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| [ QUICKLY. TO THE SHOPS! ] |
To QUOTE Brian Tracy: 'If you like a person you say "let's go into business
together". Man is a social animal after all, but such partnerships are
fraught with danger'.
THE STORY:
Excuse me, good sir. But did you see how you just blew up
that asteroid looming over Earth's past? Well, I was wondering if me and you
were going to do the same thing to 'the Kollective' in the near future?
You know. Just me and you. Jenny Soul and Extremax. Both us
together. Hand in hand. Kicking these tyrants back to whatever hell they
spawned from. And leaving it relatively easy for us to snatch their cosmic
artifact away from them.
Huh? What's that, Extremax? We have as much chance of doing
that, than the Shadow Lord of accomplishing his 'Justice League' part of this
story? Hmm. Sound's fairly reasonable to me. I'm game.
Now the way I see it, 'End Game' relies heavily on us
Stormwatch fans buying into the Extremax and Jenny Soul partnership. If you don't
buy into it, you've got no chance for change. Yet if you do buy into it, you get
paid back in spades.
Thankfully, I bought. And with it came a fairly nice
adventure that was one part 'cosmic field trip' and a one part 'eighties
style'.
Obviously the style part of the equation came from the two
artists assigned to this title -- Allan Jefferson and Cliff Richards -- who
didn't do a bad job of illustrating it in a very clear and simple manner.
And as for the 'cosmic field trip' part of the equation, well,
it was OK I suppose. Jim Starlin did his best to present us with a story that
was innovative in its approach, whilst being simplistic in its tone.
Just like a stroll through a park made up of candied jellies and
marshmallow rings.
THE BAD:
After the great built up last issue, I'm afraid to say that
the Shadow Lord / Justice League part of this adventure was a right let down
for yours truly. Not only because it was too sparse on the page, as all he did
was turn up, outsmart Hawkman, and then wipe the Leagues files clean. But in
addition to this, I would have liked for this secondary-sub-plot to have had
more substance to it too, rather than a couple of pages full of filler.
THE MUSIC:
In my most humble opinion, I'd say this story would benefit
greatly from the inclusion of the following theme tune. The Odd Couple. As heard on television sets everywhere during the seventies and eighties.
Aesthetically this tale was very much like a perverse and
rather warped version of a relationship a pupil would have with their teacher. So
that's what I am going to compare it to. A
pupil / teacher relationship.
THE CONCLUSION:
By now I'm sure many of you have heard the sad news that
'Stormwatch' is going to be cancelled in a couple of month's time. It's a shame
really. A real shame. Because I would have liked to have seen what Jim would
have created after this 'Kollective story-line' finally came to a close.
Saying that, though, if you've followed this title from the very
beginning like I have, I'm sure you could have seen the 'writing on the wall'
from the get go.
Well. You name it. This series has been plagued with it.
Numerous creative teams jumping on and off this book. A roster of
alternate-heroes that aren't always to everybody's tastes. A cosmic concept and
an earthy premise that never really had a chance to kick into gear yet. And, of
course, a couple of story-lines that were either confusing in the telling, or
too silly by default.
Still, with a bit of luck, hopefully DC with eventually get
this team rocking and rolling again in another capacity. As you never know.
Stranger things have happened.
Fingers crossed.
STORMWATCH #28
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
February 20, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
February 20, 2014
Rating:
