A 2nd Shot of Reviews (9-24-14)

What did you pick up this week?

Amazing X-Men #11

When Nightcrawler returned, I was estatic, but the Amazing X-Men is anything but an ecstatic read. I decided to give this series an extended shot since it has the majority of the X-Men I grew up with, but I fear issue 12 might be my last for the series.

The Last Broadcast #5

My only Indie title. Issue 1 was enjoyable and I've been caught up in it ever since. The artwork is sketchy, but it works with the story. And at the end I'm wondering, what the???

Edge of Spider-Verse #3

In my first "Shot of Reviews" I mentioned how much I disliked issue #2. This issue was the opposite. I like it so much I wrote a full review on it. 

Guardians of the Galaxy #19

My first introduction to the Guardians was in the 90's. When I was first introduced to these "new" guardians, I passed until they starred in their own series; 18 issues later and I am still enjoying the ride. How could I complain with Thanos and the cosmic cube?

New Avengers #24

Jonathan Hickman has been doing an amazing job. This issue is no exception. The only qualms I have are, what do a bunch of villains care if the Earth is destroyed? I do understand if the Earth is Destroyed, so is the universe, but is that enough for these characters to do what Namor suggests? And what about the Sub-Mariner, why does he feel off? However, Hickman portrayed Doom as good as I have ever seen him. 

Thanks for Reading

Marvel's Season One: A Roundabout Review

The Long of it.

This week an added book was waiting for me at Fat Jack's Comic Crypt. Among my normal weekly haul a single hardcover copy of Avengers Season One beckoned for me to take it home. This is the eighth $25 hardcover I picked up. But how was it? How was Marvels first idea before Marvel Now competed against DC's 52. And how does it stack up?

Each Season One has an original story and a backup story from the 616 universe. At first glance it looks like you're getting something extra, you're not its just filler, or the garnish you get ordering from a nice restaurant, it looks nice on the plate but has no substance. The extra stories are too new and feel like a gimmick to get me to jump on the title, this is against their policy, after all they started off with new number ones thinking I would be too confused to start in the middle with a large number and yet they give me an extra issue that doesn't make sense without the rest if the story.

All in all the season ones are an interesting new perspective. Some I enjoyed while others I lumbered through, this latest one written by the great Peter David. At the end I see how they illustrated the solidifying of the Avengers but I don't see why. The characters I have known became two dimensional again. I normally like to read a comic book in one sitting, this took three.  I wanted to be entertained, to be brought back to a time of comic book innocence and this left me feeling left out.

I will buy the next one and the one after that mostly because I like the format and I like to complete what I stated. Don’t get me wrong, for the novice reader it is a good start, but for someone who loves the 616 universe I feel somewhat like I was given an ice cream cone of an ice cream flavor I don’t like on a really hot day. It looks good, but when you get down to it, slightly unsatisfying. I hope the next one is better.

The Short of it

Buy the original in digital if you have too, at least then you will see how they evolved as they were meant to, one issue at a time.

Thanks for Reading

My Weekly Haul: A Roundabout Review

My Weekly Haul: A Roundabout Review.

Every week I go to the comic book shop. This week was no exception even after attending my first Convention of the year in Seattle, ECCC. At this con I met Fiona Staples. I heard about her comic book Saga but passed on it month after month. Even after looking at the book on my best friend’s kitchen table, I still passed. It wasn't until I had her autograph my first autograph book that I decided to pick one up, and that is what I did when I got my new releases for the week. It might not be a first edition, but it was enough to make me decide to get the trade, I encourage you to do the same.

The other books are heavily Marvel. I didn't get any DC books, and only one Valiant title, which introduced the first appearance of Doctor Mirage, albeit much different from her 90’s counterpart. Valiant is constantly growing and I am happy that I am collecting every book. However I am beginning to fear their mass explosion might implode only for the fact that Hard C.O.R.P.s is coming out and that is what I remember the beginning of the end of Valiant, for me anyway. Valiant, if you are reading this, please keep a tight controlled universe.

Then there is Marvel, my favorite Universe to play in. After choosing to read Superior Spider-Man, Avengers, and even Daredevil (a title I tend to leave for last), it was the “Age of Ultron” that had me anticipating the next big Marvel event, that doesn't seem to be hyped that way. When Secret wars came out I only knew what came out when it was on the stands. As I got older I figured out about Marvel Age, DC Currents, and Comic Shop News. These were my treasure maps, even overriding the great Previews magazine. My favorite though happens to be Comixology and that is how I found out about this new Story line by none other than Brian Michael Bendis.

I picked up two issues, because to be honest I want to see if I can send these books into CGC for grading. Can I pick a 9.8, or only a 9.6 and will my LCS Fat Jack’s tell me to step away from the shelves. Age of Ultron starts…

SPOILERS AHEAD

Age of Ultron Starts in an already desolate world, The Island of Manhattan seems to be a cesspool of poverty, grime, and corruption. In other words, only the evil and the strong survive.  The first panel shows New York behind a decapitated Statue of Liberty and a mammoth ship towering above.  The first words aren't even until the middle of page six giving an unnerving feeling that those that aren't quite are dead.  In the very beginning Hawkeye is tracking someone, and his aim is unnerving. I wonder what Dr. Fredric Wertham would have thought about it. And the building he enters is trafficking M.G.H. The girl wants nothing to do but sleep but here benefactors have something else on their mind.  Luckily for her, so does Clint, and he disposes of the jackals. This is where I question the book, and my only sense of fallacy on the writer’s part. If the girl only wanted to sleep, and wanted nothing to do with the hoodlums that were peddling their drugs, not to mentions the favors they wanted, why does she pick up a gun and threaten Hawkeye?

At this point the house is on alert, and they feel that it is Thor arriving, they might not understand the threat and subtlety of Hawkeye is just as a reason to be wary as the hammer of Thor. I didn’t expect Hammerhead but the Owl was foreshadowed by the use of the Mutant Growth Hormone. The incendiary panel on page 12 is colored so well that I applaud Paul Mounts, that’s not to say that Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary didn't do their part as well. The following page is where you see the prize Hawkeye has been seeking. Spider-man is tied to a chair, and more than wondering why is he tied to a chair, because his proportionate strength should free him, but is it Otto or Peter?

As “Owlsey” and Hammerhead get the drop on our heroes, all hell breaks loose, Ultron has arrived. These next few pages are blurry, more from the effects of the artwork than too much to drink. The book slows at this point allowing us to try to decipher what happened. Why did the story come to fruition in the middle rather than the beginning, and why is Hank Pym absent from the rest of the survivors? Even Tony Stark’s Tron like costume screams where’s his armor? I like how recently Hawkeye has been becoming a major player, one who is willing to speak his mind and go after the bad guy with wild abandon, and even question the man in charge. On the last page you find the one person who you never thought would look like he just gave up.

Although I spent a nice amount at the ECCC, mostly on grading, I am glad I had enough money to buy my books this week around. As far as traded go, please check out Saga, but as far as first issues go and a new release, get Ultron before Ultron gets you…that was so cheesy I had to use it.

Thanks for reading.

PS, try the AP features on this issue... and tell me if this next cover doesn't make you salivate?

The Avengers: A Roundabout Review

NOTE: I’m not dedicating myself to write about any one “Avengers” title, but different titles with Avengers in them. There are mini spoilers ahead. Be wary. 

Who would have thought that there are no less than nine Avengers titles; not including individual character titles. I'm passing on many of them, but have decided to give three of the Avenger titles a decent chance. I chose the Avengers because of Sunspot and Cannonball. I chose the New Avengers because of the Illuminati and then picked Uncanny Avengers because it would be interesting to see the two teams merge and cooperate.

Both Avengers and New Avengers I thought were anti climatic. After only three issues the initial story line had ended, and poorly. I feel like a child struggling to open a package to a chocolate bar only to bite into it and its nougat instead. Uncanny Avengers is at least better in that regard, because at the end of issue three Rick Remender tells me one of my favorite phrases... To Be Continued.

I haven't tried any of the other group titles but I gave Captain America a chance which ended after issue two, Iron Man however, I gave the first story arc too, and after a good solid five issues I decided to drop the book. This decision changed when I was at Fat Jack's Comic Crypt in center city Philadelphia. Entitled the God Killer, Greg Land's enticing artwork on issue #6 made it easier to overturn my previous inclination to stop collecting the title. Issue six was good enough to pull me in for the next two issues when this story ends. And Indestructible Hulk has me salivating over the next release.

The Marvel Universe is my favorite playground to read, but I wonder did the issue #1's bring in enough new readers without any confusion? In Captain America, Steve Rogers is in some distant dimension, in the New Avengers, he just had his mind wiped by his fellow team members, in Uncanny Avengers he is following the leadership of Alex Summers and in Avengers he's leading his biggest Avenger team yet through gigantic space opera's... So tell me how did these four issue #1's make things less confusing? I also think this is the first time Captain America is in more books that Wolverine. I for one have no idea what is first, last, or coinciding. 

I wonder where in the Mighty Marvel Bullpen there is a map on the wall where everyone is. Each Marvel now title seems to be a force into itself and shows no solidarity as a group but an individuality of characters.

/kI recently reread/read Avengers Vol. #1 issues 273-277. I recently did the same thing with the original Superior Spider-Man, but this is about the Avengers. Under Baron Zemo's leader ship, the Wrecking Crew, Goliath, Mr. Hyde, and many others take down the Avengers, brutally. Hercules was beat into a coma, the Black Knight was knocked into unconsciousness, and the bravest Avenger of them all was tortured beyond anything Jarvis has ever been through. This five issue story arc spread out through other titles as well even going back as far as Avengers #14, you know from 1965.

In the eighties when I first started to collect Marvel comics they had these great story notations. If something in the story pertained to something else an (*) would guide you somewhere, not to mention (and yet I am) a few flashback panels to bring a reader up to speed.  In the Masters of Evil five issue story line these symbols appeared eighteen Different times and some of them for different titles; one was even to tell me it was being translated from French. I was never confused and I always had a link to the history if the character or the way the story developed. It also helped comic book shops by making the collector ravish the back issue bins.

I'm not disappointed enough to stop collecting but I really wish the companies would pay attention to what worked and use that, besides if it doesn't work they can always start over...again...for the first time.

Thanks for Reading

Marvel Now: A Roundabout Review

Marvel

 Now:

A 

Roundabout 

Review

I have made it known before and I'll make it known now, I dislike the whole posturing for a new number one comic book companies seem to thrive on. I enjoyed the (*) notation and would look in the lower portion of the panel to figure out what I had to read to understand more. DC started their New 52 a little over a year ago and I planned to try numerous different titles. I started with four and am currently at two. 

When Marvel decided to do the same I silently lowered and shook my head. I wasn't going to write them telling them they would lose my business. I enjoy the hobby too much. What I did decide was to limit what I would collect because as much as a number one is a good jumping on point; it’s also good to jump off. I planned to give each Marvel title the first story arc; then again the plan to give DC a try on sixteen titles didn't work either.

I gave Iron Man a try, along with All New X-Men, Captain America, Avengers, Cable and X-Force, New Avengers, and Uncanny Avengers. I skipped entirely Avengers Academy, Indestructible Hulk, X-Men Legacy, and Uncanny X-Force. I dropped Captain America along with Cable and X-Force, but I picked up Indestructible Hulk to replace it. Then of course there is Superior Spider-Man and as much as I've enjoyed Dan Slots current story, issue two just seemed full of redundancies. I get it. As much as I enjoyed the secret reveal at the end of #1, I felt dissatisfied after the second. I still think this series has the greatest potential.

In Avengers #1 they got straight to the action, it's a new world and the Avengers have to get bigger. What I don't get is how all the titles fit together. How is Iron Man going off in space in his title, the Hulk works for one of the agencies that chased him for decades, and there are a bunch of characters now ranked as the “greatest”. In the eighties the continuity was easier to follow. Now that I'm an adult I feel like I just turned on General Hospital and it has the cast of Days of our Lives, Dallas, and Fantasy Island. As many questions as this number one gave me I stuck around for number two, the hopes that Cannonball would finally be a contender had me part with my $3.99, again. I was even OK with the buildup of a possible six issue story arc.

I was disappointed at the end of issue three, what could have been a battle to destroy the heavens only reminded me off the fireworks in San Diego on July 4th, 2012 when the night long celebration erupted prematurely  in fifteen seconds. Issue four lost more momentum still. I was unimpressed with the J.J. Abrams flashback storytelling quality that Jonathan Hickman did not pull off as well as he did in the previous issues.

Cable and X-Force didn't get past issue #1. I stopped Captain America after issue #2, the Fantastic Four and FF were not worth picking up, and I was scared to try Uncanny X-Force for fear they would destroy the image of Puck I retain in my head. The New Avengers feels like it has the chance to really propel itself along but will issue three be a silent fizzle. So far the one that has surprised me was the Indestructible Hulk. After issue three I'm looking forward to the next one. Then of course you have the one title that is not a Marvel Now and probably more of a Marvel Then is Daredevil by Mark Waid. Month after Month I look forward to this title, maybe that's why I decided to follow the exploits of Bruce Banner and S.H.I.E.L.D.



To be fair, I will continue a little longer on some of these titles while others I might wait for a convention and purchase them at a dollar. I did give DC a bit longer before I opted to go from four titles to only two. The thing that Marvel has over DC with me is history. I have always enjoyed the Marvel Universe more. I'll continue with Avengers, New Avengers, All-New X-Men, Indestructible Hulk, Uncanny Avengers and Superior Spider-Man but at the moment I'm really looking forward to "Age of Ultron" that Michael Brian Bendis hinted at before the whole Marvel Now exploitation. And then is it right for a company to start in a new direction and still use storylines from its previous incarnations?

Thanks for Reading

Avengers #1: A roundabout Review

Recently, with all things in my life, it's a pretty sure bet I either have coffee or a comic book nearby.  At times I have both. Empty creamers and sugar packets or plastic bags, boards, and tape at one time or another have littered a table I occupied. Occasionally, when I drink my coffee I remember my youth, but even after entering my fourth decade of life, every so often after closing a comic book, I transport myself into the imaginary world I was just reading.

Every week I buy comic books, it’s a more religious experience than some people’s church outings.  Finances being the way they are I try to escape my "must have" attitude and limit my purchases to what I like aesthetically, this is not only for the appeal of my eyes but the landscape of my mind. At an average of four dollars a book I want my money's worth. I won't get into the price of a good cup of coffee, nor the ten percent the church asks for.

Most recently Marvel Comics is revamping their line with "Marvel Now"; a byproduct of the success DC has had with their new “52”. A red banner across the bottom of the book along with the tagline “Join the Revolution” could subconsciously scream "LOOK AT ME". I whole heartily disagree with a comic publisher’s mentality that the reader, which I am one of will lose interest among the higher number books, so instead of reading Avenger's six hundred and two I'm reading issue #1…again.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I was disappointed right away because it was the Avengers from the 2012 blockbuster hit and not the latest incarnation from the comic book. After looking forward to this book when I first saw the advertisement had my favorite character barreling to the front lines, I couldn't wait to see Cannonball as an Avenger. He wasn't in it, not till the end, in almost the same pose he displayed on the cover. The future tales of Sam Guthrie, Cable’s first soldier, had to wait.

Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Bruce Banner, and Captain America think they are arriving at the red planet with no one the wiser.  They were wrong.  Continuity speaking, when does this happen? Being a number one I would have hoped to have been able to roll along and know everything. Isn't that what these number ones are all about?  Continuity never seemed to be a problem amid the comics I grew up with. To its credit Avengers volume 5 #1 felt like one big blockbuster in itself. I must admit Jonathan Hickman has succeeded in grabbing my attention.
               

Page one looks like it could be from a comic version of the Bible. The second page is a list of the Avengers followed by a three page panel describing when it all "could" have begun. 

Page four was more of a tease with the "Iron Wars?" 

 Page six was a great rendition by Jerome Opena, a single panel of Mister Fantastic, The Sub Mariner, Black Bolt, and The Black Panther. I am drawn in, no pun intended.

               
On Mars, the Avengers are bested by Abyss, Aleph, and Ex Nihilo by means of an “in your face” beat down.  Captain America is knocked to the ground but still refuses to yield. 

They pick him, quite possibly due to his enduring spirit, to send Earth a message “We’ll send him home to write a warning in the heavens”.

I don’t think the trio thinks the message would be a call to arms. Steve’s body heals enough in only three days to "Wake the World". 

The second to last page has Rogers suiting up in what closely resembles the outfit Chris Evans wore in the movie. The code “Assemble at Dawn” is answered, with force. I recognize the majority of the members and look forward to the next issue.  I question the beginning and the ending of the book because it reads that the Earth has changed.  The biospheres of the first two impact zones, by the first two bombs, seemed so catastrophic they would have mentioned it in every one of their books.  Could the reasoning of picking two be slightly symbolic of World War Two? But, why mention the “first” two bombs? Wouldn't that beg to answer how many others were sent? One was fired as the Avengers were in inner planet travel.  They destroy it.

They arrive in a heroes fashion, but how did these heroes survive the change of the Biosphere, were they hidden, were they outside the range of the first two bombs, and don’t we have only one biosphere? This thought alone could probably destroy the last panel of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes standing before an unaffected city? Wouldn't it have been much more story driven if the building were grown over with moss? The last page is of Captain America with possibly the best Avengers team yet, if not the largest, so much for Peter Gyrich’s limit of six.

After 21 pages of art, four pages of “titles”, five “AR” markers, two advertisements for two more “Marvel Now” titles, a paid ad for Max Payne 3, a back cover for the NBA and a Modern day Stan’s Soapbox fill the pages for $3.99. Before I forget there is also a page dedicated to the Marvel Augmented Reality App (AR) which is on the same page as the sticker covered code for a free Digital Copy. I must admit I enjoyed the book. Yes I picked it apart, but when it comes down to it the only question is do I get the book graded by CGC to preserve the grade I purchased the book in or do I recall my youth in one other way, and read it over and over again.

Thanks for Reading