Thursday, July 31, 2014

Guardians of the Galaxy quick review

Hey guys, as ever, no spoilers this close to the release of the movie.


I was nervous about Guardians of the Galaxy right up to the moment the movie started. I tried to get myself excited, tried to remember all the praise I'd heard, tried to just be excited that we were seeing such a crazy Marvel property in a movie, but I couldn't help being a little worried. There are people out there who hear that kind of attitude and say "you're worried that a fictional movie about a fictional universe with fictional characters will let you down?" They're the same people telling me that, as a grown man, I shouldn't care what horrors Michael Bay has bestowed on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What kind of life must those people have, not caring about stories, about the oral and the aural and the written tradition? Look, I don't have to convince you guys. You're my people. You're comic people. So I can tell you instead that this movie was a ton of fun.

That's what I'd been hearing all along and I can't help but agree. I don't think the film is as deep as a few of the Marvel movies have been. I don't necessarily think it has as much to say as, say, Captain America: Winter Soldier. I don't think it's as ambitious as Avengers. I think it's riskier than both those movies and I think it maybe pulled what it wanted to off as well as either of those movies. It wasn't ever trying to be Cap 2 or Avengers. It was shamelessly and unflinchingly itself the whole way through. It never bogged itself down with grit or a big message. It took a team comprised of a half-human, a pair of alien assassins/killers, a talking raccoon, and a talking tree and said "hey, you know what, maybe this shouldn't be heavy-handed. Maybe this should just be a fun superhero movie." And it absolutely was. There are a lot of genuine laughs to be had, there still manages to be a good amount of heart, and the team itself ends up being a really likable and really fun team. Fun is the keyword, I've certainly used it enough. Go in looking for a fun movie and I don't think you'll be disappointed. It was maybe a little over-expository but you run that risk, as I say in so many comic reviews, when you have a whole team to develop in a limited space and when you set it in space and have to introduce an audience to brand new mythologies that intersect. It's maybe a little long because of that and it's maybe a little weighed down by that, but it manages to keep the dragging to a minimum and keeps the tone and the pace pretty well in check. It also accomplished something that less than a week ago I was doubting, which was to make me like this team and this universe enough to be excited for the sequel. Can't say better than that for a movie like this.

Hawkeye 19

Hawkeye 19
Fraction (w) and Aja (a) and Hollingsworth (c) and Elipoulos and Aja (l)

Clint's deaf and Barney's in a wheelchair. But they're not done.

This is the sign language issue that Fraction and Aja have been promising and it's pretty amazing. I'm not reviewing it much more except to say it's really touching and really well done. I don't think I can say more about it than that. Check this one out and be incredibly surprised if this issue doesn't end up with the Eisner HAWKEYE 11 just won next year.

Total Score: 5/5

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Avengers 33, New Avengers 21, Uncanny Avengers 22

Avengers 33
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Petit (l)

In his continued time-travels, Captain America ends up 50,000 years in the future, where life has been exterminated and the world is run by something called The Worldcore. Spawned out of the death of Ultron, The Worldcore has recently started changing moments in the past despite the Herculean effort it takes. It's also been plagued by time-assassins (timessassins) of a sort (not entirely accurate but I wanted to write "timessassins" so we'll have to just pretend) and is now suspicious of any sort of time traveler. It intends to dissect Cap for further information about him but it finds and accidentally activate the bomb that was put inside him in the past, which targets and destroys The Worldcore. Cap is summoned again by the time gem but things seem a little different and he begins to fall through a crack in time, but he's pulled back by Iron Man, promising him that everything will be all right.

What I like about this time-travel story is that we can pretty clearly see that these futures, at least in some way or another, are connected. Occasionally superheroes will travel into the future and the entire future is fabricated in such a way that you can't really track how you get from one to another. Instead, it's just a cool idea that a writer and/or artist wanted to present. Sometimes, a book will jump so far into the future in one go that it will be kind of irrelevant to whatever story they're telling. This one jumps further and further ahead but shows hints of its interconnectedness, particularly apropos as it seems the time gem is jumping them intentionally to different futures. Still, time-travel like this tends to turn me off a bit, where I'd prefer instead to stay fixed in the present story. As such, the upcoming conclusion is a little more interesting to me as Iron Man and Cap meet again.

Total Score: 4/5


New Avengers 21
Hickman (w) and Schiti w/Larroca (a) and F. Martin w/Mounts (c) and Caramagna (l)

Dr. Strange unleashes his newfound powers, losing control as the monster inside him ages their foes into dust one at a time without mercy and without trouble. Black Panther and Iron Man adjust Tony's repulsors to knock Strange out before the monster can turn on them. Though the heroes of this other Earth are defeated, it still leaves the matter of the bomb and the incurring world. After returning to their own Earth, each man considers detonating the bomb (some longer than others) before Black Panther, urged by the ghosts of his ancestors carried within him, takes it. However, while he holds it, he decides he cannot use, shaming his ancestors who denounce him and disown him as a Black Panther, leaving him. He throws the detonator aside and falls to his knees. As the Illuminati begin to resign themselves to the idea that they won't be able to blow up the other world, home to billions of innocents, Namor takes the detonator and, insulting them all, uses it.

We all knew this day had to come, the day when the Illuminati would be forced to find a solution for an incurring world that was actually heavily populated. And of course, the heroes that represent the team are unable to pull the trigger until Namor proves his usefulness to a team like this. I really like everything about this issue. It's exactly as emotional and passionate as it needs to be without ever going too over-the-top with it. I also really love the focus this issue places on the makeup of this team. There's a scene between Maximus and Black Swan that highlights her penchant for finding the heroes of a world she wishes to save and how this world differs in that she accidentally picked a team full of kings, natural leaders who would do whatever it takes to preserve their kingdoms and who are willing to kill for their people. It's one of the things that draws me to characters like Black Panther, Namor, and Black Bolt and it's been extremely important but rather under the surface so far in this series. Hickman here brings it to the forefront to show how different this situation is from the typical Avengers-esque potential world-ending dilemmas. Really great issue, great job by artist Schiti on the emotions of the issue and the facial expressions of our heroes, which are paramount for an issue like this. Frank Martin also excels but, then, he always does (guys, read EAST OF WEST, it's so good).

Total Score: 5/5


Uncanny Avengers 22
Remender (w) and Acuña (a and c) and Cowles (l)

Kang has begun to drink of the Celestial's blood and his powers have increased an untold amount. Thor, weakened from Kang's immediate betrayal, is struck back down to Earth, leaving only Havok and Sunfire still in the fight against Kang at the edge of Earth's atmosphere. Their only hope is to attempt to absorb the cosmic energy Kang is using but both realize it could mean their own deaths and may still not work. As the only ones available, though (and perhaps the ones most at fault for trusting Kang, particularly Havok), they push forward, only to have Kang immediately stab Sunfire through the chest, disintegrating him instantly. He tells Havok to stop fighting, that it's the only way to see his daughter again, but Havok refuses to believe him. Instead, he turns all of Kang's power back against him in the hopes it will stop the conqueror. He manages to weaken and stall Kang enough to allow Sunfire, imbued with cosmic energy and no longer bound by his old form, appearing now as a figure of all blue and yellow, to rejoin the fight. Together, they force Kang to flee, taking his forces fighting on Earth with him, swearing revenge on humanity and particularly on Alex. The heroes all return to Earth to see the aftermath, including Sentry departing with the body of the Celestial, Wanda restoring all the powers Rogue borrowed to their rightful owners but Wonder Man inexplicably staying behind, and Janet's reaction to her lost daughter. Finally, Horsemen Daken and Grim Reaper emerge from the crashed Apocalypse Ship with the inert bodies of Uriel and Eimin in the Sahara Desert.

Geez, tons going on, which is what you'd expect and probably want from an arc that's lasted the better part of fifteen or so issues. Overall, it's been a really engaging story and this finale, certainly with plenty of questions left to answer and plenty of expectations attached to the finale of such a long story, lived up to it pretty well. All along it's been a full team story and we definitely get a sense of the whole team here and how much it means to everyone and how important a role everyone has played, but it's also felt particularly like an Alex Summers story, as he's been something of a catalyst for the team and certainly been the leader of the team. In that way, Remender makes sure to end things strongly, putting the focus on Havok as AVENGE THE EARTH ends. Strong work and, as ever, really great art out of Daniel Acuña, whose art and colors shine in this issue.

Total Score: 5/5

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Movies this week

An addendum to my typical comics pre-game on Tuesdays because I didn't even mention it in this week's post. In case you somehow missed it (and you would have to be trying REALLY hard to miss this) Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy comes out THIS VERY FRIDAY (or, most likely, Thursday night). I'm a little mixed on this release, as I rather have been since its announcement, but the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Of course, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive for Iron Man 3 and I was not onboard with that one. Anywho, if all goes well, I'll be seeing this Thursday night and give you a quick update on my thoughts, likely to not be succeeded by another post with a full review since CLEARLY I have stopped doing those? Look, what I'm trying to say is that I've had a nearly empty draft post about Captain America: Winter Soldier, a movie I loved, sitting in this blog since April.

Comics this week

Hey guys, let's get right into it because we have an old favorite finally making a return this week.

Avengers World 10
Still into this book. Everything I said last pre-game holds up. Interested to see where the book goes after last week's cliffhanger. Does it continue to jump from story to story or does it stick with Cannonball and Sunspot in the future? Also, if it's going back to the Falcon story (still not sure), we've heard some big news about Falcon since the release of the last issue, interested to see how his story plays now.

Hawkeye 19
HERE IT IS, you guys, HAWKEYE makes its triumphant return in an issue that promises to be the next dog-issue (referring, of course, to Eisner winning HAWKEYE 11) but this time with sign language. How are the Barton boys doing since we saw them last, several months ago? They've had pretty extreme violence done unto them and now we see where it leads.

New Avengers 21
Still really happy with this book every time it comes out. I'll admit it's faded a bit for me since the first arc or two but it's overall still a really great book. BY THE SAME TOKEN, if someone asked me "hey, what new Jonathan Hickman book should I pick up this week?" I'd say "well that's a specific question but, surprise, it's not one of the two Marvel books he has out this week, NEW AVENGERS or AVENGERS, it's one of the two Image books he has out this week, but it's not MANHATTAN PROJECTS, though that's a pretty good series too. No, I'd recommend EAST OF WEST 14, what a great series that is. Hope this answer wasn't just really confusing!"

Uncanny Avengers 22
Boy, but I like the the AVENGERS titles far more than the X-titles right now. This is a shift from the last full batch of X-MEN titles vs. AVENGERS titles (not to be confused with the event AVX) and I think we all know the culprit on that one. Anyway, UNCANNY AVENGERS has remained very engaging and very interesting and I expect it to stay that way as we start to wind towards a conclusion of this massive arc.

X-Men 17
I bet I threw you off with the last entry, hyping the AVENGERS books over the X-MEN books. Still, Brian Wood's X-MEN and Si Spurrier's X-FORCE are certainly books worth a look (particularly X-FORCE, which is worth more than just a look). I find X-MEN to be a pretty interesting read every time it comes out, though it benefits this week from an iffy release schedule and my laziness to go back and write in AVENGERS, CYCLOPS, or IRON PATRIOT blurbs.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Comic-Con Roundup and Reactions

So my having a job that requires me to not be at a computer all day and then being busy to kick the weekend off left me a little late on some SDCC news that may have come out but I wanted to wait, as I did last year, until I had seen most everything I think I'm going to see about Marvel's Comic-Con this year. Still not sure I have and I'm certainly not sure that I actually heard everything that's been announced as is, which leads to my first point. I'm kind of underwhelmed? I don't know, maybe I missed some stuff, but here's what I think we've mostly learned from this year's biggest comic convention.

Gillen and Bennett heading ANGELA: ASGARD'S ASSASSIN
I'm not so enamored with Angela that I can find this the most entrancing news but readers know I do love Kieron Gillen, who will be joined by fellow writer Marguerite Bennett and artists Phil Jimenez and Stephanie Hans (who I quite like) for the new series. (fun fact, by the way, all my links will be from CBR because I'm too lazy to find multiple links, guys. Sorry)

Marvel debuts Ant-Man concept art, announce roles for Lilly and Stoll

With a new director (Peyton Reed) onboard and a 2015 release date still in place, Marvel has finally shown some concept art for the upcoming Ant-Man and announced that Lost's Evangeline Lilly will play Hope Van Dyne, daughter of Hank Pym, and House of Cards' Corey Stoll will play Darren Cross, a version of the villain Yellowjacket. The news comes even as they lose three attached actors. With Edgar Wright's departure from the long-rumored film, I find myself rather uninterested in all of this.

Marvel announces new SHIELD ongoing, written by Mark Waid
Though it seems like this may play a sort of bridge between the TV show (ugh) and the 616 Marvel Universe, writer Mark Waid advertises his new SHIELD ongoing as a sort of "stealth team-up," indicating that any superhero might end up working on SHIELD's behalf in the series. I like Mark Waid, I'm lukewarm AT BEST on SHIELD, and I really don't like that TV show, so we'll see what that all amounts to. Though I will say I'm irked that I indicate a comic title with all-caps and now I have a comic title referring to an organization that I write in all-caps. What is this business?

Guardians of the Galaxy sequel confirmed for 2017, Gunn returns to write and direct
July 28, 2017 is the projected date for the sequel to the still-upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, which is garnering praise from fans as its release approaches. I can't really make any sort of judgment on this news until I've seen its predecessor but I will say this wasn't a franchise I was really clamoring for. Maybe my mind will be changed but it feels like this just puts off another new potential franchise.

Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon confirmed for Disney XD
The newly confirmed animated series will join Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk and the Agents of SMASH, and Avengers Assemble on Marvel's animated block on Disney XD. I'd be more interested in this news if I didn't hate every one of those shows (with the exception, perhaps, of the Hulk show, as I've only seen maybe one episode, which, admittedly, I didn't not like). I'd be interested in this if it were teamed with, oh, I don't know, Spectacular Spider-Man and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which were both GREAT cartoons (I totally did know when I said I didn't).

Marvel teases new Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter information
Still don't care about Agents of SHIELD even with the hint that Mockingbird could show up at some point. She'll probably just be crappy, sadly. Agent Carter still excites me, though I'm a little put out by the quality of Agents of SHIELD so I'll have to hold off getting too excited about that.

Marvel announces new line of STAR WARS books, headed by Gillen, Aaron, Waid
As the rights to the STAR WARS comic universe transfer back to Marvel after decades out of their control, Marvel had a slew of SDCC announcements for next year's launch, including Kieron Gillen writing STAR WARS: DARTH VADER with artist Salvador Larroca, Jason Aaron writing STAR WARS with artist John Cassaday, and Mark Waid writing STAR WARS: PRINCESS LEIA with artist Terry Dodson. These are pretty big announcements and feels like a big business move for Marvel, putting three top writers and some big name artists on these properties instead of allowing them to carry their weight with name recognition alone. Gillen on a DARTH VADER book is particularly intriguing (though I don't love Larroca. Helped that the covers will be from Adi Granov). Still, the news isn't huge to me so who really cares?

Other comics kind of announced?
This is a little trickier to talk about since they're not really big announcements. They include an ORIGINAL SIN ANNUAL (why?) from Jason Latour, an ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA infinite comic from Dennis Hopeless, a few more tie-in books to DEATH OF WOLVERINE, tie-ins to SPIDER-VERSE, and others in that vein. Not huge books by any stretch. In fact, almost undoubtedly books I will roll my eyes at when I go to review them.


So that's the news I encountered. Did you guys see more? Did you, maybe, see more that made you excited instead of, you know, anywhere from mildly interested to completely uncaring? I don't know. Not so into it? The biggest news to me was...

Jordie Bellaire wins Eisner for Best Colorist
Totally well-deserved. She does phenomenal work where ever she is and where ever she is happens to be MOST BOOKS.

Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky win Eisner for Best New Series with SEX CRIMINALS
I really like SEX CRIMINALS and think it's a really fun and interesting book with some real and often surprising pathos. I was surprised to see it on the Best Series list but Best New Series seems apropos, though I haven't read many of the other contenders (I will note, perhaps controversially, that I don't think SAGA deserves as much credit as it gets. Do NOT get me wrong, I think it's a very good book, I just don't think it's the comics-changing epic it's often lauded as).

HAWKEYE 11 wins Eisner for Best Single Issue or One-Shot
Yup, no problems with that.

David Aja wins Eisner for Best Cover Artist
I have no problems with this, though I was personally pulling for Mike Del Mundo on X-MEN LEGACY. My girlfriend and I also talked about the likelihood of seeing Jamie McKelvie's name in this category next year (and winning this category next year). Every cover he draws (and right now particularly, he's got covers on MS. MARVEL, NIGHTCRAWLER, and THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE) is outstanding. Anyway, congratulations to Aja and all the other winners!

Leftovers 7-23-14

100th Anniversary Special Avengers 1
Stokoe

In the future, America has been sent to the Negative Zone in the aftermath of a fight with the Badoon and it's left only Avengers Rogue, Doctor Strange, and Beta Ray Bill (as well as brain-in-a-jar Iron Man) behind. It had left Captain America too but he set off on his own to find his country again. As the remaining Avengers head to their Malaysian base, they're attacked by the Moloids and Mole Man the Third, who blames them for destroying Subterranea. A fight ensues but Doctor Strange focuses all of his energies on creating New Subterranea in the space that used to hold America. The Avengers set off on their new adventures with a new ally in Mole Man. As ever, this 100TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL comes with a lot of backstory and exposition, as well as some choppy dialogue ("ROGUE, you've gotten a special gift from LOGAN that puts you outside of time's regular path and I, DOCTOR STRANGE, have reincarnated so many times that I look the way I do now and am still around, not to mention BETA RAY BILL, who remains a horse!") that is only for the audience, not for the story. Still, writer/artist James Stokoe's style is certainly unique in Marvel (it reminds me of something but I frustratingly can't put a finger on it) so it's worth checking out to see if you like what he brings to the table. It's, uh, not really for me, so... Total Score: 2/5


All-New Doop 4
Milligan (w) and Santagati and Lafuente (a) and L. Allred (c) and Cowles (l)

There's a good deal of Doop backstory as he and his mother argue, with Doop recalling his single mother and her abuse of him in the wake of her husband's departure. He remembers his believed origin, created by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, and his growth as a documentary filmmaker and eventual cameraman for X-Statix. Finally, though, his mother reveals their deep secret, the one Raze threatened to exploit: he wasn't actually created by Ingmar Bergman. Now, with Doop panicking and exploding through the margins with reverberations felt in the real world, Wolverine goes to talk to Doop's mother himself. I'm beginning to get the feeling that this book isn't for me, you guys. Total Score: 2/5


All-New Invaders 8
J. Robinson (w) and Pugh (a) and Guru eFX (c) and Petit (l)

Human Torch is mad with SHIELD for the perceived slight of having a robot psychiatrist evaluate him and then attack him only to have Coulson explain that it wasn't them, that Malloy was some sort of half-tech, half-alien combo not under their employ. Satisfied, Hammond moves on to his next mission, to rescue the kidnapped Toro, whose powers weren't mutant after all, but latent Inhuman powers so he actually cocooned and was kidnapped during INHUMANITY. The report comes in from an informant who turns out to be Winter Soldier and Torch and Namor meet up with him outside a German base. They create a distraction while Bucky goes in quiet to try to find Toro. However, the distraction starts to go poorly when it turns out the base is protected by an army of Deathloks. There's something like an interesting story here but it's still handcuffed by stilted writing that over explains EVERYTHING (except how you could have Inhuman powers, particularly to the extent Toro has had them, without ever being exposed to the Terrigen Mists, am I right, guys?) and switches tone so rapidly ("I'm annoyed about the robot thing and NOW I'M MAD ABOUT THE ROBOT THING and now I'm calm because it was just a giant security breach for the world's biggest defense agency and not an insult"). Still hate to say that I do not like this book. Total Score: 2/5


All-New Ultimates 5
Fiffe (w) and Pinna (a) and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

Bombshell, under the control of Diamondback, lures the Ultimates back to their base where they're attacked by Diamondback's gang again. Again the Ultimates seem to be well-matched enough against Diamondback's lieutenants but the tables turn when Crossbones enters the fray. Before anything too serious can become of our heroes, though, Bombshell snaps out of her mind-control and pretty much blows the place up, determined to finish the people who killed her boyfriend and controlled her. I typically end up giving the benefit of a doubt to a story, believing there are ways that a mediocre book could turn around and that the story itself could be interesting if the writing could get out of its way, but I honestly can't separate the writing from the story here. It's all acting so tough and it seems Fiffe wants to take the classic street-level heroes trope in Marvel and really embroil it in a sort of gritty super-powered gang war. It's not coming off as gritty though, it's coming off as a bunch of kids from the '80s trying to act tough and it's not working for me on any level. We'll continue this week's leftovers and tough scores with a Total Score: 1/5


Deadpool 32
Posehn and Duggan (w) and Lucas (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool arrives in Chicago, quickly ascertains the whereabouts of Utler and Ellie, and heads for them. He's stopped by ULTIMATUM henchmen, who shoot him in the head to put him down, and move on their way to capture Ellie. When they corner Utler and Ellie in an alleyway, Ulter has a heart attack, which proves an ample distraction for Deadpool to re-emerge from ULTIMATUM's van and rescue Ellie. He takes her into a nearby building, hoping it's more easily defensible than outside, and waits. There's a lot going on in this issue (and some that still needs to be explained, like the re-emergence of ULTIMATUM and how they got their info) not to mention that Adsit is having some trouble dealing with what he saw in the truth bomb, which was Deadpool's gruesome murder of his own parents, and Posehn and Duggan just keep pushing along. There's a nice desperation and determination to Deadpool in this issue as he does whatever it takes to save his daughter and it's an interesting look at a character who doesn't usually get those adjectives added to him. Total Score: 4/5


Deadpool vs. X-Force 2
Swierczynski (w) and Larraz (a) and Woodard (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool's gathered some Confederate troops to fire on the oncoming X-Force and he hints that maybe Talbot, the man who hired him and subsequently hired Cable to track him, had some darker motives behind this whole quest. The whole fight is made tricker when the Union forces appear replete with battle suits and all manner of other tech to help their side win. Cable, recognizing how unbalanced history has become because of Deadpool's interference, pops back to their last stop where Cannonball and Boom Boom are waiting and tells them they must ensure that the Americans lose the battle starting outside to the British to maintain history. Neither want to but they seem to understand the implications. While Domino and Warpath try to stall history's changes in the Civil War by fighting against both sides, Cable and Deadpool jump through another portal to 1900 China and Deadpool slaps a mind control sort of choker on Cable. I like the way Cable's presented in this, constantly calculating what needs to happen to keep the future safe and multitasking to get word to his group all while still battling Deadpool. It's a strong look at the character and the story is interesting enough to keep things moving. The bounces through time and between people make for a pretty quick read too. Total Score: 4/5


Mighty Avengers 12
Ewing (w) and Land (p) and Leisten (i) and Milla (c) and Petit (l)

Luke's father finishes his story, talking about Deathwalkers and sacrifices to empower them and human/animal hybrids (which The Bear and the Bat-Man they faced last issue are) meant for more powerful sacrifice and how Cage's father was scared in the face of such supernatural and super-powered beings and pushed his son away when he began to embrace that lifestyle. The explanation works for Luke, who forgives his father pretty quickly and welcomes him back into his life. Meanwhile, Kaluu and Constance Molina hire the Mighty Avengers to find the Talisman of Kamar-Taj, which is being used by the Deathwalkers in their sacrifice of half-human/half-vampire Blade to end the world. Reading and writing that summary made me like this issue better than I had, which sometimes happens when I'm confused by a plot and work it out for the blog but also happens when an issue's story is more interesting than the issue. The latter is the case here, as the issue gets really dragged down in its own mythology and buries the more interesting story behind explanations and character diagrams. Total Score: 3/5


Original Sins 4
Doctor Doom: J. Robinson (w) and Maleev (a) and C. Peter (c) and Cowles (l)
Young Avengers: North (w) and Villalobos (a) and J. Gibson (c) and Cowles and Winecoor (l)
Captain America: Abadta and Durá (w) and E. Henderson (a) and Cowles (l)

A villainous businessman learns some secrets that could compromise Doctor Doom and attempts to blackmail him, sending the data out to some loved ones first but, as he waits for a meeting with Doom, everyone who could possibly have the data dies and he's ushered into his meeting. Hood finally shows his betrayal of the Young Avengers as Marvel Boy realizes he's uploaded all the information to the internet with an encryption only Hood can use, putting immense amounts of possible world-changing data at his and only his fingertips. A grown man at a superhero parade remembers that, as a boy in the Arctic, he unwittingly peed on the ice Captain America was frozen into. Pretty decent issue all around. The villainous businessman is so over-the-top villainous that it almost undermines the deviousness of Doctor Doom but the story isn't bad and Alex Maleev's art stands out as it typically does. The Young Avengers story is starting to clear up bit-by-bit and North shows us texts sent out by Noh-Varr and Hulkling to the other Young Avengers that explains their absence and are good for a laugh. The final story, as ever, is a bit of a throwaway but Erica Henderson's art is decidedly different from most Marvel art and works for the story. Probably the best one of these we've seen so far. Total Score: 4/5


Wolverine and the X-Men 6
Latour (w) and Asrar, Larraz, Messina, and Veltri w/Deering (a) and Silva (c) and Cowles (l)

So the future Phoenix (the future Quentin Quire) sent Edan Younge and Faithful John back in time to convince present Quire and to kill present Evan, respectively, to ensure a future where the Phoenix reigns and future Quire ends up with Idie. From what I can gather. Meanwhile, future Logan and present Idie and Quire slay future Quire, who admits that everything is more or less to protect his own ego, which cuts to the core of present Quire. With the threat receded and the cleanup underway, Faithful John is held in a prison in The World and present Quire inherits the Phoenix Corporation, quickly making him a billionaire. I'm not sure there's been a book where I've appreciated the recap page more. This arc has been rather confusing with hints of an interesting story from time to time but altogether buried under the weight of its own plot. It's certainly readable and there are some interesting ideas in its conclusion but it's lacking overall. Total Score: 3/5

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Amazing Spider-Man 4, Daredevil 6

Amazing Spider-Man 4
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)

Parker Industries is trying to work out ways to safely capture Electro, including an electric proof net (which is such a cartoon idea. In fact, it's so cartoon that it's something Team Rocket constantly uses),  but again Peter is quick to disappear when an Avengers call comes in, to the concern of Anna Maria and to the frustration of Sajani. She storms off and is taken by the onlooking Black Cat, who has stolen some of the plans for the Electro capture tech and needs someone to help her understand them. Meanwhile, Peter arrives at the ORIGINAL SIN storyline, thrilled to be hanging out with his Avengers pals again, as the truth bomb reveals to him that there was another person bitten by the spider that bit him. Ezekiel Sims, totem of the spider and convinced that Peter is too, found young Cindy Moon and had her locked away while she trained and explored her powers, claiming to do it to stop Morlun from finding and killing her. Peter races to go save his totem sister and lets her out of the room she's in, telling her Morlun is dead. As Cindy, codename Silk, excitedly joins Peter out in the world, he admits that Morlun has a way of coming back from the dead and she flips out on him, proving that her skills are maybe even a little more advanced than his. Indeed, though, Morlun does wake from some sort of slumber, awakened by "the spider-bride." And then Peter and Cindy make out. PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY, YOU GUYS.

We're four issues back with Peter and it remains very clear that Dan Slott loves writing the true Peter Parker. He should, too, he's pretty good at it. There's always a sense of fun and, dare I say, whimsy to the character under Slott's direction. The other thing Slott always manages to do really well with Peter, even if it doesn't always look like it's heading that way, is construct a story that feels rather like it's closing in on our hero at all times. There are always wheelings, dealing, stealings, healings, and feelings that Peter isn't privy to but that the audience sees from issue to issue and that tend to culminate all at once. That's happening pretty blatantly here and it's entirely possible, maybe even likely, that it will wind its way towards an excellent conclusion. However, it's also possible that it will remain as skeptical-eyebrow-raising and frustrating as it is now. There are still moments to enjoy in this issue but the Black Cat/Electro storyline makes very little sense to me (with Black Cat on some sort of crazed revenge fantasy and Electro just crazed, seemingly to correlate with the worst parts of the last Spider-Man movie) and it's clearly making its way into the spotlight. On top of that, I've never been a big supporter of the Spider Mythology sort of storyline that the series occasionally heads back to. I like Peter Parker and I think his longevity and his appeal, part of it anyway, comes from the fact that he's just an average guy who gained these powers and, after a brief hiccup of being a jerk, realizes he has a responsibility to use his powers to help, not for self-profit. The totem stuff makes it feel that he's not an everyman, he's a very specific man and he was chosen to be Spider-Man, not that he himself chose to be Spider-Man. I think it weakens his story and plays more to the idea of fate rather than choice, which rather feels like the opposite of Spider-Man's story. LOOK, what I'm trying to say is that it's kind of weird that the Spider would have these two make out.

Total Score: 2/5


Daredevil 6
Waid (w) and J. Rodriguez (p) and A. Lopez (i) and J. Rodriguez (c) and Caramagna (l)

Daredevil's been ORIGINAL SIN'd and he's learned, perhaps, that there was more than meets the eye to his father, or, in the very least, that he'd repressed some seriously bad memories of the man who has stood so tall over Matt's life. Memories rush back to him of a beaten and bruised mother with Battlin' Jack standing over her and he has to know the truth. He tries to track his mother, a nun, only to learn that she and two other nuns have been arrested and await extradition to Wakanda for trial after trespassing and graffiti-ing on private Wakandan property. Matt can't believe the story and moreover can't believe the extreme punishment for what amounts to a tiny infraction. He attempts to investigate but is shut down in every direction, eventually leading him to stay silent in a closet in the Wakandan embassy for hours in the hopes of hearing some hint of the proceedings. Eventually he does, learning that there's a coverup from the American military involved as well. He confronts the Wakandan and an army general only find himself stopped dead in his tracks by a waiting sonic. The Wakandan informs him that Wakanda has purchased the land onto which his mother trespassed, making it officially Wakandan soil and therefore any crimes committed are to be treated as crimes against Wakanda, dealt with however they want. With perhaps more than a hint of WATCHMEN, the Wakandan tells Matt that he's only giving out this information because there's nothing the hero can do about it as the nuns were sent on a plane an hour ago.

Let me say this first: I think the Wakandan storyline, while a bit farfetched because of my biases towards Wakandan and the idea that Black Panther wouldn't check his cellphone once in a while from someone who he's been so close to in the past as Daredevil, is a fairly interesting one. I think pitting Matt against such a powerful nation on behalf of his rarely-seen mother is an intriguing storyline. I think that the abusive father storyline, while not necessarily unexpected out of a down-and-out boxer, is perhaps a bit overdone in the Marvel Universe as a whole. Not to say it's not pertinent or meaningful for the character, particularly one like Matt who rather sees his father through rose-colored glasses (because ALL OF HIS GLASSES ARE ROSE-COLORED, though I suppose he doesn't really see through them so never mind, my bit is ruined). Still, I couldn't help saying "aww, nooo" when the reveal was made. Again, it's not necessarily unexpected and it's not exactly farfetched (it may not even be the first time this has been seen from Battlin' Jack, I'm not sure) but it did kind of make me go "aw, can't we just have one character without daddy issues?" I'm not saying this to minimize the horror and wrongness of abuse (particularly in the light of Ravens running back Ray Rice's minuscule two-game suspension for pretty clear and public spousal abuse and the terrible comments from the terrible people on the ESPN comment sections on any articles referring to it) but rather to shine it as something of an overused trope in fiction (important to remember they could just as easily have not made Jack hit Maggie as these aren't real people with real histories) which makes the actual act seem less flagrant by its overwhelmingly abundant usage. LOOK, maybe when I make a real statement of some sort, I shouldn't conflate it by adding two long parenthetical statements in the middle. LOOK, maybe we're all just learning that now?

Total Score: 3/5

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Storm 1

Storm 1
Pak (w) and V. Ibañez (a) and Redmond (c) and Petit (l)

Storm kicks off her solo series by aiding the small African village of Santo Marco right on the brink of a tsunami (I sat here for a WHILE trying to get a better sentence than that but it's just not happening, sorry guys). It's hard, but she holds the tsunami off to protect the villagers, though she draws the ire of the anti-mutant government forces in the village and is forced, with Beast in her ear, to leave before she upends the mutant community's work to get the anti-mutant government ousted. She returns home to find new mutant student Flourish deciding on the new name Creep, bequeathed to her by the other kids, and accusing the Jean Grey School of indoctrinating kids and brainwashing them before calling Storm a sellout. The insult and the tone of the teenager cuts at Storm, who leaves and, against Henry's wishes and perhaps her better instincts, returns to Santo Marco to aid in the cleanup. She's well-liked by the community but the government jerks come back and threaten her, goading her into conflict, which she, you know, annihilates. It's caught on camera but it seems like it may lead to better conditions in the village as it empowers the villagers and shines a light on local politician greed and corruption. She returns home, apologizes to Creep, and returns her to her home in Mexico, where she happily reunites with her family.

It's a very solid first issue for Greg Pak and Victor Ibañez on the new STORM ongoing. I was nervous at first as Pak started to give more background history on Storm than I think we needed but he quickly righted the ship and made the narration work to the story's benefit and to Storm's benefit. I was surprised, in fact, when I realized how quickly the story was reading despite what I saw as a rather slow start. It became a compelling story, one that really got right to the core of Storm and managed to show her in a few different lights, particularly important as Storm is the sort of character who's lived a very complex and very accomplished life. Looking forward to see where the series goes next.

Total Score: 5/5

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Original Sin 5.2 - Thor and Loki

Original Sin 5.2 - Thor and Loki
Aaron and Ewing (s) and Ewing (w) and Garbett and Bianchi (a) and Woodard and Dall'Alpi (c) and Sabino (l)

Thor and Loki know about their sister and adoptive sister, respectively, and know she's been in the Tenth Realm, the Realm of Heven where Asgard is not much liked, but know little else. Still, it's a fair amount to go on and the pair travel to Heven to meet this sister and promptly get into a fight. While Thor mows down the forces of Heven, Loki sneaks away and ambushes the queen of Heven only to strike a mutually beneficial deal with her. Angela shows up as Thor tires of fighting the Angels, who are eager to strike at Midgard now that their gates have opened again.

Like the last issue, this one struggles with keeping up with the solicits. It's not a bad issue in terms of helping us to understand Heven and the Angels. In fact, that's what I'd say makes this one worth reading. The Thor-Loki relationship isn't bad here but it's also not a particular stand-out and most readers interested in this sort of thing probably know it all already. However, Heven is kind of a new area for most readers and it certainly makes sense for Ewing to highlight it here. He does a good job giving us a sense of these Angels but the driving plot of the story, the meeting between siblings, is somewhat dragged out considering everyone knows it's going to happen and there's no sense of suspense about it thanks to all of the pre-release information everyone got. Still, Ewing makes it readable and builds a tone and a background for us and that's certainly commendable and he can hardly be faulted for the swell of information prior to the book's release.

Total Score: 4/5



(sorry for the late review today and the fact there's just the one but I warned you yesterday, slow week this week and this felt like the one worth bumping to Wednesday...in theory)

Real Talk

HEY GUYS, WHAT'S WITH THIS SLEW OF PAGEVIEWS LATELY? Blogspot (is that what site I'm on? It's all interchangeable) is HORRIBLE with tracking where these things are coming from but the last few days have seen a surge like someone who HASN'T REALLY BEEN POSTING REGULARLY would never expect. Anyone have any ideas? Also, been appreciating all the comments and thoughts and suggestions and praise (guys, PARTICULARLY the praise) of late so feel free to keep that going. My schedule, as regular readers may know, has been a bit off recently (not going to lie to you all and say I'm working to get it back on and, frankly, this shocking uptick has made me hesitant to even consider the idea) but I appreciate all the support and feedback always. Thanks everyone, you're all great. We just eclipsed a crazy 775 posts with yesterday's pre-game and so we're working our way to 1000 (which I will surely not notice until I'm at a solid 1003 and too late to do anything but sheepishly mention it) and we're crawling (though SPEEDING now) to an otherworldly 50,000 pageviews (that's probably not actually a bunch by the internet's standards but more than I can picture, particularly from a Marvel comics review blog with nothing to promote it except an almost entirely uninteresting Twitter feed - don't forget, follow me @starboy23 for an entirely uninteresting experience!). Anyway, roundabout way of saying thanks again for checking in on this little blog and keep on being awesome, everybody. Also, seriously, if anyone knows what this spike is about, let me know?

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Comics this week

We get a bit of a break this week as the new release total drops down to under 15 for the first time in what seems like the entire history of mankind, back to the very first cavemen who were forced to spend more than they wanted on comics every week because, you know, percentage-wise it's not that bad, considering how many books are out total. ON THE FLIPSIDE, this pre-game post traditionally chooses the top five books to look out for in the coming week and I literally only have three that I'm particularly concerned about (and one is kind of a push anyway, honestly). So let's take a look at two and a half books I want you to read this week and two others that are on this list because I hate breaking tradition.

Amazing Spider-Man 4
Is it me or has their been a drop off in production of this book? Actual physical production, not like, Peter Parker is less efficient than he has been. An easy way to check would be to look across my old blog posts but, well, we all know how likely I am to do that. Instead, I'll ask the question here, probably receive no answer, and go on with my life. Anyway, I like the directions this book can go in though I'm a little at a loss about the Electro story and the Black Cat story, which are, in fact, coming together now, so let's see if Slott manages to turn me around on those.

Daredevil 6
This is a really fun book, you guys. The last issue just came out, like, two weeks ago and explored the "death" of Foggy Nelson, a topic I hadn't anticipated, so just read my last pre-game for this book and transfer that praise on to this one.

Mighty Avengers 12
I don't want to write this series off entirely because it's shown glimpses of really innovative and exciting things. Of course, the fact that it's in the midst of an ORIGINAL SIN tie-in doesn't exactly warm my heart or, indeed, push me to recommend it more, but here we are. It won the lottery of "I don't care a lot about most of these books," beating out DEADPOOL which, somehow, almost never gets even a little bit of consideration. I've mostly enjoyed the book beyond the much hated (by me) first arc and yet it remains just kind of a comic that exists, not one that I'm particularly pumped about (though I loved the Declan Shalvey arc and I'm looking forward to a team-up between old man Steve Rogers and Deadpool). Anyway, MIGHTY AVENGERS: it's out this week (Marvel, you can use that catchphrase if you want it).

Original Sin 5.2 - Thor and Loki
Gah, another tie-in book to an event I'm not sold on? Geez, slow week. Anyway, big shifts coming for Asgard lore (and for Thor, as news broke last week) and the start to those shifts seem to be coming in this tie-in and did I mention it's a slow week?

Storm 1
My thought, you guys, is that this is a slow week, one where I, the guy who willingly writes reviews of every major Marvel release, am tepid on the majority of the books that are releasing, so you have no excuse not to buy STORM by Greg Pak and Victor Ibanez. Go check it out, support the rad X-Men leader in her first solo ongoing, and guarantee that Marvel keeps making it and keeps trying new things.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Leftovers 7-16-14

100th Anniversary Special X-Men 1
Furth (w) and Masters (a) and Campbell and Gandini (c) and Petit (l)

Decades into the future in Marvel comics, Cyclops has been elected president. Hot on the heels of Cyclops and his team saving New York from disaster caused by tampering with a large Hadron collider, mutants have never been so appreciated. Of course, as ever with mutants, that doesn't mean there isn't still a whole ton of hate out there. As protestors push their way onto the White House lawn on inauguration night, Scott has bigger concerns, namely the sudden disappearance and apparent erasure of wife Emma Frost from the timeline. As others start to disappear and Cyclops inadvertently attacks the protestors, he himself is transported to the white hot room, where the Phoenix, in Jean's body, meets him to say that it's not time for him to be elected yet and sends him back in time to his first wedding day with Jean. There's a sort of interesting story here with mutants suddenly in the seat of power (though it seems ready immediately to disappear) but this one suffers from what some of the other 100th Anniversary books have suffered, namely the need to explain so much of what's happened in recent days because obviously the audience has such a limited grasp of it. Some choppy writing and over-exposition hurts the issue but it continues to be an exceedingly hard task. Total Score: 2/5


All-New X-Factor 11
David (w) and Di Giandomenico (a) and Loughridge (c) and Petit (l)

Gambit has been left behind by the teleporter, though Polaris is quick to notice and demand answers. When she gets none, at least none that are satisfactory, she becomes suspicious. However, her suspicion has to wait as Memento Mori's interrogation of Gambit yielded the word "Snow" and Mori figured out immediately where his daughter is being kept. He sends a warship to Serval, which manages to get its defenses (a forcefield powered by Layla Miller's glove tapped into the building's network) up just in time. X-Factor attacks, managing to slow Mori some and rescue Gambit. When the tide starts to turn towards Mori again, though, his ex-wife appears on the scene, revealing that she had been the power hungry one in the marriage and that she had practiced magic when they were together, enough to siphon the magic off of Mori and to activate the living bomb inside of him, killing both of them but saving everyone else. Certainly some interesting things happening here as Georgia Dakei ends up without parents almost immediately and as the Gambit-Snow problem instantly comes to a head, but the deus ex machina of Mori's ex-wife proves both confusing and very sudden, killing whatever tension had been created. Still, the writing is stronger here as the references take it down a notch and Di Giandomenico's art continues to impress in action. Total Score: 4/5


Magneto 7
Bunn (w) and Walta and J. Fernandez (a) and Bellaire and D. Brown (c) and Petit (l)

Raleigh's information has led Magneto to Hong Kong, where an underground group has been kidnapping mutants off the streets, never to be seen again. Magneto gets himself captured, taking care not to reveal who he truly is. He's kept in a cell to await whatever comes next. He's eventually retrieved and brought to an arena filled with spectators. As he surveys his surroundings, his adversaries release a Predator X into the ring with him. The fight against the man-made hunter-killer beast is a hard one but Magneto manages to win it, shouting a warning to everyone in the arena as he does and killing the guards who come to subdue him. He tracks the owner of the arena, demanding to know where such a small organization obtained Predators X and MGH, which he discovers upstairs. When the man refuses to tell, Magneto drags him to the holding area for the surviving Predators X and injects the man with MGH, enough for the beasts to recognize him as mutant, then tosses him in the pit. It's another very strong issue, one that finds Magneto's inner monologue talking a lot about power and the sorts of people who feel they wield it when, in fact, he can immediately recognize who actually has power (hint: no one in this place). The ending is brutal but rather what we've come to expect from this young series and it certainly resonates. Another strong issue. Total Score: 5/5


Nova 19
Duggan (w) and Baldeon (p) and Pallot (i) and Curiel (c) and Deschesne (l)

A shell-shocked Sam needs to learn more about his missing father, about whom the Watcher's eye revealed maybe a little more than Sam wanted. He flies into space as his mother sets up the move to a new apartment. Sam finds Rocket Raccoon and the two pair to track down Adomox, another Black Nova who appeared in the vision, and Rocket, remembering that Adomox owes him money, agrees to take Sam to him. They arrive at scum central Oblitus and work their way into Adomox's casino, eventually pushing up to his room, where Sam questions him while Rocket keeps guards at bay. Adomox tells Sam that the Black Nova were independent of the corps and that they were little more than mercenaries themselves, but ones who also believed that the Novas were squandering their powers, choosing instead to tap straight into the Nova Force and power themselves up more. Sam wants to know more but Adomox releases a poison into the room. After inoculating himself, Adomox demands that Sam and Rocket travel to an old Black Nova bunker that contains a machine that will reprogram Sam's helmet so Adomox can use it. Though the stakes are high here and the news Sam receives is devastating, the book manages to be very fun, showing Rocket at his absolute best and forging an unlikely friendship between the two. It moves pretty well and Rocket, who can easily turn sort of annoying, carries a lot of the book on his furry little shoulders. Very fun issue, plenty of places for the arc to go. Total Score: 5/5


Savage Hulk 2
A. Davis (w and p) and Farmer (i) and Hollingsworth (c) and Cowles (l)

The X-Men fight off Abomination and reconvene with Banner. Xavier thanks him for the cure to his own coma, the one that didn't work to treat Hulk, and says that they believe they've figured out a way to remove Hulk from Banner. After they set up (with Leader covertly keeping an eye on things), they begin their attempt. The Hulk does seem to leave Banner, but it enters Jean Grey, immediately turning her into a Hulk. It feels like not a lot happened in this book until right up to the end, aside from Abomination and the Leader's brief appearance, neither of which meant a whole lot to the current story and both of which feel out of place. With so much exposition and rather boring dialogue, the issue drags, not helped by my distaste for Davis and Farmer (though I quite like Hollingsworth and Cowles, so, I don't know, does that even things out?), and the end result seems almost non-sensical and like such an elaborate and deliberate ploy to set the Hulk on Jean that it's almost eye-rollingly frustrating. Total Score: 1/5


Savage Wolverine 21
Arcudi (w) and Quinones (a and c) and Petit (l)

Back in WWII, Logan's Canadian unit features both he and another possible mutant, a mind-reader named Lieutenant Bellamy. A large part of the German army has had their supply lines cut, leaving them desperate to maintain one last bridge, their last supply route. The Canadians want to take the bridge down but are forced to go in with a small troop in secret, lest the Germans blow the bridge themselves with the Canadians on it or radio for an artillery strike. With Bellamy's assistance from just off the front lines, Logan leads a team in and manages to destroy the radio shack. However, as things seem won, Bellamy realizes another officer is running for a second radio hidden in a tent. Logan chases him and the two end up with guns drawn at one another and Logan realizes the officer looks just like someone he's seen in his dreams recently. It's another look at Wolverine's past and one that finds him on a covert mission for the Canadian Army, something that hasn't been explored too, too much. Still, the story moves a little slowly and the Wolverine design here leaves a little to be desired, though I typically like Quinones' art and I quite like his colors here. I guess part of the issue is that the stakes seem a little vague. We're told that the quiet destruction of this bridge will cut off supply lines for the Germans entirely but it's kind of hard to get a real sense of that here. Still, kind of interesting in the end and the book reads quickly enough, though I think that some of the dialogue would have been better off cut from the book. Total Score: 3/5


She-Hulk 6
Soule (w) and Wimberly (a and c) and Cowles (l)

The phone cut out before She-Hulk could say the trigger word to Wyatt Wingfoot, saving him from any programmed suicidal thoughts. Still, with Pansy in the hospital and no more answers, only more questions and more danger, Jen decides to call off the investigation for the time being, to the dismay of Angie Huang, who nearly died in the fire in North Dakota but was saved mysteriously by Hei Hei, and who found out some incredible things on her trip, though Jen doesn't want to hear them just yet. Also on Jen's mind was a recent attack aimed at her in their own office place as tons of little demons swarmed the building shouting her name. With the assistance of the other tenants and friend Kevin Trench AKA Nightwatch, whose name also appeared on the blue file, She-Hulk fought them off but the attack did cause her rent to be raised. However, Trench, who has many wealthy contacts, sends plenty of work her way to help her out. There's a lot happening here and a lot of it, including the blue file and the demons, is interesting, just as the dialogue is pretty strong and the characters are starting to come into their own. This issue features, as the last one did, the art of Ron Wimberly, which perhaps follows in the tradition of the interesting choice of Javier Pulido as main series artist as both have very unique and probably polarizing styles. However, I've landed pretty firmly on the positive side with Pulido and I'm rather in the opposite camp with Wimberly, so that rather dulled my enjoyment of the book. Still some strong writing and plenty of places to go, but not my favorite issue. Total Score: 4/5


Silver Surfer 4
Slott (w) and M. Allred (a) and L. Allred (c) and Cowles (l)

Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood head for Earth, though they're stopped momentarily by the Guardians of the Galaxy, claiming to check every alien headed for Earth but secretly scanning the Surfer for any trace of Galactus, trying to be sure that the two truly have split up. Satisfied, they let him pass and he returns Dawn to Anchor Bay. Though he spent a lot of the trip nearing Earth complaining about his time trapped on the planet, stopped from escaping by an unseen barrier, he agrees to stay for lunch with Dawn's relieved family at their B&B. He silvers down at Dawn's behest to enjoy the meal and takes a nap in his non-silver form afterwards. Things are off in Anchor Bay though, with strange happenings occurring always just out of sight, though it's gained the attention of former Defenders Dr. Strange and Hulk, who head for the small town. Silver Surfer awakens from his nap and begins to set off again, only to discover that somehow the barrier around Earth has been restored. As the book begins its second arc, Slott continues to put an emphasis on the fun tone and the character relationships. There's still a darkness seeping in from the edges but it's relegated to the background as jokes and humor run the book from the front. It's mostly strong in that way and the upbeat tone with the sinister hints plays perfectly into the Allreds' style, which gives the book a sort of synergy that can be hard to hit so early. Strong stuff. Total Score: 5/5


Thunderbolts 28
Acker and Blacker (w) and Sandoval (a) and Silva (c) and Sabino (l)

Iron Man and Hawkeye examine the scene the Thunderbolts left, the one that Faustus' men had set up in to take down the Avengers, while the Thunderbolts examine their new guns, including the Hulk gun, which Deadpool refers to as Chekov's when Leader explains that its ammo would temporarily revert Hulk to Banner, certainly long enough to shoot him. As Red Hulk tells the team it's up to them to stay or leave in the wake of Punisher's exit and in the wake of the news that they'll be keeping their villains so that they might work for them, Hawkeye investigates the blown-up Punisher safehouse, convinced that he had something to do with the scene they had seen earlier and that said scene had something to do with the Avengers. He arrives there just as Elektra does, looking for Punisher but finding the exploded ruins and a charred body. The two briefly fight but Elektra leaves, though it seems Hawkeye may have tagged her with a tracer. She returns to the T-Bolts hideout and accuses Red Hulk of killing Punisher. As a fight begins to break out, they're distracted by gunshots elsewhere and hurry off to find Red Leader shot through the head, Faustus shot through the gut, and the Hulk gun missing. Another very strong issue in the wake of the announcement that, sadly, THUNDERBOLTS will end with issue 32. There's plenty happening here and new-ish comic book writers Acker and Blacker seem ambitious with their first and likely only arc on the series as they begin to pull elements from all around the Marvel Universe together to have the series go out with a bang. Strong writing, fun dialogue, and interesting choices prop up the issue, helped too by Sandoval's frantic and kinetic art. Lot of fun here. Total Score: 5/5

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Elektra 4, Ms. Marvel 6

Elektra 4
W.H. Blackman (w) and Del Mundo (a) and Del Mundo w/D'Alfonso (c) and Cowles (l)

Elektra sees a vision of her mother through the veil, lecturing her about how she became a killer and giving her a glimpse of what her life would have been with the support of her mother throughout, while Bloody Lips sees his wife again, insisting he kill himself for the pain that he's caused. Elektra's mother invokes the innocents she's murdered and Elektra says that she's never killed someone who could be called innocent, showing no remorse even in the face of a disappointed mother and eventually realizing that it's not truly her mother as she asks Elektra what her father would think about her choices. She fights her way out of the area though she catches a glimpse of Bloody Lips in her mind, forcing him to reveal his name. She grabs Kento and the two emerge out of the water for Matchmaker to retrieve them. Kento knows that they have to go north to find his father and they escape in Matchmaker's plane, but Bloody Lips is hot on their trail, using Scalphunter's ship to trail them. Elektra dives out of Matchmaker's ship and manages to take down Bloody Lips' but she's forced down too, wearing wings to glide safely but still lost in the Arctic, where she comes upon a gun-toting Cape Crow.

With my new habitat of doing a leftovers post wherein I quickly summarize and give impressions of the books I didn't do bigger reviews for, I end up in a place where I can sort of cherry-pick the books for which I want to write a longer review (aside from the ones I deem "important" or "have AVENGERS in the title"). ELEKTRA and MS. MARVEL jumped out at me this week (though props to NOVA, MAGNETO, and THUNDERBOLTS for putting in the effort) as ones I really wanted to shine a light on. I've really enjoyed this book so far and this issue is no exception. The beginning gives a great look at Elektra's mentality (as well as Bloody Lips', which is, you know, pretty much the darkest thing you could imagine), which buckles for a moment in the face of her mother but never really falters, never backs down or asks forgiveness. Instead, she seems, if anything, more resolute about what she does. Really great stuff. And Matchmaker, you guys, she's the best. Real Amelia Earhart, fearless flier up there. Still excellent art from Del Mundo and still a great little series.

Total Score: 5/5


Ms. Marvel 6
G.W. Wilson (w) and Wyatt (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

The Inventor has been sending bots out into the city to both annoy and try to find Ms. Marvel, who has done a good job so far of staying undetected or breaking said bots. Her father sets up a meeting with Sheikh Abdullah for her, which she doesn't wish to attend but ends up going, particularly as she's not in the best of books with her parents at current. She ends up getting really good advice from him and they both leave the meeting happy. Reinvigorated and looking for, under the advice of the Sheikh, someone from whom she might learn more about helping people, she dives into a giant suspicious pothole-turned-path-to-the-sewer, where she discovers Thomas Edison, the Inventor's clone of the real Edison combined with his own pet parakeet. Edison is conducting experiments to learn whether he can change an animal's nature, in this case teaching an alligator not to kill. Ms. Marvel prepares to fight him but is startled to find Wolverine entering the fight before she can get a punch off. Thrilled, Kamala relates to him how excited she is and how she couldn't have found a better team-up, to his dismay. Still, the two get along pretty well, helping each other out and trying to track the escaped Inventor or Edison in the tunnels. Unfortunately, they fall right into a trap and Kamala, with Wolverine rather injured, will have to fight her way out of it.

Another really strong issue as Ms. Marvel finally gets her first taste of the greater Marvel Universe through every teenage girl's dad Wolverine. He came to the sewers looking for a runaway from the Jean Grey School and now the two of them are pals. The writing between the pair is very fun and extraordinarily strong, particularly the way Wilson characterizes the well-known Wolverine on top of her own created Kamala. The book reads pretty quickly, though it does get a little confusing as Edison enters the scene, and the conversation between Kamala and Sheikh Abdullah is very strong but the draw here really is the chemistry between Kamala and Wolverine, which is equal parts adorable and fun on both ends.

Total Score: 5/5

Uncanny X-Men 23, X-Men 16

Uncanny X-Men 23
Bendis (w) and Anka (a and c) and Caramagna (l)


As the team recovers from the most recent attack of the future evil brotherhood, She-Hulk receives a startling package. While Cyclops tries to talk to Eva about whatever it is she's hiding and her suddenly faster aging and as Emma, Magik, and Magneto try to help Dazzler track down Mystique, She-Hulk heads to the Jean Grey School and calls together Storm, Beast, and Iceman, waiting only for Cyclops to turn up so that she can read the last will and testament of Charles Xavier.

The issue serves as both the start to a new arc and a bit of a rest issue after the last arc. It drags a little bit in its own way, combatted well by Bendis by jumping around the X-Universe a bit. As the team settles back in, welcoming recent overpowered hero Hijack back into their midst, Bendis sets up the new story which will, he promises, rattle the X-World to its core. That said, it comes as a big sort of GASP moment at the end when She-Hulk informs the three X-Men around her that they'll need to get Cyclops to hear the reading of the will, which would probably be more effective if the two rival teams didn't see each other every third book or so. For someone who has sort of been excommunicated by the X-Men, Cyclops has still made a number of appearances, met with varying degrees of anger and I think it's weakened the series and the death of Charles Xavier a bit. I'd have liked it more if they could have kept this Uncanny X-Men team from the X-Men team or the Wolverine and the X-Men team or whatever entirely, really giving a sense of isolation. Instead, Cyclops has appeared in every major X-Men story, it feels like, and Bendis has even gone so far as to send the O5 X-Men with Kitty Pryde to Cyclops' side. Hardly feels as dramatic. Anyway, the total score/review for this issue is only for this issue, not for the faults I'm expressing about the series as a whole. So...

Total Score: 4/5


X-Men 16
Wood (w) and Buffagni and Sandoval (a) and Mounts (c) and Eliopoulos and Caramagna (l)

The Future, thrown a bit by Kymera's appearance and actions, has altered his plan and captured Jubilee instead of killing her and trying to take Shogo himself. He retreats to a safehouse in the Adirondacks and waits for the X-Men's response. They prepare an assault, readying even the students for the fight, despite the notion that students should stay away from the fighting and acknowledging that the kidnapping of an X-Man and the brutal attacks on their home are more serious than most things they face. As they begin their attack, they learn that The Future has all manner of futuristic defenses, including a sort of bio-coded forest which would only allow entrance to people with the same DNA as The Future, stopping even the powerful Monet in her tracks. When The Future makes an offer of a trade, Jubilee for Shogo, to Storm, sure that she will give up the baby that he believes means nothing to her, she declares war.

Things are getting heated against The Future and I think that the only problem with the story as a whole is that The Future is still such a foreign entity. That isn't altogether bad; the idea that the X-Men don't really know who they're facing and that they've never faced him before opens the door for plenty of fear and poor decisions. However, it does make it kind of hard to see how much of a threat he is. Obviously Wood has done his part, showing The Future effortlessly attacking the Jean Grey School and incapacitating Psylocke (actually hard) and kidnapping Jubilee (ehhhhhh, not so hard once you're IN the school). Even with that, though, it's hard to get a read on this guy. This is where the continuity of comics hurts the current comics because the X-Men, appropriately, are treating this as one of the biggest threats they've faced but long-time X-Readers are undoubtedly thinking of all the other villains in the team's rogues gallery and wondering why The Future stacks up so high suddenly. Again, not necessarily Wood's fault or the fault of this book but it is a problem when reading this story. Still, strong issue overall, harkens back to Wood's ULTIMATE X-MEN with the sentient seed and the forest that fought on behalf of the mutants of Utopia, even if now a pseudo-sentient seed is fighting against the X-Men.

Total Score: 4/5

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Secret Avengers 5, Avengers World 9

Secret Avengers 5
Kot (w) and Walsh (a) and Wilson (c) and Cowles (l)

It's sort of a day off for the Secret Avengers with all of their recent missions end it and the team spends it in their own ways. Spider-Woman talks to the living bomb and learns from it that she is an empath, Coulson demands a vacation and takes it even after it's denied, Fury is sent into Coulson's locker only to have acid sprayed in his good eye for his troubles, Black Widow helps Maria Hill interrogate the terrible poet and reveals that she knows about MODOK, Hawkeye eats lunch and shoots some arrows, and Maria Hill and MODOK discuss whether MODOK can be trusted. Though MODOK swears he can and swears that he wants to make the world better, Hill secretly believes that everything that's happened recently, from the hitman to the recently discovered pregnancy of the Fury to the poet and the living bomb, has MODOK's fingerprints all over it.

There are directions in which this book can go that I think would make it an interesting book and I think that Kot has wisely kept many of those directions open. One of the benefits of an occasional rest issue is that it allows a reader to reset and the writer to nod at different potential plot lines. You need to fill space in a rest issue and you don't want it to be wasted space so the best thing you can do is keep some balls in the air. Kot is doing that nicely here, but there is a little bit of a flaw here in that Kot's biggest ball still in the air is that MODOK maybe can't be trusted. I wasn't particularly onboard at any point with MODOK joining up with SHIELD because I don't think it tracks at any point in MODOK's existence (it tracks in SHIELD's existence because SHIELD is the worst) but neither sincerely wanting to help SHIELD nor subterfuge and subtlety in trying to take SHIELD apart from the outside has ever been a strong suit for MODOK, so to find that this book's drama is currently hinging on whether or not we trust MODOK left me feeling a little letdown. Still, I enjoyed this issue more than the previous ones because it felt a little more down-to-Earth (I don't think the book should be forced to keep to sort of generic comic book standards, but I do think it needs to choose a real tone and stick with it) and didn't get too caught up in its own perception.

Total Score: 4/5


Avengers World 9
Spencer (w) and Caselli (a) and Mossa (c) and Caramagna (l)

Cannonball and Sunspot are being treated pretty well by AIM and it's throwing them off a bit. They're not able to leave but they're treated to fine dining and first-run movies (with as blatant a nod to Marvel's upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy as you're about to see in comics, even including the movie tie-in books). Still, their rescue team didn't pan out but Maria Hill was able to establish contact. With the help of a future Jocasta unit recovered back in Spencer's SECRET AVENGERS, Hill has learned that AIM Island has blossomed because the AIM of the future is sending back tech and info to the past. She knows how they're doing it and sends Cannonball and Sunspot to go shut it down at the source, traveling to the future to stop the flow of information to the past. A future Jocasta meets them there and brings them to see the kidnapped children of the Avengers.

I talked in my pre-game about how much I'm enjoying this series as a whole, with smaller teams and somewhat more personal quarters and missions. It's been a really strong book altogether and I think this issue is no different. This one is a little more light-hearted as Cannonball and Sunspot, particularly together, are more light-hearted characters, but it works here as the situation still feels big but they, with all of their powers and bravado, don't quite fit into it, leading to the humor and the slightly-off tone. It works. Also, there's a major Back to the Future reference which is then called back very nicely and a good Back to the Future reference will typically get me on your side (I'm calling it Back to the Future because the line in question, "it's your kids, Marty, something has got to be done about your kids!," is at the end of the first movie and is repeated at the start of the second movie but we're NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE SECOND MOVIE. Whole stupid thing hinges on Marty not being able to walk away from someone calling him chicken. So dumb, you guys! But that first one is gold).

Total Score: 5/5
Back to the Future Total Score: 1.21 GW

Sam Wilson to pick up the shield in ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA

After revealing recently that Steve Rogers, now serum-less, will be hanging up his spangly boots and beautiful shield, it's just been announced that Sam Wilson, currently the Falcon, will be taking over the role in Rick Remender and Stuart Immonen's ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA. It's a pretty straightforward switch, perhaps to be expected, but still a massive one and well-deserved. Now, between this and the THOR reveal, we are set to have at least two thirds of Marvel's "big three," Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man, be a black man and a woman, respectively. Pretty big deal, you guys.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54124 (sorry, can't embed links from my phone)

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Original Sin 6, Original Sin 3.2 - Hulk vs. Iron Man

Original Sin 6
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)

Nick still won't confess or deny the murder of the Watcher but he admits that he called all of them there (aside from Rocket, who turned up on Moon Knight's and Gamora's behalf) in the hopes that at least one of them would want to take up his mantle, that these are the people most able to do his job. Fury Prime, who also reveals that the Infinity Formula keeping him young is now gone and he's aging rapidly as a result, returns to his work and begins interrogating the Orb on how to make the eyes talk. The team he left behind fight the other Furys in the hope that they'd get to the other Fury just as the Avengers also arrive only to find Nick waiting for them in a battle suit.

Look, who killed the Watcher? I don't want to say that there wasn't interesting stuff in here because I think there still was but I've often chided events for lasting too long and I think this event is suffering from that in this very issue. Aaron does a solid job keeping the pace of this issue moving but you're not in an event to see the rest issues or to reset for a minute. You're in an event because something huge is happening. Nothing huge happened in this issue. It felt like a recap of the last one and a prep for the next one, which will be the penultimate issue. Not a lot more I can say about it. AND YET, this review took SO LONG TO WRITE. I'm a little out of it, you guys. Long day. ANYWAY, don't let that cloud your judgment of my Total Score.

Total Score: 2/5


Original Sin 3.2 - Hulk vs. Iron Man
Gillen and Waid (s) and Gillen (w) and L. Ross (a) and Guru eFX (c) and Caramagna (l)

Tony buys an unsuccessful motel nearby to where the original gamma bomb went off, trying to remember what happened there back when he and Banner once yelled at one another there, as Banner goes to Arno to work on a tweak for Extremis. Tony remembers back to a time with Thunderbolt Ross wherein he was officially paid to help Banner, back to the fight the two geniuses had, and back to his decision to knowingly sabotage the bomb. Meanwhile, Banner's tweak worked and he's off and running.

I liked this issue a good deal more than the first for a couple reasons: first and foremost, it's an actual addition to the story as opposed to just kicking things off with information solicits and interviews told us (again, not Waid nor Gillen's fault there, but still made for a more boring read). Second, though, I really do appreciate that Tony very clearly is the villain here. We all know that Tony was a war profiteer and an arms dealer and, you know, still rather Tony but drunker and less ethical. To then have Gillen make Tony completely at fault for what's happening, a pretty major "completely at fault," is pretty gutsy, particularly where this is still a well-liked "hero" character. Strong move. Still some slowness to the plot as we build to the climax (there was some good new information and information that colored the story a bit more, but by and large, it didn't give much new).

Total Score: 4/5