Now for last week's comics aka October 4th, 2023 aka week 40.
Eve Ewing's BP is really a sight to see, if only because it reads like you'd expect a Batman comic...but also feels like a BP series with its intricate Afrofuturism. This is definitely a step up from the last run. Still not sure what to make of this spirit guy that's got the city so scared though.
It's official. I can't stand anything in this Captain Marvel mini-series. Not even seeing Nitro powered up makes me want to enjoy it. Mostly it's just a bunch of whiny millenniums screaming nihilistically into the void with the bad guy encouraging them. So...yeah. Do no read this after Kelly Thompson's run.
MacKay's Doctor Strange run is just as stellar as his Moon knight and his Avengers. Really loving how much Clea is playing General Strange. I also get the feeling she's trying to protect her Steven. Even so, we all knew Doctor Strange would have to do some dark dark deal(s) to get the job done. Just don't know if that's enough. (Also I agree with Zombie. I think the Vishanti are little scared of the General as well as wanting to keep him around just in case.)
This issue from North is a departure from his usual science oriented issues, but it still a very FUN FF weird science thing. Seeing dinosaur Avengers and dinosaur FF is pretty neat and weird. (Just wish they had the balls to do Scarlet Witch as a dino....) Oh and we got Dino-Doctor Doom that might be responsible for the destruction of two universes...
And after much hype and waiting we FINALLY get the debut issue of G.O.D.S; Hickman's answer to...well not quite Sandman...But certainly a look see at how magic and science (if they were sentient cosmic beings), view each other. Some very amazing visuals mixed with some good/grounded story telling. Wyn is clearly his answer to "Why isn't there a John Constantine in the Marvel Comics?" along with seeing him suffer along with Science Boy Dmitri. Very cool. Overall, while it wasn't perfect, it was great. I can't wait for issue two to dive deeper into other Cosmic stuff.
Percy's Ghost Rider has been pretty good so far, especially with the horror aspect. Now thankfully we can see that moreso with the return of Parker Robbins aka the Hood trying to get more magic and revenge on MJ and Felicia Hardy for their role in having him stuck...somewhere. Percy writes Elsa Bloodstone very well. The entire one shot is pretty good for those that love Ghost Rider and want to see more Supernatural that isn't totally tied to Mephisto and Hell. (Plus it's a nice Halloween issue too!)
Immortal X-men...Kieron Gillen continues to shine if only because the plots feel more...substantive than they should rightly be. Especially with that twist at the end. Still unclear if we're actually seeing En Sabah Nu or some projection that MIGHT be tied into what Mother Righteous is aiming for. That plus a hint that maybe Charles MIGHT not be completely un-Sinister-ized.. Even so, I had to admire and also feel slightly sickened by the fact he traded away precious Hellfire company secrets to protect the island and himself. But even so... We know we're going into unchartered depths and I can't wait to see that.
I swear...The Osborn family is just plain cursed. Poor Normie just wanted to be as good as Miles. But he seems to be falling oh so short. I do think this series is coming to an end, but at the same time, I don't think that means the end of Red Goblin. At least...maybe not. Even so, I hope Dylan and the rest can do something about Rascal and Normie.
The last of the mini-series issue with the gang from Strange Academy concludes with help from OG Spider-man and Miles. It was also clear this was SUPPOSED to come out before Jed MacKay finished his Strange series. (At least that's my read of it.) Overall good stuff and I hope we get more Strange Academy in the near future.
So I have to hand it to the remainder of X-force. Even if I feel like Wade blowing them off was COMPLETELY out of character. (Even for a crazy guy like Wade.) But at least they went to someone that had expertise in dimensional travel in Doctor Strange. So now we have a clearer picture of just WHAT Mikhail's power set MIGHT mean. Too bad it might mean the remainder of X-force might be lost in some extra dimensional void thanks to a slight blunder by Chronicler and the fact using a mutant hating high rank but still no name operative as a pawn in ORCHIS backfired on them both.
So I mentioned how I felt Percy did a disservice aka tonal failure using Wade in such a dickish way. Well the same can be said here with the introductions of FF and Rasputin meeting in Gerry's X-men. It was...not the best way to get Reed on your side (Even if he was sympathetic) That coupled with Kamala having to deal with a hot headed Rasputin...didn't go over well with me. Plus side though, we got to see a) Juggy is still alive and b) Firestar is going to have to do some heavy lifting next issue to keep Juggy from being another experiment for Doctor Statis.
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Artist Kelley Jones To Team Up With ‘Grendel’ Creator Matt Wagner For New Dracula Story
Holy crap! That’s awesome. I think I might actually have to look into dumping a bit of money on that one.
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Superman: Lost - the only new book I picked up this week. Pretty good issue. Superman goes to see a therapist to help him cope with the trauma of so much time alone in space. And the therapist is also helping Supergirl overcome the trauma of her experiencing the loss of Krytpon. Meanwhile, Lois tries to recruit Luthor to help Superman recover, to which he agrees. And, of course, he goes about it in the most Lex of ways. Harsh. Now I’m betting that special anomaly will come back into play to help resolve this.
So now that's Monday and I've had some time to recuperate, I'll give you the "Here's some actually good comics that the neckbeard Zombie DIDN'T read or buy." (And yes they are all Marvel. Sue me.)
Jed MacKay's Avengers ends the Impossible City arc with a HUGE bang. The setup with the villains not only gave us the stakes but also establishes just how much of a match each is for their particular hero. (Thor versus Idol Alabaster, Captain Marvel versus Lord Ennui, Iron Man versus Citysmith, Scarlet Witch versus the Dead, Vision versus Meridian Diadem). You really got a sense of wondering how the villains could lose? Well it's because the Avengers not only say no, they back it up. Especially with what Vision did to Meridian Diadem. How you ask? Simple, he gave her a sample of Ultron's base code and it literally broke her. If that doesn't give you some idea of the power of Ultron, nothing will. For Wanda, with the Dead being basically a necromancer, she took them/it to the most remote part of the planet (IE Antarctica) and basically took away its power/advantage. Thor, dealing with mind controlled worshippers, just basically use thunder (or electricity) knock them unconscious and thus eliminated Idol Alabaster's power source. (Also loved he said "I Only need THUNDER!" which was a great little shout out to Thor's Death Battle win against Vegeta) For Carol, it meant going so powerful she could probably have blown out the planet/atomsphere by going Binary...and Lord Ennui couldn't handle it. Tony, meanwhile, just showcased his smarts by using Ghost's phasing tech to stop Citysmith's physical advantage. Oh and BP and Sam freed the Impossible City. So yeah. They now have a flying sentient city as their new HQ. Overall another great story telling moment in Jed MacKay's Avengers run. Some of the internet was meh, but I was stoked.
Amazing Spider-man...I just am completely torn in some ways. At least Pete didn't do major damage to anyone or anything, but MIGHT be considered a "menace" thanks to Norman's sins. Which apparently have come back home to him. So...*shrugs* I just can't really feel much caring given how they've basically torn and ripped Pete's life apart for s&&+s and giggles.
If you're one of those guys that loved Bullet Train, this Blade issue has some of that for you. Mostly though you get to see Bryan Hill homage the Reapers from Blade II as Blade tries to get the Sword of Lucifer Morningstar to kill the Adana. There's a moment when you wonder if he hasn't maybe made a mistake...but given that Doctor Strange is probably busy with General Strange, I guess this is the best we can do.
Okay so I've complained and griped about the mini-series that Ann Nocentri is writing/has written for Carol. But this one shot, with its call backs and moving the story forward for Carol, Hulking/Dorrek and even Billy, is truly a GREAT moment for those that wanted to have a successor to Kelly Thompson's run. Not sure that Anthony Oliveira will get the reins, but if he does, I can't wait to see where it goes. My only gripe is that its never explained HOW Supremor, the Kree Supreme Intelligence came back. But eh.
Cap Wolf and the Howling Commandos is basically what you'd expect. Captain America in WWII but also werewolves. So...yeah. I still can swear I know who the Nazis are using for their spellcasting...but I can't place her right away.
So when they announced this Guardians of the Galaxy volume, I had hoped it would follow in the vein set up by Al Ewing or barring that something close to Donnie Cates' run. But after this last issue, I've reached the sad conclusion that Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing have no freaking clue. First they tell us Grootfall was caused by Groot's long distant ancestor...now it appears they're trying to turn the Manifold Territories into NEW Colossi Flora homeworlds. So...yeah. I can't do it. I might keep reading if only to see how it ends...but I want it to end SOON. (Plus side is Hercules, Phy and Moon dragon MIGHT still be alive...kind of.)
David Pepose's Moon Knight: City of the Dead rolls on and in a very good way. It's definitely got the same vibe as MacKay's Moon Knight (even if it's set in the Duat) I really am enjoying this and the call backs. I can't wait to see how it ends. Very cool.
Ron Marz's retrospective on his tenure with Silver Surfer and Genis rolls on as Genis ends up facing Norrin from "Thanos Wins". Very cool of Marz to acknowledge that. Also I guess the reason for this time jump by Mephisto is to have Norrin fight his alternate Future self in the hopes he kills himself. We'll see if that happens.
Spider-man India ends...and I can't say I wanted it like this. I'm glad Pavitr won out...but I can't say I enjoyed any of the stakes or the villains. In fact I barely tolerated Pavitr in this. So...maybe in the hands of someone else it might have been better.
The Superior Spider-man Returns one shot shows us that while Doc Ock was doing good in his Superior Spider-man, he still wasn't above making questionable choices in furtherance of his own ambitions. (Especially trying to recreate the experiment that gave him his tentacles) Which is how we got back to having a new villain but one that wants to kill Spider-man. Not sure I'm ready to have basically a Human Torch fight Spidey, but we'll see. I'm sure Slott will answer the questions for this in the Superior Run he's doing.
Al Ewing takes a break from writing Venom and has Torunn Grønbekk take over the reins. She's basically writing for Dylan and also now (some how that's unclear) given Black Widow a Symbiote too. In the interim, we also get to see this group called Noname that's out for blood for the crimes of different companies, especially Alchemax. So while the group isn't a high profile, they apparently are on Black Widow's radar. Thusly they are on Venom's radar too, especially after they go after Bren and Toxin. So...yeah. Not sure I enjoy this as much as when Al is writing Eddie, but it's a different tonal shift that's for sure.
Benjamin Percy continues his "Wolverine soloing" with a team up with Captain America to take down what they thought was ORCHIS but really its the whole Legacy House and their own need to own Super stuff. (These guys need either better security or a new line of stuff). As expected Cap does his best to stay the course towards Heroism while Wolverine f$!*s s*## up. It's a nice change of pace from Ghost rider and Hulk, but still you can tell Wolverine isn't ready to settle down again.
Al Ewing's X-men Red rolls on as Genesis's fight for control goes full on genocidal as her kids basically take out Port Prometheus and Red Lagoon. Also we find out JUST where the X-men hid the trigger to release Uranos. And also what that all entails. I just love how much Al dives into bad guys like the grand uncle of Thanos/spiritual grandfather of Thanos. Part of me wants Storm to unleash him...just to show Genesis how bad as a first generation Eternal, even against Omega Mutants. The other part of me sees how much she finds how vile that would be, given that Uranos will PROBABLY not give much quarter or care about civilians. That and seeing Death kill his own sibling because she decided winning mattered more than honor...was pretty baller. I'm kind of sorry that now we've probably lost half of En Saban Nur's kids...but at least he's going to make more than an appearance here. Overall, another stellar issue from Al and one I highly recommend as it looks like they're going to break again from the secondary X-books to go forward with the Fall and Rise of the House of X.
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I wasn’t sure I’d get to read my new books today, as I was busy adulting. That’s mostly done for the day, though. So I had some time to sit and relax.
I picked up the second issue of Daredevil. I’m still not crazy about opening with a seemingly mystic enemy, but this story had a bit more grounding to it. Someone’s using the internet to badmouth Matt Murdock, and cast aspersions. Turns out that someone is Ben Urich. My guess is he’s possessed by something similar to the thing from issue one. And there’s a new gang in town. They got introduced to DD the hard way.
Hulk and Man-Thing versus swamp witch/monster. Ouch. This Hulk is definitely a bit darker. He’s still a hero, though. Kind of. I liked the back up story of the monster’s origin. I hope they keep up with stuff like that. I also hope they don’t drag this story on too long. It’s already getting a little long in the tooth.
Nightmare Country: Glass House - this story’s also dragging a bit, but it’s teasing a potentially really awesome payoff. Could very well see the end of Desire. That wouldn’t bother me. I’ve disliked the character since the Sandman days (though I think that was kind of the point). True, there’d another that rose. Just like Dream. My further hope would be that Thessaly finally met her end as well. As for The Corinthian, I think he might be well and truly on Dream’s side, and he’s just playing along with Azazel.
Big Game - Damn, did this get weird. Now we’ve got futuristic aliens from the distant past. Hopefully, these aliens and the modern villains will curb stomp each other. Then some actual heroes can pick up the pieces. I’ve really got the pick up some of the collected editions of Millar’s other stuff leading up to this. Both that Nemesis dude and the leader of the villains seem like complete tools (very familiar), but I find myself interested in the backstory of Nemesis. Same with Night Club and the Magic Order.
Moon Knight - Moon Knight and friends are taking the fight to Black Spectre, and damn, another great call back to old Moon Knight. Druid Walsh and the Olympus Room. In the end, the friends get pulled off one by one, until it’s down to just Moon Knight and Black Spectre. And there’s another hint the new Spectre is someone old. I look forward to see who it is. I still think it’s one of his agents that got “killed”. The psychologist. And Zodiac is going against the Midnight Mission. I find him extraordinarily annoying and childish (again, very familiar), so I’d really like to see him die. And maybe Moon Knight will die as well. That’s what they seem to be heavily hinting at. Wouldn’t bother me too much, as long as they replaced him with someone equally cool. It sure if Hunter’s Moon would change his name, but if he did, I’d buy it.
Fables - I’m amazed we’re seeing this, given all the drama and the way DC seems to be screwing over Willingham (something that completely doesn’t surprise me). Still, Bigby versus Pan. I was hoping for more in that fight, but it’s enough to see Pan get chomped. And, damn again! I hadn’t realized just how powerful Ghost is. And I get that Tinkerbell is powerful, but I have to wonder if Winter could take her. Might not get to see, since Tink is currently heading off to prevent Bigby from eating her master. Since we know Bigby lives much longer, it’ll be interesting to see how that turns out.
Finally, World’s Finest, and a return by Waid to possibly his greatest story (and one of the all-time great comic stories, I think). Apparently Barry is off running around the Multiverse (instead of being where he should have been - dead). And he finds the world of Kingdom Come. Now Batman and Superman are there looking for Boy Thunder. And we have confirmation that WF is, at the least, set in the past of current continuity (since they’ve never heard of Booster Gold). David isn’t Magog yet. He looks more like the Hush version of Jason Todd (another one who should have stayed dead). He’s definitely pissed at Superman, though. I’m loving the team of Waid and Mora. I think they’re the best DC has to offer at the moment. And maybe one of the best duos in comics at the moment.
Though I think Pepe Larraz is one of the best artists. Love his work with Millar.
So once again, it's time for me to set the record (and make some additions) to what our 'beloved' neckbeard zombie has read...and of course didn't bother with. (And once again folks I remind you I don't recap or review DC stuff. Even when it's good.)
Astonishing Ice-man has our beloved cryokinesist joining up with the recently empowered Captain America of the railways and the guys dubbed the Y men to fight a kind of forgotten but obvious a little more than Aaron Fischer and his D list crew can handle in Mister Clean. Honestly for a guy that's supposed to be intimidating...I don't see it. Sure Bobby has had some rough patches after the Fall, but he's still more Omega than C lister. We'll see if that means Mister Clean and the rest of ORCHIS find his base. Still love the chemistry between Bobby and Romeo.
Al Ewing's “Avengers Inc” or as I like to call it “Super heroing in a slightly noir/detective style” continues its strange journey with a REALLY great guest/cameo/helping of original “Victor Shade” aka OG Vision. Clearly there's more going on with this Victor Shade than either Janet or Vision can readily see. (Though I do admit, I think Vision MIGHT want to rethink “Hank Pym is dead” thing.) Really it was a thrilling mystery that was wrapped around a heist and betrayal while also being set in the iconic (but now currently more tourist-y) Avengers Mansion. Also MAJOR props to Al for doing a deep cut on the crew/slight villains. Really didn't expect that. I can't wait to see where this goes.
Denis Camp's “Children of the Vault” really pours on the whole “Which future is going to happen?!” alongside the whole not quite buddy cop routine of Cable and Bishop trying to fight back against the Children. I did love how Seraphina tried to see what went wrong with her plan...(while at the same time the Children had to deal with a now very pissed off ORCHIS and their Stark Sentinels), only to see that Dominion is pulling the strings. Best part was seeing Bishop and Cable compare future weaponry. That and the kind of cliffhanger ending of this, makes me want to see how it all turns out.
Crypt of Shadows returns with some very good vignettes written by Al Ewing (as the framing story) with Steve Orlando pulling in our good friend Wanda. Followed by Caven Scott's short featuring Deadpool and N'Kantu, the Living Mummy. Then comes Declan Shalvey's tale with Daredevil and a nice cameo/feature of Man Thing. Finishing out the vignettes is Sarah Gailey featuring Jack Russel/Werewolf by night and our current version of the Hulk fighting...Kraven?!! Sheesh. Kraven man. Stick to your weight class. Overall, I think each was fine but the framing story by Al is the best of the lot. (Especially since it will tie in nicely with MacKay's Doctor Strange run. I can't wait for that!)
Saladin Ahmed continues his Daredevil run by keeping Matt firmly still in his role as a Catholic priest while still dealing with the ramifications (supernaturally so!) of coming back from Hell. I do agree with the zombie that mystical element feels weird. (The internet and I had a discussion about Matt's fight with white devil). But overall I think it's a good change for Matt after all the crap he's been through on Chip's run.
The ending of Rob Liefield and Chad Bowers Deadpool mini-series left me with a few questions...but mostly I felt semi-satisfied with the 'growth' I got to see in DP. Honestly I'm not a fan of Van Strutten as a villain, but I also feel that Thumper got the wrong end of the deal too. Regardless, hopeful Liefield and Bowers give us more answers in their next mini-series that was hinted at. (We'll see if Marvel will let them...)
So I'm kind of sad in a way that based on solicits for January, it doesn't appear that Ghost Rider's on going will make it past #11. (Though who knows? I mean Percy hasn't said anything...yet.) Regardless, Johnny Blaze and Talia are still hot on the trail of Cult leader Stefan Skaar and the Cult of Mephisto. (Also some backup on Talia's journey into using magic and a nice cameo by Doctor Strange), Mostly we see both the empathy of Talia to get the Spirit of Vengeance NOT Penance stare/send kids to Hell for an error in judgment. Also we get a real “Silent Hill meets Children of the Corn” moment here. (Though apparently we'll get more Children of the Corn in the next issue). We'll see how it goes down in the next (possible last!) few issues.
Philip Johnson Kennedy “Incredible Hulk” run roars on as Ted Sallis tries to get Hulk to help deal with the Swamp Witch. Afterwards we get some REALLY disgusting but awesome body horror moment as Hulk shifts back to Bruce. That coupled with Betty trying to convince Bruce to let the Eldest have 'her way” makes for some dramatic moments. I do love the backup/write up for each of the monsters that Hulk ends up facing. It's a nice touch. I can't wait to see what the next couple things bring. (Though I will address the elephant in Zombie's room. The Eldest as an arc...not going anywhere JUST yet...)
Gerry Duggan's “Invincible Iron Man” gives us some nice moments for showcasing not just Tony's genius but his ability to feel for others. Though of course he does try hard to keep the fact he's still active in his suit from Feilong and the rest of ORCHIS. The best part was his test case for using Mysterium. Admittedly I figured Stephen Strange would have known about this metal (so he'd know magic isn't any use against it.) But I DID enjoy seeing Carol try to bend it along with Spidey NOT detect it with his Spidey-sense. (Also nice that Tony kept the picture book the Stepford Cuckoos made for Emma and have Stephen keep in the library.) Overall I still am unclear how a new suit of Mysterium is going undo the obvious reach ORCHIS has with Stark Sentinels...but we'll see where Gerry takes it.
Cody Ziglar's run on Mile Morales is really taking off in my view. Mostly because now Miles is starting to see his Spidey sense more than just an early warning device. Something I think I'd like to see more Spider-people do. Regardless, having him join up with Blade and Bloodline to fight energy vampires is a nice move. (That and showing that Blade DOES know a little magic is nice too) I was upset with Hightail being such a horse's ass about Miles dealing with her...but I felt worse when she ended up being turned. So we'll see if Miles, Blade and Bloodline can fix this mess.
The end of Moon Knight's current run with MacKay is reaching its fever pitch. Each of Moon Knights allies ends up trying to hold off or being left behind while Marc goes to fight the new Black Spectre.
Steve Orlando's run with Scarlet Witch is VERY much near its end. While the betrayal is... predictible, the fact we get to see a week in the life of Wanda doing ALL sort of things (Bartering with the In-Betweener, helping her niece with a demon problem in her new home town, working with Omega the Unknown to save a town from Satyr plague, to name a few) REALLY drove home how much I enjoy this run and Orlando's take on Wanda's place, history and character overall. I am sad it will end with issue 10 (and honestly not enough time spent with Hexfinder), but at least we've got the evidence you CAN make a good comic with Wanda Maximoff and not feel underwhelmed.
I'm still a little confused as to why Rainbow Rowell's run with She-Hulk ended the way it did...but the 'reboot' of the series is more of a continuation of that than a full reset. Admittedly, we get to see how Jack and Jen deal with their status quo. (Plus how much of a jerk Carl Creel truly is). I still don't know if I enjoy it as much as I did at the start of the last one...but goodwill means something so I'll keep going.
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Watching/listening to a youtube show with the guest star being the magnificent Kelly Jones. He says his wife describes him as the world's oldest 14 year old. Listening to him talk, I can totally see that. But his absolute love of comics comes through with nearly every word he says. It was funny listening to him tell how terrified he was of working with Denny O'Neil and Doug Moench after being a fan of their earlier work.
At one point, he mentioned watching this same show awhile back when Mark Millar was on, and how impressed he was with Millar. And now I totally want to see Millar and Jones do a book together. That'd be awesome.
For now I settled with backing the Kickstarter campaign Jones is doing with Matt Wagner - Dracula Volume 1: The Impaler. Two industry legends working on one of my favorite literary characters? Hells yes! Backed it to get the limited edition hardcover (only 666 copies). The campaign started yesterday, but I only got around to it this morning.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Saladin Ahmed continues his Daredevil run by keeping Matt firmly still in his role as a Catholic priest while...
I spent a summer in discernment for the priesthood, and I have to say, this storyline is driving me nuts.
Priests are not free-lancers. Is Father Murdoch a diocesan priest? Then he reports to a bishop (presumably Archbishop Timothy Dolan), and the archdiocese would absolutely be interested in talking to Father Murdoch and his fellow priest about being outed for running weapons. (If he's not a diocesan priest, then he's a member of an order, like the Franciscans, and again he has a superior who'd be asking what's going on.)
Does he have a confessor? (If he's a priest, the answer is yes.). What has he told his confessor about this demon attacking him through his ex-wife?
Drives me crazy.
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Saladin Ahmed continues his Daredevil run by keeping Matt firmly still in his role as a Catholic priest while...I spent a summer in discernment for the priesthood, and I have to say, this storyline is driving me nuts.
Priests are not free-lancers. Is Father Murdoch a diocesan priest? Then he reports to a bishop (presumably Archbishop Timothy Dolan), and the archdiocese would absolutely be interested in talking to Father Murdoch and his fellow priest about being outed for running weapons. (If he's not a diocesan priest, then he's a member of an order, like the Franciscans, and again he has a superior who'd be asking what's going on.)
Does he have a confessor? (If he's a priest, the answer is yes.). What has he told his confessor about this demon attacking him through his ex-wife?
Drives me crazy.
Yeah, I grew up as a Catholic, had priests as family friends, and went to a Catholic high school. On top of that, one of my older brothers spent a good bit of time in a Seminary. He was very close to becoming a priest. So I’m always amused, but never surprised, at what the entertainment industry gets wrong.
Chris,
Not everything set in Marvel Comics aligns to the real world... Not even how the Catholic Church is run. Also not all priests need to do confession EVERY SINGLE day.... Unless I missed something.
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Finally got around to reading my new stuff…..
Giant Robot Hellboy - so very weird. It threw me off a bit where they have that level of tech in 1967, but not enough to prevent me from enjoying the story. Hellboy gets kidnapped by some other secret organization, then strapped into a machine that puts his mind into a giant robot version of himself. Then they drop in on a mysterious island to fight other giant monsters, while a spy infiltrates a bunker looking for….something. Like I said, weird. I look forward to the rest of it.
Captain America - still it crazy about some demon running AIM and gunning for Cap, but the story is still solid. I love the interaction between Cap and Spidey, especially the eyes thing. And I love that even a young, pre-super solider serum Steve is actually fighting Nazis (better than secretly being one). The art is solid.
Immortal Thor - solid writing has Thor being tested by evil Loki. Speaking of Loki - it seems like in this series he’s either dressed like a bum, or like Liberace. I prefer the more classic look, but hopefully we won’t have to see him too much. It’d be refreshing to not have him around all the time. Anyway, I like the ax Thor forged. And it looks like maybe he’ll give it to Storm. Sweet. Maybe he can make another weapon for Beta Ray Bill.
Batman Beyond - Batman and Cat Wizard fight Veggie Batman’s hallucinations. And we learn that apparently Constantine is responsible for The Garden at the heart of this mystery. Then it seems they pull a My Little Pony and beat Veggie Batman with the power of friendship? Only for the true masters of the garden to pop up - looking very much like alternate versions of Swamp Thing, Poison Ivy and Black Orchid?!? Weird, but cool.
Conan - after killing the evil high priest and going for a swim, Conan has a vision of Brule the Spear-Slayer. He gets a quest from Brule, destroys the thing at the bottom of the pool, and gets thrown clear. Then he and the other dude fight free before the evil tower collapses. Happy ending! Or is it?!? I loved this first arc. Solid story. Great art! And in the letters page they had a bit about a new, black & white Savage Sword of Conan anthology. Sweet.
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Another Sweet! Earlier in the week I got an email saying Graham Nolan and sent me something. Didn’t say what, but I thought I knew.
Turns out I was correct. Yesterday evening I received my copy of Joe Frankenstein #2. Cool story and art. A great homage to the classic Universal Monster movies.
And Graham announced he and Chuck Dixon will be putting out some new Joe Frankenstein comics. Awesome!
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The comic book store recommended a new book from Vault Comics - Unnatural Order. So I picked it up. It’s set in the past of an alternate Earth. The Romans accidentally free a being called The Druid, who proceeds to turn nature against mankind, using monsters and magic to slaughter people and conquer lands. So years later a group of heroes is trying to beat him: Northman barbarian, a Roman soldier, a thief/archer from the lands where the Druid first appeared, a warrior chick from Briton, and a witch from (I think) the Persia region maybe. In this first issue, they’re looking for two things: an Oak tree that serves as The Druid’s power source, and a mysterious Prisoner. They find the tree dead. And the Prisoner is…..a USAF pilot. Decent story. Solid art. I’ll at least pick up one more issue.
Ghost Lore - the little girl who likes to hurt herself found a group of folks with similar abilities who appear to be the good guys. Now her dad finds the bad guys. He escapes them, using greater power than they were expecting. Interesting. I thought for sure they’d have the dad go dark side. That seems typical for modern stories. So this was a surprise. We’ll see, though.
The Midnight Show - cursed movie featuring versions of all the best classic Universal Monsters. And it brings them to life. Now they’re all fighting for dominance as God of Monsters. The Mummy version is cool looking. He’s got an Anubis mask and some jackals as servants. The art overall is pretty solid. Story is cool. I was sorry to see what happened to the little blond girl. I was kind of hoping that would happen to the blogger instead. She’s annoying. And then, of course, we get Van Helsing.
Doctor Strange - so much for the power of the Trinity of Ashes. Though I’m sure that will come back to bite Stephen on the ass some time in the future. And now Clea has a real, live baby sister. And we get to see The Freaky Dr. Zee versus psycho General Strange. That should be fun.
I know I keep missing out on making weekly updates, but life as a pet sitter doesn't leave a lot of free time to just sit down and write. (That and I have other things wherein I do my free time. Like read comics) So I'll do this again; One long posting for the week of October 25th and one for last Wednesday aka the week of November 1st.
So here goes week of October 25th 2023 aka last week! (And again no DC reviews!)
First up is Ed Brisson's limited Fall of X tie Alpha Flight. It's got some good character moments, especially with Feedback and Kyle showcasing both sides of the Superhero/mutant sides. I still can't quite fathom WHY Canada is backing ORCHIS...but whatever. At least now we have solid confirmation that the new Nemesis is in fact Heather Hudson aka Nemesis, using the sword to be their ride and teleport. (Though obviously she's not doing very well if she's nearly dying each time she uses it.)
Meanwhile, Amazing Spider-man does a HUGE leap frog over the previous plot of Spidey going a little b%+&### crazy thanks to Norman's sins. Instead we see more of the ramifications of Dark Web and Maddy trying to rein in the chaos of Limbo and its denizens. (Especially Rek-Rap and his “nemeses” the Insidious Six) Still am unsure what the deal is with the Repossessor but at least she's trying. I guess. (I did love how Maddie was making Luke uncomfortable for a tactical reason.)
J. Michael Straczynski's run on Captain America continues and I feel like it feels some times like there are two writers. One writing a Captain America story...and the other writing about the wider Marvel universe. I mean I get JMS wants to brand this his own...but some times wonder if having a mystical nemesis is the right track. I did enjoy his brand of humor using Spidey as a cameo. But mostly I enjoy the flashback with Steve post Depression – Pre World War II/Pre-Rebirth. Even if he does get his but kicked.
Alyssa Wong had a rough road ahead of her BEFORE Dark Tempest came along. Now with this issue...I feel like she's TRYING...but at the same time it's not QUITE the same as the Kelly Thompson era Captain Marvel. Mostly because we have a sort of self insert thief stealing the Nega bands, a never before seen villain that basically wipes the floor with Genis-Vell. And then has the power to take him back from death and make her his puppet. Regardless, it's still WAY better than Dark Tempest if only for the fact the secondary characters aren't NEARLY as annoying. So there's that. We'll see if I last longer than 5 issues.
Steve Foxe's limited Dark X-men run continues and while it feels slightly better than some other Fall of X tie-ins (Unncanny Spider-man and Astonishing Iceman, looking at you!), it's hardly the most groundbreaking or deepest look at X-men. (Also I feel bad for Warren for what's gone on.) Mostly though I'm not convinced we need to bring back Ben/Chasm for the next fight. Clearly Maddie's alternate self is way more competent than her handlers in ORCHIS. But...I guess it wouldn't be much if the mutants didn't have SOME kind mutant haters involved.
Janine Godbie aka Hallow's Eve has a decent one-shot. I won't write much about it since it's really hardly much other than she finds a new mask (and thus a pretty cool outfight as Captain Limbo) but otherwise didn't feel any real weight to it. (Though the Hulk mask might be a bit much for her...if it ever got fully gamma charged.)
Oh boy oho boy. I just can't get enough of how much I LOVE LOVE Ewing writing Thor. He not only makes Thor better but even Loki feels different and great. Sure Loki had to do some kind of shenanigans in terms of making Thor figure out how to actually defeat Toranos. But at the same time we see a more mature Thor than in ages past. He gets mad sure, but at the same time, he realizes that as the new All Father, might and strength alone aren't always enough to solve a “Gordian Knot” problem. I dunno if I feel right about him having to turn his helmet into a weapon...but maybe he'll gift it to one of the Thor Corps that he's obviously going to need. Truly Immortal Thor is a MUCH better successor to Jason Aaron's run than the mess of whatever happened with Donnie Cates run (and of course the succession of writers that came after but before Al took over)
Louise Simonson's limited Jean Grey alternate future run is clearly tying more directly into what's going on in Immortal X-men with Kieran Gillan. But even so, it's clear even Jean doesn't understand what's going on. We did get to see a different version of how the events of Inferno played out if Jean had made a different choice. But not sure it was much better. I am hopeful now that we're VERY near the end we can get this all cleared up. But who knows...
I know I've gushed my love of Kyle Starks limited Pet Avengers run aka Marvel Unleashed, but each issue just reinforces just how much I love every pet character and their own way of doing heroics. Even with the sheer overwhelming forces arrayed against them, I still think they can succeed. (I mean they have Throg and Lockjaw for goodness sake!) Still, it's not going to be easy going against a hand pick legion of demons/fiends from Hell and Blackheart. But even so, I'm just enjoying this and I want to see more of it.
I was concerned about Ms Marvel in terms of what the drone could do to her and the rest of the mutants connected to her subconsciousness. But I should have realized that Kamala Khan is not one to take the easy way out. I'm also glad as hell that Bruno showcased his own tech skills by hacking the drone. Even so, it, doesn't mean this by anyway ends the threat for Kamala as shown with the Sentinel showing up. But I am glad she got her own personal resolution and dealt with her insecurities in a very thoughtful and meaningful way. (Thanks Iman Vellani!) Really I want to see more of her writing Ms. Marvel soon.
(I skipped the second issue of Wolverine versus Predator because I just couldn't find the energy or the will to read more of Logan dealing with past attacks with Predators.)
I normally don't complain that much about a comic book's artwork. Some times it can be distracting sure, but usually not enough to affect my enjoyment and/or reading of a series. But HOLY CROM'S BLUE BALLS, Realm of X!! I know they're trying a slightly anime style...but this was basically unreadable in parts. I just couldn't understand what, if anything, some of the characters were doing or at times SAYING. At least the text portions were more readable. (Especially about prophecy.) Right now I'm just glad that Curse is going to help us understand more about what it is that Saturnyne is actually going for as a master plan. But otherwise...I'm about ready for this to end. (That or having Thor show up and tell her “I would have words with thee...”)
Gerry Duggan's limited run of Uncanny Avengers gives us more of what's really needed; Captain America being Captain America. Specifically the fact he used his emergency beacon to help bring the Unity Squad to show New Yorkers that mutants CAN be trusted. (Also the fact his super power is getting people to listen even if they don't agree with him.) Even so, I'm not sure how I feel about Quicksilver and Monet starting to date. But at least they're working well together. I do think though that Doctor Stasis and M.O.D.O.K. are REALLY not thinking through what it is that their MLF leader, Captain Krakoa, is really going to do. (I mean I'd be worried if someone is running around with nuclear warheads....)
Si Spurrier might do well to consider the fact that not every woman that meets Kurt has to want to have sex with him. I mean seriously...I get shipping people. It happens. But Silver Sable?!! I'm not saying Silver COULDN'T fall for him...just that it feels like so...random how she's doing it. IE wanting to kiss him while they're nearly falling to their deaths. I also feel like how random it is to see Adrian Toomes involved with ORCHIS even if he does bring in a heavy hitter like Rhino (albeit being mind controlled by some dude with the same last name as some random Iron man mook.) Anyways...we'll see how it goes if only because MAYBE Si will figure out how to write this stuff better. Maybe.
Time now for this week's comic aka November 1st 2023!
Jed Mackay kicks of his next Avengers arc with something of a bait and switch. Really I felt at first we might be in an alternate reality wherein the current iteration of the Avengers were just alternates from some of their previous past selves. (Though I couldn't quite place Thor's new costume as much as I could Wanda's old one, Vision being White Vision, and Carol back as Ms Marvel). They all are fighting what looks to be something from of Al Ewing's imaginings or even Hickman's. Very, very scary no question. Turns out it was all just Nightmare...though whether it was him trying out a new ploy or a warning is unclear. What is clear is the Twilight Court and Myrddin were all set to come and kill Kang. So...we'll see how that goes.
MacKay also shows us the next fight between Strange and General Strange in this week's Doctor Strange. Honestly I'm not surprised that even with Steven mainlining the Trinity of Ashes power, he still wasn't QUITE the match for General Strange. But at least with Wong and his friends coming to help, there's still a good chance of them winning the day. I also enjoyed Clea reaching her new sister. I can't wait to see how THAT goes.
The end of Orlando's run on Scarlet Witch was...underwhelming to say the least. Not because of the characters, but because...the stakes didn't feel that high. Maybe it's because it didn't build up enough and due to the fact it ended here. But at least we got Darcy making an impassioned speech to Joseph to help Wanda out with this Low Mysterium. We do get a back story on Hexfinder and while interesting...not very compelling honestly. I do wish we had had more to go on. (Honestly Wanda's fight with Hippolyta/Scythia was MUCH better than this.) So now we wait for Wanda's next adventure with Pietro in Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I hope it goes better at the end than this. (Or rather goes longer.)
Slott's first issue with Bailey Briggs aka Spiderboy is, at least for now, better than some of the stuff in Amazing Spider-man. While I'm not sold on Madame Monstrosity as a villain; (Mostly because she feels like a knock off of the High Evolutionary and even less scary in some ways) I am glad to see a little of Bailey's backstory in this issue. We'll see how it goes but as first issues go, not bad. The backup was decent too if only because of seeing Squirrel Girl in action. (Balloon Man is just too much for me though to take anyway seriously)
Hickman's Ultimate Universe shows us some REALLY great moments. Especially when we see the new Ultimate Thor. He's not like the first iteration nor is he like his old 616 self. He's more of a mixture of something old (Norse) and new (Super hero that hasn't learned as much as he needs) Still it's a great thrill to see Reed aka Doctor Doom and Iron Lad get him to help them out alongside a rather different Sif. (One who isn't just arm candy and is more well rounded) Still feel weirded about the fact that the remains of the Maker's council feels like destroying Stark is the way to go. (Also felt a chill with new Ultimate Hulk being okay with mass murder essentially) Even so we get our first glimpse of the new X-men in Peach Momko's few preview pages in this book. Also a showing of Ultimate Black Panther. I just hope this isn't end of the new Ultimates. (But given the fact Tony has the Immortus Engine and thus can move through time, I think they might return). Really can't wait though for Hickman's new Ultimate Spider-man. A family man and a Super hero!??! Shocking.. :)
Torunn Grønbekk's turn on the Venom book continues as she gives us Black Widow and Dylan Brock teaming up to stop Noname and No/one from committing more atrocities while pretending they're doing something noble to stop Alchemex/Allen Chemicals. I did like the fact Toxin feels bad about abandoning Bren, but I think now that they've got Sleeper helping out, this will get solved. (Also honestly this is the slow part of the saga if only because its so mundane compared to what's going on with Eddie and his temporal problems)
Sarah Galley kicks off her first solo with Yelena Belova's first ever solo series. It's hard to get a good feel for her and the series considering I think Sarah is trying to channel some of the Black Widow movie version alongside the Marvel comics cannon version. But at least it's easy enough to read even if the stakes aren't quite easy to grasp. We'll see if the villain piece in this series holds up or not.
Gerry Duggan pulls on a lot of strings in this series, juggling Angelica/Firestar's role as a mole for the X-men while also moving the plots of ORCHIS and the X-men writ large in the wake of the Fall of X. I do feel after reading Stasis note, he truly IS the dumbest Sinister around. (Even dumber than Sins of Sinister Sinister!) I mean to make the broad proclamation that Jean Grey is dead is like... DUDE....Anyways. At least Juggy got out and got to the X-men. (Though obviously he had to make it look good in his fight against Firestar.) The sad tragic part was seeing Wolverine trying to talk Kate out of being this kind of revenge minded killer. He obviously doesn't like she's gone back to Ogun's methods. But there you go. The really kind of weird part was how the first few pages clearly are going to tie into Al Ewing's X-men Red series with Sunfire and Apocalypse with Redroot showing up. But otherwise, a very solid outing. (Oh and Doom has mutants now working for him)
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Finally got off my butt. Bagged and boarded most of my new stuff. There was quite a pile. Including some stuff that had either ended, or I had stopped collecting.
Eventually I’m hoping to organize it all a little better. And maybe even sell off some stuff I don’t want. Perhaps even purchase some more custom storage drawers.
These things normally take time I don’t always have. Between work, the kids, the scout troop, and just running a household, my time is typically best described as “not enough hours in the day”.
I honestly don't see what the big deal is with Rippaverse...So far it seems pretty meh.
Since I got a lull in my day...and I've got the time, thought I'd recap/review this week's Marvel offerings. Mostly because it looks like A-zombie neckbeard isn't going to recap much it seems.
Amazing Spider-man's new arc isn't as thrilling as some (nor does it feel like it connects that well to...well anything honestly other than Dark Web and Dark X-men slightly) Mostly if you like Rek-Rap, this is the issue for you. If only because it's kind of funny. But honestly compared to other spider books (Miles, Bailey Briggs debut, etc) this feels like its basically running in place until Gang War kicks off. (Though at least the interlude DOES showcase that will a pretty baller reveal about who ordered the hits.)
So Carol's new volume compared to this series, Dark Tempest...is not even night and day. It's like comparing our Sol System to the Horsehead Nebula. One is clearly trying to do right by Carol and the other is...just not. Like in any way. It ends so abruptly and without much resolution for the villains (or even the secondary characters) that it makes you wonder WHY the HELL it got passed Marvel editorial in the first place. So yeah... Do NOT bother with this. It is not worth you time or energy.
Hickman's passion project aka G.O.D.S. rolls into the next issue with some bigger questions rather than answers. Why does the In-betweener need to have people in boxes? What is going on with the Centum and why are so many dying? (Some clue comes when the Natural-Order-of-Things briefly makes an appearance and mentions Obilivion) Is Hickman just ignoring the fact that Stephen and Clea have made up and are now in a deep and serious relationship when she bails on him and he's like "It's cool! I don't have friends and neither do they!" So yeah. It's not NEARLY as grandiose as the first issue, but the questions and the setup for the next part are still there. I want to know more...and Hickman generally delivers. So off I go. :)
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't understand why Marvel editorial let Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing anywhere NEAR Guardians of the Galaxy. It feels so disjoined and not in character, even with the explanation offered. I just am hopeful that once they end this run (rumor has it they only planned to go 10 issues but who knows...) we'll get someone with more of an Al Ewing or even a Dan Slott type of Guardians book. (I'll even settle for a Donnie Cates GotG!)
It's official, Kyle Stark not only gets pets, he gets what makes an epic short run featuring a variant of the Pet Avengers. The ending was more than I could have hoped for, with Throg showcasing his might, Lockjaw his cleverness and abilities, and just overall the epic weight of D-Dog (a dog with NO powers but the heart larger than Galactus) fighting the near unending armies of Blackheart's demons. (Oh and also a great cameo by both Hulk and Black Bolt) So yeah, if you want to read a book about the Marvel Universe that's not what you'd expect: You will not regret. (Especially as a dog lover and/or a pet lover.) Pet Avengers Assemble! :D
David Pepose takes the reins of a new and different Punisher. (Sure we've had a few that's held the title in the main or come close) But with Joe Garrison, you're getting a kind of new breed. Former S.H.I.E.L.D. black ops and clearly a man unafraid to get his hand dirty. With his family killed, he goes after the hired gun and in the process fights PROBABLY one of the toughest SOB villains out there in Calvin Zabo aka Mister Hyde. It was pretty baller. So is this better than Frank? Not sure. Is it worse than it could have been? No. It was BETTER than it could have been. So yeah. Give it a go.
Christopher Cantwell also has a new series for us feature Thanos. Clearly he's taking a cue from Peter David's Genis-Vell recent run in which Death takes a holiday. (Or at least retires from active duty and let's Rick Jones' ex-wife take over) It's pretty clear that Roberta Marshall is Death. And Thanos (still stuck inside a black hole) wants her back. So he does what he does best; leaves said black hole and abducts the entire city of Fresno, California. This obviously does not go unnoticed and our newest version of the Illuminati appear (Tony Stark in his Model Nil armor, Emma Frost, Reed Richards (of course), Doctor Strange and Blue Marvel) Naturally Death doesn't know she's Death but there's probably a reason for it. Right now though, dealing with Thanos seems a priority. (Though he clearly doesn't feel the need to get out of his chair to deal with this.) While I didn't much care for his Iron man series or the mini-series with Patsy; THIS series looks way more exciting and interesting.
So I guess we know know why the Vulture was so keen to join ORCHIS. Uncanny Spider-man shows us the results of ORCHIS's repurposing of the Techno-Organic Virus from the Technarcy and Warlock. Basically a few of their prisoners are now infected with this and have become Hounds. Which is just ANOTHER reason they suck. (Though at least Nimrod clearly has less patience with Toomes than you might think) Overall this was a better issue from Si Spurrier than before...but not by much. I really just want some explanations as to WHY we needed this compared to the other Fall of X series.
The latest Dark What-if series posits what would happen if Blade was turned by Dracula. The answer...not that much considering he holds his own for not falling under the Lord of Vampires sway. Even so, he knew he couldn't hold out forever. So basically goes on a kamikaze run to destroy Dracula and Castle Dracula. It was...okay but not something I'd read again.
The end of the whole Colossus under his brother's control and the plans of Mikhail come crashing down in Benjamin Percy's end of this part of X-force's arc. While semi-satisfying in terms of seeing Colossus willing to a) try to make amends and b) Mikhail dying from his wounds, it wasn't as cathartic as it could have been. Still it's nice to have a solid resolution to some lingering problems. (Also nice to see Doctor Strange help out and Wade come back to help too as the calvary while also making commentary about Strange's posterior.) Decent but that's been the story of this series for the longest time.
I know I sound like a broken record talking about how much I love Al Ewing as a writer...but X-men Red is clearly the best X-book out there due in NO small part to his choices and the way he makes each character sound authentic. This is even true with the return of Apocalypse who helps Storm fight against his wife. (His reasoning is still unclear but mutant magic and the return of Redroot, Sunfire and even Gabriel Summers aka Vulcan is a nice touch) I was a little shocked at how willing Ironfire wanted to take down all of Genesis forces, but less shocked when Storm basically fried the trigger. (Some how I doubt the Eternals will mind.) (I do wonder if there was a point when Apocalypse MIGHT have encountered one of the Patriarchs of the Eternals given how much loathing he seems to exude for Uranos.) The ending is definitely giving us a good one and one (and kind of fair) fight of Storm going kind of Kaiju to face Genesis and Annihilation. We'll see how it plays out.
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Shazam - Last we saw Billy, he was being sucked out into space during a battle between himself, some renegades from Gorilla City, Queen Bee, and Garguax. One big fight, a little god interference, and Freudian slip of the mind-controlling god tongue later, and Mary (who seems to be getting her powers from other gods now), figures out what's going on. And just when I thought the story arc might finally be done, "Freddy" shows up to Captain Marvel's talk with the gods to throw another gorilla wrench into the works. I write his name with quotes because I'm pretty sure he's either being impersonated by Solomon, or controlled by him. It was nice seeing Mary throw down, and I'm still enjoying both story and art, but I hope Waid isn't going to carry this on much longer. And I hope it's not a sign of nothing but super long story arcs to come. I've got some faith though. For all his faults, Waid's still one of the better writers in the industry.
What If....? Dark. Tomb of Dracula - to be honest, the only reason I picked his up is because the legendary Marv Wolfman was listed as the writer. And who better to craft this tale. It was...okay. A little disjointed at times. And there was stuff that they kind of introduced but either didn't build on, or kind of half-assed touched on. Still, they had Dracula being Dracula. And Blade being Blade. Even had a call out to Blade's original costume. Bit of Deacon Frost, Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, and good old Quincy Harker. It was a fun read. And the cover was awesome!
The What If? issue did have an advertisement for what I'm guessing is a miniseries - Beware the Planet of the Apes. It's written by Marc Guggenheim. It's set during the original films (probably prior to Escape), and mentions the first meeting of Nova, Cornelius and Zira. Maybe I'll get it. Maybe not. It seemed interesting, though. And I love the original films.
And the Shazam book had an advertisement for Batman: Off-World, but Jason Aaron and Doug Mahnke. I'm...intrigued. Especially since it's a miniseries. I've tended to lean towards those more over the last few years. Along with my back issue collecting. And Aaron's an adequate writer, while Manhke's a pretty damned good artist. So I might give this one a try.
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G. I. Joe - I picked this up solely for nostalgia reasons. Issue #39, way back in the day (probably before some people around these parts were born), was the first comic book I ever collected. My grandmother bought it for me at the grocery store. The rest is history. Anyway, Larry Hama is still writing (not sure if he ever stopped). There are some new faces, but a lot more familiar ones. The whole issue revolves around Serpentor setting off a biological weapon on Cobra Island, which the Joes were about to invade. Then they have to turn tail and escape the blast zone. Whatever the biological agent is, it turns people into cannibal mutants. Weird. Anyway, the art is cool. Not sure if I’ll stick with it.
Daredevil - Ben Urich might be possessed. Daredevil’s very angry. Father Javi is disappointed (and maybe a little suspicious). And the new gang, The Heat, is working with Bullseye. Someone else is calling the shots, though. Hopefully someone other than whomever is behind the possessions.
Immortal Thor - Thor Corp. Awesome! Loved seeing Storm, Goddess of Thunder again. That scene with her and Thor on the Moon was awesome. I’m still puzzled why Loki continues to look like a bum, with the frayed sleeve and pants legs. The fight with Toranos promises to be interesting. Thor Bill was awesome as well.
Superman: Lost - It makes sense they’d bring Rann into things. I was surprised about Black Adam, though. I hadn’t thought about it before, but his whole exiled across the universe journey home is very reminiscent of what Superman went through. And Luthor is being Luthor. A good story, but I’m almost ready for it to end.
Big Game - a bit of time travel, some foreknowledge, and a timely intervention thanks to semantics, and the heroes win! The bad guys lose. Kick Ass gets actual superpowers, joining the Ambassadors. And that Nemesis dude got his ass handed to him. That was fun to watch. He was kind of a douche. All in all, a fun series. I’ve really got to go back and read more of his stuff.
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And I’m happy to see, as of some time last night, Rippaverse Comics now has its third $1 million plus in sales campaign. I’m continually amazed at how easier modern technology and innovation has made it for independent creators to bring me interesting stuff.
I’ve currently got one project I backed on Kickstarter, as well. That’s the first of the Kelley Jones/Matt Wagner Dracula books. And I’ve got maybe two or three (maybe more) on Indiegogo. At least the outstanding ones. I’ve got two others that were already fulfilled.
Surprised that Nemesis didn't get the axe, since he is way too dangerous to keep around.
Also, I do believe that there will be a re-release of the old Godzilla comics when Marvel had the license.
So I admit. My life as a pet sitter got to me and I didn't get a chance to keep up with last week's comics.
I apologize. So now I will attempt to rectify some of what I didn't do (as well as cover Marvel releases that A-zombie didn't feel like doing because he's a grognard)
So here's the week of November 15th!
I feel like Ed Brisson has the Alpha Team as a team book working well even if they are still keeping secrets from each other. (IE Heather Hudson doing the whole Nemesis thing). Mostly because Mac, while upset, doesn't OVER-react to it. What I don't much care for is Argent acting like being stuck in a safe space is THAT much worse than being on the lamb from ORCHIS, ESPECIALLY because they have mutant tracking tech. I mean come on bro. So it's kind of NOT a surprise to many that because of his rash actions, Box Sentinels are now on their way and that means trouble for Alpha Flight. So yeah. One more issue to go but we'll see where it leads.
Honestly while not as enthused by Orlando's writing in Astonishing Ice-man as I am about having him and Spidey team up; this series feels slow if only because having a kind of lame villain when there are PLENTY of others on ORCHIS payroll to deal with someone of Bobby's caliber. Though it was nice to see him (and Spidey) deal with ORCHIS/Vulture's Techno-Organic Hounds with relative ease. I hope though Romeo isn't dead.
I must say this for Eve Ewing, she's has had a LONG road to plough after the rough run that BP had under Ridley. And the fact she goes BACK to an ancestor of BP to showcase the new threat is VERY, VERY cool. Especially since it ties into the Inter-galactic Empire of Wakanda series. So kudos for her. I can't wait to see what T'Challa will do to a former friend of his paternal great-grandfather. I'm definitely gonna stick around for this.
Bryan Hill's Blade series is getting a little hard for me to like. Mostly because it shouldn't be THIS hard for Blade or hell ANY decent occult hero to deal with something that's not even on the radar of most cosmic beings. That being said, the fact the Adana is willing to be this much of dick to Blade (by basically chaining a demon to his friend's soul that can't be removed without killing her) does make me hate it more. So now he has to get stronger. I hope Dracula can help (Though I dunno if having the perennial loser villain is going to be doing much for Blade. But later solicits show him going to the Hulk...so maybe?)
Cap Wolf and the Commandoes are ready to kick Nazi werewolf butt! It's not the most exciting story, but it is something if you're a fan of such things. I have to give Stephanie Philips credit for sticking to her guns. I do wonder where this new villain that's got werewolf blood is from...but we'll see. It's a mini-series so I can stick it out a bit longer.
Wow. I did NOT expect this level of a dark gritty and depressing of ending for Children of the Vault. Just the fact that both Bishop AND Cable have the moral compass flexibility on par with Jack Sparrow is both disturbing and saddening. But still! I will give them credit for the fact that a) Cable was willing to sacrifice Earth to bring in the Technarcy via the fact he had his modified T-O virus devour the city) The most interesting parts for me was seeing Diamante review the historical records and realize the Children will ALWAYS lose. So...yeah. The other was the fact the virus the Children were using basically was so they could devour/repurpose humans to help build MORE cities for the Children. But overall, a downer ending is a downer ending. So...can't entirely recommend this. Still an interesting title in the Fall of X series.
Saladin Ahmed's Daredevil doesn't feel quite like a Daredevil story, even if Matt is involved. Mostly it feels like Matt is still trying to regain his footing after coming back from Hell and to life. That doesn't mean it's bad. It's just not what I think many expect when they started out on this journey. I do wonder if Bullseye is needed...but at least he's got new muscle working for him and also for his boss....whomever that is. (Probably someone supernatural)
The art in this issue of Dark X-men is kind of a mess, but at least we get some good moments out of it. For one thing, even Ben Reilly aka Chasm realizes he's not THAT far gone as to side with ORCHIS. So there's that plus. I do feel bad for Abyss who ends up being used and then killed by his possible father, Azazel. But mostly I'm glad the other Dark X-men will bring about the end of this alternate Maddie, because clearly while she's got better magic on hand, OG Maddie is more battle tested in my view.
Deadpool Slaughters Seven is a bunch of vignettes stringed together that honestly might work okay as short bursts...but not sure it's the best anthology featuring Deadpool. I will hold off on making further judgments, but as first issues goes...it has some rough spots and some good ones.
Oh Ben Grimm... The fact you and your dino counterpart can basically outwit Doom and Dino Doom is truly epic. It was sheer joy as even though the Dooms KNEW they were being played...their egos couldn't hold off. So yeah. Best FF Doom blow up in a while. We'll see if next issue of Fantastic Four if things go as smoothly as Reed predicts. But honestly, Ryan North is quickly becoming a good voice for the First Family.
The end is coming for this volume of Ghost Rider (but solicits will show us what that means in the NEXT volume by Benjamin Percy). I still don't know if I've enjoyed this run as much as some one else at the helm...but the complexities of Talia and Johnny's relationship coupled with Ghost rider lore, gives it at least SOME weight. So there's that.
So I know many, MANY fans were enjoying this volume under the great and steady hands of Al Ewing. (Myself included) But if I had ONE thing I'd like Al to do, (and wish he had considered) is the fact that Thor REFORGE BLOODY STORMBREAKER!!!! Even so, the fact he empowers other some times wielders of Mjolnir (including Storm who clearly still has a LOT going on with the Genesis War) (but I'm glad once she saw Toranos coming, she wised up). That was a good moment. The more stunning (but ultimately unsurprising moment) is the return of Jason Aaron's main villain i.e. Dario Aggar aka the Minotaur. (Last seen in Immortal Hulk and kind of having a bad day...) I can't wait to see what that means for Thor going forward.
I used to respect the hell out of Louise Simonson. She was and is a strong voice in comics and especially in Marvel lore. I had THOUGHT, once she was helming this Jean Gray One-shot, we'd be getting something different...than what we got. Which is basically a fractured Jean once again empowered to be the new host for the Phoenix force. Even though she's TOLD the bird to get lost. I guess it's just not to be. Oh well. We'll see how this plays out in Immortal X-men. I feel kind of betrayed though to be honest...
Red Goblin has been a spotty book. At times it feels great and interesting. Other times, it's dark, depressing and just not fun. So I guess having the ending it does...isn't a complete surprise. I'm glad Dylan DID show up to try and KIND OF fix Rascal...but at the same time his speech about “My symbiote has eaten brains and people”...just feel hollow in the fact of the fact Normie might need a better role model. (Looking at you Miles!!)
Ron Marz's latest “Journey back” with Silver Surfer and Genis-Vell has been interesting. Especially now that time travel has become a central feature. Still unclear how it is that even with the Reality Gem, Thanos can time travel....but the fact he fights Norrin's Fallen One self to a near stand still is pretty baller. Less baller, is the fact he leave OG Norrin behind and somehow he ends up at the end of time, with Galactus and Nova (Frankie Raye) So...we'll see how this goes.
Saladin Ahmed's limited run with Spine Tingling Spider-man is kind of creepy honestly. Just seeing Peter trying to figure it out...but at the same time feeling even more vulnerable than before feels so...wrong. But not in a way that makes it terrible. Just uncomfortable. I do hope Pete can figure this out. I'm still in the dark...
Dan Slott comes back to show us some of his 'best' hits from his Superior Spider-man run. The fact that we get Anna Marie back is good. The new villain...eh. But it's funny in the sense Pete has NO idea who this is...but Otto does is kind of hilarious. Even so I don't know what to make when Otto FINALLY remembers who Peter's 'identity' is. But we'll see how it plays out in future issues. (Also fun is the back story with Bailey Briggs and his time with Superior Spider-man. Fun though in the whole “You feel bad for a kid that's supposed to have a strong mentor but really he's the bad guy now”)
And to the surprise of no one, Captain Krakoa is Stevil. Yes, Duggan has brought back Hydra-Cap. I feel like it's the most obvious reveal in the history of reveals. But it does bring up the question; Does Hydra-Cap WANT ORCHIS to succeed? I mean he's clearly still driven by HYDRA ideology. But that's not the same as ORCHIS... So...I feel like both M.O.D.O.K. and Doctor Statis MIGHT have not thought this through... Still. Best part was having Deadpool/Wade go “Oh crap no!” when he caught on. The second best was having Steve Roger lose his s%#* over his evil counter-self.
And now; review of all Marvel comics on November 22nd!
I still can't fathom WHY we had this kind of filler issue other than for the fact people like Rek-Rap. I'm glad that we got some finality about both Rek-Rap's status and also what to about the man formerly known as Gus. Mostly though it felt too filler to mean much compared to what is clearly coming down the pike with Gang War. I do have to wonder if the mysterious figure that took down Count Neferia and Silvermane isn't
Trust Al Ewing to not only expand on this mystery of former Whirlwind now Victor Shade, but also a) go back and tie in this story with his larger one on Immortal Thor AND bring back a deep cut too. Avengers Inc is clearly a love letter that every Marvel fan will enjoy. (Though I do wonder about Jane needing to conceal her identity from others) That plus Ewing's tonal quality writing Odin is, by far, the best. KEEP READING THIS SERIES!!
Alyssa Wong's second issue with Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel isn't as stiff...or as bad as the mini-series that came before. But at the same time I keep wondering why we have such as lame villain that Carol can't just punch out. That being said, I do wonder how Carol will handle being back around Stephen, ESPECIALLY now that Clea is back in the picture. (I can't imagine Clea being all that pleased...)
I still have questions about Kieron Gillen's soon to be ending Immortal X-men. Like how the hell did these mutants end up in the White Hot Room? How the hell did Mother Righteous for that matter. Also why does she need Jean if she's already got Mutant souls to empower her. But at least we get a clearer idea of what's happening with Charles thanks to a call back to when Sinister died before and left some of his consciousness behind. (I still don't QUITE buy that the Dominion mentioned is a Sinister IE Orb Stellaris, Doctor Statis or Mother Righteous. But he would know what that mind feels like...I think.) Hopefully both Charles and clone Sinister ghost can figure out a way to undo it. (Calling all God butchers!!!)
Philip Kennedy Johnson's Hulk series moves us onward, as Bruce tries to deal with a Hulk that clearly is a bigger jerk than we ever seen. So I guess now is the time for a Ghost Rider that's not had to deal with a Hulk in the form of a WWII bike fighter. So there's that. The transformations from Hulk to Bruce and back again are just unreal levels of body horror...and I love it. :)
Note to self, NEVER try to out mind fight Emma Frost. It was kind of a hilarious fight in terms of having both Emma and Riri just standing there...but at the same time it gave Wilson Fisk a chance to shine even more. I'm also glad that Riri helped out with Tony's new suit (even though I'm still unclear how Mysterium makes the suit better than Stark Sentinels) Best chuckle I got was seeing Jen Walter smash her rental car while also getting a broad smile as Rhodey got his old War Machine suit smuggled in via combo of Pym particles and a medal. Nice touch Tony. (The Thanksgiving feast in the Morlock Tunnels was weirdly touching too)
David Pepose's Moon Knight mini-series closes out with a major win for everyone. (Kind of) Between seeing Layla return (though I doubt she'll challenge Tigra for Marc's heart...I hope!) along with seeing the living fight the spirits of the Duat...It was a stellar series and one wherein if/when Jed MacKay retires from writing Moon Knight, I think we can say David could handle this quite well. (Also nice to see Marc call out Osiris for his shenanigans.)
I wish I could understand some times why Marvel editorial makes decisions to cancel a run on a series...and then not quite reboot it. I mean I get it for Moon Knight's upcoming relauch...but for She-Hulk...it feels so disjointed for new readers that might not have read the previous series. I mean re-introducing the science couple that stole She-hulk's blood and ending up getting Gamma-tized... some might wonder about it. I also wonder at Rainbow Rowell's tone with Hulk, considering here he's even MORE of a jerk than he is in his own series. Still, I have hope that Rowell will sort this out... Maybe.
Poor Kurt..and even to a degree, poor Peter. This series just comes out to break your heart, seeing both Mystique and Silver hurt Kurt in so many ways. For Pete though, the hurt comes from the fact NYC people just can't accept others that MIGHT want to be okay with mutants. Even so, I will be glad when the one shot (that apparently comes between the panels of this issue) and the last issue MIGHT resolve some of Kurt's problems. (Still wish someone would do something about this Phalanx infect and controlled Hounds...)
While the last issue with Wolverine had him team up with Rogers to deal with mutant issues, this one clearly has a much more violent tone thanks to setting it not only in Wakanda, but in Birnin T'Chaka. I did enjoy seeing Prime Minister Folsome take ORCHIS to task over its desire for its metals. Unsurprising though, one of the minor crime bosses (with ties to mining) was willing to assist in PART of ORCHIS need for metals not named Vibranium. Not quite as weighty as the last one, but still nice to see both T'Challa and Wolverine deal another decisive blow to ORCHIS and Birin T'Chaka's criminal element.
Also one thing further: I don't usually do DC comics reviews...but the fact that Godzilla can layeth the smacketh down on Superman is just baller heaven to me. Go Go Godzilla! :D
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Mortal Terror - I wasn’t going to pick this up, but two other books on my list got delayed, so I figured what the hell. An interesting concept - Dracula, but with a kind of I Am Legend twist (the book, not the craptastic Will Smith movie). London is an underground city of vampires, suddenly finding itself plagued by an increasing number of attacks by mortals. And those mortals have a leader….. Anyway, interesting concept, solid world-building in just one issue, and some decent art.
Incredible Hulk - I thought that monster at the beginning might be a Chupacabra, but it’s called something else. I check the name, and only came up with something the writer put on Twitter, so maybe he made it up. Anyway, the monster looked cool. And the new (old) Ghost Rider looked cool as well. That fight between Hulk and the Rider should be good. And I think this issue had one of the coolest Banner to Hulk transformations I’ve ever seen. Although I’m still not crazy about the overall story, these smaller scale ones have been pretty cool.
World’s Finest - one of the few good books left at DC. Other than some of the miniseries they put out. I’m kind of liking this pre-Kingdom Come story. It’s delving into the origins of Magog, and introducing the far more powerful Gog - who seems to have most heroes under his mental control. Though somehow I don’t think that control extends to Thunderman. I think he’s willingly in league with Gog. I look forward to seeing where this goes.
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....Ok Nightcrawler parentage thing is a bit Wow...but I think I'm probably ok with it. Apparently Claremont had this in mind back in the 80s but it got nixed.
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There was a similar story from Comico’s Elementals series back in the late 80s (maybe early 90s), where the evil (yet appropriately named) Shapeshifter pretended to be Morningstar’s boyfriend and knocked her up. The result was an egg that ended up eaten by a fish. As far as I know, the series ended before they could follow that story arc any further.
I haven't read any X-Men stories of the last 10 years. Greylurker's comment made me curious so I just looked up Nightcrawler's latest parentage story on a couple of websites. I agree: it is a bit Wow.
Wow but not that unusual for me. I mean it makes a certain amount of sense...but not sure about the retcon in terms of "So...wouldn't some kind of genetic testing prove this otherwise?" I dunno.
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Ronin Book II - I think I said this last time, but at this point I’m just collecting to finish out the series. Definitely a far cry from the original.
Barbaric: Wrong Kind of Righteous - Add one barbarian cursed to help anyone who asks and his talking, blood thirsty axe. Add one super crazy kind of righteous paladin, and his talking weapon that hates violence. Mix well. Let it cook in a town that just wants to have a little fun. Enjoy. Also, try the wyvern burger (hold the pickles).
Captain America - now that I think about it, Straczynski kind of stole his villain plot from whomever wrote the Captain America Winter Solider movie. He just replaced Hydra with a demon-controlled AIM. Still, there’s a lot I’m enjoying about this. The Cap internal monologues and reminiscing is cool. I liked the bit from ‘38 with Meyer Lansky getting involved. And now that I think about it, The Emissary is kind of like Abomination from the Hulk movie - part super soldier/part gamma power, with a little demon thrown in for good measure. I also like the Doctor Strange doll. It’d be cool if they brought those into other books.
Giant Robot Hellboy - the robot Hellboy is wired into versus a bunch of giant monsters apparently created by a rogue mad government scientist. Fun times. And then it gets weird right at the end. This has been a cool little series so far.
BRZRKR: Fallen Empire - I like these little one-shots they’re doing with the character. Although it seems each one follows the same pattern. Ancient empire tries to make bloody use of the Berserker, and then it all ends badly. This one had a really cool story, better than the Atlantis one. The art was a little better as well. I’d certainly like to see more of these. And there’s a lot of history they can play with.
Batman Beyond - so now whatever’s left of John Constantine has come to embody at least some portion of the Green. And I was right about that one minion being modeled after Black Orchid. Cool. And then all hell breaks loose. So now it’s magic cat and Batman versus Constantine and his Veggie Men (couldn’t resist that callback). This story had been fun, but not as good as some of the other Batman Beyond stuff.
Conan - new story picks up right after Conan’s time with Belit. I like this more true to REH version of Shadizar better than the one from Conan The Destroyer. Breaking into the temple of the god of thieves to steal something? Ballsy. And now we see the link to the first story arc. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any Doug Braithwaite art. I’d forgotten how good he is. Still loving this new series.
Moon Knight - HA! I knew it! Plesko was the man behind the Black Spectre mask this time. Now I guess they’ll explain why he turned psycho. And maybe Marc will sacrifice himself to bring that building down and stop the evil plan. I’m still wondering if they’ll actually kill him. Especially since it’s pretty much been confirmed that whomever the new Moon Knight will be, he’s going to fight Hunter’s Moon. So it’s not Badr. We’ll see. And I kind of loved what appeared to be a rather ignominious end to Zodiac. He’s really been kind of annoyingly silly. The only crappy part of an otherwise enjoyable run of Moon Knight. I’m sorry, but believing really strongly in oneself isn’t how holy symbol against vampires works. That was just stupid. Anyway, one more issue to go, then it starts again.
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With Moon Knight in mind, I’ve got to say - I miss the days when they ran a series as long as they could, instead of consistently just starting again. Granted, sometimes I think it’s just desperation to try and make something of many of these more modern characters. Other times, I think maybe it’s just having a tough time getting a creative team to stick around very long. Or successively good creative teams to stick around.
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Alphacore #1 from Rippaverse Comics started shipping on Monday, and I got my copies of the book today. Written by Chuck Dixon, with art by Joe Bennett, it’s similar to the Isom books in length. The story is very fast paced, but with the number of pages they still get to tell a pretty decent (and complete) story.
We get intros to the Alphacore Team, some of their support group, and headquarters. We get hints at some of the background rules and laws governing excepts (both scientific/biological & legal). We get hints that not all is well between the Excepts and the non-powered humans. And we get a conspiracy involving some very wealthy Excepts, and the many thugs (super-powered and not) they employ. In the end, we get an epic climax to the villains’ nefarious scheme, a tragic death, and the promise of more to come.
Dixon did a solid job writing this story and playing in the Rippaverse sandbox. He did a great job bringing Alphacore to life and fleshing out the city of Florespark more. Same with the world these Excepts live in.
There was even a cool little Easter Egg about measuring an Except’s power level on the Shuster Scale.
I wasn’t always a fan of Bennett’s art, but he’s solid, and some of his stuff is really great. There was an especially cool shot of a corpse burned by electricity.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to any fan of good comics.
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There was a similar story from Comico’s Elementals series back in the late 80s (maybe early 90s), where the evil (yet appropriately named) Shapeshifter pretended to be Morningstar’s boyfriend and knocked her up. The result was an egg that ended up eaten by a fish. As far as I know, the series ended before they could follow that story arc any further.
Man, that was a cool book! I still have the collected first six issues, but can't seem to find any of the others in my messy un-indexed collection of back issues.
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I didn't get everything at the comic book store this weekend. Some stuff I wanted to pick up was sold out, and I hadn't put it on my usual list. Still, I picked up a few things...
Fire and Ice - finally got issue #2 of this prequel to the 80's animated fantasy. The art is pretty awesome. The writing is solid. I just hope they don't take as long to get out issue #3. Anyway, this issue sees both sides preparing for the war which will inevitably come. And there's definitely more to Darkwolf than meets the eye.
Daredevil - this series and Captain America are both new and both going the supernatural opponent route. Cap is doing it better though. In this, the demons just show up possessing someone, then Matt says some prayer and...done. Methinks someone doesn't understand how an exorcism is supposed to work. Anyway, at least we also got to see some DD and Bullseye action.
Stuff of Nightmares: Slay Ride - picked this up on a whim. It was okay. I expected better of R.L. Stine though.
The Midnite Show - I'm not usually one to care about variant covers (which are a scam), but they had a Kelley Jones variant werewolf cover that was cool. And I'm calling it now - Van Helsing is going to be the God of Monsters.
Holiday, holidays. They are fun for all but require REGULAR work too. Which conflicts with my ability to post often for Marvel Comic reviews of books that the Zombie skips. So here me doing TWO reviews; One for the week of November 29th and one for the week of December 6th.
First up!
Review of November 29th!
The start of the new Gang War in Amazing Spider-man was pretty intriguing to be honest even if the whole thing feels VERY contrived with Madame Masque NOT being dead after all. (Which. Honestly I kind of saw coming. I mean come on...She fought IRON MAN for Thor's sake!) So now everyone and their mother is gunning for new territory since she took out Hammerhead. (I almost feel bad for the guy but good for Whitney to beat him up with Wolverine's thigh bone. At least I think that's his thigh...) Also nice to see Miles give Peter the business, even if he wasn't completely at fault. (Spidey Editorial needs work...)
I really am enjoying JMS's run on Cap if only because it feels more organic than some others. I do think though the introduction of some of Steve's past is connected to Asmoday, the Nazis and the rest. Also nice to see that even some thugs don't trust Nazis. The magic stuff is different but I am glad we had Strange have some kind of representation in this. So now the Emissary (who also has some kind of faux Super Soldier to enhance his killing powers further) is basically hosting a Lord of Hell. So there's that. I can't wait to see if Cap can handle this. Go Steve!
Howard gets a One shot vignette and the introduction of a new type of Watcher... Not sure I care for him, but the “What Ifs” were semi fun. Overall if you like Howard, a good read. Even if you're still unclear where he's currently at in the continuity realm.
As a tie in to gang War, Luke Cage (as Mayor) gets his own mini-series for this cross over. I kind of wish there would be more since I feel it's kind of wasted thing to NOT have Mayor Cage. But at least we get to see him decide to try to circumvent the No Viligante law as best he can. Also glad to see him recruit Cloak and Dagger too. (Though I do wonder about the whole Technarcy/Transmode virus Hound thing with ORCHIS. Maybe that gets resolved in later issues)
Miles, Blade and Bloodline do their utmost to contain the energy vampire outbreak. I feel like the frenetic pace of the artwork belies any real urgency. Maybe that's just because Gang War is around the corner...and energy vampires aren't as scary as OG Hobgoblin. But there you are. I am glad though Blade and Miles have gotten deep respect. We'll see how Gang War goes for Miles.
In a surprise to VERY few (though some of us HOPED we'd get a different villain) the mystery of Black Spectre in Mackay's Moon Knight has been revealed. I am glad though Tigra didn't go boom. But yeah, we're down the wire as Marc now fight Plesko/Black Spectre to keep the city safe. And thus Death of Moon Knight.
The ending of Ms Marvel's mini-series felt a little...abrupt in some ways. But at the same time, I felt tonally, Iman and company completely encapsulated what makes Kamala the best at being Kamala. I am wondering about Dr. Nitika Gaiha and whether or not she'll be a lingering threat to Kamala down the road. For now, at least, this was a good mini-series. I just wish it was on going. (Though there will ANOTHER mini-series for Ms. Marvel in March/April of next year according to Marvel.)
After ALL the rough art and the uneven pacing, I didn't QUITE the get the payoff of seeing King Thor/All Father Thor go full throttle against the Saturnyne. (Which honestly felt the most important) But there was some good resolution with the Mutant squad fixing what she broke along with a VERY cute and lovely scene with Thor carrying Curse on his shoulder while telling the tales of Asgard. Honestly though I expected more...oomph and action from the Asgard side of things. But the prophecy or at least the visions of what is in store for the X-folk is still worthwhile. Not the best Fall of X mini-series but far from the worse.
I've read my fair share of Spiderwoman/Jessica Drew stories over the years. This one shot mini-series...just don't connect in the same way. Mostly because I feel like Jessica SHOULD be able to get people to understand that her own flesh and blood is MISSING and/or erased from existence. But at least I get to see Jessica kick Hydra butt. So yeah. Gang War tie so so. Jessica story...average to middling.
X-men Blue... I just am underwhelmed in some ways but at the same time kind of relieved the changes that occurred with Kurt and Mystique weren't complete and utter crap retcons. I mean I fully expected and thought Raven COULD get some woman pregnant. I just never expected she could do so in such a way as to actually MIMIC the X-gene that specifically. (Also raises some questions about whether or not genetic testing will prove either thing...but that's retcons for you!) Overall, nice little vignette/one shot that helps establish some deeper rapport between Mystique and Nightcrawler.
Next up! Review of December 6th
Alpha Flight mini-series ends and while it wasn't as depressing as Children of the Vault, nor as semi-inspiring as other mini-series, the weight of Fall of X falls pretty heavy on the human side of Alpha Flight. Plus side though, the mission to get as many Canadian mutants out of Canada and into Chandilar space, was good. Less good is leaving poor Heather in a coma. But still, A+ for effort.
So Amazing Spider-man continues with Spidey trying to get some of his friends (well kind of friends in the case of Elektra and She-Hulk.) to deal with the massive Gang War. It goes their way in terms of getting a few of the major players, but clearly there needs to be MORE done with ALL the gangs that are currently in play. Again, decent cross over thing going, but at the same time...not a cross over that I feel is completely necessary. So...yeah...
Oh boy oh boy... I know some were disappointed by the ease in which the Avengers beat up the Ashen Combine, but the fact that more than half the team is down thanks to Nightmare feeling slighted. (Though clearly Thor thinks there's more going on) makes this match up between just Vision and Scarlet Witch versus the Twilight Court VERY good. Best part was Thor's willingness to concede to Nightmare this round. (THAT! That right there is character growth folks!) But also I enjoyed seeing the more...human side of the Twilight Court. Clearly even though they are the antagonists and opposite side of the Avengers, they are still (in some ways) heroes in their own right. Too bad they can't just stop blindly following Myddrin's orders. But still! I'm ready for the next part of this arc. No question!
I know that Zombie has issues with Matt being able to do such routine exorcisms and thus cast out fairly high class demons...but for me, it's less about that and more about Matt trying to balance out his old life with his new one as a priest. So yeah, Saladin Ahmed's run on Daredevil isn't for everyone. But for me, it's a real character growth for Matt in some ways. (Also I think the reason Bullseye just gravely wounded Butch Pharris was to keep him from getting any traction in the upcoming Gang War. Because let's face it, Butch is the new Kingpin. Period.)
Ryan North's FF continues to impress, not only with seeing new facets of old characters (like who knew Johnny Storm knew Asimov?!!) but also show us how the Marvel Universe avoided COVID. Wish that had happened here. Though I do admit to being worried about a FAIRLY sophisticated near AI program that MIGHT be running rogue (and thus making its own future); I am wondering if another FF villain might be behind it. (Also I hope they get the kids home. I miss Franklin and Valeria!)
Gerry Duggan's Iron Man gives us a decent heist number with Emma and Tony (along with a spot on Starfox/Eros) trying to get as much mysterium as they can to make this new fleet and/or suit. The best part of this issue for me was Riri and Forge meeting. (Honestly I thought they knew each other...) That plus the re-introduction of a Makluan dragon to reclaim the Mandarin's rings; Very cool. Overall I can't wait to see how this all works when Fall of X goes into overdrive with the other X-men sort of reboots.
I generally don't do much with Marvel Voices in terms of just noticing them there...unless its about something or a bunch of characters I care about. So when it's ALL Avengers, then yeah I'm in. With Tony's story and his helping Whirlwind with his substance abuse (makes me wonder when that happened given what's going on with Al Ewing's Avengers Inc.); Cap fighting Red Skull in a museum, Monica Rambeau aka Photon (still prefer Spectrum) being reintroduced to cosmic space slugs (and a nuclear meltdown); to the return of Robbie Reyes STILL stuck on the other side of reality but retelling a tale of his previous exploits to keep him grounded. It was a good issue of vignettes.
So I guess with Bob Reynolds being dead now, we need to figure out who can handle the power of the Sentry. My guess is clearly it's not Ryan (I'm clearly shipping myself as Homelander) Topper. I did feel bad the only mutant to get the power (so far!) got eviscerated. (Honestly when he said Thor I was like “Yeah. Thor. Sentry is strong but he never bested Thor)So we'll see how this mini-series goes. I am annoyed with Jason Loo's portrayal of Misty as a kind of a dick. (That's not her.) But yeah...
The latest iteration of Thunderbolts (that aren't operating out of NYC) is kind of weird and clearly pulling from the upcoming MCU movie. But at the same time, it feels VERY organic with Bucky, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (in LMD form that NO ONE knew about until just now), Sharon Carter as Destroyer and Red Guardian too. All told, it was a stellar way to kick off a new run with the demise (obviously not permanently but at least right now Lukin isn't coming back any time soon) of the Red Skull (and possibly his return!) along with his 'social networks” So yeah. Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing have brought in some good stuff for this iteration. We'll see how this goes.
Torrun Grønbekk's final issue of this part of the Venom run with Black Widow, Venom, and Toxin comes to a fairly dramatic end. They do end up saving Brent, but still leave some questions hanging in terms of....why was this story arc necessary!?! I mean sure I love seeing Flash Thompson and yes, th symbiotes were cool. But overall it felt completely unnecessary and distracting from the greater arcs going on. Otherwise, I'm glad it's over because now we can have Al Ewing bring us back to things that matter with Eddie and his temporal shenanigans.
The ending for this month's X-men was very abrupt and needlessly violent. I say that because even though Logan was involved in this issue (along with Shadowcat and Doom's new mutant Latverian task force), there was NO way to see why the lair was that bloody and messed up. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed the fact we got to see Doom being Doom. (And even if he's too proud to admit it, he know ORCHIS is no friend of his.) Otherwise it was a good issue of X-men and Doom having...well close to a civil meeting. Also loved how Doom has his own Cerebro. Very on brand Doom.
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Finally got off my butt and started picking up some Millar World books. Ordered three collected editions off Amazon: Kingsman, Nemesis, and Nemesis Reloaded.
No particular reason for choosing those three, other than I was familiar with them and they were pretty straightforward. They plan to eventually get the Kick-Ass books, but there are several of those so I’ll probably order them together.
And there’s plenty more, but it’s stuff I’m less familiar with.
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Captain America - I loved his fight with the Emissary. The description of his test for opponents seems so very Cap. And these glimpses into Steve’s life before the serum are really cool. Finally, I really liked the little speech by the demon about The Pale City and the Maker of All Things.
Superman: Lost - so it seems Lois’ cancer from Luthor was just another chess move bluff. How very Luthor. And, at the end, whoa. Psycho Green Lantern chick is with child? I can’t really see it being Clark’s. We’ll see. One more issue to go.
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham - I’m still a little iffy on the art, and the story is weird. Both are growing on me, however. They’re at least different takes on the Dark Knight, while also feeling very familiar. The panel of Batman standing on the roof pinnacle in the rain was really cool. And religious cult bad guys are always fun.
Shazam - so the real Captain Marvel asks for more Wisdom to be able to resist the control of the gods. It’s a solid enough ending. Though one that will undoubtedly create its own problems, if what Solomon said is anything to go by. Enough with the space dinosaurs already, though.
Hellboy Winter Special: The Yule Cat - simple, straightforward story involving some Nordic myth. Solid art. A nice little holiday one-shot.
Immortal Thor - I always enjoy stories with the elder gods of the Marvel Universe, and this is no exception. The opening narration was really kick ass. Very epic mythology. The fight between Toranos and the Thor Corps was pretty cool. And the victory Thor pulled out his butt was pretty cool as well. And that trio of villains at the end….we already knew Minotaur was behind some stuff. Now we’ve got Executioner and Enchantress. The future looks interesting.
Moon Knight - I’ve got to say….I’m a little disappointed. Black Spectre gets away. That idiotic Zodiac gets away. And Marc appears to blow himself up so he can stop the device. That part was really anticlimactic. And a bit predictable. Honestly, I think I’d have preferred if everyone but Hunter’s Moon and Tigra bought the farm, then just the two of them carry on. I never really liked good vampires all that much. And I really just can’t see Khonshu accepting them in his service. I hope the new series is good. I’m not sure they can pull off replacing Marc (hopefully) and have it be good. I’d be slightly bummed if I had to drop yet another favorite character.
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Minotaur recovered from getting turned inside out during Immortal Hulk I see.
Philip,
Yes but he's still got the scars to prove it. So not completely unscathed.