The Twelve #1
THE TWELVE #1 [of 12]Marvel Comics
Okay,okay,we know J. Michael Straczynski wrote this and Chris Weston pencilled and the great Garry Leach inked it. We’ve read the hype so here we are.
The story opens with “”Every Allied superpower,every man,woman or half-assed sidekick who had ever worn a costume…” descending on Berlin in the last days of the war. Some go off to check for possible snipers and other threats and are trapped and gassed unconscious by the Nazies and placed into suspended animation.
WHY?
Well,so that when “things have calmed down” [?!] the Americans will move on to Japan and the Nazi regime can then dissect the heroes and study them to create a master race and fight back. Bloody Russkies move into strategic parts of Berlin first though.
2008,construction work goes on in Berlin and the chamber hiding these heroes is found.
Following Marvel’s “Civil War” the
Next page;a hero lies dead.
We have a problem in that most of the Twelve have no super powers so why would Nazies need to keep them suspended to dissect and study? Surely they would be shot? It all seemed very clichéd,but then,this is a super hero comic!
What I thought was typical of Straczynski’s comic work is suggesting that a character is gay or a closet gay because he made jokes suggesting there was something more than his costume “hidden deep in his closet” –oh,boot of concrete!
We then had the captions to explain that more than one man might like to take a chance with the Black Widow and [my own paraphrasing here] give her a good “seeing to”. In fact,after being placed into the suspended animation capsule,Black Widow had her breasts groped by the Nazi. Hmm…no reference or intimation of paedophilea? Good Lord.
I also kept thinking of The Watchmen. Hmm..senility setting in!
As a first issue setting up the series,okay. I do expect far better for issues 2-12,though.
That said,I loved the artwork. Even if the story stays so-so I’d still get the book for the art. I’d say go and buy a copy –it is a treat.
Comic Bits Online is the web version of the Comic Bits magazine Edited and run by Terry Hooper. Currently Interviews Editor at Manga Life,Terry has over thirty years experience in the comic industry as script writer,artist,freelance Editor,publisher and much more. But if you want the facts:
Curriculum vitae Name:Terry HooperDob:6th June 1957 [50 yrs]Currently living Ashton Vale,Bristol,United Kingdom ...
Add A Comment