By
      Trent
      Drake
     
     
      This
      Week
      Featuring
      The
      Mighty
      Marvelesque
     
     
      Musing
      Of
      The
      Hyperbolic
      Homage
      Studios!!!
     
     
      I
      realize
      this
      space
      has
      been
      a
      little
      preoccupied
     
     
      with
      Image
      Comics
      over
      the
      last
      few
      weeks,
      so
      I
     
     
      thought
      it
      was
      time
      to
      take
      a
      Ginsu
      to
      the
      whole
     
     
      Gordian
      knot
      of
      material
      they
      send
      us
      and
      review
      a
     
     
      bunch
      of
      the
      good
      stuff
      en
      masse.
     
     
      Homage
      Studios
      is
      one
      of
      the
      myriad
      Image
     
     
      imprints.
      .
      .
      and
      if
      you
      don’t
      know
     
     
      what
      Image
      Comics
      are
      by
      now,
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CS
      RRE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SN
      qj
      Pak
      Vale
      aS
      PEs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
     
     
      Vase”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      Youngblood.
      1
      particularly
      enjoy
      the
      team
     
     
      prankster,
      Grunge.
     
    

    
     
      One
      small
      fear
      I
      have
      is
      that
      the
      book
      will
     
     
      completely
      lose
      its
      direction
      when
      the
      five-issue
     
     
      mini-series
      is
      over,
      which
      would
      leave
      the
      charac-
     
     
      ters
      wandering
      around
      like
      so
      many
      ex-Avengers.
     
     
      Otherwise,
      try
      Gen
      13
      if
      you
      can
      find
      it.
      It
      already
     
     
      has
      a
      fan
      following.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      __
      we
      gp
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oa
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      survive
      the
      mental
      and
      physical
      attacks,
     
     
      Cray
      takes
      up
      a
      quest
      for
      the
      Holy
      Grail,
      which
      is
      in
     
     
      the
      possession
      of
      the
      Order.
      At
      the
      same
      time,
      he
     
     
      becomes
      unofficial
      guardian
      to
      an
      honest-to-good-
     
     
      ness
      Miracle
      Child,
      who
      seems
      to
      be
      a
      second
     
     
      coming
      in
      the
      making.
     
    

    
     
      It’s
      weird,
      but
      I
      found
      this
      book
      to
      be
      almost
     
     
      profound
      despite
      some
      pretty
      hokey
      religious
      ties.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      13
     
    
   
   
    
     
      torted
      poses
      covered
      in
      extraneous
      lines,
      however,
     
     
      his
      art
      is
      readable
      and
      doesn’t
      induce
      headaches
      and
     
     
      constipation
      like
      Platt’s
      does.
     
    

    
     
      The
      story
      is
      on
      display
      here.
      While
      there
      are
     
     
      loads
      of
      cliches
      in
      terms
      of
      action
      and
      character
     
     
      development,
      there
      are
      a
      few
      high
      points
      and
      at
      least
     
     
      one
      major
      low.
      The
      low
      is
      all
      of
      issue
      10,
      a
      whiny
     
     
      issue
      wherein
      Battalion
      muses
      about
      the
      future
      he’s
     
    

    
     
      seen
      and
      how
      awful,
      unchangeable
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CATCH
      UP!!!
      This
      particular
     
     
      group
      of
      books
      is
      created
      and
     
     
      owned
      by
      Jim
      Lee
      (popular
      fan-
     
     
      fave
      artist
      from
      years
      on
      the
      influ-
     
     
      ential
      X-Men),
      Whilce
      Portacio
     
     
      (fan-fave
      from
      X-Factor...do
      you
     
     
      sense
      a
      pattern
      here?)
      and
      Brandon
     
     
      Choi
      (not
      a
      fan_fave,
      but
      an
      ex-
     
     
      lawyer,
      and
      childhood
      friend
      of
     
     
      Lee).
     
    

    
     
      First
      up
      is
      Homage’s
      flag-
     
     
      ship
      title,
      WildC.A.T.s..
      When
      this
     
     
      series
      began
      a
      few
      years
      back,
      I
     
     
      read
      the
      first
      issue
      and
      thought
      it
     
     
      an
      incomprehensible
      mess.
      It’s
     
     
      gotten
      much
      better.
      Part
      of
      this
      is
     
     
      because
      Chris
      Claremont
      (X-Men
     
    

    
     
      Scribe
      extraordinaire)
      has
      come
     
    

    
     
      aboard
      to
      write
      four
      issues
      (10-13)
     
    

    
     
      worth
      of
      solid
      story,
      thus
      recreat-
     
    

    
     
      ing
      one
      of
      the
      most
      potent
      creative
     
    

    
     
      ‘cams
      in
      recent
      comics
      history.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      improvement
      is
      that
      Jim
     
    

    
     
      Lee
      has
      abandoned
      the
      ‘‘Liefeld’s
     
    

    
     
      Little
      Lines’’
      method
      of
      illustra-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
           
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
     
     
      fe
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (
      LS
      if
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      downright
      depressing
      itis.
      You
     
     
      see,
      Battalion
      got
      to
      see
      a
      copy
      of
     
     
      issue
      25
      of
      StormWatch
      during
      the
     
     
      Images
      of
      Tomorrow
      promotion
      and
     
     
      now
      he
      knows
      that
      almost
      every-
     
     
      one
      on
      the
      team
      is
      doomed
      to
      die.
     
     
      Don’t
      get
      attached
      to
      most
      of
      the
     
     
      characters,
      ‘cause
      they’re
      toast
     
     
      come
      issue25.
      Also,
      Dwayne
      Turn-
     
     
      er’s
      art
      was
      unremarkable
      except
     
     
      forthe
      cop-outs
      in
      theaction
      scenes.
     
     
      Meaningless
      splash
      panels
      leave
     
     
      cs
      noroom
      for
      storytelling,
      which
      gets
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ham
      relegated
      to
      tiny
      panels
      and
      indis-
     
     
      a
      tinct
      masses
      of
      black.
      It’s
      frustrat-
     
     
      a
      ing
      when
      the
      best
      action
      is
      depicted
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      tiny
      silhouette
      shots.
     
    

    
     
      The
      high
      points?
      Well,
      the
     
     
      current
      plot
      twists
      don’t
      mean
     
     
      much
      if
      you’re
      not
      a
      long-time
      fan,
     
     
      however,
      I
      did
      develop
      a
      certain
     
     
      reserved
      liking
      for
      Fuji,
      the
      team
     
     
      brick,
      who
      is
      trapped
      in
      a
      contain-
     
     
      ment
      suit
      lest
      his
      radiation
      kill
      all
     
     
      near
      him.
      And
      issue
      12
      was
      a
      very
     
     
      enjoyable
      experience
      in
      near-death.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
              
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lion’
      and
      created
      a
      style
      halfway
     
     
      between
      it
      and
      hisold
      Marvel
      stuff.
     
     
      The
      result
      is
      a
      much
      tighter
      storyline
      with
      eye-
     
     
      Pleasing
      artwork
      and
      one
      of
      Claremont’s
      trademark
     
     
      body-possession
      and
      history
      rewriting’
      storylines,
     
     
      Sure
      to
      please
      any
      X-Fan.
     
    

    
     
      On
      the
      down
      side,
      Claremont’s
      storylines
     
     
      ate
      way
      too
      complex
      to
      detail
      here.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Otherwise,
      this
      is
      an
      okay
      book
      for
      curious
     
     
      "eaders,
      and
      a
      must-have
      for
      fans
      of
      Claremont.
      I
     
     
      Wonder
      what
      will
      happen
      when
      he
      leaves...
     
     
      On
      the
      other
      hand,
      Gen
      13
      is
      less
      complex
     
     
      a
      bit
      more
      fun.
      It’s
      kind
      of
      like
      New
      Mutants
     
     
      Teen
      Titans
      meets
      Stephen
      King’s
      Firestarter.
     
     
      bunch
      of
      young
      people
      are
      tricked
      into
      a
      govern-
     
     
      tintemship
      program
      that
      turns
      out
      to
      bea
      cover-
     
     
      for
      a
      plan
      to
      create
      a
      team
      of
      super-powered
     
     
      -
      The
      characters
      find
      out
      they
      have
      powers
     
     
      ‘scape.
      They
      also
      make
      jokes.
     
     
      th
      Ishouldn’t
      like
      it.
      The
      T-and-A
      scenes
      are
     
     
      °o-frequent
      (Fairchild
      bursts
      out
      of
      a
      negli-
     
     
      ee.
      literally!),
      the
      story’s
      thin,
      J.
      Scott
      Campbell’s
     
     
      “males
      look
      like
      Barbie
      dolls
      (long
      legs,
      inhu-
     
     
      y
      large
      mammaries,
      nice
      hair),
      and
      the
      ‘teen-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      t,
      Llike
      this
      book!!
      It’s
      kind
      of
      refreshing,
      actu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lly.
      The
      characters
      are
      likable
      which
      is
      a
      switch
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Union
      0
      —
      Just
      another
      zero
      issue
      on
      stands
     
     
      crowded
      with
      them.
      While
      it
      does
      shed
      light
      on
      an
     
     
      interesting
      civil
      war
      on
      Union’s
      home
      planet,
      it
     
     
      doesn’t
      seem
      very
      meaningful
      if
      you
      haven’t
      read
     
     
      the
      ongoing
      series
      that
      precedes
      it.
      For
      fans
      only.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Kindred:
      Why?
      Why
      come
      up
      with
      a
     
    

    
     
      mini-series
      based
      on
      characters
      you
      kill
      off
      in
      the
     
     
      last
      issue?
      The
      heroes
      are
      Grifter,
      John
      Lynch,
      and
     
     
      Backlash--
      all
      former
      or
      current
      government
      stooges
     
     
      who
      get
      captured
      by
      a
      group
      of
      half-animal
      men
     
     
      named
      the
      Kindred.
      They
      havea
      big,
      pointless
      fight
     
     
      scene
      and
      the
      Kindred
      get
      turned
      into
      pate
      by
      a
     
     
      particle
      beam
      satellite
      as
      our
      friends
      escape.
      Not
     
     
      worth
      reading
      unless
      you’re
      a
      fan
      of
     
     
      Grifter...although
      you
      do
      get
      to
      see
      Grifter’s
      cos-
     
     
      tume
      regenerate
      between
      panels.
      Perhaps
      that’s
      his
     
     
      oft-mentioned
      but
      never
      used
      power?
     
    

    
     
      Moving
      right
      along,
      we
      come
      to
      perhaps
      the
     
     
      strangest
      of
      Jim
      Lee’s
      creations.
      Deathblow
      is
      the
     
     
      endlessly
      twisty
      tale
      of
      one
      Michael
      Cray.
      A
      former
     
     
      member
      of
      Team
      7,
      Cray
      has
      received
      the
      unsettling
     
     
      news
      that
      he’s
      dying
      of
      inoperable
      cancer.
      Com-
     
     
      pounding
      this
      crippling
      blow
      are
      his
      angst
      over
      his
     
     
      murderous
      and
      deceitful
      life,
      and
      the
      fact
      that
      the
     
     
      priests
      of
      the
      Order
      of
      the
      Cross
      are
      trying
      to
      kill
     
     
      him.
      And
      to
      top
      it
      all
      off,
      the
      Black
      Angel
      (read:
     
     
      Anti-Christ)
      is
      trying
      to
      recruit
      Cray
      as
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      four
      horsemen
      of
      the
      apocalypse
      (which
      could
      hap-
     
     
      pen
      as
      soon
      as
      next
      issue).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      story
      is
      potentially
      powerful
      stuff,
      marred
      only
     
     
      by
      being
      more
      of
      a
      gunfight
      than
      a
      spiritual
      quest.
     
     
      Cray
      seems
      to
      fall
      into
      the
      role
      of
      hero
      by
      accident
     
     
      rather
      than
      by
      choice.
      Still,
      it
      seems
      to
      work,
      as
     
     
      Cray
      becomes
      a
      memorable,
      Clint
      Eastwood-like,
     
     
      reluctantly
      heroic
      curmudgeon.
     
    

    
     
      The
      artwork’s
      reach
      also
      exceeds
      its
      grasp.
     
     
      Tim
      Sale
      tries
      desperately
      to
      draw
      in
      the
      minimal
     
     
      but
      powerful
      Frank
      Miller
      style,
      and
      doesn’t
      quite
     
     
      make
      it.
      Neither
      his
      composition
      nor
      his
      drawing
     
     
      skills
      equal
      Miller’s.
      The
      attempt
      is
      buoyed
      some-
     
     
      what
      by
      adeft
      touch
      in
      the
      colouring:
      muted
      browns
     
     
      and
      sepia
      tones
      dominate
      the
      production,
      creating
     
     
      atmospheric
      errieness
      essential
      to
      this
      book.
      But
      the
     
     
      big
      attraction
      here
      is
      story,
      not
      art.
     
    

    
     
      Try
      it.
      It’s
      much
      better
      than
      it
      sounds.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      we
      come
      to
      Storm
      Watch.
      Here
      we
     
     
      have
      your
      average
      super-team
      in
      a
      strange
      position:
     
     
      U.N.
      peacekeepers.
      That’s
      right.
      These
      intrepid,
     
     
      international
      heroes
      are
      stationed
      on
      an
      orbiting
     
     
      watchdog
      platform
      called
      Skywatch.
      They
      get
     
     
      dropped
      into
      trouble
      spots
      to
      mop
      up
      terrorist
      scum.
     
     
      And
      despite
      this
      gung-ho
      set-up,
      it’s
      actually
      less
     
     
      action-oriented
      than
      most
      of
      the
      books
      reviewed
     
     
      here.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      artwork
      is
      typical
      Image
      stuff,
      as
      ren-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dered
      by
      Mat
      Broome
      (issues
      11
      &
      12).
      He
      comes
     
     
      dangerously
      close
      to
      being
      a
      Steve
      Platt
      clone
      by
     
     
      drawing
      unbelievably
      muscle-bound
      figures
      in
      con-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      whole
      issue
      recaps
      the
      turbu-
     
     
      lent
      life
      of
      the
      comatose
      Hellstrike,
      and
      how
      Fuji
     
     
      manages
      to
      bring
      him
      back
      from
      the
      threshold
      of
     
     
      death
      (which
      is,
      incidentally,
      a
      park
      bench
      in
      the
     
     
      middle
      of
      Nowhere)
      by
      giving
      him
      a
      heart-to-heart
     
     
      talk
      and
      feeding
      a
      few
      ethereal
      pigeons.
      It’s
      really
     
     
      kind
      of
      touching.
     
    

    
     
      Unfortunately,
      I
      have
      the
      same
      problem
     
     
      with
      this
      book
      that
      I
      have
      with
      most
      Image
      stuff.
     
     
      Namely,
      where
      the
      Hell
      are
      they
      going
      with
      this?
     
     
      Many
      of
      the
      stories
      seem
      perfectly
      good
      as
      finite
     
     
      series,
      but
      could
      become
      pointless
      and
      contrived
     
     
      after
      a
      certain
      amount
      of
      time.
      Gen
      13
      and
      Death-
     
     
      blow
      will
      both
      become
      interminable
      if
      dragged
      out
     
     
      for
      too
      long.
      Sooner
      or
      later,
      Cray
      either
      dies
      or
     
     
      lives,
      and
      then
      the
      character
      loses
      his
      uniqueness.
     
     
      And
      what
      about
      the
      kids
      of
      Gen
      13?
      After
      a
      while,
     
     
      even
      the
      Teen
      Titans
      had
      to
      be
      decently
      put
      out
      of
     
     
      their
      misery.
      And
      the
      New
      Mutants
      had
      to
      mature
     
     
      (?)
      into
      X-Force.
     
    

    
     
      Perhaps
      I
      should
      just
      have
      faith
      that
      these
     
     
      books
      won’t
      end
      up
      like
      that.
      But
      I
      have
      to
      wonder.
     
     
      It’s
      my
      job.
     
    

    
     
      ’
       _Insummation:
      the
      work
      of
      Homage
      studios
     
     
      is
      agreeable,
      likable
      fare,
      and
      the
      Jim
      Lee
      art
      style
     
     
      is
      much
      more
      palatable
      than
      most
      Image
      books.
      If
     
     
      you
      can
      find
      the
      back
      issues,
      I
      recommend
      Gen
      13,
     
     
      Deathblow,
      and
      WildC.A.T.s.
      as
      the
      picks
      of
      the
     
     
      litter
      in
      terms
      of
      story...judging
      the
      art
      is
      up
      to
      you.
     
    

    
     
      Next
      week
      we’ll
      cover
      the
      much-delayed
     
     
      Whilce
      Portacio
      title,
      Wetworks.
      See
      ya!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~~~
      October
      18,
      1994