Silver Surfer: In Thy Name #3by Simon Spurrier (w) and Tan Eng Huat (art)Well, after two issues, I can finally say that I'm used to Tan Eng Huat's art, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Blech, not fitting for the Surfer at all.
The plot gets deeper, as the Surfer realizes that no one is innocent in the world. Some very fitting exposition for him ensues plus - a cameo by Shalla Bal!
I give this issue 3 out of 5 Powers Cosmic. One deducted because oy, this has been done before (Silver Surfer: Requiem #3, anyone?)
Hack/Slash #7
by Tim Seeley and Rebekah Isaacs
If you haven't read an issue before, Hack/Slash is about Cassie Hack and her pal Vlad's never-ending quest to prevent slashers (ie: Freddie Krueger) from menacing the world. It has a delightful tongue-in-cheek tone about it, poking fun at B-movies and the eighties.
The three-parter Tub Club kicks off, with a) gratuitous lesbionic magic rituals, b) sub-plot with Cassie becoming more social, and c) Vlad feeling isolated.
In other words, a nice beginning. I can't really say much (this being a first part-er), so I'll stop there. I miss Emily Stone's art, though. It doesn't look like she'll be in the rest of the arc =(.
No gratuitous shower scenes out of none, because this is just the first part.
Howard the Duck #4by Ty Templeton and Juan Bobillo WaAaugh! After a lackluster third issue, it all comes together in the finale for the miniseries!
The premise is great in itself: you take a talking duck, put him on an internet video, and you watch the nation set aflame over the media rage. Howard and his satiric tone are taken to the modern age.
In this issue, Howard is freed from the zoo when an ex-theatre director (Howard's viral video on MeTube erased all other forms of entertainment!) poses as the Glory Hound to try to become the new media sensation. He attracts the crowd by dispersing anthrax (which is really talcum power!) and Howard is freed!
Chaos ensues: Shark Week on National Geographic! Proton Anti-Proton Blasting madness! Duck-MODOT showdown! Howard gets crucified on a TV screen!
This issue is why I read Howard. Four waaughs out of five. (I deduct one, because you still can't overlook the fact that in Civil War: Choosing Sides, the government decided that Howard didn't exist! You'd need a hefty suspension of disbelief in order to see the viral video of a duck that doesn't exist.)
A new status quo for Howard, as well! The government makes Howard an American citizen with American rights! I wonder how that'll play out next time Marvel decides to write Howard. . .And while I have you. . . check out the first eight pages of BND
The first two pages confirm it for me: The Peter I grew up with, the Peter who was my role model is not here. It disturbs me that Peter is narrating like a teenager. It disturbs me that Peter is making out in a nightclub. It disturbs me that Peter is robbing people (and if you're saying that it's okay, because it's to pay the bills, I can't agree with you. Peter -or at least the Peter I know- respects the law. Small-time jobs are not hard to find.)
I thought the splash page (with Spidey robbing the guy) was just a joke - I thought it was Steve Wacker poking fun at the money-grabbing aspect of BND.
There is hope though. Peter's being assertive in trying to find a job and move away from May. . . Maybe MJ/Jackpot helps Peter to rediscover his *actual* self? Maybe Peter redeems himself somehow?
Regardless of how OMD stank, Dan Slott definitely deserves some praise. There are some great easter eggs in the newspaper clippings on p7. There's a lot to notice. In the telecast, McNiven's Spidey isn't featured, but Jimenez's. Nifty.
I want MJ to save Spider-Man. I may be just a fan, but I believe in the two of them. I don't believe in supporting Quesada, but I believe in the two of them.
