Marvel Action: Chillers, New comics

Tons of new comics, I hadn’t been to the shop in like a month.

Batman/Catwoman 8

I’m really not digging the Liam Sharp art.  It’s just not the same as Clay Mann.  Storywise, this has felt like filler for a couple of issues now.  But with four issues to go, I can’t really quit at this point.  Sigh.  

Death of Doctor Strange 2

Nothing spectacular.  It may be that Jed MacKay isn’t worth following from title to title the way Tom King and Tom Taylor are.  But this is still good enough that I’ll stick around, especially with Lee Garbett on art.  

Strange Adventures 12

As with all Tom King stories, this definitely requires a re-read.  I wonder if this will lose its mystique now that the twists have been revealed.  Certainly the craft and art are great.  I’m just not so sure about the story itself.

Moon Knight 4

Is there any comic character who has a larger discrepancy between how cool they look and how interesting their stories are?  I love Moon Knight’s look, but I’ve never been able stick around for any of his runs.  (Warren Ellis only went six issues with him.)  The fact that this is volume 9 suggests that the rest of the general public feels the same.  Anyway, this is my last issue for this comic.  Thanks for trying, Jed MacKay.

He looks so good!

Alessandro Cappuccio is spectacular

Superman: Son of Kal-El 4

I was skeptical after last issue, this one cemented it for me.  This title doesn’t have the spark, the fun, the crazy ideas of Tom Taylor’s better work.  Which is sad, because I’m a fan of Jon’s impending coming out in the next issue.  (Loving how it’s pissing off all the right people online.)  But this was almost a full issue of Jon saving his grandparents from an explosion in slow motion, then standing around a crater and talking about it.  I can totally see a world where that can be done well, but it isn’t here.  Combined with my lack of enthusiasm for the previous two issues, that means the end of line for me.

Captain Marvel 33

It’s just a string of mediocre comics for me this month.  Kelly Thompson’s newest Captain Marvel arc falls flat, but the strength of the rest of the title means I’ll push through this and at least try out the next one. 

Dark Ages 2

Phew, Tom Taylor hasn’t completely lost it.  He can at least still bring it on his alternate reality comics.  Iban Coello’s art is a little too sloppy for this to be top tier, though.  There’s a Mark Bagley vibe to it, and not in the good way.  (Bagley can be great, but only on the right projects.)

Marvel Action Chillers 1-4

Yeah, this is way more for kids than Jeremy Whitley’s work on Wasp.  Not that I don’t enjoy a good comic for the young ‘uns, but this isn’t anything special even taking that into account.  I’d cut it, but I’d still read this with my daughter someday.

Heh.  That's probably true.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Fine

All-New X-Men, New comics

New comics!

Taskmaster 3

Not bad, but it hasn’t reached the same humor levels as issue 1, which was the whole reason I subscribed to the titles in the first place.

Heh.  Nice parody.

Marvel Action: Chillers 4

Sadly, this written-for-kids series bored the heck out of me, even with nice art by Gretel Lusky and Jeremy Whitely on writing.  

Future State: Wonder Woman 2

A complete waste of my money, even with Joelle Jones’ art.  The story is nonsensical and this new WW character does nothing for me.  Not a good week for the sub box.

Rorschach 5

The usual Tom King goodness.  

All-New X-Men 18-21

A less-than-scintillating story with the Purifiers.  Luckily, it’s just a blip in the radar of Bendis’ strong X-Men writing.

Nice to get Brent Anderson to do the God Loves Man Kills flashback pages.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

All-New X-Men 22-24

Guardians of the Galaxy 11-13

The Shiar put Jean Grey on trial for the Dark Phoenix genocide she hasn’t committed yet.  It’s fun.

Love how David Marquez (?) fits a whole splash page into a tiny panel in the middle.

I'd forgotten how much I love the Angela/Gamora relationship

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

All-New X-Men 25

A waste of time splash page jam session extravaganza.  Blech.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Didn’t suck

All-New X-Men 26-30

The Brotherhood from Battle of the Atom returns.  Lots of well done action.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Fatal Attractions, Bloodties, X-Men, New Comics

New comics!

Marvel Action: Chillers 3

This is one of those titles that I would have preferred to flip through in the store.  (I wouldn’t have picked it up.)  Alas.

Seven Secrets 5

Daniele Di Nicuolo’s art is still gorgeous to look at.  This’ll read better all at once, but it’s still no slouch on its own.

Taskmaster 1

Between this and Black Cat, Jed MacKay is becoming one of my new favorite writers.  This is a really funny comic.

Captain Marvel 24

More of the same, still super fun.

X-Men 17-24

The Colossus/Soul Skinner arc is completely mediocre, as is the introduction of Revanche.  I completely hate the whole “two Betsy Braddock” thing, but while the execution doesn’t blow, it’s certainly not good by any stretch.  Neither is the Psylocke-seducing-Scott subplot.  It came out of nowhere, and ends just as abruptly.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an editorial mandate so that artists could draw her in sexy poses.  And while I’m a fan of Andy Kubert, his early stuff here can’t hold a candle to Jim Lee:

His Psylocke just isn't as good, is what I'm saying.

To be clear, that's motor oil she's licking.  Makes no sense at all.

A full page of weird Kubert lips.

What the hell is up with Scott's smile?

He does draw a bad ass Colossus, though.

He's got that power pose nailed from all angles.

Mega plot hole: Care must be taken to safely remove Illyana...

...so Colossus just smashes the thing, and all is well?

How in the world does Barrage pick up Scott's glasses?

`

Writer Fabian Nicieza really does his best to mimic Chris Claremont, tossing out “body and souls” left and right (three in issue 21 alone!) along with the classic “sum of its parts.”  And here’s the return of my favorite (I thought the count was going to stall at 7 after Claremont left):

Psychic knife 8.

Classic Claremontian monologuing.  Particularly love all the "as untos"

One of my favorite covers ever.  Kubert infuses this image with tenderness, love, and longing.  Beautiful:

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine (Nice for 24)

Uncanny X-Men 304

X-Men 25

Wolverine 75

Excalibur 71

Fatal Attractions, detailing the return of Magneto after his “death” in X-Men 3.  This was the one with the pretty holograms on the cover.  Three things of note happen: Colossus joins Magneto and the Acolytes (I know he’s disillusioned by the death of Illyana, but it still makes no sense); Xavier mindwipes Magneto (Eventually leading to all sorts of Magneto/Joseph nonsense that’s almost if not just as bad as the Psylocke/Revanche fiasco); Magneto pulls the adamantium out of Wolverine.  

To be honest, I’m surprised this last one hadn’t already been done before.  But the execution is every bit as horrific as I could have imagined, and it truly shocked me back then.  Even now, the visual is completely arresting:

And as horrible as that previous panel was, they still can't show blood in this sequence.  Stupid.

Which is what made the followup issue, Wolverine 75, so disappointing - It’s quite clear at the end of X-Men 25 that all the extruded metal is still attached to Wolverine, protruding from his skin.  But once the X-Men are on the Blackbird, the adamantium is somehow no longer in the equation - It’s completely gone, presumably lying around somewhere on Avalon.  It takes a situation that, while gruesome, would have made for a much more interesting story.  Instead, the writers take the easy way out, and Wolverine eventually heals with little incident.  Meh.

Still, the reentry of the Blackbird into Earth atmosphere is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat action sequence, effectively balancing the struggle of keeping Logan alive with the very real possibility that the plane could disintegrate at any moment.  Adam Kubert’s art is wonderful here, clearly outshining his brother’s for now.  

Oh yeah, bone claws get retconned in.

Makes me sniffle.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes (No for Excalibur)

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice (Uncanny), Pretty good (X-Men), Good (Wolverine), Fine (Excalibur)

Uncanny X-Men 305-306

Some of the grossest body horror I’ve ever seen.  (I’m not going to show it here).  Kudos to Jan Duursema and John Romita Jr, they succeeded in drawing stuff that makes my skin crawl.  Now get out of my brain.  Only not cutting to preserve the run.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Hated

Avengers 368-369

Uncanny X-Men 307

X-Men 26

Avengers West Coast 101

The Bloodties crossover.  Cortez’s abduction of Luna unites the X-Men and Avengers on the battlegrounds of Genosha’s civil war.  Exodus is in “undefineably powerful” mode, making for a eh, whatever story.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

X-Men 27-29

The Legacy Virus starts kicking into high gear.  Killing time until the wedding issue.

Psychic knife 9

Psychic knife 10

I love Richard Bennett, but that Rogue pose is stupid ridiculous.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Uncanny X-Men, New Comics

New comics!

Shang-Chi 3

More fighting.  I probably wouldn’t buy this again if given the chance, but I’m too far into this to not get the last two issues.

Marvel Action: Chillers 2

Same thing with this, and I want to support Jeremy Whitley’s work.

Uncanny X-Men 270-277

X-Factor 60-62

New Mutants 95-97

I think this is my favorite stretch of Jim Lee’s X-Men, ever more than his run on the adjectiveless title.  There’s just a touch more energy and excitement to it.  Letting the art do most of the talking here:

I know Josh Brolin plays him in the Deadpool movie, but...

...I think John C McGinley would make a great Cable.

Seems like Jean and Ororo are always having reunions...

...after one of them is no longer dead.

Hodge, drawn by Lee, is legit terrifying.

Psychic knife 3

Psychic knife 4.  In the same issue, no less!

A huge building block in the Legend of Gambit (for me).

Love this perspective from Lee.

Same with this.  Great hero posing of Magneto.

Happy Rogue is so cute.

Nice speed lines, so much dynamism on this page.

Psychic knife 5

Issue 277 is on my short list of favorite X-Men comic.  There's so much cool Gambit!

So many awesome fight scenes, including this one...

...which effortlessly flows from beat to beat.

BTW, I LOVE short hair Storm.

So badass.

My favorite page in one of my favorite issues.

Psychic knife 6

273 is an amazing artist jam issue.  This page by Whilce Portacio makes me feel so nostalgic.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy (270-272, 277), Really good (273-276), Didn’t suck for X-Factor and New Mutants

Uncanny X-Men 278-280

X-Factor 69-70

The Muir Island Saga.  Maybe this would have been good if Lee had drawn it, but alas.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine