“Echo: Part 4”
Writer/Artist: David Mack
Publisher: Marvel
While I understand a lot of people’s problems with this storyline (No DD, too much Echo that they’ve already seen, too much repetition, and whatever else), none of that bothers me when I’m reading this book. In fact, the first thing to actually cause me some concern was the arrival of Wolverine at the end of the last issue. Luckily, this turns out to be something that works better than I’d expected, if not perfectly.
The whole argument that this should have been an Echo miniseries is a valid one, but I like the inclusion of it in the DD series for a couple of reasons. First, it is a part of the DD world, so its inclusion isn’t that much of a stretch for me. Secondly, this gives the regular creative team a chance to really get their ducks in a row for their upcoming return. I don’t know if there was a problem with the art falling behind or it was a danger, but this way insures no artistic lapses or fill-in issues (I hope!!). As for the repetitive storytelling, the cyclic nature of the storytelling is a very effective incorporation of traditional Native American narrative techniques. Pick up some books by Leslie Marmon Silko, Sherman Alexie, Gerald Vizenor, or Linda Hogan (just to name a few), to see how this lends a level of authenticity to the voice and character of Echo. What some people think is padding, or some such notion, is actually tradition.
Anyway, this issue as a whole is pretty consistent with the previous issues in both the art and writing. I’ve liked it, so I’ve given it higher marks than some other critics. Will it read better as a tpb? Probably. That doesn’t take away from the quality of the work now, though. There were a couple of things that kind of distracted me this time around with the art. Using Hugh Jackman’s picture as the basis for the depiction of Wolverine was a little weird at times, especially when it wasn’t consistent throughout the issue. I wasn’t really sure what to make of the final few pages either, as Wolverine and Echo sit and talk. The fact that the panels aren’t just photocopies is a nice touch, but I’m not sure why we don’t get any more variation. Again, this was a strange choice for Mack to make, but it didn’t really take away from the artwork for me, it just made me notice that he was actually drawing the same shot over and over again with only subtle differences.
On the plus side, the structure of the second two-page spread where Wolverine and Echo have their obligatory fight (although with her being deaf and there being a thunderstorm occurring, not to mention to way the fight becomes an echo of the dogfight Echo witnessed last issue, it is much more plausible than most obligatory fight scenes) is very nicely done. The spiraling layout forces the reader to turn the book around to read the panels as they progress toward the center and the occasional blackened panel serves to reinforce the whole lightning/strobe effect of the storm. Their gradual transformation into dogs ties this superficial conflict back to the whole vision quest theme. All in all, it’s smooth and stylish and makes me curious about Mack’s other works, Kabuki in particular.
More good stuff from Mack during this interlude in DD’s takeover of Hell’s Kitchen. Even the appearance of Wolverine doesn’t cheapen it like I feared it would. His inclusion is explained to my satisfaction and I’m eagerly awaiting the next issue.
What did you think of this book?
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