Bullet Points # 1 Review
This review was submitted by The Dude:
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: Tommy Lee Edwards
Now I like many am hard pressed to find any "alternate" Marvel Universe stories that make me stand up and take notice, an exception is to be found however with Bullet Points. This title posits the question around the 1940s in the years of WWII how would have things have gone in the Marvel Universe had Captain America never existed. The question sounding more like a What If..then anything excels far beyond the What If... titles.
Stracynski's writing I have never been entirely familar with, I'll be honest I had to look him up to remember what the guy did. Too many times I and others will read a comic by a writer and not pay attention much to whose writing it unless we feel the need to, unless the issue is so good it demands us to know what the writers name is, for me this title was it. The pacing for the whole entire issue was good. It speed up when it needed to and took it back a little when the story required it.
The story in short is predicated on how would have things gone differently had the original doctor who created the super-soldier serum been killed before having given this serum to Steve Rodgers thereby creating Captain America. Essentially Rodgers determined to put an end to the ongoing war volunteers for another project that is experimentally dangerous. As you can guess from the cover of this title he ends up becoming a military Iron Man. There is more to the story obviously but, for now I'll just tell you the beginnings of this book are good.
Tommy Lee Edwards should be given huge props towards the art and tone of this title. The artwork is like a weird fusion of Sean Phillips from Criminal, David Mazzucchelli from Batman Year One and Frank Miller from The Dark Knight Returns. Facial expressions are loose in line but still tight if that makes any sense. The overall feel you get when reading this book is of that time period, I suppose, it's hard to put into words I guess, it's just good.
There are many good reasons to read this issue, in short, either pick the art, or the writing, either way your gonna be in for a treat. In general whether you can dedicate the money to get it now or buy the trade later, make sure you read this sucker. A+
Good review Nick. I picked this issue up and was totally suprised by how good the book was. JMS did a sensational job describing how fast a bullet is and how it can change history in the blink of an eye.
Very cool seeing Steve Rogers become Iron Man, and Peter Parker as a punk kid who gets hit by the gamma rays is a great twist. Can't wait to see issue two.