FEAR ITSELF (seven-issue miniseries, published monthly, $3.99)
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? Matt Fraction (writer); Stuart Immomen and Wade von Grawbadger (artists).
Guilty admission time: I came prepared to fully hate “Fear Itself,” Marvel’s latest crossover comics “event.”
Why, you may ask, would such a faithful Marvel Zombie feel that way? Two words: “crossover fatigue.” After being let down by the company’s less-than-impressive crossovers “House of M,” “Secret Invasion” and, yes, “Civil War,” I’m more than a little skeptical about another one. Especially since we were sort of promised that the more-fun “Siege” would end this nonsense for a while.
And frankly, I’ve been less than impressed with Matt Fraction’s recent output for Marvel. His “Immortal Iron Man” series has stagnated, and his run to date on “Thor” has been a real dud.
Here he’s tackling even bigger themes, using Norse mythology that hasn’t even been referenced in nearly 50 years of continuity. Essentially, the idea is there’s a more powerful god than Odin in the Asgardian pantheon, and he’s just been released by Sin, the daughter of the Red Skull. Together, they’re planning to unleash real fear across the world.
In the meantime, the Marvel heroes … including Thor, Steve Rogers, Iron Man and their fellow Avengers … have joined forces for a rebuilding project in Broxton, Okla., which has been sharing space with Thor and his fellow Asgardians. That is, until Odin arrives and calls the Asgardians home, apparently never to return to Earth. If he’s scared of what’s coming, what should our heroes be feeling?
THE GOOD.
The ending of the first issue. Without spoiling anything, this is one of those real “uh-oh” moments. Fraction promises further bombshells in the months to come, including a supposed “major” character death in issue #3.
And you have to like the way Fraction uses the current political and economic climate to reinforce major the story’s themes. There’s a real grounded quality to the story. Especially when rioting gets so far out of hand that even Steve Rogers … a revered figure … isn’t safe from harm.
Also, do I need to say anything about the art of Stuart Immomen? As he’s proven with books like “New Avengers,” “NextWave: Agents of H.A.T.E.” and “Ultimate Spider-Man,” he’s got a lively style that’s well-suited to not only big-screen action but smaller character moments. He’s joined by longtime inker Wade von Grawbadger and colorist Laura Martin, who doesn’t overdo the hues. Her work is subtle and nuanced. It’s a great-looking artistic package.
THE BAD.
The pacing is a little rushed, and there could be a “rest moment” or two. But you can understand why Fraction and co. wanted to get off to a fast start.
I’m still not sure Fraction has the right “voice” for the Asgardian gods either. While I’m glad he … and every writer who has touched the characters since J. Michael Straczynski … did away with the faux-Shakespeare talk, these Gods Among Men still sound a tad colloquial for my tastes. Still, that’s a minor quibble at best.
THE UGLY.
A tie-in miniseries, “Fear Itself: Home Front,” is supposed to augment the story and fill in some blanks. However, its first issue already makes it looks like one of those dreaded “jam books.” It features four related stories … including a bash-your-over-the-head Speedball story by “Avengers Academy” scribe Christos Gage. You can skip this one, unless you want to see writer Peter Milligan put a new spin on Jeff Parker’s Agent of Atlas characters.
IN CONCLUSION: If the first issue is any of how this whole miniseries is going to go, we’re in for something really good, really special. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect. “Fear Itself” is likely going to feature Thor and Captain America as its main characters. Just in time for their movies to hit theaters. Hmmm …
Jerk-Bot is the robotic nom de plume or Utah-based writer/reviewer Jeff Michael Vice. He would like you to listen to him rant about movies and other geeky stuff on both the Geek Show Podcast and the Mediocre Show, as well as watch him review movies on the Big Movie Mouth-Off .