Corey Brotherson
May 5, 2008, 09:02 am
<a href=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0408/NWAR2011_col.jpg" target="_blank"><img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0408/NWAR2011_colt.jpg" align="left" hspace=10 alt="New Warriors #11"></A> Reviewer: Corey Brotherson cbrotherson@googlemail.com
Story Title: Thrashed: Part Three
“Who are you children?”
Writer: Kevin Grevioux
Penciler: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colourist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Nic Klein
Production: Joe Sabino
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
My enthusiasm for New Warriors has been well documented. News of the series’ revival, and by fellow NW fan - scribe Kevin Grevioux, he of the Underworld movie fame - filled me with both excitement and apprehension. After all, the book’s rather mixed history, ranging from underappreciated classics to comparatively under-baked missteps had left a rather bitter taste in the mouths of many former Warriors fans who were looking to get a touch of what made them fans in the first place – namely hard-hitting, occasionally uncomfortable tales of morality, youth and everything that comes with those broad yet easily identifiable concepts.
So now 11 issues strong, this iteration of New Warriors is reaching something of a critical point. For this reviewer, at least. After a promising start, the approach to its year milestone has so far been a rather painful mixture of frustration and occasional flashes of greatness. The former of that equation lies within a number of elements: the sheer frustration held over the machinations of Night Thrasher (yet to be revealed, which would be fine if there was much else to pin his character to), the use of pace deadening scenes which seemingly only reiterate what’s already been said in prior issues (the concept of vigilantism/terrorism in Marvel's new superhero registration world) and also the problem that nearly a year in it’s still hard to emphasise, relate to or in some cases, recognise the Warriors themselves in terms of character distinction. And for a team book, it’s a huge problem when you don’t feel too familiar with the main cast, made worse if you don’t truly care too much about them. So far there’s been very little to make many of them likeable, and with the meandering conversations they’ve had, ever-present mystery, ill defined characteristics and constant anger they exude, it’s hard to want to like them either.
So, on a knife’s edge of interest I approached this book knowing it has this issue and the next to convince me of a non-too swift execution from my pull list (with the final part of Thrashed coming in #13). Has it done the job?
Well, yes... and no.
Pardon the fence sitting and allow me to explain. While this issue of NW is perhaps better than the last few, it’s still suffering from troubles which leave its fate firmly in the hands of the next two as we build to a very clear and well signposted plot marker where things are going to change and everything we’ve built up to should get paid off.
The issue gets off to a good start with some of the old Warriors, such as Marvel Boy/Justice and Rage being questioned on their thoughts regarding the new Warriors, with suggestions coming from it that may well please older fans of the series. Funnily enough, it also highlights the aforementioned problem where the dialogue in this scene ends up far more engaging than the following scenes with the other Warriors, which end up flogging the same dead horse the book has been beating the past few issues – the friction between the team and their unregistered status.
While it’s obviously in aid of building tension for something that will come to a head, there’s a distinct feeling of redundancy at the same argument being forced repeatedly from effectively the same angle, albeit different heads. It makes such scenes almost a waste even though that’s clearly not the intent, and in this particular issue it really serves to show how uneven the pacing is on a whole. The main physical conflict that emerges is nicely played, but punctuated badly by the conclusion of an almost superfluous scene which doesn’t lead the reader to anything they didn’t already know and feels rather forced given it’s only one single page. It’s used to try and provide a break for the big fight set piece but ends up as a frustrating distraction, neither significant nor long enough to be worth the jump. And then, before you know it, the issue is over.
It’s not a case of New Warriors #11 being outrightly bad. There’s certainly nothing offensive here, even with the pacing caveats it suffers from. Grevioux’s dialogue is convincing and avoids some of the unnaturalistic ticks that were apparent in previous examples, and Paco Medina’s pencils are expressive enough to convey the emotions required to get the nuances of the script across. In fact, the whole action scene is very well done in conveying high stakes, conflict and most importantly, character moments which define certain members of the Warriors that sets us up nicely for the next chapter.
But at the same time, it’s just very easy to feel apathetic towards the book – and this is coming from a Warriors fan who’s tried to keep an open mind throughout. The themes remain strong, but too many of the characters are too nebulous and vague to stand out especially at this late stage. For the impact the following issue needs, we have to feel close enough to them to care, and so far New Warriors has yet to achieve that. Hope springs eternal, but for how long?
By my watch? Just under two months...
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg
'Buy this issue now at X-World and fight against the Initiative!' ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1851&cat=NEW+WARRIORS)
Story Title: Thrashed: Part Three
“Who are you children?”
Writer: Kevin Grevioux
Penciler: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colourist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Nic Klein
Production: Joe Sabino
Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
My enthusiasm for New Warriors has been well documented. News of the series’ revival, and by fellow NW fan - scribe Kevin Grevioux, he of the Underworld movie fame - filled me with both excitement and apprehension. After all, the book’s rather mixed history, ranging from underappreciated classics to comparatively under-baked missteps had left a rather bitter taste in the mouths of many former Warriors fans who were looking to get a touch of what made them fans in the first place – namely hard-hitting, occasionally uncomfortable tales of morality, youth and everything that comes with those broad yet easily identifiable concepts.
So now 11 issues strong, this iteration of New Warriors is reaching something of a critical point. For this reviewer, at least. After a promising start, the approach to its year milestone has so far been a rather painful mixture of frustration and occasional flashes of greatness. The former of that equation lies within a number of elements: the sheer frustration held over the machinations of Night Thrasher (yet to be revealed, which would be fine if there was much else to pin his character to), the use of pace deadening scenes which seemingly only reiterate what’s already been said in prior issues (the concept of vigilantism/terrorism in Marvel's new superhero registration world) and also the problem that nearly a year in it’s still hard to emphasise, relate to or in some cases, recognise the Warriors themselves in terms of character distinction. And for a team book, it’s a huge problem when you don’t feel too familiar with the main cast, made worse if you don’t truly care too much about them. So far there’s been very little to make many of them likeable, and with the meandering conversations they’ve had, ever-present mystery, ill defined characteristics and constant anger they exude, it’s hard to want to like them either.
So, on a knife’s edge of interest I approached this book knowing it has this issue and the next to convince me of a non-too swift execution from my pull list (with the final part of Thrashed coming in #13). Has it done the job?
Well, yes... and no.
Pardon the fence sitting and allow me to explain. While this issue of NW is perhaps better than the last few, it’s still suffering from troubles which leave its fate firmly in the hands of the next two as we build to a very clear and well signposted plot marker where things are going to change and everything we’ve built up to should get paid off.
The issue gets off to a good start with some of the old Warriors, such as Marvel Boy/Justice and Rage being questioned on their thoughts regarding the new Warriors, with suggestions coming from it that may well please older fans of the series. Funnily enough, it also highlights the aforementioned problem where the dialogue in this scene ends up far more engaging than the following scenes with the other Warriors, which end up flogging the same dead horse the book has been beating the past few issues – the friction between the team and their unregistered status.
While it’s obviously in aid of building tension for something that will come to a head, there’s a distinct feeling of redundancy at the same argument being forced repeatedly from effectively the same angle, albeit different heads. It makes such scenes almost a waste even though that’s clearly not the intent, and in this particular issue it really serves to show how uneven the pacing is on a whole. The main physical conflict that emerges is nicely played, but punctuated badly by the conclusion of an almost superfluous scene which doesn’t lead the reader to anything they didn’t already know and feels rather forced given it’s only one single page. It’s used to try and provide a break for the big fight set piece but ends up as a frustrating distraction, neither significant nor long enough to be worth the jump. And then, before you know it, the issue is over.
It’s not a case of New Warriors #11 being outrightly bad. There’s certainly nothing offensive here, even with the pacing caveats it suffers from. Grevioux’s dialogue is convincing and avoids some of the unnaturalistic ticks that were apparent in previous examples, and Paco Medina’s pencils are expressive enough to convey the emotions required to get the nuances of the script across. In fact, the whole action scene is very well done in conveying high stakes, conflict and most importantly, character moments which define certain members of the Warriors that sets us up nicely for the next chapter.
But at the same time, it’s just very easy to feel apathetic towards the book – and this is coming from a Warriors fan who’s tried to keep an open mind throughout. The themes remain strong, but too many of the characters are too nebulous and vague to stand out especially at this late stage. For the impact the following issue needs, we have to feel close enough to them to care, and so far New Warriors has yet to achieve that. Hope springs eternal, but for how long?
By my watch? Just under two months...
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg
'Buy this issue now at X-World and fight against the Initiative!' ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1851&cat=NEW+WARRIORS)