General Information
Title: The Irredeemable Ant-Man #10
Author: Robert Kirkman
Illustrator(s): Phil Hester (pencils), Ande Parks (inks), Bill Crabtree with Val Staples (colours)
Original Publication Date: Cover dated September 2007
Cover Price: $2.99US, $3.75 Can
Past comic reviews can be found
here.
Premise
Eric O'Grady stole Hank Pym's latest Ant-Man gear from S.H.I.E.L.D. and joined Damage Control under an assumed identity just in time to deal with the Hulk's arrival. This issue takes place "between the panels" of World War Hulk #1.
High Point
The unorthodox attack plan.
Low Point
The seeming guillibility of the supporting cast. I'd have strong suspicions about this guy from what he was doing in this issue, let alone the stuff from past issues that the freakin' empathic girlfriend talks about!
He might as well try to hide his secret identity behind nothing but a pair of glasses.
The Scores
I have to admit the issue is original. The particular style of humour doesn't really mesh with mine, but it's definitely in a class of its own. I give it 5 out of 6.
The artwork by Hester and Parks is the usual from the time, with polygons approximating curves and thick inks on them. It's an uncluttered look that actually suits a light comedy title well. Unfortunately, the angular look is something I find irritating. To me, it feels more like a shortcut to save drawing time than a real artistic preference. When that impression gets mixed with a major panel in which this Ant-Man launches his first concerted attack against a target that wasn't even drawn, it doesn't bode well. I give it 4 out of 6.
The story is pretty limited. Once again, the crossover feels like we're taking a moment out of the character's life, which makes me feel like the entire point of the crossover is to raise awareness of the crossing title. As the cancellation of this series with issue 12 has already been announced, that may be exactly what it is. I give it 4 out of 6.
The characterization is a little heavy-handed. That's the nature of the beast; a complete story needs to be told in a single issue, and that issue is likely to be the first issue for many readers due to the nature of the crossover. As a result, the character moments are crammed and rushed, so we can understand what makes these characters tick before the big action sequence starts. I give it 4 out of 6.
The emotional response was weaker for me than it will be for some others. It's a very particular style of humour here that doesn't work for me, but I know people I can recommend this to who'd get a real kick out of it. If you like a somewhat cowardly bad guy pretending to be a brace and heroic good guy, with some bodily function humour mixed in for good measure, you might enjoy this. I give it 3 out of 6.
The flow felt rushed. There's not quite enough material here to fill two issues with the crossover, but it's hard to squeeze it all into one. I give it 4 out of 6.
Overall, this issue isn't bad, but it's definitely written for a very particular set of tastes that don't overlap with mine very effectively. I give it 3 out of 6.
In total, The Irredeemable Ant-Man #10 receives 27 out of 42.
World War Hulk Review Checklist
- World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker
- World War Hulk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, complete
- Incredible Hulk #106-110
- World War Hulk: X-Men #1-3
- World War Hulk: Frontline #1-6
- Iron Man #19-20
- Avengers: The Initiative #4-5
- The Irredeemable Ant-Man #10
- Heroes For Hire #11-15
- World War Hulk: Gamma Corps #1-4
- Ghost Rider #12-13
- Punisher War Journal #12
