Marvel Now! More rants and reviews...

    Before I begin, I would like to dedicate this post to my friends Will Griffin and Ana Moscoso who are celebrating their impending nuptials.  Congratulations!   I know you two will have a very happy, comic book filled life together. And another thanks to Will for letting me read A+X at your place after your engagement celebration party!

    A few more books have released since I last posted a review, so this is catch up time!  Since the publishers, Marvel included love flooding the market, all of these books are still available at your local shops.  If not, your shop really needs to get on the ball.  Most shops will be fairly well stocked.  Before we dive back into the world of Marvel Now!, has anyone noticed that this new initiative is really molding the Marvel line to resemble the Marvel Movieverse?  The comic book Tony Stark is acting much more like the movie version.  Pepper Potts went from being Iron Woman wanna-be (During Matt Fraction's really bad run on the Iron Man franchise) to the headstrong business woman she is in the movies.  Thor is embracing more of his Asgardian side (Which will be heavily featured in the Thor sequel).  And most telling of all, the once Movieverse exclusive S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Phil Coulson is now part of the regular Marvel Universe.    
      Not only have they introduced Coulson in the horrible Battle Scars mini-series (Again, written by Matt Fraction, whom I will talk more about at length), but the Marvel powers that be have introduced Phil's good friend, Nick Fury II.  This Nick Fury happens to be the son of the original Marvel Nick Fury and a lookalike for the movie version of Nick Fury.  Perhaps the movies will reveal the Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury has a father who is a dead ringer for the original, grizzled old WWII Fury.  I would actually like to see that as long as the "golden age" fury isn't played by this guy....

                                                   
                                                  It looks like even Hasselhoff is running
                                                  away from the giant turd of a movie.

I was thinking about putting a clip of this movie for all to witness, but I am not that cruel.....or am I...
 
                                     
This is David Hasselhoff singing Culture Club's "Do you really want to hurt me?" to scenes of his own horrific movie.  View it at your own risk.                

Moving as far away from that as I possibly can....

Review time...

Once again, here is our MARVEL NOW! scale:  Marvel Amazing! = A special designation for one book on the list.  This is my favorite book so far.  Read more to find out which book I'm talking about. Marvel Wow! = A must read, can't miss book. Marvel Now! = A good read Marvel Maybe! = Not bad, not great Marvel No! = Don't read this crap! Marvel Never = A special designation for one book on the list.  This is the worst book!

 FF # 1:  This is the companion title to Fantastic Four and features the team of subs whom will be filling in four the original Fantastic Four as they travel time and space in search of a cure for their unstable molecules.  With what was sure to be awesome art from Mike Allred of Madman fame, I was really excited to read this book.  The sad thing is that the barely serviceable script by Matt Fraction gave Allred very few cool moments.  Seeing a rag tag group of super heroes as the Fantastic Four fill ins should be a fun experience.  This story was just boring and took far too much exposition.  I really didn't like Fraction's Fantastic Four and for some reason I like this a lot less.  If you just look at the art it is almost enjoyable.  Maybe next issue Fraction will actually give Allred something cool to draw.  MARVEL NO!

IRON MAN #2 and #3:

Okay, these books are on a twice a month schedule, a fact that had originally escaped me.  Before I knew it, both books were released.  If you read my review on Iron Man # 1 then you know that I really liked it.  It was one of the best new issues to come out.  I really wish I could say the same for Issues # 2 and # 3.  Issue one gave us a really cool build up that presented Tony Stark with a dangerous new mission, retrieve the Extremis techno virus from a group of radicals and avenge his friend's murder.  That concept alone could lend itself to a large storyline of action, intrigue and adventure that would take Tony all over the world fighting new and old villains alike, all who are utilizing the Extremis threat.  Issues 2 and 3 give us a very bare bones, watered down version of that.  Instead of chapters in a larger story, these are essentially small, self contained stories that feature the lives of other people who have come across Iron man and the Extremis threat.  Of course these stories do tie in to the story as a whole, but the flow just doesn't work.  The art is very detailed and executed in both issues.  I really like the concept of Issue 2 and the megalomaniacs who are obsessed with melding Tony Stark's Iron Man concepts with the legend of Camelot and King Arthur.  The armor designs are very enjoyable, as are the small glimpses of characterization we get, but there is just not enough to really enjoy the book and see it as a continuation of the excellent first issue.  The same can be said for Issue 3.  The redesign of old Iron Man foes is well done, but there is just no meat to the story.  The "villain" is a repentant drug lord who has purchased the Extremis virus for a very noble and personal cause.  His story is perhaps the strongest aspect of the issue and we see far too little of it.  I hope future issues can be as strong and innovative as Issue #1 was.  MARVEL MAYBE!

DEADPOOL # 2 and #3

Like Iron Man, Deadpool is released twice a month.  This is still a really fun book that I can get behind and endorse.  It has no real substance or baring to the Marvel Universe as a whole, it is just a guilty pleasure meant for sheer enjoyment.  It is very graphic and violent, but that is what has made Deadpool such a fun character in the past.  As Deadpool readies himself for war against the zombie presidents, he finds an ally in the ghost of Benjamin Franklin.  This is the book to check out for a very well crafted brain break.  Put the continuity arguments aside and just read it.  MARVEL NOW!

ALL NEW X-MEN # 2 and #3

I really didn't care that much for the first issue of All New X-Men.  As much as I liked the art and the initial concept, there was just a flat, lifeless quality to the overall issue.  Issue 2 really picked up the ball and ran with it.  While I still think Beast was acting way out of character by deciding time travel was a good idea, issue 2 explains his motivations even further when we learn that he is apparently dying.  It is very logical that a desperate man (or beast) would try something illogical to achieve peace of mind.  The characterization of the Original X-men team is picture perfect and it is fun to see how powerful the past version of Jean Grey is becoming in our time.  This second issue is a vast improvement.  MARVEL NOW! (For issue 2)
Issue 3 on the other hand is quite a let down.  The issue primarily features Cyclops and his team of revolutionaries, a team that seems incredibly rudderless.  They spend the issue bickering as their powers spiral out of control.  The cause for this loss of control is explained away as being a result of coming into contact with the Phoenix force.  Magneto's power fluctuations are lumped in to this coverall explanation, even though he wasn't possessed by the force, he just fought people who were.  And then there is the horrible character of Magik  (The sinister magic wielding sister of Colossus).  I never liked Magik, she was always a poorly written character whom I could never feel anything for.  She's even worse here.  The fact that her powers don't seem to be bothered by the fact that she was once possessed by the Phoenix force make me like her even less.  Maybe she is being built up to be the master manipulator here.  It would make more sense if she was the one messing with everyone's powers and changing Cyclops' attitude.   The only hope of this issue is that it builds up a confrontation between the classic X-Men and Cyclops' revolutionaries.  Next issue should be a lot better.  For now issue 3 is a...MARVEL MAYBE!

X-Men Legacy # 2:  I am not going to waste much time on this book...issue one was bad, issue two is worse.  This is a bad character, a bad writer and an even worse artist.  This book should never have been pitched, let alone published.  MARVEL NEVER!

 Uncanny Avengers # 2:  This is what the MARVEL NOW! movement should be about.  All of the books should be this good.  This is a pretty good team of characters facing the Red Skull, a villain who never really went after mutants at this level before.  The fact that he is a Nazi who believes in genetic cleansing makes him a perfect fit for the inaugural villain of this Avengers/X-Men merger.  The Avengers have fought him plenty of times and he is focusing on wiping mutants out.  The things he does in this issue are vile, wicked and absolutely fitting.  That is the strong point of the writing, all of these characters are working in ways you would expect...or hope.  The art is amazing, just as one would expect from John Cassaday.  If you followed his work on Planetary or Astonishing X-Men, you will see that this is a major improvement.  Not that his work was bad then, he just got a whole lot better.  As Scarlet Witch struggles with being manipulated by Red Skull and his newly found Professor X powers, Cassaday masterfully depicts her internal struggle.  Who knows how long Marvel Now! will play out, but I hope this book stays long after the relaunch fades from memory.  MARVEL WOW!

Avengers # 1:  Johnathan Hickman and Jerome Opena take over the company's flagship title by taking us in a new and somewhat unexpected direction.  The story starts out showing us glimpses of what's to come.  We quickly see the return of old heroes, new anti-heroes and a grim look at what may come.  To be honest, the book really surprised me, which is rare for a comic book to do.  We see a troubled Iron Man, questioning his place in the ever changing world and decides that the Avengers have to think bigger.  When a strange new group of self styled gods begin to terraform Earth in an attempt to create a paradise, their Eco-terrorism cost countless human lives, sending the Avengers on a mission to stop them.  We are soon left with a situation that is not unlike the classic GIANT SIZED X-MEN that gave us the New X-men team.  (Can you name them all?  Even the dead one?)  The set up is very smart and well crafted.  A new group Avengers will have their chance to shine.  The writing style is pretty straight forward, but the story does dip its toe into pleasantly weird territory.  teh issue reminds me of the excellent Grant Morrison run on the JLA.  We see standard super hero action augmented with high concept set pieces and ideas that could only see life on the comic book page.  If any of Hickman's Avengers scenes were translated into film faithfully, it could bankrupt most studios, and this is just the first issue.  The art follows the story perfectly, never taking away from the flow of ideas, presented in the script.  That was my main problem with Grant Morrison's JLA.  the stories were so High concept that they needed a detailed artist capable of letting our imaginations take flight.  Instead, we got the cartoonish, IMAGE-esque dreck churned out by Howard Porter.  Avengers does not have that problem at all.  Opena does a great job here.  The art would rival the best summer action movie.  Avengers delievers the perfect introduction into the Marvel Universe.  MARVEL AMAZING!

A + X #2:  I didn't really like the first issue of this series.  I thought the Captain America/Cable story was fun, but poorly motivated and unnecessary.  The Hulk/Wolverine story was far worse.  A+X #2 Starts off with a very cool opening story that gives us a Rouge and Black Widow crossover.  The art for the story is some of Chris Bachelo's best.  Beyond his Vertigo work, I was never that big of a fan of Bachelo.  But work like this is making me a permanent fan.  I think Bachelo needs his own ongoing book.  The follow up story is weak by comparison, but still a good read.  We see Kitty Pryde going for a job interview at Stark enterprises.  Of course, the situation gets out of hand and the alien Brood species attack.  That happens all the time when I interview for jobs.  This prompts a Kitty Pryde, Iron Man cross over.  A team up that no one would ever demand, but it was fun nonetheless.  MARVEL MAYBE!

Thunderbolts #1:  This is more of a re-imagining than a relaunch.  Other than the name, this team of Thunderbolts has nothing to do with the original team or any other incarnation.  The Red Hulk, General Thadeus "Thunderbolt" Ross travels the world, recruiting a team of specialized professionals.  That translates to...The Red Hulk recruits a team of ass-kickers to annihilate any enemy that gets in his way.  It is a very quick read, but engaging.  I can't wait to see what a team of Elektra, Punisher, Red Hulk, and Dead Pool can accomplish.  There is also the mystery woman whom I have yet to identify, but I imagine she will be a major player.  This is a very good start for fans of the edgier books.  The art by Steve Dillon is incredibly fitting given who the major players on the team are.  We don't get much of Dillon's Red Hulk, but I imagine next issue we will be treated to a very detailed, monstrous version of the character. MARVEL NOW!         

Amazing Spider-Man 698 and 699:  MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!  While these books are not actually part of the Marvel Now relaunch, they are essentially a "Road to Marvel Now" storyline.  In issue 698 Spider-Man visits a dying Doctor Octopus in prison.  The good (bad!) doctor is in really bad shape.  Artist Richard Elson depicts Doc Ock as a wrinkly, shriveled piece of dried sea food.  That's a compliment.  Elson does a great job of driving home the point that the old Spider-Man villain is really on his last days now.  It seems that Octavius knows Spider-Man's secret identity as he continues to ask for Peter Parker.  The Avengers go along with Spider-Man to the prison and the web-slinger asks to have a moment alone with his dying old foe.  That's when we learn that.....Spider-Man is Doc Ock and Peter Parker is trapped in his dying old body.
       Somehow the old villain swapped bodies with Spider-Man and plans on leaving him to die.  It's a pretty goofy plot twist.  This issue doesn't do anything other than drop the plot bomb on our laps.   The reveal by Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus wasn't all that threatening or fascinating.  In fact there are moments up to the reveal that are so uncharacteristically non Peter Parker that it sort of gives the story away, or at least made me feel that something was amiss.  How many times have we seen Peter Parker check himself out in the mirror or think about how wonderful his life is?  He is a career pessimist, that is what makes us love him.  Sith these dead giveaways, it's easy to see that something is going on.    The surprisingly dull dialogue that Slott gave Doc Spider-Man just reminded me of a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain.  "Like a good Magician I will not reveal my secrets.  You will die, never knowing how I performed my last, greatest trick."  Just add a "HAHAHAHA." to that exposition and he comes off sounding like Mo-Jo Jo-Jo from the Power Puff girls.  It also doesn't help matters that there is a big retro Doc Ock floating around Spider Octopus after the big reveal.  The whole script just seemed like something we have seen a hundred times before.  When I first read this, my initial fear was that it would be a horrible 90s style twist like the Clone Saga and we would learn that Peter Parker was Doctor Octopus for the past year or so.  I know that wouldn't make any sense since previous storylines featured Peter worrying about his secret identity being revealed because of his work for Horizon Labs.  However, the Clone Saga didn't make any sense either and they still ran with that idea for a long time.  I really liked everything Dan Slott has done with Amazing Spider-Man, but this issue was a major disappointment for me.  (MARVEL MAYBE! For issue 698)
        My disappointment didn't really last long.  699 takes the goofball plot twist that has been featured in comics ad-nauseum and really stretches it to its limits, in a surprising way.  The storyline is essentially the classic Prison Break/Great escape story, but with a comic book, science fiction twist.  Yeah, it's initially goofy but the way Slott plays around with the idea is what makes this issue so much better than the previous one.  First of all, we learn right away that this switch had just happened after the events in Spider-Man 697.  So, thankfully it wasn't like the Clone Saga.  Secondly, we don't see Doctor Octopus in Peter's body at all in this issue.  That takes his goofy gloating out of the equation.  This story is just about Peter being stripped of all of his usual resources and left to die in a seemingly inescapable prison cell.  This prison just happens to be the decrepit body of a decaying old super villain.  All Peter is left with is his brain and the thought patterns and memories of Doctor Octopus.  Slott is back to his old self in this issue by portraying a very resourceful and smart Parker who is still cracking jokes and fretting all while being in a terrible situation.  While I gave a lot of the storyline away, I wont tell you how this issue ends, but it builds toward a great finale for Amazing Spider-Man 700, which will end the series and spin off into the new Marvel Now! book, Superior Spider-Man.  MARVEL WOW!

Marvel claims that Peter Parker will no longer be Spider-Man after #700, but I just don't see that actually happening.  I have a feeling they are just using misdirection.  Perhaps Peter will assume an all new identity.  Or in a big twist we may even see the regular Marvel Universe version of Miles Morales.  For those who may have missed the Spider-Men Mini Series, the regular Marvel Universe (616) Peter Parker is taken into the Ultimate Universe by Mysterio where he discovers that his Ultimate counterpart was a teenager who died in the line of duty.  The 616 Spider-Man meets the new Ultimate Spider-Man, Miles Morales, a young super powered boy who took over the mantle.  Once the villain is defeated and our Peter Parker returns home to the 616 universe, he is intrigued at the thought of who Miles Morales is in our dimension.  So he googles him and is shocked at what he finds.  Then the story ends and we never know who the 616 Miles Morales is.  Could he eventually become the Superior Spider-Man?  It's just a wild guess.  I would actually be pleased with that outcome.  

With new issues coming out tomorrow and throughout December, January and February there will be a lot more to review and critique.  Whether you hate the new direction of Marvel Now! or  you love it, there will be plenty to talk about.

Please comment and let me know what you think about the books and my reviews. 

       

 

   
                     

NERD ALERT: Happy thanksgiving!

  Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!!

Please tell Power Girl to wear a freaking bra...it's the holidays, show some class.... 

NERD ALERT: MARVEL NEW! The latest issues.

      In the last installment of NERD ALERT I gave a rundown of the Marvel Now! books that have been released so far as well as a review of the Marvel Now! line as a whole.  Well, today two new Marvel Now! books have been released...Captain America (Volume 7, Issue 1) and The Indestructible Hulk (Volume 1, Issue 1).  As I mentioned in the previous installment, I am looking forward to almost all of the Marvel Now! books, I am just really annoyed that the launch cannot occur all in one month like DC did with the New 52.  I just don't see any valid reason for staggering the new books.
    I promise I will stop ranting on the subject and just review the books...

                                                           "Cap-Zilla destroys Tokyo....
                                                             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.

                                                           "Marvel and Disney finally cross:
                                                            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!         

Nerd Alert: Marvel Now! A look at what we have so far...

                              A raccoon with a machine gun...deal with it...MARVEL NOW!


    As much as I hated DC rebooting their entire universe and starting their stories over with the New 52, I have to admit that they sure knew how to launch new products.  In July and August 2011 all of the old books ran their last issues...some ending record setting runs like Action Comics with its 904th issue.  In September, DC began rolling out all 52 of the new issues, each book starting with a new number 1.
      While I didn't like starting from scratch, I have to admire how organized and professional the New 52 launch was.  Sure most of the books were flat out garbage, but they launched when they were supposed to.  All your garbage was on time!  I wish I could say the same about Marvel and their Marvel Now! launch.  Granted, Marvel Now! Is not a reboot, the continuity is unaffected and decades of storylines will remain untouched, however the initative was meant to relaunch old books with new #1 issues and set the whole universe in a new direction that spun out of the Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover.
      I am excited about almost all of these books, but they are all coming out in small little smatterings.  Where the first issues of the New 52 books rolled out every week in September of 2011 (we are up to the 14th issue of the remaining New 52 books, by the way), the Marvel Now launch seems so scatter shot and unorganized that it is hard to keep up with the release schedule.  The first Marvel Now! issue was Uncanny Avengers which arrived in October.  The second was a very disappointing anthology book called A + X (Get it?  Avengers plus X-men!  We are all one big happy family now!  Yay!) that also released in the last week of October.
      The rest of the books are arriving in inconsistent batches.  In November we will see 9 new/relaunched books:  All-New X-Men, Captain America, Deadpool, FF, Fantastic Four, Indestructible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor: God of Thunder, and X-Men Legacy.  December brings us 5 new/relaunched titles:  Avengers, Avengers Arena, Cable and the X-Force, New Avengers, and Thunderbolts.  The new #1s don't stop there either, they keep rolling out into the new year!  January brings us five more books:  Morbius: The living Vampire, Savage Wolverine, The Superior Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Force, and Young Avengers.  February will see the last five of the new #1s: Fearless Defenders, Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, Secret Avengers, and Uncanny X-Men.  Whew!  The only books to survive the relaunch/renumbering are Avengers Assemble, Daredevil, Journey into Mystery (Thor's original book), Red She-Hulk (Formerly Hulk then Red Hulk), and Wolverine and the X-men.
    So if you are keeping count (I wouldn't blame you if you weren't...it's confusing!)  that's a total of 26 new books all being launched over a space of 5 months.  (I didn't even count the excellent five issue "Avengers Vs. X-Men: Consequences." mini-series!)   DC launched 52 new books in one month!  One month!  What's the hold up, Marvel?   I understand that Marvel has taken time and is carefully wrapping up storylines before launching into the new titles, but there is no reason this couldn't have been done in November and launched the whole line in December.  I could do with out Brian Bendis' self serving "End Times" storylines in Avengers and New Avengers.  After reading these two presumably connected stories so far, I can't help but get the feeling that Bendis wanted to wrap everything up himself without letting anyone else play with his toys.  I won't give anything away if you haven't read them yet, but the "End Times" stories are basically mini-event based stories that make sweeping changes, clean house and tie up threads that have been hanging for a long time. Couldn't these matters have been taken care of months ago?  Rather than getting a billion dreadful "Avengers Vs. X-Men" tie-ins, we should have been seeing these issues.  I loved Bendis' early run on Avengers with Avengers: Disassembled and New Avengers, but his last story with the two books is just sub-par at best.
     Ranting and raving aside, let's take a look at the Marvel Now books that we have seen so far.  Are they worth your time and money?  Our Scale:  Marvel Wow! = A must read, can't miss book. Marvel Now! = A good read Marvel Maybe! = Not bad, not great Marvel No! = Don't read this crap!

Uncanny Avengers #1:  The first issue was set during the end of Avengers Vs. X-Men and the beginning of Consequences.  We basically see Captain America admitting that he didn't handle the war with Cyclops and his crew well.  Cap decides to create an Avengers team with an emphasis on Mutant relations.  The lineup will be led by Cyclops awesome brother Havoc and include Captain America, Rouge, Scarlet Witch, Thor and Wolverine.  So far, the build up was great.  We get to see lobotomized mutant villains attacking our new team!  So far, I like the idea of a merger between the Avengers and the X-men, it seems natural since more than a few X-men were also avengers at one time or another.  The first few pages show a mystery villain doing some mutant brain surgery...the final page reveals our villain is a great classic Marvel big bad who is going to use the brain of a powerful/dead classic marvel character to "Eradicate the mutant menace!".  I've never seen this guy fight mutants before. (Maybe in crossovers or when he/she teamed with Magneto, but never solo) So this should be a fun new team book, it carries a lot of A Vs. X baggage with it, so it's not the best jumping on point, but it does a good job of recapping what previously went down.  The only sad thing is that we will probably never see a movie version of this team.  Fox has the X-men film rights and Disney/Marvel Studios has the Avengers film rights, keeping this pairing a comic book only delight.  MARVEL NOW!

A + X #1:  I like anthologies.  I am a frugal person, so when I see two stories for the price of one, I am all over that book.  The problem is that most anthologies aren't that great.  Some stories are good, others are hit and miss and some are just flat out horrible.  This book gives you the latter two story types.  The whole idea of the book is to feature mini tales that pair Avengers characters with X-Men characters.  There just isn't any rhyme or reason for the pairings.  The introduction basically tells us that the stories may or may not be in continuity.  "Turn your brain of and enjoy!"  That would be easy to do if I enjoyed crap.  The first story pairs Captain America with Cable.  Remember when you were 12 and you really wanted to see that story.  Here it is and it's not that good.  Cap meets Cable during WWII.  Cable is on a mission to destroy time traveling Nazi Sentinels (Yeah, you read that right!).  Cap helps him destroy said robots and Bucky wishes he had a robot arm like Cable.  (A not too subtle hint at Bucky's Winter Soldier fate.)  The next story has Wolverine and Hulk argue over a piece of cake...yes.  A piece of cake.  Never mind that these guys have ripped into each other for decades.  Never mind that Wolverine first appeared in the Marvel Universe to KILL THE INCREDIBLE HULK...forget all that.  They want cake.  Then all of a sudden an old grizzled Wolverine (Possibly from Days of Future Past) and old grizzled Hulk (Possibly Maestro from Future Imperfect) attack the present day duo.  The future versions disappear and we learn that they were sent by the Future Red Hulk to kill his past self?  What the Hulk?  At least the first story made some sense and had a full story.  The second story didn't even have an ending.  Dreadful storytelling by Jeph Loeb, a writer who should know better.  The art was good, but who wants to see detailed art featuring a two usually brutal men eating cake.  MARVEL NO!

Iron Man:  This issue starts off the way a relaunch should.  We are introduced to the core players in a way that doesn't seem awkward or over explanatory.  This look at Iron Man gives us a character that is closer to the movie version than the previous series.  He even decides to stop making weapons (forgetting that he operates a walking, flying, shooting-everything-that-moves weapon) just like he did in the first movie.  This of course leads into a deadly weapon, the living technology known as the Extremis virus returning.  The storytelling is very solid and is a great jumping on point for new readers.  I loved Warren Ellis' original Extremis story and I hated when the Extremis was written out.  The techno virus turns its victim into a living super computer.  When Tony Stark was infected in the previous series, he was able to control his suit and other tech with his mind.  He basically had super powers for the first time.  We don't know if Extremis is going to be re-introduced into Stark's DNA but since the virus is tied into the story for Iron Man 3, I think it is safe to say so.  The art is very crisp and true to the characters.  Tony doesn't look too much like Robert Downey Jr. like some of the previous artists have done.  It's worth checking out as the story develops.  MARVEL WOW!

Fantastic Four:  If you read my Avengers Assemble review a while ago, you know I love Mark Bagley.  I love seeing him draw more than just Spider-Man, so this new Fantastic Four title is a visual treat.  Matt Fraction is just the luckiest, lack luster writer this side of Chuck Austen.  For those of you who don't know, Chuck Austen was a critically panned, writer who fans seemed to loath and yet the guy wrote the X-Men, the Avengers and Captain America.  I actually liked some of Chuck Austen's work.  His Avengers run was fun.  I do not like anything that Matt Fraction has been writing.  I just can't see how he is getting all of these amazing writing jobs.  Just look at how awful Fear Itself was....he "killed" Thor for the one millionth time...only to replace him with a troll and bring him back a few issues later.  Now we see a Fantastic Four where their powers are fading and killing them and Mr. Fantastic must take his whole crew (For a book called Fantastic Four, there are about 50 supporting cast members) in a time/space ship/floating school in order to find a cure.  While they are gone from our universe they will be replaced by a new team...The FF which debuts later this month.  I am looking forward to that book, this one was a by the numbers....changing the status-quo story that Matt Fraction is known for.  Nothing revolutionary here.  The art is brilliant as usual.  If you want a great story look into Mark Millar's Fantastic Four run or the recent Johnathan Hickman run.  Both are brilliantly told on different levels.  This book is dangerously close to boring.  MARVEL MAYBE!

Thor: God of Thunder:  I didn't like Matt Fraction's Mighty Thor title.  It was just boring and not at all the type of Thor story that hooked me in.  I was happy to see the book go.  While I wasn't a huge fan of The Avengers Vs. X-Men series, I loved the issues written by Jason Aaron.  He can tell a big story while still holding onto character and substance.  God of Thunder builds up a cool mystery.  Some force is killing ancient Gods and Thor needs to crack the case before his Asgardians are next.  Yeah, stories like that have been told before, but it is the way the story is unfolding that makes for an interesting book.  We see young Thor in the age of vikings...a hotheaded jerk, not unlike the Chris Hemsworth movie version before Odin banished him.  Young Thor encounters a murdered god and centuries later his contemporary self encounters more slain gods on an alien world that has forgotten their elder gods.  It's also cool to learn that Thor actually hears prayers made to him and answers them.  I have never seen that touched upon before.  The issue ends with the mystery deepening in the far future where a one-eyed, one armed grizzled Thor sits on the Asgard throne.  He arms (literally!) himself with his metal replacement arm and fights weird god killing dog like beasts.  The stage is set and I am really looking forward to the rest of the story.  The art is very good and depicts all three eras in unique ways.  There is no confusing the timelines.  The story is strong and doesn't reveal too much, but enough to keep me interested.  MARVEL WOW!

X-Men: Legacy:  This is a book that just doesn't need to exist, let alone be part of the Marvel Now! relaunch.  The story follows Legion, the son of the late Professor X.  The art is choppy and the storytelling is even choppier.  The story is all over the place and the only character we remotely know or have any history with is Legion himself.  He isn't even a character that anyone can relate to or root for.  We are talking about the guy whose only claim to fame was accidentally killing his father (How many times has he "died") setting off the awesome Age of Apocalypse storyline.  Being the catalyst for a nearly 20 year old event is not enough to warrant your own book.  Just avoid this.  It won't last long.  MARVEL NO!     

All-New X-Men:  I am not sure what the pitch meeting was for this book, but I was excited to see Brian Bendis branch out and write a book with characters he hasn't really worked with before.  The premise is just a little ridiculous...even for an X-Men book.  We meet Cyclops and his new revolutionary/extreme crew co-captained by Magneto.  They avenge mutants who were harmed by anti-mutant groups and rescue a young mutant woman who can alter time and space.  The whole mission is broadcast on television and The X-Men are not amused.  Ice Man wants to arrest Cyclops which would undoubtedly start another Marvel Civil War.  Beast comes up with a "brilliant" plan.  Time travel to the past, before Cyclops became such a dick.  This way, past Cyclops can talk some sense into current Cyclops.  Of course, from the cover and all the previews we know that the whole original X-Men team will come to the present day.  Yeah, the story will have a lot of interesting meetings between old and modern teams, and it will be cool to see Jean Grey react to a world that has seen her die twice, but this just doesn't seem like a plan Beast would actually come up with.  "Hey guys, I know we are risking damage to the space time continuum, but the old Cyclops was much cooler than our current jerk Cyclops...maybe a chat would set things in order!"  Not a smart idea from a supposed super genius.  There was even a woman who was manipulating time at the beginning of the story!  She could have accidentally brought the old team to the present day, that would have been more believable (for the comic book world) than the Beast thinking this was a great plan.  I hope the time altering woman has some kind of part in this premise.  The foundations of this book just seem to weak to last very long.  It's not a bad book, just a very limited idea in a field that usually has no limits on storytelling.  MARVEL MAYBE!

Deadpool  I am a huge fan of this character.  In the 90s, writer Joe Kelly took the idea of Deadpool and added "Lunatic" to his profile.  Yes, he still has a healing ability and kills for money, but now he is insane and often breaks the barrier by talking directly to the reader.  The book was very funny but was mishandled many times after Joe Kelly left.  Brian Posehn is a stand up comedian and comic book fan who you may be familiar with from the Comedians of Comedy tour.  As the new Deadpool writer, he is breathing a hilarious new life into the character and giving us a crazy plot involving the resurrection of great American presidents as evil zombies.  Deadpool is hired by SHIELD to double kill the zombie presidents and avoid chaos.  This ends badly in this issue...it is sure to be a riot.  I highly recommend this read if you are not easily offended.  MARVEL WOW!

Well, there you have it, those are the books we have so far, I will keep updating my reviews as the books hit the shelves.  Happy reading!
   

Nerd Alert: Is "Avengers Assemble" worth your comic book buck?

Whether you liked the recent "Avengers" movie or not, there is one undeniable factoid...it made a whole lot of money. Over a billion dollars world wide. Naturally when a project like the "Avengers" film is that successful their are spin offs galore. The most obvious would be "Avengers Assemble", an on-going comic book series that debuted right before the film's release and features the same cast of characters. It's like printing money. You have a built in fan base from the movie and a pre-existing fan base from the comics and bam! Instant gold, right? Well...Your book still has to be good. I would like to say that Avengers Assemble is good, but I can't. It's not flat out bad mind you, it just isn't the Avengers book that I would choose to represent the characters to a mainstream audience. Here is a short rundown of the story thus far: A super powered secret society known as the Zodiac has attacked various government sites across the globe, these actions have brought together the group of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor,The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye (The movie line-up). After being individually defeated by the Zodiac the assembled Avengers...assemble...again (It's the title) and give the bad guys the beat down until they run crying to their master. That master in question is
SPOILER ALERT (If you haven't seen the end credits of the Avengers movie you need to stop reading and get out more...seriously the movie is like 3 months old already!) Thanos. The purple faced big bad gives our guys the beat down and disappears with his stolen goodies, the ultra shiny, ultra destructive cosmic cube. When all seems lost and the Avengers seem like they are in over their heads they are helped out by the guardians of the galaxy, picture them as a space themed version of the Avengers with aliens and a talking, gun wielding raccoon.

Now that you are all caught up, let's talk writing. Brian Micheal Bendis is a great writer and he has done a great job on some of the best Avengers stories. His "New Avengers" run is hands down one of my favorite super hero team books. However, his style is very different here, it is as if the company gave him the directive to write down to the fans and create a loose, somewhat sloppy plot that would appeal to the masses. It is not your typical well thought out, well executed BMB storyline. Not only is the plot insultingly formulaic, it reads as if it were written by a committee of executives rather than one writer. For example, not only are the cast of characters from the movie, the main villain and supporting allies are all rumored to appear in the sequel. From his awesome appearance at the end of the first movie, it is obvious that Thanos will appear in part 2. What you may not know is that the Guardians of the Galaxy are rumored to appear as well and spin off into their own franchise. If that is truly the case then this book is just a commercial tie-in, a marketing tool to introduce newcomers to characters that they will see more of in the sequel. It's a smart business move, but not the best way to build a plot. To his credit though, Bendis still has some great character moments with his patented snappy banter.

On the artistic side of things, Mark Bagley is still one of the greatest artists Marvel comics has on tap. If you loved his fluid, detailed and fun take on Amazing Spider Man and later Ultimate Spider Man, you will love this more. It is a wide screen epic that Bagley was born to draw. If you are willing to put up with the filler of a bad plot you are in store for some eye candy.

Overall, this book does not make it clear when the story is taking place, or if it fits in the regular Marvel Universe at all. Besides the fact that each character looks more like their movie counterpart than their normal comic book look, there is no mention of what is happening with the on-going Avengers/X-men crossover. That series features everyone in the marvel universe fighting everyone else. It is a massive war that involves the destructive power of the Phoenix entity, yet we get no mention of it here, plus keep in mind that all of these Avengers should be fighting the x-men and can't possibly be in two places at once. With all of that baggage, I can only recommend this book to the casual buyer or child who just wants to read the most basic of stories accompanied with great art, because that's all you're getting here.