Dread
TMNT 1984-2009
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Bigger week than the last, especially due to some curiosity on my part for an Image title. Spoilers ahoy.
Dread's Bought/Thought for 6/23/10:
DYNAMO 5: SINS OF THE FATHER #1: After a break of about eight months between installments (DYNAMO 5 #25 shipped at the end of October), Jay Faerber & Mahmud Asrar's superhero team franchise returns for a new arc. The explanation for the gap of time is that at least half of the prior 25 issue run was often always running behind, so this break was so enough issues could be "in the can" that this five part series should run monthly (or closer to monthly as before). Asrar has been working for Marvel more often lately, so his only contribution is the cover; Julio Brilha takes over for regular pencils, and his stuff is great. Ron Riley continues on the colors. With sales for the series hardly being as high as WALKING DEAD or HAUNT (Image's top two selling ongoing titles at the moment), D5 returns by offering every arc as a mini-series, not unlike HELLBOY installments. This likely will fit the direct market model of selling trades of an arc swiftly after a monthly arc wraps. The only downside is that the price has gone up; from $3.50 an issue to $3.99 an issue. While it does include 27 pages (a 22 page main story and a 5 page back up), and the increase in price will ensure that Image sees more of a profit from the series. Two issues of DYNAMO 5 were priced at $2.99, but it apparently sold too low for it to make as much money at that price (not counting the .99 issue zero, which was about 12-14 pages long). Considering Image doesn't have as much of the market share as Marvel or DC, they have more justification to do so, but $4 comics are always a tough sell. Part of me fears that some fans could be put off by that, or led to trade-wait. It certainly will cause stores to have to shell out more for wholesale for each issue than before, in an age when they already have had to order fewer of midcard titles to be able to buy as many copies of top Marvel or DC titles at $4. I had to call or visit at least 3 shops in Brooklyn and nabbed one shop's lone copy. It's a chicken or egg situation; if it sold better, it would have still been $3.50 or $2.99 even. While this book (along with NOBLE CAUSES) was always part of the same universe as INVINCIBLE, it may not have been a thing that an editor would have disapproved of for Invincible to soon be guest starring in this arc.
Aside for that, though, it's solid D5 stuff for people like me who enjoy this title. The team were left at the end of their ongoing series as having to get used to having all of their powers switched around. That was a plot point that I understood why it happened (to mix things up and avoid getting stale), but I was skeptical on how well it would work. So far it seems to be working alright. The team unites to save Tower City from a band of rampaging robots despite still getting the hang of their new power dynamic. Unfortunately, staying alive in a fight is only one angle of coping. Spencer, a half alien who used to be a "player", has to get used to a more isolated life, as he always looks like an alien. Gage, a jock who seemed to embrace trading telepathy for flight, seems to have become a little more aware of people's demeanor than before. Hecter and Bridget have a love live now, but that also brings about some shenanigans. Bridget's boyfriend is a typical comic book journalist who is dating a superhero (and doesn't know it) whose investigations threatens to get in the hero(ine)'s way. And Hecter is dating the younger half of Firebird, whose mother is a fire-manipulator. A new team build by the shady government agency FLAG has been assembled to replace Dynamo 5, which includes Power Chest, one of their former enemies. The main crux of the series involves around an alien crisis years ago when Captain Dynamo was alive (which he apparently thwarted alongside Omni-Man and Supreme) that has now returned in greater numbers.
The five page back up is NOTORIOUS, which is apparently about a vigilante who has a secret of his own. Joe Eisma draws and Faerber writes that, too. It's a quick read but Faerber accomplishes as much in 5 issues as some #1 issues have accomplished in 22.
Anyone who caught up on the trades and wants to jump aboard, this is a fine issue to do so. Although since Image doesn't rook fans on trades as much as Marvel does, some of them may wait as usual. I won't, though, and I'm glad to have this series back even with a higher price. It is a shame that straight up superhero fans who are willing to invest in so many dull issues of NEW AVENGERS at the same price because it's "important" don't give it a try. I actually think out of a lot of Image's franchises, this one could make the jump to another medium and branch out easier than, say, SAVAGE DRAGON (which has the stigma of a terrible USA cartoon in the 90's). They're a superhero team, and those are popular. They're ethnically diverse and have a cool uniform design. The characters matter more than the villains in most cases, which usually fits a TV cartoon or movie format well. Plus, D5 is an easy, iconic logo. It mixes drama and action well without making either segment feel unneeded. I won't lie and say it's the best thing ever, but I certainly don't think it deserves to be ignored by not only direct market fans (it would be thrilled to sell as well as WEB OF SPIDER-MAN), but the same fans who embrace cult books.
SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK #1: What you see it what you get! This is the product of the overactive imaginations as well as the insomnia of Ryan Ottley and Jason Howard, two artists who work on Robert Kirkman ongoings (INVINCIBLE and ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN). Robert Kirkman pens a rather ludicrous origin to explain the title, but in reality it isn't really needed or helps much. The premise is each artist writes, draws, and inks their own 24 page story. Howard does the Sea Bear story, and Ottley does the Grizzly Shark story. The Sea Bear is a grizzly that lives in the sea and attacks boaters JAWS style, and Grizzly Shark is a shark that kills hunters in a forest on land...JAWS style. But if you bought this, you did do because the cover and title were too tempting (or absurd) to ignore, like Batman being a Pirate. Neither story is colored or even connected to each other; in a way they serve as showcases as to the personal styles and tastes of the artists involved. It is priced at $4.99 for 48 pages of B&W material with no ads, which isn't too bad for a one shot.
It actually is interesting how each artist works with this absurd premise they came up with in passing with each other. Howard treats the Sea-Bear story as a violent, technology vs. mysticism story of revenge. Pete's parents were killed by the Sea-Bear and twenty years later, he returns for vengeance. Only now he's become a cyborg, and in order to get his revenge, has to flee the evil company that created him, who thus sends other cyborgs after him. He runs into humanoid bear-people who are related to the Sea-Bear, who are connected to her. It's very violent and bizarre, but it actually works in a weird way.
Ottley's story, on the other hand, is pure gore-filled dark comedy. It features hunters going after the Grizzly Shark, who appears to violently bite in two anyone who bleeds within the forest, whether via a finger cut or having a period. It becomes apparent that Ottley probably enjoys the gore that Kirkman often has him draw in INVINCIBLE. If you can laugh at a teenage boy being bitten in two and making jokes about it, or a Grizzly Shark chomping on people sequence played as a comedic montage, this is for you. One imagines Quentin Tarentino would consider this a masterpiece. It actually is quite funny, but you have to be in the mood.
What connects the two stories are a lot of gory violence featuring infamous predatory animals. And being one degree removed from Robert Kirkman. I have to admit, a battle between Wolf-Man and the Grizzly Shark would be epic. This was a bit of an expensive impulse buy, but I didn't regret it.
FANTASTIC FOUR #580: This was BOOK OF THE WEEK over at Examiner, and takes us less than two years until Marvel can sell a $4.99 issue #600. It continues on the John Hickman run of having every issue tell a stand alone story for the most part as well as contributing another cog to his long term subplot. Neil Edwards does the art, as Eaglesham's having one of his quarterly breaks. Sales on this run of the Four have hit five years lows, and many critics accuse this run of being too slow and not having enough danger or suspense to it. There's no, "omigod, someone's gonna die!" theme to every issue like most comics have been for years. Apparently according to solicits Hickman will eventually do such a story later on, but not at the moment. Instead he has taken the methodical approach to having the Four do some exploring as well as enlarge their cast at the Baxtor Building. I'd argue if any one of them has suffered from that, it is Sue. Her duties as diplomat of humanity to the Lost Atlantians have kept her mostly off panel for two issues now. Even Thing has had less of a presence during this run than a lot of other runs lately. Reed, Johnny, and the kids usually get the most panel time.
In the last issue, Reed assembled the super-smart kids he knows into the Future Foundation, to solve problems he can't, as well as the problems of the future. The logic being is that if super genius adults like Reed exist, then kids who are at least as smart will come up with even more innovation if embraced. This comes off of his lecture to a think tank last issue where he basically accused the whole of science as being scaredy cats (it gets easy to slip into nihilism when one isn't a metahuman who can, and has, defied death and socioeconomic ruin as often as the Four or many super heroes do). I digress. This think tank is naturally stocked with Alex Power (of the Power Pack), a reprogrammed Dragon Man, 32 (the cloned son of the Wizard), some evolved Moloids, Artie, and Val Richards (who is apparently already smarter than Reed, and at least as arrogant). Which leaves Frank and Leech as the "normal heads" without a Mr. Fantastic to escort them to an awesome toy store event. Johnny agrees to take them, and hilarity ensues.
Arcade has apparently reformed and opened a chain of toy shops, and is revealing a new line of toys licensed from the Impossible Man (who does a funny impersonation of a Superman/J'onn hybrid). If you don't suspect that Arcade isn't what he appears to be, then this is the first fictional story you have ever read in your life. That's not important. What is important is that the entire scene is very funny and entertaining, with a bit of action and a dash of heart. Johnny's speech in which he relates to Frank as not being "the prodigy" of a parent but should still feel loved is pretty good. In fact I don't think I've heard Johnny utter anything that was that mature in a good, long time. While Arcade is usually considered part of the X-Men's rogues gallery, he has branched out to menacing any ol' superhero he comes across, which included the Thing once. One almost wonders if Arcade could have resisted his urges if the chance to kill Human Torch of the Fantastic Four didn't walk into his shop. Critics claim Arcade is too close to the Joker, but I disagree in a way. Ever since the end of that 90's "scarred face" era, Arcade is more like the Silver Age Joker, while the Joker has become far more dark and grim (especially after Nolan's take). If the fight does anything, it shows the future of the Four if one of the adults isn't there to provide a super power, as well as show that Frank doesn't like people who hurt his friends. And Johnny is terribly envious when Franklin looks up to any other super hero (especially Spider-Man).
The end of the issue introduces a new subplot, and I have to say Hickman is telegraphing his punches a bit too bluntly. The Future Foundation, basically, has found a partial cure for the Thing. Rather than try to cure him of powers outright, as Reed has tried to do many times, they saw his rock form as being an "on" position, and have devised a way for Ben to be able to turn it "off". This summary is mostly true. There have been periods where Ben was cured of being the Thing, they just never lasted. There was a more recent period where the Grey Gargoyles' stone touch resulted in Ben being able to go back and forth between rock and normal forms at will, which I hardly minded. Regardless, the genius rugrats develop a serum that will allow Ben to become human for one week a year. The catch is there's no way to know when, and there'll be no way to deliberately trigger his rock form once it has started for that particular week. Can anyone predict where this is going?
As much as Thing wants to be human, it would seem a bit rash to agree to chug the serum. He should be experienced enough to know that OF COURSE his powers will be gone for a week at the most crucial, critical time. The Four have been around so long that they should be more than genre savvy; they should be PhD's in genre. Just about every time Ben has lost his powers and been normal, some crises happen and he'll want to be Thing again. It happened so often that even the first Fox film had it happen. To be fair, Reed has been able to build Ben suits of armor to wear to fight alongside them without powers, and they likely are still in the basement somewhere.
I actually thought it was completely in character that a class of kids led by Val would go for that first, to cure Ben (her beloved uncle). I just am not a fan of this being so blindingly obvious. Hickman's avoided a lot of cliches with the Four, and a "Ben is cured" story is one of the Top 10. At the very least, the cliffhanger doesn't make it seem as if Ben has agreed yet, and one assumes the next issue may cover him mulling it over. Ben's always wanted to be human, but he's also settled into being the Thing and the good he does in that area. It's been for more than simply Alicia's love anymore; he and Alicia have been on panel so rarely they may as well be strangers these days (Hickman acknowledged her in his DARK REIGN mini, and then never again). I mean I'd understand why Ben would take it, but he has to know it'll likely kick in when the Four need him most, and that should be a concern. He's literally died for them.
Impossible Man's send up of "DC angst" is probably worth the cover price alone. This was an issue I completely enjoyed despite some concerns at the end of it. I actually like that Hickman is taking a methodical approach, and wanting to build rather than destroy. I could do without Nu-Earth at all, but he hardly invented it. Hickman is building towards something big, and hopefully he delivers. The Four really need it.
IRON MAN LEGACY #3: This is set in the past and thus not the "important" Iron Man book, but Fred Van Lente runs a far tighter, action packed ship than Fraction does. In three issues he's handled a plot that INVINCIBLE IRON MAN would have needed about 5-6 to tell. It's set in the 90's during the Serbian conflicts, only injects Marvel countries like Transia and Latveria into the mix. Kurth's art with Rauch's colors are also very good.
Stark went looking for his stolen tech, which is being used to create death-robots to oppress civilians in Transia (a country that borders Latveria). Dr. Doom had a hand in it, and Stark was captured by a militia who's slaughtered thousands of people to find one capable of duplicating his tech. And they did; a poor Muslim woman who lost her legs to land-mines. Stark promises to return and save her, before cobbling together an exo-suit and escaping. Along the way he fights Dreadknight, who hasn't been seen in present times in nearly a decade by now. I remember that sucker from he old Iron Man cartoon. Stark manages to defeat him despite the odds, and does his best to trigger some sort of international response to the slaughter. Lente breaks the tension by having Gyrich walk into the funniest panel I've ever seen in an Iron Man comic. The cliffhanger sets up the next rogue to appear.
In a month where INVINCIBLE IRON MAN has been boring me to tears, this'll more than do. Glad to have an alternative Iron-Title.
NAMORA #1: This is a one-shot written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Sara Pichelli, with colors by Rochelle Rosenberg. This is probably a part of the "Women Of Marvel" kick although there's no logo. Naturally, AGENTS OF ATLAS fans like me will scoop it up to have a solo adventure featuring one of the team. I mean, hell, I bought that MARVEL BOY mini.
This is an entertaining although perfectly random adventure for Namora. It's not a story that one will regret reading, nor missing if one wanted to save four bucks. After rescuing a distressed Russian sub with some aid of some whales (both to save the men inside and assure that their nuclear sub won't rust at the bottom of the sea), Namora goes off to find a lost colony of Atlantians to lead back to Namor's new Oceania. She finds them protected by a Kraken and unable to leave the area. Namora ventures into a hole that provides them sustenance and comes across a sleeping Titan, who projects his dreams as the desires or healing of any who come within range. Namora's desire is to be reunited with her cloned daughter, Namorita. Hopefully someone gets the word to the Nova Corps that 'Nita's mom misses her.
The art is quite lovely, and the gist of the tale is that Namorita is a being from two worlds who uses the gifts from both to do what she does well. It works as a decent character peace as well as a solid done in one story.
Dread's Bought/Thought for 6/23/10:
DYNAMO 5: SINS OF THE FATHER #1: After a break of about eight months between installments (DYNAMO 5 #25 shipped at the end of October), Jay Faerber & Mahmud Asrar's superhero team franchise returns for a new arc. The explanation for the gap of time is that at least half of the prior 25 issue run was often always running behind, so this break was so enough issues could be "in the can" that this five part series should run monthly (or closer to monthly as before). Asrar has been working for Marvel more often lately, so his only contribution is the cover; Julio Brilha takes over for regular pencils, and his stuff is great. Ron Riley continues on the colors. With sales for the series hardly being as high as WALKING DEAD or HAUNT (Image's top two selling ongoing titles at the moment), D5 returns by offering every arc as a mini-series, not unlike HELLBOY installments. This likely will fit the direct market model of selling trades of an arc swiftly after a monthly arc wraps. The only downside is that the price has gone up; from $3.50 an issue to $3.99 an issue. While it does include 27 pages (a 22 page main story and a 5 page back up), and the increase in price will ensure that Image sees more of a profit from the series. Two issues of DYNAMO 5 were priced at $2.99, but it apparently sold too low for it to make as much money at that price (not counting the .99 issue zero, which was about 12-14 pages long). Considering Image doesn't have as much of the market share as Marvel or DC, they have more justification to do so, but $4 comics are always a tough sell. Part of me fears that some fans could be put off by that, or led to trade-wait. It certainly will cause stores to have to shell out more for wholesale for each issue than before, in an age when they already have had to order fewer of midcard titles to be able to buy as many copies of top Marvel or DC titles at $4. I had to call or visit at least 3 shops in Brooklyn and nabbed one shop's lone copy. It's a chicken or egg situation; if it sold better, it would have still been $3.50 or $2.99 even. While this book (along with NOBLE CAUSES) was always part of the same universe as INVINCIBLE, it may not have been a thing that an editor would have disapproved of for Invincible to soon be guest starring in this arc.
Aside for that, though, it's solid D5 stuff for people like me who enjoy this title. The team were left at the end of their ongoing series as having to get used to having all of their powers switched around. That was a plot point that I understood why it happened (to mix things up and avoid getting stale), but I was skeptical on how well it would work. So far it seems to be working alright. The team unites to save Tower City from a band of rampaging robots despite still getting the hang of their new power dynamic. Unfortunately, staying alive in a fight is only one angle of coping. Spencer, a half alien who used to be a "player", has to get used to a more isolated life, as he always looks like an alien. Gage, a jock who seemed to embrace trading telepathy for flight, seems to have become a little more aware of people's demeanor than before. Hecter and Bridget have a love live now, but that also brings about some shenanigans. Bridget's boyfriend is a typical comic book journalist who is dating a superhero (and doesn't know it) whose investigations threatens to get in the hero(ine)'s way. And Hecter is dating the younger half of Firebird, whose mother is a fire-manipulator. A new team build by the shady government agency FLAG has been assembled to replace Dynamo 5, which includes Power Chest, one of their former enemies. The main crux of the series involves around an alien crisis years ago when Captain Dynamo was alive (which he apparently thwarted alongside Omni-Man and Supreme) that has now returned in greater numbers.
The five page back up is NOTORIOUS, which is apparently about a vigilante who has a secret of his own. Joe Eisma draws and Faerber writes that, too. It's a quick read but Faerber accomplishes as much in 5 issues as some #1 issues have accomplished in 22.
Anyone who caught up on the trades and wants to jump aboard, this is a fine issue to do so. Although since Image doesn't rook fans on trades as much as Marvel does, some of them may wait as usual. I won't, though, and I'm glad to have this series back even with a higher price. It is a shame that straight up superhero fans who are willing to invest in so many dull issues of NEW AVENGERS at the same price because it's "important" don't give it a try. I actually think out of a lot of Image's franchises, this one could make the jump to another medium and branch out easier than, say, SAVAGE DRAGON (which has the stigma of a terrible USA cartoon in the 90's). They're a superhero team, and those are popular. They're ethnically diverse and have a cool uniform design. The characters matter more than the villains in most cases, which usually fits a TV cartoon or movie format well. Plus, D5 is an easy, iconic logo. It mixes drama and action well without making either segment feel unneeded. I won't lie and say it's the best thing ever, but I certainly don't think it deserves to be ignored by not only direct market fans (it would be thrilled to sell as well as WEB OF SPIDER-MAN), but the same fans who embrace cult books.
SEA BEAR & GRIZZLY SHARK #1: What you see it what you get! This is the product of the overactive imaginations as well as the insomnia of Ryan Ottley and Jason Howard, two artists who work on Robert Kirkman ongoings (INVINCIBLE and ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN). Robert Kirkman pens a rather ludicrous origin to explain the title, but in reality it isn't really needed or helps much. The premise is each artist writes, draws, and inks their own 24 page story. Howard does the Sea Bear story, and Ottley does the Grizzly Shark story. The Sea Bear is a grizzly that lives in the sea and attacks boaters JAWS style, and Grizzly Shark is a shark that kills hunters in a forest on land...JAWS style. But if you bought this, you did do because the cover and title were too tempting (or absurd) to ignore, like Batman being a Pirate. Neither story is colored or even connected to each other; in a way they serve as showcases as to the personal styles and tastes of the artists involved. It is priced at $4.99 for 48 pages of B&W material with no ads, which isn't too bad for a one shot.
It actually is interesting how each artist works with this absurd premise they came up with in passing with each other. Howard treats the Sea-Bear story as a violent, technology vs. mysticism story of revenge. Pete's parents were killed by the Sea-Bear and twenty years later, he returns for vengeance. Only now he's become a cyborg, and in order to get his revenge, has to flee the evil company that created him, who thus sends other cyborgs after him. He runs into humanoid bear-people who are related to the Sea-Bear, who are connected to her. It's very violent and bizarre, but it actually works in a weird way.
Ottley's story, on the other hand, is pure gore-filled dark comedy. It features hunters going after the Grizzly Shark, who appears to violently bite in two anyone who bleeds within the forest, whether via a finger cut or having a period. It becomes apparent that Ottley probably enjoys the gore that Kirkman often has him draw in INVINCIBLE. If you can laugh at a teenage boy being bitten in two and making jokes about it, or a Grizzly Shark chomping on people sequence played as a comedic montage, this is for you. One imagines Quentin Tarentino would consider this a masterpiece. It actually is quite funny, but you have to be in the mood.
What connects the two stories are a lot of gory violence featuring infamous predatory animals. And being one degree removed from Robert Kirkman. I have to admit, a battle between Wolf-Man and the Grizzly Shark would be epic. This was a bit of an expensive impulse buy, but I didn't regret it.
FANTASTIC FOUR #580: This was BOOK OF THE WEEK over at Examiner, and takes us less than two years until Marvel can sell a $4.99 issue #600. It continues on the John Hickman run of having every issue tell a stand alone story for the most part as well as contributing another cog to his long term subplot. Neil Edwards does the art, as Eaglesham's having one of his quarterly breaks. Sales on this run of the Four have hit five years lows, and many critics accuse this run of being too slow and not having enough danger or suspense to it. There's no, "omigod, someone's gonna die!" theme to every issue like most comics have been for years. Apparently according to solicits Hickman will eventually do such a story later on, but not at the moment. Instead he has taken the methodical approach to having the Four do some exploring as well as enlarge their cast at the Baxtor Building. I'd argue if any one of them has suffered from that, it is Sue. Her duties as diplomat of humanity to the Lost Atlantians have kept her mostly off panel for two issues now. Even Thing has had less of a presence during this run than a lot of other runs lately. Reed, Johnny, and the kids usually get the most panel time.
In the last issue, Reed assembled the super-smart kids he knows into the Future Foundation, to solve problems he can't, as well as the problems of the future. The logic being is that if super genius adults like Reed exist, then kids who are at least as smart will come up with even more innovation if embraced. This comes off of his lecture to a think tank last issue where he basically accused the whole of science as being scaredy cats (it gets easy to slip into nihilism when one isn't a metahuman who can, and has, defied death and socioeconomic ruin as often as the Four or many super heroes do). I digress. This think tank is naturally stocked with Alex Power (of the Power Pack), a reprogrammed Dragon Man, 32 (the cloned son of the Wizard), some evolved Moloids, Artie, and Val Richards (who is apparently already smarter than Reed, and at least as arrogant). Which leaves Frank and Leech as the "normal heads" without a Mr. Fantastic to escort them to an awesome toy store event. Johnny agrees to take them, and hilarity ensues.
Arcade has apparently reformed and opened a chain of toy shops, and is revealing a new line of toys licensed from the Impossible Man (who does a funny impersonation of a Superman/J'onn hybrid). If you don't suspect that Arcade isn't what he appears to be, then this is the first fictional story you have ever read in your life. That's not important. What is important is that the entire scene is very funny and entertaining, with a bit of action and a dash of heart. Johnny's speech in which he relates to Frank as not being "the prodigy" of a parent but should still feel loved is pretty good. In fact I don't think I've heard Johnny utter anything that was that mature in a good, long time. While Arcade is usually considered part of the X-Men's rogues gallery, he has branched out to menacing any ol' superhero he comes across, which included the Thing once. One almost wonders if Arcade could have resisted his urges if the chance to kill Human Torch of the Fantastic Four didn't walk into his shop. Critics claim Arcade is too close to the Joker, but I disagree in a way. Ever since the end of that 90's "scarred face" era, Arcade is more like the Silver Age Joker, while the Joker has become far more dark and grim (especially after Nolan's take). If the fight does anything, it shows the future of the Four if one of the adults isn't there to provide a super power, as well as show that Frank doesn't like people who hurt his friends. And Johnny is terribly envious when Franklin looks up to any other super hero (especially Spider-Man).
The end of the issue introduces a new subplot, and I have to say Hickman is telegraphing his punches a bit too bluntly. The Future Foundation, basically, has found a partial cure for the Thing. Rather than try to cure him of powers outright, as Reed has tried to do many times, they saw his rock form as being an "on" position, and have devised a way for Ben to be able to turn it "off". This summary is mostly true. There have been periods where Ben was cured of being the Thing, they just never lasted. There was a more recent period where the Grey Gargoyles' stone touch resulted in Ben being able to go back and forth between rock and normal forms at will, which I hardly minded. Regardless, the genius rugrats develop a serum that will allow Ben to become human for one week a year. The catch is there's no way to know when, and there'll be no way to deliberately trigger his rock form once it has started for that particular week. Can anyone predict where this is going?
As much as Thing wants to be human, it would seem a bit rash to agree to chug the serum. He should be experienced enough to know that OF COURSE his powers will be gone for a week at the most crucial, critical time. The Four have been around so long that they should be more than genre savvy; they should be PhD's in genre. Just about every time Ben has lost his powers and been normal, some crises happen and he'll want to be Thing again. It happened so often that even the first Fox film had it happen. To be fair, Reed has been able to build Ben suits of armor to wear to fight alongside them without powers, and they likely are still in the basement somewhere.
I actually thought it was completely in character that a class of kids led by Val would go for that first, to cure Ben (her beloved uncle). I just am not a fan of this being so blindingly obvious. Hickman's avoided a lot of cliches with the Four, and a "Ben is cured" story is one of the Top 10. At the very least, the cliffhanger doesn't make it seem as if Ben has agreed yet, and one assumes the next issue may cover him mulling it over. Ben's always wanted to be human, but he's also settled into being the Thing and the good he does in that area. It's been for more than simply Alicia's love anymore; he and Alicia have been on panel so rarely they may as well be strangers these days (Hickman acknowledged her in his DARK REIGN mini, and then never again). I mean I'd understand why Ben would take it, but he has to know it'll likely kick in when the Four need him most, and that should be a concern. He's literally died for them.
Impossible Man's send up of "DC angst" is probably worth the cover price alone. This was an issue I completely enjoyed despite some concerns at the end of it. I actually like that Hickman is taking a methodical approach, and wanting to build rather than destroy. I could do without Nu-Earth at all, but he hardly invented it. Hickman is building towards something big, and hopefully he delivers. The Four really need it.
IRON MAN LEGACY #3: This is set in the past and thus not the "important" Iron Man book, but Fred Van Lente runs a far tighter, action packed ship than Fraction does. In three issues he's handled a plot that INVINCIBLE IRON MAN would have needed about 5-6 to tell. It's set in the 90's during the Serbian conflicts, only injects Marvel countries like Transia and Latveria into the mix. Kurth's art with Rauch's colors are also very good.
Stark went looking for his stolen tech, which is being used to create death-robots to oppress civilians in Transia (a country that borders Latveria). Dr. Doom had a hand in it, and Stark was captured by a militia who's slaughtered thousands of people to find one capable of duplicating his tech. And they did; a poor Muslim woman who lost her legs to land-mines. Stark promises to return and save her, before cobbling together an exo-suit and escaping. Along the way he fights Dreadknight, who hasn't been seen in present times in nearly a decade by now. I remember that sucker from he old Iron Man cartoon. Stark manages to defeat him despite the odds, and does his best to trigger some sort of international response to the slaughter. Lente breaks the tension by having Gyrich walk into the funniest panel I've ever seen in an Iron Man comic. The cliffhanger sets up the next rogue to appear.
In a month where INVINCIBLE IRON MAN has been boring me to tears, this'll more than do. Glad to have an alternative Iron-Title.
NAMORA #1: This is a one-shot written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Sara Pichelli, with colors by Rochelle Rosenberg. This is probably a part of the "Women Of Marvel" kick although there's no logo. Naturally, AGENTS OF ATLAS fans like me will scoop it up to have a solo adventure featuring one of the team. I mean, hell, I bought that MARVEL BOY mini.
This is an entertaining although perfectly random adventure for Namora. It's not a story that one will regret reading, nor missing if one wanted to save four bucks. After rescuing a distressed Russian sub with some aid of some whales (both to save the men inside and assure that their nuclear sub won't rust at the bottom of the sea), Namora goes off to find a lost colony of Atlantians to lead back to Namor's new Oceania. She finds them protected by a Kraken and unable to leave the area. Namora ventures into a hole that provides them sustenance and comes across a sleeping Titan, who projects his dreams as the desires or healing of any who come within range. Namora's desire is to be reunited with her cloned daughter, Namorita. Hopefully someone gets the word to the Nova Corps that 'Nita's mom misses her.
The art is quite lovely, and the gist of the tale is that Namorita is a being from two worlds who uses the gifts from both to do what she does well. It works as a decent character peace as well as a solid done in one story.
, Eaglesham has left the building so to speak and Epting starts as regular artist with 583 !
t: Sounds like Epting will do a 6 issue story arc right off the bat before needing a fill in artist !
Could've done without the Thing part, though. Oh joy, Ben can be human again. This'll certainly be better than the dozen or so times we've seen this same f***ing plot in the past. 
