"Communion, part 5"
Writers: Dan Chariton & Stacy Weiss
Artists: Yardin (p), Avalon (i)
Publisher: Marvel
Plot:
So it appears the coming of the Surfer was predicted by a little known prophet from the past. Where this came from I am not quite sure. Last issue it seemed the mother of the third missing child was heavily into the Bible, but now it seems she was quoting from this newly introduced book of predictions. From there we head to Bourbon St. in New Orleans for some surprisingly accurate depictions of the local tourist attractions. Then a meeting between the Vice President and the man that owns NASA. We wrap it up with some unresolved arguments on Surfer’s ship with the kids, ET, and the Surfer.
Comments:
Why the scene-by-scene breakdown of this issue? It’s these fragmented scenes that seem to best represent what this book has been up to this point. Is it possible for an INCREDIBLY slow moving book to be fragmented? Apparently it is. We have spent the first five issues of this new run establishing what we’ve known since the first issue. The Surfer is coming to Earth and kidnapping children with various skills. At first that was enough. The book had an eerie feel to it. The Surfer was shrouded in mystery and was almost a little scary. Four more issues in and we still don’t know much more then the Surfer is coming to Earth and kidnapping kids with various skills. Now we know it may be to rebuild earth after Armageddon, but mostly we have just followed the path of the parents using an assortment of methods to try to determine just what has happened to their loved ones. At this point I feel I have been subjected to Ellie’s Mothers plight repeatedly.
This issue continues to deliver what we expect from this opening arc, continued reiteration of the same thing that we already know. Understanding that Chariton and Weiss come from a screen play background I am not surprised to see this arc come together in a less traditional format. Perhaps more time is needed to fully judge their vision for this book. Only time and more issues will tell.
Nothing in particular really stands out when it comes to the art of this book. The pencils and ink are adequate, but not enough to really draw your attention. The book has certainly shifted from the initial dark, mysterious feel of the first couple issues, to a more sci-fi feel. Sterile white environments on the Surfer’s ship seem to have replaced the dark shadowy beginnings of this story.
Final Word:
At this time I do not feel that this current Surfer title is living up to the potential that it displayed when it was launched. Certainly the change in artists gave it a new look, but also it feels that this first arc is being stretched. Could it be that they want to take this setup out to six issues to make it more trade friendly? If so I feel it is a grave mistake. As a big Surfer fan already, I knew that I would give this title as much chance as anybody, but I am just about out of patience.
What did you think of this book?
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