Invincible Iron Man

Invincible Iron Man 8-24

I know this is a good comic when I stop taking notes and just want to keep reading and reading.  Man, does Matt Fraction deliver an amazing, gripping story here.  After Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn’s usurped Tony’s position as Director of SHIELD (now HAMMER).  In order to keep vital secrets out of Osborn’s greedy clutches, Tony embarks on a quest to systematically erase his mind.  At the same time, he sends Maria Hill and Pepper Potts on equally insane tasks of their own.  It’s the three of them against the world, and Fraction does a spectacular job of depicting the sense of hopelessness and desperation that drives them.  Excellent stuff.

His inevitable return in the Stark: Disassembled arc is less good only because of the boring “Tony’s subconscious is telling metaphoric dreams that he needs to interpret in order to come back spiritually” half of the comic that is completely detrimental to what is otherwise a just-as-good-as-the-previous-arc story.

Salvador Larroca’s art is wonderful the whole time, and I’m unreasonably impressed that he’s gone two full years without a fill-in artist.  (It’s not a knock on him as much as an indictment of most other comic artists.) 

And this is where Pepper Potts as Rescue debuts! An absolutely brilliant idea, though I wish Larroca hadn't gone with the armored boobs look or the weird-ass frowny face.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good (Pretty good for the last 5 issues)

Fraction Invincible Iron Man

Invincible Iron Man 1-7

The beginning of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca’s run.  (I can’t remember how long Larroca sticks around for.)  I remember really liking this, but almost none of the details.  I know the Mandarin shows up, and this is where Pepper Potts becomes Rescue (so awesome!), but that’s about it.  

This first arc reads a lot like a continuation of Warren Ellis’ Extremis story.  (Even though a couple of years have passed IRL.)  Something about the tone and language sounds a lot like him.  Maybe it’s the banter of Ezekiel Stane.  It’s not a bad thing, it just doesn’t read like his Iron Fist or Hawkeye runs.  

Not a bad start, and Larroca’s art is pretty good too.  

Fraction's proves to be quite prescient on a couple of issues. 

And this is a really neat idea.

Which is why I was stunned to see him think that China's in charge of Taiwan.

And there's no chance it was a mistake, because he does it again in the next issue.

He does write a legit funny Spidey.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Ellis Iron Man

Invincible Iron Man 1-6

The Warren Ellis/Adi Granov collaboration whose look majorly influenced the Marvel movie designs and story inspired Iron Man 3.  Yet for all the innovative, groundbreaking things Ellis introduces here (he makes Tony Stark an enhanced human, for crying out loud!  And he’s the only Iron Man writer I can think of who’s ever brought up the inherent delay between thought and action that piloting the suit would incur), it is at its heart a very basic story - Bad guy gets superpowers, Iron Man gets wrecked in the first fight, Tony heals and levels up, then wins the rematch.  It’s Rocky III, if you think about it.    

Great, distinct work by Granov, it’s too bad he hasn’t done much more interior work.

The old...

...and the new.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Champions

Champions 1-18

Avengers 672-674

Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos, back together after their incomparable run on Impulse.  While Ramos’ art is even better, Waid’s stories are a little too old school for my taste, especially in the Avengers crossover.  “The team splits up into smaller teams to prevent the High Evolutionary from merging Earth with Counter-Earth.”  That’s a 70s plot if I’ve ever heard one.  

There are plenty of character moments and humor that are vintage Waid, and they keep this comic from dropping below the Nice line.  Waid writes a great Viv Vision (I really thought he killed her off!) and he brings a new dimension to Scott Summers that I’ve never seen before, explaining his inability to relax and how the Champions are actually a much better fit for him than the X-Men.

But I’m never going to think, “You know, what I really want to read right now is Champions.”

Poor Kamala, always the mom of the group.

Viv's so good at cutting to the heart of the matter.

Trust falls always make me think of one thing.

Heh.

Hulk never clicked for me on this run.

Ah, the eternal straight guy fantasy.

My cousin died last week at 36.  I can't imagine what her father is going through.

How will he choose to remember her?

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Jupiter's Legacy, New comics

New comics!

Swing vol. 4

Top Cow’s line of erotic comics continue to impress.  By focusing on the very real-feeling relationships (which organically include sex), writer Matt Hawkins renews my faith in romance comics.  (I used to love them, but I feel like I’ve reviewed a run of not-so-good ones.  I was beginning to think that I’d lost my taste for them, which would have made me very sad.)  

Jupiter’s Legacy 1-5

Jupiter’s Legacy 2 1-5

Jupiter’s Circle 1-6

Jupiter’s Circle 2 1-6

I’ve been unimpressed with Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem, but before I cancelled my sub, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just because I’d forgotten the original comics and was missing out on a ton of context.

Well, Mark Millar’s on top of his game here, there’s no doubt about that.  Both the present day Legacy story (drawn by the magnificent Frank Quitely) and the prequel Circle arc (multiple pencillers) held my rapt attention.  Excellent stuff here.  It’s also one of the few times where Millar’s characterizations and interpersonal relationship are more interesting than the plot.  (Which doesn’t suck either.)

Stunning.

The prequel does an effective job of adding emotional weight to a number of the deaths in Legacy, where most of the old guard dies with no fanfare and little reflection.   

Having these issues fresh in my mind certainly improves Requiem.  And while it’s still not as good as its predecessors, it’s improved enough that I think I’m going to stick it out.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

New Comics

New comics!

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow 4

This is a special series, even by Tom King standards.  He can be so good at the two-page mini-story, using it to capture yet another aspect of Supergirl and what makes her great.  It struck me today that the writing style he uses is reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Lucy Maud Montgomery.  There’s a refined, old school elegance to his language that works beautifully here.

This is very Clark Kent.

But this is where Kara differs from him.  She's harder.

Nightwing 84

Crossing over to Fear State, the event going on over in Batman, I presume.  Robbie Rodriguez does a great job filling in, I love his kinetic, lean style.  There’s Otto Schmidt and Sean Murphy in there.

Batman vs Bigby 1

I got this out of my love for Fables, but even with original writer Bill Willingham at the helm, I have to say that I’m not feeling this.  It reads more like a lesser Jack of Fables spin off than something from the master.  I might want to cancel this before I get in too deep.

Black Widow 11

Lovely art as usual, but this time it’s from Rafael de Latorre.  Between this and Captain Marvel, Kelly Thompson is really cornering the market on awesome all-women teams.  Though it would be really nice if she weren’t the only one.

Seven Secrets 12

I think that’s it for me.  Twelve issues in, and this has done very little for me, despite the colorful, beautiful art.  I just don’t care about any of these people.

Rorschach 12

Annnd, that’s it?  I mean, it’s well done from a craft POV, but it’s a little underwhelming.  I think it’ll be much better on the re-read.  

That’s it for all the non-Spider-Man Ultimates titles, it fills one box!  I’m not sure if I’m moving on to that Bendis run or something else.  It’s a lot of Spider-Man to be starting, no matter how good it is.  

Box summary

Time spent reading: 22 hours, 25 minutes

Issues read: 238

Issues cut: 42

Highlights (Good or better): Ultimate X-Men 1-6, 40-45, 58, Ultimate War, Ultimate Fantastic Four 1-12, Ultimates, Ultimates 4 1-12

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 42 days, 21 hours, 42 minutes

Issues read: 9001

Issues cut: 1074

Ultimate Galactus

Ultimate Nightmare 1-5

Warren Ellis writes what’s basically the Ultimate Galactus trilogy.  Here, the X-Men and Ultimates investigate the source of global nightmares and discover Ultimate Vision, sent to warn Earth of the coming of Gah Lak Tus.  It’s your basic “dungeon of superhuman horrors” scenario, an unnecessary appetizer for what’s to come.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Ultimate Secret 1-4

In part two, the Kree reveal themselves as observers sent to watch Earth’s demise at the ‘hands’ of Gah Lak Tus.  (I really hate the new name.)  The Ultimates and FF kick the crap out of them and get their hands on some intel that will hopefully provide them with some solutions to this world destroyer.  Ultimate Captain Marvel (the Kree one) and Captain Marvel (the Carol Danvers one) show up for the first time.  Some nice art by Tom Raney and Steve McNiven.

Ellis loves having his characters geek out over science.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Ultimate Extinction 1-5

The main event, though even the first four issues are prelude as everyone fights the Silver Surfers (awesomely alien) and devise their answers to Gah Lak Tus (Happiness mind bullets (lame) and firing the Big Bang of a baby universe at it (cooler, but the results are just as lame)).  At the end of the day, they force the World Eater to retreat, and that’s it.  It’s an abrupt, anti-climactic ending in the way that Warren Ellis stories often are.  It’s like he’s only interested in the big ideas, and doesn’t care at all about the human reactions to the aftermath.  

Still, everything up until the end is exciting and successfully builds up the tension.  Brandon Peterson is the best artist across these fourteen issues.  I love his and colorist Justin Posner’s otherworldly take on Surfer.

Nice touch with the rows of teeth.

Cap makes a valid point.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good