The Bill November 3, 2011

Jeez, it seems like just yesterday I was writing one of these. Time flies when you're QCing DVDs, I guess. Regardless, it's that time again for another scintillating review session with yours truly. What's on the docket this week? Come join me after the image to find out.

Oh. And massive spoilers on this one, so be wary.

Or don't. You know, whatevs.


..





Making the World Right Again:

Fear Itself 7.1: Captain America
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Butch Guice


Just when you thought we were finally done with this event, here Marvel goes pulling us back in with an extended additional epilogue. Fortunately, this one is pretty darn good, with some fantastic art and some stellar writing. Oh, and that twist.

True story: Five months ago (or so) after the release of Fear Itself #3, I was having drinks with a friend of mine who just started reading comics who asked "Do you think Bucky is really dead?"

I laughed her off. I quoted the old comic lore that if there's no body, there's no true death. Hell, that's how Bucky returned in the first place. I was convinced that Buck's run-in with Skaddi (or whatever) was nothing more than some quick 'cheap heat' (as they say in the wrestling world) and just done to move Bucky off the board for a few issues. "There's no way he's dead," I told her confidently, "that 'death' was so arbitrary and forced. There was no emotion, no build up, no hype. He's totally just hurt really bad."

Then Fear Itself #4 showed up with a big plate of crow for me to eat. I still refused, holding strong to my experience as a long time comic reader.

Finally, with issue 7.1 my intuitions proved correct. A more cynical man might write this off as a mid stream change up from the higher ups at Marvel, but I'd like to think it was in the works since the beginning. Suddenly, it makes sense that Bucky's death wasn't hyped, talked about, or lingered upon. Or you know, at least is a No-Prize explanation of those things...

Either way, I'm excited. The more I think about Bucky Barnes as a character, the more I like him and can't wait to read his continuing adventures. Especially if they're apparently going to be in the vein of the classic Nomad series from the mid-90s (of which I have a complete run...). Just a man, his motorcycle, a dark past, and the open road. I'm so there, it's not even funny.

Of all the series to come out of Fear Itself, I think I just found my new favorite.

The Bill October 20, 2011

Did you hear that? That was the sound of this Marvel's big mega event coming to a close for the year. But was that an explosion of awesomeness? Or a thud of disappointment? There's only one way to find out...




Not Afraid Anymore:

Fear Itself # 7
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Stuart Immonen


The short version: That sound was most definitely a thud. The longer version: Well, it's complicated.

I really wanted to like Fear Itself. With a great setup, big ideas, a fun writer, and a fantastic artist, I felt like this crossover was going to be an instant classic. Unfortunately, it ended up a half baked story that never quite lived up to that potential.

As a whole, the series felt a bit hollow for me, very superficial. It was a story where nazi robots backed by crazed Norse Gods attacked New York, yet I never felt the panic. A story where Bucky Barnes met his demise, only to get a cursory nod of 'yup, he's dead.' Deep down, it was a story about people overcoming fear to find the true hero inside, but I never felt the struggle of their decision. It was a series in which things happened, but nothing mattered regardless of its impact on continuity.

While I'm on the subject of things that didn't work, let me just toss out there the decision to have the villains speak in nothing but foreign tongues was one of the worst decisions ever. Similar to what happened in Secret Invasion, I found myself not caring about the villains at all. I get that they were trying to make the 'Breakers' seem otherworldly, but it only succeeded in distancing me from the story. Want to make me really feel afraid of an enemy? Have him say something threatening that I can understand.

But I digress...

This final issue picked up the threads of the previous chunk of books (tie-ins and all) to showcase the big final battle between our heroes and the aforementioned 'Breakers'. The heroes got some sweet new hardware to use, but, as is the norm with this series, those effects were glossed over to get to the next pinup shot. In the end, one hero (and I'm pretty sure you can guess who if you really try) sacrifices himself to defeat the big bad in a moment that ought to be the big emotional climax of the series, but instead just feels like a thing... happening. Sigh.

To the issue's credit though, there is one moment mid way through where one of our heroes arms himself in a big way. For whatever reason, probably the implicit gravitas of what was happening, really 'hit' in a big way and is one of the best moments of the entire series. Not that there was much competition.

On the art side, Stuart Immonen was kicking ass with every issue. Regardless of what was written, Immonen delivered every moment big or small with perfection. I can't wait to see what he moves onto next.

In the scheme of things, Fear Itself wasn't the worst Marvel event in years, but it certainly wasn't one of the best either. For the emotional problems of the series, it did do a great job of moving the story forward issue to issue. I'm interested to see where things go from here and I'm holding out hope that the next event is the explosion of awesomeness I've been desperately waiting for.

The Bill September 28, 2011

With Fear Itself finally winding down (just in time for the next big event to wind up, I guess), I think it's time we talk about what is quite possibly the best tie in to the event. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll probably be able to guess what book I'm talking about. If not, well, you don't have to wait very long to figure it out.




The Best Fear Itself Tie-in:

Avengers Academy # 19
Writer: Christos Gage
Artist: Tom Raney


I've been in the tank for this book since it started and I have no signs of getting out. Start to finish, this book is amazing with rare missteps and this Fear Itself tie-in is no exception.

Let me start, though, with a negative. While I do think what they're doing is great, I also think they spent a little too much time on it. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, maybe it's a desire for the compression of old, but this was a story that should have been told in maybe three issues. As it stands, I'm mildly upset that the characters, their interactions, and their progression has been put on hold for so long. Dammit, I need closure on some of these people! COME ON!

Ahem. Sorry.

Moving on, what really impressed me about this run was how it made me care about the villains. I get that these 'Breakers of whatevers' are supposed to be foreign and we ought to be afraid because we don't know what they're saying, but it just doesn't work that way. Instead of being intrigued by the weird looking symbols, I find myself just skimming past and seeing whatever character more as a cypher than a person. Christos Gage fixed that problem: he just had them speak english.

It threw me as weird when it first happened, but as the storyline went on I was happy for the change. Suddenly, I was more afraid of these new gods (not to be confused with New Gods) and actually understood their motivations. And because of that, I was more scared for the kids and their survival. Weird how that all works...

So, this issue was the culmination of the conflict that's been ongoing for a few months. The kids, trapped in their miniature and rapidly expanding headquarters, were forced to make some pretty hefty, heroic decisions about how to survive. And because this is a book with no really big names, and the stars are all brand new characters, I was preparing for the worst. I don't want to spoil the end, but it was certainly unexpected.

In the end, Christos Gage delivered not just another great issue, but another great tie-in. Similar to his Thunderbolts Secret Invasion tie in, he was able to thread this book's storyline with the larger story in Fear Itself without making me feel like I'm getting only half the story. It's a hell of a talent, one that I wish some other writers had.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic art of Tom Raney. I've been a big fan of his for a while, and this book was no exception. He's got a clean line and can do wide screen like the best of them, I hope he's on this book for a long time.

Now, with all this Fear Itself malarky over, I can't wait to this book to get back to the business of being awesome all on it's own.

The Bill August 25, 2011

I feel like every week I go to the store, everything I buy is a tie in to Fear Itself. Not that it's totally a bad thing, or a totally unexpected thing, but there's a part of me that wishes there was some variety in my buy pile. Fortunately, the majority of my Fear Itself tie-ins have been really good, even if they haven't been getting the press they deserve. Let's see if we can do something about that tonight, shall we?




The Underrated Tie-In:

Fear Itself: The Home Front
Writer: Christos Gage, Fred Van Lente, Howard Chaykin, Si Spurrier
Artist: Mike Mayhew, Alessandro Vitti, Edgar Delgado, Jason Latour


Let me get this outta the way up front: I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories.

Sure, the big books have all the crazy awesome action, the memorable scenes, and generally set the tone for the line, but it's these man-on-the-street books that really hit home for me. It grounds the fantastical and makes it all that much more believable for me. The Home Front hits on all cylinders and is, in many ways, more interesting that the core book.

Ostensibly an anthology following various heroes dealing with this new onset of fear, the book is really all about Speedball's redemption. And it's awesome. Starting in Stamford, before moving throughout the country, the book follows noone's favorite kinetic hero has he attempts to help normal citizens in places the brightly colored crowd doesn't normally hang out, like Missouri or Newfoundland, and in doing show proves just how awesome a hero he really is.

I was surprised as anyone, I'll tell you what.

In a lot of ways, this book reads like a sequel to 2006's Civil War tie-in, Frontline. In that series we saw Speedball at his lowest ebb, blamed for the destruction in Stamford, seemingly powerless, and self-hating. By the end of that series, the once fun-loving hero became a gothic joke of a hero, Penance, who, with an X-Treme! spikey costume, derived his powers from pain. It was an interesting direction for the character, to say the least.



Five years later, things seem to be primed for a character reversal. In the pages of Avengers Academy, we've seen Penance retired and replaced with a new, fragile -egoed Speedball. Thankfully not the bouncy airhead he once was, this new iteration of the character still seeks redemption, but this time without the walking Iron Maiden costume. Still, with all the development he's gotten over the years, he still hasn't done that one thing to show that he's learned his lesson. Enter The Home Front and Speedball's final lesson on being a true hero.

Speedball aside, the book does offer some neat insight to the denizens of the forgotten corners of the Marvel Universe during this latest crossover. From checking in with the Agents of Atlas and Cardiac to Mr. Fear and American Eagle, the book does it's best to leave no stone unturned.

In this latest issue, they've begun a short storyline involving some of my favorite young heroes - Thunderstrike, Amadeus Cho, and Power Man (X-23 and Spider-girl who I'm indifferent to) - written by one of my favorite writers (Paging Mr. Fred Van Lente) in which they are apparently going to be fighting Lovecraftian Samurai Warrior Sharks from the Deep. Insert your own superlative here. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited for it.



It's not a perfect book (few anthologies are), but it's a pretty damn good one that reads as a great companion to the main book. If your a fan of obscure Marvel, or just looking for a hero acting like a hero, you should totes check this book out. It's fun, intriguing, and makes Speedball interesting. And really, that's saying something.

The Bill June 15, 2011

Even when I'm trying to take it easy on a big event, it seems that I can't help but to buy the tie ins. What's wrong with me? Clearly I'm just some kind of event whore and just can't help myself. At least the majority of the tie ins are good, that certainly goes a long way to make me feel good about what I'm buying. What am I talking about? Why don't you check me out after the banner and find out.




The Most Fulfilling Tie In of the Week:

Fear Itself The Home Front # 3
Writers: Christos Gage, Peter Milligan, Howard Chaykin, Ben McCool
Artist: Mike Mayhew, Elia Bonetti, Edgar Delgado, Mike Del Mundo


I've been saying to my friends for weeks now that Fear Itself reminds me of Civil War, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. That is, until today. It's this book, and the strength of the Speedball lead story that makes Fear Itself seem like the logical conclusion to Marvel's eight year epic (sorry Siege, you just weren't that good).

Say what you will about Civil War, you have to admit that it resulted in some pretty dramatic shakeups for some long-standing characters. The most drastic of which was Speedball, who went from happy-go-lucky to an emo-on-steroids via grief and guilt. In the intervening years, work has been done to redeem Speedball and I think the final piece is the story being told here in The Home Front.

Here's a Speedball that knows what he's doing, is using his powers creatively and efficiently, and is doing his best to save the people that just tried to kill him. He's officially gone from fluffy good times, to a character with some real pathos that I can't help but to root for. And in my eyes, that's the last marker on his road back to being the Speedball that everyone loved (supposedly).

The other stories are a bit shaky (the less said about that Cardiac story the better), but I can't not be satisfied with this book based on what they're doing with Speedball.




A Non-Marvel PSA:

The Walking Dead: No Way Out
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Charlie Adlard

I don't write about this book nearly enough, so here's an attempt to rectify that oversight. The Walking Dead is one of the best books out there right now and has no signs of slowing down. And this latest trade just reemphasizes the point.

This is a book that never rests on it's laurels, that's constantly challenging the status quo, and isn't afraid to make things hard on the characters. No Way Out is no exception. While it might not read super great out of context, in context it fucking rocks balls!

I tell everyone who'll listen that if they like Zombies, the Walking Dead TV Show, or just good comics, that this series is a must read. It's hands down one of my favorites, and is the best palate cleanser for weeks like this when all I read are the big crossover tie-ins.





And that's all I got. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to see what I thought about any of the other tie ins I bought, or if you just want to talk up the Walking Dead some more. I'm down for either one.

The Bill June 8, 2011

Another week full of promise, another week that fails to live up to it. That's right, it's one of those kinds of weeks. Imma try to not get too bitter this time though. Let's see how I do...




Terribly Confusing:

Fearsome Four # 1
Writer: Brandon Montclare
Artists: Michael Wm Kaluta, Ryan Bodenheim, Simon Bisley


This is normally the kind of tie in I love: A collection of lower tier or obscure characters interacting with a larger event in a smaller, more interesting way than anyone else. And it doesn't get anymore lower tier or obscure than Man Thing, Frankenstein's Monster, and Howard the Duck; it ought to be all kinds of fantastic! Spoilers: It's not.

It's not so much the premise - which involves a fear drunk Man Thing on a rampage, it's pretty awesome - as much as it is the presentation. Sure the inclusion of the keeper of the Nexus of all Realities is a great diegetic reason to change up the art styles every few pages, but it creates a very uneven reading experience. I could never really fall into synch with this book, and that's a major problem.

Adding to my person disconnect from the book was the strange character choices. Not so much who they chose, I guess, but more how they were presented. She Hulk is just down right pissed the whole time, Howard looks hideous, and Nighthawk suddenly became a psychopath. It's weird and I don't like it.

Unless I hear of some drastic reveal in the next issue, I think my travels with the Four will end right here. And I don't think I'll miss anything aside from confusion.




Stumbling out of the Gate:

Ghost Rider # 0.1
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Matthew Clark

As much as I wanted to go into this one with an open mind, I think I knew deep down that it was going to be DOA with me. However, I thought it'd be more about not liking the direction of the story, than the quality of the writing.

To put it simply: this ain't no Jason Aaron series and it suffers for it.

The early word for this book was that it was supposed to be a pulpy, grindhouse throwback to the world of the 70s, full of hard drinking, loose women, questionable morals, and plenty of action. Basically, everything that the Jason Aaron run on the book was. In practice, the book comes off as kind of tame and pretty uninspiring. For a "grindhouse" book about a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle that fights demons, there's a lot more belly aching than should be legally allowed.

Honestly though, I could forgive all that if the characterization was anywhere close to being right. I don't know if Rob Williams had checked out any Ghost Rider issues before this one, but he seemed to miss the point Johnny Blaze. Or rather, disregarded how he's supposed to talk. I don't want to spend too long harping on this, but come on, Johnny Blaze should not say "dude". I don't know why exactly, the word just seems outside of his vernacular range. But that's just me.

Still, I'm intrigued by the idea of a new and different Ghost Rider moving forward, so I might stick around for the next issue. Maybe...




Bitterness quotient reached! You're all free to leave me. Come back next week, hopefully with at least 50% less bitterness...

The Bill June 2, 2011

Short weeks are just the worst! I mean, not when it comes to the work week of course, but more when it comes to trying to get shit done. Do you realize how quickly a Wednesday can sneak up on you when you're not prepared? Pretty damn fast!

But whatever, what's past is past. Let's check out some reviews...




Marvel's Big News of the Week:

Fear Itself #3
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Stuart Immonen


I remember, months ago, reading the press for Fear Itself and wondering what Matt Fraction had planned when he talked about cracking the internet in half with issue three. "It's something noone will see coming," I'm sure he said, "and something that will have long lasting implications on the universe. Fans will definitely be talking about this for a long time..."

And then DC had to go ruin things with their non-reboot reboot announcement. Those jerks!

Just as well, I suppose, because I can't really tell what the big deal is with this issue. Sure, it involves scenes of The Thing grabbing a hammer, but that was spoiled months ago. And yeah, I guess it has the death of a major character, but I don't really buy it as anything other than a fake out until issue four comes out. I dunno, I just don't see what the big deal was supposed to be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still digging this crossover to no end, but it doesn't necessarily have the twists and turns that, say, Civil War had. Color me intrigued for the rest of the series, but not totally hooked... yet.




Revisiting the 90s:

Uncanny X-Force #11
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Mark Brooks


I think I've made this joke before, but I don't care: This book is the 90s squared. It's not enough, apparently, to just showcase badass anti-heroes, now they have to take them into the high water mark for 90s X-books: The Age of Apocalypse.

Not that I'm complaining. Honestly AOA was one of those crossovers that hit me at exactly the right point in my comic development to make it one of my favorite storylines of all time. And so far, this is a much better representation of that classic story arc than that horrible ten year anniversary book was a few years back.

My conceptual love aside, it's actually a very fun issue. From the straight-forward premise, to the surprise appearance at the end, I never ran out of things to love about this issue. As a matter of fact, this one went a long way in making me consider buying this book for the long haul. It was just that much fun.

Now if I could only get over my X-book phobia...



That's all I got for this week. I'll try to deliver on time next week! Until then!

The Bill April 6, 2011

Why do my big weeks inevitably correspond with my busiest Wednesdays? It don't make no sense! Regardless, I still endeavor to give you the comic reviews you desire (probably) in the timeliest manner possible. And you better damn like it!

Enough angry talk. Let's get this show on the road.




The Obligatory Review:


Fear Itself # 1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Stuart Immonen

I wasn't excited about this book at all. I dug the creators and I'm always up for a good Marvel crossover, but for whatever reason I wasn't 'in' to the whole idea for some inexplicable reason. So you can imagine how blown away I was when this issue was utterly fantastic.

It wasn't necessarily a Bendis-level great first issue (Credit where it's due, the man does amazing first issues), but it was pretty solid in it's own right. Both Fraction and Immonen bring it here, and it shows. The inherent epicness, and the larger shared Marvel universe feel is felt throughout, and helps make this a must read crossover.

Honestly, I haven't felt this way about a crossover since Civil War. Finally it's something that resonates with me, that feels like something that could actually be happening right outside my window. You know, all the stuff that makes Marvel great.

I'm actively chomping at the bit for more, here's hoping it delivers.




Just For Me:

From the Vault: Thunderbolts
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Derec Aucoin

I don't know if you know this, but I own a complete run of the 90s Nomad series. True story, I bought it off ebay for a cool two fifty (that's cents, not dollars) and loved the vast majority of it. So, of course, I had to buy this issue if, for nothing else, then to help complete my run of Jack Monroe issues. The question is: Was it worth it?

Well, honestly, as a Jack Monroe story it's kinda tame. It's an okay story that is more about who the Thunderbolts of the 90s were than it was about who or what Jack Monroe is all about. Like most Nomad stories, it involves a lot of him traveling and reveling in interior monologue, so there is that.

In the end though, I don't know if it was all worth it. As great as it is to see Jack back in print, I was instantly reminded why he's now dead. He works much better in flashback and in the occasional nostalgia fest, other wise he should be left to the books he was in and no more. No sense contaminating anything else with his crazy.



And with that, I'm officially running on fumes. I had so much great stuff this week, feel free to ask what I thought about books at random and I'll try to give you a fulfilling answer. Until then, it looks like it's all sheets and pillows for me.

I Hate April Fools Day...

And here's why:



I found this on Reddit today and my gut tells me this can't be real. But, in a week that had The Black Panther decked out in Team America gear I don't know what to think.

Is the big surprise in Marvel's Fear Itself #3 (something that's been hinted at by Matt Fraction to no end) a world changing thingamajig similar to what will probably happen in DC's Flashpoint? I'm half thinking that might be the case, because the alternative (assuming it's real and not a fan drawing) is just... They wouldn't, right? I mean, I know he's has been hanging with those flithy mutants for a while now, but that wouldn't make him strap on an X. Would it?

Ugh. Stupid April Fools. Anyone have any thoughts?

Am I the only one hoping it's the return of Spidercide?

What The Black Panther Fears

The rough times for Wakanda's favorite son continue, apparently, in Fear Itself. I don't know what's going on in his book (except that moving from the Royal Palace to Hell's Kitchen is a hell of a downgrade), but it seems things are going to get worse for him. I'm guessing that this new getup of his represents his biggest fear, which is either: Going native (as in turning American) or joining a traveling stunt show.

I just hope if he joins Team America he'll get a cool motorcycle to go with that outfit.

Pic via CBR

The Bill March 16, 2011

Whoa.

I haven't a week this big in forever. Between old standbys shipping twice a month (I'm looking at'chu T-Bolts and A-Acad) and the start of this new big crossover, I felt like I was 13 again when I was leaving the store. Of course, that feeling might have been due to the plethora of 90s books I also bought, but whatever.

I read a bunch of comics, and I want to tell you what I thought about'em! Let's do it!




Getting Back In The Groove:

Avengers: The Children's Crusade - Young Avengers One-Shot (seriously?)
Writer: Allen Heinberg
Artist: Alan Davis


After months of shaky plot devices, questionable characterization, and a slower than molasses pace, I feel like I finally read an issue of Young Avengers that was written by the same guy who invented the characters. Not that the series has been totally horrible up until this point, it just wasn't as good as it could be. With this issue, I think Heinberg found his swagger again.

This issue would be more aptly titled "Iron Lad", as it's basically all back story on his surprise appearance last issue. Here, Iron Lad is about to kill Kang (AKA his older self, because you know, time travel) when a grown up collection of the Young Avengers stop him and Iron Lad zones out remembering their first adventure together. It's one of those neat examples of sliding new information into an already established continuity (also, it helps jibe the beginning of the first series with the timeline of the Marvel U proper).

Throughout the book I got exactly what I want from my Young Avengers: Some witty banter, a super villain fight, and a solid surprise at the end. It's great stuff that's helped reignite my passion for this series as a whole. Now, if only it would come out more often...



The Obligatory Review:

Book of The Skull
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Scott Eaton


In case you somehow missed it, Marvel's gearing up for another big crossover next month called 'Fear Itself'. As Marvel is wont to do, they've kicked things off with a one shot to help set the stage for the main event. And man, it's done it's job. I'm psyched.

The big thrust of this issue is just to set Sin, the Red Skull's disfigured daughter, down the path of her villainous destiny. She's looking to undo her father's greatest failure and from the rumors of what's to come, she might just succeed.

Well, you know, mores o than her father did. It's not like I think she's REALLY going to defeat the good guys.

There's not much more to say really, except that it's a solid set up issue. In the scheme of things, I liked it more than the Cabal one-shot that started off Siege, but not as much as The Illuminati one-shot that started Civil War. It belongs somewhere in the murky middle area, where I'm not sure I needed to read it to understand the coming crossover or not.

I guess we'll find out in a few weeks though...



_________________________________________

Big week or small, two books is my limit. I'm sure you don't want to hear me babble about my books, just as much as I don't want to write reviews for all of them. That said, if I'm mistaken and you DO want to hear me babble on about Hulk 30.1 just drop a comment; I'd be happy to oblige.

Til next time!