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.

Avengers #22 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan (Artists), Sunny Gho (Colorist)

The Story: The galactic council and the Avengers prepares for their final battle on Earth as some people express doubts and a certain sensation of feeling small.

The Review: While big action scenes are the very foundation of capes comics, a series cannot strive on punches being thrown and huge super powers being used to vanquish foes. During big arcs, events or any such things where a lot of action will be one of the main focus, there usually breather issues where the focus comes a bit more on characterization or how things are simply shaping up, where they will go. Results may vary, but those kind of issues can break down the monotony of repeated clashes if handled right.

This issue of Avengers is one of those, as it acts as a bridge between the latest issue of Infinity (issue 5 to be precise) and the last one. Focusing on the Avengers and the galactic council as they prepare and plan ahead for their eventual fight against Thanos, it serves up as a character piece as well as setup for what will come next. However, does it manage being a satisfactory issue with the action being toned down?

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.*

Avengers #15 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Artist) Frank Martin, Edgar Delgado (Colorists)

The Story: As the signal is constantly sent from the Perth site in Australia, the Avengers tries to understand what it is as what it does as they try to stop the madness it causes.

The Review: I have to admit, it is refreshing to see this title being written differently in the past few issues. From what we could see, the pattern that had been seen was that we’d get some action, some exposition and a whole lot of teasing and hinting at something larger. Starting with the prelude to Infinity that began with the latest issue, the whole pacing and the presentation has changed, for the better.

Sure, we still get some exposition, teasing and action, yet the amount in which Hickman and Spencer does so varies by a large margin. Instead of showing quick glimpses of action and of the general situation, both writers focus on a single situation and allow it to develop completely as the Avengers tries to deal with it. It is a much more satisfying read as we can see the depth and the gravitas of what they have to solve.

Avengers #14 – Review

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

The Story: The Avengers check out the sites that have been altered by Ex Nihilo as they deal with the multiple repercussions of his actions.

The Review: I had said once that this run on Avengers was full of wonderful ideas, yet almost no execution for them, that there was a lot of build up for close to no payoff. For the last thirteen issues, the book was planting seeds for further stories, giving us some pretty solid visuals and some terrific actions, yet those aren’t always enough or synonymous to a great book. Jonathan Hickman needed to do better as we knew he surely could.

Well, while I cannot say that this issue really paid up for all these previous issues, it can definitely be seen that Hickman is beginning to use all those issues so far. In this issue, the whole team is seen as they try to deal with just what Ex Nihilo has unleashed on their Earth as he tried to make the planet sentient. Here, Hickman and Spencer goes in full scientific mode in a way that is close to Warren Ellis as they gives us the full explanation to what is exactly happening and what the effects of these sites has on the rest of the planet. Giving us a whole unfamiliar and catastrophic scenario, it is there that we see just why the Avengers are so large a team under their pen as the threat they are dealing with is nothing short of planetary.

Age of X: Alpha #1 – Review

By: Mike Carey (writer), Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Carlo Barberi, Paco Diaz, Paul Davidson (pencillers)

Story: Without preamble or explanation, we are thrust into an America where mutants are on the run, all the time, where persecution is legislated and state-supported, and where human rights apply only to non-mutants. Through a series of loosely connected tales, we see what this America is made of.

The Writing: The X-Men have been doing alternate worlds since the classic Days of Future Past in Uncanny 141-142. The charm of these stories is that the writers and artists get to reimagine all the rich character histories and their moral centers. Villains can be inspirational heroes. Heroes can become villains. And we readers get to care because we have so much invested already in our relationships with these people. The strength of this issue and this concept are some of the fates of different heroes (the horrific fate of Cyclops, for example), those who are not quite heroes, but should be (Paige Guthrie), and those who have never been heroes and might be (Toad, for example). Carey hits all the right notes in this issue, and leaves most of the world unexplained. This is smart, because this is also a mystery story; I want to know why things are as they are, and I’ll stick with this story because I love these characters.

The Art: It’s really a grab bag of styles. Some are quite beautiful either in technical draftsmanship or in visual style. The transitions from one art team to another neatly signal the shifts in vignettes, but were a jarring experience for me as a reader. I get accustomed to a certain art team’s style as I read a book, and when they switch, I sometimes feel like I’m starting the process over. I don’t think I’m complaining for nothing, because the art styles are quite different. DC has been doing the same thing with Brightest Day, but usually there are no more than two art styles (sometimes three) to a BD book. As well, the art of the Magneto vignette by Davidson really didn’t work for me. It felt very two-dimensional and perspective or proportion wasn’t doing it. With those two art limitations said, I have no trouble saying that the art was otherwise good.

Conclusion: Mike Carey definitely hooked me in with the opening salvo of Age of X. I want to know where the heck everyone else is (Colossus, Nightcrawler, Xavier, etc). I’m going to be back for more.

Grade: B

-DS Arsenault

Secret Invasion: X-Men #2 – Capsule Review

By Mike Carey (Writer), Carey Nord (Art), and Dave McCaig (Colors)

I had planned on doing a full review of this one since I am quite an X-Men fan, but it just simply isn’t worth the time it takes to write or read a full review. The writing is underwhelming, the artwork looks rushed, the storyline mostly revolves around the standard Secret Invasion fighting, and it ultimately made me realize how there are much better X-Men and Secret Invasion books out there. I honestly like everyone on the creative team (Mike Carey is doing phenomenal work with the Legacy series), so it absolutely baffles me as to how this book could be so utterly boring.

With all the tie-ins associated with the Secret Invasion I knew that there was bound to be a few duds. I’m just shocked and disappointed that the biggest dud involves some of my favorite characters. Skip this one. (Grade: D-)

-Kyle Posluszny

Young X-Men #5 – Capsule Review

By Marc Guggenheim (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Pencils), Ray Snyder (Inker), and Rob Schwager (Colorist)

I like to give a new series at least one full arc to prove its worth. I mention that because Young X-Men #5 marks the conclusion of the first arc and, as such, carries a bit more weight than the issues that came before it. So, with that said, how does it fair?

As a conclusion, the book is a fairly satisfying read. It makes good on the prophetic visions seen by Blindfold early on and still manages to have a decent emotional impact. Unfortunately though, the flaws that have plagued the series from the beginning (inconsistent artwork and uneven writing) are still present. While I enjoyed Guggenheim’s twisting tale (and applaud the fact that he delivers on the death promised), I never felt that I had any investment in the characters. Simply put, I didn’t actually care about what was happening as the stakes got higher and that’s never a good sign. Couple that with artwork that is mediocre at best and you have something that is entirely forgettable. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny

Young X-Men #3 – Review

Marc Guggenheim (Writer), Yanick Paquette (Pencils), Rob Schwager (Colorist), Ray Snyder, and Kris Justice (Inkers)

Young X-Men is another series that is on notice. I was pretty excited about the potential for the series when I first heard about it, but I have found myself let down with this first arc. It has some interesting pieces, and, for the most part, I like the cast, but it feels as though both the writing and artwork are coming up a bit short. Young X-Men #3 is hardly a break from the norm, but like the latest issue of Cable, I find that improvements have been made.

With this issue, we bear witness to the chaos that is the team’s first mission. Ink has proven himself a traitor in knocking out Blindfold and, oddly enough, Dani Moonstar. Rockslide, Wolf Cub, and Dust have their hands full in a battle with Magma that pretty much levels a city block and leaves a team member in critical condition. The “new” Brotherhood of Evil mutants, as dubbed by the increasingly suspicious Cyclops, learns of this new team of X-Men. On top of all that, Cyclops is being watched by a mysterious new mutant who I honestly don’t recognize (if he is someone familiar, please fill me in). In short, things are a mess for this team. Ironically, this mess is a good thing for the book because I am actually curious to see where the team goes from here after the disastrous mission is completed.

The writingis a definite step up from the previous as the team begins to gel and characters are given some much needed definition. Wolf Cub and Rockslide in particular are given a nice bit of depth, though recent turncoat Ink comes across as a tired, “in it only for himself” cliché. Another thing worth mentioning is the creative use of mutant powers during the Magma battle that left me pretty impressed. Finally, I appreciated the sense of tension felt throughout the book. I wouldn’t be shocked if it turns out that things aren’t quite what they seem at all. If Guggenheim can bring together the various elements of this book into a solid conclusion, this series could have a bright future.

I think my biggest issue with this series so far is the artwork. While it’s slowly become more consistent overall, things are still a mess. Facial expressions look quite silly, environments are either boring or sloppy, characters are inconsistently drawn (especially Wolf Cub), and I am pretty convinced the team is more concerned with a gratuitous body shots over the best angle to convey the action. I realize sex sells, but it gets a bit ridiculous at times. Also, there is one section of the book near the end that feels wildly out of place as both the characters and colors look as though they were taken from an entirely different book. I know I keep piling on the negatives, but it is not all bad. The action does have a fairly nice flow when it kicks into high gear and the use of shadow helps to further the ominous tone. Still, I can’t help but feel that I would enjoy the book quite a bit more if the artwork was more attractive.

Young X-Men has taken a step in the right direction, now I just hope that things continue this way. I want to really like this book and it is improving, but it still has a ways to go before I can whole heartedly recommend it to anyone other than those that started with the series’ debut. (Grade C-)

-Kyle Posluszny

Cable #4 – Review

Duane Swierczynski (writer) and Ariel Olivetti (artist)

Last month I gave Cable another chance to impress me after it finally showed some plot advancement. While not fixing all the issues I have with this series, Cable #4 proves that steady improvement can go a long way in patching up a sinking ship. In other words, I am starting to like what I see.

Cable #4 takes place right where we left off last issue. An aged Cannonball storms back into Cable’s life and quickly catches him up on the events that have taken place in the timeline where the story is currently taking place. The reunion doesn’t last long, however, as Bishop remains on the warpath, determined to eliminate any who stand the way of his mission to kill the “messiah” child (that he believes will lead to the imprisonment of the mutant race). With a nice balance between action and story, this issue finally gives me hope that the series may eventually live up to the promise it held at the conclusion of the Messiah Complex.

Pretty much everything about this issue is a step in the right direction, though it is by no means perfect. Swierczynski manages to craft a brief, but compelling tale of how Cannonball came to be one of the final mutants in the timeline. The interaction between Cable and Cannonball does a nice job conveying both the tension of the situation as well as the effect time (and time travel) has had on them. To put it simply, everyone comes across as a bit more human than before, which is always a good thing.

While there are instances of both cheesy dialogue and slightly unnatural conversation flow, for the most part it works well. This isn’t exactly high drama so the “summer action movie” feel fits well enough. The biggest shame is that this story was tackled in this manner, because the potential was there for something deeper and more complex than a chase flick through time.

As I said, everything in this issue was a step in the right direction, though I have to say I wish the artwork had taken steps similar to those taken by the writing. The scenes regarding Cannonball’s timeline work extremely well, especially the panels that show him watching the mutant population dwindle. The characters are a bit less exaggerated, the action flows, and with the exception of a few instances, characters look fairly consistent from scene to scene. If I have a major complaint it’s that everything looks extremely bland and sterile. There is literally nothing in the background in a number of scenes, which makes things feel like a string of talking heads rather than people interacting in an environment. Again, there is improvement, but quite a bit more is needed to bring this book up visually.

As a whole, I was pretty satisfied with this latest issue of Cable. It looks as though things are finally starting to click and I actually find myself looking forward to the conclusion of this arc so the story can move on to bigger and better things. The potential is there, now the writer and artist just need to realize it in the proper way. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny