Last week, it happened. Marvel finally ended the event that kicked off their line-wide All-New All-Different relaunch when they released Secret Wars #9. We had an in-depth review on the comic, but will be continuing our Marvel review series under a familiar moniker; The Marvel Rundown. We took out those annoying adjectives, but will continue to spotlight new books in the line. This week, Marvel’s comics feature fan-favorite character Captain Marvel with a new creative team and the return of Dan Slott’s epic(ly amazing) Silver Surfer series.
Without further ado it’s time for the (All-Old, Not-New) Marvel Rundown!
Captain Marvel #1
Writers: Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters Artist: Kris Anka
Colors: Matthew Wilson Letters: VC’s Joe Caramagna
When Marvel decided to put a brand new creative team behind Captain Marvel, they made a smart decision by picking Marvel veteran Kris Anka (Uncanny X-Men) to draw the comic. Tapping Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters (Marvel’s Agent Carter) as series writers was a massive success as well. Fazekas and Butters wisely continue to employ the inner dialogue captions that Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel) utilized to make Carol a relatable character. Similar to all of the new Marvel titles, this comic adds some new wrinkles to Carol’s story while keeping its core the same, offering something for new fans and old. As has been tirelessly reported by the different news outlets, we now have confirmation that Carol is hanging out with the various members of Alpha Flight. It’s refreshing to finally see an outlet for these unique characters, and Fazekas and Butters seem to have a good handle on them. This title also lets us peek at what’s new for Abigail Brand. It’s a little early on this comic to make an official recommendation, but based on this first issue I’m excited to read more.
It’s interesting to see Fazekas and Butters transition from TV to comics (river normally flows in the other direction), but it seems like more and more TV and film writers are making the jump to sequentials. That said, it should seem like a natural fit, but you’d be surprised at how little television writers get the transition to comic books right. Thankfully Fazekas and Butters do not disappoint.
Verdict: Buy!
I’m finally happy to pick up a new issue of Captain Marvel.
Silver Surfer #1
Storytellers: Dan Slott and Michael Allred
Colors: Laura Allred Letters: VC’s Joe Sabino
It’s excellent to finally have Silver Surfer back. The story from Dan Slott (She-Hulk) and Michael Allred (Madman) has continued to be one of the best and quirkiest titles in the All-New, All-Different Marvel line. While a lot of the All-New, All-Different Marvel! books are nice and quirky, they don’t have some of the same flavors of the All-New NOW! comics and I’m really happy to see the rest of these comics that are still around from that era still exude the same engaging tone. Also, it’s hard to have long runs on characters in comics really sustain themselves overtime. I’m happy to report that Slott and Allred are still telling the stuff of your weirdest, most perverse dreams in Silver Surfer. The comic still deals with some adult themes, but it wisely shies away from some of the weird very adult themes from other comics.
Slott’s newest Silver Surfer arc differs from his previous work in subtle ways, but retains the charm of previous installments through interesting plot diversions. This might be the one single Silver Surfer issue with the most popular culture references ever told. There are interesting subplots and villainous developments seeded in this issue that will hopefully lead to some interesting places in future issues. This is a really strong comic that sets up a strong foundation for the Surfer going ahead, but Slott has already spent a lot of time with these characters.
Once again, I would be really hesitant to give this comic to a new reader because of all the setup and character interaction from previous issues. This is a number #1 that isn’t really #1 (as is so often the case with these new Marvel comics.)
Verdict: Buy!
Dan Slott continues working his magic with Silver Surfer. We’re just here to reap the rewards.
Being a fan of Carol Danvers going back to her first solo comic and Avenger days, I’ll always give her books a shot. That said, while I liked Brian Reed’s book, the inconsistent art and Moonstone taking over the book left me feeling like it should’ve been better. I can only assume that I’m not a fan of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s writing style because I dropped both of her volumes after a few issues. I’ll give this one a try. Having Alpha Flight (Byrne’s 20+ issues being among my favorite comics of all time) can’t hurt.
Not really interested in this version of the Silver Surfer though.
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