It's new release day which means this post is, SURPRISE, late. But that doesn't mean we can't still get into it. First and foremost, though, big ups to short-titled books this week. With a slew of books like BLACK WIDOW, ELEKTRA, DAREDEVIL, MAGNETO, INHUMAN, PUNISHER, and more, this is one of the few weeks where I'd guess the average title length is only about two words (thrown off, of course, by the extraordinarily clunky AVENGERS AND X-MEN: AXIS and DEATH OF WOLVERINE: THE WEAPON X PROGRAM). Also, I don't usually talk about reprints or anything like that because they serve only to confuse me on the comic list but I want to shine a light on the fact that we'll get a SEVENTH printing of MS. MARVEL 1 this week. How crazy is that? Pretty fantastic though. Okay, so what am I excited about? Well, a good deal, as a matter of fact, but it is tempered by how dumb the current event is (not to mention that said event has a release this week and two books that directly tie-in to it plus several others, I'm sure). ANYWAY, on to the good'uns.
Black Widow 12
I love this book and it's quickly become one of those titles that washes over me with a cool wave of relief right after seeing books like AXIS: REVOLUTIONS or ALL-NEW ULTIMATES or something like that alphabetically. I was feeling down and then BOOM, B-Widz. Knocking it out of the park.
Daredevil 10
Geez, those Purple Kids are freaky. Even still, they're an interesting villain beyond just the fact that they're kids and DD probably shouldn't make a habit of beating up kids. They've all been directly and indirectly created by the Purple Man: directly because he's their biological father and he bestowed his powers unto them and indirectly because the impact he left on their lives and the havoc he wreaked on their upbringing by not being there left them emotionally fragile, even more so than regular children. Also, as I've been saying for three years now, we've got to be seeing the fallout from SHADOWLAND here. Huge credit to Mark Waid for holding off and patiently waiting to deliver greater results.
Moon Knight 9
Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood have already shown the chops for creating this book that Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey built so effectively and so efficiently (they're all helped by the phenomenal Jordie Bellaire on colors) but I'm more interested than excited to see this book for another week. Still trying to see what mark Wood and Smallwood will leave on the characters.
Spider-Woman 1
I'm leery of books kicking off during events (great work, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE MIGHTY AVENGERS) and, frankly, I'm still leery of Spider-Woman as a character. I've never really loved her but I certainly came to like her more the more that Kelly Sue DeConnick used her in CAPTAIN MARVEL and AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. I also am a fan of Dennis Hopeless so here's hoping that it's the perfect storm of wary optimism that will actually pay off.
X-Force 12
So the team is probably a little more aware of Fantomex's sinister motives now that he's attacked all of them and sworn to kill them only to have Domino reveal herself and save the team. So much happening here and it's all been great through and through. Geez, good slate of books this week, huh guys?
Showing posts with label Moon Knight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moon Knight. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Leftovers 10-1-14
Alright, let's get right into it because you and I both have some Smash Brothers to play.
Edge of Spider-Verse 4
In an alternate universe, a creepy kid named Patton Parnel gets bitten by a radioactive spider and it begins to turn him into something close to a living spider. Patton begins to eat people, starting with his bully Gene and his Uncle Ted before really just uncorking and going for everyone, including his beloved next-door neighbor Sara Jane. Before he can capture Sara Jane, Morlun shows up and finishes him, though all is not well for Sara Jane, who has a number of spider eggs in her from a bite she sustained. Creepy twist on the Peter Parker origin story here as EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE gets a horror comic entry. It's certainly readable though the connections between this world and the 616 are almost distracting. Writer Clay Chapman clearly chose these names for a reason, he's not shy about telling us that this is meant to be similar, but it does border on over-repetitive, a forced wink and nod. Total Score: 3/5
Fantastic Four Annual 1
Sue goes to Latveria to get Val back but Val wants to stay and Sue freaks out and attacks Doom, who reveals that someone else is in her head and Val stops Sue before she can kill Doom and I still do not care one bit about this book. I really don't like any of these characters and again, the exposition here is just SO HEAVY (and not like Marty McFly's "heavy"). It's unbelievable and clunky and obnoxious. I also like Val in certain scenarios but you really have to balance out the genius with the child thing for me, you can't just have a precocious "spouting exposition" and "using big/formal words" child to illustrate who she is. I know that Sue has something going on in her head right now, but it's still such a terrible rendering of this character, a character that I just don't have any interest in reading, regardless of what's in her head. Total Score: 1/5
Guardians 3000 1
The Guardians of the Galaxy in the year 3000 (or 3014, to be exact) are under attack from the Badoon. The Guardians are Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex, Yondu, and Starhawk and they have a refugee, named Geena Drake, from a Badoon camp in tow. They had met up with other powerful space entities fighting the Badoon in what was supposed to be a safe place, but they were ambushed and everyone died. However, there are issues with time right now and Geena seems to be a key to it. She wakes up 30 minutes before they all die trying to escape and she begins to remember, eventually picking up a gun and fighting back. Groundhog Day (the more popular reference) or Edge of Tomorrow (perhaps the more applicable reference), whatever you want to call it, that's happening. It's mixed in with a ton of exposition as if this is the only issue this creative team is going to get and they have to get everything out now. The only reason to believe maybe they have more time than they're letting on is that they won't stop saying made-up words and I get that we're a thousand years in the future and language changes but COME ON, STOP WITH MADE-UP WORDS. I really do not like them. They're always distracting and clumsy and obnoxious. Seriously, it drags the book down and slows the pacing badly, even when the exposition does that plenty. Total Score: 2/5
Legendary Star-Lord 4
Okay, we gotta speed things up again. Star-Lord tracks Thanos to the moon and wants to kill him, what with his guilt about letting him get back into the universe. The Mandalay Gem gets him to a point where he can kill Thanos but he won't do it because it would possibly blow up the moon and then the Earth would be in some real trouble. Meanwhile, Kitty's mad at him but he wins her over again, SOMEHOW, and Mr. Knife wants to steal a powerful artifact. It's hard to get on board with the cast of this book and this one just serves as another of the multitudinous books where I'm beginning not to like Kitty Pryde, who freaks out when Peter travels near Earth and won't see her (irrational and weirdly needy in their line of work) and then forgives him when he GOES TO EARTH AND LEAVES A MESSAGE FOR HER OUTSIDE OF HER PLACE BUT CONTINUES NOT TO SEE HER. There are things happening in this book but it's hard to really care about them if you don't care about the people involved in said things. And I don't right now. Total Score: 2/5
Moon Knight 8
There's a hostage situation in a building in New York and Moon Knight goes to put an end to it. He alternates between his three personalities, all of whom have a very specific way of dealing with problems, and eventually he ends up killing the hostage-taker, only to learn from the news later that the bomb the purported terrorist had was his company's agricultural accelerant that, though harmful, wouldn't have killed his hostages. Now, thanks to news reports of his brutal dealings, Moon Knight has been revealed and exposed as a brutal vigilante, all according to Knight's doctor's plan. There is a lot of interesting stuff here, particularly the multiple personalities we see and another look at Khonshu, but the overall pacing is a little slow here. It's a different sort of layout, almost meant to read more as a picture book than a comic, with dialogue (occasionally ambiguous as to who said it) and narration printed neatly on the sides of smaller panels. Although it's a kind of neat look, it doesn't quite hide the fact that there's a lot of pace-slowing explanation and prose there. Still pretty strong stuff and it's clear with his second issue on the series that Wood is intent on following Ellis' tone for the strong series. Total Score: 4/5
Silver Surfer 6
After a series of requests that try Surfer's patience, Dawn demands they get the best ice cream in the universe, leading them to Planet Prime, a planet where perfection reigns and everyone is the best there is at what they do and what they do is a very specific task, such as Banker One or Tour Guide One or Street Sweeper One. Their actions on the planet inevitably lead to Warrior One, the most perfect warrior, to attack Surfer. He struggles under the might of the warrior, nearly losing the fight, before Dawn tells him to simply remove the Warrior's badge, promoting Warrior Two to his spot and calming things as the new Warrior One calls for an end to the fight, but leading the new Warrior Zero to swear his revenge. As ever, the book strives to be fun and light and mostly hits, occasionally going a little far in one direction or another. It's hard not to draw certain comparisons to Doctor Who, as we have an extremely powerful and knowledgeable alien leading an Earthgirl around on a series of adventures but these issues are self-contained, typically, small anecdotes from a larger story and with very little ongoing drama. The smartest thing about this book is the inclusion of Michael and Laura Allred, whose art and colors grant this book the energy that they'd probably be lacking with anyone else. It's such a specific tone for this book and the Allreds make sure to convey that tone in everything they do. Total Score: 4/5
Spider-Man 2099 4
Scorpion, with a legion of Spider-Slayers at his disposal, is dead set on killing Spider-Man 2099, who he believes to be regular-type Spider-Man. He's succeeding until Miguel gives them the slip just long enough to have his computer Lyla turn on his regular clothes hologram. With no spiders to target, Scorpion begins to threaten the civilians around, believing Spidey won't let them die. Miguel tosses Lyla on to Scorpion's back with direction to hologram him up to look like Spider-Man. The Spider-Slayers attack him and he only barely survives, destroying them in the process. Meanwhile, Tiberius' captor dies saving him from the collapsing building, causing him to have a change of heart and not sell the Slayers to the warlord dictator, even going so far as to oust him with his own legion of Slayers. It's a very strong issue out of this young book, one that moves pretty well and finds Miguel using his smarts and his skills to win the day in classic Spider-Man fashion. The art is strong and the tone is right where it needs to be. I'll be interested to see if this book can fit in with EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE, where it's headed next. Total Score: 5/5
X-Men 20
The mystery deepens as hunters return to their original ship, forcing Rachel, Monet, and Psylocke to take them all down. They discover security footage in the ship and learn about Sharada Darthri, a being who seems intent on creating and cultivating new life, even if it's at the expense of old life (this may be a little vague and/or wrong because they still haven't actually figured out her intents), which is why she's so interested in the Shi'ar/Kree/mutant child of Deathbird. Under Darthri's command is SWORD's Manifold Tyger, who is directed to kill everyone at the Peak. He attacked Storm already and now aims to take out Cecilia Reyes. It's an interesting story so far, even if it's a little tough to follow, and the writing continues to be pretty strong here, though there are maybe a few too many asides and interjections. I'll be interested to rate this one a little more thoroughly once we've seen it all and once the plot is cleared up a bit more. Pretty strong stuff though otherwise. Total Score: 4/5
Edge of Spider-Verse 4
Fantastic Four Annual 1
Sue goes to Latveria to get Val back but Val wants to stay and Sue freaks out and attacks Doom, who reveals that someone else is in her head and Val stops Sue before she can kill Doom and I still do not care one bit about this book. I really don't like any of these characters and again, the exposition here is just SO HEAVY (and not like Marty McFly's "heavy"). It's unbelievable and clunky and obnoxious. I also like Val in certain scenarios but you really have to balance out the genius with the child thing for me, you can't just have a precocious "spouting exposition" and "using big/formal words" child to illustrate who she is. I know that Sue has something going on in her head right now, but it's still such a terrible rendering of this character, a character that I just don't have any interest in reading, regardless of what's in her head. Total Score: 1/5
Guardians 3000 1
The Guardians of the Galaxy in the year 3000 (or 3014, to be exact) are under attack from the Badoon. The Guardians are Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Martinex, Yondu, and Starhawk and they have a refugee, named Geena Drake, from a Badoon camp in tow. They had met up with other powerful space entities fighting the Badoon in what was supposed to be a safe place, but they were ambushed and everyone died. However, there are issues with time right now and Geena seems to be a key to it. She wakes up 30 minutes before they all die trying to escape and she begins to remember, eventually picking up a gun and fighting back. Groundhog Day (the more popular reference) or Edge of Tomorrow (perhaps the more applicable reference), whatever you want to call it, that's happening. It's mixed in with a ton of exposition as if this is the only issue this creative team is going to get and they have to get everything out now. The only reason to believe maybe they have more time than they're letting on is that they won't stop saying made-up words and I get that we're a thousand years in the future and language changes but COME ON, STOP WITH MADE-UP WORDS. I really do not like them. They're always distracting and clumsy and obnoxious. Seriously, it drags the book down and slows the pacing badly, even when the exposition does that plenty. Total Score: 2/5Legendary Star-Lord 4
Okay, we gotta speed things up again. Star-Lord tracks Thanos to the moon and wants to kill him, what with his guilt about letting him get back into the universe. The Mandalay Gem gets him to a point where he can kill Thanos but he won't do it because it would possibly blow up the moon and then the Earth would be in some real trouble. Meanwhile, Kitty's mad at him but he wins her over again, SOMEHOW, and Mr. Knife wants to steal a powerful artifact. It's hard to get on board with the cast of this book and this one just serves as another of the multitudinous books where I'm beginning not to like Kitty Pryde, who freaks out when Peter travels near Earth and won't see her (irrational and weirdly needy in their line of work) and then forgives him when he GOES TO EARTH AND LEAVES A MESSAGE FOR HER OUTSIDE OF HER PLACE BUT CONTINUES NOT TO SEE HER. There are things happening in this book but it's hard to really care about them if you don't care about the people involved in said things. And I don't right now. Total Score: 2/5
Moon Knight 8
Silver Surfer 6
After a series of requests that try Surfer's patience, Dawn demands they get the best ice cream in the universe, leading them to Planet Prime, a planet where perfection reigns and everyone is the best there is at what they do and what they do is a very specific task, such as Banker One or Tour Guide One or Street Sweeper One. Their actions on the planet inevitably lead to Warrior One, the most perfect warrior, to attack Surfer. He struggles under the might of the warrior, nearly losing the fight, before Dawn tells him to simply remove the Warrior's badge, promoting Warrior Two to his spot and calming things as the new Warrior One calls for an end to the fight, but leading the new Warrior Zero to swear his revenge. As ever, the book strives to be fun and light and mostly hits, occasionally going a little far in one direction or another. It's hard not to draw certain comparisons to Doctor Who, as we have an extremely powerful and knowledgeable alien leading an Earthgirl around on a series of adventures but these issues are self-contained, typically, small anecdotes from a larger story and with very little ongoing drama. The smartest thing about this book is the inclusion of Michael and Laura Allred, whose art and colors grant this book the energy that they'd probably be lacking with anyone else. It's such a specific tone for this book and the Allreds make sure to convey that tone in everything they do. Total Score: 4/5
Spider-Man 2099 4
X-Men 20
The mystery deepens as hunters return to their original ship, forcing Rachel, Monet, and Psylocke to take them all down. They discover security footage in the ship and learn about Sharada Darthri, a being who seems intent on creating and cultivating new life, even if it's at the expense of old life (this may be a little vague and/or wrong because they still haven't actually figured out her intents), which is why she's so interested in the Shi'ar/Kree/mutant child of Deathbird. Under Darthri's command is SWORD's Manifold Tyger, who is directed to kill everyone at the Peak. He attacked Storm already and now aims to take out Cecilia Reyes. It's an interesting story so far, even if it's a little tough to follow, and the writing continues to be pretty strong here, though there are maybe a few too many asides and interjections. I'll be interested to rate this one a little more thoroughly once we've seen it all and once the plot is cleared up a bit more. Pretty strong stuff though otherwise. Total Score: 4/5
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 6, Moon Knight 7
Sorry about the late post on this one, it was SUPPOSED to come yesterday at 2 PM but I GUESS that wasn't what Blogger wanted to do. And we all work on what Blogger wants to do.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 6
Things have gotten stranger and darker in New York as Brenda reveals herself again to be a little more than just a college student writing a report and as Li's police force is decimated by Davos, hoping once more to claim his birthright with the help of loyal monsters and the recently captured Pei and her newborn dragon baby, who is pretty adorable. Meanwhile, Iron Fist has been saved by a strange old man referred to as The Fooh and by his childhood friend Sparrow, now blind. Danny flashes back to his childhood with memories, real or dreams, of his father arriving in K'un Lun after his seeming death, rescued by the people of K'un Lun. It also turns into a flashback about Danny's mom having an affair with Harold Meachum which Danny found out about. Sparrow helps to refocus him and he decides that, even with his chi source gone and his iron fists diminished, he's ready to fight.
There's a lot of cool stuff happening here and some really interesting story telling, all helped by Andrews' great art (and check out that cover, it's real neat). It's also a pretty deep read and re-cast of Iron Fist's already remarkably dark origin. By the same token, I'm not sure I needed the affair with Meachum to cement my interest in these things. Affairs very rarely appeal to me and at this point they often seem cliche. I will say, in its defense, I think it's stronger here because Andrews has done such a good job to show that Danny's father had gone totally crazy and had disconnected from reality, even going so far as to have Danny's mother, in the throes of passion, say that she just wants Harold to make her feel something. So there's a little more of an emotional affair aspect going on but it still feels a little trite to me. Regardless, still a strong issue, check it out for a really neat little dragon, a fantastic cover, continued gorgeous art, and a compelling story. Can't do much better than that.
Total Score: 4/5
Moon Knight 7
A seemingly almost equally well-equipped ex-soldier has appeared on the scenes in New York targeting a visiting general who has committed some sort of crimes that the soldier has been privy to. Regardless, though, the general is a traveler in the night and therefore under Moon Knight's protection so a chase ensues throughout the city with Moon Knight eventually using his glider to stop the would-be assassin. He knocks the AWOL soldier out in time to answer the man's phone and learn that the woman behind the attempt is, in fact, Moon Knight's psychiatrist.
Though this is apparently the start of a continuing storyline, unlike the first six issues, Brian Wood goes to great lengths to make this issue read in the same way that Ellis and Shalvey's run read. There is a bit more dialogue as the soldier gives direction to his drone, which slows the issue a little but sets up the technology nicely, but Moon Knight acts and speaks in very much the same way he has throughout this volume, which is appreciated. Smallwood's art is very impressive, perhaps more expressive than Shalvey's (though I think I like Shalvey's style a bit more) and Bellaire's colors continue to be astonishing. The twist of Moon Knight's doctor being the benefactor of this assassination attempt is maybe one more twist than is necessary, but I'm still interested in learning more so it's certainly not enough to wave off. Strong first entry for the new creative team.
Total Score: 4/5
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 6
There's a lot of cool stuff happening here and some really interesting story telling, all helped by Andrews' great art (and check out that cover, it's real neat). It's also a pretty deep read and re-cast of Iron Fist's already remarkably dark origin. By the same token, I'm not sure I needed the affair with Meachum to cement my interest in these things. Affairs very rarely appeal to me and at this point they often seem cliche. I will say, in its defense, I think it's stronger here because Andrews has done such a good job to show that Danny's father had gone totally crazy and had disconnected from reality, even going so far as to have Danny's mother, in the throes of passion, say that she just wants Harold to make her feel something. So there's a little more of an emotional affair aspect going on but it still feels a little trite to me. Regardless, still a strong issue, check it out for a really neat little dragon, a fantastic cover, continued gorgeous art, and a compelling story. Can't do much better than that.
Total Score: 4/5
Moon Knight 7
Though this is apparently the start of a continuing storyline, unlike the first six issues, Brian Wood goes to great lengths to make this issue read in the same way that Ellis and Shalvey's run read. There is a bit more dialogue as the soldier gives direction to his drone, which slows the issue a little but sets up the technology nicely, but Moon Knight acts and speaks in very much the same way he has throughout this volume, which is appreciated. Smallwood's art is very impressive, perhaps more expressive than Shalvey's (though I think I like Shalvey's style a bit more) and Bellaire's colors continue to be astonishing. The twist of Moon Knight's doctor being the benefactor of this assassination attempt is maybe one more twist than is necessary, but I'm still interested in learning more so it's certainly not enough to wave off. Strong first entry for the new creative team.
Total Score: 4/5
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?
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Moon Knight 6, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Moon Knight 6
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
For questioning why this Mr. Knight character gets to do the police work, NYPD officer Ryan Trent is told by his superior that he's going to be a street cop for life. With this, the latest in a lifetime of people telling him he's not good enough, Trent decides that he can be better than Moon Knight and begins gathering information on the vigilante. Things quickly spiral and he begins to really loathe Moon Knight, changing his plans from "make something of myself" to "kill Moon Knight as the new Black Spectre, classic Moon Knight villain, then take his place and enjoy the love and admiration of just EVERYBODY." It's, perhaps, a bit of a "shoot first, ask questions never/why would you even think about questioning this plan" plan but BOY does Trent commit to it. His final act (in the plan and, spoilers, in life) is to rig up some car-bombs and lure Moon Knight to their location. He detonates them, though Moon Knight isn't caught in the blast, having sent his car ahead as a decoy, and ends up blowing himself up with his last bomb while Moon Knight tells him that Black Spectre, like, it seems, Trent, only ever wanted to be loved and that was his ultimate downfall. Moon Knight, on the other hand, doesn't want love from anyone, that the people who love him end up dying horribly, and that's why he always wins.
It's an appropriately dark ending for Ellis and Shalvey's last issue of the series and it does a phenomenal job of bringing their arc of six mostly unconnected single stories to a full circle. The story is interesting, Moon Knight plays his typical role as sort of a ghost in the issue and ends up, as in each issue, the only one to walk away (his logic at the end, then, is evidently infallible). Shalvey and Bellaire's art remains unbelievable and fit Ellis' tone perfectly. Just an overall great book and one of the best runs on a character I've seen in some time. Interesting side-note: Marvel seems determined to get the reader to stick with the book, addressing Ellis and Shalvey's departure and providing a four-page preview at the end of this book, which wouldn't be as weird if they hadn't plugged the four-page preview into other books (including ROCKET RACCOON and presumably others). Weird that they're so concerned the audience will jump ship. It reeks of backlash from fans upon learning Ellis and Shalvey were leaving. STILL, back to the matter at hand: great book, pick this and its preceding five up.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Kaare Andrews (w, a, c) and Caramagna (l)
Iron Fist begins to recognize the threat he faces as, of course, not his father but as The One, the final challenge a potential Iron Fist faces in their long line of challenges to ascend to the role of protector of K'un Lun (some day, SOME DAY, I won't have to look up how to spell K'un Lun). Look, that doesn't make it not weird since Danny killed The One in his own trial. Crushed and broken, Danny manages to escape only with the help of the K'un Lun elders, who whisk him out just in time to not be totally killed. Meanwhile, the messenger girl Pei continues to try to evade the dark forces following her with the help of Brenda who proves herself suddenly adept at many fighting styles (??) and escapes into the sewers carrying the chi of K'un Lun, though she inadvertently releases it and unleashes, it seems, Shou-Lao the undying (knew he wasn't dead...that's a joke, you guys) into the New York City sewer system.
Plenty happening but this issue almost acts more like catch-up, despite the incredible amount of action. Danny recaps a little what's been going on and we see just about everyone we've seen so far in Andrews' run. It ends up dragging the issue a little bit but I think it's probably worth it to kind of reset and show us where we are right now in a book loaded with pretty deep cuts into Iron Fist mythology. Still doesn't solve Danny's problems of totally broken fists and a lack of chi but I'm sure we're getting there, no doubt with Pei's help. Also kind of can't stand when characters suddenly whip out very convenient powers like Brenda did, though maybe that's building to something else too. Look, whatever, is what I'm saying. Still pretty good work and some stellar art from Andrews, as ever.
Total Score: 4/5
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
It's an appropriately dark ending for Ellis and Shalvey's last issue of the series and it does a phenomenal job of bringing their arc of six mostly unconnected single stories to a full circle. The story is interesting, Moon Knight plays his typical role as sort of a ghost in the issue and ends up, as in each issue, the only one to walk away (his logic at the end, then, is evidently infallible). Shalvey and Bellaire's art remains unbelievable and fit Ellis' tone perfectly. Just an overall great book and one of the best runs on a character I've seen in some time. Interesting side-note: Marvel seems determined to get the reader to stick with the book, addressing Ellis and Shalvey's departure and providing a four-page preview at the end of this book, which wouldn't be as weird if they hadn't plugged the four-page preview into other books (including ROCKET RACCOON and presumably others). Weird that they're so concerned the audience will jump ship. It reeks of backlash from fans upon learning Ellis and Shalvey were leaving. STILL, back to the matter at hand: great book, pick this and its preceding five up.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Kaare Andrews (w, a, c) and Caramagna (l)
Plenty happening but this issue almost acts more like catch-up, despite the incredible amount of action. Danny recaps a little what's been going on and we see just about everyone we've seen so far in Andrews' run. It ends up dragging the issue a little bit but I think it's probably worth it to kind of reset and show us where we are right now in a book loaded with pretty deep cuts into Iron Fist mythology. Still doesn't solve Danny's problems of totally broken fists and a lack of chi but I'm sure we're getting there, no doubt with Pei's help. Also kind of can't stand when characters suddenly whip out very convenient powers like Brenda did, though maybe that's building to something else too. Look, whatever, is what I'm saying. Still pretty good work and some stellar art from Andrews, as ever.
Total Score: 4/5
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Comics this week
Lot of intriguing books out there this week. On the other hand, I'm probably just going to mostly pick books you're expecting me to pick? So, not so much intriguing here as "predictable." Look, these things happen. Maybe Marvel should release its intriguing books on weeks where fewer sure-thing books are coming out?
Black Widow 9
Great book all the time and it got an added boost of heart last time with Winter Soldier's inclusion. This one will crossover with this week's PUNISHER 9 as well. Expect a pretty fun one, particularly as both books are helmed by writer Nathan Edmondson, who has added life to both series.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Guys, do I have to cover why I like this book even more? There's a lot to like here and it's certainly worth a look if you somehow haven't looked yet, if just to see how the book plays. Lots of neat things, though maybe not quite as neat and predictably great as...
Moon Knight 6
Very sadly, this is the final issue for Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey, who have really killed it on this book, completely redefining Moon Knight and blowing away readers at every turn. They've made this series, in just five issues, one of this best Marvel has in a lineup replete with good books. I don't want to write off the series when Ellis and Shalvey leave as Brian Wood will take over as series writer and I quite like Wood's work, not to mention that colorist Jordie Bellaire will stay on, which is certainly a win. Still, this will be the final issue for Ellis and Shalvey (who, excitingly, will team together again on Image's INJECTION, along with Bellaire) and I insist you read this book.
New Avengers 22
Back-to-back release weeks for NEW AVENGERS and I can't help but choose this book, which I've loved overall and whose last issue I particularly loved. Excellent work last week as we see a depth of character to Black Panther that Hickman had kind of danced around, particularly because Panther is someone who tends to play things close to the vest. How will the Illuminati react to Namor's ability to do what they could not?
Rocket Raccoon 2
Look, this is why having five books on this pre-game list is sometimes tough. SPIDER-VERSE starts this week with the return of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN, the compelling SHE-HULK is out this week, and the very fun NEW WARRIORS returns this week as well, recently revoking their own Avengers status (well, Justice, as the only Avengers member) to stand for the New Warriors. Instead, though, the pick goes to Skottie Young's already incredibly fun ROCKET RACCOON, which will hopefully get a few more pick-ups in stores this week on the heels of the immensely successful and delightful Guardians of the Galaxy. Not that, if the pre-order numbers were any indication, this book needs a huge pick-up.
Black Widow 9
Great book all the time and it got an added boost of heart last time with Winter Soldier's inclusion. This one will crossover with this week's PUNISHER 9 as well. Expect a pretty fun one, particularly as both books are helmed by writer Nathan Edmondson, who has added life to both series.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 5
Guys, do I have to cover why I like this book even more? There's a lot to like here and it's certainly worth a look if you somehow haven't looked yet, if just to see how the book plays. Lots of neat things, though maybe not quite as neat and predictably great as...
Moon Knight 6
Very sadly, this is the final issue for Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey, who have really killed it on this book, completely redefining Moon Knight and blowing away readers at every turn. They've made this series, in just five issues, one of this best Marvel has in a lineup replete with good books. I don't want to write off the series when Ellis and Shalvey leave as Brian Wood will take over as series writer and I quite like Wood's work, not to mention that colorist Jordie Bellaire will stay on, which is certainly a win. Still, this will be the final issue for Ellis and Shalvey (who, excitingly, will team together again on Image's INJECTION, along with Bellaire) and I insist you read this book.
New Avengers 22
Back-to-back release weeks for NEW AVENGERS and I can't help but choose this book, which I've loved overall and whose last issue I particularly loved. Excellent work last week as we see a depth of character to Black Panther that Hickman had kind of danced around, particularly because Panther is someone who tends to play things close to the vest. How will the Illuminati react to Namor's ability to do what they could not?
Rocket Raccoon 2
Look, this is why having five books on this pre-game list is sometimes tough. SPIDER-VERSE starts this week with the return of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN, the compelling SHE-HULK is out this week, and the very fun NEW WARRIORS returns this week as well, recently revoking their own Avengers status (well, Justice, as the only Avengers member) to stand for the New Warriors. Instead, though, the pick goes to Skottie Young's already incredibly fun ROCKET RACCOON, which will hopefully get a few more pick-ups in stores this week on the heels of the immensely successful and delightful Guardians of the Galaxy. Not that, if the pre-order numbers were any indication, this book needs a huge pick-up.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Moon Knight 5, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 4
Moon Knight 5
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
A young girl has been kidnapped by a crime family. She's being held in the fifth floor of a six story abandoned building by a dozen or so guards. Moon Knight makes his way to the fifth floor.
I put down every issue of this series going "this book is awesome." It's a number of things and I think that it's a number of things I've already talked about with this book. Each issue gives a slightly different flavor and the flavor of this one is a far more brutal and less mystical one. Khonshu only plays a role insofar as his tie to Moon Knight. There are no spirits and there are no curses. This one is just Moon Knight making his way through a series of thugs who stand no chance against him. It is brutal and it is devastating and it is truly a phenomenal comic. As ever, one of Ellis' strengths on the book remains his understanding of how to keep quiet during the action and how to let Moon Knight's terseness speak volumes. Declan Shalvey does a phenomenal job both with the still moments and with the intense action just as Jordie Bellaire does a stellar job setting the tone. Check this issue out.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 4
K. Andrews (w, a, and c) and Caramagna (l)
In a flashback to before Danny left for K'un Lun (on his present journey), we see a night between Danny and Brenda where she, having lowered his defenses and seen through his false callousness, gets him to confide in her, at least a little, and talk to her about his parents. That night, his mother, a monstrous skeleton not unlike the father he ran into at the end of last issue, comes to him while he sleeps and scolds him for looking back at her when she told him not to, for watching her get ripped apart. Brenda stays through his whole episode and calms him back to bed, though it's still a restless night. In the present, his maybe-father/monster insults his connection to Lei Kung and compares it to his connection and perceived failure to his own father. Danny raises his iron fist to strike with the power of Shou-Lao, K'un Lun, and the tree of immortality only to find that, with those destroyed, he has no power.
Danny's demons are very real and they're facing him down one by one. Andrews, on top of his phenomenal art and strong writing, has a real sense of tone and character for this book. The flashback to time spent with Brenda isn't necessarily what the audience is expecting but, after reading it, it feels like it's exactly what we needed. He's not a callous jerk, he's not humorless because Andrews has decided that's who Danny has always been, he's just a guy with a lot going on and a public face that differs from his private face. If you had fears that maybe this was signifying a massive shift in who Iron Fist has been in the past, I think you can relax. It might be a bit of a shift, perhaps leading to someone who's a bit darker underneath, but it's not anything that shouldn't be expected. Really solid book, very compelling art, perhaps a little risqué for younger readers. Only in America could I call this book risqué because it has sexual themes whereas I called MOON KNIGHT awesome and brutal with no such warning. Pretty weird, right? Guys, I have observations like this for DAYS. LOOK AT THAT COVER, EVERYONE. GOOOOOOOOOD week for covers and this is likely the best one.
Total Score: 5/5
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
I put down every issue of this series going "this book is awesome." It's a number of things and I think that it's a number of things I've already talked about with this book. Each issue gives a slightly different flavor and the flavor of this one is a far more brutal and less mystical one. Khonshu only plays a role insofar as his tie to Moon Knight. There are no spirits and there are no curses. This one is just Moon Knight making his way through a series of thugs who stand no chance against him. It is brutal and it is devastating and it is truly a phenomenal comic. As ever, one of Ellis' strengths on the book remains his understanding of how to keep quiet during the action and how to let Moon Knight's terseness speak volumes. Declan Shalvey does a phenomenal job both with the still moments and with the intense action just as Jordie Bellaire does a stellar job setting the tone. Check this issue out.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 4
K. Andrews (w, a, and c) and Caramagna (l)
Danny's demons are very real and they're facing him down one by one. Andrews, on top of his phenomenal art and strong writing, has a real sense of tone and character for this book. The flashback to time spent with Brenda isn't necessarily what the audience is expecting but, after reading it, it feels like it's exactly what we needed. He's not a callous jerk, he's not humorless because Andrews has decided that's who Danny has always been, he's just a guy with a lot going on and a public face that differs from his private face. If you had fears that maybe this was signifying a massive shift in who Iron Fist has been in the past, I think you can relax. It might be a bit of a shift, perhaps leading to someone who's a bit darker underneath, but it's not anything that shouldn't be expected. Really solid book, very compelling art, perhaps a little risqué for younger readers. Only in America could I call this book risqué because it has sexual themes whereas I called MOON KNIGHT awesome and brutal with no such warning. Pretty weird, right? Guys, I have observations like this for DAYS. LOOK AT THAT COVER, EVERYONE. GOOOOOOOOOD week for covers and this is likely the best one.
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
Sunday, June 8, 2014
This week's picks
The week that I earlier proclaimed to be "an embarrassment of riches" insofar as what books would be released ended up living up to its hype, providing plenty of really good issues to explore. It was one of those weeks that helps someone who might be a little burned out get excited about just sitting down and binge reading every issue. ANYWAY, it still wasn't as hard as I'd have thought to pick the top three but note that there aren't too many ways you can go wrong this week choosing a book or two to pick up.
Black Widow 7
In a week of great character moments and defining issues, BLACK WIDOW 7 stood out as one that I'll be thinking about for some time. This issue was the perfect juxtaposition of Natasha's role in today's world and exactly how the world sees her and the role she used to try to play when comics didn't want their heroes to kill at any cost. Now it's a bit murkier and Natasha knows her position and isn't afraid to take someone out. This whole series has shown her struggling with which jobs to take and how blind she should be to the jobs she takes and it's made the audience comfortable with everything she does, including the more minor or abrupt killings (like the guy from whom she took the computer virus in this issue, the messenger she would replace). Now, as Natasha thinks about the need for friends, we see her judged by a former extremely close friend and found to be untrustworthy. It's a tough blow to Natasha and it burns here. Nathan Edmondson is doing phenomenal work on this title (and on PUNISHER) and Phil Noto is absolutely destroying it on the art of this book. Just a really great series that you need to be reading.
Moon Knight 4
This one takes a spot on this list without too much contention if just because it fits so nicely into the world Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire have created. There's an interesting story with a creepy but satisfying twist at the end and Ellis, as always, knows just when to pull back and let the art reign. I think I've mentioned here before that my first experience with now top-5 (for me, at least, but probably for EVERYONE, right?) artist Jamie McKelvie was Ellis' SECRET AVENGERS 16 (another book that centered on Moon Knight, in fact, though there were plenty of other great characters to be seen there). It was another standalone issue (like each of these MOON KNIGHT issues so far, though "standalone" is maybe too broad a term for this series) and it involved an entire city created beneath Cincinnati, one that was prepared to bomb the city above. Even amidst how heavy that plot obviously was, and how much it was to explain in just one issue, Ellis pulled back for pages at a time to let McKelvie's art carry the load and it worked incredibly. That's what this series has done in full. Declan Shalvey's art, which I've always liked a lot but never seen like this, carries this book in a lot of ways but it never feels like the writer is trying to overshadow that or speak unnecessarily to explain something we can see on the page. Really great book, one that (like the rest) you'll just fly through because you're so engrossed (and they read really quickly) but you'll catch yourself flipping through again and again to see the art.
New Warriors 5
I don't necessarily know that this is one of the three best books out there this week (I don't know though, it's definitely up there, competing against titles like IRON FIST: THE IMMORTAL WEAPON, CAPTAIN AMERICA, AVENGERS WORLD, PUNISHER, and even a couple others) but I wanted to shine a light on it here because I think, maybe along with SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, it does the most this week to really affirm its tone and the feel of this book. In just five issues, Chris Yost and his artists (typically Marcus To but here Nick Roche) have established such a strong feel for this book and created such a unique tone to enforce that feeling. It's fun and it's exciting but that also doesn't trap them into going too light. Instead, there are a few dark moments in this issue that work perfectly amidst all of the fun and energy here, particularly as Speedball is stunned out of his re-found happy-go-lucky attitude by the mention of Stamford and his time as Penance. It's a jarring moment, one that's perfectly timed and excellently executed (particularly in this issue, as we watch Roche's very kinetic and almost cartoonish depiction of Speedball actually stopping). I can't guarantee that this book is for everyone but I'd encourage everyone to try it; like with Yost's SCARLET SPIDER before it, I think NEW WARRIORS is so sure of its characters and so sure of its place in the universe and its tone that it's going to continue to be a strong book for as long as it continues.
Black Widow 7
Moon Knight 4
New Warriors 5
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Moon Knight 4, Iron Fist: The Immortal Weapon 3, Magneto 5
Moon Knight 4
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Moon Knight has been contacted by a Doctor Skelton, a sleep scientist who had worked with one-time ally to Marc Spector Peter Alraune. Skelton is having troubles with his sleep studies as all of his patients, hooked up to machines and drips in his small office provided by the university, have been going slowly insane after having the same dream. Moon Knight, sworn to protect travelers in the night (which also includes protecting people in dreams), returns to the office with Skelton and goes to sleep on the floor of one of an open, damp and smelly room. He enters an incredibly colorful and psychedelic hellscape where seemingly every piece of the landscape has the face of a man pleading for death. Moon Knight explores the area for a bit and then abruptly wakes up and crashes into Skelton's office, dragging him out by the hair and throwing him into the damp and smelly room, where he rips up the floorboards to find a corpse wrapped in a bag rotting underneath. Skelton explains that it was a random guy from Craigslist who'd first participated in the study and who had undisclosed medical problems that reacted badly to the drugs Skelton used and that Skelton had been forced to hide the body or else he would be shut down. Moon Knight explains that he's been rotting there with his own fungus and with whatever else Skelton put into him, that they've "been breathing in his dreams."
Another amazing outing for this MOON KNIGHT book which finds Ellis doing one of his favorite things, weird and creepy science, and finds Shalvey getting to really play with a new environment and play with the constructs of dreams, while Bellaire gets to colors some extraordinary new settings. Just a really phenomenal book, one that really flies by but that you'll have no trouble going back to when it's over, one that you'll really want to flip through a couple of times just to see everything that Shalvey and Bellaire are doing, let alone the interesting story and the ever tight-lipped Moon Knight (which comes somewhat at odds with the Moon Knight in ORIGINAL SIN who was rather a chatterbox this week's issue). I said in my pre-game this week that this is a series that will, even just three issues in, undoubtedly be a phenomenal book for as long as Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey want to stay on it and, oh hey, what's this news now? Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood are taking over the series starting in issue seven in September? CURSE YOU, IRONIC LINK.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Immortal Weapon 3
K. Andrews (w, a, c) and Caramagna (l)
As Danny returns to K'un Lun to find it in ruins with the Thunderer, his old master and current Yu Ti of the mystical city, decapitated, something inside him rather snaps. Between the present and a slew of flashbacks, we see Danny trying to keep his rage down and his rage turning into fear as he worries about who he is and what he'll become, that his fear is based on unleashing death. Thunderer was an instrumental part of learning that about himself and now he's dead and Danny wasn't there to stop it. Fellow immortal weapon Prince of Orphans is onsite to help K'un Lun recover and asks Danny to step up and eat the fruit of immortality that he declined when he was first given the choice. Then, he'd rejected it because he sought vengeance on the man who he believed killed his parents, Harold Meachum only to be denied that vengeance because Meachum was old and frail, already practically dead. Now he's offered the fruit in the hopes that he'll stay and be a new and stable Yu Ti, a guiding hand as K'un Lun rebuilds. He declines it and kicks down the tree, demanding vengeance and attacking the Prince of Orphans. he's thrown out from K'un Lun and into the snowy Himalayas where he runs across some sort of beast that appears to be his father. Meanwhile, Brenda, the girl he slept with in issue one, is trying to watch over the little messenger girl but things are complicated when Davos (it's always Davos) comes to kill her.
On top of a very clear love of Iron Fist and the mythology surrounding Danny Rand and K'un Lun, it seems as if Kaare Andrews sat down and thought out every single thing about Danny Rand. He compiled his origin and his past and his present and tried to map out who the character was. Though Danny has recently been something of a stable voice, guiding perhaps angrier characters like Luke Cage or Daredevil, and giving his time and powers freely (well, since Heroes for Hire, anyway), you can absolutely see where Andrews is coming from. Spider-Man every single day is reminded and pushed by his origin, by the fact that he let Uncle Ben die with his own inaction. Yet here's Danny Rand, a guy who, as a child, saw his crazed father fall to his death and his mother torn apart by wolves as he pressed forward to a city where he would be relentlessly trained to be a weapon, and he opens up a nice dojo in town for kids to come train with him. I'm not saying that's impossible or crazy or anything like that, no. Absolutely people come back from horrifying childhoods. But still, Andrews obviously looked at Danny and said "well there's clearly more to it than that." And that's the story we're seeing. It's a story set in the present but with very strong and obvious ties to his past. And it's just an astounding book to look at. Also, I like that cover and the next cover looks AMAZING.
Total Score: 5/5
Magneto 5
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c) and Petit (l)
Magneto is recovering between missions. Removed to small-town America, he plots his next steps and restocks his supply of staples and other small magnetic things. He meets with a man to learn a new target he can attack but, before he can set out, he's found by a woman wishing to help him. Briar Raleigh is a woman with a metal leg and a dossier on the entire SHIELD team set to hunt Magneto. He decides to hear her out as she promises to lead him to much bigger scores, including the Marauders, than any little random informant could give, though he's not without his suspicions. It's possible those suspicions are well-founded as we're privy to a flashback wherein we see that she lost her leg in a Magneto attack on Seattle some time prior.
Briar Raleigh, though a name I'm not sure I can get behind (though I'm not eye rolling at it like certain Verity Willises), seems an interesting addition to this book. Someone with questionable motives giving apparently useful information to Magneto and being the person who can lead him in a direction. Whenever you have a character who can point a protagonist in a direction you have the potential for an interesting character. One like this one, who has questionable motives and no known history, seems particularly useful, especially given how many enemies Magneto's made. It's a little like Isaiah in BLACK WIDOW but it's hard not to believe (though this could be just what Edmondson wants us to believe) that Isaiah is a pretty good dude, at least good for Natasha. In this case, Briar Raleigh (does not flow off the tongue, nor does it flow off the keyboard) may well be giving Magneto information now only to lead him to traps later. Fun stuff. Can't complain on this one.
Total Score: 5/5
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Another amazing outing for this MOON KNIGHT book which finds Ellis doing one of his favorite things, weird and creepy science, and finds Shalvey getting to really play with a new environment and play with the constructs of dreams, while Bellaire gets to colors some extraordinary new settings. Just a really phenomenal book, one that really flies by but that you'll have no trouble going back to when it's over, one that you'll really want to flip through a couple of times just to see everything that Shalvey and Bellaire are doing, let alone the interesting story and the ever tight-lipped Moon Knight (which comes somewhat at odds with the Moon Knight in ORIGINAL SIN who was rather a chatterbox this week's issue). I said in my pre-game this week that this is a series that will, even just three issues in, undoubtedly be a phenomenal book for as long as Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey want to stay on it and, oh hey, what's this news now? Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood are taking over the series starting in issue seven in September? CURSE YOU, IRONIC LINK.
Total Score: 5/5
Iron Fist: The Immortal Weapon 3
K. Andrews (w, a, c) and Caramagna (l)
As Danny returns to K'un Lun to find it in ruins with the Thunderer, his old master and current Yu Ti of the mystical city, decapitated, something inside him rather snaps. Between the present and a slew of flashbacks, we see Danny trying to keep his rage down and his rage turning into fear as he worries about who he is and what he'll become, that his fear is based on unleashing death. Thunderer was an instrumental part of learning that about himself and now he's dead and Danny wasn't there to stop it. Fellow immortal weapon Prince of Orphans is onsite to help K'un Lun recover and asks Danny to step up and eat the fruit of immortality that he declined when he was first given the choice. Then, he'd rejected it because he sought vengeance on the man who he believed killed his parents, Harold Meachum only to be denied that vengeance because Meachum was old and frail, already practically dead. Now he's offered the fruit in the hopes that he'll stay and be a new and stable Yu Ti, a guiding hand as K'un Lun rebuilds. He declines it and kicks down the tree, demanding vengeance and attacking the Prince of Orphans. he's thrown out from K'un Lun and into the snowy Himalayas where he runs across some sort of beast that appears to be his father. Meanwhile, Brenda, the girl he slept with in issue one, is trying to watch over the little messenger girl but things are complicated when Davos (it's always Davos) comes to kill her.On top of a very clear love of Iron Fist and the mythology surrounding Danny Rand and K'un Lun, it seems as if Kaare Andrews sat down and thought out every single thing about Danny Rand. He compiled his origin and his past and his present and tried to map out who the character was. Though Danny has recently been something of a stable voice, guiding perhaps angrier characters like Luke Cage or Daredevil, and giving his time and powers freely (well, since Heroes for Hire, anyway), you can absolutely see where Andrews is coming from. Spider-Man every single day is reminded and pushed by his origin, by the fact that he let Uncle Ben die with his own inaction. Yet here's Danny Rand, a guy who, as a child, saw his crazed father fall to his death and his mother torn apart by wolves as he pressed forward to a city where he would be relentlessly trained to be a weapon, and he opens up a nice dojo in town for kids to come train with him. I'm not saying that's impossible or crazy or anything like that, no. Absolutely people come back from horrifying childhoods. But still, Andrews obviously looked at Danny and said "well there's clearly more to it than that." And that's the story we're seeing. It's a story set in the present but with very strong and obvious ties to his past. And it's just an astounding book to look at. Also, I like that cover and the next cover looks AMAZING.
Total Score: 5/5
Magneto 5
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c) and Petit (l)
Magneto is recovering between missions. Removed to small-town America, he plots his next steps and restocks his supply of staples and other small magnetic things. He meets with a man to learn a new target he can attack but, before he can set out, he's found by a woman wishing to help him. Briar Raleigh is a woman with a metal leg and a dossier on the entire SHIELD team set to hunt Magneto. He decides to hear her out as she promises to lead him to much bigger scores, including the Marauders, than any little random informant could give, though he's not without his suspicions. It's possible those suspicions are well-founded as we're privy to a flashback wherein we see that she lost her leg in a Magneto attack on Seattle some time prior.Briar Raleigh, though a name I'm not sure I can get behind (though I'm not eye rolling at it like certain Verity Willises), seems an interesting addition to this book. Someone with questionable motives giving apparently useful information to Magneto and being the person who can lead him in a direction. Whenever you have a character who can point a protagonist in a direction you have the potential for an interesting character. One like this one, who has questionable motives and no known history, seems particularly useful, especially given how many enemies Magneto's made. It's a little like Isaiah in BLACK WIDOW but it's hard not to believe (though this could be just what Edmondson wants us to believe) that Isaiah is a pretty good dude, at least good for Natasha. In this case, Briar Raleigh (does not flow off the tongue, nor does it flow off the keyboard) may well be giving Magneto information now only to lead him to traps later. Fun stuff. Can't complain on this one.
Total Score: 5/5
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Original Sin 3, Avengers World 7
Original Sin 3
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
While the Avengers in the immediate vicinity of the Orb (who, it turns out, was working alongside Oubliette's father Dr. Midas, all of which makes me quite glad I read Morrison's MARVEL BOY not too long ago) are sent reeling from the weight of their secrets (soon to be seen in all the tie-in books), the mysterious murder investigation boss's teams are spread out finding other such murders. Black Panther, Emma Frost, and Ant-Man examine bullets they've found while Punisher and Doctor Strange discuss the people who could shoot a target from such a huge distance. Meanwhile, Moon Knight, Winter Soldier, and Gamora explore space and find a trail of meteor-sized bullet casing that lead to a murdered sentient planet (not Ego the Living Planet, but similar enough that Gamora namedrops him). While Moon Knight and Gamora discuss how much this must narrow down the possible suspects, Bucky destroys their ship and teleports to Fury's base, where he's trying to glean more from the eye they've recovered. Winter Soldier proclaims that everyone has to pay for their sins and that there will be no more secrets before he shoots and stabs Fury and takes the eye.
In FEAR ITSELF, the last event he appeared in, Winter Soldier (at the time, Captain America) seemingly died in issue three. Now he returns to events as he seemingly murders someone in issue three of ORIGINAL SIN. There's a lot going on and plenty that's hinted at for us to read elsewhere (some pretty intense selling of the tie-ins as everyone starts to see their applicable secrets, with the most egregious being Thor yelling "BY THE SPIRES OF ASGARD, I HAVE A SISTER?") but the murder investigation and Bucky's apparent betrayal take center stage here. Like in any crime drama, it feels rather too early a reveal for Bucky to be the actual killer (not to mention that like, does he even know who the Watcher is?) but there's still clearly something pretty deep happening here. Also interesting is Fury's concern that everyone in the vicinity saw their secrets but he didn't see anything. Plenty happening, including a bit of less appealing salesmanship, but it's hard to read where this one will go next.
Total Score: 4/5
Avengers World 7
Spencer (w) and Caselli (a) and Mossa (c) and Caramagna (l)
Madripoor has lifted off the Earth on the back of an ancient dragon at the behest of Gorgon, who has defeated Shang-Chi while his teammates Falcon, Black Widow, and Wolverine try to calm riots on the street. Black Widow calls for extraction, saying it's futile to keep fighting there, while Falcon goes to find Shang. With no birds in the sky around them (what do you think Redwing does on his days off? Bird social worker?), it's up to Sam entirely to find the missing Avenger and he follows a drone leading away from the flying nation. The drone drops him at a giant airship hovering near by called the Circle (because it's circular). He enters and meets Xian Zheng, who informs him that the Circle is his ship and it's one of many new Chinese airships. He explains that China realized it had relied too much upon SHIELD and the Avengers when the war of the Builders struck and now they've put together their own force, called SPEAR, with their own team of heroes called the Ascendants including Weather Witch, Saber, Vector, Devastator, and the Monkey King (last seen in IRON MAN 2.0, I think). Zheng tells Falcon it's nothing that he need worry about, that they're all fighting for the same cause, just that the world looks to China for defense and protection and China hasn't provided it yet. He also asks Falcon to help deliver the message to the world, which he does by appearing on footage broadcast around the world with the new team.
Occasionally a series will delve into the politics of the world, moving away from the individual superheroes and the individual villains and giving us a look at the world that these heroes and villains have created and how it differs from ours. AVENGERS WORLD 7 is one of the times where such a look is smart and compelling. We've seen other country-sanctioned teams and loyal national heroes (Britain has the most obvious example but there are heroes in the Middle East and in Russia and in Japan and, well, pretty much everywhere our heroes occasionally visit) but there's nothing out there with the sort of power and reach that SHIELD has. Now we've taken a story that was interesting, featuring Gorgon raising Madripoor on the back of a dragon, and turned it into something else entirely, introducing SPEAR (the acronym is never explained by Zheng points out that there has always been the shield in the west and the spear in the east so, I mean, pretty much just a word, huh?). I like having Falcon run point on this because he's someone who can understand the need for something like this without feeling entirely threatened. He's worked with SHIELD, he's worked against SHIELD, and he understand the way the world is changing so he's skeptical and hesitant but ultimately willing to give this a shot. Cool idea overall, we'll have to see how this plays across the rest of this arc and the rest of the universe.
Total Score: 5/5
Aaron (w) and Deodato (a) and F. Martin (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
In FEAR ITSELF, the last event he appeared in, Winter Soldier (at the time, Captain America) seemingly died in issue three. Now he returns to events as he seemingly murders someone in issue three of ORIGINAL SIN. There's a lot going on and plenty that's hinted at for us to read elsewhere (some pretty intense selling of the tie-ins as everyone starts to see their applicable secrets, with the most egregious being Thor yelling "BY THE SPIRES OF ASGARD, I HAVE A SISTER?") but the murder investigation and Bucky's apparent betrayal take center stage here. Like in any crime drama, it feels rather too early a reveal for Bucky to be the actual killer (not to mention that like, does he even know who the Watcher is?) but there's still clearly something pretty deep happening here. Also interesting is Fury's concern that everyone in the vicinity saw their secrets but he didn't see anything. Plenty happening, including a bit of less appealing salesmanship, but it's hard to read where this one will go next.
Total Score: 4/5
Avengers World 7
Spencer (w) and Caselli (a) and Mossa (c) and Caramagna (l)
Occasionally a series will delve into the politics of the world, moving away from the individual superheroes and the individual villains and giving us a look at the world that these heroes and villains have created and how it differs from ours. AVENGERS WORLD 7 is one of the times where such a look is smart and compelling. We've seen other country-sanctioned teams and loyal national heroes (Britain has the most obvious example but there are heroes in the Middle East and in Russia and in Japan and, well, pretty much everywhere our heroes occasionally visit) but there's nothing out there with the sort of power and reach that SHIELD has. Now we've taken a story that was interesting, featuring Gorgon raising Madripoor on the back of a dragon, and turned it into something else entirely, introducing SPEAR (the acronym is never explained by Zheng points out that there has always been the shield in the west and the spear in the east so, I mean, pretty much just a word, huh?). I like having Falcon run point on this because he's someone who can understand the need for something like this without feeling entirely threatened. He's worked with SHIELD, he's worked against SHIELD, and he understand the way the world is changing so he's skeptical and hesitant but ultimately willing to give this a shot. Cool idea overall, we'll have to see how this plays across the rest of this arc and the rest of the universe.
Total Score: 5/5
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Comics this week
Ooh boy, we have an embarrassment of riches this week so let's dive right into it and try to highlight the five I'm most excited about.
Black Widow 7
Have I mentioned enough how good this book is? I feel like I probably haven't. You'll be hard-pressed to find a book that's more compelling and more gorgeous than this one every release and now, as Natasha finds herself surrounded by trouble on all sides, will she go out and find a friend? Real excited about where this book is and, more importantly, where it's going.
Captain America 21
This is one of those books that, though I've been praising it from day one, almost feels like it's snuck past a lot of people. Remender is doing a phenomenal job in the traditional comics vein of breaking a hero so far down that it seems impossible for him to come back up from it. It's a great look into Marvel's most stalwart hero as Remender forces him further down than he's ever been. Like his UNCANNY AVENGERS and even his UNCANNY X-FORCE, this is a story within a much greater story. We're on individual arcs but the entire book has built us to this place and beyond.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 3
I'm still very intrigued by this series. I'm happy with the way it kicked off, with an interesting story and a jarring recast of Danny's origin, all of which has been propped up by phenomenal art (both current day and flashback art). Now, as things head to K'un-Lun, I'm interested to see where writer/artist Kaare Andrews goes. He showed last issue he wasn't afraid to dive right in but it certainly feels like he'll have to offer up a little more information as the series rolls on. Still, very cool series, very much looking forward to seeing more of it.
Moon Knight 4
It's rare (though it's happened a number of times since the start of Marvel NOW!) to see a series that kicks off so strongly that you know it'll be a great book for as long as the creative team wants to do it. MOON KNIGHT is that sort of book, one where you can't help but inherently trust that you will never be disappointed by it. I think it deserves consideration for your favorite title but know that if it doesn't reach that point, it'll certainly still be worth a buy every week. I say that THREE ISSUES IN.
Original Sin 3
Ahhh, events. The big draw for this series, the idea that major Marvel secrets will be revealed, is finally here as somehow-series-villain the Orb unleashes the Watcher's eye on the world (OKAY, I guess it's not that weird, he found an eye, this is the only eye-themed villain. Kind of amazing they even had an eye-themed villain ready to go). We should be starting to see enough of this event to start to make a couple judgments here and there but I resent that it has to make the list in front of other worthy titles like NEW WARRIORS, PUNISHER, AVENGERS WORLD, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, CYCLOPS, and IRON MAN. Seriously, an embarrassment of riches.
Black Widow 7
Have I mentioned enough how good this book is? I feel like I probably haven't. You'll be hard-pressed to find a book that's more compelling and more gorgeous than this one every release and now, as Natasha finds herself surrounded by trouble on all sides, will she go out and find a friend? Real excited about where this book is and, more importantly, where it's going.
Captain America 21
This is one of those books that, though I've been praising it from day one, almost feels like it's snuck past a lot of people. Remender is doing a phenomenal job in the traditional comics vein of breaking a hero so far down that it seems impossible for him to come back up from it. It's a great look into Marvel's most stalwart hero as Remender forces him further down than he's ever been. Like his UNCANNY AVENGERS and even his UNCANNY X-FORCE, this is a story within a much greater story. We're on individual arcs but the entire book has built us to this place and beyond.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 3
I'm still very intrigued by this series. I'm happy with the way it kicked off, with an interesting story and a jarring recast of Danny's origin, all of which has been propped up by phenomenal art (both current day and flashback art). Now, as things head to K'un-Lun, I'm interested to see where writer/artist Kaare Andrews goes. He showed last issue he wasn't afraid to dive right in but it certainly feels like he'll have to offer up a little more information as the series rolls on. Still, very cool series, very much looking forward to seeing more of it.
Moon Knight 4
It's rare (though it's happened a number of times since the start of Marvel NOW!) to see a series that kicks off so strongly that you know it'll be a great book for as long as the creative team wants to do it. MOON KNIGHT is that sort of book, one where you can't help but inherently trust that you will never be disappointed by it. I think it deserves consideration for your favorite title but know that if it doesn't reach that point, it'll certainly still be worth a buy every week. I say that THREE ISSUES IN.
Original Sin 3
Ahhh, events. The big draw for this series, the idea that major Marvel secrets will be revealed, is finally here as somehow-series-villain the Orb unleashes the Watcher's eye on the world (OKAY, I guess it's not that weird, he found an eye, this is the only eye-themed villain. Kind of amazing they even had an eye-themed villain ready to go). We should be starting to see enough of this event to start to make a couple judgments here and there but I resent that it has to make the list in front of other worthy titles like NEW WARRIORS, PUNISHER, AVENGERS WORLD, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN, CYCLOPS, and IRON MAN. Seriously, an embarrassment of riches.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Moon Knight 3, Magneto 3
Moon Knight 3
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Moon Knight finds himself up against a gang of punk rock ghosts who he quickly learns he cannot touch though they can touch him. His first encounter with them goes badly and he returns to his mansion to consult with Khonshu, who advises him to use some of the various tricks and tools he's picked up from Egypt in his travels. The next night, wearing all new armor that looks more Egyptian (including a Khonshu-like mask) and is capable of touching ghosts, Moon Knight sets out again and absolutely destroys the punks, eventually tracking down the source, a music box left behind bye a deceased member of the gang underground where they all once died.
Story
The story of this one takes a back seat to introducing more of what we can expect from this series as a whole. The story, of course, is apparent through the issue as Moon Knight sets out to defeat ghosts but the key in this one is seeing how he interacts with Khonshu and how he's set himself up in this new world. We've seen his wealth in action in all sorts of ways already, from his car to his tools to his flying glider (which gets a little more screen time in this one), and now we're seeing the fruits of his travels, a plethora of ancient Egyptian artifacts that, in some cases, he admits he doesn't remember buying. There's a lot happening here but Ellis is keeping it pretty firmly below the surface for now. 4/5
Character
Moon Knight keeps doing what he's been doing to kick this series off. He's assisting the police, he's keeping his dialogue to a minimum, only interjecting a few words here and there, and he seems to be mostly enjoying himself. Ellis' vision for this book was putting Moon Knight in a situation where his craziness helped him, made him stand out. He travels around at night wearing all white. His glider swoops in and out of the city with ease. He finds criminals. He's not trying to be stealthy, he's not Batmanning it out there, he's attacking criminals head on and it's working. With that attitude and with the new Khonshu information, it feels rather like we're learning quite a lot about Moon Knight without the need for a lot of dialogue or any narration. 5/5
Writing
Ellis has kept the writing pretty limited, as I said above. The quick bits of dialogue and the times when it's used most (Khonshu has the largest chunk of dialogue when he's telling Spector that he needs to be prepared for any adversary he may come across but it's used in the quiet moments, with Spector sitting at home with his various identities) give the book the exact sort of pacing it needs. It's fast, it's action-packed, and it's creating our character and his world well. 5/5
Art
Declan Shalvey continues to absolutely kill it with his designs, including the new fight-the-dead suit, and his action sequences. Jordie Bellaire is on fire with her amazing colors (it's always going to stand out, this white on night, which is very much what this book is counting on and what it will rely on and Bellaire is proving that it will sustain). It's all extremely cool while sticking to the somewhat creepy that this book needs. More outstanding work. 5/5
Miscellaneous
The book reads about as fast as any book out there right now, given the limited dialogue and the great action. You want to just keep reading it but you also want to stay on each page and examine each panel.
Total score: 5/5
Magneto 3
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c) and Petit (l)
Magneto finds the lab responsible for creating the new breed of Omega Sentinels and begins to make his way through the ducts, eventually finding project leader Dr. Elizabeth Alain. He deactivates a few incomplete Sentinels and sends a paper clip into Alain's arm to make her talk about what's happening in the lab. She tells him he has it all wrong, that they don't want to hurt mutants, they simply want to create a refuge for people who don't want to be subject to the whims of mutants. She believes that the place they're creating will be a sanctuary for people afraid that mutants will destroy the world and it calls back memories of Genosha for Magneto. Sentinels destroyed his mutant utopia and killed millions so he's not particularly sympathetic to an idea for human sanctuary patrolled by Sentinels. He finally kills Alain and sets the area to self-destruct, taking the giant Sentinel within with it.
Story
Though he's wiped his first real objective off the map (though it took more time than it once would have, as he points out), there's still plenty to come for Magneto as he realizes too late he should have pressed Alain for more information about who guided her to the Master Mold to create her Sentinels. Still, all in all it's a pretty successful first outing for Magneto as he manages to bring down an Omega Sentinel factory, regardless of its true purpose, and has also managed to stay a step ahead of SHIELD and whoever else may be chasing him, though a destroyed lab with a giant Sentinel sticking out may paint a picture of where he's been. 5/5
Character
There's been a lot to get into with Magneto so far as we've now covered his tragic Holocaust past and the horrors of Genosha, two of the biggest influences in his life. There's a lot of regret in his Genosha attempts and Bunn makes sure it comes to the forefront here, creating a parallel in the story to Genosha, but for humans, and showing us effectively why Magneto has such a specific bone to pick with Sentinels and Sentinel creation. Magneto's doing some horrible things but Bunn is making sure to cast it in such a light that we understand his motives for doing them, even if we're Professor X sympathizers. 5/5
Writing
The tone of this book continues to be incredibly dark, shifting back and forth from tragedy to impending tragedy. The strongest thing that Bunn has done has been to infuse this book with an overall sadness. There are plenty of dark and gritty books out there, probably plenty that are better than this one, but making sure that the tone is always tinged with sadness and regret gives it a much more palpable feeling. It humanizes Magneto in a way that just showing him as angry can never do. I think it's Bunn's strongest Marvel work since VENOM and it may prove to be stronger than that. 5/5
Art
Walta's art shines and really focuses on the humanity of these characters (I hate writing about "humanity" for mutant-based books but it seems a particular affront to Magneto), giving some real emotion to everyone involved. Bellaire again comes through with some great color work, giving everything exactly the right tone and fluctuating between past and present with lots of red in the past and a mix of blues, blacks, and grays for the present. Real tone building work with this art and these colors. 5/5
Miscellaneous
This book continues to be really impressive, going above and beyond what I expected of it. It's not hitting on the same sorts of awe-inspiring notes (for me) as something like BLACK WIDOW or X-MEN LEGACY or HAWKEYE, to name a few, but it's really very technically good.
Total score: 5/5
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Story
The story of this one takes a back seat to introducing more of what we can expect from this series as a whole. The story, of course, is apparent through the issue as Moon Knight sets out to defeat ghosts but the key in this one is seeing how he interacts with Khonshu and how he's set himself up in this new world. We've seen his wealth in action in all sorts of ways already, from his car to his tools to his flying glider (which gets a little more screen time in this one), and now we're seeing the fruits of his travels, a plethora of ancient Egyptian artifacts that, in some cases, he admits he doesn't remember buying. There's a lot happening here but Ellis is keeping it pretty firmly below the surface for now. 4/5
Character
Moon Knight keeps doing what he's been doing to kick this series off. He's assisting the police, he's keeping his dialogue to a minimum, only interjecting a few words here and there, and he seems to be mostly enjoying himself. Ellis' vision for this book was putting Moon Knight in a situation where his craziness helped him, made him stand out. He travels around at night wearing all white. His glider swoops in and out of the city with ease. He finds criminals. He's not trying to be stealthy, he's not Batmanning it out there, he's attacking criminals head on and it's working. With that attitude and with the new Khonshu information, it feels rather like we're learning quite a lot about Moon Knight without the need for a lot of dialogue or any narration. 5/5
Writing
Ellis has kept the writing pretty limited, as I said above. The quick bits of dialogue and the times when it's used most (Khonshu has the largest chunk of dialogue when he's telling Spector that he needs to be prepared for any adversary he may come across but it's used in the quiet moments, with Spector sitting at home with his various identities) give the book the exact sort of pacing it needs. It's fast, it's action-packed, and it's creating our character and his world well. 5/5
Art
Declan Shalvey continues to absolutely kill it with his designs, including the new fight-the-dead suit, and his action sequences. Jordie Bellaire is on fire with her amazing colors (it's always going to stand out, this white on night, which is very much what this book is counting on and what it will rely on and Bellaire is proving that it will sustain). It's all extremely cool while sticking to the somewhat creepy that this book needs. More outstanding work. 5/5
Miscellaneous
The book reads about as fast as any book out there right now, given the limited dialogue and the great action. You want to just keep reading it but you also want to stay on each page and examine each panel.
Total score: 5/5
Magneto 3
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c) and Petit (l)
Magneto finds the lab responsible for creating the new breed of Omega Sentinels and begins to make his way through the ducts, eventually finding project leader Dr. Elizabeth Alain. He deactivates a few incomplete Sentinels and sends a paper clip into Alain's arm to make her talk about what's happening in the lab. She tells him he has it all wrong, that they don't want to hurt mutants, they simply want to create a refuge for people who don't want to be subject to the whims of mutants. She believes that the place they're creating will be a sanctuary for people afraid that mutants will destroy the world and it calls back memories of Genosha for Magneto. Sentinels destroyed his mutant utopia and killed millions so he's not particularly sympathetic to an idea for human sanctuary patrolled by Sentinels. He finally kills Alain and sets the area to self-destruct, taking the giant Sentinel within with it.Story
Though he's wiped his first real objective off the map (though it took more time than it once would have, as he points out), there's still plenty to come for Magneto as he realizes too late he should have pressed Alain for more information about who guided her to the Master Mold to create her Sentinels. Still, all in all it's a pretty successful first outing for Magneto as he manages to bring down an Omega Sentinel factory, regardless of its true purpose, and has also managed to stay a step ahead of SHIELD and whoever else may be chasing him, though a destroyed lab with a giant Sentinel sticking out may paint a picture of where he's been. 5/5
Character
There's been a lot to get into with Magneto so far as we've now covered his tragic Holocaust past and the horrors of Genosha, two of the biggest influences in his life. There's a lot of regret in his Genosha attempts and Bunn makes sure it comes to the forefront here, creating a parallel in the story to Genosha, but for humans, and showing us effectively why Magneto has such a specific bone to pick with Sentinels and Sentinel creation. Magneto's doing some horrible things but Bunn is making sure to cast it in such a light that we understand his motives for doing them, even if we're Professor X sympathizers. 5/5
Writing
The tone of this book continues to be incredibly dark, shifting back and forth from tragedy to impending tragedy. The strongest thing that Bunn has done has been to infuse this book with an overall sadness. There are plenty of dark and gritty books out there, probably plenty that are better than this one, but making sure that the tone is always tinged with sadness and regret gives it a much more palpable feeling. It humanizes Magneto in a way that just showing him as angry can never do. I think it's Bunn's strongest Marvel work since VENOM and it may prove to be stronger than that. 5/5
Art
Walta's art shines and really focuses on the humanity of these characters (I hate writing about "humanity" for mutant-based books but it seems a particular affront to Magneto), giving some real emotion to everyone involved. Bellaire again comes through with some great color work, giving everything exactly the right tone and fluctuating between past and present with lots of red in the past and a mix of blues, blacks, and grays for the present. Real tone building work with this art and these colors. 5/5
Miscellaneous
This book continues to be really impressive, going above and beyond what I expected of it. It's not hitting on the same sorts of awe-inspiring notes (for me) as something like BLACK WIDOW or X-MEN LEGACY or HAWKEYE, to name a few, but it's really very technically good.
Total score: 5/5
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Comics this week
With the premiere of several newish books, including Marvel's big summer event, what books will make the cut for ones to be excited about? Let's talk about it.
Black Widow 6
Natasha has been captured by the forces of the indestructible man but has also learned that whoever it is she's after has even someone purportedly indestructible in hiding. More pressing matters first, though, as Natasha will have to find her way out of captivity before she can figure out why.
Cyclops 1
Readers of the blog know I'm not a big fan of the original X-Men being in the present and I'm not a big fan of Cyclops as a character in general, so perhaps this pick is a bit of a strange one. The real reason I'm picking this is that it'll be written by Greg Rucka, who has a lot of talent and an extremely impressive resume. Hopefully he can make us care about this series.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 2
After an exciting and rather gorgeous first issue that delved into both Danny's power and his childhood, I'm excited to see where Kaare Andrews takes the immortal Iron Fist next. Probably K'un-Lun, right? Yeah, I think I'm right. Very excited.
Moon Knight 3
Boy, some really good art out there this week. BLACK WIDOW, IRON FIST, and MOON KNIGHT are all among my regularly cited for great art (albeit IRON FIST has only had one issue so far). Anyway, this series is going pretty well so far with a pair of gorgeous and really thought-provoking if not entirely haunting first issues. Excited to see where Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire take it this time.
Original Sin 1
Can't have a new event kick off without a little anticipation. We'll see where this one takes us as the MU prepares to be thrown into some sort of chaos. INFINITY, the last major event in the MU, was a pretty good one all the way through but it didn't go far enough to restore my confidence in events. FEAR ITSELF, AVX, and AGE OF ULTRON have done a bit too much damage to be restored by one impressive event. Let's see if we can get two in a row.
Black Widow 6
Natasha has been captured by the forces of the indestructible man but has also learned that whoever it is she's after has even someone purportedly indestructible in hiding. More pressing matters first, though, as Natasha will have to find her way out of captivity before she can figure out why.
Cyclops 1
Readers of the blog know I'm not a big fan of the original X-Men being in the present and I'm not a big fan of Cyclops as a character in general, so perhaps this pick is a bit of a strange one. The real reason I'm picking this is that it'll be written by Greg Rucka, who has a lot of talent and an extremely impressive resume. Hopefully he can make us care about this series.
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 2
After an exciting and rather gorgeous first issue that delved into both Danny's power and his childhood, I'm excited to see where Kaare Andrews takes the immortal Iron Fist next. Probably K'un-Lun, right? Yeah, I think I'm right. Very excited.
Moon Knight 3
Boy, some really good art out there this week. BLACK WIDOW, IRON FIST, and MOON KNIGHT are all among my regularly cited for great art (albeit IRON FIST has only had one issue so far). Anyway, this series is going pretty well so far with a pair of gorgeous and really thought-provoking if not entirely haunting first issues. Excited to see where Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire take it this time.
Original Sin 1
Can't have a new event kick off without a little anticipation. We'll see where this one takes us as the MU prepares to be thrown into some sort of chaos. INFINITY, the last major event in the MU, was a pretty good one all the way through but it didn't go far enough to restore my confidence in events. FEAR ITSELF, AVX, and AGE OF ULTRON have done a bit too much damage to be restored by one impressive event. Let's see if we can get two in a row.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
This week's picks!
Another pretty solid week on the books and all that's left to do is break down the most highly recommended books we had this week. EASY PEASY.
Black Widow 5
I wrote a review later on this list about five times talking about how it had barely beat out BLACK WIDOW because, unfair as it is to BLACK WIDOW, it's held to a higher standard because of four amazing issues to start it off. Then, as I kept trying to explain why it had barely beaten it out, I found myself disagreeing with my own arguments. So here we are, replacing PUNISHER with BLACK WIDOW on this list. I thought that PUNISHER had the upper hand this week in the narrative, which Edmondson uses in both books, but I liked the action, the characters, and the art more on BLACK WIDOW, enough to push it just past the great action, characters, and art on PUNISHER. In truth, it was also partly because Natasha made Molot Boga get sucked into a jet turbine and because of the panel right before it happened (seen at left). Great, great book.
Moon Knight 2
This one definitely stuck with me through the week. The layout, the narration, the chilling midway point as your comfort in the narration takes a turn; it's all perfectly handled and it makes the book a really quick and tense, though gorgeous, read. The initial narration, simple black print on a white background, reminds you of Moon Knight and therefore quickly reads like Moon Knight's narration, not to mention that it sounds just like his origin. Then you realize that it's not just a character saying it while all the action goes on, it's the character behind the action saying it and it forces you to wonder if Moon Knight is killing these people. Then, when all of the eight targets on the page have been killed, the first person you see in the aftermath is Moon Knight himself. It's a wonderful turn and just about the best way for Ellis and Shalvey to show us how crazy we even think Moon Knight is, that we believed it could have been him. Amazing, thought-provoking, mind-blowing, great stuff.
New Warriors 3
Also just beating out PUNISHER this week, I think that NEW WARRIORS had a real turnaround issue this week. I don't think the book was bad in any way before this issue or anything like that, it just felt like it was going to take longer to set up with all of the moving parts and the big storyline that Yost was creating. However, this third issue really did a great job explaining our plot and further establishing our characters, all in a pretty quick reading twenty pages or so. Really well done by Yost and artist Marcus To as they continue to build the world of these young superheroes and start to get the audience a little more situated. Bonus points go to NEW WARRIORS this week for giving just about the simplest but most accurate breakdown of so many of the off-shoot races on Earth, like mutants, Atlanteans, Lemurians, Inhumans, Eternals, Deviants, GOD SO MANY.
BONUS PICK OF THE WEEK
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Seriously, just everyone go see it. Though I imagine if you're on this blog, I probably don't need to tell you.
Black Widow 5
I wrote a review later on this list about five times talking about how it had barely beat out BLACK WIDOW because, unfair as it is to BLACK WIDOW, it's held to a higher standard because of four amazing issues to start it off. Then, as I kept trying to explain why it had barely beaten it out, I found myself disagreeing with my own arguments. So here we are, replacing PUNISHER with BLACK WIDOW on this list. I thought that PUNISHER had the upper hand this week in the narrative, which Edmondson uses in both books, but I liked the action, the characters, and the art more on BLACK WIDOW, enough to push it just past the great action, characters, and art on PUNISHER. In truth, it was also partly because Natasha made Molot Boga get sucked into a jet turbine and because of the panel right before it happened (seen at left). Great, great book.Moon Knight 2
New Warriors 3
Also just beating out PUNISHER this week, I think that NEW WARRIORS had a real turnaround issue this week. I don't think the book was bad in any way before this issue or anything like that, it just felt like it was going to take longer to set up with all of the moving parts and the big storyline that Yost was creating. However, this third issue really did a great job explaining our plot and further establishing our characters, all in a pretty quick reading twenty pages or so. Really well done by Yost and artist Marcus To as they continue to build the world of these young superheroes and start to get the audience a little more situated. Bonus points go to NEW WARRIORS this week for giving just about the simplest but most accurate breakdown of so many of the off-shoot races on Earth, like mutants, Atlanteans, Lemurians, Inhumans, Eternals, Deviants, GOD SO MANY.BONUS PICK OF THE WEEK
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Seriously, just everyone go see it. Though I imagine if you're on this blog, I probably don't need to tell you.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Moon Knight 2, Magneto 2
Moon Knight 2
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c)
A sniper is targeting individuals connected by their mutual past. Though each of them, with the exception of this sniper, works for banks and other large financial companies now, they were all formerly part of a special ops group. The sniper was abandoned at the end of an op and, in his mind, left to die while they all went on to make lots of money in other fields. His life apparently over, he's made his way back to kill each of them. He's reached eight by the time Moon Knight tracks him and the two battle on a rooftop and even into the office building of the ninth person. Moon Knight holds his own in the fight, dodging bullets and using his tech to keep up. He knocks the sniper down and the pair of them are surprised by the ninth member of the team appearing and shooting the sniper in the head before explaining to Moon Knight that they had all gone their separate ways and that he was just the tool. Where the gun had once had power, they'd all but him realized in the end that it was the banks that truly have power.
This is what a MOON KNIGHT story should be. It's dark to the point of graphic and it's unsettling to the point of chilling. The story is presented in neat eight panel grids to start, four rows of two panels as these seemingly random people go about their daily lives. Each page, including the first one, someone is shot. The next page is then laid out the same way but with an emptiness where the victim's panel was. Meanwhile, the sniper's story is told in some of those empty spaces, a clean black font on a pure white background. It's calm, it's collected, and, eerily enough, it's meant to sounds like it's Moon Knight's origin. He was a mercenary, he was left to die on an operation that went south in a foreign country, now he's taking revenge on the others who wronged him. It's all told in the third person and the sniper isn't shown until the first eight targets are dead and the story has been told. In fact, Moon Knight, who appears after all of that as well, appears first. It's a scarily well-written and well-presented story as Ellis and Shalvey force the audience to wonder if Moon Knight's snapped or, even when we learn that he hasn't (any more than usual), if he's capable of this sort of retribution. Really great story, magnificently presented in a way that seems so obvious now but that I couldn't have pictured before I read it. If you're not too disturbed by assassinated people and maybe a little bloodshed, it's worth flipping through this one. Really fast read, kind of stunning when you're at the end suddenly.
Magneto 2
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c)
Magneto pays a visit to the shantytown that the Omega Sentinel he destroyed pointed him towards while a SHIELD team pays a visit to the place where Magneto destroyed the Omega Sentinel. They learn nothing there but Magneto quickly realizes there's something wrong with Down Acres and interrogates one of the men there. He learns that people come regularly and take someone away; they used to offer "work" but none of the workers ever returned so people started to get suspicious. Now they're taken away while every other person tries to keep his or her head down. Magneto waits until night when the vans come and attacks the men, brutally killing them. He gets information from one of them before also killing him.
Another pretty brutal outing for Magneto as Bunn begins to characterize Magneto more as the Holocaust survivor with a purpose. We see a memory of Magneto's where he and a pair of friends went to steal bread for their families in the camps but one of his friends is captured and promised freedom and food for his family if he gave up the names of his conspirators. His friend gives up the name of his other friend but doesn't mention Max. Leaving Max out of it led Magneto to learn that brutality works and that he was meant for something bigger in life. It's a bit of a strange message for Magneto to have learned but the point is made and it seems particularly relevant here. There's nothing like humanizing one of Marvel's most human (well, mutant. You know, very specifically not human in his case) "villains." The SHIELD team following Magneto serves as a ticking clock sort of plot point, like the special SHIELD team out to find Punisher over in PUNISHER. You know that it'll come to a head at some point, it's all a matter of when. Not a bad story for Magneto and one that I think has the potential to grow.
Ellis (w) and Shalvey (a) and Bellaire (c)
This is what a MOON KNIGHT story should be. It's dark to the point of graphic and it's unsettling to the point of chilling. The story is presented in neat eight panel grids to start, four rows of two panels as these seemingly random people go about their daily lives. Each page, including the first one, someone is shot. The next page is then laid out the same way but with an emptiness where the victim's panel was. Meanwhile, the sniper's story is told in some of those empty spaces, a clean black font on a pure white background. It's calm, it's collected, and, eerily enough, it's meant to sounds like it's Moon Knight's origin. He was a mercenary, he was left to die on an operation that went south in a foreign country, now he's taking revenge on the others who wronged him. It's all told in the third person and the sniper isn't shown until the first eight targets are dead and the story has been told. In fact, Moon Knight, who appears after all of that as well, appears first. It's a scarily well-written and well-presented story as Ellis and Shalvey force the audience to wonder if Moon Knight's snapped or, even when we learn that he hasn't (any more than usual), if he's capable of this sort of retribution. Really great story, magnificently presented in a way that seems so obvious now but that I couldn't have pictured before I read it. If you're not too disturbed by assassinated people and maybe a little bloodshed, it's worth flipping through this one. Really fast read, kind of stunning when you're at the end suddenly.
Magneto 2
Bunn (w) and Walta (a) and Bellaire (c)
Another pretty brutal outing for Magneto as Bunn begins to characterize Magneto more as the Holocaust survivor with a purpose. We see a memory of Magneto's where he and a pair of friends went to steal bread for their families in the camps but one of his friends is captured and promised freedom and food for his family if he gave up the names of his conspirators. His friend gives up the name of his other friend but doesn't mention Max. Leaving Max out of it led Magneto to learn that brutality works and that he was meant for something bigger in life. It's a bit of a strange message for Magneto to have learned but the point is made and it seems particularly relevant here. There's nothing like humanizing one of Marvel's most human (well, mutant. You know, very specifically not human in his case) "villains." The SHIELD team following Magneto serves as a ticking clock sort of plot point, like the special SHIELD team out to find Punisher over in PUNISHER. You know that it'll come to a head at some point, it's all a matter of when. Not a bad story for Magneto and one that I think has the potential to grow.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Comics this week
Hey there everybody. Big week for Marvel and for for this blog in general as we get right to Captain America: Winter Soldier, the most anticipated Marvel movie since Avengers for some reviewers (guys, we're talking about me. We're ALWAYS talking about me). Fortunately, particularly after that whirlwind of comics last week, Marvel has chosen to give us a bit of a break so we can get out there and see that movie. Only fourteen new releases this week and even a couple of those are suspect (movie tie-in books and the like). Still, we're champions over here at Marvels (still talking about me) and a week where there are maybe ten legitimate books is still RIPE FOR THE PICKING for the five most anticipated books of the week (the key, everyone, is that they're just anticipated. I don't have to promise that they're good. Though, honestly, thinking about it, most of these ones are set to be).
Black Widow 5
Black Widow, star of the upcoming film Captain America: Winter Soldier, can also be seen absolutely destroying over in BLACK WIDOW, the amazing comic series from Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto. Join her this week as she goes for round two with her newest enemy, the Hammer of God Molot Boga. Guys, check this book out. I guarantee it'll be worth it.
Captain America 19
Captain America, star of the upcoming film Captain America: Winter Soldier, can also be seen dealing with a villain who won't be starring in Captain America: Winter Soldier over in CAPTAIN AMERICA. Dr. Mindbubble has already proven himself an interesting adversary and I think, as Cap nears a villain designed to counter people like himself, he's only going to get more interesting as things push forward. Remender's taken this book in some crazy directions already and Cap hasn't even had a moment to breathe, something that's been pretty key to the entire run and something that hasn't really happened like this since...well, since Brubaker's Cap-Winter Soldier run. Dude was off the chains then. I may secret review that whole bit at some point.
Inhuman 1
GUYS, it's finally here. After problems in the arrangement and release of INHUMANS, the first issue (following the now somewhat random issues created by Matt Fraction) is coming THIS VERY WEEK. Will the delays hurt it, now that it's coming out after even the slowest of tie-ins to INFINITY and INHUMANITY have all but passed (looking at you MS. MARVEL)? Only time will tell. The Inhumans are typically pretty interesting so it should be a good time to take a bit of a deeper look and sudden superstar Charles Soule seems ready to take us there.
Moon Knight 2
After a revealing first issue showed a little of what we can expect from this Warren Ellis-Declan Shalvey offering and I and I'm sure many others are dying to see what comes next. This book has the potential to really break some new ground and catapult Moon Knight up the ranks of well-liked characters, maybe even enough so to land him a role in Captain America: Winter Soldier (though, in all likelihood, that catapult will come too late to have an effect on a movie that was finished several months before the launch of this new series).
She-Hulk 3
I'll be honest, this one is up here and it's almost surprising to me. It's been a good book through three issues but there are a slew of both good and interesting books on this week's list. I think this one intrigues me in a lot of ways I'm not sure about. I've never been entirely sold on She-Hulk as a character, I'm not entirely sold on the art, I'm not entirely sold on the stories or the growing supporting cast. Thanks to all the "nots" in that sentence, it makes it seem like I'm not enjoying this book. I am though, which is what makes this book so interesting to me. I can't accurately cite why I'm really enjoying this one but I am. So it edges on to this list in front of books like NEW WARRIORS, PUNISHER, and MAGNETO because I'm so flummoxed by it. That's what you want to hear about a book right?
SUPER SECRET UNEXPECTED PICK
MOVIE TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER.
Black Widow 5
Black Widow, star of the upcoming film Captain America: Winter Soldier, can also be seen absolutely destroying over in BLACK WIDOW, the amazing comic series from Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto. Join her this week as she goes for round two with her newest enemy, the Hammer of God Molot Boga. Guys, check this book out. I guarantee it'll be worth it.
Captain America 19
Captain America, star of the upcoming film Captain America: Winter Soldier, can also be seen dealing with a villain who won't be starring in Captain America: Winter Soldier over in CAPTAIN AMERICA. Dr. Mindbubble has already proven himself an interesting adversary and I think, as Cap nears a villain designed to counter people like himself, he's only going to get more interesting as things push forward. Remender's taken this book in some crazy directions already and Cap hasn't even had a moment to breathe, something that's been pretty key to the entire run and something that hasn't really happened like this since...well, since Brubaker's Cap-Winter Soldier run. Dude was off the chains then. I may secret review that whole bit at some point.
Inhuman 1
GUYS, it's finally here. After problems in the arrangement and release of INHUMANS, the first issue (following the now somewhat random issues created by Matt Fraction) is coming THIS VERY WEEK. Will the delays hurt it, now that it's coming out after even the slowest of tie-ins to INFINITY and INHUMANITY have all but passed (looking at you MS. MARVEL)? Only time will tell. The Inhumans are typically pretty interesting so it should be a good time to take a bit of a deeper look and sudden superstar Charles Soule seems ready to take us there.
Moon Knight 2
After a revealing first issue showed a little of what we can expect from this Warren Ellis-Declan Shalvey offering and I and I'm sure many others are dying to see what comes next. This book has the potential to really break some new ground and catapult Moon Knight up the ranks of well-liked characters, maybe even enough so to land him a role in Captain America: Winter Soldier (though, in all likelihood, that catapult will come too late to have an effect on a movie that was finished several months before the launch of this new series).
She-Hulk 3
I'll be honest, this one is up here and it's almost surprising to me. It's been a good book through three issues but there are a slew of both good and interesting books on this week's list. I think this one intrigues me in a lot of ways I'm not sure about. I've never been entirely sold on She-Hulk as a character, I'm not entirely sold on the art, I'm not entirely sold on the stories or the growing supporting cast. Thanks to all the "nots" in that sentence, it makes it seem like I'm not enjoying this book. I am though, which is what makes this book so interesting to me. I can't accurately cite why I'm really enjoying this one but I am. So it edges on to this list in front of books like NEW WARRIORS, PUNISHER, and MAGNETO because I'm so flummoxed by it. That's what you want to hear about a book right?
SUPER SECRET UNEXPECTED PICK
MOVIE TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK:
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
This week's picks
Tricky week this week. There weren't many that were true standouts based on the impact they had or the glee I felt reading them. I toyed with just knocking the "top three" down to one or two but the day I can't figure out three comics worth reading shall be a very sad day indeed. This isn't, then, necessarily the three comics that, if you're going to buy comics, are the ones you should go for (with the exception of MOON KNIGHT). Instead, these are the ones that really went for it this week and certainly are worth mentioning.
Moon Knight 1
A pretty good first entry, giving us a look at our hero and the problems he'll be facing this time out. Of course, they're in the same ballpark as the problems he's dealt with before, but Ellis is taking a slightly different approach to them, giving them an almost more mythological feel to them, which is, of course, a nice move. Shalvey and Bellaire are incredible and the series is off to a solid start. This one should be fun and I'm sure it's going to be one that really makes us think and that will be different than everything we've seen from Moon Knight before.
Punisher 3
This series continues to really press on what makes a solid PUNISHER book. It's raw, it's calculated, it moves with logic and reason, and it's not afraid to get its hands dirty. I don't know that it's in my list of favorite books being released by now (geez PUNISHER, BLACK WIDOW took literally no time to crack that list, it's taking you upwards of three issues) but it would have to be a really phenomenal book to win me over to a PUNISHER solo series. He's not my guy, I get that. With that said, Edmondson's put together a compelling book with an interesting lead and some good supporting characters. Mitch Gerads, for his part, has done a terrific job selling me on LA and on the sort of war Frank is fighting. Keep an eye on this one.
She-Hulk 2
I'm in favor of the SHE-HULK series in just about every aspect. I've immediately come to like Charles Soule (as has, it seems, the entire comic industry, given the raves I've heard about books like SWAMP THING over at DC), I like the idea of more female-led books, I like She-Hulk as a character well enough, and I'm happy to check out Pulido's art. Still though, the book hasn't exactly gripped me the first couple issues out, though it's certainly putting a lot on a book to ask that it work for me right away like I'm expecting. I'm not necessarily asking for that, I think, just stating that this one hasn't burst out of the gate like so much HAWKEYE, BLACK WIDOW, or NEW AVENGERS. Regardless, it's certainly establishing its world and its tone, both of which will be paramount for the book ahead. If it can keep this up and keep pressing, it'll find itself in an awfully favorable position when the stories start hitting.
Moon Knight 1
Punisher 3
She-Hulk 2
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