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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a re-imagining, just a reshuffling., March 20, 2008
This review is from: Bullet Points (Paperback)
The alternate reality tales of DC and Marvel, under the umbrella titles of Elseworlds and What If...? respectively, are such a cool idea that, even though their hit-to-miss ratio is not particularly good, I have always been inexorably drawn to them. I just can't help but want to know what it would have been like if Superman had grown up in Soviet Russia or how the Marvel universe would have been altered if Wolverine had become the lord of the vampires. On the other hand, the Fantastic Four developing in soviet Russia and Batman becoming lord of the vampires were considerably less compelling stories, but I figured they were worth a shot. So, when the new series Bullet Points promised to take a serious look at how a small change in history could have affected the whole world, I sat up and took notice, not realizing that it wouldn't be a re-imagining so much as a reshuffling.
While not technically a What If...? book, Bullet Points nonetheless can be summed up in one of their traditional titles: "What If There Had Been No Captain America?" In the original continuity, the doctor who developed the super soldier serum responsible for turning scrawny Steve Rogers into the Sentinel of Liberty (is it obvious I've read a lot of comics?) is gunned down only moments after the transformation has been completed, taking the secret of the serum to the grave with him. Writer J. Michael Straczynski posits that, if said scientist had been killed just 24 hours earlier then the world would have turned out quite differently, and I'm sure he's right. Rogers never would have become Captain America, and that would have surely lead to any number of events playing out completely differently, especially when you consider what an effect Cap had on the Avengers later on.
But the problem is that we don't see characters who would have become super heroes leading a normal life instead, or totally new people picking up the mantle in their place, or whole new heroes coming into being to fill the void. Instead, everyone just swaps places. Since he can't be Captain America, Steve Rogers becomes Iron Man (in a suit that, despite having not been designed by Tony Stark, nonetheless looks exactly like the one designed by Tony Stark). When the aforementioned scientist is gunned down, Peter Parker's uncle Ben is also killed by the bullet, leaving him to grow up without that influence. So he doesn't become Spider-Man, he becomes... the Hulk? Yes, everyone just trades off. Reed Richards takes Nick Fury's place, Bruce Banner becomes Spider-Man (again in the exact same costume, even though Peter had nothing to do with it), Stephen Strange becomes Wolverine (or not, because later we see that Wolverine is Wolverine and Strange is really only mentioned in one page, making it completely pointless in addition to being a dumb idea) and all the other characters stay exactly the same because we just couldn't be bothered to deal with them. In the end Galactus shows up and the only vaguely interesting point on the five issue series ensues when a world with no Fantastic Four must find a way to stop their planet from being devoured. Good old Galactus. You can always count on him to spruce up a sagging storyline.
While this could all be considered kind of a cute idea, the fact that it spanned well over 100 pages makes it drag badly, and helps to highlight the ridiculousness of it all. Perhaps if it had been condensed into a single issue, the rapid pace would have served to alleviate some of my eye-rolling. Maybe they could have done it as, oh, I don't know, an issue of What If...??
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3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good art + Orignal, Strong story = good, entertaining TPB, December 10, 2007
This review is from: Bullet Points (Paperback)
In the comic world, alternate universes are something that seem to draw in fans only and no outsiders or casual readers. For a while, alternative universe stories were the rarity, happening in an annual issue or one shot series. Now days, the original comic house, DC, has its Elseworlds and Marvel is slowly but confidently adding books by the quarter that take well known heroes and place them in unfamiliar environments. One of the better Marvel entries is Bullet Points, J. Michael Straczynski and Tommy Lee Edwards tale of how one bullet can change the course of the Marvel Universe.
The story beings with the assignation of Dr. Abraham Erskine and his military body guard, Private Ben Parker. Most people will know the latter name mentioned in the previous sentence, but not the former. You see, Dr. Erskine is the man who turned Steve Rogers from a puny 4F non draftee into Captain America. In the original story, Dr. Erskine is killed after giving Rogers the treatments and no one else, but in Bullet Points, the assignation takes place a day before and this event changes the shape of half of the Marvel Universe. Ben Parker is not there to raise his nephew Peter correctly, so Peter is not the geeky photographer we know and love but a hell raising hooligan loose on the streets of a western town. To give more of the plot of the way would be a mistake and ruin what is really a surprising and entertaining book.
The story's author, J. Michael Straczynski is not really a favorite author of mine. I really don't care for the direction he has taken The Amazing Spider-Man run and I know that I'm not alone in that sentiment. However, he strikes the iron while it is hot with this trade. The writing is tight and straight forward. The story does not dwell on characters or events that do not concern the central core characters and remains tight in its story telling, which is refreshing after reading such Marvel dregs as the 1602 run. Straczynski's take on some of the most significant events in the Marvel Universe is pretty cool at times but it would be nice to see a little more fleshing out individual stories, like how Peter Parker and Reed Richards got to where they are before their "heroic" origins happen. Other than that gripe, the story fits well into this alternate universe and is entertaining.
The art in the story is good, but not the greatest or most original thing I've seen. Tommy Lee Edwards' characters and colors are not powerful or jump of the page at you. The art carries a water color look to it and is very subdued. He has memorable characters, i.e. the Hulk and Iron Man but some of his other characters suffer from lack of defined lines at times. Really, the art is a perfect match for this type of story since the writing is really what needs to carry this trade and not the art. Edwards' work is enough to get the panel moving onto the next and carry the story which is what one should want in a trade. Too often I am drawn into a trade because of the art only to find a paper thing plot trying to play catch up to amazing art. Bullet Points avoids this issue and allows easy reading and viewing.
In all, Bullet Points is a definite read and if you're a big Marvel fan, then consider it a good buy. While the summit of alternate universe story telling is not reached in the trade, it makes a strong effort that is enjoyable and has a high re-reading ability.
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