NextWave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

NextWave should be everything I H.A.T.E! A ragtag bunch of Marvel rejects, thrown together seemingly at random. Classic costumes abandoned in favour of ten-a-penny modern uniforms no kid could ever draw without reference. An artist in Immonen who began life at Marvel as a unique talent on titles like Thor, but whose style has blended into the mainstream over the years. One of those over-hyped 'visionary' Vertigo writers everyone bangs on about, but whose books tend to leave me cold. Not only that, but the one writer of that elite band that was responsible for 'Counter X'. And two more words to inspire loathing: Boom Boom. (Okay, it's one word twice...)

In short, when I saw the previews, I knew for sure that NextWave was not a title to float my boat. But no. NextWave hasn't got my boat floating. To quote the theme tune (more on that later) it has it motherf$%*ing exploding! Combined with his Ultimate work, Ellis' exhilarating writing on NextWave has convinced me that he has far more to offer me than his fellow 'too cool for school' writers like Moore and Morrison. Immonen's art, which has seemed out of place in conventional Marvel titles since he abandoned the heavy-inked realism style I enjoyed so much, is perfect for this book; almost as if Ellis has freed the potential superstar within. His innovative layouts and incredible ideas - just check out how the increasingly desperate Dirk Anger (Nick Fury squared) attempts suicide - gel superbly with Ellis' writing to succeed where many books have failed, and actually transcend the medium.

Over the last few years, possibly due to the influx of talent into comics from Hollywood, terms from the silver and small screens have found their way into the comics lexicon: Now we have 'seasons', 'director's cuts', and supposedly 'widescreen' storytelling from folks like Bryan Hitch. But on NextWave, Ellis and Immonen don't just bandy about empty words - they deliver. They use ingenious cover design that would grace posters and DVD boxes; they bombard you with taglines; they break up the action with 'ad break' panels that remind you you are 'watching' NextWave. The comic even has its own theme song, which you can't help but hear when you open the latest issue. Download it here: http://www.marvel.com/publishing/stories/showstory.htm?id=65

The book has reinvigorated neglected characters like Monica 'When I led the Avengers...' Rambeau, and former Machine Man Aaron Stack, who somewhere along the line has developed a disdain for 'fleshy ones'. Just watch Immonen go crazy when Aaron takes down Fin Fang Foom, a classic character who has been dusted down and used a lot this last year; but nowhere better than here. Let's just say if you ever found yourself daydreaming about what Fin Fang Foom keeps in his underwear, the answers you're looking for ain't gonna be found in the OHOTMU...In a time when Marvel are putting out a large number of superb titles, and when there are more supposed 'humour' books than ever I can remember, NextWave is one of the few that is actually as funny as it should be. It has rocketed to the top of the reading list both for myself and my (much more choosy) wife. But then, how could a title fail to capture British hearts when a character (the Absolutely Fabulous Elsa Bloodstone) issues the football hooligan threat of choice: 'You're going home in the back of an ambulance.' Read NextWave with a dicky ticker, and that warning could well apply to you.