Excelsior to you, members of the Merry Marvel Marching Society.
Remember, dear robots: because of the Independence Day holiday, comics will be delayed until Thursday. If you show up on Wednesday to buy comics, I believe Glenn Beck will mark you as a communist who does not celebrate the birth of our country.
On to the Reviews!
This week, I took in several books, some of them just randomly, others because I was interested or had been reading them. First:
Amazing Spiderman #636
Man, I am out of the continuity on Spiderman. But, I guess, Kraven is back. As in resurrected. And it looks like Spidey is dead, nailed to the wall like some garish cross between a crucifix and a hunting trophy. Spiderman as Jesus? I guess so. Meanwhile, animals have escaped from the Central Park zoo and are going crazy, Spiderman’s cohorts are locked up and in danger, and Madam Web is having visions. It reminds me of why I hated the clone saga. But this isn’t that terrible. In fact, the art is dark and brooding, and so if you’re into that, rather than the colorful Ultimate Spiderman, well, you’re in luck. Very Frank Miller Batman-esque.
Story: 3 stars
Art: 3 stars
Ability to step in if you haven’t been reading this book faithfully: 1 star
Recommendation: Maybe I need to pick up the previous two books in the continuity to fully get it, but this is good. Or just go read the trade paperback of Kraven’s Last Hunt?
Hawkeye & Mockingbird #2
Our favorite crimefighting Avenger couple is at it again. In this issue, we delve into Mockingbird’s past and her family, and the noose tightens as Crossfire and the Spirit of Vengeance come closer to exacting their revenge.
I thought it was a little plodding and soap opera drama for most of the book– more like an episode of The Gilmore Girls than a comic book… until the final pages. And OMG….. the best thing you can say of a comic is it made you want to read the next one. Sold.
Story: 2 1/2 stars
Dialogue: 2 stars
Art: 2 stars
Cliffhanger? 3 stars!!!!
Recommendation: If you like these characters, buy it. But you are already, aren’t you?
MY PICK FOR THE WEEK:
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade
I loved the Young Avengers. Great concept. Great team. Great characters. A team of Avengers who are teens with awesome powers that mirror current and former avengers, and most with superhero parents and grandparents. And yet each is an individual character with real heart and emotions– not just powers on top of some facade. I also loved that they took the risk of making some of the characters gay. I know that can be seen as a little gimmicky, but it always just seemed to work in the context of this book. Just great.
And so, when in Avengers #1 at the beginning of the new Heroic Age (last month), Kang the Conquerer announces that the children of the Avengers will cause the end of the world… immediately I think of the Young Avengers.
And so, in this book, Cap, Iron Man, and Ms. Marvel show up to intercept Wiccan, a teen with all the powers of the Scarlet Witch. They’re concerned his powers are becoming out of control, especially after he takes down an entire team of nuclear-armed terrorists and doesn’t even remember doing it. Remember, it was the power of the Scarlet Witch that Disassembled the Avengers in Avengers: Disassembled. It was Scarlet Witch in House of M who caused the death of thousands of mutants and loss of powers for countless more. So, could Wiccan be on this same path?
Beyond the awesome subject matter, this is the best art of any book this week. Hands. Down.
Story: 4 stars
Dialogue: 3 stars
Insertion of gay subplot: 3 1/2 stars (yay for gay superheroes!)
Art: 4 stars
Reccomendation: PICK THIS UP. IF IT IS THE ONLY MARVEL COMIC YOU GET THIS WEEK, GET THIS BOOK.
Tales of the Pet Avengers: The Dogs of Summer #1
Oh come on, you know you want to pick this up. It’s just so cuddly and wuvable! Franklin Richards and his time-traveling puppy! And hijinks ensue!
Use of pets in a comic: 3 stars
Recommendation: Sure, why not?
Other Recommendation for the week:
We don’t always get to choose what books Marvel chooses to share with us in advance to review, but I have to pimp a book I haven’t yet read just based on reputation alone. I would’ve liked to have read Wolverine Origins #50 or the new X-men (it’s gots vampires! how trendy!) to bring you firsthand reviews of those, but there is one comic I can heartily recommend even having not read word one of it:
SCARLET #1
From Marvel:
THE AWARD WINNING, BEST SELLING, POWERHOUSE CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND DAREDEVIL, HALO, AND THE AVENGERS UNLEASH THIR BOLDEST PROJECT YET! SCARLET! This is the comic experience of the year! The first creator owned series by one of the most successful teams in all of modern comics. Scarlet is the story of a woman pushed to the edge by all that is wrong with the world. A woman who decides to stand up and fight back. A woman who will not back down. A woman who discovers within herself the power to start a modern American revolution!! In the vein of Alias, Powers, and Jinx, Scarlet debuts a fascinating new comics character that, with every issue, reveals new things about herself against a completely original backdrop of intrigue and drama. Get in on the ground floor.
I love Brian Michael Bendis’s work. Alias/The Pulse were some of my favorites when they ran. Same with Powers. I’m hoping for great things from this comic. I will be picking this up, and the only reason you shouldn’t do the same is if you’re already planning on buying the trade paperback. And please remember, every time you trash the comic industry and how they don’t let writers and artists get into the creator-owned game, just remember that if you don’t support Marvel’s foray into creator-owned comics, this will probably be the LAST creator owned comic put out by Marvel. It’s like local music or your local arthouse cinema: if you don’t support it, it will go away. So take a chance with your $3.99 and see what you think?
So until next week, remember to support your local comic store, and so, until Tony Stark finds a cocktail (or cocktail waitress) he cannot conquer, MAKE MINE MARVEL!