S.W.O.R.D.

SWORD #1

This is the opening arc of a story that has a great little mini side-story in the end. I think I cared more about the mini-story than anything else.

I can understand if you didn't pick this up just looking at the art. The cover art is iffy, but it does get somewhat conflicted on the inside. The art for Agent Brand and some of the cast is okay, then it takes a fucked up Who Framed Roger Rabit? twist. Beast actually looks like a dog, Geirich looks like his face is going to fall off so Brand's comment was well placed in the book. Basically all the aliens in the book are drawn in a super cartoony extreme fasion including Beast. The art is annoying enough that i'm pissed the story has potential and the writing is good, because I have to pick this book up now.

Beast goes up to the space station to see his girl, but things are busy up there. We find out in the coarse of the day that Beast might look like Brand's daddy, because her 1/2 brother is a furry looking alien like Beast, only green. There is a super sentient being in a capsule down below that knows too much in an evil type of ominous way. We also see

Spoiler:

in the book which shocked me.

The side story is pure win though and deals with Lockheed, may eventually feature Beta-ray bill, and has that same creapy all knowing thing. Most importantly we find out

Spoiler:

Aside from the art, I have to say this is a must read for Wheedon's arc of Astonishing X-Men.

4/5 Bags n' Boards Better art would have bumped it up IMO.

My review.

rwe1138 wrote:My review.

Good review, looks like we both liked it about the same. I can't say anything positive about the way everybody not human looking is depicted. But as we both said it is a quallity script and I think the writer has a grasp on the characters.

S.W.O.R.D. #1

I just love the fact that this concept has been incorporated into the MU so well. Whedon did a great job of creating and establishing SWORD and Agent Brand, then ever since Bendis used them in Secret Invasion, it seems like they've really taken off. Now we got this ongoing by Gillen, plus Bendis is using Brand and the organization in his Spider-Woman book as well...all good news for SWORD fans.

The book itself was a really solid start, with a revelation that made me very happy Plus, I love that Lockheed will have a prominent role in this. My only complaint would be Beast looking like a coyote for some odd reason...*sigh* I wish Cassady were drawing the interiors and not just the covers...

#2 was a good read. I'm digging the series so far.

rwe1138 wrote:#2 was a good read. I'm digging the series so far.

Ditto. I loved the interaction between Beast and Brand. Overall the characters have a very authentic feel to it, despite being aliens and what not. I'm curious who that guy is who they keep asking for help and what's so bad about him or what makes him dangerous, other than seemingly knowing everything about everyone. I didn't think this would be one of my favorite series but it is.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:I'm curious who that guy is who they keep asking for help and what's so bad about him or what makes him dangerous, other than seemingly knowing everything about everyone.

According to Gillen, Unit like a robot version of Hannibal Lecter, cage and all.

#3 wasn't quite as good as the previous two, but still fairly decent. I don't know how much of Unit's backstory I believe. Lockheed was great, though.

SWORD #3

The story was okay. It was nice to find out the Unit's history, but with the things that the Unit has pulled thus far it can all be bunk and just told to Beast to be mannipulative in some way. The art in this book still sickens me, but I'm glad to see Deaths Head again, I hope he just joins sword, it's about time he found a home.

Current buzz is that S.W.O.R.D.'s cancelled as of #5. That's a damn shame, as I found it quite enjoyable.

This book is pure awesome. Between this and Thor, Gillen is really making a name for himself. He's got all the voices down pat, especially Beast, Brand and Gyrich. And of course Lockheed is just a total badass lol. Plus I love the storyline of alien deportations, it works perfectly in a post-Secret Invasion Earth. Gillen weaves in all kinds of little interesting tidbits from around the MU like Noh-Varr, Cypher/Warlock, Hepzibah, Hulkling, etc. My favorite new character is the Unit Robot guy, I hope we see more of him after all this.


Such a damn shame this book is ending...
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/01/gillen-confirms-ax-has-fallen-on-marvels-s-w-o-r-d-series/

and people looked at the art and said pass. That is what my LCS said.

Yeah, the art is probably what killed this book so quickly, lord knows the story was awesome, Gillen is moving up in the world with this, Thor, Ares, etc... I've just been loving everything he's been putting out, hopefully we'll see these characters pop up in another book at some point or see it get another chance down the line.

Just read that Dr. Voodoo is getting the axe as well, that's two books I get and enjoy a ton that are finished early in their runs.

I dug the art, aside from Sanders' rendition of Hank. And even that was growing on me, mainly due to his wide variety of facial expressions.

rwe1138 wrote:I dug the art, aside from Sanders' rendition of Hank. And even that was growing on me, mainly due to his wide variety of facial expressions.

I agree. I never really get all bent out of shape about artists' different interpretations of characters. I didn't particularly like his rendition of Beast either, but it actually kinda grew on me. And like you said, the facial expressions were a big part of that. I love when an artist can capture emotion just with facial and body expressions without any text.

[quote="hrdwrkngXsoldier"]SWORD #1

The side story is pure win though and deals with Lockheed, may eventually feature Beta-ray bill, and has that same creapy all knowing thing. Most importantly we find out [spoiler] Kitty Pride is alive, and what they have done to stop the bullet.

Bill does owe Brand a favor for helping him in the Godhunter mini. I might have to pick this up. I figure Bill will have to show up in Siege with him making Earth his home and his connection to Thor and all. I can't get enough BRB.

#4 was good. Only one more issue left...

Yeah #4 was awesome. I loved the beginning part with the dumb "Metroliths"...they thought Mount Rushmore was real decapitated heads Watching Brand scramble with different languages was cool to see.

And there were a lot of interesting developments with the Drenx and the Unit Robot. Can't wait to see how this concludes next issue.

SWORD #4

This was a fun read, glad to see that Geirich is pissing off Osborne as much as he is Brand... It can't end well for him. I wonder if the Series will end with SWORD getting scrubbed? I can only say that I've enjoyed the series, save the art, and am sad to see it done and overwith so quickly.

SWORD #5

Well, it's over, and it's such a damned shame.

Oh well, at least it goes out with a bang, this one was wall to wall action with Brand, Beast, and Death's Head taking back the Peak.

I don't know where Gillen game up with most of those one liners, but damn, I was frickin rolling. Any book that's got Death's Head on top of a tower blowing up space cruiser's screaming "I'm the King Kong who shoots back!" and Hank McCoy doing a fairly remarkable Deadpool impersonation is alright in my book.

Plus the ending and the true purpose of SWORD, which made me chuckle, was about as good as you could hope to get in series finale.

I still have qualms with the way Beast is drawn, but other than that one minor quibble this series was about as good as it gets in comics.

I really hope Gillen gets anothe run with these characters down the line somewhere.

RIP SWORD, we hardly knew you.

A damn good ending to a damn good series. Shame it was so brief.

rwe1138 wrote:A damn good ending to a damn good series. Shame it was so brief.

I know. I loved this series, and the last issue was probably the best yet. Gillen has elevated the relationship of Brand and Beast in such a short time, they're one of my favorite couples in comics now. Plus #5 wrapped up all the hanging plot threads nicely. The way Brand handled Gyrich and the Drenx negotiation at the end was awesome lol. Plus it was cool to see all the captured Earth aliens break out, namely Beta Ray Bill!

Overall a great series that was cut short before its time. I hope we see SWORD continue to be featured in other books, and maybe another try at a mini or ongoing down the road, preferably by Gillen again. If you guys haven't read this yet and are looking for a great story, I highly recommend you pick up the trade when its out.

SWORD #5

For starters... When did Deathshead get a powerset that includes growing to 40ft tall? I like this series and feel like they had to rush to finish it with the whole cancelation garbage. Even being rushed we did get some closure on a lot of issues. I have to believe that it was intended for SWORD to bring back Kitty and not Magneto as we see in the X-books. That had to have been a passing of the buck. That little evil robot talking about the infinity gems and the whole Gauntlet fiasco was interesting. I want more of him, some more of 616 cosmic history being discussed and MORE SWORD!

If we do get more adventures from this team, then I would like to have the same writer, but bring in some new art. The rendition of all the aliens was garbage...strangely the humans were pretty good.