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Columnist Thunder Mod
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Denver Area, between Asgard and Krypton
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The Mighty Reviews 5/13/10
Pretty huge week for comics with Siege and so many of its tie-in books (like Dark and New Avengers) ending, not to mention The Return of Bruce Wayne (but not for me, I told myself never to buy another Morrison book after Final Crisis), the reveal of the Red Hulk (like anyone cares) and the War of the Supermen in full force.
Wktf’s Reviews
Siege #4 (of 4)
Marvel Comics
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis\
Drawn by: Olivier Coipel
Covers by: Olivier Coipel, Gabriale Dell’otto, Joe Quesada
And so, Marvel’s major seven-years-in-the-making blockbuster event comes to a close. The Siege on Asgard has concluded as we knew it would and must, given all of Marvel’s press and sneak peeks for the coming Heroic Age. And, for a series that started so incredibly strong, with Bendis’ breezy writing and Coipel’s stunningly cinematic art, delivering what felt like the ultimate popcorn movie of a comic book not to mention the shocking and brutal death of Ares, did it finish equally as strong?
Tough call but, despite some major high points, I’d have to say “no,” it didn’t. It wasn’t terrible and, in fact, there was a lot about this issue I really did enjoy. It’s just that, compared to how it started, I think it’s fair to say this final issue petered out a bit. Our heroes faced their final confrontation with The Void as the villain of the year did a 180 from Osborn to The Void just last issue. And we finally get some clarity behind the very confusing scene with Loki from Mighty Avengers a couple of weeks ago. Loki, of all people, praying to the departed Odin for forgiveness and the strength to aid our heroes. Is this the same Loki who, in his own Siege one-shot book, told Mephisto he’d moved beyond mischief and into chaos but now is shedding a tear over the major chaos he brought to Asgard’s door? And is this the same Loki who’d gotten a pass on death from Hela who now seems to have paid the ultimate price for his assistance to our heroes? Still, with Loki’s help, the heroes are able to recover from The Void’s initial attack and carry the battle directly to its source, with Thor and Iron Man delivering a one-two punch that’s as potent as they come but still doesn’t manage to fully get the job done.
Some cool moments in this issue include Thor’s much deserved final strike, Volstagg’s getting the drop on Osborn, Cap’s turning the reins of his legacy over to Buck, Steve’s new role in the Marvel U and, of course, the redemption and gathering of our heroes. But, if The Void really is the Angel of Death as Bendis implied in Dark Avengers, and as Osborn directly stated here, should even The Mighty Thor be able to put him down? And, while I loved Volstagg’s being able to unknowingly stick it to the man who set him up, should even Osborn have been able to get the drop on Cap? Don’t think so. Plus, Thor’s one Superman-like moment also seemed a bit much, even for Thor. Finally, somehow, the story’s resolution just seemed to come too quickly and cleanly, even leaving Thor’s currently estranged status with Asgard a bit in question as well. On the flip sidel, the series did what it promised by offering tons of fun and excitement, harrowing deaths and an ending on the highest note possible for these heroes after a series of long, dark years. I’d say Bendis and Coipel have delivered certainly one the strongest events of Marvel’s last several years worth of events. All that said, this story doesn’t really end here with this issue. You’ll need to pick up Dark Avengers #16 for Dark Reign and Siege’s true conclusion.
Sentry: Fallen Sun One-Shot
Marvel Comics
Written by: Paul Jenkins
Drawn by: Tom Raney
Cover by: Lenil Yu
Well, the title of this book leaves little doubt as to who the mysterious “Fallen” comic would be about. And I have to say, unless you are an absolute die-hard Sentry fan, this book is a complete waste of time. Really a shame, too, as Paul Jenkins and Tom Raney both are enormous talents whose combined efforts resulted in a storyline that no one who’s been reading Bendis’ treatment of Sentry could possibly take seriously. Jenkins created the character so, I suppose, he’s entitled to wax a wistful valentine about him. But Bendis has successfully painted Sentry as a former low life common crook and superpowered, psychotic menace. So, to hear a group of Marvel’s most respected heroes mourn him, even if Sentry really did act as heroically as they claim before his split personality took him into total darkness, just feels like a complete disconnect from the Marvel reality we’ve been experiencing since New Avengers #1 those many years ago.
Really, don’t know what else to say. Sure, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, Dr. Strange, Stark and Daredevil had lovely words to say about their fallen friend. The revelation about Rogue was a bit surprising. Thor’s scene with Bob Reynold’s aged mother was kind of sweet. The writer and artist really were doing the best they could with the material with which they were working. But too much water’s gone under the bridge on this character for the reader to put all that in the past and go along with these memorial statements. Frankly, the revelation as to who the reverentially depicted Fallen turned out to be is such a letdown I don’t see how the story could be anything more than the same.
The Marvels Project #8 (of 8)
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Covers by: Steve McNiven, Steve Epting, Gerald Parel, Alan Davis
Most fans would admit to having one or several “dream teams” of comic book writers and artists. Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams, Chris Claremont and John Byrne tend to fall into this category. Well, one such team for me is Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. Both, certainly, have been great and done great work with other creators but put them together and you have the Eisner Award winning team that propelled Captain America to one of today’s bestselling titles. With all the focus in the Marvel Universe on Dark Reign and Siege, it’s easy to see why The Marvels Project has been largely overlooked on fan sites and comic book news boards. Billed as the centerpiece of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary Celebration, a celebration yielding several one-shot books and a couple of trade collections, whose logo has long since left Marvel’s promotional materials, issue in and issue out this miniseries has been one of the single best titles out in the last year. Designed to bring together all the disparate Golden Age stories into a cohesive origin of the Marvel Universe, back when the world’s most successful comics company was called Timely Comics, the team of Bru and Epitng have given Marvel fans an absolutely delightfully plotted, scripted and lavishly drawn valentine that’s been as informative and revealing (with lots of never before revealed facts and insights) as it has been entertaining.
And now we’ve actually come to the home stretch. We’ve seen the origin of the Human Torch and his first battle with Namor, The Sub-Mariner. We’ve seen Namor’s righteous though displaced wrath over the annihilation of his own people and his legendary hot-headed anger. The Angel, a street level Golden Age hero not known to today’s comic pages, who’s taken his inspiration from the aged and dying Two-Gun Kid, is our story’s narrator. And we’ve seen the genesis of Nick Fury’s Howlers and their role, unbeknownst to them, in Captain America’s creation. Additionally, we saw New York’s heroes united for the first time against the destruction wrought by a skyscraper-high tidal wave Namor leveled on New York, as the Original Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner battled it out in the sky for the second time. But it was the entrance of the Captain America, whose shield delivered the blow that brought Namor down, that promised to bring about what The Angel called both “our first true call to arms” and “another new dawn,” as well as the creation of the WWII super-team Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins gave fans in the mid-1970s.
With this issue The Marvels Project, a series that takes its name and some of its spirit from Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ Marvels work, comes to a blistering conclusion right on the day of Pearl Harbor. As Captain America and the newly wise Namor learn the Nazi’s plot to assassinate Churchill, The Human Torch and Toro speed to Hawaii to confront what their intelligence tells them will be only a cluster of bomber but turns out to be an armada of bombers even they cannot successfully stop. A furious and desperate battle takes place on two fronts as America joins the war and The Invaders are born. And as this story concludes we’re given a bit of a time continuity loop paradox that left a serious grin on my face. Seriously, whether you’re a Marvel Universe fan or not, The Marvels Project is one of those rare, potentially timeless, and enormously satisfying series that simply demands not just to be read but to eventually sit proudly in anyone’s trade collection, simply demanding premier hardcover packaging that’s slated for later this summer. This story is yet further proof that the team of Bru and Epting is one of the toughest to beat in comics today. Most definitely, this issue, as has been every issue in this series, is my pick of the week.
War of the Supermen #2 (of 4)
DC Comics
Written by: Sterling Gates & James Robinson
Drawn by: Eduardo Pansica
Covers by: Eddie Barrows, J.P. Mayer, Aaron Lopreski and Matt Ryan
The 100 minute war between Generals Zod and Lane crosses the half way point with this issue. Though it’s billed as issue #2 of 4, the first issue actually was the Free Comic Book Day issue #0 two weeks ago so, actually, we’re now 3 of 5 issues in. When this thing started I couldn’t imagine how Earth, even with the aid of Superman, could stand up to an army of angry Kryptonians. And angry doesn’t even begin to describe them after issue #1 for, now, Zod is not merely striking out at those loved by the House of El nor the people who’d attacked New Krypton before, but at those who destroyed not just the very new home they’d created but the majority of their very race.
As each side, be it Lane or Zod, seems to take the advantage the tide quickly shifts to the other side, so the reader experiences a pretty rapid and continuous back-and-forth. In the meantime Lois Lane, who’s about to publically call out her deranged father, is captured by her superpowered sister while Kal-El must battle and contain the grieving and violently angry Supergirl who, out of her own sense of guilt over New Krypton’s destruction, now is striking out at her cousin. All that said, where this story could possibly go after the last page of this issue is anyone’s guess. With the aid of Luthor, General Lane now has a device that may well end this conflict before we even get to the third issue. Seriously, this 100 minute war event has turned out to be one DC’s most dramatic storylines, one that may well rival Blackest Night in scope, scale and destructive power. My only real complaint thus far is the progressive deterioration in artistic talent as we’ve gone from Eddie Barrows in issue #0 to Jamal Ingle in #1 and now to Eduardo Pansica with this issue. Pansica’s pencils are a bit thin and his panels, frankly, a bit flat especially when compared to Barrows’ rich work. I’m not sure who’s on tap to draw the next two issues but I’d love to see Barrows back on this series going forward. Regardless, War of the Supermen is a fun, engaging and even tense read.
Dawg’s Reviews
New Mutants #13
Marvel Comics
Written by: Zeb Wells
Drawn by: Ibraim Roberson
I honestly think that the New Mutant Chapters of Second Coming have been among the best of the bunch. I have to continually give Marvel and the X-Office props for this one. The X-Men have their backs against the wall as Bastion’s forces and allies are closing in on destroying them.
Cyclops mission is to save his species and it is believed by some that Hope is the mutant messiah. The best part about this story since the sad death of one of the most important X-Men ever, is that you can start to see the cracks forming in the X-ranks. There are many mutants that are starting to really question if Cyclops is leading them off on a warped religious crusade and let me tell you folks… that makes good comics.
The New Mutants have suffered almost as much as the main team with losses both physical and mental. Warlock even , has broken a vow that he would never again assimilate a human being. Magik is trapped in Limbo and Karma has lost a leg at he hands of Cameron Hodge.
Dani Moonstar is visibly agitated and it shows by the fistfight she starts with Hope. Cyclops and Cable even show a little tension with each other, and they are on the same page.
You can really see in this issue thanks to creators Well and Roberson that the X-Men are in a place where they are tired, nerves are shot, and emotions are raw.
Things are unraveling and you can feel a real sense of the danger peaking here in the middle of this crossover.
There’s obviously a spy on the inside and the last attack from Donald Pierce blows fuel tanks on Utopia sky high and war again comes calling for the mutants to stand up to.
I don not know how this one is going to end and when was the last time you could say that about any comic?
I love the Adi Granov covers, I love having the X-Men be where they are at their best… at each other’s throats and their backs against the wall. I love that Beast pretty much hates Cyclops right now, I love that Wolverine is ready to pop at the loss of his best friend, I love that Cyclops is dealing with his world coming apart at the seams and I love that it all boils down to an issue of faith in the unknown and what it means for the future an a dying species.
I can’t say enough great things about this crossover and it feels so good to have the X-Men matter.
Dark Avengers #16
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Mike Deodato
This is the series finale of Dark Avengers. I had no idea that this series would be as cool as it has been. I cannot say that I have read every single issue, but I certainly have read most. There is something really great about the chemistry between Bendis and Deodato. It’s been one of Bendis best books in the Avengers family and while I believe there are many reasons for that, you cannot say that Deodato isn’t one of them. This issue gives us his art in a slightly altered style and it feels almost painterly. It was a great send off to a well written, edgy, fresh series.
We have the immediate aftermath of Siege in this issue and without giving anything away; I will say it is a whole lot of fun to see it all play out. The fall of Norman Osborn and what that means for everyone whom has been with him along the way.
Two of my favorites scenes have to be where Nick Fury and Thor give the possessions of the fallen God of War Ares to his son Phobos and Phobos’ reaction.
Victoria Hand who has been an excellent character from day one has a rather surprising dialogue with Captain Rodgers about her next assignment.
Okay I lied; there are more than two scenes that were my favorite. I really enjoyed Daken’s getaway as well. Perfectly in keeping with his character and what he is at his core.
So many great things to this wrap up that it almost bums me out. The best thing I can say though is that from this springs May 26th’s Secret Avengers with more Deodato.
This book this week was almost more powerful than the ending of Siege itself as it actually takes a minute to explore the transition into the Heroic Age and I liked that a lot. There’s nothing better than seeing Norman Osborn’s world go sour and him getting his just desserts after the fallout of Siege. This issue gets my highest possible recommendation. If you have enjoyed anything of Siege and want a real end cap to the character side of things, run back and grab this one.
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