Setting Sail Away From Dillon
Ok! A good cover again after a few weaker ones. The layout is smart, the limited colors are actually well balanced... overall very nice. Steve Dillon's interior art is still... bland, mediocre, dull, etc; but it's not as overly noticeable this time. Maybe because there's significantly less action in this issue.
Way continues to demonstrate a complete and utter lack of understanding of The Punisher in any facet, while simultaneously writing a great Deadpool who is goofy and offbeat but actually very capable and conniving. He's easily the glue that keeps this team from being a boring mess of badasses who have very little to say between them. Well and then, I guess, Leader.... joined the team? And Mercy was never on the team? Seriously, what purpose did Mercy serve in this arc WHATSOEVER? What did she even do on a direct level? Why is she there and how? She seems interesting, but she's so out of touch with.... everything, here.
Why did Venom need Madman, honestly? They were in the midst of figuring out everything on their own, and bringing Madman in only made things worse, nearly derailing the whole mission. And it took away the chance for vengeance the abused citizens desperately needed. And then they got killed just for wanting it!? WHAT? And how did Rulk help set this into motion in the first place anyways? Where was he in the flashbacks? And how did he lose control? And how did he not notice Madman get wrapped up in all this?
The interesting plot aspect in the previous issue is significantly downplayed this issue in favor of using it merely to set up a more generic one, albeit one on a larger scale. The way it's so vaguely alluded to is a little obnoxious, but overall it seems the pacing of the story direction is at least being handled better.
In Conclusion: 2.5/5
Next issue will likely make or break this series for me. Steve Dillon's artwork is SOOOOO boring and so mediocre-at-best; but the plot's been pretty bad too. But these recent issues have shown some rays of potential improvement in the story department; though Way has A LOT of work cut out for him if he wants to fix the character work in this series. Just make this Punisher a Skrull or clone or SOMETHING because he's NOTHING like the Punisher we've seen lately, and doesn't explain how Frank got out of that prison from the end of War Zone. Don't you dare gloss over one of the most amazing Punisher stories of all time, Way. Just don't.
3 Comments