Bought/Thought for March 9, 2011 - SPOILERS!

[Phaedrus45]

A classic quote from Darthphere from June 28th, 2006, when one of the Young Avengers decided on a new name:

I really dont care, because the name Hawkingbird sucked balls. She could call herself Rage and I wouldnt care because that name sucked.

Onto the new stuff!!!

Jennifer Blood #2

I'm really liking this new book by Ennis; although, I must admit I start to get a bit annoyed by how he just has to try and have each issue have some type of shock value. While certain styles of these various writers are what they become known for, I find I start to get a bit bored with it all. After all, there isn't any shock when you are expecting it every issue. As with the last issue, the book is narrated by Jennifer's diary entries; and, we get little bits and pieces about her past that Ennis is obviously going to draw out. (What's her past, and why is she seeking revenge on these individuals?) Basically, this book feels like the equivelent of a female Punisher. It's entertaining, though. (Plus, my comic shop gave me their Dealer Incentive Cover at cover price!)

Weird Worlds #3

Meh. I'm becoming less and less impressed with this title after each new issue. I think some have already dropped it; but, I'll complete the collection, I'm sure. My favorite of these three stories is the final one with Tanga; and, the other two are rather boring. (Plus, Garbage Man just looks too much like a Swamp Thing rip-off.)

X-Men Legacy #246

Seriously, is anyone at all invested in this Age Of X? Carey's idea to start things rolling with action and not explaining the how and why this alternate universe exists just detaches us all from what is happening; and, frankly, all the characters are way too two-dimensional aspects of their former selves. Readers cannot connect with them on any level. At least things seem to pick up a bit with this third chapter...although, I'm not sure if Rogue (errr...Reaper .... Ummmm ..... I mean, Legacy) is actually dead. It will be cool if she did kick the bucket, and in such a hilarious fashion. (Ok, probably not meant to be funny, but I laughed my butt off.)

A mild , as there is hope that the story might get a bit more interesting as things unravel.

Batman, Incorporated #3

Morrison's newest Batman title is just a fun read; although, it probably could have been called Brave And The Bold with all the various team-ups will be seeing Batman having. (The true test of this title will be if we EVER see these new Incorporated characters again.) I like it. It's fun. It's got good humor. It feels like a comic I used to read back in the day!

Sigil #1

I'll preface this review by stating I never read the original Crossgen comic; so, I go in knowing absolutely nothing about the character or what's happened before. That said, this book started out BADLY! How many times must I read about a character (in high school, naturally) who is experiencing strange happenings which they can't explain, and they think they are having some medical symptoms instead of believing what they are seeing. In this case, it's a young gal (red headed, of course) who has blackout episodes where she is transported in the distant past (pirate ships and the like) by people who know her, but who she doesn't recognize herself.

Yep, it's all stuff we've read before; but, I found I was getting more into it by the end of the issue...and, actually looking forward to the next issue. A mild .

Infamous #1

From DC, it's another comic that's based on a "best-selling Playstation videogame." Ummm...has anyone else never heard of that game? Usually, I find myself skipping these videogame-based titles; but, as I flipped though some of the pages at the comic shop, I liked what I saw. (Plus, DC's $2.99 price makes me more willing to give their new stuff a chance.) I'm terrible at explaining comics; but, I'll give it a quick try. It feels like this is in the future, where scientists have learned of a technique that can generate hidden powers in certain individuals. One of those individuals has been visited by his future self..and, that future self has killed his own wife to strengthen him for an upcoming battle in the near future.

It's not as confusing as I make it sound after you get through this first issue; but, it took me a while to understand what the heck was going on. Solid issue, and at such a low price, I recommend giving it a look-see.

Titans #33

Pee on DC! (Or, is it Pee on Previews Magazine?) Previews last week gave away the ending of this book with their review of one that will be released in a few months. What a way to ruin it all. Although, I must admit, if I hadn't heard about what happens in this issue, I wouldn't have bought it. I had dropped this book long ago; and, just wanted to get this issue to see how Slade ends up losing his other eye.

The book had me interested in that aspect; but, none of the other stuff did much for me. I won't be picking up any additional issues, unless it's involved in some crossover.

PunisherMax #11

Great issue! This is Aaron at this best, and we finally get the showdown between Frank and Bullseye. What stinks is the ending! (Ok, it doesn't actually stink, but we're left DYING to know what Bullseye whispered in Frank's ear before they both plummet through a glass ceiling.) Damn good issue!

 

[Phaedrus45]

Very quick reviews from stuff that came out last week.

DC Universe Online #3

I'm loving this book. Sure, eventually it might get bogged down with trying to stretch things out for 24 issues; but, how great to see Wolfman back writing a DC book. In this issue, everyone finds out that Luthor killed Superman. The question is whether he's still their best chance to defeat Braniac.

CarbonGrey #1

This comic looks beautiful; but, with so many writers and artists having their hands in the cookie jar, it comes across as very sloppy and uninteresting. I won't pick up the second issue.

Official Index To The Marvel Universe: Avengers, Thor & Captain America #11

This sucker won't be finished in 13 issues like the last installment, I think. Seems like there is just too many issues left to discuss. I love it, though. The people who work on this book obviously love what they do, and they fill each issue with just a ton of information about each of the issues discussed within. Fantastic resource book!

Captain America and the Falcon One-Shot

This series of One-Shots devoted to various characters in Cap's life are pretty darn good. In this first one, don't expect much of Captain America, though. It's more about Falcon revisiting his old home and taking care of some problems that have developed since he's been away. I really loved seeing him take on his old persona, Snap Wilson. I'd totally forgotten about him; and, the backup reprint of a classic Falcon solo adventure from the 70's was nice.

Captain America and the First Thirteen One-Shot

This comic came out this week, and it's also a good read. We meet one of Cap's first loves, and the first Agent 13 from WWII. I didn't enjoy this comic as much as the previous; but, it was still nice...and, I liked the reprint from an early Cap comic that was probably from the early 70's.

Brightest Day #21

Each new issue is wrapping up various character's storylines, and this one ends Martian Manhunters. Behind Hawkgirl and Hawkman, this one bored me the most. I'm glad it's all ending soon. (Although, don't you fear the ending is just going to lead into something new?)

 

[AgentEnforcer]

PunisherMax #11

Great issue! This is Aaron at this best, and we finally get the showdown between Frank and Bullseye. What stinks is the ending! (Ok, it doesn't actually stink, but we're left DYING to know what Bullseye whispered in Frank's ear before they both plummet through a glass ceiling.) Damn good issue!

Someone in the Punisher tread claimed that he read the mini print with a magnifying glass, but it didn't even look there was enough text there to work with anyway. His claim is that Bullseye whispered

Spoiler

I want a divorce

I don't know if its true or not.

 

[runawayboulder]

If it's true (I don't own a magnifying glass), that's a cool spin on the Punisher origin. Punisher MAX has been a damn tornado blowing off the doors since it's long awaited return. I'd love a Punisher MAX/Deadpool MAX oneshot.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

A stomach virus kept me off my usual pace, so I only just finished last week's books. But, I wanna take a moment to comment on a series that transcends the weeks: Infestation.

I'm only up to last week's GI Joe installment, since I ordered my Ghostbusters copies to ensure I got all the covers (for the website I hope to relaunch sometime this century). I have to say, this event sucks. The zombie threat is inconsistent between all the books outside of what it infects, and then there's not a proper crossover in the whole lot so far. IDW touted this as their big property crossover event. Yeah, great...ONE character from a series IDW is not even currently PUBLISHING is jumping between all the titles with a faceless zombie threat. So for those hoping to see Optimus Prime being shredded by a proton stream while Cobra is on the run from the Enterprise as it swoops down and blasts them all to kingdom come with photon torpedoes, stick to the fan fiction.

Now, for the books on their own merits:

Stark Trek I'd pit as the best of the bunch so far. Although it didn't quite feel like classic Trek, the story played out in a lot simpler and more coherent fashion than any of the others. The only real problem is the speed in which McCoy found a cure for the infected colonists. If that's all it takes to cure a strange new disease, then McCoy should be locked in a bunker with a gun to his head at least twice a month. Could probably find a cure for every disease known to man by then. Not to mention how fast Bones was able to make enough cure for everyone, AND fashion a gun before the zombies could break in and Britt returned. The pacing was the only poor part of this story.

Transformers, however, was a nice confusing mess. If you know who all the characters are, great. If you don't, forget it. It's a mishmash of colors and boxy characters that spend more time fighting each other than the actual threat. Optimus, little note: a zombie infestation is not the time for existential pondering over your fitness to lead the Autobots.

GI Joe is about as boring as the rest of the line has been from IDW. Whatever appeal brought me on to America's Elite was long gone when IDW took over, and this series kept that tradition. In one issue I found nothing remarkable or any characters to remotely care about. Hell, the principal Joes aren't even IN this. Just the Baroness, a couple Joe grunts, and the usual legion of faceless Cobra. That right there tells you there are no stakes, and that the only deaths will be cannon fodder. At least in Trek, it's traditional that any other away team member besides the main crew will not return to the ship.

Ghostbusters, as I said, I'm still waiting on but I will definitely be commenting on that. After the beauty of the 88MPH series, I hold all GB comics to a very high standard. Unlike 88, IDW doesn't have a stellar track record with GB (in a product sense, that is...obviously from a business standpoint 88 screwed the pooch).

 

[Phaedrus45]

X-23 #1

Na, you didn't miss anything. Marvel is just reprinting some of their classic issues for only a buck again, all in hopes that you'll buy the trades that collect the entire story. I sure loved X-23 when she first came out, and the first two miniseries were pretty darn good. This book is cheap, and it's still a good read.

Ultimate Spider-Man #155

Bendis, for whatever reason, has been tying up a lot of loose threads. It's probably because of this big "Death Of Spider-Man" storyline that is upcoming. For the record, there is a big part of me that hates it. Everything is feeling rushed, and I get the sense that he's simply trying to get his readership up with this new gimmick; so, he's dropping all of the old stuff he had been building on. Previously, Gwen Stacy returned; and, now in this issue, Kitty comes back, drops her evil Hood persona, and everything is all hunky-dory. It all rings untrue.

What's the kicker is that the big 150th anniversary issue had this book going into a new direction, having Peter going to Super Hero School; but, I get the feeling that storyline has been dropped before it's even begun. All because Bendis has this big storyline he's dying to do.

Walking Dead #82

Everyone is trapped within the walls of their town, as zombies invade it. The walls that were suppose to keep them safe now serve as a type of prison, and this issue sees how everyone is formulating ideas of what they should do to survive this new ordeal. Lots of death is obviously coming...and, I wonder if I'm the only person who feels like this book is eventually just going to be about Carl. This issue makes me feel that everything that's happened before is a prelude to Carl's adventures as a young man, where he'll be on his own trying to survive a world that's made him who he is in the future.

The Boys #52

I talked to Darick Robertson this past weekend at the Emerald City Comic Con, and he mentioned this book is set to go to 70+ issues now; although, he's not going to be involved with it much anymore. (He only drew the cover for this issue, and had no idea about what's going on within the pages any longer. He seemed kind of confused as to why he wasn't drawing the book any longer; but, I didn't press him on it.) I'm glad we're reaching the home stretch; but, also disappointed that home stretch has become much longer than Ennis originally stated.

This issue is one of those that does very little for me. It's more of a epilogue to Hughie's recent adventures in his mini, Highland Laddie; and, we get a lot of backstory, as the issue starts retelling about something that happened with the Supes during WWII. I want this dang book to advance their main story with The Boys trying to take down The Seven; but, it feels like half the time it's all someone retelling past events.

Venom #1

I liked Remender's first issue much better than that Amazing Spider-Man .1 issue. This book has that FrankenCastle feel to it, and Remender puts us right into the action at the beginning of the comic. This does look like we'll have a fun book on our hands, and the only downside is that Marvel is charging an extra buck for it. (But, why shouldn't they? DC really hasn't been making more money on their $2.99 comics. So, just because you offer cheaper comics doesn't mean that the public is going to buy your product.)

Legion Of Super-Villians One-Shot

Am I the only one who hates that DC is now giving us a bunch of one-shots that are nothing more than preludes to stories that will run in other comics? I was hoping for a nice stand-alone story; but, this book is just Part One of a longer story involving the Legion Of Super-Villians, and a way to get some people suckered into trying Levitz' Legion Of Super Heroes title. It's good...but, I have to say that Levitz' Legion stories just don't WOW me. It's missing a key ingredient that makes you want to order his product again. A mild .

5 Ronin #1 and #2

Issue #1 involves Wolverine, and issue #2 involves Hulk. It's just another of Marvel's "What If These Character Existed In A Different Time." I'm kind of burned out on all that. 1602 was kind of neat the first time; but, each additional attempt gets a little more dull and boring. We just finished with Marvel Noir, and these Marvel Samurai tales are just powerless versions of classic Marvel characters who really don't feel very creative. (And, how many times must we see a Wolverine-based character with three knives attached to each hand?) Meh.

New Avengers #9 & #10

Bendis' new storyline has captured my interest; but, that's more due to the Chaykin portion of the story set in 1959 than the current adventure. (The opening sequence in issue #9 with Fury being chased by some old Nazi's was fantastic!) I like that first Avenger's team (yeah, Bendis is rewriting Marvel history, AGAIN!) that Nick has formed in the past; and, they are much more interesting than this NEW version.

Oh, and I still can give a rat's patootie about the backup feature that rewrites the Origin of the Avengers. Haven't read a page of it, have no interest in it.

 

[Phaedrus45]

A stomach virus kept me off my usual pace, so I only just finished last week's books. But, I wanna take a moment to comment on a series that transcends the weeks: Infestation.

I'm only up to last week's GI Joe installment, since I ordered my Ghostbusters copies to ensure I got all the covers (for the website I hope to relaunch sometime this century). I have to say, this event sucks. The zombie threat is inconsistent between all the books outside of what it infects, and then there's not a proper crossover in the whole lot so far. IDW touted this as their big property crossover event. Yeah, great...ONE character from a series IDW is not even currently PUBLISHING is jumping between all the titles with a faceless zombie threat. So for those hoping to see Optimus Prime being shredded by a proton stream while Cobra is on the run from the Enterprise as it swoops down and blasts them all to kingdom come with photon torpedoes, stick to the fan fiction.

Now, for the books on their own merits:

Stark Trek I'd pit as the best of the bunch so far. Although it didn't quite feel like classic Trek, the story played out in a lot simpler and more coherent fashion than any of the others.

Transformers, however, was a nice confusing mess. If you know who all the characters are, great. If you don't, forget it. It's a mishmash of colors and boxy characters that spend more time fighting each other than the actual threat. Optimus, little note: a zombie infestation is not the time for existential pondering over your fitness to lead the Autobots.

GI Joe is about as boring as the rest of the line has been from IDW. Whatever appeal brought me on to America's Elite was long gone when IDW took over, and this series kept that tradition. In one issue I found nothing remarkable or any characters to remotely care about. Hell, the principal Joes aren't even IN this. Just the Baroness, a couple Joe grunts, and the usual legion of faceless Cobra. That right there tells you there are no stakes, and that the only deaths will be cannon fodder. At least in Trek, it's traditional that any other away team member besides the main crew will not return to the ship.

Ghostbusters, as I said, I'm still waiting on but I will definitely be commenting on that. After the beauty of the 88MPH series, I hold all GB comics to a very high level. Unlike 88, IDW doesn't have a stellar track record with GB (in a product sense, that is...obviously from a business standpoint 88 screwed the pooch).

I've bought these books; but, have yet only read the first Infestation issue. I wasn't impressed, and your reviews don't make me want bump them higher on my reading priority list. (I still have to get an issue of Star Trek #1, though.) I hope it gets better with Ghostbusters.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

They're nothing great, Phaed. I expect better of DnA especially.

 

[CrimsonMist]

If it's true (I don't own a magnifying glass), that's a cool spin on the Punisher origin. Punisher MAX has been a damn tornado blowing off the doors since it's long awaited return. I'd love a Punisher MAX/Deadpool MAX oneshot.

That was me with the magnifying glass. The only reason I tried that was because the same thing happened with another comic. I think it may have even been an Ennis Punisher book. I forget. The text in the bubble wasn't just a random scribble. It was just incredibly small print that was just barely legible when a magnifying glass was held over it.

Trust me. That's what Bullseye said to Frank. And to be honest, it makes perfect sense thinking about it. I thought it was simple but great.

 

[runawayboulder]

I agree.

 

[Dread]

I had my birthday on Wednesday, so I was busy taking care of that. I did get my comics, but it was a slow week for them. Overall, a solid one, though. Birthday spoilers ahoy.

DREAD'S SLIGHTLY OLDER BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 3/9/11:

BOOSTER GOLD #42: This is the first of a two issue arc that details the titular hero’s time spent in a 25th century jail for performing theft in his origin sequence. How can a five year prison term be covered in only two issues? Time travel, the signature gimmick of the title, of course! As Booster can return to the present at any point after he left, he naturally does, which leaves the story in flash back. Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteris once again dream up an absurd situation for Booster to deal with, as he is bunked with the hopelessly insane Perforated Man (who has the most awkward name since Elongated Man). Chris Batista and Rich Perrotta on art, with Hi-Fi on colors. Strangely, the cover alludes to Pat Olliffe, whose work isn’t credited within. Has DC had to fire proof readers to afford their “drawing the line at $2.99” initiative?

Previous issues under this run, especially the opening arc, have suffered because they felt more like a comedy routine than a story. These last few issues have addressed this problem. After what seems to be another absurd time traveling enemy to fight, the situation takes a deeper, darker turn for Booster at the end of the issue. He learns that he has been bunked with a future version of himself, who is suffering from some sort of terminal space cancer that a villain injected him with in the last issue. The downside to the story is that as it is told in flashback, the audience knows that Booster survives; on the other hand, the audience usually tends to assume that when the next issue isn’t solicited as “FINAL ISSUE”. The question is all in how, and I must say, the cliffhanger does invite that question with quite some vigor.

Batista and Perrotta’s artwork has become definitive for this run; I haven’t missed Dan Jurgens in ages, which is a positive sign given how involved he was with this title (and how great his artwork is). The color work is great and the time jumps allow for a wide variety of settings, from a futuristic prison to the land of dinosaurs to 1940’s Chicago. Overall, this issue is part of a positive trend that the book, while still having laughs, hasn’t lost the ability to have a heart or suspense too.

GUARDING THE GLOBE #4: After skipping February, this spin off mini series to Image's INVINCIBLE continues with more international superhero hyjinks. Robert Kirkman (Image's hottest writer in a decade and the creator of INVINCIBLE) co-writes with Benito Cereno, although the reason for the long gaps between issues may be due to Ransom Getty's artwork, and because it took some time to have Russell Jackson settle into a regular inker spot after the last inker departed. At any rate, the Guardians of the Globe have continued to expand their roster to better live up to their name, and we have a wealth of new heroes from other countries. Best Tiger, a gunslinger from China who wears a blindfold for the challenge, gets the most panel time of the newbies, although Le Brusier, a super powered dog from France, probably steals the cover. Kirkman also brings in two characters from his CAPES series, Kid Thor and Knockout, and retroactively gets around to claiming the former is from Canada to justify the appearance. Unfortunately, the organized cabal of costumed villains, the Order, decide to retaliate by performing strategic strikes in cities across the globe. The heroes are stretched too thin and are unable to stop the Order from doing as they please. Most of the issue focuses on the drinking problems of Chapacabra, and Brit's contempt for this effecting how he fights on the team.

The biggest downside of the issue is that so many new characters are introduced, that the cast that has been introduced and established for the first three issues are reduced to supporting characters for the most part. This is especially a dilemma for Outrun, a flirty speedster from South Africa, who hasn't evolved past the "****ty vixen" stereotype. Given that she is the team's only major female presence, this is a disadvantage. While Kirkman and Cereno wish to make this team a truly international team, and there is no problem having quirky side characters, this book seems to struggle to have a regular cast at times.

On the positive side, this is a tongue in cheek series that is able to play things straight, and sometimes dramatically, while still not being afraid to have fun at times. How can one not laugh at Robert Kirkman creating a villain named The Walking Dread? It is easy to feel sorry for former midcard level INVINCIBLE villain Titan, who lost to the French dog; it is hard to recover a crime lord reputation after that. This mini series doesn't come out monthly, but when it does come out, it is often a solid read.

ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED #2: This mini series offers writer Sean McKeever (YOUNG ALLIES, TEEN TITANS, GRAVITY, NOMAD), artist Filipe Andrade (the NOMAD back up strip) and colorist Ricardo Tercio handling an assortment of newer and older characters - united in tackling Marvel's greatest threat of the mid 90's. Picking up from last issue, the Young Allies, consisting of a character McKeever co-created (Gravity) have teamed up with most of the roster of Secret Avengers, who conveniently lack their most powerful members (War Machine and Valkyrie), in Columbia. The armored, shoulder padded, spike covered menace of the Clinton administration era last returned in a 2006-2007 mini series written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Rob Liefield (to celebrate the character's then 10th anniversary), and apparently Marvel figured now was as good a time as any to revive him again. In this issue, the characters pair up with each other as they fight to survive an army of child soldiers, Toro's reptilian enemy El Dragon, and soon-to-be Onslaught himself, who is possessing the form of Nomad (as well as one member of the Secret Avengers). Some of the heroes want to escape to try to get help to deal with this threat, while others want to confront it. In the end, they may have no choice but to try to fight Onslaught on the evil entity's terms.

Priced at $3.99, in addition to the 22 page story, it offers Marvel Handbook biographies for Nomad and Onslaught, as well as a fairly insightful four page interview with McKeever in which he explains his motivations for this series, as well as some minor promotion for his upcoming work on FEAR ITSELF: YOUTH IN REVOLT. In essence, McKeever admits that this is roughly the second arc he had planned for YOUNG ALLIES before it got canceled, which he has shoved into his planned Onslaught mini series with a narrative sledge hammer. This is perfectly fine; many writers, such as the legendary Steve Gerber, would continue along with their planned character stories regardless of whether an ongoing title was canceled or not. The interactions within the book are amusing and feel natural, although the banter between Gravity and Moon Knight is entertaining because of how awkward it is. Given how Beast was once impersonated and imprisoned for years by an agent of Onslaught, it makes perfect sense that he seems the most distressed about it.

The element of this series that is perhaps the most subjective to taste is the art by Filipe Andrade. He is an illustrator with a very simple style with exaggerated, angular character models. The covers by Humberto Ramos attempt to set the tone for the interior art, but Andrade's style is sketchier than Ramos'. It is a style that is very effective with inhuman characters like El Dragon, Toro's bull-man form, and Onslaught especially. The biggest oddity is that Tercio has decided that Toro's skin turns an olive green when he transforms, which is contrary to every prior appearance before; in fairness, it could be the light of the area. At any rate, some readers may appreciate Andrade's style, while others many long for David Baldeon, who will return to the characters in April's AVENGERS ACADEMY GIANT SIZE #1.

Initial sales for the debut of this mini series is at around 28k, which perhaps hints that the allure of Onslaught isn't as vast as it was in 1996. However, this is still the greatest threat the Secret Avengers and Young Allies have ever faced, and this story offers some interesting developments for the character of Rikki Barnes/Nomad. This happened to be the king of the heap in a very short, quiet comic book week, but it is what it is. Variety at the weekly top spot is a good thing, regardless of the reason.

VENOM #1: In terms of narrative, this is the second issue of VENOM, as AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654.1 was for all intents and purposes a debut issue for this series (or at best a prelude issue zero). This time, the writer is Rick Remender (X-FORCE, PUNISHER) and artist Tony Moore (THE WALKING DEAD), with colorist John Raunch and three inkers. Almost more amusing than the issue itself is editor Stephen Wacker makes sure to note in the soon-to-be letters page that this is technically the 90th Marvel Comic that had Venom in the title. This is almost a statement of intent for the company, which will frequently relaunch and renumber comic book series to boost sales for a month. If VENOM doesn't have great sales in about eight or nine months, Marvel is laying down the foundation to jump from VENOM #9 to VENOM #100 to charge an extra buck and attempt to spike sales. Given how SPIDER-GIRL, another AMAZING SPIDER-MAN spin off, is struggling to survive six issues, this very well could be Marvel's upcoming strategy.

At any rate, the story itself picks up from ASM #654.1 and #654 proper. Eugene "Flash" Thompson has been the latest soldier to take part in PROJECT: VENOM, in which the U.S. military, who has stripped the alien symbiote from Mac Gargan (its last host), grafts the suit to a soldier for a short period of time to complete twenty missions. Thompson is on his third mission at this stage, and his life is already beginning to fall apart because of it. While the alien is removed from his body after 48 hours to prevent it from "bonding" with him, the more he utilizes it, the greater the risk becomes. He is already having difficulty controlling his temper and sanity once within the costume. And his long time on and off girlfriend, the long suffering Spidey supporting character Betty Brant, mistakes his secret missions for an alcohol problem. Most of the issue is an action set-piece detailing Venom's latest mission. He is intervening in an Eastern European country to try to apprehend a mad scientist who has developed a deadlier form of bullet to use against people; civilians or armored U.N. peacekeepers. Unfortunately, a new Jack O'Lantern as well as a mysterious figure also seek out this scientist, so they can better sell his weapons to baddies around the globe. Remender and Moore do a good job of putting Flash in the middle of a war zone, with metahuman opposition, and running with it. This is the proper action scene that starts a movie. Remender's focus seems to be more on Flash himself, while Dan Slott, in prior Venom related material, had his supporting cast in the military do more; in this issue, all but the commanding general are dismissed after a one panel cameo. While many websites advertise the comic as being 40 pages (30 of story with ten of ads), that is baloney; the lead story is 23 pages, one page longer than normal, but that is it. If there was supposed to be additional material, it was not in this printing. Despite that, this remains the debut of an ongoing series sold at $3.99 - a price Marvel had previously claimed it would no longer charge for debut issues of ongoing series (not mini series) in 2011. It is interesting that Marvel's relaunch of Venom comes out at the same time as they are attempting to once again trot out Onslaught; two relics that once sold in the mid 90's are dusted off to try to rekindle that magic. While Onslaught's return hasn't resulted in much beyond a hiccup in terms of sales, Marvel surely hopes retailers order like it is 1995 again for this one.

While it is an effective debut issue in that it gets the fundamentals of story, action, and pacing correct, it actually doesn't offer much more than what the prelude material did. If one simply wished to see more of the same after the .1 issue, this is for you. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN spin offs, whether as ongoings or mini series, haven't sold strongly in literally a decade; it will remain to be seen if VENOM breaks that mold once again. As a debut issue, it gets the execution right, although Jack O'Lantern's manic banter sometimes reaches the level of "trying too hard". It is interesting seeing a long troubled character like Flash Thompson settle into the mantle of a long troubled superhuman (is Venom a maniac? A vigilante? A maniac vigilante?), and to finally be a starring "super hero" after worshiping one for so long. It isn't Marvel's best launch, but far from its worst - a solid base hit. I may give it an arc. I've certainly given worse an arc - I knew going in that Fraction would likely swing and miss on THOR, and boy was I right. And this won't be $4 for EVERY issue. If its at least as good as HAUNT, I'll be pleased.

 

[cthulhu]

Someone in the Punisher tread claimed that he read the mini print with a magnifying glass, but it didn't even look there was enough text there to work with anyway. His claim is that Bullseye whispered

Spoiler

I want a divorce

I don't know if its true or not.

It is true - checked this myself last night and its there in black and white - you can just make it out with a x8 magnifying glass

 

[Phaedrus45]

Sherlock Holmes: Year One #2

Dynamite's Year One books are always pretty darn good. This is no exception. Last issue, we got to see how Watson first met Holmes; and, in this second issue, he enlists his aid in solving a new murder. Unlike last issue's done-in-one story, this mystery is going to take a bit longer. It's worth it, though; as, we start to learn a bit more about Holmes when he was younger. Good characterization makes for a good comic.

Infestation: Ghostbusters #1

I'll preface this by saying a) I've never read a Ghostbuster's comic before, and b) I've only read the first issue of Infestation so far. (I have all the rest, except the first issue of Star Trek; but, figured it wouldn't hurt my reading to jump ahead and read this week's issue.) I've been following Wolverine25th's reviews ... and, he hadn't gotten to this issue yet; but, I'm hoping he'll be as surprised as I was at how enjoyable it was. Good art (something IDW comics sometimes suffer greatly from) and a decent read. Sure, the writer doesn't exactly hit all the marks when it comes to the humor in the movies; but, I'm actually excited about reading the next issue. Heck, I might even check out further issues of Ghostbusters with IDW if it's as entertaining as I found this issue. (Although, I have to say that things might get a bit dull if these characters don't expand much beyond their adventures.) A surprising .

Super Heroes #12

Tobin's (somewhat) winning formula is clearly missing, as a new writer has been given the duties of this book. (Not sure if that's just for now, or if Tobin isn't going to write this any longer. Anyone know if that's the case?) This is a solo Hulk story; and, gone is the adventures of Tobin's Avengers. For kids, this issue isn't bad; it's just not what I wanted. Tobin's Avengers has been a fun read..although, maybe I should have sensed the end was near, as all his little side plots were being wrapped up rather quickly. (The mystery behind Black Widow/Reed Richards/Sue Storm in issue #10 was SOOO disappointing, and last issue we saw Cap get over his love for Sue Storm way too quickly.) I know Tobin likes doing Marvel Adventures Spider-Man much more; and, maybe his focus will be there.

As Marvel Adventures stories go (at least compared to before Tobin came on), this one wasn't bad. It wasn't great, either. A very, very mild . Good for your kids; but, not recommended highly to the rest of you.

Outsiders #37

I dropped this title a while back; but, picked up this issue for the Doomsday tie-in. Gotta say, I wasn't missing much. Right at the first page, I thought, "Are they STILL on this same storyline?" (That being the Outsiders dealing with events in Markovia.) It sure looks like I haven't missed much at all; and, by the end of this book, it was clear I wasn't going to put it back on my pull list. Soon enough, Batman will be added back to the title's cover (I think that will be in May); and, I'll give a gander at that first issue. But, I don't expect much from anything with an Outsider's name on its cover.

Oh...and, this Doomsday crossover storyline has been extremely lame thus far. It just screams that DC is trying to grab something from its glory days with Superman's death; but, does anyone really care about Doomsday any more???

X-23 #7

Actually, I read the last three issues of this title, #5-7; and, they were so disappointing. (It doesn't help that Marvel put out the much superior first issue of X-23's first mini for a buck this week.) What utter garbage! It reminds me of many of Marvel's previous solo-mutant series that have been a waste of paper, many of those with Gambit's name on them. Wasn't the purpose of this book suppose to be X-23 getting away from the X-Men and deciding what she needed to do with her life? Then, why in the heck team her up with Gambit (a character who hasn't been interesting since the X-Men abandoned him in a frigid wasteland back in, like, issue 350 of Uncanny X-Men)???

This book is total Sh#@!!! I enjoyed Outsiders more.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Okay, Phaed, wait no longer.

Gotta say, GHOSTBUSTERS: INFESTATION was a surprise. IDW's GB books have been more miss than hit, with each successive book being better than the last. This one hit all the right notes, with the right blend of comedy and "horror." A few of Peter's one-liners were rather lame, but knowing from experience writing a consistently funny wiseass is no easy task for 22-pages. The artwork is LEAGUES better than THE OTHER SIDE, but I'm not a fan of the heavy inking done to it. Gives it an overly sloppy and gritty appearance, but fortunately not so much as to diminish from the overall enjoyment. I liked the way they used their new ghost threat in conjunction with the zombies, although they have yet to meet mastermind Britt yet. This has officially surpassed Trek as the best Infestation mini, and hopefully will finish as strong as it started. Though, one thing you have to wonder is how did Stay Puft get into the containment unit since this is the movie-verse and he done got blowed up. Back when I was attempting to do an online GB comic to fill the void between 88MPH delays, I had written a story explaining how [link=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2727693/1/GHOSTBUSTERS_PPE_3]here[/link]. Yes, that's a shameless plug and hardly canon, but just saying.

BATGIRL was as enjoyable as usual. Again, nothing earth-shaking about this book, just good, clean superhero good guy vs. bad guy. Unfortunately, if you haven't read Birds of Prey yet you already get a glimpse into how Oracle's new role is being defined. Proxy is also coming on as BG's full-time "Oracle," and the clever character dynamics continue. I look forward to this book every month, it's truly a breath of fresh air.

GENERATION LOST, thankfully, took the route I expected. Blue Beetle still lives! How? Find out next issue! But I'm really loving this book and this team, and it's really making me want to go check out more of the JLI. Will it hold up to this goodness? Probably not, but if even half of what's here is there I'll dig it.

BOOSTER GOLD is one of those books that acknowledges the fact its based around time travel and uses it often. Good thing? Bad thing? Tired thing? Who knows. But BG's (wow, two heroes with those initials in one post) new foe is himself from an undisclosed future. Apparently, time travel wreaks havoc on the body and Booster may be facing that soon. I still miss Jurgens on the book, but at least these guys have finally started giving us more toned down, yet still fun, adventures.

X-23 so far, I'm not sure how I feel about it. Overall I think the stories have been decent, but her characterization isn't sitting right with me. She's a little too chatty especially in this issue. Gambit I'm really not feeling. I don't even know why he's there, as he's had the LEAST to do with X since she joined the X-Men.

ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED I'm sure is another terrific story by McKeever, but the art. Holy good god, the art is horrendous! Why, oh, why in the hell did they decide this guy would be a great fit for this story? Or ANY story involving ACTUAL people? This is the kinda guy that belongs on the Oz books or something meta. Trying to decipher and get past the art is a chore, and seriously brings this book down. McKeever's stories deserve better than that.

DOOM PATROL is another great issue. I've loved this book since #1, so much so I decided to get in under the wire and write to DC's letters page about it. Next I'm gonna hit Batgirl and go down the line. Let's see if I can't get a letter published! In any event, this is another book I look forward to monthly, and hasn't let me down yet. In fact, I've been picking up backissues of previous volumes AND the Showcase books to familiarize myself more with this team.

 

[Dread]

BOOSTER GOLD is one of those books that acknowledges the fact its based around time travel and uses it often. Good thing? Bad thing? Tired thing? Who knows. But BG's (wow, two heroes with those initials in one post) new foe is himself from an undisclosed future. Apparently, time travel wreaks havoc on the body and Booster may be facing that soon. I still miss Jurgens on the book, but at least these guys have finally started giving us more toned down, yet still fun, adventures.

ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED I'm sure is another terrific story by McKeever, but the art. Holy good god, the art is horrendous! Why, oh, why in the hell did they decide this guy would be a great fit for this story? Or ANY story involving ACTUAL people? This is the kinda guy that belongs on the Oz books or something meta. Trying to decipher and get past the art is a chore, and seriously brings this book down. McKeever's stories deserve better than that.

I think Dan Jurgens will be returning to BOOSTER GOLD soon, I think in time for, or during, its FLASHPOINT tie-in. He probably left the book to hand TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT, and that's done. Sales on BG have been dwindling, but given how far it has lasted, I'd be stunned if DC canned it before a 50th issue.

As for ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED, I agree that Andrade's artwork is the roughest thing about it. Some people like that sort of style, but I don't think it usually works too well for superhero comics. I imagine he was tapped because he was working on the NOMAD back up strips with McKeever and as he was basically only handling about 8 pages a month, he could jump into a mini series quickly. Especially since David Baldeon, of YOUNG ALLIES and NOMAD: GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD fame, was busy on the mini series that would eventually be sold as AVENGERS ACADEMY GIANT SIZE #1.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I think Dan Jurgens will be returning to BOOSTER GOLD soon, I think in time for, or during, its FLASHPOINT tie-in. He probably left the book to hand TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT, and that's done. Sales on BG have been dwindling, but given how far it has lasted, I'd be stunned if DC canned it before a 50th issue.

As for ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED, I agree that Andrade's artwork is the roughest thing about it. Some people like that sort of style, but I don't think it usually works too well for superhero comics. I imagine he was tapped because he was working on the NOMAD back up strips with McKeever and as he was basically only handling about 8 pages a month, he could jump into a mini series quickly. Especially since David Baldeon, of YOUNG ALLIES and NOMAD: GIRL WITHOUT A WORLD fame, was busy on the mini series that would eventually be sold as AVENGERS ACADEMY GIANT SIZE #1.

Yeah, when I talked to Dan Jurgens at the Comic Con, he said his Flashpoint tie-in will be a solid three issues. (Flashpoint itself, I think, goes a bit beyond that.) He will be returning just in time for that. And, I'll be returning to Booster Gold, just because of the tie-in. Frankly, I get tired of all the time traveling. I want a bit more from my Booster.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Finally got to read my comics for the week! I got all my new stuff plus all the stuff I was behind on (save one issue of X-Men: To Serve and Protect... which I'm in no hurry to get at the moment). So I'll just review them all...

Starting with the 4 DC books:

Batman Inc. 3 - So is this book running massively late or something? This is only the 3rd issue while Batman & Robin's had 5 issues come out. Anyway, I though it was decent but it's not exactly gripping me. I enjoyed the first two issues with Catwoman but this issue just kinda bored me. I get annoyed whenever that british team shows up and end up skimming their conversations to keep from rolling my eyes. I don't know anything about them or this guy who Batman's with now but whatever their facing isn't as interesting as Lord Death Man. I think I just like my Batman fighting in Gotham against solid villains.

And I just get the feeling that five to ten years from now all these new Batmen are going to be nowhere to be seen.

Batman & Robin 21 - Now this was MUCH more interesting! I feel that Tomasi had a slightly better grip on Robin than last issue and his premise is more interesting. Last issue some guy fell to his death with wings strapped onto him and bleeding gold... which had to do with some chemical or something. Then in the end of the comic Man-Bat attacked and they stopped him while he was pleading with them to save his children. Well, this issue they do just that as Man-Bat's wife and children were about to fall to theri deaths with some type of bomb or something attached, strapped to wings again. The bomb does end up going off and a building is lit up in light and we're introduced to the White Knight (a person drapped all in light so you see only his form and his eyes). He survives a quick fight with B&R and escapes. We learn that the guy who died last issue is the brother of villain Victor Zsasz and that the wings made for him and for Man-Bat's family are carefully done like the White Knight cares to send them off in honor. Then later we find the Mad Hatter's parents and sibligns hangling in their living room in wings and all that.... and so we learn that the White Knight is targeting the relatives of Arkham inmates, who are guilty by blood relation, to cleans sin from Gotham.

It's an interesting idea that, if played out beyond this first 3 issue arc could be an interesting plot involving the villains of Batman's world getting involved in the hunt and all that. I'm hoping this turns out to be a bigger plot than just 3 issues, as next issue is the conclussion to Dark Knight vs White Knight. All in all though, great issue with great writing and great art. Loved it!

Batgirl 19 - Not quite as good as the previous 2 issues but still better than most things I read in a month in it's simplicity and straight forwardness. Batgirl somewhat teams with the Grey Ghost, who is a crazy man who's kinda obsessed with her but with good intensions that doned a superhero suit in issue 15. They fight Slipstream, who's been playing behind the scenes for a while now, but the fight is cut short by someone still behind the scenes and he gets away. Proxy gets a bigger push since Oracle's got her own thing going on now in Birds of Prey and their whole deal gets a push by Bruce Wayne's cash, upgrading their tech and all that.

It was simple fun and straightforward plot. Not deep running plotlines, no death and gloom, not big event tie-ins... just plain and simple superheroic comics with humor and seriousness mixed for a good read and a good title.

Titans 33 - As Phaed said... the ending is ruined by previous and all that, which sucks, but I'm curious where it goes now. Deathstroke has lost his last eye, Chesire and Arsenal have turned on him, Tatoo Man deserted the team, and Cinder is defeated and no help. And Osiris is off doing his own thing with his sister Isis having nothing to do with the team anyway (and more with the Brightest Day stuff... which I'm eager to see finished from DC). I don't know who this bad guy is, though I'm assuming I'm supposed to know, but all I could think of is that before he removed his "mask" I could'nt take him seriously. I mean, when a costume looks like you just pulled your shirt over your nose because someone farted... I can't read it with a straight face.

And the running side plot of Ray Palmer, aka the Atom, is still on his quest to find out who killed the other Atom in the debute issue of the series. He confronts the broken man who paid for his death and finds out that it was Deathstroke who killed him. I'm eager to see this plot come to a head.

All in all good issue, about as good as the series has been so far. It's not for everyone but I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I can't see this status quo running long term and I'll likely drop the book once it shifts to a more heroic team again, but for the time being I'm enjoying it. I'm eager to see Tatoo Man return though, as he was my favorite character in the book.

Now to the Marvel...

Age of X parts 1-3 (in X-Men Legacy and New Mutants - So I got these and read them all in one sitting and I'm semi-enjoying them but I think I have it figured out already - I don't think this is an alternate universe at all. I could be wrong and I'm only going on a few things but here's my thoughts:

1) None of them have ever been outside the Fortress since this attack 1,000 days ago.

2) Telepaths and other mutants are termed too dangerous and are sedated in the Fortress and mutants who aren't do not know about these mutants or what they can do, or even who they are. Among these mutants are Xavier and Kitty Pryde. Pryde escapes and returns with "evidence" of somesort but messed up and is returned to the prison and not allowed to talk to anyone.

3) Madison Jeffries ("Box") is trying to see the stars for some reason I don't recall but cannot no matter what he does.

4) Tempo dies in the first issue, but besides her the only mentioned dead mutants are Nightcrawler and Madrox... aka, mutants already dead or not on Utopia. Chamber is in the comic and he's usually not on Utopia... this is the only inconsistency but easily explained away.

5) People with damages, such as Karma's leg and Hellion's arms... still have these damages.

So now here is my thought. In the last issue of X-Men Legacy before this event Blindfold foresaw something horrible and just as the issue was ending she saw it coming and the fortress forming. I'm thinking that someone or something has enclosed or somehow altered Utopia so that those inside have entered some type of mental alternate universe, like that Gath sorcorer guy. I think they're actually doing what they're doing on Utopia but in their minds or in some illusion around them what they are seeing or experiencing is the Age of X. But this is all really happening on Utopia. I think we'll discover this and find that Tempo really is dead and things like Cyclops and Frenzy's relationship will have implications because they really did have one (forced mentally however).

It's just a theory but yeah, there it is. I don't think this is an alternate universe at all. It explains how it can have implications after the event is done like Carey says it will, why Frenzy will be a bigger player when it's finished, and why it has to start with the battle the same way every day begins, and why we can't know the origin of what happened from the beginning... because that's the mystery at the end.

More reviews to come momentarilly.

 

[Dread]

I haven't been reading AGE OF X, but the theory I have read about online is

Spoiler

it is a rehash of the first Legion story, where the New Mutants were sucked into his mind and had to side with one or the other of his multiple personalities in a civil war. Only this time, Legion has sucked in everyone in Utopia. That is why characters who should not exist in a world without Xavier, like Danger, are still present and way Telepaths are deemed especially dangerous. Many of those within Utopia see it metaphorically as a fortress in which they spend their lives fighting eternal, never ending battles and dying a death of 1,000 cuts. AGE OF X made this a bit literal.

 

[JewishHobbit]

X-23 7-8 - It's wierd typing that many numbers in a row with dashes. I feel like I'm labeling some experiment or Clone Trooper.

Anyhow, underwhelming. The first arc seemed to interesting while skimming so I started buying the book at issue 4. While issue 4 intrigued me, since then it's not been quite as interesting and issue 8 just kidna sucked (pretty art though). I was going to make this one of my drops but opted to hold off since I LOVED the Weapon X series that stared Malcolm Colcord and it sounds like this is heading that direction so I'm staying on for now.

I do like reading regular adventures of Gambit though. He's not been a regular, consistent character in the X-Men books for a good decade or so, not since he bowed out of X-Treme X-Men. He's been popping up here and there in X-Men Legacy and such books but just as background extras or someone to bounce Rogue off of. His only plot is the Death persona, which isn't progressing in the slightest. So here we get the old Gambit with a cause, overseeing X-23. He has no connection to her but I like what they have because of all the X-Men Gambit was one of themost scarred when it comes to past deeds for a long time. His accompanying X-23 was an interesting pick because he kinda knows where she's coming from. As long as they don't go the romance angle, which would be wierd, I'm cool with this pairing.

X-Men 8 - This is a few weeks old but I'm just now getting it. I'm not liking it though becuase the art sucks and I'm still bitter over the destruction of the Lizard's character and family over in Amazing Spider-Man. I'm just eager for this arc to end. And it's not one of Bachalo's bestdrawn comics.

Venom 1 - I enjoyed the .1 issue enough to try Remender's first issue. I did like it but I don't know I'll like it long term. I'm hoping to and I'll continue for now but I could see this approach becoming tiring if it's just straight forward what we see. I figure I'll give it at least a full 4 to 6 issues before coming to any real conclusions. I do like Flash as Venom but a more interesting in the final of what happens with that union moreso than how it starts. Good art though and I really liked Jack-o-Lantern.

New Avengers 10 - This is my favorite Avengers book (especially since I've officially dropped Avengers and Secret Avengers and most likely Academy) but I'm iffy on this arc specifically. I like the idea of this team they've got together back in 1959 but why do they have to be Avengers? I mean, Sabretooth, Kraven, Namora, Dominic Fortune, etc? I'll see where the plot goes but I'm expecting this to be one of those roll my eyes and move on type of stories that Bendis does every now and again. And to hurt things worse, Chaykin's art makes me what to rip my eyes out so that sure doesn't help.

The modern story drawn by Deodato though, is decent. I don't know what it has to do with the back story but it looks pretty and I'm curious to see what happens with Mockingbird. Spider-Man gets some good panel time here and all that, which is good, and all in all it's the better portion of the story.

Incredible Hulks 624 - I liked this issue and I like the Warbound and Skaar, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm becoming less into this book with the family aspect vanishing. I thought I would love this arc with Miek's return and the Warbound and all that and all I keep thinking is "I miss A-Bomb, Red She-Hulk, and She-Hulk." I love Skaar as a character but he was most interesting in his ongoing and while hating Hulk. The Warbound are good but this is just a fraction of them so it's not as cool as it once was. Also, I'm not digging Eaglesham's art.

With that in mind, I still need to cut some more comics from my pull list and I'm debating on what to cut. This isn't my first choice but it is released twice a month so that'd save me $6 and with Skaar's mini coming up next month or so that' be $9 or $10 a month if I just drop the whole Hulk aspect of comics. I'm considering it but haven't decided yet. I know I'll finish out this arc and I guess maybe I'll see what comes of the following arc with Red She-Hulk and the whole spy thing if it falls on a lighter week, but we'll see.

I don't really want to drop this but I have no choice and HAVE to drop stuff. If I enjoy every book I read, unfortunately some of them have to go the way of the dodo for me whether I want it to or not. Incredible Hulks and soon Skaar would be like 3 drops in one, so that'd save me other books I also enjoy.

I may go a different route, as I do enjoy this book quite a bit, but it'd be the quickest way to save cash. We'll see what happens though.


All in all really good week for comics though. Nothing particularly bad and a lot of really good reads.

Best and Worst of the Week:

Best: Batman & Robin - I think I said enough above. It was just a solid Batman read and made Morrison's issue this week pale in comparison.

Worst: X-23 - There's nothing that'll turn me off more than some random Pirate Tale. It didn't fit the feeling of this book and could easily have been skipped. It felt like filler until the crossover with Dakon and if they NEEDED to write a filler issue they could have done so much better. I like the character and Gambit but this book better pick up over the coming months or it could easily be one of the necessary cuts for me.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I haven't been reading AGE OF X, but the theory I have read about online is

Spoiler

it is a rehash of the first Legion story, where the New Mutants were sucked into his mind and had to side with one or the other of his multiple personalities in a civil war. Only this time, Legion has sucked in everyone in Utopia. That is why characters who should not exist in a world without Xavier, like Danger, are still present and way Telepaths are deemed especially dangerous. Many of those within Utopia see it metaphorically as a fortress in which they spend their lives fighting eternal, never ending battles and dying a death of 1,000 cuts. AGE OF X made this a bit literal.

That makes a lot of sense with

Spoiler

Legion coming back in full swing in the most recent issue of New Mutants prior to this event. It just feels a bit obvious though since he just came back in New Mutants, he brought about the big altnerate universe for the X-Men (Age of Apocalypse) already. Also, if this was still Zeb Wells writing it'd feel a natural direction but this is Mike Carey who had nothing to do with Legion prior to this arc.

Not necessarily this but I'm betting something more along the lines of someone messing with Danger and running a huge Danger Room sequence on Utopia, but somehow it effects their minds along with the suroundings. Still Utopia, but different in visual and mental.

But I don't know... it really does seem like a plausable reasoning for what's going on. I guess we'll just have to see how it's been playing out.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Incredible Hulks 624 - I liked this issue and I like the Warbound and Skaar, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm becoming less into this book with the family aspect vanishing. I thought I would love this arc with Miek's return and the Warbound and all that and all I keep thinking is "I miss A-Bomb, Red She-Hulk, and She-Hulk." I love Skaar as a character but he was most interesting in his ongoing and while hating Hulk. The Warbound are good but this is just a fraction of them so it's not as cool as it once was. Also, I'm not digging Eaglesham's art.

I just finished reading the last three issues of Incredible Hulks, and I'm really looking at this from the opposite direction. I find myself less and less interested with the Hulk family; and, I'm not at all excited about the return of the Warbound and Miek. I long for when Hulk can finally ditch Skaar, She-Hulk, and the rest; because, I'm getting bored with these same old storylines being rehashed in different ways. (One reason I'm liking Parker's Hulk. It's completely different from what Loeb was doing previous.)

 

[Tron Bonne]

I just finished reading the last three issues of Incredible Hulks, and I'm really looking at this from the opposite direction. I find myself less and less interested with the Hulk family; and, I'm not at all excited about the return of the Warbound and Miek. I long for when Hulk can finally ditch Skaar, She-Hulk, and the rest; because, I'm getting bored with these same old storylines being rehashed in different ways. (One reason I'm liking Parker's Hulk. It's completely different from what Loeb was doing previous.)

Surely, you must mean you long for when She-Hulk can ditch him

 

[JewishHobbit]

I just finished reading the last three issues of Incredible Hulks, and I'm really looking at this from the opposite direction. I find myself less and less interested with the Hulk family; and, I'm not at all excited about the return of the Warbound and Miek. I long for when Hulk can finally ditch Skaar, She-Hulk, and the rest; because, I'm getting bored with these same old storylines being rehashed in different ways. (One reason I'm liking Parker's Hulk. It's completely different from what Loeb was doing previous.)

More than likely when that happens I will officially leave the book. I'm really enjoying it but I like Hulk bouncing off of these other characters. Him by himself or alone with anyone other than Skaar wouldn't keep my interest. Honestly, the first issue of Incredible Hulk to ever catch my interest in my going on 20 years of reading was 601 when Skaar came on board. Before that I may have read an issue or two that was good (I enjoyed the X-Factor crossover "War Games" in the 90's and a random issue here and there since then) but there's never been anything to keep me on the book for more than a couple issues.

With last issue's departure of A-Bomb and She-Hulk I can't help but to wonder if they've gone from supporting characters to cameo characters. I know Red She-Hulk left as well but she's due back for the next arc, though with no mention of A-Bomb or She-Hulk. There's no mention of Skaar in the upcoming issues and I'm assuming, based on his upcoming mini, that something happens next issue that leaves him in the Savage Land. If he becomes a mainstray there and also becomes just a supporting character then I'll likely drop the book. I guess we'll see how it all plays out.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Not really tying into the conversation; but, I just finished reading issues #4-7 of Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors. I have to say it's got to be one of the most boring Green Lantern titles I've read in a while, and it reminded me of a couple things.

One, at the recent DC Panel at the Comic Con I attended, a nice round of applause was met when a gal question three books that were being cancelled, and she asked, "When can we expect other titles like that; because, I could really care less about another Batman, Superman, or Green Lantern title to fill their void?" This led to my second thought, where I know we've been talking about the decline in sales in another thread; and, I wonder, how much of this decline is due to there being so many titles for one character or group. Would more people be buying Thor, Hulk, or other titles if we were back to just one title for each of them?

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't know, maybe, but people would probably still ignore the lesser character's titles regardless of that. It could possibly help, though, I don't know.