::A Dark and Stormy Night::
::In a Dark and Scary House::
:: On a Dark and Stormy Moon::
K: It doesn’t storm on the moon. It’s an impossibility, since there isn’t an atmosphere. Y’see…
D: I get it! I get it! I know it can’t storm on the moon. I just got caught up in the “Dark and…” motif.
K: Scary doings in a scary place?
D: Couldn’t have said it better myself.
K: I know. So I did it for you.
D: ::scowl::
K: Anywho… You ever wonder what would happen if a bunch of super-folk got together for a tea party?
D: Tea party? Like with cups and saucers and fancy hats? Not really.
K: How about a tea party where someone gets MURDERED? You know, like a Tea Party of DOOM?
D: Now that I could get into! Kinda like an updated version of the classic Whodunit mysteries of years gone by! “No one shall leave this study until the guilty party is revealed! Now, I shall drink from my brandy snifter that may be poisoned! What then? Ask Col. Mustard!”
K: I like those stories, too. I like the movie CLUE even more…
::leans against the grand piano like a seductive Miss Scarlet.::
::realizes we don’t have a grand piano, falls to the floor::
D: ::laughing:: So Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato had the same thought. With ORIGINAL SIN, Marvel Comics explore the idea of the super-hero murder mystery in an eight issue miniseries. And the first issue is about as well done as you could hope for.
K: A lot of your funny books are kinda lame. So much with the punching and the hitting and the breaking stuff for little or no reason. Not to mention the questionable wardrobe choices the ladies make. But I liked this book. The mood of the book is suitably serious. The big bald guy on the moon…
D: … the Watcher…
K: … yeah, him. So he buys it at the start of the book. And the bad guys take a… souvenir… from his body! And then the good guys have got to figure out who did it.
D: That’s a remarkably concise summary of events. Well done, Red.
K: ::stands on table, thrusts finger in the air:: I say, it was Doctor Doom!
D: Yeah? Not a bad guess. He is the premier villain in the Marvel Universe. What clues lead you to this deduction?
K: WHO, BUT DOCTOR DOOM?!
D: I see.
K: THIS WILL PROVE THAT DOOM IS THE SUPERIOR INTELLECT!
D: Ok, Red. You’re getting a bit overwrought. Time for a timeout.
K: NO ONE PUTS RED, er, DOOM IN A TIMEOUT!
::sits in timeout::
D: Jason Aaron accomplishes a ton with this first installment. The crime itself is quick and brutal. Many, many character introductions are handled in the most efficient manner. My personal favorite is the restaurant scene. In the midst of cosmic murder and fistfights with multi-dimensional creatures, the restaurant scene is an island of calm character development. Just a perfect three-page piece.
K: DOOM THINKS THE ART IS WORTHY OF WORLD DOMINATION! LIKE DOOM, MIKE DEODATO SHALL CRUSH REED RITCHARDS! Ahem. The pictures are very pretty in this book.
D: ::gives Kate the side-eye:: Yes, Doom-Kate. Mike Deodato is a veteran talent. He’s always been known to deliver quality work. You know you’ll always get dramatic action, beautiful figure work, and fully rendered backgrounds. But with ORIGINAL SIN, Deodato amps up the tension of the murder mystery story with heavy and effective shadow work.
K: And action. And beautiful figure work. And fully rendered backgrounds.
D: I have previously given up on following Big Crossover Event Books. But this issue was so darn strong, that I’m in for the duration. ORIGINAL SIN totally delivers. And I really want to know “Whodunit?”
K: WHO, BUT DOCTOR DOOM?!
D: You’re still on timeout!
