Marvel Triple Action: Reviews: June 2009 Archives

Amazing Spider-Man has never been better since Brand New Day.  There's been a number of Internet fans upset over One New Day, but I think Joe Quesada is a saint for pulling that off.  Erasing Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane was long overdue, but the masterstroke that no one saw coming was bringing back Harry Osborn.  I didn't think too much of it at the time, but Harry's conflicts have become as much a part of the drama as Peter's.  Harry is constantly tempted by his girlfriend and father to return to a life of insanity and evil.  In Marc Guggenheim's Character Assassination, Peter wouldn't have survived his battle with Maniac unless Harry had intervened.  Harry finds inner sources of strength to do the right thing, which, given his troubles in the past, make him even more impressive than Peter.

Amazing Spider-Man #598 is the next chapter in Harry's evolution, as he finally learns the truth about what Norman Osborn and Lily have really been up to all this time.  I enjoyed the side of the story that centers around Harry; the one surrounding Spider-Man doesn't seem that great to me.  There's something inconsistent about that black costume Reed Richards whipped up for Peter to impersonate Venom.  The costume can repel a gunshot fired at point blank range to his head.  Yet in issue #597 it did not appear to repel Bullseye\Hawkeye's arrows.  Why didn't Peter's Spider-Sense kick in and allow him to dodge those arrows anyway?  Peter was just too easily captured in that chapter.  He's tortured pretty badly by Bullseye in this chapter--at least he has trouble running away at the very end.

The Adventures of Harry Osborn part of the story is getting me through American Son.  What the heck, l am buying this book no matter what.

The cover to Dark Avengers #6 was very enticing.  I have to say it's one of the best covers I've seen in a while:  Captain Marvel (Noh-Varr, Marvel Boy, whatever) hunted down by the Void.  Wow, this is the moment when Marvel Boy finally becomes a man and a force for good.  I've waited a few years for this.  It should be amazing, right?

Well, it's not, because the scene on the cover doesn't take place inside this issue.

Not that Bendis doesn't tease you a little.  Marvel Boy slept with Moonstone\Ms. Marvel in the previous issue, and she blurted out the truth (the new Avengers are really villains) to him in bed.  He seemed stunned by the news.  In this issue, as the team gathers for breakfast, Noh-Varr is AWOL.  He never shows up at all.  I'm curious why they had this cover made when the event never happens.  Although I shouldn't be surprised--New Avengers #50 was the same deal.

What does happen in Dark Avengers #6 is still interesting--we're seeing Norman Osborn slowly become unglued with each chapter of this series.  After a rogue Atlantean splinter cell attacks Los Angeles, Osborn assembles the Dark Illuminati--including the Sub-Mariner--to discuss how to fix it.  Osborn screams at Namor, who doesn't take kindly to orders from a human.  It was exactly as Doom predicted in the Dark Illuminati special.  Osborn takes steps to correct the situation without their help, using the Sentry as his weapon.  Osborn appears to be able to communicate with both the Sentry and the Void, but it's a delicate negotiation--one mistake and the Void could be unleashed against the Dark Avengers.

I'm very curious to see what happens over the next few weeks and months.  Namor is going to be really pissed off at Osborn.  But we've already seen Namor on upcoming covers with the Dark X-Men.  How do these two events get reconciled?  Since Matt Fraction is writing the next few Dark Avengers issues, there has to be a reason.

Thor had a tremendous giant-sized anniversay issue #600, where Loki's greatest scheme paid off big time.  Thunder God was stripped of his Monarchy and exiled from New Asgard.  While Balder has become the new King and led his people to Latveria (with some bad advice from Loki), Thor is dealing with the unthinkable-- a broken Uru hammer. 

In Thor #602, he gets help from the one person who can help--of course--Doctor Strange.  Strange can repair Mjolnir, but it will cost the Thunder God the Odinforce he inherited after his father's death.  This is kind of cool in a way--I've been thinking that Thor is way too powerful anyway.  He can't be threatened by the Absorbing Man if he can move Asgard around like it's nothing.  In another way, it's bringing Thor's world back around to the status quo--before Ragnarok, before his monarchy.  I wouldn't be surprised now if Odin eventually comes back.  Most changes in comics get reset back eventually, don't they?

By the end of the issue, the dangling plot thread with Sif (trapped in a dying woman's body) is finally resolved.  It's not that unusual--what is great is that Thor sacrificed a tremendous amount to get her back.  It feels a bit rushed in the execution.  It seemed like this took plotline took forever, because of this title's uneven publication history.  

The big news this week is that JMS is leaving Thor in September 2009.  His last issues will be Thor #603 (in August) and a Giant-Sized special in September.  In his exit interview at CBR, he drops some tantalizing hints about Marvel's next big event that involves the Thunder God.  Possibly the end of Dark Reign and the start of something new?  At any rate, I am sure Thor will be published more frequently when a new creative team comes on board.  My vote for a new writer:  Matt Fraction.  He did a great job on that Thor God-Sized special.

Not to mention this lineup of Liltin' Landmarks: 

New Avengers 54:  I was really, really prepared to hate this issue.  Taking my beloved Brother Voodoo and making him Doctor Voodoo seemed dumb.  But the execution in this story makes the change fun and exciting.  Any story that brings together Doc Strange, Brother Voodoo, and the Son of Satan together is pretty cool in my book.  I enjoyed this joke that Spider-Man made over Daimon Hellstrom's doom and gloom warning:  You...should write greeting cards.  Really.  Made me laugh out loud.

Daredevil 119:  The Kingpin looks to be double crossing Daredevil and getting himself back in position to become New York City's crimelord.  Matt Murdock, how could you be so naive?  All changes in comics get reset back eventually.  Nuff said.

My pick of the week is pretty surprising--a comic that wasn't originally on my radar at all: the Young Allies 70th Anniversary Special.  A lot of these Golden Age tributes have been pretty good, but this one is outstanding.  It's written by Roger Stern, one of my favorite Marvel writers who worked on Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, and countless other characters.

The Young Allies consisted of a gang of kid characters that fought together in World War 2, with Bucky and Toro as the headliners, and some other kids known as the Sentinels of Liberty.  Think of them as Marvel's version of Kirby's Newsboy Legion.

This Anniversary story takes place in current Marvel time, as Bucky visits Arlington Cemetery and remembers his former team-mates.  Bucky tells the story in first person narration.  One of the great things about having Bucky back is that we get a whole new perspective on a man displaced out of time--who relates more to octogenarians from WW 2 than anyone else.  Bucky recalls an earlier adventure with the Allies and manages to locate a couple of the remaining survivors.  There's a cool post VE-Day tale set in Paris where the Allies encounter a rogue group of Nazis hell-bent on implementing Hitler's plan to engulf the city in flames.

But this comic isn't cool because of the action.  It's great because of Bucky's inner monologue and the comradeship he experiences with his friends.  It's very touching and sentimental.  The score from Band of Brothers played in my head as I read this comic.  I'm a sucker for this type of story.  If the credits had been left off the title page, I would have said that Brubaker or even Brian K. Vaughn had written this story.  That's no insult to Stern, just a testament that he's a great writer.  This is the guy who wrote The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man.  I hope Marvel continues to give him more work.

Captain America #600 made the news headlines on Monday.  Marvel had telegraphed this in advance, and I could predict that this had something to do with Steve Rogers returning.  I wasn't able to buy the issue until Wednesday.  I rushed out to Jeffrey's Toys in downtown San Francisco and managed to snag one of the last copies with this fantastic Alex Ross cover.  I love it--the cover alone justifies the cover price for me.  It should be a poster.

It's a good solid story that weaves together many plot threads from Brubaker's run and elsewhere in the Marvel Universe: WW2 flashbacks, the Red Skull, the 1950s Captain America, Crossbones, the Falcon, Hawkeye and Norman Osborne's Dark Avengers.  The Bucky from Heroes Reborn shows up to pal around with Patriot from the Young Avengers.  The main excitement is in Sharon Carter remembering more details about Steve Rogers' death, that there was a special weapon involved and it might lead to his revival.

Brubaker is great at when it comes to executing these fake-outs that make you think he's killed a major Marvel character.  He didn't get me with Steve Rogers.  He did get me with Foggy Nelson.  After Nelson was revealed to be alive and in FBI custody, Brubaker wrote in a Daredevil letter column: C'mon, you didn't think I'd really kill Foggy, did you?  After that, I can't believe Brubaker will kill any character in his Marvel series.

The excuse to bring back Steve Rogers is a bit flimsy, but it's well done nonetheless.  I don't think the big question is how Steve Rogers comes back.  The big deal is what happens to Bucky as Captain America.  He's just cooler than beans, with that shiny costume and gun.  I really liked having him face his demons from the past, teaming up with Namor, and leading the New Avengers.  The only resolution to this situation would be to have two Captain Americas.  DC Comics is facing the same problem with Barry Allen and Wally West.

It seems like it took a long time for Deadpool #11 to arrive!  It's been about six weeks since we read the first part of this current arc, which ended with Dark Hawkeye (Bullseye) shooting Deadpool through the skull with an arrow.  Deadpool has been one of my favorite titles since it started, and Daniel Way has proven himself to be one of the funniest writers around.  I often laugh out loud reading each issue.

Part 2 of the big showdown is loaded with bizarre jokes and gags.  Bullseye calls a radio therapist to discuss a personal problem:  why he just can't bear to kill Wade.  Torturing him is just too much fun, as it turns out.  Deadpool stumbles around with the arrow stuck in his head, which makes him even dumber than usual.  He recovers and eventually faces Bullseye again, and comes up with a cunning device of self-defense.

Two words I'll always remember from this issue:  Meat Suit.  I'll say no more. 

Deadpool and Bullseye are the Martin & Lewis comedy team of the Marvel Universe.  Way is a twisted genius. If you're not buying this comic, you're really missing out.

Not to mention this lineup of Liltin' Landmarks:

War of Kings Ascension #3:  Darkhawk learns more about the Raptors and why Talon has suddenly returned.  We also see the assassination attempt on Lilandra in War of Kings #4 from Darkhawk's POV.  Darkhawk is now fully immersed in the central conflict of this war.  I haven't read such a fun and well coordinated event since the Avengers-Defenders war.

Mighty Avengers #26: Hank Pym teaches Reed Richards a thing or two after he invades the Baxter Building to regain Bill Foster's Wave Inducer.  Robot fetishists will love the scene between Pym and Yocasta.  Next issue promises to reveal a new Avengers base--can't wait to see what that is.

A good week.  Make Mine Marvel!  Nuff said.

I'm always looking back on the Bronze Age of my childhood, but I read modern comics as well.  I tried initially to write new reviews here and failed miserably.  I just can't review each and every comic that comes out each week.  But I can review three comics that I read which made an impact on me.  They won't necessarily be from the past week, just the ones I read recently.

The War of Kings has absolutely floored me ever since it spun out of Secret Invasion in January.  It elevates one my favorite teams, the Inhumans, to super-star status in the Marvel Universe.  It brings together the Starjammers, Lilandra, the Imperial Guard, Havok, Ronan the Accuser, Darkhawk, and Vulcan in a summer blockbuster that Hollywood would never be able to film.  This issue ratchets up the action with Lilandra making a bid to take over the throne on the Shi'Ar homeworld.  But things go terribly wrong and Guardian proves that sometimes he is indeed fallible.

There are quieter character moments in this series that make it better than average.  Crystal was forced into marriage with Ronan the Accuser, who she once thought repellant, but now her emotions are changing.  The Inhumans are trying to find a way to use the Terrigen Mists on the Kree--think of David Brin's Uplift novels--but this plan seems to have failed.

War of Kings has sucked me into the rest of Abnett and Lanning's star-spanning Marvel mythos.  The Darkhawk mini-series and War of Kings: Ascension has brought Talon into WoK #4.  Talon is a fellow Raptor who has pledged his services to Vulcan, who he believes serves the "Great Purpose" to keep the Shi'Ar Empire strong.  Now I am catching up Guardians of the Galaxy and the past Annihilation issues as well.  Great stuff.

I've liked lot of the things Dan Slott has brought to Mighty Avengers.  He's brought back a lot of classic Avengers elements (Jarvis, Vision, Quicksilver, Hercules, etc) while twisting them for the current Marvel universe.  He really faked me out big time with the Scarlet Witch in the first three issues--who turned out to be Loki in disguise.  That's a con that goes way back to Avengers #1.  While Slott's stories have been good, I haven't really cared for the artwork.  It's a shame.  Bendis has been given superlative art on the other Avengers titles.  I think Slott's run would really pop with better artists.

Another thing I don't care for: Pym calling himself the Wasp.  It seems stupid.  I'll always prefer Yellowjacket.  What are they going to do when Janet Van Dyne returns from the whatever limbo she's residing in?

Despite the art, the story in issue #25 kicks off a new storyline gives us a lot of fun that only Slott can bring.  Pym's incredible new Avengers Mansion (or his super fantastic new lab), which exists outside of time and space, is losing it's connection to Earth when the Avengers escaped from Norman Osborne in the previous issue.  Pym can fix the problem if he can get Bill Foster's Wave Inducer, which is in the possession of Reed Richards--the MacGuffin for this arc.  Richards refuses to give it to Pym, because of his past mental problems.  Even more insulting, Richards tells him, I know more about Pym Particles than you.  Pym replies, It's on, bitch.  And then he goes about designing a full-on invasion of the Baxter Building and how his merry band of Avengers will take on the Fantastic Four.  I always like to see two super-teams fight each other, no matter how weak the excuse!

Matt Fraction has revitalized Uncanny X-Men since he took over, but it always seems one taco short of a combination plate.  I must confess that I am lost in the current Return of Madelyn Pryor arc.  I thought she kidnapped Psylocke to take over her body, but apparently she really wanted to inhabit Jean Grey's dead corpse?  I don't get it at all.  I find Greg Land's artwork very disorienting during the actions scenes.  The fight scene (where Pryor's Sisterhood team invades the X-headquarters) in last month's UM #510 very hard to follow.

I know Marvel thinks having Land and Terry Dodson on the art puts two of their best super-stars on the title.  But it's really strange going back and forth between them.  Land's X-men seems to take place in a world resembling Vogue magazine.  Dodson's X-Men takes place in the world of Maxim and Stuff magazine.  One month Storm is built like Angela Bassett, the next month she's got the body of Vivica Fox.  I like each woman, but call me old-fashioned, I'd just like a little consistency.

The current issue, Uncanny X-Men #511, was a little bit better and gives me hope for the future.  There are two terrific battles which are well executed.  Storm, the White Queen, Karma, and Dazzler take on the Sisterhood's HQ in San Francisco.  Cyclops, Wolverine, and Colossus head to the X-Men's old hangout in Westchester to stop Pryor before she unearths Jean Grey's body.  If all of this wasn't enough, Domino shows up as well!

What is really good about this issue is the soap opera elements.  Cyclops and Wolverine aren't talking after the revelation that Logan kept a lock of Jean Grey's hair in his room.  The dialogue between Madelyn and Scott is perfect: You always wanted me to be Jean all over again.  And when all the fighting is over, Hank McCoy pierces the thin bubble surrounding the secrets kept by Scott and Emma Frost.

Those are steps in the right direction.  The X-Men isn't an action comic, it's a soap opera drama.  Nuff said.