comics read: Storm, Saga
Jul. 23rd, 2014 07:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Wow, it's been at least a month since I did one of these. I'm hoping to get back up to speed now.
Storm #1 - Pak, Ibanez/Redmond
This was pretty great. I am no Storm expert, but dignity, heart, power, and not a lot of patience for people who perpetuate injustice are all earmarks of Storm characterization, and Greg Pak seems to have a good handle on all that. Storm here is full of dignity and full of power, but also fallible in ways that didn't make it feel to me like she was a strong woman getting her comeuppance. (See: the first arc of Journey into Mystery featuring Sif.)
There's a lot of really neat small character moments in this, too: Storm and the little girl during the tsunami, Storm with Hank McCoy in her ear, Storm and the mutant student Creep.
I reeeeally love the artwork in this (with one caveat). Victor Ibanez puts some spice in his layouts without making them difficult to follow; a lot of inset panels and objects crossing over from one panel to the next. He does wonderful expressions, quite possibly better than Valerio Schiti, and y'all know how I feel about Schiti's faces. There's so much mood and life in Ibanez's faces.
And the colors, by new (?) talent Ruth Redmond, are just glorious. Most of you probably know by now that colors can make or break a book for me, and although this book has plenty of other strengths, its colors were one of the first things to draw me in. Consider the blues and browns of the first scan and then the pinks and peaches in the second scan:

That second one also illustrates my one caveat, which is Ibanez's interpretation of the boob window combined with his interpretation of Ororo's cup size. There's just no good there. (That last large panel also has maybe a bit of brokeback going on in it, but in general he's not bad about that sort of thing.)
In sum: I like this a LOT and am really hopeful for the future. Based on this one issue, at least, this is up there with Ms. Marvel as my favorites of the new lady-led titles.
Saga #21 - Vaughan, Staples
Spoiler time: Alana + drugs is freaking me out. (Disclaimer: recreational drugs in general freak me out.) This exchange doesn't make me feel a lot better:
Otherwise, IDK. The things with the robot janitor are horrible; Mama Sun is dead (but not for any of the horrible things she did); probably my favorite bit in the entire issue was Klara in the bath, because wooden bathtub! With wooden spigot!
Oh, and my other favorite part:
Kinda dysfunctional right now, but still so hot. I'm just saying.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Comment here or there. (
DW replies)
Storm #1 - Pak, Ibanez/Redmond
This was pretty great. I am no Storm expert, but dignity, heart, power, and not a lot of patience for people who perpetuate injustice are all earmarks of Storm characterization, and Greg Pak seems to have a good handle on all that. Storm here is full of dignity and full of power, but also fallible in ways that didn't make it feel to me like she was a strong woman getting her comeuppance. (See: the first arc of Journey into Mystery featuring Sif.)
There's a lot of really neat small character moments in this, too: Storm and the little girl during the tsunami, Storm with Hank McCoy in her ear, Storm and the mutant student Creep.
I reeeeally love the artwork in this (with one caveat). Victor Ibanez puts some spice in his layouts without making them difficult to follow; a lot of inset panels and objects crossing over from one panel to the next. He does wonderful expressions, quite possibly better than Valerio Schiti, and y'all know how I feel about Schiti's faces. There's so much mood and life in Ibanez's faces.
And the colors, by new (?) talent Ruth Redmond, are just glorious. Most of you probably know by now that colors can make or break a book for me, and although this book has plenty of other strengths, its colors were one of the first things to draw me in. Consider the blues and browns of the first scan and then the pinks and peaches in the second scan:

That second one also illustrates my one caveat, which is Ibanez's interpretation of the boob window combined with his interpretation of Ororo's cup size. There's just no good there. (That last large panel also has maybe a bit of brokeback going on in it, but in general he's not bad about that sort of thing.)
In sum: I like this a LOT and am really hopeful for the future. Based on this one issue, at least, this is up there with Ms. Marvel as my favorites of the new lady-led titles.
Saga #21 - Vaughan, Staples
Spoiler time: Alana + drugs is freaking me out. (Disclaimer: recreational drugs in general freak me out.) This exchange doesn't make me feel a lot better:
ALANA: God, this is the first scene of every cautionary tale ever.
OTHER CHARACTER: Don't believe everything you learn in school.
Otherwise, IDK. The things with the robot janitor are horrible; Mama Sun is dead (but not for any of the horrible things she did); probably my favorite bit in the entire issue was Klara in the bath, because wooden bathtub! With wooden spigot!
Oh, and my other favorite part:
Kinda dysfunctional right now, but still so hot. I'm just saying.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Comment here or there. (