Rag-doll looking young fellow Li'l Depressed Boy (yes that's actually his name) decides being depressed and alone isn't his gig anymore. He meets a friend for coffee and talks about video games. Red-headed tattoo girl interjects how video games aren't social anymore. LDB goes to friend's house and plays video games. Goes home. Does laundry at laundromat. Red-headed girl also happens to be doing laundry. Guess what? She's likes comics and cool bands too. For no good reason that I can fathom she asks LDB out to a concert. They go to the concert and dance. Then milk and cookies afterwards. She kisses him goodnight. LDB isn't so depressed now.
Well, I didn't know kicking the blues could be so easy. Hmm? There's more to the story? Like what? Hopefully a little thing called "conflict". This story is missing a whole load of it. I don't know why you'd want to keep reading. All LDB's problems are solved in this first issue.
Still there is something strangely intriguing here. Does he bleed fluffy innards? How come he's the only rag-doll person around? On the upside Sina Grace's minimal comic-cartoon style and confident linework suit well the mood of the story.
This: Scratching head...
Forthcoming: Scratching chin...
The Intrepids #1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe (writer) and Scott Kowalchuk (illustrator)
Former mechanical engineering genius Dante has taken it upon himself to give 'forgotten children' a chance to live with purpose. Part of this is providing them with 'augmentations' which heighten their natural physical and mental skills. Thus The Intrepids are born. They are Crystal (leader and most experienced), Doyle (the "muscle"), Rose (the feisty fighter), and Chester (the tech-guy), though Chester looks rather a bit older than the other three young 'uns.
Their mission is to stop the oncoming blight of Mad Scientists. In this first issue The Intrepids are after scientist's who are experimenting on animals, implanting technology into them to create violent fighting hybrids. And unlike another comic reviewed (see above) this has the conflict necessary to build good story and relationships. Dante and Crystal's 'surrogate father/daughter' is just one of these.
While the characters are certainly archetypal each comes across as having an individual personality and there's no overblown 'superhero' statements (if sometimes a little bit of exposition). The pace is steady with good use of flashback sequences and the overall style has a 1950s feel- clothes, hairstyles, jetpacks.
The Intrepids has a sort of Doom Patrol-ish feel - a weird group of four heroes with a benevolent mentor-about it albeit without Morrison's weirdness. Still, heading into that territory certainly wouldn't do it any harm. This looks the goods.
This: Outstanding.
Forthcoming: Hanging out.
Apparently Wolverine and Hercules are good ol' friends. Who'd have thunk they'd have so much in common!? They like a-good a-drink, a-good a-woman, and a-beating up the nasty bad guy.
Now that's established, it's time for a fight scene. Lucky Herc and Wolvey like fighting! Yes... good... innocuous and faceless goons dispatched!
So basically one bad guy -Achelous who's got a vendetta against Hercules- decides to team up with Matsu'o Tsurayaba -the guy who killed Wolverine's lover, Mariko. Achelous reckons if they can bring back to life 'the world's most fearsome myths' they can destroy Wolvey and Herc. Hey presto! World domination... or something. Oh, and there's Nazis too. Can't go past a Nazi when you need a quality villain... or at least a villain.
This first issue is basically laying groundwork and rehashing some info to get readers familiar with Wolverine's backstory. That the story is set 'years ago' means it's one of those lost/untold tales. For all the generic-ness of this comic there are at least a few moments and ideas that raise the narrative slightly - Wolverine's lamenting his immortality and outliving all his friends; and acknowledging that the superhero mythology has usurped the pantheon of gods of ancient times. Unfortunately these ideas, for me just don't raise the interest level enough to indulge the next three issues.
This: Strictly for Wolverine fans... and Hercules fans... wherever you are.
Forthcoming: See above.
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