Comics for the week of 11/14

Wednesday is here again.

Ultimate Fantastic Four 48


Basic Plot: Reed, Johnny and Ben fly to Siberia to find Sue, fight Crimson Dynamo and then go off to confront Sue's kidnappers, Red Ghost and whomever that woman is on the cover.

Well, I'm not liking UFF all that much, but I do like Mark Brooks and his art, so that is one of the few reasons I am still reading it. It is trying to do something similar to a lot of the Ultimate titles, in taking old villains and reinventing them. However, it isn't working as well for some reason. Ultimate Red Ghost was somewhat interesting, but I don't really feel he is close enough to be Red Ghost, and he isn't interesting enough to be a different character. He looks like Red Ghost, has super-intelligent mammals (I believe bears as opposed to apes, although some might be apes, I'm not really sure), but cannot phase, and is a super-genius trying to save his wife so he can save the world. Boo hoo, typical "villain has a reason for being evil" crap, but it is boring at this point. The fight between Crimson Dynamo and the FF isn't even that interesting. I don't know why, but it just isn't. There isn't much that is interesting about these stories and it confuses me, as I have really like Ultimate Fantastic Four at times. At least the final page is funny, although again, it seems like not much of a threat, or something like that. I think it may be that they aren't facing enemies that are on equal ground. They all seem either really weak in comparison or, as in God War or Psycho Man/Silver Surfer arc, way too powerful. Fighting weak enemies is boring.

X-Men: Die by the Sword 3


Basic Plot: Roma, main guardian of the Omniverse, is being attacked and they try to figure out why, plus Captain Britain is dying.

Why is that on the cover? Longshot isn't in the issue, really, and Dazzler is only on the last page as some challenge or something. I don't really understand the last page all that much, but whatever. This issue has a lot of fighting, but between people you don't really care about, so it doesn't really matter all that much. Oh no, some Captain Britains are dying. Yay, they're winning. Oh no, the main bad guy turned some Captain Britians into enemies. Yay, they're winning. I don't know if I am supposed to know of a lot of them, but whatever. The issue is amusing, but not anything special. Kind of bleh, although it is fun to see Blink, Sabretooth, Thunderbird and Morph beat the crap out of a guy. Whee!

Wolverine 59


Basic Plot: To come back to life (body is healed, but soul isn't in it), Wolverine has to face himself.

Heh, watching Wolverine fight is fun, so the only way to make it better is to have him fight himself. Well, it works, even if Howard Chaykin isn't an artist I particularly like. Plus we learn Wolverine tried to commit suicide during WWI or thereabouts because he felt he shouldn't live. Obviously, it didn't quite take. Well, then he fights himself and I am proud to say I recognize all the fights. Let's see: Origin as James Howlett, himself from WWI, when he first fought Lazaer, Weapon X project time, when he first was introduced and fought Hulk, when he was on Broodworld and almost died from turning into a Brood and had plated skin for the rest of the time on Broodworld (why? who cares!), when he fought Shingen, Mariko's father, when Magneto pulled the adamantium out of him, when he played softball/baseball at the mansion (not a fight, but the pic is ranodmly there) and when he was killed at the beginning of this series for Enemy of the State. Then you see him from Enemy of the State fighting guys and finally, him with the girl he just had killed. An amusing story that was done well, as it had lots of fighting, even though the entire thing was filler, it was still interesting and had action. Plus it was fun to see him from Broodworld. Easily my favorite part of the issue, as I love the classic X-Men from New Genesis and that was an awesome storyline. If you want to see scale-Wolverine, just get Essential X-Men 4, the very beginning has them on Broodworld. Yay for Brood-Wolverine. Filler issue. Moving on.

Thor 4


Basic Plot: Dr. Blake travels to Africa as part of Doctors without Borders, but has to become Thor to help the people there, along with discovering more Asgardians.

Thor seems to have a message this time around. He seems a lot like Ultimate Thor in that he is trying to save the world and he sends messages to everybody that he is trying to help everyone. The first issue didn't have much in the way of everything, it was mostly preparing for Thor to come back. Issue 2 was mostly amusing, with him building Asgard something like 8 feet above US soil (not on the soil, technically). Issue 3 though had a message. It took place wholly in New Orleans, where he learns how the dams broke and how tragic it was for the people there. He thinks of it somewhat like a mini-Ragnarok, at least for the people living there. Then after kicking the crap out of Iron Man (awesome scene, where he tells Iron Man off), he discovers Heimdall in a man from New Orleans. This was speaking to us too, with the tragedies going on in Africa, with people killing others pointlessly. As much as he tries to help heal as Blake, he has to become Thor to fend off attackers. See, I really like Thor, especially how he is now. Before, he was pretty much a superhero with some superpowers. In this series, he acts like a God, how I always imagined he should be. He easily beats the attackers, without so much as blinking. But, he is trying to help, and is able to help the people by separating the attackers from the peaceful people. I just really like this Thor. Maybe after growing up in San Francisco, and reading and learning about all the injustice, I think it is awesome for superheroes to try and deal with it too. This issue did remind me a lot of Squadron Supreme (the recent one), where they try to help, but the people just say they will take care of it and that have to do it on their own, and how that continues on in Hyperion v Nighthawk (an amazing story that is well done and brilliant). Godly Thor is here, and he is trying to save the world. Don't get in his way.

Punisher: War Journal 13


Basic Plot: After a bank robbery goes horribly wrong, Rhino tries to evade Punisher, and Spider-Man intervenes, then Kraven comes along...

Corey Walker is doing the art! I love Corey Walker. He created Invincible (with Kirkman), did an amazing job, and has done an amazing job with everything he has done that I have seen. Anyway, I like the story, but my main question is "When did Rhino become a Punisher villain?" I mean, he was originally a Spidey villain, and has fought many people, but he seems to fight Punisher recently. Is it because Fraction (the writer) wants to show Punisher can take out anybody, and is a bad-ass, being able to deal with fairly invulnerable and powerful super-villains? If so, it certainly works. I love this comic, and the storylines are awesome. This one is no exception. Rhino accidentally kills an old security guard when robbing a bank (guy falls onto an exposed pipe-ish thingy that was broken in Rhino's entrance) and Punisher wants vengeance? Awesome. Rhino is genuinely scared of Punisher (with good reason as Punisher had a Satan's Claw last time they fought), and the writing and art is well done. Spidey lectures Punisher (again) and then is taken out by Kraven (Aloysha Kraven, for those wondering "didn't Kraven kill himself), who takes Rhino to his super-villain zoo. It is rather amusing, although not knowing the point, makes me a little cautious, although it is fun enough to enjoy for the moment.

Avengers: The Initiative 7


Basic Plot: The Scarlet Spiders reveal themselves to the world when chasing after the Vulturions, who stole info on how to make Gamma Bombs. Spider-Man intervenes.

I love this comic. Seriously. It is a really good comic. Every issue has been amazing, and the art is good. Now, I don't like the Initiative, in fact I am vehemently opposed to it, but I love this comic, mainly because it allows the reader to see how badly the Initiative fails. Things don't go wrong in this comic, no, things go horribly wrong and then it is great to see them try and pick up the pieces. It is a great series because it allows you to rubberneck, and watch the train wreck in action. The main reason I like this issue though is because it gives Spider-Man an out. In Cable and Deadpool, when Deadpool is doing a recap of Civil War, he mentions how Spider-Man reveals his identity, in something that will screw up his continuity for years to come. Ever since then, I have been trying to figure out how they will fix it. The only ways I saw were mass mind-control, like what happened with the Flash (Spectre wiped the memory of who the Flash was from everybody, except for himself and other Flashes) or a House of M type change to the MU, where things can be different, like an Infinite Crisis, Superboy breaking the walls of reality type change. None of those have to happen. While chasing the Vulturions (I know, I know, they are bigger losers than they sound like they would be. Basically, poor rip-offs of Vulture that hunt as a pack), Spidey and the whole world watch the previously secret Scarlet Spiders give chase. When he eventually helps, and they take out the Vulturions and get the case back, the Scarlet Spiders, as a show of good faith, and to get the case, use their costumes to morph into the outfit Peter was wearing (t-shirt, baseball cap, you know, regular clothes), and "reveal" that Peter was one of four secret agents that were given suits with Spider-Man's powers, and they could shift into anything, including old suits of Peter's. Thus, they are able to say Peter wasn't the original Spider-Man, he was just one of the guys who had a Spider-Man suit, which he kept until that point in time, in which Peter will give it back to the government or something, meaning Peter might not be Spider-Man (or so the general public can think).

New Avengers 36


Basic Plot: Luke describes what happened with the Venom Bomb to Jessica Jones. Wolverine confronts Jessica Drew about what she told Stark, when giving him the Elektra body.

Curse you Mighty Avengers! The first arc isn't over in Mighty Avengers, and yet New Avengers has gone through many, including the second Mighty Avengers arc. Well, now we know what happens with the Venom bomb, so we don't have to worry much any more. It was a good issue, and I liked it a lot, but I don't like how late Mighty Avengers is being. Oh, and Luke is still paranoid. Basically, he asks "Well, what if Doc Strange was a Skrull, and used some Skrull magic that doesn't do what he said the spell was supposed to do?" Paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get me. Just say you never met me. I'm running underground with the moles, digging holes. Hear the voices in my head, I swear to God, it sounds like they're snoring. But if you're bored, then you're boring. The agony and the irony, they're killing me! (-Flagpole Sitta, by Harvey Danger) I love paranoia quotes. I am paranoid myself, and when telling people I am paranoid, I always just use my catchprase (if I had one) "Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get me." In the Harry Dresden books (amazing books, read them), he uses a similar version of my phrase, with more demonic references: "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon in front of you, ready to rip your face off." (or something like that) Hooray for paranoia! Anyway, the confrontation with Spider-Woman is nice too. Basically, her reason is "Right now, I don't trust anyone except myself, and I want to help humanity, and it will be easier here." Then, they go after the Hood, find him, realize he has the Wrecking Crew with him (it took a bunch of them to even beat the Wrecker), and call for backup. The final page has Luke Cage attacking with backup, which consists of at least multiple cape-killers, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, the Sentry, Angel, Storm, Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic, Thing, Black Widow, Daredevil, Vision, Cyclops, Doc Samson, Hercules, US Agent, what appears to be someone resembling (but isn't probably) Drax, Howard the Duck, Punisher, Silver Surfer and Thor. Yes, somehow, they got the last 4 to attack the Hood. The godly Thor, the replenished herald-Silver Surfer, the Punisher that is taking down the Rhino, and Howard the Duck. I mean, come on! Awesome, but come on!

Nova 8


Basic Plot: Nova, after using his powers to evade Drax and Gamora, has ended up at the edge of the Universe (the other side from where Annihilus invaded?), where he finds a mystery...

Yawn... Not Annihilation related, so not as interested. I do like the new Nova, but this isn't Annihilation, which was awesome, so I don't care as much. It is very bizarre, and I don't exactly understand all of it, but Cosmo, a talking, Russian, telepathic dog, is able to ask for help, as the giant floating Celestial head they live in has been infiltrated by zombie-ish guys. Um, it's weird and hopefully it will be explained, along with continuing to have Drax. Give a man his Drax, not dangle it in front of him, then pull it away! I don't really feel like reading it, but it is okay, and I want to continue, as it has been really good, and I think it can continue to be good, although this idea isn't great.

World War Hulk 5


I can't do World War Hulk justice in this, so I'll give a fuller review of it tomorrow. Sorry to all of you, wanting to know about it, but it deserves more than just being at the end of my comic pile for this week.