Review: Die!namite #1 (of 5)
I know what you are thinking. It seems that all the good ideas go around the block a few times. You are not that wrong to be honest. Thankfully though, it has been a while since this particular trope makes its presence known in any comic universe.
There are strange things happening in the various corners of the Dynamite universe. This includes Drakulon, Mars, Earth and whichever continent of the Hyborean age that Red Sonja is currently ransacking! Death stalks the heroes and their friends. But what is the evil that is extending its icy claws?
Declan Shalvey and Fred Van Lente are the writers who are putting the various characters through their paces. Taking a look at the creators who have Deadpool vs Old Man Logan, and more importantly, Marvel Zombies under their belt, you can kind of see where this is going. Is it the Dynamite version of Marvel Zombies, or Blackest Night or even Dark Nights / Death Metals? Truth be told, you could probably see elements of all three in this. This could have been a bad thing, bearing in mind how much I dislike Metal and thinking of the misfires of some of Dynamites other events like Swords of Sorrow. Thing is, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by this book. I love the current Vampi Red Sonja team up and Thunderbolt is a great character, even if he can come across a little Danny Rand at times; I can even put up with John Carter! This then brings up an interesting continuity question, but I am willing to let that pass. I have read a few of Van Lente’s books and have to say, he captures the level and weight of event storytelling. This first issue is pure setup so pace may become an issue down the line.
The at is supplied by Vincenzo Carruto and Justin Mason both of which have spent time with strong female leads with Lady Zorro and Vampirella respectively. Without a page count, it is hard to ascertain who did what. For me, the pages with Vampi and Thunderbolt are probably the strongest. That’s not to say that the Sonja or Carter pages are is bad, it’s just I prefer the stronger lines and action sequences; the Sonja pages maybe lacking some details towards the end of the section and the Carter pages, especially on. Mars have a grandiose look. All things considered, it is a visually entertaining book. Colors are supplied by Kike J.Diaz who gets to have fun with the very different locales that have to be dealt with and dealt with they are with aplomb. Finally letters are provided by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Dynamites’ resident letterer of choice, it seems. Otsmane-Elhaou does a fantastic job with all the characters voices and of course the almost disembodied narrator.
This book kind of creeped up on me in the listings. I am glad I took the time to give it a once over. It is going to be an interesting ride, given the influences on show and the writers looking to improve on their own facets of past work that show up. Die!namite indeed!
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
Overall – 4 Stars
Written by; Declan Shalvey & Fred Van Lente
Art by; Vincenzo Carruto and Justin Mason
Colors by; Kike J. Diaz
Letters by; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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