Doc Samson #1: Superhero Psychologist!

[Will.S]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Willsncz/doc3.jpg

So I picked up the book out of curiosity since I liked the character from his constant interaction and relationship with The Hulk as well as his profession and it's a pleasant surprise! I remember someone here on the boards coming up with a premise of him treating the worst nutjobs in the MU like Dark Phoenix, Hulk, Molecule man, Sentry and so on and this book sort of addresses some of that like when he talks down a Skrull which made for a really funny scene.

There are a couple of great scenes worth noting actually:

- Dr. Strange getting turned into a frog.

- Jack Holyoak being scolded by Dr. Strange.

- Samson's psychoanalyzing: "How does that make you feel?" heheh.

- Cam's spirit being trapped on earth and telling Eglantina's folks that he was fed up with their sixties nostalgia :D

- Doc Samson's pimpin' ass hummer and corporate building.

- That last bonus page lesson on totems from the fake psychiatrist.

Doc sports a better looking costume (although the cheesy red shirt and lightning bolt stays) and comes across as very likeable, wise, and powerful. The book is really fun and already sports a fantastic supporting cast with Jack and Eglantina (both mystic and technological whizzes'). Think of it as Johnny Quest meets Dan Slott's She-Hulk (which is a bit ironic since Dan Slott wrote Doc Samson at one point and hated it), the book is sorta pulp'ish in a way.

Artwise it's very solid. It's drawn by Fabrizio Fiorentino with inks by Jimmy Palmiotti. The style seems very similar to Claudio Castellini with a bit of Patrick Zircher thrown in but it's still it's own style and very fitting as a traditional look. For those of you who think the "fun" is all gone from the MU books should definitely check the book out, especially if you liked books like Thing, Marvel Team-Up, Thunderbolts and the like.

9/10

P.S. It's a shame the Hulk forums died since Hulk and Hulk related discussion has increased and this title would have been perfect to put in that forum.

[milhouse123321]

I just read the first She Hulk series and enjoyed it, and they were the first Hulk-related books I've ever bought, so it was my first issue featuring Doc Samson (whom I didnt even know existed) and he seemed like an alright character.
May pick this up if I have the money..

[hondobrode]

This one is really looking good to me. I might try it.

[Schmakt]

good review... I passed on this as I've never been interested in Doc Samson or the whole Pantheon thing over in Hulk. (or, for that matter, in the Hulk himself) It didn't cross my mind in the slightest to pick it up, but I might give it a shot now. Thanks for the review.

[thik_3rd]

why does this switch writers half way through the mini?

[StoneGold]

why does this switch writers half way through the mini?
This explains all. (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/DocSam/DocSamsoncheckup.htm)

[Will.S]

good review... I passed on this as I've never been interested in Doc Samson or the whole Pantheon thing over in Hulk. (or, for that matter, in the Hulk himself) It didn't cross my mind in the slightest to pick it up, but I might give it a shot now. Thanks for the review.
Thanks and no problem.

Since I was probably the only one who bought it I figured I'd try to get the word out on how good it is even if it's not a popular character.

[The Wayner]

I bought it, and it wasn't for me. I can dig Doc Sampson in the pages of the Hulk, but this just didn't do it.

Ah well...

[Edward J Cunningham]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Willsncz/doc3.jpg

So I picked up the book out of curiosity since I liked the character from his constant interaction and relationship with The Hulk as well as his profession and it's a pleasant surprise! I remember someone here on the boards coming up with a premise of him treating the worst nutjobs in the MU like Dark Phoenix, Hulk, Molecule man, Sentry and so on and this book sort of addresses some of that like when he talks down a Skrull which made for a really funny scene.

There are a couple of great scenes worth noting actually:

- Dr. Strange getting turned into a frog.

- Jack Holyoak being scolded by Dr. Strange.

- Samson's psychoanalyzing: "How does that make you feel?" heheh.

- Cam's spirit being trapped on earth and telling Eglantina's folks that he was fed up with their sixties nostalgia :D

- Doc Samson's pimpin' ass hummer and corporate building.

- That last bonus page lesson on totems from the fake psychologist.

Doc sports a better looking costume (although the cheesy red shirt and lightning bolt stays) and comes across as very likeable, wise, and powerful. The book is really fun and already sports a fantastic supporting cast with Jack and Eglantina (both mystic and technological whizzes'). Think of it as Johnny Quest meets Dan Slott's She-Hulk (which is a bit ironic since Dan Slott wrote Doc Samson at one point and hated it), the book is sorta pulp'ish in a way.

Artwise it's very solid. It's drawn by Fabrizio Fiorentino with inks by Jimmy Palmiotti. The style seems very similar to Claudio Castellini with a bit of Patrick Zircher thrown in but it's still it's own style and very fitting as a traditional look. For those of you who think the "fun" is all gone from the MU books should definitely check the book out, especially if you liked books like Thing, Marvel Team-Up, Thunderbolts and the like.

9/10

P.S. It's a shame the Hulk forums died since Hulk and Hulk related discussion has increased and this title would have been perfect to put in that forum.

Might as well ask the $22 question...does anybody think this book was green-lit with Dan Slott's She-Hulk as a possible model? (Oh, the nitpick in me has to say that Samson is a psychiatrist and not a pschologist, although another fanboy better versed in me in comicdom will probably correct my correction.) This is ironic, considering the fact that Dan Slott intensely dislikes his own Doc Samson mini-series which he wrote with much editorial interference. (All the guest-stars who appeared in his book? Wasn't Dan's idea.) Anyway, if you have a copy of that old Slott series and didn't like it, send it to him and he'll pay the face value of the comic for you...

Eddie Cunningham

[Eumenide No 2]

Might as well ask the $22 question...does anybody think this book was green-lit with Dan Slott's She-Hulk as a possible model?


She-Hulk isn't exactly selling well, why would Marvel want to duplicate a model that isn't being successful? (I didn't see anything on Doc Samson that reminded
me of She-hulk's vibe...is that is what you meant)

[Will.S]

Might as well ask the $22 question...does anybody think this book was green-lit with Dan Slott's She-Hulk as a possible model?
I definitely see similarities in that they're both light hearted humor and both (I think) would have a similar audience but at the same time they also go for a diffent type of humor and cast of characters. I basically see Doc as a straight shooter type of guy with the fun happening around him while with She-Hulk the fun happens with her. Both Hulk tied characters are interesting and enjoyable so I'm glad we're seeing them go solo and break out of that title for entertaining/experimental purposes.

(Oh, the nitpick in me has to say that Samson is a psychiatrist and not a pschologist, although another fanboy better versed in me in comicdom will probably correct my correction.)
Heh, I guess you're right. I kind of saw them as interchangeable :o

[thik_3rd]

just read this...it sucked hard.

[milhouse123321]

Just had a look on the website I order comics from and it is listed as costing $2.20, compared to the usual $6.00 price here in Australia..
I wonder why...

[Shellhead]

just read this...it sucked hard.

Sadly, that was my reaction, too.

I really wanted to like Doc Samson, I still think the character has lots of potential. He's an intelligent guy with an occupation that allows him to interact with all kinds of deranged villains and even heroes, kind of like Daredevil. On a physical level, he has superhuman strength and toughness, which is good, solid, basic combination of powers that has always worked well in comic book action scenes.

But the best I can say about this issue was that the cover was good, and the writer was almost funny. There were some good gags with poor delivery, like the Skrull dreaming about being milked like a cow... great nod to the very first Skrull story back in the first year of the FF.

The artwork was cluttered and underwhelming, with a faint and unpleasant whiff of anime style with the big eyes. Doc's sunglasses looked too much like a blindfold. The premise for keeping the girl around for next issue was scandalously thin, and I just know that this Holyoak fool is going to become more and more annoying as each page goes by. The basic concept of the story was tolerable, though really not one designed to showcase either Doc's strengths or weaknesses as a character. The telling of the story was messy, with awkward transitions in scenes and some dramatic moments that lost all impact and momentum due to poor presentation. By the final battle, I didn't care anymore and just wanted the comic to be over.

EDIT: I looked at the Newsrama article, and due to change in creative teams, I may still give future issues a try. I'm especially intrigued by the Nightmare angle, as I was saying here at CBR a couple of years ago that Nightmare would be an interesting opponent for Doc Samson.

EDIT 2: I glanced through the latest issue and decided to pass on it. The artwork was still mediocre, the girl was still hanging around on a thin pretext, and the annoying Holyoak guy appeared to be even more annoying than last time around.

[kcekada]

Doc sports a better looking costume (although the cheesy red shirt and lightning bolt stays) and comes across as very likeable, wise, and powerful.

It may be cheesy, but it works for the character. He was a scientist/doctor who had a flair for the dramatic. I think the huge metal shin guards have to go though.

I thought the artwork was solid. No, it's not illustrated by an A-level artist, but I can't really complain about it.

The cover rocks!

Story-wise, it was okay. A good start, but a stronger nemesis would made for a better hook.

I'm a Doc Samson fan, so I'll be around for the duration...unless the quality drops off drastically.

[Alex A Sanchez]

Oh, the nitpick in me has to say that Samson is a psychiatrist and not a pschologist,

Its funny how pop-culture seems to have mixed up beliefs about these two professions. As far as I know (and according to the new book) Samson is a psychiatrist. Yet, he doesn't ever act like one (people in this profession usually prescribe medication and do quick evaluations). All of the therapy work that Samson does is usually what a psychologist does.

And as a psychologist, he's terrible. Its a good thing he can beat the snot out of the baddie with skill. :)

EDIT: I for one enjoyed the book. Its lighthearted, funny. The first three issues all feature self-contained stories.

[thik_3rd]

the second issue was pretty good.

[zeppelined]

Surprised that no one has mentioned it yet, but in issue #1, Cam Larson is supposed to be country-rock legend Gram Parsons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_Parsons

Am I the only comic book nerd who's also a music nerd?

[Alex A Sanchez]

Surprised that no one has mentioned it yet, but in issue #1, Cam Larson is supposed to be country-rock legend Gram Parsons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_Parsons

Am I the only comic book nerd who's also a music nerd?

I am severely deprived in my knowledge of music history/appreciation. I discovered Pink Floyd a few years ago, and lately I've been digging Ben Folds. I've always been a Motown junkie, but even I have to admit that aside from Prince and there has been no real soul music released in the last 20 years. Just listen to the crap on the radio- my cousins who are all teenagers hate it too.

I'll hafta give this Parsons fellow a listen.

[ChildOfTheDarkholde]

I didn't care for it.
And I agree that it sorta had a She-Hulkish vibe(the way She-Hulk is currently written) that turned me off...
The art was ok, though...and I loved the cover...