Yeah, I’m talking about an X-Book. Don’t do that often, as everyone and their brother is aware of the X-Men, whether through the books or the movies or the cartoons.
But yeah, Messiah CompleX is over and Professor X is dead — probably. Never a given with heroes of any sort, and for the X-Men the pearly gates are more like a revolving door.
Scott Summers and Emma Frost are on vacation in the Savage Land, Nightcrawler and Wolverine and Colossus are in Europe, and Angel is in San Francisco. Cyclops and White Queen are enjoying themselves thoroughly, taking in the sights of the prehistoric lands under Antarctica, when Angel contacts them; something’s not right in San Fran, and Angel is getting sucked under.
What villain is rearing up ready to take down Warren Worthington III? Magneto? Juggernaut? Marauders?
How about the Haight-Ashbury 60’s?
Yeah, makes no sense. So far. This is a good issue to jump on, coming as it does after the CompleX. It’s a setup for later issues, plain and simple. But it’s full of character moments that let you know why you like the X-Men.
Over on The Movie Reporter IESB.net, they’re reporting that a Venom movie spin-off from the underwhelming Spider-Man 3 is in the works, to the point that discussions have been had with talent.
Rights issues will probably be a factor, as Venom appeared in a Sony film — but since discussions have apparently been had, and Marvel Studios has an individual agreement with the WGA (still on strike!) I have to figure that Marvel is the one moving forward. Sony Pictures, as far as I’ve read, does not have an agreement with the writers.
In this past week’s issue of Marvel Spotlight, the interviewees are the creative team responsible for Ultimates 3. And no, they don’t get tarred and feathered; however, Jeph Loeb lets some creative stuff get through that makes some semblance of sense.
This particular story actually predate’s House of M’s “No More Mutants” and even Avengers Disassembled. Before Bendis took over the Avengers with those stories, this was actually a story I wanted to tell in the Marvel Universe [ed. - He means the 616]. As it turns out, it works better here.
That remains to be seen — but it does explain why Valkyrie has powers, why Thor is back to speaking in his faux olde englishe, and a few other things.
The damn thing’s incoherent right now, though. One more issue, Loeb.
Here’s the issue that I’ll go out on a limb and say: it will outsell all other titles released this week, and be difficult to find as early as tomorrow. Captain America 34 features the debut of Bucky (or Winter Soldier) in the new Captain America duds.
The costume looks better drawn by Steve Epting than it did by Alex Ross (and it’s not often you’ll hear that from me, as I love Ross’ artwork) — and the gun is explained well. It’s really almost an afterthought.
Bucky is taking up the mantle in honor of Steve Rogers – not to replace him. And that’s how it should be. This is a legacy move in the usually-legacy-shy Marvel Universe that could, if they were wishing it so, stick for a long time.
Probably about as long as Ed Brubaker writes the book, anyway. Which is fine with me, as my man-love for Brubaker is well documented on this site.
Also, something that I’ve noticed, and it is subtle. The past few weeks have done a lot to rehabilitate Tony Stark. How he has been represented has subtly changed to where he’s not a total douchebag (note: not total. He’s still Stark and as such has an aura of douchebaggery that can never go away else he lose his Stark-ness). Rehab for the movie, yes — but it’s nice to see Iron Man start to get a little of the taint of Civil War brushed off.
Havok has always been one of the X-Men you don’t usually think about. One of the three Summers brothers (Scott, Alex, Gabriel), he’s been an afterthought to most of the writers as well.
Almost a shame, really.
Although I did not like the Emperor Vulcan miniseries, I did like the characterization of Havok. He’s finally come out of his shell and the shadow of his brother — Cyclops (Scott) is viewed for some reason as one of the best leaders in the Marvel U — and lead his team to victory.
Or almost. Yeah, he didn’t win this time around, despite it being really close. But it wasn’t any fault of Havok’s that there was a last minute betrayal by one of the Shi’ar, that Gladiator is an unbeatable tool that really needs to be taken down a peg or two, and that the Starjammers are pirates and not superheroes.
Don’t bother with Emperor Vulcan — but keep an eye out for Havok. He may yet carve a space in the Marvel U.
What happens when Doctor Doom goes back in time to the current-day Marvel 616 universe to convince Reed Richards that he’s making a mistake with his current plans (saying that they lead to world disaster)? What happens when the future Fantastic Four follow Doom to attempt to return the Latverian dictator to his cell?
If you guessed Four on Four action, with good Doc Doom moments, you guessed right.
This wraps up the current arc of The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine, and as such isn’t a good point to step aboard — but it’s very well written with all of the canards of what has made the Four great over the years. There’s the angst of The Thing, the scientific wizardry of Richards, the love for her family of The Invisible Woman and the hotheadedness of The Human Torch. All in one issue. Add in a very good rendition of Doom, and you have the distillation of Fantastic Four, ready to ingest.
A very good issue.
People have said in the past that one of the things about Peter Parker that turn them off on the character is the fact that nothing ever goes right for the poor schlub.
Until Joey Q got ahold of him, I say “He married a supermodel.”
What does this have to do with Daredevil? Well, compared to Daredevil and his alter ego Matt Murdock, ol’ Spidey rolls sevens. Nothing has ever gone right for Daredevil since gaining his powers at the age of nine or so. His dad is killed, Karen Page dies, Elektra goes all psycho, he gets outed and spends a year in jail, his house gets blown up, his office gets blown up . . . life isn’t good.
And it hasn’t changed yet. Ed Brubaker seems to take a perverse glee in making Murdock’s life horrible and mind-shattering. And doing it with the most goofy of horn-head’s rogues gallery. Mr. Fear is up this time around — Fear has gained control of Mudock’s wife, Milla, and has manipulated her into committing two murders. Which, as you might guess, hits Matt hard.
This isn’t a good issue to jump in on, if you haven’t been reading Daredevil for the past few months. But it’s Bru, so it’s good.
Be damned if that doesn’t sound like an off-colour joke involving a fist and various nether regions. But it isn’t. Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death is a one-shot special that is going to be released in February from Marvel featuring Danny Rand’s predecessor as Iron Fist – Orson Randall.
We saw Randall in the first Immortal Iron Fist arc, “The Last Iron Fist Story,” which brought the legacy aspects of the Iron Fist to the fore, and we saw him in Iron Fist Annual #1, which gave us some entertaining background on Randall and what was basically a Steampunk-style adventuring team, the Confederates of the Curious.
Co-writer Matt Fraction has said this about the special:
Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death finds the title character at a peak point in his heroic career. “He’s living high on the hog in the company of the Confederates of the Curious. And by the end he’s broken, bitter, paranoid, and on the run from 10,000 sinister forces, some real, some imagined. (source)
In my quest to see Iron Fist reach the top of the sales chart, you can expect to see my review of this as soon as I get it.
Here’s some titles I think you should try out. These books aren’t getting the love in the sales column, and they really should. Some of the books have been written about here on The Bleed, some haven’t (but are on The List). The following are in no particular order: Note: This will only mention series that are still releasing issues. Some of the books from the past few months that I’ve gushed over will not be included because of that caveat, like Potter’s Field.
1. Atomic Robo - Red 5
2. Fall of Cthulhu - BOOM!
3. Criminal - Icon
4. She-Hulk - Marvel
5. Clockwork Girl - Arcana Studio
6. Hybrid Bastards! - Archaia Studios Press
7. Dan Dare - Virgin Comics
8. G.I. Joe - Devil’s Due Publishing
9. Blue Beetle - DC
10. Immortal Iron Fist - Marvel (Yes, I know. But this is a title that needs to be #1).
So when Captain America #34 comes out this Wednesday, be sure to hit your comic shop early. The Major Media are going to be on this much like the Death of Captain America issue last year.
Today, the New York Daily News had a story about Winter Soldier’s taking up the mantle; Tuesday Editor-In-Chief (and Spider-Man Divorce Attorney) Joe Quesada makes a return to the Colbert Report to discuss the return (wonder if he’s going to take back Cap’s Shield, which he gave to Colbert last year).
So show up early and grab your copy before the speculators get there.
