Tag Jonathan Hickman

Weekly Comic 100s: Star Wars, Bad Mother, Disaster Inc., and More!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Star Wars #5
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto & Dan Brown (Colorists), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by R.B. Silva & Guru-eFX.
RELEASED: August 5, 2020

This new Star Wars series hasn’t been doing it for me thus far. It had Luke and Lando go back to Cloud City for a really stupid reason. It’s about to give Luke a yellow lightsaber right after he lost his father’s. Now in this issue he meets yet another Force user, who I assume is going to serve as a mentor. Even though adding another person in that role dilutes the impact of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

In exploring the year between Empire and Jedi, I’m starting to think we should have kept Shadows of the Empire as canon.

TITLE: Bad Mother #1 (of 5)
AUTHOR: Christa Faust
ARTISTS: Mike Deodato Jr., Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Dezi Sienty (Letterer)
RELEASED: August 5, 2020

Bad Mother feels a little bit like Taken if the lead role were gender-swapped. Granted, April Walters doesn’t have that “particular set of skills.” But the cover certainly suggests a big attitude change is coming. I’m expecting something cathartic and suitably gory out of this one.

I’m definitely excited to see what Mike Deodato Jr does with this material, as he fares quite well here. There’s one exception, though: Based on the cover and the first page, I thought April might be pregnant. Whoops.

TITLE: Disaster Inc #2
AUTHOR: Joe Harris
ARTISTS: Sebastian Piriz, Carlos M. Mangual (Letterer). Cover by Andy Clarke & Jose Villarrubia.
RELEASED: August 5, 2020

The industry hiatus caused by COVID-19 did no favors for Disaster Inc. It took me a decent amount of time to re-familiarize myself with the real-life disaster it’s based on. But once you start to pick up momentum in that respect, you fall back into it.

We get to explore our setting a little bit in this issue, which is nice. We also dive into some samurai folklore, which obviously lends itself to our monster/killer. All in all, a solid sophomore issue with some great art and colors by Sebastian Piriz.

TITLE: Giant-Size X-Men: Nightcrawler
AUTHORS: Jonathan Hickman, Alan Davis
ARTISTS: Davis, Carlos Lopez (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Davis & Edgar Delgado.
RELEASED: August 5, 2020

These Giant-Size X-Men titles are a little misleading. I come into them hoping for something tightly focused on the title character. But with the Magneto one, and now this Nightcrawler issue, that’s proving not to be the case. This is less about Kurt and more about the three other mutants that are with him.

This issue takes us back to the mansion in Westchester, which has apparently been abandoned for so long it’s being overrun by friggin’ vegetation. (Not to mention some aliens.) You’re telling me that thing wouldn’t sell? It’s the X-Mansion, for cryin’ out loud!

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Batman, Power Rangers, Magneto, and More!

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Been a rocky couple of weeks on the comic book front for yours truly. Wasn’t able to get to the shop a couple weeks ago. Then last week my local shop had a problem with Lunar Distribution, the company that now distributes DC in the wake of their split from Diamond. So there are still some holes left to be filled in my pull list. In the coming days, expect to see the most recent issues of Superman and Detective Comics, along with the final issue of Greg Rucka’s Lois Lane maxi-series.

But still, the train rolls along. I was even able to throw an issue of Batman: Gotham Nights in for good measure.

TITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue #8
AUTHORS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Cubina (Colorist), Joshua Reed (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 16, 2020

This one went by pretty quickly. But it does Azrael some nice justice. We put over the violent tendencies we saw all those years ago in the comics, while also tying yet another classic Batman villain into the story.

With few exceptions, Ty Templeton and the artistic team have been as consistent as you could hope for on this title. What we see is more or less what we remember from those old tie-in comics, and I’m not sure what more you could ask in that sense.

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #51
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Moises Hidalgo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

Not a huge fan of Moises Hidalgo on this book. I usually like my MMPR art on the crisp, clean side. His has a little more of an exaggerated look. And as nitpicky as this is, I don’t enjoy the way he draws Tommy or Rocky’s hair.

As good as it got at various points, I’m very happy to see we’ve mostly moved on from “Necessary Evil.” We’ve got Zedd back, as well as Lord Drakkon. Yes, I’ve heard about the upcoming “split.” But hopefully we can enjoy ourselves in the meantime.

TITLE: Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: Ramon Perez, David Curiel (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Ben Oliver.
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

In this issue, Emma Frost recruits Magneto to find her an island where she can set up a base. Fair enough. If you want somebody to find an island for you, Magneto’s not a bad choice. Good call, Emma.

But yeah…that’s about it. Certainly not worth the $4.99 cover price. Completely and utterly skippable.

TITLE: Batman #94
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Guillem March, Rafael Albequerque, David Baron (Colors), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel & Tomeu Morey.
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

Not necessarily the strongest issue we’ve seen from Tynion and the crew thus far. But I will say that this issue goes a long way in creating that vibe of foreboding dread that comes when an event comic villain really ramps it up.

Batman #94 is, for my money, the first time we really start to deal with the ramifications of Alfred not being around. Lucius is treating an injured Batman, and at one point laments that he can’t be as focused or single-minded as Alfred was.

No offense Lucius, but we knew you weren’t gonna cut it.

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #106
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz (Story Consulting), Sophie Campbell (Story), Ronda Pattison (Script)
ARTISTS: Nelson Daniel, Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer).
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

This issue is refreshingly Turtle-centric. That sounds odd for a book called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But the TMNT have such a vast crew of supporting characters, it can work against them in that they feel lost in their own book. This issue gives us a chance to catch up.

Nelson Daniel is doing a fine job with the Turtles. I’ve said this before, but for some reason TMNT artists are make or break for me based on how they draw the bandanas in relation to the faces. Daniel does that very well.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #8
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto
RELEASED: July 8, 2020

This issue brings up an interesting question: How do you walk the line of good taste in a book about monsters eating and dismembering children? Or do you? If your book is already about that, do you just embrace the uncomfortable gore of it all?

Issue #8 shows us part of a dismembered corpse and a bloody shoe. As long as the art isn’t going for photorealism, I’d say that’s a nice balance. Werther Dell-Edera’s combination animated/painterly style works well with it too.

TITLE: Young Justice #16
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker
ARTISTS: Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by John Timms & Eltaeb.
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

Now that we’ve taken a dive into what Conner Kent’s relationship to the space-time continuum is, this issue dives into Impulse’s. I’ll say this much: I didn’t expect it to involve Arkham Asylum.

It’s interesting that Bendis has continued to portray Superboy and Impulse as outliers from another reality. They don’t really belong. And as we’ll see next issue, he’s about to open it up that much further by bringing the in the Justice League. It gives this team an enduring misfit quality. That sort of thing is great if you like some teen angst in your superhero books.

TITLE: Marvels X #4
AUTHORS: Alex Ross (Story), Jim Krueger (Story and Script)
ARTISTS: Well-Bee, Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by Ross.
RELEASED: July 8, 2020

This issue gives us a nice old-school Avengers moment. It’s very Alex Ross, with the heroes in their classic outfits. Well-Bee’s style darkens it. But that makes the colors pop that much more.

There’s an exchange in this issue that I love between Kraven the Hunter and Captain America. It’s about how anyone can put Cap’s costume on, and it’s simply a disguise. But of course, that’s not true. The costume is part of something much larger than the sum of its parts. Again, very Alex Ross.

TITLE: Batman: Gotham Nights #12
AUTHOR: Tim Seeley
ARTISTS: V Ken Marion, Sandu Florea (Inker), Andrew Dalhouse (Colorist), Troy Peteri (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

A nice little Robin reunion that I was at one point convinced was drawn by Brett Booth. Is it common knowledge among supervillains which heroes used to be Robin? That’s what this issue seems to suggest. And if so, why? How would they know?

Interesting that they put Spoiler among this little alumni group. I was under the impression Stephanie Brown’s tenure as Robin wasn’t canon. I won’t complain, though. It’s actually rather refreshing to see.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Dark Nights: Death Metal, Wynd, and More!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

You know what I miss? Star Wars comics. C’mon Marvel. DC is cranking out its silly heavy metal event comic. The least you can do is get back in the full swing of things!

I also miss TMNT comics. But at least we get half of one this week…

TITLE: Dark Nights: Death Metal #1
AUTHOR: Scott Snyder
ARTISTS: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion (Inker), FCO Plascencia (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)
RELEASED: June 16, 2020

If this Metal stuff is your cup of tea, then by all means I encourage you to drink. The comic book industry could use your bucks right about now. But boy is it not mine…

While Dark Nights: Metal did have some nice moments, to me this stuff has always come off overly indulgent and stupid. Need proof? Batman not only wears a duster in this book, but one with spikes on the shoulders. I’m a Greg Capullo fan, but *barf*.

TITLE: Wynd #1
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Michael Dialnyas, Aditya Bidikar (Letterer)
RELEASED: June 17, 2020

As much of a Tynion fan as I am, Wynd isn’t really my cup of tea. Just like The Woods, also by Tynion and Dialnyas, wasn’t really my thing. But obviously there’s an audience for this sort of thing, and I think Wynd will do well among them.

The most interesting thing about this issue is we have a kid, Wynd, who’s clearly been touched  by magic, as he’s living in this renaissance type world where magic is outlawed. We steer away from that a little too soon for my tastes. I’d have devoted the entire issue to Wynd himself.

TITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue #6
AUTHORS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Cubina (Colorist), Joshua Reed (Letterer)
RELEASED: June 18, 2020

“Mentors” wraps up in more or less the way you’d expect. As a bonus, this issue also establishes that Tim Drake has been with Batman for about a year.

At the end, we’re left with more questions about our mystery observer, who we know is actually Jason Todd. Most notably, the question of what he wants. Thus far, Jason has occupied that gray area between hero and villain. In the main DCU, it was crystal clear that Jason was back as a villain. So I’m thrilled to see they’re taking things in at least a slightly different direction.

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Simone Di Meo, Alessio Zono (Pencil Assist), Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Igor Monti (Color Assist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)
RELEASED: June 17, 2020

This finale pulls a hell of a rabbit out of the hat for the big zord battle. I won’t spoil it, except to say it’s pretty damn cool.

My only critique of said battle is Di Meo’s Dragonzord is a little awkward in its body language. It looks very rigid.

I maintain that MMPR/TMNT was pretty paint-by-numbers. But in the end, that’s exactly what we wanted from it. We wanted these characters to meet and interact. That’s precisely what the story gives us. No harm, no foul.

TITLE: Superman #22
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Kevin Maguire, Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, & Sinclair.
RELEASED: June 16, 2020

I love me a good Kevin Maguire interlude. When you haven’t seen him in awhile and then he pops up for an issue, you really get to see just how good he is.

It certainly helps that he’s got some great subject matter. As an FBI agent questions Lois Lane, we have Superman in an intergalactic space battle with Mongul. Obviously, Maguire’s exaggerated faces tend to skew him more toward the comedic side of things. But if he’s fairly selective about the “acting” choices he makes, he’s every bit as capable as anyone else of delivering that epic battle sequence.

TITLE: Young Justice #15
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker
ARTISTS: John Timms, Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by Ben Caldwell & Eltaeb.
RELEASED: June 16, 2020

I didn’t realize just how much I missed this book. It’s definitely one of my favorites at DC right now. Especially now that they seem to be taking a Justice League Unlimited sort of approach, with lots of different members as opposed to a single core team. Any kind of JLU approach is rarely a bad thing…

We finally get some answers about Superboy in this issue. If you’ve read a fair amount of DC multiverse stories, the answers we get shouldn’t be too surprising. Not bad. Just not particularly surprising.

TITLE: X-Men #5
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: R.B. Silva, Marte Gracia (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Leinil Yu & Sunny Gho.
RELEASED: January 9, 2020

This is a good issue if you aren’t as familiar with who some of the newer X-Men are. Hickman uses Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and Xavier to lead into a re-introduction to X-23, Darwin, and Synch.

It also introduces is to “the Vault.” Its inhabitants, according to Xavier, are “the single greatest existential threat to mutantdom.” What it is and how time works inside are a little complex. But the Vault does have a Sentinel head on top of it. So it’s got that going for it.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: Lost on Planet Earth, Justice League, and More!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Lost on Planet…Wait…This is Earth, Right?

A special thanks goes out to Superfan Promotions this week for an advance review copy of Lost on Planet Earth #2.

If you’re an independent creator who’d like to have their work spotlighted in “Weekly Comic 100s,” please feel free to reach out to yours truly at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com. I’m (almost) always happy to lend a helping hand!

TITLE: Lost on Planet Earth #2
AUTHOR: Magdalene Visaggio
ARTISTS: Claudia Aguirre, Zakk Saam (Letterer)
RELEASED: May 20, 2020

When you take away all the space age dressings, Lost on Planet Earth is about a quarter-life crisis. The concept that translates surprisingly well into this medium. But this book still needs to earn its sci-fi elements. In other words, convince me why this story needed to happen in a space environment. Because thus far it seems rather needless.

On the plus side, despite a touch of overacting, Claudia Aguirre delivers the goods artistically. Lost on Planet Earth is a fun read, despite being a bit of an underachiever thus far.

TITLE: Justice League #44
AUTHOR: Robert Venditti
ARTISTS: Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Francis Manapul.
RELEASED: May 12, 2020

I haven’t looked at Justice League in quite awhile. I tagged out early in Scott Snyder’s run. Don’t @ me.

Venditti’s doing some great work on Superman: Man of Tomorrow, and this issue is very much in the same vein. Things are written and drawn very simply and are easy to digest.

As our team faces mythological beasts released from Tartarus, I was surprised to see John Stewart is now the team leader. I like that. It reminds me of when Brad Meltzer made Black Canary the leader back in the day.

TITLE: Lois Lane #10
AUTHOR: Greg Rucka
ARTISTS: Mike Perkins, Andy Troy (Colorist), Simon Bowland (Letterer)
RELEASED: May 12, 2020

Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder got snuck into this issue. Look at the first two-page spread where Montoya talks about the multiverse. They’re near the top. Perkins gives Lois some great facials in this issue as well.

Maybe it’s just been too long since issue #9, but I got lost when they brought the multiverse into things. To the point that I got a little frustrated. I’m waiting to see how Rucka starts to tie things together. But despite my love for him, my enthusiasm is waning.

TITLE: Bruno Sammartino #1
AUTHOR: John E. Crowther
ARTISTS: Rich Perotta, Vito Potenza (Colorist). Cover by Nathan Smith.
RELEASED: May 13, 2020

This Patreon-sponsored biography of Bruno Sammartino from Squared Circle Press looks very much like an indie comic. But as a wrestling fan who appreciates was Sammartino meant to the business, I can very much appreciate where this issue’s heart is.

We start during Bruno’s childhood in (*stops to count the syllables*) Pizzoferrato, Italy. I can only assume the book will take us up to his death in 2018.

The amateuer-ish look of this issue would normally be enough to get me to drop it. But the subject matter is strong enough to bring me back for another issue.

TITLE: X-Men #3
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan (Co-Inker), Sunny Gho & Rain Beredo (Colorists), Clayton Cowles (Letterer).
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

This series has a habit of slapping in big text pages filled with exposition. It’s unorthodox and a little off-putting. But I, for one, am just happy the exposition is there to begin with.

Emma Frost has a fantastic issue here. First a really fun little exchange between Jean Grey, then an encounter with a villain who’s more than a little honest about her costume. The art by Yu and the team compliments that moment brilliantly.

The villainous Hordeculture group returns for this issue. They’re botanists and terrorists. God, I love comics.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: X-Men #1 For the Heck of It, Plus DC Digitals

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Calls it Soda. Not Pop.

The other day I said I wanted to feature the X-Men a little more. So this week I tossed in X-Men #1 from back in November. Along with DC’s digital-first stuff, of course.

TITLE: X-Men #1
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: Leinil Yu, Gerry Alanguilan (Inker), Sunny Gho (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer).
RELEASED: November 14, 2019

Jonathan Hickman intimidates me. He tends to go a little too far out of this world, and I get lost.

Thankfully, X-Men #1 is relatively straightforward. Mutants have established their own nation on the island of Krakoa. And of course, there’s a group of humans that don’t like mutants that are trying to destroy them.

Had do to a Marvel Wiki search on Cyclops to see how the hell he could be leading the team again. He’s a more interesting character than most casual fans give him credit for.

TITLE: The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #2
AUTHOR: Gail Simone
ARTISTS: Clayton Henry, Marcelo Maiolo (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Cover by Cully Hamner and Dave McCaig.
RELEASED: May 1, 2020

Clayton Henry’s style, let’s call it moderately cartoony, is a perfect fit for Flash. When Barry’s zipping around in the costume, Henry stretches his body just a bit for effect. But at the same time, all the scenes about his civilian life have the weight they need. He can exaggerate, but he doesn’t overdo it.

Once again Simone gives us a scene that’s unintentionally poignant given the times, as Flash saves a pair of kids whose mom is a nurse.

Cool time-travel shenanigans make this the highlight of DC’s digital releases this week. (Or at least the ones here.)

TITLE: Aquaman: Deep Dives #2
AUTHOR: Michael Grey
ARTISTS: Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan (Inker), Hi-Fi (Colors), Wes Abbott (Letters). Cover by Philip Tan and Elmer Santos.
RELEASED: April 30, 2020

Aquaman vs. Russian Mobsters? Not a pairing I expected, I’ll give you that. But it works.

The Sea Devils make an appearance in this issue. If you have no idea who they are, I was right there with you. Somehow they’re in one of the few corners of the DCU I haven’t explored yet.

Not an amazing issue from a story perspective. But mad respect to Aaron Lopresti, who’s low key one of my favorites, for drawing fish deformed by poison dumped into the sea. Legit creepy.

TITLE: Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #2
AUTHORS: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran (Inker), Hi-Fi (Colors), Travis Lanham (Letterer). Cover by Conner and Paul Mounts.
RELEASED: April 29, 2020

So here we have Diana in another team-up issue, this time with Lois Lane. I’m curious if this is just a coincidence, of if they wanted to throw another big name character in there to help support her. With the Gal Gadot movie under her belt, and another one coming out in the near future, I’m not sure Wondie needs it right now.

We get a really nice fight sequence between her and what basically amounts to a demonic abominable snowman who spouts textbook supervillain speak. (“Give up impudent morsel! Death awaits!”) Steve Orlando gets Wonder Woman and knows how to write her. But from a story perspective, I haven’t been overly impressed by these last two outings.

TITLE: Batman: Gotham Nights #2
AUTHOR: Michael Grey
ARTISTS: Ryan Benjamin, Richard Friend (Inker), Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Troy Peteri (Letterer). Cover by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Lucas.
RELEASED: April 28, 2020

Pretty standard Batman stuff here. It’s not bad, but it’s not overly remarkable either. Crime involving an old theater, theater lead traces back to…well, you can probably guess based on the cover.

My favorite line in this issue: “Who was it that said every villain is the hero of their own story? Probably a villain.”

TITLE: Superman: Man of Tomorrow #2
AUTHOR: Robert Venditti
ARTISTS: Paul Pelletier, Andrew Hennessy (Inker), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona and Tomeu Morey.
RELEASED: April 27, 2020

Another great issue from Venditti, Pelletier, and the crew as our Man of Steel faces off against a new villain called the Gambler.

In addition to a great “shirt opening” sequence, this issue contains a panel reminiscent of a famous Alex Ross painting where Superman is sitting in a chair with his shoulders slumped a bit. Like he can feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. Only in this issue, he’s holding what looks like a beer bottle. It’s soda, of course. I love that.

He’s got a few great one-liners too. “Don’t bet on it, Gambler!”

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Secret Wars #2 Review – A Journey to Battleworld

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Secret Wars #2 cover, Alex RossTITLE: Secret Wars #2
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hicks
PENCILLER: Esad Ribic. Cover by Alex Ross.
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASED: May 13, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

The key to Secret Wars thus far, especially if you’re an A.D.D. guy like me, seems to be taking your time. There’s so much going on, and the scope of it is so huge, it might even take you a few reads to absorb everything. It is the end of the universe after all…

We spend most of this issue exploring Battleworld, a planet made up of pieces of the traditional Marvel Universe, the Ultimate Marvel Universe, and various other universes and timelines. To Jonathan Hickman’s credit, there’s a hierarchy to the world that seems very thought-out. The emerging conflict in this story seems very organic. This runs contrary to what DC did with Convergence, which segregated all the alternate universes, and then had a God-like figure simply force the various characters to fight.

It takes awhile to explain how Battleworld works. But once you get it, you come away with a certain enthusiasm for it all. So let’s hit some bulletpoints…

Secret Wars #2, Doctor Doom– Doctor Doom is revered as a god and an all-powerful creator.

– Doctor Strange is Doom’s right hand and acting lawmaker.

– This world’s police are the Thors, who police the various realms. They essentially guide us through the issue, and the world at large.

– Those who breach the borders must become part of The Shield (No wrestling fans, not that Shield.), a group that guards the realms from various hazards and hostilities.

– More serious offenders may be banished to the Deadlands, i.e. an underworld which is home to symbiotes, Ultron robots, and Annihilus drones.

If you’re watching Game of Thrones, much of this should seem familiar, particularly the stuff about The Shield and the Deadlands. I half expected to see Jon Snow pop up during the second half of the issue. Still, it works. And it’s all so rich in Marvel mythology, most of which newer Marvel readers (and perhaps even some of the more seasoned ones) won’t pick up on.

Secret Wars #2, Doctor Strange, Mr. SinisterAs compelling as Battleworld itself is, the most interesting aspect of this issue is Doctor Doom himself. We see that in addition to Doctor Strange, Sue Storm and her daughter Valeria are among his inner circle. The fact that they’re there, especially considering this is the original Marvel Universe’s Doctor Doom (As said by Hickman himself.), is extremely interesting. The duality between Doom’s more natural sadistic state, and the more merciful side we see brought to the surface by Sue, is also curious. How this progresses, and presumably unravels, in the issues to come will be interesting to see.

There’s also an interesting Science vs. Religion conflict here. Apparently the Thors have another job: To quarantine and keep secret anything that might cause believers to lose their faith in Doom as a god. Yet another curious seed planted.

Needless to say, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into with Secret Wars #2. But if you’re willing to stick it out and wade your way through the initial confusion, you’ll find out there’s a pretty good story on the table here. Granted, there’s still plenty of time for them to screw it up. But for now, they’ve got me interested. And as someone who’s been out of touch with Marvel lately, that’s no small feat.

Image 1 from comicvine.com. Image 2 from author’s collection.

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A Secret Wars #1 Review – A Noob’s Nightmare

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Secret Wars #1 (2015)TITLE: Secret Wars #1
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
PENCILLER: Esad Ribic. Cover by Alex Ross.
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASED: May 6, 2015

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I’m not a Marvel noob by any means. I’ve been a reader for a long time. But full disclosure: I’ve been out of the loop lately. As such, Secret Wars #1 was bewildering to me on a number of levels. But my God, if it threw me for a loop, imagine what it must have done to those poor noobs…

You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones that saw Avengers: Age of Ultron on the first of the month, then came out to the comic shop several days later to see what the hell these Marvel comic books were all about. And low and behold, they found this: A book that pits the primary Marvel Universe against the Ultimate Marvel Universe in a desperate fight to survive as the multiverse collapses. And what’s more, it’s wrapped in a gorgeous Alex Ross cover (Oh hell, they’re all gorgeous.) very much reminiscent of Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Secret Wars #1, 2015But indeed, a new Marvel Universe is about to be formed. And to  be fair, Marvel is doing what it can to keep everybody in the know. The book has a plain white expository page that simply says: “The multiverse is dying. Only two universes remain. Today, Earths collide.” That’s a pretty simplistic view of something that’s not simple at all. But it states things pretty plainly. We also get cast page, that diagrams almost everybody in the issue. Hell, the issue even comes with a giant foldout of Battleworld, which as I understand it, is where much of the story will take place.

The issue also has a pretty damn good hook, as Doctor Doom, Doctor Strange, and Molecule Man come face-to-face with the Beyonders, as an unknown narrator talks to us about God, and what happens when we die. Heavy stuff. But appropriate I suppose, considering, you know, it’s the end of the universe. When we circle back to it at the end, it’s fairly strong.

If you’ve been following the Ultimate books and the main Marvel stuff, there are some cool moments to be found here. Captain Marvel and Ultimate Iron Man face off. We see the Triskelion fly into primary Marvel Manhattan. Both versions of Spider-Man seem to simply be caught up in the mayhem, which I find fitting considering their standing within their respective fictional universes. But most of my cool points go to the sequence with The Punisher in the bar (see below). Talk about a scene with a punch line…

Secret Wars #1, Punisher, bar sceneStill, the issue jumps around so much between different characters that it can almost be frustrating, especially if you’re not familiar with who’s who. It’s understandable, considering the scope of what’s happening. But in the span of one issue (An oversized issue, but still a single issue.), we jump from Luke Cage and Iron Fist, to the Guardians of the Galaxy, to Storm and Thor, to Captain America and Iceman. And that’s just one page (shown above in part)! Throw in the fact that some of these characters don’t look the way mainstream culture knows them, i.e. Thor being a woman and Sam Wilson being Captain America, and the cyclone of confusion only gets stronger.

Both Esad Ribic and colorist Ive Svorcina deserve much credit for the much-needed epic feel they inject into the issue. While we don’t see a great deal of it here, Esad’s rendering of the Doctor Doom mask is awesomely intimidating. The desperation, terror, and determination he draws our heroes with is a beautiful thing. And Svorcina makes the issue a beautiful blaze of color, particularly in the way she reflects the colors in the sky off the various costumes. The issue as a whole is a lot to take in. But once you do, you know it’s gorgeous.

Regardless of how you rate the issue, between Secret Wars and Convergence, I’ve officially got event comic fatigue. More specifically, multiverse fatigue. No matter which worlds survive these respective crises, I can honestly say I’m ready to go back to my regularly scheduled comic books. Anybody else up for a non-event comic or two?

Image 1 from pastemagazine.com. Image 2 from gaish.tumblr.com.

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An Avengers vs. X-Men Review – Cyclops Did WHAT????

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Avengers vs. X-Men coverTITLE: Avengers vs. X-Men

AUTHORS: Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, Matt Fraction
PENCILLERS: John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert.
COLLECTS: Avengers vs. X-Men #0-12
PUBLISHER: Marvel
CUMULATIVE PRICE: $52.87
GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE: November 2012

***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead.***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Avengers vs. X-Men was one of the more inviting event comics I’ve seen in several years. The title alone tells you a lot. You read it and you immediately know the premise, and that almost all of Marvel’s big name heroes will be front and center. Toss in the fact that it revolves around the Phoenix Force, one of the most recognizable pieces of Marvel’s mythology, and we’ve got ourselves yet another Avengers-themed money vacuum. I wish I had one of those…

When the Phoenix Force returns to Earth, the heroes fear it has come for Hope Summers, Cyclops’ granddaughter from the future (don’t ask). Fearing for the safety of the entire world, the Avengers, led by Captain America, try to peacefully take Hope into protective custody. But Cyclops, now the leader of his own team of X-Men, won’t allow it. After Scarlet Witch reduced the mutant population to roughly 200 in House of M, Cyclops sees Phoenix’s return as Hope’s chance to fulfill her destiny as the savior of mutantkind. His refusal to cooperate leads to a battle between the Avengers and the X-Men. Ultimately, this conflict among the heroes will place everyone in even greater jeopardy as the X-Men are granted a power greater than they can possibly imagine…

Avengers vs. X-Men #1, John Romita Jr., face offSo you’re going to put these two teams against one another, and not have mind control be a factor (at least not initially). The first thing you need to be worried about is making sure neither team looks like the bad guys. Avengers vs. X-Men accomplishes this by having both teams fight for control of the situation, rather than work together to solve it. Captain America shows up on Utopia, and essentially tells Cyclops they’re taking Hope into protective custody. Feeling threatened, and with the mindset that the Phoenix could help reignite the mutant race, Cyclops lashes out. Thus, the fight begins.

So what we have here is a situation that both sides came into looking for a fight. Captain America secretly brought the entire Avengers roster to Utopia as back up. On the other hand Cyclops, who’s kind of been acting like a dick lately, thinks that the Phoenix Force, a destroyer of worlds that once possessed and killed his wife Jean Grey, is only concerned about the welfare of the mutants. But Earth’s entire population will ultimately be endangered here. Throw in the way Captain America cheap shots Wolverine in issue #3 for no real reason, and for the first half of the story both teams are essentially having a dick measuring contest with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. That doesn’t exactly reflect well on anyone, does it? But we have to have a fight, right? Otherwise we can’t sell comics…

Just before the halfway point, Marvel does play the mind control card by having the Phoenix possess Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor the Submariner, Colossus and Magik. The “Phoenix Five” then begin to remake the world as they see fit, telling world leaders that the time for peace has come…whether they like it or not. This turn of events is about Cyclops more than the other four. Avengers vs. X-Men marks the culmination of the slow fall from grace we’ve seen him go through in recent years, the apex of it all being what happens with Charles Xavier.

Avengers vs. X-Men, Phoenix FiveReaders are always looking for long term consequences from their event comics. In terms of AvX, they need look no further than Cyclops, who truly becomes a tragic figure in this book. Like so many other characters in mythology and popular culture, he was only trying to do the right thing. But he went to such terrible lengths to do so that he literally became the kind of force he originally set out to stop. In the end, not only did he murder his surrogate father, but he lost everything. He lost the family, his friends, his camaraderie with his peers, even his freedom. while these five characters are being influenced by the Phoenix, their choices are still their own. All of this was his doing. He did it. Him. And now he has to live with that for the rest of his life. Pretty heavy stuff, huh? In terms of long term effects, the added depth and dimension this story brought to the Cyclops character will likely be its enduring legacy outside of being an event comic where a bunch of heroes fought each other. And let’s be honest, Charles Xavier will be back eventually.

In terms of structure, things grew a little stagnant during the second half of the story, as we knew we were simply waiting for the Avengers to take the Phoenix Five down one by one. They give Spider-Man the spotlight for an issue, as we see him persevere while Colossus and Magik beat him within an inch of his life. That provides a nice character moment for him to break up a bit of the staleness. But it’s an unavoidable valley in the story. The writers do what they can with it, and very capably I might add. But it is what it is.

Avengers vs. X-Men, Spider-Man, Colossus, MagikJohn Romita Jr. does some fine work here, despite some awkward depictions of Cyclops early in the story. Olivier Coipel and Adam Kubert are also very strong. One person I took special note of in issue #11 was Laura Martin, whose reds, oranges and yellows made for a great sunset metaphor during the Cyclops/Xavier confrontation.

Avengers vs. X-Men was an easy pitch for readers new and old, it had some of the best talent in the industry attached to it, and it did some great fan service. Could we have asked more from it? I suppose there’s always someplace you can ask for more. But I can honestly say that the main story was worth the money I spent on it. And at the end of the day, can we really ask for much more than that?

RATING: 8/10

Image 1 from heroes4hire.com. Image 2 from gamespot.com. Image 3 from ign.com. 

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