Posts Tagged ‘comics’

Review: Morbius #5

Morbius #5So, everything that I was praising about the first four issues… kinda got forgotten in this one.

The wonderfully subtle nature of the rise of the Anti-Hero is replaced with two very big speeches, one by Morbius himself. The speech really comes out of nowhere since previously he’s been more of the strong silent type. As for the speech itself… it’s a speech, and not a particularly stirring one, just kinda makes the pacing of the overall story grind to a halt.

Then The Rose shows up and Morbius doesn’t rip his neck open? What’s up with that? I mean, he was standing there just shooting people when they are down and Morbius decides a friendly chat is required? I don’t understand this…

The whole issue seems really rushed to get Morbius set up into his role as community leader/vigilante. Which kinda sucks because they really had an opportunity here to do some great stuff. Maybe they still will, after all, The Rose is still out there and this can’t be the end of the troubles in Brownsville.

Unfortunately, Morbius hasn’t been doing well in sales so not sure if they will get the chance.

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Review: A+X #8

A+X #8Lockheed has a thing for Spider-woman. Why not?

As for Kitty, that’s a very interesting take on her power, using it to cause brain disruption. I like it when writers think outside the box like that, not only is it new, but it shows progression of a character who’s been around forever. It hints that she might have learned that in one of the titles I don’t read, and now I kinda wish I had.

The second story is one of the most unlikely odd couples I have ever read, that of Deadpool and Hawkeye.  I mean, any time Deadpool is the one to be concerned because “I can walk away from this but you can’t” then you know you got problems. And the hilarity just rolls off of every page as Deadpool takes up shooting arrows and Hawkeye is “always feel bad punching out a literate villain. makes me feel like a bully”.

And, of course, it was all about food.

I don’t care much for Hawkeye, but I will read the hell out of any more Deadpool/Hawkeye team ups if written by Hastings, cause this was something down right magical in how awesome it was.

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Thor: The Dark World: Prelude #1Doing comic book tie-ins are actually a really good idea, as long as they are done well. They’re basically all the extra scenes that got cut out of the movie because they really weren’t needed but would have been nice to see.

That’s pretty much what comprises this particular tie-in.

We know Thor gets to Earth using dark magic and Jane is shipped off to Norway, but here we see it happen.

The best part is the little things, such as Frigga being the one to see that Loki is still alive. I really hope she gets some face time with Loki in Dark World because even if Odin is suspect, she always treated him as her son.

As for Thor himself, he learned that every action has consequences… and this is definitely one of those moments where the bigger picture is about to come crashing down on him.

Just… couldn’t they have done a better cover?

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X-Files: Season 10 #1Okay, so I started this blog intending to mainly focus on X-Men, Marvel, and Fan Fiction, I wasn’t going to review the other stuff I read such as Suicide Squad and Wood’s Star Wars. In fact, I don’t review every Marvel title I read either (why am I still reading Thunderbolts?)… but The X-Files television series is really what shaped me as a writer, how I put things together like plot, pacing, etc. Mulder and Scully were strong characters and when the show was good, it was beyond good. Though, when it was bad, it was beyond bad (I’ll never forgive Chris Carter for that finale).

So when I heard they were doing a Season 10 comic book ala Buffy and Angel, I knew I had to get it. (Actually, I got four of them, I have a compulsion when it comes to variant covers.)

I was… disappointed. But that may just be because I set the pedestal very high.

I’m going to look past the artwork because while it’s not especially good, it’s not terribly bad either. I mean, at least the actors look like themselves and aren’t demonic like in X-Men Legacy. A friend did point out that Scully starts out in a skirt and magically changes into pants when she meets Skinner… suddenly I’m reminded of the Hollywood A.D. episode… anyway, we’ll move past that for now.

It starts out with a typical “Scully in peril” trope from the tv show which is cool, I mean, it’s classic… but the rest of it just kinda slowly goes down hill. Mulder has regressed to his kiddish nature as seen in the pilot episode and throughout the first season. He’s grown a lot since then and it just didn’t seem to fit for him to be that much like a ten year old. And Scully, seeing her cry just didn’t work for me either. I get she was talking about the child they gave up but Scully was never one to express her sorrow so easily, it was usually after a much larger buildup.

Speaking of William… while I like that they are going to address that sore spot of a plot-point in the series, if they don’t handle it properly, it will just make the wound that much more painful.

That being said, it wasn’t a bad comic in and of itself. It didn’t try to drown the reader in exposition and even though it obviously assumes you have seen the tv series it isn’t so riddled with drop-ins as to annoy someone who might be interested in getting into the comic books.

I think mostly I was expecting to open it up and be able to hear Mark Snow’s theme music as I read the pages… and that just didn’t happen. I couldn’t help but put the pedestal to unreachable heights, I can at least acknowledge that.

But I am very much interested in seeing where this goes, and what the Lone Gunman have to do with it… seeing that they’re dead and all (though one can never be too sure).

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X-Men Legacy #11David Haller is just a bit of a prick, isn’t he, but it works to his advantage.

I mean, who else would just stand up to Red Skull after all the stuff he’s done, both in general and personal against David, and just ‘whatevers’. So you’re Red Skull and you stole my dad’s brain, whoop-tee-do. You kinda have to admire that, even if it’s just a bit insane.

Then there is Ruth, running around trying to find someone to help David and the only person who might actually like him other than her she can’t even communicate with (and here I thought everyone could just understand Doop automatically). But she made herself a little team of some decently powerful superheroes… let’s see if they have what it takes to stand up to both Legion and Red Skull.

As for Red Skull… what is his plans with David? Whatever it is, can’t be good.

P.S. can we get a better artist on this title? Davidson and Huat make everyone look so… emaciated and semi-demonic…

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Astonishing X-Men #63Bobby’s kinda lost it… and it’s epic.

It’s good to see that finally everyone has noticed the weather is unnatural and that it could be Bobby’s fault, and that women have started to go missing. Bobby’s ice-clones seem to think they are helping his ex-girlfriends, probably taking them someplace safe for when all ice-hell breaks lose. The thing is, if he has Lorna and Mystique already, then they can do some damage and protect themselves. I wouldn’t underestimate Annie either, ER nurses are a tough lot. But it’s most curious that the clones seemed to have been acting on their own, like they know something is up with Bobby, or the clones just analogues of the part of Bobby that knows what’s happening isn’t right.

Also, Kitty’s conversation with Opal is quite good, especially after Opal’s conversation with Bobby. In only a few short panels Liu manages to really cut to the heart of the jokester Bobby Drake. He’s never been able to keep a girlfriend because he’s always thought he was never good enough for them. His jokes cover a deep depression made worse by being a super-hero.

Then there is the ending, one of the few times that the ‘giant steps on person’ trope actually is funny because it comes out of nowhere and it’s freaking Wolverine he steps on.

But yeah, Bobby has grown immensely with the power of the Death Seed and is now acting out. My local comic book seller had the balls to say “why is this title still going, no one reads it?”… I told him to read the latest arc and that’s exactly why people are reading it. Because Liu is freaking awesome and really knows how to deal with these characters on a more personal basis rather than just as fodder for some grand event.

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Deadpool #11Coming off of the Spideypool issue, we now have Daredevil as a guest star, only it’s less ‘sexual tension’ and more ‘missed opportunity’.

If you know anything about Deadpool then you know he has some bad history with Typhoid Mary. She raped him, not to mention the other emotionally damaging crap she did to him. Daredevil also had some bleak history with the woman as when they first met he accidently pushed her out a window, nearly killing her, and possibly starting her psychotic break.

Now, I don’t really expect a whole issue dealing with this, but the simple fact that it’s just brushed over in a simple statement “Hi Kettle! Meet Black! You used to date Typhoid Mary and run with the Hand” kinda annoys me. That Deadpool would almost belittle what she did to him by using it as a joke, and not even a good joke, makes me wonder if Posehn really understands Deadpool’s history or even accepts that what she did to him was truly rape.

But I’ll accept that this is something of a nitpick seeing as there is a wider story here, but I really hope that Posehn and Marvel take the time to really think about what they are doing with Deadpool as a character and not keep reducing him to a one-note joke.

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Fearless Defenders #5I’m pretty sure the whole reason for this title was to get all these women together to kick some butt. Not that I’m really complaining because it actually comes together quite well.

Valkyrie leads the Doom Maidens fair away to a remote location and starts to fight, then Misty shows up with twelve potential Shield Maidens including Storm, Danvers, She-Hulk, Black Cat, and Elektra. This could have been really cheesy and bad, but the whole thing is handled quite well. They all have different reasons for being there, from helping a friend to thinking they were going to get paid. This is really important because, well, Shield Maidens are women, it’s a role that is defined by gender. Having them all vary with legitimate and gender neutral reasons keeps this from turning into a groan-worthy trope of ‘I am woman, hear me roar!’.

Instead, it’s just a bunch of heroes wrecking the enemy, they just all happen to be female.

Unfortunately though, Valkyrie has given into her Doom-side… and this might not end well for all involved.

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Woverine and the X-Men #30Okay, now we’re back on form. Clever quips, great characterizations, and fun twists. Spoilers ahead!

Truly, I have no idea what’s going on and that’s exactly how I like it. There are so many characters with questionable motivations that it just makes your head spin. Is Quire really just going after Idie? Is Broo really lost, personality wise? Just what the hell is up with Paige?

And who let Herman on twitter? Seriously… him updating the Hellfire Club’s status reminds me of the fan fic The Beautiful Mind of Katherine Pryde. If the Club gets defeated because Herman tweeted an instagram picture of the group’s next diabolical plan…

But I think the best moment was this simple exchange between Quire and Toad.

Quire: Why’d you do it, Toad? Because they made you mop the floors? You’re smarter than half the teachers here, aren’t you?

Toad: You wouldn’t understand why I did it. You’re too good-looking. And too young to have ever been in love.

That is possibly the saddest and truest moment I have seen in comics for a long time. It’s true though, heroes are always ‘dashing’, or ruggedly handsome in some way. Toad is surrounded by beautiful people who are constantly hooking up with each other randomly as highlighted in the Date Night issue. In one small exchange, you’re made to realize just how lonely and possibly depressed Toad is. After all the way he’s come from being a villain in the Brotherhood… he still can’t get ahead because he’s not one of the ‘beautiful people’.

Then we get the part that just rips my freaking heart out.

Toad: I did what you wanted, Paige. I did everything they asked. Please tell me we can be together now, honey?

Paige: We will be, Mortimer. Forever, baby, just like I promised.

Not only do we have wonderful gender reversal, but if Paige is just using Toad I will never, ever, forgive her. Seriously… I never thought one moment about Toad beyond just another side character and then in two panels I just want to snatch him up and hold him tight and tell him everything is going to be okay.

Well played Jason Aaron… well played.

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Astonishing X-Men #62Gambit has kittens!

Okay, so that wasn’t everything I took away from this issue but it was a really great moment. I heart Mystique some days, I really do.

Let’s start with the fact that Bobby is seeing a therapist of some sort, how awesome is that. Mutants in general have always been seen as analogues for groups of people who have difficulty fitting in so seeing that Bobby is accepting that he has issues and is doing something about it is great. Really, I think a lot of the crap that has gone down in the Marvel ‘verse could have easily been avoided if therapy was standard for super heroes. I just hope the fact that they didn’t show us the therapist was just artistic license and not a hint that they will turn out to be, dunno, Mr Sinister or something.

Of course, Bobby is having a time of it. During the X-Termination incident, Alt-Beast put that Death Seed into him and I don’t think it’s been taken out. His personality has gone haywire, he’s been talking to all his ex’s, and he’s causing massive cold snaps everywhere… and he realizes none of this.

Then he gets set off by over-hearing Kitty admitting that she still feels something for Peter. Bobby is basically at his lowest now, emotionally, due to the fact he just can’t seem to hold on to any girlfriend for every long. I’m actually feeling sympathy for the guy for once.

Liu’s always been a very good writer but she really knocked it out of the park on this issue, especially with the side stuff, like the kittens and the small Avengers scene. I can’t wait to see how things are going to go down and how the team is going to deal with this very vulnerable yet super-powered Iceman.

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