Post by Doctor Doom on Apr 13, 2007 11:34:07 GMT -5
...I really do love that sub-heading.
Anyway....
Doom's Deconstruction: What happens in this issue? Not an awful lot, really- at least not on the home front. We see Dugan is at some sort of ceremony which is to begin soon, but it's not clear what yet. Tony is down in the lab with Maya, working on how a man was biologically modified.
We flash back to who the man was- basically there was an attack by a terrorist group on a corporate yacht (including possibly the skimpiest bathing costume in the history of mankind, I don't look out for these things but I swear to God I wasn't sure at first if she was wearing anything) Suddenly, Iron Man and his Alpha Team- still wearing that awesome pseudo-IM armour- burst out. It doesn't go to plan, as the terrorists have a ridiculous amount of hardware- Tony reflects that months ago they didn't even know how to mix a cocktail bomb.
Sal Kennedy, in what is almost a respectable outfit, tries to get Tony to come above decks in the Helicarrier but he blows it over, trying to get to the mystery of this eco-terrorist while reflecting on how lucky it was that no hostages died in the firefight. They trace the terrorists back to a large company in whom Karim Nahjeeb, who went messing on a trip to China, is invested. Hmm, the plot thickens.
In China, we pick from last issue as Karim meets a mysterious bearded man in a cell. He kills the doctor who brought him there and calls out the man as the Mandarin. He offers him his ten rings. When Mandarin does not reply, Karim is disgusted and orders his flunkies to kioll Mandarin. In an awesome display of badassery, Mandarin slaughters all the flunkies. A stunned Nahjeeb orders Number One Flunkie, whose name I do not know, who has been here for a while, to shoot. Number One Flunkie does shoot- Nahjeeb! He then pledges alliegance to the Mandarin, who recieves his ten rings. (Dun Dun DUUUUUNNNNN....)
Back at the Helicarrier, Dum Dum has a heart to heart with Tony. Tony confesses that he's not entirely sure how to run SHIELD, and he runs it like a corporation. Dugan tells him that there's one difference- you don't ask men to die for you in a corporation. Dugan basically convinces Tony he HAS to attend the function, he needs to make the men respect him more and trust him, which plays nicely off what Tony said in The Confession.
We finally see Tony making a speech and we see the function- three coffins, with spanish, American and Israeli flags respectively draped over them. Tony tells the assembled men that he has fought beisde super heroes all his life but very few heroes. When he fought with these brave men from Alpha Team... he fought beside heroes.
The Word of Doom: Hmm, a cooldown after the excellent last issue. To be frank, I'm just not that interested in the whole "detective work" plot, and very little happens in this issue as a whole, making it feel like filler. Still, some nice Tony/Maya chemistry.
Bringing back the Mandarin is an idea I love, and I'm glad they didn't wimp out and use Temugin, the original is a much better character who can hopefully be succesfully updated for the new mellenium. If this issue is any indication, he is insanely powerful, and I cannot wait to see him kick some ass- my only fear is that the remaining two issues of this storyline will not be enough for that to happen.
One aspect of "Director of SHIELD" I love is that they are really telling a unique story. We've seen Nick Fury books before, we've seen similar ideas but this throws that out and runs a different direction. This isn't a SHIELD embattled with Hydra, this isn't a SHIELD totally focused on captured unregistered heroes, this is a world security organization, dammit! This is a SHIELD dealing with real threats, with terrorist cells, with hostage situations etc. That makes it feel somehow surreal and distinct from most super hero books- in a definite good way. Also to note, SHIELD is a WORLD security organization, NOT an American one which this does very well with crisises across the Globe and the flags on the coffins reminding us.
I loved the ending of this book. The heart to heart with Dum DUm was good, and raised some very good points- Tony has made the men like him with his changes last issue. But he needs to make them love him, he needs to make them ready to die for him and he needs to become an inspirational leader. His speech at the end has been heard before, but it's well done and it works, very stirringly. The coffin scene was very good as well as these ceremonies are a big part of the job, and seeing the different flags as well as his speech hammered it home.
Verily, Doom Declares that this issue shalt be given.... seven and a half Gold Dooms out of Ten
The potential is there but too little happens to give it an eight or more.
Anyway....
Doom's Deconstruction: What happens in this issue? Not an awful lot, really- at least not on the home front. We see Dugan is at some sort of ceremony which is to begin soon, but it's not clear what yet. Tony is down in the lab with Maya, working on how a man was biologically modified.
We flash back to who the man was- basically there was an attack by a terrorist group on a corporate yacht (including possibly the skimpiest bathing costume in the history of mankind, I don't look out for these things but I swear to God I wasn't sure at first if she was wearing anything) Suddenly, Iron Man and his Alpha Team- still wearing that awesome pseudo-IM armour- burst out. It doesn't go to plan, as the terrorists have a ridiculous amount of hardware- Tony reflects that months ago they didn't even know how to mix a cocktail bomb.
Sal Kennedy, in what is almost a respectable outfit, tries to get Tony to come above decks in the Helicarrier but he blows it over, trying to get to the mystery of this eco-terrorist while reflecting on how lucky it was that no hostages died in the firefight. They trace the terrorists back to a large company in whom Karim Nahjeeb, who went messing on a trip to China, is invested. Hmm, the plot thickens.
In China, we pick from last issue as Karim meets a mysterious bearded man in a cell. He kills the doctor who brought him there and calls out the man as the Mandarin. He offers him his ten rings. When Mandarin does not reply, Karim is disgusted and orders his flunkies to kioll Mandarin. In an awesome display of badassery, Mandarin slaughters all the flunkies. A stunned Nahjeeb orders Number One Flunkie, whose name I do not know, who has been here for a while, to shoot. Number One Flunkie does shoot- Nahjeeb! He then pledges alliegance to the Mandarin, who recieves his ten rings. (Dun Dun DUUUUUNNNNN....)
Back at the Helicarrier, Dum Dum has a heart to heart with Tony. Tony confesses that he's not entirely sure how to run SHIELD, and he runs it like a corporation. Dugan tells him that there's one difference- you don't ask men to die for you in a corporation. Dugan basically convinces Tony he HAS to attend the function, he needs to make the men respect him more and trust him, which plays nicely off what Tony said in The Confession.
We finally see Tony making a speech and we see the function- three coffins, with spanish, American and Israeli flags respectively draped over them. Tony tells the assembled men that he has fought beisde super heroes all his life but very few heroes. When he fought with these brave men from Alpha Team... he fought beside heroes.
The Word of Doom: Hmm, a cooldown after the excellent last issue. To be frank, I'm just not that interested in the whole "detective work" plot, and very little happens in this issue as a whole, making it feel like filler. Still, some nice Tony/Maya chemistry.
Bringing back the Mandarin is an idea I love, and I'm glad they didn't wimp out and use Temugin, the original is a much better character who can hopefully be succesfully updated for the new mellenium. If this issue is any indication, he is insanely powerful, and I cannot wait to see him kick some ass- my only fear is that the remaining two issues of this storyline will not be enough for that to happen.
One aspect of "Director of SHIELD" I love is that they are really telling a unique story. We've seen Nick Fury books before, we've seen similar ideas but this throws that out and runs a different direction. This isn't a SHIELD embattled with Hydra, this isn't a SHIELD totally focused on captured unregistered heroes, this is a world security organization, dammit! This is a SHIELD dealing with real threats, with terrorist cells, with hostage situations etc. That makes it feel somehow surreal and distinct from most super hero books- in a definite good way. Also to note, SHIELD is a WORLD security organization, NOT an American one which this does very well with crisises across the Globe and the flags on the coffins reminding us.
I loved the ending of this book. The heart to heart with Dum DUm was good, and raised some very good points- Tony has made the men like him with his changes last issue. But he needs to make them love him, he needs to make them ready to die for him and he needs to become an inspirational leader. His speech at the end has been heard before, but it's well done and it works, very stirringly. The coffin scene was very good as well as these ceremonies are a big part of the job, and seeing the different flags as well as his speech hammered it home.
Verily, Doom Declares that this issue shalt be given.... seven and a half Gold Dooms out of Ten
The potential is there but too little happens to give it an eight or more.