Broken Frontier

Today, Broken Frontier is debuting Fast Breaks, a new weekly feature serving you an extra dose of comic book reviews. Each Monday, the BF staff presents you with a series of capsule reviews of the previous week's releases that for no specific reason were not reviewed in full. More coverage in a heartbeat, that's what Fast Breaks is all about!

The Black Coat: A Call to Arms #2 (of 4)

Words: Adam Cogan Pencils: Francesco Francavilla Inks: Francesco Francavilla Colors: N/A

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Ape Entertainment Price: $2.99 Release Date: May 24, 2006

With one of his agents dead, betrayed by a traitor in their midst, the Black Coat sets his able lieutenant, Ursula, to ferret out the spy. Meanwhile, the Black Coat continues his hunt for the murderous Butcher. If he finds the killer, though, he may wish he hadn’t!

The Black Coat is something a bit rare in comics these days – a good, old-fashioned throwback to the pulp tradition. There is a touch of Zorro, a little early Batman, and just a hint of anachronistic James Bond. Set during the days just before the American Revolution, writer Cogan and artist Francavilla manage to capture a real flavor of the time period but joyfully go outside the bounds of historical accuracy as well. The result is entertaining action and adventure that does not skip on the plot. The reader will find that this is a title to be savored slowly, both for the dialogue and story and also for Francavilla’s amazingly detailed artwork.

Answer the “Call to Arms” and join the Black Coat on a rollicking adventure through the landscape of colonial America. There are sure to be thrills and danger ahead!

- Tonya Crawford

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Death Comes to Dillinger #1

Words: James Patrick Pencils: Se7enhedd Inks: Se7enhedd Colorist: JM Ringuett

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Silent Devil Productions Price: $2.99 Release Date: May 24, 2006

In the vein of Piers Anthony’s On A Pale Horse, Death literally rides a horse into the small town of Dillinger, and that means he won’t be riding out alone.

A series of character vignettes follow, with each fearing for their own or their loved one’s lives, and deliberating what they have the stones to do about it. Writer James Patrick treats death as an embodiment but not a person – it’s a thing, more than a man, drinking whiskey and speaking only when necessary. The idea of knowing that someone and someone relatively close is going to die and die soon, is brilliantly handled and showcased amongst the many players. But the story in the end is somewhat sparse, and a denser, Alan Moore-like script could have catapulted the concept from merely entertaining to an unforgettable gem. Artist Se7enhedd (ugh…but what’s in a name, eh?) is a polished, masterful illustrator following the Ashley Wood, Ben Templesmith model. Death is downright terrifying under Mr. hedd’s careful stroke, and the townsfolk all appear appropriately stricken.

Death Comes to Dillinger is a pleasant surprise of a find, with jaw-dropping art and a serviceable story scattered with exorbitantly clever ideas; definitely worth a meager two-issue limited series commitment.

- Dave Baxter

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Fell #5

Words: Warren Ellis Pencils: Ben Templesmith Inks: Ben Templesmith Colors: Ben Templesmith

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Image Comics Price: $1.99 Release Date: May 17, 2006

Snowtown PD has a suspected serial killer in custody but the man will walk if they do not get a confession. Detective Fell steps into the room to get one, but finds out it’s a lion’s den as the suspect is armed!

Writer Warren Ellis continues to surprise with this experimental series. In this issue, readers are treated to a locked room psychological drama. There is little physical action here as Fell and the suspect do battle with their words, wits, and wills. As usual, artist Ben Templesmith is up to the task as he conveys the story through the expressions and body language of the two players. The “back matter” in this issue is particularly good as the reader also gets a little peak into the mind of Warren Ellis as he discusses crafting the tale.

Each self-contained issue of Fell consistently gives the reader shocks, surprises, and emotional body blows. With this title, Warren Ellis gives the reader a comic that is worth far more than its weight in gold.

- Tonya Crawford

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G.I. Joe: America’s Elite - The Hunt for Cobra Commander

Words: Mike O’Sullivan Pencils: Josh Medors Inks: Le Beau Underwood Colorist: Greg Narvasa

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing Price: $0.25 Release Date: May 3, 2006

General J.R. Colton sends the agent code-named Spirit on a search for the most dangerous man alive. MIA for months, Cobra Commander’s silence is more frightening than any world-threatening scheme. Will Spirit’s quest for the “Blue Ghost” finally end in the jungles of South America?

Set before the events of the America’s Elite series, The Hunt for Cobra Commander serves as a prelude to an upcoming story. Though I’m largely unfamiliar with G.I. Joe, this one-shot kept me entertained with its international espionage and cat-and-mouse games. The issue is told through Spirit’s log entries and we get a feel for his single-mindedness and the danger that the ex-Cobra leader poses to the world, even as a broken, wandering fugitive. Only a short preview, there’s not enough story in the issue to be fully satisfying but it does whet the appetite. And for only 25 cents, one could do much worse.

The issue also provides character bios and a recap of the America’s Elite series. The story (though brief) is well told and like most of Devil’s Due’s output, the art is top-notch. If you are a fan of this franchise, this will be an enjoyable piece of a larger puzzle.

- Eric Lindberg

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G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers Vol. III: The Art of War #2

Words: Tim Seeley Pencils: Joe Ng Inks: Rob Ross Colorist: Kevin Yan & Tom Liu

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing Price: $ 2.95 US Release Date: April 19, 2006

Cobra has succeeded in liberating Serpent O.R., a perfect fusion of Cybertronian technology and human physiology, from a secret military installation. Now acting as a rogue independent, the hybrid entity has taken down Autobot, Joe and Cobra alike intent on capturing the Matrix of leadership.

Even though he sets up some more great character pieces (hopefully to be explored more later), Seeley keeps the focus on action. The bulk of the issue deals with just how deadly Serpent O.R. is, and his efforts to reclaim Megatron’s legacy. The comic equivalent of a popcorn movie, the linear plot will appeal to fans who want to turn off the brain and enjoy a fun read. Ng and company keep their interpretations of the characters iconic, drawing on many of the sensibilities of the classic 80s cartoons. If you enjoyed issue #1, here’s more of the same. If you didn’t, you probably won’t like #2 either.

The strength of this comic remains that it knows exactly who it’s being written for – the fans of both “The Real American Heroes” and “Robots in Disguise.” Seeley and Ng keep the story fast-paced, exciting and fun. It’s like a love letter to two great franchises.

- Fletch Adams

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Hawkgirl #52

Words: Walter Simonson Pencils: Howard Chaykin Inks: Howard Chaykin Colorist: Michelle Madsen

Story Title: N/A Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: May 24, 2006

More financial intrigue with the museum’s creditors, more vigilante resentment within the St. Roch Police Department’s ranks, more bizarrely surreal, demoniac dreams for Sandra, and still no sign of Hawkman….

Simonson has chosen to tackle an intriguingly moody storyline for Hawkgirl’s big One Year Later opening. The absence of Carter Hall is still largely downplayed and left mysteriously unresolved while Sandra continues to fend off business-suit thugs and caliginous nightmares. There’s been one scene of intense action thus far (issue #51), and it was done well enough to keep me glued even past this current, slow and uneventful chapter. It’s all building up to something and the more time they take the better the payoff must be, or so the blind hope goes. Chaykin turns in another 22 pages of dark and oddly captivating images. Characters suffer from too-similar designs, but overall it looks forebodingly beautiful.

A trying storyline to stick with, and a major change of pace for the title as a whole, but as long as there’s eventually a point, the unique pacing and fitting ambiance may just make it an emphatically memorable comic book tale.

- Dave Baxter

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Killer 7 #3

Words: Arvid Nelson Pencils: El Dazo Inks: El Dazo Colorist: El Dazo

Story Title: Tora! Tora! Tora! Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing Price: $2.95 Release Date: May 10, 2006

The Killer 7 mercenary group continues its attempt to bring down the Rising Wind terrorist cell at the behest of the U.S. government. Arriving too late to save a group of U.S. and Japanese delegates, they instead find a new player in the game, a mysterious supernatural being pulling many of their enemies’ strings.

I was sent issue 1 of this series for review a while back, though at the time I had some reservations about its approach. I’m not certain if issue 2 addressed any of those concerns but I found issue 3 to be much the same—intriguing in its ideas but filled with perplexing characters and a sense that I’m missing something. Perhaps that second issue or the Capcom video game this is based on would aid in comprehension or explain who the Dracula/Ra’s al Ghul type in this story is. Or perhaps we aren’t meant to know at this point. Regardless, it’s difficult to truly recommend the story from outside the loop.

El Dazo draws the tale with a largely pleasing cartoony style and a kinetic sense of action. But fans of the game are more likely to enjoy this comic than casual readers.

- Eric Lindberg

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The Last Christmas #1

Words: Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn Pencils: Rick Remender Inks: Hillary Barta Colorist: Michelle Madsen

Story Title: ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: May 24, 2006

The end of civilization as we know it has occurred. Gangs roam the streets and rule the cities, though good girls and boys remain, and as long as they do – Santa will deliver Christmas! That is, until a terrible tragedy befalls him, one so devastating he has only two recourses left: suicide or revenge. Can you guess which one will last for five full-length issues?

Remender’s art is ridiculous and graphic, depicting chain-smoking reindeer, cutesy elves, and wholesale slaughter with earnest aplomb. The story for the first issue is chock-full of amusing moments and images (Santa delivering a baseball bat to a zombie-plagued little boy, elves whistling while they clean their dead, a Snowman singing a wistful carol about the apocalypse as it happens), but it does seem disappointingly like first-issue filler. The comedy is well timed and well written, and the creativity between Duggan and Posehn seems boundless, so upcoming issues ought to wield the wittiest, over-the-top, most improper humor since Battle Pope.

Great art, bleak hilarity, though wrapped in a plot-lite beginning that’s only the barest of set-ups. Also an ending that leaves reader’s hanging in more ways than one, but the best is yet to come and it threatens to be filthy-glorious and drenched in gore!

- Dave Baxter

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Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #5

Words: Warren Ellis Pencils: Stuart Immonen Inks: Wade Von Grawbadger Colors: Dave McCaig

Story Title: N/A Publisher: Marvel Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: May 24, 2006

The Nextwave team continues their assault on the Beyond Corporation’s holdings of Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction. Unfortunately for them General Dirk Anger, head of H.A.T.E. and Beyond’s employee, has caught on and caught up! Anger wants to have words with Nextwave. Words like “destroy”, “crush”, and “obliterate”.

The first rule of Nextwave is: Take Nothing in this Comic Seriously. Warren Ellis is well known for writing dramas mixed with black humor and political and/or social commentary but this title is a different animal entirely – this is pure, silly, snarky, satirical, superhero fun. Quips and one-liners fly fast and furious along with twisted evil menaces – such as cuddly Koala Bears of death and Samurai robots. The slick, stylistic pencils of Stuart Immonen tie all of this insanity together. A veteran and chameleon of art styles, Immonen has created an over-the-top cartoony look for this title to go with the over-the-top story.

If you’re looking for crazy, funny, adventures with a superhero base then look no further than Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. With these heroes the trip is strange, the destination is unknown, but the getting there is going to be all of the fun.

- Tonya Crawford

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Superman/Batman #25

Words: Jeph Loeb Pencils: Ed McGuinness Inks: Dexter Vines Colorist: Dave McCaig

Story Title: With a Vengeance! Chapter Six: Supermen/Batmen Publisher: DC Comics Price: $2.99 US Release Date: May 17, 2006

Loeb’s run on Superman/Batman, not withstanding his contributions to the forthcoming “Sam’s Story”, comes to an end with conclusion with an explosion of comic book pop culture. Facing off against a magically imbued Joker, Superman and Batman are joined by myriad variants of themselves in a huge brouhaha.

As always, Loeb’s strengths come from his obvious love of comic books and the Silver Age. Combined with McGuiness’ bright and friendly pencils, Loeb script gives readers a fun sensory overload of various elements of Superman and Batman lore. That being said, fans of continuity will find themselves having a nervous breakdown trying to place this story in anywhere more specific then “before Infinite Crisis.” This issue scores big for flash but pretty darn low for being coherent. What effect this issue has on the character’s ongoing continuity is nebulous at best, although there is an interesting Mxy/Darkseid setup.

Big, flashy and loud, Superman/Batman #25 is a comic of excesses that readers will wither love or hate. Quite frankly, Loeb’s run would have been best served by being officially set outside of official DC continuity.

- Fletch Adams