Ultimate Comics Avengers #1 Review

Ultimate Comics Avengers #1
The Next Generation
Part One of Six





Written by: Mark Millar
Art by: Carlos Pacheco
Inks by: Danny Miki
Colors by: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

The issues starts off with a great wrap around cover with a splashy #001 to draw you in. Luckily, the inside isn’t half bad either. Having not read an issue of the Ultimate line in a few years I wasn’t sure what to expect, but one thing is clear; this is a number one. If you’re concerned that continuity might make the book too difficult to follow after the Ultimatum crossover lay your fears to rest. While I didn’t understand everything, I would say I was able to keep up with 90 to 95 percent of everything the characters discussed or did.

Nick Fury is brought back to retrieve a rogue Captain America who disappeared after discovering an interesting revelation, that should have some lasting repercussions on him and the whole team. Hawkeye recounts exactly how Cap found out this secret during a battle with some AIM agents. The fight is well choreographed but I have to say that it featured so many people leaping or jumping through the air without parachutes that it became redundant by the end of the issue. Something like that should make for a good splash page, but after you see it a few times it loses its luster.

Having said that the art has been well hyped, but truthfully I found it to be stale and fairly generic. It even went so far as to remind me of the art I saw in the Avengers cartoon movies. It wasn’t all bad though, the pages featuring Tony Stark had real impact. The inks and colors nicely helped to contrast Tony’s space with Carol Danvers, well done and again you could feel the intensity of the fight.

The page turning story, riveting action and frightening reveal offset the decent artwork enough to make this book worth picking up and adding to your weekly stash.

B

Amazing Spider-Man #601 Review

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601
Red Headed Stranger: No Place Like Home

Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Mario Alberti
Colors by: Andres Mossa
Letterer: VC’s Joe Carmagna
Cover by: J. Scott Campbell

Following the events of issue 600, we finally get a book free of super-villains and get a chance to see just how difficult Peter Parker’s life can be even without Spider-man.

Mark Waid crafts a fun, fairly self-contained story that takes place the day after Aunt May’s wedding. Evidently, Peter gets pretty trashed at the wedding, wakes up in bed with a very angry roommate, and slightly remembers something about a date he has with Mary Jane. Only problem is, he doesn’t know the time or place.

Without a clear villain we get to spend a bit more time with Peter as Spider-man as he tries to figure out what happened the night before, find a new place to live and save the city. This book was funnier than the recent “American Son” storyline, which is a welcome relief as this is how Spider-man is supposed to be, a quipy, one-liner type-of-character, who always has a joke, no matter how down his situation might get. It’s also nice to see some minor characters come back into the spotlight including Betty Brant and Glory Grant. I do worry though how long the Reilly family is going to be hanging around since they don’t add a strong dramatic element and only serve to eat up pages that could be better served with something that’s actually interesting.

After being spoiled in #600 with Romita Jr., Alberti has some big shoes to fill. While it’s not always what you would expect, and sometimes it can be pretty hit and miss, it manages to work, especially the further you get into the book. I get the feeling that Alberti got more comfortable with the material the more he drew. I especially liked Peter’s Captain America boxer shorts.

This is a good issue and solid jumping on point, even if you missed #600. Mark Waid has a strong handle on the character and the art is sufficient despite being nothing special. Also, this remains one of the few books that is still three dollars. An affordable and enjoyable book, what more could you ask for?

B

Lethal Legion #2 Reivew

Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #2

Written by: Frank Tieri
Artist: Mateus Santolouco
Color art: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover: Tommy Lee Edwards

At SDCC I asked Frank Tieri if this would be an ongoing and sadly the answer was no. It certainly doesn’t need to be I admit, but I always enjoy books that feature B or C-list characters. Too often we’re saddled with A-list players who have to fit into status quo molds and can’t be changed or killed. Lower tier characters like these give writers more opportunity to play and maybe even kill one them off, once in a while.

This issue features Livingston, a high-priced lawyer, interviewing Wonder Man and Absorbing Man in prison and they both give their accounts of what happened to the Legion, from its formation to their final encounter with Osborne’s Dark Avengers.

None of these characters are at all likable and oddly that’s one of the reasons I enjoy the book. These aren’t your typical heroes and they make a real point to prove that. They’re bad guys and just because they’re going after Osborne doesn’t mean they’re ready to turn over a new leaf. Tieri is at his best here working with characters long ignored and playing them up with larger than life characterizations that make it easy to figure out where they’re coming from.

The art is dark and gritty, just as it should be. Wonder Man looks badass and the fight with the Dark Avengers feels as big as it should. For a three issue book they put a lot of love into it.

The book ends on a strange note and how this series will end is anyone’s guess. I’m not sure how they’ll wrap it up with only one book left, I just hope they don’t continue it in an ongoing instead. It also relies on you knowing more than you should about the characters and their past relationships, which makes it difficult to keep up at times. Also, since it is only three issues there’s not much incentive to buy the floppies rather than wait for the trade, especially as it doesn’t feel like it will have much impact on current continuity. In fact I don’t expect it to have any impact on anyone not featured in this book. So if you aren’t a huge Wonder Man or Grim Reaper fan, you can skip this without missing much.

With a healthy dose of action, fun anti-heroes and an unpredictable storyline Lethal Legion remains a good book for those looking to collect everything Dark Reign, but it’s not a requirement for anyone following current Marvel events.

B

Deadpool: Games of Death Review

Deadpool
Games of Death (One Shot)

Written by: Mike Benson
Art by: Shawn Crystal
Color by: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover artist: Greg Land and Justin Ponsor

Before reading this comic I hadn’t heard of either Benson or Crystal. A little research failed to give me much background, although Benson did lend a hand in penning a few “Entourage” episodes, my favorite of which is “One Day in the Valley.” With this solid comedic resume I had some hopes for the issue and for the most part they were met.

A rich man offers Deadpool a million dollars to exact revenge on an illicit game show for killing his son. Deadpool can’t turn that kind of money down and goes in head first, no questions asked. He eventually finds out he bit off a little more than he could chew, but it’s Deadpool so really, why worry?

The first thing that stood out to me about this comic was that no page was wasted. Even the character summary on the opening page features a battle between two of Deadpool’s many personalities. One tries to sell Deadpool, while the other is a bit more honest. From there you get a pretty straightforward story, despite the “twist,” with the requisite mayhem and humor often associated with the character. There isn’t anything revolutionary or laugh-out-loud funny, but the book keeps you smiling.

The artist is another person I’ve never heard of or seen before, but his style worked for this particular book. The character designs are outlandish, the girls are cheesecake and the action is well over-the-top, just what you need when jokes take precedent over character or story. While it is nice to look at, you won’t find anything explosive or dramatic in the artwork. There is not a single splash page to be found, which is a real disappointment considering some images were just begging for it.

In the past I’ve been spoiled with Deadpool books written by Gail Simone and I’m not sure anything will ever measure up. This book is good, but nowhere near Simone good. If however, you are a fan of the character or are looking for a lighter book then don’t pass this up. Even if you’ve never read the character, this is a great introduction.

A warning though, the book costs 3.99 and there is nothing in it that justifies the extra dollar. It isn’t longer, bigger or better, so don’t expect anything more for putting down your hard earned money.
B-

Daily Planet Front Page: Weapon X Variant Covers

The first issue of the five part "Wolverine: Weapon X" mini-series features not one, not two, but three variant covers. The first, and in my opinion best, is drawn by Adam Kubert and featured here. The other two are drawn by Alan Davis and Olivier Coipel. They can be seen by going to the Weapon X Preview Page. The first issue, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Ron Garney, costs 3.99 and will be released April 8th.