What makes this issue stand apart from the first four is that the Punisher is barely in it. Instead, we follow a man who has neither the ability nor the firepower to take on a maniac like Bushwacker. Bushwacker, if you’re not up on obscure villains, is a guy who can turn both of his hands into any weapon he desires. Must be hard to find ammunition for weapons like those.
This young officer is in the area at the time Bushwacker decides to go on a rampage and take a hostage. As the standoff proceeds, we learn everything about this officer and his motivation to become a hero in blue. His story ties into not only the very real events of September 11, 2001 in the US, but also Marvel’s latest event, particularly the “Stamford incident,” which was the catalyst for the superhuman registration act.
Fraction not even involving the character in his own book until the end was a very nice touch, and not giving us a plot that’s predictable is even better. I picked up the first three issues of War Journal because of Fraction and the Civil War tie-in. Now i’m sticking with it because Matt Fraction’s worthy of writing the Punisher.
My ruling:
Loved it!
X-men #197
I don’t know, I just don’t. Out of the three X-titles I read — Astonishing X-men, Uncanny X-men and this title — X-men is the weakest. Not to say that it doesn’t have anything going for it. The current team is much different than the other two. It’s led by Rogue, an odd choice, and it also claims Sabertooth, Mystique and Lady Mastermind as members.
X-fans know Mystique and Sabertooth as former members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, both in the comics and in the movie version. They are guilty of a multitude of crimes, and they are not exactly the best of friends with any of the X-men.
Lady Mastermind is new to my memory banks. I know that a villain named Mastermind was one of the Hellfire club members, but I don’t know her. I know that she is an X-man for the very first time, and that she isn’t well liked by the veteran X-men.
Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend have been working together on the art for this new Team of X-men in a style that’s very young, very hip and very “anime.” I like Anime, and I like my American comics. The anime style (the best way I can describe it) being used for this book is not something I’m used to. I know these characters, I’m aware of what they look like, and yet in this book, they are alien to me. Iceman Bobby Drake and Sabertooth are the strangest looking of the whole team. It is probably because Iceman and Sabertooth are the least “human” looking out of everyone else.
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