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.

Read More

Taskmaster: Udon Series Review

This review is spoiler-free.

Taskmaster is, I believe, one of the most under-rated characters in the Marvel Universe. A mercenary, frequent enemy of Deadpool and The Avengers alike, the character has taken on a very interesting role in recent years. Taskmaster is no longer a villain, but whatever he needs to be. Most recently this has been seen in his role as a teacher in Avengers: The Initiative, a potential father-figure in Avengers Academy, and even an Avenger himself in Nick Spencer's recent Secret Avengers series.

My interest for the character spiked upon reading Fred Van Lente's excellent mini-series Taskmaster: Unthinkable in 2011, leading me to splash out on eBay and pick-up the four-issue series printed back in 2002 simply titled, Taskmaster. This series was the result of a collaboration between Marvel and Asian-influenced studio Udon, and tells a relatively simple story of Taskmaster being hired, Taskmaster being betrayed, and Taskmaster seeking revenge. It's safe to say that those of you looking for some real development of Taskmaster as a character would be better served in the 2011 series. But while Van Lente's mini-series is far superior to this one, both in terms of writing and information about the character, there is fun to be had in this series too - just so long as you can make it through the first issue.

Why do I say that? Well, the first issue of this series really doesn't deliver a fantastic first impression, mainly due to the abundance of exposition which is really quite tedious to read through. In fact, I would go as far to say that most of issue one is very flawed. Not only is the dialogue shamelessly expository, but the story is very by the numbers and the action feels lifeless. The big finale of the first issue is a fight between Taskmaster and Iron Man - a fight which has potential to be amazing, but in the end is just quite boring. The problem is mainly due to the fact that there's never any sense of struggle. Taskmaster puts Tony Stark in his place very easily, which may have been done as a way to show Taskmaster's skill as a fighter, but ultimately relieves the fight of any sense of tension. Meanwhile, Taskmaster's narration throughout the fight also removes it of any real fluidity.

However, what issue one does manage to do is set up the premise of the rest of the series and I'm happy to say that after issue one ends, things definitely start looking up for the book. Come issue two, the action is far superior to what is found in the first installment, the exposition is much less frequent and the whole book ends up with a more quality feel. While I don't want to delve into any further story details so not to ruin the book for anyone reading, I can say that there is a real rivalry built between Taskmaster and his antagonist, which certainly got me on Taskmaster's side rooting for the character to get his revenge.

Never has a series turned around so quickly for me in terms of quality. While the final three issues are still far from perfect they are a huge improvement on what came before, offering many fun and exciting moments with the series closing out with a real bang. Perhaps another contributing factor to this series improving as it progresses is the artwork which could take a while to grow on you. As I mentioned above, this series is a joint effort between Marvel and Udon, and as Udon are an Asian-influenced group the artwork on display here is very reminiscent of Manga. Reminiscent, but not totally the same. Indeed while the art here is very obviously influenced by Japanese artwork, it is more a fusion of Japanese and American styles than outright Manga art. Still, it is very different to what you see in most Marvel comics and did take a little while for me to get used to. If you're one of those people who loathes the Manga art style - and there are people like that out there - then perhaps you should be warned that elements of that style are on display here.

Taskmaster's classic costume

But however you feel about Manga, there's no denying that the costume design here is to be applauded. The suit incorporates Taskmaster's classic skull mask, sword and shield, but modernizes it into something futuristic and very stylish indeed. Although, personally I did feel that the Udon costume removes his humanity somewhat - as his actual face is never shown, instead the suit produces holograms of other people for him to pretend to be. While this high-tech suit is far better for Taskmaster in terms of stealthily breaking in to places that he shouldn't be, at times it seemed a little too futuristic when you think how Taskmaster's traditional costume is quite a charming medieval suit. Nonetheless, the Udon gear does look cool and has some great features - but I'm just glad Taskmaster was reverted to his old costume once the series finished.

So should you buy this series? The decision is one you should think on before going ahead, especially if you're on a budget as some eBay sellers put the complete series up for much more than you would pay for a standard Marvel trade paperback. Ultimately I think you would be wise to pick up Taskmaster: Unthinkable, the other Taskmaster series, before this one as it is the superior series of the two and also more affordable as it is still in print. After you've read that series, if you're craving some more Taskmaster action, then the 2002 Udon series is a solid second choice. While it does have a rocky start, the series goes on to blossom into something exciting, fun and wholly entertaining which is well worth a look if you can get your hands on an affordable copy.

Read More

She-Hulk #1 (2014) Review

All-New Marvel Now has been a mixed bag thus far with books like Loki: Agent of Asgard hitting, and books like The Punisher not so much. It's because of this that I approached She Hulk #1 with some degree of caution, after all Charles Soule's ridiculously high level of output has got to crash at some point, hasn't it? Apparently not. She-Hulk #1 is a fun debut, reminiscent of Mark Waid's Daredevil and as a result has some suitably fun moments.

Straight from the offset, you can see that the man behind this new series is Charles Soule. The writer shares a day job with She-Hulk, as the pair of them are lawyers and as a result this series suits him down to the ground. You can tell from the well-written dialogue that the man has a level of expertise in his field, as the legal aspect of the character shines through more here than ever before. And if you're the type who isn't interested in legal drama than do not be discouraged, Soule mixes in a nice amount of humour to keep things interesting.
This is helped largely by Javier Pulido's artwork which I was pleasantly surprised with here. The man's simplistic, nostalgic style is truly charming. I still don't believe that this style works with all titles, but here - and combined with Muntsa Vicente's bright colours - it definitely adds something fun to the book. Not to mention Pulido has some interesting panel layouts in this book which really work to not just add to the story, but also absorb the reader into what She-Hulk is experiencing.

However, while this book was entertaining, it wasn't phenomenal all the same. The story was fun, but was in the end just a one-shot tale that sets up the status quo of the series, and gives us an idea of what we can expect going forward. It would have been nice to see some longer-term threads begin being sewn here - if only to squash any fears it will end up being one-shot after one-shot with no real direction as Nathan Edmonson's Black Widow seems to be - however I can understand why Soule would want to spend his debut issue introducing us to his She-Hulk.

Read More

The Punisher #1 (2014) Review

I was a huge fan of Greg Rucka's Punisher run. It took a character that was on the brink of falling into a pit of audience fatigue, and completely revived him making him a character that people once again were excited about. After the tragic cancellation and subsequent neglect that the series was handed, I wasn't sure if I was ready for a new Punisher series, especially one from an unfamiliar creative team. Unfortunately, after the first issue I'm still not sure if this series will be good for the character. As a debut it's solid, however I question Nathan Edmonson's understanding of the character who is represented so wildly different here than in the last run that I felt like I was reading a different character.

Now I'm not saying that new interpretations of characters is a bad thing - take Mark Waid's Daredevil for example - Waid took a previously dark and unhappy character and turned him into one of the most fun characters on the market. However, that series was a result of a status quo change in the Daredevil universe. Additionally Waid has gone on to explore the darker sides of Daredevil's life which are still present, if less prominent.

Here though, The Punisher has gone from a dark and brooding loner, to a social character whose conversation is so interesting he manages to get the potentially romantic attention of one woman after a short 2-minute conversation over breakfast. That's without mentioning that Frank Castle would never get romantically involved with another lady after his wife and children were viciously murdered - despite what Daniel Way's bland Thunderbolts run would suggest. Edmonson's inner monologues are more reminiscent of the Frank I know, but are used sparingly and not to great effect.

This lack of understanding is worrying but thankfully the story shows some promise, with the foundations of a supporting cast, and foe for Frank to face off with already settling. Meanwhile Mitch Gerads artwork is a mixed bag with some panels looking very nice indeed, and others looking messy.

Read More

TEN Comic Book Show: Secret Avengers and Taskmaster!

The second episode of TEN's comic-book web show is here! In this episode, David reviews #1 and #2 of the Marvel NOW! Secret Avengers series. He also goes on a rant about Taskmaster and the awesome mini-series Taskmaster: Unthinkable! Watch it below:

Read More

TEN Comic Book Show: Marvel NOW! New Avengers Review

In the first episode of TEN's latest web show, David Craig starts his review series of all the Marvel NOW! books he's reading beginning with New Avengers #1! Check out the show below and if you like it don't forget to like and subscribe! It really helps!

Read More

Age of Ultron #1 Review

Age of Ultron is Marvel's big event for 2013 and after the stream of disappointing events that have been coming from the publisher in the past few years, I was fairly sure I would sit this one out. However, after seeing the shiny retro cover, and hearing that Taskmaster had a role to play (I LOVE Taskmaster), my will power gave way again. So, how much regret do I feel after buying this issue? Surprisingly little. Age of Ultron #1 is a flawed read, and I'm still very sceptical about the rest of the event, however it's a solid opening issue.

Age of Ultron is written by Brian Michael Bendis who has been teasing the event for quite some time in his Avengers run. In this first issue he manages to set the scene of this apocalyptic reality under Ultron's rule, but unfortunately not much else. While there is some fun action in this issue if you're looking for actual story, you're better off elsewhere. It was a slightly strange decision to give us no information on how Ultron took over, or where the other heroes are. I get that Bendis may want to keep things mysterious for now, but still he could have given us a hint because in the end keeping the reader totally in the dark does more harm than good. The issue will definitely hold your attention until the interesting final panel, but it's hard to get too involved in a story you know little about.

On the other hand Bryan Hitch's artwork is for the most part top notch, his work is well shaded and dark enough to fit the tone of this reality. As per usual with his work there does seem to be a disproportionately long arm or leg from time to time, but overall he delivers some nice panels - definitely better than John Romita Jr.'s art that we had to suffer with in the opening chapters of AvX.

Read More

Marvel NOW! Secret Avengers #1 Review

Secret Avengers was a series I always wanted to get into Pre-Marvel NOW! but never quite found the right jumping-on point, so when I saw it would be getting a new #1 as part of Marvel NOW! I was excited to get hold of it. After the first issue, I'm happy to say I'm still excited about this series. Secret Avengers #1 is a cinematic, exciting read which should please old fans and newcomers alike.

Secret Avengers #1 sees Agent Phil Coulson recruit the talents of Black Widow and Hawkeye to be part of a new SHIELD-controlled Secret Avengers team, however there's a catch. The missions that they'll be working on are so top secret that even they aren't allowed to know about them! And so, a memory implant has to be fitted into the brains of the pair so that the knowledge of these missions can be removed once they're accomplished.
This is a cool concept, however it's strangely handled in this issue. When the pair first hear about it they're completely against it, but then Agent Coulson tells them something, and suddenly they can't wait to get out in the field. It was a strange decision to not let the reader know about why the pair joined the team, but as long as we find out why in the next few issues then perhaps I'll understand the decision. Still, it's a move that isn't going to please everyone.

That small gripe aside, the story of this issue was very good. Nick Spencer uses the first issue almost as a one-shot tale, to set the tone of how this team is going to work and what the story is going to be like - and it's not as honourable as you may think. Straight away Spencer makes it clear that SHIELD has some ulterior motives, and it makes for a tense team dynamic. This is best shown at the end of the book with a nice twist that took me by surprise and got me interested in the next issue.
Plus if you're new to the Marvel Universe you have nothing to fear jumping into this book. It features characters from The Avengers movie and requires little background info, making it perfect for new readers.

The art in this book by Luke Ross and Matthew Wilson works well with the title: it has a dark feel to it which is great for the darker story. But, it does drop in quality a little when the action stops and the talking begins. It's in these panels where the art loses some detail and becomes less impressive. Overall though, there are few complaints I can make about the art.

Read More

The Punisher #15 Review

There's now just one more month until this superb Punisher series ends, with Frank Castle's story finally ending (for now) with Punisher: War Zone - a 5-issue limited series concluding this series' story.

This issue sees the aftermath of The Punisher and Rachel Cole-Alves assassination mission, with The Exchange's Christian Poulsen looking to avenge the death of his partner. The issue is action-packed, with a particularly chaotic finale.
Although I can't help but think that those final few pages would have had a larger impact had they been easier to follow, because I found myself getting lost. After a couple of re-reads I did manage to get a better idea of the events, but by then things just didn't seem quite as awesome.

But this is a minor complaint. Those last few pages aside, this issue is riveting stuff. Helped along not only by Greg Rucka's great writing, but also Marco Checchetto's flawless art. He was truly born to draw this series, as usual his art is beautiful here.

In the end, The Punisher #15 is another great entry into a series that will be very missed. My issues with the final pages aside, there's not much that Rucka and Checchetto do wrong here. I you've been reading the Punisher up until now, this is an issue you don;t want to miss out on.

Read More

Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Review: A Great Start

After the somewhat underwhelming Avengers vs. X-Men #0, I was worried that this year's event from the house of ideas would be hugely disappointing - like so many before it. Thankfully, I actually really enjoyed #1 - which is in many ways the first proper issue of this series.

For those of you still unaware at the premise of AvX - here's a brief spoiler-free summary. An alien energy force - known as the Phoenix Force - is coming back to earth. The last time this force was on our planet, it used the X-Man Jean Grey as a host and she ended up dying in order to save the world from the force's immense power.
Now, the Phoenix Force is coming back to Earth in order to find a host in the "Mutant Messiah" Hope Summers. Cyclops leader of the X-Men) believes that if Hope can find a way to control the force, then the dwindling mutant species can receive some new life. Meanwhile The Avengers believe that this force is only going to bring bad stuff. Like more death.

This is what sets the Avengers and the X-Men apart.

Now to talk about the issue itself. I have to say I'm impressed. I had my doubts with #0, but this issue turns out to be well paced, and well written with a great script. It does a good job in filling in those who may not be experts on the matter at hand - which was good for me because I missed events like House of M, and Avengers: X-Sanction.

The only issue I had with this...um...issue, was John Romita's art. There's nothing particularly bad about it, but I've just never been a fan of his art. It's always seemed a bit too square and simple to me.

Apart from that, Avengers vs. X-Men is a great start to this year's Marvel event and one that fills me with hope that it might break the trend of disappointing events that have been plaguing comic fans in recent years.

Read More

Magneto: Not A Hero #2 Review

#1 of this limited series was one of those books that was good, but wasn't that great. Unfortunately, #2 has the same problem and so as we cut back on costs we might not be able to continue with it...

The plot revealed last month continues, with Magneto's clone/rival, Joseph being resurrected by obsessed follower, Astra. The main problem is not much really happens here, and I still struggle to understand what the outcome of this will be. It still hasn't been made clear what exactly Joseph aims to accomplish - and he doesn't really even do anything this issue.

But the slightly odd story is saved by some fantastic art, which I really like. If nothing else, this series is a nice one to look at. The writing is also strong, it's just a shame there's not enough substance to the story.

Magneto: Not A Hero is OK. It's not amazing, but it's not bad either - it hovers in that in-between place. It's nice art, and expert writing means it has a lot of potential, but the story itself just lacks enough substance. We're halfway through the series and I still don't see any real plan! What is Joseph aiming for here?

The bottom line is, if you liked #1 of this series, you'll probably like #2 - however if you haven't read this series yet, I'd keep reading the reviews and then if you like the sound of it go for the Trade Paperback (which comes out in late May). It's good, but missable.

Read More

The Punisher #6 Review

Last month's issue of Punisher left me disappointed. It was lacking in everything! It just didn't feel like The Punisher. And while this issue does a little better, it's still not up to scratch.

This issue sees Marine Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alves start her war against the Exchange. The people responsible for killing her husband, friends and family on her wedding day. I was looking forward to seeing this happen, but left a little disappointed. Maybe this was because the story seems to be losing its way a bit. Maybe its because the art has changed for the worse. I don't know, but it's something.

Speaking of the art, I have to say that there's a new artist working on Punisher and I am not impressed. Matthew Southworth and Matthew Clark just cannot match the beautiful work of Marco Checchetto - and to be honest my enjoyment of the issue was effected by this.
I just hope Checchetto returns for #7.

Thankfully though, the writing remains strong - but it is weakening due to the misdirection of the story. I don't know where Greg Rucka is taking this book and I'm not sure if he knows either.

But, the increased amount of action does make The Punisher #6 exciting to read - even if the story feels as if it's deteriorating a little. The art is okay, but just isn't as good as previous artist, Marco Checchetto, but the script manages to stay strong in the middle of all of this. I really hope Greg Rucka can put this series back on track as its gone from my favourite book, to a bit of a chore.
What won't help is that next month looks to be a month off from of this story...how annoying.

Read More

Daredevil #6 Review

I haven't been a huge fan of this Daredevil series. I haven't minded it, but I haven't loved it either. That was, until now...

#6 of Daredevil is one of the best comics I've read this year. That's a big claim, but I think it's true. It just manages to do so many things right! Like what?

Well first, #6 sees the ending (more or less) of the current story arc. And what a way to finish it! This issue was action-packed and written expertly.
To top it all off, the art - which I wasn't a big fan of before - really came into its own this issue. There were some fantastic scenes in the duration of the issue - some of which really belonged in a movie.
The art still isn't perfect though, and although I prefer the likes of J. H. Williams III, it is growing on me.

I just hope that the story is revisited sometime in the not-too-distant future, because there's definitely a lot more to be done with this one. This is due to the way that it seems to leave some unanswered questions - while I normally hate this type of stuff - here it works well.
I just hope they actually do follow up on it - if they don't it would be a bit of a cop out.

But I think I'm going off on a tangent. The fact is Daredevil #6 is a fantastic end to an enjoyable story. The writing is perfect, and the art is great - plus, the door has been left open for a follow-up story sometime in the future.
You need this one in your collection!

Read More

The Avenging Spider-Man #2 Review

Last month, when Avenging Spider-Man debuted, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. The art was fantastic, the writing was good but the lack of a decent story seemed to weigh it down.
So, has the story improved this month? A little.

This month sees the story of Spidey and Red Hulk continue as they make their way through Subterranea, trying to find the cause of the Moloid invasion on the surface.
This issue does seem to have more of a plot, but the story still doesn't seem very deep or interesting. Plus, we still know little about what is really going on, and when your story isn't even very interesting, that's not a good thing.

But, I shouldn't be too harsh. The story is an improvement over what we got in #1, even if it's still a little underwhelming.

Thankfully, Joe Madureira's art remains beautiful meaning the book remains a joy to look at! I can't help but think how much worse the book would be without it.
The writing also remains strong, although isn't quite as good as last month's. I think it too is weighed down by the limitatins of the story.

There's not much more to say about Avenging Spider-Man. It's a book that's still suffering from a mediocre story - and no amount of great art and writing is going to fix that. #2 is worth a shot, but I think this story needs to move on quickly, or Avenging Spider-Man is going to become very forgettable.

Read More

The Defenders #1 Review

The Defenders #1 brings back one of Marvel's oddest super-team's with an altered roster, a new writer, and some new art too! But is it any good?

Yes, it is, but it's not without flaws.

Defenders #1 brings together Dr. Starnge, Iron Fist, Red She-Hulk, The Silver Surfer, and Namor to fight some sort of shadow of The Hulk. That's one of #1's biggest problems - it's not made completely clear what they're fighting! Hulk mentions he's called Nul - A destroyer of worlds - but he doesn't go into much depth on the matter.
But, I suppose this will be made a bit clearer in later issues, it just would have been nice to know in a little more detail.

The art in this book is okay - and at times is quite good. But I noticed other times where it wasn't so spectacular which was a little disappointing. That's not to say the art is bad - it does the job.

Something I did like about this book was the script. While the story didn't feel completely explained, for the most part the script wasn't affected. Where a lot of books have a lot of clumsy writing, this one feels very polished.

In the end though, Defenders is off to a good start. The story doesn't feel completely explained, but it has a lot of potential - and I'm sure Matt Fraction (Writer) will be filling in the blanks soon - and while the art isn't incredible it's good enough and is accompanied by a strong script.

Read More

Magneto: Not A Hero #1 Review

Magneto. Once the X-Men's greatest villain - now one of their newest allies. This series follows the story of...it's about...well - that's one of #1's biggest problems.

The main story I get from #1 is that Magneto has been framed. We see someone who looks, and sounds like the master of magnetism brutally murder a group of anti-mutant protesters at the beginning of the issue. Only to be told that this couldn't have been Magneto.

That's basically it. The story isn't this issues strong point - and the sad thing is, I couldn't even appreciate what I assume was quite a twist at the end. You see, I don't usually read X-Men comics. I bought this one due to my interest in the recent Schism event/the current Regenisis event. Because of this I had no idea about who the revealed antagonist was.

This made me feel a bit in the dark, and made me wonder what reason I had to continue with the series of 4. I went on to do some googling and Wikipedia filled me in.
The problem may be solved now, but I still think writer, Skottie Young, could have found a way to prevent new-comers like me from feeling lost.
If your a long-term X-Men reader than you won't have this problem, but even if you've been reading X-Men for a little while, then you might find yourself in my position.

On the plus side, the art here is great. It's detailed, colourful stuff and is accompanied by a great script - it's just a shame the story itself doesn't seem to be going anywhere right now.

In the end, Magneto: Not A Hero is a bit disappointing. Even though I understand the story now, it's still not something I can get too excited for. The art and writing redeems this issue slightly, but not enough for this to be an essential read.

Read More

The Avenging Spider-Man #1 Review

The Avenging Spider-Man is a new ongoing series from Marvel. It will see Spidey fighting bad guys with help from various different faces from the Marvel U - It's been described as a modern-day Marvel Team-Up series.

The story of #1 goes a little like this. Spider-Man's fighting an A.I.M-Bot with the other Avengers. When that's all over he needs a ride back to NYC so he takes one on the Red Hulk's back. When they get there the New York Marathon has just begun, and quickly been interrupted by an army of Moloids hitting the surface.

This is a story that has great potential to turn into something great, but right now seems a little weak. Especially when compared to the great stories going on in other Marvel comics right now (e.g. Punisher, Daredevil etc.).
The writing is a bit better though, capturing Spider-Man's witty remarks quite well with some comments that made me smile throughout.

The real highlight of this book is the art which is absolutely fantastic! I can't tell you how much I love the art here. It's detailed, stylish and makes the book a complete joy to look at. Hats off to Joe Madureira who single-handedly saves this book from mediocrity.

Basically, Avenging Spider-Man is a little disappointing. It's got a very bare-bones story, that could develop into a better one, but right now fails to get me excited. Thankfully, it's saved by a great script, and some truly beautiful art that should be framed and applauded.

Read More

The Punisher #5 Review

I've been such a huge fan of this year's Punisher series. The writing, art and action has been superb throughout. Hence, why I was a little disappointed with #5.
Don't get me wrong - it isn't a bad book. But it seems to be lacking something that the previous issues had. Something important.

#5 picks up 100 days after the events of #4. The Punisher's fight with The Vulture left him badly wounded and so here we see him living in an abandoned building as he starts to make a recovery. He gets his food and other living essentials from a small boy who thinks he's a soldier on a top secret mission.

So, why wasn't this issue as good as the previous ones. I think it was due to the lack of any actual events. The previous issues had all been so action-packed, that this one ends up being a little boring in comparison. Although, at the same time I think an issue like this was necessary to keep The Punisher's current story believable - it's just a shame that this brought the excitement all the way down.

The story moved a lot slower in #5 than it had done previously. All the character's seem to take a month off as none of them really seem to do anything too interesting here - perhaps with the exception of surviving bride Rachel Alves, who starts a recovery which could make her a key player in later issues.

On the other hand, the art remains absolutely outstanding - meaning The Punisher #5 is at least something to look at.

Basically, The Punisher #5 I think is just the calm before the storm. It's nowhere near as exciting as previous issues, and the story moves a lot slower. But I believe that the series will be back to it's action-packed ways next month after The Punisher's battle scars have gone away. #5 is worth a look if only for the great art and the story that's bound to pick up again next month.

Read More

The Avengers #19 Review

The Avengers #19 is another great jumping on point for those trying to get into the Marvel Universe. It's fair to say that Fear Itself was a massive pain in the ass for a lot of people in the Marvel U, but The Avengers have suffered a lot. Two members died and now the public is full of both lovers of the super-team and haters.

Steve Rogers (also known as Captain America) is re-assembling them with a (partly) new line-up! But who made the cut? That's the question answered in this issue. But that's really only half of what #19 is about. Much like the New Avengers, this super-team is about to go up against Norman Osborn and his new Dark Avengers and the beginning of that story is also present here.

And both of these events happening side-by-side probably make the story #19's strongest point. It's well paced, although written a bit heavy-handedly at points. On the plus side, although it was practically action-less, it didn't get boring.
Additionally, although you don't have to read both this title and The New Avengers book to enjoy this Norman Osborn story, the way the two books deal with the event is nicely done, and I'm eager to see how it continues.

Unfortunately, I felt a little let down by the art in this book. In the New Avengers the art is probably one of the best things about it, whereas here it lacks detail and just doesn't look very good. Also, at certain points it kind of made the character's all look like children.
This added with the silly writing, made some points in this book immune of the awesomeness they should have had.

But generally, The Avengers #19 is a book with a good story, but also one that suffers from underwhelming art and occasionally poor writing. Thus, making it inferior to the New Avengers' take on this story.

Read More

New Avengers #18 Review

New Avengers #18 is the first New Avengers issue I've bought. Luckily I would in fact recommend it as a jumping on point as it marks the beginning(ish) of a major new story.
The H.A.M.M.E.R. War.

Any Marvel fan should be able to tell you who H.A.M.M.E.R is. When Osborn was on top of the world in charge of The Avengers, he was also in charge of H.A.M.M.E.R - It was basically Osborn's version of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Those days are over. People realised Osborn was still mental during the Siege event around a year ago, he ended up losing out and getting arrested and that was the end of that. But not for long! Because Osborn broke out (kind of) in the pages of Kelly Sue DeConnick's Osborn miniseries and has been planning evil ever since.

This issue doesn't even bother featuring the actual New Avengers, and instead is an issue entirely focused on Osborn forming his team, and his alliances.

Thankfully, this isn't a bad thing. Osborn is still a terrific character after all this time and seeing him forming this new plan is exciting to say the least.

The art in this book is also something to behold. Definitely some of the best Marvel art currently out there meaning #18 is a joy to read and to look at.

It's not perfect. The story is a little awkwardly told - with events happening in a seemingly random order. Fortunately, this doesn't affect the story too much but still seems like an odd choice.
Plus, if your an action fan you may get bored of this issue. Personally, I didn't - but if you have little knowledge about the Marvel Universe you may find watching this middle-aged man assemble a team of odd looking people a bit dull.

In the end though, New Avengers #18 is the first proper step into a story which I am very excited about. It does a good job, with great art and good writing - if the story stays like this for the duration then it's going to be something very special indeed.

Read More