1602 Angela Witch Hunter #4 Cover Columns 

The MC2 Presents: Secret Warriors, Week 21

By , and | October 9th, 2015
Posted in Columns | 3 Comments

Welcome back to the MC2, Multiversity’s panel of noted Marvel experts. The three of us (MC3 sounded weird) are covering Marvel’s straight up CALVACADE of “Secret Wars” tie-ins! This week, we tackle “Siege″, “Spider-Island” and more whilst giving up our own thoughts! Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments and let us know what you think about Marvel’s latest crossover. Spoilers below!

Micro-Reviews

Old Man Logan #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino
Reviewed by James Johnston

“Old Man Logan” has become one of my most anticipated post-“Secret Wars” titles. I know, I know, welcome to The Twilight Zone.

“Old Man Logan” #5 doesn’t try to wrap up its own story, at least not the one of Doom, an old Wolverine, and the different dimensions he keeps finding himself in. Instead, it’s a reunion between people who’d thought they’d seen the last of their loved ones, only to see a completely different person come back from the dead. Even though it gets a little heavy-handed sometimes (like when the psychics can’t stop loudly explaining Logan’s motivations after reading his mind), “Old Man Logan” ended up being a weirdly fitting close tone chapter of the character’s life, and the beginning of another.

Frankly, I’m just happy that Sorrentino is going to be working on this series again when it comes back as an ongoing series. He and Lemire crushed it on “Green Arrow”, so it’s not surprising that the page reminding readers that they would be behind the new series was the most exciting page of the issue to me. Still, “Old Man Logan” ended up being a strange requiem for a character who may just be moving into his heyday.

Final Verdict: 7.4 – Honestly, you can probably jump in when the new series hits.

Siege #4
Written by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Filipe Andrade, Pepe Larraz, Gary Choo and Bill Sienkiewicz
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle

While “Siege” felt like it was pretty much spinning it’s wheels for three issues without anywhere to go, it entirely surprised me with this issue by turning that around and putting out on of the best issues of the entire “Secret Wars” event. This issue ties heavily into “Secret Wars” #6, you know, almost like they planned for it to come out on the same day, and expands upon the plotpoint that ended that issue with Thanos of 616 convincing Ben Grimm of Battleworld that his entire life is a lie. Sandwiched in between that is Abigail Brand and The Shield’s last stand and not only does it make the whole Thanos/Ben Grimm thing more interesting, but this issue retroactively makes the journey here all the more worth it.

While certain elements of this issue, like the stuff between Kate Bishop and America Chavez, do feel like Kieron Gillen’s “Screw you, I do what I want because there characters are my favourites” moments, there’s a certain sense of, pardon the pun, doom surrounding this issue. The entire series was leading up to this moment and when the moment arrives you realise there was nothing but death waiting for them. Gillen does a good job in writing this issue and wrapping up the majority of the character’s storylines while keeping the fact that two of the characters just walked off to be in “Secret Wars” #7 as something that shows that this series was part of a larger story. I’m genuinely surprised, but this issue turned “Siege” into one of the better tie-ins this event has had.

And it’s not just the writing that did that as Felipe Andrade does a magnificent job here. Because of the nature of getting other artists to do the big, grand double-page splashes, Andrade always felt like he got the short end of the stick by being the artist saddled with the boring dialogue bits. This issue changes that by only having three splashes and allowing Andrade to show The Shield’s final defence from the perspective of those on the walls. This leads to a lot of poignant, emotional moments that Andrade nails as well as some crazy action setpieces that show just what a versatile artist he is.

Continued below

Finally, while the splash pages by Pepe Larraz, Gary Choo and the magnificent Bill Sienkiewicz are perfectly utilised this issue, showing a large battle in a frozen moment, an emotional exit on a grand scale and the final stand against approaching death, respectively. It’s an interesting idea to have artists come aboard just for these moments and I think this is the issue that utilised it best.

Final Verdict: 9.0 – I know, I know, that might be the first 9 I’ve given all event, but by god does this issue deserve it.

Spider-Island #5
Written by Christos Gage & Tom DeFalco
Illustrated by Paco Diaz & Ron Frenz
Reviewed by James Johnston

“Spider-Island” is such a frustrating book to review. On one hand, I want to say that it’s my actual hands down favorite “Secret Wars” tie-in. On the other hand, it has a “Spider-Girl” tie-in on the back that’s not doing anyone involved any favors.

The main “Spider-Island” story wraps up in a beautifully insane way with dinosaurs, spiders, and an emotional climax to Flash Thompson’s entire character. As someone who wishes every day that Agent Venom would become Marvel’s most important character, and who likes it when dinosaur people attack other monsters, this is comic is sort of tailor fit for me.

The “Spider-Girl” back-up, meanwhile looks like the wallpaper for that Marvel them park at Universal Studios that was created in 1999 and hasn’t been updated since. If you have a comic with Dino-Thor, you don’t bog it down with a fight against ENTHRALLA. The witch who ENTHRALLS.

Final Verdict: 8.1 – “Spider-Island” was full of charm and completely outshone the event it was based on. The “Spider-Girl” back-ups, on the other hand, leave a lot to be desired.

1602: Angela – Witch Hunter #4
Written by Marguerite Bennett & Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Stephanie Hans & Kody Chamberlain
Reviewed by Alice W. Castle

Why did we have to wait this long to get issues as good as these? Concluding the tale of Angela, Witch Hunter, Marguerite Bennett and Stephanie Hans (along with Kieron Gillen and Kody Chamberlain) weave a tale of love lost and the power of stories, taking the fantasy of the Marvel Universe and turning it into a story within itself. This series was rather hit or miss for me, but the final confrontation between Angela and the Enchantress brought it all together, with Marguerite Bennett’s writing being rich with character and emotion that pulls from the power of stories and Stephanie Hans’ gorgeous artwork feeling like each moment of the story is captured on a lovingly crafted canvas.

What really brings it all together, though, is the second half of the issue with Kieron Gillen co-writing and the artwork by Kody Chamberlain. If the series had ended where Bennett and Hans’s part of the issue ended, we would have been left with something bittersweet, but instead Bennett, Gillen and Chamberlain are able to turn things around and focus on Serah who ensures that the story has something of a happier ending. It’s not the perfectly happy ending that the characters wanted, but no one really gets the happy ending they want, do they? Instead, it’s an ending that ties the entire series together and elevates it to something definitely worth reading.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – I’m genuinely surprised by how much this ending made me like the series as a whole all the more.

Final Thoughts

James: Flash Thompson forever. Oh yeah, and I appreciate “Siege” actually tying into the main series even if it didn’t exactly match up. I feel like a lot of series could have done more than just have a Thor show up to yell at everyone so they could appear like they were actually part of a crossover.

Jess: I’m at New York Comic-Con and trusted James to write my Final Thoughts. Uh, this was a really cool week!

Alice: This was the best week in a long while. While the majority of the issues we’re reading these days are going to be the last issues of their series, many of the endings so far have made for the rest of the series. “Siege” was definitely a case of that as the prior series never felt all that important, but managed to turn that around entirely with the last issue. All that, plus finally getting another issue of the “Secret Wars” main series made this a pretty fantastic week for me. Now, if only the last ten weeks had been like that…


//TAGS | The MC2

James Johnston

James Johnston is a grizzled post-millenial. Follow him on Twitter to challenge him to a fight.

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Alice W. Castle

Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears her, Alice W. Castle is a trans femme writing about comics. All things considered, it’s going surprisingly well. Ask her about the unproduced Superman films of 1990 - 2006. She can be found on various corners of the internet, but most frequently on Twitter: @alicewcastle

EMAIL | ARTICLES

Jess Camacho

Jess is from New Jersey. She loves comic books, pizza, wrestling and the Mets. She can be seen talking comics here and at Geeked Out Nation. Follow her on Twitter @JessCamNJ for the hottest pro wrestling takes.

EMAIL | ARTICLES



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