| #1 | 5/26/10 | #9 |
Greetings and salutations, Faithful Talkbackers! Ambush Bug here. What were you doing nine years ago? Kind of hard to remember, huh? Me? I was joining a rag-tag group of upstarts from the Talkbacks and writing my very first comic book review here on AICN. And myself and those lovable scamps known as the @$$Holes have been writing comic book criticism ever since. Sure our roster has changed through the years, but that same distinct quality—that sweet, sweet @$$y goodness—has been consistent throughout all of those nine long years. It’s hard to believe the @$$Holes have been on AICN that long. So thanks to all of the @$$Holes old and new, the readers of this column, and especially to those brave and ballsy enough to take part in that brutal battleground known as the Talkbacks. This column wouldn’t be anything without you. Enjoy this week’s reviews and Happy 9th Birthday AICN Comics!!!!!!
THANOS IMPERATIVE #1 One Shot
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Penciler: Brad Walker Inker: Andrew Hennessy Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: BottleImp
When I first learned that Marvel was putting GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and NOVA (two of the company’s most consistently entertaining titles, in this humble reader’s opinion) on hiatus in order to publish THE THANOS IMPERATIVE miniseries, my gut reaction was a strange mélange of: A) dismay at missing out on my favorite series; B) apprehension regarding said miniseries coupled with the fact that Nova was slated to be a “Secret Avenger,” whatever the hell that means; and C) happiness that I was going to be saving a little money for the next few months—what can I say; comics have gotten pretty pricey, and I’m a cheap bastard. But as for my negative premonitions…The problem isn’t with crossovers/miniseries/event book as a storytelling method per se, but the fact that the last crossovers I read were DC’s massively bloated and oversold series of “Crisis-es”—the worst offender being, of course, FINAL CRISIS. In my mind the term “crossover/miniseries/event book” has become synonymous with “huge pile of horseshit that ultimately accomplishes nothing except fleecing me of my money.” But Marvel has been playing it pretty smart by compartmentalizing their universe into subsections, so that an event book only ties down a small percentage of characters, rather than grinding the whole publication schedule to a halt.
(To be fair, DC seems to have learned from the backlash surrounding the Crisis-ing, and have followed suit with separate events for the Superman, Batman and Green Lantern title families.)
My point is that THE THANOS IMPERATIVE is not derailing the carefully crafted continuity that Abnett and Lanning have created within Marvel’s cosmic adventure titles. This miniseries is a continuation of that continuity, and the reason that the GOTG and NOVA comics are being put on hold is because their starring players are front-and-center for this storyline. Including Nova—so I guess the “Secret Avenger” thing must not be occurring at the same time continuity-wise, or something? But enough about the technicalities—here’s the meat of this one-shot.
Over the past year Marvel’s cosmic titles revolved around a rift in the space-time continuum, a gaping hole at the edge of our universe (dubbed “the Fault”) that bridged the gap between our reality and an alternate cosmos. This rip in space and time led to a universe populated with undying, monstrous creatures modeled after H.P. Lovecraft’s “Old Ones,” as well as Lovecraftian versions of such familiar faces as Captain America, Thor and Quasar. Abnett and Lanning took the Lovecraft Mythos and gave it their own spin, postulating: if these Elder Gods cannot die, then the alternate universe is one where death no longer exists, and life has propagated to the point where it has filled its own dimension and needs to spill into ours in order to keep growing. The alternate universe is in effect a malignant cancer, spreading unchecked—hence its kind of unfortunately goofy nickname, “the Cancerverse.” And so to fight back this teeming Life (with a capital L), our own universe’s survival relies on the avatar of Death—Thanos.
I knew next to nothing about Thanos aside from his short-lived god-hood during the INFINITY GAUNTLET miniseries of the early ‘90s… that, and the fact that he had a big ol’ purple chub for Lady Death (not the albino T&A pinup from the same decade; Marvel’s version of the embodiment of that abstract). But once again Abnett and Lanning have proven themselves to be masters of that Mighty Marvel storytelling staple, that of being able to bring the reader up to speed by giving them all the information they need to enjoy the story. Thanks to a convenient mind-probe by the Guardians of the Galaxy’s resident psychics, the newly-resurrected Thanos gives us a concise play-by-play of his history while the Guardians debate whether or not leaving the Mad Titan alive is a good move.
Readers of this column are probably sick of me repeating myself, but once again the writing team of Abnett and Lanning are knocking this one out of the park. You get the sense that they really love the past forty-odd years of Marvel’s publication history with these cosmic characters; rather than ignoring the continuity or referencing it only to try to rewrite it (which can be done well by a few such as Geoff Johns, but in most cases I find that the revamped history winds up being more laughable than the goofiest Silver Age nonsense), Abnett and Lanning fully embrace the fact that these characters have been around the block a few times, and the goal is to continue their adventures rather than erase them. Now we have an Adam Warlock/Magus who is more interesting than he’s been in years, thanks to the revitalization of Jim Starlin’s original concepts, a devotee of Death who is our universe’s last hope for survival, and one of the coolest final page reveals ever. I’m not going to spoil the details for those who haven’t yet read it; all I’m going to say is that the Cancerverse’s avatar of Life, its leader in the invasion of our dimension, is dripping with delicious, creamy irony for anyone who has more than a little familiarity with the Marvel comics of the 1970s.
I tend to praise Abnett and Lanning for the success of their work so highly that sometimes I fail to acknowledge the talented artists that put those images on paper. Brad Walker, artist on the monthly GOTG title, continues to provide excellent visuals for this one-shot (and hopefully for the rest of the miniseries). Walker juggles a multitude of characters and epic space vistas with ease, proving adept at making a clear, readable composition out of what could become a jumbled mess in lesser hands. His work is realistic and detailed, yet not so detailed as to interfere with the integrity of the designs. Walker is able to make people sitting around talking as dynamic a composition as he makes a fight scene. And did I mention that he draws a mean anthropomorphic raccoon?
If a great-looking, great-reading comic like this is my compensation for losing two of my favorite monthlies for a while, I’ve got no reason for complaining. As long as Abnett and Lanning are at the controls of the cosmic side of Marvel’s universe, whatever comics they script have been consistently entertaining, in the best classic Marvel manner. I’m betting that THE THANOS IMPERATIVE miniseries will be no exception.
When released from his Bottle, the Imp takes the form of Stephen Andrade, an artist/illustrator/pirate monkey painter from the Northeast. You can see some of his artwork here. He’s given up comics more times than he can remember. But every time he thinks he's out, they pull him back in.
G.I. JOE: HEARTS & MINDS #1
Writer: Max Brooks Art: Howard Chaykin & Antonio Fuso Publisher: IDW Publishing Reviewer: Ambush Bug
When word first got out that Max WORLD WAR Z Brooks would be tackling a G.I. Joe book for IDW, I was one of the ones who cheered. Knowing Brooks’ love of the property, I was sure he would handle the stories of the Joes with the same depth and creativity as he did with his zombie outings. But Brooks was the one who told fans, "OK, don't cheer yet. You may hate it.", citing that this was a different kind of G.I. Joe book and fans of the long running comic series may not like it once it came out.After chomping my way through this first issue, I have to say, Brooks’ warnings weren't necessary at all. In fact, this is the way a GI JOE book should read. There are various reasons for this.
First and most importantly, HEARTS AND MINDS reads as a great extension from the GI JOE: COBRA miniseries (and now ongoing series). COBRA took me by surprise at the level of sophistication the writers and artists approached the franchise at. This was a mature readers version of your favorite Joes with dire consequences and complex story structure. Sure it was fun to play with the Joe figures as a kid, but reading the comic as an adult often seemed to play to the lowest common denominator. The comic is often referred to as a kiddie book because it read like one. COBRA took things to a whole other level. HEARTS AND MINDS continues that trend by doing two separate stories focusing on a single Joe character, imbuing character and life into each one and making them interesting and distinct from the rest of the gaggle of Joes out there.
Secondly, as stated above, we get to see two characters not reintroduced in IDW's universe of comics. When Brooks first said he was going to come at this from a ground troops level, I thought he meant we were going to see common place stories from no name characters (which I must admit, did sound a bit boring to me, but I was willing to take a stab at it). I was completely surprised when I cracked open the covers of issue one to find shorts on Major Bludd and Spirit. Sure these weren't the Joes' and COBRAs' big guns, but they certainly weren't no-names. Too much time is often spent on about eight characters (Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Duke, Hawk, Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Storm Shadow) in the regular series and granted these are the most dynamic of the bunch, but just as GI JOE: COBRA made Chuckles cool in that miniseries, this series takes the time to let these lesser popular characters shine a bit.
The third reason this comic works is simple: strong storytelling. Both short stories are rock solid in both story and art. It conveys some complex themes and imbues these usually plastic toys with enough life to carry their own miniseries. If anything, I'm hoping Brooks will have a chance to pull all of these plotlines together to tell one type of story with this new cast of old characters, but I don't think that's the intention of this mini. Maybe some time in the future.
I'm usually not a fan of Howard Chaykin's square-faced characters and thick lines. He's an artist that I never really took to, but here, he does a great job with the Major Bludd story. Even though his work is not my cup of tea, there's no denying he's a living legend and knows how to panel out a good story. Antonio Fuso takes a break from GI JOE: COBRA to do the second feature focusing on Spirit and if you liked his expressive characters and beautiful panels in that comic, there's more to enjoy here. I loved the panels where we see the world through Spirit's eyes; very effective.
All in all, this is a fantastic addition to IDW's already impressive renderings of the GI JOE universe. Next to COBRA, this is my favorite book in the bunch. Yes, this series could have been done under the GI JOE: ORIGINS series (which is hit or miss given the talent on any given issue and the character of focus) since it's basically doing the same thing by going into the back story of some of your favorite Joes and Cobras, but when you have a talent like Brooks providing the words, I can understand why IDW made this a separate thing. So from this long time GI JOE fan, Brooks' worries were all for naught. He's made a damn fine first issue and has this Bug hooked for the long run on this miniseries.
All that and Tripwire and Firefly for next issue? Hellz yes, I'll be there!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, reviewer and co-editor of AICN Comics for over eight years and one of the original @$$holes. Check out his comic book shorts from Cream City Comics’ MUSCLES & FIGHTS VOL.3 and MUSCLES & FRIGHTS VOL.1 on his ComicSpace page. Bug was interviewed here and here at Cream City Comics and here and here about his comic from Bluewater Comics, VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS: THE TINGLER #1-2. Look for more comics from Bug in 2010, including ROGER CORMAN PRESENTS DEATHSPORT in July, and the just announced vampire miniseries NANNY & HANK in August (and check out Jazma Online’s new interview with Bug about NANNY & HANK here). Bug’s latest comic is VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS #21: WITCHFINDER GENERAL on sale July 2010. Fanboy Radio recently interviewed Bug about it here. Order VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS #21 in May's Diamond Catalog order # MAY10 0828.
SECRET AVENGERS #1
Writer: Ed Brubaker Artist: Mike Deodato Reviewer: Johnny Destructo
Oh ho ho, I see. I'mmmm gettinnnn' it...So, while The Avengers from last week keeps happy those who loved the 80's aesthetic, The Secret Avengers is here for the folks who liked the last couple years of reading about Marvel heroes working in secret. I was reading through this issue again, wondering what the point of it was, and I think that might be it. The problem is that I enjoyed watching that particular set of Avengers working in secret. This seems like the poster-child for the term rag-tag bunch. We have a covert ops team run by Steve Rogers, featuring Nova, War Machine, Beast, Sharon Carter, Irredeemable Ant Man, Valkyrie, Black Widow and Moon Knight. This is NOT a team that will stand the test of time. It seems less a book bred from necessity, and more an attempt to put certain characters into the spotlight.
I'm mostly interested in watching Steve do his new bit as top cop of the Marvel U then anything else this book is exploring. An ancient artifact that moves between moments, a package extraction in Dubai from a Roxxon Senior VP, some corporate espionage, and a trip to Mars. It almost feels like this book doesn't know what it wants to be. Like how the creators of Aqua Teen Hunger Force needed to have the characters BE something for the studio to give the ok, and they said.."well, they are uh.....detectives! yah! they'll...detect...stuff". Basically it was an excuse to have the characters do stuff and get into shenanigans. That's how this feels. Marvel needed a book. One called SECRET AVENGERS. So they grabbed these characters and threw them together, hoping it would make for interesting stories. It makes for interesting character moments, that's for sure. I especially liked the bits of Steve convincing certain heroes to join the team. But I'm not convinced plot-wise yet. Also? They are kind of terrible at what they do, so far! They couldn't even keep their team from being discovered during THEIR FIRST outing! Valkyrie asses-up a simple package extraction from an overweight, drunk, civilian corporate douchenozzle!
The art by Mike Deodato is really strong here and well suited for the type of story being told. His dramatically dark inkwork, silhouettes and shadows work well, and the muted color schemes by colorist Rain Beredo are a fine match. The reveal at the end was definitely unexpected for me and I'm curious to see where this is going in the next couple of issues; hopeful that it'll really hit its stride.
I'm kinda bummed, because I feel like with every entry into The Heroic Age that I pick up, I get more bored and more jaded. I really want to like these books, but I'm just having a hard time with them. I'm not writing any of the books off, because I know what certain stories need time to find their momentum, and I want to be excited about picking up main Marvel titles again. But so far, these Heroic Age books just ain't cutting it.
JD can be found hosting the PopTards Podcast, discussing movies, comics and other flimflam over at www.poptardsgo.com, graphically designing/illustrating for a living, and Booking his Face off over here.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #3
Writer: J.T. Krul Artists: Geraldo Borges, Kevin Sharpe & Sergio Arino Publisher: DC Comics Reviewer: KletusCasady
Riiiing….Riiiinng…riiinng…Kletus: Um…Hello?
G.A.: Hey this is Ollie. Can I speak to Roy?
Kletus: Weeellll…he’s kind of …
- {screaming heard in the background} “…ucking shoelace…the fork and knife are after meeeeeee!”
Kletus: He’s…indisposed at the moment can I give him a—
G.A.: LET ME TALK TO MY DAMN SON!
Kletus: I don’t think he knows what a phone is right now…
G.A.: Really?!?
- {Background screaming gets louder} “Darkseid trims his bikini line with Zeta beams & Batmite helps blaaaaaghahgh…”
Kletus: Umm…yeah, he’s, uhhh…strung out right now…can I have him call you back…when he’s not trying to eat The Flash’s shoe so he can run faster…
G.A.: Yeeeeaaah. Hey Kletus you got any uh…green…um...kryptonite over there?
Kletus: Aren’t you already in jail?
G.A.: Igottago.
CLICK!
They are really putting Roy (Red Arrow, Speedy, Arsenal) Harper through the ringer. I mean, they are kicking Roy square in the nuts with this issue but it makes for a good read. This comic is the aftermath of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, which to me was really boring until the last issue but by the time shit it the fan I was confused as to why shit was hitting said fan and at that point I didn’t really care. I knew the series was building to some “Holy Shit!” moment, which happened to be Roy losing his arm, his daughter and Coast City being blown the fuck up. I don’t understand the daughter part, if you have a toddler and some maniac like Prometheus shows up and starts talking some wild shit, your daughter should be hanging out with Dick Chaney in a bunker, 75 miles underground with Superman and Batman guarding the perimeter not in a fucking high rise building in the middle of the same fricken’ city that you are keeping Prometheus and brutally interrogating him in. You know he’s a badass that knows every damn thing about the JLA and will stop at nothing to ruin them, so get your family some where safe DAMNIT! Whew…sorry…This issue deals with a lot of shit and I for one am very curious to see how much worse Roy gets before eventually returning to the Speedy we know and, well…we’ll just say the Speedy we know.
Roy is having a particularly hard time dealing with the things that have been dropped in his lap, which is understandable. This is a very emotional story but since old Kletus’s heart has grown black from years of listening to Depeche Mode, I actually had a hearty laugh at a few things in this book. Number 1: The fight with Chesire (his baby’s momma); this guys name is Arsenal and all he could find to defend himself with is a tennis racket (hey at least he can still do that!), a stapler (takes some getting used to) and a damn orange extension cord (what the hell?). I know this was one of those supposed dirty style fights but his name is Arsenal…he doesn’t have a .22 or a baseball bat or an arrow that he could stab her with? Number 2: The not so subtle sexual stuff that goes on this book; allow me to elaborate; whilst whipping Chesire with the extension cord Roy thinks “She always liked it rough anyway,” yes that’s IT. I won’t go into what happens next but if you ever been privy to any Cinemax (they still around?) movies after midnight, you can make a pretty good guess. Number 3: He uses said extension cord to tie…well I’m going to stop here…intrigued? I knew you would be. I haven’t seen this much sexuality in a comic since I accidentally read the last 5 issues of TAROT: WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE. This comic takes you a lot of different places and it’s really heard not to feel sorry for ‘ol Speedy as his decent keeps snowballing (relax…you cretins).
This comic has my vote for wildest comic of the year. I laughed, I cringed and I cried, not really but damn this shit is like some 1980s Teen Titans type of storyline. I really like where this is going even though I didn’t like the road it took to get here. I’m definitely on board to see how far Roy will fall before he hits rock bottom and if he’s not there yet then we are in for some shit. I also like this story line because it seems like a logical reaction to the things that have happened in his life as of late. One second you’re being inducted into the big leagues and the next minute you’re one arm down and your daughter is dead at the hands of some A-hole and you can’t even get revenge because your dad already did it for you. This is the kind of stuff that makes good emotional comics. I will say that killing a toddler is a little much to advance the Red Arrow saga but I guess she’s not real so I shouldn’t get my Batman undies in a bunch. Everyone should read this comic not just to see the shit storm in Roy’s life but read a comic that is in no way predictable and borderline heartbreaking. Also the art work, which I guess was done by three different artists, ain’t bad either. If the last page of this doesn’t grab your attention then you’ve become cold blooded…just like ‘ol Kletus.
DAZZLER #1 One-Shot
Writer: Jim McCann Art: Kalman Andrasofszky & Ramon Perez (pencils, story one), Rick Ketcham & Ramon Perez (inks, story one), Francessca Ciregia (story two) Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: Ambush Bug
The thing about comics is that every character, no matter if it's Wolfpack, Obnoxio the Clown, or US 1, has fans. Sure the consensus may be that a certain character is "lame" or a joke. But there's always someone that was touched by the character in some way and because of that, their asses are often chapped when they see that character used as a one note punchline or used as cannon fodder when a story needs to be punched up with a sudden death. I always tended to lean towards the more obscure characters. There's something about them that seems so full of potential. The mystery surrounding their few appearances always intrigued me. Even though she was the star of her own series and a member of the X-Men for a while, Dazzler is one of those obscure characters I hold near to my heart.I don't really follow the X-Books these days. I O.D.-ed on the X-gene long ago. But when I saw the DAZZLER One-Shot advertised in the books last month, I knew I had to pick it up. There's just something appealing about a disco super star wearing a disco ball necklace, roller skates and an outfit that would make Lady Gaga blush. The quirkiness of the character always intrigued me--a mutant pop star who could convert sound to light. I am happy to say that I have every issue of DAZZLER's first series and most of her appearances since then. She's a character I always thought was cool.
HAWKEYE & MOCKINGBIRD writer Jim McCann seems to think so too because he references all of those old DAZZLER issues in this one shot. This book serves as a sort of Greatest Hits tribute to Dazzler as her past comes back to haunt her and she's forced to battle pretty much every foe she ever battled in that series--and she's wearing her disco costume to boot.
The story is pretty cut and dry, with a lot of action and a lot of character present on Dazzler's part. The conflict between Dazzler and her sister was really fleshed out in this issue and gave the story a little more heft than those comics of old. If anything, this book is a worthy tribute to all of those old DAZZLER issues. McCann either did his research or is a longtime fan. Either way, if you got a bit nostalgic when you saw the DAZZLER One Shot advert, this is definitely the book for you.
Art-wise, this is a pretty solid book with a whole boatload of artists contributing to this one. Kalman Andrasofszky contributes the best art of the book in the first story, depicting Dazzler in as cool a light as I've ever seen her. Francessca Ciregia contributes subtler line work in the second story involving the fallout from the main story. All in all, the art is not the spotlight here, but it does a capable job of conveying McCann's touching tribute to the character.
If anything, this one shot serves to prove that Dazzler deserves a bit more attention in the Marvel U. She was a pretty big star for about five minutes in the early eighties and has just enough punch to make a comeback. Screw overused characters like Wolverine or Spidey in the Avengers. Why not Dazzler on Avengers? That'd make this fanboy happy. But until then, at least there are writers like McCann out there paying tribute to some worthwhile obscure characters like Dazzler. This was a fun one that will tweak that nostalgia nerve.
GREEN HORNET #4
Writer: Kevin Smith Artist: Jonathan Lau Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
So, GREEN HORNET, let’s talk about it, shall we? I, for one, like it. I’m not exactly sure why, but it amuses me. It’s not exactly a great book, but it does well for itself in that it has a nice combination of action, dramatic bits, and comedic beats. It flows extremely well thanks to this. And I think it plays off the mythos of the character very well to be honest, even though I doubt I had ever read anything with Green Hornet in it ever before this, Smith just makes it feel that familiar. Yes, that’s right, Kevin Smith has shown some reverence for something. He occasionally does that, and it’s usually very honorable when he does. Here I am honoring.The thing that really gets me about this book though is how much I am enjoying the characters despite them being more or less tropes. Britt is the impetuous child who is now fatherless and realizing how much of a jerk he was to his dad when he was alive as he comes to grips with the revelation of his father’s legacy. He’s occasionally wise-cracky and happens to know a little karate (trope). Imagine that. But, y’know, I still kind of feel for the character. His tantrums can be annoying, but in a way understandable. He didn’t really know his father as he was off doing his important work (trope), but now he’s starting to understand and it’s almost as he’s becoming a man once again to tackle this great responsibility (tropity trope trope). Typical, but it works. His anger at his father, misguided as it was, is palpable and the anger he is feeling over his loss and now aimed at himself for not giving his father a chance is even more apparent. And he’s still a bit of a wiseass, so that works.
The pair of Katos are also a little typical, but nonetheless amusing. The elder Kato as the new leader of the operation, the wise veteran who will be (hopefully) guiding the ship from here on out. He’s a cocky sumbitch, but given his abilities and what he’s accomplished in tandem with the original GH, you kind of have to begrudge him that. The newer version, his pupil, is also fairly standard affair. Strongly silent with an asinine skill set of martial arts; obviously her personality (or current lack thereof) will be a prime source of entertainment as Britt’s continually butts heads with it.
Lastly, I have to give it up for the energy this book has, via the art and all the hyperkinetic action that it portrays. Admittedly, the pencil work looked a little rough this time around – it looks as though Mr. Lau had to have some breakdown assistance from the ever-awesome Phil Hester – but it still flowed extremely well. If you need a fix for martial arts action taken to the nth degree with some pulp flavor, well then this is your book. That’s really why it works for me. The factors I mentioned above – the legacy, the endearing characters despite their somewhat unoriginal flavor – all make this title a little richer. At the end of the day though, it’s fun, it’s action-packed, and it has a little emotional weight and some decent back-and-forth dialogue and one-liners. It’s just entertaining, and I’m digging on it.
Humphrey Lee has been an avid comic book reader going on fifteen years now and a contributor to Ain't It Cool comics for quite a few as well. In fact, reading comics is about all he does in his free time and where all the money from his day job wages goes to - funding his comic book habit so he can talk about them to you, our loyal readers (lucky you). He's a bit of a social networking whore, so you can find him all over the Interwebs on sites like Twitter, The MySpaces, Facebookand a Blogger Account where he also mostly talks about comics with his free time because he hasn't the slightest semblance of a life. Sad but true, and he gladly encourages you to add, read, and comment as you will.
X-FORCE #27
Writer: Craig Kyle & Chris Yost Art: Mike Choi Publisher: Optimous Douche
As we round the final bend of SECOND COMING I come here today to praise not just X-FORCE 27, but rather an entire event that has kept me utterly enthralled with each progressive issue. Everything about this crossover series has simply been done right. To praise X-FORCE alone would be like buying a Ferrari and then spewing out of the pie hole about how wonderful the cup holders are. Even if the geniuses in Italy found a way for the cup holders to tightly grip your frappaccino while giving a blow job, they are still just cup holders and don’t come close to representing the entire experience. So as usual, here’s the obligatory “spoiler ahead” warning before I delve into what I will emphatically say has been the best X-MEN crossover ever and meekly say with room for being swayed the best comic crossover hitting the shelves today.Marvel is not dicking around with the usual crossover bloat in this series. Generally when a storyline transcends multiple titles, the writers try to keep some semblance of the activities in place that were occurring prior to the crossover’s start. Sometimes this is out of stubbornness (i.e. X-FACTOR and SECRET INVASION) and other times, well I don’t know what happens the other times, but it sucks, especially if you are not a regular reader of that title. SECOND COMING has none of these trappings; Fraction, Wells, Kyle and Yost have crafted a seamless tale with their respective titles all centered on the singular mission of saving who Scott Summers believes to be the savior of mutant kind – Hope. There are ancillary titles as well, a few minis and a brief dalliance into X-FACTOR. Read them or not, it’s your choice. They add some nice embellishments to the event, but there’s really no need to stray from the books with the big red numerals (for the chronologically challenged).
I’ll admit my patience has been wearing thin with Marvel over the past few years. While all energy has been placed on Avengers to feed the great movie cash machine, the X-MEN have been a ship without a rudder. Sanctuary in San Francisco was a bust, X-FORCE seemed to be a simple exercise in gratuitous violence and I couldn’t even begin to describe what the hell was happening in X-MEN LEGACY. Well, all of those past sins are forgiven. The carefully numbered nirvana of SECOND COMING brings every book home to roost on the mutant island Utopia. I was truly worried during the build-up to this series. While I was thrilled to have all of the Earth’s remaining muties banded together in one place (even if that place wasn’t Graymalkin Lane), I felt as though Fraction and crew were painting themselves into a literal corner. As we all know Utopia is the former asteroid base of Magneto, raised from the depths of the Pacific off the coast of San Francisco to give earth’s last mutants an island nation to call their own. Given how well this strategy has worked in the past (Genosha, anyone?), coupled with Marvel’s non-stop love of all things Avengers I was truly worried that mutants would finally become extinct.
I guess all we really needed was a little Hope.
Hope was the first and only mutant child to be born after Wanda Maximoff uttered the game changing phrase “no more mutants.” Recognizing how special this child was, Scott Summers does what he always does with special children: flings them head first through a temporal vortex for safety in a time that has yet to come. Thankfully Hope had another Summers cast off, Cable, to serve as her guide. Now Hope has returned and with her comes the ire of the anti-mutant leagues that have been toying with the X-men over the past few years like cats with an optic-blast shooting ball of yarn.
While each story brings its own signature flair, they all embody the tenets of fast-moving, cinematically gorgeous and character portrayals that are simply spot-on. Scott Summers is in all of his leader glory, manipulating the X-Men like chess pieces via a psychic link provided by gal pal Emma Frost. Even the enemies in this book, Bastion, Stryker and Hodge, seem to be favoring strategy over brute force. “Take out the teleporters” and taken out they are, including a fuzzy blue one. Before Nightcrawler met an untimely end though, his reactions to the existence of X-FORCE went down exactly as long time would fans would expect; not well! Cable is a tidal force of rage and compassion as he keeps young Hope from harm. Naturally the two plunked down initially at Graymalkin Lane only to find it decimated. This might seem basic, but part of what’s kept this story so exciting was their road trip across the country towards Utopia.
I really can’t pick one favorite here; each story is serving a greater whole that is wholly great. However, X-FORCE #27 is a prime example of writers and artists working in perfect concert together. Half of the issue is a Choi orgy of battle and silence as the X-MEN try to fight back the Nimrods entering through a temporal gateway on the Golden Gate Bridge. The rest of the issue kicks off what I can only expect to be a glorious ending. Cable has one left time jump in his tech arm, Scott being a man who is “in it to win it” gives his team;a one way ticket to the future in a mission with insurmountable odds.
To derail this crossover of sheer awesomeness, these guys would have to do a fuck up of unimaginable proportions, like having Jean Grey spring out of Jesus…I mean Hope…like a stripper out of a cake, or having Jean Grey resurrect Fuzzy Elf by possessing the arm that was phased into his chest...or…or…well, anything involving Jean Grey.
We usually grouse about crossovers here on Ain’t It Cool, but that’s usually because they suck, cascade into too many titles and seem to go on forever. This is simply not the case with SECOND COMING. If anything I’m saddened by all of the red checks I see on the event checklist. This one will be ending far too soon. Keep up the good work gents, for the first time in about three years I am buying every single book with a mutie in it and loving every minute of it.
Optimous' book AVERAGE JOE is being published by COM.X. AJ is a tale that explores what our world would be like today if everyone was gifted with super human abilities in 1938. The guys are looking for top shelf art talent to partner with on this project. Reach out to Optimous on FaceBook for further details.
DARK AVENGERS #16
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Mike Deodato Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: William
*Yes I know this was reviewed about a week or so ago, but gosh darn it it was so good, I had to review it myself.*And so the saga known as the Dark Avengers finally comes to end, and what a ride it was. I’ve been following this series ever since it first began, fascinated by how a rag-tag group of nefarious villains could be passed off as a great superhero team. Of course all of this being led by a man the American public should’ve remembered as the Green Goblin, but along the way communications must’ve broken down somewhere.
Bendis did a great job of wrapping things up within this issue, while still finding a way to tie it into Siege--not an easy task considering how all the earlier issues were dealing with separate storylines. In any case, we get to see what happens to this group of villains after the attack on Asgard, and we get to see the state of Norman Osborn after being captured. If there’s one thing I didn’t like about this issue, it’s that there’s still some form of favoritism given to Daken within Marvel. Yeah he‘s the son of Wolverine, and I get how he‘s more resourceful than the rest of the Avengers, but to have him be the only one to escape capture (quite easily I might add) just seemed silly. Especially when the likes of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America were still in and around the area. It all seemed forced, as if it would just inevitably set up some other mini-series featuring this lame mohawked Wolverine 2.
Now what did work great was the handling of both Victoria Hand and Norman Osborn after they were captured. I loved how Bendis made the situation with Victoria seem as realistic as possible, with her calmly stating that she was just serving her country, same as anyone else like Captain America or Nick Fury. I liked how Captain America recognized this fact within her, especially when he was interrogating her. He realized that while she was indeed working with Norman’s Avengers, she still wasn’t one of them. She truly had America’s best interests in mind, and for Captain America to subsequently state that all was forgiven and that she’s now working for him, was a great touch.
The coup-de-grace though belongs with how it ends for Osborn. Shackled in metal bracings that look like they’d be appropriate for the Hulk, and escorted to his prison by no less than Iron Man and Thor, Bendis places Norman in a picture perfect ending: left all alone in prison to forever “fight” with his Green Goblin alter ego. I loved how Norman was treated throughout the series; a great parallel for Lex Luthor while also battling his own inner demons. And for him to end up in this way is a tragic reminder of how perfect things could’ve gone if it weren’t for his vices. Just wait until you see how Bendis and Deodato interpret Norman’s hallucinatory Green Goblin. Great concept.
Speaking of Deodato, his artwork could not be any more perfect for this series. I love photo-realism in my comic books, and Deodato does a masterful job of making some of the most realistic looking characters around. His women (especially Victoria Hand) remain so beautiful, and I especially liked his touch of having Osborn look like Tommy Lee Jones. Here’s hoping that Deodato gets placed into another high-profile series soon.
I highly recommend this issue if you were a fan of the series, as it’s a great ending to an epic series.
BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 DC Comics
Morrison continues to be pretty followable in this second issue of the triumphant return of Wayne. You knew a return set up by Morrison wasn't going to be by the books, though, as Batman winds up in witch hunting times and finds true love and a curse (which may make Batman the actual one who caused his parents’ demise and his own fractured psyche...how Dr. Phil of Morrison to cook that little tidbit up). The coolest development has Bruce at time’s end wearing a furry costume and putting our quartet of heroes (Supes, Booster, Hal, and Rip Hunter) into a whole boatload of trouble. The art is provided by the always amazing Frazier Irving who must be on call whenever a Victorian time story needs art. Not a bad story. Much better than Brubaker's bland “Return of Steve Rogers” story. - Bug
DEVIL #4 Dark Horse
Torahiro Kishi and Madhouse Studios finish up their sci fi vampire yarn in this issue, but this miniseries seemed like just the tip of an iceberg I wouldn’t mind running my Titanic hunger for good horror into. Those who enjoyed DAYBREAKERS will definitely want to check out this story of the creation of creatures that may be mankind’s next step in evolution or their ultimate downfall. Kishi paints a bleak near-future as a vampire like plague sweeps the globe and from that plague of monsters (referred to as devils, but they are more like a cross between a rabid vampire or a blood sucking zombie) something even more evil evolves. Sure, vampire stories are a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be good ones out there. DEVIL is a great one. I know next to nothing about it next to the fact that I just read through the last three issues and each one read fast and fierce. Occasionally this book (which seems to be translated from Japanese I think, but it’s not a manga) suffers a bit in the translation as some of the word balloons read a bit chunky, but this is a phenomenal story. If you missed this mini, fear not. Dark Horse is usually quick to put out a trade. Having read the bulk of this book in one sitting, I have to say, I envy those who didn’t pick up the single issues. You get to sit and devour the entire thing like the devils do to many an innocent in this four issue mini. Horror of the most terrifying caliber; that’s what DEVIL is. I hope there’s more to come. - Bug
THUNDERBOLTS #144 Marvel Comics
Though I don't get why Cage is in this book and the NEW AVENGERS title, I think he's much more fitting here as lead redeemer for this new boatload of misguided villains trying to be heroes. Jeff Parker really does a great job of kicking off this new direction with a boatload of reintroductions and a mismatched cast that should prove to be very fun. Kev Walker's art is top tits too, though he could spend a bit more time on backgrounds here and there. I love this cast, which mixes up the best of the old crew (Mach V, Songbird, Fixer, and Moonstone) with the best of Ellis' crew (Ghost) and a few new surprises (Juggernaut and Man-Thing!). Though I still don't get why Crossbones is in the mix (maybe Bullseye was busy), this new roster intrigues the hell out of me and with Parker's gift for team books proven with his always fun ATLAS series, this one is definitely going back on my pull list. - Bug
