Ever since Great Grandfather Isom killed a man over some sheep, a black cloud has hung over the Rath family. Now, over a century later, Ira Rath, the coldest hitman ever to walk on Alabama soil, has taken a job that will decide the fate of his cursed family once and for all. Writer Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Scalped) and artist Ron Garney (Weapon X, Thor: God of Thunder) team up once again, to bring you the story of a Southern family, whose only heirloom is violence.
MEN OF WRATH mixes murder and mystery without all that murder-mystery getting in the way. It's a gritty book that doesn't hold anything back but spends time developing the book's characters and the world, rather than just giving the reader shock after shock. Jason Aaron has another hit on his hands, and hopefully, more people pick up this book. Garney and Milla provide some amazing art, and while the final page isn't a giant shock, this book offers a lot to keep readers invested. I highly recommend checking this book out. Read Full Review
Writer Jason Aaron tells the story of Ira Rath. A hit man who comes from a family born of violence and we see those violent origins in this issue's opening sequence. Ira isn't a likeable character, and Aaron isn't expecting you to find the positive in him. It adds to the realism of the book that Ira is who he is and acts the way that he does. So far there's no soft side or endearing qualities. He's a killer who so far has not shown any type of remorse, and from what we know about him after just one issue it would be out of character for him to do so. If this is how Ira will remain through the rest of the series remains to be seen, but Aaron has opened the door to a new type of situation in his life, and I can't wait to see just how this cold blooded killer responds. Read Full Review
Aiding in the book's cold, subdued tone is Ron Garney, the popular artist turning in his first creator owned pages. Much like Aaron, his work is remarkably understated throughout. There are no flashy panels or overly kinetic details, the artist focusing on realism above all else. Even his violence, terrible as it is, shows a level of restraint befitting the book's more subtle edge. Garney's meticulous pencils provide a grounded quality that meshes perfectly with Aaron's sharply written narrative, each page and panel sinking you deeper into the story's ever darkening beats. In the end, Men of Wrath is the kind of book that stares you square in the eye, almost daring you to look away. Read Full Review
Men of Wrath #1 is a gritty opening issue, setting a wonderful premise and a fabulous backstory. It may still need to deliver on the ultra violent side it promised, but the suspenseful tone does allow the groundwork to be very enticing, with the amazing visuals only matching that. Highly recommended. Read Full Review
Those who like the gritty violence and mayhem that Jason Aaron is known for will like this book. He provides plenty of punch in this first issue and does a good job of introducing the characters while still pushing the story forward. While things look bad for all involved in this story, it appears that things are only going to get worse and that's a very good thing. Read Full Review
"Men Of Wrath" is a great comic and definitely not for everyone to read. Ira Rath is not a good person. He's not an anti-hero. He probably wasn't ever a good person to begin with. Imagine if Walter White has 10 more years of Heisenberg sucking away his soul, and that still doesn't compare to Rath. But maybe's that's the point. Rath is unsympathetic in every way, but he still has a story to tell. And it's a mean one. Read Full Review
There's always a question of commercialism versus "art," and which will be more popular. Do you give the people what they want, and play to expectations? Or do you test the boundaries and create an arguably richer experience, but at the cost of a smaller audience? Jason Aaron is one of those rare writers who gets to do both, channeling his complicated feelings for the South in a number of different stories, dating all the way back even to Scalped. Faster and less complicated than its Image Comics counterpart, Men of Wrath is just the latest on Aaron's musings about his heritage, and it's streamlined and potent thanks to Ron Garney's art. For me, I might argue that Men of Wrath's major weakness is that it doesn't go far enough, and thus feels just a little bit light. Still, while it's not a definitive work about the area - it's not even Aaron's definitive work about the area - there's plenty of potential here. Read Full Review
The issue begins with a quote lifted from Bruce Springsteen's 1995 song "The New Timer" from the album The Ghost of Tom Joad, itself a reference to a character originally from John Steinbeck's 1939 classic The Grapes of Wrath. That song and album told parallels between the Dust Bowl period and the 1990s, in the same way that Aaron draws comparisons between images over a century apart. It perfectly sets the tone for a series that promises to be another of Aaron's musings on the nature of hereditary violence in America. Read Full Review
Although it is a well told story, it is one I have no interest in reading. Read Full Review
"Men of Wrath" is a strong start to Jason Aaron and Ron Garney's first creator-owned effort together and a smart choice for the Marvel Icon line -- a debut issue with a dark edge and an ending that defies you to ignore the next issue. Read Full Review
If you are a fan of titles such as Scalped, Southern Bastards or Thief of Thieves, then I cannot recommend this book enough. Read Full Review
Aaron and Garney execute this brutal tale well, but I will argue that they go too far at points. There is a long sequence in this comic that left me feeling like the proverbial horse, beaten to prove a point that was already obvious, and subsequently unnecessary. The events of the issue have thoroughly damned the primary character to the point where I have no interest in seeing him on the page, which may keep me from coming back for a second issue. Gritty violence for the sake of shock or simply to showcase intensity is not enough to drive this forward for me, and while the cliffhanger does create a potentially interesting scenario, I will admit this is probably not the series for me. These are talented creators telling a gut-punching tale, but this story is definitely not for everyone, and I'm afraid I'll most likely be sitting the rest of this one out despite the storytelling skills of these two creators. Read Full Review
All in all, this has potential, but Aaron is at risk of repeating himself. Read Full Review
Men of Wrath may become an interesting series, it may even become an outstanding series but if this issue is anything to go by it wont be going very far at all. An uninspired story and some very hit and miss art work have made for a dull read from creators who have done previously good work making this title Men of Rather Not right now. Read Full Review
Phenomenal first issue! Right up there with Southern Bastards! Rath is a cold-hearted killer, and Jason Aaron has me hooked on him like flies to honey-butter. This is southern crime at its best!
Southern Bastards, volume 2.
Jason Aaron delivered the right substitute while Southern Bastards is on a break.
Enjoyable
Wow, did I just see what I think I saw. This comic is filled with some absolutely brutal violence and scenarios. It's well written and the story is setup well enough to get you wondering where it's going and how crazy it's going to be. I'll be grabbing issue #2 but honestly there is a part of me wondering if it's going to have too much brutality for me to completely enjoy.
A strong start that is apparently more personal to Jason Aaron than you might think. I'm hoping this means it will be more than just a series of bad-ass sequences.
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