Marvel's 2009 Year In Review

[Phaedrus45]

As the title says, this is a complete listing of every comic Marvel put out in 2009 (not including trades, poster books, etc.), followed by a brief explanation of what might have occurred within the pages. Also, I will give my feelings on those selected titles.

Feel free to give any input you might have concerning the issues discussed. This will take a bit of time; but, I'll hopefully finish it all in a week's time.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ultimate Comics

Ultimate Spider-Man #130-133, Ultimate Fantastic Four #60, Ultimate X-Men #100

The beginning of the year saw the end of the Ultimate Universe as we know it. Stemming from the events of Ultimatum #4-5, the only one of these titles to survive would be Ultimate Spider-Man. Since almost anything could happen in the Ultimate Universe, many Ultimate characters were killed off, the list of which is below:

Angel, Beast, Blob, Cannonball, Captain Britain, Cypher, Cyclops, Daredevil, Dazzler, Detonator, Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, Emma Frost, Forge, Franklin Storm, Hard-Drive, Hank Pym, Juggernaut, Longshot, Lorelei, Madrox, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Polaris, Professor X, Psylocke, Sunspot, Syndicate, Thor, Toad, Wasp, and Wolverine.

Also Presumed Dead is Firestar, Havok, Nightmare, and Valkyrie.

To coincide with this event, Marvel also released Requiem specials that tried to capture the emotions of the event: Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1-2, Ultimatum: X-Men Requiem #1, and Ultimatum: X-Men Requiem #1.

......

Before the end of Ultimatum, Marvel did surprise quite a few readers by announcing the long-delayed comic, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, was finally finished, and would be released before this possible end of the Ultimate Universe. Thus, Marvel released Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #1-2 in a new printing, and finished it off quickly with Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #3-6.

........

This all leads to the relaunch of the Ultimate line, beginning with Marvel Spotlight: Ultimate Universe. Gone, as already mentioned, was Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate F4...now, readers were just left with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-5 and Ultimate Comics Avengers #1-4.

In Spider-Man, Bendis has advanced events in the comic a few months after the events of Ultimatum, where Peter Parker and his supporting cast of characters are dealing with the after-effects of those events, while a new villian has come onto the scene, Mysterio.

In Avengers, Captain America has gone rogue after learning the identity of the Red Skull is actually the son he never knew he had.

Finally, the only other Ultimate book to be released was Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1-3. It's the Ultimate version of the 616 Armor Wars, where Tony must try and retrieve his stolen technology, while trying to discover who is behind the theft.

........

I'm one of the rare people that actually enjoyed Ultimatum. I loved the idea of a Marvel Universe where almost anyone can die, and a writer is not necessarily limited in his storytelling with limitations because of that. The actual event miniseries was not as good as those final issues of the regular comics...especially Spider-Man. I still remember some of those amazing pages, like the view under the flooded buildings or the discovery of Daredevil's death. The Ultimate Universe was in need of a shake-up, as I believe readers weren't really picking up these titles like they did in the past. Even the finish for Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk didn't seem to have as many people reading it as when the first two issues originally came out. And, truth be told, the ending for that comic was pretty lame.

Now, I'm not exactly sold on the new direction for the Ultimate Universe. I would say Avengers has been more enjoyable than Spider-Man; but, at least Spider-Man tends to come out on time. The biggest problem with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is the art. In the entire history of Peter Parker...whatever universe you wish to choose...I don't think I've ever seen a worse hairstyle on him. (You ever had a friend who got such a ridiculous hairstyle that it's almost too difficult to look at them? That's how I feel about this.) As for Ultimate Armor Wars, it's rather boring, and a concept that's been done enough by Marvel.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Marvel Noir

Marvel ended 2008 by introducing a new line of comics, and it's still going by the end of this year: Marvel Noir.

Spider-Man Noir #2-4, X-Men Noir #2-4, Daredevil Noir #1-4, Wolverine Noir #1-4, Punisher Noir #1-4, Luke Cage Noir #1-4, X-Men Noir: Mark Of Cain #1, and Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face #1.

These comics combine these classic Marvel characters with elements of Film Noir and pulp fiction. In X-Men Noir, Charles Xavier is a man who takes in sociopathic teenagers, and instead of trying to rehabilitate them, he decides to further train them in their various criminal talents. Magneto is the head of a police crime division, looking into the murder of Jean Grey. It's noted that none of these characters have superpowers.

With Spider-Man Noir, it's set in 1933, and Norman Osborne is a powerful mobster who uses various henchmen (i.e. The Enforcers, The Vulture) to ensure he retains his power over the community. Ben Urich, instead of releasing a damning story on Norman, decides to blackmail him to keep up his drug habit. Eventually, Peter Parker gets involved, gets bitten by a spider, and is given powers that are very similiar to the 616 Spider-Man.

In Wolverine Noir, Logan is a detective who is hired by Mariko Yashida to find the people trying to ruin her father's businesses. Instead of powers, he uses claw knives in his fights, and much of this story also involves his past relationship with his current partner, Dog.

Daredevil Noir has Matt Murdock being blinded by his father's assassin, who brutally slamms his head into a brick wall, leaving him sightless. In the present, he's going against a female Bullseye and Wilson Fisk.

Luke Cage Noir has Luke being much like his 616 character; he gets his powers after being experimented on in prison, gaining super strength and invulnerability.

Punisher Noir has this Punisher much like the 616, being a vigilante going after mobsters.

.......

I've read all these issues, except for the two newest which continue the previous X-Men and Spider-Man Noirs. I'm pretty surprised they are still being released, as I'm not really sure there is anyone else at my shop buying them. The stories aren't bad; it's just that they aren't that memorable. (Or, like with X-Men Noir, it was rather confusing.) I'm wondering if by the end of 2010, if any of these will continue to be released. (Plus, it really makes me scratch my head that Marvel puts out these comics which needs readers, yet continually charge #3.99 for.)

 

[Phaedrus45]

Before tackling the expansive Marvel 616 sections, I figure I'll get these small chunks done.

Icon

Incognito #2-6, Criminal: The Sinners #1-3

Brubaker took his crime noir style of Criminals and combined it with a super-powered universe to create Incognito. While the story was alright, it was also very seedy and dark...and, I came away not enjoying it very much. Going back to his Criminal roots, Brubaker then put out Criminal: The Sinners, continuing the adventures of Lawless. This story features a priest who is recruiting young boys to take out the criminal element in his community. The first issue didn't grab me, but the resulting two issues have really picked things up, and I'm liking it very much.

Kick-Ass #7

Much delayed, the first part of Kick-Ass finally came to it's conclusion. Often very graphic in it's violence, I loved every issue! Even better, I cannot wait for the movie that's coming later this year. (Although, I'm a bit disappointed in how old these characters look on screen, as opposed to how young they are in the comic.) I just have to say Hit Girl really steals the show in this comic.

Kabuki Reflections #12-15

I would bet a month's worth of pay that I am the only person getting this title at my comic shop. It's just drawings done by David Mack and his commentary on them...and, it really makes me scratch my head why Marvel continues to release it. Sure, I enjoy looking at his drawings; but, how many issues could this thing really sell, let alone releasing four in a year. And, more strange is how not a single issue of Kabuki even came out. I love David Mack. He's about the nicest guy you can meet at a Comicon, and he's extremely grateful to his fans for buying these issues; but, I'm dying for more actual stories in the future.

Powers Encyclopedia Vol. 1 and Powers #1-2

How long was the wait for the next Powers storyline??!!?? Well, from the first two issues, I think the wait was worth it. The first issue didn't exactly sell me; but, that's normally how a Powers story works for me....It takes me a couple issues to get into it. And, that's exactly what the second issue did. We see much more into Walker's superhero past (issue 1 has him with his Brat Pack, and issue 2 shows his fightin' Nazis), as we follow him trying to uncover the mysterious death of Z.

OH, and the Encyclopedia is kind of nice, for those of us who tend to forget who certain characters are after not reading about them for so long.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Marvel Illustrated/Marvel Authors

Stephen King

The Stand: Captain Trips #5, The Stand: American Nighmares #1-5, The Stand: Soul Survivors #1-3

Stephen King's best novel (in my opinion) gets the ultimate comic treatment in these excellent series of minis. When I originally read the first mini for The Dark Tower series of comics, I thought, "readers who haven't read any of the Dark Tower are not going to understand the appeal of this epic story." That comic was devoid of emotion, and it still amazes me how they reduced that huge book to just seven issues. It really was a Cliff Notes version of Wizards and Glass.

Thankfully, the same doesn't ring true with The Stand. Marvel is taking things nice and easy, letting readers get to know each of the many characters in this book; and, the art reflects exactly how I saw these characters in my head when I first read the book. By the third mini, these characters are not even close to reaching Mother Abagail...and, that's a very good thing. (I especially love how each of the third miniseries issues devote themselves to just one cast of characters, instead of hoping all over the place.)

This story is so good because of the characters...just as The Walking Dead isn't so much about Zombies than about the characters who must live in that world. The danger in The Stand isn't from Captain Tripps...it's those left behind.

Dark Tower: Treachery #5-6, Dark Tower: Guide To Gilead, Dark Tower: Sorcerer, Dark Tower: Fall Of Gilead #1-6, Dark Tower: Battle Of Jericho Hill #1-2

Where I was greatly disappointed with the first Dark Tower mini, every additional one has only gotten much, much better. Whereas before the writer was giving us a Cliff Notes verison of the middle Dark Tower book, Wizards and Glass, these stories fill in the blanks on what happened in Roland's youth, causing him to become the man we see in that very first Dark Tower novel. Things are not rushed anymore, as it took a four minis just to tell us how Gilead fell. (That was the best moment of all, as Stephen King never told his readers how it happened. Best of all is that Peter David and Robin Furth really seem to channel how King would have wanted that story to go.)

Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game: Battle School #3-5, Ender's Shadow: Battle School #2-5, Ender's Game: Recruiting Valentine, Ender's Game: Command School #1-4, Ender's Shadow: Command School #1-4, Ender's Game: War Of Gifts

If there was one series of comics I could give everyone on The Hype as a gift, this would be it. I'll let Marvel let everyone know what this series is about:

"There’s a war coming. The same aliens who almost destroyed Earth once are coming back to finish the job. But we aren’t going to just sit and die. The international military is taking our best and brightest to mold them into the finest military minds ever—and they’re taking them young. 8-year-old Ender Wiggin is the best they’ve ever found. Can he save the Earth? Can he survive Battle School and the game that they will force him to play?

The legendary sci-fi epic by New York Times Bestseller Orson Scott Card comes to comics! Join hot writer Christopher Yost (X-FORCE) and superstar Pasqual Ferry (ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR, ULTIMATE IRON MAN) as they tell one of the greatest science fiction stories of all time."


This series is so completely amazing, that with 20 issues already in the bag, I haven't seen a single alien yet. Everything has been about the Battle Schools and the recruiting/filtering process of these very young students at these schools. (It reminds me of how the Harry Potter books best parts are when the kids are in school just being themselves, without any of the Voldamort fighting.) I am completely sold on this comic, and while I've been trying to pass around the Kool-Aid, nobody seems to be taking a sip yet.

Halo

Halo: Uprising #4, Halo: Helljumper #1-5, Halo: Blood Line #1

The beginning of the year saw Bendis FINALLY release his final issue in the Uprising storyline. It's suppose to be a story that takes place between the video games of Halo 2 and Halo 3; but, fans of the video game were sorely disappointed that it featured so little of Master Chief.

Halo: Helljumper didn't help this series very much. The problem is it's a bit too much like a video game, where you care very little for the characters, and are more into it for the action. Problem is I read comics for both; and, I found there was a complete lack of characterization in this story. (Basically, the story was that the Covenant had found some superpowered device, that if gotten into the wrong hands, would spell trouble for us humans.)

Thankfully, this first issue of Van Lente's Blood Line has great promise. He seems to be acknowledging that the Halo Troopers have very little personality, beyond being Gung-Ho; and, he takes that aspect of their personality into effect with this storyline, which features a female hologram who notices she has more human characteristics than the human troopers. Maybe by year's end, we see a little light in the future of these Halo comics.

The Others

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Laughing Corpse #4-5, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Necromancer #1-5, Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Executioner #1-2

Marvel tries a new approach to the Anita Blake franchise. Instead of having a 12-part maxiseries, they break the story down into 3 minis. I think it's a bit of a mistake; as, new readers will be kind of peeved to pick up a first issue, and discover they are actually in the middle of a current story....but, who am I to judge, huh?

Personally, I like this series of comics; but, it's not one I can really run out and recommend to everyone. The story never progesses very fast from issue to issue. As I've never read an Anita Blake book, I don't know for sure; but, it feels like the writer really respects the source material and isn't willing to rush things in any way. (For this reason, I highly recommend reading these stories in groupings of issues, or just picking up the trades.)

Wonderful Wizard Of Oz #2-8, Marvelous Land Of Oz #1-2

This is Marvel Illustrated's crowning achievement. I love the movie, having bought countless versions of it on VHS and DVD, but had never read the book. It was nice to see this version, that I would assume is more true to the original story; and, especially love Skootie Young's art that only enhances this comic more. There aren't a lot of comics that I feel would capture the interest of my 7 year old daughter; but, this is one of them. It's perfect for young and old alike.

Raymond E. Feist: Riftwar #1-5, Lords Of Avalon: Knights Of Darkness #3-6

Riftwar continues the adventures begun in Magician: Apprentice, and Knights of Darkness is just another story set in the world previous read in Lords Of Avalon. Truth be told, I never finished either of these comics. They came out quite a while ago, but yet they still sit in my "must read" pile. I read the first couple issues of each, and quickly lost interest.

What does interest me are these are from the series of titles that Marvel acquired from their collaboration with Dabel Bros. a couple years ago. They had since departed ways, with Marvel keeping a few of the titles, most notably Anita Blake. Since then, Dabel continued on their own...but, they have constantly failed to finish many of the books they started...or, they've hit huge delays. Well, after looking online, noticing I still hadn't gotten the conclusion to 4 of Dabel's books in my collection, I discovered they have been bought out by Dynamite just this last month.

Kidnapped #3-5, Odyssey #5-8, Pride and Prejudice #1-5, Trojan War #1-5

I've read all, but Trojan War. They are nice versions of the original stories; but, again, it's another line by Marvel I don't see in much demand. And, that might explain why Marvel's true "Marvel Illustrated" line of books aren't around any longer. Trojan War was the last in that series, and now they are putting this style of book under an Author's subsection of Marvel. The classic stories are now being traded for more modern fair, like Stephen King, Orson Scott Card, and Laurell K. Hamilton. About the only classic title now being done is L. Frank Baum.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Marvel's 70th Anniversary

Captain America Comics #1 Anniversary Special, Submariner Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Marvel 70th Anniversary Celebration, Human Torch Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Marvel Mystery Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Miss America Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Young Allies Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, All Select Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, USA Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, All Winners Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Mystic Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, Daring Mystery Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special,and Marvel Mystery Handbook: 70th Anniversary Special

For Marvel's big 70th anniversary, the put out 14 special issues commemorating those early years of Timely Comics. 12 of them, each $3.99, feature a new story from those early years, and usually a reprint or two of classic stories from the 40's. Even though I read all the issues, none of the new stories were particularily memorable. But, it's kind of neat to read those early foundations that are the reprints in each issue.

The other two issues are Marvel 70th Anniversary Celebration, a $9.99 magazine-style format kicking off Marvel's big celebration, and the expected handbook, giving detail information about many of the characters from when Marvel was Timely Comics.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ok, I'm almost off work, and that will finish me for today. I've stayed away from the big entries, for now...but, tomorrow, I should get to "Soleil," "Max," "Spider-Man," "Marvel Adventures," "Hulk," and Marvel's "Galactic" comics. Beyond that, I have the huge lists of "Marvel Heroes," "Dark Reign," "X-Men," "Minis," and "Others."

 

[Dread]

You deserve some sort of award for buying everything on Marvel's catalog despite not all of it, by your admission, being good or even average. I'd sure love to have as much disposable income as you seem to.

(Plus, it really makes me scratch my head that Marvel puts out these comics which needs readers, yet continually charge #3.99 for.)

The answer is simple; I believe Marvel thinks penny wise and pound foolish. Their philosophy is rarely to cut retailers/readers a break to try to build readership; they usually feel it won't work or wouldn't be worth it in the short term to try. Their philosophy is, "get as much cash immediately as we can, because just about everything dies in a year or less". That is why #1 issues are $3.99 even for titles that will be $2.99 for every later issue. That is why Marvel continues to waste money publishing mini's like NOIR or HOUSE OF M both monthly and via trade when they seem to only sell modestly in trade.

 

[imdaly]

Kick-Ass #7-8

Much delayed, the first part of Kick-Ass finally came to it's conclusion. Often very graphic in it's violence, I loved every issue! Even better, I cannot wait for the movie that's coming later this year. (Although, I'm a bit disappointed in how old these characters look on screen, as opposed to how young they are in the comic.) I just have to say Hit Girl really steals the show in this comic.

Did I miss something?? I'm pretty sure Kick-Ass #8 still hasn't come out yet, right??

 

[Phaedrus45]

Did I miss something?? I'm pretty sure Kick-Ass #8 still hasn't come out yet, right??

Thanks...you are correct. In a few instances, I will look at the comics that have come out and remember that a certain issue number hadn't been released as the Marvel Previews states...like, Ultimate Comics Avengers #5...but, a few issues might get past me. Thanks for letting me know. It's been corrected.

BTW, I did notice quite a few interesting things while doing research on which comics came out last year. The biggest one that comes to mind is the December issue of Uncanny X-Men, where Beast leaves the group to head to S.W.O.R.D., was originally solicited to come out before Nation X started. Not sure why it was put on hold for so long...but, we were suppose to get that issue in September.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Max Comics

Dead Of Night: Werewolf By Night #1-4

The beginning of the year saw the final installment of the Dead Of Night minis. The first one, Man-Thing, was pretty good; but, the next two kind of killed this new franchise. In this, Jack Russell is accussed of the murder of his wife, and while being on the run from police, he must find out who is really behind the crime. I remember being pretty bored with this comic; but, I guess the true indicator on how good it was is that, for the life of me, I cannot remember hardly a thing about the story.

Destroyer #1-5

Keen Marlowe, The Destroyer, has been fighting bad guys for sixty years, and discovers that he's dying. Before he does, though, he wants to make the world a little bit safer for his family, and intends to not go quietly into the night. By this series end, though, he isn't dying, and he's passed on the mantle of The Destroyer to a close friend.

At least I can remember this mini. Most of the Max line-up is pretty forgetable, and the only thing many of these stories have to appeal to readers is the graphic violence, nudity, and use of course language. All that does not make a good story, though. I think what surprised me most of all about this series is that I'm a huge Robert Kirkman fan; but, this might be one of the worst stories I've read by him. It wasn't bad; but, it sure isn't a comic I'd recommend to anyone.

Terror, Inc.: Apocalypse Soon #1-5

A devastating biological weapon in the form of a young child has been unleashed in the Middle East, and it appears Terror, Inc. is the cause of it. Now, Mr. Terror must track down the cure to this virus, kill the child, and find out who is behind this latest assignment that went seriously wrong.

How disappointing, especially after I really enjoyed the first Terror, Inc. Max comic. This sequel pretty much drove the nail in this character...but, you never know. I mean, I didn't expect to see another 1602 comic; but, that returned this year. Not only was the story pretty dull, the art didn't help it any, either. (It's one of those cases where you have four beautiful covers, and the inside art cannot even compare.)

Dominic Fortune #1-4

Chaykin's last Max title, War Is Hell, wasn't that bad; and, the same is true for this story from the 30's. With the depression going strong, Dominic Fortune is hired to bodyguard three old Hollywood stars. He has his hands full, as this group is generally drunk and disorderly. Along the way, he meets two mysterious businesspeople, Malcom Upshaw and Delatriz Betancourt, who are bent upon the overthrow of the American government; and, very much in the belief that the Jewish community will lead to the destruction of our great nation. Oh, and it's revealed that Dominic Fortune is Jewish, too. (Not sure if that was ever stated before in Marvel history, or just used to make Chaykin's story more powerful.)

Like I said, it's not a bad story; but, it's also one I doubt people are jumping over others to read. Chaykin, it seems, has been relegated to telling stories from the 30's-40's, now; and, his contributions to Marvel really went down this year. In fact, his most recent work was in the DC Holiday special from last month; but, that was just a short 8-page story. (For those who don't know, Chaykin's been around Marvel for a very long, long time. He drew the original Marvel comic of Star Wars. One of my highlights from last year was getting him to sign my #1 copy of Star Wars at the Emerald City Comicon. It took me a while to grab him, though; as he much prefered to walk around the building talking to other writers and artists, than stay at his assigned seat. Before I got him to sign my five comics, he even went to take a leak first.)

Strange Tales #1-3

This is a collection of short, comical stories "showcasing Marvel's greatest characters re-imagined by the best and brightest talents working in independent comics today."

That's the Mighty Marvel spin on this comic. What it actually means is if you are going to a Comicon, and you see a grouping of artist/writers you've never heard of or met before, there is a chance they made a contribution to this comic. (Seriously, I'm already getting ready for the March Emerald City Comicon, and there are about 5 writers/artists whose only book I have by them is that they contributed to this series.) I hated this series. Out of all these short, comical stories, I only found maybe 3 or 4 that made me chuckle in all three issues. There is an audience for this kind of offbeat humor...it's just not me. Out of all the Max comics that came out this year, this is the one I disliked the most.

Starr The Slayer #1-4

Ok, so you can guess that I have not been too thrilled with the Max line-up this year. Here is where things change. Daniel Way's Starr The Slayer is a definite highlight. Making fun of the barbarian-style comics, Daniel Way brings us this very funny, page-turning adventure about the origin of Starr The Slayer. Even more fun, is we are told this tale from the perspective of Len Carson, a pulp novelist whose popular Starr character, he feels, has kept him away from literary greatness. By the end of the first issue, he'll be dragged into Starr's world...and, things only get more hilarious. Not only is it the best Max mini of the year, it's also the best barbarian story, too.

Punisher: Frank Castle #66-75, Punisher: War Zone #5-6, Punisher: Frank Castle - Naked Kill, PunisherMax #1-2

With Garth Ennis leaving Punisher the previous year, we got various storylines from separate writers. The worry was if this title would still remain good; and, thankfully, it did. At the beginning of the year, we had the conclusion to Ennis' last storyline with Punisher: War Zone, which featured the return of Ma Gnucci.

In the regular Punisher series, we had "Six Hours To Kill," by crime novelist Duane Swierczynski, featuring Frank getting a six hour time limit to his impending death. Franks solution to the problem? Kill as many bad guys before his time runs out. Next, we get the one-shot special, "Naked Kill." Written by multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author, Jonathan Maberry, it involves Frank attempting to bust into a heavily secured snuff film studio with nary a weapon on him. After that, comes Victor Gischler's awesome story, "Welcome To The Bayou," my personal favorite of this bunch. Like a scene from Deliverence, Frank ends up in the bayou and discovers a family that is very much like the one we've all seen in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Finally, this series came to it's conclusion with the double-sized 75th issue, featuring five stories looking back to the day that changed Frank Castle's life and ended up creating The Punisher.

The year ended with the start of the new Max Punisher title, simply named PunisherMax. Drawn by Steve Dillion and told by Jason Aaron, the first two issues have been fantastic. We finally get the first appearance of Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin, in the Max Universe; and, we get to see the origin of one of Marvel's biggest villians. I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of Dillion's art; but, it just works with these Punisher stories. I hope he keeps doing this book after this first story is done.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Marvel Adventures Avengers #32-39, Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #44-48, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #47-58, Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #7-18, Super Hero Squad, Marvel Super Hero Squad #1-4

There was quite a few Marvel Comics that were cancelled this year, among those half of the Marvel Adventures line with M.A. Fantastic Four and M.A. Avengers. The other change is that Paul Tobin has taken over this line of books, and the change is extremely noticable. Before in past years, there was very little to be said about any of these comics; but, now, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man might just be the best Spidey book out there today.

Starting with issue #53, Peter Parker's history is being re-written for today's newer fans. He's back in high school, and much like Bendis with Ultimate Spider-Man, Tobin is having a fun reimagining Peter's supporting cast and villians. I love this version of Emma Frost, love the new character, Chat, and especially love that each issue seems to build on the other. Add to this the fantastic covers by Skottie Young, it's one of my absolute favorite comics coming out of Marvel today.

Now, Marvel Adventures Super Heroes have had it's highlights and lowlights; but, it seems like Tobin is getting the ball rolling with this title, too. In the past couple issues, he's come up with a new Avenger's line-up, and there are equal parts action and good humor in them. It's not quite on the par with M.A. Spider-Man; but, it's getting up there. (Invisible Woman works really well in this new group.)

Finally, we saw Marvel introduce the Marvel Super Hero Squad this year. It's been seen before with single pages at the end of many of Marvel's comics in the past; but, just like with Franklin Richards' kiddy adventures, it's been deemed worthy of it's only special one-shot and subsequent miniseries. (I prefer Franklin Richards much more, though.)

 

[Union Jack]

2099??

for me the best thing this year has been captain america and thor.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man #582-616

How much bigger can Spidey's year start out than with it's second issue, Amazing Spider-Man #583, hugely successful Obama issue; and the second it was released, prices on it skyrocketed. (Too bad the issue itself was nothing spectacular, featuring Peter going out on a date.) After that, we had the following stories:

Issues 584-588: "Character Assassination" - Written by Marc Guggenheim, many storylines from the previous year come to a conclusion with the revealing of who Menace is (Harry Osborn's girlfriend, Lily Hollister) and who is the Spider-Tracer Killer (Pete's roommate/police officer, Vin Gonzales).

Issue 589 - Features Spidey fighting The Spot, written by Van Lente.

Issues 590-591 - "Face Front," a two-issue story by Dan Slott. In an adventure from Spider-Man's past with the Fantastic Four, it has an effect with in present, as Spidey/Peter Parker learns he's been gone for quite a while, and comes back to some startling news. (A new roommate! Aunt May has a boyfriend!! JJJ is Mayor of New York!!!)

Issues 592-594 - "24/7," by Mark Waid. Reeling from the events of last issue, Spidey faces the New Vulture. And, in one of the most disturbing scenes ever to appear in a Spidey comic, Peter walks in on JJJ, sr. and Aunt May getting it on! Uggggg!!!!

Issues #595-599 - "American Son," a Dark Reign tie-in by Joe Kelly. Norman's plan to manipulate his son into becoming the American Son backfires...as does his attempts to use a newly pregnant Lily Hollister to keep his son close by. Also, wedding plans for Aunt May and JJJ, Sr. heat up.

Issue #600 - 104 pages of material, NO REPRINTS! And, a Dan Slott story featuring Doctor Octopus trying to upset the wedding of Aunt May and JJJ, Sr.. This is a fantastic issue, and easily worth the $4.99 price tag.

Issues #601-605 - "Red-Headed Stranger," by Fred Van Lente, finally brings Mary Jane back into the Spidey Universe. Also, we get The Chameleon causing countless amounts of trouble for Peter Parker and Spider-Man.

Issues #606-607 - By Joe Kelly, Black Cat is back, and she's set her sights back on Spidey.

Issues #608-610 - "Who Was Ben Reilly?," by Marc Guggenheim. Bringing back bad memories of the Clone Saga, this tale does nothing to respark anyone's interest.

Issue #611 - A Deadpool/Spidey team-up by Joe Kelly. More importantly, it has a prologue to Spidey's next big event, The Gauntlet.

Issues #612-614 - "Power To The People," by Mark Waid. The Gauntlet begins, as Peter has to face-off against Electro. Not only that, but Electro's got the people of New York behind him, as the Daily Bugle will never be the same.

Issues #615-616 - The Gauntlet continues in this two-part story featuring The Sandman, by Fred Van Lente.


I thought Spidey's year started out strong; but, I began losing interest in Spidey after issue #600. I'm sorely disappointed in The Gauntlet, as it's really no different than past Spidey stories I've read in the past, where month after month, Spidey would fight a different villian from his Rogue Gallery. To me, a gauntlet is fighting one guy after the other without rest. So far, Peter is getting plenty of rest between fights.

Spider-Man: Fear Itself, Spider-Man Extra #2-3, Spider-Man: The Short Halloween, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36, Spider-Man and the Human Torch in ...; Bahia De Los Muertos

Spider-Man Extra was designed to give us three extra stories per issue that further explore Peter Parkers life and giving us a glimpse into future storylines. After March's issue #3, the series kind of disappeared entirely.

In the one-shot, Fear Itself, Spidey meets up with Man-Thing.

The Short Halloween was one of the best one-shots I've read that starred Spider-Man. It's written by SNL cast members, Bill Hader and Seth Meyers. I LOVED this issue! It really ranked up there with Slott's story from issue #600.

Annual #36 is a wedding tie-in issue with Amazing Spider-Man #600 by Marc Guggenheim. Good issue of Peter trying to get to the church on time, trying to keep a present intact.

Amazing Spider-Girl #28-30

It finally had to happen...nothing could stop the adventures of Spider-Girl from getting cancelled this time. It's the story of the little superhero who could, and her fans, while not great in number, were very vocal about their love for this character. In these final issue, Spider-Girl is forced to face off against her own father, as the Green Goblin takes over his body. Plus, a clone of May joins the family! (Or, is May the true clone?)

Amazing Spider-Man Family #4-8, Web Of Spider-Man #1-3

Thankfully, Spider-Girl's adventures wouldn't end! First continuing her tales in ASM Family, she now is appearing monthly in Web Of Spider-Man. Sadly, her story is the best thing about both of those series. Family suffered greatly from telling stories nobody really cared about, like "Mr. & Mrs. Spider-Man" and "The Amazing Spider Ma'am." Web's a bit better, but it doesn't have that amazing first Spidey story in each issue to keep readers interested.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Anti-Venom - New Ways To Live #1-3

Anti-Venom teams up with The Punisher to take down some drug dealers. This mini wasn't too bad; but, it sure doesn't seem like too many people are interested in seeing Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom.

Spider-Man: The Clone Saga #1-4

For those who want the Cliff Notes version of the epic Clone Saga. I'm a rare fan of that old storyline; and, this retelling loses a lot of its flavor in this condensed version.

Spider-Man 1602 #1-3

Going down as one of the biggest surprises of the past year, Spider-Man 1602 redeems this almost dead universe. Not surprising is seeing it's written by Jeff Parker, one of Marvel's best writers! It just shows you that a great writer can take any dead franchise and make it good.

In this comic, Peter is getting older and becoming a very important member of his community in The New World; but, Norman Osbourne finds a way to ruin it for him, leading him to return to his old roots, Europe.

Of note, Marvel solicits this as the "final story of the 1602 saga."

Spider-Man & The Secret Wars #1

Paul Tobin does it again! This retelling of the Secret Wars mixed with the Marvel Adventures universe is only one issue in; but, I'm sold. It adds some great wit and humor to that original story, even making comment on Bendis' altering of Marvel history by claiming The Beyonder was just an omega level mutant.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Hulk-Pt. 1

Incredible Hercules #125-139, Assault On New Olympus One-Shot

Issue #125 - "Love & War" conclusion.

Issues #126-128 - A Dark Reign tie-in, starting out with the Origin Of Hercules, which tells readers how Hercules learned of his divine heritage, and why the goddess, Hera, hates him so much. Hera attempts to take over Olympus, and tries to form an alliance with Norman Osborn.

Issues #129-131 - The Trial of Zeus sends Herc and Amadeus to Pluto's Underworld in order to bring back Zeus to counter Hera's power on Earth. As the trial ends, big changes happen for Hercules, as Amadeus splits from Herc to find his supposedly dead sister and Zeus gets turned into a young boy.

Issues #132-137 - Two storylines stemming out of the Trial of Zeus trade off in these series of issues: One, "The Replacement Thor," featuring Hercules donning Thor's costume to dupe the Elven Queen; and, two, "The Secret Origin Of Amadeus Cho," as he goes on a quest to learn who really killed his family.

This is the highlight of Incredible Hercules for me. "The Replacement Thor" finally got rid of Amadeus Cho, one of my least liked Marvel characters, and had Herc teamed up with the very funny, child-version of Zeus.

Issues #138-139 & Assault One-Shot - Everything this past year has been leading up to Herc's big "Assault On New Olympus" event! Herc, Zeus, Amadeus, and many past and present Avengers lay siege on New Olympus. Also, Jeff Parker's recently cancelled Agents Of Atlas continue in the back of each issue.

She-Hulk #37-38

After taking over Dan Slott's She-Hulk, Peter David new take on She-Hulk never really brought in the fans. Thus, this series was one of the first Marvel cancelled in 2009. Everything gets wrapped up, as She-Hulk goes on trial, as her old law partner, Mallory Book, brings her to court.



(Something came up. I'll finish this section later.)

 

[Phaedrus45]

Hulk-Pt.2

Skaar: Son Of Hulk #7-12, Planet Skaar Prologue, Incredible Hulk #601-605, Son Of Hulk #13-17

Interesting year for these titles. It started out with the Silver Surfer storyline in Skaar issues #7-10, which exiles Skaar from his home planet, Sakaar, and sends him directly to Earth. This also leads to the destruction of his home planet by Galactus, events of which spin-off in Son Of Hulk. Skaar's adventures in this title end with "Planet Skaar" in the Prologue One-Shot, in which Reed Richards discovers that Hulk has a son and he's on his way to Earth, and Skaar: Son Of Hulk issues #11-12, where Skaar and Hulk finally collide in combat. Nothing is really decided in the battle, as Skaar says this was not the Hulk he wanted to fight, and was willing to bide his time on Earth until he got the chance for his revenge.

Spinning out of these events in Incredible Hulk #601-605, Skaar meets Bruce Banner, who explains that he can no longer turn into Hulk, due to the Red Hulk robbing him of that ability in Incredible Hulk #600. Bruce offers to teach Skaar how to kill the Hulk, should he ever return, and these subsequent issues are devoted to that notion, facing such opponents as Juggernaut, Daken, and The Harpy.

More interesting is what was happening in Son Of Hulk #13-17. It turns out that there are two sons of Hulk, the second being Hiro-Kala. Galactus has just destroyed his planet, killing most everyone on the planet, except for his small band of followers, and Hiro-Kala vows revenge. This is a confusing story, and many readers dropped away before the big payoff in the final couple issues. In my opinion, it was the best story since Planet Hulk....but, I didn't feel that way until I got to the conclusion of this series with it's final issue, #17. The ending, where all of Hiro-Kala's plans are revealed, and his vengeance on Galactus is revealed, was one of the best moments in 2009. It was one of those moments where everything you thought you knew before is changed in a single moment, very much like movie, "The Sixth Sense." Best of all, Hiro-Kala's story is not over, as he now has a new quest: Skaar!

Hulk 10-18, Incredible Hulk #600, Fall Of The Hulks Alpha, Fall Of The Hulks Gamma

Issues 10-12 - "The Defenders/Offenders War" With a chance to save the women they love in a contest designed by The Grandmaster and The Collector, Hulk teams up with Namor, Doctor Strange, and Silver Surfer are forced to battle Rulk, Tiger Shark, Mordo, and Terrax. This story ends up making very little sense, as Rulk steals the Silver Surfer's powers, kills everyone, goes after Galactus, only to have the Surfer's powers removed. Rulk THEN kills the Grandmaster and ..... Oh, hell, forget about it! It was all just so ridiculous. Read it for a good laugh, I guess.

Incredible Hulk #600 - This big anniversary issue features Rulk absorbing all of Hulk's gamma radiation, leaving Bruce Banner unable to transform into Hulk. The hope that the identity of Rulk would finally be revealed never happens.

Issues #13-17 - "Code Red" Domino sees Rulk turn from his human form, and in order to keep this information secret, Thunderbolt Ross sends his team of mercenaries, labeled "Code Red," to hunt her down. This leads to a clash between Code Red and X-Force...and, this even leads to another gamma character, the Red She-Hulk.

Issue #18 - The final issue of the year is a stand alone explaining why Doc Samson has turned against Hulk. It also explains his origin, and is one of the rare highlights of this title.


This is all a lead up to the big to the "Hulk Event Of 2010!," "Fall Of The Hulks." The first one-shot by Jeff Parker was magnificient. It actually made me interested in this event and made me hopeful that something good might come out of the past two years of Loeb's Hulk. We get the backstory behind what The Leader and his cohorts have been up to in the past, and what that means for Hulk's future.

Sadly, the second one-shot by Loeb brought my anticipation back down to it's usual level, as we get one of the worst funerals I've ever read in comics. Thunderbolt Ross is dead, we have a funeral that even any soap opera would say is over the top, and discover that Betty is alive.

Hulk: Broken Worlds #1-2

2 issues, 8 stories looking at the various versions of Hulk in the multiverse. Visiting House Of M, the Microverse, Future Imperfect, 2099, Age Of Apocalypse, Days of Future Past, the Marvel Magnaverse, and 1602, these stories were a nice break from all the crazy, Hulk madness that has been going on this past year.

All-New Savage She-Hulk #1-4

Lyra, the daughter of Thundra and Hulk, comes back in time during the events of Dark Reign, in order to try and find a device which will ensure the survival of her people. In the end, Lyra decides to stay in this time and become an agent of A.R.M.O.R.. Her adventures continued in backstories of Incredible Hulk, and she will be featured in Fall Of The Hulks.

Hulk: Team-Up and Hulk: Winter Guard

Hulk: Team-Up wasn't too memorable. It was released in September, and I can't remember reading the main story, featuring the X-Men trying to find out what's causing a series of earthquakes in San Francisco. A second story featuring Dazzler giving backstage passes to Bruce Banner is also included.

Hulk: Winter Guard was pretty good. It's a haunting tale of Russia's Winter Guard and how while different people might enhabit the costumes, their alliegence to protect the people of Russia remains.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Soleil

Marvel, in collaboration with French comic publisher, Soleil, has been publishing some of Europe's most popular comics in English for the first time these past couple years. Here are this year's releases:

Scourge Of The Gods #1-3, Scourge Of The Gods: The Fall #1-3

After a thousand years of peace, the Orbis is attacked by The Huns, savage warriors who come out of nowhere are lay devastation to their planet. A young Roman girl, Flavia, arises from a pile of dead, and many Huns believe she is the Goddess Of Chaos, Kerka. This story is a combination of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and hugely epic in scope.

Ythaq: The Forsaken World #2-3, Ythaq: No Escape #1-3

Shipwrecked on the planet Ythaq, three heroes continually try to save not only themselves from constant peril, but the many people they meet along the way. It's another epic tale from Soleil, and my favorite of them all. This mixes a nice blend of humor and adventure with this strange, new world with danger around every corner. If you wish to read a Soleil comic, this is the one I'd recommend the most.

Universal War One: Revelations #1-3

Conitinuing from the first mini released the previous year, the Purgatory Squadron have discovered that the CIC (Colonization Industrial Company) has a hidden satellite in Earth's orbit that could rip the planet in half, just as they discovered had happened to Uranus. This team of outcasts and criminals has three days to stop the destruction...all of which will lead to the first Universal War.

This is one of those series that pays off when you get more into it. By the time you get to this second series, the plot has been established and the reader knows and loves these characters.

Spin Angels #1-4

A cross of Dan Brown's Divinci Code and Lara Croft, this involves a powerful Cardinal who oversees the execution of the Church's most discreet objectives with a force of black-ops specialist and spies. When a young, sexy investigator gets close to unveiling some of these ancient secrets, many are threatened that she might unseat those with religious power.

This title was originally entitled "Crossfire," but by the time of the book's release, the name was changed to "Spin Angels." It's a nice alternative to the epic scope of many of Soleil's other titles.

Sky Doll - Doll's Factory #1

I was excited to see another Doll Factory story coming out. But, greatly disappointed to discover this two-part series was just drafts, sketches, rough drafts, and illustrations from that first series. The only thing of note is a 10-page exclusive story that reveals the birth of Noa. Skip this, and pick up the first 3-issue story that came out in 2008.

Kookaburra K #1-2

I did not read the second issue of this series yet, as the first issue didn't do much for me. There are so many characters introduced, and it's hard telling who is who. It's about a rocket full of refuges who are fleeing a destructive force that destroys our solar system at the beginning of issue #1. On board, there is a mysterious crew of seven children, several adults, an ancient wizard-knight, and the ghost of a cyborg.


The Soleil line is a good series of books to read; and, although the $5.99 price on each issue might disuade many from buying, they are actually books that give the reader so much each issue, that I could read a year's worth of Rulk comics in the amount of time it takes me to finish one or two of their issues.

 

[Phaedrus45]

This is going to take FOREVER! I think I better pick things up, and give briefer explanations.

Galactic Comics

Secret Invasion: War Of Kings, War Of Kings #1-6, X-Men: Kingbreaker #2-4, War Of Kings: Darkhawk #1-2, War Of Kings: Ascension #1-4, Marvel Spotlight: War Of Kings, War Of Kings: Savage World Of Skaar, War Of Kings: Warriors #1-2, War Of Kings: Who Will Rule?

Beginning the year, the Galactic event of the year begins. The Inhumans are reeling from the wounds inflicted on them by the Skrulls, Vulcan is expanding the Shi'ar Empire, and the Kree Empire is taking heavy hits. The events from Kingbreaker and Secret Invasion one-shot go directly into War Of Kings and it's many tie-ins. The most notable is the return of Darkhawk, whose history and future is forever changed. Abnett and Lanning really shake things up, and by the time Who Will Rule? ends, nothing is the same.

Realm Of Kings, Realm Of Kings: Imperial Guard #1-2, Realm Of Kings: Inhumans #1-2

Exploding out of the events of War Of Kings, the devastation caused by Black Bolt and Vulcan's final confrontation threatens the entire Universe: The Fault. Not only are people still vying for power, but the secrets of The Fault are being explored.

Nova #21-32, Nova: Origin Of Richard Rider

Issues #21-28 - In these issues, Richard Rider loses the Nova Force, while the Worldmind (now in the body of Ego, the Living Planet) creates a new Nova Corps. This leads to a "War of Kings" tie-in, starting with issue #23, and the return of Wendell Vaughn (Quasar). For a short time, Richard Rider becomes the New Quasar, as the Nova Corps is being decimated by the Shi'ar. He comes to their rescue, takes on the Worldmind, and eventually lobotomizes Ego. (This is a very Cliff Notes version of events in this series.)

Issues 29-30 - These deal with the aftermath of War Of Kings, while getting ready for the next galactic event, Realm Of Kings.

Issues 31-32 - Things pick up as The Fault is causing trouble in the universe, and Nova goes in search of the supposed assassin, Darkhawk. Fans of the New Warriors will be happy to see the return of Sphinx.

Nova: Origin of Richard Rider is a one-shot that is a very familiar technique used by Marvel lately. With a few pages of original material, Marvel bookends old reprinted issues to form an origin of their featured character.

Guardian Of The Galaxy #9-21

Beginning the year tying into War Of Kings and ending by tying into Realm Of Kings, no comic has upset me more all year. Issues 9-10 feature the Guardians trying to escape the Negative Zone and Blastaar's barbarian horde, while issues 11-12 find Drax and Quasar on a quest to find Moondragon. It all leads to the Guardians trying to convince the Shi'ar and Kree to stop their war, because it will mean the destruction of the Universe in issues 13-17, where Adam Warlock takes a desperate step to save everything.

Everything was good, up to that point. Then, came Kang. By the end of issue 19, many favorite characters in the Guardians Of The Galaxy would be dead. For me, it would take away from the future enjoyment of this series, and while the remaining Guardians are dealing with The Fault in a Realm Of Kings tie-in with issues 20-21, I find myself not really caring any longer.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Cancelled Series

Since I have nothing but huge lists left, I figure I need to cut the size down a bit. So, here are series that got cancelled in 2009.

New Warriors #20

The first casuality of 2009, New Warriors, was a series that debuted out of Civil War. The series ends with the New Warriors returning from the future and Donyell disbanding the New Warriors team, feeling that this group could never trust him again.

Eternals #7-9

This series ends with a 3-part X-Men/Eternals Manifest Destiny tie-in. Stemming out of Neil Gaiman's miniseries, this comic was never as good as that miniseries. It focused too much on a battle between two factions of competing Eternals, those lead by Ikaris and those lead by Druig. I cannot even remember how everything was resolved...if it ever was.

Immortal Iron Fist #22-27, Immortal Weapons #1-5

The last major storyline, "Escape From The Eighth City," sends Iron Fist and his fellow Immortal Weapons to Hell, where they must escape the Eight City. The final issue has huge changes in Danny's life, as Rand, Int. is destroyed, and Danny Rand decides to open a dojo in Harlem.

Each issue of Immortal Weapons focuses on one member of that group, telling of their origin. It was nicely done, but none of the subsequent issues compared to the first issue, in my opinion.

Ghost Rider #31-35, Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch #4-5, Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire #1-5

The year saw the conclusion of the Danny Ketch miniseries, which explains to readers how he's returned in the main series as another Ghost Rider.

In the main title, everything since Jason Aaron's relaunch last year has been leading to the eventual War For Heaven. We get a new female Caretaker and learn that there is a vast amount of Ghost Riders (much like all the Immortal Weapons in Iron Fist). By the end of this series, the bad guys win the War For Heaven; all of which leads into Ghost Riders: Heaven's On Fire.

I've really liked this series since Aaron took over. His War For Heaven storyline feels epic in scope, and has a huge cast of characters from Ghost Rider's present and past.

Moon Knight #26-30, Moon Knight Saga, Vengeance Of Moon Knight #1-4

One series ends, and a new series begins. This has been a character that's desperately needed a good writer, and I felt like things were finally getting on track with the arrival of Mike Benson. His storyline, "Down South," introduced readers to Los Bros Zapata, a tag-team Mexican wrestler duo who moonlights as assassins (later seen in Deadpool Team-Up), and was the highlight of this series, in my opinion.

With that stories conclusion, Marvel started over with Vengeance Of The Moon Knight, a new series written by Gregg Hurwitz. They also put out the free comic, Moon Knight Saga, for those who wished to jump on board the new direction. It brought Marc Spector back to New Work and into direct opposition with Norman Osborn, the man who originally chased him out of town. Things finally seem on track for Moon Knight.

Squadron Supreme #7-12

Howard Chaykin took over writing duties for this superhero team in 2008, never explaining what happened in the conclusion of the never-finished previous volume. This year saw the final six-part story, "One Fine Day," where the Squadron Supreme finally returns from deep space. They discovery that Fury (from the Ultimate Universe) has gained quite a bit of
power, which leads to a battle between the old and new Squadron Supreme.

Like with many of Chaykin's stories, they take a while to catch onto. His vast departure from the previous storylines, creating a new Squadron Supreme lead by the Ultimate Universe's Nick Fury, was such a bizarre move, that those few readers continuing to read this comic soon baled, I think. I stuck with it to the end, and have to say it did get much better. But, by then, it was too late.

Runaways #6-14

I was so excited about the arrival of Terry Moore on this title; but, what makes him great on Echo and Strangers In Paradise never showed up in this comic. I really didn't like his final plastic-surgery zombie storyline. His run lasted nine issues, and Kathryn Immonen finished things up with the four-part "Homeschooling."

Captain Britain and MI13 #9-15, Annual #1

The final entry in this group, and in my opinion, the best series that got cancelled. It premiered at #51, with it's tie-in with Secret Invasion. Sadly, by the beginning of the year, that number would drop to #101. Writer Paul Cornell has this to say:

"Our audience really left at issue four... People protest about events, but try and write a comic now without them. The audience is actually more concerned with what’s going on, with the big news, than they are with story. I’d be part of an event every issue if I could, if it meant I could keep the title going. ... after [Hell Comes to] Birmingham I realised that the only way the book would survive would be huge event stories of our own." He also said he might've had the characters visit America early on if he'd known how long he had, or put more action into Hell Comes To Birmingham.

That big event was the "Vampire State" storyline that ran in the last six issues of the series. Dracula and minions leave their moon sanctuary in a planned assault on the United Kingdom. The series went out with a bang, that's for sure; as, it's one of my favorite storylines of 2009.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ok, that does me in for the day. I think tomorrow I'll try and tackle the dreaded Dark Reign.

 

[Dread]

Destroyer #1-5

Keen Marlowe, The Destroyer, has been fighting bad guys for sixty years, and discovers that he's dying. Before he does, though, he wants to make the world a little bit safer for his family, and intends to not go quietly into the night. By this series end, though, he isn't dying, and he's passed on the mantle of The Destroyer to a close friend.

At least I can remember this mini. Most of the Max line-up is pretty forgetable, and the only thing many of these stories have to appeal to readers is the graphic violence, nudity, and use of course language. All that does not make a good story, though. I think what surprised me most of all about this series is that I'm a huge Robert Kirkman fan; but, this might be one of the worst stories I've read by him. It wasn't bad; but, it sure isn't a comic I'd recommend to anyone.

Terror, Inc.: Apocalypse Soon #1-5

A devastating biological weapon in the form of a young child has been unleashed in the Middle East, and it appears Terror, Inc. is the cause of it. Now, Mr. Terror must track down the cure to this virus, kill the child, and find out who is behind this latest assignment that went seriously wrong.

How disappointing, especially after I really enjoyed the first Terror, Inc. Max comic. This sequel pretty much drove the nail in this character...but, you never know. I mean, I didn't expect to see another 1602 comic; but, that returned this year. Not only was the story pretty dull, the art didn't help it any, either. (It's one of those cases where you have four beautiful covers, and the inside art cannot even compare.)

DESTOYER could be recommended to Robert Kirkman fans. I'm one (overall) and while I agree this mini wasn't anything too spectacular, anyone who usually likes Kirkman's superhero stories (aside for ULTIMATE X-MEN) should probably enjoy that. It's at least as good as, say, CAPES. He does utilize the MAX format for some excessively violent and curse-filled tales, but overall I enjoyed it and didn't regret the money. To be honest I'd argue it's better than HAUNT, although HAUNT isn't on it's 5th issue yet.

I liked the first TERROR, INC. MAX mini and this sequel was...worse, but not completely terrible, story wise. The art was worse, especially the fill-in for some pages in the middle section. Of course, this is all my opinion. You deserve an award for slogging through Marvel's entire catalog.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Thanks Dread! Glad to hear some people's other comments about these titles. Onto Dark Reign!

 

[Phaedrus45]

Dark Reign - Pt.1

Dark Avengers #1-12, Annual #1

This was definitely the year of Dark Reign. We've seen series throughout the years featuring the exploits of supervillians, but never on the scope of 2009. In the 70's, we had Supervillian Team-up; more recently, Thunderbolts....but, now Marvel was going to go all out.

With this title, Bendis describes it best himself:

"These are bad-ass, hardcore get-it-done types. They'll close the door and take care of business and he's dressing them up to make them something that the people want."

The group consists of Norman Osborn (Iron Patriot), Moonstone (Ms. Marvel), Bullseye (Hawkeye), Daken (Wolverine), Venom (Spider-Man), Noh-Varr (Captain Marvel), Ares, and Sentry.

The first storyline, "Battleground Latveria," sees this new group rescuing Dr. Doom and facing off against Morgana Le Fey. The following major storyline is the crossover with Uncanny X-Men, Utopia, where Norman sets up martial law in order to quell anti-mutant riots in San Francisco, and inevitably starts up his own mutant squad, the Dark X-Men. The last storyline, my personal favorite, has the Dark Avengers facing off against Molecule Man.

The Annual is also especially good, as it focuses on Noh-Varr realizing that he's alligned himself with the bad guys. Some of the best moments in Dark Avengers is this group dynamic, and how well they do and don't get along together.

Ms. Marvel #35-48, Dark Wolverine #75-81, Dark Reign: Hawkeye, Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man #1-4, Dark Avengers: Ares #1-3

Many of the Dark Avengers spun off into other titles.

Ms. Marvel - Norman Osborn is none to pleased that Ms. Marvel refuses to become a member of his Dark Avengers, and orchestrates a plan that causes Carol Danvers' powers to overload, resulting in her apparent death. Moonstone's Ms. Marvel takes over this title for a while; until, Carol Danvers is resurrected with the help of the New Avengers. (This resurrection is completely confusing. It involved some strange A.I.M. embryos, and Carol being split into two different personas that somehow come together in the end after a dramatic fight with Moonstone...Don't try to understand it, because even Brian Reed jokes around in the later issues that it all doesn't really make sense.) The stand out issue for me is issue #47, where Carol goes on a date with Peter Parker.

Dark Wolverine - In one of the biggest surprises of the year, Wolverine's main title gets taken over by his son, Daken....and, it's surprisingly good! What was at first a groan inducing character, Daken has grown on many readers. His motivations are always a little unclear, as he's always scheming with some crazy plan. The first storyline involves Daken working with the Fantastic Four to break into the Avengers Tower. The next, "My Hero," has Norman trying to improve Daken's public image after video shows him killing people...the trouble is that Norman's plans don't always mesh with Daken's. Finally, the year ends with a really good standalone story that would be a great companion piece to Ms. Marvel #47, where Moonstone goes on a sort-of date with Daken. The results are completely different.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye - Andy Diggle's mini explores Bullseye's grip on reality, as he's having trouble keeping his cold blooded instinct under wraps.

Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man - Solo adventure with Mac Gargan as the Sinister Spider-Man. (Honestly, though....I cannot remember a thing about this mini. Guess that says how good it was.)

Dark Avengers: Ares - At the end of the year, Ares got his own mini. Norman, being the director of H.A.M.M.E.R., asks Ares to train a squad of soldiers and turn them into an elite fighting unit. Things get intense when Hera, his mother, tricks Ares into believing his son is in danger, leading him and the new squad into a direct confrontation with his other son, Kyknos.

Thunderbolts #128-139

Where the Dark Avengers is Norman's public team, the Thunderbolts are "something much more covert and much more lethal: his own personal hit squad." This new team is made up of the second Black Widow, Ghost, Paladin, Headsman, and Ant-Man. Later, Scourge joins the group.

Lots of really interesting stuff gets revealed in this book; and, the T-bolt, Ghost, generally steals the spotlight from the other characters. This is clearly not a team that doesn't work well together, and Ghost manipulates everyone in this book. One of their first missions is to kill Deadpool; and, later they are sent to take out Songbird. It's revealed that the Black Widow is actually the original, Natasha, who was sent to inflitrate this team on behalf of Nick Fury. (This story is a tie-in with Secret Warriors.) Also, at the end of the year, Scourge is revealed to be Nuke.

Secret Warriors #1-11

Many of these Dark Reign titles bleed into others, just as events in Thunderbolts and storylines concerning Ares coincide with events in this title. This isn't the most dynamic roster you'll find in comics; but, it does have Ares' son, Phobos, one of my favorite characters in this book. The basic premise of this title is that Nick Fury has discovered that S.H.E.I.L.D. is a branch of Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D. is a branch of HYDRA, while various agencies of the United States Government, including the NSA, Department of Treasury, and FBI Science and Technology Branch, as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate and Foreign Intelligence Service are all under HYDRA control. Nick has brought this team together to fight that.

This is a great title. I came into it, thinking it was going to be just awful. I was not a fan of Nick Fury's previous series, featuring a team of monsters called the Howling Commandos...and, I really didn't like his Secret Warriors in Secret Invasion. But, this series is really, really fun to read.

Skull Kill Krew #1-5

Another group I didn't like in Secret Invasion was the Skull Kill Krew. After this mini, I like them even less. Skip this one! It was one of my least favorite comics of 2009, and was just too off beat for my tastes.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Dark Reign - Pt.2

Black Panther #1-11

Prince Namor attempts to recruit T'Challa as a member of Norman Osborn's Cabal, and is afterwards attacked by Doctor Doom, leaving him comatose. A female Black Panther is shown, who is later revealed to be Shuri, T'Challa's sister. Eventually, T'Challa comes out of his coma, only to learn he's lost all of his enhanced attributes given to him by the Panther God. In the more recent issues, everything has been coming together for the inevitable clash with Doctor Doom.

This is a title that really isn't talked about much, but one I've really been enjoying. Much like Fraction's Iron Man, the action constantly cuts from different characters and scenes, one moment following Shuri's battles, next showing how T'Challa is working with Zawavari to make himself more powerful in order to tackle Doom's forces, and then seeing how Storm is trying to handle the drought affecting Wakanda's crops.

Agents Of Atlas #1-11


This is one of those titles where people are on two sides of a fence: You either love Jeff Parker's Agents, or you don't. Sadly, not enough people were on the "love" side, and this comic was cancelled with issue #11. Luckily, though, we have been getting continued adventures in Incredible Hercules. The premise for this series was simple: The Agents Of Atlas decided to oppose Norman Osborn's agenda by taking on the role of supervillians. They perpetrated evil acts as a means to disrupt Norman's plans, like stealing the gold reserve at Fort Knox, thus thwarting Osborn's plans to use it to finance a secret weapons system.

New Avengers #49-60, Annual #3

This title began where Secret Invasion left off, with Luke Cage on a search for his missing child. (What shocked me is that this was resolved right off the bat, and I think in the very first issue, Luke has his child back.) What came next is what we've been seeing throughout this book for a couple years: The New Avengers on the run from those in power. This time, though, it's Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers. It was a theme that started out the year, and it even ended the year, as the New Avengers had to save Luke Cage's life by giving him up to Osborn, and then getting him back again. (issues 55-60) In between this was one of the more hyped storylines, "Who Is The New Sorcerer Supreme?" (issues 5-54) That answer turned out to be Brother Voodoo, now in his own series, Doctor Voodoo: Avenger Of The Supernatural. Finally, in Annual #3, Jessica Jones and the female New Avengers risk their lives to save Clint Barton, who's been captured by the Dark Avengers. (Yes, a VERY common theme in 2009!) In the end, Jessica decides to become a costume superhero again.

I didn't find this a particularily bad year for New Avengers; it's just that made me focus on two things I didn't like: Brother Voodoo becoming the new Sorcerer Supreme, and this group constantly being on the run.

Mighty Avengers #21-32

Nobody was more excited than me about Dan Slott taking over the writing duties for Mighty Avengers. It almost pains me to admit that it hasn't lived up to my anticipation. (Especially knowing Mr. Slott frequents our The Hype.) I'm not sure why I find myself so unthrilled; maybe it's just the fact he's living in a Bendis World, and he's been left with a C-list group of Avengers.

This title has Henry Pym, now called The Wasp, leading a group of Avengers that have been brought together by the Scarlet Witch, who's actually Loki in disguise. This group has on it's roster Hank Pym, U.S. Agent, Hercules, Jocasta, Amadeus Cho, Stature, and Vision. Also joining them is Quicksilver. The good thing is that we do get to see these Avengers do more than run from Norman Osborn, as they face off against old villians, like Chthon and The Unspoken.

This title has been getting better, as these characters have settling into a groove and Slott is pretty good at keeping the story rolling. Also, if you are a fan of Slott's humor, there's quite a bit of it, too. (I think that might be another problem I have with the book. I'm not used to this Spidey-type of humor in my Avengers titles.)

Invincible Iron Man #9-21

Now, THIS was a long storyline! Running from issues 9-19, "World's Most Wanted" saw Tony Stark constantly on the run from Norman Osborn after he uploads a virus that destroys all records of the Registration Act. With the only database still around being the one in his brain, each month we saw Stark's continual loss of memory, until he gets reduced to a vegetative state by issue #19. This issue jumped around from various characters, including Pepper Potts taking over a new female Iron Man armor. In the final two issues, we have the beginning storyline of Stark getting his memories rebooted into his brain.

I loved World's Most Wanted, even though it took most of the year to tell. I didn't mind Tony's mindwipe being dragged out for 11 issues, especially getting to follow the exploits of Maria Hill and Pepper Potts along the way.

War Machine #2-12

This was another of my most disliked comics of 2009. I really couldn't stand the new War Machine, who looked almost identical to Teen Titan's Cyborg. The final two issues finally captured my interest, as War Machine was standing trial for his apparent crimes; but, it was "a little too little too late." At least Rhodey returns to normal at the end of this book in his clone body, Rhodey 2.0.

Marvel Spotlight: Dark Reign, Dark Reign Files, Dark Reign: The Cabal, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus, Dark Reign: The Goblin Legacy, Dark Reign: Made Men, M.O.D.O.K.: Reign Delay

Eight one-shots.

Spotlight just introduces us to Dark Reign with a series of interviews about the upcoming project.

Dark Reign Files is your basic handbook on this event.

The Cabal contains five stories focusing on Doctor Doom, Emma Frost, The Hood, Namor, and Loki, and how each intends to capitalize on their associates with the others.

Both Utopia titles are bookends for the Utopia event running in that ran throughout Uncanny X-Men and Dark Avengers.

The Goblin Legacy reprints Amazing Spider-Man #39 and #40, while framing those issues with a few pages of new material. Also included is a Saga-style history of the Green Goblin.

Made Men contains five stories, involving Spymaster, Attuma, Jack O' Lantern, The Gamma Corps, and The Enforcer, that have effected the criminal community since the events of Dark Reign.

M.O.D.O.K. is a comical one-shot, poking fun at the Dark Reign event.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Whew! Luckily, I copied that last section; otherwise, I would have lost it all after hitting "Submit."

Two more Dark Reign sections to go: Dark Reign: The minis and Dark Reign: The List. (oops....plus, I realized I left out The Punisher in that last section.)