Into The Longbox
Grendel: Behold the Devil 6 of 8, Wagner. The last time I did a set of reviews, the watchword was “pacing.” Behold the Devil is a nicely paced series. The slow burn of the first 5 issues comes to a nice boil here, and Wagner ends the issue with a sharp twist. Nicely done, and for the first time I’m anticipating the next issue rather than hanging around for it.
Captain America #37, Brubaker, Epting, D’Armata. A new arc begins, the Skull gloats, Sharon squirms, Bucky faces Cap’s old friends and the big reveal from last issue comes into more focus. If this were a chess move, it would be something quiet and positional, but sound. I’m not gasping with excitement, but everything’s moving well.
War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1 & #2, Ennis and Chaykin. Though this is in some sense a revamping of Marvel’s Phantom Eagle character, it’s really a story of WWI fighter pilots told by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. Ennis’s war stories are always excellent with a gritty realism and incongruous grandeur that makes you laugh and pulls your heartstrings. Chaykin’s art is precise and intricate with a keen design sense and a wicked sense of humor. The combination is delightful. And I’m a sucker for WWI flying stories. I’d buy it for the pretty drawings of Sopwith Pups and Fokker Albatrosses, but to have a great Ennis story attached is a huge bonus.
Highly recommended.