Avengers #12

Writer: Brian Bendis

Artist: John Romita Jr

Thanos. Page one, Thanos. Am I the only one who thinks that’s awesome? Well anyway. Book 12 in our new (not New) Avengers series brings a close to not just the most recent story arc, but a long time question from the Pre-Civil War Illuminati; What happened to the Infinity Gems?  In case you haven’t been keeping up, the quick version is that The Hood began assembling the Infinity Gauntlet in order to give himself his powers back, and then some.

I love The Hood, I think he is a fantastic villain, and the work Bendis has done with him since his reappearance back in the first New Avengers series has been amazing. The pure ambition that drives Parker Robbins to want to dominate not just the criminal world, but the Super Criminal world is staggering. For a man with no inherent powers to continuously fight back and keep The Avengers on their toes is just way impressive.

Ok, superhero man crush aside, this is a great issue. The final showdown between the gathered Avengers and The Hood is more a battle of will and character than an all out power fueled brawl. With the Illuminati exposed, the Infinity Gauntlet assembled, and Tony Stark once again in the spotlight having to redeem himself for his actions, this is a pretty important issue. I try to keep these reviews as spoiler free as possible, and it forces me to leave some substance out. I will say this, Bendis has just wrapped up another awesome arc, during which we get to see Thanos, we find out the fate of the Illuminati, Thor gets to throw down, Dr. Strange continues to be badass, and most shocking of all: Bendis makes me like Red Hulk.

Bottom line? This review isn’t spectacular. For the sake of the issues integrity I’ve gone light on the details. But I will say this, if you haven’t already committed yourself to any ongoing series Brian Bendis writes, I suggest you quickly remedy that. Start with this series, and pick up this issue. The arc is done, finished. And we are ready to move on to the next big thing. A great issue, a great arc, and a fantastic series.

4/5

HB:B

Writer: Mike Mignola

Artist: Kevin Nowlan

It’s hard for comic companies that aren’t “the big two” to stay in the reader’s minds sometimes. Sure, they have a hardcore cult following but it’s a little more difficult to grab the average casual comic-goer. While Image has been doing a smashing job lately at dishing out new and intriguing (and fast-selling) product, it’s important to not overlook the small fish. While Dark Horse definitely isn’t the smallest fish in the pond, it definitely lives up to it’s name as the ‘dark horse,’ and it’s easy to forget how consistent they are, especially when it comes to anything Hellboy related. (BPRD, anyone?)

Anything with Mike Mignola’s name on it is an instant draw to me. Not only has he created one of my favorite comic characters of the new generation but his art is impeccable and perfectly tailored for his specific genre of comics. Mike only graces the variant cover of this particular one shot with his timeless pencils but it doesn’t stop the comic from being a fun mindless romp that dabbles in both the paranormal and the extraterrestrial.

Kevin Nowlan is the man who designed the Hellboy logo and he’s the man behind the inks on this ish. You can tell he’s definitely been under the tutelage of one Mister Mignola but it doesn’t stop him from distinguishing his own style. While many of the shots involving Hellboy and the local farm folk are very on-key with other Hellboy works, he really shines when our titular hero discovers the Human-Cow hybrid about half way through the comic.

Yes. You read that right.

Nowlan’s art tends to be a little, how do I put this, brighter. Not in the sense that it’s lighter colors or any such thing, but the whole overall tone of the comic is much more playful and it definitely correlates directly with his art. It’s complimented perfectly by Mignola’s absurd b-movie style story. Hellboy finds himself in the cornfields of Nebraska looking for some young tween wannabe-cultists who have had quite the accident. What ensues is a truly joyful read chock full of 50′s style horror and ridiculous fight scenes. It’s a nice 180 degree spin from the more somber tone of the ‘Boy universe right now.

$3.50 is a hefty price for a one-shot during this recession, but like I said, I pick up just about anything Mignola gets out and him and Nowlan are an ace-in-hole team.

5/5

Ryanscribbles

FF#1

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: Steve Epting

Ah the Fantastic Four, some of earth’s greatest heroes, Marvel’s first family. The team has always been a great combination of powers and dynamic personalities, each member serving a different purpose and representing a different voice of the Marvel U. And yet, I’ve never really enjoyed a Fantastic Four book, and can’t even remember a Fantastic Four story that stuck with me. With Jonathan Hickman’s dynamic new vision for one of the oldest teams out there, I think that might be about to change.

In the wake of the death of the beloved Human Torch, Johnny Storm, Reed Richards forms a new organization with the purpose of reclaiming science for the sake of bettering all life. Sounds noble. And so it is,. The FF (of Future Foundation) rises from the ashes of a great tragedy, bringing all sorts of interesting characters into the fold. As was Johnny’s wish, Sue and Reed invite Peter Parker to join them as the fourth member of their core combat/field team. The first issue really serves as a great introduction to the new direction of this book. Not wasting time on introducing any of the characters (of which there are many) Hickman assumes that most of, if not all, of his readers know who he’s playing with and focuses instead on what he plans to do with them. I love Hickman’s non-apologetic approach to this book. He’s changing things up, and you’re along for the ride whether you want to be or not, no intro, no long drawn out discussions. Boom. It’s done. I think it was a great way to do things, especially with a situation like the Fantastic Four that can so easily and has so often, become stagnant.

It’s hard to say exactly where this story is going in the long run (we do open with an arc involving the Wizard being broken free by rogue AIM agents) but with the inclusion of more than one unexpected character (no spoilers here) I think they’ve got something good in store for us. Personally I can’t wait for the second issue. It’s kind of refreshing, being excited about something involving the Fantastic Four, but hey, they do have badass new costumes.

4/5

-Vlaz

Fear Itself #1

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Stuart Immonen

Cover: Steve McNiven

When Marvel announced Fear Itself, a few things immediately caught my attention. The title is certainly an attention grabber on its own, and any book featuring Thor and Captain America as its lead heroes is bound to be exciting. However the biggest thing for me was Matt Fraction. Ever since Thor: Ages of Thunder I’ve been a huge fan. It’s nice to see Marvel hand over the reins of the large crossover events to someone fresh. It’s also nice to see an event that isn’t going to have a million and a half tie ins. I think Fear Itself only has a million (joke?).

Moving on. This is a great issue. Plain and simple. Fraction has a mastery of the characters that he chooses to put in the spotlight that allows him to keep the characters familiar but keep a fresh spin on them. His work with Thor and all the related Asguardian goodness is, I’m going to say, currently unparalleled. Anyone who has read big events like this before probably has a handle on the formula. Lots of action, some dialogue, and a big reveal, maybe a death thrown in. They’re like summer blockbusters, and usually come out of the gates screaming trying to gain as much attention as possible, and then burn out half way through. Fraction’s pacing in Fear is a refreshing change. The issue is low on action, saving the big conflicts and pay offs for later, but is not without its huge moment and is far from uninteresting.  And unlike similar books, Fear Itself doesn’t make you wade through 50 pages before you get a pay off.

I don’t want to get too deep into the story because there is a lot of great stage setting here, but I don’t want to leave this review at “buy this book now!” despite that being how I feel. Fear Itself #1 is a near perfect first issue. It keeps the pages turning without blowing it’s load right off the bat. You know by the time you reach the end of this issue that some serious shit is about to go down in the Marvel U. Fraction has his readers right in the palm of his hand before you even realize it. And it’s not just the writing, all the elements are there. Stuart Immonen is one of the most consistent artists out there, able to draw any corner of the Marvel Universe and make them look great. While this may have not been the most exciting issue ever, I’m on the edge of my seat for Fear Itself #2.

Short story: Buy this book now.

4/5

-Vlaz

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THANKS!

Now here is what we’re promising you. Quality over quantity. We’re focusing. We’re making sure everything we give you has been scrutinized and edited and trying to give you the best reviews possible. We want to read these so you don’t or do have to. We want to spotlight titles, characters, writers and artists that we think deserve it.

Some changes, though. We are in a transitional phase so things may be simplified for a while. We’re doing a “_/5″ review system.

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3. Meh

4. Good

5. Amazing

We will have a tumblr account up and running soon. Our twitter should still be active as well. We’re working on getting our name out there and possibly even a podcast. Even got some special stuff in the works. Thank you so much for your patience.

Love,

Ryanscribbles and Vlaz

Artist: Javier Pulido

Cover Artist: Stefano Caselli

There is a lot to appreciate in ASM #658 but it also leaves a lot to be desired. Pete is officially part of the Fantastic Four, ahem, Future Foundation now. Still an ‘FF,’ and Slott uses this issue to showcase the kind of adventures and mishaps he’ll be experiencing now that he’s joined the Marvel U’s most famous family.

First, despite Peter’s hilarious protests, the costume is awesome. His interactions with the F.F. are also great, trading science jargon with Reed and heeding sisterly advice from Sue. Ben is a bit of a downer through out the whole issue, possibly still mourning over his best friend, but it seems that the playful attitude of The Thing and Spidey would conduct more of a funny feel than seen in this story.

It doesn’t move any plot forward, save for a minor reference to one of my least favorite villains, Psycho Man. That’s okay, though. It’s still an entertaining read.  We get to see Pete head through three different misadventures with his newfound team, and although short, the brevity of the visits is part of the fun. Cameos from faces familiar (Akron) and not (Wakanda King, really?) litter the pages but I always feel it’s good to introduce, or reintroduce, characters into the universe.

The art, though. Not a fan. I haven’t really read too much that Pulido has done but it’s a very basic and bland type of style. It feels like John Romita Jr. lite. Sometime, simplicity is the answer, but in this case I really feel like it’s missing the mark. I don’t hate it, there is definite art that gets on my nerves much more, but it’s forgettable.  It’s a very old school style and numerous pages (page 23, specifically) pop out as something I would see in a 70′s cartoon.

It’s by no means a bad issue, despite the mediocre art, but it’s also not very essential to any plot. However, that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from events and crossovers and deaths and just have an issue to show the in-between, which this does neatly.

3/5

Ryanscribbles

Shadowland: 7/10

Scarlet: 9/10

X-Men v.3 #1: 8/10

Avengers: Children’s Crusade: 8/10

New Avengers #5

Invincible Iron Man #31

Avengers Academy #5

Hulk #26