New Comics - Week of November 25, 2009

The greatest story in all of comics comes to end, along with JMS's reign on Thor, in Thor: Defining Moments Giant Size #1. Loki has moved Asgard to Latveria and given Dr. Doom immortality. Baldur's rule is constantly in trouble and Thor is none too pleased with his current status. Expect brilliance tomorrow, especially with Siege right around the corner.

We get a double dose of Blackest Night the last Wednesday of this month too, matching that of October's. In Blackest Night #5, the true mastermind of the Black Light, Nekron - Lord of the Undead, has finally showed his face as Flash tries to gather the forces of good to defend Earth long enough for Green Lantern's return. Expect him to beat down some of DC's finest while Hal Jordan is off uniting the other Lanterns of light for an offensive. In Green Lantern #48, Blackest Night's best tie-in, we get to see Hal Jordan's mission play out. He went to the rescue of the Blue Lanterns last issue, which turned out to be a wise decision, not only because they are the most powerful, but also because they were in dire need of assistance. Atrocitus seemed to be on a similar mission himself after some Black Lanterns really pissed him off. Expect to see how that plays out as he hooks up with Larfleeze, the one and only Orange Lantern.

Other big releases are Amazing Spider-Man #613, Invincible Iron Man #20, New Avengers #59, and Secret Warriors #10. Electro will duke it out with Spidey in his title. Tony Stark lays brain-dead as Thor comes to his aide in the first chapter of "Stark: Disassembled." In New Avengers, Spider-Man (he gets around this week), teams up with Spider-Woman in battle. And "God of Fear/God of War" comes to a close in Secret Warriors.

I must say that what will probably be the most entertaining book of the week has yet to be mentioned. After reading Thor and the Blackest Night titles, I will quickly jump over to Ms. Marvel #47. More than half a year ago, Spider-Man agreed to help Ms. Marvel out only if she agreed to go on a date with him. Well he helped her out and she pays the price this week. I don't care if there is no fighting at all in this issue. I just want some awkward comedy. Plus, Brian Reed writes a great Spidey.

Read more!

Reviews - Week of November 18, 2009

***Book of the Week***

Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1
Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning / Artist: Pablo Raimondi
This book has got a lot going for it. First of all, it stars the Inhumans, which will almost always get you "Book of the Week" status. This group is by far the most interesting ensemble in the Marvel Universe. I love their various powers, personalities, and ambitions, but their best quality is their family structure. The Inhumans succeed because they love each other and know their responsibilities to their people. Whether it's Medusa's mourning, Crystals sympathy, Gorgon's anger, or Maximus's scheming, Abnett and Lanning do a fantastic job reiterating all the qualities that make this cast amazing. Another thing the book has going for it is that it shows the Inhumans' dominance over other races. Too many times, I've seen this powerful team beaten by the likes of the Fantastic Four or some weird humanoids. My Inhumans really pummel any would-be rioters in this book in the most refreshing of ways. I also loved some budding story elements. Gorgon's popularity amongst the people seems to be a particularly juicy element that could cause some dissension. And thank goodness Maximus is mischievous and conniving again. He was a little subservient in War of Kings, which really rubbed me the wrong way. The only thing about this book that I didn't absolutely love, is Pablo Raimondi's art. His characters are a little stiff looking and have a doll-like quality to them. His choice of a black dress inspired by Black Bolt for Medusa was a particularly nice touch though. If you have ever read Silent War or any other book with the Inhumans in it, make sure you pick this one up.
IGN - 8.4/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5

---

Realm of Kings (one-shot)
Writer: Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning / Artist: Leonardo Manco, Mahmud A. Asrar
For anyone who is a huge Quasar fan or extremely interested in what lies beyond that big rip in space caused by Black Bolt and Vulcan, this book is for you. Myself? I've hardly ever heard the name Quasar and I got the gist of the Fault from Realm of Kings: Inhumans (it's dangerous). Despite its mostly uninteresting premise, Abnett and Lanning do tell an entertaining action story of an alternate universe where the good guys (and everyone else for that matter) are evil. That story has been told a millions times before though. Heck, isn't that what Dark Avengers is about? The art is also a little back and forth, due to two different artists with vastly different styles. Their difference actually resembles an episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants when he goes onto dry land and they use real life shots (hilarious in that, but not in this). Even though this one-shot turned out to be not-so-important, I still enjoyed seeing a different take on some of my favorite heroes and got a small glimpse into why the Fault is such a danger to the Marvel Universe.
IGN - 8.3/10
Comic Book Resources - 3/5
Comics Bulletin - 3/5

---

Amazing Spider-Man #612
Writer: Mark Waid, Joe Kelly / Artist: Paul Azaceta, Ken Niimura
Did you expect this book to sell out in stores so fast? Marvel has been hyping the Gauntlet vigorously, but a Spider-Man comic hardly ever sells out. Kudos to the Marvel hype machine. I was able to get a copy and I have to say it was mediocre...but with a lot of potential. I appreciate the new take on Electro quite a bit, but for anyone who finds Norman Osborn's recent rise to power and popularity a little unbelievable, you will hate this book. Still, even though Electro makes a painfully cliche mockery of our political and economic situation, he provides a cool conflict to Spider-Man and I am excited to see their duel. Azaceta's art would be a great fit for the book if he can find a way to tone down some of the grit of it. As if Electo's story wasn't a good enough for us, we get treated to another great Black Cat tale written by Joe Kelly. This story about Spider-Man once again debating the ethics of his relationship with Cat is fantastically entertaining and funny. I absolutely loved Niimura's simplistic newspaper-cartoon style of art that is a perfect fit for a light-hearted backup story like this one. You won't hear any complaints from me about this book selling so well. Each story is good enough to stand on its own, but putting them together gets you an extraordinary book.
IGN - 7.8/10

---

Dark Reign: The List - Amazing Spider-Man
Writer: Dan Slott / Artist: Adam Kubert
I think I understand The List now. For months, I thought the series was about Norman Osborn taking care of people that were on his list. But this issue has finally opened his eyes. The List is about people who have Norman Osborn on their lists and they all beat him up in their respective issues. Fittingly, Spider-Man delivers the harshest blow when he exposes some of the illegal activity Osborn has been up to. Most of the issue turns out to be Peter Parker complaining about Osborn being in charge and working up the courage to take him down. Didn't we already see that in the first issue of "American Son?" Still, Waid writes a great Spider-Man, nailing his narration and wisecracks. Adam Kubert's art is awesome. His action is enticing and his characters are spot-on. The man can draw one heck of a splash page, but am I the only one who hates the vertical ones? They're just too hard to read. We're also treated to a reprint of "The Pulse" where Spider-Man first exposes Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin as a nice comparison piece to present times. I just wish The List was even half as good as that one was.
IGN - 8.7/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5
Comics Bulletin - 4/5

---

Dark Avengers #11
Writer: Brian Bendis / Artist: Mike Deodato Jr., Greg Horn
This book was being touted as "the one that will make you a fan of Victoria Hand." I still don't care about her. How dare she question Nick Fury! I'm glad she got fired and hope she does again. Other than that, Molecule Man got to taunt the Dark Avengers a little bit. That was kind of cool. I enjoyed him trying to understand them and subconsciously realizing that they will eventually beat him. That is something I am very much looking forward to. You know I love Mike Deodato. Don't ever make him split pages with anyone. Greg Horn may be decent and was almost effective in his otherworldly sequences, but he doesn't even compare to my boy, Deodato. Let him do his thing for the entirety of this series. If Bendis follows that piece of advice and keeps telling interesting character pieces on his band of villains, this book will continue to succeed.
P.S. I love the cover - a tribute to one of Todd McFarlane's classics
IGN - 7.1/10
Comic Book Resources - 3/5

---

Mighty Avengers #31
Writer: Dan Slott, Christos Gage / Artist: Sean Chen
Last issue's brilliance wears thin this time around. No character pieces quite measure up to that of Hank Pym's when he talked to the Universe. And the "Whoa! Cool!" moments are less frequent. Still, some cool moments did take place. Hawkeye using the bow is always a welcome sight and I particularly liked his team-up with Stature and Captain America. I also appreciated Hercules's brand of barbarism with Amadeus's problem solving. With all that going on, this issue is nothing more than a cheesy fight with the cliche overpowering bad buy, who started off cool, but turned out to be really corny. Speaking of corny, the heroes didn't have to mention that Hank Pym was a founding Avenger every time they saw him. You can't force him to be cool. That's pathetic. Chen's art is not pathetic, however. He has a crisp and vibrant style that perfectly fits the tone of the series. If the writing and significance can't keep up though, I fear my interest will begin to wane.
IGN - 5.2/10

---

Spider-Woman #3
Writer: Brian Bendis / Artist: Alex Maleev
There are two sides to this Spider-Woman coin. On the one side, Brian Bendis is doing a fantastic job characterizing Jessica Drew and making her one of the cooler females in the Marvel Universe. I like to compare her rise to popularity to that of Nick Fury's. Both are the center piece of successful books and are involved in enticing espionage stories. The other side of the coin is the constant retelling of Spider-Woman's past. She doesn't have to narrate her entire history in every book. Last month we got her pheromone powers. This month is her past with Madame HYDRA. I realize you want to catch new readers up with her, but just mention some of her key moments in history and let the newbs research it if they're interested. There are no two sides about Maleev's art. It's great. The dark, gritty nature is both captivating and haunting, perfectly depicted the danger of Spider-Woman's predicament. If you can get past all the history lessons, you'll find a highly interesting tale of superhero trying to find where she belongs in an unfamiliar world where everyone, good or bad, could use someone like her.
IGN - 7.5/10
Comic Book Resources - 3.5/5
Comics Bulletin - 3/5

Read more!

New Comics - Week of November 18, 2009

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are working their magic again in Marvel's cosmic corner. Realm of Kings #1 takes over directly after the events of War of Kings. Black Bolt and Vulcan had seemingly fought to their deaths, creating a tear in the Universe. What lies on the other side of the tear and how will it and the deaths of Vulcan and Black Bolt affect the Shi'Ar, Inhumans and Kree? If you're looking for a more in-depth look at the Inhumans (Who isn't?), then you'll definitely want to pick up Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1. Without Black Bolt, Medusa will have to lead her royal family and the rest of her people while also grieving for the man and hero she loved. Expect a lot of great character moments in this series.

Spider-Man is doing it big this week too. The Gauntlet finally gets started in Amazing Spider-Man #612. Every villain to make a reappearance since Brand New Day has been reimagined brilliantly. This new direction will be a series of those reemergences. Electro gets to go first. Spidey also has to deal with Norman Osborn in Dark Reign: The List - Spider-Man. I gave up on this series a while ago, but seeing as how Spider-Man is Osborn's greatest enemy and this is the last issue of the series, something significant has just got to happen.


Some other big books are Dark Avengers #11, Mighty Avengers #31, and Spider-Woman #3. Norman Osborn was left in a very dire situation the last time we saw him in Dark Avengers and this predicament could be the tipping point that drives him over the edge. In Mighty Avengers, Hank Pym has just assembled most of the greatest heroes in America to battle a force like no other. And Spider-Woman is just awesome. HYDRA and SWORD are already after her. Who will try to recruit her this issue?

Read more!

Reviews - Week of November 11, 2009

***Book of the Week***

Fables #90
Writer: Bill Willingham / Artist: Mark Buckingham
I know what you're thinking. "Hey, I don't remember seeing Fables in your 'Previews' post. And what's with the late reviews?!" Well fans, I'm sorry for the delay. Your boy has been kind of busy this week. As far as Fables goes, I, quite frankly, forgot about this brilliant book. I gave up on it once they started the "Great Fables Crossover" amongst their three books because I hate crossover events and couldn't afford to add two extra books to my "buy" pile just to read one bad story. Now that the crossover is over, I've read numerous good reviews about Fables' new story arc and decided to give it a try again. Boy am I glad I did. This new story, "Witches," is just as intense and entertaining as "War and Pieces." Willingham does a phenomenal job not only juggling countless different plot threads, but making them interesting and significant at the same time. In the span of 22 pages, I was able to get hooked by Bufkin's quest against Baba Yaba, captivated by Ozma's coup, intrigued by Frau's plan, and reintroduced to the awesome Mr. Dark. Buckingham's art is as amazing as ever. No one has the ability to combine the intricacies of Willingham's story with a sort of simplistic style of art that perfectly matches the book's content. So much was good about this book, I'm almost ashamed I wasted half of the review telling you why I initially dropped it. Then again, all the praise in the world wouldn't do this issue justice. Just buy it already!
IGN - 8.7/10

---

Green Lantern Corps #42
Writer: Peter Tomasi / Artist: Patrick Gleason
A close second for "Book of the Week" has to be this one. It may be the same old story of Black Lanterns beating down some good guys, but Tomasi has written it better than anyone. He does a fantastic job combining "Holy crap" moments of Black Lanterns doing crazy stuff and "Oh wow" surprises, like Kyle Raynor's strategy to distract them and the subsequent failure of that strategy. We also find out the Black Lanterns' true purpose for their attacks on Oa and every other Lantern homeworld. To be honest, we already knew that from other books, but nowhere was it as hard hitting, so I'm going to consider this book as the "reveal." Gleason's art was also quite impressive this issue. I usually find some of his characters awkward looking and country hick-like, but none of that was here. He also manages the immense amount of action quite well, never leaving me confused as to what was happening. The plot developments may be hard to come by in this book, but nowhere are you going to find moments as emotional and surprising as the ones that take place here regularly.
IGN - 9.4/10
Comic Book Resources - 2.5/5

---

Amazing Spider-Man #611
Writer: Joe Kelly / Artist: Eric Canete
I'm a little torn with this book. On the one hand, it's hilarious and fun. Deadpool and Spider-Man, written by Joe Kelly, is a team-up made in heaven. Whether they're making fun of each other about their monologues or just making fun of each other with "Your mama" jokes, I was laughing the whole time. Kelly does a great job giving each character his own voice while also making both funny at the same time. The problem I have with this issue, the proverbial "other hand," is that none of it makes sense. Deadpool was just a distraction? Couldn't Miss Kraven have picked one of her people to do that? And what was he a distraction for? There were three minor characters highlighted for this issue and I have no idea what makes them significant. The art was a bit iffy for me too. I appreciate a new style being added to the mix, but Canete was a just a little too unrefined. Some of his panels were just downright ugly at times. So to recap: if you're looking to laugh for a few minutes, like when you read the funnies in the paper, get this book. If you're looking for a story, maybe you should stay away.
IGN - 8/10
Comic Book Resources - 4.5/5

---

Cable #20
Writer: Duane Swierczynski / Artist: Gabriel Guzman
Aaaaarrrrgh! This book sucks! I've tried for two years to like this book because of the potential it has, but it still sucks! If something important wasn't slated to happen next issue, Hope's return to the present, this would have been my last review. The whole issue played out ridiculously like every episode of the cartoon, Road Runner. Bishop (Wily Coyote) tries to kill Hope (The Road Runner), some crazy event stops him (the Brood penetrate his brain), Hope escapes, and then he finds an insane way to go after her again (getting eaten by a space whale and using him as a transport). Does that sound stupid? <---rhetorical. Guzman sucks too. His art actually looks like the Road Runner cartoon when it's not indistinguishably blotchy. I can't wait for the mutant messiah to return home so I can quit reading this book.
*No major site reviewed this book

Read more!

New Comics - Week of November 11, 2009

Spider-Man and Deadpool! Together! Written by Joe Kelly! This is a match made in heaven. Not only has Joe Kelly been the best writer on the Spidey staff, but he also has a masterful feel for Deadpool and writes the funniest dialogue at Marvel. Spider-Man #611 is a must-buy for all comic lovers.

Another book to look out for is Cable #20. I know this series sucks, but stick with it just a little longer. This is the final chapter of the lame Brood story and hopefully Bishop will finally die off. Next issue will be the big one where Cable and Hope return to the present, so something important has just got to go down here.

Green Lantern Corps #42 also comes out this week. An Indigo Lantern finally showed up in the last issue, meaning the corps will probably do some ass-kicking for a change. Expect some emotional moments from the key members of the corps too.

Some good mini-series start tomorrow. Strange #1 begins Dr. Strange's journey after losing his title as the Sorcerer Supreme. Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #1 follows Gladiator after the events of War of Kings left him as the leader of the Shi'Ar empire.

Read more!

Reviews - Week of November 04, 2009

***Book of the Week***

Captain America: Reborn #4
Writer: Ed Brubanker / Artist: Bryan Hitch
If you liked the last two issues, you will definitely enjoy this one. We're treated to more of the amazingly written flashback sequences and the progressing sinister plot of bringing back Captain America. Both parts are done better than ever in Reborn: #4. The most emotional moment of the series has to be Steve Rogers reliving his biggest failure. Brubanker does a phenomenal job not only writing Rogers' torment, but finally showing that he can't handle Bucky's "death" and his freezing again. The developing plot is just as great. No one writes the Red Skull better than Brubanker and although the twist at the end could have been seen coming from the very first issue, it's still pretty darn cool when it happens. Also, Dr. Doom is awesome in this book and I can't see any possible way for the heroes to defeat him and the Red Skull together. Bryan Hitch's art continues to improve. With every issue his style gets closer to that of Captain America's regular art team and his splash pages are stunning. The many developments in this issue are not only cool, but also set up brilliantly for the final chapter of this amazing series.
IGN - 8.8/10
Comics Bulletin - 4/5

---

Black Widow: Deadly Origin #1
Writer: Paul Cornell / Artist: John Paul Leon, Tom Raney
I'm a little ambivalent about this book. The flashback sequences do a great job of creating one cohesive account of Black Widow's past (which is incredibly hard to do), but some events come out of nowhere and just happen for the sake of having it in the book. Cornell does a great job of making Widow a cool and capable soldier, but some of her dialogue was a little corny. Widow's origin tale was great, but her present day situation is sooooo cliche. Even the art is divided. Whereas the flashbacks, done by Leon, are stylistic and eye-catching, the present-day sequences, done by Raney, are generic and odd. In one panel Black Widow actually looks like a twelve year old. I hope the next issue builds more on the cool things in this issue and less on the cliche.
IGN - 8/10
Comics Bulletin - 4/5

---

Amazing Spider-Man #610
Writer: Marc Guggenheim / Artist: Marco Checchetto
At no point was this story ever good. I wouldn't have minded if the series just skipped the finale of it as if the first two chapters never happened. This issue is definitely the worst. Raptor never becomes anything more than a tool to revisit the clone saga. The flashbacks are idiotic and at no point could anyone, even a dumbass like Raptor, could have possibly come to the conclusion that Ben Reilly was a murderer. Probably the most atrocious thing about this issue is a remake of said flashback. The only point of Kane being in this story is just to recreate that sequence of events? Are you kidding me? And if Kane has a degenerative cell condition, why is still around and stronger than ever after all these years? Checchetto's art continues to be disappointing. Half of the time I couldn't tell if I was reading a flashback and I couldn't distinguish between anyone unmasked. Nothing about this issue made sense except the not-so-subtle theme blatantly stated on the last page - and that was just lame.
IGN - 5.8/10
Comics Bulletin - 2.5/5

Read more!

New Comics - Week of November 04, 2009

Finally! Another chapter of Captain America: Reborn. If you can remember from way back in September, Cap has just devised a plan with Vision that may solve his time-problems, Bucky has escaped from Osborn's capture, and Dr. Doom and Red Skull go into cahoots together. Dang that sounds cool. Expect more of the same in Captain America: Reborn #4

Another interesting book this week has to be Black Widow: Deadly Origin #1. This mini-series is supposed to act as some source material for fans eagerly anticipating her big screen debut in Iron Man 2 next Spring. In it, her past will be retold to make sense of a present danger facing her. Natasha is a secondary character in practically every book nowadays and I am glad to see her get some star treatment for a change.

Not much else coming out this week. Things may be bad in "Who was Ben Reilly," but at least they come to an end in Amazing Spider-Man #610. One book to look out for is Psylocke #1. She's always been a fan favorite for X-Men fans and because of her recent resurrection, everyone's favorite telepathic Asian-assassin gets her own mini too. The book will act in much the same way as Deadly Origin will to Black Widow.

Read more!