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03-12-2009, 07:34 PM | #1 |
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*This review may contain spoilers*
G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #1 Shin Densetsu's review: IDW’s movie prequel books for Rise of Cobra are written by Chuck Dixon with art by SL Gallant. This is our first glimpse at the movie mythos, and gives us a feel for what the movie might be like. We are introduced to Conrad Hauser(Duke), Wallace Weems(Ripcord), Lopez, Stew, Ronjon and Clarkie. This is Duke’s team of army rangers on a covert op, performing a HALO(High Altitude Low Observation) jump into the Sealisi region of Papua. The artwork is rougher than you might expect. The color holds are done well initially, until you hit the 2-page spread on pages 3 & 4. One of the engines on the plane that Duke was on, did not have the colors held consistently, the black ink is very apparent. The rest of the plane is color held. Also, I’m not sure if the colorist was going for a haze effect with clouds, trying to increase the depth, showing some of the soldiers color held, with one in the middle being color held in half. If he was going for more depth, it would have been better to use the airbrush tool to make a gradiated color hold. Otherwise the soldier is distracting. I can’t tell if he is supposed to be behind a cloud, or if this was just case of the color holds being overlooked. Otherwise the spread is drawn well. It shows 2 views, a dynamic spread from the outside, and a view from the soldiers parachuting down. The inks could be more crisp for a more polished look. Between the start of the jump, and the landing, we are introduced to military jargon that sets the tone of this issue. Despite Ripcords attempts at humor with Duke(or lack of, he doesn’t seem very funny to Duke), this issue maintains a serious tone. Dixon did a good job of inserting the right military nods when appropriate, and that’s something that can be appreciated. Also, Ripcord doesn’t joke all that much in this issue, and when he does, it isn’t campy, or over the top. No worries on that here, and I know that’s one of the issues everyone is worried about. As Duke and crew make their way within the jungle, we can sense Duke’s nervousness, as their intel proves wrong, and potential enemies are sighted. While the rest of his team thought the mission was supposed to be easy, Duke realizes it wasn’t. His team spots a trailer surrounded by soldiers(referred to as skinnies). This trailer houses a machine within. This machine was used to redirect an American spy satellite, and Duke’s team is supposed to infiltrate the trailer, so that Stew can use it and re-set the orbit of the satellite. Unfortunately more soldiers, who don’t seem like locals, are spotted. There are much more adversaries than intel had told Duke’s team. After interrogating one soldier, Duke’s team finds out that the skinnies are mercenaries paid through the month. At this point, Duke starts having doubts about the mission; he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened to Rex(it’s implied that something went wrong on a mission they were on). Ripcord reassures Duke about the mission, mentions that an aircraft carrier was even rerouted for it. This is the first time that Rex is mentioned, and nothing specific is given away. Just that Duke was on a mission with him, something went wrong, Duke regrets it, and doesn’t want the same thing happening to his current team. The team proceeds to raid the area surrounding the trailer, scaring the mercenaries away from it was easy. Ripcord opens the trailer door but is shot. A bald soldier emerges from the trailer firing at Duke’s team, Duke immediately jumps in and goes hand to hand with him. With the rest of the team keeping the mercenaries at bay, Duke initiates a knife fight with the bald soldier, within the trailer. Duke proceeds to stab the man, and kick him in the face. With the trailer secured, Stew goes to work while the rest of the team barely manages to keep the mercenaries at bay. It turns out Ripcord isn’t mortally wounded, as his vest caught the bullet, but a few of his ribs might be broken and he is in pain. Immediately after the satellite was re-secured by Stew, he is shot up, and the team decides to evacuate. Since the satellite is back online, the trailer is blown up, and the team heads towards the pick-up point, taking 4 days to get there by foot(while carrying Stew by a stretcher too). We get a view of the carrier, and an F/A-18 Hornet(Legacy version). Unfortunately the vertical stabilizers on the Hornet are drawn too short, the nose is drawn at too much of an angle(should be longer and more curved from the top) and the front part of it’s outer right pylon was colored in with the same color as the sky in the background. It’s surprising that a small part like that was overlooked, as that could have easily been rectified at the coloring stage. Back on base in a uniform highly reminiscent of the original Duke, Duke discusses the mission with a sergeant. The sergeant offers Duke a place on a new team, made up of the best soldiers, all of which volunteered. Duke immediately says no. You get the feeling all throughout this issue that Duke wants nothing to do with covert ops or anything similar. Duke is adamant about refusing the sergeant’s offer but the sergeant keeps pushing, and thinks Duke will eventually join. |
03-12-2009, 07:54 PM | #2 |
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G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #2(Destro)
Shin Densetsu's review: IDW continues it’s official prequel to Rise of Cobra with this issue. Destro is the emphasis of this issue, where we learn more about his background. This issue was written by Chuck Dixon, drawn by SL Gallant, and colors by Art Lyon. The cover features an illustration by Joe Corroney based on one of the stock photos of Destro. It would have been better if we had seen an illustration that was all new instead of being based on the stock photos. In this case, a photo cover might as well have been a better choice. The drawings still have a rough appearance, similar to the last issue. More crisp ink work would have definitely aided in the clarity of each panel. The panels would have looked much better as well. While the panel borders could be better, the panel design itself isn’t bad. The flow of action is never disrupted, and sequentially it’s easy to follow. One page that stands out is the first page of Destro in present day. While he converses on the phone aboard an airplane, one window in the plane becomes a panel. It’s a good change of view for that sequence. However there is a distracting element of the artwork, and it’s the application of color. There are some distracting elements with the color applications. I think this is primarily due to trying to mix airbrushing with cel shading. I think that the cel shading should be taken away. The airbrush if used more for shading and highlights, suits SL Gallant’s inks more than a combination of cel shading and airbrush. The cel shading in this used colors that were too subtle and conflicted with the airbrush shades/highlights. The cel shading makes the inconsistencies more apparent. The saturation of the colors is too similar in some panels, like the 1st panel on page 2, where the green applied to the grass is too similar to the green applied to the mountains of the background, and even the blue applied to the buildings in between. A better atmospheric affect would have been to push back the saturation of the mountains, adding more of a grey tint. The panel right afterwards has similar saturation all throughout, the green uniforms of the soldiers nearly blending in with the grass that they are standing on. Overall saturation of colors is the most distracting element of the issue. More separation between foreground and background using a less saturated background color would have created more depth. The story is told from via stories passed down to Destro’s father, as Destro in present day, tries to make a new deal in France. We learn the 4 lessons handed down from previous Destro’s, that will keep him alive. I didn’t anticipate seeing Destro in action just yet, but we actually see him utilize the lessons that were passed down to him. This was a pleasant surprise for me, as I thought we were just going to see how the first Destro got the mask, and see the present Destro do some casual business deals. I’m glad to see that the action wasn’t saved just for the movie. In that respect, it’s what makes these prequels more enjoyable. Destro uses weaponry that is over the top, but to be expected as he is after all, an arms dealer. In fact maybe those missle launchers on the movie toys might make more sense after this comic. He even uses a vehicle called a Bucephalus, a hoverbike with wings. We learn more about Destro’s family tradition, and see some of the previous Destro’s on the wall of his house. This issue was enjoyable and gave us insight into the way Destro does business, as well as his ancestry. It went beyond what I was expecting. The artwork has more visible distractions than the last issue, and I hope this is rectified for the last 2 issues. It surprises that I didn’t see coming, and maybe Cobra Commander is actually French. |
05-10-2009, 01:01 AM | #3 |
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G.I Joe:Prequel Issue #3
Shin Densetsu's review: The team of Chuck Dixon & SL Gallant continues the prequel books for the upcoming Rise of Cobra movie. This issue focuses on The Baroness. She’s introduced as a woman that never ruins a man, in a financial sense. This issue could fit in with any other G.I. Joe title by IDW, that’s how well this Baroness fits in. I’m not sure if this was intentional, but it is an appreciable aspect of this issue. The artwork in this issue is more polished than the last two. Also noticeable, is the more voluptuous look of The Baroness, compared to Sienna Miller, the actress who plays her in the movie. The shading applied to the colors could be darker, to enhance the impact of the panels. There are still some spots where shading is applied without complementing the form. An example of this can be found on the 1st page. A man with a headset is watching the sheik gamble, and the shading applied on his face looks like it was done fast, without really going along the facial structure. In other words it looks like we are just looking at a blot of dark brown as opposed to a shadow. The special effects could be more subtle. Some of the bright colors applied with the airbrush definitely scream airbrush as opposed to highlights. This is especially apparent when looking at the headlights of the cars in the night scenes, or the interior lights in the room of the casino. My criticisms of the artwork don’t deter me from picking this issue up. The artwork in this issue isn’t as rough as the past two issues, and the mistakes aren’t as glaring. The combination of more polished artwork and surprising story make this issue more enjoyable than the previous issues, in my opinion. The Baroness seduces her way into the mansion of a rich sheik. Obviously she is after something, and obviously the sheik will most likely get nowhere with her. Yet she, will probably get what she wants. Dixon has written The Baroness to be a seductress, who is cunning, yet believable. As The Baroness continues her quest, or heist, in the mansion, she falls into a trap with the sheik’s favorite pet. What I like about this sequence, is the progressive color holds applied to simulate the fading vision of the pet, after The Baroness tries to distract it. The only thing wrong is that the colors applied are similar to the colors in the background of the entire page. This is made worse by the fact that the panel borders are roughly drawn, and are very thin. Thicker panel borders in this sequence, drawn crisp and even, would make the presentation much more stronger. The only hint of sci-fi we see in this issue, is when The Baroness pulls out some machine that can see hidden maps embedded into paintings. We see her talking to two familiar faces, about her findings. One is a guy with a familiar metal mask, and another is a master of disguise….. This issue definitely read like a Baroness book should be. The title and ties to the movie are the only clues that this is a movie book, take those away, and it reads like an issue from a Baroness solo mini-series. It was good to see some familiar faces in here, as some characters that show up in the movie, and in these prequel books do not have much screen time in the former. This gives them more relevance, as they are partaking in events that lead up to the movie, even if they are barely in it. Honestly, I didn’t think we would see a lot of action in this issue. I thought most of the action would be saved up for the Snake Eyes issue. I’m glad I was wrong. This issue turned out to be a surprise, and was enjoyable. It doesn’t matter if you are a movie supporter or not, if you are a fan of The Baroness, chances are, you’ll enjoy this issue. |
05-10-2009, 01:07 AM | #4 |
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G.I. Joe Movie Prequel #4 Review
Shin Densetsu's review: The team of Chuck Dixon, SL Gallant and J. Brown on colors bring us the last installment in the Rise of Cobra prequel series. Some may say that they saved the best for last, as this issue focuses on Snake Eyes. Yet is it really the best issue? Read on… The solicitations describe this issue as one where Snake Eyes(sent by General Hawk) takes on a seemingly impossible mission. In this issue, he is a silent, one-man army, sent to infiltrate and diffuse a hostile situation. It’s Snake Eyes VS terrorists, and being that this issue focuses on Snake Eyes, we already know the winner. While the issue lives up to the description from the solicitations, I expected more. As in what, you may ask? Well…. I was expecting more of a back story. After all, this is a movie prequel book. Instead we are treated to a typical Snake Eyes story. No hint of Storm Shadow, the Arashikage Clan, ninja training, or a tragic accident which renders Snake Eyes silent. By all means, it wasn’t bad, nor campy. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be. There is a significant improvement with the artwork in this issue, compared to previous issues. While the first two books, were rougher, with the last having higher clarity, this issue manages to be the most polished. In that respect, the best was saved for last. To follow up on the solicitation description, what exactly was Snake Eyes doing before the movie? Kicking ass; according to this issue. If you wanted an action packed issue, this issue is for you. It’s not as suspenseful as the first issue. It’s not as over the top as the second. What it does have, is much more violence. I understand that Dixon may have had to hold off on Snake Eyes’ origins, as it might be left for exploration in the movie. The movie is the primary medium for this series after all. However the problem with this issue, is that it doesn’t really feel like a prequel. Without any mention that this was a prequel, this issue could be read as a post-movie story. Or even an offscreen side-mission of Snake Eyes while M.A.R.S. takes out the Eiffel Tower(not a spoiler, it’s in the trailers). I recommend this issue for Snake Eyes fans. For movie prequel fans, the previous issues were better. The previous three were surprising, this one wasn’t. That doesn’t stop me from buying this issue, however it could have been better. I liked it, but would have liked it far more, if it had more back story. |
07-17-2009, 02:05 AM | #5 |
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G.I Joe Prequel TPB
Collects issues 1-4 |
07-17-2009, 02:07 AM | #6 |
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G.I Joe Movie Adaption #1
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...1-review.html# |
07-17-2009, 02:09 AM | #7 |
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G.I Joe Movie Adaption #2
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...2-review.html# |
07-17-2009, 02:10 AM | #8 |
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G.I Joe Movie Adaption #3
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-jo...3-review.html# |
07-17-2009, 02:10 AM | #9 |
Hisstank.Com General
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G.I Joe Movie Adaption #4
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07-17-2009, 02:14 AM | #10 |
Hisstank.Com General
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G.I Joe Movie Adaption TPB
Collects issues 1-4 |
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