Yeah, I bought Avengers. I bought a bunch of Avengers. So I went to the shop and had a look around. After a bunch of skims and knowing that I had cut enough to be severely below budget this month, I decided to just dive in. I already had the first issue of Hickman's Avengers so I got caught up (and am ticked that I had to settle for a 2nd print of issue 2... waste of money). I also bought all 3 issues of New Avengers and the Avengers Assemble Annual... since I saw mentions of the Young Avengers. Hey, I was in an Avengery mood. In addition to those I also picked up 2 of the 3 comics I had planned on buying. The casualty left behind was the first issue of Jeff Lemure's Green Arrow. I like Lemure's Justice League Dark and have always wanted to try Green Arrow but it just kept getting bad reviews. I like the artist and this is a starting point for all readers so I was excited to try it. However, after skimming the issue I just didn't see anything that made me say WOW. Then, after deciding to pick up Avengers and New Avengers, I knew I'd have to make a few cuts to my buy list and figured it wasn't even worth starting this title that I'll likely drop soon anyway. The other cut, by the way, will likely be Batman & Robin. Now, on to the new issues for the week: Avengers 5 - The previews for this issue is what sold me. I love the Imperial Guard, have since DnA made them prominant. I liked the Smasher joke that they ran with so having a Smasher on the team interested me. I have to say I really enjoyed this new character and am eager to see what becomes of her as the story moves forward. I liked that Hickman pulled from continuity here and had her find the glasses of the Smasher who died during Morrison's X-Men run, the one who crashed down on the farm to warn of the coming danger. Granted, there have been other Smashers since him but it makes sense that it would have taken this long to find those glasses. Also, the time laps and explanation of how there are multiple Smashers out there waiting to become THE Smasher makes sense as well. Great issue. Love Kubert's art. I also love Captain Universe so I'm eager to see what next issue has in store for her/it. That said, while I did enjoy the issue, and the series overall, I don't yet know if it's worth$8 a month. I'm going to give it a bit and decide on that officially, but for now I'm in. New Avengers 3 - The previews for this issue sold me so I knew I was buying this title before I even stepped into the shop. I was not let down. I love how Hickman handles Beast and I like his caution with the whole thing. That ending... wow! I sorta like it and it has me interested and I sorta role my eyes and yet more Illuminati drama that promises to follow. Not to mention this plot was already handled in Identity Crisis. Still, the issue was good, I loved Beast here, and I'll be back for next issue. How far beyond that? We'll see. Avengers Assemble Annual 1 - I was amazed by how much I liked this issue. I'm not particularly a Vision fan but I saw mentions of Wiccan and Speed in the issue and that caught my eye. I was already suckered into buying other Avenger books so I figured what the heck. I finished the issue realizing that if this had been the first issue of a Vision ongoing I would have been totally sold and ready to lay down money for a second issue. I thought the premise was fantastic. The villain was relatable. Vision's personal struggles were interesting and I LOVED that he visited Billy in the end... technically his son. I really want to know what happens after this issue ends. I'm hoping they handle that in Young Avengers or something. One nitpick is that Jessica Jones (who it was nice seeing) didn't know Vision had kids. While a stretch, I suppose that could be possible but I highly doubt that she wouldn't know. She was the Young Avengers' liason when their series began. I just feel like she would have followed them a bit closer to learn about the Wanda/Vision connection. Yeah, not worth the $5 but once you get past the rediculous price point it's a good read. All New X-Men 7 - This was a good issue. Young Cyclops gets old Cyclops' security deposit box and looks through a bunch of momentos, including the invitation to Scott and Jean's wedding. It was a touching moment and even moreso when he gives it to young Jean later. Wolverine has some decent parts but Mystique is the main focus here alongside Young Cyclops. It was an interesting exchange and I'm very curious as to where this story is going to lead. I'm not sure who the dude with her was but I don't mind. I just enjoyed reading the book. It's only 7 issues in but this is probably Bendis' best work since Daredevil, if not better. But that's just my opinion. Phantom Stranger 5 - This is a book on the cutting block. I at least wanted to wait until this issue came out because I liked the last Spectre before Flashpoint. Fortunately, I loved the issue. Spectre vs. Phantom Stranger was great and the little moments with the Question totally peaked my interest in what happens next. And I loved the feeling I got when I realized the little dog that Phantom Stranger had been seeing was God watching him through the dog's eyes. Very interesting plot developments here and, as a Christian, I loved some of the stuff that were being discussed indirectly about Jesus. It was just all played out really well. I think DeMatteis being added to this book was a blessing. I loved his 90s Spider-Man work and I'm liking it here. I don't know how long I'll stick with the book, hopefully through Trinity War, but we'll see. One thing's for certain, this was the best issue since the title began last September. So yeah, great week all around. Not a bad book in sight. Best and Worst of the Week Best: Phantom Stranger 5 - Despite being on the drop fence for me, this issue was fantastic. It really got me excited for wherever the story goes and, while that excitement might fade, the initial impression was one of great enjoyment... so yeah, for that it wins. Worst: Avengers Assemble Annual 1 - This isn't even fair putting it here because it was a great issue. It's just that I liked all the others even more. I love weeks like this. The price hurt this one though, and the art wasn't fantastic.
I was very, very happy with my purchases this week....especially Avengers, New Avengers and Superior Spider-Man. Superior was damn good. I loved the whole Vulture/kids/Otto/abuse stuff. I still have questions as to how long Dan Slott can stretch this entire thing out to justify cancelling one title and launching a new one but 3 straight issues of solid work has been produced here. Stegman improves with every issue and is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. I used to be lukewarm to the guy but he has been nothing short of terrific here.
I would have to agree that this is Bendis' best work I've read in a while. This book is still my favorite X book right now, it's been consistently good right from the beginning.
New Avengers was REALLY good this week. I really, really enjoyed it and it's definitely going to have tons of repercussions going forward. Avengers was okay. Right now it seems like Hickman's devoting whole issues to lesser known members of the team, which is a good idea seeing as I'm not completely familiar with all of them, but I really loved the first 3 issues and would like for Hickman to get back to that kind of team story. Superior Spider-Man was also really good this week. I think this was the first truly great issue of the series. Probably because we didn't focus on Ghost Peter the whole issue. I want to continue to see more of SpOck going against Spidey's classic villains and realizing the true evilness of those villains. It was interesting to see the "Aha!" moment for SpOck when he realized just how evil Vulture was and that he may not have realized this true evilness when they were allies. Interesting stuff.
Avengers was good. I'm really liking these newer character origin issues. Hyperion and Smasher have both been good and I care who they are and what they do. Hopefully Captain Universe will be more of the same. Good stuff. And you know Hickman will get back to the action after that. Its nice to have some simple done in ones here and there. Superior was good too. Vulture and the kids were great, and ghost Peter snooping through Ocks memories was cool, but I'm ready for Peter to go find Dr Strange and fix this. I have been enjoying this series, despite not wanting to, but I just wish we were reading Amazing Spider-Man 701,702 and 703 and this Superior Spider-Man was an arc or whatever instead of relaunching a new title, but whatevs. Still, a good read but I read a solict for #8 that says something about Peter looking for a way to fix this, so I'm looking forward to that. 12 issues of Superior Spider-Man sounds about right. Beyond that, yeah, that seems to be stretching.
Anybody read the new Scarlett? I bought it but haven't read it yet. I'm going to have to read through the old issues first just to remember what the heck happened...
I think this Superior Spider-Man thing could work if they handle it like the Age of Apocalypse or the Scarlet Spider titles. End Amazing Spider-Man at 700, the title changes to the Superior Spider-Man for 12 issues, and then jump back to Amazing Spider-Man 701. Sadly, we all know that Marvel can't pass up a shiny new #1 oppertunity so that won't happen.
All New X-men #7: Great issue that's keeping this title at a steady pace. Instead of starting his tenure on X-men with a bang like Avengers Disassembled, Bendis is driving home the character moments and slowly building relationships and plots. I'm (for better or worse) a Jean/Scott shipper at heart, so this title pushes and pulls on my heart strings in the best way. I'm also loving Mystique screwing with the X-men. Avengers #5: The Imperial Guard is cool so I enjoyed this issue. These character spotlighting issues are great and definitely needed. Instead of feeling lost in years of Avengers continuity that I haven't read, I'm relating to these characters just joining the team. Hyperion is cool, and I'm looking forward to Captain Universe. Hopefully one day Sam and Berto get an issue to themselves. Avengers #3: Way to go to Hickman for actually making me like one of my least favourite characters, Captain America.
Does it bother anyone else that in New Avengers 3 we're essentially getting Identity Crisis all over again? Substitute Cap for Batman, the Illuminati for that JLA team, and Universes ending for Secret Identities.... and boom... same essential plot.
I like that Hickman is going back and explaining the origins of Hyperion, Smasher, and Captain Universe next. I was super confused when they all showed up on the roster and was wondering if I had missed something in Bendis' run or some X-Men titles, but it was just Hickman's writing style to bring them in with no explanation at first. I'm sure that all three of the characters will have major roles in the coming multiverse trouble going on in New Avengers, especially considering the hints Hickman has been giving us at the end of issues 4 and 5. Speaking of which, yeah, New Avengers was once again awesome. Definitely my favorite book between the two. I like how, unlike Avengers, Hickman is focusing the dynamics of the team with the back drop of disaster looming. Avengers feels much more like a complimentary book to New Avengers than the other way around. New Avengers is where the actual plot is developing while Avengers is the breeding ground for the characters that will be involved in it. Although I'm sure it's not the first time something like this has been done, the way Hickman is doing it is genius. And yes, Superior is a lot better than I was expecting, and I wasn't even one of the people saying it would doom the franchise. It's more than just an Otto redemption story like most were expecting, it's a Peter/Ock bonding story. They're each other's greatest enemies yet they're learning about each other as intimately as you can, by sharing both a body and mind. It's awesome. Can't wait for Uncanny X-Men to come out. It should be a great companion book to All-New and I'm expecting similar greatness there to what we experienced during the hay-day of Bendis' Avengers/New Avengers run.
It's very, very easy. But I have a feeling my opinion would be unpopular here At least I found him interesting in NA#3.
Hey it's cool if he's not someone's favorite.....but to not like him, as in to hate him...? I would think that person is nuts. And all kidding aside, as far as Hickman's NA plot and Identity Crisis goes, my thoughts are this: I have no real problem with it, Marvel and DC rip each other off all the time. The Batman mind wiping was a great plot at the time so naturally when it's done in a Marvel setting with Cap as the victim no less, I want to see where it goes. If someone asked Hickman in an interview about it and he's up front with it, wanting to explore different characters reactions/motivations to it then I'd be cool with that. If it ends up being a Civil War situation again, I'd rather not see that again.
Well hate is a little strong, but I really don't care for him. To me he says that a noble heart is worthless unless you have a traditionally masculine body in which to engage the world with. He's the blond, blue haired guy that reinforces white hetero-normative dominance. And AvX did him absolutely zero favours. Even in New Avengers where I find him compelling, he basically implies that people like Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, and Black Panther, his friends for years, are immoral and has no trust in them. Like I said, I'll probably get a lot of flack for saying this, but he just doesn't gel with me haha.
You clearly don't understand what makes him tick because Steve Rogers is the last person in the universe that would believe that to be true, let alone say something like that to any other hero. And blonde haired-blue eyed white dominance? What do you have some kind of Nazi-phobia? As for New Avengers, if he had no trust in his team mates then why would he rather have one of them wield the Infinity Gauntlet to stop the incursion from destroying the planet. That shows a lot of trust to me (although at the end of the issue, that's probably shot to all hell).
Maybe it's just me but I feel like you didn't describe Steve Rogers one single bit in this reasoning. Not a bit of that makes me think, "yeah, I guess I can see Steve in that." I mean, other than the fact that he has blonde hair and blue eyes not a bit of that has anything to do with Cap. I'm confused where you'd even get that.
It's not about his personality, it's about his origins, and the implicit messages that someone called "Captain America" sends out. My points aren't incorrect. Steve Rogers was a good person before his procedure, but wasn't valued by society. It wasn't until after he was transformed into masculine perfection that he was able to actively participate in the world. The message is that you're not valued for what is inside until your body matches it. He exists as an outdated ideal of American perfection. Which is white, straight, impossibly muscular, and masculine. This is an issue I have with a lot of superheroes, but I just can't ignore it with Captain America, because he's the embodiment of a lot of things that are wrong with representations of masculinity and the male body. And in New Avengers he basically said his morals are better than everyone else's, whether they had infinity gems or not. Like I said, I know he has a lot of fans here, and I don't expect anyone to agree with me at all... but this is how I see him.
Looking from that perspective though, here is the message of Cyclops: Don't like what ya got? just trade up.... No longer the leader of the X-Men? leave in a huff and start a new team! plain redheaded wife? get a ****ty new blond one! Xavier's dream boring you? change it! Teammates not following your every word? make aother new team, this time comprised of villains! lol, sorry, not startin a fight, just showin the flip side of that coin
Haha that's fair. Cyclops is one of favourite characters still. But I do understand why others would find him an asshat. Unlike Captain America, Cyclops doesn't represent the model of perfect and respectable behaviour for "American" people that follow in his image (an image that I find flawed). Cyclops overcame a lot of insecurities (both in terms of his personality and powers) to become a leader. But in spite of all of his hardships, he's never backed down from fighting for mutant rights (and was right about the Phoenix all along), even if he became morally ambiguous in his struggle (which at least is interesting). But to each their own haha.
I hear what you're sayin personally I still like both characters I think Cap is more the ideal in the sense that Americans would look at him like they do the 1950's, this idealized perfect time that was actually much more flawed than they realize. But it was a time where Americans perceive that there were actual, noble black-and-white heroes. Everyone is so flawed today, that it would be kinda nice to have a Captain America who people trust is doing things for only the right reasons. Again, granted, Cap's not so perfect, but he's better than any Authority Figure floatin around the world today. Some may find his goody-goody, boyscout ways boring, but at least he's inspiring