Post by goldenfist on Jul 11, 2008 7:56:06 GMT -5
Ign.com reviews Captain America: White #0
I've spent the last 12 months or so tearing into a lot of Jeph Loeb's Marvel work. Believe me, it doesn't make me happy to do so. I've had a lot of fun with Loeb's comics in the past. In any case, it's disheartening to see high profile books like Wolverine and The Ultimates crash and burn under his tenure. I was relieved to hear the announcement of Captain America: White. Undoubtedly Loeb's finest work has always come from his collaborations with Tim Sale. Even if nothing else Loeb does at Marvel catches my fancy, I hope to be able to look back fondly on this series.
If issue #0 is any indication, I probably will. This book is more or less a prologue to the main series, featuring a short story recounting Bucky's origin. Unlike a lot of zero issues these days, I don't get the impression it'll be an essential read before starting the main series. On the other hand, it's well crafted enough that you'll probably want to read it either way. It's immediately apparent that Loeb and Sale have lost none of that magic that makes the other Marvel Color books so enduringly popular. The same Silver Age throwback tone permeates every panel. At the same time, the writing isn't dumbed down to fit those old standards. I've heard it said that Loeb and Sale work so well together because Loeb shows an uncharacteristic willingness to let Sale's art tell the story. The narrative captions that plague so many Loeb stories are there, but used more sparingly and to better effect. And Sale's art certainly tells the story well. Every inch of this comic is absolutely gorgeous.
There are a few relatively major problems that drag this issue down, though they don't all have a bearing on the series as a whole. One major flaw is the fact that the actual story in this comic is only about 16 pages long. The rest of the issue is taken up by an interview with the creators. I would have preferred a lower price point to reflect the reduced content. Better yet, this would have made for an excellent online preview for the series. I hear that Internet thing is pretty handy in these situations.
The other problem is that this Silver Age interpretation of Cap feels a little familiar at this point. I essentially read the same story a few weeks ago in the pages of Mythos: Captain America. White does the story better, but still. This issue also makes it clear that White won't be following the currently accepted version of Bucky's history, where he was less a wide-eyed teen and more a hardened young killer who used Cap as a distraction for assassinating America's enemies. I enjoy this new interpretation, and it's a bit difficult going back. On the other hand, such an origin wouldn't exactly mesh with the story Loeb and Sale are trying to tell, so I guess I'll just have to accept it.
So, really, my only complaint is that this issue doesn't offer enough. Given my general opinion of Loeb's work output lately, that's a nice complaint to have. By all indications Captain America: White is another destined classic. I hope the creators don't let me down now.
Review Score: 8.0 Impressive
I've spent the last 12 months or so tearing into a lot of Jeph Loeb's Marvel work. Believe me, it doesn't make me happy to do so. I've had a lot of fun with Loeb's comics in the past. In any case, it's disheartening to see high profile books like Wolverine and The Ultimates crash and burn under his tenure. I was relieved to hear the announcement of Captain America: White. Undoubtedly Loeb's finest work has always come from his collaborations with Tim Sale. Even if nothing else Loeb does at Marvel catches my fancy, I hope to be able to look back fondly on this series.
If issue #0 is any indication, I probably will. This book is more or less a prologue to the main series, featuring a short story recounting Bucky's origin. Unlike a lot of zero issues these days, I don't get the impression it'll be an essential read before starting the main series. On the other hand, it's well crafted enough that you'll probably want to read it either way. It's immediately apparent that Loeb and Sale have lost none of that magic that makes the other Marvel Color books so enduringly popular. The same Silver Age throwback tone permeates every panel. At the same time, the writing isn't dumbed down to fit those old standards. I've heard it said that Loeb and Sale work so well together because Loeb shows an uncharacteristic willingness to let Sale's art tell the story. The narrative captions that plague so many Loeb stories are there, but used more sparingly and to better effect. And Sale's art certainly tells the story well. Every inch of this comic is absolutely gorgeous.
There are a few relatively major problems that drag this issue down, though they don't all have a bearing on the series as a whole. One major flaw is the fact that the actual story in this comic is only about 16 pages long. The rest of the issue is taken up by an interview with the creators. I would have preferred a lower price point to reflect the reduced content. Better yet, this would have made for an excellent online preview for the series. I hear that Internet thing is pretty handy in these situations.
The other problem is that this Silver Age interpretation of Cap feels a little familiar at this point. I essentially read the same story a few weeks ago in the pages of Mythos: Captain America. White does the story better, but still. This issue also makes it clear that White won't be following the currently accepted version of Bucky's history, where he was less a wide-eyed teen and more a hardened young killer who used Cap as a distraction for assassinating America's enemies. I enjoy this new interpretation, and it's a bit difficult going back. On the other hand, such an origin wouldn't exactly mesh with the story Loeb and Sale are trying to tell, so I guess I'll just have to accept it.
So, really, my only complaint is that this issue doesn't offer enough. Given my general opinion of Loeb's work output lately, that's a nice complaint to have. By all indications Captain America: White is another destined classic. I hope the creators don't let me down now.
Review Score: 8.0 Impressive