Even Doom knows wassup. All hail Doom! This week at Multiversity we’re going to attempt to put the “versity” in our namesake and review some books we haven’t normally been taking stabs at. Don’t worry, we still hit all the big titles (wouldn’t want you to not know how much we love Batman and Robin and Blackest Night, now would we?) but we’re going to each be doing some books we don’t usually do. There are, of course, some exceptions (such as Gil and his epic love of Fables), but don’t hold it against us. We only do as Doom commands.
MATT’S REVIEWS
Captain America: Reborn #3
I’m a huge fan of Ed Brubaker and I’m also a huge fan of Captain America. Put these two things together and you have something that I’m an incredibly huge fan of. I miss Steve Rogers more than I’ll ever miss Patrick Swayze. Unfortunately, even three issues in, I’m just not that crazy about Captain America: Reborn.
Let me put it this way. I love the concept and I love the implications. It’s just such a slow build up and I’m wondering if a five issue mini-series event thinger can really give the pay off and retribution a character as big as Steve FRAKKING Rogers deserves. I mean, the guy died! Or… didn’t die. He got unstuck. Whatever it is that actually happened here. The point is, he’s coming back, and I just don’t feel this is big enough to contain his return. I mean, you look at event books like Blackest Night, which is 8 issues, and we’ve only had 2 issues of, but both books have packed a huge kick in the pants. You can be sure that the issue that comes out today does the exact same thing. This event-type mini just oddly feels stagnant.
This is not to say the story doesn’t move forward at all. It does. There are some, dare I say it, big developments into the evolution of the story? And I can clearly see where things are being set up to have a huge pay-off. It is in fact highly plausible that this five issue mini will make sense in the end. It’s just I feel that this might have worked better if it were a longer story. Right now I feel like it’s a bit rushed, and we’re three issues in. Brubaker has told an amazingly intense and complex Captain America story spanning 50 issues, all of which are integral to one another. Heck, the Death of Captain America lasted three volumes to be told properly: his death, the fallout, the new Cap. I’m just afraid to see the story rushed in order to bring Steve back to meet some other possible Marvel deadline (as Mocle says, with Steve Rogers in comic books, there is no way Norman will be the head of shield).
Final Verdict: Wait for the trade on this one if you haven’t been buying the issues already, otherwise buy it
Vengeance Of The Moon Knight #1
I love Moon Knight, you guys. Seriously. I feel everyone should know this right off the bat. He is probably my favorite less popular Marvel character, or at least one of them and definitely in the top 5. In fact, you can bet there will be a character spotlight on him soon. Regardless, I was pretty excited for this Moon Knight book. I loved the last one. Mike Benson’s run was the worst part of it, but it was still pretty good. When it ended I was excited for a new title by a new author.
After on issue, I can easily say that this pans out pretty well. Now, often times it’s kind of hard to tell if a series will be really good after one issue. Sure, there are issues that blow you away, and this isn’t one of them. This is simply a bad ass start to what will presumably be an entertaining read for people who are fans of Moon Knight. The book opens with Moon Knight’s return to New York (after the events of the previous Moon Knight book) under a new alias, and he presumes to absolutely frak stuff up. Like, seriously. The main part of this issue is literally Moon Knight kicking an extreme amount of ass throughout all of Manhattan. It’s a pretty entertaining read. The main point of the story, though, is that now he’s doing it in a way that’s not insane. He doesn’t cut little crescent moons into people’s foreheads anymore. Crazy, right? And of course, Norman has a problem with it. This is the only part that surprises me (though not entirely) because Moon Knight is actually a registered superhero. He went along with the registration act only because he knew he was so crazy that if he got his card, they’d leave him alone. But still, this is then the segue into the next issue.
Continued belowNow, as strictly a Moon Knight fan, I loved it. The last issues of Moon Knight were, for lack of better terminology, pretty bland. Nothing happened except Moon Knight felt sorry for himself and the word “Bro” was said a lot, then he and the Punisher didn’t fight the monster teased for five issues. Moon Knight running around and kicking ass though? Awesome. I highly approve. As a comic book fan though, it’s definitely a style over substance issue. In fact, it’s kind of what I hate about all Jeph Loeb’s books. All it is is Moon Knight fighting and a few minor dialogue points meant as character development. Now, as I said, this is a first issue, and it’s a comeback issue, and quite frankly, I don’t expect anything more from a huge comeback issue then a serious amount of heavy duty ass kicking, so I still approve this book. But other readers might want to be wary of this note.
Final Verdict: I’d buy it, but I can tell most people should browse first
Invincible Iron Man #18
I believe David put it best when he said it feels like World’s Most Wanted will never end. That’s really what I get out of this book, even though the last page says To Be Concluded. Seriously, how long has this story been going on? Not that it hasn’t been great. Far from it. It’s actually brought a lot of great Iron Man characters into the fold while making sure Iron Man follows this disastrous continuity plot, Dark Reign (and I mean disastrous as in Norman is making everything evil, not disastrous as in bad necessarily). And now that it’s almost over, you can be sure to get even more excited about this book because the world’s longest story arc since Thy Kingdom Come is about to end! Yay!
As far as the story goes, I approve. We’re coming to the end now, so it’s time to lay all the cards on the table, and this is what the book does. Norman is coming to kill Stark, betrayals and twists are revealed. It’s all very conventional but still good. The big twist of this issue left me really happy, verbally commenting outloud to anyone who could hear at how much I approved how things had ended up. I’m not entirely sure how the last issue will pan out, but I’m still excited. Iron Man is one of the few books I really get excited to see on my weekly pull, and I’ve never really been a big Iron Man fan. In fact, it’s fair to say that I sided with Captain America in Civil War even before we really knew why. This book has done a good job of taking Tony Stark from a character that I acknowledge as really important to a character I openly want to read about, and this issue is definitely one of the reasons why when we see him in a scene in his Afghanistan base.
As far as the book goes from a writing and art stand point, I’d still say that Invincible Iron Man definitely deserves it’s Eisner. Matt Fraction and his run of Iron Man books have been an absolute blast, and it is clear that this book is easily one of the most accessible on the market. Fraction made a note at Comic Con that he wrote it with his parents and fans of the movie in mind (i.e. people who haven’t been following Iron Man forever) and that is pretty clear. The book reads really well for both fanbases. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is some of the first Iron Man stuff I’ve read in a while that I can really enjoy, and I don’t just mean that in lieu of Civil War and his role in that. This is definitely some grade A writing on the part of Fraction and is easily his best book (over Uncanny X-Men). And the art? Hot dog! I really do love Larocca’s style. He definitely brings Fraction’s ideas to life in a very nice and vibrant style, and the two go so well together.
Continued belowSuffice it to say, my Final Verdict is buy it up. While this may go really well all together in the end as a trade, it’s very exciting to read it issue to issue.
Batgirl #2
You guys all read Batgirl #1 after I gave it a good review, right? Can I just say who Batgirl is? I mean, you’ve had your chance to find out, it’s not really a spoiler. Ok, screw it: Stephanie Brown is Batgirl! AND SHE KICKS ASS! If you read Robin like I did, you know that name all too well. She was at one time Robin, then she died, became Spoiler, and helped him out a lot in the end. Needless to say, Stephanie Brown has her own unique cult following, and it’s pretty well deserved.
That being said, I still really enjoy this book. As Tim is acting all “grown up” now, there is no “young Batman” type book in which we can follow the youthful activities of the Bat-squad and still get the same grown up entertaining ass kicking but with a much lighter tone. Let’s be honest here – Batman is a fun comic, but sometimes the writers get carried away with the whole “dark and gritty” aspect. There’s only so much I can take before I go read a really old Batman comic from the Black Casebook or just watch the Adam West Batman: The Movie DVD I’ve got. What I loved about Robin is that that book had a lighter tone, and was essentially the Spider-Man of Bat-books. Now, Batgirl is that book, and it adds a much needed balance to the whole Bat-Universe (does anyone get the feeling I’m just using this paragraph to find different ways of saying bat-(noun)?).
Also, I really love the plot. Ok, we all thought Barbara Gordon might be coming back to be Batgirl again in some capacity, but hey, at least she’s a big part of the book, right? And how about that final villain, eh? I loved it. As far as the story goes, Bryan Q. Miller is doing a great job. And kudos to Lee Garbett as well! The look of the book is wonderful! Light enough to be a teen oriented book (late teens, anyway) but dark enough to be Gotham. It all works out to be a great mix perfect for the story. While I can easily see how Batgirl wouldn’t be at the top of everyone’s pull, it’s definitely an enjoyable series, and if you’ve got some extra money that your mom gave you that you aren’t using on lunch, I’d put it towards Batgirl. If nothing else, it’s just an enjoyable read for fans of the Robin book.
Final Verdict: At the very least give it a browse
Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Anti-Venom #1
I think it should be known before we begin – Venom is my all time favorite character of all time. The very first comics I ever read were Venom beating up Spider-Man, and I have a myriad of important comics all having only to do with Venom. He is by far the character I hold most close to my heart, and I have a veritable shrine of items to him in my apartment, including a really old and very rare poster of him. It’s important to note, though, that only Eddie Brock Venom is my favorite character, and since Mark Millar gave his suit away, I’ve had to change my favorite character from being Venom to Eddie Brock, and I still follow the character religiously, and that leads me to picking up the Anti-Venom mini without even questioning it.
Of course, since the hay day of Eddie being the bad ass Venom that he was, the character has gone through a lot and not most of it has been great. Since losing the symbiote at the end of the original Venom series, there was the really bad Venom series where there was a clone Venom (or something?) and then the whole Cancer/Passion of the Christ thing… I really hate Mac Gargan as Venom, fyi. And as far as Eddie Brock related things, I’m very critical. I was still excited about an Anti-Venom mini because I wanted to see more with the character than just a story arc and a one shot story, so I obviously picked this book to be critical of it.
Continued belowSo how do I like it? Pretty well, actually. I should point out that it is really not all that special. It doesn’t really add to anything going on in Dark Reign, and it doesn’t really add to anything going on in Spider-Man. It just kind of is. A stagnant entity adding to a classic character who has recently undertaken a huge make over. On the other side, it’s pretty well written. It picks up right where that one shot story left off and it has Eddie trying to redeem himself further for the darker actions he has partaken in as Venom. He doesn’t want to be the darker being that we all know him as, and he’s doing his best to repent and make up for it. As a fan of Eddie Brock, I enjoy it, but outside of being a huge fan of the character, I can’t see why anyone would really care. This book seems to be unasked for fan service more than anything else, and as much as I will still be reading every issue and adding it to my staggering large Venom collection, I can’t recommend it to the casual comic goer. It doesn’t really add much to anything.
So while I really enjoy it as a fan of the character, I’m going to have to say that for most people, my Final Verdict would be browse or pass.
DAVID’S REVIEWS
Batman and Robin #4
Well, it finally happened. We had an issue that wasn’t basically an example of the perfect Batman comic. Of course, this is almost no fault of Grant Morrison’s, as his script is still a rollicking good time, providing more new intriguing villains (the new version of the Red Hood and Scarlet, plus the enigmatic and approaching Flamingo — who evidently is the mega badass of mega badasses) and plenty of interesting characters beats, including a very cool interaction between Dick and Damien as they talk about the danger of hoods. Morrison also gives us our first look at Dick and Damien taking over the role of Bruce the socialite, which ended up being another very entertaining section.
Yet here is the major problem with it, and it will always be the problem with their collaborations: whenever Morrison and Quitely work together, they inevitably last for one arc together or go very, very slowly. This time? One arc, as this issue is drawn by the capable yet obnoxiously traditional style of Phillip Tan. My problem with Morrison books is they should not be handled by a standard superhero artist — they need someone with a bit more depth. Quitely provides that and then some, but Tan’s inability to provide similar dynamic layouts and brilliant character design downgrades the issue quite a bit.
This is still a very entertaining comic, but without the vibrant visuals Quitely provides it goes from a tier 1 book to a tier 2 for me. Controversially, I’m making my verdict for this issue a…
Verdict: Browse
Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1
I have to admit, I didn’t read any of Ultimatum. I wasn’t really reading the Ultimate Universe at the time, Jeph Loeb had turned into the writer with the inverse Midas touch, and it all just sounded ridiculous. However, now that they’ve restarted the Ultimate U sort of and put everything in EXTREMELY capable writers hands, I had to start following it again. So far, so good, as UC Spider-Man and UC Avengers have been great reads, and UC Armor Wars finishes up the trifecta as the team of Warren Ellis and Steve Kurth create a engrossing yarn that promises to get better and better with further issues.
Warren Ellis is probably the best writer you could ever assign to a Tony Stark project. Why? Ellis is a man who likes his drinking, is a futurist, and is a bit of mad genius, just like Tony Stark. In fact, if Ellis added womanizing to his repertoire, billions to his bank account and removed the British accent, we’d be looking at a real world representation of Tony Stark. So needless to say, he handles Stark well in this issue, and ultimately that’s all that matters in an Iron Man book. If you have a good grip on Tony Stark, the rest of the pieces will fall in place naturally. Of course, his introduction of an intense new villain in Ghost and the lovely new lady love in Justine Hammer add to the story greatly, and I’m very excited to see where we head next.
Continued belowSteve Kurth is an artist I’m not familiar with, but one I’m quite impressed with after one issue. In many ways, he reminds me of Bryan Hitch, but on a much smaller scale. Hitch excels in huge action set pieces, and I have to admit, Kurth can do those well but he also manages to handle character moments with aplomb. Stellar work throughout.
So I can say, unequivocally, that the relaunch of the Ultimate universe has been a success. This book has potential to be the best one yet, if only we can keep this team together. Please Marvel, please keep this team together.
Verdict: Buy
Mighty Avengers #29
Dan Slott and Christos Gage are two very talented writers who have done a great job of assembling an old school style Avengers roster and putting together an old school styled Avengers book. Really, it reminds me of the Busiek/Perez run from years back, minus a lot of the heavy hitters but still with all of the fun. It’s a very entertaining book to read and in many ways is the best Avengers book out there.
Except one really important aspect.
The art.
Oh my god…the art. I can hardly stand to look at Khoi Pham’s work. How did anyone ever decide he should be on one of the flagship Marvel titles? It’s blowing my mind with each passing month, as his work is just terrible in my mind. Whether it’s the faces, the awkward and slow fight scenes, or the weak character work, I don’t even know anymore. I just can’t stand this guy. It reminds me of how X-Factor has one of the best writers around doing a book that just clicks with him…and they pair him with Joe Schmoe artist. Get us a better artist here, ASAP Marvel. You’re really missing the boat here.
Because of that, as much as I enjoy it, this book is just a…
Verdict: Browse
Ex Machina #45
We’re just 5 issues away now from the end, and it is starting to get a lot more clear as to what the last arc will be about. It won’t be about Mayor Mitchell Hundred’s attempt at winning the Presidency nor will it be a final showdown between a returned Pherson, but something else entirely. This issue starts laying down the groundwork for it and it really shows us that Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris have been building to something this entire time…and it’s going to be big.
Vaughan is one of the best writers in the industry, but what he is best at is giving each character their own unique voice. While other writers turn characters into puppets for their own voice at times (I’m looking at Bendis on Dark Avengers right now), Vaughan is incredible about layering his entire cast with identities that most organically create this alternate universe they live in. It’s on full display here, especially in two scenes with Hundred and his Chief of Staff and the NYC police commissioner. Also, with this latest run of issues BKV has started establishing Hundred as every bit of the top character that Yorick Brown was.
Of course, Tony Harris provides more of his photography emulating style that has worked so well for 45 issues. With his style being a time consuming one, BKV likely had the choice of moving this title to another artist, but thankfully he didn’t because Harris is every bit as important to the universal quality of this book as BKV is.
All in all, another top issue for one of the best series of the past decade. I hope BKV can wrap this up as well as he did Y the Last Man, and with this issue he’s showing me I have nothing to fear.
Verdict: Buy
28 Days Later #2
Given Matt’s love for Irredeemable and what you’re about to read about this title from me, you’d think we’re getting paid off by Boom! Studios to love their books. But we’re not. Boom! is just making some damn fine comics right now, and this is one of them. 28 Days Later not only works as a continuation of the film, but it works as a standalone project about the zombie apocalypse, with series writer Michael Alan Nelson creating new and dynamic characters to pair with Selena (from the film) and intense situations throughout to deal with, and artist Declan Shalvey ably rendering everything throughout the issues.
This is the best zombie book since The Walking Dead, and while it doesn’t have the brilliant character work that TWD provides, it is loaded with intense survival horror and a perpetual feeling of despair, but you know…in a good way.
This issue finds Selena and the journalist team trying to find a way to meet up with their boat to the mainland as they’re having to fend off perpetual attacks from the infected, and provides Nelson to give us many intense moments — whether it be a character falling into an elevator loaded with infected, or Selena and former Army officer Derrick bonding slowly through the mass murder of infected, this book provides us many opportunities to experience the living hell that a zombie infected world would be.
This book is only 2 issues in, but I wholeheartedly recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of the film. It’s a brilliant continuation of it, and I’m really looking forward to finding out what fate our protagonist has waiting for her.
Verdict: Buy
GIL’S REVIEWS
Blackest Night #3
I love Green Lantern. Let me get that straight. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid, and the franchise is still one of my favorites. and since Geoff Johns took over the series with Rebirth, it’s reached a level of awesome that I’m not sure I can really comprehend.
Which is why it hurts to say this.
I felt like the most important part of this issue, while instrumental to plot development, could have been a LOT better. We finally have the proper introduction of the Indigo-hued Lanterns wielding compassion, but I’ll be damned if Geoff didn’t call Bendis for advice on how to introduce them. What’s that, Brian? Inexplicably and when the main characters need it the most? HRMM…
*sigh*
I actually think I’m not being fair. There were a lot of terrifying moments in the issue, with the and I really am looking forward to where it’s going. I think the mission statement in the book has really changed from massive blood orgies of deaths of superheroes to something else entirely.
Ivan Reis’ art is great, which is usual for Ivan. I think there are some spots where the visuals are a bit on the muddy side, but they were going for a heavily shadowed horror look, so I can live with it. And for some odd reason, I think the fact there’s an Indigo Lantern that looks like a purple skrull is very amusing. Also, I think it’s hilarious that if someone shuns material possessions, they stick to loin cloths. Very….revealing loin cloths.
Overall, despite my reservations, this book is still a top shelf read, and deserves to be read by everyone. and in all honesty, it’s worth it for the loin cloths.
Verdict: Buy
Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil
Despite liking Daredevil since I was a kid, I’ve never read much on him. The last full arc I picked up was when Kevin Smith relaunched the the blind superhero over a decade ago. I don’t really know why I haven’t been reading, but I guess I should continue after this. Things are bat-poo loco in Daredevil’s world.
So Norman Osborn is the top cop in the country. And Daredevil, probably one of the most moral heroes, is now in charge of ninja death cult The Hand?
God The Marvel U is topsy turvy.
Well, this is the battle we’ve been waiting for. The now sanctioned superhero Bullseye has been commissioned by Norman Osborn(in his 27th cameo this month! …More on that later) to take out the new leader of The Hand, and it’s like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and his birthday present rolled into one.
What follows is probably one of the weaker battles in the history of these two, but that’s not the point. The emotional fallout from this book is something that will haunt Matt Murdock for some time. But suffice it to say, I think it’ll haunt Osborn and Bullseye as well.
Continued belowI would say the art is pretty solid, it’s not the most amazing thing in the world, but it works for the story at hand. I do prefer the art in the preview for Daredevil 501, as while it’s not Alex Maleev, it’s reminiscent of it without being derivative.
I would say pick this up if you’re already heavily invested in Dark Reign, with the possibility of browsing if you’re not.
Verdict: Buy
The Sword #19
With the book hitting the home stretch, this is it. The final arc. after this, the book only has five issues before another classic Luna Bros. is completely in the can. I really urge you to pick up the three previous arcs in trade form because this book is totally worth it.
Now that that’s out of the way, this book truly proves that The Lunas are masters of creating a story where you really do not expect things to get so bad, and then they do. The cover is a flashback to the first issue when Dara’s family is brutally murdered by three gods seeking revenge. What it also hints to is a secret past between Malia and Demitrios.
While Malia is an evil, lying, disgusting woman, The Lunas also do an excellent job of making her a sympathetic villain, as you don’t realize it, but you kind of feel for her by the end of the issue.
As for Dara and company, It SUCKS. I cannot express how much it sucks because that would be giving it away. But it’s brilliant because it sucks so bad. For them, not that it’s poorly written. I think that’s almost impossible for the brothers. But like I said, they have a knack for making things as bad as they ever will be, and then somehow making it even worse. I can only brace myself for the next five issues, as I will probably start crying if I don’t.
Dammit.
Verdict: BUY IT ALL.
Fables #88
This and The Walking Dead are always the hardest to review. What is there to say at this point besides “this book is awesome, and you should own every little bit of it.”
Oh, I know. This book features Frau Totenkinder as the primary lead. And a black cat. That talks. Not unlike Matt’s cat Boots. Except Boots isn’t black. I’ve been told. I don’t see color.
Some of the book is actually rather jarring, and even caused me to verbally express that. It’s also jarring in a good way, like with the revelation to who that black cat actually is.
The art is supplied by Mark Buckingham, and his art is perfect for the book. Any time anyone else does it it feels a bit weaker. I do think Willingham and Buckingham are the dynamic duo, and any other artist just cheapens the experience.
Frau has been one of my favorite characters since she was introduced, and this issue is no exception. It even shows the terrifying extent of her powers, and where her candy house went. God, there’s not much more I can say other than pick up the entire series if you can afford it. It’s a lot, but it’s damn worth it.
Verdict: Buy
MODOK: Reign Delay #1
For being this supposedly important blogger(in my own mind anyway), I never really look on Marvel.com unless I see something on twitter that catches my eye. Much less the Digital Comics Unlimited. But if they print more stuff like this, I may have to change that. I only picked this up because I love M.O.D.O.K…
And it’s fantastic.
It has the “Dark Reign” log slathered on the top of the cover, but that’s only the set up. M.O.D.O.K. wants in on the new administration led by everyone’s favorite goblin-turned-Iron Man Norman Osborn. Osborn want’s nothing to do with him, and to avoid him, he sends him to his home town of Erie, Pennsylvania. Which is the linchpin to world domination, don’t you know. I mean, it’s equidistant from Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Cleveland! And Alice from the Brady Bunch was born there! I could go on, but clearly we missed this. Kind of like Foggy Nelson being the secret mastermind behind it all. But you didn’t hear that from me.
Continued belowAnyway, I’d be hard pressed to believe this will be canon, but it’s absolutely hysterical. There are so many moments where I laughed out loud. From being bullying his minions to being bullied himself, he’s had it rough. No one is scared of him. He’s struggling to find his place in the world. Well, he most certainly finds it here.
The artwork is very cartoon-y and appropriate for the comedic tone of the book. I think I finally found something Gary Frank would not improve. Ryan Dunlavey, the sole contributor to this book, really knows how to write a fun book to read.
In all honesty, if you don’t pick this up, you’re lacking a soul for sure. Pick it up!
Verdict: Buy
