Originally Published: April 13, 2011, on Comicvine.com
All seems well at the moment on Utopia until Cyclops gets a message from Abigail Brand, agent of SWORD, that a Breakworld armada flagship has appeared on the edges of the solar system. Considering their previous dealings with the people of Breakworld and that Colossus is technically their Powerlord still, she figured they would be best suited to see exactly what that ship is up to.
The Good
I could read Kieron Gillen written X-Men comics all day. The subtle humor inserted into each scene was a joy to read. Whether it was Namor and Colossus, Doctor Nemesis and Magneto, or Cyclops and Wolverine, the banter back and forth was a thing of beauty.
And since this is the first issue of a new arc, Gillen made sure to make it action heavy in the front in order to use the rest of the comic to build up the plot of why exactly there is a Breakworld ship heading for Earth. Not to mention it is nice to see the Abigail Brand and the Breakworlders come back after a decent length hiatus as this is shaping up to be a pretty interesting story centering on Colossus.
The Bad
Kitty Pryde is still intangible. We get it. Her and Colossus can’t hold each other. Fine. Either fix her already or put her back on the damn giant bullet. I’m tired of every issue of X-Men comics I read that isn’t taking place in an alternate universe having to devote 2-4 pages to “How do we fix Kitty?”
Also, I get that it is his catch phrase, but can we put a hold on the “Imperius Rex” stuff with Namor. It just comes off as cheesy for the king of the seas to have a catch phrase that doesn’t have any meaning. You want him to come off as regal and elite? Get rid of the catch phrase. The Thing and Wolverine have catch phrases. Namor doesn’t need one especially when it wastes several panels per comic usually where we get a close up of his smug face exclaiming it.
The Verdict
This is looking like the launching point for a great story arc revolving around Colossus and it is good to see the Breakworlders returning to the comics. The dialogue is very well written and helps keep the comic light and enjoyable even though here go the X-Men saving the Earth from an unimaginable threat once again.
I wish they would wrap up the entire Kitty Pryde intangibility problem though because it is just becoming redundant at this point. Aside from this, Uncanny X-Men #535 is a great read with a perfect balance of action and plot development. Add in this is the start of a new arc and it is a good time to get back into things if you’ve fallen off the X-wagon recently.
Originally Published: April 13, 2011, on Comicvine.com
Cletus Kasady is still alive and the Carnage symbiote has left a trail of destruction in its wake in order to reunite with its former host. Can even the combined might of Spider-Man and Iron Man be enough to quell this reborn menace?
The Good
The action and writing for this issue is simply top notch. From the opening flashback of when the Hall Industries doctors originally found what was left of the symbiote and Kasady to the banter that Kasady has going back and forth with both the symbiote and Spider-Man and you are quickly reminded that Kasady isn’t your run of the mill homicidal maniac, he has a sinister streak in him that puts him on par with some of the all-time great villains.
Combine this with making him more powerful than ever by merging himself with some of the armor that was powered by pieces of the symbiote to create a techno-organic super-Carnage and Zeb Wells does a brilliant job of actually making you believe that the heroes might not pull this one out in the end.
The Bad
There is a huge downside to having a limited series released every two months in that it can be hard to remember everything that is happening. So when Shriek and Doppelganger showed up midway through the comic, I was taken aback because I had forgotten how big a role they played in setting up this current situation and should have been re-introduced much sooner in the book.
Also, it seems that while being used as bio-fuel for Hall Industries’ powered armor suits that Carnage had another baby. It’s always risky to introduce new symbiotes into the fold because aside from Venom and Carnage, when was the last time a new symbiote has had any lasting effect on the Marvel Universe. When was the last time someone heard from Toxin? It should be interesting to see what happens with this new symbiote considering whom it has now bonded to, but the odds of it sticking around and having any real significance is unlikely and seemed unnecessary.
The Verdict
Carnage fans will be jumping for joy after reading this book as he is being brought back around in a big way and this could help set up a lot of potential storylines in the future. How will Carnage deal with Flash Thompson’s Venom and Anti-Venom? Or a better question, will Flash Thomson be able to control the Venom symbiote if he happens across Carnage?
No matter what happens in the future, if you are a fan of Carnage then this comic is a must have. With so many Maximum Carnage undertones, the nostalgia factor alone should pull people in for this amazing limited series. The only real downfall with this book is that you have to wait two months again for what is shaping up to be an epic and thrilling conclusion.
Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com
After the Chaos War, Hercules is left powerless and now stands before us a mere mortal. But this Champion of Olympus is out to prove there is a lot more to being a hero than superpowers.
The Good
From the opening pages, Hercules reminds us that even without powers, he can be a formidable hero as he still wields many of the weapons he used in his Greek heyday like the Sword of Peleus and the Shield of Perseus. And just how he implements them is something you have to see to truly appreciate.
After opening by saving a girl on the subway in Brooklyn from a street gang, Herc continues to wander around his new mortal home, just kicking bad guy butt all along the way, until he happens onto a restaurant owner who is trying to be strong armed by goons working for the Kingpin. Herc steps in and saves the day once more and foreshadows that this won’t be the last time he hears from the Kingpin, already establishing a clear villain base as Herc looks to settle into Brooklyn of all places and find a real job, very reminiscent of Ares when he was trying to live a mortal life with his son.
Very well-written as Herc still has his infamous sense of humor about him, full of non-stop action, the foreshadowing of much larger things to come, and the surprise return of a villain who has been killed off more times than I count, this first issue is a very strong foundation for this new series.
The Bad
If you haven’t been following Herc or the Chaos War, you might want to research a little to get yourself caught up to speed on everything and just why this once demi-god turned full god is now just a mortal.
Also, with the revelation of the Kingpin trying to buy up property that Herc is staying in and the return of a classic villain at the end of the issue, the conflict is very clear and feels almost like an old-school Daredevil or Spider-Man comic instead of Hercules’ own unique adventure.
The Verdict
If you have been following Herc up to this point and enjoying it then you are going to love what happens to him in this first issue of his own monthly. Full of lots of action that already paints a vivid picture of how Herc will find himself caught in the middle of a struggle between man and god, Herc #1 is one of the most fun and entertaining first issues for a comic I’ve read in a while. If issue two is as good as this first one, I’m definitely putting this in the pull box.
Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com
Misty Knight has awakened from her coma faced with confronting the Puppet Master and a mind-controller Punisher! Can Paladin and Iron Fist save her in time?
The Good
This issue features nearly everyone from the opening issues of the series as they all converge on Misty and this opening story arc comes to an end. This issue also ties up all the loose strings of the first four issues and establishes a larger problem at work behind the scenes pulling Puppet Master’s strings and paving the way for future issues.
The Bad
Not a lot of action takes place as The Punisher tries constantly to fight Puppet Master’s control, who himself is not really a man of action. Meanwhile, instead of jumping in and saving the day, Paladin and Iron Fist spend most of the issue arguing with each other over who cares for Misty more.
You then think business is about to pick up when Black Widow, Moon Knight, and Falcon show up, also mind controlled by Puppet Master, but this lasts for all of two pages before Misty breaks Puppet Master’s control on Punisher. Two pages of solid action compared to twenty pages of pointless dialogue is a bad balance. All of this culminates in Misty and Paladin looking to probably start Heroes for Hire again legitimately and to try to weed out whoever was behind this scheme to begin with.
The Verdict
Although a rather boring issue, it ties up all the loose ends of what was a great opening story arc up to this point. With Misty still feeling the effects of the drugs from Puppet Master and Paladin and Iron Fist barking at each other more than anything, there was just a lot of dialogue with very little actually going on. If you’ve picked up the first four issues, then pick this up to find out how things finally end up shaking out and then look forward to issue six when things will hopefully start to ramp up again after the action for this arc simply jumped off a cliff in this issue.
Originally Published: April 6, 2011, on Comicvine.com
After visiting the Savage Land with the Hulk and his Warbound, Skaar decides to stay behind and see if he can forge a new path for himself in this wild and untamed wilderness.
The Good
This first issue in this limited series has all the elements of a grand Hulk adventure in it except Skaar is taking the place of his dad. Giant killer robots, mad dinosaurs, and an unknown entity that Skaar has unwittingly released and that could spell doom for the Savage Land fill page after page of this limited series’ jumping off point.
On top of this jungle action, you can really see Skaar growing as a character. He tries to test himself constantly, like trying to forcibly tame a T-Rex and use him as a steed, almost as if he is looking for some right of passage that will lead him onto a path he can accept. This story could be laying the groundwork for what could make this limited series also a coming of age story for the boy Hulk.
The Bad
As good as all the scenes with Skaar were, the ones with Ka-zar were boring, although necessary, to establish a different kind of threat. With much of the world becoming aware of the Savage Land, Ka-zar is trying to lead the various tribes of the land time forgot into the future and hoping to open up trade with the outside world. Some are for it while others are clearly against it, calling upon Ka-zar being more an outsider than a Savage Landian and that he has no right to even contemplate this.
On top of this, it was just weird to see Ka-zar in a full suit and tie while addressing various members of state from around the Savage Land and left me questioning his priorities as well. Since when has Ka-zar ever even had a suit to wear?
The Verdict
Although it was weird bouncing back and forth between the great action with Skaar and the political agendas being dealt with by Ka-zar, you could clearly see the direction this limited series is trying to weave for itself. I would have much preferred Ka-zar and Skaar to be working together though, like some epic team-up, instead of dealing with clearly different and separate threats and hope that they come together much sooner in the future issues rather than later.
It may not be the strongest start to a story, but you can see glimpses of greatness and the want to see just what this unknown entity is that Skaar and Ka-zar must face down and what the heck a Devil Dinosaur can do will make you want to pick up the next issue should you pick up this first of five.
Originally Published: April 5, 2011, on Youtube.com/Rcars4885
I come to you once again with your weekly geek fix, but now from my new apartment in…my grandmother’s attic! This week’s episode sees me review Deadpool Team-Up #883 from Marvel and WWE All-Stars from THQ. My hot chick pick of the week is Italian “journalist” Marika Fruscio and this week’s theme is Hulk Hogan’s theme “Real American”.
Originally Published: April 5, 2011, on Comicvine.com
So after trying to put some Assassin’s Creed parkour elements into my idea for a Nick Fury game here, I started to think about what hero who has never had a game would be a more natural fit for that style of game. He would have to be extremely agile and be prone to climbing, leaping, and making whatever his surroundings may be his own personal jungle gym.
Jungle. Hmmm. This got me thinking about how so few of those games take place in a modern era urban environment and how none really take place in the wilderness. I can imagine that it would be just as fun to swing from tree branches and vines as you move through the forest canopy as it would be to move across concrete rooftops. And so I present to you my idea for a hero who could traverse both the dense African jungle and the urban sprawl, and who clearly will again in my idea for a game, the Black Panther!
To ensure there is no confusion, when I refer to the Black Panther, I’m talking about T’Challa and not his sister Shuri. Now that we’ve covered our bases, we need a plot that will make sure T’Challa will travel around both the jungles of Wakanda and the city to make sure we get to experience both jumping around tree tops and dropping down on foes like a real panther and then taking those skills to the urban jungle. This will really help players to get a feel for some of T’Challa’s struggles as well as he has always had to balance the ancient ways of his people with an ever-changing world and urbanization.
I am thinking this would need to be a story broken down into two parts. The first part would be original to the video game in order to help feature some of T’Challa’s most iconic villains as well as to help the user get used to a lot of T’Challa’s abilities. These in-depth tutorial levels will feature lots of hand-to-hand combat as T’Challa moves around the African jungle in this third-person action adventure game.
Now, the two most iconic Black Panther villains I always think of are Klaw and Killmonger and so they would need to be featured in these early levels doing their usual bit in wanting to destroy T’Challa, Killmonger to rule Wakanda and Klaw just because he hates him so damn much. These early levels will work out as about a quarter to a third of the game and educate the players in all of the moves and powers that T’Challa will use for the rest of the game.
After quelling these iconic threats, and since they always seem to be going after Black Panther, we can just write them off as a flashback or whatnot from one of the many encounters T’Challa had with them and we’ll jump into the comic continuity from there. We can pick it up right around the same time as Dark Reign. This would make sense because T’Challa could be reminiscing about simpler times for the battles against Klaw and Killmonger when confronted by Namor about the Dark Illuminati.
This could set T’Challa up for battles against Dr. Doom, Morlun, and Death herself if we were to follow the comic timeline and this could make up the bulk of the remainder of the game. We could also streamline the timeline, cutting out smaller events and whatnot to ensure that our last couple of levels follow T’Challa as he is now in Hell’s Kitchen (thus ensuring urban levels).
It might be a bit much to pull off, but a video game that features T’Challa against his classic foes like Killmonger and Klaw and then follows him through Doomwar would definitely be epic enough to warrant a game. Include cameos by some of the Marvel universes most well-known characters combined with a jaw-dropping depiction of Wakanda and the surrounding forests as you explore them Assassin’s Creed style and I think the game would be a perfect fit for action/adventure enthusiasts out there.
One last minor detail I want to mention is that if I’m having a Black Panther game, I want Keith David to do his voice for all the cinema scenes. If you need a strong, independent black man played in a cartoon or video game, you get Keith David. Plus, he’s already been the character when Black Panther made an appearance in the 1994 Fantastic Four cartoon.
So there you have it folks. We have a voice for the Black Panther, a plot with a lot of iconic villains, and a set gameplay mechanic that should work perfectly for what we would want to pull off. Let me know what you guys think. Could T’Challa carry his own title? Should he only be featured in a more team-oriented game like maybe an Avengers title? Are there other villains that could be featured? Is Doomwar the kind of story that could translate to a video game? Let us know with comments below!
Originally Published: March 30, 2011, on Comicvine.com
The Hood continues his quest for the Infinity Gems and is already half way there with three in his possession. Can the Avengers prevent him for completing the gauntlet or will a new force arise to hinder his progress?
The Good
With Parker Robbins being the pursuer of the gems, this story is a clever twist of the original Infinity Gauntlet story arc, stirring up some great nostalgia for me from the early 1990s with that original story, and playing War of the Gems on my Super Nintendo. With all six gems located this week, Avengers #11 has me salivating in anticipation of the next issue.
Avengers #11 also enlightened me as I came to a new appreciation for the Red Hulk. His monthly may be teetering on the edge of oblivion in my comic book store pull box, but he definitely has a place in an ensemble and was a nice contrast to Thor and Namor while battling against Parker Robbins and it was very fitting that he was able to wrest the red power gem from him after an epic battle.
Couple all this great action and nostalgia with a surprise villain reveal of a being we haven’t seen in quite some time who has become aware of The Hood’s quest and the pieces are in place for one of the more interesting story arcs I’ve read in a while to play out in earth-shattering detail.
The Bad
Although the overall story progressed considerably with all the gems being located now, most of this action took place in only half the book as the other half was The Watcher providing narration over Parker Robbins’ battle with the Red Hulk in order to set up future issues in this arc by explaining how Parker Robbins does not know the power he is playing with.
This also lessened Parker Robbins as an overall threat to the Avengers, even though he has three Infinity Gems. This supposedly huge player in the Marvel underworld keeps losing power and then regaining it, but then gets downplayed simply as someone who is just a common thug that keeps happening onto these outlandish scenarios. If Marvel is going to have him be a major player, then they need to treat him as such. Otherwise stop featuring him as one and leave him alone because last I checked you had to be something pretty special to wield an Infinity Gem.
The Watcher narration also provided a pacing problem. Half the book is this long drawn out battle between Red Hulk and The Hood over the power gem and then the other half sees two more gems found and another change hands. It felt like crawling up to the line at a red light and then slamming on the gas when you saw green.
The Verdict
Avengers #11 harkens back to a classic Marvel story arc and sees more heroes than ever trying to prevent the unthinkable from happening. With an epic battle between the Red Hulk and Parker Robbins serving as the background for a lot of Watcher narration, this would actually be a great spot for someone to jump into this arc as the first half of the book will bring you up to speed on all you need to know from here on out. If you’ve been reading this book though, they try to apologize for the replay session by forwarding the plot tremendously in the last half by uncovering the remaining gems and throwing in a surprise villain reveal that will make fans of the original Infinity Gauntlet arc squeal in delight.
The book has some pacing problems and doesn’t know if it wants Parker Robbins to be a Grade-A villain or a chump, but aside from this it has the makings to be one of the more interesting reads in the coming months and this would be a great time to get on board if you haven’t already.
Originally Published: March 30, 2011, on Comicvine.com
After knocking the Devil himself off his throne in hell, Wolverine must now exorcise the demons in possession of his earthly body. But can he eliminate the threat in his own mind before his friends eliminate him altogether?
The Good
The middle part of this 3-part arc did exactly what it is supposed to do in ramping up the action successfully on both fronts. Wolverine lets loose some of his worst memories in order to help him fight the demons and we see some awesome montages of Wolverines past and present including the ones from his Weapon X and Department H days.
On the physical front, we see the demons pray on the weaknesses of the X-Men Cyclops has brought with him, like making the water boil when fighting Namor or bombarding Magneto with flashbacks of concentration camps, and turn Cyke’s plan completely on its head until some unexpected help arrives from the living ladies in Wolverine’s life.
The Bad
If you haven’t been picking up this series, this is not the issue to jump into things with. And even though this is billed as the second part of a three-issue arc, you really need to have read the opening five-issue arc to really understand what is going on.
On top of this, there are plot holes abound with the regular X-Men continuity. For example, when Wolverine’s lady friends show up to help provide mental support, Jubilee is in tow with them. Last I checked, she was a vampire and couldn’t walk out in the middle of the day as her blood transfusions from Wolverine only provide resistance against limited UV light and this is never addressed. Include showing Nightcrawler and the Phoenix Force symbol at various points inside Wolverine’s mind and this arc looks to be coming to a very predictable end.
The Verdict
This comic gives fans of Wolverine everything they’ve come to expect. They show his depth as a character, his perseverance as a hero, and just why he is the best there is at what he does. It also shows how much of an effect he has had on the people around him over the years.
Despite all this, there are plot holes that will be noticeable to people reading the X-books right now. For a book that did a great job of holding your attention and kept you guessing through its first six issues, Wolverine #7 makes some very predictable turns. If you have been reading Wolverine up to this point then this issue forwards the plot enough to make it worthwhile, but newcomers to the series should look to hold off until the beginning of the next arc.
RayCarsilloWrites.com 