WHITE TIGER: A HERO’S COMPULSION
September 14th 2009 23:52
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
Production Team: Tamora Pierce & Timothy Liebe – writers, Phil Briones with Alvaro Rio & Ronaldo Adriano Silva – pencils, Don Hillsman – inks, Chris Sotomayor – colours, Rus Wooton – letters and David Mack – cover art
Cost: US $14.99
You know the other day I heard some rather startling information on a radio news broadcast, apparently Walt Disney is in the process of buying Marvel Entertainment. Wonder what effect that will have over the Marvel universe, will we see Spiderman team up with Mickey Mouse or Iron Man meets Herbie the Love Bug? Frightening stuff that just doesn’t bear thinking about really but not as weird as you think, so what is this particular little tale all about. Well for starters its seems that Marvel have taken a page from DC’s note book in getting a major New York Times bestselling author to work on the story of this particular enterprise, although maybe it was the other way around but nonetheless there seems to be a trend in comics to get big name authors working on these projects. Jodi Piccoult worked on Wonder Woman for DC and now we have Tamora Pierce putting her stamp on White Tiger.
So who the heck is White Tiger? Granted this particular character is not one of Marvel’s more iconic characters such as Spiderman, Captain America or even the X Men. In fact it’s rather an obscure character from the Daredevil franchise, so to run with what is in effect a side character as the major focus for a solo project is rather brave of Marvel Entertainment and it’s not even the original White Tiger but someone who has taken up the mantle of this costumed crime fighter. Angela Del Toro is the niece of the original White Tiger; Hector Ayala who was shot dead after trying to escape being punished for a crime he did not commit. Angela is a former NYPD officer who later became an FBI Special Agent and was involved in the investigation of Daredevil and his eventual imprisonment in Rykers Island although she had doubts in regard to the task force investigation of the affair.
Now some would think that a rather svelte looking raven tressed female crime fighter in a tight figure hugging outfit is a great thing. No doubt this was a selling point, in fact I have yet to see a female hero who doesn’t have the looks of some kind of Playboy model, but is this the reason why people by comics? Beautiful people or are they looking for some entertaining light reading? I hope it’s the latter but something says the former has a big part on the whole thing sad to say. Still I digress; getting away from the outfit and the protagonists looks this particular work was a very refreshing change from the usual fare that seems to be the meat and potatoes of western comics. White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion brings the whole superhero genre back down to earth so to speak and this to my mind is probably a good thing.
For the last few years western comics have been littered with epoch and world shattering story lines in both major comic publishing houses. Infinity Crisis’s, Civil Wars between Superhumans, millennia old supervillains raining doom and hellfire upon the world, you know the drill. In fact it seemed as if neither Marvel nor DC could come out with an issue of their various comics without there being some kind of world shattering or cosmos rending event either occurring or looming in the background. This is what makes this particular work so refreshing and entertaining to read; it brings it back down to street level, it becomes more of a human thing rather a rehash of so which apocalyptic event are we dealing with this week?
It seems that operating in the shadows of the Marvel universe is a sinister organisation known as Chaeyi, Chaeyi specialises in the destabilisation of regimes and creation of anarchy or totalitarian nightmares in place of what formerly existed. And this is all done in the name of profit and some nameless agenda. Officially the US government does not recognise the existence of Chaeyi, Chaeyi does not exist, there is no such thing as Chaeyi. But there are those out there who know firsthand the effects of this sinister organisation’s machinations and they are not going to adopt the administrations Ostrich approach to international crime and terrorism.
Of course an organisation like Chaeyi doesn’t just have ordinary grunts to do its work; it has enough clout to be able to employ some serious muscle, namely a high powered mercenary who goes by the moniker of Cobra. White Tiger has decided to investigate just what is going on with this organisation, what it’s up to and just exactly who it has on the payroll and how it is managing to get away with what it’s doing. All this combined with cleaning up her local neighbourhood off its more trashy and unpleasant elements – bikers, drug traffickers, knife toting junkies etc. She is aided in her efforts by the mystical Jade Tiger talisman that once belonged to her uncle and gave him certain powers that he employed in fighting crime.
Interestingly the new incarnation of the White Tiger is able to get some real oomph out of the talismans; she has super stamina, super healing, camouflage abilities that would put a Jonin ranked ninja to shame along with improved reflexes and combat skills. Already a highly trained martial artist Angela becomes a superhuman through the use of the talismans, although it seems as if she is taking on much of the guise of the very animal symbolised by the talisman. Will the mystical powers of these items consume her, well that isn’t covered in this story although it is hinted as being something that happened to her uncle. The unfolding drama shows that this incarnation of the White Tiger is as relentless as her feline namesake, although she has some concerns at what she is doing. She wonders just what she has gotten herself into but realises that if she doesn’t see this thing through then she will dishonour the memory of her uncle as well as let groups like Chaeyi have their way and be able to push through their sinister agenda without opposition.
White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion is a well thought out and crafted tale which shows that there is still some originality in the mainstream western comic world, in fact perhaps the major comic publishing houses should look at getting stories written by major name authors, could see a Renaissance in the whole industry. I really enjoyed reading this particular work, which makes a change after reading Dark Avengers or the Blood of Apocalypse, works that promised much yet in my mind failed dismally. This work though is right on the money and has a great story, action, humour and keeps the tension and drama to a more acceptable level. Forget the end of the cosmos or collision of realities, get it back to the mean streets people!
Production Team: Tamora Pierce & Timothy Liebe – writers, Phil Briones with Alvaro Rio & Ronaldo Adriano Silva – pencils, Don Hillsman – inks, Chris Sotomayor – colours, Rus Wooton – letters and David Mack – cover art
Cost: US $14.99
You know the other day I heard some rather startling information on a radio news broadcast, apparently Walt Disney is in the process of buying Marvel Entertainment. Wonder what effect that will have over the Marvel universe, will we see Spiderman team up with Mickey Mouse or Iron Man meets Herbie the Love Bug? Frightening stuff that just doesn’t bear thinking about really but not as weird as you think, so what is this particular little tale all about. Well for starters its seems that Marvel have taken a page from DC’s note book in getting a major New York Times bestselling author to work on the story of this particular enterprise, although maybe it was the other way around but nonetheless there seems to be a trend in comics to get big name authors working on these projects. Jodi Piccoult worked on Wonder Woman for DC and now we have Tamora Pierce putting her stamp on White Tiger.
For the last few years western comics have been littered with epoch and world shattering story lines in both major comic publishing houses. Infinity Crisis’s, Civil Wars between Superhumans, millennia old supervillains raining doom and hellfire upon the world, you know the drill. In fact it seemed as if neither Marvel nor DC could come out with an issue of their various comics without there being some kind of world shattering or cosmos rending event either occurring or looming in the background. This is what makes this particular work so refreshing and entertaining to read; it brings it back down to street level, it becomes more of a human thing rather a rehash of so which apocalyptic event are we dealing with this week?
It seems that operating in the shadows of the Marvel universe is a sinister organisation known as Chaeyi, Chaeyi specialises in the destabilisation of regimes and creation of anarchy or totalitarian nightmares in place of what formerly existed. And this is all done in the name of profit and some nameless agenda. Officially the US government does not recognise the existence of Chaeyi, Chaeyi does not exist, there is no such thing as Chaeyi. But there are those out there who know firsthand the effects of this sinister organisation’s machinations and they are not going to adopt the administrations Ostrich approach to international crime and terrorism.
Of course an organisation like Chaeyi doesn’t just have ordinary grunts to do its work; it has enough clout to be able to employ some serious muscle, namely a high powered mercenary who goes by the moniker of Cobra. White Tiger has decided to investigate just what is going on with this organisation, what it’s up to and just exactly who it has on the payroll and how it is managing to get away with what it’s doing. All this combined with cleaning up her local neighbourhood off its more trashy and unpleasant elements – bikers, drug traffickers, knife toting junkies etc. She is aided in her efforts by the mystical Jade Tiger talisman that once belonged to her uncle and gave him certain powers that he employed in fighting crime.
Interestingly the new incarnation of the White Tiger is able to get some real oomph out of the talismans; she has super stamina, super healing, camouflage abilities that would put a Jonin ranked ninja to shame along with improved reflexes and combat skills. Already a highly trained martial artist Angela becomes a superhuman through the use of the talismans, although it seems as if she is taking on much of the guise of the very animal symbolised by the talisman. Will the mystical powers of these items consume her, well that isn’t covered in this story although it is hinted as being something that happened to her uncle. The unfolding drama shows that this incarnation of the White Tiger is as relentless as her feline namesake, although she has some concerns at what she is doing. She wonders just what she has gotten herself into but realises that if she doesn’t see this thing through then she will dishonour the memory of her uncle as well as let groups like Chaeyi have their way and be able to push through their sinister agenda without opposition.
White Tiger: A Hero’s Compulsion is a well thought out and crafted tale which shows that there is still some originality in the mainstream western comic world, in fact perhaps the major comic publishing houses should look at getting stories written by major name authors, could see a Renaissance in the whole industry. I really enjoyed reading this particular work, which makes a change after reading Dark Avengers or the Blood of Apocalypse, works that promised much yet in my mind failed dismally. This work though is right on the money and has a great story, action, humour and keeps the tension and drama to a more acceptable level. Forget the end of the cosmos or collision of realities, get it back to the mean streets people!
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