Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Review: Magneto #2

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Magneto #2Magneto has issues.

PTSD, megalomania, a general lack of fucks to give… he’s the ultimate villain in that you want to be sympathetic to his cause but he’s still a murdering bastard.

Here we get some of the sympathetic side of him as we’re told a story showing what it was like for him as a Jew in Germany during the holocaust. Bunn doesn’t sugarcoat anything, it was pretty bad. It’s hard not to want to feel for Max (thank goodness Bunn remembered his name was Max!).

But does it excuse Magneto’s more extreme measures? That’s an existential question that I think Bunn is trying to ask and possibly answer.

At least Magneto recognizes he’s turned into a kind of monster, but how far will that realization get him?

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Review: Marvel Knights: X-Men #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , on May 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Marvel Knights X-Men #5This limited run in the Marvel Knights imprint comes to a close with issue five… and it’s not what I was expecting.

The story has been pretty dark and gritty (in a good way), giving us a really nice look at the downside of being a mutant. Not to mention this series played up the use of mutants as an analogue for minorities and anyone who is different. The way it was so well written, this was one of those times where I would have accepted a death or two as a realistic and purposeful outcome of the story.

Instead, we get a message of hope. The girl who messed up fixes her mistake and helps the girl who feels the weight of her mutation like concrete boots.

This entire series has been a breath of fresh air from the typical writing seen lately in comics so I really should have seen this coming. This is an old-school ending, a throw-back to a time sorely missed.

It would be great if we could get more of these Marvel Knights series by Revel, or just more writing like this in general. Marvel really should take note.

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Review: Amazing X-Men #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 18, 2014| 2 Comments »

Amazing X-Men #5We get down to the final battle of Father vs Son… and it proves why you should always bet on blue.

Everything in the last four issues has basically lead up to Nightcrawler becoming human again so that he can get his own solo (not that I’m complaining about him getting his own solo). He takes on his dad and pulls a bigwhammy on him, essentially clipping his wings. The side effect of defeating Azazel being that Kurt becomes human… and loses his soul.

Did he literally lose his soul or was that more metaphorical than literal?

It pains me to think of Kurt in that kind of a situation, he’s a good man with a strong moral compass, but he did what he had to in order to save millions. It’s the kind of tough call that a man like him would make.

How will this affect the team? How will this change Kurt? Can I give him a hug? I really think he needs a hug…

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Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S01E21 “Ragtag”

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , , on May 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

aos-ragtagThis was quite possibly the most ‘comical’ episode of the season. And by comically I mean comics.

From the suitcase of gadgets courtesy of Trip’s Howling Commando grandfather, to May’s backfliping down the hall and hanging up the phone, to Phil’s version of a large file transfer, this episode really did read like a comic book. But instead of coming off too cheesy, it really tempered the pace of the last few episodes which have been pretty heady with the right touch of angst. This episode was a reprieve from the finale which is probably going to make us all scream and cry and throw things.

Now, the episode wasn’t all fun and games. In fact, towards the end it pretty much gave us a healthy taste of what we’re going to expect in the finale… which is OMG WTF?

At this point I’m not sure if they want to redeem Ward or not… they start the episode with some back history… explain why he is the way he is… give him that ‘manipulated by Garrett into thinking he’s the be all and end all’… in fact, Ward reacts much like a child would to Garrett’s worsening state. But when  he’s given the chance to change, to do the right thing, he literally throws Fitz and Simmons out of the airplane. And I mean literally literally…

Sure, an argument could be made that Ward could have done a whole lot worse other than dropping them from what looked like a single story, maybe two, nothing that they couldn’t live through. But he still dropped them. He made that choice.

They are painting Ward into a corner he can’t get out of.

Loki much?

 

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Review: All-New X-Factor #5

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 10, 2014| 1 Comment »

All-New X-Factor #5Can all issues of this title take place in Gambit’s bedroom? Is that too much to ask?

Sexy Cajun’s aside, the existential quandary that Danger is going through is actually pretty heady. She’s got ‘knowledge’ but no experience, she no longer has the answer to ‘why’ that takes most humans 15+ years to get a basic grasp of, let alone fully understand. People are lying to her for reasons she doesn’t get.  The question now is how much of this David is going to continue to explore, or if he was only using it to justify her attacking Smaug. A.I.’s becoming Sentient story lines can be tricky and Danger is already self-aware, just not quite fully sentient… so David’s got his work cut out for him.

Other notes: Gambit’s kittens know what’s up… you see the brown one licking his face? Though probably it’s just that it decided it needed to be fed, right then.

Pietro really needs to get over his robophobia… just cause you didn’t like Wanda getting married to anyone, let alone Vision, don’t mean you have to be rude about other human/robot interactions. (I understand that robophobia probably isn’t the right term here but I honestly have no idea what is…)

Serval get’s more and more questionable every issue…

And Warlock is working with his dad?

Wut?

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Review: Ms. Marvel #2

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 8, 2014| 1 Comment »

Ms Marvel #2Getting what you want is rarely all it’s cracked up to be…

Kamala gets super powers that allow her to become Ms. Marvel, in dress at least, and she discovers why sensible footwear and proper underwear is important.

She’s a little freaked out too, but this doesn’t set her back when someone is in trouble, someone who wasn’t nice to her. Instead of letting events take their course, Kamala steps up to do the right thing. Later, once she gets over the fact that this is really happening, she’s still a little freaked, but determined. There is definitely a “Steve Rogers’ or ‘Peter Parker’ vibe in there, a good person given a great power…

I have a feeling Kamala is going to be able to handle that responsibility… but maybe not so much the wedged heels.

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Review: Uncanny X-Men #19.NOW

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Uncanny X-Men #19Mystique, I know you’re the bad guy, but damn girl… that’s just cold.

Mystique’s first priority has always been herself with the exception of Irene, Rogue, and Nightcrawler, because those three give her uncomfortable feels. She’s also been loyal to the mutant cause, believing mutants to be superior to humans and the like… but to keep Dazzler in a coma, draining her blood to use to make the mutant power drug, solely for the money and a vindictive streak against Dazzler who she considers a traitor? This is a damn far low that I’m pretty sure Mystique would have never fallen to… but with Bendis writing, he doesn’t care.

And of course S.H.I.E.L.D. comes after Bond… it doesn’t take a prognostic to figure that one out. I’m hoping this is just some clever game Scott and Co are playing, otherwise this is one of the stupidest and hypocritical moves this team has ever made… which is saying a lot.

The part of this issue that I’m board with is that yes, everywhere mutants go, or superheroes in general, the place ends up wrecked. I hate to see what the insurance premiums are in 616…

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Review: Wolverine and the X-Men #2

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on May 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Wolverine and the X-Men #2So everyone is yelling at each other.

That’s pretty much it.

Oh, there is some fighting and sexy nuns… but a lot of yelling.

I just couldn’t get into this issue, at all.

Meh.

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Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S01E20 “Nothing Personal”

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , , , on May 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

aos_nothing personalI’m rather annoyed at myself for not reviewing this episode sooner, especially since this was the best yet!

Now, I know I’ve not exactly been fond of Skye, I’ve found her to be a highly annoying character, but in Nothing Personal I garnered a whole new respect for the woman. It happened about the moment Skye called BS on Ward. She could have gone all “I love you, there’s still good in you, blah blah”. That kinda of reaction does have its place in storytelling but it’s often the only reaction anyone ever writes in these cases. Not only is that dull, unimaginative, and borderline sexists, it often doesn’t even fit the scene or character (looking at you Padme, you broke my heart!). So when Ward tries to pull the “i care about you’ shtick on Skye I nearly shouted for joy when she calls him out for all the people he chose to murder.

No excuses. No attempt to justify his actions. She flat out calls him a Nazi.

Damn straight girl! You tell him!

And the best part, later when she sticks to her morals and doesn’t let Ward die it’s a much more powerful scene as she’s really doing it because she’s not a murderer, not because of some romantic ideal she has in her head about Ward.

This really is the best part of the episode, but did I mention Maria Hill shows up and is basically 110% done with everyone’s shit?

Then that ending where we discover the roots behind Project T.A.H.I.T.I. and Coulson’s true involvement in it and how he should have just shut up and trusted May? Cause yeah, that happened.

Two episodes left and if this show is not renewed… I’m going to have to go Black Widow on someone’s ass.

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Review: X-Men #12

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , on April 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

X-Men #12Well, that ended rather abruptly…

They thought they’d defeated Arkea once before, but turned out they only got a piece of her and she came back. Now, they go after Arkea Prime, the main part of her, and in an issue they take her out… without even questioning if they got it right this time? No long epic battle, literally they just show up. Arkea’s ‘heavy hitters’ decide they have no loyalties to her and simply walk away. Then boom, Arkea is no more and everyone is happy and go their own way.

Huh?

Pretty anti-climatic for such a long build up.

Though it will be interesting to see what damage Selene and Maddie will cause and where they are going to go, that part of the issue was literally just set up for later and that’s it.  I really hope there is more to this Arkea thing because otherwise… this was a very disappointing wrap up.

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