Captain America: Sam Wilson #1-3

Time for another of my absolute favorites from the Marvel relaunch.

Nick Spencer wow'ed me with Superior Foes of Spider-Man. He maintained that respect with his great work on Ant-Man. With his work on this title, he's graduated to must-read for me.

I've always been a fan of the Falcon, but even I'm impressed at how well Sam Wilson fills the role of Captain America. He's got the look down, with the shield fitting in much better with the wings than I ever thought it would. Most of all, Sam's idealism and hope are contagious. The same things that motivated the character as a community organizer make him a fantastic Captain America.

Spencer is cheating a bit too. I mean, including classic Captain America elements like Dr. Karl Malus, the Power Broker, and D-Man? And CAPWOLF??? CAPWOLF!

C'mon, that is like shooting fish in a barrel! And the biggest reveal, the one at the end of issue 3? I mean, the only way it could be better is if we were getting a return of the greatest snake of all! Spencer is balancing all these elements so deftly I'm confident he could handle that return too.

And Misty Knight works perfectly as Cap's new partner. Having her and D-Man as Cap's support team is brilliant; a blend of classic elements with new characters that make wonderful sense.

Daniel Acuna has been a favorite of mine since his work on Eternals. His style blends Jack Kirby and Alex Ross, making him one of my absolute top artists. The design on the returning characters is wonderful (Look at Misty on that cover!) D-Man looks tremendous! Best of all, Cap's costume looks classic under Acuna's pencil.

For those who haven't heard, there is a bit of controversy about just how liberal Sam Wilson is acting in the Cap role. Fox News, among others, have been pretty insulted by some of Spencer's content too. I suppose I could see the offense if I were of a different political mindset. But for me? If Sam Wilson keeps this up, he could end up my favorite Captain America.

Excellent

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.)

New Invaders v2: Original Sin TPB

James Robinson is really impressing me on this title. It might say Invaders on the title, but Robinson is putting a lot of the focus on the under-used original Human Torch. Jim Hammond is a fascinating character with a ton of potential, and Robinson is really proving to have a nice handle on the character.

Captain America, Sub-Mariner, and Winter Soldier all appear on a fair number of the pages, but make no mistake; this is Jim Hammond’s book. When a super-powered pop star goes rogue, it is the Torch who tracks down her secret past and the “sin” of the original Invaders that did the original damage. Torch takes the blame like a champ, too. It is neat seeing how Robinson is writing the Torch so consistently in both his titles (this and Fantastic Four).

Not satisfied with the Kree and the original Invaders, Robinson tosses even more elements of classic Marvel in to the mix with Deathlok and the cyborg’s secret master. I won’t ruin it (although I think recent covers have), but this might end up being a pretty big tie in to a lot of clues found in Bendis titles over the past few years. Marvel has used these aliens for years, but their best role was definitely in the 1970’s title Killraven. I’m sure he’ll show up soon.

But for now, there are a legion of Deathloks taking on the Invaders. I was never a Luthor Manning guy (more of a Michael Collins deadhead, you know), but Robinson makes it easy to cheer for the mind-controlled, undead soldier. I also have to wonder about the psychopathic Deathlok that Jason Aaron used in his X-Men and Wolverine run.

One of the coolest choices in this book is the new Human Torch uniform that Marc Laming and Steve Pugh use for Hammond once he joins up with SHIELD. It is almost the same as the Super Soldier (or Nick Fury) suit, with the primary-colored shirt with a big logo on the front. Hammond’s has a flame (obviously) and the SHIELD logo on the sleeves. I hadn’t really thought about it before this, but the original Human Torch would look great on screen, wouldn’t he?

One complaint that keeps this book from being EXCELLENT is that the story always feels like second fiddle. Perhaps it is my resentment of the eternal and boring incursion story from the Avengers titles, but seeing Namor treat this book like it isn’t his priority; seeing Cap wrestle with bigger problems on his other team… well, it just makes this title’s stories feel like they don’t matter as much. If this is a relaxing distraction for Namor, how huge can the stakes really be for the reader? That makes this merely a GOOD comic.

Uncanny Avengers #1

I love the High Evolutionary. He’s so over the top ridiculous, such a perfect “comic book” villain his appearance almost guarantees that I will enjoy a comic. It certainly seems that Rick Remender imprinted on a lot of the same comics I did, so maybe we’ll get the Evolutionary War villain doing some neat stuff in this opening arc. (That said, my real hope is that the villain for this one is the Man-Beast, a tremendous and ridiculous older Thor and Spider-Man villain.)

Remender has used the Axis crossover as an excuse to totally reshuffle the Uncanny Avengers roster. Rogue (still using Wonder Man’s powers) and Scarlet Witch carryover from the previous series, the rest of the cast is new. Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Sabretooth, the Vision, Brother Voodoo, and Quicksilver round out this new lineup. That is sort of an odd line-up, and the team is lacking a true powerhouse, but the potential for drama is high. Divorced heroes, brothers and sisters, and replacements make up the team. There is real potential for sparks between these folks.

The other interesting thing is that unlike the last volume of Uncanny Avengers, this team hasn’t been brought together to serve a specific mandate. Rogue is worried about the missing Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, and she gathers the other heroes to make an attempt to track down her old teammate. I like this approach. It certainly seems like Rogue is overcompensating for how horrible she was to Scarlet Witch in the last volume, but frankly, that personality correction is more in line with the Rogue I know and love from years of X-books.

So the team ends up teleporting to Counter Earth, the world that orbits the sun directly opposite the Earth. This Counter Earth is populated by High Evolutionary’s ani-men, who show more personality in the opening few pages than they have since Quicksilver’s late 90’s series. This is going to be fun.

Daniel Acuna is in my top five for artists these days (and maybe top two). His character work is excellent. The costumes look fantastic. And the sensibility of the combat and panel layouts reminds me of Jack Kirby. Quicksilver’s new suit isn’t quite dynamic for me yet, but Acuna makes it work. And Rogue looks fantastic, as does the new Cap. Marvel really did a nice job with that new Cap suit, didn’t they? It almost always looks swell.

It isn’t surprising, considering how much I’ve loved Remender’s work for the last few years, but I’m in for as long as this volume of Uncanny Avengers lasts! 

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 Mighty Avengers #1

Well, it is official. We can now put Al Ewing on the list of Marvel writers who seem to be there to serve my kind of niche audience. The kind of talented writer who uses humor, action, and a solid knowledge of Marvel continuity to deliver modern stories that make me feel the way I did when I was a kid discovering comics. Some writers can strike it big with this style. Guys like Mark Waid and Dan Slott are still big comic industry names now. Others carve out solid chunks on solid books; writers like Jeff Parker, Christos Gage, and Fred Van Lente all do these books with smaller audiences, but are often my favorite. We’ll have to see where Ewing ends up, but just as he did in his first volume of Mighty Avengers, he’s proving he gets the Marvel U better than a lot of big-name Marvel writers.

I do have to question the decision to open up the new volume of Mighty with inverted FalCap and Luke Cage, though. Ewing handles them superbly, of course. FalCap is inverted from Chaotic Good to Lawful Evil, and Luke Cage has done the same. Falcon’s transformation is more unsettling, as Sam Wilson embraces violence and an overpowering love of his country that excuses all sorts of super-hero infractions. He seriously injures low-level thugs, all the while thinking that they are getting off easy. The most alarming part is seeing how he is justifying all this aggression through his newfound dedication to the real America.

Luke Cage is a bit more standoffish, that’s his biggest inversion. Not only is he totally unwilling to forgive Spider-Man for his “Superior” time, Cage also is more motivated by money than ever before. Part of the Hero for Hire gimmick was that Cage rarely got paid, but the inverted Luke Cage won’t stand for that. I can’t mention Spider-Man’s appearance without giving Ewing props for the awful, uncomfortable, and dead-on page of Spidey apologies. Spider-Man has a lot of awkwardness built into his character, but that usually only manifests when he’s Peter Parker. Seeing poor Spidey so discombobulated and uncomfortable is hilarious and just makes you feel for the guy.

Just like Mighty Avengers, I read this book with my daughter. She LOVED Parnival Plunder and his bad guys. It’s silly to think that the Plunderer has enough importance to be included among the inverted, but man, does it work. The urban pirate theme, the revealing and familiar banter amongst his underlings, the use of first names! All of these things made Parnival Plunder’s appearance in this book a special thing. My daughter was very upset to see this “villain” and his henchmen get beaten so badly. She read Cap #1 with me, so she knows the real FalCap, but man, she was bummed out.

Luke Ross is an artist I’ve liked for years. His solid pencils are always a nice fit for super-hero action, and the art is solid once again. I am particularly impressed with the way he draws the new Cap handling himself. From the high-altitude shield-throw to the absolutely brutal office takedown, the sense of motion and action on the page is tremendous.

Any comic that makes me think of Monty Python’s Meaning of Life has to be a GOOD comic. When those pirate ropes slapped against the glass, I thought for a moment we were getting the first in-continuity appearance of the Crimson Permanent Insurance pirates!

All-New Captain America #1

Man, do I love this comic. I’ve been a fan of Rick Remender’s Marvel work for years now. Stuart Immonen is one of my top 5 comic artists. And I love the Falcon. So this was not a hard sell for me. But seeing these three beloved elements come together into such a strong combination is still a joy.

Rick Remender has really picked up the comedic dialogue in all of his books recently. I noticed it in Uncanny Avengers and Axis first, but the style continues here. Falcon has some tremendous asides and one-liners as he takes on hordes of Hydra goons. But the high point of dialogue, without a doubt, comes from the mysterious super-villain of the issue; Batroc the Leaper. Batroc is in a new hooded outfit that I don’t quite love, but man; his anti-American rant is just top-notch. (The ONLY thing that brings me down in this premiere issue is the possible final fate of Batroc. But we don’t’ see a body, so I’m not going to freak out yet.)

I also find it interesting that Remender is continuing the buddy-aspect of the title too, just with new characters. Now that Falcon has risen to be the star of the book, the sidekick/partner role has fallen to Ian Rogers, the new Nomad. Now, I love the Nomad name, but I loved the old costume too. So Ian’s much more Kirby-esque design is pretty strong, but I do miss that old swashbuckler look. And it would give Ian some discs to toss around too. Think about it, Ian!

Hydra can be boring, but supplemented by Batroc and a competent speeder-bike pilot; they seem like a good challenge for this whole issue. Best of all, faceless, nameless goons like Hydra agents can be killed with no repercussions to the overall Marvel U. And yet, FalCap DOES NOT KILL. In fact, he is vigorously opposed to it! Ian doesn’t have that limitation, but how wonderful was it seeing FalCap trying to be the better man in these fights. He even chooses saving a Hydra goon over his shield!

(Another aside: Redwing is dead meat. While I adore the concept of Sam having his feathered friend around, there is too much built in pathos and tragedy in killing the bird. I hope I’m wrong.)

None of this would have the same impact if it wasn’t for Stuart Immonen’s pencils. The breaking glass on a Hydra goon’s mask. FalCap scrunched up behind his shield to avoid gunfire. The frantic scramble into a mysterious elevator. These moments have weight and impact. I found myself thrilled as I flipped the pages to see what happened next. Immonen’s X-Men work has been fine, but seeing the pencils shine like they do here? I’m excited for the future of this EXCELLENT comic.

Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1

I’m sort of conflicted on this one. There are a lot of good things about Rick Remender’s massive crossover, but there are some fairly glaring problems too.

First of all, this really feels like an epic Marvel crossover. This story clearly picks up after months of Uncanny Avengers issues, but I’d hope that the context is enough to catch everyone up on what is happening. (I read this with my 9-year old and she picked it up OK.) There are numerous great moments scattered through the book; from the use of Plantman (looking way more plant-y than I remember) all the way the surprise ending. Along the way, Remender has a great moment between the Summers brothers and a wonderful, timely arrival from the X-Men. Actually, that X-Men moment really struck me at how perfect that Uncanny line-up has always been. With Colossus, Storm, and especially Nightcrawler, man, that team just looks like it belongs front and center in the Marvel U.

I appreciate the use of Scarlet Witch and Rogue as such central characters, but man, having both them fail to fight off Red Onslaught’s power does make them seem a bit weak. Scarlet Witch in particular came off as too big of a threat to be walking around. After House of M and “No More Mutants,” maybe she shouldn’t just be walking around with her powers any more after all. Rogue comes off a tad better, especially after the talking up she gets from Professor X. I understand why Remender held off from explaining her current Wonder Man situation too; there were enough status quo changes in the book already!

Now for main problem. The smart-ass quipping. Remender does a great job with Iron Man. Iron Man is supposed to be clever, overconfident, and somewhat jokey. The character sounds like he could have Robert Downey Jr. inside that armor. And Hawkeye has always had that sarcastic tone too. But Vision? Odinson/Thor? The new Captain America? Every single one of them sounds the same, smarting off and being smart asses. It is hard to hear different voices for the Avengers when they are all this…sit-comy.

That said, I LOVED Red Onslaught’s dialogue. He used “scum” and “trash” enough to really have me hankering for a beat down. I can’t wait for him to get what he deserves! Remender also does a wonderful job with Magneto. Magneto calls someone a “cur,” instantly proving Mags’ superiority on the battlefield. Ahab gets some great smack talk in too. Remender is pretty great at getting the reader anxious to see the villains get served.

Adam Kubert has a big order here. There are a TON of heroes involved, and they all look pretty great. I mentioned how dynamic the X-Men looked, but the Avengers are just as nicely done. I’m a bit confused on a few things (doesn’t Thor have one arm?) but they are minor. I LOVE the look and feel of Red Onslaught. He dominates every page he appears on, as an event-central villain should. The design on the surprise foes at the close of the issue seem to have a nice, sleek look too. It’s too bad Kubert can’t do a book regularly any more.

This is a GOOD event that feels like the high-octane battles I remember from my youth. Remender has always channeled the 80’s in a good way, and he’s still doing so here. 

Uncanny Avengers #22

On first read, I really didn’t care for this comic. This has been many, many years coming. In some ways, Rick Remender planted the seeds for this story back in his Uncanny X-Force run years ago. After finishing the book for the first time, I was very disappointed that there was too much happening in one issue.

First, the introduction of Immortus’ Infinity Watch is so rushed that we barely get time to do more than see them. The characters are not well defined, and their impact on the overall story is quite limited due to their page count. I think I can recognize that they just add to the “feel” of the book through their appearance; this must be important if a whole other team shows up to help, right?

My second disappointment was the ease with which Sunfire and Havok took out the Apocalypse Twins. After reigning over the book as the top villains for over a year, they are dispatched in half a page because the story was coming to a close. It wasn’t very dramatic and even if Sunfire’s powers were amped up, it shouldn’t have been so easy to take out two supposed A-level villains.

I also feel that while Remender made every effort to get the reader to buy into the classic love affair between Havok and Wasp, I just never felt it. Their time together was in an alternate future that has since been erased. A future that some team members remember while others forget. It is too confusing to buy in to the emotions too strongly. I will say that Havok’s dialogue about his lost daughter Katie does ring true and does make the final battle with Kang seem a bit more personal. I’m still not sure how Havok punching Kang took out the A-level villain, but it did look cool and Kang had some fantastic smack talk.

I think Remender does a better job with the fallout of the long campaign than the execution. Multiple characters are left in an interesting place going forward.

SPOILERS AHOY!

The Sentry is resurrected and now thinks of himself as the guardian of humanity. You know he will pop up again, but will it be to help or cause trouble?

Rogue still has her energy absorption powers, I think, but more importantly, she seems to have bonded with Wonder Man. Only she can hear his voice, not a good thing for someone with her history with Ms. Marvel. I wonder if this is a way to re-set Rogue back to her best power set of strength, flight, and invulnerability.

Havok is sporting a melted face; at the least he’s going to need a new mask!

Sunfire died and returned in the same issue! Only now he’s a faceless mass of cosmic fire in human form, a true atomic knight. I hope that he gets back in his costume; I still say it is one of the best in all of comics.

The other Horsemen of Death, Daken and Grim Reaper, are returned to life too. Did Banshee make it? I can only hope. Remender put just about all the toys back where he found them at the close of this arc.

I haven’t mentioned the art yet, because while I may have had reservations about some of the story choices, the art is simply gorgeous. Daniel Acuna is one of my top favorites, and he lives up to that ranking in this issue. The battles are tremendous. The costumes and redesigns are top notch; classic and modern at the same time. Acuna actually makes the new Cap suit look good! And the emotion! The series of panels as Havok steels himself to take on Kang is a classic of comic-book acting. In this issue, Acuna proves he is a top talent.

So overall, this wasn’t quite worth the multiple year build up, but it still ranks as a GOOD comic. 

Deadpool v3: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly TPB

Well color me impressed. After two fairly lackluster stories in this volume of Deadpool, Gerry Dugan and Brian Posehn really up their game in volume three. They play on some of the classic Weapon X and Deadpool tropes of missing memories, confused pasts, and anguish that reaches into the present.

In this volume, we’ve seen strange secret agents kidnap DP for mysterious purposes. It turns out that rogue geneticist Butler is working for the North Koreans. He’s been kidnapping DP and learning from his super powered healing factor for years. It seems that not only is North Korea asking for Butler to create his own mutants, but Butler himself has a sister (?) that he is trying to save from cancer, just as Wade Wilson was saved all those years ago.

The story is good, but not excellent as it opens. Butler kidnaps DP, gives him a bit of a fantasy world to sleep in while the current research happens, but ‘Pool breaks out and starts to wreak havoc. He meets up with some disfigured “artificial” mutants; poor folks who have been tortured and threatened into compliance. Deadpool finds a couple more Weapon X’ers, and the three of them start getting some sweet vengeance.

Dugan and Posehn have always had a nice voice for Wade Wilson, but man, do they nail Wolverine and Cap. Cap is a strategic leader, always saying the right thing, even getting good effort and some degree of loyalty from Deadpool. Wolverine is a killer, like DP, but he understands Cap’s position too. When Deadpool questions some of Cap’s decisions, Wolvie has the perfect answer. Cap doesn’t hang around for killing because he’s needed elsewhere, but Cap is under no illusions of what kind of people Wolvie and DP really are. It’s a great scene, one of the many that really impressed me. I’d like to see these guys do more with the greater Marvel U.

Scott Koblish wasn’t always this good either, right? Heck, maybe I’m thinking of something else, because a quick Google search only shows solid work. I’m impressed by the art in this trade too. The main characters all look great, especially the disfigured, tragic X-Men copies. The art makes me care for these guys after only a page or two; the emotion is so clear on their faces, I’m invested immediately.

This is the best Deadpool story in Marvel now, and really, a fun story overall. It messes around with Wade’s already confusing past, but that doesn’t keep it from being a GOOD comic. 

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.

Captain America: Loose Nuke, Iron Nail

Since the current Iron Nail story is so tied to the Loose Nuke story, I'll be taking a look at both for my sublist assessment!

Few titles needed a refocus as much as Rick Remender’s Marvel Now Captain America. While I enjoyed the concept and repercussions of the Dimension Z story, it was not a saga that needed 10 issues to tell. By the end, I was barely making myself read the conclusion of the story. I appreciate self-contained stories as much as the next guy, but man, trapping Cap in another world, losing the costume and supporting cast, and keeping the main villain off-panel for much of each issue? Not a recipe for a compelling story.

Fortunately, Remender has refocused to EXACTLY the types of stories I want in a Cap title. First off, he set Cap and Falcon against Nuke, a classic Daredevil villain with perfect plot ties to Cap and the super-soldier program. Remender did a great job with Nuke’s characterization throughout, with constant references to “fighting for our boys” and the like. Nuke’s fears that American servicemen and servicewomen will be forgotten came from a sympathetic place, even as he engaged in horrible, mind-controlled atrocities.

Even better, I love the way Falcon has returned to his role as Cap’s most capable partner. Cap’s having a hard time dealing with the fallout of Dimension Z, and Falcon is his moral rudder during this emotional storm. Falc keeps him on-track AND helps him during his fights. Best of all, Falcon’s pet Redwing actually gets a moment too! At one point, Nuke tosses a grenade at the heroic duo, but Redwing knocks it aside. Now that’s a handy super-pet! I remember laughing out loud when I read it.

Later, when new villain Dr. Mindbubble has a slew of SHIELD agents going after our heroes, Falcon has a great line about how obvious it is that their opponents are not controlling themselves. It’s a “ho-hum, how normal” type comment that shows off how smart and professional the two heroes are at this point.

Another aspect of the book I’m enjoying is the inclusion of Arnim Zola’s daughter Jet Black. As I said in her first appearance, she could not look more like a Kirby creation, honestly, it is like Remender just transported Big Barda into the Marvel U. Heck, the more I think about it, the more accurate that comparison is. I thought Jet’s Marvel NOW issue was the weakest issue in a long time, which was a bummer, but fortunately she’s back to her hard-a$$ ways in the Iron Nail story.

The art has been great too. Carlos Pacheco came onboard during the Nuke story, while Nic Klein has been remarkable in his ability to keep the book with a consistent look. I absolutely hate Cap’s current armored look, but both Pacheco and Klein draw it well enough that I can tolerate it. The new villains Iron Nail and Dr. Mindbubble look like 1970’s Marvel creations, which is exactly how they should be portrayed. Nuke has never looked better either (and he may not get another appearance, if his status at the end of his story is correct).

This looks and feels like a classic Marvel super-hero story. Old bad guys, new bad guys, old heroes, new heroes. This book is adding to the Marvel Universe while utilizing the rich history of the main character. This is a GOOD comic with a solid spot on the sublist.  

SAFE

Captain America: Patriot (2010)

Honestly, I don’t understand comics. Who was demanding this series? Were people really clamoring for a feature on Jeff Mace, the Captain America of the 1950’s? I just can’t make myself believe there were many people who wanted this. Maybe Marvel was trying to clarify their continuity and timelines? I honestly can’t figure it out.

That’s not to say this isn’t a good series. Mitch Breitweiser’s art is gorgeous from start to finish, and Karl Kesel’s story hits all the required notes. I just can’t figure out why this book was made. Am I forgetting some crossover into Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America?

Jeff Mace was active as the Patriot, dealing with New York street villains while Cap fought the good fight in WWII. After Cap’s disappearance, Mace steps up when the world needs another Captain America. It is pretty fun seeing Mace try to fill Steve Rogers’s shoes, especially when Namor won’t give him an ounce of respect. Namor is constantly belittling and doubting Mace’s abilities, even when the rest of the team is trying to give him a shot. It’s easy to root for Mace when he’s got a bully like Namor gunning for him.

As I said, Kesel hits all the required notes. There are some All-Winners Squad fights, but most of the interactions we see with the other heroes are personal and character-driven. There are allusions to the Red Scare. There is a nice subplot with Mace trying to figure out his love life. His co-worker and erstwhile partner Mary Morgan clearly loves him, but he has the hots for his FBI handler Betsy Ross. I felt like the Mary Morgan story was a tad unresolved at the conclusion of the series, but I did like Mace getting a happy ending.

Breitweiser’s art is a rare treat. Someone this good should get more work. His work has a lot of similarities to Dougie Braithwaite, only a tad more dreamy. The costumes on the heroes and villains are all nice designs, including new characters like Night Witch or redesigns like Red Guardian. He can clearly handle drawing a large cast; why doesn’t he do more work?

This is a FAIR comic; I don’t know why Marvel wanted it made, but it is fun seeing a forgotten chapter in the Marvel U get a few panels in the sun. 

Uncanny Avengers #7

Thank goodness this comic is coming out. While the main Avengers title is wrestling with cosmic origin issues and ennui, this book delivers the hits. Red Skull! Grim Reaper! Apocalypse! The Horsemen of Apocalypse! Those are the types of problems that heroes solve by hitting them in the face! Let’s hear it for the Avengers!

Rick Remender must have mastered his Claremont 101 courses. This book has villain plotting, Celestials, and relationship building. How many books feature insane looking villains taking on the Celestials?

Amusingly enough, the two newest members of the Uncanny Avengers both strike out in their attempts to hook up with teammates. Wonder Man is still smitten over the Scarlet Witch, and Wasp continues her affection towards alpha males (in this case, Havok). Neither couple seems too close to getting together though; Wanda and Alex are some damaged goods!

I wasn’t sure if I liked the omniscient narrator caption boxes, but Remender officially won me over when he referred to Sunfire as the “solar samurai.” That narrator’s weighted tone makes the entire issue feel important. The neatest part of the trick is the way the narrator backs out of the panels when it is just characters talking. He doesn’t have anything to add when Wonder Man is pouring his heart out to Scarlet Witch. But when Sunfire and Cap are facing down a ramming Celestial starship? Let the purple prose flow!

Daniel Acuna brings a nice sense of continuity to the Celestials. I fell in love with his work on the Eternals series years ago, and he hasn’t lost his knack for the cosmic giants. They look fantastic. The designs for the Apocalypse Twins are fun too. All of the Horsemen look like a Jack Kirby designs used in a Guillermo Del Toro movie. (That’s a compliment!)

Excellent

Avengers #10

I think I’m a fairly intelligent guy, but I really don’t understand what is happening in Avengers. Jonathan Hickman is a cerebral guy, clearly. He does open up with one of my narrative pet peeves, though. I hate flashbacks within flashbacks, I consider it lazy storytelling. Of course, in this issue it actually makes sense, but I’m not sure if that is a good thing.

Ten issues in, we know Ex Nihilo wants to evolve life on Earth. We know there are multiple dangerous sites that have been dealt with one way or another. But we don’t know what the end goal is. We don’t know if there is a ticking clock. We don’t know the why’s of any of it. Ten issues a long time for the story to still be teased out like this. Thank goodness I have lots of other comics delivering action and excitement every month, because this book has mostly gloom and melancholy.

That’s not to say it is all bad, at all. Hickman has some nice reveals and some great character moments in this one. Falcon makes the most of his one line of dialogue. I also appreciated the power level of the group sent into such a hostile environment. Most of all, I like that Hickman populated his team of redshirt heroes with new creations that FELT like they had ties to the Marvel U. Wendigo? Box? We know them, even if they looked new. They were replaceable. The other heroes were new but archetypical enough to have some weight. (If Bendis were writing this, he would have killed off Hercules and Crystal, or other heroes of that level.)

Mike Deodato does a nice job with his new hero designs, the reason they work as archetypes is because of the design. I also like his alternate Cap costumes.  

I sure hope Deodato likes drawing people talking and walking from place to place. The Avengers pick it up from a stroll exactly once. The Omega Flight team gets to shoot off energy blasts and fight on one page. Other than that, this is a whole lot of sad heroes and administrators talking to each other.

Does that seem weird to anyone else?

Fair

Captain America #6

Listen. I like Jack Kirby’s insane run on Cap from the 70’s. I like Rick Remender. I like John Romita Jr. I love Captain America. But this story has been going on too long.

I understand sales are dropping pretty quickly on this book, and it is not hard to see why. This is a pretty entertaining story, but it doesn’t exactly feel right for Captain America, does it? Heck, that great looking scene on the cover can’t even happen because Cap is in a tattered costume, wounded, in an alien dimension with a hostile AI in his chest! Cap has been on the run and getting beaten down since the series opened, and that barely changes here. Cap seems to be on the offensive, at least, but he is barely recognizable as our Cap.

It’s too bad, because I really believe that Remender is adding some great new pieces to the Marvel puzzle with Jet Black and Ian. The children of Arnim Zola have a ton of potential, and I think both (but especially Jet) could find a place in the ongoing Marvel U. (I don’t but that Cap would put her down, but I like the cliffhanger!)

Romita Jr’s pencils are always great at kinetic action scenes, but I found myself taken with his facial expressions in this one. Jet Black’s smug smile while Cap’s got her and Ian’s defiance are both crystal clear. I’m also coming around to the weird, gooey version of Arnim Zola. And man, that cover makes me appreciate Cap’s real costume. They need to dump the armor in Avengers, THIS is the real Cap!

Fair

Avengers #9

This has been quite the meandering story since the relaunch. Jonathan Hickman clearly has a greater plan in mind, and parts of the book are done quite well, but I’m just not in love with the book.

Last month we saw our first Star Brand & Night Mask vs. the Avengers battle. There is a follow-up in this issue too, but that isn’t the high point of the issue. This battle has a lot more splash pages and “snapshots” rather than a combat narrative. That keeps it from getting as exciting as it could be. I think the intent is to put the focus on Night Mask’s narrative rather than the fisticuffs, and I’ve made my feelings clear about that in the past. Again, I like the use of Star Brand as a reluctant powerhouse, and seeing the main Avengers try to deal with him with some respect is a strong moment.

My favorite part of the issue involves Ex Nihilo, Abyss, and the New Universe characters on Mars. The book opens with Ex Nihilo explaining some of his greater plans for the Earth. Now, once again, there is a lot of talk about broken tools and cosmic manipulation that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but at least his dialogue gives a clear villain. This guy has a master plan that he’s working towards, and even if no one but Hickman exactly understands it, at least we have someone to root against.

The legion-approach to the team is entertaining, and I still like that graphic that opens each issue, but man, some of the team members are getting lost in the shuffle. There are just too many people on this team. I’d say this book stars Cap, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Thor, with everyone else relegated to backup status or less. Cannonball, Sunspot, and Spider-Man are barely even there. As I stated before, I still don’t even understand what Captain Universe is doing there.

The art is pretty nice, with Star Brand in particular sticking out. He’s obviously a scrawny nerd blessed with incredible power. His posture and look reinforce the dialogue, he’s clearly quick to anger and somewhat volatile, but he definitely has a conscience. Dustin Weaver’s work on the big names is really impressive. His handle on Iron Man’s black and gold armor is great, I hope it is sticking around and not being replaced by the sunburst/Guardians armor. As I said before, Weaver is one of the few who seems to excel drawing the current Captain Marvel suit.

Fair

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

Uncanny Avengers #5

Man, I just don’t get the controversy. From what I understand, people are offended by Havok’s “coming out” speech when he introduces the Avengers unity squad. He goes on about how he doesn’t like the word “mutant” and doesn’t want people to use it any more. He doesn’t like the label, and says that he and other mutants are just like everyone else. He goes on to say that everyone should just call him “Alex.” It seems there is an internet controversy that by abandoning the label of “mutant,” Havok is advocating that people should pretend to be like everyone else. To extend the common mutant metaphors, that people should give up their race, sexual orientation, or other identifiers. I find it fascinating, because I never would have read that in to the speech. I can’t imagine Rick Remender ever intended to offend anyone, but there it is.

As for the issue itself? I loved it. The book had a lot to live up to, that cover has been my computer wallpaper for months. I am a huge fan of Wonder Man and the Wasp, and I’ve always loved Sunfire’s potential. So adding those three heroes onto a team already sporting so many of my favorites? That’s a recipe for success. The question was, could Remender pull it off?

That’s a big affirmative. Wonder Man acts and sounds like himself, unlike the oddball “Revenger” that Bendis used in his Avengers run over the last couple of years. Wondy owns that insane behavior, and still claims that he’s going to be a pacifist hero, but his motivations and goals are in line with what we know about the character. Wasp is there to help integrate the mutants into pop culture. I love that she’s bankrolling the team, running the PR, AND an effective team member. At this point, Sunfire’s history is a tad complicated, and I don’t’ think I’m remembering all of it (didn’t Rogue get Sunfire’s powers for awhile?) In any case, Remender does a good job addressing the continuity questions before maneuvering Sunfire to a good starting point on the new team.

What I like about Remender is that even when he’s working on this much set-up, he still delivers a fight. The Grim Reaper is a fantastic, classic villain, and since he is Wonder Man’s brother, there is a good personal connection. His involvement immediately draws in Scarlet Witch too. And Rogue’s cliffhanger is a great way to end the book. It feels so classic Marvel for a hero to underestimate her own power and possibly kill a villain. That’s like West Coast Avengers 101. (Plus she gets to say how amazingly powerful Wonder Man is.)

Olivier Coipel comes in on art, and he does a great job keeping the look of the book consistent. Rogue is still rocking the hood and sullen attitude; it’s new, but I still love the character. Sunfire’s look is fantastic, and Wonder Man has yet another costume incorporating elements from his past looks. I do wish Wasp would ditch the gold-plated look and go a bit more classic, and I’m still annoyed by Cap’s battle armor, but I can deal with that if everyone else looks this good.

Excellent (but again, I’m partial to these characters)

Avengers #8

When the characters in your comic are actually stating how confusing the dialogue is? That’s usually a bad sign.

Jonathan Hickman’s worst traits are coming out to play in this series once again. It’s odd, because clearly Hickman is very popular, but I find his more cerebral, abstract plots to be disappointing.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of entertaining elements in this issue. When the new Starbrand first appears, Captain America approaches the kid in a kind fashion, and Cap’s confidence shines off the page. He really is looking out for this kid and trying to defuse the situation. Hulk acts perfectly in character to just smash, and he and Captain Marvel have a great team-up moment when she fast-pitches him from space. It is also enjoyable seeing another super-powered foe able to take on the Avengers’ toughest members. Iron Man’s armor looks pretty beat up for most of the issue. So Hickman does have a good fight in here!

But man! Every time Nightmask opens his mouth, the book screeches to a halt. There is way too much explanation about the universal system, the broken cycle, the meaning of this and that. I don’t think I’m an idiot (maybe I’m wrong) but it seems like a bunch of circular nonsense. I honestly had to make myself go back and read the dialogue to see if I was missing something. Nope, just vague ominous comments that don’t really mean anything.

Dustin Weaver’s art is a lot of fun. He does a fantastic job on Captain Marvel, both helmeted and un-helmeted. This might be the best I’ve seen her look in any comic. (As an aside, I’d sure like to collect CM’s solo book, but that art is awful.) Weaver’s art is character-heavy, even in combat scenes. CM and the Hulk’s nice moment in space. Cap’s confidence, Star Brand’s confusion and petulance. They all jump off the page. I’d love to see more fights like this!

I just need to accept this is the Avengers. Flashes of great action and violence with long stretches of pseudo-science dialogue.

Fair