Secret Origins #1 – Review

By: Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, and Tony Bedard (writers); Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, and Paulo Siqueira (pencils), Sandra Hope, Lee Weeks, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, and Hi-Fi (inks), Dave McCaig, John Kalisz, and Hi-Fi (colors)

The Review: When the New 52 launched two and a half years ago two of the biggest complaints I remember hearing were the disinterest in seeing the heroes’ origins replayed once again and the surprise and outrage when the comics did not provide origin stories. People were expecting new The Man of Steel’s and Batman: Year Ones. The fans wanted to see how their icons had changed, what justified this new continuity, while others worried that new readers would struggle without the origin stories.

Well, it certainly took them long enough, but the release of Secret Origins #1 this week finally answers those concerns.

For an impressive $5.00 price tag, readers get three twelve-page stories from the writers currently handling the characters. I’m not sure that such a hefty price will endear this series to new or lapsed comic readers, but I suppose what really matters is how well it justifies that price point.

The first story, quite appropriately, is Superman’s, penned by Action Comics and Batman/Superman scribe Greg Pak. While there isn’t that much changed from the traditional tale of Krypton’s demise, and certainly nothing secret, Pak’s tale sets itself apart through its perspective. Written from the point of view of Superman’s two moms – wouldn’t that have been an interesting twist? – Pak creates a believable, non-sappy story that pins down the essential value of our ‘Man of Tomorrow’ as love.

Given that Pak is handling the part of the story that Clark can’t tell himself, I think it was a very wise choice to focus on Martha Kent and Lara Van-El. Particularly with Man of Steel still fresh in our minds, and the original Superman (1978) before it, it’s not hard to make the argument that Jor-El has often eclipsed his fellow Kryptonians, and occasionally even his son. Likewise, I think that many stories spend a lot of time focused on Jonathan Kent in Clark’s boyhood. By focusing on the women in Clark’s life, Pak presents a new look at this classic tale.

Amazing Spider-Man #629 – Review

By: Roger Stern (writer), Lee Weeks (art), Dean White (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)  Back-up story: Zeb Wells (writer), Chris Bachalo (art) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The three-way brawl between Spider-Man, Juggernaut, and Captain Universe comes to its dramatic conclusion!

What’s good: Lee Weeks does a very nice job on the art in this issue.  It isn’t “art-of-the-week” quality, but Spidey can be a tricky character to draw well (esp. the legs for some reason).  It is a bit of a different style than some of the other recent Spider-Man artists (Azaceta, Pulido, etc.) but it works really well and I like how the style shifts back and forth with the flashback scenes.

From a story standpoint, there isn’t a lot to cheer (as you’ll see below).  I was honestly yawning my way through this issue when…..[SPOILER]……..the Enigma Force took over Juggernaut.  That was probably the coolest thing; seeing Juggernaut come out looking all shiny and silver and wondering what he was going to do next.

What’s Not So good: For a story that started out with so much potential (mixing Juggernaut, a cosmic entity, and Spider-man), Stern sure didn’t do much with the ingredients here at the end.  For one thing, Spider-Man doesn’t get to do much of anything.  He mostly stands around yelling at Captain Universe and Juggernaut to stop fighting because we should all be using our powers to better the conditions of those less fortunate.  “We have responsibility dammit!”  And, the big “scary” thing in this issue was an earthquake.  Yep, an earthquake in Manhattan… That’s it! And that’s why I’m disappointed. 

Amazing Spider-Man #628 – Review

By: Main Story: Roger Stern (writer), Lee Weeks (art), Dean White (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters); Back-up Story: Mark Waid & Tom Peyer (writers), Todd Nauck (art), Andres Mossa (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: Spidey tries to save Juggernaut (of all people) from the new Captain Universe, meanwhile in the back-up story, Peter’s attempts to resolve his employment issues are thwarted by an untimely villain.

What’s Good: I’ve always loved Spidey versus cosmic entities! One of my favorite Spider-Man arcs when I was a kid was in ASM 269/270 when Spidey faced off against Firelord.  This was during a phase when Marvel (via Secret Wars) was showing that “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” could hold his own against the meanest and baddest folks in the Marvel U.

Thus, I was excited when Captain Universe was revealed at the end of ASM #627.  As if Spidey + cosmic entity wasn’t enough, this issue also features Juggernaut (one of my favorites), so this issue was just a bundle of goodness.  The big questions are: “Who is the new Captain Universe?” and “Why is he trying to kill Juggernaut?” I’m fairly sure Captain U’s alter-ego will be someone known to us, but I can’t wait to find out who he is.  I would also love it if he somehow crossed over into the Marvel Cosmic titles, but that might be too much to hope for.

Amazing Spider-Man #627 – Review

by Roger Stern (writer), Lee Weeks (artist), Clem Robins (inks), Jeff Parker (colors)

The Story: Spidey’s dinner with just-friend (or is she?) Carlie Cooper is interrupted by the Juggernaut being thrown across the NYC skyline and crashing down in Central Park, unconscious.  His investigation into what or who could have possibly stopped the Juggernaut eventually brings him face to face with the costumed individual responsible (and it’s a costume Spidey has some history with).

What’s Good: Stern returns to the pages of our Friendly Neighborhood Wall-Crawler with ease, slipping in as if he’d never left.  The scribe even finds time to organically summarize Spidey’s origin in the first-page narration, making the “Previously on Spidey” page before it superfluous.  Before we can even say “webs,” our hero is already knee-deep in intrigue as he discovers the downed Cain Marko.  This issue went so effortlessly from point-of-interest to point-of-interest that it should really be classroom material for any newbie writer who wants to learn how to kick off a story.  I mean, the guy even makes a page-and-a-half recounting of every Spidey/Juggs fight entertaining!  Kudos also to the Marvel-style common sense showcased in Spidey’s thinking.  If you’ve got a Juggernaut problem, who you gonna call?  Ghos -!  Er, I mean, Professor X and Doc Strange, of course.  Sure, he doesn’t actually get a hold of the resident experts on all things Juggy (It is Spidey’s mag, after all) but the effort is appreciated by this reviewer, as is the inclusion of the NYPD’s Code Blue squad.  Of course they’d be called in for something like this.  It’s nice to see continuity addressed and addressed well.

Lee Weeks.  Ah, what can I say that isn’t perfectly obvious any time someone reads something you’ve penciled?  Should I mention that you’re a consummate draftsman that knows how to tell a story clearly and dynamically?  How about that you’re solidly dependable, always showing up on a title and never affecting the quality, except in the positive?  Shall I tell the readers that your Juggernaut, even unconscious as he is most of the issue, looks incredibly imposing?  The villain as drawn by you really looks like he weighs half-a-ton.  And your Spidey?  As lithe and heroic as ever.  You know, Lee, I’m at a loss at where to begin.

Mighty Avengers #20 – Review

By Brian Bendis (writer) , Lee Weeks, Jim Cheung, and Carlo Paglayan (artists), Jeffrey Huet (inks), Dean White and Jason Keith (colorists)

The Story: Serving as the Secret Invasion epilogue, Mighty Avengers #20 closes the book on the current Avengers team and follows Hank Pym as he deals with the loss of The Wasp. Readers are treated to a series of flashbacks and backstory as Hank gets caught up to speed on the events that have transpired since his capture. The story also follows his continuing journey leading up to Janet’s funeral.

What’s Good? The four big splash pages by Jim Cheung are hauntingly beautiful and poster worthy.

What’s Not So Good? With the exception of Hank lashing out at Tony Stark and the brief confrontation with Norman Osborn in the closing pages, everything in this issue is a rehash of crap we’ve seen before. Sure, I love Jimmy Cheung’s four splash pages, but they’re completely unnecessary in a book like this. Hell, they could have been compressed down to one splash page, but nope, we get four pinups over story.

The issue stumbles along trying to make us feel sorry for Ant Man. And it doesn’t work because A) Ant Man’s a jerk B) The Wasp hasn’t been a relevant character in decades and C) No corpse means she’ll be back any day now. At least with Captain America’s death it was noble and treated with the utmost respect (and we had a body to see). Here? It’s empty (pun intended).

Conclusion: Read it at your comic store and use your $2.99 on another book.

Grade: F

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Man #580 – Review

By Roger Stern (story), Lee Weeks (art), Dean White (colors)

The Story: Hailing back from West Coast Avengers #2 comes The Blank — a villain who loves to rob armored cars and banks, and has the ability to deflect Spidey’s webs. With Aunt May caught in the crossfire in one of The Blank’s robberies, Peter takes it upon himself to track down this elusive thief and bring him to justice.

What’s Good? The return of Roger Stern to Amazing Spider-Man has been a long time coming. As a stand alone story, it’s a classic Spider-Man tale that follows the formula we’ve seen for years. Despite that, Stern makes it fun and entertaining throughout and it’s sure to evoke fond memories of older Spider-Man stories when life was more simple.

I’ve been dying for Lee Week’s to do Spider-Man issue and his art perfectly matches the story. With great attention to detail and that old school Marvel style, the only thing that kept it from feeling like an early 1980s book was the colors by Dean White (which were excellent, by the way). Fantastic visual storytelling.

What’s Not So Good? Roger Stern’s return is limited to just this issue! I think it’s great that Marvel’s bringing back icons like Stern and Weeks to Spider-Man, but we need longer runs. This isn’t just about nostalgia, this is about classy teams who get the character and know how to tell a good story. Give us more!

Conclusion: A fun Roger Stern vehicle that’s reminiscent of classic Spider-Man stories of years past. If that’s not enough buy this for Lee Week’s gorgeous art.

Grade: B

– J. Montes

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? #1 – A Review

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? is an anthology, gathering together vignettes that concern the Secret Invasion, but didn’t fit in any of the regular books. As anthologies have always been since the first publisher crawled from the Precambrian sea, it’s an uneven mix—with A-listers, B-listers, and some folks I didn’t think were on any list at all.

Going from worst to best (IMHO):

Marvel Boy: Master of the Cube by Zeb Wells (Writer) and Steve Kurth & Drew Hennessey (Artists)
Who is this guy? Seriously. I first encountered him in the Young Avengers/Runaways miniseries. I didn’t like him then, and this story gives me no reason to reassess my opinion. For a character with the stupidest name and the ugliest costume in the Marvel Universe, he sure has a more-badass-than-thou attitude. The Skrulls invade the superhuman detention center—the Cube—that Marvel Boy has taken over, and Marvel Boy fights back. That’s the whole story.

Agents of ATLAS: The Resistance by Jeff Parker (Writer) and Leonard Kirk & Karl Kesel (Artists)
The 1950’s Avengers versus the Skrulls. A minor skirmish, but I enjoyed the contrast of these stupid old characters in a desperate modern setting. The best thing about this story is that the Agents hand the aliens their heads (in one case, literally). With the rest of the Marvel superheroes getting their asses kicked right now, it’s a nice change of pace.

Agent Brand: In Plain Sight by Mike Carey (Writer) and Timothy Green III (Artist)
This is a relatively subtle piece, one that requires a little thought… and when you think, you remember that the Trojan Horse is from the Odyssey, not the Iliad… but no matter. Like Hawkeye, I dig a woman with green hair and lips. Agent Brand, agent of SWORD, is assigned to the Peak, to watch over the various alien ambassadors stationed there, and she knows something is up with that shifty Skrull, but she just can’t figure out what it is. Until, of course, it’s too late.

Captain Marvel: Farewell by Brian Reed (Writer) and Lee Weeks (Artist)
This story is basically a bridge to the Secret Invasion from the Captain Marvel miniseries, and it has the same feel, the same moral ambiguity. Captain Marvel (who, as we learned in the mini-series, is actually just a Skrull who thinks he’s Captain Marvel) tells the Skrull army he wants to help their invasion by taking on the Thunderbolts. What are his real motivations? Does he want to do the right thing? And even if his intentions are good, will he end up making things better, or worse?

Wonder Man and the Beast: Seems Like Old Times by Christos N. Gage (Writer) and Mike Perkins (Artist)
This one harkens way back to when David Michelinie was writing the Avengers. During the Skrull/Avenger/dinosaur fight, Wonder Man and the Beast are separated from the others, and have to fight their way out of a cave filled with King-Kong-style giant insects. The problem is, it’s the modern Wonder Man, but the old, pointy-haired, devil-may-care Beast from the 80’s, and either one of them could be a Skrull. While the Beast takes this all in stride, Wonder Man’s discomfort is apparent from the beginning. He misses his old buddy, but he can’t trust him. Unlike most of the others in this anthology, this story doesn’t lead into anything bigger. It just takes two interesting characters and puts them in a unique situation that causes them to play off one another. Which is what every good vignette should do.

(Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Captain America By Ed Brubaker Omnibus Vol.1 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (Writer), Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Michael Lark, John Paul Leon, Tom Palmer, Javier Pulido, Marcos Martin, Lee Weeks, Stefano Gaudiano, Rick Holberg, and Jesse Delperdang (Artists), and Frank D’Armata, Javier Rodriguez, and Matt Milla (Colors)

This is an absolute necessary collection for anyone who is currently reading Captain America. I’ll admit, I fall into the category of readers who jumped on the series around Civil War. Having only read those issues, I knew where this big tome of story would end up: Captain America dead, and Bucky back from the dead. Despite knowing exactly how it would end, the story found in this omnibus not only kept me enthralled, but several times it kept me on the edge of my seat. Ed Brubaker is a master storyteller, and I can see why his run is already being heralded one the best in Cap’s history.

The story contained within is very personal. We get to look into the life and mind of Steve Rogers, as well of several of the supporting cast members. Knowing that the Winter Soldier would end up being Bucky, it was painful and poignant to see Steve Rogers discover this for himself. Through Brubaker’s clever use of flashbacks, we also get to see the great dynamic that developed between these two partners as they fought together in World War II. Where Bucky’s return as a brainwashed Russian agent brings sadness into the life of Steve Rogers, we get to witness the development of his rekindled relationship with Sharon Carter. This relationship brings Cap rare moments of fulfillment.

Of course, the brilliant characterization is not just limited to the good guys. On the villainous side of things, we get several displays of genius, treachery, and just pure evil on the parts of both Aleksander Lukin and the Red Skull (along with their minions.) Fans of bad guy romance even get appeased as the relationship between Crossbones and Sin develops.

The characterization is only half of what makes the story so good. The other half is tons of action. In fact, this story has some of the best action I’ve seen in comics. Whether it is Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, or any of the other artists who contributed to this book, the action they bring to these issues is dynamic, cinematic, and just plain stunning to look at. Stuff likes this leaves me hoping that the Captain America movie will be popular enough just so this storyline can be adapted to the bring screen.

I realize this is a pretty expensive book to buy ($74.99 for 25 issues of story), but any current fan of Captain America who hasn’t read these stories needs to pick this up just to appreciate who the old Captain America was, who the new Captain America is, and just how genius the Red Skull has been in the implementation of his diabolical plan. If you want a money saving tip, save up, and buy it used on eBay (that is what I had to do), or buy it from a store like DCBS. It’s definitely worth your money. (Grade: A+)

-M. Staples

Captain Marvel #5 (of 5) – Review

By Brian Reed (writer), Lee Weeks (pencils), Desse Delperdang (inks), Matt Milla (colors)

Spoiler Alert

I normally do not like to include big reveals or spoilers in my reviews, but dangit, Captain Marvel #5 is almost impossible to review without doing otherwise. So, for those of you who don’t want to know what happened, stop reading now.

This mini-series has turned out to be one heck of a surprise. What started out as an epilogue of sorts to Civil War gradually morphed into the prologue to Secret Invasion. It’s really the only bridge that’s bound both events together (in a short span of time), and I’ll say, it’s been done masterfully by Brian Reed and Lee Weeks. When this series began, it started at a simmer and as each issue passed, the fire got hotter. Well, with issue #5, we now have a story that can’t be ignored. People are talking about this series and this issue – and for good reason.

Captain Marvel is a Skrull. There, I said it. You happy?

Of course, it’s been eluded to for a couple of issues now, but with this final issue we see what’s happened and how he became who he is. Skrull scientists locked down his form using the original Captain Marvel’s DNA. They also spent an enormous amount of resources recreating his Nega Bands. But when they committed a fatal flaw during the reprogramming of his mind, this Mar-Vell Skrull kept his sense of purpose. For all intents, he believes himself to be Mar-Vell, despite knowing the truth. And it’s very interesting how this dynamic plays out.

Part of me wanted Mar-Vell to revert to his Skrull ways and become a villain, but the direction Brian Reed went – keeping him a symbol of peace on Earth – was much more satisfying. The conclusion of this book was equally as satisfying, giving us resolution to the Church of Hala and the supporting characters. Its open-endedness will undoubtedly echo for some time to come, perhaps giving way for another “Return”. I’m sad to see this series end, but somehow I know we haven’t seen the last of Mar-Vell. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Captain Marvel #4 (of 5) – Review

By Brian Reed (writer), Lee Weeks (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano (inks), Jason Keith (colors)

This Captain Marvel mini-series is probably one of the best kept secrets of the year. I realize it’s now getting more attention, with its Secret Invasion tie-in, but it’s not just  relationship it shares with Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster that makes it so worthy, it’s the entire package. Lee Week’s art consistently dazzles the eye each issue, and Brian Reed does an excellent job juggling the various themes that make up this series. And this latest issue is no exception.

If you’re expecting Captain Marvel to be revealed as a Skrull, prepare to be disappointed. Reed does a nice job dancing around the idea, but doesn’t show us his hand just yet. Instead, we’re shown how Mar-Vell and Tony Stark react to this newly found (possible) revelation. On the other end of the spectrum, things finally come to a head with the Church of Hala. It almost seems too easy and predictable that Reed would give us the “evil cult gone bad” routine. But I gotta say, what he does with the Church in this issue is a nice twist – and an eye opener.

With one issue left in this series, I’m very, very eager to see how things will end. There’s still a lot left to be answered, so I hope we don’t get some kind of “To be continued in Secret Invasion” cliffhanger. I’ve never read a Captain Marvel comic before this series, so in my humble opinion, what Brian Reed and Lee Weeks have done with this series speaks volumes. Oh, and the variant cover by Terry Dodson is to die for.  (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes

Captain Marvel #3 (of 5) – Review

By Brian Reed (writer), Lee Weeks (pencils), Stefano Guadiano with Butch Guice (inks), Jason Keith (colors)

This issue picks up with a battalion of Kree soldiers on the SHIELD Helicarrier deck ready to attack Captain Marvel. Iron Man does his standard warning spiel, but it’s no use. A fight breaks out and the twist comes when the two men realize these aren’t Kree soldiers – they’re Skrulls!

The story then gets back it’s more intriguing subplot, the Church of Hala – an organization (or cult), that’s been on the rise since Captain Marvel’s return. They see him as a god of sorts, and it’s creeping out a lot of people, including a journalist for The Pulse newspaper who’s gone in undercover to investigate their motives. Meanwhile, the SHIELD agent who’s been investigating Captain Marvel infiltrates the Church and stumbles upon a corpse of a prominent Church figurehead only to discover he’s a Skrull!

I like how Brian Reed has interwoven Captain Marvel’s story line with the Secret Invasion threat. In fact, this series has done more to facilitate the Secret Invasion story line than any other Marvel book – and it’s fascinating, not to mention well written. Lee Weeks does really strong work with this issue. His art gels well with Reed’s script. I just wish he’d draw the covers, too – I prefer his art over Ed McGuinness any day.

While other heroes languish, debate, and fight amongst themselves when it comes to who’s a Skrull, Mar-Vell wastes no time getting to business. The end of this book leaves us with a hell of a cliffhanger. And it’s about time a character in the Marvel universe questions why super heroes are always coming back from the dead! We now have a good answer, too.

I’m usually not keen when it comes to mini-series, but Captain Marvel, much like last year’s Namor mini-series, is a great story that actually affects continuity. Highly recommended. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes