Dark Avengers Issue #1

Hi Readers,

Just like everyone, I was ecstatic to see that the "Secret Invasion" story arc was over... until I saw that it meant the beginning of "Dark Reign". I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO over these story arcs that incorporate most of the Marvel Universe, but I did read "Dark Avengers" because Bendis and Deodato were the creative forces behind it.

The Good: Bendis does a great job of transferring the eeriness of the Thunderbolts to Dark Avengers. Both teams are comprised of anti-heroes and villains, but both books are bursting with comedy, shocking moments and bucketfuls of deception. This is combined with Deodato's art, which layers each page with shadows and smirks on each character's face.

Bendis also does a great job of showcasing each characters' personality traits such as Venom's savage cannibalism, Moonstone's ego, Daken's Oedipus complex, Sentry's phobia, etc. Another attractive quality of this issue was Osborn's explanation for his recruitment: he simply wanted to piss off certain heroes by hiring anti-heroes to impersonate them.

The Bad: I don't understand what Noh-Varr's doing with the others, he is a completely random choice as an Avenger. I read his profile on Marvel.com and read his scene a second time, but still could not find an understandable reason for him being apart of this roster.

I also hate the fact that Ares is a hired lackey in the Avengers. He's the God of Fucking War! How can someone who considers himself to be a god, be easily "purchased" by Stark, Osborn or whoever? As long as Ares has been an Avenger, I have yet to see him display any extraordinary talent or ability outside of being a sword-wielding curse-slinging brute. When Thor was an Avenger, it was because he respected his teammates and wanted to continue being a hero; same as Hercules (who is way cooler than Ares). Ares is an Avenger because he is paid to be and "there are battles to be fought" (quote from this issue). One word... LAME!

Overall, this was a great beginning issue for this new series and I can't wait to see the Dark Avengers "slip up" and expose their true identities.

@~~~~~~~~~}~~~~~~~ Devin Peacock

Ages of Apocalypse TPB Vol 2: Wolverine Issue 148

Hi Readers,

I apologize for it being so long since I've written. Weirdly enough, I haven't bought many comics lately for numerous reasons, but I have picked up the Ages of Apocalypse Vol 2 TPB. I wanted to write about Wolverine Issue 148 which is burried deep inside the TPB. I thought most of the trade was very good, but this particular issue was screaming for me to do a posting on it.

Just like the other X-Men and mutants that Apocalypse tries to control, Wolverine is now in an elaborate illusion, but he's joined by Ghost Rider, Spider-Man and the Hulk as the new Fantastic Four. Ghostey was emo and distant from the others, Hulk was jumping back and forth between his many personas(Bruce Banner, Hulk, Grey Hulk, etc.), Spider-Man seems like a defacto leader who keeps the group together and Wolverine seems to be the standard tough guy/invulnerable one. With that being said, it was interesting to see Wolvie seem insecure by stating "I don't fit in with them".

The bad: In regards to the rest of the Ages of Apocalypse, I thought Wolverine was the only character who seemed relevant to the bigger storyline. I loved the team up between these incredible heroes, but honestly it didn't seem very relevant, outside it being homage to the earlier "New FF" story that came out years ago.
Also, I personally think Arnim Zola is a pointless character and I hate looking at him... LOL. He's a man that has a monitor for a torso with a face on it! I MEAN REALLY!!! It would have been better if Dr Doom was the actual villain in this issue. He would have been just as relevant as Ghost Rider, Hulk and Spider-Man.
The good: Roger Cruz does an incredible job penciling this issue of Wolverine from beginning to end. All of the characters drawn are interesting in their own way and all of their powers are showcased beautifully. Another great part of the comic is when the characters show the reader that a Sentinel serves as the protector of the new Baxter Building and Spider-Man's family. Can you imagine a robot that is stories tall, watching your wife and infant daughter? Wild concept, especially since the Sentinel was created to hunt down individuals like Wolvie.

All and all, this was a great issue, just wished that it had more mutants that were revelant to the bigger story.

@~~~~~~~}~~~~~~~~~~ Devin Peacock

THE DEATH OF A BATMAN

A sure fire way to sell comics is to hit readers with something they would not see coming. Even with the rumor mills swirling, most comic readers won't believe it until they see it. Well, the unthinkable has happened. Almost 70 years after his first appearance in Detective Comics #27, in issue #6 (of 7) of the Final Crisis series, Batman has been killed off by DC Comics. Supposedly, this was well in the works, but Warner Bros., a major stock holder in DC Comics and publisher of all Batman related movies and television programs, had nixed his demise due to the summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, pulling in over $500 million dollars and proving Batman was at the peak of his popularity.

Written by a master of comic book controversy, Grant Morrison, the final pages of this issue would be the possible final pages of the Caped Crusader. Here is how Morrison's controversial vision unfolded. Gotham's Guardian, after having foiled every plot by Darkseid to manipulate the Dark Knight into helping Darkseid create an army of mindless soldiers with Batman's unique skill set, confronts Darkseid in his earthly stronghold. After exchanging words, the two stare each down in the style of a Wild West duel at high noon. Batman, going against every fiber of his character to never use a gun and to never kill, pulls out the weapon that murdered the New God, Orion. It was a gun that fires Radion bullets. Radion, of course, is the only substance that Darkseid and the other "New Gods" are weak against, much like Superman is weak against Kryptonite. In the battle between man and god, Batman's trigger finger was faster than Darkseid's Omega Beams (imagine Superman's heat vision multiplied by 1000). Batman's shot was pretty impressive for someone who never used a gun. Unfortunately, Darkseid also got his shot off and vaporized the Dark Knight. The issue ends with Superman carrying Batman's charred carcass from the stronghold.

If there is anything that has been consistent with these major death/re-launch events is that they provide a temporary boost in sales before a sharp decline sets in as people usually respond unfavorable to the replacements to these heroic icons. There are three major ones from "The Big 2" that stick out in my mind as failures.

The first two were in 1993 when Superman died and Batman had his back broken by Bane and was replaced by Jean Paul Valley, better known as Azrael. The public outcry for Superman to return was immediate and led to one of the worst story arcs in his history as DC struggled to find a way to bring him back. When Batman was replaced, and DC worked to correct it, it at least led to some of the more memorable story arcs in his recent history with the Knightfall and KnightsEnd arcs where it detailed his rehab to come back and wrest the title of Batman back from Azrael who had gone mad with power.

The third is the very recent re-launch of Spider-Man where he sold his marriage with Mary Jane to Mephisto (the devil) to save Aunt May's life. This was one of the worst implemented re-launches in comic history and Spidey's sales have suffered greatly because of it. With a horribly written four issue story arc called One More Day, Marvel rewrote over 20 years and 250 issues worth of continuity. How do you think the conversation between Marvel executives go when this decision came down? I think it would go something along the lines of a Guinness beer commercial.

Marvel Exec. 1: How do we re-launch Spider-Man and save Aunt May?

Marvel Exec. 2: This is a tough one. We need something that will do the character justice and stay true to him while making sure our readers understand why we made our decision to do this.

Marvel Exec. 1: Let's just have him sell his marriage to Mephisto and we'll go from there.

Marvel Exec. 2: Brilliant!

Marvel Exec. 1: Brilliant!

Everything I knew about Spider-Man, that I had learned over my 23 years, was gone in a matter of four weeks. Since the re-launch, Marvel has been reduced to using gimmicks like Spider-Man meeting President-Elect Obama to try and push sales and save one of their most beloved heroes.

A major issue DC has, is now that Batman has passed on, how do they keep Batman, Detective Comics, and all other Batman related series going without the main character, or at least until they decide to bring Batman back. They have already announced the I AM BATMAN story arc beginning in March that will encompass all existing titles as Robin, Nightwing, Damian (Batman's illegitimate son with Talia Al' Guhl), the newly resurrected Jason Todd (card carrying member with the revolving door of death), Alfred, Batwoman, Batgirl, Catwoman, and everyone else who might have any claim to the cowl duke it out to see who will inherit the mantra of the Dark Knight. My money is on the current Robin, Tim Drake. He has the best detective skills of all the candidates and was closest to the dearly departed.

Another dilemma that could (and should) arise is that once DC realizes the error of their ways, how do they bring back someone they had vaporized? In the very same issue, Superman was in the future (read the rest of Final Crisis to understand why) and as he was about to return back to the present, Brainiac 8 of the Legion of Superheroes in the 31st century, revealed to Superman a device called the Miracle Machine. This device was created in the 29th century by the Guardians of the Universe, the same guardians who created the Central Power Battery for the Green Lantern Corps. With the experience of creating devices powered by one's will, the Guardians created this device that was so powerful, that the simplest thought entered into the Miracle Machine, could be made into reality. Of course, such a powerful device is kept under constant watch by the Legion of Superheroes and only a select few even know of its existence. Here is your obvious fix to bring Batman back once DC sees their sales plummet. Send Superman to the future (since he seems to be there every year or two anyways), grab the machine, think Batman back into existence, and the problem is solved. I know it is ridiculous, but these are the kind of things that fit right into revolving door of death in comics.

The landscape of comics is always changing, but this might be the straw that breaks a lot of backs. This ranks up there with some of the worst storyline moves ever made in comics history and I am sure I am not the only one that is shaking their head in disbelief. I would not be surprised to see some of the worst backlash in comic history from this. Batman is at an all-time popularity high with the comics, movies, video games, merchandise, and anything else you can stick a Batman emblem on in the public domain, and DC has just sent their cash cow to the hamburger factory for no apparent reason. Keep looking here as this situation continues to unfold in the coming months.

-Ray Carsillo

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow The Movie

Dear Readers,

This movie started off pretty slow, but quickly picked up the pace as the story progressed.

Characters:
James- Seemed to be apathetic and is the one character who seems to feel the least connected to his parents. Interestingly enough, he is the son of both Captain America and Black Widow, but he is only interested in finding out more information about his father. Even his costume only resembles Captain America's former sidekick, Bucky. The only characteristic that seems to tie him to Black Widow are the similar hair colors. At the end of the day, I just wish that he had more of his mother's influence within his character design.
Azari- Probably my favorite hero in the movie. He is the son of the Black Panther but they never blatantly reveal who his mother is. Within the bunch of kids, he is seemingly the "teacher's pet" and "goody-two-shoes" in the bunch. Considering that his father was a king, I sit on the fence of whether his "accommodating personality" is a happy difference from a typical prince or too far removed. I think the writers do a lovely job of alluding to the idea of Storm from the X-Men, being his mother. His entire character design is brilliant, making an ingenious blend between Black Panther and Storm. This character is the perfect merge between catlike qualities and electric energy, symbolizing both parents.
Pym- is the quintessential "little brother" type; that is a staple of any teen-aged superhero team. In instances like this, you can imagine Michaelangelo from TMNT, Beast Boy from Teen Titans, and Jubilee from the X-Men. He's immature, precociously intelligent, and apprehensive in a battle, which makes him the most interesting of all the characters. Obviously, his powers were the easiest to predict, seeing as both his parents possess size-changing abilities. The bonus is that this little guy can still use his wasp stings as a giant.
Torunn- is the lone female in this batch of kids. if anyone ever saw that episode of Justice League called "Kids Stuff" you could see that this little girl seems like a clone of Wonder Woman, when she was de-aged in that episode. She flies, she's super strong and speaks as though she right out of a mythological tale. The thing that I find interesting is that she is the only female, but outside of occasionally flirting with Hawkeye, she can very easily be a boy instead. Her costume isn't exactly effeminate, throughout most of the movie she is in the middle of battling men, and she is bigger than the other teen/tween characters. This is one of the few instances in a super-teen cartoon where there isn't a "girly" character.
Hawkeye- is the perfect example of the character that is "too cool for school". The interesting aspect of this character is that he can come off very apathetic at certain points in the movie, but very passionate about saving others and defeating Ultron. He plays the tough/cool/flirty guy, which is very similar to his father, the original Hawkeye.

Overall the movie was great, but I do wish that this movie was a bit more connected to the Ultimate Avengers franchise. In this movie, when the original Avengers are referenced, they are wearing their typical comic book costumes instead of the outfits they use in Ultimate Avengers movies. Plus, Hawkeye (the original) has yet to be introduced into the Ultimate Avengers franchise. On an ending note, why are Betty, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner so old looking? This movie is about the children of the Avengers, but these three characters look like they could be in the same generation as these children's grandparents instead of parents.


@~~~~~}~~~~~~~~~~~Devin Peacock

X-Force Issues #5-6

Hi Readers,

I know I said before that the Purifiers' "Choir" was stupid, but this time I read a couple more issues and... they are still stupid. The fact that the writers of this series came up with a idiotic reasoning as to how these regular humans can access Angel's former wings' powers, bothers me. I will admit, it's a joy to read how Angel utterly destroys them with his newly returned metallic wings! Actually, I think all of the faithful X-Men comic book readers loved seeing the return of Angel with the "Apocalyptic" look, but this was still a poor way to reintroduce him. The fact that he "so easily" transforms back into the traditional looking Angel, also bothered me. If one of the most famous X-Men of all time is going to undergo a dramatic physical transformation, it makes for a weak story, when he changes back within a couple issues. I would bet money that there will barely be any mention of his change in the other X-titles.

The art of Clayton Crain is brilliant by the way. His art seems moody, dark, mysterious and very involving; great for horror. With each turn of the page, you feel as though you are physically running from fangs, being splattered by blood or have your own limbs ripped off. The best scene illustrated by Craing was when Angel killed the "Choir" with the greatest of ease. He soars through the air, dispatching "wingman" after "wingman" almost like a ballerina dancing through the air.

In this entire run thus far, Wolfsbane is by far put in the most interesting of situations. She is a very religious character who transforms into a "demon-like" wolf hybrid, who secretly doubts her virtue because of this. The fact that her father is a hypocritical minister and is trying to kill her, makes for a very interesting story. While trying to kill his daughter, the minister accidentally triggers Woflsbane's conditioning and kills her father. Last issue, the Purifiers placed Wolfsbane under the conditioning to brutally attack angels, whenever she sees them. In this situation, the minister was walking underneath a set of wings, which caused Wolfsbane to kill her father. Under normal circumstances, Wolfsbane would never resort to murder, so I consider it beautiful that she must now live with fact that she involuntarily murdered someone, let alone her evil father. I can not wait to see the ramifications of this action on this poor character. Let me know what you guys think!

@~~~~~}~~~~~~ Devin Peacock

Secret Invasion Inhumans Issue #1

Hi Readers,

I will confess and say typically, I do not read comics that focus on the Inhumans. Not that I have anything personally against this particular part of the Marvel Universe, it's just that they never really appealed to me. After reading this issue, I may have to change that habit.
this spectacular issue starts with Karnak leading a history lesson for younger Inhumans, which reminded me of Professor X and the X-Men (maybe because Karnak is bald LOL). The art of Tom Raney fits the overall mood and feel of the Inhumans because just like them, his art is very familiar looking, while still seeming slightly off-center. His drawings are recognizably human, but their stances and the look of their brow make them seem very mysterious and unusual.

Raney also does a great just of exemplifying the diverse appearances of the Inhumans. Some of them seemed to be energy based creatures, some animal-like, and very few could pass for Homo Sapien. Speaking of appearances, I love Medusa's new regal look. The fact that she is now wearing a formal headdress and gown shows that she is queen of the Inhumans. She also is an example of humanity's prototype of a woman. She's tall, beautiful and long flowing hair, that seemingly moves in the wind. She looks like a modern day Rapunzel, waiting for her handsome prince to save the day.
Of the Inhumans, I will admit that Karnak is my favorite by far. He is an Inhuman who has an extremely helpful skill rather than flashy power. He can find the weakness in any enemy and object, regardless of their power and ability. How could he, of all the Inhumans, not be able to detect the invading Skrulls? This puzzles me! Hopefully, within the next three issues, they will explain how they are/were able to live among this peaceful race, undetected.

@~~~~~~}~~~~~~~~ Devin Peacock

P.S. Luna is probably the creepiest child super-being in all of the Marvel Universe!

CAN MARVEL KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM? (My review of Secret Invasion #5 of 8)

House of M. Civil War. World War Hulk. These are the past three major Marvel Comics events and they have all come roaring out of the gate and all have had horribly disappointing endings. Booming into view, here comes the biggest event to date, the Skrull Secret Invasion. Several storylines have been devoted to showing how the Skrulls took over and who they took over as the Marvel Universe has been turned on its head and no one knows exactly who to trust.

The mini-series that is pushing the storyline forward is, aptly titled, Secret Invasion, an eight part series. The plot started off rather slowly, but things really kicked up a notch in the last issue as the humans began to finally mount a comeback (very necessary since there are only 3 issues left after this). The super-humans that have not been replaced have at least been incapacitated, including Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, and Black Bolt. Mr. Fantastic is trapped aboard a Skrull warship when he is released by the head of SWORD and he immediately begins working on a device to show the Skrull’s true forms.

He can do this because it is revealed that the reason why he and select others have been left alive was they were considered useful. Mr. Fantastic was left alive for his brain to be put to Skrull use, which also allowed him to see their secrets and, therefore, now allows him to build a device to counteract the Skrull cloaking technology. Black Bolt is alive because he would be used as a weapon to shatter any resistance against the Skrulls when the time is right. Iron Man was left alive because everyone hates him and the Skrulls could never produce that kind of negative propaganda no matter how hard they tried.

Two specific parts of the book were really outstanding and brought a smile to my face. The last page, where Clint Barton (a.k.a. Hawkeye, a.k.a. Ronin) finds out that the woman he thought was his deceased wife come back to him was just another Skrull. After disposing of her, he exclaims that it is his mission now to kill every last Skrull. That was powerful.

The other one was with Maria Hill aboard the downed SHIELD Helicarrier with a Skrull taskforce. Supposedly she is trapped with the taskforce, but then she reveals to the Skrull impersonating Jarvis, Iron Man’s butler, that Nick Fury told her to invest in LMDs (Life Model Decoys), very realistic looking robots that can be controlled from afar. Then as the taskforce is about to kill her, she says “Nick Fury was right” and you find out she was only a robot! She flies off in a jetpack from another part of the ship, blasting Skrulls with a laser cannon as she escapes! That was awesome because it shows that Nick Fury is still one of the most badass characters Marvel has and that it’s about time they are working him back into the fold.

There was so much revealed in this issue that you should really just go pick it up because it is the basis for the end of the Invasion. It laid the groundwork for the resolution to this crisis and it was done in a way that would please every Marvel fan. The only reason why I wrote about this is because it begs the question: Can Marvel actually finish something just as strong as they start it? Can we finally have a major event that we can put our hearts and minds into and not end up disappointed in the end? I said it with Civil War. I said it with World War Hulk. I am going to say it again though and hope I’m right this time. This is what we have been waiting for. The blockbuster event that will sweep us off our feet and truly change the Marvel Universe forever and in a way we will talk about for years to come. And if it isn’t, I might have to begin a Marvel boycott.

-Ray Carsillo