Week in Review 7/12/11

Fear Itself #4
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Stuart Immonen
Company: Marvel Comics

Too little too late.  This fourth issue of Fear Itself finally picks up the pace, something that Fraction seems to be able to do in his Mighty Thor book with ease, and sets up the main story.  Other things that it does is finally explains who the bad guy really is, and has some solid, well drawn action by Immonen.  The reveal of who The Serpent is makes sense in the grand scheme of things, but exactly how he's regaining power, by instilling rampant fear across the globe, is poorly executed on the page.  There are actually several ideas that Fraction throws down that really feel cheesy or
downright wrong, key among them Tony Stark having to drink again to gain Odin's attention.  Still, the art is executed with skill and seeing Thor get thrown out of Asgard and fight The Serpent are highlights.  Immonen is one of the best in the business and it's nice that he's getting this chance for more readers to see what he can do.  I will forever love his Nextwave material and his Secret Identity work, but this is snazzy too.  All in all, better than it's been, but a disappointing issue none-the-less.

Moon Knight #3
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Company: Marvel Comics

While Moon Knight hasn't been pushing my "like" button with any great regularity, this issue was a pretty good one.  Seeing Marc Spector's more human side, as he tries to awkwardly romance Echo and get her to join him for a dinner date, was clever and the kind of thing that Bendis excels at.  There's also a scene that ties in with the character who appears on the cover of this issue that was over the top and insane (two things that this new version of Moon Knight seems to be), but again, it's really well done and makes for great reading.  Maleev's artwork is on the nose too.  He does the more quiet outings so well and brings a unique look at the human side of superheroes.  I still enjoy his action, but it's not where my eye gets drawn to immediately.  This issue is not without its problems, though none of them really are egregious enough to stop it from being a solid and entertainment infused issue.

Secret Six #35
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: J. Calafiore
Company: DC Comics

The penultimate issue for Secret Six, which is sad, but there is much rejoicement as this issue focuses on Bane trying to recapture the title of baddest bad-ass in the known universe.  His plan:  Once and for all, take out the Bat and his minions.  It's a bit of a crazy plan, but it's in line with the nuttery and other missions that the team has taken.  It also continues to do what this book has done since it began, which is focus on the characters.  The stories that are happening are cool, but it's the way these characters interact and relate and the way they react to the situations that they find themselves that is interesting.  This going after Batman notion leads to that with some solid back and forth between the members as they determine their options. Another thing that we learn is the King Shark is indeed a shark.  That scene in particular is rather humorous, but it drags on a little long and stops being oh so funny.  Calafiore's artwork is solid.  Not super exciting, but he expresses the action well and does a smart job of capturing the various emotional states.  Overall, not the best issue of Secret Six, but enjoyment was had none-the-less.