Marvel Two-in-One

So, the last couple weeks have been hellish at work. Among other things, I managed to put in a 23 hour day. That's 23 consecutive hours. So, yeah.

Anyhow, I did manage to pick up my comics despite the fatigue. Here's what I thought.

The Weapon 4: Good ending to a good series. I like how our hero managed to use his supposed weakness (the time limit on his writ things) as a strength. I also like how he didn't mind killing him some bad guys. The "surprise" betrayal wasn't really a shock or anything, other than I was not expecting the duplicate to be identical. I look forward to the next mini, or an ongoing.

Zero Killer 2: As with the first issue, I am totally into this world. Not only is this series a good read, but it is fully fleshed out in the background. The extras at the end, something I always like but occasionally skip over, have been awesome to read. More information, in character, for the story. Awesome.

Stormwatch: Post Human Division 12: By the way this ended, I assume the series is ending as well. I don't remember hearing about that anywhere. Guess that's ok. I liked the series, but not enough to feel any real loss if it goes away. Have to admit, though, the way the team worked together to take out the villains in this was awe inspiring. Made me feel like i could totally take a super on.

Faker 4: So, I was right in my assumption last issue. Great to know I got that before the actual reveal. Usually I don't catch on that soon. I do wonder how this is going to go on for 2 more issues, as the selling point was the mystery they already revealed. I hope this remains good, and doesn't loose the crazy-cool it had going so far.

Jack of Fables 15: HAHAHA! Jack is such a dick, and I love him for it. Quite a fun origin for Jack and John and all that. Jack is too clever for his own good (let along anyone else's). The further revelation of the origin of Kevin, Revise, and Gary is totally getting me intrigued. Finally, Babe totally needs his own miniseries...except his bits wouldn't actually be able to carry a full comic let alone many issues.

The Exterminators 22: Nothing needs to be said here. This series maintains the odd storylines and crazy pace. Beyond that, wow.

Justice League Unlimited 38: Aw, Giganta loves Flash. Flash, being a guy like myself, totally doesn't get it. Once he finds out, it is too late. Best bit was the "Rosenbaum and Associates" billboard. The picture on the billboard looks like Michael Rosenbaum playing Lex Luthor in Smallville, and Rosenbaum voiced Flash on JLU. Nice touch.

Metal Men 3: I don't get it, but will keep reading. I think.

Infinity Inc. 2: I wish they would have gotten to the missing Natasha thing in this issue. More Kid Empty was nice, though. Will keep reading for now, because I am curious.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Cyborg Superman: I enjoyed some of this. Never knew the full origin of this character, so seeing it recapped was cool. But, the rest of this was lame. So far, these side stories are 0 for 2.

Green Lantern Corps 16/Green Lantern 24: Oh my god, but these have been so awesome. On the one hand, I don't want this event to end because I am enjoying it so much. On the other hand, I do want it to end so I can save a bit of money by not buying these anymore. I know that when it ends, it will likely end well. I just am sad at the thought of no more war.

Suicide Squad 2: This one wasn't quite as much fun as the last issue, but it sounds like it will pick up again next issue. Still pretty dang good.

Batman Detective Comics 837: The triumphant return of Paul Dini. And what a return it was. Having the Riddler use Harley and replacement Catwoman do an investigation was incredibly fun. Seeing how Riddler was trying to play Bruce Wayne, who was really playing Riddler was beyond compare. This is why I read this series.

Marvel Adventures Hulk 4: This first issue I really didn't enjoy. In fact, I don't even remember much about this issue at all. I remember Radioactive Man and Multiple Man being in. For one thing, it is too early in the series to be bringing them back in my opinion. Also, I don';t really see Multiplae Man siding against the Hulk after the issue he was in. Bah.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man 32: This, on the other hand, was awesome. Hydro-Man showed a combination of great planning, and absolute stupidity. Which, actually, kind of worked. The splash page of Spidey saving JJJ was a great homage, though I suppose using that particular image is sort of cliched anymore. The trap set to capture Hydro-Man was so perfect it is beyond perfect.

Runaways 28: It has been so long since an issue of this has come out, I forgot I read it. I actually had it in my pull box, and had to double check to make sure it was there when I saw an issue on the shelf because I couldn't remember if I had it on my pull list or not. Granted,. the issue was decent. But, not really worth the wait. I love Joss Whedon, but hate how his comics are never on time. I am almost tempted to drop this out of protest. We will see how the next issue or two do before i choose.

The New Avengers 35: Ugh. Nothing I can say here about the disappointment with this that has not already been said elsewhere. Boo on the cover not having a thing to do with the contents.

Nova 7: Interesting. I like how the writers have found a way to save Richard Rider from the Phalanx infection, without a complete cop-out. I wonder if there will be a final cure by the end of the Annihilation: Conquest event. I am assuming so.

The Order 3: Zobos. Dude, freaking zobos. How fucking cool is that. This comic is totally all about tossing out the crazy shit left and right. The character portraits we get interspersed with the story are interesting too. The story about the dead ex-member should be good.

X-Factor 24: Another issue I can't even find words to describe. Consistently amazing.

Super-Villain Team-Up MODOK's 11 4: Another one I only vaguely remember from when I read it. Fighting the new Mandarin. Puma sort of getting his powers back. Rocket Racer betrays the team. Nobody realizes the Chameleon isn't who he seems (which, really, they should have noticed by now). Next issue it all wraps up.

28+1

So, as it is late and I must get to work early in the morning, I will try to be quick.

Demon's Mercy 1: Free preview. Crappy. Will not be buying this one any time soon.

Consumed 3: Still funny. Loving the roomies even more. Looking forward to the end, while wishing it could go on. Don't know how an ongoing would work, though.

Ghosting 2: Creepy. Confusing at the bit where there is the replay of the conversation from the graveyard inside the burned out frat house. Quite fun.

Stormwatch Post Human Division 10: Accidentally bought this, as it was in my box and I didn't pay close attention to the cover to realize I had it already. Oh well.

Madman 4: Awesome as always. Go Mike Allred.

The Umbrella Academy 1: Awesome origin story with a fun cliffhanger. If this can keep up the crazy/cool factor, it will be like another Hellboy.

Crossing Midnight 11: Yikes. Bad news. Good story.

Teen Titans Go! 47: Robin's origin was ok, with a good ending. Starfire/Raven bit was funny and awesome.

The Spirit 10: Great parody of modern "news" reporters. Loved all the parodies, and the ending was a blast.

Black Adam: The Dark Age 2: The beginning was cool, with fun visuals. The Felix Faust bit was kinda neat, and a great source for Black Adam's powers. Overall, though, it was sort of "meh."

Countdown to Mystery 1: I liked the whole thing, except the potential change to Eclipso's origin.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen 2: Total shit. Not buying any more issues of this one. A shame, as I was looking forward to it the most save for the Bible of Crime.

Countdown to Adventure 2: Nice twist. Scary to think of what is coming. The JLAxis needed more story, less "Forerunner is cool and Monarch is a douchebag."

Shadowpact 17: Made of awesome. About time this comic started getting back to how cool it initially was. I think it needs more Blue Devil, and keep the level of Zauriel to 0 if possible.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax 1: Disappointing. The rest better be as cool as the main event.

The Flash 232: The West Children are so awesome while being so cute. Almost glad that Wally's back now, even though I still miss Bart.

Teen Titans 51: A return to the arc that brought me to this comic to begin with. I love it all over again. Future Titans are assholes. Wanna see Future Ravager, though.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four 28: "Pizzower Coshizzmic?" Really? Just...no.

Marvel Adventures Avengers 16: Hawkeye was awesome. Villains were fun. Too bad they gave away the whole point of it early. Still good. Best Marvel Adventures series, by far.

Penance: Relentless 1: Nipple Piercings. Nothing more need be said, save I will likely buy another issue just to see what is going on with the numbers.

Avengers: The Initiative 6: Really hating the New Warriors hate going on here. The attacker was a scary surprise. Really really scary.

The Immortal Iron Fist 9: Still more awesome that anything short of Bruce Lee fighting a Ninja-Pirate-Monkey. For reals.

The Immortal Iron Fist Annual 1: Annuals should not be continuations of the main story. Especially if the first page recap spoils the current issue of the main series.

Captain America 30: Sharon is a scary lady. Captain Bucky is on his way. You just know it is going to happen.

Terror Inc 2: Icky, but fun (but icky).

Ultimate Fantastic Four 46: Hah, awesome. Thing's brain is in storage, and he still kicks bad guy ass. Psycho Man was much cooler here than in the real Marvel Universe. Next arc is called "Ghosts." Having not been paying attention to previews, I hope it means Red Ghost. I want me some Ultimate Super-Apes.

Ultimate Spider-Man 114: Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Par for the Spider-Course.

Annihilation: Conquest Quasar 3: Super Adaptoid is still one of the coolest villains. Moondragon is a dragon, bringing up images of creepy love scenes with Quasar. Shit hits the fan.

Annihilation: Conquest Starlord 3: More shit hitting many fans. The Groot/Rocket Raccoon interactions are the best.


So, that be all this week. Hopefully will have my next batch up closer to the actual purchase date this time. Either Thursday or Sunday, depending on outside forces.

Renaissance

So, a while back I had heard about this strange animated French movie called Renaissance. I was recently able to pick up a copy from Netflix.

It blew me away.

A combination of motion capture and CG animation, this movie at times made me think of Sin City. Except, it is nothing like that movie.

The story is about a cop looking for a kidnapped scientist. The missing woman works for a corporation named Avalon, which virtually runs Paris of 2054 (the setting of the movie). The movie has a very noir feel to it, aided by the unique animation style. As the entire movie was filmed with motion capture techniques and real actors, then animated over, it has a very organic and realistic feel. At the same time, the animation was completely black and white (not even using grayscale shades), making it almost surreal in look. To be honest, this took a little adjusting to get used to. Once I was into it, though, there was very little that took me out of the film.

I really much suggest this film to anyone who likes unique films or a good old fashioned noir thriller.

I would say more about this, but I have comics to read and review.

Heavy load

So, here they are, the most recent reviews I have got to offer.

Stormwatch post Human Division 11: After the destruction of the bar last issue, the team is pretty messed up. Concussions, rebar through legs, and one alien-hybrid killing machine makes for a bad day. Lucky for the team, the monstrosity is in love with one of the other team members, and saves the day. There is a bit of intrigue with the teams families being threatened, until the actual treat is made more clear. Bye bye police station.

The Walking Dead 42: Wow, what an issue. Carol dies in the horrible way you expect from a suicidal-turned-zombie. The seeming tension with Herschel and Andrea over her friendship with Tyreese is resolved before it is even begun. More plans to defend against the nearby town, using a guard tower manned by Andrea and a layer of zombies outside the gates. Then the shit hits the fan when the nearby townsfolk invade. In tanks.

The Un-Men 2: I have no idea what the hell is going on here, but I like it.

Fables 65: The journey of Flycatcher seems to be at an end when he reaches his homelands. Bluebeard and Shere Khan are up to no good, still. We learn that the entire conflict is really more of a game of chess played out between the Adversary and Frau Totenkinder. Conflict on many fronts looms.

Jack of the Fables 14: The beginning of the true origin of Jack. Maybe. More stuff dealing with Kevin, who appears to be more powerful and less human than we were initially led to believe. I was also expecting him to be more Fable aligned than Golden Boughs. Babe steals the show with his rich fantasy life again. Enough so that I read his one page before reading the comic itself, again as I read the issue, and a third time just because it was that good.

Booster Gold 2:Rip Hunter finds trouble. Supernova causes trouble. Booster Gold is the reason Guy Gardener was not Green Lantern and also the reason Sinestro came up with the Sinestro Corps. Great way to play with continuity.

Green Lantern 23: More Sinestro Corps. Hal's ring runs out of juice, so he steals a bunch of Qwardian ones to use in the interim. Ion is freed, and Parallax seems to break Guy's neck (though he is better soon after). The Sinestro Corps attacks Earth and the Guardians lift the lethal force restriction.

Countdown to Adventure 1: Dude, Starfire is hot. Buddy Baker is not very bright, missing his son's obvious crush on her, and his wife's obvious discomfort with her. Adam Strange gets pink slipped, and replaced with a fucking psychopath. This will not end well. The history of the Forerunners is actually kind of cool. Definitely something I like there. Looking forward to another issue, if only for the Nazi Justice League bit.

Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer 1: This was utter crap. A shame, too, since it involves a character I sort of like now (Jason Todd) and the Wildstorm universe. *sigh* What a waste.

Suicide Squad 1: As with all things comics and cool, I missed out on this back in the day. All I know of the team I learned from one of the greatest minds in comics blogdom. That said, I think this will make me hunt down old issues of the original series so I can get acquainted with the cool. Must read it all.

Marvel Adventures Hulk 3: Hulk is captured by Hulkbusters. Rick Jones saves him, and Radioactive Man as well. They hang out, with Radioactive Man siphoning gamma radiation from Bruce to keep hum human. Then the shit hits the fan and Rick has to coerce the Hulk into staying mad (like that's all that hard). In the end, we are back to the status quo. All in all, a fun read.

X-Man Emperor Vulcan 1: We catch up with the team that stayed behind in Shi'ar space. They try to make a surprise attack on Vulcan and the rest of the Shi'ar Empire, but are summarily defeated. Then some new alien race appears that seem the hate the Shi'ar more than anyone else does. Interesting, and fun to see some of these character playing off each other.

The New Avengers 34: After a night alone, the team all come back together and let Doctor Strange cast a spell revealing their true natures. Luke Cage is pretty much himself, though more retro in look. Jessica Jones wants to be a superhero again. Iron Fist is his legacy. Spider-Man wishes to be himself, before the bit. Echo wants to be Daredevil. Hawkeye/Ronin wishes to be Captain America. Doctor Strange wishes to be a surgeon again. Wolverine, late tot he party, is apparently a samurai. Not a Skrull in the bunch. The team decide to say screw the danger and alert the other Avengers team of the danger. Instead, they see a lot of symbiotes running amok int he city. Also, Wolverine's junk is shot off.

X-Factor 23: We learn how crazy Quicksilver has become, which is a little scary really. Layla Miller is confused, which is more scary. Monet and Siryn get the kids they were after, which appears to be a set up. Finally, Josef Huber is a badass mofo.

Nova 6: Stuff happens. Nothing that really impressed of disgusted me enough to write about. Plus, I am getting tired of writing and want my dinner. HAH!

Ultimate Power 7: After who knows how long of a delay, we finally get another issue of this one. I still want to know where Doom came from, since I thought he was on Zombie Earth. Spider-man thinks Doom is responsible for the mess. Emil Burbank admits to Reed that he is responsible for the mess. Hulk is about to be brought into play. The original Squadron Supreme makes an appearance, just to make this more of a mess.

Ultimate X-Men 86: Stryfe seems to be up to something, but what is it? Psyloke is Bishop's future wife? Pyro is a spy, but already uncovered as such? Best part is Wolverine and Storm taking down the Sentinels.

Ultimate Spider-Man 113: All that needs to be said is that Norman Osborne is one crafty bastard...and not nearly as crazy as we thought.

With that out of the way, I invite you back Thursday(ish) when I will give you last weeks and this weeks comics. Together, for the first time.

Catch Up Reviews, Part 3: The Marvelous

Now for the final installment.

Marvel Adventures Iron Man 4: Well, this book is getting better, isn't it? Spymaster taking over Iron Man's suit as an excuse for Justin Hammer to take over Stark International. A rather robust plot, and handled well in this issue. This is a story that other comics would have had take at least 3 issues.

Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four 27: I'm a sucker for a story involving the Inhumans. This one was no exception. Human Torch meeting the family of a mysterious girl he meets, who turns out to be Crystal of the Inhumans. Between the Fantastic Four pretending to be more normal, and the Inhumans acting suspicious, this is bound to turn into a standard classic marvel meeting of two teams. That being a good old fashioned brawl. Of course things are all worked out in the end, but while the fighting is going on it is crazy.

Marvel Adventures Avengers 15: Starting with a fight against sentient trees and ending with a feast in Valhalla. What more could you want from a comic? How about a smiting song? Hells yeah. We all need more smiting songs.

Marvel Adventures Spider-Man 31: Spider-Man is jealous of the Human Torch. Human Torch visits Spider-Man's school. Chaos ensures when Pyro takes control of Human Torch. Situation(s) resolved. Standard stuff, with a few great Pater David lines in there for added measure.

The Order 2: Britney Spears/Paris Hilton hybrid character turned superhero is the focus of this issue. The team fights a bunch of Soviet super-soldiers who failed to notice the Cold War is over. We learn that the former team were fired for drinking not because they drank so much as that the alcohol counteracted their powers. Nice touch there. But, really, the best part of this issue can be summed up as such: "Oh my God, y'all! I'm fightin' a bear! Seriously, y'all, I'm punchin' a bear in the face! What the hay is going on?"

Thunderbolts 116: God but I hate this team of assholes. I miss the old team I never read about. Last issue I was sure was the beginning of a new era of bringing back the old team. It still might have been, but not yet. Instead we get threatening to feed people to Venom and Penance kicking someones ass after stabbing himself with a pen. The introduction of Mindwave was cool. The "Who wants to be Captain America" reality show was tasteless, and completely something I would expect to see on television. Ick.

The Immortal Iron Fist 8: Fuck yeah! This comic just gets better and better. The story of how Wendell Rand came to K'un-Lun. A bit of backstory on the Seven Cities of Heaven and how they come together for this tournament. A nice build to what promises to be a spine shattering story of martial arts. Best thing yet, the match-ups are all listed at the end, so we know what to expect for the first rounds.

Avengers: The Initiative 5: What is up with every comic needing to bring together a team of black ops hardasses to be all dark and hardass-y?While I love the way things are shaping up for Trauma, I don't like how some of this comic is going. The whole using the New Warriors as a pejorative annoys me still. Having Henry Peter Gyrich in charge of this stuff is also not the best of choices. But, the recruits are rather enjoyable to follow around. The MVP mystery is bound to return once the World War Hulk stuff calms down (I hope). Mutant Zero is intriguing me greatly. So, overall I guess I still like this one.

Ultimate Fantastic Four 45: As with much of Mike Carey's writing with this series, strange but good. Next issue will be better, as this was mostly just wondering how the Fantastic Four could have forgotten themselves.

Mystic Arcana: Scarlet Witch: Been so lng since I read this one, I don't remember much. Hot witches. Young Wanda. Crazy Egyptian wizards. More framing story. Sister Grimm is the one I look forward to the most. Next issue.

Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's Eleven 3: The team finall makes their attempt at stealing the hypernova. Everythign goes well at first, with each team member doing exactly what they need to do. Then things start to go wrong. living Laser almost forgets his humanity. The Spot abandons the team, stranfding them inside the Infinicide. Puma has his totem repossessed. The Spot is double-crossed. Then the whole thing explodes on them.

Annihilation: Conquest Starlord 2: Dirty Dozen in space makes thier way toward the eventual goal of this mission. Along the way Captain Universe and Deathcry have some issues. Then she dies. Groot looks like he's probably a goner as well. As long as we don't lose anyone else (except maybe Bug), we will not have any problems with this so far.

Annihilation: Conquest & Wraith 3: The story reaches the breakign poitn when Wraith decides to fight back, finally. Ronan allows the Phallanx to take him over finally. Next issue this mini ends, and I suspect we will see a big fight between Ronan and Wraith.

So, anyhow, that it for the catching up. Chack back in a few days for last week's comics.

Catch Up Reviews, Part 2: The Dread Competitor

In which we examine the comics offerings of one half of the "Big Two."

Teen Titans Go! 46: Another issue with some continuity tying it with others. Also ties with the actual show, which I don't see as often in these. As usual, the chibi bits along the margins are freaking adorable. My only real complaint is that Madame Rouge was a very lousy spy in this, making lots of obvious slip ups (like the knowing what pizza was and such). She is supposed to be experienced at this, and among the best. She would not be likely to make such simple mistakes. On the other hand, Blackfire was great in her denial of any knowledge. Still a good read.

Justice League Unlimited 37: I loved the beginning, with the Spectre trashing a prison. Turing Superman into glass was awesome. Turning Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter into candles was even better. As was pointed out on another blog, a particularly ironic and painful punishment for those two. This middle bit got a bit confusing. Not in the "I have no idea what is happening" way, but in the "I have no idea why this is happening" way. Then end was quite good, though.

The Spirit 9: Holy wow. For a series that is pretty much a lot of "done in one" stories, this one was quite good for setting up future developments. El Morte is totally badass, and his origin is quite awesome as well. The more I read this series, the more I want to go back and find the original stories to get more acquainted with the character as a whole.

Green Lantern Corps 15:Damn, this art is fantastic. This Sinestro Corps use of Ranx (who I had to look up online, as I have never read an actual Green Lantern story, not counting some Alan Moore stuff, before this crossover) to fuck Mogo up is pretty sweet...and nasty. I am loving this stuff.

Infinity Inc. 1: Natasha's dream is freaky. Not unexpected, given what she went thorough in 52. That Dale kid is both sad and scary at the same time. I am loving him already, if he remains/becomes a villain. I am also really intrigued by Gerome's duplicate and Natasha's...whatever the hell happened.

Metal Men 2: This jumping back and forth is really making it hard for me to follow this comic. Not that I mind too much. I am still loving ever page. The science lesson was totally fun, and from what I understand a very original Metal men thing. The last page with the Death metal men was funny on many levels, and total cool.

52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen 1: This suffered from a bit of a poor layout. There were things happening that were not immediately apparent to me until explained later. Like that whole Hunger thing. I didn't get that the soldiers and guards were trying to eat each other. I just saw Batman and Superman kicking their asses for some reason. Only after the fight did I understand, and only from the dialogue. Still and interesting enough idea that I will continue reading.

Teen Titans 50: The flashbacks to memories of Kid Flash/Impulse were all quite fun. Great insight into a great character. I am wondering if the writers will either cover the story about why Ravager acts like such a slut, or will maybe stop. She's a good enough character without having to try to get with every guy in the book. The part with Wally's letter to Barry about becoming a real hero was heartwarming. The Blue Beetle crossover was fun, except I liked it better in the actual Blue Beetle comics. Robin seems like an asshole in this version of it, while in the other comic he was more of a helpful potential mentor. Finally, the return of the future Titans is a dream come true for me. That was the arc that got me into this series to begin with. Plus, the fact that the two adult Titans to show themselves at them end are the two dead Titans is just...evil.

Batman Detective Comics 836: Only one thing to say here. Scarecrow is my new favorite Batman villain. Damn.

And with that, we are done with this section of reviews. Come back later for the final installment.

Catch Up Reviews, Part I: The Others

In which we review the non Marvel/DC titles from weeks past.

The Weapon 3: Pretty much just one huge fight. Nice use of a volcanic steam vent to defeat the bad guy. During the flashback story bit, i almost felt like the Lin Kuei were not so bad after all. Then they acted like douchebags again. Looking forward to the last issue, while at the same time not wanting this to end. I would read this as an ongoing, if it managed to keep up the cool pace.

The Walking Dead 40 & 41: A baby is born. A leg is lost. More preparations for the inevitable showdown between the prison crew and the nearby town of survivors. Carol proves just how fuckign nuts she is, while the new doctor's great idea sort of backfires. As usual, greeat stuff.

Crossing Midnight 10: This issue totally squicks me out. The date girl thing is creepy in and of itself, and more so for the end page talking about how it is a real phnomena. It is nice to see the return of the mortal half of our twins (I can never remember their names). A bit of the spirit realm to continue on that half of the story, but a focus on more mundane things. Excpet for the crazy cool killings and stuff.

The Exterminators 21: What nees to be said? Totally fucked up in a cool way. Next issue will be scary crazy.

Faker 3: After this issue, I feel like I may be starting to understand a bit of what is going on. Which means I am likely all wrong, but whatever. Still a fun read and I can't wait for more.

So ends part one of our epic trilogy. Come back later for the rest.