We had some problems uploading this episode but better late than never. We go head to head with X-Infernus #1 and Batman #682. We also review the end of secret Invasion with the release of Secret Invasion #8, did all the years of planning pay off or was the series a disappointment. We finish off the show with some quick looks at JSA #21, New Avengers #47 and more.
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This week we went head to head with Daredevil #113 and Batman #681, the final issue in the R.I.P storyline. Did it live up to Eric's expectations? We also review JSA: The Kingdom Special, Ultimate Spider-man #128, Superman #682 and more.
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We're back from another little break, life's been a little bit bust lately. Eric and I go head to head with a couple of books from last week, Terra #1 and the first issue of Ultimatum. We then give you our reviews of some of the books from this past week including Wolverine, Green Lantern Corps, JSA Kingdom Come Superman Special and more. We finish off the show with some DC comic news covering Batman R.I.P and the cancellation of the bat-family titles and the rumor that DC has decided to change the ending of Final Crisis.
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This week we go Head to Head with Daredevil #112 and Final Crisis: Submit #1. We also review Secret Invasion #7, Final Crisis #4, Superman: New Krypton Special and more. We finish off the show with our review of the new Star Wars Clone Wars TV show. We thought the movie was lukewarm, is the series any better?
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This week We trade off books with Robin #179 and Uncanny X-Men #503, we also discuss Amazing Spider-Man #573, The end of Ultimate Origins #5, JSA #19, Final Crisis Rogues' Revenge #3 and more. We finish off the show with our review of the latest episode of Heroes- Angels & Monsters
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It's our 50th episode and time to change up the show a little bit. You'll hear about our new format as we discuss the books of the week including Detective Comics, Secret Invasion: Inhumans, Green Lantern, Action Comics and more. We run down what we've thought of Heroes Season 3 so far and finish off the show with our reviews of the Wii and PS3 version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
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While Watchmen has always meant something big for us comic readers, its quickly on its way to rising up and becoming a true cultural phenomenon beyond graphic novels. Word of mouth is quickly spreading and the book is being found in retailers one generally wouldn't expect (even at Urban Outfitters!). My point is that interest in the story is expanding beyond the typical comic book audience and my friend and fellow blogger Kate has recently undertaken the task of reading Alan Moore's greatest work. She's been kind enough to write up her thoughts for us below;
In the interest of full disclosure, until I picked up Watchmen I had never read a graphic novel. My experience with the genre was contained to movies and the seemingly incoherent ramblings of my geeky friends. But I nearly gave Eric a heart attack when I asked him if I could borrow what is considered the greatest graphic novel of all time. And then he added to the pressure by asking me to blog about the experience of my first graphic novel.
I quickly found out that it was longer and much more complicated that I had ever anticipated - a novel as layered and engaging as anything I ever got handed in AP English. What struck me especially, were the questions of morality from a genre that I have long understood lived in a black and white world.
So when I finally did turn the last page of this work I was left pondering one of life’s BIG questions. Does the end justify the means? Especially in this modern era when the end is murky at best. Now this is a question that has been and will be continued to be debated by philosophers, novices and apparently by people who dress up and fight crime.
In an almost post President George W. Bush world, these questions take on a new and interesting layer. And certainly violence in New York is seen in a different light post 9/11. But didn’t Bush, Cheney & Co. use a horrific tragedy to unite a country (and most of the world) behind one common cause? Didn’t they use it to divert our attention to the problems that they wanted to solve? I’m not suggesting that 9/11 was a huge conspiracy perpetrated by the President but certainly it was used in an exploitive fashion.
And we know now what happens when the plot to deceive is exposed, alliances fall apart, the peace and unity created is fleeting and the President has the one lowest approval ratings in history. And the tentative end of Watchmen suggests that their created peace, may also, in fact, be fleeting at best. It’s left of a copy boy in a newspaper office.
And what about those who go along with the plot? Are they simply doing what’s best for humanity? Or are the accomplices in the most disgusting propaganda campaign that includes murder? Considering that The Night Owl and Silk Specter seem to get their happily ever after, the former seems to the case. And poor Rorschach – betrayed in probably the worst way possible. There is no way that he could even see this as a grey area. He could not live in a world post this horrific event.
I was struck by a graphic novel that was written in the mid 80s could smack so smartly with current events.
The plot kept me guessing the whole way through, which as an avid consumer of pop culture is hard to do. I can usually spot the ending about 5 miles away and have to sit patiently as everyone else catches up. But in the end I was surprised.
I’m left thinking about many things. What would I have done? Would I have stood by and let thousands die in order to bring peace to the world, however fragile?
But the real question is, will I read another graphic novel? Well, when you start at the top, there is only one place to go. But I’m open for suggestions….
Kate currently co-runs the blog giif-giif.blogspot.com where you can find her musings on a variety of topics and is also an avid trivia player. Please feel free to leave suggestions for future books other than the typical fare or respond regarding your thoughts on Watchmen. Thanks Kate!
Written by Duane Swiercynski
Art by Areil Olivetti
Letters by Joe Caramagna
OK so Cable #7 was the best book that I read this week.......but not to disrespect the book but it was down to either this or Trinity.
That being said, this book.....not too bad.
While the first 5 issues of Cable took us on a dragged out story of Nathan running from Bishop, issue 6 with Cyclops seems to have changed the direction of the book, something that it desperately needed. I wasn't aware of how much had changed until I picked up this issue and was surprised to see a red headed toddler running around.
Yes Cable is further into the future and the Messiah baby, is no longer a baby. Bishop went back to the present and had some scheme to take down Cable from there but was captured by X-Force and taken to Cyclops for questioning. Upon testing, Hank finds out that Bishop has actually been gone for 4 and a half years so it looks like the messiah baby should be around 5 years old.
More characters is what this book sorely needs and had the book been like this issue all along, I would have been more sympathetic to the series as a whole. I still think the biggest weight holding this book down is the art. Swiercynski's art isn't bad by any means but it also isn't good. One of the reason's that everyone seems to hate Cable is because they think of him and they see this huge bulking character with guns and...it's just too much. Cable doesn't need t more realistic artist but Swiercynski is just a bad fit, this book needs an artist that can tone it done a little and not make the characters look so stiff.
All in all I'm happier with this book now than I've ever been. This was a very slow week for books but I'm happy to see this story progressing and it was very obvious that Cable and this baby will be back with the X-men fairly shortly and that can't happen soon enough.
Eric picked Titans #5 as the best book he read this week because the character interactions were great and the art was pretty good for a change. We also discuss Robin, Uncanny X-Men, Young X-men, Secret Invasion, Hellblazer and more
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Written by Judd Winick
Pencils by Julian Lopez
Colors by Edgar Delgado
Letters by Rob Clark Jr.
It's no secret that I love every character that inhabits this book. So far though I've found Titans to be lackluster. The characters haven't really had a chance to settle in to the team, being too busy fighting demon spawn and being possessed. This issue however finally let everyone take a breather and deal with being a team again with this group that has so much history together. In short, personal moments abound! Gar and Ravens soul bearing discussion paid respect to Titans history while setting up the next direction for Raven. I've enjoyed watching these two get closer since they've come back into each others lives. It makes complete sense that these people who have such a history would develop feelings for eachother. And speaking of relationships, revisiting Dick and Kory's past was the scene stealer for me. Despite being set in pool allowing some cheesecake art, the conversation between the two is somewhat heart wrenching. When Kory asks Dick if he loves her, and his single strained answer was "no", my heart sank a bit. These two are the lovers who will never truly work and anyone who has ever been in that situation will feel something in this scene.
Judd Winick does a great job with the smaller scenes in this book. This issue spotlighted how well he writes smaller moments. That's not to say he can't do action but few do character development like Judd. Winick, like Johns, does well telling a new story while tying in the Titans rich history. These are characters that have known eachother for years yet haven't spent much time together in the last several. Come to think of it, this book reads like an action heavy high school reunion and I love that since I've been able to see these people grow up.
I really hope Lopez stays on this book. The art is a drastic improvement from the last several issues. The only thing I don't understand is the overabundance in this title of putting characters in revealing outfits (not just the costumes). It seems like they got an editorial comment to make it happen in every issue. Anyways, its still a big improvement from what we've had.
This book stood out as a "most improved player" book this month. I love this team and I want to see them do well. It seems like Winick has finally found his stride and I hope the momentum is maintained.
Eric picked Detective Comics #848 as the best book he read this week because it wasn't directly tied in to Batman R.I.P, yet was really good. We also take a look at X-Men: Manifest Destiny#1, Spider-Man loves Mary Jane #2, Trinity #15 and more. We finish off the show by discuss Warner Bros. new idea of making more DC movies but making them all dark, even Superman!
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Written by Brian Michael bendis
Art by Butch guise
Colors by Justin Ponsor
Letters by Cory Petiit
Wow this was a very pleasant surprise.
I've been reading Ultimate Origins since the beginning and I've been been enjoying it but it's never jumped out at me. I guess I find myself looking at it and scratching my head. I love the origin story and the creepy towers and how everything is connected but I think what's kept me from loving this story is that it's setting up Ultimatum, an event that I'm not looking forward and I think that's affecting the way I see this book.
All that aside, this issue was so good that I just went with it straight from the beginning. When we were at the Emerald City Con last year, at a Q & A Bendis said there were a lot of plans for Nick Fury and that we would finally get a Nick fury origin story. In the last issue we were given a glimpse but we got a lot more Fury in this issue and that's never a bad thing.
Ultimate Origins was advertised with the idea that so many things and people in the Ultimate universe were connected without knowing it and I was a little hesitant by that idea but things really came together in this issue and I just absolutely loved it.
We find out what motivates Nick Fury, how Peter's parents died and more and the issue ended with the reveal of the Ultimate Watcher and I knew, hands down, at that point that this was the book of the week.
We had some technical difficulties so this episode is a little late but still here! Eric picked New Avengers #44 as the best book that he read and not for the reasons that you may think. We also discuss the end of Teen Titans Year One, JSA, X-Men Legacy, DCU: The Last Will & Testament and more.
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Written by Paul Dini
Pencils by Dustin Nguyen
Inks by Derek Fridolfs
Colors by John Kalisz
The older I get, the more forgiving I'm getting about continuity issues. I tend to try and make my own continuity in my head, its the only way to make things work sometimes. It also helps me get past small glitches in timelines and just enjoy the story being told. As soon as I stopped trying to make Paul Dini's "Heart of Hush" story work within the confines of RIP and just let it run on its own steam, it really became a great Batman story.
Paul Dini's writing on DC has always been great and a little reminiscent of the old animated series. However, with stories such as the Joker/Zatanna arc along with the current Hush story, the tone of the book has become seemingly darker. Detective Comics now closely resembles the old Shadow of the Bat title of the 90s (which was one of my favorites). Dini has done a wonderful job of taking Hush into an even scarier realm than explored in the Jeph Loeb storyline, really turning Thomas Elliot into the mad surgeon. We've also been given more glimpses into his childhood and life at home. While not terribly original, it does provide more substance for the character. The addition of Selina Kyle is always welcome in this title as well. Selina's reaction as she saw Hushs face shows that Dini still has a few surprises up his sleeve.
Nguyen's art is outstanding. I love his stylized approach to the characters. There's a simplicity that when combined with Fridolfs' inks, the visuals become almost eerie and frightening. This is the Batman that I remember as a kid.
It's been a good year to be a Batman fan and while Morrison is pushing the boundaries of weird in the main title, it's been great to have Dini write a proper, scary sendoff for Bruce Wayne.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Billy Tan
Inks by Matt Banning
Colors by Justin Ponsor
Richaaaarrrrdddsss!!!! To be fair it's not really his fault...and it kinda is. Of course I refer to what I've just read in New Avengers #44. Turns out those pesky Skrulls really cooked up something devious to overcompensate for their lack of imagination and overall smarts. I loved this story for several reasons but I was shocked at the sheer brutality of the Skrull's research. While disappointed by the Illuminati appearance, it was cool to see them together again. I also found myself laughing at the Skrull's seeming lack of any subtly regarding anytime they end an experiment. Instead of hitting a switch or something, it's set blasters to kill! Oh those silly Skrulls!
I've been enjoying these back stories slightly better than the main title and that's not to say the whole of Secret Invasion hasn't been enjoyable. It's just been alot of fun finding out what we haven't been seeing over the last several years. Bendis has also done a great job of making me like Reed Richards who was a character I've never found particularly interesting especially after his actions during the civil war. Overall, the reveal of how the Skrull's were finally able to become successful was a great twist and really shows how integral Richards is to the Skrull's relationship with the rest of the Marvel U.
Tan's art is mainly good with the exception of a few panels where faces look a little melty. Tan does however push the brutality factor and helps convey just how much most of the Skrulls hate humanity. This is juxtaposed with very touching moments such as the scene between Reed and Franklin which would be quite touching under normal circumstances.
Overall, New Avengers continues to be the showcase for the best of the Secret Invasion action. With major reveals in almost every issue, it's great that Bendis is finally letting us in on things that have been playing out in his head over the last few years.
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by George Perez
Inks by Scott Koblish
Colors by Hi-Fi
Letters by Adam Schlagman
Yes you're reading this correctly, I picked a Legion book as the best thing that I read this week.
There are some creators that you will follow even if they're doing something out of your comfort zone and Geoff Johns proved to me with this issue that he is surely a creator that I will always follow. I've never really liked the Legion, I always thought the whole time traveling thing was really confusing, plus there's so many members, it's just a lot to keep track of but it worked great here.
The wonderful surprise about this issue is that it was equally a Superboy Prime book as it was a Legion book and I think thats' why it was far more accessible to a reader such as myself. Johns has always said how he loves writing the character and it shows. Prime is such an arrogant little brat that I would normally hate him as a character but to see a Superman family character acting like that is kind of a nice change. I really liked the twist at the end of the issue and I'm excited to see where this is going to go.
I've never been a huge fan of George perez's art. I've been a fan but I just never read a lot of his older stuff so I while I probably didn't freak out about the art as the average DC fanboy would, I really loved it. It was bright and classic, straightforward and just heroic art, I really dug it.
So there it is. I liked a Legion book.(I actually loved this book) and I'm interested to see what other people think. One thing to mention is that they were dropping the name Superboy left and right and I thought they weren't allowed to do that anymore? Huh.
Eric picked Action Comics #868 as the best book he read this week because it finally felt like something noticeable is going on in the Superman Universe. We also discuss Fantastic Four #559, Secret Invasion #5, Booster Gold #11 and more. We finish off the show with our review of Star Wars The Clone Wars. Did we think this was worth releasing in the theaters? Listen and find out!
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Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Gary Frank
Inks by Jon Sibal
Colors by Brad Anderson
Look to the sky...
I, like many others out there, have always preferred other icons such as Batman over Superman. I always felt that Superman wasn't totally relatable. That's not to say I didn't believe in Superman as an icon and inspiration. I just felt that writers tended to tell better stories with other characters. With the exception of a few trades and story arcs (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow) I just couldn't find an ongoing series that I felt did service to Big Blue. Kingdom Come, New Frontier, and the JLA seemed to be where Superman belonged, among the company of other brightly clad demigods, not on his own handling a man who played with large toys and an imp with the voice of Gilbert Gottfried (points for those in the know). I'm happy to admit that I have finally been proven wrong.
We live in a Superman renaissance right now with Action Comics and Superman getting major attention and overhauls. Geoff Johns has, like he's done for so many other titles, made Superman relevant to his own world. It's redundant to go on about boiling Superman down to his roots or how Johns has a knack for bringing a magic to the characters he writes so I won't go on and on about it. We all know it. What I personally like about our recent version of Supes is he's brimming with personality. When he's written in stories like Kingdom Come, while I look up to him, I'm also a little wary of him. In this book, the comment I made earlier about relatability goes out the window (other than the alien stuff). His interactions and motivations are clearly displayed and fit much better than what I've seen before.
Another key to a good Superman story is a good villain. Other than Lex Luthor, Brainiac has always been a very threatening presence in these books. In Action Comics, he's down right chilling. As we now know, we've never truly seen the real Brainiac until today. While his ship reeked of the matrix, the idea of what our villain does is terrifying. Also, we now have a Brainiac that isn't destroyed with a few super punches. HE'S A BIG SCARY DUDE! The hint at his hand in the destruction of Krypton left with an "OHHHH S***" moment.
Gary Franks art is perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it! I have gravitated more and more towards realistic art as I've grown older with one of my favorite artists being Rags Morales. Frank comes from the same school in that his characters are realistically proportioned and where real clothes, not garments applied by spray-paint. This is very apparent in the way Kara is depicted in this issue. Standing next to Cat, its nice to see Kara not displayed as over developed jail bait. Also, Brainiac is terrifying. The cold, dead gaze in his eyes makes me almost hear a monotone dead voice emanating from him. The site of his ship showing up over Metropolis sent chills down my spine and I was left with the same emotion as the rest of the citizens, wondering "where's Superman?"
I haven't bought a Superman monthly since the early 90s and I'm so happy to have the most iconic hero finally get the respect he deserves in the title that started all of this. "They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you… my only son. " Go get em big guy!
I chose Spider-man Loves Mary Jane as the best thing that I read this week because it was just a breath of fresh air with all these other serious comics around. Eric gives his R.I.P. updates with reviews of Robin, Nightwing, Dectective comics and more. We finish off the show with our thoughts of the new DC games, Mortal Kombat vs DC and DC Universe online.
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Written by Terry Moore
Art by Craig Rousseau
Colors by Guilliem Mari
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Now this was a treat
I've heard good things about the Spider-man loves Mary jane book but just haven't taken the time to check it out. I've really been trying to pick up new things lately and when I saw that Terry Moore was writing this issue I just had to pick it up and I'm really glad that I did.
This book take place out of continuity and it just a fun look at the Midtown high gang and the high-jinks that they get up to. I've referred to Saved By The Bell various times in the podcast and that's what this book felt like, it was just a little teen drama with our familiar Spider-man characters and I loved it. Everyone's involved and it's great to see things from Mary jane's point of view. He doesn't like Gwen because she's insecure about who Gwen is and when Peter comes around, you can just tell her heart's a flutterin'
One thing that I really loved about this book is that Peter Parker is truly a nerd. Moore makes the statement that Peter is taking all IB classes which is something that Peter would be involved in and more importantly Craig Rousseau truly draws Peter as a short, skinny, frail looking boy and I cannot remember the last time he was presented that way.
I've heard a lot of positive things about Terry Moore so I was looking forward to picking this up and I was impressed. I don't plan on reading Strangers in Paradise(just doesn't seem like my kind of book) but I hope he plans to stay on this title and after this issue I am definitely adding this to my box.
With so much going on in this week like time bullets and Skrulls, a crazy Batman and Hulk fighting the god of thunder, this was just a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Eric chose Northlanders#8 as the book of the week because it's a story that he followed from start to finish and it paid off. We also discuss JSA Annual, Green Lantern, Thor, Wolverine and more. We finish the show out with an in depth look at Y:the last man and a review of Soul Calibur 4.
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Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Letters by Travis Lanham
After reading the conclusion to Brian Wood's epic viking tale this week I thought it was very different from what I've read from him before (mainly stories within DEMO). The main character of Sven was introduced in this story as a gigantic asshole who was mainly out for what he felt was owed to him. Svens story follows many standard beats of the hero's journey. Through Svens trials he has become a more rounded and mature character. What I enjoyed though was how Sven always felt like an outsider amongst his own people. While his travels early in life left him separated since he'd seen more civilized portions of the world, he'd rejected the world he was born into. Now with the finale of the story, we see that Sven has matured to the point of caring for his people however still rejecting their ways. In the end, his decisions reflect this in both his born duties and his heart.
While good, the series had some odd writing beats. Wood characterized the inhabitants of this old world as speaking in a modern way, i.e. cursing like sailors. While I'm not sure how historically accurate this is, it was just jarring every time it happened. However, this story wasn't about historical accuracy, it was about characterization. Wood finishes Svens story by jumping into the future and showing how he spends his remaining years after his trials at home. In the end, Svens growth and maturity were more in line with the character driven stories that I had expected from Wood making me reassess my earlier assumption. Balanced with equal bits comedy, tragedy, and action, this book always made for a compelling read.
Gianfelices art in this book was great. The northern islands not only looked desolate but felt cold and forbidding. There was a grime on these pages that wouldn't wash off. Alternately, other locales like Constantinople were shimmering and bright. Battles were fierce and crowded and the sweeping vistas and cliffs gave a grand scale to the setting. Gianfelice has definitely made a fan out of me.
In the end, Northlanders was an entertaining series which offered much in the way of action, romance, and tragedy. In the vein of the old myths and Arthurian legends, Northlanders adds a contemporary spin that makes for a compelling story.
I picked Avengers:The Initiative #15 as the best book that I read this week because it gave us a new and fresh look at the Secret Invasion and this continues to be one of the more consistently solid book at Marvel. Er also discuss Robin, Green Lantern Corps, Two-Face Year One and more. After seeing the trailer for Watchmen, I finally sat down and read the book and Eric and I discuss what we think of Alan Moore's masterpiece and we finish off the show with all the new and crazy news coming out of this year's Comic-Con.
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DC released a pretty exciting poster this weekend showing potential candidates for who may be replacing Bruce as Batman after the RIP story. I was pretty excited about this!
Written by Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Art by Harvey Tolibao
Colors by Jay David Ramos
Letters by Joe Caramagna
Eric and I talked about our difference in opinion with the way Secret Invasion is going so far and while I am loving the story, I can see where it may frustrating for some people. I think this issue of Avengers:The Initiative is a great story for those readers.
This issue while fully immersed in the invasion, really stands on its own. We see the invasion trough the most unlikely of heroes. A Skrull who has embraced humanity and decide to be a hero and join the initiative.
I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the idea when I first starting reading but after doing into the back story of the character and the interactions that he had with both humans and skrulls, I just thought it was a very witty way to tell a story within this crossover.
Slott and Gage get some major points for thinking outside the box and actually making us care about this Skrull hero and making his love for the Earth believable. I wasn't a huge fan of the art, I thought it was a little bit too detailed and gritty bit it got the job and I really enjoyed the fight scenes.
All in all I just had a lot of fun with this story and it was a new way to experience Secret Invasion. Avengers;The Initiative is one of the strongest titles at Marvel right now and I hope it continues to soar post-Secret Invasion.
We're back from hiatus and ready to review some books! Eric chose Final Crisis:Rogue's Revenge as the best book of the week because it's Geoff Johns writing the characters he loves and that equals comic goodness. We also discuss several books from this week and last such as Captain America White, JSA, Batgirl,Mighty Avengers, Secret Invasion and more. We give you our thoughts of the Watchmen and new Terminator trailers and discuss the biggest movie of the summer, The Dark Knight.
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Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe was teased a while ago and while I was skeptical about the concept, I figured I would wait until I saw more footage to make my judgements. After seeing the new E3 trailer I am really against this game. It's weird to say,because I feel like such an "adult" but seeing my favorite DC characters in a gore ridden game......those are two worlds that I don't want to see together. Plus more than GTA or a regular Mortal Kombat game, this is going to attract the attention of smaller kids and I think that's a problem.
Here's the trailer though, judge for yourselves
Jim Lee came out during Sony's keynote speech at E3 to show off a trailer of the new DC Universe online game. A MMO game based in the DCU that lets you create your own hero or villain and then interact with the greatest names in the DC universe.
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Scott Kolins
Well, we're back from our hiatus and ready to go again. As our return BoW I picked Rogues' Revenge #1. Final Crisis has drawn some criticism due to its apparent lack of direction. This may be valid or may not depending on if you judge its overall merits or by it's monthly offering. Rogues' Revenge I'm happy to say contains a more focused story...oh man...sorry, Batman and Robin is currently on TV and I forgot Coolio is in it. Poor, poor Coolio. Anyways, Rogues' Revenge=focused narrative albeit containing very little actual relation to the Final Crisis story. That's okay really.
Johns writing these characters again is a treat. This book acts as a follow-up to the much botched Bart Allen Flash series. We find the rogues on the run and ready to give up the lifestyle when Bart's killer, Inertia, is freed. The rogues, feeling that they were tricked into being a part of Barts death go after Inertia to get their "revenge". Zoom also shows up with an agenda of his own. Now I was there when Bart died. The rogues saying that the Flash should have been able to survive their attacks doesn't make me sympathize with them. They were a part of it whether they believe that or not. However, I am looking forward to seeing them try and follow their own twisted moral code.
Kolins' art is serviceable in this issue but its truly Johns' writing that makes this book stand out. The characters stating that "the death of kid flash was a mistake" feels like Johns not too subtly slamming DC in their decision to do away with Bart and if anyone can give us the final chapter in his death, I'm glad Johns is on it.
Written by Mike Carey
Pencils by Scott Eaton
Inks by Andrew Hennessy
Colors by Frank D'Armata
Letters by Cory Petit
This was a huge week for comics and I had the pleasure of reading a lot of quality books but in the end X-Men Legacy #213 was the title that struck me as the best thing that I read. I've been very lukewarm about this book because I didn't understand the motivation behind this book and why we needed it and while that still may be the case I think this is pretty much the best post messiah complex X-title out there and this is the only X-book that seems to have any read direction.
The current plot in this book revolves around the return of Mr. Sinister, who we saw die in Messiah Complex, and how his return is connected to Xavier. Carey is really doing some retconing but that's something that comics need to stay fresh and I'm really interested in the story that he's telling and where it's going. Something that engaged me within the first couple of pages is Sinister telling and showing Charles how much of a jerk he's been to the X-men and it's nice to see that addressed and to see Charles' reaction to his past mistakes.
I can't say that I am a huge fan of Eaton's pencils yet but I can say that I like him more and more as time goes on and I'm really glad that his Charles Xavier no longer mimics Patrick Stewart. His art does have a nice classic feel to it so I am digging that. I do think he could benefit from some better coloring though, the colors seem to be a little too wet and streaky.
All in all I'm happy that I am enjoying one of the X-books out there and, as I said before on the show, Sinister is one of my favorite villains and Carey is giving us a very interesting glimpse into his past and I like it.
Also, the very last page.......very cool.
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Pia Guerra
Inks by Jose Marzan Jr.
Colors by Zylonol
Letters by Clem Robins
Covers by Massimo Carnevale
My store was shorted some books this week and I was only left with about three regular comics. With such a light stack I walked over to the trade isle and remembered that this week...finally...after so much anticipation, Y the Last Man Book 10 was released. Being that it was by far the best thing I read, I'm switching things up this week to review this trade and the series on whole.
Admittedly I was late to the party. I'd heard about why but hadn't bought any of the series. After deciding to start some new books in trade format, I bought the first book and was instantly hooked. Vaughan and Guerra's basic idea of taking "the last man on earth" fantasy and turning it into a nightmare was excellently handled. As I picked up more books and watched situations progress and characters develop, the thing that stuck out to me most was how the gender role was so reversed in this book. With the men wiped out, women don't build utopia but militarize, hunt, and war with eachother. Meanwhile Yorick is not the most manly of males (which was great). Vaughan definitely plays on the darker side of humanity throughout most of the series which at times seemed to cast a shadow over the book but also always pushed the characters to grow and mature.
Apart from the overall themes, I fell in love with the characters. Yorick and 355 were the perfect odd couple comedy act. Every person had a specific dynamic with another character that no one else shared. Even Ampersand became endearing. With Book 10, which I won't spoil here, the goodbyes for each character were a mix of painful, bittersweet, and poetic.
Initially I thought that Pia Guerra's pencils were nothing special. The almost cartoony look I felt diminished the realism of the series world. Over time though, I changed my tune as I realized how much emotion Guerra's characters displayed and also how the somewhat "cartoony" look helped the book to not become too mired down with the previously mentioned dark storylines.
As much as I loved this story, every good story needs a good ending, Robin Hood shoots his last arrow, the Rebel Alliance defeats the Empire, Marty makes it back to 1985, and so it must be for Y. Book 10 utilizes a favorite concept of mine, the fast forward. After some fairly heavy story beats near the end, the last chapter zooms ahead 60 years. We see civilization somewhat rebuilt and it's revealed how the human race continued on. Throughout the flash forward, we go back in time at several points to say goodbye to key characters which is touching. In the last pages of the future, Yorick's fate as I stated earlier is a poetic fairwell that shows just how deep the scars of his journey are.
I truly loved this book. I believe that this is probably one of the best modern comics of recent times and will be held as an example of what the modern age of comics can be. Now, like all good comics, we wait for the movie.
Written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz
Art by Dan Jurgens
I've been saying recently how good this book has been and I'm glad to see that the momentum has never slowed during Johns' latest take on one of DCs classic characters. I've never been a huge Booster fan but I felt that so much depth was added during 52 that the character was really given a whole new start. This book has really given Booster a purpose and made him a viable character and not just a one-note joke. The fact that Johns was able to further explore his revised character with this 11 issue run has been great and provided a "sequel" to 52 and Omac Project.
This issue deals with the climax of the Blue and Gold story where Max Lord has succeeded with the OMAC Project and eliminated most of earth's heroes. The ultimate villain revealed in this issue was great but I felt that it almost relied too much on readers having read 52. Being that I did, I loved it. I also loved the realization for Beetle that how many lives had to be lost for him to live. More than anything, this issue finally provided not only an opportunity for Booster to say goodbye to his friend but for readers to do the same. There is a panel near the end of the book that tugs at the heartstrings.
Johns and Jurgens have done a great job on this book. I'm not sure how the next creative team will handle the book but this initial run will end up being a great trade. Jurgens art, while initially a little rough, has really sharpened and reminds us all why he is considered a great in his field. I never thought I'd enjoy this book as much as I have and with still one more issue to go in the story I eagerly await the finally to Johns' latest classic.
Written by Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencils by fernando Pasarin
Inks by Rebecca Buchman
Colors by Hi-Fi
Letters by Rob Leigh
Well this one truly came out of nowhere this week. We talk about JSA constantly and it has become one of those books like Captain America or Ultimate Spider-Man, a book that is just constantly good, so much so that it may get lost in the pile. I admit that we're spoiled with some great stories in JSA so something pretty big has to happen to make it stand out as the book of the week and this was just a fun read!
Gog is on earth and like the JSA we readers have no idea what that means. Johns did a great job of letting you see this issue through the eyes of our heroes and I truly felt like I was there with them trying to figure out what to do about this so-called god that has suddenly shown up and appears to be a.....good guy?
The one thing that I was instantly excited about upon reading this issue was that it focused on Damage who is hands down my favorite member of the team and we're given a little more back story on his legacy in the JSA and there is a great turn for the character that I won't ruin here.
I just had so much fun with this book, I would assume that Gog is not going to turn out being the nice and gracious god that he is currently depicting himself to be but his actions would say otherwise so perhaps my feelings are wrong and Johns is going to throw us a curve ball.
The last thing I want to mention was the art by Fernando Pasarin which was just beautiful. Dale Eaglesham does a great job on this book but I think I may like Pasarin's art better. It really fit the feel of the story and the facial expression on the character on the last page. Perfect!
All this and Black Adam! How could this not be book of the week?
Eric picked Final Crisis #1 as the book of the week because of the crafted set up by Grant Morrison and is intrigued to see what's going to happen. We also discuss Batman #677, X-Force #4, !985 #1, Giant Size Astonishing X-Men and more. We finish off the show with our reviews of Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and what I thought about the trade Eric gave me to read at the Seattle Con.
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Written by Grant Morrison
Art by JG Jones
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Okay, I admit this one is mainly for the DC nation out there. Someone looking to jump onto the story right here will really have a hard time. But...too bad. Final Crisis rears its head this week with a continuation of many stories we've been seeing in JLA, DCU #0, and several other recent titles. For those following the majority of those stories, FC answers some questions and raises many more. Personally, I was very entertained and intrigued with this book, knowing a few things that will arise and trying to understand what I was seeing.
Many people criticize Morrison for off the wall stories that are hard to follow. I feel that FC appears like that on the outside however DC has been very careful to release specials and books that give the history of all the characters we see in this issue. Someone shouldn't expect to jump into Back to the Future 3 without watching the previous 2 and understand what's happening. The same goes for FC as it's the third part of the Crisis Trilogy. To that end, FC#1 provides continuations to stories seen in JLA which culminates in the death of a major character as well as an interesting twist to the new gods story. It appears that death will truly be a revolving door in this book. I'm not greatly happy about that but I'm interested to see where it will lead us.
Jones' art is clean and crisp in this comic. Small touches such as John's ring illuminating his costume to large themes such as the lightening "flashing" against the red sky are great moments. The look of the characters is realistic and well defined.
While this book had several things leaving me scratching my head (why are Anthro and Kamandi together) I'm sure these will be explained soon. Overall I was very entertained with this comic and I'm excited for a finale to a story that began 23 years ago. Being a DC boy that's collected for most of that time, I almost feel like I have a personal stake in this story. Hopefully it will deliver on the promise of this issue.
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Steve uy
Letters by Joe Caramagna
I had no idea what this issue was going to be about because the whole story was summed up in issue #12 and I wasn't sure where they were going to go with the characters. Lucky for us, Marvel is still taking the idea of The Initiative seriously and in this issue we're basically starting over in sorts and are introduced to a new team of cadets and new recruits for training.
At first this bothered me because I had grown attached the to previous cadets but right away I was swept up in the character conversations and interactions and I was just having a fun time reading this book. This first issue revolved around Boulder, also referred to as Butterball. A young man seeking to be a hero but while he has an incredible power, you learn that he's going to need far more than that to achieve his goal.
This issue was very light and humorous, causing me to laugh out loud more than once and that's something that I think this book needs right now. The tone of the book had become down right depressing after the K.I.A. storyline and this issue was really a breath of fresh air for this series, one that has become one of my favorite reads.
Gage was spot on with the character interactions and did a great job at hitting you with a little unexpected emotion at the end and Uy's art is very emotionally charged, allowing you to easily read the characters emotions through their facial expressions and mannerisms.
This was simply a very fun comic book. No over-arching storyline, no big events. And almost all the characters were brand new, that's something that you don't see every often.
Give it a try.
Eric chose Batman #676 as the best book he read this week because it's the start of the R.I.P. storyline and it really does feel like this may change the status quo of Batman for a while. We also discuss Fantastic Four:Secret Invasion #1, Titans #2, and more. We finish the show off with Eric giving some quick reviews of books that he picked up from the Seattle Con and review the trailer for the upcoming Wolverine & the X-men cartoon.
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We're back from the Emerald City Comic-con and we're bringing you all the news and info that we could gather. Eric chose House of Mystery #1 as the book of the week because it was a refreshing break from the big events that are dominating both major comic companies right now. We also discuss Young X-men #2, Secret Invasion #2, Might Avengers #13 and more. We finish off the podcast by letting you know everything about last week's convention in seattle. Was the Marvel or DC panel better, who did we meet and what was the best thing that we picked up at the con?
Listen and found out!
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Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Tony Daniel
Inks by Sandu Florea
Colors by Guy Major
This probably isn't all that surprising but it was just too damn exciting not to pick. This week kicks off the Batman RIP story with typical Morrison zaniness all over the place. I've been back and forth over Morrisons run on the book so far, thinking that it was good but very odd in places. However recently the various links between the stories have started to tie together, even going as far back to 52. Something I enjoyed within this issue is that we see something that rarely ever happens, Batman appears happy. I know that substantial effort has been made to calm Bruce down over the last few years and we see that how the inclusion of Jezebel Jett in his life, and the fact that she now knows his secrets, has really helped him find a balance which works between Bruce Wayne and Batman. I really like this dynamic and wish we could see a little more of it but as things normally go for Bruce, I imagine we're seeing this now knowing full well that it will all come crashing down soon.
While we get alot of great Batman moments, we also get hints as to what the Black Glove society is. It's obvious that they are orchestrating the events that will be playing out in the book. I'd wish we'd spent more time in previous issues setting this group up since they evidently will be a big influence in the book but for now they seem to be a collection of circus freaks. The wild card of the story, as always, is the Joker. I'm not sure if there's anyone who can write the Joker in a more terrifying manner than Morrison, and that goes all the way back to Arkham Asylum. I wasn't expecting him in this issue since it's been alluded the whoever takes down Bruce will be new but with just a few pages, Joker proves why he is Batmans greatest foe. Those few pages are the stuff of nightmares.
I've said it before but Tony Daniel is the man! His style which is somewhere between Neal Adams and Jim Lee is incredible. Along with Guy Major's colors, Gotham, it's protectors, and its devils, all come alive with a feel that makes me remember what drew me to these books when I was a kid. The previously mentioned Joker scene in particular, all black and white with only red coloring for the blood splashed across the scene, was haunting and terrifying...which is exactly what this book should be. What excites me most about this story is that it feels like the stakes are high and the danger is real. Unlike the Gotham Underground miniseries (which is a exercise in wasting my time) this is an event which appears like it will leave a lasting impact on our Dark Knight.
Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham
Art by Luca Rossi and Ross Campbell
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Letters by Todd Klein
While Skrulls were busy taking over the Marvel U this week and DC was resting up before it's big summer push I decided to try a bunch of books which debuted this week. While almost every book was strong, I was most intrigued by House of Mystery #1. A reprise of an old anthology book, House of Mystery is a essentially a showcase book where each month short stories are told within the main narrative which includes a colorful cast of patrons that have turned the old house of mystery into a bar (which only a few people have ever been able to leave, kinda like a "hotel california" idea). Each month a different patron will be able to tell their own eff'd up story to other patrons which will be illustrated by various talented artists.
With all that being said, I really enjoyed this comic. Equal amounts of humor, gore, oddity, intrigue, mystery (duh), and fantasy, this book really felt like it had it all and went in places I didn't expect. At first I felt the book was all over the place but by the end understood how the style fit together and really enjoyed the format. Matthew Sturges focuses mainly on the patrons of the bar who lament about not being able to leave as well as a girl being chased by two ghostly figures who lead her to the house which has been haunting her dreams. Bill Willingham writes the central portion of the book, in this issue focusing on a girl who marries a fly...I told you it was odd. Willingham does well in this part as the middle serves as a small twisted tale which shows that the patrons of the bar are not quite what they seem.
The main artist, Luca Rossi does an excellent job of creating a dark and eerie environment in every area besides the bar. This makes the house/bar almost feel welcoming when it's bathed in Lee Loughridge's warm colors. This issue's guest artist Ross Campbell balances cute characters with disturbing environments and situations. Also, Campbell provides the most disturbing scene of the week with the oddest "childbirth" seen ever.
This book is truly entertaining and I'll gladly stick with it to see how the first run goes. This book feels right at home within the Vertigo universe and will hopefully not fade out in quality like others (Vinyl Underground). If anyone is a fan of the odd and disturbing, this is definitely worth checking out.
This was a great week for books but in the end New Avengers stood out as the best book of the week because I am so immersed in this story and it's been a huge pay-off so far. Eric and I also discuss DC Universe #0 to talk about the road the Final Crisis and this issue's shocking ending. We also talked about Avengers: The Initiative, Green Lantern, Teen Titans Year One and more. And Summer movie season is in full effect with the arrival of Iron Man. We'll tell you what we thought about the film and how it will effect the rest of the movies coming out this summer.
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The official Batman trailer is now online. This is the same trailer that we posted a couple of days ago but that was the bootleg version, here you can see the trailer in all it's glory.
And if you look closely you'll see a little Two Face at the end.
See the official trailer here
Superherohype.com has reported that Michael Rosenbaum will indeed be leaving the show as Lex Luthor but two more villains will be joining to show. Doomsday will appear in season 8 of Smallville and will be joined by an unknown female villain that will play an important role in Clark's life.
It will be interesting to see how they deal with Lex's departure of the show and if he'll be appearing at all in season 8, a lot of people think the female villain will be a version of Diana and Doomsday.....well who knows.
What do you think?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Jim Cheung
Inks by John Dell
Colors by Justin Ponsor
Letters by Albert Deschesne
Picking the book of the week can be a hard thing. There are so many factors that go into it. You want to pick a book that excites you and gives you an emotional response, you also want to try to be unique and look for different things in different books, I mean you don't want the same book to be the book of the week all the time.
That being said, last weeks book of the week was Mighty Avengers and this week the pick goes to New Avengers #40 and all for one simple reason.
Brian Michael Bendis really knows what he's doing.
We've already talked about how Bendis has planned Secret Invasion for years and that this is all coming to a head but this is just an amazingly crafted story. In this issue we're given the Skrull view of things and that may have been enough to grant this issue book of the week status. It was great to see things through the eyes of the Skrulls, to know and understand what they have planned and more importantly, why they're planning it. The Skrulls have become great villains and even better than that, they've become great characters. Learning about Skrulls in the recent months makes me want to know so much more and I'm very intrigued by their society and culture.
A man that can not be overlooked in the grand scheme of things is Mr Jim Cheung. I moon over Cheung all the time on the podcast and with good reason because his art is simply beautiful. There aren't a lot of artists that I get excited about but when I saw that Cheung was going to be drawing #40 with Bendis I became giddy with fanboyness and my expectations were met and exceeded.
Anyone who was a fan of New Avengers:The Illuminati will not want to miss this issue because a lot of back story was revealed here and a lot of things in this issue reflect directly back to Illuminati #1.
There were big reveals by both of the major comic companies this week and this issue had one of them and I was literally floored. I'm pretty sure that I gasped out loud because I didn't see it coming at all and it truly changes everything about what's going on in the Marvel Universe right now.
All in all this was a great book and this may possible be a perfect modern comic book. The big draw of comics, especially modern comics is the idea of an ongoing story that doesn't end, it only changes. Bendis is crafting a story that, if it continues to be executed as it has so far, will be the greatest comic story ever told.
I know that's a big statement, but I believe it.
I'm not going to ruin the shocking ending to New Avengers #40 here but Eric and I are really excited to talk about it so look forward to a major spoiler-full podcast this week!
Marvel released the new Hulk trailer today and while I've been on the fence about out, this new trailer looks pretty sweet. Check it out below
Or you can check it out in HD on quicktime here
Click on the link to check out the leaked Clone Wars trailer that David and I are really excited about. Check it out and let us know if it's something you'll be waiting at midnight to see.
Eric picked Mighty Avengers #12 as the best book this week because Nick Fury is back and things in the Marvel universe are about to get very interesting. We also discuss the end of Countdown, Checkmate, Thor, X-Force and more. We talk about the variant cover to Uncanny X-men which hints that someone may be a skrull and finish the show out with discussing the new Star Wars Clone Wars trailer and if it looks good or if the Star Wars universe should have ended with the movies.
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It's just a bootleg version for now but the quality isn't bad and the trailer looks amazing. Ledger looks like he's going to be a great joker and I'm happy to see Harvey Dent getting a little more attention. Check it out
Superherohype.com has posted new promo posters from the dark knight. I'm liking the Batpod but what really has me excited is the foreshadowing of Two Face.
The last official Dark Knight poster is online and it's getting me pretty exciting. Check it out
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Meleev
Colors by Matt Hollingsworth
Letters by Dave Lanhpear
I surprised myself with this one! On average most of my books were good to great this week giving me quite a selection to choose from. However, with more and more Marvel books being tagged with "secret invasion" I had to flip through and have a peek. Initially pulled in by Maleev's sketchy but oh-so-beautiful art, I decided to sit down and spend some time with the missing Mr. Fury. Boy am I glad I did!
This issue flashes back to show us how Nick Fury discovered the Skrull threat, and what he's done about it while staying off the radar. While I have never been an enormous fan of Fury in the past (admittingly having not read much of him), this issue is what I always imagined his character should be like. His interaction and warning to Maria Hill was handled wonderfully as well as his secretly recruiting Jessica Drew as a special agent, adding a new layer of depth to her discovery of "Skrullektra".
Bendis does what he does best and I'd be beating a dead horse by saying what a great writer he is. What I will say is I am always amazed at the consistency of his work. Rarely do I read something of his that doesn't feel natural for the character. In this book, everyone feels pitch perfect.
Maleev's art is wonderful. It's refreshing to get art like this that differs so much from so many "standard" superhero artists like Ed Benes where everyones bodies are interchangeable. This book has the feeling of an old classic movie like Casablanca where the women are sultry (not oversexified...but sultry) and the men are tough and grizzled. Maleev especially makes Fury look as though he never sleeps. Also, I'm so glad Fury is out of Shield and not having to wear the costume (which I've never liked). The wispy beard is the icing on the cake.
While I haven't been reading this book regularly, I may start with Secret Invasion commencing. I'm eager to have more badass Nick Fury weeding out the Skrulls. How about that wall full of photos with a few telling circled characters on the last page? Fury is all man!
I chose X-men:Divided We Stand #1 as book of the week this week because I was surprised by how well the characters were written and blown away by some of the emotional punches of the book. Eric and I also discuss Countdown to Final Crisis #2, Captain America #37, Avengers:Initiative #11 and more. We finish off the show with a little listener feedback and discuss the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs. DC video game.
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Written by Mike Carey, Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Skottie Young, Matt Fraction
Art by Brandon Peterson, Sana Takeda, Skottie Young, David LaFuente, Jamie McKelvie
Letters by Cory Petit
I make a pull list every week before going to my store and I saw X-men Divided We Stand on Marvel's list of new books and I completely disregarded it. I thought it was a collection of stories gathered after messiah complex or at best a preview book of things to come and I decided that was not going to be worth my money. But when I got to my store I found that this book was already in my box and it being a somewhat light week, I decided to go for it and I am glad that I did.
Divided we stand is a group of short stories following various X-men characters following Messiah Complex and it was truly a great book. I've had my fair share of complaints about Messiah Complex, mostly about missing characters in the aftermath and this book did an excellent job of showing different characters reacting to what being an X-man meant to how they deal with the team no longer being around.
The stories varied from good to great but the stories with the New X-men were truly touching and emotional. I'll go into depth more on this week's podcast but there was a certain storyline in this book that really addressed something very important about being a young student at Xavier, something that I don't ever think has been addressed before.
Over all this book should have came out a couple of months ago and it would have really helped smooth the transition from Messiah Complex but regardless it was a book filled with wonderfully crafted character examinations and truly touching emotional moments.
This is a must read for any X-fan out there.
Eric picked Echo #2 by Terry Moore as the book of the week because it's a little like Strangers in Paradise but it's also nothing like Strangers in Paradise. We also discuss JSA #14, Countdown #3, Fantasic Four #556 and more. We go in depth on the new Titan's series to see if it's any good and if we'll stick with it and with Tomasi's return to Green Lantern Corps with issue #23 we reflect on the Corps as a whole give our opinions on whether the Corps book is necessary. We finish off the show with Eric requesting a little help from all you gamers out there, so listen it and help him out!
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While I'm not incredibly excited for this movie, I do love a good teaser poster and this one looks great. A little Phantom Menace-ish though.
Story and Art by Terry Moore
A lot of big books came out this week that I was really excited about. While many were thoroughly enjoyable, I really wanted to take this week to acknowledge the shear talent that is Terry Moore. This weeks issue of Echo continues to entertain and showcase Moores art.
Echo is the story of a government experiment gone wrong. A weaponized combat suit which has been secretly developed is lost in an explosion during a test run. Said suit rains down in a million pieces over a desert where our heroine is taking pictures. Pieces of the suit attach themselves to her, recreating part of itself and getting stuck in the process. That was issue one. This chapter deals with Julie, the main character, dealing with the fallout of having part of a weird metallic suit attach itself to her. Her confusion and reaction are very entertaining, especially the doctor and shower scene. Meanwhile we learn that the owners of the suit have started hunting for it. This book feels alot like a science fiction prime time television show. The pacing and characterizations are great.
With this book, Moore makes a drastic departure from his more familiar SIP material. The story works well though and mixes action and intrigue with the more familiar small character moments that Moore is known for. While the artwork is consistently great, it is still hard to not see SIP characters. I think for me, it will just take time to get used to seeing a new cast in this style. The thing I really love about Moores art is that the characters look like actual people and are not over-emphasized like we typically see in most comics. It's really refreshing.
Terry Moore has taken a chance on a new type of story that people weren't probably expecting but he's done a great job at setting up and executing a new and exciting premise.
Secret Invasion #1 hit stores this past week and it was easily the best book of the week. Eric and I dissect the book and do a role call of who we think are true heroes and who are skrulls. We also discuss the The Trials of Shazam #12, Countdown #4, Young X-men #1 and more. We finish off the show by discussing of few of our favorite things to arrive this past week, Battlestar Galatica season 4 and a very well done mock trailer of a Legend of Zelda movie. This is a show you won't want to miss.
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Unfortunately it was an April fools joke but still good just the same and provided some discussion on our show. Check it out!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils by Leinil Francis Yu
Inks by Mark Morales
Colors by Laura Martin
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos
WARNING! This review will contain some spoilers!
Ok, wow, I'm not even sure where to start. As corny as it sounds I think that I can admit that Marvel's Secret Invasion tagline is ringing true and I honestly do not know who I trust in the Marvel U right now.
Secret Invasion #1 hit stores today and Eric and I have been talking a lot about this book and whether it would deliver or not and I just thought it was excellent. I was actually excited to read this book and rushed home just to have to opportunity to tear it open and find out what the crap is happening to my beloved Marvel Universe, I haven't been this excited for a book since the final issue of Civil War.
The book starts off with a great sequence showing the desperation of the Skrull race following Annihilation and leads into an attack on earth, we're given a few small reveals which were very interesting and then all hell breaks loose.
Tony Stark being attacked by a skrull virus was the turning point in this book and through Stark the Skrulls systematically start taking down the entire United States in a sequence that was chilling and left me on the edge of my seat. It really shows how powerful on a man Tony Stark is and make you realize that maybe one man shouldn't be connected to so much power.
The big reveal was towards the end of the book when both Avengers teams are shocked to find copies of our heroes crash land on earth......and we don't know who's a skrull and who isn't. This was such a great move by Bendis, I was expecting a lot of reveals in this first issue and was looking forward to some great character interactions but we now have a situation where Hawkeye, Luke Cage and Wolverine are looking at copies of themselves who claim to be the real deal and this changes everything.
Leinil Yu has really outdone himself and the art in the book was simply amazing. His sharp and edgy pencils really came through in this story and lent to the overall feeling of desperation that Bendis set up. The expressions and emotions in the art when Tony was under attack was so intense and truly made me feel like I was right there watching it happen.
I've always been a huge fan of Bendis and I think he's at the top of the writers' stack but he's really outdone himself this time and I think we may be getting a great story, something on caliber with Geoff Johns' Sinestro Corps War.
I cannot wait for the next issue, to surf the net and see what other people's reactions are and record our show this weekend. This comic is a perfect example of why I love comics and just how exciting they can be.
Stay tuned for our podcast this weekend, I'm sure Eric and I will have a lot to discuss about this book!
