Bought/Thought: January 13th, 2010

[Phaedrus45]

Black Widow: Deadly Origin #3

Speaking of Paul Tobin, his Black Widow & The Marvel Girls is so superior to this mini. While the two previous issues of this title were alright, issue #3 completely misses the mark, both in story and Natasha's interaction with the other 616 heroes. The highlight so far has been the "filling in the blanks" portion of Black Widow's past; but, here we only get quick, single page interactions with other Marvel heroes as the Black Widow tries to solve the mystery of "The Icepick Protocol."

For my fellow pervs, you get a scene of Natasha macking on Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird; but, that's about the only highlight in this issue. The ending and revealed bad guy is no real mystery, as all the clues have been pointing to him.

Spoiler

It's Natasha's old friend and mentor, Ivan, who we learn in a flashback has loved her for a long time.

This new enemy looks like a combination of Colossus and Iron Man.

Strange #3

I wasn't so sure after reading issue #1 if I was going to enjoy this title and new direction for Stephen Strange; but, issue #2 really got my attention, especially with Dr. Strange's new apprentice, Casey. (Marvel really likes to team up their heroes with young girls. Gone are the days of boy sidekicks, it seems.) While this issue wasn't as fun as the previous, I still liked it quite a bit. In this, a demon has made a pact with a Little Miss Buttermilk pageant mom for the promise of "some of her daughter's time." If that sounds creepy, it's suppose to. Dr. Strange, Casey, and a "demon laroximous boneflayer" named Larry try to stop the evil demon before the the laws of reality go haywire.

This issue is a bit of a cliffhanger, especially when we learn the Dr. Strange's soul isn't in his body; and, after the big fight, all hell breaks lose. Needless to say, it's "to be continued!"

 

[Dread]

Whew! Thanks, Dread...ya made my day! I do have to admit I'm kind of mixed on the decision...Tobin's MA line is such a pleasure to read, I hate for it to go away; but, I also recognize that his talent might be better on a more recognized book. It's like the Dan Slott scenario. It's great he's on Spidey and Avengers...but, I sure miss his previous style on comics, like The Thing and She-Hulk.

I haven't read any of Paul Tobin's work, but he'd hardly been the first writer who had to toil in MARVEL ADVENTURES a while before getting more "bigger league" projects. Sean McKeever, Jeff Parker, and even artist Mike Norton are all examples.

To be honest, I think the MARVEL ADVENTURES brand translates into "for kids" and that can turn off kids themselves as well as adults. While hardly big sellers either, the FIRST CLASS books in comparison have usually sold at least 2-10% better overall.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Muppet Show #1

The first Muppet Show mini was a pleasant surprise, as the writer really got the old feel of the original television show. In this new mini (at least, I don't think they've turned it into a series), the muppets are forced to take their show on the road after their theater must undergo some much needed repairs. There are a few moments that are humorous; but, it seems like the best material has already been used in the previous mini.

AVP: Three World War #1

I never read the old Alien and Predator comics in the 90's; so, I really don't know the past history of the main character, Machiko Noguchi. This first issue, though, fills in all the details to her past, and nicely sets up this new storyline.

As the issue opens, a mining town on a distant planet is invaded by an unknown spaceship, of which emerges a Predator species that uses the Aliens as a weapon against they're prey. Unlike previous Predator species, called "hunters," these "killers" don't have the same sense of honor in facing an opponent worthy of hunting. These new "killers" are all about killing people, regardless of how well they can defend themselves. Needless to say, Machiko has given up her old Alien/Predator hunting lifestyle, and just wants to be left alone. After the military comes to ask for her assistance and showing her the footage of the "killers" slaughter, she agrees to take them out.

This is not a very original story. As mentioned, it's pretty much a cliche to have the returning heroine who "just wants to be left alone" to be shown a reason why she is desperately needed in being recruited for the deadly new mission...and, it always involved the death of innocents...but, Dark Horse hasn't given us these Predator and Aliens stories for quite a while, and they are kind of nice to read again.

Age Of Reptiles #2

I love the Age Of Reptile minis by Ricardo Delgado, and the first two issues of "The Journey" have been very good. Delgado does not rely on any narration for his stories, as he simply lets his drawings tell the story. It's like watching nature footage (this of dinosaurs, though) without the needless narration.

In this issue, the large migration of various dinosaurs continue, as they seek to find water in some distant location. This is not an easy journey, as we discover on the the third page, where a small waterhole is filled with a bunch of alligators. There isn't very much water to be had, and as one large dinosaur takes a chance at a drink, it gets too close and is killed. Soon, a more deadly encounter presents itself; a large herd of raptors. The majority of this issue is devoted to the raptor attack, and they are very brutal.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly #7

I'm starting to get bored with this title. Aside from the title's name, linking it to the old spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood, the new stories are pretty generic western fare; and, I must prefer DC's Jonah Hex. This new storyline is much like the previous; some guy has information on some hidden gold, and various people are wanting to get it from him, including "the man with no name." Turns out, though, that his ex-girlfriend couldn't wait the many years for him to return to her, fell in love with another man, and ran off with the gold. Now, all these people are after her and the new boyfriend.

If you want a good western comic, I wouldn't recommend this. Instead, read Jonah Hex or Dynamite's Zorro.

The Talisman #3

This retelling of Stephen King and Peter Straub's novel continues, as Jack discovers just how dangerous and deadly life can be in the Territories. It's neat to remember the scenes I read when I was a young teen in the 80's; but, I must admit that there is something lost in the translation. Much of the feeling and caring for the characters is not there, as the writer is more interested in relaying the events of the novel, rather than the depths of the character's motivations and feelings.

Galactica 1980 #4

Guggenheim's Galactica can only appeal to a small amount of comic readers, as I'm sure most everyone on the Hype has never seen this original Battlestar Galactica series; especially since the final season of which this comic is based is nothing like the previous two seasons that came before.

Here is the history lesson! Battlestar Galactica was a somewhat popular series that aired on Sunday night. My friends and I would always make sure we were home to watch each episode, as this was the closest thing to Star Wars you could see. By today's standard, the special effects are rather cheesy; but, they blew away the old Star Trek series that ran each weekend in repeats on the same station that would air the old episodes of Gilligan's Island and I Dream Of Jeanie in the late afternoons on the weekdays as kids came home from school. The problem is while popular, it's popularity wasn't so high as to justify the high cost of producing it....so, after the second season, Battlestar Galactica became what this comic is based on. The only main character still around from the previous series was Lorne Green, who played Adama. Somehow, all the other characters were either dead or lost, and we had a new group that all my friends really couldn't stand.

Anyway, if you didn't follow these early adventures from the late 70's and into 1980, you'd just look at this comic, scratch your head, and think, "the new Battlestar Galactica is so much better than this crap." Guggenheim, though, must hold some reverence for the past; because, in this final issue of the first mini, he kills off the most annoying character ever shown in a Galactica series, a young kid named Dr. Zee. Now, I'm not saying this was a great mini; but, that scene really fullfilled an unknown 30 year old life long dream. For that, I praise Guggenheim's name. Also killed off is the only remaining member of the first couple years, Adama....and, Guggenheim promises these adventures will continue in Galactica 1981.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I haven't read any of Paul Tobin's work, but he'd hardly been the first writer who had to toil in MARVEL ADVENTURES a while before getting more "bigger league" projects.

You didn't read the Dr. Doom and the Masters Of Evil mini?

 

[Dread]

You didn't read the Dr. Doom and the Masters Of Evil mini?

No. I assumed it was either out of continuity or set in the Marvel Adventures line. I don't read either.