2011 October » Complete Marvel Reading Order News and Reviews

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #523.1 Review

Posted by Nick Walden Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 312011

by Nick Walden, CMRO Contributing Writer

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear

Issue #523.1

Written by David Liss, Art by Jefte Palo

Published: November 2011

Take one part Daredevil, one part Punisher, and one part Black Panther – shaken not stirred. Drop the new creation into Hell’s Kitchen and you have the new storyline for Black Panther. So far it has been awesome with a capital “A”!

The Black Panther comic was getting to be a bit tired with him being a king and constantly spouting off about the people and what not. In a nice 180 twist we now have a Black Panther minus his powers taking care of Daredevil’s stomping grounds to prove himself. I love the storyline by Liss here. He is going dark and brooding with some serious attitude. This story unfolds nicely as Panther has to track down a killer. We move from scene to scene crisply with a good mix of dialogue and action. I like the characters he has brought in to the storyline.

Art on this comic is first rate. It has a classic Punisher/Daredevil feel. I absolutely love the way Panther is drawn. He towers over people and is built like a brick house, but more like a powerful athlete than the impossible musculature some characters are given. The costume is a nice hybrid of the Panther tights with a flack vest and utility pouches strapped on (Punisher-esq). The color work is good with a lot of dark scenes but a great mix of tones and shades to keep each panel well defined.

Two thumbs up for this book! I was a fan from the first page and can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue. For those who like a good story and heroes that fit the ‘angry’ and ‘no super powers’ mold this is definitely a comic to pick up!

Incredible Hulk #97 (Planet Hulk) Review

Posted by Charlie Brooks Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 312011

by Charlie Brooks, CMRO Contributing Writer

The Incredible Hulk

Issue #97

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Aaron Lopresti

Published: October 2006

Anybody who has seen the Planet Hulk animated feature knows well the wish-fulfillment part of the comic arc it was based upon – the Hulk, exiled from his home world, makes a new home for himself on the planet Sakaar. His strength and savagery win him the day against all foes, and he finally finds a world that accepts him not as a monster but as a hero. I imagine that more people have seen that animated feature than read the comics it was based on, and if such a person were to go from watching Planet Hulk to reading the original tale, the opening would look very familiar. Through the first act of the story, we see the Hulk as a wish fulfillment device, smashing everything that gets in his way and seeming to make no moral missteps. But, as we delve deeper into Planet Hulk: Anarchy, we see that things are getting a little less black and white than the animated film made them seem.

This is not a knock on the animated feature, which is an excellent film. However, that movie made some necessary simplifications to the story that the comics as an ongoing medium didn’t need to. In part one of Anarchy, we saw a darkening of the story as the Hulk and his friends rescued more slaves but also destroyed an entire village in retaliation. In The Incredible Hulk #97, which marks part two of this segment of Planet Hulk, we continue to see more moral complexity come into play as anger gives way to vengeance, which may eventually lead to self-destruction. No, we’re not talking about the Hulk here, but rather his first friend on Sakaar, Miek the Unhived.

For the Hulk’s part, he continues to be a wish fulfillment in action. Despite the fact that he has the Red King’s trusted Lieutenant following on his heels, the Hulk’s might and tenacity allow him to bypass every obstacle. He rampages through Sakaar freeing slaves by the dozens. He returns to the Maw, the gladiatorial pit where he was sent to die, and manhandles those who imprisoned him. Even when a monster capable of swallowing the Hulk in one bite attacks, the Hulk merely breaks the creature’s slave disk and domesticates it on the spot. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s mad. He’s capable of anything, and that’s really one of the core appeals of the character. But how good can the story be if the main character makes winning look this easy?

The answer is explored in the Hulk’s effects on his companions. Miek, who already faced his share of demons last issue, continues to grow darker as a character as he struggles to protect his newly found brothers and sisters – the last remnants of a dying hive. Miek seems to have taken the Hulk’s advice of, “Never stop making them pay” to heart, and has gone from being the plucky comic relief to an increasingly aggressive and violent character.

Way back at the beginning of the Hulk’s existence, he was less a hero and more a menace. In his first appearance, he seems to want to kill his sidekick Rick Jones. At least twice in the character’s original six-issue run, he stated that he wanted to take over the world. Miek is that kind of character now – not plotting world conquest, but with that same type of unfocused anger. But while the Hulk had benevolent influences to help temper his rage such as Rick Jones and Betty Ross, Miek only has the Hulk himself to look up to. And while the Hulk might be more of a good guy these days, he still speaks in a language of rage and violence. What will that effect be on Miek, who is himself consumed with rage at the oppression and soon-to-be extinction of his race?

The Hulk himself knows what he is. Leading his army of freed slaves to the steppes of Sakaar, the issue ends with him deciding to disappear and be alone forever. After all, the Hulk has always wanted to be left alone, hasn’t he? When his companions try to get him to stay and fight against the Red King, the Hulk responds with this: “I know exactly what I am. And if you have any brains at all, you’ll shut the hell up and let me walk away… before I kill your whole stupid planet.”

And there’s the difference between the Hulk of now and the Hulk of then. The modern Hulk has been through many, many losses. He knows the pain that rage can bring, even though rage is essentially what he is. But one person won’t let him walk away: Miek himself, who has now morphed into a larger and stronger creature, referred to by his bug companions as “Hero King Miek.” Miek refuses to let the Hulk go into the steppes quietly, setting up our cliffhanger as it looks like the Hulk and his newly powered-up friend are about to face off against each other in battle.

While last issue had a darkening of themes, this issue really weaves the wish fulfillment aspect of the Hulk together well with the more serious consequences of our hero’s actions. For half of the issue, we see the Hulk rampaging along, smashing those who have done him wrong, and turning his rage into something good and productive. But in between those over-the-top action sequences, something darker is beginning to surface. It’s here in Planet Hulk: Anarchy that the saga takes on a whole new dimension, and we’ll see how those themes continue to grow when the Hulk goes to war not only with Miek but with another major player in this saga next issue.

Felicia Hardy – The Black Cat Issue #1 Review

Posted by Lindsay Young Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 302011

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Felicia Hardy: The Black Cat

Issue #1

Written by Joey Cavalieri & Terry Kavanagh, Art by Andrew Wildman

Published: July 1994

I have to admit my bias here. I love Felicia Hardy, whether she’s fighting Spider-man or fighting with Spider-man. She’s one of my favourite comic book characters ever. So whenever I go into a Black Cat story, I’m both excited and wary, because I’ll be the first to admit that there have been some pretty awkward interpretations of her over the years.

This one falls somewhere in the middle for me. It’s just so very 90s, and as a result the whole thing is very tell-y. Characters describe what they’re doing as they do it, offer stilted exposition to one another, and generally don’t have much in the way of natural dialogue. (“Electro-claws let me rip [your weapons] in half!” is my favourite one).

The art is pretty standard for the 90s, with very muscular characters and squinty character expressions. As someone who admittedly has never been a fan of this style, there’s not much to look at here. Characters stand in awkward poses, muscles outlines in exquisite detail beneath their suits, and women with giant hair that could block out the sun. It’s just very out-dated.

The story itself is alright – Felicia is restless, looking for someone to talk to after having just broken up with her boyfriend, and stumbles upon Spidey during a fight. There’s some fun action, and as the story progresses and Felicia accepts a job, it does pick up. It’s not as exciting or intriguing right off the bat as Black Cat stories can be, but it’s also got its own charms.

The best I can say about this first of four issues is that it’s a fun nostalgia trip. Overall, though, there are better Black Cat stories out there, and a newbie to the character might want to start with something a little more compelling.

Ultimate Hawkeye #1 Review

Posted by Dylan Duarte Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 302011

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Ultimate Hawkeye

Issue #1

Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Rafa Sandoval

Published: October 2011

Out of all the Avengers, Hawkeye seems to get the least respect. Well, I shouldn’t say all of the Avengers, because that’s a seemingly never-ending list, but Hawkeye has always been at the forefront of the team, and yet has never amassed the popularity of his teammates. There could be multiple reasons for that or it could just be while the rest of the Avengers are flaunting their superpowers, he’s shooting arrows. That being said, heroes like Batman and The Punisher are proof that not having superpowers doesn’t send you straight to the bargain bin. Unfortunately, headlining a boring comic just might.

I wanted to like Hawkeye, I really did. His lack of powers make him something of an underdog, which is always appealing. Plus, I just think archery is rad. But there are just so few interesting elements to Ultimate Hawkeye that it became a chore to get through. The overarching plot isn’t terrible – Thai scientists want to wipe out the X-Gene so that they can then monopolize genetically-engineered mutants – but it’s told in such boring fashion. Eight pages are dedicated to exposition surrounding what is ridiculously called “The Plan,” showing images of people on planes, scientists in labs, test subjects being injected, etc. I understand that comics are a visual medium and the last thing a reader wants is a massive block of text, but if the writing itself isn’t engaging, spreading it out isn’t going to fix that. To be fair, there is one exciting moment in those eight pages, but that’s also one exciting moment in a third of the issue.

And outside of those eight pages, it doesn’t get much better. With so much focus on The Plan, we don’t see nearly as much of Hawkeye as we should. When danger goes down, we root for Hawkeye out of obligation to root for the good guy, but considering that he’s just portrayed as Captain America with a few jokes, there’s no real connection there.

With the exposition out of the way, I’m cautiously optimistic about the second issue, but this series certainly didn’t start off with a bang.

Catwoman #2 Review

Posted by Lindsay Young DC Reviews, Issue Review 2 Responses »

Oct 302011

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Catwoman

Issue #2

Written by Judd Winick, Art by Guillem March

Published: December 2011

Despite having some reservations about the now-infamous first issue of DC’s new Catwoman, I found myself enjoying this second one. Maybe it’s the whip-quick pacing or Selina’s gutsy, somewhat-damaged personality, but despite being constantly made aware of her breasts, I have more good things to say than bad about Catwoman this time around.

Issue #2 picks up after Batman and Catwoman have sex, and Catwoman doesn’t stick around long to enjoy the afterglow. She’s off in a matter of pages to steal a prized painting and get revenge on the Russian mobster we met last issue. The pacing is so quick, and it’s a lot of fun to follow Selina as she leaps around on building tops and infiltrates Bruce Wayne’s fundraiser party in disguise.

It’s interesting that Selena seems to be constantly running from Bruce, whether he’s Batman or Bruce Wayne. The interaction between her and Bruce at the party is fun and flirty, especially when we know that Bruce knows who she is and is just putting on the dumb playboy act. It’s clear they’re going to circle each other for a while, and I’m intrigued to see how it plays out (although with that ending, I’m expecting some Batman-to-the-rescue in issue 3).

There’s an interesting dynamic in the inner monologue – sometimes Selina is playful and sexually aggressive, other times she’s vulnerable and lonely. Sometimes the dialogue borders on cheesy or try-hard, but there are some moments – particularly near the end – that are genuinely affecting.

The art is quite lovely too, with deep colours, interesting angles and lots of detail in the expression. There’s a good sense of movement in this issue, which makes the fighting scenes really pop.

I’m still nervous for the future, but there’s a lot to enjoy about Catwoman #2.

Incredible Hulk #96 (Planet Hulk)

Posted by Charlie Brooks Issue Review, Marvel Reviews 1 Response »

Oct 282011

by Charlie Brooks, CMRO Contributing Writer

The Incredible Hulk

Issue #96

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Aaron Lopresti

Published: Aug.u 2006

“They followed the Green Scar and his monsters out of slavery…and into the Twisted Wood. And now,
in the cold and the dark, they wonder…how wise was that?”

So begins The Incredible Hulk #96, which continues our journey through the Planet Hulk saga. The story so far: after being exiled from Earth, the Hulk found himself playing out Russel Crowe’s part in Gladiator, serving as a slave on an alien world and then fighting his way to freedom, ultimately escaping with a large number of fellow slaves.

Through Planet Hulk: Exile and its companion, Giant Size Hulk #1, we’ve been dealing with simple pleasures – namely, the Hulk smashing big alien monsters while fantasizing about doing the same to the heroes back on Earth who exiled him. With this first issue of Planet Hulk: Anarchy, things start to get a bit more serious. That’s a big strength of comics – very few other media can get away with a plot involving a giant green irradiated man being exiled into space and fighting alien monsters alongside bug-people, a stone man from Saturn, and a magic-wielding priest. No other medium to my knowledge can take that opening and then turn it into a deep exploration of anger, revenge, and the effects of both.

This issue opens with the Hulk showing off his brains in addition to his brawn. While the slaves he’s freed debate as to whether he is a hero or monster, one slave runs off and sends a message to the Red King, who promptly orders the area bombed in hopes of killing the Hulk (known to Sakaarians as the Green Scar for the scar on his face he gained in battle with the Red King). However, the Hulk has outmaneuvered his hunters, and the only people who get bombed are the Hulk, his stone ally Korg, and the Red King’s loyalist – and only the latter happens to be bomb-resistant.

The majority of the issue focuses on the race as the Hulk tries to help the slaves escape their pursuers. Leading the hunt for the Hulk is the Red King’s Lieutenant, so far only referred to as “Oldstrong,” who shows herself to be as cunning and deadly as the Hulk. She attempts the same misdirection ploy on the Hulk, trying to lure him into a trap with murdered villagers serving as the bait, and the Hulk nearly falls for it. Thankfully, he has allies of his own, such as the shadow priest Hiroim, who stops the Hulk from rushing in headlong. The game of cat and mouse adds an interesting twist to a typical Hulk story, since our green goliath can’t just smash everything while he has others to protect. It also establishes the Oldstrong as a worthy adversary, but one who might not be as evil as she seems – the dead villagers she used had already been slaughtered by a corrupt governor, meaning that, while she is certainly opportunistic, her kill count as far as innocents go is currently zero.

Moving on with the adventure, the Hulk and his companions once again play the role of heroes, saving a village from a group of wildebots (wild mechanical beasts, serving as another opportunity to show how much work has gone into making Sakaar unique, interesting, and deadly). Hailed as heroes, things nonetheless take a darker turn when we discover that the leader of this village also happens to be the person directly responsible for killing Miek’s tribe, making him an enemy of the Hulk’s bug man friend and by extension the entire Warbound. In trying to give advice about what to do, the Hulk delivers what will soon become arc words: “I’d never stop making them pay.”

These words lead Miek to face his family’s killer in a fight to the death. It’s not quite as straightforward as one would expect, though. Before the head of the village enters the battle, we learn that he has a son of his own, and we see him act as a benevolent father. So maybe he’s not such a bad guy? Well, during the fight, we find out a hard lesson that people – even pink people – have both good and bad in them. On the one hand, the village’s Headman has killed Miek’s family. On the other hand, he is apparently a good father. But, as the fight goes on, we find out that not all of Miek’s family is dead – some have been kept by the Headman and used as slaves.

And once again, we see the rage of the Hulk and his companions on display. They save the slaves, but burn the village to the ground before leaving. On this last point, I do have to give some criticism of the layout, as the aftermath of the village’s destruction is left until the last page and the exact scale of the damage isn’t caught right off the bat. I think this story had a little too much in it and could have benefited from just one more page to really show off the aftermath of the damage done by the Hulk and his Warbound. To be fair, though, we do get one salient point here: buildings have been destroyed, but no deaths are shown. The role of the Hulk as somebody who rarely kills is very important both here and in the upcoming World War Hulk.

Despite the last page quibble, this story is yet another strong offering from Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan. More importantly, we’re starting to see the first hints that Planet Hulk is more than just a romp through alien gladiatorial arenas. Not that the Hulk smashing aliens is a bad thing, but there’s a reason why Planet Hulk is beloved by Hulk fans and not just another quickly forgotten event. How will this meditation on rage end? Is the Hulk a hero, a monster, or somewhere in between? The answers will continue to be explored as we delve further into Planet Hulk.

The New Avengers #16.1 (Osborn Rises) Review

Posted by Nick Walden Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 272011

by Nick Walden, CMRO Contributing Writer

The New Avengers

Issue #16.1

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Neal Adams, Tom Palmer, & Paul Mounts

Published: October 2011

Wow. Just wow. This is by far one of the best books I have read in a while. To start, I am a big fan of the current Avengers line-up. The mix of a few previous Avengers along with the Thing, Spiderman, Wolverine, and the rest just has so many diverse and great personalities. So far Bendis has taken full advantage with his hero banter.

I was amazed with the artwork in this issue. Neal Adams is just incredible and some of his scenes are the best I have ever laid eyes on. The inks were done well providing a lot of contrast that made images stand out and ‘pop’ where needed. Action, stand-still, and during conversations were all wonderfully filled with rich detail for every character in the panel.

This plot line is great. I really enjoyed the way the story is going and making Norman Osborn into such a huge character. With his mental issues and genius it looks like this story can go so many ways. Bendis had everything flowing well and kept the entire team involved nicely. The action was fast paced and really I could not turn the pages fast enough. Now I am eagerly awaiting the next book and am a bit sadthat it will take another 30 days to get to the next chapter of this adventure.

Avengers Academy #19 (Fear Itself) Review

Posted by Nick Walden Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 262011

by Nick Walden, CMRO Contributing Writer

Avengers Academy

Issue #19

Written by Christos Gage, Art by Tom Raney, Jeromy Cox, and Scott Hana

Published: October 2011

I feel a bit let down by this issue. The previous book was fast paced with a lot of fighting going on. The brakes really got pressed hard for this one as the story development was a bit more of the focus. The young Avengers are still involved in the Fear Itself crossover and this issue was trying to tie a few storylines together, but I think it was just a bit too much talking and not enough doing.

The merry-go-round of artists continues in this series with Tom Raney taking the lead on pencils for this episode. I am a bit torn in reviewing his work. On one hand there are a few amazing scenes with the Absorbing Man where I just said, “Awesome”. But other scenes, particularly when our heroes stood around talking, were a bit flat. Overall it was a good effort but with his skill it could have been a lot better. I wish he was allotted more time for his work. There was solid work with the coloring for very vibrant scenes as they traveled between the universes.

Gage hopefully has a good idea of where the story is going. With the Fear Itself crossover almost done he had to disengage Titania and the Absorbing man as well as bring the instructors back to the fray but I was excited but then disappointed at how the scenes unfolded. The saving grace was the unexpected ending which has me curious for the next issue. It is fun to have different artists on board with relatively new characters as they “find themselves”.

Wolverine #16 (Wolverine Forever) Review

Posted by Nick Walden Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 252011

by Nick Walden, CMRO Contributing Writer

Wolverine

Issue #3

Written by Jason Aaron, Art by Goran Sudzuka and Matthew Wilson

Published: October 2011

This book left me feeling a bit confused. It was almost unnecessary, in a sense, looking at the big picture of how the storyline has progressed. I understood what Jason Aaron was trying to do by having Logan lose himself in the woods, but I don’t feel he spent enough time turning the plot around what was going on in his mind. All too quickly he snapped the story back to reality. You could even say ‘why bother’ and just kept the story going along from two issues ago.

One thought I have is that Aaron is trying too hard to create complexity and depth with the character but then not taking enough time to fully explore what he started. With such a minimal amount of action and purpose, he should have left Wolverine out pondering his life more.

On to the artwork! The switching of artists is somewhat of a hassle; however I wasn’t crazy about how the previous issues had looked and was happy with the change. Goran Sudzuka does on okay job with everything. I enjoyed how he does Logan from a distance, but the close-up facial shots are a bit bland in some scenes. His characters are more detailed and alive in the darker scenes which are a credit to both him and Matthew Wilson’s color artwork. If they could maintain that same level in all scenes I would be a happier reader.

This book is not a must buy for most people. It really doesn’t seem to be a necessity for the story. With that being said, I will be happy to see the next issue as we are at a turning point in the plot and I have no idea which way it will go.

Giant-Size Hulk #1 (Planet Hulk) Review

Posted by Charlie Brooks Issue Review, Marvel Reviews 2 Responses »

Oct 252011

by Charlie Brooks, CMRO Contributing Writer

Giant-Size Hulk

Issue #1

Written by Greg Pak, Art by Aaron Lopresti

Published: June 2006

Throughout most of the early 2000s, the Hulk was an afterthought as a character in the Marvel Universe. His book struggled with mediocre sales and inconsistent storytelling. In guest appearances, writers could rarely agree on what kind of character he was – was he the dumb “Hulk smash!” Hulk, the meaner but more cunning Hulk from the late 1990s, or something else entirely? Did he kill or was he generally a good guy with a bad temper?

For many of these reasons, in 2006 Joe Quesada decided that the Hulk needed some extra love, so he turned the reigns over to Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan, which resulted in the excellent Planet Hulk storyline. In my past four reviews, we’ve gone through the first leg of that story, Planet Hulk: Exile. But Planet Hulk was not just a one story arc tale. At the time, Marvel’s Civil War event was going on, and big players like the Hulk, Thor, and the Sentry were mostly sidelined, since their presence could have easily tipped the scales dramatically. Planet Hulk not only had to keep the Hulk out of Civil War, but it also had to set up what had already been designated as the next big Marvel event, World War Hulk.

Leading up to Civil War, most of Marvel’s superheroes were acting like jerks. Exiling the Hulk into space with complete disregard for his civil rights – not to mention the fact that he saved the planet immediately prior – was the final nail in the coffin for a lot of people. Many Marvel fans were eagerly awaiting the chance to see the Hulk return and give a righteous beating to these so-called heroes. And while that beating was at least another year away, Giant-Size Hulk #1 whetted the fans’ appetite while we waited for Planet Hulk to resume.

Giant-Size Hulk #1 is a collection of three stories, two new and a reprint. Opening up, we have “Green Pieces” by legendary Hulk scribe Peter David. This flashback tale takes us away from the planet Sakaar and back to Earth, where the Hulk faced off against the superhero group known as the Champions. Promising to give us hints as to what was coming when the Hulk returned to Earth, the story is nonetheless largely a fight scene between the Hulk and the Hercules-led Champions. But as a “fight scene” story, it has two strengths. First, Peter David is terrific with snappy dialogue and one-liner jokes. He can sometimes go overboard, but in “Green Pieces” he keeps a good balance. An example would be the Hulk, here in his child-like persona, giving names to those he’s fighting. Angel is “Wing Man.” Iceman is “Ice Man,” which Iceman starts to correct only to note that…yeah, the Hulk actually got that right. Hercules, much to his chagrin, gets the name of “Skirt Man,” a title he feels he will never live down.

The other thing that keeps “Green Pieces” from being more than just sound and fury is the reason that the Champions are fighting the Hulk. The Hulk is rampaging through a city with an unidentified woman in his arms. Assuming the worst, the Champions attack. Eventually, the woman is delivered to the hospital, at which point it is revealed that she is Jennifer Walters in her pre-She Hulk days, and that her appendix was about to rupture. The Hulk, in this case, was a good guy, racing her to the hospital before he was interrupted by heroes looking for a fight. Hercules in particular notes with shame that he attacked the Hulk without giving him a chance to explain…and notes that he hopes to do the Hulk right in the future, providing us with our much-promised hint as to how things might shake out in World War Hulk. Hercules is known as somebody who will throw a punch to aid a friend – will he throw his allegiance in with the Hulk upon the jade giant’s return?

Following “Green Pieces” is “Banner War,” which brings us into the ongoing story of Planet Hulk. This tale takes place immediately after Exile, but is not strictly necessary for the tale. Rather than advance the plot, it brings in a much-missed foe of the Hulk’s – Bruce Banner himself. While he dreams, the Hulk is confronted by Banner, who both taunts him and tries to convince him to fix up the shuttle he was sent to Sakaar in so he can go to the peaceful world the Marvel heroes originally had picked out for him. The resulting conflict delves into both the minds of the Hulk and of Banner. We get to see a lovely piece of cathartic chaos as the Hulk and his Warbound take out the Marvel superheroes violently, along with a bit of humor. For example, Miek, the Hulk’s bug- like companion, stabs the Sentry for “making the Hulk sleep on the kitchen floor” in one of the Sentry’s own miniseries, to which the Sentry can only manage, “But it was a good—” before succumbing to his gut wound. Pak’s humor is not quite as subtle as Peter David’s, although he would refine it to an art by the time he started writing The Incredible Hercules down the road, but it is still enough to make a reader smile. And, since we’re all eagerly awaiting the Hulk’s return to Earth, it’s nice to get a preview as the Warbound just flat-out slaughter the Marvel Universe.

Many of Bruce Banner’s own words ring true in “Banner War.” He rightly points out that the other time the Hulk found himself stranded on an alien world fighting for the freedom of his adopted people and falling in love, it was really the Hulk with Banner’s brain in control. His love interest of the time, the long-dead Jarella, fell in love with Banner first, then accepted the Hulk later. On Sakaar, the roles are reversed – the Hulk is in full control with Banner in the background. How will this tale turn out, then?

Well, maybe the Hulk isn’t in total control. By the end of the tale, Banner temporarily gains control of his body again. Miek wakes up to see Banner in the Hulk’s armor and does an immediate double-take, only to see the Hulk back to normal. As he goes back to sleep, the Hulk states, “There’s nobody here but us monsters.” Reassuring to Miek, apparently, but we know better – and it will be interesting to see if Banner can reassert himself again in the future on the deadly world of Sakaar.

Finishing up Giant Size Hulk #1 is “Hulk: The End,” which is another Peter David story, this time an adaptation of his prose tale “The Last Titan.” Here we find the Hulk as the last living being on Earth after a series of nuclear wars, constantly struggling with Banner. This tale feels quite out of place because it has little to do with Planet Hulk. Going in-depth about “Hulk: The End” should really be done in a separate review of its own, because the story has a lot to offer, from the Hulk’s eternal struggle with Banner to mythological implications of what the Hulk really is. I will say this, though: this is one of the best single Hulk stories out there. With Dale Keown on art and Peter David drawing from his long run on the character, it is dynamite. It is admittedly out of place in a comic that is focusing around the ongoing Planet Hulk arc, and it was probably just put in there because Marvel needed an extra story to fill out the giant-sized issue. However, they couldn’t have chosen a better tale in terms of sheer quality. Whether in Giant Size Hulk #1 or on its own, track down “Hulk: The End” if you get a chance – it will be worth it.

And thus our interlude is over. We will resume with Planet Hulk next time.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 (v3) Review

Posted by Lindsay Young Issue Review, Marvel Reviews No Responses »

Oct 242011

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Ultimate Spider-Man (v3)

Issue #3

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Sara Pichelli

Published: October 2011

Miles Morales, the “new Spiderman,” continues to struggle with his newfound powers in this third issue. It’s difficult so far not to compare Miles to the original Spider-Man, but the issue addresses this by wisely making Miles a character with a certain level of self-awareness. He knows that he’s not Peter Parker, and I would guess that the series is going to continue dealing with Miles’s reluctance to become a full-blown superhero.

It’s gratifying to see how Miles both mirrors and differs from Peter Parker in his early days. The struggle to maintain a normal life while having great power is something both characters agonize over, and Miles’ fear and awe of his new abilities (helped in no small part by the fact that a Spiderman already exists and he has an existing model to live up to) is both realistic and relatable. He’s not bursting with confidence, ready to jump out of the gate and start hitting things as soon as possible. He has ambitions of going to charter school, of living a normal life, and he’s forward-thinking enough to consider that this might be the end of his world as he knows it. That the character, especially one so young, is not yet ready to deal with that responsibility is compelling.

The art has its strengths and weaknesses – the poses are fun and fluid, but character expressions can sometimes fall a little flat. Still, there’s a lot of welcome diversity in the character designs, and even minor characters look distinct from one another. Moving along at a brisk pace and deftly handling teen angst without going overboard, Miles’ journey thus far in becoming Spiderman II is definitely becoming a story worth following.

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