BOUGHT/THOUGHT for Wednesday, February 28th

[Darthphere]

now that's just ****ing petty.

I don't care, but I know Dread has gotten *****ed at before for doing the same thing. Dread is my friend.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Why is noone reviewing the Heralds of Galactus book today?

 

[Darthphere]

Why is noone reviewing the Heralds of Galactus book today?

Tomorrow my child, tomorrow.

 

[PhotoJones]

I don't care, but I know Dread has gotten *****ed at before for doing the same thing. Dread is my friend.

whatever.

did you get your books today? i'm trying to find someone that bought/looked at the newest iron man. i want to know if de la torre has always been this good, or if i'm just crazy. because if memory serves, i did not pick up ms. marvel initially because i thought the artwork sucked balls.

his colorist on iron man is excellent, and sibal inked it, so THAT could be the answer...i dunno...

 

[Darthphere]

whatever.

did you get your books today? i'm trying to find someone that bought/looked at the newest iron man. i want to know if de la torre has always been this good, or if i'm just crazy. because if memory serves, i did not pick up ms. marvel initially because i thought the artwork sucked balls.

his colorist on iron man is excellent, and sibal inked it, so THAT could be the answer...i dunno...

I liked his art on Ms. Marvel.

 

[PhotoJones]

I liked his art on Ms. Marvel.

i don't think i did...i think it reminded me of a bad deodato or something...

 

[Darthphere]

I just saw some preview pages, and dude mustve made a deal with the devil or holding back on Ms Marvel.

 

[PhotoJones]

I just saw some preview pages, and dude mustve made a deal with the devil or holding back on Ms Marvel.

i knew it!

his iron stuff is really, really good. especially his dum dum dugan.

in whatever preview you saw, did it include the 2 page splash?

 

[Darthphere]

i knew it!

his iron stuff is really, really good. especially his dum dum dugan.

in whatever preview you saw, did it include the 2 page splash?

Yeah:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9825

 

[PhotoJones]

yep. must be the inker/colorist combo...

 

[SouLeSS]

Can anyone post a scan of Sobek owning Osiris?

 

[MaskedManJRK]

FRONTLINE #11: Tying up some loose ends from CIVIL WAR #7, it benefits, as it always has, from Jenkins being a more cerebral and subtle writer than Millar is. Millar, as he said in an interview, is basically trying to appease his inner 10 year old. Other writers, like Jenkins, to some degree have grown up into men. This is a well written issue, amung the best of the series as Urich and Floyd interview both Cap and Stark and hammer down their motives for the war and in a way showcase how neither side is innocent. Most of it makes some sense. But combined it reaffirms why CIVIL WAR in a way was unsatisfying; both sides were right, and both were wrong, and both went about it in morally ambiguous ways. Cap became a semi terrorist thug out of touch with common Americans, and Stark sacrificed friendships and lives to achieve a greater good, not unlike, say, Magneto. But an ending of "everyone is bad!" doesn't leave one feeling terribly good. Oh, it's plenty "real" and all, just not satisfying. It's not Nova ripping out Annihilus' guts-satisfying. It's not Dr. Strange-saves-Wong satisfying (more later). It is just draining. I've had a year of this kind of bleak nihilism and it seems it'll be at least another few months of the aftermath, or Initiative. At least with the war over and the status quo apparently agreed upon, maybe the aftermath will be less crude as the war was. I still was irked that despite everything Sally Floyd seems to have no respect for Cap, which even if he made a bad mistake isn't justified. It also confirms that 6 superheroes died in the final battle (and of course, 47 innocent civilians), although who they were hasn't been stated. FL #10 had Typeface be one shown casualty, and ASM noted that Triathalon was MIA, but aside for that, nada. So, CW is over and in a way everyone lost. How wonderful. I'd love to read that again and again....only I'm not a masochist freak like Speedball is now. Hopefully 2007 bares more fruit from the scortched Earth.

To Be Continued

I look at it this way--Marvel has always pegged itself as the more realistic universes, with people who disagree with the heroes intent, regular joes who have to worry about the rent as well, that kind of deal. And this is realism at it's "finest"--no clear line between good and evil, just a series of grays.

When I read a comic, I'm not really reading it for simple heroism. It's not that I hate it, but all I care about is a good story. And while I didn't LOVE Civil War, I didn't hate it, and I'm entriqued as to what kind of stories this Brave New World will bring.

Sorry guys but i have a question bout Frontline, I 've been thinking it over but I dont understand how having Norman Osborn as a loose vigilante killing people was supposed make heroes join pro-reg. Osborn is already a known criminal and maniac, what does that have to do with anything. I know i must be missing something but I dont understand Tony's logic, can someone explain it to me?

Well, I haven't read the series, but I highly doubt that Norman, or the Thunderbolts are really in the public eye or that well known by the heroes. So, Norman was probably just following orders and if he was captured, Tony or anyone in SHRA would acknowledge his position.

And if that is what happened, and Norman is public, I will make it a personal quest to slap Joey up-side his head. I mean, the regular joes are never known for their smarts, but that's just a huge stretch.

 

[PWN3R]

Yeah:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9825

IRON MAN #15
COVER BY: ADI GRANOV
WRITER: DANIEL KNAUF, CHARLES KNAUF
PENCILS: PATRICK ZIRCHER
INKS: SCOTT HANNA
COLORED BY: STUDIO F - EDGAR DELGADO
LETTERED BY: VC - JOSEPH CARAMAGNA

That explains it photojones. Man that looks nice.

 

[Dread]

Believe it or not I'm actually going to stick up for joey q here

To say that marvel ae the only company taking the money grubbing route in light of recent announcements is frankly farcical. Didio has gone from infinite crisis straight into a year long weekly event. Seeing that the fans where willing to cough up he's decided to follow this up with ANOTHER year long weekly event. In reality DC fans who want to stay current have not been given a break. There was no gap between infinite crisis and 52, 52 leads into countdown which then will lead into yet another crossover. DC are just as guilty as marvel at the moment.

Also while Joey Q has gone back on his word about no major events at least he hasn't been flat out lying to fans in order to tell a more surprising story. Joey Q said from the start that there was no villain behind civil war. By sticking to this vehemently I would argue the ending of civil war suffered as a result. Didio on the other hand told people that:

ralph wasn't on the gingold (sp?) LIE
booster's story was over LIE

By introducing world war hulk Joey Q has actually given the fans of pak's work on planet hulk WHAT THEY WANTED. He's listened to the fans of annihilation and is in the process of getting a sequel ready. He's giving marvel readers the answers to many nagging questions and a clearer idea of how the new marvel u will opperate in the initiative, WHICH IS NECESSARY given the extreme changes going on. Essentially all these events ARE GIVING THE FANS WHAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR.

How many DC fans honestly want to shell out for another weekly book a soon as the current one finishes? Didio has seen that he can extract a lot of money from DC's readership with the weekly format and decided to go for broke with a second one.

DC are just as bad as marvel in this respect, the difference being that most of the marvel books are what the fans wanted. He's breaking his promise in order to GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT. Ironic given the lesser of two evils take on civil war that the section focussing on tony in frontline discusses this very week.

In short I dub thee Doc Destruction Mk2. Marvel are bad at the moment but don't let your traditionally marvel-centric views, and anger at what you see as being ripped of by the company you support, blind you to the fact that DC are doing the exact same thing to their own readership as we speak.

Damn...writing these uber-long posts is harder than dread and brianwilly make it look

I could think of some long winded rebuttal, but it would only be for pride and would have no actual value. You're completely right on this point. I read mostly Marvel and so sometimes I forget or omit the fact that Marvel doesn't operate in a vaccuum, and that many of the things I/we complain about, DC does as well. I credit DC for re-introducing the concept of violently murdering C-Listers for cheap thrills, what with IDENTITY CRISIS and COUNTDOWN TO IC. They've had characters wildly act OOC too (Leslie Thompkins and Cassandra Cain to name two) and in those cases Dan & the writers were less than apologetic. I agree that heaping yet ANOTHER weekly, year long series after 52 is a shameless shill tactic, and rushing out sub-par issues of IC when they knew full well the "full" version was getting into the trade to hook readers twice is shameless too. Sure, CW was late but at least everything was in as it was intended, even if the story bares signs of rewrites no matter what Marvel says.

Sometimes when I mention DC's faults too, some posters (like Tropico) feel I am simply "spreading the venom" with a cheap shot. But I fully acknowledge that DC does the same things that Marvel does that I dislike. Both companies rip each other off and that means the same tactics, good or bad, are repeated. In a way it is a shame that they've gotten no competition but each other since the early 90's, when at least Malibu and Image were credible threats. Since then it's just been the Big Two bouncing back and forth, with Marvel usually coming out on top even when it barely tries.

I agree. I mean, WWH is something everyone wanted to see. I know I would've been pissed if Hulk just stayed on the Planet chilling.

Also, if we want to play semantics here, Joey Q was talking universe wide crossover event. WWH is a pretty big event, but nowhere near the scope of a Civil War.

EDIT: I aslo wanted to add that I've never in my whole life have been picking up so many comic books from both companies, and really were getting what looks to be some quality stuff coming out of CW and from DC. I will gladly put down my money every week for comics that I CHOSE to buy and enjoy.

Very well, I just figure it would be better if Joe Q declined to answer a question vs. having to backtrack later. THE INITATIVE will have at least as many chapters as CW does. It's an event. I suppose WWH takes the place of ANNIHILATION, which is also seeing a sequal. Granted, that sequal may be smaller, like two titles, and I actually liked ANNIHILATION, so I am biased. As everyone is.

Before you get *****ed at further, I see no reason for that Dr Strange The Oath spoiler in a CW Frontline review, especially if someone is specifically avoiding spoilers from that title.

My review is coming. And c'mon! Who expected Wong to die? Really!? I give disclaimers about spoilers anyway.

 

[Shadowknight]

Can anyone post a scan of Sobek owning Osiris?

It's a pity I can't find the .mp3 from

Spoiler

the Half-Life mod, "They Hunger"; it's called "You are what I eat" t:

I smell you around the corner
Ripe and ready for eating
In the gutter you'll soon be bleeding
I am your only moarner

[Chorus]
You are what I eat
So much flesh, so much meat
With my hands your skull I will beat
Leave your carcus in the street

My arms reach for your sides
To rip your limbs from your body
Relish the pain in which you writh
'Cuz you have feed something rotting

[Chorus]

Disembowl you with a knife
A smorgusboard of organs lie against the wall
And no one here cares about you plight
We just ate your family at the mall

[Chorus]

 

[Dread]

Dread's BOUGHT/THOUGHT for 2/28/07 Part II: The Really Great Part!

These are comics, all from Marvel I might add, that were simply pleasures to read. Yes, a rare thing sometimes from me, but the truth. A shame in a way that CW couldn't provide that kind of reaction.

DR. STRANGE: OATH #5: Vaughn & Martin's limited series about the Sorceror Supreme comes to a close, and this was argueably the best Dr. Strange story I have read in a very long while, if not ever (although I didn't read a whole lot of him before). I wholeheartedly recommend the trade. Not a fan of Dr. Strange? No matter; neither was I. But this series has enough of a recap of Dr. Strange's origin and motivations while intertwining it with the plot that ANY reader could give it a whurl and appreciate it. Martin's art is fantastic; Vaughan has a knack for getting solid artists who not only are usually "against the grain" (i.e. types that don't draw Olympians and Supermodels), but can usually maintain a deadline. Martin makes Wong look lean and fit, but not like a Capcom reject. He captures the fact that Dr. Strange is about middle aged (at least in his 40's) and the detail he gives to his manged, scarred hands is rivetting and disturbing, something I have rarely seen. And even Night Nurse isn't a supermodel. In fact, the only flaw in this tale is that the villian, Nicodemous West, suffers from "one shot rogue" syndrome, which plagues the entire Marvel Universe now; many writers are willing to create a new villian, but one specific to a single story and then they axe him/her off. I suppose there could be some way to revive West I suppose, and Brigand is still alive (even if he merely is a resourceful thief). The moral dilemma of ridding the world of disease aside, Dr. Strange has his showdown with West to save Wong's life with the Elixir. This leads to some good conversations and some utterly brilliant pacing by Vaughan. Some people ae at a loss to how to make Dr. Strange look imposing without being omnipotent, and so on; BKV nails it with ease, from Strange chasing West and easily countering his spells to West forcing a magic-less fistcuff showdown. At first I thought BKV forgot Strang's training, but nope, he merely paces it efficiently so the fight has some drama to it. The ending at first seems pyrric as Strange is forced to make an impossible choice (let Wong die but duplicate the Elixir to save millions, or save Wong and honor his commitment to current patients and friends). Stephan naturally chooses the former; after all, no hero can literally wipe disease from the globe and there is that issue of overpopulation. BKV also has Night-Nurse play a role too; she steals some key papers to incriminate West's bosses at Timely and the series ends with her moving into the Sanctum and getting a taste of his Wand of Watoomb...well, sort of. I know I just basically spilled the whole issue, but the devil is in the details and it really has to be experienced and read to enjoy it fully. Hopefully BKV won't be too busy on LOST if Marvel decides to tap him to write a DR. STRANGE ongoing if it comes to it, because NO ONE has captured Strange so dynamically in years. He makes him work as a powerful but flawed and therefore interesting (and human) hero. Probably the best DR. STRANGE story in a decade, and a solid Marvel comic by any standard. Buy it!!

THE ETERNALS #7: Cynically, I believed that this series was stretched from 6 to 7 issues to capitilize on CIVIL WAR, which had been a topic detail throughout the series (and argueably made it seem more like a CW chapter than XM: CIVIL WAR sure did). Gaiman finishes off his magic on the Eternals and sets up a new status quo for them, assuming the rest of Marvel can remember that the towering DREAMING CELESTIAL is standing right in the middle of a park. Zuras pulls a "Kid Miracleman" on Pixie, Makkari manges to beat 6,000 Deviants, and the Eternals are set up to be an interesting force again, with a new motif and purpose. Romita Jr. also turns in more of the best art of his career, which is saying a lot. The only downside is I doubt anyone else can write these Eternals as easily and/or as well as Gaiman himself, and he naturally isn't about to do an ongoing. It always is funny to see how Iron Man shamelessly bully heroes less powerful than him, but against Sentry or the Eternals, he can actually be reasonable instead of being a fascist. The delays didn't help but I can say I enjoyed the series, especially since I never really cared for the Eternals before and found them kind of conveluted. Gaiman ran headfirst at the concept and ground it down enough so it worked for the 21st century. Add them to the list of positive Marvel relaunches, along with MOON KNIGHT, IRON FIST, NOVA, DR. STRANGE, etc.

RUNAWAYS #24: The Second great BKV Marvel book on the list, and no accident either. Strangely solicted as being double sized by some sources, this is a normal issue and apparently the last by BKV, Alphona and inker Criag (who drew a mean "RUNAWAYS #150" cover with adult Molly) on the franchise they launched back on TSUNAMI 3.5 years ago. It is the end of an era and they are going to be ungodly missed. RUNAWAYS was usually considered my #1 Marvel ongoing, rivalled only by the more erratic YOUNG AVENGERS. It was almost never late, had great new characters, great stories, good dialogue & art, and seemed to build upon itself and deliver. BKV certainly delivered on his promise that Gert's death "wouldn't be forgotten in an issue" as this story climaxes Chase's mad quest to resurrect her, in spite of his friends and his own life. Yeah, previews to #25 sort of ruined suspence as it showed everyone lived, but I didn't mind because I never wanted any of them to croak. The team outwits the Gibborum and there is a bit of a resolution as Victor & Nico admit to being a couple, Molly approves of Xavin, and Karolina and Chase come to terms. It ends on a slight climax when Iron Man and his SHIELD agents have invaded the Hostel, presumably explaining why the kids are in NYC next issue. It also gives some resolution to Alex Wilder. In a way the only problem is that it almost seems too soon; surely BKV could have cranked out another 6-12 issues. But, he feels it's best to end at a peak rather than a decline, a lesson I wish Bendis learned on USM. As he launched the franchise it was his decision to make. Unfortunately, Marvel is treating Whedon's run as the second coming, despite the fact that at a measily 6 issues, I'd call it a Limp-D*** run in comparison, and by October we'll be wondering who is going to fill in. RUNAWAYS deserves a stable writer if it will survive as it should for another 126 issues as the creators envision. Whedon should double sales but the book already had a small and steady fanbase that hopefully will stick around for whoever replaces Whedon. Anyway, that is all in the murky future. The Present is that BKV ended his run on his characters on his terms, and I respect that. Great issue, and as much as I may end up missing "my rock" in this title, it was good having it for 2 solid years (how long I bought Vol. 2 monthly; Vol. 1 I read via digest). And yes, Molly was adorable here, haters! Even if Chase is still my favorite.

 

[PhotoJones]

That explains it photojones. Man that looks nice.

except that it's de la torre, not zircher.

that solicit is wrong.

 

[PWN3R]

except that it's de la torre, not zircher.

that solicit is wrong.

Really? I haven't got the issue yet. Whatever drugs he's on, I want some, his stuff looks totally different. Tons better.

 

[PhotoJones]

Really? I haven't got the issue yet. Whatever drugs he's on, I want some, his stuff looks totally different. Tons better.

i'm glad i'm not crazy, and that his art really HAS improved. although i still say it's the inker/colorist combo.

 

[Specter313]

I'll just let this echo my thoughts on what I read went down in Frontline:

TONY STARK: NOW AND FOREVER, A TOTAL JERKWAD
For months on end and over a seemingly countless number of crossover books, Marvel has straddled the fence on Tony Stark's and Captain America's characterizations throughout Civil War, ensuring that neither could be presented as strictly the "hero" or the "villain"-until now. Paul Jenkins, in wrapping up this 11-part Civil War tie-in series, completely blows that ambiguous distinction out of the water when reporters Ben Urich and Sally Floyd present incontrovertible evidence that Stark-in a move reminiscent of Vice President Dick Cheney's alleged involvement with government contractor Haliburton during the second Iraq war-manipulated events to not only cause the Civil War, but to profit from it and improve his standing in the United States. According to the reporters, Stark helped rush the registration law through confirmation; purposefully built a harsh mega-prison in the Negative Zone to coerce heroes into helping him; enlisted costumed supervillains to aid his cause; manipulated Norman Osborn and caused him to try and murder an Atlantean political delegate (then covered up his own involvement); profited off the near-assassination by manipulating the stock market and funneled over $90 million into a secret Swiss bank account, which he then used as a trust to provide help to rescue workers (and registered heroes); and he risked war with Atlantis because he concluded the U.S. would win because of its growing ranks of registered heroes. Yet despite all this so-called proof, Floyd and Urich simply walk out of Stark's office with the lamest excuse-and biggest insult to investigative journalism-ever written for a comic book: "We'd never jeopardize what you're trying to accomplish." Somewhere, Woodward and Bernstein are throwing a fit at this journalistic oversight. But that's not even how the story ends: Tony Stark stares out the window, then breaks down into uncontrollable tears and throws his Iron Man helmet in a petulant fit, ostensibly because he's been caught?!? Kind of like what I did after reading this incomprehensible story.

 

[Specter313]

RUNAWAYS #24: The Second great BKV Marvel book on the list, and no accident either. Strangely solicted as being double sized by some sources, this is a normal issue and apparently the last by BKV, Alphona and inker Criag (who drew a mean "RUNAWAYS #150" cover with adult Molly)

Where is this work of art you speak of?!

 

[Assassin]

No, I think you just like reveling in the fact you enjoy a comic almost everyone on here hates.

Shut your hater hole, this was a great issue.

 

[Roughneck]

Justice #10 - Not reading until I hav all 12
Wolverine #51 - Everyone loves an issue long Wolverine/Sabertooth Fight, but I honestly can't read the primal flashback stuff....and where the hell did storm come from, she doesn't fit in here at all.
X-men #196 - I am not liking Carey's run at all....It's dumb
52 #43 - heh Heh heh heh hehhhh
New Excalibur #17 - Somehow I missed this one ntil just now, so i have to read it.

TPBs

Invincible Vol 7
Y the Last man Vols 1-3

Havent read them yet.

 

[BrianWilly]

52 Week 42
"Oh, Sobek!"

I'm surprised; I guess I'm one of the few (only?) people who really, really liked this issue. I really liked how the Marvels were portrayed here; that shot of Billy on the throne flanked by his family was pretty badass. And, heh, "I'll tell you when you're older, Mary." It's sort of how I wish they were portrayed in Trials of Shazam.

I also really liked the Animal Man scene. His augmented powers? Awesome. Pulling himself back from the edge and latching on to sun-eaters' homing abilities? Awesome.

And wow, that ending. That was...huh. Didn't expect that. Some people called it, but even then I didn't expect that. Good thing I haven't grown too attached to Osiris (though he was cute and charming ("Happy Halloween, Judeo-Christians!" Heh, I'll remember that fondly) ) or else I might be sadder. I think I'll really be sad if Isis dies next week, though.

And for the love of cake, Plastic Man's son's name is Luke. Luke. Not Ernie! Damn you, Superboy-Prime!

(8.5 out of 10)


Dr. Strange: The Oath #5
Books like this and X-Factor are pretty much the only reason that, no matter how much I'll whine about Marvel and go yada yada yada the universe is so dark and stupid, I'll never ever actually say, "That's it! I'm dropping Marvel!" Well...that, and Joss Whedon of course. But Joss Whedon is like the wind: chilly, insane, and sometimes moist. You can never be sure when exactly he'll blow you. I mean, uh, blow at you.

What more is there, really, to say about this series? I've read a reasonable amount of Dr. Strange, and I'm hard-pressed to remember when exactly he's ever been written so well, with this much humanity and personality. Certainly not within the last decade...maybe during his second series which would have ended in...the eighties? Has it really been so long?

It's interesting, the rationale that Strange gives for wanting to use the Panacea. It's not really the most logical argument ("Artificial hearts and CAT scans didn't hurt humanity, so...neither will this CURE FOR ALL DISEASES!") which sort of solidifies my view that Strange is far less about the logical course and far more about what he feels like doing. But if you really examine the argument...would a cure for all diseases actually hurt humanity? Unlike a lot of the ills that we experience in the world like war and murder and corruption and manipulation and environmental hazards etc...disease is possibly the only one that wasn't directly caused by us. It's not "cheating" to get rid of it any more than it is cheating to build sturdy houses against earthquakes, not like it would be cheating if someone magically said, "Okay, there are magically no more wars in the world. Congratulations, despite being utter prcks and evil people who make war in the first place, you now magically aren't!" Don't we deserve a world free of disease? It shouldn't be something we have to earn. The only real objection to it is overpopulation, and really...would we actually overpopulate that much slower if people occasionally got cancer? And if it really got to be a problem -- like lethally -- can't we just start implementing a birthrate limit, as in China? Okay, so it's a wee bit fascist. But at the reward of being permanently free of all diseases, ever? I'd personally make that sacrifice in an instant.

Anyway, love the writing, love the dialogue (Vaughan writes Strange's dialogue pretty much flawlessly) and love the art. And yes, major props to Vaughan for doing his homework and knowing that Strange was taught martial arts by Wong. Which is why he would never get stabbed by a ninja. Nope.

On an end note, however...I'm probably the only one that's still ragging about this and, damnit, I'll be ragging on it forever: WHAT ABOUT CLEA?? Stephen, you ****! Well, I do really like the status quo set up by the end of this (which I did see coming)...too bad that it will probably be completely forgotten or rendered invalid by New Avengers.

(9.3 out of 10)
(10 out of 10 for the entire series)


Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood #4
Great action issue. The storyline is paced quite effectively, bringing us from deadly combat into the heart of the endgame, and the plot is at once detailed and straightforward enough to be reasonably intriguing.

Why, then, a docked score from me? Because someone in midst of all this, we've lost any and all time for CONNOR HAWKE. Remember, the guy who this miniseries is supposed to be about in the first place? Sure, Connor does a lot of stuff in this issue, but at no point did he ever affect any manner of noteworthy emotion whatsoever; you could have replaced him with any other character whatsover and I don't think it would have mattered. Kishu-san, the old guy who he's been bonding with, gets killed and Connor goes, "Wait, what?" He finds out that his half-brother, the son of Ollie and Shado, is being held hostage and it seems like all he can muster is some mild perturbance. Meanwhile, side characters who I couldn't possibly care less about get about as much screen time and about ten times as much personality as Connor does. Yes, pretty action, much quips. But I can get that anywhere else; I buy this book to get Connor, not characters that I didn't know before and will forget about as soon as this series is over.

Obviously Connor is a taciturn and modest sort of personality in the first place, but here it's coming off like Dixon just forgot he had a personality at all. And lest we forget, just last issue he was jumping some bones, so it's not like the guy's a wooden drone or something. And it's weird, because the Connor I remember from Dixon's older series was filled with emotion, wore his heart on his sleeve, and evinced palpable pathos even at his utterly most stoic.

I'm being unreasonably harsh on this, of course; in other issues Connor showed a great deal of characterization and personality, so taken as a whole it's not like it drags the series down too much. But for this one issue, it's noticeable.

(6.8 out of 10)


X-Factor #16
Y'know, I actually fully expected Jamie to just absorb this clone like a big ol' sonuvabtch and leave that family to go to ruins. Maybe it was 'cause Jamie was sort of discovering an edgier, more controversial, more "damn the consequences" sort of attitude last issue. Or maybe it's just the darkness of Marvel getting to me. Either way, Peter David reminds us that just because things are dark doesn't mean they have to get too dark. Props.

Meanwhile, Monet and Teresa have more wacky shenanigans in Paris. I don't really see the point of this fun-filled romp with crucifixions and the illegal immigration or what it's leading up to, but it's obviously leading up to something and, hell, it's such a wacky, fun-filled shenaniganny rompous that I'm enjoying it anyway.

(8.8 out of 10)


Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9
Let me just say that I did not hate the Bilson/Demeo run. I didn't like it, exactly, but generally I thought it was very unfairly underrated and lambasted. It's good that the writing team changed, yes, but I personally did not think the former team's transgressions were really that big of a deal.

Now with that said...wow, what a nice change of pace. It's not perfect...but it's a huge step in the right direction. I mean, huge. We're talking Neil Armstrong steps here. Yes, the art is still really really sketchy and let's hope that improves. More importantly...Bart's personality, and what is arguably his real personality, is magnified almost tenfold here.

He remembers his old friends, like Tim!...even if said friend, for reason, seem to be wearing his old costume(Come on, it's only been an entire year now since Robin's costume got upgraded?). He remembers his old names! That scene of him getting distracted 'cause the Everyman was using the name "Impulse" was just classic. He remembers to be funny! And gets to pwn his teacher at the police academy (btw, have I mentioned before how good an idea this is? Because it is) with his booksmarts! Also, props for remembering that Bart is a horrible driver! I thought the breakup scene with Val was pretty forced, though. It felt like Guggenheim just didn't feel like dealing with this bit of baggage from the former run, so he just ditched it outright. Normally I'd be annoyed at a writer for doing this...but oh wth. You can chalk it up to Bart being emotionally sixteen in the body of a twenty-year old, like they said. Another point for remembering something!

Actually, I was enjoying everything right up to the very end with that Justice League appearance which felt very very...awkward, to say the least. Not only was it completely out from left field, but Bart's reaction was also a bit OOC. I mean GL, Black Canary, and Ars...I mean Red Arrow show up and Bart completely pops a woody? Not only has he met all of them before and probably spilled drinks on their shoes once or twice, but they didn't even...<I>do</I> anything that impressive. Ooh, arrow with string. Ooh, green bubbles. Btch, I could buy that sht down at the department store. Bart pretty much turns down Tim for the prom (heh) for this group of berks? This is the same Bart that started picking a fight with the JLA without a moment's hesitation in the past 'cause he thought they weren't being fair to his friends? Uh...yeah sure, whatev. It's the sort of thing that might even go unnoticed an issue before, but with things going so right here it's especially glaring.

(8 out of 10)


Blue Beetle #12
Nothing too interesting happens, but some neat action and much quips. Plot rolls along. Characters all cool. And sometimes, that's really all you need.

(7.5 out of 10)

 

[BrianWilly]

This gets its own separate, "special" review.

Civil War: Frontline #11
So basically, because Captain America doesn't have a myspace profile or vote for American Idol, he is a horrible American and fights for the wrong things. W...tf? I think a poster on scans daily put it the best..."America is shallow and decadent, how dare you suggest it should stand for something greater! Join the rest of us in celebrating mediocrity and things that appeal to our most base natures!" Okay, just...Skrulls. The answer is Skrulls.

There are quite a number of comics out there that make me go "W...tf?" when I read it, mostly because it's a crappy comic or a stupid idea or bad writing or something. Very rarely, there are comics out there that make me go "W...tf?" because it's just too confusing or hard to understand or follow; these are in the rarity because I can usually follow a complicated storyline reasonably well or, even if I don't, it doesn't usually bother me.

Even more rare are the comics that make me go "W...tf?" because they are both completely crappy and nearly impossible to understand. Prior examples of this include Peter Milligan's run on the X-Men and Chris Claremont on Excalibur v2. We can now add Jenkin's Civil War: Frontline to this list. Because wow. I don't even know what to think right now. This really is the sort of work that someone should be fired over. Yeah. There, I said it.

First of all...Marvel, do you actually understand what you're implying here? Do you understand what you just did? You just had Iron Man assassinate dozens in cold blood. You just made Iron Man a murderer. Or have we forgotten already about the Atlanteans who got snuffed by Osborn in that warehouse? Because you're telling us that it wasn't Osborn out of control that did it; you're telling us that he was never out of control, and that Tony Stark was playing him like a puppet at all times. Basically, he pulled threw those pumpkin bombs himself. He pulled that trigger himself. Do you understand what this actually means?

Second of all...for the love of all that is good and Buffy, why? Why would he do this? For the heroes to have something to unite against? But...what? What if Atlantis decides to side with the anti-regs and just retaliate against the pro-regs? Which they actually ended up doing! And hell, on that note, why would the Atlanteans retaliate over this at all? Osborn was a supervillain. Everyone knows that. He doesn't represent the American people or its government (well, until now he didn't) any more than Nitro did. And all that Namor did upon learning about Nitro was to take the guy home with him and torture him, he didn't declare war over it. Even if he did it would be based on the wildest impulses and the slimmest of likelihoods. And even then, it's not remotely a certainty that it would unite heroes on the side of registration. So basically, Tony was banking on a probability of a probability of a probability. He lowered himself to work with an unwilling human nanite slave and ordered assassinations of the innocent...for this? I mean, hell, Stark himself laughs it off, saying that it doesn't make any sense. By the end of the story, it still doesn't make any sense!

So we're at the end. Ben and Sally have uncovered the big truth behind the whole thing with utter finesse and the worksmanship of master journalists, they've confronted Tony Stark about it who does a fair impression of a deer caught in headlights...then what? Apparently, they choose not to release the story.

Wait. W...tf?

Why exactly...don't they release the story? They just walk away whilst making some sarcastic comments at Tony? But...why? I'm seriously, completely drawing at blanks here. I'm trying to apply any manner of logical human response to this turn of events, and I can't.

Is it because they truly do understand why Stark did what he did and respect his sacrifice? There's little indication from the story to suggest so...and even if they do, that's hardly reason enough to withhold news of this magnitude. Is it because they've unconsciously turned pro-reg and don't want to damage the process of the SHRA? Sally shows palpable leanings towards the idea of registration by this point, but Ben shows none whatsoever. I mean, Urich quit the Daily Bugle for the precise reason that he knew it was a stilted newspaper that wouldn't publish this story, and then with his newfound liberty he...doesn't publish it this story. And it sounds even more ridiculous on the tail end of all that nonsense regarding how much more objective and impartial they were going to be from now on; this is pretty much the exact opposite of being impartial!

On that note, let's talk about Sally Floyd "seeing the light." She say that before, she was basically just another J Jonah Jameson, or a liberal version of him; utterly opinionated, utterly stubborn, obsessively sticking to whatever side of the story that will affirm what he believes, no matter how wrong. So now she claims that she isn't that way anymore, because a conversative senator verbally pwned her or something. Except...except that she obviously is still that way. She's still pigheaded and self-righteous and not the slightest bit objective, except that now she's switched to the other side of the argument! She, in a sense, has become more like Jameson than ever before!

So what are we left with? Stark gets away with murder, literally (but remember, he feels really really bad about it! This gives him depth! This means you should relate to this character!), while Captain America is in prison because he didn't download Paris Hilton porn off of Youtube. Welcome to Marvel! Hey you there, put out that @#$%ing cigarette before we sic some nanites on you!

(Incidentally, what's even more hilarious about that little "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AMERICA" spiel is that Steve Rogers probably has the biggest hard-on in the universe for the World Series...hello, he's from the 40s, you think he doesn't watch baseball?? And NASCAR? Anyone who's been reading Brubaker on Captain America could probably tell you that Steve would go utterly bonkers for that sht!)

Sweet Lords of Kobol, I hope World War Hulk: Frontline isn't like this. To paraphrase Dread, this is one of those things (arguably the majority of things at Marvel) that makes everyone look horrible and makes you feel bad and calls it a story. And to paraphrase Peter David, it's easy to make someone feel bad. It's making them feel good that's hard

(1.5 out of 10. The lowest I have ever given to any comic I've rated here. Ever.)
(4 out of 10 for the entire series)