What I Bought 3/23/2011

Well this is it for me as far as new comics go this month. I'll figure out something for the next two weeks.

Power Man and Iron Fist #3 - I like that cover. It's suitably ominous, with the shadows of people with guns in the bottom corner, the hero memorabilia on the opposite side, and Danny and Vic's glowing fists in the center offsetting the darkness. They also worked the title into a blurb on the cover. Above the title it says "What Fate Befalls" then you have the title (Power Man and Iron Fist), and directly below that, "At The Twilight Idol?!" It's a nice touch.

Danny and Joy Meachum attend this Twilight Idol auction. Vic shows up as well, as a guest of Ms. Tiowa Bryant, who Vic suspects is Noir. Once they reach the auction, things rapidly go south, as everybody splits of and starts getting suckered. Pokerface offers Danny the name of the person who sold him the mask, if he correctly guesses how many drugged-up homeless folk Vic can defeat. Vic gets in that fight because he's told it's the only way to save Danny. And Joy agrees to give Pokerface insider info on some missiles her company sold to NATO to save both of them. Then Noir attacks Danny at the very end. A lot going on.

I like how van Lente gives us Pokerface's origin very quickly. It took less than a page, but basically told us what we need to know. The rest comes out in the story. One thing about Vic's fight that confuses me. He beat 38 guys, and then what, they didn't send any more? There weren't anymore to send? Pokerface describes it as his "final tally", but Vic's still standing so it isn't as though that's all he could defeat. I guess it's all the cannon fodder Pokerface had available. Danny should have asked for clarification on the stipulations before betting.

About the art. Alves and Pere Perez are splitting art chores again, but it's less of a smooth division this issue than last month. Perez handles the first 5 pages, then it's Alves from 6-12, then Perez for a page, Alves for 5, then Perez again for the last 3. There's no particular division of plots, where say Alves draws Vic's fight, and Perez draws the rest or whatever. it is interesting how even with the same colorist (Bruno Hang), Perez' art looks much brighter, or at least shinier. I'm guessing he uses much lighter inks on his work than Nelson Pereira does on Alves' pages.