New Avengers # 17 – Review

byJonathan Hickman (Writer), Rags Morales (Artist), Frank Martin (Color Artist).

The Story: T’Challa and Namor find common ground admits the destruction of worlds.

The Review: One of the most fascinating aspects of this series has been the continued evolution of the relationship between the Black Panther and the Sub-Mariner in the wake of Atlantis’ attack upon Wakanda in the pages of Avengers V.S X-Men. While Namor has been shown to actively trying to bring further destruction down upon Wakanda during the events of Infinity his relationship with Namor in this issue is equal parts melancholy and camaraderie, two weary warrior kings commiserating over where their paths have led them; as witnesses to the destruction of multiple Earth’s. While Namor’s motives are always suspect, the conversation between the two does contain some moments of bitter-sweet honesty and understanding between two characters who’s dynamic could easily fall into a tiring pattern of constantly being at each others throats in the hands of a lesser writer.

Infinity #6 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jim Cheung, Dustin Weaver, Mark Morales, Guillermo Ortego, Dave Meikis, John Livesay (Artists), Justin Ponsor, Ive Svorcina (Colorists)

The Story: The fight against Thanos and the Black Order reach its crux as close to every players gets to weigh in on the ongoing action.

The Review: Well, this is it. Many events in Marvel’s history had a rather great premise, yet always failed to deliver on their ending, rushing things along to prepare for the next big status quo or to simply lead to the next big thing. However, with Infinity being rather different in many aspects when compared to the likes of Siege, Secret Invasion and Avengers vs. X-Men, does it actually delivers on the good with every players being in the grand finale against Thanos and his Black Order?

Surprisingly, Infinity goes for the unexpected as it manages to both create new possibilities for stories along with a new status quo, but it also conclude very well on some of its themes. Bringing a sense of evolution and change to some of its key players, the event does fulfill some of the promises that every events bring forth to readers. It doesn’t accomplish this without any sacrifice to some elements of the story, but it is still rather impressive nonetheless.

One of the biggest draw of this issue would be the action, with a good chunk of this book dedicated to the fight against Thanos and his lieutenants in the Cull Obsidian. These scenes, despite them not featuring most of the Avengers, are quite striking as members like Thor, Hyperion, Captain Marvel and other heavy hitters are along for the rather brutal, yet diverse enough slugfest. Other parts of the action are also divided amongst the Illuminati and the group fighting in space, but the main feature is the battle against the Mad Titan.

New Avengers #12 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

*If you follow Infinity, I strongly urge you to read the final issue of the event before reading this issue. You have been warned.*

The Story: Being done with the invasion of Thanos and the war against the builders, the Illuminati returns to their present affairs as they are warned by what might be much more dangerous for their universe.

The Review: With a pretty big event now being done with, it’s the job of New Avengers to provide an epilogue and perhaps a new way to envision what just happened in the Marvel universe. While this series did suffer a bit from some of the threads of Infinity, can it actually provide some form of satisfaction with some of the elements of Hickman’s large story?

In many ways, this issue does actually shows a lot of great stuff, merging some of the events of Infinity with some of the threads of the title. This has the result of making it so what did happen prior all count toward the evolution of the cast as well as the problem they face. Not only does it heighten and bring the focus back on the memorable cast of characters, but it also use the Builders wars and the coming of Thanos to centralize and put in perspective the future battle they might have to face yet.

One of the better scenes, which takes about a third of the issue is one dedicated to perhaps the best duo of conflicted souls in the series: Namor and Black Panther. Putting forth the many problems and sacrifice that T’challa has made in order to protect the world from unknown threats and how he got betrayed unwittingly by Namor, the parables between the two comes forth in a way that makes their antagonism that much more interesting. With the conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis being still going on, the relation between those two characters become that much more interesting considering the new status of these two after the massive events of Infinity.

Infinity #5 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jerome Opena, Dustin Weaver (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: It’s an Avengers universe, with plenty of planets declaring that those people from Earth are pretty okay in their book. On Earth, things gets a bit more dire though…

The Review: Jonathan Hickman sure do work in ways that are impressively different than other writers. While this could be said of anyone, as Bendis is surely very different than Brubaker and so on, there’s a certain way that Hickman builds concepts and how he use them that makes him the somewhat unique writer that he is. Ambitious is a word that could describe him, full of plans could work as well. However, he does have his share of problems as well, as no writers is perfect.

This issue of Infinity is a pretty complete package of what can make Hickman work or not for readers, as some of his best traits along his worst are on display here. With this being a big event comic, it makes only sense for things to get huge, meaning the analysis of the qualities and negative traits become that more obvious on the pages.

To start on a positive note, some of the concepts on display are simply awe-inspiring, with the ”Avengers World” idea presented at the very beginning of Hickman’s tenure on Avengers getting to a whole new level here. The very idea that the way humanity could be perceived on a universal scale throughout their actions in the war against the Builders is changing is a very sound one. The note on which the whole battle against the alephs ends, when looked upon with the strength of the theme and their presentation makes for a rather satisfying take on things.

Infinity #4 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jerome Opena, Dustin Weaver (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: The terrigen mists causes immediate change to the planet, as Thor negotiates with the Builder on Hala.

The Review: Events comics have many things to accomplish, but the most important one would be to possess a sense of spectacle. Things need to be big, memorable, surprising on an even grander scale than usual. In a world where resurrection and world-saving battles are the norm, it can be hard to excite readers that can be jaded with the constant event-mode that is on-par for the big two.

Well, believe it or not, Hickman delivered with this issue, as not only there are big moments and rather spectacular twists, but he also manage to actually deliver on a saying that has become some kind of a joke these days in the comic fandom: the ”nothing will ever be the same” paradigm. It may be too soon to say so, as the ramifications of this event will probably be felt in the coming months after this event is done, yet there is a huge sensation of importance in display.

The issue is split in two bigger scenes, with one dealing with Black Bolt and the terrigen mist while the other deals with the war against the Builders. The former one is actually much more focused on the results of Black Bolt and Maximus action’s rather than moving the plot forward. The strength of this scene, though, is on narrating the ramifications of such events, with a good number of people now being changed as Hickman does some massive change in the Marvel universe. The way things are narrated and the way the scene switch from the effects of the terrigen mist to Black Bolt and Thanos fighting makes for a rather neat reading experience, enhancing the tension and letting the gravitas of what Black Bolt has done reach the readers.

New Avengers #10 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Black Bolt reunites the Illuminati and reveals the existence and potential location of Thanos son. Meanwhile, Thanos and his Black Order makes their move.

The Review: Last month, we were unfortunately the spectators of one of the downside of huge events: tie-ins that bring the story flow to a lesser quality. While the latest issue of New Avengers wasn’t terrible by any means, it was far off from the brilliance it could attain as Hickman made the conflict on Earth the sole focus as he set some stuff for his longer stakes. However, the Infinity train isn’t losing any steam as the story continues in this month’s issue. Can Hickman return to some of the better aspects of this series while juggling with the big event comic of his own?

As it turns out he can, as he manages to play with both the previously established elements while playing with the new ones, as the political and power plays with the Illuminati continues while Thanos and his Black Order brings chaos to Earth. Bringing the Illuminati back together instead of skipping from scenes to scenes with each of them, Hickman focus his narrative in a much more solid manner, as the interactions with each members is brought back to show the potential of this cast.

Infinity #3 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Dustin Weaver, Jerome Opena (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: After the attack of the Builders, Captain America decides he’s had enough. All the while, Black Bolt gives a definitive answer to Thanos about the tribute question.

The Review: Things gets dire before they get better. This is something that writers knows very well to do, as tension and drama adds much more to a story instead of an even-level or smaller happenstances. Considering the cyclical nature of most stories in our general culture and how superheroes comics really do stick out in terms of cycle, it rings even more true when it comes to events.

In the tie-ins and the main book, the war against the Builders and the arrival of Thanos on Earth had not exactly been without any struggle for our heroes, which built up the importance and the level of the conflicts rather sharply, which is good when it comes to event comics. However, something that many writers try to accomplish, with varying results, would be something I’d like to call the ”Oh snap!” moments. Those scenes are usually the result of build up, resulting in the payoff being immensely surprising or satisfying to the readers. While those moments are subjective to the readers, there are perhaps two of such moments that could very well be established as such in this issue alone.

However, to arrive at those moments of pure super heroic pleasure, Jonathan Hickman makes good use of the two fronts he has established with both of his titles. This time, the issue is divided exactly in two, with one portion completely devoted to the Builders cosmic war and the second half delegated to the Earth, with special devotion to the Inhuman side of the conflict. The pacing for both of those scenes is especially well done, as the comic has a forward momentum that never allows it to spin its wheel incessantly. There is a good balance between exposition, narration, development and action that do bring out the grandeur of this tale that unfolded in the pages of both Avengers and New Avengers.

Infinity #2 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jerome Opeña, Dustin Weaver (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: Things heat up as Corvus Glaive wants to claim a tribute from the Inhumans and the Avengers are off with the rest of the Universe against the Builders.

The Review: Cautious optimism is an attitude that many readers learn to have when dealing with a great many things. Sometimes, despite the fact that many elements are lining up together in a way that feels too good to be true, it is normal to have some kind of defensive mechanism against too much hype. This kind of position is one that is very connected to event comics, as those type of stories are usually much hyper, with key sentences like ”nothing will ever be the same again” or ”this will have key repercussions across the whole line and the future of the shared universe”. With so many events failing to actually live up to their potential, it seems normal to adapt our desires to being a bit disappointed, as many events begins on a strong note only to falter in its own conclusion as each chapters reveals flaws that just kill the hype for its readers.

By having this attitude, a reader can also receive something that is not the norm to see, yet is always utterly pleasant when it arrives: surprise. This issue of Infinity definitely fits that very description, as the strong, yet mysterious direction does serve the story and the themes quite well. As the two fronts are given some attention, both of them receive either a ton of action and emotions, while the other receive mystery and revelations that really do make for two distinct stories that never really clash against each other.

The first angle being covered is the one on Earth, as Thanos and his Black Order are invading and seeding chaos everywhere they can. Opening up with a scene featuring Abigail Brand and Sydren of S.W.O.R.D., the comic swiftly switches to the Inhumans, then finishes up with the Illuminati. The second angle, all the while, features the Avengers and the Shi’ar with favourites like Mento and Gladiator fighting against the Builders. If there’s one thing that Hickman is doing right in this event so far, it’s selling the point that this is a story encompassing the Marvel universe, with a special emphasis on the universe part.

New Avengers #9 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: The Black Order arrives to Earth as each member of the Illuminati tries to deal with them in their own way.

The Review: With Infinity still in its debut, we have already seen most of what the Builders are doing as we have seen a bit of what threat looms over Earth with the Black Order and Thanos. Since there are multiple threats and the other title by Hickman covers what happens in space, this one covers the Earth as the big response team is gone. Does this title uses this big threat in an original and entertaining way, though?

For the most part, it does show the scope and the motivation behind the attack as the Black Order is shown in action. Considering they are all new characters, Hickman does well in showing their capacities in action as each of them try to attack a member of the Illuminati, with Black Dwarf against Black Panther, The Ebony Maw against Doctor Strange and so on. We get the kind of threat they can be, yet they are still mysterious in some ways as to pique the interest of the readers. However, we don’t get nearly enough characterization for them to be compelling just yet as it is an area where they are mostly vague. Perhaps they’ll become incredibly memorable after this event, yet for now they are much more a threat than actual characters.

Part of this problem comes out of another issue the book has: pacing. It is by no mean a jarring and devastating problem, yet the issue jumps from scene to scene quite rapidly, leaving some of them without much room to breathe and develop. An obvious one would be the Wakandian conflict with Black Dwarf as Black Panther deals with the intruder, showing him as competent and full of bravado against a foe so large. However, the next scene we see shows the foe beaten and retreating, leaving the readers to wonder just how T’Challa did vanquish him. There are some other scenes which have that kind of trouble, setting up some the conflicts between other characters yet does not continue it, making sure there would be something left for the other issues tying into the event. It is fun to see what might happen, yet it only hurt the pacing to see two pages of Doctor Strange without us seeing any payoff or the character again for the rest of the issue.

Infinity #1 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Jim Cheung, Mark Morales, John Livesay, David Meikis (Artists), Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

The Story: The Builders are wreaking havoc everywhere in the cosmos as the Avengers prepare to face them in order to defend Earth. However, Thanos might just see this as an opportunity in disguise…

The Review: Event fatigue is something very real for readers. The world can be in crisis so many times before we can get jaded and tired of the fact that Earth (or America) always seems to be the target for whatever catastrophe is coming. Skrulls, political unrest, old Norse gods and so forth have tried to change the Marvel universe in a permanent way, yet nothing real stuck out in terms of quality*, nothing that people really called as timeless or flawlessly executed. However, this one is written by Jonathan Hickman himself, a master of long-form storytelling capable of reaching a rather large scope in terms of stories and conflicts. Could he be the one to actually deliver a Marvel event that could very well be satisfying?

It is, of course, much too early to say, as this is solely the first issue, yet this is a very promising debut. Hickman picks up a vast number of plot threads from his Avengers and New Avengers runs to create something that is logical and organic to his stories. The Builders, the destruction of the infinity gems, the fact that the universe is undergoing a certain crisis, all of these elements are brought to the forefront to create a large conflict that seems to expand as the issue goes on. People that followed both ongoing by Hickman shall be thoroughly pleased by this introduction.

New Avengers #8 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Black Bolt prepares for the inevitable future of the Inhumans, Reed and Tony share some disturbing information between each other as Namor receive a surprise that will shake him to his core.

The Review: How do you continue a book that has its sight on something large? How does one can prolong the fun and intrigue of a book that has dealt with huge concepts and with characters that are familiar with such concepts?

The answer, if Jonathan Hickman is to be believed, is to go even bigger and personal. Just a couple of issues after the incursion events, the fact that the multiverse was in turmoil and that the Illuminati would need to make difficult choices to preserve their Earth, Hickman goes right in and provide some more problems as Infinity looms in.

What is actually quite solid in the book, so far, is the fact that the writer seems able to juggle with multiple plots, with each of them starring one or two characters, making him use close to each of his characters effectively, with a few exceptions (sadly, there is no Beast and close to no Doctor Strange in this issue). Each of these plots either advance in a way that is interesting in the long term, or is vague enough to let us theorize about just what this all might mean.

New Avengers #7 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Mike Deodato (Artist), Frank D’Armata, Rain Beredo (Colorists)

The Story: We catch up on what the Illuminati are doing one month later as a possible open war between Wakanda and Atlantis might emerge.

The Review: Transition issues can be unsatisfactory. Many readers will know what I’m talking about, when a writer knows that he needs to pad out some issues before he can get to the next storyline in order to converge with something the company is doing. It can be frustrating to see some of the subplots take precedence while the main plot is tossed aside, alongside some of the main characters.

Thank god then that the writer here is Jonathan Hickman and that the convergence is an event of his own creation, meaning that he knows full well what he is doing here. A transition issue this might be, yet it has a huge weight and continues several elements of what makes this series great to begin with.

New Avengers #6 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: Another Earth is set to collide on the main Marvel Earth, appearing above Latveria. The Illuminati, in the domain of Doom, needs to act against this new type of intrusion to their universe.

The Review: If there’s one thing that Jonathan Hickman knows how to do, it’s building up a conflict or a situation in a way that can makes us readers feel invested. The stakes are getting higher, the many elements are explained to us in ways that feel expensive and full of potentials, it’s great. However, as much as building can be great, it is another matter entirely to properly capitalize on what was constructed.

New Avengers #5 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati returns from the colliding Earth as they recruits Black Swan, who proceeds to explain a lot of things about just what may be happening with the multiversal problem.

The Review: Here we are, back at the incredibly dense and tense read that is New Avengers, a book that focus on the much darker side on the type of conflicts superheroes must deal with. Universes dying, being destroyed one against another as the group cannot seem to trust one another, yet must in order to make sure their universe survives, that is the kind of thing superheroes exists for, yet nothing is so simple.

This should probably be the very motto for this book in general, as Jonathan Hickman goes very far in the conceptual end of the comic stories spectrum, where most of the things explained here could be further developed with years of stories. In many ways, this issue does something that should not work at all, bombarding us with tons of information, giving us lengthy scenes of heavy exposition while the characters merely talk to each other, giving us mostly a ‘’talking head’’ issue. It should not work, yet the ideas thrown here are so interesting and shown in such a dynamic way that it kinds of transcend the potential problem it may cause and gives us something to ponder about instead. Here, we are given a big great hint toward the true cause behind the multiversal imbalance; just who and what are the Black Swans, what the team might be able to do to save their universe and so on. It’s griping stuff and it makes the exposition truly enjoyable.

However, there is another reason why the comic is so enjoyable and that would be the characters themselves. Hickman seems to get just how they act and most of their history together, creating some kind of tensions between each others. There are sub-groups within the Illuminati, like Black Panther and Reed Richards, or Namor and Doctor Strange, which shows that the history between each of these characters shall be referenced and even become important to the plot. How characters react to the tale told by Black Swan, a fascinating character in her own right, is spot-on, like Namor telling her not to beat around the bush with tales, or how T’Challa and his distrust of many things she says. It’s pretty interesting to see how even in the face of such radical things being explained to each other, these men still have their own quirks coming out from time to time to peppers the plot a bit.

New Avengers #4 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer) Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati each tries in various ways to find a solution to the colliding Earths problem as they venture into the other Earth.

The Review: How can you top the last issue? That was the very first thought that occurred to me as I opened up this month’s issue. The previous issue had ton major events in them which helped ground the title and proclaim how serious it was in its agenda. It was big, catastrophic and ripe with so much potential for the whole of the Marvel universe, it was clearly impossible for Hickman to even come close to this level.

Unfortunately, it seems I was right in that assumption.

Now, this may seems that I will bash the book because it did not keep the same level of drama and importance that was shown previously, but that would be a serious error. There are several things to like, even love in this issue, starting with the voice Hickman has found within each of the characters. While they may all be optimistic characters or people clearly used to having huge responsibilities, we can see in each scene how this kind of event affects each of them. He gets how these characters think, with the ever so noble, yet utterly prepared and dangerous Doctor Strange, the arrogant Namor to Beast who seems out of his league in such a group. Things are big, dangerous and it seems there are close to no right answers for the group considering what the noble thing to do is.

New Avengers #2 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati gathers in the dead city of Wakanda to discuss a particular threat to their universe discovered by Black Panther.

The Review: Double-shipping on books can be both a blessing and a curse. It permits people to get the complete stories by the authors that much faster, but it has a cost that goes beyond the pockets of the customers. Sometimes, it makes the artist or the author much too rushed in their work, creating small missteps in the writing or the art. It can also lower the general quality of a book and the appreciation of the customers when such things happen, especially when the only reason that can be perceived by them is to get more money out of them. However, there are some exceptions, as sometimes it is to create momentum and give a general idea of what the series will be about in a quicker fashion than usual.

FF #18 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick Dragotta (art), Chris Sotomayor (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Johnny takes the class on a field trip to the Negative Zone.

The Review:  For the second straight month, FF proves that Jonathan Hickman has a really solid grasp on comedy.  Unlike the last issue of FF, however, the comedy in this issue isn’t always the direct focus, nor is reliant on big gags with set-up.  Instead, Hickman lets the dialogue bring the laughs, mostly courtesy of Johnny, whose voice Hickman has an excellent handle of.  From his trademark arrogance to his wonderful dynamic with the students, Johnny is really great this month.  I loved the simultaneously affectionate and dismissive stance he takes to the kids and his treating them like the ordinary kids they aren’t leads to some great laughs.

I also really liked the fun spin Hickman put on the insect denizens of the Negative Zone.  They’ve long been seen as the faceless, single-minded swarm, so seeing them rebel for….democracy and self-government (?!) was a brilliant, brilliant twist by Hickman that led to an amusing, but also quite smart issue.  It also leads to a wonderful conclusion however that balances things very well – while the bugs of the Negative Zone may want democracy and self-government, they’re ultimately still bugs from the Negative Zone.  It’s almost a quasi-historical/political statement by Hickman; if you interfere with another culture’s politics and that interference leads to them taking after your own political practices, that may not necessarily mean the erosion of that culture’s inherent beliefs and values.  Despite all the fun and comedy, it’s a nice turn by Hickman and made me wonder if he was at all inspired by the current situation in Egypt, where after rebelling and gaining democracy, they look to be on their way to electing either an Islamist regime or electing to bring back the military-authoritarian regime they just got out of.  Who knew that cosmic insects and the Marvel’s first family could be so relevant?

There’s a lot else to like about this isssue; once again, we get to see Franklin flex his cosmic muscles, which is always a treat.  The final page is also an excellent cliffhanger.  While the twist could perhaps be easily predicted, Hickman does it in a way that at least is guaranteed to get a laugh.

Fantastic Four #602 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Barry Kitson (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Review:  This issue of Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four reminds me of those really badass episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that I totally geeked out over as a kid…and then rediscovered years later in college, only to geek out over again.

It’s a gigantic space battle with tons of ships and multiple participants.  The result is epic, large scale combat that is everything a cosmic book should be.  Better still, like those great DS9 episodes, Hickman knows how to ratchet up the tension by bringing in new sides/participants to the conflict.  When the tide seems to be shifting one way, someone else shows up to the battle to change the dynamic entirely.  All told, it’s massive stuff with lots of action and, despite being a gigantic scale space battle, it feels emotionally meaningful.  In a medium full of hollow action scenes, that’s pretty significant.

As usual, Hickman does a great job of hitting his narrative high-points.  There’s a sense that he continues to up the ante and there are enough moments that, individually, will either make you smile, inwardly cheer, or, in a couple instances, give you chills of awesomeness.

As far as the cheering/smiling bit goes, Hickman does a great job with Sue this month.  As he has done throughout his run, Sue is nothing less than a badass and Hickman never shies away from her very high power level and the unique uses her powers can be put to.

FF #7 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Greg Tocchini (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: The return of Black Bolt from the fault is detailed.

What’s Good:  Really, the best thing I can say about this issue of FF is that it’s not as bad as the last one.

For starters, it’s far more intelligible.  It’s easier to tell just what the hell is happening, especially given that there are fewer flashbacks and less Supremor babbling.   Ultimately, Hickman tells a much clearer story this month, and also one that’s a lot of more relevant.  We get something a prophecy and a hint of things to come courtesy of Supremor that actually manages to tantalize more than it confuses.  At the very least, the ending of this issue ties right back to where we left off in FF before it became an Inhumans comic, which should ground it a bit more for a lot of readers.

And hey, you know what?  Black Bolt is a total badass, in case you didn’t already know.  Hickman makes really awesome use of his uber-powerful voice and has a firm handle on how best to use the character’s concept, with his words being few but powerful in content as well as tectonic force.

FF #6 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Greg Tocchini (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: The birth of Black Bolt is revealed.

What’s Good:  There are some really bold literary themes in this one and some of its certainly really, really cool.  As we delve into the birth of Black Bolt, Hickman makes allusions to Jesus Christ, comparing the births between the two.  One simply can’t help but make the messianic connections when a Zordon-looking supreme intelligence called Supremo orders mass murder to eliminate a soon-to-be-awakened threat in Black Bolt.  Pile that up with all the epic talk of destiny and such, and it’s quite striking.

As Supremo compiles data, he also confers with a religious figure about the prophesied troublemaker, and it’s a nice intersection of faith/religion and science.  The result is a discussion that leads to an end that feels like a hybrid of the two that could only really occur in a science fiction comic book.  Certainly, between this and the religious allegory, Hickman delivers a rather high-brow, literary feel to the issue.

What’s Not So Good:  That said, this comic almost completely alienated me.  It is in every way a Marvels cosmic issue and does not feel at all like a Future Foundation or Fantastic Four-related book.  Certainly, no member of the Future Foundation is even referred to, but the real problem is that the events of this issue are so far distanced to those of the story that we’ve been reading so far, that it ends up being almost incomprehensible.

Avengers #9 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) & John Romita Jr. (artist)

The Story: The Illuminati are caught in the act and the Hood comes back more dangerous than ever.

What’s Good: Already, I’m enjoying this second arc quite a bit more than its predecessor.  The title feels less hamstrung in its storytelling thanks to the lack of all that time-travel nonsense.  If anything, this feels more like a true Avengers tale: a big, important story, a team of good guys that feel like a dysfunctional family, a cackling villain, and a heavy touch of the cosmic.

All that aside, I want to start with John Romita Jr.’s artwork this month.  While this was a more dialogue heavy issue without any pyrotechnics or major fight scenes, I actually feel that this may quietly be the best issue he’s put out for this series thus far.  His work feels a lot more polished and not at all rushed.  It just seems like more time and love was put into this issue.  Granted, some of that may be due to the new colorist(s), but either way, I liked the art quite a lot.

On Bendis’ side, I always respect when a writer can cram two completely different narratives with two different tones and locales into one 22 page issue without making the issue lose cohesion, and that’s what Bendis does this month.  More than that, both sides are equally interesting.

You’ve got Rogers and the gang discovering the Illuminati’s continued existence.  Bendis did a fantastic job illustrating the boiling over of tension between Iron Man and Steve Rogers.  It didn’t feel at all forced and came across genuinely and logically.  More than that, Bendis highlighted the awkwardness of it all; that it’s basically a persona conflict/agreement escalated into and taking place in the public sphere.  I also quite enjoyed how Bendis used the other Avengers to good effect here, making them feel like awkward bystanders.

The other half of the issue sees the Hood’s meeting an Inhuman in prison.  Again, the fact that Bendis was able to balance the above story with a prison drama was fairly impressive.  The Hood’s machinations are as fun to read as ever, while the character he meets is creepy, likable, and certainly intriguing.  The final two pages of the issue are also the sort of high-drama/big event stuff that’ll have you wanting the next issue ASAP.

With so much dialogue this month, I also have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see the Bendis-speak (when Bendis uses repetition in a weird attempt to emulate conversation) nearly absent.  When it does crop up, it highlights moments of tension or rapport, meaning that it never dominates the writing.

Avengers #8 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Dean White & Paul Mounts (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: The Illuminati re-unite to discuss the recent infinity gem troubles.

What’s Good: It’s another solid issue of Avengers as this title continues to improve.  More than anything, Avengers #8 further solidifies this book as the Marvel Universe title where the big boys play.  It loosely hearkens back to Avengers lore, provides an old school tale with cosmic touches, and features some major players.  With the Infinity Gems in play, it feels like a classic Avengers title and, after years of street-level Avengers heroics, that’s pretty welcome.

But this issue is more about the Illuminati than the Avengers, and I’m fine with that.  Brian Bendis does a great job in bringing the gang back together again, overlaying it all with a constant tension between the characters and a, for the most part, unspoken sense of the sins of the past, guilt, and responsibility.  The dialogue feels weighty, the characters feel guilty and conflicted, and all in all, there’s a conspiratorial feeling that haunts the issue.  These characters are together when they shouldn’t be, discussing things they shouldn’t be discussing.  It’s all dark shadows and hushed whispers about a particularly dangerous topic between characters with a bizarre dynamic.

The best part of Bendis’ work here though is that so much of the tension between the characters, the guilt, and their flat out not wanting to be here is all between the lines.  You get it from their abrasive demeanour, their irritability, and the seeming desire to get the conversation to its end point as quickly as possible.  It’s all between the lines and I think that even Bendis’ most vocal detractors will be satisfied with his dialogue work this month.

As far as the art goes, John Romita Jr. continues to shine on this comic after a rocky start with the series.  I can now say, without any qualifications, that I am enjoying his work.  There weren’t any panels that I cringed at or anything I disliked.  He used his usual cartoony style, but managed to make it carry both the darkness and the cosmic power of the tale being told.  His fight scene between the Red Hulk and “Infinity Gem guy” was also absolutely wonderful, big, and genuinely exciting.  I also much enjoyed Romita’s little comedic touches in his giving the characters winter-clothes.  Professor X wears a suit without a jacket…and a ski mask?  The Thing wears ear-muffs?!  In such a serious issue, these little humorous touches come across almost like easter eggs, and it made me all thearmuffspreciative of them.

Fantastic Four #577 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Dale Eaglesham (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: The origin of the human race is discussed, as well as the future path of the Inhumans.

What’s Good: Dales Eaglesham’s art has been tremendous on Fantastic Four thus far, so when I say that this is quite possibly his best outing yet on the series, you know you’re in for some awesome art.  Everything just looks wonderfully creative, not to mention massive in scale.  The giant space ships, the varied and colorful aliens, it’s all really vibrant, creative, and generally impressive stuff from Eaglesham, leading to a 22 page feast for the eyes.  With such wide eyed goodness, insane cosmic stuff, and retro sci-fi goofiness on the page, the art is best described as fun, and yet it maintains a high level of detail and sophistication as well.

As far as Hickman’s story goes, this is the sort of Jonathan Hickman story where it’s hard not to admire the man’s creative aspirations and his willingness to enlarge his scope to truly ridiculous proportions.  Hickman’s narratives often feel vast, treating mind-bursting large ideas, and that’s really not far from the case here.  Why not deal with the origins of the human race in 22 pages and relate it to the species-endangering issues suffered by the Kree?  And keep in mind, this isn’t done in a six part story arc.  It’s accomplished in a single issue.  It’s frankly mind boggling, but it’s also the sort of gigantic insanity that works best in a book like Fantastic Four.

Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 – Review

By Jonathan Hickman (Script), Sean Chen (Pencils), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Inks), and John Rauch (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ll be honest with you and admit that I had completely forgotten about the Dark Reign: Fantastic Four mini-series until this week’s shipping list reminded me about it. That probably says a lot about the first two issues even though I gave them solid grades.

The Story: The third chapter of Dark Reign: Fantastic Four begins with Sue, Johnny, and two versions of Ben on an air-ship that’s about to be boarded by Skrull pirates. That situation doesn’t last long as space-time collapses and the group is thrust into another version of reality…and then another….Meanwhile, Reed Richards continues to search alternate realities for superhuman peace by using the supercomputer known as “The Bridge.” As for Franklin and Valeria, they remain in the Baxter building while they await the arrival of Norman Osborn and members of H.A.M.M.E.R….

What’s Good: From the airship battle to the wild-west showdown and the alternate reality Illuminati sequences, Sean Chen, Lorenzo Ruggiero, and John Rauch do a great job of visually bringing Jonathan Hickman’s high-concept story to the comic page. The effort makes Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 the best-looking book in the mini-series so far. It’s a good thing the visuals do a lot of heavy lifting, as the character work and the concept are barely engaging.

What’s Not So Good: The overarching story feels like it’s stuck in neutral. In short, D.R.: F.F. #3 feels a hell of a lot like #2. Ben, Sue, and Johnny bounce around alternate realities as Reed sifts through alternate realities looking for nuggets of information. Meanwhile, Valeria and Franklin sit around the Baxter Building thinking about what to do in case the rest of their family doesn’t return. Those same things happened in issue two and, as a result, issue three feels disappointingly repetitive and somewhat boring.

Conclusion: Pick up Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 at your own risk. It looks nice and has some solid moments, but it feels far too much like the last issue to warrant a recommendation.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 – Review

By Chris Eliopoulos (Writer), Ig Guara (Pencils), Chris Sotomayor (Colors), and Colleen Coover (Frog Thor Origin)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m not really sure what to expect out of the Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers mini-series. It’s based around a fun concept and features some nice-looking artwork, but experience has taught me that those things can only carry a series. That said, I highly doubt the mini will wear out it’s welcome in only four issues.

The Story: Mr. Fantastic meets up with Black Bolt and Medusa to find the infinity gems in order to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. However, Lockjaw happens to be the first to find one and so his adventure begins. The first step? Assemble a team that can help find the rest of the gems. Pet Avengers…ASSEMBLE!!

What’s Good: In order for something like Pet Avengers to work, the creative team working on the series has to strike a specific, somewhat challenging type of tone. Fortunately, the team succeeds in doing just that. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 is lighthearted, funny, and fun without feeling silly or childish. It’s also interesting and compelling without being overly serious or embarrassed by it’s concept.

Thanks to Ig Guara’s expressive, lively pencil work, Chris Sotomayor’s vibrant colors, and Chris Eliopoulus’ enjoyable, adventurous script, Pet Avengers works surprisingly well. It’s like Homeward Bound: The Search for the Infinity Gems.

What’s Not So Good: While Colleen Coover’s Throg (Frog Thor) section looks nice, it definitely is something of a momentum killer. It goes on for WAY too long and gets in the way of the more important stuff…like introducing the other members of the fairly large cast. The origin (or BORE-igin) story probably sounded a lot more interesting than it turns out to be. (yes, feel free to snicker at my clever wordplay)

Another negative is that there is no escaping the fact that Pet Avengers #1 is pretty much just another “team assembly” book. You’ve read something like this before. And even though it’s charming and stars pets, it’s still extremely familiar and fairly generic.

Conclusion: Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is off to an entertaining, though unspectacular start. I recommend that anyone curious about the series check it out. It’s a decent, solid piece of animal-centric entertainment.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny