Age of Ultron #6

SPOILERS AHOY!

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

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

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

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

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

Fair

Daredevil #24

The solicitation for this issue suggests that Matt Murdock might give up being Daredevil because of Foggy’s cancer. That never really raises its head as an option, but I love that the chaos and scrambling in Matt Murdock’s life is once again affecting his time as Daredevil. I think Spider-Man is the only other character in comics who has as much drama out of the costume as he does in it.

Mark Waid is showing us that there is a method to the madness that has plagued the series so far. Coyote, Klaw, and the other villains who have showed up so far are all connected. We see the mastermind, attended by a female silhouette, as he is locked into a sensory-depravation suit. I’m not sure which villain has a situation this close to Daredevil’s, but I’m confident Waid will have found someone good. It might be a new villain, but I’m betting on the re-imagining and elevation of an old character.

The fight this issue is pretty brief, when Matt Murdock has to fight off a crowd of sensory-enhanced dogs. These beasts are related to the mutated humans DD fought last month, but the animals are a lot easier to take out. Hank Pym shows up for cleanup duty, and he also chimes in with a diagnosis for Foggy’s condition too.

Waid write Pym as a scientist first and hero second Combined with Chris Samnee’s take on the Giant Man costume, and Pym really seems out of place as a hero. He just doesn’t have the body language to carry himself in the same class as Daredevil. That said, I sure hope Waid isn’t writing Pym in that Ultron spin-off just to kill him.

Samnee’s art is once again fantastic. The book would have been light on combat without the dog attack, and Samnee wisely shows Murdock’s lawyer clothes tearing away, revealing the DD costume underneath. Samnee handles the emotional scenes well too, showing off his versatility and strength in storytelling. Again, I’m not sure I love his baggy-suited Giant Man, but I do appreciate the effort to give him a different look than other characters.

Good

Avengers Assemble Annual #1

It makes me sad that this is the last “clean-up” job Christos Gage has assigned for Marvel at the moment. He’s been a favorite of mine for years. Few people are as good as Gage at wandering around the Marvel U explaining away uncharacteristic actions and editing gaps. (In fact, I think Kieron Gillen is the only current writer who comes close.)

This annual focuses on Vision and his lack of use in any of the core Avengers titles in Marvel Now. Viz had a big return at the start of AvX, but he’s nowhere to be found on the current teams. Gage explains that by playing Vision up against the Sunturion, a great, obscure Iron Man villain with his own personal identification issues. This is classic storytelling, comparing and contrasting your lead against a guy in similar circumstances who makes different choices. While Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Giant Man and Quicksilver appear, they are all there to accent the focus on Vision. Gage uses Quicksilver the most effectively, not surprising after he wrote him so well in Avengers Academy.

But even that clean-up isn’t enough for Gage. He also explains how the Avengers let the Vision’s robotic body sit in a box for years after Scarlet Witch destroyed him in Avengers Disassembled. Giant Man and Iron Man explain away their inaction with different reasons, but both work effectively at giving the Avengers an out on why they would sort of forget about their friend during the Bendis era of Avengers.

Man, thinking about it, it really bums me out that Gage doesn’t have any Marvel work coming up. He does important work, Marvel! You need to get him on a supporting X-book, STAT!

Tomm Coker handles the art, and he’s looking a lot more computer-y than he used to. He’s got a very Renato Arlem-look going on. That’s not a bad thing; I really like his Captain Marvel (especially her helmet) and his black-and-gold Iron Man. I sort of wish he’d left the original Sunturion design alone, cause that was a great-looking Bob Layton costume, but the new one is fine too.

Good

Secret Avengers #37

I really like Rick Remender’s Hawkeye. That’s the main thing I come away with after Remender’s run on this title; his no-killing Hawkeye seems clearly informed by the classic West Coast Avengers I read as a kid. I missed this version of the character. Hawk’s anguish about putting down the Descendants is exactly what a good Avenger should struggle with.

A lot of the team members get a moment or two to shine in this conclusion. Venom, Valkyrie, and Black Widow aren’t headliners, but they get to recap some stuff and we see how they helped. Captain Britain is another character who really seems to fit in as an Avenger now. Remender leaves the Black Ant/Eric O’Grady in a nice spot, too. The character is still out there and later writers are going to have a lot of freedom in developing him further.

One issue I have with the conclusion is how a few of the core characters feel a bit forced in. Hank Pym has been popping in and out of the story for months now, and once again, after a pretty sweet one-page appearance, he’s out of the book. I assume he’s fine and will morph back his normal self, but when we last see him, he’s a pretty gross cyborg. I also don’t know if I was as touched by the original Human Torch’s appearance as I should have been. The guy hasn’t been around in so long, I don’t think it hit me like Remender intended.

Matteo Scalera has really grown on me since his first issue. His scratchy style works well for mass combat and destruction, a good skill in comic book art. His Hawkeye has improved by leaps and bounds too. After seeing his Master Mold and Beast, I’d be curious to see him drawing some more X-Men. What is he moving on to after this?

Good

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 #34

Well, after many years of Bendis’ Avengers comics, I have to give him credit that he’s put everything back in on the shelf for the next writer. I mean seriously, I can’t think of much lasting harm that he’s done to the franchise. That takes a lot for me to say, because I’m certainly one of the online complainers that he talks about in the closing letter at the end of this comic. I still maintain that the Avengers rarely solved their own problems, spent too much time eating dinner and sitting around, and that in general, everyone talked too much. The pacing often dragged, and villains didn’t act like themselves. But Wasp, Wonder Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man, and the Vision are all back, so as a whole, the ride wasn’t so bad after all. 

In fact, I appreciate that Bendis chooses to go out on a high note. This isn’t a classic Avengers villain by any stretch, but Bendis makes sure to give his jam artists a nice, dynamic conflict to show off the Avengers’ powers. And the line-up on display in these pages includes a lot of mainstays like Cap, Thor, and Wasp, but also Bendis’ pets that are now entrenched as Avengers. Cage, Iron Fist, and Spider-Woman are all present and accounted for, punching and kicking with the rest. 

I especially enjoyed the closing pages, with the Avengers hosting a party to welcome back the Wasp to the land of the living. That seems like a party that should happen in comics more often. It is great seeing Wonder Man and Scarlet Witch reconnecting out in the crowd too. Bendis even manages to give the next writer a nice set-up; Tony Stark wants to get bigger. 

Bendis has another thing right in his closing address. He got to work with some fantastic artists. Stuart Immonen, Walt Simonson, Mike Deodato, Brandon Peterson, Terry Dodson, Frank Cho, I mean the list goes on and on. Seeing so many of them show up in this jam issue makes for a nice send-off. It also drives home just how successful Bendis’ run was. He got a LOT of top-tier talent on this book. 

So again, while Bendis’ Avengers wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, as I look over my long boxes, I own an awful lot of Bendis’ Avengers titles that I enjoyed enough to keep buying. Definitely more hits than misses. And heck, I’m following him to X-Men, so he’ll keep getting my dollars too! 

Good

Avengers Academy #39

It is clear Christos Gage really loves these characters. He’s almost been saying goodbye to them for the last few issues, but now it’s actually time to go. Fortunately, this doesn’t tie into another comic, or wrap up a multi-issue arc. It’s just a slow, measured comic that lets us spend a last few pages with the characters. While some are being picked up by the upcoming Avengers Arena (X-23, Mettle, Haz Mat, and Reptil), I can’t say I’ll be getting it. I hate books where the core concept is based on killing characters.

The truth comes out, and the students confront the teachers with what they learned awhile ago: that the Avengers feared they were all potential villains. Of course, the faculty is quite fond of the students, and they quickly explain everything away. What I found most interesting is that of all the student-teacher bonds, the one that felt the most genuine here at the end is Quicksilver and Finesse. No one understands a jerk more than Quicksilver, and their poignant moment watching Downton Abbey just drives that home. (Plus, Finesse is still probably the most likely team member to turn bad.)

This book became a mini-lightning rod for its relationships too, so it is interesting to see so many pages devoted to kids pairing off. Striker and his prom date, Mettle and Haz Mat, Lightspeed and Carolina, and the surprise of Reptil and White Tiger. Gage clearly had a lot of ground left to cover with these kids. He tied into every event and added every guest star he could, but the comic business rarely takes to new characters. 39 issues is nothing to be ashamed of!

Tom Grumett brings the book home on art, and my biggest gripe is that he didn’t get to draw Hawkeye in his real costume. I like his take on Tigra, too, her eyes look very cool with such those catlike pupils.

So Avengers Arena for a few students. Hank Pym is going to be the tech guy for Captain America. And I think most of the other folks are destined for comics limbo. It was fun while it lasted!

Good

Avengers #32

Bendis, how can I stay mad at you when all the bad things have been fixed? Hawkeye, Vision, and Scott Lang are all back. Alpha Flight is mostly back. Wonder Man certainly seems like he’s turning good again. And now we’ve got the return of a much-missed founding Avenger. Seriously, there was a lot of unnecessary killing over the past few years, and here we are, with most of it undone and the status quo resting nicely for Marvel NOW.

I was so excited about the big development in this issue that I didn’t notice how bare bones the plot is. The Earth bound Avengers head to the park, meet up with Wonder Man, and shrink. The lost Avenger fights a few nameless alien thugs. Then the two groups reunite. Not a lot here.

But I’ll tell you what, that reunion scene makes it all worth it. I loved seeing the lost Avenger greet the “away team” so warmly. I really appreciate that Bendis included Hank Pym in this group, he’s never done much with the character; giving him this moment is a nice touch. I can forgive the fact that this is all talking because the plot moves forward in such a pleasing way.

Just for the palpable sense of joy on Thor’s face, this is a triumph for Brandon Peterson’s art. He also draws the most voluptuous version of the returning Avenger that I’ve ever seen, but I suppose I’m OK with that. I also love Mike Mayhew’s pages too. I think I might scan the Sad Wonder Man panel and use it instead of my “Poor” ratings from now on!

Good

Daredevil #19

Dang. Congrats to Mark Waid and the Marvel solicitations department for not giving away the swerve in this issue. I mean, it’s not like a Darth Vader is Luke’s father-level reveal, but still, I appreciate when companies can actually get a surprise out the door. The identity of DD’s current nemesis is a good one.

I’ve seen Waid state in some interviews that he likes the relationship between Matt Murdock and Hank Pym. It makes so much sense, the characters have a lot in common, and they do play well off each other. Murdock and Pym have another brief chance to bond this issue, and it really could end up as a neat pairing. Any hope of an in-costume team-up? Supporting your teammates is one thing, but I’m ready for them to banter while on a mission!

One of the most effective portions of this comic is Foggy Nelson’s crippling doubt about his best friend. From his drunken confession to Matt’s current ladyfriend to his concerned but cruel call to DD, Foggy is making things tough. When Matt Murdock actually decides not to swing across town, but instead to take the bus? What a sad statement for our hero.

Things look bad at the close, but I will never tire of seeing DD banter while knocking out thugs. It’s Daredevil’s natural state, and Waid handles it perfectly.

Well, Coyote is one weird, creepy dude. Chris Samnee has to sell the scene, and boy, does he ever. Daredevil is in a predicament I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a previous comic. Murdock has always had a good head on his shoulders, but I don’t see an easy way out of this. Plus, Coyote’s look is so unnatural and non-human… yuck. He almost gives you the creeps just looking at him! Great design!

Excellent

Secret Avengers #31

It’s like Rick Remender is trying to get me upset! I pride myself on knowing every minor character in the Marvel Universe, but I don’t know who that octopus guy is in the current Masters of Evil. But he keeps…showing…up! It drives me crazy every time I see the guy that I have no idea who he is? Is he from Force of Nature? Is he an old Sub-Mariner villain? Someone that Scourge killed? Who???? I can’t stay angry, though, because I spotted the Bi-Beast strolling down the street in one panel, and any comic with Bi-Beast is automatically twice as good.

The pickins are slim for the Secret Avengers. With Captain Britain and Giant Man busy dealing with Father’s weird robot army elsewhere, there really isn’t any backup for the main team in Bagalia. Venom and Ant-Man are the last two guys standing, and it’s just lucky that Ant-Man’s new compromised nature has him still towing the line. Black Widow does pop in to start a great fight against Hawkeye (on a moving passenger jet!), but most of the heavy lifting falls to Venom and Eric O’Grady.

I don’t remember the Secret Avengers having teleport tech. Did I blank on that? I mean, Black Widow popping right into a flying plane is pretty darn convenient!

I’m also quite pleased that Max Fury isn’t totally out of the picture yet. For an LMD copy, he’s an original villain and I hope he sticks around a bit longer.

I stand corrected on Matteo Scalera. I didn’t love his work at first because I was comparing it to Gabriel Hardman. That’s a rough spot, because I love Hardman’s work above most others these days. That said, Scalera is better than I gave him credit for. Black Widow looks fantastic. His Venom is consistent with that hero’s solo title, but still unique. And Scalera outdoes himself with Ant-Man. He looks great taking on those jets.

Good

Daredevil #16

Hoo boy, as if this title needed to win me over any more. Mark Waid was already delivering the most exciting, innovative super-hero title on the stands, and then he goes and features one of my favorite characters. That’s right, when it’s time to re-set DD’s hypersenses; it’s time to walk around in ol’ Hornhead’s skull. And Hank Pym is the man for the job.

Waid uses this set-up as a chance to parallel the extremely difficult lives these two heroes have led. It’s pretty strange, seeing the names and faces juxtaposed between the two heroes, but it’s a neat effect. And man, does Chris Samnee sell the inner-ear action, with Pym hauling around an EMP gun, blasting away at the nanobots planted a few issues ago. In fact, I need to see if I can buy one of these pages, I need one on my comic cave wall! I’m sure this isn’t a relationship we’ll see again soon. Pym and DD don’t cross paths much, but man; it sure would be neat seeing these two sad-sacks hang out!

As for the secret in Matt Murdock’s desk, it’s a creepy one. I’m not sure if I believe Murdock or not when he protests his innocence, and that’s why it is so believable that Foggy Nelson is booting Matt from the practice. It’s another great twist that leaves Murdock’s life in shambles. After getting a beating for two issues then losing his job, can Daredevil hold on to his sanity? (I hope so!)

Again, Samnee’s art is just gorgeous. His Tony Stark has a casual look that just cracks me up, and he actually makes Dr. Strange’s boring costume seem OK. I can’t wait to see Samnee take on more costumed characters.

Good

Avengers Academy #33

Now I’m just getting confused. In the core AvX series, I was clearly siding with the X-Men against those fancy-pants Avengers. But clearly, the X-Men are in the wrong and we’re supposed to be siding with the Avengers, the noble rebels on the run from the all-powerful space-mutants. But in this one, I side with Emma Frost.

The sentinels were built to slaughter mutants, and they’ve accomplished that goal many times. Heck, Emma Frost saw all her students killed right in front of her by the robotic murderers. Her offer to just destroy Juston’s Sentinel, but allow it to be rebuilt, seems positively reasonable. I appreciate that the Academy wants to stick together, but man, that’s a rough call. Surely some of them would side with the mutants.

Christos Gage does a great job with the characters involved, especially the students. I don’t know this Juston kid at all, but it’s very easy to see his emotional state and background from just a few effective flashbacks. (Besides, I’m pretty sure his Sentinel is just the Iron Giant, right?) Haz Mat has a nice moment exhibiting the self-centered worldview most teenagers express, but she’s not the best jerk in the issue. That award clearly goes to Quicksilver. It’s tough to write such an abrasive, annoying guy as likable, but Gage pulls it off. Like he usually does, Quicksilver steals the scene.

Man, Emma Frost’s costume is pretty tough to draw. It honestly looks like there are panels where Timothy Green II just draws her pants-less. I think there is one scene where it took some well-placed word bubbles to keep from showing a bare rear in a T-rated comic! Green draws everyone a bit young-looking, and that hurts Emma, Hank, and Tigra a bit. But his Sentinel is awesome, boasting detail in his nooks and crannies that really make him pop.

Fair

Avengers Academy #32



 Christos Gage does a much better job with this issue than the last one in tying in to the greater AvX plot. With the Phoenix Five out to reform the Earth into X-Utopia, it makes sense that at least one of them would target sentinels as a weapon that has to go. Making that person be Emma Frost makes even more sense, after her experiences in Genosha.

Gage does a great job establishing Juston and his Sentinel in the early pages. By forcing a confrontation with X-23, the conflict is clearly established. I didn’t even see the parallel until it was almost upon me, but Gage does a great job showing X-23’s thought process too.

Hank Pym is back at the Academy, and I loved the fake tone of respect he and Emma use when dealing with each other. (Even with Emma Frost in gold, fiery underpants). The whole conversation felt like two adults talking to each other knowing full well that little ears are listening. Pym tries to play it smart for most of the issue, but I have to be pleased at how the book ends, the Academy is gearing up for another fight. And this time, it’s one that makes sense!

Is Hercules still around? I think he’d enjoy taking on Emma Frost.

Timothy Green’s art takes a little bit of getting used to. He’s got a manga-flair that works well on Groot and Rocket Raccoon, but isn’t quite as intuitive when used on people. He’s got a bit of a Karl Moline flavor to his work, but there is some mid-90’s influence too, with all the screaming faces. Hopefully he’ll get more time with Quicksilver, Tigra, and the other faculty next issue.

Good

Iron Age #1-3

Issue 1 features the Hank Pym team-up, written by Christos Gage with art from Lee Weeks. I’m a huge Weeks fan, so this is an easy sell for me. This storyline focuses on modern-Tony trying to get his Avengers buddies to help, so it’s a can’t miss. This is another look at that 80’s Avengers roster that I love so much, so the team is Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Wasp, Cap, Thor, and Starfox. That’s a great team! And they fight Ultron! Gage has always had a knack for Marvel History, so this really lets him show off his skills. I loved this one.

The second part of the issue focuses on Captain Britain. Rob Williams and Ben Oliver are riffing on an old Alan Moore Captain Britain storyline, at least as far as I remember. In any case, Britain is in a police state, mutants are being rounded up, and Captain Britain is fighting them off alone. When Iron Man shows up with his future agenda, Cap B can’t help but be disappointed. This is a good little done-in-one. Captain Britain is a character I never really cared for as a kid, but I seem to be getting some affection for the big lug now. Entertaining.

Issue 2 part 1 is another can’t miss. I love Power Man. Luke Cage in the yellow shirt is just plain awesome, so watching he and Iron Fist team up with Iron Man is a treat. Jen Van Meter and Nick Dragotta do a wonderful job making this feel like an old 70’s issue with an added factor (modern Tony). Dagotta gets to lay out a lot of great Marvel blasts from the past, including the the Heroes for Hire, Scorpion, Tinkerer, and Daughters of the Dragon.

Part 2 by Elliott Kalan and Ron Frenz feels like a lost issue of Marvel Team-Up. Iron Man and the Human Torch infiltrate the Latverian embassy to take on Doc Doom for the next piece of equipment. If for no other reason, this issue is fun since it features red-suited Torch and nose-armor Iron Man. These forgotten looks are very much of their time, but it’s neat seeing them again. The Torch is one of only a few characters that modern Tony lays out the truth for. It’s neat seeing Johnny Storm roll with the punches, he’s not put off at all by his time-hopping team-up.

Issue 3 part 1 features Dazzler in her fantastic 70’s getup. Louise Simonson writes both her and Tony well, with the rookie Dazzler coming off as earnest and hopeful. I like that the character hasn’t changed all that much in the intervening years, just gotten more powerful. Not every hero needs to have travelled down a dark path, a point this story drives home. Plus, it features the Hellfire Club, so it ties in nicely to X-history. Todd Nauck’s art is always fun, but this is the… bustiest I’ve ever seen him draw. Dazzler is falling out of her top through most of the issue; doesn’t that silver suit come with a zipper? And man, she has a disco ball necklace. Wonderful.

Part 2 is a flashback to the Uncanny X-Men’s attack on the Hellfire Club. Rob Williams and Roberto De La Torre do a great job making this feel like it fit between the pages of the original story. I’m also intrigued that Williams makes Nightcrawler the smart one on the team; it’s nice seeing Kurt Wagner again. Now the X-Men really have been through the ringer over the years, so Tony’s melancholy at seeing them is a great touch. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Colossus. That line-up was a pretty great team, wasn’t it?

If you like classic Marvel, you can’t go wrong with this series. Available for cheap on Comixology, I recommend this to anyone who loves older eras of current Marvel favorites. A product of 2011, it’s already a tad dated (with some sadness about the then-dead Human Torch) but it’s darn entertaining.

Good

Iron Age: Alpha and Omega

I never know how to review these oddball storylines. This series launched with an Alpha, ended with Omega, and had three issues in the middle. Rob Williams and Rebekah Isaacs handled the one-shots, while a variety of creative teams tackled the mini in the middle. I almost picked this up off the stands, but the mini was priced at $4.99. After reading the books, that seems to be because each issue basically has two full-length stories, but I didn’t know it at the time.

The concept is pretty easy: Tony Stark is kidnapped from a function and taken to the undersea base of Dr. Birch, a nobody villain who has obsessed over Tony for years. He’s got some knock-off Iron Man tech, but more importantly, he’s got a copy of Dr. Doom’s time platform. The first issue ends with Birch pulling a fighting-mad Dark Phoenix from the past and bothering her until she blows up the Earth. Stark manages to make it to the platform before the world ends, but now he’s on the run through time, teaming up with older versions of Marvel U mainstays to try and save the world.

Pretty decent high-concept, huh? Especially once you factor in that modern-Tony is now running around in the era that he spent wallowing in alcohol. It’s pretty easy for Stark to show up in public when the older version of him is passed out at home.

Stark has to travel through time, putting together a team of heroes and re-assembling the time-platform. There is some pre-destination involved, Birch knew that these folks would be around, but I’m fuzzy on exactly how that part worked. The team consists of Hank Pym, Captain Britain, Dazzler, Cyclops, Human Torch, Power Man, and Iron Fist. That’s a pretty great, eclectic line-up, I think; especially the way Williams picks and chooses which versions to put on display.

Isaacs does a nice job with the art. I loved the design of the undersea base. Her Iron Man is solid too, with an almost Keron Grant-vibe to some of the armor and robots. Dark Phoenix steals the show in the one-shots. Man, we do need Jean Grey back in the Marvel U.

Good

Hulk Smash Avengers (part 1)

I like these high-concept minis starring characters as I grew up with them. (Well, some of these Avengers are the same as when I grew up; some obviously pre-date me by a bit!) With books like these, it really is fine to buy one issue and not buy the others, so I’m going to run through them individually in case folks were curious.

HSA #1 is by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz (with Sal Buscema). The lineup in this one is Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, and Rick Jones. This is a brawl, plain and simple, although DeFalco fills every bit of panel space with heroes pontificating about their situations. It’s written in a very old-school style, but more for nostalgia than out of a mistrust of the artist (for that see any 80’s X-book!). I absolutely love the Frenz/Buscema combo, and this book has them rocking the Enchantress, Executioner, and Baron Zemo. Can’t miss for fans of classic material. Recommended.

HSA #2 is the work of Joe Casey and Max Fiumara. The roster is Cap, Wasp, Iron Man, Beast, and Hawkeye. I know this is going to brand me as a heretic, but I don’t care for Fiumara’s art. The elongated faces and noodle-y bodies just don’t do it for me. The story plays during the whole Henry Peter Gyrich era of the team when the government was deciding the line-up. Casey has some interesting stuff to say, but I’m afraid the art turned me off a bit. Not required reading.

HSA #3 by Roger Stern and Karl Moline is a weird one. The team is Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Thor, and Wasp. This is the Avengers team of my youth, and I really wanted to like this more than I did. The Hulk/Avengers scenes are all really well done, and it is fantastic seeing the Monica Rambeau CM again. She-Hulk belongs on the team too, and it’s great seeing this roster working together. But Stern uses an odd framing device with real creators John Buscema and Mark Gruenwald that took me out of the story. If you love 80’s Avengers, this is still worth checking out, but be warned its’ a tad odd.

To Be Continued (tomorrow!)

Avengers Academy #29

Now THAT is one misleading cover. It would be hard to support the Avengers side of the argument if they were really running some sort of detention camp for the X-Kids, but that’s not the situation at all. Nice swerve, though!


How long has Christos Gage been waiting to write Hercules? If Herc’s few lines are any indication, I’m ready for him to join the faculty right now. He’s positively hilarious as he emotionally scars the students of the Avengers Academy. And how great are Tom Grummett’s pencils in that scene!?! Look at the differing facial expressions on the students. Some are offended, some are shocked, and some are curious! Fantastic.

It turns out the situation is a lot less bleak than the cover suggests. The least combat-ready members of the X-Club merely chaperone the X-kids to hang out at the academy where they can be kept safe. I suppose this means there is no chance Jeffries ever suits up as Box again, huh?

As for Sebastian Shaw, I guess he’s been mind-wiped into thinking he belongs on a kids team? Shaw is powerful, but I’m not sure he is going to be much of a threat against so many heroes, even if most of them are rookies.

Good

Avengers vs. X-Men #3

Well I didn’t see that coming.


The cover gives away a bit part of this issue, namely that Cap and Wolverine come to blows. I expected Wolvie to come around to Cyke’s way of thinking, and that he’d join back up with the X-Men. It’s not that at all. In fact, in a story with a lot of folks going over the top, Wolverine might be the furthest gone. He is not going to vary from his Phoenix plan one bit, even if the host is a young girl. Cap’s got a problem with that. He’s also got the Avengers.

The fight is quick, brutal, and savage. I’m impressed that Ed Brubaker managed to deliver new moves and combos during the fight. I’ve seen these two face off before, but there are three or four really strong moments in the combat. (My personal fave is Wolvie slashing the straps on Cap’s shield. Hard to use it then!) But Cap does have the Avengers.

I also enjoyed the New Mutants getting involved in the fracas. They aren’t headliners, but maybe we’re heading that way. As long as we keep getting a few more mutants to choose the X-side as the months go by, this could end up being a decent fight. The Avengers just outgun the competition right now!

John Romita Jr. really sells that Cap/Wolverine fight. The two combatants look BAD after just a few moves. Combined with Brubaker’s great smack talk during the fight, and this issue delivers. After issue 2 was so, so sketchy, this issue seemed a lot more solid. The huge heads and small limbs that a lot of folks sported last issue seemed more normal here. Giant Man in particular looked rough in issues 1 and 2, but he looked pretty neat clobbering Wolverine. (Of course, I may be biased.)

Again, I’m sure some people are not digging this series, but if you want to see Avengers fight X-Men? This book has that covered.

Good

Avengers Academy #28

What a fun idea, to put the Runaways trade dress on the border of this issue. It makes sense, too, there has to be a fair amount of Runaways fans desperate for some appearances from the team. It’s pretty hard to get regular doses of the characters these days.

I think Christos Gage knows that, because I feel like he skewed a bit towards the Runaways in this storyline. Certainly most of the students in the Academy took a backseat, leaving Giant Man and Tigra as the main Avengers with speaking roles. I’m OK with that, I don’t get enough of those two anyway, but it did seem odd hearing so much from supposed guest stars.

The actual plot in this is pretty thin. The teams return to the present after rescuing Chase’s pet raptor Old Lace; then it’s time to decide what to do about the younger Runaways. Nico whips out a spell that lets the heroes see each others’ points of view, and while nice, I’m not sure it added a lot to anyone’s character. I like that both teams split up and just return to their status quo, too. Let’s face it, we all knew Molly wasn’t going to join the Academy and leave her team.

It does give me a weird feeling, reading Christos Gage’s entertaining Marvel comics. It almost feels like fan fiction, with his characters responding and adding to the current goings on in the Marvel U. But I can’t remember the last time anything in Avengers Academy actually affected anything outside its own pages. It’s clear that Gage is responding to storylines masterminded by Bendis, Jason Aaron, and other big names. I actually enjoy Gage’s work more, in most cases, so it sort of stinks seeing him try to make lemonade out of the lemons of the bigger Marvel storylines.

Karl Moline’s artwork is a lot more rushed that last month. The faces are stretched and at times the figures seem unfinished. The story is clear, but very sketchy.

Fair

Avengers Academy #27

Having the Runaways team-up with the Academy kids is a natural fit. They’re both West Coast teams, same age groups, both with long ties to the Marvel U. I’m glad Christos Gage gets the chance to put them together. His love of Marvel minutiae makes him the perfect writer to handle Victor meeting Hank Pym for the first time. And the Mettle/Molly fight didn’t go how I’d expect a brick battle to go, but what fun!

My favorite moment has to be Giant Man putting an end to the fighting. I love it when people realize just how powerful growing characters can be. Dialogue-wise, Gage tries to give Tigra another excuse for parading around in a skimpy bikini when she’s a teacher. Sure, that California sun would be mighty hot if you’ve got fur, but maybe she should think about some biker shorts? Maybe?

I’m not totally invested in the time-travel story, but it’s just a macguffin to get these characters to interact. In that respect, it works perfectly, and judging from the cliffhanger, the Runaways are about to make another classic bad decision to make things worse.

Karl Moline does a great job with the art. His adults look a bit young, but you can tell the difference in characters based on facial expressions and hair. He handles himself well on the action, but he excels in the talking and interaction scenes, again, a good choice for this storyline.

Good