"Adventure the First: Grievous Angel"
Writer: Paul Di Filippo
Artists: Fabrizio Fiorentino(p), Jimmy Palmiotti(i), Val Staples(c)
Publisher: Marvel
Paul Di Filippo begins Doc Samson with an uproarious nod to Marvel continuity which involves a Skrull. The dialogue, the imagery and the meaning is a milk-snorter. The rest of the book fails to capture this initial promise.
Doc Samson has before been the focus in a comic book. When John Byrne took over The Incredible Hulk, Samson sifted Banner out of the Hulk. The end result was a mindless monster that left destruction in the wake of wherever he went. Samson immediately became a kind of super-powered samurai by way of the Village People and set on the trail to atone for his sins. This was boring.
Paul Di Filippo's version is superior to the Byrne revamp, but his characterization for the green-haired Doc is overwhelmed by thick blocks of verbiage and Native American styled hocus pocus that ill suits what is essentially a science hero in the mold of Doc Savage.
Di Filippo adds two more characters to the mix. The Doc's goddaughter is a charming creation though perhaps too obvious a reminder of the modern age. The guest star Dr. Strange's latest acquisition in what must be the scraping from the bottom of the acolyte barrel must die, preferably quickly.
Fabrizio Fiorentino's artwork reminds me a little of Chris Batista's work. Fiorentino isn't bad, but his panels are too busy, and this combined with an overabundance of dialogue muddies the choreography. You need a "cleaner" artist like Daniel Acuna who provides the gorgeous cover on Doc Samson.
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