Marvel Now: A 2nd Roundabout Review

Is Age of Ultron a Marvel Now title? And when does Marvel Now become Marvel Then? Besides I'm getting confused I don't know when the Avengers are? Iron Man is in space and now part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The 616 universe, if that's still the universe we are in has finally brought Jim Shooter's New Universe into play. Although I vaguely remember Marvel trying something like this before, both StarBrand and NightMask are intriguing additions.

Mark Waid has been weaving a tale in Bruce Banner's Universe incorporating Sheild. Not to mention Daredevil which technically was started over with a new number one pre-Marvel Now. Both titles are part if my must get list. 

Uncanny Avengers I like the least, while with the Avengers I am waiting for Sam and Roberto to be used a bit more. New Avengers keeps  redefining what an avengers should be, especially in light of Captain America having his mind wiped. And how soon does Hank McCoy become like the Beast from the Apocalypse universe.

All New X-Men and  Uncanny X-Men continue to be the rock of my Marvel Universe. I like how the two titles read together give you more of a feel that you read three. If the universes could be made tighter like a good weave on an expensive oriental rug rather than start over with a new number one maybe their would be less of buying the next big thing and more buying of everything. 

As far as Captain America, FF, Fantastic Four, and a few other Marvel Now comic books, I'm sticking with the ones I mention in more than just name. 

DC added another title that I will give another month to and Valiant is still a short tight universe but I'm afraid with upcoming future titles I might just pass on. 

If I had to recommend one official Marvel Now title I'd  recommend the Indestructible Hulk primarily because you don't have read anything else to enjoy it.

Thanks for Reading. 

Reading Books Last: A Roundabout Review

My reviews have been mostly about Marvel, it might be because I am biased on the company that helped ease me into collecting comic books the same way my sister taught me how to swim. They pulled me into the water and then when I was comfortable, let go. My sister of course would grab hold of me again, it never occurred to me she could have drown in the pool as well as I could, if not easier, she had no water wings on her arms to hold her afloat, I did. Marvel would do the same by introducing characters in various comics and then put them in an explosive environment that would have me riveted and waiting for the next month so I could find out what happened in the very next issue, this time I had no water wings, I was at the dreaded mercy of the writer.

As my weekly allotment grew and grew I would set aside my favorites to read last. It’s almost 30 years later and I still do the same thing. I remember reading in a “forward” from a trade paperback that they too saved the favorite for last until they were older. Now, as they are older, much like I am, they read their favorites first because they don’t have time for the crap. I might partially agree, but there has to be something last, there has to be something to make you wish it was the following month already and the latest issues of comic books are in your hands begging to be read. Which, once again, is why I read my favorites last, once in a while there are a few. This week I have to compete with Marvel’s Daredevil by Mark Waid and IDW’s Locke & Key by Joe Hill, not to mention DC’s Justice League by Geoff Johns.

Nine books made their way home from me from Jack’s Comic Crypt in Center City Philadelphia, Nine bags and boards accompanied them as I took the first one out on the elevated train. It wasn’t the worst but I started to read Justice League of America #1. It was new and also by Geoff Johns. By the end, I am willing to give #2 a try. I normally will read a second comic before I get to my stop, but today I was tired from working a night shift and wanted to be as alert as possible to enjoy the rest of my haul. Once home I thought I would sleep but both Harbinger and X-O Manowar begged to be read. I obliged. This company continues to impress.  My Fourth book for the week was Justice League, the conclusion to “Throne of Atlantis”. This book has been my last to read from time to time, and this book is good, so why do I still have five more to go.

Avenger’s #5 by Jonathon Hickman has me on the fence. It could be great, rather than just good. The last four I have yet to read. Of the remaining four, three are from Marvel and one is from IDW. Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man is, well, Superior. Joe Hill’s Locke & Key is coming to a close and Indestructible Hulk by Mark Waid is my surprise hit of the year competing against Daredevil, also by Mark Waid. So Instead of deciding what to read next I finally slept and woke up refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to read… to read, well to read the next book, whatever comic book that is.

 Thanks for Reading

Uncanny X-Men #1: A Roundabout Review

          I'mgoing to pretend this is not another first issue. In my eyes the “Uncanny X-Men”are on their way towards six hundred and not nine issues away from issue ten.Does anyone remember that Uncanny X-Men started with issue #142?

          BrianMichael Bendis wrote some amazing twists and turns through his run with the “Avengers”.He brought me back to a comic book I haven't collected in years. As Marvelinitiated their Marvel Now program I already decided which titles I wanted totry and of course the X-Men were to be part of my collection. The creative lineup for “All New X-Men” had me salivating while wondering how they would portraythe original X-Men as teens.

Spoilers Ahead

          “AllStar X-Men” was at #7 by the time “Uncanny X-Men” #1 reached my LCS. The teamof Cyclops, The White Queen, Magneto, and one of my favorite characters, Magikwere on the rise to start a revolution. This does not include the newest teenmembers Tempus and a character to be names later.  They pick up a third mutant in this issue who’sbubble powers are still a mystery but reminds me a bit of the effect Speedballhad when he bounced around. Unlike the first issue of the X-Men back in 1963when the now deceased (again) Professor Xavier had his young students battleMagneto, they battle Sentinels alongside the self proclaimed Master of Magnetism.A weakened Magneto uses projectiles against the metal monstrosities rather thanshredding them apart.  He blames ScottSummers for his current predicament.

          My favorite scene leaves me in a quandary; Magik with her Soul Sword rips a Sentinel in half. This same sword time and time again through many different writers could not affect anything other than the unworldly, which makes me question what BMB is trying to do. Yes, the easy answer does have to do with the Phoenix Force she had once permeated.  Then there is the White Queen herself, who never should have been an X-Man to begin with. Why is she with the team? Cyclops her former (?) lover decimated her and even though they both were tainted by the same force that gave them power, he did betray her, rather ruthlessly.

          Theteam still follows Cyclops and BMB links them together very well. I lookforward to seeing the team expand, explode out into the world and implode in onitself. Not to mention the amazing talents of Chris Bachalo. Ever since I firstsaw his art I was pulled in. The colors and intricate detail draw my eye topanel after panel. This book would be great by his art alone, it's only icingon the cake that Brian Michael Bendis is leading the way.

          I was excited about the “Avengers”because of Cannonball joining the ranks, the short return of the InfinityGauntlet in the “New Avengers”, I went back and started the “IndestructibleHulk” from the original perception of the Hulk now smashes with a purpose, AllStar X-Men making something old new again, and Superior Spider-Man swingingthrough the city with no one the wiser it’s Doc Ock. It's this book, UncannyX-Men #1 out if all the others that reminds me why I like comic books. Ichallenge them to keep it up.

Thanks for Reading

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