Review by Joe David Thompson
This past week was an eventful one for Marvel, with the thrilling debut of Agent Carter on ABC and the debut of the lackluster teaser for the upcoming film adaption of Ant-Man.
This past week was an eventful one for Marvel, with the thrilling debut of Agent Carter on ABC and the debut of the lackluster teaser for the upcoming film adaption of Ant-Man.
Having not found much to get excited about in the teaser (in my opinion!), I greeted the release of the latest iteration of the Ant-Man comic with a wary eye. I thought the book was going to be Marvel's way of paving the road for the upcoming film by introducing, or reintroducing, the character to unfamiliar readers and longtime fans, cashing in along the way.
I'm happy to report that I couldn't have been more wrong. While there is some element of that at work, Ant-Man is far more than just those cynical dismissals. Writer Nick Spencer (Morning Glories) drops us into the tortuous world of Scott Lang with a bang. Grounding the action, Spencer weaves the story of the divorced and nearly poverty stricken Lang trying to reconnect with his daughter, and he does it all with loads of wit and charm. While there can be some pages or scenes that border on being so wordy the page feels crowded, Spencer gives us a book we must spend time with rather than devour in one quick gulp. Ramon Rosanas' artwork soars both when he's delivering action scenes or stretches of dialogue. Rosanas is skilled at brings depth and realism to the page.
My second recommendation for this past week is the bloody nostalgia of Lady Killer out on Dark Horse. Billed as "Betty Draper meets Hannibal," Lady Killer is the story of Josie Schuller, an early 60's housewife who is far more deadly than anyone suspects. Written by Jamie S Rich and Joelle Jones (Jones also provides the stunning art), Lady Killer launches with a spectacular bloody opening. This first issue is stunningly paced, keeping the action just a few steps ahead of the reader. Jones' art is eye catchingly pop and belies a true affection for this era in our history. Don't sleep on this one!
Honorable mention goes to Warren Ellis' latest issue of Trees, which found the book finally delivering something more than idea rich conversations in the form of big action. Looking ahead, I think we're all ready for Jason Aaron and John Cassaday's first issue of Star Wars on its new home at Marvel.
What books were your faves this week? What books are you looking forward to?
Joe David Thompson has been doing media reviews for websites such as Red Carpet Crash and the 405 Music Blog. For any questions or comments for Joe David Thompson, you can email him at jovid52@me.com and follow him on twitter @jovid52
