Comic Book Crisis of Faith - Warren Ellis' Thunderbolts

Long time readers will remember my Comic Book Crisis of Faith articles, but as I have not featured a new one in a long time, I want to give everyone a general introduction as to what they are. The crisis of faith is in regards to the many high quality or high profile books that you may or may not be picking up. I basically set out to review a new creative team's run on the book, like I did with Grant Morrison's Batman, or the launch of a new series, such as my Immortal Iron Fist and Blue Beetle articles. I go over the pros and cons of each book or creative run and give my verdict on whether or not the title is all hype or worth picking up. This return of the Comic Book Crisis of Faith focuses on Warren Ellis' work on Marvel's critically acclaimed Thunderbolts title.

With the return of Comic Book Crisis of Faith, I have to point out that I have changed the format of the review. I've broken the article up into several smaller sections, each focusing on specific points, like the summary, my opinion and so on. On top of this, I'm using far more images than my previous articles and I feel I've done a much better job breaking up the article so it does not appear to be just a big wall of text. I'm curious to hear everyone's opinon on the new format and, of course, on the Thunderbolts comic as well, so feel free to comment and let me know what you think. With that said, hit the jump for a full break down of the new creative team's first story arc.

What is it?

WARREN ELLIS' THUNDERBOLTS
"Faith In Monsters"
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Mike Deodato
Thunderbolts Issues #110 to 115

Venom, the lethal protector! The enigmatic Moonstone! Bullseye, the man who never misses! Songbird, mistress of sound! Chen Lu, the Radioactive Man! Swordsman, master of the blade! The mystery man called Penance! And Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin! They're America's newest celebrities, ready to take to the skies at a moment's notice in pursuit of those secret, unregistered superhumans hiding among us! They're the All-New, All-Deadly Thunderbolts - making the world a safer place for ordinary people one would-be costumed hero at a time! In the wake of Civil War, Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato present a dark and disturbing take on Marvel's Most Wanted, where the line between hero and villain is difficult to find - if it exists at all!

What did I miss?

Nothing! While the book retained its old numbering, this is very much a new and unique reading experience that is only superficiously related to the previous creative team's work. These first six issues of Ellis and Deodato's run are the perfect jumping on point. Everything you need to know is spelled out for you in the first couple issues of their run.

What's it about?

Coming out from the fallout of Civil War, Ellis' run began by featuring a new roster and direction for the Thunderbolts team. Led by Norman Osborn, the new director of the Thunderbolts, the new team is composed of Songbird, Venom, Bullseye, Penance, Radioactive Man, Swordsman and the team's field leader, Moonstone.

Using a massive propaganda campaign funded by the US government, the Commission on Superhuman Affairs controlled team enjoys a large degree of public support unheard of by the previous Thunderbolts team and in spite of the numerous known murderers and psychopaths present on the roster. Bullseye is the only member that is kept secret from the general public and is only deployed under extreme circumstances.

While the team has finally gained the public acceptance it has always wanted, the motives of many members for doing so is hardly altruistic. Both Venom and Bullseye have no desire to become heroes or redeem themselves and have joined only to inflict pain and suffering onto various superheroes with the prospect of no jail time or reprecussions for doing so. Ellis has chosen to revert both Moonstone and Swordsman to their more villainous ways, ignoring the previous creative team's characterizations. Both have allied with each other in order to take down both Songbird and Norman Osborn for their own personal benefits with Moonstone wanting control of the Thunderbolts and Swordsman desiring the clone of his dead sister that Osborn holds over his head. Songbird and Radioactive Man both stay with the team to try and prevent it from becoming a shell of its former self and to try and reign in monsters like Bullseye and Venom. Penance is the only team member who joins of his own free will and is psychologically broken from his role in the destruction of the town of Stamford in Civil War and is serving his 'penance' as a member of this team. Each team member is laced with deadly nanites, with the exception of Penance and Moonstone, in order to keep them in check and under the government's control. If they fall out of line, the nanites are activated and can lead to paralysis or even death.

Throughout the first arc, the team engages in several public displays of force against D-list heroes, such as Jack Flagg and Steel Spider. These battles are spun by the media to paint the T-bolts in a positive light and hide the horrific acts the team engages in, such as the crippling of Jack Flagg by Bullseye or Venom's eating of Steel Spider's arm. These fights are further spun to show just how dangerous unregistered heroes are and why America needs teams like the Thunderbolts to police other heroes. This political aspect is heavily prevailent throughout the book.

What do I think?

Much like I said in my review of Grant Morrison's Batman, I hate referring to a fairly long running book like Thunderbolts as Warren Ellis' book. But, much like Morrison's Batman, Ellis' presence dominates this book. His writing elevates the mostly second rate characters portrayed, bringing new life to underused and forgotten characters and truly makes this book his own. On top of this, Ellis has taken this formerly poor selling book and completely retooled it, changing both the characters and focus of the title. Gone are the D-list former villains struggling for a chance at redemption as they try to become heroes. The few remaining characters here are barely the same characters from the previous creative team. All the former subplots and characters have been replaced with Ellis' team of villains and assorted misfits coerced or outright forced to join this Initiative team.

However, this is where the strength of this new book lies. While I hate how they basically kicked the old creative team out the door and completely retooled the series, I cannot judge this book based on my previous enjoyment of the old creative team's work. I do, however, wish they had renamed it or restarted it with a new number one, but the high quality and even higher sales of the book post-Civil War makes it hard to fault them for not doing so.

Despite the use of several big name villains, like Venom and Bullseye, Ellis has done an commendable job featuring several Z-list characters in his run on Thunderbolts, like Steel Spider and American Eagle, and even goes so far as to make them credible threats to the team. These former laughing stocks are a major focus in the story and the final battle royale of this arc featuring these characters will go down as one of the best superhero melees I have ever seen in a comic book.

The only complaints I can come up with for Warren Ellis' work is the insanely decompressed pace he is employing and the excessive political overtones present in the book.

Decompression is becoming a standard in most comics these days, especially over at Marvel, but this series suffers from it far more than any other. However, this might be attributed to his need to establish the team as the final climactic fight scene and the first issue of the next arc both seem to flow and read at a much better pace than the opening issues.

As for the excessive political overtones, I feel Ellis gets too caught up in his anti-American analogues present in this book and I am saying this as a non-American. The full page spreads for the propaganda ads and newscasts, which are prevalent in just about every issue, further compounded the decompressed feel of the book as a monthly title. Many seem to blatantly reflect the current state of the US and the war in Iraq and, while many books benefit from these metaphors and analogues to real life events, I feel Ellis falls into the trap of expressing his own personal views at the expense of telling the actual story at times. While I can fault him for these two things, neither impact my enjoyment of this book and Ellis manages to craft an excellent reading experience and Thunderbolts remains the best Initiative book to date.

I can't discuss this book without mentioning the excellent artwork by Mike Deodato. He has produced, arguably, the best work of his career in his relatively short run on this title. He employs a much more realistic style here compared to his previous works. Where other big name artists employ very static, pin-up-like action scenes, Deodato's fight scenes are fluid and dynamic. Also, while Ellis brings new life to the many D-list "villains" the Thunderbolts are forced to track down, Deodato does an incredible job depicting them as credible threats. Steel Spider has never looked more menacing or capable than he has in this series and it's all thanks to Deodato's excellent pencils. My only complaint with his work is his choice of Tommy Lee Jones as his model / reference for Norman Osborn. Every time I see Osborn, I am immediately pulled out of the book as I am reminded of Jones.

Verdict - Crisis Averted

As I stated earlier, Thunderbolts is the best post-Civil War Initiative book to come out of Marvel. Both Ellis and Deodato are putting out some of the best work of their careers. While I have some grievances with the displacement of the previous creative team, I have to give credit where credit is due. The first arc started slowly, but finished very strongly and the first issue of the next arc looks to continue to build on this momentum. If you haven't given Thunderbolts a try yet, do yourself a favour and pick up this trade or the back issues as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

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Comic Book Crisis of Faith - Grant Morrison's Batman

This volume of Comic Book Crisis of Faith spotlights Grant Morrison's creative run on DC's Batman. For any newcomers, the Comic Book Crisis of Faith column focuses on macro reviews of particular comic runs, be they by creators or simply a new series or even just a chance to reflect on the past year or so worth of comics from a particular book. You can find some quick examples of these in my previous volumes featuring Blue Beetle or The Immortal Iron Fist. I had originally been debating which book I would do this week. I had narrowed my choices down to Kirkman's The Walking Dead, Dini's Detective Comics and Morrison's Batman until I received several requests to see Morrison's Batman reviewed. This made my decision easier and I hope the rest of you enjoy this week's choice. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions and discussion is always welcome. On with the show!


Grant Morrison's Batman & Son (collects issues #655-658, 663-666) - Written by Grant Morrison with Art by Andy Kubert & John Van Fleet

I hate referring to a long running book, like Batman, as Grant Morrison's book, but for all intents and purposes, this is his Batman. Simply put, Morrison brings his trademark imaginative high concept story telling to the Batman franchise in this opening salvo of his Batman tenure. If you are a long time Batman fan expecting traditional stories from Morrison, you will be sadly disappointed. Morrison presents us with his version of Batman. Batman is still Batman, in so far as he dresses like a bat in the same costume and fights crime to avenge his parents murder just like always, but the style and tone of the book have Grant Morrison written all over it. His very first arc deals with vampire ninja man-bats and retroactively bringing an Elseworlds tale into the main Batman continuity by giving Batman an illegitimate love child from Talia al Ghul. These are the types of stories and outrageous concepts that Grant Morrison is famous for, but they are not the types of things many people read Batman books for and they may or may not impact your enjoyment of this book.



While the 1987, Batman: Son of the Demon, had long been considered an Elseworlds tale, Morrison has seen fit to integrate the classic tale into the Batman canon proper in his opening arc, Batman & Son. The story opens with a bang, literally, as Joker is shot in the face by an impostor Batman and sets the tone for this action packed, anything goes adventure in the Batman universe. The story quickly shifts gears as Bruce Wayne heads to London for a fundraiser event. Morrison does an excellent job with these 'Bruce' moments in his opening issues, something he quickly leaves to the wayside in later arcs. While at this fundraiser, Bruce is quickly drawn into action as giant vampire man-bats attack the pop art museum where it is being held. This action sequence features the best use of sound effects I have seen in a long time. The various pop art pieces on display are used to illustrate the sound effects for many of the scenes, ranging from a giant, "Wow", speech bubble above a beautiful woman to the classic, "Blam", effect in the background art piece as Batman fires his grappling gun. I am not sure if this was Morrison's or Kubert's idea, but someone deserves an award for this as it is extremely well done. While Batman manages to take down several of these abominations, he is quickly overpowered and taken captive back to Talia al Ghul, the mastermind behind their creation and attack. It is here that we are introduced to Batman's son, Damian Wayne, the offspring of Bruce and Talia's evening of passion in Son of the Demon.

The next few issues explore Damian's personality and character and show the effects his upbringing by the League of Assassins has wrought upon him. Many have complained that Damian is far too obnoxious and unlikeable a character and, while I agree with those assessments, I believe that this was Morrison's intention all along. Damian is a spoiled brat that has been trained to take whatever he wants by whatever means necessary. As a child that grew up without his father, he is equally enamoured with Batman and the stories his mother has told him have only served to make him want Bruce's approval that much more. This is best seen in his attempts at fighting crime, and the casualness with which he takes people's lives, and his interactions with and eventual attacking of Robin. He is clearly jealous of Robin and Bruce's adoption of him. He feels his father would rather have the adopted Tim Drake as opposed to his own son and once you realize this, the motivations for everything Damian says and does is painfully clear. The storyline concludes with a rather lackluster and rushed finish as Talia demands that Britain relinquish Gibraltar to her, as her father always had a soft spot for it. Batman and Damian show up to stop her attack and it is revealed that Talia is only interested in uniting Damian and Bruce together and hopes this will cause him to join with her and take his place as her husband. When Batman refuses, Talia and Damian disappear in the explosions as the British fleet opens fire on them. Talia acts irrational throughout this storyline and is written completely out of character and I feel she is the worst part of Morrison's Batman. If you have never read any previous stories with a focus on Talia in it, this will not really affect your enjoyment of this run, but her personality and actions throughout this arc are a major blemish and serve only to pull me out of the story. While an excellent story based on its own merit, Morrison's initial arc leaves a lot to be desired as a Batman story.

After a five issue layoff to allow Kubert to catch up on his workload, Morrison returned with issue #663 with guest penciller Van Fleet. This has come to be known as the 'prose' issue and, as you may have guessed, it is not a traditional comic book with art and speech bubbles, but an illustrated prose book, much like a novel with the occasional picture. I, personally, feel this is the absolute best issue of Morrison's run, as well as one of my favourite Batman stories of all time, and that this was the perfect vignette for the introduction of what could be the definitive Joker interpretation. This issue is almost like a follow up or companion piece to Morrison's previous Arkham Asylum and emphasizes the nature of Batman and Joker and their dual natures. Each requires the other and are inexplicably drawn to each other by their own gravities. Morrison also builds upon his previous Joker interpretation in Arkham and uses this to explain the random evolutions or shifting personalities the Joker has endured throughout the decades. There is also the obvious checkerboard motif that frames this story that mirrors the fractals in Arkham, as well as the general setting of this prose piece mainly in the asylum. This new Joker personality provides a far more menacing and frightening nemesis for Batman and Morrison establishes this new persona with the precision executions of all the Joker's previous 'employees' and culminates with his failed attempt to kill the only person he has ever cared about, Harley Quinn. Van Fleet's incredibly moody and often times disturbing artwork serves to complement the incredible writing and truly makes this tale memorable. My only complaint with the story is the opening chapter or two. Morrison seems overly wordy and possibly carried away with his uninhibited writing prose. These early expositions are probably where the brunt of the online vitriol against this prose issue comes from and, to an extent, I can see their point. However, I also believe that these people more than likely did not finish the issue and simply flipped through the pages to look at the pretty pictures once they grew tired of the overly wordy introduction. I cannot see how anyone was not gripped by the later confrontation with Joker, Harley and Batman and the chilling conclusion and rebirth of the new Joker persona.

The issue also hearkened back and paid homage to Danny O'Neil's, Death Strikes at Midnight and Three, the 1978 prose piece from DC Special Series #15 and later reprinted in The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told. It was a pulp tale and shares a similar title with Morrison's tale, The Clown at Midnight, where both use Midnight in the title. Further comparison can be drawn when both take time to describe the gritty landscape of Gotham and each lay out the size and scope of the cities limits. It is hard to believe this is the same writer from the old UK annuals where he did the prose based Batman and Catwoman story, The Stalking. Morrison's new work is almost lyrical compared to the dull and generic work from his early days in the medium and his older work only serves to show how much this writer has grown throughout the years.

With his incredible prose issue behind him, and Kubert back in the saddle, Morrison continues his personal take on the Batman mythos with what appears to be a ironic take on the character and a humorous poke at the 90's version of Batman. The first part of this two parter starts off with an inversion of the Batman / Bruce Wayne persona. Typically, Bruce is the weak and ineffective persona while Batman is the faultless hero. This issue opens with Bruce acting as the alpha male, action hero character, using his physical prowess on the ski slopes and even tossing a ski pole at a paparazzi minicopter, all to impress a woman. He even refers to himself as being cooler than James Bond. Batman, on the other hand, comes off completely ineffectual and the Bat-Bane character completely manhandles the usually dominant Batman. It even alludes to the 90's broken back at the end of the initial confrontation with this Bat-Bane character. Both issues are also littered heavily with the hard-boiled inner monologue of Batman, and it often directly contradicts or mocks his current situation, such as when he is face down in the mud after being beaten and thinks there must be a better way to strike terror into the hearts of criminals. It is as if Morrison is mocking this form of story telling that has been prevalent in most Batman comics since Frank Miller's popularization of the technique back in his Dark Knight story. It is not until Batman stops using this cliched storytelling technique that he becomes the effective and brutal Batman we have come to know and love.

The issue, taken at face value, is a very generic story and it is not meant to be enjoyed this way. Without considering the various dualities and symbolic nature of the characters and events, this two issue arc falls flat and fails to impress. These ghosts of the Batman each represent a distorted perspective into Batman's mind and serve to drive the narrative. The first ghost was the gun toting Batman that shot the Joker and reflects Bruce's childhood trauma when his parents were gun down in front of him. This Bat-Bane is easily associated with Bane and the breaking of Batman's back in the Knightfall saga and reflects his greatest defeat.

The final arc continues these ghostly reflections of Batman's inner psyche with the despondent future with Damian as Batman. It reflects a Batman driven by vengeance and one who has sold his soul to the devil in search of it. It is an excellent finish to Morrison's first act of his Batman saga and my only complaint with this 666 issue was that it was too short. I would have liked to have seen more of this Damian version of Batman and the many excellent one-shot villains created for this issue. An expanded build up to the battle with the anti-Christ would have made for a much more dramatic conclusion as well. This one-shot vision of a potential future with Damian as Batman was an excellent stand alone issue and worth checking out by anyone, even if you have not been keeping with Morrison's run.

As a long time Batman reader, my only complaint about Morrison's Batman is that it really is not a Batman book for the most part. Typically, it is merely a vessel for unleashing the limitless imagination and creativity of Morrison. He routinely mischaracterizes long time characters or rewrites continuity to suit his purpose so that he can tell his story, not Batman's. I am willing to look past this minor gripe though, as his current story arc with the International Club of Heroes draws heavily on older continuity and seems like a much better Batman story, while still retaining that Morrison feel to it. This initial outing seems to be setting up a lot of things for future use, especially considering the upcoming Return of Ra's story will feature Damian and Talia heavily. While there are many high points in this run, at the same time it is far from perfect. His run is worth picking up for the prose issue and the highly enjoyable 666 issue and his future issues are looking excellent as well. Whether you agree with his take on the character or not, Morrison's run is definitely enjoyable and I foresee only good things with future offerings.

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Comic Book Crisis of Faith - Blue Beetle

I am back again for another round of Comic Book Crisis of Faith. For the uninitiated, this column is dedicated to more thorough reviews of series or creative runs than my weekly single-issue review column, the Weekly Crisis Comic Book Reviews. The Comic Book Crisis of Faith comes into play with the fact that you most likely are not picking these books up or feel like you are too late for the party or do not know how a certain creative team's run is playing out. For the time being, I am sticking to more recent books, like the previous volume's look back at the first six issues of Immortal Iron Fist or this volume's look at Blue Beetle. The goal is to hopefully persuade some people to take a chance on these books or possibly save themselves money by warning them about the pitfalls of picking up certain other books. Enjoy the column and, as usual, feel free to leave comments.

Blue Beetle - Written by Keith Giffen & John Rogers with Art by Cully Hamner & Rafael Albuquerque - I will come right out and state it now. This book is probably, hands down, one of the top five books being put out by DC, if not all comic companies. If you enjoy superhero comics in the slightest, you do yourself a great disservice by not giving this series a try. Giffen and Rogers have done an incredible job with this book. The characters they have created are some of the most realistic and believable individuals I have ever seen grace a comic page. The dialogue is incredibly witty and feels completely natural. If you are or have ever been a teenager, this book will have you hooked with its incredible charm. This is the type of book anyone, young or old, can enjoy, and it is a shame DC has failed to market it in any way, shape or form.



Jaime Reyes is a teenager living in El Paso, Texas, residing with his parents and younger sister. He is an honours student with an acute sense of responsibility, very similar in nature to Spider-man, and this is especially noticeable later in the series when he fails to save everyone in a town during an attack by the villain Typhoon and laments to his father afterwards. The scene was incredibly touching and showed how much Jaime cares about the people around him. The interactions with his father are beautifully handled and show the deep bound Jaime has with his family. During Infinite Crisis, the Blue Beetle scarab found young Jaime for its new champion and, with the scarab's help, he assisted Batman and the other superheroes. Blue Beetle picks up immediately where Infinite Crisis left off.

The main draw of this book, and as should be the goal of all books, is the characters. Jaime is instantly likable and reminds me of a more modern rendition of Peter Parker as he is sort of an everyman type of character. Anyone should be able to see themselves reacting similarly to Jaime and his friends. Speaking of which, the team manages to build one of the best supporting cast of characters in comics today, in most likelihood rivaling Spider-man's of years gone by. Each character is unique and believable and the true joy of reading each issue is seeing Jaime's interactions with his friends and family. As stated earlier, the dialogue, handled by Rogers, is incredibly well done and some of the most believable dialogue in comics. Both witty and charming, it captures the youth and spirit of these characters while making each character's voice unique and instantly recognizable. One of the best things about the Blue Beetle character is that Jaime does not hide his secret identity from his friends and family. It seems natural and the reactions between the characters is that much stronger with no need for the cliched hero dumping his friends and family and other responsibilities in favour of hiding his secret identity. Hiding the identity always came off a bit corny in other books and makes the other characters seem rather dense for not being able to figure it out, especially when they live under the same roof.

Despite my high praise at the start of this column, I will be the first to admit that Blue Beetle, over the course of its first eleven issues, has had little focus or direction. In fact, not until issue twelve, when Rogers took over as the only writer, did the book finally gain the one thing it was lacking. Basically, throughout the first half a dozen issues, the series meanders about, unable to really do anything but introduce the supporting cast as it ties into Infinite Crisis and One Year Later. The transition to OYL continuity in issue three was handled especially well. Jaime's family's reaction to his missing for one year in OYL is a realistic reaction that is a true testament to the writers' abilities. Issue seven explains fully what happened during Infinite Crisis, and the reason for his missing for one year, when Jaime disappeared aboard the Brother Eye satellite. Among these first handful of issues, Giffen and Rogers manage to introduce us to the Posse, a street gang made up of magic users who's abilities were unlocked due to the destruction of the Rock of Eternity in Infinite Crisis. The events and execution of the Posse storyline is fairly average fare, but they serve to introduce us to the many characters in Jaime's life and allow the team to explore Jaime's new powers and abilities as the Blue Beetle. If you originally gave the book a shot, I can see why you may have been leery of sticking around or possibly dropped the book during this shaky starting period.

With the initial story arc wrapped up and the crossover nonsense done with, the book really starts to find its groove and the second arc is a huge improvement over the original offering. At the same time, it somehow manages to actually improve upon the characters and dialogue of the first six or seven issues, making these issues that much better. While much of the first few issues deal with the new Beetle's powers and abilities, with this arc, we learn more about previous Beetle's and the history of the scarab itself and how it is an alien artifact. All of this culminates with issue twelve and thirteen's introduction of The Reach, an alien race that once warred with the Guardians, of Green Lantern fame, when the universe was younger and are currently engaged in a peace treaty with them. Apparently, The Reach created the scarab's to seed young worlds. The scarab was designed to activate at a certain time and take over a host to use in order to prepare the planet for The Reach to take over. Somehow, through the use of magic, most likely from the first Beetle, Dan Garrett's usage, the scarab became damaged and this has allowed Jaime to oppose The Reach and the scarab's desires. Initially they tried to trick Jaime into helping them, but with his refusal, they were forced to try and terminate him.

Throughout the next half a dozen issues, the book focuses primarily on Jaime's dealings with The Reach and is home to several excellent issues. His team up with Guy Gardner in issue fourteen is one of my favourite issues. Jaime is initially terrified of Guy, as his first issue had Guy attacking Jaime due to some misunderstandings and the later revealed natures of The Reach scarab and Oan GL rings. After the hilarious chase scene, Guy meets up with Jaime's family and a great scene, which accompanies this paragraph, takes place with Jaime's mother chastising Guy's hiding the giant green fist behind his back. It is scenes like this one, which there are many throughout the series, that make the book a joy to read. This issue also takes the time to address the relationship between The Reach and the Green Lantern Corps and how the GLC can do nothing to stop The Reach at this time, as they are under treaty unless The Reach does something drastic. A few issues later comes another great issue with a confrontation with Eclipso. It builds upon the earlier Posse developments and, as a self contained issue, is incredibly well done, with excellent pacing and probably one of the funniest moments in the entire series. As Eclipso tries to use one of the Posse's babies as a new host, Jaime, his non powered friend Paco and Traci 13 attempt to stop her. The magic ceremony prevents magic intervention and as Paco enters the magic circle to stop Eclipso, he must face Eclipso's champion. For this, she summons Jaime's greatest, darkest desires for ultimate power. What she gets is a Jaime, clad in full dentist uniform, shouting, "I am a dentist!". It is a testament to the type of character Jaime is, just a normal guy with no desire for super powers or the strange life thrust upon him and the scene is played to fantastic comical effect. The final issue of my overview was last weeks team up with the Teen Titans in issue eighteen. It was another excellent issue and probably the best the Titans have been handled in months. Rogers dialogue and story made this issue work and I would love to see him handling Teen Titans if it does not detract from his work with Blue Beetle. Hopefully this crossover and his eventual involvement with the Titan's own book will lead to more fan interest and better sales for the low selling Blue Beetle book.






To my knowledge, it appears the main complaint with this series is Ted Kord, and this book's lack thereof. Many long time fans gave up on this book in disgust over DC's killing off of the previous Blue Beetle during Infinite Crisis and refuse to give this book a chance. The redefining of the Blue Beetle mythos is another common train of thought coming from this group of detractors. I just want to state right now that this book, and its creators, hold the previous Beetle's in high regard. Most of the first dozen or so issues are littered with Blue Beetle lore and the book builds and expands upon all that came before it. It does not ignore or tear down or detract in any way from the previous Blue Beetles. The image accompanying this paragraph is a prime example of this. Issue eight has Jaime and company visiting the first Blue Beetle's granddaughter for more information and history on the scarab. There are several scenes throughout the series of Jaime researching Ted Kord and commenting on how great a character he was. Guy Gardner shows up in one issue and tells Jaime that he considers Ted to be smarter than Batman and that despite not having powers, Ted was one of the best heroes he ever knew. Small touches like these show the respect the creators have for the old guard and are really nice touches. If you are one of the people holding off on this book simply because it is not the Blue Beetle you know and love, please give it a try, as I am sure you will love it just as much, if not more than the previous Beetles.

Blue Beetle is currently available in two trades, Blue Beetle: Shell Shocked and Blue Beetle: Road Trip, collecting issues one to six and seven to twelve respectively. Many of the issues can probably still be found in back issue bins and I highly recommend seeking out either the trades or back issues, as they are more than worth the effort. The series starts off on a shaky foot, but quickly finds its way about half way through and is currently firing on all cylinders. It is smart, funny and highly entertaining and I, honestly, cannot wait for each issue to come out. Issue eighteen, which you can read more about here, is a great stand alone issue that anyone could enjoy and would make an excellent jumping on point for anyone interested in this series or looking for a great superhero book. This is one of the best comics on the market today and I would hate to see it go the way of the dodo simply because people were too afraid to give a new book about a former B-list hero, no offense to Ted Kord, a chance. If you enjoy books like Spider-man, back when he was care free and he had an actual supporting cast to care about, or Runaways or are tired of the angst ridden, cynical, super depressing realistic takes many new comics take on characters, this book is definitely for you. I cannot give this book enough praise and the prognosis for future issues in this series is extremely positive in my eyes. Pick up an issue today, you will not regret it.

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Comic Book Crisis of Faith - The Immortal Iron Fist

Comic Book Crisis of Faith is the newest feature of The Weekly Crisis. It is another review based column and deals primarily with creative runs or new titles or other extended runs on books. Basically, it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 issues of a book over a given time frame and grades the book, letting readers know if it is worth picking up the trade or if the series is on a downward trend or so on. For example, this article will deal with The Immortal Iron Fist's first six issue arc. Other ideas for future columns I have concern Thor or Avengers: The Initiative or Booster Gold after they have built up several issues or Blue Beetle's first year of existence or possibly even taking an objective look at a creator's run on a book like Grant Morrison's Batman and so on. Enough prattling though. Enjoy the article and feel free to comment or leave suggestions for future featured books.

The Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story by Brubaker, Fraction & Aja, Hollingsworth - I have to admit, I did not pick up this series when it launched. I did not even pick it up after the initial wave of glowing reviews. I love Brubaker and Fraction has proven solid in his offerings of late. The art was fantastic in all the promotional effects and previews. I just could not bring myself to buy a kung-fu book, for lack of a better term. There are numerous powered and non-powered superheroes out there that can use various forms of martial arts and they do not rely on it as their main drawing feature. On top of that, no Marvel or DC martial arts character or book has ever really appealed to me. Not Shang-chi, not Iron Fist, not Karate Kid or Lady Shiva or the League of Assassins. None of them. For whatever reason, though, I picked up the first six issues of this when the hardcover came out in July and it was so good, it forced me to pick up all non-collected issues released since and it has consistently been one of the best books on the market.



The book requires little to no knowledge of who or what Iron Fist is and redefines the character, his powers and his legacy while simultaneously drawing on years of characters and history and staying true to the original character - all in the span of six issues. It sounds contradictory, but it is true. Brubaker and Fraction utilize years of character, story and history while immediately making it accessible to new and old alike.

His friendship with Luke Cage is utilized perfectly and it is obvious they have years of history together without the need to expand upon it or forcing the reader to dig out back issues to figure it out. They are written perfectly and we know intrinsically that they are old friends. His relationship with Misty Knight, even if you do or do not know who she is, is drawn and expanded upon and, through the dialogue and art, we just know these are old lovers.

Brubaker and Fraction's use of the old is only matched by the volume of new material they have added to the Iron Fist mythos in the span of six issues. It is obvious that Danny Rand could not be the only Iron Fist, but it has never been touched upon before. That all changes here as we find out the Iron Fist legacy has existed for generations and that there have been at least sixty-six Iron Fist's, dating back to the thirteenth century. The current run is spattered with various flashbacks to several different Iron Fist users throughout the ages, detailing their different uses and applications of the power. The "Last" in the title of this storyline refers to the focus of this arc, being the last iteration of the Iron Fist, Orson Randall. On top of fleshing out his powers and legacy, they redefine the purpose of his powers and the city of K'un Lun. They have become part of a mystic fighting tournament between the Seven Cities of Heaven. Each city has their own champion and they face off against each other every eighty-eight years for the ability to manifest on Earth. They tie this in seamlessly and it comes off less corny than how I have managed to put into words.

The main focus of this first story arc is Orson Randall, the previous Iron Fist who reneged on his duties as Iron Fist during the last meeting of the Seven Cities of Heaven. Apparently, he had fought in the first World War and suffered psychological damage from the atrocities he saw on the battlefield and the guilt of being the only survivor. When told he must fight and kill his opponents in a tournament, he refuses and flees K'un Lun, but not before killing one of the other cities' champions, that of the Crane Mother. Orson is found in Thailand by Davos, the Steel Serpent, who was resurrected to be the Crane Mother's new champion. Orson appears to have been preserved by the spirit of Shou-Lao and still in possession of his powers as Iron Fist. As it appears he has been flushed out of his hiding place, Orson flees to America to find Danny and entrust him with the Book of the Iron Fist, a sacred book Orson stole as he fled K'un Lun and rumoured to contain all the secret techniques and history of every Iron Fist ever to have existed. Orson does this to prepare Danny for the tournament of the Seven Champions that he, himself, fled decades earlier.

After finally meeting with Danny and showing him the Book of the Iron Fist, Orson and Danny are confronted by Davos and his legion of Hydra minions. Greatly empowered by the Crane Mother, Davos is more than a match for either Iron Fist and quickly kills Orson in single combat. Before dying, Orson calls for Danny to use his chi to augment his powers. In a display similar to how he obtained the power of the Iron Fist in the first place, Danny plunges his fists into Orson and acquires his chi and the power to battle Davos to a stand still. After the battle, Danny is confronted by his former master, Lei Kung, who summons him to K'un Lun for the Tournament of the Seven Champions. After a few moments of questioning, Danny submits to his master and follows them back to K'un Lun, ending our first arc with the promise of more to come.

My overly simplified and less than adequate retelling of Brubaker and Fractions masterfully told story does not do it justice. This book is more than its plot. It is the combination of excellent characterization and dialogue combined with action packed fight scenes and exquisite artwork. With the exception of the artwork, Brubaker and Fraction handle all of these with ease and each issue is a dream to read.

Aja is the main penciller with Hollingsworth handling the art for any flashbacks. Each must be commended as the artistic direction of this series is as equally important as the writing. Each page is broken up into clearly defined panels and each flow perfectly into the next. This is especially noticeable during fight scenes or extended dialogue scenes, such as when Davos is speaking with his Hydra minions or Danny is conversing with Orson. The flashback scenes contrast perfectly with the dark, moody tones of Aja and their departure from the paneling format of the present day further juxtapose their story and style in terms of Aja's and serve to draw the reader into these flashbacks that much more. The art cannot be mentioned without speaking a little about the covers. Each issue's cover is adorned with a beautiful, minimalistic cover that serves to draw the reader in and shows up the talents of Aja perfectly. The use of sound effects is also to be noted, such as the image accompanying this paragraph. There are many instances of unique sound effect use such as the "DOOM" in that panel or others where an effect will spiral down a page, guiding the readers' eyes from panel to panel.

Having the ability to be able to read part of the series in hardcover form and part as a monthly, I feel that each Iron Fist appeals to both formats perfectly. It reads, looks and flows beautifully as a hardcover for these first six issues, but the present issues I have read in floppy format feel complete and the monthly wait allows me time to digest them and contemplate the future of the storyline more thoroughly as well as building my anticipation for each coming issue. I do not feel that this series suffers from the decompression syndrome that many new books endure. It is suitable both as a trade paperback or monthly and you will not regret picking this book in either format. Many monthlies leave me with that "is that all?" feeling after reading them. Each Iron Fist issue is wholly satisfying and leaves me with a "oh my god, what is going to happen next?" feeling. It is a testament to the quality of the book and its creators. You do yourself a disservice by not giving this book a try and this recent hardcover edition and the upcoming trade paperback version are the perfect jumping on points for anyone that enjoys quality books, regardless of brand name or publisher loyalties.

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