Strikeforce #6 Review
Written by: Tini Howard
Art by: Jacopo Camagni
Colors by: Guru-eFX
Lettered by: Joe Sabino
Published by: Marvel Comics
The weirdness doesn’t end for the team. Spectrum’s seizures have led the Strikeforce to a hospital where villains Ghost and Moonstone are attempting to resurrect the dead. With the “souls” of the deceased floating around and the reanimated corpses rising from their gurneys, the team will have to act fast if they want to foil this plan.
Originally, this series seemed on a very defined trajectory. The formation of the Strikeforce occurred to take down the Vridai. After the last battle, it seemed the victory over the Vridai was only a ruse; they are still at large. Since then, we have been shown the sinister plan of Moonstone and Ghost. Immediately, I was expecting this new storyline to have some connection to the Vridai, but it simply didn’t. So, with little lead-up, it felt like a digression from the “main plot”. Which, after that is accepted, isn’t a problem, but this new storyline also wraps up in this issue. Making this change of focus so short was a bit baffling. But, in hindsight and using foresight, it now is apparent this is just a sign of the narrative evolving and progressing. While it felt like we rushed through these events pretty fast and it was hard to get connected to the story, it did create a new feel for the comic. While, at first, it felt pretty straightforward as a series, ie: bring the team together, have them defeat the villain, have them go their separate ways. By the culmination of this issue, this feels like a team that can, and has, gone further than the original mission that brought them together. That is the positive to this section. But, with that said, the narrative still feels rushed and a bit confusing. The Wiccan and Daimon scenes were a highlight of this issue. Not just because they used an element that tied into what the series has been surrounding, but because it had some of what the series had been doing best: the interaction of characters. The story of Count Ophidian is also an interesting development and one that has been seeded in the past. When you take away the shaky structure of the Moonstone/Ghost story, the interactions and dialogue were still good, but they had less time to flourish. I felt like a couple of story elements were hinted at but not expressed fully. Such as why Spectrum was so devoted to making sure the spirits “survived” and more exploration into Ghost and who he was trying to save. The next issue definitely looks interesting and seems to be a further sign that this team is beginning to branch out more.
The art on this issue, and the last, is handled by Jacopo Camagni. The style has an immediately felt style. The character illustrations have such a “cool” factor to them. And the coloring by Guru-eFX adds a nice depth to everything. This has been one of the standout aspects of the last couple of issues. While the writing changed focus it didn’t change style, but the art has, drastically. It was fun seeing these characters in another style. And, while they felt different, they didn’t feel “new” which could sometimes be a problem when changing artists and styles; you can sometimes feel like the stylistic change has effected the “voice” of the character, leaving them feeling like a different person. But, while the new style does many things well, the clean, crisp style that’s so fun to look at isn’t very scary. And, this series has done creepy visuals quite well in the past, even billing itself as a “horror” comic once. That horror feeling wasn’t lost in the writing (with a story dealing with zombies and ghosts (the apparitions and the Marvel villain) some could say it has reached a new height), but it did fall by the wayside with the art.
Strikeforce #6 is an issue that changes the dynamic of the series. The story may feel rushed, but it adds potential that wasn’t apparent before. Now with this story wrapped up, and the new dynamic established, the stories for this team are opened up. And, the preview of the next issue appears to prove that this Strikeforce is ready for anything.
Art by: Jacopo Camagni
Colors by: Guru-eFX
Lettered by: Joe Sabino
Published by: Marvel Comics
The weirdness doesn’t end for the team. Spectrum’s seizures have led the Strikeforce to a hospital where villains Ghost and Moonstone are attempting to resurrect the dead. With the “souls” of the deceased floating around and the reanimated corpses rising from their gurneys, the team will have to act fast if they want to foil this plan.
Originally, this series seemed on a very defined trajectory. The formation of the Strikeforce occurred to take down the Vridai. After the last battle, it seemed the victory over the Vridai was only a ruse; they are still at large. Since then, we have been shown the sinister plan of Moonstone and Ghost. Immediately, I was expecting this new storyline to have some connection to the Vridai, but it simply didn’t. So, with little lead-up, it felt like a digression from the “main plot”. Which, after that is accepted, isn’t a problem, but this new storyline also wraps up in this issue. Making this change of focus so short was a bit baffling. But, in hindsight and using foresight, it now is apparent this is just a sign of the narrative evolving and progressing. While it felt like we rushed through these events pretty fast and it was hard to get connected to the story, it did create a new feel for the comic. While, at first, it felt pretty straightforward as a series, ie: bring the team together, have them defeat the villain, have them go their separate ways. By the culmination of this issue, this feels like a team that can, and has, gone further than the original mission that brought them together. That is the positive to this section. But, with that said, the narrative still feels rushed and a bit confusing. The Wiccan and Daimon scenes were a highlight of this issue. Not just because they used an element that tied into what the series has been surrounding, but because it had some of what the series had been doing best: the interaction of characters. The story of Count Ophidian is also an interesting development and one that has been seeded in the past. When you take away the shaky structure of the Moonstone/Ghost story, the interactions and dialogue were still good, but they had less time to flourish. I felt like a couple of story elements were hinted at but not expressed fully. Such as why Spectrum was so devoted to making sure the spirits “survived” and more exploration into Ghost and who he was trying to save. The next issue definitely looks interesting and seems to be a further sign that this team is beginning to branch out more.
The art on this issue, and the last, is handled by Jacopo Camagni. The style has an immediately felt style. The character illustrations have such a “cool” factor to them. And the coloring by Guru-eFX adds a nice depth to everything. This has been one of the standout aspects of the last couple of issues. While the writing changed focus it didn’t change style, but the art has, drastically. It was fun seeing these characters in another style. And, while they felt different, they didn’t feel “new” which could sometimes be a problem when changing artists and styles; you can sometimes feel like the stylistic change has effected the “voice” of the character, leaving them feeling like a different person. But, while the new style does many things well, the clean, crisp style that’s so fun to look at isn’t very scary. And, this series has done creepy visuals quite well in the past, even billing itself as a “horror” comic once. That horror feeling wasn’t lost in the writing (with a story dealing with zombies and ghosts (the apparitions and the Marvel villain) some could say it has reached a new height), but it did fall by the wayside with the art.
Strikeforce #6 is an issue that changes the dynamic of the series. The story may feel rushed, but it adds potential that wasn’t apparent before. Now with this story wrapped up, and the new dynamic established, the stories for this team are opened up. And, the preview of the next issue appears to prove that this Strikeforce is ready for anything.
A Look Inside
