I promise I will stop ranting on the subject and just review the books...
Marvel Now!"
Captain America: If you are a fan of the Ed Brubaker run of Captain America and you are looking to this book for the same type of storytelling, you will not find it here. There is no espionage, brainwashed assassins, or plots to overthrow America. You won't find any stories that could be ripped from the journal of a conspiracy theorist...well maybe. With that said, this is one of the coolest takes on Captain America that I have seen in a very long time. The book starts out with a very real, very stark opening in which a young Steve Rogers is forced to see his father beating the crap out of his mother. Mother Rogers (?) stands up to her husband and refuses to take anymore of his brutality. This moment instills Steve with his trademark courage and his refusal to let anything keep him down. With that very harsh, realistic moment, we move to Cap tackling crazed Eco-terrorists, who attempt to use their Omega Fertilizer (Yes, that's what it's called!) to convert the human race (Starting with Manhattan, naturally) into trees. Yeah, it sounds really kooky, but not only is this a very fun action story that depicts Cap as the bad ass action star he is, it proves that the character can be taken out of his comfortable element and still be very enjoyable. We move on to Sharon Carter, who is helping a very square Steve Rogers celebrate his 90th birthday in style...by infiltrating a secret subway car that leads to another dimension. Of course, we soon learn that this dimension is the domain of a very old Cap villain who has some crazy, B-Movie Sci-Fi ideas in store for our hero. The overall series pitch is made and we are left with Captain America stranded and alone with all of the odds stacked against him. Monsters, genetic experiments, Nazi Mad Scientists and the greatest super soldier of all time, what could be better and more fun...how about John Romita Jr. art? JRJR really outdoes himself here. Romita blends his style with that of Jack Kirby and really channels the insane stories that Kirby wrote and illustrated in the 70s. Take a look at these stories if you can...the main villain in one of the tales is a sinister mutant named Mister One who lives inside a wrist watch.
"Believe it or not, he buys his micro
shorts at Ross."
The series also introduced Arnim Zola who plays a big part in this issue. This is one of those books for people who are yearning for the good old days of fun comics. Take a look and you will not be disappointed.
Hulk is WALL-E!"
Indestructible Hulk: I have liked Mark Waid for a very long time. From way back to his days on the Flash and Kingdom Come, he has been one of my favorite writers. He writes in a way the is very relate able, even in a world where characters can turn green and pulverize you in a heartbeat. With this book , we can actually relate to Bruce Banner. He is sick and tired of being cast aside when it comes to the history books. While Tony Stark and Reed Richards are regarded as world changing geniuses, he's only seen as a menace and a walking weapon. The "Indestructible" part of the title comes from the fact that Banner learns there is no cure for the Hulk...he has comes to terms with the fact that the Hulk cannot be destroyed and he must live with him and control him. This puts the Hulk and Banner in a relationship that we have yet to see. Banner has accepted the Hulk as a somewhat positive force in his life that can be used in his favor. We see Banner/Hulk "audition" for a role in S.H.I.E.L.D, promising to grant the U.S. as many brilliant ideas that he can churn out. The art by Leinil Francis Yu is some of his best. I have to admit that while he has given us some great art in the past, there have also been some glaring examples of art that looks rushed and incomplete. (Secret Invasion is a good example.) Yu was made for a book like this, he can draw the exaggerated beast that is the Hulk, as well as some Manga influenced technology while still giving us some characters with depth and emotion. There is a lot of room for this book to grow and expand, I am looking forward to what Waid and Yu have planned.
Please take a look at these two books and let me know what you think, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. It's great to have some fun and exciting books to look forward to again! Happy reading!
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