Secret Avengers #1 – Review

by Ales Kot (Writer), Michael Walsh (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: The Fury, A.I.M agents and an evil Latverian agents walk into a bar…

The Review: With the previous volume still freshly concluded, it’s a bit hard for those who rather like the continuation of regular numerical order to be happy. With many titles being launched and relaunched, some might be skeptical to see some concepts being merely tweaked with a whole new number one on the cover, especially if it’s a continuation of previous elements established prior. However, there might be some reasons why renumbering can also work.

Case in point, this new volume of Secret Avengers, while using several ideas and characters of the previous volume by Nick Spencer, is one that feels justified in its new number one. The reason is very simple: while it keeps the espionage vibe and some of the plot threads introduced in the latest arc co-written by the sole writer here, Ales Kot, it has a decidedly different tone that makes this another book altogether.

The first notable thing is the fact that Kot, in his own ways, allows for the absurdity of super heroes to resonate on the page, playing with comedy for all its worth. Using the seriousness of each situations to its advantage, the writer presents another side to allow the ambiguity of the characters, their relations and many other smaller details to present a good dose of humor without hurting the very scenes themselves. How Black Widow relaxes, what happens after Hawkeye manages to flee the A.I.M agents for a second, the type of experiments M.O.D.O.K. has been doing and many other smaller details are put in to make it a fun ride.

Secret Avengers #16 – Review

by Nick Spencer, Ales Kot (Writers), Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Mockingbird gets her revenge as the weights of all the secrets may be too much for some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

The Review: Everyone have some preconceptions when it comes to finales. Whenever something conclude, many people hope to see a closure on the important themes, that each threads will get resolved and that there will be big moments that leave fans satisfied of the whole ride. Some books do deliver, some exceed expectations, yet some unfortunately comes short of greatness, which is always a tad regrettable for those who followed the whole thing.

This finale is, in its own ways, a strange beast as it manages to be all of those things, providing a certain sense of closure to the war against Andrew Forson, yet also goes out of its way to provide for some ending to other aspects that don’t all work.

One of the weirdest, yet strangely moving part is the one with Mentallo, one of the ministers of A.I.M. who was particularly depressed in this arc. While the few pages he received earlier never did seem especially important or relevant to the overall conflict shown, it was a certain showcase of a man hit by depression, by a cage of his own design and that wanted out. In this issue, both Kot and Spencer gives him a finale that is bizarre, but also utterly touching, with him doing plenty to help the only actual friend he had as well as setting himself free in a fashion that is creative, yet also true to the character.

A side that is also well played, yet in a way that feels a bit more true to the roots of the book is the one with the team and Maria Hill, with the secrets and the way the game is played being too much for many present in the heli-carrier. Opening with M.O.D.O.K and finishing with a term very familiar to fans of the series, those few pages encapsulate a lot of what Spencer and then Kot made work in this series. It’s a fitting ending to the current iteration of this team, with finishes on a panel focusing on Maria Hill, one of the better character of this series.

Secret Avengers #15 – Review

by Nick Spencer, Ales Kot (Writers), Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Contracts are signed, extractions are done and the secrets in the pile of mysteries are revealed.

The Review: Everyone has its limits when it comes to patience. While not always the most impatient of man, I can sometime get anxious for things to actually reach their culminating point. In story, in cooking and in a lot of areas where anticipation is key, there is a fine line in the sand when it comes to getting the awaited results.

This is how my general appreciation of this series could be summarized, with plenty of things going on, situations being built yet the climax never came with each issues. To be able to set up a threat and build it to make it interesting takes skill, yet there is slow build and then there’s teasing, which this series has been on the verge of doing in this particular arc.

It seems, however, that it had been a stratagem on the part of Ales Kot and Nick Spencer, who goes all the way in this issue to deliver not only an exciting issue, but also plenty of twists and surprise to amplify the espionage and intrigue part of the series without sacrificing the action and particular identity of the book.

Avengers #26 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Salvador Larroca (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Adaptoids versus fascist Avengers from another universe. Fight!

The Review: If there’s one thing that I really enjoy about super hero comics, it’s the inherent ability of writers to bring in multiples universes in their stories. While not a norm nowadays with every series, there is a certain tendency to bring out beings and concepts from alternatives universes and dimensions to the fold that bring out twists to familiar elements that always add a touch of nostalgia and innovation in fun ways. While this concept is not exclusive to capes comics, there is always a certain appeal to see how things might have deviated from the norm with but some simple actions or changes.

With Hickman playing with those very concepts presently in his big Avengers/New Avengers story, there is a lot with which he can advance his ongoing threads in interesting ways. Having dealt with the Marvel universe at large along with its cosmology in his previous big storyline, can he manage to build things up in ways that feel good enough to entice readers to go along with the slow build for the next biggest thing?

The writer, in his ways, does a lot of interesting things in this issue, yet stumbles in a few moments as well. Where he mostly succeed is when he plays with A.I.M. and the approach this organisation has with science. The balance between mad and super science is a sound one with their scientists, with Hickman showing he has some fun with them as he builds them up to become rather big in terms of antagonists in the larger Marvel universe. The adaptoids, their purpose and how A.I.M. tests them make for some rather intriguing threads that could become very interesting down the line.

Inhumanity #2 – Review

by Matt Fraction (Writer), Nick Bradshaw, Todd Nauck (Artists), Antonio Fabella, Andres Mossa (Colorists)

The Story: The world begins to react to the massive terrigenesis as Medusa begins to act as the queen she needs to be.

The Review: However you approach it, there are some comics that are made for specific purposes. While entertainment will always be a factor in the production of serialized stories, there is always the matter of building up events, scenes and many other things in order to entice readers to check out what might come next. Some comics, of course, do it better than others.

This comic, sadly, has the task of setting up many elements for an eventual ongoing starring the inhumans, a whole franchise that might set itself more clearly in the Marvel universe. While the characters and concepts are sound, events from Infinity and the need to set up many elements in other places makes this issue kind of a chore in many aspects.

One of the main problem of this issue is the constant reminding of what just transpired, with some events that are unfortunately already known to the readers who were actually aware of much of what happens in the Marvel universe. While the way Medusa informs Captain America of what is happening and how she reacts to the disappearance of her husband and son does inform new readers, there is a certain lack of surprising reactions or actions from her part. There aren’t many twists and turns to what is shown here, which does make for some dull reading.

That’s not saying that there aren’t any, however. Matt Fraction does try, in some ways, to add some characters and potential problems to the ongoing narratives that is the emergence of inhumans. Factions, cults, new characters and hidden agendas are in this comic, providing some potential to the future stories that should be told from all of this. Where it fails a little, however, is that there isn’t that much context nor is there any explanation given to most of these things. While the arrival of a liberator of inhuman cocoons and the general research done on those newly affected beings does makes for some rather interesting story ideas, here it is used merely as a pretext for actions scenes and a few ominous lines at best.

Avengers #25 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer) Salvador Larroca (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: A version of the Avengers steps into the main Marvel universe, courtesy of A.I.M.

The Review: With Infinity well behind us, there is a certain air of mystery as to what exactly will be the new direction for the main Avengers title. With Jonathan Hickman always having a relatively big plan for each of his storylines, it would be hard not to be curious as to what bigger schemes he has in mind.

Fortunately, it seems that the writer is already hard at work at planting new seeds, with this story picking up on some of the ideas established previously in the series as well as in New Avengers. However, if the new seeds are too nebulous or are simply not interesting enough, it does not bode well for the future of the title. Which one is it, though?

On a first look basis, the newer elements are rather interesting, with the arrival of a team that is rather familiar for Marvel fans, with the arrival of one of the earliest incarnation of the Avengers from somewhere else in the multiverse. Using this new team as a focal point in this issue as well as A.I.M., Hickman provides a certain aura of mystery and nostalgia that manage to makes this issue rather interesting conceptually. Playing with the incursion events and the whole plethora of universes and its infinite possibilities, the writer hints at how different those Avengers are from the norm established in the series until now, teasing at possible confrontations and revelations that makes this opening chapter to this current arc an effective one.

Avengers World #2 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Smasher gets a lesson in what the world will soon turn into, courtesy of A.I.M.

The Review: Beware what you desire, for you may get it.

I am pretty sure I am quoting this incorrectly, but the message behind this is abundantly clear, as expectations and desires should always be kept balanced and in check. One of the main problem I had with Avengers by Hickman was that I though there could be a better emphasis on characters instead of just big concepts and ideas, which made the title a bit frustrating at times. With Avengers World being released with Nick Spencer at the helm, I had high hope that this title could reverse the trend and give readers a title which could focus a bit more on the characters instead of the general huge ideas that Jonathan is rather good at writing.

It seems that this is what both Spencer and Hickman delivered with this issue, with a certain emphasis on Smasher, the new character created by Hickman during his first issues on the franchise, combining certain elements of the whole Marvel universe for his team. With an issue explaining a bit the character and giving us an insight on her philosophy and approach, there is unfortunately a certain oversight that makes this generally less enjoyable that it could be. Simply put, there is close to no progress to this story that is exciting and enticing enough to provide plenty for readers to latch unto.

For sure, the manner in which Spencer and Hickman are able to connect some of A.I.M.’s manifesto to Smasher to her vision and her past with her grandfather makes for some rather touching moment, as the philosophy of her beloved elder and how he says the world is does help in setting the character more for readers potentially interested in who she is and what she does. The manner in which the tale of Captain Terror and how she does her stuff in the Avengers makes for a good exploration of the character, which is something that extrapolate in the issue that focused on her in Avengers.

Secret Avengers #14 – Review

by Nick Spencer, Ales Kot (Writers), Butch Guice, Joe Rubinstein (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Mockingbird ”learns” a bit more about herself as the rest of the team are brought to their destination after being captured.

The Review: It’s always rather sad to see something that you can personally admit that it’s smartly made, yet cannot really enjoy to its fullest. You may see the quality behind the work, yet some elements present are in the way of your personal enjoyment. It may be the characters, it may be the style, perhaps even the general tone of the whole thing, yet something doesn’t connect to allow you to make the most of the book.

It is unfortunately what this issue of Secret Avengers amounts to for me, on a personal level. I can certainly see what’s good about the issue, yet there is something that simply doesn’t make this issue as good as some of the previous ones for me.

Something that I can see that is rather ingenious is the way in which Ales Kot and Nick Spencer manage to mix a certain exploration of Andrew Forson through the brainwashing scenes with Mockingbird. Pushing forth the philosophy of the character through the learning process of the manipulated agent, the nihilistic views of Forson becomes rather intriguing, as some of the previous events and some of A.I.M.’s plans becomes that much more threatening in prospect.

Avengers World #1 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Problems arise in a lot of areas on Earth, as the collaboration between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers start now.

The Review: I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I first opened this issue. With this being a clear spin-off of the larger Avengers narrative of Jonathan Hickman, it’s a bit unclear what makes this book different. While it is detached from the structure that Hickman developed and it does try to connect with some of the A.I.M. threads that Nick Spencer has installed with his Secret Avengers run so far, there is a certain problem that doesn’t make the book what it could very well be.

That problem is a lack of a certain angle. It’s not particularly humorous, it’s not something that displays more character work or even something that tries to implement big new ideas. It might seem like a boring book, but it isn’t at all, despite this particular flaw.

One of the actual strength here is the use of the large roster, with both Spencer and Hickman using many characters aptly as the story is divided in multiple areas in the book. While Captain America and Bruce Banner are on a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, many teams with characters like Hyperion, Smasher, Cannonball, Hawkeye and plenty more are put on display, with most of them actually contributing through their voice or action for the story. It’s not the entire team, but it is a bit different from the regular title in the respect that not all of them are window-dressing, which is nice.

Secret Avengers #13 – Review

by Nick Spencer, Ales Kot (Writers), Butch Guice, Joe Rubinstein, Tom Palmer (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: As things gets a bit more chaotic at A.I.M., Maria Hill and M.O.D.O.K. have a little chat.

The Review: Not to sound too paranoid, but I think Marvel actually knew I was getting a bit bored with this series. The themes were presented well and some of the ideas were really nice, yet there never seemed to be a character I could follow in a way that made me anticipate the next issue. I like Maria Hill, sure, but characters like Marcus Johnson and Phil Coulson weren’t exactly the most interesting people to follow to begin with.

Then came in M.O.D.O.K., the character too crazy to actually exist, yet too awesome to not to be invented. While the character had been revitalized completely by Jeff Parker in his Red Hulk story in a manner that made him an actual threat, but also an interesting utilitarian figure as well. To say I really loved the character would be an understatement, but is his inclusion enough? Does the addition of this character to the general storyline actually adds anything to the book in terms of quality?

This issue, in ways, both works and doesn’t for a good number of reasons, making the issue a bit uneven in its quality. There are several great ideas at work here, but some of them aren’t focused on enough to make the issue better than it should be.

One of the bigger problems is the constant switch between scenes, which does not leave enough room to build up situations. In this issue, the spotlight jumps from M.O.D.O.K. and Maria Hill, to Taskmaster, Mockingbird, Mentallo and Marcus Johnson, with most of them not getting nearly enough panel time to have an actual impact on the readers. Their scenes do get the point across rather effectively, but a lot of these short spurts aren’t quite enough to provide greater emphasis on their roles or anything else.

Secret Avengers #12 – Review

by Nick Spencer, Ales Kot (Writers), Butch Guice (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: As Mockingbird tries to fake her way through a presentation, some faction within A.I.M. wishes to make a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Review: I have to admit something right now: I don’t know how to feel about co-writers. Not only do I never really know who came up with which ideas, but it always seem to me that even though it might not show which pages or concepts were thrown by which. There were instances where it was a bit obvious, like with Brubaker and Fraction on Immortal Iron Fist or the extravaganza of talents that was 52, but in a title that plays to both writers strengths, it plays as a bit of a mystery. It makes it a bit hard to see where the strengths and weaknesses comes from which sources.

With the return to the main cast and the real storyline of the book, Nick Spencer brings along Ales Kot with him to write this issue, as the scribe of Zero (best known for his short stint on Suicide Squad) collaborates with him. Does the return to the conflict against A.I.M and the new co-writer makes this comic enjoyable, though?

It’s a case of hit and miss, really, as some of the best aspects of this run are on display here, with some new high and lows showing to spice things up.

Secret Avengers #8 – Review

by Nick Spencer (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: As Mockingbird tries to assess her situation, the A.I.M organization and its minister continues their operations after the attempt on their leader by S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Review: While many read superhero to follow their favourite characters and how their heroic combat for justice and their life are going, there is no denying that many do the same for certain villains as well. A book is as strong as its lead, of course, but any protagonist need a good antagonist as well or else the conflict thrown in its way would feel a bit pointless or derivative.

It seems that Nick Spencer understands this quite well, as the focus of this issue is set largely on the A.I.M organization, with some of it on Mockingbird also. The writer had shown pieces here and there to show how the antagonistic organisation worked, yet it was always with Andrew Forson being the face of the whole thing. Here, the other ministers are covered as well, showing what they do, how they react and how they see themselves and their roles in A.I.M.

The mixing of general workplace environment vibe to the craziness of super-science and the Marvel universe makes for a rather fun read here, despite the focus on the more villainous aspects of the script. It is in fact the whole focus on the madder aspect, like Taskmaster training his soldiers only to go play table tennis with Mentallo only to be followed by much darker scenes featuring Andrew Forson, Yelena Belova, Graviton and others that make for a weird balance. Showing the readers that even the antagonists have the same problem, like in-office fighting, politics and the ambitions of the persons in power that the protagonists have to deal with.

Secret Avengers #7 – Review

Nick Spencer (Writer), Butch Guice, Steve Epting, Brian Theis, Rick Magyar (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Maria Hill needs to take control of an operation that has gone too far, one that had been ordained by Daisy Johnson herself.

The Review: Back in the days, I only had a single thought when it came to S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agency in the Marvel universe: pity. When an antagonist needed to be shown as a big menace, S.H.I.E.L.D. was always there to provide token ”good guys” being beaten badly in order to set up a scope for the story itself. Rarely had I seen a series that took that agency as being particularly effective or being the actual source that is able to solve a problem.* Secret Invasion, Civil War, Marvel Boy, Captain America by Brubaker and so forth all portray S.H.I.E.L.D. as either being antagonistic or just plain ineffectual, which does not bode well for an organisation that is supposed to be the prime spy agency and the thing that binds the metahuman community together.

It’s a good thing then that some authors like Jonathan Hickman, Mark Waid and Nick Spencer came along to go a bit further in showing the prime spy agency as being actually useful or at least active in several parts. While the discovery of S.H.I.E.L.D. thanks to the marvel cinematic universe has been a boon to the credibility of the agency, in the comics format, Secret Avengers has been another huge bonus thanks to its direction mixing espionage, politics and super heroics.

This issue, in many ways, is a great example of just why this series can work, even though it has still some rough spots here and there. One of the best aspect, though, is the fact that they show how ”the spying game” is played, which makes for a pretty effective comparison to other superheroes book on the market and those made by Marvel itself. It’s a fun thing to see that despite the high action, the jokes, the big hero moments and all, there are other scenes which shows that they clearly cannot remain the supposed ”good guys” in the eyes of the world if they go en masse and attack a whole island without any backing from the U.N of the government. It was a very neat way that allow the readers to differentiates just how an agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to work if they can get several important backing and so forth.

Avengers #17 – Review

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli, Marco Rudy, Marco Checchetto (Artists), Frank Martin (Colorist)

*Spoilers alert*

The Story: The Avengers realize that they have to get even bigger and soon as they make concessions for the greater good.

The Review: Payoffs are nice. Readers crave them, cherishing the situations that escalates to a climax as a resolution or conclusion to a particular problem arrive and lead the story or a character to new areas ripe for development or surprises. Payoffs are what nourish the whole industry and pretty much every stories since the beginning of carefully-written fiction.

Well, it seems like both Hickman and Spencer have a rather tenuous grasp on the concept, as this story does not do much in term of satisfying conclusion to an arc or as a prelude to the upcoming event.* In many ways, the story does use a lot of what has been introduced in the multiple stories by Hickman, yet it does not feel particularly satisfying after what has been basically 17 issues of teasing and hinting at bigger things.

The recruitment of Ex Nihilo and Abyss, two characters that are genuinely interesting and full of potential for further storylines and moral conundrums for the team, it feels a bit hollow in terms of payoff. It makes sense if it’s seen as a series of slow development, yet as far as building up to Infinity and as the conclusion to a good chunk of teasing concerning the fact that the team will have to get bigger and that the universe is still broken. The addition of Starbrand and Nightmask also seems logical and build up naturally to their new role, yet there’s no surprise or twist that makes it fun or merely entertaining. It just happens.

What is perhaps infuriating, or at least annoying down the line, is the fact that despite the fact that several plot points have been handled in this issue, close to none are close to an actual resolution. Worse, Hickman and Spencer continues seeding new subplots and giving us hints that things are coming, something that comes as just annoying now considering that it’s what the title solely did since the beginning of the new volume.

Avengers #16 – Review

Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: A big robot comes crashing down on the Avengers as we see some development on Starbrand and Nightmask.

The Review: It must be really hard to write a proper team book. Having to juggle with different characters, different personalities that can clash together as they face bigger threats that the members might not be able to overcome all on their own. We can all name some team books that are or were more successful than others, yet what made them so memorable for us? Was it the fact that each characters were important and distinct enough so that we got to see enough of them in order to grow to like them? Was it the numerous large or innovative problems they had to solve? Was it simply the action, seeing the characters display their fighting abilities and powers in ways that were impressive?

Many could argue that it takes a bit of all three elements named earlier in order to make a really good superhero team book. When all these things align, we know that we have something that we’ll look forward to each month. However, does Avengers, by the standard of this issue, possess these elements?

Plot wise, I’d have to say that this issue does deliver in a lot of ways, as both Hickman and Spencer advance several elements that can catch the interest of the readers while advancing the main plotline. Here, not only we catch up with what happened in all those early and confusing issues dealing with what happened to the planet, but we also see Nightmask and Starbrand again, two characters that had been teased as being quite important to the future of this title. While both plotline are significant for their own reason, the writers balance them quite well, giving us the burgeoning awareness of Starbrand and his discovery of what he can do and what he has become with the more action-oriented Avengers part. Of course, the issue also delves into other parts as well, as this arc does use what has been built before in order to prepare for Infinity.*

Secret Avengers #6 – Review

Nick Spencer (Writer), Butch Guice, Rick Magyar (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: James Rhodes gain access to an army, several agents tries to compromise A.I.M as some directorial tension sets in at S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Review: Characters can be everything for a successful comic. If you don’t have some fan-favourites on your title, it can mean an early demise as people might not be interested in the adventures of a C or D-lister. However, having an A-lister on a book can also be some kind of curse, as these characters cannot necessarily evolve in any way, mostly due to the heavy editorial handling they surely have, which can be somewhat problematic for some writers.

Secret Avengers does not seem to have that problem, despite the fact that it possesses big players like Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow, due to the fact that it mixes these characters with other fan-favourites like James Rhodes, Taskmaster, Mockingbird among others. With a cast as diverse as this one, Spencer manage to make the most of it by juggling with several plot and sub-plots with ease, thanks to a switching of characters in some issues, with this one more dedicated to Taskmaster, Mockingbird, Maria Hill and James Rhodes.

Right out of the gate, Spencer goes back toward a character he knows very well, using him in a way that is quite smart, yet also feels true to the character: James Rhodes, who is also known as War Machine. Here, the writer makes a smart use of the military and armor-based history of the character to propel him forward in a new role that not only suits the character, but also connect him to the story in a way that feels natural and exciting. He is perhaps one of the most interesting character of the issue, although he is not the only one.

Another character that is genuinely interesting, which always come as a surprise to me on a personal level, is Maria Hill. No doubt, many were like me in my initial dislike of the character when she first appeared in the Marvel universe, being the bossy new kid on the block who seemed like a cold-hearted women ready to do anything in order to be efficient at her job. I hated her for these characteristic, yet much to my dismay, I find myself liking her exactly because of these character traits. The reason for that is mainly due to the fact that due to the espionage and political aspect of the title, the character feels much more at home in such an environment, making use of these traits in order to serve the story, not just to set her as being the bossy woman. Serving as a connection to what happens in most of the issue, it is through the internal situation in S.H.I.E.L.D where she shines the most. There is a scene where she deals with a new addition to the agency with some troubling ideas where she shows how she actually fits in such a context. It is an uneasy, yet very tense scene that this issue shows that Maria Hill will become an even better character through this series.

Dark Avengers #190 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (Writer), Neil Edwards (Artist), Sotocolor (Colorist)

The Story: The Dark Avengers discover the secret of this bizarre future and manages to save themselves and the world from what would destroy it.

The Review: Jeff Parker is capable of many things. He is a talented writer that seems to have a gift for characterization and development. Give him a character that is in sore need of definition and love and he’ll make wonders. He did this with the Red Hulk, the multiple villains from Thunderbolts, the golden age characters from Agent of Atlas among other characters. He can create depth and new angle to old tired character which makes him very enjoyable to read or pick new characters that seems to be set in a boring direction and set them up for much more enjoyable adventures.

Believe it or not, while he seemed to have trouble sometimes in this current arc in this strange new world of his, he succeeds in giving us a potable story thanks to a satisfying conclusion. In short, what he gives us is an explanation that is genuinely new and interesting on just how this world came to be and how twisted the reasons for its existence. When the whole reasoning is given, it does manage to bring out some theory and makes the whole story stronger for it.

Secret Avengers #4 – Review

By: Nick Spencer (Writer) Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: S.H.I.E.L.D needs to take care of a platoon of sentient Iron Patriot armors, cue Bruce Banner.

The Review: I had another idea on how to summarize this story, one that would not have actually told what essentially happens, yet it would have been perfect in tone: ‘’S.H.I.E.L.D strikes back’’. In the two past issues of this title, we had seen how A.I.M had become a whole new thing, as we were presented to an organisation with a completely new and more focused vision, spearheaded by Andrew Forson, the scientist supreme.

Taking just where the last issue left us, we now get a fascinating concept about giving personality to a suit of armor, giving it sentience in order to accomplish some goals. With A.I.M having done so with the help of Mentallo, they try to create a situation in which S.H.I.E.L.D could look disastrous. This then leads to some scenes that shows just how Spencer can handle this title and how much it differentiates itself from other titles with ‘’Avengers’’ in their name.

Secret Avengers #3 – Review

By: Nick Spencer (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Marcus Johnson* and Daisy Johnson visit a weapon exposition, while Coulson and his team investigate an A.I.M base that has been blown up.

The Review: Nick Spencer has fooled me. I freely admit it. I had expectations on how certain elements in this issue were going to play out, which were easily explained by the older work he did for Marvel. I thought I knew what he could throw at me and he easily manipulated said expectations to provide for something far more interesting, which I do believe he actually did twice in a row, the first time being with Taskmaster and now with Iron Patriot.

Avenging Spider-Man #18 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (Writer), Marco Checchetto (Artist), Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorist)

The Story: Spider-Ock and Thor battles Electro as he is back to Earth after being sent away by the god of thunder.

The Review: With the last issue being a whole shenanigan of craziness with time-travelling agencies, genius kids, Death-Head yet with a somewhat disappointing payoff, what could possibly come after a team-up with the Future Foundation? How about a team-up with the god of thunder himself: Thor?

Continuing the tradition of this title, Spider-Ock teams here with the son of Odin, dealing with something that had happened prior in the spider-corner of the Marvel universe, back in Ends of the Earth when Thor shot out Electro in space. With Electro now back to exact revenge on Asgard own favorite son, the issue shows just how far Electro is willing to go to do just that, as we see the strength of his resolve and see some more of his character as a result.

Secret Avengers #2 – Review

By: Nick Spencer (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Nick Fury Jr. gets to Bagalia and has to rescue Taskmaster from there. Meanwhile, the scientist supreme of A.I.M sets some of his machinations in motion.

The Review: After a debut issue that, despite its share of problems, managed to be particularly enjoyable, Nick Spencer’s version of Secret Avengers continues, bringing us the espionage of the previous issue, while adding some considerable elements and surprises along the way.

Indeed, the way the first issue was structured, we could have easily foreseen that a series of one-shot issues would probably have been the norm for the series, but it seems that the actual plot of the series begins here. From what we can see here, Nick Spencer does give the Secret Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D a particular challenge, rising the A.I.M agency from low-grades scientific criminals to downright menaces, akin to what Jonathan Hickman had done with Hydra in Secret Warriors. As a matter of fact, a lot of things here do look a bit like that series, which should be seen as some high praise indeed.

Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #5 – Review

By Victor Gischler (Writer), Bong Dazo (Pencils), Jose Pimentel (Inks), and Matt Milla (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While the rumble in the jungle in Merc with a Mouth has been fun, I’ve definitely had my fill. I look forward to seeing what chaos comes about as Victor Gischler takes his story into space.

The Story: Deadpool realizes what could possibly happen if the zombie head is turned into a weapon and comes up with a plan to escape both A.I.M. and Hydra.

What’s Good: I knew it would happen eventually, I just didn’t think an issue of Merc with a Mouth would be funnier and more entertaining than an issue of the main Deadpool series from the same month so soon. That doesn’t mean that Merc with a Mouth is now the better series or anything (it probably won’t ever be, in all honesty), but it does say a lot about what the creative team behind MwaM is doing right. The team has clearly been shooting for a certain kind of edgy groove since the first issue of the series. If Merc with a Mouth #5 is any indication, that groove has been found.

Victor Gischler’s writing style is really starting to grow on me. He’s doing a really nice job of scripting his series in a way that welcomes and celebrates the chaos that results from Deadpool being…well…himself. While his pop culture references are going to probably feel dated (or even confusing) sooner than later, they definitely hit in the present far more than they miss. And let’s be honest…a joke involving a comparison between the old Star Wars trilogy with the new is always welcome, especially if it leads to someone’s head getting blown off. Which leads me to the other thing I like about Victor Gischler: he prefers edgy and crass over goofy. While taking edgy and crass over goofy occasionally makes it feel like the writer is trying too hard, it does help to separate Merc with a Mouth from Daniel Way’s series.

Bong Dazo and the rest of the art team continue to make Merc with a Mouth look like the comic adaptation of some twisted cartoon. If it can be made to look exaggerated or over the top, it is. The violence? Yep. The breasts? Yep. The explosions? Yep. I’m sure you got the idea. The style compliments Gischler’s script and story so well that it’s easy to overlook…

What’s Not So Good: …the fact that the series, in five issues, has had close to no character development. In short, Deadpool is written in a way that leaves little room for any type of depth or advancement. Gischler aims to highlight the basic appeal of Wade Wilson. While there really isn’t anything wrong with that…the basic appeal is why the character is experiencing such a comeback in the first place…it does leave Merc with a Mouth, especially the fifth issue, feeling rather shallow. Daniel Way is clearly making moves to develop the character. Victor Gischler seems to be aiming to just capitalize on what makes the character so fun. Is it entertaining? Sure. But it leaves this critic wanting a bit more.

Conclusion: Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #5 is a pretty wild, funny ride from start to finish. It reads well, it looks great, and it highlights why Deadpool is such an entertaining character.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

 

Incredible Hulk #600 Review

By Jeph Loeb (writer), Ed McGuinness (artist), Mark Farmer (inker), Dan Brown & Chris Sotomayor (colorists)

“WHO IS THE RED HULK?! THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN IS GOING TO TRY AND FIND OUT! GREEN HULK! RED HULK! SPIDEY! SECRETS REVEALED! A STORY SO BIG IT CAN BARELY BE CONTAINED IN THE INCREDIBLE 600TH ISSUE OF HULK! ALL THIS AND A STARTLING SURPRISE ENDING TO TOP ALL THE OTHER SHOCKING SURPRISES THIS HULK BOOK IS KNOWN FOR!”

I wanted to include Marvel’s original solicitation for this issue to illustrate how marketing gimmicks like this are more evil and alluring than the Dark Side of the Force and never to be trusted under any circumstance.  I also wanted to show you exactly what it was that sold me on the issue in the first place, a measly fifty-eight words that I will gladly kick my own ass for buying into when we’re done, here.  The point I’m trying to make is that it’s all too easy to believe the hype surrounding special event comics like this, but when companies are raising cover prices to all time highs it’s these kinds of comics that need to be scrutinized most carefully; especially if you’re going to show how something like this fails to deliver the goods.

The heart of this massive tome is the story by Loeb and McGuiness, told from the perspective of Ben Urich, the only reporter alive in the 21st Century who refuses to use a typewriter. In a scene that would make Woodward and Bernstein fall to their knees and cry, Urich is called to a meeting by a thoroughly paranoid She-Hulk and charged with the task of discovering Who Is The Red Hulk? Remember this point, because it’ll be important later on. Urich and Peter Parker (did I mention that She-Hulk specifically asked Urich to bring along a photographer? Wow, how convenient.) join She-Hulk and Doc Samson to infiltrate a government facility called Gamma Base. There, the group discovers that Marvel’s favorite angry head M.O.D.O.K. has reactivated the terrorist cell A.I.M., and that he may be receiving help from General Ross.  The revelation is interrupted though when Samson suddenly reverts to a Hyde-like version of himself and attacks She-Hulk. From there, things get complicated as Red Hulk suddenly appears from nowhere to beat on Spider-Man, while Banner suddenly awakens from his induced coma to turn into Hulk and throw down with his evil counterpart.

Sensing a trend here? Practically everything happens out of the blue for no apparent reason, other than Loeb wanting it to at that particular moment. He constantly fails to set up these moments in ways that justify their existence, and as a result they come off feeling shallow and self-serving. Remember how I said Urich’s goal was to find out who the Red Hulk was? Yeah, well, he suddenly decided not to. “If all you do is focus on the Red Hulk you’re going to miss the big picture”, Urich observes. Really? Looking at the solicitation, I thought the Red Hulk was the whole point! This discrepancy suggests that either Loeb deliberately misled his readers into shelling out five bucks for a cocktease, or he is losing the ability to tell cohesive stories that don’t rely on shameful misdirections and obnoxious slights of hand. Either way, your buying dollars would be better spent elsewhere.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

Ms. Marvel #41 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Sergio Ariño (Artist), and Emily Warren w/Christina Strain (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Yeah, it’s weird… But I’m digging the current Ms. Marvel arc quite a bit. A deceitful, morally shady “hero” that’s standing in for the real hero? Storyteller jar babies? Colorful cosmic looking entities that may or may not be parts of a “dead” hero?! That’s good stuff people!

The Story: Everyone (as in Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, the New Avengers, and the multi-colored cosmic entities) wants to get to the M.O.D.O.K./Storyteller babies.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Frantic, funny, clever, and full of action, Ms. Marvel #41 delivers in ways that matter most as the series heads into the War of the Marvels arc. Brian Reed, who has been setting up the pieces and building momentum for the return of Carol Danvers, brings everything to a head in a way that makes great use of nearly every aspect of the story he’s been weaving. If I have any complaint about the way Ms. Marvel #41 plays out, it’s because Deadpool’s appearance feels rather tacked on and somewhat unnecessary. The Merc, as expected, has some entertaining lines, but there just isn’t a whole lot for the character to do.

The artwork in the latest issue of Ms. Marvel is something of a mixed bag. While the vibrant, striking color work by Emily Warren and Christina Strain compliments Sergio Ariño’s work well, it tends to overpower what Ariño does from time to time. Also, Ariño seems to have a bit of trouble with Ms. Marvel, as she looks inconsistent or awkward at times. Thankfully though, Ms. Marvel is really the only character I have any complaint about. Ariño’s Spider-Man looks great and his Wolverine looks impressive as well.

Conclusion: It’s always nice to see a series gain and maintain positive momentum heading into a major arc. Bring on the War of the Marvels!

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #1 – Review

By Victor Gischler (Writer), Bong Dazo (Artist), and Jose Pimentel (Inks), and Matt Milla (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Did they really need another Deadpool series? I like the character as much as most people (probably more), but Deadpool is going to turn into the next Spider-Man or Wolverine at the current pace.

The Story: Deadpool gets hired by A.I.M. to recover a package located in the Savage Land. The merc runs into Ka-Zar and Zabu, some natives, and the contact that is supposed to have secured the package.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The art is easily the highlight of the new Deadpool series. Bong Dazo is a great artist for a character like Deadpool, and simply put, his manic, lively, exaggerated style is a perfect fit for a series like Merc With A Mouth. Dazo’s work saves a script from being baf all around.

Victor Gischler writes a solid Deadpool (I like the Fallout reference) and puts the character in a fun situation, but there’s nothing about Merc With A Mouth #1 that makes it a must read. That said, the debut of this new series proves that there is actually room for two Deadpool comics. The Daniel Way series is Deadpool doing his thing in relation to the current Marvel status quo. On the other hand, the Victor Gischler series is, from the looks of it, all about telling entertaining stories about an entertaining character. That’s something I can get behind.

Conclusion: Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #1 is worth checking out if you are either A) a fan of the character or B) someone that would rather read a Deadpool book that doesn’t pay much attention to the current Marvel U. situation.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny