Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Not to much from DC this week for me, and kind of thin on the Marvel side of things as well. There is the final issue of Warren Ellis’s Iron Man series (better late than never), the always-entertaining Ultimate Spider-Man, and then the best comic book no one seems to be reading right now, The Thing. Yes, Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew is in danger of losing his solo title, sales are down and somewhere the Yancy Street gang is smiling, but alas, buy this damn book. Fine, it is not an “event” book, it will not crossover with the upcoming “Civil War” thing, and nothing major will probably ever happen in it (nothing life or character changing anyway) but damn if it isn’t entertaining and a throwback to the days when comics were fun and told a story, when they were entertaining, not published to sell and garner movie deals. That’s why
The Thing is my pick of the week, because sometimes it’s okay to read comics and still be entertained and smile a little…
Ultimate Spider-Man #91
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Mark Bagley (a great penciller and a heck of a nice guy)
For those of you who haven’t been following USM, ol’ Petey has been having a rough go of it lately. Most recently he has tangled with Omega Red and Silver Sable, and before that he was caught in the middle of a massive gang war between Hammerhead and the Kingpin which resulted in the supposed death of Elektra and had about a gazillion guest stars (including Iron Fist, Shang Chi, Black Cat, and a few others). Even with all that going on though, Peter Parker has found time to get over his old girl Mary Jane and find a new one in the form of Kitty Pyrde aka Shadowcat, of the X-men. She’s the perfect girlfriend for a young super hero; she can keep a secret, has super powers, and is used to the whole super hero thing in general. They got together in the first Ultimate Spider-Man Annual and have been together ever since. Issue 91 kicks off a new storyline for the junior web-slinger, and ho boy, is he ever lucky to have a X-man for a girlfriend…
The story opens with Peter and Kitty taking on some weird no-name villain and kicking his but. Kitty has acquired a new costume for when she is hanging with Spider-Man, and the two play very well of each other. They part ways, and Kitty promises that soon they will go out on a “real date. Kitty finally gets back to the x-mansion and something weird happens which causes her to call Spidey to come running to save the day, and well, the same weird thing happens to him (they both are attacked by what appears to be friends). Then we see Deadpool and the Reavers (you know, those cyborgs whom in the regular Marvel U were former Hellfire Club thugs who have all been dismembered by Wolverine?). Issue #92 opens with Peter getting chucked out of a plane by the Reavers and Deadpool, and then he finds himself alongside the X-men on Krakoa (in Ultimate X-men Krakoa is an island by Genosha used by Mojo and the Genoshan Gov’t; they show live “hunting” executions of mutants on PPV and make a crapload of money, but anyway…). Witty banter, Deadpool, the X-men, and a$# whuppings left and right, pick this issue up, this story line is DOPE. I’ve kissed this books a$# enough, by now you know it’s a solid read, Bendis and Bagley are the most consistent team in comics since Lee and Kirby, and I had the good fortune of briefly meeting Mark Bagley at the NYC con. Heck of a nice guy, so pick his book up already.
The Invincible Iron Man #6
Marvel Comics
Written by: Warren Ellis
Drawn by: Adi Granov
Issue five having come out January 5th, I was hoping they would have a neat little “previously on…” page in the beginning like Marvel has been doing lately so I could be brought up to speed. No such luck. Being that this is a Warren Ellis title, it’s probably not complicated and there will be some needless exposition early on in the issue and then I’ll get caught up (NOT). UGH. Warren Ellis is cool, no question, Adi Granov is slammin’ on art, but damn if I don’t know what the fu$# is going on because of how frikkin’ late this goddman book is every goddamn month. Seriously, fu$# off with that late sh$#, sure, faithful readers will stay true to the book (like myself), but dammit if it doesn’t create some confusion (at least do one of those “previously on…” pages, damn fellas). That being said…
This new “Iron Man” series has me asking a lot of questions, and they are questions I don’t like asking. I’m not a continuity freak. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and I’m okay with that. Yeah, when Wolverine shows up in 4 books a month or whatever I raise an eyebrow, but say someone writes out Madelyne Pryor from the X-men mythos, I’m cool with that. Right now though, Invincible Iron Man has me raising an eyebrow. Okay, I thought he was “outed” from his secret ID, and now he’s not? I thought he was not mega rich, but sorta rich now and had that huge Stark Tower building in Manhattan where all the Avengers lived. No mention of Stark tower, no mention of the Avengers, nothing (and that’s not so bad, maybe this story takes place before New Avengers, but damn, that book is on issue 13 already). UGH, even the current Spidey titles have him in Avengers tower.
So what has happened in these the five issues so far of Iron Man’s new book? Tony has gotten his a$# kicked by some psycho redneck neo Nazi guy who has ingested this “Extremix” thing (created by Tony’s new company and new hottie scientist Maya Hansen) which has turned him into a biological combat machine. Tony needs to get fixed up fast, so he gets back to his lab and decides he’s gonna get Maya to inject him with “Extremix” so he can better interface with his armor and become some kind of biological/machine hybrid. In issue five, the story pretty much stops for 90% of the issue and we are given a brief retelling of the “Origin of Iron Man”, and issue six picked up more or less where issue four left off, and Tony and the crazy redneck neo Nazi guy pretty much spend the whole issue pounding the crap out of each other, and well, Tony wins, but DAYUM, I didn’t see the ending being so, well, hard. Late, yeah, but the end of this storyline is worth the wait, at least in my opinion. So pick up the trade that is sure to shortly follow, or pick up the individual issues, either way, this Iron man story arc has finally come to a close and I gotta say, WORD Warren Ellis, you’ve done it again…
The Thing #5
Marvel Comics
Written by: Dan Slott
Drawn by: Andrea Di Vito
As you’ve read in my intro, The Thing is in danger of being cancelled (as stated by writer Dan Slott in a recent interview for
www.newsarama.com). In an effort to save his book, writer Dan Slott is trying to start a grass-roots campaign to get people to add thing to their LCS pull list and is calling on fans to talk the sh$# out of the book on message boards, the most creative plea will win a prize package including original art and signed She-Hulk tpbs.
Just so you folks know, I’ve never won anything in my life and that’s not why I’m writing this review.
I’m writing this review because I love the Thing, aka Ben Grimm. Many people have said I’m the black Ben Grimm, gruff on the outside but with a heart of gold. I digress though. Dan Slott’s book is something the comic book community needs. It’s fun. Yes fun, comics can still have that quality. Everything is crossed over lately, “event” based if you will. The powers that be think that “sh$# has to happen” for books to sell. Bah I say. Foxy chicas, square jawed heroes, cigars, and lots and lots of clobberin’ are all you need for entertainment, and Slott’s The Thing provides that in spades. So far Ben Grimm has romanced Hollywood starlets, whupped a$# on murder world, and made a lifelong friend with the Inhumans faithful pooch Lockjaw. For those of you who haven’t been keeping up, I’ll mention real quick that Reed set aside some kind of trust fund for Ben, and now he is a billionaire and he’s learning some hard lessons, but for the most part he’s staying true to his ever-lovin’ blue-eyed heart.
Issue five of The Thing starts out with Ben fulfilling an old obligation to a Yancy Street shopkeeper from his childhood. We see a sneak peak into Ben’s childhood as a Yancy street ruffian, and we also see Ben come full circle. After reconnecting with his old neighborhood he decides to start work on a community center where young ruffians can spend time off the street doing something productive. Of course the Maggia wants in on the construction (it is New York, after all) and well, they really shouldn’t have messed with Ben Grimm. After their whuppin, the Maggia call in some heavy hitters (well, you can be the judge of that anyway) and let’s just say it’s ON.
So yeah, buy this freakin’ book. It has heart and is about something. Something personal anyway, it’s the Ben Grimm’s story, and damn if his story isn’t the most “real” in the Marvel U. Rocky exterior and space adventures notwithstanding, Ben is the most Human character in Marvel’s roster and he deserves his day in the sun. Add this book to your pull list, it’s damn entertaining and it’ll put a smile on your face. Now say it with me, IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME….
Wktf’s Reviews
Well, after two slow weeks I am met with two big comics weeks. My pull list this week included The Thing #5 (and if you haven’t read my partner’s tirade about this book then stop right now and read it, and if you haven’t bought this comic then go out to your lcs and pick it up!), Fantastic Four #536 (my big event comic for the week, but more on that later), All-Star Superman #3, the highly anticipated Action Comics #537, Captain America 65th Anniversary Special, New Avengers: Illuminati, the highly delayed Superman/Batman #24, Sentry #7/8, the outstanding Books of Doom #5 and, finally, the third New Avengers HC collection! I wish I’d picked up the second Joe Kubert Tarzan HC but, at $50, I’d like to get through the first volume before buying the second. As with last week, nearly all of the books I bought are ones I typically review. So, which to select?
Fantastic Four #536
Marvel Comics
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Drawn by: Mike McKone
Spoilers herein. Fair warning given.
Mjolnir. The hammer of Thor and the most powerful weapon in the known universe. We last saw Mjolnir in the pages of Thor #85, way back in 2004 (has it really been two years?). Surtur, leader of the fire giants in the south and ruler of Muspel, the realm of fire, the one who killed Thor’s father Odin, had reforged the thunder god’s broken hammer in exchange for a free pass to Asgard. According to Norse legend the end of the world, known as Ragnarok, would see Surtur’s hordes rush north to overwhelm the Asgardian gods. Thor, then newly repossessed of the Odinpower, made this legend possible for Surtur in order for his kin to die their final, glorious warriors’ death. Meanwhile, Thor dispatched “those who sit above in shadows” who, for time immemorial, had leeched off the energies from the Asgardians’ perpetual cycle of destruction and rebirth, a cycle these gods-of-gods themselves perpetuated for their own selfish purposes. Mjolnir was the tool of their deaths after which Thor, suffering grief for the loss of his people yet rejoicing in their final glorious end, realizing he “must stand alone” with even the personification of the Odinpower now fading from him, with “no star to guide [him]…or a bird to show [him] a sign,” seems to fade into the cosmos as he closes his eyes to rest and “breathe deep the slumber of the gods…for a while, at least…”
Flash to today. Marvel’s made no secret about the hook to this Fantastic Four issue, having released its cover image months in advance to internet fans, the cover image to next month’s issue just this week on
www.newsrarma.com, and editor Tom Breevort’s having said, "It's the first step on the road to bringing back Thor into the Marvel Universe" in this interview:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stori...arvelpress.htm. Well, sure enough, a mysterious object that was registered to be “only a couple of feet in size, too small to do any significant damage” crashed to Earth (Oklahoma, specifically) six months ago and left an enormous crater from its impact. A government installation has been built over it since that time, I assume, to safeguard and study it. Reed Richards returns home to his questioning wife after a disturbing meeting with The Illuminati (more on this later, but a page from this New Avengers one-shot special is presented in this book), only to be summoned by the military on his private SHIELD frequency. There’s some fun humor involving both Sue and Ben during all this but the tension underlying everything, from the Illuminati’s meeting to this new emergency puts a serious damper on things. It seems the Latverian government (remember, Doom’s gone…right?) has powered up every remaining Doombot to attack this facility and retrieve the foreign object. But not everything is as it seems as the Fantastic Four learn while they plummet headlong into battle against the multitude of ‘bots.
I’ve reviewed Fantastic Four twice now since JMS started writing it. I couldn’t stand either issue. The only reason I picked this up is that it heralded the return of Mjolnir and, hopefully, The Mighty Thor himself! I will admit that this issue was a lot of fun, even though I couldn’t help but know where it was heading. We’ve got some well crafted butt kicking fight scenes by McKone, some goofiness between Johnny and Ben, the Thing yelling his famous battle cry and, damn, if it doesn’t have a fantastic final couple of pages. Yes, Virginia, Mjolnir is on Earth. The vile villain Doom, though we don’t yet know fully how he freed himself from Hell, is on the scene and believes himself to be the only one worthy enough to wield it so he can gain the power to rule over all the world’s nations. Yes, I’m very happy with this issue of the FF, I’d even say excited, and am here for at least this arc to see where all of this ends up! The family dynamics, superhero fun, nasty villain, huge mystery, and pending danger all roll up to
make this book my pick of the week.
New Avengers: Illuminati
Marvel Comics
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis
Drawn by: Alex Maleev
I’ve been a huge fan of this long-time but former Daredevil creative team but, despite that, I was prepared to not like this book. I’m getting tired of event comics stories (House of M, Infinite Crisis and the like are starting to wear me down) and this one kicks of the Civil War event next month. Plus, as much as I like Maleev, his action scenes tend to be a bit stiff. Dunno. Just was not looking forward to it. But I’m here to report to you that this was a terrific comic that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Illuminati first were seen in the pages of New Avengers #7 at the beginning of that title’s “Sentry” arc. Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Dr. Strange, Black Bolt and Professor Xavier make up this elite team of superhero thought leaders and kings. Each time we’ve seen them they’ve always met in secret. As a body of heroes they are unknown to the public. With this issue we are treated to this organization’s history and the dynamics within the group. Initially, as it turns out, The Black Panther hosted their first meeting called at Iron Man’s request shortly before the events of Giant-Size X-Men #1 (to give a sense of timing). The Earth narrowly avoided destruction during the Kree-Skrull War and shell head proposes that this conflict was the fault of the people gathered in that room, a conclusion that baffles Dr. Strange and Namor. Had they worked together, joined the forces of their respective organizations, they could have acted as a unifying police force for the globe. So, why not do this now? Well, this thought is universally and vehemently rejected courtesy of Namor’s arguments but all there, with the exception of the Panther, agree that they should continue meeting to share information. Who knows how often and for what reasons this group has met throughout the subsequent history of the Marvel U, but we next see them fast-forwarded to the present to discuss the fate of The Hulk, a discussion preceded by a contentious argument about The Hulk between Iron Man and SHIELD Director Hill. Anyone keeping up with the Planet Hulk storyline (and if you’re not, why aren’t you?) knows the outcome, but the explosive confrontation over this between Iron Man and Namor that’s been building up throughout the issue is outstanding and reminiscent of the old Lee/Kirby Avengers days. Plus, hat’s off to Maleev for some great superhero fight scenes here.
Ultimately, we know this comic must lead into Civil War and it’s for this reason that Iron Man convenes the group one more time post House of M so, therefore, without Professor X. From what I read in Amazing Spider-Man I frankly was surprised at where Iron Man came down on the topic of superhero registration. But it makes perfect sense considering who his Civil War adversary is supposed to be. This topic, despite this team’s tempestuous past, drives the group to their most important inflection point. The usual complaints about Bendis’ talking heads comics stories will apply here. This comic is extremely dialogue heavy. But it’s great dialogue. And this story about this elite group of heroes has a dark and ominous feel to it that only escalates as the issue moves forward. And it does move forward. Throughout the story there’s plenty of tension among the individuals of the Illuminati as well as action that keeps the reader on his toes. The story’s progression makes sense and its ultimate climax feels kind of sad. Lines between the heroes have already been drawn just in this one issue. You can actually feel Iron Man’s regret at the end (kudos again to Maleev on this). I don’t know if Civil War can sustain this level of intensity and energy (though I have a lot of faith in Mark Miller after his runs on Ultimates, MK Spider-Man and Wolverine) but I’d say this issue set the bar pretty high.
Captain America 65th Anniversary Special
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Javier Pulido, Marcos Martin, Mike Perkins & Fank D’Armata
I was all set to review Action Comics after last week’s terrific Superman One Year Later initial story. But I’m so hooked on Captain America and Daredevil right now, thanks in large part to Brubaker’s stellar writing, that this issue just plain called to me. The setting is WWII behind enemy lines. We find Cap and Bucky on a mission with Sgt. Fury and the Howlers to stop the Red Skull from a secret project shrouded in ancient mystery. Our guys parachute down in Germany and during their first conflict Bucky, after committing an incredible act of heroism, is shot and wounded. Fury and the Howlers stay put to scope out The Skull’s camp while Cap takes Bucky to his contact for medical help. Unbeknownst to him, this contact is a beautiful young German woman who also is a native freedom fighter.
The remainder of this story is a pretty thrilling action tale as Cap takes on the Skull and the new threat he’s resurrecting. But there’s a sub-plot that involves the recovering Bucky and how he and his lovely caretaker must both fight and grow closer as they get Cap the information he needs to combat the Skull. Knowing what we know today, Brubaker creates some significant ironic pain as Bucky and Gretchen tentatively but finally act on their feelings for each other. His last words to her are particularly painful in retrospect. We then flash forward to the present as we see Sharon reacting to Cap’s telling her this tale and another hook at the end that promises a potentially terrific future story arc.
Once again, Brubaker delivers the goods with, this time, a more carefree and fun action story, reminiscent of the Joe Simon and Jack Kirby days, while pulling at our heart strings at the same time and also setting himself up for later on. And the art, while also a bit simplistic, possibly to convey the dated style of the golden age period, could pass as Darwyn Cooke’s art. It’s very strong work from two artists about whom I know nothing about until now. Either way, it was in 1941 that Cap’s fist smashed against Hitler’s jaw in that famous Kirby cover to Captain America Comics #1. I’m just grateful this fine character is in the hands of such strong stewards 65 years later.
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And you can check out bc's reviews here:
http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=26012
