Front Line #10 (of 11)

Released: January 3, 2007

Publisher: Marvel

Writer: Paul Jenkins

Pencils: Ramon Bachs & Steve Lieber

Inks: John Lucas

Colors: Laura Martin & June Chung

Letterer: VC’s Randy Gentile

Cover:

 

Yes, I said I wasn’t going to review this series until its finish but this, the penultimate issue, really deserves its own recognition. For starters, this is both the best and worst issue so far and as I’ve said that several times along the series, you can imagine that’s getting easier and easier to read.

 

We’ve done away with a lot of the smaller, sillier story lines. Most notably there is no longer a ‘historical relevance’ vignette at the end, providing relief of no small proportions. The extra room is, well, used by the other two continuing plot threads: The Reporters and Speedball.

 

Both of the reporters, Sally Floyd and Ben Urich, come to the same revelation at roughly the same time and meet up to discuss it. But because this was meant to be a ten issue series, we’re stuck delaying the revelation for another issue. Raging around them is a huge fight between the heroes and the new Thunderbolts, and since TypeFace is present at the fight then it must be after the events of Civil War #6. The revelation (hinted at as being war-profiteering) needed to be revealed this issue. All the running around feels like exactly what it is: wasting time till next issue.

 

Most important however is Ben Urich’s resignation from the Daily Bugle after he realizes that the scoop won’t be published by the newspaper. Sally Floyd still has little character and Ben Urich is given even less here. Neither is that interesting per se but the story does hold your interest enough to be intrigued by the possible revelation (which better be a good one after this build-up).

 

What is continually shown is the danger and chaos a normal superhero battle brings to the ordinary citizens. But the concept, like so many others in the series, isn’t pushed to the full possibility it provides. Big explosions and the like still seem to have a sterile nature. Only our ‘embedded’ reporters are really shown scurrying for their lives.

 

Robbie Baldwin’s (Speedball) story is much better, and yet, is also so horribly flawed that it doesn’t matter how good the drama is. The story is great, well written and all that, but no where in the nine issues before this did Jenkins build-up this change in Speedball. It happened sometime between the last issue and this one, the obvious flaw of ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’.

 

Baldwin’s the new Penance (if the cover didn’t give it away) and he’s going to join the new Thunderbolts. He’s turned into a self-sorry, angst-ridden jerk, a horrible move from the happy-go-lucky character we all knew—Speedball fans are not going to like the self-righteous asshole he’s turned into and I doubt many new fans will go for this self-mutilating shtick. His new power is the ability to take his pain and redirect it. So he makes the ‘Penance’ suit, a type of iron maiden (the torture device, not the band) costume with it that has spikes on its interior.

 

The man who shot him last issue is revealed to be the father of a dead Stamford child, and his anguish is part of the greatness of the story (well, Baldwin’s reaction to it more accurately). Baldwin is ostensibly dismissive of the man’s pain, dropping the charges to spare his life. But he talks as if he’s doing it more out of spite, a feeling of empowerment, and for guilt relief. Still, this is interesting but hardly in line with what’s come before.

 

It’s the best issue and easier to read because it doesn’t have that many stupid attempts at ‘contemporary relevance’, but Jenkins still uses plenty of empty buzz words like ‘stay the course’ and so on. But the best issue means so little by this point. The real ‘best issue’ will be the next one, because it’ll mean I won’t have to read it anymore. What a waste of money and time.

 

Rating - 4