It's Jeff #1

A week ago I reviewed a book called Silent Tales by Gustavo Duarte. I basically stated that comic stories without words don't work as effectively as the 'talkies'. Well for today's review, I want to amend that statement. Comic books without words can work... sometimes.

The book I read is Marvel's It's Jeff! #1. Written by Kelly Thompson with art by the Japanese duo known as Gurihiru, this comic has a lot of similarities with DC's Silent Tales. 

• Both books are one-shots from 2023.
• Both specials are based on digital platform series.
• Both series use only emojis for speech and only the occasional word like for an exit sign or name of a business are used.
• Both works have a humorous slant.

The only difference between It's Jeff and Silent Tales is that Marvel's book was rated for all ages and I very much think that was what made that issue more enjoyable. It also helps that Jeff is a loyal friend. He's also adorable!

For those of us not in the know, Jeff is a land shark. Genetically modified by a super villain, along with other animals to take over the world of the humans, despite being a shark, Jeff didn't have a single evil bone in his body. (Maybe that's because a shark's skeleton is made of cartilage.) Jeff ended up winning the heart of Gwenpool, who entrusted the fish to Deadpool and Elsa Bloodstone before being reclaimed by Gwenpool and becoming the official mascot of the most recent incarnation of the West Coast Avengers. Now Kate Bishop, the female Hawkeye, is Jeff's primary caretaker.

In this issue, Jeff has about a dozen adventures. Some involve him acting like a very toothy dog, like ruining Avengers Thanksgiving dinner. But many of Jeff's adventures occur as a part of his overactive imagination. Too hot for a snowball fight? Jeff's got you covered! Got a bathtub full of mermaids that need saving? Jeff's got you covered! Just need a friend? Jeff's got you covered!

I had very little trouble understanding these stories. Kelly Thompson did an excellent job plotting everything so that readers 5-95 could follow the plot. Gurihiru's cartoony style is accessible to all. And above all, I wanted more of it! Good thing there's another Jeff special that came out earlier this year. It's just too bad that I passed it over, having not read this one-shot yet and not knowing how magical Jeff is. 

I won't make that mistake again!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Season's Beatings #1

X-Force, Spider-Men Miles Morales and Peter Parker, Squirrel Girl and the West Coast Avengers join Deadpool in this 2018 holiday comic. While it has elements of Run Lola Run and The Usual Suspects throughout the plot, this was another festive fail on Marvel's part this year.

The Spider-Men story starts great and then gets jumbled when the two Spidey's meet. It has a great ending however. 

The Squirrel Girl yarn was flat out perfect as she deals with Doctor Doom on a Latverian Christmas Eve. 

The West Coast Avengers story was horrid. It's got the Kate Bishop trying to solve the murder of a mall Santa. If she was doing the work on her own, it would be fine. Having Clint Barton on hand would have been ideal. Instead, Katie has some annoying purple haired mutant helping, hindering, and it was the biggest steaming pile of crap.

Then we have the framing story which involves Deadpool and X-Force. Deadpool by himself is very funny as usual. But X-Force are freakin' confusing as all get out. And once Wade Wilson and Cable's squad get together, it's like a very bad rendition of Who's On First?

The entire book is written by Winter Solider and Spider-Gwen's Jason Latour. I think if Latour had focused on characters that he's got experience writing about, this book would have been great. Or if Marvel had a different writer for each story. Instead, the entire book felt very uneven. 

Then there's the art. As I have mentioned in several posts, Marvel has gotten some flak on the lack of quality in the art. This holiday comic is no exception. The Spider-Men tale was a pale imitation of the great Darwyn Cooke at best. And I've never seen Deadpool look worse and that's saying something. At least whomever did the Squirrel Girl art was on point in this special. As I said, that one tale was flawless.

I'm not sure what Marvel was thinking this year. The Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Christmas themed issue was great. But the two stand-alone holiday specials just weren't all that great. The House of Ideas has fallen into disrepair and the publisher is going to have to do something to fix things quick in 2019. It's no wonder Disney doesn't trust Marvel with it's more family friendly properties; subletting to Dark Horse and IDW instead.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool

It's Halloween and Hawkeye isn't giving out the king sized Snickers this year.
Even worse, a desperate man shows up at his door in need of help from an
Avenger. Unfortunately, Clint Barton thinks the guy is a whack job and slams
the door in his face.

Shortly thereafter, the desperate man runs into Deadpool who's trick-or-treating

with his daughter Ellie. During that confrontation, the guy slips a data stick into

Wade's bucket right before being grisly murdered by The Punisher!?

Upon learning that the zip drive has the key to unlocking information of all

clandestined SHIELD agents, Deadpool and Hawkeye and Hawkeye team up

to find out who killed the whistleblower. Along the way they hope to recover the

stolen data. But making things difficult is the addition of Felicia Hardy, the Black

Cat and her legion of brain controlled minions dressed as superherooes. They

want the data too!

Hawkeye Vs Deadpool was another hilarious romp by Gerry Duggan. Along with

being extremely funny, it was a great cat and mouse story in the vein of 1960s era

spy movies. The addition of a second zip drive was a little bit confusing. But it was necessary for the development of the plot.

One thing I wish was that I had known if it was a Halloween set story. I would

have read this in October instead of just now. I love the very meta moment in

which the Kate Bishop Hawkeye dresses as Hawkeye from M*A*S*H*. It took

me a couple of minutes to catch on but when I got it, I was in awe of the brilliance.

When I need a pick me up, Deadpool is a good source of enjoyment and cheer.

Deadpool and the Hawkeye's make a great team up. However there was one

nagging nit that annoyed me end.

In this story, Clint Barton is deaf due to a previous encounter. He says from just

about the very beginning that he can only read lips. Yet there are countless panels

in which he is seen conversing with other characters but he's not looking at their

faces!!! If you are going to constantly remind the reader that Hawkeye can't hear

what Deadpool is saying when he wears his mask then you can't pick and

choose what Hawkeye hears! Consistency, people!

A funny read full of action and espionage. But it's got a major plot hole running

throughout. I'm a little disappointed in you Gerry Duggan. I know you are the

writer but you have a keen eye on detail. How did you miss the Hawkeye lip

reading goofs in Matteo Lolli and Jacopo Camagni's art? If all three of you would

like to try to get it right a second time in a sequel, I'll allow it. I'm sure the rest of

the Deadpool and Hawkeye legions of fans would eagerly agree.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 3: L.A. Woman (Marvel NOW!)

The cover by David Aja. A great example of his masterful touch.

   

The friction between former mentor Clint Barton Hawkeye and student/ now independent woman Kate Bishop Hawkeye carries over from the last volume sparking Bishop to head off on her own in sunny California. But when Kate refuses to play 'daddy's little girl' she winds up on broke, on the streets and in the lair of Madame Masque.

    Thus begins a unique take on the female bow slinger. Her adventures in this volume reprint issues 14, 16, 18, and 20. I'm assuming the odd issues deal with Clint Barton, but I'm not sure. If it does, then the come focuses on not one buy two Hawkeyes.

    The art throughout this series is also very fresh. The first chapter, which reprints Annual #1, features art by Javier Pulido. Here, Pulido channels the Hernandez Bros., especially their work with the Luba storyline. There's also a hint of Darwyn Cooke mixed in. One cool aspect is that Bishop's inner monologue is depicted by an almost stick-figure representation of herself, often poses in humorous positions.

     The remaining chapters has regular series artist Annie Wu back with covers by David Aja. Aja's covers are stunning and belong in a museum for modern art. They're that good. Wu continues to channel the chaotic life that comes with being a Hawkeye with creative paneling, Geometrically designed flow charts, and kick-ass fight scenes.

    Despite how wonderful the artists in this series are, they're success is due in large part to scribe Matt Fraction. Fraction has this clever look at how stories are framed. He can write a story from beginning to end and back again all occurring at the same time. It might start out a little confusing but when you get to the last page, you'll have seen the beautiful mosaic all the while slapping yourself in the head wondering "why can't I do that?"

     There is one bit to the story line that's not 100% unique and that's Bishop's chosen profession while she stays in LA. For some reason, just about any superhero in the Marvel Universe that moves out west must become a private investigator. Is this some unwritten rule from the House of Ideas? Spider-woman became a PI, so did She-Hulk. Why even Matt Murdock flirted with the idea for a while when he first went west. The only difference is that Fraction doesn't let Kate be very good at the 'for hire' gig. It makes for some great moments, especially with Detective Claudle, who sees the life of misery in store for him if he encourages Kate to become a private dick.

     Once again, Marvel and it's updated universe keeps blowing DC and it's New 52! out of the proverbial water. They know how to take a classic story and make it fresh and wonderful. Sure, Marvel NOW! isn't perfect but its pretty darn close and this is proof positive.

    Plus, who says women can't make great superheroes? Not Marvel and definitely not this Madman.

     Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.