“Soul Survivor”. Yet another Donatello solo piece where he has an adventure in space with the Utroms. They’ve done quite a number of these throughout Tales of the TMNT vol. 2, however, this is probably their best attempt. This time around, Don, his Utrom buddy and a Styracodon go investigate a mysterious planet on the edge of known space. They discover an ancient temple being looted by the Triceraton military. Don intervenes and learns the truth about the so-called “temple”. I think what really makes this issue is the art by Dave White (who also wrote the thing). It’s a bit more along the lines of standard comic book artwork and less of the indy touch TMNT typically receives. While I don’t have a lot of qualms with the indy style, it is refreshing to get some more traditional comic book art every now and then. It’s not really a very note-worthy story, I’m afraid, and feels a bit like a retread thanks to this theme on “Don’s space adventures” having already been done a number of times. I’d call it an average story but with above average artwork.
Friday the 13th #1
With Wildstorm seizing control of the Friday the 13th license from previous publisher, Avatar, a whole new creative team and a whole new direction is in store for Jason fans. Is it any good? Well, maybe. The art is passable. Jason looks fantastic but the teenagers are pretty ugly. One thing I did notice, as a serious Friday the 13th fan, is that the artists Adam Archer and Peter Guzman paid close attention to the first Friday the 13th film before drawing the environments. Crystal Lake, from the old timey part of town to the diner, are taken straight from the flick. Pretty cool, if you ask me. The writing is more of the standard horror movie cliches: we’ve got the nerd punching bag, the the sex-crazy black couple, the punk, the reefer adicts, the wealthy asshole and the blonde lesbian heroine. It would be nice if authors Justine Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti had decided to break these tired trends, but I suppose they’re going for nostalgia. Don’t expect much of Jason from this issue (oh, by the way, they spell “Voorhees” wrong, which infuriates me) as it’s mostly set-up, but we’re sure to get some machete action soon enough. The “history of Jason” recap provided by the dimwitted counselors is pretty skewed from the facts (nobody seems to be aware that Movies 2 through 9 ever happened) but that’s not unusual, even in the realm of the Friday the 13th films, where everyone seems to get Jason’s history wrong.
Kick ass cover, though.
A Nightmare on Elm Street #3
“Freddy’s War part 3”. While the lead up to this issue was terribly dire, the finale was…sufficient. Chuck Dixon tries something new for once, with a trained soldier taking on Freddy on his own turf. It’s an interesting approach, someone fighting Freddy in a battle of wills, though ultimately we all know it is a futile struggle. I suppose that’s the problem with Freddy, a problem which even plagued the Avatar series: he’s just too damn strong. The ending is a little “meh” and it’s not like I really cared who lived or who died since, really, the characters were written so poorly for the first 2 issues I just didn’t give a damn. A decent finish, but on the whole “Freddy’s War” was not a good starting point for this on-going.
G.I. Joe: America’s Elite #18
Well, this Phoenix Guard arc is finally over. It’s probably the best arc the series has had, but in reality, America’s Elite has been mediocre at best. I am tempted to drop the book completely at this point, but the end has signaled a new direction that appeals to me. G.I. Joe: America’s Elite will be returning to the Joe vs. Cobra action fans have been pining for after long last. We’ll see how that works out. Cobra Commander’s ruse is the President’s Chief of Staff has come to an end, and the Commander seems more threatening and devious than ever before. I’m interested in seeing where he goes, considering they’re not treating him like a goofy villain any longer. Phoenix Guard totally sucked, when all is said and done, but thankfully we won’t be hearing from them ever again now that their cover as Cobra agents has been blown. All in all, an overall “readable” arc, but little more. The new direction the ending offers is far more interesting.
Army of Darkness #12
“The Death of Ash part 1”. Way to give away the ending. Still, this story will supposedly lead directly into next year’s crossover with the Marvel Zombies, so I’m already hooked. A more comedy-themed tale (at least, more so than usual), Ash and Baby go to the headquarters of a Necronomicon Cult to get some answers. It seems that, as an infant, the cult marked Ash with the symbol of Chaos, turning him into the Chosen One. A nice bit of origin, though they sort of go a little too far. They show some of Ash’s childhood and apparently he’s been (unknowingly) battling Deadites since he was in elementary school. Aside from that, a decent issue. The gag with the fast food mascot was hilarious and next issue swears to reveal Ash’s full origin. Should be interesting.