Spoilers, etc.
DREAD'S BOUGHT/THOUGHT FOR 4/10/13:
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #9: Fred Van Lente's relaunch of Valiant Entertainment's relaunch of a beloved 90's era "buddy action series" reaches the end of its second arc. Considering how many comics still seem to follow the "six issues or bust" mantra of pacing, the fact that this series has seen two arcs in nine issues is actually quite compact. The titular duo as well as Gilad (Armstrong's equally immortal but angrier brother) and the latest Geomancer, Kay McHenry, have their final showdown against the forces of the nihilistic Null in Greenland (of all places). As a series which enjoys mixing in long term conspiracy theory with satire and exaggeration, we see that Gilad has been fighting this cult which seeks to undo reality for centuries, even in the groovy 1960's. In this issue, there's a doomsday machine to attempt to reverse which is defended by "the Last Enemy", which is some entity which possesses people via a bizarre equation. Unfortunately, it has possessed Archer, who is Armstrong's pal and probably the greatest fighter on earth. As usual, there is a mix between action, comedy, and suspense so that it remains an enjoyable ride without taking itself either too seriously or becoming an outright comedy. The final two pages sow the seeds for the next arc, and on the whole this has been a success. Artist Emanuela Lupacchino (this time with aid from Alvero Martinez) has taken over well from Clayton Henry, making the book her own. It is a shame when all of the cult fans who loved Marvel's "Incredible Hercules" seem to be more silent about this book, as it's arguably just as fun a ride.
SAGA #12: Since debuting last year, Image Comics' latest creator owned series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have taken the comic book world as well as the direct market by storm. The previous issue sold within the top 35 sellers for March, moving over 50,000 copies in its first print. Most of the previous issues have been reprinted at least once, and it is outselling no end of "big two" publications such as "The Flash" or "Wolverine & the X-Men" or "Iron Man" or "Superman" or even Dark Horse's latest (and last) "Star Wars" comic series. In less than a year it has become Image's second best seller, right behind "The Walking Dead" (which needed many years and a TV show to march up the sales charts). It's become an instant critical darling and deservedly so, as it mixes imaginative science fiction concepts with classic and detailed character drama and detail.
While picking up from the previous issue, this is a tale which focuses on one of the series antagonists for its monthly yarn. Prince Robot IV, a member of the royal family working with the planet Landfall, has long been dispatched to locate and kill the series stars Alana (of Landfall) and Marko (a member of their enemy race) and their cross breed daughter. So far he has seemingly been outrun by the mercenary "the Will" who was hired for the same task by Marko's own irritated people. This issue showcases that while the mercenaries may have been noisier and more violent, Prince Robot IV has been on his own reasoned investigation, tracking down the author of a book which helped inspire the star crossed couple's love. While this has seemed like a fruitless subplot, the payoff plays out in this issue with a dramatic confrontation between the Prince and the author, and a stunning final page. All the while, much like "the Will", Prince Robot IV is hardly entirely evil, and has his own traumas as well as his own set of pressure by forces around him. This issue earned some ire from Apple for an image of homosexual sex, which is so small it is almost laughable that it sparked so much attention; it'd have been lost to randomness if not for the public outcry.
As with most issues, Fiona staples has a lot of room to work with her own designs and landscapes for this series. From a battle scene to a quiet bog, she naturally draws from nature and both advanced and retro technology for her designs. The aliens all look distinct yet simple enough that their essence comes across. Even the Prince, whose robot race have literal TV's for heads, has a design that works as their screens seem to display memories or thoughts, and serve as communication attachments. Vaughan's script as always has crisp dialogue as well as a theme for the issue - in this case, the horrors of war and their consequences to those who survive it.
Much like the end of the sixth issue, there will be another "hiatus" before issue thirteen to allow Staples to get enough "lead in time" to draw the series at a monthly rate as well as time for the second trade collection to be sold. It is hard to argue with this strategy, which gives every arc the feel of a TV season which will have some time between runs. It is also hard to argue with success, and "Saga" has quickly become another iconic series in the Vaughan library, as well as one of his best selling.
AGE OF ULTRON #5: Writer Brian Bendis and artist Bryan Hitch bring readers to the midway point of this overdue and underwhelming crossover event series, which remains a probable alternate reality caper about an Ultron who won. What is left of the world's (or specifically, the United States') remaining superheroes gather in Nick Fury's fallback spot at the Savage Land where they find the old spy himself as well as a convenient cache of weapons and gear - including Dr. Doom's time machine. We have a flashback to Vision's latest revival as well as more of Bendis' trademark talking heads. All of that poignant character growth for Vision over the decades becomes moot as he's apparently been a mole for Ultron all along. While half the squad wants to travel into the future to stop Ultron, Wolverine settles on using it to kill Hank Pym (Ultron's creator) in the past to undo this horror, with little disregard to destroying the time stream. The hypocrisy of an immortal character who has killed hundreds if not thousands of people and by many accounts was an immoral warrior until recent decades and memory loss, who has often abandoned many of his adopted sidekicks or children to hellish fates, to judge anyone else's sins remains amazing. This issue features a lot of talking and set up for the next four issues, and little more.
FEARLESS DEFENDERS #3: Sales figures for March 2013 have come out and this book (as well as MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE) may as well be dead books walking. The second issue dropped to just over 28,200 sales at the bottom of the Top 85. That's a terrible place for the second issue of an ongoing issue to be, and unless sales stayed there and never budged downward, I don't expect this series to exist beyond a 10th issue, or heck, even a 6th. It is a shame as this is Marvel's second "heroine only" team book, although in all honesty I am not surprised. It was risky to say the least to launch a second DEFENDERS book a few months after the last crack at it under the higher profile Matt Fraction stumbled to an end after a year. Cullen Bunn has rebounded on VENOM, but it took him about 2-3 arcs to get there (without including the arc he co-write with Rick Remender); this series remains perfectly middle of the road, neither terrible nor terrific, and I doubt he'll have the chance to up the ante here.
Bunn continues on the second major story about prototypical Valkyrie in about 3-4 years. In fairness, this one involves Brunnhilde, the actual "Valkyrie" of Marvel lore. Long tasked with re-assembling a team of "shield maidens", she was unable or unwilling to find mortals worthy of such a role, and so thus this adventure conveniently has them assemble alongside her. Previous issues had her team with Misty Knight and her archaeologist ally Annabelle Riggs, and the target of their search sees them rescuing Dani Moonstar (the former New Mutant Mirage) from the evil Caroline LeFay. The team addition this issue is Hippolyta, queen of the amazons who was killed during INCREDIBLE HERCULES but is brought in by Hela in place of Valkyrie. I imagine Marvel's long hesitance to use her is due to DC's own notable Amazon, but here she's termed "Warrior Woman" and joins the fray, and on the whole is fun and well designed. A new squad of evil Doom- maidens are made with their own names and blurbs, and it feels like the late Bronze Age again. Will Sliney and colorist Veronica Gandini provide fine art, but this remains a book with more potential than quality. I like Misty and Valkyrie, and Annabelle and Hippolyta have been fun additions. This is probably a random arc/premise by Bunn slapped with the DEFENDERS name for lack of a better title, and one can imagine a second or third arc may be stronger. Sadly, it likely won't get it.
UNCANNY AVENGERS #6: Daniel Acuna becomes the third artist this series has had within six issues - rarely a sign of stability for what was supposed to be the kickoff title of "Marvel NOW". Writer Rick Remender spends this issue in a flashback set in the 11th century to set up the next arc revolving around both Kang the Conqueror and Apocalypse (and his heirs). The art is beautiful and Remender displays an amazing mixture of continuity knowledge and imagination, although it may confuse fans who haven't studied the Marvel Handbook in a while (if ever). The gist is that Kang is a time traveler who has had several identities across various eras. In ancient Egypt, he ruled as the pharaoh Rama-Tut and had dealings with Apocalypse, an immortal mutant involved with Celestial alien gods. Kang manipulates Apocalypse into attacking both a young, pre-Mjolnir Thor as well as Wolverine's apparent ancestor in London in an attempt to manipulate the creation of a MacGuffin. Considering the concept of this title is to mix the lore of the Avengers with that of the X-Men, this issue plays with that in far more ancient terms. It is a one-off issue which doesn't pick up after the last and may either bore or confuse less continuity savvy readers. However, on the whole is a solid issue. In fact, it is a rare issue in which the interior art is superior to that of the cover!
He's also arguably the most boring and most expendable of the 05. The reveal was very lacklustre in this issue, since it jumps to the point where Cyclops' team returns to base. The Xavier kids are still... there. I like Eva quite a bit, and I'm warming up to the shape-shifter. I don't care for the healer at all, since I don't know who he is as a character yet. And Goldballs is just stupid. 
