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The Ongoing Bought/Thought! 2013

MAN! What a good week. Big one too. I'm tired so I'll make this brief.

Wolverine & the X-Men Annual 1 - FINALLY! Kid Gladiator is back, and Aaron doesn't skip a beat with him. It's great to see him again.

Wolverine & the X-Men 38 - A dead book walking, Aaron's been crappy since AvX. Fortunately, this issue ended up being very enjoyable. I'm eager to see how this plot plays out. Note... read this issue AFTER the Annual.

All New X-Men 19 - This was a pretty good issue. I'm not used to seeing the O5 with Cyclops' group yet, but I'm interested in it. I'm very curious what's going on with Laura. But man has Peterson's art suffered. He ranged from amazing to okay, but this was barely even okay in my opinion. I miss Immonen.

Uncanny Avengers 14 - Well, we get our deaths (one more than I was expecting) but none of them feel legit. Especially since this title has already resurrected 3 people. I'm curious what'll come of Kang's plot here with Ahab, Stryfe, Doom 2099, Venom (from Earth X), and the others. That's got my attention big time. Good issue.

Infinity 6 - This was a pretty good ending, but nothing amazing. I felt Thanos' defeat was fairly anti-climactic and disappointing, but then, he's been disappointing for this entire event himself. This issue was actually the first time I actually enjoyed Thanos' generals, and now I'm hoping to see them again soon.

So now that it's concluded, yes, all in all I still feel this event was a disappointment. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just mediocre with some good moments. I don't regret reading it, but I do regret all the money I spent on it. If I didn't buy and like New Avengers, I'd have been better to have just skipped it. I do think it's ended up being better than I've previously stated in regards to other events, but not by much. Certainly not to the hype other people have placed it.

New Avengers 12 - Ah, the old Marvel tradition of ruining endings with covers. That aside, the issue was a decent aftermath issue that deals more with the events of New Avengers prior to and during Infinity than Infinity itself. They're getting quite the collection of prisoners. I'm still very intrigued with this title. I hope it remains separate from Avengers so I can keep buying it. Once it needs the other title, though, I'll likely drop it.

Justice League Dark 25 - I thought this was going to be the first part of Blight, but it isn't. It's actually part 2 of the previous issue and the lead-in to Blight. That said, the issue was fantastic. I was disappointed that the Swamp Thing for this event was going to be a rip off, but this issue fixed that quickly. Swamp Thing is the official one in the story. Oh, and I'm starting to really like the Nightmare Nurse. Now I can't wait for next week when Blight begins in Phantom Stranger.

Talon 13 - The events of this entire series is building to a head with Tynion IV moving on from the title. It's very interesting, and the art is better here than it's been in a while. I'm eager to see the final throw down with the Butcher and how it all ends. I enjoyed the issue, though I don't know how much longer this title has left.

Aquaman 25 - And this marks the end of Geoff Johns' run on the title he launched with the New 52, which is also one of the best titles on the stands. It's been huge and epic, and this ending does not disappoint. But it isn't a clean ending and leads into an upcoming Justice League event called Rise of the Seven Seas. It sounds very interesting, and I can't wait to get to it.

There's a potential continuity error here, but I don't think it is. I felt that the final scene took place right after or during the final Aquaman scene, but it doesn't necessarily have to. Therefore, the final scene takes place after the prison break of Forever Evil 1, and not the whole issue. That'd make sense.

Still, it was a great issue. Johns has sold me on the character enough to give Parker a chance on it. I hope he's able to keep up the quality.


Best and Worst of the Week

Best: Aquaman - I'm going to miss Johns. He turned me from a person who didn't give a crap about Aquaman to someone who loved him and looked forward to his title every month. This was a great conclusion to his run with a promise of more greatness in the pages of Justice League (and hopefully this one).

Worst: All New X-Men - This wasn't a bad issue; it was just a really good week. Of them all I enjoyed this one the least, but I still enjoyed it.
 
A fitting week at the comic book store as not only did a lot come out this week, but I got 1 comic I forgot about from last week, and another that got to the shop 2 weeks late. Stuff yourselves with spoilers, folks!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 11/27/13:

BLOODHOUND: CROWBAR MEDICINE #2: A comic which came out around the middle of the month but only shipped to the local shop this week due to some glitch. Regardless, some delay in shipping can't stop the flow of quality from this terrific series resurrected from DC Comics and revived happily with Dark Horse Comics. Dan Jolley, Leonard Kirk, Robin Riggs and Moose Baumann continue on their tale of Clev, a hulking ex-cop, ex-con who is paired with FBI agent Saffron Bell to profile and capture rogue superhumans as well as earn some redemption. Their job suddenly got harder by a million degrees when Dr. Bradley Morgenstern has offered a nationwide appeal for applications for his new super-powers treatment in the wake of yet another super-villain massacre. As usual, Clev and Saffron find themselves in the middle of a thick mess involving a military deal gone bad, a broken family and a mysterious masked man who claims to be on his side even when using ice-powers against them. Also as per usual, Clev mingles a mind and tongue sharper than anyone on "Criminal Minds" with the brawn and tactics of a pro-wrestler. As the second act of a five act story, this issue shows no sign of the bland build-up many comic arcs display and instead offers more of the sharp cutting lines with the enjoyable action which previous issues in the series, even from a decade back, that fans of the series can expect. Dark Horse is giving fans a second chance at reading this incredible creator owned series, and they hopefully won't waste it.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #28: The latest major arc of IDW Comics' magnificent relaunch of the core TMNT comic book series comes to an action packed conclusion and in doing so ups the bar for all subsequent arcs in the future. "City Fall", which even as a title pays homage to "City at War" from the Mirage Comics era of the 90's, delivers a finale which pays off for virtually all of its characters who have been thrust into this climax. In doing so, young writers Tom Waltz and Bobby Curnow alongside legendary franchise co-creator Kevin Eastman cement their status as masters of taking over a quarter century of lore from a franchise and combining it all into a successful whole which works for a modern relaunch. Along for the ride is current artist Mateus Santolouco and longtime colorist Ronda Pattison (and co-colorist Ian Herring), who produce their last collaborative work for a while as Mateus is set for a well earned break.

Suffice it to say, this issue sees the culmination of a half dozen issues of development (which doesn't include plot threads from the start of the book through the various "micro-series" issues) into a masterwork of emotional beats, character moments and action packed panels. Over the course of this arc, the Shredder has ruthlessly sought to combine all of the various gangs and criminal organizations of NYC under the umbrella of his "Foot Clan"; any who sought to refuse were crushed. He also organized the kidnapping and brainwashing of Leonardo, the mortal wounding of Casey Jones, and in aiding in empowering Casey's father Arnold into the bulky "Purple Dragons" leader, Hun. However, his own ruthlessness has caused his granddaughter Karai to take matters into her own hands in creating the monstrous mutant bruisers Bebop and Rocksteady, as well as turning mutant ninja fox Alopex against him. Splinter was forced to form an unholy alliance with his foe, "Old Hob" and his minion, Slash, in order to wage a last ditch effort to save his son and stop the Shredder. The result is sheer Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle brilliance.

The two evil mutant bruisers who were walking jokes in the animated series are more vicious than they ever were without being drastically altered beyond recognition. Just about every character within; hero, villain, and in-between gets a defining moment to shine. The action is fast paced and pulse pounding, and the dialogue is cracking and memorable. Above all, the spectacle of action and one-liners doesn't result in a simplistic ending where all is swept under a rug and there are is a glistening happy ending. The heroes bare scars, physical and emotional from this ordeal. And the villains display their own warped version of the fundamental premise of the franchise - the unity of family. The subsequent issue promises to offer more introspective looks at its cast also looks to pay homage to previous Mirage material while forging ahead with new dynamics, new ideas and new methods of execution.

"Big two" comics relaunch franchises endlessly and seem to attract all manner of attention without always delivering on quality. This incarnation of TMNT has tirelessly delivered upon their premise in the past, and this arc ups the ante in dramatic and satisfying faction. If one is at all interested in this franchise and haven't jumped aboard this exceptional run, those trade collections of the previous issues would make for a good Christmas gift request.

SAGA #16: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples officially end their three issue recap of the climax of issue thirteen with this issue, which brings all their ducks (or characters) in a row for what promises to be a jaw dropping climax to end the year for the series. Two space facing tabloid reporters continue to poke at the intergalactic story of Alana and Marko's cross planet marriage and wind up stirring the pot for future threats. Meanwhile, our main characters enjoy the last bit of rest at the home of author Mr. Heist, which culminates with Alana seeking to gain employment in "the Circuit", a traveling costumed play troupe who appear to be an imaginative satire of both professional wrestling and superhero comics. Unfortunately, Gwendolyn has been pitted against them due to a horrible virus endangering her new friends (and their enemies) as well as Prince Robot IV's inevitable invasion of their makeshift home. As with every issue, the artwork is spectacular and is in perfect harmony with the creative dialogue and interaction of the characters, with every issue seeming to add another piece to this vast new universe as it goes along without confusing anyone. Very few science fiction epics feel this down to earth and "real" while offering concepts which often put "Star Wars" to shame, but "Saga" always pulls that off effortlessly.

AVENGERS A.I. #6: While a perfectly fine spare Avengers title, the fact that I could forget about it for a week without much care perhaps is as sure a sign as any that some element is missing. Regardless, writer Sam Humphries and superior new artist Valerio Schiti (flanked by colorist Frank D'Armata) make some progress with Hank Pym and the robot Avengers, even if they seek to transform robots into the sort of stand-ins for minority figures that Marvel already deploys mutants and/or Inhumans for. The Vision has a showdown with mad A.I. Dimitrios as he seeks to make himself a mentor figure to robots not unlike Professor X was for mutants. Victor Mancha's demise was thankfully exaggerated, and Pym shares some fun banter with "Doombot". Yet something about this series just refuses to click, as if the whole is not the sum of its parts. As such, this title is good, but struggles to be memorable.

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #16: Billed as an "Inhumanity" crossover cog on the cover, this issue by Mark Waid and artist Mahmud Asrar (of "Supergirl" and "Dynamo 5" fame) has absolutely nothing to do with it, for better or worse. Instead this is a small story about Bruce Banner trying to focus on inventing unique things for SHIELD now that he has some downtime from Hulk deployments, only to constantly be outdone by Marvel's other resident geniuses. It also covers the back-story of Jessup, one of the doctors assigned to work under Banner as they wind up throwing the Hulk into saving a SHIELD squad from a mystical mission at an Aztec monument that goes wrong. Highlights include the benefits of gum and some terrific artwork as the Hulk battles a monster of the month. This run always pales next to Waid's on "Daredevil", but this is still a solid if not low key issue.

INFINITY #6: As the case with most crossover events, by the time it ends Marvel is focused on the next story, leaving the climax nothing more than an obligation of a script. Jim Cheung and Dustin Weaver help bring writer Jonathan Hickman's epic space war to a close with a final battle against Thanos. The spectacle is impressive, but would you be shocked to learn that Thanos loses? That in the end all it leads to is the next crossover, and the next line wide title dress? So much pretty art and even some bold battles, but in the end it all seems so routine. While this is not the mess that "Fear Itself" or "Avengers vs. X-Men" was, it still is far more boring and sterile than superhero space epics should be.

SCARLET SPIDER #24: The penultimate issue of this series, which to be honest few expected would last this long. Writer Chris Yost alongside co-writer Erik Burnham work alongside artist David Baldeon and colorist Chris Sotomayor to end Kaine's tenure as hero of Houston, Texas in as dramatic and inevitably tragic a fashion as possible. Once a decaying clone as well as a murderous mercenary, Kaine sought only to enjoy life on the run from the law with a fresh wad of cash. Despite that, he kept stumbling into feats of heroism and has developed a small cast around him as he tried in vain to be a superhero. Unfortunately, with police officer Wally Layton's husband in intensive care due to one of Kaine's enemies coming home to roost, Wally has chosen to dig up all the dirt on how rotten Kaine's past is, and forces an ultimate conclusion. It seems he'll have to take a line as not one but two villains - including the spider-wasp Shathra, a creation of J. Michael Straczynski's run on "Amazing Spider-Man" from 2002 - want a pound of Kaine's flesh. Frankly, this issue has all the signs of a writer seeking to wrap up about a half dozen issues of subplots within the next one, and that may not be far from the mark. It is truly remarkable that this series has not only made a 90's has been like Kaine a worthy star of a solo superhero series, but a figure deserving of a roster spot on a team up - which he'll get in "New Warriors" next year.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #22: Christos Gage once again rejoins regular writer Dan Slott to collaborate on another arc of Dr. Octopus' long term attempt to be Spider-Man which continues to result in a yarn about a petty megalomaniac who cheated death by stealing a hero's life and then used it to put his megalomania on display in no uncertain terms. Humberto Ramos is once again the star artist in picking up where "Venom" ended with having Flash Thompson chase one of his enemies into New York once again, and quickly run afoul of the new and brutal web-slinger. Such events promptly interrupt Ock's attempt to officially open his own research company as "Dr. Parker" as well as make the moves on Anna-Maria. The only glaring moment remains the subplot of Carlie Cooper and detective Yuri Watanbe investigating the secrets of this new "dark" Spider-Man. It was perhaps forgivable that in the previous issue, Carlie chose to waste precious time after discovering the link to Ock visiting Peter's "grave", since they were lovers. However, Yuri choosing to forgo any appeal to outside superhero assistance or even any legitimate legal recourse and instead selecting her own solo and doomed to fail vigilante quest makes for a bit of a blemish on an otherwise successful and suspenseful issue. "Lack of evidence?" Wolverine has slaughtered entire facilities based on nothing but a hunch, not to mention one of a dozen Avengers teams who have been suspicious of the wall-crawler lately. Regardless, this series has heated up as the year has wound on, and next issues offers more of the same; a shame that this premise can't seem to end until editorial is good and ready.

UNCANNY AVENGERS #14: A comic this close to being obligatory, as a lot of its finer meaning is lost in a lot of complicated nonsense. This arc involves the children of Apocalypse who have been raised in the future by Kang who have come back to the past and sought to undo a future ruled by Red Skull by killing the Avengers and doing a broad stroke to save mutantkind. In practice this has split the "unity" team of X-Men and Avengers before they really got rolling and now culminates in a fight between Rogue and Scarlet Witch. Characters die with little expectation that it will last, and Kang collects a band of random alternate reality figures from the official handbook of the Marvel Universe. Matt Fraction provides the meandering script, while Steve McNiven provides some great pencils. The inks by John Dell gives McNiven's pencils a different look than usual, which makes for an interesting effect. Having Fraction's villains lambaste Wolverine for his sins might have more effect if the rest of the universe in other books didn't routinely ignore them. And a story which involves both time travel and reality altering magic can't earn the right to convince a reader any death will stick. At one time the first of the "Marvel NOW" era of books, this series is constantly out shone by others. Despite coming from the same writer behind "Venom" and "Secret Avengers", this is swiftly devolving into a mess.
 
Uncanny Avengers is by Remender, not Fraction, but you save it in the end by naming his other books :up:

And I do agree about the title. It feels like it should be this massively important tale, but it's constantly outshone by other titles and the deaths don't feel legit due to all the future/alternate reality stuff. Also, wasn't Scarlet Witch with Havoc in that future scene in Uncanny Avengers 4? If I'm remembering that correctly, then we know she lives. Not to mention, she told the mutants to rise at the end. I have a feeling that's going to make for a resurrection of some sort.

And Remender has done a fantastic job with Wolverine from Uncanny X-Force to now, but other writers/editors do not honor that, so it lessens the effect. I mean, he swears off killing but then subtly tries to send Psylocke out as a killing weapon in the new Uncanny X-Force? Goes all "kill the ninjas" in Savage Wolverine? "Kill Wiccan" in Children's Crusade? "Kill Hope" in AvX? It's stupid. At least the core X-Books have honored his no kill mentality.
 
I love Kaine's response to "Spider-man no more!" in the latest issue, only the suit just wasn't having it. :woot:
 
Short but good week.

Amazing X-Men #2 - Though Aaron soured me on Wolverine & the X-Men, I'm really enjoying this take by him I'm not much on pirate Azazel, but the rest of it is enjoyable. I loved the tiny Xavier cameo and hope it leads to more.

Young Avengers 13 - So either Gillen or McKelvie confused me here. It looked to me like Leah got Loki to confess a sin and then left, having ctreated a fake team. Then the role call in the end stated that Leah and her team were all really Loki. I didn't get that at all. In fact, most everything having to do with Loki has confused me in this series. Still, it was a decent issue. I still find myself intrigued by Patriot's secret. At least the series is finishing on a better note than it's been playing previously.

Phantom Stranger - Blight begins, and I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit of a set the stage for the crossover sort of issue, but it was still good. I love this group, and I like that Blight hijacked Chris as a host. I'm very eager for Constantine next week.
 
Better late than never!

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 12/4/13:

QUANTUM & WOODY #6: James Asmus furthers along on his second arc featuring the two most dysfunctional superhero brothers in mainstream American comics taking part in hilarious adventures forged in the fires of biting satire. Joining Asmus for this arc is noteworthy artist Ming Doyle ("Mara") with regular colorist Jordie Bellaire keeping the tome consistent between two distinct artists' styles. As with reviewing many works of comedy and farce, a good chunk of it relies on ones tolerance for mocking things which can be very politically charged and polarizing, especially as Asmus is willing to utilize the role of devil's advocate to eke in another good joke.

This issue picks up where the last left off for this very unique "family" unit, which includes a teenage clone and a powerful goat. In the previous arc, Woody was the one who was often complicating the missions Quantum engaged in and often risked his very life. Asmus thankfully turns things on their head for this second adventure, where it is Quantum who is waltzing into a trap and only Woody's often haphazard efforts may wind up saving him. Having been discovered as a costumed superhuman by the private security force he worked under (Magnum Security, a stand in of "Blackwater"), Quantum gleefully agrees to a "suicide mission" for a bump in pay from his boss. Mr. Magnum. Tagging along due to the small fact that long term separation is fatal, Woody quickly discovers that this one-man mission against a militia enclave in Montana is a front to justify larger military intervention after the set-upon death of Quantum. As usual, Woody vastly overestimates his own skills while things never seem to go as well as the overly trained Quantum thinks they will.

The villains in this series are often stereotypes, and this one is no exception. The militia grunts live up to most cliches of ill informed and gunned up hillbillies while Mr. Magnum himself may be the mirror image of hypocritical war-hawk conservative contractors. Considering this series is just as much comedy as action (if not more so), such extremes in villains are more acceptable than if this story wasn't intended for laughs. Doyle's art is a bit more stiff with physical comedy than Tom Fowler's was, but it still is vibrant nonetheless. It is truly Asmus' script which makes this series what it is, with a flair for one liners, dark comedy, and taboo shattering quips which frankly put many sitcom writers to shame. One can easily see this series as "the Married...With Children of superheroes" in a way not even "The Tick" was. And while no other Valiant Entertainment books need be read to enjoy this one, some notable references to the villains in another great buddy comic, "Archer & Armstrong", may be appreciated by some readers. As always, this series always provides a great time for four dollars, and remains one of the best books on the shelves any given month.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MICRO-SERIES: VILLAINS #8: Another piece of IDW Comics' brilliant reboot of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic book franchise hits the shelves this week, and this issue of the series' secondary title has a special bonus to it. Besides the image of the franchise's most well known villain on the cover, the issue was drawn and co-written by Dan Duncan, who was the first regular artist the core "TMNT" series saw for its first year. Paul Allor co-writes the script and Ian Herring handles the colors for what turns out to be an existential journey for the Shredder himself. Coming off his recent victory in organized crime from the last arc, the resurrected feudal warrior reveals what happened to his soul during the centuries he slept until his revival. Trapped in the realm of the dead, he chose to spend his time in limbo doing what he usually does - exploit an army to attain more power for himself. The experience turned out to unnerve him as it may prove that despite all of his skill and tenacity, Saki is his own worst enemy. The artwork here is crisp and memorable while the story does more to flesh out a villain best known as a comedic cartoon in the late 80's who now has once again risen to his true potential.

FEARLESS DEFENDERS #12: Tumblr just lost another one of its gems as this ongoing series calls it a run after a year's worth of issues (and a spare crossover one-shot). With its demise is the second attempt Marvel Comics has made to resurrect the "Defenders" franchise in some form within two years, and one wonders if the company will be as tenacious with it as they've proven with "Moon Knight". Cullen Bunn, Will Sliney and colorist Veronica Gandini make an attempt to offer a satisfying conclusion with one final team-up against series villain Caroline LeFey. The result is another quirky cameo by a oft discarded heroine (Frankie Ray, the "other" Nova) and another massive brawl against a squad of notable, obscure, and even new heroines versus lady villains of similar distinctions. Bunn displays his vast knowledge of the Marvel Handbook here, but if anything this issue serves as bookend for the book's flaws. The first six issues seemed to take forever to establish themselves, with the final six seeming to switch to a more manic mode of guest appearances and brawls. In the end Valkyrie's shared existence with Dr. Annabelle Riggs continues, Bunn takes a few moments to congratulate himself and Caroline's infamous mother is resurrected for other writers to use. In the end, this series finishes stronger than it began, and one hopes many of the great characters within don't become strangers to the Marvel Universe now that it is over.

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK ANNUAL #1: Once the bane of existence of Paul Jemas back when he was a bigwig at Marvel at the start of the 21st century, they have once again become in style for Marvel's publishing scheme; which usually consists of "publish as much as possible, and more of it". At best annuals can be seen as bonus issues to the extent that they should have literally been that; at worst they can be overpriced filler. This one winds up somewhere in the middle as writer Jeff Parker ("Thunderbolts", "Agents of ATLAS") teams up with artist Mahmud Asrar ("Dynamo 5", "Supergirl") and colorist Nelson Daniel for what is an enjoyable team-up between the Hulk and Iron Man, as the cover promises. Having both attended a seminar for child prodigies hosted by Dr. Derenik Zadian as youths, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark go back to the future as a SHIELD investigation of sunken ships leads them to the doctor's lost island of marvels. It quickly proves to be a test of wits, intellect, and power as even the Hulk finds himself weakened by Dr. Zadian's "living" island. The art is terrific and the banter between Stark, Banner, and the Hulk is enjoyable and fast paced. The near five dollar price tag for thirty pages is a bit obscene, but those who took the plunge will at least have a serviceable romp for their money.

IRON MAN #19: A vast improvement over the previous issue, Kieron Gillen and Jeff Bennet continue on with their "Iron Metropolis" arc as Tony and his new-found brother Arno seek to create their own city of the future in reality instead of in theory. To this end they seek to recreate the former stronghold of Iron Man's arch nemesis, the Mandarin, into an urban utopia. Naturally, this means Iron Man finally getting around to introducing Pepper Potts to his new A.I. modeled after her as well as his brother, and rooting out the organized crime figures who took over ruling Mandarin City. It turns out the Mandarin's famous rings have a life of their own and are not about to let the super Stark brothers have their way with the land just yet. The art by Bennet, inker Scott Hanna and colorist Guru eFX has a lot of pop even if some of the facial expressions sometimes need work. After a space arc which lasted far too long, this current yarn looks to take things back to a more grounded level while playing with Iron Man's new status quo.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #23: The second issue of this series within a fortnight, Dan Slott and Christos Gage continue to tag-team script duties in a story which brings in the star of canceled spin-off series "Venom" for another adventure of "Dr. Spider-Octopus: Jackass Superhero". The tentacled Sinister Six founder is still in possession of Spidey's form and still seeks to solve virtually every problem he encounters by trying to kill it; he keeps this up he may wind up running the "Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters". Despite the fact that Flash Thompson, a.k.a. "Agent Venom" professes to be a friend and ally, Ock seeks merely to terminate the alien symbiote once and for all, and makes a mess of things. Events become more interesting when Thompson stops by "Peter's" address to hide out, and adds spice to a dinner between May, J.J.J. Sr. and his main squeeze, the diminutive Anna-Maria. While it would seem that Ock succeeded in finally using his enemy's body to attain something he never had before - sex with a woman - the added wrinkle is he genuinely cares for Anna-Maria even while lying and manipulating her. Unlike previous arcs, the subplot with the Goblin war and the investigation of "superior" Spider-Man seem to be moving at a reasonable pace, and despite his arrogance, not all of the "superior" Spider-Man's problems are being eliminated through ruthlessness - in fact many are backfiring. Could it be that "summer 2014" is now closer than it was before and this narrative is finally nearing a natural conclusion? The speedy art by Humberto Ramos (with Victor Olazaba's inks and Edgar Delgado's colors) is up to the usual standards; impressive for combat with strange creatures but sometimes hit or miss with more human figures. The inclusion of more heroic figures like Thompson and even another cameo by Miguel O'Hara help balance out the lead's general maliciousness, even if some lines do seem ham handed. Overall, 2013 has seen this series have some ups and downs but it seems to be leading somewhere quite fascinating as it goes along.

YOUNG AVENGERS #13: This issue sees the climax of the main story line of the entire series as well as cameos by approximately 49 other teenage Marvel superheroes in another well drawn and fun, but often befuddling installment by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Mike Norton and Stephen Thompson. The inter-dimensional parasite "Mother" winds up destroyed by the power of love, an otherwise standard solution except for this series' wholehearted embracing of the relationship between Wiccan and Hulkling being far more timely. In the end, this issue and series is very much like going to a rave or a club; there are many beautiful sights and colors and one vividly experiences fun and joy, but five minutes later one will be damned if they can make details flow into a cohesive narrative beyond individual moments. Loki is packed off to star in his own series as the assembled creators have two more issues to bid this run farewell. Some say this is the future of comics; while some may prefer things like "plot" or "substance" (a summary of "we needed a dozen issues to kill a metaphor for adolescence" is not a plot), one cannot ignore the sheer flash and emotion behind this run.
 
I'll start off by saying I picked up almost the entire run of Flash (New 52) at Half Priced Books for $1.49 a few weeks ago. Well, I finished getting caught up today and MAN is this series good. I'm officially a Flash fan, and it's officially on my pull list. The most recent issue, the Year Zero tie-in, was kinda boring though, the worst of the bunch. I'm curious how this will be when the new writer comes on. Now I just need to get a hold on issue 1 and the collection will be complete!

Now, on to what I bought this week:

Uncanny X-Men 15.INH - I didn't care for this issue. Primarily because it felt like a forced filler issue for Inhumanity. The girl's night out story didn't really do much prior to the Inhuman showing up. And I really didn't care for how Bendis wrote the Cuckoos. I'm okay with seeing a little teenager from them, but not how Bendis did it. Hopefully the next issue will pick up again.

Wolverine & the X-Men 39 - I'll say this, despite how disappointed I've been with this title since AvX, and despite how pleased I was to hear it was ending... Hickman's really picked up the quality of this title since Battle of the Atom ended. These past two issues have been really enjoyable. I even liked the kids in this issue, even the 3-faced/armed kid. I'm ALMOST becoming sad that it's ending. I'm actually a little excited to see how this story line with the undercover SHIELD kids plays out.

Constantine 9 - This is my first issue of Constantine, part 2 of the Blight crossover between this, Justice League Dark, Pandora, and Phantom Stranger. Despite my keeping up with the character in JLD, this title obviously plays with things that I'm unfamiliar with from the first 8 issues. Still, I can figure it out as I go. The issue was a lot of fun, as it was pretty much one big battle. Despite it being his title, other characters are featured well enough to not feel like he was hogging the spotlight (as I expected him to do). I'm really liking Blight so far. Can't wait for Pandora next week.

One nitpick though... the cover? What the heck? Constantine is on the ground surrounded by the Crime Syndicate. The text says, "To save the woman he loves, he must FIGHT the CRIME SYNDICATE." Yeah, the Crime Syndicate have nothing to do with this issue or the Blight crossover at all. Way to mislead DC. Still, the story was good so I don't mind.

Justice League 25 - Man, this was a pretty good issue. I LOVED the twist on Owlman's origin. He's not Bruce Wayne at all but actually Thomas Wayne Jr. who was introduced in the Court of Owls story line. And I liked seeing the Nightwing aspects of the story. All in all, I thought it was very enjoyable. For the first time, I hope one of these Syndicate people stay around in the main DC Universe as an ongoing character. Perhaps in the Nightwing book.

Forever Evil: Arkham War 3 - This issue was a lot of fun. The Bane-as-Batman plot felt a little hoaky, but it didn't take away from the enjoy-ability of the issue. I liked seeing so many of Batman's villains at war with each other, even minor ones like that flamingo guy from Morrison's Batman & Robin run. I'm loving this mini. Can't wait to see how it all plays out and whether it'll effect what comes after.

Batman 26 - I've gotten bored of this Zero Year story, but I found myself sucked in to this issue. Maybe it'll turn around for me. The villain here was frightening and interesting. The art was gorgeous as always. The story dealing with Gordon has me curious if it is as it seems (former crooked cop? Hmmm). Yeah, it got my attention. And for the first time since Zero Year began, I'm actually kinda eager for the next issue.

Nightwing 26 - This was a decent issue. Nothing amazing but still good. I kinda like this Marionette girl. I'm so used to seeing new villains in this title (other than Joker during the Death of the Family tie-ins) that it felt strange seeing the Mad Hatter show up in the end.

I'm liking this title, but I feel like it's killing time until Forever Evil ends. Still, I love Nightwing, so I'll stick it out.


Best and Worst of the Week

Best: Justice League - I'm suddenly an Owlman fan :up:

Worst: Uncanny X-Men - This was a pretty crappy issue.
 
Well, peeps. We're heading toward the end of the year, so the Ongoing Bought/Thought 2013 will be retiring soon. I thought I'd make the Bought/Thought ongoing to see how it plays out.

I'm perfectly happy to start a new Ongoing Bought/Thought 2014 if you guys want that, but if there's anyone who would prefer to go back to the weekly Bought/Thoughts, I'm okay with letting them take over. Not that I own the Bought/Thought, but if someone would like to take the reigns of weekly Bought/Thoughts, I'm cool with it. If not, we can start another Ongoing and keep going as we have been.
 
I decided to pass on the floppies this week. Which means I've officially dropped Abe Sapien. I also didn't bother to finish up the Rocketeer/Spirit crossover by Mark Waid. Love Waid, the idea was cool, but after the first issue, it has been such a chore to read. I don't quite care how it ends.

So instead, I bought:

Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground - Darwyn Cooke continues with his adaptations of Richard Stark's badass anti-hero Parker novels. Slayground is the 14th novel of the series, and one of the best. This is Cooke's fourth adaptation and not one of the best. That's not to say it's bad, just relatively disappointing. The premise is simple: After a heist gone wrong, Parker takes sanctuary in a shut-down amusement park in the winter, accidentally stumbling in on a meeting between the mob and corrupt cops. After a few hours of planning on both sides, the mob decides to come after Parker on the belief that he's a two-time thug with money that should be easy pickins'. They're wrong.

What doesn't work is that the story doesn't really lend credence to a visual adaptation. What makes the novel so gripping is the writing and much of that is eschewed in favor of illustrations. Thus, this read is a swift one, clocking in at only 80-something pages. It's disappointing as previously, Cooke said he was no longer going to do Slayground for the reasons I mentioned above and was instead going to do it as a one-shot standard comic, and then do another Parker novel, "The Jugger" instead, followed by the last of the initial novels, Butcher's Moon. I guess things changed a degree. There's another book coming out in 2015. Hopefully he still does The Jugger and Butcher's Moon.

The good thing about this book though, aside from how beautiful a book it is, is that it ALSO reprints Cooke's super short adaptation of "The Seventh", the seventh Parker novel, previously only available in the oversized Parker Martini Edition HC that I don't have. It was an unexpected and welcome bonus. Despite my mild disappointment with how this one came out, I don't regret buying it. For an 18 dollar hardcover clocking in at about 100 pages on thick paper, that's pretty cheap.

Doctor Mid-Nite: This a reprint of the Matt Wagner/John K. Snyder III mini series from 1999, that was subsequently collected as a TPB shortly thereafter. Wagner, known for his brilliant pulp work with Batman and his great Sandman Mystery Theatre, reinvents golden age hero Doctor Mid-Nite for a new generation. Charles McNider, the original Doctor Mid-Nite, died in Zero Hour if I'm not mistaken. So we're introduced to Dr. Pietr Cross, who in an attempt to take down drug pushers, The Terrible Trio, is blinded by a bomb but realizes he can see clearly in perfect darkness. Thus he becomes Dr. Mid-Nite. Wagner lays on the pulp/noir melodrama like a master. It never feels cheesy. Snyder III's artwork is super atmospheric and beautifully painted and compliments Wagner's words greatly. It doesn't read like a superhero comic, it doesn't look like a superhero comic. But it plays like the best of them.
 
I'd be fine with a B/T 2014 thread in a few weeks to continue piling in one versus having a new one every week. But, whatever the majority wants. Spoilers ahoy.

DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 12/11/13:

INVINCIBLE #107: Robert Kirkman's other perennial Image Comics series skipped November, but then again skipping a month or two has hardly been unusual for this series overall. Longtime artist Ryan Stegman and newer colorist John Rauch continue to pick at the left over pieces of sagas from issues #80-100 and attempt to reassemble them into something just as epic. This has produces issues which catch a breath from some of the bombastic tones of previous eras even if sometimes things can be hit or miss. In this issue, an old and dismissed villain has been recreated into a form barely recognizable from his old one as Monster Girl tries to make piece with her Flaxian "son" who she sired out of wedlock during a long term regime change adventure run by her husband, Rex Robot. Meanwhile, Mark Grayson is hit on Anyssa, one of the few surviving Viltrumites who once was a mortal foe. The last trump card that this series has - Mark's former arch nemesis, Angstrum Levy - may be punched next issue. While there is no denying at this point that this series is past its prime, it still is a rare example of a comic with all the over the top art and action of a mainstream superhero saga with the shifting whims and unpredictable plotting of a creator owned project.

ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #16: The "Sect Civil War" continues as writer Fred Van Lente and current artist Khari Evans (with longtime colorist David Baron) bring this relaunched Valiant Entertainment series to the usual heights of action packed comedy. The titular duo split apart over Armstrong sleeping with the women Archer loved, but now have been forced to work together once more by a civil war among the various sects of collectives who control the world from the shadows - sowing violent chaos worldwide. While Armstrong is eager to regain his friendship, it turns out Archer hasn't fallen far from his own corrupt parents as he seems to only be manipulating the immortal so he can gain access to another ancient MacGuffin and rule all the Sects himself. Meanwhile, Mary-Maria finds herself at the mercy of one of these sects, before ultimately ruling over it herself. The setting shifts from ancient Egypt to the modern Middle East. Hilarity ensues when the titular duo are captured by a squad of terrorists as Mary Maria takes over the sect of "ninja nuns" from earlier issues. As always, the zany satire of many real world organizations may not work for those easily offended, but for everyone else this remains a comedic gold mine as well as one of the best buddy comedy adventure comics out there.

AVENGERS A.I. #7: Original regular artist Andre Lima Araujo rejoins writer Sam Humphries in another manic issue of "Hank Pym & the robot Avengers", which seeks to treat robots and artificial intelligences as a similar "oppressed minority" stand in as mutants and Inhumans tend to be in Marvel Comics. As one of the "Inhumanity" crossover titles, this issue offers a done-in-one story which covers the aftermath of "Infinity" as well as a random guest appearance with Daredevil. A quest to claim Inhuman technology for SHIELD gets derailed when Pym and Doombot run afoul of the "man without fear" as he searches for a missing client - who has now mutated into a tentacle monster due to the crossover's finale. Humphries does a good job not only satisfying the crossover, but playing with stories set up by Mark Waid's run on "Daredevil" concerning Matt Murdock's new friendship with Pym as well as his wariness of Dr. Doom. The issue fleshes Doombot out a bit and thankfully doesn't neuter him while at the same time giving him a chance to shine and offer someone his own unique brand of "kindness". While a few splash pages make the issue read quite quickly, Araujo takes over as if he'd never left with Frank D'Armata's colors flanking his pencils well. This may be another quirky Marvel series that struggles to find an audience, but it has been improving with its last two issues, with another well known "robot Avenger" set to appear in future issues.

MIGHTY AVENGERS #4: Another "Inhumanity" crossover issue, this means that this relaunched Avengers spin-off series may not exist without a crossover banner on its cover until issue five or six - a trend some may recall for spare titles of the 1990's. In practice, writer Matt Ewing is using the premise of new Inhumans being created to kick off his second arc on this series, which sees Luke Cage organize and run his own team of Avengers - the first with a roster which consists of only one white male member. The biggest mystery the series had was who was the masked "Spider-Hero", and while news sites broke that story in October, this issue makes that mystery obvious to most readers even without such headlines. Whether as Spider-Hero or Ronin, that mystery man is Blade who seems to have to keep his face under wraps for a long term campaign against something dark and supernatural. Often plagued by a lack of a supporting cast for his own series, Blade has now joined two team books within four years and both have been to interesting results. Beyond that, Ewing sets up his new villain (yet another smarmy and corrupt tycoon and his super powered gal Friday) as well as organizes his team, and continues to showcase why it is absolutely absurd that heroes who literally deal with comic book super villains every day can't tell when one has possessed Spider-Man. Ewing has a good voice and role for all of his characters, and while Greg Land's "art" remains the series' biggest demerit, the inking by Jay Leisten makes it look different than usual, which can only be positive. Regardless, this has quickly become the second volume of a comic called "Mighty Avengers" which has proven to be a great read overall.

SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #6: After a brief surge in 2011-2012, it has suddenly become dangerous to be a spin off title of "Spider-Man" (whether "amazing" or "superior") these days. Both "Venom" and "Scarlet Spider" are ending their runs after having survived beyond the two year mark while "Morbius the Living Vampire" was quickly axed and the latest incarnation of "Spider-Man Team-Up" has been rebooted. Thrown into this mix is this plucky little title about some B, C, and even D-List villains written by Nick Spencer, drawn by Steve Lieber and colored by Rachelle Rosenberg which has essentially become "Hawkeye for super villains". As of October sales were sliding down the top 100 list and it is doubtful this series will outlast "Morbius" despite the fact that it is often quite funny in terms of dialogue and visuals and creating a lot of life about of some discarded and even new villains.

The star of this series remains Fred Myers, also known as Boomerang. A disgraced baseball pitcher turned super villain, he actually started out as a Hulk villain before being attached to mostly Spider-Man appearances during his decades in print. His partners in crime - with the term "partners" being a loose one - are longtime allies Shocker and Speed-Demon with fresher faces in Overdrive and a mysterious woman who's taken on the mantle of the Beetle. Abner Jenkins, the original Beetle, has since become the armored hero Mach-IV who is a perennial "Thunderbolts" member and has become Myers' probation officer after yet another arrest after a caper gone wrong. Throughout the course of this arc Myers has manipulated his team as well as the Russian mob boss Chameleon in order to enrich himself, and he's seemingly stolen a priceless painting from another gangster (old "Daredevil" villain Owl) while sacrificing his team to do so at every turn. In this issue, things start to unravel for the overconfident Myers. A date with a bar tender goes poorly while Jenkins begins to catch on with his lies, and the Chameleon soon makes his presence felt. Meanwhile, the rest of the team (sans Shocker, who narrowly escaped a murder attempt by Myers) have been captured by the Owl and are set for a nasty fate if Beetle can't summon her father to help them - who turns out to be another well known Spider-Man rogue.

As always, these issues read better than their plots imply, if that makes sense. Spencer's back and forth banter between his characters always has the flow of a hit sitcom while Lieber always hits the ball out of the part with illustrative comedy in many key points. While this is a series about a team of thieves who betray each other often, Spencer has remembered that it takes place with costumed figures in an often zany universe, and thus the tone is hardly ever serious. This issue does poke some fun at Dr. Doom which some fans may not care for, but compared to many overly glum books offered by the "distinguished competition" this series is often a hoot. Considering how many Spider-Man books were once on the stands as well as the glut of other material it isn't a surprise that many readers took a pass on it, but those who haven't have been treated to one of the most unique super-villain crime comedy capers in years.

THE STANDARD #4: I reviewed this back in October when I bought the Glasgow edition at the NYCC, but the U.S. edition with a fresh new cover is available this week, so I figured I'd repost it. If it feels like ages between issues, it is only because it has been; I reviewed the previous issue at the end of last year's New York Comic Con. To recap, "The Standard" is a superhero murder mystery story wrapped around a commentary about differences between generations as well as the impact of the media in this current generation. Decades ago, Gilbert Graham became the superhero "the Standard" via a freak encounter with a space rock and eventually adopted a troubled young boy, Alex Thomas, as a surrogate son and sidekick, Fabu-Lad. Graham ultimately retired to become a teacher as Thomas grew up and took over the Standard mantle. However, when a child abduction captures the heart of the media and Thomas is murdered by a mysterious figure, Graham ultimately comes out of retirement to finish his ward's last case. Caught in the midst of the 24/7 media cycle, however, means Graham's happy retirement may be a thing of the past.

After the third issue's joyous ending, this issue brings things down to earth with expected ramifications as well as offers a contrast between tones of comic heroes once more. The return of the original Standard has spread across the media, and once again catapulted Graham into the social spotlight. Being greeted like a rock star when arriving to work, Graham recalls the case of "TV-Man", a burly thug who sought to lure him into a fight nearly thirty years prior via a series of televised boasts. Graham tried to impart into the young Alex the folly of having motivated by ego or fame, which were sadly lessons which he lost sight of as he got older. At first unwilling to return to wearing his purple and orange tights full time, Graham manages to save two of his students from street punks before ultimately being convinced to help solve the spate of murders linked to his past alongside Sky City's other superhero, "the Corpse". Much as Graham represents the "gee whiz" Silver Age, "the Corpse" represents the "extreme" era of the early 1990's with a design and dialogue balloon scheme which immediately invokes memories of "Spawn". Such comparisons work as the artwork by Jonathan Rector seems to have a hint of Todd McFarlane in his style, flanked well by Mike Gagnon's vibrant colors. The result is art which manages to tell an effective superhero story in a way which perennial superhero comic readers are used to and which manages to evoke different eras at once.

John Lees displays a love and understanding of superhero comics with this series, and this issue is no exception. There have been quite a few "old hero comes out of retirement" stories in superhero comics, from classics like "The Dark Knight Returns" or the more recent "Destroyer MAX" from Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker. One of the major differences in "The Standard" is that Gilbert Graham is the complete opposite of many of those senior citizen superheroes. He isn't grim or gritty and returns the same light hearted charm, demeanor, and optimism as from his youth. He tells street punks to watch their potty mouths, rocks a bow tie, and offers kids milkshakes without any hint of cynicism. The fact that the story he's in is actually quite violent and there's a layer of tragedy to his wife which this issue finally reveals simply stands to make those qualities shine. While "the Corpse" was an easy suspect for the series' string of murders, he turns out to be a red herring as the killer seems to be going down a list of victims which will eventually lead to hi-tech tycoon Zena Zarthos, daughter of Graham's arch nemesis. "The Standard" doesn't mock the simplistic morality and mannerisms of the Silver Age while acknowledging that times have changed and not always for the better. The meeting between Graham and "the Corpse" offers great contrast as the story deepens the mystery and offers an exciting cliffhanger.

Although Gilbert Graham wasn't declared the official lead of this series until its second issue, it is the focus and embellishment of him which sparks more interest than the murder mystery angle at times. The revelations in this issue reveal that Graham isn't who he is because he's not faced tragedy or grim events, but in spite of them. One can almost hear Adam West voicing the character in some imaginary animated adaptation, only not the version who voices the mayor in "Family Guy", but the West who impressed a generation of kids in "Beware the Grey Ghost" on "Batman: The Animated Series" in the 90's. Seeing Graham contrast with the world around him from Thomas' sleazy agent to "the Corpse" as well as face villains far more vicious than anything he's faced in his prime is at the heart of the drama, and one which can make waiting a year between issues seem to not seem as long. Fortunately, it won't be nearly that long until the next installment, and remains one of ComixTribe's best titles. At 28 pages for four dollars, it's more than a bargain for page count alone.
 
Dread, at some point we went from reading almost all the exact same books give or take a few X-Men titles to reading nothing the same. I think the last book that we both read is Young Avengers, and that's ending soon. I'd still be reading Mighty but I was getting too annoyed by Greg Land's art and SpOck. I'm still planning on picking up the issue with Iron Fist guest staring though.

I think that's mostly due to my getting more invested in DC since the New 52 started. The only Marvel I buy now are the X-Men books, New Avengers, and Young Avengers. YA is ending in another 2 issues, and I'm considering dropping New Avengers since it's going to be interacting more with Avengers soon, which I don't want to bother with. I don't think I'm physically able to stop X-Men, but I'm considering dropping a few X-titles. I just doubt I'll actually do it.

I am LOVING the DC stuff though. To give an idea of how much Marvel has fallen since I started getting into DC:

When the New 52 started, I was only reading Green Lantern and Batman Incorporated. Now... in order of my favorite monthly titles starting from the top..

Justice League Dark
Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger
Aquaman
Justice League
Batman
Batman & ...
Flash

New Avengers
Nightwing
Batwoman

All New X-Men
Amazing X-Men
X-Men

Talon
Uncanny Avengers
Wolverine & the X-Men

Trinity of Sin: Pandora
Uncanny X-Men
Young Avengers


Soon to be: Magneto, All-New X-Factor, Batman: Eternal.

While New Avengers is fairly enjoyable to me still, I'm considering dropping it for the same reason I dropped Green Lantern. I don't want to have to pick up 2 or 3 other titles to get the story of the 1 I want to continue with. With Green Lantern they had just finished a crossover and were heading into another with rumors of another coming up shortly after that. With New Avengers I had to buy Infinity and the first half of Avengers during infinity before I dropped it, and now New Avengers is heading toward a collision with Avengers, and that'll likely lead toward the next event. I don't want to buy Avengers to get the New Avengers' story, so I might drop it.

Batman: Eternal will come out 4x a month, but I'm also buying more now than I typically would with Forever Evil, so that ending about the same time as Eternal starting should make room to account for that.
 
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Well, peeps. We're heading toward the end of the year, so the Ongoing Bought/Thought 2013 will be retiring soon. I thought I'd make the Bought/Thought ongoing to see how it plays out.

I'm perfectly happy to start a new Ongoing Bought/Thought 2014 if you guys want that, but if there's anyone who would prefer to go back to the weekly Bought/Thoughts, I'm okay with letting them take over. Not that I own the Bought/Thought, but if someone would like to take the reigns of weekly Bought/Thoughts, I'm cool with it. If not, we can start another Ongoing and keep going as we have been.
I think I like just the one thread. :) Makes it easier to backtrack if I want.
 
Dread, at some point we went from reading almost all the exact same books give or take a few X-Men titles to reading nothing the same. I think the last book that we both read is Young Avengers, and that's ending soon. I'd still be reading Mighty but I was getting too annoyed by Greg Land's art and SpOck. I'm still planning on picking up the issue with Iron Fist guest staring though.

I think that's mostly due to my getting more invested in DC since the New 52 started. The only Marvel I buy now are the X-Men books, New Avengers, and Young Avengers. YA is ending in another 2 issues, and I'm considering dropping New Avengers since it's going to be interacting more with Avengers soon, which I don't want to bother with. I don't think I'm physically able to stop X-Men, but I'm considering dropping a few X-titles. I just doubt I'll actually do it.

I am LOVING the DC stuff though. To give an idea of how much Marvel has fallen since I started getting into DC:

When the New 52 started, I was only reading Green Lantern and Batman Incorporated. Now... in order of my favorite monthly titles starting from the top..

Justice League Dark
Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger
Aquaman
Justice League
Batman
Batman & ...
Flash

New Avengers
Nightwing
Batwoman

All New X-Men
Amazing X-Men
X-Men

Talon
Uncanny Avengers
Wolverine & the X-Men

Trinity of Sin: Pandora
Uncanny X-Men
Young Avengers


Soon to be: Magneto, All-New X-Factor, Batman: Eternal.

While New Avengers is fairly enjoyable to me still, I'm considering dropping it for the same reason I dropped Green Lantern. I don't want to have to pick up 2 or 3 other titles to get the story of the 1 I want to continue with. With Green Lantern they had just finished a crossover and were heading into another with rumors of another coming up shortly after that. With New Avengers I had to buy Infinity and the first half of Avengers during infinity before I dropped it, and now New Avengers is heading toward a collision with Avengers, and that'll likely lead toward the next event. I don't want to buy Avengers to get the New Avengers' story, so I might drop it.

Batman: Eternal will come out 4x a month, but I'm also buying more now than I typically would with Forever Evil, so that ending about the same time as Eternal starting should make room to account for that.

I usually haven't read more than 2-3 DC Comics on a regular basis since college, but the peak of that was during the INFINITE CRISIS era when I was reading runs of JLA, DETECTIVE COMICS, SECRET SIX, BOOSTER GOLD, and those two Matt Wagner Batman mini series. Over time those have dwindled and now I am just down to BATMAN BEYOND UNIVERSE. I was a fair weather DC fan before the New 52, but after I've become even less of one. As for Marvel, where there are always things they're doing I have issues with, there're always books there I enjoy.

YOUNG AVENGERS is ending and UNCANNY AVENGERS is a mess. The sooner Greg Land gets off MIGHTY AVENGERS the better. I am looking forward to NEW WARRIORS.
 
Uncanny Avengers had so much potential, but I am just getting so bored with the current storyline. I like a lot of the characters, but I have just become so disinterested in the title. And now March's solicits show that it's heading toward yet another alternate reality story, which I am so burnt out on. I'm considering dropping it. What's keeping me from that is my love of Apocalypse-related stories, and curiosity about what's going to happen to Banshee and Sentry. I might drop it still, but we'll see.

Oh, and I got excited when New Warriors was announced, but I've lost interest since then. I only care about Speedball and Justice, and to a lesser extent Scarlet Spider, but I don't know if those are enough to get me to buy the book. Then I read that the writer didn't even want to include Speedball or Justice, and that got me even less interested. It was basically intended to be just another New Warriors-in-name-only sort of book. If the first book wows me on a flip through, or I hear really good things, I might consider it. But as of now I'm not that interested.

I mean, God! How hard is it to just put the New Warriors back together? Why can't Marvel figure that out?
 
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Justice, Firestar, Speedball, Rage, and Silhouette are still around. We have Night Thrasher's brother Donyell well established as having taken up the role. Namorita's back, pulled from the time period when she was actually WITH the New Warriors. That alone is enough for a New Warriors book. I don't like the idea of Sam Alexander taking Richard Rider's place, but it'd make sense. Also, Kaine taking Ben Reilly's brief place on the team could also be interesting. Substituting Firestar, Rage, and Silhouette with nobody rookies does nothing for the title.

Make the team Justice, Firestar, Speedball, Rage, Silhouette, Night Thrasher II, Namorita, and Scarlet Spider... and make the first arc the Search for Richard Rider, and I guarantee you the book will do better in sales than the book we're being given.
 
I'm all for a classic lineup NW book. But I'd also like them to keep all the growth they've gone through; age, powers, personalities, EVERYTHING. If the New Warriors moniker per se is what they consider no longer fits with the characters then make them the urban branch of the Avenger like New Avengers was and Mighty is now. The still living characters fit the power and personality profile that they seem to be going for, why not? Avengers have often had former villains in their lineup, this would be a way to correct the perception people have of them post-Stamford and at the same time if provides conflict for the story. It'd just take the right writer to bring out what the old NW really are and not what one story that used them as sacrificial lambs forever turned them into in the eyes of the MU and a vast majority of the r/l readers.
 
It'd be interesting having everyone with their growth, but then there's Namorita who is still how she was when the team first started. That alone would make her an interesting character. It'd make her, a founding member, more in line with a rookie member like Sam Alexander or even Kaine to an extent. She and Kaine can start a 'thing' and when Richard is found and brought back, you have a love triangle. You have Kaine and Speedball dealing with their dark pasts but trying to overcome them. Donyell trying to move the team away from the negative publicity in memory of his brother, bent on making the team heroes again. Justice and Firestar dealing with their past issues. Start the team with a large cosmic-level plot like the Search for Richard Rider and the Cancerverse, and then do down to earth stories. God I would love to write that book.
 
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I get frustrated seeing these not-so-young-anymore characters I grew up with get reset back to their rookie days. It happens with the NW crew and it happens with the original New Mutants a lot. Cannonball, especially, gets characterized as being kinda green and not very versatile with his powers; I hate how they portray him and Sunspot in Avengers. Anyway, I won't continue derailing the thread. Your ideas for a NW book are sound, JH, and I would more than likely like to buy and read a book like that. 'Til then all I can do is sigh and reminisce.
 
Chris Yost is writing the next NEW WARRIORS and usually he works well with continuity, so it's surprising to hear that he wanted to do a NW book without the actual NW's. Then again, I know Jeph Loeb had Speedball and/or Justice pop up during his run on NOVA and I don't know if that gelled with their appearances in AVENGERS ACADEMY when I was reading them. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been "deaged" a bit as often happens with the NEW MUTANTS or many other "young" characters who should know better. The dilemma they all face is they exist in a universe where the older and more defined heroes never die, never retire, and never step aside. The only "new" characters who get to do important things tend to be characters who are walking MacGuffins more than anything else - Hope and Thane being primary examples. Tell me anything about them as characters and you probably have more optimism for them then I do.

I can imagine Yost wanting to play with Kaine and Aracely some more, especially on a team dynamic since he's written team books before, and the editorial board looking at their clock of trademarks and going, "Hmm, it's been over 5 years since we had a NEW WARRIORS book, they're about due". I mean, the last YOUNG ALLIES had nothing to do with the old Young Allies besides having a member named Toro, but Marvel wanted to keep the copyright.

I do find it fascinating that in the 90's, sticking Scarlet Spider on the team was a desperate last ditch effort to boost the book's sales by making it a Spidey-book, which failed. Ben Reilly didn't even do much on the team. Yet in the years since, not one but TWO different Scarlet Spiders will have served with the team. You'd think he was a better part of the line up than Namorita was.

I've said this before, but I may as well repeat myself. I frankly don't think any of Marvel's young heroes (and by "young", I sadly mean many characters who have been around 10-20+ years) will be allowed to amount to much unless there is some line wide event forcing investment in them. Sort of like when DC used "SINS OF YOUTH" to push YOUNG JUSTICE, which only went on to last 50 issues. Some villain zaps all of the traditional heroes and they're gone. Dead, exiled, nobody knows, and now suddenly the earth's only protection is in all those heroes who never got to prove themselves in any notable fashion because Cap, Thor, Spider-Man, and Wolverine were always there. Now Spider-Girl is the primary webbed hero. Now, say, the Young Avengers are in the main Avenger squad and the New Warriors are in the New Avengers squad. Now the legions of young X-Men who formerly served as nothing but expendable canon fodder to spare a death scene for Cyclops or Wolverine now are the X-Men. And their mentors' old enemies smell fresh meat as the only thing standing between them and conquest. It lasts for a year or so and has some spiffy banner. The only dilemma is that it could backfire and kill Marvel Comics' sales. So it'd never happen. But short of that, I frankly don't think the NEW WARRIORS or many of those younger characters will ever see a bump in status until something forced it.
 
The current issue of Nova started a storyline where he is looking for all the rest of the Nova Corps. He might find Rich soon.
 
I don't know. From what's been going on in GotG I get the feeling we won't be seeing Rich any time soon if ever.
 
Okay, so before I discuss my books this week... I will say that I was strongly debating on dropping two of them. One I'm still on the fence about, but the other I no longer am. I decided to give Uncanny Avengers a read through in one sitting to see if I would appreciate it more... and boy do it. This is definitely a trade reading type of story. I caught SO much more the second time through than the first, and now I don't feel as lost regarding what's going on. I actually grew to really enjoy the title.

So to Dread and any others like me who have been down on Uncanny Avengers, I recommend reading it through in a sitting or two for a better appreciation of it. It did wonders for me.

Now... on to the reviews:

Uncanny Avengers 15 - Might as well start here. This issue gave us pretty much what was expected from the ending of last issue, though with a little added something. The Earth is being judged by the Celestrial of Death thanks to what the Apocalypse Twins have been doing. This was actually hinted at early in their appearances, and I got it because I just read through those issues last night and this morning. So the Twins have tricked Wanda and Simon into bringing all mutants onto the "ark", removing all mutants from Earth. And now a Celestrial has arrived to destroy the Earth. 10 points for team Apocalypse.

The only thing I didn't care for was the depiction of Sentry, but I'm not expecting him to survive past all this anyway. And his being taken out by Wasp just felt blah... but that's mostly because Wasp annoys me.

I enjoyed the issue and can't wait for the next. I can't believe I so quickly went from being bored and annoyed with this series, ready to drop it, to eager anticipating the next installment and dreading that it's going to take a full month. Also, McNiven's art is wonderful as always, but I wish Acuna was always the artist. His feel is perfect for this story.

X-Men 8 - This was the other title I was debating on dropping. I still am. There's something about Jubilee that makes me buy this book, but every time I read it (past the 1st issue) I feel disappointed. Honestly, when the only plot in the book that really gets me interested is the Jubilee/Roxy/Mercury plot... that's pretty sad. It's like, the background plot to the background plot.

Still, it was just sort of okay. I don't know that I'll pick up the next issue though. I might call this title done. I might not. I'll decide when the next one comes out I suppose.

All New X-Men 20 - I liked this issue for the most part, but I fail to see why Bendis needs two titles dealing with this group. I suppose Uncanny is dealing with the core X-Men team lead by Cyclops while All New X-Men is focusing on the O5 and Kitty (as it has since the beginning really)... but still, that seems overkill.

I like that Laura is joining the team, and I'm curious how that all plays out. The random revelation that Cyclops (current) has a thing for Laura is weird... though as an early-30s male, I understand how the mind still finds older teens/younger 20s attractive. As long as he isn't banging her, then it's fine. As for the plot, it's pretty basic. Laura joins Kitty and the O5 to track down the Purifiers. The Purifiers are now led by the son of William Stryker who seems to have powers of some sort. We'll find out more about that next issue.

Decent issue. Not good or bad, just decent. Not digging Peterson's art. Immonen needs to come back. Oh, and yet again another misleading cover.

Young Avengers 14 - The second-to-last issue (I think) and it was a stinker. The art shifts were distracting and mostly sucky (save for the first few pages by McKelvie), and the issue didn't really give us anything new. In case we missed it, Wiccan and Hulkling love each other. Prodigy is still attracted to Hulkling but is willing to take a step back for him and Wiccan. Kate seems to officially end it with Marvel Boy (good), and we get a little bit of Ms. America's origin. I mean, there was SOME new stuff there, but nothing that was told interesting in any way. Oh, and Speed returns randomly without any explanation. I hope that's covered next issue... as well as the deal with not-Patriot.

I love a lot of these characters but Gillen's not done them any justice as far as I'm concerned. As I've said before, the characters are mostly out of character and the plot was boring and could have been told with any characters in the Marvel Universe. The one saving grace was the art and this issue didn't even have much of that.

Yeah, I'll miss the characters, but I won't miss the book. At this point I'm just buying it to finish it out. If it were ongoing, it would officially be dropped.

Batman & Two-Face 26 - This was a decent issue though a little boring. More building of Erin's past, but what I'm ready for is that conflict with Two-Face. The ending of the issue brings that, so now I'm eager how next issue goes. Gleason's art is still pretty at least.

After hearing that this book will soon follow up on the ending of Morrison's Batman Inc. run, I've stopped caring about this story and am eager for it to get to that. God, I hope it results in the return of Damian Wayne. This title is lacking due to his death. The entire Bat-verse is in my opinion.

Pandora 6 - The art here wasn't as good as some of the other parts, particularly Phantom Stranger and Justice League Dark, but it was okay. The story just sorta filled out more of what's been going on in Blight, but this issue concludes this first major foray and leads into the next chapter. It wasn't anything real spectacular, but I'm still digging the crossover.

It's pretty obvious that DeMatteis is the strong hand of this story, since his books are amazing and both of Fawkes' have just been okay. Chances are I'll drop this book once Blight finishes up. Still, there are 3 more Pandora crossover issues to change my mind. I've liked 2, maybe 3 issues of the 6 that's come out... but even those are just liked, not LOVED. Unless some interesting major shift in the character happens, I don't see myself sticking with this book. Though I do like the character. I'd like to see her stay with the JLD after this is over, but I don't see that happening. I don't see Phantom Stranger staying either.


Best and Worst of the Week:

Best: Uncanny Avengers - Individually this wasn't an AMAZING issue, but it was easily the best of the week for me. I definitely appreciate it for it's part in the grander story though.

Worst: Young Avengers - Ugh. Whatever they were going for with all these art changes... bad call. It just showed how crappy the book has been and how much it's been hiding behind McKelvie's pencils.
 
Chris Yost is writing the next NEW WARRIORS and usually he works well with continuity, so it's surprising to hear that he wanted to do a NW book without the actual NW's. Then again, I know Jeph Loeb had Speedball and/or Justice pop up during his run on NOVA and I don't know if that gelled with their appearances in AVENGERS ACADEMY when I was reading them. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been "deaged" a bit as often happens with the NEW MUTANTS or many other "young" characters who should know better. The dilemma they all face is they exist in a universe where the older and more defined heroes never die, never retire, and never step aside. The only "new" characters who get to do important things tend to be characters who are walking MacGuffins more than anything else - Hope and Thane being primary examples. Tell me anything about them as characters and you probably have more optimism for them then I do.

I can imagine Yost wanting to play with Kaine and Aracely some more, especially on a team dynamic since he's written team books before, and the editorial board looking at their clock of trademarks and going, "Hmm, it's been over 5 years since we had a NEW WARRIORS book, they're about due". I mean, the last YOUNG ALLIES had nothing to do with the old Young Allies besides having a member named Toro, but Marvel wanted to keep the copyright.

I do find it fascinating that in the 90's, sticking Scarlet Spider on the team was a desperate last ditch effort to boost the book's sales by making it a Spidey-book, which failed. Ben Reilly didn't even do much on the team. Yet in the years since, not one but TWO different Scarlet Spiders will have served with the team. You'd think he was a better part of the line up than Namorita was.

I've said this before, but I may as well repeat myself. I frankly don't think any of Marvel's young heroes (and by "young", I sadly mean many characters who have been around 10-20+ years) will be allowed to amount to much unless there is some line wide event forcing investment in them. Sort of like when DC used "SINS OF YOUTH" to push YOUNG JUSTICE, which only went on to last 50 issues. Some villain zaps all of the traditional heroes and they're gone. Dead, exiled, nobody knows, and now suddenly the earth's only protection is in all those heroes who never got to prove themselves in any notable fashion because Cap, Thor, Spider-Man, and Wolverine were always there. Now Spider-Girl is the primary webbed hero. Now, say, the Young Avengers are in the main Avenger squad and the New Warriors are in the New Avengers squad. Now the legions of young X-Men who formerly served as nothing but expendable canon fodder to spare a death scene for Cyclops or Wolverine now are the X-Men. And their mentors' old enemies smell fresh meat as the only thing standing between them and conquest. It lasts for a year or so and has some spiffy banner. The only dilemma is that it could backfire and kill Marvel Comics' sales. So it'd never happen. But short of that, I frankly don't think the NEW WARRIORS or many of those younger characters will ever see a bump in status until something forced it.

I think your dead on here...and its not just for "teen/youth" books as well..it almost goes for any marvel property...they need to be involved and featured in main events, and often even this isnt enough. The importance of relevance in the Avengers/ Bendis books is so important...i believe it was what ultimatley sank the Giffen/ DnA cosmic revival.

Supposedly next year is going to have a major Nova centric event..and the NW are also tied deep into inhumanity (supposedly) so that may work...but we cant see fringe stuff, as that clearly didnt work for past books like NW under KG, which had a heavy post civil war theme...but a generally unimportant one. I feel that book would have worked however, if only it had a better roster and perhaps got started a bit quicker.
 

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