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.)

Original Sin: Hulk vs. Iron Man TPB

Mark Waid and Kieron Gillen wrapped up their run on two Marvel icons in a strange way. Departing Hulk and Iron Man, respectively, the last big story by the authors involved tying in to the Marvel crossover Original Sin. Unfortunately, I’d say that my opinion of this series is the same as the runs that these creators had on their books. Good concepts, solid execution, but the story never really hooked me.

The sin that comes to light in this story is that Tony Stark may have tinkered with the original gamma bomb. Was Stark responsible for Bruce Banner becoming the Hulk? (Spoilers: No.) There are some neat narrative tricks here. The best is that Stark can’t remember what he actually did the night before the gamma test because he had been drinking so heavily. So he has to use an assortment of technological aids to try to recreate just what happened all those years ago.

While this is happening, the Hulk is hunting down Tony Stark. It’s always fun seeing Hulk rip through Iron Man armor, and that holds in this collection. I also enjoyed the spin of this being an Extremis-focused Hulk. Thanks to Tony Stark’s brother Arno, Hulk is smart AND angry, which is a bad combination.

I am a bit bummed that Kieron Gillen’s Iron Man run sort of petered out in this tie-in mini-series rather than in the core title. I didn’t collect this as it came out, so it almost seemed like Gillen’s story just faded rather than going out with a bang like it deserved. The Iron Metropolitan city, Arno Stark, the black and gold armor… these are all dangling threads that could have used stronger conclusions.

Mark Bagley is one of the MVPs of the Marvel bullpen, and he pulls his weight again. It’s not a tough sell to draw Hulk fighting different Iron Man suits, but it isn’t guaranteed to look this good. I especially enjoyed seeing Bagley’s take on the black and gold suit. I’ll miss that one, the current white suit just doesn’t do it for me.

This is a FAIR comic. Perfectly fine, but an odd place to tuck away story conclusions that should have gone down in the core titles.

Savage Hulk v1: The Man Within TPB

Let’s get this out of the way. I’m a huge Alan Davis fan, so this was not going to be a tough sell for me. If Davis is drawing, I’m there. I have usually enjoyed his writing too, so this was like shooting fish in a barrel for Marvel.

This takes place years ago, after a brief interaction between the X-Men and the Hulk. (This era of the X-Men includes Havok and Polaris, to help date it for you oldsters.)

With Hulk wandering the American Southwest in a funk, Professor X decides that he’s going to help Bruce finally get free of his green demon within. This, of course, leads to some spectacular battles as the X-Men take on the Hulk and his foes the Abomination and the Leader. The artwork is the selling point here, because the story isn’t that complex. If you want to see Hulked out Jean Grey and all the X-Men looking simply fantastic, this book is for you. The Hulk, of course, looks great too, but I found myself falling in love with those 60’s era X-Men costumes on almost every page.

There is a speed bump, as one whole issue takes place in the mind of Professor X as he battles in a mental world. This gets confusing very quickly, and I’m afraid I was disengaged for much of the issue. Fortunately, Davis turns things around and gives me some nice physical fisticuffs at the conclusion to draw me back in.

This is a GOOD comic or better, for those who love Davis’ artwork as I do. It isn’t revolutionary, but as an artistic showcase, it is fantastic. 

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.

Savage Wolverine v1: Kill Island HC

Let’s be honest, folks who read this book are doing it for one of three reasons. I’ll tackle those reasons as my review.

1 - Shanna the She-Devil – it is no secret that Frank Cho draws spectacular comic book women. So Shanna looks tremendous. You can almost play a game as you read the comic: spot the places where the inker or colorist had to draw panties on Shanna! I will say that he writes Shanna as a supremely confident and capable heroine. I’m curious if the power upgrade he gives her will stick or not; it would be fun to read about a super-strong, super-fast jungle woman in the Marvel U.

2 – Monsters and Monkeys – Cho also excels at drawing monsters, dinosaurs, and gorillas. He gets to do all of that here too. I guess when you are the writer; you can make sure that the same story that had raptors, T-rexes, cavemen, and fish-people also has super-strong, mystic gorillas and Lovecraftian (almost Prometheus-looking) space gods. Fans who come to this story looking for bloody action will be satisfied.

3 – Marvel U fans – Maybe you are the type that just wants to see Frank Cho draw icons on the Marvel U. He doesn’t have a huge cast, but he does have Wolverine, Hulk, Shanna, and at least one Celestial. He also spends a lot of time with Amadeus Cho. I’m not sure I remember Cho having all the powers he exhibits here, and he is a lot “prettier” and heroic than I remember, but I think that is what you get when Frank Cho draws a book. He did well choosing Shanna and Wolverine as his leads. His dialogue and banter between the two of them is very well done, especially considering how often he lets Shanna come out on the better end of the conversation. Wolverine seems a bit overmatched by the jungle heroine.

So the plot is fine, it moves the story along. Wolverine and Shanna get to meet up and either fight or team-up with a lot of interesting-looking foils. Folks should read this book for the art and to find a crowd-pleasing high adventure. This is not a character-examination or high drama. This is a FAIR comic where the writer/artist knows exactly what he set out to do, and he does it. 

Thunderbolts v1: No Quarter TPB

It really bums me out that we lost Jeff Parker’s fantastic take on the Thunderbolts, and all we got was this.

Now admittedly, that’s an unfair comparison; I’ve enjoyed just about everything I’ve read from Parker, while Daniel Way’s hits are far rarer for me. (I’m pretty sure he did a Sabretooth limited series that I enjoyed…)

Anyway, on to this book. The main theme of this book seems to be Marvel characters that wear black or red and enjoy killing. Venom and Punisher even give themselves costume updates to make sure that they are only wearing black and red. That just doesn’t seem like too good of a unifying theme for a team, does it?

The Red Hulk puts the team together to deal with a past sin; General Thunderbolt Ross has more ties to gamma radiation than we ever expected. He gets Punisher on board through a pretty fun coercion angle, and Venom just signs up for a senior officer. Deadpool and Elektra are mercs; I can’t imagine it was too hard for them to get involved.

The plot involves a South Asian island called Kata Jaya. The red Thunderbolts head there to take out the current dictator and his muscle, Hulk villain Madman. I’ve been reading Hulk comics for a long time, and I must admit that the Leader’s brother never really made an impact on me. Sorry!

That brings me to my favorite aspect of this collection: the Leader. Daniel Way clearly has some affection for the Leader, an while the villain doesn’t exactly set the world on fire in this first collection, it is clear that he has set himself up for a return as a big bad. The scene where Punisher finds out he is on the team is laugh-out-loud funny.

Steve Dillon has drawn so many classic, emotionally resonant Punisher story, I kept finding myself being jarred out of this story. Dillon’s Punisher is the “real” Punisher for me now; the character lives and breathes under Dillon’s pencils. It probably isn’t fair to compare Jason Aaron and Garth Ennis’ classic out of continuity tales with a Marvel U-based adventure book, but the book just feels wrong. That bite of satire, the extra gut punch of violence… it is missing.

So a team of killers working on a generic mission in a setting none of them belong in. AND, this is Marvel’s follow-up to one of my favorite runs of all time (Parker’s Thunderbolts). That makes this an EVIL choice for the next chapter of this storied franchise. 

Red Hulk: Mayan Rule TPB

This is never quite as good as I hoped. Jeff Parker has done amazing things with Rulk, and I always love Dale Eaglesham’s artwork. And believe it or not, I actually read Alpha Flight before I read Avengers, so yeah, I’m a fan.

While Alpha does appear in this story, it never really turns into quite the mob of heroes I was hoping for. I suppose that is just the fault of my expectations. Alpha Flight and the guest-starring She-Hulks (other faves) are little more than victims and hostages for most of the story. This leaves most of the heroics to Red Hulk and Machine Man. They are the stars of the book, so I get it, but I can’t help but be a little disappointed.

But wow, what art. Parker’s Mayan gods are awesome, modern interpretations that make for fantastic villains. Dale Eaglesham brings them to life. They look absolutely tremendous, and each panel of smashing jumps off the page. I’m also amazed at Eaglesham’s ability to put human emotions on the faces of snake men and monkeys. Darn it. Flipping through, I’m bummed Eaglesham didn’t get to draw Alpha Flight more. His Snowbird is absolutely stunning!

In conclusion, this is a great conclusion to the Red Hulk series. It is fun, with new villains, good guest-stars, solid dialogue and great art. I don’t think wanting more is always a negative. Sometimes it just means you read a GOOD comic. 

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

Indestructible Hulk #7

Wow. I did not see that ending coming. If you are a fan of the Hulk, Thor, or Walt Simonson, you owe it to yourself to check out this issue.

I’m not sure if Mark Waid tailored this issue for his artist, but the presence of “classic” Thor sure seem to make that likely. In fact, there are so many elements that show off Simonson's talents that it is sort of stunning. When Bruce Banner takes his new science team through a portal, they all gear up in some sweet sci-fi combat suits. The uniforms have a consistent, expressive facemask that draws the eye, and they are all colored differently to help differentiate characters. I’m not saying that I have all these guys straight yet, I can’t remember all their names, but it is great seeing some folks out in the field trying to keep up with Hulk and Thor.

For villains, we get some classic frost giants; they are generic, but they do look impressive when Thor and Hulk spend time smashing them up. (To nice “KSSSHH!!!” sound effects!)

This book is not complicated. Hulk and his team travel through a portal, meet Thor, and smash some giants. The big “Wow” moment is the cliffhanger. I’m a little surprised this made it through editorial. I don’t think this would have flown in an older Marvel regime. I don’t think it bothers me, but it does shock me!

Good

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

Indestructible Hulk #4

Mark Waid has done an insane job with this title. In only four issues, this new status quo for the Hulk feels like the beginning of an era. (Come to think of it, Hulk has had a lot of status quo changes over the years, hasn’t he?) I think part of the reason I love this setup so much is that it reminds me of the Pantheon era. Just like in those issues, Hulk has a huge organization pointing him in the right direction while interacting through snarky sidekicks.

Of course, it is only natural that there is an aquatic helicarrier. There sort of had to be, didn’t there?

I’m also tickled at the villain for this two-parter. I had no idea who that was reaching out on that cover, but it’s a Marvel classic. Just one that hasn’t crossed paths with the Hulk too much. I love the use of lady-troopers in the Lemurian army, we don’t see that enough. It’s also neat seeing how the mystery villain utilizes so many different undersea powers to aid him in his conquest.

If I had to make a complaint, it is that I don’t like the idea that Hulk’s new armor gives him an air bubble to breathe in. It’s just like the Legion trans suits. Maybe it is because I love seeing Iron Man tricked out in different armors for different situations, but I’d love to see Hulk looking a bit more “undersea” you know? Let’s get some toyetic costumes going!

Good

Red Hulk: Haunted TPB

This is an odd collection. I’d been loving a lot of Jeff Parker’s ongoing stories with Rulk, and I enjoyed about half of this collection, but then it takes an odd turn. 

The first half of the trade deals with another battle with Zero/One, the crazy scientist lady who achieved her origin a few issues ago. Only now she’s created a huge artificial island, an army of zombies, and a squad of crazy sea-creatures. That’s in addition to her personal super-villain Black Fog. I’m still blurry on exactly what she’s going to accomplish, except for “mad science,” but that’s a good place to start. Rulk, Machine Man, and Red She-Hulk all team up to take on her forces. It’s an impressive battle. 

Then I lost interest for a bit as the focus switched to the supernatural. It seems Rulk picked up some sort of ghostly tormentor, and he seeks out Dr. Strange to help deal with the haunting. The story never quite fits right for me. I don’t care for the Forgiven at all, who needs good guy vampires? And the Legion of Monsters doesn’t seem like a good fit for the title either. And heck, I’m still annoyed that the secret villain ever turned bad in the first place, so I didn’t care for his reveal either. I’m not saying Parker doesn’t fill this part of the book with some good lines and strong interactions, but my lack of interest in the main plot dulled my appreciation a bit. 

Carlo Pagualyan handles most of the art, so everything looks clean and heroic. His strong lines are a perfect fit for the violent world of the Hulk. He even does a nice job on the many monsters that show up. It seems to me he enjoys drawing Machine Man, because X-51’s panels are always full of fun, rube Goldberg-ian devices. I do have to say I don’t care for Dr. Strange’s current costume. Why would you mess with a classic like that?

Fair

Indestructible Hulk #3

Clearly my Hulk-fu is lacking, because I have no idea who this Quintronic Man is. But Mark Waid does what he does best and reintroduces the concept in a fantastic new way. AIM’s plan to put a new pilot in the suit along with the corpses of the old co-pilots? That’s brilliant stuff and an idea that is remarkably spooky and exciting at the same time.

For me, Waid is striking the perfect balance between destructive heroics and the development of Bruce Banner: Agent of SHIELD. I like seeing Banner putting together a team of rogue scientists; they’ve all got good potential as a new supporting cast. But I come to this book for the punching, and Waid has made sure there is plenty in each issue.

And man, am I glad AIM is involved. I love my super villain techies, and by getting them involved, this feels like Hulk has been dropped into an ongoing SHIELD story. Maria Hill is still handling all the cases she normally would, but now she’s got a Hulk.

Leinil Yu’s art is so much fun. He’s got a fairly realistic vibe, but the more I see the Hulk’s armor, the more of a Kirby vibe I’m getting off it. I also think Yu might be, ah, scaling back Maria Hill’s chest. She was really out there in issue 1; I think this portrayal is a bit more in line with other artists’ interpretations.

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

Avengers #1

Man, I have some unfair expectations for my Avengers comics. Jonathan Hickman actually puts together a big, solid debut for his run, and yet I found myself a bit disappointed as I finished. Let me try to figure out why. 

Action? This book has got it; with the core team of Cap, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the Hulk get some great action against the villains out to change the world for the worse.

Villains? I absolutely love Ex Nihilo. His golden minotaur looks is awesome, and his omega chest symbol keeps him looking like a comic villain. He’s got a great air of superiority that makes him feel like a Thanos or High Evolutionary villain after one issue. While his sidekicks are more generic, Nihilo keeps up the villains’ end of the deal. 

Big ideas? This issue has them. Origin bombs? A villain terraforming Mars? Heck, how about each of the core Avengers picking his or her own sub-team of heroes? That’s good stuff too, cleanly presented in a Hickman-chart. 

OK, maybe I don’t’ like the team? No, that can’t be it, the core heroes above are augmented on the last page by a mix of classic and new Avengers that seem more than worthy of the name. Falcon, Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hyperion, Sunspot, Cannonball, and Captain Universe. I understand that one lady is a new Smasher from the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, that’s a neat idea. And there are even two folks I don’t recognize! 

Art then. Nope, Jerome Opena is delivering the same kind of work he did on Uncanny X-Force. Dynamic action in a dark, moody setting. But he doesn’t shy away from the inspirational “Assemble” shots, delivering two in one issue. I don’t like Cap’s new costume that looks like something out of Call of Duty, but that’s a Marvel Now decision…

Could it be that the reason I’m disappointed is just that I want more? That’s not a complaint, is it?

Good

Indestructible Hulk #1

Here comes Mark Waid, reminding us all why he was one of the hottest creators in the 90’s, and why he still deserves that title today. 

I took a bit of chance and read this premiere issue with my 8 year old daughter after I saw Maria Hill on the first page. (My daughter is a bit of a fan after the Avengers movie.) Thankfully, this is definitely kid appropriate, with lots of comic-style violence and action, along with some great new vocabulary words for both of us! 

Bruce Banner is tired of Reed Richards and Tony Stark getting all the credit. He’s just as smart, but Bruce is justifiably worried that he’ll only be remembered as the Hulk. In an attempt to contribute something more, he wants to sign on with SHIELD. He wants to update the old comparison; instead of an unfocused bomb, he wants the Hulk to be a targeted cannon. It’s a great high concept that works. I’m not sure I buy into the armor quite yet, but seeing Hulk lead a team of SHIELD agents to take on a classic Marvel villain worked even better than I’d figured. 

And wow, does Waid make this villain sing. Spouting out equations and theories, other writers have made this guy work too, but I’ve never had this much fun seeing him actually fight somebody. I love that Waid put Hulk, known for his lack of intelligence, up against this particular villain, one known for his brain. (I couldn’t have been the only one expecting Mr. Hyde or a new Abomination). 

Leinil Yu’s art; what is there to say at this point? His new, short-haired Hulk looks imposing and powerful. I absolutely loved the way he drew Hulk as a green blur while in motion. Maria Hill looks wonderful, both powerful and hot in her SHIELD issue battle gear. I particularly loved that she is wearing her normal form-fitting outfit while leading a team of heavily armored SHIELD agents on the attack. Yu knows what fans like! 

Another strong debut from Marvel NOW, at this point, if people don’t like these books, I’m not sure what to tell them. These are exciting new chapters building on the history we know and love. It’s just the right mix for an old reader like me (and my daughter, I guess!)

Excellent