Saturday, April 26, 2008

Infinity Inc #8 Review

INFINITY INC. #8

Writer: Pete Milligan

Artist: Pete Woods

DC Comics

The Bogeyman part 1.

DC is making amends for condemning the launch of Infinity Inc with the choice of untested rookie Max Fiumara on art, paired with an even more incompatible colorist. DCU readers might be open to a Vertigo-esque (ugh, I already hate that term as I type it) take on their superheroes, but it needs to come in an attractive package for it to work. Think X-Force/X-Statix. Think All-Star Superman.

This is take two. Take the disoriented kids from 52's Everyman project, slap shiny garish spandex (well, probably more 90s generic than anything else) and silly codenames on them and attach a semi-established artist in Pete Woods, and you're to go with round 2! I hope readers are still willing to give it a go. This is Milligan going back to his X-Force roots: corny code names, extreme personalities based on disturbed psychological profiles, off-beat powers, and a non-team concept on a team book. It started off awkwardly (partly due to the art, and also Milligan taking too much of a slow pace), but things are starting to click.


Jerome / Double Trouble (the narcissistic fratboy who can conjure more of him to hang out with) and Erik / Amazing Woman (the stuttering coward boy who can turn into a super-endowed power woman) are easy favourites, with Lucia / Empathy (the desperate-to-please self-cutter who cuts both ways) warming up to me slowly; it's odd that Woods hasn't managed to differentiate her from the other girls on the team, leading to a forced hair colour change to tell the three apart. Natasha/Vaporlock (ditch that name please! The self-appointed group leader who fades/vaporises into the background) and Steel (Steel-plated black Superman) are still tedious and boring to read, while the newest addition of Mercy/Vanilla (Lex Luthor's former bodyguard, maybe an amazon) makes me scratch my head in confusion. I hope she realises her hidden potential as the Emma Frost Queen B**ch of the group soon!

7/10

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