Ah and so begins Fear Itself, the latest Marvel crossover. It has been almost two years since the events of Siege, so it looks like we're overdue for another company-wide crossover event. While this prologue issue isn't essential for what is to come in next month's miniseries that is sure to "change the face of the Marvel universe FOREVER" (again).
This issue finds the Red Skull's daughter Sin and Baron Zemo attempting to locate a mysterious book that once belong to Cap's enemy. Bound in blue skin, the book is the key to something that Sin believes will "reshape the world" and allow her to become more powerful than her father ever was. After obtaining the book, we then flashback to World War 2, where Captain America, Bucky, and Namor investigate a strange ritual sacrifice committed by the Skull. However, instead of humans, it is Atlanteans that are slaughtered for a mysterious reason. This sends Namor into a rage, especially when he is told by an enemy soldier that they were killed because they were more "delicious" than regular humans.
The trio track Red Skull to Antarctica, where he has used the spells contained in his book (and the previous sacrifice) to recieve his "gift from the gods". However, what comes with that gift is non other than a frost giant from Asgard. After a great fight between the monster and the army, Bucky eventually subdues the creature while Skull escapes. The three heroes leave, unaware of the new mystical hammer that was left behind (and no, it's not Mjolnir). Skull's men couldn't move it, so they start to build a fortress around it. This mystical artifact remains there, and now Sin is going to find it.
Ed Brubaker's script leaves just enough hints to leave you curious about the upcoming Fear Itself, but he also delivers a pretty satisfactory one issue story that has some old-school World War 2 fun. I'm a sucker for Nazi occult stories, so this issue was right up my alley, and it's actually piqued my interest in the upcoming event. Scot Eaton's pencils were good as well, although sometimes Sin looked like she was wearing a really crappy mask, and not the burn marks that made her look like her father. Book Of The Skull should definitely be picked up by those interested in the upcoming event, as well as fans of Cap and Bucky in World War 2.
Felicia Day has returned to comics with the latest The Guild one-shot, this time focused on Tink, the kind of bitchy mysterious member of the Knights Of Good. The issue finds the different KoG members wondering where their archer is, and they all quickly realize that they know nothing about her. What follows is each member giving their own story of what Tink told them during a time that they had teamed up with her, and the stories presented here are hilarious. Each story features the work of a different artist (Kristian Donaldson, Jeremy Bastian, Wellinton Alves, Time Seely, and Adam Warren), and the styles definitely fit the themes in each different "origin tale". The ending of the story is extremely satisfying, especially when Tink is confronted by her Guildmates. I cannot wait for the next installment. Ms. Day, please keep writing comics, and make The Guild an ongoing!
No comments:
Post a Comment