Panels of the Week- 10/26/11

The last week of October was packed full of entertaining panels. Whether you were looking for spectacular art or just a good chuckle, last week's books had plenty to offer. It wasn't easy to narrow it down, but here's what we think are the top 10 panels of the week.

10. FF #11

Explaining jokes is always comedy. Alex Power kinda looks like a palette swapped Striker.

9. Astonishing X-Men #43

I don't want to live in a world where robots aren't taught about twirly mustached men.

8. Justice League Dark #2

Thanks for reminding us why you're awesome, John. Mikel Janin's art looks great here.

7. Gladstone's School For World Conquerors #6

This entire issue was full of great single panels, but I think this was my favorite moment.

6.  New Mutants #32

The best answer is often the one that makes you want to sigh.

5. All-Star Western #2

I love these two together. I can hear this exchange in my head perfectly. Beautiful facial expressions from Moritat.

4. Daredevil #5

When I see panels like this I feel like hugging my comic. Such great art on this book.

3. Green Wake #6

It's incredibly simple, but it says so much. Riley Rossmo is amazing.

2. Journey into Mystery #630

I was already considering picking this book up, but now I'm completely sold. The panel after this one is great too.

1. The Flash #2

This issue blew me away, and this panel was a big part of that. There's so much going on here, but it never feels overly complicated. If you want to know why Francis Manapul is one of my favorite artists, just take a look at this.

By Marceline with No comments

Review: Daredevil #5

One of my favorite parts of every new issue of Daredevil is the very beginning. For those of you who don't read Daredevil (you really should), each issue begins with a newpaper styled recap of what came before. I don't normally pay attention to recap pages, but there's always plenty to enjoy in Daredevil's, whether it's humorous comments about the Marvel Universe or lines that slightly bend the fourth wall. What really got me this time around was the caption under the photo of Daredevil, which comments on how he "seems to almost be having fun these days". It sums up exactly what I love about this series, and made me eager to tear into this issue.

Last issue's cliffhanger quickly led into an action scene, which was made all the more enjoyable by Matt Murdock's commentary. That he was able to take out this crop of baddies so easily added a lot of impact to his struggles later on in the issue. If a guy can take out six armed mercs wearing night vision goggles without breaking a sweat, then you know that any villain who gives him trouble must be scary stuff. I have a soft spot for any character who wears a luchador mask, and I'm eager to see what Mark Waid has planned for the new baddie Bruiser. His logo littered costume makes me think of the wonderful superhero series Tiger & Bunny, and I hope we get to find out a little more about his list.

Many of the questions raised in the last issue were given answers here, and I'd probably be expecting this story to wrap up in issue #6 if it weren't for some new elements introduced that seem to be building to something really big. It makes me wonder if this case will ever get a clean ending. I loved that Matt isn't even making the most basic efforts to hide that he's Daredevil from Austin Cao. Quite a few fans have been speculating that Austin will join the book's main cast, and this seems to back up that line of thinking. Of course, at this point, I could completely believe that Matt's given up on trying to conceal his secret identity, which makes Foggy Nelson's attempts to keep up the facade all the more amusing.

Speaking of Foggy, this was a really great issue for him. I've liked him since the start of this Daredevil run, but his concern for Matt here really increased my appreciation for the character. I don't want Matt to go back to being miserable all the time, but I like that Waid's acknowledging that things aren't always that simple. I've mentioned before that I really can relate to this take on Daredevil, and as much as working to have a positive outlook on life has helped me, it's not a magic fix for everything that's wrong in my life. This was a nice carry over from issue one, and I hope we'll get to see Foggy and Matt talk about this soon.

Paolo Rivera is a tough act to follow, but Marcos Martin is doing a terrific job of it. Sound effects and panel layouts continue to be used brilliantly and remain one of my favorite aspects of the book. His line work is smooth and sharp, and he creates some really terrific poses, especially near the end of the issue. The facial expressions are also great- the scene at Kristen and Dina's apartment had a bit of a Cliff Chiang vibe, which is always a good thing. Javier Rodriguez returns as the book's color artist, and his work continues to make the book feel bright and fun. What really excites me about the art in Daredevil is how much it embraces the fact that it's a comic book. Onomatopoeia is a huge part of what makes the medium fun, and I love how well it's used here.

When a comic is as consistently good as Daredevil is, they don't seem to get as much attention has they should for being great. That's a shame, because I have had a blast reading every issue so far, and I think there are a lot of comic readers that would feel the same if they gave this book a chance. When I pick up a new issue of Daredevil, I know I'm going to love the heck out of it before I even turn the first page. The comics world needs more constants- books you can count on to be terrific no matter what. Daredevil is one of those constants. It's reliably great to look at, reliably fun, and just a great comic reading experience every month. I really think this is going to be remembered as one of the all-time best Daredevil runs, and I'm excited to be reading it while the story's still unfolding.

By Marceline with No comments

Comics You Should Be Reading: Daredevil

Daredevil is a character I've never really been able to get into. On paper, he totally seems like the sort of hero I'd enjoy. I'm a big fan of street level superheroes, and I really dig the super senses gimmick. But when I've tried to pick up a Daredevil comic and read, I haven't really enjoyed myself. It's not that the stories are bad- I've tried some of the most acclaimed Daredevil runs- it's that they weren't fun to read. When I've read Daredevil, I've felt like the writers are more interested in showing me how miserable Matt Murdock can be, and aren't as concerned with showing me how awesome he can be. There's plenty of room in the world for a good, angst ridden cape comic, but that's not the sort of Daredevil I want to read.

So why exactly did I wind up picking up Daredevil? The amazing first issue cover helped, but mostly, I gave this a chance because of Mark Waid. Waid has written a ton of terrific stories- Tower of Babel, Kingdom Come, and Born to Run, just to name a few- and I'm willing to give anything he writes at least an issue. And after how great Daredevil's been? I'm going to advise you do the same.

The first issue of Daredevil is incredibly accessible, even if you've never read a Daredevil comic in your life. The basics are laid out for the reader within the first page, and more recent backstory is provided in a natural way as the story progresses. More important than any of that, though, is how much fun this version Daredevil is. Matt Murdock seems determined to squeeze every drop of joy out of life he can, and there's this gleeful energy every time you see him wearing his horns. In past Daredevil stories, artists have gone for a static, photorealistic look, but here, it's pure kinetic energy. Mark Waid's writing does plenty to show readers what a cool character Daredevil is, but Paolo Rivera's art takes it to the next level- he renders the world as Daredevil sees it beautifully, and gives fans some of the best looking pages in comics right now.

But where I really fell in love with Daredevil was in that same issue's second story. While visiting his father's grave with Foggy Nelson, Matt turns to Foggy and says this:

Those were the exact words I needed to hear at exactly the right time. I've been having a pretty miserable year myself- not Daredevil-tier misery, but I felt like life was going out of its way to find ways to take a crap on me. I needed to be reminded that I couldn't keep wallowing in my own unhappiness, and maybe more importantly, that I didn't *want* to keep wallowing in my own unhappiness. It was both sobering and inspirational, and while I usually take my inspiration from the likes of Captain America and Superman, I was more than happy to take Matt Murdock's words to heart here.

Since then, Daredevil has only gotten better for me. From the brilliant scene when Daredevil wields Cap's shield in issue 2 (it's "like touching a Stradivarius") to the Kirby channeling flashback scenes in issue 3, every issue has been a blast to read and left me with a smile on my face. The comic is only 4 issues in, and Waid's already wrapped up some storylines and set-up some great new ones. I like seeing Matt just being Matt as much as I love watching him fight as Daredevil, and I'm really enjoying the book's supporting cast, especially Foggy. The twist on Matt Murdock's lawyer background is good enough to carry a comic on its own, and all the other great moments readers get are just a beautiful bonus.

The action scenes in the book are exquisitely choreographed, and I'd love to get a look at some of the scripts.  There's great panel to panel storytelling, great movement, and no shortage of interesting foes for him to go up against. We've already seen him fight Captain America, a villain made of sound, and a lion, and I can't wait to see where the book takes him from here. Sometimes, when a comic throws so much awesome at me right from the start, I get concerned the book will start to lose steam over time, but that's not the case here. Mark Waid's vision for both the character and the comic is so clear, and I have complete faith Daredevil is only going to get better from here.

I honestly can't imagine a person who wouldn't enjoy this comic. There are so few characters out there that seem to enjoy what they do the way Matt Murdock does in this book, and that enthusiasm is absolutely contagious. This book makes my life a little bit brighter each month, and just seeing each issue's newspaper style recap is enough to put a grin on my face. I am not going just just recommend you pick up Daredevil, I'm going to recommend you pick up two copies- because there's probably someone who will love the heck out of it too.

By Marceline with No comments