Bought thought for comics purchased July 4th.

[squeekness]

Howdy! I know I don't normally start these threads (sorry JH) but I wasn't sure where else to note this strange fact -- the latest issues of Wolverine are shipping out of order. I had to ask my guy about it, I bought the #310 this week and then wondered what the heck happened to my #309. He had no clue and I wasn't the only person asking. I don't know if it is because different artists are working on the run or what, but for whatever reason the #309 is going to ship in two weeks. Way to go Marvel.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I heard my comic guy talking about that, too. This isn't the first time it's happened either... but for the life of me I can't think what the other scenerio was. I remember being very annoyed at the time. I remember it was the end of one person's run coming out after the beginning of the next person's run. Maybe it was the last issue of Whedon's Astonishing X-Men coming out after the first issue of Ellis'?

 

[JewishHobbit]

Heh, I think I just remembered the other situation where that happened and it annoyed me. It was either the first or last issue of Old Man Logan


Anyhow... comics!

Light week. I'm not sure what happened but when I got to the comic shop they had both X-Factor 238 & 239, only one copy each, on the new comics shelf. I don't know if they missed an issue or had to return them due to damage or what but I was fortunate to get both issues. Heck, I was even there earlier than usual.

X-Factor 238 & 239 - I'll lump them together since it's one story and sadly I have to say I wasn't impressed. That really is the status quo of this book for me. I love the characters so much but David tends to tell stories that I find uninteresting. People keep talking about how good books don't sell and use this title as an example but I get why it doesn't sell. It's boring. The first two years were phenominal and it's been hit and miss ever since. The current problem is such an oversaturation of characters. I mean, what was the point of adding Pip, Havok, and Lorna to the cast and none of them are relevant? Lorna was a key figure last issue and Havok in this issue but both roles could have easily been filled with other members of the cast. Havok is joining the Uncanny Avengers so maybe that'll take him out of this book. Who knows?

I honestly have no interest in the Rahne baby story that's been off and on for a couple years now and I cringe at it's coming back again. I like Guido but don't know what to think of this "no soul" business just yet. I'm curious about him and Monet but still find it a bit creepy. I took it in the 90's that he was intended to be older, mid-30's or so, while Monet was half his age at 15. I guess that doesn't really matter but it still feels odd, despite that I think he's supposed to be younger now and she's just catching up to him.

In fact, the only storylines that I find interesting is the return of the Isolationist and the hint of David tackling the Longshot/Shatterstar relationship. And that's it.

In a day and age when I'm looking for cuts and trying to majorly deminish my buy list I keep holding on to this book because I love Madrox and other characters but it's honestly been very unfulfilling for years. I liked issue 237 but that might have been a fluke apparently. Depending on what's going on post-AvX and if I'm buying many new titles this book might get the official axe once more.

It's just not any good.

Avengers vs. X-Men 7 - You know... I kinda liked this issue. Now, that might be jaded in that I was overwhelmed by everyone acting IN character, which made the issue suddenly feel amazing. That aside though I'm seeing interesting storylines. We have Wanda holding her own, which was cool. Iron Fist brings the Thunderer into it, which is awesome save that we know he's a small role from New Avengers. Scott is the voice of reason against Namor, which is finally a breath of fresh air. And I like that Emma and Namor sorta go behind Scott's back and declares war on Wakanda. Here's hoping this spells the beginning of the end to the most annoying, unwanted couple in comics.

Maybe Scott can upgrade to Carlie Cooper soon.

For the first time... maybe ever... I'm looking forward to the next issue of AvX.

Uncanny X-Men 15 - This was a fantastic issue. First off, they deal with the Cyttorak story. During Fear Itself, Juggernaut had dual masters with Cyttorak and the Serpant. This ticked off Cyttorak and, after receiving an offer from Magik, Cyttorak transfered his power to Colossus. Well, now Colossus is in the same boat with the Phoenix. Colossus and Magik go to Cyttorak hoping that this would be the ticket out of the Juggernaut curse but it isn't to be. As it turns out Cyttorak is willing to cope with it since all the constant Heroes equals tons of detruction and the Phoenix is about not only rebirth but destruction as well. It was done well.

And then we have the Phoenix Five who believe that it was Sinister who messed with Hope's head, making her doubt the Phoenix (it was actually Unit) and so they go to war on Sinister and his Sinister legions. And THAT ladies and gentlemen, is a story I can't WAIT for the next two issues to read.

Also, Magneto and Psylocke might have caught on that something is up with Danger (her being controled by Unit). I'm eager to see where that story goes. I do like the, well, lets say alliance for lack of better words, that's forming between Magneto and Psylocke. I'm curious where that goes.

And as always, Acuna's art is beautiful.

So 50/50 this week and the two good books were AvX titles, including the main mini. Who expected that?!

 

[squeekness]

It was nice to see the Gambit cameo in AVX #7.... until the whole point of him being there was to get punched in the face, one and done. Ah well...

 

[JewishHobbit]

Newsflash!!! Nobody but squeekness and JewishHobbit read comics this week!!!!


slackers

 

[Phaedrus45]

Comics from Marvel, first. (I haven't read all my DCs yet; so, they will wait a while, I guess.)

The Good

Amazing Spider-Man #689

More good stuff from Slott, which is nice to say. I hate to be negative towards his work, as he seems like an all-around nice guy and has had some of my favorite comics from the past. This book is a nice follow-up to Wells classic (yep, I call it a classic already) Lizard story; and, it also fits nicely with the recent movie. Lots to praise here, from keeping with the new Curt Conners, who even though he's in human form has shed his old persona in favor of the very deadly Lizard, to a pretty good appearance by Morbius, too.

Punisher #13

For a while there, I was getting worried about this title, especially when The Vulture showed up. That's not the kind of title I wanted from Rucka. But, the focus is back on taking down criminal organizations, and teaming him up with Rachel Cole-Alves. (A great new character, btw. She's a good compliment to Frank, and not just another version of Micro.) My only complaint about this book is that it still hasn't given me a Wow moment.

FuryMax #4

This book sure has grown on me since the first issue. While we had some nice action last issue, this goes back to a lot of political talk; but, the difference from this issue compared to issue #1 is that I'm more invested in the story and characters. Ennis has gotten is stage set, and it feels like he's not just trying to do another PunisherMax. This is definitely its own title.


The Okay

Uncanny X-Men #15

Sometimes these off-shoot stories from A Vs. X are more interesting than the main story. The writers clearly aren't making the readers feel like they are reading just another senseless tie-in, like events from the past. (Blackest Night was the worst, with each mini tie-in feeling like the same thing you read each time.) Where this book fails to get into "The Good" status is me not really feeling Sinister World. It's all a bit too corny. Still, I'm interested enough to find out where Gillen is going with it. Also, we get a nice glimpse into some of the other mutants who are feeling a bit useless in this new Utopia.

Invincible Iron Man #520

Boy, this is another Fraction storyline that has been being set up for a long time. It's not even mixing well with any other storyline currently running in Marvel comics; because, I don't see the effect of Tony having to give up his armor in A Vs. X or any other book. There is some good stuff happening here, though; and, this book was right on the cusp of getting into The Good. I was completely taken by surprise to see the old Detroit Steel finally getting killed for good. (Great scene with Sasha cutting off his head.) Also, I'm intrigued to find out who the mystery Iron Man is. On the bad side, though, is seeing Tony loose another company. How many times does this has to happen?? It's almost as frequent as the Fantastic Four getting their headquarters demolished by an enemy.

The Infernal Man-Thing #1 (of 3)


I love that Marvel released this gem that was never released. I guess this will be Gerber's final work; but, it is really a story that was written back in the 70's and has finally seen the light of day due to the artwork finally being completed. (Ralph Macchio explains the details nicely in a letter at the beginning of the book.) The story is really a sequel to Gerber's Man-Thing #12 story, Song-Cry of the Living Dead Man; and, while it's nice to re-read the old story (of which a portion is presented at the end of this issue, and probably continued in the next one, too), it might feel a bit outdated to some readers. Still, you can really see how Gerber was feeling about the state of comics in his writing, and as Macchio says, he must have felt a close kinship to his character, Brian Lazarus.

I do recommend this book rather highly for one reason. If someone wants a good feeling of what classic Gerber is like, this story gives a nice peek into it. It's why the new versions of Man-Thing and Howard The Duck will never compare to Gerber's classic tales. It's simply a different kind of writing that doesn't translate well to today's comic reader. (Off-beat just doesn't sell like it used to.)

Age Of Apocalypse #5

I was not a fan of the first couple issues; but, like FuryMax, this book is growning on me. Lapham is a pretty good writer, and he's delivering a title that doesn't try and be like the 90's version of AoA. It's much more like Remender's vision; and, fans of that storyline will probably be pretty please with this title. There are quite a few characters in this book; but, like most X-titles, Lapham keeps his focus on just a few. The rest just feel like guest stars who make appearance now and again. Sadly, I don't see this title sticking around long. It's just too different than the type of book that Marvel usually puts out.

A Vs. X #7

This barely makes "The Okay." It's rather of a disappointment, especially since I found the last issue so damn great. It just feels like the Phoenix Five are acting rather stupidly, focusing on a small group of rebels (The Avengers) and not on their mission of peace. Of course, you need this to happen in order to keep getting the two groups to fight each other. But, it all seems like a bit nonsensical (sp?). Also, this book just didn't flow well from the previous issue to this one. We went from seeing how well the Phoenix Five work last issue to seeing how disjointed they are this issue.

The Meh

Ultimate Spider-Man #12

Defnitely the worst issue of this title yet. It just didn't feel right. I didn't believe the battle between Spider-Man and his Uncle, and I felt Bendis handled it incorrectly. Even Bendis' surprise ending was a bit lame. (Then, to read the praise heaped on this issue in the letters page was laughable: "Whew! What an intense story! I bet no one out there was expecting THAT ending! I've read this book several times ... and it sends chills down my spine every time." I just asked myself if he read that same drivel I just did.

Wolverine #310

I was going to start my quick review of this book by saying it felt like I came into this book at the middle of a scene; but, seeing that a previous issue was missing, maybe that's why. I was hoping for better from Loeb (I know, why should I?); but, it was pretty damn bad. There was never an idea that Wolverine didn't believe he killed Sabretooth the first time; but, now he shows that he questioned himself, because something didn't smell right. (What about seeing Sabretooth in hell? Too many explanations in this book fail to acknowledge previous storylines, I'm thinking.) Turns out by issues end that the Weapon X people are back in business (or they never left), and that they have what appears to be hundreds of Sabretooths at their disposal. Unbelievable garbage!

X-Factor #239

This title should probably be before the previous two; but, I was more interested in that laughable garbage than this rather dull storyline. (It seems like that's par for the course with this book. Every once in a while, David gives us something that reminds readers why we liked his writing in the past; but, I simply think he's been on this book a bit too long and has written out the fun I used to have reading it. (Aren't the characters just a bit too sullied? It's like going out with a gal that you used to like a long time ago; but, now your mind keeps bringing up the rather trashy past they had just been through that doesn't live up to your old ideals.)

Hulk #55

This title bores the hell out of me. Parker just isn't one to get into good characterization. Instead, his storylines tend to be a bit off-beat. The villian is never someone that great; and, the story tends to feel as if it's going on a good two issues too long. Where as Loeb's Hulk was laughable, this one is just dull and boring. I'd actually take Loeb at this point, which says a lot.

The Muppets #1

Finally, new material after Marvel has been reprinting old stuff from the Boom days. Sadly, that material (even though written by one of the old writers) just isn't anywhere near as funny. I think I chuckled once or twice. It does keep with The Muppet Show format, though.



The Bad

Deadpool #57

Topping my list of books that seriously need a new writer, Deadpool still continues to struggle. And, not only is the writing bad, but the art is just horrendous. (The artist doesn't even bother to do backgrounds through much of this book.) Way is trying something new by seeing what Wade is like without his powers; but, his writing is just bringing the concept (and, guest stars, like Taskmaster) down with it. Very bad.

 

[runawayboulder]

Punisher #13

For a while there, I was getting worried about this title, especially when The Vulture showed up. That's not the kind of title I wanted from Rucka. But, the focus is back on taking down criminal organizations, and teaming him up with Rachel Cole-Alves. (A great new character, btw. She's a good compliment to Frank, and not just another version of Micro.) My only complaint about this book is that it still hasn't given me a Wow moment.

I think the books WOW moment is right around the corner....just a hunch. One thing I did notice is that I guess Frank lost his eye in the Vulture fight. I had just assumed he was still healing, hence the bandage he wore for the past 10 issues or so. It's kinda odd since his body was healed and reset by the Bloodstone in Remender's final arc and a little interesting that Rucka immediately decided to take away a body part in a fight that wasn't that big a deal.....


As for the rest, I wasn't going to write anything up since it's been a hectic holiday weak but I'll oblige JH since he feels lonely....

I enjoyed ASM again. It's the obligatory Lizard story since the movie came out this week as in the past there were specific arcs for Doc Ock and Venom that would coincide with the other flicks. I'm enjoying this because it kicks back to SHED (which I enjoyed) and it has Morbius, who is always fun to read when he mixes it up with Spidey. Camuncoli continues to nail it home with his art time in/time out.

The Boys #68 was a fine issue but I don't know how many others read it around here, maybe TMoB, I'm not sure. There's only 3 issues left, so the book has already rounded third and his about to touch home plate. Another main character bites the dust and judging by the cover for next month, it screams that 2 more are being shown the door. Ennis is pretty much ripping down what he built for the past 5 years at this point. It was a pretty good series from Ennis. I wouldn't consider it up there with his Preacher book or Punisher run, I'd put it right next to his Hellblazer stint.

AvX #7 was EH or MEH. I'm not enthralled by the story at this point but I'm not aggravated as much as I was by Fear Itself. I'll probably see how this whole mess pans out. It's amazing how Wanda was still the pariah at the end of Children's Crusade (and even in the AvX 0 issue) but now she's an integral ally with the snap of a finger. Whatever, so long as she's back. I don't get why the writers made a thing out of Clint getting fried by Emma Frost. We all know he's getting a solo by Fraction out of this and he'll be fine. It was quickly pointed out that he's not dead anyway, I just didn't see the point of it all.

 

[Dread]

With July 4th behind us and some shops in my area actually being closed on that day - do they NOT realize that the sole goal of being an American is capitalism - it did make getting comics a little more problematic than I planned. However, I recovered well so enjoy some freshly grilled spoilers!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 7/4/12:

ACTION COMICS #11: In the previous issue, Grant Morrison had shocked the world by having Superman seemingly fake the demise of his alter ego, Clark Kent, once a big game hunter named Nimrod had tracked him down seeking Superman. The dilemma is this series is set in the past behind SUPERMAN which clearly has Kent alive and a reporter at the Planet. Thus, it does diminish the impact a little. On the plus side, the angle of Superman choosing a fireman as his latest alter ego (Johnny Clark) allows him to save people 24/7. However, the loss of his social life is beginning to get to Kal, and in-between he has fights with strange robot aliens and cloaked men from the future. Rages Morales and Brad Walker split the art duties on this one, which beats having one of the Kuberts return for another stretch. I seem to find parts of this issue interesting with the rest being lost in Morrison's long term sci-fi babble of a plot. The back-up strip by Sholly Fisch and Cafu is a simple tale about the source of all those Superman t-shirts in Metropolis and the booming business they do for retailers. One claims to be the original, but is he a scam too? It is a little odd that in this series Superman seems to switch between his Kryptonian costume and the t-shirt and jeans look based on nothing but a whim. The best I can figure is he uses the suit for Justice League meetings and big expected battles, and the tee for quick change Metropolis only action but even that implies more strategy than the comic shows. This is a weird book. It has a lot of bits I like and I feel I should like it more due to the pedigree, yet I don't see myself missing it if I dropped it tomorrow.

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #1: As a limited series from DC Comics, this could be said to be a "back to the future" strategy. The iconic MATTEL franchise was originally licensed by DC Comics for a mini series in 1982, before it moved to Marvel Comics' STAR imprint in the mid 80's and briefly licensed by Dark Horse Comics last year. 1980's licensed comics have sold well for IDW recently so it seems to be a perfectly wise strategy to attempt to milk onto that fad while also being cautious and not making it an ongoing series. The writer for this mini series is James Robinson, best known for STARMAN in the 90's and less acclaimed work since, with art by Philip Tan with two inkers and colorists in tow. The premise of the series makes it easy for any fan of the property - whether an avid or lapsed one - could dive right in and appreciate the tale for what it is. The gist is that at some point the evil Skeletor and his minions defeated the Masters Of The Universe and somehow erased their memories, scattered them across Eternia and took over. Naturally this issue focuses on the series' star, Adam, who is now living a humble life chopping wood with an axe and caring for his ailing, delusional father who has odd dreams about heroes but doesn't recall his true destiny. The meddling of a familiar colorful falcon leads Adam to wander farther into the woods than he ever recalls doing, where he runs into Beast-Man. The art by Tan is very good and benefits from the action as well as the fantasy settings and characters. Overall, fans of yet another formerly successful 1980's franchise who seek to get a new fix in comic book form, this is an easy initial issue to dive into. It's nowhere near as innovative as IDW's TMNT has been, but it is solid entertainment.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #11: A dead book walking as this series will end after the next issue and an annual. The irony is out of a slew of New 52 books this one seemed to have kept it's regular creator team of Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti fairly steadily, aside for a guest-artist issue now and then. This issue is the climax between the frequently under-performing and currently decommissioned JLI and their enemies, a squad of metahuman anarchists who honestly feel like they were designed in 1998. The villains have them beaten and captured but like most lunatics, seek a public execution and to sway the masses to their favor, allowing the team a chance to rally and kick ass. Everyone - at least this current roster of Booster, Batwing, Guy Gardner, Lady Godiva, August General In Iron, and OMAC - get a moment to shine and a rear to kick. In the end Booster and Godiva even share a kiss, but it all rings hollow when one remembers the bigger picture. The team is still decommissioned by the U.N., Rocket Red is still dead, and Fire, Ice, and Vixen are all hospitalized and some may never walk or survive. Sales on this series were still above cancellation range but I can understand why DC may want to call it a run after 13 issues of material. It is neither bad nor good and could likely be replaced by something better, in theory. Part of me imagines a writer like Jeff Parker could have made this series work better and likely gotten more adventures into 13 issues, but instead Jurgens has produced a run of the mill superhero team book mired with an extended cast he barely cared about and a splash of bright colors betraying an overall bleak tone. I wanted this book to be more, but when it ends I'll likely not miss it.

INVINCIBLE #93: Series creators Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker reunite alongside longtime regular artist Ryan Ottley for their continuing superhero opus, and while this is solid as usual it is very much a middle chapter issue. Walker's penciled pages showcase more exposition flashback of the adventures of Robot & Monster Girl in the Flaxian dimension for years, and Ottley's pages showcase the present which sees the Flaxians invade London despite Robot's best efforts and denials. Mark Grayson and Eve themselves are limited to one page and even the stand-in Invincible is lost in the mix of other Kirkman superheroes in battle pages. It is nice to see some background on a sporadic dimensional threat which has popped into the book now and again and it fleshes out a lot of the side characters, but there is a dilemma of this series becoming lost in a sea of them and losing direction without Grayson as the lead for a time. In retrospect, the time to launch a GUARDING THE GLOBE spin off may finally be ripe, and that is exactly what the Skybound imprint of Image is doing. While it could be fairly argued that the peak of this series has passed, it is still a very entertaining and often surprising creator owned superhero serial series which has the stones to go in whatever direction the writer's whims take it, for better or worse. There is always some charm to that in the era of corporate controlled and mandated franchises elsewhere.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #689: Just in time for the release of Sony's "AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" film featuring the Lizard as the primary antagonist, Marvel Comics makes sure to publish the second installment of their current ASM comic book arc which - surprise - also features the Lizard. Writer Dan Slott and tertiary regular artist Giuseppe Camuncoli continue onward with their current tale, "NO TURNING BACK", which ties up several long term subplots sewn into the course of the book throughout the past few years. It naturally delves back with the Lizard, who hasn't been seen in the book for roughly two years, as well as the subplot of Morbius the Living Vampire being one of Horizon Lab's secretive elite scientists. As the first tale taking place after "ENDS OF THE EARTH", it also has a very ragged Spider-Man still a mess of emotions - with most of it manifesting as aggression.

In the previous issue, Morbius had earned the ire of Spider-Man as well as his pal Max Modell (the head of Horizon Labs) when he dug up the corpse of the deceased Billy Conners to devise a cure for the Lizard - which he hopes will lead to a cure for his own science based vampirism. While the mission to find the Lizard in the sewers and cure him - or avenge all the people he's murdered for months off panel - has seemed to be a success. The twist is that while Curt Conners may be physically a man again, his personality has remained that of the Lizard; "Curt" may no longer exist as a psyche. While the Lizard may lack the physical power he is used to, he still manages to employ his intelligence as a predator to divide the herd and conquer. The issue naturally unites a great deal of Spidey's supporting cast, from his colleagues at Horizon to his ex-girlfriend officer Carlie Cooper (who completely sat out "ENDS OF THE EARTH"). There is also a rematch between Spider-Man and his sometime ally, often time enemy Morbius and it may not be the artificial vampire who is worked into a frenzy.

As usual, Camuncoli's artwork alongside Klaus Janson's inks and Frank D'Armata's colors is up to the high standard one would expect. Camuncoli excels with action sequences as well as some extreme facial expressions, which Conners-as-Lizard provides him a great deal of opportunity to do. In total, coming off an event style arc is a rough thing to do, especially with a tale which the editorial office seeks to be vaguely similar to a film. In execution, Slott and Camuncoli produce another high quality work which allows the title to catch its breath as well as providing a great story which ties up old subplot and establishes new ones. Thus, one of Marvel's best serialized solo superhero titles right now.

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #7: Marvel's current summer event du jour lumbers on with a new artist in Oliver Coipel and writer Matt Fraction being the one of the five credited with the story having the task of this issue's script. Five X-Men are still hosting chunks of the Phoenix Force as the "Phoenix Five" (Cyclops, Colossus, Emma Frost, Magik, and Namor) and they are still seeking to re-shape the world and cure social and ecological ills rather than do something to jump-start the mutant gene, which was the entire reason why Cyclops sought to see Hope host the force in the first place. Meanwhile, the same Avengers who sought to detain or kill Hope for being a dangerous "omega class" mutant who is possibly unstable and hunted after Scarlet Witch for the same reason in AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE at the start of the year now gleefully utilize Wanda as a weapon against the "five" without any regard. Wolverine, who sought to kill Wanda the most in the past, now merely stands in the background of panels. Thus, the lesson is that the Avengers seek to capture and possibly terminate any unstable mutant with earth-effecting power unless they're on their side at the particular moment. The result is more aimless fighting and more random chunks of exposition dropped for the purpose of crossover tie-in's. The dilemma is that while the Avengers feel that the "Phoenix Five" will grow corrupt eventually, they've chosen to provoke them into battle before that has happened - although in fairness, Magik may no longer have a soul and both Frost and Namor are infamous for switching sides. The issue's lone decent angle is Namor disagreeing with Cyclops because the former is aware of how to act like ruler instead of a leader, and in Namor forming an alliance with Frost against the others. The story continues to be an overpriced and well drawn mess of a story, which has become typical of Marvel's events. It could be fairly stated to be "less bad" than FEAR ITSELF was, which isn't stating much.

 

[JewishHobbit]

No, I think AvX is much worse than Fear Itself.

 

[Dread]

No, I think AvX is much worse than Fear Itself.

Well, I can more readily accept Cap & Iron Man united in oppressing mutants than I can Cap losing heart because a villain of the week broke his shield, Spider-Man FLEEING a battle during his "no one dies" era and Iron Man boozing it up for Odin. After all, Cap and Iron Man have done exactly nothing to help mutants in the Marvel Universe besides occasionally accept some of them as Avengers (and by "some" I mean ex-terrorists Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver who are sporadically unstable, immortal killing machine Wolverine whose first and only option for any threat from teenagers to demigods is to stab it, and Beast).

Don't get me wrong, they're all horrible ways to write characters, but like I said, AVX is "less bad" to me than FI. But as I stated, that isn't saying much. That's like saying being stabbed in the shoulder is better than being stabbed in the gut.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Actually I can easily accept Cap losing heart (because it was brief and he came back to his senses quickly) and Iron Man boozing for Odin WAY more than the two of them oppressing mutant-kind. Spider-Man fleeing though didn't fly for me.

And yeah, while Fear Itself was the worst event of its time it doesn't have NEAR the amount of flaws that AvX has, it wasn't as drawn out, and its premise at least made more sense. All in all AvX is just horribly planned out, horribly executed, and honestly hurts the entire X-Men and Avengers lines

What hurts more? Iron Man boozing to save humanity or Beast shooting Iceman in the face? Cap temporarilly losing hope or Cyclops suddenly becoming a religious extremist? Spider-Man going to be with family when he thought the world was going to end or Black Panther knocking his wife unconscious for the sake of an argument?

I mean, and those are just three quick examples off the top of my head. Yeah, Fear Itself wasn't that good overall but it had its moments. A few characters had off moments (pretty big ones) but at least they were in character MOST of the time.

Sorry, but if an event is going to be horribly written with a crappy premise, I'd rather spend $32 on Fear Itself over 8 months than $53 on AvX over 7 months. It's much too expensive for the horrific quality of the story.

And at least Fear Itself looked better. In my opinion, Immonen is a much better artist than any of the AvX artists.

 

[Splat]

Immonen is much better then JRJr, I'll agree with you on that. But Copiel is fantastic, he's one of the top guys drawing right now for me. I love Stuart as well though.

 

[Dread]

And yeah, while Fear Itself was the worst event of its time it doesn't have NEAR the amount of flaws that AvX has, it wasn't as drawn out, and its premise at least made more sense. All in all AvX is just horribly planned out, horribly executed, and honestly hurts the entire X-Men and Avengers lines

What hurts more? Iron Man boozing to save humanity or Beast shooting Iceman in the face? Cap temporarilly losing hope or Cyclops suddenly becoming a religious extremist? Spider-Man going to be with family when he thought the world was going to end or Black Panther knocking his wife unconscious for the sake of an argument?

Admittedly, I didn't read many of the tie-in's. So, T'Challa becomes yet another superhero who has hit his wife like Reed and Spidey have, but still poor ol' Hank Pym will be the one who will retain the rep of being a "wife beater" and nothing else, right?

In fairness, Cyclops has been an extremist since Utopia launched, arguably. When Magneto decides he's in agreement with you, that's usually a sign of a bridge too far. I just want to know why if Cyclops was so devoted to the idea that the Phoenix Force could reverse M-Day, have he and the rest of the Five done nothing in that regard? I still find it hilarious that Logan was absurdly chosen as the one who would open a new school for kids and what's his first inkling to do with Hope? KILL HER! Cripes, that's the problem with the X-Men; in terms of leadership they're stuck between a madman and a lunatic; you decide which is which.

Yeah, there are a lot of bad character moments in AVX. The Avengers all fret about the Five being corrupt, only they haven't done anything bad and it's the Avengers provoking them. And the same Wolverine who wanted to murder Wanda (and Wiccan) on principle in AVENGERS CRUSADE now merrily allows the Avengers to utilize her as a weapon (which is itself hypocritical). And I guess none of the Avengers know that if they fret about Hope or Wanda, that Franklin Richards is literally so powerful, he SCARES GALACTUS. He creates and destroys universes in an afternoon and can tear Celestials into bits. But he's fine because Reed is his dad, and Mr. Fantastic has never done anything morally questionable.

You have a point about duration. I just recall being more irritated by FEAR ITSELF issues. Even the tie-in's were worthless because none of the Worthy could lose elsewhere, and the final battle wasn't worth it.

No event is ever really a story; it is an editorial agenda which works backwards as a narrative. I do admit AVX is more crude than most; you could almost seem a corporate stamp on every page. It's a mess. I'd be happy when it is done but it seems Marvel is using it as the ore for yet more relaunches.

 

[runawayboulder]

Admittedly, I didn't read many of the tie-in's. So, T'Challa becomes yet another superhero who has hit his wife like Reed and Spidey have, but still poor ol' Hank Pym will be the one who will retain the rep of being a "wife beater" and nothing else, right?

I'm a little confused, are you referring to the silly fight between Panther and Storm in AvX or did he actually beat her at some point? I'm assuming you mean AvX. I also don't recall anything with Reed and Sue other that the opposite moral lines they stood on during Civil War, so you'd have to clarify that for me.

If I'm right in assuming the above, I can't realistically put them in the same category as Spider-Man and Hank Pym. The scene when Spidey backhanded MJ during the Clone Saga is a nightmare I'd sooner forget but I do agree that Hank has unjustly carried the wife-beater moniker for too long now.....it's still fun to call him one though. t:

 

[JewishHobbit]

Panther knocking Storm out was a single panel of AvX (apparently not even worth a full story ) and Reed hit Sue in early issues of FF before it was quite as taboo... to put her in her place or something like that if my memory is correct.

While I hated seeing Peter hit MJ I justify it in that he was completely out of his mind at the time and didn't see that it was her coming up on him. He regretted it the moment he turned around and saw what he had done. It was purely an accident.

 

[runawayboulder]

Reed hit Sue in early issues of FF before it was quite as taboo... to put her in her place or something like that if my memory is correct.

Really? Damn, where the hell is Franklin Richards to set us straight on these things? Do we have a bat-signal to get his attention or somethin'?

While I hated seeing Peter hit MJ I justify it in that he was completely out of his mind at the time and didn't see that it was her coming up on him. He regretted it the moment he turned around and saw what he had done. It was purely an accident.

I hated hated hated HATED HATED that scene. I don't care if he was immediately regretful or not. It was like taking a dump on the character after he had been virtually squeaky clean for the 30 years prior leading up to that moment. "Spider-Man, the super hero that could be you"....HA! Yeah, if you're Ike Turner.

 

[Phaedrus45]

A good week from DC. I just came away feeling like I got a lot more from my DC reading than my Marvel. (And, I'm a Marvel boy at heart.)

The Good

Sweet Tooth #35

I wonder if this title is starting to wind down. We finally get the true origin of Sweet Tooth (mixed with a previous story, I have a clear picture of how everything came to be); and, I am not seeing this book going much longer. I could be wrong, though. I kind of hope I am, as it's Lemire's best work, by far.

Fairest #5

These Vertigo titles really start to pay off when you've stuck with them for a bunch of issues. Even though I own the first 12 issues of Fables, I have never really read much of that book. (I got those issues when I bought someone's comic collection about 7 years ago for a very low price. They were moving, and were desperate to get rid of them. I got something, like 19 long boxes, for $500.00.) When I signed up for Fairest, I didn't realize it was a spin-off book; but, now I'm glad I did. The first issue didn't sell me on the book. By issue #3, though, I was kind of hooked. Now, I cannot wait for the next issue. Good stuff, especially as the characters and storyline are fully explained, and we're mainly getting plot advancement now.

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1

I had no idea these series of books that serve as a prequel to Watchmen would be so damn good. I thought they'd be okay; but, every one is under my Good category. This has to even be one of the best issues I've read Len Wein write in quite a while. (Not my favorite writer, though. I met him at a comic con, and he's one who insisted that he make some money off of the fans. I think the first five signatures were free, then he charged $1.00 a signature after that. He even tried to convince one of the other writers who sat next to him to do that same thing. Glad they didn't.) This issue tells the first part of Ozymandias' origin. Even if you have never read Watchmen, these books are fantastic! In fact, I just want to read Watchmen all over again after I'm done with them all.

Earth 2 #3

Okay, I hated the first issue. But, then, the second issue grew on me. (It's one reason I stick with a book for about 4 issues. Sometimes they surprise you after a rather poor start.) Now, I'm hooked on this book. It's the best stuff I've read from Robinson in quite some time. In this, we get Green Lantern's origin; and, even though I find turning Alan Scott gay a bit of a media stunt, it works well enough in the confines of the book. (Seriously, though, gay relationships in DC books are so tame that you could put any gal in the boyfriend role and it wouldn't change a thing with the story. Too bad they couldn't take someone's sexual orientation and turn it into an actual storyline centered around it.)

Batman: Earth One HC Trade Vol. 1

I don't think I appreciated this book until I was finished with it. Johns makes enough changes to the Batman origin to show he fully embraced the Ultimate feel of the book. That's the reason it took me a while to like what I was reading. When I first read that Alfred wasn't really a butler ... or that Bruce Wayne's mom is actually an Arkham ... it made me laugh out loud. Later, I found this change worked well with the storyline; and, I enjoyed the book more as it went on. (I also liked how badly Batman botched that early adventure.) Good story, and the ending surprised me, too, regarding The Penguin.

It might be a bit pricey for some ($22.99); but, there is something enjoyable about getting a full storyline with one reading. (Plus, there is a big hint at the end to which villian will be featured next.) My only real complaint is that readers have to wait too long for a next installment (that is, if it follows the same timeline as Superman: Earth One, which the second volume finally comes out within the next two months, I believe).

Justice League International #11

I'm sorry to see this book being cancelled next issue. There are a whole lot of worse books DC is putting out that are still trudging along (and, they have to have worse numbers, right?); and, I still think this is the best of all the Justice League titles currently available. (Justice League Dark is good; but, none of their characters are very likeable.)


The Okay

World's Finest #3

I enjoyed this title; but, I felt that Levitz could have done more with the two characters. They end up being pretty generic versions of themselves;and, I wish they'd do more with them as actual characters. (Heck, it would be more believable if they would have made them gay than Alan Scott!) This is a title that I wish would push more boundaries; but, while I enjoy both of these characters, I'm not seeing any originality with them.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1

Maybe my surprise at how well I enjoyed this first issue should have pushed it higher on my rankings; but, one issue is not enough to go on. I will say I do not have this book on my pull list, and only told my shop owner to stick it in my box at the last minute, just so I can see the first issue. Now, I'll have to grab the second to see if keeps my interest.

iZombie #27

Usually, I enjoy this book a lot more; but, it's been so bogged down with this current storyline that the simplicity of the book has been missing for some time. (I also get the feeling it might be ending next issue. I'll have to look that up, as the book has a finality feel to it.) If this book does continue, I hope that it gets away from having the characters in a big adventure and just focus on them as the interesting characters they are.

Yep, just took a look online. This book ends next issue. That's too bad. Roberson and Allred made a very interesting world. Here is what Roberson had to say about it: “Aside from the Fairest arc I already committed to doing, iZombie will be the last time I’ll ever write for DC,” he said, following it later with “I decided quite some time ago, but waited until after the cancellation of my book was announced to discuss it. The short version is, I don’t agree with the way they treat other creators and their general business practices.” ... “My reasons for no longer wanting to be associated with DC don’t stem from anything to do with my personal experiences there, but from watching the way that the company has treated and continues to treat other creators and their heirs,” Roberson told CBR. “The counter-suit against the Siegel estate and the announcement of the Watchmen prequels were the specific incidents that crystallized my feelings on the matter. I’d like to make clear, though, that I have nothing but nice things to say about the editorial staff at Vertigo with whom I’ve worked for the past few years.”

Animal Man #11

It seems like I'm not the only person getting rather bored with the same storyline being played out month after month in Animal Man and Swamp Thing. This book could be placed higher; but, I find myself not getting that excited about this book any more. Plus, in this issue, we were suppose to see the new Buddy Baker; but, he really looks no different than his previous version. Come on, DC! You seriously have to stop all of these storylines that go on for 12 or more issues without any resolution. (It doesn't help that DC is trying to link so many of the titles together. If you like Animal Man, they make it known that you better be reading Swamp Thing ... and, a couple other comics, also ... if you want to get the full story.)

G.I. Combat #3

I was going to drop this book; but, it's higher on my list than I expected it to be. I actually have to see what happens next with The War That Time Forgot. (I'm not that invested in The Unknown Soldier, though.) I don't know why DC had to change the title of their war comic, though. I guess readers were dropping the previous one so fast, they must have felt they needed to grab new readers with the two new storylines.

Red Lantern #11

I usually like this title a bit more; but, it's being dragged out too long, too. (You get the feeling most of the Green Lantern storylines are just kind of lingering until the next Green Lantern event happens.) At least we finally get to see Abysmus at the end of this issue.

Detective Comics #11

I just didn't feel much about this storyline. It really pales in comparison to Snyder's Batman; and, the backup story kind of whimpered to a conclusion.


The Meh

Dial H #3

It's funny. When the second wave of the New 52 came out, this title was my favorite and Earth 2 was my least favorite, based on the first issues. Now, they've turned around in my opinion. I will probably cancel this book, as the main character isn't at all likeable; and, the various heroes he turns into are all rather lame.

Batwing #11

I feel like the only thing keeping this title afloat is the word "Bat" in the title. Otherwise, this character does zippo for me.


The Bad

Action Comics #11

I've complained about Morrison before; but, this is some of the worst Superman stories I've ever read. Each issue, I hope for something better; but, each issue, I feel this book gets worse and worse. Superman is even more characterless than he's ever been. And, his current storyline of killing off Clark Kent is rather laughable, especially since we know Clark is alive in his current adventures.

For me, DC should have either started all the comics over from scratch (which, would have been nice to see them end up like Johns' Batman: Earth One, with huge changes to what readers usually expected), or they should have just given us hints who things that happened before, but begin the books from the current timeline. It just doesn't work well having Justice League and Action Comics both taking place 5 years ago. It makes me feel like those stories really don't amount to much to what I'm reading in other titles. As they say, crap or get off the pot. These little nuggets they are shoving out aren't much of anything to take notice of.

Stormwatch #11

One of DC's worst books, period. They have too many characters, and they all feel wasted. Have you ever seen Martian Manhunter so under appreciated? Has the old Authority characters ever been this boring? (Well, actually, they have. Wildstorm books got pretty damn bad the past few years they were still putting them out.)

DC tries to make readers think this book is essential reading to other titles; but, I have yet to see what true impact it has anywhere. I find myself seriously struggling to get through each page. I took it off my pull list; but, I kept noticing in other books I enjoy that they'd reference the title as something important happening that I must look at. I think it's time to just not pick it up any longer.

 

[runawayboulder]

I'm gonna have to check out the Before Watchmen books, I've been hearing interesting things about them. I wonder how DC plans on collecting all of them?

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Likely they'll collect each series in their own trades, and maybe pair a couple related ones up in omnibuses. They'll definitely have to give the back-up feature it's own collection, though. Kinda hard to collect a story running successive through each issue that comes out.

And I don't know what's worse: a book that's suddenly cancelled and doesn't get a story resolution, or a book that's cancelled and forced to be rewritten to accommodate its final issue. The former, you never know what happens until someone in charge gets nostalgic and decides to publish the remainder (ala Ghost Rider #94), and the latter you get a story that's rushed and only half the quality of the original plan.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

F*** Before Watchmen, forever and always.

 

[Watchman]

Sweet Tooth #35

I wonder if this title is starting to wind down. We finally get the true origin of Sweet Tooth (mixed with a previous story, I have a clear picture of how everything came to be); and, I am not seeing this book going much longer. I could be wrong, though. I kind of hope I am, as it's Lemire's best work, by far.

Agreed that it's his best work and it is ending very soon. I believe this year.

F*** Before Watchmen, forever and always.

My friend has been reading it to stick it to me and I've been stealing peaks. They've been just mediocre.

 

[Dread]

I'm a little confused, are you referring to the silly fight between Panther and Storm in AvX or did he actually beat her at some point? I'm assuming you mean AvX. I also don't recall anything with Reed and Sue other that the opposite moral lines they stood on during Civil War, so you'd have to clarify that for me.

If I'm right in assuming the above, I can't realistically put them in the same category as Spider-Man and Hank Pym. The scene when Spidey backhanded MJ during the Clone Saga is a nightmare I'd sooner forget but I do agree that Hank has unjustly carried the wife-beater moniker for too long now.....it's still fun to call him one though. t:

Panther knocking Storm out was a single panel of AvX (apparently not even worth a full story ) and Reed hit Sue in early issues of FF before it was quite as taboo... to put her in her place or something like that if my memory is correct.

While I hated seeing Peter hit MJ I justify it in that he was completely out of his mind at the time and didn't see that it was her coming up on him. He regretted it the moment he turned around and saw what he had done. It was purely an accident.

When Peter hit MJ, it was at a point where he'd virtually snapped and was calling himself "the Spider".

My point here is there's some bug hero hypocrisy here. Both Peter and Pym at one point in their times went mad, gave themselves a new name and hit their wives. One, in fact, had this scene loosely referenced in "SPIDER-MAN 3". Yet hardly anyone even knows or recalls or cares about that in Peter's history, whereas for many fans/writers/editors, that one act defined Pym. Nothing he does anywhere since or in other mediums will resolve that for many.

Look, either superheroes hitting their wives is irredeemable or not. One of these days fandom will have to decide. Unless it's a popularity thing, which is sort of is.

 

[JewishHobbit]

When Peter hit MJ, it was at a point where he'd virtually snapped and was calling himself "the Spider".

My point here is there's some bug hero hypocrisy here. Both Peter and Pym at one point in their times went mad, gave themselves a new name and hit their wives. One, in fact, had this scene loosely referenced in "SPIDER-MAN 3". Yet hardly anyone even knows or recalls or cares about that in Peter's history, whereas for many fans/writers/editors, that one act defined Pym. Nothing he does anywhere since or in other mediums will resolve that for many.

Look, either superheroes hitting their wives is irredeemable or not. One of these days fandom will have to decide. Unless it's a popularity thing, which is sort of is.

What? Peter hit MJ midway through the clone saga, well after the Spider days. The Spider days ended right after the clone saga began, "Back from the Edge" was the arc I believe. It was another four or five arcs during "the Trial of Peter Parker" that he hit MJ, after learning he was "the clone."

All it really was was that he learned he was a clone and it freaked him out. She came to comfort him from behind and he, not realize it was her, backhanded her. Then he realized his accident, regretted it, and swung off, still freaked out. There was no abuse there in my eyes. It was an accident to begin with and even further ignorable because he was under a lot of stress within seconds of the hit.

 

[runawayboulder]

He snapped out of the "I am the Spider" stuff in the storyline "Web of Death" six months prior. That's the same arc where Kaine snapped Doc Ock's neck killing him and when MJ told Peter she was pregnant. So yeah, Pete not only hit his wife.....but his wife that was a few months preggo.

 

[Belvedere]

I'm a little confused, are you referring to the silly fight between Panther and Storm in AvX or did he actually beat her at some point? I'm assuming you mean AvX. I also don't recall anything with Reed and Sue other that the opposite moral lines they stood on during Civil War, so you'd have to clarify that for me.

If I'm right in assuming the above, I can't realistically put them in the same category as Spider-Man and Hank Pym. The scene when Spidey backhanded MJ during the Clone Saga is a nightmare I'd sooner forget but I do agree that Hank has unjustly carried the wife-beater moniker for too long now.....it's still fun to call him one though. t:

He snapped out of the "I am the Spider" stuff in the storyline "Web of Death" six months prior. That's the same arc where Kaine snapped Doc Ock's neck killing him and when MJ told Peter she was pregnant. So yeah, Pete not only hit his wife.....but his wife that was a few months preggo.

Not so funny when it's a character you love.