written by Jason Aaron
drawn by David Marquez, Ed McGuinness, Frazer Irving, Adam Kubert and Andrea Sorrentino
colored by Justin Ponsor, Erick Arciniega, Frazer Irving, Matthew Wilson, Giada Marchisio
With few exceptions, I usually enjoy anniversary issues. They may cost extra, but usually the additional content is worth the premium. Sometimes I'm not at all happy with them thanks to lots of filler, but other times, Marvel really hits it out of the park as they did a few months back with The Amazing Spider-Man #800. This issue, Avengers #700, is not quite in that league, but it is a genuinely satisfying read just the same.
Following Namor's declaration of war on the surface world and his skirmish with his former teammates in issue #9, he continues his warpath on surface dwellers occupying the ocean when he and his team of mostly ex-supervillains attacks Hydropolis, a community of scientists living in an artificial underwater community. The Avengers, again, come to the rescue, but this time, another team alerted to Namor's attacks has come to take him down as well: the team of former Soviet operatives known as the Winter Guard, who were sent by Russia after Namor's crew attacked a Russian submarine in the Black Sea. The whole gang is there: Red Guardian, Crimson Dynamo, Ursa Major, Perun, Darkstar, Chernobog, Vostok and a mysterious new product of the Red Room, Red Widow. Will this strange team-up of sorts work against the threat of Namor and his crew, or will things turn out even worse for the Avengers? Meanwhile, Thunderbolt Ross, now wary of the Avengers since they've decided to station themselves outside of the United States and put Black Panther, the sovereign ruler of Wakanda, in charge of the team, takes decisive action to fill in the void they've left.
This is a pretty impressively-sized issue, with about forty-eight pages of story, but for me this would have gone for naught if the main story was not its strongest. Fortunately, Jason Aaron, David Marquez and Ed McGuinness really deliver the goods here, especially McGuinness, who delivers the strongest single issue he's worked on since he came onto this book. It helps that his colorist is Justin Ponsor, whose palette is a lot more pleasing to the eye than the previous colorist David Curiel. This was real steak-and-potatoes storytelling, with crackling dialogue, gorgeous art, some hard-hitting, if sometimes predictable story beats, and a conclusion that has me hankering for me.
The three shorter stories that follow, only two of which are really substantial, are not quite as entertaining as the main tale, but they don't need to be, and they tie in nicely to the ongoing narrative. The short story featuring Ghost Rider and Odin is entertaining and beautifully illustrated by Frazer Irving, while the story that looks up Loki for the first time since the defeat of the Dark Sentinels several issues back is fun if only for showing us what happened to him, even as it teases an all-new story to be told another time, and possibly in another book. And then, there's the two page tease for an all-new member of the Avengers.
Yes, this issue's been out for a couple of weeks now and really doesn't need the hype, but I've been wanting to share much I enjoyed it ever since I read it and so here I go.
8.5/10
Friday, November 30, 2018
Saturday, November 24, 2018
The Enemy is Revealed...but not Quite the Plot: A (Late) Review of Captain America #5
written by Ta Nehisi Coates
penciled by Leinil Yu
inked by Gerry Alanguilan
colored by Sunny Gho
After the solicitations and the cover for this issue promised a climactic showdown between Captain America and Selene, this issue sort of delivers on the promise as Cap predictably defeats Taskmaster and comes face-to-face with Selene, who is about to consume Sharon Carter. Fireworks ensue.
I'll be honest; I was expecting a bit more from the promised Cap/Selene showdown, judging from the grim cover and the fact that it's the penultimate issue of the story, so I've got to be honest, as semi-climaxes go, this one kind of failed to live up to the hype. Heck, even Cap's fight with Taskmaster lasted longer than this did, and Taskmaster never even made the cover.
Another thing that disappoints is that, rather than set-up a satisfying conclusion to what's been a fairly engaging arc, it seems, based on the future solicitations at least, that Coates is setting up one of those finales that really messes up the status quo for the hero and lays out a whole new arc (or several) in which he strives to claw his way back to some semblance of normalcy, sort of how Bendis outed Daredevil waaay back in 2001 and spent the next three years having Matt deal with the fallout. Coates' goes easy on his political subtext, limiting his Russia-is-running-America comments to just a few lines of dialogue, and makes it a point to make a bigger splash with his old-school villain reveal at the end of the issue. It's not a bad issue, and certainly doesn't descend into the meandering exposition that Coates' early Black Panther run did, but after two much stronger issues it definitely disappoints.
One thing about the issue that does not disappoint, however, is the art, as Yu, Alanguilan and Gho hit it out of the park yet again, making me wonder what they could have done with a more drawn-out battle between Cap and a powerhouse like Selene. Unfortunately, from future Marvel solicitations it doesn't look like they'll be sticking around for much longer, either, which is a real shame. Anyway, I'm glad to have had them for as long as I have.
7/10
penciled by Leinil Yu
inked by Gerry Alanguilan
colored by Sunny Gho
After the solicitations and the cover for this issue promised a climactic showdown between Captain America and Selene, this issue sort of delivers on the promise as Cap predictably defeats Taskmaster and comes face-to-face with Selene, who is about to consume Sharon Carter. Fireworks ensue.
I'll be honest; I was expecting a bit more from the promised Cap/Selene showdown, judging from the grim cover and the fact that it's the penultimate issue of the story, so I've got to be honest, as semi-climaxes go, this one kind of failed to live up to the hype. Heck, even Cap's fight with Taskmaster lasted longer than this did, and Taskmaster never even made the cover.
Another thing that disappoints is that, rather than set-up a satisfying conclusion to what's been a fairly engaging arc, it seems, based on the future solicitations at least, that Coates is setting up one of those finales that really messes up the status quo for the hero and lays out a whole new arc (or several) in which he strives to claw his way back to some semblance of normalcy, sort of how Bendis outed Daredevil waaay back in 2001 and spent the next three years having Matt deal with the fallout. Coates' goes easy on his political subtext, limiting his Russia-is-running-America comments to just a few lines of dialogue, and makes it a point to make a bigger splash with his old-school villain reveal at the end of the issue. It's not a bad issue, and certainly doesn't descend into the meandering exposition that Coates' early Black Panther run did, but after two much stronger issues it definitely disappoints.
One thing about the issue that does not disappoint, however, is the art, as Yu, Alanguilan and Gho hit it out of the park yet again, making me wonder what they could have done with a more drawn-out battle between Cap and a powerhouse like Selene. Unfortunately, from future Marvel solicitations it doesn't look like they'll be sticking around for much longer, either, which is a real shame. Anyway, I'm glad to have had them for as long as I have.
7/10
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Capsule Review: Daredevil #611
written by Charles Soule
illustrated by Phil Noto
After Matt Murdock's plan to find out the truth behind Wilson Fisk's election as Mayor by kidnapping James Wesley, Fisk's right hand man, goes horribly wrong, thing proceed to get absolutely batshit crazy for the man without fear as he finds himself confronting a whole slew of assassins, ranging from upgraded versions of previously laughable villains like Stilt-Man to more serious threats like Typhoid Mary, Electro, Ikari, and the deadliest of them all, Bullseye. Having just been hit by a truck a few issues back hasn't done Matt any favors, either, but fortunately, he's about to get a helping hand from whom he least expects it.
It's fairly obvious that Marvel isn't going to kill Matt Murdock, with any lasting effect, and quite possibly not even in the literal sense, but the thing about a lot of these "death of..." stories these days is that it's interesting to see how it plays out, and so it is with this story. It was fun seeing Matt take on so many of his nemeses at the same time, even though it was played a bit for laughs, and played out a bit too quickly. As epic last stands go, the Matt-versus-his-rogues-gallery would have made a pretty splashy battle but clearly Soule has something else in mind as Matt gets past this particular obstacle with relative ease.
Interestingly, though, Wilson Fisk has been quiet for the last several issues; Matt assumes, probably correctly, that it was Fisk who sicced on him all the villains dogpiling him, but what if it wasn't?
In any event, Soule and his new regular artist Phil Noto throw a last-minute curveball as they end the penultimate chapter of Soule's run, and however this saga may eventually end, I feel somewhat assured that things are only going to get more interesting from here.
8/10
illustrated by Phil Noto
After Matt Murdock's plan to find out the truth behind Wilson Fisk's election as Mayor by kidnapping James Wesley, Fisk's right hand man, goes horribly wrong, thing proceed to get absolutely batshit crazy for the man without fear as he finds himself confronting a whole slew of assassins, ranging from upgraded versions of previously laughable villains like Stilt-Man to more serious threats like Typhoid Mary, Electro, Ikari, and the deadliest of them all, Bullseye. Having just been hit by a truck a few issues back hasn't done Matt any favors, either, but fortunately, he's about to get a helping hand from whom he least expects it.
It's fairly obvious that Marvel isn't going to kill Matt Murdock, with any lasting effect, and quite possibly not even in the literal sense, but the thing about a lot of these "death of..." stories these days is that it's interesting to see how it plays out, and so it is with this story. It was fun seeing Matt take on so many of his nemeses at the same time, even though it was played a bit for laughs, and played out a bit too quickly. As epic last stands go, the Matt-versus-his-rogues-gallery would have made a pretty splashy battle but clearly Soule has something else in mind as Matt gets past this particular obstacle with relative ease.
Interestingly, though, Wilson Fisk has been quiet for the last several issues; Matt assumes, probably correctly, that it was Fisk who sicced on him all the villains dogpiling him, but what if it wasn't?
In any event, Soule and his new regular artist Phil Noto throw a last-minute curveball as they end the penultimate chapter of Soule's run, and however this saga may eventually end, I feel somewhat assured that things are only going to get more interesting from here.
8/10
Monday, November 19, 2018
(Late Review) Killing Daredevil: A Capsule Review of Daredevil #609-610
written by Charles Soule
illustrated by Phil Noto
After Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil and his cadre of allies consisting of Inhumans Frank McGee and Reader (and his dog Forey), and former New Mutant Cypher encounter a bit of a curve ball in the form of Mike Murdock, Matt's fictional twin brother whom Reader's unique powers have magically brought to life, they get back to the business of trying to take down Wilson Fisk, the elected Mayor of New York City who, Matt learned sometime recently, has cheated his way into office. Matt determines that they can't approach their crusade like a simple investigation, but rather like an actual war, which means a radical shift in tactics. Matt's first big salvo is as radical an idea as they get: he proposes to kidnap Fisk's right-hand man, James Wesley and recruits no less than his former flame and fierce foe, Elektra Natchios, to do it. Things almost look like they're going to work out until a mysterious new hitman, one going by the name of Vigil, wielding bone knives and dressed up like a modern-day crusader, shows up.
As Charles Soule's last big hurrah on this title, the Death of Matt Murdock is off to a pretty intriguing start, with Matt just barely escaping with his life after having been hit by a truck in a non-Daredevil-related incident in which he saved someone's life, an odd bit of deja vu considering that was how he started life as Daredevil that way. It's his realization of how little time he has left on this earth that prompts him to put everything on the line in his war against Fisk, and judging by the title of the story he may end up making one wager too many.
If I'm honest, while Soule's pacing is decent I can't escape the feeling that this story could have been just as effectively told in one issue, even though two works, especially for the inevitable collected editon. I am genuinely intrigued by this new character, who continues Soule's apparent fascination with Catholic-themed characters in DD's corner of the Marvel Universe.
Phil Noto, who's been a regular artist on the book for several issues now, is still far cry from my favorite DD artist, but his work has grown on me a bit, and I find his consistency remarkable. I'll review the next DD issue immediately after this, and I have to say, I'm intrigued to see where this goes.
8/10
illustrated by Phil Noto
After Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil and his cadre of allies consisting of Inhumans Frank McGee and Reader (and his dog Forey), and former New Mutant Cypher encounter a bit of a curve ball in the form of Mike Murdock, Matt's fictional twin brother whom Reader's unique powers have magically brought to life, they get back to the business of trying to take down Wilson Fisk, the elected Mayor of New York City who, Matt learned sometime recently, has cheated his way into office. Matt determines that they can't approach their crusade like a simple investigation, but rather like an actual war, which means a radical shift in tactics. Matt's first big salvo is as radical an idea as they get: he proposes to kidnap Fisk's right-hand man, James Wesley and recruits no less than his former flame and fierce foe, Elektra Natchios, to do it. Things almost look like they're going to work out until a mysterious new hitman, one going by the name of Vigil, wielding bone knives and dressed up like a modern-day crusader, shows up.
As Charles Soule's last big hurrah on this title, the Death of Matt Murdock is off to a pretty intriguing start, with Matt just barely escaping with his life after having been hit by a truck in a non-Daredevil-related incident in which he saved someone's life, an odd bit of deja vu considering that was how he started life as Daredevil that way. It's his realization of how little time he has left on this earth that prompts him to put everything on the line in his war against Fisk, and judging by the title of the story he may end up making one wager too many.
If I'm honest, while Soule's pacing is decent I can't escape the feeling that this story could have been just as effectively told in one issue, even though two works, especially for the inevitable collected editon. I am genuinely intrigued by this new character, who continues Soule's apparent fascination with Catholic-themed characters in DD's corner of the Marvel Universe.
Phil Noto, who's been a regular artist on the book for several issues now, is still far cry from my favorite DD artist, but his work has grown on me a bit, and I find his consistency remarkable. I'll review the next DD issue immediately after this, and I have to say, I'm intrigued to see where this goes.
8/10
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Thank You, Stan
It's hard to write about someone as beloved as Stan Lee was, especially over a week after his dead without restating something thousands, if not millions of other people have already said.
But given how much time I have spent consuming and enjoying comic books either featuring characters he created, or written by Stan himself, it would feel wrong to not even acknowledge the passing of someone who was not only a certified industry titan, but someone who had a profound impact on my life as well.
I'll spare anyone reading this the details of the impact Stan had on my life, because I really don't want to make this about me, but I do want to share a lot of the things that I observed about Stan that really enabled me to connect to him somehow.
Prior to Stan, superheroes could only be square-jawed, adult white guys, while gangly, awkward kids could only be sidekicks, and black people could only be peripheral characters, if they were there at call. Everyone knows how Stan changed the game by introducing the world to characters like Spider-Man, the X-men, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the Black Panther to name a few, but what not everyone talks about is how, by making so many, if not most of his heroes outsiders of one kind or another, he connected with millions of outsiders all over the world. That's what I connected to, and that's what I'll always remember him for.
Excelsior!
But given how much time I have spent consuming and enjoying comic books either featuring characters he created, or written by Stan himself, it would feel wrong to not even acknowledge the passing of someone who was not only a certified industry titan, but someone who had a profound impact on my life as well.
I'll spare anyone reading this the details of the impact Stan had on my life, because I really don't want to make this about me, but I do want to share a lot of the things that I observed about Stan that really enabled me to connect to him somehow.
Prior to Stan, superheroes could only be square-jawed, adult white guys, while gangly, awkward kids could only be sidekicks, and black people could only be peripheral characters, if they were there at call. Everyone knows how Stan changed the game by introducing the world to characters like Spider-Man, the X-men, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the Black Panther to name a few, but what not everyone talks about is how, by making so many, if not most of his heroes outsiders of one kind or another, he connected with millions of outsiders all over the world. That's what I connected to, and that's what I'll always remember him for.
Excelsior!
Thursday, November 15, 2018
(Late Review) The "Heist" Begins: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #8
written by Nick Spencer
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
After an entertaining, off-beat story revisiting one of his Superior Foes of Spider-Man protagonists, Nick Spencer begins a new, more "traditional" Spidey story in which a new menace, the Thieves' Guild, emerges, and plans the Mother of All Heists. Throughout the issue, this heist apparently starts taking place as superheroes all over the place start losing their gear: Captain America loses his shield, Iron Man loses his armor, and Spider-Man loses his webshooters, all of which literally vanish into thin air. How this is even possible is something that will soon be revealed. Also, Peter's mysterious antagonist gets even closer.
I confess I was a little disappointed that Spencer didn't continue the little subplot involving friction between Boomerang and the Kingpin that he'd started in the last two issues; I thought that was the prequel to something bigger, though I imagine he'll revisit it later. I don't quite know how I feel about this storyline yet, as everything's shrouded in mystery and we're basically only given the barest or vaguest of details as to what's to come. It's somewhat unlike Spencer's last two story arcs, in which each issue was pretty generous with that individual issue's story apart from contributing to a bigger story arc. I get the need for mystery here, though I don't much care for it. Still, it's a pretty good setup, and my interest has been piqued.
Another thing I didn't much care for was Humberto Ramos' art. The cover wasn't actually that bad (and consistent with what happened inside the comic book...what a concept!) but the interior art was a step down, even taking into account Ramos' highly-stylized figures, from the last couple of issues. I've made no secret how I feel about Ramos' artwork, but I do acknowledge he can tell a decent story when he's up to it, as the last couple of issues showed. This issue feels a little phoned-in by comparison.
It's a shame to have read a relatively weak issue of this title just days from the death of Spidey's co-creator, the inimitable Stan "the Man" Lee, but given that Spencer's done pretty well on this book so far, it's easy to forgive him this little misstep for now. Lee's death should bring into sharper focus the legacy Spencer is carrying on with this book, so I hope he goes back to the standard of quality that's made his run worth following so far.
7/10
penciled by Humberto Ramos
inked by Victor Olazaba
colored by Edgar Delgado
After an entertaining, off-beat story revisiting one of his Superior Foes of Spider-Man protagonists, Nick Spencer begins a new, more "traditional" Spidey story in which a new menace, the Thieves' Guild, emerges, and plans the Mother of All Heists. Throughout the issue, this heist apparently starts taking place as superheroes all over the place start losing their gear: Captain America loses his shield, Iron Man loses his armor, and Spider-Man loses his webshooters, all of which literally vanish into thin air. How this is even possible is something that will soon be revealed. Also, Peter's mysterious antagonist gets even closer.
I confess I was a little disappointed that Spencer didn't continue the little subplot involving friction between Boomerang and the Kingpin that he'd started in the last two issues; I thought that was the prequel to something bigger, though I imagine he'll revisit it later. I don't quite know how I feel about this storyline yet, as everything's shrouded in mystery and we're basically only given the barest or vaguest of details as to what's to come. It's somewhat unlike Spencer's last two story arcs, in which each issue was pretty generous with that individual issue's story apart from contributing to a bigger story arc. I get the need for mystery here, though I don't much care for it. Still, it's a pretty good setup, and my interest has been piqued.
Another thing I didn't much care for was Humberto Ramos' art. The cover wasn't actually that bad (and consistent with what happened inside the comic book...what a concept!) but the interior art was a step down, even taking into account Ramos' highly-stylized figures, from the last couple of issues. I've made no secret how I feel about Ramos' artwork, but I do acknowledge he can tell a decent story when he's up to it, as the last couple of issues showed. This issue feels a little phoned-in by comparison.
It's a shame to have read a relatively weak issue of this title just days from the death of Spidey's co-creator, the inimitable Stan "the Man" Lee, but given that Spencer's done pretty well on this book so far, it's easy to forgive him this little misstep for now. Lee's death should bring into sharper focus the legacy Spencer is carrying on with this book, so I hope he goes back to the standard of quality that's made his run worth following so far.
7/10
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