An old friend stops by to visit X-Factor…and kill them, Kate Bishop finds she could live and die in L.A., Sandman talks to himself, and the adventures of Dawn begin…and she hangs out with the Silver Surfer.
This week kicks off the new Silver Surfer series (which wins the “Best Of” for the week) and also sees the second issue of Sandman: Overature #2…which also is a good contender for issue of the week.
BasmentRejects looks at All-New X-Factor #5, Hawkeye (2) #18, The Sandman: Overture #2, and Silver Surfer (5) #1.
All-New X-Factor #5
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Date: May 2014
Title: —
All-Star X-Factor #5
Danger is now a member of X-Factor, but Polaris, Quicksilver, and Gambit find Danger is acting strange. Snow has a new client in Lemar Smaug…but Lemar Smaug is revealed to be more than he seems.
All-New X-Factor has been a fun new relaunch. I don’t love that Marvel is insistent on relaunching titles over and over again, but at least this relaunch takes the original story in a different direction.
What generally has sold me about team books is the team members and David (like always) is making interesting choices. I don’t have much experience with Danger, but she seems like she could go in an interesting director. I have always been a Warlock and Doug Ramsey fan, so the prospects of one (or both) of them joining the team is also worth continuing reading.
The art for the comic also is quite fun. I like Carmine Di Giandomencio’s style of art and it is working out great with his colorist Lee Loughridge…it is a nice combination.
All-New X-Factor continues to be a title to follow. As the team is rounded up, I am enjoying the series…I’m not loving the Harrison Snow story, and I hope that he doesn’t become the thrust of the series (only to proven to be a real villain).
Hawkeye (2) #18
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Annie Wu
Date: May 2014
Title: —
Hawkeye (2) #18
Kate Bishop is finally feeling at home in L.A. When she learns her friend Harold H. Harold cannot leave town at the order of the mysterious Neffs, Kate decides to step in. Unfortunately, the best laid plans can backfire and Kate’s good intentions might turn bad.
I love Hawkeye, but I’m looking forward to Kate getting back with Clint. This issue represent the culmination of Kate’s time in L.A. and hopefully a trip back to New York. What has been a rather light adventure, has suddenly turned dark for Kate.
The Kate storyline hasn’t been the best of Hawkeye, but it has had its moments. This issue was an improvement and I do like the darker turn. The events leading to this dark turn involving Harold H. Harold were a little muddled but I did like the end result.
Hawkeye continues to be one of the better comics on the market and despite some little wobbles is worth picking up. I like that the comic attempts to be challenging, but sometimes it tries a bit too hard.
Sandman: Overture #2
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: J. H. Williams III
Date: May 2014
Title: —
The Sandman: Overature #2
Dream finds himself in a world with multiple versions of himself and learns that reality is on the brink of warfare…of which he is the cause!
The Sandman was such a great series and it had a great, finite run. When Sandman: Overture was announced I had some fears of Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Back or Before Watchmen but that was quickly alleviated by the addition of J. H. Williams III as the artist for the series…with Gaiman and Williams III, I knew that the series was in good hands.
The newest issue like Sandman: Overture #1 feels like visiting an old friend. The story really does feel like a continuation of the Sandman series and the themes instead of feeling forced (revisiting old Sandman characters like Mad Hettie) seem to make more sense.
J. H. Williams III is also a perfect choice for this series. The Sandman always pushed the artistic edge with artists like Jill Thompson or even the covers by Dave McKeon which stood out during the original run. The art here has a dreamlike quality…which obviously is a great tie in.
The Sandman: Overture #2 is a must for Sandman fans and I hope will encourage new fans to seek out the old series. The Sandman is a worth revisiting and I hope everyone does…I just wish we didn’t have to wait so long between issues.
Silver Surfer (5) #1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Michael Allred
Date: May 2014
Title: “The Most Important Person in the Universe”
Silver Surfer (5) #1 Variant
The Silver Surfer is back! When he is contacted by an alien named Zed to defend something called the Impericon from a threat known as the Never Queen, Zed reveals that he has the perfect motivation…Dawn! What is the Silver Surfer’s tie to a girl who helps her father run an inn in Anchor Bay on Earth?
The Silver Surfer has always been a tricky character. With the edgy original run which fit the time it was released, Silver Surfer has never really found the right balance since. I did enjoy the first fifty issues or so of the ’80s run, but even then writers sometimes found challenges to writing problems for a character with so much power.
This issue does show some promise. I have not been that much of a Dan Slott fan. His Spider-Man is extremely average, and I don’t always like how I’ve seen him handle criticism. I did enjoy his She-Hulk and was so-so with The Initiative. The trick for Silver Surfer is going to be finding compelling stories in space with decent villains.
I do love, love, love the art. I’m a big Allred fan and have enjoyed his run on multiple books (often more than the books themselves). The Silver Surfer is a perfect match for him with its “far out” style and feel. I hope that the series keeps the fun, flighty style of the first issue.
Silver Surfer is definitely worth picking up. I hope that the book can keep direction and not just feel like more of the same Silver Surfer stories. I would like to see guest stars and other big Marvel characters because I think the Silver Surfer actually is rather interesting when the generally loner character has a supporting cast. Silver Surfer #2 will get my dollars.
Preceded By:
This Week in Comics—March 19, 2014
Followed By:
