Comic Review: Marvel Noir

Daredevil Noir
Author: Alexander Irvine
Artist: Tom Coker
Publisher: Marvel Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 9780785121541
Pages: 112

    Reminding me a bit more of pulp adventure stories than noir, this is still a moody book with some evocative art.  The murder and gangland war is all spot on, and there’s some good revenge hunting.  There’s even a nice femme fatale.  But Matt Murdock’s ultra-senses still seem more at home with The Shadow or The Phantom than with Sam Spade or Skip McCoy.

Punisher Noir
Author: Frank Tieri
Artist(s): Paul Azaceta & Antonio Fuso
Publisher: Marvel Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 9780785132769
Pages: 112

    This does some really interesting stuff in re-writing the Punisher’s origin, starting with the first world war, and bringing it up to the dawn of World War II.  Corruption and violence rule, and out of this bloody battlefield called New York, someone will rise and strike back.  Some cool and some weird twists await as the story unfolds.
    However, it is an origin story, and generally speaking, that’s just something I don’t need to read or view again.  Origin stories are played out for this reader.  I’d prefer they would just get to the meat of things.  Still, for an origin story, it’s pretty good. 
    The artwork is fine, if unmemorable. 

Luke Cage Noir
Author(s): Mike Benson & Adam Glass
Artist: Shawn Martinbrough
Publisher: Marvel Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 9780785135456
Pages: 112

    By far, the best of the Marvel Noir series that I’ve read, it also captures the spirit of noir better than any of the others.  It isn’t pulp adventure, it’s just a straight up, gritty taste of the underworld.  An ex-con for a lead, plenty of dangerous folk, murder, and  betrayal.  And it doesn’t just play with the story of Luke Cage.  More than the others, it reworks the very concept, making it much more in keeping with the genre.  This is NOT a superhero story.  As I read it, I was constantly reminded of Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins.
    The art looks good, but isn’t particularly special.  But this is a strong and worthy comic that crime fans should read.

    Overall, the Marvel Noir line is an interesting idea that seems a bit lost.  It’s really more Marvel Pulp.  I didn’t even bother reviewing Spider-Man Noir, as it’s hardly even a step removed from The Spider or Doc Savage, with almost no noir to it at all.  But I think the line was a cool idea, and I hope maybe it found enough of an audience to get another round sometime, maybe with some characters that fit the genre a bit better, like Nick Fury, Misty Night, Silver Sable, or some others.
    And heck, I’d love to see them keep putting out Pulp versions of their characters.  A pulpy version of Black Panther or Reed Richards could be a blast. 
    And on an art note, I kind of wish they’d gone with black &white for the Marvel Noir line.  Sure, sometimes the look was still very dark and shadowed, but black & white just looks so right.

-Matt