To check out yesterday’s reviews of “things that should stay dead”, make sure to click here for yesterday’s The Pull List.

Fall Out Toy Works #1 – Image – $3.99

Score: 7.0

When Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance had a hit on his hands with two successful runs of The Umbrella Academy miniseries with more on the way, it was inevitible that other musicians would give it a go in the comic world. Like Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria who will be debuting Kill Audio soon (whom we will be posted an interview with soon), Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz has thrown his hat in the ring as the co-creator of a work “inspired by the ideas & lyrics of Fall Out Boy” called Fall Out Toy Works. A struggling toy maker who only makes one of a kind robotic toys is approached by a man referred to as the Baron.

The Baron, who has made his money through somewhat questionable means as well as mass production wants the Toy Maker to create a robotic woman for him as his team’s previous attempts have ended less than favorably, like the most recent robotic wife letting herself fall out the window of a high rise building. Inspired by the Fall Out Boy song “Tiffany Blews”, the book also features one of the Toy Maker’s other creations a depressed robotic boy in a bear suit as well as a sentient cell phone who looks like a bee in a bowler hat and acts as the consciousness of the Toy Maker at times.

While well written by Brett Lewis, the concept doesn’t feel new. For the most part, the story feels like a traditional Japanese anime or manga story. Not being a huge fan of manga, it takes a little while to get in to the story as even the futuristic landscape shares that style at times. At the same time, there are a lot of deep layers examined throughout the course of the issue especially focused on creating “a woman” and basically playing God.

These questions are looked at subtley and are often repeatedly hit over the head of the reader as the Toy Maker faces this moral dilemma to work for the Baron or let his factory go under. Through the issue, the Toy Maker is explored thoroughly as he questions not only his ability to make what the Baron is looking for, but also the effects doing so might have on him as he succeeds. This is accomplished really well as he sits with a Japanese server at the Baron’s Doll House establishment.

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This is the second part of the Pull List reviews for this week’s comics. Read part one here.

Dark Reign: The Cabal – Marvel – $3.99
Overall Score: 5.5

Since Dark Reign: The Cabal is actually five smaller stories produced by completely different writing/art teams, there will be a short review for each piece, as opposed to trying to explain it as a whole.

“Doctor Doom:… And I’ll Get The Land”
Written by Jonathan Hickman and beautifully painted by Adi Granov, this vignette helps give insight into Doctor Doom’s thoughts of the Cabal and its future. While these thoughts and actions won’t be much surprise to someone who has followed the good Doctor, they are a great jumping on point for those not familiar with the character and his feelings of the current state of the Marvel U.

“Emma Frost: How I Survived Apocalyptic Fire”
Expert X-Scribe, Matt Fraction, teams with Daniel Acuna to present another recanting of what could be considered Emma Frost’s origin. Fraction doesn’t just show the reader what happened, he explains the effect of it on Emma and how that ties in to her current place in the Cabal.

“The Hood: Family Trust”
Now Marvel exclusive writer Rick Remender brings the reader to a private funeral with the Hood and the union of villains working under him. The story shows the Hood from two very different perspectives, the devout boyfriend and protective father who knows that his family is his top priority and the inspiring leader who gives a speech to keep his gang ready for what may come. One of the best aspects of the Hood is how relatively new the character is. Unlike classic villains like the Kingpin or Magneto that have been doing the same things for years, the Hood is still a wild card in the Marvel world. The short story does a tremendous job of helping build interest for his upcoming miniseries, Dark Reign: The Hood.

“Namor – The Sub-Mariner: The Judgment of Namor”
Playing off the story of the wise King Solomon, Namor sits in front of an Atlantean Court to hear a custody dispute between a militaristic father and pacifist mother over their mutant child. Though he has played the role of hero and villain in the past, Namor’s actions reflect he is neither, just a King and servant to his subjects. Of all the stories in Dark Reign: The Cabal, this is the only one where the art distracts from the story with Carmine Di Giandomenico’s somewhat loose and overly relaxed style. While providing insight in to a member of the Cabal, it gives only a brief connection to Namor’s involvement in the group.

“Loki: Dinner with Doom”
Writer Peter Milligan uses the mutual involvement of Loki and Doom in the Cabal as a tool for the two to communicate with each other about matters not concerning Osborn. Loki’s underhanded dealings with Doom do more to promote future issues of Thor than anything else.

Overall, Dark Reign: The Cabal provides small character building pieces of the members of the Cabal in short, easy to digest pieces. Unfortunately, they come across as more of a meager snack than a full meal due to their short length.  The stories read so fast but offer little in the way of satisfaction, they leave the reader wanting more than what the format of the issue could offer.

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