Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Review

Well, I remain very impressed by Marvel Studios’ output. Even with a majority of positive reviews, I was a tad concerned about Avengers: Age of Ultron. There were a fair amount of reviewers who said it was overstuffed, full of too many characters and too much action. Worst of all, according to some critics, Age of Ultron ignored the new post-heroic status quo of Tony Stark. Remember at the end of the abysmal Iron Man 3 how Tony blew up his Iron Legion and decided to hook up rather than step up? Heaven forbid that character-destroying moment be ignored! More like “Thank Goodness!”

So with that out of the way, how is the actual movie? It’s good. It is everything we loved about Joss Whedon’s first Avengers film. It is fun and full of character. There are action moments for every single hero and villain. And most importantly, James Spader, like Tom Hiddleston before him, steals the show as the film’s villain.

I’m not a huge James Spader fan. It isn’t that I don’t like him, just that our paths have never really crossed in my extensive media consumption. But man, I’m a fan now. With his voice alone, Spade establishes the playful and malevolent outlook of the MCU’s Ultron. When he’s not on screen, I found myself anticipating the next ridiculous, great line of dialogue Ultron would have for me. A strong antagonist is SO important to a good narrative. And Joss Whedon knows it; he’s had the best two villains in the entire Marvel movie library.

The entire ensemble is excellent, as you’d expect. But Captain America is my favorite, and Chris Evans does a fantastic job in the role once again. Cap is a straight arrow, but man, he backs up his morals with actions. From the opening exchange with Iron Man all the way to Cap’s moral declaration at the close of the movie, Cap is the friggin’ man. One of my favorite things about Marvel movie Cap is the power boost he’s received. Giving him a touch of super-strength really makes his action scenes pop, especially when he takes on Ultron one on one.

I expect the top-notch moments from Thor and Iron Man, so the badass moments from Hawkeye and Black Widow are always a treat. Hawkeye gets a lot of back-story and a good rivalry with the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, while Black Widow continues to do a TON of the heavy lifting in the Marvel U. How is it that I like the Widow so much more in the movies than in the comics? Scarlett Johansson’s Widow has been an integral character in Marvel’s Phase II movies; I can’t wait to see her continue to shape the Marvel U.

All this rambling, and I’m short-changing the Hulk, the Vision, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill, who all get their moments to shine. Surprisingly enough, the Vision was my 7-year-old’s favorite character!

Did you come for the Easter eggs? Again, Marvel knows the score. We get hints of Amadeus Cho, Klaw, and Black Panther. We see Thanos again. There is even the equivalent of the “Cap’s Kooky Quartet” era of Avengers. (For those who don’t know, a bunch of the founders left the team early on in the comic run, leaving Cap, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye to man the fort.)

So at the end of this one, we’re set up for the next big moments in Marvel movies. We’ve got teases of the upcoming split between Cap and Iron Man for Captain America 3: Civil War. The “Infinity Stones” are out there, with Thanos hot on the trail to create his Infinity Gauntlet. And we’ve got some nice seeds planted for the Black Panther. Plus, a fertile Marvel U ready for more Netflix TV shows.

All in all, I don’t see how Marvel fans can be anything but thrilled. We live in an era where comic panels come to life on the big screen, and look fantastic doing so. There is a moment in the film where Thor, Iron Man, and the Vision are all blasting Ultron with their different energy blasts. All I could think was “my goodness, as a kid I dreamed of getting something like this, and here it is. And there is more to come.”

Avengers: Age of Ultron is an EXCELLENT film. (It ranks right after Guardians and Winter Soldier.)

Punisher v2: Border Crossing TPB

Man, the Punisher is such a clear, simple concept. I usually enjoy Punisher comics; he’s a character that almost every writer can write about for at least one story.

Some of Frank Castle’s most interesting stories are fish-out-of-water tales, and that’s sort of what Nathan Edmondson is doing in this current series. Relocating from New York to L.A., the Punisher is targeting a cartels rather than the mafia, leading to some interesting conflicts. Now, old foes like Electro are still very much a factor, but it is neat seeing Frank mix up his targets.

Putting Frank back in the jungle gets him a bit more in his comfort zone. When the Punisher faces off with a South American drug kingpin, it is mad action and ultra-violence. Most of the conflict is standard Punisher violence fantasy, but Edmondson mixes things up by teaming up the Punisher with some special forces operators. Punisher and the soldiers quickly establish a bond that proves very effective. Showing this connection between military service members is exciting and adds to Castle’s mysterious nobility. When Edmondson shows the lasting impact that the Punisher has on the two operators’ lives, it is even cooler. Punisher’s influence lives on…

Another aspect of the new setting is the ability to play Frank off new and interesting villains. Crossbones is a top-level Captain America villain, but he fits in perfectly to the Punisher’s world of grime and violence. Of course, Crossbones manages to pull out a temporary victory, but the appearance of Punisher’s old buddy Black Widow puts a stop to that.

This current Black Widow feels like a new character compared to the old shorthaired gal in the ‘90s. Unless I’m misremembering, I thought that Castle and the Widow hooked up in the olden days, but there is no chemistry between the two of them during this team up. That said, it could be that these are just two very damaged individuals incapable of showing that level of connection. Thinking about it, that’s a lot cooler of a way to think about it.

Mitchell Gerads' art is fantastic. The art is gritty, dark, and the ink almost drips off the page (like blood). I have no idea if Gerards can work in a “cleaner” style or not, but for this book, I don’t want him to do anything else. Frank’s executioner’s hood is definitely a mask, but in no way does it look like a super-hero mask. Make no mistake, this is an executioner’s hood. Crossbones, Black Widow, and Electro look a tad off-model from their standard Marvel designs, but that’s OK. They are slumming it in Frank’s world, they need to adapt to him.

This is a GOOD comic, and one of my favorite finds on the Marvel Unlimited app. 

Avengers: Endless Wartime HC

This is perfectly fine for what it is. This is a somber Warren Ellis super-hero comic. With a serious tone, an introspective feel, and a very close to the movie sense of continuity. And it is perfectly fine. I liked the Arctic Harriers as odd mixes between Earth science and Asgardian magic. I especially like the way Ellis pulled the reveal of the strange creatures in the very opening of the book.

I was less enamored with his take on the Avengers. Part of that is due to his tendency to go with movie personalities for some of the main characters. But then, Hawkeye is reduced to a bumbling oaf for the entire book, so the MCU’s take isn’t necessarily the definitive one throughout the book. (Plus, Captain Marvel and Wolverine both appear here while neither has been in the Marvel movies yet.)

This is a one-shot story, but the pacing makes it clear that it shouldn’t be more. Many pages are used with the team in transit from one location to another rather than actually doing things. And while Ellis really tries to imbue the Arctic Harriers with some semblance of a personality, the lack of a true thinking, feeling antagonist keeps my interest lowered too. In my comics, I like to really look forward to the villains getting what they deserve, but I never felt very emotionally involved in the outcome of this conflict.

Mike McKone’s art is beautiful, as always. I love his use of the black and gold Iron Man armor (an armor that I’m already missing in the newer comics). I also like the cool confidence that Carol Danvers exhibits in every panel. She feels like almost an equal to Captain America, which is saying something for a team that loves Cap as much as the Avengers do.

This is a FAIR Avengers story. It wouldn’t be the first I’d recommend for folks who want a great taste of what the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes can offer, but it is a fine supplemental tale told for the movie-watching “civilian” audience.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Movie Review

I’ve been raving about this one for days, so it is time to post my official review.

I LOVED Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is probably my favorite Marvel movie other than the Avengers. Heck, I’d be hard-pressed to say which film I enjoyed more.

The amazing thing about this movie is that it does so many things so well. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, along with the screenwriters, have jammed this full of everything I look for in a comic-book movie. Heck, it has what I look for in any movie!

From an action movie perspective, the Russos never let things get boring. There are action sequences peppered through the entire film. The audience never has to go more than 10 minutes before you get another set piece where stuff is blowing up or people are getting punched. Best of all, while Captain America definitely dominates the screen time, there are plenty of moments for the excellent supporting cast as well.

And that cast. What a glorious exploration of the Marvel U. Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, the Winter Soldier, Alexander Pierce, and MORE! Brock Rumlow is there for you eagle-eyed comics fans! Batroc shows up in the first few minutes of the film, and he’s wearing purple and orange! This movie exults in the depths of Marvel’s catalogue of characters. Black Widow, Falcon, and Fury are particularly riveting; I found myself almost equally invested in them as in Cap himself.

The villains? If I had to pick a weak point, I guess I’d say the fact that Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce doesn’t pose a physical threat might weaken him a bit. Winter Soldier is the heavy, of course, and he does a fantastic job. When the Soldier has his face mask on? Geez, that is one intimidating bad guy, especially seeing how well he can whip Cappy’s shield right back at him! But for those of us who know the Winter Soldier’s tragic back story, we know he doesn’t REALLY count as a full-on villain, right? And Rumlow is definitely a presence, but he’s there to plant a seed for the future, he’s not a prime time baddy now.

One of the most refreshing things about seeing comic characters on the big screen is seeing how the Hollywood lens can refocus our heroes. Cap’s physical prowess in this film is amazing. I enjoyed seeing him dive out of planes, run rings around his foes, beat the holy heck out of thugs while his shield “pings” away at them. But the scene that blew me away the most was a chase sequence. Watching Cap bull his way through an office building showed off his power and determination perfectly. I found myself cheering for every crash.

There are some folks who have complained about how a square like Cap can’t be a convincing or interesting hero. I say that type of comment says more about the reviewer than it does about Cap. Chris Evans is PERFECT as the sentinel of liberty. He’s honest, courageous, and funny while retaining his edge in combat. Cap doesn’t kill anyone he doesn’t have to, leaving most of his foes breathing but unconscious. Evans’ makes each line of noble dialogue sound eminently reasonable; this is the type of hero you’d WANT to protect you. Keep Man of Steel, this guy is a hero.

That is not to neglect Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow or Anthony Mackie’s Falcon. Black Widow basically co-headlines the film. If you want a more nuanced, conflicted character fighting a murky past, then the Widow is the character for you. Johansson plays her to perfection; she makes ominous comments about not really being anything to anyone and references her dark past, but she’s clearly having fun teaming up with Cap and doing the right thing.

Anthony Mackie’s Falcon? This is a hard part to get right. He’s got to nice enough be instantly accepted as Cap’s new best friend, but still be enough of a hard-ass to get assigned with Cap-level tasks. Mackie does both.

So yeah. The Winter Soldier has everything. Comic book history. Easter eggs for longtime fans. Great characters. Top notch action. Excellent pacing. I’m going to go out and say it; this will probably end up being my favorite film of 2014.

Secret Avengers v1: Reverie HC

Nick Spencer: props. Props for actually understanding how Hawkeye is supposed to work. He’s on a black ops team. They’ve got specific orders to kill the Scientist Supreme. And Hawkeye just won’t play along. He’ll go on the mission, but the first chance he gets he blows his cover to save Black Widow, just the kind of choice an Avenger should make.

What makes the interaction more fun is the varied response from Hawkeye’s teammates. Black Widow knows Clint and just goes along, figuring it is not a big deal; she’ll take care of it herself. Nick Fury Jr. is insulted that Hawkeye can just consider himself “above” killing. Fury is a soldier, not a super hero, and he has no qualms about taking out the target.

Jim Rhodes is getting a lot of respect in these pages, which is nice to see. He’s a senior hero and the best example of a good soldier/hero in comics, so I liked seeing him take ownership of a role he was meant for. I think Marvel might just be maneuvering him into the Iron Patriot armor, though.

Spencer has some nice interplay between the core team and backup players Mockingbird and Taskmaster, but I still found myself unsatisfied while reading this book. When you’ve got AIM’s super-villain team of bosses that includes the evil Black Widow, Mentallo, Taskmaster, and Graviton, I WANT TO SEE THOSE VILLAINS. Instead, there are an amazing number of pages dedicated to Maria Hill and some random UN dudes talking about who should be in charge of SHIELD.

Honestly, maybe it is just me. Is this what people want from their Avengers comics? Or their SHIELD comics?

Luke Ross’ pencils are as dynamic as ever. I found myself really impressed at his faces for Daisy Johnson and Maria Hill until I realized they were just about the same. I also recognize how well Ross draws the Super Soldier costume on Fury Jr. and Black Widow in her suit. Imagine if he was drawing Hawkeye’s real costume? Or we actually saw those villains in more than a panel each?

This is another comic where I love the cast, I love the villains, and the writing is competent, but the pacing and the actual story on the pages is lacking. It is like the comic book industry is TRYING to spend time on the boring stuff between fights. Any media can do talky and stand around. Only comics can bring an insane level of action on every page.

(I should note that I don’t NEED insane action every page, but I need more than is in this FAIR comic.)

Hawkeye #9

Dang. I’m a long-time Hawkeye fan, and I never would have imagined that Hawk’s current series would be this popular. It just goes to show you that when a creator like Matt Fraction has a vision and a connection with a character like this, the market will respond.

I’ve made it clear I prefer my super-hero comics a bit more… standard? Generic? Than this highly stylized series. But Fraction makes it clear in the introduction that this is Hawkeye when he’s off-duty. That explanation buys a lot of leeway.

Man, is Hawkeye a screw-up or what? He’s had quite the line-up of super-hero hookups in his life. This storyline is all about the women in Hawk’s life, as all of his exes try to pry into his current love interest. Black Widow confronts her directly, Mockingbird shakes down his Russian foes more effectively than he ever did, and poor Spider-Woman gets to confront what a doofus Hawkeye can be. Now, Kate Bishop is included in here too, and I remain hopeful that she’s here as a “woman in Clint Barton’s life” rather than a future love interest. Fraction is still putting those sparks in here, but man, that would make for one creepy super-hero for him to ever actually get with his sidekick. There have been too many scenes raising the issue for this to be a coincidence. (The art doesn’t help; other bloggers have pointed out the “Lolita” poster in Kate Bishop’s apartment.)

This book is mostly “a day in the life” of Clint Barton trying to navigate the waters of his perilous relationships, but the cliffhanger shows a nice direction for the next storyline. Sure, Hawkeye gets a lot out of his downtime living a normal life with normal neighbors. But what exactly are they getting out of it?

Man, do I love the way David Aja draws those ladies. I’m serious, that guy needs to design a clothing line based on super-heroine’s costumes. Spider-Woman, Mockingbird, and Black Widow are instantly recognizable as their super-heroic selves, but they are effectively “out of costume” for story purposes. It’s simply a joy seeing the worlds mix like this. Kate Bishop’s purple jumpsuit is a tad more generic, but anyone want to lay money on how many “I heart Hawkeye” shirts we’ll see during Con season?

Good

Secret Avengers #3

Man, I really want to like this comic, but I have some concerns. It is called “Secret” Avengers, and the line-up reflects that. Phil Coulson, Nick Fury Jr. Quake, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Black Widow all fit nicely into the espionage world. The villain, the current AIM Scientist Supreme and his fantastic team of underlings are perfect too. But next issue, Nick Spencer is adding the Hulk! Why? Hulk doesn’t belong on this team, and he already stars in so many other books! Keep things on the DL in this book, man! Add in another stealthier like Black Panther or Tigra or something! I’m even OK with a more military addition like War Machine. But Hulk just doesn’t seem to fit to me.

This is very much a middle chapter, with the main team mostly exploring the aftermath of AIM’s actions in previous issues. The excitement is focused on Fury Jr and Quake as they attend a military trade show. Spencer decides to further clear the deck of old Howling Commandos, killing off when he tries to aid the SHIELD agents. I don’t know the guy too well, but I always get concerned about killing off long-standing characters when their deaths aren’t “earned.”

I am a sucker for SHIELD books, ever since the old Nick Fury vs. SHIELD series in the ‘80s. But man, I do have a problem with Quake becoming the director of SHIELD. I understand the desire to keep your cast young, but when the characters are commenting that their boss isn’t old enough to drink? That’s a problem. Maria Hill has been a great addition to the Marvel U, and she’s now well-established in both movies and TV shows. Daisy Johnson/Quake has a lot of potential, but there is no way she should have the top job over “Acting” Director Maria Hill. I’m hoping this is an ongoing plot point; I just can’t imagine too many SHIELD agents taking orders from a kid who should be a freshman in college.

Luke Ross is doing a tremendous job on this book. I’ve spoken before about how much I love his Hawkeye and Black Widow, but his ability to keep everyone “classic” looking is amazing. To me, Mockingbird’s current look was established by David Lopez in the Hawkeye & Mockingbird title. Mock looks dead on perfect in this book. Totally on-model and consistent. Mentallo looks great too; carrying a modern look while maintaining his historical gear and uniform.

Fair

Secret Avengers #2

I thought the first issue of this book was OK, but not spectacular. I wasn’t planning on getting issue #2. But then they put Taskmaster on the cover. And when I flipped through the book, I saw Crossfire. I also saw one of my favorite Avengers popping up in an unexpected role. So yeah, this book has enough Marvel history in it to definitely get my attention.

Nick Spencer spends a lot of time in this issue setting things up. I still haven’t read the founding of AIM Island, but I love the concept. It’s not that different from the old Cobra Island idea, is it? Especially after this issue where we see the ruling elite that will be running the place. In addition to the current Scientist Supreme, we’ve got Mentallo, Superia, Black Widow II, and more. That’s a pretty great utilization of some obscure Marvel characters! Sold!

On the hero side, Nick Fury Jr. is trying to get Taskmaster out of jail. Tasky just had a run-in with a serpent-crown type artifact that has made him quite unpopular in villain circles, so Fury has to get him out as quickly as possible. Fury is aided by Agent Coulsen, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, as we established last month. There is one more hero who shows up as a member of the team, and man, if she’s in the book full time, I may just add this to my sublist. With Taskmaster joining up too, this line-up is getting rock solid.

I think I’ve seen Hulk in some upcoming issues, though, right? I don’t think he fits in as well. I worry the green goliath’s overpowered presence will change the feel of this spy caper comic.

Luke Ross’ art continues to impress me. When the surprise Avenger shows up, she looks like David Lopez just finished drawing her and that is a big compliment. Ross also does a great job with the crowd scenes featuring B-list Marvel villains. Ross has been around for a long time, and he really is a chameleon. He can draw in any style.

Good

Secret Avengers #1

So this was my random, impulse buy of the week. It was either this or Uncanny X-Men, and I'm afraid I've got all the slow pacing I can handle over in All-New, so I decided to stick with my beloved Avengers franchise. I haven't exactly loved anything I've read from Nick Spencer so far, but I have to admit, I'm impressed with this first issue.

I'm not sure if the plan is to keep the cast at this level or not, but I really enjoyed seeing the ground-level focus of this team. Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury Jr. Agent Coulson, and Maria Hill are the protagonists, and I really don't think the cast needs to expand any further. (Incidentally, why the heck is Quake listed as the head of SHIELD? Surely Hill is way more qualified now?)

The book opens with a bang, with Hawkeye bleeding out on a rooftop with no memory how he got there. An interesting Eurotrash villain spends a few pages trying to get Hawk to talk, but it's no use. This sequence was notable for two things; 1. Hawkeye acknowledges that a lot of people prefer his old costume. 2. I love that the increasing levels of interrogation send the book further and further into super-hero standards. First you've got beatings, then drugs, then psychics, then darkforce monsters. Of course, what else would you do?

There is a large element of mystery in the book, because Hawkeye and Black Widow's motivation for joining the team is redacted. I like that, because just like their experiences are being tampered with, so are the readers'. We know more than the leads, but not everything. I'm a little worried about Fury, Hill, and Coulson coming off like bad guys, but that might be worth the risk. The drama wouldn't be as effective if Spencer didn't do such a good job making both Avengers very likable. Black Widow really does work best in this type of story.

Luke Ross does a great job. He's been around a long time, but his style has developed and evolved a lot over the years. This is a lot smoother and bubblier than his older work, and it works well with the story. Widow looks fabulous, and the design on the Euro-sorcerer is strong too. I wish I could get behind the Super Soldier costume on Nick Fury Jr., but I'm not sure it looks quite right. Maybe I just need more time to  get used to it!

Fair

Avengers #4

Well, Jonathan Hickman’s plan for the title is a bit odd, but I like it. After showing the expanded team take on Ex Nihilo and his companions in the first three issues, it looks like the follow up on Earth will showcase the Avengers in a bit more detail. In dialogue, we hear that Omega Flight and some others are tackling some of the impacted evolution zones, leaving a few for the Avengers. This issue focuses on Black Widow’s team as they travel to the Savage Land. More specifically, Hickman gives us the background of the new/current Hyperion.

Hyperion is a bit of a confusing case, at this point. There have been at least three or four versions of the character appearing in Marvel Comics so far. We’ve got the original villain from the Avengers (who died, I believe), the Squadron Supreme version, the Supreme Power version, the evil version from Exiles, the zombie version from the recent Marvel Zombies series, and now this guy. Marvel really wants to play around with their Superman, huh? Fortunately, Hickman keeps this guy’s origin fairly simple.

Hyperion hails from an alternate Earth that had the full Squadron Supreme, but they were all killed by the “colliding Earths” threat that is the main plot in the New Avengers title. After Hyperion’s Earth was destroyed, he drifted in null space until he was pulled to Earth 616 by AIM. That doesn’t seem to have lasted too long, as Cap and the Avengers rescued the guy and put him on the team.

Hyperion is sad character. He clearly has had a hard time fitting in on both worlds, and all his talk of “two Hyperions” makes it clear he is a conflicted character. (Of course, saying “two Hyperions” when he has such a convoluted past makes it a bit confusing.) I like the idea that Hype is Avenging during the workday and commuting back to the Savage Land to care for some crazy new race after work.

I also appreciate the clear effort Jonathan Hickman is putting in to re-establish AIM as a premiere threat in the Marvel U. A stutter and basic confidence is all it takes for the Savage Land AIM leader to become a memorable villain.

Adam Kubert’s art seems a tad strange on a few of the characters. His Thor looks really young, and I’m not sure I love the design on the new AIM beekeepers. Hyperion looks great, as do the other Avengers in their supporting roles. Most importantly, Kubert nails a unique and hopeful look for the weird striped race in the Savage Land. I immediately thought of White Tiger and her ties to the High Evolutionary.

Surely the High Evolutionary will weigh in on Ex Nihilo’s experiments? I can hope.

Good

Avengers #3

Ah, here comes the action! I’ve read enough of Jonathan Hickman’s work to realize he works better in trade than in floppy, and that seems to be holding true here, also. The last issue was a tad slight on combat, but Hickman more than makes up for it here. 

Cap comes back with the Avengers army to take on the cosmic baddies threatening the Earth. Those villains may have cleaned up against the core team, but when Falcon, Shang Chi, and Captain Universe come calling, things go down quite differently. 

This book has a big cast, so I appreciate how Hickman takes the time to introduce the main players through the dialogue. Some folks like Cannonball, Sunspot, and Shang Chi get shortchanged on intros, but they get their moments. Sunspot is still a flirt, and Shang Chi kicks so much butt, I can’t believe he’s never been an Avenger.

The new guys get some spotlight too. Hyperion takes on the Hulk and more than holds his own. I’m totally confused on which Hyperion this is, of course, but I assume that will be handled. The new Smasher is also very helpful in laying out her backstory through her confident battlefield chatter.

I will say that this lineup is so huge, that it is a good thing the book is scheduled to come out quicker than normal. There are simply too many people on the team for everyone to have a chance to shine. 

Captain Universe (too bad it isn’t Monica Rambea like people hoped!) saves the day, and many of the Avengers help. But folks like Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and more don’t really have a lot to do. Splitting the team should help with that.

Jerome Opena gets to do some costume redesign in this first arc. Falcon’s new suit is a nice mix of modern and classic. He’s clearly recognizable, but in a cutting edge suit. I like Opena’s take on Captain Marvel, too, Carol Danvers’ current look is hard to pull off, but Opena seems to have it. Manifold’s glowing costume is really neat, and I like Shang Chi’s new duds too. 

I’m less impressed with the generic suits Cannonball and Sunspot are sporting. I THINK the intent is to harken back to the original New Mutant costumes of simple yellow and black, but the matching, simple look seems out of place on the Avengers.

Good

Winter Soldier #14

So Ed Brubaker’s last issue is #14, huh? That’s an odd choice. But when it is time to go; it’s time to go, huh?

Brubaker dodges one of the common complaints in comics writing, he doesn’t leave everything nice and neat for the next creative team. Too often the status quo is restored in time for the new creators to come in and put their stamp on a character. And while Black Widow is back to her normal self, and Winter Soldier is plain ol’ Bucky Barnes again, it’s not the same between them. I won’t give it away, because that is the whole tragedy of the book, but it sure seems like Mary Jane Watson and Bucky have something in common now.

Leo never did get that costume I was hoping for, but Brubaker doesn’t play to expectations with him, either. Leo had all the makings of a villain who would die at the end, but Brubaker doesn’t even leave the possibility of him dying. Leo is going to live, and I’m sure he’s going to menace the Marvel U again.

The final confrontation feels a tad rushed; the fight probably could have used a bit more time to breathe. Hawkeye shows up to play a pretty important role, but he just sort of shows up to give Bucky a hand. I would have liked Leo to get some butt-whipping in on Hawk, Wolvie, and Cap; that would have shown how tough it was for Bucky to get his win.

Butch Guice’s art has an unusual look to it. I got an almost Dale Eaglesham-ish vibe from a couple characters. Maybe it’s the inker, but this doesn’t look quite like Guice’s other work. I do like that he uses so many shadowed figures and silhouettes in a spy title.

Fair

Secret Avengers #36

Hoo boy, I sure hope Rick Remender can fix Hank Pym after this. For those of you who don’t remember, Pym was “Deathlok’ed” by Father and his minions a few issues ago. Pym spends half the issue until Beast manages to free him from the control of the Descendant robots, leading to a pretty spectacular page. Remender gives Pym some great dialogue on his statement page, but I can’t help but think it would be a bit neater if Pym didn’t look like a Deathlok!

The rest of the team is finally gathering together too, as Beast, Hawkeye, and Captain Britain escape the world of the Dead Avengers. It ends up being fairly easy, although I find myself curious about what will happen to Brother Voodoo turning back into flesh in a world of the dead. (A story for another day, or a throwaway?)

Beast really steals the show for me this issue. He’s looking ape-like, running his mouth, and full of heroics, just as the character should be. Matteo Scalera’s art has improved with each issue. He started off doing his best work on the more monstrous characters like Beast and Venom, but now his Captain Britain and Hawkeye look great too.

Hawkeye gets quite a few moments to shine in this one too; it’s always neat seeing him debating killing his enemies. Remender actually writes him the way I remember from those old Steve Englehart West Coast Avengers. The Avengers have a way to easily defeat the Descendants and halt their plan of world-wide cyborgification, the problem is, it will kill all artificial life forms. That’s a great quandary, I’m glad I only have to wait a few weeks to see the resolution.

Good

Avengers #2

Thank goodness Jonathan Hickman took mercy on me and told me who Manifold is. I’ve actually read a bunch of Secret Warriors issues, but other than Quake, I don’t think I could recognize any of the Caterpillars. I do like that Hickman gets to graduate a pet character, that’s always fun to see. 

Hickman flashes back to let the reader in on the recruiting process for this “Bigger” Avengers line-up. This issue sticks with mostly established characters. Manifold, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Captain Marvel, Sunspot, Falcon, and Cannonball each have unique reasons for joining. Some heroes, like Dr. Strange and Luke Cage, seem to have reasons not to join. (Who else thinks Luke Cage is about to open up a new Heroes for Hire franchise?)

It’s not surprising to see the classic Avenger types returning, but I think I’m most excited by Sunspot and Cannonball joining up. These two have the potential to be the Wonder Man and Beast of our time; they are clearly going to relish their time in the spotlight.

Ex Nihilo and his crew deliver some classic super-villain monologues to the captured Avengers on Mars, too. Nihilo does have a method behind his madness, and his “affection” for Earth makes him feel even more like a modern High Evolutionary. That robot dude reminds me of the one in Kieron Gillen’s short-lived SWORD series. 

Jerome Opena has some interesting takes on a couple of these guys. Hulk is very monkey-like, and his Captain America looks uncomfortable in that new suit. I still can’t stand Captain Marvel’s haircut, that weird swoop makes her look like Elvis. The creatures look great, as do the new villains. I also like Opena’s Wolverine; not surprising since he drew the character so long in X-Force. 

This book is still trucking along, with a lot of character building and plot movement this issue. It’s light on actual action, but that’s OK. This is an origin story.

Good

Winter Soldier #13

Ed Brubaker has accomplished an amazing feat. I still don’t really love Winter Soldier. But I’m riveted by this current storyline. By making Bucky Barnes so important to characters I do like, I can’t help but be more invested in what happens to the guy. This issue alone features Captain America, Daredevil, Wolverine, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury. The whole thing has been saving Black Widow, so while she doesn’t actually show up in more than a few panels; her presence is felt through the entire book. 

This is a middle chapter, so the plot isn’t going to move along very far. But I’m fine with that if it means a good battle like this one. Winter Soldier takes on Wolverine, Hawkeye, and Daredevil, all at the same time. It’s a delicate balancing act, at least two of those guys are A-listers, so we don’t want to see DD and Wolvie totally punked out. The fight goes just how it needs to in order for Winter Soldier to do well, but not TOO well. And of course, the scales get totally balanced when Cap shows up.

I’m happy it is so easy to write-over brainwashing. I figured we were in for a long, protracted recovery to get Bucky back, but no, a couple panels in the Brainwave Scanner (seriously, look how close it is!) and he’s A-OK. Hopefully it will be that easy for the Widow too. 

Butch Guice’s pencils seem a bit smoother than they have recently, no doubt due to the inker. I’m not complaining, the book looks great, and it’s really neat how some of the characters seem to have different weight pencils on them. 

Good