Reviewing the Year in Marvel Comics-2024

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It has been a minute since I wrote about just comics which used to be a weekly ritual for me, in fact, this very article I started back in 2023, but am now forcing myself to finish it. as Marvel Comics have been pretty underwhelming as a general. DC when I have given them the chance has been worse, they seem to be falling for some of the same traps as Marvel in devaluing the legacy of their characters Marvel got the hint to some degree and is trying to salvage its comics line and make people care about them since the movies and shows have started to tank. They are learning people do not want Disney politics mixed in with their escapism. This is bleeding into the comics as stories are starting to head back into a more classic direction. 

. The further we get from the Avengers the more it's going to fade in the rearview mirror of our collective attention span. The comics came first and that is the legacy of these characters more so than any whoring of their likeness to Hollywood so let's take a look and see how Marvel is doing in reclaiming this to steer the ship back in a better direction. So how was  2024? I will take 10  branches of the Marvel Tree that matter the most and give the run 

Spider-Man...

It does not matter who has the hit at the box office, he is their flagship legacy. Peter Parker, is doing pretty well in the Amazing Spider-Man series, it keeps breaking down into something more street-wise at present. They need to break it down to just Peter, Miles, and Jessica Drew, as the only spider people for sure.  Doctor Octopus was back in the mix, along with  Norman Osborne who returned as a crazy big bad. Parker dated   Black Cat again. It worked best when there was little to no crossover from other corners of the Spider-Verse for now at least. They tried killing off  Ms Marvel in his book, was un-needed would have made more sense in Avengers, that way there would have been someone for them to Avenge, but aside from that Amazing Spider-Man is worth reading these days. It has Parker back in a more grounded place.  Sure there is the "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man cartoon, that did some ridiculous race swapping, which seems to be shooting for a younger audience. Who cares about it really, it's something I will forget about after I press publish on this article. 

Fantastic Four

Another one of the Golden Age staple books, that in the past found itself a little convoluted with too many cooks in the kitchen and way more than the core Four. Some of the babysitting hanging on is gone and at present, they are focused on Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny, which is as it should be. Though the writing it not the greatest a they have a penchant for dedicating issues to a single member rather than focusing on them as a family unit which is their strength They will be getting more of a push this year with the movie gaining hype. 

The X-Men

There are too many books, so the storylines get muddled making it a continuity nightmare.  I feel like I am always struggling to keep up, the last Uncanny arch was pretty good, and we have most of the essential characters on state. Then an increasing number get solo series which if we are going to be honest  Wolverine is the only one who warrants their own series, unless we are counting Deadpool as an X-man, less convoluted than it has been. 

Avengers 

As far as team books go the current run the roster is all classic characters like Scarlet Witch, Thor, Iron-man etc with the only twist on the classic being the Sam Wilson version of Captain America which is getting hype for the movie to come. They have tried to work Storm in a possibly Black Cat. Unless it's an Uncanny Avengers book, which was a good series worth bringing back, they are better off leaving her in the X-men, but at least there is no Blade of Ghost Rider, who was never a good fit for the team anyway. I think they need to focus on picking villains suited for them, as there can be too much in the way of trying to farm new characters than having no emotional investment. 

Daredevil 

With Spider-man also more grounded in the streets, Daredevil needs to be left on the grittier side. Matt Murdock's character is always picking himself back up to re-invent. Kingpin was running the show which put him in a bad spot, the whole prison arch, with Elektra becoming Daredevil was dumb, they should just work on making Elektra more interesting as her own character. The same cycle of rogues has been in rotation too long, they need to get writers in who keep things fresh while staying true to the character. 

Hulk 

Once again we begin to see writers at Marvel wanting to be the next person who creates a big bad like Gorr or Venom who catches on and sticks to become a recognized villain in the Marvel pantheon but fail to do this in a method that pulls from existing mythos. With Hulk, I am surprised we have not seen more from the Leader since Sterns is appearing in the new Captain America movie. While I am glad we do not have too many Hulks in the mix, it's about time to have Skaar show up, where the hell is Abomination? Rick Jones? The Hulk is doing what the Hulk does, and I have not disliked the monster slant, but there are plenty of monsters that could have made an appearance rather than trying to create new ones. Glob, the Missing Link, Wendigo, Frankenstein, the Living Mummy and Werewolf By Night could have all made an appearance shit I'll even take War-Wolf. 

Thor 

Getting back to basics is working Enchantress was due for a comeback., It was good to see the Executioner in play as well. I think there needs to be a balance of how we see Asgard and Midgard interplay. The Thor being a wanted man on Earth could have been a good angle, who would they send to hunt Thor down, when does Thor get fed up with humanity's shit and do some god smiting would be an interesting question to pose. He plays too nice, I think he works best with a rougher edge that is more true to Norse mythology. But things are less contrived than they have been in the past which works for me. 

Dr. Strange

Of all the books Strange is getting the worst end of the stick. Killing him off an making him a ghost, is dumb if anyone can navigate the afterworld back to his body it's Strange. This has spilled over into other books like Spider-man and we have seen both Clea and Dr, Doom trying to be sorcerer supreme. It's as dumb as when Thor was unworthy. This is an easy fix they need to get in there and do it right.

Iron Man

Pretty decent Stark is doing better than Steve Rogers. Stripping away Stark Industries and not making him more of an Elon Musk, works for now, but how can you expect him to not get back to where he was considering who he is and the network and resources he has. At least his book is not as littered with too much supporting cast. Not sure how I felt about the Emma Frost thing. The thing they need to get back to the classic feel, and the West Coast Avengers book seems like the part forward to that. 

Captain America 

I am only exposed to Sam Wilson through Avengers which is fine, as he is a better supporting cast member than some one in the spotlight, he has not rogues gallery and I do not see Roger's villains taking him seriously. Rogers is like Stark where too much supporting cast members like Bucky or Black Widow weigh things down and lower the stakes. There are some interesting stories that could be told with him, and I think we would be a good avenue to bring back SHIELD as a shadow organization, maybe that he plays against as was hinted in the movies, but their is a wealth to work with that is not being tapped here. 

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Marvel 2018 first Quarter

I has taken me some time to get this done as comics have been less than inspiring except for the return of the Hulk in No Surrender and the news that Sentry is getting his own book again.  So here is a look at some of the books from the first quarter. Marvel is beginning to do a lot better in 2018, here is a look at some titles of not mostly for better the worst one was ...Black Panther 169

Complaints about the legacy numbering systems is it shows white character like Captain America are at 697 issues where Black Panther is at 169, well when you are a supporting character in your own book it probably means you are a better supporting character than a lead, which is why his movie doesn't bode well. He started as a supporting character in Fantastic Four. The 169th issue finds the focus on his two lesbian body guards. He gets one panel and yet another comic where the cover has nothing to do with what is inside. If you were to spend 3.00 on this in a comic book store you should be pissed.

Captain Marvel 168

This was almost as bad as Black Panther, space opera that was a jumble, we had Sasquatch shooting guns like Chewbacca. The Alpha Flight is getting butchered as her side kicks. Carol is lost and this book lacks direction.

All New Wolverine 30

The common theme is too many guest stars are crammed into each issue. I hate the way Laura is being drawn.Hopefully this arc is over and the book will get better, as long as they switch artists.

Phoenix Ressurection

Forced to choose between this and the Jean Grey book I chose this one as two books re out of hand. She says good by to the Phoenix force, guess we will see where this goes for better or worse.

Amazing Spider Man - 794

It wasn't the worst issue but Scorpio from the Zodiac is kind of a lame villain. I know Bobbi is Peter's girl friend , but tired of her tagging along all the time. It looks like Norman Osborn is going to become Carnage, well they have had worse ideas and he has already worn an Iron-man suit so we know he likes to play dress up.

the Incredible Hulk 712

The worst Thor vs Hulk ever. The way it was drawn sucked. They were throwing punches behind one another, it was framed in a way that did not make sense. Who ever drew this had never seen a fight before in real life. Story wise well Cho proves he is a pussy by not letting go and letting a Hulk be a Hulk.

Avengers 677

This whole No Surrender story seems like a variation of the original Secret Wars, but on Earth with the Grandmaster taking the Beyonder's role. This issue mainly focuses on Quick Sliver with, Living Lighting, Scarlet Witch and Human Torch as support though the others are in the mix. They throw down with the Black Order which is clearly getting you more familiar with them for the movies to come.

Marvel Two In One 2

I like the fact this book is continuing the story of the Fantastic Four who despite the terrible movies that have been made you feel like you don't realize how much you will miss them til they are gone. With Mole Man and Doom in tow all that is missing is Reed and Sue.

The Falcon 4

The 4th issue of Falcon was better than expected, but he is another hero about to be crowded out by his supporting cast, I love Son of Satan, but if you already had Brother Voodoo then it's getting crowded, Marvel in trying to be PC, inadvertently is racist by assuming if a character is black he knows all other black people and has them on speed dial, just because Brother Voodoo works with one sect of Avengers doesn't mean he is tight with Sam. In fact this was more up Hellstorm's alley so why is Jericho in it at all?


Iron-Man 595

Was not as bad as Black Panther, but wasn't good. The art was better than Black Panther's though. It is basically Marvel trying to undo messes they have made.


Captain America 697

I didn't care for the art , but damn it was well written. Throws in Kraven a the Spider-man villain, which is always a nice touch to see one hero fight another hero's villain. It was done in a way that makes sense in the context of the larger story they are trying to tell here and puts Captain America back where he needs to be.

X-men Blue 20 / X-men Blue Annual 1

Issue 20 finds the stuck in the mess that is time colliding with different dimensions and is a mess. The annual find them trying to rescue the Starjammers from a symbiotic planet but first they fight Venom, Jean takes care of him, though Angel, Ice-man and Beast don't do as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy 150

Adam Warlock is back, the way he is handled makes me think the writer read to much Sand-man , but we shall see, otherwise it's a pretty decent lead in to the next Infinity Event, I am still not totally sold on Ant-man being on board, but this is better than most of I have read from this book recently so I called call it an improvement.

Spider-Man 236

I don't hate Miles. This was not one of his best stories he is in the 616 universe and trying to bolster him by giving him variations of Spider-Man villains with a few real ones thrown in is not doing him any favors. Why can't he have his own bad guys? The whole dad thing, seems a little tired and super -retconned.

Review of Marvel's Spring 17

So I just had to press publish on this to get it out of the way so I could move forward. First off lets address the elephant in the room which is ...why is a comic book fan of over 35 year no longer passionate about his favorite line of comics. This is the back lash Marvel is feeling not just from me , but much like I predicted their effort to make comics more diverse is going down the drain and the books just aren't selling . So in getting caught up here I am going to reviews. where we are at coming out of the spring and throw in my thoughts with the current books and then try to force myself to care more at get back on track with more current reviews. Well going into the spring, Marvel begins to improve a little but not after they really shit the bed getting there. The In-humans vs X-men series was total shit with a few peanuts in between.The Clone Conspiracy fizzle out bring Parker into the hunt for Osborne as the end game and this looks to give Amazing Spider-man some promise going forward.

The 4th issue of U.S Avengers is entertaining over the top and silly, not sure about Ross not being the Hulk. But at this point we gotta take what we can get. The Mighty Thor turned out to be another waste of time and the Destroyer vs Gladiator fight which could have been the best part of the issue was all off panel. Showing a little more promise was the issue of Totally Awesome Hulk , Which forced too many guest stars to pile/ I like Silk well enough, but what is the purpose of her being there? The 7th issue of Invincible Iron-man has Ri Ri getting her butt beat by Nitro who is a b-list villain. If they are smart they will keep her in the Champions and admit there is no reason for her to have her own book. While I was glad to see the Leader in the second issue of Monsters Unleashed, the overall story left something to be desired. I am a fan of Ilsa Bloodstone, but it did not feel like the best use of her character.

The 12th issue of Black Panther was terrible and if they pattern the movie after the comic it will be a snooze fest. Captain America is not doing very well either so this Secret Empire arch they are building towards looks to be equally disappointing. It's some of the off shot titles that are the most fun like the 2nd issue of Elektra that pits her against Arcade. It holds the magic you wanted from comic from the 80's and 90's. The 20th issue of this current Daredevil run, finds the art at least returning to it' glory days and the book staying very street level , almost too much so for my personal tastes. The first issue of Luke Cage is better than I thought it was going to be. The problem with him is his limited rogues gallery.

More from Marvel

This week comics are off to a better start as "Uncanny Avengers " was pretty fun despite it being so Deadpool heavy. Punisher was a mess that did not have enough actual Frank Castle in it, so you see how that can be a problem. The first issue of the Unbelievable Gwenpool is pretty stupid. The art is kind of anime, and the character really lacks anything of substance relegating her to a running joke of mixing Gwen Stacy with Deadpool. Looks like to things that could sell on paper, but put into practise there is nothing holding it together. Speaking of Deadpool, the 20th issue of Deadpool is pretty lack luster and doesn't play to the characters strengths and instead finds him trying to be a voice of reason that comes across as being out of character. Howard the Duck finds this character being dragged down the drain by bad writing in an attempt to remember what worked with this character back in the 70s when he was higher pro-file. Moon Knight's 7th issue is a mixed bag. I like the fact the art work looks like it is from Heavy Metal magazine, but the story is so crazy and scattered is barely makes sense. Old Man Logan finds this story line really beginning to drag in the 12th issue. While it's not bad I don't see this Solo series going very far, he is like a Punisher who can tele-port. Thunder-Bolts finds this series treading water. The art was great and the plight of finding food wasn't epic in scope it gave the room to breathe, but they need to get this series moving in a better direction.

Mosaic's first issue is as bad as you probably feared. You do not give a shit about the main character, and the story line is jagged at best. Don't see this book flying or fathom a reason any one would give a shit abut it. The 12th issue of Dare Devil gives us a short but cool fight between Daredevil and Karnak. This serial killer takes a back seat and kind of flushes the argument down the toilet that events don't have to cross over unless they make sense and this seems a little like the In-Humans were being forced into the series. But aside from that little flaw it's a pretty good issue. The first issue of the Great Lakes Avengers is pretty good. I like the art. I am not sure these characters can hold the book and it might need Squirrel Girl. Power-man and Iron Fist is so far one of the better cross-overs into Civil War 2. I wanted to see Luke Cage and Carol go at it more.

This Fall in Marvel or the Fall of Marvel?

So I am a little behind in writing this and after starting this blog 6 years ago as my own passion project I have realized how shitty comics have become in the past 6 years and have to dig deeper to find inspiration to write about them . This is a problem if some one loves comics enough to write about them on a consistent basis then who is to blame when they no longer can find the same joy the once had reading them. Not burned out on Marvel's characters as I played the Future Fight game on a daily basis,I am committed  the characters ...I have Thor tattooed on one arm and eventually want to get the Hulk and Dr. Strange. It's the fact Marvel has gotten rid of so many of the core characters to replace them with social justice versions, which might be the plight of what will happen when Disney buys them finally settled into place. No this doesn't mean I am giving up on this blog, I don't give up my inspiration shifted to having to be a voice that says "Marvel you have lost your way, You are fucking up"

 Sure Amazing Spider-man right now is bringing some good moments, but will it fix the Clone debacle or dig a deeper grave with "Dead No More"?   Dr. Strange is also pretty solid and finds Stephen so far as the same character not a female or colored version of the character though the end of Magic thing is getting a little plodding. Sam Wilson Captain America finds Sam having to stoop low enough to take the fight to US Agent in a way that allow him to beat him.This happens to still make the book better than the 5th issue of the Steve Rogers Captain America book. The 9th issue of Captain Marvel finds the Alpha Flight turn on her. The Dr. Strange annual could have been much better than it was and finds Clea's return being very anti-climatic. Web Warriors needs to be put out of it's misery, but it seems to keep going for no known reason. I didn't bother with Squirrel Girl or X-men 92. Cage's first issue is weird almost like a Crumb book and almost bordering on being racist in it's stereotypes, it feels like Mad Magazine parodying a Luke Cage comic.

Spider-Woman 's 11th issue finds Jessica Drew confronting Carol Danvers and power set is just not enough to do any damage more than hurt here feelings. Hopefull we will see Danvers get her ass kicked good by someone over the course of this though I have a feeling it won't be Tony Stark. Totally Awesome Hulk finds Black Panther going after Cho. He is using a Wakanda Hulk Buster armor of sorts and tries pulling out every trick in the book, but while it's left hanging thanks to stupid sub-plots with Cho's sister, if Cho can't outsmart T'Challa then this book has proven itself unworthy. Speaking of odd fights the 5th issue of Thunderbolts finds Winter Soldier gunning for Miles Morales. I am not sure how Miles who is a kid can hold his own so well against some one with Bucky's experience. If this was Peter Parker I would get it.The 3rd issue of the Kingpin Civil War issue finds this book heading in a direction that is a better depiction of Punisher than the Punisher's own book making this one of the week's best books. The first issue of the Champions is alright, the chemistry of the team needs some work. The art is un-even, better in some places than others often too cartoonish.

This Week in Marvel

The 8th issue of Captain Marvel was enmeshed in Civil War, but did little to move the story forward except further high light the fact that Black Panther is having doubts about this ridiculous stance Carol is taking. Squirrel Girl's 11th issue was decent in her show down with Nightmare, it was a throw back to the comic books of  the 80s, but even then the hokey irony of this book is obviously for hipster girls who want to be geek. The 6th issue of International Iron-man was a waste of time with nothing to do with anything. Uncanny In-humans also bored me not of fan of the new In-humans, why can we stick to the classic ones? While I was glad to see Daimon Hellstorm the son of Satan in the latest issue of Hell-cat, the story was treated in the same girly Power Puff manner this entire run has been, I wish they would take her more seriously.Captain America find the book beginning to lose steam in the fourth issue. The Selvig part is trying to hard and this Hydra thing is not really working and I can see it being a stinker that they find themselves trying to correct like One More Day or the Clone Saga. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur finds the book beginning to tread water in the 10th issue , I would like to see sales figures and see if this book is on it's way to being cancelled.

Venom Space Knight was pretty good, unsure how it ties in to Civil War, but a Spider-man & Venom throw down is always fun and it's good to be reminded for where Venom got his start and he is in fact a Spider-man villain and should be an anti-hero at best. Night Hawk was pretty decent , but it felt like the writer was like I want to write Punisher as a black man. Pretty violent for a Marvel book. The 13th issue of "Extraordinary X-men"  was decent, seems detached from the other books and oblivious to Civil War. The New Avengers was o.k it worked with the established story and this team is starting to grow on me. Drax showed some improvement , but it still way to silly for me.

The Week in Marvel

It wasn't too bad this week, though it does seem apparent that the social justice warriors of Marvel continue to push their agendas in the wrong direction. The 12th issue of Invincible Iron Man, finds Tony more preoccupied with Riri, than even makes sense of the character to be. Riri like Moon-Girl is a smart black teenager, which Marvel must find to be a novel idea. Sure the fact she could make an Iron Man suit requires some suspension of disbelief. Where did she ge the money to make the first suit which is more complex than the tin cn version of mach 1.  Even with Klaw, Daredevil's Annual was terrible in every respect. "Uncanny In-humans" has it's heart in the right place as it felt more like the In-humans, but it was not very well organized from a story telling perspective.


The chase scene that made up the 10th issue of the Punisher was a lot of fun and found a cinematic tension that pulled you in. The finale of Dr. Strange's first 10 issues was a little on the anti-climatic side. It seemed like this story could have been told in four issues. I generally like this book and Strange is one of my favorite characters, so it was disappointing. Moon Knight continues to not make any sense. The 11th issue of Silk finds Cindy getting webbed up with the ghosts of her ex. This seems like a diversion away from what this book's story really seems to be about. I could not bring myself to read another issue of Deadpool or Vote Loki.Squadron Supreme was fun and the cross over with Spider-man makes sense, I think Hyperion would smoke Blue Marvel so not sure why that is a stale mate , I suppose it places the Squadron on Starks side. While not bad, the Kingpin lost a little momentum in the 2nd issue of his Civil War arc and they have made it unclear how it ties into the bigger story. Uncanny X-men might have the weeks best art within the pages of it's 11th issue.

The State of Marvel

Ok, it's getting harder and harder to write about comics as the characters I have grown up with are slowly getting edged out so here is this week and last week. Obviously this week is a big one and I'll get into it more in depth as the death of Bruce Banner deserves it's own post. There was not much else going on with Civil War three, they had Hawkeye take the fall for it. New Avengers caught up with the story the quickest. Hawkeye's team mates over there are tied up with this battle going on with SHIELD. But we know it's going to be AIM not SHIELD that comes out on top in the governments eyes. In Agents of SHIELD's 7th issue Coulson gets canned. Stark tried to recruit them. I am not sure at this point how can anyone not be on Stark's side, each week Danvers is made more of a bitch and who really gives a fuck about War-Machine at this point?

The 2nd issue of Spider-man's Civil War book, was a little meh, it focused on this Clash guy who is really a c-list villain at best. The second of Choosing Sides  was pretty much a waste of time with Nick Fury or some version of Nick Fury pretending to be Moon-knight. The Gods of War book was fun and I am looking forward to seeing a rampaging Hercules fuck some people up. The 10th issue of Gaurdians of the Galaxy might have seen the return of Angela, but it was just a jumbled mess of fighting with the Badoon, that felt like the end of the first Avengers movie. The 9th issue of Vision continues to take the book in a darker direction. Silk's 10th issue was a little bit of a letdown. She really was getting her but kicked by Black Cat, so not sure how her powers ebb.  The 8th issue of Old Man Logan was young Jean trying to show him everything is o.k. Things are not as fine in the all new X-Men even though that book is getting bogged down with the young Apocalypse.

Iron-Man's 11th issue was a little bit of a let down despite the art. At least this arc which really felt like it had nothing to do with Civil War is over . In other news, Marvel finds themselves once again at odd with the fans while trying to push their agenda, in a survey in regards to Iron-Man being replaced 62 percent were against it, with 19 on the fence and less than twenty percent in favor, once again proving how out of touch Marvel is with their fan base.

The first issue of Kingpin's Civil War book is pretty decent , even though the art leaves something to be desired. I like Fisk more than any of the heroes in the book.

This Week in Marvel 5/18/16

I won't really get into the mixed bag that is the casting of Thor 3 aside from stating the obvious that characters from Norse mythology should be well...at least look Nordic. Karl Urban might have a good Skurge. Where is Balder? Jeff Goldbloom as the Grand Master is certainly priming the pump for the Infinity War. So now into the lean week of comics Power-man and Iron Fist's momentum is slowed by lack of attention to detail when it comes to the fight relying on flash backs and tried story telling cliches to end this story arc . Hopefully they can get this book back on track I feel like the art didn't do it any favors. Star Lord is 7th issue has decent art, but the problem is the focus on teen drama with Kitty, they should be adults by now so why don't they act like it when it comes to dating? Sure the Collector was sticking his nose into it, but Kitty seems more mature than how she is being written here. I passed on Karnak as it has been an obtuse bore and it might also surprise you to know I passed on Deadpool : the Last Days of Magic. it could offer only comic relief to the current Dr. Strange Story that it really doesn't need in the first place.  Yes if I am passing up on a comic book with Dr. Strange in it then I am back in Deadpool burnout mode again.

Sliver Surfer shows signs of improvement in it's 4th issue of this incarnation in that it is merged more with the Marvel Universe, but almost to the point of being silly. Did we really need a hundred guest stars ? The 6th issue of Old Man Logan proves that age is just a state of mind as it doesn't seem to slow him down when it comes to tearing apart a Reaver. The Astonishing Ant-Man's 8th issue has a lot of heart to serve as a great example of how to make a hip comic that would appeal to a younger crowd without having to abort the classic Marvel Universe. Uncanny Avengers fares pretty well in it's 9th issue the focus is on Rogue and Hank Pym who is back and fused with Ultron. The art seems improved. All New Wolverine looks to be entering the Civil War event on the right foot, though she is a little out of her league if she is going to go at it with Fing Fang Foom. The 7th issue of Squadron Supreme is an improvement though the entanglement with the In-Humans and the ret-conning of Toro is a little suspect.

This Week in Marvel 5/11/16

Agent Carter gets cancelled , which is fine by me the show was a snooze fest. Jessica Jones showed how a female lead can work, Carter showed how it can fail, it's really a role of the dice as to how Black Widow and Captain Marvel would pan out. I think the rule of thumb should be if you can't hold a solo title of your own, then a movie more than likely won't work either. This casts a grim light on Black Panther which I won't be seeing in the theaters. But now onto what matters the comics.The second issue of black Panther, supports my theory that Black panther will hard pressed to hold a movie together on his own as the second issue already lost considerable steam.


Deadpool's 11th issue is rough story wise. Magneto showing up was the best part otherwise this arc with Sabertooth was drawn out an issue too long. I'm still unsure about the new Wasp. The 9th issue of the All New Avengers, focus equally on Vision as it does the new Wasp, but it is Jarvis who makes it feel like an Avengers book.Time travel once again becomes a crutch for questionable writing in the All New X-men's 9th issue that finds Kid Apocalypse and Beast blown back in time to do what a better writer col have done with the character in this reality. The 7th issue of the Ultimates might have decent art, but it is a waste of time to just establish Thanos return and that the team disagrees leading into Civil War 2. The 6th issue of guardians OF infinity comes across like an 80's Space opera, a few shades better than Space Balls. Even more silly is the 7th issue of Web Warriors , which is the jumped shark when Ducktor Doom 2099 comes into play. While it' well drawn the 7th issue of Venom Space Knight has some holes in it's story. The 7th issue of Illuminati is a little bit of a mess as the team falls apart.


The second issue of Gwenpool is an improvement. Jane Foster Thor and MODOK helped the book out. But they are trying to make her their Harley Quinn.Uncanny Inhuman has a really well-written 8th issue that has a lot of heart and makes the Medusa & Johnny Storm thing make sense. Which is a much better use of flash back than what happens in Vision's 7th issue, when we are taken back into a history we already know.The 5th issue of Agents of Shield works pretty well in bringing Grant Ward in and makes good use of the Marvel Universe as it's back drop in a way that serves the comics much better than the show.Silk's 8th issue is decent enough, the whole Spider-women arc seems to be holding it back from telling the story the book wants to tell and the Black Cat arc needs to get some where.I do like the fact Black Cat is gaining some traction in the Spider-World lately.

This Week In Marvel 3/6/16

There will be those who will try to ride the hype and tell the first issue of Black Panther was a masterpiece , but the truth is much different. The truth is while the book is not as bad as I feared it would be, it fails in other ways. T'Challa gets pushed to the side lines as his sister takes a more pivotal role. I like the more Toney Stark approach to things like his suit, but I have a sinking feeling Coates is writing this larger story because he can't tell the smaller story of being able to write in T'Challa's voice. The art is fair some aspects better than others. But be prepared for this book to be put on a pedestal it doesn't deserve. The 9th issue of New Avengers sets it up for some cheese with a giant robot fighting S.H.I.E.L.D's version of Godzilla. The art work is pretty decent. Speaking of decent art work the third issue of Spider-man...the Miles version which is all build up no action.Not a bad read, but the beginning of the air coming out of the book's tires. The 6th issue of Scarlet Witch tried to be very stylistic and ended up a waste of time and she is one of my favorite Marvel characters. One of the hottest and she was drawn like a dumpy old lady, how did her hair color change is another question. The consensus is the art on the first issue of Spider-Women Alpha really does suck. The writing is ok, all three Spider-girls in the same book.



The 8th and "Stand-Off" issue of "Uncanny Avengers" was pretty decent in pushing the Wayward Pines Agenda forward as the heroes begin to wake up and look to for what could be Stark's team. I'm a little torn with the 6th issue of the Vision. It is the problem of him being written out of character based off who we have seem him as for the past 30 plus years. The scene with him working with the dead dog is a little creepy. Wouldn't logic over ride this? What would Harkness  see this leading the Vision of such a cliff. It's an issue that made me think and raises more questions than it answers but in the end it was well done.You don't have to do much in Invincible Iron Man to win me over when Deodato is handling the art. He is my favorite Marvel artists. While Rhodey might be a Navy Seal, I think he is a little out classed when fighting a room of ninjas. Not sure how this leads into Civil War but it's supposed to. Old Man Logan's 4th issue finally ties everything together with the X-titles. Nice every one has the right voice. Last and well actually least of the good pile was Spider-Man 2099, he goes back for seconds on Man Mountain Marko and has a run in with Tempest's mother. Good art  some of the story was more vanilla than others and he is supposed to be the Spider-man with more of an edge.

This Week in Marvel : 3/30/16

Not sure what is up with this other 1.0 run of Spider-man that is leading into "Dead No More" , but it suck anyway you slice it. The art might be penciled O.K, but the coloring is so bizarre it looks like water paints. The Santeria storyline is stupid, a bunch of Catholic guilt, which I think unless you are a god...Thor, Hercules are some one who deals with these kinda of characters religion in the more conventional sense doesn't really belong in comics unless it's used as shading like Daredevil. Speaking of Dare Devil the 5th issue wraps up the Ten-fingers arc, we still have Blindspot in the mix, but the show down came to a head. The monster Hand thing felt a little cartoonish to me, but this run has had some solid moments so I am sure it won't take much for it too redeem itself.  Drax's  5th issue must still have CM Punk involved, because it feels like a little kids just messing around with his action figures is writing this story. Moon-Girl and Devil Dinosaur's 5th issue just seems like filler being used to drag a story out rather than move any of the characters forward. Hercules' 5th issue finds him throwing down with  the new techno gods who are pretty annoying. You are going to tell me this skinny little dude can trade blows with Hercules? I'm not buying it he should have been drawn with at least as many muscles as Sliver Surfer if thats the case. Oh, yeah if you are waiting I'm not bothering with Squirrel Gird anymore, unless she is being writing like the person who was Luke Cage's nanny in New Avengers.



The 7th issue of Sam Wilson's Captain America run is where Steve Rogers finally returns. Of course Captain America has a new movie coming out, what else did we think was going to happen? So when Thor 3 is about to hit wave goodbye to Jane Foster. All- New X-men's 7th issue is pretty good despite the entire issue dealing with a horror themed Toad who has kid napped Cyclops. The art is great and Toad gets brutal when he drinks. I can appreciate the new X-men 92 thing. It is a total send off to the cartoon. Even the art has a cartoon feel. I suppose the vampire they are going to introduce is Baron Blood.

This Week in Marvel : 2/9/16

Though it wasn't the best nor the worst episode, Agents of Shield returned to shockingly low ratings. While Marvel will redeem themselves with the second season of Daredevil. If Agents of Shield tanks the rest of the season then what does that mean for their network tv deal? Well the first shots of Spider-man in Civil War made the Internet forget about not only Bat-Man Vs Super-man , but Daredevil too. But back to what really matters here and that's comics. After a pretty good week last week, this week it's hit or miss, but they do knock it out of the ball park a couple of times.

It is a shame the 5th and final issue of Black Knight didn't end on a better note. Sure throwing Hydra and Merlin into the same issue was fun, the story seems rushed and there was too many pieces on the board.The first issue of Mockingbird was terrible. The art was ok, but over all lacked action and story. Wasn't that impressed with the Uncanny Avengers take on the whole Standoff thing leading into what will turn to Civil War 2.The art in the 6th issue of Guardians of the Galaxy had decent art, the intent to push it in the right direction was there , but the execution was off. Most of this centered around the writers inability to find the proper voice for the characters making Quill and Kitty seem like they had little to no chemistry together, being on a team much less a relationship. Though the cover says that the 9th issue of Amazing Spider was the start of a brand new story line it seemed like the same old same old that they have been running the past 8 issue with Zodiac. The fact Parker has a rocket ship makes this seem like a cartoon. He even survives a fall from space because he has more gadgets than Bat-man now. This is a problem.

 In other problems the density has shifted on Vision in his 5th issue and the book is going down. It was pretty dull. The art is really slacking as well. In the solidly tepid department Spider-man 2099  wasn't bad in any area, the story just seemed very color by numbers. If the next issue of Red Wolf ...which will be their 5th doesn't get any better it will be the last time I waste a minute of my life on that book, it hasn't been terrible but if we get to 5 issues with nothing really happening and it feeling like a watered down version of Banshee then I'm over it. The 5th issue of Ms. Marvel finds it improving with her golems, but on thing I realized is she really hasn't faced much fire power on her own in terms of bad guys . Weird World 4 is another huge waste of time with even the art getting sloppy. Almost as sloppy as Spider-Gwen


Infinity Entity must be their way to bring Adam Warlock back in time for Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which is fine by me, I find it a little weird  that Jim Starlin would miscalculate his powers so grossly. Other than that it captured the classic Marvel feel.  The only way to save face in the Jane Foster throw down with Odin was for something to happen that distracted Odin and caused him to step away from the fight. This was the death of his wife.So they dodged the bullet while still pushing their agenda "Damn the white male patriarch god, we have girl power".The comments section on the site I read this book makes Thor the most hated book in comics right now. But will Marvel admit to this mistake? or are the too invested in it? I had to stop and re-read Dr. Strange's 6th issue before it clicked with me, but in the end it shows this book continues to rise to the top of Marvel's heap. The end section with the wink to Harry Potter is pretty funny. Agents of Shield rivals Dr. Strange in it's 3rd issue in terms of being the weeks best book. It feels like the best parts of the show, mixed with what we want from the Marvel Universe and helps to set up Civil War 2 in a big way. It brings up some questions like what they fuck is up with that Wolverine, which comes out of left field. Speaking of Wolverine the 6th issue of the all new title is pretty decent ending this arc of her clone saga.

This Week In Marvel 2/24/16

So the big news is Iron Fist has found it's Danny Rand in Game of thrones actor  Finn Jones. Not my first choice, but of course this brought a grumble from the idiots of the inner webs complaining that it wasn't an asian actor. This is the pinnacle in stupidity since Danny Rand is blond. Aren't asians being stereotyped as martial artists in the first place? It would be racist for Rand to not be white. Racism has nothing to do about the color it's being vented against. But that is propaganda for you. Now to comics...bringing Uncle Ben back from the dead in Amazing Spider-man's 1.3 issue , not only made we scratch my head and back track to read previous issues, just doesn't have the impact it should and I can think of many more characters who would benefit from being brought back. I always tell myself Squirrel Girl is never going to be good and I am right, this time I'm sticking to my guns as this last issue was just a waste of time. Angela Queen of Hel,  continues to try to hard to push it's lgbt agenda. I have noting wrong with gay characters, ret-conning and making some one gay after the fact I have a problem with. Karnak's second issue is a mixed bag the plot is a little thin, the art is stylistic but well done for what it is. I don't see him carrying a book on his own for long. Drax's 3rd issue is obviously written by a wrestler, because that is what the plot resembles. Decent art and glad to see an old Hulk baddie in the mix. The 4th issue of the All- New In-Humans continues to be a disappointment and plot hole get bigger. They have a healer and Gorgon is in a wheel chair. What sense does that make? It took me a little bit to figure out what was no clicking for me in Hercules. The answer came after pondering the fourth issue. It's the introduction of the new gods based off modern thought that is weak. The art is fine, the action at least shows motion in the ocean, but the new bad guys are paper thin. The 5th issue of Howling Commandos find the series losing momentum and not keeping me as engaged. Venom Space Knight has Thompson separated from the symbiote and they meet up with a big ass space -panda, really the art is what sells the book as the story has gotten silly.


The art in Dare Devil is great. The book has an interesting use of perspective in the display of it's panels.  Steve Roger's seems to be a little forced in this issue, it's all set up with some action thrown in a good balanced book. The All- New X-men continues to be one of the better books despite the heavy handed teen drama. When Angel breaking up with X-23 is the cliff hanger when the rest of the team is throwing down with Blob, then you are heading in the wrong direction. The art is some of Marvel's best and what help ease the sting. This feels more like an X-men book than the other two titles. New Avengers shows improvement in it's 7th issue. Overall the book has been rather hit or miss. I don't care about White Tiger or Power-Man, but it was a smooth read with decent art. Silk continues to work despite it's art into the fifth issue. I'm not a fan of how Black Cat is drawn, but glad to see she how grown into a bigger player in the crime world. Speaking of poorly drawn but getting better as a book Hell-Cat's 3rd issue felt more like a super-hero book. A villain who controls bed-bugs might be throwing her light weights. Ant-man is becoming one of the better books. Some of the side story lines get a little fuzzy, but overall  it has the classic Marvel feel that I want out of books a balance of plot and throwing down. Unsure about the new Giant-man, I had forgotten Pym was dead. So if that is the way it's gotta be then that is the way it's gotta be, but the new guy needs to start working out.

This Week in Marvel : 2/17/16

Ok, this week the Avengers Stand Off Welcome to Pleasant Hill  started off which is leading to Civil War 2. This is basically a massive rip off of  Wayward Pines. Shield designs a fake town with brain washed re-programmed villains, Numbered among them is Bruce Banner. So we know he is not dead. Meaning Cho-Hulk's days as the sole hulk are numbered. Today artwork was laid out with some working pages for an Avengers issue that looks to have the current team of All - New Avengers  minus Jane Foster Thor about to throw down with a horde of heroes that dramatically out numbers them. So far that makes the teams Iron-man, Sam Wilson, Vision, Miles Morales,  and Nova vs
Capt Marvel, Spider-man, War-machine, Foster-Thor, Wasp, Black Panther, Hawkeye, the New Avengers, Deadpool,  the X-men and the In-humans. So the deck is loaded against them unless Steve Rogers, Hercules,  Dr.Strange, Punisher, the Guardians of the Galaxy ( Star Lord was shown on Stark's side ) and Ghost Rider who all appear to not yet be spoken for jump in.



 I read it in the comic book store then I had to read it again online to see if the fourth issue of the Mighty Thor would make any more sense. Odin could have de-powered and cast out Jane Foster with a wave of his hand. It's one thing to be creative , it's another to have no regard for the mythology preceding your story, terrible writing, though the art is improved. The fifth issue of Uncanny Inhumans is a tour of the Quiet Room. Black Bolt's new head quarters, which is a variation of where he hung out during Secret Wars. They build some tension with mis-behavior that Black Bolt will need to lay the smack down on, but it's not the most compelling story. The art is better than most these days.Star Lord has great art , but the story now drags and nothing really happens in this issue, he runs into old friends and gets punched by a girl, what a wuss. The second issue of Sliver Surfer also wastes a little time in it's soap opera and limits his fight with the Thing to two pages and he knocks out Ben with one punch. This really depends upon the circumstances as to how believable that is. I know the Surfer is strong, but that strong? Web Warriors has a few moments like Spider-Ham telling some version of Black Cat that pigs can run faster than humans the book is still a tangled mess, if hundreds of alternate Electros were not enough now add on that many Dr. Ocks. I would prefer to see that many Black Cats, Kravens or Rhinos. It's a tangled mess. Can we kill them all off except for Spider-Man noir, Spider-Ham and Spider- Gwen?

It's good to see Luke and Danny back together. Their first issue back is heavy on the bromance. The art could be better , but overall the book does justice to what these characters are about. Another bromance book that is getting better is Starbrand and Night Mask. Even with the ending of this week's issue still not finding me in a position  of caring if they live or die the book is growing on me. The fourth issue of Squadron Supreme is a vast move in the right direction. Dr. Druid is back up in this bitch, he is more of a bad guy now. Weirdworld seems to click in place here , better than it does in its own book.The 7th issue of Extraordinary X-men is pretty damn good and moves the book in a better direction. They get Night Crawler back and of course justin time for the movie the Apocalypse Wars are about to kick off though I am willing to bet its a slow burn until we get full throttle into that one.

This Week In Marvel 2/10/16

The big even this week isn't on the shelves , but in theaters as Deadpool comes out. I am not going to see it opening weekend. In fact Dr. Strange might be the last Marvel movie I go to opening weekend. I'm not sure about Civil War, I think it's going to take the Avengers side of the coin into a bad direction. Super hero fatigue is going to be setting in soon after that one when those characters begin to be re-cast. The second issue of Shield, keeps with the tone of the show while setting things up for the Civil War 2 story that is coming. Overall it's a little on the luke warm side. The art doesn't help matters. Weird World has some wacky art, but a story I just can't care about, I will only keep reading it in hopes some one more interesting shows up, like Man-thing or Crystar. Another book with great art wasted on a boring story is the Ultimates.  Not a big fan of the Blue Marvel or the America girl, but you would think the others would do more than just support a Blue Marvel story, which is what the book is turning into. Black Knight loses some of it's charm in the 4th issue, there is only one left and the book is getting the plug pulled on it. I think it would have done better without some much of the Uncanny Avengers, as Dane becomes more of a supporting character.The 3rd issue of Red Wolf finds the book getting dull, they just need to bring in the Texas Rangers, since he was only good as a part of that team. Spider -Gwen has really gone down the toilet. I stopped reading the 5th issue mid way into it. The art is terrible and the story which is trying to be a Netflix drama already is overly dramatic and loses the voice of the main character. Ms Marvel really continues to be a waste of time, its a super hero comic book for people who don't like super hero comic books. Meaning poseurs...


The 4th issue of the All- New Hawkeye, finds the book going in a decent direction, though weighed down with too much back story on Kate Bishop, who really just needs to get put on New Avengers in Clint's place and let him have a solo book rather than trying to balance between two Hawkeyes as we get into the too many versions of the same archetype.
The 5th issue of All New Wolverine, is pretty decent even with the art working against it. Sure Wasp/ Ant-Man shrink down to go inside someone's body and save them is kind of played out concept, they pretty much make it work. One of the clones dies , which is fine by me as why do you need more X-23s running around , that is the problem we already have with too many version of the same hero running around. In All- New X-men X-23 was also the focus as the issue looked at her relationship with the new Angel and in the span of one issue trouble arose in paradise as he began to question her masochistic need to take her healing factor to the limit. Then a beat down from Blob, who I don't remember seeing for some time goes down.This is some of the weeks best art.  What All-New Avengers's fifth issue had going for might not have been what was intended. my take away is that Vision wised up and got the kids kicked off the team. The whole Equinox thing was on the dumber side of things since he is really a Marvel Team Up level of heel. I am glad Foster turned human, the perfect time to kill her off.  She also shows up in Illuminati's 4th issue another comic marred by flawed art, it's a heist plot that is losing a little of the steam.

So things were looking up a little  on the Hulk end. We saw more of Banner's fate in the 3rd issue of Totally Awesome.One of the few books with good comic book art these days. Fing Fang Foom, no longer talks for some reason. Then in this weeks issue of Old Man Logan, Cho-Hulk gets mistaken for the real deal, which you think Logan's nose would have picked up on, so that was a slight fail, but there fight is good and end like most Hulk vs Wolverines , with Logan getting his butt kicked in, despite his healing factor.

This Week In Marvel 2/3/16

A-Force's second issue finds me becoming increasingly unimpressed with not only G Willow Wilson's writing, but knowledge of the Marvel Universe. She tries to make Medusa as powerful as She- Hulk and Medusa's whole head of ginger can only lift close to two tons on a good hair day. So how is that strong enough to throw a being the size of Galactus? The art needs works not sure why She-Hulk and Medusa were the same height. Dazzler surfaces, not sure about her new look and roller derby is not for the biggest pop star in the world who has managers that ensure her face as part of the contract. So too much suspension of disbelief on the basics.The Vision's 4th issue finds the book treading the same water as his wife keeps taking wrong turns every step of the way I appreciate that fact the book is dark, but I would rather have more of the actual Vision in it, this isn't a t.v drama where all the character arcs have to be given time, it's super heroes. Uncanny X-men begins to lose a little of its momentum in the third issue, though the plot is ironed out and Fantomex makes his appearance. If that is all you need from an X-men book then it might work a little better for you it just felt stiff to me.The 2nd issue of Captain Marvel, is not as good as the first , but it is still hands down better than anything Kelly Sue ever did.  I was going to skip the 4th issues Howard the Duck , but despite feeling more like an issue of Guardians of the Galaxy it was better than the first three. Dr. Strange lost some of it's magic in the latest issue, there was a little too much Wong. Not sure about the temple of monk's trained to absorb his karmic repercussions either.

The Invincible Iron - Man is trying real hard in it's 6th issue but is losing some of the momentum, Deodato is my favorite Marvel artist, but the colorist is working against him. Sure War-Machine has gotta show, but the actual Iron Man is stuck trading blows verbally with Victor Von Doom in a Waffle House. Thanks to Bendis Miles Morales , who I used to hate has now taken a place in the Marvel Universe that makes sense, the whole presentation is pretty endearing, but if Blackheart took out a whole team of Avengers Morales is not powerful or experienced enough to hang. But for a first issue it's a good read and might be the weeks best book. However, this doesn't mean that super-heroes are like Barbie and it's fine to three versions of each one in order to look politically correct and market it like Mickey Mouse, who Disney could tell Marvel the value of what makes Mickey an icon, because there is only one of him, sure there is Minnie, but she is not a girl mouse taking on the mantle of Mickey, like She- Hulk isn't a girl claiming to be the Hulk and Spider-woman is a entity unto herself never trying to replace Peter Parker. Silk is her own character and the best job they have done at making diversity make sense and more suited than Kamala Khan.Scarlet Witch is improved in its 3rd issue, different art she now doesn't look like a housewife.The 3rd issue of Guardians of Infinity is really strong, a big throw down and then a second story with Groot and Ben Grimm teaming up. Speaking of space books, not only was Nova more grounded in the most recent issue he was under grounded and trying to disrupt a civil war between the Mole Man's dynasty. The appearance of Miles and Kamala was a little forced, I think they just need to throw the three of them on a new incarnation of the New Warriors.

This Week in Marvel 1/27/16

First off lets get the big news that is really non news out of the way since it should come as no surprise that the Alex Ross cover of the All New Avengers fourth issue that got some hype as it fooled you into thinking that Sam Wilson and Jane Foster were going to be a thing. Given her taste in men, it seemed far fetched to begin with and the two have zero chemistry, when here motives for kissing him on solid ground not in the sky are vague, just a seize the moment shock value thing that doesn't even make sense when taken in context. The best moment aside from Vision schooling a 3rd string villain is the line by the civilians complaining about being save by the understudy Avengers to which the other replies "Where are the real ones, man the world is getting so politically correct these days." While the tension continues to grow with Marvel trolling their readers, take a look at message boards and it's obvious to readers this is becoming the case, which is only going to go so far. I for one am not buying comics any more for this reason and will only read them online or in the store and purposefully not buy them, with the first issue of the recent Dr. Strange being the only exception. I will buy issues when Thor...Odinson and Bruce Banner Hulk come back. But Marvel is pissing over their legacy for a feeble attempt to grab more money, that way they can do much like the trend of bringing back the originals, sell you an Asian ken doll or a white one. But super heroes are iconic because they are the only one who does what they do so it is devaluing their product.

Squirrel Girl continues to be a waste of time, they can't even keep to their own myths with the Dr .Doom thing. Venom Space Knight at least continues to wow you with the art where Carnage's solo book is now a mess and just a waste of time , if this is supposed to be a horror book there is nothing scary about. Spider- woman's 3rd issue sees the stupid pregnancy arc coming to a close. There was some interesting choices with the layout of the story that almost seems like clips from Family Circus, but they work and this is one of the better issues in the Ms. Drew book since she has been slapped in that stupid costume. While it's not bad and often endearing the 6th issue of Extraordinary X-men is not extraordinary. It is better than the first issue of Old Man Logan which seems unclear as to what world this is happening in and wasn't that the point of Secret Wars to get everyone on the same page. Another looming mess is in Angela Queen of Hel, though Hela's appearance might clear some things up. How Angela can hold her own against Bor is a mystery to me, but it is good to see the forced lesbianism on a character who wears a chastity belt pushed aside for a second for some sword play and that was not mean to be the pun it turned out to be. Moongirl and Devil Dinosaur might be getting better when the Cho-Hulk shows up in the next issue , but the current 3rd issue is really nothing to write home about. The New In-Humans  this week feels more like  a super hero book, book none of the characters are very engaging even Crystal so you could care less if they are walking into a trap or not.

The fourth issue of "Howling Commandos" finds the title pulling it together to make one of the best books of the weeks holding it's own if not better than most of Marvel's other team books and finds the book at a place where the story has arrived to take you off into what could be one of their staples if given the right push and aside from Man-thing these were characters I never ad any connection with. In the 3rd issue Daredevil continues to stay strong and finds his secret identity colliding once again with his work in tights.

The Week in Marvel... we're back

We are back up in this bitch . Obviously I was doing what I had been doing in terms of reviewing comics for Geeknthings so it would have been redundant for me to replicate that, but Geeknthings is gone to ground for the time being and may or may not climb back out so it's time to pick up where we left off. The big news is Steve Rogers is coming back as Captain America, because diversity is just a marketing tool over at Marvel and with the new movie coming out of course he was going to be back, Jane Fosters Thor days will also come to an end when the next Thor movie comes out. Ok now for a look at this weeks comics there's some good new and bad news , lets get the bad news out of the way first.



The bad news is that the Uncanny Inhuman's finds the book becoming even more obtuse and less entertaining despite some great art in it's fourth issue. When Black Bolt's song asks Johnny Storm, why he is there it and he can't come up with an answers, because it's just so forced , his lack of an answer reflects the tone of the entire story. I'm also beginning to slip away from New Avengers in it's 5th issue , which the arc it's self is going to be dealing with the corruption of Wiccan and turning him into the Demi Urge.The 2nd issue of Starbrand and Nightmask, doesn't really do anything for me. I'm a little hesitant on how they are starting off Sliver Surfer, it's about as serious as an issue of Howard the Duck, which doesn't reflect a tone that is most fitting for the character.The art work is the same and Ben Grimmm looks to be making an appearence soon so there is a chance for improvement.

As much as I don't like Kamala Khan the 3rd issue of Ms. Marvel serves as a much better sales pitch for the character. Uncanny X-men's second issue has great art and brings Mystique to the forefront with Monet and Sabertooth not far behind. The mutant hunting in this issue is smartly written. Ant-man is better than most in its 4th issue and I can see it beginning to get bogged down in it's soap opera , as if the writer watches too much "House of Cards" and the more soap operatic parts are all they latch onto. This new Giant-man is just dumb all the way around. Even if I'm not too fond of the whole prequel thing, the vibe continues to improve in the 3rd issue of "Star Lord". The art is some of their best. Speaking of space, with Kelly Sue Deconnick gone from the book, Danvers is soaring higher than ever. Not sure yet how I feel about the Alpha Flight being her underlings , but I have always loved that team, so good to see them back in action in some capacity, even if I question the voice they are written with it's still and improvement. The third issue of Hercules is o.k, not mind blowing a little tired of him having to use guns, the art is pretty decent in this issue.

Another Week of Marvel Now

Well it was a disappointing week for... Indestructible Hulk 18 I read the issue , a deceptive cover is one thing, but I even read solicits that promised in black and white a Hulk/Iron-man fight, I read re-red it to make sure I didn't skip over it , when it just didn't happen.

Let's do the time warp again. getting things mucked up like D/C and all their varied numbered Earths , Avengers 25 brings the original Avengers back from another time, setting them up to fight the current Avengers, yes it feel like we have been here before in All New X-men. Speaking of which this weeks issue, works beyond "the some where in time" gimmick and is a lot of fun leading into the Guardians of the Galaxy cross over.

Mighty Avengers continues to lack focus. Spider-man gets punched by Jessica Jones but talkes about suing them more than whipping her ass, which doesn't seem likea Doc Ock thing to do . She-hulk shows up and that's the issue's best moment the Inhumanity cross over seems forced and only gives more clues to the thing most people know , that Ronin is Blade.Forced  Inhumanity cross-overs continued in Iron Man 20, which wasn't a bad issue, as it served mainly for the origin of the new villain the Exile. who is also one of the ring bearers for the Mandarin, whose rings are finding wearers like the Green Lantern Corps.

 The second issue of Avengers World is rather plodding, nothing sets it apart from the Avengers book, it focuses on Smasher, who is not really an Avenger in the first place. The art is pretty killer and makes it worth skimming through. X-factor did much better with it's second issue, not sure how consistent the art is an the three person team needs more than the mix of powers it currently has .

Captain America 15 was helping to get things back on track until Dr.Mind Bubble the psychedelic super- soldier shows up, and thats not a joke. Though I wish it was. All New Invaders looks to have some promise the first issue had great artwork and was full of action, even if it mainly focused on the Original Torch. The Johnny Storm Torch was largely absent from FF 16, which thankfully came to its final issue. The Scott Lang figures out how to use Pym Particles , Ret-con was cool and smart enough for me to accept it. Though it seemed like it was written in so he could school Doom.

Cable and the X-force is gaining momentum, though one X-force book is enough. With the all female X-men book,.the Enchantress is really the only interesting element when she hands a beat down to Monet. Wolverine and the X-men has made it to issue 40, this one is a scattered mess of chaos but they manage to throw in a pretty worthwhile scene with Cyclops having a drink with Logan.