Mighty Avengers #13 – Review

By: Al Ewing (Writer), Salvador Larroca (Artist), Matt Milla (Color Artist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer), Greg Land & Frank D’Armata (Cover Artists)

The Story: Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! By their powers combined, they are DEATHWALKER PRIME!  Go, Deathwalker! 

The Review: I’m so glad that Larroca has taken over as an artist, so that I have a new artist to critique. And as much as I was a huge fan of Larroca during the 90s/00s (and I WAS), I have really come to the opposite view nowadays and I remain disappointed in how his artistic style has evolved. I remember him delivering bold, dramatic scenes, but now I only see bland, dull ones.

Take the first panel of the first page. Molina’s pose is 90 degrees to Marvel’s, but she is “supposed” to be looking straight at him. Her hand is floating somehow, looking like it’s poking directly out of her breast. The dialogue suggests she is making a innuendo, but she’s looking/gesturing completely at odds to the statement. (Perhaps Molina’s superpower is to have oddly shaped hands, because each panel on page one displays strange anatomy?) At least Marvel is looking in the direction that matches the innuendo, but his expression is more pleased at the comment than taken back/embarrassed as his speech indicates. And the characters are not integrated into the background, which has a different vanishing point to the way the characters stand as well as having its own Escher-like perspective for each floor. Notice how the line weight for the characters is exactly the same as for the background, meaning there’s no visual distinction and making them appear flat and indistinct, except for shadows which are huge swaths of black areas that have no consistent light source. This falls on the color artist, who has to fill big areas of negative space with subtle gradients and use a light source that incongruously tries to lay 3D color on extremely flatly designed layouts.

And that’s the first panel on the first page. Suffice to say, these problems of little-to-no rendering, large areas of empty space, oddly placed perspectives, and ill-shaped anatomy continue throughout the book. I’ll be a bit gracious to point out a few places that I think really work, like various panels of Blade’s fight against the were-scorpions, and Kaluu’s sequence of progressive close-ups (which also works because of the scripting and the more deliberate use of glows by the color artist.)

The story continues the epic of the Deathwalkers and reunion of the “first” Might Avengers, but now we get more interaction with the current team, who actually have more to say, finally. (Except maybe for the silent White Tiger.) It’s still largely set-up, however, with most pages being exposition of things we more or less already know, but it does allow for Blade to show off his power. The big show down, unfortunately, is just a two-page spread of ten panels, in order that the Big Bads can combine into an Even Bigger Bad.

Mighty Avengers #12 – Review

By: Al Ewing (Writer), Greg Land (Penciller), Jay Leisten (Inker), Matt Milla (Color Artist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer), Greg Land & Frank D’Armata (Cover Artists)

The Story:

They’re Talismaniacs, and they’re zany to the max!
Their half-animals attack; the Avengers will fight back!
They’re Talismaniacs!

The Review: It’s actually a pretty short list for what makes a satisfying comicbook read for me, and this book checks (nearly) all the boxes, and with a big fat maker too boot. It rounds out the Marvel universe mythos, introduces some intriguing new characters, and sets the scene for a big throwdown.

Apparently, the name “Mighty Avengers” had some previous useage, even if it was born from a bit of a tongue-in-cheek banter among the band of brothers and sisters and bears (oh my!) in the 1970s. This gives us established characters (Blade, Kaluu), rounds out some others (Cage by way of his dad, Blue Marvel), and provides some new ones (Constance Molina, The Bear.) There’s also, of course, more time given to the Deathwalkers, nearly demigod-like in their elemental power, reliant on human sacrifices.

The Deathwalkers are established both by others talking about them, which does tend to be a bit tell-not-showy, and by the action sequence of the book, as the 70’s-MA don’t really fare that well against them. What I mean is that, while it helps set the stakes of our villains, it doesn’t really give them a way to interact much with the heroes or even with themselves, keeping them relatively in set-piece mode rather than truly rounded characters.

It’s a little better with The Bear, who has the automatic complexity of her dual nature, but doesn’t really do much except rely on the dichotomy. You know, because she sexy-sassy but also a Bear? Get it? This plays to the strength of Land’s art here, giving him the opportunity to use some glamour shots and then show her bestial form. But overall perhaps we loose the opportunity to really connect with her since there’s very little vulnerability or self-doubt to allow us to sympathize with her. And what’s with the dogs that featured so prominently in her appearance last issue? And where is she now in 2014? At least one of these questions may be a deliberate mystery from the author and the other likely an oversight.

Mighty Avengers #11 – Review

By: Al Ewing (Writer), Greg Land (Penciller), Jay Leisten (Inker), Frank D’Armata (Color Artist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer), Francesco Francavilla (Cover Artist)

The Story: 

Who’s the black New York cop
On the “freak beat” with a hero squad?
DAD! Ya damn right.

Who is the man that would throw down
With a were-beast man?
DAD! Can you dig it?

Who is the cat that will team up
With Afro Blade and his goggles?
DAD! Right on.

They say that Cage’s dad
Is a bad mother – (Shut your mouth)
But I’m talkin’ ’bout his DAD – (We can dig it)

He’s a complicated man
Who’s been hidin’ all this stuff from his son
(Luke Cage!)

The Review:
I’m not sure how much it was planned to have this issue coincide with Father’s Day weekend in the U.S., but it sure was appropriate. This issue is all about Luke Cage’s dad, James Geary, and an untold tale of what we can dub the “70s’ Mighty Avengers.”

I’d like to get the familiar criticisms out of the way and take the opportunity to add one more. First, yes, Greg Land displays his usual strengths and weaknesses. In particular, I’d point out the double-page spread of the Kaluu-Blade fight as a strength, and the utter lack of any visual context with the page-turn appearance of “the Bear” that does nothing more than serve as an opportunity to show a very Land-y fashion pose. The colorist is also to blame on that one. Really, the only thing connecting that “panel” to the ongoing story is the dialogue.

Mighty Avengers #10 – Review

By: Al Ewing (Writer), Greg Land (Penciller), Jay Leisten (Inker), Frank D’Armata (Color Artist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Story:
Sad times on the Blue Area of the Moon, and prices aren’t the only things being slashed at the Biggest Buy store.

The Review:
One thing that’s rapidly characterizing Al Ewing’s run on Mighty Avengers is a good, conscientious use of continuity, both in context of the book itself and in the Marvel universe overall. This issue in particular picks up ongoing subplots and, even with a cross-over into the narrative of the Original Sin, does well to stand on its own as a solid example of comicbook storytelling.

The events of the Original Sin storyline show up twice here: One, as the Avengers battle a Mindless One in New York, and Two, as Blue Marvel checks in on the Watcher’s family. The battle sequence is quick– only three pages– although it offers Photon a key moment, where she builds a powerful attack that lays the monster low. It’s a nice moment for Photon, where she also explains a bit about her previous experience with NextWave. Unfortunately, it’s not a very clear explanation. It’s equally unfortunate that after her attack she only appears one more time, if you count being in the background of a small panel with her head cut off by the frame as “appearing.”

The more extensive use of the event brings Adam Brashear/Blue Marvel to the Watcher’s “family,” namely Ulana, his “wife,” and their baby. This naturally extends from the Brashear’s friendship with the Watcher (long-standing continuity, apparently), but it also provides a way for him to deal with the events of previous issues and the loss of his own family. It’s effective characterization for Brashear, while also providing a lot of humanity (for lack of a better word) in memorial for the Watcher. (That “humanity” is doubly ironic since the scene explores many quite alien concepts.)

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #3 – Review

by Robert Rodi (Writer), Michael Del Mundo (Artist)

The Story: As Otto fights the invasion with the rest of the Mighty Avengers, a girl gets transformed into something else entirely.

The Review: Sometimes, during large event comics, we can get some unfortunate creative changes for some books. Some of them are temporary and some of them are actually for the best, like when Jason Aaron took on Black Panther during Secret Invasion, but some of them can be short affairs that have the only comfort is the rather short time they will be on a title.

It’s sad to say, but Robert Rodi is more easily associated to the latter statement than the former, as while he does play to the team-up format of this book and do seem to get how to write Spider-Ock, his story never really lift off in a way that seems natural or even well thought-out.

Part of the problem is due to the pacing, which is atrocious at times. There are two scenes, tow narratives that jumps around in the beginning, with a new character named Sylvia being in a library while Spider-Ock battles on with the Mighty Avengers. The two scenes are very disconnected from each other, with their progression being halted each times the focus is altered. The two scenes do finally connect in some way, yet it takes quite a bit of time to reach that point, which doesn’t help the progression of this story at all.

Thunderbolts #143 – Review

By Jeff Parker (writer), Miguel Sepulveda (artist), Frank Martin (colorist)

The Story: Asgard lies in ruins as Norman Osborn’s own empire falls to pieces around him. With the assembled might of Marvel’s heroes poised to emerge victorious, Osborn’s team of covert operatives must decide whether to go down fighting or betray their boss for a greater good.

The Good: This version of the Thunderbolts comes to a satisfying conclusion while paving the way for what I genuinely hope will be a weirder and more interesting team roster. As soon as I’d read that the likes of Crossbones, Juggernaut, and the god damned Man-Thing would join the new Thunderbolts, well, this current team became a lot less interesting. But at least they went out on a high note, attempting a Dirty Dozen kind of mission to steal the Spear of Odin with the kind of reckless bravado that only a band of villains with nothing to lose can successfully pull off. I like that kind of attitude, especially when Parker complicates things by making Paladin, Ant-Man, and Ghost realize they do have something to lose and that maybe some ideals are worth fighting for after all. There’s a tense and frenzied atmosphere in this issue, a desperate sense that these villains know the battle is lost and that all they can do now is scurry about and claw at each other like drowning rats as they fight for survival. Parker did an admirable job pacing this issue and choreographing every fight for maximum impact, and when smoke clears and the dust settles from those battles, and we’re left with those great splash pages of Cage and Jessica looking out over The Raft, damn it all if it didn’t make me excited for the Heroic Age to arrive!

Incredible Hercules #138 – Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Rodney Buchemi (artist), Guillem Mari (colorist)

The Story: Hercules and the Mighty Avengers unite to take the fight to the doors of Hera’s impenetrable corporate fortress, where she has assembled herself a new pantheon of dark gods to supplant the one governed by Zeus.

The Good: I have to give the guys credit for their outstanding treatment of the Mighty Avengers and actually find myself
wishing they’d take over that title as well, given the disastrous conclusion to “The Unspoken”. Pak and Van Lente write the team with energy and purpose, and they’ve never looked better when Buchemi draws them. There was one moment in particular that stuck out in my mind, when Pak and Van Lente gave US Agent a moment to speak out against the idea of gods and polytheism, that I thought was not only a great bit of characterization, but also smart commentary that puts Marvel’s gods into an interesting perspective. I’m also glad to see Marvel has taken a page from DC’s playbook and decided to include back up features to justify their $3.99 price tags. If this is the road the industry has agreed to go down, the very least they could do for us is include extra content to incentivize the extra cost.

The Not So Good: Remember what I was saying about US Agent’s rant against gods? If that was the good part, then Athena’s follow up to his monologue, while not necessarily bad, inadvertently works against the story. The idea of this story arc, if you’ll remember, is that Hera has convened a dark pantheon of Greek gods who will bring about the extinction of the planet so they can usher in a second creation under their direct control. Okay, cool, sounds dire and epic. I can follow along with that. And yet, when Athena basically described the gods as being superheroes of the old world, I couldn’t help but feel that diluted the story to just another case of superheroes fighting super villains to save the world. It’s early in the story though, so I’m not going to let that initial disappointment prevent me from having a good time. Finally, I’ve noticed that in recent months writers, no doubt under orders from their editors, have resumed giving Hercules that nauseating, faux-Shakespearean dialogue that all Marvel deities have been afflicted with since the 60s. That’s a huge shame. I liked that, if only for a little while, Pak and Van Lente were unafraid to have Hercules sound like a contemporary hero for all ages and not a relic from the past.

Conclusion: Incredible Hercules #138 marks the beginning of another solid story, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of thing you need to rush out to the comic shop to buy and that’s strange for this book.

Grade: C

-Tony Rakittke

Mighty Avengers #29 – Review

By Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers), Khoi Pham (artist), Allen Martinez (inker), John Rauch (colors)

The Story: US Agent, Quicksilver, and the People’s Defense Force are still dancing around The Unspoken, understandably reluctant to directly confront him again even as he unearths the ominously named Slave Engine. Stature, Ronin, and the Young Avengers are still working on getting some answers out of Scarlet Loki, and Pym is still too busy to be bothered with all of this. Can’t say I blame him.

The Good: I liked the cover.

The Not So Good: This is tricky. We’re in the middle of “The Unspoken” so it’s hard to speak to this issue directly when it’s only one component to the entire storyline. You can’t appreciate this issue without having read the previous two, which were much more promising, and you can’t appreciate successive issues without having read this. What I can say with certainty though is that after reading this issue I was bored to tears. I feel like “The Unspoken” has taken a nosedive and become yet another generic potboiler. That’s not to say the story can’t improve next month, because I really hope it will, but right now I cannot think of one reason why you need to buy this. The Unspoken’s explanation of Xerogen gas and Xerogenesis was weirdly moronic, the Slave Engine sounds like something selected at random from the Big Book of Generic Ideas, and the Young Avengers’ battle with Scarlet Loki was anticlimactic, considering how great a threat Loki poses. And then there was that tender moment between Ronin and Scarlet Loki, which may have not totally jumped the shark, but came pretty damn close. Assuming we are in fact in the middle of this story, I would think that this is the point where things need to happen, tension needs to build, and excitement should become palpable. None of these things happened though, and I honestly have no idea why because until now Mighty Avengers has enjoyed a string of great stories.

Conclusion: I hate to say it but for me, the honeymoon with “The Unspoken” is over, and I’m left wondering when this story is going to end so we can move on to better things. You don’t need this.

Grade: D

-Tony Rakittke

Incredible Hercules #131 Review

By Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Ryan Stegman (artist), Terry Pallot (inker), Raul Trevino & Chris Sotomayor (colorists)

Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, on the off chance that you’re reading my review of your comic book right now, please know that I forgive you for those incredibly shitty “Dark Reign” tie-in issues; and that after this issue in particular I now hold special places for you both in my heart.  After taking a break from the title for a few months, I have returned to Hercules with this issue to find that not only is it every bit as funny as I remembered, it’s even funnier.

The best punchline of this issue, and easily the entire series to date, comes early on as Hercules is battling the reflection of his mortal self in Hell.  I won’t spoil the surprise for you, except to say that if, like me, you’ve ever groaned and wondered why all the gods in the Marvel Universe talk like they’re starring in a high school Shakespeare production, then this issue was written for you. Overall this is a very solid, very enjoyable issue; and I was especially pleased that I could pick this up after taking a break from reading it and still follow what was happening.  And that’s really the key to this comic’s success, I think it has less to do with any kind of a plot as much as it is the joy we get from watching Marvel’s ultimate frat guy punch and womanize his way through one merry adventure after another with the shit-eating grin and reckless abandon we’ve come to love in the Lion of Olympus. That’s all there is to it, and Pak and Van Lente are right to stick to this formula as closely as possible.

I enjoyed the bold lines and expressive qualities of Stegman’s art but felt it was often overpowered by Pallot’s inks. Fortunately, the dynamic colors of Trevino and Sotomayor compensate for this and make the finished pages absolutely sparkle. With all the melodramatic doom and gloom running rampant throughout Marvel’s “Dark Reign” snorefest, it’s a real treat to come across that occasional comic that wants nothing more than to laugh loudly at it all and entertain. This is one of those comics, so be sure to check it out.

Grade:  B+

-Tony Rakittke

Fusion #1 (Top Cow/Marvel crossover) – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Writers), Tyler Kirkham (Pencils), Sal Regla (Inks), Rick Basaldua (Inks Pg. 12), Livesay (Inks Pg. 19), and John Starr (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Just looking at the cover of Fusion #1 makes me think it’s going to be something of a (rather dated) mess. Four teams from two different companies jockeying for space in a three issue mini-series? And it’s going to be coherent? Surely you jest. Still, I do have some hope for the series because it’s being written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the two guys responsible for making the cosmic side of the Marvel U. home to some of the best stories and characters the company has to offer.

The Story: Fusion is a crossover between Marvel and Top Cow. In the first issue, Cyberforce member Ripclaw is going on a rampage and it’s up to the Mighty Avengers and, eventually, the Thunderbolts to stop him before he injures more people. Something causes the outburst and an ultra-sapien may be to blame.

What’s Good: Fusion #1 is entertaining, visually pleasing (in that special Top Cow way), and full of action. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun as long as you don’t stop to think about it. The book doesn’t, so why should you? It hits the ground running and makes very little attempt to slow down. As a critic, however, I have to stop to think about it. That’s where the next category come in…

What’s Not So Good: Fusion #1 is all the things mentioned above. Unfortunately, it’s also really dated, frustrating to follow, and somewhat ridiculous-looking (in that special Top Cow way). I mean the Might Avengers and Thunderbolts (as featured in Fusion) don’t even exist anymore. It makes the whole thing feel pretty odd. Furthermore, while I put something in the story section, I really have no idea what’s going on as far as overall plot is concerned. It’s almost completely overwhelmed by the action. As for “that special Top Cow way,” I mention it because the style used by Tyler Kirkham tends to be quite divisive.

Conclusion: If you just sort of roll with it, Fusion #1 works in its own unique way in that it harkens back to the ’90s.  It’s mindless and gratuitous, but it’s also quite a bit of fun. If you look at it from a critical perspective, it’s sure to frustrate, confuse, and maybe even cause a few unintentional laughs. Yeah…it’s that kind of comic…

Grade: C (could easily be a “D” or “B” depending on taste, so a “C” seems appropriate)

-Kyle Posluszny

Avengers/Invaders #6 (of 12) – Review

By Alex Ross (Plot), Jim Krueger (Plot & Script), Steve Sadowski & Patrick Berkenkotter (Pencils), and InLight Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m going to be honest here and just admit that the only thing that made me purchase this issue is the fact that I already own the first five. I figured I might as well at least finish out what I presume to be the first trade volume before dropping the series. While visually impressive at times and interesting enough, the overall plot has yet to hook me in any serious way. Also, I can’t shake the feeling that nothing of consequence is ultimately going to come out of Avengers/Invaders, despite reports that it will have an impact on Marvel continuity. With all that said,  somehow, I still hold a small bit of hope that the halfway point will prove to be a turning point for the series.

The Story: Dr. Strange and the rest of the underground New Avengers find the past and present versions of Paul Anselm, the regular soldier pulled into the time travel, in an effort to sort out what exactly caused the time disruption. Meanwhile on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where the Mighty Avengers are trying to take control of the situation, Human Torch of the Invaders begins a Life Model Decoy revolt over the nature of the L.M.D.’s.

What’s Good: As a student of philosophy, I’d be lying if I acted like I didn’t enjoy the concepts thrown around regarding the nature of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Life Model Decoys. It brought an interesting (if somewhat throwaway) dimension to the superhero battle. Also compelling is the way the plot is really starting to tie into the death of Captain America and touch upon some of the inherent (though generic) problems/consequences of time-travel. As for the visuals, they continue to feature a nice level of detail and solid direction.

What’s Not So Good: As with the other issues in the series, Avengers/Invaders #6 suffers because it never really brings the various ideas together in a way that forms a well-rounded package. The emotional drama feels a bit heavy handed, and it occasionally falls a bit flat. On top of that, the philosophical crusade of the Human Torch, while interesting, feels like nothing more than a distracting addition to the overall plot. Also, there is still very little indication that anything of consequence will result from this storyline. I expected something relevant to the current state of the Marvel universe to have happened by now. Disappointingly, that is not the case.

Conclusion: The problem with the series falls on the idea that far too many characters are in play to make a single chapter feel satisfying. It really drags the entire project down and makes the plot move at an extremely slow pace, despite characters expressing the urgency of the situation. That is why I am going to consider this latest chapter to be my jumping off point. As for Avengers/Invaders #6? It is entertaining and decent enough to look at, but far from a must read. As such, it is worth picking up if you have stuck around this long, but I doubt many will feel the need to see this series to its end.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Mighty Avengers #17 – Capsule Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Khoi Pham (Pencils), Danny Miki and Andy Lanning (Inks), and Dean White (Colorist)

Can I get a refund? No, seriously? Because this is not only one of the weakest Secret Invasion tie-ins I’ve read, but it is one of the weakest issues I have ever read, period! Skrull-Pym tries to convince Skrull-Dugan that the invasion won’t work, and then they fight. No, that wasn’t the description of the first few pages, that was the summary of the issue. (Oops, spoiler warning, too late.) We even get three pages of what is essentially “It won’t work.” “Yes it will.” “No, it won’t.” etc.

The art wasn’t anything worth mentioning either. It doesn’t suck by any means, but Khoi Pham’s pencils certainly aren’t spectacular. Even being as pointless as this is, it could have been redeemed if it was relevant in the big scheme of things. But I don’t see anything in here that I think would be of importance later. Who knows, maybe Bendis will pull a fast one, and the secret of the Skrulls’ defeat lies somewhere in these pages. But until that happens, I’ll still consider this worthless. (Grade: D-)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

He’s being a little too harsh. This is hardly one of the worst issues you’ll ever read.

I’ll agree that Khoi Pham’s art, which I usually love is a bit uneven in this issue but the story is a poingant and strong one.  Sure, this issue is rife with more “connecting of the dots”, but I like how this whole story leads up to the Ultron story arc seen last year. It does a good job showing us how Hank found himself involved with Tigra. But there’s more to this story than backstory, it shows us how the Skrulls are making a costly mistake. Moreso, it shows us that there are even some things that they cannot control or predict; an inherent flaw in their invasion plan. And who knows – sooner or later is looks like it’s going to backfire. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #15 (Secret Invasion) – Review

Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), John Romita Jr. (Breakdowns), and Klaus Janson & Tom Palmer (Finishes)

There’s a trope in bad movies and TV shows that’s almost as common as guy-being-tortured-spits-in-his-tormenter’s-face. In this scenario, a man and a woman are about to climb into bed together, when the woman pulls out a pair of handcuffs and smiles. The guy’s all like, oh yeah, do it to me, you naughty girl. And, of course, as soon as as he’s cuffed to the bed, she turns out to be working for the other side, and she pulls a gun on him, or calls the cops, or steals his money, or whatever. This scene always makes me want to shout at the screen, “You’re a secret agent, for God’s sake! How stupid do you have to be to let a strange woman tie you up?” Also, I doubt that many men really love being constrained during sex. I’ve always thought bondage was kind of, you know, kind of lame.

But all that’s changed now. In the latest issue of Mighty Avengers, Brian Michael Bendis once again refuses to advance the plot. Once again he gives us an issue-long flashback. This time it’s Henry Pym, Yellowjacket, who has moved to London with Janet after the whole Avengers:Disassembled fiasco. In one perfect little scene at the beginning, Bendis sums up their whole dysfunctional relationship: she’s been out drinking with fashionistas while he’s been in front of his computer all night. Finally she’s had enough and she takes off. Pym, in retaliation, shacks up with a beautiful little science-groupie who seems too good to be true, and is. We see her pumping him for information. We see her finally reveal herself and pound him into the floor. We see how a Skrull literally wraps herself in her new identity. We see that the whole Ultron Initiative was actually a ploy to get a handle on Stark’s new tech. And we see “Pym” give a very special gift to his ex-wife.

In other words, Bendis teases us the entire issue without ever getting back to the main storyline, giving us just enough to make us want more, to beg for more. He has us tied up, and I love it. I am now, officially, Brian Michael Bendis’ bitch.

The Secret Invasion is up there with the Kree-Skrull War, with the Mr. Mind saga, with Starlin’s Warlock, and this issue is another key piece in the whole grand puzzle. (Grade: A+)

– Andrew C. Murphy

A Second Opinion

For me, this the team that worked on this issue is a dream. It doesn’t get much better than this. And as enamored as I am with said creative team, I have to disagree with my comrade on his assessment of this issue. Sure, it’s a good issue – heck it’s a great issue, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best things I’ve read this year. The reason I say this is because I wouldn’t call this a true stand-alone story. Yes, it deals with just one character in particular, but overall, this is just another piece of the Secret Invasion puzzle.

What makes this book excellent is that it shows how clever Brian Bendis is. The seeds he’s planted over the past year are finally sprouting and as you can expect, there’s a reason for everything. Each plot, no matter how throw away they’ve been (like that female Ultron storyline), suddenly becomes legitimate. This is another “connecting the dots” issue that clearly shows how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (and us readers) have been played for fools. It also finally answers the question if the real Ant-Man has always been the abusive husband or if his Skrull counterpart is. So is it worth picking up? Most definitely. The story is engaging and the art, pure Romita Jr. “goodness”. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #11 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils) Danny Miki & Allen Martinez (inks), Marko Djurdjevic (art), Justin Ponsor (colors)

Mighty Avengers #11 brings the current story arc to a satisfying, yet rushed ending. Buying himself some time, Doctor Doom travels back into the past to coax Morgana into teaching him the ways of summoning a demon army. With knowledge in hand, he ditches her and rushes back to the present to confront the Avengers. With little effort, the team is captured by Doom.

With their capture out of the way, the hilarity begins. Brian Bendis floods the pages with silly thought balloons, long diabolical monologues, and humorous exchanges of one-liners. Eventually, Spider-Woman manages to overload Doom’s magical bonds and frees the team. Ares, who’s already one pissed off demi-god, begins his thrashing of all things Doom. The rest of the team joins in the battle while Ms. Marvel goes off to find Iron Man and Sentry. With the battle drawing more even by the moment, The Sentry tips the scales and does something quite shocking to bring the battle to its conclusion.

The issue is good. It’s entertaining. But it’s not great. In fact, most of it is forgettable. It’s got gobs of action and nice bits of dialogue, but it’s also more of the same stuff we’ve seen in the previous two issues. Only the conclusion and epilogue really stand out as memorable. Even Mark Bagley’s art feels more rushed than usual. And if this is his last penciled Marvel comic (for now), then it’s even more of a let down. I will say this, though: The second to last page serves as a hint of what we’ll be seeing when the Skrulls finally unveil their plans next issue. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #10 – Review

By Brian Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors)

Mighty Avengers #10 is one of those tangent stories that, at first, may seem like a waste of time, but later on might play a bigger role in the overall plot. Don’t get me wrong, this story may very well be filler, but if it is, I want more stories like this. I know I should probably be vexing Brian Bendis for not focusing more on the whole Secret Invasion storyline, but he makes this time travel story so much fun that I just couldn’t resist having fun.

The story here is pretty simple: Dr. Doom, Iron Man, and Sentry need to find a way back to the present before they disturb the timeline. First of all, this means an end to hostilities. And because Doom and Iron Man are more sophisticated they quickly come to a truce. Meanwhile, Sentry runs around New York City like the kid from Home Alone, except he’s a bit more whiney and disoriented. He even runs into the past version of himself! Eventually, he catches up to Doom and Iron Man, and together they conspire to “borrow” the Fantastic Four’s time machine to return home.

What’s so great about this issue is the humor. The dialog between Iron Man and Doctor Doom is a lot of fun. And when we see stuff like our displaced time travelers trying to hide from a  Spider-Man that’s swinging overhead, well, I just couldn’t help but laugh. Then there’s the “moment” with The Thing and The Sentry that’s so hilarious that I actually laughed out loud.

It’s so obvious that the creative team had fun with this throwback to the 1970s. From the faux old school coloring job to the Marvel in-house advertisements on the bottom of each page, the team strives to make you feel like you’re back in the early days of the Marvel Universe. It doesn’t hurt either that Mark Bagley’s style is old school Marvel bullpen influenced, either. Even the opening splash page screams of early Bronze Age goodness. Do yourself a favor and pick up this issue. It’s hands down, the best issue of Mighty Avengers yet.  (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #9 – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez & Victor Olazaba (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), Marko Djurdjevic (art)

Wow, where do I start? I guess it’s safe to say that this series is finally getting back on track after months and months of delays. The story picks up exactly where the last issue ended. alien symbiotes invaded New York and after a large battle the Avegers were able to repel them. Tracing the attack’s origin to Latveria, the whole Avengers fleet heads over there to give a smack down on Doctor Doom, who along with his scientists are completely unaware of what happened in New York. But that doesn’t stop the Avengers from starting a full scale war. In a glorious series of consecutive double page splashes (beautifully done by Mark Bagley), the Avengers completely decimate Doom’s army. Seriously, the scale of what we see here rivals the stuff Bryan Hitch did in Ultimates #2. It’s that chaotic!

Iron Man confronts Doom head on and in their struggle Doom resorts to arcane magic to bust through Tony’s shields. Luckily, the Sentry’s around for back up. What happens next is just completely weird, but let’s just say this issue had me laughing at the end! Tony Stark gets in more trouble than any superhero I know. I wonder how he’s going to get himself out of this one.

Brian Bendis is going all weird and random on this book. I’m not sure what its voice or direction is, but the constant odd-ball surprises are quite funny. There are some outstanding questions that need answers, however. If Doom didn’t order the attack on New York, who did? And where is Doom’s army of Atlantians (read last year’s Sub-Mariner if you don’t understand what I’m talking about). Mark Bagley?  Wow! This guy blows the doors wide open when he gets to the battle. If this is his last Marvel comic book, he definitely went out in style. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Mighty Avengers #8 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Danny Miki, Allen Martinez & Victor Olazaba (inks), Justin Ponsor & Stephane Peru (colors)

The long delayed series finally gets on track thanks to Mark Bagley. This storyline has been hampered with so many delays that it’s not even relevant to what’s going on in the Marvel Universe. Symbiotes have over run New York and it’s mayhem as both Avenger teams try to combat the menace that’s overtaken every man, woman, child, dog, cat, even birds! The situation is pretty funny, for as bad as it seems. And is it me or has New York been destroyed like 3-4 times over the past six months? What’s left to blow up and who in their right mind would want to continue living there?!

Iron Man is able to synthesize a spray to kill the symbiotes quickly enough, which makes me wonder why the likes of Venom and Carnage are still running around. And since when were the symbiotes diagnosed as viruses? This issue just doesn’t work for me – especially after reading New Avengers Annual #2 and how Ms. Marvel keeps letting the “outlaw Avengers” get away.

Because it’s so late, this issue feels like filler. Marvel should have just canned this story and moved on to a more current story. No new Skrulls are even revealed! All we get is Tony Stark’s revelation that he’s being played (by the Skrulls) and an answer as to whom sent the symbiotes in the first place. (Grade: D)

– J.Montes