ve seen it in and it won’t be the last.
Next, show don’t tell. Yes, I’m guilty of this too sometimes, and I’m working on it myself, but it’s worth pointing out. In the first scene, we’re introduced to a drug addict. How do we know? He’s introduced as “Drug addict John Doe…” Show us that he’s an addict- talk about coming off a high, looking for a fix, show paraphernalia around the apartment.
Another fairly big gripe- the first scene. Where the hell did the zombies come from and why didn’t we see them again? After that scene, I wanted more zombies or at least a hint of them!!
Lastly, personalities were a bit off. Ted Kord wouldn’t usually get mad enough to randomly punch Bruce Wayne in the face. Batman wouldn’t punch Blue Beetle just to get even. There were a few other things, but those were two big examples of what I mean.
Oh, and on a non-story related note- why use the Jason X homage this issue when neither Doctor Destiny nor Batgirl appear? Why not use one of the homages featuring Batman from later issues? Not a big deal really though.
Overall: Good story, but the mechanics can use some work. I did enjoy it, but Chris has some things he can do to improve.
Rating: 3 punches thrown.
Thanks for joining me! I’m looking forward to doing Brawl Tells All on a regular basis, and I hope you’re in for the long haul!