Deathblow, Desolation Jones

Deathblow 13-15, 19

Trevor Scott takes over as the penciller.  I thought I liked him, but now I think it’s his inking that I like.  His whites streak across his blacks in an inverse inking sort of way, if that makes sense.  I’ll get into the importance of his inking more when I review Team 7.  For now, his pencils look a lot like Whilce Portacio, both in detail and tendency to horribly distort human anatomy.  

Okay, I’ve spent way too long looking for Portacio reference images.  Not in the mood. But let’s not ignore the fact that Scott’s nose shadows look like Hitler mustaches.  

Anyway, these issues are not that good.  Deathblow finds himself directionless in life after fighting the Black Angel, so naturally he becomes a bodyguard.  Sure. Okay. And then the werewolves and vampires of Wetworks get involved.  (Another Portacio connection.)  Hooboy. Then some even more boring things happen.  Cut them all!

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Stupid (Cutting)

Deathblow 20-26

These issues aren’t that much better, but I’m keeping them for a couple reasons.  There’s something nostalgically old school (redundancy?) about this arc - Miles Craven hires Le Gauche to extract the gen-factor from all the former members of Team 7.  So each issue deals with one of the members (Lynch, Dane, Backlash, and Grifter) as the band slowly gets back together. Because I followed each of these characters in their own titles, there’s something very “Marvel shared universe” about seeing them team up.  Their shared history also adds another layer of richness.

Hmm.  That’s really the only reason.  The story itself doesn’t make much sense, Scott’s art is meh, and the fill-in pencils by Scott Kolins and Geof Isherwood in issue 24 is legitimately horrendous.  I might be talking myself into cutting these as I write this...No. Still keeping it. But just barely.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

Desolation Jones 1-6

Not one of Warren Ellis’ better titles.  There’s not even a real hook here - A former MI6 agent who underwent horrible government science experiments (with no real discernible results aside from an inability to sleep or have feelings) solves crimes in LA.  In this opening arc, he’s tasked with finding a stolen pornographic film starring Hitler (classic Ellis right there). The convoluted mystery that he uncovers isn’t that interesting. Not even JH Williams’ art is enough.  There’s so much better Ellis out there in my collection, I don’t see why I should keep this one around.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck (Cutting)