DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE SHIELD #2

Kicking Down The Door, Part 2

December 2009

Written by Eric Trautmann

Pencils by Marco Rudy

Inks by Mick Gray

Covers by Francis Manapul

Synopsis

Near the border of Bialya and Khandaq, the Shield has been searching for missing soldiers.  When he finds them, he also encounters Magog.  However, the soldiers attack the duo.  The Shield is able to take them down.  Later, he uses satellite imagery to find the stronghold where the soldiers are being held captive.  The Shield develops a plan.  He powers down the warsuit and surrenders.  He is then taken to the leader, who attempts to read his mind to control him.  The warsuit failsafe activates and Shield knocks the leader unconscious.  However, it doesn’t release the other being controlled.  The Shield calls in Magog and together they search for the one controlling the soldier’s minds.  It is Gorilla Grodd.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

There is a lot to like about this series so far and the story itself, but for some reason all of the little things are not quite adding up for me.  This issue actually goes against the old adage that the sum of the parts are equal to the whole.  In this case, the opposite is true.  I like the parts, but it doesn’t quite mesh well into a cohesive whole.  I like the interaction between Magog and Shield, especially the fact that their dislike and perhaps mistrust is based on their military affiliation.  Yet, I also like the way the two continue to work together, not allowing their grudge to get in the way of the mission.  I like the local kid, the way he acts, the fatalistic attitude about Americans and even Magog’s assessment of what the boy will be doing when he gets older.  It gives the story a sense of realism.  I also like the Shield’s plan and how it plays out, with the suit overriding the mind control and then knocking the leader unconscious to reveal something more sinister going on.  And I like the insight we get into the powers of the suit and its capabilities.  Yet, for all of that, it just doesn’t blend that well for me.  And, frankly, I am not sure why.  This is good stuff and there are some good things to like.  Don’t get me wrong, I like this story so far, but for whatever reason I am not loving it and I don’t know why.  Hopefully, the next issue will elucidate the reasons.  Or make me love it.

One thing that I thought was weird was the writing device, twice, in which we get Shield relaying plans to others (the satellite and the surrender), but for some reason not letting the reader know.  Is there any reason for this?  It’s not like we didn’t know what he was doing when he powered down and surrendered.  Granted, if the Shield explained it to us, and then was saw we he just said he would do, we would essential get repeated plot points, but the way it played out here seemed weird to me.  There has got to be a way to avoid having the Shield reveal to us he told his plans to Magog but not tell us those plans.  If that makes sense.

INFERNO:  Burning Inside, Part 2 of 4

Written by Brandon Jerwa

Art by Greg Scott

Synopsis

In Star City, the Inferno has been attacked by a group of commandos.  In the fight, things got out of control.  Green Arrow arrives and attempts to apprehend Inferno, who runs away.  He his then pursued by Black Canary, but he is able to get away.  He boards a train and ends up in Colorado.  He then stays with a number of homeless people until he hears about a job and decides to move on.  Soon after, federal agents appear asking about him.  One of the homeless dudes let them know where to look.  Afterwards, someone comes looking for the homeless man.  

Review

So far, I am enjoying this back-up.  In fact, I think Jerwa needs a little bit more space than he has here.  I would have like to have seen more of Infenro’s time spent with the homeless people.  He spends several days with them.  Did he hide his amnesia from them?  Did he discuss his powers?  How did he interact, given all that has happened to him.  As it is, Jerwa whips past this to get Inferno back on the road.  In terms of the plot and the story, I can understand the choice he made.  But I think if he had more pages to work with, we would’ve learned a little more about Inferno.  And that is a compliment.  I like this enough that I am curious to know more about Inferno, who he is and where he came from.  So far, so good.  Can’t wait to read more.