Sirk TV Comic Review: IDW Small/Limited Issues #5 [IDW]
The notion of identity and what it truly means is wrapped in the different personifications in these collections of issues. Whether it be Tony Stark losing control of his consciousness or Samurai Jack and Captain Kirk questioning who they really are, the ideal is based in the notions of self worth versus the ever bearing consequence of ego.
Marvel Action Avengers New Danger Vol. 1 The act of New Danger overcoming the most specifically focused member of the Avengers team in Tony Stark using the aspect of mind control is not a new contradiction since the fragile ego that motivates the character is well known. The aspect that is more mysterious is the idea of what a new villain would look like. The writers bring up a couple different teams, who, if one is completely familiar with all mythology, might work well but instead here feels more like filler. The only Avenger who truly comes through besides Tony in the opening dinner scene is Thor who is always looking, like Tony, for signs of acceptance or praise. Ultimately Tony's force of will wins out but it seems like a foregone conclusion instead of one comprised of stakes.
Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary - The Real Ghostbusters This ode to the aspect what makes this version of the team more elevated than possibly new advances in the modern era seems more of a cautionary tale. A new trio of spook hunters have some insane new gadgets that really up the ante and makes the update seem quite motivated and pertinent....until the veneer is pulled back with a dimensional perspective and ultimately a realization of what makes these Real Ghostbusters unique. There is a play to an underground network of warlocks that has some legs but it's possibility is never truly explored.
Star Trek: Year Five #1 This new element of story is a great transition into a more stakes-filled vision but also one that ties in with canon in a very specific way. An aspect of the Tholions with an interesting political strategy seems to be motivating the underpinings of the story. What works interestingly is seemingly the worry on Kirk's face both when reflecting back on a decision he needed to make but also a promotion that might be coming his way. Unlike many of the Star Trek comics releases sometimes, with the exception of some like "Waypoint", this progression feels undeniably grounded in the lore.
Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #1 The essence of Samurai Jack and also the irony is that his life and journey has been made into the aspects primarily of lore and mythology. The aspect of what he truly believes in whether it be himself or those he defends becomes muddled. What this story progression seems to do with an interesting doppelgänger is question who Jack is but what he means to his followers who have banded together to follow his very philosophy. It is this ideal of hero worship that is an interesting diametric that can be observed like what Obi Wan really did for all those years on Tatooine. Jack himself both resurrected and old is not sure he can live up to that standard.
Clue: Candlestick #1 The structure of the story of this specific board game has such possibility depending on how the world is expanded. What is interesting to follow is how rigid the ideas at least in this inkling are maintained. Firstly the art is not very dynamic in a story that has utter possibilities in both noir and modern in every which way. The juxtaposition in certain ways of Mrs. White and Mr. Boddy seems shoddy at best while trying to drop clues that, while they might be pertinent later, seem to not to have impact like they should in an overall context. The motivations of the characters have not been transitioned in a certain way to the perceptions of a new time.
By Tim Wassberg