Dark Reign: The List – Avengers One Shot #1- Review

Avengers feature by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) & Marko Djurdjevic (artist); Daredevil preview by Andy Diggle (writer) & Billy Tan (artist)

It seems to be a prerequisite of all mega-maniacal geniuses in the Marvel Universe to carry a list.  Reed Richards has one.  I’m pretty sure Tony Stark’s got one too, although he may no longer be able to remember where he left it.  And now Norman Osborn has compiled his very own list of things to do now that he is the man in charge.  Compiled in part to finally assassinate people he’s had longstanding grudges with, it also contains some strangely logical goals, like dealing once and for all with Hulk’s mindless rampages, arresting Nick Fury for training “youth terrorists,” and apprehending the unregistered New Avengers.  In short, it’s a list that will change the very status quo the Marvel Universe has operated under until now because, as Osborn observes, if the old status quo had actually worked, he wouldn’t be in charge now.

The first eight months of “Dark Reign” have been largely uninspired and unfocused, full of talk and petty spats blown out of proportion by writers. The stories out of “Dark Reign” were made to seem more impressive than they really are. As the year winds down though, Marvel’s latest storyline moves into its second phase with “The List,” in which Osborn seems to be finally ready to take his abuse of power to new heights and let villainy reign supreme. I have to admit, from what I’ve read in this issue, my interest in this storyline is fully renewed, and I’m excited to see if “Dark Reign” can be salvaged.

The feature of this issue involves an incredibly intense, well-executed infiltration of Avengers Tower by Clint Barton, who is dead set on killing Osborn before he can cause any more problems for the superhero community. In a world populated by people who can fly and shoot lasers from their eyes, it’s easy to underestimate a hero like Ronin who has no powers, that is, until you watch him stalk the night and take on the Dark Avengers by himself. To his credit, Bendis has defied my expectations here and set the stage for what seems to be a story full of betrayal, ulterior motives, and lethal action, all qualities I wanted to see more of in “Dark Reign”.

Rounding out this issue is a preview of Daredevil’s role in “The List,” and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the Avengers story, which is mind boggling since I haven’t touched a Daredevil story since Miller left the title. Andy Diggle and Billy Tan seem to have a good handle on the character, and I was so impressed with the title’s new direction, first revealed in Daredevil #500, that I’m now planning on following the comic!  This one shot was a surprisingly entertaining issue and a great jumping on point for anyone that has managed to avoid the baggage of “Dark Reign” until now. I’m convinced that there’s real potential to be found in “The List.” I’m alsomore than willing to stick around and see what happens.

Grade:  B

-Tony Rakittke

Captain America: Reborn #2 – Review

by Ed Brubaker (writer), Bryan Hitch (art), Butch Guice (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Looking for answers, Cap is forced to relive his most painful moment as he stumbles through time.  Meanwhile, Bucky Cap and Black Widow meet Norman.

What’s Good: It was hard not to groan at “Steve Rogers: Lost in Time” last month; the concept is cringe-inducing.  Yet this month, Brubaker actually making the most of the concept, manages to pull attention away from the lameness of the concept by focusing on the torturous nature of Steve’s current time-hopping existence, as he is forced to relive a particularly awful moment of his life.  Brubaker successfully puts across Steve as imprisoned and tormented by his past, managing to turn a cheesy concept into effective emotional drama.  Those who found last month a little slow will also be happy to know that this month also brings the action, Dark Reign-style and WWII-style.

Brubaker also gives the initially hair-brained “lost in time” concept some much needed nuance and some even bigger questions.  Steve goes through the old “I can’t change anything without risking the future” time travel dilemma. However, it’s effective in that this difficulty grows to be the lock on Steve’s jailcell, forcing him to not only endure a horrid event from his life again, but allow it. The divide between Steve’s narration and Steve’s physical presence only augments this effect.  Also, the question of Steve being unconsciously in control of his time jumps is also intriguing to say the least.

As is probably expected, Hitch’s art is a thing of beauty, hyper-detailed as we’ve come to expect from him. What’s most impressive is how the art shifts in style between depictions of Steve’s WWII past and the current day Dark Reign.  Of course, this is thanks in no small part to Paul Mounts’ work on colors.  Where the WWII bits are brighter and colored in earth tones, the present day is all shadows, blues, and blacks.  Hitch and his team do a better job of depicting the mood of Dark Reign than a hundred tie-ins could ever hope to.  The art alone creates Dark Reign as a very distinctive, and very malevolent, time.

What’s Not So Good: Perhaps it’s only fitting that a book about Steve Rogers’ return leads to the “lost in time” portions featuring Steve Rogers being head and shoulders above the rest of the book.  Whether it’s Rogers’ narration or the emotional impact of his entrapment and suffering, it’s just far more enjoyable than the present day segments.  While the Dark Reign segments aren’t at all bad, the Steve Rogers bits are simply so good that I found myself often just turning pages waiting for another Rogers scene.

Conclusion: Cap fans can rest easy; this might just end up being pretty good.  An action-packed, emotional ride and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Fusion #2 – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Writers), Tyler Kirkham (Pencils), and Sal Regla (Inks)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Fusion #1 was a fun ’90s throwback comic. It was dated as hell, but if you just went with the crazy stuff going on, there was far more to like than hate. Plus, you really can’t go wrong with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.

The Story: The Avengers and Cyberforce battle it out because of the Ripclaw situation. It’s soon learned that something is linked to Ripclaw in some way and that something is now in the hands of Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts….

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: You can look at Fusion in one of two ways: it’s either an action-packed crossover that delivers where it matters most or a dated, tired crossover that serves as a reminder of why comics like Fusion no longer work well. That’s why it’s so difficult to write a review about Fusion #2. In fact, I’m fairly certain that the second chapter of Fusion is “review proof.” If you like it, I can totally understand why. If you hate it, I can totally understand why. It’s a great example of what made some of those “bad” comics so much fun, but also a great example of how silly and nonsensical they are. Make sense?

Now, on a technical level, Fusion #2 is surprisingly solid. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning do a nice job of bringing out every personality that’s part of Fusion’s cast. They write a number of entertaining character moments and have come up with an interesting enough reason to throw four different teams from two different companies together for a showdown. As for the artwork, Tyler Kirkham does a fine job of handling a number of chaotic scenes, though a few panels look awkward and rather “pose” heavy.

Conclusion: If it sounds like your type of thing, then by all means pick up Fusion #2. If it sounds like your comic book version of hell, then be sure to stay far, far away.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Marc Silvestri (Pencils), Michael Broussard, Eric Basaldua, Tyler Kirkham, & Sheldon Mitchell (Pencil Assists), Joe Weems w/ Marco Galli, Eric Basaldua, Rick Basaldua, Jason Gorder, Jay Leisten, Sal Regla, Jon Sibal, and Ryan Winn (Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

The Story: A riot breaks out as the March for Humanity (led by Simon Trask and his Humanity Now! coalition) reaches San Francisco’s mutant population. The confrontation sparks a wave of violence between mutants and humans that spreads throughout the streets of San Francisco and other nearby cities. With chaos reigning, Norman Osborn sends his Avengers in to restore some order by any means necessary. There is also another plan at work, something far more sinister…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The best thing about the first chapter of Utopia is its strong ending. It’s genuinely surprising and it brings to mind a number of interesting possibilities. What’s disappointing though, is how long it feels like it takes to get the ending that makes the Utopia one-shot worth reading.

While Matt Fraction does a very nice job of ramping up the tension in San Francisco and establishing a sense of scale to the mutant/ human conflict, too much of Utopia #1 feels like fluff. What Fraction establishes in over thirty pages could have easily been taken care of with less than twenty-five. Now, with that said, just because it’s padding, doesn’t mean it’s bad.

Fraction does a lot of great things with the various characters he is allowed to play with. Fluff or not, there’s no denying how well written Utopia is. The scene between Cyclops and Toad is absolutely fantastic, as is the short Hawkeye/ Bullseye appearance. The page showing how others are reacting to the San Francisco mess is also very effective in a “short, but sweet” way.

What bothers me about Fraction’s story is that it makes Cyclops look rather foolish early on. The March for Humanity had apparently been marching hundreds of miles for quite sometime before reaching San Francisco. I find it hard to believe that a character like Cyclops (or any other “X” leader) would not be on top of things regarding how to deal with Trask’s march. Yeah, I know, that complaint is a bit of a nitpick in the larger scheme of things, but after all the character rehab Cyclops has gone through…

By now you’ve probably noticed that I have yet to mention Utopia’s artwork. There’s a reason for that. You know that phrase “Too many cooks in the kitchen?” Yeah… The artwork in Utopia #1 brings that phrase to mind quite often.

Now I’ll leave the “Top Cow” style stuff for you to decide on (expect subtle scenes to look anything but subtle…poses aplenty). What I will discuss, however, is the fact that the first issue of Utopia has visuals that are, when taken as a whole, quite disappointing. For every great looking scene, there is one that serves as a terrible reminder that the art team is made up of fourteen different people. Simply put, Utopia #1 is wildly inconsistent– visually. At least the whole thing has a cohesive look to it though. It really could have been so much worse considering how many people had a hand in creating the artwork.

Conclusion: The Utopia crossover shows a lot of promise, but it takes a while to understand why. If you can deal with the occasionally rough visuals and the sense that things have been stretched out a bit, you’ll find a lot to like about the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia one-shot.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Warriors #3 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Story), Jonathan Hickman (Story & Script), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Color Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: To simply say that I was looking forward to the launch of Secret Warriors would not do my anticipation for the series justice. A quick look through the “Best of ’08” feature will reveal that Secret Warriors is being worked on by what pretty much amounts to my personal creative dream team of sorts. And let’s not forget that Nick Fury is one of the main characters… Always a good thing. So since I didn’t review the first two issues, let me just say that I’m loving the series so far and can’t wait to read more.

The Story: The team’s assignment is to head to a shadow S.H.I.E.L.D. psi-agent processing and quarantine facility to make sure Hydra doesn’t get any hands on the vital assets kept there. Unfortunately for Fury’s “Caterpillar” team, the Hydra group targeting the S.H.I.E.L.D. building happens to include the recently resurrected Gorgon. Meanwhile, Nick Fury takes some time out in order to have dinner with an old flame.

What’s Good: Intensity. Only a few issues in and I can comfortably say that nearly every Secret Warriors panel is loaded with it. From the tight writing to the moody, kinetic artwork, no other series brings intensity to the reader so damn effectively. And Secret Warriors #3 may be the best issue yet.
Jonathan Hickman’s slick script is packed with sharp dialogue and great character work. It really is that good. I truly believe you are going to have a tough time finding a more gripping read this April. A particular scene worth noting is the chilling moment between Phobos and Gorgon.  The scene really drives home the type of villains the Secret Warriors are facing. In addition, the dinner scene featuring Nick Fury is prime example of what makes him such a memorable character.
As for the artwork, Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni absolutely knock it out of the park for the most part. The characters are full of emotion and the action absolutely jumps off the page. I do have one complaint though…

What’s Not So Good: If Secret Warriors #3 has any flaws, they have more to do with something the creative team has to overcome as opposed to anything that’s wrong with the individual issue.  For example, since Fury’s team is made up mostly of a group of unknowns, the characters carry around a bit of baggage.
Furthermore, I have found that the battle scenes tend to be a bit confusing, as discerning powers and keeping up with the frantic pace set by Caselli’s artwork can occasionally be a bit frustrating.  In Secret Warriors #3, I definitely found myself trying to decipher an action panel or two.   Also, Phobos, Quake (Daisy), and Hellfire (J.T.) are really the only three team members I feel I know anything about. I thought by now I’d have a better grip on the team as a whole. A small complaint considering how great most of the cast is, but worth mentioning regardless. I’m sure everyone will be fleshed out soon enough, but as of now I can’t help but feel as though some of the character development is a bit lacking.

Conclusion: I highly recommend Secret Warriors #3. And while I wish a few of the growing pains would go away, they do little to detract from the quality of the issue. In this reviewer’s opinion, if you aren’t reading Secret Warriors, you’re missing out on a potential “series of the year” candidate.

Grade:  A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers #1 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato (artist), Rain Beredo (colorist)

As you may know, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Bendis. I was, but that was back when he was writing stories like Jinx, Goldfish, and Torso. Back when he had something to say.  Since assuming complete control of the Marvel Universe, I’ve felt his work has been largely self-serving and contrived, less about entertaining the reader and more about petty wish-fulfillment and making readers care about Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Spider Woman, and the insufferable Jessica Jones.  Similarly, I think his event stories are shallow things consumed with retconning decades of continuity in order to drag the Marvel Universe back to the kinds of stories he grew up reading in the 70s and 80s– the kinds of stories that he is so clearly still in love with.

Spinning out of the epic yawn that was “Secret Invasion,” “Dark Reign” isn’t so much of an event story as it is an event idea being explored across multiple titles.  That idea being that the U.S. government is both stupid and lazy enough to give Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin, control of its Superhuman Initiative and the remains of S.H.I.E.L.D. Whatever. I’ll set aside my grievances for now and tell you instead that in spite of my problems, I actually quite enjoyed Dark Avengers.

Following the events of “Secret Invasion,” this issue sees Osborn taking a cue from the Thunderbolts and leveraging his newfound political power to put together a new team of Avengers, one comprised exclusively of hand-picked members he feels can work for and with him in pursuit of his new world order.  The people he picks to join his team are deliciously twisted, and I got a kick out of watching them interact with Osborn, not quite believing the offer he was presenting them with. Deodato’s art is reliably bold and aggressive, and while I was sorry to see him leave Thunderbolts, I’m more than happy he found his way here.

I’m prepared to stick with Bendis on this title for awhile.  Definitely check it out, and remain cautiously optimistic with me as we see where he goes with this.

Grade: B-

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #11 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils) Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Marko Djurdjevic (art), Justin Ponsor (colors)

Mighty Avengers #11 brings the current story arc to a satisfying, yet rushed ending. Buying himself some time, Doctor Doom travels back into the past to coax Morgana into teaching him the ways of summoning a demon army. With knowledge in hand, he ditches her and rushes back to the present to confront the Avengers. With little effort, the team is captured by Doom.

With their capture out of the way, the hilarity begins. Brian Bendis floods the pages with silly thought balloons, long diabolical monologues, and humorous exchanges of one-liners. Eventually, Spider-Woman manages to overload Doom’s magical bonds and frees the team. Ares, who’s already one pissed off demi-god, begins his thrashing of all things Doom. The rest of the team joins in the battle while Ms. Marvel goes off to find Iron Man and Sentry. With the battle drawing more even by the moment, The Sentry tips the scales and does something quite shocking to bring the battle to its conclusion.

The issue is good. It’s entertaining. But it’s not great. In fact, most of it is forgettable. It’s got gobs of action and nice bits of dialogue, but it’s also more of the same stuff we’ve seen in the previous two issues. Only the conclusion and epilogue really stand out as memorable. Even Mark Bagley’s art feels more rushed than usual. And if this is his last penciled Marvel comic (for now), then it’s even more of a let down. I will say this, though: The second to last page serves as a hint of what we’ll be seeing when the Skrulls finally unveil their plans next issue. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

The Incredible Hercules #115 – Review

By Greg Pak (writer), Khoi Pham (pencils), Paul Neary & Danny Miki (inks), Dennis Callero (colors)

Could it be? Could it be that I’m actually enjoying this book more with Hercules and Amadeus Cho at the helm than when it was just Bruce Banner running around on an alien planet as Conan? To answer that question, it’s really like comparing apples and oranges. Other than the two protagonists being brutes, you really can’t compare the two. But one thing is certain, Greg Pak and company are putting out one of the most entertaining comics you’ll read each month.

In what feels like a pivotal issue, Amadeus Cho hovers dangerously close to crossing the line and becoming a full-fledged villain. There’s no doubt that Cho would be one of the most dangerous villains in the Marvel Universe were he to tread down that path. He’s conflicted, young, extremely resourceful, and always feels like he’s doing the right thing. He’s got SHIELD by the balls and he’s unwilling to flinch because of the past misdeeds the organization’s done to him and those he cares about. Even Hercules cannot dissuade the kid from getting revenge, but with Ares pummeling the crap out of him, it’s a bit hard to concentrate on the problem at hand.

Using a perfect blend of hilarity, flashbacks, and action, the writing team of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente smack another issue out of the park. There’s a wonderful chemistry between Hercules and Cho that almost make this book feel like a “buddy cop adventure”. Penciler, Khoi Pham along with Paul Neary and Danny Miki on inks serve up another fantastic feast for the eyes. I heard Pham is leaving the book soon, and I really hope that doesn’t happen. Arthur Adam’s cover? His best Hercules piece to date. The farewell tribute to Hercules’ colorist Stephane Peru, who recently passed away is touching. Seriously, there’s nothing to not like about this book.  (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

The Incredible Hercules #114 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers) Khoi Pham (pencils) Paul Neary (inks) Stephane Peru (colors)

Let me start off by saying that The Incredible Hercules is a book I never look forward to reading. I never go, “Oh wow, Hercules is coming out next week – I better pick that up! I can’t wait to read it!” I just don’t. It’s Hercules, after all. I mean, who cares, right?

As much as I could care less for this book, it never fails to entertain me. Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente are doing very much what Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction have done on Iron Fist – they’ve taken a second tier character and expanded upon their character’s mythos while throwing in jaw-dropping action scenes. The similarities, however, end there. Whereas Iron Fist is a very serious story, Hercules is full of hilarious dialogue and crazy antics. Why I don’t look forward to reading this book is beyond me.

Hercules is on a rampage thanks to the Hydra blood he was hit with by Ares. The Avengers are scattered about, unable to contain him – only the Black Widow is left in the area (that’s what you get when you punch Ares into the next county). She uses her ingenuity to not only snap Hercules out of his drunken craze, but she also manages to knock out Amadeus Cho.  Unfortunately, she nearly kills his coyote pup and this brings out a side of Cho that we’ve never seen before. Cho is now at a crossroad in his life and I’m rooting for him to not go down the wrong path. As silly as this book is, things just got really serious.

Khoi Pham is insanely talented and his supporting art team of Paul Neary and Stephane Peru do a great job of bringing his work to life. If you’re not picking up Incredible Hercules for the story, you should be picking it up for the art. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for all. Buy this book. Support it. It deserves to stick around. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #8 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez & Victor Olazaba (inks), Justin Ponsor & Stephane Peru (colors)

The long delayed series finally gets on track thanks to Mark Bagley. This storyline has been hampered with so many delays that it’s not even relevant to what’s going on in the Marvel Universe. Symbiotes have over run New York and it’s mayhem as both Avenger teams try to combat the menace that’s overtaken every man, woman, child, dog, cat, even birds! The situation is pretty funny, for as bad as it seems. And is it me or has New York been destroyed like 3-4 times over the past six months? What’s left to blow up and who in their right mind would want to continue living there?!

Iron Man is able to synthesize a spray to kill the symbiotes quickly enough, which makes me wonder why the likes of Venom and Carnage are still running around. And since when were the symbiotes diagnosed as viruses? This issue just doesn’t work for me – especially after reading New Avengers Annual #2 and how Ms. Marvel keeps letting the “outlaw Avengers” get away.

Because it’s so late, this issue feels like filler. Marvel should have just canned this story and moved on to a more current story. No new Skrulls are even revealed! All we get is Tony Stark’s revelation that he’s being played (by the Skrulls) and an answer as to whom sent the symbiotes in the first place. (Grade: D)

– J.Montes