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All New X-Men #11 Review

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May 192013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

All New X-Men

Issue #11

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Published: May 2013

All New X-Men 10 ends with one of the mutants at the Jean Grey School deciding to abandon Wolverine and the team and join with Cyclops, Emma, and the others. It was a brilliant cliffhanger, the kind that asks a very specific question, instead of the general “what’s going to happen next?” that most cliffhangers end on. In this case, the unanswered question was “who is it?”

In retrospect, it’s completely obvious.

I didn’t really give it a lot of thought, or at least that’s what I tell myself for not realizing that it was Angel. Ever since the original X-Men arrived in the future, Warren has been incredibly uncomfortable, and everything that’s happened has just made him dread his own future. So he’s jumped ship, joining Cyclops in his quest to further the mutant agenda. It’s an exciting prospect.

The opening scene has some of the most exciting, tensest moments I’ve experienced in a while. Everyone flips their lid when Warren announces his decision. Tempers flare and things escalate quickly, stopping short of all-out civil war. When Wolverine unsheathes his claws in a rather dramatic moment, I nearly jumped out of my chair in celebration.

Unfortunately, the rest of the issue is pretty lackluster. Mystique and her band of misfits pull some crap with Tony Stark’s finances while further framing mutants for destructive acts. Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde have a heart-to-heart that, while not exciting, offers some pretty solid character development. To be fair, that tremendous opening scene accounts for almost half of the issue, so that’s a pretty solid first half.

Then there’s the ending, which has me anticipating the next issue just as much as I was this issue. Brian Michael Bendis just doesn’t let up, does he?

Age of Ultron #7 Review

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May 162013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #7

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Peterson & Carlos Pacheco

Published: May 2013

When I first read Age of Ultron 7 and saw the aftermath of Wolverine traveling back in time and killing Hank Pym, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t realized what a terrible, terrible plan it was. I trusted Wolverine, and then after he and Sue wind up in an alternate future with a bizarro team of Avengers and an all-powerful Tony Stark, I realized how badly I had misplaced that trust.

Or had I?

Killing Henry Pym to prevent him from creating Ultron was never meant to be a good idea. In fact, that’s why everyone shot it down, leaving Wolverine to go rogue and do it himself. It’s not that I underestimated how terrible the plan was, but I had underestimated how desperate Wolverine and the group was. When you consider it that way, it really puts things into perspective. Wolverine didn’t think the plan of defeating Ultron in the future had any chance of succeeding, so he took it upon himself to do the only thing that was left to do. And for what it’s worth, he was absolutely right about the future plan.

If you were to read a good chunk of my Marvel reviews, you would notice a pattern: I don’t like when things are stirred up just for the sake of it. I hate seeing a bunch of weird alternate Marvel heroes that are part of some “wouldn’t it be crazy if” scenario. Fortunately, that’s not happening here. Sure, we have The Defenders, which is this alternative future’s version of The Avengers, but they didn’t just happen for laughs. They’re an integral part of the story, a sign that things have gone terribly wrong. Now that they’re existence is justified in my eyes, I can’t wait to see more of them and learn more about “Uncle Tony.”

Age of Ultron #6 Review

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Apr 262013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #6

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Peterson & Carlos Pacheco

Published: June 2013

I just finished Age of Ultron 6 – literally less than a minute ago – and I’m absolutely speechless. Not one, but two Marvel heavyweights bite the dust in this sixth issue. Needless to say, heavy spoilers ahead.

I don’t know what I thought was going to happen when Wolverine went back in time to kill Henry Pym. Kudos to Brian Michael Bendis for really knowing Wolverine, knowing that he’s a man of his word. When Wolverine decided that he was on a mission, there was nothing that could stop him. I think part of me believed that Sue Storm would talk him out of it, but even if she tried – and in the end, she didn’t – she couldn’t have stopped him. Wolverine is stubborn in the best way possible.

Well, mission accomplished, but it isn’t a happy ending. Even Wolverine doesn’t know what future he just created, but like he says, it has to be better than the one they had.

On the other side of the timeline, Fury and his band of heroes are in the future – Ultron’s future – to unplug the AI once and for all. This side of things isn’t any less bleak. The entire Eastern seaboard is one big technological cluster, and while Tony Stark is nerdy enough to marvel at the sight of it, everyone else – myself included – is horrified. Ultron’s army has been streamlined into simple Ultron heads, and their extremely low profile makes them terrifying. The group struggles to survive, but as Michael Cole of the WWE says, the “numbers game” eventually caught up to them. That’s the terror of Ultron and his technology. He doesn’t possess a decent-sized army of various powered beings, he simply generates an infinite number of lifeless, robotic death machines.

Captain America is dead. All of them might be, but Captain America is Captain America. Things have never looked more bleak and the heroes still in the present – Peter Parker, Moon Knight, to name a few – have no idea what’s going on.

Age of Ultron #5 Review

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Apr 252013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #5

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Hitch

Published: June 2013

We’re at the halfway point in the latest Marvel saga, Age of Ultron, and if the stuff wasn’t hitting the fan before, it definitely is now.

The opening flashback scene in issue 5 is nothing short of brilliant. We see Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Henry Pym all gathered around the Vision, trying to bring him out of whatever unresponsive state that he’s in. They discuss how Pym created Ultron, and Pym corrects them, saying that Ultron more or less created himself. The conversation is important, as it gives new insight to Ultron’s origin. However, the conversation is only part of it. Bendis puts these three men, possibly the three smartest men in the Marvel universe, in a room together to show us that even with their intellect combine, there are still things that are out of their intellectual reach. That’s a truly terrifying notion. And with Pym and Richards not being present in the future, during the Age of Ultron storyline, it becomes an even scarier prospect.

I’ll always love Bendis’s humor. With all of this going down, he knows better than to make any characters crack wise like normal. The situation is too scary and bleak for that. What we get instead is Tony Stark’s failing mental state and Peter Parker’s nervous humor, and just the slightest amount of levity in a dark time can be hilarious, and when Peter asks Captain America how his spider-sense is, I laughed out loud.

I’ve never been a huge Nick Fury fan, but when they discover him in an underground bunker, I was elated. It’s not just because of Fury himself, but because he’s another non-superpowered being that survived. He’s Nick’s Fury, surviving is what he does. Let’s just hope the rest of them survive as well as Age of Ultron charges ahead at full speed, both into the future and the past.

All New X-Men #10 Review

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Apr 242013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

All New X-Men

Issue #10

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Published: June 2013

Bendis, you tease! I love your writing and your bald head and your razor-sharp wit, but you are such a tease!

Let’s back up and talk about the good stuff of All New X-Men 10, because there is a lot of it. The ending of issue 9 had me writhing in anticipation. Cyclops, along with Magneto, Emma Frost, and a young mutant whose name escapes me shows up on the lawn of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning and utters Charles Xavier’s famous line: “To me, my X-Men.”

As issue 10 kicks off, the entire school marches out to confront Scott Summers, including the Scott Summers that Beast brought into the future (along with the rest of the original X-Men). Here’s where it gets brilliant: there’s no fight. There’s no violent confrontation or action of any kind. Well, that’s not entirely true, as one young mutant assaults Cyclops and his allies in a hilarious moment. Other than that, though, it’s nothing but dialogue. That’s alright. This is Bendis. His dialogue is gold and I was glued to the page for the entirety of the confrontation.

Before I forget, there’s a plot developing with Mystique, Sabertooth, and Lady Mastermind. The seeds were planted last issue when Mastermind was busted out of the raft and now the trio are robbing banks and accumulating money towards some dastardly purpose. It’s interesting, and of course I’m curious to see where it’s going, but it’s being overshadowed by the Grade A drama that’s unfolding with the X-Men.

The best part about this confrontation between the X-Teams? There’s no clear line between good and bad. Sure, Wolverine’s X-Men would seem like the safe pick for the good guys, but Cyclops and his crew aren’t “bad” by any stretch. The biggest condemnation is Cyclops’s murdering of Charles Xavier, but he pleads his case about it being out of his control and it’s a damn compelling case. It’s all compelling, every panel of every page.

Then there’s the tease. Cyclops has come to the school to recruit. The Cuckoo triplets go with their mentor, Emma Frost. And then there’s one more convert, one so utterly shocking that it can’t be revealed this issue. As far as cliffhangers go, this sure is a frustrating one.

Age of Ultron #4 Review

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Apr 202013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #4

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Hitch

Published: June 2013

When reading a comic or novel, watching a television show or movie, playing a videogame, or experiencing a story in any fashion, I love moments that excite me so much that I instinctively pump my fist. Granted, a story needs more than just those moments. It needs depth and relevance and elements that give it staying power, but man oh man do I love those fist-pumping moments.

Age of Ultron has been a great read so far. It’s painted a world so bleak, that Bendis has set the stage for the most exciting, triumphant moments. Issue #4 has two of those moments, one much bigger than the other. Fortunately, it also drops a pretty big plot bombshell that’s the biggest chunk of story that we’ve gotten so far. Ultron isn’t actually present during Age of Ultron. He’s found a way to control things from the future, using the Avenger Vision as an unwilling conduit. Vision has never been my favorite Avenger, but I still enjoy the character and it’s heartbreaking to see him in such a state. Then there’s She-Hulk’s death, which happens suddenly and shockingly, but we learn towards the end of the issue that it wasn’t in vain.

After all that, there’s the way Bendis handles Luke Cage, which is beautifully tragic. We don’t know the extent to which Cage was hurt in the nuclear blast and that somehow makes it so much sadder. We don’t get to see Cage, but we get to Emma and Wolverine’s reactions, which tell us all we need to know.

There’s a bit in the comic where everything jumps eight days ahead. It’s jarring and I’m not a fan of the technique at all, at least not in this context, but everything about Age of Ultron has been so fantastic that I can’t even be bothered with it.

Age of Ultron #3 Review

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Apr 182013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #3

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Hitch

Published: May 2013

With Age of Ultron issue #3, Brian Michael Bendis’s latest epic is finally getting to the good stuff. The first two issues offered a solid build-up, but for those who were eagerly awaiting more “story,” this issue delivered a lot to chew on in its finally reveal. Even though I view my reviews as more of companion pieces to the issues rather than something that should be read prior, I’m still going to refrain from spoiling the final reveal. It’s a big moment, though I supposed it won’t surprise everybody, as I had read theories of it stemming from earlier issues. Still, I had put the theories out of my mind and it was a surprise. Now we see where Bendis takes it.

I’m sure I said this before, but one of the fun things about reading Age of Ultron is seeing who pops up where. Aside from the heroes we’ve already seen, we don’t know who’s alive and who’s dead, not to mention where they are if they are alive. In this issue we learn that Hulk is dead, but soon after we learn that the Red Hulk is alive, along with Black Panther and Moon Knight. They’re in Chicago, and they don’t seem to be in contact with the main group of heroes in New York City. It’ll be interesting to see if and when they meet up.

Age of Ultron is moving at a deliberately slow pace, but Bendis has been shaping a world that’s completely unappealing in all the right ways. Ultron’s world is utterly devoid of hope and the heroes seem less heroic than they’ve ever been. Despite this, I’m cheering for them harder than I ever have before. Unless something goes horribly wrong, I’m sticking with Age of Ultron until the end.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 Review

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Apr 162013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Guardians of the Galaxy

Issue #1

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Steve McNiven

Published: May 2013

The new Guardians of the Galaxy comic is sort of a big deal, what with the film adaptation on the way. Marvel is no doubt trying to drum up interest in a relatively obscure comic. With a fairly important launch such as this, you think they’d pull double-duty to make sure that everything goes smoothly. And yet, here it is: Guardians of the Galaxy issue 1, next to last page, last panel – there’s a typo. Gamora is speaking to Peter and the contraction “you’re” pops up where the possessive “your” is intended. Can somebody point me in the direction towards which I should freak out?

That not-so-minor issue aside, I seriously dug Guardians of the Galaxy. My ultimate hero Brian Michael Bendis surely deserves a lot of the credit for that, but I just love the idea. I love the characters and the team dynamic. I especially love Rocket Raccoon, a character that I thought for sure I’d find unbearable. The book nicely combines the funny with the exciting and, though it’s just one issue, I’m really looking forward to the film now that I know how much I like these heroes.

Steve McNiven, John Dell, and Justin Ponsor deserve hearty praise for teaming up to produce such a downright pretty comic. The pencils are stellar and the inking and colors just make them pop. I really don’t have a bad word to say about the debut issue Guardians of the Galaxy. Bendis doesn’t even subject us to boring exposition, which is often unavoidable in a first issue. Sure, there’s still a ton we don’t know about this team and what they do, but we get a good feel for the situation from the opening scene. Guardians just shot to the top of my monthly read list and I eagerly await the next issue. Is there anything Bendis can’t do?

Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #3 Review

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Apr 142013
 

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite

Issue #2

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Michael Del Mundo

Published: April 2013

I’ve been having a blast with this series so far, and issue three hasn’t put a stop to that. So far the series has been one introduction after another, each with a distinctive feel and tone, and as a relative newcomer to the series (I imagine just the sort of reader they’re hoping to attract), I get more and more curious each week to see how these characters are all going to come together and interact. Veterans of the title might have a different experience, but I’m having tons of fun with this.

This issue introduces Gamora, a pretty badass chick with awesome green hair and a great design. Marvel’s been releasing this series in the form of digital comics, and the format really, really works for a series like this. It gives each issue a cinematic feel, which serves the action well in particular. Much of this issue is comprised of an action scene, and it just flows so well.

Not to mention it looks great—the colour palate is sandy golds and pale greens, which makes for a gorgeous—though still gritty—atmosphere. Character movement is fluid and elegant and expressive, which is essential for an issue that’s scant on dialogue. What it does well is get me interested in the character in the same way that issues 1 and 2 did. It teases just enough to intrigue, to make you want to keep reading to find out more. I’d say that’s an effective opener.

Plus, it’s free! I’d definitely encourage anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi adventure to check them out over at Marvel’s digital comic store—after all, what have you got to lose except time?

All New X-Men #9 Review

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Apr 082013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

All New X-Men

Issue #9

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Published: May 2013

Comics are a unique medium in that iconic characters – Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men – can’t be written without acknowledging the decades of history that have come before them. This can get problematic. The Marvel Universe is massive and getting bigger every year, so there’s plenty of unavoidable crossing over. More often than not, this is a pain in the neck, confusing stories and forcing readers to buy issues of titles they don’t follow just to get a complete story. Fortunately though, sometimes it works flawlessly, and that’s when comics truly shine.

All New X-Men is currently being written by Brian Michael Bendis, who’s also writing Uncanny X-Men at the moment. This undoubtedly makes it easier to have the two titles work in tandem. In Uncanny X-Men, Cyclops and his band of rogue mutants are currently fighting off the Avengers, while in All New X-Men, the time-displaced original X-Men are still getting used to the modern world, as well as their powers. A danger room scenario pits them against a horde of sentinel’s in New York City’s Times Square and it’s a wonderful scene that brings a lot of nostalgia with it. The issue continues on a good note, with Kitty Pryde butting heads with the alternate Scott Summers and Beast explaining to the alternate Angel exactly how dangerous Cyclops is.

It’s the ending that really makes the comic and made me nearly shout for joy. The end of issue #9 syncs up with the end of Uncanny X-Men #3. Everything is going good at the school. Class is in session, the alternate X-Men are adjusting. Suddenly there’s a flash outside and then there’s Cyclops, along with his mutant extremists, saying the same thing he said in Uncanny X-Men.

“To me, my X-Men.”

Things are about to get awesome.

Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite Comic #2 Review

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Apr 052013
 

by Lindsay Young, CMRO Contributing Writer

Guardians of the Galaxy Infinite

Issue #2

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Yves Bigerel

Published: March 2013

After a thoroughly enjoyable first issue, I decided to check out the second, since the series is being made available in a really engaging style online through Marvel’s digital comic store. It really gives the panels a sense of smooth motion, and it’s a really wonderful way to read comics. I’d love to see more books get the ‘digital treatment’ this series is enjoying.

This time around, the story focuses on re-introducing Rocket Raccoon, the character I have to admit I was the least eager to find out about, being a newcomer to the Guardians canon and all. I mean, in theory, he seems a bit silly, even for science fiction. To my surprise, however, I ended up enjoying his issue just as much as the first. As a character, he’s funny and engaging, even somewhat sympathetic as the issue draws to a close. That’s a lesson for me right there: don’t judge a raccoon by his fur.

The writing here is tons of fun. The dialogue is snappy and quick, genuinely funny in places and adeptly serious when the plot starts trickling in. The issue reads like the first episode of a sci-fi TV pilot, one that’s stylish and engaging and moves at a swift pace to introduce character, action and plot all at once. This isn’t a book that meanders. In this issue alone, I feel I’ve gotten quite a bit as a reader, and it sets up tons of questions I’m eager to see answered.

The art really helps make this one pop, too. It’s lively and expressive without being too cartoonish. I really dig the gritty feel of the world. It feels dirty and lived in without sacrificing the bright, engaging colour scheme that clearly articulates an alien setting.

Uncanny X-Men #3 Review

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Mar 292013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Uncanny X-Men

Issue #3

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Chris Bachalo

Published: April 2013

Brian Michael Bendis fanboy checking in. I’ve never made any attempt to hide my love for Bendis. I’m not trying to fool anyone. I am unapologetically biased when it comes to his work and I will check out (and probably love) anything he puts out and that’s because of issues like Uncanny X-Men #3.

There are so many things that I adore about this issue that I don’t know where to start. How about the fact that Bendis gives Captain America the credit he so rightfully deserves not just as part of the cast of the Marvel universe, but as a veteran superhero inside the Marvel universe. The issue kicks of with a flashback; one of Cyclop’s newest recruits looks up to Captain America as her personal hero and wants to be the Australian equivalent when she grows up. So when she comes face-to-face with him in her driveway (which is where this issue picks up), she’s understandably a little overwhelmed. It’s easy to forgot that amongst all the heroes that popular the Marvel universe, Captain America is something of a celebrity. It’s nice to see that addressed.

Then there’s the issue of Magneto and his turncoat status that was revealed at the end of the first issue. Bendis touches on that story again with another surprise reveal that’s very true to the character. I admit that I might be a tad gullible, because if you know Magneto and how steadfast he holds to his principles, you might’ve seen this coming. Still, Bendis does a good job of taking the focus off of Magneto for long enough to catch us off guard.

Then there’s that last panel that almost gave me goosebumps. I love the slow, destructive arc that Cyclops has been on, and when he said those famous words in that very last panel, it was chilling.

Uncanny X-Men #2 Review

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Mar 272013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Uncanny X-Men

Issue #2

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Chris Bachalo

Published: April 2013

I loved comics as a kid. What little boy doesn’t love comics? As I grew older, I lost interest in them, but when I was in high school, Marvel launched Ultimate Spider-Man. It’s that comic – one of my favorite titles of all-time – and Brian Michael Bendis’s writing that brought me back into comics and helped me realize that I’d like to write comics for a living. So yeah, I’m a bit of a Bendis fanboy.
Right off the bat, one of the most interesting and appealing things about the new Uncanny X-Men title is that the X-Men aren’t necessarily the heroes of the story. Cyclops and his band of mutants are the focus, but whether or not they’re the good guys is up to the reader. As Cyclops travels the world, recruiting as many mutants as he can as fast as he can, the folks at SHIELD are justifiably worried. For once, the Sentinels feel like they might be keeping us safe. On the other hand, it’s hard to sympathize with a guy who’s just trying to save his species from extinction.
It’s this gray area premise that sets the comic off on the right foot, and the revelation that Magneto is secretly working with SHIELD to take Cyclops is compelling storytelling. Uncanny X-Men #2 isn’t the most exciting issue, with no action to speak of, but it’s exposition that needs to happen. Bendis is good at dialogue, it’s one of his biggest strengths, so he can do a lot with scenes that could be painfully boring coming from other writers. He sets the table for some really good stuff to come and that very last page is an absolute tease. Issue #3 should have more than enough action to make up for this issue’s deficit.

Age of Ultron #2 Review

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Mar 272013
 

by Dylan Duarte, CMRO Contributing Writer

Age of Ultron

Issue #2

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Bryan Hitch

Published: May 2013

The debut issue of the Age of Ultron was solid, but I was a little disappointed with the way Brian Michael Bendis just jumped right into things instead of showing Ultron’s rise to power. I knew that it was going to be covered at some point, and that starts in issue #2, as Bendis starts giving us the backstory in little installments, with the first one coming to us courtesy of Spider-Man, who was unlucky enough to sleep through the majority of Ultron’s takeover. Typical Parker luck.
In issue #2, we’re shown the whereabouts of Black Widow and Moon Knight, who happen to be in San Francisco, all the way across the country from New York City, where Spider-Man and the gang is holed up. A big part of the fun in Age of Ultron is learning the status of various heroes, and while Black Widow and Moon Knight not be very high on my list of favorites, it’s always good to see familiar faces.
Bendis’s comics usually move very quickly. In fact, one of my only complaints about him as a writer is that I can oftentimes breeze through one of his issues in a manner of minutes. And yet Age ofUltron is moving at a slower pace as the death and destruction unfold and I’m quite okay with that. The arc will only be ten issues long, and while it does feel weird that we’re only a fifth of the way through it and nothing has really happened, a lot can be packed into 22 pages, so I look forward to really jam-packed issues in the future.
I loved the ending of issue #2. Not only does it have me amped up for the next issue, but the way it echoes the end of the first issue forms a nice little circle.

Ultimate Spider-Man #38 Review

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Mar 272013
 

by Linsay Young, CMRO User

Ultimate Spider-Man

Issue #38

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Mark Bagley

Published: May 2003

This issue is mostly comprised of a battle between the Green Goblin and a highschool-aged Spiderman, their first ever in the Ultimate universe, and it shows. Spidey is awkward and unsure, definitely unaccustomed to the whole fighting-a-giant-monster show. Other than that, it’s a pretty standard Spider-man outing, without much to distinguish it from other, better battle scenes from other universes. The police get involved pretty directly, which adds a bit of tension, but which also complicates things enough to make the action a bit too quick. I’m looking in three different directions here, whereas I’d rather just be paying attention to the one-on-one.

Art-wise, it’s solid, but not particularly memorable. Characters move convincingly, but there’s something about the style that fails to really intrigue me. This is very much a ‘your mileage may vary’ sort of thing; I’ve definitely seen worse art, but this art just doesn’t do it for me. Also, for some reason, Spidey’s webs have been coloured snot green, a decision which makes every little web trick he does look kind of disgusting.

The writing is in the same boat: it’s standard and serviceable, but there’s nothing particularly endearing or memorable about it. Peter Parker is appropriately smart alec-y, but none of his jokes ended up making me chuckle. A few fall flat.

It’s very much an average, unremarkable issue, which makes it difficult to write about. Not bad, certainly, but nothing I would tell anyone to rush out and read. It’s an issue designed as a bridge to-hopefully-a more interesting story. Not a waste of time, but probably not something you’d want to start with if you were trying to get someone into reading Spiderman.

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