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The Marvel Thread

Started by Previsionary, December 24, 2008, 11:48:35 PM

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Previsionary

War of Kings #3:

Over the last few books, we have seen the war play out between the Inhumans/Kree, the Sh'iar, the Guardians, and the Starjammers. Empress Lilandra was kidnapped and the Starjammers aimed to retrieve her and the Inhumans rallied the Kree forces and Blackbolt refused Starlord's/Peter's request to quell the war.

Spoiler
The book opens with Gladiator and Admiral Ka'ardum stopping Vulcan from killing Lilandra because if she's killed, it makes her a martyr that Vulcan's enemies can rally around. Vulcan accepts this logic and decides that Lilandra will face trial and a public execution. In his thoughts, Gladiator comments on the heavy handedness of Vulcan's attacks on the Kree and how strategic Blackbolt and the Inhumans are. He commends BB and thinks Vulcan is too over-extended and urgent in his tactics.

Meanwhile, Crystal is visiting Ronan in the hospital/medical bay and is updating him on the current situation with the Sh'iar. Ronan is impressed with the efforts Crystal is making towards his species and wonders aloud about the "Uplift Program". Cystal says she'll find out everything she can and flies off. Unfortunately, she doesn't find out much as Maximus has been stalled in his effort  thanks to the war, and she's alerted to some possible shady actions by her sister Medusa.

Returning to Gladiator, the new Smasher thanks him for the opportunity and Gladiator tells him he should hope he never lets down the Emperor. Seconds later, the Starjammers + the GotG teleport onto the ship and a fight breaks out. The collective Starjammers have the Imperial Guard on the ropes until Rachel and Raccoon's trick on Gladiator fails. Gladiator speeds off towards the Lilandra, knocking all his opponents out of the way, and stops just before her face. The book ends with Gladiator making a very important choice that could help decide the outcome of this war.

This was a mediocre read to me and I can't help but notice how many participants are in this book (and the tie ins) and how hard it is for me to keep track of them from time to time. The ending, I think, wasn't anything special as I saw it coming long ago. I suppose it's nice to get it out of the way. The trick Raccoon tried to pull on Gladiator during the middle of the book was a pretty smart move, but it brought my mind directly to a storyline that has yet to be explain...how strong is a certain red head at the moment and where did her facial marks come from. I was intrigued during the Inhuman/Ronan parts of the book because so many different things seemed to be at play. I do question why Crystal is so devoted to Ronan and the Kree considering she didn't even want to marry him in the first place, but most of my interest happens to fall with Medusa, Black Bolt, and Maximus. I have to wonder just what is going on there and how will It all blow up in their collective faces in the future. I sense future family drama just over the horizon. Anyway, 3 out of 5. I like how they actually pointed out how ineffective Vulcan seems to be without actually saying so. I really have nothing to say about the art. It's just there to me.

Exiles #2
:

Last issue left me lukewarm at best, so I'm hoping Jeff Parker can really pull me in with this issue. Previously, the new team were gathered together and sent on a mission to help Wolverine overthrow Magneto. Oh, one catch, Wolverine is a head on a stick. What to do, what to do?

Spoiler
Morph informs us of the general background of the book and we pick up where last issue left off. The new team is staring at Magneto on a float that has Wolverine's head situated nicely on a stick. Blink comes up with a plan and the others agree, though they get sidetracked with a conversation about who should be the leader. The team eventually makes it into Magneto's safe haven and witness Magneto and his mutants disable a missile. The group also realizes that Wanda and Lorna will be their main members on this mission and that their alternate selves have a very fierce rivalry between themselves and Magneto's wife. The Exiles decide it's best to split into two groups and see what they can find out. Once Exiles members Lorna and Wanda replace their alternate selves, we learn a very interesting fact about who the happy-go-lucky BP is as he speaks with Forge. Their plan starts out amazingly well as they attend a party, but it wouldn't be the Exiles if everything didn't fall apart and leave them in a worse position than when they started.

This book was a definite step up. Parker still has a lot to explain as far as to what happened to the last team of Exiles and where they are now, but I can hold off on that for a while. I loved the interaction between Black Panther and Forge. I also enjoyed how the each member of the team reacted to his or her alternate self. Even more intriguing to me is the contrast between both sets of Magneto's kids. Though, I think the setup itself was very similar to Civil War: House of M. In fact, Parker seemed to be poking fun at a bunch of continuities and he even got a sly Mystique/sex joke in. Also, I must, must, must point out the Forge fight scene only because it was unique...and a bit funny...and I missed the funny. 4 out of 5.


Mmmk, Come on through with New Mutants #1, Pod. And who will hit Cable? Oh Noes!
Disappear when you least expe--

AfghanAnt

I really enjoyed both War of Kings and Exiles.

Previsionary

Cable #14:

Last issue, in X-force, Stryfe finally caught up with the team and managed to get his hands on Hope and Warpath as the others watched on in horror. Meanwhile, Archangel flew off to meet with the source of the voice in his head...Apocalypse. Before jumping into the summary and review portions, I want to note how difficult it is to jump from X-force art to the stylized, significantly less detailed, pale, yet semi-bright (in comparison to X-force) art of Cable.

Spoiler
With Hope and Warpath stolen from them, the team tries to think up a plan. Cable immediately proposes that they storm the citadel and free Hope. Deadpool agrees and Wolverine points out that Cable's idea is merely a suicide run. Meanwhile, Stryfe tortures Warpath as Hope watches. Bishop remains behind the scenes, noting how smart Warpath is playing it by keeping Stryfe's attention, as he waits for his chance to get in on the action. That time comes soon as he attempts to disrupt Stryfe and finally take out the girl. Of course, his plan falls apart.

In the interim X-force + Cable + Deadpool decide to split into two teams. Wolverine, Cable, and Elixir will storm the citadel while Domino's team tries to figure out what's keeping them trapped in time. Over the course of their assignments, Deadpool finally lets on that the thing keeping them attached to this current timeline isn't an object, but a person. The book ends with Cable and his crew storming the citadel, Stryfe finally figuring out what's up with Hope, and with wildcard Angel making a decision as to whether or not he'll let Apocalypse manipulate him.

Excluding the art, this was a good read. The last few issues have been expository heavy, and as a result, it amounted to them just standing around the majority of the time. These past two issues have broken that stagnation and has given us action and good interaction from all those involved. I can't wait to see how Stryfe will use his looks to his advantage and I must wonder what will happen between Bishop, Wolverine, and Cable once they're in the same room again. Of course, that action might be sidelined until the end of the event. Makes me wonder though, why is Forge all of a sudden the crazy one (Ellis) when Bishop out-crazies him? Silly X-books. 4 out of 5. BTW, Yost hinted that Josh Foley/Elixir would be earning his stripes soon. Whatever could that mean!?!

New Mutants #1:

This is one of the books many of you/us have been looking forward to...the return of Magik and the return of the New Mutants. Will it be a book worthy of continuing pass the first arc or will it end up in flop heaven like Young X-men? Only time and fan reaction can predict the future of this book. So, I suppose we should start that ship to sailing to see if it'll sink or float, right?

Spoiler
Returning from the future, Magik lands at the X-men base to an ornery collection of New X-men. Before anything can go down, Sam and Robert put an end to the fighting and Magik tries to enlighten them about what's going on with Dani and Shan before passing out. Inside of the mansion's prison, Amara is visiting Empath and he informs her that he will get his revenge on the X-men. He's also blind.

Panels later, Cannonball and Sunspot decide that they believe Magik and will help her with Shan and Dani. Cannonball requests permission to go on the mission and the group gets new costumes for their adventure. As a sidenote, I must point out the tension between Magma and Magik. Good scene.

In Colorado, the team splits into two groups. Illyana and Amara go looking for another girl who happens to be missing that Illyana immediately connects to, and Sam and Berto go looking for Dani and Shan. Illyana and Amara eventually reach a home where the little girl apparently lived and 'Yana goes straight inside, semi-crazed, and goes directly to a door leading into the basement. Amara tries to keep the parental figures under control who threaten to fill Magik with holes. Meanwhile at the bar, Sam and Berto get attacked for being mutants. During the fighting, Sam find Shan behind a locked door. Similarly, Magik and Amara also find her inside of a box in the basement. The book ends with a shocker and I think one of the most captivating pages I've read...this month.

Before I give my opinion on the writing, I want to say that the art wasn't really that impressive to me. Neves did the art in X-men: Worlds Apart and I thought it, and the coloring, were superior in comparison to this book. Now, onto the writing. It was nice seeing the team interact again. They've done so little of that over the past few years that nostalgia was sweeping in while reading it. I loved the scenes between Magik and Amara, Sam and Rob, and I liked the Amara and Empath scene. I do have a problem with how Cyclops was portrayed, but considering how he's been of late (practically none caring about the majority of things), it wasn't all that far off the mark. Regardless, I think it was a good scene between him and Sam and probably something that Uncanny needs to make use of. Cyclops is the leader of the X-men, but he rarely comes off as such in Uncanny, imo. Also, Pixie was in this book when Magik showed up, but not a word was said from her and all she managed to do was charge up her new dagger and disappear from every other panel. Overall though, it was quite the first issue and I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5. If you're a fan of the old book, you'll most likely like this issue. Though, I don't know if it's new reader friendly as of now. Oh, if you want to see the new costumes, click the spoiler tag below.

Spoiler

Now...who will skin them? :P

Disappear when you least expe--

Podmark

Quote from: Previsionary on May 07, 2009, 03:02:35 AM
Mmmk, Come on through with New Mutants #1, Pod. And who will hit Cable? Oh Noes!

Yeah, sorry, didn't get online last night.

I thought Cable and New Mutants were both very good. They'd be 4/5 both for me. Loved all the continuity nods in New Mutants, but I think Neves has no sense of fashion.

Quote from: Previsionary on May 07, 2009, 02:13:45 PM
Now...who will skin them? :P

I really want to, but gotta finish X-Force first.
Get my skins at:
HeroForce
my Google page

Previsionary

Final review of this week for me as it just about wraps up my writing quota:

Amazing Spider-man #593:

Breaking up the X-posts because they're abundant and this is the Marvel Thread...not the X-thread! Last issue, Peter stayed in his Spider-man costume for a few days fighting crime to smite JJJ and walked in on his Aunt May getting her wild 'n out on...because 60 is the new 20.

Spoiler
We open up to a full page of Peter washing his brain to erase the image of Aunt May and JJJ Sr. from his mind. Of course, he's been in the shower for a long time and Aunt May wants to discuss what Peter walked in on. We learn that Aunt May and JJJ Sr. have been dating for about a month and Peter is ultimately ok with it. On his way to the subway, Peter notices that someone is attempting to mug some people and Pete swings into action only to be attacked by JJJ's anti-spider-man goon squad, who he easily escapes with a little help from the crowd. All of Spidey's good deeds eventually reach JJJ and he's beyond annoyed with it. So annoyed that he sets up a trap that Pete, once again, easily eludes while venting some frustration over Norman Osbourne. Eventually, the book gets to the point of fully introducing the new Vulture who Spidey thinks is based off Toomes. To his dismay, this Vulture is not and it costs him...his sight.

Ummmm, the new Vulture was...I really don't have a comment on that guy. It's nice to see Peter get over Aunt May and her love life so easily and we also got another reason as to why Pete decided to don his costume for, um, 2-3 days non-stop. Nothing in the book especially gripped me and I think, at this point, I'd rather see Toomes over his replacement. I will say that the ending has me interested to see what will happen with Peter considering what happened to him should last longer than an issue. So this issue, I consider it a 3. I will now return to picking up this book whenever I don't have another book out I want to buy.
Disappear when you least expe--

Previsionary

Disappear when you least expe--

Previsionary

Captain Britain and the MI13 #13:

I know I haven't been reviewing this book as much, but I was trying to spread the love a bit more. Over the past few issues, the MI13 have found themselves in a war with Dracula, who has decided to make a deal with Dr. Doom. This war is personal with Blade, and it becomes even more personal when Blade realizes that Spitfire might have been taken from him. Although the team managed to repel Dracula from invading Britain, they find their plan falling apart as the lord of the vampires outsmarts them.

Spoiler
Following the ending of last issue, the MI13 manage to fight and scare off the remaining minions of Dracula's surprise attack. Later, the team gets together and tries to figure out what to do next. Union Jack is obviously peeved and this finally leads into a confrontation between him and Blade over the revival of vampires and the fate of Faiza's dad and Jac. The team calms them down and moments later, Osbourne contacts them and tells Pete he can offer no sort of assistance in the upcoming war between the Vampires and Britain.

Pete is obviously disappointed and slightly unnerved at being compared to Osbourne, but help ports into their base in the form of Scarlet Witch. She brings the team news that Britain has been blocked off magically from the rest of the world. Meanwhile in space, Dracula is amused by how well his plan is progressing and Spitfire's will finally begins to crack as she gives into her suppressed vampyric cravings.

The book ends on an incredible low note for our British heroes as Spitfire returns to Earth, and the war erupts with little to no warning. No hero, other than Blade, is left standing, and we're left with quite an ender. Could someone else on the MI13 actually be dead?!

This, people, is how an invasion should go down. The characters doing the invading shouldn't look like overhyped wimps, which is how I feel Bendis and the majority of the SI writers portrayed the skrulls. They should be cunning, destructive, and evil. They should literally give the heroes a fight that makes you feel like someone might not survive. I find it odd that the Skrulls, with all their planning, couldn't pull it off as effectively as Dracula and his hordes of Vampires. Of course, this book only affects Britain, so Cornell has more leeway, but I think the general feeling of "they might lose" is something that was missing from SI as a whole. Anyway, this book was a very strong read although the art was a little lower in quality to me. There are quite a few moments in the book that stood out to me, but for the most part, those stand out moments revolved around Blade, Spitfire, and Faiza. I give this issue a mighty 4 out of 5. It's nice to see the MA Avengers in this book for a scene or two considering the MI13 appeared in their book a few weeks ago.

X-factor #43:

Last issue, Longshot may or may not have stopped an assassination attempt on a woman that wanted to sleep with him, Madrox and Layla fought a sentinel in the future with Ruby Summers, and PAD continued with his persistent snarky 'tude which finds its way into this issue as well. As SS would say, "don't spoil mah books!" Moving on.

Spoiler
We open with Darwin swinging by Longshot's location to make sure he's ok. He gets no answer and is immediately greeted with a gun to his odd-looking face. It turns out to be an older woman and she uses Darwin as a hostage as Longshot and the woman he's protecting run downstairs. The woman threatens to shoot Darwin, but as luck would have it, the gun backfired and she ends up on the floor in blood.

In the far future, Maddox gives Scott a good hug and comes to his senses. The group makes their way to the Summers' stronghold and Jamie eventually has his finger healed thanks to a healer. Layla wonders how Jamie broke his finger and he ponders whether or not she already knows. Layla "knows stuff" Miller, of course, realizes what happened, and Jamie states he doesn't want to talk about it. This leads into a patented romantic comedy type situation which ends in a passionate—unsettling—kiss.

Meanwhile, Rictor and Guido finally reach their destination and try to talk to the dupe of Maddox. Initially, they don't get very far, but Maddox's wife eventually retrieves her husband and the three stride off to the study to have a discussion. Back at home, Monet and Siryn arrive at the hospital Longshot and Darwin are at, and Siryn is in an obvious bad mood. The fem-duo eventually reach the room and Monet uses her telepathy to find out what exactly the old woman that attempted to kill her daughter was planning to do. What she learns overwhelms her and sends her off her feet.

The book ends on a Rictor and Guido learning the details behind Jamie's disappearance and being attacked by...Cortex/Shatterstar.

This issue was moderately good and all the interaction and character development was very good. I have never been a major fan of Longshot, but I somewhat find his friendship with Darwin very enduring. I never really expected Darwin or Longshot to be doing much of anything once they came back into play, so I suppose it's nice to see PAD using them effectively. I think my favorite scenes in this book revolved around Guido and Rictor if only because PAD took the time to flesh them out more and not leave them in their templates. I'm all for character development. The last page reveal is...whatever.  We'll see how that plays out. 3.5 out of 5.

Wolverine #73:

Last issue...stuff happened that I can't report on because it has yet to come out. Old Man Logan wasn't a mini because...why? Anyway, this issue is a collaborative effort between Jason Aaron of "Get Mystique"/"Wolverine: Weapon X" fame and Daniel Way of "..." fame. Eventually, this book will be turned into Dark Wolverine, so this is more or less a buildup to the change.

Jason Aaron portion:

Spoiler
Everyone has gripes with Wolverine and Jason Aaron literally addresses them here. Aaron sums up all those team-ups Wolverine takes part in, his role with the X-men, X-force, and New Avengers, and his free time wonderfully as we go through a day by day schedule with our most beloved/hated mutant. Not only that, but also some essential plot points come out through the small amount of panel time each day is given. We now officially know that Mystique survived her fall in Iceman's Manifest Destiny story and that Wolverine and Cyclops know about it; that Yukio is worried about Logan and thinks he is having a breakdown; and that being everywhere at once obviously wears Wolvie down even if he never shows it.

Daniel Way portion:

Spoiler
Claremont joke = -1 in scoring. Yes, I am opening this portion with that.  This story is about Wolverine being pulled over by a cop, a bunch of biker friends helping him out, and Wolverine getting drawn into a fight that doesn't exactly involve him. It's nothing one hasn't already seen.

If this book was just Jason Aaron or if Aaron had written the majority of it, I'd be singing praises. However, that's not the case with this issue. Jason Aaron's portion was good. Jason took a gripe we have all talked about—"Wolverine appearing in so many places at once"—and made it into a cameo driven story that showed how worn out that lifestyle was leaving Wolverine. Even better, the cameos in this book worked out more effectively than anything I've seen by Fraction in Uncanny, so maybe someone needs to ask for tips. I mean, Iceman appeared in this book, had several lines of dialogue, had a brief fight scene, and was much more enjoyable than whatever Fraction has him doing...which is usually having Bobby standing awkwardly. And while it wasn't a very complex story or even all that strong, I just found it enjoyable and it confirmed a few things. Mystique survived her MD fall and the X-men now know she's alive, and Juggernaut is fully on the evil path. Now, Way's portion was just same ol', same ol'. I really could have done without it, and I wasn't a fan of the art style. I don't even have anything to say about it because I stopped reading it halfway in. If I could just judge Aaron's portion, it'd be a 3...but with Way's portion, it's a low 2.

Quote from: AfghanAnt on May 02, 2009, 03:16:20 AM
I'll do review of young Avengers with help from Pod is possible. I love Wiccan, Hulkling, and Hawkeye. Also Enchantress is Asgardian so yeah I love her too.

Quote from: Podmark on May 03, 2009, 08:07:49 PM
Pod looks very much forward to more Young Avengers

*emphasis mine*

DA: Young Avengers #1:

I wasn't supposed to review this. Pormark, AA...where y'all at, huh? This is totally your book and you don't even review it? Get out of my reality. :P

Spoiler
We immediately open to the New Young Avengers (NYA) getting into a fight with a bunch of robbers. This battle doesn't go as heroically as planned as several members from the opposing force end up dead and the NYA end up placing the last remaining member in a forced coma and escaping before the cops can get to them. Shortly after, in a bar, the team has a few beers and settles down before heading to Central Park via the Enchantress. This is the location of their base, which is an invisible manor. The rest of the book is fairly low key and focuses on giving us character moments to connect us with the new group. Chris, the leader of the NYA who really aspires to do good, but doesn't know how to go about it, gets the better of the screen time and the book ends with the real YA showing up and wondering why this new group thinks they can use their name.

This book was all right. I enjoyed some of the character moments, and I think it's interesting that Cornell decided to add in a racist character. It certainly helps to build a different dynamic and she seems to love robots like a certain crazy witch. Um, there's not much more to say about the book, as it was fairly low key and focused on character moments more so than action or plot advancement. There's nothing particularly bad to say about it except it lacked the YA, but there's also nothing particularly great to point out either. So, it's a mild 3. If it helps anyone form a decision about whether or not to pick up this book, I will say that in this issue the team didn't come off as evil. Flawed, yes; directly evil, no.

Black Panther V5 #4:

Spoiler
"Black Panther is Dead!" reports one of Man-ape's subjects to his obvious delight. So delighted is the Man-Ape that he thinks he'll finally take BP's spot. Unfortunately, all does not go as planned as Man-ape finds himself consumed by the evils of Morlun. Meanwhile, in death, BP continues to resist Death's embrace. Death then resorts to showing T'challa his father in an effort to get the hero to accept his fate.

Simultaneously, Storm is still indisposed while taking dangerous measures to save her husband and Shuri is upset that her mother couldn't be with her as she takes a bite into the herb. The scene then jumps back and forth between Shuri's meeting with the Panther god, where we learn that her jealousy keeps her from being chosen for the mantle, and Death's efforts in trying to convince T'challa to accept his death as fate. The book ends with T'challa fighting Death's minions just as Storm shows up on the final page.

While this book may be getting better to a degree, it's still very slow. Four issues in and we still don't really know who the new BP will be. I guess my problem with this arc is that it's soooooo strrrrreeeettttccchhheeeddd out and it doesn't necessarily seem like it needs all this space to get to the point. Anyway, it's an improvement and I rate it a 3. At least Storm does things here and comes off as powerful in comparison to her Uncanny portrayal...*see preview*
-----------------

Uncanny X-men 510: http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/124224662886829.htm
Ultimate revamped covers: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21235
  -Spidey looks younger via the cover...

Speaking of spidey, can someone cover USM #132?
Disappear when you least expe--

Podmark

Quote from: Previsionary on May 17, 2009, 06:24:09 AM
Captain Britain and the MI13 #13:
Quote from: AfghanAnt on May 02, 2009, 03:16:20 AM
I'll do review of young Avengers with help from Pod is possible. I love Wiccan, Hulkling, and Hawkeye. Also Enchantress is Asgardian so yeah I love her too.

Quote from: Podmark on May 03, 2009, 08:07:49 PM
Pod looks very much forward to more Young Avengers

*emphasis mine*


Well POD hasn't been home in over a week and has only had light internet use  <_<
I'll largely agree with your review of DR:YA but it's a setup issue and I think the rest might be stronger.
Also POD is a big fan of Mark Brooks! :thumbup:
Get my skins at:
HeroForce
my Google page

AfghanAnt

I was preparing for a wedding! but yeah I finally picked up a copy of DR:YA yesterday and I was sort of meh and here is why:

Spoiler
The characters seem blah with Coat-of-Arms at the top of the blah list and Egghead at the bottom (I sort of like him better than Vision 2.0).

While Executioner is the one I'm least interested in (I get that he's the teams Wolverine/Punisher and every good team needs one) I find Coat-of-Arms the most boring. She just isn't interesting despite the whole "I have an agenda thing".

Big Zero's racism seems too forced. I know a few racists (not really friends with them but we know each and sort of tolerate one another) and not everything that comes out of their mouths is "frell those other ethnic people".

Melter...what can I say about him other than he's not a bad guy, he's just sort of clueless to what is going on with his team. Also that old woman overreacted to him helping. I've helped people in NYC before they do not mace you for picking up their groceries in daylight.

Enchantress is just the deus ex machina  but without the charm or character (see Billy, Scarlet Witch, every female character written by Chris Claremont).

Egghead was the standout for me. I loved his design and he was sort of lovable especially about the whole being programed to be racist thing.

I am hoping the next issue picks up though because I want to like this title more than all the other YA one-shots.

Silver Shocker

#219
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

Previsionary

Quote from: Silver Shocker on May 19, 2009, 07:31:05 PM
Pre won't like this:

http://www.paulcornell.com/2009/05/goodbye-captain-britain.html

What the heck is this crap? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOoooOOooOOOOO! Why...Why, SS, why? *explodes violently*
------------

Now that the dramatics are over, at least Cornell got to complete his run the way he saw fit even if he only got 3-4 arcs + an annual. If Marvel is contempt with keeping  horrible books on the shelves while ending and barely promoting good books, then that's fine with me. They just get less of me money. ^^
Disappear when you least expe--

Zippo

Aug! Captain Britain is one of my top books right now, this is so frustrating.


Previsionary

A little while ago, there was speculation as to whether Emma and Prof were actually part of the Dark X-men. Well, Solicits confirm it is and we should learn how she got Namor on the team and how exactly Prof came into play.

Quote from: http://jasoneaaron.blogspot.com/2009/05/solicitations-for-august.htmlDARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING #3 (of 3)
Written by PAUL CORNELL, JASON AARON & OTHERS
Penciled by HUMBERTO RAMOS, JOCK & OTHERS
Cover by JAE LEE
The conclusion to the anthology that illustrates the conception of the Dark X-Men. If you're reading UTOPIA and think you know the whole story, think again. In this issue, Emma Frost convinces Namor to join the team. And learn where Professor X fits into UTOPIA. Also, witness the first Marvel Comic with art by JOCK (Losers, Green Arrow: Year One)!
Disappear when you least expe--

The Hitman

Quote from: http://jasoneaaron.blogspot.com/2009/05/solicitations-for-august.htmlIn this issue, Emma Frost convinces Namor to join the team.

"Convinces." Right.

AfghanAnt

Someone needs to explain to the Dodsons that Cloak is not a Pimp Named Slickback. He should not have a silk perm and his cloak does not double as a spot for johns to do their business with Dagger.

I swear after someone commented about the Cloak's perm that is the only thing I could think. I mean they were living on the streets since they were teenagers and it wouldn't be that far from reality (though I hope Marvel never adds that on as some secret history of Cloak and Dagger).

AfghanAnt

#225
Uncanny X-Men 510 (for a real review wait for Prev's but this one has two pictures!)
Spoiler
I would comment on how this issue's art was overly distracting and made what could have been a fast pace action issue into freeze framed porno but that would be stating the obvious if Land is on pencil (or lightbox).

With that said I really wish they would stop teasing this whole Psylocke thing. I'm tired of wasting my money on a comic when a character who I am interested in is only in 4-5 pages and gets stabbed (twice) by the real star of all Marvel Comics (if you don't know I'm talking pick up New Avengers or Astonishing X-Men, or even Spider-man from time to time). But whatever, it's Marvel. This is how they steal my money every Wed, so what's new?

The only major point in this whole comic was that Maddie-Jean Grey thing. She stole some of Jean's hair from Logan, who had it since her death at the hand of Xorneto, to make a new body. That was the whole frickin' point of the Sisterhood's attack. Obtain magical Phoenix hair to make Faker-Jean a real girl again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely confused why they just didn't have Spiral teleport in steal it and not get their lubed up behinds handed to them but I am sure Fraction does not have has a reason.

This may be a total longshot but I think this dimension traveling "Maddie" who found Psylocke is actually a "Jean Grey". If you read any of the issues of X-Man that Warren Ellis plotted you'd know what I'm referring to, but if not read about it here: Red Queen.



If my guess is true, it would be interesting and it would prove to me that Fraction wants to be a good writer (by stealing good writer's ideas). In fact I'm starting to think it's not that I hate the story or writing but I just can't get past all the L3@h Luv O-faces (if you don't know what I'm talking about please do not ask me or Google it) that Greg Land draws. Everyone knows he can't draw without the aid of a lightbox and dirty movies so what does he continue to be put on major titles? If anyone should be drawing Models Inc. He could just trace pictures from fashion magazines and have stiff lifeless poses and not one what think anything of it. In fact, he just might win award on the fiercest tracing.



Previsionary

#226
AA beat me. My Sumview of Uncanny isn't much brighter.

Wolverine: Weapon X #2:

Jason Aaron was given his own Wolverine book and this is the result of it. Last issue, Wolverine found out from Maverick that the Weapon X files and their adamantium process has been stolen by something known as the Blackguard, and this shady corporation has already begun to use the adamantium process on others.

Spoiler
The opening few panels are in a newsroom as a group of reporters/journalists try to decide which story they should run. Eventually, they decide to go with Punisher, but one reporter isn't happy that his co-worker, who was saved by Wolverine last issue, was trying to cover his beat. He tells her to back off, so she does the exact opposite of backing off and continues to investigate Wolverine and Weapon X. Unfortunately, she doesn't find out anything because no one is willing to speak to her. That is until she gets an anonymous call that informs her to begin investigating something known as the "Blackguard".

Meanwhile, Wolverine is on an airplane heading for Colombia. Once he arrives, he goes to a bar where he knows people and orders a round of drinks in an effort to draw out whoever is looking for him. An undisclosed amount of time later, Logan stumbles out of the bar drunk while singing, and his would-be attackers begin to snipe him out. They came prepared with three bullets that can release 38 different kinds of cancer into Logan's system. It may not kill him, but it'll certainly slow him down. Of course, their plan doesn't go as expected when Wolverine ends up right on top of them without them knowing...but this wouldn't be Wolverine without a showdown...with enhanced enemies that resemble his makeup!

The rest of the book is hardcore battling between Wolverine and the two techno-advanced snipers that came to take him out of commission. The battle lasts just under ten minutes, but Wolverine finds himself surrounded by several other humans that have undergone the advancements from the "Blackguard". In this moment, he realizes he can't win this fight head-on and retreats into the jungle.

I felt this issue was an ok read. While nothing really progressed, I enjoyed Jason Aaron making another joke about Wolverine's overexposure. I wasn't really sold on the art, but it was completely passable. I mean, there were a few panels that stood out to me as being really good, but the majority of it was just mediocre, imo. As for the enemies in this book, I really don't know how I feel about the advancements the villains undertook in this issue. I mean, laser claws? No. This probably comes from me seeing it done before the "admantium men" in Ultimate X-men, but it's really not a concept I dig. Regardless, good read by an author that really seems to understand Logan better than the other current Wolverine writers. I'm thinking two Wolvie books could be canceled and this one could fill the void at the moment, and we're only 2 issues in. Big words, Prev, big words. 3 out of 5.

Uncanny X-men #510:


Last issue, the sisterhood surprise attacked the X-men and took out every awake member, I was left wondering why Storm is in Uncanny while she's fighting for her husband's life, and Pixie got drunk with her best friends, Dazzler and Northstar.

Spoiler
This issue jumps off with a huddled Armour being greeted by X23. The two team up and navigate the empty halls of the base in an attempt to escape Chimera. This plan obviously falls apart, but the scared duo are saved by the all mighty power of Pixie, who teleports the two to safety and immediately asks for Wolverine.

Speaking of Wolverine, he's busy fighting with his old bestie, Psylocke. Simultaneously, Emma is still tied down and is having her mind messed with thanks to Lady Mastermind. Eventually, a blurry Jean (?) appears to her and offers a bit of help that allows Emma to escape her bonds in diamond form. Emma then smacks L. Mastermind on the back of the head, which somehow knocks her upside down. Go figure. After the battle, Emma saves Cyclops from his mental hell that happens to be a room full of his dead friends.

Back to Wolverine, he's still fighting Psylocke, and eventually Lady D. joins in. Of course, when "Maddie" begins messing with something personal of Wolverine's, the fight ends quickly and he confronts her.

Meanwhile, Pixie is still hopping around the school gathering up reinforcements. She manages to get a smiling/meditating Elixer and the Three-In-One (TIO) to help her. The team teleports off to Colossus and NC and heals them just before Chimera pops in. the TIO stay and fight while Pixie teleports to the brig and shatters Empath's consciousness.

Anyway, the sisterhood eventually escapes after Maddie retrieves what she was looking for—a lock of Jean's hair—and the X-men realize that a dampening field isn't enough to hold enemies at bay.

I really tried to go into this book being open, but so many problems are piling up every arc we go into. Ignore Psylocke in this arc, she's not even important. Ignore Storm, Dazzler, NC, Colossus, X23, and Armor; they're just cameos for the most part. There were so many things bugging me in this issue that I literally wanted to bang my head into a wall. Emma being able to use her telepathy in diamond form is a big "no-no" right off the back.  The Psylocke/Wolverine double showdown looked remarkably similar both times the splash pages showed up. In fact, why was Psylocke even ordered to fight Wolverine when Lady D. was doing an adequate job last issue? Heck, she just ended up back in the fight anyway...only to be defeated off-panel, along with Psylocke, when Maddie walked into Wolverine's room for the object she wanted. The Three Cuckoos, and their creepy smiling because that's EXACTLY what they're known for (-_-), were fighting Chimera and spouting out lines about tantric sex. They're like 15. I know they're related to Emma, but that's pushing it. Oh, didn't I say something about cameos? Martinique was in exactly one panel in this issue. She's a sisterhood member, right? Shouldn't she be doing something? And finally, who...who goes through all the effort they went through to get such a small item? This book was a bunch of crazy plot issues that I refuse to endorse.  I'm glad Beast wasn't around hogging pages with his boring X-club story, but still, I wish Fraction would at least attempt to understand the characters he writes. I mean, it's no one's fault but his own that he chose to fill the whole base up with strong characters and then have them all taken out off panel. I'm so uninterested in this run now that I don't even care what happens to Psylocke anymore. I'll pick this up again when the crossover starts. Maybe. 2 out of 5. I was so stuck on the plot points that I didn't even get to mention art. I'll do that now. It was full of teeth and mediocre panels. Done.
Disappear when you least expe--

AfghanAnt

Oh one more thing about Uncanny X-Men -

Spoiler
"All we need to know is that Maddie looks a lot like Jean Grey and Scott Summers was once married to her. Oh, and she's called the Red Queen now" From CBR

I think that is yet another point for my theory of her being the X-Man's Maddie/Jean Grey. I would be overjoyed if Nate Grey returned somehow.

NeoDarke

Quote from: AfghanAnt on May 21, 2009, 03:51:39 AM
I think that is yet another point for my theory of her being the X-Man's Maddie/Jean Grey. I would be overjoyed if Nate Grey returned somehow.
[/spoiler]

Emo Nate, or Shaman Nate? Both had their ups and downs. Though seeing Shaman Nate talking to Cable about everything that happened around the begining of Cable/Deadpool could be awesome. "Wait, you did what?"
I didn't do it!


What didn't I do?

Previsionary

[rant] I needed a superior book to sumview to erase my thoughts about Uncanny...which i now find unintentionally funny. Like how Land copied the Cuckoos in every panel or how odd Pixie's arms looked in a panel or two. Let's not forget the amazing Fraction Captions that so many review sites want to praise him for, yet never seem to praise other writers for doing the exact same thing! I'll never understand how some reviewers can rate Fraction's Uncanny run as great in comparison to his Ironfist and Ironman runs. Better reads than anything he put out on Uncanny. [/rant]

Captain America #50:

Last issue focused entirely on Sharon Carter and on how she was dealing with Cap's death and her own kidnapping/supposed abortion. It also brought back evil 50s cap and Sharon's aunt.

Spoiler
Action! No time for buildup as Bucky immediately finds himself under heavy fire while on patrol. Of course, this is his birthday, and for one reason or another, mechanical flying men with high tech weaponry are chasing him down. After a brief flashback to a time before Bucky met Cap, we rejoin Bucky as he continues to run for his life. He takes a picture of the men following him and contacts Clint for help. After another flashback of a later birthday during WWII, Bucky, as Cap, jumps into action and saves a woman and her child from being killed by a rocket heading their way. This completely enrages Bucky and he aims to end the fight with a well-timed shield throw. Of course, that doesn't exactly end the fight and it continues on for a few more pages until Bucky completely takes his pursuers down. Why were they chasing him? He's not the REAL Captain America. After the battle, Bucky returns to the base and is truly "surprised" by what he finds.

I somewhat enjoyed this issue. It was nothing big or deep; it was just a story about a boy who hasn't had a great birthday in years. The whole theme of this issue more or less revolved around it and the relationship Bucky had with Steve and some of the other characters around him. It's more or less a feel good issue with a happy ending. Nothing wrong with that before the big #600. If you needed a jumping on point for this series, this is the issue for you. Most of it is a giant, "here's what you need to know to catch up," info dump including the backups. Some would call this a filler issue, and I guess you'd be correct, but it's more accurately labeled as a character-building issue. A bit slow and not as important to the overall arc, but not completely pointless or without merit. I give this issue a 3.
Disappear when you least expe--

Previsionary

Incredible Herc/Hulk solicits

Looks like Greg Pak is returning to Hulk for issue 601 AND it has a she-hulk back-up by ex-Wolverine First Class/Marvel Zombies 3 writer, Fred Van Lente. Though, one question, what's with the shield, Banner? Also, can anyone explain to me why Red Hulk is 4 dollars when every issue so far is guest appearances and Red Hulk trashing, or killing, them? I refuse to be sucked in by X-force and Deadpool guest-starring in said book.
Disappear when you least expe--

marhawkman

But why? x-force is AWESOME!

Silver Shocker

But this is Jeph Loeb we're talking about here. He'll find some way to screw them up.
"Now you know what you're worth? Then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers, saying you're not where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and THAT AIN'T YOU. YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!"
~Rocky Balboa

Torch

Hey Prev - I really like this thread.  Is there any chance we can implement a rating system for each issue?  So we can glance and see if you feel it is worth reading?

For example:

Captain America #50 (B+):

Last issue focused entirely on Sharon Carter and on how she was dealing with Cap's death and her own kidnapping/supposed abortion. It also brought back evil 50s cap and Sharon's aunt....
______________________________
It could be something like: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F
Just to give enough range for how you felt about the book overall (story, art, pacing etc.)

Previsionary

Quote from: Torch on May 27, 2009, 05:41:52 PM
Hey Prev - I really like this thread.  Is there any chance we can implement a rating system for each issue?  So we can glance and see if you feel it is worth reading?

For example:

(SNIP)
______________________________
It could be something like: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F
Just to give enough range for how you felt about the book overall (story, art, pacing etc.)


My ratings appear at the end of the "sumview," and I use a 5 point scale. Do you mean putting the rating beside the comic title instead of in my summary/opinion section?
Disappear when you least expe--

murs47

Bring back the Prev-O-Meter!

Torch

Quote from: Previsionary on May 27, 2009, 09:20:22 PM
Quote from: Torch on May 27, 2009, 05:41:52 PM
Hey Prev - I really like this thread.  Is there any chance we can implement a rating system for each issue?  So we can glance and see if you feel it is worth reading?

For example:

(SNIP)
______________________________
It could be something like: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F
Just to give enough range for how you felt about the book overall (story, art, pacing etc.)


My ratings appear at the end of the "sumview," and I use a 5 point scale. Do you mean putting the rating beside the comic title instead of in my summary/opinion section?
Yes.  Though the bolding where they are also helps.  The point is, if I see it as 4 out of 5 at the top, I may just read the book and not spoil it by reading the entire review.  Then come back after I read it and check out your summary.  If you give it a 1 out of 5, I'll probably just read your summary and not bother with the book.  Either way, it is nice of you to post your opinions in the first place so I am happy either way.   :thumbup:

Previsionary

#237
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #6 (3):

Here's the final issue of the series that took years to make! Last issue, Wolverine found himself with his head cut off, freeing Forge from prison, and inadvertently leading Fury to Hulk's location.

Spoiler
What's one of the most common questions Wolverine gets from people? No, I'm not talking about how he shows up everywhere or how his claws operate exactly, but this one: "how do you go through metal detectors?" This issue tells us exactly how Logan gets past those pesky things, and the way he does it is quite unique. Of course, he puts the attention on someone else, but what could possibly be the harm in that?

Next scene, Wolverine is knocking on Betty's door and ordering her to put on the dampening collar. Betty doesn't immediately agree to this, but after Wolverine reasons with her by almost taking her life—in She-hulk form—she agrees to his demands. Logan then sets off to meet Banner, which he eventually does one day later on a plane heading to Casanova. Logan meets Banner and sits beside him. After Logan attaches the collar to Banner, a conversation starts up where it is revealed that Logan has no problem with Banner, but he does have issues with the Hulk, and Banner claims he can now control the beast inside him. Banner then argues that Logan is really a good person, and to prove this, he jumps out of the plane with Logan following behind him. The two continue to have a conversation about how good Logan is as they plummet to the earth. This discussion continues until the last possible moment where Logan finally makes a decision and...

On the ground, Nick Fury, who claims that Logan is jacking his style, greets Logan and Hulk. Nick is not there to kill Banner/Hulk, but there is a few things he wants to get off his chest. Nick now has Betty in his clutches thanks to Logan, and if he can't kill Hulk, Nick wants to have something in his corner to force Hulk under his control. As for Logan, he's now on Nick's "bad" list. No one wants to be on Nicky's "bad" list. The book and series concludes with Nick riding off and Hulk and Logan being somewhat chummy.

I'm a little mixed on the ending of this series. Sure it had a lot of action in this particular arc, finally tied up a missing part of the storyline, and concluded its run years down the line, but I'm left with a, "was it worth it?" feeling. That's probably not a feeling a book should leave you with. I mean, the majority of the later issues played "flashback," and there was very little Hulk vs. Wolverine action in any issue past issue 3. A problem I had with this book was how fast-forwarded everything was. Wolverine was all over the place in this issue and I can't help but think that if the previous issues weren't so full of flashbacks, some of this could have been culled out or, at the very least, written with more forward momentum. I did find it odd that Lindelof wrote in song lyrics to a Kanye West song that came out, I think, last year, but I'll consider it a joke. I'll rate this issue a 3 and the overall series a 3. It'll probably be the last good book of the original Ultimates line, but is that really a compliment at this point? Also, the ending of this particular book wasn't the most original or true to form piece of writing I've seen. It might possibly let some of you down if you had too high expectations.

X-men Legacy #224 (3):

Last issue, Rogue was fighting for her life in Danger room scenarios, and Xavier and Gambit found themselves betrayed by the Sh'iar.

Spoiler
Opening shot, Mystique and Rogue discussing Rogue's inability to touch people and how Mystique is holding her back from something. They then discuss what Rogue did to Gambit and how she should chase after her own interests over her loves. Cut to: Rogue in the Sh'iar ship trying to save her ex-lover Gambit. She manages to shoot one of the Sh'iar members with the ship's weapons, but her luck falls short when the door to the ship is opened and she finds herself beaten by one of the female members. Rogue then finds her life very quickly about to end, but Xavier comes through with a save by reactivating Danger. This, of course, causes the Sh'iar to teleport out of the fray, and Danger and the X-men sit around a fire and have a civilized discussion. Danger and Xavier have now deducted things about Rogue's powers that Xavier wasn't able to see before. The next few pages are of Xavier telepathically walking through Rogue's mind in an effort to tear down the "partitions" that are disallowing her powers to develop naturally. After some time has passed, Rogue awakens and feels like her skin is on fire. Fearing that the procedure failed, she goes and talks to Xavier who tells her that the process worked fine and she'll have to learn how to control her powers. The book ends with Rogue learning she does have some type of control over her powers, she and Remy agreeing to wait on discussing their relationship, and Danger and Xavier being cool with each other.

This issue was better than the last one, methinks, but still remains in that vaguely mediocre area. If you don't have a love for Gambit, Xavier, Rogue, or Danger, this arc just won't impress you. Rogue, of course, was reset to her status quo—no more mystique—but she's also on her way to fine-tuning her powers. I did find it odd that Carey stated she has never experienced control in her powers because I'm pretty sure she has (X-treme X-men) in one form or another. Perhaps not a natural control but that's beside the point. This issue is a 3. If you're a Rogue fan, this is the issue and arc for you.
---------

USM #133: Final issue preview
Ultimatum #4: Preview
Disappear when you least expe--

marhawkman

About time they finally resolved that dangling plotline.... It's taken what? 50 years?

NeoDarke

Quote from: marhawkman on May 29, 2009, 01:25:43 AM
About time they finally resolved that dangling plotline.... It's taken what? 50 years?

Meh, Scott is the same way. Difference is, he asked Emma to put his mental blocks back up. Said he wasn't ready for the control, or something along those lines.

Btw, Does Gambit still look like a Drow? Or is he back to normal? 'cause, seriously. I can't look at "Death" Gambit and not think "Wtf? It's a dark elf!"
I didn't do it!


What didn't I do?