Reviews and Comments

more running in parallel to events rather than standing on its own, but Bendis has a wide view of the plots and how things fit together. the House of M issue strained credulity, no matter how good i found it.

a very retro comic from a time when that style was in its waning years. this was right before Morrison's X-Men, Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man, and other books that would do more to define Marvel over the next 25 (!!!) years. This also took place concurrently with Busiek's Avengers, also a very retro-minded book that closed out that particular era of Marvel.
it's a wonderfully written and drawn book, maybe a bit corny in its presentation, but it's got the melodrama and the heart. it's not a perfect book, but it's perfect to me, and i think more folks should read it.

most modern books read better as a massive tome of stuff, at least 15-21 issues, which can make it hard to evaluate individual arcs like this one.
that said, it's a perfectly serviceable story, hitting some good character beats, some nice timeline interweaving, and delivering action each time.

Ellis would do better later on with The Wild Storm, which has the benefit of being four times longer. This is mostly a curiosity for the hardcore.

it has the structure and form of a YA fantasy novel, but it doesn't talk down to its readers. the ending felt a bit too pat and happened too soon. sorta jarring.
but, it was an excellent read.

a lightweight, breezy, fun read. Sauvage's artwork is gorgeous, even though it can look a little static.

suitably violent and gory. good pacing. vivid prose, well-composed action.

it was fine. the story beats were rather rote, but i'll admit that i was engaged, asking questions, trying to figure things out, wondering. i liked the prose. it was a nice read, though probably not going to stay with me. i'll check out her next novel.

i can quibble with some of the political aspects of this book, but they are minor in comparison to the viscerally upsetting scenario Jacobsen lays out.