This has been the shortest week for me in some time, and my wallet appreciated it. Even if it is a testament to Marvel's modern pricing policies that only one out of five books of theirs is still $2.99. As always, full rants and spoilers ahead.
It is is still weird to buy comics on Thursdays after Monday holidays. Hopefully the new Diamond distribution scheme will eliminate that.
Dread's Bought/Thought for 9/9/10:
BOOSTER GOLD #36: More of the same for this creative team. This issue feels very much like a sister book to JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST, as it has a minor mention of it. I don't read that book and don't plan to. Which is becoming a problem, because aside for this being "the book where Booster gets to be funny" in-between the seriousness of hunting Max Lord in the "more important" JL book, this series isn't about anything. Booster hasn't done any of his "fixing time" stuff since the first two issues of the run. Since then, it's simply been a humor nostalgia trip revisiting the JLI era in general and Ted Kord in particular, while cramming in as much action and jokes as 22 pages will contain. It's not a bad or even an unpleasant read at all; it's never been as dull as many issues of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN. That said, I get the feeling it is devolving into "The Giffen/DeMatteis Comedy Hour", and while it's often a hoot, it doesn't leave me with much once I close the issue and store it away.
We're still dealing with that quest for the "not quite book of destiny" in the past on another planet. While Booster, Barda, and Mr. Miracle have gone into space to stop a planet-destroyer, Ted has remained behind to score with the liberated queen. Unfortunately, his lies to bed her atop of her the laws of her planet backfire on him, and he's literally turned into a talking chipmunk. The trio of heroes, meanwhile, take the blame from the Dark-Stars, who are overzealous space cops. While Barda and Miracle manage to escape, and Booster makes sure to appear in the latest issue of JL:GL, he goes back into the past to save Ted, regardless of Skeets' objections. Booster's made a mess of time again, yet can't tell anyone in the past about Kord's present death. There was a good line in which Booster defended his belief that Kord could one day be resurrected based on the fact that so many other heroes, such as Oliver Queen, J'Onn, Bruce Wayne, and Superman have all cheated death, which is a fair point. Unfortunately, he and Chipmunk Beetle are captured by the Dark Stars and imprisoned along with Vril Dox from LEGION, and I have no clue who he is nor care to hit Google. At any rate, the space gulag they are in is about to become part of some historic cosmic disaster, and so Booster's eagerness to escape is heightened.
And then the end of the issue introduces a character named "Estrogina". It seems there have quite a few female stereotypical rogues in this run so far. Pat Oliffe does the art, and it all looks pretty good. Overall, the series is funny for an immediate read, but I've lost a lot of a sense of urgency since Jurgens left, and there's no shaking that sort of feeling.
INVADERS NOW! #1: That exclamation point is definitely part of the title (see the cover) as creator Alex Ross (MARVELS, KINGDOM COME, JUSTICE) continues his modern revisit and update of Marvel’s Golden Age superhero team from the WWII era. Prior installments were the surprising hit AVENGERS/INVANDERS, and the sequel sales dud, HUMAN TORCH. This is the third part of Ross’ saga, and it seems this time his involvement is lessoning. While Ross has provided the cover art and shares a credit for the story, writer Christos Gage (AVENGERS ACADEMY, SPIDER-MAN AND THE FANTASTIC FOUR, AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE) has taken over the script phase of the tale. Caio Ries is the artist, with Vinicius Andrade on colors. The artwork is quite good and all together this is a solid package.
The gist of the premise is that for the first time in decades, most of the original Invaders (Steve Rogers, James “Bucky” Barnes, Toro, the android Human Torch, the original Vision, Spitfire, and Namor) are all alive and active at the same time. This omits the NEW INVADERS series from 2004-2005, which shipped 11 issues. Barnes is the new Captain America, while Steve Rogers is basically the head of “I can’t believe it’s not SHIELD”, Toro has been revived as a young man via a previous Ross series, and apparently the android Human Torch has also been reassembled. Spitfire has been busy with MI-13 (and being Blade’s new lover), while the latest Union Jack has tried to get out of fighting supernatural beasties in exchange for stomping terrorists (in a mini series from ’06 also written by Gage). When a threat from the 1940’s resurfaces in the Netherlands, the Vision re-assembles the Invaders to handle the crisis, feeling they would be preferable to the Avengers or the X-Men. The original Vision is essentially a policeman from another dimension, whose angles are quite mysterious. Often that means that Vision will float around and deliver exposition as well as filling plot holes to get things moving, in a role similar to that of Spectre in KINGDOM COME. Most of the issue is spent assembling the cast as well as showing them interact with each other two at a time, as well as stomp out some threats. Ross has a sense of history and always loves playing with Golden and Silver Age characters, while Gage is familiar with continuity from any Marvel era and is able to utilize it to drive a story forward rather than stifle it. This was a successful first issue, and I’ll likely give the second a try, which means it did it’s job.
This issue also seems to cement and run with the idea that in Marvel 616, Jim Hammond did kill Hitler during WWII. Some recent comics put that story into doubt to put things closer to real history, but now the pendulum swings in the other direction. I see no reason to change it, honestly. We can accept that superheroes helped win WWII and they all had far out, bizarre, or game-changing "persons of mass destruction" potential and that NONE of them iced Hitler? There's a cameo by Rockslide and Anole, which was cute. Anole has made some snide comments about life with the X-people being so horrific that he'd like to join an Avengers team, but part of me imagines the X-office would rather see a cold day in hell than surrender any X-character unless Bendis or Brubaker demands it - they certainly didn't think Dan Slott was worthy of getting Beast a year ago.
I've read little of the prior material; I didn't read the first AVENGERS/INVADERS and I gave HUMAN TORCH #1 a try and found it too dull and whatnot for $4 an issue. I gave this a try for Gage, and he didn't disappoint.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #30: I'll echo the chorus that this issue was quite good. But it comes with a major caveat. I had to wade through at least two ho-hum, hum-drum snail crawl worthy issues to get here, and that's being generous. I could argue the last issue that was as good as this one was #25, five months ago. Even with this month's success, that still means that this title's consistent quality percentage to me is under 34%. Every issue has a 2 out of 3 chance of being slow, plodding, and forgettable - just there to pad out the trade. Has one good issue out of thee (at best) changed my mind about this series? I don't know, honestly. I've fallen out of love with this book, and I've told myself a few times that this arc would be my last. At first I imagined that would be issue #31, the 6th installment of that tale. But then the November solicits came in, and the arc will last at least a 7th issue, and for all I know it'll go onto about 19 chapters like WORLD'S MOST WANTED. I haven't seen this kind of "drag it out for the trade" style writing since the first five years of Ultimate comics, or Joss Whedon's ASTONISHING X-MEN (which was drafted during that period). The shop where I bought this had the copies upside down and I almost missed it, and I really only bothered looking out of habit, and because I was only getting five other books. Had this came out last week or the week prior, when I was getting eight-plus books, I would have kept walking.
Few stories are worthy of 6 issues of development these days, and thankfully across the board at Marvel we have seen more arcs that are 3,4, and 5 issues. Even Bendis, the master of dragging out **** as long as humanly possible, kept SIEGE to 4 issues (five if you count a prelude). Any longer than six issues is usually just indulgence or a lousy editor, aiming for the trade market. Why not just sell the title to that market directly, then? SCOTT PILGRIM made a mint that way. DC is doing SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE. I imagine this title would be better in that manner.
At any rate, in this issue Stark whisks Sasha Hammer away from a big to-do after he's figured out that she was Zeke Stane's lover, way back in the first six issues of this series (TWO YEARS AGO, with ZERO reminder before last month). They have some entertaining banter back and forth about their different styles, the goals of the Hammers, and Stark's newest armor. Turns out Sasha has some armor similar to Zeke's and a fight breaks out. Pepper rushes off to back up Stark as Rescue. In the end, Stark plays at the Hammers' own game to manipulate the media feed to make the incident make him look better. Unfortunately, the Hammers' attack drones (unleashed by an iPod APP) seem set to destroy Stark's non-gas car.
I could argue that a story in which the worst threat to ever threaten Stark in years comes from the iPod generation is very timely; Marvel is deathly afraid of the future, a future in which they've caused the direct market to crumble yet have all the savvy of figuring out the digital age as...well, men in their mid 40's who had to have their eight-tracks pried from their cold, dead hands. There are ways to boldly embrace the inevitable, but Marvel & DC, rather than learn from the music industry, are instead digging in their heels and repeating their mistakes. Rather than try, and fail, to put the genie back in the battle, they could see if they could gets some wishes out of it. Granted, Marvel wasting an opportunity and doing everything opposite from common sense is about as predictable as finding a burger on the Dollar Menu at a fast food joint. This is a company that once thought the trading card market would never crumble.
Sal Larroca's art and D'Armata's colors are as reliable as ever, and it's nice when they have some action to draw instead of talking heads looking at chairs.
I want to finish the arc out, but right now this title is on a week by week basis - on a week where I genuinely want to save $3, it may be cut. After almost three years, I have zero faith that this is a turnaround that will last for any length of time with Fraction. His star's fallen quite a bit with me. It pains me to think that THE ORDER was sacrificed for this. Good issue, but does that mean in return the next two will be dull?
SHADOWLAND: BLOOD ON THE STREETS #2: Antony Johnston continues to weave an effective murder mystery on the fringes of SHADOWLAND, while playing with characters who are mostly uninvolved in it. Some could, and have, argued that the market is too weak to support events that need to branch side mini series just to have more to cross over with - it isn't 2006 or 2007 anymore, especially for $4 an issue. I'm genuinely enjoying this one, though, so it doesn't matter to me. Wellington Alves continues with some really great pencils, along with Frank Martin's stellar colors and solid inks by Nelson Pereira.
Misty Knight is really the only character directly involved in SHADOWLAND, and this series seems to move between various issues of it. The last issue took place between SHADOWLAND #1 and #2, and this one between #2 and #3 (which came out a week or so ago). It also takes place before I AM AN AVENGER #1, which has unfortunately rendered some of Misty's narration about her "baby" on the way moot and almost smacks of bad coordination among editors. At any rate, the murder of a low level mobster by what appear to be Hand ninja operating outside of Hell's Kitchen has attracted the attention of Knight, Shroud, and Paladin in various respects. Silver Sable is still on the fringes of the tale almost doing her own thing, but she is slowly coming into the same path.
It always amazes me how wildly Paladin's character shifts depending on who writes him. Jeff Parker wrote him as wanting to turn over a new leaf in THUNDERBOLTS, yet here a few months later he's taking paid hits from mobsters (so long as he's still icing "bad guys", such as other mobsters) and has no qualms about shooting caped vigilantes in the back and asking for last words. The Shroud, however, has a good little speech about the use of capes and proves very effective. It is a shame that he's long ditched his interesting "undercover rogue" angle to simply be a low-rent Batman/Shadow, but he still is being used pretty well. The Hand ninja, to their credit, claim they're not involved, and Knight's determined CSI style that they're likely not involved in the mobster's murder - but someone seeks to frame them, or act as a copycat to kill with impunity.
Knight and Paladin run into each other when said mobster's brother gets whacked, and Sable is forced to find out who the real killer is if she wants to get any of her fee for chasing down a war criminal for another nation who was already dead. She's still on her own tangent, but it's slowly merging with the others.
It would be nice of some writer figured out that sticking with Shroud's least interesting status quo simply because it has been kept the most current isn't the best way to write a character, but I am still getting a kick out of seeing some third and fourth tier characters show up and be handled well in a well drawn, well scripted urban mystery/action series. If you're not a fan of any of the characters, though, then $4 a pop is likely too much for a spare mini like this.
THANOS IMPERATIVE #4: I have to say, the AIN'T IT COOL NEWS.COM blurb all but front and center of the cover is a bit awkward and smacks of a little sales desperation. While this mini isn't selling as well as WAR OF KINGS did, it's still selling better than NOVA and GOTG were, and it seems every issue is getting a reprint, which only adds to final tallies. At any rate, writers Abnett & Lanning are on their third major space even, and firing from all points with their regular space cast, as well as throwing in other big games for good measure (like Silver Surfer and Beta Ray Bill). Miguel Sepulveda continues on art and has two colorists in tow this time. Not everyone has been crazy about the art, but I still think it's very strong. I mean it's no Andrea DiVito, but I still enjoy it.
Action is the motif of the issue. After forging the six-man strike team (the REAL "Ass Kickers Of The Fantastic"), Nova leads them right into Dark Mar-Vell's territory on a mission to take out the heads of the Cancerverse invasion in one stroke, as well as to free his captives - Namorita in particular. While they bust into the stronghold and accomplish their task, Dark Mar-Vell and the rest of the Cancerverse metahumans prove to be far stronger than they appear - even tougher than the tentacle monsters. Dark Mar-Vell in particular can smack around Nova and Surfer without a whole lot of effort.
The Guardians continue on their quest within the Cancerverse itself, only Drax and Thanos decide to have yet another ultimate showdown. It seems Thanos cannot be accepted into Death's embrace (at least for now), so he is effectively immortal, yet still the only being capable of causing death within the Cancerverse. Que the double cliffhanger ending! Who lives? Who dies?
The only "good" thing about the fate of the space titles being unknown is that it becomes harder to just assume EVERYONE will make it out of this one. Nova likely lives, as do Rocket and Groot (who's back at Nowhere with Jack Flag and Moondragon), but what about the rest? This issue proves that apparently anyone can be in the line of fire. I really would like Namorita to survive, though. CIVIL WAR was on the whole a rubbish story, and the less of it that matters seems to cause better comics all around. Beta Ray Bill still seems to stick out like a sore thumb as the one character there by obligation - much as those times when Wolverine shows up in a random X-story yet has little to do with the plot. The last event was called "war of kings" and in way this one could also claim that; both Ronan and Gladiator are the rulers (or regents, or whatever) of entire planets. Nova himself is leader of the fledgling Nova Corps. Silver Surfer has long been a space staple. Bill's been in space a lot lately in other mini's, but his introduction here was non-existent, and so far he's here to make those splash page panels look cooler and throw in a few lines. He totally kills Cancerverse Colossus with ease, though.
After his lackluster SECRET AVENGERS appearance, it is good to see Nova act very much like himself. Dark Mar-Vell seems to be shaping up into a decent villain, although he doesn't quite have the delicious charm of Magus. I like that the fact that he's THAT powerful isn't just taken at face value, but commented upon that it shouldn't be, and thus is dangerous. After all, he is a guy who literally killed Death in his other universe.
This is shaping up very well for me, and is an "event" I eagerly anticipate every month.
And it was good beyond a coupla minor complaints from a dedicated Gambit fan. On the intro page, it says Storm got Drac's body but it was Storm and Gambit, not her by her onsies, m'kay? Plus Gambit had just the one singular appearance, as official head carrier I guess, like he was an afterthought. I certainly hope to see his role expanded as this book goes on. 
