Secret Avengers #3 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Deodato (artist), Rain Beredo (colorist)

The Story: The Secret Avengers and Archon fight valiantly to oppose a possessed Nova, while Ant-Man spies the machinations of the Shadow Council.

The Good: Uhhhhhh, God, I don’t even know. I mean, there wasn’t anything glaringly wrong with this issue, but I didn’t think there was anything overwhelmingly good about it to justify the $3.99 price tag, either. It was so slightly above average that when I finished it I was almost too apathetic about the experience to summon the strength to shrug my indifference. Is it just me, or is it slightly unreasonable to charge so much money for a comic that delivers so little?! In terms of actual plot, we are treated to an extended fight scene in which a throw character gets killed, Nick Fury and the Big Bad Guy talk ominously of the three Serpent Crowns, and Nova encourages subtly encourages Valkyrie to go back into the kitchen and bake him a pie. But what the hell is happening?! We’re three issues in and the Secret Avengers are still on Mars, seemingly no closer to understanding why the hell they are there or what their objective is. They haven’t actually thrown down with any serious villains or than some minor cannon fodder types, and aren’t even really functioning as a team. This story is plodding along to a destination that I’m not sure I care to reach at this point, and that is a huge shame to speak of a comic created by such esteemed talents as Brubaker, Deodato, and Beredo, none of whom have quite seemed to be firing on all cylinders on this book.

Thunderbolts #146 – Review

By Jeff Parker (writer), Kev Walker (artist), Frank Martin (colorist)

The Story: Luke Cage and the team are scrambled to New Guinea to investigate the disappearance of U.N. and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents near a hidden vein of Terrigen Crystals.

The Good: This new assembly of Thunderbolts continues to be one of the titles I look forward to most every month. On all levels, from writing, to art, to colors, this is a book that thoroughly delivers entertainment value, and I haven’t been finding many comics lately that can do that for me. I think part of the appeal with this book, despite having been a fan of the title since Warren Ellis began his infamous run on it, is that the cast this time around is just so fucking bizarre, so absurdly surreal, that it makes you wonder how the hell Parker was able to get editorial approval for his vision. But he did, and holy crap has he pulled off one hell of a hat trick with this book!

Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age #1 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer),Whilce Portacio, Jamie McKelvie, & Steve Sanders (artists)

The Story: We center on three X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, and Hope) as they reassess their lives and deal with the aftermath of Second Coming, while at the same time coming to grips with what to do next with themselves.  Cyclops is welcomed into the Heroic Age by Steve Rogers, a visit with the Fantastic Four leads Hope to decide that she wants to discover he true parentage, and Beast’s run-in with a Runaway (See what I did there?) helps him celebrate the present rather than mourn his past.

What’s Good: While I’m not sure we need yet another “breather” issue after X-Men: Second Coming #2, also released this week, Fraction pulls it off nicely and makes this one-shot feel natural and welcome.  There are basically three chapters in this one issue, drawn by three different artists.  I appreciate the decision to not present these in anthology format and instead have us cut back and forth between them, giving the stories a more cohesive feel.  While there were some satisfying moments in Cyclops’ scene with Captain Rogers and it’s always nice to see Molly Hayes from the Runaways show up anywhere since her title was cancelled, my favorite of the three was, surprisingly, the Hope segment.  During the recently concluded X-event, Fraction seemed to struggle a bit with Hope’s characterization, sometimes making for scenes that downright ripped me out of the moment at times.  He seems to have gotten a handle on her here, though, as he scripts some pleasant and touching scenes between her and Franklin Richards and her realization that she knows nothing about her lineage, but would truly like to.  Her maturing relationship with Cyclops is also welcome, as her constant yelling at him was getting somewhat tiresome.  McKelvie pencils this segment and knocks it out of the park.  I read this issue and wonder why the hell McKelvie isn’t on a monthly title while artists like Greg Land and Whilce Portacio are constantly offered prime gigs.  He’s got a great handle on the emotions and character beats necessary to make a story affect you.  Hope’s “…Mine was great,” moment tugged at my heart strings like nothing else this issue and it was all thanks to the artist.

Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #1 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Dale Eaglesham (artist), Andy Troy (colorist)

The Story: Steve Rogers, now America’s premiere Spymaster and national security czar, infiltrates a party held by Nextin Pharmaceuticals to investigate rumors that the company has perfected the Super Soldier Formula and is planning to sell it to the highest bidder.

The Good: Not much, which sucks because I was really looking forward to this story when I first heard about it. While I love the idea of Steve Rogers taking over Nick Fury’s role as America’s top superspy, the execution of that idea has left me feeling very underwhelmed. I have yet to see Rogers in any comic ever really acting like a spy; even though his mask is off and he’s now prone to wearing black turtle necks, he still acts like a superhero and, more to the point, a soldier. He’s still given to charging headfirst into a battle and pounding his opponents into a pulp whereas any other spy, like…oh, say, Fury, would have done his very best to avoid that same conflict. It occurred to me, reading this issue, that Rogers really doesn’t do subterfuge very well; don’t get me wrong, I rather liked that scene of him zip lining into the hotel in Madripoor in the middle of the night, but he still had to resort to busting some heads, in a conspicuously pro-American, Captain Americaish costume, to get the job done. What I can’t get my head around right now is whether Rogers is supposed to be a superhero pretending to be a spy or a soldier reassigned to law enforcement. For me, this issue was a little too much superhero and not enough superspy, and I’m hoping Brubaker can correct that next month.

Death of Dracula #1 – Review

By Victor Gischler (writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli (artist), Onofrio Catacchio (finishes), Frank D’Armata (colorist)

The Story: I don’t think it would be giving away too much to say that it has something to do with the death of a certain infamous vampire…

The Good: Uh… Wow… I honestly was not expecting to like this comic as much as I did! No, seriously, I was fully prepared to go off on this book, with its corny premise and strangely redundant title, with all the drunken fury I could muster, but after I finished this comic I genuinely wanted to know more about this strange new world Gischler and Camuncoli have created for us. As I understand it, the purpose of this book was to define and update the vampire nation and their role in the Marvel Universe, and to this end I think the book wildly succeeds. Gischler has created an entire culture with a deeply rooted sense of history, rivalries, politics, and rituals. You get the feeling reading this comic that these vampire sects have been in the Marvel Universe all this time, quietly lurking in the shadows and conducting their business without any of us being the wiser. I really appreciated that this culture was so fully realized, and frankly it makes me wish we could get an entire series devoted to them; at this point I would gladly pay for that story.

This story, with its thick air of political manipulations and Machiavellian betrayals, often reminded me of Deadwood and Rome, shows that excelled at revealing the ways people use and abuse each other. I got that same vibe reading this comic, and I felt that was a good decision on Gischler’s part, exploring vampire culture like he did, because I think I would have been bored to tears if it was simply an oversized issue of Anne Rice wankers being emo and using their vampirey douchebag powers against each other. But it wasn’t, so hell yeah. I was fully convinced that this was a thriving community, and believed in the weight and consequences of the rivalry between Xarus and Janus. Camuncoli was a brilliant choice to illustrate this story, his characters can’t help but look sinister, dark, and thoroughly contemptible, even when they’re standing around talking during the many quiet moments that take up most of the issue. To be able to pull off that level of intrigue is, in my opinion, the mark of a damn fine artist, and that’s why I’m always willing to follow Camuncoli’s stuff.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 – Review

By Jim McCann (writer), David Lopez (artist), Alvaro Lopez (inker), Nathan Fairbairn (colorist)

The Story: On the road to reconciliation and renewing their relationship, Hawkeye and Mockingbird take time to bust up an arms deal while charting their own course in this new Heroic Age.

The Good: Diehard fans of the Hawkeye/Mockingbird duo will undoubtedly love the existence of this book, and I can’t blame them. There has always been a certain undeniable, geeky fondness for this dynamic duo over the years, and Hawkeye and Mockingbird have gone on to garner much well-deserved admiration from fans and creators. To be honest, I like having them back in the Marvel Universe, and I think their presence adds immense credibility to this notion of a Heroic Age.

What really drew me to this issue was the ridiculously attractive art from Team Lopez. David’s pencils and Alvaro’s inks are sleek and engaging, and they are clearly talented at choreographing some sweet-ass action sequences. The opening chase scene through the streets of New York was every bit as intense as a summer blockbuster movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. These guys are good, damn good, and I honestly think they can take this comic to heights of Greatness.

The Not So Good: I’ve more or less come to expect a certain degree of mediocrity from these Heroic Age relaunches, as creators need to re-establish the status quo and devote an issue to reminding us who their respective characters are and what their Mission is. And to be fair, that is certainly present here in this issue. But there is something too, something slightly more annoying. McCann’s script draws heavily on the extensive continuity of these characters, but slightly to a fault. Crossfire? The Phantom fucking Rider!? Come on. Hawkeye and Mockingbird have battled their ways through death, an alien invasion, and the dark reign of an utter fucking psychopath to find their way into each others arms and the best McCann can give us are some D class antagonists?

Secret Avengers #1 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Mike Deodato (artist), Rain Beredo (colorist)

“Our world is out of control… But the things I worry about most are the threats we don’t know about.”

As the Marvel Universe breaks free from the dark reign of Norman Osborn to bask in the light of a new age, Steve Rogers has remained skeptical. Cautious, even. He and his compatriots have endured many hardships over the years, responding to threats that have threatened to destroy them and only barely emerging victorious each time. Captain Steve Rogers has had enough. Ever the steadfast soldier, he is tired of holding ground and waiting for the problems to come to him. He has put together a new strategy, one that will proactively hunt the threats that plague the world before they have a chance to destroy it. To aid in his mission, Rogers has assembled a covert team of specialized operatives to help him save the world, but only this time from the shadows.

After months of speculation and eager anticipation, Secret Avengers has finally arrived, and I’m relieved to find that it was a comic well worth the wait. There’s simply a lot to like here!

Marvel has flirted with this idea of a preemptive superhero strikeforce before (anybody ever read Abnett’s short-lived Force Works?) but I’m glad they dusted it off and polished it up for The Heroic Age, because I think it’s an idea Marvel needs to keep around and address often. Why aren’t there more superheroes in the Marvel Universe that prevent problems instead of simply stopping them after they’ve already happened? Why do so many teams stand idly by and wait for shit to land on their doorstep when they should be relentlessly taking the fights to the villains until they are crushed once and for all? Hell if I know, but Secret Avengers seems ready to defy those conventions and offer us a new perspective on what heroes can and should do, and for that alone I’m ready to see where Brubaker, Deodadto, and Beredo take this comic.

Avengers #1 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Dean White (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Steve Rogers ushers in the Heroic Age by putting a new team of Avengers together.  Just in time, too, because before their first meeting is even over, our heroes will be confronted not only with Kang the Conqueror, but the possible end of existence itself!

Alex’s Take

Transitions can be painful and certainly, the transition between Dark Reign and the Heroic Age is a big one.   Unfortunately, Avengers #1 finds itself on this very awkward front-line.

At surface level, Avengers #1 is a fun read.  It has a happy Saturday morning feel which is buoyed by Romita’s distinctive artwork.  The return to a time-traveling/cosmic story aids in this respect.  We’re back to the escapist hijinks that old school comics provided and it’s a refreshingly far cry from government agencies and shadowy Obama cameos.  Instead we’re dealing with Kang, Ultron, and the Next Avengers.

But the problem is that this title isn’t set in an alternative universe.  It’s forced to deal with backstory and prior Marvel events.  Given that it’s completely different in style, appearance, tone, and storytelling from the sort of stuff we’ve been getting, this makes for an uncomfortable conflict.

The result is a truly bizarre narrative structure.  The book is cut into two clear halves: one dealing with the formation of this new team and the other introducing the new story with Kang.  The shift is massive.

The first half of the issue feels strange.  The joyous team formation sequence was weirdly surreal and a bit cheesy, Steve’s conversation with Wonder Woman felt misplaced (and poorly argued on Wonder Man’s part), and Steve’s and Tony’s reunion was cursory.  Things seem scattered amidst all the happiness.

Then Kang shows up so abruptly and randomly that it’s downright comical.  How the Avengers, Thor in particular, respond to his appearance only furthers the unintentional comedy.  Then, having only half an issue to start up his new story, we get a whole ton of talking heads to close out.

Despite all my griping though, there is fun to be had.  Spider-Man and Spider-Woman in particular have a great month, providing several laughs.  I love this new direction overall and think it bodes well for the future.  It feels new.

The Long and Short for Alex

I think that once this book gets in its groove, it’ll be great.  As a first issue though, and a standard-sized one at that, it’s so different from what came before that this awkwardness was impossible to avoid.

Grade: C