Ms. Marvel Annual #1 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Mark A. Robinson (Artist), Mark Irwin (Inker), and Antonio Fabela (Colorist)

Anyone out there read the Marvel Adventures books? My son gets them and I read them when he’s not looking (which is pretty easy since he just leaves them all over the house). They’re actually pretty fun. Easy to read, plots aren’t too complicated, nicely if simply drawn, and when you’re done reading, you’re done. No waiting for the next issue or worrying about picking up other crossover issues.

Ms. Marvel Annual #1 is kind of like that. Here’s the set-up: an eccentric billionaire genius named Stuart Cavenger has somehow divvied up the aspects of his personality and downloaded them into a few dozen androids. The “ambition” part of his personality has decided they ought to travel the galaxy, and has sent out some sort of techno-virus that dismantles cars in midtown Manhattan, transforming them into robots, which will then assemble themselves into a giant spaceship which the Stuarts will ride to the stars. Ms. Marvel is trying to apprehend Spider-Man for being unregistered (again) when they encounter the chaos being caused by the scavenger robots and try to set things right.

I can tell you all this without spoiler alerts because what really makes this book worth reading has almost nothing to do with the plot. The banter between Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel, and between Spider-Man and the Stuart clones, is fast, witty, and hilarious. For the most part, poor Ms. Marvel actually takes back seat in her own book, playing Abbott to Spidey’s Costello. (Ms. Marvel: “Do you ever shut up?” Spider-Man: “You know, it’s really weird how often I get asked that question.” Also, there’s a lot of back-and-forth over which team is better, the “New” Avengers or the “Mighty” Avengers. And then there’s a whole routine about whether or not Ms. Marvel wears socks under her thigh-high boots.)

The balance that Reed strikes here is to be funny without losing the drama of the action. Any writer will tell you: it’s not easy, but Reed does it. Robinson’s art is appropriately whacky, if awkward at times. I would have thought it would be impossible to draw Ms. Marvel in her French-cut black leather costume and not have her look hot, but somehow Robinson and Irwin have managed.

Anyway, such stories always end with a wink, or in this case a mischievous smile, which is close enough. Even if you don’t normally pick up Ms. Marvel’s books, get this one. (Grade: A-)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Eternals #4 – Review

By Charles & Daniel Knauf (Writers) and Daniel Acuña (Artist)

I suppose I’m not the only person who’s noticed that Ajak is fighting Skrulls with the “God Squad” in Hercules at the same time he’s acting mysteriously in this book. Assuming it’s not a case of bad editorial direction, I guess that means he’s a Skrull, which would certainly explain why he’s trying to kill the other Eternals. But shouldn’t the real Ajak then be dead or incarcerated somewhere, instead of running loose? And if he’s not a Skrull, then what are the Skrulls’ plans for the Eternals anyway?

I wish I cared more about what’s going on in this book, but it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on or what’s at stake. In this issue, Thena and Ikaris are still trying to waken Phastos; Druig is still trying to take over the world; Zuras is still oblivious that Joey is a spy for the alien Horde; and Sersi is still upset that Makkari is physically deteriorating due to his link with the Dreaming Celestial. We’ve seen all this before. In fact, Iron Man shows up this issue to reprise the role he played in the Neil Gaiman mini-series, standing around bitching that the Eternals don’t follow the Superhuman Registration Act rules (he’s fighting Ikaris on the cover, but inside he just stands there with his arms crossed, trying to look badass), so we actually seem to be moving backwards plot-wise.

The biggest chunk of the book is taken up with Sersi trying to communicate with the Dreaming Celestial, which of course goes nowhere. The best part of the story comes at the very end, when Druig and Legba try to recruit the Forgotten One, who has no interest in their schemes. The melee that follows is pretty cool, if brief.

It’s hard to say why this book doesn’t excite me. It’s certainly not lacking in plot. But there’s really nothing original or clever in the story, and not a lot of fun. Moments of playfulness are few, and when they are introduced (“Next month’s issue may very well render you a quivering, gutless husk!”), they seem forced. Similarly, the art, while quite nice, is still much too heavy in the browns and grays.

C’mon, guys, lighten up! (Grade: B-)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Avengers: The Initiative #16 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos N. Gage (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist) and Luca Malisan (Colors)

Yowza. First of all, you should know that Avengers Initiative #16 has an ad for the new season of The Sarah Conner Chronicles, featuring a full page of Summer Glau in all her lithe, terminatrixy glory, and I have to say I would buy the book just for that ad.

Fortunately, I don’t have to. AI just keeps getting better and better. Unlike a lot of the summer books, where the Secret Invasion just seems an impediment to the ongoing storyline, here we’re in the thick of things, and things are very thick indeed:  1) Because of an over-dependence on Starktech, the virus that brought down Iron Man has also caused technology to fail across the entire U.S. Remember what everyone thought Y2K was going to be like? Imagine that, times ten.  2) Skrulls are everywhere—not just in Times Square and the Savage Land—everywhere.  3) The Skrull Kill Krew is back, or at least those whose brains haven’t been eaten by Skrull prions. I didn’t think much of the original mini-series (as a rule, I steer clear of hate groups with more than one “K” in their initials), but if there was ever a time for their unique brand of murder and mayhem, it’s now.

3D-Man, having fled  Camp Hammond, has crash-landed in the desert where he meets and joins up with the Krew. They set out cross-country to rid the Initiative of Skrull infiltrators, one by one. Meanwhile, in New York, Crusader, the Skrull with the Cosmic-Cube-style Freedom Ring, is forced to decide whether to fight alongside his fellow Skrulls or with Nick Fury and his new super-commandos. Back at Camp Hammond, things are in complete disarray. The only people who seem to have any chance against the Skrull Yellowjacket turning the base into command central of the Skrull army are the new Ant-Man (or, after Scott Lang, is that the new New Ant-Man?) and War Machine, whose armor is still functioning because, ironically, it still has back-up systems designed by Obadiah Stane.

All in all, it’s tremendous fun, with interesting characters, a fast-moving, convoluted plot, and lots and lots of action. My only complaint is that, in weaving their tale, Slott and Gage are drawing upon over at least half a dozen different comic series spanning over thirty years of continuity, so it’s practically impossible that any reader would truly “get” everything that’s going on. Of course, that’s also part of what makes it so fun. (Grade: A)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1 (of 3) – Review

By Chris Yost (Writer) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Artist), Christina Strain (Colors)

Maybe I’m outside the series’ intended demographic, but after this debacle, older completists like me are going to be the only readers who pick up the second issue. Kids will just scratch their heads in confusion and pick up the latest Marvel Adventures instead.

There are so many things wrong with this book it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s start with the very concept of teaming up the Runaways and the Young Avengers. I know what Marvel was thinking: take two books with sagging sales and merge them into a single profitable book. It worked for Power Man and Iron Fist, right? Only in this case, instead of two, there are no less than twelve characters running around, so no one character has enough “air time” to compel our interest.

There’s actually a good story buried somewhere under this mess. The Runaways and the Young Avengers each have a Skrull on their teams. The Runaways have Xavin, a secular Skullist, who, as the new super-Skrulls descend on New York, has to make a hasty decision between his loyalty to his species and his distaste for the religious extremists who have seized control of his home planet’s government. The Young Avengers have Hulkling (worst superhero name ever?), who is the illegitimate child of Captain Marvel and the Skrull princess Anelle. Putting aside its improbability (I think you’d see Dubya and Hillary getting it on before a Kree warrior and a Skrull), Hulkling’s parentage is the core of the real conflict here: a Skrull secret agent named Chrell is dispatched during the Secret Invasion to quietly liquidate the “half-blood prince” so he cannot offer an alternative to the zealotry that has inspired the Secret Invasion.

See? That sounds kind of interesting, doesn’t it? But the story is so confused, jumping between so many characters, that we get no real sense of what’s really going on until the final panel.

And the art. Yeesh. Why do they keep hiring this guy? Is Miyazawa the only Manga-style artist available in North America? Just because the stars of the book are teenagers doesn’t mean the art has to look like it was drawn by one. There really are artists out there who know how to draw more than a total of six facial expressions, and who know how to make different characters look… well… different.

I really like the Runaways and the Young Avengers, so I can only hope things get better next issue. (Grade: C)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

I completely disagree with Andrew’s review on nearly every level. But I can see where he’s coming from.

He says kids will scratch their heads with this offering, yet I can’t tell you how many kids I’ve seen reading Runaways on the train I take. Because Marvel put the Runaways series into an affordable “digest” format and into libraries, kids have been eating it up. I can’t say the same for Young Avengers, but I do know a lot of adults seem to like that book. So basically we’re looking at a comic that should appeal to all ages. Perhaps if there’s kids not reading Secret Invasion, I can see where the pitfalls may be, but I believe Christopher Yost did enough exposition to make the story accessible.

I could be wrong though. It’s possible that this issue will alienate and disillusion many casual readers (especially non-readers of the aforementioned titles). I say this because you have Hulking and Xavin which are both of Skrull royalty and I got confused as to which “prince” was marked for death. It doesn’t help that this issue is “Skrull” heavy, making it easy to get characters mixed up. But honestly, I enjoyed the book.

Marvel’s been pretty anemic with its Runaways offering lately (thanks a lot Joss Whedon), so any chance to see these lovable characters is a treat. Thankfully, Yost writes and treats them with the respect they deserve. The Young Avengers are basically shafted this issue since all we really see is a recap of Secret Invasion #3. Hopefully they’ll get more face time next issue.

Takeshi Miyazawa’s art is simply awesome. I can see how some will hate his style of art, but make no mistake, the guy got his comic career started at Marvel before moving to Japan to work on manga there. His beautiful attention to character clothing and expressions is sorely missed. Seeing his artwork along with Christina Strain’s coloring work really saddens me that they’re both no longer involved with Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. It’s bitter sweet.

In the end, the book’s a little light on story, but the characters are nailed perfectly and the art is vibrant and appealing. It’s not for everyone, but if you know where I’m coming from, you’re sure to enjoy it. If you’re leaning more towards Andrew’s sensibilities, then you might want to skip this. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

NewUniversal: Shockfront #2 – Review

By Warren Ellis (writer), Steve Kurth (penciler), and Andrew Hennessy (inker)

Okay, I have officially lost patience with this book. I mean, is it too much to ask that the so-called protagonists of a book actually do something? In eight issues (counting the previous mini-series), this is what has happened: Spitfire has gotten drunk; Starbrand has whined like a six-year-old girl; Nightmask has spoken to the mothership from Close Encounters and teleported to California. Whoopee. Justice, at least, has killed some people, but what’s he going to do next? Kill more people? Not exactly a masterpiece of suspense.

At this point I should summarize the plot of this issue, but honestly, nothing happens. A bunch of people talk to each other. And they’re not talking about their secret pasts or arguing competing points of view, either. No, they’re summarizing all the stuff we already know! Granted, something finally happens in the last few pages, but I’m not going to spoil the only bit of drama in the whole book.

The biggest problem with the “New” Universe (other than the mediocre art) is there’s nothing really “new” about anything in it. Parallel universe? Seen that. A government that hates and fears its heroes? Seen that, too. Murderous vigilante? Ditto. A reluctant hero that never asked for his powers in the first place? If I tried to list every time we’ve seen that cliché, I’d crash the weeklycomicbookreview server.

The only original bit in the whole storyline is the White Event, but the TV series Heroes did it first and did it better. Now, I know that’s not really fair, since the original “New” Universe predates Heroes by a long time, but the reason the first season of Heroes worked so well (and the second season didn’t) is that there was a clearly defined problem (the impending destruction of New York) that all the characters were trying actively to solve. In New Universal, though, I swear I haven’t seen a group this passive since the Enron oversight committee.

Come on, Ellis. You can do better than this. (Grade: C)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? #1 – A Review

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? is an anthology, gathering together vignettes that concern the Secret Invasion, but didn’t fit in any of the regular books. As anthologies have always been since the first publisher crawled from the Precambrian sea, it’s an uneven mix—with A-listers, B-listers, and some folks I didn’t think were on any list at all.

Going from worst to best (IMHO):

Marvel Boy: Master of the Cube by Zeb Wells (Writer) and Steve Kurth & Drew Hennessey (Artists)
Who is this guy? Seriously. I first encountered him in the Young Avengers/Runaways miniseries. I didn’t like him then, and this story gives me no reason to reassess my opinion. For a character with the stupidest name and the ugliest costume in the Marvel Universe, he sure has a more-badass-than-thou attitude. The Skrulls invade the superhuman detention center—the Cube—that Marvel Boy has taken over, and Marvel Boy fights back. That’s the whole story.

Agents of ATLAS: The Resistance by Jeff Parker (Writer) and Leonard Kirk & Karl Kesel (Artists)
The 1950’s Avengers versus the Skrulls. A minor skirmish, but I enjoyed the contrast of these stupid old characters in a desperate modern setting. The best thing about this story is that the Agents hand the aliens their heads (in one case, literally). With the rest of the Marvel superheroes getting their asses kicked right now, it’s a nice change of pace.

Agent Brand: In Plain Sight by Mike Carey (Writer) and Timothy Green III (Artist)
This is a relatively subtle piece, one that requires a little thought… and when you think, you remember that the Trojan Horse is from the Odyssey, not the Iliad… but no matter. Like Hawkeye, I dig a woman with green hair and lips. Agent Brand, agent of SWORD, is assigned to the Peak, to watch over the various alien ambassadors stationed there, and she knows something is up with that shifty Skrull, but she just can’t figure out what it is. Until, of course, it’s too late.

Captain Marvel: Farewell by Brian Reed (Writer) and Lee Weeks (Artist)
This story is basically a bridge to the Secret Invasion from the Captain Marvel miniseries, and it has the same feel, the same moral ambiguity. Captain Marvel (who, as we learned in the mini-series, is actually just a Skrull who thinks he’s Captain Marvel) tells the Skrull army he wants to help their invasion by taking on the Thunderbolts. What are his real motivations? Does he want to do the right thing? And even if his intentions are good, will he end up making things better, or worse?

Wonder Man and the Beast: Seems Like Old Times by Christos N. Gage (Writer) and Mike Perkins (Artist)
This one harkens way back to when David Michelinie was writing the Avengers. During the Skrull/Avenger/dinosaur fight, Wonder Man and the Beast are separated from the others, and have to fight their way out of a cave filled with King-Kong-style giant insects. The problem is, it’s the modern Wonder Man, but the old, pointy-haired, devil-may-care Beast from the 80’s, and either one of them could be a Skrull. While the Beast takes this all in stride, Wonder Man’s discomfort is apparent from the beginning. He misses his old buddy, but he can’t trust him. Unlike most of the others in this anthology, this story doesn’t lead into anything bigger. It just takes two interesting characters and puts them in a unique situation that causes them to play off one another. Which is what every good vignette should do.

(Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy

New Avengers #41 (Secret Invasion) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Billy Tan (Artist), and Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

On Sale 5/29/08

One thing that bothers me about Brian Bendis is that he’s always willing to waste a page or two recapping something we’ve already seen. In this issue we get to see the Avengers/Skrull/dinosaur fight (from Secret Invasion #2) for, what, the third or fourth time? It only takes two and a half pages, but at 22 pages every 30 days, that’s three whole days blown. On the other hand, this issue features Shanna the She-Devil and, damn, does that girl look fine.

Like all Bendis’ other Secret Invasion books lately, this issue is mostly back story, explaining what’s been happening in the background of the Marvel Universe for the past few years. Or it could all be a big, fat lie.

Let me explain: Spider-Man gets separated from the other Avengers during the fight and runs into Ka-Zar and the aforementioned sweet-looking She-Devil. (Spidey calls her “Sheena”, a cute side-reference to one of the 50 other comic book jungle girls who preceded her.) After a few pages of the usual “You’re a Skrull!”, “I’m not a Skrull!” bickering, Ka-Zar and Shanna explain how they discovered Skrulls disguised as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents poaching the Savage Land’s vibranium mines, at long last bringing us back to the plot line Bendis established way back in New Avengers #1. They claim they infiltrated the camp but were caught, then escaped, and have been fighting a guerrilla war with the Skrulls ever since. Of course, Ka-Zar and/or Shanna could be Skrulls him/her/themselves, in which case they may have left out a few key details.

Overall, it’s a good issue, though Bendis pads things out even more than usual. Billy Tan has never caught my eye before but, my goodness, he certainly knows how to draw Shanna in all her buckskin-clad glory.

The character who shows up on the last page is no big surprise. What with Mockingbird (maybe) coming back from the dead, we all knew it was only a matter of time before they put the spotlight on this guy. Still, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Did I mention Shanna is really, really hot?

Too bad she’s probably a Skrull. (Grade: A-)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

It’s hard to say if Ka-Zar or Shanna are Skrulls. They definitely have their story straight, but one thing I’ve learned to trust over the years is Spidey’s intelligence. We’ll just have to see where it goes. As for the rest of the issue, there’s definitely a lot of padding as Andrew suggested, but it wasn’t so jarring to me. In fact, I had a lot of fun in this story. The connection it makes to New Avengers #1 will pay off for loyal readers of the series, and just having an issue with our two favorite Savage Land residents is enough to make me smile.

Billy Tan’s art is incredibly lush. I was always a fan of his X-Men work, but here he’s given a chance to shine, showing more versatility thanks to the large cast of characters and dense jungle setting. If Marvel’s smart, they’ll keep him out of the “mutant ghetto” and let him thrive on another book. Hell, keep him on New Avengers – I’d love to see that! And yes, his rendition of Shanna is delicious; however, Frank Cho, in my mind, will forever own her after that Shanna mini-series he did a few years ago.

I had a lot of fun with this issue. It’s actually got Avengers in it, plus it’s more concurrent with the main Secret Invasion storyline. It’s not a key issue, but it does act as a decent supplement until Secret Invasion #3 hits the newsstand next month. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes