Posted by AxlRotten on February 14, 2006, 3:32 pm
70.121.107.146

Marvel Team-Up #16 "League of Losers Part 2" Featuring Terror, Inc and Sleepwalker Robert Kirkman - Writer Paco Medina - Pencils Juan Vlasco - Inks Studio F’s Marte Gracia – Colors Writer Robert Kirkman weaves a time-traveling tale where a villain from the future quickly eliminates all the heavy-hitters in the Marvel Universe, leaving only a small band of lower tier heroes to defend the universe. This band of heroes, referred to as the League of Losers (in the title alone, they’ve yet to call themselves anything), includes a pair of Nineties’ fringe-fair supernatural characters – Sleepwalker and Terror, Inc. Other heroes defending New York include Darkhawk, Speedball (Yeah!), Dagger, Arana, X-23 and Gravity. They end up becoming a very entertaining and appealing group of heroes. So much so, I find myself hoping to read further adventures of this ragtag team. The villain, Chronok, is threatening enough and light enough at the same time. Speedball is highlighted nicely this issue, making a play that gives our heroes a slight advantage. Of the two supernatural characters, Terror, shines the best while Sleepwalker does just that – sleepwalks in the background, not doing much. Terror, on the other hand, is much more enjoyable here than ever before, gruesome and ghastly and tons of fun. He has two or three particular moments that highlight the entire issue: taking a couple shots for the team, taking a shot at Chronok, and claiming a body part from one his fallen teammates. I gotta say - I particularly enjoyed that last one, fun stuff. Don’t expect any atmosphere within; it’s a straight forward super-hero action-adventure story. But I didn’t mind. Kirkman has been batting a thousand lately. I enjoy most everything he writes. I’ve even considered reading Ultimate X-men since he became that title’s writer. This story plays off his strengths and does not disappoint. It is excellent. Kirkman, along with Dan Slott and Fabian Nicieza, continually produce compelling and riveting stories that echo that old-school Marvel feel. Paco Medina’s style is growing on me. This issue contains the best work yet. It may have a lot to do with Juan Vlasco’s inking. Either way, I think Medina is going to be an artist to keep an eye on. His Terror is right on the money, especially for this story, making the character work in every way. Darkhawk and Gravity look sharp. X23, Dagger and Arana fair well and suit the story. I’m not sold on his rendition of Sleepwalker however. It didn’t suck, but it looked a bit too feminine. As always Kirkman’s Marvel Team-Up is a joy to read. Bring on more League of Losers! 4 out of 5