Review: BANE: Conquest #1

BANE: CONQUEST No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Chuck Dixon
ARTIST: Graham Nolan
COLORS: Gregory Wright
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Graham Nolan with Gregory Wright
VARIANT COVER: Kelley Jones with Michelle Madsen
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Rated “T+” for Teen Plus

Bane created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan

“The Sword” Part 1

Bane is a DC Comics character and super-villain.  Created by writers Chuck Dixon and Doug Moench and artist Graham Nolan, Bane is primarily a Batman adversary known for his brute strength and exceptional intelligence, with his strength enhanced by “Venom,” a strength-enhancing super-steroid, which can be highly addictive.

Two of Bane's creators are the creative force behind a new 12-issue miniseries starring the character, entitled Bane: Conquest.  It is written by Chuck Dixon; drawn by Graham Nolan; colored by Gregory Wright; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.

Bane: Conquest #1 opens on the sea, in international waters off the coast of Gotham City.  A shipping vessel laden with the weapons of war is headed for the city, or at least the crew thinks they are.  They are actually headed towards a rendezvous with Bane, the boss of Gotham's criminal underworld.  However, Bane has no idea where his assault of this shipping vessel will take him.

Bane: Conquest is a 1990s comic book, at least it seems that way to me.  I think Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan (an artist that I have always liked) had their best years in the 1990s – Batman and Punisher comics for Dixon and Batman and Hawkworld for Nolan.  Dixon is a serviceable-to-dependable, but not particularly imaginative and inventive writer.  At his best (on DC's Hawkworld comic book series), Nolan was a rock solid storyteller who used stylish compositions to evoke not only mood, but also to reveal the inner workings of characters.

Bane: Conquest seems like the blending of Dixon's leftover 1990s scripts for Batman and The Punisher, with Bane as The Punisher on a mission to destroy gunrunners.  Honestly, this first issue is not bad, but its goodness is not worth the $3.99 cover price.  Just in case I am wrong, however, I will try another issue or two.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 25, 2015

IDW PUBLISHING

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The New 52 Review: BLACKHAWKS #1

"Not your grandfather's or father's Blackhawks"

BLACKHAWKS #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Mike Costa
LAYOUTS: Graham Nolan
FINISHES: Ken Lashley
COLORS: Guy Major
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVERS: Ken Lashley
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

The Blackhawks debuted in Military Comics #1 (cover date August 1941), published by Quality Comics. The Blackhawk Squadron, usually called the Blackhawks, were a small team of World War II-era ace pilots of varied nationalities, who were led by an American named Blackhawk (his nationality and ethnicity changed over the years).

The Blackhawks’ long-running comic book series was known as Blackhawk, both in Military Comics (eventually Modern Comics) and, later, a self-titled series. Blackhawk was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, although Reed Crandall is the artist most associated with the series. Future Justice League of America artist, Dick Dillin, drew the series for 18 years. In 1987, Howard Chaykin of American Flagg! fame revamped the series in the three-issue, prestige format comic book, Blackhawk.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” the Blackhawks are reborn. However, the new series apparently will have no connection to the previous incarnations and also will share the post-Flashpoint, rebooted DC Universe continuity.

Blackhawks #1 opens in Ayaguz, Kazakhstan with the Blackhawks on a rescue mission and doing a takedown of hostage takers. The operation goes well, but not without a hitch. Kunoichi has a big problem that starts out small, and the Blackhawks’ cover is blown.

If you are a fan of everything Blackhawk before Chaykin’s miniseries, you will need to accept that this new Blackhawks is exactly that – something new. Even if you accepted the changes Chaykin made, you will still have to make another leap of faith. Other than the logo, this is, for all intents and purposes, something called Blackhawks that is not the Blackhawk that debuted in 1941. That said…

This is neither really good nor deplorably bad. At least to me, Blackhawks is essentially a comic book about special ops on steroids with elements of military science fiction and superheroes mixed into the concept. Writer Mike Costa brings his script together nicely. Readers will have questions, like who are these characters; what are they about, what do they want; and who are their adversaries, among others? Still, what is in the first issue is easy to understand.

The art by Ken Lashley, from layouts by Graham Nolan, looks like a scratchy version of Trevor Von Eeden’s art on the 1980s cult series, Thriller. Lashley’s is not a pretty style, but it grew on me.

Will I try this comic book again? Yes, I’m curious, but I also hope it gets better.

B-

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html