Dragon Age: Magekiller #5: Given that the other blog that I write is about "Dragon Age," I was obviously excited about this miniseries. I was particularly excited that it was set in Tevinter. As I said in my review of the first issue, I figured that it might be a prelude for the upcoming "Dragon Age 4." After the second issue, it seemed clear that Rucka would use Marius as his tool to introduce us to the Imperium, particularly through exploring Marius' past a slave. Then...we just didn't do that. The characters are somewhat awkwardly brought to the attention of the Inquisition in the third issue, revealing that the series actually takes place during the game. I barely remember the fourth issue, other than its forced introduction of a relationship between Tessa and Charter, seemingly done solely to introduce doubt into Tessa's mind about her relationship with Marius. This issue is entirely focused on those doubts, as Marius and Tessa play a minor role in the Inquisitor's eventual confrontation with Corypheus. Instead of showing us unseen parts of an unexplored continent and delving into the history of the series' main characters, Rucka leaves us with little more than a coda to the game and a not very interesting one at that. The squandered potential here really leaves me bummed.
Extraordinary X-Men #9: I don't have too much to say about this issue, since, after all, not a lot happens: Anole, Ernst, Glob Herman, and No-Girl are forced to wander through the six lands that remain in post-Apocalyptic Earth as they try to find a way to contact the X-Men. But, I have to give Lemire props for characterization and imagination. On the latter, we learn that Apocalypse found these six lands -- including Atlantis and Wakanda -- worthy and preserved them in bubbles; everything else on Earth is gone. It's a clever twist on Apocalypse's "survival of the fittest" mantra; I didn't think it was even remotely possible to add anything new to Apocalypse stories, so I take off my hat to Lemire for finding something. But, this issue is really made by the conversation that the kids have on the raft, with Anole and Glob Herman lamenting that they'll likely never get a chance to ask out their crushes (Striker and Jean Grey, respectively) as Ernst wishes that they could just go home. The kids wind up stuck in the bubble worlds for a year, and Lemire and Ramos show us how much more experienced and powerful they are at the end of it. But, it's this conversation on the raft that reminds us that they're just kids, making where they are at the end of the issue all the more impressive (and sad).
Also Read: All-New Hawkeye #6; Bloodshot Reborn #12; Captain America - Sam Wilson #8; Captain Marvel #4; Mighty Thor #6; New Avengers #10
Showing posts with label Dragon Age: Magekiller (2015). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dragon Age: Magekiller (2015). Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Still-Not-Even-Remotely-New Comics!: The DC and Independent Comics from January 20 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #47: As Barbara herself frets in this issue, Stewart and Fletcher are covering previously tread ground as she again struggles with her memory. If I'm following the crumbs that they've left us correctly, a Bloom-like figure is affecting her memory through her dreams.
But, the problem is that, based on what we've seen, he's not just affecting her memory; it seems like he's affecting reality itself. For example, Barbara tells Luke in this issue that she refuses to build the negahedron because she can't be sure that she's got the schematics right from memory. That night, Not-Bloom restructures her memory to make it seem like she had agreed to build it. But, his plan only works if he changed reality, not her memory: he'd have to have gotten her retroactively to agree to build it. After all, if he just changed her memory, she'd still have said no to Luke. If she showed up the next day believing that she had said yes, he'd clearly know that something was wrong. In fact, Not-Bloom would've also had to have changed her feelings as well: otherwise, she could've woken up the next morning, remembered that she agreed to build it, dismissed that decision as odd, and again decided not to build it. In another example, we now know that she tipped off the cops to the gang-banger whose mother she met a few issues ago. But, it was pretty clear that Babs had no intention of calling the cops when she met the woman. As such, her memory is correct: she didn't call the cops. For her to have called the cops, Not-Bloom would have to have gotten her retroactively to call the cops (after she decided not to do so) and then made her forget that she did so.
In other words, it's a mess. Thrown into the mix, we've also got Babs' friend Greg rifling through her underwear drawer. He arrived after Babs started having memory problems, so I'm hoping that he's not Not-Bloom (because it's too obvious), but, the way this series is going, I wouldn't be surprised. I have a few other nitpicks from this issue -- like Spoiler knowing that Corporal Punishment has "electric muscles" in their fight with her at the GCPD -- but it doesn't seem worth it to mention. This series is already sinking, so I don't need to add weight to it.
[On a side note, this issue seems to hint where "Batman" is going in the next few issues. First, we see the "Batman Army" that Geri Powers seems to activate in issue #48 (but we don't actually see), and Gordon for the first time complains about a corrupt Powers using the GCPD as her own army.]
* (one of five stars)
Batman and Robin Eternal #16: I should love this issue. The story is everything that I've ever wanted. St. Dumas uses the Ichthys virus that the Order created for Mother to force Red Hood to re-live his worst fear: his death at the hands of the Joker. This time, though, Ichthys gives him the chance to change the outcome; the catch is that he'll succumb to the virus -- and become a mindless assassin for Mother -- if he wins. We learn that Ichthys works by making the subject lose all fear -- and, thus, his humanity -- if he defeats his worst fear through strength. Tim is somehow able (in a way that the authors don't explain) to infiltrate Jason's nightmare and convince him that he's not a psychopath: he's always been a hero, a Robin. Believing him, Jason allows the Joker kill him again to prove it. When he awakens from the nightmare, he tells Tim that he hasn't been OK for a long time, but he thinks that he might be on that path now. The issue ends with Jason observing that Bruce thought that he was building an army of child soldiers as Mother was, but they decided to become a family instead. It's their weapon against Mother, and it's a brilliant observation on the part of Snyder and Tynion. (It does take away the agency from Bruce for creating that family, a position that I hope Snyder and Tynion correct by the end of the series). We're left feeling like it's the moment, where Jason definitely returns to the Bat-family. It's the one that I though we had at the end of "Death of the Family," but later came undone when Bruce ruined it in his drive to resurrect Damian. The only reason that I didn't love this issue is that something in the execution is wrong. I've always found Lanzing and Kelly's scripts lacking in heart, doing little more than conveying information and not emotion. This issue is another example of that. Moreover, the use of three artists means that we don't get the consistent facial expressions and body language that we need to really feel these moments -- everyone has oddly frozen smiles or blank faces. I'm going to try not to imagine what Tomasi and Capullo could've done with this story and just be happy that we may be seeing Jason's continuing (and possible final) return.
*** (three of five stars)
Dragon Age: Magekiller #2: When the Archon tells Marius and Tessa that their target is the four leaders of the Venatori, I realized that we were dealing with a time period before the Rift opened in "Dragon Age: Insurrection." I was -- and continue to be -- excited about this development, since the game itself never went into much detail about the Venatori. They were simply the cult that helped Corypheus put his plans into motion, full stop. To be honest, Rucka doesn't go into too much more detail about them here, either. Marius and Tessa make quick work (if you consider three hits involving careful planning "quick") of the first three leaders, only to discover that the last one, Calpernia, is Marius' former lover. Along the way, we begin piecing together Marius' past, learning that he was a slave that somehow earned his freedom. I'm still confused why the first issue implied that Marius actually forgot his past, as opposed to wanting to forget it, but it seems likely that Rucka will delve into it further, particularly because we still need the scoop on his relationship with Calpernia. All we know at this point is that Marius calls off the hit on her and that he and Tessa spend months fleeing the Archon's assassins for their betrayal. Rucka then confirms the story's time frame on the last page when we see the Rift open above the pair, moments after they've dispatched the latest group of assassins. At this point, I'm intrigued to see where Rucka takes us, because he's got so many options: Marius' past as a slave, his relationship with Calpernia, the status of the Venatori now that three of its leaders have been killed, the opening of the Rift, etc. Looking at that, it's actually probably too many options, but we'll see which ones Rucka tackles.
*** (three of five stars)
But, the problem is that, based on what we've seen, he's not just affecting her memory; it seems like he's affecting reality itself. For example, Barbara tells Luke in this issue that she refuses to build the negahedron because she can't be sure that she's got the schematics right from memory. That night, Not-Bloom restructures her memory to make it seem like she had agreed to build it. But, his plan only works if he changed reality, not her memory: he'd have to have gotten her retroactively to agree to build it. After all, if he just changed her memory, she'd still have said no to Luke. If she showed up the next day believing that she had said yes, he'd clearly know that something was wrong. In fact, Not-Bloom would've also had to have changed her feelings as well: otherwise, she could've woken up the next morning, remembered that she agreed to build it, dismissed that decision as odd, and again decided not to build it. In another example, we now know that she tipped off the cops to the gang-banger whose mother she met a few issues ago. But, it was pretty clear that Babs had no intention of calling the cops when she met the woman. As such, her memory is correct: she didn't call the cops. For her to have called the cops, Not-Bloom would have to have gotten her retroactively to call the cops (after she decided not to do so) and then made her forget that she did so.
In other words, it's a mess. Thrown into the mix, we've also got Babs' friend Greg rifling through her underwear drawer. He arrived after Babs started having memory problems, so I'm hoping that he's not Not-Bloom (because it's too obvious), but, the way this series is going, I wouldn't be surprised. I have a few other nitpicks from this issue -- like Spoiler knowing that Corporal Punishment has "electric muscles" in their fight with her at the GCPD -- but it doesn't seem worth it to mention. This series is already sinking, so I don't need to add weight to it.
[On a side note, this issue seems to hint where "Batman" is going in the next few issues. First, we see the "Batman Army" that Geri Powers seems to activate in issue #48 (but we don't actually see), and Gordon for the first time complains about a corrupt Powers using the GCPD as her own army.]
* (one of five stars)
Batman and Robin Eternal #16: I should love this issue. The story is everything that I've ever wanted. St. Dumas uses the Ichthys virus that the Order created for Mother to force Red Hood to re-live his worst fear: his death at the hands of the Joker. This time, though, Ichthys gives him the chance to change the outcome; the catch is that he'll succumb to the virus -- and become a mindless assassin for Mother -- if he wins. We learn that Ichthys works by making the subject lose all fear -- and, thus, his humanity -- if he defeats his worst fear through strength. Tim is somehow able (in a way that the authors don't explain) to infiltrate Jason's nightmare and convince him that he's not a psychopath: he's always been a hero, a Robin. Believing him, Jason allows the Joker kill him again to prove it. When he awakens from the nightmare, he tells Tim that he hasn't been OK for a long time, but he thinks that he might be on that path now. The issue ends with Jason observing that Bruce thought that he was building an army of child soldiers as Mother was, but they decided to become a family instead. It's their weapon against Mother, and it's a brilliant observation on the part of Snyder and Tynion. (It does take away the agency from Bruce for creating that family, a position that I hope Snyder and Tynion correct by the end of the series). We're left feeling like it's the moment, where Jason definitely returns to the Bat-family. It's the one that I though we had at the end of "Death of the Family," but later came undone when Bruce ruined it in his drive to resurrect Damian. The only reason that I didn't love this issue is that something in the execution is wrong. I've always found Lanzing and Kelly's scripts lacking in heart, doing little more than conveying information and not emotion. This issue is another example of that. Moreover, the use of three artists means that we don't get the consistent facial expressions and body language that we need to really feel these moments -- everyone has oddly frozen smiles or blank faces. I'm going to try not to imagine what Tomasi and Capullo could've done with this story and just be happy that we may be seeing Jason's continuing (and possible final) return.
*** (three of five stars)
Dragon Age: Magekiller #2: When the Archon tells Marius and Tessa that their target is the four leaders of the Venatori, I realized that we were dealing with a time period before the Rift opened in "Dragon Age: Insurrection." I was -- and continue to be -- excited about this development, since the game itself never went into much detail about the Venatori. They were simply the cult that helped Corypheus put his plans into motion, full stop. To be honest, Rucka doesn't go into too much more detail about them here, either. Marius and Tessa make quick work (if you consider three hits involving careful planning "quick") of the first three leaders, only to discover that the last one, Calpernia, is Marius' former lover. Along the way, we begin piecing together Marius' past, learning that he was a slave that somehow earned his freedom. I'm still confused why the first issue implied that Marius actually forgot his past, as opposed to wanting to forget it, but it seems likely that Rucka will delve into it further, particularly because we still need the scoop on his relationship with Calpernia. All we know at this point is that Marius calls off the hit on her and that he and Tessa spend months fleeing the Archon's assassins for their betrayal. Rucka then confirms the story's time frame on the last page when we see the Rift open above the pair, moments after they've dispatched the latest group of assassins. At this point, I'm intrigued to see where Rucka takes us, because he's got so many options: Marius' past as a slave, his relationship with Calpernia, the status of the Venatori now that three of its leaders have been killed, the opening of the Rift, etc. Looking at that, it's actually probably too many options, but we'll see which ones Rucka tackles.
*** (three of five stars)
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Dragon Age: Magekiller #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
I should start by noting that this series is set in Tevinter. If you've played "Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser," then you know that it previews that "Dragon Age 4" will be set there. As such, it seems like this series could be a prelude to that game (assuming that BioWare is actually making it). Color me excited.
In terms of the series itself, Rucka tells an incredibly well paced story in this issue. We're immediately introduced to Marius and Tessa, two contract killers that go after mages exclusively. Marius is the strong, silent type (I encourage Carnero to keep drawing him shirtless...) who believes that he was born to hunt mages. We learn that bit of information from Tessa, since she's the one that does most of the talking. (Canero isn't mute, but he's clearly reticent to speak. It's OK, Marius. Just be pretty.)
To complicate matters, Marius appears to have something of a past, one (of course) shrouded in mystery. When a servant named Flavius approaches him on behalf of a Tevinter Magister, he immediately refuses the contract, since he doesn't deal with the Imperium. Flavius suggests that it's because Tevinter made him what he is, but Marius tells Tessa that he doesn't actually know where he's from. (Dun-DUN-dun!) Flavius convinces Marius to take the job by saying that the target is sacrificing children in a temple outside Minrathous, the Imperium's capital. (So, he's the strong, silent type with a heart of gold. Well played, Rucka. Well played.) But, it's a trap: Flavius lured them there to meet the Imperium's ruler, Archon Radonis, who has his own list of targets in mind for the pair.
If you're not a "Dragon Age" fan but enjoy fantasy RPGs, I can easily recommend this series so far. Rucka makes it accessible to basically anyone, though it'll have more meaning to you if you are a "Dragon Age" fan. Rucka somehow manages to replicate the feel of the game, and it's a wonder to behold. I continue to hold out hope that we're going to get a "Dragon Age" ongoing series one day, but, in the meantime, this entry into its series of mini-series seems to be worth the wait.
*** (three of five stars)
In terms of the series itself, Rucka tells an incredibly well paced story in this issue. We're immediately introduced to Marius and Tessa, two contract killers that go after mages exclusively. Marius is the strong, silent type (I encourage Carnero to keep drawing him shirtless...) who believes that he was born to hunt mages. We learn that bit of information from Tessa, since she's the one that does most of the talking. (Canero isn't mute, but he's clearly reticent to speak. It's OK, Marius. Just be pretty.)
To complicate matters, Marius appears to have something of a past, one (of course) shrouded in mystery. When a servant named Flavius approaches him on behalf of a Tevinter Magister, he immediately refuses the contract, since he doesn't deal with the Imperium. Flavius suggests that it's because Tevinter made him what he is, but Marius tells Tessa that he doesn't actually know where he's from. (Dun-DUN-dun!) Flavius convinces Marius to take the job by saying that the target is sacrificing children in a temple outside Minrathous, the Imperium's capital. (So, he's the strong, silent type with a heart of gold. Well played, Rucka. Well played.) But, it's a trap: Flavius lured them there to meet the Imperium's ruler, Archon Radonis, who has his own list of targets in mind for the pair.
If you're not a "Dragon Age" fan but enjoy fantasy RPGs, I can easily recommend this series so far. Rucka makes it accessible to basically anyone, though it'll have more meaning to you if you are a "Dragon Age" fan. Rucka somehow manages to replicate the feel of the game, and it's a wonder to behold. I continue to hold out hope that we're going to get a "Dragon Age" ongoing series one day, but, in the meantime, this entry into its series of mini-series seems to be worth the wait.
*** (three of five stars)
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