Superman: American Alien #1 - What The Critics Are Saying

Superman: American Alien #1 is the first issue in a seven-part mini-series written by screenwriter Max Landis, which explores who Clark Kent is at seven different points in his life. The series is to have a new artist for each installment, with Nick Dragotta fulfilling art duties for issue one and the likes of Jock, Francis Manapul and Jae Lee stepping in for future issues. The series has been surrounded by a significant level of hype due mainly to Landis' passionate opinions about Superman which he has voiced online in several YouTube videos. The first issue finally saw release last Wednesday and this is what critics around the Internet had to say:

The Writing

The first issue of American Alien centers on Clark's attempts to master his flying abilities, while exploring the emotional consequences of being so wildly different from those you're surrounded by. Generally, most critics agreed that this issue was executed engagingly in spite of the fact it takes place during a time in Clark's life which has been featured heavily in previous stories. This is summed up in a review by IGN's Jesse Schedeen who believes that Landis has found "another novel approach" to telling stories about Superman's formative years. Most frequently praised was Landis' characterization of staple figures from the Superman mythos, with Jordan Richards of Adventures in Poor Taste saying in his review that "the characterization is on point for everyone, even Johnathan Kent (who I was a bit worried about early on), and it leads to a lot of tenderness throughout the book, which feels genuine and believable." Multiversity Comics' Keith Dooley agrees claiming Landis, "makes iconic and very familiar characters like Clark, Martha and Johnathan his own by exploring their thoughts through dialogue, action and a particularly powerful final two pages."

Indeed, this story appears to be a character driven tale - something not wholly surprising when considered Landis made it clear in one of his Superman YouTube videos 'Regarding Clark' that, "plot has never really fascinated me, character does." However, this focus on character over story hasn't pleased everyone and there were some critics who felt dissatisfied by Landis' latest comic-book offering. Oz Longworth over at Black Nerd Problems claimed the story carried through this issue boils down to, "Clark is scared of flight and then he's not." Newsarama's Pierce Lydon also felt this issue left something to be desired describing the character moments as "cutesy fluff", and claiming the book suffered as so much has already been said about this part of Clark's life that there's little else new to bring to the table. Lydon goes on to say that, "There's no way for Landis to surprise us. We know he'll learn to fly, and Landis is only able to give us a poorly conceived conflict at a drive-in movie to inject some kind of stakes into the book." This point is countered by Comic Book Resources who claim that the book is "not about believing a boy can fly; it's about why he doesn't want to."


The Art

The artwork in this issue has been provided by Nick Dragotta and Alex Guimaraes, to a mixed response from critics. Many praised this art team for their work here with Dragotta singled out for packing his characters with emotion which made them easy to connect with. IGN explain in their review that he "perfectly captures Clark's early attempts at flying and the raw emotion at play as Johnathan and Martha struggle to keep their son safe and deal with his unusual condition." Multiversity Comics echoes this opinion, saying that "Dragotta wrings emotions from the characters that are visceral and oftentimes heartbreaking in their execution." In the same review Guimaraes' colors received acclaim, with writer Keith Dooley praising him for his decision not to "intrude on the art with gaudy colors," and instead highlight "the emotional symbolism and beats of the story." Comic Book Resources were also a fan of Guimaraes work, singling him out for immersing Smallville in "lush pastels for a timeless sense of idyllic Americana." Black Nerd Problems also praised the work of this art team as "unquestionably gorgeous."

However, the art was not to everyone's liking with Dragotta's style taking criticism from some review sites. Adventures in Poor Taste said in their review that, "his characters can look a bit too cartoonish and exaggerated for their own good," with Newsarama agreeing that the stylized nature of Dragotta's characters meant that when Clark has an emotional outburst it's, "that much harder to take him seriously."

General Consensus:
Superman: American Alien #1 is definitely worth trying for those interested in getting inside Clark Kent's head and attempting to understand the mind of a young Man of Steel. However, those who prefer a grand in scope story as opposed to a more intimate character study may find themselves disappointed by Max Landis' latest comic-book offering. The artwork by Nick Dragotta and Alex Guimaraes also proved to be divisive, with some fans taking issue with the stylized design choices made by this creative team. Although, it is worth noting that others were quite enamored with these changes and so ultimately your opinion on the look of this book may come down simply to personal preference.

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All-New All-Different Avengers #1: What The Critics Are Saying

Perhaps the most high profile book of the post-Secret Wars Marvel relaunch, All-New All-Different Avengers #1 teams superstar writer Mark Waid with artists Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar. The book revolves around a newly formed Avengers team that includes Thor, Captain America and Iron Man, alongside the younger more inexperienced heroes Nova, Ms Marvel and Miles Morales aka Spider-Man. With a strong creative team at the helm and a cast of popular characters, this book has a lot of potential to be a hit with readers: but what was the verdict when it hit shelves on Wednesday?

The Writing

All-New All-Different Avengers #1 is comprised of two stories, a main and a back-up. The main storyline centres on the new Avengers team as it begins to form, coming together in the wake of an attack by a Chitauri warlord. The main story drew some criticism for feeling somewhat formulaic especially for a book with the words "all-new" in the title. Indeed, Adventures in Poor Taste writer Jordan Richards said that the "only real problem with this story is that the entirety of the issue is pretty much just set up with little excitement." This was a verdict shared by some critics, with Newsarama's Justin Partridge agreeing that it was unfortunate that the book "adheres to the team-building trope of not bringing the team together just yet." Other critics expressed disappointment that some of the characters on Alex Ross' stunning cover don't end up making an appearance in this issue. The most volatile reaction to this decision may have come from Comic Book Revolution where the book received its most negative review, with writer Rokk showing dissatisfaction at the possibility of "one of those dull four to eight issue story arcs where we have to sit through the hackneyed opening story arc approach of assembling the team."

However, while some people did find the execution of this opening issue to be less than original, it should be stressed that this book received much praise in other areas - for example, its characterisation. Comicosity's Allen Thomas commended Mark Waid for understanding his characters "in a very deep, introspective way," and for "bringing out the unique aspects," of each member of his cast. Comic Book Resources' Jim Johnson agreed that "the consistency of characterization is a refreshing effort on Waid's part, as he respects the events of the characters' main titles while still bringing his own skill and style to the issue." This dedication to respecting plot threads from titles across the Marvel relaunch was brought up in a few reviews in a mostly positive context, however IGN writer Jeff Lake did raise the issue that as, "we're still in the infancy of this post Secret Wars world, not all of these plot threads line up quite as easily as others."

The light-hearted back-up story featuring Nova and Ms. Marvel titled "You're A Jerk," received a warm reception from many critics - in some cases, warmer than that which the main story received. Indeed, Multiversity Comics writer Stephenson Ardern-Sodje wrote in his review that the back-up story, "definitely interested me more, even though the story seems largely detached from the main narrative." Waid was widely praised for making the awkward first meeting of Sam Alexander and Kamala Khan feel genuine, and filling it with humorous and relatable moments. Comic Book Resources explained that this "hilariously painful dynamic" made the story a "wonderful" read, while IGN declared that it was "social awkwardness at its finest." That being said, as has already been mentioned the story has relatively little to do with the main plot of this book, and this led some to wonder whether it was the best decision to include it here. Multiversity Comics said "its inclusion feels as though it's stealing pages from the 'main' narrative," an opinion shared by IGN who claimed that the addition of this back-up left the main story "feeling surprisingly brisk for such a marquee launch."

The Art

The art in this book is completed by two separate creative teams, with the main story by Adam Kubert and Sonia Obak and the back-up by Mahmud Asrar and Dave McCaig. Both teams were given much praise in reviews for this opening issue. Adventures in Poor Taste said in their review that Kubert's "layouts are easy to read and flow well," with the artist being called out most for his work on an opening sequence in which Captain America saves a family whose vehicle was plummeting off the Queensboro Bridge. Comicosity described these panels as "incredibly dynamic" while Comic Book Resources thought Kubert's work gave the "opening sequence a cinematic quality." But Kubert seemingly kept a high level of quality even when the action died down, as Multiversity Comics explain that "his panelling is inventive enough to flit between conversations in cars and high-impact laser assaults and switch gears accordingly."

Asrar also garnered much acclaim for his work in the back-up story, with Adventures in Poor Taste going as far to say that Asrar's art was "even better" than Kubert's. Critics were most fond of Asrar's portrayal of Nova and Ms Marvel's more subtle expressions and body language, with IGN saying that his "pitch perfect facial cues align wonderfully with Waid's increasingly awkward introspection." Meanwhile, Multiversity Comics also praised this aspect of Asrar's art, pointing out that "the deftness of his micro-expressions makes for a truly awkward exchange between Sam and Kamala that is funny and tense in equal measure."

General Consensus:

While anchored by some strong character moments, the story in All-New All-Different Avengers #1 feels somewhat by-the numbers and could perhaps have used more space to develop - space taken up in this issue by a fun if inconsequential back-up story featuring Nova and Ms. Marvel. However, most critics saw potential for this series to come into its own in future issues, and the artwork by Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar was met with universal acclaim.

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Indie Comic Spotlight: Our Friend Satan

When I first heard about Our Friend Satan I was a little sceptical. The upcoming graphic novel, which follows a downtrodden Satan as he attempts to turn his life around by suing the Pope for defamation, seemed like a hard sell at first. After all, many creators have tried to put a new spin on the Devil and many have fallen short; however, this project currently being put together by a group of comic creators led by Dominik L. Marzec looks like it may well end up succeeding where so many others have failed. While the subject matter is potentially inflammatory - exploring a world where the Pope is something of an evil mastermind who has been spreading negative propaganda about Satan for many years - a quick glance at the seventeen page preview currently available on the book's website makes it abundantly clear that this story is being told in a wholly tongue-in-cheek manner. Indeed, Our Friend Satan looks like it could be a lot of fun, successfully adopting the same comedic techniques as recent mainstream comics such as Superior Foes of Spider-Man and Howard the Duck to great effect.

Additionally, judging from the aforementioned preview Marzec and co. could well succeed in making Satan - dare I say it - likeable?!  Reading the first few pages of this graphic novel left me fondly recalling a TV show I used to watch made by the CW, titled Reaper. For those unaware, the show followed the adventures of young slacker Sam Oliver who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil. Sam then is forced to become a reaper, tracking down escaped souls and taking them back to hell. What does all this have to do with Our Friend Satan? Well, in Reaper the Devil is played by Twin Peaks star Ray Wise in what is quite possibly the best performance of his career. As wrong as it seems to say this, Wise really does bring a certain charisma and humour to Satan which does make him strangely likeable. Reaper was sadly cancelled quite prematurely after just two short seasons, but I see remnants of that fantastic show in projects such as this one which makes me optimistic that this book could well end up being a gem.

It's clear that a great amount of effort and passion has been channelled into the creation of this graphic novel, which is evident in the fascinatingly distorted world that has been created wherein a sinister pope lives on a Vatican-themed space station, and the Anti-Christ simply wants to eat spaghetti and watch the Germany game in his slippers. The artwork is also very impressive; the detailed pages put together by Marzec and artists Lukas Lalko and Michael Murawski are a treat to look at, effectively creating comedic scenes whilst also being able to take a more sinister direction when the narrative requires it.

Our Friend Satan is at the time of writing reaching the end of it's Kickstarter campaign, and has fortunately reached its goal. However, with four days left to contribute you may still want to show your support for this project if it sounds like something you'd be interested in. The folks behind this book have a number of stretch goals that I'm sure they'd love to reach, including producing a hardcover edition and even starting work on a second and third instalment in Satan's story. There are also a number of awesome rewards for contributors such as T-Shirts, some (hilarious) posters, and even the chance to be drawn into the comic! The indie comics scene continues to grow from strength to strength, and it's thanks to original ideas such as Our Friend Satan that more and more people are choosing to take a chance on smaller books. We'll be watching this title very closely in the coming months, and if you like fun (if slightly insane) comics, then you should do too!

My favourite poster by the folks at Our Friend Satan

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TEN Comic Book Awards 2014: The Winners

Later than they should have been, the winners of our comic-book awards have finally been decided. Thanks to all of the creators who helped spread the word about our little awards show, you're the reason this medium is so great! All those creators who totally ignored us, we understand and we still like you too! Now without further ado, here are the winners of the TEN Comic Book Awards 2014:

Reader's Choice Award: Best Series

Winner: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
2nd Place: Grayson by Tim Seeley, Tom King and Mikel Janin
3rd Place: Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Best Writer:

Winner: Greg Rucka (Lazarus)

This is a very smart comic-book, featuring interesting social commentary and tons of back-material that leaves you getting plenty of bang for your buck. A must read!

Ales Kot (Secret Avengers)
Tom King & Tim Seeley (Grayson)
Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)
Rick Remender (Deadly Class)
Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters)

Best Artist:

Winner: Steve Lieber (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)

Superior Foes of Spider-Man was an excellent, criminally overlooked book. Steve Lieber's art was one of the reasons it was so great, with many awesome panels and some fantastic comedic skill on show!

Clayton Crain (Rai)
James Stokoe (100th Anniversary: Avengers)
Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers)
Phil Noto (Black Widow)
Wes Craig (Deadly Class)

Best Cover Artist:

Winner: Darwyn Cooke (Various 'New 52' Variants)

With these variant covers, Darwyn Cooke showed us a side of the New 52 we haven't seen much recently; the fun side! They looked phenomenal and we'd happily frame each one and hang them on our wall! Excellent work.

Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow)
J.H Williams III (Sandman: Overture)
Kevin Wada (She-Hulk)
Marco Rudy (Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier)
Mike Del Mundo (Elektra)

Best Colourist:

Winner: Lee Loughridge (Deadly Class)

Lee Loughridge's colours have given Deadly Class a distinctive and very stylish look since it began, and his work on the title deserves more recognition. Deadly Class is a fantastic book all-round, but Loughridge's colours remain one of the most impressive aspects of the series.

Jeromy Cox (Grayson)
Matthew Wilson (Secret Avengers, The Wicked + The Divine)
Muntsa Vicente (She-Hulk)
Rachelle Rosenberg (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)
Santi Arcas (Lazarus)

Best Break-Out Creator:

Winner: Genevieve Valentine (Catwoman)

Valentine has brought DC's Catwoman series back from the brink of utter terribleness, and has turned it into something that we are once again excited to read. Her plot is complex, dark and utterly enthralling. Read it!

Benjamin Dewey (The Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw)
Brian Ruckley (Rogue Trooper)
G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel)
Joe Infurnari (The Bunker)
Karl Kershchl (Gotham Academy)

Best Series:

Winner: Superior Foes of Spider-Man
Deadly Class
Grayson
Lazarus
Secret Avengers
X-O Manowar

Most Anticipated New Series of 2015:

Winner: Hit 1957 (Boom Studios)

The first Hit series, Hit: 1955 as it's known now was truly excellent and left us wanting more! Late last year we found out that's exactly what we'd be getting, and now we can't wait to see where the team of Bryce Carlson and Vanesa R. Del Ray take these characters next!

Bloodshot: Reborn (Valiant)
Howard the Duck (Marvel)
Ivar, Timewalker (Valiant)
The Fix (Image)
Star Wars (Marvel)

Best Publisher:

Winner: Marvel
DC
Image
IDW Publishing
ONI Press
Valiant

Best Comic-Book Website:

Winner: Comic Book Round-Up

While Comic Book Round-Up doesn't post editorial, it's still one of the most useful comic-book websites on the Internet. Serving as a review aggregator for comic-books from all publishers, it's a great tool to decide what comics to pick up each and every week. Check it out if you haven't already!

Bleeding Cool
Comic Book Resources
IGN
Multiversity Comics
Newsarama

Best Comic-Book Adaptation:

Winner: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Arrow
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Flash
Guardians of the Galaxy
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Performance in a Comic-Book Property:

Winner: Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy)
Chloe Bennett (Skye in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak in Arrow/The Flash)
Ming Na-Wen (Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury in Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Most Anticipated Adaptation of 2015:

Winner: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Agent Carter
A.K.A Jessica Jones
Ant Man
Daredevil
Fantastic Four

TEN Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Comics:

Winner: Steve Gerber
Alan Moore
Jim Shooter
Mark Waid
Stan Lee
Terry Moore

Thanks again to everyone who supported this year's awards, and all the awesome people who voted in our reader's choice award! Hope you'll all be back for the next awards!

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TEN Comic-Book Awards 2014: The Nominees

It's the end of the year and you know what that means; it's a time to reflect, and after the reflection is over decide to give out some awards! That's exactly what I've been doing these past couple of days and this is the result.

2014 was a phenomenal year for comics. They gained more mainstream attention thanks to the smash-hit Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, and X-Men movies, and made headlines with some surprising reveals such as a woman taking on the title of Thor. Meanwhile, DC revived their ailing New 52 universe with such quality titles as Grayson, Gotham Academy, and The Multiversity. I haven't even mentioned the continuing rise of independent titles, most notably those from Image Comics!

With this in mind I thought now is as good a time as any to launch the TEN Comic Book Awards! Here we'll be spotlighting the best writers, artists, and series' to come out of the comic-book world in the last year, with our 2014 nominees listed below! But YOU can get involved as well! Just under this paragraph you'll find the reader's choice award for 'Best Series', where you can choose to vote for any series from the past twelve months! There is a good chance that no one will vote, but I'm optimistic nonetheless. The winners to all these awards will be announced in a video to be uploaded to the TEN YouTube channel in January 2015.

Reader's Choice: Best Series

The readers choice award is now closed! We're sorry if you didn't get a chance to vote, but stay tuned to TEN as they'll be more cool stuff to come! You can also check out the winners on our YouTube channel and on this site (probably, if we haven't procrastinated and not updated them yet). Thanks again!

Best Writer

Ales Kot (Secret Avengers)

Greg Rucka (Lazarus)
Tom King/Tim Seeley (Grayson)

Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)

Rick Remender (Deadly Class)
Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters)

Best Artist

Clayton Crain (Rai)
James Stokoe (100th Anniversary: Avengers)
Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers)
Phil Noto (Black Widow)
Steve Lieber (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)
Wes Craig (Deadly Class)

Best Cover Artist

Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow)
Darwyn Cooke (Various)
J.H Williams III (Sandman: Overture)
Kevin Wada (She-Hulk)
Marco Rudy (Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier)
Mike Del Mundo (Elektra)

Best Colourist

Jeromy Cox (Grayson)
Lee Loughridge (Deadly Class)
Matthew Wilson (Secret Avengers, The Wicked + The Divine)
Muntsa Vicente (She-Hulk)
Rachelle Rosenberg (Superior Foes of Spider-Man)
Santi Arcas (Lazarus)

Best Break-Out Creator

Benjamin Dewey (The Autumnlands: Tooth and Claw)
Brian Ruckley (Rogue Trooper)
Genevieve Valentine (Catwoman)
G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel)
Joe Infurnari (The Bunker)
Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy)

Best Series

Deadly Class
Grayson
Lazarus
Secret Avengers
Superior Foes of Spider-Man
X-O Manowar

Most Anticipated New Series of 2015

Bloodshot: Reborn (Valiant)
Hit: 1957 (Boom Studios)
Howard the Duck (Marvel)
Ivar, Timewalker (Valiant)
The Fix (Image)
Star Wars (Marvel)

Best Publisher

DC
Image
IDW Publishing
Marvel
ONI Press
Valiant

Best Comic-Book Website

Bleeding Cool
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Round-Up
IGN
Multiversity Comics
Newsarama

Best Comic-Book Adaptation

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Arrow
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Flash
Guardians of the Galaxy
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Performance in a Comic-Book Property

Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy)
Chloe Bennet (Skye in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak in Arrow/The Flash)
Ming Na-Wen (Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury in Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Most Anticipated Adaptation of 2015:

Agent Carter
A.K.A Jessica Jones
Ant-Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Daredevil
Fantastic Four

TEN Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Comics

Alan Moore
Jim Shooter
Mark Waid
Stan Lee
Steve Gerber
Terry Moore

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Is Dredd Now Over Rated?

Is a passionate fan base giving the cult hit too much credit? David Craig presents his view.

Last year I had the pleasure of finally seeing Dredd, the 2012 adaptation of the classic character created by publisher 2000AD. The movie pleasantly surprised me, my low expectations defied with a movie that showed a good understanding for the characters, and great respect for the source material. It was also greatly refreshing to see a studio take a risk in making an R-Rated comic book movie based on a character without a particularly large fan-base - even if the risk perhaps didn't entirely pay off. Yes, as expected by many members of the press, Dredd failed to find a large audience while in theatres and ended its worldwide box office run with just $41 million of its $45 million budget made back.

Some were ready to declare the film an outright failure, however through good word of mouth a fan base for the film steadily grew, and strong home video sales have now given the film a 'cult hit' status. While a sequel is still a long way off, the vocal and passionate fan base is bringing it closer to reality than many could have expected, and at the forefront of that fan base has been the Facebook page "Make a DREDD Sequel." In just a year and a half the page has raised more awareness for the movie and its potential sequel than arguably any other outlet. The page has even teamed up with Judge Dredd publisher 2000AD on occasion moving it from fan appreciation page to legitimate petition. Now, just shy of 100,000 likes, the page is stronger than ever - however over the last few months I have found myself in a strange place. I'm starting to feel the movement behind the movie is so strong now that I'm growing apathy towards it.

Let me elaborate. One of the many Dredd-promoting activities carried out by the "Make a DREDD Sequel" Facebook page is the vigorous promotion of any fan-poll in which Dredd is entered. Granted they've had a few losses here and there, but generally as soon as the page sets its mind on ensuring a win for Dredd, it succeeds. Some Dredd fans would say that this is a good thing, that it is another step in producing a sequel for the movie but I would disagree. The reason why is because I feel the page is taking the fun out of these polls on many occasions.

For example, in March the Movie/TV department of online shopping giant Amazon held a March Movie Madness competition in which movies were grouped in brackets for customers to pick their favourite. Dredd was one of the movies included, and with support from the page went on to beat genuine cinematic landmarks such as the Godfather series, the Lord of the Rings series and Pulp Fiction. Again, some may say that this is great news for the movie and for the cause, but I'm starting to feel that the movie is now being over-rated.

Don't hate me! I like Dredd, I really do. It was a fun action movie, with a nice amount of character development. But let's be real. The character development, while present, wasn't groundbreaking and the plot was light at best. Dredd was very much a movie about the action, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that - in my opinion at least - it shouldn't be challenging such greats as Pulp Fiction and the Godfather I and II.

A repeat performance appears to be happening right now in a poll run by the website Zimbio, who are running a similar contest only this time to find the best comic-book movie of all time. Once again the page have been telling their fans to vote Dredd and once again it appears to be working. Dredd's first contender was 300 which arguably was never going to be a huge threat. However in round two, Dredd moved onto one of the biggest names in comic book movies: Iron Man. But it appears the might of Robert Downey Jr. and the Avengers universe combined cannot topple the passion of the Dredd sequel Facebook page with Iron Man currently losing 60:40.

This could be perceived as a fanboy moaning about how Iron Man is cooler than Dredd, but that really isn't my intention. All I'm saying is that if I - someone who doesn't pledge allegiance to any particular comic book publisher - had to choose between these two movies, I would have to say Iron Man was the better of the two. While Karl Urban and Robert Downey Jr. both put in great performances, Iron Man has a far more substantial plot than Dredd which suffers from a very basic story which can be summed up by "Dredd has to kill all the criminals." Speaking as an aspiring screenwriter, Iron Man is simply the better-written movie, and I feel like its being beaten unfairly by a movie that doesn't entirely deserve all the acclaim its recieving.

It seems likely that Dredd will get to the semi-finals at least, as in round three its only possible contenders are 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man or Thor: The Dark World - two comic book movies with a rather lukewarm reception. But should it get to the finals? Should it win? Other likely bets for the final consist of The Dark Knight, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the 1989 Batman movie. These are all worthy winners above Dredd again, because they have something to offer except action, and if Dredd beats these movies then I fear my apathetic attitude towards the movie will only grow.

I don't want to dislike Dredd. It's a good movie. But it's a very basic movie too. I hope we see a sequel to Dredd as much as the next fan, but our desire for a sequel should not result in Dredd being elevated to a point where it can do no wrong, because it is simply undeserving of such acclaim.

Ultimately, whether or not Dredd wins these polls is hugely insignificant when placed in the scope of the wider world and the unfortunate events currently taking place. However as a fan of storytelling, I can't help but feel distressed when I see movies that are written so well be shafted for a movie that at its core is a very basic action film. I'll reiterate again, that I do like Dredd, but I feel my patience for it is wearing thin from the sheer power it seems to hold in our comic-book movie community.

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This was an opinion piece. Please share your opinions on Dredd in the comments, on our Facebook page, or by tweeting us!

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VIDEO: Thor: The Dark World After Credits Scene Explained

Caution! If you don't want the after-credits scene in Thor: The Dark World spoiled for you, don't read any further!

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Thor: The Dark World Trailer Analysis

Check out our new movie web-show! In this episode, David analyses the trailer for Thor: The Dark World. A Thanos appearance? Loki being a good guy? All that and more discussed in this episode! Watch below:

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Indie Comic Spotlight: Velica

In this new feature, we're going to be picking out some of the best new indie comics coming our way soon and today, we're going to be looking at Velica: The next powerful woman in comics? Quite possibly! With some nice art and an interesting story, Velica is shaping up to make some waves in the indie comic circuit.

Originally released in 2008, this is a comic whose readership has done nothing but grow and become more enthusiastic in the last five years. This year, Velica is coming back in a big way relaunching with a new print and distribution deal with Toledo Publishing and making itself known to as many comic fans as it can.

Here's a brief synopsis of the series from the folks at Velica Comics:


"Velica started life as Shauna Saunders, daughter to a brilliant Bio-Technologist named Alexander Saunders. Her mother, Anna Saunders, reluctantly supported her husband’s work, but wanted him to get a job with which he could support the family. She would find solace in Dominic Perrin, Shauna’s “adoptive” uncle. Dominic was the majority shareholder for Alexander’s company. Soon, the relationship between Alexander and Dominic became increasingly strained and ultimately, Alexander paid for his passion with his life. He entrusted his daughter Shauna with continuing his legacy. Now, Shauna fights her dad’s battles in her quest for justice."

Having had a look at some of the beautiful preview pages of the first issues we can tell you Velica's quest takes her to some nasty places, and pits her against some dangerous foes.

This isn't a kids story, let's put it that way.

One of the most interesting things about Velica is how passionate the people producing it are. Ken Johnson created Velica and has since been working hard writing and illustrating it with help from colourist Kirsty Swan. In the past few years despite the challenges that the comic world continues to face, Velica hasn't given up but instead grown stronger. The series is even now aiming to be adapted into a short film. For more on that, click here to go to their IndieGoGo page and get involved!

Velica is currently in the process of reprinting all of its original issues, and preparing a new US series launch for the Spring of 2013. The Velica team will also be appearing at this year's Chicago Comic-Con, so expect some more news around that time. Meanwhile, to keep updated on this exciting new project, you can go to Velica Comic's Facebook page by clicking here or go to their website by clicking here!

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Visit Comic Reviews Round-Up! TEN's New Branch!

You may or may not have noticed that we haven't been reviewing many comics recently. Well, we no longer have to. Comic Reviews Round-Up is a great new site from The Entertainment Network that goes one step further.

Comic Reviews Round-Up takes comic reviews from around the Internet, then makes one review score based on those reviews. This way you're getting a more universal view on things, instead of just one person's opinion. This way you know what your getting, and you never have to buy a bad comic again!
We're still in very early days right now so we're focusing on Marvel and DC releases only, but if you're looking for the best New 52 series, or deciding whether to jump into Avengers vs. X-Men, Comic Reviews Round-Up is the place to go.

Plus, we've got some great Features planned as well, that's going to put comic series' and comic writer's head-to-head and see who comes out on top and who needs to improve.

We're really excited about this, so please click the link below and have a look around!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT COMIC REVIEWS ROUND-UP!

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SPOILER ALERT: The Avengers After-Credits Scene In-Depth Analysis

UPDATE: This article was originally written straight after the release of The Avengers. Now we know a lot more about "Phase 2" of Marvel's Cinematic Universe - particularly the confirmation of Guardians of the Galaxy - so we've updated the article now to feature our thoughts on what could be in Guardians of the Galaxy.

SPOILERS INSIDE!!

I've seen the Avengers! And it was so very, very awesome. You can read my review of it by clicking here. It also has a rather awesome after-credits scene. There's no big explosions, or fight scenes, but it does introduce a key villain in the marvel universe.

THANOS is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For those who don't know, Thanos is an alien who was born on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. He is obsessed with death and nihilism, and boasts super-human strength, stamina, and durability. He can also absorb huge amounts of cosmic energy, and is very clever - considering his mind as his greatest weapon. He also has limited telekinesis and telepathy skills.

In the after credits scene it seems to be shown that Thanos was the one who provided Loki with the Chitauri army. Although he doesn't speak in this appearance he is accompanied by another unnamed alien who says, "Battling The Avengers would be to court death." Then Thanos flashes us a delightfully evil grin. 

This has been quite a surprise for a lot of fans (myself included), but really we should have seen it coming. The Cosmic Cube/Tesseract has played a major part in the last few Marvel movies, and Thanos also has a bit of history with it. In one of his first comic-book story arcs, he tries to use the Cosmic Cube to make him omnipotent (become all-powerful). Needless to say, he doesn't succeed, and the cube ends up being destroyed by Captain Marvel.

Which brings us onto another point - are we going to see more intergalactic heroes appear next time Thanos shows his face? Captain Marvel, Nova - and we have heard that a Guardians of the Galaxy movie is on the table... This has now been confirmed! Check out our speculation on what could be in the movie, below!

Thanos is probably most famous for his storyline, "The Infinity Gauntlet." And, this is one of the main Thanos hints - in Thor, we see the Infinity Gauntlet weapon in a shot, albeit briefly. We can't help but think that this was a hint of things to come.

In the comics, Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to make himself all-powerful and then attempts to kill half the living things in the Universe.

So what does this all mean? Well, it seems a little too early to be teasing an Avengers 2 villain, seeming as we probably won't be seeing that until around 2015 - then again the super-team were mentioned in the scene.

Update: All signs seem to be pointing to a Thanos appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy. While the movie will no doubt serve as an origin story for the galactic super team, it's hard to imagine that Marvel wouldn't include Thanos in there as well. Here's the rumoured synopsis for the movie:

"About a U.S. pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants."

Could the "something everyone wants" be the aforementioned Infinity Gauntlet. And if so does that mean the ex-cons raid an Asgard vault at the beginning of the movie?
And could the "universal conflict" be the Kree-Skrull War that's been a big part of Marvel Comics history since it ran in the early 70s?

One theory that's been circulating for a while is that the Guardians take on Thanos at the end of this movie, but fail to stop him attacking Earth. This would lead straight into The Avengers 2 which would feature a Guardians/Avengers team-up.

Whatever happens, the announcement of Guardians of the Galaxy has added a whole new lease of life to this scene - and I for one can't wait to find out Marvel's plans. 

Original Article: So what about Iron Man 3? Almost definitely not. All hints are pointing towards an "Extremis" based story for that one.

Thanos being in Captain America 2 seems like even more of a long shot, seeming as the two characters seem so unrelated. 

But Thor 2 - that's a possibility. Thor is the most space-based Avenger at the current time. Secondly, we saw the Infinity Gauntlet in an Asgard vault, hinting that Thanos could be on his way there. And Thor did play a substantial part in The Infinity Gauntlet storyline.

Alternatively, Marvel have been talking about "Phase 2" of The Avengers for a while now so maybe we'll see more small Thanos appearances in the aforementioned upcoming movies, building up to a big part in Avengers 2.

Whatever happens, Thanos will no doubt play a big part in the future of Marvel's movies - What do you think he's up to? Comment!

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C2E2 2012: Marvel's Biggest Announcements

This year's C2E2 Chicago Comic-Con is drawing to a close. Here are the biggest announcements Marvel made at the show!

New Hawkeye On-Going Series

#1 

Marvel announced that their most popular archer (Sorry, Kate), would be getting his own on-going series again! Matt Fraction and David Aja will be collaborating their skills for the book - in their first team-up since their run on Immortal Iron Fist.

The idea behind the book hinges on how the Avenger lives his life when not around his numerous teammates and allies.

“HAWKEYE is more about what inspires Clint Barton,” Fraction explains, “We got Clint in Avengers, Secret Avengers, and anywhere else at any given time - but we wanted HAWKEYE to be about what Clint does when he's not at work, about what drives the guy."

“He's got some stuff coming up in [Avengers vs. X-Men] and afterwards he's in a place where he's gotta figure out what he's doing with himself and why. What moves him, what's meaningful for him.”

#2

It was also announced that the Young Avengers' Hawkeye, Kate Bishop would feature in the book:

“She's his junior partner, his apprentice,” says Fraction. “It's a very Avengers relationship - meaning Steed and Peel - and she's as adrift as he is. What the hell are these two doing with their lives? Turns out, helping people is what they have to do to get through the night. In costume, in life, doesn't matter. Good guys don't punch a time card at 5:00.”

Aja went on to explain that his art for this book will be more iconic, and more cartoony than his previous work claiming, "Less is more." He also explained that while some other familiar heroes will appear, the focus will be almost entirely on Clint and Kate. 

HAWKEYE #1 is going to be out this August! It's on our pull list already!

New Gambit On-Going Series

Hawkeye isn't the only one getting his own series. The X-Men's Gambit is also breaking out.

Earlier this month we posted a teaser with Gambit's name on it, and it turns out it was for this - A new ongoing book written by James Asmus (Generation Hope), and Clay Mann (Magneto: Not A Hero). Cover art for #1 below:

Sabretooth to return in Wolverine Arc

Back in 2007 in the "Evolution" storyline, arguably Wolverine's greatest foe, Sabretooth, was killed off. Now - 5 years later - he's found his way back to the world of the living and will be causing Wolverine all kinds of trouble in July's Wolverine #310, which starts the story arc - "Sabretooth Reborn."

The arc will be handled by Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi (who both worked on "Evolution"), and aims to tie up any lose ends left from "Evolution." And as if Sabretooth wasn't enough, Wolverine will also be up against the mysterious Romulus who has been pulling both Logan and Sabretooth's strings for years. This could be one hell of a story.

New Ultimate Comics Event Teased

Marvel announced that Brian Michael Bendis, Sam Humphries and Brian Wood, will collaborate on "Divided We Fall," a new event due to take place in the pages of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics Ultimates, and Ultimate Comics X-Men this summer.

Not many details were given but there was a tease in the form of a cover for Ultimate Comics Ultimates #13 (below):

The Mighty Thor and Journey Into Mystery Crossover

Marvel announced a new seven-part story taking place in the pages of Journey Into Mystery, and The Mighty Thor. Entitled "Everything Burns" it involves Thor and Loki working together to save the Nine Realms!

It will be handled by Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen, Alan Davis and Carmine di Giandomenico.

Promo Below:

Carnage to Return in Minimum Carnage

Marvel announced a new book entitled Minimum Carnage. Now that Carnage USA is over (it was awesome), what's the next move for the most insane villain of the Marvel Universe? No details yet, apart from the image below - but don't worry - we'll keep you updated on this one...

Those were our biggest Marvel stories of C2E2! Stay tuned for DC's biggest news!

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Comic Picks of the Week: 8th February 2012

Our Marvel and DC picks for the week ahead!

Marvel:

Carnage U.S.A #3

This mini-series about one of Spider-Man's most formidable foes has been very entertaining so far. If #3 can keep up the quality then we're in for a treat.

New Avengers #21

The H.A.M.M.E.R war continues, as Norman Osborn's Thor clone, Ragnarok, goes up against the New Avengers. #20 was a little disappointing but I have faith that this one can bounce back.

Secret Avengers #22

This much hyped new direction for the series, with a new line-up and new writer in Rick Remender looks great and should definitely be on your radar.



DC Comics:

Batwoman #6

A new story arc begins on what (I think) has been the one of the best New 52 titles of them all. My only worry is that J. H. Williams III's beautiful art will not be present with Amy Reeder taking over. Apart from that, this should be a must-have!

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice #5 (of 5)

The finale of this acclaimed limited series explaining the motivations of one of Batman's most famous villains reaches its conclusion. Let's hope it's a satisfying end.



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Our Comic Picks of the Week: 1st February 2012

We tell you what comics we're going for this week!

Marvel:

The Punisher #8

As the Punisher and Rachel Cole Alves carry on their war aginst the exchange, this week sees what happened when they cross tracks.
This series, after a fantastic few opening issues, started to lose pace recently. But #7 was good, and so we have faith that it can be picked up again!

Venom #13

It's the start of the circle of four crossover, as Venom teams up with Red Hulk, X-23, and Ghost Rider! Nuff' said.

Winter Soldier #1

This new series featuring Bucky Barnes as his russian spy alter-ego has quite a bit of hype surrounding it. Why? Ed Brubaker's work on Captain America was some of the best in years, so his take on the Winter Soldier should be welcomed.

DC Comics:

Action Comics #6

Action Comics has been one of the best New 52 books, and in this issue Grant Morrison finishes his story on Supes' arrival on Earth. Sounds good to me.

Image:

Fatale #2

Ed Brubaker's noir horror story returns for a second issue, and considering the quality of the first, we're expecting only good things!

That's all for this week, but come back next week for more of our picks!

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The Week In Comics: 15th January 2012

The biggest Comic news stories of the week.

This week: Batman crossovers, cancelled New 52 titles, Avengers vs X-Men teasers and more!

DC Reveals Bat-Crossover


Have you been enjoying the Court of Owls story going on in Batman at the moment? Then your in luck because the owls aren't going anywhere. This event will focus on the owls and the extent of their attack on the Wayne/Bat family.

Scott Snyder will start his crossover with back-up stories at the end of Batman and Detective comics - starting in Batman #8. Unfortunately, this means the cost of Batman comics is going up from $2.99, to $3.99 - This does not bode well with our cut-backs!!

The back-ups will look into the past of the Court of Owls, in preparation for the big event that will span: Batman and Robin, Batman: The Dark Knight, Catwoman, Batwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Nightwing, All-Star Western, Batgirl, and Birds of Prey.

Now that is an event. Although, (thankfully) Snyder also said that you don't have to buy all those books to understand the cross-over. The stories are designed to be self-contained.

We'll give you our thoughts on this cross-over, when it starts in a few months time.

Captain America and Bucky gets Replaced!

Have you been enjoying the recent Captain America and Bucky series? Well then I've got some bad news. It's ending - well, kind of.

The series will now continue in Avenging Spider-Man style. By that I mean it will keep Captain America in the title role, but add a different Marvel guest star each month. This new take on the series starts with #629, when Captain America & Hawkeye begins.

Writer, Cullen Bunn revealed that in the story Cap and Hawkeye go out to fight a bunch of dinosaurs - so I'm guessing it'll be something in the Savage Land.

He also revealed that Cap & Iron Man, and Cap & Black Widow will be the next team-ups after Hawkeye.

What are your thoughts on this new take on the series?

Six New 52 Titles Get Cancelled, Six New Titles on the Way!

This week DC announced their second wave of The New 52. The second wave consists of 6 titles, meaning to keep the New 52 title relevant, six of the current titles have to end.

So, if your a fan of either: Blackhawks, Hawk & Dove, Men of War, Mister Terrific, O.M.A.C, or Static Shock you're out of luck. All of those series' will be ending with #8 to make way for the following new series'.

Batman Incorporated: The New 52 follow-up to Batman Inc: Leviathan Strikes.

Earth 2: Based on a parallel earth, and focusing around the Justice Society, who are on a collision course with other worlds - I think we can all guess what world they're about to hit.


World's Finest: Huntress and Power Girl (from Earth-2) are stranded on our world - this series follows them on their way back to Earth-2!

Dial H: A series following the psychological effects on an everyman who accidentally gains powers to become a hero.



G.I Combat: The new G.I. Combat ongoing will feature The War That Time Forgot, an action-adventure story by writer J.T. Krul and artist Ariel Olivetti. The series will also feature a rotating slate of back-up stories that includes The Unknown Soldier by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Dan Panosian, and The Haunted Tank by John Arcudi and Scott Kolins.

The Ravagers: Spinning off from Teen Titans and Superboy, this series finds four superpowered teens on the run and fighting against the organization that wants to turn them into supervillains.

Marvel Has A Cross-Over Too!

The Avenging Spider-Man #6 starts a crossover between Spidey, Punisher and Daredevil. In #6 of Daredevil, Daredevil obtained a disk featuring intel on criminal organisations from all over the world. The Punisher wants it, so he can go find the organisations and kick all sorts of ass - Daredevil isn't willing to let him do that.

To stop the whole situation getting out of hand, Reed Richards (creator of the disk) sends Spidey off to get the disk back!

The three part story starts in Avenging Spider-Man #6, continues in Daredevil #11, and ends in The Punisher #10.


The Avengers vs. X-Men Teasers

Marvel have been releasing loads of AvX match-ups this week. We've collected them all in a single post (because we're very nice). You can see them by clicking here!

And those are the biggest comic stories of the week! Come back next week for more!

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