| |
|
 |
|
The
Pulse #1
1/APRIL/2004
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Frank D'Armata & Brian Reber
Letters: Cory Petit
Price: $2.99 US/R34.00 SA
|
You put Brian Michael Bendis’ name on any
project and you’re going to get some attention. You put his
name together with his long time Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator
Mark Bagley, throw in one of Bendis’ best characters, Alias’
Jessica Jones, and you’ve got some serious
attention. The Pulse is a continuation/spin-off of Bendis’
popular ‘mature readers’ title Alias and follows the
life of Jessica Jones as she starts up a new job at The Daily Bugle
as a ‘superhero analyst’ helping top
reporter Ben Urich get the ‘inside tip’ on all superhero
related stories.
Ben Urich is in a slump, Jessica Jones needs a job to support her
expected child and J. Jonah Jameson of The Daily Bugle needs something
to revitalise his paper and his star reporter Urich. That something
may just be Jessica Jones. With a unique perspective inside
the world of superheroes Jameson hopes that Jones will
get the scoops that will help the Bugle rise to the top. The body
of a young women is found floating in central parks’ lake
and with all the evidence pointing to a ‘super-crime’
it seems Jessica and Ben have their first story…
This is very much a talking heads story filled
with witty spot-on realistic dialogue. It moves quickly even though
it is void of any action scenes. Bendis drives this book towards
a slightly new and different vision of the regular Marvel Universe.
It’s exciting to read a book that doesn’t come from
just one point of view, namely that of the hero or villain, but
it rather looks at the superhero ethos from a public/bystanders
perspective. Much like the classic ‘Marvels’
storyline by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
this book has the chance to turn into something really special if
handled correctly.
Bendis manages to lay out the entire premise of the series within
the first half of this initial issue and has already got us hooked
with the story by the time the issue ends. With his aforementioned
use of quick-spoken and realistic dialogue used in conjunction with
a nice selection of characters from a number of varied backgrounds
and places in life this tale looks like a sure-fire winner.
The major disappointing factor in this opening issue would have
to be the art. Mark Bagley [Ultimate Spider-Man]
seems to have rushed through this issue and one wonders whether
he was the right choice for the job. With his already hectic Ultimate
Spider-Man schedule and an art style which perhaps doesn’t
lend itself to the content on hand it might have been better for
Marvel to find an artist with a grittier, more realistic based style
to complement Bendis’ writing method for this book.
The characters Bagley draws seem like rough sketches
when put side by side with their ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’
counterparts. It doesn’t help that inker Scott Hanna seems
to have done a quick inking job as well. A thick-lined sketchy and
unfinished feel dominates the artwork and is nothing
like the calibre of work we see on Ultimate Spider-Man. The funny
thing is I’m not even a huge fan of the art on that book and
I’ve often criticised Art Thibert for sloppy inking. So you
can tell that the level in this book is just sub-par and you get
the feeling Marvel rushed this book to press just so they could
earn another quick buck off of a certain writer whose name begins
with a ‘B’ and ends with ‘B’.
A great fast-moving start for this series in the writing department,
but a sloppy artistic representation leaves a rushed feeling all
over this production.
Score 7/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
|
|
|
|
Comic Reviews
