COMICS!!! Review: Men of War #2

Men of War is a frustrating series thus far. It is a concept with such great potential behind it that I can’t help but be drawn in. Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick have both done a great job of combining the worlds of modern warfare and superhero pulp action.

But what is frustrating is just how little we’re given of Sgt. Rock and his chaotic world; instead having to endure a mediocre second feature on top of a genuinely intriguing one.

• THE GOOD

The Joseph Rock story continues to be a fascinating one. Ivan Brandon combines a self-serious military mentality with the unpredictability of meta-human drama and does so with aplomb. Particularly, in issue #2, Rock and his squad have a run-in with Circe, the classic Wonder Woman villain. It’s genuinely a fascinating scene, as this warrior from the modern age is taken into the world of the ancients. It’s the kind of scene I was hoping this series would eventually lead to, and we’re getting it in the second issue. I absolutely loved it.

Of course it wouldn’t be nearly as effective without sequential art, and Tom Derenick does an admirable job once again with it. Once again, I’ll reference the Circe scene, as not only is her re-imagining in the New 52 a pretty interesting one visually, but the subtle touches Derenick adds to her help sell the “other worldly-ness” of the character.

• THE BAD

For the second month in a row, Men of War is saddled with a rather superfluous second feature. It certainly isn’t aggressively terrible, but when the main feature is this intriguing, I want all the room possible to tell the story. Not to mention, the second feature bumps Men of War’s cover price to $3.99; a price only reserved for flagship titles like Action Comics and Justice League. It just helps to make this already obscure title more difficult to break into. I also hope Brandon develops some of the supporting characters of Sgt. Rock as the series goes on. Right now, there are just a handful of rather generic soldiers accompanying our main hero.

• THE VERDICT

Men of War #2, just like its debut, deserves a read by anyone curious. It’s genuinely a great concept that is shocking in its lack of exploration in comics thus far. The creative team behind the main feature has managed to back up this concept thus far, but has been hampered by some rather questionable executive decisions thus far. If Rock is ever able to run free with a full title at $2.99, this is definitely going to be a must read. As of now, though- at its current price and its current format- it’s only recommended to those with an affinity to its intriguing combination of ideas.
3/5*

DC New 52 Reviews Round-Up…

The New 52 is no longer “new”  as we scoot into October and DC Comics starts doling out their #2’s.  It was a wild month, to be sure, and though I didn’t read anywhere NEAR all 52 #1 issues,  but I think I read a fairly respectable chunk of the new titles that the relaunch had to offer. I could potentially go back and read other #1’s, so I’ll edit this accordingly as this happens.

Since my blog ain’t super great with the archivin’ and whatnot, I’ve decided to go ahead and round up all my “New 52” reviews right here. So without further ado, here are links to all my reviews in descending order from the issues I really loved to the ones I loved… not so much:

AQUAMAN #1 (GEOFF JOHNS, IVAN REIS) 5/5*”

BATWING #1 (JUDD WINICK, BEN OLIVER)

CAPTAIN ATOM #1 (JT KRUL, FREDDIE WILLIAMS II)

VOODOO #1 (RON MARZ, SAMI BASRI) 4/5*”

JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 (GEOFF JOHNS, JIM LEE)

SUICIDE SQUAD #1 (ADAM GLASS, FEDERICO BALLOCCHIO)

MEN OF WAR #1 (IVAN BRANDON, TOM DERENICK) 3/5*”

THE FLASH #1 (FRANCIS MANAPUL, BRIAN BUCCELLATO)

GREEN ARROW #1 (JT KRUL, DAN JURGENS) 2/5*”

COMICS!!! Review: Men of War #1

The veritable “odd man out” among a sea of flashy titles and primary colors, it’d be easy to overlook Men of War in DC Comics’ “New 52”. Its seemingly sobering focus on modern infantry would at first appear to be more of a reaction to the Call of Duty kids that permeate all parts of today’s society than a genuine attempt at expanding the DC Universe in a significant way.

Of course actually taking a look into this issue by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick would dispel these notions fairly quickly. Men of War #1 is an extremely compelling story that combines the elements of pulp titles and comic book sensibilities almost perfectly. The emphasis being, sadly, on “almost”.

• THE GOOD

The concept of Men of War alone is one that’s incredibly interesting. Namely, what is it like to be one of the countless soldiers living in a world where superheroes/villains can rip apart half a city in the blink of an eye? Although we only get a glimpse of that idea in issue #1, it’s one that’s going to have me back again next month if only to see where it all goes. It also doesn’t hurt that the main character, Joseph Rock (grandson of the DC Comics WWII character, Sgt. Rock), is an extremely headstrong and likable lead to drive the narrative forward. Brandon certainly writes him like a soldier, but it adds a curt, matter-of-factness to the proceedings. When things go wrong, Rock doesn’t panic, and the cold delivery of some of the more dire moments is perfect for the tone of this story.

The artwork by Tom Derenick also something that walks line between being part of the pulp war-story genre and the modern comic book shelf. It could easily be a straight military story, but when the action picks up and the washed-out colors meet (literal) explosions of color, it just emphasizes how weirdly unique of a book Men of War is.

• THE BAD

Ivan Brandon’s writing hits most of the time. He certainly has a knack for dialog, but at times it seemed that he was attempting to insert too much military jargon (complete with their own boxes to define the terms) at points that just didn’t need it. It’s probably what real soldiers might say in the situations given, but there were times I wish that everybody would just shut up and let me take in the scale of the action going on. Men of War #1 also contains a second feature by Jonathan Vankin and Phil Winslade, and this sadly just isn’t very good. The story is nearly nonexistent in it and the artwork is beyond rough (and not in a good way). I appreciate when a book attempts to include multiple stories in its pages, but I’d just as well drop a dollar off the $3.99 price tag for Men of War and just read the Joseph Rock story.

• THE VERDICT

Men of War #1 is a great start to a concept that seems so good that I’m surprised it hasn’t really been explored yet. It promises to be gritty and down-to-earth in a world that is anything but, and I am excited to read more. Sadly, a weak secondary story and a surprisingly high price-tag drags down my ability to whole-heartedly recommend it, especially with even MORE DC Comics madness on the way. However, if you’ve ever had any appreciation for military-themed stories, or are looking for what just might be the most different thing to come out of the “New 52”, Men of War will more than satisfy.
3/5*