Stuff I Read This Week 4/30/14

Avengers #28: Avengers came off of having a really good run during and after Infinity. Jonathan Hickman's penchant for world building gave rise to some goddamn good superheroing in the past year. The latest story from the past few issues involving alternate universe Avengers coming into the 616 dimension has had some potential, but has also some weird pacing, making for a strange read. 

Fortunately, business starts to pick up again in this issue that mainly centers on Bruce Banner in an awkward sitdown with Tony Stark. This leads to some hard truths about the manner of the Avengers' new format as well as some of the threats the Illuminati has kept at bay from the shadows in Hickman's New Avengers series (which, by the way, has gotten so slow, I'm not sure it's actually moving anymore). This is awesome because a). it gets back to displaying the world building elements that Hickman does so well and b). because we get to see more of the cunning Bruce Banner that fans have really wanted to see over the years from Hulk lore. It's nice to see that his place in the Marvel Cineverse has inspired a more fleshed out presence from Green Goliath's more enlightened side. Salvador Larroca's pencils are as strong as they've ever been. He gives off a very clean, almost cinematic storyboard style that pulls off some truly engaging scenes. The look of Banner keeping his anger in check, holding back "the other guy" is compelling and ominous.

Bottom Line: Delightful art, coherent, nicely paced tie in to New Avengers....it's nice to see Hickman getting back on track. 8.5 out of 10

Silver Surfer #2: Dan Slott and Michael Allred got the new Silver Surfer off to a strong start. Slott borrows a lot from Doctor Who, but as any Whovian can tell you, there are certainly worse places to draw inspiration from. After all, while comics have the capacity to act as gospel and lead in parts of pop culture, they also have a history of, to their benefit, being very derivative as well. 

This issue picks up with the Surfer flying off under duress to combat the mysterious Never Queen that threatens the people of the Impericon. We gain some insight into exactly what makes our hero's foe such a threatening one. Meanwhile, Slott also gives us ample time with his accidental partner, Dawn Greenwood, displaying what makes her such an appropriate companion (see what I did there, Whovians?) for the Surfer. In many ways, she's reminiscent of Clara, the Doctor's latest traveling buddy. It's great to see a female character take herself out of the damsel in distress box for a change (looking at you, Laurel Lance from Arrow) and take charge of a situation. There's a page in particular where Slott teases readers with a few possibilities of things to come for this unconventional team-up of sorts. There is simply NOTHING complain about art-wise in this book. Some fans have complained about the more visually lighthearted it takes, but honestly, Marvel could use a little more of that. Dawn is portrayed in a way that's stylish but isn't oversexualized and the Surfer has very dynamic poses that jumps right out at you. 

Bottom Line: Another great installment that makes future adventures out to be very promising. Thus far, this is one of the best relaunches of the Marvel NOW initiative. 9.5 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week 3/26

Silver Surfer #1: Whereas the Fantastic Four have always, for the most part, focused more on the scientific exploration aspect of Marvel superheroics, the Silver Surfer has commonly branched off into a more philosophical aspect of space discovery. Rather than seeking out conventional bad guys, Norrin Radd has always seen fit to explore the endless spaceways, pondering his metallic navel to solve the mysteries of the universe. The only trouble with that sort of formula is that eventually, it gets to be sort of somber. Fortunately Dan Slott and THE Michael Allred come together this week to add a new dimension to the Surfer mythology that slightly diverts from the norm.

Slott takes the Silver Surfer in a lighthearted, more whimsical direction reminiscent of Doctor Who. Here we see a good natured cosmic journeyman wading on his board throughout the uncharted shores of space, atoning for his time serving under planet eating Galactus. Slott clearly has a good, seemingly effortless time ushering the Surfer through miniature worlds and planets with neverending cityscapes that look like those mazes on the back of Highlights magazines. The former herald's intention always comes across clear without feeling like a downer. Despite his perpetual quest for redemption and guilt always lurking in the corner, the primary focus is always the bottomless well of inquisitiveness and joy for the universe's eclectic lifeforms that drove him away from his previous profession. The Doctor Who similarities continue with the introduction of small town dreamer Dawn Greenwood, who is somehow connected to our hero's journey. Allred is the perfect talent for Slott's vision that comes across less like Star Trek and more like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Going to from panel to panel feels like an laid back theme park ride, displaying one oddity after another.

Bottom Line: Dan Slott takes the Silver Surfer from brooding space hero to fun loving space wanderer with the same ease it takes Bruce Jenner to change faces. 9 out of 10.

All New Ghost Rider #1: Now, if ever there were a hero that needed a fresh start, it's Ghost Rider. Marvel has been desperate over the years to a). slap a new coat of paint on him that readers will actually go for and b). wash away the stink of the Nicolas Cage wasteland of suck that was the Ghost Rider films (when Idris Elba can't save your movies, it's time to reevaluate goals). They seem to keep rebooting this guy, but despite quality, nothing seems to stick. Now, it's a little early with this particular series for me to determine whether or not this one's going to go anywhere, but at least it's off to a good start.

In this issue, we meet our new protagonist Robbie Reyes, a hotheaded (see what I did there), working poor grease monkey who struggles to take care of his disabled little brother in a bad neighborhood. Apparently, he also moonlights as a street racer which leads to this new incarnation of the Rider rolling in what looks like Vin Diesel's trademark car from Fast and Furious. This origin offers up some semi-formulaic hero elements, but Felipe Smith manages to not hit us over the head with the usual exposition that would normally remind us that we've seen some of this before. Smith takes a very "show, don't tell" approach that is more than welcome here thanks to Tradd Moore's visuals. Here we see a striking anime style that wastes no time in coming across as refreshingly kinetic. Even when there's no action beats in place, every panel conveys a sense of motion and speed which feels appropriate for a book about a street racing Ghost Rider. The figures all have very clear, deliberate expressions that deliver intention, at times, without needing a word of dialogue. The highlight of this book, visually, was the Akira-esque drag race in the third act that left me reading it over again for details I might have missed.

Bottom Line: This book is definitely indicative of Marvel's drive towards new blood offering fresh takes on problematic titles. 8 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 29 or It Was Inevitable That Sheldon Cooper Would Become A Comic Character....

Superior Spider Man #19: Despite my numerous declarations that Superior Spider-Man sucks, I have to hand it to Dan Slott. The past few issues have been particularly awesome. The best thing Slott could do with this book is take a break from focusing on Doctor Spiderpus' champion level douchebaggery and do something heroic. The second best thing he could have done was resurrect Michael O'Mara, the 2099 Spider-Man for a good old showdown.

Having said that, it wasn't much of a showdown. In fact, you would think these two would have had much more to talk about even if it was in the middle of all time and space becoming unraveled (or whatever the actual conflict was in this story). Also, being from the future, why doesn't Future Spider-Man know that Peter Parker isn't really Peter Parker if all of this has already happened? In fact, the whole resolution to this time crisis seemed a bit anti-climatic, essentially giving Doctor Octopus another stage where he can call everyone inferior. The spiel has gone from Spider-Man being a weird mix of Batman and Sheldon Cooper to just outright being Doctor Doom in a different outfit. There are a couple of scenes where Spider-Man declares his unrivaled intellect and it just leaves you groaning "Oh, for fuck's sake, man." The great thing about Spider-Man has always been that he's semi-relatable and, despite him being a flawed character, you could see yourself having a beer with the guy. If you knew someone like Doctor Spiderpus in real life, you'd have pushed him down a flight of stairs or eaten the lo mein he kept in the fridge at work. I understand that Tony Stark and Spider Jerusalem prove there's a market for charming, douchebag do-gooders, but I don't see the point in reading about an unlovable hero whose day-saving seems completely incidental compared to him "bwahaha"ing all over the place.

Ryan Stegman's artwork is definitely something to marvel at (no pun intended). Although his rendering of "chronotons" screwing up time and space (I guess that's what was happening) make some of the panels feel a bit claustrophobic unnecessarily, he has a style that's just perfect for the 2099 environment. It actually makes you feel like maybe there could be an opportunity here to resurrect the old Spider-Man 2099. This story arc has been impressive and it could ended that way if Slott hadn't seen fit to cop out and once again leave the moral of the story being "Because I'm Spider-Man, bitch."

Bottom Line: I honestly thought there were enough unlovable jackasses on The Walking Dead that we didn't need to read about one in a Spider-Man comic. Sadly, I was mistaken. 7 out of 10.

Avengers #21: It's a fortunate thing that the Infinity event is coming closer to its end because there's only so many ways I can say "Goddamn, this is good shit!" Jonathan Hickman very clearly has a great appreciation for the sandbox of a universe he's been given to play in and it radiates off of every page whether it's a victory for the villains or a loss for the heroes.

This issue mainly deals with the aftermath of Thor's bold stand against the Builders and the liberation of Hala, the Kree homeworld. There are definitely things to like about how Hickman has handled this. For one thing, despite the fact that it's usually enjoyable to see the reverence alien civilizations show towards Captain America, I found it a nice change a page to focus on a character whose general opinion was "You know, that was kind of a dick move." Another great thing about this issue is the return of Captain Universe to the battlefield in a semi spectacular fashion. Some people don't like that there wasn't much of the actual Avengers in this issue, but I actually appreciate that. A theme that Infinity highlights well is that Earth and, by extension, the Avengers are not the center of the universe and when they are, it's usually not in a good way (this means you, Kanye West). There are characters in the galactic Marvel U who believe that Earth is the Wild West of space and will eventually lead to the whole of creation being wiped out probably by accident and that deserves some exploration, too. Also, there are too many non-Avengers that play a role in this story to not highlight them.

To the surprise of absolutely NOBODY, Lenil Francis Yu's artwork hits all the right marks here. The real treat here was the scene in which (minor spoiler...sorry) the Alliance lets loose the Annihilation Wave... goddamned Annihilation Wave upon an almost victorious Builder fleet.  You have to appreciate Yu's penchant for crafting a good "holy shit" moment.

Bottom Line: If you want an Avenger focused book, it might feel out of place, but this is still really good sci-fi storytelling. 8 out of 10.

Things I Read This Week (or Sometimes I Think Marvel Lost the Instruction Manual to Marvel)....

BE ADVISED: SPOILERS....KINDA

Avengers #4:

"Here, Hyperion. Drink. It's like vodka, but for men."~Thor

You know, I confess I was (still am) worried about the plot for this book feeling rushed because it's biweekly release, but Jonathan Hickman seems to be handling it just fine thus far. His penchant for high-minded sci-fi concepts seems to blend well with this franchise, reminiscent of Grant Morrison's handling of All Star Superman. Adam Kubert's pencils seem to barely tow the line for Kubert standards which some may not be able to engage with right away. This title seems to employ a Justice League Unlimited model, highlighting different combinations of a set pool of team members each issue.

This week seems to shine a spotlight on Hyperion from Squadron Supreme fame which leads me to my only real problem. A while back, Marvel introduced the Sentry into larger continuity, exploring the question "What if Superman were a Marvel character?" The result was....questionable at best. In fact, it felt like the writers were so frustrated with the lack of a real plan for the character, they rushed him to a early (or all too appropriate) grave, never speaking of him again. Perhaps, this was a planned statement on what would probably happen to a Superman in the Marvel universe, but I doubt it. My hope is that Hyperion is not another attempt to introduce a similar variable into the Avengers ant farm. Quite simply, Marvel already has a Superman....and it's Captain America.

Bottom Line: Thus far, this title has been Orson Scott Card meets Stan Lee in it's approach and Hickman sees no reason to deviate from that plan. Kubert's pencils leave a little something to be desired, though. 7.5 out of 10.


Superior Spider Man #2: I should mention right off the bat that after reading Amazing Spider Man #700, I am immensely skeptical about this direction and how the story would return to status quo (because let's face it...that's the only place "events" like this go). However, I made a bet with a friend that I would give Dan Slott four issues to turn this exercise in convolution into something readable. After which, I'd wash my hands of the whole thing.

Having said that, this issue of Superior Spider Man is fucking awful. This issue runs with the revelation from #1 that Peter Parker's ghost is following our new Spider Man, Otto Octavius, to make sure he doesn't completely ruin his reputation. Since it's become apparent that a character like Doctor Octopus doesn't have the personality to keep SM fans interested for thirty pages, Peter's has become a surrogate for decent dialogue, bemoaning Otto's decisions in his attempt to life the life of his former nemesis. To sum all that up, Peter Parker has become a secondary character in a Spider Man book, further proving that Slott, though handling a terrible paradigm shift in the Spiderverse as best he can, doesn't really understand the character he's writing.

Peter Parker is a great man hiding in the caricature of a "good guy." He could be anything he wants. He could be as much a scientific boon to the world as Tony Stark. He could be mayor of New York if he applied himself. But he can never truly be any of these things because he has to be Spider Man. He has to play the "good hearted yet irresponsible fool." In some ways, Peter Parker is the most noble character in the enter Marvel universe. In short, there's nothing redeeming or noble about giving your enemy a second chance in your last moments on Earth if you're just going walk around haunting him, whining about him hitting on your girlfriend.

Bottom Line: Dan Slott's doing the best he can with a terrible situation, but he needs to do better. 7 out of 10