Black Widow 9, Punisher 9

Black Widow 9
Edmondson (w) and Noto (a and c) and Cowles (l)

Black Widow got a hot-tip that Chaos, the organization she's after, has some link to a ship out in the ocean. She arrives there to find it apparently empty but her presence set off a number of alarms elsewhere, including on Crossbone's plane which he's using to transport Punisher back to his boss. He's also planning, apparently, to rig the same ship Black Widow finds herself on to explode. Crossbones arrives on the ship and he and Black Widow scuffle, finding themselves at a stalemate which skews towards Crossbones since he has henchmen. Of course, his henchmen are busy being picked off one-by-one by Punisher, who does appear to help Natasha. With about four minutes left before the ship blows, Natasha gives the ship a once-over to see if she can't find any leads. She finds one worker on the ship who does seem legitimately to not know anything but she comes dangerously close to torturing him anyway before PUNISHER stops her (that capitalization was to show how crazy that sentence is). They manage to escape the ship in time with the innocent worker, from whom Natasha manages to get a little bit more information. Then she turns the tables on Punisher, holding him at gunpoint. More on his landing place in the next review. Fast forward to the next day where Maria Hill wants to know who could have hacked SHIELD's communications and to a phone call Natasha receives where she learns that Isaiah has been taken.

Strong stuff overall and the crossover business is pretty cool as two really good Edmondson books with very strong looks come together. One of the coolest things between the two is a page that has the same starting lines and the same ending lines, which makes comparing and contrasting the page layouts and the focus of the panels really interesting. I'm onboard with this sort of really small, really contained crossover, particularly in this case, which will undoubtedly add to the coming stories in both books (helped by the fact that both books are written by Edmondson). Also, guys, Phil Noto continues to be amazing and I really like this cover AND really like PUNISHER's cover, to be seen JUST ABOUT NOW.

Total Score: 5/5


Punisher 9
Edmondson (w) and Gerads (a and c) and Petit (l)

Punisher is being transported by Crossbones when he breaks out of the jet, taking a couple henchmen down at the same time. He saves Black Widow after working his way through more henchmen and reveals that Crossbones rigged the ship to blow. He takes out more henchmen and saves the worker from Natasha's torture before getting both of them off the ship. Black Widow turns her gun to him, though, and he quickly remembers his standing with the Avengers. She drops him off at a Central American prison and he also remembers that he doesn't really like the Avengers.

Look, I said most of what I wanted to say above. More strong writing, though there's a running comparison of his stressful day to a vacation and it falls maybe a little flat, particularly since it feels a little out of serious Punisher's voice. Still a lot of fun in this crossover and a really well-drawn book by Mitch Gerads. And check out that cover!

Total Score: 5/5

Moon Knight 6, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5

Moon Knight 6
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)

For questioning why this Mr. Knight character gets to do the police work, NYPD officer Ryan Trent is told by his superior that he's going to be a street cop for life. With this, the latest in a lifetime of people telling him he's not good enough, Trent decides that he can be better than Moon Knight and begins gathering information on the vigilante. Things quickly spiral and he begins to really loathe Moon Knight, changing his plans from "make something of myself" to "kill Moon Knight as the new Black Spectre, classic Moon Knight villain, then take his place and enjoy the love and admiration of just EVERYBODY." It's, perhaps, a bit of a "shoot first, ask questions never/why would you even think about questioning this plan" plan but BOY does Trent commit to it. His final act (in the plan and, spoilers, in life) is to rig up some car-bombs and lure Moon Knight to their location. He detonates them, though Moon Knight isn't caught in the blast, having sent his car ahead as a decoy, and ends up blowing himself up with his last bomb while Moon Knight tells him that Black Spectre, like, it seems, Trent, only ever wanted to be loved and that was his ultimate downfall. Moon Knight, on the other hand, doesn't want love from anyone, that the people who love him end up dying horribly, and that's why he always wins.

It's an appropriately dark ending for Ellis and Shalvey's last issue of the series and it does a phenomenal job of bringing their arc of six mostly unconnected single stories to a full circle. The story is interesting, Moon Knight plays his typical role as sort of a ghost in the issue and ends up, as in each issue, the only one to walk away (his logic at the end, then, is evidently infallible). Shalvey and Bellaire's art remains unbelievable and fit Ellis' tone perfectly. Just an overall great book and one of the best runs on a character I've seen in some time. Interesting side-note: Marvel seems determined to get the reader to stick with the book, addressing Ellis and Shalvey's departure and providing a four-page preview at the end of this book, which wouldn't be as weird if they hadn't plugged the four-page preview into other books (including ROCKET RACCOON and presumably others). Weird that they're so concerned the audience will jump ship. It reeks of backlash from fans upon learning Ellis and Shalvey were leaving. STILL, back to the matter at hand: great book, pick this and its preceding five up.

Total Score: 5/5


Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Kaare Andrews (w, a, c) and Caramagna (l)

Iron Fist begins to recognize the threat he faces as, of course, not his father but as The One, the final challenge a potential Iron Fist faces in their long line of challenges to ascend to the role of protector of K'un Lun (some day, SOME DAY, I won't have to look up how to spell K'un Lun). Look, that doesn't make it not weird since Danny killed The One in his own trial. Crushed and broken, Danny manages to escape only with the help of the K'un Lun elders, who whisk him out just in time to not be totally killed. Meanwhile, the messenger girl Pei continues to try to evade the dark forces following her with the help of Brenda who proves herself suddenly adept at many fighting styles (??) and escapes into the sewers carrying the chi of K'un Lun, though she inadvertently releases it and unleashes, it seems, Shou-Lao the undying (knew he wasn't dead...that's a joke, you guys) into the New York City sewer system.

Plenty happening but this issue almost acts more like catch-up, despite the incredible amount of action. Danny recaps a little what's been going on and we see just about everyone we've seen so far in Andrews' run. It ends up dragging the issue a little bit but I think it's probably worth it to kind of reset and show us where we are right now in a book loaded with pretty deep cuts into Iron Fist mythology. Still doesn't solve Danny's problems of totally broken fists and a lack of chi but I'm sure we're getting there, no doubt with Pei's help. Also kind of can't stand when characters suddenly whip out very convenient powers like Brenda did, though maybe that's building to something else too. Look, whatever, is what I'm saying. Still pretty good work and some stellar art from Andrews, as ever.

Total Score: 4/5

New Avengers 22

New Avengers 22
Hickman (w) and K. Walker (a) and F. Martin (c) and Caramagna (l)

The Illuminati have done the unthinkable as Namor has used their bomb to destroy and incurring Earth. They take a moment to examine the men they've become with Namor as unsympathetic and cold as ever, which sends Black Panther into a rage over the decision Namor made and therefore took from him. The two fight hand-to-hand before Reed pulls them apart but Namor then reveals that he had sold Wakanda out to Thanos, leading to another rage from T'Challa, only stopped when the Hulk separates them. The team heads in its separate directions but they'll be pulled together sooner rather than later as another incursion is coming in just under eight hours.

The fight we've been waiting for between Black Panther and Namor has finally come as Panther reels from his very recent disowning and the bomb going off in the hands of his new sworn enemy. Unfortunately, it maybe falls a little flat at the hands of Kev Walker, who I typically like well enough and have really liked on AVENGERS ARENA and AVENGERS UNDERCOVER. I don't know, maybe it's that this book has set itself up as something so grand and cinematic and Walker's style doesn't really carry the sort of weight that original series artist Steve Epting established as the norm. So instead, the art becomes almost a distraction. Still, the issue is big for the book as the terms of what they're doing have changed a bit with the first actual instance of destroying a thriving world. I also appreciate Hickman's built-in tension builder (used a-plenty in this series already) of showing that an incursion is once again coming to end an issue.

Total Score: 3/5

Comics this week

Lot of intriguing books out there this week. On the other hand, I'm probably just going to mostly pick books you're expecting me to pick? So, not so much intriguing here as "predictable." Look, these things happen. Maybe Marvel should release its intriguing books on weeks where fewer sure-thing books are coming out?

Black Widow 9
Great book all the time and it got an added boost of heart last time with Winter Soldier's inclusion. This one will crossover with this week's PUNISHER 9 as well. Expect a pretty fun one, particularly as both books are helmed by writer Nathan Edmondson, who has added life to both series.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Guys, do I have to cover why I like this book even more? There's a lot to like here and it's certainly worth a look if you somehow haven't looked yet, if just to see how the book plays. Lots of neat things, though maybe not quite as neat and predictably great as...

Moon Knight 6
Very sadly, this is the final issue for Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey, who have really killed it on this book, completely redefining Moon Knight and blowing away readers at every turn. They've made this series, in just five issues, one of this best Marvel has in a lineup replete with good books. I don't want to write off the series when Ellis and Shalvey leave as Brian Wood will take over as series writer and I quite like Wood's work, not to mention that colorist Jordie Bellaire will stay on, which is certainly a win. Still, this will be the final issue for Ellis and Shalvey (who, excitingly, will team together again on Image's INJECTION, along with Bellaire) and I insist you read this book.

New Avengers 22
Back-to-back release weeks for NEW AVENGERS and I can't help but choose this book, which I've loved overall and whose last issue I particularly loved. Excellent work last week as we see a depth of character to Black Panther that Hickman had kind of danced around, particularly because Panther is someone who tends to play things close to the vest. How will the Illuminati react to Namor's ability to do what they could not?

Rocket Raccoon 2
Look, this is why having five books on this pre-game list is sometimes tough. SPIDER-VERSE starts this week with the return of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN, the compelling SHE-HULK is out this week, and the very fun NEW WARRIORS returns this week as well, recently revoking their own Avengers status (well, Justice, as the only Avengers member) to stand for the New Warriors. Instead, though, the pick goes to Skottie Young's already incredibly fun ROCKET RACCOON, which will hopefully get a few more pick-ups in stores this week on the heels of the immensely successful and delightful Guardians of the Galaxy. Not that, if the pre-order numbers were any indication, this book needs a huge pick-up.

Ultimate FF 5

Aaahhhhhhhh, you guys! I was in such a rush earlier today to get the books out that I entirely skipped one, even though I'd read it and honestly thought out my review for it a little bit. Ah well, you live and learn. Let's shine a light, then on ULTIMATE FF 5. For all the good that will do it (spoilers).

Ultimate FF 5
Fialkov (w) and Araújo (a) and Rosenberg (c) and Sabino (l)

I'm going to come clean here: despite my insistence on reviewing this book for completist sake, I have a feeling I did not read the last issue of this because BOY did none of this make any sense to me. On top of that, this is a particularly bad issue to come into without having read its predecessor. Miles Morhames, the new Spider-Pig of a different universe is talking to the Ultimate FF and there are a number of other similarly punny animals intersecting with this universe and WHAT IS HAPPENING and you know what, this is, I believe, the penultimate issue of this cancelled series and it's series writer Josh Fialkov's final issue because he got sick at one point and this series isn't really good anyway so WHATEVER. Just imagine that I'm tucking you into bed, kissing each of you on the forehead, and saying "oh sweet baby, no reason to worry about that mean old ULTIMATE FF, it doesn't even matter and it'll be gone by the time you wake up." Total Score: Feels unfair to rate this one without having read the arc and after excusing you from reading it. Still though, I'm a professional so...2/5?

Leftovers 7-30-14

Alright all my buddies, here's the deal. I am committed to telling you about every Marvel book EVEN WHEN I have no motivation to do so. So let's play a game wherein I blaze through the last ten books I have to review (TEN, WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT?) in thirty minutes or less. CAN WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? Only time will tell. Worth noting that secretly I'm pushing to knock out ten in ten minutes but that seems improbable, particularly given my propensity for expounding.

100th Anniversary Special Guardians of the Galaxy 1
Lanning and Marz (w) and Duarte (a) and Delgado (c) and Sabino (l)

The ragtag group of Guardians decades from now battle a Silver-Surfer-extra cosmic-power-imbued Galactus dead-set on consuming Knowhere to gain the knowledge and power of the Celestial whose head Knowhere is. The Guardians fight back alongside Galactus' saboteur herald Vance Astro, who is actually Peter Quill in disguise. The universe is saved and check out Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, in theaters now. Total Score: 2/5











All-New Ghost Rider 5
F. Smith (w) and T. Moore (a) and Staples w/Sanz (c) and Caramagna (l)

Robbie Reyes has to decide if he wants to use the spirit of vengeance within him to, as his teacher wants, change his community through positive action or, as the spirit Eli wants, burn it all to the ground. As a gang fight between Zabo and his men and Grumpy and his men breaks out, Robbie is forced into action to save his brother and the other innocents around. Mr. Hyde rips Grumpy in half and begins to beat on Ghost Rider but overdoses on drugs in an attempt to keep Ghost Rider down. Robbie decides to try to be a hero for the community instead of a monster. More good stuff from this book. Total Score: 4/5

Avengers World 10
Spencer (w) and Checchetto (a) and Mossa (c) and Caramagna (l)

All of the storylines we've seen in this book so far converge to begin to feel like some greater force is driving them. China's newly revealed SPEAR helps SHIELD and the Avengers in the fight against the dragon carrying Madripoor while Iron Man tries to "debate" Andrew Forson on live TV to poor results while Morgana Le Fey's army of the dead begins to march on Earth and while Cannonball and Sunspot bring the children of the Avengers back to the present. So much happening, so much still to come. Lots of fun writing and fun moments here and I AM TAKING TOO LONG. Total Score: 4/5

Cyclops 3
Rucka (w) and Dauterman (a) and Sotomayor (c) and Caramagna (l)

Cyclops and his dad end up stranded on a desolate planet as a result of a ship failure and Cyclops accuses his dad of being a drug addict. Corsair reveals that he's not addicted to drugs, per se, he's kept alive by the drugs he's been taking and the amount he has will only last him through 27 or so days so it's either they get off the planet, which seems unlikely, or they spend a nice final month together. Not a bad story and this certainly gets to the heart of the series quickly. Total Score: 4/5










Guardians of the Galaxy 17
Bendis (w) and Bradshaw and Oeming (a) w/Wong (i) and Ponsor (c) and Petit (l)

Captain Marvel has saved Peter Quill and he calls his ship back to him, sending it crashing out of its lock-up, before he takes it to fly straight at his dad in the city, pulling off at the last second. He and Carol need to find the other Guardians. Gamora and Angela call in quickly enough to just be picked up and they fly to a point in space where Drax is getting beaten by Gladiator, rescuing him easily enough. With J-Son's crimes revealed, the Supreme Intelligence wants nothing to do with him and returns Rocket peaceably, also giving their best known location for Groot. With the team re-assembled (except for newbie Venom, who intentionally avoids them on Knowhere), they're ready to enter ORIGINAL SIN. This arc screams of an ad for the movie: some stakes but ultimately a way to introduce each character without too much actual characterization. Total Score: 2/5

Iron Man Special 1
S. Ryan (w) and Handoko (p) and Poggi, Yeung, Livesay, and N. Lee (i) and Redmond (c) and Cowles (l)

So this story is still going then, hm? Total Score: 2/5

Iron Patriot 5
Kot (w) and G. Brown (a) and Charalampidis (c) and Cowles (l)

With Terrence Rhodes in the Iron Patriot suit punching at the villain, Rhodey has to stand around and hope that his dad hits the manual release on the other guy's suit. He finally does, launching Rhodey out of his inert suit and into the fight himself. He punches and punches at the villain, breaking plenty of his own body parts in the fight against metal, but eventually subdues him, though it comes too late to save his father, who took quite a beating in his own fight. Someone was pulling the strings on the villain but Rhodey never did figure out who and the villain himself gets smothered in his hospital bed by another mysterious character. Is this a win for America's new defender? Who knows? Still, pretty fast read and this continues to be easily my favorite book from Kot, who doesn't have the time to get into his writing patterns that tend to annoy me elsewhere. Total Score: 4/5



Original Sin 3.3 - Hulk vs. Iron Man
Gillen and Waid (s) and Waid (w) and Bagley (p) and Hennessy (i) and Keith (c) and Petit (l)

As Extremis-powered Hulk destroys Iron Man's labs in the hopes that the hero will come rushing home, Iron Man continues to investigate his own memories, praying that something is wrong. Iron Man hopes to lay low while he tries to figure things out, heading for Troy in the thought that Hulk won't realize to go there, even if Banner would have. However, he's not accounting for smart-Hulk and he's met by massive resistance when he touches down. The city, though, is built to be defensible and takes the fight to Hulk long enough that Iron Man can sneak away to his armory. On his way he realizes even more about that night that will make him look EVEN MORE VILLAINOUS. Still some interesting stuff, though I'm not a huge fan of Bagley's art here and I'm already a little tired of the "OH NO, I ALSO DID WHAT" endings of these issues. Total Score: 3/5

Secret Avengers 6
Kot (w) and Walsh (a) and Wilson (c) and Cowles (l)

Lady Bullseye is still alive and wants a meeting with Black Widow, enough that she's taken over a bullet train with a dirty bomb on it. Hill sends Widow and Spider-Woman to deal with it but they quickly learn that it's a trap (well, more than the trap they expected) as someone set another sentient bomb like their own new teammate Vladimir on the tracks and it opens a portal out of the world, sending Black Widow and Lady Bullseye through it. Meanwhile, MODOK announces that something had sex with the Fury to cause its pregnancy and Hawkeye tries to find Coulson only to be led to Deadpool hanging out with AIM. Some weird stuff here. I think the tone is starting to settle in on this book, which is an upside, but it still feels weird to have a book that's trying to go almost full-bore humor play with such big pieces of the Marvel Universe, pieces that have distinct personalities already and don't necessarily fit this way (I always dislike the Black Widow-as-bloodthirsty-killer design you occasionally see in books). Still, climbing out from under me really hating this book. Total Score: 3/5


Personal Total Score: 35 minutes or so. SO VERY CLOSE. I had to ramble on and on, didn't I? I just had to give extra summary when no one asked for it.

Uncanny X-Men 24, X-Men 17

Uncanny X-Men 24
Bendis (w) and Anka (a and c) and Caramagna (l)

Beast, using Cerebro, knows where Cyclops and his group are. He's been unwilling to disclose such up to now because he doesn't want to deal with Cyclops any more but now the team gets on a jet and flies to the old Weapon X facility to gather their old teammate. They tell him what's happening and head back home with Cyclops, Emma, Magik, and Kitty following via teleport. Amidst fears that Xavier may have left the school to Cyclops, She-Hulk begins to read the will, which reveals a marriage to Mystique and a chip with a video recorded message from Xavier that promises a big secret reveal.

You know those complaints I occasionally lodge about a story REALLY dragging forward? Well here ya go. It also plays to my more specific criticisms of this rift in the X-Men Universe being a rift in name only since they're ALWAYS hanging out together. ALSO, while we're on the subject of issues I'm having, I roll my eyes every time I see that cover and remember the punk (is that what we'd even call it? Just terrible, is what I'd call it) makeover of Dazzler. Look, what I'm saying is that there are real issues with this issue. There are some upsides, particularly in that it looks like Bendis might actually be ready to go a little deeper with some of the characters he's had in his control for the last two years or so, including Ice Man and, maybe, Beast. Still, more bad than good for my own tastes.

Total Score: 3/5


X-Men 17
Wood (w) and Diaz and Briones (a) and Mounts (c) and Caramagna (l)

The X-Men have brought the fight to The Future only to be stopped in their tracks by The Future's defense mechanism Bloodline, which allows only people with The Future's DNA to enter. At Kymera's request, Beast has brought Shogo to the fight scene. Using her future knowledge and begging the trust of her mother and the other X-Men, she brings Shogo to the edge of Bloodline and cuts his finger, wiping the baby's blood on one of the plants in the forest. Bloodline, needing to adjust, shuts down for enough time to allow Jubilee out of her prison and the X-Men into the forest. However, even Jubilee is too slow as the forest rips through the ground and kills The Future itself. Not all is well, though, as Shogo is poisoned by the foliage. Beast is forced to admit that he used Arkea to save Primal and Sprite and asks Storm to trust him as well as he injects the strain into Shogo, which he does and it saves his life. The X-Men all head home relatively happy, though Kymera sets off to live in the world, understanding that her mother didn't ask to suddenly have a teenage daughter and that the two would likely butt heads to no end. She'll still be around, ready to help and to protect the baby Shogo (her best friend in the future), but she won't be at the school.

The Future's storyline is interesting and ends up being almost more of a story for Kymera, who saves the day with some risky maneuvers and the sort of decisiveness we've come to expect from a Munroe. It's not a bad issue (a particular highlight is an unleashed Storm, prepared and able to raze the forest to stop The Future) and the art is pretty solid throughout. It does feel a little anticlimactic for a villain who, just a couple issues ago, seemed so untouchable, to die horribly tucked away from all of our heroes. Still not a bad issue, just a strange ending and one that doesn't sit particularly well, as if Wood had to rush out to finish up the other storylines and check in with all of our key characters before the issue officially ended.

Total Score: 4/5