Misc comics...

[fajrdrako]

Comics I've read recently:

Age of X Alpha #1

Do we really need this? Okay, maybe we do... Though I'd like to see more resolution in current continuity beforehand.

In an alternate reality, the mutants are in hiding in a hostile world. It reminds me of Age of Apocalypse in look and concept. It's fun to see the characters we know and love with a different look. It's fun to see the mix and matching of relationships - Namor and Storm are lovers, for example. That's a new twist.

It's done with (largely) unfamiliar artists, and that's interesting to see, too. I really liked Carlo Barberi's pages on Basilisk - the code-name of this world's Cyclops, who (horrifically) has had his eyelids removed and is made into a weapon for Arcade. A strong story, with strong dialogue.


Scott: You know what the measure of a man is, Arcade? It's whether he can look his enemies in the eye.


And Dr. Rao re Wolverine: "I still can't decide whether I saved him or destroyed him. And I'll never have the courage to ask."

Nice to see Mystique turn up in the Magneto story, and nice to Magneto acting majestic again.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Election Day HC

Reprint of "Election Day", a story drawn in style by John Romita, Jr., in which Spidey is framed for serial killings by corrupt cops and Harry Osborn's out-of-control girlfriend. A good story for Spider-Man suffering, and I liked seeing Matt Murdock as Spidey's lawyer.

The cover features President Obama, but his story is a small part of the book, mostly there (as far as I can tell) to feature a reprint of the Gettysberg Address - and to get his face on the cover.

The Avengers #9

I love the John Romita, Jr. art and the John Romita, Jr. layouts. Some wonderful Bendis dialogue here - like a confrontation between Iron Man and Steve Rogers regarding the current formation of the Avengers and the Illuminati business. I laughed at some good Fantastic Four dialogue between Ben and Reed:


Ben Grimm: Nobody knew about this but you guys?
Reed Richards: I'm sorry to have to let you know like this, old friend.
Ben Grimm: Not even Suzie?
Reed Richards: No, not even my wife.
Ben Grimm: You were getting together with Namor behind her back?
Reed Richards: She's going to kill me.
Ben Grimm: If you're lucky.


And it's some of the best characterization of Thor since the old Lee/Kirby days.

Chaos War X-Men #1 and #2

I'm not sure what the point of this was. To bring back Thunderbird? Is there any good reason to bring back Thunderbird, who seems to pile one aboriginal cliche on another?

Even with the inclusion of the Stepford Cuckoos, I didn't like this one. Lame.

The Invincible Iron Man #500

I love Matt Fraction's writing. I didn't love this story, which is half character piece (that, I liked) and half distopian future, the birth of a new Iron Age. And it had a rather good 'spider' twist. To remind us that Tony Stark once knew, and has forgotten, that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, we have this wonderful bit of dialogue in a hotel room:


Tony Stark: What's your deal, Peter? ...You're always so squirrelly and you pop up at weird places and weird times and -
Peter Parker Tony. I... You're right. Hardly anybody knows - my life - my family - Please understand the gravity of -
Tony Stark: Peter, please. You have my word.
Peter Parker Well, here goes. There was an accident. A science - an accident. When I was a kid. And it left me with powers. Super-powers, Tony. Powers.. and responsibilities. Understand?
Tony Stark: Peter, I -
Peter Parker Tony, I'm - I'm the Human Torch.
Tony Stark: ...Get out of my room, Parker.

Magneto #1 of 1

I used to love Howard Chaykin's work. American Flagg! - remember what fun that was?

Now, sadly, this one-shot was a big disappointment. It seems to have been intended to present the origin of Magneto's costume, on his first trip to New York - well, to Brooklyn, where he meets up with undercover mutants. Who give him his costume. I was underwhelmed.

Worse, Howard Chaykin draws Magneto's face to look like a grinning, bulbous chipmunk.



This is not the Magneto I know and love. There is a difference between being magnificently arrogant, and being full of himself, and Chaykin doesn't know how to write the difference.

The New Avengers #8

Why do I love the writing of Brian Michael Bendis? Because he gives us five pages of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones arguing in a restaurant over whether she's going to be a superhero again, that's why. And whether she'd call herself Power Woman. And the waitress patiently waiting.

Then they fight Doombots and we get to see Victoria Hand again (yay!) and Ben Grimm takes a hand. Great fun. Not much structure to it, but... fun.

The Road to Civil War HC

From the library. Stories from Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, just before the Civil War started. Iron Man gets the Illuminati together and tries to form a society of superheroes; the kings, Namor and Blank Panther, won't go for it. Namor is imperious. T'Challa says, "Walk away now." Story by story, Iron Man's group of heroes fight each other verbally - over what to do about the Hulk, what to do about superhero registration. And we get more Doombots. And Thor's hammer.

It's like a potpourri of a lot of favourite Marvel themes of the past few years, segueing into the storyline in which Tony Stark testifies at the government hearing, with Peter Parker as his aide.

Scarlet #4

One of he best comics on the market. After her boyfriend was killed by a corrupt cop, Scarlet turned anarchist and started killing the cops responsible for the murder and the corruption. We get different viewpoints on her: her friend in whom she confides, horrified at what she has become; her mother, disgusted; the uncorrupt cop doing the investigating, who is caught between a rock and a hard place; the public, demonstrating because they are tired of corruption.

It's as if the Punisher was a teen girl, and beautifully written. Good or bad, she's uncontrolled, and she's utterly courageous because she has nothing to lose.

Uncanny X-Force #4

Apocalypse has been reborn in the body of a child. X-Force goes to take him out. They have no doubt of his potential evil, but they don't like killing a child who has done nothing... yet. This turns them against each other - and I was quite caught up in the suspense.

I also found myself enjoying Fantomex's dialogue. He reminds me of Deadpool, though sane, and has good interaction with Logan.


Wolverine: You follow me, you faux French son of a bith! Do it now!
Fantomex: The condescension is unnecessary.
Wolverine: Can't hurt.
Fantmex: I thought my Nothin' aboyt you is all that unique.
Fantmex: Always the nurturing motivator.
Wolverine: You're a fine dancer, your ass doesn't look fat in those pants and people really like you.
Fantmex: You didn't mention how smart I am.
Wolverine: Nope.

Uncanny X-Men #532

Wonderful to see Northstar, though briefly. Enjoyed the threefold story: the X-Men fighting their own clueless devotees; Scott being blackmailed by the unscrupulous magnate who caused the Mutant plague; Wolverine out for revenge.


Cyclops: I hate it when the bad guys call me Scott. Makes me want to shower.

X-Factor #214

A story about Darwin, which is good, because I missed all the stories that introduced him, and his presence in X-Factor is a mystery to me. Darwin seems to be one of those all-powerful characters who can become anything and can do anything. This story is a dreamlike scenario in which Darwin is forced to fight an outlaw and defend a girl in a Wild West town - the whole thing lacking plot and structure, but presumably a prelude to something else.

I didn't enjoy it much; didn't get much sense of Darwin's personality, didn't get the classic Peter David mixture of tight suspense, humour, and characterization, and I missed the other X-Factor characters. It felt like those old fill-in issues we used to get when someone missed a deadline.

X-Men Legacy #244

A lead-in to Age of X, which didn't make much rational sense, but it was a nice exciting read nonetheless - with good art from Harvey Tolibao and Sandu Florea, particularly in their depiction of Rogue, our viewpoint character here. It was good to see Gambit in the spotlight, too, though I don't like the theme here: his dual personality because of what Apocalypse did to him. It's bad enough we're getting that with Warren in X-Force.