Not for the young or faint-hearted The first issue nearly lost me, but the second and third have me firmly tied on board.
Remender’s writing is tight and tense, Craig’s art is edgy and Loughridge’s colours play a central role in a dark series.
A classic in the making.
9/10
Waid finishes Daredevil’s superhero life in New York, makes a nice transition to the new series set in San Francisco. Foggy’s fate is left hanging, but everything else is tied up neatly as you’d expect.
One of the better plots for the east to west coast move Marvel has done.
8/10
One of my favourite books of all time is Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel The Road. Following the story of a boy and his father as they make their way towards the ocean, it provided me with a sense of dread and despair that hasn’t been matched since, not even in its own 2009 film adaptation. Long stretches of hopelessness and misery prevail, making it an incredibly depressing and hard book to read. But every so often, McCarthy gives the characters a break, providing something incredibly small and taken for granted in the civilised world like a can of coke, and turns it into a powerful and heartwarming moment.
The Walking Dead, while almost certainly not operating on the same level of success, makes attempts to replicate this formula. It’s incredibly depressing and heavy in the first half of the season, especially the events in “The Grove”, broken by smaller moments – the candy bar bet and Glen and Maggie’s reunion come to mind in this weeks episode. But while the show makes a valiant effort at this juxtaposition, the multiple character trees make for a viewing whose pacing feels off.
Let’s start with one of the biggest plot points, but ultimately the least satisfying conclusion to a story arc – the Maggie and Glen reunion. What should have been a fairly large and momentous occasion feels weak and a little bit forced. That’s not the problem with the episode itself per se, nor is it with the actors themselves – it’s a matter of timing and characterisation. Over the course of the past seven episodes, their story features in three prior, so we aren’t given enough time to really feel their absence. Alongside this, Maggie and Glen aren’t given a hell of a lot of material this season outside of “we love each other”, the sole driver for their actions.
Another character who wasn’t really given a lot of characterisation over the past season was Daryl, at least until the past few episodes. Content in leaving him as a strong, loyal, rogue with a heart of gold character for much of this season, the past few episodes have really delved into what used to drive Daryl before the outbreak (traveling and doing the odd illegal job with Merle). That allowed for this episode’s team up with the gang that Rick had a run in with much more believable, with Joe stepping in as the family element that Daryl craves, albeit as more of a Merle type figure. While it will be obvious who Daryl decides to side with when they eventually meet up, it does allow for an interesting look at other dynamics that are less family focused.
While the moments of tension are welcome and a necessity in a show like this, The Walking Dead has its problems with pacing. So far the first half of the season was heavy with a fairly dark tone: the plague, Carol’s murder, and the Governor’s assault fairly relentless in execution. This second half feels less like an extended epilogue rather than a cohesive half, with a substantially lighter tone, bar last week’s fairly dark episode. It doesn’t feel like there’s a build to a proper climax that is worthy of the mid season, and while these character vignettes are welcome, the structure of the season feels off.
The Walking Dead took a larger risk this season, and risks are always welcome. I find that I harp on the show more than a lot of people, but I genuinely enjoy the fact that a show about zombies has made its way into the mainstream. The end of the world is a fantastic place, and the writers need to take more advantages and risks like this to keep the show fresh.
Besides, Terminus will get its due in the finale. Who wants to bet they are cannibals?
A couple of observations
Whilst walking around a country show, I spotted this little gem:
I’m assuming it’s non-legitimate merchandise or I’ve missed the memo about the merger??
As if there wasn’t enough horror in TWD – we now have The Mullet
There is nothing more terrifying than imagination in horror. Letting the audience fill in the gaps of what might have happened, rather than explicitly stating, is far more effective and ultimately more disturbing. The Walking Dead knows this – the baby carriage in “Too Far Gone” or the murder/suicide room in this week’s “Claimed” elicit a stronger emotion than any literal subject. The writers also know when to show their hand, and the reveal in “After” that baby Judith had in fact survived is a welcome one. But while “Inmates” included many reveals and hints at what to come, the intertwining storylines ultimately fell flat. In contrast, “Claimed” returns to the usual storytelling, and pulls back the scope to a smaller scale. The Walking Dead works best when it focuses on less, and these two episodes prove the shows strengths – and weaknesses.
“Inmates” splits its episode four ways, each running concurrent to the other, producing a series of vignettes. Picking up right where the midseason finale left off, it follows four separate groups as they reclaim their bearings. Beth and Daryl get the opening segment, fleeing from the prison. The sequence, while short and fairly inconsequential, is the most hopeless. Stumbling upon what they believe is the remains of the girls, they end up heading in the other direction. Both heartbreaking and frustrating, it helps to flesh out the world around them – instead of the usual everybody finding everybody by some weird television destiny, its great to see that these people won’t be finding each other anytime soon.
By far the most important sequence of the episode is the Carol/Tyrese/Girls/Judith one. Confirming the fate of Judith was welcome, but re-introducing Carol, and setting up a forward trajectory for the rest of the season was also surprising. Sanctuary comes to the forefront, and also presents an end goal for our band of heroes. Where this sequence became controversial was in its handling of Lizzie. In the shows attempts to build Lizzie as some form of psychopath, the character has seemed to found itself in a violent streak – killing rabbits and almost suffocating Judith. Look, I’m all for Lizzie to fulfill the role that was similarly brought forth in the comics, but infanticide – especially shown infanticide – is almost where I switched off. There are some lines in TV that I do not want crossed.
Regardless of content, “Inmates” doesn’t exactly impress with its storytelling. Glen’s segment starts strong with a lone survivor vibe, but when more survivors are introduced it feels like a retread of Maggie’s, which also feels weak. Beth and Daryl’s intro is marred by a melodramatic narration from Beth, and Carol’s segment would be incredibly dull without any of the reveals. “Inmates showcases that smaller and less dense stories aren’t the shows strong point.
“Claimed” returns to focusing on the 2-3 story-lines typical to the show. Rick finds himself under house invasion, with Michonne and Carl out bonding, while Glen and Tara, with newcomers Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita deciding on the next plan of attack. Bringing the focus back allows for the stories to breathe – the Michonne/Carl bonding would have felt rushed had it not had the time “Claimed” allowed it.
Abraham and Co. are given decent screen time for their debut, and they feel fully realised already. Abraham, while visually stereotyped as the macho, Rambo-esque character has a surprising amount of depth for the short time on screen, empathizing with Glen, and not even being the first punch in the subsequent fight. Eugene and Rosita aren’t given much more than a few moments screen time, but should they move on the same trajectory they could be a welcome addition to the cast.
Rick’s home invasion was the source of tension this episode, but it would have fared better had it not been interrupted constantly by the other stories. The tonal shift between Michonne/Carl’s game and the intrusion is odd, and the home invasion could have been better suited as its own standalone episode. That’s not to say the game wasn’t welcome – humanizing Michonne is some of the best moves made in the show this season – but another place and another time would have been better.
The countryside roaming wasn’t going to last forever, and as Rick finds the sign at the end of the episode, it becomes clear that all roads lead to Sanctuary. Lets just hope it doesn’t drag on like the prison.
A couple of observations
I was talked into reading Old Man Logan back in 2011, after much hesitation and more than a few I promise, I’ll read it next week‘s. Honestly, it’s not a book I ever gave a second glance to, mostly because the only part that looked up my alley was Steve McNiven’s art. Mark Millar has always been a writer I’ve felt at odds with, and Wolverine has never been on my list of favourite characters, so while I like a good bit of blood and gore, I decided to push it to the back of the pile until I was short on reading material.
At this point, it would be timely to remind everyone that previously when McNiven and Millar teamed up for Marvel, we got Civil War. Love it or hate it, it contains some of the most iconic panels in recent comics history, and it was this that convinced me to finally give Old Man Logan a read.
At its heart, this is a western road movie. A gory, frantic actioner, that only stops briefly for a few pages of exposition, before building to its bloody, viscera splattered conclusion.
It’s brilliant, and shameless, and never once tries to be something more than an excuse for a couple of hundred or so pages of extreme violence. The plot itself exists for little reason other than to facilitate the carnage at the very end, but that doesn’t mean you ever feel any lack of sympathy or connection for road trip buddies Wolverine and Hawkeye.
Millar’s writing is solid, if nothing spectacular, mostly because the star of the show here is McNiven’s incredible art. Every panel is finely detailed, but never feels fussy. The dirt and grime of a future without superheroes mixes with all the blood and guts, to create a really stunningly beautiful book. Each spray of red across the page feels like it’s been flung from the tip of a paintbrush, rather than finely pencilled, inked, and coloured.
The ability to toe the line between comic art, and realism, is something that has always impressed me about McNiven. Unlike artists like Adi Granov, or Alex Ross, whose hyper-realistic style can often seem cold and unmoving, or John Romita Jr or Frank Miller’s, whose work can be quite cartoonish, McNiven’s keeps his work pulpy, yet real. Just the right amount of bright colours and sharp definition to offer up plenty of movement and visual chaos, while still being realistic enough to make you really lose yourself in the page.
As previously mentioned, the plot of Old Man Logan is secondary to the art, and it’s really pointless talking about it. It’s so thin, that even a few words on the story will really give you an idea of how the whole thing ends.
All you really need to know about Old Man Logan, is that it’s a great ride. The perfect book for someone who wants some mindless escapism, in the form of gratuitous and extreme violence. This was my third time reading this book, and I still give it ten out of ten.
Welcome back to our weekly The Walking Dead coverage! Having missed the final episode of the midseason, I’ll be doing a brief look at that episode at the end of this review, but for now lets take a look at the midseason premiere “After”
Following the events of “Too Far Gone” its nice to take a step back and focus on a much smaller cast. The Walking Dead often shows its strengths when dealing with only a few characters (see last seasons’ “Clear” or Season 2’s “18 Miles Out”). Allowing the viewer to get into these character’s heads following the tragedy at the prison was a smart, if not a risky choice. Training up viewers on high tension action for the first half of a season does provide a thrilling show, but it does mean that the slower moments, for better or for worse, stand out.
“After” split its focus between Michonne, and Rick and Carl, in the fallout of the prison attack. Michonne finds herself back where we found her, complete with two zombies in tow. Her storyline is the more satisfying of the two, complete with a heavy handed (albeit cool) metaphor of a similar looking zombie. The Walking Dead excels when it lets the viewer draw the comparisons, rather than the many circling conversations that the show often finds itself in, and while the fear of Michonne’s humanity failing in the face of great loss is shown in an incredibly obvious metaphor, it is not an unwelcome one.
Where her storyline really shines is in her small dream sequence, which was an eerie and surreal trip down memory lane. Shot fantastically with strange jumps in time and logic, the dream sequence is (as far as I can remember) the first time the series has gone full blown surreal, and I would not be opposed to more. We also now know that Michonne had a son, lover and an extra friend, but that’s all that writer Robert Kirkman is willing to give us. Again, stories are made all the more better when they leave some details to the audience, so for now the details about her past are left murky – and may very well stay that way.
The real meat of the episode is Carl’s brief rebellion against his father. While Rick may have been unconscious throughout much of these events, it didn’t stop Carl from letting loose his teenage angst. This act of defiance is reminiscent of a standard teenage breakout – Carl thinks he’s old enough to look after himself, especially after his father’s lack of action as a farmer last season, and the act of trying to be his own man and failing is entirely the traits of the rebellious teenager. Chandler Riggs has come a long way from the first season, and while his acting may not be perfect, he’s certainly competent enough to carry much of the episode.
These two storylines all seem to be tying back into the theme of the season – what is worth living for? Michonne obviously found it in the company of the prison group, with her life as a penitent loner far behind her. Carl’s trajectory is less apparent – he wants to be self sufficient, but until he grows both physically and emotionally, this isn’t likely to happen. His need to be a better man than his father appears to be his reason for being right now – he is his father’s son more than he cares to admit – and time will tell if somewhere down the line Carl takes Rick’s place at the head of the group.
Decent direction, coupled with some decent character moments made for a solid premiere – if not one to truly remember. It appears that The Walking Dead may be playing the slow burn for the latter half of the season, and it will remain to be seen whether or not it plays in the show’s favour.
Some observations
I always thought a great ongoing series is like an old friend. Every few weeks it comes to stay, brings some beers, and then leaves with the promise of some much nicer beer the next time he rolls into town. Moth City always feels a bit different. It walks into your house with a fine brew, lets you enjoy it, and just before you finish punches you square in the gut. But man does it feel good.
The emotional punch comes midway through the issue, when Governor McCaw makes an ultimately reprehensible choice. This choice, while evil and would damn any normal person to hell, feels earned and in character. Too often do the main cast in issue make a choice that feels underdeveloped and out of character, but Gibson maintains a strong grasp of his cast as he moves forward.
Also, who would have thought that the most noble and human of his cast would be the first one infected? Jun continues to battle his inner demons, as well as all the outside ones. This leads to some fairly exciting and tense moments as the remaining uninfected battle both sides of the coin. One thing that ultimately seems missing is more emphasis on his feral side, but with a large event looming at the end of the issue, it seems like things can only get worse.
As usual, Gibson’s art duties are stellar. His panel design is fantastic, and while the first half of the issue is light on the motion panels, that is easily forgiven when the aforementioned scene takes place and Gibson really shows the potential of this format.
Really the only thing that can be said otherwise is that a lot of this issue feels like it is setting up for the big finale, and while that won’t be a bad thing in the long run the tease begins to drag. That said, when this issue gets rolling, it really gets rolling.
Moth City only has two more issues left before the end, and Tim Gibson has kindly posted the first issue on Comixology for free, so really at this point, you have no excuse.
2014 heralds the return of solo titles for two characters I have long been a fan of. In February, She-Hulk hits the racks, with what looks to be a promising new series. First off though, Black Widow is in the spotlight, continuing the trend of character focused, intensely personal solo arcs that kicked off with Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye in 2012.
With the more subtle theme of loneliness and isolation undercutting Natasha Romanova’s quest for atonement, and Phil Noto’s delicate, almost retro art style, the whole book feels like a bleak seventies thriller. Exactly the tone I expected from a book aiming to be unique, despite clear influences from titles such as Hawkeye and Captain Marvel. It’s an engaging, violent, and visually stunning book, that in two issues has already earned a permanent space on my pull list.
The first issue is classic set-up and exposition, introducing Widow to newer readers in a way that doesn’t feel forced or tedious to those who are already familiar with (at least some) of her long and complex story. As someone who hasn’t read any of Nathan Edmonson’s previous work, this was a pleasant surprise. Introductions are made, motivations are set, and like the influential titles mentioned above, something resembling a normal home life is established.
Issue two moves straight on from the set-up, and headlong into a deeper exploration of Natasha’s motivation, while also offering an insight into the man aiding her quest – apparently unassuming lawyer Isaiah. Isaiah’s story is a more subtle, understated contrast, inter-cut throughout Natasha’s overt, public fight with the main villain of the issue. Issue two also cements the idea of home, something we perhaps may not have associated with Black Widow in the past, with a return to her apartment in the final scene.
While the writing here is solid, the real star of the show is Phil Noto’s magnificent, elegant artwork. His style is fine and almost fragile, ideas I had perhaps not associated with Natasha in the past, but it fits so perfectly here. Noto’s colours effectively convey tone, and the washed out, muted look of the whole book really gives it the feel of that seventies espionage thriller. His consistency with character design, sketchy, movement filled panels, and ability to convey emotion are what elevate Black Widow from very good, to excellent.
My only hesitation is that I feel like this is the film we should have had. Marvel has taken a risk in giving Natasha her own solo – and that’s great – but when are they going to take that leap from page to screen? Black Widow is a wonderful, grim, introspective look at a character still surrounded by a lot of mystery, despite her long history in Marvel Comics canon. Could this book be the test run for a Black Widow film? I sure hope so.
Thanks to a friend letting me know about the site Texts From Superheroes, I can pass it on to you to enjoy as well. Here’s one example:
Now go check out the full site for yourself.
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