This week's picks

Kind of a tough week to pick three books. I think there were some pretty weak books out there but the strong books were pretty exceptional. Let's see where this takes us.

Thor: God of Thunder 4

Expect this book to appear up here relatively often if it keeps up where it's at. It's marvelous storytelling with a particularly compelling character. Over the last few years I've really come around on Thor, who I truly despised after reading the original Avengers. He was just boring to me, like the Superman of Marvel. He seemed unbeatable and unbeatable is boring. I've talked a lot this week about needing a villain that plays to Thor's level and this book has found it. To have a villain that can examine Thor through all of his major personality stages is a stroke of genius.




Punisher War Zone 3

I still admit to being kind of surprised by liking this so much. I do like to see the Avengers drop in on Punisher and to see that the heroes of the world occasionally have to dedicate time to dealing with him. Rucka's control and understanding of Punisher and of Thor and the Marvel Universe is impressively strong. With any lack there, this book fails. Instead, it's good, it's intriguing and it's totally worth reading. Also, always nice to see Spider-Man interacting with other Avengers in casual situations, like walking through Avengers tower. He seems to always need to be crawling on the ceiling and occasionally popping his head in front of people he's in conversation with. Like, dude, we can see your human legs. We know you can use them.


X-Men Legacy 4

This was a tough last call to make. I was torn between this, Cable and X-Force, and Superior Spider-Man, all of which were very good, but this one won out just because of how different it feels. Cable and X-Force was interesting and the team feels very connected and natural already, Superior Spider-Man rung in a new(ish) era for Spider-Man and brings the book to a whole new and exciting place, but this book so far has examined a lot of questions in a very little time. In this issue alone, we get a lot of thinking on parenthood, Professor X's "dream," the role of the X-Men in the world and in the dream, and many other things. It also delves into Legion's extensive powers and lets us see his selection and knowledge of them. It's well done, it looks good, and it asks worthwhile things. Keep up with it.



GUYS, my reviews are done for the week. I'm writing this before the 49ers game ends so tomorrow we'll see my mood before I select what I'm going to write about or if I can bring myself to write anything. I GUESS YOU'LL KNOW MONDAY.

Age of Apocalypse 11, First X-Men 5, Ultimate X-Men 21, Wolverine and the X-Men 23, X-Men Legacy 4

Age of Apocalypse 11
Lapham (w) and De La Torre and Arlem (a)

I kind of tune in and out of this series. Not that it's bad or uninteresting, just because I tend to have some trouble grasping it. I think I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people involved that I didn't know. OKAY, that might make me a bad comic reader (it's weird how often I catch myself saying that on this blog. Maybe I AM a bad comic reader. Boy, let's all work under the assumption that I'm not), but being introduced cold to a whole new group of characters who are different than their 616 counterparts threw me for a bit of a loop. The other part of this that probably makes me a bad comic reader (but remember, I'm NOT) is that this book is good.

There is a real plot with a real weight to it and some real questions that arise from it. Is Weapon X's genocide simply Apocalypse's Death Seed doing its work or is he really protecting the world from the Celestials, who we know have a real tendency to do this? Is it the only way for the world to survive the Celestials? Was the Shadow King really turning into dinosaurs to attack Quentin Quire/Donald Pierce? Plenty of good questions, plenty of interesting characters and it is, despite what I said above, cool to see characters who are just bigots and anti-mutants in the 616 actually fighting for a reason in this book. Does still kind of stop you from liking them.

Maybe that's my problem with the book. I'm asked to like characters I know I hate. It's not like Nightcrawler coming from the AoA into the 616 and being a character I already loved but with a different history that fundamentally changes him. Now it's the same situation but with characters I don't like. I don't know. That sounds like a good reason. But don't misunderstand: this book is a good book. It's worth reading, especially if you like other timeline stuff. The good thing about this blog is that I will make sure to read every issue of everything going forth and, more importantly (since I largely did that anyway), I'll have a record of what I've said about the last issue. Books I don't invest in tend to get treated as a series of one-shots in my mind. All disjointed, with me just figuring I'll remember nuances of the plot that I don't. NOW I WILL.

First X-Men 5
Adams and Gage (w) and Adams (a)

Did anyone else feel like everyone was going to die in this book? Because starting it, I knew two members of this team, Wolverine and Sabretooth, and NO ONE ELSE. The problem with books set in the past is that you kind of know who will live. In this case, odds weren't great on EVERYONE BUT WOLVERINE AND SABRETOOTH. It diminishes the scale a bit, along with some of the other aspects of this book. I know I didn't get attached to any of these characters because there was like, a 9/10 chance that they died. Like, that they ALL died. Guess what's paying off for me right now? That. That's paying off for me right now.

Anyway, the book was kind of unimpressive? I cut it a lot of slack because it's Neal Adams, a living legend, and Christos Gage, who I like very much, but I imagine it's Adams carrying a lot of this slack. Modern comics are very different than the comics of the past, in layout and in art and in story and in everything. So I try not to relate it to modern comics. Plus it's hard to write a book set in the past over what would appear to be a huge issue, the discovery of mutantkind and introduction of the Sentinels, because Marvel has mined the past so often. There are allowances to be made for this book and I'm willing to make them. That said, I didn't love this series. It was somewhat slow, I couldn't really care for the characters, and this final issue was a little step-by-step predictable. Not that it all was, but we all kind of knew the full ending, didn't we? Department of Mutant Affairs, Wolverine and Sabretooth, Magneto comes out of nowhere to form the Brotherhood of Mutants, Professor X forms the Xavier School. It's hard to throw surprise into a book from the past of stuff anyone reading it probably already knows. Look guys, maybe I'm just too good of a comic book reader. That's what I'm going to say from now on, regardless of context, okay?

Ultimate X-Men 21
Wood and Edmonson (w) and Barberi and Vlasco (a)

We're building to some big things, which is fun, but I do feel like we've been building for some time now. I do think there is a sense of some sort of realism here to the speed at which Mach Two is plotting, as opposed to going "I hate Kitty, I'm going to kill her by the end of this issue." Still, it lends itself to a lot of jumping to the rogue group within their numbers that is constantly whining and that is not endearing for a book. I like where this book is and where it's going and the different ways in which they can proceed, but having to split time between the mutants who are trying to do something and the mutants who are complaining the whole time is a little tiring.

I am still curious as to the main story of this arc, the sentient seed creation and distribution. The mutants in Utopia have found/created a seed that can grow in any climate, thereby granting the potential to end world hunger and, under Kitty's direction, have offered it to the world as a sort of peace treaty. The hope is that it will put human-mutant relations in a calmer and more amicable place. I'm not sure totally where that hope comes from because Kitty seems to think that it will move straight to peace without any sort of repercussions. Though that might be the logical outcome, the world isn't logical and still wants to attack over it, obviously.

At this point, I like where the series can go and where it's been, that's why I listed it on my favorite 2012 books list. Right now, though, where we're at? There's a lot of infighting and characters acting crazily naive. I don't mind infighting, I think it's real. I do mind crazy naivety because these kids, though they're still just kids, just fought a war. There's less room for naivety after that. Also, as I've said, it makes for less interesting reading when everyone is just whining about how something needs to be done. Also, when Tony Stark is the adult in the room.

Wolverine and the X-Men 23
Aaron (w) and Bradshaw (a)

The folks at Marvel have been absolutely head over heels in love with the idea of Wolverine magicked into being Revolto the Clown over the last three or so Wolverine and the X-Men issues. I'm...I'm not sure why? I guess it's a thing but BOY did this plan of Frankenstein's monster seem convoluted. There must have been an easier way to lure lil Frankenstein to him than hoping for a circus to work. Look, I'm no supervillain, but it seems like they went to great lengths to even get the X-Men involved. Why would you even want to do that?

Look, anyway, Idie Okonkwo is changing a whole lot and Quentin Quire seems to be changing just a bit and lil Frankenstein is pretty evil. That's what I got from this arc and it feels like that could have been done a lot faster. Oh, and Eye Boy can see magic and he is covered in eyes and that's grody. I don't have a whole lot more to say because it feels like everything we could say is kind of already covered. The X-Men break out of the magic, beat the bad guys, and go home. Just a normal day, I suppose.

OH, and Azazel's going to come back into play. That could be fun.

X-Men Legacy 4
Spurrier (w) and Molina (a)

This is one of the stronger books in Marvel NOW!'s arsenal right now. Each book has been entertaining and interesting, exploring many ideas and many thoughts on power and what it means. It's a strong book in its ideologies and in its action. David Haller, Legion, is a compelling character doing exactly what good compelling characters do: he's making us read on and come back every new issue. He frets, he fights, he considers his past, he bluffs, he makes rash decisions. All these things fit his personality without sacrificing plot. So far, just a really strong book.

In this issue, the X-Men have descended on David, fresh off saving the psychic twin children of bad guy Ogun, and quickly determine that he has kidnapped the children and that's he unbalanced and sick. Instead, he aims to help the children and keep them from the world of fighting that being an X-Man opens. He's not sure how that's going to happen and he still cares about the dream of his father, Professor X, but he thinks there might have been fundamental flaws in the X-Men example. It's been interesting because, in thinking about his father's dream and having his psyche torn apart by his father's death, he's forced to reconsider his relationship with his father and exactly who his father was to him. He's going through a lot right now, is what I'm saying, and it's always interesting to watch an omega level mutant going through a lot.

If this book keeps up this way, it'll be something to watch. I'm already regretting not putting it on my top ten anticipated books of 2013 list but I go back and still can't figure out what I'd knock off. It's going to be a good year for comics, if all goes as well as it can. I'm very excited.


TOP PICKS, coming tomorrow.

Thunderbolts 3, Cable and X-Force 3, Punisher: Nightmare 2, Punisher War Zone 3, Marvel Universe vs the Avengers 4

Thunderbolts 3
Way (w) and Dillon (a)

One of the things I talked about at length in my X-Force post-game entries near the start of this blog was the way in which Remender handled Deadpool. He's got a crazy streak to him and he's certainly unbalanced, but he's good at what he does and he has something of a moral center. This is, I feel, especially true in Uncanny X-Force, maybe more so than in his own series, but the groundwork was definitely laid by Daniel Way over in Deadpool. For as much as I love Remender's Deadpool, I think I like Way's better. On the one hand, he's had him longer and has been able to focus more attention to him, but on the other, I think he's got a really good mix of absurdity and seriousness. Thunderbolts looks to be a good outlet for that.

Our ragtag bunch of killers are working in Kata Jaya in Southeast Asia to train freedom fighters to destabilize a jerk dictator who apparently set off a gamma bomb. Elektra has been caught (intentionally) and Venom and Punisher are working with the freedom fighters to get more supplies and work on thinning the enemy ranks a little. Meanwhile, in Madripoor, Red Hulk and Deadpool have a frank discussion of Red Hulk's plans, which include using the mind of a de-powered Leader who Red Hulk is slowly re-powering to actually make his mind worth using. This is one of the more entertaining parts of the book, and where Way shows his Deadpool skills. A lot of writers would have had Deadpool flippant the whole time and almost unbearable beside Red Hulk and seeing the Leader. Way gives him his sense of humor but also makes him a valuable voice in the conversation. He points out that this plan doesn't seem so great and that, even if there is a good plan somewhere within it, Punisher will shoot the Leader right in the forehead if he finds out. By the end of the issue, he has.

There are some stories boiling in here, both in the tensions between team members (turns out NO ONE thought bringing the Leader along was a good idea) and in the story. The cliffhanger of this issue, or one of them, is that the jerk dictator didn't set off a gamma bomb to destroy a village, there's something else afoot. Also, Elektra is being held by the Leader's brother, Hulk villain Madman. I still think that Deadpool is the strongest written character of the group, but that could shift. For now, though, the most enjoyable parts of the book involve Deadpool. Then again, I'm biased; I'm not a huge Punisher nor Red Hulk fan. We'll see what I'm feeling halfway through this series.

Cable and X-Force 3
Hopeless (w) and Larocca (a)

My, but X-Force books are fun. As I eagerly await the new Uncanny X-Force that comes probably next week (look, I'm pretty sure that's when it is) and stars a couple members of my beloved X-Force team (including a few that are Fantomex), this Cable and X-Force team is really something. I was nervous about two separate X-Force books coming hot on the heels of Remender's, and that worry isn't out the window until the new book comes out, but so far Cable and X-Force has proved immensely readable. As I said in yesterday's Avengers Arena review, I like the Nick Fury-esque sort of planning aspect of a team leader/strategist. Apparently Dennis Hopeless does too. This book highlights that aspect quite nicely, as Cable is a pro at this sort of work and everyone on the team has some sort of experience with it and with him. There's a nice bit where he explains their mission and they all, one by one, offer their plan with him rejecting each one. It's a fun bit of quick character building that really works. It also works because the team is so small. It's easier than in most books to understand the relationships within the team because there are only six team members and they all have pretty well-established connections already. ALSO, I get happy whenever I remember that Dr. Nemesis is on the team.

This book dives right into the "threat to mutantkind" mantra of X-Force and goes to shut down an anti-mutant fast food chain because Cable has seen the future and a virus starts there that would kill thousands of humans and leave mutants untouched. Rather than allow it to be blamed on mutants and let the bigoted head of the company blame mutants for it, they aim to shut the virus down at its start, a factory. Forge has a talk with Theresa Payton, the aforementioned bigoted head, and finds out that she's not as bigoted as she might have seemed and that, unlike what the team is thinking, she seems to have no knowledge of the virus. Forge exhibits some cool Sherlock-like detail noticing about a robot bodyguard she has and disables it and breaks loose to head home. Things go slightly awry in the plans and they finally make it to the factory to find that the plague is already at work within and has incapacitated Colossus already.

Okay, as I was typing the summary, I noticed that it sounds absolutely crazy. I don't think I did a horrible job summarizing because all of that does happen, but the problem is that there's no useful way to summarize MOST comics, and this seems to be one of them. This book really is worth reading. I heartily recommend the series so far so maybe stop reading that summary and just read everything else I've written. The fun bit is that people who HAVE read the issue would read that summary and go "I KNOW, WASN'T IT GREAT?"

Punisher: Nightmare 2
Gimple (w) and Texeira (a)

We continue where we left off last week, with Punisher and Niman/Johnny Nightmare (his murderer persona) out searching for the twin killers who killed Niman's wife and daughter. We start to get into a more mysterious backstory for Niman. He wasn't just a soldier who had a couple personalities within him and who is currently on the track to becoming another Punisher. Through some strained memories and plenty of repeated dialogue, Niman remembers that he was the sole guinea pig in a new series of inoculation tests during his training at Fort Bragg. Though they discontinued the treatments, they seemed to have a lasting effect in terms of accelerated healing and, to some extent, strength and vision and focus, etc. A sort of mini-super soldier serum. However, it also seems to be opening the door to the Johnny Nightmare persona taking over. Whether that was in there before and was amplified by the war and the serum or if the serum caused that has yet to be discussed.

The writing of this issue was interesting. Complicated. As I said, there's a lot of strained memories and repeated dialogue to illustrate the cracks in Niman's mind. It's effective, but I think it tends to lose some of that effectiveness after too much time. After enough time for a reader to go "right, got it, now you're just holding me up." I also do find it interesting that the title character of this book was present for the entire issue and had about four lines. I'm not saying that as a negative. I don't imagine Punisher as the chatty type (besides, Marvel has enough of those as is) and I think this level of dialogue is about accurate, especially when we're focused on the other character in the book. The book has taken a bit of a turn from what I was initially anticipating, so we'll see if it holds interest in the final three issues.

Punisher War Zone 3
Rucka (w) and Di Giandomenico (a)

Okay, I keep saying I don't like Punisher. I'm going to have to go back and read Rucka's run because this Punisher War Zone book is pretty incredible. YES, it definitely sucks me in that it has the Avengers and YES they are often the focus more than him but STILL. There's a lot of really good examination of what Punisher is and what he does. It's like the Wolverine-in-X-Force idea of using something as an outlet for your animal nature. Thor examines this after chasing down Punisher in Indonesia and being led into a secret munitions stockyard. Punisher hides out to the side as Thor, doing exactly what I said YESTERDAY he doesn't do, makes extremely quick work of the whole affair. I'm not bringing that up because I think it's out of character for him to do it, I bring it up because it really is something he doesn't really do. Thor doesn't tend to fight regular humans because he would devastate them. Of course, if he's led into a place with clearly illicit and dangerous things going on, it's well within his character to stop it. He just typically doesn't go to those places. It's a nice touch and follows from the last issue of the book, where Punisher led Black Widow to an exploited group of young boys and girls so she might save them instead of fight him. It's a good strategy for Castle but, of course, he ends up being caught by Thor because, while Natasha's problem last issue took time to resolve, Thor had destroyed the place in a matter of seconds.

Though the premise of this book has been that the Avengers are trying to bring Punisher in because he's a public danger and because his protege is going to get the death sentence after she was caught to make an example of him, Thor chooses not to bring in Punisher. He has a talk with a captive audience, letting Frank know that he's free to take his arms and go after their talk but it would be wise to listen. They have a couple beers and talk about what it is Punisher does. Though Frank says Thor doesn't know anything about him and the war he fights, Thor quickly shows off his own knowledge of war and being a warrior and seems to nail down Frank's entire personality. This was telling to me and the moment I decided I needed to go back and read Rucka's run. He clearly knows what he's doing with Punisher and clearly has a plan for him of some sort. This book is definitely worth reading, as Rucka treats the Avengers well in their limited capacities and clearly has a grasp on Punisher. Also, the art, particularly the art surrounding Thor's attack on the base, is pretty fantastic.

Marvel Universe vs. The Avengers 4
Maberry (w) and Fernandez (a)

I'm going to be honest, I'm not really a huge fan of these books. Marvel Universe vs., Marvel Zombies, Deadpool kills, etc. I don't know why. But I have a few theories. One is just that I don't understand the universe. I know this is all kind of a possible future or an alternate timeline or, you know, fiction. But in a Marvel world so organized, I have trouble piecing together where this fits in. Also, there's always that zombie-story feel of "we don't know why this started but it did and here we are and there's no way to stop it." There's never a cure in any of these books, which is probably fitting but even if you put one cure in one of these books, it would make it feel like it was possible in any of them. That would be the reference point as a reader to say "Oh, well they survived beyond the series that one time, so it could happen again here." In a way, that leaves books like this with no stakes. You see your favorite heroes fall and some may survive but there are no stakes because you know they won't eventually. Like, know, not just have a bad feeling. That leads to the last and likely more truthful theory: I don't like watching my favorite characters all die.

Anyway, my favorite characters all died in this book. The writing wasn't bad, the art was good throughout, but all characters became possessed or became dead. Except Punisher. I still don't care.


So this ends "necessary force" day, as I dubbed it when picking out which days I'd review which books. Get ready for "X-Men day (minus X-Force)" tomorrow.

Fantastic Four 3, Avengers Arena 3, Scarlet Spider 13, Thor: God of Thunder 4

Fantastic Four 3
Fraction (w) and Bagley (a)

As I stated in my pre-game post this week, I was looking forward to F4 this week as both a fan of Fraction and a non-fan of the Fantastic Four. The premise of the book was exploration, a return to form for the Fantastic Four. The first two books, necessarily, were set-up to get us on our way and now the third book introduces us to exploring and a little bit of a more claustrophobic look at the team. It's particularly nice because, of late, the Fantastic Four books have focused on the family AND the future foundation, even when FF was released concurrently with the long-running F4. This new formula Fraction is instituting will give readers a better look at the family as a family, their biggest historical advantage. The Avengers are mostly pals, The X-Men kind of run like a family that's too big so reunions are awkward, the Defenders typically don't care for each other (OKAY, there's not a Defenders book out right now but whatever, Defenders are pretty cool). The Fantastic Four IS a family and that is what has always set them apart.

That said, this book delves into a lot of family stuff (i.e. parental relationships, siblings, etc.) while also taking a look at the biggest outsider to the group. This view of the Thing is exactly where I think the Thing can be a good character. He's often played as the kind of dopey but loyal and quick to anger hard-headed guy, which I don't think is necessarily all out of his character, but there is a deeper sense to him that really could pervade his entire personality. Everyone got sweet and/or useful powers (Reed's powers do NOT count as sweet) that don't harm the users in day-to-day living. Also, everyone is actually related some way or another. Ben Grimm, as Reed says in this book, is a rock. There is some sulking in this book and I have to think that'll lead to some of the more interesting character things in this book.

As a not particular fan of the group itself (I say that, but I have Human Torch and Invisible Woman figures hanging from my rearview mirror), I'm happy with this issue and this book so far. As I've said, I like Fraction's style a lot and he's clearly got things working here. I say that a lot in these reviews but I'm kind of forced to, thanks to Marvel NOW!'s start-up. Nothing is fully developed yet, everything is just in the starting stages. I have a feeling there's going to be a couple weeks of reviews in some time that are just all hectic, all the time. That will probably still be fun and good, but for now, the building is just as exciting as any climax.

Avengers Arena 3
Hopeless (w) and Walker (a)

I can't stop talking about how much I like characters. I get that. I apologize (kind of, but not super sincerely). But it really is what I come to comics looking for so OF COURSE a comic review blog I write would be loaded with me saying "characters." What I've liked so far about Avengers Arena is that it is just loaded with characters I don't know or don't know particularly well. It is so loaded with characters I don't know very well that when an issue focuses on a character I DO know, but haven't seen in a while, I assume I don't know her. This issue focuses on Cammi, a human girl who is just very well trained. Might as well be a baby Nick Fury. I was reading the issue going "good, we're going to learn about this girl now!" In the midst of her backstory, we see her with the Guardians of the Galaxy from Abnett and Lanning's run. "Oh shit," I said. "Cammi. I know Cammi!"

Anyway, on to the book. Each issue we've seen through a new set of eyes and this one, as you may have figured out, is seen through Cammi's eyes. We glimpsed her last issue as previous host Rebecca Ryker ran into her before being pushed on her way to the Braddock camp. Now we get her story, letting us know what's happened between Guardians of the Galaxy and now, and we get a couple more characters thrown in. Darkhawk pops in, Juston pops in, X-23 pops in, but no one really sticks around. This issue is about Cammi. It's fine by me; I know who she is (now) and I love Nick Fury-esque action.

I'm admittedly unsure of where this series is going but it has already been something of a fun ride. There's a lot of people to learn about and a lot of personalities and psyches to examine. I love that X-23 has appeared a few times but not yet played any sort of major role, as she must be the character we know most. I like the way this whole book is staged in that sort of Lost way of "there is this big island, there are a lot of people on this island, we're not going to force every character into every spot because we don't want to rush things." So far, so good.

Scarlet Spider 13
Yost (w) and Pham (a)

How many dead Peter Parkers am I going to have to see this month?

Thor: God of Thunder 4
Aaron (w) and Ribic (a)

This books just keeps

Okay, wait. I'll review Scarlet Spider.

I like this side of comics, the build into an arc, when it's done correctly. In this case, I think it is. I like that Kaine isn't Peter or Iron Man or something, someone who can see the top through all the middling. Like I said in yesterday's Superior Spider-Man review, I only just realized that Peter is very much a "beat it up first, think of a long-term solution second" kind of guy. Where Superior Spider-Man shows Doc Ock as the opposite, Kaine is the extended version of it. Kaine is "beat it up first, keep beating it up, try to figure out why it won't stay down, beat it up, then maybe come up with something." It makes sense. Kaine himself says that he's not as smart as Peter so all the things I said yesterday about Doc Ock vs. Peter hold, but Kaine is still a ways down the Spider-Man spectrum. Aracely continues to be interesting and insist on a swear jar for Kaine, and werewolves from Mexico make their way into the book. Solid book overall. The strength comes from Kaine's frustrations trying to understand a plot bigger than gangs and his need to be more than a monster. It's funny, with Peter Parker currently gone, there are two Spider-Men running around the 616 who are both notably more violent and angry. One of the most moral superheroes around has been replaced by two anti-heroes. What does that say about us?

Thor: God of Thunder 4
Aaron (w) and Ribic (a)

This book just keeps getting better. The most interesting bit of Thor to me has always been his maturity. From the arrogant and brash powerhouse to the more contemplative and stoic...well, powerhouse and now, in this book, to the tired and broken...look, he's probably still a powerhouse, he's the god of thunder. Whatever, he's become one of the stronger characters (personality-wise) when written well in the Marvel Universe, something I know I wouldn't have said when I was starting into comics, wading into all those original Avengers title when Thor would burst in and solve every problem by swinging his hammer at it. On top of that, it is a tough thing to write for Thor because he's just about the most powerful superhero. You can't put him up against a Sinister Six or a mugger. He'll murder them without even trying. So you need a villain who threatens Thor but isn't big enough for the Avengers. It's a very small middle-ground and usually relies on finding threats to Asgard.

The God-Killer Gorr is one of those threats to Asgard but also a threat to every god, hence "god-killer." It's a good premise with a lot of meat on it and, as he's not a god but seems similarly timeless, we're able to examine all sides of Thor in one delightful and beautifully illustrated book. Ribic's art is non-stop breathtaking. The time changes, flashing between past and present and future, are all seamless and I'm thrilled to say that we're about to do some timeline bending in the next issue. Gorr may not be timeless after all, he might just be jumping in time. Or he might be timeless. I guess we'll find out.

Either way, this book has everything someone who reads comics should love. There's conflict and great action, there's a powerful main presence facing off against an equally powerful villain, there are layers of personality to look at and three different versions of the same character to understand, there are moments of humor largely coming from support characters who don't overstay their welcome, and there's absolutely gorgeous art. I'm excited about this year in comics as a whole and this book is a large reason why. Between this and New Avengers to start the year off, I'm extraordinarily happy about what we could see.

Secret Avengers 36 and Superior Spider-Man 1

Secret Avengers 36
Remender (w) and Scalera (a)

I intimated in yesterday's post that I was excited for Secret Avengers this week because I thought it was the final Secret Avengers issue of Remender's run and the run that started with Brubaker and had a touch of Warren Ellis in the middle, also known as a damn near perfectly constructed book. Turns out I should maybe put any amount of research into posts like that but whatever, we were being casual, it was free-flowing, fun and friendly times. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that this is not the final issue. That'll be next time (probably).

That makes this issue the penultimate issue of the series and of this arc. Remender sure knows how to go out with a bang. X-Force proved that well enough for me. There is a sense with some of the Avengers titles that the Avengers only get together for the biggest of the big problems and therefore every one of their adventures has to be huge and all-universe encompassing. While I think there's certainly an argument to be made for that case, it does wear when, for the third arc in a row, the world is at stake and only one team can stop it. It makes it, don't make fun of me for saying this, less believable. Okay, comics aren't wholly believable all the time, but I mean it makes it harder to believe within the parameters of the Universe we're discussing. Secret Avengers has certainly benefitted from the "secret" designation because there's something inherent in there about "it probably won't doom the world, and even if it does then it would have been a behind-the-scenes doom anyhow so no one had to notice." In books that have to go to the world-shattering arc every time, a finale doesn't really feel special. Secret Avengers, though, feels like there's something much bigger than anything experienced before in the title. We really are dealing with a huge problem that feels huge and, more importantly, feels bigger than anything else we've dealt with in this book. It's like a long-game that's been played between three writers that's finally paid off and it feels good. It's also a great culmination of some of the things Remender's started in X-Force and in Venom that I think a lot of books don't really get to play around with. We're fortunate to have these awesome pseudo-tie-ins that don't REQUIRE the previous readings (or the later readings, if you read about the Descendants and Father in X-Force) to understand, but they definitely give a wider scope.

This issue focuses on the two separate entities in Secret Avengers that we've seen over the last two issues or so; the Hawkeye, Captain Britain, Beast team that had gone to World 666 to obtain the Orb of Necromancy to defeat the Descendants meet up with Spider-Man (Peter Parker Spidey. Had a bit of a gut-wrenching moment when I realized that) when they return to 616 and find themselves in the middle of a full robot uprising, and the Black Widow, Venom, Valkyrie team protecting Parvez at the Core, robotkind's capital city with Black Ant coming to fight them. There are some great character bits in here (Beast remarks that "I prepared for this exact eventuality the very day I learned you would be part of this team, Pym. 'Hank Pym is joining?' I thought. Well I'd better have an E.M.P. disruptor prepared in case of a robot invasion." It's one of the best things I've ever read) and Flash allowing Venom to take full control to attack Black Ant, who he had risked his life for on the last mission, has a true weight to it. Comics being what they are, you have a pretty good feeling that the world will be okay after the finale of this series, but there are definite ramifications that can come through so I'm more excited than ever to read it. I think it says a lot about a series that you can anticipate some sort of ending but you still can't wait to see how it happens.

Superior Spider-Man 1
Slott (w) and Stegman (a)

This is it. The new era of Spider-Man begins with Superior Spider-Man 1. It's definitely a new era, that's clear from the costume, from the tone, from the art, everything. However, we're still in the loving and capable hands of Dan Slott. This is why, in my very first post, I expressed sadness but also confidence. Dan Slott knows what he's doing, he knows his characters, and he knows his comics. Otto Octavius inhabiting the body of Peter Parker, even with Peter's memories and responsibilities, is still Otto Octavius inhabiting the body of Peter Parker. He's colder, he's more of a strategist (not that Peter didn't often strategize, he just didn't typically work steps in advance), and he's more used to relying on his brain than his body. That's a great aspect of their differences that I don't think I would have noticed had it not been for this new Spider-Man twist. Peter's brain was always in play, like anyone's is, but he wouldn't solve a problem with his brain until his great power had been exhausted. He worked more on instinct and on the idea of "hey, I'm a superhero and being a superhero has these perks," exactly the way a person who had become a superhero as a teenager would. Otto Octavius, on the other hand, was brilliant and manufactured his powers later. His brain was at play first and foremost, powers afterwards. It's something I wouldn't have even latched on to consciously before reading this issue. I might have eventually worked my way to it but I truly don't think I would have thought about it. That's why Dan Slott is to be trusted. I care tremendously about characters and prefer to think/write for characters AND I have a pretty good sense of Spider-Man as a character and I wouldn't have come up with what Slott did effortlessly.

Some variants are too great to ignore
Skottie Young is a national treasure

This book must have been a fun one for Slott for another reason. Like Remender being able to tie his work of the past couple years in with some well-placed arcs and characters peppered in along the way, Slott can dig out the characters he's invented or popularized or used in the past to create his own starting point for his new creation, Superior Spider-Man. Otto's first mission puts him up against a new Sinister Six consisting of the Living Brain, Overdrive, Shocker, the Beetle, Boomerang, and Speed Demon, at least half of which Slott has invented or re-popularized. They're also a true threat, but not so much of one that you wouldn't believe a new Spider-Man could handle. There were times where I laughed audibly (something I don't really do unless truly caught by surprise) because Otto worked the way he absolutely should have worked. He runs off from his first fight because it wasn't worth it. I was so taken aback that Spider-Man would run away, but then not at all taken aback that Otto would.

This is a different Spider-Man with the same face in every way. It's a bit jarring but not as much as I would have expected, something Slott should be very proud of. Is he more violent than Peter? Absolutely. Is he less heroic than Peter? Yeah, because I'm not sure anyone's more heroic than Peter. Is he smarter than Peter? Well he definitely uses his logical brain more, sure. Were the personal life bits the most uncomfortable I've been reading comics in a long while? You bet. Is this a Spider-Man book with all those parts changed? Definitely. It still reads like Spider-Man, it still looks like Spider-Man, it still is Spider-Man. Not in a cheesy or hokey "nothing has changed after that big change" way, but in a "this is working" kind of way. And there's a twist here that maybe shouldn't be seen as a twist because who isn't expecting this to happen eventually, but it'll be fun to watch it play out, as was the case with Secret Avengers. Good day to read comics.

If the rest of the week brings me comics like today, I'll be a happy blogger. See you tomorrow.

This week's posts

Good god, there sure are a bunch of comics coming out this week.

People may have noticed that I started this blog hot on the heels of Amazing Spider-Man 700 because the idea of a comic review blog had been bouncing around my head and I had things to say about that particular issue and the happenings of the Marvel Universe as a result. That came out the day after Christmas and was one of two releases. The next week's (this past week's) new releases came out the day after New Year's. There were more releases than two, but not a normal release schedule.

This week, there are, by my count, about 16 books I aim to review. We'll see if I can get my hands on them and if I can actually review them all in time for them to be posted (ideally, yes). If I keep to a loose schedule I have in my head, that'll mean about four reviews a day, so I apologize in advance for how much scrolling you'll have to do on each post.

My initial thought about today's post was that I'd give a quick pre-game rundown of every book. BAD IDEA, there are 16. Let's say, then, what I'm looking forward to most this week, perhaps to inflate my expectations so much that I can quickly deride anyone that doesn't exactly match it.

Avengers Arena 3
As anyone else who picked up the first issue, I'm kind of ensnared. I'm not sure I'll love it all the way through going forward, but BOY did they hook me. Looking forward to seeing the new characters, the older characters I don't know, and the few in this series I do know.

Fantastic Four 3
I like Fraction. This is also the first issue where the team, I have to think, will actually be exploring. I'd like to see how that pans out for Marvel's first family.

Secret Avengers 36
Crap, is this the last issue of Secret Avengers before it gets NOW!ed? I think it is. I'm acting under the assumption it is. Well that's reason enough to be excited.

Superior Spider-Man 1
Who isn't anxious to see this book? If you're a comic fan and you're not at least a little intrigued as to how this will play out, you're not doing it right.

Thor: God of Thunder 4
This book has been overwhelming so far. Strong three issues with a lot of good character building, smart writing, and engaging story. Also gorgeous art.


As for when I'll review specific books, first consideration has to go to when I actually get them. Assuming I'm able to get them all in the timeframe I'm hoping for, I tend to arrange by a hierarchy that only my brain knows and doesn't tell me about ahead of time. It's usually based on book popularity, a need to discuss it, and my own feelings towards the book or characters. If a book is a number one, I'm likely to review it earlier, or if it will have ramifications on other books or the Universe, or if I just REALLY want to talk about it. Look, it all comes together, okay? See you this week.

What I look for in comics

It occurs to me that I don't really define what I'm looking for in a comic. Hopefully that shines through in the aspects I appreciate of a comic in my reviews and in my longer posts breaking down things like X-Force and, eventually, other books. Let me give a quick rundown on what makes a winning comic to me.

Character
Character means a great deal to me. Why are we here, specifically here in Marvel, if not for these characters? It's what set them apart from DC in the early days and it's what keeps us reading them still. Does each character have to be a knockout for a book to succeed? No. But you should care about what happens to them. You should want them to matter. They should be likable in some way or another and hopefully relatable, or you should at least be able to see why they're not. They should, in essence, be human in some way, even if they're robots or aliens. That's the gist. And to me, character is the most important aspect of a good comic. I'll forgive a bad plot if there's good characters or character development, but it's much harder to win me with a good plot and bad characters.

Plot
THAT SAID, plot is always going to be important. It's important both in that it's what drives the story forward and in that it needs to actually drive a story forward. That's repetitive. Here's what I mean. A story constantly progresses. Even if it's in the background, if it's something like Gillen's run on Journey into Mystery where the overall story progressed bit by bit in the background of what appeared to be the main arc, the plot needs to never come to a standstill because that's just good storytelling. On the other side of it, comics are a business. You're trying to sell books and you do it by making an engaging story that requires you to buy more than one book in a series. I get that. HOWEVER, it is brutally apparent when a story in five parts or so could have easily been told in two parts without losing anything. If it's just stuffed with filler. That hurts the comic buyer and the industry as a whole, in the long run. I've seen plenty of books that should be pretty good but that jade me because I recognize halfway through, or even in hindsight, that a story could be broken down into two issues, with the other issues of the arc serving just as recap or "MEANWHILE, OVER HERE, THE SAME THING HAPPENED!" kind of stuff. Comics themselves are relatively cheap, but when you're buying an entire series or multiple books a week, it's easy to toss aside an otherwise good book for stretching plots like that.

Good writing
This comes as no surprise. Obviously I want to read a book with good writing. It does tie back into character, though. I consider good writing in comics to largely be dependent on the writer's perception of a character. As I stated in my X-Force reviews and my Iron Man 5 review, I like seeing new writers on books. I'm sad, sometimes, to see an old writer go, but I like to delve into another aspect of a character. Of course, sometimes a writer will spin a character in a way I don't agree with or really can't envision, given the character's other traits/history, but by and large Marvel hires good writers who understand a character's motivation. If a character acts out what I see their range to be, I tend to quit on a book. I'm not the end-all-be-all judge of what Marvel characters are capable of doing (until this blog really takes off, anyway), and I am pretty accepting of new traits, but I do know a bit of most characters' histories and I empower myself to make the call as far as I know a character. Again, the worst that will likely happen is that I'll complain about it on here and maybe stop buying the book. Not a huge scope of punishment (yet) but it does weigh.

Good art
I'm probably a bad comic reader, in truth, at least for fans of art. I am pretty accepting of most of the art I see. That either means I'm a bad art reviewer or that Marvel hires good artists. I prefer the latter (though the former is still almost certainly true; that wasn't really an "either/or" situation, it's really more a "both/and"). The art will very rarely get me to not read a book. It has to be really distracting or outlandish in a way that doesn't fit the tone to throw me off. Good art, though, will enhance a book. Good art can save bad writing to an extent. As a writing major, though, I am prone to weighing writing more heavily in a book, so I do apologize to art fans out there. Look, I still like it all, okay?


There are other factors, sure, but these are the basic things I look for in a book when I review it. Obviously each book is different and deserves different considerations, but this is a pretty good baseline for what I'm noticing in each offering. Hopefully this lends some insight into why I didn't like the book you did, or why I loved the book you hated. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe we're just born to be enemies?