Week of April 18th

Honorable Mention

Planet of the Apes # 13 (Boom Studios)

   Julian is kidnapped...and Sullivan is betrayed by human pirates, with an ape captain?!

Punisher # 10 (Marvel)

   “The Omega Effect” continues...Daredevil and Spider-Man guest star!

The Shadow # 1 (Dynamite Entertainment)

   The Shadow knows the evil that lurks within men...and executes!

Uncanny X-Force # 24 (Marvel)

   Iceman is unkillable....so X-Force has to kill him!

X-Men # 27 (Marvel)

   The X-Men stand with the Vampires...and Jubilee fights alone!

...and now for this weeks All-Stars!

Avengers vs. X-Men # 2

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writers: Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman and Matt Fraction, Artist: John Romita Jr., Inker: Scott Hanna, Color Art: Laura Martin, Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos, Editor: Tom Brevoort

All-Star Summary for Choice: I love super hero team fights, especially if they’re done well. The Avengers have showed up to “take” Hope...ensuring a team fight will ensue. I was salivating by the second page upon seeing the “Magnetic Fastball Special.” The sequences are exciting and very well put together and the match ups have started some interesting conversations in the world of comics.

Red Hulk versus Colossus (infused with the power of Juggernaut). Namor versus Power Man and the Thing. Iron Man versus Emma Frost and Magneto. As expected, there were no definitive winners in the initial clash, but it looked very promising when I saw Cyclops take it to the face from Captain America’s shield. The dented and partially closed visor was a great touch and effective way to show the tactical implementation of Cap’s fighting style.

There was a lot going on here besides the fighting (as I needed any more than that), such as the discord between Wolverine and his former team, many of whom spit the word “traitor” to him like venom from a cobra and Black Panther and Storm using the confrontation to highlight their marital issues. In the end, and activated Hope and an impending confrontation between the rest of the Avengers and the Phoenix out in space lay the foundation of another great issue to follow.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “I bet you thought you were just about to end this.”

Batman # 8

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Scott Snyder, Artist: Greg Capullo, Inker: Jonathan Glapion, Colorist: FCO Plascencia, Letterer: Richard Starkings, Editor: Mike Marts

All-Star Summary for Choice: The Court of Owls is making it’s move on Gotham...and one of their first stops is Wayne Manor! One would think such a move would be tantamount to suicide (in a sense), but it’s another story when Bruce is caught in a rare moment...unprepared!

The art is excellent...but not in the sense that it’s some of the best art I’ve ver seen, but more in a sense that it’s absolutely right for this story. The story is dark and foreboding, and the art heightens this feeling by being dark, but also clear and descriptive at the same time.

Batman just barely survived one Talon...now he has to face several of them, as Bruce Wayne! The stakes are VRY high in this one since now Alfred is in personal danger and the Talons have not only invaded Wayne Manor...but have found the Batcave as well. I’m not used to seeing Batman on the defensive and having to be reactionary for an entire book...especially in his own home, so that itself made this issue something special to read. The last page where his solution is revealed...was just the icing on the cake.

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Well, well...seems you have a secret Bruce. Don’t you?”

Invincible Iron Man # 515 

Company: Marvel

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Matt Fraction, Artist: Salvador Larroca, Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna, Colorist: Frank D’Armata, Editor: Mark Paniccia.

All-Star Summary for Choice:  Forced to wear a monitor for his suit that can be shut down with the push of a button by the U.S government for being deemed dangerous for being drunk in the Iron man suit, Tony has been deactivated at a very critical moment.

An upgraded Melter is wreaking havoc in Los Angeles, and Tony is helpless to do anything about it...but it gets worse. War Machine has been dispatched to deal with the situation, but the Melter isn’t the small time punk of the past...nor is he alone after an upgraded Whirlwind jumps into the fray. Being the badass hero he is, War Machine deals with them, but he’s just not bad enough to deal after an upgraded Living Laser shows up. Oh...did I mention that all of this has been brought to you by the machinations of the Mandarin?

The art is spectacular...in every sense. In truth, one of the ways I come to collect a title that I don’t normally collect is by observing that the artwork is incredible...and staying with that warm fuzzy feeling I get when I see great art. I also put books down when the artwork turns bad...but more on that later.

The Mandarin has played his hand...and he has won. The villains have managed to kill a super hero (Oh...did I mention War Machine is dead?)...or have they? In either case, this game is over...the bad guys won, and now Tony must start another. I can’t wait!

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Can you fly faster than light? Too bad.”

Justice League # 8

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Geoff Johns, Artist: Carlos D’Anda with Ivan Reis & Joe Prado, Colorists: Gabe Eltaeb with Alex Sinclair, Letterer: Patrick Brosseau, Editor: Brian Cunningham

All-Star Summary for Choice: Green Arrow wants in! The Justice League has just defeated Amazo (would have loved to see that) and Green Arrow is on a mission to earn a spot with the big boys. His contribution of an arrow to the posterior of Amazo is just the beginning of this self-inflicted adventure.

I love the story (and the art is great as well) of how Green Arrow just keeps showing up at League missions like a bad penny, trying his best to demonstrate how useful he can be. To his credit, he is very effective, but the League has had some past history with another new member, that has jaded them to admitting any more new members (more on that later). There is also some past unrevealed history between Aquaman and Green Arrow that I hope will be shown sooner than later.

The New 52 has re-written almost everything that was previously known about the characters I’ve grown up with. It’s not too big of a deal for me...change is a part of life. A recurring theme though, that has planted the hook firmly in my mouth with this book, is the constant “history” that is being revealed in bits and pieces...and the splash page of this book is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. The more I read, the less answers I have...and the more questions are created.

Some things have stayed constant in the New 52 though...like the fact that the Martian Manhunter can take on the entire Justice League!

All-Star Quote of the Book: “So what do you say? Am I in?”

Nightwing # 8

Company: DC Comics

All-Star Crew of Presenters: Writer: Kyle Higgins, Artists: Eddy Barrows, Inker: Ruy Jose & Ever Ferreira, Colorist: Rod Reis, Letterer: Pat Brosseau, Editor: Bobbie Chase.

All-Star Summary for Choice: “Night of the Owls” has spilled into Nightwing, but Dick Grayson has a very special connection to the Court of Owls...he was always meant to be a Talon! 

The Nightwing book has always had nice artwork, but the current story has propelled the entirety of it to another level. The Court of Owls is making their move, and it’s more graphic and bloody than I had anticipated for this book...and that’s a good thing. The fight between Nightwing and Talon was very impressive and much more brutal than I would have normally thought to see in this book. So, as you can see...this book was an absolute treat!

The sword fight between Nightwing and Talon, both trained by the best fighters in the world left both men with extensive wounds...but also left Talon with a sword through his chest, and a truncheon in his eye. If he wasn’t already dead...he would be (didn’t seem very Batman like to do all that, but I’m not complaining). As if all that wasn't enough, it’s not over for Dick...in fact, things are about to get much worse as the book closes with him having a knife in the back, three more in his chest...and another Talon (one with a personal connection) to finish what the first one started!

All-Star Quote of the Book: “Oh, you want to challenge me to a sword fight? Is that it? I’ve been trained by the best fighters on the planet.”

Fallen Stars

Sometimes a book will take a turn for the worst either in story or artwork, and no longer be something that I want to read...or can stomach to look at. Sometimes this change is temporary, and sometimes it’s permanent. I don’t know which it is for the following books (only time will tell), but for right now...the books listed under this heading have a problem (in my opinion) with either the story or the art...or both!

Avengers # 25

Company: Marvel

This book is an Avengers versus X-Men tie in...and I don’t know why. The story (what little I read of it) doesn’t seem to be essential to the overall story arc of A vs X...but that really isn’t why this book is a Fallen Star. The artwork is painful to look at. Walter Simonson was tolerable, at best, for me in my younger years...but after being spoiled with visuals that that make the hairs on your neck raise, it has become downright painful to look at. If this is the new regular artist on this book...then this will not be a regularly collected book for me.

The Defenders # 5

Company: Marvel

I was very happy collecting The Defenders...until my eyes were assaulted with a criminal act of horrible artwork! This book has exposed me to, without a doubt, some of the worst art I have ever seen in a comic book. I don’t understand why Marvel allows any book to go on the shelf looking like this. Did not the editor, Mark Paniccia, see that the artist, Mitch Breitweiser was clearly under duress as he tried to draw this book while being drawn and quartered? The sad part of this is, if I open this title up next month and see the same scribble my son did when he was four, I’ll never know how the story ends.