Thankfully, this issue manages to combine the monster mayhem with actual character development. We learn about the role a young artist has in the invasion of giant monsters, the monster-hunting Elsa Bloodstone gets some time in the spotlight, some classic monsters take a stand, and the scope of the menace comes into focus.
Marvel has a long history with monsters, of course - before the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the rest of the super-heroes took center stage, Marvel turned out truckloads of monster stories in comics like Strange Tales, Tales to Astonish, Amazing Fantasy and Tales of Suspense.
They were an interesting mix of science fiction and fantasy, mostly straightforward adventures (how can a normal guy save the world?) but bristling with creativity and imagination - and wild names for the monsters.
Today they're looked at with humor and nostalgia, but there's also a lot of interest in the city-smashing monsters, thanks to movies like Pacific Rim or the ones starring (or bringing back) Godzilla and King Kong.
And so far, this series is nicely walking the line between respect for those original stories and creations, and building a new story and mythology around the monsters.
So far, so good!
Grade: A-
----------------
2 comments:
Have you read the Bloodstone mini-series that introduced Elsa? Very funny, scary and in the vein (pun intended of course) of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I did read it and liked it a lot. I was sorry to see her father Ulysses "retired," but I like Elsa and glad to see her back in the spotlight.
Post a Comment