Avengers vs X-Men: Consequences #3 – 4

By: Kieron Gillen (writer), Jim Charalampidis (colors), Andrew Hennessy (inks), Scott Eaton (pencils-3),  Mark Brooks (pencils/inks-4)

The Story: Cyclops is still in prison, the rest of the Extinction team are still at large, the Avengers won and the X-men lost. In case you didn’t get that before. The Avengers–Captain America said in Civil War half a dozen years ago, “won everything–except the argument.”

Issue #3 Review: Stuff happened. Kind of.

Issue #4 Review: Well, there are great things about this miniseries and very frustrating things. One of the most frustrating things is that Gillen is such a talented writer, but the shackles on the story are so strong, it’s sad. The Cyclops here doesn’t even match the one we saw at the end of 2 and 3, or the final issues of Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 2). Gillen’s development of Scott Summers post AvX was not only going well, but swift. It’s only been a month and we’ve seen incredible lengths of pathos in Cyclops–all at Gillen’s hands. Everyone else writing about Cyclops right now just paint him as a dick (or the the Cyclops of the 90’s animated series). Gillen was showing us a different side to the argument. He does this not just through Scott himself, but how he interacts with others. He tells a newly formed student how wonderful Wolverine’s school is, and that as soon as he finishes his sentence, he should go there. He agrees to help Tony Stark (more on him later) with some tests after Tony tells him he knew that Wanda and Hope would reignite the mutant race. Cyclops has been showing humility, fear, wisdom, and yes,  more than a little narcissism, but Gillen was writing him as a character going through a profound change. Keyword: was. Sadly, there is a very abrupt halt to this development, and the heavy handedness of editorial glares on the page. This is especially apparent after a wonderful scene where Wolverine–calmed down since their last encounter–has a heart-to-heart with Scott that could have rebuilt their friendship. After what Wolverine tells him, and the progress Scott has made, it makes absolutely no sense to do what he does.

Uncanny X-Force #11 – Review

by Rick Remender (writer), Mark Brooks (penciller & inker), Andrew Currie (inker), Dean White (colorist), and Cory Petit (letterer)

The Story: X-Force heads off to the Age of Apocalypse to acquire the celestial life seed.

The Review:  Somehow, Rick Remender has become the 90s guy and in a totally good way.  Once again, by revisiting the Age of Apocalypse this month, Remender finds himself making a distinctive callback that often deplored time and manages to make it cool again.  Well, almost.  A picture of Scott Summers with longhair still makes the character look ridiculous and full of 90s “attitude,” but I digress.

In venturing to the Age of the Apocalypse, Remender really succeeds in conveying the fact that X-Force are in a different world, a different reality.  Part of it is that unabashed acknowledgement of this being a relic of the 90s, as it makes the comic feel as though a group of 2011 characters ventured into an older comic world.  Beyond the metatextual stuff, however, Brooks and White also illustrate the setting brilliantly, making it look like a grimy, war-torn dystopia out of Ridley Scott’s nightmares.

Remender also shows that he recognizes the benefits of working in an alternate reality, as it allows you to ignore the rules that Marvel continuity usually forces upon you.  Hence, we have X-Force meeting up with a team of mutants largely composed of characters that are deceased in their home reality, characters that had strong ties to them.  While that works well as far as the interpersonal dynamics of the book go, it’s also just really cool for the reader to see these mutants out and about and kicking ass.  Hell, one of them is actually a villain that seems to have taken Wolverine’s hero role in the Age of Apocalypse, which is even more amusing.  And then there’s the last page, which is sort of an “oh no you didn’t” moment where Remender really shows the amount of fun he’s having with a reality where dead suddenly isn’t dead.

The character-work is solid as well.  Dark Beast is just as much of a dick as you’d expect and his dialogue is characterful and enjoyable.  Deadpool also continues to be fun under Remender, staying fun but never over-the-top.  It’s also amusing to see him occupy yet another uncharacteristic role: we’ve seen him as the team’s moral compass and now we’re seeing him as the pessimistic realist.  Deadpool.

Fantastic Four #588 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (writer), Nick Dragotta & Mark Brooks (art), Paul Mounts (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Review:  Given the upcoming involvement of Spider-Man in Jonathan Hickman’s upcoming FF, it isn’t a stretch to think that Hickman and Dan Slott have been corresponding with one another, and Fantastic Four #588 may provide evidence of that.  As such, Hickman makes similar creative decisions in his dealing with character death as Slott did in this week’s issue of Amazing Spider-Man.  As such, many of the strengths that my cohort Mr. Stell expounded upon in his review of that comic also apply to this one.

Perhaps the most noticeable similarity is Hickman’s decision to have the entire issue, save the back-up and the final page of the main feature, go entire without dialogue or narration.  What results is an experience that’s far more haunting and emotional.  The images on the page and the events they depict become so much heavier and more laden with significance, as the emotions and sorrow of the characters does not have to be expressed, and hence contained, in words.  When it comes to conveying raw emotion, language is a limitation.  It takes, in this case, powerful grief, and shoves and squeezes it into the shape demanded by language’s framing structure, which forces it to adhere to context and that which words can actually express.

Without dialogue, we are without restriction or middle-man.  The emotion of the characters and the story are far more direct, far more honest, and not at all mitigated.  We are allowed to feel the brunt and truth of the emotional pain created by Johnny Storm’s death amongst his family, friends, and the world he left behind.  It’s a serious, heavy comic that is unrelenting, unwilling the compromise the significance of Johnny Storm’s passing with any attempts at banter.  The grief and sorrow are served to us without spice, chaser, or sweetener.

And really, as such, it’s a wonderful farewell for a great character, what that’s guaranteed to hit any FF fan hard.  More than that, at various points, the reader will become so caught up that he will most likely feel the characters’ emotions alongside them.  While I think various readers will respond differently to different scenes, for me, my eyes watered a bit during Ben’s emotional breakdown, which was beautifully told by Hickman and co.  Similarly, I found myself just as enraged as Reed by Annihilus’ absolutely grotesque taunting.  It was utterly sickening and almost too much for me to bear.  In other words, it’s fabulous writing.

Age of Heroes #2 – Review

“Who Needs Gravity” by: Sean McKeever (writer), David Baldeon (pencils), N. Bowling (inks), Chris Sotomayor (colors) & Joe Sabino (letters)

“Heroic Rage” by: Brian Reed (writer), Chad Hardin (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Sotomayor (colors), Sabino (letters)

“Young Masters” by: Paul Cornell (writer), Mark Brooks (art) & Dave Lamphear (letters)

“Semper Fidelis” by: Dan Slott (writer), Ty Templeton (art), Jorge Maese (colors) & Lamphear (letters)

The Story: Marvel’s 4-issue anthology miniseries showing what various folks are doing in THE HEROIC AGE checks in on the C-listers.

What’s Good: These stories are all cute, fun and well written.  They really serve as a sampler platter for new books that Marvel has coming out and I really don’t mind that.  Heck, I’d much rather get a chance to see a few of these characters in small doses before committing to a few issues at $3.99 a pop.

I thought the best of these stories was Heroic Rage starring American Son.  I feel like I’m falling down on the job by admitting that I am not getting the “Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son” but I did read the American Son story arc in ASM about 40 issues ago (or a year ago in ASM-time….I swear, it’s like talking about “dog years”, LOL).  Even though my favorite characterization of Harry Osborn is when he’s just Peter’s confident and slick buddy who doesn’t like Spider-Man, I really enjoyed this short (8-page) story.  One of the things the story plays up is that there seems to be some mystery behind who is wearing the American Son armor.  I had assumed it was Harry, but the reactions of the other characters made it seem that wasn’t certain. Plus, bonus points for tossing Norah the reporter into the story (she’s spunky and fun!) and having a cool scene where American Son stakes (vampire style) a bad-guy/monster with an flagpole complete with billowing American Flag.  The whole scene is very Mr. Suribachi inspired.

The art throughout this issue was really well done.  I didn’t see any pages or panels in here where I rolled my eyes.  Marvel also deserves credit for an accurate cover…..The C-listers on the cover are the folks in the comic!  Not sure if that’s a good thing, but….

Cloak and Dagger #1 – Review

by Stuart Moore (story), Mark Brooks (pencils, Walden Wong (inks), Emily Warren (colors) and Dave Sharpe (letters)

The Story: After the events of Dark X-Men, Cloak and Dagger must decide if they belong on Utopia with the X-Men.

What’s Good: We’ve been teased for about 25 years by the duo of Cloak and Dagger.  They were created in the 1980’s as super-powered heroes in the war on drugs, but it was never made clear if they were mutants or not.  They have failed (commercially) in a few attempts to give them their own ongoing series over the years, but had increased visibility over the last year as members of the Dark X-Men.  In this issue we do definitively learn that they are not mutants.  I liked the way this revelation was handled because it showed that even among the mutants, Cloak and Dagger just don’t really fit in.  They are kind of “other”.

I was also pleased for editorial reasons that C&D are not going to become X-Men.  The mutant roster is already so full that A-listers like Nightcrawler aren’t getting much to do. Two other cute story moments: Dr. Nemesis kicking butt while sneering at the bad guys’ technology, and Cloak suspecting Dagger of having an affair with the homosexual Anole (esp. Anole’s reaction).

As for the art, it is mostly a positive in this issue.  It’s a very bright and pretty book and I think Brooks nails the X-Men.  The cover is also really nice (if you care about that sort of thing).

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #3 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Mark Brooks (Pencils), Mark Morales & Walden Wong (Inks), and L. Molinar & A. Street (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Dark Reign: Young Avengers has been a strange mini-series so far. It’s unlike anything Marvel is putting out and yet, I’m not quite sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

The Story: The real Young Avengers test the wannabe Young Avengers by teaming up with them against a bunch of Hydra thugs. Is someone testing them both?

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Alright. Now I’m certain that Paul Cornell is content to let the Dark Reign: Young Avengers mini-series frustrate the hell out of me. The third issue reads extremely well (Cornell makes great use of clever dialogue), looks mighty solid (the darker coloring by Molinar and Streets is an upgrade for the series), and adds a number of interesting twists to whatever the hell the overall plot is about (I’m still not entirely sure). That said, it also leaves me feeling exactly like I did after reading the first two issues of the series. So how did I feel? Confused about the future of the characters and wondering what the whole point of the mini-series is.

Conclusion: So I’m certain Paul Cornell is trying to frustrate me. You know what else I’m certain of? That Dark Reign: Young Avengers is going to read much better as a trade than a monthly. I know I’ll finish it out as a monthly, but I have a feeling everyone else will be better served by reading it once the mini-series is collected.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #2 – Review

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Mark Brooks (Pencils), Mark Morales w/Walden Wong & Dexter Vines (Inks), and Emily Warren & Sotocolor’s L. Molinar (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Dark Reign: Young Avengers got off to an interesting start. The first issue of the mini-series frustrated as much as it entertained, yet it still had that “something” that made me want more.

The Story: The Young Avengers and their Dark counterparts battle over name rights. The fight quickly turns into a discussion however as the coolest heads prevail. Coat of Arms tells her story and more is revealed about how the Dark Young Avengers came to be.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Am I allowed to just copy and paste my review for Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 into this section? I ask because, in all honesty, most of what I said about the first issue applies to the second. In Dark Reign: Young Avengers #2, more questions are raised than answered, Paul Cornell tosses around some cool ideas about being a superhero in the Marvel U., and most of the cast remains an intriguing mystery. Sounds like another C+, right? Well, almost…

The second chapter of Dark Reign: Young Avengers gets a higher grade than the first for two reasons: the artwork improvements, and Coat of Arms. The artwork looks much more defined and detailed. As a result, the characters look much more distinct and recognizable. As for Coat of Arms, her dialogue is written in such a way that it’s difficult to tell whether she is artsy, pretentious, obsessive, or, possibly completely bat-shit insane. And you know what? It works to great effect. While I wish more of the cast would stand out like Coat of Arms does, I’ll take what I can get.

Conclusion: Dark Reign: Young Avengers stands out because it really feels like something unique. If Paul Cornell can develop the plot a bit more next issue, I think I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of the Dark Young Avengers in the future.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Reign: Young Avengers – #1

By Paul Cornell (Writer), Mark Brooks (Artist), and Christina Strain (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: After reading very mixed reviews about Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1, I figured it might be worthwhile to see which side of the debate about the book I fall on. Is it a comic weighed down by it’s cast of unknowns? Is it a comic that’s full of interesting “meta” commentary? Or is it a comic that just feels completely unnecessary? Time to find out…

The Story: Melter, Executioner, Big Zero, Enchantress, Coat of Arms, and Egghead are the Young Avengers for a Dark Reign world. Are they heroes, or are they villains? Who are they and where do they fit? If the way they break up a store robbery is any indication, they definitely are a product of the current Marvel Universe…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Interestingly enough, Dark Reign Young Avengers #1 is everything mentioned above, for both good and bad. It provides some interesting commentary on comics in general as well as the Marvel U. It also winds up being a bit weighed down by a cast of unknowns that aren’t given much time to flex or shine. Most damning, however, is the fact that the book feels somewhat unnecessary because, well, no information has been given regarding whether or not the team actually has a future. The team of unknowns seems compelling and unique, but their debut raises lots of questions and gives very few answers. I’m interested in finding out more, so I will definitely stick around for at least another issue, but it’s hard to tell if the team has any staying power beyond Dark Reign.

On a technical level, D.R. Young Avengers #1 is pretty solid. The anime influenced artwork for Mark Brooks is well done, the color work by Christina Strain is rather impressive, and the writing by Paul Cornell most definitely makes an impact. However, there are some flaws worth pointing out.

One problem worth mentioning is that Brooks’ style makes it a bit difficult to keep names and faces straight because some characters look very similar. It’s a problem amplified by the nature of the book because it is about a brand new cast of characters (Enchantress may not be new…hard to tell) and it’s very noticeable when trying to sort out Executioner and Egghead in costume and Melter and Executioner out of costume.

Another flaw I want to point out is that Cornell spends very little time introducing his cast. Sure the personalities are distinct, but as a whole the introduction of the team is something of a mess. I’m sure more will be explained sooner than later, but it makes reading the first issue a bit frustrating.

Conclusion: Dark Reign Young Avengers #1 is definitely smarter than your average Marvel book. It tosses around some pretty intriguing ideas and introduces a team full of wild-cards. However, the comic is also pretty vague and, at times, quite frustrating because the cast really isn’t properly introduced. Is it worth a read? Most definitely. Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. As for me, I like  it more than my review probably makes it sound. It’s got problems, but I really like what Cornell is doing with the book.  It’s unique, it’s different, and it has me looking forward to more.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Young Avengers Presents #4 – Review

By Paul Cornell (writer), Mark Brooks (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks)

I miss the Vision. There was a time when he was the coolest character in the Marvel universe. He was the reason you bought The Avengers, a synthetic cross between Dr. Spock and Superman. But over the years, the writers ran out of stories to tell about him. They broke up his marriage, drove him crazy, had him taken apart and rebuilt him more times than I could count. When several heroes died during Avengers Disassembled, all the fuss was about Hawkeye; the Vision sank with barely a ripple.

Someday they’ll bring the original Vision back, in the meantime I’ll have to make due with the character in Avengers Presents #4. This Vision is younger, more fashion-conscious, has eyes where he should have dark unfathomable pits, and once went by the horrifically Legionesque name of Iron Lad. But you know what? I like him anyway.

As with the other issues in this series, the story is a where-are-they-now vignette. The Vision is trying to reconcile with Stature, who picked the other side during Marvel’s Civil War, when they get ambushed by the hordes of A.I.M. (Not only Hydra has hordes, you know.) We get to learn a little about what this Vision’s been up to and what his powers are. In the fight that ensues, his powers backfire in a way that gives new meaning to the phrase “physical intimacy”.

This book is definitely not for anyone new to comics — the story relies heavily on several years of Marvel history for its emotional resonance — but if you’ve passed this book by while looking for the latest Avengers or Secret Invasion book, I’d recommend picking it up. (Grade: B)

-Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

I recently asked a friend “Whatever happened to the Vision?” as I hadn’t seen this mainstay in the Avengers since my return to reading comics in the past year. He told me to check out New Avengers, so when I saw this issue featuring the Vision I nabbed it. It turns out that this isn’t quite the character I grew up with. This Vision is based on the brain waves of a character named Iron-Lad (does anyone outside of comics use the word “lad” anymore, and didn’t it go out of style 40 years ago?), Cassie Lang’s deceased boyfriend. The focus of the book is a lengthy conversation at the local diner between the anti-registration Vision and the pro-initiative Cassie (aka Stature and the daughter of Scott Lang) during which we learn about his recent past and, ultimately, his affection for her. One could well think, “Oh come on, this doesn’t sound very exciting!” but it did serve to fill me in fairly quickly on the Vision’s recent whereabouts. During the conversation our heroes are attacked by some AIM bad guys who are dealt with effectively in a 7-8 page fight sequence.

On the plus side for this book I enjoyed a 2-page spread featuring Cassie in profile angrily explaining her point of view while all the movement towards the action in the next page is subtly set up in the background, nicely done. On the minus side, at the beginning of the battle the Vision is hit with a disrupter beam the result of which leaves his arm accidentally materialized in Cassie’s chest. This didn’t bother her and the pair was able to fight with this hindrance but it bothered me. The materialized arm in the chest was always the Vision’s most devastating weapon but I didn’t understand why it had no effect on Cassie here.

In sum, the issue did a fine job of informing me, essentially a new reader, about a new version of an old favorite. This new version is less robotic and more human than the old. While I still prefer the old vision, I wouldn’t rule out reading more about this one. (Grade: B)

– Arthur Cooke