Hey everyone. Some of the bits of news that have come out this week, on the heels of February solicits, include the ending of Waid and Samnee's run on DAREDEVIL, the cancellation of ELEKTRA (slated to end with issue 11 in February), and several more books that seem to be wrapping (though I don't have links for those), including X-FORCE (brutal) and STORM (though I'm not hearing that that one's actually being cancelled, just that the numbers are much lower than they'd like). DAREDEVIL, it sounds like, is ending based on Waid and Samnee wanting to move on, but the others all seem to be numbers-based. One of those sad days where really good books aren't getting enough eyes on them and are being dropped, undoubtedly, for more events.
Bit of internal news, I doubt there will be many more reviews this week. I've read just about every book this week and many are very good (DAREDEVIL, BLACK WIDOW, ELEKTRA, AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS, MOON KNIGHT, SPIDER-WOMAN, and several more) but, as you all know, it's getting harder and harder to get these reviews out on time. We'll see what the start of this week brings.
Showing posts with label marvel cancels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marvel cancels. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
THUNDERBOLTS ending with 32
Sad news out of the October solicits this week as it's been announced that THUNDERBOLTS 32, by writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker and artist Kim Jacinto, will be the last of the series. I've really enjoyed this series, particularly since Soule took over and so far I've enjoyed Acker and Blacker's run (one issue by the time of writing this post, though issue two of their run comes out THIS VERY DAY) so I find myself particularly sad to see this happening, though not entirely surprised. I think we've been fortunate to get even 32 issues out of this one so there's not a lot of room to complain. Hopefully this acts as something of a test run for Acker and Blacker and that they have more opportunities in coming days.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Avengers Assemble ending with issue 25
Straight from Kelly Sue DeConnick's tumblr, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE will be ending its run with issue 25. It's a sad turn as I've enjoyed DeConnick's presentation of the Avengers as a team that actually likes being with one another and that has a real chemistry but I don't think it's particularly surprising news. According to DeConnick, the book "fulfilled its mandate" so it doesn't really seem like a fully bitter situation or anything like that. Also, on the heels of the new AVENGERS WORLD, it seems a little redundant to have two Avengers titles focused on the team as a team doing the smaller missions they won't go for in AVENGERS. Now we can only hope that AVENGERS WORLD brings out the same sort of focus on team chemistry and the Avengers as people and not just on plot. We've got that in AVENGERS as is. Goodbye, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE. You were a lot of fun.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Astonishing X-Men 64, Uncanny X-Men 8, Wolverine 6
Astonishing X-Men 64
Liu (w) and Walta (a) and Peter (c)
To start, some bad news. Marvel has announced they are canceling Astonishing X-Men in October with issue 68. It's pretty unfortunate as I've found myself liking this series more than any other X-Men team title of late (I have high hopes for Brian Wood's X-Men but we're only on issue two over there, so I don't want to say yet). It's felt a little more toned down in its approach, which I think has a lot to do with the softer art of it, and Marjorie Liu kills it when she has the chance to write character over plot. Definitely sad news as Marvel cancels another fairly strong one. Anyway, on to this issue. Bobby is still covering the world in ice and snow and his teammates are trying to bring him down. They manage to wound him a bit, but nothing long term, as Kitty dives through his giant ice body and touches the purple force within. It stuns her and he flees. Wolverine and company hunt down Dark Beast, last seen in the X-Termination event, and Wolvy accuses him of placing within Bobby a fragment of Apocalypse power when they jumped through a portal back home. Dark Beast agrees to help them find out if the power can be removed but he's never really one to be trusted. Meanwhile, Bobby goes to visit his parents, still hoping to connect with someone. He's shooed away by his father which results in Bobby using the snow and ice to kill him. While Bobby Prime has been doing all of this, little Bobby fragments have tried to salvage the last bits of memory and caring they hold, taking some of the people Bobby had once loved and trying to protect them from him. Mystique is with one of the fragments and asks him about all of it but his memories are fading as Bobby becomes stronger. Bobby finds them and Mystique convinces him to allow her into his plan, wishing to share the power with him. Back home, Wolverine and his team talk about what needs to be done; if they can't save Bobby, they have to be prepared to kill him to stop Apocalypse's influence. Of course, it eventually does come down to a fight, with Thor joining in the battle as well. Mystique and Bobby attack the X-Men and Thor, quickly gaining the advantage, before Opal tries to talk to Bobby. Bobby lashes out at her but, while he's distracted, Thor takes the opportunity to blast the Apocalypse power out of him. Before Thor can advance, Mystique spears him with an ice shard and moves ahead. She picks up the small bit of power and pops it into her mouth.
Certainly a strange ending made all the more tense by contemplating a Mystique with the sort of power Bobby had. Not entirely sure what it could grant her; this power seemed to amplify Bobby's natural abilities and corrupt his soul, but it didn't seem to cause any new powers. We'd seen everything he did here before, just to a far lesser scale. So will Mystique shapeshift even better? I don't know. Will shapeshifting give her the power of whoever she shapeshifts into? Because I'd like to know more about how that works. And her soul's already pretty corrupted, though not to the level that Apocalypse would have it. Anyway, definitely some interesting stuff as Bobby seems to go past a couple of points of no return here. Only Thor, outside of the X-Men, seems aware that this is Bobby's doing as a news report in the issue says witnesses saw a giant ice man but no one can guarantee it was anything more than severe cold hallucinations. On top of that, Dark Beast makes a sinister comment to Gambit, asking whether the second Apocalypse personality ever goes away or not, so even if Bobby was acting completely under the influence of the power (which maybe amplified the way he was feeling already) it's not guaranteed it will all go away as quickly as it came. We're in for an interesting conclusion next issue.
Uncanny X-Men 8
Bendis (w) and Bachalo (a) and Townsend (c)
Scott and Emma drop Fabio (the gold ball new mutant) back off at home on his request, telling him that they'll be around if he wants to reconsider. They return and discuss with the rest of the new mutants and the original team how everyone needs to train more. Magik leads the Cuckoos to the new mutant we glimpsed last issue, who apparently has control over cars, and rescue him from a situation with the police, though not before the police shoot him. When they return home, their healer Christopher manages to fix that up because healers tend to take the tension away from more minor injuries. Meanwhile, Fabio is being grilled for far too long by his parents and his sister about where he's been and about what's happening and so on. None of them listen to him when he tells them that he's a mutant and the X-Men aren't bad people and they saved him and so on and this scene goes on FOREVER. Then Dazzler, agent of SHIELD, shows up at his door asking to talk.
I will say, the plus side of that back-and-forth dialogue I've decried so much on this blog is that it's easier to review an issue chock full of it because there's not much space for things to happen. Plot things. It's still not easy to read because you get halfway through the book and feel like you've read several issues of a very boring and slow moving book. I know I've talked about it plenty already, but I have to again say that the sort of dialogue prevalent here is not a natural dialogue to be reading. I tend not to buy, even in Sorkin's work or in shows like Gilmore Girls that feel like a direct influence on this writing style, that people talk this way but you forgive it in TV because listening to it is somewhat easier than reading it all. It's fast-paced, it's quick, and it conveys an energy. It doesn't do any of those things in comics because regardless of how short the bursts of speech are, you're still taking the time to read it all. It feels forced and unnatural while also feeling unrepentantly smarmy. It's hard to look past all of that to even dive into the issue but, more than that, it feels like less happens in the issue because of it. If you like this style of writing, you'll probably like this book. If you have numerous problems with this style of writing, you will pretty clearly hate this book.
Wolverine 6
Cornell (w) and Pierfederici and Palmer (a) and Mossa (c)
Wolverine is still trying to fight his way through the SHIELD helicarrier to reach the parasite in Nick Fury or to get off or to turn the helicarrier around or something. He's trying to defeat it, anyway. However, the parasite isn't taking too kindly to his attempts and is, as the issue begins, trying to drown him. His team of protected SHIELD agents help him get to safety and he borders on berserker as he leaves the water. Main SHIELD agent McDougall wants that rage to come out, sure that they need an angry Wolverine. Somehow, her hyping him up seems to calm him down and he gets a grip on himself. I don't know, it just happens that way. The parasite sends more foes for them to face, including a specially enhanced SHIELD team called SHIELD team Namor, meant to fight in watery conditions. They tear through the team, killing most and severing the air tank from another, meaning the parasite can take him over. Soon it's just Wolverine and McDougall left. The pair make their way through the helicarrier and attempt to go to the microverse and back but they're blocked by the parasite, sending them to see their real forms, which are hideous. Wolverine allows them to supervillain out their whole plan, which is largely about infesting Earth and taking over people so they can all live together peaceably even if it removes the consciousness of the humans, before attacking. McDougall hijacks one of their ships and manages to navigate it to a point in the microverse where they grow back into normal space, now moved in the real universe to the helicarrier's bridge. It's a bit confusing and pretty poorly defined, but it places Wolverine and McDougall behind a now-somewhat-panicking Fury (still controlled by the parasite) so Wolverine can knock him out (the host body losing consciousness forces the parasite out, apparently). The flood the ship with stun gas and knock everyone out, allowing them to awaken as themselves again, where Wolverine explains to Fury's what's been happening. Before they were all expelled, though, they said something about triggering the process, which seems to come to fruition at the end of the issue as Wolverine feels himself start losing blood and realizes he's not healing.
I don't know what it is about this series but there's something in there that makes it hard to really get behind. I can't see the parasite as a legitimate enemy at this point, not because they've been unthreatening but more because they're so incredibly vague. It's vague in a not-mysterious way, which would create some amount of tension or fear of them. Instead, they seem like another obstacle and one that's somehow lasted this long. It could be the writing between Wolverine and the other characters, which feels almost entirely dry and emotionless. When emotions do break through, their clichéd and expected. It's hard to feel anything about this story, which seems largely due to what I've said about the enemy but also in large part to its hero. I'm not sure how you can make a book about Wolverine, one of Marvel's biggest characters ever, and make the audience feel uncomfortable with him. I'm not saying uncomfortable in the sort of "I don't know if I condone those choices" sort of way, which is rather what Wolverine is all about, but uncomfortable in a sort of squirming, can't sit still kind of way because he's not really doing anything of note, even when he is. Also, a more cynical man than I would point to the similarity of the parasite taking away his healing factor as a similarity with the new Wolverine movie coming out, wherein he seems to lose his healing factor. That's not new, to have a storyline in a book that corresponds to a major motion picture that's coming out, but it always feels a little like a cheap move. I can't say I recommend this book, which is too bad because there has been some interesting stuff in the series overall. It gets far too bogged down by itself, preferring to explain every bit of action in a "you see how smart this series is?" sort of way that really makes the series crawl along.
Liu (w) and Walta (a) and Peter (c)
Certainly a strange ending made all the more tense by contemplating a Mystique with the sort of power Bobby had. Not entirely sure what it could grant her; this power seemed to amplify Bobby's natural abilities and corrupt his soul, but it didn't seem to cause any new powers. We'd seen everything he did here before, just to a far lesser scale. So will Mystique shapeshift even better? I don't know. Will shapeshifting give her the power of whoever she shapeshifts into? Because I'd like to know more about how that works. And her soul's already pretty corrupted, though not to the level that Apocalypse would have it. Anyway, definitely some interesting stuff as Bobby seems to go past a couple of points of no return here. Only Thor, outside of the X-Men, seems aware that this is Bobby's doing as a news report in the issue says witnesses saw a giant ice man but no one can guarantee it was anything more than severe cold hallucinations. On top of that, Dark Beast makes a sinister comment to Gambit, asking whether the second Apocalypse personality ever goes away or not, so even if Bobby was acting completely under the influence of the power (which maybe amplified the way he was feeling already) it's not guaranteed it will all go away as quickly as it came. We're in for an interesting conclusion next issue.
Uncanny X-Men 8
Bendis (w) and Bachalo (a) and Townsend (c)
I will say, the plus side of that back-and-forth dialogue I've decried so much on this blog is that it's easier to review an issue chock full of it because there's not much space for things to happen. Plot things. It's still not easy to read because you get halfway through the book and feel like you've read several issues of a very boring and slow moving book. I know I've talked about it plenty already, but I have to again say that the sort of dialogue prevalent here is not a natural dialogue to be reading. I tend not to buy, even in Sorkin's work or in shows like Gilmore Girls that feel like a direct influence on this writing style, that people talk this way but you forgive it in TV because listening to it is somewhat easier than reading it all. It's fast-paced, it's quick, and it conveys an energy. It doesn't do any of those things in comics because regardless of how short the bursts of speech are, you're still taking the time to read it all. It feels forced and unnatural while also feeling unrepentantly smarmy. It's hard to look past all of that to even dive into the issue but, more than that, it feels like less happens in the issue because of it. If you like this style of writing, you'll probably like this book. If you have numerous problems with this style of writing, you will pretty clearly hate this book.
Wolverine 6
Cornell (w) and Pierfederici and Palmer (a) and Mossa (c)
Wolverine is still trying to fight his way through the SHIELD helicarrier to reach the parasite in Nick Fury or to get off or to turn the helicarrier around or something. He's trying to defeat it, anyway. However, the parasite isn't taking too kindly to his attempts and is, as the issue begins, trying to drown him. His team of protected SHIELD agents help him get to safety and he borders on berserker as he leaves the water. Main SHIELD agent McDougall wants that rage to come out, sure that they need an angry Wolverine. Somehow, her hyping him up seems to calm him down and he gets a grip on himself. I don't know, it just happens that way. The parasite sends more foes for them to face, including a specially enhanced SHIELD team called SHIELD team Namor, meant to fight in watery conditions. They tear through the team, killing most and severing the air tank from another, meaning the parasite can take him over. Soon it's just Wolverine and McDougall left. The pair make their way through the helicarrier and attempt to go to the microverse and back but they're blocked by the parasite, sending them to see their real forms, which are hideous. Wolverine allows them to supervillain out their whole plan, which is largely about infesting Earth and taking over people so they can all live together peaceably even if it removes the consciousness of the humans, before attacking. McDougall hijacks one of their ships and manages to navigate it to a point in the microverse where they grow back into normal space, now moved in the real universe to the helicarrier's bridge. It's a bit confusing and pretty poorly defined, but it places Wolverine and McDougall behind a now-somewhat-panicking Fury (still controlled by the parasite) so Wolverine can knock him out (the host body losing consciousness forces the parasite out, apparently). The flood the ship with stun gas and knock everyone out, allowing them to awaken as themselves again, where Wolverine explains to Fury's what's been happening. Before they were all expelled, though, they said something about triggering the process, which seems to come to fruition at the end of the issue as Wolverine feels himself start losing blood and realizes he's not healing.I don't know what it is about this series but there's something in there that makes it hard to really get behind. I can't see the parasite as a legitimate enemy at this point, not because they've been unthreatening but more because they're so incredibly vague. It's vague in a not-mysterious way, which would create some amount of tension or fear of them. Instead, they seem like another obstacle and one that's somehow lasted this long. It could be the writing between Wolverine and the other characters, which feels almost entirely dry and emotionless. When emotions do break through, their clichéd and expected. It's hard to feel anything about this story, which seems largely due to what I've said about the enemy but also in large part to its hero. I'm not sure how you can make a book about Wolverine, one of Marvel's biggest characters ever, and make the audience feel uncomfortable with him. I'm not saying uncomfortable in the sort of "I don't know if I condone those choices" sort of way, which is rather what Wolverine is all about, but uncomfortable in a sort of squirming, can't sit still kind of way because he's not really doing anything of note, even when he is. Also, a more cynical man than I would point to the similarity of the parasite taking away his healing factor as a similarity with the new Wolverine movie coming out, wherein he seems to lose his healing factor. That's not new, to have a storyline in a book that corresponds to a major motion picture that's coming out, but it always feels a little like a cheap move. I can't say I recommend this book, which is too bad because there has been some interesting stuff in the series overall. It gets far too bogged down by itself, preferring to explain every bit of action in a "you see how smart this series is?" sort of way that really makes the series crawl along.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
This week's picks
Tough picks to make this week with two sure bets and one that could go a couple different ways. On the plus side, it's pretty much just those four or five that I'm debating, everything else is significantly behind.
Avengers AI 1
It was between this and Iron Man (and a little bit Venom but not that much) and I'm still not sure which was the right one to choose. I think Iron Man may have been the actual better comic but this one's worth checking into for the feel of the comic and the nice way it's set itself up. Iron Man continued its great pace and its stellar story and writing but my recommendation, I think, goes to Avengers AI because I think it may fill a role in the Marvel Universe that isn't filled yet so I think people should be keeping an eye on it. No guarantee that it will all pan out but there seem to be places to go with this story and these characters and the book was fun overall. Read it, enjoy it, maybe pick up the Skottie Young variant if you can find it.
Red She-Hulk 67
I would be lying if I said that this wasn't always going to make my final pick. Bear with me, though, it's my last chance to be able to pick it. On top of that, it delivered an end to a good story and gave us some nice character resolution bits, including Red She-Hulk figuring out both worlds were real and choosing her world and X-51 learning that, although he's a machine with specific coding, he can still be an individual in the way he manipulates that coding. I'm particularly sad to see the main duo of Red She-Hulk and X-51 disappear for at least a bit because their relationship proved to be one of the most enjoyable in the Marvel Universe at current. It developed very naturally and improved along the way and became an incredibly fun and dynamic friendship. It's not easy to do that and it's especially not easy to do that in as little time as Parker had to set it up and build. A satisfying ending to a regularly pretty great title.
X-Men Legacy 13
Very interesting to see Spurrier switch narrator from our main character over to Pete Wisdom. It's rare to see a solo book (especially one as decidedly solo as this) take the focus off of that character and place it on another, particularly another established one in the Universe. I feel like most books that switch narrators for an issue or two will put it on someone who hasn't been developed enough to give the audience a sense of who they are. Wisdom is more developed though certainly I'd say he still fits that bill. Even more interesting is how defined David's voice has been, meaning that the decision to switch narrators isn't so simple. David's voice very much drives this book. Taking that away is a risky play but it worked out very nicely here and keeps us in the dark about whatever David's plans are, be they righteous or nefarious. More so, as I think we can fairly safely believe his motives are righteous at this point, we don't get his opinion on whether what he's doing, which is pretty clearly nefarious, is worth the righteous ending. Lot of questions opened up here and really should push this arc and this book as a whole to another new interesting place.
Best Cover
As I said in my review this week, Daredevil Dark Nights' art felt a little like cheating because anything set on snow is going to be pretty gorgeous (unless it's crazy hectic snow, like we've seen in Astonishing X-Men; interesting question, why does this, which is set up to be a huge and impenetrable storm, seem so much calmer in the images? Oh well, not what I'm getting at here). However, I also said that the art is pretty great in this book overall and this cover is no difference. It's maybe a little heavy-handed but that doesn't mean it's not still pretty great looking. don't miss the forest for the trees and all that. If that applies. I'm going to say that it does and I run this blog so no one is editing me out. Fantastic work again, Tim.
Avengers AI 1
Red She-Hulk 67
X-Men Legacy 13
Best Cover
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Comics this week
Considerably fewer comics this week and a handful of them are weird ones (AvX What If and Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers among them). Downside of a small week is that about half the comics coming out are on this list so there are a few I'm decidedly less excited about than, say, Red She-Hulk. Actually, strike that, there are definitely enough to be excited about. I like comics, you guys.
Avengers 15
I feel like Avengers has gotten a little lost in the shuffle here for me. I've really enjoyed Hickman's run and I've relished the way it doesn't talk down to its readers but, by and large, I like the other Avengers titles more. New Avengers and Uncanny Avengers have both jumped up to the top of my reading list, as has Young Avengers. Avengers Assemble and Arena are both delightful every time they come out and Secret Avengers...well, Secret Avengers so far is a bit weaker but also has ten fewer issues. But that's kind of kept me off of praising Avengers as much as I should. Solid book and it continues to show that Marvel is dedicated to keeping their biggest brand at this point complex enough to challenge readers.
Avengers AI 1
This actually kind of snuck up on me. Did you guys know it's July already? Because it was actually seeing this book on the list of new comics this week that made me realize how late into the year it is. Anyway, a new series always deserves a look and this one has a few interesting things going for it. As the Marvel Universe has gotten older, the AI in it has gotten more complex, both physically and, if I could be so bold, emotionally. Over the last couple years, we've gotten a few storylines that have revolved around robots or cyborgs or androids or what-have-you feeling threatened by humanity. We also had the interesting Age of Ultron 10AI last week that focused on Hank Pym, making him a bit more interesting as a team leader, which he will serve as here. Also this will be Monica Chang's introduction to the 616 (she's a regular over in the Ultimate universe) and I'm happy to report I'm pretty well caught up on the exploits of Victor Mancha after his Age of Ultron off-shoot issue went so poorly on this blog. There are possibilities here and Sam Humphries will take the reins to show us what those are.
Iron Man 12
Iron Man tends to slip my mind a little as a book because I've read years of Iron Man stories that have been pretty boring and it kind of slowed me on the character as a whole. Sure, I've mostly liked the movies and the last few years with the character have added a lot more depth but I still have a weird bias in my head against Iron Man books. But when I actually let my conscious brain make the decision, I remember that Kieron Gillen is writing an astounding Iron Man book right now and that I can't wait to read the next one. Last issue was absolutely brilliant and I'm encouraged by that and by the fact that Gillen doesn't really slow down. Exciting time to be an Iron Man fan.
Red She-Hulk 67
This is it, guys. Red She-Hulk has been cancelled by Marvel and this is the last issue for fans of the book. I know the fans are out there, I've seen them around the internet here and there. We all knew this book wasn't going to last purely for the subject matter. Red She-Hulk isn't a popular enough character yet to sustain a book but boy did Jeff Parker try. This has been one of the most fun books of the last year and it's sad to see it go. I'm excited to see what the issue holds in store for us after a chaotic and exciting story last issue that showed a world where Red She-Hulk was the only Hulk in the world. Solid storytelling, great characters, and wonderful development throughout. Hard to see it go.
X-Men Legacy 13
Is David on the right track after last issue's thorough win over the Red Skull, Darwin's Martyrs, AND Legion? David has let us know that he's not going to give up his powers, he never was, and that if there's a future that he's put in jeopardy, he'll solve it the way he is. From the start, his mantra has been "I rule me" and, after a handful of issues hiding from his various internal and external foes, he's living up to it again. This has been a phenomenal book and has really established the character David can be to the Marvel Universe. Si Spurrier is a heck of a writer and he seems to always know what he wants to say and how he wants it said. This is a rare book in that it's accomplished so much that it feels like we're years into the comic and, at the same time, it feels like there are so many places to still to go and that he hasn't even scratched the surface. Good time to be a David Haller fan, if you happened to be one before this (I have my doubts).
Avengers 15
I feel like Avengers has gotten a little lost in the shuffle here for me. I've really enjoyed Hickman's run and I've relished the way it doesn't talk down to its readers but, by and large, I like the other Avengers titles more. New Avengers and Uncanny Avengers have both jumped up to the top of my reading list, as has Young Avengers. Avengers Assemble and Arena are both delightful every time they come out and Secret Avengers...well, Secret Avengers so far is a bit weaker but also has ten fewer issues. But that's kind of kept me off of praising Avengers as much as I should. Solid book and it continues to show that Marvel is dedicated to keeping their biggest brand at this point complex enough to challenge readers.
Avengers AI 1
This actually kind of snuck up on me. Did you guys know it's July already? Because it was actually seeing this book on the list of new comics this week that made me realize how late into the year it is. Anyway, a new series always deserves a look and this one has a few interesting things going for it. As the Marvel Universe has gotten older, the AI in it has gotten more complex, both physically and, if I could be so bold, emotionally. Over the last couple years, we've gotten a few storylines that have revolved around robots or cyborgs or androids or what-have-you feeling threatened by humanity. We also had the interesting Age of Ultron 10AI last week that focused on Hank Pym, making him a bit more interesting as a team leader, which he will serve as here. Also this will be Monica Chang's introduction to the 616 (she's a regular over in the Ultimate universe) and I'm happy to report I'm pretty well caught up on the exploits of Victor Mancha after his Age of Ultron off-shoot issue went so poorly on this blog. There are possibilities here and Sam Humphries will take the reins to show us what those are.
Iron Man 12
Iron Man tends to slip my mind a little as a book because I've read years of Iron Man stories that have been pretty boring and it kind of slowed me on the character as a whole. Sure, I've mostly liked the movies and the last few years with the character have added a lot more depth but I still have a weird bias in my head against Iron Man books. But when I actually let my conscious brain make the decision, I remember that Kieron Gillen is writing an astounding Iron Man book right now and that I can't wait to read the next one. Last issue was absolutely brilliant and I'm encouraged by that and by the fact that Gillen doesn't really slow down. Exciting time to be an Iron Man fan.
Red She-Hulk 67
This is it, guys. Red She-Hulk has been cancelled by Marvel and this is the last issue for fans of the book. I know the fans are out there, I've seen them around the internet here and there. We all knew this book wasn't going to last purely for the subject matter. Red She-Hulk isn't a popular enough character yet to sustain a book but boy did Jeff Parker try. This has been one of the most fun books of the last year and it's sad to see it go. I'm excited to see what the issue holds in store for us after a chaotic and exciting story last issue that showed a world where Red She-Hulk was the only Hulk in the world. Solid storytelling, great characters, and wonderful development throughout. Hard to see it go.
X-Men Legacy 13
Is David on the right track after last issue's thorough win over the Red Skull, Darwin's Martyrs, AND Legion? David has let us know that he's not going to give up his powers, he never was, and that if there's a future that he's put in jeopardy, he'll solve it the way he is. From the start, his mantra has been "I rule me" and, after a handful of issues hiding from his various internal and external foes, he's living up to it again. This has been a phenomenal book and has really established the character David can be to the Marvel Universe. Si Spurrier is a heck of a writer and he seems to always know what he wants to say and how he wants it said. This is a rare book in that it's accomplished so much that it feels like we're years into the comic and, at the same time, it feels like there are so many places to still to go and that he hasn't even scratched the surface. Good time to be a David Haller fan, if you happened to be one before this (I have my doubts).
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Marvel cancels Journey into Mystery - Comics this week
First, a moment of silence for another cancellation. Marvel has decided to end Journey into Mystery with issue 655. This is a depressing one all around. The book, which split from Thor in 2011 during Fear Itself and was, for my money, the best part of Fear Itself, featured an amazing run by Kieron Gillen focused on Kid Loki in a sort of novel-like approach to comics. That run ended with issue 645 and Kathryn Immonen has done a great job on the title since, shifting the focus to Asgard's premiere warrior, the lady Sif. On top of the fact it's been a solid run with some great moments, it means we lose the only female led book written by a woman other than Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel (which is, of course fantastic, and appears later in this post, in fact). I think Marvel has been taking the right steps with promoting its female characters but it's a gradual process, and not one that people seem overly willing to speed up. Watching this book falter is upsetting on a couple of levels; it raises questions about the readership and about gender in comics as a whole. Of course, these are easy questions to put to the side because, in truth, Sif isn't a huge character in the Marvel Universe (not on the level, at least, of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man, etc.) and she's Asgardian. Both of those things could just as easily have contributed to the book's sales as much or more than the female-led aspect. My hope is that that's true (though it's still always depressing to see a bold choice in lead characters go uncredited) and that we have more female-led books and more women writers at Marvel in spite of this cancellation. As is, though, check out all of Journey into Mystery, from Gillen's masterpiece on Loki to Immonen's examination of what it means to be the greatest warrior of Asgard with Sif. On to the next section (I had been planning to write this top half for Monday since news of the cancellation broke late last week and promptly forgot about my plans entirely by the time Monday rolled around).
Age of Ultron 10
I haven't been overly thrilled by this series but things are bound to happen that impact the larger Universe with the conclusion of this event. It's easier to judge an event knowing all parts so we'll have a better feel for how this one rates after it ends, though it won't change some things about the series. This issue is also set to feature a slew of artists including Joe Quesada, Alex Maleev, and Butch Guice, among series regulars Carlos Pacheco and Brandon Peterson. Should have something to like in there and it's worth at least checking in after the conclusion to see the shape of the Universe going forward.
Captain Marvel 13
Carol's Enemy Within storyline continues here as we bounce quickly from last week's Avengers Assemble. We know our enemy, we know our heroes, and we know a bit about our problems. How will all of this slot together when it's all said and done? It's an interesting story and DeConnick's reinvented Captain Marvel remains one of the best characters in one of the best books Marvel has right now. Keep reading this one, as I keep recommending it.
New Avengers 7
One of the easier things to do on a week that features a handful of Avengers books is to pick what books I'm most excited for. Yes, I am an Avengers fan in general but really, it comes down to the fact that Marvel NOW has brought the best Avengers stories I've read in a long time. New Avengers continues to impress me every issue with the story, the weight of the story, the characters, and the phenomenal art (which, along with the colors, mimic the weight of the story). I don't envision a time when I won't be excited for this book. I never want to envision that time.
Uncanny Avengers 9
This is another in the line of solid new Avengers titles launched with Marvel NOW (the main Avengers book is too, and also comes out this week, but it's been bumped to keep things very nearly almost fresh in this post). This is the only Avengers team that was brought together for a purpose beyond "stop bad guys/things." The Avengers were hand-chosen by Cap and Iron Man to be the best of the best and to form little teams to dispatch everywhere. The New Avengers were brought together by their past and by the weight of the problem. This team was delicately selected to represent a bond between Avengers and X-Men. That, by itself, creates a tone for the book that Remender has made sure to capitalize on. This book may be the strongest at creating its tone that Marvel has and it's worth reading for everything it can do.
X-Men Legacy 12
I have been blown away by the quality of this book time and again. Adding to how happy with the book and the character of David Haller I am already, last issue was breathtaking. David's conviction and Spurrier's dedication to breaking out of certain superhero tropes floored me and the most incredible part was that it was EASY TO DO. All David had to do was continue saying what he'd been saying all through the last couple issues: he wants to get rid of his powers. I can't wait to see more this week of how David interacts with the Red Skull, who will no doubt be caught somewhat off-guard by this approach (don't forget, Red Skull's greatest enemy is Captain America, who would never give the Red Skull any sort of upper hand).
Age of Ultron 10
I haven't been overly thrilled by this series but things are bound to happen that impact the larger Universe with the conclusion of this event. It's easier to judge an event knowing all parts so we'll have a better feel for how this one rates after it ends, though it won't change some things about the series. This issue is also set to feature a slew of artists including Joe Quesada, Alex Maleev, and Butch Guice, among series regulars Carlos Pacheco and Brandon Peterson. Should have something to like in there and it's worth at least checking in after the conclusion to see the shape of the Universe going forward.
Captain Marvel 13
Carol's Enemy Within storyline continues here as we bounce quickly from last week's Avengers Assemble. We know our enemy, we know our heroes, and we know a bit about our problems. How will all of this slot together when it's all said and done? It's an interesting story and DeConnick's reinvented Captain Marvel remains one of the best characters in one of the best books Marvel has right now. Keep reading this one, as I keep recommending it.
New Avengers 7
One of the easier things to do on a week that features a handful of Avengers books is to pick what books I'm most excited for. Yes, I am an Avengers fan in general but really, it comes down to the fact that Marvel NOW has brought the best Avengers stories I've read in a long time. New Avengers continues to impress me every issue with the story, the weight of the story, the characters, and the phenomenal art (which, along with the colors, mimic the weight of the story). I don't envision a time when I won't be excited for this book. I never want to envision that time.
Uncanny Avengers 9
This is another in the line of solid new Avengers titles launched with Marvel NOW (the main Avengers book is too, and also comes out this week, but it's been bumped to keep things very nearly almost fresh in this post). This is the only Avengers team that was brought together for a purpose beyond "stop bad guys/things." The Avengers were hand-chosen by Cap and Iron Man to be the best of the best and to form little teams to dispatch everywhere. The New Avengers were brought together by their past and by the weight of the problem. This team was delicately selected to represent a bond between Avengers and X-Men. That, by itself, creates a tone for the book that Remender has made sure to capitalize on. This book may be the strongest at creating its tone that Marvel has and it's worth reading for everything it can do.
X-Men Legacy 12
I have been blown away by the quality of this book time and again. Adding to how happy with the book and the character of David Haller I am already, last issue was breathtaking. David's conviction and Spurrier's dedication to breaking out of certain superhero tropes floored me and the most incredible part was that it was EASY TO DO. All David had to do was continue saying what he'd been saying all through the last couple issues: he wants to get rid of his powers. I can't wait to see more this week of how David interacts with the Red Skull, who will no doubt be caught somewhat off-guard by this approach (don't forget, Red Skull's greatest enemy is Captain America, who would never give the Red Skull any sort of upper hand).
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