Chuck #1 Review

Writer: Peter Johnson & Zev Borow
Artists: Jeremy Haun & Phil Noto
Publisher: DC / Wildstorm

First an admission... I had to play Cake's Short Skirt / Long Jacket before I felt I could open the cover.... on to the review.

If you haven't seen Chuck, this isn't for you... yet. Watch a couple of episodes (NBC stateside or Virgin 1 in the UK ), acquaint yourselves with the characters and come back, you'll probably be lost otherwise.

For the initiated this is a pleasant treat. Haun's depiction of each of the characters, from Captain Awesome to Big Mike, is perfect and with a series co-executive producer and writer penning the mini-series, there's no way you can fault the words in balloons.

This equals easily as good a transition from small screen to page as Buffy season 8, and if this six issue mini continues with this quality it'll guarantee Chuck on comic shop shelves for a long, long while.

A

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Invincible #50 Review

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker & Cliff Rathburn
Colourists: Bill Crabtree, Kelsey Shannon & FCO Plascencia
Publisher: Image Comics

back in late 2002 Image announced it's new 4 title Super-hero line: Clock Maker, Dominion, Firebreather and Invincible. Given Image's then reputation reputation for short lived / unfinished series (which has thankfully now completely eroded), it's probably safe to say that few people thought any of the titles would make it to issue #50.

It's taken 66 months to get here, with a longer than anticipated final jog to the #50 line, but an average of less than 6 weeks between issues is a pretty amazing feat for an independent comic.

Issue #50 really underlines Invincible's growth since the beginning. His morals are firmly presented to the reader, his combat ability and strategic capacity emphasized, his strength and feeling for his family and friends highlighted.

It seems Invincible's "apprenticeship" is compete, issue #50 places a full stop at the end of his first chapter but thankfully it still truly feels like Invincible exploits are about to begin.

Invincible's tag-line is "probably the best superhero comic book in the universe!". Who am I to argue.

A+

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