Bought/Thought: The 4/20 Edition!

[The Morningstar]

Avengers is outselling Thor and Cap because Avengers has Thor and Cap... and Spidey and Wolverine. And it's THE book of the status quo.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Well...Bendis already brought back the thought bubbles in Mighty Avengers two years ago....then fans complained that he abused them and they disappeared again. lol

Man, I typically like Bendis but that was just horrible. The plots were decent (the second arc moreso than the first) but those dudes sorely took away from it. I'm glad he dropped them after 12 issues.

No, the fact that the Sentry beat himself. Siege's whole point was ostensibly that the heroes got their act together and pulled themselves and the world out of the long misery that Civil War had plunged them into, but that message loses a lot of its impact when you realize that the heroes didn't actually do anything to the Void. Bob Reynolds killed the Void. And both will probably come back.

I don't agree with this at all. Yeah, Bob managed to stop the Void long enough for Thor to finish him off but that doesn't alter the whole purpose of the heroes coming together after the events of Civil War. They came together to stop Osborn and his attack on Asgard. THIS they did effectively. They stopped Osborn himself, the Dark Avengers, many of the Thunderbolts and Initiative villains, and ultimately saved the people of Asgard, despite Asgard itself being destroyed. Sentry/Void was just one more aspect. Honestly, he was a torn hero and the fact that, in the midst of all these heroes reuiniting, the hero aspect of him helped stop his evil half was fitting.

So no, I don't agree with that at all. The Siege was certainly a reuniting of the Avengers all the way to the end.

I am glad to see this much chatter about Academy. I am stunned I seem to the only one reading Thunderbolts now.

I nearly picked up the past two issues of Academy but I need to stop buying things. I may come back to it at some point but I can't afford it now.

As for Thunderbolts, that was one of my first drops. I hated the art but now I'm real curious how the Shocker does. He's always been one of my favorite villains. I'll definately be skimming to see how his progress goes.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Avengers is outselling Thor and Cap because Avengers has Thor and Cap... and Spidey and Wolverine. And it's THE book of the status quo.

I can agree that people buy the Avenger books because they have all the top names but it has nothing to do with THE status quo... at least it hasn't since Siege. It doesn't seem to me that it's had any effect on anything outside of it's own pages. As others have said, Captain America and Thor have been more important to the status quo leading up to Fear Itself than Avengers.

I find it funny that so few people are willing to believe that people buy the Avenger books for the simple fact that they enjoy them. Bendis has his flaws and I'll point them out when I see them, but typically, I find I enjoy what I read of his Avenger books.

I thought his first arc on Avengers was pretty mediocre and his first arc of New Avengers was fantastic. The roles have switched with these second arcs. Nonetheless, I find that I enjoy them enough to continue buying them and not feel jipped.

 

[iloveclones]

I find it funny that so few people are willing to believe that people buy the Avenger books for the simple fact that they enjoy them. Bendis has his flaws and I'll point them out when I see them, but typically, I find I enjoy what I read of his Avenger books.

That is exactly what I think. I remember being accused of being a Marvel employee once because of my defending Avengers way back when BMB took it over. (It's an odd insult, because if I had ANY creative ability, that would be my dream job.)

But I do understand why people like Dread drop his stuff. His flaws can be really annoying. And if it gets under your skin, there's really no hope of enjoying the comic. For me, the most noticeable flaw is when you start to picture the writer rather than the character when they talk, and unfortunately Bendis' voice permeates every one of the characters that he writes. It really is a testament to how fun his ideas are that I'm still along for the ride. I've said it before, but if Bendis was in more of an editorial position, or one where he was just an idea-generator, where other people ran with his ideas, I think that would rock.

 

[The Morningstar]

Yea i'd prefer Bendis as an idea generator. He comes up with cool concepts. But for me, his execution is extremely lacking.

And i know not all fans buy books based on them featuring their favourite characters or brands or importance to the status quo.

But seriously, i can't even begin to count the amount of times i've witnessed first hand in comic stores or on forums people trashing a book... then carrying on buying it.

Comic book readers are a strange bunch. I believe it's actually pretty common for people to buy books out of habit and to be "completionists" regardless of how much they actually enjoy it.

 

[JewishHobbit]

True, I can see that, but I dn't think it's the norm.

And I was actually kinda hoping to see Bendis promoted to Editor or something during the Quesada/Alonso change. Sadly, I don't think he wants that.

 

[kguillou]

See in that aspect i have a lot of respect for Bendis. Most people would wana move up on the corporate ladder but Bendis has no desire to, he just enjoys writing comics. Although i bet he's being paid like an editor thats for sure.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Hey, if he brings in the numbers then he deserves it... and for Marvel he does, though not as much as he used to.

 

[iloveclones]

Hey, if he brings in the numbers then he deserves it... and for Marvel he does, though not as much as he used to.

I'm not so sure. He might not have the number sold as he used to, but that's industry wide. He probably brings in as much $-wise because of the increased cover-price.

 

[Tron Bonne]

SUPER DINOSAUR #1: "This is where it begins", as the cover boldly says. Robert Kirkman reunites with ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN artist Jason Howard to launch what he sees as a more "family friendly" comic book title, after claiming there are too few of them on the racks (while writing titles like INVINCIBLE, WALKING DEAD and DESTROYER that have loads of swears and gore). This is, in fact, the title that Kirkman and Howard were so eager to launch that they chose to walk away from WOLF-MAN after 25 issues to do so promptly. This is a true "extra sized" debut issue - 28 pages of story with zero ads and no extra price hike for the luxury. If Image can afford to do this without going bankrupt, and they remain roughly 3-4% of the industry on a good month, why can't Marvel, who represent at least 35% of the industry on an average month? There is an "origin special" issue being offered for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY on May 7th, which leaves this issue to cover a lot of said origin for paying customers with a lot of narration boxes - it borders onto "info-dump" exposition territory. On the other hand, this is a debut issue that literally leaps right into some action; no waiting six issues for the title character to appear here!

The premise is that Derek Dynamo is the son of aging scientist Dr. Dexter Dynamo, who discovered that the earth is supposedly hollow at the center and that at said center are dinosaurs as well as a valuable new mineral, Dynore. Dr. Dynamo's partner, Dr. Max Maximus, "turned out to be totally evil" and has been creating genetically modified dinosaur warriors to steal Dynore and get revenge on Doc Dynamo. Derek, alongside his custom made robot Wheels and Maximus' prototype dino-warrior, Super Dinosaur, stop said evil plans on a regular basis. There also is another of Maximus' creations who has rebelled and has her own path. Super Dinosaur (SD) is a typical 9 foot tall T-Rex, only he talks and makes up for such tiny arms by wearing armor that has larger ones; he is Derek's best friend and a video game fanatic. The oddity is that while SD is the titular character, he is practically Derek's larger sidekick. The fact that Derek is more of a genius than his aging father comes into play when a family of technicians moves into their lab to help out with SD's armor in a way that brings things down to earth a bit. This reads, to be honest, like a pitch for an above average CARTOON NETWORK or NICKTOONS show, which may be it's inevitable fate. The first half of the issue, with so much exposition being thrown at the reader that ones used to decompression may get whip-lash, is the most tedious; the second half of the issue improves greatly once things are established. To a degree, Kirkman almost seems to be pandering to younger readers, with a lot of alliteration inspired names to remember and focus on dinosaurs, which supposedly every child loves (much like gorillas and ninjas). On the other hand, Kirkman is effective at capturing the voice of a genius ten year old and simply because the premise involved dinosaurs doesn't prevent it from being accessible to adults, too. Kirkman comics typically become vastly different by issue six or twelve than in the first.

While this issue may not make some fans get over missing WOLF-MAN, it is a solid launch for those who like talking T-Rexs and a lot of boundless energy in their comics. Despite the last name, this comic also has nothing to do with Jay Faerber's DYNAMO 5 series (even though they have appeared in INVINCIBLE, and vice versa). It would, however, fit in perfectly with the world of another Kirkman creation seemingly destined for a cable network cartoon series, SCIENCE DOG. This isn't Robert Kirkman's best debut issue, but it still is fairly good for those who like some original energy to their comics, and given Kirkman's current popularity, might sell well. It will be curious to chart this book's sales alongside HAUNT.

Heh, so you did decide to get that after all, eh

 

[Dread]

FYI, put this week's cover of AVENGERS ACADEMY #12 up against the regular cover for #1; it's pretty wild.

I still read it and enjoy it. I just haven't yet. It just easily got lost in the mix of Pool MAX, AA and UXF this week. I was way too tired to read that and Hellblazer. They're gonna have to wait this weekend sometime between the Knicks playoffs and Easter.

Hope you weren't disappointed by the Knicks playoff game. I mean, they've made the playoffs for the first time in 7 years and earned a winning record, barely, in the regular season. That's pretty much the most one could expect of them, and I say that as a New Yorker. It's still been ten years since they won a playoff game.

T-Bolts is cool. It isn't my top team book but I still get a kick out of it, despite that one nagging flaw (no long term antagonists).

Hasn't been like this for years, tho that might change now to this suspsense of him being unmask as Peter Parker changes his identity with presumingly Green Goblin telling the world who Parker is, so Bendis can set up the "Spider-Man: Brave and Bold" status quo where Parker is being trained by Nick Fury and teams up with other heroes, sounds familiar? Yeah it's the pitch Bendis has for the ULTIMATE Spider-Man cartoon.

How is Avengers then outselling Thor and Captain America? These characters are highly important with Fear Itself, Avengers will have tie-ins witrh Fear itself but Bendis top selling titles we never used to build up for this year's big event so why are they selling? Dark Avengers was a very liked comic and from what i gathered it might have been the highlight of Bendis' Avengers career. Also what about his creator owned title Scarlet which is top selling Icon book? Are you telling me that Icon is so important that people just buy all the creator owned material people put out?

You also keep telling that Ultimate Marvel is irrelevant thesedays, yet why is Spider-Man selling well and even getting higher on sales chart with the event going on? Are you perhaps going to tell me Ultimate Marvel is now important again? What about Bendis' upcoming Brilliant?

PS. Anyhow i really agreed on the "no arch villain" thing on Thunderbolts, perhaps they should get a chance to fight bigger named villains or having a AIM/Hydra as a big arc villain or so. I really hope Parker won't perma lose Man-Thing and Juggernaut, but B team looks intriquing. I think Mr. Hyde will be in more control of himself because the upcoming Fear Itself tie-in preview art showed Mr. Hyde all fancy-dressing cane guy, so perhaps the serum had nanonites to his brain to calm him down.

I am stunned by the idea that Bendis would use the same idea in multiple mediums. It is so unlike him to repeat himself over and over and run an idea that was barely even mediocre to begin with into the ground while believing it is genius.

Sales on USM have risen since Marvel have promoted the "death" story, which is a positive sign that fans and retailers still care. On the other hand, USM is pretty much the flagship Ultimate book now. Mark Millar has returned for some Ultimates mini's, but he took years off (which Jeph Loeb filled in for, poorly). Bendis has been the only continued presence in that line. However, while sales for USM as of March 2011 have risen to about 44k, that still is down from where it was selling in 2009, and really only about 2k more than it sold around this time last year. The days of it outselling ASM are long over. It's even eating SECRET AVENGERS' dust, and that's the Avengers' C-Title.

BRILLIANT is an Icon book Bendis is doing alongside Mark Bagley. Amazingly, despite being a regular artist for mainstream comic books (mostly Marvel) for about 30 years or more, it will be Bagley's first foray into creator owned work. It is about a team of scientists who manage to create super-powers in "the real world" with science and the effects it has. Expect a lot of smugness, and aimless chatter that both fills pages and says nothing.

Aimless chatter?

Yes.

Fills pages?

Yes.

And says nothing?

And says nothing.

Says nothing?

Yeah.

Yeah.

(See, anyone can do it.)

As for THUNDERBOLTS, in a way my criticism is a bit of an 180 to my opinion about AGENTS OF ATLAS. There, I used to claim that Parker was so good with his character banter that it didn't matter who the team was fighting, so I didn't notice the flaw as much. Plus, to be fair, for most of 11 issues of AGENTS OF ATLAS, they were engaged in a war with Suwan so there was a regular arch nemesis there. However, the Thunderbolts are not quite the same to me as the Agents were. There's still strong character banter, but they're different characters; they're allies now, and forming some team bonds, but they're not friends like the Agents are with each other. Thus, the lack of a reoccurring baddie is more obvious. It also is the second team book I have read Parker on after Agents and it is a little dismaying that he's repeating himself. Don't get me wrong; he has a solid imagine for "odd threats of the week" to fight, utilizing the splendor of the Marvel Universe. But an antagonist is a good thing for a narrative.

I honestly don't know if Man-Thing and/or Juggernaut will be gone forever. Juggernaut I imagine will be gone for about 6 months, as that's how much longer FEAR ITSELF will last (assuming there are no delays or "skip months"). Man-Thing will be occupied in FEAR ITSELF: FEARSOME FOUR which starts in June and will run 4 months. While Juggernaut is being yanked by Matt Fraction, who is higher up the totem pole, losing Man-Thing almost seems more irritating because Parker has been with Marvel longer, but the FI:FF writer is a schmuck from VERTIGO - the DC imprint new EIC Axel Alonso used to run.

The irony is Bendis has never let character issues with his Avengers team effect him. The fact that Red Hulk just rampaged in ESU and seemingly murdered a journalist in SPIDER-GIRL hasn't mattered one whit to AVENGERS, because SG sells like rubbish. Ms. Marvel being replaced by Moonstone during DARK REIGN in her own ongoing title written by Brian Reed didn't stop Danvers from appearing in NEW AVENGERS. Bendis kept Spidey "back in black" at least 4-6 months after he went back to the red and blues. Jeff Parker isn't Bendis, both in style or in stature, so he likely has to tow the editorial line more. It simply is frustrating because he's invested a year into trying to redeem Cain Marko, and FEAR ITSELF will basically make it moot. It is why I usually never invest in "Juggernaut gone good" stories - they never last. Sandman as a hero lasted longer.

Mr. Hyde seems to clearly be replacing Juggernaut as the muscle of the team. I'm not thrilled about it, but that's only because I've never especially cared for Mr. Hyde. Out of all the "beta" recruits, Hyde seems to be the most like a lunatic who will simply game the system until he turns traitor, like Crossbones did. I can't imagine Steve Rogers would be thrilled to see him as a Thunderbolt; Hyde DID make him watch helplessly as he pummeled Jarvis nearly to death during the "siege on Avengers mansion" story - at least if continuity still counts for anything. It should be something that once Rogers finds out, he likely should at least have words with Walker about. On the other hand, Shocker and Boomerang are interesting choices that I am definitely interested in.

Avengers is outselling Thor and Cap because Avengers has Thor and Cap... and Spidey and Wolverine. And it's THE book of the status quo.

Exactly. While AVENGERS/NEW AVENGERS haven't been the line leaders in terms of stories, the fact remains that ANYTHING written in them becomes "Insta-Canon". Bendis got fundamental facts about Aggomotto and the nature of magic wrong? Too bad. It's Canonized now; other writers will have to work through or around it, like him claiming that Hex Magic didn't exist or that Jigsaw had super strength or no end of villains, like Centurious, are alive again with no explanation.

For most of the past 5 years, including last year with DARK REIGN/SIEGE, Bendis' Avengers titles were key. Marvel has sold them as the most important books and even if it isn't quite true now, it will take at least that long to convince fans to shift otherwise. The downside is that strategy has meant "non important" books like AVENGERS ACADEMY struggle to survive.

I nearly picked up the past two issues of Academy but I need to stop buying things. I may come back to it at some point but I can't afford it now.

As for Thunderbolts, that was one of my first drops. I hated the art but now I'm real curious how the Shocker does. He's always been one of my favorite villains. I'll definately be skimming to see how his progress goes.

I'm interested in Shocker, too. Out of the "beta" team, he is the only one who hasn't been a murderer or worked as an assassin, or is a general maniac or mad scientist.

That is exactly what I think. I remember being accused of being a Marvel employee once because of my defending Avengers way back when BMB took it over. (It's an odd insult, because if I had ANY creative ability, that would be my dream job.)

But I do understand why people like Dread drop his stuff. His flaws can be really annoying. And if it gets under your skin, there's really no hope of enjoying the comic. For me, the most noticeable flaw is when you start to picture the writer rather than the character when they talk, and unfortunately Bendis' voice permeates every one of the characters that he writes. It really is a testament to how fun his ideas are that I'm still along for the ride. I've said it before, but if Bendis was in more of an editorial position, or one where he was just an idea-generator, where other people ran with his ideas, I think that would rock.

I've said for a while that Bendis would probably be a better editor than writer; most of his ideas are better once someone else writes them. Even with a co-writer, his work gets less horrendous. Thus, his flaw is the execution. Unfortunately, good ideas with bad execution are almost useless, and downright frustrating - like a canine knowing the cure to cancer but trying to find a way to get it to tell you.

Heh, so you did decide to get that after all, eh

Yes, I did. I can't say it was Kirkman's best #1 ever, but I probably liked it more than HAUNT #1. And I'm still on that book.

 

[iloveclones]

I've said for a while that Bendis would probably be a better editor than writer; most of his ideas are better once someone else writes them. Even with a co-writer, his work gets less horrendous. Thus, his flaw is the execution. Unfortunately, good ideas with bad execution are almost useless, and downright frustrating - like a canine knowing the cure to cancer but trying to find a way to get it to tell you.

What is it, Lassie? What is it girl?

Woof woof

Timmy's in the well?

Woof! Woof!!!

No? He's in the lab...!! And what's that? He's got a cure for cancer!? Let's go girl...!

 

[runawayboulder]

Hope you weren't disappointed by the Knicks playoff game. I mean, they've made the playoffs for the first time in 7 years and earned a winning record, barely, in the regular season. That's pretty much the most one could expect of them, and I say that as a New Yorker. It's still been ten years since they won a playoff game.

Yeah...........about that.............

My weekend has not started off too good.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Sounds like me and the Bengals or the Reds.

 

[Tron Bonne]

So, I finally broke on down and picked up the Jimmy Olsen co-feature collection. I had avoided doing so because of two reasons: 1. I had half of it already due to following Action Comics, and 2. The rather hefty price tag of $5.99. After buying it, I can say it was almost worth it. The latter parts of the collection were much like the first half, insanely fun. This is essentially a modernized version of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen. All kinds of silly stuff goes down, and tongue is firmly in cheek for almost all of it (the aliens who come to Earth to party and Jimmy having the bore them away is still the best chapter), but it has some really nice, sharp writing about it. Another notable feature is this story brings Chloe whatever-her-last-name-is from Smallville into the comics. I never watched that show myself, so I couldn't say how much the two match up, but I liked her here, along with the relationship set up between her and Jimmy. It wouldn't last long, but dammed if I wouldn't be up for Spencer writing a Jimmy Olsen ongoing, or at least a mini. DC should've put a ring on that finger, I tell ya.

I still wish DC would have done like a 2-issue mini, with the first issue being the old content and the second being the new. Uber completionists wouldn't bought them both anyhow, and they still could've got something from those who didn't want to rebuy the same content (though, I don't know, maybe they all caved like I did). If you haven't read any of it, I'd definitely throw a recommendation out there. The price tag is hefty, but honestly, it's not that bad for the amount of content you end up getting. If you liked it a lot when it was running in AC (like myself), you'll probably still feel it was worth it in a teeth-grinding kind of way. However, if you only kind of liked it, you'll probably feel pretty burned in the end. There's just not enough content for the price for those who didn't adore it.

 

[iloveclones]

Sounds like me and the Bengals or the Reds.

Pittsburgh Pirates. End of discussion.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Sometimes, it's best not to read comics before dozing off to sleep. I had the strangest dang dreams last night, about Sinestro making it so people would be turned into the last food they ate...and, there wasn't much time before the effects would be taking place. As I'm driving in my car to catch a criminal, all I could think was, "God, I hope I don't turn into some food while I'm driving this vehicle."

Anyway, onto some reviews!

Skaar: King Of The Savage Land #1-2

Gotta say, I wasn't looking forward to this, especially as I'm starting to tire of Incredible Hulks. How surprising to find out how great these first two issues are! The focus isn't just on Skaar, but we get some great scenes with Ka-zar, Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur, and Shanna (whose body is taken over by some alien villian). The writing and art is top-notch, and I'm only sorry to see it's a 5-issue mini. I think Skaar has finally found where he belongs; and, it's great to see Ka-zar being written to magnificantly. (It did get me thinking. Remember waaay back when the X-Men had turned Ka-zar into a child? Whatever became of that storyline? Was it just dropped?? And, where did this child of Ka-zar and Shanna turn up??)

I whole-heartily recommend this mini! t:

Green Lantern #65 and Green Lantern Corps #59

Well...the event has finally improved. I like the direction this book has taken, and I especially loved the Earth Lanterns having to choose which other colored ring would suit them best. Now, in two issues, not a whole lot happens; and, with DC only being 20 pages per issue, a book feels over almost as soon as it's begun...but, I'm glad that my opinion of this has gone up.

Still...I have to complain about some things. Mainly, am I the only person who gets tired of the Earth Lanterns having to be the saviors of the Lantern Corps all the time? For a while, I was hoping Killowag would get in on the mix; but, he's turned in Chapter Four. As I've complained before, Green Latern Corps really stopped being about the new recruits a long time ago; and, now, it's just another vehicle to hype of an Earth Lantern.

I find myself interested in what happens next, though.

Caligula #1

This actually came out a couple weeks ago; but, I don't think my shop ordered very many...if any at all...and, I wanted to see what it was about. OMG! This book is not for everyone! In fact, it's probably not meant for most comic readers!!! It brings graphic to another level; although, much of what's happening isn't shown as graphically as you might fear. There is rape, murder, beastiality, pedophilia, orgies, and more. But, this is what one should expect from a comic devoted to Caligula. (This is not a historical account, though...as, in the final pages, Caligula gets a knife through the top of his head and can still hold a conversation...so, I am interested in what the heck happens in the next issue.)

Sure, my mouth probably hung open most of the time in sheer astonishment of what I was reading; but, I HAVE to find out what in Caligula's name is going to happen in issue #2!!!! (A smiley face DOES NOT convey this book, just so you know. OMG...I just have to say, OMG!)

Super Dinosaur #1

How do you go from Caligula to Super Dinosaur? You probably shouldn't. Boy, I really didn't like this book. It felt like something from old Saturday Morning Cartoons; and, if you are a kid, your enjoyment might be a lot higher than me. It's all rather ridiculous, and about the only part that stood out was Kirkman's handling of a possible Alzhemer's character. (Not sure if that's gonna be the angle he has with the main character's father; but, I'll give him kudos if it is. It's nice to give a bit of recogniction to such a tough thing to go through.)

This book is as corny as the title. I won't give issue #2 a try. Maybe Kirkman should have attempted a Caligula and mixed some dinosaur beastiality in the book? (Ok, even I can't believe I went there.)

28 Days Later #22

For the past couple issues, this title felt as if it was going in a different direction; and, I can see it has. With issue #22, we get some mention of events from 28 Months Later (a film I really enjoyed, but which tanked at the box office); and, I love that there is a link with that movie. Also, we get some backstory about the main female character; and this issue is very emotional.

Good issue.

Avengers #12

Yeah, I have to agree that the Thanos dialogue in this issue was a bit silly...and, that it was quite obvious from the beginning that this wasn't going to turn out to be Thanos...but, I still enjoyed this issue. Steve Rogers joining the Illuminati didn't bother me that much; but, in the back of my mind, I thought, "This won't go over well with some people." Personally, I find that Cap has gone through a subtle change in his character, and he'd sooner be part of the group in order to keep an eye on what's happening, than be left out in the loop. Cap is almost a watchdog, to ensure that certain events never transpire again.

Romita's art was better this issue, too.

Thor #7

Another of Marvel's $1.00 reprints; and, it just goes to show that I could quit buying comics today and just go back and reread my old ones...and, be just as happy. I have SUCH a terrible memory, that I forgot much of what went on in this book. It also showed me that Straczynski's talent has sure gone to waste in the past couple years, as this issue is fantastic!! It's a nice stand-alone; and, a perfect tie-in with recent events in Thor and Fear Itself. (If you never picked this up, pay the dollar for it. It shows where Odin was after Thor brought back the rest of the Asgardians..and, shows Odin's understanding and rational for not returning with the rest of them.)

Fear Itself: Sin's Past One-Shot

As I mentioned before, I don't mind these reprints...just as long as they are actual classic issues, and not something that's come out in the last five years. (The dollar issues are another matter. With the cheap price, I don't mind Marvel promoting their graphic novels in this fashion.) This gives a reprint of a three-issue story from 1989, where Steve Rogers had returned as Captain America, John Walker was going to turn into US Agent, and we get a small story in which Sin is involved. (It's really a minor appearance; but, neat to read.) Some might be turned off by the high $4.99 price; but, I think that's somewhat reasonable for three classic issues of material.

Invincible Iron Man #503

A Fear Itself tie-in; but, really, it's more the conclusion to the Doc Ock storyline. The tie-in is a few pages thrown into the end of the book, where we see Tony meet with the Asgardians to try and convince them to allow Stark Resilient to build them a new Asgard. (Tony does mention that he knows the Asgardians could do this with a snap of his fingers; but, he wants Asgard to build a good relationship with the humans on Earth.) There is nothing hear that you don't get from reading Fear Itself #1; so, skip it if you don't care about the conclusion of the Doc Ock storyline. (BTW, that storyline ends rather anti-climactically.)

I did enjoy Fraction getting away from a long, drawn-out story; but, this issue just ended suddenly; and, the tie-in was a letdown.

Iron Man 2.0 #4

Nick Spencer's new War Machine comic is just SOOO much better! You don't get a lot of characterization with Spencer; but, what you do get is a very interesting story! In this issue, we discover who Palmer Addley is...or was; and, the his story is rather compelling. Some might feel the revelation is rather anti-climactic..with him being some kind of disgruntled employee...but, I think Spencer has just made the mystery all that more interesting. There's more than what we've learned, I think; and, it's also something straight from the headlines.

Spencer is a great storyteller, as he's been showing us all year with Morning Glories, the Jimmy Olsen back-up feature in Action Comics, and Thunder Agents. He's the perfect fit with War Machine; and I haven't been so interested in this character since the 80's. t:

 

[hippie_hunter]

No, the fact that the Sentry beat himself. Siege's whole point was ostensibly that the heroes got their act together and pulled themselves and the world out of the long misery that Civil War had plunged them into, but that message loses a lot of its impact when you realize that the heroes didn't actually do anything to the Void. Bob Reynolds killed the Void. And both will probably come back.

I would have expected Marvel to bring back the Sentry, but then realized something: The Sentry is a Marvelman ripoff, Marvel bought Marvelman shortly before Siege, so therefore why bring back a character who is pretty much the exact same thing of a character you just spent god knows what to obtain.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Silver Surfer #3

Sure, it's not the best Silver Surfer story I've read; but, something about it keeps me interested in what happens next. I think Pak really understands the components of a good Surfer story; as, we never get a ton of action...but, a good amount of talk while events are happening around Norrin. (This issue might appear action-packed from cover to cover; but, it really wasn't. We see a rescue of some people who are in danger from what the High Evolutionary is doing; we get a new type of Silver Surfer; and, in between, we see Norrin and Suzi Endo trying to save their own hides throughout.)

This is a comic that I appreciate more after I've thought about what I've read. Also, I think it's better served as a whole, and not just in parts.

Halo: Fall Of Reach #1

We see the origin of the Halo armor in this issue; and, the series starts their war with the Covenant. I guess if you're a big fan of the video game, this comic might interest you more than it did me. But, I just feel it has little life to it, as the story is more important than any characterization. I could care less if anyone lives or dies.

Wolverine #8

Actually, I finally read issues #6-8, where Logan is trying to regain control of his body, and the X-Men are arguing whether to kill him or give him a chance to pull through. (Naturally, WE know what's gonna happen; so, there really isn't any suspense involved...and, worst of all, this story just feels dragged out.) Aaron has proved that he can write a damn good series, like with PunisherMax; but, I have yet to be thrilled with a complete Wolverine storyarc by him. I felt this was just a waste of time...a three-issue epilogue to his Wolverine Goes To Hell story. It could have been done-in-one.

Avengers Academy #12

This title is a mixed bag for me. I LOVE that we get some great characterization...something I've mentioned this week that can be lacking in other comics; but, many times I'm dying for a bit more action. Finally, we get it with issues #11-12; but, I come away still wanting. I think one of my biggest complaints is that we get one of the baddest of the baddest Avengers foes, Korvac; and, a reader comes away thinking that he's really not that bad, after all. The story actually tarnishes Korvac's legacy; but, that's just a natual occurrance in comics nowadays. (Doomsday came on the scene, and he was just awesomely bad. Now, we've seen him too often and defeated too easily. He's not the same threat, or draw, that he used to be.) Do I believe the Avengers Academy could defeat him, whereas the regular Avengers were just swatted away like flies? (Even future versions of the Academy?) No way!

I did like that Veil doesn't have a death sentence over her character any longer. I would start to get bored with the woe-is-me attitude; and, it's nice to see a writer not draw it out for ages on end. (Kind of like how it would take forever for Professor Xavier to help a mutant with their powers...aka, Rogue.) We're being introduced to many new characters with Marvel and DC in all these team books that come out. Gage has done the best job in getting us into the characters..truly invested and caring about them.

Spectacular Spider-Man #1000

Instead of naming this one-shot, Marvel just stuck the #1000 on the cover. It's nothing like previous 1000 or 900 issues, as we get one complete story and a classic reprint of the Punisher's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #129. The story itself remind me (and looked like) one of those throw-away stories from the 90's. It was a cheap team-up issue that had no significance to the Marvel Universe; and, I even questioned WHY Spidey and the Punisher were teaming up in the first place.

Young Justice #3

I'm liking this kid's book by DC. It's a lot more fun than many of DC's regular team books, especially Teen Titans. The characters play off each other well; and, I love that we get "to be continued" storylines. (Just because it's a kid's book doesn't mean a story has to be self-contained to one issue.)

Generation Hope #6

I just can't get into this title. It's an example of how Gage does such a great job making us invested in the characters from Avengers Academy...and, Gillen doesn't with Hope's group. Now, this is not a terrible book; but, everything I loved about Hope from Cable has quickly gone away with Gillen's interpretation of her character. She comes across more as a spoiled brat who has to get her way in everything she does.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Finally went back and started reading other people's reviews of the comic I finally got to. Wow, JH. You and I are on opposite sides this week. I actually liked the direction War Of The Lanterns was taking...although, I must admit that we don't get a whole lot happening in those two issues. (I don't know if you can blame the fewer pages in DC comics for that. I thinks it's more that this is less of an event and more of a dragged out Green Lantern story.) I was surprised to see people enjoying Wolverine; but, glad I wasn't the only one who thought the story was dragged out far too long. (It should have been two issues, at most.) Finally, Generation Hope. I really wish I could enjoy this book more, as Gillen can be such a fantastic writer. This just pales in comparison to Avengers Academy; and, I don't think it's wrong to compare the two.

 

[Dread]

Avengers Academy #12

This title is a mixed bag for me. I LOVE that we get some great characterization...something I've mentioned this week that can be lacking in other comics; but, many times I'm dying for a bit more action. Finally, we get it with issues #11-12; but, I come away still wanting. I think one of my biggest complaints is that we get one of the baddest of the baddest Avengers foes, Korvac; and, a reader comes away thinking that he's really not that bad, after all. The story actually tarnishes Korvac's legacy; but, that's just a natual occurrance in comics nowadays. (Doomsday came on the scene, and he was just awesomely bad. Now, we've seen him too often and defeated too easily. He's not the same threat, or draw, that he used to be.) Do I believe the Avengers Academy could defeat him, whereas the regular Avengers were just swatted away like flies? (Even future versions of the Academy?) No way!

I did like that Veil doesn't have a death sentence over her character any longer. I would start to get bored with the woe-is-me attitude; and, it's nice to see a writer not draw it out for ages on end. (Kind of like how it would take forever for Professor Xavier to help a mutant with their powers...aka, Rogue.) We're being introduced to many new characters with Marvel and DC in all these team books that come out. Gage has done the best job in getting us into the characters..truly invested and caring about them.

BTW, I probably liked SUPER DINOSAUR #1 better than you, but I'll readily admit it was not Kirkman's best debut issue. He's toning things down to make a genuine "all ages" book, yet he clearly is comfortable with some over-the-top violence and action. That said, I probably liked it better than HAUNT #1, and I'm still reading and enjoying HAUNT. I did think ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN had life left in it, and it was kind of a shame its creators threw it under a bus for, basically, a remake of DIC's "DINOSAUCERS" from 1987-1988.

As for Academy, I agree that villains like Korvac tend to be diminished every time they appear, but that can be true of so may "high level" threats. Juggernaut has been a chump for a long time, as has the Rhino. Doomsday, Apocalypse, Shadow King, all have been rendered moot by over use. At the very least, Korvac hasn't been trucked out as often as Apocalypse or Thanos have. Even if they're a challenge to defeat every time, each defeat makes them look worse. Look at how lame Dr. Doom is now. Even Ultron struggles to seem as scary as he used to be.

That said, the logic behind it was that Korvac didn't simply "shrug off the other Avengers" - he expended a LOT of energy defeating them, Thor in particular. Thus he was vulnerable for a brief period of time, which was when Karina brought in her super-enhanced Academy cadets. We simply didn't see a lot of the Avengers/New Avengers vs. Korvac battle because this comic is focused on the cadets, so all we needed to know were the brought strokes. It was mentioned in story that the cadets did not have long to defeat Korvac, and even with a boost in powers, Veil and Hazmat were the two most critical - the rest were distractions at best.

My issue with the story is while I know how big a threat Korvac is, he isn't very well known outside of die hard Avengers fans; especially since he isn't used as often as Ultron or so on. Yes, repeated appearances are a double edged sword; they can diminish threat but raise recognition. I personally like that Gage isn't just relying on big name villains everyone knows but is using ones who haven't been handled well in a while - I thought his portrayal of Crusher Creel was great. But, while this is a book that has survived past a year - a milestone in modern Marvel - it's not even in the Top 65 anymore in terms of sales. Marvel plans to keep publishing it until a 20th issue at least, but unless sales really get tighter (which they are) and don't budge, and if any gains from FEAR ITSELF can't last, it may stagger to last behind that.

 

[Drz]

Hey Dread you thinking of dropping Haunt after #18? Greg Capullo is leaving Image to work on Batman for DC and apparently that was more then enough reason for Robert Kirkman to leave Haunt title too.

 

[Dread]

Hey Dread you thinking of dropping Haunt after #18? Greg Capullo is leaving Image to work on Batman for DC and apparently that was more then enough reason for Robert Kirkman to leave Haunt title too.

I actually hadn't heard about that. The launch team is leaving with issue #18? Capullo leaving for DC is one thing, but this is the first time Kirkman launched a book at Image and is abandoning it. I guess because he didn't merge it with his own Skybound company? Capullo was also doing SPAWN for a while, which remains one of Image's better sellers despite being far from its prime. But then again, so is WOLVERINE from Marvel.

I only tried HAUNT for Kirkman. I am not sure if I would remain for his successor. I might see who it is and give them a chance.

While I liked SUPER DINOSAUR #1 more than some others, it wasn't as good a launch as I thought ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN was from Kirkman & Howard. In his letter pages, he stated that he walked away from that series because the two of them wanted to do S-D more, and that they felt there was nothing more to write with AW-M. Now, with all due respect, if you can't figure out a plot for a series in which your main character is a werewolf super-hero with access to hi-tech stuff and government agencies running his own pack of werewolves and has a half-vampire daughter and a robot girlfriend....you sort of fail writing.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Finally went back and started reading other people's reviews of the comic I finally got to. Wow, JH. You and I are on opposite sides this week. I actually liked the direction War Of The Lanterns was taking...although, I must admit that we don't get a whole lot happening in those two issues. (I don't know if you can blame the fewer pages in DC comics for that. I thinks it's more that this is less of an event and more of a dragged out Green Lantern story.) I was surprised to see people enjoying Wolverine; but, glad I wasn't the only one who thought the story was dragged out far too long. (It should have been two issues, at most.) Finally, Generation Hope. I really wish I could enjoy this book more, as Gillen can be such a fantastic writer. This just pales in comparison to Avengers Academy; and, I don't think it's wrong to compare the two.

To be honest, the more time I've had to sit on those comics the more I enjoyed the Green Lantern titles (though still not fantastic) and the less I liked those Wolverine issues. I think Aaron is doing a good job but I think I liked Nightcrawler's appearance and the art moreso than the tale. Generation Hope I'm enjoying but it's certainly not great. And selling at the bottom of the top 100 I wonder how much time it has left, though they seem to be planning to promote the team, and Hope specifically, over the next year, so we'll see.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Skaar: King Of The Savage Land #1-2

Gotta say, I wasn't looking forward to this, especially as I'm starting to tire of Incredible Hulks. How surprising to find out how great these first two issues are! The focus isn't just on Skaar, but we get some great scenes with Ka-zar, Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur, and Shanna (whose body is taken over by some alien villian). The writing and art is top-notch, and I'm only sorry to see it's a 5-issue mini. I think Skaar has finally found where he belongs; and, it's great to see Ka-zar being written to magnificantly. (It did get me thinking. Remember waaay back when the X-Men had turned Ka-zar into a child? Whatever became of that storyline? Was it just dropped?? And, where did this child of Ka-zar and Shanna turn up??)

I whole-heartily recommend this mini! t:

Dang you! I dropped Incredible Hulks and planned on skipping Skaar, despite my loving the character. The title didn't sound interesting plot-wise so I thought it'd be easy to drop and now you're making it difficult! I'm actually considering dropping Wolverine and maybe even Daken to free up some more money (and maybe even the GL titles entirly... though I may wait until WotGL is over) so I may try this mini anyhow. I know my shop still has the back issues.