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Review: Civil War II: Kingpin #4

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civil-war-ii-kingpin-4-coverI am still catching my breath from that finale.

Who would have guessed that a Civil War II side book about the Kingpin that only had a four issue run would be one of my favorite Marvel series of 2016? I will put this book up there with anything Marvel has put out this year. That is including the excellent series, The Vision. I know that is a high accolade, but Civil War II: Kingpin #4 was that good. Too often, the final issue of a miniseries finds a way to coast to the end, and just give us a conclusion. I have read a few series like this lately, and have come away disappointed after being so excited with the first few issues. This book doesn’t have that problem. After the intense fight between The Punisher and Kingpin in the last issue, it was going to be hard to match that. Matthew Rosenberg did just that.

Instead of following the same path that the story had us on, Rosenberg writes an unexpected turn within the first few pages. I was very pleased with where this book went, and it kept me guessing quite a bit before it got to its conclusion.  Kingpin’s much smaller Inhuman friend Janus returns in a big way, and we see how he and the other lesser Marvel villains are affected by the events of the last book. This issue sets up some big stuff for Kingpin, and I hope Marvel does more things like this. Taking risks is good, and I now want to read more villain books like Thanos, and Bullseye which are both coming soon from Marvel. I never knew I wanted a Kingpin comic, and now here I am telling you that you should want one too.

Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and Hayden Sherman do a nice job on the art here. Everything feels sketchy and loose, and adds to the feeling that at any minute someone is going to get hurt very badly. It is a very cool art style that works with the action and the story quite well. This book to me was full of tension, even in the quiet moments. The art did a good job of letting you know when all hell was breaking loose. Mat Lopes on colors adds to the book by giving it a nice palette throughout and giving it a classic look that fits.

Matthew Rosenberg will be writing the ongoing Kingpin series coming to Marvel in 2017, and while I was excited for it before, now I feel like I need it. Right now. Rosenberg is quickly becoming a rising star, and I have a feeling we will be singing his praises for a long time.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz and Hayden Sherman Color: Mat Lopes
Story: 10 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: Civil War II Kingpin #1

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Back in 2013Civil_War_II_Kingpin_1_Ribic_Variant, I clamored for Marvel to release a Kingpin solo series, and three years later, my prayers have finally been answered in Civil War II: Kingpin #1. In this comic, writer Matthew Rosenberg (We Can Never Go Home) and artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (Zero) use both the conflict between heroes and the fact that Ulysses, a new Inhuman, can predict crimes before they occur to craft a clever crime yarn in the shadow of yet another summer event. And speaking of shadow, this is where artist Ortiz and colorist Mat Lopes (The Wicked + the Divine) dwell as the Kingpin tries to rebuild his criminal empire in a world where superheroes can protect you’re committing a crime before it happens.

Ortiz and Lopes’ art kind of reminds me of Michael Lark’s on Daredevil in the mid-2000s when that comic was a straight-up crime book, but where Lark evokes stylish film noir, their work looks like the indie crime books at Image or Black Mask, like The Fix or Rosenberg’s own 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank albeit with a subtler approach to humor. (Kingpin is the master of condescending sass.) It’s a word of tattered newspaper and backroom deals where one false move leads to a spray of bullets. Ortiz also draws some potentially character-defining images for the Kingpin that fits his cynical attitude towards people outside the law (Superheroes) upholding the law like a powerful panel of him pressing a finger down on the star symbol on Sam Wilson’s Captain America costume that cuts to a pair of panels of Kingpin towering over the hero. Even if he is down in resources and soldiers, the Kingpin’s sheer presence can’t be discounted, and his bluffs look like threats. But a later scene of Hawkeye buying a coffee on Kingpin’s dime while he’s slumped impassively at a table shows that maybe the crime lord has lost a step when in fact he is biding and preparing to strike instead of picking fights with the Avengers’ bow and arrow guy. Ricardo Lopez Ortiz’s work in Kingpin #1 shows how important body language is to building and especially reintroducing a character in a comic.

KingpinCap

Matthew Rosenberg makes Wilson Fisk a slightly sympathetic if highly opportunistic character in Kingpin #1. In the second half of the comic, he takes on the mantle of the “bad guy fighting worst guys” as he and his all time favorite lackey Turk fight human traffickers that the superheroes have neglected. But he’s not some uber dark vigilante as this exercise in “heroism” is just Kingpin asserting his power over Janus, who has started working more morally unsavory crime jobs to make ends meet in the Civil War II era Marvel Universe. Kingpin digs up the worst of dirt on the nebbish Inhuman so his future prediction blocking ability will always be in the pocket of his organization. Up to this point, Rosenberg has portrayed Wilson Fisk as an underdog as he gets shot by C-list villain Bushwhacker, pushed around by various superheroes, and only two crime bosses show up to his meeting. But the last few pages jolt you out of sympathy and show that the Kingpin is back and is ready to reach the heights when guys named Miller, Bendis, and Brubaker were writing him.

JanusOrigin

And if the $4.99 price tag on Civil War II: Kingpin #1. scares you, wait there’s more. Rosenberg pens an origin story for Kingpin’s Inhuman sidekick Janus that is part early David Cronenberg movie, part a darker version of last year’s hilarious Secret Wars tie-in Hank Johnson, Agent of HYDRA. Janus is utterly an outcast as he can’t even do basic warehouse duty for Black Cat without getting into some Terrigen mist even though it seems like the only side effect is puking and spacing out 24/7. (Think Peter Parker after he got his powers turned to eleven without the genius intellect.) And he gets zero acknowledgment from the Inhuman community, much less Medusa or the royal family. His initial connection to the Black Cat is kind of poetic because she has bad luck powers whereas he is extremely lucky to have the ability to somehow block Ulysses’ future predicting powers. And of course, he ends up a pawn in the hands of the Kingpin, who is ready to become the ultimate war profiteer. Dalibor Talajic and Jose Marzan also create a nice continuity from Ortiz’s grimy artwork and even create a nice Steve Ditko vibe, which fits a character, who has great abilities, but is underappreciated by the world around him. Also, colorist Miroslav Mrva leaves the shadows occasionally to show the trippy, mind and body altering nature of becoming an Inhuman. Making the first issue extra sized was a smart decision from Rosenberg as Janus’ backstory is out of the way, and the main story as well as future issues can focus on the rise of Kingpin’s rebellious enterprise.

If you’d rather watch old Sopranos episodes on HBO Go instead of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster for and are okay with a touch of Philip K. Dick to go with your turf wars, Civil War II: Kingpin #1 may be the comic for you.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, Dalibor Talajic, Jose Marzan
Colors: Mat Lopes, Miroslav Mrva
Story: 8  Art: 9  Overall: 8.5  Recommendation:  Buy

What to Expect For Daredevil’s Second Season

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The below contains spoilers for various episodes of Daredevil Season 1

The first season of Marvel’s Daredevil was released on Friday to critical acclaim.  The series focuses on the world of New York City in the days, months and years after the alien invasion from the original Avengers.  Matt Murdock is a man trying to direct the city to a future where people can live without fear, and Wilson Fisk is a man trying to shape the city to his own interests, which are often criminal in outlook.  What is distinctive about this series is the format in which it was presented, as well as the subject matter.  As opposed to the world of power suits and magic hammers, the plot focuses on the efforts of one man.  This man may have some extraordinary abilities, but he is also more mortal than most of the superheroes from Marvel have been shown to be, and this is done through the semi-serialized format of the television series.  As opposed to a two hour movie, the series and its characters was explored over thirteen episodes, which far surpasses the length of any other character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in terms of screen time.

dd003In order to look forward though, it is also important to look back.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe started with Iron Man in 2008, but at the time it was considered to be a big enough gamble.  Now we know that it is a gamble that paid off as we can see far into the future with phase 3 of the roll out of the movies, and numerous television shows, but it is remembering that much depended on the initial success of that movie.  If the finished product hadn’t been what it was, it was likely that the Marvel movies might have ended up as a false start as opposed to a booming franchise.  The same can be said for the Netflix series.  Releasing entire seasons of series to Netflix for binge watchers is a new phenomenon in television watching, started by the series House of Cards, but it is a phenomenon which is apparently here to stay.  In terms of Marvel’s properties though, it is a trend which maybe needed to be waded into instead of diving in head first.  After all, the series known for binge watching were more along the lines of Breaking Bad than Iron Man.  With the gamble seemingly paid off, it would seem likely that although only hinted at, that the Daredevil series will be seeing a second season.  Some have played around in the press with this idea, but generally speaking Marvel fills a pattern of leaving fans wanting more and then giving them what they want.

dd004Where might the second season of the series go?  It is hard to predict about where specifically that might be, although there were a lot of Easter Eggs left to guide the path somewhat.  Equally though various characters were used in far different contexts than in the comics.  Leland Owlsley was just a banker with no powers, and he met an end to his story.  Other mainstays of Daredevil comics were not mentioned or even hinted at, such as Bull’s Eye.  What strong influence that there was came from the Hand.  Although not focused on much in the final episodes, the Japanese were the only ones left standing in the end after the dust had cleared.  The connection of the Japanese to the Hand is not direct necessarily, but the use of Nobu in ninja costume is indicative that there might be something more to the Japanese than simply crime interests.  In the episode where Stick battles the Japanese it is clear that there are other forces at play as well.  The other Easter Egg which points towards this direction is Elektra, who was not referenced by name, rather simply as the “Greek Girl from Matt’s Spanish Class.”  Elektra of course ties heavily into the stories of the Hand, being one of its most fearsome fighters, and later one of its most dangerous enemies.  The martial arts focus ties into other planned series as well, specifically Iron Fist.

At this point where the second season might go is only speculation, but it would seem as though the minds behind the series were smart enough to leave in a few pointers of where it might head in case they ever did get a chance to get to a second season.  If Marvel does in fact have a sense of what the fans want, then they will know that one of the remaining names on the list to cross off is Elektra.  There is no better place to insert her into the Marvel Cinematic Universe than in a second season of Daredevil, and no better story to be told with her than that of the Hand.

Review: Marvel’s Daredevil

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Daredevil-TV-Logo-NetflixToday is a brand new-day in the Marvel Universe with the debut of Netflix’ Daredevil TV series; the first of four television shows set in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU). The characters that will be having their own shows on Netflix are Marvel’s “street level” characters; Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. And just as with the Marvel big-screen counterparts, all four shows will culminate in a crossover TV series, The Defenders!

While this is not Marvel Studios’ first foray into the small-screen, as we’ve seen with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, Daredevil brings Marvel Studios into new territory. Daredevil has a darker tone than the any film or show in thus far in the MCU. And it isn’t just because they say “shit” a few times every episode, or the fact that they showed a *gasp* side-boob! Daredevil displays the dark underbelly of the MCU, and it is TERRIFYING.

MARVEL'S DAREDEVILTV programs that release all their seasons at once are a different entity than serialized shows. In terms of comics, I like to think of serialized shows as periodicals and a TV show like Daredevil is more likened to an original graphic novel. Watching the first five episodes had given me a strong glimpse of what the show is going to be about, but it will be those eight extra episodes I haven’t yet seen that will define the show. So I will say this right now, Daredevil is a fun, pulpy show with characters that will mesmerize any fan and will have no trouble making converts to those not familiar with Daredevil’s world. But I will reserve my final judgment on the series until I see the full first season as a whole.

Let’s talk about the characters on the show. Daredevil is mostly influenced by the Frank Miller run of the comics; the dark-noir book that took Daredevil from a Spider-Man wannabe to a hero whose adventures were incomparable to any other comics coming out at the time. The main cast features Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, a.k.a. The Night Nurse and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin. All actors portray their characters incredibly well, particularly Vincent D’Onofrio as The Kingpin.

Vincent-DOnofrio-as-Kingpin-in-Marvel-Daredevil-Poster-Wallpaper-800x500Vincent D’Onofrio transformed himself physically so he looks like the comic incarnation as drawn by John Romita Sr., but his acting is subtle and frightening! In the first several episodes, viewers don’t see much of the character, and when people speak of him they do so as if he were some kind of boogeyman. But when he first shows his face, his intentions are vastly different than what’d you’d expect. Incidentally, since The Kingpin is also a Spider-Man villain, so I think it would be great if Vincent D’Onofrio played the character in the upcoming Spider-Man movie. Trust me when I say that he will make a realistic and formidable foe.

And while Vincent D’Onofrio is the show’s stand-out, a close-second is Charlie Cox as Daredevil. First, let me say kudos to the fine folks at Marvel Studios for casting an actor whose name is an alliteration just like Daredevil’s secret identity is Matt Murdock. I find the most interesting thing about Matt Murdock is the mystery surrounding his back-story. In the first two episodes, they tell the heart-warming tale of Battlin’ Jack Murdock in flashbacks, as well as how Matt Murdock gains his superpowers. But after five episodes, viewers still don’t know who trained him to fight, the moment he decided to fight crime, as well as why his costume is all black. “It’s a work in progress,” Daredevil later says about his costume.

daredevil-concept-art-109118As Daredevil, Charlie Cox is a delight. He’s often glib, never once showing any signs of weakness as Matt Murdock; even though to the world, he is “disabled”. He has strong chemistry with all of the other characters, particularly with Rosario Dawson’s character. In the start of the series, Matt and Foggy start their iconic lawfirm, “Nelson and Murdock”. They are supposed to be best-friends but Foggy is such a chatterbox, Matt hardly gets a word in edge-wise. Deborah Ann Woll is just okay so far as Karen Page. I’m curious to see where her shocking story takes her. Then there’s the ancillary characters. Ben Urich is in the show! And so is Vanessa Marianna, played by Superman’s Kryptonian mother from Man of Steel! Her character is fascinating, and for all Daredevil comic fans out there, we all know who her love interest is!

When I would read interviews about Daredevil from its show runner, he would often say that he is attempting to emulate The Wire with Daredevil. That’s a pretty brazen statement, comparing Daredevil to perhaps the greatest television show ever created. While I do not think Daredevil is as great as The Wire in quality, it certainly succeeds in tone. And that in itself is quite an achievement.

Review Score: 9.0

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