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08-12-2009, 02:23 PM | #1 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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G.I. Joe SPECIAL: Helix Review
The minute I saw the cover art for this book, I looked forward to checking it out. Helix was something of a mystery for a while. The cover art for this book confirmed that a figure we didn’t know much about, was a legit figure. Joe Suitor’s cover art is dynamic and done in a style with high clarity and high graphic qualities. For those of you wondered if this is maintained throughout the book, it is. The alternate cover by David Williams is done well too. IDW’s work with the special title text is impressive and quite fitting for this special 1-shot. Prior to this book, we only knew that Helix was from the G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra video game, and a figure in the toyline. This book shows her origin and answers many of the questions that fans may have about her. It seems that this book may take place in a mix of the movie continuity and IDW’s G.I. Joe comic continuity. Hawk is more similar to how he is portrayed in the current IDW comics, while the fact that Duke knows about Cobra considerably, makes sense with the movie continuity. Either way, it’s an interesting read and if it’s in it’s own continuity, it doesn’t deter me from reading it. Helix is a covert project by Hawk, an agent for the team that doesn’t officially exist. She is also the first member that isn’t from the military. Helix has hidden traits that psychologists cannot identify, and she definitely sees the world differently from others. She is a very calculating agent. Helix, like Chuckles, had gone undercover to infiltrate a Cobra operation. She goes missing in Tokyo and Duke is sent on a covert op to find her. The artwork looks great but I did notice a distinct lack of drawn backgrounds. There is a generous amount of digital effects, textures, filters, and good integration of vector artwork, however the lack of drawn backgrounds is noticeable. This isn’t distracting, I like the animated look, it’s drawn in a way that reads well, I just wish there was more drawing involved with the backgrounds. For example, if the backgrounds and effects looked less digital, they wouldn’t stick out as much and wouldn’t look as simple. After Duke catches up to Helix, we see them set forth for Tokyo in an effort to prevent a massive detonation at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. What I like about this is the way page 18 is drawn. We see the world from Helix’s view, and it’s drawn in a way that is very easy to understand, and the page overall is designed well. It’s neat to see the vectored design elements, seemingly lead you into the page, and out, flowing from left to right. The issue ends with Helix being just as much as a mystery as she was in the beginning. Come to think of it, I wonder if she is actually the female Joe we see briefly in the movie, trying on a suit that can turn invisible. They look alike! Initially we thought she was Jinx, but now I’m not so sure! This issue was a highly anticipated read for me and very enjoyable. It moves at a fast pace, and it was good to see a self-contained story. Joe Suitor did a good job with the artwork and I’d like to see him again on future G.I. Joe issues. Helix managed to be a very likeable, and very interesting character. I hope that this is not the last we see of her. |
08-12-2009, 02:27 PM | #2 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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How were her abilities portrayed? The way the preview read, it seems like she'd be "superhuman" on par with how Snake-Eyes is portrayed alot.
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08-12-2009, 02:30 PM | #3 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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Quote:
How were her abilities portrayed? The way the preview read, it seems like she'd be "superhuman" on par with how Snake-Eyes is portrayed alot.
Not superhuman at all. Duke describes it later on, "as if a computer slowing down" or something to that affect when he sees her seemingly lost. |
08-12-2009, 02:37 PM | #4 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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The talent for mastering fighting styles is what I'm worried about.
If she can master it just by stepping in a ring with a Master, that's "superhuman". There's another thread on her backstory where this comes up.. There's no way anyone, even with photographic reflexes (the abilty to mimic anothers movements by watching them), can become an instanteanous master without being "superhuman". The body has to be physically able to do the moves (which means she needs as much physical training as SE would). Besides, not all the moves are shown, so the person only knows what is "shown" at that moment. They aren't becoming an adept at the style, they're just mimicing it. They don't know the thought processes that go into it. Unless they see the move and the countermove, they wouldn't know what to do. Even Rain Man wouldn't be able to guess what kind of ammo and how much is in a gun by looking at it. Holding it in his hands, yes. To many variables when just looking at it. Oh well, I'll have to read the issue and see how it goes. The "computer slowign down" part does give some hope that she's not all-powerful. Still a kick-ass figure.
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08-12-2009, 02:45 PM | #5 |
Crimson Nerd
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Virginia
Posts: 12,579
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Quote:
The talent for mastering fighting styles is what I'm worried about.
If she can master it just by stepping in a ring with a Master, that's "superhuman". There's another thread on her backstory where this comes up.. There's no way anyone, even with photographic reflexes (the abilty to mimic anothers movements by watching them), can become an instanteanous master without being "superhuman". The body has to be physically able to do the moves (which means she needs as much physical training as SE would). Besides, not all the moves are shown, so the person only knows what is "shown" at that moment. They aren't becoming an adept at the style, they're just mimicing it. They don't know the thought processes that go into it. Unless they see the move and the countermove, they wouldn't know what to do. Even Rain Man wouldn't be able to guess what kind of ammo and how much is in a gun by looking at it. Holding it in his hands, yes. To many variables when just looking at it. Oh well, I'll have to read the issue and see how it goes. The "computer slowign down" part does give some hope that she's not all-powerful. Still a kick-ass figure. Anyway, as for the rest of it: What is Helix like outside of being a combat machine? Does she have any personality or is she just a "combat computer" in an attractive female package? |
08-12-2009, 02:52 PM | #6 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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Quote:
And once again, your points are all reasonable, logical, and realistic...and completely in opposition to the way that "photographic reflexes" are usually portrayed in comic books. Maybe Helix will be more realistic, maybe she won't...I tend to think not because it's harder to write the more realistic version.
At least with Marvel's Taskmaster, at least when he was first introduced (and I fell in love with the character), he was portrayed as an intense film watcher. He did his research and actually went out and learned from Masters and watched hours and hours of film. He was never shown as being able to beat Daredevil because he could copy the moves. He was always the "trainer", taking goons and saying "okay, this is what Captain America does when you come at him with a gun". I don't know how he was portrayed in The Initiative cause I never read it.
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08-12-2009, 03:08 PM | #7 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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Quote:
What is Helix like outside of being a combat machine?
Quote:
If she can master it just by stepping in a ring with a Master, that's "superhuman".
|
08-12-2009, 03:20 PM | #8 |
EQ-Viper
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,343
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That's an aspect of the character that many current comics writers seem to have forgotten. Taskmaster, as he was originally portrayed, doesn't become an instant adept just by observation. He's supremely talented and naturally gifted at mimicry which means he's quicker at learning physical movements but he actually has to work towards becoming an adept, by rigorous training and repeat observation. As it stands right now, I think the way he's been portrayed the past few years (basically as a talent xerox machine) is being retconned as evidence that he's a latent mutant or some other thing.
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08-12-2009, 04:45 PM | #9 |
Mad Scientist at Large
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 14,793
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Bruce could take 'er.
Well, maybe. >.> His whole philosophy was based on the idea of not having a recognizable style, so your moves cannot be anticipated. Strangely enough, few of the supposed greatest fighters in Marvel and DC seem to practice this, except for Deadpool, who is one of the few people to beat Taskmaster hand-to-hand (although in DPs case, it's not philosophy so much as being maniacally random). |
08-12-2009, 05:00 PM | #10 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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Quote:
That's an aspect of the character that many current comics writers seem to have forgotten. Taskmaster, as he was originally portrayed, doesn't become an instant adept just by observation. He's supremely talented and naturally gifted at mimicry which means he's quicker at learning physical movements but he actually has to work towards becoming an adept, by rigorous training and repeat observation. As it stands right now, I think the way he's been portrayed the past few years (basically as a talent xerox machine) is being retconned as evidence that he's a latent mutant or some other thing.
Total writers cop-out. I loved the original idea. The whole photographic reflexes, but having to train and study.
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