Invincible Iron Man #1-3

Bendis always writes a good jerk, so it is not surprising that he’s doing a nice job with Tony Stark. Even in New Avengers, the billionaire was a good fit for Bendis’ talky habits. This title is pretty much the definition of a Bendis book. A thoughtful protagonist who spends more time talking than actually doing things. The use of classic guest-stars (Dr. Strange) and villains (Dr. Doom and Madame Masque) acting in out-of character ways is expected at this point too. The pacing is tremendously slow, again, as is the norm in Bendis’ super-hero work.

In fact, there hasn’t really been a whole lot of story traction accomplished in the first three issues of the book. Iron Man fought Madame Masque once or twice. Talked to Dr. Doom. Talked to Dr. Strange. Went on a date. Not really a whole heck of a lot of plot movement that I’ve been able to discern. And the oddest part is that somehow Marvel decided there was TOO MUCH story for just one Iron Man title. There is a second Bendis Iron Man title on the way. So weird!

And again, just as you’d expect, Bendis’ Iron Man features a fantastic artist that makes all of those weaknesses I listed above seem a whole lot more palatable. David Marquez’ clean-lined art is gorgeous. His Madame Masque redesign is new and dynamic, yet still checks all the required boxes for the character’s visual design. The new Iron Man armor is future-facing and original. I don’t love it as much I did the black and gold suit from the Kieron Gillen’s relaunch, but this is leagues better than the white armor from the Superior run. This series might be slow and verbose, but it sure is gorgeous.

I'm sticking with it for now, mostly for the art, but I'm also holding out that Bendis will ramp up the action too. 

Fair

Powers Bureau v1: Undercover TPB

It’s been a long time since I checked in on Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming’s corner of the independent comic scene. I started off a big fan of Powers back in the day, so when I saw this new relaunch sitting at the local library, I decided to give it a whirl.

I need to catch up, but evidently there was a huge battle in Chicago, and Walker now has some new powers. It sounds like he’s basically a Green Lantern, only he can only use his new powers when he’s on a mission of cosmic importance. I guess he and Deena tracking down a super-villain with super-sperm doesn’t qualify.

That’s right, the first villain in this volume is a dude who makes super-sperm that can impregnate men AND women through any skin contact. This is understandably gross, and it must be the kind of concept that Bendis has to keep tamped down when he’s writing X-Men. I’m glad he gets to indulge somewhere, because it is an original idea that leads to some explosive results. Deena’s foul language does grate on me a bit, but it seems to do the same for most of her new co-workers too.

I’m having a hard time remembering who Walker and Deena are working for, is that the lady who seems to have Big Barda’s powers and backstory? I know she was a fed in earlier issues of the series.

The rest of the villains in this volume are a secretive gang trying to grow super-powered kids for the mob. There are some ties to previous Christian Walker stories, so that leads to some neat interactions. I also love undercover stories. There is always one or two guys that just totally trust that undercover cop, aren’t there? I almost feel bad for those guys.

Avon Oeming’s art remains deceptively simple. While the details are sparse, the storytelling and scene-setting are strong. At this point, I don’t think anyone else could draw Walker’s square jaw just right.

This is a GOOD comic for Powers fans, either current or lapsed like me. 

Scarlet HC

Bendis is notoriously hit or miss with me. I must admit that his track record is a bit stronger with his creator-owned work than it is with his Marvel stuff. Scarlet follows along that pattern; this is an entertaining book.

It’s odd, I think I like the attitude and the idea behind the series more than the execution. Scarlet Rue is a woman betrayed by the system, and she’s not taking it anymore. After her boyfriend has an extremely unfortunate run-in with a random policeman, Scarlet’s life spirals out of control. The book opens with her trying to even the score with the men who ruined her life. The simple motivation of revenge and revealing corruption are easy to root for, making Scarlet a good protagonist.

This is a Bendis book, so there is a TON of dialogue. Scarlet spends almost every page giving running commentary to the reader. That’s a trick not used very often in comics, though, so it does give the story a unique feeling. It’s worth noting that Scarlet may look like a crazy vigilante type on the covers, but she’s actually a lot more relatable in the interiors. Again, the dialogue is copious, but there are some neat characters here.

The pacing is a bit strange, as entire pages are given over to backstory. When using it on Scarlet or her co-conspirators, the conceit works. But when we lost a few pages to watching Scarlet follow a crooked cop, it is hard to see exactly what we’re supposed to be watching. I think the pacing might have annoyed me if I was paying for the issues individually.

Longtime Bendis-collaborator Alex Maleev provides the art. I’m torn on the guy; I can recognize the great, emotional stuff he puts on the page, but I do get lost with his storytelling. There are multiple pages where I got lost and read the panels out of order. He also loves to use photo-references, to the point of distraction. That said, as a stickler for backgrounds, I certainly appreciate his attention to detail in set-building.

This is an odd comic, not a huge winner for me, but definitely entertaining. Is it time to break out the old rating system and say this comic is FAIR?

X-Men: Battle of the Atom (Parts 1 & 2)

Honestly, the whole world is upside down. Things have gone truly mad when I’m more into the X-Men than I am into the Avengers. I never thought I’d see the day.

I’m honestly a little shocked at how much I’m enjoying this comic. Bendis’ work on the X-titles has been extremely uneven, with some fantastic issues of All-New X-Men followed up a week later by average issues of Uncanny X-Men. He seems to clearly dig the young X-Men, so basing an event on their presence is a good move. This is “Good Bendis” through and through.

These opening issues have everything I look for. There is a big fight with a new mutant (who can create fantastic-looking Frank Cho dragons). It is worth mentioning that this new mutant is a hot girl that young Iceman would very much like to date, again playing to Cho’s strengths. This is the strongest that Bendis has written the Uncanny team, with Cyclops and company looking very confident. Plus, they actually interact with the All-New team with some maturity, a much easier process when Wolverine is absent.

So right off the bat, this book is juggling two casts of characters, a new villain, and some violence. Good start. Then, with the arrival of the FUTURE X-Men, we’ve got three teams all interacting with each other. The future team is easily recognizable (with one or two exceptions), but man, Lady Xorn’s reveal adds a whole other level to the proceedings. It gives me hope that this story could have some big repercussions. Of course, Wolverine’s team ends up fighting the future team, so again, action in a Bendis book is much appreciated.

One risk when doing these alternate future storylines is that the creators might have too big a hit on their hands. I find myself instantly loving the future version of Molly Hayes, Princess Power. She only gets a line or two of dialogue, but how can you not love her? It’s her kid personality all grown up, with some fantastic additions to her childhood costume. I’m ready for a limited series!

Bendis accomplishes a lot with his young team, too. Jean Grey spends pages trying to convince her current beau Beast into fleeing the future team and their unreadable minds. Of course, Cyclops agrees with no debate or discussion. He’s all in for Ms. Grey. Powerful, clear characterization.

I can’t understate the importance of the art. The threat of the future X-Men is clear in Stuart Immonen’s nuanced pencils. The old-time costumes look like clothe under Cho’s pencils. These are two of the top artists in the game, and these issues make it easy to see why. I will say, Cyclops’ odd new costume looks a lot better on Immonen’s bulky Scott Summers than it does on Cho’s “slim” version.  

I’m all in with the X-Men these days. You guys can keep Infinity; I want Battle of the Atom! This storyline looks GOOD!

Guardians of the Galaxy #2

Is it wrong that I don’t want this comic to be good? I was seriously in love with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s run on Guardians a few years ago, so hearing that Marvel was going to “fix” the book by putting a top-tier creative team on it always sounded a bit frustrating. That book was fantastic BEFORE! It didn't need fixing! 

So I sort of hoped I’d hate this book so that I could stay annoyed.

But for good or ill, we’ve got “good” Bendis on this one! There is no doubt this is the middle of a storyline, but Bendis uses the chance to give us some time with every active member of the Guardians. We see the determination of Gamorra and Drax (and their connection is a nice moment). Star Lord is sort of a smarty pants and a good sarcastic leader. Iron Man is the newbie Earthling trying to prove his worth on a new team. Its fun seeing Stark like this, explaining decisions and tech to the Guardians rather than being the boss of the Avengers. 

Of course, Stark also badmouths Captain Britain, which certainly doesn’t seem very nice. Who’s going to write the scene fixing that line of dialogue? It would have been Christos Gage, but now my money’s on Kieron Gillen.

So the Guardians are all pretty cool. Except for one who is simply awesome. Rocket Raccoon! He takes such joy in his work that it is infectious to the reader. And his repeated line after taking out Badoon bozos is wonderful. Rocket is the man.

It’s too bad that Steve McNiven has to draw so many talking heads scenes involving the heads of Marvel’s space races. He’s so good action and aerial combat; I would have dug even more of it. The Badoon are a bit on the generic side, but McNiven’s design on their ships and armor actually covers up that issue. And with Rocket's kill rate, Bendis can't be expected to create new named baddies all the time! 

Plus, Rocket Raccoon is cute.

Good

Age of Ultron #6

SPOILERS AHOY!

I almost passed on this issue. I mean, there is no way to feel like I got my money’s worth from the first five boring issues of this series. Pointless scenes, dialogue leading nowhere, and random character deaths do not an event make. I decided to give this one more issue for one reason: Carlos Pacheco coming on as penciller. I have loved his work for years, and I figured I could give him one issue. (Brandon Peterson is pretty good too, although far more digital-looking.)

And finally! Finally stuff actually starts happening! In the future, Captain America and his super-team head for New York to take the fight to future-Ultron. This version has about a million floating heads working for him, though, so it doesn’t exactly go well for our heroes. The only character I’m sure gets whacked is Captain America, since we see his head bounce off in silhouette. But really, while the future storyline is a fun “What If” style confrontation, the real meat of the series is in the past.

Wolverine and the Invisible Woman have traveled back to kill Hank Pym on the day he comes up with Ultron. Wolvie reckons that if he kills Pym, then the robot won’t exist, and everyone will come back to life. Susan is having a hard time coming to terms with that idea, but in the end, she doesn’t stop Wolverine from popping his claws. This story basically turns Wolverine into a villain. Heroes think of alternatives to killing, especially killing good guys. Jean Grey killed this many people on multiple occasions. Wolverine himself has killed hundreds if not thousands. At best, Wolverine is a moron; killing Pym is clearly not going to fix everything, and yet it is the only option Logan can think of. Honestly, this damages his character for me.

If it wasn’t for all the interviews giving me hope for Hank Pym’s future, I’d be pretty pissed. I will say this; Bendis writes Pym better in these few pages than I’ve ever seen him do before. Pym comes across as a reasonable, rational hero trying to mark his place in history. He defends himself, but calms down when he sees Susan Storm. Now, I think a guy with growing powers could do a much better job fighting a scrapper like Wolverine, but I understand there weren’t a lot of pages for this. Overall, I’m really impressed at how well Bendis handled this scene.

The main thing that ticks me off about this series is that THIS is clearly the main story. Changing the past and creating an alternate world without Hank Pym. Wolverine turning into a teammate-killer. Why did we have to spend five issues getting to this?

Fair

Uncanny X-Men #4

Well. I really liked this when I read it as the newest issue of All-New X-Men. Other than some strange new dialogue from the Stepford Cuckoos, most of the drama in this appeared in that other issue.

The new material we do get is actually pretty strong. I enjoyed the interplay back at the Xavier Institute between the new students, and I’m thrilled to see one of the original X-Men join up with Cyclops’ more militant faction of Uncanny X-Men. I certainly wish more of Wolverine’s students were switching teams, but I’ll take what I can get.

It’s too bad, Bendis has been showing off on these books for the past few months, but this issue can’t help but feel like a stumble. This type of slow plotting, basically recapping another comic we’ve already read is the type of thing that makes me feel like I’ve been tricked out of my $3.99. Crossovers shouldn’t mean seeing the same story twice from different points of view.

When this book is on, it is really quite good. Hopefully the focus on Magik next month will enable this to get moving again. No more treading water!

Average

Age of Ultron #5

The cover is the high point of this issue. Of course, nothing remotely close to this happens anywhere in the comic.

Ugh. Seriously, is there any way we are supposed to cheer for Wolverine after this?

SPOILERS!

So the surviving heroes actually accomplish something this issue. After many, many pages, they finally reunite with Nick Fury in the Savage Land. Fury has a storehouse of weapons and a plan; head to the future where Ultron currently resides. With Ultron controlling the present through his “son” Vision, someone’s got to take the fight to the real villain. Cap chooses a pretty strong strike team; Iron Man, Invisible Woman, Red Hulk, Black Widow, Quicksilver, and Quake. That’s a fun mix!

But not all the heroes want to use Dr. Doom’s time platform to fight villains. Nope. Wolverine wants to travel back in time and kill Hank Pym before he can invent Ultron. Yeah, head back and kill a founding Avenger before he’s even made the mistake that he’s blamed for. Bendis knows this is a slippery moral slope, since the issue opens with Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Hank Pym debating this very issue. I mean, seriously! Thank goodness the other heroes present just dismiss Wolvie’s idea out of hand. I would have thought Bendis’ Clint Barton would be keen to kill his longtime teammate. The next issue better start with Wolverine fighting the other heroes.

I get that Wolvie is upset, but man; it really is a character-mangling argument to make. It’s also blatantly obvious and has been since the first solicits for Age of Ultron (go back and look at my review of issue 1; this has been obvious from the start.)

I’ve made another decision too. Bendis and Bryan Hitch bring out the worst in each other. Hitch’s claim to fame is the widescreen action, the panels with few words that show the destruction and power of the modern super-hero. Bendis’ claim to fame is writing a ton of dialogue and letting the plot move along very, very slowly. Combining these two talents has made for 5 very boring issues. It took 5 issues to SET UP the main story. The real villain still hasn’t shown up! Why show Black Panther? Why deal with the Owl? Why does this issue have an interlude in Austin, Texas?

I’m a tad frustrated. I should stop buying this book, but I do love Carlos Pacheco and Brandon Peterson’s art…

Average

All-New X-Men #10

I’m amazed how much I love these X-books. It took me four issues, but I absolutely love the tone of Bendis’ relaunch. He started off with a very anti-Cyclops tone in All-New X-Men, but now that Bendis is writing Cyclops in Uncanny, I can’t help but notice a shift. Cyclops really is coming off like the more realistic leader in the X-family. What is especially cool about all this is that Cyclops is still the same guy he was pre-AvX; the X-Men have just grown complacent. I’m impressed that Bendis is keeping Cyke’s character so grounded in his prior arguments.

I’ve started reading the X-books with my 8 year old daughter, and the two of us are having a great time trying to guess who will choose what side in the x-split. She’s certain that Angel and Cyclops are going to go to the Uncanny book, leaving Beast, Iceman, and Jean Grey with Wolverine. My money is on Angel making the switch alone. (He’s had some lines that suggest this, but Stuart Immonen’s art seemed to project his separation even further.) 

All this, plus an actual villain plot! Mystique, Sabretooth, and Lady Mastermind need some more muscle on their team, but they are well on the way to becoming a solid new stable of villains to plague the All-New X-Men. I certainly hope that the “Brotherhood of Evil Mutants” name is still available. And surely Avalanche has given up on his reformation after being mind-controlled in Uncanny Avengers!

Immonen’s art is always a treat, and he’s a fantastic fit for the X-Men. I do wish that a few of the costumes were a bit stronger, I’m not digging Storm’s current look. I’d also kill for some Colossus appearances; you know Immonen’s Colossus would be tremendous. I absolutely love the redesigns on Cyclops, Magneto, Emma Frost, and Magik. I wouldn’t like them as permanent uniforms, but for where the book is right now? The new look is awesome.

Good

Age of Ultron #4

After last week’s snooze-fest, at least this issue feels like it is trying to go somewhere. Unlike Black Panther (and one of his partners goes in this issue), when She-Hulk and Luke Cage have to sacrifice for the greater good, it at least seems worth it. It also moves the plot forward.

Not only that, but Bendis seems to have brought his geographically diverse cast together. We’re down a couple more players, but Black Widow, Moon Knight, Red Hulk, and Ka-Zar all join the resistance in a more official capacity. This is playing out like a long What If? story, but half the fun of those old comics was seeing which heroes happened to survive. Anyone have any bets on how long Quicksilver or Monica Rambeau last? I give them one more issue.

I’m also growing more and more convinced that Nick Fury’s secret bailout plan is just to time-hop back and prevent Hank Pym from creating Ultron. Perhaps Pym will somehow survive, since he’s in the cast of that new Robot Avengers title, but I’m not quite sold yet. Too easy for that to end up being Scott Lang or something.

Bryan Hitch’s art has a habit of bringing out Bendis’ worst tendencies. The wide-screen approach to comic can lead to a lot of empty panels where dialogue would make things a bit more interesting or involved. The two creators mesh a bit better this issue; I really enjoyed the escape from New York sequence with the surviving Avengers going on the run. Invisible Woman really is quite powerful, isn’t she?

Fair

Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Bendis had an awfully high bar set for him on Guardians of the Galaxy. I absolutely loved Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s take a few years ago. In fact, their runs on Nova and Guardians still hold up as some of my favorite comics ever. I was so annoyed that Bendis was getting the reigns that I didn’t even read the Point One issue. Couldn’t do it.

But seeing Rocket, Groot, and Gamorra again was worth it. I picked up issue 1. And you know? It was pretty entertaining.

I still don’t like the idea of Iron Man on the team. I get why Marvel is doing it, the book is a lot more commercial if a very familiar face like Tony Stark is on the team. It just bums me out that the old resident Earther, Jack Flagg, lost his place. It’s going to be neat seeing Stark try to deal with the madness of space heroics; I will just miss the bigger cast. In fact, pretty much all my complaints boil down to “this isn’t the last series of Guardians.”

This book has a much stronger Star Lord focus, with Peter Quill’s Spartoi ties providing a lot of the motivation. Quill is the heir to the Spartoi throne, so having him slum around with the Guardians is pretty insulting to his father, the current monarch of the empire. In what seems like a petty move, a galactic of shifty looking aliens decreed that Earth is off-limits. The aliens include the Shi’ar, Spartoi, Brood, and more, but basically they are just declaring open-season on the Earth. The main battle involves the Badoon making a play and the Guardians getting in the way.

Bendis retains a lot of DnA’s characterization. Rocket Raccoon and Groot are the same, and Drax feels like he stepped out of the older series too. It’s too early to tell on Gamorra, and I don’t mind Star Lord’s new heritage-based plot. Overall, the series has a lot of potential.

Steve McNiven won’t stick around long, I’m sure, but while he’s here, the book will look good. Rocket Raccoon is far and away my favorite; it’s hard to keep him cute and cuddly while keeping him heavily armed, but McNiven pulls it off. Gamorra looks fantastic, of course, but that’s one of McNiven’s specialties. I also like the Star Lord redesign. It’s less Warhammer 40k, but more classic Marvel, while retaining elements of both. It’s a great look.

Good

Age of Ultron #3

I’m impressed. Bendis really picks up the pace in this third issue, revealing a ton of the backstory and history behind Ultron’s rise to power in the Marvel U. Bendis keeps the focus on a few characters so that the story remains emotionally resonant.

He does expand the scope of the story to Chicago where we see a post-apocalyptic team-up of Red Hulk, Black Panther, and Taskmaster. It’s great seeing these three working together, and each character gets a moment to shine as they take on Ultron robots in a clearly defined mission.

When the story flips back to New York, Luke Cage and She-Hulk come up with a brilliant plan to gain access to Ultron’s headquarters. It’s worth checking in on the Central Park resistance because the surviving heroes accomplish quite a bit while planning to take down the robotic conqueror.

Once again, Bendis absolutely nails it with Hawkeye. Hawkeye and Hank Pym have been teammates for years, on the Avengers, West Coast Avengers, and the Avengers Academy faculty. But while discussing Ultron, Hawkeye expresses a ton of rage at Pym, since Pym created Ultron. The lack of understanding between characters long-shown to be friends is a dynamite job of characterization.

Bryan Hitch clearly spent the same amount of time on this issue as he did on the previous two. It is fun seeing him draw this many characters, I sort of wish a few of them were sticking around a bit longer.

This book is well worth the $3.99!

Excellent

APRIL FOOL’S!!!!

This comic doesn’t move the plot forward at all and instead spends its time on random characterization and treading water.

Average

All-New X-Men #9 & Uncanny X-Men #3

It took about 5 issues for me to warm up to this book, but I’ve finally caught up with the rest of the industry. I still say the problem is that the first 5 issues were spoiled in online interviews. Since then, Bendis is really doing a good job as the caretaker of the X-franchise.

I never would have imagined that it would be young Angel that came out doubting the Beast, but at least someone is calling out the X-Men for turning on Scott Summers. Cyclops might be a bit confrontational, but I’m not sure he’s doing anything wrong. He’s doing exactly what he has been since he formed the mutant nation of Utopia; he’s trying to protect his species. Seeing Angel come doubting into Beast’s lab was a great moment. For all his intelligence and planning, the modern day Beast is a bit of a drama bomb.

Also as expected, Magneto isn’t quite as duplicitous as he seemed. In fact, he’s probably more so. I’m glad Bendis decided to keep Mags loyal for a couple of reasons. First of all, until some more X-Men join Cyclops’ Xavier Academy, he needs every “name” character he can get on his side. Losing even one really weakens his position as a foil for Wolverine’s posse. Second, it adds yet another layer of dysfunction and drama onto Cyclops’ squad. For a team with only four members, they have a lot to bicker about.

All-New features Mystique and Sabretooth breaking out Lady Mastermind, yet another strong move. We can only watch the mirroring factions of X-Men posture and grumble at each other for so long. Eventually, we need a team of villainous mutants to be the antagonists, and I’d say Mystique’s team is looking pretty strong. Add in a couple of bricks and they’ll be in good shape. Shape-shifting and illusions are a bit redundant as far as powers, but I like both characters enough to see the potential on this team.

The art in Bendis’ X-corner is an accomplishment too. Chris Bachalo’s heavily stylized pencils can sometimes be hard to follow, but there is no doubt they are fun. His Hulk in particular is quite fun. I did notice some differences in posture and position while the Avengers were supposedly locked in time, but that’s a small complaint.

Stuart Immonen’s triumphant return to the X-Men is striking too. I complain about un-earned splash pages, but Immonen’s page of horrors? Wow. Lady Mastermind’s powers are going to be a pleasure to see if Immonen continues to show them this effectively.

Good

Age of Ultron #2

Bendis uses a lot of pages in this issue to show us Black Widow and Moon Knight trying to get by on the West Coast. It is a useful exercise, because it shows the reader that Ultron’s dominance is at least nationwide, if not bigger. I also like the odd pairing of the Widow and Moon Knight. I can’t think of a ton of interactions between the two of them, but they make sense together. I also like the use of an old SHIELD HQ in a barbershop. Why mess with the classics?

The rest of the book shows us the New York faction of heroes as they try to come up with a plan to take out Ultron. Quicksilver, Monica Rambea/Photon, and a few other heroes show up this month, so the ranks are growing. Plus Cap seems to be getting his head back in the game. This mix of X-Men and Avengers could make for a very fun team.

So things are moving, but not very fast. We don’t know a lot more after this issue than we did last month. Books like this show how easy it is to make a four or six part story last ten issues!

Bryan Hitch’s widescreen style is sure stunning and dramatic, but it doesn’t make for dense reads. I think this took me just a few minutes to get through. Hitch is a master artist, make no mistake, but I don’t find myself in awe over any of the characters except for Cap. Captain America looks fantastic when he finally gets his head straight. I know the heroes are supposed to be beaten down, but that defeated body language doesn’t’ exactly equate to excitement.

Bleeding Cool has leaked that a big “guest” will be appearing in the final issue of Age of Ultron. The obvious choice is that Marvel Man is finally making his debut in the official continuity. But to be honest, how many people even know the character? I certainly don’t. My other guesses are ROM (which would make me pretty happy) or Joe Quesada’s creation Ash (I don’t know that guy at all).

The only other option I can think of is that a Disney property could be crossing over. Can anyone think of a Disney character who would make a big impact in Marvel? Buzz Lightyear? John Carter? Boba Fett?

Average

All-New X-Men #8

Angel! Action! Avengers!

This is one of the best issues of All-New X-Men so far. By finally giving Warren Worthington (in both of his incarnations) the spotlight, Bendis answers a lot of questions. Current Angel seems to be pretty darn powerful, content, and an eager super-hero. When Hydra attacks Avengers Mansion, Angel darts in and starts taking out bad guys. He’s having a great time doing it, too. I do wonder how much this Angel really remembers, he occasionally makes comments that lead me to believe he might remember more than he’s letting on.

Young Angel has always been one of the more reluctant time-lost X-Men. He does his best to keep up with his energetic older self, but it is too much for the kid. He wants to go home and he’s desperate to get there. I really like how that problem is resolved. I never predicted Bendis would take this particular character in the direction he does here. Judging from the faces of all the other cast members, I don’t know if they saw it coming either!

Bendis has expressed his happiness at writing Kitty Pryde and Iceman as a couple and that shines through here. Their banter while filling in the blanks for Captain America and Beast’s discussion is quite amusing. The Avengers don’t have much more than an extended cameo with no real conflict. Cap trusts Beast enough to keep anything from getting violent.

David Marquez’ art continues to be a delight. His facial expressions sell the scenes between the different Angels from start to finish. (Old Angel might need a haircut, though.) I’m not sold on this version of Beast yet, but I’m holding out hope that he can just grow his signature haircut back and look a bit more normal. Marquez also sticks the landing in the closing scene. His Jean Grey looks young but determined, and I find myself enjoying Jean’s 60’s style hair and costume.

I still say that some of the young X-Men AND some of the experienced X-Men need to join up with Cyclops’ Xavier School. I don’t really see any seeds planted in the group yet. Could Bendis be planning to move Jean Grey there? I will admit it seems Bendis has this book heading in a very interesting direction.

Good

Age of Ultron #1

I will never complain about Hawkeye being the star of a Marvel crossover! I certainly wasn’t expecting Clint Barton to have a major role in an Ultron-themed event, but I’m not complaining. The book really focuses on the archer as he infiltrates a villain HQ in order to rescue his teammate Spider-Man.

First of all, this isn’t just a normal hero situation. There is a massive dome over New York City that seems to be run by Ultron. There are drone-versions of the villain soaring around seeking out fallen heroes. The streets are in ruins, there are almost no civilians visible, and the villains seem pretty confident they can buy Ultron’s indulgence by selling him Avengers. So yeah, things are downright apocalyptic. I’m not sure if this is just the situation in the city or if the entire world has been taken over. From a narrative standpoint, it probably makes more sense to have Ultron totally triumphant. We shall see.

That would explain why Hawkeye is this desperate. Bendis has always written Hawkeye as ready to kill, but he’s downright bloodthirsty in this. Hawk regularly punctures heads and necks as he kills his way to the Owl and Hammerhead. The only way I can justify that is if it really is do-or-die time, and that Hawkeye has very little left to lose. I can’t be sure, but it sure looks like Spider-Man is the Peter Parker version, not Dock Ock. I’m fine with that; if this story is going to hold up as an evergreen trade for Marvel, it needs to feature the default Spider-Man. (I just wish it had Hawkeye in his real suit!)

Things are so dire for our heroes that Hawkeye and Spider-Man have a hard time gaining access to the heroes’ secret base in Central Park. I spotted Luke Cage, She-Hulk, Iron Man, Emma Frost, the Thing, Wolverine, Beast, Invisible Woman, and Captain America amongst the living. Not all of those guys seem like they are still in the fight though. Only about half of them seem to have the physical and mental fortitude to keep fighting. (I won’t spoil who is still standing tall.)

There is no sign of the characters I most closely associate with Ultron (and no Ultron himself, either). Hank Pym, Wasp, and Vision are all absent. I’m curious to see how Bendis uses them after recently bringing back the Wasp. I do have one prediction; the solicits say Wolverine and Invisible Woman are going back in time to change the past. Wolvie is going back to kill Hank Pym before he creates Ultron. Set your watch on it! There is a reason Pym is absent from all the Marvel Now titles. And I’ve never seen Bendis have too much affection for the character.

Bryan Hitch returns to Marvel with his widescreen style. The rubble is detailed, the action is expansive. Even though I don’t like Hawkeye killing, Hitch makes it look great. I also hate the costume, but again, Hitch designed it, so I’m not surprised to see it. I’d love to see this tougher She-Hulk get a lot of panel time; Hitch has really roughed her up.

Good

Uncanny X-Men #1

I lasted a week before I gave in. I had planned on passing on this one since I’m not a huge fan of Bendis’ pacing. But the leaded “traitor” and the chance to see Cyclops as a hero convinced me.

Unfortunately, the issue is narrated by Magneto. And he is not a believer in Cyclops these days. Magneto’s powers are messed up, Cyke killed Professor X, and Cyclops won’t take the time to get himself retrained with his new power set. But I’m not buying it. Magneto is either playing a long con and still loyal to Cyclops, or he’s being manipulated by Professor X’s brainwaves or something. At least, that’s what I’m hoping. I’ve loved the Magneto and Cyclops relationship; I bet Bendis isn’t going to tear it down easily.

I do like the way Bendis is putting together the new Uncanny X-Men. We’ve got Magneto plus four of the Phoenix 5. The only guy missing is Colossus, and I actually would like to see him show up here. I think the team needs some more support from the other X-Men, but I understand that is coming. For now, it is pretty cool seeing some of the new mutants buying in to Cyclops’ vision for mutantkind. I also love that the new mutants call him “Professor.”

I wasn’t sold on Cyclops’ new costume, but Chris Bachalo sells it. Cyclops looks awesome, especially on his propaganda-style pages where we see him as a champion of mutant equality. Bachalo has a habit of drawing his women way too young, and he does it again here. Emma Frost doesn’t really look like herself, although I do dig her costume. Magik looks closer to the right age, and I dig the gigantic sword! Let’s add in a couple more “classic” X-Men or crazier costumes on the new mutants, and this book will be all set.

Good

All-New X-Men #7

I remain torn on this title specifically, and Bendis’ work in general. Like always, I enjoy some of the moments between his leads. Cyclops and Wolverine has some interesting back and forth, and I really dig the original X-Men’s attempt to find their place at the Jean Grey Academy. Seeing Iceman and Kitty Pryde face each other down over pushups is a nice little scene!

BUT. Numerous pages of this issue are spent watching Cyclops go to a bank and open a safe deposit box. We see him taking money out of the box. We see how some of the different employees feel about it. We see a whole page of him getting out (with some interesting help.) The pacing is just so far from what I hope for in a $3.99 book!

I really like the way Bendis uses Mystique here. She lies to young Cyclops, but she sprinkles in enough half-truths to make things really confusing. I also appreciate she’s the only one sticking up for old Cyclops’ mind-controlled actions in AvX. Cyke is still a hero, darn it!

And the art! David Marquez draws everyone looking young, but he’s really good! I want to see him drawing more “comic-booky” things! Here we are, 7 issues into this series and I don’t feel like the book has expanded too far from what it was in issue 1. The young X-Men have bounced into the future. They haven’t fought anyone, but they are sort of deciding to stay. Why? What are they hoping to do, exactly? Unclear. 7 issues is a long time for this stuff to be unresolved.

Fair

All-New X-Men #6

Well, we had a fair amount happen in the last two issues. Time to sloooow things down again. Let’s not get crazy here! 

Bendis loves his slow burn, talky plots. Clearly, most people love it, but it has driven me crazy for years now. After setting up the young X-Men at the Jean Grey school in the first five issues, here’s what happens in issue six: Jean Grey has a nightmare and talks to Kitty and Storm. Cyclops tries to buy a magazine. Angel and Archangel go flying together. And young Cyclops blasts Wolverine after Logan acts like a bully. That’s it. For $3.99, that’s just hard to take.

I have to assume that I’m supposed to not like Wolverine. He’s a grouchy bully who is clearly enjoying the power he has over young Cyclops. Since the old Cyclops is out of reach, I guess Logan will take out his frustrations on easier targets. The fact that none of the other X-Men have really stuck up for Cyclops (either one) confuses me, but that’s where we are. 

David Marquez’ art is absolutely beautiful. He draws Storm with crazy blue eyes that make her even more stunning than normal. (He also does a great job with her hair and costume, making me regret Storm’s upcoming decision to go back to the Mohawk.) Marquez’s faces are wonderful, the acting is flawless and there is no doubt in what the characters are thinking. Heck, Bendis may have dialed back the dialogue a tad because the art is so clear. Marquez doesn’t get to do much action, only one panel where Cyclops blasts Wolvie (and the dream sequence), so I’m curious to see how he handles more fighting in later issues.

Fair (bumped up by the art)

All-New X-Men #5

Ugh. That Marvel Now trade dress really uglies up a pretty cover.

I can’t be the only one who is on Cyclops’ side here, right? I mean, Wolverine comes off so snotty and holier than though, and Beast’s goals are so odd and self-serving, it seems like Cyclops clearly has the better option. Heck, Cyclops’ new Xavier School for the Gifted sounds downright inviting, doesn’t it?

My main problem with this whole book is that I’m still unclear on Beast’s goals. He knows Professor X will mind-wipe the young X-Men when they return to his own time, so young Cyclops won’t learn from his future field trip. Then Beast states that his other goal is that modern Cyclops should carry his shame to his grave. What exactly does that accomplish? It just seems so petty!

I am excited that all these health issues with the Beast have a relatively logical conclusion; we’re finally rid of lion-Beast. I like Grant Morrison more than the next guy, but lion-Beast was a terrible idea. I do worry that the coloring makes Beast’s new form look a bit too much like Dark Beast, but at least he’s more ape-like again. (Now we just need Archangel to back to his normal self. Imagine trying to explain the modern version to poor Young Angel!)

Jean Grey gets the starring role for most of this issue as she gets force-fed the memories of the X-Men’s history. I’m happy to see Stuart Immonen including some of the awful moments in the X-Men’s past, like the recently reviewed Search for Cyclops series. I will say that Jean Grey has rocked some particularly awesome costumes over the years, especially when drawn by Immonen.

This is the odd comic that reads much better in floppy than in digital. Immonen uses horizontal page designs so often that reading it on my tablet is downright annoying. That doesn’t come up often, but it does here.

Good