BOUGHT/THOUGHT for August 22, 2007

[Darthphere]

Except for that like 15 years when they were all dying from the Legacy Virus.

Seriously at least the Legacy Virus had the AIDS allegory as an excuse, instead of just being a purely transparent plot device for ghettoizing the mutant characters.

...I mean I am agreeing with GAH here, so clearly I'm completely in the wrong here, but I haven't seen how so far.

Um because the whole "Something is going to kill us all" plot isn't and has never been exclusive to Mutants and the X-Men. Galactus anyone?

 

[fifthfiend]

Um because the whole "Something is going to kill us all" plot isn't and has never been exclusive to Mutants and the X-Men. Galactus anyone?

I would argue that Galactus was more "something is going to hypothetically kill us all, until Reed Richards or whoever saves the day" wheras Legacy virus / House of M are pretty much "something actually is right now doing a pretty thorough job of killing us all." I mean not exactly killing in HoM's case, but in terms of ongoing, overtly population-limiting existential threat, they're pretty effectively similar.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Except for that like 15 years when they were all dying from the Legacy Virus.

There were still new mutants being born in that era.

Seriously at least the Legacy Virus had the AIDS allegory as an excuse, instead of just being a purely transparent plot device for ghettoizing the mutant characters.

Don't mistake me for someone who actually likes the whole "No More Mutants" thing; it was a bad idea, and should be reversed immediately, but it is happening right now, and it shouldn't be ignored; the only significant stories that can be told with the X-Men right now are the ones that get them out of this current situation.

 

[BrianWilly]

Countdown #36
Oh joy, Deathstroke appears. When I say "joy," mostly I mean "cock." Speaking of cock...whoa there Slade. And still speaking of cock...Piper's immune to Ivy? But Catwoman wasn't, so...well, I guess that says more about Catwoman than it does about Piper

. Despite getting more and more ridiculous by the panel, the Rogues story remains the best part of this whole nonsense.

Mary Marvel's storyline, on the other hand? It has surpassed the Karate Kid storyline in my eyes in terms of mediocrity. Mary acts like a heinous whiny cam****e and blows things up. Meanwhile, someone really needs to inform me as to what in the hell Zatanna was thinking, too; how is teaching Mary any spells going to help her with containing Black Adam's power considering that the power of Shazam doesn't actually have anything to do with spellcasting and none of the Marvels have shown the least bit of aptitude for it? Which, really, is all Judd Winick's fault, as most things tend to end up being.

My tolerance for the Karate Kid story at the moment is due entirely to the fact that I'm zoning the hell out during it. So, what happens? Don't know. Don't care.

(4.9 out of 10)


Astonishing X-Men #22
If you don't think this is great, you're not paying attention. It's [probably] not your fault, really; the lateness of shipping a comic as good as this is nigh-sinful. If Marvel had gotten their sht together, this series would be done by now.

I do have a contention with the plot at this point; Kitty and Pete were with Aghanne, and then they leave to group up with Cyclops, who then tells us that they...need to speak with Aghanne? Why the poo didn't they just go back to Aghanne right then and there instead of flying off into space, then? And what in the world is Leviathan? Did I miss something?

Anyway everyone comes across great, very strongly characterized, as usual; Emma in particular is handled masterfully. I disliked her when Morrison(!) wrote her, I'm disliking her when other writers are currently writing her...but as always, she's great under Whedon. Hank also gets some great lines (shout-out to Morrison = YES), though I'm sure they won't please the hordes who still somehow want him to turn back into his bouncing clown characterization of the 80s.

That ending. Huh. Didn't see that coming. No one expects him to die. Obviously he's not going to die, but still. I fully expected him to start blasting, but...nope.

(8 out of 10)


Blue Beetle #18
"You brought this on yourselves! By teaching evolution!"

If I had picks of the week, this would be my pick of the week. But I don't, so it isn't. But it is.

The Teen Titans suck right now. Let's get that out of the way, 'kay? They've sucked more in the past four or five months than they've ever sucked in the entirety of their continuity. But not here. They are awesome here. They kick about seventy-six times the amount of ass that they do in their own book at the moment. Even Supergirl is likeable! Okay, that's not entirely fair; Supergirl's been getting marginally more and more likeable lately. But still, every victory counts! Seriously, to see them all working together and working effectively brings moist feelings to my...uh, heart. I dunno if Beetle is going to stay on the Titans, but I hope he does, because he's got a lot of chemistry with them.

(10 out of 10)


Annihilation: Star-Lord #2
Is Star-Lord supposed to have a hyphen in it or not? It doesn't on the cover, but it does inside the book, except sometimes I think it doesn't.

Pretty good issue with straight-up mayhem. And I gotta say, I completely didn't see the truce with the Annihilus bugs coming. It seems that Giffen is going to be using this series to tie up a lot of loose ends with the last Annihilation, including the remaining Annihilus forces. I approve.

That Shi'ar lady was dead annoying. HAH I MAKE OF PUN. But seriously folks, I'm glad Giffen decided to make her annoying and I'm glad her guts flew all over the place. I've never liked the Shi'ar. Always thought they were one of the worst aspects of the X-Men mythos. To see one's guts flying all over the place fills my soul with glee.

Noooo Groot. Well maybe he's not dead.

I'm glad Quill is acting more and more like the Quill I remember from Annihilation here, because he still doesn't look very much like the Quill I remember. Overlookable, but still.

(8.5 out of 10)


Birds of Prey #109
Oh for the love of...

Congratulations, Shado! You have managed to give birth to Connor Hawke about twentysomething years ago despite the fact that you only had sex with Ollie like, I dunno, six or seven years ago comic time.

I should blame Bedard (he also got Connor's age wrong in the Black Canary mini), but the rest of this issue was actually pretty damn good and I can't bear to. Instead I wonder where the hell all of DC's editors have gone off to in these past few months. Seriously. Something as significant as Connor's lineage takes a minute...no, less than a minute to look up. His mother is Sandra Moonday Hawke. He left the Ashram with Ollie at the age of eighteen. His half-brother's name is Robert, who actually is Shado's son. Get it right, Bedard.

Anyway. At first I was really glad that Bedard went ahead and addressed, full-frontal

, all the issues that various fans have had against Dinah marrying Ollie. And then I thought, wait a minute...isn't he just parroting everything that everyone on Teh Internets have been saying? It's like he went on this board or something and speed-read through Corp's posts over the past week. That's not...substance. That's just him repeating things and making it sound like a revelation. At best it's fanservice. At worst it's not genuine. I roll my eyes at Bendis all the time for pull this sort of stunt.

But then I thought...it is kinda fitting, in a lot of ways. Barbara is her friend. And Dinah's fans, in a lot of ways, treat her as a well-known friend. The things that Barbara asks are exactly what a friend would ask, which is why all her fans have been asking it. And it's not like they're going off the deep end on all these non-sequiturs; the questions make sense. They deserve to be asked.

The best part of this issue...nay, the best part of this week, and what made me decide to buy my very first Birds of Prey issue ever, is Barda and Sin. Oh my Buffy. Barda and Sin win forever. "Behold, child: the Mega Rod." I'm going to be so pissed when Barda dies.

Oh yeah, which reminds me; Knockout's dead. It's actually done all right; DC continues its tradition of Countdown plots being done much better in other books than in the book itself.

(8.2 out of 10)


Green Lantern Corps #15
The Sinestro Corps war continues here...and damn, it's astounding how much more I like it in this book versus how bored I am of it in Hal's book. It's not perfect, but there's suspense, there's tension, there's explosions everywhere, there's Kilowog kicking a barrel of ass and being awesome at every turn, and the mother of all showdowns which doesn't even end here but continues into the next issue. This is where the real action is at.

(8 out of 10)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

You forgot, "There's Kilowog kicking a barrel of ass and being awesome at every turn."

 

[BrianWilly]

I added it just for you. NOW YOU OWE ME.

 

[El Bastardo]

Astonishing X-Men #22
... And what in the world is Leviathan? Did I miss something?

I don't think you did. I was wondering that, too.

Is that what they're calling Danger now? Or is it the name of their uber ship? Or... what?

 

[BrianWilly]

I'ma be so happy if they beat Kruum with a summoned monster.

 

[El Bastardo]

Haha.

And how can you agree with Beast saying "Give 'em Hell, Boss."? How?

 

[BrianWilly]

Uh, I was weak? Wait, what.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The one thing that struck a bad chord with me in AXM was Lockheed. Lockheed's a traitor who's been informing on the X-Men to the Breakworld? Come on, he's ****ing Lockheed.

I added it just for you. NOW YOU OWE ME.

I owe nothing for making you do what was right in the first place.

 

[El Bastardo]

Uh, I was weak? Wait, what.

Hee. I dunno, like I said on the other page, I thought this issue underwhelming.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Invincible #45

Another flawless issue.

If anyone out there is not getting this book I URGE you to pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

5/5

 

[fifthfiend]

The one thing that struck a bad chord with me in AXM was Lockheed. Lockheed's a traitor who's been informing on the X-Men to the Breakworld? Come on, he's ****ing Lockheed.

Not Breakworld, just SWORD.

Which is still pretty ******ed, but less so than the other way.

And how can you agree with Beast saying "Give 'em Hell, Boss."? How?

I thought that was pretty good when I read it. And then I thought about it, and I was like no wait, what the ****?

I think I'm just going to electively misremember that panel as having been Wolverine talking, so it's all good.

But seriously that whole pillow-talk scene was just Whedonese gone horribly wrong. Seriously, a little proper ****ing conjugation once in a while, I don't think that's asking too much.

 

[Max Shrek]

What is the Beast shout-out to Morrison?

 

[El Bastardo]

What is the Beast shout-out to Morrison?

Beast's monologue about Genosha, I think.

 

[BrianWilly]

Yes, and even specifically referencing the fact that he was making jokes during his visit, which apparently some people thought tasteless at the time.

In reclaiming Morrison X-continuity from Marvel's grubby hands, every small victory is cause for celebration.

 

[El Bastardo]

Should we start waving the rebel flag and yelling the rebel yell?

 

[bored]

Should we start waving the rebel flag and yelling the rebel yell?

In the midnight hour, babe, more, more, more?

 

[Sebastos]

Immortal Iron Fist #8 - The kung fu tournament begins! Seriously, right after #6 ended, I couldn't wait for the second arc to being after #7. Finally, it starts and it starts in a really fantastic way. The issue starts out with Wendell Rand, Danny's father, and Wendell discovers K'un-Lun for the first time.

Back to Danny, we see Danny learning new techniques from THE BOOK OF THE IRON FIST, one of them allowing his to heal himself and look into water to find answers aswell as people he's looking for. Lei Kung comes in and takes Danny to Yu-Ti, Lord of K'un-Lun. Yu-Ti tells Danny that the tournament will have Immortal Weapons that are just like him, but with symbols of their own, and fighting styles of their own. It's then that Danny understands the task at hand, but questions why his father never became an Iron Fist. Another flashback emerges and shows us how Danny's father met Lei Kung and Yu-Ti, aswell as starting to train in the K'un-Lun temple and finally meeting Davos. Who, as we all know is Steel Serpent.

We see Wai-Go and Hogarth working on a project that Hogarth agreed on with Wai-Go, but Hogarth knows he made a mistake and believe Danny will come save him. Danny goes to the "Scrying Vessel of Bo-Ling", a fountain that answers all questions. Danny asks where Hogarth is and finds out that Hogarth is also in K'un-Lun. Lei Kung joins Danny and again both go back to Yu-Ti where Yu-Ti explains the stakes and what happens if K'un-Lun's champion (Danny) loses. Danny understands, and is now off to meet his opponents in the tournament. With a great page, we're introduced to the opponents of the kung fu tournament.

Fat Cobra, The Bride of Nine Spiders, Dog Brother #1, Tiger's Beautiful Daughter, The Prince of Orphans, and Steel Serpent are the opponents, and all of them have deadly skills of their own. Danny sits down and watches Fat Cobra's demonstration of his technique. Danny analyzes, and knows what he sees. Fat Cobra unleashes his mighty Sumo Thunder Stomp, and the ones Fat Cobra went against, are down for the count. As soon as Fat Cobra is done with his demonstration, he chooses his first opponent, which is none other than Iron Fist!

The issue ends with who will face who in the tournament, and really this looks like it's going to be a great arc.

10/10

This was a great issue to start off the arc, and to any new reader of Immortal Iron Fist, I recommend you to pick this book up, as it's a perfect jumping on point. Brubaker and Fraction once again amaze with their creativity, and I just can't wait to see what happens next. The art was wonderful, the writing was solid, and above all, it was all out fun!

 

[GNR]

late...

The Order #2 - Big step up from the debut issue,understandable since it had the heavy duty of introducing new characters,concepts,firing new characters and recruiting new characters.I'm liking the personal focus Fraction is working into each issue.Looking forward to the stories of Milo and Veda.Easily becoming Marvel's best team book alongside...

Thunderbolts #110-116 - Very late jumping onto this.Being on vacation for so long stateside granted me the option of checking out various shops,thus being able to scoop up Ellis' entire run to date.I'll keep it short,I love the whole ticking time bomb feel this book has,the instability and backstabbing in the ranks is so fun to watch unfold.Deodato's art is at his best here.Much less muddled thank his New Avengers work and his silent panels are perfect.The use of shadows really conveys the overall mood of the book.I really pray that Ellis stays on this book even though he has that low profile gig with Simone coming up.It would be a shame to leave it at 12 issues when it feels like things are just cooking up.Keep Deodato on too.

Immortal Iron Fist #8 - I've complained before about the typical Bru padding in the first arc,issue 3 especially which was a chore to read.Besides that,"Book 1" was pretty solid.Anyways,starting with #7,this book has done no wrong in my eyes.The storytelling has been tight and progressive.The Tournament of the Seven Cities of Heaven is such a cool concept.

Good week overall,10 thunder sumo stomps out of 10.

Marvel is doing some heavy damage with its team books right now.We often hear praise for the solos which are well deserving,but seriously,they have taken some serious chances with these ensemble books and it's really paying off.