The Bill August 4, 2010

It's as if Marvel knew it was my birthday week and pulled out all the stops. Action! Excitement! Explosions! What're we doing messing around, let's get to it!



Best of the Week:
Hawkeye and Mockingbird # 3
Writer: JIm McCann
Artist: David Lopez


I wish every book on my pull list was like Hawk and Mock. The issues are dense with plot, characterization, and action, making me feel like I got a lot of bang for my three bucks.

McCann is just cruising with this title, giving us the ongoing that Hawkeye has deserved since, well, ever. Poor guy (Hawkeye, that is) has had so many minis and terrible short-lived ongoing series, I was beginning to think he was a cursed character that just couldn't carry a book. Thankfully for all of us, Hawk and Mock gives us the perfect example of what a Hawkeye book should be, high-flying action-adventure with a liberal helping of quips to make it great.

For the record, I don't mean to short-change Mockingbird. She's totally great and I'm really learning to enjoy the fact that she's back, but I haven't had the character investment with her that I have with Hawkeye. Maybe if she didn't fake die for the majority of my comic reading life, I would feel different.

Anyway, this ish picks up with our titular couple bringing the fight to the major antagonists. Between the genuine unpredictability of what Mockingbird will do (or won't do) during the fight; the budding love triangle (as I see it) between Mock, Hawk, and Dominic Fortune; and the great villainous trap, this book is just awesome.

I'm gushing, I know, but it's my Birthday and I can do what I want. Also I don't want it to get cancelled like all the other books I like (*SIGH* Frankencastle...), so I need you to go out and check it out. I promise if you like superheroing in your superhero books, you'll like it.

One minor quibble, that I gotta say, I was kinda disappointed that the Death T.H.R.O.W.S turned out to be robots and not an updated version of my favorite juggling themed villain team. TENPIN FOREVA!




Disappointment of the Week:
Secret Warriors # 18
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Alessandro Vitti


It's not that Secret Warriors is a bad book, it's just not quite what I want it to be. Hickman's doing a great job telling us the story of Nick Fury in the midst of personal (and private) war with Hydra. The way Hickman's brought the various leaders of Hydra together and presented a solidified front of sorts for them is awesome and I'm genuinely intrigued by where it's going.

Here comes the but...

I know it's kind of old hat to harp on this book for not focusing on the title characters, but it's true. So far it's been two or three issues and I haven't seen them at all. Last I remember, they were all taking different routes to get to the same place for this assault on Hydra. However, they seem to have gotten lost on the way from the airport because they haven't shown up at all during the battle.

I guess I wouldn't mind so much if the book was called 'Nick Fury', but it's not. Those poor kids have been getting the short end of the character stick for the run of the series, it's just really sad that they don't even show up anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I'm riding this series out until the end, I'm just... sad? Perplexed? Something. The point is, regardless of the disconnect between the title and the substance, I'll be sticking with the book until it's over.




Alright then, that's all I got. I could gush about Young Allies if you'd like, or my budding love of Thor: The Mighty Avenger, but only if you ask me nicely in the comments. In the meantime, I'm off to celebrate my birthday the way God intended: With beer and tacos.