COMIC REVIEWS!!

This week Weapon H is unleashed in his own solo title, and Cave Carson is back with a new eye!

Weapon H #1 (Marvel Comics)

I’ll be honest, I think every aspect of Weapon H sounds like a bad idea. The very idea of combining The Hulk and Wolverine into one character seemed like the worst Marvel has had to offer, but I went along with the idea cause I didn’t think it would go beyond a story line in Weapon X. But how wrong I was, as we’ve now got a series from Weapon X writer Greg Pak and artist Cory Smith that showcases the newest Marvel mash up character. While it doesn’t do much to convince me that this character deserves a solo series, it does have the potential to be a pretty dumb and fun action series.

Following the events of the Weapon X story line, Weapon H (also known as “Clayton”) is on the run from his creators. Living a sad and solitary life, he wanders the globe looking for people who need help, all while trying to out run his former captors and the life he left behind. But when the Wendigo returns, Weapon H realizes that he may have to unleash the monster within him to keep innocent people safe.

Greg Pak’s script is pretty by the numbers. Much of Clayton/Weapon H’s inner dialogue consists of a “hide, keep yourself in check, don’t freak out” motif that you’ve probably seen before in other Hulk and Wolverine stories. While Pak’s characterization of Clayton still leaves something to be desired, his sheer confidence in this ridiculous concept is pretty impressive. Weapon H is a book that knows it is absurd, but it wears that absurdity with pride, and Pak is clearly having fun creating this over the top character.

Cory Smith’s art adds to the over the top madness of this issue. He’s able to give this outlandish premise the style it deserves, and he makes Weapon H into a truly stunning and hilariously overwhelming character. While some of his faces look a little weird, when the action gets going, Weapon H is a great showcase for what Smith can do with his art, and he delivers some legitimately great panels in this issue.

I’ll admit, I still don’t like the idea of Weapon H as a character, but at the same time, I’m legitimately surprised at how much I didn’t hate this issue. Pak and Smith have created a pretty good jumping on point for readers, and it’s clear that the two are aware of how absurd their concept is, but embrace it in all of the right ways. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I might even check out the second issue.

Cave Carson Has a Interstellar Eye #1 (DC Comics)

First Cave Carson had a cybernetic eye, and now in his brand new Young Animal relaunch he’s got an interstellar one. That’s roughly the only thing different about this new series, which serves as a new jumping on point for the character after the events of the DC comics/Young Animal crossover “The Milk Wars”. Despite the new #1 and updated title, the new Cave Carson reads a lot like the old one. It’s still written by Jon Rivera, still drawn by Mike Oeming, it’s it’s still hella weird.

Surprised? Don’t be. While Interstellar Eye is waving that Young Animal weird flag with pride, the first issue’s plot is relatively easy to follow, if a little uninteresting. Cave Carson and his daughter go to visit Star Adam, an old alien friend of Cave’s who also happens to be a rock star (yes, he’s basically David Bowie). While reminiscing, Star Adam tells Cave that the real reason he summoned him was to help him die. His body is slowly falling apart,and he’d rather go out on his own terms rather than waste away. Of course, Cave agrees to help his friend, but what he doesn’t realize is that by helping his pal move on to the other side, it’ll also throw Cave and his family into deep space, which is where the group finds themselves after they accomplish their mission.

One of the big issues I have with Interstellar Eye is that it’s not exactly new reader friendly. I tried out the original Cave Carson when it first started, but gave up because it was too damn weird. Well, I’m here to tell you that not only is the new series just as weird, it’s now even harder to get into because Jon Rivera’s script acts like this is the next point in the series, and not a new jumping on point. That could be because maybe he wasn’t aware that DC would be relaunching the series, sure, but at the same time having no narrative catch up really hurts a book like this, which does have some pretty good character moments between Cave and his daughter.

Another aspect of the book that hurts it is the art. While Mike Oeming has made a name for himself in the industry with books like Powers, I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of his art. Outside of the already mentioned Powers, there’s a rushed quality to his recent work for the “big two” that just doesn’t sit right with me, and Interstellar Eye is no exception. Some pages and panels look great, but too many of them vary in consistency to make me think that Oeming really tried on this issue, which is a shame.

Unfortunately Cave Carson Has An Interstellar Eye wasn’t the jumping on point I was expecting it to be. While I’m sure fans of the book will find plenty to like here, there just wasn’t enough to keep me coming back for more, and if I’m being honest, it was a real struggle to even finish the issue. Better luck next time.

Jonwahizzle is a comic book slinger for Jetpack Comics.  Find him on PSN (Jonwahizzle), follow him on twitter and check out his blog, The Collective: Examples of Nerdery for more!