Summer Reading, pt. 4

by Brandon

There are three essentials for my summer vacation; relaxation, napping, and comic books. Fortunately for you, I just talk about comic books here. My Summer Reading series continues with reviews of Iron Man, Punisher, Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil, X-Men Legacy, Squadron Supreme, Captain America: Reborn, The End League, Star Wars Legacy and Knights of the Old Republic. About half of the books hit, whereas the other half missed. Find out who performed above and below expectations by reading on!


Captain America: Reborn #1
I haven't been keeping up with Captain America at all. I know he was killed a few years ago in the Civil War crossover. I know he's coming back. What do I care, right? A few of the Bad Genious guys were talking about this issue the other day and the method for Captain America's return just sounded so incredulous and out there that i just had to read it to believe it. They were correct; Captain America was hit with some type of magic bullet that made him unstuck in time. This was a pretty big "WTF" moment for me too. From all accounts, Brubaker's run has been pretty grounded. This magically delicious approach to bringing Captain America back just feels wrong. The issue was decent enough, but the series as a whole is not worth keeping up with for $3.99 a pop.

Daredevil #119
Daredevil's life continues to reflect some Bizarro-esque emo song. We find Matt Murdoch whinny here (suprise, surprise) as his alliance with Kingpin becomes stickier than he planned (surprise, surprise). I feel a strong sense of deja vu that all of this has happened before. I think Kingpin has become a "no-fly zone" for Daredevil writers for at least another 100 issues. Every Kingpin story has seemingly been done before. These Daredevil and Kingpin stories practically write themselves now and that's not a good thing. Wilson Fisk is being used in the upcoming PunisherMax series. Let's hope Jason Aaron finds a better way to use the Kingpin character because at this point he's pretty much a time killer.

Invincible Iron Man #14
With this issue, the "World's Most Wanted" story has stayed past its welcome. How long can we read about Tony being on the run? How long can we watch Norman Osborne harass the no ironclad Pepper Potts? How many Iron Man costumes does Tony Stark having lying around to wear now? Don't get me wrong, this title is expertly written. Of the titles I've read from Matt Fraction, this has been consistently his best. Salvador Larroca's art is superb as well, much improved over his days in the X-Universe. However, this Dark Reign business in general just seems to be chugging along with no end in sight. I can see Fraction scratching his head as he comes up with new ways to to make Tony run due to some editorial mandate stating that Iron Man has to continue to be on the run while Dark Reign plays out for the rest of the calendar year. The "hero on the run" story has been done quite a bit in the last few years and this offers nothing new to the concept.


Punisher #6
The Hood really has it out for poor ol' Frank. Can't a vigilante just kill the bad guys and be done with it? Apparently not. The Hood resurrects a whole gaggle of d-list villains with the charge of taking out Frank Castle, your friendly neighborhood Punisher. Reading a comic where Punisher is forced to take out d-listers is not really my idea of a great Punisher comic book. I'm sure someone, somewhere, is excited by all these crap villains being resurrected. I hope the one Basilisk fan out there creamed his jeans. But for the rest of us, plowing through the d-lister source book provided at the end of this issue was just torture. I'm sure Frank will come up with all sorts of inventive ways to blow away these chumps, but why does it matter? The Hood can presumably just bring them back again. Kind of makes you wish for the golden days of Frank acing crack dealers, doesn't it? Like Iron Man, the writing here is solid and the art is great. But I just want something more, something better for Punisher. Garth Ennis brought about a revitalization of the character. It seems that goodwill is going to be gambled away on the hope that people want to read about Punisher interacting with people who wear capes and funny tights. Anyone who read Punisher under Ennis know that's just not the case.

Squadron Supreme #12
My prediction a few weeks ago about this series ending on a thud was correct. There was so much potential here for a good story, but that was all wasted. The original Squadron Supreme, the characters we all cared about, are pretty much ignored for much of this issue. Instead, we get to revisit the lame characters Chaykin created in the first six issues that no one, and I do mean no one, cares about. Those characters that do remain become powerless, rendering this universe pretty much dead for the foreseeable future. To add insult to injury, Ultimate Nick Fury is still trapped in this universe with no real resolution as to how he gets out. I hope Ultimatum will provide a satisfactory answer. In teh final analysis, this series just served to highlight the failure of Marvel and J. Michael Straczynski to get their act together and publish a decent end to this series. An ending that these characters deserved.


Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem #1
I promise this won't turn into my usual anti-Ultimatum rant. Of all the issues to come out of Ultimatum, this first issue of the two planned Spider-Man Requiem was the best thus far. Granted, this issue was a flashback issue featuring a fun story where Spider-Man helps Tony Stark out when Hydra decides to bust into his office building. As per usual, Bendis was on his A-game with this character. For all of the perceived faults Bendis has in his writing, there's no denying an electricity when he writes this title character. It's evident to the reader that he enjoys writing Ultimate Spider-Man stories and that the character works best when not involved with soul-crushing crossovers like Ultimatum. Bagley and Immonen also turn in great art for this issue. It's sad to think that Ultimate Spider-Man may be MIA from his own title in the coming months, but if the creative team can get back into the groove, Ultimate Spider-Man will once again become the premier Ultimate title.

X-Men Legacy #225
Mike Carey expertly puts an an end to the long Xavier Legacy arc. I've enjoyed this titles Xavier-centric focus in the last couple of years. Mike Carey has made Legacy one of the more thoughtful and well written X-books while exploring the theme of Xavier's redemption. This issue works as a lovely conclusion to that and offers a hint as to where the series will go from here. Xavier shows he's no louse by evenhandedly invading the Acolytes' hangout and defeating them without much of a fight. Professor Xavier is kind of a lame character, but Carey reinvented him as a brainy powerhouse who is not to be trifled with. It is my hope that this isn't the last we see of Professor Xavier in this type of context. I would hate to see him float back to his old digs of being the dead weight of the X-universe. As this chapter closes on Legacy and the Rogue chapter begins, one can't help but feel a sense of wonder at what Carey has accomplished. Kudos to Mike Carey. I hope we'll see more great stuff out of this title in its second chapter.

The End League #8
Damn. This book is still ending, isn't it? With every issue that comes out of this title, I want more. There's just so much going on in this title that it can't possibly end next issue. It just can't. Clones of Astonishman have captured Soldier American and Blur Gil and are attempting to find the Hammer of Thor. A team of heroes rush to get the Hammer of Thor before the Smiling Man picks it up. Alas, it appears that all engines are go for the final issue in #9. The pace of the storytelling is picking up, which is fine, but I hope everything gets a satisfactory conclusion next issue. There are a lot of plot lines floating out there. How can they possibly be wrapped up without leaving the reader feeling cheated? I don't think Remender can do it. So, um, Mr. Remender, please come back as soon as possible to this book as soon as possible. Please?


Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic#42
The moment many KoTOR fans have been waiting for finally arrived in this issue. The rogue Jedi Knight Revan, who eventually adds the title of "Darth" out front, makes his appearance here. We get a small, but important origin story for Revan here as related to the reader and Zayne's gang by future Sith Lord Malak. There is a killer fight here between Malak and Mandalorian Rohlan that has been boiling up for a while. The gears of war are4 just getting started, and with appearances by Revan and Malak here, the reader gets a sense that things are about to go from bad to worse for our fair adventurers. Miller turns in a solid, action-packed script that many fans have been begging for since the first issue of the series. There's no hyperbole involved there either; go back and read the earliest letter columns to find people begging for Revan to show up. I think this appearance will only ramp up demands for more Revan, especially as the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic promises to not finish the story set up in KoTOR's 1 & 2.

Star Wars Legacy #37
Legacy continues to be not only one of the best ongoing Star Wars titles out now, but ranks amongst the best ever published. Why? This issue exemplifies all that is right with Legacy and all that works with a good Star Wars story. Cade Skywalker continues to walk the fine line between scoundrel and hero, mixing equal parts of Han Solo and Anakin Skywalker seamlessly. We find Cade leading the crew of the Mynock on a mission to rob Imperials. We also find ample amounts of intrigue within the remnants of the Empire. While the galaxy at large does not know the true fate of Darth Krayt, buzz around the Empire has all the Moffs in a tizzy. Add in the appearance of Bounty Hunters at the end, and you have a fun read for any Star wars fan. It's a simple equation; Skywalker + scruffy looking scoundrels + Bounty Hunters + Sith + Imperial Forces = great Star Wars story. Legacy has great writing from John Ostrander that is backed up by consistently great art from Jan Duursema. These two creators are woefully ignored when it comes to "great" modern comic book runs.
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Summer Reading, pt. 2

by Brandon
Summer marches on into July... and so does my summer reading! I could say something cheesy like I tried to "cool of with these hot reads", but I would be lying to you. It's been fairly moderate in South Carolina for late June and early July; not too hot or humid. My reading has followed the same trend; nothing much has really grabbed me lately. Many of the comics I've read the last couple of weeks have been decent, but not great. This week, I cover Uncanny X-Men, X-Men: Legacy, X-Force, Booster Gold, and many other titles. Won't you spare a mouse-click for the poor?



Wizard #213
One of the first stories Rich Johnston's new Bleeding Cool website reported on was about the latest batch of problems for Wizard. The once mighty company has apparently seen better days. Johnston ended his article by asking, "When was the last time you read Wizard?" As I often find myself doing, I answered the question that was staring back at me from my computer screen. When no one replied, I decided I might just have to check out an issue. I haven't read an issue of Wizard since I finished my B.A., which was in 2002. Wizard always seemed to be infantile, bordering on gonzo journalism and idiocy, with liberal sprinkling of fart jokes and drawings of big breasted women. That wasn't the only reason I avoided Wizard; who needs Wizard in an age where tons of comic book news websites, creator social networking pages, daily online press releases from publishers, and comic book fan message boards beat Wizard to the punch at nearly every turn. How does a comic magazine stay relevant? I think it's an uphill battle being fought by all print media, but Wizard has always been a niche magazine. I found an issue of Wizard at a newsstand the other day and checked it out. To their credit, this issue is far different and far better than the Wizard I read in middle or high school. Gone were the talking figures and rampant fart jokes (though, trust me, there were fart jokes). Wizard has taken more of a "features" approach which works really well within its framework. By focusing on interviews with creators and expanding their coverage to include entertainment pop culture has given Wizard a bit of a jolt for the future. I even checked out the current subscription rates for Wizard (around $29 a year), which in terms of content I guess is comparable to The Comics Journal (around $35) or Comic Buyer's Guide (around $25). Have you read Wizard lately? It might not be a bad idea to check it out.

Uncanny X-Men #'s 508-510
Matt Fraction's time on Uncanny X-Men has been pretty lackluster reading for me. Sure, it's got snappy dialogue and the art is sharp (insert Greg Land copying joke here), but it just doesn't scream "THIS IS UNCANNY FREAKIN' X-MEN" like it should. It just doesn't seem to be as grandiose as the stories from the past were. I think a large part of it has to do with the move to San Fransisco. This move hasn't given the geographic payoff I thought it would since it seems to be fairly unimportant to pretty much every other x-book besides Uncanny, which seems to use it as "Gee, we're in San Fransisco now. Isn't that, like, so totally, like, tubular or what?" The villains plaguing the X-Men here, the aptly named Sisterhood, also leave much to be desired. They predictably have become the View of the Marvel Universe, bickering amongst themselves and occasionally dragging in something quasi-interesting. And guess what? They invaded the new X-Mansion/compound. Haven't read that before, have we? This book is dangerously close to getting dropped, especially since Legacy and X-Force are running circles around it on a month-to-month basis.

X-Men Legacy #'s 223-224
It's sad to see Charles Xavier's romp around the X-Men universe past and present coming to an end. Mike Carey has managed to craft an excellent book out of a seemingly uninteresting topic. He has also managed to take Rogue and Gambit, two characters who were in desperate need of finding relevance, and put them back in the X-books without it seeming lame or forced. These two characters have been so easily made into caricatures by a multitude of past creators that they had become pretty much useless to anyone writing X-Men comics. It just didn't seem like anyone knew how to treat these characters. Mike Carey does a good job of using Danger as well, a recent character that was already becoming a one hit wonder with her "Kill the X-Men" shtick. I hope Professor X stays around for a while now in this book along with the other revitalized characters.

X-Force: Ain't No Dog
Bloody? Check. Violent? Check. Over the top? Check. Great? Double check. I picked this up for a buck on Free Comic Book day, but hadn't gotten around to reading it until this past weekend. The two main stories here involving Wolverine and Warpath were short and sweet, but packed a punch. This special reminded me a lot of Marvel Knight's Double Shot book from a few years ago. The Wolverine story especially reminded me of the Ennis/Quesada Punisher story from the first issue of Double Shot, where Punisher taunts a victim while visiting a dentist. While there were no dental hygienists in sight of this book, the dark atmosphere established was matchless. A book like X-Force seems to fit Marvel's Dark Reign era perfectly. The gore and violence of this issue just makes the anticipation even stronger for when the rest of the X-Men find out what Cyclops has been sanctioning behind their backs while they chill in San Fransisco.

Squadron Supreme #'s 10-11
I am a Howard Chaykin apologist and fan, but I can't help thinking that Chaykin, and to a larger extent Marvel, missed a golden opportunity with this title. J. Michael Straczynski really left this property in the lurch by exiting the book. Chaykin was left to pick up the pieces from that book and the iffy Ultimate Power crossover. He seemed to be the man for the job too... that is until he spent the first six issues of the reboot tooling around with new characters. I'm all for bringing in new characters, but these guys were just dull, dull, dull, and dull. The last few issues have been very exciting, as the old Squadron returns from a five-year hiatus. Hyperions story, which has been percolating since the JMS run, finally came to fruition. It's damn interesting reading, but it's too bad the book has already been canned. Chaykin and Marvel had something here and they blew it! I'm sure issues 12 is already out now, thus closing the book on the Supreme Power universe for the foreseeable future. I hope this isn't goodbye to these characters, but I fear it will be for at least a couple of years.

Booster Gold #'s 15-21
I commented to someone a few weeks ago that if comic books were ice cream flavors that Dan Jurgens would be vanilla. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean this as a personal insult to the guy. Vanilla is good. It's in a lot of flavors. It's a good, solid background flavor that's dependable and has its uses. But man cannot live on vanilla flavored ice cream. Dan has always been a respectable, if not solid comic book creator, but he's never going to be regarded as well as say Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, or even someone like Mark Millar. Compared to these guys, he's just not going to write the legendary comic book people are going to look back on and say, "Gee, that was great. Just brilliant!" Case in point is Dan Jurgens' Booster Gold. The earlier issues from Geoff Johns were entertaining and fun. Jurgens created Booster Gold, so this should bode well for the character in a way. Yet the title lacks something now. The art is fine, the story serviceable, but it's just vanilla. Even making matters worse was issue #20, a standalone issue written by longtime JLI writer Keith Giffen. This one-issue story featuring the old Suicide Squad, Task Force X, beat the previous five issues by a mile. It managed to make the ingredients work. I love the Booster Gold character and can only hope that the book plugs along and gets better without causing too many time travel induced headaches. The Blue Beetle back-up feature in issue #21 was also a treat. I'm not familiar with this new Blue Beetle, but it wasn't bad.

The Brave and the Bold #23
I picked this up on a whim because it featured Blue Beetle. It also featured Magog, the Modern Age hero/villain of the Kingdom Come miniseries. For the record, Magog has to be the dumbest name ever for a comic book character. Even at DC and Marvel's cheesiest moments, no one ever came up with a name a stupid as Magog. The smart ass reader might say "Booster Gold is pretty dumb too." To that I have to say... okay, you may be right. This story features the lunk-headed Magog trying to solve a hostage situation in an Iraq style country. Enter Booster to save the day and shame Magog for not staying on task to save the helpless children hostages. This is was written and drawn by the same team that brings you the regular Booster Gold book, which is why the book's sympathies lie with Booster Gold. But how about making Magog out to be even a halfway decent character? Magog is treated like one big flexed muscle tearing his way through the universe. I'm supposed to care about this idiot enough to shell out money for a monthly comic book? I saw on Newsarama a while back that Magog has a new series coming out soon from DC. I hate to judge a book before it ever sees the light of day, but the Magog book has "cancellation by issue 12" written all over it.

The Unwritten #1
After Y the Last Man ended, Fables was the only Vertigo book that still managed to grab my attention, but they are currently going through a crossover events with the Literates and Jack of Fables, which I still think is the shittiest comic book I have ever read. I also tried Young Losers, which was way too scattered for me to keep up with. When Unwritten was announced, I hoped that it might draw back in since the creative team of Mike Carey and Peter Gross also produced Lucifer, one of the woefully underrated Vertigo titles. Plus, the $1 price point was very attractive. The verdict on The Unwritten? Not bad. Not bad at all. I like the idea of following the adventures of a guy who is famous for being the basis of a fictional boy wizard to be fascinating. I'm not a fan of Harry Potter, but the concept of fame and fiction crashing together is a fertile one. Carey has some big ideas to play with in the coming months and this series has the potential to be great. I'll be around at least for the first story.

The X-Files #6
This series started out very well. I think this is one of those properties that could excel as a comic book, but I'm not sure if this title sold that well. Probably not. The sixth issue wasn't very engaging, primarily due to the plot device of having Mulder "record" his voice for Scully. The only problem with that is the fact that it was very Claremont/Byrne in his description, meaning that a panel would show a dark cave while Mulder was saying, "I'm looking at a dark cave." It's just not effective storytelling for a comic book. I think DC and Wildstorm could have done a better job building this series up and promoting it. Like Squadron Supreme, I hope this isn't the last we will see of the X-Files in comic book form. The concept is just to fertile to let go of in such a faltering way.
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Spring Break Reading, Part 1 - Mighty Marvel Round-Up

by Brandon

Ever get behind on your comic book reading? I'm not just talking a handful of issues gathering dust on your nightstand. This type of "behind" would be largely the size of, oh, maybe a long box and a half. That's the situation I currently have before me. The stresses of work, planning a wedding, and just every day life have plagued my ability to catch up on my reading. Add to the mix some very large runs that I've been able to buy on the cheap lately and you have a massive problem. But have no fear, Spring Break 2009 is finally here! While most of my students are probably off having wild, teenager-style adventures involving fumbling sexual antics and wine coolers in exotic tropical locales, their teacher has voluntarily sat this Spring Break out to catch up on reading comic books. I'm taking one for the team and catching up on a load of reading. Fasten your seat belts! This is going to be a long ride Here are some pellet reviews of the books that have crossed my path thus far during Spring Break 2009.


Dark Tower: Treachery #'s 1-6
When I finished the book series, I was pretty bummed about the lackluster ending. I had my own feelings of trepidation when the comic books were announced. However, I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed these minis thus far. Treachery helps shed some light on a few important events in Roland's youth as a young gunslinger. In this volume, we readers get to see how his mother's infidelities are dealt with in full. I won't spoil the plot, but Peter David and Robin Firth have successfully translated the world of the Dark Tower to comic books. I hope they will continue this series beyond these origin tales. Maybe that will make up for the crappy ending to the book series.

Uncanny X-Men #'s 506-507
Of late, I've heard the X-Men creative intelligentsia frequently say that the X-books don't require teams anymore because... because... um... well... because... We've moved past that point in history. ... Did I get that right, X-creators? Anyway, the focus of the X-Books is pretty much anything goes. That must mean quality too because ever since Manifest Destiny started, Uncanny X-Men has been uncannily boring. The art is pretty. The writing is decent. The total package is just dull, dull, dull, dull. Perhaps having a more cohesive team and roster for the book would help give it some focus. Oh, and get the X-Men out of San Francisco. It just isn't working. Sorry guys.

X-Men Legacy #'s 221-222
On the other hand, the X-men Legacy title has been killer. Two of my favorite X-Men are taking center stage for this arc, Gambit and Rogue. Both characters seem to have found a writer that can actually make them interesting without hamming each character up. Gosh, those accents just beg for it, I know, but Mike Carey makes these characters work so well. It's sad to think the Professor X story is ending since it has been a welcome return of the character's relevance to the pages of the X-books. For the first time in at least two decades, Xavier is an interesting character who isn't just a figurehead or out-and-out bastard. Kudos to Carey and teh rest of the Legacy team for making this one of the best X-books in years!

Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #4
Eh. This was the best thing I've read thus far from the Manifest Destiny titles. That's not a ringing endorsement though. This is a fairly forgettable Wolverine story. There are tons of those out there too. This story just happens to be inoffensive enough to be forgettable.

Ghost Rider #33
On one side of the coin, this issue was awesome just because of the sheer number of Ghost Riders it covers and shows. It sets up a fascinating backdrop for future exploration. On the flip side of the coin, this issue was pretty much a throwaway story that has no real meat to it. I'm glad the new Caretaker has decided to keep the fight going. Good job, Caretaker. But, um, was there any doubt that this would be the case? It's like having Superman handed his ass to him by some bit bad guy. Of course Superman is going to go whip his ass for that. Duh. Do we need to have a whole issue history lesson and pep talk to rev us up for that from a largely uninteresting character?

Squadron Supreme #'s 8-9
The first part of this series started off as a dud, but the last couple of issues have been great. Why? The Squadron is actually here instead of these new losers that Chaykin rolled out in the first arc. So the series has significantly improved with the return of Hyperion et al. Therefore, Marvel has to cancel this series. Oh well. Maybe this universe won't be totally forgotten, but I have a small voice inside that tells me it's done.

Daredevil #'s 116-117
This is an example of the "been there, done that" school of comic books, but it's so damn well written you almost want to forgive Brubaker & Co. for bringing back Kingpin. Almost. The first part to "Return of the King" actually works really well, but the second part feels like a retread of Kingpin/Daredevil truces of the past. At first, I was a bit sad that this creative team was moving on, but now I think maybe it's time. Note to future Daredevil writers; when you start wanting to bring back Kingpin, it's time to move on. Maybe there's an X-book you could write?

The Invincible Iron Man #'s 11-12
I have to admit that Invincible Iron Man is the first monthly Iron Man title I have ever read, but I'm really enjoying the hell out of it. Tony Stark is on the run and doing a nice tour of the Marvel Universe to boot. I didn't read Secret Invasion and am trying to avoid any Dark Reign stuff outside of the titles I usually read, but fans get a large dose of "Osborn won, get over it" here in this title. The art is absolutely gorgeous. It's hard to believe that this is the Salvador Larroca that drew some other, fairly ho-hum titles in the past.

Punisher #3
Already three issues into the new title and Remender is already doing a better job at it than Fraction did with War Journal. I already wrote about this a bit in my last Panelology article, but this is a quality title. However, I think Remender and other Marvel creators are wrong when they say Punisher doesn't have to be taking out these big fish he's gunning after. Um, that's what the Punisher does. He kills bad guys. End of discussion. If he's not doing that, then what's the point? That's why many people are attracted to the character. If you want an antihero that shows mercy, read Batman., If you want people killed like chumps, read Punisher. Next.

Ultimatum #3
Here's a little math to start off this review; Gory + shocking ≠ a good comic book. This series is almost a mockery of the Ultimate concept. Here's Marvels thinking; let's bastardize the core concept that this isn't the Marvel Universe by just killing off all this characters. It will be frickin' great! And shocking too! The only problem here is that it isn't good and it's tying the hands of future Ultimate stories. Oops, that characters dead. Screw it. Marvel is killing more than their Ultimate stable of characters. They are killing my interest. If enough fans are like me, that could be the most damaging death in this whole Ultimatum mess.


Ultimate Spider-Man #131
Despite the whole Ultimatum fiasco being just ridiculous, Ultimate Spider-Man still manages to make lemonade out of lemons. This isn't a great story by comparison to others that have appeared in this title, but it's still entertaining. The Hulk scenes were fun. But why didn't they kill Aunt May? Marvel's killing everyone else. Her ass has got to go in some Universe. Why not here?

Ultimate Fantastic Four #60 & Ultimate X-Men #100
I'm lumping these two titles together because Ultimatum has become a mercy killing for both of these titles. It seems that ever since Marvel decided to go with this Ultimatum mess, the creators of both of these titles have been farting around just waiting for the axe to fall. And it shows. The quality of both of these titles is poor, and that's being kind. Maybe they will come back in some form, but let's hope they can find some A-list creators to write solid stories, not just stories that will occupy space on the comic shelf monthly.

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3
Late? Yes. Worth the wait? Probably not. Decent? Yeah, I guess. While an entertaining read, I breezed through this issue like the Flash on cocaine. This is what we waited so long for? Lindelof had problems writing this? Really? Entertaining, but hardly worth the wait.

That's it for now. Check back tomorrow for the Dark Horse and Wildstorm reviews!
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