Bought/Thought 12-5-2012 - The Beginning of an Era!

[JewishHobbit]

Last week was the end of an era and the new one begins now! Avengers #1!!!

My shop apparently didn't get Phantom Stranger 2 or Justice League Dark 14 when they came out so I picked those up and will review them. I also picked up the 2nd print of Batman 13. I typically don't touch anything but 1st prints but I can't stand the die-cut cover and made an exception... and I'm happy about it.


Getting the old ones out of the way...

Justice League Dark 14 - While I love this title, this issue was kinda boring for me. The focus of the title are on the three newer members (Frankenstein, Amethyst, and Orchid) and while I don't mind them, I just wasn't that entertained. Also, while not bad, Graham Nolan is no Mikel Janin. Honestly, the issue felt like a filler issue before the next chapter of the title begins.

That all said, I love this series and have faith that this issue was just a fluke.

Phantom Stranger 2 & 3 - So counting the old issue and the new one together... I was pretty bored. It wasn't bad but it's really hard to care about someone as omnipotant as the Phantom Stranger. The Haunted Highwayman was alright but, again, not some one I care about. The only real, major draw for me toward this title (I'm realizing) is the Spectre coming up and the ties into the upcoming Trinity War. It definately has potential though so I'm sticking with it for at least another issue or two. It might be on my short list though.

I feel like this concept should be amazing but Didio isn't doing it justice, and the art team isn't really that amazing either. I'd like to see this book be one of those DC ones where the creative team shifts after a year.

All New X-Men #3 - I heard some complaints on this book and it got me worried that maybe the first 2 issues were a high point but I liked it just as much as the first two. We see how Cyclops and Magneto feed Emma and we learn that their powers have been affected by the Phoenix. Some have complained about Emma's dialogue but I honestly don't see it as being that bad. I thought it was cool that Cyclops is setting up his own school (named after Xavier... out of guilt I'm guessing) at the old Weapon X facility. And of course, the conclusion brings last issue around to this one with the young X-Men meeting up with Cyke and his team while in the middle of recruiting a new mutant.

It was a good issue and it's got me stoked for the next. Bendis and Immonen are blowing this title out of the water and I'm loving it.

Avengers #1 - I'm curious about this title because I've never consistently gotten into the Avengers before Bendis' run. His having made me love so many of the characters, I thought I'd probably love another's voice on them now. Sadly, I don't really think that was the case.

I've heard MASSIVE praise for this issue, talking about how it's the best Avengers book in 10 years. I definatly disagree. It was an alright issue, that I'll give it, but it didn't read as anything special to me. I remember people saying the same thing about Slott's Mighty and Brubaker's Secret. While good, they weren't astounding, but people made them sound like the best things ever ONLY because they weren't Bendis... and I think that's what's happening here. People are reading Avengers, knowing it isn't Bendis, and that's clouding their judgement.

It was a good issue and I'll be back for the next, but that's as far as it goes for now. The book is in trial status so I'll likely give it at least 5 or 6 issues. We'll see what I think by then.


Best: All New X-Men #3 - This was just a good issue all around. I think Bendis has a good grip on his characters and the direction of the book. I don't even mind that it's double shipping for the first 6 issues. It's been that enjoyable for me.

Worst: Phantom Stranger #3 - Not a bad issue but I'll likely forget about it by the time the next issue comes out. I honestly don't see this title lasting long for me.

 

[runawayboulder]

LMAO. JH, I knew that you were not gonna like Avengers without Bendis....

 

[JewishHobbit]

LMAO. JH, I knew that you were not gonna like Avengers without Bendis....

I wouldn't say I didn't like it, I just think people are making it out to be more than it was. It could potentially be great though.

I think the biggest flaw for me was that Hickman's not using the majority of Bendis' final New Avengers team... which was my favorite. Without Luke, Jessica, Iron Fist, Thing, Mockingbird, and Daredevil... it's just too different I think. I am curious how Eden Fesi, Cannonball, and Sunspot will work out on the team, and I've always liked Captain Universe, so those have me curious. And Spider-Man and Wolverine still being around is a help. Like I said, I'll give it 6 issues give or take and decide from there if it's worth $8 a month.

I'm not even going to bother with the New Avengers title.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I wouldn't say I didn't like it, I just think people are making it out to be more than it was. It could potentially be great though.

I think the biggest flaw for me was that Hickman's not using the majority of Bendis' final New Avengers team... which was my favorite. Without Luke, Jessica, Iron Fist, Thing, Mockingbird, and Daredevil... it's just too different I think. I am curious how Eden Fesi, Cannonball, and Sunspot will work out on the team, and I've always liked Captain Universe, so those have me curious. And Spider-Man and Wolverine still being around is a help. Like I said, I'll give it 6 issues give or take and decide from there if it's worth $8 a month.

I'm not even going to bother with the New Avengers title.

You do realize that Luke and Jessica quit at the last issue of New Avengers. That said, I did find it a bit off putting how Hickman started the roster off with just the movie roster and then have Cap put out a massive expansion....despite the fact that Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, and Captain Marvel are already Avengers. And then that doesn't explain why Daredevil, Dr. Strange, and so many others are not Avengers anymore.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I know they quit and weren't going to be on the team, but I miss them being there.

And one of my biggest pet peeves is an unexplained shifting roster. He still has time to explain things I suppose but I didn't like how he portrayed it here (as you explained).

 

[Spider-Jay420]

I was not blown away by Hickman's Avengers either. I thought it was a decent setup issue though. But honestly, I have no idea who the bad guys were. I'll stick with this arc for sure and see how it plays out, as its too early to judge off just one issue. But definitely decent. Not amazing.

Amazing Spider-Man was cool. We get to see how and when Doc Ock pulled his switcheroo and it makes sense. Peter even pulls a really cool trick of his own with "only 700 minutes to live." Very excited for next issue. Nervously excited though. But I trust Slott so I'll easily give him the benefit of the doubt and just hang on for the ride!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I loved Hickman's Avengers. One of the main complaints a lot of us longtime Avengers fans had with Bendis' run was how pathetic and small the team and their villains felt. These are Earth's mightiest heroes, as the tagline says, yet they were busy fighting ninjas or Norman Osborn or their own distrust of each other most of the time. Hickman's run corrects that from basically the first page. There is a bigness to the series that he establishes straight away, which not only sets a great tone but promises even bigger stuff to come. Ex Nihilo and his cohorts are intriguing villains with a lot of symbology behind them that hints at larger significance, the whole premise of Tony and Steve's talk (which I think will go well beyond just "recruit more members"), etc. There is a lot of stuff going on here, correcting another of Bendis' problems--extreme decompression--and it all seems to hint at even better stuff to come. I will be following this series closely. I hope Hickman follows through on what he seems to be setting up here because it's looking good so far.

Although I also don't plan on touching his New Avengers, mainly because I f***ing detest the very idea of Captain America joining a shady secret society of so-called 'heroes.'

 

[WeeZiTe]

All New X-Men #3- This series just continues to rock. Bendis is just completely knocking it out of the park. The powers twist for the Phoenix Five and anyone who came into heavy contact with their power is an interesting twist and Scott's reaction to that revelation was fantastic. Next issue we'll finally get to see the main selling point of this series... Cyclops vs. Cyclops. I'm truly surprised by how much I'm enjoying this series. I'm hoping that Bendis can sustain it, but like I said in previous review, I'm not sure how truly sustainable this series is. And Immomen's art is just ****ing incredible... Great series.

Amazing Spider-Man #699- Another solid issue from Slott working his way up to Superior Spider-Man. It's nice seeing Pete use his brain to give himself a chance to get out of this. It was also nice seeing that since Pete's inside of Otto's body, a little bit of Ock's brashness and recklessness kind of rubbed off on him and he's realizing that he's acting out of character and fighting against it. Now, I'm not sure if that's exactly what was happening or if Pete is so desperate that he's just doing whatever he can to survive. I think Slott has a firm grasp on the character and he really knows Pete inside and out. Also, he proved in this issue just how long ago he set this up. Very impressive. The ending is an interesting twist and I'm super excited to see what happens in #700.

Animal Man #15- Rotworld continues and while it's great, I just feel like it's kind of dragging a bit. Every issue that has been part of the crossover so far has been pretty great but I guess I'm just ready for it to reach it's conclusion. I guess that weird since I do enjoy every issue, but that's where I'm at right now. This was a good issue though.

Avengers #1- This issue was pretty ****ing epic. Opena's art is ****ing great in this. Anyway, this issue is sort of a set up issue for Hickman's Avenger story. It starts out with the movie's team but by the end expands to a very interesting cast. Hickman just did a great job of setting this series off on the right foot. Marvel NOW has just been a revelation for the company. When it was first announced, I just assumed it would be Marvel's kneejerk response to the New 52, but it's proven to be extremely well planned out and executed. Just about everything that's come out has been really great and these new creative teams are breathing fresh air into series that had grown tired. By switching around these teams, the whole line has improved.

Deadpool #3- The dead Presidents arc continues and it's been a fun ride so far. It's nice to see this book just be a fun, smart comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously but still delivers. Plus, Tony Moore is just great. I'm liking this book a lot.

Detective Comics #15- Solid comic. I'm really liking Layman's take on the character and liking the villain centric arc he's been crafting so far... That being said, the Clayface revelation was the most obvious thing ever. All in all, good issue.

Hawkeye #5- Love this series. Fraction has crafted a fun little series that just showcases a normal dude with flaws do his best to be a hero. Seeing him **** up in the process, like stepping barefoot on glass was great. Awesome series.

Hellboy in Hell #1- Good start to the series. I haven't read Hellboy in forever, so I feel like I need to go back and catch up. But it's really great to see Mignola drawing the character. His art has to be some of my favorite in the business.

Iron Man #3- This is one of the Marvel NOW titles that has been underwhelming to me so far. It's not like it's been bad, because it really hasn't, but it's just incredibly blah. It's disappointing because I really enjoyed Gillen's Uncanny X-Men run. I'll probably stick it out for a few more issues and then maybe drop it if it doesn't improve.

Swamp Thing #15- Same thing with Animal Man, I love this series so much, but I feel like this arc has been dragging. I'm ready for either something really big to happen or for the arc to end. I'm ready for something new. That being said, this was a great issue. It's just that I'm kind of over the arc overall.

Thunderbolts #1- This was the first real stinker of Marvel NOW for me. It was just so boring. It was just a recruiting issue, so I'm willing to give one more issue a try, but if that's not better, I probably won't be checking out any more.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Punisher: War Zone #2 was pretty good. Not quite as strong as #1 to me, but that may be because I'm not a big fan of the Black Widow. It was pretty nice to see Frank 'beat' her by playing on her humanity to delay her, though. She's usually portrayed as anywhere from stone-cold to utterly heartless because she's supposed to embody that disaffected spy/assassin thing, so this was a nice reversal. I'm excited to see what Thor does in the next issue.

Stumptown #4, Rucka's other series out this week (or some other week; I don't know, my shop's ordering of indies like this is spotty), was also good. It's a climactic issue, as Dex finally corners the two skinheads who were after Baby. The centerpiece of the issue is a huge car chase that's really well-crafted and could stand alongside any of film's great car chase scenes, I think. Especially that ending. The downside to those meticulously executed chase scenes is unfortunately that there's not much progress with the plot; there are still a lot of questions to be answered about the mysteries surrounding Baby, the skinheads' interest, why Mim is so much more attached to Baby than anyone should be to an instrument, etc. All of those have to wait another month (or more, given that creator-owned indies never seem to have especially reliable schedules), but I'm sure it'll be worth it. Southworth's art seemed a little tighter in this issue too, which was nice.

Action Comics #15 was just brilliant. It took a major problem I had with Morrison's run--the inconsistency and seemingly manic jumping back and forth between periods in Superman's life--and worked it into a sensible part of the story. He also gives us an exciting action story of Superman on the run from powerful enemies and bridges those two narratives with a tragedy that is deeply affecting for being unavoidable in spite of all of Clark's power--mirroring Vyndktvx's attack on Clark's family, which is only now revealed as such, back when he was a teenager. On top of that, he introduces Mxyzptlk (which we all saw coming, of course) and turns him into one of the most charming fairy-tale heroes I've ever seen in the course of one already-packed issue. It's rare to see a comic this well-constructed; Morrison did fantastic work here.

 

[Mad Ones]

I'm just going to say that after reading ANXM #3 and Avengers#1 I didn't like either of them. But I read them over again and completely changed my mind. I was just in a really bad mood and took it out on the comics

Avengers #1: I've never read an Avengers title so I'm pretty excited for this, even though the Hulk and Captain American are definitely not my favourites. The writing was great, especially the narration boxes and the story structure. The villains were fantastic. I absolutely love Ex Nihilo's character design, and his plan and motivation. I can't wait to learn more about him and his gang. My only gripe is that the issue made it seem like the great master plan to deal with escalation was to just add more members, which was a little underwhelming, even if I am excited to get to know the new roster (especially Sam and Bobby as Avengers).

All New X-men#3: Bendis has a great grasp on the Original 5 and the Jean Grey School staff, and I love the direction he's steering Cyclops and his gang in. The idea of a mutant revolution really appeals to me, and this Weapon X/Xavier School/Revolution base is going to be fantastic. Next issue is going to be very interesting. However, I felt that Cyclops was too emotional, Emma wasn't sophisticated and posh enough, and Majik was too humorous. The powers of the Phoenix Five being screwed up is a little inconsistent with Consequences and earlier issues of ANXM. Not major gripes, though. It was still a solid 7.5/10. I still really like the title and think it plays with a lot of important X-men themes.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It does kind of present the master plan in Avengers as just "more people!" I'm pretty sure, knowing Hickman, it's gonna be a lot more complex than that, but it is kind of funny.

"No one ever thought of having A LOT of Avengers before! I AM BRILLIANT!" -Tony Stark

 

[JewishHobbit]

My main thing is that if you're going to add a bunch of Avengers, you better have a reason for recruiting who you recruited. I don't want people just there. I mean, I like Cannonball, Sunspot, and Eden Fesi... but what do they bring to the table? Eden maybe for transportation, which is fine, but isn't there a more qualified teleporters out there? Hickman's mentioned that Cannonball's leadership past is only touched on a little... so then what else does he bring to the table that he'd be singled out with an invite? Sunspot has money... Stark has more.

If there's no reason (for those not already established Avengers) then that'll bug me. If an event or story brings them in due to circumstances, that's one thing, but if they're approached out of the blue then I want to know why they were chosen.

 

[WeeZiTe]

Well, if you look at the cool little Avengers graphic organizer chart in Hickman's book, they have characters specifically branching off of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hawkeye's logos. I hope that's deliberate in that those characters were branching off of those logos for a specific reason, like they'll be a specific strike team that responds to a certain situation that their powers correspond with. I gotta think that Hickman put this team/graphic organizer together for a better reason than "just 'cuz."

 

[bored]

I get the sense that they are setting up as more specialized groups. Like, the team is being organized into more of a structured army than just a regular team. Cap, Thor, Hawkeye and Iron Man are apparently going to lead those teams. Who those two outlying members will be is intriguing.

I also like that not only are the villains new, but they also look to be genuinely dangerous.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I know they quit and weren't going to be on the team, but I miss them being there.

I don't. I never really cared for the street-level style that Bendis brought to the Avengers and how Bendis had them deal with things such as Norman Osborn, the Hand, and the Hood as opposed to more substantial threats that we're seeing with Hickman's Avengers.

Keep Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, and Daredevil on the team, I like them as Avengers, but keep Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Wolverine out.

And one of my biggest pet peeves is an unexplained shifting roster. He still has time to explain things I suppose but I didn't like how he portrayed it here (as you explained).

Yeah, that's the least Hickman should have done.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Out of curiosity, why would Daredevil be considered a better Avenger candidate than Iron Fist? Besides his having a couple years on DD as an Avenger, Iron Fist also tackles the mystical realm to an extent. He's less street level than DD as well.


The street level was what made me like Bendis' run. In fact, the comics that didn't focus on the street level are the ones that I got bored with and dropped (Mighty Avengers and adjectiveless Avengers). I plan to stick with the title for the first arc but I honestly see myself dropping it before then. Monthly at $3 would likely be decent enough. Monthly at $8 will likely result in my dropping it. A $4 book shipping bi-weekly has to blow my socks off or it's gone.

 

[RockSP]

I Love Trouble #1: story of a woman who is mixed up with the wrong people, stole from them and now after discovering she can teleport is being forced to steal for them. I think this is a mini, but don't remember. Liked it enough to buy the rest (if it's a mini).

Invincible #98: Part one of the "Death of Everyone" storyline as we approach issue 100. Great art as usual, classic superhero action with the Kirkman spin as usual.

Avengers #1: I've heard a few people on various forums saying that the book was overhyped and therefore not as good as they were hoping. I guess I missed all the hype so I enjoyed it.

Shadowman #2: Valiant continues the streak of well put together books. Shadowman volume one back in the day didn't hold my attention for long, but that doesn't seem like it will be the case with this new take on the character. This is probably my favorite of the new Valiant books, along with Archer & Armstrong.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Out of curiosity, why would Daredevil be considered a better Avenger candidate than Iron Fist? Besides his having a couple years on DD as an Avenger, Iron Fist also tackles the mystical realm to an extent. He's less street level than DD as well.

I've always liked Marvel's A-listers to be on the Avengers (except for Wolverine) and I've always considered Daredevil to be an A-lister. Iron Fist....not an A-lister. And I'd rather see him on a book like a relaunched Heroes for Hire or Immortal Iron Fist.

 

[Texas]

I wouldn't say I didn't like it, I just think people are making it out to be more than it was. It could potentially be great though.

I think the biggest flaw for me was that Hickman's not using the majority of Bendis' final New Avengers team... which was my favorite. Without Luke, Jessica, Iron Fist, Thing, Mockingbird, and Daredevil... it's just too different I think. I am curious how Eden Fesi, Cannonball, and Sunspot will work out on the team, and I've always liked Captain Universe, so those have me curious. And Spider-Man and Wolverine still being around is a help. Like I said, I'll give it 6 issues give or take and decide from there if it's worth $8 a month.

I'm not even going to bother with the New Avengers title.

The New Avengers book might be the sleeper hit as its format will play to Hickman's strengths

 

[Shockdingo]

Hmm, so in what way did the Phoenix Five's powers get altered?

 

[Dread]

Short week but a big week for ASM fans. Upward with spoilers!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 12/5/12:

ACTION COMICS #15: This is the penultimate issue of Grant Morrison's run on ACTION COMICS as well as one of his last mainstream superhero comic runs, at least for a while. To that end he's once again joined by regular artist Rags Morales to pull all his strings together as Superman's entire life as well as the fate of Krypton have been due to a deranged love triangle from the 5th dimension between Mr. Mxy (who is heroic in the New 52), his princess bride and his lethal rival, who I will dub Vyn. To this end a "Superman revenge squad" assembled from across time which include villains from throughout this run and the annual such as Kryptonite Man, Nimrod the Hunter and Phantom King are waging a battle against Kal from the past, present, and future. It is a very interesting wrap up although Morrison does run the risk of losing people to his trademark technobabble. Sholly Fisch and Chris Sprouse handle the back up strip which delves deeper into Mr. Mxy. I am not certain I am entirely on board with an new canonization of Superman's history that everything in his life is the result of some random 5th dimensional maniac's revenge scheme, although perhaps it is the best way to make the 5th dimension thing a real and dangerous concept instead of a joke.

INVINCIBLE #98: Amazing Spider-Man isn't the only superhero title nearing a major triple digit number; Robert Kirkman's long running creator owned series from Image Comics will reach its centennial issue in 2013. While some previous issues have seen some dodgy details as Kirkman has struggled to avoid falling into a rut on this title after roughly nine years writing it, this beginning of the subtly titled "Death of Everyone" arc ties things together in a more satisfying way. Mary Grayson had lost his powers due to a space virus for several issues, and since then his ally Bulletproof took over his mantle as Invincible as the Guardians of the Globe superhero team has sought to fill in the gap. However, Grayson's powers have returned and he gives Bulletproof his blessing to continue. Unfortunately, former threat turned ecological anti-hero Dinosaurus has enacted a desperate plan after believing Grayson was out of action - which is the worst nightmare for every global warming researcher ever. The timing of the story is unfortunate, coming right after Hurricane Sandy when images of east coast cities flooding is more horrible than intended. This will also be the inevitable conclusion of Grayson's attempt to bargain his way towards removing enemies rather than jailing them backfiring on him with Dinosaurus continuing to be a maniac. Longtime regular artist Ryan Ottley, as always, is on rare form with the artwork here, and he often has jaw dropping sequences of disaster to handle. To be blunt, the self described "best superhero book in the universe" hasn't quite lived up to that title for a while, even if it has always remained unpredictable. With issue #100 looming large, now is the time to raise the stakes in quality, and at least for now Kirkman has answered that challenge. Bravo!

GUARDING THE GLOBE #4: More over the top superhero fare from this INVINCIBLE spin off from Phil Hester and Todd Nauck. The memo of this month's issue is "possession" as Japandroid is possessed by an alien invader and Outrun turns out to have been possessed by a member of "The Order", who are a cabal of super-villains who seek to do evil for the lulz. It gets hard to mourn the loss of a character who barely had much fleshing out, which is a dilemma for this series. There are so many characters that it becomes hard to attach to many, which is a problem Christos Gage avoided in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE but Hester seem to struggle with. Every issue still has plenty of action and great art, but the cast of thousands stifles the effect to the point that it seems more like an illustrated checklist of events more than a story. Regardless, people who can't get enough of the "Invincible-verse" may eat it up.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #699: The march towards the supposed "final story" of this half century long franchise's flagship title continues under the steady pen of Dan Slott and returning regular artist Humberto Ramos (alongside inker Victor Olazaba). Both Marvel and Slott himself have promoted the conclusion of this story and the subsequent relaunch of the franchise as SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN next month as the biggest thing to happen to the web-slinger in years, which is a feat considering all the major profile stories Slott has been at the helm of over the past few years. From being the first writer on ASM in January 2008 to kick off the "Brand New Day" era to taking over the reins full time in November 2010 under "Big Time", Slott has been the master of Spider-Man's universe for over two years now. This arc sees him pulling the threads of a very long web together into one incredible story which raises the stakes incredibly high for Marvel's greatest hero. This is an incredible feat considering at the core this story is one of the most well worn tropes in comic books - the "mind swap episode".

The surprising conclusion of last month's most recent issue was that Dr. Octopus has somehow switched minds with his arch nemesis Spider-Man, not only discovering his identity but gaining all of his memories as well as his powers and career. He has left Peter Parker within his own withered and dying body, which is a day or less from death. This issue thus follows Peter Parker as he attempts to come to grips with such a nightmare as well as find some means to escape it. Stuck in a prison with more villains and a medical staff which hates him, Peter is forced to "think like a villain" in order to escape - which means using one of Ock's many forgotten schemes to employ some other criminals to release him. The explanation for this switch draws back not only towards the finale of "Ends of the Earth" story which involved the Sinister Six this summer, but references the finale of "Spider-Island" from last October and beyond. Slott continues to excel at utilizing continuity as ore for new stories as well as getting that Spider-Man's strength as a hero isn't in his powers, but in his mind and heart. That said, the choice Peter makes doesn't come without consequences and there is at least one cheap joke made at Aunt May's expense which could offend some people. Villains from prior arcs such as Spider-Slayer and Scorpion from the start of "Big Time" back in 2010 to Lizard and Morbius from just this summer also make notable cameos. Humberto Ramos is back to form in this issue, having a lot of diverse and extreme characters to work with as well as a lot of flashback sequences to pencil through - and next issue will feature a double sized story from him as Peter has only 700 minutes to solve this problem. By coincidence, the next issue is number 700, which ships right after Christmas.

Despite this being a "mind swap" plot, Slott has risen the stakes for it and made it seem more epic than many other recent stories; a testament to his execution. There is a lot riding on this arc with Slott himself claiming he will have to "hide in a bunker" from internet criticism once the next issue debuts - yet feels once SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN gets rolling, all will be revealed. He related so much to fans (such as I) at the New York Comic Con this year and despite this run on ASM not being entirely flawless, it has been among the best runs of ASM to come along in a very long time. Personally, I haven't gotten as much of a kick out of this title since the 1990's and readers invested this long and deep into Slott's run at the very least should expect a thrilling conclusion to come. No crossovers, no spare mini series, just a well promoted, executed, written and drawn tale of superhero suspense - exactly as it should be.

IRON MAN #3: Former UNCANNY X-MEN and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY writer Kieron Gillen continues his relaunch of Iron Man's main title after years of being steered by Matt Fraction. He has devised a simple yet effective opening arc called "Believe" which involves Iron Man seeking to recover the dangerous nanotechology called "Extremis" after its creator Maya Hansen has been murdered and it was sold at an auction to four buyers by the terrorist think tank A.I.M. To a degree this is another modern take at "Armor Wars" from the 80's, only this time Tony Stark seeks to zealously defend the creation of a friend and lover, not himself. Each issue thus far has been part of this arc yet stood on its own as a standalone story as well - a rare feat usually limited to Mark Waid's DAREDEVIL. Iron Man's quest takes him to raid the compound of a Columbian drug lord who has hired several of Iron Man's enemies to defend the Extremis for another few hours. However, all is not as it seems as the drug lord doesn't seek to use it as a weapon, but to save his terminally ill daughter. The execution of this plot is exciting and Gillen has Tony's voice down pact; the only flaw remains Greg Land's "art", which is often "inspired" by various photographs, screen caps, and magazine images. This is the third issue within five weeks, so speedy issues are at least one advantage of Land's "style". Armored people plays to Land's strengths although the rest of his art seems to have too much of an artificial hue to it. Regardless, the narrative here remains strong as Gillen leads the armored Avenger into another year.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

The Amazing Spider-Man #699
I wanted something more form this issue. The issue felt like a filler in ways, but filler that was needed. With this being the second last issue, I was hoping the gears would be revved up a bit more. 699 came off more comedic than I would've liked too.

The Thunderbolts #1
This was a badass issue (mainly picked it up for Deadpool) where I got to check out new characters like Venom(Flash) and Electra in action. Wasn't a big how Castle was drawn. It was a fun issue that should have some drama with the characters that Bolt has picked for the team.

Avengers #1
Really took a couple of reads to get what was going on. Not even the AR app helped a new reader to Avengers like myself.

All New X-Men #3
I missed issue 2 ****. But you know what? I didn't noticed until a few hours after reading the issue. I'm just looking forward to seeing Cyclops face off against his younger self.

Action Comics #15
Action Comics is a funny book for me. Sometimes it comes as non reader friendly, with odd references or convoluted stories. I've read a lot of Superman before, jumping in randomly and getting the story instantly. This issue should of been confusing for me, but, for the first time, I enjoyed the heck of this comic.

Detective Comics #15
I dug the story and the impact Joker had without even showing himself fully.

Earth 2 #7
A book that came off as a built up for things to come - can't wait!

Iron Man #3
The comic continues to grow on me. Tony making his sandwich t:

 

[moraldeficiency]

Avengers #1

Oh Hickman you're like the negaBendis, you have pretty crappy beginnings which end up with awesome endings. Like everyone else the idea of just add more people is lame. It's what Hickman did in his FF run with a bunch of useless badguys that just became filler and never did anything of consequence. I see what he's doing though. He wants this massive cast so he needs a reason, cue the master plan. This wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either. That said I'll be reading it cause like I said, negaBendis, it's gonna have a cool outcome.

Thunderbolts 1

I should like this issue, it's got a great premise and cool cast. So it must be pretty crappy writing cause I was bored as hell with it.

ASM 699

First I hated this issue, then I loved it. I found the trick though. Just read the second half of it. The first half is a far too long explanation that everyone already knew which finished with peter knowing aunt may, intimately. That scene was so jarring, so out of place and so just wrong, especially for the issue leading up to the "death of spider-man" it really jolted you out of the story and made the excellent second half (especially with the curt conners scene) just not seem important.

All New X-Men 3

So I'll say it. It was awesome. Start to finish I loved it. Now as expressed earlier this may be the case of bendis' awesome starts with crap finishes but I'm not sure, this thing really feels like it has legs. Looking forward to the cyke vs. cyke fight. I'm sure new scott will win which is a shame cause for the first time in a long time (except a brief stint in Whedon's X-Men run) I actually get to see my favorite X-Man scott summers be scott summers.

Iron Man 3

Ok, so this is my current favorite marvel book out there. I love, love, love this take on Iron Man. He just feels....the way iron man should feel, from his actions, thoughts, motivations and tactics this is what and who tony stark really is. I cannot wait for the next issue, I know gillen's going to throw some massive curve ball soon and devastate tony's life and I can't wait to see it.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Out of curiosity, why would Daredevil be considered a better Avenger candidate than Iron Fist? Besides his having a couple years on DD as an Avenger, Iron Fist also tackles the mystical realm to an extent. He's less street level than DD as well.


The street level was what made me like Bendis' run. In fact, the comics that didn't focus on the street level are the ones that I got bored with and dropped (Mighty Avengers and adjectiveless Avengers). I plan to stick with the title for the first arc but I honestly see myself dropping it before then. Monthly at $3 would likely be decent enough. Monthly at $8 will likely result in my dropping it. A $4 book shipping bi-weekly has to blow my socks off or it's gone.

Yeah, you're basically just not into the Avengers, man. You're into Bendis' bunch of characters doing what Bendis wanted for a few years that he managed to get Marvel to okay his slapping the Avengers label on. The Avengers, barring Bendis, have always been more about what Hickman's presenting now and Slott presented in Mighty Avengers and Busiek in the pre-Bendis Avengers, etc.

As for Iron Fist, I actually really like the idea of him as an Avenger for exactly the reason you mentioned. Unfortunately, Bendis tended to write Iron Fist in basically Iron Fist or Heroes for Hire stories in Avengers comics. Even in AvX, Iron Fist didn't really bring his mystical knowledge to the team's aid; Bendis retconned in a random-ass connection between Iron Fist's K'un-L'un and one of the AvX story elements. He'd write for those characters and relegate everyone else to background scenery rather than really making them feel like a team. At least, that's what I saw in the admittedly few instances I read Bendis' Iron Fist alongside the Avengers.

 

[runawayboulder]

Yeah, you're basically just not into the Avengers, man. You're into Bendis' bunch of characters doing what Bendis wanted for a few years that he managed to get Marvel to okay his slapping the Avengers label on. The Avengers, barring Bendis, have always been more about what Hickman's presenting now and Slott presented in Mighty Avengers and Busiek in the pre-Bendis Avengers, etc.

Corp has you pretty much pegged here, JH. All the things you love about Bendis' Avengers has not been what the Avengers were 40 years prior.