Movie Review: Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows (2012)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Johnny Lee Miller
Directed by: Tim Burton

First things first, I had no intentions of seeing Dark Shadows. However, I realized last Monday that Mother's Day was coming up, and seeing as how my mother is a Shadows fanatic, I decided to offer to take her. Perhaps it was because I had very minimal expectations, but I didn't find Dark Shadows to be that bad, even if it doesn't live up to such past Burton/Depp team-ups like Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow (yeah, I said it).

Based off of the television series from the late 60's, Dark Shadows follows Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), a human cursed to become a vampire by the witch Angelique (Eva Green) after he has an affair with her.  Driven out of the Maine town by the locals, he's encased in a coffin for two hundred years, until he is accidentally released by construction workers in the year 1972. After brutally slaughtering the workers, Collins heads off to his old manor, Collinwood, where he meets his modern-day relatives.  There's Elizabeth (Pfeiffer), her daughter Carolyn (played by Cloe Grace-Moretz), Roger Collins (Miller), and a host of others, including the new governess, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), whom Barnabas believes is the reincarnation of his beloved Josette, the woman whose death a jealous Angelique caused.  The Collins family has seen a noticeable dip in their fortunes in the community, and Barnabas makes it his mission to return his family to prominence by kickstarting their run down fishing business, which he started back in the 1700's. Of course, this would all go a lot smoother if Angelique wasn't still around, running a fishing company of her own....

First off, the trailers for Dark Shadows present a much campier movie than what the audience actually gets. Sure, there are plenty of humorous moments in the film, but there are also some moments that are fairly dark and surprisingly violent. However, while I was pleasantly surprised that this movie wasn't completely rated "ARG for pirates", the movie is a little all over the place. From what my mom told me after the film, the sub plot of Victoria being the reincarnation of Josette was played out over several years of the show, so when it's crammed into a two hour movie it obviously doesn't work as well. It also probably doesn't help that this plot wasn't nearly as fleshed out as it should have been. There's more of a focus on the Angelique/Barnabas relationship than many of the others, and with so many characters in the cast, it's kind of a shame. Michelle Pfieffer does a really good job here, as does Chloe Grace-Moretz and Helena Bonham-Carter, but there's simply not enough time in the movie to accommodate all of them.

Despite this, Johnny Depp is reliable as always. His turn as Barnabas is really fun and of course, quirky. The scenes directly after he busts out of the coffin and is wandering aimlessly through Collinsport, clearly stunned and horrified at the world around him, were my favorite moments of the film, but I'm glad that it didn't dominate the entire movie.

The Burton/Depp train isn't slowing down anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind if they took a break after Dark Shadows. While the final product isn't nearly as bad as the trailers made it seem, it's still a bit of a mess tonally. However, if The Avengers is sold out and you absolutely have to see a movie, you could do worse than Dark Shadows. And besides, my mom, the Dark Shadows super-fan, really enjoyed the movie, so there's that.

Final verdict: 2 1/2 out of 4 Danny Elfman musical flourishes

Comic Reviews: Batman and Robin and The Avenging Spider-man

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!!

Batman and Robin #9

Exhibit Y of why Damian Wayne is a kick-ass addition to the Batman universe: the latest issue of Batman and Robin. Tying in with the "Night Of The Owls" mini-event, this issue finds Damien's Robin out on patrol when he receives Alfred's transmission from Batman #8.  The young would-be assassin heads off to try and stop a Talon close by who is looking to take out a high-ranking Army General who is training some troops in Gotham. What he finds is Damian, who's ready to do anything to protect the people the Talon is after.

What's great about this issue is Peter Tomasi's fantastic character work on Damian. Arguably the real star of Batman and Robin, Damian Wayne has seen a lot of growth from the first issue of this series, and especially from his introduction in Grant Morrison's "Batman and Son". We see here the beginnings of Damian taking over for his father, as he shouts orders to people more than twice his age without hesitation. We get a great sense of the lessons Damian has learned from his father, and hearing himself admit that he feels some sympathy with the Talon he's fighting was a great moment for a character that some still think needs to prove his worth in the Batman universe.

The art this issue isn't from Patrick Gleason by the way. Lee Garbett and Andy Clarke are our fill-in guys, but if you're worried that this issue will be Uncanny X-Force'd, fear not, as their work is nearly identical to Gleason's. While I would've loved to have seen his work being the one showcasing Damian's brutally awesome takedown of the Talon assassin, these guys did an able job filling in, and yes, the fight is just as cool as you would hope a fight between a regenerating assassin and a ten-year old raised by ninjas would be.

As one of the best New 52 books on the stands, Batman and Robin is well-worth the read, and a great companion to the other awesome Batman book (hint, it's not Detective Comics or Dark Knight).  Serving as both a solid crossover tie-in and a great character study, Batman and Robin #9 is one of those rare crossover tie-ins that serves both the overall story as a whole, but also the story in its own series as well. 

The Avenging Spider-man #7

The Avenging Spider-man continues its march as the new Marvel Team-Up with the latest issue, in which Spidey teams up with She-Hulk to stop an ancient Egyptian Cat god. Yes, you read that right.

Written and drawn by the Immonens Kathryn and Stuart, this issue is a throwback to the crazy Marvel Team-Ups of old. After defeating a strange worm monster thing, Spidey follows She-Hulk to an Egyptian exhibit opening at a local museum. Spidey's not interested in Egypt, but more so the promise of free food (She-Hulk did mention that she had a "plus one" after all). Of course, once he gets to the museum, Spidey notices some mysterious hooded figures nearby, who so happen to be trying to resurrect Bastet, the god of cats. This of course leads to all kinds of feline shenanigans, including Spider-man and She-Hulk doing battle with a herd of cats (without hitting them), a giant Bastet threatening the two, and She-Hulk growing a tail.

Yes this issue is absurd, but it's also a lot of fun. Kathryn Immonen's script is light and pretty funny, and as always, Stuart Immonen's artwork is a sight to behold. The pairing of the two is so perfect, you'd almost think they were married or something.  Those looking for a little something light in their pull list this week would do well with picking up Avenging Spider-man, especially if you're a cat lover. Cause seriously, there's like a billion cats in this issue.

 

Movie Review: THE AVENGERS!

The Avengers (2012)

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr. , Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by: Joss Whedon 

It’s here. It’s finally here. The movie that has been teased to us comic fans since 2008’s Iron Man has finally become a reality. After five films, the individual members of the Avengers have gotten their own solo introductions (including a second act for Tony Stark), and now stand ready to assemble on the big screen. So, with this much anticipation and hype surrounding the movie, there’s only one question to ask:

Is it any good?

YES. 100%, undoubtedly yes.  This is the movie your geek brain has been waiting for, and Joss Whedon deserves all of the attention and respect that he will get from this movie, and will hopefully become the next big thing in Hollywood (even if we geeks have known for a while how awesome he is). Deftly juggling every character in the movie, Whedon’s skill for ensembles is in full force here, giving each Avenger their moment to shine. Any fears that one would have about him handling such a huge task for his second feature film are immediately alleviated, and Whedon, the cast, and especially Marvel Studios should smile and breathe a sigh of relief, as this is the best Marvel movie, and possibly best superhero movie of all time.

Stark and Banner working together: Thing I never thought I'd see on the big screen #435

Everyone is in top form here, from Chris Hemsworth as Thor to the always-awesome Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  There’s not a bad link in the cast, but the real stand out is Mark Ruffalo, taking over the role of Hulk/Bruce Banner from Edward Norton. He’s easily my favorite version of Banner, and I can’t wait to see more of him. Hulk steals the entire movie from the other characters, but as I said before, there’s not one character that overshadows the others. Fans worried that this would become “Iron Man and Friends” can rest easy, because even though Tony does have a pretty big role in the movie, there’s plenty of room for the other characters in the film.
 

Also great is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, whom after this movie has solidified himself as the only person who can play the God of Mischief. Ably going from a menace to a sympathetic character (and back again), Hiddleston  turned what could’ve been just a moustache turning one-note villain into one of the most compelling and interesting characters in the whole movie.

Avengers also serves as a great sort-of sequel to Thor and Iron Man 2 as well, catching us up on the secondary characters and major plot points from both movies, which just adds to the cohesive feel of the cinematic Marvel Universe. The fact that we can now have these characters interacting with one another on the big screen is something that I never though I would see in my lifetime. Any of the people who were with me at the midnight screening can attest to the 2 and a half hour long geek out that occurred from me, and right as the final credits* rolled, I immediately wanted to see it again.  The Avengers is the ultimate film for geeks and non-geeks alike, and the pay-off we’ve all been waiting for.  I cannot thank Joss Whedon, the cast, and especially Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige enough for this film. Seeing these characters on the big screen, battling to protect us from an unknown threat instantly brought me back to when I was child, reading comics like Spider-man, Wolverine, and yes, The Avengers (I read the first issue of Busiek/Perez run at least 30 times).  There are very, very few comic book movies that are instant classics. This is one of them. 

So thank you Whedon, Hemsworth, Downey, Evans, Jackson, Johansson, Renner, and Ruffalo. Thank you Kevin Feige. And thank you Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who started all this craziness. I think the geek community shares my thanks.

VERDICT: FIVE Hulk outs out of FIVE

* YES you should stay after the credits, for not one, but TWO scenes.

Rest easy good sir, you deserve it

Comic Reviews: Earth 2 and Avengers vs. X-Men!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!

Earth 2 #1

The second wave of DC's "New 52" starts this week with the release of Earth 2, a surprisingly awesome first issue that teases some intriguing new plots for the series to come, and presents a wonderful new alternate universe for fans to experience. I don't want to jinx it, but it seems like Earth 2 may be writer James Robinson's return to comics glory.

Opening with a new take on the recent parademon attack from the recently wrapped opening Justice League story, the heroes of Earth 2 find themselves locked in battle with Darkseid's forces. After years of battle, and realizing that they must end it somehow, the Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman of Earth 2 come up with one final plan of attack to save their world. Leading the charge, the heroes put up a valiant fight, but ultimately meet their end, as both Superman and Wonder Woman fall to the sheer size of the army they face, and Batman sacrifices himself to finally defeat the parademons.  Add to the fact that Supergirl and Huntress (who in this universe is Batman's daughter) chase an unknown enemy into a boom tube (a plot point that is resolved in their own series- World's Finest, which is also out today), and the world of Earth 2 is suddenly without heroes.

Or is it? Shortly after this awesome opening battle, we are introduced to both Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, the golden age Green Lantern and Flash as we know them. Here on Earth 2 however, they are both young men (well, Scott's older) who have yet to realize the power that they will both possess. Scott is a successful media mogul, and Garrick is, well, a loser. We're introduced to them at the tail end of the issue, but it doesn't matter, I'm hooked 100% and will gladly pick up the next issue. Writer James Robinson is on fire with this script, and artist Nicola Scott has created one of the best action scenes of the year with his depiction of the DC's big three's last stand. While I have a vague passing knowledge of the golden age characters that this book is referencing, it had no impact on my enjoyment of this issue. As I said before, I'm in. 100%.

Avengers vs. X-Men #3

Ed Brubaker needs to write every issue of Avengers vs. X-Men. This third issue is bar-none, the best of the three that have been released, and is leaps and bounds better than Jason Aaron's stab at the story last issue.  The action finally moves from Utopia, and after an awesome deception by the X-Men, the Avengers are left scrambling trying to catch up with them in the search for Hope.

But that's not what makes this issue great. As you can tell from the cover, Captain America and Wolverine throw down, and before you say "Wolverine switches sides ALREADY?" let me say this: it's not what you think, and the reason why the two come to blows makes complete sense.  Brubaker has proven already that he should be the man to pen the rest of this series, but alas, I know that this wish will not come true. This is the issue that makes up for the last one. Awesome, awesome stuff here, and I hope the other writers in the room took notes from Ed for the remainder of this series.

Trade Waiting: "Batman: Venom"

With The Dark Knight Rises just around the corner, DC Comics has been reprinting numerous trade paperbacks of Batman’s encounters with Bane, the villain who is set to appear in Christopher Nolan’s swan song. We’ve had new editions of the classic Knightfall saga, the introduction of Bane in Batman vs. Bane (which collected the Vengeance Of Bane one-shot and Bane Of The Demon miniseries), and now we have Batman: Venom, which collects the 1991 Dennis O’Neil and Trevor Von Eeden story from Legends Of The Dark Knight issues 16-20. 

The storyline finds Batman, still new to his war on crime, starting to use “venom”, a new synthetic drug that gives ordinary humans superhuman strength. After failing to stop a young kidnapped girl from drowning, Batman is racked with guilt at not being strong enough to lift the rock that pinned her down. He goes to the daughter’s house to tell her father, Randolph Porter that he failed. It’s here that he sees the venom drug, which Porter has been working on and is planning to sell to the FDA. Unfortunately, what Batman doesn’t know is that Porter is not only planning on selling the drug on the black market, but he also orchestrated his daughter’s kidnapping to snare Batman into becoming his guinea pig for the drug. Along with Timothy Slaycroft, a corrupt US General, Porter is planning on creating an army of subservient super-beings to start, you guessed it, world domination.  

As soon as Batman starts taking the drug, his moods start changing and he becomes DUMB. Like hit in the head with a tire iron dumb. While I understand O’Neill’s decision here, showing how Batman’s intelligence is just as important as his strength, but having Batman say half sentences and being an incoherent mess is extremely distracting, and it didn’t really work that well.  If anything, it made O’Neill’s writing suffer, which is a shame, cause he’s usually spot on with his characterization of Batman. 

What follows is a pretty typical story involving Batman realizing he’s been played for a fool, and after a month-long sting of being locked in the batcave going cold turkey off the venom drug, Bruce Wayne returns to being the Batman we all know and love. With an epic beard. After spending six months getting back into the swing of things, Batman learns that Porter and Slaycroft have relocated to Santa Prisca, a South American country that may sound familiar to fans of Bane. There the two have ramped up their experiments on humans, including turning Slaycroft’s son into a giant hulking brute. Batman tracks them down, takes them out, and returns Porter to Gotham to answer for what he’s done. 

The Bat-beard

As I said before, Venom is the unofficial start of the story of Bane, and while it doesn’t feature the character, it does give us some insight into how the compound works that gives him his strength, as well as its humble origins as a small designer drug. The dialogue and characterization is a little hard to swallow for Batman, but once you realize that this fits into Bruce’s early days as a crime fighter it’s a little easier to take.  Some of this can also be attributed to being so used to Batman being written as the “always ready”, “always stoic” badass with no time for jokes.  Von Eeden’s pencils are good, if a little stiff sometimes. His facial work is awesome though, and you’d be very hard pressed to not find someone impressed by bearded Batman. 

It may be rough at points, but Batman: Venom is a solid read for fans curious to see where Bane’s venom came from, and to get a good glimpse into the importance of Batman’s intellect as well as physical prowess in the fight against crime.

Comic Reviews: Daredevil and Aquaman!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!

 Daredevil #11


The mini crossover "The Omega Effect" comes to a close with the current issue of Daredevil, and while it doesn't have quite the bang that I was expecting, it's still a very solid ending for this entertaining story.

Spinning out of the events of last week's Punisher (and The Avenging Spider-man a week before that), the issue finds ol' Hornhead fighting off a horde of A.I.M., Hydra, and other nefarious agents of the Marvel Universe at Grand Central Station, while Punisher, Spider-man, and Punisher's "sidekick" Rachel Cole-Alves attempt to help him. How did DD find himself in this predicament? Well, Cole decided to push Daredevil into the crowd of thugs, all so she could grab the Omega Drive that everyone is going after him for. For those just catching up, the Omega Drive contains information on every major crime group in the Marvel Universe, and is quite the hot item of the moment for the baddies.

After a quick assist from Spider-man, Daredevil leaves Punisher behind with the rest of the goons to chase after Cole, who has mysteriously vanished after pushing him into the mob. Confronting her in an abandoned warehouse, Daredevil tries his best to talk Cole out of using the drive to wipe out the crime gangs, telling her that killing all of these men won't bring back her husband, who was murdered on Cole's wedding day.  After a tense stand-off, Cole gives Daredevil the disk, but not after Punisher and Spidey's fight with the numerous agents spills into the warehouse, allowing Cole to escape.

While I was expecting a little more action from this finale, I was still very happy with the end product. The character work here by Mark Waid is fantastic, and you can tell that Punisher writer Greg Rucka had a lot of say in this story, as Cole, who was introduced in Frank Castle's book, really takes center stage here. Her confrontation with Daredevil is the highlight of the issue, and DD's speech to her about the loss of her husband not justifying murder was fantastic. Marco Checchetto's art is great as well. With his awesome action scenes and quieter moments, the art really stands out in this issue.

For those who haven't been reading Daredevil or "The Omega Effect", this issue probably won't do much for you, but if you have been following the story, this issue is a satisfying conclusion to the storyline, and offers some great story points for characters not only in Daredevil, but in Punisher as well. With so many big events going around in Marvel, it's good to see that the smaller ones are just as good, if not better, than the big guns.

Aquaman #8

The DC mandate of "making Aquaman a badass" continues with issue 8, which shines some light on "The Others", a mysterious group of superhumans that Arthur Curry allied himself with before joining the Justice League.  Focusing primarily in flashback, this issue shows Aquaman and his former teammates hunting down Black Manta, who is also currently attacking these members in the present day. Geoff Johns continues to make Arthur Curry the baddest mofo around, even if he is a pretty big a-hole in the flashbacks of this book. We also finally get some reasoning behind Aquaman's distrust of Shin, the marine biologist whom Curry sought in "The Trench" storyline at the beginning of the series.
As usual, Ivan Reis' pencils are fantastic, and the character designs for the members of "The Others" are very cool, especially Prisoner, a character who I hope we see more of in future issues. Aquaman is one of the premiere new 52 books, how much more do I have to praise it until you believe me?

By The Power Of Greyskull! I......HAVE....A COOOMMICCC!!!!!

There was a lot of news to come out of Emerald City Comic Con, but it was a piece of news that came after it ended that got me excited the most:

This July, DC Comics will be printing a new Masters Of The Universe comic. Strange, I know, as He-Man and co. haven’t been relevant for years now (although the Cartoon Network relaunch from 2003 rules), but it doesn’t matter, because he’s back. And more importantly, this means Skeletor, the baddest villain ever, is back, and judging by the press release , he’s going to continue to be awesome.

The basic premise of this new MOTU six-issue mini is that Skeletor has won. Yes, the bad mofo with the awesome hideout finally has control over  Castle Greyskull, which in turn means that he now rules Eternia. To ensure his dominance over the realm, Skeletor casts a spell causing all of  the Masters to forget their past lives.  Prince Adam, now a farmer, has no idea of the power he possesses, and the fact that he can change the world around him.

 I may be the only person on the planet excited for this, but I don’t care, it’s happening, and maybe this will be the resurgence He-Man needs to get an awesome movie made out of it. I can’t explain my fascination with the world of Eternia, I wasn’t even born at the time Masters Of The Universe was a huge hit. I completely understand that the entire concept of He-Men is pretty ridiculous, and a blatant Conan The Barbarian rip-off.  Maybe it’s because I got an entire box of the toys when I was young at a yard sale, and played with them in their Castle Greyskull until many of them fell apart.  Or maybe it’s the designs of the characters and monsters that hooked me in. Sure, many of them have hilariously literal names (Man-E-Faces anyone?), but there are a lot of really awesome-looking villains in the MOTU universe.

Anyways, this summer DC Comics is making my wish come true. Thanks to James Robinson and Philip Tan, I’m not only getting a new Masters Of the Universe comic, but one where Skeletor has won as well.  It may be an out of left field choice, but it’s one I’ll gladly take.

Comic Reviews: Batman and Avengers vs. X-Men!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!

Batman #8

At this rate I'm officially beating a dead horse when I talk about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's career-defining run on Batman. If you're not reading it, there is something very, very wrong with you. This issue is the start of the "Night Of The Owls' mini-event, which sees the mysterious Court Of Owls finally make their city-wide presence known to Bruce Wayne. Bringing the fight to Wayne Manor, the Court's first steps to completely take over Gotham have started, which means that while the shit is hitting the fan for Bats, it makes for awesome reading for comic fans!

Taking place entirely at Wayne Manor, the issue finds Bruce Wayne recovering from his near-insanity inducing encounter with the Court Of Owls secret underground maze. Snyder and Capullo present a new viewpoint for the typically always-ready Batman, as he starts to come to grips with the fact that the city he always thought he knew is actually completely foreign to him. The fact that he feels a certain betrayal about it is a very cool hook, and hats off to Snyder for writing these scenes and dialogue  in a way that presents a new view for Bruce, but still ties into his typical characterization.

This issue isn't all introspective contemplation though. The action comes quick and dirty in this issue, as one of the Court Of Owls' Talon assassins enters Wayne Manor, leaving an injured Bruce to fight him off. The battle covers everything from a closet to the roof of the Manor (where many more Talons join the fray), to the recesses of the batcave, where Bruce has has Alfred place a distress call as he prepares for the Talons in the cave's armory. As always, Greg Capullo's art is stunning, spanning the quiet lulls of the opening to the insane fights as Bruce battles off an enemy that is seemingly everywhere. Capullo is a master of comic book pacing and fight layouts, and deserves all of the admiration he gets.

The thing that makes this issue so effective is the way that the Court of Owls Talon assassins are depicted. There is no doubt that these are extremely creepy and disturbing villains. Already the Court Of Owls has become a premiere rogue for Batman, even though this is their first outing. Snyder and Capullo have gone above and beyond in showing us how good comics can be. Anyone who expresses surprise at the fact that comics are still being made needs to be handed this run as proof that comics are not only awesome, but a legitimate storytelling medium as well. 

Also, as a bonus, we get a back-up story which covers the distress call that Alfred sends out. Written by Snyder and with art by Rafael Albuquerque, the back-up perfectly ties into the main story of the issue, and completely justifies the 3.99 price that the series now carries. Of course, Batman could be 7.99 and I would still recommend it wholeheartedly (don't get any ideas though DC).

Avengers vs. X-Men #2

Yes, issue (or round) 2 of Avengers vs. X-Men is released today, and while it wastes no time getting into the rumblin', the narration decisions made by Jason Aaron (who writes this issue) are a little.......different. 

Picking up immediately where the last issue left off, the X-Men are defending their home island of Utopia from The Avengers, who have arrived for Hope, the "mutant messiah" who also is believed to be the new host for the Phoenix Force, which is on a beeline for Earth. There are snippets of some cool fights here (which will be expanded on in the upcoming AvX tie-in miniseries), and John Romita, Jr.'s art isn't too half bad, but Jason Aaron's narrative choice for the issue leaves something to be desired. In an attempt to make these battles sound over the top and epic, it instead comes off a little corny and cheesy. Saying different variations of "this is the way the world ends" doesn't really help drive your point home. In fact, it gets annoying after awhile. After a fairly strong start, Avengers vs. X-Men takes a little stumble in its second round. Hopefully this doesn't prove to be a sign of the rest of the series to come.

Of Mice and Spider-Men

 For the past few years, Marvel has made many creative choices that they never said they would make: Bucky Barnes has been brought back to life, Wolverine’s origin has been revealed, and Jean Grey has stayed dead. Now we can add another “thing that was never going to happen but is now gonna happen”:

This summer, the regular “616” Marvel universe is going to collide with the Ultimate Marvel universe.

Now, this isn’t a universe wide event. This is just the meeting of two versions of Marvel’s flagship character, the one and only Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man.  Details are scarce at the moment, but the Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli five issue miniseries is already being called one of the “biggest stories in Marvel history”, according to editor in chief Axel Alonso, of course.  

This is a HUGE deal in more ways than one. Besides the fact that this summer will mark Spidey’s 50th anniversary, the meeting of these two universes is a really big deal, mainly because of the potential we have here. Now more than ever, the Ultimate universe is a major departure from the regular 616 universe. Reed Richards is a bad guy, the X-Men are barely recognizable to their “regular” counterparts, and most importantly, Peter Parker is DEAD. The sheer idea of the 616 Marvel Spidey meeting Miles Morales and learning that his counterpoint in the Ultimate universe is dead is really cool, not to mention the fact that Gwen Stacy not being worm food in the Ultimate universe should also cause some alarm from Parker.  

The Ultimate Marvel universe lost it’s appeal to me around the time of the second relaunch, but I’ve heard enough positive buzz around Ultimate Comics Spider-man that I’m going to pick up the first hardcover collection and go from there. One of the things that I first loved about the Ultimate universe was its willingness to differentiate itself from the Marvel universe that we all know and love. Granted, after the first year of the Ultimate Universe imprint many of the storylines started to fall into a theme of “who can we ultimize next?” and after the one-two punch travesty of Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum, I’m amazed as many people came back to the relaunch that did. I’m also amazed at the amount of people who came back for the most recent relaunch, which brings the Ultimate universe up to two relaunches in barely ten years. Yikes.   

However, Miles Morales is a step towards the Ultimate universe of old (feels weird saying that since it’s not THAT old), and there have been a lot of strides lately to make the Ultimate world different from its inspirations. There’s a lot of cool potential for the Spider-men of these two universes meeting for the first and hopefully only time. Knowing Marvel however, this will probably the first of many team-ups between the 616 universe and the Ultimate universe. Remember Marvel Zombies, and how cool and original that was? Then Marvel decided to do everything from four sequels to Marvel Zombies Christmas Carol?  If anything is guaranteed, it’s that Marvel NEVER learns from their past mistakes, and this is the start to a whole slew of Ultimate/616 crossovers.

Or who knows? Maybe another relaunch.

Comic Reviews: The Secret Service and Batgirl!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!

The Secret Service #1 (of 7)

Mark Millar's OTHER comic series that's not called Supercrooks is out today, and teams him up with Matthew Vaughn (director of Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class) and the legendary Dave Gibbons of Watchmen. Telling a tale that a younger Millar pitched to Gibbons back in the 80s', The Secret Service is a surprisingly funny look into the world of British spies and  in my opinion a better intro issue than Supercrooks.

Starting with a hilarious intro involving the kidnapping of Mark Hamill (yes, THAT Mark Hamill) and its out of nowhere conclusion involving the actor, a British spy, and a faulty parachute, the action moves to a London apartment, which is the home of Gary, a young punk whose primary hobbies are stealing cars, fighting with his deadbeat mom, and getting in trouble with the cops. After a joyride with a stolen car goes bad, Gary is placed into police custody, and his mom calls in his Uncle Jack to talk some sense into him. However, what Gary's mom doesn't know is that Jack is a member of the British Secret Service, and has other plans for Gary.....

Secret Service is a fantastic first issue. Mark Millar's script is awesome, and is almost like a good guy version of Wanted. You can definitely tell that this is something that Millar has wanted to do for awhile now, there's not a wasted moment or out-place piece of the issue. And Dave Gibbons. Man, what can be said about him that hasn't already been said? The man is a legend, and it's great to see that his style hasn't dropped in quality since his days drawing Watchmen. Secret Service is a must-buy, and is one of the best books released this week.  Get it now before the movie adaptation (which I'm sure is coming soon).

Batgirl #8

Batgirl has been one of the most consistently entertaining books of the DC New 52. While I was one of the people who were (rightfully) skeptical of Barbara Gordon's return to the cowl (and walking), I've been really impressed with writer Gail Simone's take on the character.  Her take on Bab's recovery from the wheelchair and return to being Batgirl is really interesting, and this issue (as well as the previous one) connect with the classic Batman tale The Killing Joke, with Barbara confronting one of the Joker's henchmen who was with him the night he crippled her. Reliving this event, plus dealing with the return of her mother, has thrown Bab's life into free fall at the moment, but when she decides to confront the thug and his boss, Grotesque, it shows us how strong of a female character she is. Simone is showing us with each issue that Barbara Gordon is a survivor, and this issue nails it.  Plus, as an added bonus, fans of Scott Snyder's "The Black Mirror" storyline from Detective Comics last year will be in for a treat with the final page. 

"Augmented Reality" and YOU!

Marvel has finally unleashed Avengers vs. X-Men upon us nerds, and while I’ve already given my impressions of it here, I was really surprised by Marvel’s design choice with this issue. While this has no bearing on my favorable impressions of the issue, Marvels choice in how they are promoting their “Augmented Reality” iPad app is a very…unique one.  

If you’ve read the issue by now, you may have noticed some small (depending on the panel) “AR” logos that popped up at key points of the book. These logos are cues for one to load up the Marvel Augmented Reality app and “scan” the page of the book. Bleeding Cool has posted the results of a scan of the first page, and the only way I can describe it is it’s like watching a DVD with the director’s commentary turned on. From what I’ve learned from a co-worker of mine who owns an iPad, this is something that happens throughout the issue when you scan it. Some pages are animated, some have editorial notes, and others show you the panel as it goes from rough pencils to a finished, colored work.

While I guess this is an okay gimmick for the book, did Marvel really have to slap an “AR” logo onto every panel? Wouldn’t it have been more effective to put a little note at the beginning of the book, then saying “now what else can you find?” That way you could have fans read the story AGAIN and scan every page. It would be more of a surprise to see which panels would feature this “Augmented Reality” and which ones were left out.  Or maybe they just wanted to remind you of the bonus materials you would get to see if you were reading it digitally. I’m thinking the latter.

But back to these logos. How does John Romita, Jr. feel about this? While some of them are small, they’re essentially slapped right on top of his artwork. Sure he has a stellar relationship with Marvel, but if I was him I’d be a little miffed, especially since his art in this is a lot better after the debacle that was his Avengers run.  I wonder if this was a higher-up decision and if he was even made aware of what was going to happen in it. JRJR is a pretty huge name at Marvel, and I’d be very surprised if they didn’t at least run this idea by him before doing it.

I’m calling it now: Marvel’s Augmented Reality app will be gone by next year. Sure, it’s an interesting concept (if you own an iPad or other tablet device), and while it is cool to get some behind the scenes on certain issues, I still feel like this is a whole lot of work for something that is basically a digital pop up book.  While this is an interesting middle ground between print and digital comics, it’s still…off. I can’t explain it, and I don’t want to be like the typical comic geek that is against any and all change, but at the same time, this whole Augmented Reality thing just seems like a way to rub it in the faces of people who either don’t have an iPad/smartphone or those of us who still don’t want digital comics.  

Blast From The Past: The X-Men vs. The Avengers (1987)

For those of you who didn’t know, the upcoming Avengers vs. X-Men event from Marvel isn’t the first time the two teams have tussled. Way back in 1987, the year of my birth, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Marvel’s Merry Mutants threw down in a knock-down drag out four-issue fight from writer Roger Stern and artist Mark Silvestri.  Well, maybe “knock-down” drag out isn’t the right word.  How about “get into an argument, team up to fight Soviet Super Soldiers, fight each other, and then come to a mutual understanding”?  

Doesn’t pack the same punch, does it? If anything, the 1987 X-Men vs. Avengers four-issue mini-series is a classic example of the superhero team-ups of days of yore, and it’s a time capsule of comic book storytelling from the 80s’. The dialogue is a little clunky, and the first pages of each issue play catch up for the reader, even though we’re being told the events of the story from a character’s point of view.

And what an event it is. Playing off numerous past Uncanny X-Men stories, the 80’s throw down finds pieces of Magneto’s old hideout Asteroid M plummeting to Earth. After the Avengers help prevent pieces of the debris from destroying an Ohio shopping mall, they discover that the debris is part of Asteroid M, Captain America and Co. decide to look into Magneto’s whereabouts to get some answers. Elsewhere, while relaxing with his new teammates, Magneto overhears of the debris crashing to Earth near Soviet Russia and his possible involvement, leading him to sneak away and find the debris for himself.  

Landing near the debris site, Magneto is confronted by the Avengers, then the X-Men (who had followed him there), and the Soviet Super-Soldiers, who consist of Crimson Dynamo, Darkstar, Vanguard, Ursa Major, and Titanium Man.  After the X-Men and Avengers do battle with the Soviet Super-Soldiers, the mutants head off with Magneto, and while they still don’t entirely believe that he isn’t trying to get the asteroid pieces back for nefarious reasons, they stand by him because of Professor X’s previous wishes. What follows for the next three issues is the members of The X-Men and Avengers fighting one another, then teaming up to fight the Soviet Super-Soldiers, and ultimately standing by as Magneto is brought to a U.N. trial for his actions prior to turning towards the side of “good”. 

Mind Control Helmet?

The X-Men vs. The Avengers, while failing to deliver on the fight aspect of the title, does bring up some interesting plot elements. Of course, it all happens in the final issue. With his life at stake, Magneto turns to his old helmet, which he recovered from the Asteroid M wreckage at one of its crash sites. After learning from Ms. Marvel (or Photon) that one of the judges plans on using Magneto’s execution after the trial to start a war between humans and mutants, Mags uses some sort of “circuitry” in his helmet that can influence others (something I swear was NEVER mentioned before), to dispel any anti-mutant feelings from the judge. After being released under the fact that he never signed the Geneva Convention or something, Magneto and the X-Men walk outside to a mob of anti-mutant protesters, all calling for his head. The final panel, with Magneto lamenting his decision, not thinking that his death would have actually HELPED mutants, is very cool, and gave some great insight into the character at that time.

Unfortunately much of the dialogue is pretty cheesy, especially coming from Captain America. Speaking of Cap, with the exception of Thor, you probably won’t recognize many of the Avengers that make up this team: Captain America, Thor, She-Hulk, Black Knight, Captain Marvel, and Dr. Druid. Yes, you read that right: Dr. Druid, the footie-pajama and cape-wearing mystic, who actually plays a pretty huge role in the plot of the story, acting as the Avenger’s inside man by probing the minds of the X-Men and hiding amongst them. The X-Men side is a little more recognizable, consisting of Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Magneto, Havok, and Dazzler, although it does make me wonder why there weren’t more characters from the team featured here. Although, this was from 1987, a time when the X-Men were about to enter the Australian outback and the events of “Inferno” were just about to take place.

Mark Silvestri handles the art duties, so while the story is a little lacking, the art sure isn’t. Every character here looks awesome, even the Dr. Druid. Wolverine’s throw down with Black Knight is pretty awesome, and Silvestri’s depiction of Magneto in his quieter moments is really detailed and evokes his inner conflictions with his past perfectly.

The X-Men vs. The Avengers is definitely a relic of its time, and it’s a safe bet that this week’s upcoming event of a similar name won’t be a rehash of the plot of this one. In fact, the only thing the two events share is the fact that Magneto is a member of the X-Men again. There’s no Cyclops to be seen, or two different X-Men teams. Even the Avengers of today are nothing like their 80’s counterparts.  If anything, The X-Men vs. The Avengers makes you appreciate the comic book storytelling that we have today, and regardless of whether or not the story lives up to the hype, that’s worth noting.

ALSO, as promised, the results from last week’s “Last Man Standing” bout between Boba Fett and The Punisher. In a stunning move (mostly because few people posted on the forums) the two combatants ended up in a TIE, both splitting the votes in the forums! Thanks to those of you who played!

Comic Reviews: Avengers vs. X-Men #1 and Danger Club #1!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!

Avengers vs. X-Men #1

SPOILERS
It's here. Marvel's latest blockbuster summer event has arrived, and after all of the hype and lead-up, is it any good?

Yes. Yes it is. For  those who don't know, Avengers vs. X-Men has been plotted by the Marvel "architects", with each member taking on a different section of the 12 part miniseries. This first issue, and the three following it, are penned by Brian Michael Bendis. the Marvel mainstay lays the groundwork for what looks to be a (hopefully) epic confrontation between the two teams, and he doesn't waste too much time getting everything thing in motion.

The issue starts with the Phoenix force destroying a planet on its way to Earth, then cuts to the Avengers meeting up at their NYC headquarters. After noticing a mysterious object hurtling through the skyline (which destroys a plane, the Empire State Building, and other inanimate objects), the Avengers discover that it's Nova, who gives them this message before passing out:

"It's coming."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Cyclops is putting Hope through a rigorous training routine. Since Cyclops believes that Hope is the saving grace of the mutant population, he believes that she needs to be able to fight without relying on her powers. However, as she becomes more frustrated, Hope lashes out, causing a mysterious fiery bird to erupt around her. Naturally, this intrigues Cyclops, who believes that Phoenix using Hope as a host will lead to a rebirth of the mutant population. Of course, Captain America thinks that the Phoenix is going to destroy the planet before it restarts the Earth and needs to be stopped. Cue the two meeting on the shores of Utopia, and......FIGHT!

John Romita, Jr. handles the art duties for these first few issues, and I can happily say that he's much, MUCH better than he was on Avengers. There is nothing here that even remotely touches on the phone-in work he pulled on that title, which is good, because I think he is one of the best artists in the business.  His panels depiciting the destruction of New York city are really well done, even if some of them are ruined by Marvel's stupid "AR" Augmented Reality tags that you can scan with your iPad. I get the point Marvel, no need to put it on EVERY PAGE.

But I digress. This is a very well-done start to the event. None of the characters act like they shouldn't, the art is great, and for once, the plot actually gets going in the first act of a Bendis-written comic. We may not know how Avengers vs. X-Men is going to turn out, but this first issue holds promise.

Danger Club #1

I'll admit I had no backstory behind this book at all. However, there is a lot of hype around the interwebs about it, and after Rich's recommendation this afternoon, I decided to give Danger Club a try. And holy hell, I'm glad I did. Essentially an HBO version of "Teen Titans" (or Lord of The Flies with superpowers), Danger Club follows a team of sidekicks who must find their way through a world after Earth's heroes went off planet and never returned. 3 months in, it's not going well. A former Danger Club teammate named Apollo is gathering followers, and Danger Club members lead by Kid Vigilante aren't going to allow this to happen. What follows is one of the best superhero fights of the year, and a stunning ending that definitely leaves you wanting more. Writer Landry Quinn Walker and artist Eric Jones' previous collaborations included DC Kids titles like Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in 8th Grade and the Batman: The Brave and The Bold tie-in comic, but Danger Club is NOT something that should be given to young readers. Image has been on a roll lately with it's new releases, and Danger Club continues that hot streak. Get this before it's gone! 

Comic Reviews: Avengers vs. X-Men #0 and Superman!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!!

Avengers vs. X-Men #0

If you're going into this special issue 0 of Avengers vs. X-Men expecting first punches between characters to be thrown, you're going to be disappointed. However,  this issue still delivers some pretty good character moments, and sets the stage for what looks to be a fairly solid event.

Split between two writers, the issue catches readers up to date with two characters who will presumably play large roles in the upcoming event: Scarlet Witch and Hope. The Scarlet Witch story, penned by Brian Michael Bendis, is the weaker of the two, as it deals with the fallout from her return in The Children's Crusade, an event that I started reading but dropped due to its insane lateness. After stopping a team of AIM M.O.D.O.K.s,  Scarlet Witch is dragged back to the Avengers Mansion by Spider-woman and Ms. Marvel. Believing that everyone will be happy to see her, the two women are sorely mistaken when The Vision lashes out at Scarlet Witch, banishing her from the mansion forever.

The second story, written by Jason Aaron, focuses on Hope on the island Utopia, the safe haven for all mutants in the Marvel universe. Hope has been secretly leaving Utopia every night and enacting some sweet vigilante justice of her own. Cyclops has been on to her, and tonight is the night he confronts her about her actions. After arguing, Hope heads off, leaving Cyclops behind to follow her. After a pretty sweet fight with the Serpent Society (which really shows off Hope's powers in a cool way), Cyclops and Emma Frost find Hope and bring her back to Utopia.

While both of these stories aren't entirely compelling (or even necessary), they both helped paint a picture for me of where some of the main players of the upcoming battle between the Avengers and The X-Men before next week's issue #1.  However, despite the stories being a little lackluster, the art by Frank Cho is phenomenal. His characters, with the exception of Cyclops, all look extremely powerful, and the action scenes, while few, are drawn excellently. While people following the worlds of the Avengers and The X-Men may find this issue unnecessary, Avengers vs. X-Men #0 is a solid preview of what's to come for those walking in off the street to find out what all the fuss is about.

Superman #7

It's out with the old, in the with new for  DC's new 52 Superman series. As opposed to Grant Morrison's head trip that is Action Comics, the regular "Superman" series takes place in the current DC continuity, and this issue, the start of new creative team Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen, introduces the Man of Steel to a villain he's never met before: Wild C.A.T.S.'s own Helspont!

 The issue starts with Superman being attacked by a mysterious, robotic creature, which then leads him to being brought to Helspont's lair, who intends to turn Superman into one of his minions. Jurgens and Giffen get points for introducing the villain in a pretty cool way, and even though I barely remember WildC.A.T.S., Helspont is a sweet villain who's motivation is pretty straightforward. I really liked how he broke down the differences between Earth's heroes and other planets in the galaxy. In fact, it makes me hope that we might see some sort of event where Helspont goes after other DC characters (maybe in a Justice League story-arc?).   

Superman #7 is a nice diversion from the Superman in Action Comics that I'm used to, and even if there were some parts that I didn't particularly care for (Clark basically acting like an idiot at the Daily Bugle), I'll be back for issue 8. Jurgens and Giffen did a good job of presenting a straight-forward Superman story, and it's leaps and bounds better than the first issue of this relaunch (no pun intended).

Last Man Standing: The Punisher vs. Boba Fett!

Marvel has had a lot of announcements this weekend from WonderCon. A vast majority of them have been for digital-only material, yet there was one notable print announcement:  This July, Frank Castle goes to SPACE. 

Yep, that’s right; The Punisher is taking to the cosmos. Who’s he going to fight? Martians? Jawas? Xenmorphs? Who knows, but this is leading me to start up something that I have wanted to do for a while, and thanks to the new Jetpack online forums, I can.  Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first “Last Man Standing” column!

Here’s the gist: I’ll have two combatants, and after coming up with a short scenario, it will fall on you, the members of the Jetpack community to vote on the forums or in the comments below for who you think will win.  Voting will last until the following Sunday, and I’ll announce the victor in the next week’s column. So, in honor of Punisher strapping’ on an astronaut suit, I present to you this:

THE PUNISHER vs. BOBA FETT

Frank Castle wakes up on a cold, concrete slab of a bed. The last thing he remembers is trailing a gang of human traffickers on the New York City docks, when a tranquilizer hit him from behind. Usually no one gets the drop on him, so Castle knows that whoever drugged him and is now transporting him means business. Stepping up from the slab bunk, he walks over to the bars in his small holding cell and easily picks the lock.  Standing outside of the cell, he takes a moment to assess his surroundings. 

This isn’t any ordinary mob hideout, he thinks. And there’s no way someone would make their holding cells that easy to break out of. 

 

Suddenly a figure appears in front of him, wearing a strange helmet and sporting something like a rocket pack on his back. 

“I was told you were good, but wanted to see for myself. “ The figure says. “Apparently there’s a lot of people who would pay good money for you dead. I’m here to collect.”

Frank goes for his handgun, but finds his holster empty.

“Just because I let you out of your cell doesn’t mean I’d let you keep your weapons.” The figure says.  “And by the way, the name’s Boba Fett, and I’m the last person you’ll see.” 

So Jetpack faithful, who’s going to win? Frank Castle, The Punisher, or Boba Fett, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy? (NOTE: The Punisher for this round is the same from Garth Ennis’ Punisher: MAX, as he is the most ruthless version of the character I have ever read)  Sound off in the Jetpack Comics forums or comment below right NOW!

Comic Reviews: A Double Shot Of Mark Millar!

COMIC REVIEWS!!!

Supercrooks #1 (of 4)

Comic's greatest hype man Mark Millar returns this week with his latest creator-owned title, Supercrooks. Along with his Superior artist Lieinil Yu,  Supercrooks showcases down and out villains that can't catch a break, mainly because they keep trying to pull heists in a city that is filled to the brim with superheroes. A cool mix of old school crime thrillers and super powers, Supercrooks has a great underlying theme, even if the story is a little cliched at times.

This opening issue starts with a bank heist orchestrated by Johnny, a villain with "electrical powers" who's looking for cash for his upcoming wedding. After being trounced by The Gladiator (who delivers some pretty funny lines to the cops afterwards), he's thrown back in jail for five years, missing his wedding, honeymoon, and his life outside of crime.  After being released, Johnny goes to see his ex-fiance, Kasey. Also a super-villain (but with psychic powers), she currently works as a diner waitress, and is none too happy to see Johnny walk aback into her life. Right as she's about to kick him out though, their old mentor Carmine, a.k.a. The Heat, shows up beaten and bruised.

After using a low level psychic to try and rip off a Vegas casino, Carmine owes the casino owners a lot of money. The kind of money that would force Johnny to rethink his new vow to stay on the straight and narrow. Of course, Johnny knows that if he tries to steal from a bank within the city he'll be caught immediately. So, desperate for cash to help his mentor (and to make some extra money for himself), how is he going to get what he needs? Go to Spain of course! With no heroes around to stop them, how could his plan go wrong?

Mark Millar's script is pretty solid, and I was actually pretty surprised by how good the story was in this book. I was under the assumption that I already knew the plot behind this story, but after reading the issue, I was really impressed by it. The characters shown here are really well-defined, and there are a lot of funny asides that Millar throws into the dialogue, like the crack one prison guard makes after hearing why Johnny decided to rob a bank on his wedding day. Leinil Yu's art is impressive as always, balancing both the borderline over the top superhero antics at the beginning and the quieter moments at the end where Johnny ponders how he's going to get the cash he needs. All in all, Supercrooks looks to be another mega seller for Millar, and of course, will probably be optioned for a movie (if it hasn't already).

Kick-Ass 2 #7 (of 7)

Yes, Kick-Ass 2 finally been released. It's been a long road, but Millar and John Romita Jr.'s sequel is finally over, and it's been a pretty extreme ride from issue one, with this issue being a non-stop battle royale between Kick-Ass and Red Mist's teams of heroes and villains.

Let me get this out of the way now: this issue is BRUTAL. Nearly every fight you wanted to see from issue one is here, and they play out in pretty fun and unexpected ways. Kick-Ass and Red Mist's fight, for example, starts off as you would expect, until it does a completely hilarious turn that I honestly wasn't expecting, but really enjoyed. It's last moments are also fairly poignant, and make you flash back to when these two characters first met.

 However good these fights were, I felt like there wasn't quite enough resolution at the end of the issue. A lot happens in the last few pages, and then it ends. Of course we have the Hit Girl spin-off coming next month, which will hopefully fill in some of the questions I have from the book's ending. Kick-Ass 2 was a little uneven at times, but it was still a worthy companion piece to the original story. I just wonder how the hell they will make this one into a movie.

Too Much Avenging!

There are too many Avengers books.

With the recent release of Avengers Assemble, the total count is now eleven titles. ELEVEN. That’s more than Batman, Spider-man, or Superman (although probably still not close enough to the number of X-titles).  At the risk of sounding like a fan boy, there are too many Avengers titles!  Do we really need New Avengers or Secret Avengers? Isn’t it possible to just make the Avengers one massive team like Grant Morrison’s JLA towards the end of its run?

Although, if there was going to be one Avengers book with that big of a cast, how would one possibly be able to keep track of all of the characters? Perhaps that’s the reason for all of the ancillary titles. Do you want to see the classic line-up that includes the big three? Regular Avengers. Prefer a more street-level team? New Avengers. Or perhaps you want some espionage mixed in with your avenging. For that, one can turn to Secret Avengers. While this is possibly Marvel’s first excuse for having so many Avengers books, the other reason is simple economics: if it has Avengers on it, people will buy it.

I’m guilty of this. I bought Avengers Assemble this past Wednesday, like I’m sure a lot of you did. However, as someone who recently dropped and picked Bendis’ Avengers back up again (mainly because Walt Simonson will be doing the art) I have to say, I found it pretty lacking.  To me, if you’re going to add another Avengers title to your already full stable of Avengers-related stuff, you need to knock my socks off with the first issue. In my opinion, it actually went against what most Bendis issues do, in the way that many of his issues are very, very slow moving.  Instead, I found the issue to be pretty fast moving. However, as quickly paced as the issue was, it felt really disjointed, and a little hard to follow. Not to mention that the dialogue felt really strange to me. Would Hawkeye really ask Black Widow to tell people how good in the sack he is at his funeral?

I’m not someone who hates on Bendis just to hate on him. In fact, up until recently I’ve really enjoyed his work.  Unfortunately ever since the “heroic age” mandate I’m starting to believe he’s being stretched way too thin.  The guy is just too overworked, and while he may have been able to handle the workload for a while now, it’s starting to show.  Why can’t we just have New and Secret Avengers published together as one big digest? Oh that’s right, cause then they wouldn’t make as much money.

"Pay no attention to the fact that half of our comic roster is with other studios..."

Look, I completely understand why Marvel has so many Avengers books out right now, and I especially understand why they would choose now as the time to launch Avengers Assemble. But at the same time, I don’t think the average guy (or gal) coming in from their local movie theater will be able to jump into the book with this issue. They’ll see Spider-man, Wolverine, The Protector (or whoever he’s called) and immediately think “why weren’t they in the movie?” (This question probably won’t apply to The Protector).  But then again, maybe their hope is that the issue will fuel a desire to find out how these characters joined the Avengers, which will lead them to the first volume of  New Avengers, titled “Breakout”, arguably one of the coolest Marvel stories of the 00’s.  If that happens, then I’m all for there being so many Avengers books.