The Bill September 16, 2011

If you've been following the comic news sites like I do, you'd think that DC was the only company out there with a major shakeup of their publishing line. Somewhat obscured by the fanboy anger at the DC reboot, Marvel released it's attempt at a major shakeup. One guess what I'm talking about. Come check me after the logo to find out just how right you are.




The Big Change:

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Sara Pichelli


True story, this comic was the first polybagged issue I've had to open in a good ten years. Suffice to say, I'm not as good preserving the bag as I once was. I swear they used to be easier to open.

Anyway...

So hey lookit that, after months of hype and leadup, the new 'blatino' Spidey has finally hit the scene. Huzzah! Is it a clinic on how to reinvigorate a franchise without totally alienating the core fanbase? Or does DC have the upper hand in this round of universal shakeup? The answer, honestly, is a little of both.

The good stuff about this issue is very good. The issue starts a nice little setup scene set in the past with Norman and an underling as they try to recreate the original OZ spider in a neat bit of symmetry with the first first issue a decade ago. The story jumps forwards a few months and we meet Miles, a runt of a kid with two devoted and loving parents who desperately want him to have a better life than they've had. The familial interactions (with the parents and later an uncle) are fantastic. The characters are warm, the dialogue snappy, and best of all, nothing seems forced. And then, right when things were picking up speed, it ended.

Bendis!

I have a weird relationship with Bendis. I find that he has some truly fantastic ideas and can write some great characters, but I rarely feel satisfied after I read one of his books. Worse, I often feel cheated when I buy one of his monthly books because it feels like I'm only getting half a story. And that's the main problem with this issue: I felt like I only got half a story.

I get it; he's not writing for the issue, he's writing for the trade. Hey, that's great when you're hammering through an arc of Daredevil, but when you're working on the first issue of major new character that's going to be getting a ton of press, you really ought to write for the issue. As a long term reader, I get that Bendis probably won't put Miles in the costume until the fourth issue and while it bothers me, I'll still give it a chance. A new reader on the other hand, I don't know if they'll be as forgiving. They came for Spider-Man, promised to them on the cover and in the press, but all they got was some kid who gets bit by a spider.

This is in no way a bad issue, it's just a little disappointing in a way opposite of Justice League #1. Justice League was high on action and spectacle, but low on information and deep characterization, whereas Ultimate Comics Spider-Man is the reverse. Neither is totally right, both have their merits, but ultimately I'm worried about their ability to hook a new reader.

That said, the store this week was packed and I snagged the very last copy of this comic from the shelves, so something must be working. Here's hoping it keeps up, and that this run of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man lasts as long as the old.

The old Ultimate Spider-Man that ran for 130+ issues, not Ultimate Comics Spider-Man that only ran for 13 or so. Just to clarify.

The Bill April 20, 2011

This week was like the polar opposite's of last week's Disappoint-a-palooza. Of all the books I bought, not one was a clunker; but then again, not one was super awesome. Am I hard to please? Maybe, but I mean well. Let's talk comics.




BENDIS!!!:
Avengers # 12
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


Twice while reading this issue I was fully prepared to write a super nasty 'I hate Brian Bendis' type review, and then both times he flipped the script on me, leaving me totally surprised. I guess it's my fault for jumping to conclusions.

This issue was the finale of the, at times, tedious and , at other times, kind of awesome story of The Hood hunting down the Infinity Gauntlet. And it just might be the best finale that Bendis has ever written. It's taught, action-packed, and most surprising of all, totally satisfying. I was SHOCKED! By the way, that wasn't one of the moments that he tricked me with, but I guess it would qualify for a third.

Even with a great ending, I'm afraid this'll be my final Avengers issue for a while. I've been looking for an out, and a storyline that I'm not interested in, and I think I finally found it. That is, of course, assuming that the Fear Itself tie-ins are shitty and unnecessary...

Dammit. I'm gonna have to get those too, aren't I?



Rapidly Becoming A Thing:
Hulk # 32
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Gabriel Hardman


If you had told me a year ago that I would be not only buying the Red Hulk solo title, but enjoying it enough to recommend it, I would have questioned your sanity before mocking you and walking away. Oh, what a fool I was. I don't know what it is about Jeff Parker's take on this Crimson Giant, but whatever it is I want him to keep doing it.

There's something about this book that reminds me of one of those failed 90s comics I love so much. It's a funky premise (come on, it's an old man as a Hulk), set in a weird little pocket of the Marvel Universe, with a character that's a straight up rip off of an existing one. It's Thunderstrike all over again, but with a quality writer. ZINGG!!!

It's seriously all kinds of great though and - I can't believe I'm saying this - you should totally check it out. It's got big fun, lots of intrigue, and plenty of action, everything you need to make a quality comic book.



Somehow being satisfied with all my books makes me less satisfied to write reviews. Funny how that works. Anyway, see you next time!

The Bill Feburary 23, 2011

After so many stellar weeks, I knew a week like this was coming. It's not that everything on the list was bad it just nothing filled me with awe. But I'm not going to let a silly thing like that stop me on my one man quest to do half assed reviews. Let's get to it!




Falling Into Old Habits:

Avengers # 10
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


Here's the Bendis I love to hate. To his credit, it's not like Bendis had the collected Avengers just sit around and chat about The Hood's quest for the Infinity Gems ike I predicted last month. Instead he has them all headed out to collect the remaining gems in small(ish) teams. The result is pages and pages of no dialogue and giant, empty fight scenes. It's just kinda... boring.

For instance, the book starts with Namor taking the Red Hulk and Thor down to the deepest depths of the ocean to collect his gem. It's a cool idea that just goes on and on and on. It takes them NINE pages of minimal to no dialogue (plus a silent fight with a sea monster) to get down there. Nearly half the book is dedicated to this effing dive and it's just ridiculous.

I get that Bendis wants to make finding these gems a big deal, but there's got to be a more efficient way to do it. As is it feels like a seventh grade History report. You know, the one you put a ton of large block quotes in just to hit that tenth page so you can meet the minimum requirement? I feel like Bendis writes a solid ten page issue most months, and then just jams in filler for the remaining twelve pages.

Sigh. Here's hoping it gets better next month.

Stupid Infinity Gauntlet love...



Mysterious and Intriguing:

Who Is Jake Ellis # 2
Writer: Nathan Edmondson
Artist: Tonci Zonjic


By far the most interesting book of the week for me was this little gem from Image. While not as action-packed and weirdly fun as the first issue, this one still manages to hit all the right notes. We get a hint of the mystery, a taste of the history, and a tickle of... dammit, I want to make that rhyme, but I can't! Damn my non-poetic mind!

Anyway, it's pretty solid fun. The main character, Jon Moore, does what he can to evade the killer interests following him while he tries to figure out the titular question: Who is Jake Ellis?

Honestly, without going into too many spoilers, I don't know what to say about this book other than it's totally awesome. It's a pretty brisk read, but I don't feel cheated or under-satisfied like with some writers *couBENDISgh. The art is clean, clear, and full of energy, perfect for the tone of the story. It's truly fantastic, and I can't recommend it enough. Go check it out, I promise you'll like it.

Assuming, of course, you have good taste. I kid, I kid....




And there you have it, my lackluster week. If you want to know more about any of these, the book I didn't talk about (Power Man and Iron Fist), or the inexplicable reason why I can't seem to find the Amazing Spider-Man point 1 issue (Come on, it's the new Venom!), email, tweet, or leave a comment. I promise to be nice.

Well, probably.

The Bill January 26, 2010

No weird shipping tricks this week, just an old fashioned Wednesday release day. Assuming, of course, that you ignore that kerfluffle in The Fantastic Four. Seems interesting-ish, but not enough to get me to buy a polybag again. You got me in the 90s, Marvel, never again!

I did, however, buy plenty of non-polybagged issues. Let me tell you what I think about'em.




Coming To An End:

Chaos War # 5
Writers: Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak
Artist: Koi Pham


I was kind of dreading reading this book. Not because it's bad or anything, but more because it's the end of The Incredible Hercules epic from Pak and Van Lente. But what an ending!

In an era where finale's tend to be let-downs, I'm very happy to report that this one satisfied. If you were reading The Incredible Hercules for big fights, clever plot twists, or some sexy loving, it's all here for you. A fitting end for a fabulous run... Or is it?

The best part about this book? I mean, aside from the massive throwdown between The Chaos King and everyone. The reveal that the Pak/Van Lente Hercules will continue in the much shorter titled 'Herc' in April. Those crafty SOBs, they had me worried for a bit.

April can't come soon enough. Until then, I think I have a run to reread.



Better Than It Should Be:

Avengers #9
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


After stumbling out of the gate, Bendis has been doing gangbusters with this story line. It's no instant classic, but it's certainly some of the better Bendis I've read in a while.

This issue dealt with the fallout of the Illuminati reveal last issue and filled in the blanks on how The Hood got out of prison. And while it might not totally jibe with the Avengers Academy version, it was pretty alright. In fact, I would have to say I dug this issue.

But.

You know, because there's always a 'but'. While this issue, and the last for that matter, were pretty good, there's not a lot of momentum building. I can see it swelling, but in a typical Bendis manner, it's a slow swell. My hope is that the next two issues actually have our heroes going and fighting something and not just sitting around and talking.

I'm really afraid that they'll just sit around and talk. Please let them go do something, Bendis. I promise to say nice things about the book if you do...



Man, it is late and I am desperately tired. Questions and comments are always welcome. Especially if you want to give me a heads up on something new to check out. I'm always down for the new.

Until then, more Darkhawk.

The Bill November 17, 2010

Somehow even though some of my favorite books are being or have been cancelled, I still ended up bring home a huge (for me) haul this week. How does that work? What craziness did I buy? What did I think of them?

Well, let's stop wasting time and find out. Shall we?



Worst Chaos War Tie-in of the Week:
Chaos War: Chaos King
Writer: Brandon Montclare
Artist: Michael Wm Kaluta


I had no idea what to expect from this one.

Well, I take that back. I expected this issue to be all about the major antagonist, maybe giving us some major backstory on him and/or his motivations. Hell, maybe give us a glimpse of what it was like the last time he was in charge of things. I most certainly didn't expect what the issue actually was.

I'll tell you, I'm a hard sell when it comes to otherworldly books. Be it Thor, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, or The Silver Surfer, I always have a hard time connecting with those types of foreign stories. It's hard for me to find the center, and as a result I find myself not caring.

This issue was otherworldly squared: It focused on the Gods from Norrin Radd's old digs, Zenn-La as they fended off the title character. Needless to say, I was under impressed.

Add to this the overwrought dialogue and the unclear art and you have a nearly incomprehensible read. It was just a chore to get through, devoid of any of the fun that runs through the other (Dead Avengers) parts of this crossover have in spades.

Do yourself a favor and leave this one on the shelf. And if you really need a Chaos War fix this week, do yourself a favor and pick up Dead Avengers instead.



Not A Promising Start of the Week:
Avengers # 7
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


I don't know what to do about this book.

On the one hand, I'm a crazy fanboy when it comes to the Infinity Gauntlet and would love to see it brought back. On the other, I hate Bendis' pacing. To be fair, this isn't really a terrible issue. It's just very unsatisfying.

In this installment we follow ol' Bendis favorite Parker Robbins (AKA, The Hood) as he searches for another replacement for his powers, this time in the form of the Infinity Gems. Also, Iron Man and Thor have a mild heart to heart with Wonder Man, who was last seen breaking shit in the Avengers Tower five months ago. It's... interesting?

See, here's the thing. The book isn't horrible, it's just kinda... underperforming for me. There's some interesting things going on here, but there's not enough of it. It's almost typical Bendis where he takes his sweet time with stealth action scenes, has some nice interplay moments, only incrementally inches the plot forward, but this time it just feels very empty.

I dunno. I know I said this before, but I think I'm going to give this book one more chance and then no more.

It's up to you issue 8, don't let me down.




And there you have it. I bought a few other things too, like Thunderbolts and Osborn, but I'll talk more about them on my twitter. You should stop on by and say hi.

Or you can drop a line here, whatever works for you.

The Bill October 27, 2010

I can't be the only one frantically working on a costume for this weekend, can I?

I didn't think so. I don't know about you though, but I could use a break. Care to join me for some comic reviews? Don't worry, you can still sew while you read, I won't mind.




Why Am I Reading This Again? of the Week:

Secret Warriors #21
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artists: Mirko Colak and Alessandro Vitti


Ugh. This book.

I'll be real honest with you, Secret Warriors is one of those titles that I just kind of fell into collecting. I read that first arc and was underwhelmed, but intrigued enough to see where it was going. And that's where I got into trouble.

The problem from the start with this book has been the lack of characterization, and this issue doesn't help matters any. After the team's mission went tits up last issue (they were bombing a stronghold, I think), this issue follows their daring escape resulting in the death of one of their compatriots. A death that's ultimately underwhelming and flat.

I don't know, maybe this book will read better in one sitting, but right now I'm finding it hard to care about anyone. Seriously, 20+ issues in and I feel like I hardly know who the main characters are and why I should care if they live or not. As it is, they're slightly better than cannon fodder in my eyes. Barely.

I know what you're thinking: "Matt, if you hate it so much, why don't you just stop buying it". And, you know, I would totally agree with you when it comes to any other book. However with only four issues left in the series, my pride won't let me drop it.

I'm with it until the end, hoping somehow, someway, the book'll get better. Lord knows it can't get much worse...




Surprise of the Week:

Avengers #6
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


Now here's something you don't see everyday: A satisfying conclusion to a Bendis story arc. I kid, I kid.

Mostly.

In all honesty, I went into this issue expecting the worst: A strangely quippy Ultron, A non-ending ending, lots of loose ends, etc. And what I got was completely the opposite.

Coming off the arrival of Ultron last issue, this one starts with Tony convincing the would be harbinger of the Robot Apocalypse to throw the fight with Kang. Meanwhile, we're shown the context of some of the flashforwards that appeared in the first few issues. And it was actually pretty cool. I mean, I still feel like this was a story that could have been told in four issues, but they did wrap it up rather nicely.

And wouldn't you know it, I'm actually excited to read the next few issues. Way to turn it around, Bendis!




Okay, enough with the comics. I have to go back to finishing my totally boss, fantastically amazing costume. I'll tell you all about it on Sunday, until then here's a hint of things to come.

How about you, how's your costume coming?

Tony Stark's Big Board of THE FUTURE!

As I mentioned yesterday, in Avengers #5 there was a huge timeline that hinted at the future of the Marvel Universe. Let's check it out one more time, shall we?



Maybe not as vague as the DC 'Future hints', but still pretty cool nonetheless.

Anyway, the way I see it, it's my duty as a blogger to address these hints and make shocking/horrible guesses as to what they pertain to. Let's do this thing, starting from the left and moving right.

Siege - I think I know what this is, and I didn't like it. Moving on.
Captain America Reborn - Which I finally read, thanks to the trade being released this week. I think this is pretty self explainatory.
What did Cap See? - Cap saw martians attacking and all kinds of dead heroes. I'm thinking it might be the Ultron War (which the future Avengers are stuck in), if it isn't some random martian attack.
Nine Worlds in Disarray - Isn't this what's going on in Thor right now? I'm pretty sure...
Heroic Age Begins - And so it did. I think it's kinda weird that Siege is before Captain America's return on the board, when it was clearly the other way around.
Three - The new Fantastic Four Storyline. My money's still on Sue leaving (read: getting dead) the team.
Hope Returns - This was Second Coming. I guess the X-Titles are set a little bit in the future.
Spider on the Horizon - This one's probably Origin of the Species. Unless it refers to Peter having a baby. Or, in an off OFF chance, to Arana becoming Spider-Girl.
Man without Fear - Shadowland. Again, it looks like this is set a bit in the future.
Throwbacks - I think this is related to the next one, and involves the return of all those dead heroes in the Chaos War. Wait... since when did the Chaos War become Blackest Night?



Chaos - I mean seriously, it's an attack of the Chaos God, not the god of death. Why are all these dead heroes being recruited to fight him. Weird. Also, this is clearly referred to here.
What is where Asgard Should be? - K'un-L'un is moving on up... Either that, or the people of Broxton, OK are in for a fight.
Five Lights - The new, and apparently dangerous, mutants that popped up after Second Coming. Again, weird that this is here in the timeline and not sooner. I knew the X-Men were kind of out of synch with the rest of the Marvel U, but this is crazy.
9.9.9 Who is worthy? - And I'm guessing of those five new mutants, only one (or half of one) will survive. I bet it's the cool one...
Master of Kung Fu - The next story arc in Secret Avengers? I really doubt that Shang Chi is going to get a push...
Nova Antiquus - The long awaited appearance of Ol'Timey Nova? Yes! Bring on the top hat and monocle!



Academy Traitor - It's totally Hazmat. Or Veil. I never did trust a girl who was all hot air. waka waka waka...
Return of the King - Dormammu is coming back in a big way. Look for him in New Avengers by the end of next year.
The Drumm of Revenge - And Brother VooDoo will be involved. I'm guessing on the bad side...
Night Falls - Looks like Night Thrasher's return will be short lived. He is coming back, right?
Iron Lad (Re)turns - The Young Avengers Vision will change "back" into Iron Lad after Tony remembers he can rebuild shit and puts the original back together.
All Hope Lies in Doom - I hear this is a line from the Fantastic Four series. I hope it involves the Basement of Doom in the Council of Reeds (as in Richards, not saxophones)



Schizm - Civil War part 2? Be still my heart. It won't be though. It'll probably be the followup to the Bogan storyline from X-Treme X-Men that everyone's been waiting for.
H:1 Stark Resiliant - Does this mean that Invincible Iron Man is waaaay out of synch with everything?
Where's Wanda - I think I know where the Young Avengers series takes place. That explains how Steve is in the Captain America costume. Poor Bucky, I hope he goes to a nice prison.
Galactus Seed - Galactus is gonna bang the planet. Either that or it's a plug for the new Galacta series that'll die on the vine.



Fear without Man - Daredevil's rebirth. Or future Tony was having an existential crisis.
Steve's Vision - Apparently whatever Steve saw in his vision was way down the line, but not the Ultron War. I guess we should plan on Martians.
Yesterday's X-Men - The return of Beak, Angel (the insect one), Thunderbird (the Indian [no, the Indian Indian, you racist!]), and Xorn. Woo!
Ultron War - Ultron returns for a reunion with his father (Hank Pym), mother (Janet Van Dyne), mother-wife (Jocasta), Son (Vision), Weird Son Clone (Iron Lad, see above), Wonder Man (for kicks), and M-11 (Because Agents of Atlas have to show up in everything). Then, after a few drinks, Hank and Ultron start to fight and Ultron decides to destroy the world. Aren't family reunions the best?



Born to Burn - The Human Torch melts through a condom and knocks up some floozy. His baby is just a ball of fire and poop.

Phew.

There you go, my totally 100% (in)accurate predictions for Marvel's future. I'm sure I'll keep you posted with "I told you so"s just in case you forget how awesome I am.

The Bill September 22, 2010

Finally, this week I had some books come out. Mind you, I couldn't find one of them, but at least the ones I did were interesting. But I'm not going to talk about them.

Nope, instead I'm gonna rag on Bendis. What can I say, I'm a man of my word.




Worst of the Week:
Avengers #5
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.

There are times I wonder if Bendis has ever read a Marvel comic before. I mean, I get that this situation the team is in is totally crazy, but do they all really need to act like amateurs?

It goes like this: WIth half the team in the future (we'll get to them), the other half defends New York City. Or at least their supposed to. Somehow though, they forget how to be superheroes in the face of this latest crisis. When faced with rioting mobs, giant cosmic beings, and other random facilitators of violence, the majority of them stand around with their fingers up their asses.

The Spider-Man I know would be in the thick of the riot, pulling out as many innocents as he could until he physically couldn't and even then he'd find the energy to grab more, instead of the one presented in this issue that stands around talking about how scared he is while asking the others what to do. UGH!

I was a little frustrated, to say the least.



Best of the Week:
Avengers #5
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.

See what I did there?

Okay, so the beginning of this issue aside, it was actually pretty good. The team in the future was presented with a twist that I genuinely didn't see coming along with a pretty cool ending.

This issue seemed like Bendis read my previous reviews and made up for that lackluster third issue by just cramming story into this one. Everything moved at a pretty impressive pace (especially for Bendis) AND shit actually happened. I was totally amazed.

That said, the best thing about this issue had to be the Rip Hunter-esque (yeah, that's right, I made a DC reference. What of it?) diagram of the future. It's really cool, check it out (click it to make it bigger!):



Right? Totes Awesome. I'm gonna digest this and post my theories on it tomorrow, hopefully before places like Robot6 do (they do such a good job on those things... jerks).

Anyway, this issue got me all hot and bothered for the next. Here's hoping Bendis keeps it up, and doesn't fumble the end as he tends to do.




There you have it, my all Bendis Bill. For the record, I also picked up Avengers Academy (totally great!) and the first two issues of the Power Man mini (surprisingly pretty cool), but failed to pick up Skullkickers (sold out). Am I missing out? Lemme know!

The Bill August 25, 2010

This week was supposed to be a big week for me: Avengers, Spider-Girl (I know), Deadpool Team Up, Secret Warriors, and Prince of Power. Lots of promising books, lots of fodder to write about, I was really excited.

And then stupid Diamond had to go have a stupid accident and be unable to deliver half the books.

Sigh.

Lucky for you though, I still got enough to review. You ready for the big show? Let's do it!




Best of the Week:
Deadpool Team Up #890
Writer: James Asmus
Artist: Micah Gunnell


I'm as surprised at this as you are.

I'll be straight up with you guys, Deadpool Team Up is a terrible book; one that I'm always suckered into buying. There's always some awesome guest star that I just can't pass up, but then am utterly disappointed by the results. Issues with FrankenCastle, Hercules, The Ghost Riders, and US Ace all seemed like they'd be awesome, but were just terrible in execution. So, it was against my better judgement that I bought this issue guest starring my favorite non-fleshy one, Machine Man.

I've never been happier at my lack of willpower.

This is what I wanted all those previous issues to be: Funny, action packed, and, most importantly, coherent. You see, most of these issues rely on the initial premise to get them by (Oh look, Deadpool is a trucker with US Ace. Funny, right? Good, because that's the only joke we have for 22 pages) and never really bother to tell a fulfilling story with that premise (Like that horrible FrankenCastle issue. I still don't know what happened). I don't know if it was just the writer (as it changes every issue), or the editorial staff getting more comfortable with the book, or if it was just a fluke, but I wish every issue could be like this.

As for the story itself, it follows Deadpool ('natch) as he's hounded by Machine Man over debts due to the Delmar Insurance Company. Deadpool catches a break when a job pops up for Delmar that will cover the cost of his debts, and hilarity ensues. It's great stuff, assuming of course that you like the Nextwave interpretation of Machine Man. For you classic Machine Man fans (all three of you. HA!) you should probably just go ahead and give this one a pass.




Defacto Worst of the Week:
Avengers #4
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr


I'm gonna get a rep as a major Bendis hater if I'm not careful.

It's not that issue is bad perse, it's just not as fast as I want it to be. Similar to last month's issue, the overall story just inches forward while the majority of the issue focuses on big cool, but ultimately unsatisfying, action shots. It symptomatic of a typical mid-storyarc Bendis issue, where things just kinda percolate while he pads it out for six issues.

Like I said, this issue isn't that bad. While half the team hides from new and crazier things popping out of the time portal, the rest finally run into the supposed villains of the arc. They don't do much, other than call into question who the real villain of the story is, but hey at least something happened this issue. And really, that's the problem, nothing really happens this issue... again.

If this issue and the previous one were combined, I think it would have been great. As it is, well, I won't say I'm not going to pick up the rest of the arc, but I'm certainly not going to feel bad about not picking up the following arc.

What's that? The next arc is about the Infinity Gauntlet? Fuck. I guess I'm on through that arc too, but I'm really done after that!




Alright, that's all I got. If you want to hear me bemoan about not being able to gripe about Spider-Girl (I was so ready to bitch about it!), or hear my opinion on the latest Secret Warriors (in which the title characters haven't appeared in about six months), let me know in the comments. In the meantime, I'll be plotting ways of getting my books in case a Diamond "accident" happens again.

The Bill June 23, 2010

Are you ready to hear my ranting on this week's books? Well too bad because it's time for you're new favorite comic blog reviews: The Bill!



Best of the Week:
Thunderbolts #145
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Kev Walker

When I was through with this book, I couldn't believe that it was only 22 pages. It's been forever since a book truly felt packed with action, and Jeff Parker really pulled out all the stops with this one. Parker has done in two issues what some writers **couBENDISgh** would stretch into six to ten.

In this issue, The Thunderbolts: fight Baron Zemo, learn it was all a test, meet the new warden (a laid up, and newly armless John Walker), get a mission briefing, and fight some Asgardian trolls. It felt epic when compared to most of the other books on the stands.

It also doesn't hurt that Parker handles all the characters amazingly well. Everyone sounds more in-character than they have for years, from Moonstone's eagerness to please to Songbird's desire to be seen as a hero. Even with all of the crazy action happening, Parker was still able to cram in the tiny character moments that make reading the book so worth it.

This is, hands down, the best Thunderbolts has been in a while. From the gorgeous art from Kev Walker, to Jeff Parker's deft storytelling, it's quickly becoming my favorite book of the month.



Not-Quite-The-Best of the Week:
Avengers #2
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: John Romita Jr.


First things first: This is a really solid read; a lot happens, there's a couple of fights, some cool cameos (Spider-Girl!), and a great reveal on the last page. If I had to compare this to say, Dark Avengers #2, it's night and day. Avengers #2 is totally old-school Avengers adventures through the pen of Bendis. And that's kinda the problem.

I know I give Bendis a lot of shit, and I don't REALLY mean to. He has really solid ideas, really solid characterization, and normally great character moments. This issue it all became a bit much. Somewhere along the way all the fun quips became just snarky and mean.

The main offender in this was Tony Stark. Tony's a tough character to get right, he needs to be equal parts suave, smart, and arrogant without seeming like too much of a dick. In this issue, he just seemed like a dick. From his dismissive attitude when he meets Noh-Varr (The Protector), to insisting Noh-Varr work for him, Tony seemed like more of a jerk than he should have. It just kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

In addition to this, everyone stopped to talk about how time was broken for five pages. So, spoilers, the future Hulk gets angry and breaks time somehow, which no one quite understands. FOR FIVE PAGES. I get that it's a hard concept to grasp, but it just came across as... repetitive. I kinda got annoyed, if you couldn't tell.

Aside from all of that, it was a pretty good issue though and I like this new 'cool comic book stuff happens every issue' mode Bendis is in. He should keep it up.




And there you go. If you want to know about my other two books (Franken-Castle or Secret Warriors), my new minimates (Stilt-Man rocks my face!), or just want to see how I'm doing (fine, thank you for asking), drop me a comment. Otherwise, I'll see you (figuratively) next time.