UNION JACK #1 - Review & Spoilers

[Expletive Deleted]

UNION JACK #1 - Gage & Perkins - Out this week . . .

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

S

We kick off, in grand Union Jack tradition, with vampires. He kills them all, of course, and then we get into the meat of the issue. R.A.I.D., a post-"Enemy of the State" Hydra faction, is planning terrorist attacks on Britain, led by costumed supervillains. Union Jack, Sabra, Arabian Knight, and Val Fontaine of SHIELD are tasked with stopping them. There's a nice fight with Batroc's Brigade. Unfortunately, Jack's team's success and his subsequent public announcement means that the terrorists are changing plans . . . and that means mass civilian casualties.

It's an interesting continuation of Brubaker's "Twentieth Century Blitz" storyline. There are some fun ideas (a Hydra splinter group, costumed terrorists, Fasaud, Jack's class-consciousness) and some not-so-fun ones. The whole Sabra/Arabian Knight arc seems a little heavy-handed to me. It's not a bad subplot; it's just, through this first issue, kind of obvious.

Oh, and Perkins does a fine job. He's not Lark, but he's very, very good.

Anyone else read this?

[Haunt]

UNION JACK #1 - Gage & Perkins - Out this week . . .

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

S

We kick off, in grand Union Jack tradition, with vampires. He kills them all, of course, and then we get into the meat of the issue. R.A.I.D., a post-"Enemy of the State" Hydra faction, is planning terrorist attacks on Britain, led by costumed supervillains. Union Jack, Sabra, Arabian Knight, and Val Fontaine of SHIELD are tasked with stopping them. There's a nice fight with Batroc's Brigade. Unfortunately, Jack's team's success and his subsequent public announcement means that the terrorists are changing plans . . . and that means mass civilian casualties.

It's an interesting continuation of Brubaker's "Twentieth Century Blitz" storyline. There are some fun ideas (a Hydra splinter group, costumed terrorists, Fasaud, Jack's class-consciousness) and some not-so-fun ones. The whole Sabra/Arabian Knight arc seems a little heavy-handed to me. It's not a bad subplot; it's just, through this first issue, kind of obvious.

Oh, and Perkins does a fine job. He's not Lark, but he's very, very good.

Anyone else read this?

i read it and was kind of underwhelmed. but i'll stick around for the art. the problem (for me) is that, besides Union Jack, none of the characters are all that charismatic or likable. Sabra's a witch but i understand that to be her base personality. the new Arabian Knight has foot-in-mouth disease but, thankfully, doesn't wear the classic costume. Val is just...there. i actually think Batroc came off cooler than these 3.

[Expletive Deleted]

I'd generally agree with that. The supporting cast tends towards the blah. I tend to think the plot and the art make up for the characterization issues, though. But that's me.

It was pretty nice to Batroc do well, for a change.

[Taskmaster]

Really liked this book, especially Batroc's appearance, Zaran's redesign and of course Union Jack himself. I loved the look on Arabian Knight's face when he realized what he said to Sabra

[Sandy Hausler]

UNION JACK #1 - Gage & Perkins - Out this week . . .

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

S

We kick off, in grand Union Jack tradition, with vampires. He kills them all, of course, and then we get into the meat of the issue. R.A.I.D., a post-"Enemy of the State" Hydra faction, is planning terrorist attacks on Britain, led by costumed supervillains. Union Jack, Sabra, Arabian Knight, and Val Fontaine of SHIELD are tasked with stopping them. There's a nice fight with Batroc's Brigade. Unfortunately, Jack's team's success and his subsequent public announcement means that the terrorists are changing plans . . . and that means mass civilian casualties.

It's an interesting continuation of Brubaker's "Twentieth Century Blitz" storyline. There are some fun ideas (a Hydra splinter group, costumed terrorists, Fasaud, Jack's class-consciousness) and some not-so-fun ones. The whole Sabra/Arabian Knight arc seems a little heavy-handed to me. It's not a bad subplot; it's just, through this first issue, kind of obvious.

Oh, and Perkins does a fine job. He's not Lark, but he's very, very good.

Anyone else read this?

Anybody think that Batroc will be back, helping the good guys? I just have that feeling.

Sandy Hausler

[Haunt]

Anybody think that Batroc will be back, helping the good guys? I just have that feeling.

Sandy Hausler


he's been waiting to reform for years. actually, am i mistaken in thinking that he should be one of the Thunderbolts right now? i thought i saw him with the other captured villains.

[Subotai]

Does the vampire storyline tie into the 3-issue arc from a few years back?

[Expletive Deleted]

Not really. It's basically just a three page fight scene.

[Sean Walsh]

Gonna have to check this out.....at some point. I'm sticking with TPBs for Brubaker's CAP run I think, but I might grab this mini on a monthly basis.

Gage won me over with his DEADSHOT mini, so I figured this would be good.

And this is, of course, a new Arabian Knight, correct?

[christosgage]

Hey guys, thanks for reading and posting. Sean, this is in fact a new Arabian Knight, and I would be thrilled if you bought the monthly, as life comes with no guarantees and the folks who waited for the Deadshot trade are still waiting...

I hear those of you who felt the characterization was on the simplistic side. The intent from the beginning was for this mini to be paced like a James Bond movie or (good) action film, so I tended toward the broad strokes as far as characterization goes. Having said that, there will be some character development as we go along. Sabra isn't just a witch on general principles, but she is single-minded about fighting terrorism and has personal reasons for feeling that way. She's had to repress her softer side to do her job, but it's not 100% gone. The Knight's understandably (to me) defensive about being in a crowd he sees as hostile to both is faith and his nationality. Anyway, although this isn't exactly a character piece, I hope you find the future issues move them away from the predictable positions they might have adopted in #1.

And Val isn't just there, she's there and HOT. In all seriousness, it was tough to do a lot with her without messing with the ongoing SHIELD intrigue, but I see her as a good soldier who is a victim of internal politics beyond her control but remains a good soldier...in contrast to UJ who tends to go off on his own, as we saw in #1.

The vamps were there as a nod to UJ's recent past, but with a BLADE ongoing hitting the same week, we felt that it was best to focus on UJ's espionage side for the moment.

Thanks again,

CNG

[Jack]

Loved it. Too busy to really comment properly.

[astronato]

I really liked it. I like UJ standing up for the working man and I dig Sabra. More of her please.

And not that there is anything wrong with vampires but I am glad the focus is on espionage and terrorism.

Oi!

[The Shadow]

Just read the issue and LOVED IT!

It was a fun read that touches well with events in Captain America and the stories in the news (with some supervillains thrown in!). Lots of action and the art was sweeeeet!

As mentioned the characterization was thin... but it's only issue 1 of 4 so all the setup at the expense of characters was necessary.

Looking forward to #2 (and 3 and 4!)

[Subotai]

Grabbed it today - really solid stuff. I liked how Chapman's character and motivation were quickly, simply, yet effectively established with the anecdote about his father. Slick references to other current events in the MU. Good art, always liked Perkins' stuff.

Strong action and the politics of the characters weren't overplayed. I didn't think that the Arabian Knight's comments were over the top, nor was Sabra's reaction. Chapman seems to have a bit of a blue-collar chip on his shoulder which he may need knocked off - not that I disagree with him.

And Batroc is always welcome. Better he 'leaps in and out' as such, he's a little too colourful to have around the whole issue.

The sole complaint I have is that Union Jack, an experienced fellow, should have guessed that the bombs would be triggered manually.

On a side note, on the Marvel website they've mistakenly inserted the Ultimates #13 blurb under the Union Jack #4 heading. I just read "Union Jack #4" and 'Written by Mark Millar," and I went, "uh-oh."

Added to my pull list.

[Sean Walsh]

Hey guys, thanks for reading and posting. Sean, this is in fact a new Arabian Knight, and I would be thrilled if you bought the monthly, as life comes with no guarantees and the folks who waited for the Deadshot trade are still waiting...

Well, not only does a personal request work, but finding out you're the writer of the QUASAR miniseries also helps too. Consider UNION JACK #1 bought by me later today. :)

[Leebenhouse]

Question, Aside from when Union Jack is fighting Vamps, and on his usual patrols, why is he using the Webley again?

A revolver is good for shooting custom silver bullets, but when you're on a counter terror op, why use a pistol instead of a sub machine gun like he had in New Invaders?

[christosgage]

Um...because he's used to it? :)

[Leebenhouse]

Good answer!!!

Liked the touch of the body armor in his costume.

[Nevets F]

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this.

I LOVED it. The writing and the art both were fantastic. Good job Mr. Gage! You have a new fan. Anything other writing I need to keep an eye out for?

[christosgage]

Stormwatch #1 hits in November (with an all-original preview story in October's Worldstorm #1); Quasar sometime next year; Iron Man/Captain America Special (Casualties of War) in December...thanks for your interest!

[Mean Mr Mustard]

I LOVED it. Yeah, it did read like an action movie but like a good one.
And I love the new Arabian Knight. Crazy but true.

Sabra however... Ugh. I find her to be completely unlikeable. Perhaps that's the purpose though.
So she lost her son, no reason to jump at the AK. While poorly worded, it was clear that it wasnt a mean-spirited comment.

You're already making me sound like a freaking Arabian Knight fanboy, Gage so you must be doing something right. Of course, Union Jack himself was great too.

[Johnny_H]

I love Union Jack

I saw him first in the Captain America 2005 series, and the mini bust at my local comic shop, and this character is purely awsome.

Why does he stil use the webley? wow why not? he uses heavier arsenals when needed, IE in Caps series he has a M-4 modded to hell, so he does deploy other weapons but his webley pistol is trademark and really cool.

I like Union Jack more then I like Captain Britain

[Subotai]

Machine guns are fascist. Revolvers are more democratic.

(Just jokin'.)

[Nstar83]

I thought it was an interesting first issue.It also seemed like a really long read that stretched on a bit to finish.I will be sticking around thru the mini.

[Jmacq1]

Read it, Loved it.

I found the characterizations to suit the issue pretty well, actually. I mean it's a "Union Jack" mini-series after all. Vastly underused and underrated character now surrounded by other underused and underrated characters.

I too liked the new Arabian Knight. The tension between him and Sabra was well-handled and (so far) realistically portrayed. I suspect of course we'll see them develop a respect for each other by the time all is said and done (if not more than that), though. He's already showed signs of being a decent fellow and as noted above, is understandably defensive.

Nice to see what happened to Val (and get hints that similar occurrences have befallen all of Nick's "inner circle" of SHIELD veterans). Batroc got his best appearance in years and wasn't even in costume. Nice to be reminded that as "silly" as he comes across sometimes, he -is- still a character that can throw down with Captain America. Kudos for giving "Zee Leaper" a good bit of respect. And I know you probably can't answer this (especially just yet) but....

Any chance this could spin into an ongoing or further miniseries? Maybe a "Euro-Avengers" type book with these characters and perhaps a few more besides?

Either way I'd love to see more of Jack and the gang. This one's definitely going on my pull list.

[Cayman]

Took me several days to track this one down due to my shop getting shorted a box, but it was worth the effort. I only wish Spitfire and The Destroyer would appear.

[kalorama]

I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. A nice job all around.

[christosgage]

I know you probably can't answer this (especially just yet) but....

Any chance this could spin into an ongoing or further miniseries? Maybe a "Euro-Avengers" type book with these characters and perhaps a few more besides?

You're right, I can't answer that...but you can! Pre-order the remaining issues, recommend to your friends they do the same (and check out #1 if they haven't already), and write Marvel to tell them you want more! Mike and I are definitely up for more international adventures, but given that UJ has never been a sales juggernaut in the past, the mini will need to do well for that to happen, and only the readers can accomplish that. The power is in your hands...:)

Thanks for the kind words, all of you. Nstar83, issue #2 picks up the pace...it's action from start to finish. And everyone seems to like Batroc! He's an old favorite since I first saw him in Cap #252, so I'm glad you think I did him justice. Zut alors!

CNG

[Brady]

Really enjoyed it as well. I liked the undercurrent of class tension. Union Jack as a British Cap who uses guns, crossed with a working class James Bond works for me.

Nice to see some of the lesser used villains too. Batroc the Leaper actually seemed ... competent. For a change, lol. Hope we see more of him.

[Wonder Dude]

Haven't seen it yet. Going to look for it. Really want to see Spitfire in it!

[Mean Mr Mustard]

You're right, I can't answer that...but you can! Pre-order the remaining issues, recommend to your friends they do the same (and check out #1 if they haven't already), and write Marvel to tell them you want more!
CNG

Heh.
You certainly are following the honored Marvel Way started by Stan Lee, Mr Gage. You were only missing a few more adjectives, if I may say so (Great use of exclamation points though).
It's true, too. Supporting a comic and writing Marvel is the best way of making them take notice.
Let's hope they do.

[christosgage]

I can't help it, when I write about Marvel comics I get all Excelsiored out!

[Sean Walsh]

Bought it.

Read it.

Liked it.

Buying more of it. :)

[Jessica Drew]

Just read it (I get my comics a week late), and I thought it was great. I liked how you took your blue collar, man-of-the-people main character and used his own populist ideals to make a severe error in judgment. Great work, there, and not something done often enough in comics.

Zut alours, Batman! I liked seeing Batroc again, and I loved his cell-phone clue.

Considering this is the first issue of a four-issue mini-series (that, if the public demands, could spin into an ongoing), I think you made the right decision in painting your characters in swift, broad strokes, without having to resort to cliche, while quickly beginning the action and suspense. As far as Sabra's reaction goes, I know several women who would have said and done far worse things (whether he was needed or not) had the Arabian Knight said that to them. In fact, I think with those four panels you've shown how much pain and resentment Sabra still harbors as well as display the prejudices connected with the pain. This type of characterization (swift, but sound and sure) gives the action depth without slowing it down or dragging it out. Fantastic work.

[Rich L]

Great first issue, and nice to see that UJ isn't just being used to fight vamps while he's in solo action...Also good to see Val again.

I'd guess this is post-21st Centurty Blitz but pre-CW given Batroc and Sabra's appearances (Sabra's in the CW:X-Men mini, and I think that Batroc showed up in Tbolts).

As a Brit (albeit a New York based one), I appreciated the attempt to re-establish Joey as a working class man, even if he still slums it with the hoi-polloi.

Also, and I feel obliged to point this out Christos...whoever your UK-dialogue checking friend is, he needs a kicking - "Cheerio" means goodbye, not hello, and no-one says it anymore! (Or, you know, since the 1940s).


Great job and looking forward to #2!

[christosgage]

Thanks you guys! The UJ mini does in fact take place post-21st Century Blitz but pre-Civil War. And the "Cheerio" wasn't Mike's fault -- he didn't vet the text page, just the actual script!

[Subotai]

Don't blame you for dodging that Civil War bullet.

I recently saw Sean Bean in a nifty little UK mini-series, Extremely Dangerous, about an MI5 agent framed for murder who goes after revenge in predictably bloody ways. Excellent action - and now I can't picture anyone else as UJ.

[filthysize]

It is teh awesome.

I had 14 books in my store box the other day. I didn't even have enough money to pick them all up, but I made sure I added more to buy by grabbing UJ #1 off the New Release shelf. Screw JLA #2, I know my priorities. :D

I loved it. Despite the big terrorism attacks and the numerous costumed villains, I like the low-key tone of the book. Kind of like Deadshot, yeah.

[Haunt]

Don't blame you for dodging that Civil War bullet.

I recently saw Sean Bean in a nifty little UK mini-series, Extremely Dangerous, about an MI5 agent framed for murder who goes after revenge in predictably bloody ways. Excellent action - and now I can't picture anyone else as UJ.

my choice for Joey would have been Jason Statham; years ago. i think he has more of a "working class" look. Sean Bean reminds me more of Citizen V, Banshee, or Captain Britain.