Marvel Comics
Deadpool #36: It seems that the Deadpool hating has come to an end, as the books have been trimmed down. But the original Deadpool ongoing is still around and it's still one of the best reads each week it comes out.
Deadpool decides to come home from his space-capades. While he was gone though, all of his "friends" wanted to kill him. Deadpool comes home to find this out from Bob, who was the person that told their ring leader, Macho Gomez, that the Merc with a Mouth is back. Naturally, Macho gets the group together to take down Deadpool. The group is Weasel, Macho Gomez, Blind Al, Taskmaster, Big Bertha, and Sluggo. Insanity ensues, with bullets flying everywhere. Deadpool survives and decides he needs better friends.
What I love about Daniel Way's Deadpool is the occasional one and done like this where Deadpool looks at himself and what he has become. It doesn't bog down the funny book, but it's somber enough. Deadpool can't be hilarious all the time. A psychotic character like him needs to have an issue like this. The last time we had an issue like this, Deadpool went down the road to become a hero. Personally, I think Deadpool became the hero he set out to be. He has saved a lot of people since he went out to become a hero. Look at what he did with the X-Men on Utopia. The cover for next month doesn't look promising for finding a friend, but it will no doubt lead to funny things.
When I saw that Sheldon Vella was the penciler for this issue, I was ecstatic. I loved the last issue he did on Deadpool and think he natural fit for the feel of the book. His art is slightly over the top while still grounded. It's what Deadpool is. Marvel needs to assign him Deadpool for good.
Overall, Deadpool #36 gets 5/5
Marvel Comics
Deadpool Annual #1: Last months Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38 started the Identity Wars arc by John Layman. I enjoyed the first part of the arc, and I must say I enjoyed the second part just as much.
Deadpool has been having the time of his life with his alternate reality counterpart. Turns out that his counterpart isn't his counterpart. In this universe, Wade Wilson is the equivalent of Doctor Doom, called Death Mask. Deadpool thinks up an extravagant plan to kill Death Mask while tricking Spider-Man (dressed as the Amazing Spider). Deadpool pulls the ol' switchero an takes the place of his counterpart, just like Spider-Man did in his annual. And we also learn a good amount about why the Hulk hasn't appeared yet in the two annuals.
Like I said last month, Layman makes a very believable universe. It's funny to see what Deadpool could have become if he got treated instead of going into Weapon X. I have always like the way Spider-Man and Deadpool have played off of each other, only if they are handled by a talented writer. While I liked Daniel Way's arc with Spider-Man, the humor was hit or miss. This issue was all hit.
Juan Doe does a good job on penciler. What takes it down from a great is the hiccups in head structure. There are far to many head problems with Spider-Man, where his head is suddenly an odd shape. His work is good overall though. The fight scenes are kinetic.
Overall, Deadpool Annual #1 gets 4/5
Marvel Comics
Fear Itself #2: My review of Fear Itself #1 could be summed up in one word: amazing. And that word is going to stay over to this month. If anything, this issue is better than #1. Minor spoilers ahead
America is being attacked. Many citizens are getting diseases and dying, while the hammers make their way down to Earth. The Worthy are making themselves known. Juggernaut, Titania, and Hulk get their hammers. The Absorbing Man is known to get a hammer, as said by Titania. Commander Rogers is starting to send out the Avengers where they are needed. But as more and more Worthy grab their hammers, are the Avengers going to be out-powered?
Matt Fraction does a superb job of instilling the reader with fear throughout the book. While things felt bad at the end of #1, things feel downright sad at the end of this issue. The feeling gradually goes as the Worthy grab their hammers, and it's surprising the way you feel at the end. And as you reread #2, it becomes more clear that this isn't going to an easy battle for the Avengers. There are some plot points hinted at, such as the Hulk still being a hero as he is controlled by the hammer. We also learn some history of the Serpent, who gets some great character development without appearing that much. If something scares Odin, then we should be scared.
Stuart Immonen pencils a beautiful book. I went through the book again, not reading the text, and I still understood what was going on. His art is that great. The faces are incredibly real and it's a pleasure to just marvel at what he has done. Immonen did a great job in his past assignments (New Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man), but this is on another level. The final splash page is truly terrifying and actually hit with the weight that Fraction intended too. As a jaded comic reader, this is something that doesn't happen often.
Fear Itself #2 gets 5/5
Marvel Comics
Herc #2: After reading Herc #1, I saw a ton of potential. It reminded me of Hawkeye & Mockingbird and S.W.O.R.D.; books that are great but could end soon because no one bought them. After reading #2, I think that Herc has the chance to stay around.
Hercules continues to battle the Hobgoblin, using his history to stave off the villain. Hercules makes an announcement to the people of Brooklyn that he is their new protector. The Kingpin takes notice of this, and makes a visit. And being the conniving son of a bitch he is, he helps Hercules to gain his trust. While Hercules isn't the smartest bulb in the bunch, he doesn't trust him right away. But Herc is the new hero of Brooklyn, with what seems to be a new girlfriend. A big twist ending will have to wait though. Fear Itself is coming next month.
Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente can't be praised enough for the writing of this issue. It's funny without forcing the humor down the readers throat. Herc really seems like a hero in these books. He is a hero who is trying to find his place in the Marvel Universe, and he just naturally makes one in Brooklyn. His initial suspicion of the Kingpin shows how far the character has come from his oafish ways. I'm very interested to see him have a stable girlfriend. The ladies man Hercules is going to have a hard time keeping a steady girlfriend, which will lead to funny things.
Neal Edwards has come a long way from his Fantastic Four days. His penciling has improved greatly, but he still has a few things to fix. At one point, Rhea's chest disappears completely. And why hasn't the Hobgoblin adopted his more gargoyle-y appearance that we have seen in Amazing Spider-Man? These are a few minor complaints for an overall good issue from Edwards. It's clear he has improved his work, and I look forward to him improving even further.
Herc #2 gets 4/5.
Marvel Comics
Heroes for Hire #6: The last few months have not been pleasant for Heroes for Hire. The book lost the fun that made it the top of my pull list. I was on the verge of not buying #6, but decided to give it a shot when I went into the comic shop. I'm so glad I did.
Paladin and Misty are trying to make Heroes for Hire the well respected institution it use to be. While Paladin is trying to stop a drug deal, he is interrupted from Spider-Man. Paladin is obviously feeling jealous that Spider-Man is a more well known hero than him, and doesn't want help. Misty wants his help. Paladin keeps going with the drug deal, but gets sidetracked and loses the truck. Time for the Web Slinger to take over.
DnA have seemed to find the grove they developed in the first three issues. There is a tiny bit of humor thrown in. Paladin's attraction to Misty seems genuine, as does her attraction to him. It seems completely real, and is surprisingly refreshing in comic books. Spider-Man's appearance seems normal and DnA write the character very well. While it seems easy to write Spider-Man, as he is an everyman. But many writers can have a hard time writing his humor and balancing his need to do the right thing. DnA have found a great way to balance this.
#6 is a return to form no doubt due to Brad Walker returning to the book. His art is just stellar. The panels have a great flow that should be shown to new artists. The faces on characters are fantastic (look at Misty on page 8, final panel). And Walker does something that is rather hard, he makes Batroc the Leaper look menacing. The guy is a joke amongst most heroes, but he kicks Paladin's ass and it doesn't seem out of place. He looks strong and able to fight amongst the best of them.
Overall, Heroes for Hire #6 gets 5/5.
Marvel Comics
Invincible Iron Man #503: This issue is one of the classic reasons that events can mess up writers. They have a great arc going on and then they need to write into the big event. I feel like this is the problem with Invincible Iron Man #503.
Tony is in a difficult situation with Doc Ock. He needs to disable the bomb while not pissing Ock off. While we learn a little bit of the history between Tony and Ock, Pepper isn't done saving the day against Electro and Sandman. But Otto reveals a trick up his sleeve and everything is done.
It's fairly obvious that this arc got in the way of Fear Itself. The first two issues were really good, and the finale looked to be really good. But then the plot just gets pulled out from under us. Fraction does a decent job keeping the issue filled with developments, some that will no doubt come to head after the big crossover. This is the second book this week that has had it's overall story interrupted by Fear Itself. That other book was Herc. But that story actually came naturally and the story didn't have to forsake so much to be put on the back burner. With Fraction actually writing both Fear Itself and Invincible Iron Man, I'd suspect this would have been easier.
Larroca does his usual decent job. The action scenes look good while the talking head panels leave something to desire.
Overall, Invincible Iron Man #503 gets 3.5/5.
Marvel Comics
The Mighty Thor #1: Relaunches are a tough thing to justify in comics. But what makes it easier is a movie coming out. It makes it easier for fans of the film to jump into the comics. With The Mighty Thor #1 though, this trend breaks.
Picking up fairly soon after Thor #621, the Asgardians have sent a team down into the World Tree to see what is going on. Thor and Sif find a seed that has given Thor a particular problem. The townsfolk of Broxton are going about their everyday lives. Meanwhile in space, the Silver Surfer senses the seed from the World Tree. Thinking it would be a good source of energy for his master, Galactus.
Unlike most relaunches, this one doesn't sacrifice story at all. Every relaunch I have read usually dials down past story lines for a year or so to accommodate new readers. The Mighty Thor doesn't skip a beat, feeling like a natural continuation of Fraction's time on Thor. This places a lot on new readers, which I feel could be off putting. This book is great for long time readers of comics, as it is a great time to jump on the book. Much like the last arc for Thor, this issue starts out very strong, with the scope being massive. With this arc taking place before Fear Itself, it's kind of limited with how much development we can have. Thor has to be in the place he is at the beginning of Fear Itself. Fraction is a great writer, so he will no doubt handle it well.
Olivier Coipel returns to the book, and his penciling is better than ever. The multiple double page spreads look amazing, and you can stare at them forever. The big work like creatures look awesome. I'm curious to see the description that Fraction gave Coipel. Did he give him detailed descriptions or just let Coipel go nuts. I'm hoping for the second. All of his characters have their own personality, with no two looking the same.
Overall, The Mighty Thor gets 4.5/5
Marvel Comics
Moon Knight #1: I have been avid Moon Knight fan for a while. I loved the last two ongoings that have come out. While Vengeance of the Moon Knight was eh, it was kinda fun. But with the news that Bendis and Maleev were going to be the team on a new Moon Knight ongoing, I was ecstatic. And #1 lives up to my lofty expectations.
Marc Spector has moved out to LA, selling his old Moon Knight stories as a TV show. It's been hugely successful, making Spector rather rich. When he leaves the party, he finds himself visited by Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine. They say he needs to keep LA in check, with all the super heroes over in New York City. Moon Knight stops a deal between Mr. Hyde and.....someone. They have massive powers and wanted what Hyde had in his ship.........an Ultron.
Pill popper Marc Spector can be interesting, but seeing Spector somewhat be sane is a nice change of pace. The last panel isn't really surprising due to the massive advertising campaign. It's still a great read, and a lot of that is due to Bendins. It has a Daredevil-y feel to it, which is good. But it doesn't stick to the Daredevil format. It has it's own voice and Marc Spector isn't a super powered person like Matt Murdock.
Alex Maleev changes his style up for this book. It's a lot looser than Daredevil and Scarlet. This really suits action scenes, with the fight between Moon Knight and Hyde flowing like a dream. The few reviews I have read of #1 have put people on the fence with his art. I like it, and look forward to what else he has up his sleeve.
Overall, Moon Knight #1 gets 5/5
Marvel Comics
Uncanny X-Force #8: Uncanny X-Force has been the best book that Marvel has been putting out. It's been blazingly fun to watch Rick Remender dissect what it means to be a hero while being funny and memorable.
What makes #8 extra good is that it is steeped in Marvel continuity, but still very accessible. When the villain appeared, the Shadow King, I didn't know who he was. I had never heard of him or his power set. But his powers and back story are quickly discussed. It's all exhibition, but never feels like it. As you might have noticed, I haven't given a summary. This is one of those comics that needs to be read to fully understand and appreciate. And this is all due to Rick Remender. Uncanny X-Force would have fallen apart under the reign of a lesser writer. Every issue has some point to make about super heroes and their nature in the world. Are the really helping anyone? Should they really be controlled by Deathloks? It's incredibly interesting and every issue leaves a lasting affect in a different way.
When Billy Tan was on New Avengers, I wasn't a big fan of his work. The body designs were all over the place and the faces didn't look good at all. But in between penciling Thor and now this book, his art has VASTLY improved. The body designs are consistent, and even the talking head panels look great. I reread the issue a couple of times, focusing on the art, and I fell more and more in love with it each time. I'm happy that Billy Tan will be on the next issue.
Side note, Uncanny X-Force is still the only book that has gotten a 5/5 from me each month. It's the only book that has done that in my time reviewing.
Overall, Uncanny X-Force #8 gets 5/5
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