FLASHPOINT DEATHSTROKE THE CURSE OF RAVAGER #1 (OF 3)
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art and cover by JOE BENNETT and JOHN DELL
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
First of all, I loved this book and I’ll now try to convey it to you without wallowing in redundancy.
I’m still undecided on how I feel about Flashpoint as a whole. DC is painting their overall picture of Flashpoint through a number of mini-series intended to give the reader a feel for this new world. In this world, Deathstroke is a feared pirate who takes no sides in the Wonder Woman vs. Aquaman war. Instead he and his crew benefit from plundering cities and ports which are casualties of the war. But deep down Deathstroke has a much stronger motivation.
I love what writer Jimmy Palmiotti does with this idea. His portrait of Deathstroke is fitting for a rough, gritty pirate but he also shows a conflicted yet focused man. He’s violent and self-serving but he has an almost noble purpose behind his actions. Palmiotti’s Deathstroke is a complex character and I loved him. Add the incorporation of some surprise side characters and a fantastic end page and I’m completely hooked.
I have to take time to mention Joe Bennett’s art. I feel this type of story needs a more detailed and realistic art style and Bennett is a perfect fit. His action sequences have a bloody, brutal, near cinematic look to them and his characters are slick yet gritty. I loved the overall look and tone to Bennett’s work and it’s a perfect compliment to this story.
Have I mentioned I loved this book. This is the first Flashpoint issue, including the main book, that’s given me a better idea of the scope of this event. It’s a near perfect book that has a very unique feel. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
By the way, DC would you PLEASE stop with the Super 8 advertisement comics in the middle of your books. Thank you!
Art: 5 - Excellent
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
This a perfect example of gritty done well.
Ditto on the Super 8 ads.
As a whole I’m liking the concepts introduced in Flashpoint much more than in Fear Itself, which feels generic at best at this point. I think I’m warming up to the idea of a conflict centered around the idea of hammers empowering a bunch of different volatile characters, like Marvel is asking, “What if Juggernaut, Hulk, and Thing had hammers like Thor?” But I’m loving the idea of the Amazons and the Atlanteans doing war and taking over parts of the world more, even though the other parts of the story feel like just another Elseworlds story sorta still, but I’m not taking it as an Elseworlds story necessarily, so I’m enjoying Flashpoint much more in that way than Fear Itself right now.
Fear Itself really excited me with it’s strong potential. But as with many Marvel “events” it’s falling well short of my expectations. The last issue was all over the place especially with it’s anti-climactic climax. Marvel seems to be great promoters but mediocre executioners when it comes to these big events. Still holding out some hope for Fear Itself though.
@keith7198 Agreed. I always pick the wrong Marvel events to read! I read Civil War and hated the ending, I read World War Hulk and hated the ending, I skipped Secret Invasion and it wound up being cool, I skipped Seige and heard it was great, so I got back on with Fear Itself and I’m disappointed. Like Charlie Brown on Halloween…
@kennyg I hear what you’re saying. Now personally I thought Secret Invasion was a huge letdown also.