One Month to Live (Review)

Writers: Rick Remender, Rob Williams, Stuart Moore, John Ostrander

Artists: Andrea Mutti, Koi Turnbull, Shawn Moll, Shane White, Graham Nolan, Jamie McKelvie

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects: 1 Month 2 Live #1-5

Stand-up comedian Dylan Moran once said that all Irish people look as if they are being told really good news in one ear while being told really bad news in the other.

That is essentially what happens to the character of Dennis Sykes in this creator-jam story from Marvel, presumably sent to remind us of how "real" their stories always are. Dennis -- who seems to be some kind of... accountant? Bank employee? I dunno; whatever he is, he seems to wreck people's dreams for a living and is ashamed for it -- discovers he has matter-altering superpowers at the same time he discovers he has cancer, with one month on the clock.

Resolved to use both his powers and dwindling time to make a positive difference in the lives of others and his family, Dennis soon finds himself entering the wider world of the Marvel Universe with consequences both personal and far-reaching

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

As one would expect from a different combination of writers and artists on each "Week", this was something of a mixed bag. At first I squirmed at such an idea, thinking that a consistent team would have helped give this story more impact. But the varying styles actually gave it some prestige, as if Dennis Sykes truly did belong in a larger world.

If I had to name a particular favourite artist on this story, it would probably be Andrea Mutti on Week 1. She reminds me of Scott Kolins, in both style and technique, with her effective posing and placement in scenes.

I should also give praise to the Kirbyesque Shane White in Week 3. Just look at how he draws the Human Torch and then tell me you're not impressed.

The overall story itself reads like the superhero equivalent of a daytime TV movie. The plot is by-the-numbers and the dialogue is a little rote -- one cannot help but feel like some characters are just going through the motions -- but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.

Although the detours to the centre of the galaxy and the Savage Land don't quite have the resonance they should, those things aren't really what this story is about at the end of the day. Likewise, Mr. Negative's scheme kinda gets left hanging and unresolved.

All of the classic Marvel characters that appear here are very well done, despite Wolverine seeming rather underused and irrelevant. The Spider-Man and Fantastic Four scenes are all spot-on and quite entertaining, and while some may find the final Avengers cameo a bit cheesy, it suits the tone of the book and serves as a fitting denouement for the humble hero.

But the central characters -- Dennis, his wife Abbey and their adopted niece Kelly -- don't get as fleshed out as they could be. Abbey and Kelly are cringingly flat, and feel more like supporting cast, while Dennis himself is just whatever the plot needs him to be: whether awesomely chewing out his boss or courageously sacrificing his mythical cure to save his niece (even I thought that was a bit much to swallow -- not the sacrifice itself; the pure melodrama of it all), there does not seem to be any consistency to him.

In the final Week 5, Dennis has the usual look back on his life before shuffling off this mortal coil in a genuinely heartfelt exit, but it does nothing to make me miss him. I do not feel like I have lost a friend, which I think was the aim here, but rather that I have read an obituary. Dennis Sykes' tour of the Marvel Universe was a good read, there's no doubt, but it is hardly a monument that will stand the test of time.

Rating: 3/5