Two cool titles make their way into The Comic Stop this week. The first is a mini-series from Image Comics that you may have missed the first time around but that’s well worth your time if you like a tense tale of a man fighting against unknown forces working against him (and who doesn’t). As well, we’ve also got a look at the book that sets up the next year of stories in the Marvel Universe. The door to the shop is open – come on in.
The Mission
Writen by: Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber
Illustrated by: Werther Dell’edera
Image Comics
One of my favourite titles of the past year was a six issue mini-series from Image Comics titled The Mission. I picked up the series on the comiXology App a few months ago, based on a whim more than anything else, and it became one of the most compelling series I’d read in quite some time (you can read my original review here)
The entire mini-series, along with a few tasty extras, are now available in complete collection, both in stores and via comiXology. The story, focusing on an ordinary, average guy named Paul who is suddenly thrust into the ongoing battle between Heaven and Hell, asks a lot of questions about freewill and what someone will do to save themselves and their family. The script, written by brothers Jon and Erich Hoeber, screenwriters for the Hollywood film RED, is tight and fastpaced, while Werther Dell’edera’s art is stark and bleak (in a good way). Without giving anything anyway, I can tell you that the end left me seriously wanting more. Hopefully we’ll get some. The Mission is one of the best reads of the year. Hugely recommended.
Marvel Point One
Written by: Various
Illustrated by: Various
Marvel
I think we can all agree that whenever there’s some big announcement in the comic book world about earth-shattering changes and that nothing will ever be the same again, we can’t help but give a collective groan. But hyperbole is all apart of the medium, so most times I shrug my shoulders and take a look and what we’re being offered and either opt in or opt out. Marvel’s Point One one-shot, released yesterday in stores and online, could have been a non-starter and left me uninterested in what’s planned for 2012. But instead, by the time I finished reading the double-sized issue, I had to admit my curiousity had been seriously peaked.
Without giving too much away, the various stories found in Marvel Point One (written by top creators, including Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb and Matt Fraction) are interspersed between a Ed Brubaker penned tale that involves two characters breaking into the mind of The Watcher. As one of the most intriguing and mysterious characters in the Marvel U, Brubaker manages to give readers real insight in The Watcher’s world and the way he/they operate. As the issue progresses, we’re given a Watcher’s eye view into various universes that will no doubt play into next year’s storylines. Among the featured characters were Nova, the Scarlett Spider and Doctor Strange. The storytelling in this issue was so strong that you don’t have to be fans of all the characters to enjoy their moments.
By the end of Marvel Point One, it’s clear as to what one of next year’s big focuses will be, and it’s fair to say, it will be an intriguing one.
Another worthy read from Image Comics definitely is Witchblade. It faced a sort of reboot from issue # 151, and it’s been pure awesomeness each month since then.