Aquaman #33 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Sean Parsons (inks), Rain Beredo & Rick Magyar (colors)

The Story: Arthur wants to shake things up in Atlantis—but not like this!

The Review: Again, sorry for the lateness, but Bar Exam calls. It’s nice to know, however, that no matter what happens with this ridiculous test, I will always have Aquaman. Nice, and a little depressing. But just to make it clear, the depression has nothing to do with the quality of this series itself. While it’s lost some of the epic tang of Geoff Johns’ run, Parker has positioned the series to be a dependable hitter, churning out one action-packed issue after another.

It’s not all underwater chaos, though. This issue in particular is remarkably balanced, splitting time not only between pure superhero hijinks and Atlantean domestic dramas, but also between Arthur’s surface and oceanic connections. They don’t all mesh together, exactly (nor do they need to), but they stand side-by-side in a seamless whole, with Arthur as the appropriate unifying force. You can hardly ask for anything more, except maybe for our hero to get some real studly moments.

Aquaman #32 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Sean Parsons (inks), Rain Beredo & Rick Magyar (colors)

The Story: Apparently, no one read Frankenstein before this whole human chimera project.

The Review: We have an interesting relationship to science, don’t we? In the real world, we can hardly get enough of it; see the hordes waiting for the newest iPhone, watching the Curiosity rover putter around Mars, buying into anything that says it was “scientifically approved.” And yet our fiction is replete with plots where a scientific experiment/product goes wrong, leaving us the message that we’d be better off approaching science with caution than enthusiasm.

Just as you can expect any story starting with a huge technological leap will lead to a fall, you can bet that if a story begins with people in lab coats mucking with someone’s body, he’s going to arise in some monstrous form to terrorize us all. There was never any doubt that Orson’s gruesome surgeries on the technically dead Coombs was going to hell eventually; Orson has too little conscience and too much arrogance to avoid it. So when the hideously transformed Coombs (who later identifies himself as “the Chimera”) escapes Orson’s control, we view it with as much weariness as horror.

Seekers of the Weird #2 – Review

By: Brandon Seifert (story), Karl Moline (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)

The Story: Never mix reading with lacrosse.

The Review: As you could probably tell, I wasn’t all that impressed with the first issue of this series.  This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker; plenty of stories need an issue or two—or more—before they get their sea legs.  You don’t always have to take a running leap from the very beginning, so long as you can prove that the premise or the characters are interesting enough to see how they come along.  Seekers of the Weird didn’t quite manage that.

Even more troubling, the second issue isn’t much of an improvement, either.  From the character side of things, Melody, Maxwell, and Roland haven’t gotten any more personable, remaining as flat as they were initially rendered.  Maybe this is the “All Ages” curse rearing its head, but Melody and Maxwell seem particularly generic as tomboy and bookworm.  When Roland explains their mission going forward, Maxwell remarks nervously, “This sounds like a lot of…exercise.”

“And homework,” adds a petulant Melody. (Later, in the Museum’s library, she stares in dismay at all the books around her and cries, “You did mean homework.  Boo!”)

Seekers of the Weird #1 – Review

By: Brandon Seifert (story), Karl Moline (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)

The Story: We’re going to the Museum of the Weird!  Because we can’t afford Disneyland!

The Review: As an Orange County resident, I’ve had my share of Disneyland trips, and much as I appreciate the magic and fun at work there, it’s hard not to see through the highly manicured, studio-set quality of the place.  The various theme parks are not so much original works of imagination as they are amalgamations of their respective genres: adventure, sci-fi, western, fantasy, etc.  At best, Disneyland offers backdrops for stories, not stories themselves.

So it strikes me as a little ill-conceived that someone would attempt to use Disneyland as a source of inspiration for not just one story, but a whole ongoing series.  Talk about craven commercialism.  Still, there is a dearth of pure adventure titles on the market right now, and if there’s one thing Disney has proven pretty darn good at, it’s in delivering pure adventure, without any overly complicated strings attached.  Turns out, though, that you can complicate things by making them too simple, too.

Secret Avengers #7 – Review

Nick Spencer (Writer), Butch Guice, Steve Epting, Brian Theis, Rick Magyar (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: Maria Hill needs to take control of an operation that has gone too far, one that had been ordained by Daisy Johnson herself.

The Review: Back in the days, I only had a single thought when it came to S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agency in the Marvel universe: pity. When an antagonist needed to be shown as a big menace, S.H.I.E.L.D. was always there to provide token ”good guys” being beaten badly in order to set up a scope for the story itself. Rarely had I seen a series that took that agency as being particularly effective or being the actual source that is able to solve a problem.* Secret Invasion, Civil War, Marvel Boy, Captain America by Brubaker and so forth all portray S.H.I.E.L.D. as either being antagonistic or just plain ineffectual, which does not bode well for an organisation that is supposed to be the prime spy agency and the thing that binds the metahuman community together.

It’s a good thing then that some authors like Jonathan Hickman, Mark Waid and Nick Spencer came along to go a bit further in showing the prime spy agency as being actually useful or at least active in several parts. While the discovery of S.H.I.E.L.D. thanks to the marvel cinematic universe has been a boon to the credibility of the agency, in the comics format, Secret Avengers has been another huge bonus thanks to its direction mixing espionage, politics and super heroics.

This issue, in many ways, is a great example of just why this series can work, even though it has still some rough spots here and there. One of the best aspect, though, is the fact that they show how ”the spying game” is played, which makes for a pretty effective comparison to other superheroes book on the market and those made by Marvel itself. It’s a fun thing to see that despite the high action, the jokes, the big hero moments and all, there are other scenes which shows that they clearly cannot remain the supposed ”good guys” in the eyes of the world if they go en masse and attack a whole island without any backing from the U.N of the government. It was a very neat way that allow the readers to differentiates just how an agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to work if they can get several important backing and so forth.

Secret Avengers #6 – Review

Nick Spencer (Writer), Butch Guice, Rick Magyar (Artists), Matthew Wilson (Colorist)

The Story: James Rhodes gain access to an army, several agents tries to compromise A.I.M as some directorial tension sets in at S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Review: Characters can be everything for a successful comic. If you don’t have some fan-favourites on your title, it can mean an early demise as people might not be interested in the adventures of a C or D-lister. However, having an A-lister on a book can also be some kind of curse, as these characters cannot necessarily evolve in any way, mostly due to the heavy editorial handling they surely have, which can be somewhat problematic for some writers.

Secret Avengers does not seem to have that problem, despite the fact that it possesses big players like Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow, due to the fact that it mixes these characters with other fan-favourites like James Rhodes, Taskmaster, Mockingbird among others. With a cast as diverse as this one, Spencer manage to make the most of it by juggling with several plot and sub-plots with ease, thanks to a switching of characters in some issues, with this one more dedicated to Taskmaster, Mockingbird, Maria Hill and James Rhodes.

Right out of the gate, Spencer goes back toward a character he knows very well, using him in a way that is quite smart, yet also feels true to the character: James Rhodes, who is also known as War Machine. Here, the writer makes a smart use of the military and armor-based history of the character to propel him forward in a new role that not only suits the character, but also connect him to the story in a way that feels natural and exciting. He is perhaps one of the most interesting character of the issue, although he is not the only one.

Another character that is genuinely interesting, which always come as a surprise to me on a personal level, is Maria Hill. No doubt, many were like me in my initial dislike of the character when she first appeared in the Marvel universe, being the bossy new kid on the block who seemed like a cold-hearted women ready to do anything in order to be efficient at her job. I hated her for these characteristic, yet much to my dismay, I find myself liking her exactly because of these character traits. The reason for that is mainly due to the fact that due to the espionage and political aspect of the title, the character feels much more at home in such an environment, making use of these traits in order to serve the story, not just to set her as being the bossy woman. Serving as a connection to what happens in most of the issue, it is through the internal situation in S.H.I.E.L.D where she shines the most. There is a scene where she deals with a new addition to the agency with some troubling ideas where she shows how she actually fits in such a context. It is an uneasy, yet very tense scene that this issue shows that Maria Hill will become an even better character through this series.

New Avengers #6 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: Another Earth is set to collide on the main Marvel Earth, appearing above Latveria. The Illuminati, in the domain of Doom, needs to act against this new type of intrusion to their universe.

The Review: If there’s one thing that Jonathan Hickman knows how to do, it’s building up a conflict or a situation in a way that can makes us readers feel invested. The stakes are getting higher, the many elements are explained to us in ways that feel expensive and full of potentials, it’s great. However, as much as building can be great, it is another matter entirely to properly capitalize on what was constructed.

Avengers Assemble #15 – Review

By: Al Ewing (Writer), Butch Guice (Penciler), Tom Palmer with Rick Magyar (Inkers), Frank D’Armata (Colorist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Review: Jesus, is Age of Ultron still going on? Feels weird to think so sometimes…and I’ve been reviewing each and every issue. The thing is, it lacks a sense of importance; and some of that can be put down to the lack of tie-ins. Sure, there are many justifiable grievances held against Marvel’s usual approach to tie-in culture (gumming up the flow of our favourite series mid-run etc.) but one thing’s for sure: in the case of Secret Invasion, Siege et al, you at least felt like the events of those books were dramatically affecting the breadth of shared continuity. Not so much with AoU and the feint corona of books that illuminate it.

New Avengers #5 – Review

Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati returns from the colliding Earth as they recruits Black Swan, who proceeds to explain a lot of things about just what may be happening with the multiversal problem.

The Review: Here we are, back at the incredibly dense and tense read that is New Avengers, a book that focus on the much darker side on the type of conflicts superheroes must deal with. Universes dying, being destroyed one against another as the group cannot seem to trust one another, yet must in order to make sure their universe survives, that is the kind of thing superheroes exists for, yet nothing is so simple.

This should probably be the very motto for this book in general, as Jonathan Hickman goes very far in the conceptual end of the comic stories spectrum, where most of the things explained here could be further developed with years of stories. In many ways, this issue does something that should not work at all, bombarding us with tons of information, giving us lengthy scenes of heavy exposition while the characters merely talk to each other, giving us mostly a ‘’talking head’’ issue. It should not work, yet the ideas thrown here are so interesting and shown in such a dynamic way that it kinds of transcend the potential problem it may cause and gives us something to ponder about instead. Here, we are given a big great hint toward the true cause behind the multiversal imbalance; just who and what are the Black Swans, what the team might be able to do to save their universe and so on. It’s griping stuff and it makes the exposition truly enjoyable.

However, there is another reason why the comic is so enjoyable and that would be the characters themselves. Hickman seems to get just how they act and most of their history together, creating some kind of tensions between each others. There are sub-groups within the Illuminati, like Black Panther and Reed Richards, or Namor and Doctor Strange, which shows that the history between each of these characters shall be referenced and even become important to the plot. How characters react to the tale told by Black Swan, a fascinating character in her own right, is spot-on, like Namor telling her not to beat around the bush with tales, or how T’Challa and his distrust of many things she says. It’s pretty interesting to see how even in the face of such radical things being explained to each other, these men still have their own quirks coming out from time to time to peppers the plot a bit.

New Avengers #4 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer) Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati each tries in various ways to find a solution to the colliding Earths problem as they venture into the other Earth.

The Review: How can you top the last issue? That was the very first thought that occurred to me as I opened up this month’s issue. The previous issue had ton major events in them which helped ground the title and proclaim how serious it was in its agenda. It was big, catastrophic and ripe with so much potential for the whole of the Marvel universe, it was clearly impossible for Hickman to even come close to this level.

Unfortunately, it seems I was right in that assumption.

Now, this may seems that I will bash the book because it did not keep the same level of drama and importance that was shown previously, but that would be a serious error. There are several things to like, even love in this issue, starting with the voice Hickman has found within each of the characters. While they may all be optimistic characters or people clearly used to having huge responsibilities, we can see in each scene how this kind of event affects each of them. He gets how these characters think, with the ever so noble, yet utterly prepared and dangerous Doctor Strange, the arrogant Namor to Beast who seems out of his league in such a group. Things are big, dangerous and it seems there are close to no right answers for the group considering what the noble thing to do is.

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #20 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Scot Eaton (Artist), Rick Magyar w/Andrew Hennessey & Dave Meikis (Inkers), Matt Milla w/Andy Troy (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

The Review: If Jeph Loeb hadn’t irrevocably depleted my levels of Ultimate-based rage with the debacle that was Ultimates 3/Ultimatum, I’m pretty sure I’d be tearing this comic to bits with my teeth right now. As it stands, I’ve grown used to the Ultimates occasionally being neglected by Marvel’s quality control department like it was a red-headed stepchild and, as such, Sam Humphries’ run has elicited little more than a ‘meh’ from me most months. This month however, something in me snapped; we Ultimate fans deserve better than this.

Okay, so let’s start with possibly the biggest problem: the art. Since the wonderful Esad Ribic hit the ‘Eject’ button, departing Ultimate Comics Ultimates alongside Jonathan Hickman, the title has largely taken on an uneasy Boy’s Own look which felt totally at odds with the mature themes it was seeking to explore. It’s been difficult to take the Civil War-vibe and political posturing seriously with everything looking so bright, puffy and rounded, and that sense of disparity lingers here like a bad smell. For me, this is one of those Marvel titles which requires its art style to have one foot firmly rooted in the grimy, gritty ‘real’ to be truly effective. Bryan Hitch, Carlos Pacheco, Leinil Yu – who I feel have produced some of most definitive treatments of the Ultimates – all had a knack of conveying that sense of widescreen action that is so key to Mark Millar’s original blueprint. Scott Eaton’s work, much like Luke Ross’ before it, just feels too squeaky clean and fails to imbue enough drama into the scenes of volatile Hydra rebellion which lie at the heart of Humphries’ story.

As for Humphries, he’s certainly trying his best to make things interesting. There’s a double-agent plot, Hydra member melodrama, a shadowy organisation bent on unleashing a team of anti-Ultimates and Thor and Susan Storm investigating the secrets and whereabouts of the Infinity Gems/Gauntlet. That’s a hell of a lot of ground to cover in 20 pages and inevitably some of the spinning plates were destined to take a tumble. Frustratingly, what I found the most interesting element of all was the Thor and Susan Storm vignette, but with space at such a premium 2 pages is all Humphries could afford that story this month – the same is true of the “shadowy organisation” bit.

New Avengers #2 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar (Artists), Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

The Story: The Illuminati gathers in the dead city of Wakanda to discuss a particular threat to their universe discovered by Black Panther.

The Review: Double-shipping on books can be both a blessing and a curse. It permits people to get the complete stories by the authors that much faster, but it has a cost that goes beyond the pockets of the customers. Sometimes, it makes the artist or the author much too rushed in their work, creating small missteps in the writing or the art. It can also lower the general quality of a book and the appreciation of the customers when such things happen, especially when the only reason that can be perceived by them is to get more money out of them. However, there are some exceptions, as sometimes it is to create momentum and give a general idea of what the series will be about in a quicker fashion than usual.

Fantastic Four #600 – Review

By: Jonathan Hickman (writer), Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ming Doyle, Leinil Francis Yu & Farel Dalrymple (line art), Paul Mounts, Andy Troy, Jordie Bellaire, Javier Tartaglia & Jose Villarrubia (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), Lauren Sankovitch & Tom Brevoort (editor) 

The Story: Marvel gives their first family a 100-page, $7.99 extravaganza featuring lots of cosmic action and the return of a familiar face…

Five Things:  [SPOILER WARNING]

1. ________ is back!  I purposely omitted the name because it seems kinda douchey to give a SPOILER WARNING and then put Johnny Storm’s name in bold right below.  But, he’s back!  And, he’s back in a new and improved way after his time in the Negative Zone.  This is really no surprise and given the Marvel often brings characters back a month after they “die” (Bucky) it is probably a huge show of restraint that they let Johnny be presumed dead for ~9 whole months.  If you’re a Marvel hater, you could work up a lot of rage about the cheap ploy of killing someone (but not really) and then milking that death in press releases before the death, releasing a ploy-bagged issue on Tuesday and then having special issues honoring Johnny in the immediate aftermath.  But….I’m glad to have him back, especially in the way that Hickman handles his return.  Speaking of that……

2. We learn about _______’s experiences in the Negative Zone.  I mostly loved this section where we learned that Johnny wasn’t really dead.  He was just held captive by Annihilus and forced to fight in gladiator matches alongside some Universal Inhumans and where he has died multiple times only to be restored by that nasty Annihilus.  The whole thing was really nicely done.  It showed Johnny’s pain at being there, his unwillingness to give up, the fact that Annihilus has his number, etc.  Really good stuff.  The only quibble I have is that the story added 2 pages to the moments before Johnny’s “death” with him talking to Ben Grim through the closed portal.  The original “death” was soooo nicely done with Ben feeling grief stricken, Johnny being brave, etc., so this added scene just cheapened it.

3. Kree, Inhumans, Annihilus, other Inhumans…..  I have to admit that this part of the plot is getting away from me.  While I’m actually reading it, I think it’s cool, but then when I sit down to type a review a whole 6 hours later….I really can’t remember many of the details and that tells you the story is too complex because none of it is sticking.  I actually blame the artists for this.  Comics are a visual medium and none of the artists who’ve worked on FF the last few months have nailed a scene from this complex plot such that it’s burned into your brain.

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #3 – Review

By: Victor Gischler (writer), Ryan Stegman (pencils), Mike Babinski & Rick Magyar (inks), Frank Martin & Antonio Fabela (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), Jake Thomas (assistant editor) & Mark Paniccia (editor)

The Story: The Fear Itself version of the Hulk is running loose in Dracula’s countryside.  Will the vampires be able to stop him?

What’s Good: If you’ve been following Gischler’s vampire-related stories over the last year or so, you know that he’s been building a bit of a vampire mythology.  Instead of just having Dracula and a bunch of nameless vampire underlings, he’s created a web of political intrigue having to do with Dracula’s extended family and all these different breeds and sects of vampires.  Dracula is King of the Mountain, but he has to control and direct all of these forces and they’ve all got different skills and political goals.  This miniseries also introduced what is basically a vampire superhero team called the Forgiven.  The Forgiven have the customary blend of power sets and are a neat concept as they don’t have an allegiance to any of the vampire sects, so they should be free to leave vampire-land and have adventures with the rest of the Marvel Universe.  Hopefully we’ll be seeing Gischler or other creators telling more Forgiven stories in the near future.

In fact, the Forgiven is probably what puts this miniseries over the top.  Most of the Fear Itself tie-ins where just complete crap because the stories just ran in a circle.  Hulk vs. Dracula actually brought us something new and that is what we’re hoping for when we read superhero comics.  The only other mini that did anything “new” was The Deep, which kicked off the formation of the new Defenders team.  If you didn’t catch this miniseries in single issues, maybe you’ll get lucky and The Deep and Hulk v. Dracula will get paired up in a trade paperback without making you read some of the really bad miniseries.

Captain America #615 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano w/ Rick Magyar and Butch Guice (inks), Bettie Breitweiser (colors), VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: “The Trial of Captain America” arc comes to a conclusion as Bucky faces of with Master Man and Sin, and fights to rescue his friends as well as an American icon.

What’s Good: While Bucky-Cap is still not my favorite thing to happen to this series (and yeah, I’m gonna bemoan the loss of Steve Rogers ’til he takes back the Shield), he’s at least coming into his own. The villains still haven’t gotten past the you’re-not-the-original-and-you’re-not-good-enough taunts, but at least he’s confident enough not to be plagued by that doubt from himself on a regular basis. For some characters, that brand of angst works–hell, that brand of angst even works for Bucky–but it does not work for Captain America.

I really like the artwork overall, which shouldn’t be a shock to anyone–Guice and his crew have done a fantastic job on this book, and have for some time now. I will say that I’m not in love with the panel layouts…all of the white space in between the artwork really, really looks ugly, and chops up the art in a way that doesn’t feel necessary. I know most other books have this as well (and I certainly know that not everyone can do J.H. Williams style spreads all the time) but for some reason I just notice it in this book more than any other. The art just feels cramped. I’d love to see Guice with a little more room to spread his wings and let his pencils work.

Also: special props to cover artist Marko Djurdjevic. That is a poster-worthy image, and one that actually fits the story. (The detail on the scale’s chains are especially nice.) Well done!

Captain America #614 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Stefano Gaudiano w/ Mark Morales, Tom Palmer, Rick Magyar, Mike Perkins and Butch Guice (inks), Bettie Breitweiser w/ Chris Sotomayor, Humberto Ramos and Frank Martin (colors), VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters and production)

The Story: The trial of Bucky Barnes continues, with things going about as well as can be expected for the good guys under the circumstances. A new wrinkle is thrown in when Falcon and Black Widow are captured by Sin and Master Man, who threatens to blow them up (along with the entire Statue of Liberty) if Bucky does not surrender himself to them by sunset.

What’s Good: This storyline is still chugging along nicely between Brubaker’s writing and Guice’s pencils (and ungodly-sized army of inkers and colorists, but the book doesn’t seem much he worse for all the hands involved.) I especially enjoy the court scenes; they may not be action packed in the traditional sense, but it’s a lot of fun to watch the strategies and counter-strategies play out, especially since Bucky is technically guilty of all the crimes he’s being accused of.

Also: Dr. Faust is awesome.

What’s Not So Good: Although I like this arc, it’s beginning to suffer from a bit of schizophrenia. The juxtaposition of battle of the trial’s battle of wills and intellect, and the physical battle going on between Falcon/Window and Master Man, just isn’t handled very well. I would honestly have preferred they just finish out the trial, and focus on that; trying to do both in the same issue gave both story halves the shaft. I would have been more than happy with a couple issues just dealing with the trial and its fallout. And why does Sin suddenly want Bucky to turn himself in to HER, anyway? Wasn’t the whole plan to discredit him publicly? I know the trial was going decently well, but you’d think she would at least have waited for a verdict, after all the trouble she went through to put these pieces in play.

Captain America #609 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Butch Guice (pencils), Rick Magyar, Andrew Hennessey and Butch Guise (inks), Paul Mounts (colors) and VC’s Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Bucky receives a very personal message from Zemo, and immediately runs off to go find and subdue the villain. Steve Rogers, Black Widow and Falcon set out to find him, but it seems unlikely they will be able to arrive before Zemo can claim the upper hand.

What’s Good: It’s very nice to see Bucky being proactive. As ridiculous as it was for him to run off to take on Zemo alone, at least he was doing something rather than moping around acting like a victim. Sure, Zemo is taking advantage of him and revealing unspeakable things to the public…but come on, Bucky! You’re Captain freaking America! You don’t have the luxury of feeling sorry for yourself! Even in his darkest moments of self-doubt, Steve Rogers’ strong moral compass always guided him, and allowed him to take action. That’s something Bucky lacks, and I think it hurts him quite a bit as a credible heir to the shield. Still, even if it was anger rather than a sense of justice that finally kicked Bucky in the butt and made him act (and even if his plan and backup support was nonexistent), it’s nice to see him try to seek out and destroy the source of his trouble.

Amazing Spider-Man #608 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim (writer), Marco Checchetto, Luke Ross, Rick Magyar (art), and Fabio D’Auria (colors)

The Story: The aftermath of the Clone Saga continues to haunt Peter as a deadly enemy of Ben Reiley’s, attacks Peter and his family. We learn more of the life of Ben Reiley and the circumstances of his enemy’s origin story.

What’s Good: Marc Guggehein’s ASM is off to a great start, as this issue is chock full of intrigue and surprise. I have to give credit to the brain trust here with the new villain Raptor, as he could be the most interesting new villain, post-brand new day. Guggehein keeps the story moving while returning to Raptor’s origins in relation to Ben Reiley. Granted, Raptor’s genesis is both cliche’ (scientific genetic mutations) and ridiculous (humanity is evolved from dinosaurs), but his nothing-to-loose, vicious, and go-for-broke attitude makes up for his lame origins. Also, the fact that Raptor isn’t really a villain, just a guy out for revenge, helps make him engaging and relatable.

Between Marco Checchetto handling the art in the present and Luke Ross/Rick Magyar handling the flashbacks, this issue is great aesthetically. I was really impressed with Checchetto’s grainy style, as all the characters looked just right. The feel of this book reminds me of Lark’s recent run on Daredevil, but more clear and detailed. Overall, this could be my favorite visual presentation of Spidey in the past year or so.

To me the best part of this issue (and arc for that matter) is that its a departure from all the MJ and social stuff that has been under the spotlight since #600. I’m not complaining about that angle as its been pretty good, but it’s nice to see Spidey dealing with issues outside his immediate circle. Using the best parts of the Clone Saga as a way to bring something new, yet steeped in Spidey mythos, is a good move for this series. Plus, the surprise ending adds even more depth to this situation.

I also have to praise the funny editorial boxes that take place between Guggehein and Wacker. Guggehein begins the issue by taking a shot at Wacker and the snideness crescendos appropriately, and then disappears at the right time. Good stuff.

What’s Not So Good: I really don’t have much to gripe about. The flash back moments had some defects as some of the dialogue and art didn’t really distinguish who was who in the beginning. The two characters just look too much alike. Also, the dinner scene where Reiley goes to meet Raptor’s family was awkward and confusing. The characters seemed out of, um, character and the dialogue was forced. Why would anyone tell someone’s wife and kids, as a joke, that their father/husband was “doing” co-eds after work?

Conclusion: A great issue in the ASM torrent. A nice turn of serious story after the light Black Cat arc last week. It’s a good time to be a web-head, especially when Web Of Spider-Man launches next week. That will be a sister series and a fill-in for missing details of ASM. I haven’t been the biggest fan of Guggehein’s previous efforts on ASM (especially Character Assassination) but he is at his, and Spidey’s, best on this issue.

Grade: A-

-Rob G.

Dark Avengers #8 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Luke Ross (Pencils & Inks), Rick Magyar & Mark Pennington (Inks), and Dean White (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Anyone else getting annoyed by “X” crossovers? First the Messiah War came and screwed up all the momentum that X-Force had. Then Utopia started and completely derailed the Dark Avengers…

The Story: As the new X-Men establish themselves with the public, Cyclops pulls the trigger on his plan…

What’s Good: Matt Fraction finally gets to the point of his Utopia crossover in Dark Avengers #8. That’s really the best thing about the issue. While our no-spoiler policy prevents me from going into detail, I can at least say that it’s nice to see that Utopia actually leads to something.

What’s Not So Good: The penultimate chapter of Utopia is, quite possibly, the worst. Seriously. Outside of (maybe) the big reveal that feels like change for the sake of change more than anything else (though I will admit that it does hold some potential), I can’t imagine anyone finding anything about Dark Avengers #8 to be all that memorable.

Writer Matt Fraction does what he can to juggle his gigantic cast, but ultimately fails to find a satisfying balance between driving the story forward and delivering the character moments he is known for. In truth, it honestly seems as though Fraction is playing catch up with his own story. I find that really surprising because, in my opinion, Utopia has already had its fair share of padding (would anyone miss the bio-sentinals?!). By cramming so much into the last half of the book, there just really isn’t any room for anything that doesn’t bring the events of Utopia to a head. There’s a decent line here and there, but some of the character work just flat out misses the mark. A few examples: Hawkeye sounds like Wolverine in one panel, Weapon Omega is NOTHING like the character re-established in Dark X-Men: The Beginning, Dark Beast sounds like Beast then all of a sudden blurts out “The hell?” as though Fractions random hip line generator accidentally turned on, and Daken says “You’re done, son.”

The quality of the artwork in Dark Avengers #8 varies depending on who inked Luke Ross’ pencil work. I know that sounds strange, but the art almost needs to be reviewed on a panel by panel basis. At times, the art hovers between good and great (the opening scene and some “zoomed-in” character shots come to mind). Then again, far more often the art looks either average or downright poor (crowded, busy, or colorful panels come to mind because they really lack detail). In addition, the action is confusing, poses look stiff (or wrong/awkward), and females all tend to look the same (good luck keeping Dagger, the Cuckoo, Frost, Magick, and other blonds straight). Also, what’s the deal with Dr. Kavita Rao looking like Ms. Sinister (Introduced in X-Men: Legacy)?! Or being white for that matter?!

I honestly have no idea how anybody thought that Utopia was a good idea. While I actually don’t have a problem with what the story finally accomplishes, I can’t for the life of me figure out why it took a momentum killing crossover to do it. There had to have been a better way, especially since the Dark Avengers are just sort of… there.

Conclusion: The fifth chapter of Utopia is, quite frankly, a mess. It’s only worth picking up if you absolutely have to know what’s next for the mutant race. And if you are picking it up for the Dark Avengers? Don’t even bother.

Grade: D

-Kyle Posluszny

War Of Kings #6 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar and Andrew Hennessy (inkers) and Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: The final battle between Blackbolt and Vulcan explodes in deep space with irreversible consequences to both these characters and the entire galaxy. The War of the Kings concludes, but the cosmic event has really just begun.

What’s Good: First off, if you haven’t been keeping along with this mini-series, shame on you. Second of all, buy this trade as soon as it hits the shelves not only for this incredible series, but because of what is going to come from it. Finally, a Marvel event bears good fruit instead of rotten, deformed, and poisonous produce (read: Secret Invasion, World War Hulk, etc).

In this issue, we get to see what we every Inhuman fan wants to see: Blackbolt going apeshit. This occurrence is perhaps the highlight of this issue as nothing is more pleasing than finally seeing Vulcan getting what he deserves–turned into an over boiled hotdog.

Also, the whole way the Vulcan actually became decent for a few moments as he protected his Kingdom from Blackbolt’s extreme plans was a brilliant ploy by Abnett and Lanning. It really showed the blurred lines that paint the field of war as no one has clean hands in this issue.

However, the best part of this issue is that Gladiator is finally raised to the status he deserves in a great, great scene. From the ruins of the Sh’ar empire, the Starjammers escape just before a new and worthy leader is crowned Majestor.

Everything in this issue clicks. The dialogue is great during the action scenes and heavy and meaningful as the Inhuman royal family reflect on the war they’ve both won and lost. The script proves to be well-written, as this whole event shows how it was meticulously and expertly plotted.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, this issue, despite it being the final installment in this mini, really just was the beginning of this story as the Marvel Cosmos will never be the same. A ton of possibilities and adventure is set up and frankly, Marvel Cosmos is the best part of the Marvel Universe right now. And, it looks to be this way for a long time.

The art is off the hook as Paul Pelletier draws fantastic fight scenes between Blackbolt and Vulcan. Energy waves flow, fists fly, and worlds shatter. Not to mention there are tons of poignant scenes where the realities of war settle into the consciousness’ of the characters.

What’s Not So Good: We have to wait for Realm of Kings to launch. Need. It. Now.

Conclusion: Thanks you Dan Abnett and Andy Landing for making sci-fi comics the way they should be. You guys pulled the best from what Cosmic Marvel had to offer and made it even better. You even made Dark Hawk relevant! Kudos–sign me up for the next event!

Highly Recommended.

Grade: A

-Rob G.

Captain America #50 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Luke Ross (pencils, inks), Rick Magyar (inks), Frank D’Amarta (colors), Marcos Martin (writer and art)

The Story: It’s Bucky’s birthday as he escapes a surprise attack by jet-packed, heat missile shooting, and fully armored right-wing extremists. Interspersed with his weaving and missile-ducking and saving the life of an innocent here and there, Bucky reminisces about  birthday bashes of years past. Lastly, we are treated to a bonus story by Marcos Martin that recounts the history of Captain America for the few individuals on earth who don’t know it already.

What’s Good: As many readers of WCBR know, I’m not a big fan of Bucky. In fact, one of the reasons I bought this title was because it looks like Bucky is depressed and ready to give up the shield on the cover. The other reason is that I am confident that this series will some how lead to the return of Steve Rogers. With that said, I really enjoyed this story of Bucky’s past. It was interesting to see his situation pre-Invaders, and the highly entertaining story of Toro’s botched birthday surprise.

Obviously Brubaker has a good handle on Bucky and is also aware of his precarious position on Captain America. I thought the scene where Bucky admits his insecurity while taking out the bad guys was a big step up from the way his self-doubts affected the story in previous arcs.

With a couple of exceptions, Luke Ross did an excellent job drawing this issue. The action scenes as usual, were crisp and accurate. But perhaps the real star on the art team this issue was Frank D’armata who really nails the palette here, in a slew of settings.

What’s Not So Good: As good as the art is on this issue, the final scene featuring the new Avengers seemed off. The team’s faces looked frozen; kinda like a group of similar-looking automatons.

Furthermore, the final flash back scene with Cap wasn’t clear to me what was going on. It seemed like Brubaker was trying to show some event of importance involving a German spy, but the relevance was lost on me.

Conclusion: A nice one and done tale. No fireworks. No dramatic revelations. Just another character study on Bucky, which I think is the main problem I have with this series of late: almost every issue is a character study on Bucky. I’d like to see some plot momentum or some new villians or something novel happen in this series. Brubaker revitalized Daredevil with new characters and contestant external-conflict for Matt Murdock. That’s not really happening here in this series as it is always focused on uncovering the past. However, as I mentioned before, I think there will be dramatic changes down the line for Captain America. The black-flag teaser and the upcoming “Reborn” mini-series point to big things on the horizon.

Grade: B+

-Rob G

War Of Kings #3 – Review

By Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Paul Pelletier (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Will Quintana (colors)

The Story: War of the Kings rages on as Vulcan tries to rebound from the devastating counter attack  by the Kree and Inhumans. The Star Jammers and the Guardians of the Galaxy make their move to rescue Lilandra from Gladiator and the rest of the Imperial Guard. All of this transpires while in the background the Inhumans struggle with their leadership over the Kree.

What’s Good: The only good thing to come out of Secret Invasion is whatever is happening in the Marvel Cosmos. War of the Kings is at the top of that bracket and this issue doesn’t disappoint. Between Vulcan’s craziness, the Inhuman’s suspiciousness, and the Star Jammers’ boldness, there is a lot to like about this issue. It reads like a block-buster movie; or should I say, a GOOD block-buster movie.

Gladiator has always been one of my favorite characters and in this issue we learn a ton about his personality as he quickly becomes the star of this series. His decision at the end of the issue, though expected, will have an enormous impact on this series. I’d like to see him more involved in the greater Marvel Universe. Perhaps he could visit earth and, I don’t know, like, kill the Sentry. Dead. Forever. Oh well,  just an idea.

It’s obvious that Abnett and Lanning are spinning a winner here. Their pacing, dialogue, and scripting are almost flawless. Additionally,  the art style is perfect for this series. Paul Pelliter’s pencils and Rick Magyar’s heavy inks are fabulous.

What’s Not So Good: It’s basically non-stop action in these pages. I would have liked to have seen more development with what’s going on with the Inhumans. The scenes involving Crystal were interesting but a little frustrating in their ambiguity. Also, Crystal’s character is on one hand  to be an intelligent and measured diplomat, but on the other, innocent and gullible to the true intentions of the rest of her royal family, which is a little contradictory.

Conclusion: If you’re looking for a fun and engaging read, then the War of Kings is for you. No doubt what transpires in these pages will shape the Marvel U for the foreseeable future. However, if your into cosmic Marvel than this will cement your convictions. But if not, this series won’t convert you.

Grade: B+

-Rob G

Captain America #49 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Luke Ross (pencils), Rick Magyar (inks), Frank D’Armata (colors)

Just so I don’t seem like a complete hypocrite for reviewing this comic after my previous post on Captain America where I swore off reading this series; this issue is NOT about Bucky, which is why I bought it.  So there. Instead of wading through Bucky’s disappointing mythos, we are treated to some of the back story on the circumstances and ramifications of the death of Steve Rogers, the real Captain America, through the eyes of Sharon Carter, his presumed murderer.

In addition to both interesting revelations and mysteries surrounding Steve’s death, Brubaker treats us to some great writing and character development. He crafts an interesting dynamic with Sharon’s senile  aunt who functions as a symbol of memories lost and the flux of self-identity, and also a plot device to further some of the back story involving the Grand Director (or 50’s Captain America). Plus the Falcon makes an appearance after being absent for too many issues. He adds some comic relief and enhances the touching scenes involving Sharon and her reclaimed memories.

As always, the art is glorious and ultra-realistic. The dream sequences were exceptional. Luke Ross carries the Epting helm diligently and carefully. I actually prefer his attention to detail and precision, which Epting sometimes trades for form and tone. However, Sharon’s tears looked awful and almost comical. Tears are clear, not off-white. It looked like she was lactating from her eyes.

In short, this was a great excursion  into the Captain America mythos and frankly, much better than the amost recent arcs. Between the solicitations involving a black Captain America uniform that was popping up in Marvel books a few weeks ago and the hints provided in this issue, I predict Steve is returning– and soon enough. I always thought that since his death his body reverted to his pre-super serum form coupled with the fact that he was buried in ice (again!), Steve wasn’t going to stay dead. The flatness of Bucky as a character reinforces my position that there is a resurrection coming. I stand by my belief that this series will be for the better when Bucky returns to being a sidekick.

Grade: A-

-Rob G

Secret Invasion: War of Kings – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Writers), Paul Pelletier & Bong Dazo (Pencils), Rick Magyar & Joe Pimentel (Inks), and Wil Quintana & Mike Kelleher (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #8 definitely piqued my interest in the War of Kings. In addition, the Inhumans mini-series that tied into the Secret Invasion left me wondering about how Black Bolt and company would carry on in the aftermath of the Skrull’s plot. However, I figured it’d be probably worth checking out seeing as how the War of Kings one-shot is helmed by the creative team behind the excellent Guardians series and tells a story about the Inhumans.

The Story: Secret Invasion: War of Kings takes place in the aftermath of the Skrull invasion. With Black Bolt back as the driving force behind the Inhumans, the Kree science projects decide to finally take the fight to those that have wronged them. The Skrulls, the Kree, and the Shi’ar Empire all get a taste of what’s to come in a one-shot that provides all the action and exposition necessary to get readers ready for the War of Kings.

What’s Good: As cool as the Secret Invasion tie-in was at times (loved the way Black Bolt dispatched of his Skrull torturer), I never really “got” why many consider the Inhumans to be so cool. Now I do. They re-establish themselves in a big way throughout the action-packed (extremely colorful) one-shot and it definitely leaves me wanting more. Long story short, I’ve got to hand it to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning for getting me hooked on an event I had almost zero interest in less than a month ago.

What’s Not So Good: The Inhuman Crystal’s narration throughout the book comes off as a bit too melodramatic and heavy handed for my taste. While I understand that the new Inhuman status quo is literally shaking the group to its very core, a little bit more subtlety would have been welcome. Also, while the artwork looks quite well-done for the most part, it suffers from an annoying lack of detail from time to time. And that’s something I find quite surprising considering the impressive work most of the team has done on the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Conclusion: Secret Invasion: War of Kings works as an entertaining, action-packed prologue to the War of Kings event. While it has a few flaws, I really enjoyed my time with it. If you are a fan of the Inhumans or are thinking of investing in the cosmic crossover, consider it a must read.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Guardians of the Galaxy #7 – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Writers), Paul Pelletier (Pencils), Rick Magyar (Inks), and Will Quintana (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: In my opinion, Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most consistently entertaining and visually impressive books Marvel puts out. It effortlessly blends action, comedy, and drama into one hell of a satisfying package. The question now is whether or not the series can maintain momentum since Secret Invasion pulled the team apart. My guess is that it can.

The Story: The issue opens with a glimpse into a devastating future as described by Starhawk, who is being held in captivity by Cosmo the dog for precautionary reasons. Apparently, humanity’s future is doomed unless Starhawk can manage to correct an error occurring during the present time. Meanwhile, Rocket Raccoon’s new team of Guardians answer a cry for help from a colony in need that seems to be facing problems strikingly similar to the ones Starhawk spoke of. Adam Warlock seeks to find out more information regarding the Church of Universal Truth with the help of Gamora. As for Drax and Quasar, they are out in search of answers regarding someone named Cammi. And Starlord? Well let’s just say that he’s got problems as well.

What’s Good: Despite all the characters in play in this issue, the creative team once again knocks one out of the park. While mostly set-up for the future, the storyline provides for some great character work and extremely good looking artwork. While I may not have fully grasped the implications regarding some of the plot beats, I found myself completely entertained, thanks to the colorful cast of characters. Simply put, Guardians of the Galaxy #7 is another great chapter in an awesome series that seems to get better all the time.

What’s Not So Good: My only major complaint with the issue is that I felt a bit lost regarding some of the plot beats. While I am sure Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will catch me up with everything next month, some of the impact regarding the story was simply lost on me.

Conclusion: If you aren’t reading Guardians of the Galaxy, you should be. ‘Nuff said.

Grade: B+

Looking for a Response: Anyone want to catch me up on what I might have missed regarding some of the stuff in this issue?

-Kyle Posluszny