Comic Books

Review: Ascender #2

By Lucas Fashina 6 years ago
  • Published by Image comics, writer Jeff Lemire, artist Dustin Nguyen, with lettering and design by Steve Wands.

Previously in Ascender #1, We met Mila a young girl on the Planet of Samson formerly the largest planet in the United Galactic Alliance, home of the largest military and home to the largest population of humans but now that has been devastated a pre-technology devolution promulgated by a cult of vampires.,called the Harvesters.  Where as before he who had the best technology was king, now he who is closest the faith and religion thrives. As a result Mila suffers because her father prefers to go off grid, then to participate in society ruled by vampires.

Currently  in Ascender #2, the focus switches to the Harvester vampires in their quest to rid the galaxy of robot technology. We meet the leadership of the Gnish who have been charged with hunting down and destroying the remaining robots.  We also get a glimpse of the power that the Mother of the vampire wields and her determination to see the mission through.  This mission makes Mila and her father destined to be on a crash course of conflict with the Mother and the Harvesters.

So, far it’s still impressive how well Jeff Lemire world builds while at the same time moves the story along in a meaningful and entertaing way.

The panels drawn by Dustin Nguyen are incredible as ever especially when you consider that he is delivering cover art quality to interior panels. The only issue that I have is that I’m not sure that Mila has quite found a distinctive look yet. But I trust that it will happen as the story progresses.

Going foward its not hard to envision this Space Opera about a little girl trying to survive in a world run by vampires being turned in a script.  Why not ?  Sony bought the rights to adapt its predescessor Descender to film based on the first issue alone. Jesse Wigutow has been tapped to adapt Descender, Josh Bratman will produce the Sony project under his Immersive Pictures banner with Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, the comic’s co-creator and artist, executive producing.

Its not a sure thing to start speculating on Ascender yet. Ascender #1  print run was about 20,000 copies. Though there is a Diamond Retailer Summit variant that you might want to keep an eye out for.

 

Review: Teen Titans #30

By Shawn Warner 6 years ago

The Terminus Agenda has ultimately been a story of loss, or more specifically processing loss. Far beyond the obvious loss of life, the Terminus Agenda deals with the loss of trust and it deals with that loss up close and personal as it pertains to each of these characters.Pursuant to the dramatic events of Deathstroke #43, this issue addresses the immediate effects of Red Arrow’s coup de grace delivered via an expertly placed arrow through Slade Wilson’s patched eye. However, as status quo shattering as that is, Damian’s betrayal of trust in keeping a secret prison beneath Teen Titans headquarters looms even larger in the teams collective estimation. Adam Glass astutely examines the emotional stakes in this epilogue to the crossover event that has apparently taken Deathstroke out of the game completely or certainly sidelined him for the foreseeable future at the very least.

Over the span of his career Glass has become known for his meticulous character development, particularly through his talent for writing authentic and captivating dialogue. That is especially true of this issue where the writer finds the voice of each of these very diverse characters and does so with unmistakable personality. More than the sum of the individual parts, Teen Titans has a collective heart that beats through each of these dynamic characters. Damian’s actions have threatened to tear that heart out of the team by creating circumstances so divisive that several lines have been drawn in the proverbial sand. Though his upbringing at Bruce’s side speaks volumes in defense of Damian’s actions, or at least in explanation of his questionable actions, it certainly does speak to the method to his madness or one could just as readily see it as the madness in his methods. Either way there is no question that Damien’s tutelage under Bruce, even more so than their oft times strained father/son relationship, has shaped the hero the young man has become. In the case of the other Teen Titans Glass relies heavily on their interactions with Damian as a team leader, not only through his stellar dialogue, but through the tension created and built upon as the issue unfolds. Each team member has a fully developed perspective that differs by degrees from one another, perhaps the most poignant is Djinn’s since she has had the experience of being imprisoned herself. This is not a unique perspective to her character, as Damian and Kid Flash have certainly experienced imprisonment, but to a far less extent. In Djinn’s case, however her experience sets her firmly in opposition to Damian and his secret prison, finding the very concept inhumane. This casts Robin as the antagonist of the narrative and once more overshadows Emiko’s rogue action that ended Deathstroke’s life.

Adam Glass does a solid job of transitioning from the crossover into what is to become something of a new status quo for the Teen Titans. He makes brilliant character choices that open some very intriguing doors for these dynamic young characters. Crush plays a major role in events going forward as becomes terrifyingly clear, especially for her, in the final page reveal. Overall the Terminus Agenda including the epilogue was an unqualified success, this is due in large part to the seamless collaborative effort between Glass and Deathstroke scribe, Priest. The two titles worked hand in glove to tell a complex, intriguing and intricately crafted story. Stylistically the narrative unfolded without a hitch, the pace was even and the action exciting throughout. I’m a huge fan of the Deathstroke series, so when this arc was originally revealed my interested was piqued to say the least. The creative teams involved on both titles executed very well and the resulting story speaks for itself.

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Visually, Bernard Chang’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous on this issue. His action sequences are among the best in the business and he pulls out all the stops in this one. There is a visual poetry to his work that presents the big action in such a nuanced manner that the fight scenes take on a stunning graceful appearance that is far superior to the industry standard fare. The colors are explosive in this issue and simply pop right off the page. Marcelo Maiolo and Hi-Fi work some serious comic book magic with the hues, tints and shades. There is a heighten intensity that comes from such vivacious coloring and it really ups the ante here resulting in a much more exciting finished work.

Overall, Teen Titans #30 is an extremely satisfying ending to the Terminus Agenda, but even more than that it is an exciting beginning to the next chapter for the Tenn Titans. This is an emotionally charged issue full of complex story beats and deep interpersonal elements. Adam Glass delivers some superb character work, while Bernard Chang and company knock the visuals over the center field wall. 4.5/5

Writer- Adam Glass

Artist- Bernard Chang

Colors- Mercelo Maiolo & Hi-Fi

Letterer- Rob Leigh 

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