Dark Avengers #178 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Kev Walker & Declan Shalvey (art), Frank Martin Jr. (colors)

The Story: Invasion of the Dark Avengers!  The Future of the Thunderbolts!

The Review: You have to wonder why, of all the titles Marvel puts out, Dark Avengers now gets a twice monthly release.  It may be a solid series, but it’s not as if there was a huge demographic of readers demanding a double dose of it.  More likely than not, this schedule will keep on so long as the team itself continues to be split in two, requiring two issues to give a month’s worth of sufficient coverage to their exploits.

And while I don’t have any problem with that as a rule, it does feel a bit irritating having to divide your attention between two completely separate plotlines that have seemingly nothing to do with each other.  You really come away from the issue feeling like you’re reading two different titles in one—namely, a respectable Thunderbolts adventure and a just-slightly-north-of-dull Dark Avengers mission.

Dark Avengers #176 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Declan Shalvey (art) Frank Martin Jr. (colors)

The Story: Remember to set your watches forward some million years, everyone!

The Review: No judgments, but I’m a pretty devoted fan of Cougar Town.  Terrible name, isn’t it?  As it so happens, most of the people working on that show agree, especially considering the premise has long evolved from being a show about Courtney Cox chasing after young bucks and turned into one about a bunch of suburbanites doing silly things.  Clearly, Cougar Town doesn’t do a thing to reflect the series anymore, so there’s merit to the idea of changing the name.

Not so here.  Sure, the title has added a few former Dark Avengers to the cast, but the premise of a team of rehabilitated/coerced villains remains the same, as does the tone and main protagonists.  In most everything but name, you have the same book you read two months ago.  The name change, therefore, seems less like an extension of the change in status quo, and more like a craven attempt to cash in on the “Avengers” brand to sell an otherwise cult favorite-type series.

Thunderbolts #173 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Declan Shalvey (art), Frank Martin Jr. (colors)

The Story: Fixer takes self-loathing to a whole new level.

The Review: There are two common paradoxes that nearly always pop up in these time-travel stories.  In one situation, the future folks seemingly alter the past, only to realize their alterations were necessary anyway.  The other mind-boggler is when the future folks meet their past selves, interact with them, and return to the future, realizing their actions in the past were meant to happen—and yet with no memory of ever having met themselves in the past.

The first paradox already popped up in #167, where the Thunderbolts realized by their actions that they were “Jack the Ripper.”  Here, with all this Thunderbolt-on-Thunderbolt action, the second paradox almost has to be in the making, as we have all kinds of interference happening, to the point that Centurius officially declares their history “destroyed.”  They observe, however, that none of them have yet disappeared or been transformed by their meddling, meaning the changes will most likely catch up to them if and when they return to the present.

Thunderbolts #172 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), Chris Sotomayor & Jordie Bellaire (colorists)

The Story: The T-bolts get the opportunity to beat some sense into their younger selves.

The Review: Perhaps way, way back in the sixties, the premise of heroes fighting other heroes was a novel, engaging idea on its face, but now, it just feels like a lazy way to inject some instant tension to the story.  While both of the Big Two publishers do the hero-on-hero thing far more than either ought, Marvel probably edges out DC in this respect.  They do seem to base a significant number of their Big Events on splashy “civil wars” within the superhero community.

What’s frustrating about these conflicts is there’s little to say about them other than point out some of the more interesting match-ups and maybe, if you’re lucky, discuss the motivating spark that sets off all the infighting.  In this case, the “present” Thunderbolts (for lack of a better description) fight the “past” Thunderbolts (ditto) because of course the thing to do when you encounter your parallel self is to try to beat them down or blast them apart.

Not to say the issue is bad, per se.  There are a couple interesting moments, like present Boomerang raiding his old stash, thereby leaving past Boomerang in the lurch and vulnerable to arrest.  You have a rather grim pause where Fixer recognizes a spot where he’ll one day return again, “[w]ith a sword through me.”  You can also bet Moonstone drawing off her younger self for an intimate chat will probably lead to some paradoxical time-travel nuttiness.

Dark Avengers #12 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato & Greg Horn (art), Rain Beredo (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Victoria Hand tries to negotiate with Molecule Man.

What’s Good: Much of what made last month’s issue good is furthered this month.  Molecule Man in particular continues to be written well by Bendis.  He’s a bizarre concoction of social ineptitude that ends up sounding oddly child-like.  At times, he sounds innocent in his inability to converse, and at other times, he’s violently petulant.

Once again though, the real star is Victoria Hand. Bendis has made the most of what may appear to be a “filler arc” by using it to make a fully developed character out of her.  Bendis thrusts her into the middle of the action this month and we see her slowly settling into a leadership role and using her natural intelligence to get by.  Nonetheless, Bendis makes it clear that this is new territory for the character; she stutters during her negotiations with Reese, despite her tactics being sound.  The real moment this month for Hand, though, comes with her finally standing up to Osborn and asserting herself.  She makes demands of Osborn and becomes the first character to actually force Osborn to face up to his limitations and his history.  The fact that Bendis has given the up till now characterless Hand the personality to make this  believable in just a couple of issues is testament to his success with the character this month.

Ms. Marvel #46 – Review

by Brian Reed (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Ms. Marvel #46 marks the end of the War of the Marvels arc. While it’s been decent, I have my doubts about whether Brian Reed can pull his strange story together well enough to make it all worth it.

The Story: Catherine Donovan finds herself trapped within Karla Sofen’s mind as Carol Danvers beats the hell out of the mentally disconnected Ms. Marvel.

What’s Good: The conclusion to the War of the Marvels arc features Sana Takeda’s best Ms. Marvel work to date. From the character work and level of emotion on display to the action that manages to be surreal at certain times and hard-hitting at others, Takeda proves that she’s finally gotten the superhero comic stuff down pat. In Ms. Marvel #46, the large panels and characters look fantastic, the two full page scenes are striking, and the storytelling does an admirable job of making sense of a script that’s, to put it lightly, something of a mess. Also worth mentioning is how Takeda’s colors are rich and deep, yet incredibly vibrant at just the right times. It’s especially noticeable when powers are being used throughout the book. In those scenes and the two full-page shots, Takeda’s color choices really shine.

Notice how I lead off the “What’s Good” section by talking about the artwork? That’s because there’s only a couple of good things about the final chapter of the War of the Marvels as far as the story is concerned. In order to talk about those good things, however, I have to read into spoiler territory. So…consider this your SPOILER ALERT!!

The first good thing Brian Reed does by the time The War of the Marvels wraps up is reestablish Carol Danvers as not only a badass, but also a true hero. While the conclusion of the story is a bit heavy-handed, it leaves Karla Sofen in a rather interesting place. I just hope it doesn’t lead Sofen down the road to being a hero, because her attitude and deviousness makes her one of my favorite female villains. Another good thing that Reed does is having Danvers put Sofen in her place. Having them fight as equals worked early on considering the story, but I’m glad that it’s eventually established that Moonstone is no Ms. Marvel.

What’s Not So Good: I’m a fan of Ms. Marvel. I’m a fan of Brian Reed. Hell, I’m even a fan of the story that Reed has been telling with the War of the Marvels arc. Regardless though, I cannot possibly act as though the conclusion of War of the Marvels is, in any way, satisfying. While Reed reestablishes Carol Danvers well enough (which I assume was his ultimate goal from the start), so much is left unexplained that, even after reading it three times, I still can’t figure out just what the hell actually happens throughout most of Ms. Marvel #46. Storyteller fetuses, gooey chairs, a cat, Catherine Donovan, and then…Moonstone? While it’s entirely possible that the story will make more sense in the near future when Reed finally gets around to…you know…finishing his story/explaining what exactly happened to Danvers, I doubt that’s going to happen in Ms. Marvel #47 considering that all the ads seem to hyping the date Ms. Marvel owes Spider-Man.

Conclusion: It looks pretty great, but looks can only get a comic so far. Good luck figuring out what’s going on in Ms. Marvel #46. Feel free to educate me if you think you’ve got the War of the Marvels all sorted out.

Grade: D+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #45 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Philippe Briones (Artist), and Ikari Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The War of the Marvels has been entertaining enough so far, but a part of me wishes that Brian Reed had let Karla Sofen truly take over the series for a couple more issues.

The Story: Karla Sofen and Carol Danvers throw down one more time. Meanwhile, Catherine Donovan tries to figure out just what the hell is going on as her physical abilities amplify depending on the situation.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Ms. Marvel #45 is all about two things: The mystery that surrounds Catherine Donovan and the fight between the Marvels. Both parts have some positives, but unfortunately, they also have some pretty big negatives that threaten to overpower the good stuff. Allow me to explain.

As the War of the Marvels begins to draw to a close, Brian Reed throws in a twist that is sure to divide his audience. On the surface, it seems like a huge deus ex machina. And while it could definitely be considered to be one, it does sort of work in a strange way because it brings some dangling plot threads back to the forefront. The main problem is that the Catherine Donovan reveal is so weird, so bizarre that it’s pretty hard to really accept. That, my friends, is why the deus ex machina charge holds weight.

The big fight scene is something of a mess. While I like Philippe Briones style and the unique color work by Ikari Studios, the fight, as a whole, is poorly executed. Body proportions seem out of whack, faces are inconsistent, and the various poses do not tell the story or flow of the battle all that well. In addition, the banter written by Brian Reed just isn’t up to par. While some of it is enjoyable, it makes you think that Reed might be running out of banter dialogue (“fat Ms. Marvel” – Really?!).

Truth be told, the artwork is actually problematic throughout the entire comic. And for the same reasons it’s problematic during the action scenes. That said, it’s not all bad. Briones delivers one hell of a cool Iron Patriot and there is an impressive level of detail to a few scenes.

Conclusion: Ms. Marvel #45 is the weakest chapter of the War of the Marvels so far. The twist is something of a “wtf” moment and the artwork, though it has its merits, is pretty rough.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #44 (War of the Marvels) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: While the artist changes are quite annoying, The War of the Marvels has been pretty interesting so far. I just hope that Brian Reed pulls it all together because, let’s face it, the series has been a bit odd since Karla Sofen took over the Ms. Marvel name.

The Story: Carol Danvers (the real Ms. Marvel) is in custody… Sr is she? And who is Catherine Donovan?

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: The latest chapter in the War of the Marvels arc is, quite frankly, a lot like the others. That’s a good thing in the sense that it means that the twisting story continues to intrigue. But that’s a bad thing in the sense that the story continues to be pretty strange and a problem for something like New Avengers, which features Carol Danvers rather prominently.

If taken as though it’s taking place in a continuity-less vacuum, Brian Reed’s War of the Marvels storyline is pretty cool, especially the stuff that takes place in Ms. Marvel #44. “Dark” Ms. Marvel (Karla Sofen) is given a number of great lines (“I hit her in the face with a car. Repeatedly.”), the Carol Danvers/Catherine Donovan gets a bit crazier, and Ms. Marvel (both of them) continues to get re-established as one of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe as far as power level is concerned. I’m pleased with all that.

What I’m not pleased with is how it seems as though nothing really fits in with everything else going on in the Marvel U. When is the story actually taking place? Who’s with the New Avengers? Shouldn’t Wolverine been able to tell something was up when he was around? I have questions (more than I’ve ever had about the series) and needless to say, I’m beginning to think that they aren’t going to be addressed. I know I may be sounding like the worst kind of comic fan here, but the continuity issues are really distracting because the War of the Marvels doesn’t really seem to “fit” anywhere comfortably. Now with that off of my chest…

The artwork by Sana Takeda in Ms. Marvel #44, while not for everyone, is quite stunning most of the time and makes quite an impression (especially the full page images). The colors are lush, the action is well executed, and the character work is pretty impressive (the Marvels are very attractive and the Iron Patriot armor looks awesome). I did say “most of the time” for a reason, however. A few panels look quite “off” (the pumpkin bomb to the face for example) and a few faces are downright ugly (Osborn’s and Catherine Donovan’s at times). Also, I absolutely have to mention how ridiculous the breasts given to the TITular Marvels look. I don’t care how powerful they are… They shouldn’t even be able to walk with those things…

Conclusion: Ms. Marvel #44 scores the grade it does because the positives barely outweigh the negatives. The artwork, while absolutely worth checking out (it makes one hell of a first impression), is a bit flawed and the story, while interesting and full of action, is problematic from a continuity standpoint.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #43 (War of the Marvels) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Sergio Arino (Art), and Ikari Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The War of the Marvels has gotten off to a pretty good start. As long as things don’t get too convoluted (as has happened with a Ms. Marvel story or two in the past), the War could go down as one of the better arcs of the series.

The Story: Norman Osborn tries to figure out who keeps attacking his secret Goblin weapon caches. Spider-Man tries to figure out what’s up with the no longer deceased Ms. Marvel. Meanwhile, a woman named Catherine Donovan tries to make sense of her recent thoughts…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: One of the best things about the latest chapter in the War of the Marvels is that it’s clear that Brian Reed is building toward, well, something. While a lot of the plot elements are a bit vague at this point and things seem to be moving rather slowly, there’s a general…weirdness…to the storyline that, surprisingly, works in it’s favor. By the time I had finished reading Ms. Marvel #43, my head was swirling with questions: What’s the deal with Ms. Marvel’s ‘tude? What’s the deal with Catherine Donovan? Is Reed’s story eventually going to make sense?

In short, Brian Reed’s dialogue and storytelling choices have me hooked. Am I entirely optimistic about the story because of that? Well, no. The “Ascension” arc left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth because it got too convoluted for its own good, and simply put, I worry that the War of the Marvels will do the same.

Sergio Arino’s artwork in Ms. Marvel #43 is pretty slick. It looks significantly better than the artwork done for Ms. Marvel #41, so much so that I can say that nearly every complaint I had has been addressed in some way. The unique color work by Ikari Studios, while occasionally a bit overpowering, is far more complimentary than the work done by Emily Warren and Christina Strain. In addition, Ms. Marvel is drawn much more consistently. My only real complaint about the artwork is that Arino’s characters tend to have a pose-heavy stiffness about them that is noticeable in a number of panels.

Conclusion: It’s a bit too early to say whether Ms. Marvel readers will be the winners after The War of the Marvels is over. It could go either way at this point and Ms. Marvel #43 does little to make me think otherwise.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #42 (War of the Marvels) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: For as much as I’ve enjoyed the last few issues of Ms. Marvel, I’m more than ready for the War of the Marvels to be over.

The Story: Ms. Marvel battles Ms. Marvel throughout Los Angeles. There’s lots of violence and trash talk.

What’s Good: As an all-out action comic, Ms. Marvel #42 is a hell of a lot of fun. The catfight between the two Ms. Marvels is surprisingly brutal, visually engaging, and full of the type of trash talk that makes superhero fights so entertaining. Also worth noting is how Brian Reed and Sana Takeda successfully give the battle a true sense of scale by having Karla and Carol punch, kick, and blast through a number of locations. It seems like there isn’t a place in L.A. that is safe from the two Ms. Marvels.

What’s Not So Good: While Sana Takeda’s work is quite stunning most of the time, it occasionally looks cluttered and confusing. Simply put, there is far too much going on in certain panels. Couple that with the fact that some panels are oddly shaped and you have a situation that breaks the flow of the action in a way that proves to be quite distracting.

My biggest complaint about the writing is that the trash talk heads into “camp” territory far too often. It’s fun in small doses, but small doses is not what Brian Reed delivers. Try not to roll your eyes at some of the dialogue. I dare you!

Conclusion: Ms. Marvel #42 is all about two blondes in LA, talking smack while trading blows throughout the city. There really isn’t much more to it than that. Sound like your cup of tea? Then be sure to check it out.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #40 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Sana Takeda (Artist), Luke Ross (Pencils on pgs. 1-3 & 17-22), and Rob Schwager (Colors on pgs. 1-3 & 17-22)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been enjoying the new direction of Ms. Marvel a whole lot. It’s a nice blend of new and old that works far better than anyone could have expected. While I’m not so sure about how Brian Reed is setting up the future of his series, I’ll let things play out a bit longer before I really make a final decision on it…

The Story: Deadpool gets hired by A.I.M. to retrieve the “storyteller” babies that Karla Sofen (the current Ms. Marvel) got control of in the last issue. Meanwhile, the mysterious glowing figure battles Ms. Marvel and a few of the other Dark Avengers for control of the babies.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: In the latest issue of Ms. Marvel, Brian Reed keeps the series moving at a breakneck pace. While the odd storyline is pushed to the side in favor of explosive action and character work that should help people become more familiar with the current Ms. Marvel, there’s still enough plot development to keep it from being completely overwhelmed by all the punching, flying, and energy blasting. Oh, and for those of you wondering, Deadpool, Spidey, and Wolverine actually serve something of a purpose, are well written, and aren’t simply tacked on for the sake of selling a few more books (though I’m not sure I’d call any of the guest stars truly necessary to the plot).

The visuals in Ms. Marvel #40 look pretty great all around. That said, it’s incredibly jarring to go from Luke Ross and Rob Schwager to Sana Takeda and then back to the first art team. Ross’ style could not be more different from Takeda’s and, as a result, the latest issue of Ms. Marvel never feels like a cohesive package.

Luke Ross handles all of the Deadpool, Spider-Man, and Wolverine stuff. His Spider-Man is fantastic, though his Deadpool, while expressive, looks a bit off. As for the Wolverine scene, Ross handles “He who appears far too much” rather well, even if the action of the scene seems a bit tame compared to what’s seen earlier in the book.

Sana Takeda once again makes Ms. Marvel feel unlike anything else that Marvel puts out. Her style is lush, rich, beautiful, and well suited to the type of action that Ms. Marvel delivers. Sure, her style isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely something I’m a fan of.

Now even though I’m a big fan, that doesn’t mean that I can ignore some of the flaws of Takeda’s work. My biggest complaint is that the some of the action is too explosive for its own good. It makes pages feel rather cluttered and panel progression more difficult to follow than it should be. Also, what’s with Ms. Marvel’s breasts getting larger as the pages go by?

Conclusion: Be sure to give Ms. Marvel #40 a shot. It looks mighty fine, advances an interesting story, and gives Karla Sofen the spotlight the character deserves.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #39 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I became a fan of Karla Sofen (Moonstone) back when she was part of the Thunderbolts, so it’s nice to see her finally playing a larger role in the Marvel universe.

The Story: Ms. Marvel stops a meteor from crashing to earth and then reports to Norman Osborn about her assignment involving the terrorist group A.I.M. As it turns out, the reported events and the actual events are quite different from each other. Also, a mysterious being appears, speaking an alien language…

What’s Good: I’ve got to hand it to for Brian Reed for successfully weaving the stories of Carol Danvers into the life of the new Ms. Marvel. What Karla uncovers during her investigation into A.I.M. pulls a number of elements from Ms. Marvel’s recent past into the present in a way that creates an interesting scenario for the series as it moves forward. While the story being developed is, admittedly, pretty strange, I think it’s something that will prove quite entertaining; considering Karla’s villainous past and the position she currently holds.

Another thing worth mentioning is how effective Reed’s storytelling style is throughout the issue. By using the mission report to Osborn as a framing device, Reed adds a bit more to Sofen’s personality and devious nature. She does things for her own reasons, yet knows how her current situation forces her to act a certain way. It creates certain “character study” moments that elevate the book as whole.

The artwork can’t really be considered to be anything but divisive. While I personally like Sana Takeda’s manga/anime style (hence, it’s in the “What’s Good” section), I’m well aware that some people are going to be instantly turned off by it. That said, there’s no denying how great some of the panels and pages look. The page showing A.I.M.’s meteor crashing to earth is absolutely stunning. Also, I think Takeda’s artwork goes a long way towards helping Ms. Marvel #39 stand out from the Marvel pack. There simply isn’t any other Marvel book that looks like it does.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I like Sana Takeda’s work, the smaller panels look quite weak. They seem oversimplified, rushed, and absolutely dominated by the colors. Thankfully, the number of small panels is kept to a minimum and does little to hurt an otherwise good looking book.

An additional “Not So Good” thing is how quickly Brian Reed moves into combing the old Ms. Marvel with the new. Another issue or two to establish Karla Sofen as both a character and as the new Ms. Marvel would probably have added a bit more depth to the series.

Conclusion: I’m definitely a fan of the new Ms. Marvel. Karla Sofen adds a lot to the series, as does Brian Reed’s intriguing storyline.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel #38 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Rebekah Isaacs (Art), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With Carol Danvers seemingly dead due to a power overload, Karla Sofen (A.K.A. Moonstone) becomes the new Ms. Marvel. It’ll be interesting to see what the change in the status quo will do to the series as a whole. One things for sure and that’s that an edgier Ms. Marvel could prove to be just the shot in the arm the series needs after the somewhat disappointing “Ascension” arc.

The Story: After doing a little bit of public relations work by stopping a robbery, the new Ms. Marvel heads back to Avengers Tower to find that she is scheduled for a psychological evaluation as part of her status as an Avenger. As it turns out, the mysterious Dr. Wright isn’t all that he seems. And it may cost Karla her life…

What’s Good: Ms. Marvel #38 works in just about every way. More character study than anything else, it does a nice job of introducing Karla Sofen as a character (for those unfamiliar with her past) and gives readers a sneak peak at what type of Ms. Marvel the villain formerly known as Moonstone will be. The psychic evaluation proves to be a perfect opportunity for writer Brian Reed to quickly establish Sofen’s past, personality, and intelligence in a way that fits seamlessly into an effective one-and-done story. A strong one-and-done story that is made even better by solid, attractive visuals courtesy of Rebekah Isaacs and Chris Sotomayor.

What’s Not So Good: Even though I do like the artwork, I have to mention that the cartoony style doesn’t really fit the tone of the book all that well. Both the storyline and lead character are dark enough to make you wonder why the comic looks like it does. A gritty, more moody style would probably have made more of an impact.

Conclusion: I highly recommend checking out Ms. Marvel #38. It’s a fresh start for a series that deserves a few more readers and makes for a great jump on point.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny