I missed ALL OF THESE! Let's talk just a little about the Marvel releases since this blog went underwater (that's what happens when anything on the internet goes away. So many Angelfire Atlantises).
Avengers: Age of Ultron
This one suffered amongst fans and critics alike for, I guess, not being The Avengers. That said, I liked it rather a lot. It felt like a movie that knew its characters very well and created an interesting situation for said characters to deal with. It certainly wasn't perfect; Age of Ultron drags a bit in the middle and, likely thanks to the studio, ties its hands a little by cementing its place as a building block in the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than its own removed entity, but that's to be expected with such a huge franchise (especially given that the Avengers films will likely always be very concerned with building towards the next big thing). That aside, we got good characters in Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (whose introduction felt fitting for comics fans without being a carbon copy of the source material) and in Paul Bettany's Vision. Some good jokes, some decidedly fun action, and plenty of character development for a movie that would surely have survived on action and brand recognition alone (*cough* Batman vs. Superman *cough*) make AoU a very nice addition to the MCU. It seems like the movie's biggest crime was that it wasn't as big of a surprise as its predecessor, which is like saying that Aristotle was a real let-down when compared to Plato. I'm sure Marvel's happy to have both in its stable.
Ant-Man
It goes without saying that nobody likes Ant-Man. Like, it's Ant-Man. Don't give me any "oh, sure, Hank Pym is real plain toast and one time hit his wife, but he's not so bad" or any "Eric O'Grady sure is an interesting character!" Like, sure, Scott Lang is your best option; a good guy thief, jailed for trying to save the life of his daughter (the way more fun Cassie Lang who, truth told, is probably only in our hearts because of her ties to the Young Avengers), but saying Catdog is the best cartoon starring a cat/dog creature doesn't really scream praise for Catdog now does it? Anyway, all this to say that the movie was fun. Yup, that was a real turn, right? I have some complicated feelings towards this movie. I like Paul Rudd and I like his inclusion in this universe (after Civil War, I'm pretty sure we're just slowly morphing him into Bobby Newport, which is the best of all possible MCUs) and I thought the movie, while probably the most paint-by-numbers Marvel has yet been (which is probably saying something in its own right), was more than entertaining enough to merit a favorable review, it's hard not to see a better movie creeping in at the seams. That's right, this mini-review, which started with a rant about Ant-Man turned into a positive review about Ant-Man and is now turning into a glowing review about a movie that was never made: Edgar Wright's Ant-Man. Wright, as we probably all now know, was literal years deep into his Ant-Man movie when he abruptly was removed from/left the picture. Rumors have it down to Marvel's insistence that the movie tie in to the greater universe vs. Wright's control freak director personality, which has yielded unbelievably good movie after unbelievably good movie. Marvel's done well for itself since it hired Wright (allegedly) to work on an Ant-Man movie, so I can't really fault them for wanting to continue to build and to change their original promise to Wright (a hypothetical promise; it makes sense to me that they'd have offered Wright full control over the title before they really knew how big they'd get), but Wright is an excellent filmmaker and was a perfect choice for this project. Let him do what he does and get out of his way. You can still see very Wright-esque shots in this perfectly acceptable version of the movie, but those shots only let you see just how delightfully quick Ant-Man could have been.
Captain America: Civil War
Why even mess around? This is quite possibly the best movie Marvel has put out yet and it has absolutely no right to be. This many characters, both new and old, appearing in a film (some for only ten or so minutes) is a recipe for disaster, as so many examples have shown (WHAT UP, SPIDER-MAN 3 AND X-MEN 3?). The Russo brothers, though, have a story they want to tell and set to work expertly telling it and bringing in all the pieces they need to tell it most effectively and efficiently. The movie moves exceedingly well for it's two and a half hour runtime and every character gets at least a few good moments throughout. Special mentions to their treatment of Spider-Man (and the performance of young Tom Holland), which really defines just how the next wave of Spidey movies could turn out, and to both their treatment of Black Panther and Chadwick Boseman's stellar performance as the Wakandan royal. Excellent character work throughout with a few killer action sequences (Marvel has, very intelligently, made every single one of their characters' fight styles distinctive so it's easy to watch a longer fight sequence and still lose yourself in it) and a really tight, exciting, and, most important of all, different story launches this entry right up to the top of Marvel's best.
BONUS ROUND:
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
I walked out of this movie saying to my fiancee, "boy, Bryan Singer sure knows how to make a competent movie." I like the way this X-Men film series is going, but none of the movies its spawned strike me as particularly great movies. They are, however, eminently watchable. There aren't ever particularly exciting ideas (though one could make an argument that placing these movies smack dab in the middle of real world events like the Cold War and the JFK assassination and, just, the '80s, I guess is a decidedly compelling idea) or particularly outstanding writing. The characters who always seem to be the most focused-upon and, perhaps therefore, interesting are Professor X and Magneto, which isn't exactly a bold new direction for the X-Men franchise as a whole. This movie, for example, introduced Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Storm, Psylocke, and Angel, to name a few, and yet I walked away feeling like only Professor X and Magneto had really developed as characters (maybe Jean a little bit, but that's starting from zero, where development should be easy). Granted, I really only find three of the characters I mentioned in that "just introduced" group genuinely interesting in X-Men lore (HINT: none of my picks are original X-Men), but still there should be more there. Obviously they're intending to build on those characters specifically as we move forward (well, maybe not Angel, there aren't many places for him to go post-Apocalypse. Frankly, I'd be a little surprised if they go back to Psylocke, which is a dang shame, but then again, she wasn't even British in the movie, come on), but this was the chance to lay a foundation and, instead, we got another movie about Magneto, Professor X, and boring ol' Mystique. Still, I'll put on FXX when this one is on, won't I? Just like with First Class and Days of Future Past (for what it's worth, Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World don't get that kind of treatment).
Showing posts with label Captain America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Captain America. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Monday, October 13, 2014
Marvel Cinematic Universe preparing for CIVIL WAR
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Captain America 25, Thor 1
Captain America 25
The gathered heroes and villains wait below while Falcon brings the bomb into the sky, detonating away from everyone else. Iron Man catches Falcon's falling body before he hits the ground and, while Cap lauds him for his bravery and calls him more than just a hero, he opens his eyes again, saying that he got Tony to whip him up some vibranium wings that took the brunt of the blast. All isn't entirely well though, as Zola tells Jet that these people don't see her as a hero and that she won't change their minds only to be almost instantly proven right as Sharon begins to accuse her of teaming up with her father to enact this plan. Furious that even Steve won't stand up for her, Jet leaves with her father back to Dimension Z (why is no one stopping him??). One week later, Steve calls together all past and present Avengers to Avengers Mansion to announce he's taking on a leadership/behind-the-scenes position and handing off the Captain America mantle to Falcon. An epilogue also shows that one of those Avengers is a double-agent for Hydra and the Unknown Council. The traitor reveals that Falcon is taking over the position and Madam Worm and the Drain, from Remender's WINTER SOLDIER: BITTER MARCH series, believe they're ready to break the new Captain.
Sam says it himself in this one as he's introduced: "You guys all knew it was me, didn't you? There's literally no drama left in this reveal." I recognize that that's something of a tongue-in-cheek (or perhaps just blatant announcement) bit of dialogue from Remender, who voices what the audience is thinking. As I said last issue, Falcon's heroic sacrifice isn't made meaningless by the fact we, as the audience, all know he's going to survive (though the vibranium wings take something of the heart of it, even if it makes more sense that he survived because of them, though ostensibly less sense because where did Tony get vibranium and...you know what, tangent, whatever). Falcon didn't know he was going to when he chose to sacrifice himself, so it's still just as meaningful. It's the argument for characters dying in stories even if we know they'll come back: these keeps some level of stakes on the table and the hero's death is still meaningful because they still sacrificed their life without the intention of being reborn. ANYWAY, all that isn't to say that this issue isn't still predictable and a bit slow for it. As a special size issue (and primarily as a big, undoubtedly high-selling book), it costs $4.99 and, for the first time in this series, I can't say it's particularly worth it. We know what's going to happen, the Zemo storyline wraps up so anticlimactically (the climax was really last issue when Falcon took the bomb up, then things just kind of peter out this issue as Zola straight up just leaves the area with Jet), and there's an extended scene at Avengers Mansion that's played for laughs but doesn't quite hit (a little baffling since Remender certainly can be funny, I've seen it plenty). Pick it up if you're interested in owning a big moment in Cap/Marvel history, but if you're looking for an entertaining and compelling story, there are other places to look.
Total Score: 3/5
Thor 1
Thor has been sitting on the moon with an inert Mjolnir for some time now, not sleeping, not eating, and not talking to anyone but his beloved hammer. All the Asgardians have come out to see and learned that not only can Thor not lift the hammer any longer, no one can. The Warriors Three have all tried to no avail and even Odin himself cannot lift the hammer he once enchanted. Thor is only coaxed from the hammer when he learns that Midgard is under attack by awoken Frost Giants in the sea. He gets Jarnbjorn out of the armory and heads back to Earth, where he runs afoul of Malekith, who relishes in the unworthiness, defeating Thor handily and cutting off one of his arms. Meanwhile, back on the moon, a shadowy figure prompts the writing on the hammer to change to say "Whomsoever holds this hammer, if she be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." As the inscription changes, the mysterious woman picks up the hammer and is instantly imbued with just such power. It is hinted that the figure is Freyja, or at least that it is she who is behind changing the inscription, but no firm details are given.
I think the story is an interesting one; something out there has changed Mjolnir's enchantment in some way and now Thor isn't the only one who can't pick up the hammer (woulda been weird if an elderly Steve Rogers went up there and grabbed it, imbuing himself with Thor powers now that his super soldier serum is gone). The mystery around the new Thor could remain interesting for some time but it'll have to be played right (or just revealed quickly, which would be the easier path to take). Still, it does feel like something is missing in this book and, like with the new CAPTAIN AMERICA reveal, I think that this massive and interesting twist is underhanded by the solicits and the press junket for the whole thing. In today's day and age, perhaps it's impossible to keep this a secret, particularly for a market that is, inexplicably, dependent on pre-orders, but this issue (and CAPTAIN AMERICA) certainly suffer for the lack of a twist in what would have once been a huge, huge shock. Though I do rather like the new THOR logo design.
Total Score: 3/5
Sam says it himself in this one as he's introduced: "You guys all knew it was me, didn't you? There's literally no drama left in this reveal." I recognize that that's something of a tongue-in-cheek (or perhaps just blatant announcement) bit of dialogue from Remender, who voices what the audience is thinking. As I said last issue, Falcon's heroic sacrifice isn't made meaningless by the fact we, as the audience, all know he's going to survive (though the vibranium wings take something of the heart of it, even if it makes more sense that he survived because of them, though ostensibly less sense because where did Tony get vibranium and...you know what, tangent, whatever). Falcon didn't know he was going to when he chose to sacrifice himself, so it's still just as meaningful. It's the argument for characters dying in stories even if we know they'll come back: these keeps some level of stakes on the table and the hero's death is still meaningful because they still sacrificed their life without the intention of being reborn. ANYWAY, all that isn't to say that this issue isn't still predictable and a bit slow for it. As a special size issue (and primarily as a big, undoubtedly high-selling book), it costs $4.99 and, for the first time in this series, I can't say it's particularly worth it. We know what's going to happen, the Zemo storyline wraps up so anticlimactically (the climax was really last issue when Falcon took the bomb up, then things just kind of peter out this issue as Zola straight up just leaves the area with Jet), and there's an extended scene at Avengers Mansion that's played for laughs but doesn't quite hit (a little baffling since Remender certainly can be funny, I've seen it plenty). Pick it up if you're interested in owning a big moment in Cap/Marvel history, but if you're looking for an entertaining and compelling story, there are other places to look.
Total Score: 3/5
Thor 1
I think the story is an interesting one; something out there has changed Mjolnir's enchantment in some way and now Thor isn't the only one who can't pick up the hammer (woulda been weird if an elderly Steve Rogers went up there and grabbed it, imbuing himself with Thor powers now that his super soldier serum is gone). The mystery around the new Thor could remain interesting for some time but it'll have to be played right (or just revealed quickly, which would be the easier path to take). Still, it does feel like something is missing in this book and, like with the new CAPTAIN AMERICA reveal, I think that this massive and interesting twist is underhanded by the solicits and the press junket for the whole thing. In today's day and age, perhaps it's impossible to keep this a secret, particularly for a market that is, inexplicably, dependent on pre-orders, but this issue (and CAPTAIN AMERICA) certainly suffer for the lack of a twist in what would have once been a huge, huge shock. Though I do rather like the new THOR logo design.
Total Score: 3/5
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Comics this week
Boy, it doesn't get much easier than this one, huh? There are weeks where I really have to weigh things out, pick out the top five books I'm looking forward to/that I believe are most important in the coming week, whether because there are too many vying for this prestigious list or because I just can't get myself up to five I'm excited about. But boy if five didn't jump right off the page to me this week. Is it a perfect five? No, probably not. I didn't have room for DEATH OF WOLVERINE on the list so now no one will know it could have been here as well. But the five that are here? Oh, I think you'll be interested in them.
Black Widow 11
WELL LOOK, I'M INTERESTED IN THEM, OKAY? How many times do I have to tell you to be interested in this one? Look, I'll level with you, I don't know if you're reading this book or not, I shouldn't be so mad at you. I'm just saying you should be reading this book. It's interesting because, logically, based on the other books that are coming in this list, I should have cut this one to make way for the important DEATH OF WOLVERINE, but it literally did not cross my mind. I'm not cutting this book from this list.
Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier 1
One of three premiere books this week (along with GUARDIANS 3000 and THOR) and one I'm really interested in. Yes. Interested is the right word. I go very back and forth on writer Ales Kot, who I wanted to like in his first SECRET AVENGERS take, don't like in the current SECRET AVENGERS series, and do like in his current IRON PATRIOT series. The series will be illustrated by Marco Rudy who I am rather obsessed with right now (loved his MARVEL KNIGHTS: SPIDER-MAN and his NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL). Also worth noting: its protagonist is a character I love in Bucky Barnes. Color me warily optimistic.
Captain America 25
WHO IS THE NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA? We all likely know by now but that last page of the last issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA saw our best guess fly a bomb straight into the air, so maybe we're not a hundred percent sure? Look, it's a momentous issue for the series and I'd advise you check in on it (and it's been a really good series ANYWAY).
Thor 1
The second premiere issue to make the list this week (sorry GUARDIANS 3000, but I also kinda don't know why you exist) and, as with CAPTAIN AMERICA, big changes are here as we get our first real look at the new Thor. If that doesn't entice you at least a LITTLE, maybe you're on the wrong blog.
Uncanny Avengers 25
I know I may say this frequently, but we're right on the verge of AXIS and this book has been excellent to this point. Want to get the scoop on the upcoming Marvel event (or maybe even the one that's starting here, in UNCANNY AVENGERS 25? I don't know, I can't be bothered to do the slightest amount of research)? Check out this issue.
Black Widow 11
WELL LOOK, I'M INTERESTED IN THEM, OKAY? How many times do I have to tell you to be interested in this one? Look, I'll level with you, I don't know if you're reading this book or not, I shouldn't be so mad at you. I'm just saying you should be reading this book. It's interesting because, logically, based on the other books that are coming in this list, I should have cut this one to make way for the important DEATH OF WOLVERINE, but it literally did not cross my mind. I'm not cutting this book from this list.
Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier 1
One of three premiere books this week (along with GUARDIANS 3000 and THOR) and one I'm really interested in. Yes. Interested is the right word. I go very back and forth on writer Ales Kot, who I wanted to like in his first SECRET AVENGERS take, don't like in the current SECRET AVENGERS series, and do like in his current IRON PATRIOT series. The series will be illustrated by Marco Rudy who I am rather obsessed with right now (loved his MARVEL KNIGHTS: SPIDER-MAN and his NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL). Also worth noting: its protagonist is a character I love in Bucky Barnes. Color me warily optimistic.
Captain America 25
WHO IS THE NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA? We all likely know by now but that last page of the last issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA saw our best guess fly a bomb straight into the air, so maybe we're not a hundred percent sure? Look, it's a momentous issue for the series and I'd advise you check in on it (and it's been a really good series ANYWAY).
Thor 1
The second premiere issue to make the list this week (sorry GUARDIANS 3000, but I also kinda don't know why you exist) and, as with CAPTAIN AMERICA, big changes are here as we get our first real look at the new Thor. If that doesn't entice you at least a LITTLE, maybe you're on the wrong blog.
Uncanny Avengers 25
I know I may say this frequently, but we're right on the verge of AXIS and this book has been excellent to this point. Want to get the scoop on the upcoming Marvel event (or maybe even the one that's starting here, in UNCANNY AVENGERS 25? I don't know, I can't be bothered to do the slightest amount of research)? Check out this issue.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Captain America 24, Black Widow 10
Captain America 24
As the Avengers fight Zola's mutates on the ground, Ian makes his way up to Sharon and Falcon and Jet confront Zola himself. Zola tells Jet that all of her actions, her revolt, her betrayal, etc., were by his will and offers her a place once more by his side as he conquers the world. She still fights him, getting help from Falcon as Ian and Sharon, who not only survived her time in Dimension Z but actually ended up raising Ian the rest of the way (so Sharon and Steve are his mom and dad), discover that Zola has a bomb meant to raze New York, civilians and superheroes alike. Zola has the bomb, as well as the mutates, telepathically controlled through his antennae (oh Zola, you're so silly!) so he can detonate it at a moment's notice. He hasn't done so only because he wants his daughter to join him once more. Falcon distracts Zola while Redwing clips Zola's antennae, hoping to disrupt the signal, but in classic villain mode the bomb sets to a 30-second timer when the signal is lost, leaving New York seemingly doomed. Falcon rushes to the bomb and grabs it, flying it far over the city and telling Steve to marry Sharon and raise Ian and have a good life as the bomb explodes.
You guys ever get the feeling that comic solicits and news and everything kind of ruin suspense to a point? This is a really great comic, complete with everything you could want from a superhero comic: a classic pure evil villain, an attempt to destroy all the superheroes and millions of civilians on the path to taking over the world, heroes working together towards a common goal, the monumental sacrifice of a terrific and long-standing superhero. And yet, we know that Falcon's meant to pick up the Captain America mantle in the next issue so we have a pretty good feeling that he'll live. To Remender's credit, that doesn't take all of the tension out or make the sacrifice meaningless; instead, it still stands strong and shines a great light on Sam. Overall, I can't fault the book for the flaws of the information age and this is still a really good issue.
Total Score: 5/5
Black Widow 10
We see a flashback of Black Widow's time on the other side of the law, specifically the period when Hawkeye had become an Avenger but his beloved Black Widow was still a criminal. The two find themselves on opposite sides of an escort mission as Natasha attempts to smuggle Rashid, an accountant with all manner of secrets in his head about terrorist money dealings, out of Pakistan to Russian operatives and Clint tries to capture Rashid. The two spar across Islamabad but Natasha eventually wins out, long-distance snapping Hawkeye's bow before he can successfully derail the car Rashid managed to get in. In the present, though, Rashid is the one who kidnapped Isaiah, who holds firm, unwilling to give up any information and sure that Natasha won't come for him. On the other hand, though, Natasha realizes she may need a hand on this one.
Though the cover and the hype are something of a fake-out as Hawkeye only appears in flashback form and we don't see much of their working one-on-one relationship now, the issue still holds up to the rest of the series nicely, with plenty of action and phenomenal Phil Noto art doing most of the storytelling with Edmondson's often terse dialogue filling in many of the specifics. In that way, it's very much a comic (and has been through its run) that uses the advantages of an illustrated medium to really flesh out a story. Comics drag when they rely too much on the narration or the dialogue to push the story forward or to build up characters too much. Not to say that all comics with a lot of writing are slow or uninteresting, just that it's a risk you run when you write an issue and leave little room for the art to tell the story. This series continues its excellent run unabated and I advise you check it out if you, for some inane reason, haven't already.
Total Score: 5/5
You guys ever get the feeling that comic solicits and news and everything kind of ruin suspense to a point? This is a really great comic, complete with everything you could want from a superhero comic: a classic pure evil villain, an attempt to destroy all the superheroes and millions of civilians on the path to taking over the world, heroes working together towards a common goal, the monumental sacrifice of a terrific and long-standing superhero. And yet, we know that Falcon's meant to pick up the Captain America mantle in the next issue so we have a pretty good feeling that he'll live. To Remender's credit, that doesn't take all of the tension out or make the sacrifice meaningless; instead, it still stands strong and shines a great light on Sam. Overall, I can't fault the book for the flaws of the information age and this is still a really good issue.
Total Score: 5/5
Black Widow 10
Though the cover and the hype are something of a fake-out as Hawkeye only appears in flashback form and we don't see much of their working one-on-one relationship now, the issue still holds up to the rest of the series nicely, with plenty of action and phenomenal Phil Noto art doing most of the storytelling with Edmondson's often terse dialogue filling in many of the specifics. In that way, it's very much a comic (and has been through its run) that uses the advantages of an illustrated medium to really flesh out a story. Comics drag when they rely too much on the narration or the dialogue to push the story forward or to build up characters too much. Not to say that all comics with a lot of writing are slow or uninteresting, just that it's a risk you run when you write an issue and leave little room for the art to tell the story. This series continues its excellent run unabated and I advise you check it out if you, for some inane reason, haven't already.
Total Score: 5/5
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Comics this week
Happy September, friends! Lots of big comics out this week so let's dive right into it with the top 5 most anticipated/most exciting picks of the pre-week.
Black Widow 10
Excited by the tease of Hawkeye in this phenomenal BLACK WIDOW series just a few short issues ago? Well wait no longer for the team-up that introduced these two to the Marvel Universe and to villaining/eventual heroing as Natasha teams with Clint in a somewhat rarely seen team-up between just the two of them (they're always together but I feel like, without looking into it WHATSOEVER, they don't really hang out by themselves too often because, you know, Natasha would probably kill him).
Captain America 24
Interested by the reveal that Sam Wilson is set to become the new Captain America? Wondering what will become of Steve Rogers in this new world? Surprised to find that both Cap's son Ian and fiancee Sharon have both been alive since Steve left Dimension Z? Looking to see the origins of the upcoming AXIS event? Well this book has all that and PROBABLY more! Though I can't confirm as I've not read the book yet. I honestly can't confirm it has everything I said, just feels like PROBABLY they'll touch on most if not all of it.
Death of Wolverine 1
Say what you will about the death and resurrection of superheroes, a well-written death story can still shake the universe to its core. Charles Soule has impressed me with his runs on THUNDERBOLTS, SHE-HULK, and INHUMAN so far (and I've heard his work at DC has been stellar as well) so let's see just how he plans to kill the world's most popular X-Man, assuming this isn't a big ol' fake-out.
Original Sin 8
FINE, I'm not that excited about this one. Maybe it will surprise me but I've not found myself totally enthralled by this series at any point, be it with the main series or the tie-ins. Of course, this pre-game primer tends to mix the books I personally am excited to see (BLACK WIDOW, CAP) with books that are maybe a little more important to the Universe as a whole (DEATH OF WOLVERINE, ORIGINAL SIN) so here is ORIGINAL SIN, highlighted for you so you don't forget it will exist this week, closing out the 2014 summer event. You know OS, it's books like you that make it so I can't highlight SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, which is on to its last legs and really a fun book, or PUNISHER, which I'm sure will be really good this week, or MOON KNIGHT, which gets a new creative team after a stellar first six issues. Too bad there's no way to get the word out about those books.
Rocket Raccoon 3
Hard not to recommend this one. It always ends up in tough competition weeks, needing to scrap it out with really good books or really intriguing books or simply books that never let me down. Then it pulls ahead because this book is already so much fun and Skottie Young's art on the interiors of a major Marvel ongoing is just a delightful thing. Check this one out if you haven't already. If it's not your thing, it's not your thing - but I can't imagine how it's not your thing. I guess if the only comic writer you've ever liked is Frank Miller or something you're probably not going to come back around to the medium from this book?
Black Widow 10
Excited by the tease of Hawkeye in this phenomenal BLACK WIDOW series just a few short issues ago? Well wait no longer for the team-up that introduced these two to the Marvel Universe and to villaining/eventual heroing as Natasha teams with Clint in a somewhat rarely seen team-up between just the two of them (they're always together but I feel like, without looking into it WHATSOEVER, they don't really hang out by themselves too often because, you know, Natasha would probably kill him).
Captain America 24
Interested by the reveal that Sam Wilson is set to become the new Captain America? Wondering what will become of Steve Rogers in this new world? Surprised to find that both Cap's son Ian and fiancee Sharon have both been alive since Steve left Dimension Z? Looking to see the origins of the upcoming AXIS event? Well this book has all that and PROBABLY more! Though I can't confirm as I've not read the book yet. I honestly can't confirm it has everything I said, just feels like PROBABLY they'll touch on most if not all of it.
Death of Wolverine 1
Say what you will about the death and resurrection of superheroes, a well-written death story can still shake the universe to its core. Charles Soule has impressed me with his runs on THUNDERBOLTS, SHE-HULK, and INHUMAN so far (and I've heard his work at DC has been stellar as well) so let's see just how he plans to kill the world's most popular X-Man, assuming this isn't a big ol' fake-out.
Original Sin 8
FINE, I'm not that excited about this one. Maybe it will surprise me but I've not found myself totally enthralled by this series at any point, be it with the main series or the tie-ins. Of course, this pre-game primer tends to mix the books I personally am excited to see (BLACK WIDOW, CAP) with books that are maybe a little more important to the Universe as a whole (DEATH OF WOLVERINE, ORIGINAL SIN) so here is ORIGINAL SIN, highlighted for you so you don't forget it will exist this week, closing out the 2014 summer event. You know OS, it's books like you that make it so I can't highlight SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, which is on to its last legs and really a fun book, or PUNISHER, which I'm sure will be really good this week, or MOON KNIGHT, which gets a new creative team after a stellar first six issues. Too bad there's no way to get the word out about those books.
Rocket Raccoon 3
Hard not to recommend this one. It always ends up in tough competition weeks, needing to scrap it out with really good books or really intriguing books or simply books that never let me down. Then it pulls ahead because this book is already so much fun and Skottie Young's art on the interiors of a major Marvel ongoing is just a delightful thing. Check this one out if you haven't already. If it's not your thing, it's not your thing - but I can't imagine how it's not your thing. I guess if the only comic writer you've ever liked is Frank Miller or something you're probably not going to come back around to the medium from this book?
Monday, August 25, 2014
Comic Suggestions
Hey guys, been a while since I've had an extra post/a Monday post at all, so thought I'd drop one in this week. FULL DISCLOSURE: this is actually the body of an email I sent to a family member not long ago when he asked me for comic recommendations, particularly ones that didn't require much extra reading beyond the main series. This is my answer, full of Marvel and Image recommendations. And just, you know, really full. You think I ramble on HERE? Imagine answering a question I love answering to a family member. Actually, NO NEED TO IMAGINE, my friends, JUST LOOK BELOW... (I added the pictures, just to make this look better on a blog)
HAWKEYE is one of the best series I've ever read and stays really self-contained for a book about a guy who has only ever been viewed in context of Avengers teams. It's not a prototypical superhero book (Hawkeye himself appears in a Santa hat for more panels than in his actual costume) so if you're looking for a little more action, this one may be a little slower.
So you're not wrong, obviously, in saying that it's hard in superhero comics to find something that doesn't tie into a ton of other books (I can't speak much for DC since I don't know as much over there but I know I was turned off of BATMAN for exactly that reason, though that book was pretty solid. I also hear good things about RED SONJA, but we're getting off-topic already). If it is an ongoing superhero comic you're looking for, I have several recommendations, though obviously it depends on what you like to read.
HAWKEYE is one of the best series I've ever read and stays really self-contained for a book about a guy who has only ever been viewed in context of Avengers teams. It's not a prototypical superhero book (Hawkeye himself appears in a Santa hat for more panels than in his actual costume) so if you're looking for a little more action, this one may be a little slower.
While we're talking about solo titles, BLACK WIDOW and ELEKTRA are both really impressive right now and are staying fairly self-contained (BLACK WIDOW just had a very small crossover with PUNISHER, which has also been good, but you certainly don't need to read the PUNISHER issue to get the full feel for it). BLACK WIDOW has a really strong narrative and outstanding art. It's featured other characters in bit roles here and there but nothing aside from the slight PUNISHER crossover that requires other reading. ELEKTRA is fairly new but it also has great art and a really interesting and dark story.
DAREDEVIL is another good one that has been good for some time now (it's very recently tied in to the Marvel event ORIGINAL SIN but it's not a tie-in that requires you to know more than the very basic outline of the event). Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have taken a character who has been more than a little dark and brooding since Frank Miller and made him a little more fun, kind of more classic DAREDEVIL but with a Miller darkness at the edges. It just renumbered to give fans a jumping-on point so it's only on issue four or five, though this creative team has been working with the character for a couple years now. CAPTAIN AMERICA too has been very strong and kept itself as contained as a major character like Cap can.
As a matter of fact, most solo titles, while I'm thinking about it, are keeping relatively to themselves. The X-MEN books are a little more interconnected (though Si Spurrier's new X-FORCE has already been phenomenal through seven issues and is worth checking out if you like a bit of a heady run mixed with a bunch of asterisk's-out swears; Spurrier wrote X-MEN LEGACY recently and it was my favorite book last year) and some of the main AVENGERS titles have been bouncing in and out with one another (though NEW AVENGERS has more or less kept to itself since INFINITY, last year's event, and that book has been great since the start). There are definitely more Marvel books I'd be happy to recommend but I'm inexplicably already at something like nineteen paragraphs and I haven't even gotten what I'm slowly getting around to.
The worry that a book you like will tie in to a bigger universe is certainly not irrational but it's something you don't really have to worry about with books from, say, Image. I've been reading a handful of those books recently and there are certainly some great ones worth looking into if it's your thing (though they do tend to be a bit more explicit because, I suppose, they can be). SAGA is pretty fun and interesting and it wins Eisner after Eisner, though I personally think it's a little overrated. VELVET and LAZARUS are both really good and pretty new books. VELVET (from Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, the guys who created the Winter Soldier storyline in CAPTAIN AMERICA) focuses on a spy who has been accused of killing her department's best spy (Brubaker pitches it as "if Moneypenny was accused of killing James Bond"). LAZARUS is about a dystopian future where America is divided up between the richest families while the rest of the world lives in a really regimented caste system. Each family has a programmed warrior to defend them, called a Lazarus, a member of the family who has been genetically augmented and trained to keep his or her family protected and the series focuses on Forever Carlyle, the Lazarus of the powerful and corrupt Carlyle family.
While we're talking about dystopian futures, Jonathan Hickman's EAST OF WEST might be the best comic I've ever read. It's certainly in contention and it's just fourteen issues or so in. The conceit of the book is that there was a giant meteor that struck the dead-center of America in the middle of the Civil War, putting an end to the fighting but also leading to the formation of several separate nations within America. At the same time, a prophecy about the end of the world emerged from a few different sources. Now, centuries later, the nations of America stand on the precipice of war while a handful of zealots sit atop each nation and meet in secret to discuss The Message. If that weren't enough, the driving storyline is about Death falling out with the three other Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It's got a lot of really great art in it and Hickman's writing is really detailed, cool, and smart. I've read that he plans out his arcs in two year blocks, which is pretty crazy in and of itself. Look, it's a really great book, but only, I would think, if the heady plot is your kind of thing.
FINAL PSEUDO-RECOMMENDATION: Ryan North and Boom! Comics just finished an eight-issue run on an original series called THE MIDAS FLESH that explores the myth of King Midas and what its effects on a world/universe would be. I love North, who writes the very funny webcomic Dinosaur Comics, and his humor and interesting scientific questions are all on display in this series. Lots of fun in this series based on an idea in one of his Dinosaur Comics though it did just end, so not a ton of longevity on that one.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Captain America 23, Captain Marvel 6
Captain America 23
Remender (w) and Pacheco (p) and Taibo (i) and White (c) and Caramagna (l)
The mysterious armored figure who emerged from Dimension Z sets out for Avengers Mansion and quickly makes his way in, hacking and evading security before managing to dodge Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk on his way to the elderly Cap, who manages to pin the figure despite his sudden age. Of course, the figure removes his helmet to reveal that he is, in fact, Steve's adopted son Ian, returned from the dead (he fell into the same biomass in which he was created so, you know, no harm done) and a couple decades older and wiser. Steve is beyond happy to see him and embraces his son while Ian tells the Avengers how dire the situation is already getting. Meanwhile, Falcon and Jet attempt to break into the main tower of Dimension Z while the Avengers provide a distraction, though it seems bound to fail as Zola already seems aware of their presence. However, not all is lost as Falcon and Jet happen to stumble upon an older and long-imprisoned Sharon Carter.
There's a ton happening here as we march towards the upcoming event AXIS and the emergence of a new Captain America. Dimension Z has put down roots and both Ian and Sharon have re-appeared alive, to the chagrin, undoubtedly, of all those people shouting that Remender had fridged a character who has been around for more decades than most of those readers have been alive (LOOK, I am still a bit peeved about ANXM, even a day later). Even despite the sheer amount of ground Remender has to cover, the issue moves pretty well and manages to keep the pace and the tension up, crucial to the developing storyline. Also, it's really nice to see, after twenty-two extremely tough issues for him, Steve having a nice day. Sure one of his arch-nemeses is invading the Earth looking to unleash his consciousness on the people, but Steve's son is alive and soon he'll likely find out his girlfriend is too. Nice to see him so happy.
Total Score: 5/5
Captain Marvel 6
DeConnick (w) and D. Lopez (a) and Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
Refusing to leave the peaceful Torfans to their almost assured death at the hands of the brutal J-Son, Captain Marvel becomes a one-woman army to defend the refugees, taking down ships one-by-one while not allowing any to reach the planet. Meanwhile, the Torfans enact a peaceful protest, seating themselves and refusing to move at the hands of the attacking Spartoi. The leader of the Torfans sends Jackie and Gil to take Carol's place holding off the ships and sends Carol to destroy the vibranium mines, which she does with ease. J-Son is furious and promises revenge but, as seems to be his defining characteristic of late, he swears revenge on a peaceful people he admits to having poisoned all on a live broadcast to plenty of people, courtesy of Tic aboard a Haffensye ship. J-Son has no recourse but to leave, which he does swearing revenge and just swearing while Captain Marvel intimidates and Jackie and Gil taunt. With her ship repaired and the gratitude of the Torfans, Carol sets off again for a new adventure.
I like this issue and I like a lot of single moments in it, but overall it's hard for the issue not to feel a little preachy and a little like it's trying too hard to find those single moments. CAPTAIN MARVEL, both this new volume and the last, has defined itself by big and wonderful speeches and lines (like the oft-quoted/printed/tattooed/whatever else'd "We will be the stars we were always meant to be") and it's hard not to see a couple times in this issue where dramatic lines not dissimilar to the tone and weight of that keep coming up. That's probably just the cynic in me. It's also hard to point specifically to the peaceful protest as "a little preachy" because I tend to agree with peaceful protests and it's hard PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW to wonder about the efficiency of them or chastise them or whatever it was I hoped to accomplish when I started this paragraph (WHO KNOWS). Look, let's not get into it here. It just occasionally felt that way to me and it might be equal parts because I was reading too much into it and because I don't super love the supporting cast of this arc. WHATEVER. It's still a good issue, as evidenced by the following strong score and ALSO I'm sorry if I just made it sound like it's not a very good issue because, you guys, it still really is. OH, final point, I don't like J-Son as a villain, I find him very boring.
Total Score: 4/5
Remender (w) and Pacheco (p) and Taibo (i) and White (c) and Caramagna (l)
There's a ton happening here as we march towards the upcoming event AXIS and the emergence of a new Captain America. Dimension Z has put down roots and both Ian and Sharon have re-appeared alive, to the chagrin, undoubtedly, of all those people shouting that Remender had fridged a character who has been around for more decades than most of those readers have been alive (LOOK, I am still a bit peeved about ANXM, even a day later). Even despite the sheer amount of ground Remender has to cover, the issue moves pretty well and manages to keep the pace and the tension up, crucial to the developing storyline. Also, it's really nice to see, after twenty-two extremely tough issues for him, Steve having a nice day. Sure one of his arch-nemeses is invading the Earth looking to unleash his consciousness on the people, but Steve's son is alive and soon he'll likely find out his girlfriend is too. Nice to see him so happy.
Total Score: 5/5
Captain Marvel 6
DeConnick (w) and D. Lopez (a) and Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
I like this issue and I like a lot of single moments in it, but overall it's hard for the issue not to feel a little preachy and a little like it's trying too hard to find those single moments. CAPTAIN MARVEL, both this new volume and the last, has defined itself by big and wonderful speeches and lines (like the oft-quoted/printed/tattooed/whatever else'd "We will be the stars we were always meant to be") and it's hard not to see a couple times in this issue where dramatic lines not dissimilar to the tone and weight of that keep coming up. That's probably just the cynic in me. It's also hard to point specifically to the peaceful protest as "a little preachy" because I tend to agree with peaceful protests and it's hard PARTICULARLY RIGHT NOW to wonder about the efficiency of them or chastise them or whatever it was I hoped to accomplish when I started this paragraph (WHO KNOWS). Look, let's not get into it here. It just occasionally felt that way to me and it might be equal parts because I was reading too much into it and because I don't super love the supporting cast of this arc. WHATEVER. It's still a good issue, as evidenced by the following strong score and ALSO I'm sorry if I just made it sound like it's not a very good issue because, you guys, it still really is. OH, final point, I don't like J-Son as a villain, I find him very boring.
Total Score: 4/5
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Original Sin 7
Original Sin 7
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
The Avengers have brought the fight to Nick Fury, who has just revealed to his pseudo-team that he had taken countless lives protecting Earth and gaining tech to protect Earth and hasn't exactly denied killing the Watcher. Fury, in his powerful suit, fights off the Avengers, using his knowledge and the secrets he learned from the Watcher to pick them apart, including overriding Iron Man's armor to send it back to Earth and telling Thor a secret that suddenly makes him unable to wield Mjolnir. Finally, he manages to extricate himself from the fight holding the two eyeballs and returns to the moon to bear witness to Watcher's last secret while a slew of other Watchers arrive.
As readers of this blog have probably realized, I tend to be wary of big events. I've certainly mentioned that fact enough, though I've also mentioned that I really liked CIVIL WAR and I think it still holds up pretty well. So while I'm wary, I do still root for the event to succeed because, in general, I like good stories and, in specifics, I run a blog wherein I review every major Marvel comic release and boy is it terrible when I have to review a book I don't like, particularly one that allegedly has major implications on the Universe and carries on for too many issues. Do you guys see where I'm going with this? It's not that this event has become unreadable or anything like that to me (sorry BATTLE OF THE ATOM and AGE OF ULTRON, you don't have company in that category), it's just...I don't know, kind of boring? It's also been, from the get-go, a sort of way to kickstart the universe. I very carefully am not saying "restart" or "reboot" or "reset" because it's very carefully not doing that. Instead, it's deus ex machinating (I had written machina-ing and autocorrect suggested machinating and I actually liked that better, thus providing me the one time autocorrect improved something) a way to drop a bunch of stories into a universe already overwrought with continuity. I'm not even REALLY begrudging it that because I can't imagine how hard it is to break through that continuity sometimes. I'm just begrudging that it's still kind of boring and it's carried on probably four issues too long.
Total Score: 2/5
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
As readers of this blog have probably realized, I tend to be wary of big events. I've certainly mentioned that fact enough, though I've also mentioned that I really liked CIVIL WAR and I think it still holds up pretty well. So while I'm wary, I do still root for the event to succeed because, in general, I like good stories and, in specifics, I run a blog wherein I review every major Marvel comic release and boy is it terrible when I have to review a book I don't like, particularly one that allegedly has major implications on the Universe and carries on for too many issues. Do you guys see where I'm going with this? It's not that this event has become unreadable or anything like that to me (sorry BATTLE OF THE ATOM and AGE OF ULTRON, you don't have company in that category), it's just...I don't know, kind of boring? It's also been, from the get-go, a sort of way to kickstart the universe. I very carefully am not saying "restart" or "reboot" or "reset" because it's very carefully not doing that. Instead, it's deus ex machinating (I had written machina-ing and autocorrect suggested machinating and I actually liked that better, thus providing me the one time autocorrect improved something) a way to drop a bunch of stories into a universe already overwrought with continuity. I'm not even REALLY begrudging it that because I can't imagine how hard it is to break through that continuity sometimes. I'm just begrudging that it's still kind of boring and it's carried on probably four issues too long.
Total Score: 2/5
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Comics this week
Who releases 22 comics in a week??
Captain America 23
The countdown is on for a number of things happening, including Steve seeing Ian again and Falcon becoming Captain America.
Captain Marvel 6
Space war!
Original Sin 7
Is this thing really still going? I'm going quick here today (but really YESTERDAY, thanks to the magic of the internet) but I saw a poll on CBR asking which OS revelation has been the most interesting and literally NONE OF THEM WERE. The series isn't falling as flat as some others in the recent past (FEAR ITSELF comes to mind, as does AVX) but it's certainly not hitting me in any meaningful way. A NOTE: Cap finding out about the Illuminati was on the list and that one's interesting but I'm going to say I think that all happens with or WITHOUT OS so NO DICE.
Thunderbolts 29
I just like this book, okay? Edges out AVENGERS UNDERCOVER and AVENGERS WORLD in that respect. Also, ending soon, sad face.
X-Force 8
This book is great, expect some big plot movement this time out and GET ON BOARD THIS BOOK.
Captain America 23
The countdown is on for a number of things happening, including Steve seeing Ian again and Falcon becoming Captain America.
Captain Marvel 6
Space war!
Original Sin 7
Is this thing really still going? I'm going quick here today (but really YESTERDAY, thanks to the magic of the internet) but I saw a poll on CBR asking which OS revelation has been the most interesting and literally NONE OF THEM WERE. The series isn't falling as flat as some others in the recent past (FEAR ITSELF comes to mind, as does AVX) but it's certainly not hitting me in any meaningful way. A NOTE: Cap finding out about the Illuminati was on the list and that one's interesting but I'm going to say I think that all happens with or WITHOUT OS so NO DICE.
Thunderbolts 29
I just like this book, okay? Edges out AVENGERS UNDERCOVER and AVENGERS WORLD in that respect. Also, ending soon, sad face.
X-Force 8
This book is great, expect some big plot movement this time out and GET ON BOARD THIS BOOK.
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
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Petit (l)
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)
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.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
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)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Marvel announces major change to THOR
This strikes me as a really compelling move. As Marvel has clearly gone above and beyond in answering criticism about their lack of female-driven books by delivering a slew of really fantastic ones over the course of the past couple years, a female Thor no longer feels simply like an attention grabber. It is a huge shift, and not just because now Thor is a woman (while the original Thor remains in the universe, as seen below with an axe and a prosthetic arm). This rather changes Asgard in a lot of ways that I'm sure will be seen as the series launches. Just like with the recent announcement that there will soon be a new Captain America (did we talk about that? I feel like we didn't because I think I was at work when I found out. Well, guys, there's gonna be a new Cap) with Steve depowered and running things from the sidelines, the once-Thor and the new-Thor in the universe at the same time makes for a compelling shift. We'll see how it all pans out.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Avengers 32, Original Sin 5.1 - Thor and Loki
Avengers 32
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Cowles (l)
Captain America, Black Widow, and Starbrand have been sent five thousand years in the future and find a much more utopian world than the last few they've seen. The immortal Franklin Richards greets them, essentially telling them that their appearance was fated and that time doesn't work in the linear, cause-and-effect way they assume. He shows them around his universe a bit, highlighting the way humans have fighting one another and chosen to make the universe better, including their mining of nearby gas giants and establishing a true Avengers World in the middle of the universe. Cap still wants answers from Franklin, asking how he can stop the Illuminati, both their plan and the people, and Franklin says that he can't and wishes that his future won't come to be. Then the time gem appears, sending Cap forward 50,000 years and Starbrand and Black Widow back home.
It's another look into the future, this time a little less dystopian than the last few the time-traveling Avengers have seen. The interesting stuff, for story purposes, comes from Franklin's hints about Cap's coming fight against the Illuminati and about the unstoppable and unending incursions. Still, it's nice to see a universe wherein humanity succeeded as opposed to their typical ultimate ruination. It's a nice story, one where things continue to slow down a little, even more than they had been as we're down to just three time travelers for this issue, but it does continue to be worth a miss if you're reading on a budget.
Total Score: 4/5
Original Sin 5.1 - Thor and Loki
Aaron and Ewing (s) and Ewing (w) and Garbett w/Bianchi (a) and Woodard w/Bianchi (c) and Sabino (l)
The Watcher's eye revealed that Thor has a sister and that there is a tenth realm on the tree of Yggdrasil. He rushes to Asgardia to confront his mother and she reveals that Asgard had once been at war with this tenth realm, a realm of angels, and that Odin had been forced, after the Queen of the angels had stolen Odin's daughter and seemingly slain her, to completely cut the realm off the tree with the Odin Force. Thor leaves Asgardia and tracks down the young Loki, who had seen the realm marked on an old map in his last caper. He leads Thor there as the old (but future) Loki, watches things happen from his cell.
The book moves alright though the covers and all the promotional art rather gave away everything that would happen in this book. It then should come as no surprise to anyone keeping even the slightest eye out (even on the cover of this very book) that there is a tenth realm and that it's the world from which SPAWN's Angela comes and that Angela is the sister revealed to Thor, as Marvel tightens their newfound grasp on the character by retconning her into Asgard lore. Like I said, Ewing does a pretty good job of keeping the pace moving even while we already know what's coming. That said, you know, we already know what's coming so a major loss of suspense points.
Total Score: 3/5
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Cowles (l)
It's another look into the future, this time a little less dystopian than the last few the time-traveling Avengers have seen. The interesting stuff, for story purposes, comes from Franklin's hints about Cap's coming fight against the Illuminati and about the unstoppable and unending incursions. Still, it's nice to see a universe wherein humanity succeeded as opposed to their typical ultimate ruination. It's a nice story, one where things continue to slow down a little, even more than they had been as we're down to just three time travelers for this issue, but it does continue to be worth a miss if you're reading on a budget.
Total Score: 4/5
Original Sin 5.1 - Thor and Loki
Aaron and Ewing (s) and Ewing (w) and Garbett w/Bianchi (a) and Woodard w/Bianchi (c) and Sabino (l)
The book moves alright though the covers and all the promotional art rather gave away everything that would happen in this book. It then should come as no surprise to anyone keeping even the slightest eye out (even on the cover of this very book) that there is a tenth realm and that it's the world from which SPAWN's Angela comes and that Angela is the sister revealed to Thor, as Marvel tightens their newfound grasp on the character by retconning her into Asgard lore. Like I said, Ewing does a pretty good job of keeping the pace moving even while we already know what's coming. That said, you know, we already know what's coming so a major loss of suspense points.
Total Score: 3/5
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Comics this week
Plenty of comics this week but I'm not sure anyone will be surprised by the ones I'm highlighting here. Doesn't make them the wrong ones to highlight.
Avengers Undercover 7
Fairly certain that I've read recently that this series is actually more of a miniseries, one that I want to say is ending with issue ten. It's a shame as this series already is showing that it has some legs. By the same token, it's a shame that I'm so tired and don't feel like looking up if that's true or not. I mean, I'm pretty sure. Ah well. Let's take it issue-by-issue and enjoy it while we can because, even if number ten isn't the final issue, we're all dying, Melissa.
Captain Marvel 5
We're creeping towards the end of the first arc of this new series, one that has found Carol Danvers in space and making new friends and some new enemies, as well as new people (aliens) who regard her with indifference. So a little of everything. That said, I think one of the strengths of the last series was DeConnick's insistence on shining a light on Carol's life outside of her work so that she was a fully fleshed out person and her allies were fully fleshed out people. I think she's doing a rush job with that here and I don't think it will have the weight when the time does finally come. Still, it beats out AVENGERS 32 because they're still time-traveling, which is more interesting out of Hickman but still is only so interesting.
Daredevil 5
After somewhat middling praise for the first two books on this list that seem to highlight perhaps a slower release week this week, our last three books come with full and unwavering recommendation. DAREDEVIL continues to be fun and fresh and to feel new, even though it was the same creative team who took the man without fear out of New York and brought him to California to start a new book. Go take a look, pals.
Winter Soldier: Bitter March 5
The conclusion of the pretty fantastic WINTER SOLDIER: BITTER MARCH limited series from Rick Remender comes out on a week when Remender himself is facing some controversy for a scene in the most recent CAPTAIN AMERICA, one that I didn't even realize was a controversy and the controversy of which seems largely to stem out of unhappy fans annoyed with the breadth of Remender's run. The controversy seems to come from Jet and Falcon's newfound affair with some (wrong) people calling it "statutory rape," which seems ignorant at best and offensive and hateful at worst. Talking about the reaction, not the scene, because, as you may have gathered, I don't buy it. It feels very much like looking for problems and drama and spewing hate and un-researched opinions (complete with its own Fire Rick Remender hashtag on social media). Instead of listening to me, listen to Marvel editor Tom Brennan and writer Kieron Gillen, both of whom are better at this sort of thing than me and who aren't supposed to be writing about WINTER SOLDIER: BITTER MARCH right this very instant. Look, just read this one, okay? And support Rick Remender. He's done great work the last few years at Marvel.
X-Force 7
Geez, that last post went on SO LONG and didn't even talk about WINTER SOLDIER! Let's do half of the opposite here and write a post that's SO SHORT while still not talking about the book at hand. Go buy it Wednesday, this series is great.
Avengers Undercover 7
Fairly certain that I've read recently that this series is actually more of a miniseries, one that I want to say is ending with issue ten. It's a shame as this series already is showing that it has some legs. By the same token, it's a shame that I'm so tired and don't feel like looking up if that's true or not. I mean, I'm pretty sure. Ah well. Let's take it issue-by-issue and enjoy it while we can because, even if number ten isn't the final issue, we're all dying, Melissa.
Captain Marvel 5
We're creeping towards the end of the first arc of this new series, one that has found Carol Danvers in space and making new friends and some new enemies, as well as new people (aliens) who regard her with indifference. So a little of everything. That said, I think one of the strengths of the last series was DeConnick's insistence on shining a light on Carol's life outside of her work so that she was a fully fleshed out person and her allies were fully fleshed out people. I think she's doing a rush job with that here and I don't think it will have the weight when the time does finally come. Still, it beats out AVENGERS 32 because they're still time-traveling, which is more interesting out of Hickman but still is only so interesting.
Daredevil 5
After somewhat middling praise for the first two books on this list that seem to highlight perhaps a slower release week this week, our last three books come with full and unwavering recommendation. DAREDEVIL continues to be fun and fresh and to feel new, even though it was the same creative team who took the man without fear out of New York and brought him to California to start a new book. Go take a look, pals.
Winter Soldier: Bitter March 5
The conclusion of the pretty fantastic WINTER SOLDIER: BITTER MARCH limited series from Rick Remender comes out on a week when Remender himself is facing some controversy for a scene in the most recent CAPTAIN AMERICA, one that I didn't even realize was a controversy and the controversy of which seems largely to stem out of unhappy fans annoyed with the breadth of Remender's run. The controversy seems to come from Jet and Falcon's newfound affair with some (wrong) people calling it "statutory rape," which seems ignorant at best and offensive and hateful at worst. Talking about the reaction, not the scene, because, as you may have gathered, I don't buy it. It feels very much like looking for problems and drama and spewing hate and un-researched opinions (complete with its own Fire Rick Remender hashtag on social media). Instead of listening to me, listen to Marvel editor Tom Brennan and writer Kieron Gillen, both of whom are better at this sort of thing than me and who aren't supposed to be writing about WINTER SOLDIER: BITTER MARCH right this very instant. Look, just read this one, okay? And support Rick Remender. He's done great work the last few years at Marvel.
X-Force 7
Geez, that last post went on SO LONG and didn't even talk about WINTER SOLDIER! Let's do half of the opposite here and write a post that's SO SHORT while still not talking about the book at hand. Go buy it Wednesday, this series is great.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Captain America 22, Black Widow 8
Captain America 22
Remender (w) and Pacheco (p) and Taibo (i) and White w/Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
Everyone needs a rest once in a while and I can't think of anyone in the Marvel Universe after the past few months who needs one as badly as Captain America. The serum-less and frail Steve Rogers spends a day in his big bed at Avengers Mansion watching his reputation be tarnished and his ethics questioned by a number of SHIELD critics in the wake of Nrosvekistan and watching Louie while Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and (kind of) Thor try to find some trace of the serum in his blood and to restore him to Cap status. Steve is roused from his bed at last, though, when a portal to Dimension Z opens and Zola's minions come pouring out with Zola himself discussing his plans with the Red Skull.
I've said it before and I'll no doubt say it again: every book needs a sort of rest issue now and again to slow things down and to keep the intensity of the action-based issues high by giving something to compare against. That's what this is for CAPTAIN AMERICA, a solid rest issue that establishes where we stand right now and what we should be thinking about as the series continues (mostly Zola, Red Skull, the serum-less Cap, and the fact that Jet and Falcon have, against Falcon's better impulses, started up some sort of a relationship following a wine-fueled night). It's a very good book and one that manages to reset the pace and tone, exactly what Remender set out to do, while still not resting on its laurels, preferring to still push the plot forward.
Total Score: 5/5
Black Widow 8
Edmondson (w) and Noto (a and c) and Cowles (l)
While Isaiah tries to secure some funds for their operation, Black Widow has a new job: stealing back some key data for a client from a courier on a train in Prague, or a reverse train heist, as she calls it. She easily makes it on to the train and recovers the package but she's surprised when Winter Soldier turns up, hired to stop an international gang from robbing the train. They work together well to get off the train and evade the attacking gang but Natasha is shot in the leg in the process and the two make their way to an empty house for Bucky to patch her up and for them to plan the next move. Bucky insists that she leaves before the gang catches up to them, arguing that her job was to secure the briefcase and that his was to handle the gang. She accepts reluctantly and begins to leave before Bucky calls out to her again. Unable to say anything to her about their one-time relationship (thanks to Natasha's complete amnesia of it), he wishes her luck and she leaves. She returns home to find a new lead waiting for her from Maria Hill while Isaiah has been taken by some anonymous party.
It's no surprise for me to say that I absolutely adore this book and that this issue, one that teased a Winter Soldier appearance that would team the two for the first time since Natasha's memory wipe at the hands of Leo Novokov, had a particular draw for me. Edmondson and Noto deliver as the book is appropriately exciting and fast while also being layered and heart-breaking. Edmondson handles the team-up extraordinarily well, not letting on (save for a few quick lines that could go either way) until the very end that something is on Bucky's mind while making their interaction feel like two spies who are really good at their jobs and who have an obvious chemistry together. Noto continues to amaze as both Natasha and Winter Soldier look incredible (my girlfriend pointed out how consistent Noto is in Natasha's appearance, something that you can't always expect from this medium) and setting their fight against some gorgeous backgrounds and colors. Another month, another great BLACK WIDOW issue.
Total Score: 5/5
Remender (w) and Pacheco (p) and Taibo (i) and White w/Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
Everyone needs a rest once in a while and I can't think of anyone in the Marvel Universe after the past few months who needs one as badly as Captain America. The serum-less and frail Steve Rogers spends a day in his big bed at Avengers Mansion watching his reputation be tarnished and his ethics questioned by a number of SHIELD critics in the wake of Nrosvekistan and watching Louie while Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and (kind of) Thor try to find some trace of the serum in his blood and to restore him to Cap status. Steve is roused from his bed at last, though, when a portal to Dimension Z opens and Zola's minions come pouring out with Zola himself discussing his plans with the Red Skull.I've said it before and I'll no doubt say it again: every book needs a sort of rest issue now and again to slow things down and to keep the intensity of the action-based issues high by giving something to compare against. That's what this is for CAPTAIN AMERICA, a solid rest issue that establishes where we stand right now and what we should be thinking about as the series continues (mostly Zola, Red Skull, the serum-less Cap, and the fact that Jet and Falcon have, against Falcon's better impulses, started up some sort of a relationship following a wine-fueled night). It's a very good book and one that manages to reset the pace and tone, exactly what Remender set out to do, while still not resting on its laurels, preferring to still push the plot forward.
Total Score: 5/5
Black Widow 8
Edmondson (w) and Noto (a and c) and Cowles (l)
It's no surprise for me to say that I absolutely adore this book and that this issue, one that teased a Winter Soldier appearance that would team the two for the first time since Natasha's memory wipe at the hands of Leo Novokov, had a particular draw for me. Edmondson and Noto deliver as the book is appropriately exciting and fast while also being layered and heart-breaking. Edmondson handles the team-up extraordinarily well, not letting on (save for a few quick lines that could go either way) until the very end that something is on Bucky's mind while making their interaction feel like two spies who are really good at their jobs and who have an obvious chemistry together. Noto continues to amaze as both Natasha and Winter Soldier look incredible (my girlfriend pointed out how consistent Noto is in Natasha's appearance, something that you can't always expect from this medium) and setting their fight against some gorgeous backgrounds and colors. Another month, another great BLACK WIDOW issue.
Total Score: 5/5
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Comics this week
According to my count, we have 18 new books out this week. However, it's a bit of a tricky week because a handful of those books are throwing me off, like 100TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL FANTASTIC FOUR 1, or DAREDEVIL 0.1, or GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: GALAXY'S MOST WANTED 1. We'll have to see if those three make the cut when I'm pressed for time. On the flip side, there are a slew of books that I'm really, REALLY excited for this week. Let's get into them (and also I'll mention ORIGINAL SIN 5, which I'm not really, REALLY excited for but, you know, I'm sure I'll mention it).
Black Widow 8
Amazing, amazing book as it is BUT writer Nathan Edmondson teased a couple months ago that phenomenal series artist Phil Noto "draws a mean Winter Soldier" when referring to BLACK WIDOW 8. To sum up: it's a book that I absolutely love where we may just see the first sign of fallout on Natasha's side about how things broke down with Bucky back in Brubaker's WINTER SOLDIER. Excited!
Captain America 22
Super soldier no more? We've had a number of fake-outs with this sort of thing in the past and I'd be surprised if Steve Rogers were about to lose his super soldier serum altogether but leave it to Remender to shake things up. Let's see where Steve is when the dust settles.
Moon Knight 5
This book has been blowing me out of the water so far, leaving me a little shell-shocked as each issue ends. This is the penultimate issue for series creators Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey and I expect it will travel very much in the vein the rest of the book has so far traveled. Looking forward to it.
Original Sin 5
We're at the halfway point of the summer's big event and I'm still undecided on it. I was a little harsh on the first couple issues but I think there are some strong things happening here. I didn't reach a decision on INFINITY for quite some time, wary to give it a stamp of approval (which I ultimately did), and this book seems to be no different, though I am leaning in a less positive direction from this one than I did with INFINITY. Still, big things are set to happen as we reach the midway point and Tom Brevoort promises a new character in this issue who he thinks has real sticking power in the MU. I'm a little bitter at this book, though, because I didn't want to cheat and add a sixth book to my pre-game and this one took the place of the outstanding IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON
Rocket Raccoon 1
It's a pretty GUARDIANS heavy week this week as we get a likely movie tie-in with the aforementioned GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: GALAXY'S MOST WANTED and two new series in Sam Humphries' and Paco Medina's LEGENDARY STAR-LORD and the incredible Skottie Young's ROCKET RACCOON, which already has crazy pre-order numbers and will be both written and drawn by Young. Very much looking forward to seeing how Young handles full responsibility on an ongoing. I think he's a huge and exciting talent and I'm looking forward to checking this out.
Black Widow 8
Amazing, amazing book as it is BUT writer Nathan Edmondson teased a couple months ago that phenomenal series artist Phil Noto "draws a mean Winter Soldier" when referring to BLACK WIDOW 8. To sum up: it's a book that I absolutely love where we may just see the first sign of fallout on Natasha's side about how things broke down with Bucky back in Brubaker's WINTER SOLDIER. Excited!
Captain America 22
Super soldier no more? We've had a number of fake-outs with this sort of thing in the past and I'd be surprised if Steve Rogers were about to lose his super soldier serum altogether but leave it to Remender to shake things up. Let's see where Steve is when the dust settles.
Moon Knight 5
This book has been blowing me out of the water so far, leaving me a little shell-shocked as each issue ends. This is the penultimate issue for series creators Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey and I expect it will travel very much in the vein the rest of the book has so far traveled. Looking forward to it.
Original Sin 5
We're at the halfway point of the summer's big event and I'm still undecided on it. I was a little harsh on the first couple issues but I think there are some strong things happening here. I didn't reach a decision on INFINITY for quite some time, wary to give it a stamp of approval (which I ultimately did), and this book seems to be no different, though I am leaning in a less positive direction from this one than I did with INFINITY. Still, big things are set to happen as we reach the midway point and Tom Brevoort promises a new character in this issue who he thinks has real sticking power in the MU. I'm a little bitter at this book, though, because I didn't want to cheat and add a sixth book to my pre-game and this one took the place of the outstanding IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON
Rocket Raccoon 1
It's a pretty GUARDIANS heavy week this week as we get a likely movie tie-in with the aforementioned GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: GALAXY'S MOST WANTED and two new series in Sam Humphries' and Paco Medina's LEGENDARY STAR-LORD and the incredible Skottie Young's ROCKET RACCOON, which already has crazy pre-order numbers and will be both written and drawn by Young. Very much looking forward to seeing how Young handles full responsibility on an ongoing. I think he's a huge and exciting talent and I'm looking forward to checking this out.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Original Sin 4, Avengers 31
Original Sin 4
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
As the mysteriously led groups converge on a single location, led there by various data, each small group discovers it's part of a larger entity. They also find Bucky, the first one to arrive at the small station on the blue side of the moon. Though tempers flare (Gamora and Moon Knight aren't so pumped to have been ditched by Bucky and had to catch a ride with Rocket Raccoon), particularly as Bucky reveals the head of Nick Fury, things are explained a bit when Gamora stabs the head, shorting it out and proving it's a sophisticated LMD, and when an elderly Nick Fury emerges from a door in the station with several other LMDs.
The various groups have converged and are looking for answers, understanding now that maybe they've been lied to and suddenly they recognize how tenuous their groupings are and how distrustful they are of one another. There's a lot of sniping as everyone tries to feel each other out and tries to figure out his or her own role in this investigation. As such, the tension is written pretty well and Deodato's ability to draw just about any character in any situation pays off as he's forced to draw plenty of team scenes and fights and powers and so on and so forth. The book moves as fast as any of these issues have and Aaron's love of The Orb continues to shine through as he has the heroes bring the nonsensical root of all this along with them. Strong issue. Still unsure about the scale of this book (it doesn't feel like an event in a lot of ways, though so many are involved) but that's not a concern the book really needs to answer and, as such, doesn't affect an overall good performance.
Total Score: 5/5
Avengers 31
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Petit (l)
The Avengers have been sent 500 years in the future now and Hawkeye, just as his future self predicted, won't go any further, falling away in the timestream and aging to dust. The Avengers aren't worried about him unduly, believing that this is what the Hawkeye they just met predicted. They're more worried, though, when they end up trapped in the future and when they learn that Ultron controls the planet with about 30 million humans surviving and future Thor working for the AI (who he claims is also the All-Father). The Ultrons take Cap and Black Widow away and plant a bomb in Cap while the future equivalent of Black Widow speaks in guarded language about wanting her own freedom. Enter time gem, sending Cap, Black Widow, and Starbrand (Thor and Hyperion fall away as Hawkeye did, ending back in Stark's lab with Clint) some five thousand years into the future.
The glimpses of the future continue to be interesting, if a little confusing. I think it's to Hickman's credit that we land in each future for less than an issue's length, just as it's to his credit that all of the future talk isn't winks and nods to the audience, as so many future time travel books are ("this event could happen!" or maybe "this Avenger has died!" or so forth; this book is doing a little of that by the way each future looks and occasionally a quick aside about, like future Thor saying he remembers when he was worthy of Mjolnir, but there are very few explicit, hitting you over the head kind of moments, which I appreciate). There's a lot to try and keep up with and it reads like a story that will make more sense in time, as is so often true with Hickman. Certainly more than readable now as is (and there are some good character moments, particularly as Cap is knocked out and dreams of the Illuminati, undoubtedly only enraging him further) but the true plot has yet to really come across.
Total Score: 4/5
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
As the mysteriously led groups converge on a single location, led there by various data, each small group discovers it's part of a larger entity. They also find Bucky, the first one to arrive at the small station on the blue side of the moon. Though tempers flare (Gamora and Moon Knight aren't so pumped to have been ditched by Bucky and had to catch a ride with Rocket Raccoon), particularly as Bucky reveals the head of Nick Fury, things are explained a bit when Gamora stabs the head, shorting it out and proving it's a sophisticated LMD, and when an elderly Nick Fury emerges from a door in the station with several other LMDs.The various groups have converged and are looking for answers, understanding now that maybe they've been lied to and suddenly they recognize how tenuous their groupings are and how distrustful they are of one another. There's a lot of sniping as everyone tries to feel each other out and tries to figure out his or her own role in this investigation. As such, the tension is written pretty well and Deodato's ability to draw just about any character in any situation pays off as he's forced to draw plenty of team scenes and fights and powers and so on and so forth. The book moves as fast as any of these issues have and Aaron's love of The Orb continues to shine through as he has the heroes bring the nonsensical root of all this along with them. Strong issue. Still unsure about the scale of this book (it doesn't feel like an event in a lot of ways, though so many are involved) but that's not a concern the book really needs to answer and, as such, doesn't affect an overall good performance.
Total Score: 5/5
Avengers 31
Hickman (w) and Yu (p) and Alanguilan (i) and Gho (c) and Petit (l)
The glimpses of the future continue to be interesting, if a little confusing. I think it's to Hickman's credit that we land in each future for less than an issue's length, just as it's to his credit that all of the future talk isn't winks and nods to the audience, as so many future time travel books are ("this event could happen!" or maybe "this Avenger has died!" or so forth; this book is doing a little of that by the way each future looks and occasionally a quick aside about, like future Thor saying he remembers when he was worthy of Mjolnir, but there are very few explicit, hitting you over the head kind of moments, which I appreciate). There's a lot to try and keep up with and it reads like a story that will make more sense in time, as is so often true with Hickman. Certainly more than readable now as is (and there are some good character moments, particularly as Cap is knocked out and dreams of the Illuminati, undoubtedly only enraging him further) but the true plot has yet to really come across.
Total Score: 4/5
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Captain Marvel 4, Hulk 4
Captain Marvel 4
DeConnick (w) and D. Lopez (a) and Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
With no easy solution in sight to the plight of the new Torfans, Captain Marvel tries to think up ways to transport everyone off the planet, as opposed to J-Son's offer of relocating the thousand strongest and leaving the others behind. While she bounces ideas off of Tic, Gil, a Sentimault named B-Bop, and chief engineer/defense minister Ja Kyee Lrurt (nicknamed Jackie), the Haffensye attack again. Captain Marvel and her new band set off after them to pillage them back, succeeding in at least one sector and hoping to salvage some more parts to make more ships.
Captain Marvel as a space pirate for righteousness? I'm not going to turn this idea down, you guys. My pre-game this week and my analysis last time out said that part of the fun of this new arc would be seeing Carol up against a problem she can't punch away. That problem and therefore that tension still remains in large part, particularly as she's got the shadowy dealings of J-Son to contend with, but this is, after all, still a superhero comic book and punching is rather the norm so DeConnick has found a way that allows Carol to punch and to problem solve. Still, for all the excitement of this book, if you're coming into this issue looking for some serious pirate action, there's not a lot to be had, with the book revolving mostly along dialogue and explanations and arguments. A times that slows things down but it's also a little necessary at this point as we get to know an entirely new cast of characters. Still solid stuff overall and certainly enough to get this series rolling.
Total Score: 4/5
Hulk 4
Waid (w) and Bagley (p) and Hennessy (i) and Keith (c) and Petit (l)
Maria Hill explains to the onsite Avengers what's happening with Banner and Hulk and they attempt to aid him in his fight against Abomination while Iron Man reconfigures a teleportation device Maria got off one of the crew sent to take her out. With some luck and plenty of skill, they manage to teleport Abomination pretty well away (Tony estimates Jupiter) and have time to deal with the situation. Stark takes Banner and brings him to Troy, where he and Arno plan to put a little extremis in him to help heal his brain. Meanwhile, Maria Hill is forced to tell Daredevil about Banner's condition, possibly compromising the information Banner had given to his lawyer in case he should ever wind up harmed at SHIELD's request.
There are plenty of plots swirling around (particularly interesting as I believe this is one of the books soon to go on a little break while ORIGINAL SIN mixes things up a bit, though I could be wrong) but sometimes it feels like they're not held together terribly well. The teleportation device feels like a deus ex machina, particularly when Tony is able to rejigger it to teleport on contact and they attach it to Cap's shield which Hulk is convinced to throw and still the shield doesn't teleport (as does, for that matter, the fact that it just so happened to be Sunspot and Captain Marvel, capable of absorbing Abomination's radioactivity, that Iron Man and Captain America brought with them on this mission). Still, as abruptly as the end of the fight came and as maybe conveniently as it came, there are plenty of good and interesting plot movements out there, ready to be expanded on. And guys, Hulk has an improved version of extremis? Who thought that was a good plan?
Total Score: 3/5
DeConnick (w) and D. Lopez (a) and Loughridge (c) and Caramagna (l)
Captain Marvel as a space pirate for righteousness? I'm not going to turn this idea down, you guys. My pre-game this week and my analysis last time out said that part of the fun of this new arc would be seeing Carol up against a problem she can't punch away. That problem and therefore that tension still remains in large part, particularly as she's got the shadowy dealings of J-Son to contend with, but this is, after all, still a superhero comic book and punching is rather the norm so DeConnick has found a way that allows Carol to punch and to problem solve. Still, for all the excitement of this book, if you're coming into this issue looking for some serious pirate action, there's not a lot to be had, with the book revolving mostly along dialogue and explanations and arguments. A times that slows things down but it's also a little necessary at this point as we get to know an entirely new cast of characters. Still solid stuff overall and certainly enough to get this series rolling.
Total Score: 4/5
Hulk 4
Waid (w) and Bagley (p) and Hennessy (i) and Keith (c) and Petit (l)
There are plenty of plots swirling around (particularly interesting as I believe this is one of the books soon to go on a little break while ORIGINAL SIN mixes things up a bit, though I could be wrong) but sometimes it feels like they're not held together terribly well. The teleportation device feels like a deus ex machina, particularly when Tony is able to rejigger it to teleport on contact and they attach it to Cap's shield which Hulk is convinced to throw and still the shield doesn't teleport (as does, for that matter, the fact that it just so happened to be Sunspot and Captain Marvel, capable of absorbing Abomination's radioactivity, that Iron Man and Captain America brought with them on this mission). Still, as abruptly as the end of the fight came and as maybe conveniently as it came, there are plenty of good and interesting plot movements out there, ready to be expanded on. And guys, Hulk has an improved version of extremis? Who thought that was a good plan?
Total Score: 3/5
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