Let's just get it out of the way right now. It's ridiculous to renumber this issue to #300. It's a clear cash grab. 300 isn't even that cool of a number. Unless you're a Spartan.
Now that we've discussed the aspects of this issue that have no bearing on storytelling, let's take a look at the story itself. It's pretty apparent early in this issue that Jason Aaron was shooting for a Kill Bill feel to this book. From the edged weapons on a jumbo jet to the overemphasized chapter divisions to the ludicrous fight with hordes of ninjas, this book seems born of the same creative soup as Tarantino's popular film duology. Adam Kubert's artwork helps to sell the point, with Kubert expertly manipulating the layout of his pages to give a cinematic feel to the frames. Ron Garney's artwork on his sections of the book is good as well, capturing the spooky and slightly off-kilter feeling of Aaron's script. Both of the artists do a good job of rolling with Aaron's humor.
Difficulties crop up in the chapters drawn by Steve Sanders. The artwork itself isn't nearly as well arranged as the work of those with whom Sanders shares pencilling duties in this issue. Too many of Sanders' panels are uninformative thanks to poorly timed shots and characters being positioned poorly with respect to the camera's position. Sotocolors doesn't do Sanders any favors either, giving the characters a rosy appearance regardless of whether the characters are plucky kids or vicious assassins.
If there's a character that fits Quentin Tarantino's character, Beatrix Kiddo, it's probably Wolverine, and, for the most part, I enjoyed Jason Aaron's ability to walk the line between camp and impactful moments of seriousness. I wasn't terribly impressed with the introduction of Silver Samurai's successor, but there were plenty of other bells and whistles here for me to come away a happy reader.
| Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| out of 10 | Click here for ratings guide | |
IGN reviews the hottest comic book releases for the week of ...
