Post by Fredo on Nov 3, 2004 13:09:26 GMT 1
by Don MacPherson
Source : www.thefourthrail.com
There's plenty to enjoy in The Intimates, a satire of the super-hero genre that uses the excesses of the Wildstorm Universe and an inventive visual style to capture a 21st-century, tech/web flair to enhance the youthful edge and flair that's an integral part of this new property. There are some elements that don't quite work so well, though. There are some missing components here, not the least of which is some sort of plot. The premise introduced clearly -- it's a state-of-the-art school for would-be super-heroes -- but there's no hint of what sort of conflicts we can expect. Furthermore, the Jim Lee interior art promised by promotional efforts is scant (and that's putting it lightly), and so far, none of the characters are even particularly likeable.
Welcome to the Seminary, a special school not for future clergy, but where tomorrow's super-heroes are trained today. It's time for a new school year, and that means it's time for a new class of freshmen to be introduced to a new world of wonder... and discipline. Among the new students ready to make trouble for the faculty (all of whom are former super-heroes themselves) are the attention deficient Punchy, the eternally bored Destra, the dutiful Duke, the invisible Empty Vee and the always silent Sykes. Let the chaos begin.
Camuncoli's work here is sharp, polished and full of energy. I last recall seeing his work on Brian K. Vaughan's now-cancelled Swamp Thing series, and my memory of his art then was quite different. On that Vertigo book, his work was appropriately dark and gritty, but here, his angular approach is far more defined and playful. His work here reminds me of Chris (Firestorm) Cross's work, with hints of Frank (We3) Quitely, Chris (Steampunk) Bachalo and Keith (Dominion) Giffen influences as well. The character designs are unremarkable, but the artist has done a great job of creating a wondrous, tech-laden environment to serve as the setting.
Every page has unusual "hyperlink"-type asides included, and it helps to set this book apart. Many take the form of text pieces at the bottom of the page, but others include origin flashbacks jammed in with the main story and panels. It reinforced the instant-access environment that's a key part of this story, but also emphasizes the unlimited supply of informational directions available as a part of the pop culture of the web age. Jim Lee contributes panels from Punchy's comic book that serve little storytelling purpose; they just tend to get in the way. The impression one is left with is that these panels are there simply to entice the Jim Lee completists.
I'm reminded a little of J. Torres's Sidekicks here. That Oni Press comic book featuring a super-hero school as well, but that was more like Degrassi Super-Hero High, and this is more like Fast Times at Super-Hero High. This is more over the top and less down to earth, and that's fine. We're still missing a strong sense of character at this point, and I have no idea what writer Joe Casey wants to say here, outside of a little genre satire. 6/10
Welcome to the Seminary, a special school not for future clergy, but where tomorrow's super-heroes are trained today. It's time for a new school year, and that means it's time for a new class of freshmen to be introduced to a new world of wonder... and discipline. Among the new students ready to make trouble for the faculty (all of whom are former super-heroes themselves) are the attention deficient Punchy, the eternally bored Destra, the dutiful Duke, the invisible Empty Vee and the always silent Sykes. Let the chaos begin.
Camuncoli's work here is sharp, polished and full of energy. I last recall seeing his work on Brian K. Vaughan's now-cancelled Swamp Thing series, and my memory of his art then was quite different. On that Vertigo book, his work was appropriately dark and gritty, but here, his angular approach is far more defined and playful. His work here reminds me of Chris (Firestorm) Cross's work, with hints of Frank (We3) Quitely, Chris (Steampunk) Bachalo and Keith (Dominion) Giffen influences as well. The character designs are unremarkable, but the artist has done a great job of creating a wondrous, tech-laden environment to serve as the setting.
Every page has unusual "hyperlink"-type asides included, and it helps to set this book apart. Many take the form of text pieces at the bottom of the page, but others include origin flashbacks jammed in with the main story and panels. It reinforced the instant-access environment that's a key part of this story, but also emphasizes the unlimited supply of informational directions available as a part of the pop culture of the web age. Jim Lee contributes panels from Punchy's comic book that serve little storytelling purpose; they just tend to get in the way. The impression one is left with is that these panels are there simply to entice the Jim Lee completists.
I'm reminded a little of J. Torres's Sidekicks here. That Oni Press comic book featuring a super-hero school as well, but that was more like Degrassi Super-Hero High, and this is more like Fast Times at Super-Hero High. This is more over the top and less down to earth, and that's fine. We're still missing a strong sense of character at this point, and I have no idea what writer Joe Casey wants to say here, outside of a little genre satire. 6/10
Source : www.thefourthrail.com