Avengers #29 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Leinil Francis Yu (Penciler), Gerry Alanguilan (Inker).

The Story: It’s Civil War part 2 as Captain America confronts Iron Man over his continued shadiness.

The Review: This was an extremely frustrating comic book, on the one hand Hickman’s Avengers Saga seems to be turning a corner and gaining momentum as it barrels along to its conclusion. On the other hand I had already read a third of this issue in New Avengers #1-4 last year. I can understand wanting to get readers up to speed but these pages succeed in doing little else, Bendis seems to be a big fan of re-framing sequences we’ve already read but usually shows it from another perspective that reveals something hidden or shows something new immediately preceding or following the scene. Here Hickman simply retells Captain America’s involvement with the Illuminati, making an already often slow moving story feel incredibly wasteful of the space it has to tell it’s story. It’s generally accepted that storytellers should show rather than tell when writing for a visual medium but here it does come off as an overly indulgent way to provide context for an issue.

Despite the issue I had with the first third of this issue, the fallout from Captain America remembering the Illuminati’s treachery is great as a righteously angry Captain America confronts Tony Stark as the Avengers are forced to quickly choose sides in the argument. Thor trying to placate Cap was an especially strong bit of characterisation for the two comrades, as was Tony Stark’s reversion back to his Civil War era attitude of “I know what is best and I’ll do what I have to regardless of who I have to screw over.” It seems almost a shame that this confrontation is interrupted by the re-emergence of the time gem which appears to fling the Avengers 48 years into the future, regardless of the outcome of this arc it’s enjoyable to see Hickman dealing with some emotional fallout after two years of  plot heavy stories.

FF #16 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick Dragotta & Steve Epting (art), Chris Sotomayor & Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  The Future Foundation pick up the pieces in a ruined NYC….and what exactly happened to Doom when the Bridge closed, anyway?

The Review: I’ve ragged on FF now and then since the return of the main Fantastic Four title for at times feeling like an album of b-sides.  Last issue, for instance, was of questionable necessity.

However, this issue of FF definitely serves a good purpose.  After the big events of the last issue of Fantastic Four, a nice, clean epilogue to consolidate the characters, tidy things up, and provide a little room for reflection is generally a good idea.  This is exactly what FF #16 accomplishes, showing the characters’ reactions to what just happened, while also setting the stage for future Fantastic Four stories.

The result is that there are some rather nice developments: Johnny and Spider-Man becoming room-mates (much to Spidey’s lack of enthusiasm) is a great idea, the new Baxter building is really pretty cool, and Franklin’s interactions with his future self are as enjoyable as you’d expect.

There are nonetheless problems however.  Hickman has Val narrate the issue and her voice isn’t quite consistent with how Hickman has written her thus far.  She’s just too “kiddy” and generally immature.  Were it another writer coming onboard, it’s actually not a wholly inappropriate voice for Val as a character, it’s just that it doesn’t quite jive with the voice Hickman has established for her throughout her run.  It does, however, lead to a hint of a future romance between Val and Bentley, which is pretty awesome.

There’s also the fact that in being an epilogue, it really only does very bog-standard epilogue-y things.  Characters are shuffled around, things are tidied up, and Hickman basically is just putting the FF’s house back in order.  In other words, it’s not an earth-shattering read.

FF #13 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writing), Juan Bobillo (pencils), Marcelo Sosa (inks), Chris Sotomayor (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: The Future Foundation cross the Bridge into the former home of the Council of evil Reeds, now owned by the mad Celestials.

The Review: Last month, myself and many other reviewers took FF to task for the bizarre artwork turned in by Juan Bobillo.  While Hickman turned in a solid enough script, the art was completely off-kilter and wacky.

Well, the artwork still sticks out like a sore thumb, but there are improvements.  Bobillo’s take on Doom is fun and his illustrations of the Celestials and any technology is detailed and generally entertaining and charming to look at.  But really, most of the improvement should be credited to the incredible efforts of Sosa and Sotomayor, who work their asses off to make Bobillo’s art as appealing as possible.  Sosa uses pleasant, thick lines while Sotomayor has made a dramatic shift from his work last month, opting for a bright, vibrant palette that makes the comic far more appealing.

That said Bobillo is guilty of some of the same crimes:  it’s still difficult to tell some of the kids apart, Dragon Man looks nothing like himself, and Reed still looks far too old and weathered.  That said, I’m coming to the conclusion that Bobillo isn’t really a bad artist, just hugely inappropriate for this title.  Hickman is trying to tell a grandiose epic tale with heavy cosmic elements.  A heavily stylized indie cartoonist just isn’t a good fit for a book like this.

Hickman’s script, however, hits enough high notes that it makes the issue more than worthy for Fantastic Four fans to give it a look.  For starters, seeing Franklin confront a gang of Celestials is a blast.  We don’t often get to see Franklin flex his very superpower muscle, but whenever he does, it’s always “fist pump” awesome, and that’s certainly the case this month.  Power-level aware comic geeks will also get a serious kick out of a little tidbit the Celestials reveal regarding Franklin.

Also, yet again, Hickman writes a fantastic Doom.  His talking in the third person, his general badassery, it’s all here in spades and as always, it’s a treat to read.  What Hickman does so well is portray Doom’s reasoning, both highly intelligent and with an arrogance that forms a key part of his decision making.  Doom’s logic may make little sense for another character, but for Doom, it’s elegant perfection.

Avengers #12 – Review

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

The Story: Parker Robbins makes his stand against the Avengers in attempting to gather all of the infinity gems.

The Review:  Wow.  Art-wise, this is simply gorgeous.  Both Romita Jr. and Dean White go all out this month, putting out what may very well be the best looking issue of this series thus far.  Romita and White go old-school crazy on us in their depiction of the astral plane, Thanos, and the cosmic powers of the infinity gems with high-powered combat that is explosive fun.  Everything glows, carries an epic but gleeful cartoony tone, and is just so much fun to look at.  Clearly, putting Romita and White on a story like this was a good call, as it really lets them shine.  It’s clear that the artists are having a really good time, and that carries over to the reader.

Unfortunately, not soon after the issue begins, Bendis sort of spoils this by putting a completely foul tastes in the mouth of pretty much every reader.  Last issue’s Thano’s cliffhanger was awesome in an “oh no you didn’t” sort of way.  Well, this month, we learn that Bendis….actually “didn’t” after all.  I hate, hate, hate it when comic book writers pull cheap bait-and-switches like this.  They serve absolutely NO purpose other than to create a quick shock at the end of an issue.  They serve little to no narrative benefit and, honestly, this whole Thanos ruse proved to be utterly pointless.  It wasn’t an overly vital tactic on the part of the Avengers.  It was just a cheap move to get a rise out of the reader, which only led to crushing disappointment this month.

And worse still, if this is all a bait-and-switch, why have the Hood be in heavy dialogue with “Thanos” for five pages at the start of this issue?  That borders on sadism and it really just makes the ensuing wound all the more painful.

On the plus side, while this trick put a damper on the issue as a whole, Red Hulk does really shine this month.  By focusing on Red Hulk the most and having him seemingly lead the charge against the Hood and take him on in single combat, beating on Parker both physically and intellectually, Bendis nicely cements Rulk’s place on the team while also garnering support for the character.  This bodes well for the series in the long-term while also providing someone to cheer for this month, as well as a decent bit of character-work.

Avengers #11 – Review

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

The Story: The Avengers and the Illuminati raise to secure the rest of the Infinity Gems before the Hood does.

The Review: It’s always something of a treat to see a creator take a big creative risk on a major, mainstream flagship title, and that’s exactly what Brian Bendis does this month.  The entire issue is narrated, heavily, but Uatu the Watcher, with little actual dialogue, by Bendis standards anyway.

When I first realized that this would be the case, I’ll admit that I wasn’t enthused at the prospect of reading a comic with that many words on the page.  Admittedly, it does get a bit exposition-heavy and Uatu’s plot recap early on isn’t the most thrilling, but rest assured, it grows on you.  Over time, Uatu’s narration lends scope and importance to this story.  It makes Bendis’ narrative feel as huge, epic, and vital as it should be.  I mean, they’re battling over the Infinity Gems for crap’s sake!  Amidst all the punching, it’s often easy to forget just how great the stakes are, but Uatu’s solemn role in the comic brings the focus heavily onto that.  His narration also manages to add layers and nuance, essentially going out of his way to tell you exactly why all of this is very, very dangerous.

That’s not to say that there isn’t decent dialogue.  Spider-Man pulls a couple of funny jokes and Bendis throws a jab at Thor’s manner of speaking.  Little bits of humor in a story like this are a surprise, but also welcome.

More than that though, Uatu’s narration allows the comic to speed along at a much brisker pace.  The end result is a comic that is literally a mad-dash all over the world, as the Hood and the Avengers jump from one gem to another.  It lends the race a frantic and exciting pace, and that excitement is something that last month lacked.  In covering more physical ground in one issue, this really does feel like a competition between the Avengers and the Hood where every second counts.

Furthermore, John Romita Jr. helps this along even further by delivering quite possibly his best performance yet on this title.  A couple of his lay-outs are just awesome and his illustrations of the Astral Plane and the gems in action are positively gorgeous, while his action scenes are as fun and dynamic as always.

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 #7 – Review

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

The Story: There’s somebody trying to collect infinity gems, and that can’t be good…

What’s Good: After all the time-traveling hijinks, the is actually a really comforting issue of the Avengers if only because it feels like the series is getting back to basics and, in doing so, it also continues to solidify its identity and tone.  Bendis has things much more under control and the result is an issue that is something of a relieving read.  This is a well-structured comic that hits the right notes.

As the first issue of a new arc, this book is all set-up and as such, functions as a perfect prelude.  There’s a mysterious new bad guy (maybe) who we know nothing about.  Despite this, his quest for the infinity gems and his use of their powers is enough to make him a foreboding figure and a real threat.  I like that Bendis didn’t reveal any of his cards this month, as it made me all the more intrigued to find out what happens next and to learn just who the hell this guy is.  I’m already far more interested in this plotline than I was the previous.  It’s all shrouded in secrecy, but the infinity gems alone are such a collective bogeyman that the issue is all the better for it.  The whole “pissed off Wonder Man” thread is also re-introduced, and it has me as interested as ever, as Simon continues to remind me of a grumpy forum-dweller.

Chaos War #1 – Review

By: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciller), Tom Palmer (inker), Simon Bowland (letterer)

The Story: Hercules returns from a death that never really happened, gets made fun of by the heroes of the Marvel U, fights with them needlessly and then uses his apparent semi-omnipotence to bring them along to fight generic monsters.

What’s Good: Pham and Palmer put some pretty attractive art onto the page. Pham’s got the creativity to make the alien come alive and I’ve always thought that Palmer makes any artist’s work look more fluid. They both create some nice textured effects, especially in the opening scene with the weird backgrounds of Nightmare’s realm. King Chaos’s appearance is very dynamic and Nightmare’s emotive face is almost all we need to tell the story. I’ve never had strong feelings about letterers before, but I really feel this issue would have worked better if Bowland had used invisible ink for this issue; that would have kept the writing from sinking this battleship.

Fantastic Four #571 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Dale Eaglesham (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story: Reed must see both the good and the band, before making the decision of whether or not to join the High Council.

What’s Good: As one of the many Reeds says in one of the strongest conversations of the book, “pretend there is no horizon.”

I think that that line really sums up why this is such an excellent comic book.  It’s insane, it’s ridiculous, and it’s thoroughly impossible, and in so being, it ends up being just what a comic should be.  As I saw dozens of Reeds wandering about, reshaping the universe on a massive scale, battling multiple Silver Surfers, and terraforming planets, I was struck with the enormity and grandiosity of it all.  This book manages to ignore realistic boundaries in ways only a superhero comic can, and it makes the impossible possible in a manner that is pure fun.  Is it taut, intelligent, political intrigue?  No.  But this is the sort of comic that makes you feel like a kid again.

It’s also clear that Hickman has a very solid grip on the characters.  Reed’s internal strife is well depicted and his conversation with Sue is tender; one understands her argument, but Reed is so lovable that it’s impossible for the reader not to forgive him just as Sue does.  Meanwhile, a breakfast conversation between Franklin and Johnny is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as only the FF can.

I also enjoyed seeing the dark side of the High Council, a side that is coldly logical yet incredibly inhumane and unpleasant.  Yet, I appreciated that Hickman doesn’t use this to go the obvious route of making them evil.

That said, returning to the idea of enormity and impossibility, nowhere is this better displayed than in the issue’s ending, which was pure awesome.  It’s great, great cliffhanger that will have you dying for more. This comic is truly all about achieving the extraordinary and operating on a limitless scale.

Meanwhile, Eaglesham has a better outing this month.  His technology looks great, but more than anything, the entire comic has a warm, comforting, and accessible feel to it.  The book feels both awe-inspiring and inviting, friendly even.   Considering some of the massive things Eaglesham’s drawing here, that’s quite a feat.  He also does great work on the facial expressions, being spot-on with his depictions of even the subtlest emotion.

What’s Not So Good: This isn’t really a Fantastic Four book, nor is this looking to be a Fantastic Four arc.  This issue is basically entirely about Reed Richards and his dopplegangers.  The Fantastic Four have one admittedly fun conversation at the breakfast table, but that’s all we see of the team.  Hell, while it was good, that whole scene wasn’t even entirely necessary save to remind us of their presence.

I complained about this last time as well, but Eaglesham also has the annoying superhero artist tendency of making every male character look like a jacked up power-lifter.  Seeing an army of Reeds all looking like linebackers is quite annoying and Johnny looks almost silly, hulking over the breakfast table.

Conclusion: Pure fun and what a comic should be, I’m completely thrilled to be reading the FF again.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Fantastic Four #570 – Review

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

The Story: After fighting a gang of robots in typical FF style, Reed enters the Bridge to meet a “council” of very familiar faces.

What’s Good: As a Fantastic Four comic, Hickman’s first go is generally a success for being 22 pages of pure fun that manages to put a smile on your face.  In other words, it’s exactly how an FF comic should be.  The battle with the robots is flashy and fun, the bad guy sounds suitably crazy, providing the necessary darkness in an otherwise bright comic, and the comic ends with some required inter-dimensional wackiness.

A special mention must go to the first scene of the book.  It truly is an iconic way to begin a run, feeling both intimate and grand. It’s touching, yet it also foreshadows an epic lot of stories to come. Let’s hope Hickman can live up to that promise.

It’s always a test for a writer’s first issue on a venerable series; and it’s good to see that Hickman has a solid handle on the various characters’ voices.  Johnny and Ben maintain their humourous banter (or glum moroseness in the case of Ben), but a special mention must go to the way Hickman handles the kids.  The kids are all too often the victims of poor writing, either sounding mentally handicapped, inappropriately mature, or some bizarre hybrid of the two that just sound off. Hickman passes the test with flying colors.  Franklin sounds like the fun, adventurous kid that he is, while Val definitely sounds too old for her age, but it’s appropriate for her character and Hickman makes sure to point out the oddity of it while maintaining Val’s tone of innocence despite the outrageous maturity of her dialogue. She’s still a kid, just an outrageously smart one.

All told, this is a fun comic that takes a little break from the Dark Reign glumness. It’s nice to see Reed venturing out into alternate Earths and in-between spaces once again. The party he finds on the other side of the bridge is a bit of surreal, almost comedic fun, while the last page reveal promises more cosmic mayhem to come.

What’s Not So Good: While Eaglesham’s art is solid by and large, it needs to be asked: what the hell is up with Reed? When did the lanky scientist become a world-class bodybuilder? This may sound like I’m nitpicking, but it’s really distracting. Seriously, Richards looks way, way too buff.

Despite Eaglesham’s calibre as an artist, I did find some of his action scenes in the early parts of the issue a little hard to follow at points as well. I could tell that the Thing was clobbering a robot, but how and what part of the robot remained a bit of a mystery. I’m not sure if the panels were too small, or what it was exactly, but it was a little hard to decipher.

Also, while the comic is far from unreadable, I do feel as though I would have benefited from reading Hickman’s Dark Reign: Fantastic Four miniseries, which is a little irritating.

Conclusion: A solid and promising start to what will hopefully be nice run.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #2 – Review

By Chris Eliopoulos (Writer), Ig Guara (Pencils), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first issue of Lockjaw & The Pet Avengers was a solid serving of all-ages fun. While the pacing was a bit off (Throg’s drawn out origin hurt the whole book), I found myself impressed by how well the Pet Avengers concept was introduced and put into motion (even if the team assembly stuff was about as generic as it gets).

The Story: Lockjaw and the rest of the Pet Avengers try to locate the Infinity Gem that’s somewhere in the Savage Land. Lucky for them, the noble Zabu, the Saber-toothed tiger, is willing to give them some help. Unlucky for them though is that, at one point, they must deal with the Devil Dinosaur…

What’s Good: The second chapter of Pet Avengers is a great example of an all-ages comic done right. It’s fast, it’s funny, it looks very nice, and it does a lot of cool things with it’s cast of talking Marvel animals. The very best thing about Pet Avengers #2 though, is that it’s absolutely loaded with a personality that every member of the creative team helps to develop.

Chris Eliopoulos once again does a fine job of handling a concept that could easily fall apart because of how silly the whole idea sounds. The second part of the Pet Avengers’ quest to obtain the Infinity Gems is quite funny, but it’s also full of action, adventure, and a sense of importance. Thanks to Eliopoulos’ decision to have the pets feel a sense of duty and responsibility, it’s easier for the reader to have some emotional investment in the story beyond “oh look how cute all those animals are!” (or something like that). Also, Eliopoulos gives each Avenger a distinct voice and that contributes to a team dynamic that is a lot of fun to read about.

As for the visuals, Ig Guara does an outstanding job of giving the animals a wide range of emotion. It goes a long way towards getting the reader to invest in the Pet Avengers’ quest. Guara also creates a number of impressive action sequences that some slam, bang, explosion superhero action to shame. Also, how cool does Throg look?! Special mention must also go to Chris Sotomayor for vibrant color work that does a heck of a lot for the lively tone of Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #2.

What’s Not So Good: Criticizing the latest Pet Avengers comic is both very easy and extremely difficult. It’s easy because the book lacks depth, has a few jokes that fall flat (Poop jokes? Sure they get a laugh out of kids, but c’mon…), and a couple of panels that just look odd (why does it seem like it looks like Hairball is ALWAYS yelling? – If a cat could yell, I mean). It’s difficult because Pet Avengers #2 does exactly what it needs to do extremely well. And also… I really don’t want to sound like a pretentious prick. but it’s obviously not something as deep or complex as something like, Unwritten. But then again, it doesn’t have to be…

Conclusion: I know I’m not going to change any minds that aren’t open to giving Pet Avengers #2 a chance… But it is seriously worth giving a chance. It’s good, mostly clean (remember that there’s poop jokes) fun.

Grade: B+ (on the All-Ages scale)

-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