Review: Marvel Comics Siege #1

Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Rating: *** 1/2*

Marvel Comics is promoting their latest blockbuster crossover Siege as a project that has been seven years in the making. It began with Avengers #500 when writer Brian Michael Bendis first took over the title. The storyline was called Avengers Disassembled where the Scarlet Witch went crazy, the Vision was destroyed, and Hawkeye and Ant Man (Scott Lang) were killed off. It was a good story and a huge turning point for the team that left many fans very angry as fan favorite Hawkeye was killed in an unsatisfactory manner and the New Avengers were then launched with a non-traditional lineup which included the Sentry.

As the years have gone by, we’ve had various crossovers such as Civil War, Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign which further complicated the lives of the Avengers and the Marvel Universe in general. All of this has lead us to Siege, which is a storyline that will focus on Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers invading Asgard to expel it from the Earth. This was a very good start. Osborn wants power and looks at Asgard as a roadblock. With the assistance of Loki, Osborn is able to get a reason to invade Asgard.

During the Civil War, innocent civilians were killed during an incident involving the New Warriors. Loki is able to replicate a similar incident using the Asgardian Volstagg who battles the U-Foes which results in the death of thousands of civilians at Soldier Field in Chicago. Osborn’s Dark Avengers are not too willing to go along with the invasion - especially Ares who promises Osborn if this is a trick of some sort, he will kill him personally. 

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Random Thoughts - 2.5.09

Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Reviews, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,

Whoever would have thought that slipping on the ice would cause a compound fracture in my right wrist? Going to make posting real fun for six weeks.

I am really liking Haunted Tank. The writing seems very realistic, a little hardcore, but always entertaining. The Mighty A is a reasonably good first issue but I think they could have advanced the story a little better than they did. Still, I hope they keep this out of the DC Universe. So far, the only part in Secret Six that I have really liked is the Get Out of Hell Free Card.
 
Sentry is just goofy enough to be a lot of fun. They sure put enough regular characters in the story to flesh out the Sentry universe. Agents of Atlas has jumped right into the Dark Reign storyline. They certainly are an eclectic mix of characters and, yet, it seems to work. But if every team had a Venus, they could certainly accomplish a lot more with fewer battles. A corrected Mighty Avengers arrived and the question is whether or not you want to waste the time finding the differences. Not me. Be careful, Marvel Universe is always good for a few chuckles. I Am Legion is I Am Whaaa?
 
See you when the pain meds kick in again.

Review: Invincible Iron Man 10

Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Run to the hills, Marvel has unveiled their “Iron Maiden”. Okay that was lame, but I couldn’t resist it. Now let’s get down to business… reviewing another solid issue of “Invincible Iron Man”. Month in and month out, Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca have been giving us the Iron Man movie on paper. I can’t believe I had reservations about this book when it debuted (I mean did we really need another Iron Man book), but I finally caved, bought the first three issues, and have been coming back ever since.

Anyway, this issue Norman Osborn continues his destruction of everything Tony Stark has ever built. But while Tony’s friends and employees suffer the Green Goblin’s wrath, Tony continues to play it calm, play it cool, and relieve “stress” with Maria Hill as he destroys his armory and goes on the run. And he’s not alone. Building off of events in previous issues, Pepper Potts finally takes up the mantle Fraction had been hinting at since the last story arc, the Iron Maiden, and not a moment too soon because Stormin’ Norman’s stormtroopers are on her tail. (You can thank the Spider-Man movie for that one).

As for Larroca’s art, the character’s designs are a continuation to the actors from the movie, but are unique enough that they aren’t direct traces. Much of this is enhanced by the coloring of Frank D’Armata giving the book an energetic realism.

Overall, if you’re not reading this book, get the first trade then catch up by buying the issues you missed. Trust me it’s worth it.

Thunderbolts 128: A Great Moment in Comics History

Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Reviews, Marvel Comics,

This week’s Thunderbolts was a gem. It features an appearance by President Barack Obama, but unlike his appearance in Amazing Spider-Man, he actually does something. Instead of punching out the Chameleon, President Obama actually has to do something, evaluate Norman Osborn. Doc Sampson is out to prove to the President that Norman Osborn is what we all know he is, a blithering psychopath called the Green Goblin. Unfortunately, good ole Normie has a back up plan to deceive our brand new President, and it involves his all new, covert, and off the books version of the Thunderbolts.

But that’s not the “great moment in comics history” (as my friend Joel likes to call it). The “great moment in comics history” is the blonde Black Widow’s clever transportation method for Ant-Man. Let’s just say he’s “sandwiched between two pillows”. I’ll say no more, needless to say it’s a great moment in comics history that makes fanboys want to be Ant Man. I’ll say no more.

Reviewing and Betting on Dark Reign

Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Last week Marvel’s event three years in the making ended anti-climatically with a last page that was an advertisement for this week’s one-shot, “Secret Invasion: Dark Reign”.

I have loved the team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev since they began their run on “Daredevil” in 2001. Maleev’s gritty, yet realistic artwork complemented Bendis’ down-to-earth dialogue perfectly for a dirty, street level character like Daredevil.  These three ingredients sparked one of the greatest runs in comic book history, so it’s easy to see why Marvel would use this team to launch the new direction of the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately, the Marvel Universe is not one-size-fits-all, and what works on Daredevil won’t necessarily work for the Avengers.

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Dark Reign

Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

And so, without further ado, we move into Dark Reign. I would like to start with the cover. Now, I am a guy, which means I love, shall we put it, well drawn women. I mean, at least as much as the next breathing male. But let’s compare Emma Frost and the new, improved Loki. Emma looks, well, great, but Loki, even for an Asgardian seems a litlle…. well… too well built. The old joke used to be that there is only one letter difference between wow and cow and before I get into any more trouble, I will leave it at that.

The art was okay, which is a subject I usually don’t opine on. Sure, I like good art from bad, but I’m more of a plot and story person. But it was alright except for Namor who is drawn to resemble the bum he was when Johnny Storm found him 45 years ago, but with a bad shave. Facially, not good and the hair is too short. Just doesn’t look like Sub-Mariner to me, but with Atlantis destroyed for the 78th or 79th time, I suppose we can give him a pass.
 
But the story… that I liked. This ill-Illuminati seems to be off to a good start. The members distrust each other even more than the hero’s illuminati. Everyone has his or her own agenda. They all want to kill the boss. Good stuff. And the fact that Norman has someone hiding in the shadows who worries even this group of baddies is cool. But who is it?

Did you ever watch Murder She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury? There are only six people in the story. Jessica Fletcher didn’t do it. The victim didn’t do it. That just leaves 4 suspects and we hope we can figure out the clues before the last scene. In comics, we can have a 500 issue limited series with clues in 499 of them pointing to one guy and in issue 500 the author changes his mind or just misled us and it is someone else. After one issue of “Dare Reign,” I have premliminary thoughts. It has to be someone of immense power to intimidate these guys. Doom mentions a battle shaking this dimension. And as long as we don’t need a rational motive for our mystery man to help Normie, my first guess is Mephisto or someone like him. The Beyonder isn’t a bad guy. Galactus couldn’t care less. An Elder of the Universe? It certainly isn’t Ant-man.

Who do you think?

Emma Frost and the aftermath of Secret Invasion

Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, Marvel Comics,

The Marvel Comics mega-event “Secret Invasion” was very good.  It won’t go down as one of the greatest in my opinion, but it was still very good.  I think it’ll work better as a collected trade because the story seemed less episodic than limited series of the past. 

To those of you who do not know the ending of “Secret Invasion,” do not read any further, but for those who have let’s discuss the aftermath - particularly Emma Frost the White Queen.

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Not so Secret Invasion

Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

(Spoiler alert… wait… how can you spoil something that everyone already knows?)
 
So, Secret Invasion is over. Supposedly.The series is over and Dark Reign begins. But all this assumes that the comic companies believe that all their customers only read comics. See, comic stores are not like coffee shops. We are slaves to UPS and there is not much sense opening up hours before the Diamond shipment arrives. So I wake up in the morning and begin to read a newspaper, such as the New York Times. And lo and behold, on the second page of the Arts and Leisure section is an article on Secret Invasion. (Sarcasm alert) Comic delivery day is the only really day I have lots of work to do and any time-saver is appreciated.
 
Norm Osborn is the hero. Tony Stark is the goat. Janet is comic dead. Shield is kaput. The Avengers are leaderless. Even the Skrulls are up the creek. IN THE NEW YORK TIMES????

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