Strikeforce #9 Review
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Germán Peralta
Colourist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The Strikeforce team has one issue left to wrap up its Vridai business. All they have to do is win a monster brawl. And, much more challenging, trust Jessica Drew.
It's a wonderfully silly premise, and the execution does not disappoint. Before we even get past page one, we have Deadpool telling Jess she's got "the second-best ass in red spandex," and the comedy rolls on throughout the book.
The plot is a straightforward affair, featuring one solid twist to deliver some final-act intrigue. The comedic sass helps maintain reader interest. Admittedly, the story needs the boost -- the pace of the arena monster fight starts to drag a bit in the middle of the issue.
Germán Peralta soldiers bravely through the action. His combat panels don't disappoint, and his imagination is on full display in the inventive monster designs appearing both in the ring and in the stands. (Remember, comics artists deserve extra credit for good crowd scenes, and Mr. Peralta earns plenty of kudos with this issue's big background cast.)
This comic's art is not Mr. Peralta's very best work, but it's solidly above average. Guru-eFX do a good job fitting the colours to the art; their shading works with the lines to bring the characters and settings closer to three-dimensional reality.
This final chapter in the surprisingly-long story of the Vridai brings the saga to a satisfying conclusion. A set of epilogue scenes caps the title by flashing back to its origins and closing the door (not completely) on future adventures with this team. You can respect the creators for exploring all the angles in their original premise before calling it quits -- and it's nice of Marvel to give them the space to do so.
Tini Howard's script brings more than combat and comedy banter. The whole story orbits around Jessica Drew, and the author slides a bit of nice character insight into the mix. Jess has a deep need to be trusted by her team, and that trait adds gravitas to the whole affair. This is not to say that this issue is in any way a downer; Jess can be honest with herself and her teammates without turning the show into a sob story.
Strikeforce closes out its run with an extended arena brawl that's enhanced with solid art, thoughtful (and funny!) writing, and some epilogue scenes that deliver a decent sense of closure. There's one last modest twist before the story is done. The creators have done a fair job of tying up their story, and readers who signed on at the beginning should be satisfied with this conclusion.
Artist: Germán Peralta
Colourist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The Strikeforce team has one issue left to wrap up its Vridai business. All they have to do is win a monster brawl. And, much more challenging, trust Jessica Drew.
It's a wonderfully silly premise, and the execution does not disappoint. Before we even get past page one, we have Deadpool telling Jess she's got "the second-best ass in red spandex," and the comedy rolls on throughout the book.
The plot is a straightforward affair, featuring one solid twist to deliver some final-act intrigue. The comedic sass helps maintain reader interest. Admittedly, the story needs the boost -- the pace of the arena monster fight starts to drag a bit in the middle of the issue.
Germán Peralta soldiers bravely through the action. His combat panels don't disappoint, and his imagination is on full display in the inventive monster designs appearing both in the ring and in the stands. (Remember, comics artists deserve extra credit for good crowd scenes, and Mr. Peralta earns plenty of kudos with this issue's big background cast.)
This comic's art is not Mr. Peralta's very best work, but it's solidly above average. Guru-eFX do a good job fitting the colours to the art; their shading works with the lines to bring the characters and settings closer to three-dimensional reality.
This final chapter in the surprisingly-long story of the Vridai brings the saga to a satisfying conclusion. A set of epilogue scenes caps the title by flashing back to its origins and closing the door (not completely) on future adventures with this team. You can respect the creators for exploring all the angles in their original premise before calling it quits -- and it's nice of Marvel to give them the space to do so.
Tini Howard's script brings more than combat and comedy banter. The whole story orbits around Jessica Drew, and the author slides a bit of nice character insight into the mix. Jess has a deep need to be trusted by her team, and that trait adds gravitas to the whole affair. This is not to say that this issue is in any way a downer; Jess can be honest with herself and her teammates without turning the show into a sob story.
Strikeforce closes out its run with an extended arena brawl that's enhanced with solid art, thoughtful (and funny!) writing, and some epilogue scenes that deliver a decent sense of closure. There's one last modest twist before the story is done. The creators have done a fair job of tying up their story, and readers who signed on at the beginning should be satisfied with this conclusion.
A Look Inside
Comments